The mission went south fast. Lord Fukitachi had information of sorts from every village, a true worm in the underground world. Someone tipped him off about an attempt to assassinate him, presumably by a newly hired bodyguard. Kakashi had made it to the audition where he would display his skills when every candidate was captured as a precaution. He went willingly and was placed in a solitude cell, tortured daily for three weeks.

The mission was still on, kill Lord Fukitachi and return to the Village Hidden in the Leaf. His identity was not compromised,of course, he'd abandoned his gear and mask and taken on a new identity. Kakashi didn't look like himself, he looked like a poor farmer from the small village not far from the Lord's residence. Kakashi's hair was brown from a non-permanent dye that would last three weeks and disappear, returning to the original color. His eyes were blue and matching and even his nose was different and he had a jagged scar near his chin.

No one knew who he was except that he came from the Village Hidden in the Sand. His torturer returned after a short lunch break because apparently torturing something that is already broken is strenuous. He wasn't Kakashi he was Hound and he had been that way for the past two and a half weeks. Hound remained still as his hair was grabbed from behind, strands being ruthlessly pulled from his scalp.

"Tell me who you are."

"Tenuka Seuchi of the Sand."

" 'Yer shittin' me." His hair was released and the man circled him, eying his every move. Hound was bored, he wanted to kill. He had to be strategic though because believe it or not he found some valuable information. " 'Yer from that damn Hisao clan. Ya see, my boss know what yer up to. We just want ta know where and when you'll attack." Hound said nothing, gazing absentmindedly. Isamu Hisao had been at the bottom of his bingo book for a while. Funny, how the name had come up several times now.

The man spit at his feet, "I think you need a nice bath." He clasped his hands together signing quickly before a water prison jutsu formed around his head. It was mediocre and only lasted up to 100 seconds each time. Hound didn't react and that disturbed the other each time.

The mission had been compromised because of a turf war between Hisao and Fukitachi. Apparently the Leaf and Hisao shared the same views. The reasons however were different, Hisao wanted Fukitachi out of the way so he could presumably take over his role as the lead embezzler of funds from the Villages. Hound blinked when the water dropped over his body again for the seventy-second time.

The interrogation had gone on long enough and he had learned just about as much as the man in front of him knew.

Truth be told he had already planned for a situation like this when he staked out the area and found the holding grounds. Hound had been equipped with a senbon from day one, and finally used it when the other came closer. He had stabbed it through the eye with his bare foot and watch with boredom as the other groaned in pain before he finally died. Hound dislocated one of his shoulders so that his bound hands were in front of him than behind him like before. He grabbed a kunai from the dead man's pocket and cut the rope. Hound popped his shoulder back before he took the keys wrapped around the others belt and kindly let himself out.

He walked slowly out a found himself in familiar surrounding's. Hound walked into the woods where he'd hidden his equipment. He walked with a limp because his right foot has been broken in two places and he'd been stabbed several times in the left thigh. Torture was torture, Hound just had a higher tolerance. The ANBU made his way to the hidden gear slowly, stumbling occasionally, but otherwise normally.

Hound rested at the bottom of a tree stump when he arrived at the certain canopy of trees. He changed clothes, finding comfort in the fact they were clean and he had shoes. Hound ate several pills and administered some first aid to his wounds. The ANBU remained still until nightfall when he stood up and went to complete his mission.

Fukitachi did not make things easy for him, he was about as paranoid as an ANBU. Security was tripled and there was not a moment when he was alone. Hound watched carefully and waited for days before Fukitachi was finally alone. He did it quickly, forcing Fukitachi to inhale the poison through cloth whilst he was asleep. Fukictachi didn't even have time to scream before an induced heart attack claimed him.

Fukitachi however had enough time to press an alert button as twenty ninja came in seconds later. Hound fought them off, barely. The bodies lay littered across the room, the blood seeping into the carpet making it sticky. Limp arms fell by his side as his pack, covered in blood themselves, circled around him protectively. Hound roughly assessed the situation, he couldn't move his arms, but he had enough chakra to fuel his pack for another hour at least.

"We need to move," he said simply and then they were breaking out off a window, no doubt alerting the rest of the house if they hadn't already. The pack move swiftly at a pace most ninja couldn't keep up with healthy, let alone injured. Hound kept up though, not falling behind and Pakkun noticed how worse for wear his master truly was. He stayed behind when the rest disappeared and Hound didn't say a word.

Hound remained unfeeling as he landed on his feet each time he jumped from tree to tree. The two had been in the same situation countless times, traveling together in a life or death situation where normal people would have given up already. Pakkun worried constantly over whether he would have to find a new master, but he could smell a change. Hound was driven by something and he wasn't going to stop until he reached his goal.

The primal need to live had taken over as he surged forward at a pace Pakkun was having trouble keeping up with. The pug saw change in his master's eyes, before he disappeared, knowing somehow his master would make it. Hound crossed the border not evening bothering with stealth anymore. He would kill anything that blocked his way. The ANBU made his way back to the Village, body so hurt he couldn't even feel it. Hound stumbled several times, even falling after stepping on a weak branch.

The ANBU landed with finesse and expertise, however it sent bolts of pain through his entire leg. He broke his ankle but continued on anyways. The was pace immensely slower and frankly not good enough.

Hound was not deterred by something like a broken ankle and sped up once again. The ANBU passed through the gates like a flash and went straight to the Missions office he knew Iruka would be. The killer shoved off anyone who tried to help, especially Gai, who had unfortunately been there as well. Being a Taijustu master was the only thing that had stopped him from having his neck twisted. Hound one upped the ninja with a swift chop from one of the injured arms.

Iruka stood up in shock at the scene he'd just witnessed. The Third Hokage tensed in his chair as he continued to smoke his pipe when Hound neared. Iruka gulped, the ANBU had taken out one of the most skilled jounin when he looked like he could barely walk. Hound stopped in front the brunette, leaning closer than what was comfortable, inspecting him. He turned to the Hokage, "Mission Complete." The body locked suddenly and collapsed on itself, taking his consciousness with it.

Asuma, Genma, and Raido witnessed the entire scene and for a moment were to stunned to move as they saw Iruka leap hurriedly over the desk to the ANBU's aid. Genma smirked and picked up the limp body from off of the floor before Iruka could touch him. Iruka opened his mouth to tell him off but Genma held his hand up and silenced him.

"Sorry about that, Angel. I want to say it happens, but it doesn't. He'll be at the hospital, but you don't know his name so I would wait until he finds you again." He felt the other shift in his arms and frowned taking on a more serious tone than usual. "I have a feeling that won't be too long." Gai woke to seeing his friend being carried out and recovered faster than Iruka had ever seen. They all followed Genma out and Iruka clutched his hands into fists.

The Hokage chuckled as someone started to clean the blood from the floor up. Iruka's brow twitched and looked at the old man questioningly. The Third took a drag from his pipe exhaling slowly, "It's been years since I've seen that boy with such drive." The old man looked at him with wisdom and he knew instantly the Hokage knew something he didn't. Recently it seemed like they all did. Iruka was beyond irritated for the rest of the night. It had been almost a month since he had last seen the ANBU and when he finally appeared again he was half dead! He had the urge to ask the Hokage, but he highly doubted the old man would give up the identity of the village's secret weapon to him.

That meant he had to wait. Iruka was usually a patient man, unless it was something personal. Iruka clenched his fists as he sat down to work, noticing the knowing smirks he was given by each jounin every time they handed in a report.

"He'll be okay," said Kurenai. "He's a strong man. Now he has something to live for." She smiled at him as he checked her Mission Report. Iruka nodded as he handed her another mission scroll, "Good Luck," he said absentmindedly. Kurenai chuckled, "I feel better. After all I was blessed by the Angel."

Iruka looked at her, "What?"

"Sorry, Iruka-sensei, pardon my manners I couldn't help it." The Hokage grinned and Iruka was starting to slowly get pissed off, were they seriously mocking him?

"Calm down, Iruka. They are not making fun of you, leave it at that." The brunette opened his mouth but the Third simply shook his head to quiet him. Kurenai smiled softly and his anger diminished knowing she hadn't meant to offend him. Iruka sat back in his seat, arms crossed, "Why do they call me Angel, Hokage-sama?" He received no reply.

Kakashi awoke in the Hospital, tense and alert that he couldn't move his body. He relaxed only slightly when he noticed Genma, Asuma,Raido, and Gai. Asuma shushed him before he could attempt using his vocal chords. Hospitals were the only time you could see him without a cigarette in his mouth.

"We already know what you are going to ask. You don't remember anything, do you?" Kakashi shook his head, the only thing he remembered was the need to survive. Asuma nodded and let Genma retell the story, seeing as he was the one who found the whole thing to be entertaining.

"Well you walked into the Mission's Office half dead, knocked Gai out cold and then collapsed in front your angel and the Hokage. Nobody really knows how you were able to move or really even get there. The nurse says it will be at least two weeks before you'll be released. You're just lucky Lady Tsunade happens to be visiting otherwise it would be longer. Kakashi sighed, he hated hospitals. Normally he could talk his way out or escape, but honestly he couldn't even move his body.

Gai had tears flowing down his face, "What a passionate display of love and youth! I will never forget this for my entire life, my friend! I am touched and honored to be bested by such passion! My tears overflow just thinking about the way you looked at the Angel!"

Kakashi ignored him, "Is he...injured?"

It was Raido's turn to speak, "If you are asking whether or not you attacked him then the answer is no." Kakashi relaxed, so the only one he hurt was Gai. Gai was still spewing nonsense about passion, youth, and love so he obviously didn't care. "I think the only thing Iruka-sensei was upset about was that now every ANBU/ Jounin calls him Angel. He didn't know they watched him while you were gone."

"Who?"

"Cat, Toad, Centipede, Shadow, and Raven all took care of him. They told of their observations to everyone at headquarters. Watching Iruka has become sort of a pass time for everyone. I don't think there's any ANBU who hasn't watched him at least just to see who he is. Centipede and Raven caught two enemy nin within the first week and Shadow caught one last weekend."

Kakashi frowned underneath the sheet that politely covered half of his face. Iruka had been targeted after all. He should do everyone a favor a kill the traitor before he killed anyone else.

"It was not Mizuki. Someone wants to kill Iruka for whatever reason." The Jounin took on a more serious tone, even Gai.

"I've seen it myself! Someone terrible is targeting Angel!" Kakashi absorbed the information with a calm mind. It was possible that the two missing ninja from before were not hired by Mizuki. Unbeknownst to him Iruka had become somewhat of a symbol amongst the ANBU. No one could kill innocent people without being broken. Iruka had the ability to seemingly rebuild and mend broken pieces.

"I saw him dutifully glue a shattered vase back together for hours! It was truly astonishing! He truly fell from heaven!" Gai's tears flowed down his face as he gave Kakashi a toothy grin and a thumbs up. There was no doubt in his mind that someone else had been he cause of the broken vase. They were testing him, and so far Iruka was quickly becoming their idol. Kakashi truthfully didn't know how he felt about it.

"Iruka, is a diamond amongst us. He's pure." The room fell into silence. Everyone was attaching themselves to seemingly the only source of light they had. Tsunade burst into the room with four training nurses following her like ducklings while they could witness her brilliance in action. She eyed him from across the room while dramatically flipping one of her ponytails. Tsunade snatched the board with his file one it from one of the nurses before tossing it back.

"Brat, why is it that every time I see you, you have a death wish?" Kakashi would have shrugged if he could move. She glared at him before she took a chug of sake she'd hidden god knows where. Tsunade walked over to him heals clacking sharply against the tile. She closed her eyes, she still couldn't stand the sight of blood. Kakashi knew that she was probably only there because of a debt to the Lord Hokage.

Tsunade put her hands on his chest, brows furrowing. "Brat, what did you do to yourself?" The question was irrelevant, she asked it every time she healed him. Tsunade knew exactly what was wrong with him. Several shattered ribs, torn tendons, four fractures between the two arms, a broken ankle, bruised kneecap, ripped tendons in the thigh, and a few minor lacerations, well, not a few there were at least eight.

Tsunade took her mind away from the blood by thinking of Kakashi as a bet of sorts. If she helped the brat out like always he would help her when she needed it. Her hands began to shake and she quickly stepped away from him, shaking like a leaf. Tsunade quickly washed her hands though there was nothing on them.

"Get to work! Don't you know who he is?" She barked out orders but didn't turn around again until Kakashi groaned at feeling of his ribs being put back together with chakra. Tsunade pushed the girl out of the way and closed her eyes again. "Idiot! If you do it right it shouldn't hurt!" It was true the chakra had a numbing affect on the body making it the most efficient way to heal someone.

Truth be told it hadn't hurt, he just made the sound because he would much have Tsunade with her eyes closed than a newbie work on his chest. Kakashi had been in the situation far too many times and each had been unpleasant when newbies worked on him. Sometimes they didn't concentrate enough and leave a part out, it happened once. He hated hospitals, but he felt himself being lulled into sleep and this time he went willingly.