Notes: After the events of the last manga chapter, I figure Kakashi deserves a decent meal. So there is a light Kakashi/Iruka part here. Also, I am sick of the ignorant, homophobic remarks I get on this fic whenever there is a Kakashi/Iruka chapter. Because you know what? You were warned in the notes on previous chapters (Chapters 1 and 2). So suck it up. And if you don't like it, see ya. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

To all of you who were like, "I don't like the pairing, but whatever, I'll give it a shot as long as it's not too romance-y." That's fine. You're cool people. The relationship is actually a developing friendship at this point, anyway. As I said in the notes of previous chapters, romance isn't the main focus of this story. This is a fic about time travel and the butterfly effect of putting Team Seven through different training.

Kakashi had known how to be sneaky even before he was old enough to cast his first jutsu. It was no problem at all to spy on Iruka-sensei as the chuunin made his way from the market, grocery bags in hand, to the home he and Naruto shared.

He didn't expect the water-clone of said sensei to pop out from behind a nearby bush, just as Kakashi was about to make his move. Or for Iruka himself to drop the bags of groceries, whirl around and throw a handful of throwing stars in perfect synchronization with his clone's attack.

Kakashi easily dispatched the clone, and struck the stars from the air with a lazy sweep of his kunai.

"Impressive," he said, and actually meant it.

Iruka straightened, looking vaguely disgruntled. "Kakashi-sensei. Did you need to speak to me?"

He shrugged. "Perhaps," And he watched with carefully concealed amusement as the chuunin scowled and bent to collect his bags with their now bruised fruit. "I was actually wondering if there was anything you needed to speak to me about." Or confess. Whatever.

"I have just spent my day teaching hyperactive wanna-be nin how to throw sharp, pointy objects," Iruka said, through grit teeth. A piece of hair had fallen out of his high ponytail and lay just to the side of his face. It was the first time Kakashi had ever seen the other man look anything but put together. "After I spent the entire day patching up cuts and keeping them from killing each other, I spent three hours at the mission desk. That was before I went grocery shopping and nearly got run over an old lady, looking for a sale on apples. Kakashi-sensei, forgive my rudeness, but what the hell do you want?"

Kakashi cocked his head, considering. Well, honestly had already worked once today. "You have been teaching Naruto about exploding tags."

"Yes I have. And traps." With that, Iruka turned and continued his walk down the path, leaving Kakashi to lengthen his stride to keep up.

"You are not his teacher any longer. I am," Kakashi said. He remembered the last time he had spoken similar words: The Chuunin exams in the old timeline, and the man had blown his top.

Now, Iruka looked like he dearly wanted to roll his eyes. "I remembered that when graduating him, yes, Kakashi-sensei."

"It's out of line-"

"If I were still his teacher," Iruka said, over him. "I would agree. But now I am his guardian." He turned to Kakashi. "There is no village law against passing down family knowledge. The Umino line have many secrets of different explosion techniques and traps. My father was a special jounin in the discipline, and what he managed to teach me before he died, I'm teaching Naruto."

That revelation would have been enough to make Kakashi stumble, if he were that sort of person. Instead, he slouched a little further in surprise. "You consider him your heir, then?"

Iruka lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "I'm very unlikely to have children of my own, Kakashi. So yes."

Kakashi went silent again. Back in the other timeline, before the chuunin exam where everything had gone to hell, Kakashi had considered Sasuke his heir, of sorts. Certainty, he'd had high hopes for him, which was why he had taught him the chidori. In this timeline, he had vague plans for Naruto to fill that role. He was the best of the next generation. The one to which he could safely teach Hatake secrets.

But it seemed Iruka had beaten him to the punch. Could one boy be the heir of two living families? His legal knowledge was woefully inadequate. Perhaps, if Sakura-

"Does it shock you?" Iruka asked, quietly.

"Hn? No sensei. Naruto is a clever student." Kakashi paused, then added, "When he wishes to be."

"No, that's not what-" Iruka shook his head, but his lips curled slightly into a smile. They reached the house and he said, "Knowing Naruto, he'll be training by himself in the forest for a few more hours. Do you... want to come in? I'd like to discuss his progress with you... And you could stay for dinner, if you like."

Kakashi hesitated, but he could smell some of the partially crushed fruits in Iruka's bag. He had last eaten early-morning, and his stomach growled. "Certainly, sensei."

In addition to making clever water-clones, the chuunin could cook, as well.

OOOO

The weeks passed more quickly than he anticipated - it seemed, more quickly than it had the first time around.

Gai's reports of Sakura's training were glowing, though he was quick to point out that the girl was not up to his adorable student, Lee's level. Likely, Kakashi thought, because she didn't kill herself training 23 hours a day like the other boy. But she was progressing nicely,

When he took time out to test her taijutsu training, he found her quick, physically and mentally. He had even blocked a punch from her that had made the palm of his hand sting for an hour afterwards. Once she graduated from the basics and learned how to channel chakra into her strikes, she would be a force to be reckoned with.

Kakashi stayed out of Iruka's way when it come to Naruto's explosive and trap training. There was an unwritten courtesy in the village that a Jounin-sensei did not scope his student's family secrets. If the Uchiha clan were still alive, he would be expected not to interfere there as well. Luckily, they were mostly dead, so it wasn't a worry.

Speaking of the Uchiha, Sasuke's reports from the hospital were, to be frank, dismal.

The boy did his duties, but without joy or enthusiasm. He had zero bedside manner and was more likely to be surly with the patients than sympathetic. Kakashi did not care if the boy was unhappy. He had done the bare minimum to pass - brought a fish back to life. And more importantly, the chakra-intensive work was draining enough so that he didn't pursue... other subjects.

It would have to do for now.

Then came the morning where Kakashi had been walking along the forest, waiting for his students to discover him. He felt a distinctive crunch under the sole of a sandal, and abruptly found himself hanging by the ankle, twenty feet up in a tree.

Only the sound of loud, obnoxious laughter kept him from snapping into attack mode. The trap was crude and easily countered. It was only the fact he'd been taken by surprise that was the surprise. Iruka was a talented teacher.

Down below, Naruto danced a stupid little jig of success, laughing and pointing, while Sakura and Sasuke looked on with apprehension and smug amusement, respectively.

"Yes, yes, you caught me," Kakashi yawned as he was let down. As if it didn't matter.

Naruto was still practically dancing in place from excitement. "We should get something great, because we caught you, Kakashi-sensei! Believe it! Teach us a power-move!"

"Power-move?" It took him a moment to realize he meant a high-level jutsu. The kid really needed to work on his vocabulary.

"Yes, sensei," Sakura added, with a new gleam in her green eyes. It seemed that learning progressively more difficult taijutsu had kindled a little blood thirst in her. "What will we be learning today?"

"Maa." Kakashi scratched his head and glanced covertly at Sasuke who had stayed out of the excitement, arms crossed and looking bored. Actually, the boy looked exhausted. Long night at the hospital, no doubt. It was such a shame that someone had switched his schedule to a graveyard shift.

Kakashi glanced up at the sun, and remembered the day. "I think it may be time for something more difficult than a D-rank mission."

"Really?" Naruto gasped.

He shrugged. "If the Hokage has something for a genin team, we will see."

And with that he turned to amble his way out of the forest, expecting his students to fall in line. They did, Naruto whooping, Sakura smiling with quiet determination, and Sasuke bringing up the rear, shuffling with exhaustion.

Of course, Kakashi knew there would be more than the usual C-rank mission available. He looked forward to how his team would cut their teeth in the land of the Waves.