Kakashi looked like Sasuke had just slapped him. "I… I hadn't thought of all that. You make some excellent points. It wouldn't be easy, and I might be no good at it. I might even fail. But, I'd be doing it with Iruka. As long as I had Iruka with me, I know it would be okay. Besides, they say that becoming a parent changes you, that it makes you want to become a better person. Maybe I'd be able to change, for my child's sake. I wouldn't know until I tried, right? Sasuke, why are you asking me all of this? What's going on with Iruka? Just tell me already."
Sasuke looked like he was struggling with himself. Finally, he spoke. "If you love him, you should tell him. That's something he really needs to know right now. Even if he doesn't want to talk to you yet, even if he doesn't want to look in your direction, you have to make sure you let him know. If you tell him that, he'll be able to tell you what he needs to. It's not a secret I can give away."
Kakashi narrowed his eye in a scrutinizing stare, but accepted that Sasuke had given him all the advice he was going to get for one night. "Alright. If you insist, I'll confess to him. Now, do you want to tell me why Naruto has moved out? Have the two of you split up?" Sasuke looked away now, deep pain in his eyes. "I love him. He means everything to me. I just don't know if I can be everything he needs me to be. I know that I'm the one he wants, but he deserves so much better. A small part of me will always be an avenger, the monster which almost killed Sakura, and you. How can Naruto ask me to be a part of a family, when I'm so disgustingly tainted? I'd just destroy it, and I'd destroy him in the process."
Kakashi stared, dumbstruck, at the young man in front of him. "Sasuke…" There was silence for a few minutes, then Kakashi regained his wits, and carefully spoke his mind. "Nobody knows you better than Naruto. He knows all about the time you almost killed Sakura, he was the one who saved her, remember? He'd know if you were tainted, so if you are he obviously doesn't care. If he wants to adopt some kids with you, then he must think you'd make an acceptable father. He loves you, so he wouldn't ask more of you than he thought you could handle."
Sasuke shook his head. "Even if he knows I'm tainted but just doesn't care, I care. What if I accidentally turned the kid into the next Uchiha Madara?" Kakashi rolled his eye, and looked drolly in Sasuke's direction. "I'm pretty sure you only get psychopaths that bad once every thousand years. Besides, there's no way a child raised in Naruto's Konoha could turn out to be anything but a wonderful person, no matter who it has for parents. Even you couldn't stuff a child up that badly." Sasuke snorted softly. "I'm not as convinced of that as you are. It's late, I'm going to bed. You should head home." Kakashi sighed, but he nodded and Transported home.
(I am a cool page break. Brrr.)
The next morning Kakashi made his report to the cenotaph. 'He wouldn't tell me what Iruka couldn't say, but he said that right now Iruka really needs to know that I'm in love with him. Also, it seems that Naruto wants to start a family, and he left Sasuke because he took the news poorly. Does that mean Iruka's planning on starting a family too? Is that what he wants to tell me? But why would he need to tell me? The more I learn about all of this, the less sense it makes.' Obito nodded in agreement. 'Maybe you should talk to a Nara. They always had plenty of brains in that clan. Talking with one genius was helpful, maybe talking to another one, who is more objective, could help you figure out a little more.'
Kakashi considered this. 'A Nara, huh? I suppose a chat with Shikamaru couldn't hurt. He'd probably think it was too troublesome, but he might be grateful to escape his house for a little while. I've heard Temari and the baby have been running him ragged lately. The other day Chouji was complaining that his friend hardly has any time for cloud-watching with him anymore. Alright, Obito. I'll give it a try.'
It took him a while to find him, since he wasn't at home. Not to mention, he'd narrowly avoided being shredded by Temari's blades of wind. It seemed Shikamaru had snuck out some time ago, and was hiding from his wife. He'd be in for the beating of the century if he ever returned, but the lazy Jounin was probably used to it already. Kakashi tried three other locations before finally spotting the Nara at his favourite cloud-watching spot. Kakashi flickered into place next to him, with a casual 'Yo!'.
To his credit, Shikamaru didn't show the slightest hint of being startled. "Yo indeed, Kakashi-san. I take it you're not here to watch the clouds with me?" Kakashi smirked behind his mask. "You're right about that. Actually, I have a little puzzle for you to solve. Think you can help me?" Shikamaru sighed loudly, but agreed to give it a go, so Kakashi told him everything which had happened during his visit to Iruka's, and his conversation with Sasuke. Shikamaru asked a couple of questions, before adopting his characteristic thinking pose.
Kakashi took out Icha Icha Paradise and pretended to read it, while anxiously waiting for Shikamaru's conclusions. After a good ten minutes, Shikamaru opened his eyes, and turned to Kakashi. He immediately put the book away. "Well, based on what you've just told me, as well as the gossip which has been circulating among the Genin 16 over the last couple of weeks, my guess would be that Naruto found some kind of medicine or jutsu during his travels last year which would somehow make it possible for a man to get pregnant, and Iruka was accidentally exposed to it, and as a result is now carrying your child. I could be wrong though."
Kakashi glared daggers at the lazy Jounin. "I came here looking for an objective perspective, not a theory so ridiculous it sounds like something I'd say as an excuse for being late. Obviously I was wasting my time. You should go home before Temari decides to hunt your ass down and kill you." With that, the disgruntled silver-haired Jounin left the roof, and headed back to the cenotaph. Obito was going to laugh his ass off when he heard about this.
He was half-way there, when he realised that he was just outside Iruka's apartment. He'd subconsciously detoured in this direction while he was thinking over his conversation with Sasuke, and the strange things Shikamaru had told him. Sasuke had told him that it was very important that he confess to Iruka soon. Even if he didn't know what they were, the young Sannin must have had his reasons for giving him that advice.
Kakashi hadn't planned on saying anything to Iruka about his feelings, ever, but Iruka had looked such a mess the last time he'd seen him… His eyes had been dull and empty, he looked like he'd lost weight, and his skin had been a sickly hue. If there was anything at all he could do to help the man he loved, even if that was confessing, then he would do it. He gathered his nerves, and knocked on the door.
He took a half-step back in surprise when Naruto opened the door. "Oh, hello Kakashi-sensei. You're here to talk with Iruka-sensei, right? Look, I hate to be rude, but I don't think he's ready to talk with you just yet. Please be patient with him. I know it's tough for you to understand right now, but trust me, when he tells you you'll really get why this is so tough for him." Kakashi recovered from his surprise, and replied before Naruto could shut the door on him. "Actually, I'm not here to hear whatever it is he needs to tell me. I'm here because there's something I need to tell him."
Naruto blinked in surprise, frowned in thought for a bit, then let Kakashi in. "By the way, Naruto, what are you doing here still? I hear you've left Sasuke." Naruto looked away, biting his bottom lip. Kakashi saw pain and confusion flood the young man's expressive blue eyes. "I'd really rather not talk about Sasuke, if that's okay with you Sensei. Let's just say, right now Iruka-sensei and I are taking care of each other. I've moved in with him for the foreseeable future." Kakashi decided not to press the issue. Naruto was clearly still in far too much pain to discuss it with him.
"Please wait in the hall, Sensei. I should let Iruka-sensei know that you're here. He doesn't need any surprises right now." Kakashi gave a curt nod, and waited while Naruto disappeared into the living room. Soon, the blonde Sannin was back, and ushering him inside. Iruka sat on the couch, his jasmine tea completely forgotten, as he warily watched Kakashi come closer, and take a seat opposite him. "Hello, Kakashi. I'm sorry about your last visit. I really did mean to talk with you, but… Naruto tells me you have something you need to discuss with me?"
Kakashi nodded slowly. "There's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time, Iruka. Sometime over the last few years, between all of our walks, lunches, brief conversations, arguments, and dinners… somewhere along the way I started thinking of you as more than just a good friend. That night, the night of Kiba's party, I wasn't drunk. I was completely sober.
When I got you to your place, and you… made advances on me... I could have resisted you, but I didn't. I was secretly very happy that you were at the very least attracted to me. I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like I did, and I'm very sorry that I hurt you. But, the truth is, I couldn't resist the temptation because I had feelings for you, feelings which only grew much stronger that night. Umino Iruka, the truth is that I love you."