Day 8 / Week n:o 2 : Enter the unknown factor and multiply with two
The gentle rain thrummed against the roof tiles as the gray, humid and calm morning tapped its greetings gently on every roof and window in the hidden village. The warmth that had enveloped the region for the few passing days had grudgingly subsided after the chilly rain had persuaded it to give some room for the other weathers as well, since they were all needed to make the oncoming summer as pleasing as possible to the subjects of their care. Especially when Konoha was considered, the rain did its best to maintain the trees and plants with the greenness they were so well appreciated and loved for. No leaf wilted on its watch.
While the inhabitants of the village took the rainy day the best they could, their thoughts varying from the relief of not having guard duty that day to disappointment when the field day in the academy would be canceled due to the bad weather conditions, there stood a lonely man on a terrace made of well-worn wooden blanks.
For Kakashi, the rain was more than welcomed. The jounin leaned against the wall, his first morning coffee in hand, and had his eyes closed as he listened carefully the serenade of various taps, drips and dribbles echoing from the modest architecture of their current location, the rhythmic melodies mixing delightedly with the white noise of the surrounding, awakening neighborhood.
A small, crooked smile splayed on the rarely revealed pale lips, the man knowing that there was no one within hundred miles who could catch a glimpse of the currently unmasked face, the still sleeping, tanned chuunin included. The jounin took a slow sip of his coffee, savoring the rich, dark taste on his tongue, albeit feeling a bit disappointed for it lacking the same full aftertaste when compared to the ones which the slumbering sensei had brewed for him a couple of times. Either the man really knew how to brew a cup or the taste was affected by the joy of somebody else doing something for him.
The gray eye peered a bit open to cast a thoughtful, if a bit melancholic look at the gradually strengthening rain now pounding more vigorously through the streets of his village. The silver mane pressed against the cool wall and the man took another sip, letting the warm liquid linger against his upper lip just for a minute before lowering the cup from his mouth and swallowing the bitter beverage, feeling it warm up his insides and thus creating an enjoyable contrast to the chill air surrounding him.
...It had been a while, hadn't it.
Then the gray eye shifted its attention to the dimly lit kitchen. He had been surprised when he had checked the fridge that morning and suspected that the young sensei had something to do with the particular ingredients he had found. He could only picture the ANBU's expression when the teacher had made his request, and the passing thought reminded him to have his own chat with the masked thorn on his side the next time the kohai granted them with his presence.
He also needed to ask for a new pillow. Using his uniform vest for that purpose was routine for him during the long missions whenever he had time to doze off for longer than fifteen minutes, but he'd be damned not to take advantage of the better sleeping conditions when given the opportunity for it. He also wasn't getting any younger during the years, and he had remembered why he had preferred to not sleep horizontally at all during field missions when he had woken up. The pale man lifted his other hand to rub firmly the still aching shoulder, and he could feel his neck being out for revenge.
Inflicting damage on one's body almost on daily basis for many years in a row wasn't the smartest thing to do in the long run now that the physical age was catching up with the muscles and bones. Being overly flexible and quicker than a blink could only last for the earliest years in their profession before the scars, fractures, sprains and missing limbs started to take their toll on them. The issues of mental traumas were a whole other thing, of course, and if he had known that, Kakashi would have taken a mission or two a bit differently back when he was younger and at the beginning of his career.
If he ever would have been given a choice, that is.
Drinking down the last drops of the beloved caffeine, the lone shinobi gave the last look over the wet ground of the small yard at the dark clouds roaming over the awakening village like the hands of an experienced medic, the rain removing all of the poisons from the air they breathed. As the man of thousand jutsus took in a deep gulp of the humid, clear air, he could feel his senses recover from their drowsiness and his mind wake up, the awakening body being accompanied with an almost silly smile spreading on the well-shaped features of the ex-ANBU as the man indulged himself in the rare luxury of silence, peace and the feeling of being relatively safe, the latter being something he had been quite sure to have forgotten a long time ago. At the slightly sorrowful ring in his thoughts, the man gave a tiny chuckle at himself as his smile only grew and took a turn into a more rueful one, revealing the row of teeth only a few had ever seen.
If they ever knew that he'd be able to feel sentimental.
The falling rain observed curiously when the slightly smiling jounin hummed a meaningless little tune as he leisurely strolled back in to get his second fill of the dark nectar for the day.
The current weather decided to loiter around a bit longer.
...Rain. The heavy kind.
A sleepy smile found its way on the handsome features of the twenty-something shinobi when Iruka woke up to a rhythmic tapping echoing around him in the darkness. He always felt tired when it rained, and as the things stood in his opinion, he had every right to feel such at the moment after the past couple of days. He could always argue that he needed to be well-rested for their matches. His drowsy mind happily settled, the tanned jaw stretched into a quiet yawn and the dark eyes dropped back closed as the chuunin rolled lazily to his side, tempted to continue where he had been left off with a bowl of matcha ice cream and a spicy cup of sinfully well brewed chai...
...Except.
After a moment of thoughtful silence, the dark eyes peered back open and the teacher's senses awakened a bit more to work on the strange, persistent nagging feeling that was making itself known in the back of his head. The fit, mocha-colored body lifted itself halfway up on the bed in order to slowly turn around to give a better look at what had made Iruka's instincts grow restless and forced him to delay the imaginative oral orgasm that had been on his list.
As the man scanned the room, soon enough the sleepy, deep brown eyes fell on the second futon in the room, it being bare as the deserts surrounding Sunagakure and visibly lacking one lazy-ass jounin. Against all odds, the bastard seemed to have awoken before him.
The question of why flew past unnoticed as the abused muscles caught on him being awake and thus gave their own rather painful opinion on that matter. Iruka groaned between the gritted teeth and slowly lowered himself back on the mattress, regretting it instantly when his back burst into burning ache all over his spinal area the moment it touched the firm surface. Undoubtedly the last night's match was a bit too rough for the still tender new tissue covering the scarred area, and now Iruka had to pay for that fact. He stretched the broad shoulders carefully against the linen, the breath hitching as a particularly nasty jab shot through his upper body and making him to try another tactic, the perceptive eyes squinting shut against the agony raking through his system. He bent himself a bit to the side, but was quickly forced to return back to the previous position when the nerves and muscles screamed in agonizing chorus against his ministrations. There was no better way to feel old and crippled than having one's body flamed with infernal pain the second after opening the eyes. A harshly hissed curse fell from the snarling lips and the chuunin directed a dark scowl towards the ceiling above him.
He was sure, though, that no ceiling should ever smirk back as gleefully as it now did behind the dark mask.
"Yo."
The citizens of Konoha ran for cover as the previously light drizzle suddenly turned into a monsoon washing over the ones unlucky enough to get caught in it as the pounding rain covered its ears from the scream that rang through the rooms in the innocent-looking, light gray house.
"..Maa, sensei. Have some tea, neh?"
Only murderous silence answered him.
"..Ah. I hope you're fine with the pu'erh [1] I found, and I did follow the steeping instructions so it should be good. Though I must say that I'm intrigued, sensei. Who knew how many different teas there could actually be, neh?"
If anything, the glare in the dark eyes seemed to only deepen at his poor attempt for casual conversation, and to his dismay the jounin spotted the nearly invisible twitch tweak the frowning eyebrow on the darkly scowling face. Kakashi gave a tiny sigh and winced at the tiny sting of pain on his masked cheeks and chin that were still slightly swollen due to the chuunin's impressively pulled impromptu windmill kick that had given him a brand new, tangible perspective for the blankets they had. He had been playing with fire, granted, since it was a fool's job to sneak up on a sleepy, trained killer, but the silent treatment he now received was actually far more intimidating than having his head wrapped inside the thick fabric of the felt and banged to the floor by the strong legs belonging to a very homicidal academy instructor.
What made the lightning user's mood turn more sour, even if he didn't like admitting it, was the fact that the seething chuunin was in no doubt more than capable of continuing the heavy silence if he chose to. After all, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if the man's students took after him on some levels. If Kakashi could hazard a guess, he was sure the current pout that was nearing sheer perfection on the full lips was a result from years of careful training. But, as the situation was given, he had to get the man placated enough to enjoy the breakfast before he would get brutalized with a pair of chopsticks, or, since he knew the man's remarkable talents on turning almost anything into a weapon, more likely with the assortment of fruit which the dark-skinned man eyed a bit too interestedly.
"You went through my teas for the second time, Kakashi-san?" The dark eyes stayed downcast at the chopped fruits and the questioning voice was calm and quiet, but it would take a dead fool not to notice the high-pitched ring of hard metal lingering in the man's peacefully spoken words, a sound which resembled suspiciously a katana being drawn out of its sheath.
Damn it. Kakashi bit his too honest tongue on that particular slip. He still remembered what happened to Ebisu when the man had taken one of Iruka's traveling tea bags without consulting the chuunin about it first. As he had arrived to the teacher's lounge for his break, the mentioned tea addicted sensei had spotted that the last pouch of his favorite genmaicha [2] had not only vanished from its rightful place, but had been brutally ripped open and put in the uptight besserwisser's cup and to his utter terror witnessed it being used for only one quick, poor brew with scalding hot water before ending into the trash bin. Even the Hokage herself had been impressed with the combination of field battle barriers and seals the teacher had unleashed at the special jounin, moreover on the fact that Iruka had paid enough consideration on the surroundings that neither the school's facilities or the other occupants in the room had been damaged during the fiery retribution.
Not one to go down without at least an entertaining fight, the silver-haired jounin gave the younger man a bright smile with his eyes. "Yes. I did. I wouldn't have been able to serve you full breakfast if I didn't, sensei. I hope you don't mind."
The chuunin took a silent, long inhale through his nose and let it out slowly before lifting the intently glaring eyes to look at the still smiling mismatched pair, and for a moment Kakashi was almost sure he could feel the bronze-skinned man's aura finger the immaterial blade.
For his mild surprise, his genius head stayed intact.
A sigh was heard and the ghost katana was put back into its sheath with a soft click. "No, Kakashi-san, I don't mind."
On that note the gray orb met the pair of dark eyes glancing back under the frown. Then the chuunin sighed again, the strong muscles on his body relaxing with the released breath, and took the awaiting tea pot with the cup. "But for your sake I do hope that you at least used the older pu'erh, since it's more suited for a bad weather like we have now", the man continued with a more conversational tone as he filled the cup with the warm, deep mahogany brown liquid. For a moment, the teacher observed the poured drink before lifting it to his nose for a light sniff. "...And it seems you did. Impressive. Not many notice the difference." A passing tug of the sun-kissed lips was something Kakashi didn't expect either, and the smile that took over the eyes that cast a short look at him over the rim of the steaming cup was enough to make his fingers itch for making the signs for the genjutsu release. But, instead of mutterin 'kai' under his breath, the copy-nin decided to go for the tentative truce he was being offered.
"Did anyone visit here when I was passed out?"
"I suspect you already saw the fridge's content." Iruka cast a nonchalant look at the older man as the chuunin sipped the tea.
Kakashi answered the look with a lazy shrug and took a piece of fruit in his fingers, giving the chopped, pale chunk that used to be a pear a mockingly pensive look. "Just confirming the intel. You know how paranoid we jounins can be."
A soft snort was heard at that. "Indeed you are, and indeed I know." Then the chuunin sensei shook his head in teasing manner, the tone of his voice giving a lighter layer to his next words. "Shame though that you found them out. Now you would only focus on the aspect of getting fed within the next couple of hours rather than concentrate on our mission." The rumbling chuckle from the older man's direction made Iruka's lips pull themselves into a wide grin before he took another sip of his tea and snatched a couple of fruits himself, feeling the warmth spread within his body and mind. He wouldn't mind sleeping longer once in a while if he was offered with an equally well-brewed cup he was now enjoying.
"Why were you up so early, though?" Iruka heard his mouth say half-aloud in between the munches before his mind got to the point of even considering asking the jounin about it. For all he knew the man could have just taken a shower, or meditated, or most likely had read his dirty books, whatever the restless jounin did when he woke up too early. It wasn't his concern to pry on the other man, mission partner or not. Expecting a brief, professional answer between the lines of 'none of your concern', Iruka was surprised to see Kakashi take a more comfortable seat on the floor and direct a nonchalant look at the rain outside the double doors of the training room.
"Well I did sleep almost the whole day yesterday. There's a limit on how much a man's body can take sleep and laying under the covers."
A choking sound made Kakashi turn to look at the suddenly coughing teacher as the chuunin fought to not drown on his tea. Even without words, the younger man had found the right way to make his argument loud and clear. Discarding the tempting thought of helping the man to get his lungs filled with warm, aromatic water, Kakashi calmly scooted closer, raised his hand, aimed, and gave a sharp smack at the man's upper back. The heaving stopped immediately, which, Kakashi quickly realized, left the smart-ass teacher with enough air for forming words. He should have stopped his hand to give it a second thought.
Iruka held his other hand over his mouth and gasped for breath for a moment before giving a brightly shining look at the copy-nin's direction, the tan cheeks flushed due to the brief lack of oxygen. "I think we need to establish a whole new limit scale to make you fit into it, Kakashi-san."
Kakashi gave the teacher a nod with a thoughtful hum. "Maa, absolutely, with a slot designed solely for chuunins with too smart asses."
"Oh spare me from that, you'd do exactly the same if you were me...hell, possibly even worse when you are you", Iruka said with a faint cough and rolled his eyes in the process.
Kakashi gave the tanned man an unreadable look. "Drown myself with my drink, irritate my colleague or draw diagrams about it? I hope the worse version doesn't include Gai."A chuckle found its way at his amused speculations. Then the pale man took a better seat on the woven mat and gave another look outside at the rainy scenery. "Speaking of scales and such...This must be the first mission where I would suffer from chakra depletion when I'm left without almost any chakra to begin with. Must be my record."
Iruka seemed to sober up on the quietly spoken note. The chuunin lowered his eyes at the deep auburn tea, and from the corner of his eye, Kakashi couldn't be sure if that was regret he saw on the other's face. The strange look passed, and the bronze-skinned man turned to look properly at the jounin. "Should we begin our day, Kakashi-san? We have a schedule to catch."
"I thought shinobis are flexible."
"I think you're not any better to bark at the moment, since I'm fairly sure that was wince I just saw."
"Maa, something in your eye, I'm sure", Kakashi shrugged on the opposite side from Iruka, them sitting on the floor with their feet pressed against each other with their legs being spread to the sides, thus creating a space resembling a distorted square between them. Both men leaned back on their hands with their posture still held straight, the stretch aimed solely on their inner thighs' muscles and the hip joints. Although, at the moment the deep brown eyes were aimed straight at the smiling mismatched pair seen over one dark mask, and the sulking face of the younger nin was making the other's smirk grow even wider underneath the smooth fabric.
"Ready to move closer, sensei?" The teasing wink didn't get lost from the other man who gave a hiss of pain as a reply when they pushed their legs even wider by sliding their hips a bit closer to one another on the floor. As soon as they settled for the stretch once again, Iruka suddenly let out a yelp and lifted his bottom from the ground by leaning more on his straight arms, that way easing the body weight on his hips. The chuunin stifled a pained moan and answered the inquiring look in the narrowed gray eye with a weak smile.
"I'm fine, just give a minute, Kakashi-san."
A pale hand appeared on his shoulder and squeezed firmly the tense tendons and muscles, making the younger shinobi's focus draw itself from the agonizing ache to the slightly smiling eyes of his superior. Kakashi gave the man a tiny nod and slowly helped the man settle back on the floor before leaning back on his both hands. "Concentrate on your breathing, sensei. That way you won't tense your crotch."
An annoyed look was sent at his direction as Iruka followed the given advice. "My crotch isn't 'tense', thank you."
"Well, we can easily remedy that if you like." The copy-nin was quite proud of the immaculately executed lewd tone he managed to include in his words. All he needed was the following shouting and their morning exercise would be completed.
The suddenly intense look passing Iruka's otherwise well-schooled features was an intriguing response that the jounin hadn't anticipated. Then the chuunin gave a dry tilt of his lips, the previous display of emotions having vanished from sight in the dark eyes. "Tempting, but I'll pass. I enjoy my crotch as it is at the moment, jounin-san."
"If you'd stretch a bit more often then I'm sure there would be plenty of others who'd like to enjoy it too, sensei."
Kakashi's jaw would learn to hate him.
One, two, three - four! Kakashi barely slipped away from the surprising right hook flung at him, his legs carrying him away from the skilled pursuer whose other hand had almost reached the tiny, chiming goal as the unexpected hit had distracted the jounin. The clear ring of the silver bells echoed in the training room amidst the sounds of labored breathing and silently running feet when the two nins took their measure.
Iruka clicked his tongue at the other's narrow escape but continued the chase, the steeled determination enhancing the endurance of his already exhausted muscles. For five times already he had been close.
The next one would be the clear kill.
Iruka hummed quietly as he shut the small box with the filled vials in it and put it back into the fridge. Then the chuunin grabbed a mug and a cup in tow and went to the terrace where his counterpart was already waiting while observing the still falling rain. "Here's your coffee, Kakashi-san", Iruka said and offered the steaming drink to the jounin who nodded his thanks as he took the beverage.
The quiet drumming of the rain against their house filled the silence between them, and Iruka rubbed absentmindedly the sleeve of his thermal gear, the small sting of needle lingering on his upper arm's skin underneath the wrapped healing bandage.
"You're fighting differently today, sensei."
Iruka turned to look at the jounin who observed him in silence. "Differently? How exactly?"
Kakashi gave a mere shrug as a response. Iruka pursed his lips and leaned his head back against the chill wall, replaying the three matches they've had so far. He hadn't felt different during their matches, at least not in a way he should deem peculiar to him.
"More confident, perhaps", the jounin's voice filtered through the air as the man meandered past the thoughtful teacher towards the kitchen. The jounin stopped briefly by the kitchen door with a pensive air around him. Then the superior shook his head in light manner, the low voice unreadable and stable. "That last maneuver was daring, to say the least. In case you didn't notice."
With that the man stepped back in, leaving the teacher alone with his thoughts.
The silver bell gave a cheerful chime as it dangled in front of the gray, miffed eye that glared at the smirking man who was holding the tiny metal sphere.
"Fighting with an empty stomach, are we?"
The wailing grumble was answered with bright, loud laughter.
"If you inch any closer to the soup you force me to disregard the fact that this soup is meant as a peace offering, Kakashi-san."
"Maa, sensei, always so eager to bark and a bite. Kami help us if you're ever turned into a dog." The smirk was obvious even when hidden behind the brightly colored book cover.
"Instead of concentrating on my future improbable reincarnation, I suggest you ask the deities to pay attention more closely to the fact that this ladle does have some nice perks concerning its shape and length", Iruka said with a nonchalant tone that was accompanied with a light, teasing smirk pulling his lips as he stirred the deliciously smelling lunch of miso soup on the stove. "The weight isn't too bad either."
The deceivingly bored-looking eye peered over the Icha Icha's pages.
The tiny smirk split into an outright wolfish grin on the tan face.
"...Maa. I'll tidy up the training room, sensei", the jounin drawled and with a sharp snap closed the dirty book, the other's poorly smothered chortles ringing in his ears as he strolled out of the kitchen.
Knowing that the other didn't see the jocular, wide grin on his hidden lips.
The agile feet stumbled and tripped and Iruka let out a yelp as he fell down on his side. As soon as he hit the matted surface, the younger shinobi continued the momentum, rolled on his stomach and scrambled back up just in time to block a set of seven blows sent at his direction. His arms were killing him already and they still had five minutes before the alarm would beep. His legs were kicked from under him and not for the first time he got a good eyeful of the room's ceiling when he fell down on his back with a loud thud.
"Still so eager to spend your time on the floor." He heard the infuriatingly familiar voice tease him and felt the mats tremble from the silently approaching steps. The chuunin shifted his eyes to look at his counterpart who crouched down close to the honey-toned shinobi and gave his prey a bright smile with the mismatched eyes. "You're making this too easy for me, sensei."
The passing gleam in the narrowing, glaring eyes was all the warning the jounin got before the set of lean legs swung at him on floor level, making him flip backwards on his hands and then on his feet, thus getting away from the kicking teacher. After the low windmill kick, Iruka spun himself back up, rushed to the man's side and landed a couple of hits at the blocking jounin's arms with his trembling fists, then caught the man's forearms in his hands and pulled the older man to meet his raising knee.
To have his hold reversed by the pale, nimble hands and to feel the world tilt suddenly upside down before ending forced down on his stomach in seconds with a weight pressing down on his back and shoulders wasn't part of his plans, though.
The jounin tutted at the disgruntled and struggling man under his hold. "And down again we went, neh? This is getting quite repetitive, you know. Aren't you supposed to teach the kids a more versatile palette on fighting styles, Iruka-sensei?"
The low, rumbling growl of the mission room dictator was a just what he needed for the rainy day.
"Let me take the groceries out for you", Kakashi said as he watched the younger man hobble towards their fridge, the thermal clothes swishing on his pained way. The pointed look he received made him give a sheepish smile at the beaten man. "That back of yours took a nasty blow just now, you should take it easy."
"If it doesn't kill me, I'm sure you'll find another way to finish the job, Kakashi-san. I'm fine-", an agonized hiss cut Iruka's argument short as he bent down to pull the ingredients out to the counter and felt a violent jab shoot up his spine. Quickly, a pair of pale hands took hold of his sides and despite his outraged yelp, the copy-nin steered the sulking sensei away from the fridge and then dove in to take the needed foods for their dinner, ignoring the immaterial daggers stabbing his back.
"Like I said, take it easy. We don't want to give Tsunade-sama any more reasons to be drunk all the time, now do we?" Kakashi said and cast a look that was supposed to be teasing over his shoulder, but the sudden seriousness that passed the chuunin's features made him narrow his eye in speculating manner. Having collected the right items, the silver-haired nin placed them gently on the kitchen counter and observed the miscellaneous ingredients before him, the tense silence creeping over the men in the kitchen.
"...I'm sorry, Kakashi-san."
Kakashi turned his head to the side to give a long look at the rueful whisper. Iruka's eyes were darker than usual, the full and expressive lips were drawn into a thin line, and Kakashi observed as the skillful hands were slowly balled into tight fists. The teacher gave him a hesitant look before turning to look at the food that was piled in between them. "I put you in danger when I didn't tell Tsunade-sama about my first collapse. The ANBU didn't tell either, granted, but I-"
"Do I look dead, sensei?"
Iruka snapped his eyes back up to be greeted with a serious, lone eye gazing at him over the dark mask. After a beat, he shook his head. "..No, you don't."
"Ah. Then, there's no problem on my behalf, now is there?"
A small frown formed on the sun-kissed forehead. "..I'm serious, Kakashi-san. I should have acted more responsible."
"Well, that's kind of expected since you're the one they all call 'the mother-hen'", Kakashi ignored the light huff sent at his direction, "but there are less than few who have looked after me like you have, sensei...so if I happen to be able to train you in better shape, then I'd consider my debts paid." The jounin's masked smile was heard in those words, and Iruka felt something stir inside his gut as the meaning behind those words was slowly deciphered in his mind. Kakashi took a couple of steps forward and leaned over to the younger man, trapping the other between his hands that were slowly placed on the counter on the both sides of the honey-toned body. "Now, just to be sure that you don't burn my food when worrying about my lazy ass, take a good look and tell me if I look dead."
After eying the other for a passing minute, Iruka gave a silent sigh and looked away from the other man. "No. You don't look dead."
"So is there a problem concerning this mission?" Kakashi tilted his head to the side in inquiring manner and gave the worrying man's tense posture a lingering look. A persistent scent tried to peg his interest, but his mind tried equally hard to discard it as a passing delusion due to exhaustion.
"...Hell yes there is." The sudden change of tone made Kakashi blink. Then he spotted the tiny pull of the full lips on the other's face and knew that he could have bet all of his books to be greeted with mischievously smiling pair of dark eyes as he looked back up. Iruka gave the jounin a sly look and Kakashi let his eye stay for a second on the fervently bitten bottom lip on the bronze-skinned face. Even when he was certain that he was being currently scoffed, he couldn't help but let out a rumbling laughter at the smirking man who quickly joined him, the kitchen walls echoing from their cheerful outburst. Then, as quickly as it had surfaced, Iruka's laughter died and the chuunin whipped around on spot, almost hitting the silver-haired jounin's face with his high ponytail. "Shit! The fish!"
Kakashi stepped back and wiped his eyes clear from the gleeful tears before settling to observe the frantic man. "The fish?"
"It should be cooking already, otherwise we'll be here until midnight", Iruka said and gave a tiny curse as he opened the wrappings around their main dish before setting to work, giving the jounin quite an impressive view on how quick a set of skilled hands can really be with a filleting knife.
"Could you take out two bowls for me to make the sauce, Kakashi-san?" Iruka asked, his concentration focused solely on the fish he was preparing for their dinner. He had asked for a specific type of fish and wasn't about to let it go wasted if he had anything to say about it. Although, if his mind had payed enough attention at the other man who still stood behind his back, he would have heard his senses telling at him to use the knife for a way more dangerous lump of meat that was suddenly adorning an unhealthily evil smile on its masked lips.
"Sure", the low voice answered and Iruka felt the older man reach for the cupboard over his shoulder. The passing minuscule tremble made him roll his both shoulders on reflex, his busy mind discarding the phenomenon as a chill breeze from the open door. "Do you need more chopping boards as well?" Kakashi's deep voice asked near him and Iruka nodded while finishing the last slice on the fish fillet with practiced grace.
The subtle shudder traveling across his hips from right to left made him almost slice his fingertip in the process. Iruka took a calm breath and gathered his wits, feeling the odd sensations wear off as he shook his head. He was apparently feeling more tired than he had thought.
Kakashi took the boards hanging from the wall and offered them to Iruka who took a hold on the boards with one hand while he reached for the tap with the other to wash his hands before starting to fry the fish. "Thanks. Would you take out the skillet and the oven dish?" He suddenly felt himself stifle an abrupt moan the moment his hand hit the lukewarm water, making him quickly put the cutting boards on the counter, pull his hand out of the spray and dry it on the kitchen towel to get rid of the prickling sensations that were racing over the digits. The dark eyes gave the masked jounin a passing glance, but the silver-haired man seemed to pay no attention at the chuunin's odd behavior as he dug out the pans and dishes from the lower cupboards and placed them on the stove.
"Are you going to fry the fish lightly before putting it to the oven?" Kakashi asked and took the plate with the sliced fish closer to the skillet.
"Ah, no need for you to do that, we already agreed that I'd cook tonight-", Iruka said hastily and gave Kakashi a quick smile before snatching the fish fillets from the older man. Their hands brushed lightly against each other, making Iruka almost drop the dish as a pinching sting of electricity jolted through his arm. With his well-trained reflexes, Kakashi caught the precariously tipping fishes and put them safely on the counter, not noticing how the chuunin rubbed his fingers tentatively together after wiping off a faint trail of sweat forming on the sun-kissed temple, the brief display of growing confusion flashing in the dark eyes.
"Watch it sensei. As much as my nin-dogs enjoy their food on the floor-level it doesn't mean that I prefer my food that way." The jounin said with a wink and leaned closer to the teacher with a smile in his eyes, causing Iruka to feel a rather strong electric pulse wave hit his body when the other entered his personal space and making it increasingly difficult to keep his attention on the fish that was supposed to be his current priority. The bronze-skinned man took a quick step to the side and rounded to the other side of the older man from a safer distance, praying vehemently that the heat creeping down his neck wasn't caused by a visible blush.
"..Really? And here I thought that the summons start to resemble their owners at one point", the teacher gave a weak smirk at the chuckles from the other man and to his relief felt the strange sensations subside even as he stood quite near the snickering ex-ANBU. Then he shook his head and took a quiet, deep breath to calm his nerves. This was absurd, he could be overreacting for all he knew-
"Ah. There it is", a low voice said suddenly way too close to Iruka's ear and the teacher had to swallow both a curse and a mewl as he felt the trail of very strong trembles dance over the right side of his hip, back and neck as Kakashi lifted his hand and reached to take something from the cupboard that was facing the teacher. Forcing down the erupting tingles that were about to take over his body, Iruka used all of his training to concentrate on the fish and forced his muscles to obey as he plopped the first fillet on the skillet. As the pale meat let out the sizzling promise of nutrition the moment it touched the pan's hot surface, Iruka gave the jounin a brief, suspecting look over his shoulder.
Kakashi blinked at the look he was receiving and then raised the object he had retrieved from the shelf for the chuunin to see. "Salt."
Iruka took yet another calm breath and gave a stiff nod at the man. "Salt. Thank you." Then, with a last, slow look at the bewildered-looking jounin, he turned around and reached for a spatula to flip the fish around.
As the village genius placed the salt next to him, Kakashi's presence washed over his now hyper-sensitive senses and before Iruka could take a step away from the man, a stronger pulse of vicious electricity attacked his system, erupting his body into a frenzied fit of tremors and making Iruka's heart skip a beat. The honey-toned hands that were resting on the counter tensed and Iruka pierced the frying pan with a heated look, turning yet another rising moan into deep, shaky and long breath with great difficulty. Why was this happening now? After all, they had already deemed it possible for their elements to be connected only to the emotional stress and he hadn't felt anything recently. Sure, he had been worried for the other, but his stress-levels weren't anywhere near the same figures than when he was pissed off. Then a lonely idea pushed eagerly through the muddled thoughts of the chuunin, and as the dark eyes stared at the frying fillet on the pan, the teacher's mind kicked into overdrive as the man took the spontaneously surfaced hypothesis into consideration. Then, slowly, the perceptive eyes turned to face the observant, lone gray that was looking at him, and the jounin cocked an amused eyebrow at the scrutinizing look cast at his way.
"..Maa...sensei. I have been complimented on my good looks, but I hardly make a good dinner if you burn the fillets." Kakashi's posture gave nothing away, the man stood as casually as always and carried the same arrogant and witty air around him, but Iruka could bet his entire tea collection that something was horribly off in their situation. What the hell was he missing?
Turning his mind back to present, Iruka scooped the fillet to safety in the oven dish before placing another one on the pan, the sounds of frying meat filtering through the awkward silence that stretched between the two shinobi. Iruka felt the other's eye on him as he fried the pale meat, his body thankfully feeling less heated for some reason while he concentrated on breathing through his nose to keep his current situation as well hidden as he could from the older man while his brain worked on the presented argument. There was a high possibility that Kakashi may have remembered finally what their elements could cause when they clashed, but it wasn't said that he was causing Iruka's problem intentionally. After all, his own element didn't seem to react visibly on any level at the odd things happening within his body, if the odd incident with the tap water didn't count. There was no other option for him than to observe and keep his...condition..as controlled as possible-
"I could finish the vegetables, neh? Help you out a little." The suddenly flared presence of the older man pressed on Iruka's right side like a heatwave, and as the familiar ache was ignited into life in his groin, the last fillet was almost flung to the wall when he was placing it into the oven dish. The teacher growled, slammed the used pan a bit more violently than necessary on the heat plate he had turned off and shoved the fish dish into the warm oven before directing a significantly strained smile at the jounin who had stopped in surprise with the knife held in one hand and the executed eggplant in the other.
"...I thought I said I'd handle the cooking, Kakashi-san," It took great effort to pronounce the words carefully and clearly while smothering the mewls that were clawing their ways out of his mouth. Iruka took out an another knife and with a definite strike murdered an innocent asparagus as he gave the jounin a long look, his opinion on the matter loud and clear. As the result, Kakashi gave an amused huff and shook his head while in mock defeat put down the chopping knife and the harmless vegetable. Then the older man put the hands in his pockets and pushed himself past the tanned teacher.
"Maa. Fair enough. I'll be reading in the bedroom in case you need me. Later", the low bass resonated through Iruka's figure when the older man walked away to the shared bedroom, leaving the chuunin alone in the kitchen.
The rain started to pound even more against the roof tiles, the increasing drumming going unnoticed by the man who immersed himself into a staring competition with the beheaded green as the bedroom door closed behind his back with an echoing click. While the enthusiastic rain turned into a storm, the dark-skinned fingers curled tighter around the kitchen knife's hilt and a dull thunk echoed in the otherwise soundless space when the tan forehead once again met the cupboard door.
The empty plates clinked against each other as they were piled on the tray. "Maa, that was the best fish I've ever tasted, sensei. Your own recipe, I wonder?"
"Something I picked up along the way when I learned to cook. I'm happy that you liked it, Kakashi-san", Iruka smiled as he took the tray and stepped over to the kitchen where the happy sounds of the coffee maker and the water boiler filled the air. After putting the dishes into the sink, the chuunin filled their mug and cup and took them to the training room where he found Kakashi flipping through one of his books. Biting on his tongue to smother the rising bark on the poorly written trash, Iruka merely rolled his eyes at the sight and crouched down to shove the coffee at the pale-skinned pervert's field of vision.
The jounin noticed the offered coffee and put away his precious book. "Even coffee as a dessert? Who did I kill to deserve this?"
"Shut up, wisecrack. I can be considerate if I want to", Iruka countered and gave a lopsided smirk at the other's exaggerated expression of suspicion on the masked face. Who knew how expressive a pair of silver eyebrows can actually be.
"'Considerate', huh. That's an awfully big word. Are you sure you know what it means?"
"Bite me."
"I might."
"I thought you said you didn't eat from the floor."
"In your case I could make an exception", the lewd leer was blatantly visible in the lone eye, and Iruka felt his ears heat up as he caught the glance. Swallowing down the suddenly scolding tea he had on his tongue, the tan man coughed a couple of times before directing a suffering grimace at the jounin.
"I'm doomed to suffer through your idiotic innuendos until my early grave, aren't I?"
The playful wink felt awfully contradictory to the following words from the jounin. "With our average death rate at the age of thirty-five years, I'd say we should make the best of it, don't you agree?"
Iruka cocked a curious eyebrow at the statement, and even though he knew the man did have a valid point, it seemed a bit dark change of topic after discussing between the lines of engaging in the acts of a healthy libido on the closest flat surface. "Your training has really made you lose your shit, hasn't it?"
"Not really, no", the older man shook his head in light manner and gave a smile with his eyes. "You can thank the ghosts for that."
At those words, Iruka stopped the tea cup to his lips and cast a bemused look at his counterpart. The first thing he had learned from their mutual collegial collaboration was that privacy and Hatake Kakashi was an equation not many got even close to unraveling, let alone realizing that the man indeed had several things he kept to himself. Judging from the slightly unsettled look in the gray eye, even the man himself hadn't apparently anticipated his mouth to blabber on him.
Then, as the look passed the lightning user's eye, the teacher knew he was in for a remark in order to steer the discussion on different track before more revelations were spilled. "Speaking of ghosts and bad spirits, could you enlighten me a bit on how such a clean-oriented shinobi as you can drink something that smells like manure?" Kakashi gave a pointed look at the tea the other was holding, noticing it being the same pu'erh he had made in the morning. "That stuff could raise the dead if given a try."
Before he knew it, Iruka felt his mouth split into a wide smile. "Well, I need to have something to remind me of you when you're away on missions, Kakashi-san." The silence that dropped on them wasn't expected for either of them. A heat took over Iruka's cheeks and he hastily downed his drink while he felt the other's unwavering gaze on him. Then he stood up and took his cup to one corner of the training room, after which he continued his way to the alarm that leaned against the other wall, sensing the jounin's attention on him.
Kakashi could only blink at the teacher's statement. A light joke as it was, he had a nagging feeling that that particular slip carried a deeper layer than it first had appeared. After giving the alarm a pensive turn in the well-trained hands, the chuunin seemed to make a decision and Kakashi could guess what was going on in the brown-haired man's head. Before Iruka could set the time, though, the low voice of the other made him halt on the spot.
"I have an other proposition, sensei."
"Hell no."
"Maa, sensei, at least as a thank you for the dinner, neh?"
"Stop pointing at me with that thing and take it back where you found it this instant." Iruka glared hard at the smiling man who held onto a tiny glass bottle, the oily substance sloshing in the vessel as the jounin dangled it in the air in his nimble fingers.
A dark hum arose from the masked throat and Kakashi took a slow step towards his prey, making Iruka retreat deeper in the training room. "Now, now, don't be so hasty. If I remember correctly, this is part of our orders from the Hokage. You wouldn't want her to hear that one of her most obedient chuunins-"
"One more word and I'll forget that we're comrades, asshole." The baritone was low and menacing.
Kakashi stopped and gave the massage oil a look before glancing back at the agitated teacher, the man looking ready to ditch the 'flight' and go straight for the mean and dirty 'fight' should the situation press any further. Then the jounin gave a huff and pointed the bottle at the troublesome renegade, his tone carrying a more formal tone instead of the easy-going one. "Take off your shirt, sensei."
It did take a second before Iruka could snap his jaw back up. "...Excuse me?"
"I can see that your back is still hurting like hell, unless you always bend yourself only from your knees and hips. This will help to ease the muscles, so I'd suggest to give it a go", the deep voice resonated suddenly closer than a second ago and Iruka had to blink to make his eyes register the man standing a mere two feet away. The masked assassin took a step forward, thus making Iruka's muscles tense ready to spring into action as the other's body entered in close range. The gray eye gave him a once-over before the silver-haired head tilted closer. "Either you take it off, or I soak it with the oil as well. Your choice."
The darkly clothed body pressed closer and Iruka had to control his urge to lash out at the man. It wouldn't do to attack the other now that the situation wasn't tied to training. Tsunade would kill them if they had to abort the mission due to an accidental yet imminent death of a team member, and he grudgingly admitted that Kakashi wouldn't be the one ending six feet under should they match to the bitter end.
His early grave started to look more and more plausible for what it came to their mission.
The smallest of tremors ran up Iruka's spine, and despite the adamant resistance he had put up against the massage, he felt the pained twinges jab his back muscles and was thus forced to face the facts. A defeated huff left his lips and the tan man gave a weak head shake. "You'd force the massage on me no matter how I would decline, wouldn't you?"
A happy nod was given as an answer to his question. "Most likely. I'll only work on your back, so there's no need to be so hell-bent against it. Trust me, you won't get much sleep with constant pain disturbing your dreams." The gray eye regarded the dark brown ones with a seriousness Iruka hadn't seen before on the older shinobi. Then the jounin stepped a few feet back to the center of the training room and turned to give a wink over his shoulder, the playful smirk wide underneath the dark mask. "We can use my bed for this, I'll just fetch a couple of towels first."
The rain held its breath, and Kakashi observed in anticipation as the sun-kissed lips twitched in a desperate attempt to stop the equally wicked smirk from forming on the full-lipped mouth. Then again, they both knew it was futile now that their ritual of tongue-lashing had commenced. Soon enough, Iruka's eyes flashed and the jounin was served with a teasing, almost sensual smirk on the full lips. "There's no way in seven hells that you'd get me into your bed with an oil bottle, Kakashi-san."
A mere shrug was sent in Iruka's direction, but the lecherous tone stayed present in Kakashi's words. "Ah, well. I assume you have some other suggestion to offer on how to do it then, if my bed's unworthy for your standards."
Iruka couldn't prevent the wide grin spreading further on his lips. The pale bastard had intentionally chosen his words, knowing the bright-minded chuunin couldn't stop himself from targeting the lewd meanings behind the said sentences. Without breaking the eye contact, Iruka felt his body heat up as he carefully pulled his muscle shirt over his head, the burning pain that followed his actions making a quiet hiss escape his mouth. He was really beaten, but it was nothing that could stop him from dropping the shirt to the floor in an almost stripteasing manner and giving the older man a slow, evaluating once-over before flashing a coy smirk at the ex-ANBU. "...You can do me on the floor as well, Kakashi-san. No need to stain your sheets."
The glint that flashed in the lone eye made his pulse speed up a bit, and as Iruka settled cross-legged on the floor and sensed the other man move behind him, an abrupt shudder of anticipation traveled down his body. The oil bottle's cap gave a soft click as it was opened, and Iruka felt his shoulders tense as his ears picked the sounds behind his back, the teacher listening intensely as the oil was poured on the pale hands and then warmed up between the skilled palms, the even breathing of their village's best assassin forming the white noise that mixed the slippery sounds of the scented oil. A faint trace of fresh, just fallen rain poked at Iruka's nose and the chuunin took a deep inhale of the aroma. There was definitely some chakra mixed in the substance for it to give so distinct scent, and Iruka gave a soft chuckle when he realized how at ease the scent had put him. The Hokage really knew her subordinates to the tiniest detail.
"Found something amusing, sensei?"
"Just reminding myself to give a better look underneath a couple of things." Iruka snickered at the thoughtful hum that was heard from behind his back. Then he gave a glance over his shoulder and realized that the pale hands were glowing in faint blue hue.
Kakashi nodded at the teacher's musings as he met the other's eyes, guessing that the other had understood what the blue glow indicated. "Let me know if you start to feel strange, neh?"
Swallowing down the growing nervousness that had again started to creep up his system, Iruka seated himself better on the floor, placed his hands on his knees and gave a firm nod as he released a deep breath to relax his stance. The tingle of chakra was first to dance over his skin even before the firm hands touched his back, and it didn't take long for the deft fingers to find the hurting spots. Iruka closed his eyes to keep his breathing even and emptied his mind from the hysteric fact that he was given a massage by hands that could have easily snapped his neck if their owner wished to, and that the thought owner was let unguarded behind his back.
"Not so bad, is it?" Kakashi mused half-aloud as he observed the reactions of the honey-toned body and felt pleased as he worked on several tense spots, feeling the other's muscles submit into obedience under his care and seeing the pained tension ease away slowly. The sight of the mocha-colored back wasn't bad either, the oil making the broad shoulders reveal their whole dimension and the strong shoulder blades stood proudly out before making the viewer's look settle on the scarred tissue running next to the spine. The former Hound ran his hand over the scar he had only heard rumors about and had regarded from a distance when they had showered, and heard a faint moan leave the chuunin's mouth, it causing a warm smile bloom on his masked mouth.
...A smile that slowly turned into a dark smirk. Carefully, the jounin gathered his focus.
It wasn't so bad after all. Iruka gave a silent sigh as a particularly nasty clutch of nerves gave in under the jounin's nimble hands and the teacher already enjoyed the thought of not waking up stiff and crippled the next day. Despite their disputes and overall justified suspicion towards each other, the brown-haired nin felt he had to revise some of his opinions on the pale-skinned nuisance. A subtle wave of satisfied tremors ran over his shoulders as the pale hands gave a firm roll on the abused tendons, and a moan dropped from the full-lipped mouth before Iruka's brain caught up with the sensations that were gradually taking over his body. The dark eyes peered halfway open and the previously blissfully uncaring mind of the trained shinobi took a turn into a more aware and alert one. Yet another wave of delicious shivers washed over his upper back, and the breath hitched in his lungs as an unexpected thought knocked against the chuunin's mental barriers.
Would you prefer enjoying me on the floor, Kakashi-san?
His currently relaxed body snapped into full attention as the realization dawned on the dazed shinobi, not a second too early before a sudden, aching heat that gathered in his loins stopped the man's heart altogether. The trickle of sweat that traveled down his chest made his nipples harden on its way, which was the final clue on what was happening, giving space for the instincts that yelled in unison about the only sane action he should consider taking right now.
He had to pull away. Immediately.
Something was happening with the cinnamon chuunin, Kakashi was sure of it. The muscles that were pliant just a minute ago were suddenly steel hard. The thundering, gray eye narrowed and the pale lips pulled into a feral smirk as Kakashi compared the reactions he had managed to cause on the brown-eyed pest's body. This was similar to what he had witnessed in the kitchen previous hours ago when he had first tested his theory, and felt his gut explode into a flock of butterflies as the scent he had smelled so many times earlier pushed through the massage oil's aroma.
The blade was being drawn out.
"..I..I think you've done enough for me, Kakashi-san. You can stop." The warm baritone trembled ever so slightly, and not caring if the bronze-skinned demon's quiet whimper was intentional or not, he went in for the kill. Silently, he leaned almost flush to the broad back and curled his fingers more firmly around the tense shoulders as he tilted his head near the sweating ear.
"..Maa...If you wish me to stop, then answer the question you know I have waiting on my tongue, sensei."
The huskily whispered words threw Iruka's alarms into red alert. Beside the scorching arousal that was wrecking destruction through his systems, the temperamental man felt his mood plummet into a dark abyss before rocketing back up with renewed vigor when the conclusion dawned on the chuunin at the given request, his situation slamming against his gut like a sledgehammer.
This wasn't a drill.
As he had been trained before, Iruka released the gathered strength in his muscles with one swift go and plunged forward in order to dislodge himself from the iron hold on his shoulders, only to feel the strong hands dig more into is flesh and yank him back in place. The tan hands shot up to rip his capturer's limbs off him, but all he managed was to claw futilely the deadly fingers and arms pressing him to the floor. As an nauseating wave of blue-tinted haze took over his mind, his pulse sped up considerately and he could feel his lungs start to burn from the lack of oxygen, his breathing having become shallow and rapid. The presence of the other male felt like a led weight against his body, and the oil that trickled down his back set into fiery trails crossing his heated skin. A low moan ripped through his chest and his body arched like a bow under the powerful man's grip, grinding his aching hips against the matted floor and erupting his nether regions into wanton heat, making him almost miss the murmured words from his torturer.
"You know..Iruka...I think we'll have plenty to discuss if you'd just open that mouth of yours sufficiently enough." Kakashi realized he had unconsciously tightened his hold on the other while he had perceived the man's struggling under his hands, and he noticed the astounding amount of sweat that covered the taut, tanned flesh, the trained muscles shivering under his gaze. What took him completely by surprise was the low purr that suddenly rumbled from the flushed and twisting body, and his instincts stirred into life on a whole new level when the intoxicating scent he had smelled many times before curled around them into a tight cocoon.
On that note, before he could prevent it, his vision became bright blue.
The ear-piercing screech resembling a flock of birds went unheard by the neighboring houses, the barriers ringing around the light gray house in a chaotic cacophony before the high-pitched cry died as sharply as it had surged through the air, leaving only a deafening silence in its wake.
After the darkness made room for his consciousness, Kakashi found himself staring at the pitch black ceiling with a searing pain in his chest, and as he recovered his hazy senses to get a better view on what the hell had happened to him, a faint sound of shower carried over the unsettling silence in the training room. After a moment of silence, the jounin tentatively raised his hands to his chest, noting the subtle shaking and traces of heat left on them, realizing only then that he was soaked thoroughly in a very similar way as in the day before. A series of water drops hitting the tatami mats was all the silent room heard from the pale assassin as the man picked himself up from the floor and gave the closed bathroom doors a long, intense look.
The thundering eye gleamed like a meticulously sharpened kunai in the dark space.
Filling his suffocating lungs with deep gulps of air, Iruka leaned himself on his uncontrollably shaking hands against the wall of the shower stall, the last traces of scorching arousal being washed away with the chill water running over his trembling body. The dazed eyes followed the rivers of water flow down the drain while the dark-skinned man tried to comprehend what had happened the moment he had rushed under the shower and the first droplets had hit his half-naked body. He had almost fainted from the sheer pleasure that had taken over his veins, nerves and muscles and was powerless to do anything to stop his convulsing body from taking what it had wanted, hence accumulating his dirty laundry for the next day. It was out of pure luck that he had managed to catch Kakashi by surprise the moment he felt the lightning bolt charge the air around them, the fear for losing all of his control kicking his muscles into action and getting him away from the source of his current discomfort. With a last, shaky inhale, the teacher closed his eyes, curled gently his shaking hands into tight fists and shattered a tile with a sharp hit as the dreadful hypothesis was verified to him.
The arrogant, scheming bastard had not only remembered what their elements were capable of causing but had managed to turn the revelation into a weapon, and he had played right into the fucker's hands.
Regrettably, though, the Sharingan user had underestimated his opponent.
[1] If you haven't been introduced to this tea type, then I suggest you give a go if you're interested. It has a delicious and full palate, and I love the earthy undertones in it, but for those with no earlier experience with, say, cowsheds, the scent could be a bit...overwhelming. Gorgeous tea, highly recommended.
[2] Absolutely divine green tea with roasted rice in it. It can also include matcha sometimes. Speaking of which, if you ever come across the orgasmic treat called 'matcha ice cream', I guarantee that you'll wet your pants. If you in general like green teas, that is. Easy to make yourself as well, since all you need is plain vanilla ice cream and a tin of matcha powder, then put approximately one tea spoon (or more, if you're as hard core tea drinker as yours truly is) into a regular little bowl for one portion and stir well. The vanilla will disappear and submit to the matcha and the sweet, sweet bliss will make your day. Surprisingly though, it isn't too sweet at all, which was a happy surprise to a person who doesn't enjoy the icky sugar-y bombs that melt your teeth and give you both hallucinations and a hell of a sugar hangover.