'He should have been home.' Iruka thought as he went to his mission room shift.
The mission room was dead so Iruka sat there grading, trying to keep his mind off Kakashi's lateness, while Kotetsu and Izumo played cards. All 3 looked up and stood as Asuma came crashing in with Raidou on his back.
"He needs a medic." Asuma mumbled to the ANUB who were on guard duty.
They took Raidou to find Tsunade as Asuma stumbled over to the mission desk. He set Kakashi's kunai down on the table, making Iruka gasp.
"I'm sorry." Asuma said then promptly fell to the ground with a thud.
Weeks passed as Asuma and Raidou slept in the hospital, while Iruka worried. The Hunters were due back soon with the news of Kakashi and the rest of the team, as Asuma and Raidou couldn't tell them.
It was a rainy Saturday that the Hunters returned and that Asuma finally awoke. Iruka heard the news from one of his student's parents and instantly rushed over. Medics were rushing everywhere, none answering Iruka's questions. He finally was told that Tsunade was working on Kakashi herself in a secluded room.
Relief rushed over Iruka as he took a seat on a bench beside an exhausted Genma, who had been there waiting since Raidou was brought in for him to finally wake up. The two talked and kept each other company for hours until Tsunade came out to tell Iruka that Kakashi wanted him. She lead Iruka to his room, warning him that Kakashi had seen a lot.
Kakashi lay in a bed with a special quilt on. He was paler and scrawneyer then normal. His skin was almost the colour of his hair, which seemed to be stringy and off colour even after being washed. His shown eye was dull and he seemed to be falling asleep even though he had just woke up. Iruka noticed that in his hands were dog tags, several of them.
'Poor Kashi. He shouldn't have had to go through that.' Iruka thought.
Iruka walked in and was rewarded with a brief smile from the tired man, which Iruka returned. He walked over to the bed and sat in the chair beside it. As soon as he sat down Kakashi started to struggle to move his arm.
"Kashi, stop! You'll hurt yourself!" Iruka said.
"Hold my hand!" Kakashi rasped out.
Iruka smiled and reached out. As Kakashi took it and began to fall asleep, Iruka began to settle in for the night and many more nights to come.
AN: This is the 2nd part to No Way Out. The next one isn't Kakashi/Iruka once again but its needed.
