A/N: Sorry that I took so long to get this up. But well, I was a little distracted. =.= Anyway, I'm working on the next chapter and I promise it should be up either tomorrow or the day after. I do run out of ideas some times and it takes a while for me to get back on track. So, sorry. ^^lll

Anyway, do enjoy this chapter. And yes, there will be a brief Kakashi and Iruka moment in the next chapter.

Chapter 14: Seeking Answers

Asuma looked up in surprise when someone joined him at the table where he was enjoying a nice cup of tea. He stared at the person sitting across from him in mild amusement.

"I was looking for you everywhere." Kurenai eyed him irritably.

"Oh?" Asuma leaned back in his seat. "Do I owe you something?"

"Where is Kakashi?" The kunoichi hissed. Asuma raised an eyebrow.

"Now make yourself clear. Are you looking for me or are you looking for Kakashi?"

Kurenai folded her arms and glared at him. "Well, I will look for whoever can explain to me what is going on."

"And what kind of explanations do you need?" Asuma pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

"Where did Kakashi disappear to?"

Asuma frowned. "What do you mean?"

"We haven't seen him for weeks. Ever since he got out of the hospital, he seems to have evaporated from the surface of the earth. Just where the hell is he?" Kurenai crossed her legs as she waited impatiently for an answer.

"Ah…" Asuma took a puff from his cigarette and smirked. "I don't really understand what you mean. I've been seeing him around. So has Genma, Raidou, Hayate and Aoba."

Kurenai's crimson orbs narrowed. "So, where is he now?"

Asuma shrugged. "Away on a mission, I guess."

There was a moment of silence. Kurenai glared at the man sitting across from her while Asuma appeared nonchalant about the entire thing. Finally, the kunoichi cleared her throat and rubbed her temples tiredly. "Do you know why Kakashi has been avoiding Iruka?"

Asuma grinned. He shifted slightly and watched the lady for a moment as he weighed his options. Perhaps, just perhaps, he could be able to find out something more from Kurenai if he just plays his cards right. Leaning back, he took the cigarette out of his mouth and took a sip of the tea.

"Kakashi is avoiding Iruka? What makes you think that?"

Kurenai sighed. "And you say you have been around him. Haven't you notice that he no longer looks Iruka up or even hang out him? And….."

"And?" Asuma probed.

Kurenai bit her lips and eyed the man uncertainly. Then she sighed. "And…. I heard they haven't talked for more than two months."

Asuma tapped the ashes off his cigarette and planted in back between his lips. "They had an argument?"

"Would I come to you if I knew?"

"Well, I would assume that either Iruka or Izumo would have been the one to tell you that they hadn't been talking. And since that's the case, I would think they would have told you too; if there had been any conflicts that lead to such a situation."

Kurenai snorted. "They didn't tell me anything. I made my own observations."

"For two months?" Asuma raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought you would have been busy going out on missions and preparing for your upcoming jounin exams to even hang out around them. Or did I hear wrong when Hayate mentioned that you have just returned from a month long mission two days ago?"

Kurenai stared at him, at a loss for words. Then she sighed and rubbed her temples. "Fine. Izumo told me. He was asking me if I have been seeing Kakashi around."

Asuma chuckled. "That's a surprise. I didn't know Izumo has grown attached to Kakashi too and is curious about his whereabouts. This is a first, I should say."

"Would you just get to the point?" Kurenai snapped. "If you have seen Kakashi, just let me know so that I can give him some good talking and let him know that he shouldn't be so inconsiderate about the feelings of others."

Asuma smirked. 'I knew it.' He shook his head in amusement. 'Kurenai will spill everything once provoked.'

The bearded jounin took another puff from his cigarette before extinguishing the fire in the astray. He folded his arms on the tabletop and leaned forward, watching the kunoichi.

"If you want an answer out of me, I think it's only fair that you answer my questions too."

The dark-haired lady narrowed her eyes. "What questions?"

Asuma shrugged. "Is that a deal first?"

Kurenai contemplated for a moment, trying to figure out what the other man was thinking. Then she gave a curt nod. "Fine."

"Good." Asuma ran his hand through his hair as he debated on how he should tell the genjutsu user, without being too obvious about his intent. He eyed her solemnly with a dry smile. "Well, for Kakashi, he's currently out on a mission. And he hasn't been showing up around because he just needs some time alone for the time being."

"Is something wrong?" Kurenai's expression changed into one of worry. "What happened to him?"

"No. Nothing happened. Not exactly." Asuma sighed. Kurenai eyed him suspiciously.

"You know something, don't you? You know the real reason why he's staying away from Iruka."

The bearded jounin blinked and then he grinned. "I think it's my turn to ask you."

"No. You answer my question first." Kurenai folded her arms and eyed him menacingly. Asuma shrugged, not wanting to go into the hassle of arguing with a woman.

"Well, in a way, yes."

"Why?" Kurenai demanded, anger exuding through her being.

Asuma snorted. "I've answered two of your questions. It's my turn now."

Kurenai twitched. She took in a deep breath to keep her anger down before she gritted out. "What do you want to know?"

Asuma drummed his fingers against the table top and eyed her coolly. "You know what is bothering Iruka, don't you?"

Kurenai's eyes widened. Then she turned away and shook her head. "No."

"No, you don't know? Or no, nothing is bothering him?"

The lady turned to glare at him. "Just what are you trying to get at?"

Asuma shrugged. "You are interested to know why Kakashi is playing the disappearing act and I'm interested to know why Iruka has been acting so depressed. If your answer is what I think it is, then perhaps, I will be able to confirm the reasons behind Kakashi's behavior."

Kurenai flinched. She tried to keep herself composed as she met the calculative eyes of the other man. What did Asuma mean by that? Surely he hadn't found out anything, had he? They had kept the secret well enough. They had been careful in their actions and their words. Asuma couldn't have known.

"Honestly Asuma, would you stop beating around the bush? I would appreciate if you could just tell me what I want to know."

"Then tell me what I want to know too." Asuma eyed Kurenai seriously, all traces of amusement gone.

"I don't know anything that you could be interested in. Nothing is wrong with Iruka if that is what you want to ask." Kurenai slammed the table and stood up, getting irritated over the entire affair. "I don't know what you guys are thinking. But convey my message to Kakashi. Tell him to stop thinking that he's so great. Iruka isn't a friend whom he looks up when he feels like it and ignores when the mood leaves him. Tell him to be more considerate about the feelings of others if he ever wants to pull such a stunt again."

The kunoichi turned to leave. But the unfazed question that came out from Asuma's mouth next stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Iruka likes Kakashi, doesn't he?"

Kurenai felt her breath caught in her throat as she stood frozen in her spot. Asuma glanced up at her casually, smiling inwardly. It seems that he was getting nearer to having verification towards what he had been suspecting all along.

The kunoichi tried a few times before she finally found her voice and let out a nervous laugh. "A little slow, aren't you? Of course he likes Kakashi. Why else would he stick to him since young?"

Asuma snorted. "You know what I mean. Iruka's feelings towards Kakashi have already gone beyond that of a friend."

Kurenai turned around and glared at him. "What…."

Asuma cut her off with a wave of his hand. He sighed tiredly and motioned for her to sit. "Honestly, do you think I would say something like this if I wasn't sure?"

Kurenai let out a sardonic smile. "Who knows?"

Asuma shrugged. "If you want to deny it, then there's nothing I can say. But that won't change the fact that I know what this is all about."

Kurenai eyed him suspiciously. But the gaze that met hers was one of seriousness. The kunoichi sighed and sat down in defeat. "How did you…."

"Know?" Asuma gave a knowing smile. "Well, I heard it from someone."

"Who?" Kurenai's brows furrowed in deep concentration.

The jounin smirked. "There's not many people who knows about this, is there?"

The kunoichi swallowed hard and glanced up at the jounin, anxiety in her eyes. "Is that why Kakashi is avoiding Iruka?"

Asuma stared at the ceiling and avoided the question completely. "Is Iruka ever going to tell Kakashi that?"

"Are you insane?" Kurenai stared at him in shock.

"Kakashi has the right to know."

"I know." Kurenai sighed exasperatedly. "But…"

"Kakashi needs to know." Asuma's voice dropped a notch lower. "I believe Iruka has been hurting for a long time if his frequent breakdowns are anything to go by. This is not healthy for him and it cannot go on."

"Have you ever thought how this is going to affect their current relationship?" Kurenai glared.

"I believe Kakashi is mature enough to handle this in the most rational manner that won't hurt either party. And Iruka should be mature enough to accept it if things doesn't work out the way he wants."

"You make it sound so easy. But do you know that one wrong move and it could all end up badly?" Kurenai almost snarled at the other man.

"That's a possibility. But I prefer to look at the brighter side of things and know that they will work it out between them. Even if it doesn't, there are still us around to help them past the awkwardness."

Kurenai was silent for a moment, as she thought over Asuma's words. Finally, she gave a tired sigh. "You have a point."

"Yeah." Asuma's eyes scanned the room lazily.

"But this…."

"I will talk to Kakashi." Asuma said quietly. "I will at least make sure that he is calm and prepared enough before he talks to Iruka about anything."

Kurenai nodded. "Thank you."

There was a moment of tensed silence. Finally, Asuma shifted and stood up. "I have a meeting with Sandaime. I have to go now."

The kunoichi nodded. Then she hesitated and called after the jounin as he stepped away from the table. "Asuma."

The bearded jounin threw a glance over his shoulder and eyed her questioningly.

Kurenai ran a hand through her dark tresses. Then she fidgeted nervously. "Who told you about Iruka?"

Asuma raised an eyebrow and amusement danced in his eyes. He snorted in mirth and shoved his hands into his pockets. "You did."

"What?" The red eyes narrowed, apparently showing that the woman wasn't appreciating with what she thought was a joke.

"Well, I suspected Iruka did have some kind of feelings for Kakashi. But there wasn't any concrete evidence." Asuma chuckled lightly. "And you just confirmed it for me."

Kurenai gaped. So she had been strung along throughout the entire conversation. She watched, stunned, as Asuma raised his hand in a wave and walked off.

=-=-=-=

Kakashi leaned back on the tree as his subordinates set up traps around the area. His ANBU team had missed out on rest for the last one week, trying to accomplish the mission. He was thankful though, that the task had been relatively easy and other then some lacerations and bruises, they were pretty much unscathed.

As his team members came around him, signaling that they were done with setting traps in the vicinity, he gave them a curt nod and the three operatives disappeared into the thick foliage, each finding their own spot where they could rest and keep a lookout at the same time.

Kakashi sighed and removed the porcelain mask from his face as his eye scanned over the few wounds he had acquired in the course of a mission. One across his arm, another scratch over his abdomen and a deeper cut on his left shoulder. But other than that, he could count himself lucky that he wasn't on the verge of collapsing.

His fingers traced lightly over the bandage on his arm, as his single eye checked to make sure it was secured. A smile formed on his lips, as he remembered all those times when he had returned home from a mission injured and how Iruka had fussed over him and tended to all those little lacerations with so much care. It was amazing how far they had come, from being mere acquaintances to the best of friends. It was even more amazing when Kakashi realized just how much he had opened up to Iruka. He probably hadn't been so at ease with anyone else ever before. Possibly not even Minato.

The smile faltered a minute later as he recalled that he had been avoiding the younger chunin for more than two months. And just because he didn't even know what to think about the possibility of Iruka being in love with him.

Kakashi wasn't a genius for nothing. Years in the field had trained him in reading the meanings behind every slight movement or facial expression. And he knew for a fact that, even if Asuma had yet to give him any verification, he was almost certain about the speculation being right.

He sighed and raked a hand through his silvery strands. It was unfair to Iruka, that much he knew it. The chunin had been baffled when he had started getting on with the disappearing act. Even when they had met on the streets, Kakashi had always managed to come up with one excuse or another to get away even before Iruka could utter a word.

And the crestfallen look on the younger man's face was like a stab to Kakashi's heart.

Gradually though, Iruka had stopped looking him up. Judging from his weeks of discrete observations of Iruka, he knew that the chunin had somehow deduced that Kakashi's weird antics were due to something he did. And the jounin couldn't help the guilt that spread through him at having planted such a thought in his junior's mind.

He sighed again and casted his gaze to the night sky. Never had he been this unsure of himself. All his life, he knew what he wants. He was firm in all the decisions he made. He had never had a moment of hesitancy or a minute of doubt.

Yet, Iruka had managed to instill all these uncertainties into him in just a flicker of moment. He knew for a fact that when he agreed to Asuma's proposal to stay away from the chunin for a while, it wasn't totally because of the possibility that he could be the one who was causing Iruka's breakdowns.

But, even as his mind whirled over the millions of thoughts, there was one that remained kept pushing itself to the forefront of his mind.

Would he ever love Iruka?

The jounin let out a bitter laugh. The weeks of thinking had done him no good. He could find no way out of this. He had no idea how to prepare himself for a possibility which he had never foreseen would happen.

He shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts. It wouldn't do to be so distracted in the midst of a mission. He closed his eyes, getting ready to get a couple hours of rest before they need to move off again.

But, even as he drifted off into a light slumber, the thoughts which he had tried to keep suppressed floated through. Iruka's smiles, his laughter, the gentle voice, the concerned words. Everything about the chunin was constantly running through his mind. It had never happened before. Perhaps, the two months of staying away from Iruka had affected him much more than he had expected.

He sighed deeply, knowing trying to sleep was futile when he couldn't get his mind to rest.

A single thought ran in his mind.

'Iruka.'

=-=-=-=