A/N: Gomen!! I didn't mean to take so long on this chapter. But I simply can't make up my mind about what to write. So well, here you go. And I did try to write a little longer than the other chapters, to at least make up for the long break in not posting. =.= And well, anyway, I'm officially jobless. So while I look for another job, I guess I will be able to update a little more frequently. *grins* Do enjoy yourself with this chapter, and I hope to get the next one up tomorrow.

AngelinaIraki17, thanks for poking me and getting me out of my indecisiveness and my procrastination. _

And thank you everyone, who has been reviewing this story. You know I love all your comments. And they are exactly what kept me writing. I'm glad that people are following this story. It's a great encouragement. ^_^


Chapter 28: Reassignment

Kakashi watched as the boy threw out another clumsy punch. It was apparent from the lack of focus movements that Iruka was getting tired from all the training. He pulled out his pocket watch and took a quick glance.

They had been training for the last four hours and it was getting into the early evening. Kakashi had to admit that the younger boy, though not a genius to master everything at the first try, was good enough to pick up everything that he was being taught.

He waited for the boy to practice for a while more before he walked over and put a halt to the training before Iruka completely spends his energy.

"That's enough for today, Iruka."

The brunette paused in his kick and looked at the older teen. He frowned. "Can't we practice for a while more?"

"It's getting late. And you've been at it for hours. If you work your body too hard, you may consider spending the entire day in bed tomorrow."

"But….." Iruka stares at the ground in disappointment, his reluctance to leave clearly showing. "Can we then come and train again another time?"

Kakashi stared at the child for a moment before understanding sank in. He reached over and placed a hand on the boy's head. "Sure."

Iruka looked up with a smile. "Really?"

Kakashi nodded. Iruka grabbed onto his gloved hand. "Promise? You will train me again like today?"

The jounin scratched his head as he contemplated the request. Then he sighed and nodded. "Yes."

Iruka grinned. Kakashi smiled. "Come on, we are meeting Genma and Raidou for dinner. We still have to go back and clean up."

The boy nodded happily. Then he tightened his grip on the jounin's hand and ran out of the training field, pulling the older teen with him.

=-=-=-=

Raidou carried the sleeping boy on his back and smiled. "Looks like he really tires himself out today."

"Yeah." Genma flicked his senbon. "I can't believe he fell asleep at the dinner table."

"He spent his entire day training. I'm not surprised that he's drained." Kakashi walked beside Raidou, with his hands shoved into his pockets.

"How is he holding up at the orphanage?" Raidou asked, as they made their way down the path.

Kakashi shrugged. "Not too good, from what I heard today."

"Oh?" Raidou raised an eyebrow. "He's not used to it?"

"He was accused of things he didn't do."

Genma snorted. "Why would they do that?"

"Well, caught in the wrong place at the wrong time." Kakashi sighed.

"What happened?" Raidou shifted the boy's weight gently.

"Some kids played some pranks. And he was blamed for it." The silver-haired jounin shrugged. "And well, after that few incidents of being blamed for things he didn't do, he ended up playing pranks himself. And you could guess he got into a lot of troubles for that."

Raidou and Genma glanced at their companion. Then, they smiled softly. "He's had a hard time then."

"I guess."

"So, are we going to send him back to the orphanage?" Genma stole a glanced at the sleeping boy.

"Aren't we heading there in the first place?" Kakashi grunted.

"Supposedly, yes. But now, I'm having second thoughts." Raidou grinned.

The silver-haired teen snorted. "Whatever thoughts you have, don't involve me."

"Ah…. You read my mind." The older jounin chuckled.

Kakashi shot him a glare. "Just what are you up to?"

"Well, I would reckon he missed spending time with you, since he hadn't seen you in the last three months. So, how about we compensate him a little for his hard time in the orphanage and let him stay with you tonight instead?" Raidou suggested.

"No." Kakashi frowned. "I don't have time to babysit him again."

"I do think he knows how to take care of himself. And when you were injured the last time, he took care of you too. So who's exactly the one doing babysitting?" Raidou grinned.

"Still no." Kakashi snorted. "The orphanage will kick up a big fuss if he did not go back."

"That can be arranged." Genma smirked. "We will just make a trip to Hokage-sama and let him know. I'm sure he won't object. And if he's the one telling the orphanage, I don't think they will object either."

"Yeah, Kakashi. I don't think you will be going on another mission for the next few days, will you? Just spend some time with him. With your schedule in ANBU, who knows when he will get to see you again?" Raidou sighed. "And, we all know how attached he is to you. Plus, I think it will do him some good to be away from the orphanage once in a while. He's going to be there for two years anyway."

The silver-haired jounin sighed. He glanced at the peacefully sleeping boy. Then he shrugged. "Fine. But I'm not going to be the one to go and tell Hokage-sama."

"Leave it to us." Genma grinned. "We will drop him off at your apartment and we will go over to Sandaime-sama and let him know."

Kakashi watched as his two friends pick up pace and headed towards his apartment. He frowned slightly and followed after them.

=-=-=-=

Sunlight flittered through the window. Iruka squeezed his eyes tight and used his arm to shield off the annoying brightness. He rolled over to his side and buried his face deeper into the pillow. It wouldn't be long. In another five minutes or so, the caretaker would be there to wake him up and get him ready for his lessons at the academy.

But the previous day had worn him out. So much so that he hardly felt like getting out of bed.

A voice came from the doorway.

"You are awake."

Iruka almost groaned. He hadn't expected his caretaker to come and drag him out of bed so right on time. Though from the voice of it, this was a different caretaker from the usual one who wakes him up.

A male caretaker.

Iruka's eyes snapped open. When did he ever have a male caretaker in the orphanage?

He turned his head away from the pillow and it took him a while to register just who it was standing by the bedroom's door.

"Ka…. Kakashi-senpai!"

The jounin raised an eyebrow at the surprised tone. He glanced over at the clock on the bedside table. "About time. You are supposed to go to the academy soon."

Iruka gaped openly, still unable to get over his surprise. He scratched his head awkwardly. Kakashi sighed. "If you don't hurry, you are going to be late."

The boy snapped out of his daze and scrambled out of bed, almost falling over when he failed to untangle the sheets from his body.

Kakashi watched in amusement as the brunette hurried to the bathroom to wash up. He shrugged and retreated out of the room to get breakfast started.

=-=-=-=

"Kakashi-senpai."

Kakashi turned and stared at the kid with a bored look. Iruka rubbed the scar across his nose nervously as he walked beside the older teen.

"Why am I at your house this morning?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Why can't you be there?"

"I…. I mean… I'm supposed to be at the orphanage. Isn't it?"

The jounin shrugged. "Raidou and Genma thought it would be a good idea to dump you there."

"Eh?" The boy stared at his senior in confusion.

Kakashi shook his head. "Never mind."

"Are you going on a mission soon?" Iruka stared at the ground and asked in a small voice.

"Not for at least the next two days." The older boy shoved his hands into his pocket. "Why?"

"Nothing. It's just that I haven't seen you in a while. So….." Iruka scratched his head in embarrassment.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. The rest of the journey was continued in silence until Iruka reached the academy. Then, the jounin reached out a hand and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Let's go out for ramen later."

=-=-=-=

Hiruzen eyed the boy in front of him with a smile. "Iruka stayed over last night."

Kakashi shrugged. "Yes."

"Why didn't you send him back to the orphanage?"

"Genma and Raidou thought it would be a good idea to let him stay away from the orphanage for a change."

"Ah…." The Hokage nodded. He studied the scroll in front of him. "So how did it go?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. He was already sleeping before. So all we had to do was to put him into bed."

"And how was he this morning?"

"Good."

Hiruzen looked up from the stretch of paper. "Tell me, Kakashi. Was he happy?"

Kakashi quirked an eyebrow. "Well, from the way he laughed and joked, I would reckon so."

"That's good." The older man nodded in satisfaction. He took his seal from the side of the table and stamped it on the scroll in front of him. Then he rolled it up and glanced at the silver-haired teen. "Well, you should know Raidou and Genma came to look for me last night."

Kakashi nodded.

"And well, their initial intention was to inform me that Iruka would be sleeping over at your place. But then, we dwelled deeper into the topic."

The teen frowned. He wasn't exactly sure he would like what the Hokage is going to say next.

"Well, Kakashi, for the last three months, it was because of your hard work, that the condition in the village has finally settled down. And I certainly appreciate all those efforts you have put in completing even the toughest mission. It was because of you and your leadership skills, that we had kept our credibility throughout the shinobi world."

"It is everyone's efforts together, Hokage-sama." Kakashi said quietly. Hiruzen nodded as he took a puff from his pipe.

"Yes. And everyone will get their due rewards." Hiruzen stood and walked over to the window, looking over the village. "Kakashi, the situation has finally settled down a little and I no longer have the need to send you on missions without a break. And after some discussions with the council, we all had agreed that every shinobi, ANBU or not, will take at least a two days break after every mission. This is to make sure that nobody breaks."

Kakashi nodded. That sounded like a welcoming suggestion. A day or two off after a tough mission was definitely acceptable.

"And well, since that is going to be in place soon, you will get your off days on a regular basis, unless I really have the need to send you off on another mission. And I don't deny that possibility."

The jounin nodded again.

"And since that's the case, I do believe you have time to take up this special mission." Hiruzen smiled and handed the scroll over to the teen.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow as he accepted the scroll over and scrutinized it. Before he could open it to read the content, the older man stopped him.

"Let me give you the brief first, Kakashi."

"Fine." The teen frowned.

"Raidou, Genma and I have a good talk last night and well, you could guess, the topic was basically focused on Iruka. It seems that he hasn't been happy after he was sent to the orphanage and I believe that's how his shocking behavior had started to develop. A child his age seeking attention isn't anything unusual." Hiruzen sat in his seat and smiled softly. "Because, all they want is to find someone they can relate to and talk about things. And considering Iruka's situation, it's pretty understandable."

Kakashi sighed. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"And well, after a discussion with the two of them, we have come up with something which we think will help him to grow and develop into a better person."

"Oh?" Kakashi had a sudden urge to just turn and walk out of the room.

"Yes. Genma and Raidou came up with a good suggestion and I do think it's pretty feasible." Hiruzen smiled. "You may open the scroll and take a look at the mission parameters."

The jounin tensed as he lifted the scroll before him. Tentatively, he slipped off the string tying up the scroll and rolled it open.

The moment he read the content, he almost balked. He rolled up the scroll as calmly as he could and looked at the older man.

"You got to be kidding me, Hokage-sama."

"No, Kakashi. I do think the suggestion is good and that it will really do the both of you good. Considering the short amount of time that you had spent together previously had already changed you, I wouldn't doubt that continuing to have him around you would be a good thing."

"But Hokage-sama, I'm ANBU."

"I did consider that. But Genma and Raidou said Iruka is aware of your identity. Apparently, he had taken care of you the last time you came back from an ANBU mission badly injured." Hiruzen chuckled. He couldn't believe he had missed out that fact.

"I have to go on missions frequently." Kakashi frowned, trying to get his way out of it.

"I know. That's why it's stated in the mission requirements that he will continue to stay in the orphanage when you are away and you will only bring him back when you have recovered from the aftermath of the mission."

"But Sandaime, this is ridiculous. Why would I want to bring him back and have him stay over at my place for the two days that I am in the village, only to send him back to the orphanage after that? Isn't that disruptive to him getting used to his living environment?"

"Well, not exactly." Hiruzen looked at the teen and his eyes soften. "From what all of us can see, he is definitely attached to you. Do you know that for the last three months he was in the orphanage, Kaori had told me that he had never smiled, laughed and hardly spoke to anyone? And just one night with you and he was back to his old, cheerful self. Genma is right. Him being away from the orphanage, even for a short while, is doing him a great deal of help. Mentally and emotionally."

"But Hokage-sama……"

"It's a mission, Kakashi." The older man leaned back in his seat. "This is a mission to protect the mindset of Konoha's next generation of soldiers. This is for the good of me, the village, him and you."

Kakashi ran his hand through his hair in frustration. Hiruzen watched him in amusement.

"Don't fail this mission, Kakashi. We can't afford to lose any more soldiers. And it will be even more depressing if we lose a soldier to an emotional issue."

Kakashi took in a deep breath and sighed in resignation. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Good." The older man chuckled softly. "I will leave it to you to break to him the news then. I'm sure he will be exhilarated."

Kakashi bowed politely. "Yes, Hokage-sama. If there's nothing else, I will take my leave now."

Hiruzen gave the jounin an encouraging nod. "Iruka is a good kid. I'm sure you will grow to like him very much."

Kakashi nodded as he turned stiffly and walked towards the door. His grip on the scroll tightened as he stepped out of the door and closed it behind him, hearing Hiruzen's soft chuckles.

He was so going to kill Genma and Raidou.

=-=-=-=