His lips curled into a bittersweet smile. He'd gotten this far and now… Well, he was never very good with rules, was he? His hands gripped the wooden fencing, his knuckles turning white from exerting such pressure. His body trembled slightly, either from rage or sorrow; it was hard to tell. It didn't matter though as a perfect chance was all but…ruined.
"You made it just in time." Naruto answered bitterly. If the figure was offended by what he had said, it gave no indication of it.
The silence hung heavy in the air, thick with tension and bad feelings. Naruto knew he had to keep his anger in check, but control kept slipping from his grasp. He bit his lip, enough to draw blood. The sharp pain didn't compare to the utter anguish blossoming from his chest, however.
"I never said you were one to use brains." the figure muttered forlornly.
"Shut up! What my heart tells me to do is more important than brains! While you and everyone else just stands around doing nothing, I'm off to help him!" he rasped out.
"No shinobi in this village is idly watching the events unfold. We are not clear on the situation Iruka-sensei has gotten himself into. And in this matter, I think using your brain is much more important. It's great to know how much you care about him, but nothing good can come out of this if you don't think about the consequences first."
"The consequences mean nothing. As long as he comes back home, everything else doesn't matter."
"Have you tried listening to what the Hokage told you?"
"Waiting. Waiting around and doing nothing! Why can't she just send help or something?"
"For once, trust the village and stay out of this."
"…I can't…"
"Why not? Your teammates are waiting for you tomorrow for the mission. Are you so selfish to let them down?"
"Selfish? I just want to help him! Why is that so hard to understand?" he asked desperately. His vision was beginning to blur and his eyes stung with tears; he refused to cry, though.
"Yes, I know you want to go and save Iruka-sensei. But think about this. He worked so hard to help you become what you are today. When no one even glanced at you, he risked everything to raise you. And now you're going to throw it all away and become a missing-nin? You'd only make matters worse if you did that."
Naruto froze. He hadn't thought about that at all; only thoughts of saving Iruka-sensei spurred him on. It was also true that he and his fellow teammates were given a C-rank mission. His head hung low, he sighed with irritation.
"Even if you manage to leave without being caught, where would you begin? You don't know where to start searching for him."
Naruto instinctively knew the left half of his face was twitching. He left his room that night with a clear plan in mind. He'd leave the village and begin his search for his beloved sensei. Only, he was caught in the end with his current sensei acting as his conscience. Everything was spiraling out of his control! To make matters worse, what was once considered a clear plan had slowly morphed into a very doubtful, highly unlikely idea.
"Go back home, Naruto. We've already begun our rescue mission. There's nothing to worry about."
Naruto's head snapped up. They had already begun? Suddenly, he became excited at the prospect of other stronger ninjas lending a hand to save his sensei from the clutches of evil. Yes! There really was nothing to worry about. But he felt as if he was missing something. He tried to sift through his muddled mind, searching to piece together everything. Suddenly it hit him.
"You said that if I leave, I'll become a missing-nin. Then what does that make Iruka-sensei?" he asked desperately.
"He left without notifying anyone of his whereabouts or plans for that matter. For that, he is considered a missing-nin."
Naruto couldn't breathe. To be a missing-nin meant exile! It meant that Iruka-sensei could never return to the village. But that was impossible. The older man had always been an indelible part of the community, teaching future generations the art of becoming a shinobi! Surely they couldn't cut off such an important man so easily!
"Kakashi-sensei! By help…do you mean hunter-nins?" Naruto asked, his voice tight with worry. He held his breath, anticipating the answer, and praying it wouldn't affirm his fears.
"The Hokage decided to give him a lenient sentence. No hunter-nins will be after him. Go home, Naruto. We've wasted enough time already. There's nothing to worry about. Remember…I always protect my comrades." Kakashi said, his eye crinkling into a happy arc.
"…Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto's vision started to blur with tears once more.
The pain in his chest started to slowly disappear. He should have known! Kakashi-sensei never left a comrade behind; for him, teamwork and the well-being of his teammates were his priorities. Naruto felt considerably lighter. Slowly, he turned around. After all, it was only fitting that he address the man properly!
However, when he turned, Kakashi-sensei was already gone. Naruto stood there, blinking in utter confusion. Slowly, his sad face brightened considerably and his eyes softened as his lips curled into a slight smile.
"Thank you." he whispered into the night air.
She waited patiently, knowing that one of her most trusted jounins had followed orders and accomplished the task at hand. If anything, he would be arriving soon. She scanned through the paperwork once more, making sure she understood the situation entirely. Sighing, she sat down, aware that she was becoming edgy.
Even the most skilled ninjas would not have been able to detect him entering the confines of the room, except she was one of the legendary three, a sennin in her own right. However, she couldn't help but be impressed by how much the masked boy had grown in skill. Indeed, he truly was the Fourth's student.
"Took you long enough." she muttered, annoyed that his timing had never changed throughout the years.
Kakashi chose to ignore her bland tone. "I managed to stop him from becoming a missing-nin. He'll do the mission tomorrow as planned." he said, deftly changing the subject.
"That's good to hear. Naruto never listened to anyone unless they had a good reason."
Kakashi felt himself chuckle lightly at that comment. He wasn't very familiar with the strange relationship between the Hokage and Naruto, but judging from their brief interactions, they were quite close. However, it was hard to tell since their interactions mainly consisted of the two insulting each other and leaving in a huff. Despite their brash exteriors, underneath their insults, they had grudging respect for the other. Kakashi sighed. Trust that two of the most stubborn-minded people would bond in such a manner!
"I called you in for another reason. It has been recently confirmed that the girl's stories were true."
Kakashi remained silent. He had been there the day the young girl had dashed into the village, spouting stories that many deemed too ridiculous to be true. Despite the unbelievable story, Kakashi could not detect any lie within her words. That quickly led to suspicion; the growing suspicion was then confirmed by the Hokage's words.
"What course of action will we take?" Kakashi asked lightly, his heavy lidded eyes showing nothing.
"I don't know…" Tsunade answered honestly. She truly didn't know what to do, afraid that any decision would make Iruka's situation far worse than it already was.
"Ah…it's a messy situation isn't it?" No one answered, not that Kakashi expected anyone to; it was a rhetorical question.
"In any case, I will entrust you with this mission. Naruto is under your care and it would be reassuring for everyone, especially him, if you were the one heading it."
Ah…so that was why he was called in. The Hokage was cunning when she wanted to be; he made a mental note to remain on her good graces. She knew that Naruto trusted those close to him. It would only make sense to have someone Naruto believed in leading the mission; that individual could calm down the child's worst fears about his beloved sensei and also effectively prevent the child from interfering.
If anything, he could use his special technique: one thousand years of pain! He smirked at the thought, picturing Naruto's wary face. His threats would keep the wild boy in line, especially since he experienced the painful jab. Inside, he was bubbling with laughter. Naruto had come running to him, begging him to help; he had refused. And now, he accepted the mission from the Hokage. Naruto would be deeply insulted. Kakashi consoled himself with the thought that, at the very least, his student would not be led astray.
No…keeping Naruto disciplined was not the hard part at all. The hardest part of the mission had very little to do with the child; instead, it involved getting Iruka out of the brothel and straightening up the issue of him becoming a missing-nin. Kakashi's mirth ended as he sighed. The situation was far more complicated than he would have liked.
It would be best to tackle the problem later; he could deal with problems thrown at him in the future. Instead, he chose to concentrate on the present task.
Tsunade turned away, a clear sign of dismissal. Kakashi gave a curt nod before disappearing. The mission was underway.
Ichi eyed the man before him with curiosity. To think that the delicate person he envisioned was all but shattered! For goodness sakes, the man was a ninja! Ah…the world was full of mysteries!
"Do you think I will be severely punished later on?" Iruka asked, breaking the silence.
Ichi didn't know the answer to the question. More specifically, he didn't want to give the answer, knowing it would only pain the man. "You're a ninja. Surely nothing here could hurt you." he scoffed.
Iruka shook his head. For all his strength and skills, he was bound by contract. He knew he could run towards freedom, away from this damnable hellhole, but the proprietors of the Black Lotus would seek him out to fulfill his contract; his village would be honor-bound to return him. Either way, he would not be able to win.
Furthermore, the Black Lotus and Konoha were the only places he could return. Where else could he run to? He didn't know much of the outside world, especially since he didn't travel much outside the boundaries of his village. All his plans had dead ends.
"I could live through this." Iruka answered, ending Ichi's statements entirely.
"What if someone comes to save you. With that whole honor code crap you've got, they're gonna send somebody to save your scrawny ass." Ichi answered bluntly.
It was true. Just as he was bound to the contract, the village was bound to its honor code. He had thought about it, often to the point that he was unable to fall asleep. However, he knew that it would still lead towards him fulfilling the contract he willingly signed. Either that or the hunter-nins would get to him first.
The last thought pained him. He knew the minute he left the village he'd done something very, very stupid. His mind was only occupied with thoughts of Aiko that he left caution entirely. The moment he escaped the confines of the fortress, he was officially a missing-nin. He sealed his fate by remaining in the brothel.
"I'm a missing-nin. I think…I think I knew that I wasn't going to go back. The minute I decided to go to Aiko, I knew that I was cutting off all ties. And for that…I will not be saved…"
Ichi could only stare at him. Suddenly, he burst out laughing. When he stared at Iruka's insulted face, his laugh grew louder. Iruka's right eye began to twitch.
"Why are you laughing?" Iruka asked, his voice low with menace.
"Because… Oh gods! You're so funny! Your serious expression and the whole drama… If they understood the entire situation, they'll help you. I'm sure they won't kill you!"
Iruka's face became solemn. Ichi noticed and abruptly stopped laughing.
"No…when the hunter-nins get here…they will kill me…"
Throughout the remainder of the night, the pair remained silent, mulling over Iruka's last words.
The strong rays of sunlight hit his face and he turned away in annoyance. Unable to escape, he opened his eyes. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his bleary vision. His pupils slid to read the time on the clock. It didn't register in his mind that he was late for his mission. His eyes widened when he took a look at the clock again.
If the clock's indicated time was correct, he was nearly an hour late! Quickly, he scrambled out of bed and dressed into his signature orange ensemble. He bypassed his usual breakfast of ramen and milk. Running amuck through the village, he managed to get to the bridge meeting place. His teammates were quick to get on his case as Sakura bashed his skull and Sasuke promptly called him "dobe." It seemed things were back to normal.
"Well…you're lucky Kakashi-sensei isn't here." Sakura remarked casually.
He's probably doing his mission! Naruto thought excitedly. He didn't voice his thoughts, though; it would be suspicious if he knew what was going on and his teammates didn't. Besides, he might get another beating if he had to explain how he knew, especially for attempting to escape the confines of the fortress.
As the three teammates waited patiently, a figure appeared before them. On their guard, they went on the defensive immediately. The figure only chuckled humorously. Completely decked in black, the only other color stood out startlingly: the silver of the metallic forehead protector, signifying the figure as a fellow shinobi. The three relaxed slightly, recognizing an ally.
"I have a message from the Hokage. She says your sensei, Hatake Kakashi, will not be accompanying you on your mission. Instead, a suitable substitute will meet you at the fortress gates." After completing the short message, the figure left.
Sasuke's usual stoic expression changed slightly as his brows lifted in surprise. Sakura was far more expressive as her entire demeanor changed. It seemed only Naruto wasn't affected at all. Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he noticed Naruto's indifferent self. Naruto turned and faced the sharingan boy, gracing him with a foxy smile. Sasuke snorted in disbelief and turned away from the blonde.
Sasuke, still suspicious of Naruto, kept a close eye on him; it seemed the blonde knew far more than he was letting on. When the three reached the large wooden gates, they paused as they saw who their mysterious chaperone would be.
"Pervert sennin?" Naruto shrieked in shock. Sasuke's brief suspicions left him as he noticed the blonde's surprise.
So the dobe isn't keen on everything, I see… Sasuke smirked at the blonde's distress.
"For the last time, it's Jiraiya. Our client's gonna be here in a few minutes." he said in a gruff voice.
"I don't see why you have to come with us." Naruto muttered under his breath.
Jiraiya calmly ignored the brat's curses and waited patiently for the client to arrive. It didn't take long as a wealthy merchant arrived, escorted by numerous servants. He thanked his men for leading him safely before addressing the shinobis before him.
It didn't take long for Jiraiya and Naruto to openly dislike the merchant while Sasuke and Sakura calmly hid their irritation; of course, inner Sakura was cursing the merchant along with the sennin and the blonde. Thankfully, the mission didn't last very long as they safely escorted the merchant from Konoha to the safe confines of the small Water Country; within the local villages, the merchant would continue his trade.
Spent and hungry from skipping breakfast, Naruto gleefully sped towards Ramen Ichiraku, hoping to end his hunger; the rest of his team, as well as their substitute, decided to join him for dinner. Though he usually liked to have ramen with his favorite sensei, Iruka, or alone, Naruto made this a one-time exception.
He perched comfortably on one of the many stools available and waited patiently for someone to take his order. Once again, he was surprised by who he saw. His eyes bugged out in surprise and he couldn't help but point. All in all, he managed to insult the person in question.
"You better stop doing that brat 'cause I work here now!"
"Whatever. Just take my orders. Pork ramen!" Naruto replied gleefully; the others mumbled their orders with less energy.
"Coming right up." Aiko mumbled, trying to ease her irritation. Seriously, the child was a danger to her health!
"You know her?" Sakura asked suddenly.
"Yeah. I saw her in the forest. She punched me." Naruto mumbled the last sentence. Nevertheless, Sakura heard and started laughing; Sasuke cracked a small smile.
While Sakura continued to question Naruto, Jiraiya ignored his young charges and proceeded to stare at Aiko with lust flaring in his eyes. His eyes gleaned over her well-proportioned figure, stopping at critical places. Aiko felt the area between her shoulder blades itch and knew someone was staring at her inappropriately.
While she continued preparing the ramen, she couldn't stop feeling uneasy. Quickly she turned to take a peek at whoever dared to cause her such uneasiness. She saw an old man with strange markings across his face staring at her. She quickly turned away, despising the look he was giving her; she had received the same looks all the time back at the Black Lotus. Flustered, she finished preparing all four bowls of ramen and placed them in front of each customer. The very last customer happened to be the man who had the audacity to stare at her so.
When she placed the bowl of ramen in front of him, he flashed her a quick smile. She turned away quickly so as to hide her reddening cheeks. It would not do to let him know that he embarrassed her horribly. Jiraiya couldn't help but smirk at the thought of having another maiden fall for his charms; little did he know that he did the exact opposite.
The rest of the night passed them by as they enjoyed the ramen and conversation. Elsewhere, a select few, specifically chosen for the mission, met at the fortress gates at twilight.
Kakashi wasn't surprised to see the irate expressions of his fellow peers; he was never on time anyway. Giving a quick smile, though it was hard to tell through his face mask, he greeted each shinobi. He was pleased to see that the Hokage had chosen each with special care dependent on their expertise.
The mission would require, more than anything else, negotiation skills. Each ninja specialized in village relations so they knew what was expected of them. It would just be a matter of time and ingenious planning.
The meeting was brief as the team merely discussed what course of action to take once they arrived at the red light district. After discussing various plans, it was agreed that a small team of three would infiltrate the quarters; one member would speak directly with Iruka while two others would glean as much information as possible. Everyone agreed that it would be best to gather all the information they could before proceeding any further with the mission. It was also decided that Kakashi would be the one to speak with Iruka because both figures had direct sentimental ties to Naruto; it would be easier since both ninjas had come to respect each other.
When the meeting was adjourned, all members left immediately save for three. The trio headed outside the gates towards the red light district, particularly towards the Black Lotus. The three immediately disbanded; the pair left to gather information, leaving Kakashi solo.
It wasn't hard to find the brothel, especially since the building stood out with its rich exterior compared to the drab facades of other nearby buildings. Kakashi was quick to notice prostitutes herded into golden cages, trapped like beautiful creatures, tamed for viewing pleasure. He sighed when he noticed that every single individual was a woman.
He encircled the building and happened to come across a cell in the far back; this particular section only housed men and Kakashi made an educated guess as to why such arrangements were made. Beautiful boys, most could hardly be called men, were placed in the cell, waiting for customers or favored clients. While most of the boys participated, attempting to look enticing for the night, Kakashi immediately noticed one particular figure reluctant to partake in such activities. Despite the ornate clothing and painted face, Kakashi knew it was Iruka right away due to the trademark scar across the bridge of his nose.
Calmly, he approached the cell, hoping to speak with Iruka. Some of the boys noticed a new individual entering their dreary lives and immediately latched onto him; Kakashi sighed as he declined lecherous offers. Iruka noticed the masked shinobi and immediately froze; Ichi noticed the change and approached the potential customer.
"Why'd you come here? First time seeing your type at this dump." Ichi said bluntly.
"I'm not here for the sex if that's what you want to know. I have some business with that man over there," Kakashi said as he pointed at Iruka. "He seems to recognize the meaning of my appearance. Could you ask him to face me?"
Ichi was taken aback by the masked man's straightforward nature and he suddenly was at a loss for words. What if he was one of those hunter-nins that were looking for Iruka? What if the man came here to kill his friend? Ichi couldn't let that happen!
"Look, he's not feeling well and he doesn't want to see people like you," Ichi said, looking at Kakashi's forehead protector signifying him as a shinobi. "Just leave him alone and go back. There's nothing for you here."
"I'm not here to kill him if that's what you're worried about." Kakashi said lightly.
"Oh? And how can I trust you?" Ichi sneered.
"I think he can explain everything."
Ichi sighed as he stared at Iruka. The man seemed to have calmed down at the mysterious stranger's words. If anything, the dolphin looked relieved, as if a burden was lifted off his shoulders.
"Oi! This person wants to talk to you!"
Iruka scrambled forward, all his fears and worries lost after he heard what Kakashi had to say. He edged closer until he saw the familiar form of Naruto's current sensei.
"Why did you come here, Kakashi-sensei?" Iruka asked in a low voice.
"It seems Naruto cares about you enough to get the entire village involved." Kakashi replied; Iruka merely twitched at the answer, knowing the man had deliberately evaded the question asked.
"Then why did Naruto get the entire village involved?" Iruka pressed on, undaunted by Kakashi's evasiveness.
"Naruto makes very rash decisions if things don't go his way."
Iruka's eyes widened as all possibilities of Naruto's rash decisions ran through his mind; his concern for the boy revealed itself once again. However, Kakashi's one visible eye curved into an arc, indicating his happiness. Iruka wondered why.
"Luckily, Naruto came to his senses.," Kakashi said, noting Iruka's visible relief. "Instead, we're to help you out of this situation you got yourself into."
It didn't seem to register in Iruka's mind that the man before him came to help; instead, he resorted to blinking and remaining silent. The two stared at each other for different reasons. Kakashi waited to hear what the captive's reply would be while Iruka stared at his potential savior.
"What about me being a missing-nin?" Iruka asked suddenly.
"Ah… You'll get a far more lenient sentence. It seems you're invaluable to the village."
Iruka smiled bitterly, feeling helpless due to his current situation. He turned away from Kakashi, suddenly feeling very tired. The events that had transpired since he'd freed Aiko exploded in his mind, leaving him shaken and dizzy.
"I'll come back again. Until then, rest and try not to attract any more customers."
"What do you mean by that?"
"By acting cute in the corner, you're a prime target." Kakashi said in a humored voice before leaving.
Iruka stood looking at air before Kakashi's last words dawned on him. "I do not act cute!" Iruka nearly shouted, clearly miffed that the man had dared to make him seem effeminate.
However, he could not stop blushing; the fact that he was easily embarrassed didn't help stop his reddening cheeks either. Ichi calmly stood by before breaking down into laughter; he received multiple bashings from Iruka in the process.
"Be happy that such a sexy guy is saving your sorry ass!"
"He's rude and blunt to a fault!" Iruka replied snidely.
"Deep voice and bedroom eyes…err…eye is so damned attractive!" Ichi said, completely ignoring what Iruka had to say.
"You're a pervert! Just like the rest of them!" Iruka accused, pointing at fellow cellmates.
The rest of the night went by quickly with thoughts of escape.
Freedom…
Author's Note: Yes, I know. Sorry to disappoint some people, but the yaoi goodness has yet to happen because Iruka and Kakashi need to first meet and set the tone. But yay! The very last part has Kakashi complimenting and slightly flirting with the dolphin! ^^ Anywho, you can see that this is clearly going to have Kakashi be the savior! I'd like to thank everyone who has been in support of this fic! Thank you so much! Hopefully I'll have more chapters coming up soon!
