Iruka was sweating. Out in the open the dry desert air and the hot sun had evapourated the sweat on his skin before he was even aware of it. But here in the marsh, under the trees, the humidity was much higher. Perspiration ran into his eyes, under his chin and stung the raw flesh of his chaffed skin. It attracted the flies too. At times he could hardly see through the cloud of insects that buzzed in his face, crawled on his skin and stung him maddeningly.
He'd never really been tortured, unless you count having to teach Naruto and Sasuke in the same class. And he was once badly beaten by a stronger enemy who thought it was more fun to hurt him than to kill him. But he was being tortured now.
At the first dry patch of ground, a hillock formed by the roots of a tree, he eased Kakashi off his back and sat him down. He pulled out a kunai, grabbed a fistful of dark hair, and started sawing at it. In an instant the copy nin was standing beside him, holding back the knife in a vice like grip.
"What the hell are you doing Iruka?"
He was too surprised to answer at first so he stared at him, trying to work out what had just happened. "I… I have to get rid of this hair, I can't stand it. It's all tangled, and in my eyes, and making me sweat…"
Kakashi took the kunai and lowered it to his side, using his other hand to stroke over the tangled locks. "Please don't cut it Iruka, I love your hair. I'll untangle it for you I promise, when… when we get home."
"Kakashi, you don't even own a comb!"
"Then I'll buy one just for you."
In a single fluid move he sliced a length of cloth from his leg binding then pulled Iruka's hair to the top of his head and secured it into a ponytail of dreadlocks. He planted a kiss on the teacher's sweaty forehead then held him at arm's length, just looking at him.
"Better now?"
Iruka smiled and nodded. Then he looked at the hand Kakashi had taken the kunai from. "But how…? You moved so fast!"
"I had to, it was an emergency. I'm stronger, but I can't keep it up for long… yet. I'd probably fall over right now if you pushed me."
Iruka hooked an arm around him protectively. "Then I'll have to be careful not to push you."
Back under the tree he steadied Kakashi while he lowered himself to the ground, then sat next to him. He unbuckled the 'mud shoes' from his feet, linked the buckles together and hooked them over his belt.
"You were right, the ground is firmer here. I don't think I need these now."
The tree was larger than most and denser, casting more shade. But they couldn't linger for long. They each took a drink from their dwindling supply and set out to cover as ground as possible before nightfall.
Compared to squelching over sticky mud in clumsy flapping 'mud shoes,' running in sandals felt like flying. The ground was uneven and littered with large flat rocks so that there was a mosaic of stepping stones sticking up a few inches above the water all around. Even where there were no dry places, the surface under the water was gravel rather than soft sand and mud. And where there was less mud, there were fewer flies. Iruka's sore skin was bleeding enough to lubricate itself, easing the discomfort. So as long as he didn't let it dry and stick to his clothes he would be able to put up with it. Not that he had a choice.
In the next two hours they traveled further than they had in the previous six. So when the sunlight filtering through the sparse trees became tinted with gold, Iruka wasn't anxious to stop. He was sure that they could press on for at least another hour. Then he saw something. Leaning slightly, he snatched the flowerhead from a plant growing near a shallow pool. He looked at it, crushed it in his hand then inhaled the fragrance.
"I know this kind of plant." He said, letting the crushed petals drop from his fingers. "It grows along the river through the forest in Konoha, it's a fresh water plant. Fresh, not salt."
He skirted the thick reeds by the edge of the pool to another deeper pool.
"Over there!" Kakashi said, pointing, realising what they'd found. Sure enough on the far side of the pool, the water, which had been glassy smooth everywhere, was rippled and bubbling.
Iruka flattened a patch of reeds on the dry part of the bank with his feet, put Kakashi down on it and waded into the water. Scooping some into his hands, he tasted it then turned to face the other man, grinning widely.
"Yes! Fresh water, a fresh water spring."
"So that's where they're getting their damn water." Kakashi said. "I knew that the bandits and outlaws living here were raiding anyone within a hundred miles for rice and wheat, and there's tons of fish and game in the marsh, but I just couldn't find a way they could be hauling enough fresh water over the desert. Not without me tracking it."
"Do you think they'll come back here?" Iruka asked, suddenly alarmed.
"No, they haven't been to this spring, I'd be able to tell. There must be others. But it might mean that we're getting close to their main camp."
Iruka's enthusiasm was dampened but not dead. "Well let's rest now, we could both use it. We'll stay here for the night, take a bath and wash our hair and clothes. Now we can drink as much water as we like."
"Right, last one in is cold ramen." Kakashi said, starting to undress.
"But I'm already in." Iruka pointed out, splashing him playfully.
"Yes." Kakashi said with a smirk. "I've seen you eat cold ramen lots of times."
Iruka blushed at the mild indecency of the remark then climbed out to help the other man. As he got closer Kakashi noticed the blood stain on the crotch of his pants.
"Iruka! What's that? Did you get cut fighting?"
"Er no. Just on my arm. That's just from the sand in my clothes, it's been rubbing."
Kakashi's eye narrowed. "Take them off and let me see."
Iruka pulled down his pants, stepped out of them and knelt down, acutely embarrassed, feeling like a thirteen year old in a doctor's office. He was still slightly swollen from fighting earlier, and the soreness and irritation added to it. Now Kakshi was sitting with his face almost in his crotch.
The copy nin traced a finger around the raw flesh between Iruka's thighs and groin. He touched the tip of his tongue to the redness then licked gently. It stung then soothed. Iruka closed his eyes and tried to ignore his growing erection.
"Take off your shirt, let me see your arms too."
Obediently he took off his jacket and shirt. The skin between his shoulders and armpits was just as damaged.
"Shit Iruka, why the hell didn't you say something about this?" Kakashi demanded.
He got a mumbled reply. "There was no point, there was nothing you could do, we had to keep moving."
Kakashi knew it was true and he also knew how much worse his extra weight must have made it.
"Well we'll rest now. We'll stay here tomorrow, maybe we can catch some fish. Some fresh food would be good. Now get us both into the water so that I can clean it properly and get rid of that damn sand."
The water was deep in the middle of the pool, shallower towards the edges. Iruka set out some weapons within easy reach then helped Kakashi slide over the flattened reeds. They made their way towards the bubbles where the cool water of the spring poured into it. The smooth clear water was wonderful. They splashed each other, ducked each other, rinsed the sand and grit out of each other's hair and ran their hands over each other's bodies to clean off the sweat and grime. Like boys playing. But they weren't boys they were lovers and they were both only too aware that they were alone together, in the water, naked.
It was the most physical activity Kakashi had had in days. It stimulated his circulation making his body tingle and starting a fire through his veins. He nudged Iruka gently, making him sit in the edge of the water submerged from the chest down, then straddled him across the waist. Teasing himself, teasing them both.
'How is it? Does it hurt?" He asked, indicating the stripped skin around his arms.
Iruka shook his head. "No, it stung for a moment when the water touched it, but it's fine now."
Kakashi licked at the patch around his left armpit, rolling the flattened tip of his tongue over it, back and forth. The contact with the raw nerve endings made Iruka shudder.
Kakashi stopped. Iruka's eyes were closed and his lips pulled back.
"Does that hurt"?
Iruka shook his head. His answer was almost a gasp. "Just intense."
"Want me to stop?"
Iruka shook his head again. "It's good. Feels good."
Kakashi went back to licking, feeling with the sensitive tip of his tongue for pieces of sand and grit. Soothing with the natural antibiotic of his saliva. When he was done he looked at the cut on Iruka's arm. It was a clean slice, not too deep.
"I'll bandage this before we go to sleep."
He turned his attention to the other side, treating it the same way. By the time he was done Iruka had relaxed into a puddle of mush. Kakashi nipped his nipples gently to rouse him, then moved back into the water between his legs.
"Scoot up, let me get to the rest."
Iruka jumped then used his hands to lever himself three feet higher up the bank, he bent his knees and spread his thighs, exposing himself fully to the wondering tongue. The position created tension in the muscles of his groin while those same muscles were being soothed and relaxed by Kakashi's licking, in a way that stimulated and aroused. At the same time the copy nin's wet soft hair was brushing against his most sensitive part, making it twitch and causing little tremors throughout his body. There were a thousand tiny gentle sensations, each adding to the heat in his groin.
Iruka felt like a flower, fully open, desperate for a bee to come and suck. But not just any bee.
"Want me to carry on licking?" Kakashi asked once he was done.
"Oh God yes… NO! No, you mustn't. Save your energy."
"What can I save it for that's more important than this?"
Then Iruka was lost as wet soft lips slid down his length. Slowly and surely, keeping a tantalisingly leisurely pace, then finally bringing him to completion with a release of tension in his body and mind that left him gasping and shuddering.
"Oh God Kakashi, I think you've killed me."
Kakashi crawled out of the water and lay next to him. "Not this time, but there are worse ways to go."
"Shall I do you now?" Iruka asked, knowing without needing to look how aroused Kakashi must be.
"No. I need the tension. One of us needs to keep some edge." He leaned over and pressed their lips together, letting Iruka taste himself in the kiss. "Go to sleep, I'll wake you in a couple of hours to eat. You need it more than I do now."