People reviewed... haaaa! I feel so loved!
Okay! Onto the thanks.
KrowsScared: Glad you like! I hope I can keep people snigger in the future. Twochapters so far done of the sequel... but I won't be posting them up for a time... :( Darn school!
sabireru: Lightning's Howl will play a part in the upcoming sequel. ;) Kakashi is kawai! He's the best! Glad you like! I feel inspired by the fact that somebody's actually counting the days...
Kunoichi008: Happy to make you smile.
ChidoriManiac: Oooooh! Somebody's excited! Hope you like the update... sorry... but it's going to slow down for the sequel.
AnoSaa: I may write an alternate ending if you like... but unfortunately this story was set in stone a loooonnngggg time ago. Hmmm... for KakaIru, check out my Sidelines oneshots... if you haven't already...
Polka Dot: Ha! A fellow Genma/Raido fan! Don't you just love them! Gaaa! We need more fics of those! Once again, I wrote a Genma/Raido in Sidelines.
I do not own Naruto – if I did, Kakashi would really be great – like a Sannin etc etc etc… and we'd see what's under his mask.
Revelation of the Wolf: The Glory of the Hatake Clan
Celebration
It was so warm. For a moment, Iruka savored the cozy feel of his bedmate as they snuggled together, enjoying the warmth of the sun filtering through the open window above his bed.
His bedmate –
Somebody's lithe body pressed down on his, surrounding him with the homey scent of cinnamon, pine and sake. Murmuring contentedly, he nipped the taut neck next to him and then licked it.
For several minutes, he wondered what exactly happened the night before – he couldn't remember a thing other than the photo of him and Kakashi.
Not that there was anything inappropriate with it. But it was embarrassing.
It was embarrassing to have everybody know it was his entire fault.
Iruka lazily opened his eyes and smiling, focused on a shock of silver hair.
Silver hair?
SILVER HAIR?
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKK!
A beat.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Iruka, finding his voice, screamed as loud as he could.
"What?" Kakashi bounded up, whisking out a kunai, and pinned down Iruka to his pillow.
Iruka gagged.
Silence ensued – punctuated only by Kakashi's sharp gasps.
There was a moment before the half-awake Jounin realized his prey was in fact no real threat. He drew back.
"You okay?" he asked calmly, replacing his weapon.
Iruka gurgled.
Suddenly, there was a pounding on the door and before the two could draw apart, Aoba and Ebisu burst in – kunai drawn.
"Iruka, are you oka-"
They froze.
Iruka and Kakashi.
Iruka and Kakashi in bed.
Together.
A stunned silence.
Iruka and Kakashi.
Kakashi on top, pinning the young Chuunin down.
"Gaaaawwww!" Ebisu screeched, feeling his brains were about to combust with the ideas running through his head. "Indecent behaviour! How could you, Iruka-sensei?"
Aoba was speechless – with laughter.
"Get off!" hissed Iruka.
Kakashi pulled away, stretched lazily and with a sigh, pulled himself off the bed.
The men couldn't help but notice that the Jounin was still wearing his full gear.
"You wore your shoes in my bed?" screamed Iruka.
"Who cares about the shoes?" gasped Ebisu. "This is improper behaviour!"
"Maaaa…. Iruka….. sorry, but I guess I was more drunk than I thought!" Kakashi looked slightly amused. "I've fallen out of practice…. But don't tell Gai that!"
Aoba was trying to stop laughing – even though the young Academy sensei had a my-morning-just-has-been-ruined-don't-mess-with-me look.
"Why couldn't it have been Shizune," Iruka whispered miserably. "I'm never going to live this down!"
"It's not so bad," Kakashi said, reasonably.
There's no reason to be ashamed about this – on missions, you often end up snuggling…. Geez…. It's not like anything happened.
Kakashi didn't know whether he should be sad or glad about that.
But Ebisu and Iruka ARE getting on my nerves….. really….
"What if people find out?"
"Find out what?" Kakashi asked, beginning to be irritated. "There was nothing to find out."
Ebisu broke in.
"Something must've happened. No smoke without a fire, they say…" he trailed off when he caught sight of Kakashi's cold eye.
"Ehhh? What would you say again?"
"Well… people can be mistaken…."
"Hmph," the Jounin turned away and lounged to the door. "Thanks for your hospitality, Iruka-sensei," he said, emphasizing the sensei as he disappeared.
Iruka flopped back.
He hadn't meant to piss off the Jounin – but Iruka had a lot to worry about now. Although Kakashi never seemed to care about what people thought (see: his Icha Icha book mania), Iruka was always aware of society and the rules. He was a teacher, for goodness sake, and parents expected him to have a regular type of life – expected him to live in a way that would give their kids a good example.
Snuggling against Kakashi followed by an innocent sleepover (due to heavy drinking) would not be a good thing for a Chuunin teacher's reputation.
Aoba dragged a spluttering Ebisu away, aware that the young Chuunin had a lot to think on. He wasn't close to the chestnut-haired Academy sensei, but he knew that Shizune thought a lot of him. And that Iruka, for the most part, reciprocated the feeling in that introverted way of his.
Kakashi was merely a friend. Like a close bigger brother. After all, they were only a year apart in age, growing up in war together, although their memories widely varied.
Aoba knew what Kakashi felt whenever hot-blooded Iruka was around. It always started with a sigh and ended with the thought, if only I could turn back time and do it all over again.
Well….. Aoba didn't have much to complain about. But he knew.
He was the technician who often ended up manning the ANBU desk. The one who kept up the files and the mission reports.
He saw the men come in, beaten, breaking and silent. Well…. Not that Hatake-san was ANBU anymore, but every now and then, something would come up that only ANBU Hound could handle.
And Aoba would be the one to dig up the thick musty files – the unranked missions, the off the record missions and the S-ranks (climbing past forty now). It was all there. It didn't take much imagination to figure out what he had gone through.
No. Iruka was the reason they fought. Well… not for Iruka in particular – sometimes that guy could get really annoying but his innocence and naivete could charm the socks off even Tsunade-sama, who was something of a man-eater.
Aoba said as much to Genma later on that day.
"Yeah…. I know…." Genma nodded.
He was such a wise Jounin, Aoba thought.
"I had a chat with Iruka-sensei about that one time… We fight for the village, we fight for the women and the children and for the dreamers."
There was a thoughtful silence. Raido sipped his tea and nodded.
"He can get annoying though –"
"Such a pansy!"
"That's actually a good word for him…"
"Iruka-san?" asked Anko, plopping herself down with a sigh.
Ibiki and Gai slid in beside her.
"You knew -?"
"Pansy is the only word to describe him."
"You underestimate him," Genma said. "He's going to go for Jounin. Just you watch."
Gai chinged his teeth at them.
"What a beautiful young man! In the flower of youth, no less! It is only right he experience the power of youth! Such a strict young man, too! Eh, Ibiki?"
Ibiki managed not to wince.
"Hmmmmm….. Umino Iruka….. I could talk –"
"Leave him alone, Ibiki," Genma said, rolling his eyes. "We want him mentally whole for the Jounin exams."
"You think he could do it?" asked Aoba.
"Why not? He's been training…."
"Who's been training? Kakashi?" asked Kurenai, coming up to the table followed closely by Asuma.
"No… Iruka," Raido said. "Although Kakashi has been training too…. Ow!"
Genma had pinched him under the table.
"My ETERNAL RIVAL has been TRAINING and he won't tell me one bit about his new jutsus!" wailed Gai, clutching his head. "All he says is "Eh? What did you say?" in that cool, hip, modern way of his…."
"Yeah… well…. Just think of him sloshed and drunk with Iruka on Iruka's bed," Aoba said. "That'll fix him."
"WHAAAATTT?" yelled Gai, bursting into flames. "He is molesting the sweet flower Iruka?"
Everybody blinked.
"Erm…."
"Sweet flower?"
"Iruka?"
"Waaaaiiiit…. Wait one minute…" Kurenai said. "Kakashi and Iruka were together?"
"In bed."
"Together?"
"In bed."
"Why?"
"They got drunk. Kakashi helped him home but never got to his own place."
"Any proof?"
"Saw it for myself." Aoba nodded proudly.
"How -?"
"I was puking in my toilet next door – the walls are so thin – and I heard this scream – it was Iruka –"
Gai gasped.
Everybody rolled their eyes.
"What the heck were they doing?" wondered Raido.
"Anyway –" Aoba said. "There was this 'whump' and I burst out of my apartment to find Ebisu coming down from the other side – I guess he heard it too…. And we busted open the door and there they were…."
Everybody was spellbound. They waited.
There was a long pause and they looked at Aoba expectantly.
Aoba was puzzled.
"And…. What happened?" asked Anko.
"Errr…. Nothing…."
Aoba felt a little irritated on the poor shinobis' behalf – a big deal over nothing. REALLY….
"What – errrr – position…. Were they in?" asked Genma delicately.
"GENMA!" hissed Raido shocked.
Everybody leaned forward.
Aoba blushed red.
"Nothing really serious. Kakashi was half propped up on top and –"
Everybody leaned back, giggling (except for Ibiki who merely wanted to… talk…. to the Copy Nin again.)
"Wow…. Just… wow…." Genma breathed.
"It was innocent!" Aoba protested seeing that the dirty minds of his comrades were turning once again. "One of his hands was in his pouch – "
"Probably going for a condom?" asked Anko.
"Or putting away his kunai," pointed out Raido sensibly.
"Worthy of an ex-ANBU, yes," Ibiki agreed.
"Ex-ANBU?" Kurenai asked, blinking. "Kakashi?"
"Did I just say that out loud?" asked Ibiki.
A thoughtful silence.
"With that in mind… perhaps a new topic…." Muttered Asuma still in shock from the double revelations.
"Still… if I was in bed and Raido started to holler, I'd think it was an intruder and pull out my kunai," Genma said, thoughtfully.
"Is that an allegorical sentence?" asked Ibiki.
There was another pause.
"Never mind their dirty minds," huffed Raido. "And let's leave the two poor guys alone… it's obvious that Iruka is sweet on Shizune and it's obvious that Kakashi screwed Yukimoto Megami while he was guarding her…"
"WHHAAAATTTT?" coughed the girls into their tea. "He had sex with the famous singer?"
"Lucky man," Ibiki murmured.
"Lucky woman," sighed Genma.
"What is he?" grumbled Anko. "A bisexual?"
"Probably can't make up his mind," Kurenai agreed.
"Guys!"
"Bisexual? What's that?" asked Gai.
Everybody sweat-dropped.
"Anyway – it's obvious that both of them don't swing 'that' way," Aoba went on. "Worse luck," Genma interjected.
"So let's just forget about it –"
"Forget about what?" asked Kakashi, lazily.
Everybody froze guiltily.
"Nothing, really nothing…" Raido said.
Kakashi raised his eyebrow disbelievingly.
It's probably a load of bullshit about me and Iruka…. What a pain in the butt….
"Anyway, you guys are wanted in the main headquarters conference room…. Something about an announcement…."
"Oh?"
"Yeah…. You guys are running – um – half an hour later already soooo….."
Suddenly everybody was trying to squeeze themselves out of the booth and they were out of the inn and down the road.
"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" gasped Kurenai.
"I had to help a drunk home so –"
"LIAR!" yelled Gai, Anko, Asuma, Genma and Raido.
"Hey! Don't say that!"
"You're just getting back at me for talking about you and Iruka, aren't you, bastard?" hissed Aoba.
"Eh? You guys were spreading lies again?"
Suddenly everybody was running that much faster.
"We were only discussing facts," Raido said, trying to be fair to everybody. "Nothing more, nothing less."
"I'd rather there was nothing period," Kakashi growled. "Now Iruka is going to be mad at me – well, I'll know whom to blame when he comes around on the prowl."
Everybody suddenly sped up at the thought of the hot-blooded Chuunin being on their case for gossiping. The young sensei could be extremely straight-laced.
When they entered the room, they froze at the look on Tsunade-sama's face. All the Chuunins and Jounins already there winced as the Hokage blasted away at the eardrums of the famous Copy-nin no Kakashi. Apparently he hadn't brought in his comrades on time.
"What were you doing the whole time?" she bellowed.
"Ummm….." Kakashi tried to think up of a good excuse but none came to mind right away.
"And don't lie to me!"
"Eeeep!"
Kakashi wracked his brains.
"Ummm… no excuse really…. Memorial…. Lunch…..bookstore browsing…. Training….."
Tsunade glared.
"This is important for us! I'm going to think up of a way to deal with you…. later…" She sounded ominous.
Everybody started to whisper about what was going to happen to their favorite Copy Nin.
Tsunade cleared her throat in warning.
"We are gathered here," Tsunade said with a note of finality in her voice, silencing all her shinobi. "For an auspicious announcement."
Kakashi tuned out his kage – he knew what it was all about – rolled his eye and winked surreptitiously at Sakura. His pink-haired student glared at her obviously inattentive sensei and turned away only to find Genma and Kotetsu eyeing her dress uniform appreciatively.
Perverts!
"In order to properly celebrate this important treaty with Cloud, Homura-san and Koharu-san INSIST we celebrate it the old way…" Here Tsunade sounded as put out as Kakashi had.
"A festival has been set up –" Koharu said in her creaky but bossy voice.
Genma grinned.
"Oh goody!"
"I expect you to volunteer and take a patrol shift," Homura interjected, pointedly ignoring the senbon-fixated Jounin. He was used to Genma's running commentaries in meetings. "This is for crowd control and safety – for obvious reasons. Remember to sign the sheet."
He waved limply towards a desk with papers on it.
Genma sighed.
Great. I get home – and what do I receive? More work.
"The only ones exempt from duty are those who went to Cloud with Tsunade-sama," Koharu amended.
"YAY!" cheered Genma.
Iruka couldn't help but smile in agreement.
Kakashi looked unmoved.
I wonder…. Could I still sign the sheet? Gate duty sounds good about now – nice and far from the festivities…..
When it came time to line up for the sign up, Kakashi broke all records and was first in line. With a relieved sigh, he walked away.
Socializing had never been an easy thing for him – he never could relate well to people. And although he knew something wasn't entirely right, he just didn't know how to go about fixing it. Although it was denial and escapism, this way was best.
Minutes later, the sheets were signed – the room emptied and Tsunade,
grumbling, stomped off with Shizune to find the kage's ceremonial cloak and hat.
Once she was all dressed up and ready for her public announcement, Tsunade looked down at the shift papers – all the spaces were filled. Her blonde eyebrows rose as she noticed that one of the gatepost duties had been entirely filled with Kakashi's name.
He had volunteered to guard the gateposts for the total of seven hours.
What the hell is going on here?
Mentally, Tsunade decided to have a chat with Sakura about her sensei.
Being a Jounin means being a little crazy, but this is taking it a little too far….
Meanwhile, Kakashi's pink-haired student had found her friends in the training field – but instead of training, they were gathered all around in a circle talking.
Even Lee had stopped his training routine (right about now he would have been doing five hundred pushups).
"What's up?" asked Sakura, smiling and waving to her friends, who looked at her oddly. "Did something happen?"
"It's your sensei…." Whispered Ino, looking strange.
"I heard it all from Gai-sensei," Lee said, posing like a 'nice guy' and chinging his teeth at Sakura, who winced. "That Kakashi – that sensei of yours – destroyed the virtue of Iruka-sensei last night."
For a moment Sakura was flummoxed. Then she burst out laughing.
"Don't be silly," she said. "Kakashi is weird but he's not into that kind of thing…" She paused as everybody continued to look serious. "You guys don't honestly believe anything happened?"
"Well…." Shikamaru said. "There is no reason to think anything happened – but my dad was at the inn last night and he saw Kakashi and Iruka leave the inn together AGAIN…. Both drunk…. Kakashi-sensei probably just fell asleep on the bed – probably passed out….. What's the big deal? This is so troublesome…."
Sakura stared.
She knew that on the odd day, Kakashi would drink – but she had never heard that he ever got DRUNK. But then…. What did she know about her mysterious sensei, who NEVER showed his face, never invited them over his place and never talked about his past life? What she did know was that Kaka-sensei had no social sense and that nothing could have happened – he was just not like that.
Sakura said as much.
"There's no way anything happened. He probably was just too tired and decided to use Iruka's hospitality… that's all."
"I agree," Temari agreed.
She had come once again to deliver a scroll – and see Shikamaru.
"How would you know?" asked Tenten.
"He-he-he's too cute….." Hinata whispered. "Would-would I-iruka-sensei like that?"
"Impossible." Sakura said firmly. "Iruka likes Shizune."
"My dad said so too," Chouji nodded. "They were chatting each other up at the bar…. I just don't see how he does it…"
"He looks hot!" Ino snorted. "He's not – well…. He eats properly."
Chouji's eyes narrowed.
"What are you saying?"
"Nothing…." Ino said airily.
Temari snorted.
"Have I met Iruka?"
"Briefly, I think," Shikamaru said. "He was a troublesome teacher – always on our case about doing our tests and homework – but he's smart, I guess…."
"An Academy teacher?"
"Yeah…"
"I'm sorry," Sakura said. "Impossible."
"Damn right…" Temari murmured.
"How WOULD you know what that Kakashi likes?" asked Tenten again.
"Temari has a history with him…" Neji said, calmly. "I can see it – look at the way her eyes are shifting…."
"Oh stop it, Neji," Tenten muttered. "That's bullshit and you know it…"
"The Byukugan never lies..."
"N-n-neji-kun…. I'm sorry, Temari-san… I'm sure Neji-kun di-didn't mean it….." Hinata's small voice trailed away as everybody caught sight of Temari's cheeks.
Tomato red.
Suddenly all the girls relocated several feet away.
The boys blinked. Lee began to do some more pushups.
"Something happened?" asked Ino in surprise.
"Well…. Just protecting Gaara at one of those concerts…. He was there protecting the singer…. And well….. I tried to make a point… and – uh – Kankuuro dared me…. There was a bet…. And well… a week later…. I – uh – well… you know…."
There was a silence.
"Yes?" asked Sakura.
"You what?" asked Tenten.
"I – kissed him."
"WHAAAATTTTT?" screeched the girls.
Hinata looked faint.
"What was it like?"
"Amazing… he was sort of into it too…"
"Wow…."
"I wish I could do that!"
"Just once."
"I cannot believe I'm hearing you guys say this," Sakura mumbled. "He's like my dad – he's sooo old!"
"Sakura, open your eyes and smell the coffee," Tenten said. "He's hot. He's mysterious. He's powerful. He's single. He's one of Konoha's best ninjas. What's there not to like? He's not stupid like Naruto. Or lazy like Shikamaru –"
"Hey!" interjected Temari.
"He's not ugly like Lee (although some days he's kinda cute)… anyway…"
All the girls were staring oddly at Tenten.
She thinks Lee's cute? What the hell?
Sakura just couldn't understand.
"Yes… well…. He's not brash like Kiba, boring like Shino, pessimistic like Neji, fat like Chouji – nor will he ever betray Konoha like Sasuke did…"
Sakura's and Ino's eyes turned to 'death ray' but Tenten ignored them.
"So he's perfect really."
"No he's not," Sakura said. "He's all of those – except for the betrayal part – except you'd never know because he talks to nobody and he's totally antisocial. He's got problems except he's so weird nobody figures it out…. But still…. I guess he's kinda nice…."
"With years, you might come to appreciate him more…" Temari said with a smile. "He's a good man."
"Yeah…. Well – I –"
Sakura never finished her sentence.
Kiba and Shino came running up.
"What's happened?" asked Ino.
"You'd never guess what I heard!" Kiba said half-panting, half-laughing.
"Calm down," Shino said, rolling his eyes and adjusting his sunglasses.
"If it's about Kaka-sensei being gay with Iruka-sensei, I don't want to hear it," Sakura said with a huff.
"No! Kurenai-sensei told me that Kaka-sensei and Yukimoto Megami were together – like – you know?" He held up his pinky finger and waggled it suggestively.
"What?"
"I can't believe it!"
"That Kakashi! He sure gets around!"
"Talk about it!"
"Why can't I get that?"
"Let me see…. Jounin, hot, IN SHAPE!"
"I bet Gai hasn't had as many conquests, Lee."
"Gai-sensei is the best – even when it comes to sex appeal – he's on fire."
"You go believe that…"
"So's he's what – bisexual?" asked Ino, confused.
"Geez… this is dumb…."
"No. No. No." Temari shook her head.
Man, Konoha was sure a crazy town sometimes! But Kankuuro would get a laugh out of this – and maybe Gaara will crack a smile.
"What's up?" asked Asuma.
"We're talking about Kaka-sensei being gay with Iruka."
"No. He was with the singer Yukimoto."
Asuma sighed.
Trust Kakashi to be the one causing trouble. He's always been a social no-no – and I bet this isn't going to help one bit. Hmmm….. damage control……
"Kakashi is a weird one. Yes." Asuma nodded. "But…. My sources… which are infallible –"
Genma… you better be right.
"Tell me that Kakashi was definitely with Megami. And with no other. Last night, he took Iruka home and overestimated his strength, I guess, after the mission, so he passed out… that's all…. I heard Iruka-sensei invited Shizune to come to the festival with him. Now come on. The Hokage's going to make her public announcement in – oh shit – five minutes! Let's go!"
Everybody rose and ran off, Asuma following.
Sakura lagged behind, deep in thought.
She thought about her sensei and about Sasuke.
They were so alike. Both protective. Both super-secretive. Both had Sharingan. Both super-strong.
And both cared for me.
Well. Kakashi-sensei did. But as time passed, although her heart missed him, although her heart ached for Sasuke, Sakura realized more and more what his betrayal meant – what it implied.
He never cared for us. How else could he leave us like that?
But there were people in her life who had loved her. Her parents. Tsunade in her gruff way. Naruto. Lee.
But Kakashi…. She just didn't know….
She tried to visualize herself pulling down his mask and kissing him like Temari did. She tried the idea on just for size. It felt odd and impossible.
Smacking herself upside the head, Sakura stashed her feelings away for a rainy day and the self-probing thoughts that went with them. What if-ing always wore her out.
Right now, she had a public speech to attend and a festival to enjoy.