Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Naruto.
Rated M: Language and intended… um, things.
A/N: Sorry for the delay, I've just recently discovered One Piece. So of course I got obsessed with it. Please forgive me. But ZoroxSanji is…addicting. Anyway, feedback is greatly appreciated.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Despite all his wishing, after a time, Iruka learned that life would always go on after great tragedy. The unbearable seconds of not being able to breathe turned to minutes, then hours, days, a week. Life went on; he rose in the morning, went to teach, worked in the missions' office, avoided Asuma like the plague, and went home. All with a bright smile performing on his face, which was starting to disturb students and co-workers alike.
Apparently the world gave no heed to one Chuunin's heartbreak. Heh…that's stupid.
Heartbreak was for the weak. In fact, a shinobi had no heart. They were born and raised to be emotionless tools for hire. And here he was, curled in a bed that smelt of Kakashi, feeling like the world was crushing him. The day would always end like this. His body wrapped in blankets, instead of flesh, feeling sorry for himself.
No matter how self berating he was, he wondered what had become of his former lover. Not the one who chain-smoked with a shit eating grin plastered on his face, but the one who was truly hurt. Iruka would have killed to know how the gray haired man was doing. However, according to Asuma, he was under threat not to approach the Copy-Ninja by a honey haired Jounin. Like he needed to be told.
'If there's anything I want Iruka, it's for this to end, let me go.'
Was all his ex needed to stay for Iruka to not approach him. In his mind, Kakashi's words translated into "Stay the hell away from me you cheating bastard."
He had silently promised to never break the Copy-Ninja's trust again. No more lies, no more Asuma, and no more Hatake Kakashi. Life sucked.
It would have been fine and dandy, but one constant had been showing to be really persistent as of late. 'Keep Asuma away,' was proving more difficult than Iruka had anticipated. Iruka would have figured that dumping the man would keep said man out of his life. It was a clear sign saying that it's over. But every day Iruka would be approached by Asuma, either passing in the streets, late night visits, or the worst, the chain smoker stalking him out at the mission room. Luckily it was easy to avoid the other man in public spaces, and when he was at home, Iruka simply locked the door and pretended to sleep.
Unfortunately sleep never came.
The beating of his front door was making sure of that. Jounin's never gave up and it annoyed Iruka to no end. Iruka wedged himself deeper into his bed, stuffed his pillows over his ears, and prayed the annoying man would go away. All he wanted to do was wallow in his self-pity in peace. Was that too much to ask? The stupid pounding on the door answered in a loud 'yes'.
The persistent knocks continued for ten minutes and Iruka was about to throttle the shinobi on the other side of his door. Huffing as he rolled out of bed, complaining about psychotic ninjas who needed to be locked in prison, and made his way to murder-answer the person at his door.
"Leave me alone you pervert!" Iruka yelled as he jerked the door, and turned a deep shade of red.
"There's no need to shout…" The girl standing in front of him, looking dangerously harassed, whined from the insults to her eardrums. Bat-shit crazy Chuunins… "I only came to check up on Kakashi-sensei."
"Ah! Sakura!" Iruka stuttered, he hadn't intended to make the girl mad. Her temper was just as bad, or worse, than Tsunade's rage, "Sorry, I thought you were someone else."
"If living with perverted Jounin's makes people go insane…I think I'll stay a single," The girl muttered to herself, "Anyway, take me to Kakashi-sensei and we'll call it even."
"Um…" Iruka was not sure what information the Hokage was feeding to her apprentice, but he was sure that news of their break up would reach their leader's ear. Not that the two flaunted their relationship; however, they never kept it private to those who asked. And the Hokage asked a lot where it concerned her top shinobi.
"Why are you lingering?" Sakura's demand snapped the Chuunin out of reflections, "My Sensei is hurt, and I would at least like to treat his wounds before the night ends." Her angry inner self was beginning to show past the polite exterior, which only happened when those close to her were either making asses of themselves, or hurt.
"What do you mean he's hurt!" Iruka gawked.
"He hasn't been home?" Sakura fiery indignation flared, one would think an injured shinobi would return to their homes at least, not dilly-dally somewhere else, "I can't believe that lazy, perverted, man is screwing around while injured! That…" Before the string of insults could leave her lips, Iruka was dashing past her, "Hey! Where are you going?"
Kakashi was hurt, his Kakashi! No matter the circumstances, he believed in one thing. Promises could go to hell if it meant not seeing Kakashi while the man was bleeding to death somewhere. Iruka only prayed that the man had made it to Genma's residence before fainting…or worse.
Breaking another promise.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"It was my fault really," Kakashi sighed as his student prodded the new bandages she had placed, making sure they would sustain for a couple days, "I overused the Sharingan again."
"When do you not overuse that eye?" The girl huffed, completely annoyed at everything and everyone. Not only was the man, currently in a near comatose state, hurt badly he was also lying. She was dying to ask him why he was here instead of at Iruka-Sensei's home. Why the man whom she knew from the Chuunin exams was barring the Teacher from seeing Kakashi. And why the injured man was doing nothing about it.
"I suppose you now know the reason why I left ANBU," Kakashi sighed, he could feel the girls hidden curiosity which turned into hidden rage, "I'll be fine, I've dealt with this before." And really…he would. Chakra depletion was nothing to laugh at, but it was not deadly as long as he was in a safe place. Genma was making sure of that.
A loud crash resounded through the tiny room, followed by, "Let me see him!"
Kakashi bolted upright at the sound of Iruka's voice, and hissed as his stitches stretched.
"Idiot!" Sakura slammed her sensei back into a prone position, not noticing the whimper that escaped the man, "You're going to ruin my hard work if you do that. I do not feel like patching you up again!" She ignored the grappling of the two men just outside the doorway. Right now she was a doctor, not particularly a miracle worker that the Hokage was, but decent for someone who only started studying the craft only recently. She was going to beat the crap out of the other shinobi despite her medical ninja instincts. Kakashi did not need to be disturbed, and obviously the hidden scuffle was doing just that.
Kakashi glared wearily at the closed door. The mission was supposed to be simple. Infiltrate a highly secured building in a neighboring country, steal some documents, and get the hell out. He was able to avoid the traps, dogs, and guards, but he had stupidly tripped a wire because of an illusion. One he didn't want to elaborate in his mind, but he could have sworn that one of the guards bore a strong resemblance to…well…
That had led to his hand slipping on a small wire wrapped around the mission's documents. Which led to a lot of kunai, shrunken, explosive tags, offensive jutsu's, and whatever else that facility had in store, all aimed at him. So now he lay in the borrowed bed of his friend…listening.
…Listening to the rants of a pink-haired girl, the barely contained yells of two overprotective shinobi, and the thundering of his heart.
Kakashi really hadn't expected for Iruka to come. Not so soon, not after what he, himself, had done to the poor Chuunin. Putting each other through hell was never a good thing. However, Iruka had come to Genma's demanding to see Kakashi. Iruka should be with that…asshole. Happy with his life, but he was here. Yelling and fighting with someone who could over power him in seconds. Worry was the only thing Kakashi could do.
"I'll be right back," Sakura said as she patted the older man's shoulder, as if she could sense his inner turmoil.
Kakashi relaxed as he heard the girl yell at the two, much older, men about patients, immaturity, and trips to the hospital via sharp objects. At least now he knew Iruka wouldn't be killed by the special-Jounin in the other room, although death by medical apprentice was not much better.
Sakura swiftly returned to the room, muttering "Idiotic ninja antics." She huffed as she knelt down to inspect Kakashi's injury's further. Nothing new needed to be tended to, well physically. "Iruka-sensei seemed pretty desperate to see you…"
"Un," was Kakashi's intelligent response, he didn't feel like spilling his guts to his student. He had already divulged that particular information one too many times.
"You don't have to tell me what's happened between you two," Sakura said as she made herself inspect the other man again. She needed an outlet for the nerves that suddenly overtook her, asking her sensei for personal information was always nerve racking, "One day I hope that you would be able to trust me with this sort of thing, till that day, I'm content to just being here for you…" Like you were for me, went unsaid.
The girl was sweet, but he suddenly wished that she was gone. Not because he did not appreciate her words. But the feelings that she was bringing out of him was too much, far too soon. To be wanted and trusted, to be needed by another again, so soon after giving up those feelings to a life of empty death.
"Well, if you excuse me, I need to get home before my mother decides to ground me for doing my duties." She rolled her eyes at the thought, "Don't let this eat you up, Kakashi-sensei." She smirked. The girl had always been good at feeling others out, whenever it did not concern her life crush, or her eternal rival.
Brat… Kakashi thought as he drifted to sleep.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"I pushed some chakra into his system, so he should be fine in a couple days," Sakura explained at the front door, "But make him rest for a week; five days at least, he needs the rest."
"He's not going to like that…" Genma sighed, "Well, thank you for looking after him Sakura-chan."
"I enjoy the work," The girl beamed, "Besides, he's my sensei, there's a lot I would do for him," The feeling was mutual to both parties. Sakura turned, casting a weary eye over the remaining shinobi, and left with a polite goodbye. "And make sure he drinks plenty of none Sake related fluids!" She yelled over her shoulder.
"There, he's fine," Genma spat to the Chuunin once the girl was out of hearing range, "You can leave now."
"Knowing he's fine and seeing that he's fine is different," Why was Genma being so difficult with him. He'd practically tackled him as soon as he entered the other man's apartment. All he wanted to do was check on Kakashi.
"I'll make sure he's taken care of," Genma glared at the younger man, "Unlike you."
"What do you have against me?" Iruka spat, he was tired of the accusing stares he was receiving.
"You heard me, Kakashi would never have been in this position if it was not for you. If you had paid more attention to him you would have noticed how far gone he was…but no you had to go and screw around with someone else."
Iruka paled…not knowing that the news about how he and Kakashi had broken up was public knowledge. He did not blame Kakashi for telling anyone about what had happened he just never assumed Kakashi would.
"You're a selfish bastard, and I don't welcome people like you into my house." Genma growled.
"You…you weren't there…" Iruka stuttered out.
"I did not have to be to know who the asshole is. Now get out…" The threat was quiet, but the rage beneath it spoke volumes, "I won't let anyone hurt Kakashi, not after the way you fucked up."
To Iruka, Genma's overprotective ways was threatening his brain to a revelation, something that did not quite fit. A friend could be protective, but this sort of attitude was bordering on insane. Like a madman clinging to a precious possession. Like someone who had fallen in…
"What are you gawking at!" Genma was at Iruka's side in a flash of anger, gripping the other's vest in a tight grip, "Get out or I'll throw you out."
"Go ahead," Iruka smirked. He could play games too, "I'm sure Kakashi would love to hear you threw out his ex because of your jealousy."
Genma's grip tightened, "What are you playing at Umino?"
"You're hiding it well, but he'll see it sooner or later," Iruka hoped his voice was not shaking, he at least wanted to appear like he was in control, "The truth is you aren't angry at me for hurting Kakashi, but that I was the one who got to him before you could sink your greedy claws into him."
Genma's blind anger made his body react much faster before he could think. He barely registered the brief pain in his fist as it connected with Iruka's face, not caring where he struck as long as the bastard felt pain.
Iruka crashed into the couch that he was roughly pulled from. His mind was reeling from the pain. His teeth, jaw, hell his whole face was on fire. This was inevitable, he was asking for the attack. Although his face felt like it had been run over by a stampede, he smirked because he'd riled up the other enough to show his true colors.
"Don't smile!" Genma was on the Chuunin, his body straddling the other to prevent escape, "Hurting Kakashi is not funny!"
Hurting Kakashi was the last thing Iruka had on his mind. He didn't mind that coppery blood was washing over his tongue, or that he could barely move his jaw line. Right now he was relishing the fact that someone was finally punishing him. For hurting Kakashi…if the Copy-Nin did not do it himself, the next best thing was the shit eating bastard who was crushing on said ninja.
Genma raised his fist, gathering chakra. He would enjoy this, beating the other man into nothing. So Iruka could feel what he had done to Kakashi.
Iruka waited for the blows to come, closed eyes. The fiery pain from the previous blow was numbing already, he wanted more. But it never came, the only thing he felt was the shaking of his body, and the body on him. "Aren't you going to hit me?" Iruka asked, opening his eyes, blanching at the sight in front of him…
Kakashi's arms were wrapped firmly around Genma's torso, his pastel hands trapping the other's fists, stopping the attack from happening. "Stop this," The pale man whispered gently into the other's ear.
"Kakashi…why?" Genma shuddered out, the man's heated body pressed against his own.
"An eye for an eye," Kakashi gently pulled himself and Genma off of Iruka's prone body, "You stopped me from making a stupid mistake, I'm simply repaying the action." He would have collapsed but Genma quickly supported his body with a strong arm under his shoulder.
Iruka shook indigently, he hadn't wanted to be saved, and yet he had, "Kakashi you…"
"You should leave Iruka," Kakashi spoke softly, not even looking at the defeated man, "Can you help me back to my room Genma? I can't move." Kakashi said as he gestured, with his eyes, to his now lifeless body.
"Sure," Genma replied softly. He was still shacking from the adrenaline rush, but he guided the other man as smoothly as he could, wary of the other man's unhealed body. How Kakashi had even got out of bed and stopped an able bodied man's attack was unthinkable to the special-Jounin. He did not want to stress the other man anymore than he already had.
Iruka, ignored after being dismissed, watched the other two as they made their way into the dark room. It hurt more than Genma's punch. This is what Kakashi wanted, he reminded himself. His heart clenched as he quietly slipped out of the apartment.