Prankster

Chapter 6: Caught

KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI

The Prankster continued to grow in popularity even two weeks after his last prank, thanks to the Friends of the Prankster Organization. FOP was increasing at an exponential rate, and with them around, the good people of Konoha didn't even realize that Prankster himself was no longer operating.

There wasn't an academy student in the village that wasn't secretly a FOP, and the jounin, as a whole, were active members as well. FOP buttons were starting to circulate the village. They were worn in secret on the personage of a member, to be flashed at another member when member one wanted the other's cooperation for a prank. It was teaching the children discretion, at least. If a student wore a button where a teacher could see it, the 'offending' pin was confiscated, and if a sensei caught a child flashing one at another kid, both were put in detention (together, giving them plenty of quiet time to plan their mischief; the teachers were having a field day watching the crazy antics of their pupils, even if they did have to officially discourage them).

Iruka was quite satisfied with the work FOP was doing. Moral was still soaring, the children were disappointed, and he got plenty of free time to spend with Kakashi. Iruka liked spending time with Kakashi; the copy ninja gave the best massages, he made wonderful little gasping sounds when the shell of his ear was licked or nibbled on, and his shinobi training had left him mind-bogglingly flexible. Yes, it was almost safe to say that Kakashi was Iruka's favorite activity.

Iruka packed up the papers he'd finished grading and got ready to leave his classroom, still thinking about Kakashi and his flexibility. The chuunin sensei dodged the chalk-eraser over the door on his way out, disabled a Jell-O-chunk shooting catapult triggered by a trip-wire, and ducked into a storage closet in the academy hallway. Iruka pushed aside a bottle of bleach on the top shelf, revealing his infamous Prankster mask. He'd kept it hidden in the building for two weeks so he could keep making guest appearances during classes to remind the children to keep their grades up. Now that every child had a FOP pin tucked reverently into the folds of their clothes, they wouldn't need Iruka to drop by every other day. Iruka could finally get rid of the final link between himself and the Prankster.

KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI

"What do you mean you haven' found anything on the Prankster yet!" Susumu snarled at his subordinates. "You've had two weeks, you incompetent morons!"

"We're sorry, sir. There's nothing on him. It's like the man's a saint in a mask! He hasn't stolen a thing, hasn't visited any whore-houses, hasn't even looked at any alcohol or drugs." One lackey ninja replied.

"Everyone has dirty little secrets. If you can't find anything on him, make something. He's usually only seen with children, right? Start spreading rumors that he likes those children a little too much. The people won't love a pedophile." The elder told them with a wicked smirk. His lackeys nodded and slipped out, ready to manufacture the gossip.

Susumu slumped back into his chair and rubbed his temples. His subordinates were useless! They couldn't do anything by themselves. If only he had more wily, competent ninja like Crow working under him…

"Crow! Get in here!" He squawked. The black-cloaked special jounin came in.

"Yes, Susumu-sama?" He asked. His voice was a quiet, dangerous hiss, the kind that forced you to lean forward to hear, yet left you with the impression that if you did, you might not lean back out intact.

"Have you finished with the documents yet?" Susumu asked. Crow nodded and passed his boss a plain manila folder.

"I have important security information and a letter from Sound Village ready. I only need to know in whose possession to plant it."

Yes, it was nice to be in the presence of a shinobi who knew what he was doing!

"Good work. I will have his identity by tonight. You'll have to work quickly, because I'll have to force the bitch to use ANBU.

"I will be ready, Susumu-sama." Crow said, leaving without a bow to the elder, before he was dismissed even. Susumu despised bad manners, but a little breach in respect would have to be overlooked for the moment. It was vital that that Prankster son of a bitch be taken out.

KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI

Tsunade had just finished pinning her FOP button to the inside of her green jacket when a furious pounding at her door startled her. The elder Susumu burst into her office without waiting for her permission. He threw a folder onto her desk.

"There's the evidence, and a formal written request for the detainment of the Prankster. I want him arrested, now!" Tsunade picked up the folder and flipped through the pages inside. She couldn't deny his request, now that he had the right paperwork. Damn it.

"I will have him brought in to be questioned, Susumu. We don't arrest anyone without a trial here in Konoha. I suggest you leave now, unless you want to accuse the ice-cream man of conspiracy."

"I will make the arrangements for a trial, Hokage-sama." Susumu told her in that sickly-sweet voice he always used when he got his way and was as smug as hell. Tsunade wished she could smack him, just once. If only she didn't need the support of the elders to run the village…

KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI

Kakashi was training with some of his jounin buddies when he was tackled by his boyfriend and received a very welcome interruption. Iruka straddled the copy nin and captured his lips in a searing kiss.

"Been thinking about you all day." Iruka told him when Kakashi pushed him away. The chuunin nipped at his ear. Kakashi was beginning to find the groin pressed into his very distracting as his blood rushed south.

"'Ruka, I'm training right now. Mmmh, the guys are in the woods. They could come back here, ahhHH, any second." Kakashi tried to warn his lover. Iruka just shifted his hips and slid Kakashi's mask down, exposing the jounin's pale neck to nip and suck.

"Come back to my place." Iruka ordered. Kakashi glanced mournfully at the surrounding forest, then back at his horny lover.

"Genma and Raido are testing out a new stealth jutsu, 'Ruka. If I don't find them, they'll be waiting out there for hours." It didn't help the copy ninja's case to add that his two jounin friends would use the time to do what Iruka wanted to do to Kakashi, so he left that unsaid.

Iruka's hand slid down Kakashi's side and began tracing circles on the jounin's upper thigh. He switched from one side to the other, only lightly brushing Kakashi's growing erection in the process. "Leave." Iruka whispered.

Kakashi was a jounin, though, and he protested with jounin resolve (that is, he half-mumbled an excuse as he leaned in to Iruka's touch). Even torture-specialist Ibiki would've broken at Iruka's next move, though. The chuunin took a single finger and circled the tip of the cock that was straining against Kakashi's standard issue ninja pants. He raised the finger to his lips, licked it seductively, and thrust the finger into his waiting mouth. 'This is what I can do to you,' the message clearly stated.

Sharingan-no-Kakashi rolled over on top of Iruka, hauled both of them to their feet, and dragged his lover in the direction of Konoha's bachelor apartments. Genma owed Kakashi money that he refused to pay back anyways; the bastard could cool his heels in the Forbidden Area for a few hours.

KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI

If Iruka and Kakashi had been walking at normal speed, they would have reached Kakashi's apartment in less than five minutes. As it was, they were still navigating fifteen minutes after they left the forest. Alas, they were going at make-out speed, which, if you aren't familiar, goes as follows: one step, grope, step, shove against nearest hard surface for more groping, step, repeat.

Kakashi and Iruka were between a step and a grope when it happened. A small child, one even too young for Iruka to teach, ran head on into a lamp-post and smacked his head. The thunk of the child's head caused the two ninja to pause the groping. The resonating sound of metal made them both wince in sympathy. It was the impossibly loud and forlorn wail that was the real mood-killer, though. The little kid increased and decreased his volume at random intervals, and his projection was down to a par.

Iruka released Kakashi and sighed. Why couldn't he accost his lover in peace? And why did it have to be a little Mitarashi? Iruka had had two young ones from that clan in his class through the years, and they were all notorious whiners. Experience told him that this little child would keep up the crying until he lost his voice or was sufficiently distracted. Since Kakashi's apartment was within earshot of the kid, and the mini Mitarashi's voice showed no sign of wavering, Iruka pulled out his Prankster mask from his school bag and went to quiet the little demon.

The child froze mid-scream when Iruka came into his view, but tears hung precariously from his eyes, threatening to fall at the least provocation. Iruka kneeled down in front of the little Mitarashi boy and pulled a brightly colored cartoon band aid from a vest pocket.

"Are you all right?" He asked. The boy shook his head, flinging tears onto Iruka.

"Would you like a bandage?" Iruka asked, even though the boy wasn't bleeding. Brightly colored strips of adhesive plastic always seemed to make children cheer up. Sure enough, the boy nodded and held out an uninjured arm for Iruka to bandage.

"There you go. A little bump like that isn't enough to hurt such a brave shinobi, is it?" Iruka asked. The little boy shook his head, tears instantly fading. He jumped up and hugged Iruka before scurrying off to play. Iruka hoped he would avoid any more poles, at least until the chuunin finished playing with Kakashi.

KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI

Kakashi should have noticed the near-silent sound of footsteps that followed himself and his chuunin back to Kakashi's apartment. Had he been paying attention, the former ANBU would have felt the chakra of Konoha ninja lingering outside the perimeter of his apartment as Iruka, still in his ridiculous mask, threw open the door and led Kakashi inside. If he hadn't been so distracted, Kakashi would have noticed that while he was quickly relieving Iruka of his clothing, shinobi were surrounding every possible escape route.

Unfortunately, the copy-ninja was too focused on a brown-haired chuunin sensei to notice the sounds or feel the chakra or read the signs. He crawled on top of his lover, oblivious to the dangers lurking just beyond the walls.

KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI

Kakashi felt a brief flicker of chakra, but ignored it. He removed one fingerless glove and coated his fingers with lubricant. There was chakra all around the village, but only one Iruka writhing beneath him.

The flare came again, this time as Kakashi began to gently push into his lover. The copy-nin wasn't capable of much coherent thought by that time, but his mind vaguely recalled from some far-of ninja training that shinobi hidden outside of a person's apartment were bad. He tried to gather his thoughts, but it was quite a feat when Iruka was still beneath him, wrapping long tanned legs around Kakashi's pale waste, drawing him closer.

Distracted, Kakashi kissed Iruka and tried to remember his training. The chakra felt familiar somehow, but it didn't belong to anyone he recognized.

Kakashi's smaller head was threatening to take over, but the head on his shoulders decided to provide the answer to Kakashi's scattered question.

ANBU. The chakra was ANBU. Kakashi froze.

KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI

Iruka might not have been as astute as he was on a normal basis, but he still noticed the sudden change in his lover's disposition (not to mention his speed. 'Hurry up, dammit!' he thought). One minute, Kakashi had been going as fast and as recklessly as Iruka, hurryingly stretching him out and entering, then freezing up. The silver-haired jounin began moving again, but not with the promise of quick release that Iruka craved. Kakashi was thrusting in and out of him slowly and languidly, as if they had all the time in the world. What was going on?

"Kakashi, faster!" Iruka moaned. He bucked his hips to accentuate his point. The jounin held Iruka's hips down with steady hands, not speeding up in the slightest. "Please!" Iruka begged. He caught Kakashi's eyes to give him his best puppy stare, but the look in Kakashi's eye made him pause.

"Kakashi, what's wrong?" He asked. The jounin looked away. Iruka put a hand on Kakashi's chin and forced his gaze back to the chuunin's face.

"ANBU is waiting outside." He whispered finally. Iruka tensed.

"What! Why? What should we do?" He asked, voice rising both in volume and pitch.

"There's nothing we can do. They'll have surrounded all the exits by now. I've got a lot of enemies out there; I knew this might happen some day." Kakashi told him, trying to sound brave. Iruka wrapped his arms around the pale man and held on with an iron grip.

"Don't cry, 'Ruka. It's not that bad. They're probably just calling me in to answer some questions about my last mission." Neither was convinced by Kakashi's obvious lie; ANBU didn't wait on one's doorstep for questions.

"We can fight them." Iruka said.

"The two of us can't fight off an ANBU squad, Iruka. I'll go quietly, and I will come back; I haven't done anything worth killing me for. I'll be okay." Kakashi drew Iruka in for a deep kiss and began the unhurried thrusts once again.

Iruka gasped. "What are you doing? They're waiting outside!"

"ANBU won't interrupt us, 'Ruka. Sex is sacred for them. They'll wait until we finish; it's like a code for them." Kakashi explained. He was a former ANBU member, and knew how things worked within their circle.

"Why? Doesn't that give people a chance to escape?"

"No, while they're waiting, the squad will secure every escape route. They allow their prey to say goodbye to their lovers; it makes them surrender quietly more often, and the ANBU like to know that when it's time for someone to come after them, they'll be given the same consideration."

Iruka should have been too embarrassed to allow Kakashi to continue knowing there were ninja listening outside the door; now, the audience didn't matter. Iruka adjusted himself to the unrushed pace Kakashi set, not talking anymore except to whisper confessions of love to the jounin as he was brought to climax. If this was going to be a goodbye, Iruka was going to make sure Kakashi left completely satisfied.

KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI KxI

Kakashi dressed slowly, dragging his heels purposely in defiance of the ANBU who lurked outside of his bedroom. He emptied out his weapon's pouch and gave Iruka one last breath-stealing kiss. He really wasn't sure whether he was going to die or not (he hadn't done anything wrong lately, but he was a ninja, so death was part of the job description), but looking at his chuunin boyfriend, he hoped not. Two weeks was too short a time to have experienced love after a lifetime of loneliness.

"I'm going out first. I don't want you getting caught up in this." He told Iruka.

Without a warning, the copy-ninja flung the door open, smirking with satisfaction at the startled jumps of some of the masked shinobi that lounged in his apartment. He strode to the middle of his den confidently. He looked back at Iruka, who stood at the door of the bedroom.

"We ask that you surrender any weapons and come with us." The ANBU leader said. Kakashi stepped forward.

"I will." The ANBU leader tilted his head, portraying the confusion that his plaster cat mask hid.

"Not you. We're here for the Prankster. I'm assuming that is you, Iruka-sensei?"

"Yes, it is." Iruka responded.

Kakashi's blood boiled in rage. They were here for Iruka! 'It was supposed to be me, not him!' his mind yelled. He couldn't let ANBU take his Iruka away.

"We are only detaining you for questioning, Iruka-sensei. Someone in the village has drawing up charges against you that need investigating." The ANBU leader continued.

Kakashi searched the room with his sharingan in a frenzy. There it was, the kunai he kept ferreted away under his couch for emergencies. Kakashi dove for it. If he could get to it and take out the leader and the ANBU on the left, Iruka would have a chance to escape. Kakashi might be declared a missing nin for it, but he had to save Iruka.

A foot slammed into his back mid-dive and sent him crashing into the floor. Two sets of knees pinned him to the floor.

"Kakashi, stop it!" Iruka cried. "You'll get hurt."

Kakashi twisted and bucked, but he couldn't shake the ANBU that kneeled on top of him. He watched helpless as the ANBU leader and his entourage led Iruka away. As soon as they were out of the apartment, the two ANBU that kept him captive released him, but it was too late. There was no sign of him in the hallway, or on the street, or anywhere in the village.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

I'm a horrible horrible authoress, and I apologize. It takes me forever to update, and when I do, I only get down half of what I hoped to in the chapter. It's just, I'm starting training for my summer job, so my free-time is nonexistent. I'll try to get the rest of what I had planned for this chapter out by tomorrow. Key word there is try, though.