Everyone's Got Secrets…
Chapter 7:
Iruka looked tired. Tired and … edgy.
Kakashi hid his presence; he melted into the shadowed surroundings with practiced ease, and watched his lover trudge up the street to his apartment building and disappear through the main entryway. A minute later, Iruka emerged from the interior stairs onto the second floor, and down the outer hallway to his corner apartment door. Kakashi saw him go inside, catching a brief glimpse of Iruka's features as he closed the door, his face worn out and pinched with tension.
Kakashi pressed his lips together beneath his mask, suspecting that their meeting at the Ramen shop might have contributed to the expression—Iruka was always uncomfortable when they saw each other in public. He also probably hadn't been thrilled by the idea of a pseudo-double date for First Night.
But that was nothing a nice, quiet evening couldn't fix. Although… maybe he wouldn't go up there to see Iruka right away; he also suspected Iruka needed to have some time alone after the last few hectic days surrounded by so many people—students, ninjas, diplomats—and answering to their various needs or demands without much of a break.
Kakashi crouched invisibly, resting his elbows on his knees, prepared to wait. He could give him at least fifteen minutes.
The Jounin had long ago accepted the duty of being Iruka's primary (and favorite) mode of stress relief. He could remember each and every time the man had attacked him and worked off some steam, in which the both of them were thoroughly satisfied in the process. He was anxious to go inside, and use any or all the skills at his disposal to bring the happy smile back to his lover's face, though right now maybe Iruka just needed to be alone.
In the meantime, Kakashi amused himself by allowing his analytical brain to come up with many varied and perverted ways of erasing Iruka's weary look and replacing it with his favorite sight: Iruka flushed, aroused, and panting… hair down, damp with sweat, eyes shut from the intensity of their activities… teeth biting into his luscious bottom lip…
Kakashi dabbed the back of his glove to his nose to prevent a nosebleed, then shook his head and stood up. Perhaps that was enough waiting.
The moon shone high in the sky above, a degree shy of full. It was late enough that the streets weren't at all crowded, but there were a few people lingering who, like Iruka, had been working after hours helping with the festival in some way or another, and were slowly making their way home.
Kakashi darted from shadow to shadow, using all his skills of stealth. Usually he went in the back way through Iruka's bedroom window, but just in case Iruka was in there getting ready for bed, he decided to use the riskier entrance through the front door. He didn't want to startle him–Iruka could be quite testy when stressed out.
After making sure there was nobody looking, he climbed up the side wall to the second floor and hopped over the railing, flinging open Iruka's door in lightning speed. He closed it behind him just as quickly and soundlessly; the only give-away was the draft of air that swirled with him into the room.
Iruka was sitting at his kitchen table, an almost empty bowl of chocolate ice-cream in front of him. The younger man didn't move, other than to jerk his head up sharply and glare at the intruder. Kakashi stayed where he was by the door, giving his signature wave and trying to look innocent and cute.
"Yo," he said, his voice upbeat.
"I'm not happy with you right now." Iruka's voice was hard, matching his tight expression and the stiffness in his body.
Okay… not the way he thought things would start.
Kakashi slipped off his shoes, and hung his flak jacket on the hook by Iruka's, determined to have a rational conversation and not be thrown out immediately. What had he done, anyways? He reached his fingers up to his mask and began to slip it down his face, walking casually towards his lover though his blood was tingling with the premonition of impending danger–responding to the harsh gaze being directed his way. He sometimes forgot how powerful Iruka was.
He reached out to the back of the chair opposite the Chuunin, perhaps subconsciously wanting to keep something solid between them as they talked, but Iruka crossed his feet on the seat underneath the table, using the muscles in his toned legs to keep it firmly tucked in place.
Kakashi regarded him for a moment, allowing his partner the petty pleasure of lashing out if it would made him feel better. He moved to lean his shoulder against the wall instead, folding his arms and stretching the muscles around his mouth that had been covered by the mask for most of the day.
Whatever it was, it had to be a simple misunderstanding.
"I can explain," he offered with a gentle voice.
"I'm sure you can," Iruka said sarcastically, eating a heaping bite of ice-cream and then folding his arms defiantly across his chest. He chewed once and swallowed. "But I'm not interested in hearing it."
Kakashi sighed. He hated when Iruka got like this.
He hated when they had misunderstandings, because it always turned out that they really had the same opinion, but chose vastly different ways of expressing it. The time it took to figure out that they didn't disagree in the first place was always draining–both physically and emotionally. He decided he better get right to the point and find out just what was bothering the man.
"Iruka, what is it that you're mad about, exactly?"
Iruka glared at him, "For starters, you were a total jackass at Ichiraku's!"
Ah.
"Weren't you complaining just this morning that you wouldn't be able to go to First Night? Now we can go together, even if we have to baby-sit two teenagers," Kakashi paused, chuckling, though Iruka rolled his eyes at him as he emptied his bowl of chocolate ice-cream.
"Tch," Iruka commented after some mouthfuls.
"It'll be fun!" Kakashi tried to mollify him. Then, trying to guess what had annoyed Iruka, he offered, "Did you want to meet somewhere else? We'll only be here for a few minutes, so I thought this would be the most convenient meeting point."
Iruka's glare grew even darker.
"I was only thinking of our students, Iruka," Kakashi said, feeling a little defensive.
"Hah! You were only trying to arrange something awkwardly perverted for your own selfish amusement!" Iruka brushed a lock of hair from his face in annoyance, tucking it behind his ear.
Kakashi raised his eyebrows in challenge, and Iruka glanced away, then continued, "Couldn't we have at least talked about it first, before you invited yourself and one of our students over to my apartment? What if Naruto and I had had serious plans?"
"Did you and Naruto really have plans?" Kakashi asked.
"No!" Iruka rolled his eyes, sighing in frustration. "But that's not the point! The point is, you were pushy, and you forced me into hosting a group outing at my apartment, without my permission, and without heeding any of my signals that I wanted to talk to you later, alone!"
"It's later, and we're talking, and we're alone…" Kakashi pointed out, unfolding one of his hands to gesture eloquently.
"If you don't understand how completely rude you were, then I can't explain it to you. I certainly teach my students better manners!"
Kakashi sighed, "Are you saying that you'd rather go with just Naruto?"
"Right now I'd rather go with him than with you," Iruka sneered.
"Don't you think Sasuke would mind if you kept Naruto all to yourself?"
Iruka huffed, "Don't you think Sasuke minded being pushed into your perverted plans?"
"What about Naruto?" Kakashi countered, "Don't you think he might want to spend some of First Night with Sasuke?"
"I'm sure he doesn't want to spend it being tortured by you, Kakashi—you're notorious for making people uncomfortable, and Naruto doesn't need anything else to worry him right now," Iruka stated, defiant.
"So keeping Naruto all to yourself is somehow… unselfish?" He raised his brows to make the point.
Iruka jabbed his spoon in the air at him. "Naruto invited me to go with him out of genuine friendship. He wanted company that he didn't have to be nervous around—so how do you think he's going to react when he finds out that both you and Sasuke are coming along?"
"Why would Naruto be nervous around me? We've known each other for years."
Kakashi shifted his position against the wall, crossing an ankle over his other foot to look casual, even though he was starting to feel as annoyed as Iruka looked. He didn't torture people. He could understand Naruto being nervous around Sasuke, considering what was going on, but it shouldn't matter if he was there too.
Iruka scowled at him, "You know how you are. Things with him and Sasuke are so… new. He doesn't need you interfering, Kakashi!"
Kakashi shrugged, "Naruto can handle it, as can Sasuke. What I'm wondering about is you, Iruka—you're the only one who's upset. What's really wrong?"
Iruka humphed, eating the last bite of his ice-cream. He stood and turned, putting the bowl down loudly in the sink, the spoon clanking against the ceramic. He leaned back against the cabinets with elbows bent and hands gripping the edge of the counter.
"I want you to call it off!" Iruka demanded.
Damn if he wasn't sexy when he was mad.
"Why? It's going to be really fun, if you'd only just relax," Kakashi tried to soothe him, moving a few steps closer to where he was standing, skirting around the edge of the small table. What was really making him so tense? It couldn't just be the borderline rudeness at the Ramen shop… Kakashi knew he definitely wasn't known in the village for having perfect social skills.
Iruka pointed his finger at Kakashi's chest, the lock of hair slipping back out from behind his ear, "I don't want you meddling with our students, Kakashi. They deserve a chance to figure things out for themselves, in their own way!"
Kakashi moved his hand to gently tuck the hair back into place, but Iruka jerked his head out of reach and did it himself. The Jounin let his arm fall back to his side, and he regarded Iruka for a moment before responding.
"So it's okay for you to ask me to check up on Sasuke, whether he wanted it or not, but it's not okay for me to suggest something that will benefit everyone, and ask you to do nothing but enjoy yourself?" Kakashi's blue eye locked steadily on his lover's.
"What makes you think we will all benefit from this arrangement? I think the only one perverted enough to be at ease is you, Kakashi!"
"Nonsense," Kakashi fought not to glare back at his lover, "You're making too much of this, Iruka."
"And you're taking it too lightly!" Iruka's voice cracked as he yelled, and he stopped to press both his palms over his eyes, and then smooth his hands over his face. His eyes when they opened were still petulant.
Kakashi tried to remain in control of himself. "Explain it to me—how is inviting you and Naruto out with me and Sasuke meddling, and sending me on reconnaissance to the Uchiha district not meddling?"
"I dropped a hint about that out of concern," Iruka shot back, "You followed up on it out of perverse curiosity!"
Kakashi felt a tiny spark of anger from behind his sternum, and his eyebrows seemed to slide together of their own accord. His voice dropped, taking on a husky edge. "That's unfair, Iruka."
"Well you checked up on him anyways, didn't you? Even if you thought he wouldn't like it? Even if you thought it was none of your business? Even if you thought I was wrong to ask?" Iruka leaned forward with each question, using his body to punctuate his words with sarcastic jerks of his chin.
Kakashi was glaring, but he kept his voice from lashing back. "I checked up on him because I respect your opinion, Iruka, and you seldom ask me to do things since you're so capable yourself."
"Then respect my opinion now, and cancel this fiasco-waiting-to-happen!" Iruka challenged, banging his fist on the table.
"I won't do that, Iruka," Kakashi shook his head as he scowled back at his lover, leaning into the table with palms flat, "It's exactly what they need right now. What we all need right now."
Iruka's expression was fraught with frustrated disbelief. "They're just kids! You can't play with them like this, forcing them into a situation when they don't even know how to act around each other—"
"—You don't know that, Iruka," Kakashi tried to point out, but the teacher wasn't listening.
"—and at First Night! Ugh! First Night is nothing but half-drunk couples being overly touchy-feely and wandering into dark corners, and-and—"
"—That's exactly it!" Kakashi raised his voice, and this time Iruka faltered at the unexpected agreement.
"—making out, and … Wait, what?" Iruka was looking at him, eyes still angry but mouth confused.
Kakashi glared at him, willing his voice to be calmer than the angry churning in his stomach. Why was it that Iruka always thought he was the only teacher who cared about his students? And why did he consistently act like Kakashi knew nothing at all about how to handle his team? Team Seven was his, last he checked, and he didn't appreciate anyone interfering. Even Iruka.
"Are you going to listen to me now?"
"Tch," Iruka glared, then looked away as if he were bored, a perfect mirror of their black haired student.
When the Chuunin didn't respond further, Kakashi stood up and folded his arms. They weren't going to get anywhere at this point. Not if Iruka was behaving like this; he'd have to speak with Tsunade and find out what the hell she'd been making him do for the past few days. He sighed, deciding to end the argument before they both started reaching for weapons.
"I have a suggestion."
Iruka slid his chocolate brown eyes back to look at Kakashi, raising one eyebrow in a cocky, non-verbal response. Kakashi was seething on the inside, but his voice was calm when he spoke.
"Why don't we let the boys settle it? We'll all meet here tomorrow night as planned, and go to the Opening Ceremony festivities. Then you and I can keep an eye on them, and we'll both be able to see which of us is right."
Iruka considered this for a moment, then pointed smartly at the older man. "Fine. But if I feel it's necessary to call off this experiment, I will. Understand?"
Kakashi rolled his eye, waving Iruka's worries aside. "Fine, fine. If—IF—there's some disaster, then you can take Naruto and go."
Kakashi didn't dwell on the irritating fact that Iruka worried about Naruto far more than Sasuke, even though Sasuke was the one who had been beat to hell in their little sparring experiment. But bringing that up now wouldn't help. Fighting with Iruka was tiring in the extreme; he much preferred when they fought over who got to please who first.
They glared at each other for more than a minute, and then Kakashi held out his hand. "Truce?"
Iruka's eyes narrowed further, but after a moment he hesitantly clasped the Jounin's. "Truce."
Kakashi didn't let go right away, holding onto Iruka's hand and giving them both a chance to calm down. Twice, the younger man tried to pull back, but eventually gave in to the slight contact although Kakashi could tell that his emotions were still running high. His face was still pinched with stress.
Kakashi ran his thumb along the back of Iruka's hand, stroking him softly in the silence of the kitchen. He didn't want to leave when they were both still angry, but there was no way he was staying, either. Not after this.
Iruka's other arm was wrapped across his body protectively, and Kakashi wished wholeheartedly that they never had arguments like this. It didn't help that he knew he was right–he hated the way something so irrelevant could drive a huge wedge between them.
"I hate when we fight like this," he commented, making no movements other than the gentle stroking of Iruka's hand.
Iruka looked like he had a smart remark at the tip of his tongue; instead, he tightened his lips, and then sighed. After a long moment, he muttered an agreement, "It's no fun."
Iruka's fatigue seemed to catch up with him, and Kakashi watched as his shoulders began to slump where he stood. Kakashi gave a small tug on Iruka's hand, pulling him a little bit closer. Iruka stiffened in typical stubborn resistance, so Kakashi closed the distance and simply pulled his lover against him in a comforting hug.
Iruka fought harder at first, but Kakashi refused to be pushed away, and eventually Iruka sighed and rested his chin on the Jounin's shoulder. Kakashi let go of his hand so he could settle both arms loosely around Iruka's back, and felt the dregs of his anger dissipate with the feeling of Iruka's arms slipping around his body as well.
They stood there in the kitchen, still and silent, for several minutes. Then Kakashi turned his head and pressed his lips against Iruka's neck just below his ear, whispering, "You'd better get some sleep."
Iruka turned to look at him, his gaze calculating. He nodded in agreement. Kakashi slid one hand up Iruka's back as he leaned in and kissed him goodnight, a soft pressure that made his body respond as it always did, though he firmly resisted the urge to turn the chaste kiss into something more passionate.
Iruka's lips were quivering, tentative—simultaneously allowing and questioning the kiss. Kakashi didn't push it. He was only saying goodnight. As much as he wanted to wipe the weariness from his lover with hands and mouth and tongue, it wouldn't be right; Iruka needed plain sleep to ease the level of stress he was displaying.
When Kakashi automatically slid his tongue along Iruka's lower lip without his brain's permission he pulled back quickly, knowing that it would only make it harder for him to leave if he gave into the part of him that wanted to stay and enjoy his lover's closeness, even for just one more minute.
Iruka's left hand had already moved to his chest, ready to push him away. Kakashi looked into the deep brown eyes of his lover and read the same divided emotions he'd felt in the kiss.
"Don't even try… Kakashi…" Iruka's voice was firm but breathy. It sounded like the exact opposite of what his lover wanted, and Kakashi knew if he tried to seduce him, he'd succeed brilliantly.
But Kakashi simply leaned in and kissed his right eyebrow, whispering, "I love you too much for that, Iruka."
He gave the man a quick squeeze, and turned away while he still had the courage to gather his flak jacket and sandals. He heard Iruka cross his arms and take a few tentative steps across the kitchen linoleum.
"See you tomorrow," Kakashi said, blowing a kiss across the space between them, and then vanishing through the door and into the night.
He was grateful for the cool air that cut away the heat licking along his skin from Iruka's touch. He skipped invisibly over the rooftops to his side of town, heart twisted—it was sometimes more aggravating than he ever thought it could be to allow someone to get so close to you.
He wouldn't trade one evening with Iruka, even this awful one, for anything else out there, though he still had happy memories from the years of his life when he was alone and independent, and rarely had to consider the impact of his actions on others. But had that been better? Simpler, maybe. But not as good.
Kakashi knew everything would be worked out the next day, but it sure didn't make it any easier to go home to his empty bed voluntarily. It would be the first night in a while that Iruka wouldn't be beside him.
At least no one could accuse him of being a pervert this time.
--
Naruto woke up with the feeling that he'd only just closed his eyes, although the sun peeking softly into his tiny apartment window cleared any doubts that night had passed.
He yawned and stretched, then pulled his limbs into the center of his body and buried his nose in his chest to inhale the delicious scent of Sasuke. He wrapped his arms around his torso, feeling the high quality cotton of the shirt he'd borrowed and then slept in—unwilling to remove the part of Sasuke that he'd been able to bring to his bed. His lips spread in a boyish grin.
Tonight was the Opening Ceremony, and not only would he finally hear about the Hunt, but he'd also see Sasuke again. How could he not be excited? At least this time he wouldn't have to worry about his clothes getting ruined—there shouldn't be anything at the festival that would need pre-washing or stain-removers afterwards.
He rubbed the front of his body, remembering the strawberries and the mess that went with it, and for a second it was almost like touching his rival: athletic male body…lush, expensive fabric…hard, throbbing erection…
Naruto groaned. Well, it was to be expected for someone his age to wake up with a raging hard-on. Especially since he was wearing Sasuke's clothes, smelling Sasuke's scent, and lusting after Sasuke's gorgeous self. He stroked the bulge from outside the tight shorts, chuckling at the effect a certain Uchiha could have on him from miles away, and then groaned again in frustration that it was just one more illusion—he really couldn't wait much longer for the real thing.
He moved his hand away.
He didn't want any more fantasies, he wanted Sasuke.
Reluctantly stripping the clothes from his body, Naruto ambled over to his bathroom and began to get ready for the day. Once he'd eaten and armed himself, Naruto flung open his door and raced over to the Hokage office, with a minor feeling of dejà vu—the streets were just starting to come alive, gaudy decorations strung everywhere as if they'd sprouted overnight as quick as Kudzu. He smiled with relief that there wasn't even one person in line to see Tsunade yet.
Naruto ran up to the double doors of her office and disregarded the half-awake glances of her assistants Kotetsu and Izumo, opening the door for himself and bursting into the half-dark room.
"Yo, Tsunade-no-Baa…" Naruto's voice trailed off, since the Hokage wasn't even there.
The room was completely empty, and also in mild disarray; probably from all the visitors and activity over the last few days. He looked from side to side to see if she was sleeping somewhere, when he heard an annoyed tsk-ing from the vicinity of her desk.
"Good grief, barging in like that," said a young woman with short, scruffy dark hair, emerging from behind the several tall piles of paperwork loaded on the desk. "It's absolutely dreadful!"
Naruto scowled as Shizune stood up, making her way around the desk to face him with her usual air of disapproval. He didn't know what he'd ever done to her, but the days when she used to smile at him were long gone.
"If I were Hokage I wouldn't allow brats like you to act so disrespectfully!" She tossed her head and looked down her nose at him.
Naruto laughed in her face, "You? Hokage? You're looking at the next Hokage, so I wouldn't act so disrespectfully if I were you."
He didn't bother to hide the scorn in his voice; Shizune had been after him for a long time. He could only guess it was because of the casual way he interacted with Tsunade.
Shizune crossed her arms, her lips curving into an evil smile, "There's no way a monster like you could ever be Hokage."
"Oi!" Naruto shook his fist angrily, "I'm not here for any of your bullshit! Where's Tsunade-no-Baa-chan?" He clenched his teeth in an effort to keep himself from punching her right in the face.
Shizune laughed, "The Hokage doesn't answer to the whims of a Chuunin," her brows creased, "Especially rude Chuunin brats with no talent!"
"In case you forgot," Naruto spat back at her, "The Hokage herself invited me here. We have an appointment!"
He ran a hand through his damp hair, trying to avoid getting into a serious fight with Shizune, which would only get him in more trouble than he wanted to deal with. God, he hated the pretentious, self-righteous, Hokage-ass-kissing bitch! The only thing worse was her stupid pig! And why the hell was she here at Tsunade's desk at nearly the crack of dawn?
At the sound of the large office door opening, Naruto and Shizune both turned to see Tsunade walking briskly towards them.
"Ah, I see you're both here. Good."
The two exchanged scowls as Tsunade nodded a greeting to them. She walked around her desk to pull open the curtains and let the early morning sunlight break up the shadows—as well as the tension of the room. She sat down at her desk, and took a deep breath that turned into a yawn. Naruto thought she looked pretty good considering the time of day.
"God, it's early!" She rubbed her eyes, "I had no idea you'd take me so literally, Naruto." She was teasing him, although her eyes were cool and calculating. She was all too aware of the animosity between her student and Jiraiya's.
"I'm sorry for any trouble. I was only trying to follow your directions, Hokage-sama," Naruto answered her deferentially, mocking Shizune as he did so. Shizune's mouth twisted, and Naruto felt a spark of satisfaction at provoking her into further ugliness.
"Hn," Tsunade said, glancing at Shizune before rifling through the papers on her desk half-heartedly. "Shizune, will you please organize these according to the schedule for tonight? I have some business with Naruto to take care of."
Shizune bowed her head obediently, "Of course, Hokage-sama." Naruto rolled his eyes.
Tsunade got up from the desk, and moved towards Naruto. "Saa, let's go see what I've got in my closet," she held her hand out for him to precede her, and he turned to walk with her out of the office, but Shizune's gasp made them both stop and turn back.
"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune's face was shocked as she stepped forward. "You're going… to the closet?"
Tsunade's brow furrowed, "Yes. I'm going to the closet. Is there a problem, Shizune?"
Naruto looked from one to the other, not understanding what was going on. Shizune never questioned the Hokage, at least not that Naruto ever saw. Shizune shook her head in reply, but was wringing her hands.
"But… Tsunade-sama… the closet…"
Tsunade put a hand on her hip impatiently.
Shizune squinted her eyes, and her fingers curled into two little fists, "You can't really mean that you're going to give him—" she pointed at Naruto "—something from the Hokage closet?"
"And what if I am?"
Shizune gaped. "But, Tsunade-sama…!" she gestured frantically, "The Hokage closet… you can't…"
"Shizune!" Tsunade's voice said they'd reached the end of the discussion. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Please have those papers ready when I return." With that she turned and walked purposefully towards the double doors of her office.
Naruto turned and stuck out his tongue, and then jogged to catch up with the Hokage. He followed her out the doors and waved to Kotetsu and Izumo as he and Tsunade turned left and made their way into the depths of the Hokage tower.
"Shizune is right, you know," Tsunade glanced over at Naruto when they were out of earshot.
Naruto met her eyes with a scowl, contradicting her, "Shizune doesn't know anything!"
Tsunade held up a warning hand, continuing. "She's right that the Elders probably won't appreciate me lending you a Yukata for tonight."
Naruto's expression shifted to confusion. What was the big deal? Were Yukata that special? He didn't comment, though he wondered why she was doing this for him if it could get her in trouble with the Elders–they were old, but they meant business.
Tsunade chuckled, "However, both Shizune and the Elders have been on my case a little too much lately; they forget that I'm supposed to take care of all the people in Konoha." She was silent a minute, looking at him thoughtfully. "So! I'm not opposed to having a little fun. Okay?" She smiled at him, and he felt a grin spread across his own face.
"Yep!" he answered, lacing his fingers behind his head and feeling even more excited at the prospect of doing something outside the rules—this was the main reason he truly liked the Hokage. She wasn't afraid to do things her own way.
Tsunade laughed and led him down a long hallway, turning into another hallway and stopping in front of a very plain looking set of doors. She made a quick succession of hand seals and then pressed her hand against the seam of the doors, and Naruto could feel the slight pop of chakra being dispersed.
"It's been a while," Tsunade said, glancing at him, and then sliding the doors open. "I hope I can find it…"
She stepped into the large room, flicking a few light switches before moving further inside. Naruto followed, looking all around in amazement.
The Hokage closet was by far the hugest closet he'd ever seen–much bigger than his whole apartment. The center of the room was divided by a sturdy wooden bench, with the walls on either side filled from edge to edge with hanging robes and clothing of all sizes and colors. At the far end of the room sat a raised, round podium easily six feet in diameter. It was surrounded two thirds of the way around by tall mirrors, lit from below and above with small spotlights.
"Wow…" Naruto murmured, moving along the aisle without daring to touch any of the hanging garments. Tsunade looked over at him from the far right hand side, and she smirked while she quickly searched through some of the more colorful items.
"Can you imagine? This is the kind of closet every girl dreams about, and when I inherit it, it's full of men's clothes!"
Naruto walked around the podium carefully, taking everything in and finding two closed doors at the back wall.
"Hey Tsunade?" he asked, fingering the groove along the left hand door, "What are these doors back here?"
He heard her muffled voice, "Go ahead and see for yourself."
He carefully slid the first door open and his eyes bulged out of his head. Inside the small room were floor to ceiling shelves completely filled with shoes of every kind, size and shape that he could imagine—more shoes than the biggest shoe store he'd been to with Jiraiya. It made him dizzy.
"What the heck is all this?" he called out loudly, "Why would a Hokage need so many shoes?" He scrunched up his face in confusion though no one could see.
"The Hokage needs to be stylish as well as powerful, Naruto," she answered, her voice still rather muffled.
"Is the other one full of shoes too?" Naruto closed the first door and moved to the second, guessing from its position that this room would be even bigger.
He heard Tsunade laugh, "You tell me!"
Naruto slid open the door to find a room twice as big as the shoe-room—his jaw came unhinged and hit the floor.
He managed to take one step into it before his senses went on overload and he froze in his tracks. This had to be the greatest thing he'd ever, ever seen. After gaping for several minutes, his lips curled in a boyish grin, and then he couldn't help himself—he moved excitedly all over the room to get a better view.
The room was packed with gleaming weapons and shining armor, either displayed on stands or hanging on every exposed wall surface. There were gold plated shuriken and a jewel-handled Kama amid countless other weapons he couldn't even imagine how to use. All manner of ceremonial battle robes—ranging from antique styles and materials to newer, more modern designs—hung regally on special stands that made it feel like he was standing shoulder to shoulder with all the past Hokage.
Naruto felt a thrill in the core of his body at this rare opportunity to mingle with the relics of his heroes, and he touched the crystal necklace hanging at his throat with admiration.
He stopped at one end of the room, finding a set of unusual matching kunai hanging on the wall behind a calf-length white leather coat, with red flames licking their way up the hem. He ran the palm of his hand down the lapel, skin tingling at the contact, and he carefully lifted a triple-pronged kunai from the wall. He turned it over in his hand, seeing the mark of Yondaime.
It might have been his imagination, but it felt like the Kyuubi seal flared hot on his belly, perhaps recognizing its maker. Naruto closed his fist around the handle and shut his eyes in reverence. Dear god. He wished he could have met the man himself. He set the kunai back on its hooks and slowly crossed the room, memorizing the lingering sense of power that he felt in the air before he closed the door and went in search of Tsunade.
She was buried in one of the racks on the opposite side of where he'd left her, so he sat down on the wooden bench and pondered this new perspective of being Hokage. He certainly hadn't expected to ever be in a giant closet filled with clothes and shoes and armor.
"Aha!" Tsunade cried, taking something off of the rack and holding it triumphantly in her hands. Naruto stood up to take the garment she held out to him.
"I know this year's Yukata trend is a sleeveless style," she told him, "But I think that's what will make this work so well for you. It'll be different, and you have the right coloring to carry it off."
Naruto held up the Yukata, blinking at the extremely high quality and admiring the sheen of the solid, deep blue fabric that nearly matched his eyes. It was very well made, if a little plain; he held it against himself and looked down his body to see what it would look like.
Tsunade held another hanger out to him, "This goes with it."
He gaped at her, taking the second garment in a trembling hand. It was the cleanest, palest gray, soft like silk but shimmering like satin—Naruto couldn't believe what he was holding. Like the leather coat he'd touched only moments ago, he was now holding its summer counterpart: a sleeveless calf-length jacket with a high collar, made to be worn overtop the blue Yukata.
The hem was ringed with bright orange and yellow embroidered flames twining with black curls, the thousands of tiny stitches swirling majestically upward past the knees. Naruto turned the hanger to admire the coat from all angles and found a bright orange-red phoenix on the back, a bold design so vivid and alive like the designer sealed it into the fabric with a red-hot iron. The spot between Naruto's shoulder blades grew hotter just from the thought.
"Tsunade-no-Baa-chan…" He turned to Tsunade, his eyebrows raised in immediate protest.
"Don't look at me like that," she waved, taking the gray jacket from his hands and admiring it. "I bought this for him myself," she laughed, "So I claim the right to lend it out. And he didn't actually get to wear it many times…"
She held the jacket against Naruto, eyeing the effects, "He had your same yellow hair, so I thought of this Yukata immediately." Her face took on the same sense of nostalgia he'd witnessed yesterday.
"But…" Naruto protested, "I can't! Yondaime—" His voice faltered.
Tsunade's lips quirked in a cynical smirk, "Don't worry; it's our little secret. His clothes certainly shouldn't go to waste here in this closet."
She laid the coat along the length of the wooden bench and moved to get something tucked away on a shelf. She pulled out what looked like an oversized shoebox and lifted the lid, checking the contents before returning to Naruto and handing it to him.
"Here. These go with it," she smiled.
Naruto accepted the box, but didn't look inside. "Are you sure about this? What if Shizune says something?"
He had mixed feelings about taking something out of the Hokage closet, much less wearing it in public.
"Are you ever going to obey me without question?" Tsunade sighed, then ruffled his blond hair. "You leave Shizune to me. Furthermore, as Hokage I command you to wear this and enjoy it."
She leaned forward and dropped her voice to a fake whisper. "With any luck nobody will know it's the real thing, so don't give it a second thought—it's my business who wears the things from my closet."
She tapped her finger on the leaf of his hitai-ate. Naruto thought about this, eyeing the garments and fingering the edge of the box. He wasn't convinced.
"Think of it this way!" Tsunade spoke up again, "Maybe it'll help you find a cute girl at the festival! You could get luuuuucky…"
Naruto tried and failed to ignore her laughter as a bright flush spread up his face from his neck to his hairline. Her suggestion was exactly what he wanted, but not with any girl—though she could hardly have known that. But he did perk up from her words, realizing that he'd be wearing something totally different from anyone else, and so maybe she was right that it would help him get noticed, at least by a certain black haired tensai…
He held the box to his chest and grinned, "Thank you, Tsunade-no-Baa-Chan!"
Tsunade laughed and helped pack the Yukata and Overcoat into a nondescript traveling bag, escorting him out of the closet and walking with him back to the double doors of her office.
"Now don't forget what I told you before," she cautioned him, holding a finger to her lips and blocking the curious gazes of Kotetsu and Izumo behind her.
Naruto grinned, saluting briefly before dashing off down the winding steps, grateful for the common looking satchel and box in his arms. No one would guess in a million years that he was carrying one of Yondaime's dress Yukata, and the idea made his stomach flip in excitement.
Just wait till he showed Iruka-sensei!
--
Iruka woke up to the smell of something delicious tempting him out of bed and into the kitchen.
He opened his eyes, yawning and stretching, and turned his head to check his alarm clock; just one hour before he had to go to the Academy. Iruka yawned again and swung his legs over the side of his bed, slipping on his blue silk robe and making his way towards the kitchen. He sniffed the air, trying to guess what Kakashi was making for breakfast; it smelled heavenly! He stretched his arms over his head, ignoring the chorus of tiny pops in his spine, and turned the corner to see what was waiting for him.
"What's for break—" Iruka stopped in the doorway, seeing that his kitchen was empty.
Kakashi wasn't there, but the plate full of delicate, buttery crêpes, the small jar of clover honey, the steaming mug of tea, and the tiny scroll with familiar handwriting all said that Kakashi had been there, and until recently, too.
Iruka moved to his usual seat at the table, remembering that the Jounin had returned to his own apartment last night after their argument. He sighed, grateful for the long night of undisturbed sleep, and wishing at the same time that Kakashi had stuck around. Iruka didn't feel nearly so angry this morning, and missed his company after so many recent nights and mornings together. He reached for the scroll and slid it open to read his lover's message, smiling despite himself.
Kakashi had drawn a series of cartoons; each frame had chibi versions of the two of them, with Kakashi offering him presents in each one, including himself—naked and wrapped suggestively in a big bow. At the end of the scroll he had written:
Ru-Ru—
There's a present for you in the living room; can't wait to see you in it tonight. XOXO
– 'Kashi.
Iruka rolled a crêpe and ate it on his way into the living room, finding a white shopping bag on the seat of his sofa that looked awfully similar to the ones Kakashi and Sasuke had had last night at Ichiraku's. He flopped himself down beside it, licking the butter from his fingers, and dug through the tissue paper at the top of the bag. His hands found something silky and he pulled it out, standing up to accommodate the length of the lush fabric.
He gasped when he realized what it was, a brand new—and from the looks and feel of it, very expensive—Yukata.
"Kakashi…" Iruka whispered, letting the delicate fabric hang from his fingers as he turned it around to admire it from all angles.
It was the latest men's style, sleeveless and sedately multicolored, pure white from the neck down to a deep, burgundy-red at the hem, as if dipped into a barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon until the fibers had sucked the color up to knee level.
Within the reds were thin black lines that defined areas of scales and claws and the bat-like wings of a dragon, coiling and uncoiling together in optical illusion. On the back of the Yukata was a full, roaring dragon, a bright red circular symbol centered in the snow white of the upper fabric. The enclosed Kaku-Obi was white.
Iruka draped the gift over the back and seat of the sofa, stepping away to see it fully. He bit his bottom lip in thought, realizing that if this was a present from Kakashi, and purchased during his outing with Sasuke, he could expect the two tensai to show up in Yukata equally as stunning as this one. He flushed, wondering if Sasuke thought it was strange for Kakashi to have bought an extra Yukata.
Would he notice? Would he have asked? Iruka nipped his lip sharply—what would Sasuke think when he saw Iruka wearing it? Surely he'd put two and two together…
Iruka retreated quickly to the kitchen, giving himself some space from the extravagant present on the sofa. There was nothing he could do now other than to trust Kakashi to keep their relationship a secret. He wouldn't think about how he himself had slipped up, since it was irrelevant in this situation. And though it may tip off their black-haired student, Iruka knew he couldn't wear anything else—it would rip Kakashi's heart out.
He sat down and ate his crêpes, drizzling them with sweet honey and eating with his fingers.
"What are you up to… Kakashi…" he murmured.
Kakashi and Sasuke were absolutely gorgeous to begin with, and Iruka knew he wasn't unattractive either—the three of them would probably stop traffic when they were all dressed up. He frowned; Naruto had no idea how good looking he'd gotten as he'd grown up… and unfortunately Iruka had no idea what kind of Yukata he'd bring over.
Iruka's eyebrows creased in the center of his forehead. He still wasn't happy about Kakashi's meddling. When the two of them had started dating, they hadn't had anyone playing Cupid and throwing them together into awkward situations, and they'd turned out okay so far—hadn't they?
He groaned, desperately afraid that something would happen to keep their students from being together. Naruto had mentioned they'd be training, but Iruka didn't know yet how that had turned out—what if Sasuke had decided just to be friends?
Iruka didn't want to see Naruto get hurt, and if Kakashi's idea of a social activity did anything to mess up the fragile relationship, Iruka would never forgive him.
…Probably.
He sighed, contemplating his counter moves. Naruto had been wearing a very trendy shirt the last time they'd talked, but Iruka had no idea what to expect from his fashion sense, if he even had one–he really did like to wear orange.
Iruka shook his head, he'd just have to make sure that Naruto was just as stunning as the rest of them.
He was pensive as he headed to his shower. Kakashi wasn't the only one who could be perverted, and there were lots of things Iruka knew he could do that could make the man spend a great deal of the evening squirming. Once teaching class was over, he'd have all afternoon to relax and plan ways of both protecting the students and teasing his favorite Special Jounin. It would be a well-deserved taste of Kakashi's own medicine.
Iruka chuckled as he turned on the water and got it to the right temperature. If he had any say the matter, it was going to be a very good night!
--
Sasuke hadn't slept at all.
The light pierced his curtains in an irrefutable declaration of day-time, and he just lay there in his large bed, stubbornly refusing to get up since he hadn't yet gone to sleep. He kept his eyes shut and fumed in silence, his gut knotted in anticipation of both the coming festivities and the impending outing with Naruto and their two sensei.
It was either going to be very good … or it was going to be very bad.
Sasuke rolled over on his stomach, curling a fist in his blankets and pulling them under his chin. What was Kakashi-sensei thinking? He would have asked straight out, but he didn't want Kakashi to know that he was bothered by the four of them going out together.
Iruka-sensei had been equally as surprised at the invitation; Sasuke hadn't ever once seen them interact in public, aside from brief encounters a lot like the one last night at Ichiraku's. So the suggestion to meet must have been far outside their normal…actually, he wasn't sure what to call it. Relationship parameters?
In any case, Iruka-sensei clearly hadn't liked the idea, which made Sasuke very anxious—there must be something he didn't know about First Night that the older men knew. But what could it be?
And even more troubling—did Iruka-sensei know what had happened with him and Naruto?
Sasuke groaned. Things with Naruto were already kind-of awkward. It was only more awkward to know that he wasn't supposed to know about Kakashi and Iruka, and would have to act all night like they were just four regular guys out for the festival. How would the older men do it? How did they pretend that they didn't … Sasuke blushed, remembering Iruka's passionate expression from the memory he should never have seen. Or felt.
He shuddered—whether from revulsion that it was his teachers, or from the desire to reenact it with Naruto, he couldn't have said.
Eventually he sat up, his hair a bit wild and his eyes half-lidded. He was going to have to do something to ease his tension so that he could get some sleep—he would certainly need his wits about him later on when the four of them were together.
Sasuke dragged himself out of bed, comforted at least that he'd been able to come up with the right combination of items to accent the gorgeous Yukata that Kakashi had gifted him last night. He had everything laid out neatly on his red sofa, ready for whenever he chose to get dressed for the evening, and his stomach flipped in nervousness. He rested a hand on it as he slouched to his stairs and plodded down to his front door to put on some sandals.
He walked down to the long dock stretching out over the lake and made hand seals, drawing in a deep breath and expelling a huge fireball that glittered and evaporated part of the surface of the blue lake. Goukakyuu-no-jutsu had a surprising calming effect, he thought, forming the seals and creating a second fireball. He grimaced, calculating that forty or fifty more times should tire him out enough to finally get some sleep, or at least tire him out enough to quell the anxiety he'd been battling all night.
Who would have thought he'd get so nervous about a festival?
One thing's for sure: at this point he didn't care what he had to do, but he was not coming home without at least one delicious kiss from one delicious blond.
--
Iruka was toweling his hair dry when he heard furious knocking on his front door. He smiled, knowing before he even answered it who he'd find on the other side. He draped his towel over his shoulder and turned the knob; sure enough, Naruto bounded in carrying a satchel and a box over to the low table in front of the sofa.
"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted in eagerness as he set his things down, "I went to see Tsunade-no-Baa-chan, and she took me into this huuuge closet, and she let me borrow something and just wait until you see it!"
He was a comical sight, moving his hands in big gestures, his face animated and flushed with excitement. Iruka bit his lip—should he tell Naruto that they'd be having company? He seemed so happy… Iruka watched him, closing the door and coming over to his sofa to see what Naruto had brought, glad that he'd already moved his own Yukata into his bedroom and out of the way.
"Well you sure are excited," he commented, sitting beside his student as he opened the satchel and pulled out something shimmering and blue. Naruto stood, holding up the deep blue Yukata against his body, and Iruka fingered the fabric thoughtfully.
"Hmmm," he said, admiring the color and texture, but frowning at the plainness of the design. It was going to look very simple compared to Iruka's, especially since it had elbow-length sleeves which had gone out of fashion over the last years. His brain whirred as he debated how he could dress it up for Naruto.
"See? It matches my eyes!" Naruto exclaimed, smoothing it down his front, then handing it off to Iruka and digging around in the satchel. "And that's not all—wait until you see this!"
With a flourish, Naruto pulled out the nearly-sleeveless coat and held it up. He slipped his arms through the armholes and pulled it on over his ninja shorts and shirt, which would have been incongruous if Iruka could focus on anything but the coat itself.
"Oh my god…" Iruka whispered, standing and moving over to where Naruto was turning, both showing off the coat and trying to see the back of it without a mirror. Iruka reached out and placed a hand on his student's shoulder, stopping him so he could try and take in exactly what he was wearing.
"Heh, heh!" Naruto laughed, "Can you believe it? Wait until Sasuke sees me in this! He's going to freak out!"
Iruka barely heard him. He ran his fingers over the lapel of the coat, feeling the softness of the gray fabric and marveling at the luxury and the craftsmanship. He touched the flaming feathers of the phoenix, in awe of the delicate, detailed embroidery and recognizing immediately who this coat must have belonged to years ago. Naruto was still grinning at him, letting him see for himself that it was exactly what he thought it was.
"Oh my god…" Iruka said again, staring in disbelief.
"It's really his," Naruto nodded his head, still grinning excitedly. "But hey, listen," he took off the coat and held it in his hands, moving to the satchel and pulling out the blue Kaku-Obi that matched the Yukata. "Do you know what this is for?"
Iruka sat back down on the sofa, momentarily mute. A fancy Yukata belonging to the Yondaime Hokage was in his apartment.
Kakashi was going to have a heart attack.
"Sensei?" Naruto questioned, "Oi, Sensei?" He stared at Iruka with eyebrows raised.
Iruka shook his head, "Ah, whoops!" he said, running his fingers through his long, damp hair. "I just can't believe it…" he indicated the garments, much to Naruto's delight.
"I know! I know!" his student agreed, "Tsunade is letting me wear this just for tonight, but we can't tell anyone!" His voice went serious. "Tsunade can get in a lot of trouble with the Elders if anyone finds out it's the real thing."
Iruka nodded his agreement, "I'll bet." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "So what's in the box?" he asked, pointing past Naruto to the white box on the table.
"Oh that? Actually I haven't looked yet," Naruto smiled sheepishly, setting the coat across the back of the couch and lifting the lid of the box.
He reached inside and pulled out two long blue things with straps and something heavy at one end. He handed them to Iruka with a confused look on his face, then reached back into the box. Iruka examined the items in his hands, turning them over and finally recognizing them to be a type of glove.
"Oh, these are for your arms," he said to Naruto, who was holding up a pair of ninja boots.
"Wow, those are really cool," Iruka commented, laying the gloves aside and reaching out for one of the boots.
He turned it over in his hand, stroking the polished surface and running a hand along the rows of decorative buckles. They were adjustable, and would easily reach up to Naruto's knees. He smiled in anticipation. Now they had some things to work with!
"Hell yeah," Naruto said, having slipped on one of the gloves.
The fingers were cut off in the same style as Kakashi's gloves, but they stretched much farther up Naruto's forearms. The backs of the hands had metal plates with the leaf symbol, and there were at least six straps that buckled along the outside from wrist to elbow. Naruto was trying to fasten them one-handed when Iruka interrupted.
"Naruto." Iruka stood up. "We should probably start to get ready."
'Since we don't have too much time left before company arrives,' Iruka added, helping to peel the glove off Naruto's forearm. He decided it would probably be easier for Naruto to be surprised by their guests, instead of spending the next forty-five minutes panicking.
"You and I are going to look spectacular tonight," he told Naruto honestly, looking into his student's eyes and showing him his conviction. "Sasuke won't be able to take his eyes off of you!"
Naruto grinned in his usual, excited way. "You really think so?" he asked, his cheeks reddening.
Iruka nodded, holding out his pinky finger. Naruto reached his pinky out and they shook on it.
"Why don't you go take a quick shower while I get dressed, and then we'll focus on you. Okay?"
"Okay!" Naruto agreed, dashing off to Iruka's bathroom.
"There's towels already in there," Iruka called across the apartment, reaching to organize Naruto's things before heading to his bedroom.
His smile spread across his entire face, knowing that the two ninja who'd be joining them were in for a big surprise!
--
Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, evaluating his looks in his large oval mirror.
He turned his face from side to side, watching the way his black hair fell against his head. It felt strange to be without his hitai-ate, but he could argue that he looked just as sexy without it. He pulled more of his bangs forward and brushed up the locks in the back, then took a step away and considered his whole outfit. He had to admit that Kakashi had good taste; he might not pick the most intellectual reading material, but when it came to clothes, his choices were surprisingly impeccable.
The Yukata Kakashi had gifted him was the latest sleeveless style, as well as a departure from his traditional black. In fact, it was white—a pure, snowy white that transitioned at the bottom third into a kaleidoscope of blacks and golds and grays, with tiny flecks of burgundy and red throughout.
The pattern at the hem was created from the repeated overlapping of open fans, curved and straight lines dividing the colors and shapes in an optical illusion that made it impossible to determine exactly how many fans were there. On the back, resting between Sasuke's shoulder blades was a solid black fan with a red circle in the center, the tip of it clipped by the outer curve of the fan's edge.
Underneath the Yukata, Sasuke had chosen to wear a long sleeved black mesh shirt, adding more geometric texturing to the lines of his muscled arms and keeping the stark whiteness of the Yukata from washing out his naturally pale skin. At his neck he wore a necklace that he'd had in his cabinet for years, but had never actually worn. It had three round, metal, ring-like beads spaced on a thin metal cable in wide gaps; the central bead nestled comfortably in the hollow of his throat.
Sasuke held the last part of the ensemble in his hand, unfolding it with a quick flick of the wrist to test the smoothness of the hinge and the weight. The fan was black, with the red and white Uchiha crest in the center, as deadly as it was decorative due to the hidden needles and the sturdy, steel handle. Sasuke closed it, tucking it into the white Kaku-Obi of the Yukata, and smoothing the fabric with his palms to make sure everything was aligned perfectly.
He took a deep breath. It was time to go.
Sasuke walked to his armoire and removed a long black cloak that had once belonged to Itachi; in the time since his brother had left Konoha, Sasuke had finally grown tall enough for it to fit properly. He was glad of the excuse to wear it—Itachi had always liked beautiful things.
Sasuke hoped it would help him blend in on the way to Kakashi's apartment; the last thing he wanted was to run into any mobs of fangirls. He was reasonably sure his festival garb would attract them in droves, especially while he was on his own.
He slipped the cloak over his shoulders and sighed. Attracting fangirls was nothing, it took no effort whatsoever. But being attractive enough to get what he wanted from Naruto was another story. His stomach clenched anxiously, and he tried not to think about how in the world he'd manage to get the two of them alone…
Sasuke carried his favorite black training boots down to the front entryway and stooped to fasten the criss-crossing black straps over his neatly wrapped calves. He held up the hem of the Yukata to check that everything looked all right, and felt inside the hidden pockets of his cloak. Finally satisfied that he had everything he needed to get through the evening relatively intact, Sasuke marched out the door and closed it firmly behind him.
The sky was just beginning to darken, causing the first streaks of color to spread along the horizon. In a few hours it would be night, but up until then it appeared that they'd all be enjoying a slow, gorgeous summer sunset.
He darted through the outskirts of town almost invisibly, passing the few inhabitants who hadn't yet made their way into the center of Konoha for First Night without any second looks. However, he was soon forced to slow down since the streets became busier and busier the closer he got to the festival. He kept to a brisk pace, having calculated in advance the quickest way to get to Kakashi's apartment and moved through the traffic with determination, feeling slightly annoyed that Kakashi lived right in the middle of the hubbub. Typical.
He reached a cross street and turned right, only to find a group of Genin girls at an ice-cream stand. His step faltered as he changed direction abruptly, and he moved quickly over to the other side of the street, grimacing as he heard the first squeal of "Sasuke-kuuuun!"
Oh hell.
He picked up the pace, his long legs slightly hampered by the length of the Yukata, and he heard the answering squeals of several other girls mixed with the clicking of their geta as they shuffled along the cobblestones after him. He furrowed his brow, cursing under his breath and refusing to look back to see how many there were. His hand moved to his fan, longing to fill them full of needles as punishment for pursuing him through the street.
He reached the next corner and turned quickly to the left, thinking to lose them in the bigger, busier crowds, but he crashed right into a short kunoichi.
'What the…!'
She must have been weak since he hadn't sensed that she was there. She squealed in fright and he grabbed her arm to keep her from falling over, though his intended apology died on his lips when she turned to face him and he recognized the bristly-orange pigtailed girl from the other day.
She still had on too much makeup; hadn't anyone told her to ease up on the blush?! She threw her arms around his neck and squealed his full name at the top of her lungs. Sasuke cursed as he tried to pull her off without breaking her arms.
Like the call to Mecca, the sound of his name had every girl within a couple of blocks facing him with their undivided attention. There was a moment of terrifying silence, and then a wild cacophony of female shrieks drowned out the normal sounds of the street, accompanied by the rumbling of what sounded like hundreds of pairs of wooden sandals—all heading straight for him.
Sasuke clenched his teeth with irritation, reaching into his cloak and withdrawing a smoke bomb. He threw it hard at the ground, and as soon as the purplish cloud had covered him he used Kawarimi-no-jutsu to escape from the orange haired girl, leaving her clutching absurdly onto a log.
He leapt up to the balcony of the closest building, jumping higher and higher until he'd reached the ridgepole of the roof. He knelt for a second, glancing down into the chaos of smoke and coughing kunoichi, and then continued across Konoha by rooftop.
It was much harder wearing a Yukata, but Sasuke made it to Kakashi's building unscathed, and jumped down to the outside hallway that led to his front door. He dusted off his black cloak and ran his fingers through his hair, then knocked smartly on the door.
Kakashi had better be ready!
--
Kakashi slipped the silver hitai-ate down over his Sharingan. He regarded himself in the mirror on the back of his bedroom door, his cool blue eye a bright spot of color in his unusually monochromatic ensemble.
He'd resurrected some of his ANBU gear for the night; the silver sleeveless shirt with the built-in mask, and the bone-like arm guards offset the stark white of his new Yukata and brought out the contrasting swarm of colors at the base. He hummed as he turned in a circle to watch the blacks, oranges, yellows and whites slither against each other as if underwater.
The craftsman had done an excellent job, putting just enough detail in the fins and tails to make it look exactly like a pond teeming with innumerable Koi. He craned his neck, but couldn't quite make out the leaping orange Koi in the center of his back, though he'd had plenty of time before now to admire it.
He straightened the long silver gloves that kept the arm guards from chafing his skin, flexing his right arm experimentally. He smiled, pleased that the combination showed off the curves of his strong, bare biceps and shoulders while leaving the rest of him a mystery beneath shimmering fabrics.
Iruka was going to have a heart attack!
Kakashi rubbed his palms together; it felt a little strange to have his hands completely covered by the skin-tight gloves since he was used to the shorter cut-off style, but he was willing to put up with it for one night.
He turned around, making sure everything else in the room was in place, smoothing a hand over the fresh satin sheets he'd put on his King sized bed. If he had anything to do with it, he'd need to do laundry tomorrow, and his pulse quickened at the idea of all the things he and Iruka could do to ensure he'd be at the Laundromat all afternoon. They had a night to make up for, after all.
He chuckled, satisfied that everything was set up the way he wanted it. Then he went out into his kitchen to make a cup of tea, setting the kettle on to boil and selecting the right tin of dried leaves.
He sure hoped that Iruka had woken up in a better mood; he didn't like when they had conflicts, even though he knew a large part of Iruka's anger came from the extra stressful schedule and lack of proper sleep. Even so, it wasn't a good feeling to be accused of playing games with their students. He really wanted the boys to finally cross that barrier between rivals and lovers, since he knew only too well how sad and frustrating it was to huddle in fear on one side of the line.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, pushing the memories aside. Those weren't the kinds of things he talked about with Iruka. It was better not to dwell on the past.
His ears perked up when he felt Sasuke's presence approaching the building and then halting in front of his door. Kakashi was halfway there by the time he heard the impatient knock, and he grinned underneath his mask, picturing a nervous and eager Uchiha on the other side. He thought wickedly for a moment about making him wait—but remembering Iruka's accusations he reached to the knob and flung it open, making a dramatic sweeping bow before rising to inspect his prodigy's festival outfit.
He took one look at the person in his doorway and his adrenaline levels shot sky-high.
"You!" he gasped and his body reacted automatically, skipping backwards as his left hand uncovered his Sharingan while the other reached into the folds of his Yukata and withdrew the hidden stash of tiny shuriken. His left hand reached for the handle of his ANBU katana, and he panicked when it wasn't where it should be, jutting out from behind his right shoulder.
What in the hell was Itachi doing here?
Kakashi had moved so quickly, Itachi was still just standing in the doorway. Kakashi's blood was now crashing in waves against his eardrums—hadn't he been clear enough the last time he'd turned down Itachi's advances? He would try and avoid a physical altercation, but Itachi had to learn that no meant NO.
Kakashi pulled three needles from the back of his obi; with this one, it was always better to be armed with both hands. There was something urgent niggling in the back of his brain, but Kakashi couldn't hear it over the pounding of his heartbeat. He opened his lips to demand why Itachi had come to his apartment, even though he'd only ever had one thing on his mind, when Itachi stepped forward and spoke first–striking a pose of bored annoyance that was totally inconsistent with his normal gestures.
"What the hell are you doing, Kakashi-sensei?"
Kakashi straightened. That voice wasn't Itachi's. He froze, looking over the intruder, his eyes finally seeing that it wasn't the older Uchiha at all, but his brother, Kakashi's own student. Oh God…
Sasuke!
Kakashi tucked the weapons back into their hiding places. His heart was still beating too fast, but he covered it up with a soft chuckling and the casual placement of his palm against the back of his neck. The glove was damp.
He forced his voice to be steady, "Aaah, Sasuke… I didn't realize it was you."
It wasn't a lie; Kakashi had really thought for a dreadful minute that Sasuke's brother had come to him again. He tried to calm down, knowing that it was absolutely impossible for Itachi to come to Konoha, for reasons that only he and Sasuke knew–although he was dead certain that Sasuke believed himself to be the only one who knew the whole truth about his brother.
Good heavens. This was not exactly what Kakashi had expected when he'd decided to dress Sasuke up for Naruto.
"Weirdo," Sasuke grumbled irreverently, moving into the apartment and closing the door behind him.
He undid his cloak and hung it on a hook next to Kakashi's flak jacket while the Jounin simply watched him, reassuring himself that Itachi was not here trying to persuade him to… NO! Kakashi really didn't want to have that kind of association with his student, and until now, he'd somehow overlooked how much Sasuke had grown up—he was the spitting image of the darker teenager he'd known in ANBU.
Well, he couldn't exactly blame himself; the last time he'd seen Itachi, Sasuke had been a little kid. And then… well. They would never stand side by side as adults, would they.
"Sensei? …Oi, Sensei?" Sasuke was standing with hands on his hips, staring at him impatiently.
Kakashi shook himself, chuckling embarrassedly and putting on a fake smile. "Uh, yeahi?"
Sasuke tilted his head in the direction of the kitchen, and Kakashi turned dumbly to look, finally becoming aware of the high-pitched whistling of his tea kettle.
"Ah!" he exclaimed, rushing into the kitchen and turning off the stove, then leaning against the counter out of sight to pull himself together. He yanked his headband back down over his Sharingan for some relief.
"Would you like some tea?" he called over his shoulder.
"No thanks."
Kakashi took a deep breath. He didn't want any tea now either. He opened his refrigerator and took out his bottle of Sake, sloshing some into his tea mug since it was the closest thing. He drank it in one swig, and closed his eyes against the cool burn along his throat. He sighed heavily.
At least the big surprise of the evening was over; there couldn't be anything else that would startle him after this.
He breathed in deep through his nose and readjusted his hitai-ate, then smoothed his gloved hands down the front of his Yukata. Feeling considerably more calm, he went back out to face his student in the living room.
Sasuke was looking over his bookcases, his back turned to him. Kakashi had to approve of the mesh shirt and necklace, they really did top off the stunning Yukata, despite the resemblance to his Aniki. Without the cloak, Kakashi could more readily tell the differences between them; Sasuke's build was more… hmmm…muscular? Hmmm… well, Kakashi remembered Itachi being a little more angular maybe…
He shook himself—there was no need to continue thinking about it. Sasuke would never guess how much he looked like his brother, and Kakashi would NOT be the one to enlighten him.
"Ah, Sasuke…" Kakashi began, walking into the room, "You made it right on time. Did you have any trouble?"
Sasuke glared over his shoulder, "The usual."
Kakashi chuckled, "Well I hope you're ready to face more of your fandom, because Iruka's apartment isn't that close."
Sasuke's expression darkened. "Did you tell Iruka-sensei about what happened with Naruto?"
Kakashi blinked at the abrupt question.
"Nope. We haven't talked about it."
He watched Sasuke sigh with some relief, and Kakashi felt a little guilty at the half-truth. He really hadn't told Iruka anything; Naruto had been the one to tell. And Kakashi hadn't talked with Iruka about what happened… at least not specifically…
"Are you ready to go?" Sasuke asked him, his voice tinted with impatience, dread, and nervous excitement. Boy, Sasuke sure was in a mood.
"You bet," Kakashi replied, smirking to himself and turning off most of the lights. "You can leave your cloak for now, if you like," he told his student, knowing it had to be uncomfortable in the summer heat. Plus, it covered up the gorgeous Yukata which defeated the whole point.
Sasuke nodded and the two exited out onto the balcony. They had opposite expressions as they looked down on the crowded street, and Kakashi grinned, deciding to spare him from the crowds while he could.
He gave Sasuke's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, "Let's go!"
With that he leapt gracefully onto the rooftop and headed for Hotarubi Street, Sasuke hot on his heels. They made excellent time, and though he could guess why Sasuke was rushing, Kakashi knew for sure his own reasons for haste.
There was an adorable Academy sensei he wanted to fondle before they had to pretend they were just colleagues for the rest of the evening.
--
"Naruto, hold still!"
"But… it tickles…"
"That's because you're wiggling too much."
"I can't help it! It feels funny!"
"Just relax, or I won't be able to do it properly!"
"Do you have to?"
"Shush, I have to get you ready for Sasuke."
"Is it supposed to be so… so…?"
"Be still, and let me finish. It'll be over quicker if you quit squirming…"
"Iruka-sensei… do we really have to do this…"
"Hush! I promise, you'll understand in a minute."
"When did you learn this, anyways?"
"When you date a genius, you learn all kinds of things…"
"Ewww…Kakashi does it too?"
"Quiet! Just a little bit more…"
"Can't you hurry up?"
"You're not helping, Naruto… no wait, don't do that!"
"Unff… But it's poking me!"
"If you don't do what I say, you're really not going to like it!"
"Awwww…"
"That's it… just hold still for me…"
"Come on, Iruka-sensei…aren't you done yet …"
"A little bit more… All right, all right…" Iruka turned his student's head toward the bathroom mirror. "There. Take a look."
Naruto blinked his eyes, and Iruka smiled, admiring his handiwork. It had definitely been a very good idea to bring out Naruto's eyes with a bit of black eyeliner. He was a very good looking young man, but now—fully dressed in Yondaime's Yukata, hair spiked on top with some gel, and his eyes accentuated with subtly graceful dark lines—
Sasuke was going to have a heart attack!
"Whoa…" Naruto practically pressed his nose into the cold surface of the mirror, "My eyes look so big… so intense…"
Iruka laughed, "See? I told you you were going to like it!" He took a small step back. "Nobody will even know you've got it on unless they get up close."
"Awesome…" Naruto was fascinated.
Shaking his head, Iruka went into his bedroom to the other mirror. He ran a comb through his long brown hair, leaving it hanging down around his shoulders. He hadn't done a lot with his own appearance, letting Kakashi's Yukata do the bulk of the work, although he'd added something only Kakashi himself would recognize. His grin became naughty—he hoped the Jounin would be jealous that he was wearing one of their favorite toys.
Both of his forearms were artfully wrapped with silken cords, from just under the elbow down to his wrist. The cords were a rich scarlet, bringing out the brighter spots of red at the hem of his Yukata. Iruka's careful knot-work left a hard ridge along the outside edge of his arms, echoing the reptilian imagery of the coiling Dragons. The long ends of the cords dangled from his wrists provocatively, two dangerous lures on either arm with which to hook a very dangerous Jounin.
Iruka checked the time. They had about ten minutes. "Naruto, I'm going to make some tea."
"Okay, I'll be out in a minute," his student replied, and Iruka smiled. He was so excited about how amazingly sexy the two of them looked, that he'd almost forgotten how angry he'd been when Kakashi had invited himself along.
The memories came back when he heard his doorbell ring.
Iruka stopped in his tracks, halfway between the hall and the door. The bell rang again, and he took a deep breath. This was it. He knew who would be there, but he'd forgotten that Naruto didn't know who would be joining them and his heart started to thud in his chest.
Good God—he flicked his eyes to the clock—they were early! Must be Sasuke's influence. Iruka decided he'd better answer the door before Naruto came running out—he wanted to minimize the shock of two unexpected visitors on the doorstep.
He made three long strides to the door and opened it, but all he could see was Kakashi—Kakashi's piercing blue eye and ghostly-shimmering, silvery outfit. His lover completely filled the doorway, an awesome presence of hard masculine flesh covered in expensive white fabric. Iruka's eyes moved down Kakashi's body slowly; he felt rather dizzy when he made it to the swarming Koi near the floor.
Iruka took a step back. It was always like this with Kakashi… such sexiness barely contained by mortal garments. He was a living, breathing statue of Zeus, king of all the gods and by far the most perverted.
When their eyes met, Iruka could tell that Kakashi was thinking similar thoughts, and he felt his heart swell with pride at the uninhibited lust he saw inside that circle of blue. Iruka knew his cheeks were getting pink, but for the moment, he didn't care.
"Kakashi…" someone muttered from the outside hallway. Iruka wondered vaguely who else was there.
"Kakashi!" came the voice again, more insistently. Kakashi responded by taking a step forward through the doorway. Iruka retreated a step instinctively.
Sasuke squeezed into the room from behind the Jounin with a look soaked in indignation. Iruka spared him half a glance, and then heard the voice of the fourth member of their party.
"Was that the doorbell, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto called loudly from the back of the apartment.
Iruka cursed himself for being mesmerized by his boyfriend.
"Naruto, we have some guests. Come on out."
--
Kakashi looked suggestively at Sasuke as he pressed the doorbell for the second time, stifling a laugh as the dark haired teen rolled his eyes in disdain. His stomach was fluttering in anticipation; he really couldn't wait to see Iruka.
He was reaching to ring the doorbell a third time when the door opened, and his lover was finally standing before him. He braced his arm against the doorjamb, fighting to stay on his feet at the delicious sight of Iruka–hair down and face flushing in the instant lust they always experienced. He took a shaky breath. Oh yes, the Dragon Yukata was indeed the perfect choice.
Kakashi let his eye travel down the lines of Iruka's tan, athletic body from head to feet, his gaze catching on the bright red of his arms. Masaka! He gasped, instantly recognizing the silken cords that were knotted with familiar skill; parts of his skin burned in eagerness and remembered pleasure.
'Iruka's going to wear that in public?' He started to sway from the flood of memories, when he heard an impatient voice behind him.
"Kakashi."
He felt a slight tug on his sash, but ignored it.
"Kakashi!"
The insistent voice was accompanied by a sharp nudging to his midsection. He didn't turn his head, wanting only to be farther from the annoying nudging and closer to the incredibly hot Chuunin. He took a step forward, and Iruka stepped back—the beginning of a tango. His heartbeat sped up.
He felt Sasuke slip from behind him into the room, and only part of his brain registered that his student was there. Maybe it was all the blood rushing downward…
"Naruto, we have some guests. Come on out." Iruka spoke, but Kakashi barely understood the words past the nuances of his voice.
"Anyone I know?" Came another voice, farther away, but Kakashi couldn't take his eyes off of his lover. He sensed someone else come in the room, but he didn't care who it was. He only wanted to slowly devour the vision before him… or be the one devoured, one bite at a time…
Excruciating pain shot through his right elbow and he gasped, turning his head sharply towards the source while trying to jerk his arm away. His full attention rested on Sasuke, and for a weird second he was surprised to see him. Sasuke was gripping his elbow like a vise, though he was looking straight ahead, completely riveted.
Kakashi tilted his chin in puzzlement—that wasn't an expression he'd ever seen on Sasuke's face before. What was he looking at? He turned his head to match the direction of Sasuke's gaze.
For the second time, adrenaline shot through his veins like an injection of cocaine.
"You!" he gasped, though his body was completely frozen in place. His heart smashed into his chest in shock, and he couldn't move a muscle. His sensei… Yondaime… Yondaime was here!
Kakashi managed to get his left hand up to his heart, making a fist in his Yukata as though it would help him to breathe. Yondaime… Yondaime…Yondaime…
"Sasuke? Sasuke! What the hell are you doing here?" Yondaime asked, rushing forward towards the Uchiha and then stopping, like he wasn't sure what to do next. He was smiling and his cheeks were turning pink.
Kakashi's heart was crushed—why hadn't he come to him?
Sasuke was still a little dazed, but he'd let go of Kakashi's arm. "Isn't this where we were supposed to meet?" Sasuke ran a hand through his dark hair nervously. Yondaime's eyebrows narrowed in confusion.
"Er, I forgot to tell you… Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke-kun are joining us for the festival. Is that okay?" Iruka wasn't talking to him, but Kakashi moved his eye towards the familiar sound, surprised to see Iruka looking back at him, his face pinched with concern.
"Eh? … Aaaah!" Yondaime shouted, though his voice didn't seem right.
Kakashi looked hard at his sensei, who was pointing a finger at him, eyes wide in surprise. It was Yondaime…and yet it wasn't… Kakashi couldn't put his finger on it, but he started to doubt what he was seeing.
He furrowed his brow, making a hand seal and shouting loudly, "Kai!"
He looked from one person to another, seeing no difference after dispelling any genjutsu in the room. All three shinobi were looking at him, stunned.
"What the hell's your deal, Kakashi-sensei?!"
With those simple words, it all became clear. Kakashi felt reality rush back to him in a dizzying blur, and he took a step to steady himself. His sensei wasn't there. His sensei couldn't be there.
Instead, there he was; four feet away; the spitting image of Yondaime:
None other than the #1 loudmouth hyperactive ninja in Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto.
"Oh, Iruka-sensei…" Kakashi turned to his lover with a fake smile on his face. "Is this your kitchen?" he asked, turning and walking into it and away from the rest of them. He needed to be alone for a minute.
"Y…Yes…" he heard Iruka answer from the other room.
Once out of sight, he opened the cabinet and took out something he could drink from, setting it on the counter as he opened the refrigerator. He reached for the bottle of Sake he'd left there a few nights ago, sloshing a good amount into the cup. He set the bottle down and tipped the glass bottom-up, letting the cool liquid slide down his throat and into his belly in one swoop. He leaned his hands into the countertop, coughing once, and he focused on breathing, keeping his back to the doorway.
Good Lord. Why in the seven hells had he ever suggested they all get dressed up for a festival?
[to be continued...]