Kakashi tried to get one last chapter of his book in before the meeting he so dreaded, but he found himself less interested in his precious Icha Icha than normal. Perhaps it was because he had a 'makeout tactic' of his own actually going on in his life that was far more interesting, or maybe he was just too damned tired to read.

The band of ninja assembled before him and Kakashi closed his book with a snap. There was something damned weird going on in his village and he'd had quite enough of it. If it took him all week, he was going to get to the bottom of this mess.

"Thank you for joining me." Kakashi greeted pleasantly as soon as the shinobi had settled comfortably. It felt strange for Kakashi to be on the Hokage side of a monthly jounin meeting, but somehow, it felt right. Despite his initial hesitance to be Hokage, he felt like he was meant to fill the role for the time being.

"For those of you who haven't guessed why I've called this meeting, I'll give you a brief summary."

The Hokage pulled out a large scroll. It unravelled and hit the ground with a depressingly loud smack.

"The main issue seems to be a select number of our dear residents being unable to recover from their brief interactions with the infinite tsukuyomi. From the few reported incidents, it seems to be a relatively small number of individuals, but considering how fast more are cropping up I would like to take action sooner than later."

People in the crowd either looked confused or nodded their heads in agreement. Despite some of them not being jounin, Kakashi had invited Naruto's class to the meeting as well. They had all fought hard and brave in the war; they deserved to be considered in the village's business.

"The majority of cases seem to be people unable to accept reality once given a very life-like version of their dreams. The most affected are either the middle-aged or very young. We haven't had any teenage incidents, or older resident ones. I'm assuming this is because young adults are old enough to understand what happened, but young enough that their lives could still turn out to be like their dreams. Our senior's have lived their lives and completely accepted their lots, as far as I can see. According to our new Head Master, Umino Iruka, the young children of the academy have not taken the transition so well. Most seem to be recovering, but the more vulnerable ones are having a difficult time."

It almost cracked Kakashi's serious Hokage demeanour to see Naruto smile like an adorable idiot when he mentioned Iruka as Head Master. The relationship between those two was something Kakashi had always respected Iruka for.

"So. The reason I've called you here is this: I wanted you to be aware of what is happening in order to assist our fellow villagers before they do anything they regret. In order for us to take a more preventative approach, I want you to inform me of anything strange you notice amongst your friends and associates that may lead to incidents like the one's we've already experienced. Details of their...psychological well-being before the war is important as well. Our goal is to nip this problem in the bud as opposed to dealing with it on a case-by-case basis."

Murmurs ghosted over the crowd as the ninja spoke to each other in regard to Kakashi's request. To the Hokage's relief, he saw a lot of helpless shrugs. That was what he really wanted, ultimately; for this to just have been a few isolated cases and for it all to blow over.

Shikamaru raised his hand and Kakashi nodded.

"Now that you mention it, the man I buy my fruit from hasn't been himself since we got back. I just assumed he'd lost someone in the war, but maybe it is as you say."

"Please keep an eye on him, Shikamaru. Actually...if you could talk to him the next time you see him, that would be better. Did he seem...easily upset before?"

The young ninja shrugged lazily. "Maaa...he was alright. I didn't know him that well, honestly. He did have a bit of a temper, though. If you eyed one of his fruit too long, he'd get all huffy and tease you about marrying it before you bought it. Now he just...grumbles about buying marriage. I can't understand anything he says anymore."

Kiba snickered and Ino elbowed him with a frown. Kiba scrunched his nose and leaned close to Ino so he could whisper.

"It's funny because Shikamaru is probably a fruit who's never getting married."

The face Ino made was enough to tell Kiba that his comment was not appreciated.

"Thank you, Shikamaru." Kakashi cut in, attempting to reign in the maturity of his meeting. "Let me know what information you can gather on him."

"My neighbour seems to be really bitter." One ninja offered from the back of the room. "I said good morning to her yesterday and she snapped at me. She said there was nothing good about it and stormed off."

"What was she like before the war?"

"Oh. Well. She seemed pleasant enough. Although...she's not that young anymore and is still single, and I know that was always a touchy subject with her. Actually! I saw her walking around with a bundle kind of in the shape of a baby a few days ago. Just...walking around with it. I'm pretty sure it was just laundry."

"Are you talking about Nabia?" Someone offered.

"Yes! You know her?"

"She can't have children. Her fiance left her when he found out." The voice answered sadly. "It was a few years ago."

The ninja who originally spoke looked horrified. "Jeeze..."

"Please speak to your neighbour and report back to me." Kakashi asked as he scribbled notes onto his scroll. The ninja bowed and sat in sombre silence.

The rest of the meeting continued thus. There were four more ninja who spoke up about people they knew who were acting strangely, and Kakashi recorded them all. From what his fellow shinobi had said, it seemed to be as he thought: The people who were affected the strongest were those who had the predisposition to be so. Either villagers who had lost loved ones, were unhappy with their lives, or had some other issue that plagued them. Those who were either relatively happy or of sound enough mind to deal with their issues in peace did not seem to be scarred from their experience.

Kakashi found his thoughts drifting back to Iruka. He was a prime example of a situation that could have been bad, but wasn't. The school teacher had just as much reason as half of the people who couldn't cope to go loopy, but he was too strong willed and logical to do so.

Actually. None of the people, save the one rando who tried to scale the outer wall of Konoha, who were acting out were ninja. They were either young pre-graduates or regular citizens. There was certainly something to say about the hard wills of the ninja of Konoha. They had long ago accepted their lots. Worse had happened to them than a false dose of reality.

Kakashi made his way back to his office with a heavy sigh. It certainly wasn't the worst situation he could find himself in, but it was such a strange issue that he found himself stumped about how to deal with it. His ninja were still tired, buildings needed to be repaired, the economy was in shambles and he was chin deep in negotiations with the other Kages. What resources did he have to put towards the 5% of his population that decided life wasn't fair and gave their sanity up to the winds?

The scroll went whizzing across the room as Kakashi flopped down on his couch and tossed his Kage hat. He supposed all that could be done was what he'd already accomplished; inform the ninja and deal with each situation as it arose.

Kakashi sat up quickly.

"Oh!"

It was such a simple solution. Just offer therapy sessions open to the public. His ANBU barely had anything that psychologically scarring to do, they wouldn't need their therapists for a while. He could ask them to have an open clinic for a few weeks to iron out the wrinkles in the fragile minds of his citizens.

God, he was a genius.

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Iruka shouldered his pack and made his way home. To his surprise, whatever Kakashi had given him had no drowsy side affects. That morning he'd woken up, fresh as a daisy, ready to conquer the world. It was almost tempting to ask Kakashi where he'd gotten it from. It couldn't hurt to have a stash of sleeping pills, could it? Especially with how his month had been going...

Something caught the chuunin's eye and he stopped. There were fliers stapled to every odd pole down the main shopping street. When Iruka read what they said, he couldn't help but smile. Kakashi was offering free therapy sessions for anyone with "post-tsukuyomi syndrome". What a wonderful idea to give it a name and make people feel less singled out.

As the chuunin turned to leave, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Keekyo's mother shopping ahead of him. Unfounded anger surged in his chest, but he reminded himself that the only reason he judged her was because of Kakashi's speculations. Besides, most of his evidence seemed to come from the father, not the mother. Iruka decided he would say hi to her and see how it went.

Except, when Keekyo's mother spotted Iruka, she blanched and nearly dropped all her groceries. Whirling around, she pretended she hadn't seen him, shoved money at the vendor and sped into the crowd so fast a few potatoes tumbled out of her bags.

Iruka stood there with his jaw hanging open. It took him only a moment to recover before his eyes narrowed in determination. Whipping to the side, he ran at full speed behind the stalls, apologizing to anyone he happened to scare to death. The chuunin could see his target through the crowd barely ahead of him. She wasn't going nearly as fast as he was, so it wouldn't be hard to cut her off.

Leaping over apples, dodging startled vendors, Iruka blasted through an opening in the stalls and popped out just a few meters ahead of his prey. It gave him just enough time to adjust himself and not look as if he'd just given-'er through the entire shopping district. Iruka picked up a nice, juicy apple from a stall just as she emerged from the crowd. The woman stopped dead in her tracks and Iruka shot her his most winning smile.

"Hello! What a coincidence."

"Ah...I-Iruka-sensei." She stammered.

The chuunin put the apple back on it's cart and took the few steps needed to come face to face with her.

"I just wanted to say how sorry I am about what happened. You and your husband must be devastated, as am I."

She looked as if she'd recovered nicely from her initial shock and smiled sadly. "Yes...I really must be getting back to my husband, as we are in mourning."

Iruka dropped his usual 'sensei' facade and let all of his frustration and sadness show through. His grip on his school bag tightened and his brow furrowed. "Of course. I just...it feels so sudden. As her teacher, I didn't see it coming."

Keekyo's mother's eyes darted around, as if she was searching for an escape route. When none were immediately apparent, she merely smiled once again and fiddled with her groceries.

"Yes. It was a tragedy. I'm sorry, I can't really talk about it. It's still so fresh."

Iruka bowed lightly and stepped aside. "I don't mean to be insensitive. All in mourning are simply looking for answers, as I'm sure you understand."

The smile on her face was strained as she stepped past Iruka. "Thank you, Sensei." She murmured before melting into the crowd again without a backwards glance.

Iruka watched her go with mounting apprehension. It may have been a natural response for a mother who lost her child to be skittish, but she was also alarmingly defensive. Perhaps she sensed the blame being put on her and her husband and was prickly because of it. Or...this could be the guilt Kakashi had sensed from her earlier.

This sure seemed like a good excuse to visit Kakashi.

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The Hokage started awake as his face almost slipped off of his hand for a third time. With a little sniff he tried to adjust himself so he was sitting as uncomfortably as possible. He'd actually considered putting rocks all over his chair so he could stay awake. Shizune had offered to stand by his side and continuously slap him, but he figured she'd enjoy it far too much and declined her offer. That poor woman had some serious Hokage Rage built up from paper pushing for Tsunande for way too long. And...curbing her very unhealthy drinking problem.

A loud knock at the door seemed to do the trick in waking the Hokage up further.

"Umino Iruka to see you." The ANBU called.

"Let him in."

The doors opened just enough for Iruka to sneak through with a blush and a smile. Kakashi felt his day get that much better.

"Well. I wasn't expecting company so soon." Kakashi greeted with a smirk.

The chuunin walked up to Kakashi's desk with just the amount of bashfulness that Kakashi expected from him on a daily basis. That was one of the things about Iruka that was super fun; the fact that he would blush at nearly anything.

"I hope I'm not bothering you." Iruka began in a very typical apologetic fashion. "But I had a run-in with Keekyo's mother this afternoon."

Kakashi stood straighter in his chair. "Oh?"

"Yes...as soon as she saw me she fled the market. I ran and cut her off before she could get too lost in the crowd. As I expected, she didn't want to talk to me. I'm...uncertain if our conversation yesterday is twisting my judgement, but I didn't get the impression that she was too sad to talk. She seemed edgy and defensive."

The Hokage's eyes narrowed in thought as he listened to Iruka. He rubbed his chin lightly, seeming to throw piece after piece together in his mind without bothering to share his thought process. Finally he leaned forward, his stance almost lazy in how he sagged over the desk, but is eyes were sharp as a needle.

"I think she's covering for her husband. If I had more evidence, I would have thrown that man into interrogation already. Unfortunately we lost Inoichi in the war, and Ino isn't quite at his level yet, which means our interrogation methods are a little...too messy for someone who is not an enemy of the village."

Kakashi seemed genuinely upset about the fact that he couldn't sentence a civilian to Ibiki's death grip. Iruka felt himself smiling from amusement and wondered if that meant he was a little more twisted than previously thought.

"What kind of evidence do you need?"

A delicate eyebrow quirked at Iruka's question. "Well. I would need proof that Keekyo was mentally abused to the point where she would rather be an orphan than stay with her parents. I've assigned ninja to speak to their neighbours and get any information about how Keekyo was treated. Amazingly, and damningly in my eyes, all accounts so far have been about the mother. No one has ever seen Keekyo's father interact with her. As telling as this is, it isn't actually proof. However, I'm positive that the more people we speak to, the more evidence we'll accumulate. He wasn't a hermit; he went on missions and had some kind of social life. We'll get him."

As Kakashi feared, Iruka stepped forward and placed both hands on the desk, leaning forward slightly with eyes as hard as stone.

"I can help. I know a lot of the villagers, especially in the market."

Kakashi met Iruka's gaze, the two shinobi assessing each other silently.

"Iruka. I know you can help, I've thought about it. But I don't want this case to affect you more than it already has-"

"-She was my student. I know my class is much bigger than three, but if this happened to someone from team 7, there's no way you would take a back seat."

There was nothing Kakashi could say to that and he knew it. He glanced down quickly, mostly to cover the smile splayed across his face, and pushed his chair away from the table. The Hokage stood gracefully and pulled something out of one of his drawers before striding around the desk and coming to stand before Iruka.

Fire blazed in the chuunin's eyes, a look Kakashi was all too familiar with. He let his smile show, handing Iruka the scroll he'd taken from his desk.

"I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to talk you out of it. This is a list of the last batch of villagers I would like questioned. If there's anyone you feel speaking to would be too suspicious, let me know and I'll pass them onto someone else."

A look of faint surprise painted Iruka's face. Slowly, he took the scroll from Kakashi's hand. His eyes flicked up to the Hokage's, and all he saw there was warmth and trust. A lump formed in Iruka's throat and he glanced down quickly, clenching the scroll slightly in his hand.

"Thank you, Kakashi...you..." He trailed off, unsure how to word what he wanted to say. He could feel Kakashi's intense gaze burning his cheeks.

"...Lately, you've just been so kind. I never would have expected...I mean, everything you've done for me. It's a lot. It means a lot to me."

Iruka sucked in a sharp breath and looked back up at Kakashi. The Hokage's eyes were soft, affectionate, and all for Iruka. The chuunin found it hard to breathe as he gazed up at the man he was growing far too fond of.

"I like you." Kakashi started, his voice gentle but husky. "But. You know I wouldn't be doing any of this if you didn't deserve it."

"O-of course..." Iruka stammered, caving at the intense warmth emanating from Kakashi. "Even still, it...you're...not making this any easier." Iruka ground out as his Hokage's warm smile turned into a wolfish one at his bashfulness.

Kakashi laughed lightly and took another step forward. He cupped Iruka's cheek in his hand. His thumb gently caressed Iruka's skin as the chuunin's blush deepened.

"You're welcome. It's my pleasure. Really."

There was a moment where the two merely stood close to each other in a thick silence. Iruka was clutching the scroll to him like a lifeline. This whole 'feelings' business was extremely nerve wracking. When it was someone you really liked, it was like paralysis. Iruka felt like his entire body was made of lead and his vocal cords seemed to have skipped town on an extended vacation.

A soft brush of skin against his cheek snapped Iruka's head up and reminded him that Kakashi still had his hand on his face. There was something deep in Kakashi's eyes that Iruka was terrified to read too much into.

"You already have so many people in your heart, Iruka. How will you ever be able to fit any one else?"

It felt like someone sucker punched Iruka in the chest. Kakashi was practically oozing sensuality, and the fact that he'd even thought about Iruka' heart made the chuunin's stomach feel like a hoard of butterflies were smashing against his insides.

"That's the great thing about hearts." Iruka began, his fresh innocence shining through. "They're never full."

Lips pressed against his and Iruka briefly wondered when Kakashi pulled his mask down. They closed their eyes, gently pressed their bodies together and kissed slowly. It was as if they were exploring each others mouths for the first time. Gentle pecks, lingering kisses, playful tongues. Iruka felt like he could kiss Kakashi forever. He tasted like books and authority, though the chuunin knew what neither of those really tasted like.

Their noses practically smashed open against each other when a loud knock broke them from their spell. Kakashi looked incredibly annoyed and Iruka glanced down and laughed lightly, feeling embarrassed despite the fact that no one had seen them.

"Who is it?" Kakashi ground out.

"Who do you think, brat? What the heck is taking so long?"

Iruka's entire head turned red and he nearly jumped back from Kakashi. Thank God Tsunande had enough respect for Kakashi to bother knocking instead of just barging in. She hadn't been Hokage that long ago, Iruka really wouldn't have blamed her.

With a sweet smile and an apologetic look, Kakashi took his leave of Iruka and went to personally let Tsunande in. When the door opened she stood there with her arms crossed over her chest, looking as annoyed as she had sounded.

"What the heck were you doing that you couldn't- Oh."

The look Tsunande gave Iruka nearly made him sink through the floor in absolute mortification. He bowed as naturally as he could.

"Good afternoon, Tsunande-sama."

"Good afternoon to you too, Iruka-sensei." She answered with a snide grin as she walked into the room. "And what have you two been up to?"

Iruka tried to remember if Tsunande was this much of a blatant tease when she'd been Hokage, and couldn't seem to recall. Iruka held the scroll up and tried to look as innocent as he definitely didn't feel.

"Kakashi-sama was just giving me instructions on who to question about the Keekyo case."

"Ah." Was her answer. The air of 'caught you suckas' around her seemed to dissipate, but the little quirk in her eyebrows told Iruka she was still pretty sure there was something going on. "I thought you would like to get involved."

"Yes, very much so." Iruka answered as seriously as he could.

Kakashi seemed just as amused as Tsunande as he stepped in between them and gently placed a hand on Iruka's shoulder. "I scheduled a meeting with our late and great Hokage for this time, Iruka. I completely forgot, so I apologize for the abrupt end to our talk. Do you have any questions?"

"No. I know what to do." The academy teacher answered quietly. The two ninja stared at each other for a moment, silently communicating a much deeper goodbye than they could speak out loud.

"Thank you for allowing me to help, Hokage-sama." Iruka concluded as he bowed formally.

A little nod of his head was Kakashi's casual response. "Report back as soon as you have any information."

Iruka turned and smiled as pleasantly at Tsunande as he could considering the fact that she was still grinning wolfishly at him with her arms crossed.

"Good luck, Iruka-sensei." She purred.

"Ah...thank you, Tsunande-sama."

When the door had closed after the chuunin, Tsunande spun back to Kakashi and slapped her hands onto her hips. "Well. The least you kids can do is try not to be so obvious."

A pile of books was smacked onto the table and Kakashi began casually rifling through pages.

"I really can't know what you mean, Tsunande."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Iruka began his detective work immediately. He knew every single name on Kakashi's list; they were either people he bought groceries from or parents of present or past students. The chuunin knew he was well versed in the people of his village, but exactly HOW well versed had not been truly known to him until that day.

Unsurprisingly, he initially found the same thing as their previous detectives. Most people in the village knew Keekyo only by her mother. They said she seemed kind enough, though quiet. Not particularly doting on Keekyo, but not a bad mother by any stretch. One vendor did say that she always seemed a little stressed.

"Haunted, almost." The old woman confirmed. "I'd know that look anywhere. I always wanted to ask, but felt rude intruding. You never know with ninja's."

"Of course." Iruka reinforced with a smile. "It's just...it's so sudden."

The vendor smiled affectionately and patted Iruka's arm. "It must be hard for you. You haven't spoken to Keekyo's mother yet?"

"Well..." Iruka began, then cut himself off as conspicuously as he could. "I mean. I don't want to assume anything."

Naturally, the older woman leaned in, her instincts hungry for gossip. "What is it?"

"She...well, avoided me. Of course, she's in a period of mourning. But she seemed cold when trying to talk about Keekyo. I wasn't expecting it, is all."

A little spark seemed to ignite in the woman's eyes that had Iruka nearly high-fiving himself.

"I must say. That doesn't surprise me."

Iruka leaned in. "Oh? How do you mean?"

"Well! Like I said, she always seemed a little...off, you know? And my neighbour told me HER neighbour told her that Keekyo's father always wanted a son. Very much wanted a son. Apparently, he was MUCH more social before had a child. He would go to bars and chant about how happy he was to have a son and how he was going to teach him to be this great ninja. And then their child was born a girl, and he didn't even want to talk about it. He kind of...stopped showing up to his usual spots. Everyone just assumed it was because he was busy being a father. Perhaps that's all it was, really."

Iruka felt his heart nearly explode in his chest with excitement. "How did this...neighbour know all this information?"

"Her husband was a friend of Keekyo's father."

"Huh. Do you happen to know this man's name? The friend of Keekyo's father that is." The chuunin asked, his face and voice a mask of casual curiosity.

She looked like she was thinking hard. "Well. I don't know what his name is, but my neighbours' neighbours' name is Tahiro."

If it would have been possible, Iruka would have kissed this old woman. He knew exactly who Tahiro was. She was the mother of one of his current students. How damn perfect was that?

"Thank you. It's...good to get some information, you know? To calm my nerves."

The old woman smiled and continued to pat Iruka's back. "Of course, child. If you ever need to know anything else, you know where to come to."

Iruka let a genuine smile of gratitude show through. "Thank you."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Kakashi sighed loudly and scratched the back of his head. "Maaa...you always make these meetings longer than necessary."

Tsunande shot him a filthy look and made to throw a book at his head. "I swear brat, don't try my temper."

The current Hokage was about to shoot a witty remark back when an ANBU knocked at the door.

"Message from Umino Iruka."

Tsunande raised an eyebrow with a grin. "My, that was fast. Love letter?"

"Please come in." Kakashi ordered with a sweet, innocent smile to Tsunande. The ANBU teleported in and handed Kakashi his note. With as casual a look as he could muster, he uncurled it and read it quietly. When he finished, the broad smile and warmth in his eyes was laced with pride.

"Not quite. In only two hours, Iruka has managed to gather more information on the case than the three other ninja I assigned two days ago."

Without another word, Kakashi leaned forward and handed Tsunande the note. She grasped it with interest and read it quickly.

"Huh. It seems you're right about the father being suspicious."

"So far. Nothing he's done is illegal, though. And since the family was so secretive, it'll be hard to find evidence of abuse, if we ever can."

"Unless the mother confesses."

Kakashi sighed. "Yes. We'll see what magic Iruka can conjure in the market."

As if the gods themselves heard Kakashi's plea, another knock sounded at the door. The two Hokage's looked at each other with surprise, both seeming to say "it can't be."

"Message from Umino Iruka." The ANBU called.

Tsunande's jaw dropped and Kakashi ordered the ANBU in. When the note was delivered, the two friends huddled together and read the note at the same time.

Kakashi-sama,

The woman Tahino has confirmed my suspicions. Her husband, who was good friends with Keekyo's father, says his spirit instantly diminished when his daughter was born. He acted almost as if she didn't exist. When people asked about her, he would brush the question off and change the subject. It got to the point where no one bothered anymore. Tahino said that she was initially concerned, but that Keekyo's mother seemed to have things "under control" so she didn't want to interfere. She did admit that she thought Keekyo's father was being ridiculous and even cold towards his daughter. Apparently, Tahino is not a fan of him as a person. I think her family could serve as the kind of evidence you need to bring Keekyo's father into questioning. I was able to get this much information just "out of curiosity", but someone asking them on official business could get much more.

One more thing. I think the infinite tsukuyomi was the 'last straw' for Keekyo. Her father probably dreamed of having a son, and was enraged when he awoke and found it was a lie. His attitude towards her probably worsened. That, or Keekyo dreamed of her father loving her and couldn't handle the reality. Perhaps it's both. I'm unsure of how to confirm this.

Iruka.

"Well." Tsunande concluded, turning to look at Kakashi. "What say you?"

"I don't want Iruka involved anymore. I'm going to send an ANBU to this Tahino to get an official interview from her. I'm also going to get the names of more of Keekyo's father's friends as well, which I'm certain her husband will know."

The blond woman threw her arms up with a sigh. "I guess this meeting is over, then."

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The chuunin splashed more hot water onto his face before giving up and towelling off. He assumed the guilt he'd felt at Keekyo's death would have diminished at helping solve her case, but unfortunately, it hadn't happened yet. Instead, the chuunin felt more bogged down than ever. He wanted answers. He wanted justice. Really, he didn't know what he wanted, but he wanted it.

With a warm cup of tea, a blanket and a book, Iruka settled down on his couch. Marking should have been top priority, but he could hardly concentrate. The kids would just have to wait to find out their mark on their pop quiz.

An hour into his reading he heard a gentle knock on his door. Excitement gripped him as he threw off his blanket and hopped off his couch. Every fibre of his being hoped and prayed it was Kakashi, and hopefully with news.

When the chuunin opened the door, he was not disappointed.

"Kakashi..." He breathed with a smile.

The Hokage chuckled and stepped inside. "I could get used to a greeting like that."

Iruka instantly broke out into an all-consuming flush as he gently closed the door. Kakashi took off his large robe and draped it over a chair on the corner. He yawned, stretched, and scratched his slightly exposed abdomen.

"You can be Hokage next week if you want." The silver haired ninja drawled. "I'm tired."

Iruka laughed. "How about I make you a tea instead?"

Kakashi pouted, but shrugged in acceptance. The chuunin made his way to the kitchen and put the kettle back on the stove.

"So do you have any-Oh!"

The counter pressed into Iruka's back as he jumped back in shock. He'd turned to talk to Kakashi and found him standing just before him. The Hokage smiled down at him gently, amused by his skittishness.

"I didn't greet you properly." Kakashi murmured.

Before he could ask what he meant, Kakashi leaned down and Iruka knew. Their lips met and a sweet, chaste kiss was exchanged between them. It made the chuunin's stomach twist to think that they were alone in his house again, free to act as they wished. The kiss slowly ended and Kakashi smiled down at Iruka, his expression open and warm. Iruka still wasn't quite used to it.

"Did...you still want tea?"

Kakashi laughed and took a step back. "Sure."

Feeling just slightly foolish, Iruka shot the Hokage a bright smile and casually leaned forward to turn the stove on. Coming back to his original stance, he kept smiling and tried to act cool and casual. Kakashi practically had it down to an art.

"Ah. Green?"

"Doesn't matter."

A pack of green tea was quickly yanked from a container beside him and the chuunin dropped it into a cup without looking away from Kakashi. "Green it is."

The two smiled at each other before Iruka cracked and laughed lightly, glancing down.

"So...how's the case coming along?"

A little of the light in Kakashi's eyes diminished at the change of subject. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, seeming much more tired than he had a mere moment ago. "We assigned someone else to your informants, so they've been officially interviewed. Also, they supplied us with names of people who could give us more information. It's...turning out to be such an unnecessary tragedy. No one ever could have anticipated the affect the infinite tsukuyomi would have on the villagers. It seems to have acted as a catalyst for people, or situations, that were already on weak legs to begin with. That it happened to have such tragic consequences for a child is...well."

The kettle whistled and Iruka jumped with surprise. He tended to it quickly as Kakashi continued.

"Anyway. It shouldn't take us long to solve it; we already have a good idea of what happened."

Iruka handed Kakashi his tea with a sombre expression and nodded his head towards the couch. The two left the kitchen and took their seats in the living room. The chuunin briefly remembered the last time they'd shared his couch together and shifted slightly, suddenly feeling the warmth from Kakashi much stronger than before.

"How are you doing otherwise, Kakashi? You said you were tired. It's been hard so far?"

"Maaa..." Kakashi looked bashful as he put his tea to the side. "Don't listen to me. Every other Hokage in history had to deal with a war, or some kind of terror attack during their reign. I have nothing to complain about."

"Hmm." The chuunin sipped his tea with a blink. "When you think about it like that, Konoha hasn't had a very peaceful history. Ever."

A light laugh escaped Kakashi's lips. "We were on a good run before the Great War. And Pein, I suppose..."

The copy-nin turned slightly serious. He leaned in close, Iruka trying his best to look like it didn't heat his body up even further than it already was.

"And...how are you?"

"I'm fine. Really." Iruka added when Kakashi merely stared harder. " You've, ah...been a big help. Actually."

Kakashi's eyes danced and his smile turned so bright it was apparent under his mask. "Have I?"

Of course he would respond as vaguely as possible so Iruka was forced to elaborate. Sometimes the chuunin wondered if Kakashi just loved hearing about himself that much, or if it was more the torture he enjoyed.

"Yes...well...let's not get too ahead of ourselves-"

Kakashi laughed loudly and Iruka could only blush harder in response. The chuunin's back was slapped playfully and the Hokage readjusted himself with obvious exaggeration into a slouch that was all casual and no pride. "Sorry. Clearly, I had only a small part to play. Please continue."

Recovering elegantly from his embarrassment, Iruka did as he was bid. "Anyway. Yes, you have. You've given me something to focus my energy on, made me feel like I have more power to help the people I want to help. It's...taken my mind off of things I had no right dwelling on. And, well. You're...just...a comforting presence. I suppose."

Iruka stared into his tea cup with such intensity Kakashi had a hard time schooling his features. It clearly made Iruka's more fiery personality show through when the Hokage needled him, so he avoided it for the present.

"It isn't very often that someone refers to my presence as 'comforting', so thank you." Kakashi responded with a warm smile. Slowly, the chuunin tore his gaze from his steaming tea and glanced back up at his Hokage.

"When you allow yourself to be, you're excellent company, Kakashi."

The other ninja's demeanour dropped slightly; still warm but a little more serious. "Yes. I've come to realize quite a few things about myself over the last year. I know I pushed people away."

Kakashi shifted again, turning his body away from Iruka and leaning forward, his clasped hands resting in his lap. The change in his disposition was obvious and the chuunin felt guilty for having caused it.

"The past is the past. You're different now; very different." Iruka began. "What is the point of having a past if we can't learn from it? I know I can be difficult to deal with too, at times..." Iruka supplied, smiling at Kakashi as reassuringly as he could. It seemed to have worked, for Kakashi stood a little straighter and a light smile returned to his features.

"I don't know if I'm so different..."

Iruka's expression adopted Kakashi's usual mischievous one. "A few years ago I couldn't even get you to stick around the mission room long enough to sign for your own reports. And now, we're here together, talking about ourselves. I think that's a big change."

It was obviously a struggle for Kakashi to restrain his smile from getting any bigger, but he managed it. "Maaa...yes. They were just so tedious."

The two ducked their heads and smiled to themselves, mostly at their own thoughts. Iruka still couldn't believe he and Kakashi were talking intimately amongst each other. Kakashi couldn't believe it, either.

"I always thought you were interesting." The Hokage quietly supplied. He glanced over at Iruka, who was now gazing at him in mute surprise. "I guess you can say I have a soft spot for people who go against the grain."

A large, bashful smile accompanied by a growing red tinge took over Iruka's face. He couldn't help but look away again. "I haven't done anything that out of the ordinary."

"Your relationship with Naruto is so natural to you now, that you've forgotten how it started?"

That caused the chuunin to pause. Iruka didn't really think anyone had taken note of it at the time. People hadn't really started to accept Naruto until after the chuunin exams; he didn't think anyone even remembered what Iruka had done for him, it had been so long ago and at such a tumulus time in Naruto's life.

"Oh..." The school teacher gasped lightly, his blush intensifying. No one had ever openly praised him for what he'd done for his student, except for Hiruzen and Naruto himself. Iruka never considered what Kakashi thought of it.

"I...feel I did as any teacher should have..."

"You were the first person to publicly accept him. In a very real way, you shaped the outcome of the wars and the village. Who knows what would have happened if you'd disregarded him as everyone else had."

Iruka stared at Kakashi with his mouth slightly hanging open. He had never thought of that. What if he had heartlessly failed him a couple more times? Surely, Hiruzen would have continued to look out for Naruto's best interests, and SOMEHOW he would have been put on a team that was good for him, even if it wasn't Kakashi's. But would the outcome have been the same...?

The chuunin shook his head to banish those thoughts. He shot Kakashi a smile that was thankful, but sceptical. "I doubt it was as much as that. I know Hiruzen was looking out for him. He would have intervened."

Kakashi shrugged and lay back on the couch, his casual slouch returning. "Mm. Maybe. But what motivated Naruto wasn't just graduating; it was that someone believed in him. When he talked about you, it was like you were his hero. As if he had an image of you as what he aspired to be like, a person he wanted to make proud, like a father."

His heart filling with an overpowering warmth seemed to make the school teacher mute. Back then, he could tell he'd made a difference with Naruto. But the blond firecracker had affected him, too. He'd given him someone more personal to care for. Of course, he loved all of his students. But they usually graduated and moved on, away from his care. But Naruto stayed. He became someone for Iruka to funnel all of his warmth into.

Iruka laughed lightly and had to snap back to reality before he got misty eyed in front of Kakashi. The famed copy-ninja could be so sweet and complementary when he felt compelled to be.

"Ah...thank you, Kakashi. You know, you were -are- important to him, too. You were kind of like the older brother he aspired to show who was boss. You prodded him where he needed to be prodded, you teased him when he needed to be teased." Iruka laughed again, remembering Naruto talking about Kakashi.

"It drove him crazy, but at the end of the day, you could tell he loved it. He knew he was improving. He knew you meant the best for him. It was so much more than anyone had ever done for him."

For the first time in a while, Iruka stopped and took a good look at Kakashi. The jounin looked more emotional than Iruka could ever remember seeing him. It startled him, seeing so much depth to a person who had been out of reach his entire life. He found himself floored.

"Kakashi..."

"I don't think I did him justice, in those early years. None of them, really..." Kakashi muttered, his voice thick. "I was still trying to adjust myself. The way I had lead people, the kind of subordinates I had, nothing compared to genin. I was used to trained, hard killers. People like me, who were closed off and professional. At least on missions, anyway. Most people were different on and off the battle field. Except me."

As if rethinking the direction of their conversation, Kakashi shifted himself and his expression closed off slightly. "I learned, regardless. Although...sometimes I wish I had been more like Gai, or Jiraiya...or you. Someone who could have been affectionate, and forged a real relationship with him, like he needed. But I couldn't."

When Kakashi went silent, Iruka shifted slightly closer to him on the couch. Slowly, he placed a gentle hand on the Hokage's shoulder. Their eyes met, and the warmth from Iruka's calmed the hardness appearing in Kakashi's.

"Considering you were such a cold-hearted, terrible Sensei, he sure turned out alright in the end." Iruka offered with a sly smile. "I suppose you couldn't have been that awful."

The look in Kakashi's eye instantly changed, almost too fast to be seen. One second he looked almost shameful, and the next, his usual confident charm had replaced it. Iruka felt a hard warmth blossom against his side as Kakashi leaned in and pressed against him. Time seemed to completely slow, almost utterly intangible.

"It's a good thing he had his warm-hearted Iruka-sensei to help him, isn't it?"

All Iruka could think about was how good it felt for Kakashi to be so close to him. He never thought he would enjoy an intimacy like this, where he could literally smell Kakashi's skin and feel the heat from his body. Silence stretched between them as they drowned in each others gazes, before Iruka leaned forward and pressed his lips against Kakashi's. They kissed, hot and long and slow, as Kakashi covered Iruka's body with his own.

The two sunk down into the cushions of the couch, Iruka wrapping his legs around Kakashi's waist as their mouths continued to explore each other. Instinctively the chuunin ran his hands along his Hokage's strong back, pulling his shirt up in the process. With a little, drowned gasp, he stopped when he realized Kakashi's clothing preferences. As he pulled his hand away, Iruka was startled to feel the Hokage grab his wrist. They pulled apart, Kakashi smiling down at the chuunin.

Slowly, his eyes boring into Iruka's, Kakashi grasped the ends of his shirt and pulled it over his head. The chuunin couldn't help but note how the Hokage's muscles flexed and shifted as he moved, his skin soft and pale. The ANBU tattoo on his shoulder seemed a glaring contrast to the almost porcelain appearance of Kakashi's body. Iruka quickly rid himself of his own constricting shirt, and soon, their torso's slid against each other and the chuunin couldn't help but gasp again. It felt so good to feel Kakashi against him, his hard, deadly body pinning him to the couch.

"Thanks." Iruka whispered with a small smile.

Kakashi chuckled and lightly kissed the tip of his nose. "Did you just thank me for taking my top off?"

"Oh yah."

They both laughed, but the moment couldn't stay light. A thickness was in the air, accented by raw attraction. Kakashi seemed like he was troubled, like he wanted to say something, but didn't know what. Iruka kissed the underside of his jaw, and the Hokage couldn't help himself. Their lips connected and their hips shifted, ground together. Kakashi decided he would save it for another day.

It took another moment of caressing Kakashi's finally bare torso for the chuunin to realize a lot of that hardness wasn't just his finely sculpted muscles. He seemed to be tense, despite his obvious enjoyment of their intimacy. Iruka pulled back enough to look into Kakashi's eyes.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes." Kakashi whispered, dipping down to tail kisses down Iruka's neck and change the subject.

"You're wound up like a scroll..." The chuunin continued softly.

There was just the slightest pause before Kakashi continued. "I know. It's alright."

Iruka decided from Kakashi's hesitant tone that it was definitely best to continue. He had gone from not wanting to disrobe at all to happily throwing his top off, so there had to be some kind of adjustment. The chuunin lifted his hips, smiled up at Kakashi and slowly pushed his pants off. He knew being more exposed than his Hokage would calm the other man, and he was right. Iruka felt Kakashi's fingers brush against his as he helped the chuunin rid himself of his clothes.

When Iruka lay naked and smiling under Kakashi, something seemed to shift in the eyes of the older ninja. It was as if a small, invisible barrier had snapped and evaporated. With just the smallest change in Kakashi's demeanour, Iruka could tell it was appreciation and trust that replaced hesitance and fear.

With his usual calm confidence, Kakashi casually balanced his weight just above Iruka with one arm as he used the other to slip off the last shreds of the wall between him and his partner.

The chuunin had only a moment to marvel at how gorgeous Kakashi was before his thoughts turned to more tangible things.

If anyone had told Iruka before now that Kakashi smelled like fresh, clean sheets and felt just as soft, he would have thought they were insane.

Their tea's lay cold and forgotten on the table before them.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

SO SORRY for the gigantic gap in updates. I dunno, I just had crazy writers block. I actually opened up this chapter and tried to continue it like 6 times before I finally managed to finish. Not sure what I was waiting for, but at least it finally came. I think I'll just write one more chapter after this, though. Maybe its just the way "Naruto" ended that has kind of killed my desire to write about it.

Anyway! Thanks so much for reading!