Iruka's heart clenched at the sounds of Kakashi's pain filled screams. He wanted to do something, to do anything, but Iruka knew he wouldn't be of much help. His best choice was to stay out of Kakashi's way and care for the little girl in his arms. Iruka had faith in Kakashi, and he prayed with every being that his faith wouldn't dissappoint him. Kakashi would protect them from whoever brought danger.
'Kakashi is Konoha's strongest and brightest. He won't be injured.'
'But he's greatly outnumbered. Even the best could not survive.'
Iruka's mind was in a battle with itself, the rational side constantly tearing down any hope.
The clenching of his uniform shirt drifted Iruka's eyes down to Sachi. The poor child was shooken up with fear, tears beginning to form in her round eyes. "W-why are t-they f-fighting?" she whispered.
Iruka hugged her tighter and gently muttered, "T-there are some mean people here and Ka- Hatake san is trying to stop them from doing bad things."
Sachi nodded as if she understood the situation. "Will the masked man be ok?"
Iruka nodded in return. "He'll be fine. He always is."
God, Iruka hoped he was right.
oOo
The sounds of fighting ceased to silence and Iruka held his breath, listening for any signs of danger and searching for that familiar chakra. The branches shook before Kakashi emerged from its depth. Iruka exhaled a sigh of relief.
"Cover the child's eyes" Kakashi murmered. Iruka instantly reached over and placed his palm across Sachi's eyes. The child whimpered and put her small hands over Iruka's, trying her best to secure them, as if she knew a terrible ordeal was ahead. Kakashi swiftly scooped up the pair before descending from the trees and placing Iruka and Sachi on the ground.
Iruka gasped and his free hand flew to cover his quivering lips.
Blood. Blood and dismembered bodies. Everywhere he looked, there was blood splashed across the surface along with bits and pieces of human body parts scattered about. Heads, fingers, livers, intestines were strewn across the forest floor. In the corner of his eyes, Iruka could see the only still intact body of a person, but so battered and burnt was it that Iruka could not make out the gender.
Iruka wanted to puke. In his years of being a ninja, never was he subjected to such a sight.
Is this the result of Kakashi's doing? The man who held Iruka close, whispering sweet nothings into his ears during nights of horrendous nightmares, the man who gently caressed Iruka's skin as if it were made of delicate porcelain, the man who childishly pleads for affection, is capable of this?
Suddenly, Iruka's sight was blocked off and he was brought into protective arms. "You should cover your eyes also." Kakashi muttered into Iruka's ears.
Too shocked from the gruesome sight, Iruka couldn't do anything else beside nod, his face buried in the comfort of Kakashi's chest.
oOo
"…..sensei." Kakashi breathed into Iruka's ear. The brunette shuddered at the intimacy of the action before opening his eyes. Iruka diverted his attention away from Kakashi's gaze and onto their little charge.
"You okay?" Iruka asked gently. The small girl nodded while rubbing her eyes pitifully. His doting side wanted to reach out and comfort Sachi, but arms held the teacher back as he tried to take a step toward the young child.
Iruka glanced down and realized the current position he was in. A slight blush drew across his smooth cheeks as he spoke, "H-Hatake san, you can let go."
Silence.
"Hatake san?"
"….. can't." Kakashi strained to say before Iruka felt the weight of Kakashi's body draping on his back, hands clinging to the brunette's waist. Iruka turned around just in time to have Kakashi fall limply into his arms.
"Kakashi? Kakashi? Kakashi!" Iruka called out frantically. His eyes drifted down Kakashi's body and rested on the large cut in the jounin's uniform. Dark, red blood seeped through the opening and Iruka lifted up the piece of clothing. Iruka inhaled. There was a deep gash running across Kakashi's stomach, from one side to the other. Iruka cursed at himself. Why hadn't he notice the injury? Why hadn't he felt the red liquid soaking his back?
'Kakashi, you baka! You don't have to play hero.' Iruka cried inside before lying Kakashi's body on the ground.
The teacher scrambled to where Sachi stood and pulled out a piece of cloth. "Can you be a good girl?"
The crying child nodded her head, unable to speak.
"I'm going to tie this around your eyes and then I want you to try and sleep okay?"
Another nod.
Iruka picked the girl up and laid her on a pile of leaves. "Sleep." Iruka said before hurrying back to Kakashi.
Iruka pulled out the first aid kit and knelt on the floor. "Kakashi, you're bleeding too much. I'm going to have to stitch you up." The jounin gave a little nod.
Iruka disinfected the needle and wiped the caked blood off of Kakashi's stomach. The slight pressure on Kakashi's wound made the copy-nin roll his head back in pain.
The chunin steadied his hand and firmly pressed the needle into the cut and began the painful patching.
oOo
Iruka stroked the sleeping man's face. It was early morning, still too early for the sun to be out.
As Iruka stared at the night sky, he wanted to cry out in frustration. Why can't the Gods above make things easier for him? Why can't they keep Kakashi away? Why didn't Tsunade assign a different person? Why couldn't Iruka himself be indifferent to the other? Why can't he stop loving the silver haired man?
Iruka's fingers traced the defined jawline of Kakashi and moved to the man's straight and perfect nose, down to the thin lips. Not many people have been able to see the jounin's face. Many theories sprouted throughout the years, some stating the reason for Kakashi's mask to be because of a horrendous face deformity, while others claim that Kakashi's face is too beautiful to be shown. Iruka shook his head slightly at the silly rumors he once heard. Kakashi does not have a face deformity, nor is his features feminine in any way to be called beautiful. The man was handsome beyond words. The scar running down his eye gave him an animalistic appearance, and if possible, made him even more attractive than he already was.
"The kunoichi population would go crazy if they catch a glimpse of this face." Iruka whispered to no one in particular.
"….Thanks sensei." Came a hoarse reply.
Iruka gasped in surprise and retracted his hand from Kakashi's cheek. Iruka tried to fight down the blush he knew was beginning to form when he remembered Kakashi's injury. "Are you feeling better? Do you want some food? Water?"
"Some water would be great." Kakashi replied as Iruka helped the taller man sit up and lean against a tree.
"You should still be resting. You've only had 2 or 3 hours of sleep." Iruka muttered, handing Kakashi a cup of water.
"And you've had none."
"Ka- Hatake san, I'm not the one injured."
Kakashi frowned at the change of formality. "Sensei, you're less formal when I'm injured." Kakashi said, remembering the use of his first name by the academy teacher when he had fallen into the smaller man.
"You must be mistaken Hatake san." Iruka tried to deny any sign of familiarity between the two.
"Should I get injured again to prove my point?" Kakashi said before grunting in pain.
Iruka winced. "You shouldn't joke about getting hurt." 'I'll feel the pain too.'
Kakashi gazed at Iruka, the statement earlier seemed to harbor a different meaning, but he couldn't explain how. The jounin observed the academy teacher, frowning evertime he noticed a difference in the other's appearance.
"You've become alot fairer than what I remembered."
Iruka snapped his head towards the injured jounin, "Excuse me?"
"Well, I don't remember you being so…..pale." Kakashi said with a small smile at Iruka's flustered state.
"I haven't been out much."
"And why is that?"
Because I have been worried sick about your well being? "I don't believe it concerns you Hatake san."
Kakashi closed his eyes and slumped against the tree, a grin on his face. Iruka was definitely interesting. "Sensei, fill me in on what happened this past year, that according to Tsunade, I had forgotten."
Iruka hesitated, he had already spoken to Kakashi more than he would like. "Well after the village calmed down from learning of his return, Sasuke began his 3 months of house arrest followed by 3 months of D rank missions. Tsunade argued that the Uchiha heir was let off too easy, but the council countered that Sasuke was the last of the Uchiha clan and should be given lienency."
"How'd Naruto take everything?" Kakashi asked.
Iruka couldn't help but smile at the fond memories he remembered. "Naruto was quick to forgive Sasuke. A few months after his probation, the entire village watched on as Sasuke beat up Kiba for supposedly inappropriately touching 'his dobe' and then proceeded to pull Naruto in for a kiss."
Kakashi laughed, the light laughter Iruka haven't heard in awhile.
Iruka looked stood up abruptly, becoming uneasy at how comfortable talking with the jounin was. "I'm going to go check up on Sachi. You should sleep Hatake san."
"Iruka sensei, were you frightened by me today?"
Iruka froze and turned around to find Kakashi with a face void of any expression, the opposite of his easy laughter just moments ago. Iruka could see the anxiety in Kakashi's eyes. "Do I have a reason to be?"
"Were you not frightened by the mutilated bodies? The deaths, all caused by my hands?"
"It was your job, Hatake san. Your purpose was to protect us."
"But I could have done it in a less gruesome way. I could have spared them the agony."
"Hatake s-"
"I lost control Iruka. I went on a killing frenzy. My mind was blurred by the thought of them threatening Sachi's and more importantly, your safety. The thought of any of those filthy rogue nins laying a hand on you drove me insane. I can't explain the feeling I felt. I ripped up everything in my path. Iruka, you must think I'm a monster." Kakashi said, gripping his hair and ignoring the pain that shot up his body from the sudden movement.
Iruka's heart clenched. A sense of déjà vu washed over him. He could remember this very scene that played out half a year ago.
Iruka was humming the tune of a lullaby his mother used to sing to him as he prepared dinner. Iruka was so focused on cooking that he had not noticed the new presence in the cozy kitchen until he turned around to set the table.
"Kashi?" Iruka had whispered before running into the taller man's arms, not caring whether or not the other was covered in dirt.
"Kakashi, why didn't you speak up as soon as you were home?" Iruka muttered, cupping the anbu's cheek before pulling the man down for a kiss. "I missed you." It was true. Although the mission only took 3 days, Iruka still missed the jounin like crazy.
"Kashi, honey, what's wrong?" Iruka asked, noticing the oddly unresponsive Kakashi.
"Iruka, I killed an entire family." Kakashi muttered before dropping to the floor.
"Kashi, what happened?" Iruka asked softly, kneeling in front of the crestfallen man.
"T-they were taken hostage. The f-father was blind, his wife was p-pregnant and they had two little boys. I-I had to make a choice as the leader. I couldn't let the Akatsuki member g-go. Iruka, you must think I'm a monster. I could have rescued 5 lives but I chose not too." Kakashi said, the images of the family being slashed to death replayed in his mind.
Iruka lifted Kakashi's chin up, "Kakashi, don't ever call yourself a monster. You're a hero, one that makes sacrifices for the better. The man would have murdered many more lives if you had let him escape."
Kakashi had wrapped his arms around Iruka and pulled the younger man into his lap, burying his face into Iruka's shoulder.
Minutes? Hours? Iruka couldn't tell how long they had stayed like that, one embracing the other.
The silence was not broken until Kakashi muttered one desperate sentence.
"Don't ever leave me."
How was Iruka to react now? Unconsciously, Iruka's hand reached over to Kakashi, slightly touching the older man's cheek. "You're not a monster." Iruka whispered.
Kakashi met the teacher's eyes and his hand covered Iruka's smaller ones. "Iru-"
Iruka snapped out of his daze and yanked his hand out of Kakashi's grasp, interrupting the man. How could he let them become so close.
"I-I….Goodnight Hatake san." Iruka said before walking away.
xXOXx
Sorry for yet another late update. My laptop broke down for a week and then I got distracted by a couple of movies.
Cheers to returning readers, you know who you are!