I forgot to write a disclaimer. Is that actually necessary anyway? Oh well, just in case... *clears throat* I do not own Naruto, that would be Kishimoto's work. Nor do I own Lessons Learned From a C Ranked Mission, that's KakashiKrazed's. Let's see...yeah, Iruka's not mine either. But I can dream, can't I? =)

For followers of the main story, you'll notice some...uh...major discrepancies starting in this chapter. 'Krazed gave me leave to show off some of Iruka's ninja prowess.
There's a reason the summary says "What if...", and that the title is what it is.

They were going after Kakashi on their own.

Iruka couldn't quite remember exactly what sort of twisted thought process led him to make such a seemingly reckless decision, but now that the decision had been made, that hardly mattered anymore.

Team 7 wasn't inclined to question it either. Relieved, excited, and even scared, they wanted this more than anything. It had been killing them to just wait.

As Naruto and Sakura packed, Iruka took Sasuke aside to speak to him in private.

This wasn't going to be easy. Once they were out of hearing range from the other two, Iruka began. "Sasuke, I've decided that not all of us can go into this operation," he informed. "We need someone to wait here, in case the Konoha Team finally arrives."

Sasuke nodded his understanding and prepared to give his opinion on the matter. "In that case, I think it'd be best to leave…"

"I've already decided who's staying," Iruka interrupted. "I've thought it through very carefully, Sasuke, and I believe you're the most logical choice."

The raven-haired youth shot him an incredulous, almost betrayed, look. He seemed at a loss for words, but finally settled with, "You've got to be kidding, sensei."

When the chunin's face persisted in displaying no sign of jesting, the teen continued, "I'm the best genin on this team. You can't leave me behind!"

"It's not about who's the best, or the strongest," the chunin countered gently. "I already told you, it's simply the most logical choice." Iruka closed his eyes briefly. "If we…fail…on this mission, Orochimaru will almost undoubtedly move his base of operation. We would never have found him the first time, if not for you. There's little chance of finding him a second time, without your help."

Sasuke reflexively rubbed the curse-mark on his neck- the one that allowed him to sense when Orochimaru was near. Even now, it burned. "Take me with you, sensei, and there won't be a second time."

Iruka raised an eyebrow at the bold statement. "This isn't up for debate, Sasuke. I may not by Kakashi, but I am leading this team at the moment. If you can't follow my orders, then we don't have a team, but a rabble. Can you trust me enough to let me lead?"

Sasuke pressed his lips together before responding. "I want to go. I have to do something to rescue Kakashi-sensei. You'll need me in there. Sakura sometimes freezes up in tough situations, and Naruto rushes into things without thinking it through. One of them should stay behind instead."

Iruka glanced up at the two genin in question, who were still on the other side of the camp, waiting for the chunin to rejoin them. "I understand your objections, Sasuke. But there is another reason I think it's best for you to stay."

The look in Sasuke's eyes were filled with unspoken challenge. He could see no acceptable reason to be left behind in this.

"We were able to find Orochimaru because of your curse mark. Yet we don't know exactly how the mark works." Iruka reminded him. "There's a strong possibility that getting too close will in turn alert Orochimaru to your presence. It would be disastrous for the mission, if he tracked you as we've been doing him. I'm not willing to take that risk."

He could see the struggle in Sasuke's expression as he considered the possibility of his presence leading Orochimaru to their group.

Finally, tersely, the boy nodded. As much as he wanted to go, he was rational enough to see why it was best for Kakashi if he stayed.

And that's what it all came down to in the end: the best way to rescue Kakashi. This was bigger than pride, rivalry, or the need to prove oneself.

Iruka couldn't help but feel relieved. "Good. Now, here are your orders.

"Maintain this camp, and be ready to receive the Konoha team if and when they finally arrive. On the other hand, be ready to obliterate all evidence of this encampment at a moment's notice, should a quick escape be necessary." Iruka paused to give room for questions. As there were none, he continued. "Finally, if the retrieval team does not arrive, and if we have not returned in three days, assume that the mission has failed. Return to Konoha immediately to report. They will need you to lead them back here, and perhaps even to help them find where Orochimaru has gone, should he move his base of operation after this."

Sasuke nodded his understanding, not wasting time by protesting at the thought of the mission failing. He needed to be prepared for every scenario. "I won't let you down," he stated begrudgingly, obviously still desiring to go.

Iruka smiled and grasped the boy's shoulder in affection. "I know you'll do well."

Even while asserting this sentiment, the sensei felt distinctly unsettled, leaving a 13-year-old so completely alone this close to enemy ground. Still, it was actually the 13-year-olds he'd be taking with him who were in the greatest danger.

Speaking of reckless endangerment, it was time to go brief Naruto and Sakura on their part in this mission.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Iruka, Naruto, and Sakura approached the area where Orochimaru's hideout lay.

The journey from the camp to this location had gone by in a blur. Iruka mind had difficultly grasping the memories of just how they'd gotten to this point. His feet must have been moving on autopilot, since his mind was so occupied.

He frowned to himself. This was not the time to get careless. For the sake of his team, he had to focus.

Both genin seemed far more nervous than they had been at the camp. Clearly, arguing with Iruka about how they should be going after Kakashi, and actually attempting to do so, were two vastly different concepts.

He placed a hand on either of their shoulders. "We can do this," he reassured.

Sakura looked pale. "You really think we can defeat Orochimaru?"

Iruka stifled a bark of dry laughter. He was an optimist, not an idiot. "Defeat him? No, I don't think so." He smiled wryly at them, "But, I do have a plan. Right now, we're faced with an enemy we can't fight- so we won't."

This was met with rather blank stares. Obligingly, he elaborated. "Remember, our objective is not the defeat of Orochimaru, but the rescue of Kakashi-sensei. For this operation to succeed, we must avoid all confrontation and work toward our true goal."

He peered through the leaves of the tree in which they were currently sequestered. A patchwork of shadows shrouded his face as he continued to explain, "If we do our job, that snake won't know that we were ever here until it's already too late."

The gleam in their sensei's eyes became predatory- a side of the chunin that didn't manifest often. "When we move through that compound, team, it will be as immaterial beings, insubstantial shadows." A hint of pride and fierceness entered his tone. "In other words…as ninja."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Standard ninja missions generally began with intelligence gathering, followed by infiltration where applicable.

While rescuing the copy ninja from the clutches of one of the most dangerous S-class criminals known to man could hardly be considered a "standard" mission, thus far Iruka found that the basics still applied.

Days of reconnaissance enabled the chunin to prepare a plan for entry. The power lines that fed electricity into Orochimaru's den lay buried underground, but soil erosion in one area left a small portion of those wires unearthed.

Disrupting electricity even temporarily would disrupt any surveillance cameras, and possibly disable some security.

With this thought in mind, Iruka examined the wires intently, the genin keeping watch closely behind. Finally, he nodded to himself, coming to a decision, and retrieved a spoon from his vest.

"Uh…sensei?" Naruto whispered, eyeing the blunt metal object in his grasp, "Don't you think it will be easier to cut the wires with a knife?... You can borrow mine if you want."

The sensei's lips thinned. "No thank you, Naruto. If we cut the wire, it will be obvious that enemies are present. We need a more subtle, indirect approach."

Iruka proceeded to withdraw a small plastic container filled with a creamy, brown substance. The spoon dipped into the jar and a small portion of the substance was scooped out and applied over the wire.

He examined his handiwork minutely. "All right. Let's go."

The sensei disappeared into the leaves of a tree. Naruto shot Sakura a questioning look, to which the kunoichi could only shrug. Finally, they simply followed suit and took refuge in the sheltering branches of the great oak.

"Sensei," Naruto asked finally, when no further action was forthcoming, "What did you put on the wires? It smelled like peanut butter."

Sakura whacked the boy's head. "Don't be a moron, Naruto! It must be some type of wire-dissolving chemical…right, sensei?"

Iruka kept watch on the ground below as he answered. "Actually, it was peanut butter."

Naruto shot a triumphant grin at his teammate, whose face scrunched up in confusion. She was about to comment, but Iruka stayed her with a raised hand, never lifting his eyes from the area underneath them where the wires lay.

"Now please, no more talking. I do have a plan, and currently it requires both silence and patience."

Out of respect for their former sensei, the genin waited silently in the tree. Mostly, they pondered if it was at all possible that peanut butter had some sort of electricity-draining ability.

After nearly two hours of silent pondering, just before their concern for their leader's sanity began to outweigh their respect, Iruka's eyes lit with triumph. Placing a finger over his lips to emphasize the command for silence, he tilted his chin toward the power lines.

A large, grey rabbit approached, nose twitching actively as it sniffed at the peanut-butter coated cable. Finally, the animal began gnawing, tentatively at first but with increasing vigor, delighted with its newfound treat.

Minutes later, electricity coursed through the creature's body, leaving it prone at its side. Iruka jumped down lightly and examined the damage.

The rabbit had chewed right through the plastic coating, leaving the metal wires underneath exposed, and even nicked, but still intact. Not as much as it could have been, but still, it was enough.

Iruka then examined the creature itself. Its fur was the oddest grey Iruka had ever seen- much closer to blue, in fact, now that he'd had a closer look. A check for genjutsu revealed nothing suspicious, so for now the freakishly blue rabbit was categorized as something interesting to ponder later, but not immediately relevant to the mission.

Naruto silently dropped down beside him, and with wide, watery eyes took in the still form. Slowly, the boy crouched over the prone animal.

"Iruka-sensei…" the blonde whispered tragically, "…is he…?"

Sensing the solemnity of the moment, and having learned to never minimize his students' feelings, the chunin nodded gravely. "Yes, Naruto. The rabbit is dead."

The boy's lip trembled slightly as he stated, almost aghast, "You… killed an innocent bunny."

The older ninja's eyes lowered. "Yes, Naruto. I did."

This was part of the reason Iruka avoided taking difficult missions with former students. It was one thing for them to know theoretically that their tame, unassuming sensei is, in fact, also a ninja. It was another thing altogether for them to see it firsthand.

In truth, Iruka hadn't really given his actions a second thought. But obviously it meant something to the boy beside him. Would Naruto ever look at him the same way again?

"It was a necessary loss," he pointed out gently. "Hopefully, this will be the only casualty we see today." It pained him to see the hurt in the boy's eyes.

Sakura released a noisy breath. "For goodness sake, Naruto, it's just a rabbit! Kakashi-sensei killed one too, that time we ran out of ration bars. Then we ate it for dinner, remember?"

Naruto blinked. "Oh…yeah." He suddenly brightened. "Hey, can we eat this one too?"

Iruka inwardly sighed in relief. It seemed his image before Naruto was safe for now. "No, we need to leave it, so the enemy will have something on which to blame the power outage."

"What power outage, sensei?" Sakura pointed out. "The wire's still intact."

"Ah, but it is now exposed, and vulnerable to the elements," Iruka explained cheerfully.

He then scanned the clear sky, looking vainly for some sign of such elements. However, no storm clouds menaced in the distance. Just a bright moon, happily twinkling stars, and the occasional puffy cumulus cloud.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't look like rain will be forthcoming. I'll need to improvise." Iruka's hands flew deftly through the hand seals necessary for an elementary, D-rank water jutsu.

The resulting mist that arose wasn't particularly heavy. The chunin took particular care to make the fog appear natural as he concentrated more water vapor over the wire, causing condensation to rapidly accumulate. From there, simple water manipulation resulted in an excessive current that promptly short-circuited the system.

"It's done, the power's out." Iruka announced. "We'll make our entrance soon- and when we do, remember," he glanced at his former students sternly. "Do not engage anyone without my consent. All it takes is one 'missing' guard, and our position is compromised. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sensei." The two genin responded, in a way that strongly reminded Iruka of their Academy days. The teacher could be quite severe while laying down the non-negotiable criteria for classes like advanced weapons handling, and his stern instructions were often met with the same earnest "Yes, sensei."

But the stakes here were much higher than a grade report, or promotion to the next level. This was not a classroom exam. This was the "real world" about which he so often spoke. And the life of their jounin sensei hung in the balance.

Next Chapter: Infiltrating Orochimaru's hideout and the first Kakashi appearance.

And of course, thank you to those who reviewed last chapter, yure-chan, Reidluver, Ir1s, KakashiKrazed, Skater Valentine, and chibi heishi.