Author's Notes: Ok, I know this chappy is shorter than the others. But I had to end it where I did for effect. The next chappy will be ready soon. I just have to work out some things. Also, I have to give credit for an idea I have used in this story. Breaking was originally used in the very first story I ever read called "Butterfly In Reverse." You can find it here on fanfiction. Although, it hasnt been updated since 2005. This made me very sad because it is fantastic. It does have 18 chapters so if your interested you should go read it. I think the Author's name was bite the hand that feeds, but dont quote me on that. Anyway, I used the idea of a shinobi breaking and it being called as such because it made sense as it was explained in the story mentioned above. But I wanted to make sure the original idea and author was given due credit. I probably wont use it again in this story because it's been made obvious that Kakashi isnt really breaking if we go by the original description. He's just...what's the word to describe him again? Oh yeah, unsettled. LOL

As a side note, the beginning is mostly narration and the end has more dialogue, so it may read weird. But oh well, you'll get over it Im sure. :) NOW, on with the show!

Psycho Babble and Gay Shinobi's

"Is it true?" Genma broke the silence and started placing the poison coated senbons into the holster strapped to his right leg, "What you said to Naruto. Are you done?"

Kakashi walked over to the bed and started placing the various weapons in their respective hiding places throughout his uniform. He thought about having to get a new one when he got back from the mission. After all, the one he was wearing was about to become obsolete he realized. He wasn't expecting them to come out of their battle with the Kazekage unscathed. Their injuries would add to the illusion.

Kakashi finally turned to face Genma, who was now standing with his arms crossed over his chest as he waited for an answer. Thinking for several long seconds, Kakashi realized he didn't have an answer for his friend. So he simply stared back, expressionless, as usual. He didn't know why he had said what he said to Naruto that day. His anger had flared and the words just fell out of his mouth without asking his brain for permission.

When he didn't get a response, Genma shifted and stuffed his hands into his pockets, "Just answer me one question and I wont bother you again about your personal, yet idiotic, reason for wanting this mission." He searched Kakashi's impassive face, knowing his friend too well to actually expect to see anything. But the man's behavior during his street brawl was out of character and it was enough for the senbon specialist to be rightfully concerned.

"Im not crazy if that's what your wondering." Kakashi blurted out. Again his mouth going on without the rest of him. He really needed to do something about that he sighed mentally but continued to glare.

"No. I know better than to even ask that. We're all a little twisted. You have to be to do what we do. Naruto and the others wont ever understand because they were raised during a time of peace." Genma's eyes became slightly unfocused, as if he was remembering, then raising his eyes to meet Kakashi's, they locked in a silent stare down, "But we all break at some point." he commented rather than ask the sharingan user his initial question.

His partners silence gave him the answer he had been searching for. How many times had he reached a point where the whole damn thing was just too much? When he just wanted to walk away from it all? Too many to count he frowned. Most shinobi had something they came home to that helped them forget for a little while that they were tools of Konoha.

Especially during the war.

He had chosen his outlet a long time ago. Women. God he loved them. The way they smelled, smiled, laughed. They felt nice too. Not just in bed, but all the time. They were soft, curvy and delicate like flowers. Even some of Konoha's kunoichi managed to hold onto their femininity while still being strong, capable and dangerous. It was when he was with a woman that he felt human again. Leaving everything else at the gate, he immersed himself in his favorite pastime.

So he got a little crazy sometimes. Even he would admit to bed hopping more than he should. It worked for him. Especially when coming home from a really bad mission. And despite the jokes and comments, he hadn't ever contracted anything unappealing from any of his affairs. So far. Also, to his knowledge, he hadn't left behind anything unwanted either. He hoped.

Genma flinched at the thought of a little Shiranui. Not completely ridiculous or nauseatingly scary he shrugged after a moment. 'But what if there's more than one...' he thought, suddenly imagining a large map with little red dots marking all the places, cough women, he had visited where the possibility of a mini-Genma existed. Shuddering, he quickly pushed the image out of his head and refocused on the reason he had gone down that line of thinking to begin with.

It was obvious that Kakashi's books were no longer a strong enough outlet to keep away the demons every shinobi carried around with them. And he was only assuming the books were the man's chosen form of coping with his so called demons. Noone ever saw him without one of his favorite little novels hovering in front of his face. That is until recently. Reflecting on the last twelve months or so, Genma realized he hadn't seen the Copy brat reading any his favorite books.

He eyed Kakashi suspiciously, earning a even deadlier glare in return.

'It happens though.' he thought sadly, considering the silent man in front of him. Sometimes a shinobi's choice of dealing wasn't good enough and it was those moments when most shinobi simply snapped. Especially shinobi with experiences like his and Kakashi's. Breaking was the ANBU term for those who at some point in their career had cracked under the stress. It was considered a personal and private matter to be dealt with the upmost discretion out of respect for the shinobi.

They were unpredictable. Usually ranging from bad to very bad to holy shit situations in which the person had to be subdued. They were also temporary. Lasting no more than a week or so if it was severe and as little as a two or three days. Someone would volunteer to stay with them, a team mate most likely, just to make sure they didn't do anything really stupid. But he hadn't met a shinobi yet that didn't recover enough to return to active duty.

Kakashi was anything but normal.

The man never did anything that could be labeled normal. Hell, he wasn't even in the same category as the rest of ANBU. Who could blame him? He was practically born in a uniform with a kunai in one hand and a perverted book in the other. Childhood wasn't a word in Hatake Kakashi's vocabulary. But his behavior, attitude, reactions, all told Genma that if he was breaking, it was a long drawn out process that was slowly driving the man insane.

Even if he did keep insisting he wasn't crazy.

Genma's frown deepened once he realized the man he had been contemplating was grinning at him from behind his stupid mask, "What are you smiling about old man?"

"Do you always look constipated when you think? Or is it a special face you reserve for me?"

"Its special. You really are an ass you know that? And your avoiding..."

"Relax Genma. It's not what you think." Kakashi's eye twinkled mischievously as he walked around his partner and headed for the door, "Im not into guys. Anymore."

"How do you know what Im thinking?" Genma growled irritably, quickly moving to catch up, "And what do you mean anymore!?"

Kakashi stopped and turned, looking Genma up and down slowly before grinning, "Although, I might make an exception in your case."

"Don't look at me like that, it gives me the creeps!" Genma threatened under his breath, trying not to raise his voice and attract unwanted attention, "And what did you mean by anymore you hentai?"

Kakashi shrugged and continued up the hall as Genma briskly walked to catch up for the second time after being left standing with a not too cool look on his face. Snapping out of his initial shock of being eyed like a piece of meat by the man he was about to spend several months with, "Your not really gay, are you?" he whispered, a hint of concern in his voice, "Seriously, you can tell me."

Kakashi stopped again, Genma nearly running into him, "Are you asking because your interested?" he plastered a look of hopeful curiosity on his face, one silver eyebrow wiggled suggestively.

Genma turned red and stepped back, "You're an ass."

"I think we've established that." Kakashi slouched as if he was disappointed with the answer then held out his hand towards the elevator door offering to let Genma go first, "And your gullible. Look that up in the dictionary if your not sure what it means." he commented as Genma walked past.

"Am I gay?" Kakashi repeated sarcastically and chuckled, moving to stand next to Genma before punching the ground floor button. As the elevator doors closed, he leaned back as if admiring Genma's backside then straightened up, smiling at the brown haired jonin who was glaring at the door intently.

Arms crossed over his chest like a child pitching a fit, brow knitted together, face turning red, "I hate you." Genma growled not looking over at his perverted counterpart.

Kakashi mentally patted himself on the back for a job well done. Another conversation deviously avoided. Not that he had to avoid it, he could simply refuse to talk about his little problem. But he had to get the senbon sucking psychiatrist to stop looking at him like he was an unstable exploding tag that could blow up in his face at any moment. Messing with Genma's head not only accomplished this goal in a very humorous and satisfying way, it also managed to lighten the mood.

After all, they were about to attack a Kage and get their ass's handed to them, turning themselves into S-class criminals, and ultimately joining a World Domination Club for deviants so they could spend God only knows how long playing bad guys and thereby saving the world.

What's not exciting about that?