A/N: I'm glad that the responses for this story have been so positive, in spite of the difficulty of the content. I know that it's only going to get worse from here before it gets better, and that makes me a little hesitant to write. Your encouraging comments, however, get me through. Thank you.

This chapter feels more fragmented to me, and I like it much less, but describing all the running around would have been boring so…

PS- I have a soundtrack for this story, and I'm going to share one or two songs that I think go with the chapter for those interested. This time it's "When You're Gone" by Avril Lavigne and "The Riddle" from The Scarlet Pimpernel Encore! Soundtrack.

Falling Like Starts
By: Reggie

Chapter 3

Even though he was not quite awake, Kakashi knew something was horribly wrong. Maybe it was the fact that he wasn't snapping instantly into an alert mind set, as he usually did, but instead felt like his brain was surfacing after being submerged in corn syrup. It was very slow going.

He remembered working with the brats all day, and having to coerce Naruto into going home with the promise of "as much ramen as the boy could eat tomorrow". He remembered coming home to dinner, and Iruka seeming strikingly distant and sad in way Kakashi could never remember his lover being before. They had gone to bed, and then…nothing. His mind went totally blank.

Kakashi wasn't going to rule out the possibility of sex so mind blowing it had torn a hole in his memory, but he sincerely doubted it.

A loud banging on the door made the Copy-ninja's head throb painfully, and Naruto's bellowing that accompanied it did nothing to help. "Kakashi-sensei! Are you in there?"

"Idiot!" Sakura's accompanying yell was, if anything, worse. "He could be ill or something!"

He sat up slowly, feeling a little dizzy and confused. What were the two of them doing here? How did they know where he lived? "We have company, Iruka-kun."

There was no answering smack with a pillow in protest to the nickname. Kakashi frowned and looked at the other side of the bed, even as he reached for his forehead protector off the bedside table. Iruka wasn't there. In fact, it looked like his side of the bed hadn't been slept in at all. But it was Saturday, and the Chuunin should have been there enjoying his morning of sleeping in.

The feeling of wrongness that had awoken the Copy-nin only increased as he pulled up his mask and headed toward the door, where the kids were still yelling in voices in much too loud for a weekend morning. It was a wonder the neighbors were not complaining yet. He opened the door and leaned wearily against the door frame. "What do you two want?"

They looked at him, quite surprised to see him. Naruto recovered first, and crossed his arms over his chest in a perfect imitation of Iruka's don't-mess-with-the-sensei pose. "You're losing your memory in your old age, Kakashi-sensei. You forget about practice on Saturday! And my ramen!"

Sakura elbowed her teammate, hard, before looking up at her instructor with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance. "Are you sick or something, sensei?"

Kakashi could only stare at them both with complete bewilderment. He was completely positive that when he'd come home last it had been Friday. It therefore naturally followed that the next time he got up should have been Saturday. But apparently it wasn't, because as clueless as his students could be sometimes even they didn't think more days had passed then really did. "What…what day is it?"

"Monday," Sakura answered, her features easing into concern, and Naruto suddenly quieted by her side. "Tsunade-sama said no one had seen you in a couple days when we went to ask about you, since you didn't show up on Saturday and were already later than usual today. She wanted us to make sure you weren't dead, or something."

Well, that at least explained how they knew where he and Iruka lived. And why Iruka wasn't there, although not why Iruka had let him sleep for two and a half days straight! Normally, Iruka would wake him if he over slept, or else send a note to Tsunade to explain to his team why he couldn't get up. The feeling of something being just off hadn't left him either, and it was almost as unsettling as the realization that he was missing two days from his life. "Must have been more tired than I thought."

"That's because you're getting old," Naruto was grinning at him, but he seemed less enthusiastic in his teasing than normal.

"Would you like us to wait out here while you get ready, sensei?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi simply nodded and shut the door; his own inner-Iruka lecturing him about how rude was even as he did so. He changed close quickly, suddenly eager to go and find the real Iruka so he could explain why he'd left Kakashi to sleep as long as he had. Something…something just wasn't adding up.

He stepped out to meet the two teenagers, and they didn't question as he lead the way not to the practice field but toward the academy. Naruto kept shooting Kakashi confused looks—Kakashi was sure the boy had ignored every hint of a relationship between Iruka and the Jounin the boy might have seen, in the same way most people avoided recognize the fact that their parents were in a relationship—but Sakura seemed to understand and was studiously looking elsewhere.

When they got to the Academy, Kakashi was surprised to see Kurenai just stepping out, and she looked just as taken aback to see him standing there. After a moment, she offered a faltering smile. "Come to pick up the quizzes Iruka left for the kids, Kakashi?"

"Left?" Kakashi felt his stomach sink, but where it ended up he couldn't tell. "He's not here?"

"Why were we coming to see Iruka-sensei?" Naruto demanded, but Sakura shushed him.

Now Kurenai looked very perplexed and she pursed her lips in a frown. "No. There was a note here this morning saying that he was home ill. I assumed you left it for him when they called me in to substitute."

"Why would…" Naruto was cut off this time by Kakashi shooting the blond a glare. He didn't have time to answer any questions Naruto was just now having time to ask.

"You're certain he's not here?" It was a stupid question, and Kurenai's look was sure to remind him of it, but Kakashi couldn't help it. If Iruka wasn't at home and he wasn't at the Academy then where was he? Putting very little thought into the action, the Jounin summoned Pakkun. He wasn't the best tracker, but he was the only one of the ninken who had spent a lot of time with Iruka, and that made him perfect for what Kakashi needed.

The little dog appeared, scratching his ear. "I'm guessing you need something found. What did you lose this time?"

"There was a note here saying Iruka was home sick, but Iruka isn't home." Kakashi explained quickly, not sure why his hands were starting to shake slightly. "I need to figure out where he is."

"How do you know he's not home?" No amount of glaring was going to stop Naruto this time. "We haven't been to check yet!"

"Because," Sakura hissed, "they live together, stupid."

Iruka was going to kill Kakashi when he found out he was only now getting around to explaining to Naruto about their relationship now. Or, rather, that Kakashi would both explain and be killed once they found out where Iruka had gone.

"Let me know what you find." Kurenai looked so wistfully sad as she said that, and Kakashi couldn't help wondering what she was thinking about.

Instead of asking, he just nodded and followed Pakkun as the little dog started back in the direction of the apartment.

"Since when have Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei been living together?" Naruto demanded from behind him, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Kakashi could hear him perfectly.

"Since before you got back," Sakura explained. "They've been together since just after you left, didn't you know that?"

There was a yelp and a crash behind him, but Kakashi didn't turn to look. Naruto was more than capable of catching up with Pakkun setting the pace, and indeed it didn't take long until the blond was right behind him, yelling one more. "WHAT? What do you mean together?"

Sakura heaved a very put upon sigh, and Kakashi could feel her eyes digging into the back of his head, trying to make him answer. Once it was clear he had no intention of doing so, she sighed again. "They're dating. You must have noticed? They're almost always together when we don't have missions or training."

"I…I haven't seen Iruka-sensei much…" Naruto muttered, sounding rather subdued. "Why didn't he tell me?"

"He was afraid you wouldn't approve of me," Kakashi answered on behalf of his absent lover. "He seems to be of the opinion that you don't like me very much."

Naruto sputtered but didn't deny it, the Jounin noted wryly.

"Found the trail," Pakkun growled, after only a few moments in front of their apartment. "It starts out the back window, and then he circled around up here."

Kakashi frowned thoughtfully. Why go to all that trouble? Besides, using windows was usually Kakashi's thing. Iruka usually preferred doors. "Follow it."

Pakkun muttered, something about not knowing the word please, but did as ordered. Iruka had taken winding path, darting frequently into seemingly random places. It dawned on Kakashi as the ran up one side of an alley, that these were the places with the deepest shadows at night, and for some reason that made him even more uncomfortable. Where was Iruka sneaking to? Why was he sneaking at all?

"He lingered here for a little while," the dog announced as they paused on a rooftop.

"How can you tell?" Sakura asked. Pakkun chose not to answer her.

"Hey," Naruto spoke for the first time since his last question. "You can see my apartment perfectly from here."

This pronouncement did nothing to ease Kakashi's frazzled nerves, and the feeling of dread only increased as the path wound closer and closer to the gate. They were shut at night, but Iruka was far past Jounin level on sneaking and it would be easy enough for him to…

The trio, and Pakkun, stood staring down the empty path leading away from the village for several long moments. Nothing moved but a few stray leaves blown by the breeze.

"Did…Did Iruka-sensei not tell you he was leaving the village?" Sakura looked at him, green eyes suddenly looking very frightened.

Kakashi thought the question was unnecessary, and simply shook his head in response. It didn't make sense. None of this made any sense! Why would Iruka leave the village? He almost never took missions…

A fragment of the last conversation he could remember having with Iruka floated back. "Do you want to talk about it?" "I can't. It's confidential."

There had also been something about Tsunade.

The Jounin turned to go, but Naruto was already a step ahead of him, and was running toward Hokage's tower at full speed, paying little attention to how he got there.

"Naruto!" Sakura called after the boy, running as well. "Wait up!"

Kakashi didn't hesitate following, and Pakkun jumped up on his master's shoulder. "You really had no idea?"

"Something was wrong," was the only answer Kakashi could give. "I don't know what, he couldn't say. But he wasn't himself last night…the night I talked to him."

Pakkun did his best to raise one little doggie eyebrow. "When did you talk to him last?"

"Two days ago. And for some reason, I slept though those two days so I didn't know he was missing until now."

"Sounds to me like you were drugged," the pug muttered gruffly, and Kakashi nearly stumbled but caught himself with a slight twist of his weight.

Had he been drugged? Had Iruka made him sleep for two days on purpose? But that made less sense than anything else! What possible reason could the Chuunin have for that? There wasn't an answer that Kakashi could think of, or at least none that he really wanted to think about.

The three of them ran up the stairs, passed the ANBU guards; with nothing more than Sakura's yelled apology to Shizune as Naruto almost knocked the poor girl over.

The teenager burst in Tsunade's office without so much as knocking, startling the older woman out of paperwork. "Tsunade-baachan! What did you do with Iruka-sensei?"

"Naruto," Sakura's reprimand had probably been meant as a yell, but as she was out of breath it was barely more than a shaky whisper.

Kakashi said nothing, but he was sure that his displeasure was radiating through the room. He saw one of the ANBU, who was supposed to be hiding, nervously twitch toward the sword on its back.

Tsunade put down her pen, seemingly glad for the distraction as Shizune came running into the room as well. "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about."

"You sent him out a mission!" Naruto insisted, pointing an angry finger in her direction. "One he couldn't tell anyone about!"

Tsunade snorted, but Kakashi had expected nothing less. If it really was a confidential mission, she wouldn't be able to say anything either. "I did no such thing."

"Then why did he leave the village?" Sakura's voice was quiet, a little trembling.

"He did what?" Tsunade seemed so genuinely surprised that Kakashi felt his faith in the confidential mission theory slip just a little. There was always a prepared story with unofficial missions. A reason why the person had left, however unbelievable, as an excuse to not send anyone after them.

Naruto gestured wildly to the dog perched on Kakashi's shoulder. "We followed Iruka-sensei's trail all over town, and it lead right out the gate!"

Hazel eyes focused on Kakashi and Pakkun with frightening intensity. "Are you sure?"

"Completely," Pakkun affirmed. Kakashi said nothing. His mind was reeling from all the implications. No story was coming to explain away Iruka's disappearance. Tsunade seemed to not have known about it. This means that Iruka had gone without permission.

But why? Kakashi's mind was screaming, reeling. Iruka had nothing outside the village. No family, no contacts. He'd even professed to a profound homesickness when leaving it. Why would he leave? Why would he drug Kakashi and leave? This was all so out of character for the Chuunin. It didn't make sense, any of it! It was like he was in some badly researched genjutsu and Kakashi was half-tempted to try and dispel it just to be sure it wasn't.

Tsunade's eyes had never left his. "Where were you the last two days, Kakashi?"

"I…" he searched desperately for some lie, anything, to make this seem better than it was. He came up blank. "I was sleeping, Hokage-sama."

"Are you ill?" She asked.

"No, Hokage-sama." Lying to a master medical nin about your health was never a good idea.

"Injured? Were you exhausted?"

"I…" There was nothing he could say. She would question Naruto and Sakura next, and they would probably tell her that he'd seemed fine on Friday without realizing what they were saying. "No, Hokage-sama."

"Then how did you sleep through two days?" Tsunade stood now, hands still on her desk.

"I don't know, Hokage-sama." Her gaze was starting to me Kakashi feel a little ill, and he dropped his eyes to the floor. His head was starting to ache again.

"…I want you try that stupid seal for me, Kakashi. Aren't you supposed to be able to feel him with it? It's why you did it."

The Jounin could have kicked himself. Why hadn't he thought of that before? If nothing else, he could be sure that Iruka was alright.

He closed his eye, ignoring the curious gazes of his students and dog, and focused. He felt nothing. He tried harder. Still nothing. He willed a memorized picture of Iruka, carefully banding Kakashi up after a mission while berating him for being stupid, to his mind's eye and focused with all his might. Nothing. Another picture, Iruka sleeping this time, got him nowhere. More pictures, and more nothing, nothing, nothing!

He opened his eye and found Tsunade was staring at him intently. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. He could tell she'd already guessed.

"A scroll," she said slowly, "on breaking seals has gone missing from my library since Friday afternoon. I thought I had simply misplaced it, but now it seems it may be otherwise."

"What?" Naruto sounded so indignantly shocked it was almost comical. "You think Iruka-sensei took it?"

"He was my last appointment on Friday." Tsunade sat down again, and eyed each of the three of them in turn.

"That doesn't prove anything!" Naruto's fists clenched at his side, but his voice lacked the earlier conviction.

"It doesn't help his case either." She looked away from all of them, looking as if she was thinking deeply about something.

Kakashi stepped forward, Pakkun nearly sliding off his shoulder. "I want to be on the squad that goes after him."

"Absolutely not." She was looking at him again, and Kakashi could decide whether to be glad that he'd guessed what she was thinking or not. "We don't know why Iruka-sensei left. For all I know, you two could be plotting something."

"What are you accusing Iruka-sensei of?" Kakashi couldn't find it in him to be insulted on his own behalf.

"Nothing, yet." He hated the way she had said that. "But right now everything about this looks suspicious to me. I will take no risks with my village."

"Liar! Iruka-sensei would never betray the village, Tsunade-baachan!" Naruto's volume had returned, and with it indignant angry tears, though they didn't fall. "Never! He works hard every day to protect it! If you think he would, you don't know him at all!"

Tsunade smiled sadly as Sakura put a reassuring hand on Naruto's shoulder. "There have been bigger surprises in this village's history. I am sending out a squad to track down Iruka-sensei and get some answers. Until then, none of you are to leave the village. That is a direct order, and defiance will result in automatic status as a missing-nin. Am I clear?"

Kakashi tried to protest, but it got stuck with the tightening of his throat. He felt like he couldn't breathe. This was just too unreal.

Naruto must have had a similar problem as only Sakura nodded in response.

"You are all dismissed. Go home and do something. Rest. I'll let you know when we find something."