Thank you for reviewing! In the spirit of the ongoing Kakairu fest over at livejournal (which is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC, so check it out if you haven't already!) here is another update.

"I just don't know what I should do, Sensei. I want to be more like Iruka, I do. But… I don't want to move you guys. I like you where you are. Ugh… I don't know what I should do. Care to give me any advice?"

The memorial stone was as silent as ever. Didn't mean he should stop trying to get an answer out of it.

Kakashi sighed heavily. "…Please help, Sensei? Any conveniently timed memories, cue now…?

"Kashi-kun," Minato sighed, voice heavy with regret as he handed over a box of Jiraiya's greatest works, "one thing I've learned about relationships… the woman is always right."

"What was that, Minato?!"

"Eh… hmm… compromise is crucial?"

The redhead smiled sweetly and gave a satisfied nod.

Kakashi straightened up slightly, his eye brightening. "Oh? Compromise, huh? …Wait a minute! Iruka and I are not in a relationship!" Shaking his head in annoyance, Kakashi turned to look at the other names he came to visit. "Obito? Rin? What about you? Sensei's making fun of me. For the last time, Iruka and I are not friends. So, I want your advice now."

Kakashi could just imagine Obito's triumphant grin. Ha! Finally! With you and Iruka, no more competition! Rin, Rin, did you hear that, Kakashi's seeing someone!

"Obito, I am not!"

Yeah, Obito, leave him alone! Kakashi said he's not even friends with this guy.

Oh, oh, that's another thing! It's a guy! That means Kakashi's gay! You can't possibly be interested in him now, Rin-

Baka!

Kakashi smiled happily. "Okay, okay. Stop arguing, you guys, I really need your advice for this! Even though I am not friends with Iruka, will never be, have never been, and do not want to be. I just want to be more like him. He's… kind of like you guys, I guess. Ninja, but- not like me, not… emotionless and, and machine-like, and- he's not like me. I want that. I want to not be like me. But I don't to have to move you guys to be more like Iruka. Maybe… maybe it's not important? You guys, is it important- where I put the picture? You all know more about this than I do. …Anyone? …Sensei, I forgive you, you can answer too…"

It was silent for a while, so long that Kakashi almost gave up hope of getting help from here completely. Finally, though, he heard Minato's voice.

Kashi-kun, I know you like this Iruka person. But if you have to do something you're clearly this uncomfortable with just to emulate him- perhaps he isn't worth being emulated?

Kakashi shook his head fiercely. "No! He is, he is! He's always really happy and he's the only ninja I've ever met that is just so- so- real. He doesn't lie and he has emotions and… and his whole life isn't killing. He's happy, Sensei, and a ninja- I didn't know that was possible. I want that."

I don't think that's what Sensei's saying, Kakashi. Concessions have to be made in a relationship, and compromises-

"I am not-"

Just bear with me, Kakashi! Say you were in a relationship with him! Concessions and compromises are very important. If this Iruka is as lovely as you say- I don't really see him caring if you put a photograph in your bedroom or your living room. I know that you're copying Iruka because you don't have any idea what to do, but the same idea still holds true.

Basically, what Rin is trying to say is that she's thrilled that you've found somebody and you should do whatever you have to to please him.

No, I am not!

"I have not found anybody, Obito! Iruka and I are not involved!"

He felt the three friends laugh together before their presence faded, leaving him standing alone in front of the memorial stone. Kakashi just waited there silently for a moment, then nodded and walked away. As contradicting as his friends had been, he thought he had understood what they were saying. Leave their picture where it was.

Good. He liked that choice.

Kakashi's apartment looked…

Very cluttered.

So, soooo cluttered.

His living room was full of useless junk. His kitchen was full of food that he wasn't ever going to eat. His bedroom had a brand new blanket that he wasn't a hundred percent sure about- a shuriken themed quilt that had been rather cheap bit made him feel a little silly and cliche.

And, worst of all- his apartment didn't feel any better than it had before.

He wanted it to feel like Iruka's. Like a… like a home. But it didn't.

Kakashi gave a depressed sigh and left the even more depressing apartment. His efforts hadn't worked at all.

Kakashi spent his unhappy day sitting in a tree outside the Academy. Iruka's teaching once again enraptured him- the way he was so patient with those annoying little children; it was amazing. Kakashi could barely stand them and he had only been watching from afar for a couple of days. He hadn't been fielding questions like why do we have to use blunt kunai for practice, Iruka-senseeeeei?

He watched on throughout the day, allowing the sensei's endless patience to distract him. It was just his fix being his fix, and he loved it.

About halfway through the lecture, though, things started to go strange. Kakashi had already noticed that the Akimichi and the Nara had been passing notes all of class. So had the blonde Yamanaka girl, who had been casting them aggravated looks from across the room every single time a note was passed. Iruka's aggravation at the stupid questions and the constant attempts at whispered conversations was growing and he seemed more concerned with Naruto, who kept trying to sneak a bowl of ramen out of his backpack, to get onto those just harmlessly passing notes. But maybe it wasn't so harmless.

The Yamanaka was rapidly folding up her own piece of paper. It wasn't a ball to throw at them, though; it had a sharp point- and she was aiming it to the front of the room-

Where Iruka was!

She abruptly threw airborne projectile and it soared across the room, and Kakashi didn't let himself think. He was sitting bolt upright and had let a kunai fly to pin the weapon to the ground before he even had time to think. He was already poised to defend Iruka and watching the little blonde girl; jutsu with paper were rare, she must not be a Yamanaka; perhaps from that clan in Rain…?

The girl reacted like a civilian to her attack being stopped, though. She squeaked and her eyes went wide when her attempt to kill Iruka was suddenly pinned to the wood, and she didn't launch another attack. In fact, the entire class was stunned- except for Iruka.

The Academy sensei turned slowly away from the board to stare at what had enraptured his class's attention. His eye's immediately found the kunai and paper weapon, and he did not seem very frightened by the item. In fact, he immediately approached it.

Iruka! What are you doing?! It could explode and why are you so bold stop don't touch that!

But before Kakashi could stop him, the sensei had reached down and pulled out the kunai, freeing the weapon. Kakashi tensed, another weapon already in his grip- but nothing happened. Iruka just carefully straightened out the paper and read it aloud, Kakashi panicking all the while.

"Stop passing notes, you two dunces! I don't care how boring this lecture is; you guys are going to listen to boring Iruka-sensei because otherwise my dad will want to know why I'm letting you guys pass notes in class because boring Iruka-sensei is going to catch you!" Iruka pursed his lips and slowly raised his head, looking around the class suspiciously. The notes that Chouji and Shikamaru had been passing had mysteriously vanished, both students sitting up straight with their hands clasped nervously under their desks. "Well?" the sensei called, waving the kunai in one hand and the note in the other. "Who made this paper airplane and who threw this kunai?"

Paper… airplane?

Only silence answered Iruka, and the man continued, voice low and eyes dark with anger. "Who wrote that I was boring Iruka-sensei? Who thought it was a good idea to bring a kunai to class- and throw it?! Whoever brought the kunai; impressive skills, to nail a moving, flying target so precisely. But I still want to know who-"

"It was me!" Naruto cried eagerly. "I threw the kunai!"

Iruka sighed without even looking at the troublemaker. "No, Naruto, I know it wasn't you. I happen to know that you are rarely able to hit a stationary, grounded target. Well? Is anybody going to admit to this?!"

It was still silent. The blonde girl who had thrown the weapon seemed so terrified that she would be glad to melt into a puddle of goo and never be seen again while Naruto, thoroughly chastised, was slumped back against his chair sulkily.

When no one answered, Iruka trembled for a second, then stormed back up to the head of the room, crumpling up the Yamanaka's weapon and slamming the kunai into a desk drawer. "Well, then! I guess it's pop quiz time! After all, if my lecture is this boring then I guess you've already mastered the course material, huh? A pop quiz should be no trouble at all for you!"

There was a resounding groan as the room filled with a collective panic. Naruto yelled out a frantic, "Hey! Iruka-sensei! That's not fair! Not all of us threw that note or the kunai! Why do we all have to take the stupid quiz?!"

"Yeah! Whoever throw them better fess up!"

"I don't want a quiz! Admit it, whoever it was!"

The chorus of voices rose in agreement before Iruka yelled for quiet. "Hey! This is punishment for all of you, not just those two who threw the note and the kunai! You have been talking all day, not paying attention to the lesson, passing notes back and forth- you think I didn't notice that?!" he roared. "All of you, get paper out for the quiz! Right now!"

Kakashi's eye widened. Okay, so, maybe Iruka's patience wasn't so endless after all…

There were more groans and grumbling at that, but the students grudgingly pulled out supplies for the quiz. Iruka was clearly fuming and maybe they didn't want to cross him when he was this angry? Kakashi certainly didn't.

"First question!" Iruka announced when only half the class was ready, and the other half scrambled to hurry up. "On what dates did the Third Shinobi War begin and end, as per Konoha's records?"

"What? Iiiiruka-sensei, how are we supposed to know that?!"

"Maybe if you listened during my earlier boring lecture, when I told you the answer! Next question! On what dates did the Third Shinobi War begin and end, as per Iwa's records?"

There were another few grumbles at that and Kakashi smirked. Those kids had been giving Iruka hell all day, and now they were paying for it.

Yes! No one annoys my Iruka! Go Iruka!

Kakashi mentally cheered Iruka on, and only remembered to feel guilty after the assignment was over that he was the reason those kids have to suffer through a pop quiz.

But what exactly is a paper airplane?

Iruka's irate behavior slowly calmed down throughout the class, until, by after lunch, the calm, patient sensei had made a return. His class was thoroughly cowed from the pop quiz incident and seemed too nervous to dare risk incurring his wrath again, keeping completely silent and still until there were ten minutes until the final bell.

Then, Iruka suddenly shut his notes and looked up with a smile. Kakashi blinked in surprise. What was going on?

"All right, children. It's time to go on a little field trip." Then he bent and retrieved a box from under his desk. When he stood and uncovered it, it was to reveal a cake- the same cake, in fact, that had been in his refrigerator earlier. At the rush of excitement the cake caused, Iruka quickly raised a hand and shook his head. "Now, now. This is not for you. It's for Mizuki-sensei. It's his birthday!"

Kakashi frowned.

The other kids all pouted, although probably for a different reason than Kakashi, and Iruka was quick to reassure them. "Don't worry. Mizuki-sensei and his class surely won't be able to finish this whole thing by themselves! There's enough his whole class and all of us if we all only take one piece each."

Amidst the cheers, Iruka picked up the cake and led the way out of his class. Kakashi crawled along the tree, following Iruka's Chakra until it stopped outside a different classroom- this one, thankfully, had a window to that he could peer into.

There was Mizuki, lecturing to a class of older students- children so old that Kakashi had to wonder just what on earth they were still doing in the Academy. He had been training for the jounin exam at their age.

Then he smiled, and allowed himself to feel proud. Konoha could afford to put off molding children into emotionless killers until they were at least bigger than most swords because of the work he and other ANBU did. Right, right. This was good. This was not lamentable or pathetic; it was good, and he was proud of his work.

The door to Mizuki's classroom abruptly opened to reveal Iruka standing at the head of dozens of eager, smiling faces that immediately burst out into- into-

song.

Song.

What the…

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!"

Kakashi stared, nonplussed. What were they doing?

"Happy birthday dear Mi-zu-ki-seeenseeei…Happy birthday to you!"

What the hell was that?

Mizuki's class had even joined in on the song, too, and now all the kids were crowding around the silver-haired chuunin, the older ones reaching out to him and complaining loudly. "Awww, Sensei, why didn't you tell us it was your birthday?"

"Yeah, we would've gotten you something!"

"Happy birthday, Sensei! How old you turning this year?"

"Sensei-"

"Happy birthday, Mizuki!" Iruka was beaming with happiness and his voice carried over all the little kids as he held out the cake. "I hope you don't mind us disrupting your class- but school is almost over.

Mizuki looked completely surprised and didn't even come out with a snarky remark or an insult. He just stood there and let Iruka set the cake high on Mizuki's podium. "Okay, okay, everybody! Stand back and form a line! Let the birthday boy get the first piece of cake!"

The kids made no attempt at following Iruka's order, and Kakashi smiled slightly, watching as the birthday celebrations continued. The kids were all overjoyed and even Mizuki seemed a little thrilled, and Kakashi found himself content to spectate for over half an hour before parents came wondering into the school, searching for their children. It was when over half of the students had left this way when the very guest of honor excused himself, saying he had 'business to take care of'. Iruka looked after his friend in concern and almost immediately followed after him.

Without thought, Kakashi did the same.

He moved so quickly none of the pre-genin students noticed his journey through the classroom, and once in the hallway, he used a simple genjutsu to make himself blend into the wall. No cheap hedges and no Taji today. This was too serious. Or had the potential to become too serious.

"Mizuki!" Iruka called, moving quickly down the hallway after his fellow sensei. "Hey! Mizuki! Wait!"

The man kept walking for a moment, then abruptly spun around to look at Iruka. "You know, Ruka, we're not kids anymore. Surprise parties aren't the 'cutest thing ever'. Do you know how far behind my class is? I was going to review for our test tomorrow, then you and your little band of co-conspirators just intruded in. You should have checked with me first!"

Iruka looked stunned. Kakashi got angry- very angry. Just what was Mizuki's problem?

Normally, in response to Mizuki's criticism, Iruka would sigh or look away or be otherwise sad. Kakashi hated that. Iruka shouldn't look sad; he wasn't happy if he was sad, and if he wasn't happy, then he wasn't a good fix.

Thus, Kakashi was very pleased when Iruka didn't get sad.

"What's wrong with you, Mizuki? Normally, when someone does something nice for you, you thank them!"

Mizuki rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah, real nice. A store-bought cake and a ten minute ambush by screaming little kids. That's just what I wanted, Iruka. Thank so much."

Kakashi's fix glowered at the silver-haired chuunin. "I did not buy that cake, for your information. I spent all night baking it. And we were actually going to go out with Zumo and Tetsu later, since I know that you don't love your students like I love mine- but forget that! Every single time I do something nice for you, you just find something wrong with it! Can't you just thank me for once?"

Mizuki just scoffed and turned away. "Why? You didn't bother to clear it with me first and just screwed everything up. Here's a tip, Iruka- don't bother 'being nice' when all you do is annoy people."

Why wasn't Kakashi hitting this jackass again?

Mizuki had been turned to walk away when he abruptly twisted and stalked back to Iruka for a last parting insult. "Oh, and if that's how your cakes taste, then maybe you should buy them from the store."

Iruka's expression flashed from anger to hurt. The pure venom in Mizuki's voice had certainly done its job because one second, Iruka was so furious his face was red, the next, he looked he'd just been slapped across the face.

Mizuki made Kakashi very angry.

People who made Ka-

-ound very angry ended up dead.

Hound stalked around the corner, melting out of the wall and brushing past the brunette Academy sensei like he didn't exist. His target was walking away fast, and his Chakra was disgruntled and angry. He would fight a little more. Not good. Hound didn't like targets who put up a fight.

Anyone who could hurt his fix had to be very strong. He had to be ready for someone with beyond-chuunin-level skills. Had to be ready-

There was Mizuki. He was storming off, completely unaware that he was being followed. That was good. That made his job easier.

Except his job was to make Mizuki suffer before he died. Mizuki made Iruka suffer, ergo, Mizuki should suffer.

Hound leaped forward, landing on Mizuki's back and forcing the enemy to the floor. He put him in a secure headlock, grinning in satisfaction when the man choked and gasped, then snarled in his ear. "Welcome to hell, Mi-"

"Oi! Mizuki! Get back here!"

That voice… that voice… my fix-

"You think we're finished here?!"

Iruka. That is… that is Iruka.

Kakashi! Kakashi, snap out of it! Iruka! Fix! Don't kill! Iruka! Fix! Don't kill! Don't be Hound around him! IRUKA! FIX! DON'T KILL!

Hound stumbled back, hands shaking- wait, that was his fix's Chakra approaching, that was bad, Iruka couldn't see Hound, he wasn't supposed to-

When Iruka rounded the corner, he found his friend collapsed on the floor and a slight breeze ruffling the curtains guarding the partially open window. There was no one else.

Hound slumped over in his apartment, fingers scrabbling at his face, chest heaving. He couldn't get his mask off, his ANBU mask, he couldn't get it off because it wasn't on, but he was still Hound. He wasn't Kakashi. He was Hound. His instincts were awake and alive and he was only here for a mission, but he didn't have a mission, and Hound didn't know what to do with himself. Hound existed for missions. Hound existed to spy and kill. He had to get the mask off and get away from Hound.

Mission or memorial stone. Mission or memorial stone. Which one? Which one did he want?

No Iruka. Iruka was a bad idea. Iruka was good and pure and innocent and Hound had no business anywhere near Iruka, not after he lost control-

No, no, no, that wasn't happening again.

Memorial stone was a bad idea. Sensei and Obito and Rin did not want to see ANBU captain Hound. They wouldn't recognize him, they would get scared of him and not want to speak to him again and- and-

Mission. Yes. Mission.