Chapter 9: Ambushed

"Three more hours and we are back on Konoha grounds." Asuma said as he flitted through the forest.

"I'm so looking forward to going home. One entire week without loving from Raidou is just bad enough." Genma smirked. Kakashi snorted.

"Don't give me that, Kakashi. I bet you are looking forward to going back to Iruka too." Genma gave him an all-knowing grin.

"Oh? Kakashi, I didn't know you and Iruka-sensei have already developed to the stage of 'going home to'." Asuma chortled. "A surprise topped off with a little shock, if you ask me."

"Shut up." Kakashi snapped. "Stop prying into my life and watch your own ass. Anything can happen. We are not safe until we reach Konoha."

"But seriously, how far have the two of you gone?" Asuma smirked. "You haven't been updating me since the last dinner that you went to a week or so ago."

"I don't update, Asuma. You, Kurenai and Anko are the ones poking into my affairs and digging out every single detail in my personal life." Kakashi groused. "And you have been pretty much 'updated'. That dinner was the last one we had before I was dragged out to this mission."

"And you are not going to make your next move?" Genma bit down his laughter. "You know, Iruka is pretty popular and a well-sought after individual amongst the shinobi. If you are not going to take action, someone might just beat you to it."

"Genma, we are not enemies. I don't need you to dampen my morale just to get me killed." Kakashi stated calmly as he kept his focus on the road in front.

"Ah…… So you are admitting that you do like Iruka." Genma snickered.

"I never deny that. And isn't that the topic that you've been harping on for the last fifteen minutes?" Kakashi finally shifted his gaze a little to glare at the man beside him.

"Well, I just have to hear you say it to confirm it." Genma said, amused. "So what are you intending to do next?"

"I have my plans." Kakashi said simply. Well, of course he had. Everything he had been doing for the last almost one month had been part of a carefully, meticulously planned out procedure, to get the chunin to see him in a different light. And so far, he had been successful.

Over the shared dinners and meetings ever since he put step three into place, he had been sharing about his life to the chunin more than he had ever to anybody else. And in return, Iruka had been telling him every single thing in his mind. His past, fears, achievements, hopes and dreams for the future. Some of which, Iruka had admitted, that he had never told anyone before. And just at the thought of it, made the copy nin's heart flutter.

He was almost certain that he would be able to act on the next step the moment he got back to Konoha and have had a well-deserved rest.

A sudden twitch in his senses made him throw all his thoughts out of his head and he immediately turned alert as he landed on a branch. His two comrades seemed to have sensed something too and have each drawn out their own kunai and assumed an offense position.

"We are in the midst of an ambush." Genma said as he eyed his surroundings warily.

"Seems like it. There are mixes of different chakra in this area." Asuma scrutinized the area carefully.

"They are coming." Kakashi growled as he leapt into the air and threw a kunai towards some bushes.

A moment later, a cry of pain could be heard and a group of enemy shinobi launched straight at them.

"Raidou!"

The scarred jounin jumped when someone burst into the mission room at top speed and headed straight to his desk, slamming on it.

"Just what the hell is it, Kotetsu? I've got a feeling that if I ever die, it won't be by the blade of an enemy's kunai, but by the piercing shard of your voice." Raidou scowled as he tried to arrange the papers on his desk which had gotten ruffled in the commotion.

Iruka glared at the racket from his desk. "Will you just keep your volume down, Kotetsu? This is the mission room, not the market. You don't have to shout to make yourself heard."

"Sorry Iruka." Kotetsu gave his friend a sheepish grin. Then he turned back to Raidou with a serious expression on his face. "Raidou, he's back, he's back!"

"What? Who the hell are you talking about?" The jounin was getting irritated. There were so many things to do and Kotetsu just seem intent on disrupting him.

"Genma! He's at the hospital. I heard that he, Kakashi and Asuma were ambushed on their way back from a mission."

Iruka paled. Had his worst fears come true? Were his worries not unfounded?

Raidou bolted from his seat. "When? Where? What? How?"

"I don't know. That's all I heard before I came running for you." Kotetsu took two steps back from the sudden change of mood in the older man.

Raidou took in a deep breath. "Take over my duties here, Kotetsu. I'm going to the hospital."

"Wha –?" Kotetsu blinked. He had come out of goodwill to inform Raidou, not to take over any duties.

Raidou glared at him and the spiky-haired chunin complied weakly. The scarred jounin headed towards the door. Then something struck him and he turned and eyed the tanned jounin sitting at his table, dumbfounded.

"Um…… Iruka, would you like to come with me?"

"Genma!"

The tokubetsu jounin was stunned and he paused, mid-conversation with a nurse. When he saw the person running towards him, he broke into a grin.

"Raidou, what a nice surprise."

And a swat at the head was all that greeted him.

"What?" Genma winced and rubbed his head.

"I was worried the hell out of my mind when I heard that you were in the hospital. And when I came running all the way here, all I saw was that you trying to flirt with a nurse and sounding so nonchalant about the entire thing." Raidou folded his arms and glared at him.

"You were worried about me?" Genma grinned. Raidou rolled his eyes. Genma waited expectantly and then falter a little when he saw someone coming up behind Raidou.

"Oh, Iruka, what a nice surprise too." Genma smirked.

Iruka blinked, then he smiled. "Are you alright, Genma?"

Genma waved a hand. "I'm fine. Some scratches. Nothing too serious. Anyway, I know you are not here for me. Your sweet little admirer is in the other examination room."

Iruka blushed and muttered something under his breath. Raidou gave him a little shove and gestured for him to go.

The two watched as Iruka watched gingerly towards the other room. They exchanged knowing glances. It had been so plaintively obvious that something was going on between the two.

"Do you actually think they are together already?" Raidou mused.

"No." Genma smirked.

"Oh? You sound confident."

"Of course. I just got back from the mission with Kakashi. I did my own probing and checking. Though I would say, a few more right moves, and we can expect to see another couple in our midst."

Raidou sighed. "I wish them all the best then. And hopefully, they will realise their feelings for each other soon."

"Well, I'm sure Kakashi has figured that out a long time ago. But our dense Iruka may be a little slow. Though I'm sure Kakashi will have his way." Genma turned his attention to the man beside him. "So, Rai, you haven't answered me yet. Were you worried about me?"

Raidou turned in the other direction to walk out of the hospital. "If you are done here, Genma, let's go."