A/N: Maa... I'm sleepy. So I won't say too much. I hope you guys will enjoy this. And no, I did not kill Oukei in this chapter. As I said, I'm not done with plotting his downfall. *grins*
Chapter 5: Troubles Brewing
The copy nin's glare intensified. Iruka shifted nervously beside him. Oukei's smile faltered slightly at the slightly flaring angry chakra.
Kakashi waited for a reply. He wasn't sure what was happening. But he could clearly sense that this man was causing his boyfriend distress. His eye narrowed when Oukei made no attempt to answer.
"Well?" The jounin's voice was low with a deadly edge to it.
Oukei cleared his throat and managed a smile. "My name is Oukei."
"And what business do you have with Iruka?" Kakashi held a warning tone in his words.
Oukei regained his composure slightly. He studied the copy nin briefly before his smile widened. "Well, Hatake-sama, much as I respect you, I don't think that I should be explaining to you. You are in the capacity of Iruka-sensei's friend and I believe that the topic which I am going to discuss with him should only be kept between him and me."
"What did you say?" Kakashi growled. Iruka swallowed hard. Much as he doesn't like Oukei, he doesn't want his boyfriend to create a scene in the marketplace. And as much as he wanted to tell Kakashi just who exactly Oukei is and why he was pestering Iruka like that, the chunin knew he had think over his words carefully before telling his lover. Knowing Kakashi, one wrong word could have him flash a kunai against Oukei's neck.
"Kakashi." Iruka laid a hand on his arm, trying to soothe his boyfriend's angry state.
Oukei glanced briefly at Iruka and then back at Kakashi. "Well, since you insist, Hatake-sama, then I will let you know. I'm interested in Iruka-sensei and I……"
"Kakashi-sensei! Iruka-sensei!" A shrill voice cut Oukei off mid-sentence.
Kakashi and Iruka whirled around to see who it was. A girl ran towards them, grinning happily and waving her hand excitedly.
"Sakura?" Iruka raised an eyebrow as the girl came to a halt in front of them, grinning and panting. "What is it?"
"I…. I received a message." Sakura beamed happily. Then, she frowned slightly. "Kakashi-sensei, what happened? Why do you look so angry?"
"It's nothing, Sakura." Iruka assured her. He shot Kakashi a sharp look. "Kashi, please."
Kakashi sighed deeply and relaxed his posture. He threw another glare over his shoulder at the chunin behind him before he turned back to his student.
"What is it, Sakura?"
"Are you sure you are alright?" The pink-haired kunoichi looked at him uncertainly. Kakashi nodded. The girl beamed.
"Come with me!" Without another word, she grabbed her teachers' wrists and tugged at their hand, motioning for them to follow her.
Kakashi and Iruka exchanged puzzled looks, as they allowed themselves to be led away.
They had forgotten all about Oukei, who had been trying to explain things, right before Sakura crashed in on them.
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Kakashi blinked a few times. Iruka stared confusedly at the excited group crowding around a small table in a shop.
"What's going on?" Iruka glanced at the grinning girl beside her. She stepped forward and started shoving Kiba and Choji out of the way.
"Over here, sensei!" She waved for the two men to join her.
Both of them stepped forward and peered over her shoulders to see a scroll lying on the table with a toad sitting quietly at the edge of the table.
"Naruto is stopping by next week!" She smirked as she pointed to the scroll.
Iruka's eyes widened. Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
"And that's what you dragged us all the way here for?" Kakashi asked in a bored tone. Sakura pouted.
"Aren't you happy that he's stopping by? We hadn't seen him in a year and a half."
Iruka chuckled. "So when exactly will he be in the village?"
Sakura frowned as she read the details again. "He said either Friday or Saturday." Then she grinned again. "Hey, I haven't thought of this before."
"What?" Iruka blinked confusedly.
"If Naruto is coming back on Saturday……"
The other genin around the table turned to look at her. Sakura smirked. Kiba grinned.
"We could set him up on a date with Hinata!"
"Ki… Kiba-kun!" The Hyuuga heir blushed a beet red.
"That would be so memorable!" Kiba hugged his stomach as he laughed.
"Yes, love will fill the village on that day. It would indeed be the wonderful day for a youthful date between Naruto-kun and Hinata-san." Lee nodded in conviction.
"If that's the case, I better set some roses aside for Naruto early." Ino grinned. "Or else, prices will hike up two days before that."
"I could help him book a table at the barbeque restaurant for a dinner for two." Choji chipped in his contribution.
"Choji, the barbeque restaurant would not make a good place for a romantic candlelight dinner." Shikamaru said in a bored tone.
"How about Shushuya? I'm sure Naruto can afford a decent meal for two there." Tenten laughed. Neji snorted. Hinata fiddled with the hem of her jacket in embarrassment.
Iruka couldn't make sense of what the kids were saying. He blinked a few times. What had the next Saturday got to do with roses, candlelight dinners and a village filled with love?
"Wait, what?" Iruka glanced at the pink-haired girl beside her, trying to find some answers. Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
Sakura stopped laughing and stared at her former teacher's confused face. "Iruka-sensei, what do you mean by what?"
"I mean, what's so special about next Saturday that you kids have to specifically pick it to set Naruto up on a date?"
Everyone turned silent as they looked at the academy teacher. Some were surprised, others looked incredulous. Kiba stifled a laughter.
"Iruka-sensei, are you serious? Don't you even know what day is next Saturday?" Ino glanced from the young teacher to Kakashi standing behind him.
"Kakashi-sensei, haven't you planned for anything?" Sakura's eyes narrowed.
"Of course I did." Kakashi reached into his pouch and pulled out his book, flipping it open and reading it.
"Then why doesn't Iruka-sensei knows anything?" Sakura frowned.
"What am I supposed to know?" The chunin turned to look at his lover. "Kakashi?"
"I just came back from a three-week long mission, Sakura. And I just got out of the hospital today. Before I even get a chance to say anything, you have dragged me all the way here." The jounin snapped his book shut. "Anyway, Ino, I'm sure Asuma has passed you my message before he leaves for the mission."
"Yes of course, Kakashi-sensei. I've got everything ready." Ino grinned.
"What?" Iruka was getting more confused by the minute.
"Well…." Kakashi scratched his head sheepishly, wondering if he should take advantage of his boyfriend's ignorance and spring a surprise instead.
"Do you guys think Naruto will act exactly the same way as Iruka-sensei?" Kiba mused. Everyone turned to look at him and then, all of them roared out in laughter.
"I won't be surprised." Sakura said in between chuckles. "If Iruka-sensei can forget about next Saturday, I'm sure Naruto won't even know what it is all about."
"Hinata, you may have to make the first move then." Tenten grinned. The girl's face turned redder.
Kakashi chuckled and wrapped an arm around a slightly irritated Iruka.
"Come on, let's go home and leave these crazy kids alone." The jounin ruffled the brown hair slightly in an attempt to cool his fuming boyfriend down.
"Just what the hell is going on?" Iruka glared at him.
Kakashi maneuvered the chunin towards the exit. "Maa…. Sensei, if you think hard enough, I'm sure you will be able to remember what it is all about."
Iruka scowled. "I'm not in the mood for that."
"I'm hurt, sensei." Kakashi grinned. "But well, that doesn't matter. As long as you are happy with what I have planned for you."
"And what is that?" Iruka raised an eyebrow.
"You will find out soon enough." Kakashi pressed a masked kiss on his scowling boyfriend's cheek. He turned to look over his shoulder just before stepping out of the shop. "We are leaving. Sakura, keep us updated on exactly when Naruto is coming back."
The pink-haired girl regained her composure. "Sure, Kakashi-sensei. Good luck!"
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Iruka looked at the sleeping jounin in amusement. Since reaching home, he had made Kakashi swallow the pills which Tsunade had given him before discharging the jounin. And barely half an hour after taking the medication, the older man had slumped into bed and had been sleeping since then.
The chunin glanced at the clock on the bedside stand. It was almost seven thirty in the evening. Kakashi had been sleeping for the last six hours. Looks like Kakashi hadn't fully recovered from his chakra depletion as yet. But whatever it is, the jounin would have to wake up for his dinner soon.
Iruka reached over and shook him gently.
"Kashi, wake up. Time for dinner."
The jounin rolled over on his side, but remained asleep. Iruka shook his head and climbed onto the bed, shaking the man a little harder.
"Kakashi, time to wake up."
The jounin murmured under his breath and stirred slightly before blearily opening his eye.
"What, Ruka?"
"Go and take a shower and come out for dinner." Iruka smiled and pulled the jounin into a sitting position.
Kakashi yawned and stretched himself. He shook his head to clear the grogginess before he stumbled out of bed and towards the wardrobe where he pulled out some clothes and headed for the bathroom.
Iruka shook his head in amusement as the bathroom door closed behind the jounin. He turned back to the bed and straightened the sheets when he realized there was something under the covers. Curious, he pulled the covers aside.
A velvet box sat in the centre of the bed. Iruka picked it up and surveyed it. It must have dropped out from Kakashi's pants pocket when the jounin turned in his sleep.
He opened the box, wondering what it contains.
What he saw almost made in dropped the box in surprise.
Inside, was a pair of earrings. A slip of paper was tuck neatly at the side. Iruka pulled it out with trembling fingers and read the message written in the jounin's familiar scrawl. It read 'To the woman of my life. With a love that lasts forever.'
Iruka swallowed hard and sat down on the bed heavily, his mind and body numbed with shock.
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