The practice for the collaboration jutsu was, to Kakashi's surprise, a fairly excellent one.
He shouldn't have been surprised, really. They shared chakra, so the level of their cooperation was already high. However, Kakashi had not expected that they would meld their actions and reactions so seamlessly. He found himself thinking of working with Iruka on missions, using their bond as a formidable weapon.
Tenzō had booked Training Ground #15, one set almost at the outskirts of the village, a section of it tucked under a rocky outcropping. At the time of the morning that Kakashi and Iruka arrived to do a bit of experimentation, it should have been abandoned, but Kakashi picked up the chakra-signatures of quite a few other shinobi; all Konoha, of course, for their chakra felt as familiar as the mask on his face.
"Nosy, aren't they," Iruka said when they landed near the western edge near the tree-line. "Want me to tell them to go away?"
"I guess not." Kakashi adjusted his gloves, and reached out to squeeze Iruka's wrist briefly. "Let's just get this over with, so we can go back home."
Iruka stared at him for a moment, and Kakashi felt pleasant surprise emanating from him.
"What?" he asked, but Iruka shook his head, his lips quirked up in a little smile.
"You said—never mind." He turned towards a group of fallen rocks near the outcropping, their colour a muted yellow in the dim dawn, and cupped a hand around his mouth. "Yamato! If you're going to spy on us, you might as well create some targets for us to practice on."
A very long pause spun out into the chilly morning. Kakashi laughed silently beside him, air huffing out through his nostrils. Iruka elbowed him when, finally, colossal columns of dirt rose up out of the ground, each circular top crowned with a patch of grass. They seemed twice as broad as Iruka and Kakashi put together.
"Thank you!" Iruka yelled.
"...welcome," Tenzō's grumble filtered back, and Kakashi actually laughed right out loud. The honestly carefree sound of it was very surprising and he stopped abruptly, looking at Iruka out of the corner of his eye. Iruka was standing close, arms folded across his chest and grinning at him.
"Ready?" Kakashi asked, giving in to the need to brush his hands over Iruka's broad shoulders, and tuck strands of his dark hair away from his face. Iruka withstood his awkward attention, his grin fading a little bit, but the cheerful feeling echoed between them.
Iruka nodded, and unfolded his hands, placing his palms against one another in his start position. Kakashi did the same, looking into his eyes. He wanted to say something, to instruct Iruka on what he thought they should do, but he refrained. The point of a collaborative jutsu was to act as one entity without prior discussion, to anticipate what attacks and defence were being formulated by the partner.
Kakashi felt a shift in their chakra, and straight away he knew, he just knew, what Iruka was going to use it for, and started moving his hands. Iruka made his hand-signs, and a small tornado twisted into existence around the closest target. Kakashi closed off his own hand-signs, and in an instant, the tiny tornado was lashing out spikes of lightning, tearing off clumps of dirt from the target with vicious ease. It died down after a few seconds, but not before the target was reduced to a small pile of rubble, soil raining out of the air from where the tornado had thrown it high.
"Nice!" Iruka said, clapping once as if he was in class. His grin was so wide, he was squinting. "That was pretty good!"
Kakashi shrugged, but he knew Iruka could feel his own exhilaration. "It was okay."
Iruka laughed and steepled his fingers against each other again. "Your enthusiasm, my scarecrow, is quite infectious."
Kakashi blinked at him. "Your scarecrow?" He wasn't upset at the possessive term, to be honest. To be claimed like that was... kind of nice.
"Or do you prefer 'my bushy-haired friend'?" Iruka asked, eyes innocently wide as his fingers began to shift against each other. On an impulse, Kakashi deliberately pushed some of his own chakra towards Iruka, already formed with lightning as its end-intent.
Iruka faltered for a moment, obviously unused to the nature of the chakra that Kakashi had sent over; then, he inhaled sharply when splinters of blue light erupted in his fist. Kakashi felt a wave of energy flow back to him, and it felt so odd under his skin; Iruka's chakra, tinged with his wind affinity.
Kakashi took it, and shaped it into a wind-release version of the rasengan, copied from Naruto, of course. Their hair whipped back from their bared foreheads from the gale forces generated, and Kakashi flung it towards one of vertical targets. A bare thought later, Iruka clenched the wrist of his lightning-filled hand with the fingers of his other hand and let the bright spires of light curve around the spinning ball hurtling away.
The effect was gratifyingly effective and intimidating. Iruka's lightning was caught up in the vortex of Kakashi's wind, pulled in to create lashes of light which scored deep grooves into the packed earth before the rasengan finished the job, decimating the pillar it had been heading for.
Kakashi stared at the quiet heap of dirt and small stones left behind. He took long, laboured inhales, as if the air had been abruptly rarefied. Iruka turned towards him, spinning slowly on his heel and their gazes caught and held, burning through the space between them.
"Kakashi," Iruka said, voice very soft. He took a single step and paused, a hesitant expression crossing his features. Kakashi licked his lips, and Iruka glanced at the slight movement under his mask, before staring right into Kakashi's eyes again.
He was so direct, Kakashi thought, taking his own step forward and reaching out to grip at Iruka's fingers. He could feel the soothing weight of Iruka's desire through their chakra and instead of feeling a little edgy about the action, he liked the feel of Iruka's hand against his. Perhaps, he was getting used to it.
Iruka finally glanced down, and Kakashi noticed, not for the first time, how thick his lashes were. Clumpy, Kakashi dubbed them, and tugged Iruka towards him.
"Home?" Iruka asked when he was one step closer; he was smiling, gaze still directed down somewhere in the vicinity of their sandal-covered feet. They were dressed in their regulation clothing, black trousers and the summer versions of their shirts, those with the short sleeves and Kakashi eyed the head of the dragon now visible on his bicep. Kakashi wondered if Iruka chose to wear his long-sleeves nearly all the time, to maintain the image of a mild chuunin-sensei.
At the moment, he appeared delectable; his hair hung loose around his shoulders and his eyes, when he peeked up at Kakashi, his eyes were so brown and warm.
"Yes, home," he said; it was probably very inadvisable that the both of them made the signs for the transportation jutsu at the same time, for their arrival at Iruka's apartment was marked by such a large puff of smoke, and a massive displacement of air, that they both ran around for few seconds trying to stabilize the plants and their watering-spheres.
They were laughing uncontrollably by the time they managed to stop most of the plants from swinging in agitation, staggering towards the sofa and collapsing on it. Kakashi couldn't remember the last time he had laughed like that. Never, he would say. His ribs and stomach hurt from the effort; he was still chortling when Iruka slid over, put his arms around his neck and placed a kiss on his mouth, right over his mask.
Kakashi slid the material down to his neck and they continued to kiss; even as a teenager, Kakashi had not been given to making out. Iruka cupped his face and deepened their kiss, licking at his mouth and nibbling his lips. Kakashi copied his every move, until they were both breathing heavily and Kakashi felt he would come in his pants in only a few seconds.
Iruka drew back a few inches and dived in again, hands sliding up into Kakashi's hair and gripping lightly. Kakashi shifted forward, one hand on Iruka's hip, clenching the material of his dark trousers. Iruka shifted that same leg until it was draped over Kakashi's hip, and he let his hand run down the strong length of Iruka's leg, feeling the muscle hidden underneath the cloth.
Underneath the underneath; there was so much more to Iruka than Kakashi had ever suspected, and there was a part of his mind that would remain forever bemused that all of it had been hidden from Kakashi's regard so effectively. Their chakra shimmered, bright and warm with their shared pleasure.
He moved into Iruka's touch when he felt Iruka's fingers brush against his aching crotch. Iruka was almost sitting in his lap by now, and their kisses began to gain a sharp, desperate quality. Kakashi made a low noise in the back of his throat, almost a needy growl as Iruka began to undo the fastenings on his trousers; he slipped his hand in and they both groaned at the sensation of Iruka's fingers petting at the damp head of his erection.
Kakashi said his name, but the sound of it was muffled between the wet expanses of their mouths. Iruka slid over completely, straddling Kakashi's lap and bracing his elbows on the top of the short sofa, on either side of Kakashi's head. Iruka ground his bottom against his hard length; Kakashi grabbed his waist, holding on tight as if he would fall if he didn't.
"Kakashi, please," Iruka murmured, in between nips and licks. "Please, please. I want you."
"I-" Kakashi paused to chase after his mouth, since Iruka had gained a deep interest in the slope of his neck, the whorl of his ear. "I want you, too."
Iruka froze. He drew back and stared at Kakashi, lips kiss-swollen, and smiled brilliantly. "Let's go to bed."
...
Iruka lay on the practical cotton sheets that were fairly new, propped up on his elbows. He had a pillow under his hips, his legs spread wide; Kakashi was kneeling between them, his eyes fixed on his own fingers where they were disappearing inside Iruka's eager body.
Iruka kept his breathing steady, trying to feed a sense of tranquillity through their bond. Nearly all of Kakashi's attention was fixed on stretching Iruka, just as how he had been shown, and the whole process had a ceremonial air. Iruka wriggled his toes against the bed and then jerked when Kakashi's fingers managed to brush against that receptive knot of nerves inside.
Kakashi glanced up at him, expression slightly distant. "Yes?"
"Yes," Iruka confirmed. "Oh, yes. I can't wait until you're inside me."
The mischievous side of him delighted at the way Kakashi's normal eye widened a fraction; he pushed down on Kakashi's fingers, biting his lip and savouring the slight sting.
"I think I'm ready," he told Kakashi, quite pointedly. Slowly, Kakashi withdrew his slick fingers and encircled them around himself. Iruka could still detect some reluctance on his part, but now the main reason behind this seemed not to be because he felt forced...but apparently, he didn't want to hurt Iruka.
"Just...put it right against there," Iruka said, trying to sound as encouraging as he did with his students...and he really didn't want to think about those brats right now, thanks so very much. "And take it slow."
Their sealed chakra rippled with wry amusement from Kakashi. "All right, Sensei."
Iruka was about to retort with something funny, hoping to make Kakashi laugh out loud and help him relax a bit more, when he felt Kakashi line up against him; he bore down as Kakashi slid inside. The flared head was the worst part, and it had Iruka grasping large handfuls of the sheets, but in a moment it was over and all that was left was the comforting burn.
"Fuck," Kakashi breathed, moving in about the same speed as a glacier in the Land of Snow. Iruka wanted to whine for more, to wriggle down on Kakashi until he choked on it. From the warning look Kakashi threw at him, he would do well just to keep still until Kakashi was all the way in.
Finally, wonderfully, Iruka felt the quick brush of pubic hair against his hot skin, and then Kakashi withdrew, his gaze still intent on Iruka's face. Iruka moved his hips, a slow roll, and then let himself lie down flat; he closed his eyes and pictured Kakashi's erection tunnelling inside the dark, warm tightness, pulling back to push in again. Each thrust was more confident than the last.
"Ah!" Iruka arched, pleasure skating up his spine like lightning as Kakashi located that spot he had found before. "Kakashi!" He grabbed Kakashi's biceps, fingers digging into flesh; he pulled him down in a bid for kissing, but ended up simply panting against Kakashi's mouth, a keen at the summit of every moan. Iruka thrust back on Kakashi's cock almost violently, his legs wrapped around Kakashi's waist. As a matter of fact, they were enfolded into each other by now, bodies pressed so close and sweat beading between their chests. The bed creaked rhythmically with their exertions and Iruka raked his fingers down Kakashi's back, overwhelmed by the intensity of it all.
"Iruka," Kakashi said, strangled and buried his face in the curve of Iruka's neck; he bit the skin there and sucked for a moment, while Iruka bucked underneath him. "I'm-"
Iruka said nothing; he simply hung onto Kakashi for dear life as the other man's movements became uncontrolled, erratic and the hot spurt of his release flooded inside Iruka. Kakashi's breath was hot on his ear and Iruka came almost helplessly, clenching around Kakashi's cock. Kakashi moaned again, soft and low against Iruka's skin.
"Oh," Iruka said, spread boneless underneath Kakashi's long, strong weight, a sticky pool congealing between their stomachs. Kakashi softened inside him, and slipped out and he bit his lip at the slippery sensation, come dripping out of him after Kakashi's cock. Gingerly, Kakashi rolled off him and arranged himself on his side right against Iruka, allowing their bodies to cool. Iruka still felt hot width of him inside, like an echo, and his limp member twitched weakly at the recollection.
Iruka sighed and then swung one leg off the bed, preparing to get up. "I'll go get something to-"
"Wait." Kakashi's arm was over his torso in a moment. "Let's just lie here. For a few minutes more."
"Are you going to count down?" Iruka settled back, turning his head to look at Kakashi, but since his head was resting on Iruka's shoulder, all he got for his troubles was a face-full of wild hair. He inhaled, smelling his own shampoo riding over Kakashi's own scent.
"Mmm." Kakashi's arm tightened around him once more. "I will. We can start at five minutes, so I'll set my mental clock and-"
The knock on the door was gentle, but they were both sitting up, glancing at each other. Kakashi frowned at Iruka's slight wince, and reached out to touch his cheek; Iruka turned his face and pressed his lips to the roughened palm.
"It's okay," he said, smiling against Kakashi's hand. "I feel good. You...you were amazing."
Kakashi's eyebrow arched, but Iruka wasn't fooled at all by this display of collectedness, not when a pleased blush seeped through their bond.
"So were you," he answered, tone husky and deep, and if there wasn't someone waiting at the door, Iruka would have laid him back and devoted time with lips and tongue to his pale, scarred skin.
To make up for that loss of adulation he settled for a quick kiss, which turned into a series of distracted, heated pecks until another knock intruded.
"One minute!" Iruka disentangled himself from Kakashi, ignoring the groaned complaints as he got out of bed and went to the narrow bathroom closet for washcloths. Dampening two of them, he threw one at Kakashi, and went to the bathroom to do a quick wipe, before hunting down a yukata in the bedroom and hurriedly knotting it about his body. Kakashi was amused at his attempts to neaten his hair by combing through the tangles with his fingers, and from the feeling in their sealed chakra, it was quite a futile activity.
"Good morning, Iruka-sensei." Hiromasa stood on the other side of the door when Iruka opened it, fully dressed for field-duty. He offered a quick bow, and then stared at Iruka's neck for a long, shocked moment.
Iruka's hand flew to the spot he was gaping at, blushing; a red mark was probably there, left behind by Kakashi during sex. Hiromasa's expression lost that surprised quality, and he grinned.
"Good morning, Hirmasa-san," Iruka managed to say, still flushed warmly. "It is very good to see you. How can I help?"
"Godaime-sama has sent me to fetch both you and Kakashi-taicho." Hiromasa's smile had faded away, and now his heavy features held nothing but concern. "There are representatives here from both Ten Ravens and Archer."
"Why?" Kakashi said from behind him; Iruka, who had felt him drawing close, thankfully did not flinch. He felt Kakashi's internal frown at the heaviness in Hiromasa's tone.
"They say they've found a way." Hiromasa looked from one to the other, his dark eyebrows pulled so close to each other that they looked like one hairy line. "A way to break the seal."