Chapter 10

"What kind of crap is this? Do I understand that you're letting Danzou train ANBU again? You're letting him train new ROOT shinobi?" Kakashi fumed at Tsunade, and Ibiki looked properly annoyed at the jounin's lack of restraint. "Have you forgotten his tricks with Sai? Danzou can't be trusted! He abused that boy and he abused his position. You're insane if you let him get his hands on one more kid."

"We have a volunteer," Ibiki said. "An adult volunteer."

"Who the hell would be so stupid?"

"ROOT identities are secret."

"Yeah…right. So we won't know who the traitor is in our midst."

"If he can turn this man into a true traitor…then there's no hope for any of us," Tsunade sighed. "I don't know how you heard about this, but unhear it for a moment. We need to start over. How did you find out?"

"I spelled Tern at his post on the door. It was legit, I'm sworn."

"You'd better be. I won't hesitate to put you on charges this time, Kakashi. This gets repeated and you'll regret it."

"Fine. So why am I here? Don't tell me that you want me to be one of Danzou's guinea pigs!"

"No. But I'm considering," she cocked an eyebrow and looked up to check the torture specialist's expression. "having you keep tabs on the trainee. We're not in agreement that you're the correct shinobi for this job. Ibiki wants a Hyuuga, for a number of reasons. I have my own for thinking that you might be more appropriate."

"And I have an objection to using you regardless," Ibiki frowned.

Kakashi smirked. "I'm flattered and all, but there must be somebody else, someone you two can agree on. This is pretty damn important."

"No. The decision is mine. I just wanted to give Ibiki a chance to convince me otherwise. He's quite dead-set against it. And I do value his opinion…just not more than my own."

They were both watching Kakashi intently. He laced on his best shinobi look of impassiveness and shrugged. "So make up your minds."

"I'll reveal the name of the candidate to you, Kakashi. No one must know."

"Of course."

"It's Umino Iruka."

Kakashi's carefully controlled face revealed no reaction. But his shock escaped in the form of a slowly bobbing Adam's apple as he suppressed his sudden gulp.

"He's…" Kakashi fell silent. Disfigured? Disassociated with humans in general? Insanely focused on nothing but his missions? Seemingly void of emotion and the need of comradeship?

Hell, Iruka was nearly ROOT already.

"So what would you expect of me? I have no insights into Iruka's life anymore. He avoids me completely."

"You could remedy that."

"You're wrong. I don't think there's anything I could do that would get Iruka to let me anywhere near him. Not me…or Ibiki."

Tsunade looked at him levelly. "You've never tried, of course. Ibiki has. Iruka doesn't trust him. Iruka should trust him, true, but his distrust is almost tangible and it exists on a very deep level. You on the other hand…you had a relationship with him."

"Had. The active word there is 'had'. We have nothing since his, ah, injury."

"And why is that?"

Kakashi stared back and a million answers, all true and many contradictory, leapt into his head at once. Guilt. Physical revulsion. Pity. Embarrassment. Self-defense. Love. Anger. Shame. Selfishness. Mercy.

"We just avoid one another."

"I want you to get close to him again, Kakashi. This training is dangerous, and invasive mentally. We know that Hidata Jeninki used his Uzingan to penetrate Iruka's mind and create illusory thoughts to control his beliefs. We have come to suspect that Danzou uses a similar method, perhaps the very same method. He may even share clan connections with Hidata. His bid to train new recruits comes at an intriguing time. I want to know what he's up to. I can't forewarn the candidate, so I need someone close to him to make the observations secondhand. As far as Iruka knows, this is his chance to become one of the most powerful shinobi in Fire Country. He accepted without a moment's thought."

"I just don't know if I can get close to him."

"Of course you can. It's a mission, Kakashi. You'll be his only lifeline if things get out of hand with Danzou."

Kakashi fell silent and nodded. Ibiki's lower voice caught him squarely.

"You know what I'm thinking." The taller man's eyes regarded him accusingly. "He might kill you, forced to choose between taking you back as a friend and murdering you once and for all."

"Look, Morino, you've misjudged out relationship. He was under the influence of Hidata's Uzingan. What you saw wasn't our usual…"

Tsunade was up and around the desk in a flash, and force of her voice against his ear made him wince. "Were you aware that I saw it, Kakashi? I would hope that you're ashamed of your actions. I would think that you would like to make it up to him somehow."

"I…see." It didn't make sense, if they thought he was abusive, forcing himself on Iruka, why would they push them together again? "But still, you choose me?"

Tsunade eyed him narrowly. "Who else is there? Naruto would try to behave, but it would be far more difficult to get his complicity in this. You, on the other hand, are quite capable of having a relationship with him and throwing him to the wolves at the same time."

Kakashi shook his head. "I do care about Iruka. I have always cared about him. He was damn near impossible to have a relationship with when he was stable and teaching kids. I don't have any idea how to get close to him now."

"Well, you won't know until you try, will you?" Tsunade stared at him, setting her mouth sideways. "I know that this stinks. The situation, Danzou, sending Iruka in blind, forcing the two of you together…it stinks to high heaven. But that information is important. The Uzingan is too dangerous to ignore. Our best chakra-suppression technology can't touch it; we've seen what the results can be if we let it run amok."

"Seen it." Kakashi's eye looked far away, seeing again the chamber of dead shinobi, their remains standing at attention against the dark walls. Remembering the agonized eyes rolling in the face that came into view as the decapitated enemy fell from his line of vision. Or rather, the lack of face. "Yes, we've seen it."

"Fine. Put your brain in gear and figure it out. Iruka needs a back-up and a monitor. You're going to be both." Tsunade settled back into her chair, trying to get comfortable with her decision.

Ibiki heaved a frustrated sigh. "And I'll be monitoring you personally, Hatake. Count on it."

Kakashi gave a slight bow. "Since you're entrusting me with this, know that I plan to succeed by any means possible. I will not disappoint you, Lady Tsunade."

She had a far-away look in her eye. "He's so far afield from the man I once knew. And now we're sending him even further into the abyss." Her gaze sharpened back to take in the copy-nin's eye. "Position yourself wisely, Kakashi. And if you somehow see the opportunity to bring him back to us when the mission is over…take it."

Ignoring Ibiki's skeptical snort, Kakashi nodded solemnly and left the room in a slow, unceremonious walk. His mind was plowing old earth, turning over memories, dredging up all that he knew about Umino Iruka. It bore little resemblance to the faceless warrior now building a legend in cold efficiency.

The last time they'd interacted before Jeninki's attack was not the best note to have left off on. He'd been angry at Iruka, angry and frustrated and fed up and hurt. Iruka was under his skin still. No one irked him more, turned him on more, made him question his superiority more. He couldn't stand him and he couldn't stand to be without him. He treated him badly because of it. And then would regret it and try to make amends. It was a sick interaction between them, as it had always been.

The guilt from his failure to protect and rescue him put an end to it. There was no forgetting or denying his ineptitude, not when his former lover walked around a living, mangled testament to his shortcomings. As far apart as they had ever broken, he had never released himself from the commitment to watch over Iruka constantly and keep him safe. It was his talent after all, the only truly unique thing he had to give. His connection remained unbroken with the chunin through his ability to overcome and protect. The cycle of yearning and spurning was destroyed with that spectacular failure. Kakashi finally did as Iruka had screamed in his face for him to do so many times over the years. He'd finally had the mercy to leave the man alone.

Now this assignment. It was a blow to the shell he'd erected around his pride on the matter. He'd broken himself of his obsession and now…

Visions of his body insinuating itself deeply into the object of his unbridled lust and possessiveness began to revive from the past, and instead of just remembering that he once felt an irresistible pull, he began to experience that pull once more.

If he lost control now, Iruka would kill him before he'd sit still for any of the things Kakashi had pleasured them with in the past.

This was going to be the most difficult and dangerous mission in his career.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Iruka placed a single uniform in his pack, along with his undergarments and field toiletries. The ROOT uniforms would be provided to him. He had no idea what they looked like. He hoped that Sai's bare midriff look was a personal choice and not standard ROOT issue. While he had grown much harder and leaner, and now sported as fine a washboard belly as any jounin's he'd ever seen, he was no teen, and he thought bare stomachs were only attractive on the young. Well, being in ROOT wasn't about looking hot, but it seemed that looking silly would be counter-productive.

He felt Kakashi's approach before he made it up the steps to the front door, and he paused, listening intently. An order from the Hokage, perhaps. Kakashi would only be here on official business, and only if he had been unable to get out of it. Iruka touched a hand to his mask to straighten it.

He moved in darkness to the door, slipping it open as Kakashi stood frozen with his hand prepared to knock. At his sheepish look, Iruka's porcelain-framed eyes narrowed, finding the sight highly suspicious and not at all amusing.

"Iruka."

"What do you want?"

"A word. If I may?"

Iruka folded his arms and stared. "Say your word."

"Eh-heh. Yeah, that's just a figure of speech, of course. I need to talk to you. Mind if I come in?"

"Stay out."

"All right. I just…needed to ask you something. About Naruto."

Iruka's head tipped forward just a hair. "What about him?"

"I'm concerned about him. I was hoping you'd seen him?" Of course, Tsunade had informed him that Naruto was on a confidential mission in Sand for the next three months. It was a safe ruse.

"No." A bare hint of concern colored the clipped speech funneled out the mouth hole of the mask. "Why?"

"Hey, don't worry about it…I just thought maybe you'd seen him. Don't concern yourself, sorry to bother you. I'm on it, I'll figure it out."

Guilt rose up in Iruka's heart. Since Naruto's challenge, he'd only gone to see him twice. Twice in as many years. He'd deserted the young man, really. He didn't even keep close enough tabs to notice he was missing. If Kakashi noticed, it would have to be blatantly obvious.

"Unless you'd like to give me a hand," Kakashi mumbled.

"I…can't. But…"

"Meet me tonight at Ichiraku if you can get away and I'll fill you in, but I really have to go. Uh…good seeing you, Iruka. Take care, eh?" Kakashi turned and left without waiting for a farewell or for the door to close.

Iruka stared at his disappearing back and tamped down the emotion that bubbled up at seeing the silver-haired man. How dare he talk to him as if they were friends.

How dare he presume to be that close.

And the back of his mind whispered sadly, how dare he act so casual, so distant, as if they'd never touched?

He shook his head fiercely and slammed the door. The decision to go ROOT couldn't have come at a more appropriate time.

Eliminating those useless emotions never looked better.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Iruka sat silently as Danzou studied him intently, the old man's unsteady hand waving to make a point.

"You haven't been jounin very long, and you're quite aged for a new jounin. Quite aged. Men your age are usually set in their ways. Not open to new forms of training. I don't know why you're here. This is a waste of my time."

"I'm completely open, Danzou-sama. My situation is not normal."

"Hmph. Tsunade said so, but…show me this face of yours. I don't understand. Mission scars are a point of pride. Why would you cover…" his arrogant tirade stopped.

Iruka knew, of course, that Danzou would insist on seeing his face. He was prepared. He was almost too anxious to get the reveal over with. When he placed his hand on the blue porcelain and released the strap, he lifted his face away and stared boldly back into the old man's eyes. It silenced the room immediately.

Danzo looked slowly over the landscape of his face. Far from being horrified, he was intrigued, and his voice held a tinge of excitement when he said, "I see. Cover that up. Is it recent?"

"No. Three years ago."

"Life-altering, to be sure. You think this was enough? Enough to make you invincible?"

"I am not invincible," he considered before adding, "yet."

A corner of Danzou's mouth turned up. It was the right answer. Three years ago - he knew exactly who this was now. Fate had thrown him a remarkable find. Maybe this was more than just the right man after all.

tbc