Leaves in the Wind

Chapter Seven: Take Flight

Silence is nothing new to a ninja. Comfortable silence, tense silence, silences employed to conceal oneself; all were forms regularly dealt with whether on a mission or at home. Ninja usually developed resistances to the worst sort of silences: the tense and the awkward. Iruka opened his mouth to say something, floundered, and shut it.

Amaya shifted stiffly against the tree trunk. During the encounter with Suien, she had used nearly all of her chakara to pull off Suiton Suishouha. Kakashi had moved their location while both were unconscious, and now, six hours later with the setting sun, Amaya had only recently woken up. She'd noticed immediately that all of their wounds had been properly treated, but that didn't take away from the fact that she was now weakened.

They hadn't said a word to one another since all had stirred from their pain-induced slumber. Iruka had awoken before her, but apparently Kakashi did not have an agreeable disposition. It was very likely that if Amaya hadn't been forced to take on Suien by herself, they could be heading back to Konoha at the moment. Of course, to Kakashi, that was in the past now. He wouldn't let it happen again.

"Damn it…" Amaya muttered to herself. She'd screwed the mask and cloak since Suien had figured her out anyway. Tradition and uniform can go to hell with itself; she wasn't going to go with it. "Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!" She pulled her knees to her chest and clenched her teeth. They had been so close too.

"Amaya-chan…"

Amaya closed her eyes and planted her forehead on her knees. She grew tenser with Iruka's speech.

"It…." A dozen tiny shadows passed over them; songbirds fleeing south. "It was my fault."

"Blame will accomplish nothing." Kakashi slowly stood up and let out a deep breath. "I managed to salvage my pack, but yours were lost." He shifted through his and pulled out two canteens. "I'll refill these."

"How much food do we have left, Kakashi-kun?" Amaya didn't lift her head.

"Enough for two days if we ration properly." The Jounin jumped up into the trees and disappeared in the direction of the running river.

Iruka watched her silent, huddled form. "You're alright?"

"Mm." Amaya let out a deep breath and sat up, letting her legs fall to one side. She threaded her fingers through her umber hair and then pulled it back with a ribbon so it wouldn't get in the way. There was blood seeping through the fresh bandages on her arms, but she didn't seem to mind. "I'll be alright once I regain a bit of strength." A pause and her eyes lifted to him. "Are you ok, Iruka-kun?"

"Yes."

"Uh…" She looked away from Iruka. "What… why…did you run away?"

Iruka flushed, turning his gaze up to the skies. "…I don't know."

A figure flipped down from the tree branches and Amaya startled, but it was only Kakashi. He tossed a canteen to each of them. "You two need to rest up, especially you, Amaya-chan. I'll keep watch again tonight."

"But," Amaya pulled the canteen away from her lips. "That would be two nights in a row. You'll wear yourself out."

The Jounin waved a dismissive hand and pulled out Icha Icha Paradise. "It's no problem."

"I'll do i-"

"No," the Jounin's eye flickered up to Iruka. Something flashed through the expression, and then he smiled. "I can do it."

Iruka leaned back against his tree, closing his eyes. "Fine…"

He'd only meant to resign himself to some brief, quiet meditation but when he opened his eyes, Amaya's chin was resting against her chest and her breathing was regulated. His own neck was sore. He caught brief glimpses of the stars through the bustling leaves. Alright, it'd been slightly longer than an hour…

"Is everything Ok?" A soft voice came from beside him. Kakashi shifted slightly.

"Kakashi-san…y-yeah…" He watched Amaya sleep, refusing to look at his Jounin companion.

"You've been still…" The silver haired Jounin yawned and blinked, lifting his head again. "Uneventful dreams this night?"

"Kakashi-san, I didn't- earlier- I don't- I don't know w- Sorry! I'm so sorry!" Iruka bowed his head, threading his fingers together and wringing his hands.

"Hey." A hand landed on Iruka's head and Kakashi smiled. "It happens. Suien probably used some sort of genjutsu on you." A lie. Something as simply explained as that should have been easily dispelled by Iruka. Or by Kakashi when the chuunin had been caught.

"I guess I'm loosing my zeal." A deep, shamed sigh.

"Perhaps." Kakashi took his hand back and shrugged, yawning again. His eye drooped to half way and he snapped it back open. "But we'll get him on the next time around. Suien is injured. He won't be attacking this night." A pause. "We should ambush him."

"What?" Iruka suddenly turned to him. "When? Where?"

"As soon as Amaya can walk a straight line tomorrow. Pakkun can track him and I'll lure." Another drowsy yawn and he shook his head side to side to wake up. "We can worry about that in the morning."

"Ok." The Chuunin resumed his nervous hand signs.

Kakashi reached over and set his hand on Iruka's fidgeting fingers. "Calm down, Iruka-san. What is done is done. It won't happen again."

"I should have sensed it, Kakashi-san…" Iruka's dark eyes were fixated on Kakashi's hand. "To be controlled so easily…"

Kakashi closed his eye and shook his head slowly. His hand slipped away to his sides and he sighed. "Get some rest, Iruka."

"Mmn."

An owl hooted.

Iruka flinched. "I'll keep watch, Kakashi-san. I think you need rest more than I do."

"Will you handle it fine?" The Jounin looked up as another bird passed over head, silhouetted by the moon's gentle rays.

Kakashi was granted the infamous 'sensei-grin'. "I think I can handle at least that much."

The copy-nin grinned back, stretching and flopping over to the side. "I'll only take a few hours."

"Somehow, I've come to doubt your sense of time." Iruka raised a brow.

"Because I'm always late." There was a pause and both men chuckled simultaneously.

"Kakashi-san?"

"Mm?"

Iruka flicked at the copy-nin's hair. "Go to sleep."

"I'm working on it."

"Moron…" Iruka twitched at the long hoot of an owl.

Kakashi shifted onto his elbow and looked over to his companion. Their gaze met. "Why do you flinch?" A bird squawked in the tree they were sitting by. It took flight.

"Surprise."

"Iruka-san… It's a bird."

Which he would very much like to turn into a pin-cushion if he could. "Well, I know that…they're just birds." Harmless…birds…. Twitch.

Kakashi lay back down on his arm.

Hoo-

"HAAAA!" Several kunai were launched into the trees. There was a thud. Iruka's eye twitched; he was staring into the shadows in shocked horror. Needless to say, there were no more annoying owl calls.

The Jounin immediately sat up and looked into the trees. "Iruka-san, I'll take care of watch."

"Ahh…" Iruka flushed, slipping the kunai he held between his fingers back into its holder. "Well...we won't have to worry too much about rations, right?"

"You can eat it."

"I think I'll pass on that."

Hoot!

Kakashi caught the kunai out of the air and pointed it at Iruka. "Stop. Killing. Owls."

Iruka stared at him, mouth gaping open.

He sighed and shook his head slowly. Kakashi had lost too much sleep to handle this one. He slipped the kunai into his own pouch and sat against the tree with Iruka. Apparently his comrade wasn't going to sleep too soon. "I wonder what Asuma-san would say to this…"

The air around the copy-nin was suddenly very constricting. A potent glare was directed at him: the 'sensei-glare'. "Don't."

"Mm. Over a cup of sake…" The Jounin leaned forward, swirling his finger into the sand. "Something like 'Oh, I wish I could've seen that one mys-"

"-you mention anything to Asuma-"

"-ruto-kun would like to hear about my mission…" Kakashi speculated.

"KAKASHI-SAN!" The tree trunk trembled against the Jounin. Leaves showered down on him.

Kakashi's hand snapped to Iruka's mouth. "What're you trying to do, Iruka-san? You'll wake the dead." He pointed to the slumbering Amaya.

"Mmrgh!" The Chunnin sensei growled against Kakashi's hand, grabbing the man's wrist and attempting to jerk it away.

It stayed firmly in place. "Shh, shh." He shook his finger at the Chuunin.

Hoot!

Iruka's eyes widened, narrowed. The hand on Kakashi's wrist vanished…

Kunai knives flashed in the darkness as Kakashi knocked them out of the air. "Hey! Cut it out!" He let go of Iruka's mouth and pinned the Chuunin's arms to the tree. "You need to calm down."

"Kakashi-san, please let go of me."

The Jounin shook his head. A flock of birds rustled through the trees and he struggled to keep Iruka pinned in place. "Stop it. You're being ridiculous. Where's your head at, Iruka? Communicate with your teammates."

Hoot!

"…need to…."

Iruka used the tree as a base, thrusting forward and bringing Kakashi with him, both scraping against dirt. A fist came at the Jounin's temple.

Kakashi brought up his arm to block the attack. His free fist nailed the Chuunin in the face, knocking him away.

There was a pained cry and rustling as Iruka vanished among the shadows.

"Shit. Amaya-chan! Wake up!" Kakashi leapt to his feet. She was still heavy with sleep, so he nudged her roughly with a foot. "Up!"

The girl snapped awake and looked around. "What?" A pause. She was blinking drowsily, but her instincts were already registering her surroundings. "Where's Iruka-kun?"

"Indisposed." The Jounin leapt into the shadows after Iruka.

A flash of brown hair appeared ahead, then disappeared behind a tree trunk.

Hoo-!

An owl dropped out of the air in front of Kakashi and landed with a thud. A kunai knife was embedded in its hollow chest.

Amaya appeared next to him and knelt down by the fallen bird. "W-what's wrong? Did Suien come back?"

"I'm not sure." The Jounin disappeared, reappearing in front of Iruka. There was a crazed look in the Chuunin's eyes. Kakashi brought his elbow down on the side of his friend's neck. The body skidded and turned into smoke. "Bunshin…" He muttered and looked upwards, then to the sides.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Night bird carcasses fell from the sky.

Amaya slung shuriken into the air to knock out another barrage of kunai. "He's in the tree!"

Kakashi leapt and stealthily jumped across a few branches, landing to take in the situation. Iruka was ahead, pulling out another knife.

"Look at the moon, Hatake-san." Iruka's voice suddenly came from directly behind him. Kakashi could feel the man's breath stirring the hairs on the back of his neck. "The same moon lies over Konoha."

The Jounin froze. His hand gripped his own kunai. "Iruka-san?"

"Yes…." Steady breathing. "What do you think freedom means?"

The Iruka up ahead smiled, kunai-knife vanishing from his hand.

Kakashi turned around, placing his weapon in the defensive position. Where was Amaya when he needed her?

The Chuunin smiled, waving a hand. "No, no. Freedom through fighting-"

The other Iruka cut in and laughed lightly. "-is common. What I want-"

"-is to fly."

Thud. Another bird down.

Kakashi looked between the two Irukas. Which one was the original?

A Taki shuriken zipped through the air and sliced the Iruka nearest Kakashi across the arm. It vanished.

"I apologize, Hatake-san." The other Iruka poofed, and only a brief creak from above alerted Kakashi to Iruka's presence before the Chuunin was directly on top of him. The two crashed out of the branches, landing on the ground with a loud thud.

Amaya leapt down after them. "Kakashi-kun!"

Iruka swept away from Kakashi, pausing to lean against a tree with his good arm. Amaya could see the blood trickling down his face. It dripped and pooled at his feet.

Kakashi muttered and stood back up. Amaya appeared at his side, lifting her kunai, but Kakashi placed his arm in front of her. "Don't. It's still Iruka."

Iruka's body tensed in front of them. "Please don't get in my way." Their comrade was also panting heavily and both Jounin could see he was struggling to stay erect, channeling all of his balance to his arm and subsequently the tree.

"What are you doing, Iruka-kun!" Amaya demanded.

The man cringed. "Amaya…chan…" His body began to tremble.

She pushed Kakashi's arm out of her way and ran over to him, glancing him once up and down before daring to place a hand on his shoulder. "Iruka, what's wrong? Why are you so scared?"

"I can't…sense the jutsu…" He transferred his weight to her. "Please, Amaya-chan…don't…get in my way…"

Amaya wrapped her arms around him.

Kakashi walked over and tilted Iruka's head towards him. He stepped back and formed seals. "I can't sense any jutsu either."

Iruka's body went slack. "S…sorry….Please…take me back to…"

"Iruka-kun?" Amaya asked as the weight started to increase. She slumped to the ground with him.

"He's out." Kakashi kneeled down by him. It was apparent that they could not go any further with Iruka in this condition. Amaya was already drained and injured, and there was no way Kakashi could take up any more of the slack. Did they actually…fail this mission? The ninja closed his eyes and sighed. The well-being of his team was more important than the completion of a mission, but it was hard to admit that they had to let Suien get away.

Amaya seemed to have been thinking the same thing. "We…need to go back to Konoha, Kakashi-san." She confirmed the man's thoughts. "I can figure out what to do about Suien afterwards…"

Iruka shifted out of Amaya's grip and a tanned arm rose slowly, hand latching onto Kakashi's shoulder. Iruka's eyes remained closed, but his mouth started moving, tongue flicking out and running over his bottom lip. "Y…Yukio…"

Kakashi finally nodded. "Lets get moving right away. The sooner we're back, the better."

"Of course."

---

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura waved her hand in the air and dashed through the crowded street of Konoha towards him. The sun was high in the clear sky above them. Naruto and Sasuke were with her. Damn, he'd been found. "Kakashi-sensei! You're back earlier than we expected!"

Naruto's eyes were narrowed and he regarded Kakashi skeptically. "What're you doing, sensei? And what's that bag for?"

The Jounin shifted the paper bag in his arms. "Don't you three have somewhere to be?" their sensei asked as he walked around Team seven.

Sakura padded after him, chin lifted and a small sense of female indignation tinting her tone when she spoke. "Kakashi-sensei, you've been gone for three days. We haven't had anything to do except for drills."

Sasuke pulled up along Kakashi's side. "Have you even been to the Missions Department yet?"

"No."

"So you've been avoiding us!" Sakura pointed at her teacher. "How long have you been back?!"

"What does it matter to you?"

"You're our sensei!" The inner Sakura threw punches in the air.

"Fine, fine." Kakashi didn't have the will to avoid his students any longer. "I've been back for an hour."

"Liar!" Naruto jabbed a finger at him. They clearly weren't about to leave Kakashi alone. "Where are you going, Kakashi-bastard?"

"Aiya, Naruto-kun. You shouldn't speak to your sensei like that. What has Iruka-sensei taught you?" Kakashi shifted the bag to his other arm. He took a turn off of the main road.

"Waaaaa!" The blonde trailed after him. "Is Iruka-sensei back?"

Kakashi's mood shifted slightly. "Yes…"

"Um…" Sakura had picked up on the slight alteration in Kakashi's response time. "Iruka-sensei is ok, isn't he?"

"Oh? Haha, yes, he's just fine."

"Then why are you heading to his house with medical supplies?" Sasuke asked in his usual tone, hands in pockets.

"My, my, you are a nosey bunch."

This did not pass Naruto's attention. "Ehh? Eh?! What what what?! What's wrong with Iruka-sensei?!"

Kakashi stopped walking, knowing he could no longer throw off his three Genin. "Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, Sakura-chan." They all stopped and looked up to him. "I need you to promise something to me."

"Y-yeah."

Kakashi kneeled down in front of Naruto and placed his finger on the boy's chest. "You're not to bother Iruka-sensei until I say otherwise, understood? All three of you."

"Yessir," Sakura nodded nervously.

"….Okay." Naruto nodded as well.

"Naruto-kun…" Kakashi warned.

"WHAT? I said okay!"

"And you're not to tell any of the other senseis that we're back, understood?" His genin nodded. "Good. Now go run drills like you didn't see me."

"Kakashi-senseeiiiiii! What happened to Iruka-senseiiii?!"

Their teacher smiled. "He tried to fly."

---

Iruka's head snapped up and he set his scroll down on his kitchen table, snatching a tie from one of his pockets and hastily putting his hair up. "Come in!"

The apartment door swung open and Kakashi popped his head in. "Yo."

Amaya poked her head out of the back room, holding her arm. "Good, you've got the bandages?"

"Mmhmm." Kakashi tossed her a roll of gauze and she caught it. He walked into the kitchen and set the bag down on the table.

"Any trouble?" Amaya walked into the room with them, wrapping up her arm as she spoke. "Didn't run into anyone did you?"

"Just Naruto and company." Kakashi pulled out cup ramen. "But the ramen is safe."

Iruka laughed. "I'm shocked; the ramen survived a Naruto encounter."

"Iruka-senseiiii!"

The three ninjas froze.

Kakashi's head whipped around to the door and he stared at a huffing orange boy.

Amaya gulped, moving her arm under the table, hoping to keep his questions down. "Hello, Naruto-kun."

"Ehhh? Amaya-sama?!" He gaped at her, blinking and blushing. "Amaya-sama?" He repeated.

"Naruto-kun!" Kakashi pointed at the boy, not entirely surprised he disobeyed a direct order. "What did I tell you?"

Naruto paused. "Uh, go run drills?"

"Naruto…" Iruka brandished his rolled up scroll at the boy. "I told you to listen to your teachers, didn't I?"

"Yeeeees…"

"Aiya…" Kakashi lifted a finger to his forehead. "Naruto-kun, Iruka-sensei is just fine."

"What?! What happened to your face, Iruka-sensei?!"

Iruka blinked. "Ahh…."

Amaya looked between the two. Iruka had gauze taped to his face where he'd collected those nasty hits from Kakashi. Actually, they were all looking pretty ruffed up.

"Accident," Iruka said.

Kakashi plucked the boy off of the ground and waved him around in the air. "Hey, stop being so nosey."

"Ehhhh! Are you okay NOW, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto watched his teacher unroll a scroll, glance up and smile brightly at him.

"Yes, I'm fine. You'd better catch up with Sasuke-kun and Sakura-chan or they'll beat you for sure."

"WHAT?! Sasuke-bastard beat ME? Never!" The boy flipped away from Kakashi. But before he vanished out the door, he turned to wave. "See you around, Amaya-sama! Kakashi-sensei! Iruka-sensei!"

"Bye, Naruto!"

Kakashi locked the door behind the boy and sighed.

Amaya shuttered and coughed, shaking her head and blinking. "He's adorable." She said softly, wiping away a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth. "A bit loud…"

Kakashi grabbed the cup ramen and began to prepare it. He seemed distracted by something as he went about his work. Finally, he spoke. "Iruka-san, are you withdrawing from the mission?"

The person in question turned to him, still smiling. "I thought that'd be obvious, Kakashi-san. I endangered the mission and I've offered little to the group dynamics so-"

The ninja's frown cut Iruka off. "Amaya-chan?"

Amaya paused and nodded. "I still need help. I'll try to get in contact with Taki-nin and see if I can get a tracker on Suien. We'll go from there. Kakashi-kun, you'll have to choose another." Her eyes flickered to Iruka. "I…I'm sorry…"

"It's fine, Amaya-chan." The dazzling smile never faltered. "It's safer for both of you if I stayed in Konoha." He turned his gaze back to his scroll and 'humphed'. "I'm going to have to get an updated version from Makoto-san…"

"What is it?" Amaya peered over Iruka's arm to look at the scroll. Each gave a short 'thanks' to Kakashi as he set cup ramen down in front of them.

"A scroll on village life in Rock Country." Iruka tapped his ramen cup with a chop stick. "Times change though. This is at least two years old already."

"Interesting."

Kakashi plopped down in his chair and stared at the cup ramen before him. A moment passed and he stood up again, picking it up along with a pair of chopsticks and raised his hand in the air. "Bye."

"Mm? Bye?"

The Jounin paused at the door. "I'm going to my own apartment." The door clicked behind him.

"He seems upset…or something." Amaya said softly, stirring her ramen with her chopsticks.

"It's understandable. Considering what happened earlier. Can you say you're not upset, Amaya-chan?"

"Ah, well… But…" She sighed dejectedly. "Yes, I am."

Iruka re-rolled his scroll for the umpteenth time and stood. "I'm sure you'll succeed. Now, since I've finally got some time again, I'll be getting that scroll from Makoto-san." He glanced to her over his shoulder. "You should rest, Amaya-chan."

"Mm." She nodded and stood up, rocking to the side slightly. "I'm going to take a nap. Thank you, Iruka-kun."

---

Makoto-san had been just as troublesome as he always was. They'd haggled over prices for at least twenty-five minutes before the old man would finally let out. And still, the price hadn't been cheap. For two scrolls and one book, it was unbelievably expensive.

Iruka sighed as he contemplated knocking or just leaving the bag in front of the door. According to team seven and everyone else who knew something about the man, Kakashi was rarely at his apartment. Few knew where he spent most of his time, but Iruka had his suspicions. "Ehh, why bother?" He withdrew the book, placing it at the base of the door. Iruka's self-assigned 'mission' completed, he could now return to a slumbering Amaya-chan.

But his conscience had reawakened about halfway down the stairs. If he was going to call delivering the book to Kakashi a mission, then technically he'd have to actually deliver it to Kakashi.

Well, where was the man? Probably where Iruka used to go and still went from time to time. A certain memorial in the Konoha forest…

---

"Here."

Kakashi suddenly found himself in danger of being seriously damaged. The Jounin's hand flipped up into the air and he caught a book that was flung at his blind spot. His eyes shifted away from the memorial stone and he looked at Iruka. After a pause, he stared down at the item in his hand. "Marionette's Melody. Good series..."

"Wasn't sure of what you've already read."

"Mm." Kakashi looked back to Iruka. "I was looking for this volume actually. Thanks a lot." Iruka noticed that there was empty cup ramen next to the Jounin's feet. He hadn't gone back to his apartment in the first place.

The Chuunin appeared at Kakashi's side, kneeling down next the Hero's stone. He reached out and affectionately traced his fingers over the names of his parents. "I've often wondered what they would think of me if they saw me now…" Iruka grinned at his reflection against the black.

Kakashi's gaze fell away from Iruka.

They crouched quietly, side by side, Kakashi's back to the stone, Iruka facing it. The jounin slowly turned the book over in his hands, lifted the cover.

The binding crackled as glue gave way to the new turn of a page.