Kakashi woke at exactly 5 A.M, like he did every morning. He frowned he had been hoping that his injured body would let him sleep in on his day off. Kakashi supposed he could visit Pig, but they weren't even close or, by society's standards, could be considered friends. So, it wouldn't be his place. Kakashi had no friends, he was an ANBU.
Friends were hindrances, as were the feelings that came with those relationships; it was better not to get attached. He sat up and yawned before he decided to do what he did every time he had a day off: visit the memorial stone. All his friends were already dead. Kakashi sighed and sat up, he felt like shit, but he was used to that. He sighed, gauze or not, he was taking a shower.
Kakashi gently unraveled the white linen off his chest, a slash going diagonally from the top of his right pectoral to the lower left. Maybe if he returned to the hospital, they would be able to heal it so that it wouldn't scar, not that he cared. He had so many scars already, adding another to the list didn't matter. Kakashi had forgotten about where he was stabbed by a kunai slightly above his right hip bone; that injury needed stitches. It was going to scar, oh well. Kakashi peeled the patch off his hip to reveal the stitches and yawned once again.
He turned the shower on, the water coming down in gentle droplets, not even bothering to wait for the water to warm up before he stepped in and let the water cascade down his injured body. Kakashi quickly rinsed the dirt and grime that had accumulated from the past week or so of doing non-stop missions. Damn, he really had needed a shower, he was almost positive, his hair was an entire shade lighter now without all the dried blood and dirt caught in it. Kakashi quickly scrubbed the rest of his body down and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel that smelled stale. He made a mental note to wash it with his dirty uniforms later.
He wrapped the towel around his waist and walked back into the plain open area that was his bedroom. Kakashi ran the towel through his hair before chucking it in the laundry pile, vaguely wondering if the brunette's towels smelled stale. Probably not, they probably smelled like tea or something sweet. The brunette would be able to frequently wash his belongings, unlike him, who sometimes went over a month without doing laundry, wearing the same bloodstained uniform for an extended amount of time. The ANBU never gave him much time off until he was severely injured.
Kakashi probably smelled like a sewer most of the time, but it's not like anyone ever had the guts to tell him. ANBU simply did not have the usual luxuries regular ninjas had, and it was common for ANBU to go without food, sleep, and hygiene. After all, why would a tool require all those things? He was a tool for the village's disposal. When he was gifted with the rarity of a break, he mainly spent it all talking to those who had already passed.
Kakashi quickly slipped on a fresh pair of underwear and another uniform, he didn't have anything else but a certain number of uniforms at his disposal to wear. He clicked the ANBU armor over his uniform and replaced his mask. Kakashi hardly ever left without his mask, and even if he did, he still wore a mask and a Konoha head guard over his Sharingan eye. Paranoia was a trait every ANBU had, always on guard and on the lookout for any potential threats. Anyone could be the enemy in disguise, waiting to kill you and make an attack. With that knowledge, who wouldn't be paranoid?
Kakashi, however, had another idea on how he was going to spend his rare day off, and that would be on how to make up for his debt to the brunette teacher had had nearly killed. He could always visit the memorial stone after he finished his business. An ANBU always paid back its debt. Kakashi was only alive due to Iruka's critical thinking and medical attention. He wanted to live, even if he did not care much for his own life.
Kakashi left the apartment quietly through the window and ran until he arrived at what he believed to be the teacher's house. He frowned, as an ANBU, he had almost zero social skills; his work simply didn't require that. What could the teacher possibly want as thanks? Maybe he would find out after a little research. The ANBU jumped up and easily balanced on the windowsill and took out a small lock pick that he carried at all times.
With the skill of an expert, he opened the window and stepped in, dismantling all the chunin's traps with the grace of an assassin in his element. Kakashi looked around the bedroom he had been in last night, the stained sheets still bundled in the corner. During the daylight, the warmth of the room filled with pictures sloppily drawn by kids seemed to increase tenfold. He nonchalantly slid his hands in his pockets as he walked into the hallway and what seemed to be the living room. Breaking and entering was only illegal if he got caught.
There was a well-worn brown couch near the window. In front of it was a coffee table with papers strewn across the surface, with a half-filled cup of tea from presumably that morning. Kakashi picked up what appeared to be the graded homework of the chunin's students. Sasuke Uchiha, well, apparently, he was as talented as his older brother, with the perfect score he made. In comparison, a Naruto Uzumaki was less than impressive with his failing grade. He set the graded papers back down and stood in front of the teacher's diploma that hung on the wall, Iruka Umino.
"Iruka-sensei," Kakashi smiled slightly at how the name easily rolled off his tongue. He padded around the small but welcoming apartment of the teacher for a while longer before sighing. The teacher loved collecting the crap his students dumped on him, but he highly doubted a full-grown man doing the same would have the same effect. The teacher was a ninja, he might have some enemies he wanted out of the way. That's what Kakashi would want if an assassin were to do a favor.
He lazily scratched the back of his head as he walked back to the room he entered and rearmed all the traps once more. Kakashi slid the window closed, not bothering to lock it. The teacher would more likely think he'd left it unlocked than someone breaking into his house and purposely resetting all his traps. He walked down the dirt road, letting his feet take him to the Academy, where he might hopefully catch the teacher in time for lunch. Otherwise, he had no clue where to find the teacher.
When he arrived, the teacher was handing out papers and scolding the replica of his beloved Sensei. Kakashi smiled sadly, the kid seemed to have gotten his father's looks and his mother's personality. He watched in silence as he continued waiting for the teacher to get back to class and resume teaching. Kakashi cocked his head in confusion, had he missed the lunch period? That wouldn't be surprising, considering he hardly ever ate at the normal times everyone else did. He frowned as he wondered if it would be rude to ask the teacher what he required now. Kakashi shrugged; he'd seen others do it countless times, and if he messed up, then he would simply apologize.
With speed that even the Yellow Flash would be proud of, the silver-haired jounin entered the class and kneeled at the brunette's feet exactly like he would do with the Head. The chunin immediately jumped and instinctively put his hand on his weapons pouch before he sighed with relief. Kakashi frowned, he had messed up. He had seen others enter through the Academy window countless times as a kid, then again they were at war at the time. He had also seemingly embarrassed the teacher, judging by the shade of tomato red his face had turned, or was he seething with anger?
Kakashi cleared his throat, "I would like to humbly thank you for the service you provided yesterday. I will do whatever you require." He bowed his head like he had been taught to do when receiving orders and awaited the chunin's answer. Kakashi was surprised when a hand lightly touched his shoulder and guided him to his feet. He blinked as he took in sight of the teacher, who was undeniably crimson-faced. Iruka was pointedly looking toward his class of students rather than him in embarrassment. The man was practically the definition of cute.
"I'm going to step out for a few while I discuss matters with my, uh, well, whatever! I'll be right by the door, so if I hear a peep out of any of you, there will be a pop quiz!" Iruka nodded confidently at the displeased groan from the class as he led the ANBU into the hall. Kakashi smiled, the teacher had a temper. That only made him so much cuter. He held back a chuckle and schooled his features back to normal, even though the teacher would have no way of telling.
"Maa~ my apologies, Iruka-sensei~ I did not mean to disrupt, but it appeared as if I missed the chance to talk to you at lunch." Iruka seemed slightly taken aback by the lazy attitude and slow drawl Kakashi usually had when he was himself. The brunette quickly smiled and shook his head. Kakashi found himself comparing that smile to the sun, it was simply breathtaking and warm. Iruka had simply been surprised that the ANBU knew who he was; maybe they had met before.
"Not at all, I was just about to re-teach what those brats learned yesterday because most of them seemed not to understand. Um, I'm glad to see you're okay." Iruka scratched at his scar, "You left so suddenly, I was worried whether or not something would happen to you." Kakashi was shocked by that statement. How could a person worry about another when they had just met? Iruka smiled bashfully, "Sorry, that probably sounds weird coming from a stranger, but I was truthfully worried about your well-being last night after seeing you with so many injuries." He eyed the ANBU's lithe form, covered completely by clothes, trying to look for any reopened wounds.
"Should you be walking around in your condition? I don't want your wounds to worsen."
"It's fine, those were just scratches. I came by to thank you for your help while I was out of action. I always repay my debts; just say the word and I will do anything you wish." Iruka's eyebrows furrowed, and he looked as if he wanted to say something but decided against it.
"You don't have to do that." Kakashi frowned, "I always repay my debts," he reiterated. Iruka sighed as he crossed his arms and stared at the floor in thought.
"Normally, weapon training happens a little later in the afternoon, but I'm sure the kids will benefit if they see an expert. I know ANBU don't normally spend time showing pre-genin how to throw a kunai, but that's the only thing I can think of on such short notice."
"I swear to god you stupid bastard, I'm gonna beat the crap out of you!" Iruka winced at Naruto's sudden outburst and sighed, he'd been hoping the hyperactive blond could make it more than five minutes without fighting with Sasuke.
"Shut up, Naruto! Iruka-sensei is going to hear you!" He rolled his eyes, even Sakura-chan? Iruka glanced up at Kakashi, "Do you want to eat lunch first, while I take care of the kids? You missed it, right? You can wait in the teacher's lounge."
Kakashi shrugged, "I don't mind observing you teach." Iruka nodded, and Kakashi opened the door. Surprisingly, a chalk eraser began to fall and landed on his head with a white poof, making his already silver hair even whiter. Naruto laughed obnoxiously, "What kind of ANBU can't dodge an eraser?! We'll be dead in minutes if that's who is protecting us."
It took only a second before Iruka grabbed the pre-genin by the ear and pulled him into the hall to scold him. Kakashi leaned against the teacher's desk and faced the students as he wiped dust from his hair. The children, except the Uchiha, practically cowered in fear at the teacher's booming voice from the hall. Iruka walked in with an air of satisfaction around him, "Take out a pencil and a piece of paper, we are going to have a pop quiz because you all couldn't manage to sit quietly while I was talking with Hound-sama."
The class groaned, and Kakashi scanned their faces in curiosity about who would probably fail. He found an Inuzuka with a pained face who was rubbing his temples, a boy who was sleeping on his arms, and Naruto Uzumaki, who entered after the collective groan, with glassy eyes.
"This is all your fault Naruto!" A pinkette with an overly wide forehead exclaimed. The blond put his hands behind his head and turned away, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, like I care." Iruka coughed, "Naruto was not the only one I heard in the hallway." The pinkette blushed and looked at her desk in shame. Naruto snickered and returned to his seat next to the Inuzuka, who punched him in the arm. Kakashi put his hands in his pockets as Iruka began to name off the questions.
"First question, what clan assists in the recovery of the famous three-pill secret weapon?" Kakashi watched as Iruka threw a piece of chalk at the sleeping boy, who was most likely a Nara. The boy slowly woke up and looked around before sighing and returning to his previous position in his arms, muttering under his breath about how school was such a drag. The Inuzuka ran his hands through his hair in agitation when, ironically, the answer was sleeping in front of him, while Naruto zoned out after guessing. He smiled; it was good that they could take things so slowly nowadays.
When he was their age, he was already a chunin who fought in the war. Iruka sighed and asked another simple question so that half the class possibly didn't fail. It seemed the class had been learning about the different clans of Konoha and their specialties. To his surprise, there was also an Akimichi clan member, but judging from the way he was happily eating bag after bag of chips while he sat next to the Nara kid, Pig must not have been a direct relative. Possibly a cousin of some sort. Kakashi vaguely wondered if his comrade had survived or not, but he chose not to dwell on it. He was interrupted from his thoughts by the feisty teacher letting out an exasperated sigh and sneaking a glance at the uncaring ANBU leaning against the desk.
"Last question, what was the Fourth Hokage's nickname?" Kakashi frowned, he hadn't been to the memorial stone in several weeks, and he needed to visit later.
"Everyone, don't forget to write your name before you flip your paper over." The students did as they were told, and Iruka hastily traveled across the room to pick up the papers. Iruka smiled at Kakashi while he set the papers back down on the desk and cleared his throat, "Everyone, we have a special guest today who will assist us in weapon training!" The class nodded in excitement, and a certain familiar blond perked up, "So are you like a real high-level ninja?!" Kakashi nodded slowly, "One of the highest," he drawled.
The class collectively whispered in awe, and Iruka smiled at Kakashi as the students began to line up by the door. The silver-haired jounin found that he liked it when Iruka smiled at him; he really liked it. Kakashi got up from his place against the desk and followed the class to where they were supposed to train. Iruka had gotten a pack of training kunai somehow, huh, he hadn't even seen the chunin enter the supply closet, interesting. A teacher had to be fast while dealing with rambunctious children.
In front of him was the rowdy blond who was too much like his mother for his own good. A replica of Minato with Kushina's mouth was quite comical actually. Naruto kept turning and looking at him to the point where it was beginning to get creepy. The kid had his arms propped up behind him, "I'm gonna be Hokage one day, believe it! When I am, you can be my subordinate since you're cool-looking!" Kakashi smiled softly and patted the blonde's head, effectively stopping him so he could examine the child's scarred face, "I'll wait for that day."
Naruto grinned and bounded to catch up while Kakashi took several long strides and put his hands back in his pockets. Iruka waited for him at the doorway, "Are you sure you're fit to do this? You're about to be surrounded by pre-genin who can't throw kunai, shuriken, or senbon in a straight line." Kakashi chuckled, "I've been through worse than pre-genin in this condition. It kind of makes a difference when they're not purposefully trying to kill you." Iruka didn't look convinced, he had seen all Kakashi's wounds last night, so he knew exactly what kind of condition the taller male was in.
He sighed and stepped out of the way, "You're only doing demonstrations and maybe helping pre-genin." Iruka's voice was stern and commanding as he led the ANBU over to the training dummies where the class was waiting. Kakashi smiled as the chunin made him stand the farthest away he could from the dummies. Iruka turned, scratching his scar, "It's uh a rule that the more skilled you are, the farther away you stand."
The brunette grinned and gave him a thumbs up, "Besides, it's always fun to show off a little." The chunin looked at the three dummies, squinting slightly, he could hit the targets from this distance, but it had taken some practice.
"Do you want a warm-up throw?" Kakashi shrugged, took out several of his weapons from his pack, and held a kunai in his dominant hand, "Sure." He lazily threw one at the middle dummy, hitting it between the eyes. Hitting a non-moving target was a piece of cake for someone with a Sharingan eye. There were some oohs and aahs from his audience before he yanked his arm back, pulling on the semi-invisible string connected to the end of the weapons. The Kunai came spiraling back to the two, Kakashi easily catching the weapons before they hit his face.
"Impressive. As expected of the legendary Hound-sama." Iruka had a proud smile on his face with his hands on his hips as he spoke fondly of the man next to him. Adorable.
"Hound, just call me Hound." Warm chocolate eyes locked with his, seemingly judging for a facial expression, before he smiled softly, slightly pink in the cheeks. That caused the unsuspecting ANBU's heart to flutter like a butterfly in his chest. Kakashi frowned and wiped the feeling away as quickly as it came, "So, how do you want me to hit them?" Iruka shrugged, "However you want."
Kakashi nodded and pictured the dummies as enemy ninjas, quickly throwing all his weapons, some of them clanking against the others and bouncing in a different direction as they sped through the air. The class was silent this time before Naruto's obnoxious laughter pierced through the silence, "What's with that? He hit them in random places!" Sasuke frowned before elbowing his supposed rival in the side, "Dobe, he hit all of the vital points, from that far, he could probably kill you with his pinky." Naruto gulped before elbowing Sasuke back, and the beginning of another fight between the two once again started. Iruka separated them within seconds, and Kakashi was leaning against the very tree he had been observing from earlier. He lazily pulled the weapons out of the dummies with the strings and slowly untangled the mass of weapons. The pre-genin took their stances in front of the dummies as they held their kunai with confident grins on their faces.
Kakashi evaded a kunai that somehow ended up spiraling its way towards him. He pulled the weapon out of the tree and noticed the confused Inuzuka looking around, "Huh? Where did it go?" The weapon disappeared out of his hand with a puff of smoke and appeared in Iruka's hand. Clever, attach a justu to the weapons, and you could quickly summon all of the lost weapons. The set of pre-genin changed, and Kakashi watched interestedly at Minato's heir, who had his chest and cheeks puffed out to the max.
Naruto got into stance and threw the kunai in a way Kakashi expected something, only to be disappointed when none of them hit their mark. He chuckled and stood next to the boy, "Do it like this." Kakashi put a kunai in the boy's hand and flicked his wrist gently, but forcefully enough to send the weapon flying into the wood. Naruto's face lit up so much it was like staring up at the sun, "Iruka-sensei! Look, I did it! I hit one!" Naruto was almost jumping up in down in his excitement as the brunette looked between the two.
"Very good! Maybe we can celebrate with some ramen later?" Naruto gave Kakashi a thumbs-up before changing turns with another classmate.
"You're surprisingly a good teacher. Ever thought about becoming a squad leader?" Truthfully, Kakashi never even thought about it; he kind of figured he would be an ANBU forever. He simply shrugged, and Iruka nodded and returned to the students. Kakashi left as soon as the training was over and gave Iruka a nod before he disappeared. He put a hand over his chest at the thought of never seeing the chunin again. There must be some side effects of the poison left in his system, that was the only explanation; weapons don't have feelings.