Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ For the Sake of My Lover ❯ For the Sake of My Lover: III ( Chapter 3 )

For the Sake of My Lover: III

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"Nngh…"

With a sleepy sigh, Kakashi moved one arm up to stroke the side of the face of the man he knew would be there. His fingers touched the warm skin and felt another warmth also, a wet, sticky kind of heat.

Eyes flying open, the Jônin looked sharply down at his lover and choked back the horrified cry that threatened to slip from his throat. Iruka was in his arms, yes, but he was stained red by the blood that flowed from multiple wounds all over his body. In the back of his mind, the older ninja noted that he too was covered in the other man's blood; but that did not matter now.

"Nngh…" Iruka moaned again, a little louder this time and stirred, his eyelids fluttering. But his face contorted with pain at the movement, and he lay still, eyes finally opening to meet Kakashi's own. Grimacing, his mind finally seemed to register what had happened to him and the dark eyes that had been so passion-filled the night before now widened in shock and pain. "Ka-Kakashi…"

Shaking with a combination of fear and anger, Kakashi brushed the matted locks of Iruka's dark hair off his forehead and gingerly slipped his arms out from under the younger man. "Iruka! Just-"

But the other's eyes were already sliding closed again, and his face smoothed out as the Chûnin slipped into unconsciousness.

With a low growl, Kakashi sprang from the blood-soaked bed, eyes scanning the room and taking in everything from the bloody footprints on the floor to the open window and the open door. Why hadn't he awoken when another presence had entered the room?! And why hadn't Iruka cried out when he had been wounded?!

There was only one person he knew of that could have pulled off something like this, but he…

Shaking a head full of silver locks, Kakashi pushed that thought to the back of his mind and ran down the stairs to go find the Hokage and a Healer.

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"So you're saying you heard nothing?" The Hokage's face was skeptical as he said these words, and Kakashi felt like a fool all over again.

"No, Lord Hokage."

"Then it must have been someone extremely skilled, to get past both you and Iruka, even though you slept." He said these words as if the news that they were sleeping in the same bed together was the least of his worries, and truth be told, at the moment, it was.

Kakashi tried to hide his uneasiness at the fact that the Hokage knew about his and Iruka's relationship and instead turned to glance at the Healer as he stood by the wounded Chûnin. Blood still covered the floor and the bed, but most of the red liquid on Iruka had been washed away and what little remained could easily be taken care of.

As if on cue, the short Healer turned from the bed and approached the two conversing ninjas. "He'll live," the man said shortly. "Though it'll be a miracle if he regains full use of his left arm."

Wincing, the Jônin let his eyes flicker towards Iruka and saw that the majority of the white bandages that covered his body were indeed around his left arm. "Thank you," he said vaguely to the Healer. His willowy form drifted towards their sleeping place and the Hokage led the other man out of the room silently.

Sinking to his knees, Kakashi buried his face in the mattress at Iruka's side. How could he have let his guard down like that?! How could he?! Stinging, angry tears prickled at his eyes and he ground his teeth together and reached out to run a finger along his lover's lips. Mumbling reached his ears and the lips slowly took his finger into the waiting mouth, gently suckling on it.

One eye cracked open and dolefully met Kakashi's own, dull pain registering in the dark orb. "Kakashi?" Swallowing hard, Kakashi withdrew his finger and watched as the younger man shifted on the bed and groaned with the pain. "I…I don't know what happened…" he admitted to the Jônin. "I don't remember having these wounds inflicted upon me…" He trailed off.

With a sigh, Kakashi let his head drop to the mattress once more and cupped Iruka's cheek with his hand. "Neither did I…it's my fault! I should have-"

"No!" Surprised at the vehement tone in his lover's voice, the silver head shot up and met a pair of blazing eyes. "Don't blame yourself!"

"I can't help but lay the blame on myself because-"

"Stop it Kakashi!"

"Because the man that did this to you was my brother," the Jônin finished, his voice shaking with suppressed rage.

Confusion, then surprise registered in the younger mans eyes and on his face. "Your…your…brother?"

Kakashi nodded and turned away. "He is the only one I know of that could have done something like this. His stealth is beyond any I have ever seen before…" his voice took on a dream-like quality as he explained himself to his lover and he rose to stand by the window, staring out at the sun-washed streets. "He used to sneak up on me all the time when we were kids…even though I was older then him, he could almost always manage get past me…"

"…I didn't know you had a brother," Iruka admitted, amusement tingeing his voice. "You still cannot blame yourself, though."

"Mmm…" Kakashi mused, half to himself. "But he is my brother…"

With a sigh, Iruka tried to sit up and cried aloud in pain. His yelp brought Kakashi straight to his side and the Chûnin found himself on receiving end of a tender reprieve.

A strained smile crossing his lips, he clutched Kakashi's arm in his right hand and said, "I want you to stop this, Kakashi, Please, do it for me!"

Staring deep into the other's eyes, Kakashi felt the insistent pressure on his arm and covered the hand with one of his own. "I…" He looked away with a grunt and muttered. "Fine."

Nodding, Iruka let his eyes slide shut again and his hand relaxed on Kakashi's muscular arm.

"Sleep well…" Kakashi whispered, leaning down and placing a loving kiss on the other's forehead. "I swear to you my brother will not live to see the next full moon." He rose from the bed and glanced back once as he left the room and noted how the morning sun painted Iruka gold.

With a soft smile, he readjusted the mask that once more covered his mouth. The black fabric in place, he left the house with only a slight draft of air to show he had ever been there in the first place.

And even as his toned form was leaving Konohagakure Village, Iruka's chest rose and fell evenly, his mind adrift and his body immersed in a healing slumber.

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