Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Iruka's obsession ❯ Part 7 ( Chapter 7 )

Part 7

 

Iruka actually cringed a little as he waited for the much anticipated event of the day. Not just by him, it seemed, but by everyone, which was very annoying. He had the notion that the mission room was a little more crowded than before, but it could be because he was feeling self-conscious. The mission room was always crowded at the end of day, since nearly all the chuunins and jounins dropped in to find out about the proceedings of that day. These included how many missions had been completed successfully, how many had been injured or killed during these missions and if there were any coveted new missions coming up -such as escorting a pretty, nymphomaniac princess home.

 

As agreed, Izumo had told Kakashi that he was to collect his next mission from Iruka at the mission desk. However, Raidou, who had been part of their conversation, had told Anko about it over his date, who had told Kurenai, who had told Asuma, who had told…well just about everybody.

 

Iruka looked around him as he piled up the last of the mission reports and then decided that he was done for the day. He was not disappointed-- it was stupid of him to be disappointed over something he did not like. He was disappointed because he had been determined that he would confront his problem that day and not blush like a virgin bride. Then his problem had failed to materialize. It was going to have to stop. He was going to show that he had a backbone, and this ridiculous charade was going to come to an end. He had not slept a wink the previous night, since he'd been thinking of date with Kakashi and everything. It was so annoying, this state of being semi-worried about Kakashi. Did the man like him, did he not like him? Did he have some sort of ulterior motive? How was he going to tell Kakashi he`d seen his face and read his personal file? Anyway, it was getting late, and he had places to go--well, namely home, but that was a place.

 

There was a puff of smoke--a teleportation jutsu--and the next instant, Hatake Kakashi was standing in the middle of the mission room, reading his trademark orange book. He looked up briefly, nodded towards Asuma, then strolled slowly towards Iruka, who was sitting there, his fists clenched on his lap.

 

“Iruka-sensei,” said Kakashi, looking slightly nonplussed as if he hadn't expected Iruka to be there. “How are you today?”

 

“I'm fine,” Iruka said automatically. “Thank you,” he added, since he was brought up to be polite. “You have to collect your mission from the Hokage's office.” Then, acting on his earlier determination, he held out his hand and started to speak--to Kakashi's back, since the annoying man had turned around and was strolling off towards the exit, pulling out the book from his pouch as he did so.

 

“Kakashi-san,” Iruka said politely through gritted teeth. He was pissed. Kakashi had given no indication of anything that had happened the previous night. Not that much had happened, but you did not invite perfect strangers to eat with you, did you? And he still hadn't dealt with the issue of the incident in the basement. Then there was another thing Iruka wanted to discuss. “Your mission report.”

 

Kakashi stopped in mid-motion, turned around and smiled. Iruka assumed he was smiling, since all he could see was one crinkling eye and that wasn't anything to go by. “My mission report,” Kakashi repeated as if Iruka had said something forbidden.

 

“You did have a D-rank mission three days ago,” Iruka said, forcing himself to look up into that the single visible eye. “You still haven't handed in your report.”

 

“Ah.” One hand went to ruffle his already disarrayed silver hair then slid down to hold the back of his neck while the other closed over the familiar orange book. With his stooped shoulders and pleading stance, it reminded Iruka of facing students who were late to hand in their assignments. “Well you see, Iruka-sensei…uh…one of my dogs ate my…” homework “…report.”

 

“I've met one of your dogs, remember,” Iruka said calmly. “Wasn't it called Pakkun. Doesn't seem to be type to chew up mission reports. If I didn't know better, I'd say your dogs are more intelligent that you are.”

 

The mission room was so quiet, Iruka could hear the potted plant in the corner grow. He looked at Kakashi, waiting for the silver-haired man to react, but all he did was shrug.

 

“It's not as if I include everything that happens in my reports,” he said casually.

 

“Such as…” said Iruka in a voice that would have had his students ducking for cover. Some of the chuunin in the room took a step back, but Kakashi was either oblivious or perhaps just unconcerned about the impending danger.

 

“Well, there was the time we were collecting trash in the river, and Naruto got swept over the waterfall,” Kakashi said holding, out a finger as if keeping count.

 

“Really,” said Iruka, telling himself that Naruto was fine, and that he was off training with Jiraiya. Well, the thought of the kid training with an old pervert brought up more questions, but he wasn't that worried about it.

 

“Sasuke saved him then,” Kakashi said and turned around as if to walk away again, and all Iruka could do was stand there with his mouth open. “But not even Sasuke was willing to run after Naruto when a dog he was walking dragged him into the village minefield.”

 

“That's nice,” said Iruka, feeling drained. Naruto was fine now. Maybe if Naruto came back with a penchant for peeping into ladies' bath houses, he'd deal with it accordingly then. Right now he had bigger issues to deal with. He opened his mouth to tell Kakashi that talking about past missions was not going to let him off writing mission reports, only to realize that the jounin was walking away, and short of running around his desk and dragging him back, there was nothing he could do. Damn that man!

 

“What do you know,” Anko crowed loudly. “Iruka-sensei has a love interest.”

 

“I do?” said Iruka, still fuming over Kakashi, until he realized his problems hadn't dissipated, and now his secret was out in the open. “He's not my love interest.” It was a reflex action, something he repeated to himself over and over again.

 

“But admit it,” said Anko thumping Iruka on the back enthusiastically and pushing him onto the desk. “The man likes you. He's here every day asking about you, he tells you things he's never told other people about and …”

 

“He told me how he put his genin team in danger,” Iruka said angrily. “That's hardly a heart to heart conversation.”

 

“Maybe,” said Genma once he'd popped his senbon back into his mouth. “But Kakashi doesn't ask us how we are.”

 

“Leave the poor man alone,” Asuma said, as Iruka continued to turn two shades redder, and Iruka sighed in relief. At least someone was on his side. “The poor man's genin team isn't here - Sakura, who is the only remaining student, is undergoing training with Tsunade, and even Gai is out on a mission. He must be bored.”

 

And Iruka had thought someone was coming to his rescue. He stood up carefully and gathered up the missions reports cluttering his desk. He had essays to grade and laundry to do, so he might as well head off to home before everyone decided that he was their nighttime entertainment.

 

Not that there was much to look forward to. He had a headache that just wouldn't go away, lesson plans from other teachers to go over, shopping to do--he was running low on milk. However, there was one thing to look forward to--though he had had not been able to confront Kakashi as he had originally planned to, the day was not yet over, and he knew exactly what to do afterwards.

 

As he started to walk towards the door, Kotetsu walked in, and the two almost bumped into each other.

 

“I was just about to come and collect those,” Kotetsu said to Iruka as he took the pile of reports off the teacher. Iruka blinked--he had always filed the mission reports himself; no one had ever stepped in to help him. “So…did he come today?”

 

“Who?” Iruka ground out, ready to tear his hair out, since he already knew the answer.

 

“Kakashi, of course,” Kotetsu said, with about as much care for Iruka's glaring as Kakashi had. Then again, the man spent so much time around Tsunade, it probably took more than a death glare from an academy teacher to faze him.

 

Iruka snapped. “I don't get it,” he ground out. “He doesn't do anything special for me.” There was one small detail he thought it wise to keep mum about. “And you people make it sound as if I'm having a lurid affair with him.”

 

“You could,” Anko said with a smirk. “It's Kakashi, you know. He screws just about anything that moves and then some.”

 

“You would know,” Genma said with a sideways grin. “You've tried out every available combination in Konaha and then some.”

 

“Not as much as Kakashi has,” Anko said, before Iruka could get his head around the Anko and Kakashi aspect.

 

Not that he was surprised. He was sure he was the only person in the room without a sex life. Shinobi were pretty open with their sex lives--there wasn't much to hide. They lived too fast and too dangerously to have complicated love lives so they fucked and fought in equal measure. There were hardly any hang ups, very little commitment and even fewer complications.

 

“Well, I heard Kakashi screws people when he's on missions, too,” Raidou offered, looking pleased he'd managed to join in the conversation. He did not seem worried that his date from the previous night was talking about her past lovers, but, jounins were different. Iruka groaned mentally--and he had been so close to the door. Just another step, and he might have been able to get away. Then he realized the seriousness of the Raidou's statement. Now he had images in his head of his love interest with other people, and it was something he could have done without. The thought of Kakashi with faceless strangers was disturbing on so many levels.

 

“Is that allowed?” Iruka wondered, since fraternizing with other clans was a long and tedious process monitored by everyone. To engage in sex with someone else outside of Konoha while on a mission sounded rather compromising.

 

“It's Hatake Kakashi, the legend,” Genma said with a roll of his eyes. “The man reads porn in public, and no one says anything. If he decided to masturbate in public, people would still look the oth…”

 

“Please,” said Kurenai stepping in before Iruka could combust on the spot. “We're supposed to convince Iruka-sensei that Kakashi is a nice person, not a pervert who reads Icha Icha books in broad daylight.” The way she said it made Iruka wonder just what exactly was in those books. He worried about Naruto going off to train with the author of such infamous books. He wondered why he needed convincing about Kakashi. He also wondered why people didn't mind their own business.

 

“Well,” said Anko enthusiastically. “He's bloody brilliant in bed…just that…” she seemed to contemplate it a bit. “…the mask is a bit of a turn-off. It's exciting at first…you get to screw with the masked man and all, but when he doesn't take it off, it gets tedious after a while.”

 

“I see,” said Iruka weakly, inching towards the door. So Kakashi did not take off his mask, even while having sex, so what did that make Iruka who had glimpsed his face?

 

“He's not too choosy,” Anko continued while Iruka stared. “I hear he and Gai had a thing going for a while, you know.”

 

Genma almost swallowed his senbon, causing everyone to step forward, and then recovered. “Ew,” he said finally.

 

Iruka remembered Kakashi washed and dressed, left on a hospital bed. Gai had done that. Probably even seen Kakashi's face. He really, really hated Gai then.

 

“Please,” Raidou groaned. “Someone spare me the image. The man couldn't have been that hard up. I can't think of anyone worse.”

 

“Orichimaru,” Asuma said blandly, and Anko suddenly paled, then blushed, competing for Iruka's coloring.

 

“Oh,” said Iruka while everyone in the room stared at Anko with new interest. They were in a room full of ninjas who had been trained to observe minute changes in personality, so it was hard to miss.

 

“I had a crush on him when I was a child,” she protested weakly. “He was my jounin sensei, you're supposed to have a crush on your jounin sensei.” Asuma looked worried, and Kurenai blanched.

 

“So, is it true what they say,” Kurenai asked. “He's snakelike all over?”

 

Thankfully, Iruka was spared an answer by the entrance of a lesser chuunin who had a summons for all the jounins present and Kotetsu to come to the Hokage's office. Something about another intruder alert which probably was a hoax. People were jumpy after the last attack, and they saw intruders everywhere.

 

“I'd better go, then,” said Iruka, as he thrust the mission reports into Kotetsu's hands and jumped out the closest window.

 

Iruka landed neatly on the cobblestoned pavement, then started to walk towards his apartment, his senses alert. He knew the moment the familiar chakra signature appeared-- he was a teacher, for god's sake, so he had eyes at the back of his head.

 

He knew Kakashi was close by; he had known Kakashi would be coming out after receiving his mission from Tsunade and had wanted to meet the man. Though he had balked at the overenthusiastic teasing in the mission room, the truth was he was a little flattered that Hatake Kakashi had shown an interest in him.

 

He had recently realized that though he handed out mission reports, he rarely went on missions. He taught other people's kids but didn't have any of his own. Not that he thought he might be having any children, since he was aware of his preference, and he did consider Naruto to be sort of son. And then there was the whole relationship issue.

 

Iruka was a good guy in everyone's books. He knew practically everyone in the village, since he either taught them or taught their kids, nephews, nieces or they attended the academy where he worked. Those whom he did not meet in school, he met at the mission desk. He was the person they came to when they had relationship difficulties, when they wanted him to play the middle man in an introduction, or the third wheel on dates when they wanted him to play chaperone. He had no love life of his own. Not that others hadn't tried, but after years of trying to set him up with everybody from grandmothers to bar maids, they had given up.

 

But now, Iruka thought that he had been a spectator long enough. It was high time he took some interest in his life, and for that he needed to actually have a life. Perhaps starting with finding out why Kakashi had invited him to dinner the night before. And the man had told Iruka to be strong and stay alive. It wasn't as if he was chasing after a lost cause.

 

“Kakashi-san, can we speak?”

 

There was a movement, far too quick for the naked eye to follow, and Kakashi appeared next to him, smiling self-consciously as if he was a child caught with his hand in the candy jar.

 

“Iruka -sensei,” said Kakashi casually. “How…”

 

“You've already asked me that question,” Iruka said in exasperation. “Can I ask you something?”

 

“Werewolves,” Kakashi said promptly.

 

“Werewolves,” Iruka repeated in astonishment.

 

“You do know what they are, don't you?” Kakashi asked with an air of someone about to launch into a long, tedious explanation.

 

“I know what they are,” Iruka said in frustration “Why are you following me?”

 

“Me?” said Kakashi, looking slightly shocked, as if Iruka was spouting nonsense.

 

Iruka groaned mentally. This had to stop. Kakashi was so damn good at avoiding the real point, Iruka was sure the jounin could give Ibiki pointers on how to avoid interrogation. Maybe he already did. There was only one way to avoid the long drawn and useless conversation.

 

“Your friends from the mission desk told me that you were…er… you know.” He could be wrong. Then he tried to remember the reasons why he thought Kakashi liked him.

 

“Can I… see your Sexy-no-Jutsu”

 

“That's love,” Shikamaru shrugged. “He's just trying to get her attention.”

 

“Be strong, Iruka-sensei; be strong enough to stay alive.”

 

“There are people who want you to stay alive, Iruka-sensei.”[1]

 

“Do you like me?” he asked Kakashi point blank. “Is that why you're acting like this with me?”

 

“Uh.” Kakashi blink rapidly. “I…yeah…that's it…I mean, that's why I'm shadowing you,” he said, obviously stunned by the directness.

 

“Why don't you walk with me up to my quarters properly, then?” Iruka said, as Kakashi stood there looking as poleaxed as a man with only one visible eye could. He thought about asking Kakashi to carry some of his scrolls for him, then changed him mind. There was no need for him to overwhelm the guy.

 

“Hn,” Kakashi nodded, stuck his hands in his pockets and started to walk slightly behind Iruka, his head down as if counting the flag stones in the pavement, moving in his familiar loping way. It was not a very comfortable walk, as the street lights came on one by one and the night insects started to gravitate towards the light. As they passed a pool of light, Iruka turned slightly to look at his companion but the silver haired man remained silent. The atmosphere was starting to get tense, and Iruka wondered if he had been an idiot to invite Hatake Kakashi to walk him home.

 

He wasn't even sure if it was done in the civilian sector, but it most certainly was not in the Shinobi circles of Konoha. Most Ninja's considered it an insult if someone offered to walk them home, since it implied they were not strong enough to protect themselves. Unless they were very close: best friends, having sex with each other, or a couple. Since they weren't any of the above, Iruka wondered if he should explain himself. Additionally, there was the problem of the little orange book that had appeared in the jounin's hand, even though Iruka was sure it was too dark to read.

 

He wondered if he should do something, but what? He was at a loss, and they walked in silence until they reached the bachelor quarters. Iruka looked up at his apartment on the second floor, and smiled wryly. “We're here.” That had been as pleasant as having Gaara over for dinner.

 

“Iruka sensei….”

 

“If you are walking me home, then you might as well call me Iruka,” the chuunin said softly. He looked down and swallowed. It was so wrong--Kakashi did not sound as if he wanted to be with Iruka or even speak to him and…and…Iruka sighed miserably. But he had been open about it, so he might as well get it over with. “And I think I deserve a kiss.”

 

He looked down as he spoke, not wanting to face Kakashi. He did not want to see his reaction…

 

“Put your homework scrolls on the ground,” a flat voice instructed him. He did it automatically, as he wondered if he should prepare to defend himself. If Kakashi was to hit him, he wouldn't do anything, Iruka decided. He would just take whatever was dished out to him quietly and walk away. Forget the stupid incident. He was determined, but he still flinched as hands reached for his head. It took him a few minutes to realize that Kakashi was undoing his hitai-ate and tying it over his eyes in place of a blind fold.

 

It was then he realized that Kakashi really intended to kiss him, and for that he needed to pull his mask down. Even if he had the brain of a moron, Iruka knew he could not now say , “By the way, I saw your face, because I looked under your mask while you were lying unconscious in a hospital bed.” It was not only a mood killer; it would probably get him killed anyway.

 

Then he felt a calloused hand under his chin tilting his head up, and then, soft lips closed over his. Kakashi's lips were tentative, almost shy as they bushed over Iruka's gently. Then he felt the tip of a tongue over his upper lip, the brush of teeth over his lower. Then Kakashi moved back a little and Iruka made a small protesting sound at the back of his throat and tried to move forward.

 

Then Kakashi's lips covered his again, this time completely, and Iruka opened his mouth willingly to let his in. The jounin tasted of coffee and something faintly sour. Not unpleasant, but different - just like the man himself. Iruka leaned forward cursing mentally as their flak jackets collided as Kakashi's kiss deepened.

 

Iruka's toes curled in his blue sandals as he tried to get more of Kakashi; his heart was beating wildly in his chest from the excitement, and he wanted more. Kakashi smelled slightly of sweat and weapon oil, a combination that said “male,” and it excited him. He lifted his hands, which he had kept at his side and wrapped them around Kakashi's shoulders, surprised at how slender the taller ninja felt. Kakashi wound his arms around Iruka, one over his shoulder and the other around his waist, pulling him closer. Though the ninja gear didn't let them get close enough for comfort, and there was the danger of sharp weapons hidden in their clothing pricking each other at in appropriate moments, Iruka clung to Kakashi as hard as possible.

 

The kiss seemed to go on forever as Iruka felt the hand on his waist move down to cup his butt. Before he could react, he was pulled closer until his groin was hard against Kakashi's thigh. He groaned into the other man's mouth and tired to rub himself a little, unashamedly trying to hump his leg.

 

Kakashi gave him one last hug then broke the kiss gently, despite his mumbling protests, and drew back. There was a small pause, then the hitai-ate was untied and Iruka was once again staring at Kakashi's masked face.

 

“Oh,” said Iruka breathlessly, sure his face was flaming red. “Oh…my…”

 

“Good night, Iruka-sensei,” Kakashi said taking another step back.

 

“Uh,” said Iruka a little nonplused. Kakashi was behaving like a gentleman, which was the last thing he expected. After listening to all the talk about him being a sex addict, he'd expected Kakashi to throw him on the hard ground and ravish him. “Would you like to come in…” and continue from where we stopped.

 

“Can't,” Kakashi said with a shake of his head. “There's a jounin meeting in the Hokage office…”

 

“But that was an hour ago,” Iruka said in shock, coming out of his lust-induced stupor fast.

 

“I'll be just in time, then,” Kakashi said jauntily. “See you around, Iruka-sensei.” And he was gone, leaving Iruka open mouthed.

 

[1] don't look at me like that. No anime is complete without flashbacks.

 

A/n- someone pointed out to me that there was a lot of leg humping. My excuse, Kakashi has dogs - he must be used to it.