Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Mission Iruka ❯ The Avoidance no Jutsu and Iruka's Apology ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer:I own Kakashi! Just kidding... now can I stop?

This is a pretty good size chapter and I spent most of the day getting it touched up the way I wanted it... The first half (Kakashi's view point) is unbetaed because Tellkalia was at work. It fixes a part of the story that annoying me before I started posting it. There were 'missing bits' and I couldn't figure out where they went or what exactly they were. This was one of them. Well I hope you all enjoy it.
Mission Iruka

Chapter 7: The Avoidance no Jutsu and Iruka's Apology

-------

"Hmm, what was that you were saying, Kurenai-san?"

Kurenai stared as Kakashi appeared beside her again. "Was it really necessary to dive into the bookstore?"

"They had the latest Icha Icha." He held it up so that she could see that he did, in fact, have it, before tucking it into one of the bags he was carrying.

"Just like you had to have that new shuriken set and the new shoes and the..." She paused peeking into one of the bags. "What the hell is that?"

"I'm not sure. The man simply said it was his interpretation of the shinobi way."

"It looks like scrap metal," Asuma put in.

"What? You don't think it'll look nice on Tsunade-san's desk?"

Kurenai shook her head. "Okay, but what about the Tempura?"

"Dinner."

"You don't like Tempura."

"Pakkun does."

She raised a questioning eyebrow. "You wouldn't be trying to avoid a certain chunin and simply buying this stuff as an excuse, would you?"

"Of course not. I simply thought that, since we were out, I should go ahead and get my shopping done."

"It's just coincidence that whenever he happens to be in the general area, you disappear?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't seen Iruka once."

"So, you are avoiding Iruka-sensei..."

"I just said I wasn't."

Kurenai sighed, grabbed both Kakashi and Asuma's elbows, and dragged them into a nearby restaurant. "We're eating, and if he happens to wander in, you're not running away; or I swear I will tell him."

"So, how did the mission go?" Kurenai asked cheerfully as she shoved him into the booth before settling across from him and Asuma.

"Fine. I have another one tomorrow."

"Oh wow, aren't you talkative today."

Kakashi smiled and picked up the menu rather pointedly.

-------------

Kakashi dropped the... object in front of Tsunade. "I want a mission."

"What is that?"

"Art. Can I have a mission now?"

"Why is it on my desk?"

"It's yours."

"Since when?"

"Since now. Mission." He held out his hand to emphasize his impatience over the matter.

"I don't want it!"

"You don't appreciate the work of a civilian? They were thinking of you when they made that; how can you not appreciate it?"

Tsunade growled and thumbed through the missions on her desk. "Liar."

"Mission."

Tsunade leaned back and tapped her palm with a scroll. "Oh? You really seem eager to be gone... Any particular reason?"

Kakashi growled, and snatched the scroll before disappearing in a puff of smoke and leaves.

"Brat," Tsunade chuckled. "Shizune, find some place to put this piece of junk. Like, maybe the council room."

-------------

Iruka raised the odd black knocker beside the door and let it fall. The house was bigger than he'd expected. Did the jounin really live here all by himself? Ibiki had given him the address, so it had to be right. He knocked again, staring at the rather unusual knocker. Iruka was about to give up when the door creaked open.

"Yo." A very tired looking Kakashi peeked out.

"Hi, Kakashi-san, I uh..." Iruka hesitated. Had he woken Kakashi up? Maybe he'd been up all night on a mission. Kakashi stared at him and yawned under his mask.

"I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to get some ramen... to make up for the other day."

Kakashi blinked at him and then slid the door open a little further, stepping aside to let the chunin in. Iruka just stood there staring. "Please, come in, I'll make some tea."

After a moment, Iruka recovered from the shock and regained control of his legs. He stepped in and removed his shoes but held onto them. The inside was... not what he'd expected. The room looked like it hadn't been lived in for years. And, it obviously hadn't been dusted in nearly as long. A not so thin layer of dust covered almost everything in the room. Iruka was more than a bit unnerved. Kakashi turned, rubbing the back of his head casually and smiled.

"Sorry, I don't come in here very often." Iruka could see faint footprints. Even a couple trails of paw prints slightly dusted over and heading in a different direction.

"I can tell."

"Just follow me." Kakashi walked back the way the footsteps came and through a door on the opposite wall. Iruka followed a little self consciously. There were pictures on the walls and shelves, so thick with dust the people in them appeared to be shadows. Iruka was a little relieved by this; it just seemed a little less intrusive this way.

Kakashi lead him out into an enclosed courtyard, obviously training grounds. These appeared to be swept on a regular basis.

They trailed around the outside and through another door, into what was obviously Kakashi's library. Iruka set his shoes down outside before entering, beside several other pairs that were laid neatly in a row.

Inside, everything was neatly arranged. A collection of Icha Icha novels filling most of one wall, and scrolls stacked and tucked in various cubbies on an adjoining wall. A leather chair, large enough to curl up in, sat in the corner where the the shelves met. A black blanket was draped over the back and a matching footstool sat at an odd angle beside it. Like he sat caddy corner in the thing. A book, not of the Icha Icha series, was sitting on a table beside it.

Across the room, a game of Go was sitting collecting dust, though no where near as much as the family room they'd walked through. And, along the opposing wall, a desk with papers laid across it, maps and handwritten sheets. This, from the man who turned in disheveled reports. Iruka felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance. He was doing it on purpose. 'No,' Iruka scolded himself. 'He probably just doesn't come back here to write them. He must write them while he's still in the field. That's why they always look so... horrible. Yes, that has to be it.'

He followed Kakashi out of the room and into another smaller room. It wasn't quite as tidy as the library. Though, it wasn't that it looked lived in, more like it looked less lived in. There was a basket full of dirty clothes in one corner by a half open door. 'Bedroom," Iruka thought. A low table and cushions sat in the middle as the only furniture. The kitchen was separated from it by a low counter. Some dishes were still draining, and others were still in the sink. There were no pictures, or really anything personal, that Iruka could see.

Kakashi remained silent while he set a tea pot on to boil and pulled out mugs.

"Uh... Kakashi-san," Iruka started. Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "How did you know I was at the door? I mean uh..."

Kakashi interrupted him by pointing to something above his head. Iruka looked up. At the top of the door was a small bell attached to a string. The string continued from the door all the way to the presumed bedroom. Iruka looked into the library and again above the doorway was a bell and the string. He must have set them up in an array all the way from the front door. 'Clever.' Iruka didn't say it out loud, just nodded. The silence was starting to make him nervous.

"Kakashi..." Iruka started again. Kakashi turned back and put loose tea leaves in the two mugs. 'He's not going to make this easy. I should have known better.'

"Uh... I'm sorry."

Kakashi turned and looked at him. "For what?"

"What do you mean, for what?!" Iruka thought his head was going to explode. He'd come all this way to apologize, and Kakashi was going to pretend he didn't know what he was talking about, after giving him the silent treatment and avoiding him for over a week?!

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "I mean, what are you sorry for? I have no clue what you're referring to, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka was dumbstruck. Kakashi couldn't have forgotten. 'He's toying with me.' Iruka felt a vein in his forehead twitch. 'What an ass! Breathe...' Iruka closed his eyes for a moment.

"I'm sorry for being nosy and asking questions I had no right to ask. And, for implying something about you that isn't anyone's business except your own. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I didn't handle the situation appropriately and, for that, I'm sorry."

Kakashi stared at him. "I wasn't mad at you. If I don't want to answer a question, I won't. But, you're free to ask whatever you like. And, your entitled to your view." Kakashi smiled then turned back and poured the now boiling water into the mugs.

"Then, why have you been avoiding me? If you're not mad at me, why would you bother avoiding me?" Iruka felt like his head was going to explode.

Kakashi turned and handed him a mug before walking over to the table to sit down.

"Oh. I wasn't avoiding you, Iruka-san. I was merely otherwise occupied." Kakashi's voice was level, and he didn't turn to even look at Iruka.

Iruka's jaw hit the floor. He felt like such an idiot. As if the great copy-nin would even care if Iruka had insulted him. And, of course, he was on a mission. 'After all, it had to be a mission, right?' Iruka wanted to melt into the floor.

"I just got back this morning, and if I hadn't been so tired, I would have turned in my report then."

'Oh, good, it was a mission.' Iruka felt oddly relieved. 'I must sound like an idiot for apologizing. Okay, calm down. Uh...' Iruka took another breath before walking over to the table and sitting down. "Still, I'm sorry for saying what I did. It was none of my business."

"Hmm." Kakashi shrugged.

It was then, when he was looking at Kakashi from across the table, that he noticed it, he was smiling under his mask. No, that was most definitely a smirk. Iruka was surprised he was able to make it out. 'He /is/ toying with me.' Iruka closed his eyes, trying not to betray the annoyance on his face. 'He did that on purpose. I bet he does everything on purpose. Even the reports. The man is a genius. There is no way he misspells /that/ many words.'

Iruka reminded himself to keep that calm look he used to use on his teachers when they questioned him about a prank. 'I am not going give into his behavior. No, better yet, he's going to pay for every report he's ever turned in late and crumpled and tea stained.'

"So." Kakashi said.

"Yes?"

"How's life at the academy?" There was that smirk again. It was subtle and, if you only looked at his eye, invisible. 'So, you find the fact that I teach at the academy amusing, too. I bet you couldn't do it for very long. Stupid jounin always think you're so amazing. Never consider what it takes to put up with those kids on a daily basis, year after year. Just because I don't go on missions very often. Just because he's done it twice, he thinks he knows everything. He didn't even follow the lesson plan.'

"Oh, you know. The usual. Konohamaru is up to his mischief. He keeps thinking he can pull one over on me." 'Just like you. Well, forget it, not anymore, mister. This is the last time you get away with teasing me.'

Kakashi chuckled. "That's why I don't teach."

"He tried the eraser trick yesterday, as if anyone falls for that." Iruka smiled. He knew Naruto had done it to Kakashi, and that Kakashi had fallen for it.

"Hmm." Kakashi said impassively and sipped his tea. It annoyed Iruka that he could do that, act so aloof.

"How was the mission?"

"Boring. I think Tsunade simply wanted me out of her hair." Kakashi shrugged. "Better than sitting around here, I suppose."

"Boring? But, it was an S rank. She hasn't assigned you anything else since Naruto left to train with Jiraiya." It was out before Iruka could stop himself. Iruka had avoided mentioning Naruto, since everyone seemed to think he'd been taken because of what had happened with Sasuke. Iruka cringed inwardly. He wanted to get on Kakashi's nerves, but he was admittedly a little scared of how Kakashi would react to anything about Naruto.

"It should have been an A rank. We were expecting more trouble than we got." Kakashi simply ignored the mention of Naruto, much to Iruka's relief. Iruka could see the bloody clothes on top of the basket from where he was sitting. 'How much trouble does the man need for him to consider it hard?'

Kakashi set down his empty mug. "Well, I have to go. I need to turn in that report."

"Oh, uh, okay." Iruka set down his mug and followed Kakashi out to the training grounds. Kakashi pulled on his shoes and jumped to the roof, so Iruka did the same.

"Oh, so this is why you don't use the main door." Kakashi nodded and took off. Iruka took off towards his apartment. He'd need supplies.