Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Mission Iruka ❯ Interfering Friends ( Chapter 18 )

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

Disclaimer: Are you still looking! You... you disclaimer stalker you!

Listening to Ace of Base and various related artist on Pandora.com <-VERY awesome online radio station! I remember singing along to Ace of Base on the bus in Jr. High. 6th graders are such dorks neh? Of course not sure what my excuse is now that I'm 25 and I still dance and sing at work. I restrict it to just dancing when other people are around wouldn't want to break their ear drums.

Mission Iruka
Chapter 18: Interfering friends

*************************************

Kakashi was trying to read his book when Kurenai and Asuma walked up to he tree he was sitting in. "Kakashi what are you doing?"

"Reading..." Kakashi didn't bother taking his nose out of his book.

"You're just going to sit there?" Kurenai was doing all the talking.

"Yeah."

"Look we know about Iruka-sensei, so stop playing dumb."

"I'm not playing dumb, I'm just reading."

"Are you going to go talk to him or not?"

"I'm going to read my book." 'If you will leave me alone.'

"Kakashi, I'm serious. This is Iruka-san's first relationship, you two should be talking not avoiding each other."

Kakashi sighed and put his book away. "I'm not avoiding Iruka," he said as he jumped down.

"And I don't know where you got the idea I'm the master of relationships but I'm not. That said, he wanted his space so I'm letting him have it. When he wants to talk I'm sure he's capable of finding me." Kurenai looked taken aback.

Asuma chuckled. "Kurenai I told we should stay out of it. Sorry Kakashi I couldn't stop her."

'And you look like you tried so hard.' Kakashi didn't say it though, he knew how Kurenai could be. It was killing him. It's not like he didn't want to talk to Iruka. He did, but he didn't want the man to freak out any more than he already had.

"But..." Kurenai started.

"Going and dragging him off didn't work the first time. I doubt it would work a second time," Kakashi sighed. "I'm not going to avoid him so you don't need to worry."

"But..." she started again.

"Stop. Kurenai I mean it. I know you mean well but just leave it alone. Please?" He uttered the last softly and as a request.

"Fine. But I worry about you Kakashi," she frowned. "Don't push him away. He's good for you. You seem happier with around." She smiled softly and laced her fingers meaningfully through Asuma's. "You never know if tomorrow will come so try to be happy today. They would want that for you." She let the meaning sink in before turning and pulling Asuma away.

***********************************

Iruka got back to the academy shortly after lunch and dismissed the substitute wondering breifly who'd sent her. The rest of the day went fairly quickly but he kept losing his concentration. He couldn't stop thinking about the mess he'd made of his situation.

'Does he like me? Maybe he just sees us as friends. He said we were friends. Could he really like me as more? Do I want him to? I did kiss him? And oh kami did it felt nice. But he's Kakashi. But I like Kakashi. But I barely know him. Actually I probably know him better than anyone else. But I still don't really know him. Although that's kind of the point of seeing somebody... Does he like me? Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions.' Iruka sighed as a paper airplane soared over his head. Eventually the bell rang and Iruka was startled out of his daydreaming.

"Uh, class dismissed." A couple of the girls who were talking amongst themselves looked at him and nodded as if they knew why he'd been staring off into space.

Iruka picked up his things and headed for the mission room. He was just outside the door when it struck him. "SHIT! I forgot to undo the trap!" Iruka couldn't help but laugh. At least he had an excuse to go see Kakashi. Which for the first time in what seemed forever he was grateful for.

***********************************

The mission room was empty of everyone except those on duty at the desk. Anko, Kotetsu, and Izumo. Iruka sighed. He knew by the looks on their faces they had somehow managed to hear something. Anko was looking at him like he was her prey. Kotetsu and Izumo simply looked like they pitied him. No doubt because Anko was the one who had found out and told them.

Ever since she'd been on the same genin team with them she told them everything, whether they wanted to know or not.

Iruka set his things down in front of Izumo who he'd be replacing. The man looked over at Anko. "Be nice. For a change." She grinned as though she had no intention of listening to him.

Iruka sat down and started to look over the missions in front of him.

"So?" He could feel Anko staring at him.

"What?"

"Is it true?" Her elation at whatever it was she thought was evident in her voice.

Iruka didn't bother to look at her. "Is what true?"

"Are you and Kakashi sleeping together?"

Iruka's hands stilled involuntarily. He took a deep breath. "No." He kept his voice level but his stomach suddenly had an entire flock butterflies in it.

"Aww!" She sounded disappointed. "But I'm sure I heard them right. I know he said you two were making out." He knew she was still staring at him. Probably hoping he'd give something away.

"He who?" Iruka wanted to kill Genma and Raido right at that moment.

"Well Genma was talking to Asuma and Kurenai and I just happened to be on my way to see the Hokage and well I didn't want to intrude on their conversation..." She sounded like she was suppressing her amusement.

'Yeah I'm sure you were concerned about their privacy.' Iruka shuffled some papers and still refused to look at the nin beside him. "I'll have to talk with them then, they really shouldn't be spreading such gossip. Especially not where you can hear it."

Anko sat back and huffed. "Iruka you're no fun. And here I thought we might finally find out if the man ever takes his mask off." She sighed. "I wonder if he sleeps with it on," she said obviously plotting something.

"Well from what I've heard the man's not exactly celibate so I'm sure you could track down one of his lovers and ask them." He hadn't meant to be mean to Kakashi but it seemed the only way to get her off his back. He hoped he'd be forgiven if Kakashi found out about what he'd just implied.

"Oh but I have. The man doesn't have 'lovers' though. Just people he's slept with and they all say the same thing. He never takes it off. Except for Genma who says he was tied to the bed and blindfolded..."

She sounded like she was contemplating the idea. "I tried to get inside information but the man has this horrible little trick where he makes a mask appear under his mask." Now she was down right pouting.

"You know what they say. Curiosity killed the cat," Kotetsu chuckled. Iruka remembered briefly that Kakashi had listed him and wondered if he had told Anko about their encounter.

"Well then it's good I'm more of a snake than a cat isn't it."

"So what gave you the idea he took his mask off so he could make out with me in front of Genma no less," Iruka chuckled. This was begrining to be entertaining.

"Well I didn't hear all of it but Genma told Kurenai you kissed Kakashi, then he kissed you back, then you went running away. I assumed you ran off because Genma caught you kissing Mr. Copy Nin. Especially since Genma's in charge of the betting pool..."

"The what?!" Iruka turned and stared at a triumphant looking Anko.

"The betting pool on Kakashi."

"They bet on who Kakashi will sleep with next?" Iruka was a bit confused.

Anko seemed to consider this for a moment. "Not exactly."

"How exactly is it then?" His stomach twisted uncomfortably.

"Well there's a couple things you can bet on. Other than who he sleeps with next."

"Like..."

"Like if he'll ever get married. What he looks like under his mask." Obviously the one she was betting on. "What his next excuse will be. How late he'll be to turn in a report or pick up a mission. His challenges with Gai. And the current one... if he has the hots for you."

Iruka's jaw dropped.

"And people actually bet on things like that? About their fellow nin?" Iruka was actually a little appalled.

"Yeah." She didn't seem the least bit ashamed.

Iruka looked at Kotetsu, "Do you?"

Kotetsu laughed. "Well not on Kakashi. I bet on Gai. Especially the 'How many times will Gai say /youth/ today?' which the running total for how many times he's used the word is in the thousands and since it was Hokage-sama who started that one, well most of them, it's actually a pretty short amount of time to say that word that many times. It's really quite entertaining. We even have one on Genma though it's more of a challenge to see if anyone can make him drop his senbon. He knows about it though so it's a particularly hard one."

"Hokage-sama?!"

Kotetsu nodded.

By the time Iruka recovered from his shock people were filing into the mission room and they had to work. As wrong as it felt he almost wanted to ask what the odds looked like.