For Senna_chan

Title: Kakushi (Hidden)

Recipient: senna_chan

Rating: NC-17

Pairing(s): Kakashi/Iruka, Iruka/Kakashi

Summary: Injured while hiking, Iruka is rescued by an infuriating - and deeply attractive - man. But is his dangerous savior human?

Contains [warnings]: Modern AU - Action, Drama, Romance, Humor. [Warning: I've used chakra a bit differently to the way Kishimoto-san uses it in the manga, as well as modified some of the characters' abilities. I hope the differences may be forgiven.]

Word Count: About 24,800

Author's Notes: The very happiest of KakaIru holidays to you, senna_chan! May you celebrate them every day of the year. And thanks for the wonderful prompt. I had a great time playing with it, and hope that you enjoy the results. <3

I also want to thank the mods for putting this fest together and making it so much fun. And C - you rock, baby. Thanks for the beta! ♥

Kakushi (Hidden)

The mountain shrine gleamed with silver frost in the moonlight. Sarutobi Hiruzen stood in silence, hoping he wasn't going to be asked to give what he knew he'd never choose to give.

"There are other ways to heal," he said quietly.

The man shook his head. "It's too strong."

Hiruzen stifled a sigh. "I understand." The decision had been made. His chakra was strong enough for the task, but he wished it had never come to this. "The seal will last until the means exist to help you to conquer it."

"Promise me one thing."

"Perhaps."

"If you die before the seal breaks, don't tell anyone."

"You may sleep forever, if that happens."

He shrugged. "Better sleeping than being what I am now. I'm ready when you are."

Hiruzen nodded and began to chant, his hands moving through the long series of signs needed for the sealing. The rope on the ground in front of him started to glow, the characters on the prayer tags sparking like lightning; the man's naked body burned with white flame. There was a rumble as the mountain heaved, a gasp, and a bright flash of light.

When Hiruzen's eyes recovered from the flash, a huge boulder stood behind the small wayfarer's shrine, draped with seals and ropes, tendrils of lightning still crackling across the stone's surface.

"May you find respite from your pain," he whispered. Then he turned and began the long hike back home.

<><><><><>

Umino Iruka squinted into the driving rain, clutching the inadequate hood of his hiking poncho around his face. The forecast had called for clouds and a few sprinkles, the furthest edge of Typhoon Hokage supposedly passing far to the south of the wooded mountains where Iruka currently struggled against its winds. The rain was coming down sideways, with such force that his face felt raw and blasted, even with his head lowered.

He cursed again and continued to struggle along the slick, mud-logged mountain trail. The first full day of his summer holiday was turning out to be about as nasty as it got. He hoped it didn't forebode worse for the rest of his what-should-have-been-leisurely two-week hiking trek through the Kiso Valley.

Going back was as suicidal as going forward at this point: he'd been well along the trail when the storm hit. He reckoned his best course was to find some kind of shelter, somewhere far enough up the mountain not to be buried if there should be a mudslide, but not so far as to be caught by the full blast of the weakened typhoon.

He stumbled over a rock and half-sprawled in the mud. Rising to his hands and knees, his heart quickened when he saw that the stone was too rectangular to be natural. It appeared to be part of a stairway. He peered into the rain to see where it led, leaning on the tree nearest him for support as he rose to his feet. The tree was curiously bare, and it took him a moment to realize it was a leg of a torii gate.

He smiled in relief. Where there was a torii gate, there'd be a shrine. If he was lucky, the shrine would be big enough to provide at least partial shelter from the elements. There might even be a travelers hut next to it. Sending a fervent prayer to whatever kami resided on the mountain, he pressed forward.

After several minutes of hard climbing, the trail flattened. Iruka risked a quick glance, and, through the rain and his wind-stung tears, saw what looked like a small structure huddled in the lee of a large boulder hung with layers of prayer tags. He lowered his head and took a step forward.

The world exploded around him.

Logically, Iruka's mind processed that a bolt of lightning had struck something just ahead of him, but the roar of the instantaneous thunder and the flash of light deafened and blinded him. He fell again to his hands and knees, the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck standing on end from the residual electricity. The sharp stench of decayed leaves and ozone was thick in the air and he saw a flicker of what looked like a second bolt of lightning illuminate the boulder and dance like foxfire over the top of the little shrine next to it.

Then the ground fell from under him, and he was caught in a wave of mud and uprooted trees.

He scrabbled for a foot- or hand-hold, but his head slammed against something hard at the same instant that something else crashed into him. There was a snap accompanied by a sudden harsh pain deep in his chest, while his leg felt like it was being torn off.

Dazed, he went limp and was immediately dragged under. Fear spurred him through the pain, and he struggled to reach the surface, but the earth was moving so fast and spinning him so relentlessly that he was no longer sure which way was up. He was getting dizzy from the lack of oxygen and the overwhelming pain, and struggled to hold his breath just a bit longer...

There was a sickening lurch in his stomach, almost as if he'd been lifted out of the debris and was flying; the pull of the mud ceased. He sucked in a desperate breath and got air, choking and coughing, but at least he was able to breathe. An instant later, he felt as if he were being simultaneously crumpled into a tiny ball and pulled through a keyhole.

Iruka's world turned inside-out, the cold and pain and fear inside him exploding outward.

I'm going to die, he realized.

His last thought was to hope that Naruto wouldn't grieve for too long.

<><><><><>

Iruka woke to a raging headache, astonished to find himself alive. He was desperately thirsty. If he could crawl a little way, at least, he'd be sure to find a puddle to drink from, and then he could assess the damage he was pretty sure he'd taken in the mudslide.

It took him a moment to realize something strange: he wasn't lying somewhere on the side of the mountain, he was lying on a futon, covered by a blanket weighed down by something incredibly heavy and warm.

He turned his head, and a red face with an abnormally long nose loomed over him. He gasped and struggled to push the weight off.

"Maa, maa. No need to panic." The voice sounded lazy and somewhat amused. "It's just a tengu mask. He's not going to eat you. Not right away, at least."

Iruka stopped struggling and tried to glare defiantly. "Is that supposed to reassure me?" His voice sounded raw and weak, even to his own ears.

"Not entirely, no. But I'd hate to have one of the dogs bite you."

Iruka's heart started pounding. What was going on? "Stop joking around, please."

He heard a sigh. "You're no fun. Bull, let the man sit up."

The weight along one side of the blanket shifted.

"Give him some room. All of you."

Iruka felt the blanket move again and glanced around to see shadows moving in the darkness. Dogs. The man hadn't been joking before, had he? Eyes reflected red at him, but the dogs seemed well-behaved, so he forced himself not to react. Instead, he sat up, pushing his hair out of his eyes to put a hand to his head. "Thank you. May I have some water? And a painkiller of some kind would be helpful, too."

"Hmm." Iruka could hear the sounds of someone moving in the dark. "Here."

A soft white glow filled the air. Iruka couldn't see a lamp, though he assumed that the man had lit one. Still, it almost seemed as if the hand offering a cup to him was glowing.

"Thank you." He eagerly drank, then spat the liquid out. "Aagh! What is this--?"

"Drink it all. It has an analgesic quality. Here's some water to sip after."

Iruka weighed his options. For all of the outrageous things the man had said, his actions seemed to be helpful and non-threatening. Making a face, Iruka choked down the rest of the bitter fluid, then more carefully took the new cup extended to him. This one proved to be water. He drank it and handed the cup back for more.

When he'd finished the second cup, he smiled sheepishly and gave a polite obeisance, his free hand in the air as he bobbed his head. "Thanks. I was really thirsty."

"You're welcome." The man took the cup from him.

"Where am I?"

"In my home."

"Did you find me in the forest?"

"You could say that." Again, the man sounded both relaxed and amused. "Like a bolt from the heavens."

"Thank you for saving me." Iruka studied the man, what he could see of him in the shadows and the strangely localized light that seemed to surround them.

He looked relatively young, probably around Iruka's age, with a shock of silver hair that spiked wildly and obscured his left eye. He was tall and slim, wearing hakama over a short yukata as if they were his normal dress, but as he took the cup back from Iruka and moved to fill it again, he moved with a grace and precision that spoke of modern discipline at odds with his traditional look.

He turned back to Iruka. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine," Iruka said automatically.

The man smiled and tilted his head, his visible eye arced in what Iruka suspected was feigned amusement. "I see. Even though your first request was for a painkiller?"

"My second request," Iruka corrected. "My first was for water. My name is Umino Iruka."

"That's nice."

"What's yours?"

"I forget."

Iruka glared as best he could. "It sounds like I owe you my life. I'll keep your name to myself, if you'd like."

"I'm sure my secrets are safe. Especially since I have no intention of sharing them with you, Iruka-san."

Iruka's jaw dropped. Sure, he'd been a bit rude, but the other man was worse. "Please call me Umino-san."

"Why so formal? I've already seen all you have to offer. You're quite fit, by the way."

Iruka pulled the blanket closer, suddenly realizing he was naked under it. The man must have bathed him, even his hair. He could feel his face heat. "You're pretty outspoken."

The man shrugged. "Communication is much easier when you say what you're thinking."

Iruka struggled to keep his temper. After all, the man was his savior, it seemed. But damn, he was annoying. "I prefer the social niceties. Communication is worthless if all you do is make people angry."

"Mmm." The man's tone was non-committal. "Do you feel any pain now?"

Iruka paused. There was a deep ache in his left leg, but the rest of his pains had faded. "Just my leg."

"You twisted your ankle."

"But--" it's not my ankle that hurts. He was too tired to feel like contradicting the man. "Thank you for helping me," he said instead. "But please, may I know your name?"

"Why? You're not likely to be talking to anyone else, are you?"

"Are you saying we're alone?"

"I wouldn't say 'alone.' There's just no one else to talk to."

Much too tired. "You really like to talk in riddles, don't you?"

"And you really like to gather facts, don't you?"

And really annoying. "Facts are helpful." Iruka glanced at the red face with the long nose that hovered close by. Now he could see that it was just a mask hanging on the wall, although light and shadow continued to slide across its surface as if it were alive.

"It depends on the fact." The man pulled a book from his pocket and began to read.

"How can you read without light?"

"Light and dark aren't facts, they're relativities. I tend to ignore them."

Iruka realized that, whatever the light source was, the book was perfectly illuminated. "How do you do that?"

The man sighed, but didn't look up from his book. "I'm a god."

"No. Really."

"I'm a figment of your imagination. You're really dead."

"I don't think I'd have much imagination if I was dead." Iruka couldn't help grinning. The guy was an ass, but he seemed to have a dry sense of humor that Iruka reluctantly admitted to himself he found attractive. "Can't you come up with something better than that?"

"I'm a phantasm on your road of life. Shut up and go to sleep. You're bothering me."

Iruka lay back down, still smiling. He really was exhausted. "I doubt you're a phantasm, either. Good night."

The man waved vaguely without lifting his gaze from the pages in front of him.

Iruka felt the dogs settle back into place around him, and fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.

<><><><><>

When he awoke, he found a well-worn crutch lying beside his futon, as well as simple onsen-style clothing. There was no sign of his backpack or the clothing he'd been wearing on the hike, much less the cell phone that had been in the pocket of the jeans he'd been wearing. He imagined that everything he'd brought had been lost. As he dressed, various bruises from his fall made him wince, but he felt better knowing that he wasn't injured so badly that he'd be bed-bound. His leg was the worst, a deep ache that made him glad for the crutch as he set out to explore.

He discovered he was in a shrine complex, a large one, as strange as it seemed to have one so far up the mountain and so inaccessible. It seemed in good repair, and had an extensive system of covered corridors leading between the buildings. The courtyard was freshly raked and free of debris, and the storm walls along the raised corridors and surrounding the verandas had been pushed aside so air could circulate freely. Fresh incense burned outside the haiden, thin whisps of smoke rising from sticks plunged into pristine sand, and there was a bathing house thick with steam from a large bath, which also fed into an outside pool ringed with large rocks and surrounded by cyprus rising tall from soft ferns and bush bamboo.

He found a kitchen, and was grateful to see that the man had left rice and miso soup for him.

After eating, he continued to explore the complex. Everywhere he went he saw long-nosed tengu. Masks hung on the supports, some so old the features were nearly worn away and no sign remained of the red paint that must have once adorned them, others new and cheap-looking. The ends of eaves sported tengu faces, and the downspouts were in the shape of tengu, the water funneled through the nose and into long rain chains leading to the ground. A tengu leered over the entrance to the bath, and even in the garden, Iruka found a small tengu face carved into a twisted, obviously ancient maple tree.

But he didn't meet the man or his dogs, or anyone else, for that matter. No monks, no apprentices, no supplicants, no visitors -- no one.

Finally, deciding he might as well explore the shrine grounds, he traded his slippers for some geta neatly lined up by the outer door and limped outside.

The day was hot, but not unbearably so, since the forest provided shade and the shrine was high enough on the mountain to catch breezes that didn't exist in the valleys.

Iruka followed a path that led downward to a torii gate hung with shimenawa. To the right of the path lay the small wayside shrine and huge boulder he'd seen just before the mudslide. Although he could have sworn the boulder had been whole the previous day, now it was cleft in two, the remains of seal ropes strewn on the leaves around its base or fluttering in the slight breeze where they still clung to the rock.

The earth just beyond the shrine was raw and bare where the mudslide had torn the mountainside. He shivered. He was lucky to be alive, given the size of the scar. There was no trace of the path he'd been following, and he realized he would have had no chance of surviving if the slide had occurred five minutes earlier than it had, and he'd been further down on the trail.

His rescuer stood in front of the shrine, head bowed, looking bored and strangely desolate. Iruka hesitated, reluctant to intrude on what appeared to be a private moment.

The man looked up, though he remained slouched. "Maa. Up and around?"

Iruka nodded. "Thank you for the clothes. And please forgive me. I didn't mean to interrupt."

He shrugged. "Just catching up." Iruka flushed under his sharp gaze. "How are you this morning?"

"Fine." He gestured toward the raw brown wound in the mountainside. "I can't thank you enough. You saved my life."

The man rubbed the back of his head and looked away.

Iruka made his way down to stand beside him at the shrine. "I didn't bring incense, but I made an onigiri to offer." He picked up a clean leaf and laid it in front of the shrine, then placed the onigiri on it.

The man was silent as Iruka gave his thanks, and remained silent after Iruka had made his final bow. Iruka found he didn't mind the other's presence. In fact, in some way, there seemed to be a sort of camaraderie between them, a shared instinct that kept them close and silent in the small clearing.

Iruka finally broke the silence. "'Kakushi,'" he read. "I've never heard of him. Is he a local kami?"

"He's the kami of the yamabushi who lived here."

"Yamabushi?" Iruka thought of the shrine complex. "So this is the site of a feudal martial arts shrine?"

The man slouched further. "Legend has it," he said in a tone that implied he was humoring Iruka, "that there once was an ascetic who lived here, whose mastery of the martial arts and the hidden ways was so great that the daitengu of the mountain challenged him to decide which would be kami. They fought for nine days and nine nights, until Kakushi sealed the daitengu in that boulder." He nodded at the broken stone.

"Kakushi. 'Hidden.'" Iruka looked at the boulder. "What does the legend say about what happened when the seal was broken?"

A smile twisted across the man's mouth. "It hasn't said anything. It just happened last night."

While Iruka had always respected the gods and tendered his duty to them, he knew he'd never had a particularly strong faith. Still, he glanced around nervously.

"Don't worry. You're safe enough," the man said. "Come on, let's go back to the shrine. I want to take a look at that knee."

"Ankle," Iruka corrected. Leg.

"Whatever." He started up the path and then paused. "You need help?"

"No. I'm fine." He needed to build his strength, and he'd already imposed on the man enough. "I'll be up in a bit."

The man shrugged and continued walking, while Iruka planted his crutch in the soft earth and followed, step by step.

<><><><><>

By the time he made it back to his futon, Iruka was exhausted enough to be compliant when the man unwrapped the bandages from around his leg and prodded it.

"You should be able to walk to the next village in a few days," the man said, re-wrapping the bandage tightly. He stood. "Do you need anything else?"

Iruka shook his head. "I think I'll sleep for a bit, if you don't mind." He flushed under the man's bored gaze. "By the way, have you seen my backpack?"

The man shook his head. "You blush easily."

Iruka looked away, annoyed to feel his face get hotter. "Yeah, well. Do you have a phone I could use? I don't want my brother to worry."

"No phone. The evening meal will be ready around sundown. You know where the kitchen is."

Iruka turned back to ask him where the nearest phone might be, but the man was already gone. A few leaves swirled through the air where he'd stood.

I didn't realize I'd brought leaves in, Iruka thought. He made a mental note to himself to brush himself off more thoroughly before entering the shrine.

<><><><><>

The evening meal had been simple: rice, miso soup with eggplant, and a few pickled mountain vegetables with which Iruka was unfamiliar. His host wasn't in the kitchen when he sat down to eat, but wandered in reading a book just as Iruka finished.

"Thank you for the meal. It was delicious."

The man smiled, arching his visible eye. "Good." The smile disappeared a moment later as he leant against the counter and continued to read.

Iruka debated trying to start a conversation, but settled for hobbling to the sink to rinse his dishes. He placed them in the drying rack and turned to find the man right behind him. He yelped.

The arched-eye smile flashed again. "You sound like one of my dogs when I accidentally step on his tail."

Iruka could feel color racing to his cheeks again. "You did that on purpose."

"Maybe." The man tilted his head, still smiling. "Up for a bath?"

Remembering the bathing room with its steaming onsen, Iruka nodded. "I think a soak could help."

"Mmm," the man said, wandering toward the doorway. "This shrine's baths are renown for their healing ability."

"I see," Iruka said, grateful the man seemed content with an ambling pace. "Any kind of healing in particular?"

"Just the usual. Arthritis, cancer, eternal life."

Iruka snorted. "How long do I have to soak if I want to live forever?"

"Less time than you'd think." The man paused as Iruka gingerly descended a few steps to the next corridor. "Legend has it that for every hour you soak, you add ten years to your life."

"An hour's a long soak, but maybe I'll give it a try." Iruka grinned, and the man's return smile somehow seemed more genuine.

"I can wash your back," he said.

Iruka nodded. "I can do yours, too."

They undressed in the changing room and picked up towels to take into the bath. The night was warm, so the steam from the onsen made the sweat stand out on Iruka's body, though it only seemed to add a light sheen to the other man's skin. They both washed, then the man wet a towel and sat behind Iruka.

The long, firm strokes and the rough cloth felt wonderful. Iruka relaxed into the touch.

"Quite the sensual man, aren't you?"

Even though the man's voice was teasing, Iruka flushed. "It feels good."

"Mmm." Warm water cascaded down his back. "My turn."

The man's build was as slim as Iruka had imagined, but without clothes, he realized he was all lean muscle, his body sculpted and hard. His skin was pale, with fine silver hair in a small trail at the base of his spine. Several faded scars marred its perfection, but didn't detract from what Iruka admitted to himself was a beautiful body.

"You must really work out," he said. He could feel the man's back stiffen under his cloth. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." The muscles relaxed somewhat, and Iruka carefully poured water over the man's shoulders to rinse the soap.

The man casually smoothed his hair over his left eye and stood. "Not much else to do around here. Besides, I like that you think I'm sexy."

"I didn't say that!"

"So cruel! It's not nice to snatch a man's fantasy away like that," he said with an exaggerated sigh. He waded into the bath. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah," Iruka said. The crutch was slippery on the wet floor, so he left it behind and limped to the bath.

The water was nearly too-hot. Iruka could feel his tight muscles begin to loosen and slid down until the water was up to his chin. "I've decided to call you 'Kakushi.'"

The man looked startled for an instant, his right eye opened wide before he closed it again and his expression slid into amused boredom. "Not that I care about blasphemy," he said, "but don't you think it's a bit presumptuous to call me a god?"

"If you don't like that name, give me another."

The man smiled and opened his eye. "Fine. Kakashi."

"Not much difference."

The eye closed, but the smile remained. "More than you'd think."

Iruka grinned. "Do you have a family name?"

"You're very curious, aren't you?" was the lazy reply.

"School teacher," Iruka volunteered. "But I get the hint. Kakashi-san."

"Just Kakashi is fine." Kakashi pulled a book from his towel and began to read.

Iruka wasn't sure if he should be annoyed or not. Kakashi seemed to ignore normal social interactions, even though he was undeniably Japanese and well-educated. Iruka wondered if he'd spent much of his life abroad and picked up Western habits.

He decided that he preferred to act in the manner he would normally. If Kakashi was offended, then he could leave. "I didn't see the dogs today. Is there a kennel somewhere?"

"They're around."

Iruka made a polite noise of acknowledgment. "There weren't any other people, either. Do you tend this shrine by yourself?"

Kakashi grunted.

Iruka took that as a yes. "It must be a huge task. Do you get many people visiting?"

"Are you going to ask questions the entire time we're bathing?"

"Probably."

Kakashi sighed and the book disappeared.

Iruka hid a smile. "This shrine is beautiful. I'm almost glad about the storm yesterday. I might not have seen it, otherwise. It's well-hidden from the trail." Kakashi's eye closed, so Iruka continued. "I imagine it must get lonely here."

Kakashi muttered something unintelligible.

"I guess maybe I'm just used to having a lot of people around me," Iruka said. He closed his eyes, too, letting his body drift in the hot water. "All of the kids and other teachers at the school, and Naruto at home, and then there's everyone at the dojo where I volunteer--"

"What dojo?"

Given Kakashi's unenthusiastic responses, Iruka was a little surprised at his interest. "It's a fairly large one. The current head of it is Sarutobi Hiruzen, though we all call him Sandaime-sama, since he's the third master who's headed it."

"Sarutobi, eh?" Kakashi smiled lazily. "He's still around?"

"You know him?"

"Mmm. We studied together for a bit."

"He practically raised me," Iruka said. "My parents died in an accident when I was twelve, and he took me in. He lets me volunteer with the younger kids at the dojo in return for giving my brother, Naruto, lessons."

Kakashi opened his eye again and looked at Iruka. "You teach martial arts? Which ones?"

"Just the basics," Iruka replied, embarrassed. "Theory, body stance, balance, types of weapons, simple kata. Once a child has a solid foundation, they're assigned to a discipline, depending on the child's aptitude."

Kakashi's smile looked almost fond. "Trust Sarutobi to tell the kids what to do instead of letting the brats decide for themselves."

Iruka chuckled. "Unless a child displays the right skills and mindset for it, Sandaime-sama doesn't allow them to choose their discipline because it's the one that they think is 'cool.' I try to teach the kids to respect all of the disciplines, how to balance the strengths and weaknesses of each against their own strengths and weaknesses. There's no dishonor to being good in defensive arts as opposed to following a discipline focused on offense."

"You've given this a lot of thought."

Iruka hoped that the heat explained away his flush. "Why set a child up to fail?"

Kakashi grunted and closed his eye.

Iruka lapsed into silence, too. He'd have to leave the bath soon; he could already feel the beginnings of light-headedness, but the heat felt so good that he wanted to stick it out as long as he could. Kakashi appeared to be asleep, his silver hair beginning to spring up in the humidity as it dried. Iruka couldn't figure out how he was okay with letting so much of it fall over the left side of his face, when he was having to brush his own clinging hair from his skin.

"Have you had your fill of staring?"

Iruka jumped, startled. "I'm sorry! You're right. It's rude."

"Maa. It's just natural."

"Why 'scarecrow'?"

Kakashi laughed and opened his eye. "You don't stop, do you?"

"Not usually," Iruka admitted.

"My father," a shadow seemed to cross Kakashi's face, and his voice took on a sardonic tone, "had a strange sense of humor. He worked with birds."

Iruka laughed. "What kind?"

"Crows, ravens, magpies mostly. Some of the smaller raptors, too."

"Wild birds?"

Kakashi shrugged. "He had a knack for birds. And dogs."

"You must take after him, with your dogs." Iruka stifled a yawn. "I think I'm going to have to get out."

"You haven't soaked up ten years, yet."

"Mmm." Iruka breathed deep. The steam had a slight metallic odor to it, but none of the rotten egg sulfur smell of some onsen. "Soaking up five will have to do. Otherwise I'll fall asleep and drown."

Kakashi arched an eyebrow and reached for his book again, but Iruka could see he was hiding a smirk. And something else he hadn't noticed.

Kakashi's left eye was bisected by a scar, one that ran through the closed lid. He'd kept it hidden with his hair, Iruka realized, but as his hair had dried, it had lifted in all directions, exposing the scar. Iruka opened his mouth to ask about it, but something made him stop.

"I was wondering-- Do you have any books I could read?" he asked instead.

Kakashi grunted. "There are some in the cupboard in your room. Help yourself."

"Thanks." Iruka carefully climbed out of the bath and began to dry himself. He could feel Kakashi's gaze on him, though he kept his back to him. "I thought we just agreed that it was rude to watch someone in the bath."

"It's my bath. I'll make the rules," Kakashi replied. "Besides, I wanted to see if my memory was accurate."

Iruka could feel a full-body blush spread, but tried to brazen it out. "Well?"

"It didn't do you justice."

Shooting a sharp look at Kakashi, Iruka could feel his blush deepen. Kakashi smiled, both of his eyes arced closed.

"Pervert," Iruka muttered, but he couldn't prevent a small smile from escaping.

"Good night, Iruka-san. Or should I call you Iruka-sensei?"

"It doesn't really matter what I want you to call me, does it? You'll just call me whatever you want."

"Isn't it nice when consensus is reached?"

The self-satisfied tone in Kakashi's voice pulled a genuine smile from Iruka. "Good night, Kakashi-s--Kakashi." He wrapped his towel around his waist and headed toward the door.

"Good night, sensei."

Kakashi's tone oozed innuendo.

<><><><><>

Iruka stared at the small pile of books in disbelief.

Porn. Every last one of them.

He peered into the recesses of the cabinet, then stretched his arm in and felt around, but came up empty. The pile of books next to him seemed to leer at him, all bright colors and bouncing breasts.

"I recommend Icha Icha Paradise."

Glaring, Iruka selected the book from the pile and dangled it between his thumb and forefinger. "This one?"

Kakashi beamed from the doorway. "Yes."

The cover sported an illustration of a particularly large pair of breasts. It was unlikely they would ever be found in the natural world, in Iruka's opinion, though he was a bit bemused by the thought that they might exist somewhere in manufactured form.

"Start at page 27," Kakashi urged. "I think you'll really like it."

"Page 27, huh?" Iruka opened the book, trying not to touch it any more than he had to. Who knew what Kakashi did with them.

"Third paragraph. The one that starts with--"

"'Let me bury my face in your voluptuous bounty'?"

"Yes!"

Iruka closed the book, stood, and marched past Kakashi, who trailed after him. He headed for the kitchen and went straight to the stove, turning on a burner.

Before the burner had fully lit, he was standing empty-handed. Kakashi glared from the doorway, cradling the book protectively while a few dry leaves skittered across the floor.

Iruka stared at him in amazement. "I didn't even see you move."

"You were going to burn my book!"

"It's trash. Of course I was going to burn it. How did you move so fast?"

Kakashi smiled so wide his eyes closed. "Desperate measures." There wasn't a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Fine, keep your porn. Isn't there anything else to read, though?"

Not taking his eye off Iruka, Kakashi circled the perimeter of the kitchen and paused in front of a cupboard. He opened it and plucked something off the shelf. "Read this."

Iruka caught it by reflex, but Kakashi had already disappeared. He looked down.

"A box of cereal?" he asked the silent room.

<><><><><>

After ransacking the cupboards, he found an ancient newspaper. When he got back to his room, Kakashi was sitting cross-legged at the small table, reading porn by bright lamplight. He seemed determine to ignore Iruka, even though he was in Iruka's room.

Iruka sighed. "Do you have another lamp? Maybe the one you used last night -- the light was really restful."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know." Iruka frowned. "The one you used to read in the dark."

"I always use a lamp."

"You said something about light and dark and ignoring them. There wasn't a lamp, but your book was perfectly illuminated anyway," Iruka reminded him.

"You were in shock. You imagined it."

Iruka stared, mouth open, although Kakashi didn't look up from his book. Then anger set in. "I didn't imagine it! You gave me the run-around about who you were at the same time!"

Kakashi closed his book and stood. "There's a lamp by your futon. Do you need anything else? If not, I'll head to bed." Before Iruka could say anything, he left the room.

Iruka limped as fast as he could to follow him, but when he got to the corridor, it was empty except for a swirl of leaves.

He frowned. The leaves hadn't been in the corridor a moment ago, and there had been none on Kakashi's clothing or his own. Maybe the dogs had brought them in. Though he still hadn't seen any sign of them. He went back into his room and slid the screen closed.

Kakashi's denials bothered him. Had he imagined the soft glow of light the night before?

Reluctantly, he decided to give Kakashi the benefit of the doubt. He'd been injured and exhausted. Maybe he'd been more out of it than he'd thought.

It happened. You didn't imagine it, a voice inside him insisted.

As tired as he was, it took him a long time to fall asleep.

<><><><><>

When Iruka woke the next morning, the thick air already held the promise of heat. He felt sticky and irritable.

After bathing and eating, though, he felt much better. Kakashi seemed to be absent again. Iruka wondered if he'd be at the small shrine, and decided to continue his explorations somewhere else, to give Kakashi some privacy in case he was. He could always catch him later and ask about a phone.

He packed a small lunch and filled a canteen, then rigged a sling over his shoulder to carry them, leaving his hands free to use the crutch. He found a path that gently meandered down the mountain and followed it, passing through a wooden torii gate covered with moss, its uprights split and cracked.

The forest was beautiful, but while the shade offered some respite from the sun, after a few minutes of walking sweat dripped down his brow. He thought of the bandanas that he'd stashed in his backpack, and wondered if Kakashi might have one he could borrow.

Meanwhile, his light yukata was becoming more and more uncomfortable. The path seemed to lead to a break in the trees where he figured the sun would make it even warmer, so he shrugged his arms out of the sleeves and left the cloth dangling at his waist while he drank deeply from the cold water in the canteen. It tasted faintly of metal and earth, crisp from the mountain's depths.

The wild cry of a kite skittered above him. He looked up.

The bird was riding the thermals in a wide circle, appearing and disappearing through the intervening canopy of trees. Iruka shaded his eyes, watching the black silhouette.

This was the Japan he loved. His home village was fine, especially since it was small enough for him to know many of his neighbors, but concrete, multi-laned highways and electric wires had long ago tamed the landscape. Here, the air felt fresher. Life thronged thick and expectant around him. He'd noticed signs of wild boar, and had been warned in the last village to watch for bears.

The kite disappeared.

He wiped an arm across his forehead and took another deep drink from the canteen. It was probably time to eat lunch and turn back, before he got lost or his leg ached too badly to walk. He put the cap on the canteen and saw something move from the corner of his eye. Startled, he turned.

There was something in the clearing. Cautiously, he made his way forward, keeping close to the trees in case he needed to climb away from a dangerous animal.

Keeping a tree between him and whatever it was, he peered around it.

It was Kakashi.

He was dressed in black hakama and sandals and wearing a black mask across the lower part of his face, with a bandana binding his hair out of his eyes. Iruka could clearly see the scar that bisected his left eye, which was closed. His torso was bare and gleamed with sweat.

He was wielding the most beautiful sword Iruka had ever seen. The bright blade caught the light, now hovering, now sweeping, both man and weapon radiating deadly beauty and intent.

Iruka felt like an intruder, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. He stepped deeper into the shadow of the tree, and watched.

He recognized some of the kata, but most were unfamiliar. Kakashi and the sword moved as one, sometimes abrupt, but always graceful and fluid.

Iruka thought of the kite flying overhead, riding thermals until it was time to strike with swift, deadly wings. His heart pounded in his chest.

He'd washed that skin yesterday, that slim, strong back with shoulder blades like sculpted stone. How could this focused predator be the lazy, evasive, laconic man he'd soaked next to in the onsen? He shivered at the thought of being the prey of such a savage, elegant creature, and a rush of sexual heat blazed through his body and escaped in a gasp.

Kakashi wheeled toward Iruka's hiding place. His left eye suddenly opened.

Iruka froze in place, holding his breath. The iris looked almost... red. He blinked, and the eye was closed like normal, the long scar a white streak down Kakashi's cheek.

He must have imagined it. Probably the sunlight, or a reflection from the sword.

Then Kakashi turned away and moved smoothly into another kata, and Iruka breathed again. He slipped away as silently as he could, hoping Kakashi hadn't realized he was there, but pretty sure he had.

He hiked back up the mountain in dazed bewilderment, seriously aroused. He wasn't attracted to men, or at least, he never had been before coming to this place, but there was no denying how strongly he'd reacted to Kakashi's body, half-naked and moving like a bird of prey.

His breath caught as he imagined Kakashi touching him.

Iruka's erection refused to subside, so when he reached the torii gate he slipped off the path to take care of his problem.

It just seemed wrong to jerk off in a shrine.

<><><><><>

Kakashi wandered into the kitchen when Iruka was half-finished with his evening meal. He helped himself to rice and miso soup and sat across from Iruka, his expression bored and lazy.

It was difficult to imagine him as the man in the clearing. Iruka caught himself staring, so he tried to focus on something else. "Um, I keep meaning to ask you -- I know you said that you didn't have a phone, but is there one somewhere nearby?"

"Have you always been a voyeur?"

Iruka choked on his soup. "I beg your pardon?"

"You were watching me today."

The familiar feel of blood rising to his face made Iruka go on the offensive. "I suppose I should expect someone who just has pornography for reading material to assume the lewdest possible motive."

Kakashi hmmed agreeably. "Like what you saw?"

"I--" Iruka looked down, his face flaming, then looked up, defiant. "Yes."

"I thought so." Kakashi could hardly sound more smug, and Iruka fumed. "That makes things easier."

"What--?" Iruka started to say, when his mouth was covered by Kakashi's. For a moment he savored the dry press, but when Kakashi's mouth opened and his tongue brushed Iruka's lips, reason returned. He shoved Kakashi back across the table. "What the hell are you doing?"

Kakashi tilted his head. "Successfully trying to seduce you?"

"Try 'unsuccessfully!'"

"Okay." Kakashi draped himself across the table again and pressed his mouth against Iruka's lips.

Iruka squawked. "Stop it!"

"You said 'try unsuccessfully,'" Kakashi pointed out, pulling back an inch or two. "Shall we go for 'successfully' this time?"

"I don't even know your name!"

"Will knowing my name make you put out?"

"Augh!" Iruka shoved him again and stood. "You pervert!"

In the space of a heartbeat, Kakashi was next to him, arms wrapped around his waist. "Mmmm. Much better. We're nearly the same height." He nuzzled Iruka's neck. "I think you like perverted men."

"Too fast," Iruka muttered, not sure if he meant the speed at which Kakashi moved physically, or sexually. Still, he was afraid Kakashi might be right, at least when it came to this particular perverted man. He hissed and tilted his head to give Kakashi better access, a shiver running through him. "Name?"

"Kakashi." The word brushed warm over Iruka's collarbone, followed by a tongue.

"Family name?"

"Hatake," was breathed below his earlobe. "Now can we kiss?"

Iruka twisted away, and when Kakashi looked at him in wide-eyed surprise and annoyance, he placed his hand on Kakashi's cheek and leaned in.

He kept the kiss light and teasing at first, but when Kakashi made a noise of protest and deepened the kiss, Iruka opened to him. Kakashi tasted of miso soup and green tea and something deep and wild. He pressed closer and groaned as his cock bumped into something equally hard.

"When did you figure out I was watching you?" he murmured, nipping at Kakashi's lower lip.

"I knew you were coming before you got to the clearing. You were about as quiet as an army," Kakashi replied. He lightly bit Iruka's chin. "Can I touch you?"

"Yes." Iruka closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Kakashi's shoulder, breathless as a strong, callused hand wrapped around his cock. "Oh!"

"Good, huh?"

Iruka slipped his hand under the waistband of Kakashi's hakama in reply, grinning in triumph when Kakashi pushed his hard length into Iruka's palm and tilted his head back. Iruka attacked his throat and began stroking Kakashi.

"You smell like sex," Kakashi whispered. "How many times did you jerk off already?"

"Twice. You?"

"I barely waited until you ran away." He half-turned to sweep his arm across the table, knocking the remains of their meals to the floor. "Can I fuck you?"

Iruka hesitated.

"Never mind," Kakashi said. "This is good, too." He sat on the edge of the table and pulled Iruka between his legs. "Come closer. I want to do us together." He released Iruka's erection long enough to open Iruka's yukata and untie the front of his own hakama, then spat into his hand. "Closer. Yeah. Good." He grasped both of their erections in his hand and pressed them together, using the spit as lubricant as he began to stroke.

Iruka pushed closer and claimed Kakashi's mouth. The smell of arousal and sweat and miso soup was heady, the taste of Kakashi's mouth was complex and addictive, Kakashi's grip was tight around him, the hand of a man who wielded a sword like a flame and oh, damn, yes it was good--

He gasped, "I can't hold on--"

"Then don't."

A breath escaped Iruka; he pushed hard into Kakashi's hand and froze. He clutched at Kakashi for support, then shivered when he felt Kakashi climax as well, his cock weeping warm semen that mingled with Iruka's and dripped down their softening members.

Kakashi pressed his forehead against Iruka's. "Pretty good," he said, his voice shaking. "But I think we can do better."

<><><><><>

"Where did you get that?" Kakashi's finger traced the scar that crossed Iruka's nose.

It was too hot with their bodies pressed so close together, rubbing idly against one another's hip, but Iruka ignored the discomfort.

"Being stupid," he admitted. "I pulled pranks as a child. There was this jerk of a kid in Sandaime-sama's weapons class, and after he bullied me and a couple of the other smaller kids, I painted "I'm an asshole" on his gi with phosphor paint, then cut the lights during parent's night. His dad chewed him out in front of everybody."

"And the kid caught you?"

"Not right away," Iruka protested. "I mean, I was smart enough to cover my tracks! I was just stupid when I..."

"Hmm?" Kakashi licked Iruka's ear.

Iruka winced. "Um, I might have gone back and painted a big asshole on his hakama, too."

"And he caught you."

"Yeah."

"Kunai?"

Iruka nodded. "He used to smuggle real ones into the dojo to show off."

"How did you get away?"

"I was better at taijutsu. I broke his arm. Sandaime-sama nearly kicked me out over it."

"For breaking a kid's arm?"

Iruka covered his face with his hands. "No, for getting caught. He said he'd taught me better than that, and the cut across my nose was a reminder to control my temper." He uncovered his face and turned his head on the pillow to look at Kakashi. "What?"

The smirk didn't leave Kakashi's face. "I'm imagining you as a prankster."

"I was good at it," Iruka retorted without heat. "Really good."

Kakashi rubbed his finger over Iruka's lower lip. "I'm sure you were."

"Stop patronizing me, or you'll find out personally just how good I am. What about this?" Iruka brushed the bottom of the scar bisecting Kakashi's closed eyelid and cheek with his thumb.

"A fight," Kakashi said. His tone was light, but held undercurrents that warned Iruka away.

He refused to be intimidated. "I'm glad it wasn't deeper," he said, brushing it again. "It looks old."

Kakashi turned his face away.

"I won't push," Iruka said. He began to rub gentle circles under Kakashi's ear. "I don't suppose you'd teach me some of those kata?"

A small puff of air, and the tense muscles under Iruka's thumb loosened a bit. "You'd have to build up your strength, first," Kakashi murmured. "It would take time."

"Mmm." Kakashi's answer had been too guarded for Iruka to tell if he would welcome him spending more time at the shrine. He pressed his lips to the scar on Kakashi's eyelid. "Up for more?"

Kakashi nodded and finally met his eyes again. "You can fuck me if you want."

"Yeah. I want." Iruka smiled, but he didn't suit actions to his words right away, enjoying the press of Kakashi's long body. "I may need a little guidance, though."

"Hmm?" Surprise rippled across Kakashi's face. "You're a virgin?"

"Idiot!" Iruka aimed a cuff at Kakashi's head, which he dodged with ease. "Of course not. I've just never done it with a guy before. I don't want to hurt you."

Kakashi leered. "I've never been someone's first before."

"Don't sound so greedy about it," Iruka grumbled, but he was having trouble hiding his smile, so he suspected Kakashi wouldn't take him seriously enough to stop gloating.

Half an hour later, he couldn't give a flying fuck if Kakashi gloated or not as he slowly sank into Kakashi's willing body. The grip of Kakashi's ass was almost unbearably tight, and it was all Iruka could do to keep from plunging forward in a blind rut.

"Move, damn you!" Kakashi gasped.

Iruka grasped Kakashi's hips tighter and pushed further in; they both groaned. Beads of sweat pooled in the hollow of Kakashi's back along the faint trail of silver hair Iruka had seen in the onsen. Iruka began to move, fucking Kakashi slowly, watching more sweat form as he found his rhythm.

Iruka liked that Kakashi was silent during sex, too, so he could listen to the intoxicating sounds their bodies made together. He reached for Kakashi's cock, and met Kakashi's hand already clutched around it and stroking himself. Iruka settled for running his fingers over Kakashi's hard stomach and trailing them through the hair surrounding his impressive cock, allowing his thrusts to become increasingly deeper and harder, until they were both gasping, Iruka unable to distinguish his breathless sounds from Kakashi's.

Muscles deep inside Kakashi's ass began to clench, and Kakashi's body stiffened under him. It was amazing, feeling Kakashi come without being able to see it, and sexually exciting like nothing Iruka had experienced before, because this was a man he was mounting, who was finding pleasure in the way he used his cock, and the body beneath him was hard and solid and powerful enough to overcome him if Kakashi wanted to. Nothing of softness, and everything of knowing what his partner felt, because it was the same experience he had when he came.

He pushed in deeply once more and folded over Kakashi's back, clutching him around the chest and shivering from his climax. He could feel Kakashi braced below him, strong, more than able to take his weight even if he'd just come himself, and Iruka suddenly couldn't wait until Kakashi fucked him, so he could show him how strong he was, too, and could feel the press of another man's cock inside him.

Trembling, Iruka carefully pulled out of Kakashi and collapsed onto the futon, Kakashi coming to rest beside him.

"That was..." he whispered, but then couldn't think of a way to say what he was feeling.

"Yeah," Kakashi whispered back. He turned his head on the pillow to face Iruka, his expression both smug and sated. "Nice hip-work."

Iruka flung his head back and laughed until Kakashi's kisses silenced him. He was soon groaning into Kakashi's mouth.

Kakashi sprawled over him and pulled the tie from his hair, then buried his hands in it. "Why do you wear it so long?"

"I like how the wind feels in it." Iruka yawned and smiled. "I need a nap."

"Sleep," Kakashi said, smoothing Iruka's hair away from his face. He moved off Iruka and nuzzled the crook of Iruka's neck, and Iruka closed his eyes.

"Mmm. Stay."

"I will," he heard Kakashi say, and then, softer, something Iruka couldn't hear, but that felt like, "for now."

<><><><><>

It wasn't until the next morning that Iruka remembered that Kakashi had never answered his question about a phone. As usual, Kakashi was nowhere to be found when he woke up, but when he was just finishing his breakfast dishes, Kakashi strode into the kitchen.

"Kakashi, about the phone--"

"We'll work on the kata with these," Kakashi said, tossing a bokuto to Iruka, who caught it out of reflex. "Let's start right away, before it gets too hot. Follow me."

Iruka sighed. He supposed calling Naruto could wait until the afternoon.

He followed Kakashi into the courtyard, where Kakashi stopped him and handed him a gi. "It's just been raked, so you can get a good idea of your foot movements while you practice. It makes it easier to spot poor form and mistakes. Warm up before you step on the sand."

Iruka untied his yukata and started changing into the gi. An arm wrapped around his neck, and Kakashi pulled him around to place a soft kiss on his lips. "Sleep well?"

"Uh, yeah." Iruka could feel his cheeks reddening, and tried to ignore his blush as Kakashi licked at his lips and deepened the kiss. "You?" he asked, coming up for air.

"Mmm." Kakashi slapped his ass and Iruka jumped. "Stretch, sensei. I plan to give you a good workout today." He leered.

"Pervert," Iruka muttered, but he obediently finished dressing and began his normal warm-up routine. His leg made it difficult for him to do much balance and lunge work, but he was able to stretch it a bit from a seated position.

"Warmed up?"

"Probably not, but I can stretch more after I've practiced." Iruka stood and examined his bokuto. "This almost feels like a real katana." The wooden blade was heavy and well-balanced, worn and notched along its length, with a curiously old-fashioned hilt guard. Although the nearly black wood showed obvious signs of wear, the handle was polished and smooth. Iruka had the impression that it had been handled by generations of students.

He glanced up to see Kakashi staring at him thoughtfully. "What?"

"You look natural with that."

"Thanks. Sandaime-sama assigned me to the kendo sensei when it was my turn to learn my specialty. I still practice when I can, but it's not nearly often enough." Between school, dojo lessons and Naruto, Iruka's schedule held little time for him to keep his skills honed in his discipline.

"I thought you said you studied taijutsu."

"Mmm. I did. But I wanted to learn a weapon discipline as well." He stepped onto the smooth sand and moved into position for his first kata, adjusting for the weakness in his leg. "Are we sparring at all?"

"Not today. I'm just going to teach you a couple of the easier kata. Since you studied under Sarutobi, I'm assuming you've adopted a defensive style."

Iruka nodded. "With a focus on close quarters sword-fighting. What I saw of yours looked offensive."

"I can do both, but offensive comes more naturally to me."

That made sense, given Kakashi's speed and agility. He was the type who probably took control of a match from the first strike. "How many kendo kata do you know?"

"A few," Kakashi shrugged. "I've studied twenty-seven schools in depth. I'm always looking for more, though."

"Twenty-seven?" Were there twenty-seven specialized ryu-ha in existence? Maybe as late as the mid-Meiji period, but so many were lost... "Where do you do your research?"

Kakashi smiled, his eye arcing. "I'm not telling." He opened his eye and stared intently at Iruka. "Ready to begin, sensei?"

"Whenever you are," Iruka retorted, his muscles tensing.

<><><><><>

Kakashi was an exacting teacher, and despite the day's heat, Iruka spent nearly half an hour in the onsen trying to soak the ache out of his muscles.

Kakashi had been unnervingly perceptive during the kata training, repositioning his movements with uncanny accuracy, almost as if Iruka had been moving in slow motion and Kakashi could see every detail in sharp relief. He'd also radiated an intensity of purpose, a focus, as if each movement was a matter of life and death. It reminded Iruka of what he'd seen in the clearing

By the time he could walk without hobbling like an old man, the sun was far in the west and it was much too late to try to hike to a phone. He made his way to the kitchen, deciding to cook dinner as a partial thank you to Kakashi.

It also gave him time to think about the new aspect of his relationship -- if an acquaintance of three days constituted a relationship -- with Kakashi.

The sex was incredible. If that was all that he cared about, Iruka would have considered himself to be lucky past the point of reason.

But, he admitted to himself, that wasn't all he cared about. He wanted someone to care for, someone who would care for him in return.

He wanted a lover. He had Kakashi.

Who, for all of the things that Iruka found to be attractive about him, seemed... unreal, in a way. More than once over the past few days Iruka had felt like he wasn't quite in his own world, like he'd crossed over some boundary into a world that existed outside his own.

He couldn't figure out how a single man tended a shrine this large. And Kakashi's knowledge of the martial arts -- he was obviously far beyond any ordinary sensei level, most likely far beyond any master level that Iruka knew, yet he'd never heard of him. Kakashi should have disciples lined up, begging him to instruct them, but instead he practiced alone in a mountain clearing, keeping his skills honed to a combat level. He seemed to have a warrior's scars as well, Iruka realized, thinking of Kakashi's eye and the silver lines he'd traced with his tongue while they were having sex.

Add to that, the unexplained happenings: Kakashi's unearthly speed, his ability to disappear, the dogs that had vanished without a trace, the illuminating glow that Kakashi denied existed.

As compatible as they were sexually, Iruka didn't think having Kakashi as a lover was very feasible. They were too different, and he knew too little about him.

Once he had a thick curry simmering, Iruka put on the rice and began the dashi for the miso soup. He'd have to ask Kakashi to teach him about the wild plants they ate when Kakashi cooked -- it would be interesting, and something fun to pass on to Naruto when he got home.

"Smells good."

Iruka glanced over his shoulder to see Kakashi leaning in the kitchen doorway. "Stop leering already."

"But I'm hungry."

"You're horny, you mean." Iruka reached for a bowl on the high shelf. "I was wondering, if you have time, could you teach me about the plants you've been--" His fingers slipped, and knocked the bowl from the shelf.

He lunged for it, but the movement triggered a cramp in his injured leg. Cursing, he fell towards the stove--

--And was caught and gently lowered to the floor. Kakashi pushed Iruka's yukata aside and felt along the calf of his injured leg. "Here?" he asked.

"Yeah." Iruka hissed as Kakashi began to massage the cramped muscle, but after a few moments, the spasm began to fade under Kakashi's touch. "I should have stretched more."

Watching Kakashi, Iruka's mind whirled.

How had Kakashi moved so quickly? He'd been all the way across the kitchen when Iruka had fallen, with the long prep table between them, yet he'd caught him as if he'd been standing right behind him the entire time.

And second... Iruka stared.

There was no doubt about it. Kakashi's hands were glowing.

<><><><><>

Though he didn't say anything to Kakashi about the glow he'd seen, Iruka tried to fish for answers in an indirect way.

"How long have you been living at this shrine?"

"Mah, sensei. Isn't it a beautiful day?"

"It's raining. And you haven't answered my question."

Kakashi's gaze was heated. "Rainy days are perfect for spending inside."

Iruka rolled his eyes. "You just want to have more sex."

"What a great idea!" Kakashi leapt to his feet and pulled Iruka from the table where they'd been having tea. "There's a position in Icha Icha that I've been dying to try--"

"I'm NOT going to be your-- your inflatable doll!" Iruka sputtered, trying to pull away. "Play out your fantasies somewhere else!"

Kakashi tugged. "You'll like it, I promise."

"That's not the point!"

"What other point would there be?"

"That, that-- That we just want to be together!" The moment that the words left Iruka's mouth, he wanted to retract them.

"You prefer sex to be between people who care for one another," Kakashi said, his voice neutral.

Iruka looked away, his face hot. "Yes."

"I can't promise that." Kakashi tugged again, and this time Iruka allowed himself to be drawn into his embrace. "But I do like you very much, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka flushed brighter. He wasn't sure how to bring up his misgivings about Kakashi, though. "I just don't do this. Have sex with a stranger, I mean."

"I'd like to think we're not complete strangers." Kakashi nuzzled Iruka's neck. "For instance, I know that you teach school and instruct beginning students at Sarutobi's dojo, and that you have a brother named Naruto. You know I practice Kendo, and can forage for food, and that I love Icha Icha books."

"In other words, I know that you're a sword-wielding pervert who likes wild vegetables," Iruka retorted.

"Well, at least I'm not some cheap lay you've picked up in a bar. Though I can be, if role-playing is a kink of yours."

Despite himself, Iruka laughed. "Just be yourself. But I'd like it if you could be a bit more open with me, that's all."

"I'm more open with you than I've been since--" Iruka felt Kakashi stiffen, then relax minutely. "--Since I last rescued someone from a mudslide."

"Make a habit of it, do you?"

"Only when it's someone as sexy as you."

Iruka sighed and dropped his head. "You win."

"Banzai!" Kakashi swept him up in a fireman's carry.

Iruka yelped in surprise and grabbed for a handhold. "Let me down, idiot!"

Kakashi ran his free hand over Iruka's butt. "Your ass is fantastic, sensei."

"Want it?" Iruka had meant to be coy, but the moment the words left his mouth, he knew he wanted Kakashi to say yes.

Kakashi froze in place. "Is that an invitation?"

Iruka licked suddenly dry lips. "Uh, yeah?"

"Don't bowl me over with your enthusiasm."

"I, Umino Iruka, hereby invite you, Hatake Kakashi, to--" if anyone asked, this time his blush was because his head was upside-down and all of the blood was pooling in it, "--ah, to fuck me."

Iruka's bed had been trashed by their earlier bout, so Kakashi carried him to a room further down the corridor, bare of everything but a neatly made futon and a cupboard. Iruka assumed it was where Kakashi had been sleeping, although it didn't look like it had been used much.

But once they were under the blanket, naked, Iruka's face in the pillow, he could smell Kakashi in the sheets. The sensations in his ass as Kakashi stretched him were strange, but not unpleasant -- far from it, in fact, since Kakashi soon had him writhing, panting for more.

"Now, dammit!"

"Patience is a virtue, sensei." Kakashi's voice was light, but a moment later, Iruka felt a blunt pressure against his opening. Despite himself, he tensed. "Push out," Kakashi said, his voice calm and soothing. "I'll go slow." Once fully in, he draped over Iruka's back. "Okay?"

Iruka nodded. Kakashi's weight was substantial, his cock thick and hot inside him, uncomfortable, but not painful. What he hadn't anticipated was how powerful he'd feel with another man in him. There was no feeling of submission or subservience: Iruka wasn't sure if that was because of his relationship with Kakashi, or whether it was personal to him, and he'd feel that with any partner. But it felt good to call on the strength he needed to bear Kakashi as well as himself as Kakashi began to move.

Kakashi began a slow rocking motion, gripping Iruka's shoulders with a force that Iruka knew would bruise. He absorbed the small pain and braced himself, and began to enjoy the burning stretch of Kakashi's cock as it entered, and the way he could make Kakashi breathe a silent moan into his neck as he gripped Kakashi's withdrawing cock with his inner muscles.

"You feel so good," Kakashi whispered.

Then his cock hit something inside Iruka that made him shudder as if an electric current had run through him. He heard Kakashi chuckle in a series of breathless exhalations, and felt him push in harder with the next thrust.

This time the sensation tore a groan from Iruka's throat and shocked new life into his flagging erection.

Kakashi set a steady rhythm, pushing and withdrawing, and hitting Iruka's prostate each time with smooth efficiency.

Iruka lost himself to the fierce pleasure Kakashi was giving him, all of his mind focused on the jolts of sensation, the weight of Kakashi's body, the heat of his breath on Iruka's neck, the slick slide of sweat-drenched skin against his back and the even slicker slide inside his ass.

A feeling swelled inside him -- not love, not even affection, just a quiet, intense need for this man. He wanted this -- the danger, the thrill, the intimacy -- with Kakashi.

He had an overpowering desire to kiss him. "Over," he gasped. "Me, turn over. I want to see you."

Kakashi shuddered and pulled out. "Make it quick."

Iruka turned over and shoved a pillow under his hips even as Kakashi pushed back in. He wrapped his legs around Kakashi's waist, pulled Kakashi's head down, and proceeded to devour his mouth, dizzy from lack of oxygen but even more, dizzy with want for the taste of this man's mouth and skin, the press of his hard body down the length of his own, the desperate intimacy of need that he could feel in himself and in Kakashi.

When he climaxed, the possessive feeling exploded through him. "Mine," he whispered, and Kakashi shuddered and froze, his hips working in small, irregular movements as he emptied into Iruka.

Kakashi collapsed on top of him and rolled to the side, pulling his softening cock out of Iruka with a wet noise that made Iruka wince. They lay next to each other, each trying to catch his breath.

"I want to do that again," Iruka said.

"Right now?"

Iruka grinned, since he couldn't move a muscle at the moment. "Could you?"

Kakashi seemed to take stock of his reserves, then grinned back. "Nope. You drained me dry."

"Then we can wait a while, I suppose," Iruka murmured. "Give you time to recover. I'm a patient man."

Kakashi mock-growled, then tucked a lock of Iruka's sweat-drenched hair behind his ear and draped himself over Iruka. "That was--"

"Yeah." Iruka smoothed his hand over Kakashi's cheek, rubbing at the bottom of his scar with his thumb.

"I think you're more alive than any other person I've known." Kakashi leaned in.

"I don't get you," Iruka murmured after a few moments during which they had lazily exchanged tongues and tastes.

"You don't censor yourself at all, do you?" He gave Iruka a half-lidded look.

"What do you mean?"

"You just say what you think or how you feel. Doesn't that make you vulnerable?"

Iruka examined Kakashi's face. "You make it sound like communicating is a battle. If I can't be vulnerable with someone, I'm not going to allow that person in my life. That's all the protection I need."

Kakashi hmm'ed and looked thoughtful.

Iruka poked his shoulder. "Hey. Sleep now?"

Kakashi smiled. "Yeah."

Hot as it was, they remained entangled. Iruka fell asleep with Kakashi's hot breath tickling his neck.

<><><><><>

The sun was already up when Iruka awoke. He started to stretch, but instantly thought better of it. Damn, were his back and ass sore.

A long soak might be good. He rolled over and reached for his yukata, but it wasn't there. Grumbling, he figured he'd borrow one of Kakashi's.

He found a stack of neatly folded yukata in the cupboard. He put one on, but couldn't see a sash, so he felt along the shelf, hoping to bump into it with his fingers.

Instead, he bumped into something solid. He pulled it out.

It was a cardboard box, fairly heavy for its size. Thinking that Kakashi might store his sashes in it, he opened it.

It was full of underwear, t-shirts, and yes, sashes. He grabbed one, but it was tangled in something, so he gave it a yank.

The box turned on its side and spilled its contents onto the tatami mat.

It took Iruka a few seconds to assimilate what was in front of him.

Then he went ballistic.

<><><><><>

Kakashi wasn't anywhere in the shrine complex, so Iruka limped with as much dignity and anger as possible down the path to the wayside shrine.

He saw Kakashi at the shrine and was about to shout at him, when something about his actions set off alarms in Iruka's head.

He watched as Kakashi glanced around quickly before he bit his thumb, knelt, and pressed his hand to the ground.

A dog, a small pug, appeared in a puff of smoke.

Iruka's heart started pounding.

Kakashi was talking, his voice low. Snatches of words carried to Iruka.

"...Search party...mudslide survivors...keep them away from the shrine, but...can't be seen..."

"--What about--"

Iruka's jaw dropped. Had the dog spoken? He glanced around, but the sound of two voices clearly was coming from in front of him. And unless Kakashi was a hell of a ventriloquist, the dog was the second voice.

And the discussion was getting louder.

Kakashi was glaring at the pug. "I'm not letting him go!"

"Boss, he's an extra body!"

"He's staying here, with me! That's final!"

Iruka bit his fist to stifle his gasp.

The dog sniffed the air and growled. "Boss?" He looked at Iruka.

But Kakashi was already standing and glaring at Iruka, too. "Come out!"

There wasn't any way to avoid it. Iruka slowly walked forward.

"Pakkun, round up the rest of the pack."

"Right." With a final glare at Iruka, the dog disappeared in another puff of smoke.

"What's going on?" Iruka stopped a little way from Kakashi, wary.

"Nothing," Kakashi said shortly.

"It didn't sound like 'nothing.'"

Kakashi glared, then sighed. "Yesterday's rain caused another mudslide. I was sending the pack out to help search for survivors."

"A talking dog just appearing and disappearing out of thin air like-- A search party?" The implications sunk in. "Did anyone search for me? Did you keep them from finding me?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I want to leave!"

"You're not fit for the hike, yet."

He was probably right. But that raised another issue.

"I was dying, in that mudslide." He watched Kakashi closely. "I was submerged, and I remember feeling incredible pain. There was a snap inside, and I know I took a serious blow to the head. Why am I still alive? Why aren't my injuries more severe?"

Kakashi hesitated. "I know how to do things most other people can't do," he finally replied.

"Like bring someone back from the dead?"

"You weren't dead! I pulled you out before--!" He stopped with an impatient gesture. "Look, can't you just trust me?"

"Shouldn't I be the one saying that?" Iruka shouted, suddenly furious. "How many questions have I asked that you've evaded? How many times have I tried to ask you for help calling my friends, just to have you change the subject or ignore my request?"

"I can't tell you any more," Kakashi said. "I've taken a vow. Don't ask me to break it."

"A vow to whom?"

"Myself."

"Well, I've made a vow to myself, too!" Iruka retorted. "I've vowed that I'm going home, and nothing you do will stop me!"

"I know that!" Kakashi ran a hand through his hair, causing it to stand on end even more.

"Open your eye."

"What?"

"Your left eye. Open it."

"Iruka--"

"Kakashi. Open it."

Kakashi stared blankly for a moment, then, with a sigh, opened his eye.

It was red, as Iruka had expected. But the color wasn't what made him gasp, it was the pupil. Or rather, pupils, three, shaped like scythes, slowly rotating.

"May I close it now?"

Iruka nodded, and watched as Kakashi closed his eye. "You're not human, are you?"

He couldn't remember a time when he'd seen so much hurt and betrayal in an expression, but even as he watched, Kakashi's face closed until he was looking at Iruka with the same haughty boredom Iruka remembered from the first day. "Mah, sensei," he drawled. "If I'm not human, what do you think I am?"

"What does that eye do?"

Kakashi looked at him as if he were an insect. "It copies things. Anything I see with this eye, I can remember. Any movement I watch, I can mirror perfectly."

Iruka remembered the way Kakashi had been able to note every detail of his kata work and correct it. "Are you the tengu?"

Genuine amusement crossed Kakashi's face. "What do you think?"

"I think there's something going on here that I don't understand. I don't see how you can do the things I've seen you do if you were human."

"Well, here's a clue: tengu have a reputation for their sexual prowess, don't they?"

Iruka thought of the long-nosed masks. "Don't joke around! And that's not what I meant!" He thrust out his hand. "I found this."

Kakashi glanced at the cell phone in Iruka's hand and looked bored. "So?"

"So!" Iruka erupted. "It's mine! You were hiding it from me! Along with my backpack and everything else!"

"Why would I want to do that?"

"You were going to keep me here, weren't you?"

"What makes you think a schoolteacher like you could possibly interest a tengu?"

"You ass!" Iruka couldn't remember ever being so angry. "I started to have feelings for you! I thought you started having feelings for me! And then I find out it's all a lie!"

"Mah, sensei," Kakashi's voice was mocking, "you're quite the romantic, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you've done to me," Iruka shot back, wanting Kakashi to feel as much pain as he was feeling, "but I'm starting to wonder if this attraction I feel for you isn't from inside me, it's something you're making me feel! I've never slept with a man before this, yet I fell into bed with you after only knowing you a handful of hours! Maybe you really are a demon or something, and you've manipulated me!"

Kakashi's gaze was cold, but Iruka could feel the anger boiling off of him in waves. "Are you finished?"

"Are you going to deny it?"

"I'm not denying anything. In fact, I'm enjoying this. You're highly entertaining."

"You bastard!"

"Mmm," Kakashi agreed. He started walking toward Iruka. "So, now that you've discovered my evil plan, what do you intend to do, sensei?"

Iruka backed away. "If you try anything, I'm calling for help." He held up the cell phone. "I checked. It's still fully charged."

Kakashi disappeared.

Before Iruka could look for him, his arm was twisted up behind his back. "So much for phone calls," Kakashi whispered in his ear. "Now it's time for you to listen to me. I'm not a tengu. I'm worse. I kill people."

Iruka felt a shiver slither down his back. "I don't believe you."

"Old, young, rich, poor -- I kill whomever I'm ordered to kill," Kakashi continued relentlessly. "I've lost count of how many. But I can tell you this: my first kill was when I was five."

Five. A child. Iruka could barely wrap his mind around the thought. "That can't be true."

"I was a fully trained assassin," Kakashi said. "I knew what I was doing."

It was like a nightmare that he couldn't wake from. "You really were sealed in that boulder, weren't you?"

"Twenty years ago. I doubt old Sarutobi could do it a second time."

"You're inhuman!"

Kakashi's laugh made Iruka's skin crawl. "Just the opposite, I'm afraid, sensei. I'm very human. The darkest, most hidden parts of the human soul. I'm the shadows you avoid and the thing under the bed waiting to slit your throat."

Iruka caught his breath. Kakashi had to be lying. "No," he whispered. "I don't believe you'd hurt me."

"I could snap your neck before you could move."

"You won't," he replied, feeling more confident. Kakashi was doing his best to make Iruka fear him, but he had never harmed him. "I'm not afraid of you."

"You're a fool. I have your life in my hands, literally."

"No." Iruka relaxed into Kakashi's grip. "I trust myself. I trust my judgment. And what I felt last night, what we felt last night -- that was real. I may not be able to understand you, but we're connected now."

"I thought you said I'd manipulated your feelings."

"I was pissed off and acting like an asshole. I didn't mean it."

Kakashi didn't reply, but Iruka could feel him hot against his back, his chest rising and falling fast enough to betray strong emotions.

With a growl, Kakashi suddenly spun Iruka around. He yanked Iruka against him and wrapped his arms around him. Then he pressed his mouth to Iruka's.

The kiss was desperate and passionate and so alive. Iruka responded eagerly, tangling his hands in Kakashi's hair and tasting every crevice of his mouth. After a few moments, he came up for air, gasping. "I want you."

Kakashi's hand moved, cradling his jaw and pressing into his neck. "No," he said, and Iruka started to see bright spots in front of his eyes. He couldn't move, and then he couldn't see, and then he couldn't breathe.

His hearing was last to go. "You're too dangerous," he heard Kakashi murmur.

Then his knees crumpled and everything went black.

<><><><><>

Iruka groaned and opened his eyes, wincing at the bright sun. He threw an arm over his eyes to block the light.

"Excuse me. Are you waiting for a train?"

Iruka lowered his arm and squinted at the man standing over him. Startled, he abruptly sat up. "Keisatsu-san! Pardon me! Umino Iruka." He bowed his head in apology to the police officer, then looked around. "Er, where am I?"

"You're in the Narai train station." The policeman frowned. "Have you been drinking, Umino-san?"

Narai. Kakashi must have brought him here. And dressed him in his spare clothes, Iruka realized, looking down at his jeans and t-shirt. He turned back to the officer with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I've been hiking and was tired. I'm afraid I was a bit disoriented when I woke."

"Of course. May I please see your identification, Umino-san?"

Iruka automatically reached into his jacket pocket before remembering that Kakashi probably still had his belongings... except, his fingers closed around a familiar laminated card, as well as other slips of paper. He pulled them out, and found that in addition to his identification card, he had several thousand yen and a ticket for home, complete with Tokyo transfer.

Kakashi had given him a clear message.

Go home.

Don't come back.

"I have it right here, keisatsu-san," he said, struggling to stay composed, and handed over his papers.

<><><><><>

The first thing from Naruto's mouth was, "You're home early! I wasn't expecting you until next week."

Iruka pasted a smile on his face. "I got into a little trouble on the trail and thought I'd better come back."

Naruto swarmed him. "What happened? Did you get hurt? Are you alright now? Did someone hurt you? I'll kick his butt!"

"Calm down, I'm fine. I've called the doctor and have an appointment. I got caught," he hesitated, "in the tail-end of a mudslide," he finished lightly. "The night the typhoon went through."

"How bad are you hurt?"

"Just a sprain." Maybe. That's what I'm planning to find out.

"You want me to go with you?"

"No. Why don't you head to the dojo? You can let Sandaime-sama know that I'm home, and you can get some practice in, too."

Naruto looked dissatisfied, but nodded. "The old man wants to talk to you. I think it's about my training."

"Thanks. I'll check in with him after I get back from the doctor. And don't call Sandaime-sama 'old man'."

"You sure you don't want me to go with you?"

Iruka sighed. Naruto could be so transparent. "Do I want to know how much trouble you're in?"

"It wasn't my fault! Wait. How did you know?"

"You usually can't wait to go to the dojo."

"It really wasn't my fault," Naruto said earnestly. "Dog-boy made me do it!"

"Remember what I've told you? Nobody can make you do anything. It's your choice if you take someone up on their silly dares, so you're responsible if something goes wrong."

"Yes, nii-chan."

Iruka tousled Naruto's golden hair. "Get going, brat. I'll come by later."

Seeing Naruto's smile eased some of his regret.

<><><><><>

Dr Tsunade strode into the room and Iruka immediately felt claustrophobic. Her brisk impatience seemed to suck away all the air.

"We have the results of your x-rays, Umino-san. It must have been a bad accident. Did you get treated at an unaffiliated hospital? It's not on your records here."

Iruka nodded, his fingers gripping the arms of the chair more tightly.

"The break in your left leg is healing nicely, though I'm not sure how they treated a fracture like that without using any pins to support what was left of the bone. I think you can get by with a cane if you're still having problems. You should be fully recovered in a few weeks." She frowned fiercely at him.

Broken. His leg had been broken. Badly enough that Dr Tsunade thought the bones should have been pinned. "Yes," Iruka said, feeling numb. "How long should I use the cane?"

"The break looks about eight weeks old -- is that right?"

He nodded. No use telling her it had been less than a week ago.

"Another week or two should do it. However, I'd advise that you spend another two or three weeks gradually increasing your strength in that leg. Don't put too much strain on it, let the muscles recover naturally. Although I have to say, the muscles are in remarkably good shape for having been unused for a couple of months. I didn't see any signs of atrophy."

"I'm pretty active."

From the expression on her face, there was more coming. He braced himself.

"The ribs and head injuries are doing well, too. Let me know if you have any problems with chest pain -- with broken ribs, there may be adhesions, which we can treat surgically. Have you had any headaches recently?"

He shook his head. I really must have been nearly dead, he thought in a daze.

"There were no signs of swelling or lingering brain trauma at the site of the fracture. All in all, I think your recovery has been very satisfactory."

"Thank you, doctor." Iruka stood and bowed, trying to hide how hard he was shaking. "I'm thankful for your care."

"I've told you before, drop the formalities. Now get out of here so I can treat some sick people."

"Yes, Tsunade-sensei."

<><><><><>

After a dinner he barely touched, Iruka went to the dojo.

Sandaime was smoking in the courtyard. He smiled when he saw Iruka. "Iruka! Naruto said you were back. I was just about to make some tea."

Iruka bowed. "Thank you, Sandaime-sama."

He followed Sandaime to his office and stepped forward when Sandaime reached for the teapot.

"Please, let me, Sandaime-sama." Iruka measured the leaves, then added hot water from the electric dispensing pot. When he turned around, Sandaime was smiling. "What?"

"This will always be your home," Sandaime said.

Iruka flushed, rubbed the back of his head, and laughed. "Where did that come from?"

"Humor an old man. Something happened while you were gone, didn't it?"

Sandaime knew him too well. Iruka turned back to the table, reaching for the cups while he thought of what to say. Everything that had happened seemed so-- fantastic. Unreal. Even the doctor's findings seemed like something from another reality. "I'm not sure I can talk about it. No, that's not right," he corrected himself. "I'm not sure how to talk about it."

"Mmm." Sandaime sat and pulled out his pipe. "Why don't you start from the time things started to go wrong?" he suggested, packing tobacco into it.

Iruka poured them tea and sat, cupping his mug in his hands. "It was bad from the beginning," he said. "I got caught in the typhoon about midway between post towns, and was looking for shelter. I found a small shrine, but there was lightning and a mudslide--" He stared into his tea, watching the steam rise. "I got caught in the middle of it. But when I woke up, I was on a futon, clean, and healthy except for a-- an injured leg."

He glanced up at Sandaime, who simply smoked his pipe and waited.

"I'd been rescued by a man living in the main shrine. I stayed with him for several days." Iruka could feel his face warming. "We, uh, we were-- intimate." He hid his face by sipping his tea, and tried to figure out how to tell Sandaime the rest.

"Strange things kept happening. Appearances, disappearances-- I felt uneasy, but always managed to find some reasonable -- well, somewhat reasonable --explanation for everything. But I can't explain what the doctor told me."

Sandaime tapped ash out of his pipe and began to stuff it with new leaf. "You were badly injured, weren't you?"

Iruka nodded. "How did you know?"

"I've seen it before." He tamped the bowl. "How badly?"

"I-- I think I should have probably died."

Sandaime looked thoughtful. "It takes a great deal of skill to heal people, and a great deal of power to do extensive healing. I only know of one or two people who might have both."

"His hands--I saw them glow."

Nodding, Sandaime didn't look surprised. He lit his pipe.

Iruka suddenly remembered. "Kakashi--"

Sandaime started and took the pipe from his mouth. He leaned forward. "Hatake Kakashi?"

"Yes." Iruka wrapped his hands around his teacup again, chilled despite the heat of the day. "He said he knew you from a long time ago."

"He's right." Sandaime settled back in his chair and resumed smoking, a thoughtful look on his face. "I'm surprised that he's returned to this world."

Iruka couldn't stop an exclamation of surprise. "Returned to this world?"

"Mm. Hatake Kakashi is the last of an ancient line of warriors. He may be the last true shinobi left in this world, in fact."

"Shinobi? You mean-- ninja?"

Sandaime nodded.

"What did you mean about him returning to this world?"

The silence stretched longer this time. Sandaime finally gave a nod, as if he'd been having an internal debate, and turned to Iruka. "I'll need to talk to you about this anyway, since what I'm about to tell you is something that Naruto may also face."

"Naruto?" Iruka felt confused. "What does Kakashi have to do with Naruto?"

"Kakashi is the last of a long line of shinobi. Shinobi trained to be assassins."

Iruka's breath caught in his throat. Kakashi hadn't lied to him. "Then Kakash--?"

Sandaime nodded again. "He was one of a team of four known as ANBU. Their line of work was dangerous. They served their country, just as their predecessors had done for as long as they've existed. One by one, the others of the group fell. While they were with him, he retained his humanity, and felt what compassion and love he could feel. But once they were gone, there was no balancing force in his life. He began to lose himself to the bloodlust, to fill up the emptiness left by the absence of his team members with death. Before it overwhelmed him, he asked me to seal him."

"The boulder."

"Yes." Sandaime smiled sadly. "The seal could only break when something that could bring healing to him existed."

"But what could that be?"

Sandaime's sharp gaze made Iruka uncomfortable. "Perhaps that's what you're meant to find out," he replied.

"What do you mean?"

"When you teach the beginning classes here, what is most important?"

Iruka frowned at the change of subject. "That the children discover what makes them strong."

Sandaime nodded. "And how do you help them make that discovery?"

"I help them build their skills and confidence."

"Since you've begun teaching those classes, this dojo has seen the quality of our students' discipline increase, to the point where several of the sensei have come to me for extra training for themselves so that they can become strong enough to guide the students that you send to them."

"Um," Iruka could feel himself blushing hot, "Th-thank you, Sandaime-sama." He scratched the back of his head. "But what does that have to do with Kakashi and Naruto?"

"One of your greatest strengths is the way you use your chakra."

Now he was really confused. "Huh? I mean, I teach the kids about chakra, but I don't know how to really use it. I'm just trying to give them a name for whatever feeling they have inside that makes them feel stronger and learn to respect others."

"Giving something a name gives you power over it." Sandaime looked amused. "Your students come to their specialized sensei with the knowledge they need to unlock their potential even before they begin to study in earnest. I've had other dojo masters pestering me for my secret for years. As I said, it's proven to be quite the challenge for my teachers."

"But what does that have to do with my chakra?"

"Yours is a teaching chakra, a flow that helps others around you to learn and grow."

"I don't--"

"You do. You're one of the most natural chakra users I've ever seen, Iruka." Sandaime smoked with a contented, cat-with-cream expression. "As are Naruto and Kakashi. Most of the sensei in this dojo can also manipulate chakra, though in limited and specific ways. For instance, Gai can use chakra to give himself great strength and endurance, while Genma has the ability to hit any target, moving or stationary, with great accuracy."

"How come I never knew about any of this?"

"There was no need for you to know it."

"Then why now?"

Sandaime put down his pipe and leaned forward. "Because Kakashi needs you."

"Kakashi?" Iruka stared. "Kakashi needs a psychiatrist, not a teacher!"

Sandaime laughed and sat back in his chair again. "Most geniuses have a difficult time learning through formal methods. Tell me, who initiated the, er, 'intimate' actions?"

"Sandaime-sama!" Iruka didn't know where the hell to look. He could feel his face blazing.

Sandaime nodded. "I thought so. Kakashi was seeking what he needed."

Iruka remained silent, thinking. Was that what had been between them? Kakashi reaching out for someone, anyone?

"Your anger and pride defeated you again."

Iruka accepted the gentle rebuke with a nod. "Yes." It always amazed Iruka how the Sandaime could say things like that, and make him feel better instead of worse. "I thought--" he was a tengu. "I said things to him that were cruel. I was an idiot."

"We all are, from time to time. Do you intend to try to correct the mistake?"

Iruka's shoulders sagged. "I don't know."

Sandaime's expression was kind. "Healing takes many forms."

"I don't want to apologize just to feel better."

"I wasn't necessarily talking about your healing," Sandaime replied.

"Kakashi--?"

"He's the last of the shinobi. His sensei taught him to fight to protect those who are precious to him, and he did so until his last precious person was taken from him."

"I didn't understand," Iruka whispered. "To be so alone..."

"A warrior must fight. But a fight without a purpose--"

"--Is just bloodlust." Iruka's heart ached. "Is that why he keeps himself isolated?"

"I believe so, yes."

"You said earlier that Naruto will have to deal with this, too."

Sandaime nodded. "Naruto's chakra is the most powerful I've seen, outside of Kakashi's. He needs to learn how to channel it safely."

"What happens if he doesn't?"

"Without a proper outlet, it will build in him. I'm sure you remember how angry and distrustful he was when you first met him. Think of that anger fueled by chakra."

Iruka thought of the way Kakashi had practically brought him back from the dead, and shivered. The amount of power that took must have been enormous. That kind of power, wielded by a teenager with a history of abuse and neglect to add as fuel to any explosive situation-- "Do you know of anyone who could train him?"

"For now, Gai has been teaching him the basics of controlling the way he uses chakra. But even with his talents, I don't believe that he's a good long-term sensei for Naruto."

Iruka nodded. "How can I help?"

"You're already helping, Iruka." Sandaime looked at him affectionately. "Providing him a loving home and teaching him how to control his temper and work with others is the most effective way of helping Naruto learn to use his power wisely. The rest is simply shaping the form in which he uses it."

<><><><><>

Iruka thought about the Sandaime's words on his walk home. He truly had been cruel to Kakashi. Ignorance about Kakashi's abilities and circumstances didn't excuse the fact that he had accused a man who had helped him, saved his life, of being something other than human.

How many times had Kakashi heard that in his life?

Even worse, he'd told Kakashi, his lover, that he didn't trust him.

That betrayal was the one that made Iruka feel most ashamed.

He needed to go back up the mountain, see Kakashi, apologize. Even if they couldn't be friends, he needed to take responsibility for the pain he'd caused him. No one should have to go through his life being so alone.

<><><><><>

Since the path he'd hiked before was still blocked by the mudslide, Iruka took the train to the next village, and hiked back to the shrine.

The day was bright and warm, the mountain breeze a welcome respite from the heat and the sun. The trail was dry and clean; easy walking for a fit individual, even with an injured leg.

By the time he'd reached the top of the mountain, though, his leg ached and he was out of breath. He took a firmer hold of his walking stick and started to look for the tell-tale scar of the mudslide, and the torii gate that led to the shrine.

He found them both about half a kilometer further along the trail. There were signs that someone had begun clearing a new trail through the slide area, but while there was a small earthmover, no one appeared to be around. Wryly reflecting on how trusting the operator of the machine was, Iruka limped up the path to the small shrine.

A fresh offering of flowers sat in a plastic cup in front of it. Iruka made his obeisance, then started along the trail leading to the main shrine complex.

He came out a few yards further down the main hiking trail.

Frowning, he tried again.

This time the trail led him directly back to the shrine.

Frustrated, he decided to ignore the trail and just walk the short distance through the forest to the main complex.

A few minutes later, he stumbled back onto the main trail.

A harsh scream, at once familiar and unknown, sounded above him. Iruka looked up, startled.

A large bird circled low, hooked beak and strong talons marking it as a bird of prey. It wheeled and lit in a tree near Iruka, where it stared at him.

Iruka stared back. He'd never seen a bird like it before, though now that he thought about it, its call had reminded him of a kite's. But it wasn't the familiar dark brown predator of the fields and cities; instead, it was silver-gray with a white head and piercing red eyes, more falcon-like than hawk-like.

After a few moments, the bird launched back into the air. Iruka watched it fly down the mountain until he could no longer see its silver plumage against the sky. Then he turned back to the wayside shrine.

"I don't understand," he muttered under his breath. "It should be right here."

But although he searched until it was time for him to make his way back to the village, he didn't find the main shrine complex.

He finally scribbled a note on a piece of notebook paper and left it at the wayside shrine, weighted with a rock so it wouldn't blow away.

He hoped Kakashi would find it.

<><><><><>

It seemed like, having seen the strange bird once, he now saw them everywhere, even at home, where one seemed to have taken the tree outside of Iruka's bedroom window as its roost. Iruka felt both uneasy and awed by its wild gaze, and found himself spending quite a bit of time just sitting in his garden, watching the bird circle in lazy patterns overhead.

With several weeks of summer holiday left, and unable to travel much because of his leg, Iruka also spent more time at the dojo. In addition to the beginner dojo classes, he embarked on a project to re-organize the student files. They were a hopeless mess, and the stifling records room seemed especially hellish in the summer, although he appreciated the quiet time to reflect on things, particularly Kakashi and his inability to find him. To keep himself from brooding too much, however, he took frequent breaks to sit in the dojo courtyard, watching the students train and listening to the scrape of the cicadas rise and fall in the shimmering heat.

One of the white and silver birds was often there, too, perched in the great tree that shadowed the edge of the courtyard, and watching the world with sharp red eyes.

"Well, well."

Iruka looked up from his lunch to find Sandaime standing next to him, smoking his pipe and looking thoughtfully skyward. Iruka looked up, too.

It was the bird, circling lazily on the thermals, unmistakable with its white underside and black wing feathers.

"It's been a very long time since I've seen one of those," Sandaime said softly.

"What is it?" Iruka asked. "I've been seeing them around quite a bit, and I saw one when I went back up the mountain, too."

The glance Sandaime threw at him was speculative, but brief, looking back up to watch the bird's wide circles. "It's a black winged kite," he said. "Very rare, in Japan. I've only ever seen them twice in my life. I imagine that you're seeing the same bird each time. They can be very territorial."

The bird dropped lower, settling into the branches of the tree where Iruka had seen it perch before. It regarded them intently, its red eyes vivid against its white plumage.

Sandaime took his pipe from his mouth and bowed to the bird.

Iruka stared at him in confusion. "Sandaime-sama?"

"He likely came with the typhoon," Sandaime said. "I'm glad I got to see him once more. Good day, Iruka." He put his pipe in his mouth and wandered off, hands clasped behind his back, a serene look on his face.

Iruka looked back up at the tree.

The kite's red eyes stared back.

<><><><><>

The kite was in the tree outside Iruka's bedroom window when he woke, though it flew away soon after. Iruka wasn't sure if he was disappointed or relieved to see it leave.

He didn't mention it to Naruto at breakfast. "When you finish your rice, I'll go to the dojo with you. Sandaime-sama asked me to reorganize the accounting files today."

Naruto stopped eating his rice long enough to throw a pleading look at Iruka. "Do I have to go?"

"Of course you have to go!" Iruka frowned. "Is there some reason not to?"

Shrugging, Naruto tilted his bowl to his mouth and wolfed down the rest of his rice. "I 'us 'on--"

"Swallow before you talk."

With a massive swallow, Naruto grinned. Rice stuck to his scarred cheeks.

Iruka rubbed his forehead. "Next time, try chewing, too. You've got rice on your face."

Naruto wiped his sleeve across his face. "I just don't want to."

"Why?"

"Gai-sensei's a slave driver!"

"Gai-sempai is a perfectly reasonable sensei."

"He makes us run! Miles! Miles, nii-chan! How am I supposed to be learning something when I'm halfway to Tokyo?"

Iruka snorted, not bothering to hide his grin. "The day you run halfway to Tokyo is the day I put on a kimono and do a fan dance."

Naruto grinned. "I'm remembering that."

"You can't remember to brush your teeth," Iruka retorted. "I think I'm safe. Now let's get going."

They found Sandaime and Gai waiting for them in the main practice room.

Sandaime looked pleased. "Iruka. Naruto. There's someone I would like you to meet."

"Who?" Naruto asked, looking around suspiciously. "It's not going to be somebody who makes me do more push-ups or run miles and miles, is it?"

"I'm not making any promises," a voice said from behind them.

Iruka started and whirled. "Kakashi!"

Kakashi nodded curtly. "Umino-sensei." His voice was cold.

Iruka could only stare. Kakashi was dressed entirely in black, wearing a close-fitted sleeveless t-shirt, hakama, and jika-tabi, his sword strapped across his back. But what Iruka found most striking was the mask which seemed sewn into the t-shirt, and which covered the lower half of his face, just as it had when he'd seen Kakashi in the clearing back on the mountain. He wore a black eye-patch over his left eye, and his hair was pulled together in a short ponytail at the nape of his neck, a black sash bound across his forehead to keep the remaining wild silver strands from his face.

He looked deadly and impossibly beautiful. "Hatake-san," Iruka said, recollecting himself. He bowed. "We're honored by your presence."

When he straightened, Kakashi was watching him with unconcealed disdain. "As am I by yours," he said, barely inclining his head.

"Kakashi will be taking over Naruto's training," Sandaime said, his voice and face serene, although Gai's eyebrows were high as he looked between Kakashi and Iruka with surprise and more than a little speculation.

Naruto glanced between Kakashi and Iruka, too. He slid in front of Iruka, glaring at Kakashi. "I don't know who you are, but you treat my nii-san with respect, you hear?"

Kakashi didn't bother to respond. "How far along is he?" he asked Gai.

"I've just begun stamina training with him," Gai said. "He is a Hard-Working and Worthy student."

Naruto wasn't finished. "What's with the mask?"

"If you saw my face, I'd have to kill you." Kakashi looked bored, and didn't bother to glance at Iruka. Still, Iruka knew that the answer had been aimed at him. Whatever. He was damned if he was going to let Kakashi intimidate him.

"That doesn't answer my question!"

"Naruto." Iruka put a hand on his shoulder. "Hatake-sensei doesn't have to explain himself to you."

Naruto glared Kakashi. "I bet you're really ugly under that. I bet you have buck teeth and fish lips."

Iruka felt like hitting his head against the wall. He gave Naruto a shake. "Idiot! It's not wise to antagonize your sensei."

"Why? What's he going do?"

Kakashi turned to Naruto. "Meet me in the courtyard in ten minutes. Dress to run."

Naruto's face fell and he groaned. "Not more running!"

"You just added double," Kakashi said. "Get going before I triple it."

With a last anguished look at Iruka, Naruto trudged off towards the dressing area.

Sandaime beamed. "Do you have time for a cup of tea, Kakashi?"

"Of course, Sarutobi-sensei." Kakashi bowed. "If it's not too much trouble."

"No trouble at all," Sandaime said, waving his hand negligently. "It will be ready whenever you stop by."

"Thank you for your kindness." Kakashi straightened and turned to Gai. "Do you have any notes about the kid's progress?"

"I'll get them for you." Gai gave Kakashi a thumb's up and an extra-sparkly smile and then strode away, leaving Kakashi and Iruka alone.

Taking a deep breath, Iruka bowed low. "I apologize for not listening to you the last time we talked, Hatake-sensei. It was wrong of me and unfair to you."

"Mmm."

He risked a glance up; Kakashi still looked cold and disdainful. He lowered his eyes again. "Thank you for teaching Naruto in spite of my rude behavior."

"It is my honor, Umino-sensei." Kakashi's words stung like sleet. "Please excuse me."

"Kakashi!" Iruka straightened and hurried after him. "I'm sorry. Really! I was a jerk."

Kakashi looked bored. "Are we supposed to be friends now?"

"I-- I hope so."

"Sorry to disappoint you, sensei." He wandered away, pulling out an Icha Icha.

Iruka stared after him, his hurt disappointment rapidly turning to anger. He clenched his fists and started after Kakashi.

"Iruka."

Sandaime's voice stopped him in his tracks. Struggling with his anger, Iruka tried to keep his own voice polite. "Yes, Sandaime-sama?"

"I'd like to speak with you. Would you like to take a stroll?"

Iruka shot one last glance down the hallway, but Kakashi had disappeared. He took a deep breath and did his best to look pleasant. "Of course."

Sandaime led the way to the courtyard, not speaking, just smoking and looking serene. Iruka could have throttled him, but he kept his annoyance in check.

"Naruto has become quite the young man," Sandaime said.

"Yes, he's growing fast."

"Hmm. Yes." They walked a bit further before Sandaime spoke again. "He's much more open now. I believe he's happy."

"I hope so."

"He gets on with his peers better, too."

"I'm glad."

"Hmm." Sandaime paused. "Ah, Gai."

Gai walked toward them, a sheaf of paper in his hands. "Sandaime-sensei! Iruka-sensei! How may I assist you?"

"Why don't you give Iruka a report on Naruto's progress? I'm afraid I have to excuse myself to make tea for Kakashi."

Iruka blinked after Sandaime's retreating back, and suddenly flushed, mortified. He'd been angry at Kakashi again, and Sandaime had just saved him from making things worse. He wasn't sure if he was grateful and should thank him or too ashamed of his own short temper to say anything.

"Iruka-sensei?"

"Ah, sorry, Gai-sempai. I thought that Sandaime-sama had wanted to speak to me. I guess I was mistaken." He smiled wryly. "So, how has Naruto been doing?"

"Naruto is a splendid student, full of Vim and Vigor!" Gai boomed. "I have been reliving my Own Youthful Days in his presence!"

"That's... that's really great," Iruka said weakly.

Gai flashed him a smile so bright it was nearly blinding. "I see you know Kakashi-sensei," he added, his voice much quieter.

"Yes. He helped me, uh, not too long ago." He didn't really want to talk to Gai about it, so he tried to change the subject. "I haven't thanked you yet for all you've done for Naruto."

Waving Iruka's thanks away with a wide sweeping motion, Gai took him by the elbow and steered him toward a bench under the shade of the courtyard tree. "I have a great deal of respect for you, raising him as you've done," he said in a normal conversational tone.

Iruka blinked. "Um, thanks."

Gai sat down and pulled Iruka down beside him. "Please, forgive me for saying so, but you seem disturbed."

"Oh, no! Everything's fine!" Iruka protested. He panicked. Did Gai want to have some sort of heart to heart talk or something?

Gai leaned close. "It seemed there may be a dispute between Kakashi-sensei and yourself. Is this true?"

Iruka sighed and dropped his head. "Yes. But I don't think I can talk about it. I'm sorry."

"I was ten when he disappeared," Gai said. He shook his head. "I proclaimed him to be my greatest rival when I was six, but even then, his heart was closing and his soul was becoming dark. He turned away from everyone, more and more, as time went by."

Iruka looked up, startled. "You know him? Why are you telling me this?"

Gai caught Iruka's gaze with his own. "You have a great gift for love, Iruka-sensei."

I might as well turn red permanently, he thought to himself, feeling the familiar flush of embarrassment darken his skin.

"Kakashi-sensei isn't all that he seems," Gai continued. "You have great inner strength. I'm afraid you'll need it."

Iruka stopped worrying about his blush and frowned. "I don't understand."

"In the space of a few days, you've already changed him so much that he is seeking people out again," Gai said softly.

"I--I haven't done anything!"

Gai smiled. "Being his precious person won't be easy. But I believe that you are strong enough to overcome the difficulties."

Iruka skittered away from Gai in a panic. "Nobody said anything about anyone being someone's precious person!"

"These things often happen without words," Gai said, nodding like a sage and beaming. "He's chosen well. He's very lucky you're his."

"I'm not his!" Iruka jumped to his feet, hands clenched, though he tried to keep his voice low. "And anyway, if anybody is anyone's, why can't he be mine?"

Gai beamed wider. "That's possible, too."

"Augh!" Iruka whirled and stalked away.

"Have a good evening, Iruka-sensei!" he heard Gai cheerfully call after him.

<><><><><>

It seemed like every time Iruka tried to find Kakashi to talk to him, Kakashi had 'just stepped out' or 'left on some business.'

He was obviously avoiding Iruka, which made Iruka simmer. He tried to hide it, though.

Unfortunately, he'd never been a very subtle person. A fact that was proven to him time and time again by Naruto, who had an uncanny way of seeing truths a person didn't want him to see.

"Kakashi-sensei watches you."

Iruka struggled to hide his flush and simply look interested. "How do you know?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Maybe because I spend a million hours a day with him."

"Six hours hardly counts as 'a million'."

"Yeah, well, they're long hours. Is there any more fish tempura?"

"There's tempura right in front of you."

"That's vegetables pretending to be tempura! I want fish!"

Sighing, Iruka gave Naruto some more fish tempura and a heaped bowl of rice, hoping it would provide a balance to the fat and protein. "At least have some of the squash. You like that."

Naruto made a production of putting several pieces of battered squash on his plate, though Iruka knew he'd eat them readily enough when he thought Iruka wasn't watching. "Anyway, like I said, he watches you."

"If you have time to see that, then you obviously aren't working hard enough," retorted Iruka.

"Where'd you meet?"

Iruka had prepared himself for the question; in fact, he was surprised it hadn't come up already, given the interaction that had triggered Naruto's protective streak when they'd met. "He was the one who helped me when I got caught in the landslide. I stayed with him for a couple of days while my leg healed."

"Did you guys fight all the time or something?"

He hadn't prepared for that one. "Uh, no, not really."

Naruto nodded and stuffed enough rice in his mouth to choke a small horse. "Oo 'ot ad, ite?"

"Swallow, please."

Naruto swallowed. "You got mad, right?"

Iruka scratched the scar across his nose. "Uh, yes."

"Aren't you going to apologize? You always make me do it."

He hesitated. He didn't dare tell Naruto that Kakashi had already blown off one attempt. "I will, next time I see him," he compromised. Not quite a lie, but enough to keep Naruto from going ballistic at Kakashi.

Naruto nodded and dipped his fish in sauce. "Dog-boy says he's part demon."

"His name is Kiba. And Hatake-sensei isn't part demon."

"Dog-boy says that his great-great-great- -- okay, I can't remember how many greats, but a lot -- anyway, his lots-of-greats grandfather was a daitengu. He says that Kakashi-sensei's dad used to turn into a hawk and fly around and stuff."

"Hatake-sensei's father used to train birds. And his name is Kiba, Naruto."

"How do you know?"

"Because I taught him, that's why. You should remember your own friend's name!"

"No, not Dog-boy! Kakashi-sensei's dad!"

"Oh, sorry. Hatake-sensei told me."

"I thought he didn't like you."

Iruka rolled his eyes and started to gather his empty plates to take to the sink. "We didn't fight the whole time. We talked, too."

"Mmm." Naruto swallowed this time, suddenly sober. "Iruka?"

When Naruto used his name like that, it meant he was worried. Iruka ran water over the dishes, careful to act normally. "Hmm?"

"Are you okay with me learning this chakra stuff?"

"Of course!" Iruka turned and stared, forgetting to play it cool. "Have I said or done something to make you think that I'm not?"

Naruto shrugged and looked unhappy. "Kakashi-sensei said to keep it secret. He said you'd freak out if you knew what I was learning."

"Is he teaching you--" how did you ask your little brother if his sensei was teaching him how to kill? "--skills that make you feel uncomfortable?"

"No. But it's weird stuff, like how to walk on water and up tree trunks, or how to pop from one place to another without walking or anything, or how to make people not see you when they look at you. Stuff like ninja do in manga."

He could see that Naruto, for all his act of indifference, was watching from the corner of his eye. Iruka chose his words carefully. "Hatake-sensei knows how to do things that nobody else does," he said quietly. "You're receiving his training because you can do some of those things, too, and you need to learn how to do them responsibly. You should be proud of your gifts, Naruto."

"Really?"

Iruka wiped his hands on his jeans, then bent and cupped the back of Naruto's head, pulling him close enough to bump foreheads. "Really. I couldn't be prouder of you."

Naruto flushed, looking both shy and happy. "Thanks, nii-chan." He hugged him tight. "I'll kick Kakashi-sensei's ass the next time he says you'll freak."

Iruka laughed. "Sounds good. And Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure he remembers it."

Naruto's grin outshone any of Gai's.

<><><><><>

Iruka stretched and wished he could take off his shirt like the boys in training were doing. The heat was more than oppressive; he felt wiped out. At least the dojo records are all nearly up to date.

The air in the courtyard barely stirred. He looked for the kite, but didn't see it in the tree, nor was it flying overhead.

"I hear you're the reason that Naruto has sworn to kick my ass."

Startled, Iruka spun around. "Kakash-- Hatake-sensei!"

Kakashi was leaning in the doorway to the main training area, arms crossed. "Do you often stand in the middle of the yard and stare at the sky, sensei?"

"Uh, no." Iruka chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "I was just looking for a bird I've seen around. Sandaime-sama says it's rare to see them here, so I've been watching for it."

"What kind of a bird?"

"A white kite. It's beautiful. It reminds me--" of you, he just managed to keep from blurting. "Of the mountain. That's where I first saw one."

"I never took you for a wildlife fanatic."

"I'm not! It's just--" Iruka balled his fists. Why was he watching what he said? It was best just to be honest and not back down. "It's just beautiful to watch. It reminds me of you."

A startled look crossed Kakashi's face; a moment later his expression went cold. "You certainly have a streak going," he said. "First a demon, now an animal."

"You're only hearing what you want to hear," Iruka replied. "I also said its beauty reminded me of you."

"Sweet talk, sensei? I didn't think you were that desperate to be laid."

Iruka stalked across the courtyard and grabbed Kakashi by the neck of his t-shirt. "Look, have all the fun you want pissing me off," he said, his voice low, "but do not talk about me in sexual terms in front of children. Got it?"

He might have imagined the reluctant respect in Kakashi's eyes. "You like making rules, don't you?" Kakashi drawled, knocking Iruka's hand away. He looked at Iruka with mocking eyes. "I'm not one for playing by them, though." He gave a small sardonic bow before returning inside.

"I'm not playing, either," Iruka muttered, watching him disappear.

It suddenly occurred to him: what if Kiba had been right? If Kakashi could do all of the things that Naruto talked about, could he perhaps turn into a bird, just like Kiba said his father had done?

He looked to the sky, and wondered.

<><><><><>

The kite landed in the tree outside of Iruka's bedroom just as Naruto got home.

"Nii-chan! Nii-chan!"

Iruka stopped watching the bird and braced himself as Naruto hurtled into the room, but Naruto didn't throw his arms around him like he often did. Instead, he stood beside Iruka's chair, the air around him nearly humming with excitement.

"Kakashi-sensei taught me a new jutsu! You've got to see it!" He grabbed Iruka's hand and pulled him from the chair as Iruka grinned and shook his head.

"Will it break anything?"

Naruto hesitated a second before dragging him toward the door. "I don't think so, but maybe we should do it outside."

Iruka laughed. "You don't think so! Is that supposed to reassure me?"

"You'll love it, it's so cool!"

"Okay, so what's this jutsu?" he asked when they reached the front yard. He ignored the feeling of the kite's eyes boring into his back, determined to be focused on Naruto. "Did he show you a new offensive move?"

"Yeah! Watch!" Naruto stared at his hand.

Iruka waited for him to show the move. When Naruto continued to stare at his hand, though, he teased, "Forgotten it already?"

"No! Wait!"

Iruka laughed. "I am wait-- Naruto!" Heart beginning to pound, he watched as Naruto's hand began to glow, wisps of -- something -- hovering over his palm.

"Wait! It gets better!" Naruto bit his lip and stared intensely. The wisps began to rotate.

Fear prickled across Iruka's skin. "Naruto, stop."

"It's okay! Look!" The wisps rotated faster and began to gather together.

"Naruto, I mean it. Stop!"

Naruto looked up, grinning, so happy it nearly broke Iruka's heart, but he had to make him stop because every instinct he possessed screamed the wisps were dangerous, they were silver hair and a red eye coupled with deadly grace and the intent to kill--

He stepped forward to bat the thing from Naruto's palm.

"Don't--!" Naruto yelled.

Pain exploded through him when he touched it, his screams mingling with the screams of the kite and Naruto's horrified cry. He fell to the ground clutching his hand, the pain nearly unbearable. His hand was raw and charred, and the pain, oh fucking damn, the pain--

"Don't move it!" A hand grabbed his wrist. "Don't try to move your fingers!" The hand on his wrist began to glow.

"I'll call an ambulance!"

"Tell them to get Tsunade!" But Naruto was already gone, because Naruto moved fast once he had a goal, and oh kami-sama it hurt and he was so dizzy and sleepy--

"Iruka!"

Iruka started and tried to see who had called him before he realized that it was the person holding his wrist. "Kakashi?" he whispered.

Kakashi knelt beside him, his face grim and both hands glowing. "Stay with me, Iruka. You're going into shock, so I need you to stay with me."

Sirens sounded in the background as Iruka struggled to keep his eyes open. The pain was fading, replaced by a curious numbness. "What happened?"

"You touched Naruto's rasengan," Kakashi said. He glowed brighter. "I told him not to use it unsupervised!"

"What's a ras--?" He lost his train of thought and his eyes closed. He was so tired.

Someone slapped his face and he reflexively raised a hand to block another blow, crying out at the fresh wave of pain.

"Stay with me, Iruka. And don't move that hand," Kakashi said.

"Kakashi?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Trying to save your hand."

"What's wrong with my hand?"

"Shh. You'll be fine," Kakashi whispered. "Just-- trust me, okay? Stay with me, Iruka."

"I trust you," Iruka whispered back, closing his eyes. "Just stupid, before."

"Iruka!"

He struggled to come to the surface, but something was pulling him down. "Can't," he tried to say.

"Iruka!"

Iruka smiled and put all of his effort into, "Kakashi," before the darkness slipped over him.

<><><><><>

Vague impressions of being moved, Naruto's frantic face, pain, pain, pain--

And underneath it all, the cool, unpanicked presence of Kakashi. Iruka clung to him, if not physically, at least emotionally, some instinct in him recognizing that he needed his presence and was determined to fight for it. Whenever consciousness stirred closer to the surface, he could hear Kakashi's deep voice commanding him to hang on, or demanding to see Dr Tsunade and swearing at anyone else who came close.

Iruka felt the prick of a needle, and then even Kakashi faded away.

He awoke to Dr Tsunade's fierce frown. While several interns poked and prodded him, she fired a series of questions at him, designed, it seemed, to prove either that he was a moron or that he hadn't had a stroke, he wasn't sure which.

He was unprepared for the real question when it came.

"Why didn't you tell me you'd just undergone chakra healing? Do you realize how dangerous it is when it's practiced by untrained brats who think they know everything?"

Iruka muttered, "You'd think I was crazy."

"Well, I wouldn't." Tsunade glared at him as he tried to focus on her face. "You're lucky that I've studied alternative medicine."

"My hand--?" Iruka tried to lift it, but it seemed impossibly heavy.

"--will be fine," Tsunade replied, her expression softening a bit. "The brat knew enough to leave that particular injury to me."

Iruka tried to make sense of the conversation, which he seemed to be having an extraordinarily difficult time following. "Wait. You know about chakra?"

She crossed her arms. "Shut it and stop thinking. You need to rest. The kid's rasengan screwed up your whole chakra system. I needed to re-route nearly everything until I got that hand fixed, and then I had to put it all back. Right now, I doubt if you know if you're coming or going. It's going to take a few days to recover."

He figured she was right about that. "Kakashi?"

Her eyes softened for a moment. "The brat's not here anymore. I sent him away."

"Could you tell him thank you for me?"

"Tell him yourself. I'm a doctor, not a message service."

The door crashed open. "Iruka!" A moment later, Naruto was draped over Iruka, hugging him desperately, although more gently than normal. "You're awake!"

"He needs to sleep," Tsunade said, grabbing the back of Naruto's shirt. "Come on, get out."

"Let him stay for a minute," Iruka said.

"Just a minute!" Naruto agreed. "Then I'll let him sleep."

Tsunade huffed and shook her head, but she released Naruto. "I'll check in on you later," she said to Iruka with a glare. "If you're not asleep, I'm doping your ass until you are."

"She's scary," Naruto whispered when she left the room.

Iruka smiled. "I think so, too."

Naruto buried his face in Iruka's chest. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know," Iruka said softly, stroking Naruto's head with his uninjured hand. "Take it as a lesson, and don't beat yourself up over it, okay?"

Naruto lifted his head, tears brilliant in his eyes. "I'm so sorry!"

"Shh," Iruka whispered, pulling him back down to his chest. "Don't cry. I forgive you."

"Kakashi-sensei was really pissed. He hasn't been back to the dojo since he yelled at me."

"He'll get over it." I hope. "Maybe next time you should listen to him, though."

Naruto's head moved in what Iruka took to be an affirmative nod. "But what if he doesn't come back?"

"Then we'll find you a new teacher." He continued to stroke Naruto's hair. "We're not going to abandon you."

"Are you really going to get better?"

There were times when Naruto seemed much younger than his twelve years. "Yes. I'm going to be fine. Tsunade-sensei said so." He tried to stifle a yawn.

"You're tired," Naruto immediately said, straightening, though he left his hand on Iruka's arm. "I'll come back later."

"I'd like that. You can keep me from being bored. Sort of like being grounded, but in a hospital."

Naruto grinned and wiped his arm across his eyes. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Iruka watched as Naruto left, giving him a small wave when Naruto paused in the doorway to look back at him.

As soon as the door closed, however, he stopped smiling and closed his eyes.

He hoped Kakashi hadn't disappeared again.

<><><><><>

It seemed to take forever for Iruka to regain his strength, and cabin fever set in quickly. He even welcomed Gai's visits.

Sometimes.

"If you've Done Something Wrong, then apologize."

"It's more complicated than that," Iruka patiently explained again.

"Are there different ways of saying 'I'm sorry'?" Gai looked at him sternly. "The longer you Let It Go, the more it will Fester."

Iruka wanted to get off the topic. "You're right, Gai-sempai. Thank you for your insight. I'd lost sight of what was truly important." He smiled at Gai, who winked back.

"We all do from time to time, even myself," Gai said. He struck a 'good-guy' pose. "Myself less than others, of course."

Iruka laughed. "Of course."

But he thought of Kakashi's voice anchoring him, and really wanted to believe that Gai might be right.

<><><><><>

Sandaime drifted in one evening smoking his pipe, despite all of the signs that proclaimed the hospital a 'no smoking' area. He carried a bag of grapes for Iruka.

After politely greeting Sandaime, Iruka got right to the point. "I hear that Kakashi is gone."

Sandaime nodded. "Naruto learned quite a few things from him in the short time he was his teacher. Gai has picked up the reins again quite ably."

Iruka winced, remembering Naruto's very loud and vocal opinion about having Gai as his sensei again. "Er, Sandaime-sama?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think Kakashi is gone for good?"

"It's hard to say." Sandaime placed his pipe on the bedside table with serene disregard for several items that were labeled 'Danger. Do Not Expose to Open Flames or Other Heat Sources.'

"I worry about him," Iruka admitted.

"He's been taking care of himself since he was seven."

Seven. No wonder he was the way he was. "What happened to his parents?"

"His mother died in childbirth. His father committed suicide seven years later."

Iruka couldn't believe it. How much worse could Kakashi's childhood have been? "Why?"

Sandaime sighed. "He wasn't needed any more. Times were changing. He wasn't strong enough to adapt."

The selfish bastard. "I can't imagine Kakashi's life."

"Few can. Still, there are many things in this world than no one could ever imagine," Sandaime said.

"Like chakra-using assassins who kill by the age of five and get sealed in rocks for twenty years?"

"Or like a troubled child who lost both parents at an early age and remained selfless enough to raise another troubled child who had lost everything." Sandaime fixed Iruka with a shrewd look. "Kakashi's world is coming to a close. Naruto is the only person in the world who may have the power and ability to learn his techniques. Otherwise they'll be lost when Kakashi dies."

"Maybe that's not a bad thing," Iruka said.

"But it's his only reason for living," Sandaime pointed out. "His sect has always emphasized that their work is necessary because they have something precious to protect. He has no one."

"Children need to be protected," Iruka argued. "He could become some sort of security person or bodyguard if he wanted."

"Simply being a child doesn't make a life precious, Iruka. What makes anyone precious are the bonds that we build through relationships. Only then can we truly cherish another human being."

"And Kakashi has no one." Iruka stared at his cast without seeing it.

"I don't think that's true."

Iruka looked up. He flushed under Sandaime's perceptive gaze. "I don't think he'll let me," he said, somewhat incoherently, but Sandaime nodded.

"I've never known you to back down from a challenge."

"Maybe if he came back, Naruto--"

"Who taught Naruto to care for others?" Sandaime's voice was gentle. "They both need you, Iruka."

And he was pretty sure he needed them. "But how do you teach someone to be human?"

"I have faith that you'll find a way," he replied complacently. "My, these grapes are very good. Do you mind if I take them with me?"

<><><><><>

Naruto dropped Iruka's bag to the floor and flopped onto the couch with an exaggerated sigh. "What did the hospital give you? Canon balls?"

"Gai-sensei brought a fruit basket," Iruka said. It was awkward maneuvering with his hand in a cast, but he was determined to ask Naruto for as little help as possible. "With melons."

"Heh, heh," Naruto snickered. "Melons."

"Shut it or I'm not letting you hang out with Kiba-kun any more," Iruka said mildly.

Naruto just grinned. "You thought it, too."

"Did not." Of course he had. But he didn't need Naruto to know that. "How is your training going with Gai-sensei?"

Naruto started rummaging through the bag and emerged with an apple. "Okay," he shrugged.

"Good." Iruka hesitated. "Um, would you be okay on your own for a few more days?"

A huge chunk of apple muffled Naruto's reply, but his glance was sharp. He swallowed when Iruka glared. "I said, 'where are you going?'"

"I need some time--"

"You're going to find Kakashi baka-sensei, aren't you?" Naruto paused, what was left of the apple in his hand. "Is there something between you two?"

Iruka cursed as a familiar flush coursed over his skin. "If there was, would you be okay with it?"

He was both pleased and alarmed to see that Naruto was giving the question serious thought. "He's a jerk," he finally said, throwing the apple core in the general direction of the trash can and miraculously making the shot. "But he's pretty cool, too."

"Does it bother you," Iruka took a deep breath, "that we're both, uh, guys?"

Naruto shook his head, then looked at Iruka with suspicion writ across his face. "You're not going to tell me about it, are you?"

"Good god, no!" Iruka blurted.

Naruto shrugged again. "Then I'm okay with it. Just don't get mushy around me or anything."

"You're such a brat." Iruka ruffled Naruto's hair. "I don't know how long I'll be gone."

"Leave me plenty of money for ramen, then." Naruto grinned. "And kick Kakashi baka-sensei's ass good, okay?"

"You've got it."

<><><><><>

Iruka hadn't seen the kite since he'd come back from the hospital, although there were times he could swear he felt it looking at him, or could hear its call from far away. He wasn't surprised it had kept out of sight, though.

Just like he wasn't surprised when it reappeared above him as he approached the wayside shrine.

He put his pack down and tried to walk up to the main complex, but as before, he kept getting led around in circles. After a couple of attempts, he gave up and began to set up his camp.

The kite swooped lower.

"I've been excused from teaching for a few weeks," Iruka said, sorting the parts of his tent. "My hand still isn't up to fine motor movement, but it should be okay by next semester, Tsunade-sensei says."

He imagined he could feel the breeze from the kite's powerful wings waft across the back of his neck.

"It's colder here in the mountains, even in late summer like this," he continued, tying ropes to the corners of the nylon shell with some difficulty. "I won't be able to make the hike once fall sets in and it gets really cold at night. I think we need to get this resolved before then."

The kite settled into a tree.

Iruka tugged at a tent rope, pulling the frame into place. He tied off the rope and stood to face the kite. "This is ridiculous, you know. I wouldn't need to do this if you'd just let me in, and you wouldn't need to be out here eating raw mice just to keep me company."

The kite glared.

Iruka ignored the glare. "I'm not leaving this time, not until we've talked this through. Oh, and by the way, right now you've got the shrine's water supply hidden along with the rest of it. Could you maybe let me at least have access to that?"

The kite fluffed its plumage, then coasted to a tree deeper into the forest. Iruka followed and found a small spring a few feet away. "Thank you." He filled a couple of collapsible containers. "How about the bathroom and onsen?"

The bird flew off.

Iruka sighed. "I didn't think so."

<><><><><>

Night fell, and the forest rustled with the sounds of nocturnal creatures coming out of hiding. Iruka fervently hoped no wild boars were in the area.

He was considering how to rig up an alarm system around the site, just in case, when a dog trotted into the camp. It was the one he'd seen before, dressed in a blue bandana and a blue vest with a henohenomoheji on the back.

"Name's Pakkun," the dog said. "Any of that stew left?"

Iruka stared, eyes wide. "Um, sorry," he said after a moment, scratching the back of his head and smiling apologetically. "I've never spoken with a dog before. Please forgive my rudeness. And yes, I'll dish some out for you. Will a camp plate do?"

Pakkun grunted. "At least you remembered your manners. Most don't. Yeah, a camp plate's fine."

Iruka pulled the stew away from the fire and poured a generous helping on the plate. "It's hot."

Pakkun sat, waiting for his stew to cool. "The two of you are idiots, you know."

"Yes." Iruka sighed. "Does he hate me?"

"What will you do if I say 'yes'?"

Iruka looked into the fire. "Leave," he finally said.

"Then I should tell you yes." Pakkun muttered under his breath, but Iruka was pretty sure he caught the words, 'stubborn bastards'.

"But you didn't," Iruka pointed out.

"Bright one, aren't you?" Pakkun started eating his stew. "This is pretty good," he said, sounding disappointed.

"Thanks." Iruka sipped his tea while Pakkun ate. When he'd licked the plate clean, Iruka asked, "Why are you here?"

"Because you're too stupid to go home, and he's too stupid to let you in."

Iruka smiled. He had the distinct impression that Pakkun grumbled to hide the fact that he was devoted to Kakashi. "To protect me?"

"It's dangerous." Pakkun walked over to the tent and peered in. "Which side do you normally sleep on?"

"I sleep on my stomach."

"Doesn't let you get up very fast if we're attacked." Sighing, he went inside and Iruka could see him curling up at the end of the sleeping bag.

Iruka rinsed the teacup and plate and packed them away before putting them into his food cache and pulling on the rope until the cache was well above the reach of sharp teeth, hooves and claws. He crawled into the tent. "I don't think anyone can get up very fast when they're using a sleeping bag," he pointed out.

Pakkun grunted, his eyes heavy.

Iruka watched as Pakkun finally lost the battle against sleep and began to snore, and then smiled and closed his own eyes.

<><><><><>

"Did you know you and your family are famous in the village below?" he asked the forest after breakfast. "No, really. I visited the community center before I hiked up, and I found this pamphlet about the legends of the mountain. It said that there's a white-haired god that lives up here, one that has the power of lightning in one hand and healing in the other. There's also supposed to be a hidden shrine that's only visible during the thirteenth full moon of the year. And apparently, the god is well-known to be lewd and eccentric. Sounds like they got some inside information, doesn't it?"

He paused, but there was no response. He hadn't seen the kite since it had disappeared the day before. He sat down on his camp chair, elbows on his knees, and rubbed his face.

"Okay, enough of the teasing," he said, dropping his hands but staying slumped. "I really want to apologize for being such an ass. Sandaime-sama always tells me that my short temper is one of my greatest weaknesses, and he's right. I'm always screwing up because of it. I screwed up royally with you." He looked towards where he knew the shrine complex to be. "I know it's unfair of me to ask, but could you give me another chance?"

Kakashi stepped out from behind a tree, and Iruka leapt to his feet. "Kakashi!"

"Go away."

Iruka stood his ground. "I'm not leaving you."

With inhuman speed, Kakashi was in his face, gripping Iruka's collar so hard that Iruka started to choke. Both eyes were open, the strange pupils in the left rotating so fast that it looked as though he had a target in the middle of his eye. "You keep forgetting I'm a killer," he whispered.

The deadly intent in Kakashi's voice made Iruka shiver, but he refused to be intimidated. "You're not just a killer," Iruka gasped.

"I could kill you right now."

"You won't."

"You'd be dead before you know it. Maybe you're already dead. Maybe I've already hit a vital spot with a needle, barely a prick, and you're bleeding out internally."

"I'm not, and you haven't," Iruka replied.

Kakashi pressed at a spot on Iruka's neck, and Iruka's sight dimmed like it had the last time. He could feel his heart pounding, but he couldn't get enough air. His eyes began to close, though he struggled to keep them open.

"That's how I kill children," Kakashi whispered. "Painless. Fast."

"You're not-- going to-- kill me."

Kakashi's finger eased. "All these hands know how to do is to kill. That's all I would ever teach your precious brother."

Iruka shook his head as best he could. "You're teaching him skills to survive."

"Don't you get it?" Kakashi snapped. "I'm dangerous!"

"I can be dangerous, too!" Iruka snapped back. "Anybody can! Yes, you have special talents and training to kill, but pulling a trigger can accomplish the same thing!"

"What if I like killing?"

"Do you?" Iruka stared into Kakashi's mis-matched eyes.

With a curse, Kakashi let him go and turned away. "No."

Iruka stumbled back a step, and rubbed his throat. "But you're good at it."

"The best." The self-loathing in Kakashi's voice made Iruka's heart ache. "I have a talent for killing. My father was renowned for it. It's what we are."

"Look," Iruka said, "I know you haven't asked for my opinion, but I'm giving it to you, anyway. You have a gift, Kakashi. A rare and amazing gift. It's not the talent that makes you a killer. It's the indoctrination of a system that isn't needed any more. You should be proud of your skills, not ashamed."

"As you pointed out, I'm not needed anymore," he replied.

"We're going to have to work on this communication thing." Iruka glared. "No, I didn't say you weren't needed anymore. I said that the system you grew up in isn't needed anymore. You're needed."

"What if I don't want to be?"

"Tough. You already are."

Kakashi turned back. His eyes looked dead.

"That's your problem."

He vanished.

<><><><><>

Iruka felt uneasy after Kakashi disappeared, but no matter how hard he searched, he still couldn't find the shrine complex. He yelled for Kakashi to let him in until he was hoarse, but there was no reply.

The day seemed to reflect the oppressive atmosphere. Summer re-asserted itself with a vengeance, and even under the shade of the trees, Iruka stripped down to his jeans and pulled his hair into a high ponytail, seriously contemplating stripping down to his pants.

Still, the hair at the back of Iruka's neck prickled. He shivered, despite the heat.

By sunset, even the occasional breeze had died away. The forest was silent, and Iruka caught himself holding his breath and listening for something, anything more than once. But even the insect sounds were missing.

Time dragged. He waited, sleepless.

Pakkun never came.

<><><><><>

Iruka was abruptly awakened from a troubled doze an hour or so before dawn.

Pakkun tugged at his jeans. "Hurry!"

Shrugging on a shirt, Iruka ran after him. The path to the shrine appeared before him, and this time he ran past half-remembered landmarks, down the broad avenue leading to the shrine complex.

"This way!" Pakkun ran past the living quarters and headed directly to the haiden, Iruka close on his heels. They rounded the corner of the building, and Iruka gasped at what he saw.

Kakashi was standing naked in front of the main shrine, bathed in white light, chanting and rapidly moving his hands through a series of signs. A rope draped with paper glowed at his feet.

Realization hit Iruka. "No!"

The chanting faltered and Kakashi's hands wavered, but he recovered immediately and continued. Iruka could see the light grow brighter, and could feel the build-up of electricity in the air around him. He ran faster than he had ever run before, but it wasn't enough, he wasn't going to make it--

"Damn you!" he shouted. "Wait for me!"

And then he was there, and Kakashi's skin was cool under his hands, and the bright light pressed against him and stole his breath, and he pressed his cheek to Kakashi's chest and clung hard to him.

He wondered if being sealed would hurt.

The chanting stopped, the light so impossibly bright that Iruka could see it through eyelids screwed shut. Kakashi went still, though Iruka could feel him trembling.

Then the light imploded, and Iruka screamed.

<><><><><>

Every muscle in his body ached.

Iruka rolled to his side, groaned, and then compounded his woes by vomiting his meager dinner on the ground in front of him. He pushed away from it.

Someone pulled his hair from his face. "Finished?"

He nodded and forced himself to sit up.

Kakashi was still naked, on one knee in front of him, his hand still outstretched to cup Iruka's cheek. "That's disgusting," he said. "Can you walk?"

Iruka nodded again and climbed to his feet, stumbling away from the smell of sickness, Kakashi's arm securely around his waist, supporting him.

"Is this some kind of alternate universe?" he asked.

Kakashi paused and started shaking. He dropped his arm and Iruka promptly sank to his knees, unable to stand and worried that Kakashi was suffering tremors in the aftermath of the sealing.

And then Kakashi burst out laughing.

He laughed until he fell to the ground next to Iruka, doubled-over, tears running down his face, and still the laughter didn't stop. Iruka's irritation grew until he finally growled and punched him.

"What's so damned funny?"

"Alternate univ--!" He was laughing so hard he couldn't finish.

Iruka swore and raised his fist to punch him again when his sleeve caught on something. He looked down to see Pakkun with his jaws firmly clamped into the cloth.

"Pakkun?"

Pakkun released him and sat. "He's laughing because the seal failed."

Iruka blinked and finally looked at his surroundings. The familiar buildings of the shrine complex surrounded him, dawn just beginning to limn the tiles and gilt. A tengu leered down at him from a waterspout.

"It didn't work?"

Kakashi wiped the tears from his face and flopped on his back, spread-eagled. He didn't stop grinning. "Yep. Utterly failed."

"Thank kami-sama," Iruka breathed. "I was afraid you knew what you were doing."

Kakashi burst into another round of laughter, though this one quickly subsided to chuckles.

"I did know what I was doing!"

"How?"

He tapped his left eyelid. "I remembered what Sarutobi did."

"But that was twenty years ago!"

"Not to me." He took a deep breath and let it out, his chuckles slowly fading. "Not that twenty years would matter one way or another."

"Then why--?"

"Because some idiot grabbed me before I could finish!"

Hope sprang up in Iruka's heart, and he quickly straddled Kakashi on his knees. "I would have gone, too."

Kakashi blew Iruka's hair out of his face, his expression a strange mixture of annoyance and affection. "I know."

"I love you."

"I know."

Iruka stared down at him. "Why?"

Kakashi looked away, although he remained sprawled under Iruka. "Because--" He turned back and met Iruka's eyes, all traces of laughter gone. "You're stronger than I am."

"Uh." Iruka frowned. "What?"

"I don't want to be a killer," Kakashi whispered. "But I'm not strong enough to change on my own."

"You can cut the melodrama. It's just me," Iruka said. "I shouldn't have to point out that you're not the same person your father was. You're strong enough. But if you want me, I'll be there to help."

"I want you," Kakashi said, smiling and touching Iruka's cheek.

"Then you have me." Iruka lowered himself to lie on top of Kakashi, and kissed him, desperate to claim both love and possession of this deadly, broken man.

The kisses rapidly escalated to arousal. Kakashi's hands fumbled at the fastenings to Iruka's jeans. Iruka stood and stripped as fast as he could before kneeling over Kakashi again.

The feel of Kakashi's hard cock pressed into the crease of his ass made him groan. "Let me ride you," he whispered.

Kakashi's eyes went black with arousal. Iruka smiled.

He spat into his hand and reached behind himself. Hoping the spit would be enough, he lowered himself onto Kakashi's cock.

This time burned much more than the previous. By the time Iruka's balls rested on Kakashi's groin, he felt split in two. Kakashi's cock seemed to be buried twice as deeply as before.

Kakashi trembled underneath him. "Damn it!"

"Easy now." Iruka began to rock, experimenting with the angle of his hips. A spark deep inside signaled his success. "Yes," he hissed, and began moving in earnest.

Light grew slowly as they strained together, grinding into each other with gasps and soundless hums of approval. Iruka reached for his cock, but Kakashi pushed his hand away and grasped it, pumping him in a relentless, hard rhythm that Iruka matched with his hips.

He exploded, arcs of come glistening in stripes that landed high up Kakashi's chest. They looked like strings of pearls. Iruka bent forward to lick them, rocking his hips until he felt Kakashi stiffen in turn, and the warm flood of his release within him.

Iruka liked feeling Kakashi inside him. He didn't pull away, content to let Kakashi's cock slip out on its own when it softened enough. He gave Kakashi a chaste kiss. "It's dawn," he whispered.

Kakashi shook his head. "No, it's not. It's you."

"Hmm?" Iruka looked down, and realized that the glow was radiating from both of them, the same warm, calm glow he'd seen the first time he'd met Kakashi. "I don't--"

"You do." Kakashi drew him down until his full weight rested on him. "I felt it inside the stone. I found you, even when you were buried, your chakra burned so bright."

Iruka searched Kakashi's face. "You're making that up."

"Am not. You've got a chunk of chakra in you."

"Yeah," Iruka said, smiling. "I guess I do."

A wicked look crossed Kakashi's face. "So, are you a tengu?"

Iruka nipped Kakashi's lower lip.

"You better believe it," he whispered, and kissed him.

<><><fin><><>

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