For the KakaIru Fest Comm

Construct (by samsarapine)

Though he never let his guard fully down until he was on board and knew everyone was safe, Kakashi relaxed as the Hidden Leaf shimmered into view and they received the familiar coded 'all clear' to dock.

The same relief was reflected in Gai's face. "Our Noble Vessel is as glorious as ever!"

Kakashi had to agree with him. Hidden Leaf was a gem of engineering, cool and powerful with her camouflage pattern of forest greens, the nearby planet's light reflecting off the golden whirl of her bridge insignia. Between his cracked ribs and Gai's probable concussion, they needed some time to rest after their mission. She'd keep them safe.

Docking went smoothly, and Kakashi felt the familiar thrill of the Hidden Leaf's masking mechanism hum through the ship as she faded from sight once again. "Tsunade's going to want to take a look at that head blow and make sure you didn't leak any more of your brains into the cosmos. You've lost too many already."

Gai scoffed. "My mind is as Youthful and Sharp as ever, my Eternal Rival! Our Esteemed Physician will undoubtedly want to put your Decrepit and Abused body back together first."

Kakashi shook his head. "Not until I've had a shower, a shave, and about a week's sleep." He released the hatch shield and shut down the power. "Not necessarily in that order, either."

"I, too, look forward to Rest and Relaxation," Gai admitted as they exited the ship.

"Now I know Tsunade had better look at your head," Kakashi said. "I thought you'd be kicking your students out of bed and leading them a few thousand laps around the ship--" he frowned as a cadet burst into the docking bay.

"Sirs! Sirs! The Hokage wants to see you in his office, right away!" The cadet skidded to a halt, eyes wide. "Whoa! You got beat up, didn't you?"

"We Prevailed in the face of--!"

Kakashi cut Gai off. "Yeah, we got beat up. When you say 'right away,' you mean a week from now, when we wake up, right?"

"No, it's the 'now' kind of right away, like when you drink a lot and you've gotta--"

He held his hand up to stop the cadet's babble. "We get it," Kakashi sighed. "Tell him we're on our way."

~oOo~

Kakashi slouched next to Gai, mildly impressed by Gai's ability to stand at attention when he was probably ready to fall face-forward to the transparent aluminum floor. Kakashi didn't bother to mask how tired he was. His beard itched like hell, his uniform was torn, and he had space burns in places where space burns had no business being. Luckily, his holomask disguised most of his exhaustion.

Sandaime, on the other hand, looked cool and serene in his flowing white robes. He sat behind his desk, the open stretch of stars visible in the panel behind him making him look deceptively small. He examined them, his eyes shrewd, and puffed his pipe.

"The civilian government of Weeping Moon is holding water contract negotiations with the Gaman government. The Gamans are our allies. You'll be the primary security for the negotiations."

It took Kakashi a moment to understand why that meant he and Gai had to come straight from the hangar after returning home. "You expect Mist, don't you?"

Sandaime nodded. "Negotiations will take place at a secured complex in Konohagakure, Weeping Moon's capitol. The delegates and their entourage will be housed there as well. The complex is quite large, but we've been assured that all guests except the delegates will be transferred to other entertainment complexes on the moon."

Glancing at Gai and meeting his gaze, Kakashi shrugged a shoulder.

Gai barely nodded before he turned back to the Hokage. "We'll need help."

"And a lot of it." Kakashi tried to remember what he could about Weeping Moon. "The government is supplying the back up security? Local security hasn't done any good in the past when someone's been targeted by Mist."

Gai struck his 'good guy' pose, the 'ping' from his gleaming teeth a bit subdued, probably due to exhaustion, Kakashi thought. "We'll Thwart Mist's efforts to Sabotage the negotiations and Harm Innocents."

Kakashi had his doubts. They'd just come off of a difficult mission, and both of them desperately needed rest and some medical attention. They were hardly at their best, and Mist was dangerous. They'd have to be at the top of their form if they wanted to take him on. "What's Weeping Moon's security like, anyway?"

"They rely on Constructs," Sandaime replied.

Damn. "More neutral than hiring beings from any given world," Kakashi conceded. "But they won't be effective against Mist. Constructs can't be programmed to kill sentient life."

Sandaime hmmed in agreement. "Which is why the government has contracted with us. It will be a difficult assignment." He smiled. "I promised to send them my best operatives."

Gai beamed, but Kakashi saw through the praise. "We'll need to be, if Constructs are all we have for back up. I hate working with them. Are they protected on Weeping Moon, or are they treated like any other machine?"

"Constructs are Bio-Mechanicals, not machines!"

Ignoring Gai's outraged correction, Kakashi pressed on. "If they get in our way, can we neutralize them?"

"Only if non-Construct lives are at stake," Sandaime said. "The Weeping Moon people are protective of their Constructs. They rely heavily on them to provide services to the tourist trade. I was informed by their Head of Security that they have a special cadre of security Constructs, which will be at your disposal."

Although Kakashi wasn't happy about the possibility of legal entanglements if he had to destroy a few Constructs while protecting the negotiation team, the assignment could have its perks. "I hear Weeping Moon has some pretty good entertainment. Do we get access to the entire complex?" he asked, keeping his tone casual.

Sandaime's voice was dry. "Yes. You will be responsible for securing all parts of the complex."

Kakashi saw Gai send him a stern look from the corner of his eye. "We'll remain Youthfully Professional the entire time we're on Weeping Moon, Hokage-sama."

"You'll find the relevant files are available to you via secured channels. Dismissed."

"Not too excited about this one," Kakashi murmured to Gai as they left Sandaime's office. "Unless we get some time off." If he remembered correctly, there was an infamous adult entertainment complex called Icha Icha in Kohonogakure. Maybe that was where the meeting would take place. He fantasized about ditching Gai so he could spend a little time exploring.

"This will be a Tough Assignment," Gai replied in what passed for sotto voce for him. "We're not going there for entertainment."

"Of course not," Kakashi said, feeling a little more awake than he had when he'd entered the Hokage's office. "So, how about we split up assignments? I'll research the entertainment complex layout and you do the geo-analysis, diplomacy and custom checks."

"Make sure you research the entire city and its environs, not just the entertainment complex," Gai said. He paused at a junction in the hall. "Until later, my Eternal Rival." He dashed away.

"That's not the way to the Medical Bay!" Kakashi called after him.

One of Gai's standard "I'm fine, full of Youth and Vigor!" reassurances floated back to him as Gai headed towards the research sector.

"Too many head injuries," Kakashi sighed, and went to look for a hot shower and a razor.

~oOo~

"Weeping Moon is the only water-rich world in this sector of the Quintant. Its resources are a Vital Necessity for the ships that pass through the region."

Kakashi hmmed in response to Gai, his mind otherwise occupied. Weeping Moon had looked green and blue from space, lovely and full of life, hovering just above its turbulent gas-giant planet. Now that they were landing, he could see the full magnitude of the forests and swamps that surrounded Konohagakure. Mist could be anywhere, which meant that their job had graduated from 'unlikely' to 'impossible.' He angled the ship toward the Konohagakure spaceport, built high on a mountainside. At the foot of the mountain, he could see the concentric circles of the city spread across the valley towards the thick green jungle beyond.

"Its gravity is 1.2 Earth norms."

"Mmm." Even after several hours' sleep, a medtech's attentions and a good shave, as well as the satisfaction of confirming that the ancient book he'd picked up two missions back was porn, not erotica, Kakashi didn't share Gai's upbeat mood.

"That means we'll feel heavier," Gai said. "I've arranged a Revised Personal Training Schedule for us to build up Strength and Fortitude."

"Mmm." They'd left the Hidden Leaf two hours before, and the whole time Gai had been spouting mission facts, starting with the players and ending with the setting, when all Kakashi really wanted was a quiet corner and time with his book before he had to be on mission alert. He cut the thrusters and landed the ship with a gentle bump.

"There are nearly six thousand settlements on the moon, but the majority of the world is still unpopulated," Gai continued as they exited the ship. "The flora and fauna of the planet have proven to be somewhat hostile."

"That's an understatement," Kakashi murmured. He'd seen images of some of Weeping Moon's fauna, huge reptiles and amphibians that could eat a man in one gulp.

"There are two sunsets every day, and no true night. Ambient light is reflected back from the planet's surface below."

"Romantic."

"The moon's heavier atmosphere insulates the world and maintains tropical temperatures and humidity year around."

"You should be a tour guide." He watched as two Constructs approached them. "Give me the rest of the brief later, okay?"

Gai nodded as the two Constructs stopped in front of them. "Kakashi-sama and Gai-sama, from the Hidden Leaf?" the taller of the two asked. Kakashi nodded. "Please, follow us. We'll escort you to the Security office. Temari-sama is waiting for you."

Kakashi fell behind Gai as they were led to the edge of the mountain, where a transparent shaft housed an elevator platform that gave them a stunning panorama of Konohagakure and the valley in which the city lay. Waterfalls poured over the edges of the cliffs around them as the car descended, multiple rainbows arcing through the mist, while thick foliage clung to the side of the mountain and dripped with spray. The deep blue of the sky was dominated by Weeping Moons' two distant suns and the orange-gold arc and swirling storms of the huge planet below them.

Kakashi started the interrogation he and Gai routinely did at the beginning of their assignments. "Is this the only route to the spaceport?"

The Construct that had spoken before, a tall female human model with deep brown skin and warm black eyes, shook its head. "This is the public route for those who are heading directly to the Icha Icha entertainment complex. There is a private elevator within the mountain located at the heart of the government offices, as well as several shuttle companies that provide transport to and from various neighborhoods in the city."

That checked with Kakashi's research. "The mountain is fairly sheer, isn't it?"

"Yes. It's proven to be a sufficient barrier even for the swamp snakes that live in the undeveloped areas on the opposite flank of the mountain."

Kakashi examined the cliffs they were passing. Nothing a good operative couldn't handle. Mist would likely have the skills to scale them, too, if he chose to enter Konohagakure secretly. But they'd hardly give him a quick escape route. "Are there other places nearby that could be used by a ship for landing and taking off?"

"A few, but they're difficult to reach. They're only accessible by foot, and the trails are quite steep. There's cleared land on the valley floor outside of the city, mainly agricultural. Residents often use the fields for local landings and take-offs. But they're not allowed to leave their ships there unattended for any length of time."

"But anyone with a ship outside of the city would have to pass the Barrier to either enter or exit, correct?" Gai said. He nodded to Kakashi, and took over the questioning while Kakashi turned his head away from the others and touched the left side of his holomask.

The mask opened slightly, exposing the Sharingan. The world flattened to energy signatures and thermal readings, altimeters, distance, and the always-disconcerting deconstruction of materials to their subatomic levels. Every measurement was recorded instantly in Kakashi's mind, the pain so routine he barely noticed any longer. When the elevator reached the ground, he touched his mask again. The Sharingan opening closed, and he turned back to the others.

"Pretty ride," he said cheerfully. He followed the others out of the lift.

The main atrium of Icha Icha was huge, light and cool, nestled under a transparent dome that framed the rising and setting of the twin suns. Restaurants and casinos lined the edges, while the center was dominated by what looked to be a natural rock formation surrounding a small lake. Kakashi saw steam rising from one shallow area, full of soaking bathers, while beaches lined the opposite shore. People swam and sunbathed, and a few adventurous souls seemed to be trying to ride some kind of immense -- and apparently live -- muzzled turtle floating in the water.

"People go naked around here, I see," he commented casually.

Gai gave him a stern look.

There were more Constructs than people, Kakashi noted as they continued through the complex. The majority were human in appearance, tall and slim, skin shades varying from cream to deep ebony. Their unnatural beauty was aesthetically pleasing, yet disturbing in its perfection. Kakashi ignored his aversion to the machines and examined them closely, but only saw attentive courtesy in their actions. It must have cost the complex a fortune to commission them.

Gai must have had the same thought. "Are there this many Constructs in the rest of Konohagakure?"

The male Construct shook its head. "Just in Icha Icha and the agriculture sectors. Constructs were brought to the moon when it was first settled, and have continued to be quite useful. Each visitor to Icha Icha is assigned a personal Construct for the time that they are our guest."

"Everyone?" Gai sounded impressed.

But Kakashi felt a chill. "With so many, how do you ensure programming security?"

"Temari-sama will explain," the Construct said.

They rode another elevator, this one enclosed, before they were shown into a spacious, warmly-lit office. Their escorts bowed and left, closing the door behind them.

Temari turned out to be a short, blond woman with an athletic build, shrewd green eyes and an air of pragmatism. She stepped out from behind a desk made of a massive cross-section of a tree, marbled and polished like stone, and held out her hand.

"Welcome to Weeping Moon. I'm Temari, Head of Security for Konohagakure."

Kakashi held back, examining the office while Gai shook Temari's hand and took care of the formalities.

The ceiling vaulted over them like open sky in the desert, bright and hot with lights, the golden wood of the floor littered with rough carpets of the same shade, giving the impression of wind-scoured rocks and grass. Stone shelves emerged from honey-colored walls that Kakashi realized were carved from the mountainside. But as impressive as the room was, it paled next to the view.

Behind the desk, the outer wall was clear. Kakashi could see Konohagakure and its valley through the mist of a falls and overgrown greenery, trickles of water flowing down the wall's outer surface. He suspected it was hidden from view from anyone outside unless they were hovering directly in front of it. Below, all roadways in and out of the city were visible, as well as the bright glow from the Barrier beyond.

Highly defensible. Kakashi approved.

"Your reputation precedes you, Copy Nin," Temari said. "As well as Hidden Leaf's Blue Beast."

Kakashi turned back to her and frowned, noting Gai's heightened awareness, too. They'd been sent into traps before. "We don't maintain a very high profile."

"You do among the Hidden-people."

"It's rumored that Temari-sama is the sister of the kage of the Hidden Sand." Gai's voice was neutral.

Now that was a surprise. "On a water world?"

Temari shrugged. "We have an excellent environmental system in the complex. I'm comfortable."

"Still, it's --" Kakashi discarded 'strange' and settled for "-- unusual for a member of a Hidden-people ship to take a job planet-side. Especially for a high-ranking operative."

"This world has a number of advantages for Hidden Sand."

That was an understatement. With access to this amount of water, Hidden Sand could expand its contracts to both legitimate and black market customers. "I'm surprised you contracted with Hidden Leaf for security, then."

"As I said, your reputation precedes you." Temari motioned for them to sit in the chairs in front of the desk and took her chair behind it again.

Kakashi and Gai remained standing. "Perhaps you preferred to keep your operatives safe from Mist," Kakashi said conversationally.

Temari narrowed her eyes. "We've received reports that he's on the moon," she said, not bothering to contradict him. "With your help, though, we can prepare for him. Since I arrived here two years ago, I've been teaching the security Constructs some of our skills. We're going to need every advantage we can create to take out Mist."

"Hidden-people techniques?" Even Gai sounded alarmed.

"And weapons," she replied. She displayed no guilt, even though she'd broken one of the Hidden-people's most sacred laws.

"Those secrets have been guarded for millennia," Kakashi said grimly.

"And they still are." Temari was young, much shorter than Kakashi, but she projected authority and power. Gai had said that she was the sister of the Hidden Sand's kage, and looking at her, Kakashi could believe it. "Only a select few have been trained, and their programming prohibits them from passing the information on to others. They're no different from any of us who've taken pledges to our Hidden ships. Weeping Moon security Constructs are unique."

"How unique?"

She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.

"We need to know more." Kakashi didn't let his guard down. Temari was hiding something. "Hidden Leaf is responsible for protecting the negotiations. We need all of the facts. We're fully prepared to return to our ship and let you handle Mist on your own if you aren't up front with us."

Temari didn't look intimidated. "Hidden-people aren't the only ones with secrets," she said. "Planet-dwellers have them, too. You see what we face here. Weeping Moon is an entertainment world, with no military. We're neutral, but we can't be seen as weak. Not with the visitors we serve."

"So you've trained your service Constructs in Hidden-people techniques."

She tilted her head. "Only the elite Constructs. I've also taught them a range of techniques from other specialized defense-based cultures."

"We were told you'd explain how you keep your Constructs free from tampering."

"I conduct random daily systems checks on them."

"Via recharges?"

She gave him a contemptuous look. "That would hardly be random, would it?"

"We'll need you to do the checks twice a day from now until the Gaman delegates leave. We'll also need access to your findings."

Temari nodded. She pressed a button on her chair. "I think this would be a good time to meet your assigned Constructs."

"Assigned Constructs?" Kakashi remained facing Temari, while Gai whirled to face the opening door.

"All visitors to Weeping Moon have a personal Construct. That includes you."

"Two Constructs, one male and one female," Gai said quietly. "They move well."

"They won't harm you," Temari said. She gave no sign of deception, so Kakashi hand-signaled to Gai to allow the Constructs to pass. They went to either side of the desk and turned to flank Temari.

"The male is Genma. He's assigned to you, Kakashi-san. The female is Anko, and will work with you, Gai-san."

"I'm honored, Kakashi-san." Genma bowed his head respectfully, with lazy grace.

"Heya, Gai," Anko said brightly, grinning.

Both Constructs looked and acted like competent human operatives, if unnaturally beautiful ones. But they would, if that's what their programmers wanted them to do. Kakashi wondered how easy it would be to shake the Genma Construct. He needed to ditch it somewhere so it wouldn't get in the way.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Miss Anko," Gai said.

Kakashi barely kept from rolling his eyes. Trust Gai to treat machines like people. "We'll need to test their range of skills," he said. "I'm not carrying deadweight mechanical baggage around."

Genma smiled and relaxed his respectful pose. "Ready when you are."

"Can I kick the big one's ass?" Anko asked. Her grin turned wicked.

Temari gave her a reproving glance, but spoke to Kakashi and Gai. "We have several others who are as talented as Genma and Anko, but these two rank highest in creative adaptability in training simulations."

Kakashi grunted, but Gai looked intrigued. "What Youthful skills! I look forward to the Challenge!" he said.

"Why assign your best ones to us?" Kakashi asked. "Aren't you going to save them for the delegates' security?"

"We have other equally skilled Constructs for the delegates. Their abilities differ, so matches can be individualized according to each delegate's needs. You're welcome to judge for yourselves and offer suggestions, although I have final say over which ones are assigned to each delegate." Temari frowned. "I think you'll find the security models are an asset, Copy Nin."

Kakashi gave her a false smile. "Have they been enhanced in other ways?"

"I'm not sure I know what you mean."

"You've taught them forbidden techniques. Are they constructed differently than your other service Constructs, too?"

Temari met his eyes calmly. "It's illegal to modify the Construct design."

So. They had. "Do you think one of your elite Constructs could ever go rogue?"

She seemed genuinely surprised. "They're programmed to be very loyal."

"That doesn't answer my question."

Temari made an impatient gesture and abruptly stood. She stared through the transparent wall behind her desk, frowning.

The water that slid down outside cast flickering shadows across Temari's face. Kakashi glanced at Gai, and they waited patiently, seeing she was giving his question serious thought.

"I don't know of any that have," she finally said.

"Does the potential exist?"

Temari nodded slightly, then shook her head. "I can think of only one Construct that has that potential," she said, "and I trust him completely."

Another one who projected ethno-anthropologic character on the machines, but while Gai didn't surprise him, Kakashi was distrustful of Temari's motives. "Him?"

She turned sharply and met his gaze. "I don't hold with referring to Constructs as objects," she said in a low, angry voice. "They have names, and personalities. I've seen them die fighting for the people they're assigned to protect. I'm damned if I'm going to dishonor those sacrifices."

'Die,' even though Constructs were machines that could be rebuilt. A real leader would regard them as replaceable supplies. He'd have to watch her. It would be disastrous if she allowed her feelings for Constructs to endanger real people. Still, the Hokage would be disappointed in him if he entered into an argument with a client. Kakashi bowed his head in acknowledgment. "No offense meant."

She regarded him for a moment. "I'll bet. Let's get back to business, shall we? Icha Icha is being cleared out as we speak. Konohagakure representatives have officially given the reason as a breakdown of the complex's environmental systems. The guests are all being transferred to other facilities on Weeping Moon. We'll be able to do full security sweeps and begin locking down unsecured areas within an hour."

"Impressive, Temari-sama," Gai said.

"Though it would have been nice if that had already been done," Kakashi murmured.

Temari ignored him. "Just don't order my Constructs to do anything that would throw away their lives needlessly," she replied. "I want you to take down Mist, keep the delegates safe, and return my Constructs to me as damage-free as possible." She pushed the button on her chair and Kakashi heard the doors behind him open. "You have full freedom of the complex and any outside facilities or locations that you think you'll need. I'm ready to give you any resources that you request. You can either contact me directly, or give Anko or Genma the information and they'll make the appropriate arrangements. I expect you to report to me at first dawn and second sunset, or immediately if you make any changes to security arrangements. Are we agreed?"

Kakashi shrugged. He'd let Gai take care of all of that.

Gai struck 'Good Guy' pose number four. "We'll Protect and Defend your negotiations with all of our Vigor and Enthusiasm!" He whirled and gave Kakashi two thumbs up before striding toward the door.

Kakashi didn't miss Temari's wince as he turned to follow Gai, followed by the two Constructs.

~oOo~

The complex was situated close to the government offices, which seemed to be entirely housed within the mountain. Icha Icha had been carved partially into the cliff, its secure rooms protected by solid stone and its public areas open, with sliding walls and unexpected gardens, some made of rocks and gravel, others of lush vegetation and moss-lined rivulets. It looked like it was already empty, or close to it. They saw no one as they walked.

"This is nearly impossible to defend," Kakashi said.

Gai grunted in agreement, but Genma replied, "The complex is constructed so that the security is hidden. We want our guests to feel free to roam at will. In reality, all floors, walls, and ceilings are lined with a sensory mesh, which feeds into security nodes and redundant centralized security enclaves. All service Constructs in Konohagakure are programmed with the specific frequency of the guests that they're assigned to, and use the sensory system to keep track of them. Security has all of the assigned frequencies, so we know who is where, all the time, without the need for obvious trackers for each guest or our sentient locals."

"Frequencies?" Gai asked.

Genma nodded. "The tones are outside of any sentient species' range of hearing. To us, the floors sing, the walls murmur and the ceilings echo-locate. Each entrance tolls when even the smallest breath of wind passes it."

Poetic. But poetry didn't save lives. "It's one thing to know the location of potential combatants and innocents," Kakashi said. "It's an entirely different thing to defend multiple locations at once."

"You don't give us much credit, do you, Whitey?" Anko walked backwards in front of them, hands in its pockets and danger leaking from every outlet. "We've got a lot of big predators out there. If the city wasn't defensible, we'd be reptile kibble. Genma didn't tell you that the entire city up to the Barrier is monitored, and staffed by Constructs around the clock with overlapping security zones. And if you aren't too idiotic, you might have seen how the city is laid out, too, in a series of concentric gated walls, each with pretty impressive defensive systems, to keep enemies and animals from invading very far or fast. If, say, a swamp snake breaks through all of the walls, the entire population can retreat into the mountain, behind a mini-Barrier. Speaking of which, the Barrier runs around the entire city. Nothing can enter it without the proper clearance, unless whatever it is wants to get fried trying. Once they're in, we know who they are and where they are, all the time. You can't even take a piss in private around here."

Gai turned an interesting shade of red. "Aaah, that s-sounds quite thorough."

"Does it track Constructs, too?" Kakashi asked.

"Each of us has an identity chip, and all of our movements are recorded in the central security system," Genma said.

Kakashi assessed the male Construct. Tall, almost as tall as he was, light brown hair, shoulder length, pulled back with a deep blue cloth tied in front, spun finer than silk. Its clothing flowed in elegant drifts that belied the lazy way it carried itself. "So, you're here to serve me?"

"Yes," Genma replied.

Time for a couple of tests. Kakashi stepped into what would have been its personal space if the machine was sentient, and ran a hand down the Construct's arm. "So, what can I expect from you?"

"Ahem!" Gai said, turning brighter red. "Anko, could you please show me the security node set-up?"

Anko grinned, grabbed his arm and dragged him down the hall. As they disappeared around the corner, Kakashi heard Gai yelp. He sounded frantic.

"Sounds like Anko's getting frisky," Genma said.

"Gai can handle her." Kakashi stepped back and slouched against the wall. "You didn't answer my question."

Genma lifted its eyebrow. "Anything you want. Pleasure, pain, menial work, defense. The only things I can't do are kill a human or initiate offensive maneuvers without a direct order." It stared calmly at Kakashi, annoying as hell.

According to Gai, the Weeping Moon Constructs were programmed to act so human that it was difficult to tell they weren't. He figured he'd see if the Constructs were programmed to blush. "Can you orgasm?" he asked.

Genma's color remained constant. "If the client wants it."

"Good to know," Kakashi said. So, if embarrassment was programmed into it, sex wasn't a trigger. He tilted his head and tried rudeness. "Why are you staring? Didn't you get an etiquette program?"

"We're programmed to observe," Genma said. Its eyelids lowered; it looked relaxed and somewhat amused. "I've observed that you're not interested in aesthetics, and that you addressed Temari-sama directly, in a manner that I think was ruder than any I've used, by the way. So you prefer informality. Your posture is slouched and relaxed, but that's deceptive. You watch everything, and move like a predator. So I figured you'd prefer someone able to support that awareness, and disregard the unimportant." Its lips quirked into a smirk as it met Kakashi's gaze. "And it doesn't hurt that I downloaded your complete profile into my memory before we met."

No embarrassment reaction there, either. Kakashi examined it. "My complete profile?"

"You're carrying an antique book of pornography in your left pocket," it said. "You bought it two missions ago."

"And how many others have access to that information?"

Genma smiled. "I destroyed the file and its associated path once I downloaded it."

"We're going to get along fine," Kakashi said, and smiled back. Two tests down.

Maybe next time he'd try to make one of them angry. The Constructs were bound to have some kind of weaknesses. Kakashi wanted to identify what they were before they came back to bite him and Gai in the ass and get their clients killed.

~oOo~

Needing to waste some time before the complex closed and he could assess the security system first hand, Kakashi decided to put Genma through its paces. After a bath, a massage, and a light dinner, Kakashi conceded having a Construct wasn't so bad.

"Are they all like you?" he asked.

Genma shrugged and opened a small cupboard. "We've all got similar programming, but our personalities have developed over the years. Do you want any sake?"

"Yeah, sure." He held his sake cup as Genma poured. "Aren't you drinking?"

"And waste the alcohol?" Genma smiled.

"Hmm." Kakashi examined it. "You said your personalities developed, even though you're all basically machines. What parts of you are biological?"

Genma shrugged. "We have an organic nervous system, and while we don't have organs, our outer skin is natural, with a dermis layer and a rudimentary circulatory system to sustain it. But while I have biological senses, I don't experience what you do. I'm designed to eat and drink, but only to detect poisons in food and beverages. I can smell, but only to monitor the air for signs of danger. Or," it said, putting down the sake flask and smiling at Kakashi, "if you want to avoid someone wearing a certain scent, of course. I think our personalities formed through our contacts with the people we've served."

An organic nervous system. Was that enough to make the machines individuals? If so, was there the possibility that a Construct could have developed independent thinking? Was Kakashi going to have to look for Mist among Constructs as well as living beings?

The thought made his head ache.

"Can I get you anything else?"

"No. You can go." Kakashi watched as the Construct bowed and left the room. He wanted to do some reconnaissance on his own. If what Anko had said was true, he couldn't do it covertly, since the security Constructs would be tracking him along with everyone else. But he had abilities they wouldn't know about. Except for Genma, it appeared. He wondered how much it reported to Temari.

Slipping out of his room, he pressed the left side of his mask. The exposed Sharingan began to probe and memorize.

~oOo~

Icha Icha was laid out in concentric half-circles that echoed Konohagakure's city plan, with the secure meeting room at the heart of it, deep in the mountain, where the delegates could negotiate in complete privacy. Doorways were staggered from one area to another, so anyone traversing the inner areas of the complex had to pass through several sets of hallways before being able to enter or exit to the next level. It seemed to be designed to encourage visitors to linger in a variety of bars, restaurants, and other entertainment establishments. Kakashi doubted that most people would realize the security aspect of the layout.

The sensors glimmered like frosted webs, covering every surface of the corridors he traversed. Anko was right, it was a comprehensive system. But Mist had beaten impenetrable systems before, so Kakashi knew that he needed to find the weak spot, the crack in the door that Mist would slip through before leaving again, lifeless bodies in his wake.

It took Kakashi two hours to inspect the entire complex and commit it to the Sharingan's memory. Every air duct, every vent, every join in the structure reflected the care that the builders had taken to create an entirely monitored environment. When he next saw Gai, he'd find out what Gai had learned about the responses to security breaches, but as far as he could tell, no living being could hide within Konohagakure's walls and escape detection.

He went outside and began to examine the complex building's exterior. Again, he was impressed by the level of sophistication he saw in the complex's outer wall defenses. The Sharingan found arrays of sensors with overlapping zones, disguised as imperfections in the rustic wooden facade of the building, entirely invisible to Kakashi's natural eye. Expanding his search, he found the same web of internal security nets echoed in external ground nets covering the entire grounds, even the seemingly impenetrable thickets that separated the serene stone gardens from the rest of the city.

Head already throbbing from Sharingan overuse, he left the complex and worked his way along the main city street, determined to examine the Barrier before returning to his room to catch an hour or two of sleep. Gradually the city changed from businesses to residential areas, and finally to a series of parks. It looked like they were designed to buffer the city from the Barrier's bright light as well as to provide public recreation. The road wound past numerous small clearings with tables and benches and game facilities, all surrounded by tall trees and dense vegetation.

The Barrier glowed brightly in the Sharingan's sight, and the closer he got to it, the more the pain in his head blinded him. Whatever the government used for the Barrier, it seemed to be pure energy, enough to overload the Sharingan's abilities. He'd have to visually inspect it after first sunrise. Kakashi pressed his mask again, a wave of relief flooding him as the Sharingan shut down. He was about to turn back when a movement caught his eye.

A woman was walking near the Barrier, at a time of night when few people seemed to be outside. Kakashi considered that it might be an innocent assignation. But it might not. Suspicious, he faded into the shadows and began to follow her.

Whoever she was, she avoided the road and the paths that wound through the trees from clearing to clearing, instead passing silently through the undergrowth toward the Barrier.

Kakashi lost sight of her when she ducked into a deep thicket. He cautiously continued forward to see where she had gone.

As he passed through a small opening in some ferns, he smelled sulfur, and the air, already thick with humidity, became so saturated that drops condensed on his uniform and skin. A few more silent steps took him to the edge of a hidden hot spring where the woman stood, dressed in an elegant kimono, her long, dark hair tied into a loose knot at the nape of her neck.

Kakashi hid in the bushes and touched his mask. The Sharingan came back to life.

The thicket was dark enough that it wasn't overwhelmed by the nearby Barrier, so Kakashi could see details, although the woman's face was in shadow. She stood for a few moments, head bowed and hands pressed together in front of her in prayer, before finally taking a deep breath and relaxing her stance. She untied her obi and slipped the kimono silk off her shoulders; it pooled at her feet. She stepped into the water, sinking below the surface with an audible sigh of relief and leaning her head against a rock at the edge of the pool, her thick hair pillowing her head from the rough surface.

Except, she wasn't a she. In the moment before the person's torso had submerged, it had been very apparent that the individual was a human male.

Kakashi stared at the man. He was young and fit, his skin a caramel brown that seemed natural. His eyelids were lined with either kohl or a tattoo, black lines elongating already striking brown eyes. A long scar sliced across his nose from cheek to cheek, but somehow it enhanced his unusual beauty instead of detracting from it. He looked blissful as he sank deeper into the steaming water, tendrils of hair falling from the knot he'd tied it in to float in dark strands across the water's surface, or cling to his face.

Kakashi's cock stirred. The man was beautiful. Handsome. Whatever. He crouched lower and debated whether he should stay or do some more scouting. The man didn't appear to be a threat, but then again, he'd been in disguise. Libido aside, rational thought made a good argument for staying right where he was, he figured. He settled in to watch.

"Why don't you come in, too?"

Kakashi froze.

"Yes." The man opened his eyes and looked directly at Kakashi. "You. The one in the ferns."

Cautiously, Kakashi stood, rubbing the back of his neck and arching his eyes nearly closed in a smile, trying to look harmless as well as to hide the glow of the Sharingan. "Uh, I guess you caught me." He surreptitiously touched his mask and deactivated the Sharingan before opening his eyes.

"It's all right." The man moved over. "I don't mind sharing."

The man's voice seemed to be directly attached to Kakashi's cock; he shifted so his interest wouldn't be obvious. "I should get going."

"Suit yourself." The man closed his eyes again.

Kakashi had never wanted to stay more in his life, but logic told him that if this man was his prey, he certainly wasn't about to reveal anything now that he knew Kakashi was watching him. Besides, with the Sharingan's memory, Kakashi knew he'd recognize the man again, no matter how he was disguised. It was time to make a strategic retreat. "Sorry to intrude."

"It was no intrusion. Enjoy the rest of your night."

It took Kakashi nearly the entire walk back to his room for his erection to subside enough to stop chafing against his trousers. He lay on his bed, ate a satsuma, finished the sake, and wondered if the man's skin would smell of perfume or sweat.

oOo~

Gai put his hands on his hips, spread his legs and sucked in air at a rate that made Kakashi wonder if he'd explode.

"What a Glorious Day! It Overflows with Youth!"

Given that it was overcast, hot, and humid enough to steam buns, Kakashi wondered if Gai wasn't about to crack. "If you don't stop shouting, I'm going to ask Sandaime for a new partner." He ignored the trickles of sweat making his back itch. "Why don't you do the assessments, and I'll just catch up on my reading?"

"Ah ha ha!" Gai slapped Kakashi on the back, but Kakashi had been expecting it, and didn't budge. "Such Cool and Youthful Repartee! But it is time to Go Forward, My Eternal Rival! The Future Awaits!"

Kakashi sighed and tucked his book back into his pocket. "Have you thought about how we're going to assess Constructs?"

Gai's expression turned serious. "Anko informs me that the security Constructs are programmed to react like humans. If that's true, we should simply be able to read them like we would read any other being."

Kakashi snorted. "They're not humans. They're machines. I tried to get Genma to blush, get angry or laugh, and he didn't. We can't trust what they do." Constructs didn't have tells, no body language. A well-programmed Construct might be able to project skills that it didn't actually have, or to hide flaws, either of which could prove fatal to a real person in a battle.

"Temari-san will be there. Perhaps we can watch her reactions."

"Hmm." Kakashi thought about it. "Not a bad idea. Compare notes later?"

"You've got it!" Gai swung his hand to slap Kakashi's, but Kakashi ducked and left Gai stumbling. He grinned a little behind his mask. He'd let Gai put the Constructs through their paces. Maybe he'd get rid of some of his excess energy that way.

Temari was waiting for them in a large training room, with an impressive array of equipment and weaponry on display. About twenty Constructs were lined up behind her, waiting.

"You could stage a coup with all this," he greeted Temari.

She frowned. "Are you ready to begin?"

"Gai will be here in a minute." Kakashi studied the Constructs. There were both males and females, all tall, slim and human models. They appeared to be built solidly. He was interested to see how they'd fare against him and Gai.

Gai bounded into the room. "What a Youthful group! Everyone, do your Best!"

Then he smiled and cracked his knuckles.

~oOo~

Leaning on Temari's desk that afternoon, Kakashi finished, "...Genma with me, Anko with Gai. That leaves Raidou to be assigned to the head of the Gaman delegation."

Temari shook her head. "I've already got someone for him. But I agree with the rest of your assignments."

"Wait." Kakashi straightened. "What do you mean, 'I've already got someone for him'?"

"I'll make sure he coordinates with you," Temari said. She pointed at an entrance on the holographic map and it began to blink. "The delegates' route--"

Kakashi waved his hand and the map stopped blinking. "Before we talk about that, I need to know who you've assigned to the head Gaman delegate. Hidden Leaf has an alliance with them. I'm not going to betray them to satisfy your control issues."

She put her hands on her hips. "And I'm telling you, he'll coordinate with you. We've got time."

"Who is he?"

"You won't know him. He's been with Hidden Sand most of his life. The Gamans specifically requested him, in fact. I agreed. He's the best one for the job."

Kakashi frowned, but decided to let the issue ride for the moment. It sounded like she was bringing in an operative from Hidden Sand. If so, she was right, they had time, and another operative would be valuable with so many machines being relied on for vital tasks. Meanwhile, there was other work to be done. He waved at the map again and nodded. "Okay, I'll wait until later to hear all about your ace in the hole."

Temari traced a series of corridors. "We can get the delegates to this point by going through the restricted tunnels governmental staff people use, but that's as close as the tunnels will take us. So it's this stretch along here that's the most vulnerable. Once we're past this area, we reach this entrance, which is defensible and can be sealed, if necessary. From that point on, we can program the inner walls to shift and create a straight corridor to the meeting room. That will block access from all cross corridors until the delegates are past."

"About forty yards, then," Kakashi said. "Too far, too open, too much time without cover for the delegates, and enough cover along this stretch for Mist to hide in."

"That area is entirely covered with the security mesh. Mist couldn't possibly be there without our knowledge."

"I could," Kakashi said mildly. "There are blind spots here, here and here. Don't underestimate Mist. If I found them, he will, too."

Temari looked startled. "I'll get security on that immediately."

"It won't be enough. We could have webs covering every square inch of surface area, but from the intelligence we've gathered about Mist's hits, he's adept at long range as well as short range assassinations. He could be three rooms away, and if he taps into your security network, he'll know exactly who is where and will be able to take them out with a single tazlazer blast, right through the walls and anything in between." Kakashi shook his head. "We either have to find another route, or create a dead zone."

"An area without webbing?"

He nodded. "Ideally, several. We need to create multiple approaches that don't only look viable, but are actual routes that could be used, with cross routes that can be fortified. Once we've done that, we need to select one route, but build safety measures into it. Titanium walls, a tazlazer reflection array, hidden doors to safe rooms, armored ground vehicles in case it becomes a running fight. Anything that will give us options. The last thing we want is to be pinned down somewhere with no way out."

"We can't do all of that..." Temari frowned, chewing her bottom lip. "What if we create a couple of decoy groups? The delegates will be bringing their own security with them. The Gamans are an amphibious race, so we don't have anyone other than the people they bring with them who could realistically act as a decoy. Some of their security people could volunteer to work with us on that, maybe."

Kakashi nodded. "Not a bad idea. It's impossible to hide a Gaman, but decoys might work."

"We could reprogram the security web, too," Temari said. "Give false positives and negatives, so if anyone is monitoring it, we can misdirect them."

"What about Construct doubles for the human negotiators?"

Temari shook her head. "I don't like that. Someone could get hurt."

"Someone will get hurt, probably killed, unless we come up with some way to intercept Mist's hit," Kakashi said, irritated. "Constructs are machines. You can rebuild them. You can't rebuild humans or Gamans."

"My team is ready to do whatever it takes to keep the delegates safe," Temari snapped. "But I told you before, I'm not letting Construct lives be thrown away needlessly."

"They're not real."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Maybe not, but I know this." He leaned against the desk with crossed arms and gave her his laziest, most contemptuous look. "Three years ago, I took two operatives into a war zone. We were told to rescue a group of civilians that had been reported being trapped by crossfire. We infiltrated, identified the civilians' position and made a successful recovery, but got pinned down in a gunfight. A civilian tried to hide in inadequate cover, and one of my operatives lost her life by stepping in front of him to drag him to safety."

Temari continued to glare. "And I suppose the civilian was a Construct, and that's why you hate them now? Which is stupid, and a double standard besides. Do you hate sentient beings because you've lost operatives trying to save them?"

"No, I don't hate the living beings I've saved. And you're right," Kakashi said. "The one that would have been killed was a Construct. In fact, all of them were Constructs. We'd been sent in to recover machines by someone who thought of them as real people, like you do. I don't hate Constructs." He frowned. "I strongly dislike the humans who expect me to risk my life and the lives of my comrades for Constructs, though." He pushed off the desk and went to the door. "I'll be back later and we can continue planning."

"I'm still not putting the Constructs at unnecessary risk," Temari called after him, but her face was pale.

Kakashi paused in the doorway. "The operative I lost was thirteen. She liked puppies and playing pranks on other people. She was her parents' only child."

He left, closing the door softly behind him.

~oOo~

He knew he should be working, but Kakashi decided to take a break. Genma found him sitting in a tree, reading his porn.

"Kakashi-san," the Construct said in greeting. It leaned against the tree and looked up.

Kakashi grunted.

"There are things to do."

"You knew where to find me." He turned a page.

"What if there had been an emergency?"

"There wasn't. If there had been, like I said, you knew where to find me." Kakashi was at a great part of the book, but Genma was distracting. "Go away."

"Don't be too hard on Temari-sama," Genma said. "She was raised by Constructs. Her father was too busy being kage to make time for his children."

Kakashi grunted again.

"There's some entertainment that you might enjoy going on in the little theater." Genma grinned. "He's pretty spectacular. Very popular."

"You're not going to stop until I come down, are you?"

"I exist to serve."

"Oh, shut up." With a sigh, Kakashi memorized the page number he was on, shut his book, put it away, and dropped to the ground beside Genma. Genma grinned and began walking back to the entrance. Kakashi trailed after it.

"So what's so special about the entertainment?"

"He's a dancer."

Kakashi stopped in his tracks. "Not interested."

Genma turned and winked. "I promise you'll enjoy yourself. He's not your traditional type of dancer. He uses martial arts moves. Very athletic. Good body. Great show."

"You're programmed to be pretty filthy, aren't you?"

"For you, anything."

Kakashi shook his head, but ended up following Genma to the theater.

The room was packed. Genma wound through the restless crowd, leading Kakashi to a table where Temari, Gai and Anko sat. Kakashi sat on the edge of the table furthest from the others and kept his eyes on the crowd.

"Hail, my Eternal Rival!" Gai's bellow silenced a ring of people around them, and several of them moved away cautiously, as if Gai were an animal about to attack. Kakashi grabbed a couple of chairs that had been conveniently emptied by the exodus, and swung them over to the table. He and Genma sat just as the lights dimmed and music started to play.

"Temari assures me that this Entertainment will interest you," Gai said. "It's all about sex and incest."

"Really?" Kakashi turned his attention back to the music. "I'm trying to imagine the music as the background for a porn film."

"It may not appeal to your aesthetic, Kakashi-san," Genma murmured. "The film would probably be tasteful."

Kakashi snorted and looked at the Construct more closely. Humor was one of the hardest of human communications to master. The Constructs on this planet were surprising, even unsettling, much further advanced than those he'd seen on other worlds.

Gai elbowed him in the ribs, and Kakashi winced. "Be quiet and Enjoy," Gai whispered.

The darkness was pierced by a red spotlight that crept across the stage until it rested on a delicate, white foot. It paused there for a heartbeat, then slowly lengthened as it revealed a white kimono, the curve of a calf, the rise of a thigh and the slope of a waist. Kakashi was mesmerized despite himself, attracted to the woman lying on the stage yet disturbed by the red light that continued to pool around her body like blood.

The light finally touched her face.

"Hell--" he said, but his exclamation was drowned in the gasp of the crowd and applause.

It was the man he'd seen at the hot spring.

The man rose slowly, the red light never leaving his form. The light flashed white, and an elegant courtesan came to life in front of Kakashi's eyes. She reached toward the audience, entreating them, and the light flashed red again. The man stood there, no longer entreating, but threatening. He began to dance.

Kakashi stared at him. His grace was mesmerizing, but Kakashi was even more impressed by his fluid battle skills, the way he was woman and man and brother and sister and lover all at once, battling himself, defending himself, raping, loving, killing, dying, mourning. Kakashi struggled not to get caught up in the emotions portrayed on the stage, but he was swept away. He wanted to fight the man, to kiss him, to fuck him until he screamed, alternately loving and hating him as the story of the doomed love affair unfolded.

When it finished, the man lay naked on the stage, bathed in red light and curled protectively around his white kimono. Kakashi felt a wave of desire unlike any he'd ever felt.

The lights came up and wild applause erupted, startling him. He'd forgotten that he wasn't the only person in the room.

"What a Youthful tragedy!" Gai sobbed, clapping hard enough to crush rocks. "Encore! Encore!"

Everyone around him was standing, so Kakashi stood, too. The man uncurled and gracefully rose to his feet, bowing and unashamed of his nudity. Kakashi was close enough to see the sweat beading the man's face and the heave of his chest as he tried to catch his breath, the slight smearing of his makeup as he brushed his arm across his forehead, smiling and bowing.

He left the stage, and despite renewed applause and calls of 'encore,' he didn't return. People began to drift out of the room.

"Kakashi-san."

Kakashi started at Genma's touch, and found himself standing while the others at his table sat, staring at him in amusement.

He sat, paused a moment, and then pulled his book out of his pocket. "I doubt I'll need this tonight," he said, tossing it on the table.

Everyone laughed, drinks were ordered, and Gai rhapsodized loudly enough about the performance that conversations from the few remaining tables of people in the room were reduced to white background noise.

"I told you he's spectacular, isn't he?" Genma asked.

Kakashi didn't bother to downplay his interest. "I saw him last night, in the gardens. At the hot springs."

Genma nodded. "Sounds like him. I know he loves hot springs. He's pretty popular, works a lot of hours. He has a tendency to sneak out after his assignments retire in order to relax."

"Assignments?" The only ones that were assigned to others were… "You mean he -- it's -- a Construct?"

"Didn't you know?" Genma looked surprised. "I'm sorry, I thought Temari had probably mentioned him."

"She didn't." Kakashi frowned. Something about the Construct wasn't right. It took him a moment to realize what it was. He'd never seen an imperfect Construct before. "What's its name?"

"Oh, him?" Genma grinned, looking affectionate. "That's Iruka."

~oOo~

Kakashi hated official functions. The mingling, the small talk, the distractions from watching the flow of the crowd for aberrations that might indicate someone with a purpose contrary to those around him, all annoying as hell, and even more so because they were a frequent factor in his job. They were even worse when he'd drawn the short straw and had to report everything that happened to the Hokage, while Gai was behind the scenes, teaching Hidden-people battle sign language to the security Constructs. They'd all probably end up sticking their thumbs into the air and pinging their teeth. He hoped to hell Gai knew where to draw the line, but highly doubted it.

The reception held in honor of the Gamans proved to be no less annoying than others he'd attended in the past. Kakashi felt a stirring of interest, though, when he saw Iruka, elegant, smiling and chatting with rich patrons. Kakashi leaned against a wall and took out his porn book, to give him some cover so he could watch without being obvious.

The Gaman delegates were being treated like royalty, though Kakashi thought they looked a little ridiculous in the special cooling units that had been designed for them to offset Weeping Moon's heat. They ranged in size from very small to towering, and he'd heard that many Gamans were much larger. He vaguely remembered seeing a Gaman representative on the Hidden Leaf once, when the Hokage's former student, Jiraiya, had visited.

But like any member of the Hidden Leaf ship, he'd often been told about the Gamans' fierce nature and absolute loyalty. They'd been allies of the Hidden Leaf people longer than anyone could remember, and legend said they had fought by their sides in numerous wars, although Kakashi didn't know of any recent wars in which they'd fought together.

Weeping Moon representatives seemed to be well aware of the Gamans' reputation, too. They treated the delegates with respect and showered them with food, companions and attention. It was evident that they wanted a contract with the Gamans very much.

And in the middle of it all, the Construct, Iruka. It seemed to be held in high regard. It was dressed in a blue kimono with elaborate embroidery, branches of small pink flowers and birds that seemed to flutter as the Construct moved. Its deep chestnut hair swept up into a sculptured bun held in place by a single wide comb, with a golden branch and jeweled pink flowers skewered through the base. White powder glittered on its exposed skin, and its lips were painted to look like the small, red bow of a kiss. But its eyes were what disconcerted Kakashi the most. They were the same as he'd seen two nights before, outlined in kohl, warm and brown and frighteningly human. Iruka looked simultaneously refined and approachable, and seemed to be acting as the host, ensuring that the guests were taken care of and greeting new arrivals.

Genma appeared at Kakashi's side, balancing a tray with ease. "Drink?"

Kakashi shrugged and leaned toward Genma as it poured. "So, how does a guy go about hiring that Construct?"

"Aren't I good enough for you?" Genma's words were teasing.

Hearing a Construct speak in that manner made Kakashi's skin itchy. "It's pretty," Kakashi said dismissively. "Is it a full-service model?"

"We're all full-service on this moon," Genma replied. "He's just more full-service than the rest of us."

"What do you mean?"

"He's reserved for the most prestigious guests," Genma said. "He's not just a pleasure model. His companionship mode is pretty sophisticated. He's even great with kids."

"Sounds like the perfect mate," Kakashi said.

"You wouldn't say that if you saw him malfunction," Genma said. It sounded amused. "Someone programmed his algorithms a little screwy. He's got a hell of a temper when his safety protocols short out."

Kakashi sipped his drink, staring at Iruka, which had a wide smile on its face as it spoke with a guest. "You can't program emotions."

Genma laughed. "Things are a little different, here."

"Mmm." Another thing to check with Gai. "So if I act like I'm prestigious, is that Iruka Construct for hire or not?"

"Not." Genma motioned, and Kakashi held out his glass to be refilled. "Visiting royalty and top government officials only."

"Why?"

"He's the best." Genma smiled. "He's got top-of-the-line offensive and defensive programming, more social programming than the highest-ranked diplomat could ever remember, and his organizational skills are incredible."

"That's just programming. What makes it special?"

"He's just… nice. People forget he's a Construct."

Kakashi thought Genma sounded almost wistful.

Something was incredibly wrong. No artificial lifeform should feel envy. He was definitely following up on Temari's modification of Weeping Moon's security Constructs. Because Genma's words confirmed Kakashi's worst fears.

Weeping Moon was the type of place where a Mist could possibly be Constructed, and nothing would seem out of place.

"Damn," he whispered under his breath. As if it weren't hard enough trying to find Mist among the living, now he'd have to consider Constructs as well. He started when Genma touched his arm.

"You're staring at him. Would you like me to introduce you?"

"Yes." Kakashi wanted to formally meet a Construct that could make people forget it was a machine. He put his book away. "Let's go."

Genma led him over to the small knot of people surrounding Iruka. It tapped Iruka's arm and whispered something to it; Iruka looked at Kakashi, then turned back to the other guests and took its leave of them before turning back. It held out its hand.

"I'm honored to meet you, Hatake-san. You're famous throughout the Quintant."

Kakashi took Iruka's hand, not sure if he should shake it or kiss it, given how Iruka dressed and acted. He settled for shaking it, interested to find it warm and dry, the skin pliable over what honestly felt like muscle and bone. "I saw your performance. You dance very well."

"Thank you." Iruka smiled. "I enjoy the music very much."

"That's surprising, given that you're a Construct," Kakashi said, dropping its hand. "I didn't think you were capable of enjoyment."

Iruka blinked, and Kakashi swore it looked taken aback. Then it smiled. "I might not experience enjoyment in the same manner as you do," Iruka said. "But that doesn't mean that I don't feel pleasure."

"Don't bother to make small talk with me." Kakashi smiled his fake smile. "You're just repeating your programming. Are you aware of the security situation here?"

"Yes." Iruka now looked annoyed. "I'm one of the Constructs responsible for security in this complex."

Kakashi made a disparaging sound.

"You'll find we're very good at our job," Iruka snapped. "We might not be as elite as you and Maito-san are, but we've never lost a client."

Another disturbing anomaly. The Construct seemed to have a sense of pride. Kakashi leaned close and murmured, "You've never gone up against Mist."

"We're not supposed to speak of that in public," Iruka whispered back angrily. "You might not like it, but small talk is safest here." It pulled away from Kakashi and its features assumed a pleasant, not-quite-smiling expression. "You read books."

"I like the feel of paper," Kakashi drawled, startled. The Construct had obviously seen him earlier, and had taken note. He would have to be careful if he wanted to keep anything hidden from Iruka.

"And an object to hide behind," Iruka replied smoothly. "Both literally and figuratively, I suspect. Pornography offers an intriguing shield."

Kakashi felt a shiver run down his spine. This Construct understood psychology. "Well, the pictures are nice, too," he replied, keeping his voice light.

Iruka smiled. "On ancient Earth, there was a culture that believed that warriors should carry pornographic illustrations as a lucky charm against death."

That last remark was a bit too close to the bone for Kakashi's comfort. "I have no intention of dying," he said. "I just like porn."

"Is that why you cover your face?"

"That question implies that you think I might feel shame."

Iruka seemed poised to retort, but it paused before it spoke. Kakashi watched expressions cross the Construct's face, fascinated. Iruka looked almost human, until its face smoothed and the familiar serene calm that Kakashi associated with Constructs showed. "I apologize, Hatake-san," it said after a moment, bowing low. "I have no right to imply judgment."

Kakashi nodded once in acknowledgment, still watching Iruka. For the first time in his experience, he thought he was witnessing a Construct lie. Which shouldn't be possible, since they were programmed to tell the truth.

Was this part of the 'defect' that Genma had referred to? Was there something wrong in Iruka's programming that made it capable of acting unnervingly human?

"A Construct that dances," Kakashi said. He watched as Iruka searched his face for a brief instant, its reserve slipping for a heartbeat before its expression went blank again.

"One should endeavor to improve oneself, always," Iruka replied, its voice respectful.

"'One' is a machine."

"A bio-construct," Iruka corrected.

"Same difference."

Iruka bowed, its hands hidden in its sleeves. "If you say so, Kakashi-san."

The warning in Kakashi's gut solidified into certainty. Enhanced or not, this Construct was more than it appeared. He glanced at Iruka's sleeves, wondering how many weapons were hidden on its body. Or built into its body, more probably. The perfect assassin.

His suspicions flared, though he was careful to hide them from Iruka. The first chance he got, Kakashi planned to account for every movement of the Construct's journeys and map times and places against Mist's hits. If there was a correlation...

Well, then there was the possibility that he finally knew what Mist looked like.

Suddenly, he was looking forward to his report to the Hokage once the party was over.

~oOo~

"Janken pon!"

"Paper beats rock."

"Again!"

"We agreed. And you always throw rock, so the outcome wouldn't be any different, anyway."

Gai sighed like a gale. "I wanted to see the wildlife."

"Everything is big and has long, pointy, bitey teeth." Kakashi was just glad that he'd won the Janken match, because the thought of doing the mind-numbing detail work associated with working with the security Constructs to strategically re-program the webbing was worse than having to go to the damned reception the night before. "You're not missing anything."

"What did the Hokage say last night?"

"He was interested in the Constructs." Namely, Kakashi's theory about the possibility that Mist was a Construct named Iruka. Not that Sandaime had indicated whether or not he agreed with Kakashi. In fact, all he had said was, 'Iruka. Unusual name.' "Gai, when you're programming today, make sure that you don't screen out Constructs."

Gai gave him a considering look. "You think Mist is connected to the Constructs?"

Kakashi decided to take a chance. "What are your impressions of the Constructs on Weeping Moon?"

"They're different," Gai said, clearly reluctant. "But Kakashi, Constructs can't kill humans."

"Constructs can't make jokes. Constructs can't express art through dance. Constructs can't sweat."

Gai was silent.

"I'll make sure," he finally said, meeting Kakashi's eyes.

~oOo~

"You're Temari's ace in the hole?" Kakashi stared.

Iruka calmly continued don light armor. "If you mean that I'm assigned to the head Gaman delegate, yes, I'm Fukasaku-sama's Construct," it said.

"Do you know anything about combat?"

The Construct stopped pulling on a glove and glared at Kakashi. "Enough."

"I haven't seen you fight."

"With luck, you'll never need to." Iruka continued to pull on its glove with fierce concentration.

"You hunt in girls' clothes?" Kakashi didn't want to admit to himself how sexy he found Iruka's outfit: silver leggings under a supple light-armor tunic that was split up all the way to Iruka's groin on either side, the embroidered collar framing its face, while its hair was tied in a high ponytail at the back of its head and swept down nearly to its ass, where it was tied again with a silver ribbon. Strangely, the combat boots Iruka wore didn't detract at all from the look. Kakashi was glad that his uniform was loose-fitting.

"I prefer this clothing." Iruka slung a huge, notched sword over its shoulder. It was longer than its body. "And we're not hunting, we're escorting Fukasaku-sama's survey crew."

"You're carrying enough for a small war." Kakashi put his lightning gloves on and checked their charge. Full. Good.

"I carry what I need," Iruka retorted. It slung a tazlazer belt around its waist. "Watch for snakes. They can get pretty big around here. And if you climb a rise and it moves, get off quick."

"Moving land masses?" That hadn't turned up in his briefs, he was pretty sure, and Gai was back at the base, so no informational announcements.

"Turtles." Iruka did a quick weapons check and looked satisfied. "They're carnivorous, and they have a taste for warm blood."

Kakashi remembered the muzzle and the size of the turtle he'd seen when he'd entered Icha Icha for the first time. "So that was why he wanted to see the wildlife," Kakashi said. "Gai likes turtles."

"It's unfortunate that he wasn't today's Hidden Leaf escort, then," Iruka said pleasantly. Before Kakashi could retort, Iruka walked over to the Gaman delegates. "Fukasaku-sama, are the environmental packs comfortable?"

Fukasaku was a small toad, with a white goatee, mohawk, and bushy white eyebrows. His normally serious demeanor seemed to relax when he addressed the Construct. "Yes, Iruka. We're quite comfortable. Thank you for your consideration."

"What are we looking for today?" Kakashi asked.

Fukasaku's wife, Shima, a motherly-looking toad, answered. "Nurseries."

Kakashi blinked. "Of course."

"Gama is a highly populated world," Iruka said. "Water is plentiful, but since it's constantly recycled most of it's too sterile to contain the proper nutrients for Gaman eggs and tadpoles. The Gamans have scouted several locations nearby, and have found several that seem promising."

"Promising?" Kakashi asked. The Gamans must be desperate for places to raise their young, if they were considering Weeping Moon. The uninhabited areas seemed way too hostile for nurseries. He turned to Fukasaku. "You want to raise young Gamans here?"

"Weeping Moon's water has natural nutrients that are compatible with Gaman embryonic needs, rich enough to provide nourishment for our young without artificial supplements," Fukasaku replied. "We've identified several potential locations with underwater rock formations that may provide a platform for defensive structures against the wildlife, while connected with ground firm enough to support a small armed medical facility and spaceport landing site. I need to examine each location personally, to see if it corresponds to the Great Toad Sage's predictions."

"The Great Toad Sage has spoken at length with my husband and me," Shima said. "We can only proceed with negotiations if a location meets his prophesies."

"So you're looking for a prophesied nursery." There was a first for everything, Kakashi supposed.

"Many nurseries, if all goes well," Fukasaku replied. "Gamabunta, are we ready to begin?"

"Yes, Fukasaku-sama." The towering Gaman lowered his head and waited while Iruka lifted Fukasaku and Shima into place, and then the small expedition passed through the Barrier and into the cleared and drained farmland that separated the city from the jungle.

Once past the fields, the contrast was startling. For all of the overabundance of water and greenery in the inhabited parts of Konohagakure, Kakashi was a bit startled to step past farmland and immediately find himself in a jungle swamp. The heat was stifling, and the narrow path beneath their feet seeped moisture wherever they stepped. Moss covered every surface. Kakashi signaled to the party to stay close together, while Genma used the heat-scanner to sweep the area around and in front of them for hidden dangers.

"That won't detect the reptiles and amphibians," Iruka murmured to Kakashi. "They'll be ambient temperature."

"I'm more concerned about Mist," Kakashi replied quietly. "We won't be able to spot an assassin in this undergrowth."

"I think he's more likely to attack in the city," Iruka said. "He can get off the moon more quickly from there."

Looking around, Kakashi thought Iruka could be right. Even for an operative from Hidden Leaf, the terrain was almost too thick and treacherous to navigate through. They could be passing armies of Mists, and neither party might ever detect the other.

Unless Mist were traveling with them, of course. "Temari told me you've been with Hidden Sand most of your life."

Iruka glanced at him, a look of surprise on its face, but answered readily enough. "My first memories are of Hidden Sand."

"You've probably traveled around the Quintant quite a bit, then."

"Yes." Iruka frowned and stopped; the Gamans stopped immediately.

For a moment, Kakashi wondered whether Iruka had just led them into a trap. "What is it?" Genma asked, but by then, Kakashi had heard what Iruka had.

"Back!" he commanded, springing forward, Iruka by his side. "Genma--"

"On it," Genma said. It placed himself between the Gamans and Kakashi and pulled out its tazlazer rifle, releasing the gun's safety. A low whine sounded as it charged; the gun's barrel glowed.

Something was coming at them from ahead. Kakashi murmured, "Chidori." His gloves began to crackle as the charge built. Beside him, Iruka swung the huge sword from its back and held it at the ready.

A huge, triangular head pushed through the underbrush. A snake, one that dwarfed any that Kakashi had ever seen, its head as long and wide as Kakashi was tall. It stopped, watching them.

"Boasaur," Iruka murmured. "Carnivorous. If it's just eaten within the last month or so, we're fine. It should pass us by. It's too shaded here, it will be looking for sun."

"Too dangerous. Let's take it out."

"No!" Iruka threw an arm across Kakashi's chest. "Not unless it attacks. We don't need a carcass attracting other predators. We're returning by this route, too."

Every instinct Kakashi possessed urged him to ignore Iruka and burn a hole through the snake's skull, but the Construct's argument was valid. Tensely, he waited.

The snake raised its head and its tongue flickered. Then it turned away and kept crawling through the bushes, away from them.

"There," Iruka pointed. A large bulge was apparent not far down the snake's body. "It's not hunting. It's already eaten."

It took nearly a minute for the animal to slither past. Kakashi estimated its body had to have been at least fifty feet long.

"Are those electricity based?"

Kakashi glanced over at Iruka. He was looking at Kakashi's gloves. "Release," Kakashi murmured, and the charge dissipated. "Yes."

"Do you think it's wise to use them in a swamp?"

"Do you think it's wise to use a sword instead of a tazlazer rifle on a giant snake?"

"I'm better with a sword."

"I rest my case." Kakashi turned back to the delegates. "Stand down--"

"No!" Iruka shouted.

But Kakashi was already being crushed to the ground by something huge, wet and cold. It dragged over him, burying him deep in the soggy ground; he felt his bones creaking and the breath forced out of his lungs. The enormous pressure lifted, and he was dimly aware of shouts and tazlazer whines, and the sound of roaring, but he couldn't move, couldn't breathe, and he was buried and dying...

Something grabbed the back of his uniform and yanked him up out of the mud. "Don't be dead," he heard someone say, and then he was gasping for air and Genma was above him, looking grim and saying, "I've got to help Iruka," before disappearing again.

Cursing, Kakashi pushed himself to his hands and knees, then staggered to his feet. He touched the left side of his mask, choked "Chidori," then stumbled forward toward the battle, the chirping whine of his gloves building as he ran.

The Sharingan took everything in at a glance. One delegate was down -- Kakashi thought it was Gamakichi, one of the younger guards -- and the rest scattered, fighting what looked like a huge crocodile, so big it dwarfed Gamabunta and made the snake they'd just seen look like a kitten. Iruka was between the monster and the rest of the party, swinging the huge sword in arcs that seemed to be keeping the crocodile from advancing further after its prey, while Gamabunta protected Iruka's flank, shooting focused gouts of flame at the reptile's eyes. Genma stood with the delegates, his tazlazer rifle up and charged, obviously ready to defend them if the crocodile got past Iruka and Gamabunta. The crocodile's deep roars reverberated through Kakashi's bones.

It knocked Iruka aside and lunged at Gamabunta. The swamp rang with the impact of the meeting.

Kakashi slammed into the massive body, his chidori blazing white hot as he punctured the thick, armored hide. His hands sunk deep into the animal's side, but while the damage was severe, it was plain to him that the injury wasn't enough to slow the animal, much less stop it. He yanked his arms out of the animal, dodged its thrashing tail, and leapt onto its back, recharging his gloves while grimly holding on. The Sharingan probed the animal's hide, looking for weak spots, but Kakashi could see none.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw movement and heard Iruka shout, "Look out!" The crocodile was getting past them; they had to stop it now or they would all be dead. Kakashi cursed and ran up the creature's back, trying to reach its head. He slipped and nearly fell off its back, but managed to pull himself up and plunge his chidori down at the juncture of the head and neck, desperately trying to sever the animal's spine. The chidori barely scratched the surface of the armor.

Kakashi knelt on the animal's neck, one arm hooked over an armored plate to avoid being thrown again. His chidori was recharging, but not fast enough. As he held on and watched, Gamabunta was thrown to the side, and he could feel the animal underneath him gather itself to rush forward toward the unprotected delegates.

Throwing caution to the winds, Kakashi let go and ran up the back of the crocodile's head toward its nearest eye. Iruka was running toward them, one of the delegate's environmental packs in his hands. The crocodile roared and lunged. Iruka threw the pack at it at the same moment that Kakashi jammed his chidori into the creature's eye. He had a glimpse of Iruka falling to the ground and drawing a tazlazer, and then he was falling, thrown from the animal's head. He landed hard on his back, staring up at the crocodile, which had turned toward him, its roars deafening, gore running down the side of its face and a ruined eye socket still smoking from the heat of Kakashi's chidori. The environmental pack was jammed in its jaws.

"Take cover!" Iruka shouted, and fired.

The environmental pack exploded and the crocodile fell to the ground, unmoving, half of its head gone. Kakashi covered his head as bits of flesh rained down. For a few heartbeats, nobody moved.

Then Iruka stumbled to his feet and turned around in a circle, searching. "Is everyone all right?"

Kakashi stood and swayed. "Fine," he said, touching his mask. The Sharingan hidden again, he started toward the delegates.

"Not fine," Iruka said quietly as he joined him. "But it looks like you'll live for the moment."

"We're fine," Fukasaku said, helping Shima to her feet. "That was a truly spectacular battle. Thank you both. You saved our lives."

"All in a day's work," Kakashi said. "What about Gamakichi?"

"Yo," Gamakichi said. "Fine. Just had the breath knocked out of me." He rubbed his head. "That thing moved fast."

"They're ambush hunters," Iruka said. "I'm sorry I destroyed your enviro-pack."

Gamakichi waved it off as Gamabunta limped up to the group. "I'll be fine. It's not bad in the jungle, just when we're in the suns too long."

"I'll have them bring another unit out," Iruka said. "If you're truly fine, Gamakichi-san, we can pick it up on our way back. But if you're at all inconvenienced--"

"That'll work for me," Gamakichi said. He looked at Fukasaku. "Would you like to keep going, Fukasaku-sama?"

Fukasaku nodded. "It's important that we continue our search."

"What was that trick with the environmental pack?" Kakashi asked Iruka as the party gathered up its scattered belongings.

"They've got ammonium nitrate in them, to help keep the Gamans cool," Iruka said. "I wasn't sure if I could make it explode, but I figured it might at least give the thing a good case of brain freeze if it bit into it."

"Endothermic reaction." Kakashi looked at Iruka with reluctant respect. "Good thinking."

Iruka shrugged. It walked over to where its sword lay in the mud, and picked it up. "It's what I'm here to do. I'm not sure it would have worked, actually, except you distracted that monster at the perfect moment. Thanks."

Kakashi shrugged, but watched Iruka thoughtfully as it went back to help the delegates pick up the scattered equipment. Several times during the battle, he'd found himself thinking of Iruka as 'he,' completely forgetting that Iruka was a Construct. Even now, while he rationally knew Iruka was a machine, his instincts insisted that it was human. The intuitive teamwork during the fight had felt natural, their coordination a matter of instant judgment, not the analyzed reactions of a machine. And he was sure he'd heard real panic in Iruka's voice as Kakashi had gone down under the crocodile's initial surge.

~oOo~

As the day progressed, and they continued to identify and chart possible nursery sites in the swamps, the Gamans becoming more and more obviously intrigued by what they found, Kakashi often found himself watching Iruka. Its face was expressive even for a human, much less a Construct, and it had a sense of humor that seemed almost as wicked at his own. Genma, too, was more human-acting than not. But there was a difference between Genma and Iruka, a subtle one, that Kakashi couldn't put his finger on.

One thing he realized, though: Iruka had not only the offensive capability -- training, knowledge of weapons, nerve -- to be a killer, he had the patience and judgment to be an assassin. Recognizing when something was a threat as well as when it wasn't took intelligence and courage. Iruka had held his fire at the snake, where Kakashi would have destroyed it immediately. Assassins needed that kind of nerve to keep from botching up a job when the unexpected happened. They also needed the kind of ingenuity Iruka demonstrated when he used the environmental pack as a weapon.

On the other hand, Iruka had defended the Gamans from the crocodile. If he'd been Mist, he could have just as easily have let the animal past him, and his job would have been done for him. Kakashi supposed it was an argument in Iruka's favor, but...

Iruka had shown pride the other night, when Kakashi had challenged him at the reception. An assassin that would let a natural accident destroy his target wouldn't feel that kind of pride, he would simply be moved by expediency. Kakashi had the feeling that Iruka wouldn't compromise like that.

No, he'd have to continue to keep an eye on Iruka. He hoped the Hokage would have more information about the Construct when he returned back to Konohagakure and reported in.

~oOo~

The next morning, Temari stormed into Kakashi and Gai's room at second dawn. Kakashi jumped to his feet and Gai burst from the bathroom, a towel around his waist, ready to fight.

Kakashi relaxed when he saw who it was. "Couldn't you have knocked first? Gai was in the shower. You might have embarrassed him."

Gai turned red and dove back into the bathroom, returning immediately, tying a robe around his still-dripping body.

"What have you been telling your kage?" Temari demanded.

"What do you mean?" Kakashi hedged. Gai's eyebrows went up, and he glanced at Kakashi.

"He contacted me," Temari said. "He wanted to know about the history of a certain Construct." She glared. "Why would your kage want to know about Iruka?"

"We're investigating all angles," Kakashi replied smoothly.

"He's a Construct. I've known him all my life. Even if his programming allowed him to kill people, he wouldn't," she said. "You're wasting your time and mine by following that line of inquiry."

"We make that determination, Temari-san." Kakashi leaned against the desk. "I have questions about Iruka's programming that warrant further investigation."

"Then you ask me," she snapped. "I don't need kages breathing down my neck."

"You aren't the most unbiased person," Kakashi pointed out. "Our Hokage requires unbiased facts."

"Stop. Harassing. Iruka." Temari put her fists on her hips. "And me. Your job is to find Mist." She whirled and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Do you really think Iruka could be Mist?" Gai asked.

"I don't know." Kakashi stared at the floor.

"You don't want him to be, you mean." When Kakashi sent Gai a sharp look, Gai looked thoughtful. "I understand that he has the skills, perhaps even the knowledge, to be an assassin. But I trust your judgment."

"I haven't made any judgment."

"You care for him," Gai said matter-of-factly. "It was plain to me when we watched him perform that you were attracted to him, and I observed you watching him during the reception. When we debriefed last night, you spoke of his ability to work with you as a team to defend the delegates."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "That hardly means I care for him."

"When we first became partners," Gai remembered, his eyes unfocused, "we had to work for weeks to coordinate our battle styles. We weren't successful until we began our challenges and got to know each other." His gaze sharpened. "Until we trusted each other."

"I don't trust Iruka," Kakashi snapped.

"Part of you does."

"It's a machine."

"You just said 'him.'"

Kakashi glared at Gai. "I'm not endangering the mission because of a machine."

"I believe Iruka is capable of caring, too. He couldn't dance like he did unless he understood love," Gai said. "Nor could he have fought by your side yesterday if he didn't understand trust."

"That just proves my point," Kakashi said. "There's something wrong with him. It."

"Trust yourself, Kakashi," Gai urged. "I've never found my trust in you misplaced. Have that same belief in yourself."

"Now you're just getting sappy." Kakashi glared. "You know it annoys me when you get sappy. Next, you'll be pinging at me."

"Not unless I finish my shower," Gai said. He struck a pose. "If you don't care for Iruka, after this mission I will space-run ten thousand times around the outer hull of the Hidden Leaf without a tether harness." He disappeared into the bathroom again.

"The Hokage told you not to do that again!" Kakashi shouted, but the shower had already re-started.

~oOo~

The first day of negotiations went well, and Kakashi thought optimistically that the talks might only take a couple of days. The Gamans were pleased with the locations and water samples they'd taken, and the Weeping Moon representatives were eager to bring new commerce to the moon. The biggest problem both of them identified was security, keeping the potential nurseries safe not only from the moon's large predators, but from any enemy attempts to sabotage Gaman eggs. The cost would be high, with many personnel needed, so the discussions focused on how the costs would be managed and what kind of a treaty needed to be in place to ensure that the eggs were properly defended.

Kakashi and Iruka sat just behind the Gaman delegation, both on alert. Iruka was wearing a kimono again, his hair piled high on his head, although not as elaborately as it had been during the reception. His face was painted, his eyes cat-like with kohl. He tried a bite of each food and sipped from each cup or goblet before giving refreshments to Fukasaku, and more than once, Kakashi caught himself staring at Iruka's lips.

Iruka's demure service to Fukasaku belied what was becoming, to Kakashi, the Construct's normal, fiery temperament, at least as far as his interactions with Kakashi. Several times during the talks, when something caught their attention, a look flashed between them as they instantly communicated their awareness to each other. Kakashi was convinced that even if Iruka was dressed as a courtesan, a soldier lurked beneath the silk and makeup.

When there was a break in the negotiations, Kakashi found himself next to Iruka.

"The talks seem to be progressing well," Iruka said quietly.

The delegates were nearby, so Kakashi kept his voice low, too. "Do you always wear dresses?"

"Do you always look like you've just come in from a windstorm?" Iruka retorted.

Kakashi fought back a smile. "So you have a problem with my hair."

"No," Iruka murmured. "In fact, I've never seen silver hair before. It's quite striking."

"Are you flirting with me?"

"No!" When a couple of the delegates turned to look, Iruka lowered his voice. "No more than you're flirting with me."

"Blue looks good on you," Kakashi said before he could stop himself. He paused, disconcerted. Iruka was right. He was flirting.

Iruka's cheeks colored. "Thank you."

Hell, there was something incredibly sexy about a self-confident man dressed as a woman, even if he was a Construct. Kakashi just hoped that no one noticed the problem he was having keeping his interest from showing through the front of his trousers. "Striking, huh?"

Iruka smiled, surprisingly genuine for a Construct. "I've seen varying shades of gray and white, but never a true silver like yours. It's unusual. I like unusual things."

"Your programmer must have been a girl. I didn't think Constructs had likes or dislikes."

"Now you're being rude," Iruka said, his voice mild in contradiction to his gaze, which sparked. "You'll find that we don't particularly like pain and suffering, and that we're fond of things that make us feel good. Like humans. I doubt the gender of my programmer had anything to do with it."

"Mmm." They ignored each other for a moment, scanning the room for Mist, then Kakashi capitulated. "Okay, this one isn't meant to be rude. Why do you wear dresses? Nothing but curiosity, I swear."

Iruka looked at him, suspicion on his face, but answered. "Strategically, it works in my favor. It hides me as much as it makes me stand out. I find it allows for adaptability in dangerous situations."

Kakashi had never looked at it that way. Iruka saw the way he dressed in much the same way Kakashi saw his mask. "Is that all?"

"No," Iruka said after a moment. He appeared to be somewhat embarrassed, so Kakashi wasn't surprised to note his tone was correspondingly defiant. "I like it. If I wore men's clothing, it's like a part of me wouldn't exist anymore. I would be a lie."

"The meeting will recommence now," a Weeping Moon representative said, which ended what Kakashi thought was a very enlightening conversation.

There was no way Iruka could be Mist. Kakashi was sure of it. No Mist could ever admit to those kinds of feelings. Hell, no Mist would ever have those kinds of feelings to admit. And if Iruka couldn't lie about something as simple as how clothing reflected his personality, wouldn't it be unlikely for him to lie by pretending to defend someone he had been hired to kill?

Kakashi wished he didn't feel like he was rationalizing. Because he really wanted Iruka, he knew it now.

He had to face the truth. He'd lost his objectivity.

~oOo~

The delegates were close enough to a contract that they decided to keep working through the night, in hopes that they would be finished in the morning. Kakashi checked in with Genma, who was monitoring the improved security web they'd set up, and Genma reported that there hadn't been any security breaches or unexplained persons where they weren't authorized to be. Still, Kakashi was restless. Something felt off to him.

Gai took over from Kakashi after second sunset. Since things seemed to be under control, Kakashi went back to his room to check for Hidden Leaf intel updates, drink some sake, take a hot shower and a few pain blockers for his bruising from the day before, and get some sleep.

The room that he and Gai shared was comfortable, if spartan. Kakashi suspected that it was a barracks style room assigned to Constructs, but he didn't care, as long as it had data access and a bed that he didn't have to share with Gai. He started reading through the reports that Gai had filed during the day.

He'd just verified that nothing new had come in from the Hokage when there was a knock at the door.

He opened it. "Iruka!"

"Er," Iruka looked embarrassed. He'd changed clothes, and now wore a simple yukata, although his hair was still up. "I'm going to the hot spring. I was wondering if you'd want to join me? The waters are good for healing aches."

Kakashi's heart skipped a beat. Iruka. Naked. Hot spring. Responsibility said 'no,' but his body and libido won out. He compromised. "Can I bring my book?" It might help him stay out of trouble.

Iruka shrugged, but Kakashi thought he saw a bit of disappointment. "Whatever you want."

It was the work of just a few moments for Kakashi to grab his book and a towel, and to leave a message with Genma telling him where to find him in case of an emergency.

Iruka led the way to the hot spring. Neither of them said anything on the way, and Kakashi suspected that Iruka was just as on edge as he was, keeping their eyes open for Mist and calculating cover opportunities if they were ambushed. They reached the hot spring without incident; however, Kakashi was glad to see that Iruka had brought a small perimeter barrier generator. It wouldn't stop a determined attack, but it would give them warning.

Kakashi stripped and lined his weapons across the stones next to his clothes, and then stepped into the springs. The water was hotter than he'd imagined it would be, almost uncomfortable, but after a few seconds, he felt his tense muscles begin to relax. He slipped down until the water came up to his chin.

"Aren't you going to take your mask off?" Iruka asked.

"Don't need to," Kakashi murmured. "It's a holograph. It's only partially solid, so it doesn't trap heat."

"Mmm."

Kakashi closed his eyes and listened as Iruka moved around. He heard the soft clinks of metal weapons being arranged close to hand, then the water rippled over his chin as Iruka slipped in.

"Would you like me to give you a massage?"

Kakashi tensed for a moment, considering. If he was wrong, and Iruka was Mist, he was as good as dead if he turned his back on him. On the other hand, if he was right and Iruka was safe, he'd miss a hell of an opportunity to get closer to him. He decided to take the gamble. "That would be good. Thanks."

A hand gently touched his shoulder, turning him in the buoyant water. Strong fingers dug into his back, and Kakashi could feel the knots in his muscles begin to dissolve under the pressure.

"Why do you hate Constructs?"

The question took Kakashi off guard. He tried to turn around, but Iruka held him in place.

"I'm not trying to start a fight," Iruka said softly. "I just nee-- want to know."

"I don't hate Constructs," Kakashi said.

"Please don't lie."

"I'm not." When Iruka stayed silent, he protested again, "Really. I'm not."

"But you don't see Constructs as living beings, do you?"

Kakashi sighed. "The Constructs here have challenged me, but in general, you're right. Constructs are just sophisticated machines with biological bits."

"Is that how you see me?"

Kakashi struggled with his answer. "It's how I should see you," he finally whispered.

"But you don't."

"No."

"Would you kiss me?"

"I don't kiss machines."

"Would you kiss me?"

With a groan, Kakashi turned and grabbed Iruka's upper arms, pulling him close. He bent his head and pressed their lips together, and felt Iruka relax against him and slide a hand into his hair. Kakashi released Iruka's arms and embraced him, feeling Iruka do the same as he deepened their kiss with a groan.

Iruka's mouth was sweet, but whether it was tea or some kind of freshener or just his own, unique taste, Kakashi couldn't tell. He liked it, though. If all sweets tasted like Iruka's mouth, Kakashi would have rivaled the notorious Akimichis in size long ago.

Iruka was responsive, giving as good as he took, with an eagerness that had nothing to do with programming and everything to do with passion. He was making little sounds that went straight to Kakashi's groin, breathless gasps and bitten-off moans that fueled Kakashi's need to kiss him more, to touch him, to slide his hands over skin and muscle and machinery be damned.

Kakashi slipped his hand into Iruka's hair and pulled out the comb holding the heavy mass in place. It tumbled down with a heavy splash, floating in a carpet of dark brown silk in the water around them. Wet strands wove around Kakashi's arms like bonds.

"Kakashi," Iruka whispered, breaking away. He looked up into Kakashi's face, pupils blown, color heightened, his hair framing his face, black as the kohl around his eyes in the reflected light of the gas giant, light that illuminated his scar, his flaw, his mask of humanity. Kakashi had never had anyone look at him that way before. His heart quickened.

He realized Iruka's status between man and machine didn't matter to him anymore. Mask or reality, Kakashi knew Iruka had conquered him. Funny, how it didn't bother him at all. No miracle could make Iruka human, but then, Kakashi didn't believe in miracles, he just believed in what he could see and touch and smell, and Iruka filled all his senses. "Why me?"

"I don't know." Iruka searched his face. "I don't know. I don't get it. I don't understand what this is."

"Makes two of us." Kakashi slid his hands down Iruka's body and cupped Iruka's ass.

Iruka pressed close and took Kakashi's cock in his hand. Kakashi hissed, even though the touch was innocent in comparison with the way past lovers had touched him. He wanted to taste every inch of Iruka's skin, wanted to think that his touch could drive Iruka mad with desire. Which was stupid. Iruka wasn't human. He didn't feel desire. No, it didn't feel desire. It, not he.

But he couldn't keep his heart from beating faster when Iruka's lips met his neck, and he felt Iruka's breath on his ear. "You breathe," he managed to say.

"Yes," Iruka whispered. "I breathe. I'm warm. I want you in my mouth." He continued to stroke Kakashi's rapidly hardening cock and kissed Kakashi on the chin, sucking lightly, as Kakashi awkwardly backed to the edge of the spring and boosted himself onto a rock. The air felt cold on his skin, but then Iruka was pressed against him, rubbing his face over Kakashi's cock and embracing his ass. He brushed his mouth along its length, the tip of his tongue leaving warm, wet trails that cooled in its wake.

Kakashi groaned and leaned backward, propped up on his elbows, and Iruka followed in perfect synchronization, half-out of the hot spring, gripping Kakashi's thighs and leaning forward so he could keep sucking Kakashi.

"Too much," Kakashi whispered, watching his cock slip in and out of Iruka's mouth. "I won't be able to hold it."

Iruka released Kakashi's cock, kissing the head regretfully. He met Kakashi's gaze. "Will you fuck me?"

"Yeah. Yeah, that would be good." Kakashi helped Iruka out of the hot spring and pulled him into an embrace, kissing him again. He could taste himself in Iruka's mouth, and the fact that it was Iruka who had pulled that flavor from him made his heart pound. "Where?"

"Here." Iruka sank to his knees and spread his yukata over the ferns at the water's edge. He lay down and held a hand out to Kakashi.

Kakashi knelt beside him. "You're so very beautiful, you know."

Iruka snorted and grinned. "Who would have thought the great Copy Nin was such a romantic at heart?"

"If you tell anyone, I'll have to kill you." Kakashi stretched out on top of Iruka, gently rocking his hips so their cocks could slide against each other. He buried his face in the crook of Iruka's neck, reveling in the heat and the smell of clean sweat and the perfume Iruka wore in his hair. Iruka arched into his body, no smile on his face now, Kakashi noted as he pulled back to kiss him again. Just hunger, and that amazing look that set Kakashi's body blazing with the need to take and to protect.

Once he was buried inside Iruka's hot tightness, he set a slow pace, rocking into him with controlled, measured movements. Iruka's cock was hot and hard against Kakashi's abdomen, and he moaned and strained to get closer, so Kakashi lay his full length over Iruka's body, pinning him in place and swallowing the sounds he made with kisses. When Iruka stiffened and cried out, coming, he continued to move in and out slowly, loving the way Iruka contracted around him, the way his face contorted with pleasure, his breathless pants and the way he clutched Kakashi's hair in his hands, the painful pull of his orgasm's strength. Kakashi came a few strokes after, freezing in place as deep as he could press into Iruka and biting the delicious skin where Iruka's neck and shoulder met. He slumped over Iruka's body, feeling Iruka's hands stroking his back soothingly, and shifted just enough so he wouldn't crush him before collapsing in a sated, breathless heap.

His heart calmed, and he nuzzled Iruka's neck, his nose brushing across the soft ferns beneath Iruka's hair. Kakashi stroked the thick, wet, perfumed mass, stroked Iruka's warm skin. At the moment, there was nothing else he wanted to do than to lie next to Iruka, naked and knowing they were safe, and alive, and together.

I love him.

Kakashi almost blurted the fatal phrase out loud. To cover his confusion, he said, "I thought Constructs didn't orgasm unless the client wanted it."

Iruka froze, then rolled away from him and sat at the edge of the hot spring. "Who told you that?"

"Genma."

"He's right. Most don't. I'm... programmed differently. People usually prefer me to act human."

"You don't have to around me."

Iruka stiffened as if he'd been struck, and Kakashi felt like banging his head against the stones.

He couldn't do this. He'd never been good with people. He didn't form ties, operatives couldn't, because people die and operatives die and he couldn't lose focus if he wanted to prevent more people and more operatives from dying. Maybe… maybe part of the reason he thought he loved Iruka was because Iruka was a Construct, and he couldn't die. At least, not easily. He could be rebuilt, he was safe, and if Kakashi were killed, well, then, Iruka was just a machine. It wasn't like he could grieve. He would still have a purpose in life, whatever purpose his programmers gave him--

No. He wouldn't lie to himself. Iruka would grieve. Kakashi wasn't sure how or why, since Iruka was a Construct, but deep inside, he knew that if Iruka cared for him and he died, a part of Iruka would die with him.

And the flip side wouldn't work, either. Kakashi might try to fool himself that he wouldn't be devastated if Iruka were permanently deactivated. But he'd be lying to himself. No Iruka in the world meant no passion, no sharp retorts, no natural rhythm to their interactions, no warm, hard body clad in soft silks. Iruka's death, deactivation, whatever a person called it, would leave a hole behind in the universe. He was unique, more than the sum of his parts.

"I'm sorry. That was cruel. I didn't mean it." Kakashi moved next to Iruka, sitting on the edge of the pool and lowering his feet into the water. "It's just… If someone murdered you, there wouldn't be a murder investigation. No one would go on trial and pay for killing you. And that kills me."

"Those are pretty dark thoughts," Iruka replied quietly. He moved closer to Kakashi. "I'm not one for living in the moment, but it seems to me that's all we've got. I don't want to let it go, and especially not because I'm afraid."

"Constructs don't feel fear," Kakashi said softly. He didn't believe himself.

"Hidden-people operatives don't feel fear, either," Iruka replied.

Kakashi wondered if Iruka was trying to fool himself, too.

"Maybe if we stopped looking at the differences," Iruka started. He stopped.

"That's all I can see," Kakashi admitted. "Every time I try to ignore them, I keep coming back to them."

"Yes." Iruka sighed. "So, indulge me. How are we the same?"

Kakashi was silent. For the life of him, he couldn't think of anything they held in common. He put his arm around Iruka's shoulders, and hoped the touch was answer enough.

"I'll start then," Iruka said. Kakashi could hear a sliver of desperation sliding through his words. "We're both from Hidden-people tribes."

"Yes," Kakashi whispered. He added nothing.

"Your eye," Iruka said suddenly. "I saw it, when we were fighting the crocodile. It's Constructed, right?"

Kakashi felt himself go cold. Of course. It was natural that Iruka would look for commonalities in mechanical terms. "What about it?"

"A piece of you is like me. We're not so different."

Iruka was right, ironically. At least, according to some. "True."

"You don't like that, do you?" Iruka asked.

Kakashi avoided his eyes. "We're not the same."

"I hit a nerve. Someone's called you a machine, haven't they?" Iruka realized. He slipped out from under Kakashi's arm and turned away. "I'm sorry. You're right. We're not the same at all. We have nothing in common."

"Stop it," Kakashi said. His arm felt cold without Iruka's heat. "Just… stop it. We are what we are. There are times you're more human than I'll ever be. More than I really want to acknowledge."

Iruka turned, his eyes sad. "Please, don't say that about yourself. I was wrong."

"No! No," Kakashi repeated, more softly. He reached for Iruka. "You were right before. We have this time. Let's not waste it."

"I thought I knew what pain felt like," Iruka whispered, allowing himself to be pulled back into Kakashi's embrace. "I could have sworn I did."

"'Every pain is new,' my sensei used to say." Kakashi nuzzled Iruka's hair. "The best way to get through it is to ignore it, and concentrate on the now. We're making a memory together. Let's hang on to it, okay?"

"Yeah," Iruka said. "Sounds good."

They sat in silence, watching the slow rotation of the huge planet above them. Kakashi studied a vortex that looked like the eye of a hurricane, swirls of gold and brown and brilliant white curled around and in on themselves, like the swirl of precious metal through ore, a piece he could hold in his hand. But he couldn't. The storm was probably large enough to swallow Weeping Moon whole.

Iruka's head was heavy on his shoulder. "Have you ever been back to Old Earth? Where humans are supposed to have originated?"

"Once." Kakashi remembered brown: brown land, brown water, brown air. "Legend says it was as blue as Weeping Moon."

"I've been all over the Quintant," Iruka replied. He traced a droplet's path down Kakashi's chest. "But never to Old Earth. It's funny, though. I've never been there, but I have memories of it. Of green trees and golden light, of blue skies and running through endless plains of grass, and splashing in streams. In those memories, I'm always laughing."

"Mmm." Definitely not Old Earth. Some programmer's memories, probably, but Kakashi didn't have the heart to say it. "It sounds wonderful."

"It's always made me feel sad," Iruka said. "But I just realized, the memory itself isn't sad. When I told the memory to you, I remembered how it felt to be that free."

Not like now, though neither of them said it.

"I don't know what I'd do with freedom," Kakashi said. He snorted. "Pathetic."

"If I were free, I'd…" Iruka trailed off. "You're right. I don't know what I'd do."

"We should probably go back."

"Probably."

But before they left, Kakashi insisted on drying Iruka's hair and combing it out as best he could with his fingers. Iruka seemed amused, but allowed him to do it, just as he allowed Kakashi to dress him, and to hold his hair in place while Iruka re-pinned it. Their walk back to the complex was silent, but they walked closely enough that their hands brushed.

When they reached the complex, they put a more decorous distance between themselves. By the time they reached Kakashi's room, they were talking about the morning's security logistics.

Kakashi paused at his door, trying to remain casual. "See you in a few hours."

Iruka nodded.

He's so fucking beautiful, Kakashi thought, opening his door faster than he normally would. His last glimpse of Iruka was of the Construct clutching his yukata sleeves as if he were hugging himself, and staring after him with a haunted look on his face.

Kakashi shut the door and leaned his back against it, head bowed. He was so screwed.

He'd just have to prepare himself. Another day or two, his job would be over and he would be able to leave Weeping Moon. He wasn't going to regret his night with Iruka, but he wasn't going to allow himself to romanticize it, either. There were too many differences, no matter what Iruka claimed.

Still, he wasn't sure how to handle the part of him that whispered in the back of his mind, 'you're wrong, you fool.' He'd never ignored that voice before, but then again, it had never steered him wrong before, either. Suppressing his instincts would take time to get used to. He'd always suspected that love screwed everything up; it sucked to be proven right.

Ridiculous. You're not in love. You read too much porn.

Kakashi crossed over to the desk to check whether the Hidden Leaf had sent any more of the reports he'd requested. A long list of data flooded the screen, and he sighed. Of course they had, and of course it was in the middle of the night. Good thing operatives were trained to work without sleeping a few days.

He touched the first line on the screen, and watched the information unfold.

~oOo~

Anger burned like ice through Kakashi's veins as he forced his way into Temari's office.

"What the hell is this?" he demanded.

Temari dismissed the Construct she'd been meeting with. When the door closed behind it, she glared at Kakashi. "What are you talking about?"

"This!" Kakashi slammed a pile of printouts on her desk. "I've mapped Mist's whereabouts -- successful hits and the sightings that seem to be reasonably believable -- and guess what I've found?"

Temari looked defiant. "What?"

"When I cross-check the information against the travel records of residents here on Weeping Moon, I got a hit. Several hits, in fact. Guess who?"

"We've often taken contracts to guard--"

"Iruka," Kakashi interrupted. "Here, and here, and here. His visits are perfectly timed to several sightings of Mist, and two assassinations."

"As I was about to say before you interrupted me, we take contracts for off-moon security assignments," Temari snapped. "Iruka is one of our best operatives."

"He sounds lucrative as hell. Assassination is good money, I've heard. How much have you gotten in kickbacks for looking the other way while he does his job?" Kakashi glared, hands flat on Temari's desk, crowding her.

Temari slapped her hands down on the desk and met him head on. "He was protecting targets from Mist!"

"No one has ever escaped Mist," Kakashi hissed.

"Bullshit. Those sightings? Iruka was there, and screwed up the assassination attempts. Otherwise Mist would have a few more scalps hanging from his belt."

"You can't tell me that Iruka has gone one on one with Mist before," Kakashi said. He straightened. "If you've withheld that kind of information from me, I'll destroy you and your little Construct army."

"He hasn't." Temari sat back in her chair and ran a hand through her hair. "He was just able to make enough changes to the set-ups in those places to make it next to impossible for Mist to complete the hit."

"I don't believe--"

"Temari-sama!" A Construct burst through the door just as sirens began to go off. "Mist! The Gamans…"

"Fuck!" she shouted, jumping out of her chair. "You, with me. You," she turned to Kakashi as she pulled a huge metal fan from the wall, "do your fucking job, damn it!"

They left the office at a dead run, the Construct leading the way.

The attack had obviously taken place along the corridor that they had identified as their weakest point of security. The extra security measures they'd worked so hard to establish hadn't worked. Kakashi saw that it had turned into a running battle; there was no sign of the delegates or their security, save for a few drops of blood leading into the secure area.

Once they crossed into the secure area, although, they came across the first casualties. Anko lay unmoving in a pool of blood, her circuitry sparking where her arm and half her torso had been sliced away from her body. One Gaman bodyguard was dead, beheaded, but another was still alive, though bleeding heavily from a deep wound in its chest.

Kakashi snapped, "Get medical personnel and secure the area!" then left Temari and the Construct behind when they paused by the wounded Gaman.

He raced along the blood trail, finding more Constructs and Gaman security guards dead or dying as he crashed through room after room.

Damn it, damn it, damn it! Iruka had completely fooled him, this whole moon had fooled him, all civilized and pretty, but with giant, hungry monsters lying in wait behind every tree. Kakashi cursed again when he came across Genma, who looked as if he'd been hewn in two.

Two rooms later, he found Gai, conscious, but barely.

"How many?" Kakashi snapped.

"Two." Gai coughed, and red tinged his lips. "Iruka--"

"I'll kill him," Kakashi said grimly.

"No!" Gai caught him by the arm. "Iruka is the last defender. He can't hold out long." He winced. "Final stand -- meeting room. Gas. Delegates have masks. Hurry!"

"What?" Kakashi stared at Gai. "Iruka--?"

"He's in trouble," Gai wheezed. "Hurry!"

"Don't die!" Kakashi ordered, and started running again, hardly daring to believe what Gai had said.

Iruka was alive. He wasn't a traitor.

And he was fighting one on one with Mist.

"Chidori," Kakashi said. His gloves came to life, and he felt the charge building as he flew down the corridor. He adjusted his mask as he ran so he could initiate Gai's gas attack as soon as he reached the security panel; the mask's auto-filter kicked in and his Sharingan flared red.

When he was nearly to the meeting room, he slowed, listening for sounds of battle. Cautiously, he rounded the corner and cursed. The security panel was wide open and smoking, the node destroyed and its Constructs slaughtered. No gas to take Mist out, not even the ability to block the door and establish a defensive position. He heard a choked off cry, and plunged into the room.

The Sharingan marked Fukasaku and Shima sheltered behind Gamabunta's prone body in the further corner of the room; Iruka fighting with a large man, dark, a scarf covering his lower face; and then Kakashi was dodging, escaping a death blow more by instinct than through skill. His attacker was moving at a speed that the Sharingan could barely register, and within a split second, Kakashi was bleeding from wounds scattered across his torso and dangerously close to his wrist tendons.

Kakashi surrendered to the Sharingan.

The Sharingan's programming pushed his body until Kakashi could match the movements of the darting attacker, until Kakashi felt they were both moving in slow motion. His attacker was slight, masked, swathed in white, graceful, agile. And with the Sharingan driving Kakashi, predictable. Kakashi's fist shot out, and an instant later, the attacker was hanging in midair, a hole burned through its chest, wires smoking and the smell of fresh blood and singed electrodes thick in Kakashi's nose. He pulled his hand out of the Construct's body and whirled toward Iruka as it fell to the floor.

The big man was straining to throw Iruka, their crossed swords scraping against each other as they fought for dominance. The man moved viciously; metal screamed. Kakashi heard a sword clang to the ground and saw Iruka fall to one knee and pull out a tazlazer, his sword out of reach, even as Kakashi sprang forward.

The Sharingan gave Kakashi inhuman speed, its circuits buried deep in his brain, directing his body faster than thought, but it couldn't make him move fast enough. He saw the sword come down, heard Iruka cry out, and then he collided with Iruka's attacker and they went down in a tangle of lightning and steel.

The man was powerful, his eyes dark with hatred and anger as he glared into Kakashi's face. They rolled across the floor, and Kakashi found himself on the bottom, fighting for his life as his Chidori sent flaming white streamers along the edge of the blade pressed to his throat. He didn't see the blow that knocked the man off of him, but rolled to his knees, coughing and alert.

Gamakichi, blood streaking his face and one limb hanging useless, crouched at his side. "That's him. Mist. I think he killed my father."

Mist sneered, then froze. Kakashi followed his gaze to the dead Construct that had attacked him. He thought he heard Mist say something that sounded like a name. Mist turned back to Kakashi, a look of deadly malevolence twisting his features, and came at them, swinging his sword in both hands.

Kakashi watched Gamakichi fall under the sword's first stroke and was waiting with his Chidori to catch the follow-through on his gloves. The Construct he'd fought before had been fast, but Mist was both fast and unnaturally strong, breaking past Kakashi's defenses and pushing the Sharingan to the limit.

And then Iruka was there, blood pouring down his grim face as he attacked Mist with his sword. Kakashi whispered, "No," as Mist's blade went up and Iruka stumbled. Mist glanced at him and then at Iruka, and he smiled. Leaving his back wide open, he swung at Iruka.

Kakashi's chidori punched through Mist's back; desperately, he threw himself backward, dragging Mist's body with him. Mist twisted as he collapsed on top of Kakashi, the fury in his face tinged with desperation, his eyes already going flat with death except for one last remaining flare of hatred. Kakashi, his hand caught in Mist's body, could only watch as the sword came toward his face. There was pain like he'd never experienced before and someone screaming; the Sharingan abruptly went dark and he felt Mist's full, dead weight settle on his chest.

He couldn't breathe. He couldn't feel. The pain that had overwhelmed him a moment ago mysteriously disappeared, which was a relief, but he couldn't seem to focus his eyes. The world lurched, and then he was lying on something warm and solid, and Iruka was bending over him, tears streaking his face and saying something, Kakashi wasn't sure what. He tried to ask Iruka to repeat what he'd said, but "I love you," was all his mouth could form.

Iruka's face gave way to white light, limned with darkness at the edges. As the darkness spread, Kakashi felt a warm drop on his cheek, and smiled. His mask was gone.

He was glad Iruka was finally able to see his face.

~oOo~

His eyes. They wouldn't open. Something covered them, firmly taped in place so he couldn't open his lids.

Had he been captured?

Play dead. Use all of the senses. Gather information.

His hearing. Muted. He tried to smell the air, but the scents were confusing, like they were broken down into parts by the Sharingan, except the Sharingan had never affected his sense of smell before, so that couldn't be it. His mouth tasted... it didn't taste, really. He ran his tongue over his teeth, but there was no bitterness, or sweetness or saltiness or sour and fuck.

Was he in a coma?

"Don't be afraid," someone whispered. "You're safe. Sleep. You'll feel better later."

He wanted to reply, to ask the person questions, but it was as if the voice had summoned the sleep it mentioned, because suddenly he was so very tired.

So he trusted the voice, and gave in.

~oOo~

Something smelled like tea, but not. As if tea were made of a thousand smells, sharp and individual and frankly, not at all comforting, which tea generally was when it wasn't simply a caffeine boost.

This time when he tried to open his eyes, he found light gauze covering them. He lifted his hand to pull it aside, but someone stopped him before he could touch the material.

"Leave it on for now. I'll get Tsunade-sama."

"Iruka?" Kakashi fumbled for the hand that had stopped him and caught it. He held it tight.

"Yes," Iruka said, pulling his hand away gently. "I promised Tsunade-sama that I'd get her if you woke up."

"Don't leave."

Iruka didn't answer right away. "I'll come back," he finally said.

Kakashi listened as Iruka walked away. When he heard the door slide closed, he touched the cloth covering his eyes. It seemed to cover most of his face, in fact, and now that he was taking stock of his injuries, he realized his head ached, his throat felt thick and his body felt like it had been pummeled by a meteorite field.

He heard the door slide again and someone walk in.

"Well, you've done it this time, brat."

"Tsunade." Kakashi turned his head toward her voice. "Are we on the Hidden Leaf?"

"No, we're on Weeping Moon." He felt fingers press lightly on his forehead. "I don't have the necessary facilities on the ship. Can you see anything?"

"Gauze?"

"I'm looking for light or dark," she said. "Well?"

He opened his eyes to see light filtering around the edges of the gauze. "Both." Tsunade moved her hand. "Okay, light now."

"Good. I'm taking the bandages off. Keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them."

Kakashi blinked a moment later as Tsunade lifted her hand with a murmured, "Okay, let's see what you've got."

The room looked strange: it took Kakashi a moment, but he realized it was as if he were seeing with the Sharingan, except in in stereo vision. He looked at Tsunade. "What's going on?"

"You died. Massive blow to the head," Tsunade said.

"I don't feel dead," Kakashi noted.

"I saved you, brat. But," and she looked serious, "there's something we need to talk about."

"I see differently," he said. "And smells are strange, too."

She nodded. "We reconstructed you."

Kakashi was bewildered. "You can't reconstruct senses."

"We reconstructed a good portion of your brain," Tsunade said gently.

"But that's illegal," he protested. "Everyone knows that patients who are brain-dead aren't supposed to receive Construct neuro-systems. Technically, if they did they wouldn't be..."

"Human," Tsunade finished. "The commonly held belief is that the person's memories, his personality, would be lost. The Construct systems could keep the body alive, but the soul would be dead."

Kakashi shivered. "But I don't feel dead. I remember everything."

She nodded. "We know. That's why we took the chance. If your brain patterns had deviated significantly after the surgery, we were ready to pull you off life support."

"Why did you do it? Operatives die all the time." He didn't want to think about what he suspected they'd done to him. "I'm not afraid of death."

"We did it because we knew it could be done." Tsunade sat on the edge of his bed. "Look, brat. We've invested years of training in you, and your experiences on top of that make you pretty valuable. And besides, Gai threatened to bring a carnivorous turtle on board and teach it to skip rope if we didn't save you."

"Good to know Gai's on my side," Kakashi said faintly. "Tsunade, am I human?"

"In my opinion, yes," she said. "Legally, you probably don't have a leg to stand on anymore, though."

"I don't want to live like this," Kakashi said. He struggled to sit up, but Tsunade easily held him down. "Damn it!"

"I forbid you to kill yourself, and that goes double from the Hokage," she said. "Besides, it would probably be pretty hard to do. Your body is a hell of a lot stronger and more resilient, now."

"But I can't." He wasn't a machine. "Tsunade, please."

"Sorry," she said, sounding truly regretful. "But none of us could let you go. Not when we knew we could save you. Hidden-people don't leave comrades behind. You know that."

"You said you knew it could be done." He closed his eyes as he realized the truth. "Weeping Moon has been modifying Constructs." The horror nearly choked him. "The security Constructs. Were most of them...?"

"Human at one time," she said. "Yes."

"How could you do this?" he whispered.

"You're in shock right now, and things seem worse than they really are." Tsunade stood. "There's going to be a period of adjustment. We'll help you through it. But you're still Hatake Kakashi. You have Construct technology in you, but you'd already proven to be compatible with it when you received the Sharingan. It didn't make you any less human then. This hasn't, either."

"It's not the same."

"Only in your mind. And on the books," she admitted, "but we're Hidden-people. We're good at keeping secrets and protecting the people we love. No one else ever needs to know what happened. So you're the one who has to adapt the most, and since you're already you, there's really not a whole lot of adaptation to worry about, if you start looking at it logically."

"That's circular logic," he said, the pain in his head nearly unbearable now. "My mind has artificial neuro-structures in it. I'm not me."

"Do you still want to read porn?"

Kakashi blinked, and thought about it. "Yes."

"Does Gai still annoy the hell out of you?"

"Yes. Okay, I get your point," he conceded. "So you're saying those are my memories, not something programmed into me?"

"Bingo." She flicked his forehead. "Now get some sleep."

"The others," he said quickly. "Gai?"

"Gai's already on the Hidden Leaf, and I've been helping the medical staff here to rebuild the Constructs that could be saved. The two assigned to you and Gai are expected to make a full recovery, if you're worried about them."

"And the Gamans?"

"They lost two bodyguards. But Gamabunta and his son pulled through." Tsunade sighed. "It could have been a lot worse."

It nearly was. "I messed up," Kakashi said. "I focused on the wrong person."

"You can tell Sandaime when you debrief. Right now, get some more sleep." She stroked his forehead gently.

Kakashi's eyes closed, and he gratefully gave in to sleep.

~oOo~

Sandaime was at his bedside the next time he woke.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like a science experiment, Sandaime-sama," Kakashi said. His head ached. "You never leave the ship. What are you doing here?"

"We don't have the facilities or expertise to help you on the Hidden Leaf." Sandaime smiled. "If I wanted to hear your report, I knew I had to come to you. You'll be here for a while. Besides," he said, eyes twinkling, "between you and me, I've always wanted to sample Icha Icha's hospitality."

Kakashi smiled in return, but his heart wasn't in it. "How long will I be here?"

"Several weeks. You're going to have to go through extensive rehabilitation. Hidden Leaf will return for you in a month's time. But before we leave, I need your report."

"I was wrong about the Iruka Construct," Kakashi said bluntly. "I messed up."

"You were correct to suspect a Construct might be involved, though," Sandaime said. "We'd never considered the possibility, before."

"Mist?"

Sandaime shook his head. "Mist was the last survivor of an isolated Hidden-people ship, the Hidden Mist. He killed all of his comrades, then took the ship's name as his own."

"I remember hearing about the Hidden Mist," Kakashi said. "Everyone dead, including the children."

"Their traditions were different from ours. They trained their operatives to be killers, not warriors. It proved to be their demise," Sandaime said. "No, the Construct was the young man you defeated. We were unable to determine his origin, but given the level of sophistication in his design, I suspect there's either a parallel research track to Hidden Sand's Construct technology, or he was an early rogue model."

"Tsunade said that two Gamans were killed. I take responsibility for their deaths," Kakashi said. "Please convey that to Fukasaku-sama. I'm ready to face whatever sentence they give me."

"They don't hold you responsible," Sandaime replied gently. "There will be no hearing."

Kakashi nodded slowly, then took a deep breath. "Tsunade also said that the Constructs here were human, once." Kakashi swallowed. "I'm honored to serve Hidden Leaf, Sandaime-sama. But I'm not sure if I can be as effective in the future as I was before. I'm... different, now."

Sandaime nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. We'll be evaluating your potential effectiveness after you've gone through rehabilitation. We won't know if you can adapt successfully until then. But I have every confidence in your ability to take this in stride, Kakashi." His voice gentled. "And I will never regret the actions we took to save your life, even if it turns out that you can no longer be an operative."

"Thank you, Sandaime-sama." Kakashi looked away. "It's good, in a way, to know that I'm not the only one who's ever gone through this."

"Hmm."

Something in the Hokage's tone made Kakashi look at him sharply. Sandaime looked innocently benevolent, which Kakashi had come to learn meant that he was being his most devious. "Is there something I should know, sir?"

"Not at the moment," Sandaime replied. He stood. "Well then, if you have nothing to add to your report, I must be going. There's someone else here I need to speak with before I return to the Hidden Leaf. Good day, Kakashi. I expect you to do your best."

"I will, Sandaime-sama," Kakashi promised wearily.

~oOo~

Recovery was frustrating. Kakashi's body healed quickly. It was the Construct implant. All of his senses were skewed, too sharp and yet not sharp enough.

Eating was a chore he had to force himself to endure in order to fuel his body. He found he now preferred simple tastes: grilled fish seasoned with salt, miso soup with eggplant, rice. Even tea was too acrid to drink often, although he was relieved to find that he could still enjoy the clean taste of high-quality sake.

It was the same with hearing, feeling, smell. There were changes in his sight as well, but he adapted more quickly to those, having experience with the Sharingan. Learning to handle the pain was harder, though. It was like having a hundred Sharingans, all giving him information until it felt like his head would explode.

He was blindfolded, identifying various compounds by their odors, when he heard Iruka's voice.

"Good evening, Kakashi."

Kakashi's heart beat a bit faster. "Yo." He pulled off the blindfold and confirmed with satisfaction that he'd correctly identified the compounds he'd tested himself against so far, even the ones he'd never known had had a scent. "I think I'm starting to get the hang of this."

Iruka smiled. "I'm glad."

"I thought I'd see you before this," Kakashi said, trying to keep his tone casual.

Iruka's smiled faded. "I'm sorry," he said. "I've... there have been a few changes around here, and I haven't been able to get away before now. Can we talk?"

Kakashi shrugged and took a chair, nodding toward another. Iruka pulled it over, but once he was sitting, he seemed lost for words.

"I feel responsible," he finally said. "I came to apologize. I don't expect your forgiveness."

"I feel like I've entered a conversation at the halfway point," Kakashi replied. "I'm lost. What do you feel responsible for?"

Iruka looked miserable. He made a short gesture at Kakashi. "You. What happened to you. I'm so very sorry. I never meant for it to happen. I would have stopped it if I could have."

Kakashi frowned. "You were pretty busy defending the delegates, if I remember correctly. I don't see what you have to feel responsible for. It was a battle. People get injured or killed in battles. I'm just glad that we both survived."

Shaking his head, Iruka said, "That's not-- I wasn't talking about the fight. I was talking about after. When," he paused and looked away, "when they saved your life."

"Are you a medic?" Kakashi was honestly confused. "Or did you want me to die?"

"No!" Iruka looked shocked. "No, I didn't want you to die!" He rubbed his arms as if he were cold, the thick silk of his kimono falling to cover them. "I just didn't want you to live like... well, like a Construct."

"If you're not one of the doctors, how could you possibly be responsible for this?" Kakashi gestured at his head.

"Because I'm why they used Construct technology on you," Iruka said.

"You told them to?"

Iruka shook his head.

Kakashi decided to try to help Iruka spit out whatever it was he was trying to say. "I was told that the security Constructs here were human before they were Constructed," he said. "Is that it?"

"Yes." Iruka looked ashamed. "Except, it's not the other security Constructs. It's just me. I was the one that they based you on. I'm so sorry."

Kakashi was shocked. "Tsunade told me it was all of you."

"No. I think Temari-sama just told her that to justify what happened to me." Looking pleadingly at Kakashi, Iruka said, "I didn't know. I swear to you. It wasn't until you were in surgery that I realized that..." He trailed off and looked away.

"You didn't know you weren't a Construct," Kakashi realized.

Iruka nodded. "I overheard Temari-sama talking to Tsunade-sama." His voice was thick with emotion. "About a technique that was successful, once. About it being secret. She seemed ashamed."

"She should be." Kakashi's sympathy quickly turned to anger. "They never should have done something like that!"

"I didn't understand that they were talking about me, not right away," Iruka said miserably. "If I had, I would have stopped them, I swear."

There was a knock at the door, and Temari entered the room. She paused. "I see you beat me here," she said to Iruka.

Iruka stood and bowed, then looked at her resolutely. "What happened to Kakashi was directly related to me. What you've done to him is wrong."

Temari sighed. "Look, Iruka. Take a break, okay? You're right, but you're wrong, too. I need to talk to Kakashi, so beat it."

A muscle in Iruka's jaw fluttered, but he bowed again and left the room, pausing to give Kakashi one last despairing look before walking out. Temari closed the door behind him and took his chair.

"You bitch," Kakashi said viciously. "He was human. Why did you lie to him and tell him he was a Construct all those years?"

Temari glared back at him. "If you were born human, had grown up as a human child, with a family, with friends, with equals, and then suddenly all of that was taken away from you and you were called a machine, told your memories were simply programming, told that you, in fact, didn't really exist as a person anymore, could you live with that?"

Kakashi hesitated, then shook his head.

Temari nodded as if he'd spoken. "It was kinder to let him believe he was an advanced human bio-construct like the others. He had family of a sort, that way. Other unique Constructs like him."

"But his programming was screwed up," Kakashi said bitterly. "Because underneath all of the technology, he's still human. How the hell do you justify reconstructing a person's brain?"

"I can't. It's an inherited problem, from before Gaara became our Kazekage. I'm not making excuses, but we've been trying to mitigate the situation," she said. "My brother, Kankurou, has taken over the research. Thankfully, he's more ethical than his predecessors. He's been planning for the contingency that we may not always want to reprogram human memories."

"Iruka told me he remembered being a child," Kakashi said. He felt sick.

"That's the problem." Temari looked exhausted. "Kankurou thinks Iruka's memories occasionally leak through because of the holographic nature of the brain," she explained. "A part of him always remembers. He's had to be re-programmed several times because memories broke through. Every time, he's become severely depressed and begged us to kill him, and every time, the scientists have stepped in and reprogrammed him. He's just too valuable. They've tried to establish partial blocks between his organic neurons and his Construct neurology, so they can keep his unique underlying sense of humanity, but make sure the Construct neuro-system is dominate."

"That's cruel."

"That's business. Iruka acts human but everyone thinks he's a Construct. The big money types love him. I know that our government has received a number of ridiculously high offers to buy him for private use. He's a valuable commodity."

"As long as he doesn't remember," Kakashi pointed out.

"He can't live with the knowledge," she replied. "Like I said, it's wrong. But it was the kindest thing we could do under the circumstances."

Kakashi felt the blood drain from his face. He stood and walked to his window, looking at the peaceful city full of lies and deceit. "But he knows now, doesn't he? He remembers. And this time, you're not going to wipe his memories, are you?"

She nodded.

"What are you going to do?"

She shook her head and shrugged. "We're working on that now. I don't have any answers, yet."

Kakashi turned back to Temari. "You can't kill him." He couldn't control the pleading in his voice.

"It's not outside the realm of possibility," she said formally, then seemed to collapse. "But you're right. I've been trying to point that out to the elders of our ship. Besides, too many people know now. Unless we could wipe all of your memories, it wouldn't accomplish anything."

Sitting down, Kakashi leaned forward, arms crossed on his thighs. "You were going to wipe mine, weren't you?"

Temari nodded. "Your kage and your ship's physician wouldn't allow it, though, which is when it all started getting way too complicated," she said bitterly.

"How did this happen in the first place?"

"It's a long story. And it doesn't make Hidden Sand look very good."

"I don't think pride is a valid excuse anymore, is it?"

She bit her lip, considering. "Right, then. I'm probably going to get court-martialed for this, but I think you have the right to know since it directly affects your life, now.

"Iruka was a total accident. When my father was kage of Hidden Sand, we received a report from one of the colonies that we were contracted to provide protection for. All the operatives had been killed and the colony wiped out, except for a few survivors. When we got there, the colony had been leveled and burned to the ground. Many of the survivors were badly injured, so even though they couldn't afford the standard rescue price, Father made an exception, since they'd paid the protection contract in good faith. Father brought them aboard Hidden Sand and took them to the nearest outpost. All except one."

"Iruka."

Temari nodded. "He was probably ten or eleven. Nobody could believe he'd stayed alive until we got there. His body had been crushed, and the back of his head smashed in. But he was breathing on his own, and there were some residual brain patterns at times, like he'd come out of his coma for a little while."

Kakashi looked away.

"As far as we could tell, he wasn't going to make it. He didn't seem to have any family left. So," she took a deep breath, "when one of our scientists, a doctor named Chiyo, asked if she could have his body when he died, my father said yes."

"But he didn't die," Kakashi said softly.

"She told us he had. And when she and her nephew, Sasori, started producing Constructs able to fight like Hidden-people, he wasn't one of them."

Kakashi felt sick.

"After my father was assassinated and Chiyo and Sasori were executed for being part of the plot against him, my youngest brother, Gaara, became kage of Hidden Sand. Kankurou took over the Construct research that Chiyo and Sasori had left behind. He found Iruka. At first we thought he was a prototype Construct, until Kankurou found his records."

"And then you knew he was human."

She nodded. "But because of the strict laws governing Construct modifications, we couldn't let that secret be known. He would have been destroyed as an illegal Construct."

"Not to mention, as a Construct that acted human, he could be useful to Hidden Sand."

"I told you, this makes Hidden Sand look pretty awful."

"We would have found him useful, too," Kakashi admitted. "We're Hidden-people. We take any advantage we can get."

Temari seemed to relax a bit, as if Kakashi's acknowledgment made them equals again. "Since Hidden Sand was never big enough to get lucrative contracts, we began to look for strategic ones. We ended up here: our Constructs to protect Weeping Moon, and Weeping Moon to give Hidden Sand a percentage of all of the deals agreed upon here in Konohagakure. Iruka was our most successful Construct. He attracted a lot of business."

"Now that he knows who he is, do you think your elders will really have Iruka killed?"

"Gaara is fighting for Iruka's life. Whatever Gaara wants, he usually gets," Temari said, but Kakashi noted that she had qualified her statement.

"I can ask the Hokage to take him aboard Hidden Leaf," he offered.

"That's disingenuous, don't you think?" She raised an eyebrow. "That would leave Hidden Leaf with two Constructed humans, and us at your mercy. That's not a solution." She rubbed her hand over her face. "I honestly don't know how this is going to be resolved. But I should let you know that you're under your kage's protection. Whatever happens to Iruka, you'll be all right, even if your kage has to leave you with us as a hostage to Hidden Leaf's silence."

Kakashi had foreseen that possibility given the politics involved, but even so, the thought of never returning to the Hidden Leaf or seeing his comrades again left him feeling empty. "So what am I supposed to do now?"

"What you've been doing. Learn how to use your new neuro-system. Heal." Temari stood and headed for the door. "And obviously, stay quiet about this. I'll send Genma in to help you with a regime to improve your fine detail motor skills as soon as he's been cleared for duty."

"You see them all as individuals," Kakashi said. "Is it because of Iruka?"

She paused in the doorway. "What do you think?" She left, closing the door gently behind her.

~oOo~

Kakashi glared at the needle he held. He'd been able to thread even the tiniest one, in the dark, using the finest hair, since he was a small child. Now, it seemed nearly impossible.

"Try again," Genma said.

"Where's Iruka? I haven't seen him lately," Kakashi said. He tried again to line the thread up with the hole, but couldn't. Genma had taken to holding the last needle he'd threaded in his mouth like a toothpick, taunting Kakashi to manage the next smaller size. Kakashi decided he hated him for it.

"Around." Genma flicked the needle around with his tongue. "You're hopeless."

"You're annoying," Kakashi retorted. "Damn, why is this so hard? You're able to do it, and we've essentially got the same wiring."

"Because you're still trying to do it like you used to," Genma said. "Stop looking at it with your eyes and start looking at its construction and dimensions. Use your programming."

"I hate using that," Kakashi muttered. But Genma had a point. He concentrated, and information poured into his head, his programming directing his eyes to magnify and examine the surface area of the metal, the twist of the thread. It was the work of an instant to thread the needle successfully.

"Finally," Genma said. He plucked the needle out of Kakashi's fingers and stuck it in his mouth, discarding the one he'd held before. "Now this one." He handed Kakashi an even smaller needle.

Kakashi rubbed his forehead with his fingers. "The programming is going to be useless if I can't use it without getting a hell of a headache every time."

"You're still fighting it." Genma hopped up on a table and kicked his feet. "Just give in already. The programmers have taken care of everything, you know that. Trust them."

"No." Kakashi shook his head. "It's a tool for me, not a program like it is for you. I can't trust anything but my own judgment. Let me work with Iruka, since he seems to have programming glitches like mine." And I need to know how he's doing, Kakashi added silently to himself. He couldn't shake a very bad feeling about Iruka's absence.

"Sorry," Genma shrugged. "Just following orders."

Kakashi decided to hell with Genma's evasiveness. "Where is he? I want to see him."

Genma examined him thoughtfully. "Why?"

"I told you. It would help with my rehab."

He shook his head. "The truth."

Kakashi threw his needle across the room. It buried itself in the wall, barely a pinprick visible, but Kakashi's new eyes zoomed in on it, saw the torn edges of the wall's materials, saw the glint of the metal of the embedded needle, while his programming analyzed the chemical composition of the area and calculated the force needed to extract the needle from the hole before listing a half dozen alternative ways to recover it. He hated it. Just like he hated the thought of saying anything more to Genma.

He stayed silent, and stared at the pinprick in the wall.

"You like Iruka," Genma finally said. "A lot. Too much, maybe. He's not human, even though he acts like it sometimes. You are."

"You're wrong. I couldn't ever like him like that."

"No, I'm not. For what it's worth, I think he liked you, too."

Kakashi's blood ran cold. Past tense. Hidden-people were always sensitive to past tense. "He's not on the moon, is he?"

Genma hesitated, then shook his head.

"Is he dead?" Kakashi asked. He didn't want to hear the answer.

Genma didn't reply. A moment later, Kakashi heard the door close quietly.

He demolished the lab, but he still couldn't silence the keening in his heart.

~oOo~

The Hidden Leaf was as beautiful as ever, but Kakashi didn't feel a sense of homecoming as Gai landed their craft. Gai had been uncharacteristically quiet the entire journey, and while Kakashi was grateful for the silence, he also found himself resenting it. Gai didn't have a right to suppose he was sad or grieving. He should have acted like everything was normal, then Kakashi could have acted like Gai was annoying the hell out of him and then everything would have been back to normal and they'd never talk about it, because they wouldn't need to. But without that established shield of normalcy to hide behind, Kakashi wasn't sure how he was going to respond to people's inquiries about his injury.

"The Hokage asked me to escort you to his office as soon as we arrived," Gai said quietly. "But you can make it there without me, right?"

So, Gai wouldn't be running interference for him on the ship, either. "I've been gone a while, but I haven't forgotten the way if that's what you mean," Kakashi replied lazily.

"Good. See you later." Gai studied Kakashi for a moment, then saluted and walked away.

Thankfully, the corridors between the docking bay and the Hokage's office were empty. Not so unusual, Kakashi supposed, since it was late in the night cycle for most of the ship's crew. He waited outside Sandaime's door until he was told to come in.

"Hatake Kakashi, reporting," he said formally, falling into parade rest and staring at the opposite wall.

"You never stand at attention," Sandaime said, stuffing his pipe with tobacco and tamping it down.

"I... of course not, Hokage-sama," Kakashi said, forcing himself to relax a bit.

Sandaime leaned back in his chair and puffed his pipe a few times. "How did your rehabilitation go?"

"I've learned all I can from them," Kakashi replied. "But I'll have to keep working at it. I'm ready to take the field-readiness tests, though."

"Good, good." Sandaime examined him.

Kakashi steeled himself. "Sir. What are the conditions of my return to the Hidden Leaf?"

"None. In return for keeping quiet about the technology, we were able to keep them from wiping your memories," Sandaime said. "We also negotiated with them for several of their advanced Constructs, though in return we'll be paying them a hefty percentage of any fees that you generate. Their kage is much more reasonable than his father was, but his reputation for ruthlessness is well-deserved."

"I don't get it," Kakashi said. "You mean I'm free?"

"We're now in an alliance with Hidden Sand. We've each pledged to come to the other's aid if either ship or its operatives are attacked. You're simply a member of that alliance, like all of the rest of us." Sandaime looked very satisfied, and the bowl of his pipe glowed red.

"That's a good solution," Kakashi said, surprised. "I didn't think their elders would go for that."

"They didn't, but Gaara was able to persuade them, eventually."

Temari had been right. He was glad. "So, then, what about me?"

Sandaime's expression grew shrewd. "Are you trying to get out of working?"

Kakashi blinked. "Of course not, Sandaime-sama."

"Good. Once an operative, always an operative."

"Regarding my legal status, sir..."

"There has been no change to your legal status."

"But I died. I've got Construct neuro-systems, now."

"Mmm. Officially, however, you never died, so you've never had the need for any extreme life-saving measures, much less those that rely on illegal technology."

The best scenario, then. Feeling a burden fall from him, Kakashi relaxed his parade rest position to slouch like normal. "Shall I report to the testing facilities, sir?"

Sandaime nodded. "But tomorrow is soon enough. Get some sleep tonight. Dismissed." As Kakashi turned to leave the office, though, he cleared his throat. Kakashi turned back to him.

"Welcome back, Kakashi," Sandaime said with a smile.

"It's good to be back, sir," Kakashi replied softly. For all of his gruffness, Sandaime was a kind person. Kakashi knew he cared deeply for everyone on his ship. Even, it appeared, the people who weren't really people anymore.

"Just one last thing before you go." Sandaime withdrew a scroll from a hidden drawer. "A technique I can't trust to computer files. Would you be so kind as to drop it off at the classrooms? I believe there's a teacher on duty there. He can take it for you." He touched a button, and a series of holographic screens appeared in front of him.

"Of course, Sandaime." Kakashi accepted the scroll. "Anything else?"

Sandaime absently waved him away, already focused on whatever he was studying.

The ship's communication system announced the hour as he headed toward the classrooms two floors away, and Kakashi realized the day cycle was going to begin soon. He hurried through the halls, eager to drop off the scroll and hide himself away for the next 24 hours or so, longer if he could finally figure out a locking combination that Gai couldn't crack.

His programming kicked in, offering him several possible coding techniques. As much as he hated it, he had to admit it had its uses, at least when it came to Gai's interference. He decided to combine three of the codes into a stacked sequence that not even Gai could crack.

Anticipating his quiet, isolated room, free from Gai's intrusions, he automatically turned into the nearest classroom when he reached the Academy section.

A young civilian woman was grading something, her face obscured by her computer's holoscreen. Kakashi cleared his throat.

"I have a scroll from the Hokage that he asked me to give to someone here."

The woman froze, and then her screen disappeared and Kakashi found himself staring face to face with Iruka.

"Kakashi?" Iruka's voice was faint.

"Iruka." Kakashi's mouth went dry. "I thought-- they told me you were..."

"The Hokage visited me on Weeping Moon," Iruka whispered.

"But how did you end up here?"

Iruka's dark eyes were huge with disbelief. "He asked if I wanted to become a Hidden Leaf operative instead of facing a possible deactivation sentence. I said yes. I thought the price they'd negotiated for my release was to keep you on Weeping Moon as a hostage. I made sure that they pledged not to assassinate you, so I knew you'd be safe."

"They wouldn't tell me where you were. They wouldn't even say if you were alive or not." Kakashi walked forward, dazed. "Have you been here the entire time?"

"Sandaime-sama remembered me as a boy," Iruka explained. His face was white; he looked hopeless, yet resolute, as if he were preparing himself for Kakashi's anger. "Hidden Leaf provided my family's passage to the colony that was destroyed. My father and mother were Hidden Leaf operatives before they left to raise a family planet-side."

"I love you," Kakashi blurted. "Please. Please say you love me, too."

Iruka rose, trembling. "I love you, too." Then he shook his head, and something changed in his eyes. "But it's wrong. I was a Construct too long. I'm not really human. I'm not really anything."

"Neither am I," Kakashi said. "And I don't give a fuck if it's wrong or not. It is what it is. I need you." He walked over to Iruka and pulled him into his arms. "Whatever you are, whoever you are, I need you."

"I'm―" Iruka jutted his chin, challenging. "I'll probably be messed up. Like the dresses. I want to keep them. I'm not that little boy any more, the one who lost everything, and I don't want to look like him. This is who I am. I'm not going to be ashamed of being me."

"I've always been messed up," Kakashi replied. "I doubt I'll notice."

"I won't act like other humans."

"Who cares?"

"And I'm not changing the way I dress."

"You said that already. It's fine by me. As long as I can keep my public porn."

Iruka relaxed, smiled and hooked a finger over Kakashi's ammunition belt, tugging lightly. "Okay, then."

Kakashi pulled Iruka close, alive and flawed and human, regardless of whatever any laws said. He was just Iruka. "You won't be able to get rid of me, you know. I won't leave you again."

Iruka took a deep breath and let it out shakily, then pressed his forehead to Kakashi's. "If you do, I'll kill you."

"It's a deal," Kakashi murmured, and kissed him.

fin

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