Chapter Text
(I don't own any characters etc etc)
Just when Iruka figured his life couldn’t get any stranger, it did.
He had just finished dinner and was about to do some studying when there was a knock on his apartment door several days later. Not expecting a guest, he frowned as he moved to look through the peephole, confused by what (or rather, who) was in front of him. An older man stood there in a smart dark blue suit, but most striking was his grey spiky hair, which didn’t seem to quite match the rest of his look.
Opening the door slightly, Iruka warily greeted the guest, wondering who the building’s front desk had let in.
“Good evening, Iruka. My name is Hatake Sakumo.”
Iruka opened the door wider, blinking in surprise. “You’re him? Kakashi’s dad? The White Fang?”
Sakumo smiled wider. “You’ve heard of me? I’m pleasantly surprised, and flattered. Good things, I hope?”
“I’m not sure being a well known warrior is good, but sure,” Iruka posed. “Kakashi mentioned it and after he…well, I looked you up.”
Sakumo nodded. “And?”
“And it’s you, and I suppose he’s him?” Iruka said, shaking his head. His interactions with Tenzo and Bisuke had made him doubt a lot of what he had thought, so what was one more peculiar interaction? “Would you like to come in?”
“That would be nice, thank you,” Sakumo said, stepping inside. He looked around, smiling fondly. “This is a nice home.”
“It’s small, but enough for me,” Iruka commented, gesturing for him to sit on the sofa. Sakumo declined anything to eat or drink, and Iruka sat in a chair nearby, awkwardly looking at him.
“So…” Iruka began, but trailed off, unsure of what to say.
Sakumo gently smiled, and Iruka felt a bit more at peace by the grandfatherly smile on him. “We were a good team on the battlefield, Kakashi and I. It was a harsh change, to die.”
“Yes, I suppose it would be,” Iruka politely agreed.
“I had lived my life, at least. Married, had a son, saw him grow up. But Kakashi didn’t get those things before dying, so devoted to work, his family, and this village. Not that he didn’t live his life a bit. He’s what you kids today would say as having some experience romantically?”
Iruka’s eyes widened as his face turned red. “Omg, I’m hearing sex talk from a ghost!” he blurted out, before his eyes widened further and he covered his mouth with his hands.
“A spirit, thank you,” Sakumo corrected him.
Iruka nodded. “Fine, yes, a spirit. Does Kakashi know you’re here telling me he’s not a virgin?”
Sakumo laughed. “It’s a father’s joy to embarrass his son.”
Iruka laughed from the casualness of it all. “My dad said the same thing,” he agreed, before they fell into silence again.
“But why me?” Iruka finally asked, in a small voice. “And why now, after so many years, decades…centuries?”
Sakumo shrugged. “Love has no timeframe, Iruka. I sensed something big and told him to pursue it.”
Iruka pinched the bridge of his nose. “Part of me still says none of this is real, right? True love, fate, spirits, talking dogs?”
“You’ve seen some of that yourself,” Sakumo countered. “I've come here because I’d like to help.”
“What?”
“I’d like to show you more, to understand it more. When you’re ready, of course.”
Iruka blinked. “Ready for what?”
“To see our living space, realm, if you will,” Sakumo told him. “Come to the shrine and let me know whenever you want to.”
“Um, I’ll think about it?” Iruka softly agreed and Sakumo smiled again.
“Good, that’s all I ask,” he applauded. “I’ll see you then,” he said, before leaving in the blink of an eye.
Iruka sighed, looking around to find himself alone again. His eyes trailed to pictures of himself and his own parents, as well as pictures with the Uzumakis.
Seeing the happiness from both families, he sighed heavily, unsure of what to do.
___
A week later, Iruka felt prepared, and went to the shrine alone. He stood there, taking a deep breath before he spoke.
“Okay, I’m ready,” he announced, and next thing he knew, he was outside of an older, traditional style house, and not in an area he recognized. Gone were the shrine and familiar park around him...
Sakumo stood before him in a kimono, smiling widely and greeted him warmly.
“Come in, come in,” Sakumo said, gently guiding him in. “Would you like some tea?”
“Can I drink it?” Iruka wondered aloud as he looked around, feeling like he was in a museum exhibit. “Will it keep me here?”
“Not as far as I know,” Sakumo told him, moving to fix their drinks. “I’m kidding,” he said when Iruka looked at him with wide eyes. “You’ll be fine.”
“When was the last time a living person came here?” Iruka asked, as he looked at different odds and ends.
“Oh, it’s been a minute, admittedly. Maybe Sarutobi Hiruzen?”
“Sarutobi? The governor of Konoha like, fifty years ago?” Iruka recalled. Maybe he’d have to ask the Sarutobi relative he knew if the family really knew the Hatakes…
Sakumo shrugged as he put the tea on a low table, and Iruka moved to sit with him. They sat in silence for a moment before Iruka spoke.
“Where’s Kakashi?”
Sakumo smiled as he drank his tea. “Moping about, scared to see you, I assume.”
“I thought he’s a big warrior?” Iruka asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
“Warriors have feelings too,” Sakumo reminded him, and Iruka blushed, embarrassed slightly.
They talked about this and that, with Sakumo giving Iruka a tour of the house before suggesting he walk the grounds himself.
Iruka did just that, marveling at the gardens, but paused when he found Kakashi by the koi pond as sunset fell on the area.
“Hi,” Iruka said as he approached, and Kakashi scrambled to stand to greet him.
“Hi,” Kakashi bashfully replied.
“Your dad hinted that you might be out here.”
“Yeah,” Kakashi agreed, clearly unsure of what else to say. He gestured for Iruka to sit, and they sat side by side, facing the pond.
Iruka turned his head to look at him, feeling out of place in his traditional clothes, as Kakashi was also in a kimono.
“I like your kimono,” Iruka offered. “You look…classic.”
“Oh, thanks?” Kakashi replied, looking at himself. “If it’s making you uncomfortable I could change?”
“No, it’s fine,” Iruka told him, as they fell into silence again.
“I really am sorry,” Kakashi said, speaking first. “I didn’t think about how you might feel with all this. I hoped you might just…accept it and we’d move on quickly”
“I appreciate that,” Iruka told him. “And I’m sorry I snapped, though it’s been a lot to take in. I don’t fully regret everything I said, but I could have been less rude, I guess.”
“I never meant to hurt you.”
Iruka gave him a small smile. “I know. But you can imagine what it’s like to find out that someone can do what you can do, you know?”
Kakashi nodded, and they fell into silence again, looking at the pond.
“You’ll have to promise to not do that again, plant memories,” Iruka suddenly said. “You or your dad.”
Kakashi looked at him, surprised. “Of course! Yes!”
Iruka nodded, still looking at the pond. “And you’ll need to always be fully honest with me.”
“Always,” Kakashi quickly agreed.
“And you’ll have to figure out what it means to be human again, I don't want to be some old guy dating a twenty year old.”
Kakashi loudly laughed. “I’m nearly thirty, thank you.”
Iruka laughed as well. “You know what I mean.”
“Well, then it’s a good thing that Hatake men age gracefully,” Kakashi mused.
Iruka looked at him. “What will you do? If you live in my time more often than not.”
“Well, we’re a rich family, so money isn’t a problem,” Kakashi reflected. “I’ll still help out at the shelter, but maybe I’ll do something different too. I could do something with history, but I don’t think I want to go back to school for degrees for it.” He paused. “Perhaps I’ll put my fighting skills to more peaceful uses and teach martial arts.”
Iruka smiled at him. “I think you’d be good at that, from what I hear...”
Kakashi smiled back. “Would you like a tour of the gardens?” he asked, standing and holding out a hand.
“I’d like that,” Iruka agreed, taking his hand and standing up. And off they went, walking around hand in hand.
____
One year later…
“Well, you look adorable,” Iruka said, smiling widely.
“A pumpkin hat?” Pakkun grumbled. “Really?”
“But Bull and Bisuke like theirs!” Iruka argued.
“Pakkun, stop being a brat,” Kakashi called out wearily.
“If your father knew what you were doing -” Pakkun began, but Kakashi interrupted him.
“He’s friends with us on social media, of course he knows what we’re doing! Smile!”
Kakashi moved to crowd in with Iruka and the dogs, taking a selfie of them before taking the dogs’ hats off. He wrapped his arms around Iruka and kissed him as Pakkun trotted off grumbling more.
“We still need to plan our Halloween costumes,” Iruka said, staying with their arms wrapped around each other.
“I know, I know,” Kakashi agreed. “Maybe I'll bring out some of my old armor?” he suggested, but before they could say anything more, Iruka’s phone rang.
“It’s Naruto,” Iruka told him as he answered, putting it on speaker. “Hey, Naruto, you almost ready?”
“Yeah, but I wish you didn’t live so far away!” Naruto complained.
Iruka rolled his eyes. “I literally moved three floors below yours.”
“Yeah, but it’s so far, you used to live only one floor away!” Naruto whined.
“Well, how else were Iruka and I and three dogs supposed to live together?” Kakashi asked him, wrapping his arms around Iruka again. “His old place was too small.”
“I guess,” Naruto sighed heavily.
“You’re going to be a terror when you’re a teenager,” Iruka told him. “We’ll see you in a minute.”
They hung up and he smiled at Kakashi as they got the dogs ready for a walk.
“Did you ever think you’d be a dog person?” Kakashi asked as they grabbed the leashes as they left their apartment.
“No, but what can I say?” Iruka laughed. “They grew on me. I should've known, I guess, going to a dog shrine with Naruto so many times, that I might end up with my own dog one day.”
“Dog, and amazing boyfriend,” Kakashi reminded him.
“Boyfriend spirit guardian,” Iruka teased. “Not that I’ll ever forget that part…”