Chapter Text
“I still can’t believe it’s real.”
Asuma shook his head as they all watched from a distance. The only noise was the shuffle of their own horse’s hooves beneath them and the quiet crackle of the small smoke signal that still smoldered in a can to their side. A small breeze occasionally blew bringing the smoke in front of their view. Through it, they could see the white mustang. It stood guard while the rest of the herd grazed close by. It wasn’t a large group, six adults, two juveniles, and one foal. The wild horse with a black forehead came over and nudged the white one toward some food taking its place. Iruka smiled, being reminded briefly of his own family.
“We should probably approach slow.” Kakashi said, his gaze not breaking away from the horses in the distance, “We need to push the horses east so that we can avoid a small canyon to the north. The goal is to separate him early on, which we can do if Tenzou and Asuma push from the sides. I’ll push directly behind to try to get the first rope on. Iruka will cut him off before he gets too far.” Kakashi looked away from the horse and at Asuma and Yamato, who nodded before starting their horses at a quick trot. Iruka and Kakashi followed shortly after, riding side by side. A few minutes in, the wild herd spotted them and started to move. Asuma and Yamato started to ride faster, gaining distance from Kakashi and Iruka.
“He’s going to be fast. You sure you can keep up?” Kakashi called over to Iruka.
Iruka rolled his eyes but grinned at the clear challenge, “Bite me Hatake,” He called back before pushing Ghost to start a gallop with a sharp cry of encouragement and a whoop of excitement as they took off.
Kakashi watched for a moment before following.
The first indication that nothing was going to plan was the fact that they couldn’t seem to separate all of the horses from the white horse. The horse with the black forehead refused to leave the white horse’s side, which was causing problems because every time they managed to get the others away, the horse would charge the sides and let some of the others back into the group.
The second problem was that Kakashi had managed to get the first rope on, but the horse had kept running and managed to pull the rope away. Now it was dragging dangerously down the front of the horse and unreachable even if they got close enough.
The third and final problem was that in chasing the herd they had managed to change directions nearly half a dozen times and they were now heading north- toward the small canyon.
The whole time Iruka had been in front, neck and neck with the white horse. He tried to get it to change directions east away from the canyon. But the horse hadn’t remained a myth for this long just because it was hard to find.
Iruka watched the dragging rope and quickly went through his options.
- Retreat and hope the horse slows enough, doesn’t trip or get stuck anywhere, and regroup and retry (if the horse doesn't take off and disappear on them)
- Get the rope
- Give up, and hope the rope slips off on its own
Iruka didn’t like his options much.
He sighed as he let go of Ghost’s mane and pushed himself up so that he was standing on her back. He had done this a dozen or so times, but it didn’t make it any less scary. He had to time it just right if he was going to make it. One slip of his foot. One miscalculation of timing. One turn by either horse. And he was doomed.
He threw himself off of Ghost and onto the back of the Mustang. He reached around and blindly grabbed for the rope around the horse's neck. When he got it he gathered it in his hands and tried to steer the horse in another direction but it refused to move. Ghost ran alongside the both of them.
Iruka could see the canyon ledge now.
The White horse picked up speed.
“Fall back!” Asuma cried as he pulled to the side, Kakashi and Yamato following suit. The rest of the herd came back in behind but slow enough that Iruka could tell they were stopping or going to turn at the last moment. But not the white horse.
Iruka could see an all too familiar look in its eyes. A stubborn refusal to back down.
It was not going to stop.
Ghost turned as they met the canyon ledge and ran off to the side, slowing down. Iruka didn’t waste any time pulling sharply on the white mane, and when that didn’t work he reached both arms around the horse's neck and yanked as hard as he could, causing the horse to rear up completely.
The next thing Iruka knew he was falling.
Iruka was falling, and the horse was coming with him.
Kakashi watched in horror, his palms sweaty, and heart racing as Iruka stood on top of his horse.
“What is he doing?” He called out to Asuma, panic evident in his voice. The ledge looming in front of them. Iruka jumped from Ghost to the mustang and Kakashi forgot to breathe. He spurred his horse back into action, moving as quickly as he could toward them.
He watched as Iruka yanked the wild horse to the side with its mane, before wrapping himself around the horse's neck and pulling its head back sharply.
They barely missed the canyon.
The horse reared up on him, its back legs slipping.
Iruka went down with the horse on top of him.
Please don’t be dead. Don’t be dead. Don’t be dead. Don’t be dead. Kakashi vaguely heard Asuma cry out for his younger brother as he reached Iruka. He threw himself off his horse before it had even stopped moving.
The white horse was struggling to get back up from its fall and Kakashi grabbed the loose rope around its neck hauling it off of Iruka with a sickening crunch. He blindly handed it to Yamato who had, at some point, arrived at his side.
He knelt down by Iruka and immediately started to check for head bleeding. There was a small cut to the back of his skull but it wasn’t soft to the touch. His collar bone was clearly broken, as was his wrist. His leg bent at an odd angle and there was no accounting for anything internal.
Kakashi started to tap Iruka’s face.
“Iruka! Iruka!”
Kakashi felt himself finally start breathing when Iruka opened his eyes and they focused on his face before twisting in pain.
Kakashi leaned back and let himself fall onto his butt with a thud.
“The horse,” Iruka groaned,
“We caught it.”
“It’s okay?”
Kakashi stared in disbelief before breaking out into a short and sudden laugh.
“Are you serious? You could’ve just died and you’re worried about the horse? Your arm is probably broken. Your collarbone too. And your leg. And you have a concussion at least. And you want to know about the damn horse? You could still die, and you want to know about the horse?”
“Kakashi.” Iruka ground out between his teeth.
“It’s fine. Asuma and Tenzo are checking it over but it should be fine. Do you feel any stomach pain? Or back pain?”
“I just had a horse fall on me. Of course, I feel pain.”
“Aside from the areas I mentioned earlier. Do you have pain anywhere else?”
Iruka paused for a moment as if cataloging. “No.”
Kakashi ran a hand through his hair, only now noticing his hat went missing at some point. After a moment, he got up and whistled for Ghost. When Iruka’s horse trotted over and started sniffing at his owner, who was for some reason laying on the ground, Kakashi pulled the blanket off of her and wrapped Iruka in it.
“Tenzo” He called over his shoulder, he could hear the sound of tent stakes being driven into the hard ground, a few seconds later Tenzo was at his side as the hammering continued behind them.
“I need your help holding him down while we set some of these. I also need to make sure there are no open wounds. Then you and Asuma have to ride to the next town and get help. A doctor or a cart, preferably both, and bring them back here.” Kakashi turned his attention back to Iruka, “this is going to hurt. A lot.”
Iruka closed his eyes with a small huff of either laughter or disbelief.
“Alright,” Kakashi waited for Yamato to get into place with a hand on Iruka’s good shoulder and one on his forehead holding him down that way, “One, two,” Kakashi quickly pulled Iruka’s leg out and then heard his knee pop back into place before feeling the bones line up. Iruka screamed and passed out. “This is going to take a while.” Kakashi sighed as he looked at the sun.
Iruka awoke as the sun set with his injuries wrapped, braced, and tended to. He was in his sleeping bag and he had the vaguest memory of blinking in and out of consciousness for what felt like a few minutes but judging by the setting sun, was probably more like hours.
“Hey,” Kakashi said from his spot by the fire that was to Iruka’s left, “Hey, you’re awake.” Kakashi moved and Iruka tried to follow but turning his head hurt too much. “Here’s some water and some pain meds. We couldn’t get you to take them because you kept passing out.” He helped Iruka lift his head a little before setting him gently back down.
“How are you feeling?”
“Pain.”
Kakashi chuckled, “Well you made it past the shock phase. We just have to keep you from getting any infections for a few days and we should be good to go.”
“A few days?” Iruka asked, his mind still foggy.
“Yes, days. At least one there and one back. And then another for us to travel. Asuma and Tenzo should be back in a few days.”
“Ugh.”
“You should try to have some broth.”
Iruka scrunched up his face, “How did you make the broth?”
“Rabbits… mostly.”
“Rabbit,” Iruka was suddenly giddy. “Rabbit soup.” It wasn’t funny. At all. But the pain was making him slightly delirious. He started laughing harder but it hurt so it quickly ended in a wince, “ow.”
“Yes, rabbit soup. Here, drink some, please.”
Iruka obediently drank some of the broth before falling back to sleep.
Kakashi sighed.
Iruka slept most of the next day.
He woke up as the stars were emerging and the sky above him was changing from light blue to dark.
He was feeling alright.
As long as he didn’t move too much.
“Are you thirsty?” Kakashi asked from where he sat still.
“No, thank you.” Iruka let his head fall to the side with a slight wince. “Where’s the horse?”
“Tied up with our horses.”
“You tied up Ghost?” Iruka went to sit up and instead cried out at the attempt at movement.
“Careful there.” Kakashi was at his side quickly pushing him back down into his blankets, “yes. I tied up Ghost. She kept coming by to eat my hair and was jostling you with her head so much I was worried she was going to upset your injuries.”
Iruka harrumphed as he relaxed again, “I guess that makes sense. But still,”
“She’s fine. I’m sure her and the white horse are getting into all sorts of trouble together.”
Iruka was silent for a moment as Kakashi went back to his seat.
“She was trying to eat your hair?”
“Yup.” Kakashi moved to rebuild their small fire. “Why do you think it looks like this?” Kakashi pointed at his head. Iruka looked at his hair but he couldn’t see anything much different from normal.
“It looks the same.”
“It’s on the wrong side.”
“Oh.”
“You should eat something.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not. You should eat something.”
Iruka sighed, “Fine.”
Kakashi brought over some broth and helped Iruka sit up to drink it like he had the night before.
When Iruka had enough, Kakashi gently let his head back down and went to clean the dishes. When he returned darkness had fully engulfed their small camp. There was no moon to be seen, only the stars up above. Kakashi retook his spot across from Iruka and Iruka tried his best to get comfortable.
Iruka stared at the stars and shivered in his sleeping bag. Even with the heat from their small fire nearby, and the additional blanket that he usually used for riding, the night was cold. He was injured, and he just wanted this horrible trek to be done.
"What are you thinking about?" Kakashi asked as he put his book down. He was laying in his own sleeping bag across the way from Iruka.
"I am wishing I had held onto the tent," He tried to shift so he was more enclosed in his blankets.
Kakashi watched the struggle for a moment before getting up and bringing his sleeping bag over with him. Iruka watched slightly horrified as Kakashi set up directly next to Iruka, pulled the blanket further over Iruka’s shoulders, crawled into his sleeping bag, and set back into his book.
“You didn’t have to do that.” Iruka started,
“I don’t know about that. You look like you’re already warming up. Your face is red.” Iruka could hear Kakashi’s smirk behind his book.
“Jerk.”
Kakashi merely hummed in agreement. The two of them sat in silence. Kakashi’s close proximity helped keep the heat in the area where Iruka was laying and he started to warm up, feeling his eyes starting to drift closed yet again. A sharp whinny jostled him awake. Iruka’s heart was beating fast, his first instinct was that it was Ghost. But another whinny confirmed that it was not her.
“Is that?” Iruka didn’t have to finish his question. Kakashi nodded. Another whinny echoed out into the night and Iruka winced at the pained sound. Kakashi put down his book and looked back toward the horses behind him.
“He’s been doing this every night.”
“Every night?”
“The rest of the herd is still nearby. If you’re quiet you can hear them answer. But they won’t get close to us.”
They sat in silence as the horse continued to cry out. Sure enough, what Iruka had initially thought of as part of the echo came back as a different horse vocalizing its grief.
Iruka’s chest tightened.
“I hate this.” He whispered. “I hate this so much.”
Kakashi hummed again as he turned back and looked at Iruka. Iruka was aware he was crying but he was hoping it was dark enough that Kakashi wouldn’t notice. Then his breath hitched and he knew Kakashi noticed because Kakashi shifted closer. Iruka jumped slightly as a warm hand came up and wiped some of the tears away.
“You know, it’s going to be very hard to bring that horse in while also getting you medical help.” Kakashi mused, his hand still on Iruka’s face, his thumb stroking Iruka’s cheek almost absently. Iruka was trying to piece together and make sense of both the action and the words Kakashi was saying. Almost abruptly Kakashi’s hand left Iruka’s cheek as he got up and disappeared.
“Kakashi?” Iruka asked to his retreating back, “Kakashi?”
Iruka strained his ears. He heard Kakashi talking to the horses. Heard him sigh in defeat and greet Ghost. Heard the whinnying stop before he heard the sound of a horse running away from them at a fast pace. Iruka sat wide-eyed as he listened for Kakashi to come back.
When he resettled atop his sleeping bag, tossed a rope he had been carrying to the side. Then he picked up his book as if nothing just happened.
“What did you just do?”
“Nothing. I went to check the horse’s water and found the white horse missing. Must’ve slipped his lead.”
Iruka blinked.
“Why would you do that?”
“I didn’t do anything. It escaped. It’s a good thing too. Like I said before. It would’ve been very difficult to get you medical help while also trying to get the horse back in time.”
Iruka couldn’t deny the relief he felt but it was also mixed with guilt at getting hurt and causing the whole problem, to begin with.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“I ruined this whole thing. I should’ve regrouped with you and come up with a new strategy. Instead, I acted impulsively and now no one is getting paid.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”
Iruka let his head fall to the side and was caught off guard by the state of disarray of Kakashi’s hair. He let out a bark of a laugh and a grin lit up his face, “your hair.”
“I told you. Your horse keeps trying to eat it.” Kakashi’s hair was now sticking straight up like a cone or badly done mohawk. Iruka grinned, his chest lightening some. Kakashi turned a page in his book as Iruka watched, still smiling.
He soon felt his eyes growing heavy again. Kakashi, without looking up from his book, pulled Iruka’s blanket up again before turning a page.
As Iruka drifted to sleep he couldn’t help but once again wonder how he was reading his book.
The next morning passed in a haze. Kakashi brought their horses close now that the wild horse was not there, and not a threat to Iruka if it got loose. Though he did still keep Ghost tied up alongside his horse, who seemed to distance itself from her as much as her lead would allow.
Iruka slept some more but wasn’t tired so much as getting fidgety.
It was around noon when they saw two familiar figures riding toward them followed closely by a small entourage pulling a hay cart.
“Oh thank god,” Iruka sighed.
“Oh good. You’re awake.” Asuma said as he slid off his saddle, walking over to check on his brother.
“That’s going to make this a lot easier,” Yamato said as he too came over.
Iruka looked up at all three of the men who stood around staring at him. Slowly a few more unfamiliar faces trickled over.
“Hello.” Iruka said with a forced smile before locking eyes with his brother, “This is weird. Please just hurry up and put me in the cart so we can go home.”
“Have you tried to move at all?” Asuma asked as he crouched down to try to figure out the best way to move Iruka without jostling him too much.
“Not really,” Iruka admitted.
“Alright then, Yamato, you and Yuen will grab his shoulders. I’ll lift from his injured side and try to hold his leg steady, while the doctor here takes his other side. Kakashi you’re going to have to hold his head.” All the men got into place.
Iruka closed his eyes in anticipation of being jostled, as he felt everyone place their hands on him. When he opened them he found himself face to face with Kakashi, their eyes locking for a moment. Iruka opened his mouth to say something but had to shut his eyes in pain as Asuma’s countdown ended and he was lifted.
It was an odd sensation.
Like hovering just above the ground, with small twinges of pain whenever Asuma had to adjust his grip to support his splinted leg. Iruka felt Kakashi climb into the cart as his body was passed, hands moving down his sides. When the movement stopped Iruka’s eyes fluttered open and Kakashi let out a breath.
“I thought you’d passed out again.”
Iruka merely shook his head weakly.
His head was in Kakashi’s lap.
“We’re good to go,” Kakashi said and soon they were all moving.
In the back of the cart with them was the doctor who asked Iruka some routine questions and took a look at his injuries. Iruka answered but his focus was more on how Kakashi was threading his fingers through his hair and how warm he seemed to be beneath him. When the doctor was satisfied that Iruka wasn’t going to die on him he turned to some of his companions who were riding alongside and started a conversation with them.
Iruka closed his eyes and let out a sigh.
“What’s on your mind?” Kakashi quietly asked.
“I just can’t wait until this is all over and a bad dream.”
Kakashi hummed in agreement. They were quiet for a bit longer before Iruka felt Kakashi let out a huff of laughter
“Someone’s here to see you,”
Iruka looked up at Kakashi and followed his face to where Ghost was briskly walking alongside the cart and staring at Iruka with a worried look.
“I’m fine, girl, really,” Iruka said as he lifted his good arm up for her to push her nose into. She pulled away and trotted away in a small circle before coming back and throwing her head back with a small whinny of annoyance.
“I think your horse would willingly pull this cart on its own if we let it,” Kakashi said softly by Iruka’s head. Ghost nodded her head and huffed.
Iruka went a little pale at the idea. “No offense girl, but I don’t trust you not to get distracted or pull us into a ravine.”
Kakashi gave a light chuckle which caused Iruka to smile which turned into a full-out grin when Ghost started to try to chew on Kakashi’s hair and he tried to bat her away. She trotted with high feet for a moment before bowing her head and taking off ahead of the group.
“Your horse is a menace.”
“Yeah, she is,” Iruka said fondly. And so am I.
Over the course of the next few weeks, Iruka went from bedridden, to recuperating, to being able to travel the additional day back to their hometown. Throughout the whole thing, Kakashi remained by his side despite Iruka’s insistence that he should go home to his family. But Kakashi had brushed him off saying that Asuma and Yamato would be back soon enough and that they would let Kakashi’s father know what happened as well as Hiruzen. Then he would tell Iruka not to worry so much and to focus on getting better.
It was meant to be comforting.
And in some way it was.
Iruka wasn’t entirely sure when the other man’s presence shifted from being an irritation to being a comforting balm but it had. And Iruka had to figure out how he was going to adjust to not being in the other man’s presence when they returned.
On top of that, Iruka was trying to figure out how he was going to apologize and explain to his adoptive father what had occurred.
On the journey back to their hometown (in a cart thankfully, since Ghost had gone home with Asuma) Kakashi could see Iruka’s distress and insisted he would take care of it and not to worry about it. But Iruka couldn’t help it. They had captured the horse! They had actually, truly, captured a horse believed to be more folklore than an actual physical being! But because of him, it was gone.
When they reached their hometown Kakashi was immediately met by Asuma to go talk to Hiruzen. Iruka had waved them off, telling them he’d go home and rest. But after a few minutes of standing in the street like a fool, Iruka’s guilt won over and he followed them to his adoptive family’s home.
“And well sir. You know the rest.” Iruka stood as straight as he could with his crutches. Hiruzen sat at his desk with his pipe between his lips for a tense few moments before letting out a stream of smoke.
“Very well,” He nodded to Iruka as a small smile creased his eyes, “I will inform our third party that the horse is a myth and that we were unable to locate it.”
“Sounds good.”
“Thank you for stopping by before heading home Kakashi. I appreciate it. Iruka, you’re always welcome to stay for dinner.”
“I, yes. Thank you.” Iruka blinked a few times before following Kakashi out of the room.
When the door shut behind them Iruka laughed a little, “That felt very anti-climactic.”
“I don’t think he actually wanted us to capture it from the beginning.” Kakashi held the front door open, “I think, no offense, but that was why he sent you with Asuma. He was expecting your heart to win out. He did seem upset you got injured though.”
“That does sound like him. He once found out Asuma had a date to go see a movie and gave me money to go to the theater with my friends so that I’d crash it.”
“That’s cruel.”
“Yeah. Thankfully my adoptive mother yelled at him for that. He’s been more, stare them down across the room, subtly threaten while cleaning a gun, since then.”
Kakashi chuckled, “What a horrible thing to do to a kid.”
“The best part was, it was only three years ago.”
Kakashi started laughing, dragging Iruka into it until they were both laughing as they walked down the street.
“You totally knew didn’t you.”
“Of course! I wasn’t about to give up free money to go see a movie. I had enough for all three of us, myself and my two friends, to get popcorn and a drink each.”
“That’s horrible. Poor Asuma.”
“He’ll get me back,” Iruka said with a wave of his hand.
“Have anyone in mind?”
“That depends,” Iruka stopped, “Would you like to grab dinner at some point?”
“Sure, does today work? My father is an excellent cook.”
“I’m not sure that I want to have your father cook for me the first time he meets me.”
“Well, he’s also cooking for Tenzou and Asuma tonight, so…”
“Are we crashing my brother’s date?”
“No, we’re crashing my brother’s date.”
“Oh, I am so in.” Iruka laughed.
“Good. I’ll pick you up in a few hours then?” Kakashi asked as they reached a fork in the road and both started to go opposite directions, “We can use the bench there as a meeting place.”
“I’ll see you in a few hours then.” Iruka nodded, he watched as Kakashi started to walk away with his hands in his pockets, “And Kakashi,” Kakashi turned around, “Thanks.”
Kakashi waved a hand at Iruka before breaking out into a slight run. Iruka turned around still grinning and bubbling with new excitement. When he heard a small whoop of excitement from Kakashi’s direction he couldn’t help but laugh.