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“Enough!” Iruka shouted, his back and rear against a hard, wooden desk. In front of him was another, taller individual looming over him. Their hands were roaming around the chuunin’s sides, cold fingers dipping underneath clothing. The breaking point was a wet tongue running along his lips, begging for entry. Quickly, the brunet shoved the palm of his hand against the other man’s broad chest with enough force, pushing him back. The threat took just a single step back and put on a confused look.
“What? It’s been a while since we’ve been able to do something!” Kakashi complained.
It had been over a year since the Five Shinobi Nations went through a gruesome war. Many from different parts of the world fought for the same goal and many sacrificed their lives to make that goal a reality. Eventually, the fighting quelled once the threat was dismissed. Yet, the war changed everyone and everything. Many shinobi hung their gear and left the work force. Some even ran away, rather abandoning their village than to kill again. In other places, the changes were positive. One of which was a big change in the village of Konoha. Tsunade, the village’s fifth Hokage, stepped down and relinquished her powers to the new sixth, Kakashi Hatake.
“Because you’re the Hokage now!” Iruka complained, adjusting his forehead protector. “You didn’t think you would have a lot of responsibilities as one?!”’
“Well, that’s why I used my power to assign you as my assistant to help me with all this paperwork,” Kakashi pointed out, pulling his mask back up to the bridge of his nose. “You’re better at this stuff than I am. That and you are one of the few who can read my handwriting.”
“And I agreed to do this for you on your word that we wouldn’t mess around in your office or anywhere in the building!” the chuunin gritted his teeth and glared at his lover. “I gave up my job at the mission desk so I can come here straight from the Academy!”
“But you looked like you needed a kiss. You were standing there, looking down.”
“Because I literally was looking down, going over your paperwork, making sure you signed in the right areas!” Iruka lashed out, crossing his arms. “And then you suddenly grabbed my wrist, spun me around, and latched onto me!”
“Who wouldn’t?” the Hokage retorted. He quickly regretted it as Iruka’s sour expression didn’t change.
“That’s not the point!” the brunet shouted but sighed heavily, putting his hands on his hips. “You need to take his job seriously. Everyone here in the village is counting on you to make decisions to keep not just them but the citizens safe!”
“I understand that, Iruka. I truly do. Just… even I need a break sometimes,” he explained, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked away, unable to look at the brunet straight in the eyes.
Iruka looked at Kakashi closely and pondered a bit, feeling concerned. “If you really think you’re being overwhelmed, maybe we can hire more people to go over some of these documents. Shikamaru would be ideal.”
“Can we just go on vacation? Just the two of us?” Kakashi asked, looking back at him smiling under his mask. “I know this beautiful hot spring just outside the vil-”
“You just started this job! It took you nearly a year to accept it from Tsunade-sama!” he argued back, harshly. “Just when I think you’re being sincere, you do this!”
“But Iruka-“ Kakashi reached his hand out to the chuunin, yet immediately, a slap echoed in the office as the brunet reacted and hit Kakashi’s hand away.
“Don’t ‘But Iruka’ me! I’m not working with you to fulfill some fantasy of yours!” he shouted he turned away from the Hokage and grabbed his books. “I’m going home for the day.”
“You can’t go home! I need you! I order you to-“ the silver-haired man started to proclaim until the chuunin turned to face him, his deep mahogany eyes looking dead straight at him at his soul. He bit his tongue back and kept his lips shut for his own good. “Good choice…” Iruka stated as he took his leave out of the office, leaving Kakashi to his own thoughts and to think about his actions.
The Hokage sighed as he sat in his chair, leaning over his desk and running his hand through his silver mane. True, Kakashi didn’t want to take the job of the leader of the village at first. Memories of when he got promoted last ran through his mind. He recalled the argument he had with his teammate, Obito, over the condition of his first mission as a jounin. It was his decision that lead to Obito’s presumed death. Even after trying to own up to his mistake every day afterward by visiting the Memorial Stone to repent, bad luck seemed to followed. By his own hand, his other teammate, Rin, was killed and his old teacher, Minato, sacrificed himself along with his wife to save the village. All three were the closest Kakashi had to a family after his father departed the living world and yet, just as easily as they came into his life, they left.
Despite all that, it baffled him that many saw him as a good fit to be the next person to lead the village. His biggest fan even included his lover, the one person he couldn’t bare to lose as well. He recalled the chuunin being ecstatic and overjoyed at the honor the jounin was receiving, maybe even enough for the two of them. Kakashi didn’t wish to diminish the smile the brunet had by telling him he didn’t want it and would pass up the opportunity to someone else more fit. So he took it willingly.
The man leaned back in his chair, continuing to ponder if it was a good idea to assign Iruka to be his assistant. If the chuunin was close more often, Kakashi didn’t have to worry about something happening to him. He could be there if something should. Yet, every time the memories of the past came to haunt him, his urge to hold the brunet grew, making sure he was still with him and alive.
“Hm?” Kakashi quickly looked back for a quick second. A bright light coming through one of the windows caught the corner of his eye. He saw it was coming straight at him. Swift reflexes caused him to swiftly leap out and push his chair out of the way as he landed on his feet. He looked again but found the light gone and nothing outside. “What was that…?”
———
“There you are!” Shizune came in. Kakashi spun his head to see her but noticed her change of clothes immediately. She wasn’t wearing her usual bluish-black kimono but instead was wearing a business jacket buttoned up and a long knee-length skirt in the same color.
“What… Why are you wearing-“
“I swear this job was easier when Tsunade-sama was here,” she sighed as her high heels clacked against the ground as she approached. “Did you go through all those files?”
“Um… Yeah… I-Iruka was just here to-“
“Iruka-sensei?” the woman blinked her eyes. “I thought I told you to have him come to me.”
“Why?” Kakashi asked.
“Look, I know you think my job as vice-principal is to make sure you do all your work, just as I did with your predecessor, but there is more to it.”
“I know you helped Tsunade, but- Wait, vice-principal?” Kakashi questioned. “What do you mean by that?”
Shizune glared at the man, raising an eyebrow. “VIce-principal. The assistant to a principal, which is you, remember?”
“Me? Principal?” the white haired man blinked. “I don’t work at the Academy, though…” he mumbled, confused. He looked around his office and found even his surroundings were odd as well. His desk was still there, stacks of paper and files scattered about just as usual. His chair was now on its side on the floor but was still the leather seat he was sitting in a few minutes ago. Yet, the portraits that hung around the room of his predecessors were different. No longer were the previous Hokage wore their traditional white garbs but all suits, just like Shizune. He looked behind him, through the windows. He looked intently as the village buildings changed, too. They stood tall and white compared to their previous look. No longer did they sport the familiar red roofs but were flat. Not some, but all now had a modern look to them. Kakashi moved in close to the windows to get a better look when he caught his reflection. He spun around and looked at himself in a nearby mirror.
No longer was he wearing a flak jacket, sandals, gloves, or even his forehead protector. In the mirror staring back at him was a pale man wearing black slacks with matching suspenders, a white dress shirt, and a white, medical mask was covering the lower half of his face. “What…?”
“I swear, at least Tsunade was more focused on working than you were,” Shizune sighed in frustration again.
“Wait, Tsunade? Where is she now?” Kakashi turned back, concerned about the sudden change.
“She’s on vacation now that you took over her job! Sometimes I wish I could have accompanied her to watch her gambling habits…” she looked away. “Look, I’ll be back to check on you again before the day is over. Please, try to do you job, right. I know you’re new at this but Tsunade trusted you with it for a reason,” she tried to leave on a positive note before walking out of the room.
Kakashi quickly tried to assess the situation as he left the room and roamed the halls. It was clear he was no longer in Konoha or at least the version he knew. He saw that he still held some kind of authority in this alternate universe, although he was now leading a school and not several hundreds of citizens. His hand slowly moved down to his right thigh and found that he no longer was wearing his holster carrying kunai, shuriken, and other weapons. Although this world was different, the people here seemed to act the same as students respected him and other teachers greeted him like nothing.
‘This has to be a genjutsu…’ he thought as he waved off this world’s Kurenai after they talked about she was doing with her two-year old daughter. ‘But why would someone place a genjutsu over me that works like this?’ he wondered as he quickly turned the corner and tried to break the genjutsu. He performed the hand seal and although he was trying his best to break it, nothing was working.
“Hatake-sama?” a familiar voice asked.
The silver-haired man froze for a moment. Slowly, he turned around and his eyes widened as he saw the voice was attached to a familiar face, wearing a dark jade-colored suit. “…I-Iruka? What are you doing here?”
“I… work here?” he questioned himself, a little nervous.
“No, I mean-“ Kakashi paused mid thought. ‘Wait, all of this has to be a genjutsu. A powerful one if I can’t escape it. Problem is who would and could pull off a genjutsu this powerful… And why me? And how would they know Iruka…’
“Hatake-sama?” Iruka repeated himself. “Are you all right?”
The pale man broke out of his stupor. “Ah, yes… Sorry about that, Iruka-sensei,” Kakashi mumbled, running his hand through his hair. ‘For now, I just have to play the role.’ “Can I ask you where you should be now?”
“Oh, me?” the brunet pointed to himself. “I was just going to classroom, A-7.”
“So you teach…”
“I teach English…” Iruka explained. “Are you sure you’re ok?”
“Oh, yes! Sorry! I’ve been busy in my office…” Kakashi tried to pass off the lie.
“So I’ve heard… Shizune-san told me you got recently promoted as well,” Iruka looked down but quickly dismissed it. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to come off that you’re inexperienced or anything!”
‘So wait, this Iruka and I are not…’ Kakashi mentally shook his head. It was all right. This man before him wasn’t his lover. Again, this was all an illusion. None of this was real. “Don’t worry, I’m not offended. To be honest, I’m not feeling quite myself today.”
“Did you want to go see the nurse?”
The pale man looked back at the other, seeing the same concerned, sepia eyes his real lover possessed. “Hm? Oh! No, no…” he was caught off guard for a second. “It’s probably best you head to your classroom.”
“Oh! You’re right!” Iruka checked his watch on his left wrist. “I better go before the class is in an uproar because of that new student, Naruto.”
‘So he’s here, too… Maybe the rest are as well…’ Kakashi thought. ‘This illusion… This is all too real…’
“But I still shouldn’t leave you like this. Something seems wrong about you. You sure you don’t…”
“It’s ok, I can make it to the nurse myself,” the pale man assured the teacher. “Don’t worry about me.”
“If you say so,” Iruka smiled before turning around to leave.
That quickly caught Kakashi off guard again. That smile that he fell for in the beginning. That smile was the first thing that made the man for the brunet in the first place. That was what made Kakashi want to get to know Iruka more. Even if this was an illusion, that smile was still the same regardless. “Wait, Iruka-sensei!”
“Hm? Hatake-sama?” Iruka spun around.
“Um… Do you… want to meet up during lunch period?”
“Meet up? I’m guessing you want to talk more things over?” the brunet came up with the assumption.
“Talk things over? Uh… sure,” the principal nodded, going along with it.
“Did you want me to come to your office then?” the teacher simply asked.
Kakashi was caught off guard. This Iruka was different from the Iruka he loved in his world. Or at least to a certain degree. The innocent doe-eyed look this teacher was giving him was just how the brunet was when the silver-haired man first saw him. Pure and honest. Generous and loyal. On first impressions, no one could imagine that behind that persona was someone who easily could see through lies and lash out if it has reasoning. Both sides of the young man were what drew Kakashi in. “Uh… sure,” he repeated.
“All right! I’ll see you there after next period!” Iruka smiled wide as he left the principal by himself, leaving him to question this illusion more.
Steadily, the pale man stumbled his way back to his office, still pondering over all of this. ‘This genjutsu seems to be very strong and not easily breakable. But again, who would be able to do this? And why?! I know I have plenty of enemies still out there, but what would be the point of this instead of killing me straight on?’ he assessed. Nothing still made sense. Especially why everything was all set in a school environment. Soon, he was back in the school’s office and sat down at his desk. It felt familiar. Yet, it wasn’t what he was accustomed to. He couldn’t release the illusion. At least at this rate, he hoped it was one. Anything he tried didn’t work. He was stuck here with no idea how to escape.
‘Could this school’s library have something? Would this world’s Kurenai have some knowledge about genjutsu?’ he theorized. ‘Would anyone even know about genjutsu or anything about the shinobi world? Would anyone believe me if I told them out right about this? If I told someone, would they think I’m crazy? Are they working for the enemy? Is this their way for me to spill village secrets to my ‘colleagues’ and have them report back?’
“Hatake-sama? I’m here like you asked?” the English teacher announced his presence, knocking on the open door to the office as he held his small bento box.
The sudden introduction broke Kakashi out of his train of thought. He looked up at a nearby clock on the wall, seeing that it was already time for lunch. “Guess I was overanalyzing for quite some time…” he cleared his throat. “First off, there is no need for the -sama,” Kakashi insisted, standing up. “And please, make yourself at home. No need to feel like I’m above you.”
“But technically, you are,” Iruka rebutted.
“Heh, that’s not the point. Please,” Kakashi waved his arm in front of him, presenting the chair in front of his desk. ‘For now, it might be best to go along with everything and everyone. The moment I show distress, this illusion might react back and try to exploit it. Yet…’ he looked at the teacher in front of him, walking over. ‘Why do I feel like I can trust this world’s Iruka?’
“Thank you, Hatake-san,” the brunet grinned as he stepped inside and sat down across from the other. He pulled up his bento box and was about to eat when he noticed the absence of food on the other side of the desk. “Where is your lunch?”
“My- Oh! Don’t worry about me!” the older man insisted.
“But I thought you told me to come over during lunch so we could talk while eating our lunches. I wouldn’t feel comfortable eating if you’re not.”
“It’s ok! Trust me!” Kakashi insisted, waving his hand.
Yet, the English teacher ignored him as he put his lunch away. “It’s not important. What is important is our talk about my promotion to replace Shizune-sama.”
“Replace… Shizune?”
“Yes, to become vice-principal.”
“Wait, I… I’m considering you for vice-principal?!” Kakashi’s eyes widened a little.
“Yes… I thought that is what you wanted to talk over. Shizune-sama said she talked it over with you and you said you would want to talk to me on a personal level to see if I was suitable for the job.”
“Ah… yeah… About that…” the principal drawled out, thinking. ‘I don’t know how long I’m going to be here and things will only get worse if I have to deal with this world’s Iruka much more,’ he analyzed, looking at the teacher. The longer he looked, the more he longed for his Iruka. His lover. “Look, I-“
“Let me guess now. You don’t think I’m qualified?” the brunet glared, his attitude changing.
‘Ok, so he is just like Iruka!’ Kakashi made a mental note. “N-No! No! Not saying that! It’s just-”
“Why do you think I can’t do this job?!” the brunet argued back, scowling. “I would at least think that because you were in the same position when you got promoted that you would know how it is!”
“I… would?”
“When you were getting promoted for this position, you were a mess in the teacher’s lounge!” the brunet shouted. “You didn’t think you could do it! You didn’t think you deserved a chance because you didn’t think you were good enough! But every one of us assured you that you were perfect for it, especially me!” he looked at the other man straight in the eyes.
All Kakashi could do was look at the brunet, stunned. He wasn’t like the Iruka he knew before they became a couple. He was exactly like the Iruka he knew, inside and out. “Um…”
“Why don’t you think I would be good?! After all the years I’ve been working here-“
“It’s not you! Honestly! I don’t even know if I’m good enough for this job!” Kakashi blurted out. ‘…Why did I say that? I’m not really a principal.’
“Yes, you are! All of us other teachers believed in you. You were an excellent teacher!”
“But I… I failed so many times…” the pale man started to prattle on. “So many people are gone… Many lives ruined… all because of me.”
“You think that’s true?” Iruka’s tone changed back to one nurturing. “You think that you’re really that bad of a person?” he sighed. “Remember, it was you who told me that I had a spark in my eye when I started to work here.”
“I… did?”
Iruka nodded. “To be honest, I was a nervous wreck when I started out. I made mistakes left and right and figured I made a mistake taking a job here at the school. But then I ran into you in the lounge. You said you recalled the spark I had when I was being interviewed and I had a very compassionate nature that it was suitable for a teacher. You told me that it may be tough now, but everyone around was there for me, including you.”
The silver-haired man just stared. He recalled the conversation. The real one. He recalled the mission he was in charge of where Iruka participated. The chuunin’s kind nature landed him and the group in jeopardy and nearly caused him to abandoned his ninja lifestyle. Yet, Kakashi found him sitting outside on a bench and consoled him.
“I did say you had a spark…” he called to mind the conversation they had. He remembered it all now. It was after that conversation, seeing Iruka’s spirits lifted back up that created his crush on the younger man.
“So please… trust me like I trust you. Yes, we all make mistakes but that is part of the learning process.”
“But everyone I failed…”
“I know… I’ve failed others, too. It hurts,” Iruka got up from his chair and walked around the desk to Kakashi’s side. “But it hurts less when you have others around you to support you.”
The pale man leaned back a little in his chair, almost trying to get away from the brunet. “Iruka?”
“Kakashi…” he finally called the other by his name, leaning down. “You’ve told me before about your past. And I told you back that I will always support you wherever you go. I will always be by your side, whether you feel you deserve it or not. All because I love you,” he confessed.
“Iruka… Wait, you don’t know me like that!” the principal shook his head. ‘This is the genjutsu talking. It’s getting into my head!’
“Of course I know you!” Iruka said.
Kakashi opened his eyes and saw the man in front of him wearing his shinobi garb. He looked around and still saw everything was still set in a principal’s office. “What the…”
“I know a lot about you,” the brunet stated, unfazed. “I know that you like saury and hate sweets. I know you like reading that filth everywhere you go, not caring who sees. I know you when you lie because they always sound farfetched, like a black cat crossing your path. I also know how insecure you can get when you feel like you’re useless and can’t do anything. You think you need to protect me from what you think you are, but you aren’t that,” the chuunin knelt down. “You are Hatake Kakashi, Hokage. And I assist you on that job because I know you need the extra support, the extra push to tell you that you can do it. All of us believe in you.”
Suddenly, other shinobi appeared in the room without notice. Jounin, chuunin, genin, and students. Citizens young and old. Even alive and deceased. The room even expanded all the way back to fit them all. All smiling back at Kakashi.
“You are strong, Kakashi,” the tanned man placed his hand on the other’s. “That is why we wanted you to lead us. We all know you can do it, especially me. I know you won’t disappoint me, no matter what you do. Again, because I love you like how you love me.”
“Iru-“ Kakashi mumbled, moving his hand up to touch the other man’s face. Suddenly, the chair gave way, rolling out in front of him. Time slowed down as the older man felt himself falling back. He looked up and saw the shocked expression on the other’s face. Kakashi reached out toward him but instead, he saw the world around him start to go black as he sunk into the floor, looking up.
“Kakashi?!” Iruka shouted, reaching down to him. “Kakashi!!”
———
Kakashi’s eyes shot open.
Above him he saw a mundane beige ceiling. Around were mundane piles of paper. Behind him was the cold stone floor. Suddenly, throbbing pain ran through his head. He held it and moaned, hoping for it to go away instantly. Slowly and carefully, he placed one hand down on the ground and pushed off, standing up on his feet and leaning over his desk. The man looked around. The windows behind him were the same. The portraits across from him by the door were wearing traditional, white robes. Everything was back to the way it was.
“Did I really…?” Kakashi asked himself as he looked around, seeing the fallen chair, coming to an obvious conclusion. He moaned again as he rubbed his head. “So all of that wasn’t… It was- Damn it,” The silver-haired man sighed as he steadily gathered his things. He held his head as he walked out, closing the door behind him, and started to head home.
‘That all felt so real…’ he thought to himself, walking down the village streets as the sun was setting. He walked by the usual store and home fronts, passing by the usual people of the village. Even passing by Ramen-Ichiraku, it housed the familiar sounds of Naruto Uzumaki enjoying the food. That was when the thought of someone special entered his mind, including the fight he had with them earlier today.
After greeting his former student, Kakashi found himself buying two large bowls of miso ramen with char siu pork to go. Maybe buying his lover’s favorite would put him into a good mood. Or at least that’s what the man thought as he approached the home the two shared. He slowly walked up the stairs to the front door, preparing himself for the chuunin’s fiery temper. He moved the bags of food to one hand as he grabbed his keys, fiddled with them, and unlocked the door. As soon as he walked inside, the slight sound of snoring was heard. The pale man slowly bent down and unclipped his sandals, leaving them at the entrance, as he steadily took his first step inside.
Kakashi’s half lidded eyes opened wide as he noticed his lover at the kitchen table. Brown strands of hair fell over his forehead as his head rested on his crossed arms. Eyes were closed as his body moved up and down in tune to the snoring. His flak jacket was behind him, hanging on the chair, while his forehead protector was resting on the table.
The Hokage chuckled a little as he walked over and lightly shook the chuunin’s shoulder. “Iruka…” he whispered in his ear.
“Mmm… Hm? Oh!” Iruka quickly woke and sat up. “W-Welcome home,” he rubbed an eye. “Sorry, I must have passed out, waiting for you.”
“Waiting… for me?”
“Yeah, I know it must be stressful to be the Hokage now and with all those duties. Regardless! That doesn’t mean you can just-“
Suddenly, the bags that held the ramen were on the floor. The pale man was already at the other’s side on his knees, his arms wrapped around the chuunin’s middle and pulling him in. His head found its place on the brunet’s lap, buried deep.
“K-Kakashi?! What are you…” he trailed off as he felt the pale man shake as he held him. “Are you ok?”
“I am now…” Kakashi whispered, holding onto Iruka tight, not daring to let go.
“All is forgiven,” the chuunin just smiled sweetly as he patted his lover’s back. “Hm?” he sniffed around and looked at the bags. “Wait, did you…” he started to chuckle. “You think that is enough for me to forgive you?”
“Y-Yeah…” Kakashi pulled back, snickering under his mask. The laugh was contagious as shortly after, both men were laughing uncontrollably. Soon, everything was forgotten. Iruka helped Kakashi up and pulled down his mask just enough to give him a quick peck. They sat down and enjoy their dinner and above all, each other’s company.