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Most of the ‘reading’ comes from the differences in Kakashi and Iruka’s relationship between the end of Naruto Shippuden (post-Shippuden) and Boruto: The Next Generation (Boruto); with a slight changes between Naruto Shippuden (Shippuden) and post-Shippuuden. I’ll explore this chronologically rather than in terms of how strong the evidence is.
In Shippuden, Kakashi and Iruka’s interactions are pretty formal and professional. Notably seen in #177 and #178 (flashback episode), which also references a time before Iruka had become an academy teacher where they were on a mission together. You can choose to read into the bench scene in #177, however at point it seems that the two are just starting to become acquaintances.
Kakashi also saves Iruka's life from three female enemy ninja in #178. Perhaps a nod to #159 (which happens chronologically after #178) where Kakashi saves Iruka's life from Pain, though this time this battle eventually costs him his life.
In post-Shippuden, their interactions and tones while speaking suggest they’ve slightly become more comfortable with each other after the Fourth Shinobi War, with Kakashi adopting a teasing tone with Iruka such as during #494 when he has Iruka open a forbidden scroll, only to end up reading the first couple of lines from Icha-Icha Paradise.
The scenes in post-Shippuden seem much more overt than during Shippuden and they suggest a change in their relationship from Kakashi's end, so let's examine two scenes.
- In #494, Kakashi gives Iruka an un-characteristic wink and hard slap on the back while explaining how the village would choose who attends Naruto's wedding.
- In #499, Kakashi leaps over the desk to un-characteristicly clasp Iruka’s hands and thank him for helping to solve wedding fiasco that has riddled him for the past few episodes.
The latter’s reaction to both scenarios suggests that he is a little taken aback by the action, or at the very least Iruka is not familiar with the Hokage being so familiar with him. So while the pair are more casual when in comparison to episode #177, whether they are friends yet at this point is debatable.
At the very least, it seems that Kakashi is making an attempt at being friendly with Iruka while the latter acts as though he's not familiar with these type of interactions.
This changes in Boruto. Let's start by comparing the way that Iruka addresses Kakashi throughout the timeline.
In Shippuuden, Iruka refers to Kakashi as “Kakashi-san”, whilst in post-Shippuden he refers to him as “Kakashi-sama” (Kakashi responds by telling him, and everyone else, to drop the “-sama”). However in Boruto in the two scenes we get of the pair talking to one another in #35 (after Kakashi’s investigation of the graduating Genin class) and #37 (after the Genin examination) Iruka clearly addresses Kakashi as “anata” both times. This is in stark comparison to how the other teachers and characters refer to him as “Rokudaime”. Kakashi even berates Boruto several times and tells him use his proper title.
- As a side note, this is actually a cute moment of characterisation and reference to post-Shippuuden where he kept reminding others to call him “Kakashi-san” instead of “-sama” letting the audience know how much Kakashi has settled into his role as the sixth Hokage.
Those who know some Japanese will know that "anata" is a peculiar way of saying "you" as there are specific cases where you can use it to refer to a spouse. There are other readings that can be interpreted from its use as well, but when considering Iruka's more casual, almost teasing tone when speaking to Kakashi, I believe we are supposed to interpret it as a sign of their closeness. Whether Iruka is using the noun in a way that implies a romantic relationship is debatable, and I believe purposefully so.
What is sure is its overt difference to way the he spoke to Kakashi interacted in the previously addressed examples. While I’m not suggesting that a noun change suggests the two are involved in some way, at the very least it feels like an cue from the writers to the fact that their relationship in Boruto is substantially different, most defiantly on the closer side, in comparison to the their relationship in Shippuuden and post-Shippuden.
I'd like to compound my observation with further points/scenes which I feel are intentional choices made by the writers:
- Neither Iruka or Kakashi are confirmed married/living with a significant other in post-Shippuuden or Boruto. Both their apartments are shown in post-Shippuuden, and both appearances suggest the two living in respective bachelor pads. The lack of any relationship for these two primary parental/familial figures of Naruto's personal life stands out like a sore thumb when surrounded by the fact that most other, younger characters, have started settling down. With both being such popular characters, its suspicious that the writers chose not to reveal information about their personal lives.
- Kakashi reveals his full face to Iruka in Boruto rather comfortably in #37 after removing his disguise. The audience know this to be Kakashi’s real face as confirmed in both Manga and Anime. The scene clearly shows that Iruka is not at all surprised by what he sees behind the disguise or mask. This is a pretty heavy handed indicator that Iruka has seen it before already, despite Kakashi being so secretive about his face. At the very least its evidence that the two are much closer than they were post-Shippuden, and possibly more so than any other character we've seen. This also means that Iruka is the only living character we know who has seen Kakashi’s face (and implied more than once). Apart from Teuchi and Ayame, who briefly catch a glimpse of it as part of a gag episode.
- The way Iruka and Kakashi banter the end of the Genin Examination episode seems weirdly like that of a married couple. At least, it feels that that’s what the intention was. The fact that Kohonamaru and Anko look at the pair with an amused expression only makes this scene more suspicious. Their interactions throughout the mini-arc suggests a familiarity between them. This is especially noticeable from Iruka's side, who used to be very formal towards Kakashi especially after he becomes the Hokage.
So the question is:
What exactly happened between Kakashi and Iruka in the 15 years between post-Shippuuden and Boruto?
It doesn’t seem like the perogative of the series to answer this, so I assumed it was meant to be an Easter egg for those who were looking for it. Namely, fans of the pairing.
If I were to overspeculate in head-canon it would be as follows:
Kakashi and Iruka have never been attracted or involved with one another until post-Shippuden and have been, at best, acquaintances albeit with mounting amounts of respect vice-versa.
However after the mission they have together, Kakashi becomes interested in Iruka a person because of his impassioned speech to the third Hokage about deciding to become an academy teacher. Kakashi reveals his personal investment (while keeping a distance) towards Iruka when the latter begins having doubts about being an academy teacher because of how he feels about Naruto. He does this by approaching and acting as Iruka's confidant when the Sandaime chooses not to. Though, this distanced approach is challenged when Kakashi has to go out of his way save Iruka (who is saving Naruto) from enemy ninja.
Iruka understandably begins to respect Kakashi.
Then, Kakashi saves his life again. Though this time from a more serious opponent - Paine. This battle costs Kakashi his life. Luckily, he is revived like everybody else in the village after the battle. Perhaps the fact that Kakashi came the rescue is because he's been keeping an eye out for Iruka for so long?
Regardless, it's not hard to imagine that at this point Iruka feels a like he owes Kakashi immeasurable debt and respect for saving his life. It seems in line with his character to do so.
Kakashi's decision to remain as a distant guardian begins to change during after the war. Perhaps with the war over and everybody settling, Kakashi consciously began to act on his interest in Iruka to establish a close friendship (likely the only close-friendship, unless you count Gai).
Mildly annoyed with people treating him with too much reverence goes out of his way to flirt/tease Iruka, who has only ever treated Kakashi with even more reverence and respect because he feels like he owes his life to Kakashi. Kakashi decides to remedy this despite the fact that at this point in the story Iruka is still bit uncomfortable with interacting with Kakashi at a more personal level and is held back by his admiration of the latter. Basically, during post-Shippuden Kakashi goes on the offensive.
The likely start of their interactions would begin at point in the timeline: post-war, post-Naruto-wedding. It's possible that their interactions during the wedding-arc is the catalyst for change, and I can imagine the two beginning hanging out. In Kakashi's case, with added flirting/teasing as a way of getting Iruka to loosen up around him.
Anyway, this continues for the next 15 year gap between post-Shippuden and Boruto, and at some point between them the become close friends and perhaps even lovers. These include the following events:
- Kakashi remains secretive about his mask, and at some point Iruka becomes the only living character to have seen his face (because they become close friends or lovers).
- Iruka becomes comfortable around Kakashi, meaning the latter's flirting/teasing finally won out against Iruka's crippling admiration and perceived debt.
- Bonus: At a certain point between the 15 years after Iruka's promotion to the head of the academy, there is a moment of parallel to how the two evolve from primary parental figures in Naruto's life, to the pair becoming parental figures for the whole of Konoha - Kakashi as Hokage and Iruka as the director of the academy.
By the time of Boruto: The Last Generation they, like everyone else, exist in post-marital and post-war bliss state. They have likely been a couple for a long time prior to Boruto's Genin examinations and the relationship seems to be publicly knowledge (at the very least amongst the higher-ranking Shinobi or school teachers).
From my perspective in piecing together this 'canonical' relationship, the major hurdles for this pair that would have been addressed during the 15 year time-skip are:
- Overcoming Iruka's perceived debt and respect for Kakashi, which prevents the pair from forming a close friendship or romance.
- Kakashi's emotional baggage. His aloof, Icha-Icha-reading, teasing character that he shows most other character including Iruka is his 'public' face. Its likely a front, or only part of his personality. The Kakashi we know behind the mask probably still suffers from guilt and insecurities caused by the deaths of his team, family and comrades. Iruka being allowed to literally sees beyond the mask can probably be packaged together with this plot point as a metaphor.
So, while I don't think this makes the pair necessarily canon I do think its an obvious nod to the KakaIru fandom and an attempt to make sure the plot does not step on its toes. This is likely due to the ship’s popularity and marketing power during the height of Naruto, especially in Japan. It feels like something that was put there for us, so I wanted to make sure that the community received the message loudly and clearly.
Thus ends my observation and head-canon theory. I merely wanted to discuss and call to attention that obvious material has been put out for the fans of this pairing which has not at all been utilised in the fan-generated material I have been reading. Now that the obvious is obvious, I hope that it becomes new material for the fandom as I expect it was intended.
Please, post and comment and discuss. KakaIru is not the force it was at the height of Naruto fandom, and the English forums are no longer active. Since I can't speak or type Japanese to participate in the Japanese KakaIru forums (which from what I understand is still active) this is the one place I felt could reach the people I wanted it to reach.