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Gai was staring at him.
It was making Kakashi incredibly uncomfortable especially since he was shirtless. Why was Kakashi shirtless? He was just asleep, minding his own business, when suddenly, Gai appeared.
“You were my most worthy rival, but now… I’m worried about your youth and vigor!” Gai was staring at his torso morosely. Kakashi resisted the urge to pull the blanket back up to cover himself.
“Gai, you broke into my apartment to insult me? That doesn’t seem like something a ‘best friend’ should do.” Kakashi decided to guilt him away. It worked great on Gai normally. Especially with the giant cross scar on full display across his chest.
Gai was determined though, “I do not intend insult! You are most worthy of my rivalry, but…” Gai hesitated, looking like he was trying to find the words. “Well, ever since your discharge, honorable as it was, it seems like you have been just floating.”
Gai wasn’t wrong. Kakashi knew he was probably not being his most healthy self in these past few months since he was honorably discharged from the army. His purple heart was collecting dust on his mantle, mocking him every time he walked by.
“I’m kept really busy with the dogs, Gai.” Said dogs lazily lifted their heads, the oldest and smallest giving his owner what looked like a fierce doggie glare at being used in such a piss-poor excuse.
“And such a wonderful owner you are,” the little pug scrunched his face and went back to sleep in the early morning sunlight. “But I believe that you will be most interested in joining me at the gym.”
“Gai, I haven’t worked out in a gym in years. Why are you here? It can’t seriously be for this?”
“Kakashi, dogs cannot replace people.” Kakashi looked at Gai incredulously, so did the dogs. “And look at you, you are withering your youth away! Are you even eating properly? Your kitchen is…”
“Gai! I’m fine. I haven’t had a mother since I was one and I don’t need one now!” Gai looked sufficiently chastised. Kakashi felt a little bad about it, but really, it was his sad life he was bringing up, not Gai’s!
“Obito is out,” Gai whispered his true reason for showing up unannounced, “I just heard. I thought you would like to know before…” Suddenly the front door burst open and the dogs leapt to attention, running to bark at the intruder. All except the little pug, Pakkun, who decided to let the youngsters handle the danger.
“Kakashi!!” A voice boomed over the excited yips of the older dogs and the confused barks of the younger ones. “You got more dogs?! Jeez, it’s like a pound in here.”
Obito found them quickly, there were only three rooms after all. “Oh, wow, Kakashi, when will the Sarah McLachlan song start and I’ll be guilted into giving all my money to this sad dog?” Obito crossed his arms over his chest as he fully entered the bedroom.
Kakashi just glared. Leave it to Obito to make him feel even worse about his sorry state. Was it really that bad? Why didn’t anyone tell him??
Kakashi had not seen Obito in a year. After Kakashi’s injury and discharge, it was hard to keep in contact with his old teammate. He had heard the news from Rin, Obito’s long time crush and their mutual childhood friend, that Obito had suffered severe burns and mild shrapnel damage from a landmine to his whole right side. Kakashi tried to contact him, but it just never worked out for more than a quick 5-minute call.
Now the man seemed healed back to his annoying self. Kakashi was both glad and very upset about it. He could barely notice the scaring on his face, if only he could barely see the annoying, cocky smirk.
“There is a new class at the gym down the street, taught by another ex-military, for those of us injured in battle! You have to come with me, Kakashi.” Obito clasped his hands together like he was begging. This now seemed like a conspiracy to get Kakashi out of the house.
Why would anyone want to leave their home though? There was Icha Icha, delivery groceries, no people, dogs…
“I don’t have the money for a whole gym membership just to go to some class once a week and probably stop going after the first time. It’s not economical. I’ll just continue my home-workouts.”
“Kakashi, walking your dogs around the block does not count!” Obito glared. The dogs perked up at the word walk, then glared when it was clear they were not getting the pleasure of outside. This annoying human should know better than to use the W word.
“I have a guest pass, anytime I go to the gym, I can bring a guest, free of charge.” Gai smiled brightly and gave a thumbs-up. What a nice guy. As an employee and personal trainer at said gym, Gai should probably be trying to sell a pass to Kakashi, but Gai was good and he cared too much. He would never make it in sales.
“See, no excuses, Kakashi!”
“Obito, aren’t you recovering still? Why are you so desperate to go I wonder?” Kakashi tried another tactic, deflection.
“Uh, uh, uh, nope, you will not.” Obito walked up to Kakashi and started to tug his arm, bodily pulling him out from under his covers. Luckily Kakashi had worn his boxers to bed, though it wouldn’t be the first time they had seen each other naked.
“What the hell, Obito?” Kakashi stood in his loose boxers in front of his two closest friends. He felt embarrassed like he never had before. Maybe he had been wallowing too long.
“We need to get ready; do you even own gym clothes anymore?”
“Jokes on you, Obito, I only own gym clothes.” Kakashi had his old army T and knee-length cotton shorts shoved into his arms by Gai. Kakashi was not getting out of this. He may as well accept his fate until he could figure out a way out.
--
Kakashi was going to find a way out… He was way in.
“Great job, Obito!” Kakashi glared over at his oldest friend as the most beautiful, hunky, perfectly tanned man clapped Obito on the back. “Just widen your stance a little more… Perfect, that’s great!”
Obito was in the front row of the “coming back from injury-strength training” course at Gai’s gym. Gai had a client, and was not recovering from anything, so he was not joining them. Kakashi wasn’t necessarily surprised to find Rin in the class. He figured that she had something to do with why Obito wanted to work out. He just thought it would be to get more fit in his sad attempts at seduction. He was surprised to find her actually there in the back of the class with him.
Of course, it was a pleasant surprise. He was happy to see his oldest friend, but it begged the question, “What are you doing here?” They both asked it in unison.
Rin blushed a little, smiling at the timing. “I decided to take leave from the medical core. Taking care of Obito and his cell was a toll. They allowed me to fall back into the reserves. The fighting has died down a lot, so, I can work for the VA hospital in town now,” Rin explained. Or should he say Dr. Rin. He was really proud of her for not only completing medical school but doing it while also going through basic training! Most medics didn’t do both simultaneously, but she wanted to be close to her two best friends while they went through basic. Also, it didn’t hurt that she was a medical genius and barely had to study for her exams.
“That’s great news, Rin. The gang is back together I suppose…” Kakashi continued to glare at his friend as the instructor focused on him again, trying to correct his over shot knee.
Rin laughed at Kakashi’s disdainful look. “Are you happy? I couldn’t tell.” Rin giggled at her sulky friend. Obito glanced back, he narrowed his own glare at Kakashi before smiling sweetly to Rin. “You know he’s straight, Kakashi? Right?” Rin was good at reading people, and Kakashi forgot how annoying it was.
“Who? Obito? And how would you know that, I wonder?” Rin gave a very cartoonish glare before dissolving into laughter. They both knew well and true that Obito had a huge crush on Rin. It was painted on his face in bold red lettering, hell, even the other people in the class had to know and they weren’t even standing near each other.
The hunky instructor and Obito looked back at them this time. Kakashi continued his squats and shoulder lifts while staring non-to-subtly at the instructors exposed arms. Well, more than his arms were exposed, and the effect that skin was having on Kakashi was palpable.
The instructor had on a tank top that was cut extremely low under the arms, exposing his gloriously muscled obliques. Of course, this also meant his arms had no where to hide, and why would they? He had bulging biceps and his deltoids were none too shabby either.
Kakashi tried not to stare at them, so his eyes naturally drifted downward. The instructor was demonstrating a squat form, so he didn’t feel like too big a pervert as he stared at the exposed thighs. Kakashi appreciated that this instructor made sure the students could see his form perfectly by wearing shorts that were quite short for a man. They cut just above his mid-thigh, showing off the thick lines separating his defined hamstring from his equally defined quad muscles. Kakashi tried not to think too much about how much he wished he could also see the definition around his round, shapely glut. A man can dream, can’t he?
“His name is Iruka, by the way,” Rin whispered. Clearly, she noticed Kakashi drift off into his illusion of a private naked session with the instructor. Iruka.
“Iruka.” Kakashi tested the name on his tongue. It wasn’t the only thing of the man’s he wished to test on his tongue.
Iruka heard and his eyes met Kakashi’s from the front. “Yes?”
It was the first eye contact he had made with the beautiful man. He had a thick, light scar running across the bridge of his nose, and equally thick eyelashes framing his expressive dark eyes. The dusting of pink from the workout somehow made his scar look cuter and more appealing. Kakashi wasn’t sure he had ever thought of a large facial marking as cute before, but there was no other word for the thing when it wrinkled lightly with his polite smile. He tried not to touch his own large scar that traced down from his left brow, over his eyelid, and ended on his cheekbone.
Kakashi had been silent an awkwardly long time and had no clear plan to start speaking anytime soon. Luckily Rin was more socially aware than him.
“Um, could you show us that last move, just one more time please? Slowly?” Rin smiled politely back at Iruka, and the second he looked away to demonstrate the form, she turned her mocking glare onto Kakashi. “What was that?!” She yell-whispered. Kakashi had no clue how she did that.
“He was just looking right at me. I don’t know…” Kakashi tried to yell-whisper back, but when the people around then turned with nasty looks, he was sure he had failed.
Obito looked back again, but Kakashi wasn’t sure it was because he had heard them or was just checking on Rin. He never trusted her to be alone with Kakashi, even when they were younger. That man was so jealous; it was silly of him since Rin clearly only had eyes for him. All he had to do was ask.
They moved onto planks and Iruka’s shirt dipped as he demonstrated. It was practically on the floor, leaving his whole torso visible from the side. Kakashi could see the perfectly pert abs and pecs. He wanted to run his fingers over them… and maybe his tongue as well.
“Anyway, what about you, Rin?” Kakashi needed a distraction. “What are you doing back here? You were always front of the class material.” Rin blushed as she glared at the back of Obito’s head. Uh oh. Trouble in crush-land?
“He’s an idiot. What is taking so long, Kakashi? Gai suggested that I just avoid him for a little bit. ‘Distance makes the heart grow fonder’.” She did a good Gai impersonation. It made Kakashi smile.
“Why don’t you just ask him out?” Kakashi suggested, tired of their silly games.
“Kakashi,” Rin leveled, “you know Obito, if I tried to ask him out, he would probably combust. I think he needs to figure it out. The pinning is just getting old… Kakashi? Kakashi!” Rin tried to get her old friend’s attention again, but it was stolen.
Iruka was leading them through stretches for a cool-down and he had just bent over for a toe touch. As much as she appreciated the show, this was getting ridiculous. ‘Boys…’ she thought with an eye roll.
“Hmm, did you say something, Rin?” Kakashi came back to himself all at once, face slightly flushed.
She sighed. “Oh, nothing important.” Class was over anyway, and Obito was rushing toward them. Rin made her excuses and exited before he pushed through the crowd.
“Where’d Rin go? What were you telling her?!” Obito seemed upset, as always whenever he wasn’t around Rin.
“Hello, you’re new. How did you like your first class? Did you have any difficulty? You looked in good form.” Kakashi froze facing Obito, trying not to look over, but his eyes were drawn like a moth to the flames.
Kakashi didn’t answer. He wished he had his tactical gear on, the mask he had gotten so used to would have covered his flush. Obito just stared at Kakashi, eyes wide with realization.
“Umm, Iruka! This is my buddy from the army, Kakashi. He likes to project mysteriousness.” Obito smiled his goofy smile and Iruka reciprocated, his goofy smile much more attractive and much less annoying than Obito’s, of course.
Kakashi stayed silent as the other men stared. “Oh, well, I would hate to break the enigma. Thank you for joining, I hope to see you again, Kakashi, if that is your real name.” Iruka eyed Obito conspiratorially before turning to greet another newcomer.
“What was that Kakashi?!” Obito dragged Kakashi out of the room, out of ear shot of the playful hunk. (Kakashi had to add the new adjective to his growing list: perfect, beautiful, handsome, hunky, stunning, bright, playful).
Kakashi didn’t deign to answer Obito. Gai and Rin walked up to a scene that was all to familiar to the old friends. Kakashi and Obito cross-armed and huffing at one another.
“Was the class not to your liking my esteemed rival? You are already looking more lively!”
“Kakashi doesn’t like Iruka, he just kept staring and glaring at him. I think it made Iruka uncomfortable,” Obito added.
Rin barked with laughter, eventually getting a hold of herself and wiping the tears from her eyes. “Oh, I think the problem is just the opposite, Obito.”
The men all stared at Rin, Kakashi with a look of betrayal, Obito with a look of consideration, and Gai a look of unbridled joy.
“Kakashi! The springtime of your youth can be renewed with the effervescent fount of purest love!” Gai was twirling practically emanating hearts. Rin slapped a hand over his mouth as a group of girls walked by.
“Wait, so, you… like Iruka?” Obito gave Kakashi a questioning look. Kakashi tried not to roll his eyes. “This is great!” He suddenly yelled. “I’m going to help you woo him,” Obito promised. Of course, this was out of the goodness of his own heart and had nothing to do with the fact that, if Kakashi was with Iruka, then he wouldn’t have the competition for Rin any longer.
Rin and Kakashi could quite clearly see underneath the underneath of his reasoning and neither were very happy with it.
“Yes! We will help you. Iruka is a bright and kind member of the team here and his shining person would revivify your dim life!” Kakashi didn’t appreciate Gai’s description, but he also couldn’t come up with a convincing argument against it. Iruka did light up a room, and Kakashi was maybe in a bit of a funk.
Kakashi sighed, his friends would probably end up ruining his chances with the instructor. Then again, he was doing a pretty good job of ruining his own chances.
“Please leave me alone.” But Kakashi’s plea would go unanswered.
--
Iruka mostly working with youth classes, other than his one session a week with the injured adults. Everyday there was a kids-only session that Iruka lead, so that their parents could get their own workout in. Kakashi knew this because he started to come to the gym everyday with Gai.
He mostly hid in the corner, hoping that Iruka was too distracted to notice him lurking.
“Just go talk to him, maybe ask him out,” Obito suggested, in Kakashi’s humble opinion very hypocritically.
Iruka was always wearing some variation of the same outfit he had on the first time Kakashi saw him except today. Apparently, today was the swimming lesson for the children’s class. Apparently, it was a fortnightly event. Apparently, Kakashi had missed watching a nearly naked Iruka, wet and glistening, for months now. Never again.
Kakashi had assumed that Iruka taught the injury class because he was the only one available, or because he was gentler than the other trainers. When Iruka turned away to help a child into her floaties, Kakashi saw the huge, pink scar that crossed right by the man’s spine. He was lucky to be walking. It made more sense to Kakashi as to why Iruka was uniquely qualified to teach the class he did.
“Maybe wait until he is clothed first, it would be awkward to be hit on when you’re in a speedo I imagine.” Obito added, unhelpfully.
“Isn’t there a senior’s class you should be assisting?” Kakashi asked bitterly.
“Oh, shit, is it 4 already?!” Obito sprinted away, it was in fact, 4:05. What a lucky guess.
Kakashi was left alone to observe.
--
Iruka had a pattern, the man needed to keep up his physique and clearly helping children with silly aerobics and the once-a-week injury class weren’t up to snuff. Iruka would always arrive an hour before his children’s class and go through an amped up version of the moves from the adult class. Then after the classes, he would run on the treadmill.
One day, Kakashi was feeling bold, and also like he should probably use some of the equipment. So, while Iruka was sweaty and glistening on the treadmill in front of him, Kakashi got onto an elliptical two row behind Iruka, but with a perfect view.
Kakashi had honestly never used an elliptical though, so he made a lot of noise trying to get on. It caused Iruka to look back and check out the commotion. Kakashi froze as Iruka smiled right at him, waved, and turned back around.
Kakashi kept trying to figure out how to get a groove on the devil machine, but never really felt like he got it right. Iruka stopped his run early, Kakashi wasn’t expecting it, but it was OK, he was tired of trying to get his stride on the strange contraption. He did not expect Iruka to bend over and touch his toes, twisting his torso as he bent for a deeper stretch. Kakashi had the best view, and in his distraction, he stopped moving entirely.
The second Iruka stood up straight he turned around to get off the machine. Kakashi panicked, tried to get his stride again, and accidently smacked himself in the face with the long handle. He made a startled noise and tried to get off the evil machine as soon as possible. It was impossible to do that though, and he tripped over the large edge of the foot peddle, flailing as he fell to the side.
“Kakashi! Oh my god, are you OK?” Kakashi opened his eyes to a very pretty, yet very concerned face. His head was pillowed on thick thighs, Iruka’s visage was upside down. “You hit your head on the machine next to you. You shouldn’t push yourself so hard after an injury.” Iruka’s smile was taking his breath away.
“Kakashi!!!” Gai fell to the ground next to his friend and rival, crawling over toward him and grabbing his hand dramatically. “You can’t die, you have so much more to do with your life! You are just on the cusp of a most beautiful romance, you can’t die.” Gai was crying very manly and intense tears.
“Gai, I won’t die. I just tripped.”
“Iruka! You are an angel sent to protect and heal my most esteemed rival’s soul and now body.” Iruka blushed at Gai’s prose.
“Gai, I… What?” Iruka looked great confused as well. It wasn’t fair at all.
Rin ran up to the boys, “oh, Iruka, let me take it from here, I’m a doctor after all.” Iruka nodded and gently shifted out from under Kakashi’s head. Rin replaced Iruka, checking his vitals and making sure he could follow her finger with his eyes.
“What happened out there Kakashi? What are you playing, some damsel?” Rin whispered to Kakashi, despite the fact that Iruka had left.
“I can honestly say, I was not expecting what just happened.”
--
Gai, Obito, and Rin started to pay more attention to Kakashi after his fall. Clearly, he was a danger to himself and those around him when Iruka was involved.
It was time for the weekly class with Iruka, and Obito and Rin forced Kakashi toward the front. They figured they would try exposure therapy to cure Kakashi of whatever it was that was happening to him with Iruka around.
Iruka led the group through the warm-up, and his gaze kept sweeping over to Kakashi. He looked concerned. That was not the kind of look Kakashi was hoping for, but it was completely expected.
As they went through the moves, Iruka would walk through and correct certain postures. Kakashi was jealous at first, but then realized, Iruka ignored him because he was doing it right. Kakashi decided to test his theory; he dropped an elbow in his shoulder press. Iruka was there, lifting his arm back into the right position.
From that moment on, Kakashi would mess up in some small, very noticeable way in every move. Iruka was touching him. His fingers lightly grazed his skin to get him back into position, and the touch left tingling fire in its wake.
By the end of the hour, Kakashi’s triceps, lower back, and knee were still tingling with the remnants of Iruka’s touch.
Obito gripped Kakashi’s arm waking him from his daydream. The whole class was gone, Rin was nowhere to be seen. When had Kakashi lost track of his friend?
“OK, what’s holding you back, Kakashi?” Obito crossed his arms and stood in Kakashi’s path to the door. “I’ve never seen you like this. You aren’t a coward!”
Kakashi’s eyes widened, Obito seemed upset. This was just some little crush, and he was going to the gym and working out again, what more did this man want!
“I’ve started to come to the gym, I’ve left my house, what more do you want?”
“I want you to be happy!”
“You first!” Kakashi didn’t mean to say that. Obito’s eyes widened. Well, he may as well go for it at this point. They were having it out and out it would come. “Rin likes you, it’s clear as day. Just ask her out.”
“What? She doesn’t… Maybe before this.” Obito ran his fingers over his facial scarring. He then shook his head and focused on Kakashi again, “don’t try and spin this! You have a chance, so what is holding you back?”
“I’ll ask Iruka out if you ask Rin out.” Kakashi blurted. He was tired of the dance, Rin and Obito, Obito and Rin, who will crack first. It was exhausting. If it got them together and finally got Obito out of his hair, it was worth his humiliation. Kakashi didn’t pay anything, so he could stop coming to the gym at any moment. It was a low risk situation. Well, he wouldn’t be able to watch Iruka anymore, but he would survive. He had survived worse. He had survived war.
Obito was looking at Kakashi, calculating if this gamble was worth it. Iruka walked back into the room during their silent staring contest.
“Oh, I thought everyone left. I forgot my phone…” Iruka explained awkwardly.
“Not a problem, Iruka, Kakashi had something to discuss with you anyway.” Obito eyed Kakashi, silently agreeing to the deal with their old field hand sign for “agreement”.
Obito left and it was as if all the oxygen exited with him. Kakashi took a huge breath in through his nose and let it out through his mouth. He would treat this like a mission. In a way it was. The mission to get Obito and Rin happily together.
“So, what’s up? Will I finally hear the mysterious voice behind the stoic Ka-ka-shi?” Iruka was smiling, head tilted slightly upward. Kakashi was just a few cm taller. Kakashi liked that. He liked everything about Iruka. He was perfect. Kakashi didn’t deserve him and his biceps. But maybe he would try anyway.
Kakashi couldn’t stop the smile from tugging at his lips. “You are a good instructor.” Start with compliments. It was a good icebreaker. People liked being complimented.
“Will you go out with me?” It fell unbidden from Iruka’s mouth, Iruka’s hands slapped over his mouth after and his eyes widened. Kakashi’s eye widened as well.
“What?” Kakashi must have miss-heard.
“Of course, I’m sorry, I don’t know where that came from. Please don’t let it affect your workouts! You are looking more and more fit every day. I mean… you’re great the way you are of course.” Iruka stopped talking abruptly, embarrassed flush across his cheeks.
“Did you… do you really want to go out with me?”
Iruka looked at him blankly for a moment before he answered, looking away, “you are very handsome, Kakashi. I will not be offended if you decline, of course! Nothing has to change.”
“I would love to.” Kakashi finally answered, unable to take more of Iruka looking uncomfortable, he should only look happy and content.
“Really? Here, can we exchange numbers? I am free Friday night? For dinner?” Kakashi took Iruka’s offered phone and put in his number. He hasn’t felt his heart beat into his throat like this since he was discharged. He felt alive for the first time in a long while.
“Friday sounds perfect. Pick any place you like, any at all.” Kakashi thought that he would explode if he stayed this close to Iruka, still shining from the workout.
“I’ll text you details later,” Iruka smiled easily again, he looked confident and beautiful. Kakashi could only nod in response. Iruka nodded back and scrambled out the door, eager smile plastered across his face.
Obito walked back in, jaw on the floor. “You did it…”
“Yeah, so don’t forget your part. I’ll go get Rin.” Obito’s protest died on his lips as said brunette ambled into the room.
“Iruka left with quite the smile! What happened in here?” Rin asked looking between her friends.
“Obito will tell you.” Kakashi left with a wink. He was in a great mood, and he suspected he would be in an even better one Friday night.
Obito glared at Kakashi’s back, but he was gone, and Rin was looking at him, expectantly.
He smiled back at her, hand rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
“Hey…” Obito said slowly. Rin just stared at him, expectantly. “Umm… Well, Kakashi asked Iruka out!” Rin’s eyes lit up.
“What?! That’s sudden! He was just a pining fool yesterday and now he’s his old smooth self? What changed?”
“We made a bet,” Obito cursed. He didn’t want Rin to think he was just asking her out for some challenge. This was not going well.
“A bet.” Rin deadpanned.
“No, no, it isn’t like that! Rin… I… I’ve…”
Rin held up her hand to silence the stuttering mess. So Kakashi forced his hand. She wasn’t as upset as she probably should have been. It was getting exhausting to wait, but she wasn’t sure Obito was ready.
“Obito,” Rin began.
Obito straighten up at her tone. She sounded disappointed. This woman deserved so much more than this. She deserved the world. Could he give that to her?
“No, Rin, let me finish,” Rin looked a little shocked at his interruption. She didn’t think he had ever done that before. “You deserve everything that this world has to offer. Certainly, more than I can give you…” She looked like she was going to argue, but Obito plowed on. “But I want to try. I know I will try harder than any other man to make you happy. I should have said something so long ago, before I… before my best feature was ruined.” Obito smiled, Rin smiled too, and she brought her hand up to touch his scared face, stroking his cheek reverently.
“You are perfect just the way you are.” Rin answered, holding back tears.
“You’ve always been the perfect one, Rin, you know that, I know that, the world knows that. Just… if you gave me a chance, I would never give up on trying to make you happy.” Obito grabbed Rin’s hand when she tried to pull it away. He brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed them gently.
“I will give you a million chances, Obito, as many as you need.” Rin said, unable to hold it in a moment more.
They kissed, pulled together like magnets, unable to resist the pull. Rin wrapped her hands around Obito’s neck, pulling him down to her. It felt like they had been searching forever in the dark, and suddenly a light was turned on. It was all so clear, and their past selves seemed so foolish for their hesitancy.
Gai and Kakashi turned away from the door frame, Gai with tears streaming down his face at the romance of it all, Kakashi with a satisfied smirk. “Finally.”
Iruka looked over at them from his place at the front desk. Kakashi thought, maybe he could have what Rin and Obito had one day. For the first time in a long time, he had hope for his future. He just hoped Iruka liked dogs.