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Chapter Text

“I heard it is to hide his perverted face while reading that gross book.” Naruto’s voice could be heard easily from the other side of the busy street as if he was by his side.

“It is a stupid reason and we all know Kakashi’s no stupid.” Sasuke replied in a lower tone. “Even thought he really enjoys pretending he is…”

“He loves Ero Sennin’s books, that alone is stupid enough” Naruto shoot back in no time. Even if the words seemed harsh, there was a sadness and longing in his voice that talked clearly of loss.

“But if that’s the reason then he shouldn’t wear it any other time that he’s not reading” Sakura tried to reason “right? Makes no sense to use something that can get in the way of a fight if it isn’t useful.”

There was a pause when they all stopped to think about the issue and the little brainstorm they made in the last hour.

“Why are you three wondering about Hokage-sama’s mask again?” Iruka asked, confused. He was talking with Teuchi while the old man prepared all their ramen bowls when he heard Naruto’s voice getting in the small restaurant.

“Because this time we will take Kakashi’s mask off in a smart way.” Sakura answered looking so much like the little girl she was not that long ago that Iruka felt his heart swelling with fondness.

“And for that we need to know why he uses it. Know your enemy to defeat them.” Sasuke completed, not even trying to look like he didn’t care anymore.

The boy’s journey with Orochimaru and Akatsuki changed him in many ways. Even Kakashi - the “enemy” in Sasuke’s words - had thought that the only way to stop him was death. What no one counted on was Naruto’s stubbornness and Sakura’s determination that in the end brought the boy back to the village and their side in a critical moment of the war.

“So you want to know about the origins of Kakashi’s mask in order to take it off?” Iruka asked to be sure.

“Hai!” the three answered together.

Iruka as everyone in the village wanted to know what was behind that mask, but he was one of the few that didn’t bother to try anything for two strong reasons. First he didn’t want to be on Kakashi’s bad side. Iruka was good enough at pranks to be one of the few that could actually do so with little effort, but what he couldn’t handle was Kakashi’s rage. He was no stupid and knew that if they were to fight, he didn’t stand a chance.

Secondly and most important, Iruka knew that if Kakashi needed it for whatever reason, then he should have it, especially after all the sacrifices the man made for all their sakes. Everyone had their own way to cope with the nightmares of shinobi life, particularly after the war and who was Iruka to ruin it for one of the most important shinobis around.

But then, it’s been almost two years since he saw the kids acting like that, like kids.

Since he saw Naruto being so committed with something other than training and out of his sorrow for all the lives missed in the war. Since Sakura smiled so freely like she didn’t have a problem in the world. Sasuke engaged in a trivial worry of the village and not looking around like someone might jump on him and slice his throat in the middle of dinner. And the most important, the three of them getting together for something fun like the young adults they were and not the three kids that defeated a goddess.

Iruka hasn’t been their sensei for years now, but he still cared about these three kids that used to worry him so much while in the academy. And they too deserved to keep their way to cope and be complete again.

“Then you should ask about it to people that actually know Kakashi. People that know him for a long time, maybe since he was a kid?” Iruka suggested.

“That’s a great idea!” Naruto celebrated jumping from his seat before dropping in it again “But who should we talk to?”

“Why don’t we start with Gai-sensei? He’s one of Kakashi-sensei’s friends and I think I heard somewhere that they were in the same class in the academy.” Sakura suggests.

“Then let’s go dattebayo!”

“Not so fast” Iruka interrupted “Not even I can eat all this ramen alone.”

Seeing all their bowls ready in front of them, the kids laughed and went back to eat and plan their way on their new mission. For the whole night Iruka’s heart seemed to explode with so much love.

____________________________________________________________________

It was harder to find Gai than it should. Not even a wheelchair made him stop all his training and he was “catching up for the lost time” since Tsunade released him from the hospital and to do all the chores he could in his new condition.

Lee was a constante around Gai and it was their luck that Kakashi was too busy with all the Hokage stuff to be around Gai as much as he did before Tsunade made him take her place. If Kakashi was there then they would lose time.

After few minutes it became clear that if they wanted answers they needed to ask clearly or otherwise Gai would spend the day talking about that weird youthful stuff that none of them understands very well with Lee’s enthusiastic cheering at the back.

“Actually, Gai-sensei” Naruto interrupted while joining the sit-ups Gai and Lee were attempting to do “we wanted to ask if you know why Kaka-sensei wears his mask.”

“You want what?” Gai asked, confused by being interrupted in the middle of his speech.

“We know that you’re very close to Kakashi-sensei” Sakura explained “And we were wondering if you would know why he wears a mask.”

Gai stopped for a moment considering the three kids in front of him. He measured each one of them and then they all as a group before going back to his wheelchair.

“I don’t know the answer to that. It’s so cool and hip from my youthful rival to not share it!”

“Would you tell us how his face looks then?” Sasuke asked looking half bored, half curious and totally like he thought this was losing time.

“I never saw his face” Gai denied.

”Never?” Sakura asked “Weren’t you in the same year in the academy? He can’t possibly be born with that thing…”

“We were, but he always used the mask. When not a mask, he had a fluffy scarf to hide his precious youthful face!” The three made disappointed sounds and looked defeated and that Gai couldn’t have, so he decided to help them a bit. “But Kurenai and Asuma were close to him too, maybe she knows something.”

“Thanks Gai-sensei!” Naruto yelled while being pulled away by Sakura.

____________________________________________________________________

Kurenai proved to be a bad idea. The woman had a crying and bailing baby in her arms when she said she had no idea but they should look for Genma.

He looked like a nice and fun guy, but besides flirting with Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto and another shinobi passing by in a total of 15 minutes, he knew much less than the other two. At least he looked bored in his work and made a huge list of everyone that was alive and part of his class in the academy besides the theories they had back them.

“I have no idea who was or was not close to the Hokage, but one of them must know it.” He pointed to the list in Sasuke’s hands “And if you find out his face, just tell me!”

Sighing, they decided to separate through the village to look for all that names. Naruto, with his many shadow clones made the outer part of the village, Sakura went to closer to the hospital grounds and Sasuke choose the academy surroundings.

Of course some of the people in the list were out on missions, some were in the hospital doing check-ups and the majority had a minute to give them the same answer. No one ever saw Kakashi without a mask. Neither knew why he started to use it. And everyone these people mentioned that maybe knew something, also had the same answer.

At the end of the day, Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto had traveled the whole village and gathered zero information. Frustrated, they labeled that subject as foolish and went their own ways.

____________________________________________________________________

A week passed from the self imposed mission the former team 7 made and Iruka noticed their disappointment vanishing slower than it should. It was sad to see that the thing they wanted to do as a way to take away the focus from the still rebuilding world was ripped from them too.

Iruka was known as a very caring teacher that does all he can for his students. Sometimes he ended up in terrible situations just to help them grow while being as safe and happy as possible. And that’s why an impulse he couldn’t control to help his former students kicked in and drove him to the doors of the Hokage’s office.

He thought he must be crazy, showing without an appointment at the Hokage’s place just to make him a stupid personal question for the sake of their former students. Kakashi must be busy or tired and wanting a break, the last thing he must want is to answer those things or being questioned about them

But as Shikamaru opened the door saying Kakashi would see him, there was no going back.

“Sensei” Kakashi greeted and indeed he looked tired “What brings you to this dark place on such a sunny day?”

“Hokage-sama” Iruka bowed slightly as he was taught to do in front of the Hokage.

“Please don’t” Kakashi made a pained and bored face “I hate this stuff. Just Kakashi is fine, sensei.”

“Well, Kakashi-san” Iruka started insecure about the name but liking the sound of it “I’m sorry to interrupt, it is nothing urgent and I can wait till you have time.”

“No sense” Kakashi dismissed “I was looking for a way to ignore work and make it look like I’m busy so Shikamaru doesn't send dagger looks at me. They don’t hurt but is highly annoying. So, tell me how I can help.”

“You see” Iruka started insecure “It’s personal…” he alerted “The kids are back on that attempts of seeing your face again, and they made a question that got me intrigued too.'' As he spoke, Irukarealized the truth behind his words “I wanted to know why you wear it? Why have a mask? I mean, you don’t look like someone that cares for a deformity or anything like that and even the most stupid things you do have a deep porpuse, so why?”

When finally the words were out and the surprised silence filled the room, Iruka was divided between apologizing and running far away from there to never be seen again or to just wait and see. The last one won and he was glad when Kakashi started to speak that he wasn’t angry at him.

“No one ever asked me that. You really surprised me with your observation skills, sensei. And I will answer if only for the guts to come here and ask.” Iruka felt his face warming with the look Kakashi gave him, but he stood his ground. “You see, my father was a very important shinobi. Most people don’t know that I’m the kid of Sakumo, the White Fang.” Iruka nodded indicating that he knew from the history books he had to study for his classes “And it is not just my hair that looks like his, I was like a copy of my father when I was a kid and being like a living legend while you can’t defend yourself…”

“It is very hard to be the kid of a shinobi” Iruka agreed.

“It is. I was three I think, when I was outside our house grabbing herbs for dinner and a nin from another village saw me. I never discovered what his history was with my father, but he kidnapped me to get to the White Fang. Everything went fine in the end, but because of it father got slightly paranoid” Kakashi rolled his eyes but with fondness. “He had already lost my mother at birth and he couldn’t think of losing me, so he proposed the mask in a way to make me less recognizable and therefore safer.”

“He offered you a mask then?” Iruka asked, so involved in the story he didn’t notice his body being guided to the small couch at one corner.

“Yes and no. He actually made me wear a scarf and I did for a while, but it was too easy to take off, got a lot on the way, so I asked for a mask. Of course four year old me wanted a fun one, maybe as an animal, but you got the idea.” Kakashi shrugged. The image of a small Kakashi wearing a mask with a dog’s snout was just too cute to ignore.

“But, if it was a way to protect you, why didn’t you take off later? You know, after you learned to fight. Did it become like a part of you?”

“I got used, yes, but when I became genin and later chunin, everyone that saw my face thought I was too young and used to mock me or underestimate me. Some of the other kids and even jounins didn’t want me in their teams for thinking I was too young. I got tired of these comments and decided not to show it ever. Later it became other things like a hideout place, anonymity for my work, shame for some losses… The meaning changed with time.”

“And what about now?” Iruka asked.

“Now it has become part of my persona. If I suddenly start showing out without it, people will think I went crazy. Or I may cause a new apocalypse, who knows? Better not to risk, uh?” Kakashi finished with his classic eye smile and turned his head to the side as puppies did.

Iruka tried but he couldn’t hold back a smile and a giggle at the other’s mannerisms. The thought that Kakashi was actually cute hit him out of nowhere, but not even the surprise took the smile from his face.

“Guess you’re right” Iruka agreed “We will all thank you for prevententing a new end of the world.”

They laughed quietly at the new shared inside joke before just staring at each other in silence for a while. And that’s how Shikamaru found them half an hour after, in silence just looking at each other.

“Rokudaime” Shikamaru called “Your next appointment started five minutes ago.”

“Sorry!” Iruka asked, jumping from his seat and asking himself when he sat during that talk. “I won’t hold you up anymore. Thank you for the honesty and for your time Hoka… Kakashi-san” Iruka corrected at Kakashi’s raised eyebrows.

”Not a problem, sensei” Kakashi got up too and let Iruka almost go before calling him again. “Oh, sensei! Going out would be apocalyptic, but I guess I could show it to someone, you know? Someone surprising and good at keeping secrets.” Kakashi winked at Iruka before following a confused Shikamaru to a side door.

Iruka’s smile only got bigger when he noticed what the Hokage meant and that he would very much like to be that someone. Too bad for team 7, but they would have to keep curious it seems.

Chapter Text

Iruka rolled his eyes but had a found smile on his face. For a ninja, his boyfriend - sorry, fiance now - was not discreet with his staring. Kakashi had been hanging in his living room window for the past hour watching while Iruka went through some paperwork, but in the past few minutes he could sense that the other was fixed on something more than just observing everything he did.

When he became vice-principal, Iruka thought he wouldn’t spend his nights curved on piles and piles of paper anymore. How wrong was he. The only difference was that now the papers in front of him were not exams or homework, but documents he had to turn in soon.

“You’re distracting me” Iruka said at least with a sigh.

He calmly left his pen on his futon and turned his eyes to his gorgeous fiance. His neck protested a little for the many hours in the same position, but Kakashi in his old fighting gear was a sight that he wouldn’t miss.

“You tell me” Kakashi smirked under his mask before jumping in the room and slowly getting closer to Iruka. “You’re really hot tonight, sensei.”

“And you should be in a meeting, Hokage-sama.”

“Mah, it was boring and I just remembered my curious and sexy fiance alone at home. Shikamaru can handle the council, he’s the one that answers the questions anyway. He’s still worried I’ll cause another incident with the old bastards.”

Iruka fought back his laugh, feeling sorry for the boy that was once his most lazy student and now had to deal with Kakashi’s lack of social and political abilities. Instead he dragged Kakashi to sit by his side and pulled his mask down for a kiss.

They were together for almost three years now and it was around two years since Kakashi first let Iruka see his maskless face. Not that he didn’t get it off around Iruka before it, Iruka just was polite enough to not peek at his face and to keep his eyes very closed while they kissed and… stuff. Very distracting stuff that made it easy for his eyes to be closed by the way.

Still, even after two years, Iruka felt the same butterflies in his stomach everytime Kakashi allowed him to pull his mask down. The same proud and happy feeling ran in his veins, only intensified by the smile Kakashi had only for him.

“Missed you, sensei” Kakashi whispered against his lips.

“We had lunch together just a few hours ago, ‘Kashi” Iruka giggled.

They chit-chatted for a while before Kakashi offered to make dinner and Iruka went back to his papers. That’s when Iruka felt again Kakashi staring at him with intensity.

The first time could pass as nothing, but two times in a row were too much to ignore and Iruka was intrigued and worried that something was wrong. As he thought before, Kakashi wasn’t the most social person and had some difficulty talking about things that bothered him, so Iruka was always alert to this kind of behaviour from his beloved ever since it almost made them break up a few times earlier in their relationship.

Choosing to give some time to Kakashi say whatever was on his mind, Iruka pretended to not notice the staring that went through dinner and even while they prepared to lay in bed for some very deserved sleep.

They kissed goodnight and got comfortable on their bed as usual with legs intertwined and foreheads touching. It was the most intimate Iruka ever was with anyone and it didn’t fail to warm his heart every night - not to mention that Kakashi’s cold feet in his legs helped to balance the warmth from their thick cover.

Even with his eyes closed Iruka could feel the intensity of Kakashi’s stare at his face. Even with the uncomfortable worry running through him, Iruka forced himself to relax enough to seem like he was sleeping or at least about to.

Once his breath evened and his muscles were like jelly, Iruka felt a finger on his face. Kakashi’s long finger ran in his jaw softly, as if testing the waters before going up and slowly tracing the scar on his nose. If Iruka himself hadn’t done that same path with his own fingers many times before, he wouldn’t even know that Kakashi’s were on the old scar.

Deciding to see where the other was heading to, he stood still. The fingers seemed to study his marked skin carefully and then they gave space to thin and soft lips, doing the same thing.

Iruka had no idea why that made his eyes watered a little, but he did his best to not ruin the moment and show the other man he was awake yet. The fingers were back a few moments later.

“Hey, my dear” Iruka heard Kakashi’s whispered, chills of the best kind running through his body “I know you’re awake.”

Iruka blinked slowly half in trance and half to turn away the tears still in his eyes. He found Kakashi’s loving eyes on his and couldn’t help but smile softly. Soon the eyes averted to the scar Kakashi was studying for so long and the way he did it made Iruka realize that the scar was what had Kakashi’s attention the whole night.

“What are you doing?” Iruka asked curiously, bumping his nose on Kakashi’s in a light teasing way.

“Just wondering…”

“About?”

“Your scar.” Kakashi started.

“My scar?”

“Yeah. I’ve always seen it like a part of you, just another detail to make the whole so perfect” at that Iruka couldn’t help but blush “It is so much part of you that I never before thought that you weren’t born with it and must be some story behind it.”

Iruka stared at him for a moment, the smile never leaving his lips.

“And you want to know what that story is?” Kakashi nodded. “It is kind of dumb actually, so don’t be disappointed.”

“On you? Never been and never will be.” Kakashi bit Iruka’s jaw while bringing him closer with a hand on his hips.

“Well” Iruka tried to distract himself from Kakashi’s moves “It was before I started the academy. My parents came as refugees to Konoha from the war that devastated our small country and I was having a hard time making friends around here and that’s when I met Kotetsu.”

“He was your first friend in Konoha?” Kakashi asked curiously.

“Sort of” Iruka laughed of the old memory “He was my neighbor and so our parents decided we should hang out together, which meant running like crazy around the village.”

“I always forget the little brat you were back in those days” Kakashi fakely sighed “I was usually the one cleaning up your mess, you know?”

“And now I’m the one cleaning yours” Iruka poked Kakashi’s side and kissed his cheek. “In one of these adventures, as we called it, Kotestsu had an accident and hurt himself pretty badly. We were scared he would lose his nose until we came to the hospital and discovered that it was bad but not that much. When he saw the scar for the first time after it healed, he cried like a baby and didn’t leave his house for a couple of days. And you know, I really missed my only friend.” Iruka now blushed and made a pause.

“Why do I feel like I know where this is going?” Kakashi asked suspiciously “What happened then?”

“Oh, you know. I wanted him to know that it wasn’t a big deal and that I was his friend with or without a scar and then a thought occured me. One that made me feel like a little genius. That he would feel better if we both had the same problem.”

“Oh no!” Kakashi flinched, hiding his face on Iruka’s neck to muffle his laugh.

“Oh yes. I got my mother’s kunai while she was distracted and cut myself.”

“Iruka! You’re insane!” Kakashi now stared at his fiance in shocked amusement.

“That’s what my mom said too after she took me to the hospital.” Iruka giggled, fond of the memory “It wasn’t as bad as Kotetsu’s but I had to stitch it and they alerted me it would scar badly. No one understood why I was so happy about the scar part.”

“I can’t believe it” Kakashi was now laughing with his back on the bed. “And did it work?”

“With Kotetsu?” Iruka asked, winning a nod “Not at all, he cried again saying that we would be the ugliest in the academy the next season and refused to see me for a whole week. But then Izumo met us at the academy and couldn’t stop saying how cool we were with a scar and the bandage and he became all proud of his face again.” Iruka huffed, rolling his eyes. He was really mad at his friend back then, now it was just another nice way to tease his friends with their relationship.

“I can’t believe you exist” Kakashi controlled his laugh to a minimum just to kiss Iruka.

“You better believe, since we’re getting married” Iruka smiled “Now, if Naruto asks about it, I won this scar protecting a child from a terrible enemy, okay?” Kakashi stared at Iruka.

“Thought you were against lying to him.”

“I am, but no way I’m giving him ideas, he already blew up his arm for Sasuke, can you imagine what else he could do?” Iruka asked in horror, taking more laughter from Kakashi.

“I love you” Kakashi whispered to Iruka in amusement.

“Love you too” Iruka kissed him again, closing his eyes to sleep.

A kiss on his nose, right above his scar was the last thing he felt that night and what made him sleep with the big lovely smile on his lips.