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Iruka was washing up the last of the breakfast dishes when the full force of Kakashi’s killing intent hit him. He dropped the mug he had been holding while his knees buckled under the force. Shards of porcelain scattered in the soapy remnants of the water in the sink basin.
He struggled to remain standing, pushing off against the counter and staggering through the house. The intent was so pervasive, Iruka couldn’t pinpoint exactly where Kakashi was in their home. It wasn’t a big house, enough space for them and a bedroom for Naruto if he needed it. The third room served as an office space for Iruka and Kakashi, though Iruka still did most of his work in the lounge.
Iruka finally made his way to the office, bracing against walls and door frames as he went. It had been a long time since he had experienced Kakashi’s killing intent so potently. He worried for his partner, unsure of what he would find. Very rarely did Kakashi lose control of his chakra to this extent and it wasn’t like he had been on any missions recently. There were some perks to being hokage and that, in Iruka’s opinion, was one of them. He had never begrudged Kakashi’s missions, but Iruka had missed Kakashi terribly and worried about him more than he could ever explain.
Even though Kakashi hadn’t been hokage long, Iruka couldn’t possibly think of a reason as to why Kakashi was aggravated enough to be like this.
Iruka wouldn’t have been able to be quiet while making his way through the house if he had wanted to, and by the time he made it to the office he was breathing heavily and clutching the doorway to stay upright. The sight he was privy to would have made him reflexively step back if he had been able to.
Kakashi stood with his back to the door sans hokage robe and hat. Electricity flickered up and down his arms as he gripped the window sill he stood in front of. Iruka could hear the creak of the wood, the strain of his grip too much. Kakashi’s head was bowed.
His knuckles flexed white as his shoulders rose and fell with a breath upon Iruka’s arrival.
“Kakashi,” Iruka managed.
The pressure of Kakashi’s radiating intent stopped and Iruka fell to his knees, released from the grip it had on him.
“Fuck,” Kakashi said, moving swiftly to Iruka’s side. He was lifting Iruka back to his feet, wrapping an arm around Iruka’s waist to support him before Iruka could protest. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Iruka. I didn’t… I hadn’t—”
Iruka immediately wrapped himself around Kakashi, hugging him tightly. “I’m fine! Are you okay? What happened to make you… Kakashi, it’s been a long time since that’s happened.”
Kakashi buried his face in Iruka’s neck, holding him tightly.
“I can’t, Iruka, I can’t follow this order. I can’t let you go. I love you too much,” Kakashi rambled. Iruka’s head spun as he tried to make sense of Kakashi’s words. What order was he talking about? Who was ordering him to do what? Kakashi was the hokage, for gods sake, who would be giving him orders?
Iruka’s blood ran cold.
The council.
They were the only ones who thought they could impose their will upon Kakashi. And whatever they had decreed today had Kakashi a mess, reacting in ways he hadn’t since before the war. Confusion was turning to anger, quickly boiling to rage. After everything Kakshi had given up for this village, for her people, they wanted more from him? They wanted to break him further? Because that was what was happening; right here in Iruka’s arms, Kakashi was breaking.
Iruka pulled back from Kakashi, not moving farther than a few inches. He just needed to see Kakashi’s face, be able to look at him and understand exactly what the council was requesting of Kakashi.
Cupping Kakashi’s face in his palms, Iruka leaned down until he caught Kakashi’s eyes. “Love, tell me what happened. Start at the beginning.”
The last thing Kakashi wanted to do this morning was go to yet another council meeting, but as much as he had tried, he couldn’t get out of it. Most of the meetings were the old bats talking over one another thinking their ideas and morals were better than the others. Just how they had managed to accomplish anything in this village for the last gods-only-knew how many decades Kakashi didn’t know.
Though, if he really thought about it, maybe that was why the social systems were in the state they were in. He was doing his best to work on improving them, but it felt akin to pushing a boulder up a hill after going ten rounds with Gai and having chakra exhaustion. Kakashi pushed through though, a rebuttal for every argument they threw at him. He knew how important it was to provide social services to the shinobi and civilians alike in the village and Kakashi had the best form of support on his side.
Kakashi couldn’t ask for anyone better than Iruka. He counted himself lucky that Iruka had chosen to stay by his side for the past seven years, willing to put up with Kakashi’s instability and stunted emotional range. Iruka had taught Kakashi that it was okay to be loved and to love in return, that not everything would go to shit. Iruka was and always would be Kakashi’s better half.
Kakashi expected this meeting was another pushback regarding more funding for the orphanage. Kakashi had signed off on the paperwork before going home the night before and Shikamaru had said he would deliver it this morning. The council never wasted time in rebuffing Kakashi’s efforts.
It was a surprise when Kakashi finally slouched into the room at twenty after the hour, practically on time for him, and found only the two council members and none of the advisors that were usually in these meetings. Utatane Koharu gave him a reproachful glare as he slunk into the chair and waited for them to begin. He knew all about the power play between himself and the two council members; he could sit in the near silence for hours without speaking, only the ticking of the clock to mark the passage of time. They would break before he would.
The silence lasted no longer than forty-three seconds before Koharu spoke. “Hatake-sama, as the six month mark of your term as hokage approaches, it is time to broach the subject of marriage.”
Kakashi blinked, the only outward sign of surprise. His mind raced though. What the fuck were they talking about, marriage? And what did it have to do with him being hokage?
Kakashi didn’t have to voice any questions, as Koharu continued. “It is written that by the end of a hokage’s first year, if they have not been wed, a marriage shall be arranged for them.”
“Written where?” Kakashi asked. He wanted to see proof of this before committing to anything.
Mitokado Homura slid a scroll across the table to Kakashi, a smug look on his wrinkled features. Despite his internal upset, Kakashi slowly took the scroll and appeared to glance through it casually.
In clear letters, it decreed that any hokage that was unwed by the end of their first year of term shall have a marriage arranged by the council. There was more after that, including references to other documents.
Kakashi remained silent for a touch longer than was comfortable. Koharu shifted, but did not speak.
Finally, Kakashi said, “Well, as you know I am already in a committed relationship. I will discuss with him about the topic of marriage.”
Neither council member could stop the sneers that crossed their faces. It would have been funny, Kakashi thought, seeing those twin reactions if they hadn’t been directed at Iruka. He bristled, waiting for whatever disparaging thing they had to say about his partner this time. Kakashi still couldn’t quite figure out what it was about Iruka these two old bats seemed to dislike so much. He didn’t think it had to do with it being a same-sex relationship, as the village at large was open and accepting of same-sex couples. It made him wonder if it had to do with Iruka’s rank, his choice of profession, or maybe that he had the ear of the Sandaime—a poor, orphan boy who made himself a nuisance was able to find support and love from the most powerful figure in the village and grow up to be respected and loved by the village, to prove himself worthy to have top clearance and be almost as skilled with fuuinjutsu as Jiraiya.
Whatever it was, the council never shied in showing their detestment of Iruka.
“That won’t be necessary, Hatake-sama,” Homura stated.
Kakashi raised his eyebrow.
“Umino,” Koharu continued where Homura had stopped, saying Iruka’s name as if it was dirt on the bottom of her shoe, “is not a suitable option.”
The world slowed around Kakashi as his ears began to ring. All signs of his aloof persona were gone as he narrowed his eyes and his expression hardened.
His voice was cold when he spoke. “Excuse me.”
Neither council member seemed fazed by Kakashi’s ever-increasing agitation. It was getting more difficult to keep his buzzing chakra coiled in.
“The marriage must produce an heir if the hokage is of a clan. It is imperative if they are head of the clan. So you see…”
Kakashi bowed his head for a moment, taking a breath and trying to find some modicum of calm. After several breaths, he stood, staring down at Homura and Koharu.
“Let me be very clear. If I marry, it will be on mine and Iruka’s terms, not some outdated stipulation set during a time that is no longer relevant.”
The council members rose, neither standing nearly as tall as Kakashi, nor the height they once were. Nevertheless, their presence was still commanding.
“And let us be clear, Hatake-sama, that if you do not follow these ‘outdated stipulations’ as you call them, it gives us the right to not only strip you of your clan title and lands, but your title of hokage as well. And then who would wear the hat? The Uzumaki boy is still just that, a boy. He may be the hero of the village, but he’s not prepared to be a hokage and frankly, we’re not convinced he ever will.”
The room swayed under Kakashi’s feet. Losing clan title and lands might leave a small ache in his chest, but he would still be Hatake Kakashi; besides, it wasn’t like there was an actual Hatake clan left. As for the lands, the old manor had survived the destruction of the village before the war, but it had been left to ruin long ago. The best thing for it would be tearing it down and starting new. Kakashi just hadn’t done anything with it, hadn’t had time to do anything with it.
Those things would hurt but not as much as losing the position of hokage. It was true he hadn’t wanted the job, still didn’t want the job if he was being honest, but he had a duty to the village, to her people, and most of all to Naruto. He had promised Naruto he would keep the hat until Naruto was ready to take over and Kakashi wasn’t going to break that promise. More than that, he believed with everything in him that Naruto would make an excellent leader for their village.
The council members' casual threat to Naruto’s success was anything but veiled. Kakashi knew they would follow through on it too, finding some way to block Naruto from achieving his dream.
Seeing the self-satisfied smirks on those wrinkled faces, like cats who caught a whole nest of canaries, made Kakashi snap. His closely coiled chakra burst in a wave of killing intent as he body flickered out of the room. He knew if he stayed there, he would do something he couldn’t take back.
Iruka was shaking from rage as Kakashi finished relaying the events of the meeting he had been in. How dare those two old meddling bats think they could threaten Kakashi, threaten Naruto! Iruka would tell them exactly what they could do with their threats. Every part of him wanted to scream at the injustice of it all.
He didn’t spare a thought for what the council members thought of him, he never had even as a genin having weekly tea with the Sandaime. The only things that mattered to Iruka were his precious people.
At some point in Kakashi’s story, the two had released each other and moved to the couch in the office. Iruka still clutched Kakashi’s hands in his own, desperate for the grounding it gave him even if he could feel the tremors running through Kakashi’s hands.
“I don’t understand,” Iruka finally said. “They never enforced this with Tsunade.”
“I don’t know,” Kakashi said quietly, defeat permeating his body.
Iruka couldn’t take that. He stood, beginning to pace as he spoke. “It could be argued that preserving the Senju line is even more important than the Hatake line. She’s a direct descendant of the first hokage, of one of the village founders. Personally, I think it’s ludicrous to demand that of anyone, bloodline be damned, but there are many things I don’t agree with, as you well know.”
He had never made his qualms with the politics of the village a secret and never intended to. Perhaps that was part of what made the council dislike him so much, but Iruka, frankly, did not give two shits. He embodied the Will of Fire, felt it deep in himself and taught it to his pre-genin with conviction.
Iruka continued, huffing. “As hokage, you have final say over all matters in the village. They shouldn’t be able to force your hand in anything. They are a council, merely advisors, not a ruling body.” He looked at Kakashi, waiting for some sort of input from him, but was met with nothing. Kakashi was staring blankly at his hands and a part of Iruka knew that Kakashi had already given up on fighting this, despite his words from earlier.
“Dammit Kakashi! I’m not letting them take you from me.” Iruka was fuming; he refused to let Kakashi go because of an antiquated law the council dug up simply because they didn’t like the change Kakashi was pushing for, change that Iruka was supporting him in accomplishing. Because that was what this was really about, Iruka realized. The council had no stakes in whether the Hatake line continued; they couldn’t care less about that. They did, however, care about the amount of money being funneled into the social services and programs being developed and strengthened in Konoha.
“Those conniving bastards,” Iruka muttered, the pieces falling into place. “This isn’t about—”
Kakashi’s voice was weary as he interrupted Iruka. “It doesn’t matter what it’s about, Iruka. They can have the clan title, they can have the lands, but they can’t have Naruto’s dream. I’ve failed him too many times already, I can’t fail him in this.”
Iruka’s heart broke a little. The resignation in Kakashi was palpable.
He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to hold himself together before asking the question he already knew the answer to. “And what about us?”
Kakashi finally looked at Iruka, his grey eyes wide and already desolate. “Were we ever really meant to last?”
A punch to the gut would have hurt Iruka less. He staggered back, bumping into the desk. His breath came harshly as he tried to process how to handle this, how to stop whatever downward spiral Kakashi was in. Nothing came to him though.
“You’re not even going to try? You’re just going to give up?”
“What is there to do? Naruto’s happiness is worth more than mine or yours. I owe that much to him.”
Iruka’s teeth clicked painfully as his jaw snapped shut. He felt the pressure of tears in his eyes and tried in vain to hold them back.
He swallowed the lump in his throat. “Seven years of building a life together and that’s it.” Iruka huffed a humorless laugh and his voice was quiet when he spoke again. “If Naruto knew what you were giving up, he’d be livid, Kakashi. You were so quick to say no to the council in your meeting and now you’re just willing to let them walk all over you.”
Iruka walked to the door, pausing and turning back to the man he loved more than anyone in the world. He made sure to look Kakashi in the eye as he spoke. “Whoever they choose to take my place next to you… I hope she’s a beautiful fool.”
The haunted look in Kakashi’s eyes burned like an iron into Iruka’s mind, but he walked away anyway, going to their bedroom and closing the door softly. He laid down on their bed, nose buried in Kakashi’s pillow as the tears finally came in full force.
Kakashi buried his face in his hands, elbows braced on his knees. He didn’t know what to do, how to get around this, or how to fix what he had just shattered. Iruka would never trust him again and he had every right to that. Kakashi had betrayed him.
Fury built in him quickly and before he could think twice, Kakashi was in his favorite training ground, one close to the Forest of Death that was abandoned more often than not. Chakra built in his fist as he beat against the trees, felling them with nothing but chakra and rage.
Distantly he could hear his name, but the ringing in his ears had returned muting the world around him. He had no idea how long he blew through his chakra, but he only stopped when a bright orange entered his periphery. Flashes of Rin with his fist through her chest still haunted Kakashi and he dropped like a stone where he was.
“Kakashi-sensei!”
Naruto, Kakashi’s now exhausted mind supplied. His chakra was sluggish as it moved through his body and his right hand burned like he had left it in a fire.
“Kakashi-sensei, what the hell happened? Why were you burning through your chakra like that? Hey! Sensei, stay awake!” Naruto’s face swam into view, but everything was getting hazy. Kakashi wasn’t sure he could stay conscious for much longer and he wasn’t sure he really wanted to try. As his eyes rolled up and everything went black, he heard Naruto shout for someone to get Sakura and Iruka and for some reason Kakashi couldn’t remember, hearing Iruka’s name hurt more than anything else.
“He should be waking up soon, Iruka-sensei. You should stay, I’m sure he’ll want to see you.”
“I highly doubt that.”
“What was that, sensei?”
“Hm? Oh, nothing.” The clearing of a throat. “This isn’t the first time he’s ended up here for chakra exhaustion, Sakura-chan. He’ll be fine. He’s got you looking after him, after all.”
“Sensei, is everything all right?”
“Of course, why would you ask?”
“It’s just—nevermind, it’s not my place. I have to go make my rounds, but I will be back shortly to check on him.”
The door clicked shut.
A soft sigh. “Gods above and below, you’re a fucking idiot. You’re the hokage, not a child. You can’t just throw a temper tantrum.” A huff. “Chakra exhaustion. I can only imagine what that training ground looks like.”
Kakashi’s brain started to process just in time to hear the swish of fabric as Iruka turned. He couldn’t pry his eyes open just yet, but he forced his hand to reach out, blindly grabbing for any part of Iruka he could reach. His fingers snagged a pocket and he gripped.
“Stay. Please.”
His request was met with silence, but his grip held firm to the trousers. Kakashi finally got his eyes open. He was met with Iruka’s rich, brown eyes looking more broken than they had in a long time. It killed Kakashi to know he was the one who put that hurt there, had caused them to be red-rimmed and swollen from tears.
“I’m sorry,” Kakashi whispered hoarsely.
Everything in him ached. It had been a while since he had experienced chakra exhaustion and he did not miss the feeling of waking up and being so acutely aware of every single part of his body. But that pain was miniscule to the emotional pain coursing through him. It pried through his cracks and crevices, settling deep in his bones. It hurt worse knowing he caused it.
“It’s going to take more than an apology to fix this.”
“Do I get the chance to try, though?” Kakashi could live with that, be grateful for the opportunity to atone for his mistakes. He had a lot of practice atoning for mistakes he had made.
It said something about how well Iruka knew him, when Iruka said, “I’m not a mistake to atone for, Kakashi. I am your partner and I thought at some point I would be your husband. I am a living, breathing person. You can’t just stand and stare at me the way you do the Memorial Stone.”
Kakashi flinched at the bluntness of Iruka’s words, but he took a breath and reached for Iruka’s hand. His palm was warm and calloused and felt right. Everything about Iruka felt like home and Kakashi wanted to punch himself for nearly letting Iruka go.
“Please let me fix this.”
He watched as tears began to stream down Iruka’s cheeks. Iruka closed his eyes and let out a breath. “I love you, you idiot. I never wanted to give up on us and I will fight tooth and nail to make sure Naruto is your successor. But his happiness is not worth more than mine or yours. The three of us are a family, we support each other.”
As if on cue, Naruto burst through the door, not bothering to knock or slow down. Iruka hastily scrubbed the tears from his cheeks.
“Kakashi–sensei, what the hell were you thinking?!” He screeched.
“Naruto, this is a hospital, have some respect,” Iruka chided.
Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, chastised. “Sorry sensei.”
“Thank you for getting help, Naruto,” Kakashi said, ignoring Naruto’s original question. He didn’t have an answer for the boy anymore than he had an answer for himself. He didn’t really want to explain to Naruto that his world had been crumbling before his eyes and it was due to Kakashi’s own stupidity.
“Of course, Kakashi-sensei. It’s been a while since any of us found you like that. I forgot what it was like.”
Kakashi didn’t like the look in Naruto’s eyes, how they dimmed and were replaced by a sadness he couldn’t make better.
Iruka put his free arm around Naruto’s shoulders, pulling him close. “It’s not something any of us care to experience again. Right, Kakashi?” The glare he shot at Kakashi made him whither.
“No, no I think not,” Kakashi said quietly. He squeezed Iruka’s hand, hoping it conveyed the words he couldn’t say.
“Naruto,” Iruka said, looking at the boy. “Why don’t you find Sakura—quietly—and let her know that Kakashi is awake?”
Naruto narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Why were you crying? What did Bakashi do?”
Iruka sighed. He had hoped Naruto wouldn’t notice, but the boy was far more observant than anyone gave him credit for. “It’s nothing, Naruto.” At Naruto’s glare, he tried, “It’ll be resolved soon enough. I promise.”
He could tell Naruto didn’t believe him, but Iruka wouldn’t tell him the truth, not if he could help it. Parents always tried to protect their children, no matter the cost to themselves.
The thought made Iruka look at Kakashi, at his prone form in the hospital bed, chakra exhausted and barely awake because he had decided to protect their child at the cost of them. And though Iruka was still angry with his partner, a part of him understood now the impossible choice Kakashi had been trying to make.
Naruto’s voice broke Iruka from his thoughts. “Ugh, Iruka-sensei, stop making that face at Kakashi-sensei, it’s so gross. Wait ‘til I’m gone before you start kissing. No one wants to see that.” Naruto was at the door in a blur of orange, but he stopped just before running out again. “Oh, Kakashi-sensei?”
Both Kakashi and Iruka looked toward Naruto. Iruka’s heart stuttered seeing the slight orange glow of Naruto’s eyes, Kurama’s chakra leaking out.
“If you hurt Iruka-sensei, I’ll kill you myself.”
Silence permeated the room.
Kakashi cleared his throat once. “Noted. Be home for dinner. I’ll be breaking out here soon enough.”
“Like hell you will,” Iruka scolded.
“You’re in for it now, sensei. I’m outta here.” And with that, Naruto was gone.
“It’s just some chakra exhaustion. And maybe a few burns,” Kakashi said, lifting his bandaged right hand. “Besides, I do my best thinking next to you and I’m not making you sit next to me in a hospital for any longer than I already have. We have council members to upset.”
Kakashi was, in fact, released from the hospital, though Sakura made it clear it was against her wishes. Iruka only sighed and said he would be sure to have someone get her if something happened, then reminded her to join them for their weekly dinner later in the week. She nodded, scowling at Kakashi and telling him to take better care of himself.
Part of Iruka wanted to make Kakashi walk home, but Kakashi looked as if he would fall over if Iruka stopped supporting him. It served him right though, expending all his chakra unnecessarily. Iruka meant what he said in the hospital room; Kakashi was an adult, the damn hokage, he had no business decimating a training ground because he was upset. On the other hand, at least it was just a training ground.
Naruto had told Iruka in explicit detail the state of the training ground when he found Kakashi. Iruka had known Kakashi was there, had been in a disagreement with Tenzou on whether it was his responsibility to go retrieve the other man before he did something grievous, when another ANBU appeared to tell them both Kakashi had been taken to the hospital. Iruka had relented at that point and left for the hospital.
And now here he was, supporting Kakashi along the sidewalk outside the hospital. He was angry, so angry: with Kakashi, with the council, with outdated laws that had no business being enforced.
“Iruka,” Kakashi huffed, breathing heavily. “I hate to ask this, but I don’t think I can make the walk home. Could you…”
Iruka gave him a hard look, one he used on misbehaving pre-genin on a regular basis. “Do you think that might mean, that maybe, just maybe, you should have stayed in the hospital?”
“Home is much more conducive to healing though,” Kakashi whined, his grey eyes wide.
Iruka rolled his eyes, pulling Kakashi closer and weaving the signs for a shunshin. He didn’t have the biggest of chakra reserves, certainly nothing like Kakashi’s, but he had enough to do this and be fine. And even being as mad as he was at Kakashi, he really didn’t want to see the man suffer.
They landed in their lounge, where Iruka unceremoniously dumped Kakashi on the couch. Kakashi groaned as he hit the cushions.
“I’m making tea,” Iruka said walking from the room. He needed to breathe, to gather his thoughts and figure out the next steps.
Things between him and Kakashi would be fine, he knew that. This wasn’t their first fight, definitely not their biggest, and he doubted it would be their last. Iruka knew his own nature too well, fiery and quick to anger. Kakashi was too quick with a retort and not quick enough with thinking how that retort would land. They always made it through though; the two of them had more love for each other than anger.
So he wasn’t worried about fixing them. They would move on and find peace after they took care of the problem that caused all of it in the first place.
The godsdamned council.
Iruka gripped the counter, his knuckles going white. He understood now why Kakashi had come home the way he had. It had only been this morning, but it felt like a lifetime ago.
He considered what he knew. The council was made up of Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu. Then there were Kakashi’s advisors; Tsunade, Shizune, and Shikamaru. Iruka was an unofficial advisor but he couldn’t count himself in this. The council were just senior advisors.
Iruka chewed his lip, mulling it over. He jumped when the timer dinged for his tea. He finished his task on autopilot, trying to figure out the next steps for solving this problem.
Walking back into the living room, he handed his tea to Kakashi for a moment. Iruka lifted Kakashi’s legs and sat, settling Kakashi’s legs over his own. Kakashi handed Iruka’s tea back to him. Neither had to speak, years of the familiar routine comforting to them both.
After a moment, Iruka said, “I want to see these documents they showed you.”
Kakashi had his eyes closed, but he nodded. “We’ll look at them tomorrow, first thing.”
“Good. I have an idea, but I want to make sure it’s solid before I share it.”
Iruka was almost sure he had figured out how to get Kakashi out of this ridiculous law while also infuriating the council. Perhaps the latter of those two things was just Iruka being petty, but it was the best he could do at the moment without inflicting injury upon them. After sorting this all out, Kakashi could see to abolishing the outdated laws that were still on the books, saving Konoha citizens from going through any of this pain in the future.
The next morning found Kakashi and Iruka sitting across from each other in Kakashi’s office, scroll unfurled between them. Kakashi had sent a request via messenger bird to the council the previous night to have the document they were referencing delivered to his office by the next morning and they had delivered. Iruka wasn’t sure if they thought Kakashi would comply with their threat or if they were humoring him. If he had to guess, it was the latter. Despite not getting their way most of the time, the two old fools thought highly of themselves. Any other day or people, Iruka might feel bad for his disparaging thoughts, but not in the case of the council members.
Iruka was reading carefully, writing down the documents referenced as he went along. When he got to the end of the law, he went back to the beginning. “It states, ‘Any hokage unmarried by the end of their first year in term, if unable to procure a suitable arrangement, shall have one provided for them by their council.’ But look here!” Iruka pointed to the footnote next to the word council. He continued to read from the document. “‘See Form 1B for definitions.’”
Iruka looked at Kakashi. “We need Form 1B. You stay here, I’m going to grab it.”
Kakashi made to protest, but was silenced by a look from Iruka. Even with a full night of rest and a couple of good meals in him, chakra exhaustion was not to be trifled with. Kakashi had enough energy to get to his office, but it was still a trek and he had been trying to hide the exertion by the time they had made it there. Iruka didn’t know why Kakashi still tried to hide these things from him, but it was useless. He had been seeing through Kakashi’s masks for a very long time.
“You’ll stay here,” Iruka said again, a warning note in his voice. “I don’t need to come back and find you passed out on the floor. Honestly, Kakashi.” Iruka sighed, shaking his head. He waited until after the doors had shut behind him before smiling softly. He loved that ridiculous bastard more than words could ever convey. His heart still hurt from their fight the previous day, but he knew that would mend, that it was only a matter of time.
No one stopped him on his way to the archives, one of the benefits of being in the tower so early on a Saturday. Most shinobi were still sleeping off their hangovers the previous night. The only person he encountered was the person at the front desk of the archives.
“Oh, Iruka-sensei, it’s quite early for you to be down here.”
Iruka felt his cheeks warm as he smiled. “Ah yes, I guess it is, Momoyo-san. I’m on a bit of a research mission.”
The older woman smiled back at him. “Do you ever take a break? Well, I’ll leave you to it. You know these archives better than anyone else, I suspect.”
Iruka chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. She was probably right, but having someone else say it was still a bit embarrassing. “Thank you. Have a good day, Momoyo-san.”
“You as well, Iruka-sensei.”
He made his way through the archives, going through to the back. Finding the scroll he wanted, Iruka plucked it from the shelf and opened it.
At the top it read, FORM 1B — DEFINITIONS FOR LAWS FROM DOCUMENT 1, POLICIES REGARDING THE HOKAGE. Iruka scanned the document, searching for the definition of one specific word.
A grin spread across Iruka’s face as he read the definition for one word, bouncing to another that was referenced, and then back to the original word.
He wasted no time in running back to Kakashi’s office, bursting through the door. Kakashi snapped his head up from where it had been braced on his hand. Iruka would feel bad for startling him awake later.
“I’ve got it,” Iruka breathed. His heart was beating hard.
Kakashi’s brows furrowed, but didn’t say anything.
Iruka’s grin was triumphant, a cat-like satisfaction. “I know how to get around the law.”
For the first time in a very long time, Kakashi was not late to a meeting. That probably had more to do with Iruka than Kakashi actually wanting to be at the meeting, but he hoped it counted for something.
It was bright and early Monday morning and Kakashi stood in the meeting room of his advisors, his council. Everyone was present except Iruka, who had gone to the Academy to arrange for someone to watch his class for the morning before coming back to the tower for the morning’s meeting.
“How long will you make us wait, Hatake-sama? This seemed to be an urgent request,” Koharu sneered.
Kakashi looked over at the old woman, blinking slowly but not saying anything. Koharu huffed, readjusting her kimono.
It was only a few minutes later that Iruka walked in, two scrolls in his hand. Everything about his appearance was neat and tidy as he strode into the room. Kakashi couldn’t stop the smile that formed under his mask. He loved that man more than anything.
“My apologies, I had a few things to attend to and it took me longer than I intended,” Iruka said. He walked with purpose toward Kakashi, who pulled the chair out and motioned for Iruka to sit. The hesitation in Iruka was barely there, but Kakashi saw it. This was Kakashi’s seat, the hokage’s seat, and he was giving it to Iruka, at least for this meeting. The significance of it didn’t escape Iruka, Kakashi knew that from the small nod Iruka gave.
Koharu gasped as Iruka sat. “That seat is reserved for the hokage!”
“And I, as your hokage, am giving it to Iruka-sensei for this meeting,” Kakashi drawled. His tone was light, but there was an undercurrent to it that dared for his decision to be challenged. He was tired of being challenged by Koharu and Homura.
Tsunade sighed. “All right, let’s get on with it, shall we?” She gestured for Iruka to begin as Kakashi took the seat next to him.
Kakashi and Iruka had gone to speak with Tsunade on Saturday afternoon after Iruka had explained what he had figured out. They had decided it was best to have her on their side before bringing this to a full meeting. Part of Kakashi had worried she wouldn’t be, but that fear had been unfounded, fueled by his own insecurities.
Tsunade had been appalled at the declaration by the council members and enraged at their unsubtle threats toward Naruto. She had promised to do everything in her power to help them.
“Yes,” Iruka agreed. “First, thank you all for coming this morning. I know the meeting was short notice and it is very early. However, we seem to have some pressing business. On Friday, council members Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu gave the Rokudaime an ultimatum: by the end of his first year of term, he was to find a suitable partner or else they would strip him of his clan title, his clan lands, and his title as hokage.” Iruka paused to let this sink in. Kakashi watched in grim satisfaction as Shizune and Shikamaru turned to look at the council members in confusion. Tsunade was watching the faces of her assistant and Shikamaru.
“When Kakashi said he was in a longstanding, committed relationship with myself and would discuss the prospect of marriage with me, they told him I was not a suitable partner.” Shizune gasped audibly and looked horrified. Shikamaru looked more angry than Kakashi had ever seen. He should have known that having one of Iruka’s former students in this room would be good for them. “According to them, the marriage must produce an heir.”
The two council members remained silent through the debriefing, but the twin looks of disdain they gave Iruka had Kakashi wanting to vault across the table.
“I have the original law and the documents it references. Mitokado-san and Utatane-san are correct that there is, in fact, a law in place that demands these stipulations. However, what they have failed to remember is, although they are called the council while Tsunade-sama, Shizune-san, and Shikamaru-san are called advisors, all of you fall under the category of advisor. There is no distinction between your classifications. This is made clear in Form 1B, Definitions For Laws From Document 1, Policies Regarding The Hokage, which is referenced in Policies Regarding the Hokage.” Iruka handed the scroll around, a colored sticky arrow stuck next to the definition of ‘council’ and ‘advisor.’ Each entry read the same way, with the exception of the end, where it said ‘see also: council’ and ‘see also: advisor.’
Koharu and Homura were both turning red. Koharu snatched the paper from Shizune’s hand before she even had a chance to read it.
“Because the law reads as the hokage’s council, which—to be clear—is all of you, the decision on whether Rokudaime-sama is stripped of his titles and land comes down to a vote.”
Koharu stood, speaking almost before Iruka was done talking. “This is—”
Kakashi pitched his voice over hers, the tone calm and deadly. “It’s not your turn to speak.”
Silence stretched for a moment before Iruka took a breath and nodded, continuing, “Furthermore, upon examining the documents referenced in the original law, you will see that the stipulation regarding an heir is, in fact, optional. The original language does not make that clear, but the succeeding documents provide clarification that in times of peace, an heir is not required, especially since the title of hokage is not inherited.”
Iruka looked at Kakashi, his mouth set in a line. Those brown eyes gave him strength every day and he would not forgive himself for nearly throwing that away. Kakashi reached for Iruka’s hand on the table, squeezing it. He didn’t care that everyone in the room would see; it was important for him to provide this support to Iruka, to tell Iruka—even silently—that he did well.
Kakashi tore his eyes away from Iruka and stared down at Koharu. “Now you may speak.”
If the old woman wasn’t careful, she was going to have a heart attack. Her face was nearly purple from anger.
“I don’t know what game you’re playing, Hatake-sama,” she spit out. “But the law was quite clear—”
“Yes, quite clear,” Tsunade cut in. “Iruka-sensei just spelled it out for us or were you too busy being self-righteous and not listening? The brat has to marry before the end of his first year or we, as the council, decide whether he is stripped of his titles. Which is honestly barbaric, forcing someone into a marriage. Who came up with these laws?”
“Your grandfather, Lady Tsunade,” Shizune said quietly.
Tsunade ignored her, continuing, “I think Iruka-sensei is quite the suitable partner for Kakashi. He’s the only one who can keep the brat in line. But that’s only if they want to marry. I see no reason to force them into a marriage they don’t want.”
Kakashi watched Iruka’s cheeks turn apricot as he scratched the scar that ran across his nose. It was one of Kakashi’s favorite tells that Iruka had.
“Well, I’m not opposed to the idea of marriage,” Iruka said quietly.
Kakashi’s heart squeezed. This was something they had discussed long ago, before the war, but it hadn’t come up recently, except for that one moment in the haze of his spiral where Iruka had mentioned hoping to one day be Kakashi’s husband. Kakashi had forgotten about that until now.
He smiled at Iruka, his eyes curving. He knew that Iruka could see the smile under his mask as well.
“Excellent, well, the conversation can be tabled for now, I think,” Tsunade said, beginning to stand.
“Not at all! This is a disgrace. Umino-san is not at all suitable as the partner of the hokage. He is brash and has no sense of decorum. What will the village think? What will other villages think?”
Kakashi watched as Iruka’s face hardened, but before Iruka could speak, Shikamaru’s quiet voice cut through the room.
“Are you really so stupid, Utatane-san?”
The old woman gasped, turning a darker shade of purple. Kakashi wasn’t sure she would make it through this meeting alive.
“Iruka-sensei is one of the most beloved people in this village. Everyone knows him and is friendly with him. He goes out of his way to help others. Yes, he is loud and brash, he yells at everyone, especially our hokage, but he only does so because he cares. The only time he has said something remotely insulting to someone is stuck up jounin at the mission desk who think they can turn in subpar mission reports.” Kakashi chose to ignore the look Shikamaru threw at him. “And even then, he’s not cruel. You would do well to remember just who it is you are speaking of, Utatane-san.”
“He is just a chuunin who thinks too highly of himself,” Koharu sneered.
“Enough!” Tsunade roared, slamming her hands on the table. The wood splintered out from the impressions she left behind. “You will show Iruka-sensei respect, Utatane Koharu, or I will see to it that you are removed from this council immediately.”
Koharu paled, but did not speak again.
“Kakashi,” Tsunade said, looking at him. “You can marry Iruka or not. Do whatever the fuck you want in that regard. Your clan title, lands, and hokage title are not at stake. Naruto’s prospects are not either. The topic will not be discussed further. This meeting is adjourned.”
Shikamaru’s brow furrowed for a moment, but he didn’t say anything. Kakashi knew he would be grilled later by his assistant as to what Tsunade meant by Naruto’s prospects. They hadn’t mentioned the threat to Naruto’s ability to become hokage during the meeting on purpose, but only because they had hoped to resolve the problem without bringing him into it.
“Troublesome,” Shikamaru grumbled as he ambled from the room. With a nod to Tsunade, Shizune set off, presumably back to the hospital. The two elder council members left quickly, unbridled disdain surrounding them.
Kakashi turned to Tsunade, bowing his head. “I appreciate what you have done.”
“Iruka here did all the work,” Tsunade said, crossing her arms. “You best remember the good things you have, Kakashi. He’s one of them.”
He turned to Iruka, seeing that a full blush had taken over his face and neck. Kakashi knew that it would go all the way down his chest.
“Yes, I’m very lucky,” Kakashi said fondly, squeezing Iruka’s hand again. He hoped Iruka would be by his side for the rest of their lives and beyond.
“So,” Iruka said later that evening as they relaxed on the couch. “I think that went well.”
The two of them hadn’t had time to discuss after Tsunade had left earlier that day as Iruka had duties at the Academy and Kakashi was late for paperwork.
Kakashi snorted. “I thought Koharu was going to keel over in the room. Did you see how purple she got?”
Iruka couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. “I did. If she wasn’t such a terrible person, I might have been concerned for her.”
He still was mildly concerned for the woman. Iruka knew it was likely a giant personality flaw to be so forgiving and care so much about others—even awful people—but he couldn’t help his nature, it was just who he was.
“She’ll be fine. I’m sure she’s already cooking up her next scheme to make my life more complicated,” Kakashi said, sighing.
Iruka tilted his head up from where it was resting on Kakashi’s chest. “You have good people supporting you. And I’ll always be there for you, too”
Their eyes met as Kakashi looked down. Iruka could get lost in the depth of those dark grey eyes, the stories they told and held close. He brought his hand up to cup Kakashi’s cheek, thumb gently stroking the scar that ran down the left side.
Kakashi’s smile was soft and fond, the look of a man utterly in love. “I know. I just have to remember that.” He took a breath and that beautiful smile fell from his face, replaced by a look of frustrated self-recrimination. Iruka knew Kakashi was bracing himself; he waited patiently for Kakashi to continue even though he wanted to smooth that furrowed brow away and remind Kakashi how much Iruka loved him, including when Iruka was angry with him.
Finally, Kakashi spoke again. “I’m sorry, Iruka. For the pain I caused you. To ask your forgiveness is selfish, but we both know I’m a selfish man. I didn’t know what to do, I knew there was no good decision, that someone would be hurt no matter what I chose, but…”
Taking Kakashi’s hand in his own, Iruka brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss to the scarred skin. He breathed in, smelling the lingering scent of leather from Kakashi’s gloves, the mild citrus of their hand soap, spices from dinner, and that scent that was all Kakashi. It calmed Iruka, enveloping him in a sense of safety that no other had since he was a child wrapped in his parents arms.
“My Kakashi,” Iruka said softly, his breath tickling across the back of Kakashi’s hand. “I don’t love that you hurt me, but I do love you. I will always love you. My heart is yours and always has been, since the first time an ANBU in a dog mask picked me up by the scruff and grilled me for the prank that went perfectly according to plan. We’ve hurt each other plenty of times before and fixed things, this time is no different: you didn’t do so out of malice. How can I get angry at you for trying to protect our son?”
He huffed, his anger flaring again.
“They threatened our son, Kakashi. His dream! All because… All because of me…” Iruka’s voice had trailed off, becoming small and fragile as the words hit him. “It’s my fault.” His breathing became harder as it became more difficult to get air in. There was a vise around his chest, constricting him as he babbled on. “All of this was because they hate me, because I can’t just listen to them and be quiet. I have to cause a problem, I yell and tell people they’re wrong, Kakashi, what if I’m wrong? Why am I like this? Why can’t I just be a good soldier and follow orders and not cause problems—”
“Iruka!”
The sharp note in Kakashi’s voice broke through Iruka’s haze. His vision had blurred and he still couldn’t quite breathe in right, but there was Kakashi, arms wrapped around Iruka, holding him close and rocking them both.
“It’s my fault, Kakashi,” Iruka whispered again. He wasn’t aware of the tears on his face until Kakashi’s fingers brushed them off.
“It’s not, I promise you, it’s not your fault,” Kakashi said quietly into Iruka’s ear.
Iruka gripped Kakashi’s arms like they were a life preserver saving him from drowning; he was sure he was drowning. Kakashi continued to whisper comforting words in his ear as Iruka came down from his panic attack. His head was still swimming but he leaned on Kakashi and let the quiet timbre of voice soothe him.
“Are you back?” Kakashi asked after an indeterminate amount of time. Iruka had fallen into a sort of dissociation. His panic attack had abated, but he wasn’t quite back in his body. Kakashi’s question brought him back though.
“I’m sorry, Kakashi,” Iruka said softly.
“Hush, love, none of that,” Kakashi replied gently, his fingers carding through Iruka’s hair. Iruka leaned further into him, soaking in the safety and comfort Kakashi brought him. “These things happen.
“More importantly, the council’s actions are not your fault. None of that is your fault. They made their choices.” Kakashi’s tone was firm and brooked no argument. Iruka couldn’t have thought of one at that moment anyway. “And really, this will all lead to some much needed reform in the laws, don’t you agree? We wouldn’t have realized there were outdated ones that were so harmful if this hadn’t arisen now.”
Iruka couldn’t help but crack a smile as he looked up at Kakashi, so earnest in his opinions and thoughts on the matter. He didn’t think he could love Kakashi more than he did at this moment, caring for him after a stupid panic attack and talking about law reform.
The next words that tumbled from his mouth did so of their own accord.
“Marry me.”
The fingers in Iruka’s hair stopped. Kakashi’s chest stopped rising and falling for half a beat before he drew in a deep breath.
“Iruka, we just… We don’t have to—”
“Exactly, we don’t have to, but if you want to…” Iruka paused, trying to control the quiver in his voice and failing, “If you’ll have me as your husband. I’m not the easiest to live with, I have breakdowns, I work too much, I leave my dirty clothes everywhere, but we’ve managed this long, right? Not much would change except a piece of paper?” He could feel tears well in his eyes as he continued looking up at Kakashi. He was just looking at Iruka and Iruka, despite how well he knew Kakashi’s microexpressions, couldn’t decipher what he was thinking. So he continued. “Kakashi, I love you with everything I have and it would make me the happiest man alive to call you my husband, but I understand if this is too much, if this is a step you never wanted. We just worked to get out of marriage, why would we… I don’t know why I… This was…”
Iruka began to push up out of Kakashi’s arms, trying to get up and out and away. He needed air, needed to breathe. Why had he done this? His head was spinning again. Kami, he was an idiot, he had just managed to get through one panic attack and now Iruka had sent himself spiraling into another.
The arms around him tightened as he struggled, but before he could shout, Kakashi’s warm voice was in his ear.
“It would be an honor to marry you, Iruka-sensei.”
Everything stopped for Iruka. Five full seconds passed before thought processing returned. He looked at Kakashi again, his eyes wide and filled with tears.
“Are you sure?” Iruka whispered, his voice broken and cracked.
Kakashi’s face softened into a small smile, one he reserved just for Iruka. A slight dimple peeked through his left cheek next to his scar.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
Iruka threw himself back into Kakashi’s arms, burying his face into the crook of Kakashi’s neck as he sobbed. The emotional rollercoaster of the last hour was too much and he couldn’t do anything but cry against Kakashi.
The absurdity of crying over Kakashi saying yes and not even knowing if he was happy crying or not made Iruka start laughing.
“Love, are you okay?” Kakashi asked after a moment, concern clear in his voice. He was still rubbing his hands up and down Iruka’s back.
Iruka tried to pull himself together, just a little bit, to answer Kakashi. He pulled his head back, wiping his face on his sleeves. “Gods above and below, I’m a mess. I can’t believe you agreed to marry me.”
Saying the words knocked something in his brain right and a smile grew across Iruka’s face, big and full of love. “We’re going to get married,” he whispered. Kakashi’s answering grin was beautiful. Despite being so unsure of how he had felt moments before, knowing he should be happy, but couldn’t quite tell if he was, he knew now beyond a shadow of a doubt he was the happiest he had ever been.
Iruka leaned back down against Kakashi, their noses touching, breath mingling. “I’m going to be your husband.”
Kakashi laughed, more an exhalation of air than anything. “You’ll put all other husbands to shame. Everyone will be jealous that I get to call you mine.”
“Mm, is that so?”
“Yes,” Kakashi said simply. “You are amazing, my Iruka.”
With that, Kakashi closed the small space between them, kissing Iruka deeply. Iruka wasn’t sure he would agree with Kakashi’s assessment, but he was too busy to argue at the moment, and frankly, too happy to make a fuss.
He and Kakashi would get married, not because of some outdated law and not because of some decree two ancient council members made in a spite-fueled plot to get Iruka out of the picture. No, Iruka and Kakashi would get married because they loved each other, had loved each other for longer than either had ever realized and would continue to love each other into whatever was beyond this life.