Archive of Our Own ^beta

(I don't own any characters etc etc)

“I can’t deal with it,” Iruka muttered, shaking his head. “I won’t deal with it, I refuse to deal with it,” he said, closing his eyes at the ruckus in the missions office.

It was one of those days, one of those that the office workers dreaded. Jonin were acting up and acting out, terrorizing the staff in Hokage Tower for one reason or another.

“What provoked it this time?” Izumo whispered from where he sat on the other side of Kotetsu, who was between him and Iruka.

“The rain?” Kotetsu murmured, as the three shinobi took their sweet, sweet time helping the chuunin at their stations.

“Poor diet,” Iruka mused, and the chuunin he was assisting snorted, making Iruka finally smile.

“Jutsu gone wrong at the jonin test? They all go off their rockers after it,” Izumo posed.

“Their vests shrunk?”

“Too many stabby things stabbed them?”

“Stones in their sandals?

“Whatever it was, maybe we can take our breaks soon,” Kotetsu sighed.

“Maybe they’ll go away and find something else to distract themselves,” Iruka grumbled. “They’re giving me such a headache!” he sighed, but it was no use, for the jonin descended on their lines as well as the two other office workers, throwing scrolls and kunai at each other as they did so.

“Did someone seriously just throw a crowbar?” Kotetsu asked, horrified.

“I want to go home,” Iruka groaned, closing his eyes and grimacing. In part it was due to the unpleasant fact that he had some of the worst offenders in his line - Gai, Genma, Anko, and Kakashi. Because of course he did!

“I’m going to leave here and go home, eat something sweet, crawl into bed, and plan to run away from the village tomorrow,” Iruka said to himself, but his friends hissed at him.

“I don’t care if you run away tomorrow, but we’re still going out after our shift!” Izumo reminded him.

“Yeah, we doubly deserve a night out after putting up with all this,” Kotetsu agreed, and Iruka nodded.

“Okay, fine, but we’re stopping for something delicious and unhealthy to eat first,” Iruka stated, and his friends nodded.

“There’s my Iruka-Iruka!” Anko shouted, and Iruka took a deep breath.

“Anko, how can I help you?” he asked against his better wishes, a smile plastered on his face as she launched into a story about…well, Iruka wasn’t entirely sure. There was…a leaf village team, and a tree, and a tree house? And a snake, or was it an eel? Was it a lake house? A tree house in a lake? Was that even a thing?

Iruka just smiled and nodded politely, making “uh-huh” and “you don’t say!” comments as seemed appropriate, not that Anko and later Genma seemed to mind. Gai was spouting off loud long-winded comments about other things, and Kakashi was twirling a kunai with one hand as he pulled out a few scrolls from his vest that had clearly seen better days.

“Late, late, very late, missing information,” Iruka said as he reviewed them, glaring at the copy nin. “This one just has ‘Sasuke sucks!’ written all over it, and ‘Sakura and Naruto forever!’?” Iruka asked, looking at Kakashi who shrugged and offered an eye smile.

“Ah, that’s a Naruto scroll,” he said and Iruka shook his head and threw it in the trash.

“And this has muddy paw prints instead of writing, great,” Iruka sighed.

“There’s writing underneath the paw prints, though I think ninken could read the paw prints,” Kakashi mused.

“Yes!” Gai cheered. “Such a novel communication style, rival! We should all take notes and learn it!”

That led Genma and Anko into a new flurry of discussion about what animal was better for that, which brought in feedback from several Inuzuka and Aburame jonin from all parts of the room, because of course it did. Why not just add to all the racket?!

“My head,” Iruka sighed at the noise and ridiculousness of the conversation. He bowed his head and reached up to run a knuckle on his forehead underneath the Konoha symbol, but froze when his face was suddenly surrounded by a curtain of hair.

Snapping his head up, Iruka looked around, eyes wide.

“If your head hurts, you should have your hair down, duh!” Anko said, rolling her eyes, twisting his hair tie around her fingers.

“Anko, don’t,” Iruka said in a deflated tone, shaking his head, his hair flying freely as he did so. He held out a hand. “Give it back.”

She stuck out her tongue, and Iruka knew he was not winning this one. “Mine now!” she cackled.

“That’s my only one today, come on,” he pleaded, but she shrugged.

“You look cute,” Anko cooed, reaching out to ruffle his hair. Iruka swallowed down a screech of indignation because he refused to screech around jonin, thank you very much, instead moving away from her offending hand.

Glaring at her, he smoothed his hair down as best as he could and tucked it behind his ears before continuing to review the scrolls. He tried to tune out the commotion around him as Genma, inspired by Anko’s action, began to suggest different hair styles for Ga and, then others in the room, people shouting out comments for his suggestions.

“Kakashi? Nothing to say?” Genma laughed a few minutes later. “You like my suggestion to be a redhead?”

Iruka furrowed his brow as he looked up, admittedly surprised that the copy nin didn’t have something to counter it or, well, any response.

But to Iruka’s surprise, the lone eye was looking straight at him, unreadable as always.

Iruka’s face smoothed out as he blinked once, twice, before swallowing nervously and turning back to the scroll he was reviewing, barely reading it so he could move onto the next and get the group of jonin out.

Finally, a few moments later, he nodded.

“Konoha thanks you for your service, go get paid and get out of here,” he said, reaching up and scratching the top of his head before adjusting his forehead protector.

“See you later!” Anko said as she waved, his precious hair tie on her wrist.

“Blue hair,” Genma said, pointing his senbon at Iruka, who rolled his eyes. “Think about it.”

“Sure,” Iruka flatly agreed, rolling his eyes.

“Thank you, sensei!” Gai cheered. “Another amazing time here! So efficient, so full of fire!” he said. Iruka nodded, and couldn’t help but glance at Kakashi, who was still watching Iruka.

“Anything else?” Iruka asked, fearful of the answer, but Kakashi offered a small shake of his head.

“Come on, loser!” Genma said, pulling the back of Kakashi’s vest, and Iruka looked away. He couldn’t help but laugh at the ending of that interaction as he begrudgingly called the next group of jonin up.

____

“I thought our shift would never end!” Kotetsu groaned as he sat with Iruka and Izumo at a bar later that night. “Ever!”

“Never ever!” Izumo agreed, shaking his head.

“My head still hurts from their BS,” Iruka grumbled. “Next time the jonin get restless, we’re setting up a trap.”

“A genjutsu that we’re not there!”

“A sand box for them to play in!”

“A spider web to catch them!”

“A man-eating plant!”

“A cactus!”

“I’ll henge into a cactus instead!”

The friends laughed as they continued to imagine more and more ridiculous payback on the jonin, even if there were plenty of said ninja in the popular shinobi bar.

Kakashi was there as well, with the same group he went to the missions office with, as well as a number of others, all pushing tables together to form one long one. Conversion flowed as alcohol did, with topics starting with work before moving to village council gossip, turning into regular village gossip, then gossip about each other so as to share, tease, and confirm what they could.

Eventually, the topics turned to dating - who was dating who, who had broken up, who wanted to date, who wanted to break up? Then it became who should be dating, and the group started to create and share theories of who the single and eligible people at their table and surrounding ones should be set up with.

Anko flirted with Gai, who blushed but invited her out to dinner. Kurenai planted a kiss on Asuma’s cheek, to the cheers of their friends, as while they were an established couple, Asuma still blushed from PDA.

“What about Kakashi?” Asuma asked, eager to get the attention off him and Kurenai. “Who should we set him up with?”

The table murmured excitedly, eager for that challenge, and Kakashi frowned underneath his mask at his so-called friends actually calling it a challenge.

“I’m not difficult to set up, or to date,” he argued.

“Aren’t you?” Genma mused.

“You don’t go out much,” a Yamanaka stated.

“Are you shy, Hatake?” another jonin asked.

Anko laughed. “Are you jelly that me and Gai have a date?”

“As if,” Kakashi laughed. “I pity everyone who will be sharing the restaurant with you,” he teased, and Anko made a face at him.

“My rival is a lover of romance books, he would be a fine boyfriend for anyone!” Gai boomed, and the others started back up.

“But it needs to be someone he’ll tolerate…”

“More than tolerate…”

“They would have to tolerate him…”

“Someone who maybe already knows him?”

“No civilian!”

“And no one too old or too young!”

“Definitely none of us,” Kurenai commented, looking around. “Who else is here that Kakashi kind of knows, and could suffer through a meal with?”

The group looked around, making this and that suggestion but not settling on anyone before Anko suddenly cheered.

“A-ha! Him!”

“Who?” another Yamanka asked.

“Iruka!” Anko shouted victoriously to the table, pointing across the bar where the group saw the teacher with the other two chuunin from earlier.

The noise from the table moved to the background as Kakashi watched Iruka reach up and tuck his hair behind his ear from where it appeared to have come astray. The copy nin’s eye followed Iruka’s fingers as the man absentmindedly played with the end of a lock as a warm smile took over his face, clearly laughing at something else someone had said.

Sure, Kakashi never denied that Iruka was nice to look at, and that he was a nice guy, but it hadn’t gone beyond that. But today, tonight, well, it was new for Kakashi, like he was seeing the man differently.

The Icha Icha soundtrack began to play in his mind as he wondered about having a meal at Ichiraku’s together. It was, he supposed, very him and Iruka, but was that too boring for a first date? Was it good to go somewhere casual and familiar, or should they do something different? However, the music and questions all came to a screeching halt when Kakashi was slapped upside his head.

“What!” he snapped.

“I was asking what you thought,” Anko said. “We’re starting to bet on it.”

“Bet on what?” Kakashi scowled underneath his mask.

“How Iruka will shoot you down,” Asuma laughed. “I don’t think he’ll be mean.”

“I hope he is!” Anko cheered, rubbing her hands together.

“Iruka is a kind man, perhaps he would agree to go out?” Gai offered in support, and Kurenai nodded.

“Yeah, he’s single, you’re single, my money is on at least one date,” she said, as Asuma rolled his eyes.

“I can’t decide if I want to bet on several dates or that he kicks your butt for asking him out,” Genma sighed.

“Who?” an ANBU wearing a cat masked asked, appearing suddenly, though the group knew ANBU patrolled busy establishments on nights like these.

“Him and Umino,” someone said. “Thoughts? Bets?”

The ANBU looked at Kakashi, then over to the chuunin. “Hmm, perhaps I’ll place a wager on a very awkward first date,” the man said, making the table laugh. Some, to Kakashi’s frustration, agreed!

“Bad kitty!” Kakashi snapped. “Shoo, go catch a mouse.”

“You’re not disagreeing,” the ANBU laughed. “Let me know if we’re making a formal wager,” he said before disappearing.

Kakashi shook his head and crossed his arms. “You’d better not make it formal, Iruka will destroy the village if he found out people were betting on it,” he said, shaking his head again.

Genma scoffed. “Whatever, not like you’d actually ask him out,” he laughed, and the conversation moved on to discuss if the group should actually put their supposed matchmaking skills to the test, just with easier couples than Kakashi and Iruka?

But Kakashi had to admit that the thought sat with him when he went home, and for the next several days. Though his friends were pains in the rear, they had good ideas outside of missions once in a while, and so, perhaps he and Iruka were one of those?

“We’re compatible for our jobs, would understand the other being called away for a mission suddenly, or being tired or traumatized…he’d understand my nightmares and bad days, but he’d probably also help me to have more good ones,” Kakashi mused as he and Team Seven walked past the academy one afternoon. “And he didn’t seem too bothered by the ninken scroll the other day, so perhaps he’s a dog person? Or at least, the pack could help me to win points with him, for who can resist cute dogs?” he said, trying to forget the last time Bull slobbered all over everything…

“And I have his former students, so that must be an in,” Kakashi added. “Especially Naruto. Iruka loves Naruto, Naruto loves Iruka, Naruto loves me,” he thought, just before said blond started to fight with Sasuke about something trivial. Kakashi sighed as he moved to stand between them, placing a gloved hand on each child’s forehead and keeping them apart as they swung at each other. “And I tolerate Naruto,” Kakashi sighed to himself as Sakura snapped at them.

But as the team finally resumed training ten long minutes later, the jonin knew he couldn’t just abruptly ask the other man out. In part because he didn’t want the others to take credit just yet (if at all, if he was lucky), and in part because he wanted to ensure it went as successfully and smoothly as possible.

So instead, Kakashi played the long game. He started to present better scrolls at the missions office, not so great as to be suspicious but to show he could be competent. He brought Pakkun and other ninken with him at times to up his cuteness, delighting in how Iruka engaged the summons in conversation without prompting. Kakashi drank in stories Iruka shared when out with the team or just he and Naruto for ramen. And the jonin asked casual questions here and there when it was just Team Seven and the kids spoke about their academy teacher.

Kakashi thought he had been keeping his interest under wraps, as none of his friends had commented on anything. Then again, he realized too late, none of his friends spent as much time with he and Iruka as a certain blond did…

This became apparent one night at Ichiraku’s when Naruto and Kakashi remained after Sakura and Sasuke left a team dinner. Naruto was still on his third bowl of ramen, and Kakashi was content to sit with his book and sip tea as there was no one else there, since the team had gotten a later start to their meal than usual. If he was going to read all night for help with figuring out how and when to ask Iruka out, Kakashi thought, why not do so at a pleasant place like his (and Iruka’s!) favorite ramen stand?

“Are you even listening to me?” Naruto groaned, poking Kakashi with the non-ramen covered portion of his chopsticks, or so Kakashi hoped.

“Hmm?” the jonin replied, for he had long ago tuned out Naruto and Ayame’s discussions.

“I said, how much do you want?” Naruto repeated himself.

“Pardon?” Kakashi asked, turning a page in his book, and the genin sighed again.

“How much?”

“How much what?” the jonin asked distractedly.

Naruto cleared his throat. “I’ll give you all my ramen,” he announced, and Kakashi finally looked up at him, blinking in surprise. “All my ramen,” Naruto continued, “plus a bowl of ramen here weekly, for the next month.”

“Uh…” Kakashi began, unsure of what was happening.

“Fine, two months!”

“I’m so confused,” the copy nin sighed.

“Three months!” Naruto said with a scowl.

Kakashi tilted his head not unlike a confused pup, and glanced at Ayame, who smiled but shrugged before moving to help her father. He glanced back at the younger shinobi.

“What is going on?” Kakashi finally asked.

Naruto glared at him with a deep frown. “How much ramen will it take for you to leave Iruka-sensei alone?”

Silence fell over them as Kakashi finally started to understand it all, kind of.

“I’m sorry,” he slowly asked. “What?”

“You heard me!” Naruto snapped as he angrily resumed eating. “I know you’re interested,” he said through a mouthful of noodles, as Kakashi made a face under his mask. “And I’m willing to pay you off to forget about him.”

The jonin watched Naruto slurp up broth next while he processed the offer. “And you want to pay me with ramen,” he repeated.

“Uh-huh.”

Kakashi hummed as he thought about it and Naruto ate more.

“Well?” the blond finally asked, a few moments later.

“It must be pretty important, to offer all that,” Kakashi mused in a light tone.

“It is!” Naruto enthusiastically agreed.

“A big deal.”

“A very big deal!” Naruto corrected him.

“Then…no,” Kakashi bluntly said, and Naruto’s scowl returned.

“What!”

The jonin shrugged. “It must mean Iruka is that much more special and I should definitely ask him out now,” he said, standing and leaving money as he waved to Teuchi and Ayame.

“But…” Naruto began. “But you….but he…but….”

“Bye!” Kakashi cheerfully told him, turning and ducking under the curtains as he stepped back onto the street, thinking about how and when to go about it. And, he mused, judging by Naruto’s continued indignant squawks, the sooner the better….

______

Kakashi then had a dilemma. Should he be super suave when asking out the teacher? Flirty? Cool? Aloof? Stoic? Hip and youthful, he wondered, groaning at Gai’s voice in his mind? Do some cool jutsu to ooh and ahh the other man? Use a pick up line? A good one? A bad one? Make a terrible joke? Rescue him from an enemy, no, a pit of lava, no, an avalanche…

Kakashi shook his head, not wanting to endanger either of them for the sake of romance, Jiraiya’s stories be damned.

Regardless of the “how,” there was still the “where” to figure out, since a downside to living in a ninja village was having eyes and ears around at all times. And in this case, Kakashi cared less of jonin catching wind of his attempt as much as the owner of blue eyes and whiskers.

In the end, Kakashi decided to go with one long, last strong attempt, and took a reasonably well written and timely scroll to Iruka’s solo shift at the missions office on a Thursday, bringing Bisuke and Guruko with him.

As hoped, Iruka greeted them warmly as there was no one else there, and made small talk with the three before Kakashi gave the subtle signal to his summons to leave, which they obliged.

Iruka himself responded well to the scroll, as it was not completed so perfectly as to raise suspicion, but rather enough to build on the slow improvements the copy nin had submitted the last month or so.

Slow and steady, he reminded himself, treating this as a mission…

“Konoha thanks you for your service,” Iruka said with a smile, stamping the scroll approved.

Kakashi nodded but before he could say anything, the next shift came to relieve Iruka, for the jonin had planned this to the minute.

“I’ll walk out with you,” Kakashi offered as Iruka ended the handoff to the next shift, and Iruka smiled and nodded. “Long day?” he asked, and Iruka sighed.

“Long week,” the teacher admitted. “I’m glad it’s almost the weekend, and that I’m off from the academy and here.”

Kakashi nodded. “Big plans?” he ventured, for he already knew the man was not scheduled for any village role…

“Nothing crazy, other than dinner on Saturday with some friends,” Iruka admitted, running a hand through his ponytail, and Kakash found himself momentarily distracted recalling how fetching the teacher had looked with his hair down. If he played this right, perhaps he’d get another view of that? What, he wondered, did Iruka’s bedhead look like, and just how soft were those dark locks?

Mentally shaking his head, Kakashi refocused.

“Fair enough, everyone deserves rest, especially with the shinobi-to-be you teach,” he said, and Iruka laughed.

“Don’t remind me, I might even cancel a quiz tomorrow to save myself some grading,” Iruka admitted. “Don’t tell anyone,” he whispered conspiratorially and Kakashi’s heart flipped.

“Your secret is safe with me. In exchange for something, of course,” he casually said, and Iruka raised an eyebrow.

“Are you blackmailing me?” Iruka laughed.

“No, just offering a request.”

“And?”

“Go out with me, a meal, perhaps?” Kakashi posed, holding his breath.

Iruka’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open slightly, not that Kakashi was staring at him or anything…

Then, Iruka smiled wide just as they got to the street level and outside in the evening air.

“I’d like that,” he said, feeling excited by the unexpected but far from unwelcomed invitation. “Perhaps lunch Sunday?” he suggested.

Kakashi nodded, for he was to train Team Seven Saturday day, and Iruka had already spoken of his plans for that night. And Friday felt a little soon for either man, both thought to themselves.

“Sunday lunch it is, I could meet you at the small park near the hospital, there are some nice places to eat around there,” Kakashi offered, not wanting to overstep but not wanting to appear aloof either.

“Sounds good, perhaps at 1?” Iruka asked, and Kakashi nodded. “It’s a date,” Iruka said with a wide smile, Kakashi offering an eye smile in return. “I’ll see you then!”

“Have a good night,” Kakashi agreed, and they waved as they walked away in separate directions.

Unbeknownst to them, Naruto watched them from around a corner, bag of late night snacks clutched in his hands and a frown on his face.

_____

Friday passed uneventfully for both men in their individual parts of the village, with Iruka at the academy and Kakashi with Team Seven to spar and train. Saturday arrived for more training with the genin, and just as the team was resuming it after lunch, Kakashi was beginning to consider if he should make plans with friends tonight to see if they could “happen” to come across Iruka and his friends out, perhaps to join them all for a drink?

“Oh, Iruka-sensei!” Kakashi heard Sakura call out as the genin were warming up again, and they all looked to find the teacher walking nearby, a bag of groceries over his shoulder.

Iruka waved at the children before catching Kakashi’s eye, smiling wider as he nodded his head in greeting as he walked closer.

“Hello, Team Seven,” Iruka said. “How are you? Busy, I see.”

Sasuke nodded and Sakura smiled.

“Working on some new jutsu!” she told him. “What about you?”

“Just a walk after some errands during a free afternoon, long overdue,” Iruka admitted. “I hope I’m not intruding?”

“You could stay, you might be more help than him,” Sasuke said, glaring at Kakashi, who sighed.

“You wound me, Sasuke. But please, sensei, if you have time to spare we’d love to have you,” the copy nin said to the teacher, who blushed slightly and nodded.

“I could stay for a bit, if it’s okay with you, Kakashi-sensei,” Iruka offered.

“Of course,” Kakashi repeated.

“Good,” Sasuke said, nodding approvingly.

“Cool!” Sakura cheered.

“You can’t date him!” Naruto abruptly yelled, making everyone look at him in surprise.

“What?” Sakura asked, as Sasuke raised his eyebrows.

Naruto frowned and moved to push Iruka away from Kakashi. “You can’t date him!” he snapped at Iruka, who looked over the blond’s head at Kakashi in mild surprise.

“I didn’t say anything,” Kakashi said without thinking, and Sasuke’s jaw dropped as Sakura’s eyes widened.

Iruka looked at Naruto and frowned slightly. “What are you saying, Naruto?”

“I know you have a date with Kakashi-sensei but you can’t!”

Iruka’s frown softened slightly. “I see. I thought this might happen one day, you must be concerned about being replaced in my life,” he said in a soft tone. “But I would never. I’ll still have plenty of time for you no matter what I’m doing or who I’m with.”

Naruto scowled. “That’s not it at all!” he snapped.

“It’s not?” Kakashi and Iruka asked in unison.

“I just don’t like him!” Naruto yelled, pointing accusingly at the jonin.

“Whaaaaattt?” Kakashi and Sakura asked together.

“Huh,” Sasuke reflected. “Huh.”

“I don’t like the idea of you dating him, not one bit!” Naruto continued, and Iruka’s frown returned in full force.

“I hear you, but I’m allowed to date people, him included, and see what happens with them,” the teacher sternly told his former student.

“No you’re not!” Naruto snapped, crossing his arms.

“I am too!” Iruka yelled, mirroring him.

“Not unless I approve!” the blond yelled.

“And who would you approve of?” Iruka scoffed.

“Uh…no one!” Naruto admitted, and Iruka rolled his eyes.

“Right? So, what,” the teacher began. “I’m supposed to be single forever?”

“Yes?” Naruto posed, seemingly uncertain about this.

“I most certainly will not!” Iruka said, now his turn to snap at the other.

“You will!” Naruto yelled back, his vigor renewed. “Or…or I’ll ground you!”

Kakashi moved a few steps away to stand with Sakura and Sasuke. “Can Naruto actually ground him?” he asked in a low voice, and they silently shook their heads; none of the three looked away from the scene in front of them.

“You can’t ground me!” Iruka shouted, hands on his hips now.

“Got it,” Kakashi said, nodding at the confirmation.

“Just watch me!” Naruto yelled at Iruka.

“I won’t be single just because you’re a…a busybody!” Iruka hissed back.

“I wouldn’t have to be a busybody if there was a decent guy in the village for you!” Naruto retorted.

“And I’ll never know if you play games like this!” Iruka roared.

“That’s it!” Naruto yelled, pointing angrily at the teacher. “You’re grounded.”

“You little –” Iruka began before Naruto interrupted him.

“Go home and think about what you’ve done!” the blond said.

“Oh, you want to play that game?” Iruka snapped, nodding, waves of angry chakra rolling off of him, something not missed by the others nor the birds a few trees over, who flew away. The only one to not pick up on it, it seemed, was Naruto…

“You think you can tell me what to do?” Iruka continued.

“If I need to, then yeah!” Naruto replied.

“You know what?” Iruka shouted. “Fine. I’m leaving.”

“Good!” Naruto agreed, making Iruka clench his jaw.

“Kakashi,” Iruka said in a far calmer tone, looking at the jonin. “Perhaps we should reschedule our plans for tomorrow, as I’m not so sure someone wouldn’t be trying to sabotage them,” Iruka offered, glaring at Naruto, who shrugged.

“I suppose,” Kakashi sighed. “Later in the week?” he asked, and Iruka nodded.

“Maybe you won’t go out, ever!” Naruto yelled. “I’ll always be there!”

“Whatever, for now, consider me gone,” Iruka snapped. “I’m getting as far from all this as I can,” he said, dispersing in a swirl of leaves.

Silence fell over the training ground for a moment.

“So…what just happened?” Kakashi asked.

“I think Naruto pulled a dad card, and Iruka-sensei is the rebellious teenager?” Sasuke posed.

“Naruto is the overbearing mother,” Sakura offered. “And Iruka-sensei is leaving to meet with the guy she doesn’t approve of!” she sighed dreamily.

“Huh,” Kakashi mused, before the reality of what she said hit him. “Wait, but I’m here, and Iruka left….should I go after him?”

She giggled and rolled her eyes. “It’s just a trope, duh.”

Sasuke nodded. “Iruka-sensei has probably just gone home to get some space from Naruto. Can we get back to training now?”

Kakashi nodded and ushered them to a different part of the training ground so as to give the forest some breathing room.

“Not one more word,” he said to Naruto, shaking his head. “Just focus on training.”

Naruto opened his mouth as if to argue but he was pulled away by his teammates, who, to their credit, Kakashi later heard assuring Naruto that Iruka was likely to have somewhere between “a good" and “an okay" date with Kakashi, more on the jonin’s account than their former teacher’s.

“I’ll take it if it gets him off our back,” Kakashi sighed, taking out his book to read.

____

Sunday morning Kakashi woke with a weight on himself, disappointed his plans with Iruka had needed to be canceled. Sure, they were two highly trained shinobi, so they could avoid the blond and his antics, but that wouldn’t really make for a nice first date, now would it?

He had a leisurely morning in and left for a late lunch, figuring he’d see who was around. Perhaps he could challenge Gai and distract himself? Maybe even confide in his friend…Kakashi nodded at the thought as he began to walk around the village. Gai and his team could help to keep Naruto occupied and at bay long enough one day for he and Iruka to get a meal together…

Kakashi caught up with some newer jonin he was friendly enough with and joined them for lunch and light sparring as it was nice weather to be out and about.

They parted ways in the middle of the afternoon and Kakashi set off with his hands in his pockets, not yet ready to go back home, still mourning the canceled date.

“Iruka probably likes this weather,” Kakashi sighed to himself. “Clear blue skies, breezy but not too cold, sunny but not too warm. Who doesn’t like this?”

Suddenly, a thought came to him.

“Iruka is free today, and it’s a nice day out, I wonder if he’s somewhere outside enjoying it? Maybe I could track him down and then we’ve met by chance, and could still have a date? Dinner or tea, a snack, whichever he’d like. We wouldn’t be lying about having canceled our lunch date, and it would be true that we didn’t reschedule…”

Nodding at his new plan, Kakashi set off around the village, summoning the pack to help as well.

He had had no luck about half an hour in, but was not feeling disheartened yet as there was much more of the village left to check. As he turned down a different street, Kakashi rolled his eyes as a familiar but unwelcomed voice called his name. He kept walking, but sure enough his vest was pulled back as an orange blur darted in front of him.

“Naruto,” Kakashi sternly greeted the genin in front of him. “Naruto, Naruto,” he repeated, glaring as he looked at the clones to his left and right, who were at least smiling unlike the real one in front of him.

“Kakashi-sensei! I need your help!” Naruto told him, but the jonin shook his head.

“You’re slowly ruining my life, so no.”

“Please! I really need you!” Naruto pleaded, and Kakashi had to admit that there was a note of…fear and despair in his voice?

“What,” the copy nin pointedly stated, and Naruto mumbled something. “I can’t hear you,” Kakashi sighed.

“He said, Iruka-sensei is gone!” the clone on the left said.

“We can’t find him anywhere!” the right one added, and Kakashi frowned.

“What?” he asked, now more surprised than anything else.

“We can’t find him, can you look for him for us? I’ll, I don’t know, hire you,” the Naruto in front of him pleaded. “Just find him and tell me he’s okay, maybe see if I can meet up with him.”

“And do what?” Kakashi scoffed, crossing his arms. “Yell at him some more? Point out his flaws? Be his disappointed father?”

At least the blond had the wherewithal to appear embarrassed, Kakashi noted, as Naruto frowned and looked away.

“I know, I know, I want to apologize, that’s why I’m looking for him,” Naruto admitted, sniffling back tears and running the back of his hand over his nose. Kakashi grimaced at the kid’s snot but at least it was a genuine response.

“So first you want me to leave him alone by trying to pay me off, then you yell at him and forbid him from dating me, and now you want me to find him?” Kakashi asked in a stern but softer tone.

Naruto nodded. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done all that. I mean, I don’t think I like the idea of you dating him, but he could do worse, I guess?”

“Gee, thanks,” Kakashi sarcastically mused.

“I just want him to be with a good guy, and I guess you are a good guy, even if you’re late and read stupid books and have stupid ways to train us sometimes.”

“I’m leaving…”

“But I know you’re a big deal and care about us, and Sasuke and Sakura told me I shouldn’t be so hard on you two. So please, can you find him? I want to apologize, and I guess then you can go out.” No response. “And I won’t try to interrupt or sabotage or follow you or anything, I promise!”

Kakashi frowned and stared at him. “Maybe he doesn’t want to be found by you.”

Naruto shook his head, tears filling his eyes again, to the jonin’s surprise. “I don’t think he’d do that, I checked all his usual spots in the village, and stores he goes to, and whatever of his friends I could, but no one has anything to tell me!”

“Perhaps they are helping him by keeping information from you?” Kakashi mused. But he had to admit that if what Naruto said was true, combined with Kakashi’s own current difficulty in finding Iruka, perhaps there was more to it than initially appeared.

“I don’t think everyone’s helping him,” Naruto sighed. “And even when we’ve been angry at each other in the past he at least usually lets me know it and that we’ll have to talk about it when we’re both ready to, leaves me a note he needs his space or something. But there was nothing like that this time, no note at his apartment which is empty, nothing anywhere! Please?”

Kakashi paused but finally nodded, and Naruto cheered. “I seem to recall you were going to pay me with ramen once,” he said, and Naruto glared at him. “Since you said you’d hire me for this, it seems fitting to be paid that way.”

“Stupid jonin-sensei with stupid good memory,” Naruto grumbled. “Fine, but just my ramen at home and…only half of it?”

“Fine,” Kakashi agreed, and Naruto cheered again before running off with his clones to who knew where to wait for news from the jonin. Kakashi checked in with his pack, but they also had nothing to report, so he frowned and decided to head to Hokage Tower.

The missions office workers had nothing to tell him, but then again they were surprisingly busy. He shrugged and went to check in with ANBU, but they were quiet about the whole thing too. Something seemed off, Kakashi noted, and so decided to just go to a main source, slipping out of view and heading to more sealed off and secretive archives.

“Perhaps Iruka just wanted people to not let Naruto know he was going away for the night, or that he was holing up somewhere,” Kakashi thought to himself as he broke through wards and seals meant to keep people out. “Teach him a lesson? Maybe his friends are in on it, and ANBU have better things to do than tell Naruto or myself.”

But the truth was that Kakashi expected that this much secrecy meant a mission, and not an insignificant one. Did Iruka take it in a fit of anger at the blond, Kakashi wondered? If so, Naruto was going to be up to his neck in D-rank missions for weeks, if not months! Maybe even one involving him up to his neck in, say, quicksand? Mud? Dirt?

Unfortunately, just as Kakashi got into the archives and was working on seals for the recent S and A rank missions ledger, he heard the telltale sign of someone clearing their throat from behind him. He sighed and moved his arms out to his sides, hands in full view.

“Would you believe that it’s not what it looks like?” he asked.

“No,” a stern voice said, and he sighed but nodded.

“Yeah, fair. Let’s go, then,” Kakashi said, and before long found himself in a cell in T&I, stripped of weapons, his vest, anything but his basic uniform and his book, fortunately enough.

“The things I do to help others,” he sighed as he lounged on the largely uncomfortable cot. His mind continued to worry that if the only place he might have gotten information on the teacher’s mission was the Hokage (who was busy in meetings) or the missions file (so close! But so far!) that this was a heavy duty mission, otherwise surely it would have been available for a general outline of it in the missions office.

“I know Iruka’s a capable and skilled shinobi, but even so…” Kakashi thought to himself, frowning underneath his mask.

____

As there was no clock or window in his cell, Kakashi lost track of time slightly as expected and was later woken from a nap for a friendly chat with some T&I staff. Unfortunately, this included Anko, who grinned as she sat on the table in front of him, kicking her legs in happiness as he shared who, what, and why he was breaking into the archives for. What was more painful, he briefly wondered, being honest with Anko of all people about he and Iruka, or lying and risking actual torture?

“Oh, so you took our advice after all!” she cheered.

“I’m doing this on behalf of Naruto,” he reminded her.

“And he made Iruka angry because?” Anko posed, all fake innocent smiles and batting her eyelashes.

Kakashi looked away and sighed. “Because Naruto didn’t approve of he and I going out…”

“Exactly! So, you took our advice after all!” Anko cheered again. “I can tell you, yes he’s on a mission, no I can’t say what. Yes, it’s a doozy.”

“Huh,” Kakashi commented, feeling relieved to know that Iruka was not avoiding anyone, but also not relieved to have his own thoughts on the man’s whereabouts confirmed.

Anko walked him out to release him from that department and to retrieve his possessions. “He can be brash and was pretty agitated when he showed up wanting a mission, but I didn’t let him take just anything,” she softly told Kakashi. “Though it is nice to know why he was so adamant to get far from here as soon as possible.” Kakashi nodded. “Good luck with the kid, I’m sure he’ll get over it soon. And treat Iruka nice, or you’ll wish you were back here,” she told him in a sugary sweet tone, the threat clear.

“I’ll do my best,” Kakashi assured her, and she shrugged.

“I guess I’ll change my wager now,” Anko sighed to herself. “This might just work out after all, who knows?”

Kakashi nodded and quickly moved to collect his things and leave, not wanting to stick around her any longer.

When he stepped outside, Kakashi blinked at the bright morning sun, judging it to be about ten in the morning, at least.

“Well, I suppose there’s worse ways to have spent a night, and at least it was productive” Kakashi yawned, and went to get breakfast before meeting his team, uncaring of the time it would be when he actually arrived.

His team, however, did care, and were more than a little cranky at him for being late, if not later than usual.

“Why even give us a meeting time if you don’t show up for it?” Sakura snapped.

“This is even later than usual, late for you,” Sasuke sighed.

“Yeah!” Naruto agreed. “This isn’t right!”

“Not right?” Kakashi retorted. “Not right is you yelling at Iruka,” he hissed to the blond. “Need I remind you of the errand you sent me on yesterday?” he asked, and Sakura and Sasuke replaced their frowns with looks of surprise. “Oh, I see, you didn’t tell your teammates that you realized that Iruka was gone, did you?” Kakashi laughed.

“What?” Sasuke asked.

“Naruto, what did you do?” Sakura sighed.

“He pushed Iruka away the other day, and pushed him right into a mission. No wonder you couldn’t find him anywhere, he’s long gone,” Kakashi shared.

Naruto pouted. “I, I didn’t mean to,” he said as Sasuke shook his head disapprovingly. “Maybe it was scheduled and he forgot to say?”

“Iruka-sensei never scheduled missions during the academy being in session,” Sakura reminded him. “Plus, he wouldn’t make plans with Kakashi-sensei if he had to go on a mission.”

“Well…I…” Naruto floundered. “I didn’t make him do it!”

“Didn’t you?” Saskue commented.

“If he gets hurt, it’s not my fault….right?” Naruto asked, worried.

Kakashi sighed, but spoke in a gentler tone, knowing what it was like to worry about someone on a mission, especially if your last interaction with them had been less than ideal.

“It’s not your fault, that’s true,” he said. “This happens, going on missions with little notice, academy or not. We don’t even know if he’s in danger.”

“Even if it’s a surprise mission?” Sakura asked, and Kakashi nodded.

“Sometimes easy missions are last-minute. But either way, Iruka-sensei is a tough and capable shinobi, right?” he asked his team, and all three nodded. “Right,” he agreed. “Now, look, I was held overnight for finding this out for Naruto, so I’m going to go home and sleep in my own bed,” he said. “Train yourselves or just be dismissed for today. Do something fun if you want.”

Sasuke and Sakura nodded, while Naruto bit his lip.

“Do you want to have breakfast first?” Naruto asked the jonin. “Before you go to sleep?”

Kakashi looked at him, finding worry in his blue eyes, and gave an eye smile.

“Sure,” Kakashi agreed. “That would be nice.”

And if he had a second breakfast with his entire team, well, that was his business. And hopefully Iruka would be back before long and Kakashi could regale him with that story…

____

Several days later, Team Seven were relieved to receive word from ANBU at the Hokage’s order that Iruka had returned overnight and was at the hospital. The ANBU reported that the teacher was injured but nothing serious, and that he would stay there for two days or so.

Kakashi barely restrained Naruto from bolting from training right then and there, reminding him that the ANBU said Iruka was sleeping at that time, and surely Naruto didn’t want to wake him?

Naruto begrudgingly agreed, and the team finished their training for the day, later going to Ichiraku’s and getting some to-go for their former teacher. The four went to the hospital to see Iruka for themselves, and he wearily smiled and greeted them as he sat up in bed.

They caught him up on this and that as he ate, and he shared a bit of his own mission.

“Was it bad?” Sakura nervously asked as Iruka finished eating, having waited as long as she could to ask.

He shook his head. “It was long, and strenuous, but it wasn’t bad. A little bit harder than expected, one or two more enemy than expected.”

“I’m sorry!” Naruto wailed, launching himself at Iruka, who caught him with a look of surprise as Sakura laughed and Sasuke rolled his eyes. Kakashi sighed and shook his head. “I’m sorry you took a mission because of me!”

Iruka shook his head and patted his back. “I chose to take the mission, you know that, right?”

Naruto sniffled, his face pressed into Iruka, but nodded.

“I chose to take it,” Iruka repeated. “I wanted some space because of our fight, sure, but it was my choice.”

“I’m still sorry,” Naruto said in a muffled tone.

“Well I appreciate it,” Iruka said, gently pulling him away and running a tissue over his face. “Are you sorry for anything else?”

Naruto nodded. “I’m sorry I yelled at you, and that I tried to tell you who to date and who not to. I guess Kakashi-sensei could be okay for you, but Sakura and Sasuke told me that unless it’s a bad guy, it’s none of my business.”

Iruka smiled and looked at his other former students, who sternly nodded. He looked at Kakashi, who gave a thumbs up.

“Thank you, Naruto,” Iruka said. “And thank you to Sakura and Sasuke, for your support. It’s part of life, if someone wants to date, to go out with different people and see what might happen. I know it’s from a good place in you, that you mean well,” he said to the blond. “And I’ll always listen to your opinion if you can share it in an appropriate manner, deal?”

Naruto nodded again and sniffled. “Deal!” he agreed.

“And you won’t intrude on us if we go out? Or have anyone or anything intrude?” Kakashi interjected, making Iruka hide a smile.

Naruto sighed and moved away from Iruka to glare at the jonin. “Fine,” he sighed again.

“Why don’t we let Iruka-sensei rest,” Sakura suggested. “And he and Kakashi-sensei can catch up?”

Sasuke nodded and Naruto frowned, before his teammates sighed and pulled him by an arm each towards the door, waving at the adults.

As the door closed leaving them alone, the men let out a sigh of relief.

“Well, it’s been quite a week,” Iruka said, shaking his head.

“You’re telling me,” Kakashi agreed, sitting in a chair by his bed. “First we were supposed to have a date, then you got grounded, then Naruto was upset, then I spent a night in T&I –”

“Wait, what?” Iruka asked, surprised.

“Naruto asked me to find where you were, and when no one talked I may have tried to break in to records and was caught,” Kakashi admitted. “Um, so now Anko knows I asked you out…”

Iruka rolled his eyes. “Great, so she’s going to be up in my business about it,” he sighed.

Kakashi nodded before voicing a concern that he had had since the fight between Iruka and Naruto. “I hope you’re still interested in a rescheduled date?” he asked, for while Iruka had been the one to suggest that, it was said in the heat of the moment and who knew if the teacher was still agreeable? Maybe Iruka had decided that Kakashi was not worth upsetting Naruto? Maybe that it was too much overall? Maybe –

“Of course!” Iruka cheerfully told him with a smile, and Kakashi offered an eye smile, feeling relieved again. “I’m still here for a bit for observation and rest, so I’m not sure when just yet, since I have some things at the academy to catch up on as well…”

“Well, whenever you’re free one night perhaps you’d like to come over to my place for dinner?” Kakashi suggested. “We could stay in and avoid any prying eyes. I have a newly acquired cupboard full of ramen we can make.”

Iruka nodded but laughed. “Why do you suddenly have so much ramen?” he asked. “Not that I’m complaining.”

Kakashi sighed. “It’s a long story,” he said. “Let’s go back a few weeks…”