Fanfiction - Naruto - Hints of Deception (Reputation Universe)

[fortunewriter]

The end of the most recent story ^__^ Thanks to all my reviewers and all my readers who didn't or couldn't review! No more super fast posting, but once I get the next story written, I usually post twice a week~ Not sure how long it'll be, but I have 2 big stories in the works. Another short piece, too. Aburame-Sensei and Initiation will be up this weekend~ (complete with the promised lemon scene XD)

Hints of Deception by Lily Kalanoa
Rating: NC-17 for sexual content and some gore
Warnings Angst, Yaoi (Homosexual Relationships), reference to NCS (non-con). I've gotten a lot of good reviews and want to share this with people, so I am not locking this, but please do not read if you are uncomfortable with these topics.


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Ch 10: Training
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Halloween was not something that was known in Konoha, not the way it may have been known in other parts of the world. The end of October, however, was still marked by the holiday. Some families took their children door to door, dressed in costumes and begging treats, some families went to shrines to pay homage in a more solemn observation of All Hallows Eve. There was a decently large movement to spread the more traditional observations, decorating doorways with herbs and putting out offerings for the wandering spirits whom the holiday was originally dedicated to.

It had been decided years ago that the academy would close, giving a break to everyone rather than abandoning those that put actual religious significance into Hallows Eve. In the end, every year, the students were given a vacation with two days off on either side; on the lucky years when the holiday fell on a Wednesday, the kids actually got a full week break. This year, the day was a Friday, which meant that classes would resume on Monday, but they would not meet starting Wednesday. As Iruka’s class neared its end, it was clear that all of them were well aware of that fact.

Iruka himself had always had a rather unique view of Halloween. When he was little, his parents hadn’t done anything for the holiday and so it hadn’t been any more than a school break for him. After the Fox attack, Iruka had learned the history and had been fascinated with the day spirits could walk among the living. He’d stayed up several years, hoping to be able to see his parents and other friends that he’d lost at the time. He had given that up long ago, but because of it, his Halloween ritual was quite unique, and he shared it every year with his students that were interested.

Five minutes left before dismissal, Iruka put away his book, watching as his students’ faces lit up. “I won’t be seeing some of you until Monday morning,” the teacher said with a smile. “I want you all to promise me that you’ll be safe over the weekend. If you are going out to get candy, remember not to eat it all in one night or you’ll get sick. No pranks! No vandalism, even if it’s just funny. Remember to be nice to everyone, they might not feel the same way you do about this time of year.” It was a fairly routine speech that Iruka gave every year and he waited for the chorus of ‘we promise’ before coming to the part that many children were looking forward to.

“Now, I’ll be here tomorrow morning at the normal time to start setting up my decorations. All of you should remember it from last year, I hope at least some of you liked it then. Anyone who wants to help me out setting up can meet me tomorrow morning.” Iruka would end up doing most of the work, he knew, but it was always nice to have his kids there with him. He’d spend the day teaching the history of the day and the meanings of different herbs and plants as he put up decorations and pictures all around the classroom. He looked forward to it, more so because Kakashi’s image wouldn’t be joining those of his parents.

The class was dismissed and Iruka sighed. Thoughts of his wild haired lover still made his chest tight. It had been close, he knew, and he still hadn’t managed to talk to him since arriving back in the village. Iruka sighed again, walking slowly to the hospital as those thoughts swam in his head.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Kakashi’s head still hurt. His chakra pathways were telling him to sleep, his eye still ached if he tried to use it even normally. But it wasn’t all bad news - he’d managed to convince his nurse to get some things from his place. Or, more specifically, he’d convinced her to get Gai and the Magnificent Beast had courageously fetched his things. Kakashi finally had his mask again as well as a replacement hitai-ate which helped with his headache far more than the painkillers they kept feeding him. He’d also managed to convince Gai to bring him a copy of Icha Icha and several dog treats for Ikki-chan, still curled by his side.

His chakra was finally at near-normal levels again and the doctors said they felt comfortable setting his bones that night. They could have done it sooner, Kakashi knew, if he hadn’t been siphoning chakra off to metabolize the sedatives out of his system. The nurses hadn’t yet caught on that he was faking being asleep when they checked on him.

Speaking of which, someone was coming down the hall. Kakashi shut his eyes and rolled his head to the side, facing on the door. After a moment, the door slid open, a presence hovering just outside the room. The jounin fought off the frown threatening him. Then it was Iruka again, not one of the medical staff. This made the fourth time Iruka had visited and - Kakashi waited a moment, listening - took one step into the room, but then retreated, shutting the door behind him again. Kakashi sat up with a huff. This was getting ridiculous, whatever the teacher was having issue with, running away not only wouldn’t solve it, but it was getting very annoying to the copy ninja. And now that he was actually awake and with some energy, he could finally do something about it.

His hands had been braced and wrapped to protect his fingers, but there were a few seals he could use freely before the injuries were forced to heal and the braces removed. Fortunately, a simple transportation only required a simple seal. A few seconds later, Iruka was cut off as he went down the hall as his boyfriend suddenly appeared in front of him. Kakashi leaned close even before Iruka had fully stopped, trapping him against the wall.

Iruka remained stunned for a moment before he blinked rapidly at the other man. “What are you doing?” he hissed, falling back on anger to try and recover from the surprise. “You’re supposed to be sleeping!”

“I’ve been sleeping for two solid days,” Kakashi groaned. “Besides, you’re supposed to be comforting me, and you’re not doing your job, either.”

Iruka flushed suddenly scarlet and turned his head to the side. This made his gaze land on Kakashi’s wrapped hand, however, and he quickly turned his eyes to the floor.

Kakashi stepped closer, sobering quickly at the other’s reaction. “Iruka, I know what you’re trying to do and believe me when I say it won’t work. After all this, you’re scared of getting close to me again; I did the same thing when Obito died. But it doesn’t work, Iru-chan, you’re still going to hurt. Better to take the hurt without losing all the good parts, right?”

For a moment, Iruka simply stared at him, blinking owlish eyes before quickly pulling down the man’s mask, closing the distance and kissing Kakashi firmly. “I’m not doing that,” he whispered as he pulled away. “I could never do something like that, Ka-kun, you’re too much a part of my life.”

Kakashi eagerly returned the hugs and caresses the confession was bringing on, well aware that Iruka was lying through his teeth. Maybe he hadn’t been aware of it, but Kakashi recognized the avoidance easily. He knew plenty of ninja who checked on friends and companions, making sure they were safe without getting close to them, afraid of being hurt if they did. Iruka seemed earnest, though, and with some effort, Kakashi put it from his mind, convinced Iruka wouldn’t fall into that trap without even knowing.

“I’m so sorry, love. It’s just hard, I see what they did to you, and it’s my fault!”

Kakashi silenced that thought as quickly as he could, sealing the teacher’s mouth shut with his own. “If anything, it’s my fault for getting caught. For trying to scheme and letting it go on so long to try and catch the bastards-“

“They were targeting me, Kakashi.” The masked man paused, pulling back enough to catch Iruka’s once more down turned gaze. “They wanted me, to get access to the records. You got hurt because of me.”

Kakashi’s mouth twitched down in a deep scowl. So he’d been wrong, Iruka hadn’t been trying to avoid getting hurt. Subconsciously, he’d been trying to protect Kakashi from getting hurt again. That was so much worse, in a way. Quickly the taller man leaned in for another deep kiss, not pulling away until he felt the teacher sway for lack of oxygen. He leaned their foreheads together, staring with one eye into endless brown depths. “Are you going to be all right?”

Iruka hesitated, a sign that he at least recognized how much he’d been affected by all of this, but he finally nodded. “You need to go back to your room. Rest, so you can heal and come back home. I’ll be better then, I think.” Kakashi nodded, running his wrists across Iruka’s hair. If nothing else, he’d be glad to have his hands back simply so he could do this properly and feel it. “Ibiki is going to train me.”

All movement drained from Kakashi as well as what little color he had in his cheeks. He was still feeling the blood loss, and going so suddenly pale made him light headed, yet despite that he pulled away from Iruka’s support to stare at him with one wide eye. For a long moment he said nothing, looking at the solemn expression on his boyfriend’s face. Not a joke, then. And he could see why Ibiki would want to take that step . . .

Yelling and screaming were pushed from his mind in a great display of willpower. Kakashi also ignored the urge to threaten the interrogator’s life. He opened his mouth to tell Iruka that he’d be there, no matter what, to fix anything that sadist broke, but after a pause, that too was discarded as decidedly unhelpful. Very deliberately, Kakashi shifted his weight back onto Iruka and maneuvered the brunette to help him back to his room. “You aren’t ANBU material, Iru-chan,” he muttered softly.

Iruka mutely shook his head and Kakashi breathed a little sigh of relief that it hadn’t been taken as an insult. “That said,” he continued, even more cautiously, “I look forward to seeing you in action against them. I think you’ll do far better than anyone will expect.” Iruka’s lips twitched slightly in a smile and Kakashi sighed again. He couldn’t handle this stress, he was still weak!

-o-o-o-o-o-

Iruka woke with his alarm, but stayed in bed for several long minutes. He’d cleaned the entire apartment, with liberal application of bleach and strong citric cleaners. There was no trace of the imposter left, no fake-Kakashi smell in his sheets. Iruka hoped his Kakashi would be released today just so he could set smells right and wake happy.

His mood turned up slowly as Iruka stumbled out of bed and dressed for the day. Civilian clothes; he didn’t have class and it would be nice to get out of the mission mindset for a while. He left the apartment and turned towards the school, but hesitated. Talking with Kakashi had made him feel much better the previous day, and he had sort of promised to stop avoiding him. With a little grin, the teacher adjusted his course, jogging to the hospital.

Kakashi was thoroughly unconscious when Iruka let himself in through the man’s window - visiting hours wouldn’t start for another few hours. Iruka’s baby grin blossomed to fill his whole face on seeing him. He would be weak and tired for days still, but all the bandages and tubes were gone except a couple to monitor his vitals. His chakra was depleted, most of it having been used up the previous evening, but his wounds were healed. The bandages around his hands were gone and his arm was out of the sling. There were still several bits of gauze along his limbs, but it was all for cuts too minor to require specialized attention.

Iruka padded on silent feet to the bed. “Sleep well so you can get out of here, Ka-kun.” He bent, brushing one hand through messy hair, and kissed his forehead. He pulled back then, shifting to skritch behind the baby pup’s ear. The golden dog nuzzled into his hand, but it didn’t wake either. Then Iruka was dashing back through the window, hurrying off to the academy.

For a while, Iruka was alone in his classroom. He wasn’t particularly surprised and spent the time moving decorations from storage onto his desk and clearing the walls. It was still well before noon when his students started to show up; Hanabi was one of the first, and Iruka wasn’t surprised to see Konohamaru’s little gang. All told, nearly half of his class came to help, and it wasn’t long before the questions began.

“Tell us about Halloween, Sensei.”

“We get to see all the ghosts, right?”

Iruka laughed a little and shook his head. “That’s what I used to think when I was little, but no. You should all remember a little of this from last year. The last day of October is the day when lost spirits wander our world. We still can’t see them, but they visit the places and people they used to know and miss.” He pulled out a carefully woven basket, showing it to the gathered kids. “People used to put out things like this, full of fruit and meat for the spirits. If we give them something to remind them of home, then they can move on at the end of the night, instead of lingering where they might cause trouble or bad luck.”

At once small hands were reaching for the basket, filling it eagerly with plastic fruits and vegetables. Iruka smiled again, but after a moment it faded, replaced by a sense of dread. Swallowing thickly, the teacher turned to look at the window. There, in all his scared glory, was Morino Ibiki. He frowned a little, and stalked toward Iruka. “You let me get inside kill range, but I suppose you noticed me before most chunin would.”

Once the large man had spoken, the children noticed him as well, and a dozen young gazes were darting back and forth between the two. Iruka moved quickly, stepping away from Ibiki and drawing the kids’ eyes. “Why don’t you all sort out these herbs and find out what I need to buy today.”

“I’m afraid you won’t be able to set up your rituals today, Sensei.” Iruka’s expression darkened visibly. “No school means you have your own class.”

Around him, the children looked disappointed, but there was nothing Iruka could do about it. “I’m sorry, kids. I guess I’ll have to set this up later.” He carefully put the decorations aside before forcing a smile at the little ones. “Thanks for showing up to help. Don’t worry about it, I’ll have something up for everyone to enjoy, I promise.”

Ibiki was waiting at the door and Iruka kept his smile until he’d followed the man into the hall. “Easily one of the best teachers in Konoha, Iruka-Sensei. I’m sorry to take you away from them, but I did say you’d be training during school breaks.”

“You said winter break. At the very least, don’t patronize me. I’m well aware you’ll be enjoying this.” Ibiki shrugged, but didn’t respond, silently leading the way back to the blank room Iruka had been in two days ago. Once there, Iruka paused beside the chair, looking around nervously. “What training am I doing?”

“The course that is apparently the most critical. Recent events have proven you need a lot of improvement, but your fighting is passable and your mind is probably sharper than a lot of jounin.”

Recent events? Iruka gasped, realizing what he’d messed up worst during the last week. He jerked forward, but strong arms closed around his elbows, locking his arms behind his back. Iruka looked over his shoulder at a second Ibiki, the clone just as frightening as the original. “Wait a second, Ibiki-san, what exactly are you planning!”

“You’re going through ANBU training, Sensei, you know that. You need to learn the techniques to withstand interrogation and a live demonstration is the best way to do it.” Iruka was forced into the chair while Ibiki secured him in place with some thick rope.

Iruka struggled; the fact that this man was from his village meant next to nothing when faced with the possibility of facing that man’s techniques. “Ibiki-san, wait, this won’t work!” This really had to be some sort of sick joke. “It’s not the same! I don’t know anything that you don’t know already. There’s no incentive for me not to tell you whatever it is you’ll ask and without that, there’s no way to tell if I can withstand anything!”

Ibiki frowned, a little growl coming from his throat. “Don’t work yourself up, Sensei. I won’t do any permanent damage.”

“Does Tsunade even know about this?”

The man’s frown deepened - a no. “As for the information itself, there is something that you know that I’d like to learn about.” Iruka’s eyes widened, all his arguments crumbling beneath him. Ibiki wasn’t unreasonable, but if there was something he actually wanted . . . “I’m certain you’ll fight to keep this information to yourself, so we’ll get an accurate measure of your ability. And when you do break, I’ll get more names than just Mizuki and Itsuo.”

“N-no. Ibiki, please, there must be something else.”

“You once said there were nearly thirty ninja involved, but I only know six names.”

“You can’t do this! Ibiki-“

The bigger man struck out without warning, punching the back of the chair and just grazing Iruka’s cheek, startling him into silence. “Calm down Iruka. It doesn’t matter what I want. You’re smart, and that can be a great asset, but not if you let your mind run away with you! What would you do if I told you about my plans for later with fire ants and a funnel?”

Iruka’s eyes widened a little more, a whimper coming from his throat. Ibiki sighed, grabbing the teacher by the shoulders and shaking him slightly. “Nothing, Iruka! I’ve never done anything like that, but do you see how your imagination is my weapon here?”

Iruka nodded, trying to put the strange images out of his mind. This was training after all; information aside, Ibiki was teaching him. And he knew he wouldn’t be hurt, but that most likely just meant genjutsu and illusion, Ibiki was a master of psychological torture after all. “Mizuki, Itsuo, Kakashi,” he whispered.

“What are you doing?”

“You said you had six names,” he muttered, not looking at Ibiki. “Those three are obvious, and you must know about Rinshi to know what I told him. Hotarou and Tohiro are the only others that have any official record, and wouldn’t you know, that’s six right there.”

Ibiki frowned. “Very sharp mind. You need to focus on keeping that clarity throughout anything. Let’s see how long it can last; we’ll start with something simple. Either Genma or Raidou or both were involved with you. Which one?”

Iruka looked away quickly and Ibiki sighed. “Lesson two, Sensei. Never look away, don’t close your eyes. I could do anything in the few seconds you just gave me. And don’t forget there’s at least one clone out of your field of vision. Your job is to gather information, same as mine, except for you it means knowing what may come next and being able to brace for it.”

Iruka looked back up, eyes challenging as he grew more used to the situation, but all his resolve evaporated as a pair of slim arms slipped around his chest from behind. “Sharp some days, but others . . .”

Iruka’s eyes snapped closed, breath suddenly coming much faster. It was Mizuki’s voice. “Ibiki . . . you can’t . . . this isn’t right.”

There was no response from the larger man as he slipped off to the side, out of sight. Mizuki’s hand brushed along Iruka’s jaw, making the teacher look at him. “Come on, ‘Ruka, you’re a little smarter than that. Weren’t you just told to keep your eyes open?”

-o-o-o-o-o-
Hints of Deception Main
Back to Chapter 9
Scroll down for Chapter 11


-o-o-o-o-o-
Ch 11: Long Overdue
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Ibiki watched as his subject shifted uncomfortably in the chair. It was low to use such an obvious tactic, but it couldn’t be denied that anyone who learned of the teacher’s past would try to exploit it. It had been hours now, but he’d still not gotten any new information. He really hadn’t expected the teacher to last so long. They were a long way from done, though. With a sigh, Ibiki turned away from his subject, opening the door and moving to block the view of the room. “What are you doing here?”

In the hall was one very pale, very tired looking Kakashi, leaning heavily against the opposite wall. “Imagine my surprise when I get to the academy and am told Iruka went away for class with the big scary man in a trench coat. Since Tsunade hasn’t left her office all day, I can only assume they meant you.”

“Don’t let the Hokage hear you talk about her that way. Were you released?”

Kakashi shrugged. “Really, if I stayed locked in that sterile little room, who would hold up these poor dilapidated walls?” Ibiki frowned at him, but Kakashi ignored him, shifting slightly to the side. “What is he seeing?” he asked, nodding to the teacher, just visible beyond the other.

Ibiki shifted a little, letting the other man see more of the room. “I’m training him. Endurance and ability to withstand. You went through it, you should remember. Tell me, is he always this detached when he’s confronted?”

Kakashi frowned deeply watching his boyfriend. Iruka would shift every few moments, but he wasn’t making any real struggle, his eyes were open but blank. Kakashi glared harder at Ibiki. “He stopped fighting Mizuki a long time ago, you won’t get any information that way.”

“It isn’t exactly a bad response to situations like this, assuming we can transfer that reaction to other antagonists.”

Slowly, Kakashi pushed away from the wall and drew himself up to his full height. “I do remember, and you have to be more insane than I thought if you think I’ll let you put him through that without a fight.”

Ibiki reached out, catching Kakashi’s elbow as the man swayed. “He needs to learn this, and you’re in no condition to make threats. You know I won’t hurt him, and you know this lesson is one of the worst, better to get it done with. You need to go back to the hospital, or hell, home. As long as you rest, Kakashi, he’s going to need you when this is over.”

Kakashi glared, but he couldn’t hide the fact that the other man was holding him up. “He still has class on Saturday. He’ll need a day to recover, too, if I remember correctly.”

“Then you can come get him Friday morning. If you don’t spend the time until then in a bed somewhere, I’ll cancel the advanced class myself.”

With another glare, Kakashi pulled away. “I don’t answer to you anymore, Ibiki. If you screw him up, I won’t hold back.”

“Kakashi, you know if you move against me, your friends will stop you. If you manage to do damage, they’ll have to kill you. We both know you won’t abandon him like that.”

Kakashi looked at his lover once before turning his back and walking slowly down the hall. “And we both know that of my friends, I’m the best. And I don’t care what they would have to do, you’d better pray you don’t do permanent damage.”

-o-o-o-o-o-

As far as Kakashi was concerned, the rest of Wednesday was worse than his entire last week. Twice he got up from bed and paced to the window, intent on going to Ibiki and, if not stopping the man, at least making sure he wasn’t being completely ruthless. He remembered the interrogation training. He didn’t want Iruka to go through it, but it was the skills he’d learned that had saved him from those bastards from White and helped him escape. No matter what Ibiki did, so long as Iruka could withstand, he would recover.

He was at the window again, staring in the general direction of the central building. He couldn’t go there. If Ibiki even found out he wasn’t lying down, the man would live up to his word and extend the so-called lesson. As it was, Kakashi counted himself lucky that Ibiki had agreed to shorten it to only two days. With a sigh, the pale man went to the door, stumbling down the street to the hospital. He was about as unhappy about it as he could be, but if he didn’t, he’d get no rest at all. He’d get them to knock him out again and just sleep until he could get Iruka and forget this whole stupid thing.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Ibiki sighed, watching Iruka from across the room. It was really fascinating, the teacher had done so much better than Ibiki had expected, and they were nearing the end of his time. He’d even managed to throw off the Genjutsu once, something few of his students managed regardless of rank or experience. Ibiki wondered when the man would act on the fact that he’d managed to slip his ropes. He was waiting, hiding the fact that he was free, which was easily one of the smartest things he could do. Ibiki had to admit he was impressed.

He was still controlling his information. If Ibiki hadn’t actually wanted it, he would have given the man more leeway by now. He learned quickly and was now a match for jounin, the interrogator would admit. Iruka had let slip several names, yet they were all of ninja that had lost their lives, with only a couple of exceptions. He had, however, confirmed all the rumors he was unsure about.

Slowly he stalked forward again, letting his footsteps echo in the small room. It was a fairly standard tactic to increase anxiety, but it also gave Iruka a chance to show if he really was learning. After a moment he paused, just out of striking range. Iruka didn’t move and Ibiki let a smile cross his lips. That was good. He took another two steps and leaned close. Suddenly the teacher was moving, using the rope as a weapon and wrapping him up. Ibiki twisted to throw him, but the teacher sidestepped the move. That was a good reflex. Ibiki shifted as well, pinning Iruka quickly to the floor and binding his hands again. The teacher settled quickly to avoid further injury and Ibiki smiled again. He really was learning, an attempt like that may have gotten him away from someone else.

-o-o-o-o-o-

“Iruka?”

The teacher took a deep breath and blinked slowly to try and clear his vision. He looked up slowly until his eyes fell on Kakashi’s masked face. Almost at once, the teacher looked away again, gazing over the other man’s shoulder.

The silver-haired man reached for the other’s wrists, tied to the arms of the chair. “Are you all right? Iru-chan?”

The ropes slipped free, but Iruka still didn’t move. He looked at the thin man again, eyes tracing up and down his body.

Kakashi sighed, reaching for the teacher’s shoulder. “It’s okay now, it’s over. You did really good.” A pause and he pulled the teacher into a hug. “How much did he get, what did you tell him?”

Iruka’s arms came around him slowly, pausing at the waist. “Two weeks gone on a mission. Days without knowing what was going on. And now I’m going through this miniature hell.” Without warning, the other man jerked back, just avoiding the kunai aimed for his throat. Iruka had pulled the weapon from his own pouch and glared the man down. “After everything I’ve been through recently, you have no right to use his face against me!”

Ibiki held his hands up placatingly, quickly dropping the jutsu that disguised him. “You impress me, Sensei.” The disdain had left his voice, the title carrying the respect it usually did. “I wasn’t lying, you have done very well, and it is over.” Carefully he backed to the door. “Your boyfriend’s probably waiting to come get you. I hope you do this well in our other lessons, Iruka.”

Ibiki slipped out of the room and down the hall, reaching the entrance in moments. He slipped effortlessly behind the man waiting there, a testament to how weak he still was, but Kakashi spun on him well before he stepped from the shadows. The masked man looked a bit startled and looked around quickly. “I was just . . . It’s Friday, you said I could get him,” he bit out, quickly burying his uncertainty.

Ibiki quirked an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “It’s three in the morning.”

“I spent yesterday at the hospital, you can check their records. It’s Friday morning, I did what you-“

Ibiki held up a hand, silencing the man. “Yes, yes. If I had wanted you to wait until breakfast, I should have said so explicitly. You can take him home.”

Kakashi stalked to the door quickly, ignoring anything else the taller man might have said. He was at the room in moments, pushing the door gently open and slinking inside. Iruka had his back to the door, still sitting in the chair quietly. Kakashi waited for the teacher to notice him and when he did he let Iruka be the one to move to his side. He was moving slowly, but didn’t seem to be physically hurt. “Yo,” Kakashi whispered as the other man drew within an arms length of him.

For another moment, Iruka was hesitant. Kakashi could imagine what he was thinking, what he was checking; when he’d gone through this, it had been Obito’s face that was used in the end. He hadn’t liked it and since Iruka had just lived through that for real . . . Almost without warning, Kakashi found his mask pulled down, Iruka fused to his lips, hands resting heavily on his shoulders. The copy nin raised his arms slowly, wrapping them around the other possessively and running fingers through his hair. He groaned just at that, such a simple touch and it helped clear so much of his lingering stress.

One of Iruka’s hands slipped up, running through silver locks in return while the other flattened against Kakashi’s chest. He gave a little moan of his own, pressing his whole body into the taller man. The move made Kakashi gasp slightly; my but that did feel good. Gods, how long had it been? Iruka deepened the kiss eagerly as the other melted slightly, bringing another gasp from the man. But Kakashi pulled his head away, bracing Iruka’s shoulders and turning to the side when the teacher didn’t stop right away. “Let’s go home.” As quickly as possible he added silently.

Iruka just pressed into him more firmly. “No,” he muttered, pushing Kakashi back against the wall more firmly and nibbling at what skin was exposed on his throat.

The silver haired man blinked. “Iruka?” he asked, trying to push him back again.

The teacher shifted, pushing Kakashi back almost painfully. “I said no.”

Panic flashed through Kakashi’s mind. Shit! “Iruka, not here.” No reply; shit this was bad. Iruka needed to rebalance, needed to get his own mind back in order, but this was not a healthy way to do it. Kakashi didn’t want Iruka to start associating sex with everything horrible that had happened to him recently, his feelings about the act were skewed enough as it was. “Iruka, stop this,” he said firmly.

The teacher ignored him, moving his hands down to Kakashi’s pants and working them open. No, no Kakashi couldn’t let this happen. Damnit he was going to kill Ibiki. People who were beaten in their youth had to actively train themselves not to become beaters themselves. Those that were sexually abused were in the exact same situation. Whether he was past it or not, to Iruka sex was a thing of power and power was something he’d had ripped away repeatedly in the last week. Death was too good for Ibiki, he was going to suffer for this.

Kakashi’s hands were locked on the other’s shoulders, but Iruka dropped to his knees as if the grip meant nothing. Kakashi was still too weak to effectively fight him off without using some move that would do actual damage. But he had to get through somehow. “Rose, damnit,” he snapped; the safeword they’d had last time they’d decided to play a bit rough. It still got no reaction and Iruka licked at Kakashi’s hot member. His body was certainly happy about this situation, but he couldn’t let Iruka do this.

Carefully, fighting shaking muscles and instinct the whole way, Kakashi released his hold, moving his hands back and pressing his palms into the wall behind him. He clenched his jaw shut, struggling not to react to what his lover was doing. For a long minute nothing changed, but then Iruka growled a little in his throat. It sent vibrations through Kakashi’s whole body and he groaned loudly. One of the teacher’s hands drifted between the other’s thighs, stroking the sensitive skin behind his sac. Kakashi’s head slipped back, a little cry slipping out of his throat, but his hands stayed at the wall as if glued there.

Slowly Iruka pulled back, though he didn’t release Kakashi’s hip and his other hand didn’t stop its stimulation. “You don’t want this?” he asked in a husky voice. His breath washed over Kakashi’s erection, which was throbbing in the sudden cold. The silver haired man thought he heard a whimper and realized it had come from him, but he still didn’t move. He couldn’t fathom how Iruka had done this for so long; every second was pure torture. It seemed like an eternity before Iruka moved again, slowly pulling completely away from the other. “You want me to stop,” he whispered, his voice suddenly sullen.

Kakashi broke, kneeling quickly and tilting Iruka’s face up in a deep kiss. “I need to know you can,” he said quickly as he pulled back and his need was obvious in his voice. “And you did. If this is what you need now, it’s all right.”

Iruka leaned forward, again kissing the other and guiding him back to the wall, gentler this time. Then he dropped his head, lips encircling Kakashi’s manhood again. Kakashi was glad not to be fighting anymore, and equally glad to be sitting. His muscles were already shaking, close to the edge. He let his hands tangle in Iruka’s hair and threw his head back at the sensations and the wicked things the teacher was doing with his tongue.

He lasted only a few minutes before he came hard, Iruka refusing to move and drawing out every last drop. Kakashi shuddered a little as he came down, almost wanting it more now than he had before. The climax had been explosive, but not satisfying, not entirely. He blinked slowly and focused on his boyfriend, realizing for the first time that Iruka was tending to his own need with one hand.

The teacher’s face was gorgeous, eyes shut tightly and mouth open in gasps and pants. He was close, too. Kakashi leaned forward again, capturing that mouth and shifting Iruka onto his back. One hand closed around the teacher’s, preventing him from continuing, and Iruka whimpered in a plainly begging way. Kakashi pulled away long enough to catch a look at that face and the need in his eyes before kissing him again, tongue gently exploring all of the other’s mouth. He pulled Iruka’s hand away, replacing it with his own and began pumping.

Iruka’s breath hitched, the sensation of someone else doing it almost enough to bring him off. As it was, the knowledge that it was Kakashi - his Kakashi - had him shuddering within a minute. The thin man stayed where he was, sprawled over the teacher and after a few moments to let him recover, one hand prodded at his entrance, wet with the man’s seed. Iruka looked up, a little startled. He was exhausted and had assumed Kakashi would be, too. He was a little surprised to see the man was already hard again and when one finger brushed his prostate, Iruka admitted that, no, he wasn’t done either. He laid back, arching his back almost wantonly as Kakashi took the time to massage the sensitive spot.

Kakashi worked to make sure Iruka was ready before he pulled his hand away. The teacher moaned a little at the loss and Kakashi smiled, shifting his hips to push into the man slowly. He wished they’d taken the time to properly undress, but consoled himself by nibbling at the teacher’s neck as his fingers ghosted over his tip. Iruka was taking longer to recover, but by the time Kakashi was fully seated, the brunette was hard again, too.

He took his time, moving slowly and drawing out the feel of this. They were both moaning before long, Kakashi still paying liberal attention to Iruka’s neck while the teacher’s hands were playing across whatever skin he could reach under Kakashi’s shirt, tweaking nipples and toying with sensitive patches of skin. Kakashi wanted this to last longer, but all too soon he felt his body tensing. He shifted his grip again; there was this one spot on Iruka’s back that made him moan even when he wasn’t even hard. Kakashi’s other hand slipped over the teacher’s member and the two sensations combined to send Iruka soaring over the edge again with a scream, Kakashi not far behind.

Neither moved for several minutes. Finally it was Kakashi to shift. He moved to the side and back, enough to see Iruka’s face clearly without slipping away from him. The thin man smiled, his entire body warming at what he saw. Carefully he leaned in, kissing Iruka’s cheek reverently; the teacher was completely asleep, his hands still tangled in Kakashi’s shirt. He really was exhausted, Kakashi remembered sleeping for a full day after each of his ANBU lessons, though after being forced to sleep for several days recently, Kakashi couldn’t actually imagine doing so now.

Carefully, actually taking care not to wake him, Kakashi pulled away. He gently tucked the teacher away and straightened both of their pants. Iruka stirred slightly as Kakashi gathered him into his arms, but he just shushed him. “Go back to sleep, love, you need your rest.” Iruka made a noise that might have been a protest, but he was out again without any real argument. Kakashi repressed a chuckle and snuggled into the man as he made his way to the door.

It was a bit of a struggle to work the knob with his arms full, but Kakashi made it out with only minor effort. He rolled his eyes, catching sight of a scrawled ‘do not disturb’ sign taped to the outside of the door. All right, so maybe Ibiki didn’t need to be locked in a dark room with flesh eating gerbils. Kakashi was still debating taking a bit of the man’s pinky as payment, but all of that could wait for a day or two while he made sure Iruka was really all right - and thoroughly tired out for that matter.

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Ch 12: Homecoming At Last
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Iruka was moving before he was actually awake. After a few moments, the world around him set in and he focused on his alarm. The machine had barely gotten off two beeps and was now silent, impaled and pinned to the nightstand with a kunai. That was actually rather impressive, the teacher mused. Iruka didn’t keep weapons under his pillow like some shinobi, his nearest were in his pouch, beyond the alarm and behind the lamp. With a groan, Iruka pushed himself up, releasing the weapon. That made five alarms he’d destroyed in just the past half year.

He remembered the last few days in bits and snatches and he groaned again. He’d remember it all later, when he wasn’t still so tired; for now he was happy with just a few of the details. Like why his shirt was sticky. The teacher smiled and stripped out of the dirtied clothes. Yes, he was more than happy remembering those details. “Ka-kun?” he asked quietly, looking at his lover.

The tousle haired man said nothing, still asleep, and Iruka’s grin spread wider. They were in fine shape. Orochimaru himself could waltz into their apartment and surrender and the two of them together probably couldn’t bring him down right now. With a blind throw, he tossed his clothing towards the hamper and climbed back into bed. Kakashi shifted a little and yawned as Iruka wormed his way under one of the man’s arms. He didn’t have class . . . Iruka hesitated, fighting off the urge to just fall asleep again, but after another moment he nodded and closed his eyes. No, he didn’t have class, he could succumb to the urge to snuggle, completely guilt free, and that’s just what he did.

Iruka was happy to sleep for another two hours before nature’s call forced him to get up again. Kakashi was gone and the teacher blinked, rolling over and burying his face in the man’s pillow before getting up and stumbling to the bathroom. He remembered the training more clearly now and took the time to think through it as he stepped into the warm stream of the shower. For a few minutes he let the water just wash over him, erasing blood and dirt that weren’t actually there but just in his imagination. He didn’t hurt anymore, all of that had left when the illusion was dispelled, but the memory of it was still so fresh. The teacher closed his eyes as his thoughts turned to only slightly less disturbing memories of the greeting he’d given his boyfriend. He’d almost lost it, but Kakashi had pulled him back.

The door opened, a brush of cool air interrupting Iruka’s thoughts, but the teacher didn’t turn at the soft footfalls. He could feel Kakashi, even before the man slipped into the shower behind him. “How are you doing? I saw the alarm clock.”

Iruka turned, offering the other a smile and a kiss. Kakashi returned it, but when he pulled away after a moment, the pale man didn’t move. He brought his arms up, boxing the teacher into a corner and Iruka’s gaze twitched side to side uncertainly. Kakashi was watching him closely, face serious. “I need you to think about it carefully. I need to know if anything is going to trigger with you.”

Being closed in was making him a little nervous, but Iruka firmly shook his head. “I think I’m all right.”

Kakashi frowned a little. “Think carefully. Hot things, cold things, loud noises. Being confined, not being able to breathe.” A pause, and Kakashi leaned a little closer. “Mizuki.”

Iruka instantly scowled, his retort loud and angry. “I won’t let that bastard destroy my life anymore! Ibiki can’t hurt me with that!”

Kakashi was smiling again, wrapping long arms around Iruka’s shoulders. “Thank the gods. You really are okay.”

Iruka chuckled a little, thoughts of his past slowly evaporating. “You were really worried about me, weren’t you?”

Kakashi’s hands slipped down slowly, following the path of the shower water. “Yeah, I was. I was worried when I was caught, I was worried when I knew it wasn’t me by your side, I was worried knowing what Ibiki can actually do. But I never doubted you could figure things out and show that bastard you’re stronger than him.”

Iruka moaned as fingers drifted over sensitive areas on his back. “None of that matters anymore. Not when you’re finally back.” Iruka’s hands were wandering, too, tracing taut muscles and fine scars. After a minute one hand reached for the faucet, turning it more towards hot as the water gradually cooled.

Kakashi leaned forward then, kissing him again and pressing the teacher back against smooth tile. Too long, and too much stress. He wanted this more than anything else in the world, though that was often true even without life threatening missions. Kakashi shifted, nipping at the man’s collar before kneeling slowly, returning the favor he’d received several hours before. The first touch of lips to sensitive skin made Iruka gasp, fingers finding purchase in Kakashi’s hair, but the man made absolutely no protest.

Rather than finish the job, Kakashi stood again after only a minute, adoring the whine of protest and the look in Iruka’s eyes as he did. “Ka-kun-“ The man ignored him, turning Iruka around in his arms so the teacher faced the shower’s spray. With a bit of careful maneuvering, he made sure the heaviest part of the stream hit just above the man’s groin, and slowly began running his hands over the other’s chest.

Iruka groaned at the sensations, twisting a little to try and relieve some of it or get more, Kakashi couldn’t actually tell. He also didn’t care as the move ground the teacher’s ass into Kakashi’s own groin and quickly swelling erection. Kakashi pressed forward, keeping Iruka where he was and leaning into him to reach the soap and washcloth. He kept his movements light, gently washing the teacher, taking great care with certain areas. First the chest, making sure to swirl several times around the man’s nipples, then down his stomach. Kakashi deliberately stopped at the other’s belly button, but took a step back so the water hit lower and Iruka groaned, arcing into it.

One of Iruka’s hands was braced on the shower wall while the other twisted back, stroking along Kakashi’s thigh and valiantly trying to reach other, more sensitive regions, but Kakashi kept just out of reach. This was playtime, he couldn’t let Iruka force him to go faster than he wanted to and the way he was moving was already almost enough to do just that. Carefully Kakashi shifted again, capturing the wayward hand and washing that arm. Iruka groaned again, pulling his other hand from the wall to replace the captured one. “You’re a dirty tease,” he whispered huskily, reaching further back this time to play along Kakashi’s ass.

Kakashi sucked in a quick breath; that was nearly as bad as letting the teacher reach his cock, and significantly harder to avoid. “I haven’t gotten to do this in almost a month,” he muttered into the man’s neck and let one hand slip between the man’s legs. Iruka’s knees trembled and his now freed and clean hand quickly braced on the wall again to keep from falling. Kakashi chuckled and leaned forward, licking one of his ears and then whispering into it. “You know I missed you, but I’ve really missed your body.” He abruptly released the man’s shaft and captured his other arm, cleaning that thoroughly as well.

Iruka gasped slightly, leaning his head away from the tickle of the other’s breath, and answered somewhat strangled, “It’s missed you, too, but you’re still a tease.” Slowly Kakashi turned, keeping Iruka close to his chest, but putting the spray of the shower to his back. He positioned so the water traveled between them, streaming down Iruka’s back and washing away the suds as he cleaned, again taking ample time with sensitive areas. Iruka cried out in surprise when Kakashi suddenly slapped his ass, and turned his head to mock glare at the man.

With precise timing, Kakashi pulled them both back so Iruka got a face full of water and had to quickly turn around again, spluttering. This put the spray on the teacher’s hair and Kakashi quickly shampooed it twice with one hand. His other hand slipped around the teacher’s waist again, massaging his erection without giving nearly enough for release. As the last of the suds rinsed away, Kakashi leaned forward, biting the teacher’s neck lightly and bending him forward slightly. Iruka groaned again and braced both hands against the wall, anticipating what was coming next.

What he hadn’t expected was Kakashi to take a large step forward, forcing the teacher’s whole body against the cool shower tiles, which were absolutely frigid against the heat of his erection and the fire dancing over his skin. Iruka gasped, pushing away on instinct, but Kakashi was pressed against him, preventing the escape and nibbling eagerly on one exposed ear. With a little chuckle he muttered “Don’t worry, love, I know I can warm you up.”

Kakashi’s hand was still slick with soap as he coaxed it into Iruka’s entrance and the teacher moaned loudly, pushing into the sensation. The shock of the cold made every touch even more vibrant across his skin. Just as the tile was starting to warm from his body heat, Kakashi pulled the teacher’s hips away from the wall, hand encircling his erection again as he pushed just his tip inside. Iruka moaned again in bliss, fingers now clinging at the smooth tile to help keep himself upright. He was certain his legs had turned to water, but that couldn’t be true since he could feel the shower spray hitting the backs of his knees. Gods, even that felt amazing, stealing his breath away. He wanted to say something, tell Kakashi how good it all felt and to fucking hurry up, but he couldn’t pull in enough air to speak.

The silver haired man didn’t move for a long minute. One hand continued to toy with Iruka’s cock, but too gently to be anything more than more arousing and after a moment, the other hand slid between the teacher and the wall to get at peaked nipples. He gave Iruka enough time to adjust and then without warning thrust all the way into him. The brunette cried out, arching back into Kakashi and for the briefest moment he wasn’t sure if he’d hurt him. But the scream faded into a moan and Kakashi was happy to give the man more until they were both near the end.

Kakashi pulled away for the briefest second, quickly turning Iruka around to face him. He caught up one leg and used the leverage to position the teacher again. His other arm went around the man’s waist, pulling them together, Iruka’s erection pressed tightly between their stomachs as Kakashi started to move again. From this position he could work his hand down, giving just a bit more stimulation to the teacher’s balls.

Iruka came hard, screaming another cry into the steam filling the bathroom. Kakashi was close, just another moment and - Iruka put his hands on the copy nin’s shoulders and was suddenly free of his hold, slipping away from his need seamlessly. Kakashi’s arms were still around him, but the move had been so sudden and unexpected that he didn’t have a chance to counter it and Iruka had him backed into the opposite wall almost before he knew what was happening. The teacher had a wicked grin that Kakashi knew a little too well and the copy nin felt his eyes widen.

Iruka slipped down, level with the other’s groin, but made no move to offer relief to the straining organ. Instead he quickly stuck two fingers into his own mouth, sucking for a moment before moving his hand between Kakashi’s thighs. The silver haired man buried his hands in the teacher’s hair, but he didn’t move his head, stubbornly refusing to touch the throbbing need.

Kakashi gasped and moaned as the fingers slipped inside of him. It felt amazing, but wasn’t enough to send him over. “Fuck, Iruka please. I’m too-Ah!” The teacher curled his fingers, cutting off the other’s protest as he brushed against his prostate. Iruka’s grin widened and he began moving his fingers in and out, pressing that spot hard. Kakashi lasted only a few moments before he threw his head back with a scream of his own. Apparently waiting for that cue, Iruka’s free hand wrapped suddenly tight around the base of his cock, his lips nibbling at the ridge of his tip as he came. It all combined to draw out the feeling and Kakashi was only vaguely aware of his knees giving out as he slid down to sit under the water’s spray.

Kakashi blinked dumbly as he came down. Iruka was curled against his chest, grinning contentedly. He’d stopped the drain with a washcloth and was gently ladling lukewarm water over them both, cleaning away the mess they’d made. Kakashi smiled and tilted the teacher’s head up for a long kiss. “That was amazing,” he whispered with a sly grin as they pulled apart.

Iruka just smiled, slowly climbing to his feet. “A welcome home present. I wasn’t sure I could do it, but the look on your face was worth it.” He offered a hand to help his lover up as well. “Ne, Ka-kun. It is still Friday, isn’t it?”

Kakashi pulled Iruka close to his side and wrapped a towel around them both. “Yes,” he muttered, knowing perfectly well why he was asking. “No class, you can do whatever you want.” The teacher nodded and moved toward the bed, Kakashi following since he didn’t release his hold. He laughed a little. “Another round sounds good to me.”

Iruka smacked the man’s chest, but he was smiling, too. “Maybe after a nap.” He nestled into the blankets, snuggling more firmly into Kakashi’s arms as the man climbed into bed with him. “I’m okay,” he whispered after a moment. “And I’m certain it’s because I have you back.”

Kakashi said nothing, brushing his fingers through Iruka’s wet hair. It would tangle if they just went to sleep like this, but that meant Kakashi would have a chance to brush it out later. Yes, he decided, feeling Iruka drop into sleep, missions and training and Ibiki aside, life was pretty good.

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Iruka squirmed a little, burying his face into his pillow in open rebellion of the real world trying to wake him up. Then again, that real world smelled a lot like Kakashi, sounded like him, too. The teacher fluttered open his eyes to stare up at the pale man, a distinctly puppyish look on his face. Seeing the look made Kakashi chuckle and he bent to place a masked kiss on the man’s head. “Come on, love, you need to get up.”

Iruka made a face and pulled the blanket over his head. “Don’t wanna,” he whined. He was awake now, though, he really ought to get out of bed, and surely Kakashi would reward such good behavior . . . although knowing Kakashi, he was more likely to reward the laziness of staying asleep. Iruka did his best to ignore that second thought and used the first as motivation to poke his head back out. “What time is it?” he asked when his eyes landed on the destroyed alarm.

“A little after two, still plenty of day to go out and do something.”

Iruka thought about that and debated pulling the blanket back up over his head. ‘Something’ involved going out into the world and the world was bright and loud and cold. Here was at least warm and Kakashi-filled.

With a sigh, the copy ninja bent, taking hold of the blankets with both hands and pulled them back suddenly. “Time to get up, Sensei. I have somewhere I want to take you.”

With a sigh of his own, Iruka consented. “Do I have to get dressed?” he asked as he moved to the dresser.

“Well, you have to put on something, but you can be in civvies if you want.” Another look at Kakashi showed that he was wearing his uniform pants, but a loose green button up shirt - unbuttoned to what would be indecent levels were he female - and a thick black scarf over the mask and hanging down his chest. With a grin, Iruka leaned forward and slipped a hand inside that open shirt, a little disappointed to find the man’s chest was actually covered with a form fitting black tank top. Oh well, it was still a nice feeling. After a moment of this, Kakashi caught the teacher’s hand and kissed his cheek again. “Get dressed, we have to go.”

The teacher nodded, slipping into a pair of faded jeans and a dark blue sweater. He barely had time to pull his hair back before Kakashi was pushing him towards the door. “You’re certainly feeling better. What’s the rush?”

The silver haired man laughed a little, not slowing their pace. “It’s amazing how good you feel when you actually have chakra in your system. And we have to hurry while everyone is still there.”

Iruka blinked rapidly, confused. “Everyone? While everyone’s where?” Kakashi didn’t answer, instead just dragging Iruka towards the academy. Once there, Iruka was finally released outside his classroom door. He looked at the closed door and then back at Kakashi. “What is going on?”

The taller man gave a sigh, obviously pretending to be frustrated, and opened the door, pushing his boyfriend inside. Iruka froze again at what he saw, his eyes widening. The entire room was covered in decorations; small painted pumpkins and colorful leaves, dried stalks of grain and woven baskets full of plastic foods were placed everywhere. Tied in clumps from the ceiling and walls were bundles of herbs, the ones Iruka was going to buy two days before, and they were placed in the appropriate places. The children had decorated for All Hallow’s Eve and they’d done a fantastic job.

Filling one entire corner at the front of the room was an elaborate shrine set with candles and fruits and flowers, an elegant statue of Buddha sitting in the center. This was something new, something that had never been a part of Iruka’s decorations before. Covering the walls behind it were pictures, some photographs, some hand drawn, and even more were piled in front of it. Slowly, Iruka took a few steps towards the small shrine, fascinated, and picked up one of the pictures.

Like a tidal wave, the children rushed to their teacher’s side, each clamoring for attention. “Do you like it?” “Look at mine!” “We looked up all the herbs just like last year.” Iruka looked around at them, overwhelmed. There were more students than had shown up to help a few days earlier, nearly his entire class was circling around his legs, even the children who normally paid no interest to Halloween.

Kakashi was skillfully avoiding the clamoring of small children, hovering back further among the desks. “You should tell him about the pictures,” he called and immediately the children began explaining all at once. Iruka could see Kakashi rub his head slightly and the masked man spoke up again. “Hanabi! You tell him about them.”

Slowly the children quieted and Hanabi moved closer to Iruka’s side. One hand tugged at the teacher’s sleeve while she pointed up at the wall. “All the pictures are of our special people. The people we’ve lost.”

Midori started bouncing, latching onto Iruka’s other arm. “If we put their pictures up there, then they’ll be protected in the next life!” At this, the rest of the students began speaking and pointing again, each boasting about their own pictures and trying to tell Iruka about who they wanted protection for. There was a pair of pictures pinned slightly higher than the others. One was a photo of the fourth hokage with a suspicious tuft of silver hair in one corner. The owner of the hair was covered by another picture, this one carefully painted of a boy with black hair and bright orange goggles and a pretty brunette girl.

After another moment of this, Konohamaru’s voice rose above the rest. “Wait, wait! We haven’t told him the other part!” The boy forced his way closer to Iruka’s side, grabbing the hand that was holding the picture. “These pictures are different! The ones we put in front are the people we want to protect. That way the people up higher can watch out for the people down here!” Iruka focused again on the paper in his hand - a crayon drawn picture of himself.

Iruka looked up sharply, startled by a sudden flash. Kakashi had an instant camera held to his face, a picture whirring out of the slot in front. He took the photo in one hand and stalked towards the knot of kids. “So what do I have to do to have this picture protected, hmm?”

Iruka could barely move, a shocked smile taking up his whole face. One of the children produced a marker for Kakashi. “You have to put your name on it and put it on the shrine and say a prayer.”

Kakashi did as he was told, signing the picture quickly and forcing his way to the little alter. He clapped his hands together and closed his eye, but said clearly, “Don’t even think about it.”

Iruka, who had waded through the tide of kids to where Kakashi had left the camera, ignored his boyfriend, capturing a picture of the man mid-prayer. He made sure to get as many kids in the picture as possible and vowed to force them into a class photo later. As the photo developed, he took it in one hand, pulled a pen from his desk and signed it quickly. By the time Iruka had finished with his own prayer, the children were clamoring for his attention again, telling about how they’d put all the decorations together. Each child wanted to show the pumpkin they’d helped paint and the leaves they’d collected. After a few minutes of pulling Iruka every way, there was a sudden and loud suggestion to give the teacher a group hug.

Trapped in the middle of nearly thirty kids, Iruka looked around for his boyfriend. When his gaze landed on him, the happiness was clear in his eyes. “You helped with this, didn’t you?”

“Only this morning. They did most of it themselves, just for you.” The man reached up, slowly pulling down his mask in full view of the entire class (though most of the class was focused on their teacher). “Now aren’t you glad I woke you up?”

Iruka didn’t answer, locking his lover into a deep kiss. It was quickly ended as the children anxiously pulled their sensei through the room, eager to show him what they had done. Iruka smiled brightly as he was dragged off. “Thank you,” he managed to get out before he was pulled to the next group of decorations. The teacher’s smile widened and he passed his hands through the sea of student’s, ruffling every bit of hair he managed to touch. “Thank you all.”

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