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Chapter Text

Iruka had no idea what he was doing.

At the academy, during his genin training, even as far back as his hazy memories before the Kyuubi was so much as a thought in the heads of ninja children anywhere. Before his parents were etchings on a grave stone that would never be big enough to reflect the love their last moments held for him, their son.

Loving a child so vehemently that not even the stench of death that must have enveloped that growing gravesite could have deterred them.

Iruka was proud of his parents for their sacrifice; often times when he got emotional over the litany of memories tinged with acrid smells and the weight of his mother’s slumped frame enveloping his own small body in the last warm hug he would know for a long time, he could breathe a little easier knowing it was an act borne out of a love only a parent could give their child.

That didn’t mean he understood it by any means.

It was easy as a child not to understand it. He was naïve to the life his parents had chosen for themselves when they left Kirigakure for more, allowing his childish brain to reason that being a ninja was no more dangerous than being a fisherman on the coast like his father’s family had been known for prior to his elopement. While there had been ninja in his mothers’ family, they had been faces Iruka couldn’t recognize in a crowd and their deaths had been a footnote in a registry Iruka’s family was no longer part of. Collectively, neither of his parents had made an effort for Iruka to know the extent of the danger he’d been inviting by making sweeping claims that he’d be a better ninja than anyone that came before him. Therefore, no one could blame a young Iruka Umino for finding no reason his parents should have died that night.

But Iruka, stubborn as a mule as he tended to be, didn’t understand the devotion his parents had to him until he was 21.

Sure, he had long become disillusioned with the idea of being a ninja of great legend and high bounties when he realized the bloodshed that trailed behind all of those bingo book entries, but he never truly stopped idolizing ninjas from his place at the bottom rung on the ladder. A teacher whose job revolved around making kids love the occupation they’d enter as soon as they were of age, and would often never become old enough to leave, meant Iruka spent many days speaking of sacrifice like something beautiful.

He could recall, even now in the darkness of this decrepit apartment, how he would weave tales of ninjas that had wielded swords larger than his own body or could bend fire to make the most inspiring plays and stop himself from sharing how they ended. How every great ninja tale ends.

At 19, he understood what it meant to be a field ninja and he realized in tandem that he could never teach himself to wash blood out of the clothes he was always told his parents were proud to wear.

At 20, he understood what it meant to be a teacher and he learned that no amount of re-reading could change how abysmally low the rate of survival for genin who didn’t retain everything they had been taught.

At 21, he met Naruto Uzumaki.

At 21… Iruka Umino finally understood why his parents could throw away everything so easily. He understood, because he was looking at Naruto clutching his stomach hungrily as bruises littered whatever his baggy clothes didn’t. Grabby hands beckoning for his help even in fitful sleep the way a baby would beg for it’s mother’s comfort, whimpers that quieted themselves like a child who no longer believed they’d be heard by anyone helpful.

Looking at him, it clicked much faster than it had in all those years after the Kyuubi.

He was going to have to sacrifice so much for this child to have a chance, but now he understood exactly why he would.

..

It started with a pretty uncommon occurrence for the young academy teacher; being late for work.

Iruka cursed as he attempted to juggle the impossible task of reviewing his plan for the day, what the class mood would be like right after the weekend and keeping his feet from giving out from underneath him all at the same time. And all before he had even had his morning tea, still reeling from the lack of stimulants.

And then that kid, the jinchuuriki, was causing a scene like he always did.

It was always the jinchuuriki that made his otherwise behaved class act like monsters, especially after a weekend to refuel his never-ending energy reserves.

That hatred that Iruka held for the beast as tall as the sky had trouble being projected onto a child so small. Hatred that big and emotional often had nowhere to go but out, and Iruka was already having such a hard week.

Just the other night, the same child had decided to go around harassing people in a mask and Iruka, who had been made his sole guidance through the inaction of other shinobi, had been the one to wrangle him. Naruto repaid him with his own vicious condemnation of his character of course and revealed the intelligence Iruka knew he was downplaying in class.

If it had been any other ninja, a more competent one at least, Naruto would have more than ringing ears as his sole punishment.

Then again, if it had been any other shinobi, Iruka would have inserted himself into it anyways. Many ninja called it his bleeding heart, but he called it lingering naivety from the great efforts went towards instilling this heavy set of personal morals into him. No matter how much he tried to rouse up the emotions he felt whenever he thought about the night of the kyuubi, seeing Naruto get scolded so harshly by adults who should know better lit a different flame inside of him. Usually, however, he could douse it with a simple lecture on the shinobi principles while keeping his eyes firmly out of the line of sight of the young student.

When Naruto bolted out of his sight, Iruka almost cursed the guilt he can feel melting the ice he’s forced his heart to be encased in.

It hurts to know that Naruto is more correct than he’ll ever know, than Iruka could ever admit to him willingly, about Iruka being just like everyone else. He flinched and cowered from Naruto instead of spitting and shoving him, but it didn’t mean any difference to a child seeking anything akin to attention. But what could he do other than… bide his time until graduation day? Hope to every daimyo that’s ever existed that Naruto even retains enough of his teaching to graduate? That was less realistic than the kyuubi itself simply ceasing to exist after today.

Today, a lecture wouldn’t cut it. Maybe a good shake would do it, to understand why he would do something as reckless as going out to the back hills and risk his life for something as fleeting as the attentions of his peers.

If Kakashi of the Sharingan hadn’t chosen to grace them with his presence…

Iruka hated to think of having to put aside his belief in everyone’s equal right to life to protect the lives of others, but he supposed he needed the reminder that sometimes protecting one life meant ending another. Even more conflicting was when the life he was protecting was the same one that left him in an empty apartment with nothing but cold takeout meals.

Speaking of said conflict, he was currently yelling at it much in the same way an owner scolded their mischievous dog.

Or perhaps, the way a parent might scold their child. It certainly reminded him of the way he was scolded by his mother.

“You almost lost your life today!” Iruka screamed, still not quite aware of just why he cared so much when he knew where the story ended. With him, a vague memory in the mind of this child. Maybe even one that brought forth the same resentment he couldn’t keep himself from spreading, despite his best efforts.

“That’s true, but…”

And then it came out. The awful truth that Iruka already knew. The nail in the coffin that he was a complete failure of a teacher, of a person; how could he wear the pride of the Umino clan knowing that he couldn’t share the kindness they were known for with the single most deserving child in the village?

How could he say he was the son of heroes, of anyone worth respecting, if he was so unrespectable in hindsight?

Maybe it was Naruto’s too-big clothes, or the emotional whiplash of the last 48 hours, or the fact that he still hadn’t had any caffeine and his overthinking brain had finally slowed to a halt, but Iruka breathed out. The breath he let go in that yard felt like it carried the pain and suffering of the past 8 years that he’d projected onto Naruto. It disappeared into the wind, destined to fuel the fire of a shinobi on a mission tonight. Perhaps it would fuel the fire Kakashi lit tonight on one of his many confidential solo missions.

“Do you wanna get ramen with me?”

Naruto hesitated for a moment before he nodded his head slowly. “I can’t pay.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to. Think of it as my treat; in exchange, I want you to focus on cramming as much missed content from today as your head will let you.”

His words achieved the desired effect; Naruto put on a mask of total despair that any normal kid would when threatened with the idea of homework. With a hesitant hand, he reaches out and gives Naruto the first sign of positive attention he’s likely had since Iruka had seen the kyuubi attack.

A playful head scratch that will be the first of many increasingly sincere non-verbal cues that Iruka was ready to be something more than just a resentful memory.

--

Still, however, Iruka recalls with some embarrassment, he still wouldn’t really get it until about five months into being Naruto’s self-proclaimed “favorite sensei.”

It had started small with the occasional sneers when they were seen together at Ichiraku’s or in the library or walking by the edge of the town.

“How can he stand it?”

Initially, the phrases were mostly aimed towards Iruka in isolation, which he could only credit his mostly pristine reputation among the village. They spoke out of fear for him and not the malnourished child he was desperately trying to instill proper health habits into. Maybe it was out of a twisted sense of protectiveness for Iruka, who was a friend to many and enemy to very few.

But Iruka was the one catching the looks given to Naruto when they spoke about him, eyes straying to the ground as they half-attempted to keep their voice down. Iruka didn’t afford them the same luxury of a quiet dismissal and had left himself hoarse on more than one occasion in his quest to undo all of the times he had been the person on the other end. Naruto had started lighting up when people dared to approach him, excited to see them get the “Umino special treatment” as Iruka had coined it.

“Those two again.”

Well, whatever carefully maintained good will Iruka had with the villagers wasn’t enough to keep the ire away. It never would have been, he thinks. Shinobi were pretty stubborn people, him being a prime example of it, but they didn’t also tend to have the same bleeding heart Iruka did for others. He supposes being able to shield Naruto from the vitriol for even a little while was better than nothing. It showed him, at least, a glimpse of a life that he could have had.

Naruto lost some of the mirth he’d carried in Iruka’s protective stance at some point whenever he may have realized that they’d finally reached the end of their stint.

“Have you lost it?”

Iruka didn’t realize the extent of how disquieting his decision to be there for Naruto more presently was until his own friends had begun pointing it out. Well, until Mizuki had practically spit it in his face was a better way of describing it.

In the time during his day that hadn’t become devoted to Naruto Patrol, Iruka found himself lost in thought about a potential lesson in wilderness survival with his classroom from within the teachers’ lounge. It was there that Mizuki had decided to ambush him, thankfully absent from all but one of the other teachers. Iruka felt bad that he hadn’t endeared himself to Ebisu, not only because he knew he had the equally Sisyphean task of keeping track of Konohamaru.

“What?” The question itself had seemed so out of place it derailed Iruka’s train of thought entirely.

“The kyuubi. Why are you still hanging out with it?” Mizuki tapped a finger against the table as he entered Iruka’s space without hesitation.

“His name is Naruto, Mizuki, and he’s still behind his classmates in a lot of the material we’ve covered so far. It would be awful of me as his teacher to not help him catch up.”

Mizuki levels him a look that screams pity and places a soft hand on his wrist. “Iruka. I know you’re not going on ramen trips with this kid to teach him how to handle a kunai properly. It’s that pure heart you got there, that totally un-Shinobi trait of yours.”

“Is it so bad if Naruto gets to enjoy something for once instead of having to be so miserable all the time? I mean, imagine if I hadn’t met you, Mizuki. I’d probably be lost in my own head without you.”

“You’d be lost in your own head regardless, it’s part of being a teacher as worrisome as you. Listen Iru, between us; You know I’ve always loved this little thing you have going on where you treat strays like passion projects, but Naruto really shouldn’t be one of them.”

“Why not, Mizuki? Why should we let him suffer if we can help him? You can help him too, like you helped me.”

“I helped you, Iru, because you’re special. The kind of person someone like me just has to keep close by. That thing is… it’s a necessary evil that I’m scared you’re forcing yourself to hang out with.” Mizuki traps his hand in both of his pale ones, eyes pleading with him to see reason.

“I’m not forcing myself to hang out with him! That’s an awful thing to imply.” Iruka freed his hand by force, trying to grasp why Mizuki wasn’t having the same epiphany he did months ago. “He’s barely fed and he has no friends here, Mizuki. Doesn’t that sound like someone you used to know?”

A flash of the heavy exasperation he had become used to when he and Mizuki had arguments about their opposing natures crossed Mizuki’s features and his hand rubbed his face. His next words were spoken slowly, as though Iruka had abruptly decided he only spoke Cantonese.

“The difference is he caused our suffering, Iruka. Can’t you see I’m trying to help you before the village starts to hate you too?”

“If the village hates me for something as right as keeping Naruto safe, then it’s not worth being accepted by them.”

Mizuki didn’t like his affirmation one bit if his uncharacteristically soured expression for the next few days was anything to go off of. Worser, it was made more evident that Mizuki was pulling away from him in tandem with the villagers’ lessening opinion of both him and Naruto.

..

Naruto sat on his stiff couch while Iruka went through the arduous process of making food that barely qualified as such. At some point in the interim, Naruto going back to his apartment to eat dinner alone on days Iruka couldn’t afford ramen became less frequent. After Iruka had nagged him to clear the food out of his barren apartment at least, the small square apartment sat unused and draining precious resources from the village as Naruto carved out his own space in Iruka’s tiny home. As the kettle boiled with water and Iruka prepared two sets of tea leaves- a sweetened jin xuan blend and a milder oolong -for the two of them, Naruto shuffled around the living area. His fidgeting came to a stop as Iruka plated their cups and brought them forward.

Below the window next to his kotatsu, the low hum of lanterns lit the streets as excited families and friends made their way through a harvest matsuri. The autumn festivals Konoha held were something to behold, but Iruka had decided already that they wouldn’t be going tonight. There was no beauty to behold if all of the ugliness of the village’s fear was on full display.

Instead, he and Naruto had their own celebration complete with tea and the warmth of the kotatsu underneath them. It was the best they could do short of braving the outside world. Naruto was beginning to enjoy the time they spent outside of the house less and less.

Naruto thanked him quietly for the tea as Iruka set down a store-bought tray of sweet bread. There was definitely something troubling the kid if his volume had gone any lower than ear-splitting.

“Iruka-sensei?” Naruto spoke up after a few minutes in companionable silence, muffled laughter being the only reprieve.

“Yes, Naruto?”

“Do you think being hokage will make everyone love me?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Everyone respected you, but then you started hanging around me and they just stopped respecting you. If I become hokage, are they just gonna stop respecting the hokage because it’s me?”

“Naruto… the village has a hard time understanding you right now because they don’t know how amazing of a person you’ll be when you have the chance to be.”

“Do you really think I’ll be amazing?”

“I know it. In fact, I’d wager you’ll probably be really important to a lot of people when you’re my age.”

“What if I’m not?”

“Then you’ll be important to me.” Iruka smiled, though he admitted inwardly that being respected by Iruka of all people wasn’t such a grand achievement to any real shinobi.

Still, Naruto smiled like he had just been handed the title of hokage prematurely and dove into Iruka’s side for one of his bone-crushing hugs.

“Even if I’m not hokage?”

“Always.”

Naruto pulled back, eyes glassy.

“Sometimes I wish we could just leave this place and- and go somewhere better, with a ton of water and festivals!”

“Konoha is where your dream is, remember?”

“I could be hokage anywhere.” Naruto huffed as his head tilted into the crook of Iruka’s arm. “But nobody wants me here anyways.”

“Don’t talk like that, I want you here.”

“And now everyone else hates you too.”

“Naruto, don’t blame yourself for people choosing to let their fear win.” Iruka looked out at the endless sea of stars in the sky. “None of this is your fault.”

Maybe some of it was Iruka’s fault, maybe it was mostly the Konoha Council’s fault, but never was it Naruto’s.

Although, he’d be remiss if he didn’t mention that it was getting harder and harder for him to defend Konoha as a home to either of them. The villagers seemed intent on isolating him and their good will was long gone if the fresh bruising on Naruto was any indicator. To Iruka, Konoha was a home in the way his old profession as a field Shinobi was; while it had felt right once, when he was as naïve as he could have been, it now felt like a particularly burdensome test of his ability to see it through until Naruto really had become someone the village would realize was worth sharing space with.

Was it worth Naruto’s own happiness that Iruka be able to tell some shinobi who only saw them as detestable that they were wrong? Unwillingly, Iruka saw himself back on that final mission he took with the very same Hatake Kakashi and how he had been urged to take the life of a child like it were something so easy. It felt similar to the mission that had ended his own plight as a field ninja, where too much responsibility for a child’s life fell onto his shoulders alone because they were unlucky enough to be born into a world of injustice and corruption instead of a kitschy romance novel.

That moment right there, Iruka understood what his parents had undergone. Not just their sacrifice, but their promise.

Because Iruka looked down at the child, no longer completely absent of any body fat, and made his own inward promise to protect Naruto the way no one else around would.

Even if it would inevitably cost him his own life.

“Naruto.” Naruto trained his big, blue eyes onto Iruka. They screamed to him for some kind of satisfying answer to their shared hopelessness. “If you ever… that is to say, if Konoha ever doesn’t feel like home anymore, if being hokage becomes not your dream, I’ll understand.”

Iruka holds onto the tiny hand as he forces himself to say the words out loud, all too aware of the fact that his barrier prowess is probably the only reason he isn’t already knocked unconscious and being transferred to a holding cell.

Naruto, in one of the many moments of extraordinary emotional intelligence he’s seen, nods slowly and pats his hand in reciprocal comfort. “Wouldn’t we get in trouble?”

Becoming a missing-nin was more than a little trouble. It’d basically turn them from borderline civilians to the top of the bingo book entries. At least it would for Iruka; Naruto would probably be spared from their harshest punishments thanks to his status as the jinchuuriki. For as much as Konoha hated the small child carrying it, they did need the fox alive.

“Yeah, I’d never be able to come back, that’s for sure. Which is why I want you to know that if you want to leave, we have to make a plan.”

“Like a mission?”

“Yeah. Like an S-Ranked mission, with complete confidentiality. But only if you really want to Naruto. I don’t want to take your dream away from you.”

Naruto looked serious for a moment, eyes trained on the same stars that had afforded Iruka his clarity moments ago. “Do you promise you’ll stay with me?”

“Yes.”

“Do you.. do you think we can go somewhere they won’t hate us?”

“I’m going to be completely honest with you, Naruto. I don’t know. But I’ll try really hard to find a place that will accept you.” If it took his whole life, Iruka would go to the ends of every country they could to find somewhere Naruto could be free.

Naruto met his eyes and the determination in his own almost brought Iruka to tears. “Okay sensei. I trust you.”

To think Naruto trusted Iruka so implicitly this easily. Kindness was something this child needed in droves if he was willing to place his safety in the hands of someone as average as him. If Iruka hadn’t been a good person, if he wanted to make some money instead of help him, Naruto likely would have had the last vestiges of faith in the goodness of the world shattered. It was just lucky that Naruto was here in this moment and that Iruka was here too.

Or maybe there were a million universes where Iruka chose the exact same decisions he does that leads to this. That was the funny thing about only having your own universe for reference.

“Listen closely, Naruto, you cannot talk about this beyond the four walls of this house, okay?”

“Mhm!”

“I want you to act like talk this never happened. Can you pretend to be just as lovingly annoying as you usually are?”

“Uh-huh. I’ll even paint the monument again tomorrow!”

“Last thing. We have to study really hard for a while if we’re gonna make sure the plan I’m working on doesn’t crash and burn.”

“I’ll help! Believe it, sensei! I have no doubt the plan we make will be foolproof.”

“Me too, Naruto.”

“Oh! And when we escape, can you maybe, finally, uhm, tell me why everyone hates me?”

“Huh?”

“I know they hate me for a reason, and I wanna know if I’m not gonna be here to hear it from them!”

“Alright Naruto. I promise you that if we go through with this, I will tell you everything. Though, maybe not all at once. It’s a bit heavy for a kid your age.”

..

Planning their “mission” wasn’t difficult from a technical standpoint; Iruka was far too ingrained in the inner workings of Konoha from having been an informal aide to the hokage since he was young if you asked him. It bordered on a breach of security to allow such a low-ranking ninja such discretion- now more than ever, it seems -but it worked out for Iruka on more than one occasion. Now, however, the guard rotations were not being used for mindless pranks and cries for attention.

He barely needed to remind himself of the weak points Konoha’s defenses whenever Kotetsu and Izumo were given the graveyard shift at the exit. They almost always left their spot a few minutes too early so that they’d get back to their apartment before one of them passed out. It felt gross, taking advantage of the small reprieve his friends gave themselves from their exhaustive positions, but it was no less necessary.

For all their love for each other, they hadn’t taken so easily to Naruto either.

Next was assuring that they had as much space between them and Konoha before any of the ANBU could alert Hiruzen, which was a far more difficult file to justify looking for in the back wall of the sensitive document room.

The jonin present when he tried to enter, Hatake-san, eyed him quite suspiciously when they crossed paths. It seemed like they were destined to keep meeting when Iruka was on the verge of a breakdown.

“Are you looking for anything specific in there?” Despite his flippant attitude, Iruka could feel a threat hiding between each word spoken.

“Nothing I probably couldn’t find in the general archive now that I think about it. Just wondering about the ANBU rotation.”

“Why worry about something as ironclad as that?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say ironclad. When I was younger, I had a pretty easy time messing with the ANBU on rotation at the south gate. I guess while I was handing out missions, I remembered him and was worried if the ANBU still have him there when there are far more capable members available.”

“Oh, a weakness in our defenses? Should a teacher such as yourself know about something like that?”

“A teacher taught our very own hokage, Hatake-san. A teacher taught someone as prolific as you. I’m sure even ANBU could learn a thing or two from someone like me.”

“Of course. I meant no harm, Iruka-sensei. I’ll make sure to pass along your helpful tip to another jonin. Maybe it’ll make it back to those uneducated ANBU members too.”

With that, Hatake was gone. Iruka held his tongue; of all the ways to find out someone was most certainly currently or had once served in the ANBU, finding out when he was actively trying to extract dangerous information about them wasn’t how he expected it. Iruka was no jonin, but it didn’t take constant exposure to the legend that was Kakashi of the Sharingan to know that having him be suspicious of you was as good as signing your own death certificate in advance.

Another hurdle had just fallen in the way of their harebrained plan.

A hurdle that appeared to coincidentally need to go wherever he and Naruto did.

-

Including their trip to the library to pick up some copies on advanced fuuinjutsu for Iruka and basic survival for Naruto.

“Picking up some reading material, sensei?”

Iruka looked up from his spot behind the rack of books to find Hatake on the opposite side of them. He swallowed his distaste and feigned a happy shock to see him in the store. “Hatake-san! Yes, me and Naruto are just trying to find a way to waste time better when we’re off the clock.” Naruto didn’t respond, too distracted by the colorful children’s books on the rack closest to him to pay any mind to the shinobi ahead of them. Iruka sighed, deciding it was probably better for Naruto to keep their interacting short. “Are you here for anything in particular?”

Kakashi didn’t answer, instead holding up a familiar orange book above the rack. Iruka let a quiet gasp of shock escape his lips, careful to keep the irritated grinding of his teeth to a minimum. “You’d do good to keep that book far away from the children’s section, Hatake-san.”

“Maa, you were the one who asked, sensei. You’d know better than anyone where such curiosities lead. For example.” Kakashi leaned over, picking the book out of Iruka’s hands easily. “Ah, fuuinjutsu. That’s a rare art; barely any shinobi in the village are capable of its most basic forms.”

“The art of fuuinjutsu has been in my family for years, it was about time I stopped putting off learning more about it just because it’s harder than other techniques.”

“I wouldn’t say that, sensei. I’ve seen your proficiency with these seals prior to the academy, remember? I’d say you’re well on your way to becoming a threat.”

“A threat?”

But Kakashi was already gone. He had to stop letting his eyes stray away from Kakashi just when the conversation was turning towards interrogative.

..

Then there was that time at the mission desk.

Contrary to popular belief, Hatake Kakashi could put forth a decent mission report.

He just had never been able to put one together when Iruka was on shift.

Iruka felt the soaking wet document between his hands and had an out-of-body experience so great he’d swear his mind and body really were two separate beings now. He only had one word to describe the entire thing. “How?”

Kakashi’s eye trailed over the room lazily, not bothering to look at Iruka when he finally decided on his excuse. “I’d finished it, truly. Then, on my way back to Konoha, I just so happened to fall into a decent-sized puddle. Can’t you accept it? It’s not too illegible anyways.”

Illegible? The paper was barely even graspable in this state. This couldn’t go in the archives, it couldn’t even stay on the desk without the fear that it’d be ripped apart in Iruka’s futile attempts to set it down. There was no amount of care he could afford this paper that wouldn’t end up with it being a sopping mess of scraps on the table and veritably useless.

“Hatake-san. If you think I can accept something like this, you must have confused me with an idiot or a pushover, and I’m not sure which is more insulting.”

“You’re more of an entertaining sight to me, Iruka-sensei.”

Iruka didn’t mind the guy most of the time, but the mission desk was some sort of litmus test Kakashi was personally conducting to test the extent of his kindness and he was getting really okay with losing that fight if it meant he could knock that knowing eye-smile off his masked face.

“Maybe instead of entertaining yourself with my repeating of the rules again and again, you can entertain yourself with writing a better report.”

He gingerly handed the sopping report back into Kakashi’s open hand and tilted his head in the direction of the waiting area. Kakashi watched him closely, fingers cataching his for a moment. “Whatever you say, sensei.”

Iruka took his hand back, eyes darting between them and Kakashi’s retreating figure, taking his place near Asuma as usual.

Horrified, Iruka pondered the idea of Kakashi using flirtation as a new form of advanced interrogation. If so, he was far too good at it for him to not have considered going into T&I.

..

A week after that was a shocking meeting.

Iruka was going to the memorial stone much more frequently nowadays, seeking quiet guidance from his parents and a reassurance that despite his absence, he’d still be making them proud.

Usually he’d only go late at night when most other shinobi were in bed, but the closer they got to their day of departure, the less comfortable Iruka felt leaving Naruto to his own devices. Naruto had already woken up screaming once without Iruka there to soothe him, and Iruka wasn’t about to make it a habit of leaving him to cry himself back to bed. It wasn’t so hard to make the switch to early morning visits beyond a few extra cups of caffeinated tea for support.

He stood by the stone, fingers touching the engraving of the stone. “Hey mom, hey dad. It’s me again. You’re probably sick of me by this point. I hope you’re doing good, wherever you are now. Naruto’s doing well too. He’s almost totally caught up with the other kids his age and he’s even eating vegetables now. If you told me that a week ago, I would have called you crazy, but he did it. I think he’s happy, really happy about this.”

His gaze fell on the names of the Fourth Hokage and his wife. He had no idea how to tell them, or if they’d even want him to do this, but if they were as kindhearted as he’s heard…

“I humbly ask for your protection in our journey. Thank you for your sacrifice, Lord Fourth. Thank you for your sacrifice, Lady Uzumaki. I hope you’re doing well, too.”

“May I ask what kind of journey this protection is needed for?”

Iruka didn’t have the energy to pretend to be shocked at his unexpected visitor anymore. “It was more of a metaphor for the journey me and Naruto are going to have together. I’m not really equipped to take care of a kid as strong as him, but I imagine it’ll all be worth it in the end.”

“Who knows how strong he’ll be when he’s older.”

“Older? He’s the strongest person I know right now. It takes a lot of willpower to deal with what he does all the time. If it was me, I think I’d have stopped trying to be a ninja a long time ago.”

“I meant with his chakra. He’ll be pretty revered for it by a lot of types of people.”

“Don’t mention it, I worry enough about him. It’s bad enough he’s being thought of as a tool without thinking of bounty hunters too.”

Kakashi’s eye drifted toward him, inquisitive towards his answer. Iruka met his gaze out of the corner of his eye and let his sympathetic attitude take the lead. It was probably insensitive of him to say, knowing Kakashi has been the village’s prime resource for years. When Naruto came of age, Kakashi is probably the ninja he’d have replaced.

“Not to detract from the amazing work you do for the village, Hatake-san. It’s wishful thinking at most.”

“If your wishful thinking involves such a paradise for the next generation, I’d say you should keep doing it.”

Iruka smiled. He hated how hard it was to hate Kakashi. “I’ll leave you to your respects, Hatake-san.”

“Kakashi.”

“Hm?”

“Just call me Kakashi.” Iruka nodded, not quite sure what he had done to earn such a casual title.

“Then just call me Iruka.”

..

Iruka was sure the last time he’d see Kakashi was at the memorial stone this morning considering the man’s propensity for taking missions as often as he could. The fact he’d been in the village for the past few weeks alone was such a rarity it raised its own set of alarms.

The day of departure wasn’t far; only 4 days away if everything went to plan. Iruka could barely hold down his own nervousness as the plan became less of an abstract idea and a concrete reality.

He knew from their meeting that Kakashi would be out of the village for a few days on an important, incredibly confidential mission and the last thing Kakashi would probably like to do was spend it dissecting Iruka’s plan. With the luck they’d been having recently, Iruka was half-sure Kakashi already knew to some extent what he was plotting. If he could guess where Iruka and Naruto were going to be throughout the day based on what little information Iruka gave away by virtue of having a semi-consistent routine, he’d probably found his carefully hidden outline a long time ago.

The question was just when he’d turn him in. Perhaps whenever Kakashi stopped having so much fun messing with him.

Which was not today.

Iruka was finally done with the mission desk, thankful to only have a few unbearable jonin at the mission desk, and he was innocently getting his bearings just outside the building when Hatake sidled up to him.

“Kakashi, to what do I owe the pleasure? I thought you would have left for your mission by now.”

“I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye properly.”

“Properly?”

“Do you have anywhere to be, sensei?”

“Not for another hour. Naruto needs someone to nag him to go to bed, after all.”

“That’s enough for a decent goodbye. Follow me.”

Kakashi walked off in the direction of the far less densely populated compounds, beckoning Iruka to heed his words. Out of pure curiosity, and nothing else really, Iruka walked behind him.

As they passed different traditional homes, Iruka stopped to survey the beauty of the area around them. With the isolations of the compound came the ability to have luxuries that the apartment buildings simply couldn’t realistically own. Full gardens and beautiful, spacious homes separated by a long expanse of untouched land. Iruka knew he wasn’t a fan of such a lavish lifestyle, but it didn’t make the feeling of awe any less apparent whenever he caught a glimpse of one of them.

25 minutes away from the heart of Konoha was the Hatake compound, a place Iruka had never once seen with his own eyes. After Kakashi had moved out, he’d honestly assumed the land would get sold off or repurposed, but no. Here it stood. Overgrown and dusty, but here.

“It’s a beautiful home, Kakashi.”

“It was.”

“So, what did you want to tell me about?”

“I’m not quite sure anymore, Iruka-sensei. I thought I might find it on the path, but I’m still at a loss.”

“I hope you find it before it’s time to go.” They sat in silence for a moment where Iruka allowed Kakashi to silently search for whatever point he’d been trying to make, but when Kakashi spoke next, it was about something else entirely.

“Naruto seemed really happy today.”

“Yeah, I try my best but even I can’t keep him from being so loud.”

“It’s nice. I can’t remember the last time he was this loud without a trail of shinobi chasing him.”

“Tell me about it.” Iruka huffed out a laugh at the memory of Naruto’s last few pranks. “He still won’t stop picking fights with Uchiha Sasuke, it’s like they were born to be rivals.”

“Maybe one day.”

Iruka doesn’t like how forlorn it sounds when Kakashi speaks about it. “I hope the mission is safe as it is quick, Kakashi. I’d really like to see you when you get back.”

“Is there a day in particular that I should get back if I wanna see you?”

“Any day works. You’re always welcome with us, Kakashi.”

“Iruka…”

“Yes?”

“You’re a stronger shinobi than you think.” Iruka looked at him, confused, before following his eyes to the barren home. Kakashi’s eye crinkled as they stood gazing at the compound in front of them. “I’m ashamed to say even I’ve fallen for your tricks.”

“I haven’t been a trickster in years.”

“Your kindness being so sincere, that’s stronger than even me.”

--

The day they agreed upon for their mission was a soft, grey morning that promised snow soon.

Early in the day, when the dark wash of night had not yet left, Iruka woke up Naruto for a quick breakfast. His relentless culinary trials had finally paid off and the food Naruto was met with was eaten with more gusto than usual.

It made Iruka preen with pride to see Naruto eating anything other than ramen with such excitement.

Then again, that might be better attributed to the planned crime they were both going to commit soon.

He drew lazy circles at the roots of Naruto’s bright hair. “Good morning.”

“Morning, Iruka!”

“Are you ready for today?”

“Mhm!”

“What’s the plan, then?”

“I’m gonna swing by Shikamaru’s house to hang out with him and Choji, and then I’m gonna go fight Sasuke, and then I’m gonna go give Sakura-chan a gift!”

“As long as you’re home before dark, remember?”

“Of course I will.”

“Good. The Naras and the Akimichi’s deserve their thanks for being such good friends throughout all this, so try to give them something nice too.”

“I can’t give Shikamaru anything nice because he’d just think I’m being suspicious. He’s too smart to be nice to.”

“Then buy some snacks for you guys to share.” Iruka handed him a few thousand ryo and watched Naruto fold it into the pocket of his cargos. “If you need anything, let me know and I’ll buy it before the shops close.”

“Got it! See you tonight, Iruka!” Naruto jumped up and raced to the small genkan to shove his sandals on.

“See ya, Naruto.” Iruka waved him goodbye as he got ready to undergo the last big cleaning this apartment would see for a long time.

The dishes were left to soak while he made final decisions about what would be left behind and what would have the lucky break of fitting into his already bulging duffle bag.

The comfortable silence of the apartment, only broken by the patter of his feet against the floors as he dove from corner to corner, was interrupted by the tiniest squeak of his window. Iruka whipped around, hand closing around his thigh pack before it was caught in a move so swift he could barely see what route the assailant could have taken to get behind him.

Thin, long calloused hands that wore unkempt and thread-filled gloves laid on top of his tanned wrist with a softness that could have been defusing in nature.

“Kakashi.”

‘Maa, Iruka-sensei, no need to kill me. I was just passing by and wanted to say hi.”

“Don’t scare me like that if you want to see me! I’m not in the mood to patch you up if my kunai finds its way into your sternum.”

“But I was looking forward to having you at my bedside, treating my wounds.”

“You’ll just have to make do with a real medic for today.”

“Oh? Are you going somewhere?”

“No, no. I’m throwing out a lot of old stuff. This bag is full of stuff that has about one good mission left in them before they break.” For emphasis, and to get the jitters out of his scrambled brain, Iruka kicked the sack on the floor lightly.

“If you need any help, sensei, I can get rid of it for you.” Kakashi didn’t wait for any affirmative before reaching for the handle of the bag. Iruka barely held back an undignified scream as his hand reached for Kakashi’s glove. At the last minute, he tried to calm himself and make the action look intentional. Like, for some reason, holding Kakashi’s hand was a natural thing to do right now.

“It’s fine. I barely get any training in anymore, it’ll be good for me to make the journey.” Iruka rambled while kneeling next to Kakashi. “I don’t need you to fight all my battles, you know.”

He laughed lightly, willing his nerves to lessen, and knocked his knees into Kakashi’s in a lighthearted attempt to shove away his erratic behavior.

Kakashi didn’t respond and Iruka followed his gaze down to the handle of the duffle bag to figure out what was so interesting. He was enraptured by Iruka’s hand still laid on his, a hard look in his eyes.

Iruka hesitated, before wrenching his hand away. “I’m so sorry Kakashi-san, I had no idea I was still doing that. Do you want tea? I’ll make you tea. You take it black, right?”

A soft murmur of affirmation set him off towards the kitchen to turn the kettle back on.

The rich, dull scent of black tea filled his nose as he tapped his foot anxiously, eager to confirm Kakashi’s ignorance to the purpose of the bag. “So, did you just get back from your mission?”

“From Kirigakure.”

“Wow. That must have been nice.”

“Your parents were from there, weren’t they?”

“My mom was… how’d you know that?”

“Your family name is still in old documents there. It’d probably be bad news if you ever went back there, the politics are still a violent mess of things.”

“Yeah, it’s not the kind of place my parents ever wanted to raise a child in.” Iruka plated the tea with quivering hands. “They’re lucky they got out when they did.”

“We all are, if it means being graced with the greatest sensei our village has.”

“You’re being really flattering today, Kakashi. I assume the mission was successful.”

“It has more to do with the fact that this may be the last time we ever see each other.”

Iruka dropped the teacup he had been kneeling over to hand Kakashi, watching him catch the scalding liquid neatly before setting it down properly. Iruka stood pin straight, too aware they were in an empty apartment with no way for Iruka to escape without Hatake interfering.

“Last time? You sound way too serious right now, Kakashi. You’ll see me tonight at the mission desk like always.”

“No, I won’t. You won’t be working the desk tonight, right Umino-san?”

“So formal now, you’re worrying me Kakashi-“ Iruka tensed up slightly, his leaning backward being met with Kakashi’s own body leaning forward.

“You’re still denying it. I thought you respected me more than that, sensei.”

“I do respect you, Kakashi, but you’re implying that I’m gonna do something crazy!”

“What am I implying?”

A beat passed in silence where Iruka knew he had been beaten. At some point in their numerous unimportant meetings, Kakashi had parsed out very important information that he’d held onto until now. When it would hurt Iruka the most.

“Kakashi… please. You don’t understand.” Iruka sighed. “This town hates him so much, Kakashi. The happiest I’ve seen him these past few months has been with me, but it’s not enough.”

“Or, are you not enough?” That stung, but killing Kakashi with his bare hands wasn’t the best idea right now.

“Maybe, maybe I’m not. But there’s nothing better for him than me in this town and that’s the problem, Kakashi! I’m the best he has because anybody else would hate him or turn him into a mindless soldier. That’s no way to live.”

“It’s how we live, Iruka.”

“But it’s not right.”

“So, your plan was to pack him up, cross the border and hope for the best.”

“There was more to it than that, but I guess it doesn’t matter now.”

“Giving up so quickly? I think it does matter, sensei.”

“I’d never give up on Naruto. You’re here to take me to T&I and there’s no way this ends well, even if I do fight. Naruto doesn’t need to come home to whatever outcome that’d lead to.”

“Such a selfless act, even in the face of Ibiki’s methods of extraction. You’d think Naruto was your own son.”

“He’s not my biological son, but you can’t say you’ve never had someone you’d risk anything for, anything at all.” Kakshi looked to the opposite wall for a moment, eye drifting to the crayon-colored drawings Naruto had been sticking next to student presents.

“Not that I do, but what does that have to do with your planned kidnapping?”

“I can’t abandon Naruto. I’d do anything to save him from what I went through, feeling all of that hate and resentment breeds something awful inside of you. Just because you and I got lucky and became good people doesn’t mean it’s not still in there.” Iruka placed a hand on Kakashi’s vest, right where his heart would be. Iruka wondered, distantly, if their hearts were beating in sync underneath the body armor.

“I’m a good person?”

“You’re annoying and perverted, but you’re a good guy.”

“A good guy would let you betray the village?”

“A good person does what they think is right.”

It was so quiet now that the only thing Iruka could hear was the soft wind outside the window Kakashi had entered. As Kakashi reflected on his words, Iruka held himself with a bit too much force.

After what felt like several lifetimes, Kakashi spoke up.

“You can’t go through the southern gate.”

“What?”

Kakashi reached into the nearby desk and ruffled through a few old academy papers before finding his intended target. Iruka’s plan outline, complete with thoughtful additions Naruto had added in shaky, big lettering and their refined scheme.

Iruka watched him look it over lazily, as though he’d read it a million times.

“If you go through the southern gate you’ll be out in the open for any ANBU on rotation to see on the path. You need to cut through the woods near the gates. There’s a side door by each gate for ANBU to come and go as they please. Luckily, the southern gate side door doesn’t get any traffic because it’s usually only used to leave.”

“Kakashi?”

“All of the available ninjas are on mission desk or taking a mission tonight. What a very nice coincidence that allows you to put an optimal amount of space between you and Konoha.”

“Kakashi.”

“And you should leave tonight. If you delay it any more people will get suspicious. They already think you’re way too involved with Naruto for him to reach his full potential.”

“Kakashi!” Iruka yelled, a light smack against his vest. “Stop, please.”

“Hm?”

“Thank you for the information, seriously. But this is way too dangerous for me to accept help from you. You could be apprehended if anything goes wrong and they look into my head.”

“Which is why I’m making sure it doesn’t. I’m escorting you.”

“What? Are you crazy?”

“A bit.”

“You can’t explain being away from the village for the time it’d take us to get somewhere safe enough to rest.”

“Which is why I’m not explaining it. Nobody knows I’m in Konoha right now, anyways.”

“Nobody? Kakashi… you haven’t even stopped to report to the hokage?”

“Are you really about to give me a lecture on mission report etiquette right now?”

“NO! If you haven’t reported to the hokage then that means that you have an alibi for the next few days at least. I never thought I’d be so happy to see you disregarding the simplest rules ever made before.”

“That’s enough to get you to the border of the country if needed. Do you have a place in mind?”

“A village hidden near Yugakure. It’s not as far as I’d like, but they’re pacifist and neutral to any conflicts Konoha and the other nations have. We can’t risk going somewhere that’d leverage Naruto if they found out.”

“You’re right. Konoha isn’t going to provoke a neutral ally right now and Yugakure isn’t going to involve itself in the search for a jinchuuriki if they think it’ll make other villages pounce on them. It’s the best direction to go on short notice.”

“My parents visited Yugakure one time before they settled here. I remember liking it a lot as a kid; hopefully so will Naruto.”

“We’ll have to pray for the best.”

“You don’t have to help us, Kakashi. What we’re doing is dangerous and stupid, and you shouldn’t do this just because you feel obligated.”

“Does Naruto not deserve the help?”

“What? Of course he does.”

“Then I’m helping. You’re so willing to help everyone but yourself, Iruka. You should change that soon.”

Iruka huffed. “I like helping people Kakashi, including you. I feel the need to give you some treat for doing something so reckless. Do you like cake?”

“I don’t like sweets.”

“Then takeout ramen it is for tonight. You have to stay here to avoid anybody seeing you anyways, might as well make sure Naruto doesn’t try to jump you when he gets home.”

“Any big plans before you go?”

“Well, this isn’t gonna happen until after we finally get some distance, but…” Iruka leaned across the counter to grab a box of dye. “Naruto decided he wanted his disguise have red hair and cheek marks.”

“Red hair suits him.”

“I know, right? He picked out a new name, hobbies, everything. It’s like a game to him.”

“And you?”

“I’m painfully average, Kakashi. I’ll hide my scar and cut my own bangs again and they’ll never find me.” Iruka played with the band holding his hair in place. “Unless you want to play around and give me a whole new look too.”

“That sounds really fun.”

“Stop trying to pretend you’re above a little fun Kakashi.” Iruka giggled as Kakashi made himself at home near the kotatsu with a book that was only marginally more appropriate for prying eyes. As his mirth cleared, Iruka let out a small breath. “Thank you.”

“Hm? You know I could be planning to betray you when we get there. Thank me when you aren’t five feet away from an ANBU member.”

“You don’t have to pretend to be so cold-hearted. You think you’re so convincing but you’re a huge softie too.” Iruka smiled, watching Kakashi fling him an exasperated eye.

“A softie?”

“Maybe even a bigger one than me.”

Iruka was content to end the conversation on a lighthearted note and got back to his obsessive cataloging of items to bring along with them.

Kakashi cleared his throat, catching Iruka’s attention just before he entered his bedroom.

“Why do you trust me so much?”

Iruka winked. “The same reason you trust me.”

..

“Iruka! I’m home!!”

“I’m in the kitchen!” Naruto flung his sandals off at the edge of the genkan with the precision of someone who had done it a thousand times (despite constant scoldings) and ran for the kitchen table with his hand cradling a flower and a bag of chips.

“You’ll never guess what I did today!”

“Did you fight Sasuke, hang out with Shikamaru and give Sakura a gift?”

“Yeah! Wait, how’d you guess?”

“I can read your mind, remember?”

“Oh yeah. So, I went to find Shikamaru and Choji but they were hiding in Choji’s house so Shikamaru could goof off and nap without his mom finding out. Then-” Naruto was a mile a minute when it came to telling Iruka about his day, arms flinging in every direction as he drew a fantastical retelling of the pretty normal day he had. Every word he yelled out, Iruka hung onto as he set out three servings of Ichiraku ramen.

“So interesting! How did Sakura feel about the flower?”

“She loved it! She even gave me one back. Hehe, I swear if Sasuke wasn’t every girl’s crush, she’d totally like me back.”

“I think she already does like you, as a friend.”

“Friends are nice too.” Naruto admitted quietly. “She’s really smart and strong, she’s like the best girl in class!”

There was no time for mourning what might have been, though.

Naruto dug into the bowl shoved in his face the moment his tirade finished, saying thanks before quickly making progress on his noodles. Iruka ate far less rapidly, dropping Kakashi’s bowl by his spot on the couch before making his way back to Naruto. Naruto, who’d finally stopped to realize the odd number of bowls glanced sideways at the couch and yelped as he almost fell out of his seat.

“Weirdo-jonin?!”

“What did I tell you about calling him that? Hatake-san is a friend of ours, not some weirdo.” Iruka tugged on Naruto’s ear and tilted his head in Kakashi’s direction, who had finished his bowl in the seconds he’d had his back turned to scold Naruto.

“Sorry, Hatake-san.” He turned back to Iruka, hand covering his mouth as he tried to lower his voice to something vaguely resembling a whisper. “When is he leaving?”

“He’s not. Hatake-san is helping us with our little mission tonight.”

“But- but he’s a jonin! He’s probably just gonna snitch on us.”

“He won’t. Hatake-san, can you please introduce yourself to Naruto?”

Kakashi looked uncomfortable at the idea of talking one-on-one with Naruto for the first time, but Iruka urged him on with a tilt of his head. Sighing, Kakashi stood up and dragged two bare feet over to the table, bending down to Naruto’s height and sticking his hand out.

“Yo. I’m Hatake Kakashi. A friend of Iruka-sensei’s. I’m here to make sure you guys get to your little “vacation spot” in one piece.”

“Uzumaki Naruto. Uh, why are you helping us?”

“Because I think you’re doing something pretty scary, but it’s the right thing to do.”

“Don’t you hate me?” Naruto didn’t sound angry or sad when he asked the question, like it was as common as stars in the sky to hate a kid that had done nothing but exist. Kakashi looked to the floor as he shook his head.

“I don’t. Hopefully doing this starts to make up for all the things I haven’t done to help in the past.”

Naruto stares at him in scrutiny for a minute, before his eyes trailed over to Iruka, who’d taken his place across the table from them. Iruka nodded, a reassuring smile on his face as he did so. “So, we get a bodyguard? Cool! Do you have any cool ninja tricks?”

“Tricks? Uhm, most of my tricks would probably destroy the house, but I can summon Pakkun.”

“Who’s Pakkun?”

“My dog.”

“You have a dog?”

“Eight dogs.”

“CAN I-”

“You’ll meet them on the way, I promise.”

Naruto was practically vibrating at the idea of meeting eight whole dogs. Iruka could feel the fond exasperation Kakashi was emanating as Naruto began to talk his ear off about all of his dogs, desperate to know everything he could before they met so that they’d meet on the right foot.

It was such a tiny moment for Iruka to become emotional over, and yet he had to blink back his emotions as he busied himself with finishing his own food.

..

“It’s time, Iruka.”

“I know.” Iruka gazed at the half-empty apartment. They’d leave the dingy couch behind along with most of the kitchen appliances that Iruka couldn’t maneuver alone in a new home when they were unsealed. It felt so cold without the drawings his students had given him, or the numerous mugs he’d received as gifts, or the small messes Naruto always left in his wake around the apartment.

It was really happening, wasn’t it?

There was no last-minute turn-around for the village. They still hated them and Naruto was still a punching bag for deplorable adults. Iruka knew it wouldn’t be that easy, that no number of singular moments of kindness could stop the poison of hatred that the shinobi carried within them. Sure, some kids liked Naruto, but those kids looked up to shinobi that hated him. One day, they’d also be forced to choose between him and acceptance.

Just to be sure, Iruka asked on last time. “Are you really sure you still want to leave?”

Naruto took his hand and nodded slowly. “Yeah. I’m gonna miss Sakura, Shikamaru and Choji. Even Sasuke. Don’t tell him that, though.” Naruto pointed at Kakashi accusingly. “I wish we could take them with us.”

“Me too, Naruto.” Iruka pulled him into a side-hug and ruffled his hair. “They’ll understand why you left, though.”

“They will?”

“Yeah, I think they will.”

Kakashi watched them from the door, a small pack hanging from his shoulder that Iruka doesn’t remember him retrieving.

“Are you ready, Naruto? Remember, this is a mission, so we have to be really careful. We might not take a break for a long time.”

“I’m ready!” Naruto pumped a proud fist in the air and ran to stand next to Kakashi at the door. Iruka took one last look at the apartment, willing the memories within these walls to become one with him. They would warm him while they trekked in this cold weather.

Iruka walked up to them by the door and nodded. “Ready.”

Kakashi nodded once. “Alright, let’s go then.”

..

Kakashi was right; the village was practically abandoned while shinobi either retreated for the night or remained held up in the mission room. They didn’t have to dodge and weave as much as Iruka thought they’d have to to remain unseen. It was too easy, even, and Iruka’s instincts began to scream at him that this wasn’t right. Leaving Konoha shouldn’t be this easy for them.

His hands started to twitch minutely as he started double and triple-checking that Naruto was properly focused, that Kakashi was actually leading them to the southern gate, that he wouldn’t spontaneously combust in the next few seconds.

At the edge of the door to the secret southern gate, Iruka felt the slightest bit of tension finally leave his shoulders. They were home free now.

That was, of course, when it all went to shit. As he and Naruto passed into the forest and got ready to follow Kakashi up into the trees, a voice behind him halted their movements.

“Iruka?”

Iruka couldn’t stop the curse that exited his mouth. “Mizuki…”

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Me and Naruto are going somewhere.”

“Where?”

“Just a little clearing nearby. Naruto really wanted to check out that shack we used to hang out in when we were kids.”

“Are you gonna camp there too?” Mizuki spared a glance at the packs they were carrying.

“Yeah, I thought it’d be fun. It’d be just like when you and I had sleepovers as kids, you know? It’d be a good experience for him.”

Mizuki got closer to them, his face the perfect picture of skeptical, and his eyes dragged over their uneasy smiles. “Really?”

They nodded in tandem.

“Alright then, I’ll come with.”

“What?”

“You’re right, I’ve been super unfair about you and the kid. I wanna fix that now.” Mizuki smiled at him and Iruka felt uneasy at how easy it was to believe it really was just a mistake that he’d pulled away from Iruka. He was amazed by how much Mizuki made him want to believe there was more than a small handful of shinobi who held the capacity to change for the better. If Mizuki knew what they were really doing, would he help them like Kakashi?

No. No matter how much he wanted to see the good in Mizuki’s bright smile, he couldn’t risk anybody other than Kakashi being involved in this. How would they even lose Mizuki?

“I really appreciate that Mizuki, but this is kind of a bonding thing for us. Maybe you can come with us to Ichiraku tomorrow after we get back.”

“Then at least let me walk you guys. I can tell Naruto about all the trouble you used to get up to in the meantime.”

“Trouble? Did you forget just how many of those pranks were dares from you?”

Mizuki laughed loudly, too loud for Iruka’s taste, and began leading him with a hand on his back as they walk in a direction Iruka knew was gonna lose them an hour or two of their head start.

He tried not to let his disappointment show visibly, falling into old, tired banter with Mizuki. It was as easy as breathing for him to pretend nothing was wrong between them; that was how all their arguments had ended.

“What are you even doing out so late? Did you just get back from a mission?”

“No, I got back hours ago. I was just taking a late walk when I saw you guys sneaking around and I got curious.”

“Sorry to interrupt your walk with our sneaking around.”

“You should be, I was hoping to catch the snow before it was too late.”

“It’s so cold, you’d think it was snowing already.”

They walked mindlessly in the direction of that old shack and Iruka tried hard not to crane his head upwards to catch a glimpse of Kakashi. There was nothing but silence from the trees around them and Iruka was nervous at the idea that Kakashi ran the second he felt the presence of another shinobi.

When they were close to the shack, Mizuki slapped the small of his back as he pointed it out to Naruto. “Look at it, it’s practically only good for firewood now. Iruka, are you sure you wanna spend the night here?”

“We aren’t spending the night here for the luxury of it, Mizuki.”

Iruka turned away from Mizuki to check on Naruto one more time, adjusting the straps of his bag so they’d withstand the full sprint they’d have to run for the next few hours to make up for lost time.

“Is this okay?”

“Mhm!” Naruto had been silent the entire walk. It worried Iruka that Naruto was so detached from the conversation, but they both knew Naruto had a habit of spilling secrets when he was nervous enough. And, for some reason, Mizuki made him really nervous.

“Good. We’re gonna have to use a ton of blankets if we wanna keep warm tonight.”

Mizuki glanced around the small clearing as though he’d just gained a newfound appreciation for it while Iruka continued adjusting the bag. He put a hand on the bark of a tree near them, lost in thought for a moment as he stared at the splintering wood. “You know, I never noticed how isolated these woods were from the rest of Konoha.”

“Yeah, they’re pretty far out. Naruto and I’ll be lucky if it only takes us an hour to get back tomorrow.”

“Not that it has to worry about that, right? You know, because of the thing.”

“Mizuki! What did I say about calling Naruto that?”

“I’m just saying, it probably doesn’t get cold like we do, doesn’t it?” Mizuki looked at Naruto like a foreign object as he said it, like he wanted Iruka to be as frightened by the idea of it as he was. “I bet you don’t have to worry about anything normal people do.”

“Naruto worries about all the things we do. Just because his chakra is advanced-“

“That’s what we’re saying now? That it’s advanced?”

“Yes, Mizuki, because that’s all it is.”

“No it isn’t. I’m so tired of lying to this kid about everything, aren’t you?” Mizuki had gotten way too close to him in his ramblings and a hand found its way to his shoulder, dragging back up to full height.

“You’re not allowed to talk about it.”

“Well, I am. Why do we have to deal with it, ya know? This thing kills your parents and the village makes you deal with it? That’s torture.”

“Mizuki!” Iruka spit out, phased by his sudden heel turn. “You have no idea what you’re saying!”

“Like you don’t think it too. You see it too, right? Those eyes… they’re just like they were that night.”

“Stop it. Go before you say something you regret.”

“I don’t regret anything. Iruka, I want to get it, but I can’t. I can’t understand how you can look at this freak and not want to get rid of it!”

“Mizuki. Stop talking like that. Just go home.” Iruka held onto Naruto tightly, shoving him behind him.

“Iruka, I can’t do that.” Mizuki reached into his thigh pack and pulled out a small scroll that fit snug between his fingers. “Naruto is gonna kill us all if we don’t stop it first.”

“Who said that to you? Mizuki, that’s not what’s going to happen!” Iruka looked helplessly for Kakashi’s figure in the darkness, but all he could see in the darkness was the leaves.

“There’s so much going on in the village that you don’t know, Iruka. Danzo-san, he told me about the seal on Naruto’s stomach. It’s loose, it’s going to break and it’s gonna happen again!” Iruka shook his head; who the hell was Danzo? He held up his hands in a placating gesture, trying to follow his increasingly worrisome speech pattern.

“Breathe, Mizuki. There’s nothing wrong with the seal!”

“You don’t know that. He said that damn fox was whispering to you just like it whispers to that boy. You’re under some jutsu, Iruka, and I’m going to free you. I’ll save you.”

“I don’t need to be saved!”

“Get out of the way Iruka!”

“No!”

Mizuki’s hands shake as he grips his kunai with renewed force. “I’m not gonna kill it, I’m just going to take it back to Danzo, and we can forget about everything else. It’ll be like before it ever met you.”

Iruka had no idea what Mizuki was rambling about. There was no possible universe where Iruka could forget this or let some stranger take Naruto when he had very little inclination that they’d want anything except the fox spirit inside of him. “If you want Naruto, you’ll have to get through me first.”

Mizuki stared at him; eyes devoid of the shine that had decorated them moments ago. He shook his head silently, muttering to himself too quietly for Iruka to hear. Iruka dropped his stance the slightest bit to reach out to him and Mizuki reacted lightning quick. His hand shot out and forced Iruka backwards, back pressed into his chest as his kunai was raised to his chest. “I’m sorry Iruka, you’ll get it one day. He told me everything.”

Mizuki looked back at Naruto, who was teary-eyed watching Iruka struggle against his hold. “You. Start walking back to the village. Now, or I’ll hurt him.”

Naruto yelped. “No! Don’t hurt Iruka!”

Iruka’s free hand reached into his pack, trying with great effort to reach the kunai in his pocket. If his arm could reach a bit further while Mizuki distracted himself yelling at Naruto…

“I said go! Or I’ll slit his throat right now.”

Naruto started crying, but his body refused to move back into the thicket.

Iruka willed his arm to finally close the distance and grasp his own kunai, wrenching his arm back to elbow Mizuki violently. A thin stripe of blood poured from his nose as he lurched backward and Iruka flexed his arm; if Mizuki hadn’t been actively attempting to kill him then he might have thought he went a bit far. As it stood, the only thing keeping Iruka from going a little further was Naruto’s sobbing face mere feet away from what could have been a far worse situation. Iruka looked behind him for a second to make sure Mizuki was still cradling his nose before making his way back to Naruto. “Are you okay?”

“He was gonna kill you!”

“No he wasn’t. Your sensei’s a little tougher than that.” Iruka flicked his nose and forced a smile to come to him.  “Naruto, can you run with this on?”

“I can’t leave you! I don’t wanna!”

“Hey, I’m asking you to do something scary, I know, and I’m sorry, but I promise I’ll be right behind you if you run. I told you I’d stick by you, right?”

“Mhm.”

“You know the way. I have to make sure Mizuki doesn’t follow us, alright? Stick by the trees and run until you hear the code-” Iruka cut himself off, saliva catching in his throat for a second.

That was weird. For a minute there it almost felt like he was in earth-shattering amounts of pain.

Like his back was on fire and wet and cold all at the same time. And then it was gone, like nothing had happened, like nothing was happening right now.

Naruto must have noticed his shellshocked expression, because he worked up the courage to look behind them.

Mizuki had stabbed him in the base of his back with his kunai, which Iruka personally thought was a drastic escalation from a broken nose. It hurt, badly. Every small movement reignited the pain he’d felt when Mizuki first dug it deep past the layer of skin and into what might have been his spinal cord.

Iruka tried not to think about it; Mizuki was his best friend five months ago. There’s no way he’d try to sever his spinal cord over something like this.

But his spine sure felt like it was crushed, especially with Mizuki digging his knee into the base of his spine as an added insult.

“I’m sorry Iruka.”

Iruka couldn’t speak to him. He couldn’t ask him to clarify when Iruka became fodder to him, or how Mizuki could so easily turn on someone he knew trusted him implicitly.

Iruka could have laughed; Mizuki was a far better shinobi than him if it meant he could do something so callous without hesitation.

“Don’t worry, you’re not gonna… die, you know. I’ll send someone to help you after I get-“ Mizuki trailed off as he waved one arm in the direction of Naruto, only to find the space barren of anything. Him and Iruka stood still, staring in the direction Naruto must have run off to.

Inwardly, Iruka couldn’t help but send up a prayer to any higher being privy to his miserable luck that Naruto would get to the border safely.

The bitter taste of his unfulfilled promise to Naruto sat heavy, but Iruka could at least assure Naruto that Mizuki wouldn’t be pursuing him. No matter what.

Iruka steeled himself before he planted a firm hand on the ground. His body protested, but his heart was louder as he twisted his arm backward to swipe at Mizuki’s face. Mizuki screamed, clutching at a jagged gash across his cheek. Iruka stood up slowly, careful not to let Mizuki take advantage of his lowered guard again, and quickly procured a seal from his pouch. He had never intended to use something so chakra-draining, but there was no way he was gonna give Mizuki anything less than a 0% chance of catching up to Naruto.

He dashed forward, kunais clashing as they traded blows. They were too fast to perceive, tips causing sparks as metal came into such quick contact with metal. Iruka, bleeding in droves by the minute and Mizuki, burdened with his face wound, would not be able to keep this up. It had to be done now, or Iruka would have no chance of seeing Naruto, or anyone, again.

He made his downward slashes more aggressive and Mizuki followed him foolishly. Iruka knew him well enough to know that Mizuki’s battle strategy was subpar and he was just idiotic enough to leave himself defenseless if it meant matching offense. It left a perfect open area around his midsection to plant the specialized seal, and Iruka forced it onto his vest with more force than he might have if he wasn’t risking major arterial blood loss right now.

Mizuki was flung back into the dirty ground of the forest floor, but when he tried to regain his bearings, he was stopped in his tracks as a mirror-like prison encased his entire body. He could barely stand in the restrained space, much less move. It was one of Iruka’s far more imperfect trials with fuuinjutsu before he’d finally made a breakthrough; this seal pinned the poor victim to the ground, making standing up torturous. It was too hard to break for a ninja who didn’t use seals, and a painful memory told Iruka that sitting down until help arrived wasn’t a much better time of it. He’d affectionately named it the porcupine seal for its painful embrace.

Watching Mizuki writhing in pain thanks to his invention while he barely kept his posture upright, Iruka felt too much like his mother. Bleeding in pain, barely holding it together, and all for a child who’d forget his face in a few years. Pitifully, Iruka used his small supply of oxygen to warn Mizuki not to move.

It was a sardonic memory of his to be told he’d taken after his mom in everything but his gender. They weren’t wrong, but it didn’t feel quite fair to die here at a younger age than she did. If he could at least have made it to his thirtieth birthday, he could at least say he beat the shinobi curse of dying so young.

His tired expression faltered for a second, blurry vision overtaking him for a moment.

When his eyes passed over the tree Mizuki had caressed so thoughtfully before his attempted murder, Iruka gasped.

A seal. One of Iruka’s barrier seals.

Iruka wished he hadn’t taken pity on the guy now; he’d known what he was going to do before they left. He probably had his own idea about why they were really out here, even if it wasn’t the real reason, and jumped at the opportunity to fulfill whatever mission this “Danzo” guy had given him.

He’d used Iruka, played him for a fool, and used his own specialization to do it. Maybe he could leave a quicksand seal here too, to repay the favor.

With a weak hand, his lack of coordination, and his kunai, he managed to cleave the paper in half before his body gave out.

He could feel the moment the chakra that had been slowly pooling around them popped with the severing of the seal keeping them in this area. That meant Naruto hadn’t gotten as far as Iruka had wanted him to, just as trapped as he was.

But now he can. Naruto isn’t stupid, Iruka has nothing to worry about.

He’ll make it to the border.

Iruka just wished he could have seen it happen.

..

Iruka came to in a bed very unfamiliar to his own. His eyes were glued shut, and his body felt too heavy to get a feel for where he was.

It smelled like antiseptic and the air was thick around him. If he tried really hard and ignored the pounding headache he had, he might even be able to hear something like scuffling far away from his bedside.

His face was mostly buried in a pillow, thankfully without his hitai-ate pressing into his forehead. He’d have to remind whoever brought him here that he wasn’t a fan of sleeping on his stomach.

Speaking of which, how is he alive right now?

Iruka’s eyes shot open as the question processed throughout him and the blinding lights of the hospital room he was in made themselves clear. So, he was in a hospital. But just which hospital? And where?

The phantom touch of a hand on his shoulder spooked Iruka and he tried to turn his body to defend against the assailant, but the burst of pain in his back was enough to stop him completely.

“Iruka-sensei, it’s alright. It’s just me.”

“Kakashi?! Where did you go?! Naruto is-“

“You shouldn’t be moving right now, sensei. You only just received proper medical jutsu for your back. I swear I’ll answer all of your questions if you just relax.”

“I can’t rest! Naruto could be halfway to Yugakure and you want me to rest?!”

“We’re far closer to Yugakure than that, sensei.”

Iruka paused. “What?”

“For starters, this hospital is just on the outside of it.” Kakashi leaned forward to meet his eyes. “See what you can learn with a little patience?”

“This isn’t the time to be funny, Kakashi.”

Kakashi shrugged. “That’s subjective.”

“Please. Where is Naruto?”

“He’s on your other side, sleeping.” Kakashi nodded towards something on the other side of the room. “We ran here so fast that I thought he was going to run right past the village.”

“Oh, thank everything good in the world.”

“You did a pretty selfless thing back there.”

“Don’t look at me like that. I did what I had to.” Iruka breathed as softly as he could, but his ribs still hurt whenever he inhaled. “How am I alive?”

“You destroyed that barrier seal. Mizuki wasn’t just keeping you guys inside, he was keeping any nosy ninjas outside too. When the barrier fell, I came.”

That was a far better explanation than the working theory Iruka had that he’d abandoned them at the first sign of danger and then hauled his half-dead body back to Konoha.

“How long was I out?”

“5 days.”

Crap. Five days was way too long for anyone on the run to stay in one place. “How likely is it that we’re screwed?”

“We’re in Yugakure territory. As far as they care, we’re just a group of suspicious-looking civilians. I wasn’t planning to leave until I was sure you two were decently not-screwed.”

“Isn’t spending this long away from Konoha incredibly suspicious of you, Kakashi?”

“Missions go wrong, sometimes. I’m very famous for my lack of direction when it comes to these kinds of things, Iruka. I have no idea a major security breach happened, so why should I be hurrying back?”

“Good point.”

“You’re lucky. If we hadn’t made it here when we did, you would have bled out in the woods. Not a nice way to go out for someone like you with people to protect sensei.”

“I wouldn’t have gone down that easy. Are you underestimating me, Kakashi?”

“Not at all, Iruka, not at all.”

“I got to meet Pakkun!”

“Really?” Iruka gingerly lifted his head to look around for a dog, although he’s sure he’d have smelled the distinct scent of dog if they were here. Kakashi stopped him.

“He stayed behind. I had him and Uhei leave behind false trails. The snow may have covered up your scent and tracks, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Iruka melted into the covers once more. “Our luck’s finally turning around. Now all I need is a new house and a ton of food.”

..

Iruka gawked at Kakashi, struck numb by the knowledge he’d dropped so nonchalantly in their organizing of the room and packing of their belongings.

“You bought a house?! With what money?!”

“Maa, what did you think was in the backpack?” Kakashi raised his hand in a disarming motion and pointed to the small pack Iruka remembered him showing up with the night they left.

“Supplies, clothes, pills, anything you’d actually bring to a serious mission?!”

“That stuff’s so heavy, sensei. I thought this would be a better use of our limited storage. Besides, I had no doubts that you had everything we needed for our journey.” Kakashi winked at him.

“You’re lucky I’m in a hospital bed or Konoha would be looking for your body.”

Naruto’s laughter was worth the throbbing pain in his back as he sat up. “It’s a nice house.”

“It’s not very big, but it’s discreet and unassuming. Two things you’ll both need to prioritize about yourselves for the next few years at least.”

“It’s way nicer than your old apartment, Iruka! No offense.”

“None taken. Just don’t complain when a big house means bigger chores.” Iruka smiled as Naruto sighed dramatically. “When can I leave?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? That’s so soon.”

“We have to go. The house is a half a day’s sprint from the heart of the village.”

Great. More running.

“Don’t worry, sensei. I’ll be giving you a piggyback ride until we get there.”

Iruka heard him wrong, right? A piggyback ride for an entire day from the hospital to the countryside.

“No way.”

And yet, somehow, he still ended up taking that ride soon into their slow journey. Naruto even managed to hang off of Kakashi’s front side for the last leg of it too. He really needed to find a way to repay Kakashi for this one day.

..

The home really was nice. Iruka was biased after living in substandard housing for most of his life, but this was an amazing upgrade. For one, it was a home; one story, traditional, and alight with the warmth of lanterns. It wasn’t huge, small enough for the tiny family that’d be occupying it from now on. After so long in the cold outdoors, Iruka was more than ready to have a proper rest in a home like this, but there was one more thing to address first.

Iruka and Kakashi sat at the edge of the engawa of the home, watching the snow slowly remove any trace of the trek through the mountain trail.

“You’ll be leaving soon, won’t you?”

“I have to.”

“I don’t know about that. I think you would be a great missing-nin.”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence, sensei, but we both know it’s better for me to help you from a distance from now on.”

“I know. I guess I just thought we’d finally started to get friendly. It’ll be lonely now without you.”

“You’ll find another weirdo to yell at.”

“Maybe I don’t want another weirdo. You’re pretty special, Kakashi.” Iruka put a hand on his shoulder, leaning into him slightly. “Visit us.”

“That’d be too dangerous, Iruka.”

Iruka sighed. “Of all the times for you to suddenly decide you care about safety. Fine, leave us to suffer with my cooking alone.”

“You’ll be fine. Naruto really does have a great sensei keeping him safe.”

“Hmph. Well. If you ever need somewhere to go away from it all… you have somewhere to go.” Iruka hesitated there, watching Kakashi re-pack his bag with a few snacks and a crayon drawing.

“I appreciate that more than you’d know, sensei. I’ll go get Naruto so he can say his goodbyes too.” Iruka let Kakashi help him stand again. Iruka gazed into the eyes staring back at him before deciding, screw it. He placed a quick kiss to Kakashi’s cheek. “Be safe, okay? I don’t want to have to come out of hiding just because you got lost on the path of life or some shit like that.”

“I will, Iruka.”

Naruto almost broke down again when Kakashi told him he was leaving so soon after fulfilling his job as their guardian angel. Iruka had to hold his hand in a show of comfort, fighting against his own sadness as Kakashi hoisted the backpack onto his shoulder.

“Bye ‘Kashi.”

“I’ll see you later, Naruto. I hope the next time we meet, you’ve really made some progress on that dream you have.”

Naruto sniffled, before picking up his head determinedly. “I will! By the time you come back here, I’ll be the best ninja in the Fire Country!”

“I trust you. Listen to Iruka, alright? He’s a good shinobi, but he’s a greater person. The kind of company you keep.”

Iruka and Naruto waved at Kakashi as his form retreated, not content to stop until he was no longer visible between the shadows of the trees.

Naruto huffed. “Did he have to leave so soon?”

“It’s okay. He’ll be back one day. C’mon, let’s go eat some snacks at the kotatsu before it gets colder.”

Naruto headed back inside, hair now a shocking shade of red as it bounced in tandem with his large steps. Iruka limped to the kotatsu, ready to settle in for a long time, when his eyes caught on the note placed delicately at its center.

Picking it up with the same amount of gentleness, he read Kakashi’s chicken scratch.

Left you some emergency funds. I thought you might need it for a while. The scroll on the back will call me if you ever need it. I hope you never need it. Take care. I heard Yugakure needs more teachers.

Below it was a hastily scribbled final note.

Thank you for letting me be part of your life, even if it was just a small piece of it.

Chapter Text

4 years later…

“Dad!” Naruto screamed.

He hopped from rooftop to rooftop in search of the older man, pausing only for a few seconds as a few civilians waved at his soaring figure. Children yelled excitedly as they saw him going about, most never having seen a ninja up close.

Some ran after him for a few seconds to try to keep up with his sprint, while others merely shook their heads exasperatedly, too used to his eccentricities by now.

Naruto couldn’t lie; it felt like he was this small village’s personal superhero. He tried not to smile too wide as he finally dropped down into the main road and was met with his adoring fan club of younger kids who wanted nothing more than to be great shinobi too one day. He liked to call them his ninjas-in-training.

“Dad!” Naruto yelled out again, looking around wildly. He looked up and down the streets as the excitable children that had formed a semi-circle around him exchanged compliments and questions.

If he remembered correctly, Iruka should be on this street. The town wasn’t big enough for him to be on a different one.

Seeing his haste, one of the old ladies that Naruto had come to know well took pity on him. “He’s still in the schoolhouse, Naru-kun.”

Naruto smiled, big and bright, and took off towards the edge of the townside. “Thank you, Yurina-san!”

Her laugh was quiet as he left a cloud of dust in the wake of his running. She turned to her friends, nodding her head in the direction he had taken off. “He’s always off doing something.”

..

The schoolhouse in the little mountainside town resided in the very back. There was only one classroom inside for the towns children to share and a few windows to decorate the otherwise plain building. While they couldn’t rely on the might of a hokage or shinobi to deployed in case of danger, the original settlers of the old town knew from the moment they came how crucial it was to protect the symbol of their youth. In the time since, as the town has remained small and families have come and gone with the seasons, the only thing that kept the generations intertwined was maintaining the little infrastructure they had in this school.

It was like many other things in the town, quaint, and yet there was a wear and tear to every crevice of every wall that suggested that it never stopped being properly loved.

Iruka could spend hours explaining the beauty of an academy like this one, but he settled for admiring it at times like these. Times when he began to feel unwillingly melancholy for something. Or someone.

“Dad!” Iruka could recognize Naruto’s voice in a thick crowd when it came to his sheer boisterousness alone. He shook himself out of his daze, straightening out his papers before putting them in his satchel.

On cue, the door flung open and Naruto’s bright aura jogged across the classroom to meet Iruka at his desk.

“Naru!” Iruka responded mockingly. “I was just about to head home.”

“I couldn’t wait! You need to see this!”

“Did you finally get the hang of tree-walking?”

“Even better, c’mon!”

Naruto didn’t wait for Iruka before taking off back in the direction of their home, just behind the schoolhouse. His pace thankfully didn’t reach breakneck speeds today, and Iruka could jog at a leisurely pace while they spoke. “Did you have fun on your day off?”

“Uh-huh! I got to practice super hard today! I spent way too long trying to track you down though, so I’m not sure my chakra’s cut out for sensor stuff.”

“Did it take you so long to find me because you decided to stop by the town?” Naruto grinned, giving away his latent guilt.

“I couldn’t help it, sensei, It’s been forever since I’ve had a chance to say hi to everybody. I was starting to think they forgot about me.” Naruto sighed overdramatically as he gestured emphatically. Iruka tsked; Naruto had a point, it had been weeks since they’d found a reason to go into town due to school letting out for the summer. Now that it was finally autumn, Iruka and Naruto would have to get used to making the journey between their home and the village at least once every few days again.

“How could they ever forget someone as remarkable as you?” Iruka huffed as they reached the woods. Once they hit the edge of the forest, Iruka felt comfortable to go at a much faster pace, jumping from tree to tree above Naruto now.

They fell into a comfortable quiet as they took in the metamorphosis of the leaves from their common green to an ombre of warm tones. Autumn had to be Iruka’s favorite season by far, in no small part due to it being so abating to see the way nature displayed the passage of time. Every autumn season was different, marked not only by arbitrary numbers on a calendar, but by the unique variations of the fauna surrounding them.

Iruka couldn’t believe at times that they’d really spent so long undisturbed. Despite his own argument for hiding in the area, Iruka hadn’t been completely sure that Konoha would uphold international relations when it came to their precious jinchuuriki. Kakashi had probably done his part to maintain the mystery around their disappearance expertly when he got home.

Kakashi… It was stupid to linger on the other man after having spent years with absolutely no contact beyond a single interaction that hadn’t even been with him.

Months after his initial departure, Kakashi sent Pakkun to their door with a single note. From under the dog slobber and teeth marks Iruka could put together that Kakashi was affirming his status to them as alive. Konoha didn’t suspect him at all, nor was he planning on giving them a reason to. That meant that the last time Iruka would see any trace of Kakashi was here and now, through a third party he’d never even formally met.

Not one to be rude to his guests, he still offered Pakkun a piece of chicken from the soup he was cooking and a rest on their couch as he wrote his own note. He’d spent a good ten minutes simply staring at the paper, at a loss for how to communicate everything he wanted Kakashi to know. Nothing felt like it would satisfy Iruka without feeling like unnecessary cruelty. There was nothing to confess because there was nothing between them except for that single kiss Iruka had given him in a moment of total irrationality. There was nothing to promise from a thousand miles away. There was nothing to hope for when the only places he could learn about Kakashi’s wellbeing now were the same places him and Naruto were supposed to stay away from.

There was nothing for Iruka to say that mattered anymore.

Half an hour later, Iruka folded the small paper and stuck it snugly inside of Pakkun’s vest. He carried Pakkun to the edge of the forest and thanked him deeply for going out of his way to get the message to them.

Iruka tried not to let Naruto see how the ordeal had affected him that night, waiting until he’d gone to bed to hold the note against his chest and make another silent wish that Kakashi would stay safe. Above all else, that Kakashi wouldn’t die before he got to see the spectacle that Naruto had become in their time apart. It felt silly after the fact to put so much emotional weight onto a note compared to when he physically left. Maybe Iruka just figured he would turn back eventually and run back to them. To him. But this letter ended that sweet dream. Kakashi was a man who could survive without a lot of life’s pleasures after all of his years spent being nothing but a vehicle for the whims of other people. It was probably basic instinct for him to suppress and forget whatever he’d felt when they knew each other, for him to forget Iruka entirely if it meant being able to be a more effective shinobi. So from then on, Iruka told himself he wouldn’t think of Kakashi either.

It wasn’t working very well, but Iruka liked to think he was getting better about compartmentalizing those thoughts. He hadn’t even collided with a branch while lost in thought this time.

An hour or so later, they reached their home. Every day, Iruka thanked the stars that this small village was closer to them than the rest of Yugakure. If the village had been as far away as the initial journey from the hospital, Iruka wouldn’t have been able to keep his dream of being a teacher alive and Naruto would have gone stir crazy way faster.

As Iruka situated himself in the front of their yard, Naruto stood in front of him like a child who’d found a really interesting animal to share with the class.

“Alright, what were you so excited to show me?”

“Just look at it!” Naruto stretched his arms and legs before going through a set of hand signs. “I’ve been studying those boring old scrolls you put together non-stop!”

Naruto’s face scrunched up in deep concentration before the distinct breeze of a successful cloning technique sounded in his ears. In the aftermath, an imperfect image of Naruto stood beside him with a ridiculous expression painting its face. It fumbled around for a minute before disappearing as quickly as it had come.

Iruka stared at the leaves on the floor where it had gone, unsure if he’d missed something particularly cool in between it coming and going. Naruto himself looked shocked by the actions of the clone. “What?! That’s not what it did earlier.”

“You’ve been trying to perfect the cloning technique? I didn’t think you’d been taking my lesson plans seriously.”

“Of course I am, but they’re so hard to follow. All that stuff about focusing chakra, it doesn’t make any sense.”

“That’s because they’re made for shinobi with normal chakra. We have to adjust it a bit, but it’s not impossible.” Iruka placed a comforting hand on Naruto’s shoulder.

“If the stupid fox would give me a hand, I’d be doing way cooler stuff than this.”

Naruto knew about the fox and his biological parents, told to him over the course of a truly exhaustive day by Iruka when it became clear that there was no good reason to hold it back anymore. It took Naruto about three years to articulate his thoughts on it all, including their lives before this place. It was summed up in a single phrase:

“It’s all so… stupid.”

Yeah, Iruka couldn’t really argue with him there. Though, he’d describe Naruto’s life in Konoha as unfair. A series of things happening completely out of his control that he’d been paying the price for. That got into semantics that didn’t make anybody feel better about how it all went down anyways. All Iruka could do was hold Naruto like he’d done years prior in his apartment and assure him as best as he could that they were safe now, no longer barely living but thriving. Nervously, Iruka had asked him if he regretted choosing to leave. It was something he’d found himself wanting to ask every time Naruto stole a glance at the scroll pinned to the fridge or gazed longingly out of the window at something in the sky just beyond his view. Iruka addended that he could go back, tell them that he’d just gotten lost or that Iruka had kidnapped him and Konoha would take him, but Naruto begged him not to say that.

Naruto admitted that leaving Iruka at that point felt like abandoning his own father and that lying so flagrantly about how much of a saving grace he’d been to the young boy would never be an option. He loved living here, he loved being able to become a shinobi on his terms, and most importantly, he loved being Iruka’s kin.

What had initially just been an excuse to avoid having Naruto identify Iruka by name in public had become something far more personal.

Coming back to the present, Iruka glanced thoughtfully at Naruto. “If you can’t do these jutsu without the fox helping you then you won’t be able to control it with the fox’s chakra anyways.”

“That’s easy for you to say, you don’t have a lame creature in your stomach holding most of your chakra hostage.”

“The amount of chakra you have available to you now is more than I could ever dream of having, Naruto. It’ll come to you in time. For now, it’d probably do you some good to practice mindfulness again.” Iruka motioned towards the door, already turning around to retreat indoors for the night.

“You go ahead. I’m this close to focusing my chakra enough to tree-walk, I can feel it.”

“Fine, but don’t stay out all night again.”

“Got it!”

..

Iruka defended his decision to make ramen again with the fact that the weather was plummeting again and they’d need to start worrying about dishes that would keep them full and warm. It just so happened that it also gave him a reprieve from a more complicated dinner that he knows Naruto will demolish when he’s finished with his training.

Iruka ate his noodles without abandon, not bothering to wait for Naruto after too many cold dinners this week spent waiting for him. Naruto wasn’t young enough to take it personally anymore and Iruka was selective enough in his ramen to not eat room temperature food. It was just about the only food preference he found he had; his utter distaste for meals that had gone lukewarm after about five years spent surviving on meals of that variety. He could stomach it one or two nights in a row for Naruto, but the taste of his old apartment didn’t sit well in his gut.

When he was done with his noodles, Iruka carried his bowl to the sink and plopped it in before leaning on the counter. Despite knowing better, Iruka’s eyes still landed on the scroll hanging from their fridge. Not for the first time, a small part of him sick with a feeling of craving wanted to activate it.

The door to the house slid open and Naruto, covered in leaves, was talking a mile a minute.

“Iruka! Iruka! I think I got it this time, dad! C’mon, come out really quick!” Naruto stopped to take a breath, pausing when he noticed Iruka staring at the scroll. Iruka cleared his throat.

“Let’s see it, then. I bet if you master this, you’ll be able to start some more fuuinjutsu training with me.” Iruka let Naruto lead the way outside.

Near the base of one of the many trees encasing their home, Naruto planted his fist in the center. “Not too high, not too low.”

Chakra control had taken on the metaphor of boiling water during their practices. Not too high or the water would boil rapidly and not too low or the water would remain unmoving. The sweet spot was a slow boil that would cook but not spill over. It was imperfect, but Iruka found that food-based metaphors worked better than the standard issue ones.

Iruka held his breath as Naruto slowly placed his foot on the tree, activating chakra at the points necessary for him to slowly plant a second foot in front of the first. Careful not to use his hands for assistance, Naruto slowly walked up the large tree. It was done because of a harsh lesson learned when he attempted to run the length of the tree to minimize the time spent focusing on the chakra and summarily fell face-first on a pile of leaves at the bottom. There was no shortcut to chakra focusing, especially for Naruto.

Iruka moved closer to the tree the further Naruto got, eyes straining to see him in the darkness.

Iruka turned his head this way and that, but the only time he could see Naruto was when he’d emerged at the top of the tree, outlined by the light of the moon as he held up a victorious fist in the air. “Wooh! See, Iruka! I told you I had it!”

Naruto teetered on the branch as he celebrated his mastery over the practice, cheerful noises reverberating through the forest as he yelled out. Iruka smiled, exasperated as he was proud of Naruto, before planting his on two legs on the tree a few feet above the ground.

Just as expected, Naruto lost his footing and fell into a freefall that would have left him bedridden if not for Iruka darting an arm out just before his body could make painful contact with the ground.

“Good job, Naruto, that was really good! Though, I really do think you should go back to mindfulness training considering how little you seemed to take back from it.” Naruto smiled sheepishly as Iruka set him down on the fall floor.

“Do you think you could teach me the clone thing again?”

“Naruto, I’d love too but I have grading sheets to finish tomorrow.”  Iruka was happy that Naruto had taken to training so passionately, but guiltily, Iruka couldn’t offer him as much as other shinobi did outside of his specialization. Being a missing-nin didn’t award them with a ton of forbidden knowledge, just a house in the middle of nowhere. Despite this, Iruka would also not stand for Naruto’s disappointed face. “The ramen’s still on the burner, you should be able to get at least 2 bowls out of it before going to bed.”

“Ramen sounds amazing right now!” Naruto ran inside and by the time Iruka reached the open door, Naruto was already seated with a large serving of dinner in front of him. As much as Iruka wanted to see Naruto scarf down the food he made with concerning speeds, it had been a long enough day.

Iruka bid Naruto goodnight, who’d taken to staring at the scroll with the same thoughtful glance he had.

..

Iruka had a solid morning routine.

He always woke up about an hour before Naruto did and took advantage of the time to get anything done that he’d put off the night before. That ranged from homework plans to deep cleaning parts of the house. Afterwards, him and Naruto would scrape together a decent excuse for a breakfast, spending their morning making small talk before Iruka left for afternoon teaching and Naruto began independent training.

But before all that Iruka seriously needed some tea.

He yawned, hand maneuvering under his shirt to scratch at his stomach as he wandered half-asleep towards the kitchen area. As he entered the living room, Iruka was shocked at how quickly his chakra-sensing picked up the foreign signature seconds before it burst through the door in a fervor. Iruka cursed his pajamas for not having any effective way to carry any weapons before diving for a stray kitchen knife he’d left at the kotatsu a day earlier and holding it up in front of him.

Iruka looked at the figure that had stampeded into his home so recklessly, almost impressed that an intruder would be so bold. He would have said as much, but any response died in his throat when he caught the eye, or eyes, of the last ninja he would have expected here. With the fabled sharingan pulsing and a wild, agitated look as he surveyed the room for something. When he was satisfied, he pulled his hita-ate back down and let himself gaze at Iruka softly.

“Kakashi?!” Iruka couldn’t contain the incredulousness of his voice. There was no reason Kakashi should be in Yugakure, not to mention Iruka’s home, and especially not without any kind of communication on either end. “What are you doing here?”

“You’d be better suited to answer that Iruka; you called me.”

“What? No I didn’t! Don’t you think if I did, I wouldn’t have this in my hands?” Iruka replied, gesturing to the knife in his hands before setting it down on the kotatsu once more.

“Someone activated the scroll, Iruka.”

That made no sense, literally no one outside of this home was capable of activating a seal and- Iruka pinched the bridge of his nose, wanting to disbelieve the very likely possibility of who would have summoned Kakashi if it wasn’t him. “Naruto!”

Naruto strolled into the room a few minutes after Iruka’s persistent yells, with a dramatic yawn and his eyes closing in a bad imitation of Iruka’s own appearance, face brightening at the sight of the shinobi in their presence. Before he could guilt-trip Iruka with a cute reunion, Iruka held up a hand.

“Naruto. Did you or did you not activate the scroll Hatake-san gave us for emergencies to summon him despite there being nobody dying or dead here?”

Naruto hesitated as if he wanted to deny it, perhaps deny even knowing about the scroll to begin with, before it died on his tongue at Iruka’s upset expression.

He shifted on his feet uncomfortably before nodding slowly. “Sorry, Iruka.”

Kakashi, who’d been stunned into silence since Naruto entered the room, piped up. “Is there a reason you called me, Naruto?”

“Yeah, it was, uhm, a private reason.”

Naruto glanced at Iruka before looking back at Kakashi. Grasping at the nonverbal cue, Iruka sighed. “I’m assuming this is a reason you don’t want me to hear. I’m going to go outside while you both talk.”

Shutting the door firmly behind him, Iruka sat at the edge of the engawa stewing in his thoughts.

..

Kakashi’s least-most favorite missions were beginning to be the ones where everything went exactly as planned. When he was expected to go somewhere and transport something before coming back in a tidy fashion. Where there were no predicted complications, or unpredicted hiccups, that gave him an excuse to stay firmly out of Konoha for more than a day past his expected arrival date.

Missions that went perfectly were amazing because they meant he would survive and often times not have to nurse an intense injury either. Another completed mission was another day he wouldn’t have to worry about informing too many people about his untimely demise. But they were torturous because Kakashi wasn’t so hurt that anything except the thought of staying alive burdened it. That left enough room to look north, standing around with no one to force him to keep pace, and have the same useless argument he’d been having for years on whether or not he would abandon Konoha. Preferably after faking his death and stringing Mizuki up by his ankles in a pit of snakes.

If someone excavated the deepest inner crevices of his mind, they’d be shocked to find out that Konohagakure was not a place Kakashi found himself fond of since he was a young child.

Practically speaking, it was nothing but a lightning rod for Kakashi’s unique affliction as a harbinger of death for those unfortunate enough to come into contact with him. He wasn’t superstitious by any means, which Kakashi reasoned meant that his perspective wasn’t one borne out of a personal belief but out of his fact-based nature. It’d be more concerning for him to have anything more than a purely impersonal image of Konoha in his mind, as it was people whose image of Konoha was fueled by emotions that tended to become some of their fiercest defectors.

Maito Gai was lucky to have been born as one of those rare beacons of kindness, surrounded by and constantly giving back whatever niceties were impressed upon him with the fervor of a man unaffected by life. Maito Gai was also his best friend. He’d admitted one time during the cooldown of one of their late-night ultimate sparring sessions that he was terrified for the group of genins he’d be given because of their malleable attitudes; would they become as jaded as him after enough time spent with them as his “teacher?”

Maito Gai treated the concept as ridiculous as it would have been to see aliens in the sky that night. After all, he’d said, hadn’t Kakashi been the one to raise his plea to the hokage for a genin team?

Another reason Kakashi wasn’t particularly fond of Konoha was that Hiruzen, in his old age, had seen his application for jonin-sensei as anything other than a cry for help. There was no reason anybody like Kakashi should be someone teaching the next generation of ninjas. People with overbearing levels of kindness, strength, and patience were more suited to teaching them. They would teach them things Kakashi himself could never hope to understand about being alive for something worthwhile. Iruka would understand, probably, how unbelievable it was that Kakashi Hatake had willingly applied to be responsible for anyone but himself.

As he ran, Kakashi could imagine Iruka slumped over in laughter while reading about it. He’d show Naruto, and they’d share their hysterics at Hatake’s clear sign of a mental break.

The problem of imagining Iruka, even the blurred form of Iruka in his mind whose voice was imperfectly copied by his own brain to supplement the harsher words Kakashi puppets him to say, was that it led back to him thinking about the very real sympathy Iruka gave him at any point in their interactions. Worse than that, however, was that it made him feel a forlorn sadness deep in his half-dead crevice of a heart over what they might be doing without him.

Four years was a lifetime in his profession. Anything could happen in the time since he’d left them. They could be dead, or they might have moved across the sea, or Iruka could be married with a child on the way. Iruka had likely forgotten about him soon after he left and thrown out any trace of Kakashi from their home with a sickened expression on his face.

To Kakashi’s perfectly rational mind, the thought sounded entirely plausible. It also caused a minor bout of inner pain that he misaligned to his constant lack of sleep.

North of Konoha, a few days sprint away from him, was where his foolish heart lied.

Left behind when he left them all those years ago.

..

Kakashi didn’t talk to most other shinobi, not just because he wouldn’t risk letting anything slip if it killed him. Admittedly, he was a little asocial.

He supposed being a willing accomplice to an ongoing manhunt just gave him a really good reason to keep to himself more than usual.

Kakashi had lucked out that his constant stilted flirting with Iruka prior to their departure was discarded as his usual intimidating presence, deciding to bother a single target because he was bored or something. Icha-Icha had never warned him about how nerve-wracking the political aspect of indulging in a forbidden tryst is.

He really had to stop mentioning Icha-Icha and Iruka in the same train of thought; he’d probably invent a new jutsu to kill him if he knew he was being thought of anywhere near the gaudy novels.

When shinobi tried to catch him for drinks, Kakashi would disappear the minute they turned around. He didn’t appreciate their attempts at forcing him into obviously scripted social situations, either.

Perhaps Gai had let slip that he’d been falling deeper and deeper into the indent of his bed whenever he came home from a mediocre mission.

He was compassionate like that; he cared to a level that almost made Kakashi ill. He’d miss Kakashi if he blew up into a million little pieces or disappeared without a trace, sadly.

He’d get it, Kakashi hoped. Maito Gai was like Iruka in many ways, too kind and too naïve. He was also a hopeless romantic like Kakashi, more obsessed with Kakashi’s happiness than himself. He’d get it.

Tenzo might understand. He’d been dealt a worse hand than Kakashi. If anyone had suffered the most under Konoha’s system, it was probably Tenzo. Despite his outward appearance, the man was as empathetic as Maito Gai when it came to children. One look at Naruto’s eyes, which held the might of the universe in them, and Tenzo would probably keel over with the weight of undeserved guilt.

He hesitated to feign friendship with anyone else, but he’d figure if he was held at knifepoint with the only other option being an agonizing death by way of papercuts, he’d call Asuma a friend. And who would get it more than Asuma? He’d gone on his own little quest of self-discovery not too long ago. He was intertwined with Kurenai in a way that invoked envy in most others with the way their gazes could never truly leave the other’s when in a room. They were trying for a baby now, a girl Asuma had hoped, ready to brave the most dangerous thing a shinobi could have; ties.

But every time he paused in his journey back to Konoha and planted his feet in the direction of all he wanted, he admonished himself.

Iruka and Naruto were safest with Kakashi here, “helping” with the national alert and occasionally dropping false leads that sent them to dead ends.

As he passed the gates of Konoha’s north gate wordlessly, he repeated the phrase like a mantra. They were safer this way.

Passing Kotetsu and Izumo, who only glanced at him a moment before their gazes fell back down, Kakashi walked the rest of the distance back to his apartment. Ever since Iruka and Naruto disappeared, they kept to themselves and Anko way more and had all but disregarded searching for them outside of required mission assignments. Maybe there was guilt over being one of the shinobi on rotation where they’d escaped, maybe it was pity for his classification as a criminal, maybe it was something as simple as the common pain friends felt when you parted ways before the chance to reconcile.

The soft, almost imperceptible sound of his feet on the path towards the jonin apartments unfortunately helped little with his terminal affliction of loneliness.

It was early morning when he’d finally gotten back home. As he undid his own egregious amount of wards, copied from Iruka’s home with no one around to stop him, Kakashi could feel the weight of his vest crushing him slowly the further he got inside.

He didn’t bother to spare a glance towards the desk next to his bed, which housed the note Iruka had sent back with Pakkun, who was all too happy to be given the princess treatment by the soft-hearted man. It wasn’t the night for glancing at the note and making himself feel worse about his pathetic excuse for a life; maybe tomorrow would be it.

Reading a note that only held the words thank you, alongside a small picture of the two of them smiling wide in the aftermath of a matsuri with treats in their hands and fans at their cheeks, was a round of psychological suffering that Kakashi only willingly partook in after a healthy amount of self-degradation.

Sandals off, vest unzipped, he was just about to force himself to find some false comfort in the sheets of his bed when his chakra flared uproariously. It was the only warning he was given before his vest was re-zipped and his thigh pack situated back on his leg. The scroll he’d imbued with his chakra had just been activated, which could only mean one thing. He went through the hand signs to activate his half, which would cut down the time needed to get to the house by a decisive amount of time.

He just had to believe they would both be alive when he got there.

..

Kakashi appeared in the kitchen with a burst of leaves, paying no attention to the slight daze of his head and lifting his hita-ate to find any semblance of a threat. He probably looked like a mad-man, eyes going wild as he tried to find any sign of life in the quaint and well-loved home. The sound of footsteps, slow and then incredibly quick as he entered the living area roused him from his daze and he prepared to defend the home with whatever chakra he hadn’t drained on the way.

His fingers paused, met with a sight he could have sworn he’d reserved for his weaker moments in private.

Iruka, hair messy from a night of tossing and a baggy old ramen shirt with a cartoon bottle of soy sauce waving at him, brandishing a cutting knife with the ferocity of a tiger.

A beautiful sight it was, disarming Kakashi so easily all he could do was stand and hope the Sharingan copied the image in front of him, replaying this scene in an endless loop until he was thusly stabbed.

Iruka was breathing quietly, stuck in place as his Sharingan scrutinized the entire scene. Kakashi found himself after a moment, hiding the appendage behind his forehead protector and drawing the strength to act as if he hadn’t offered himself up to the end of his knife.

It wasn’t fair that Iruka was so handsome when he should have known Kakashi, nor anyone, was incapable of not recognizing that beauty.

..

As Iruka left the house, upset over the situation not as well disguised as it could have been, Kakashi took his time coming to terms with the fact Naruto was 4 years older now.

The couple inches in height that he’d grown since Kakashi had last held his small hand felt like a thousand birthdays that Kakashi had missed. It felt better than he expected to see Naruto no longer a malnourished boy with a face drawn in a constant pained smile, but a boy whose smile looked as genuine as the leaves still stuck in his hair.

“So, what was this very private reason you activated the seal for?”

Naruto looked at the door Iruka sat on the other side of and his expression turned anxious. “I want you to teach me.”

“What?” Kakashi glanced at the door, wondering how poorly Iruka could have done if Kakashi was the one Naruto was turning to.

Naruto sputtered. “Not that Iruka isn’t a great teacher! He’s the best, but Iruka’s so busy with the school and feeding me and his fuuinjutsu stuff that I feel bad asking him to help more with my training. You’re the only ninja he trusts.” Naruto turned his head towards the kitchen just behind Kakashi. “So, if you’re not busy, you should totally tell me everything you know about being a ninja.”

“Is that it?” Naruto had a bad poker face, something they’d have to fix before even trying to learn complex jutsu. He could tell there was something more, something Naruto was dying to keep to himself.

“Maybe you could do it, like, weekly? I don’t think I’m gonna learn 1000 jutsu in a day.”

“You do know I’m a field shinobi, right? And why I’m never here?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t have to be anything crazy. Just an hour any time and I’ll spend the rest of the week or month practicing. Please, Kakashi-san! It’s not like I’m asking you to be our live-in help!”

While Iruka’s influence in the way of manners was noticeable, his bite was also achingly familiar.

“Any time?”

Naruto nodded, enthusiastic.

Kakashi could feel his waning resolve the longer he spent in this house. That was the only explanation for why he was suddenly so susceptible to the whims of two people he hadn’t seen in years. “How about… now?”

“Now?”

“Not today but I get back from most of my missions very, very early in the day. If you want to be an elite shinobi, something as small as a change in your morning routine should be easy.”

“Hmph! Fine! Be here any time and I’ll still kick your butt!” Kakashi chuckled at his brashness. His ego death would be a great one. Kakashi opened his mouth to ask him if he wanted to try it now, when Naruto bellowed, “Iruka, you can come back now!”

Oh. Time to be distracted by the beguiler that was Umino Iruka again.

He was irritable as he passed by them, heading straight for the kitchen. “Is Kakashi-san staying for breakfast?”

Kakashi shook his head at Naruto, who nodded and yelled back. “Yeah, he is!”

Oh. Guess he’s staying for breakfast now. To be fair, they had caught Kakashi on one of his many off days and Iruka was still wearing that ramen shirt.

..

Iruka kept his hands busy with a stack of papers he’d been neglecting since yesterday, sat behind the kotatsu as Kakashi took up the couch in front of him while Naruto ran into town to pick up extra ink as a sorry excuse of a punishment for frivolous seal activation.

Iruka piped up, more uncomfortable by the silence than by the awkward conversation they’d need to have. “I’m sorry about Naruto. I had no idea he activated the seal like that or I would have stopped it.”

“It’s fine, it’s not like what he needed was so far off from something of an emergency.”

“Please tell me it wasn’t anything dangerous or stupid.”

“That depends on how well he handles my teaching methods.”

Iruka stilled. “He asked you to mentor him? That’s…”

“He specifically told me it wasn’t because I was a better teacher than you. I just have no life.”

“He said that?!”

“In a polite way.”

“At least he did that. He’s been a bit shifty lately about his training, if I’m honest.”

“Do you know why?”

“If I did, he wouldn’t have activated it.” Iruka sighed. “I get that you have to say no.”

“I said yes. He’s right, he could probably learn something from me.”

Iruka planted his hand on the ground beside him and looked at the floorboards underneath his fingertips. “I see. And that’s the only reason you’re here?”

“Pretty much.”

Kakashi and Iruka sat there, both lost in the memory of the last time they had seen one another, unable to continue the conversation in fear it’d force them to acknowledge the other. Iruka remembered the note Kakashi had left him on it and covered the center of the tabletop in the stack of paper.

Distantly, the wards in Kakashi’s apartment tugged on his chakra. Gai was there.

“I should go now.”

“Yep.” Iruka replied, his dissatisfaction apparent. His eyes didn’t meet Kakashi’s as he straightened the papers one last time.

Wow. Harsh.

Iruka stood up to walk back to the living area, tacking on a short, “Be safe.”

“I will.”

..

Iruka watched Kakashi spar with Naruto in the field ahead, hesitating to call it anything other than a beating as Kakashi knocked Naruto to the ground over and over again. His protective side flared up every time Naruto collided with the floor, but he got up with little more than a pat of his clothes to try again.

He’s such a strong kid.

“I wonder where he gets it.” Said a dull tone that sounded none too confused where Naruto got it. Iruka huffed.

“Seriously? A clone?”

“I learned my lesson about underestimating you, Iruka. Naruto’s the one fighting a clone.” Hm. That made the fight a little underwhelming. Kakashi sat beside him, but Iruka kept his eyes firmly on the fight ahead of them. “He gets it from his teacher.”

“It’s no secret how strong you are, Kakashi.”

“I wasn’t talking about me.”

“Flattery won’t go a long way with me.” Iruka said, careful not to look in that dark eye. “Just don’t go too far with Naruto.”

“You’re mad.”

Iruka wasn’t about to admit how childishly upset he felt right now., so he opted for an equally childish way of communicating it. “I’m peachy.”

“Does it have anything to do with Naruto asking me to mentor him instead?”

“No, because that would imply that I want anything other than the best for him.” Truthfully, it wasn’t insane of Iruka to feel bad that he couldn’t offer Naruto what he needed in terms of power, but that didn’t begin to hit the crux of his new set of problems.

“I wish I could say I wasn’t expecting a warmer welcome than this, sensei.”

“Don’t act like you’re here for me of all things. Naruto called and you came and I’m grateful that you did.” Sincerely, Iruka was beyond thankful that no matter how much time had passed that Kakashi still dropped everything to come and help them when the seal was activated.

“But?”

“I wish you came because you wanted to.” Iruka watched Naruto lose track of the clone, who had burrowed into the ground and was quickly approaching him from below. “Not just because you had to.”

“I wanted to come.”

Iruka’s heart squeezed at the proclamation, but it wasn’t his point. His point was that Kakashi didn’t come, even if he wanted to. Seeing Kakashi come and go once a morning every week was more akin to him re-living their first goodbye another hundred times where Kakashi would leave again and Iruka would be left to yearn for something they would never have.

“I know. We’ve gone over it a thousand times and it’s me being so sentimental I don’t see the reason for the plan anymore. I don’t… I don’t know why I keep letting it bother me.” Iruka shook his head, rising once more. “Be safe, Kakashi-san.”

Kakashi was left behind on the engawa, stupefied as to what Iruka could have meant.

..

The first few times Kakashi visited them, it was almost entirely restricted to the space between a successful mission and his expected time back home where he could get away with a little time gone unaccounted for. Depending on where he was, he would cut time short with the seal. While he had no idea how Iruka had accomplished it, he’d made a transportation seal that didn’t tear a shinobi in half despite the large distance.

He’d explained the short of it to Kakashi years ago, something about healing chakra being poured into the jutsu and how it being non-instantaneous counteracted some of the major threat of regular seals. It made very little sense to Kakashi, who listened anyways.

It still gave the user a gnarly headache when activated, though.

The first time Kakashi had travelled into town with Naruto on one of these mission detours, he was amazed at the utter lack of an attempt for him to stay under the radar.

“Naru? Seriously?”

“It’s easier than learning to respond to a whole new name! Do you really think a bunch of farmers and onsen owners keep up with bingo books or shinobi business?”

“Just because it’s not likely doesn’t make it impossible.”

“That’s what my cool style’s for, Kakashi. I’m unrecognizable.”

Kakashi wouldn’t say that, really. As someone who knew Naruto pretty well and had been involved pretty intimately in the whole affair it seemed somewhat clear who he was. Maybe to a complete stranger with no prior history it really could just be considered a funny coincidence.

“So you’ve really never had any scares?”

Naruto shook his head rapidly, nearly tripping over himself. “Dad’s pretty strict about how much anybody knows about us. Nobody in town even knows where we live.”

“Smart. Now where is he?”

“At the schoolhouse. He works there in the afternoons but he always helps out the staff during the weekends.” Naruto pointed out a building that peaked out just over the tops of the trees closest to the edge of the forest. “Why are we looking for him anyway?”

“Because sensor training is as important as any other jutsu.”

“I knew that already…” Naruto muttered as Kakashi picked up his pace.

The schoolhouse was mostly deserted by the time they reached the building, straggling staff scattered around the outside and a rogue student or two decorating the field nearby. Naruto and Kakashi walked in through the front door, Naruto taking care to wave at a few passing teachers he recognized. Inside was a single classroom that took up the length of the room. It looked like it belonged to multiple age groups, with toys at one end and thick books at the other, and in the center of the back wall was a large blackboard that had been painted with what looked like an outline for a class covering different styles of literature. In front of the board was Iruka and some guy laughing as he tried to explain the necessary ground to cover.

Kakashi didn’t get what was so funny about books.

“Who’s that?”

“Who? Oh, that’s Hiroki-sensei. He’s super into teaching like dad is so they geek out over lessons and stuff.” Naruto crossed his arms and his posture shuddered. “They go on about it for hours and hours.”

Kakashi studied Hiroki. He didn’t look smart enough to keep up with Iruka’s endless knowledge of student accommodations. Especially if he spent so much time laughing.

Naruto watched him out of the corner of his eye. “He’s asked out dad like five times by now, but dad’s a brick wall. It’s super awkward watching it happen.”

“He should learn to take a hint.”

“You’re one to talk.”

“Hm?”

“Dad! We’re here!” Naruto called over to Iruka before walking up to the pair, Kakashi trailing close behind to gauge how dangerous Hiroki potentially was. Their eyes met as he took his place on Iruka’s left, Hiroki the perfect picture of confusion when he caught sight of his headband.

“A shinobi from Konoha? What are you doing all the way out here?”

“Visiting family, collecting souvenirs, all that stuff.” Kakashi bumped his shoulder with Iruka’s. “These two sing Yugakure’s praises so often I had to come see for myself.”

“Oh, are you two friends?”

“The best of friends, some might say.”

Iruka glared at him. “So, you two came to pick me up today?”

“We thought we might surprise you with lunch since you’ve been working so hard with the new curriculum.”

Iruka looked at him for a minute, at a loss, probably wondering why Kakashi had bothered to remember what he was doing at work. If Iruka knew how much Kakashi hung on his every word it wouldn’t be very surprising that he remembered something he’d been chattering about excitedly for the past couple weeks at breakfast.

“That’s true, but don’t you have somewhere to go?”

“Nowhere more important than here.”

Iruka gazed at him, mouth sucking in for a minute as he bit his cheek before gathering his materials together. “Sorry Hiroki-kun, maybe we can pick this up another time?”

“Sure. I could also swing by your house if you’d like.” See, Kakashi inwardly exclaimed, only a spy would want to know their whereabouts.

“That won’t be necessary, Hiroki-kun, I’d hate for you to go out of your way just to see me. I can meet you back here later this week after class, if that’s fine.”

Hiroki’s disappointment, And Kakashi’s amusement, was palpable but he let his lips curve upward at the consolation Iruka offered. “Sure. I’ll see you then.”

“Let’s go, then.” Kakashi swiped Iruka’s bag from him, slinging it over his shoulder as he led the way out.

As the trio left the schoolhouse, Naruto questioned Iruka about what lunch would be today, hoping for some variation of ramen to break up the diversity of nutrient-rich foods. Kakashi hung back, watching their back and forth with a happy sort of feeling overtaking the empty hole where his heart once was.

Once Naruto wore down Iruka enough to make ramen under the promise it would include at least three different vitamin dense vegetables and not just extra pork, he took off ahead of them both in the direction of their house. It left Kakashi and Iruka to walk next to each other.

“So… you’re staying past breakfast. Is that a good idea?”

“Probably not, but it’s not like I’ve never disappeared for hours at a time. If it makes you happy, there’s not many buttons I’m not willing to push.”

“Don’t try so hard to make me happy, Kakashi.”

“Back to just Kakashi? I should interrupt your meetings more often.”

“Don’t even think about it if you wanna keep that good eye. But a lunch here or there wouldn’t hurt.”

It was a win in Kakashi’s book. Now, just to figure out how many bowls of takeout Ichiraku it would take to find out the date of that after-class meeting from Naruto; Kakashi had to make sure Iruka came home to a masterpiece of a dinner.

..

“Kakashi?”

“Hm…”

“Kakashi!”

Kakashi jolted up, finding himself back in his own apartment and being shaken awake by a worried Gai. “Erm… Gai?

“My trusty rival! You didn’t show up to our morning spar and I thought you’d been trapped somewhere and required assistance from yours truly, but it seems you’re just hiding away in bed again.”

“Sorry Gai, I got back later than I thought I would.”

“From what?”

Kakashi didn’t particularly want to share that, even if he could. A grown man can only take so many hits from a 12-year-old at sunrise before even he had to call it quits. He’d only gone to bed about half an hour ago.

“I pushed myself hard training last night.”

“You’ve been pushing yourself harder than ever before, dear rival. I wish you would include me in these late-night trials.”

“They’re independent practices, Gai. I’d invite you if I thought It’d help.”

“Fina, keep your youthful secrets, Kakashi. As long as it keeps you as happy as you’ve been, they must be working.”

“Happy?”

Gai nodded. Kakashi wasn’t sure he appeared happy. Concussed was a closer synonym for what his midsection felt like for sure. In the grand scheme of things, Kakashi thought he looked like someone had just thrown him down the steps to the hokage’s quarters.

“Are you ready for our morning competition regardless?”

He would be. Hopefully it was another rock, paper, scissors-esque trial and nothing more. His body couldn’t handle it right now.

..

Iruka still wore his hair up on occasion, especially when it came time for festival season. While the closest matsuri was still half a day away, there was no expense to be spared from their meager budget when it came to taking advantage of a chance to celebrate something Naruto had once only known from a window or an alleyway.

Kakashi passed by as he stood still with his hair bunched up behind him, clips held in one hand. Iruka flagged him down before he could escape. “Kakashi!”

“Hm?” Kakashi hummed as he walked into Iruka’s room, eyeing his samue with that look that succeeded in making Iruka feel like he was the human embodiment of a glass of water after being lost a bit too long in Sunagakure. Not being totally sure whether it was meant to be enticing or intimidating was part of the fun when it came to decoding Kakashi’s masked expressions.

“Do you know how to braid things? I want to wear my hair back for the festival, but a ponytail might raise too many flags.”

“Nope. It can’t be that hard though.”

It was probably the single hardest thing Kakashi’s quick fingers had ever been forced to figure out.

Iruka turned his head slightly. “Do you need help?”

“No, I got it.” Kakashi tried his hardest to recall what he remembered seeing Rin do with her hair when he was younger. “Maybe I don’t.”

Iruka laughed as Kakashi undid whatever accidental knot he’d tangled his hair into. “It’s fine, I’ll do it. It’s so tedious doing it myself.”

Iruka brushed out the strands as Kakashi stood by, kneeled in front of him and watching intently.

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“You’re beautiful.”

“What?” Iruka let out a low chuckle in disbelief before turning to look at him fully.

“I don’t think I’ve ever said it out loud.”

There was nothing funny about the way Kakashi said it, eyes full of want and hands folded in front of him nervously fidgeting. There was no laughter or mirth for Iruka to latch onto, nor a distraction for them to use to ignore the words said. The words Kakashi spoke were gravely serious.

“You’re beautiful too.”

“You’ve never seen my face.”

“I don’t have to.”

Iruka moved a fringe of hair away from Kakashi’s eye, face lighting up when met with the crinkling of his eye.

They were safer this way.

They were safer this way.

They were safer this way.

..

Kakashi departed from the two of them as late as he could justifiably allow, sometime before Iruka would head into town for afternoon teachings but after Naruto had finally made his first solid shadow clone.

Appearing back in his own apartment was like having his vision washed and scrubbed of every bit of saturation these days and the outside of his apartment was usually only good for making him desperate to bash in the face of his next enemy.

Mizuki surviving that night because Iruka wasted what could have been his last breath trying to help him was a cruel joke from Kakashi’s perspective. Iruka’s merciful nature didn’t win him any special favors with Mizuki’s retelling of the story as a violent attack he was lucky to walk away from, having thoroughly proved his loyalty to the village. All Kakashi could do was watch on with a constrained amount of hatred in his gaze and his killing intent thoroughly latched as Mizuki soaked up the attention of multiple shinobi for his efforts in trying to catch the jinchuuriki and that “fool of a failed teacher.”

Watching his steady rise in favor among those who never knew Iruka personally, who had spent years hurling vitriol at Naruto like it was their favorite hobby, was like being forced to watch as someone slowly destroyed a limited-edition copy of your favorite novel by ripping out the pages one by one. But Kakashi was “away on a mission” when it happened, so his word was not only unneeded, his detracting of Mizuki for anything except personal taste was its own alarm bell to some shinobi. That didn’t make watching the guy that tried to turn a child over to a draconian wannabe leader after impaling the closest thing he had to family with a kunai to the back any easier. In fact, it felt surreal to see.

If Iruka and Naruto hadn’t been running, it would have been an assassination attempt of one of their most precious resources. But because they had, it was a valiant attempt to save Konoha.

Was that all it took to reframe it?

What did it say about Kakashi that he said nothing because of the fact he decided to stay?

Iruka would have yelled himself hoarse by now defending him no matter the reputation it gave him, even if he didn’t really know. But Kakashi fought wars, not battles. He could lose in the past if it meant a long-term victory, but there was no glory in this. In lying down like an obedient dog and letting the people he’d assumed as part of their own makeshift clan be slandered daily.

Naruto would have fought far harder for his dignity than he was for theirs.

Kakashi wouldn’t feel so bad if he had some direction anymore. Missions were completed for money if nothing else, he figured, but money for what? Kakashi certainly had no need for any of the excessive amounts of ryo he’s made for years. If he thought it possible years ago, he would have been dropping off bags of it at Iruka’s house in some bid to see how long it took him to buy something for himself that wasn’t a necessity. He’d love to spoil the poor guy if he was given the chance.

Remembering Iruka’s words, of his sentimentality getting in the way of the plan they’d agreed to, Kakashi finally understood what he meant in his own way. The more time they spent together made the time spent apart so much harsher than when they’d been distantly longing in the back of their heads in between full schedules and larger goals. What was worse was Kakashi didn’t want to, couldn’t, go back to not seeing them at all now. Naruto was making leaps of progress now that Kakashi was teaching him from his catalogue of jutsu, becoming something somewhat resembling the great ninja he always talked about being during their meals. His character wasn’t too shabby either. He would make a great leader to a great nation, even if it was just a small town in the middle of a neutral territory where the only people who’d know how great he was were civilians who didn’t know half of his real name.

Naru-kun sounded so much more pleasant in the mouths of these strangers than Naruto did from some of his own allies.

..

Tenzo didn’t believe the best in Kakashi’s changing demeanor the way Gai did.

He said as much on the first mission they had together after Kakashi had started the entire thing.

Being called out for his dramatic shift towards being unreachable more than half the time in the middle of a stakeout was now on the list of things he never wanted to occur to him ever again.

“I’m just saying, senpai, you’re going somewhere. There’s no reason I can think of that should keep you from telling me.”

“It has nothing to do with trust, Tenzo, it’s simply personal. If it was something I thought concerned you, then you would already know.”

Tenzo leveled a blank look at him. It wasn’t without merit, Kakashi wasn’t known for having much personal business that even Gai didn’t know. Kakashi didn’t know if he could afford not to care if Tenzo believed him, however, because Tenzo was admittedly the kind to act on his superstitions if it became too much of an itch in his mind.

Kakashi hoped the mission was decently distracting from their conversation or Tenzo would find a way to keep picking at Kakashi’s carefully held secret like a persistent crow.

..

Hiruzen greeted Kakashi with a hand when he returned from his latest solo mission before turning back to read over the academy documents. Without Iruka around to act as an informal advisor, and out of a newly acquired suspicion towards the academy by other shinobi, Hiruzen was taking on the bulk of the work once more. It was hard to guess how Hiruzen felt when he received the news. He’d always been one to push down the perceived failure of his pupils deep inside himself and only allow any emotional output in the form of the smoke at the ends of his pipe. Kakashi could understand him partially; he thinks if he ever got forced into the position of hokage then he’d probably also spend as much time as he could trying to forget about things like that. He wasn’t even hokage and he still spent all of his time trying to forget his failings.

It was hard to hate Hiruzen knowing the position he’d been forced into, but Kakashi found it equally difficult to like him knowing his unwillingness to regulate Danzo was what kept screwing so many people over.

Maybe it said something when one was so disillusioned with their own leader that they couldn’t even say they liked them.

Kakashi didn’t like mentioning to Iruka how fundamentally broken the village felt without him around to help balance out all of the ugly underbelly. He was the embodiment of the will of fire, after all. If Iruka knew how little Konoha had changed since he left, how awful it managed to remain, he’d find a way to convince himself it was because of him entirely but it didn’t fall on one guy to make sure a village didn’t turn into a war machine.

He still cared too much about the people in the village despite his status as a social pariah.

..

Iruka hummed a tune while he watched Kakashi demonstrate the chakra control needed to walk on liquid surfaces to Naruto atop a frozen pond. Kakashi used the opportunity of the last hurrah of freezing weather to introduce water-walking in a scenario where Naruto couldn’t actually drown if he failed. Kakashi weaved across the surface gracefully, like a practiced figure skater, showing Naruto the constant change in flow needed to keep up the technique.

He was pretty, gliding across the ice like that. Iruka didn’t get much of a chance to see Kakashi be so graceful in non-combative contexts, so he was eager to lap it up wherever he could.

It was really cold outside, numbing at the tips of his finger as he tried to dig them deeper into the crooks of his arms.

If there was one thing he’d have done to change Konoha before he left, it would have been the basic shinobi uniform. There was no way Kakashi’s lithe body was enough protection from the elements in that outfit. Iruka was lucky enough to have been born with a body meant to repel harsh weather conditions, a holdover from the Kiri blood in his veins and a solid reminder that he would always be tied to his parent’s homes in the smallest of ways.

But Kakashi and Naruto must be freezing up on that lake.

He really was just like his mother, jeez. Iruka was mother-henning shinobi now, it was like the start to a bad joke about shinobi needing a four-man team to keep them from the danger of cavities.

Distantly, Iruka remembered coming home to his father’s special soups, full of too many ingredients to name in an effort to combat any illness the cold could wield, and the way his mother would be the ear that soaked up all of his training stories when she returned from missions. She was wearied from the weight of her work, and yet she never made Iruka’s excitable tendencies feel unwanted. His father’s fun games and his mother’s stitching prowess. Him taking her name upon marriage and her supplying the ryo on family outings. It wasn’t traditional by any means, what they both had. It was a love that overlapped in ways that let them be defined by actions than by any preconceived roles. It also meant Iruka was incredibly combative when it came to slights against kunoichi in his classes growing up. His fuuinjutsu idols, including Uzumaki Kushina herself, were kunoichi who’d proven themselves masters of such a precise art despite all kinds of detractors. He wasn’t the kind to hate being compared to women so long as it wasn’t meant to degrade the women involved; he thought more shinobi could learn something from the women in their lives. It was just weird how little Iruka felt he could compare to his father despite loving them equally. In another life, Iruka was a fisherman who baked better than he could fight and had a thin mustache that made him look older than he was.

Maybe his fathers’ old notes still had the recipe for that filling soup in it.

“Hey! I’m going to head back home and start some miso! Don’t stay out too late or you’ll catch something!”

“Okay, dad!” Naruto called from his uneasy spot in the middle of the lake, wobbling as he tried to mimic Kakashi’s movements.

Kakashi nodded, eye rolling light-heartedly at the idea of catching anything after all of his years spent in worse conditions.

When they came back, just after sundown and covered in all manner of slush and flurry decorating them from a flash blizzard, Iruka tried not to laugh. “I told you not to come back too late.”

Naruto toed off his sandals and all but ran to the hearth of the kotatsu for a reprieve from the elements. Through chattering teeth, he said “We almost had it, we couldn’t go home. If I can master this, Kakashi thinks I’ll be advanced enough to be considered a chuunin.”

“Wow, a chuunin? That’s amazing Naruto.”

“Mhm! Soon, you and me’ll be twins! I’m gonna be the coolest chuunin in the history of chuunins.”

“You know you would eventually become a jonin, like Kakashi-san?”

“Yeah, but I don’t have to. I’ll become the first chuunin hokage in history.” Iruka ruffled his hair, removing some of the snow still stuck to the lighter roots, as Naruto pouted into his soup.

“I thought you wanted to become the best ninja ever? Jonin are considered the best ninja classification you can achieve before trying to become hokage.”

“You’re the most awesome ninja I know and you didn’t even want to become jonin, so as you can see, I don’t need to be a jonin to be the next most awesome ninja in history.”

“I just don’t want you to limit yourself, Naruto. I know how much you respect my choice to stay a chuunin, but you don’t have to spare my feelings. I get now that there’s things I can’t teach you that Kakashi-san can.” Iruka nodded to Kakashi, nursing his own soup with his back turned.

Naruto turned to him, upset at his declaration. “I’m not being nice. Kakashi’s cool, I guess, but you’re the strongest person I know. You saved my life just being yourself, dad. I wanna save people like that too.”

Iruka swore he could hear Kakashi’s snort at being considered somewhat cool before he joined them at the kotatsu, squatting low and re-adjusting his headband. He didn’t think it was appropriate considering the tears he was holding back right now. Kakashi placed a comforting hand on his back, just above where his scar should be. “He’s right, you know. There’s probably thousands of shinobi with great power out there, but none of them would do what you did. You have to acknowledge what a special case you are in a world such as this, Iruka, before you can begin to understand why Naruto wants to be like you more than he’d ever want to be like me.”

“I said you were cool too! You helped us out or whatever. You’re just the weird ninja my dad likes.”

“All true things.” Kakashi interjected.

“And I wanna prove to everybody how amazing you are.”

“There’s nobody to prove anything to.”

“Yes there is.” Naruto stabbed at the tofu in his miso, eyes that same darting motion Kakashi recognized from when he’d first been summoned by him. His obvious tell when he was hiding something.

“Naruto. Did you hear anything that might be why you think you have to prove yourself?”

“Do you remember when we went down to central Yugakure that one time a few months ago, and I went to find a book on gardening? There was a newsstand and this flyer about Konoha still looking for you and me. I know I should’ve just let it go but I read it and dad… it was so unfair! And that guy, Mizuki or whatever his name is, he’s like a star there!”

“Hey, it’s okay. I don’t care what they have to say about me.”

“But I do! I love you, dad, and I know everyone else would love you if they knew the truth!”

“I love you too. And it’s because I love you that I don’t care what a bunch of strangers or shinobi or even the hokage says about me. Naruto there is nothing in this world that means more to me than knowing that you’re happy and well-fed and…and that you’re you.”

It clicked for Kakashi then. “Is that why you summoned me?”

“I could learn faster if Kakashi taught me and I could become a really good ninja and go finish what Mizuki started.”

Iruka sniffled, chopping Naruto’s head once. “You’re not going to get involved in a revenge plot, you’re not even 13.”

“But he’s an asshole.”

“Did I teach you to go hurt people and endanger others because they’re assholes?”

“No.”

“Good, I was worried for a second. I’m glad that you’re old enough to realize that some things aren’t fair and that you to want to change them, but I would prefer you trying to change it by changing the system first. The only reason this all happened was because of Konoha’s corruption anyways.”

“And if Mizuki is around after I change the system, can I at least beat him up a little?”

“Sure. If you accomplish all those things, then you can beat up Mizuki.”

Naruto smiled, pacified for now and content to scarf down the rest of his bowl. Iruka smiled down at him, leaning into the crook of Kakashi’s neck.

After dinner, Naruto retreated to his room with a reignited vigor to learn all he could about diplomacy. Kakashi bet it took 20 minutes before Naruto fell asleep. Iruka bet it took 10 minutes before he found him doing something else entirely with the excuse that it tangentially related to diplomacy.

“That’s not fair, you live with him.”

“Of course it’s fair, you started the bet. Next time you get back, I’ll let you know who won.”

“Next time?”

“Yeah, you have to leave. You spent the whole day here, Kakashi, there’s no way nobody’s noticed by now.”

“Here I thought you’d be happy I was here, sensei.”

Iruka pouted, grabbing his scarf off the rack by the door and walking over to Kakashi with it. “You know I am. If I could wrap you up in this scarf and make sure you never left again, I would.”

Kakashi laughed lowly as Iruka fixed his own scarf around Kakashi, sun-colored threads tickling his nose as they talked. “I don’t want to leave.”

“I know.”

“I really don’t want to leave.”

“You’ll be back before you know it.”

“It feels like torture leaving you.”

“Then make sure you come back.”

Kakashi held his hand on his masked cheek and leaned into the hand like it would replenish his chakra reserves alone. Iruka let himself digest the picture of Kakashi wearing his scarf like it was as natural as breathing and smiled softly. Kakashi turned his face into his hand and through the cloth of his face covering, Iruka could feel the slight puckering of lips against his palm, blushing slightly as Kakashi stared back at him with those same wanting eye. Whatever it was he wanted, Iruka needed to give it to him if it meant having that eye on him.

“Or you could stay a bit longer.”

Kakashi took a single step forward, in the space between his legs, before dipping slightly. Enough to bring him deeper into Iruka’s personal space. Iruka could feel more than he could hear the slight hitch that Kakashi’s breath took on when their lips brushed. The fabric of his mask tickled Iruka’s nose, drawing a short chuckle from him.

“Or a lot longer.”

“Would that make you happy, Iruka?”

Iruka slipped his eyes closed, a smidge too slow to miss the finger slipping Kakashi’s mask past the bridge of his nose and down the slope of his mouth.

“So happy, Kakashi.”

Later that night, Kakashi found out how perfectly his hand could intertwine with Iruka’s in the pitch-black darkness of a room where neither of them had to worry about expectations or secrets or anything but the beauty of the synchronization of their heartbeats.

They were safer this way. With him.

..

Kakashi didn’t get home until morning, scarf wrapped tightly around his neck as he appeared back in his own home.

His senses came to him quickly and Kakashi’s eye rested on the couch that had been pushed against the wall opposite of his door, where Tenzo and Gai sat. While Gai had on a face of total euphoria when his eyes landed on Kakashi’s lovingly knit scarf, Tenzo was barely disguising his fury. Kakashi gauged from his stiff posture and crossed legs that he was probably about to get a verbal lashing at a reserved volume before being left to sit in his awful habits and reflect.

Gai seemed to be here to play the nice ninja in this intervention.

“Trusted Rival!”

Tenzo sighed. “Kakashi.”

While such a casual term would have sounded nice from anyone, even warming in the right contexts, Tenzo had a special way of pushing all of his emotions into his words while maintaining the illusion of complete serenity. It did well in establishing Tenzo as the level-headed one in high-stress situations while not provoking potentially emotionally volatile shinobi, but it was equally as effective in disarming those unfortunate enough to get trapped into a conversation with him. If Kakashi wasn’t friends with Tenzo for years, he’d think Tenzo was displaying an unearned amount of mellowness.

“My dear kouhai, my most beloved rival! To what do I owe the pleasure?” The safest route was being as lackadaisical as they were.

“You were gone the entire day. And the week before you were gone four days last week, and the week before.” Gai put a solid hand on Tenzo’s bicep, cutting him off before he started to become redundant in his point.

“What my dear friend Tenzo is trying to say is that we’re happy that you’ve found your youth in the bosom of springtime love Kakashi, really, but keeping it restricted to these midnight trysts is not healthy for you!”

“You’re unreachable because we don’t know where you’re going. I’m happy for you senpai if it really is something of that nature, but you were gone for an entire day and nobody knew anything. In any other scenario, we’d have started sending out the ANBU to find you.” Oh. Well, why didn’t he just say so? Kakashi couldn’t really have ANBU tailing him.

“It’s nothing to worry about. I come back, don’t I? I get my missions done.”

“But what happens if you don’t one day? Where would we look for you, Kakashi?”

“There’s nothing to worry about there, Tenzo. I’m just visiting an old friend.”

“We’re shinobi, Kakashi. There’s nothing but worry there. You’ve been coming back from missions later or doing things like this! Teleportation seals are highly dangerous when you take them past a limit of a few kilometers, there’s no telling what malfunctions might happen if one day instead of just some motion sickness. If you gave at least one of us the general location you’re going to then I’ll be okay with that much.”

That sounded perfectly reasonable, exactly what someone would do if they weren’t in the precarious situation Kakashi was in, with friends that were too nosy not to take advantage of an inch. Gai was especially dangerously nosy, too much of a romantic to not want to see it for himself and sob very real tears at the beauty of their love.

But lying would only serve to divert their nosiness; the second Kakashi left, they’d formulate a plan to tear apart whatever lame lead he’d give them and by next month they’d be back on his couch even more upset at his blatant lying. It was sweet in most circumstances how thoroughly they concerned themselves with his dark hole of a life, but not when he was so unsure if knowing would put him and his clan in danger.

Naruto couldn’t risk being put into an emotional state as intense as that fallout. He’d probably dig deep into himself and force the seal on his stomach to break through his own will.

Lying or indirect truths?

“Can we table this conversation for now? I have to make sure a certain somebody is okay with me sharing such details.”

“Fine, we can table it, but I want an answer soon senpai-”

“Amazing news, I’ll have it for you as soon as I can.”

Kakashi escaped out of the window after they left, incapable of merely sitting down after being so thoroughly interrogated.

Making his way downtown, trying to rack his brain for an excuse not to go visit his family hours after he’d just been with them, Kakashi put his hands in his pockets and kept to the edge of the street. Passing by the stores didn’t help Kakashi’s frankly reductive train of thought; Ichiraku was an excuse to hand deliver a nostalgic favorite, Konoha conveniently had a bookstore full of novels that were harder to come across in Yugakure, and he could have sworn that they needed new sandals which was chump change to Kakashi.

It was no different from the reasons he used to use to talk to them, but no more did he have the excuse of convenience because they were no longer here, with him. It wasn’t a miraculous coincidence for Kakashi to see Iruka because he was going through the hand signs necessary to activate his half of the seal after Naruto did his, dragging himself out of Konoha after long missions to drain even more chakra so that they could have a shared breakfast once a week.

Kakashi was roused out of his musings as he bumped into Izumo and Kotetsu, freshly back from a mission in amegakure, slumped against the wall of a dango shop and whispering about their lack of success in finding anything substantial. Izumo shushed Kotetsu when Kakashi approached, rapidly hitting his arm as he motioned for Kotetsu to turn around.

Unthinking, Kakashi held up a hand in silent greeting and began to go on his way.

“Wait!”

Kakashi turned around, surprised by Kotetsu’s shout. Multiple other shinobi looked at the three of them too, including Anko who poked her head out of the shop ready to extinguish whatever threat was going to come between her and her dango. When her gaze fell on Kakashi, her face took on the same apprehensive and grave expression that the other two shared.

She shook herself free of the stupor easier than the others and put a hand on Kakashi’s woolen shoulder. “Hey Hatake-san! Me, Kotetsu and Izumo were just about to flag you down! We need some help with this jutsu, yeah, it had to do with one of those jutsu you know! Come, it’d be better if we did this somewhere we couldn’t hurt weaker shinobi!”

In a tone that left no room for Kakashi to deny their spontaneous invitation, Anko used her hand to guide Kakashi away from the eyes on the street. Kotetsu and Izumo, now also mentally present, followed closely.

The route they took led them to the barren academy training grounds, where Anko finally dropped his aching shoulder and whirled around with a look that could kill a thousand shinobi.

“What the hell did you do?”

“Huh?”

Izumo walked forward, hands gripping both ends of the scarf still decorating Kakashi’s very breakable neck. “This! This was his…”

Kotetsu patted his back, morose expression on full display as his glassy eyes fell on the soft fabric. “He used to wear it all the time when it got cold. If you have it, then that means you found him outside of an assigned mission.”

“Oh. Is that so?”

“Yeah! And it means that you know if he’s safe or… you know. Is he?”

“I wasn’t under the impression anybody here cared if a rogue nin was dead.”

“He was my best friend. Just tell me if he’s dead or not.”

“Please.”

“Does my word leave this field?”

“No. If he’s dead, it won’t matter but… if he’s alive, I have to know.”

Kakashi let his chakra feel around, but any lingering ears came up short to his senses.

With a deep sigh, Kakashi nodded silently.

Izumo and Kotetsu looked like they could pass out at any moment, holding onto each other like it was the only thing keeping them upright and Anko had a haunted expression painting her usually carefree features.

“What about the kid?”

“Living together.”

“Huh? Then that means he’s not kidnapped, right? Then there’s no reason for him to be missing anymore. He can come back. Tell him he can come back.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Then can you at least tell him we miss him?”

“Yes.”

“And that we’re sorry.” Izumo chimed in, deep regret in his furrowed brow and downturned eyes. “That we don’t believe a damn thing Mizuki is saying about him and we just want him to be okay.”

“He is okay, right? He doesn’t need, like, ryo or something does he?”

“No. He’s doing well, all things considered. They’re like a quaint little family.”

“If you know where he is, why haven’t you said anything?”

“Are you planning to say anything?” Kakashi watched them look at one another before shaking their heads slowly. “Well, I’d say we’re keeping quiet for the same reasons. That means we’d all better stay quiet or anyone else present here might get dragged into something unnecessary.”

“Your threats are unnecessary, Hatake-san. I have a bit more dignity than betraying my best friend.”

“That’s good, then. If that’s all then I have somewhere to be.”

..

Kakashi laid back on the engawa, head in the lap of Iruka as they watched the snow from the night prior cower under to indiscriminate shine of the bright sun.

“It’s nice to know they’re okay.”

“Mhm.”

“What are you gonna tell Maito Gai and Yamato-san?”

“I was thinking of faking my own death. It might finally be time to put that plan into motion.”

“You can’t do that. Your friends definitely care about you if they’re going this far.”

“Yeah, but I was thinking long and hard about it. The last thing I want is to get tracked down by a bunch of shinobi and ruin Naruto’s day by dying in front of him.”

“Don’t joke like that, Kakashi. I wouldn’t let anything like that happen to you.”

“Likewise, sensei.”

Iruka leaned forward and his hair acted as a curtain for them as he graced Kakashi with his sincere dark brown eyes. “Only you would run to the same place you’re supposed to be staying away from.”

“Do you want me to stay away, Iruka? I thought you were very clear how long you wanted me to stay last night.”

“I don’t remember talking about anything like that.”

“I do. I remember it very intimately.”

“Go home, Kakashi.” Iruka’s eyes fell to his mouth. “It’s not worth the danger.”

“If I come back tonight, will you let me in?”

“I told you you’d have a place with us if you ever needed it. I don’t like to go back on my promises.”

“If I didn’t leave tomorrow? Or the day after?”

“We’ll be here.”

“Missing indefinitely sounds like a decent way to end my career as a shinobi, considering how it could have gone.”

“You could be a contract hire, Yugakure may be past the time of wars, but there’s still shinobi-type jobs to be done all over.”

“I don’t know if being a shinobi is helping my goal of making a better future for others.” Kakashi stared up at him. “But I’m not good at much else.”

“You’re a good teacher.” Kakashi gave him a look of total disbelief, to which Iruka raised his voice. “I’m serious! Maybe you could be a gym teacher. Or you could teach dogs; I saw this nice pet store in central Yugakure that did that. They even give you a cute little uniform.”

“Do I get to burn it for free?”

Iruka humored his bad joke by laughing heartily. “Go. If you decide to join us for dinner, bring some Ichiraku. It’ll be the last night we have it for a long time.”

And Kakashi went, though not without a few goodbye pecks.

It was a routine mission that brought them close to the edge of fire countries borders, just before the border to the sound village. It was simple reconnaissance, Kakashi was told. A mission so perfectly mundane that it would annoy him if he wasn’t blessed with being all the closer to them. Just beyond the sound village, in a forest that he could navigate while blind, was his salvation in the form of a small traditional style house that made itself bigger for him. And like every temptation that’d ever presented itself, it came with the caveat that this was his first non-solo mission in a year. He’d unwittingly been assigned as part of a four-man team with Tenzo, Gai, and a jonin by the name of Aoba.

If he were a suspicious man, which he prided himself on being, he’d think being put into such a formation for a mission that was so perfectly normal was another harebrained scheme on the part of his beloved friends. Beloved, he had to remind himself frequently, is what his friends are. Definitely not getting on his nerves.

He’d thought after Tenzo failed to trail behind Kakashi five times by now he’d have given up on his futile efforts, but perhaps the constant losses were part of his drive. Maybe the others were just there to make sure Kakashi couldn’t leave in the dead of night without being caught in the act by at least one of them. That surely lined up with Kakashi not being given notice for a time in their sleeping rotation that he’d be taking over.

And here he thought Tenzo was being nice.

It’s too bad that his overnight pack, packed with nearly nothing he’d used on the mission itself, had everything he needed for the short trip home; his real home. It was also a shame for Tenzo that Kakashi was more than prepared for the prospect that the mission he’d taken would be compromised by Tenzo again.

When they settled in for the night after a long few days of pretending to have the interests of another village at heart, Kakashi waited for Gai to be woken up by Tenzo for the last rotation of the night. As the faintest sign of relaxed breathing from Tenzo entered Kakashi’s heightened ears, he feigned waking up from his own slumber.

“Gai? When’s it my turn for rotation?”

“Worry not, rival! I’m taking final rotation tonight!”

“Oh, that makes sense. I think my body’s too used to waking up for this rotation. Is it okay if I stay up with you?”

“I don’t see why not! In the meantime, we can reminisce on our childhood years, when we were just becoming ninja in our own right…”

He really did love how easy it was to distract Gai in a scenario like this.

Kakashi sat there for a few moments, allowing Gai to believe he was so enraptured by the same story of utter embarrassment retold once more for his ears only. It was a good story, though Kakashi especially loved how much Gai hated telling it. He only told the story because it gave Kakashi a nice laugh on missions like these. It grounded him after doing something heinous.

He’d really miss Gai. He knew Gai would miss him too.

He’d miss Tenzo too. Hopefully Tenzo didn’t miss him too much, or he’d be inviting his beloved tendencies back into his life.

He was starting to hate how sentimental having loved ones who weren’t dead was making him.

Kakashi stole a glance back at Gai, careful as he grabbed his pack, before slowly shuffling into the shadows. “Hey Gai, I’m gonna go to the bathroom really quick, okay?”

“Sure, Kakashi!”

Feeling bad about lying to Gai was the nail in the coffin to his unfortunate development of a beating heart in the past months. Kakashi wouldn’t miss the gaping hole that’d been in the space prior, something that felt like a disrobed admission of his need to have someone who could fill it. That he’d finally let his heart become whole again, knowing it could be ripped back out at any moment. That he’d finally begun to let himself be as strong as Iruka was.

He spared a glance back at Gai, sitting there content as he acted as a guardian for the other two shinobi. Mouthing a quick bye, the only farewell he could allow himself to give Gai, he put his plan into motion.

A calm walk of about fifty paces to really sell the illusion of his quick break, before taking off at a full dash that would have him in Yugakure in mere hours.

--

Kakashi was elated to find Iruka and Naruto were already up by the time he poked through the trees. Iruka was stood in front of Naruto with a seal in his right hand, going through the motions of explaining seal jutsu basics. Naruto mirrored his position with his own blank paper and would interrupt him periodically with questions that varied from actually being about fuuinjutsu to being about breakfast later. Iruka was just as tired as Naruto was, muttering about easy dishes that would quench their ravenous appetites without having to bother making the walk and ordering a meal.

To Kakashi, it was perfect. It was just missing one thing.

Kakashi walked up to Iruka, careful not to kick his still innate shinobi instincts into gear, and the second Iruka gazed at him that beautiful bronze shine in his eyes hit Kakashi like a semi-truck. The only cure for it was to wrap up Iruka in his arms like his own personal drug.

“You’re back.” Iruka stated, plain as day.

“For good.” Kakashi replied. Iruka gasped lightly before a soft smile made its way onto his face, not yet painted with any obscuring dye. The ensuing barrage of kisses his face received was a punishment he would happily die for.

“Gross. You know I’m still here, right?” Naruto muttered as he walked up to them. Iruka dragged him into the hug without another word, basking in the warm glow of a family that felt complete now. Naruto sighed before allowing himself to be suffocated between them. “Whatever. I’m still gonna call him weird later.”

“I couldn’t bring any Ichiraku.”

“I don’t care. You’re here now.”

“I picked up some regular pork ramen from the sound village, though.” Naruto pumped his fist, stealing the bags from inside of the bag and absconding with the food indoors. Iruka broke the hug soon after and placed a quick kiss to the edge of Kakashi’s mouth as he led him towards the house by his hand.

“You do know this means we get to give you your own little makeover too, right?”

“Do I get to give you one too? I’ve been practicing my braiding technique.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

..

Gai and Tenzo watched from deep into the trees.

“So, this was it.”

“What a beautiful secret to have, right my friend?”

Tenzo gazed at the trio as they made their way back inside. “He’s abandoned his duty, Gai.”

“He never abandoned us. All his duty has ever been was the wellbeing of his teammates, which he has ensured for both us and them.”

“Are we really gonna let him get away with this?”

“He’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him. I couldn’t destroy such a momentous display of youth if I was forced to. Though I will miss having such an equal rival, his joy will become my joy when I fight!”

“Yeah. I guess I can see it that way.”

“We should head back, Tenzo. Yamashiro-san will be waiting for our story. We can craft it on the way back.”

Tenzo spared a final glance at the group, now hidden away in the protection of their home.

“Live long, Kakashi.” Tenzo turned back to Gai, who wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

“Okay. Let’s go back.”

My art for u <3

Chapter Text

4 years later (again)...

Pakkun sniffed around the grounds of the refurbished Hatake Estate. The smell was no different than it had been for the past few months, barren of any unidentified life, but one could only force their other boss to maintain a continual barrier jutsu for so long. If it were up to the main boss, such a draining technique would never be implemented. Pakkun was less adverse to it; these branches and leaves were going to ruin the last unwrinkled surface on his body if he spent any more time playing guard dog with Bisuke. There was a bit of freedom in the form of their bosses’ boss, who fussed too much to let him stay outside too long without reprieve, but it was often only after hours of constant vigilance around the grounds to make sure nothing unfamiliar got past them.

He couldn’t complain too much if it kept the pack safe, especially since they kept him away during the actual fighting nowadays, sensitive to his growing frailty due to his inevitable aging. Being a contract hire wasn’t the kind of job that lended itself to total safety, however. It wasn’t often that it happened, but it wasn’t as though the boss hadn’t attracted one or two curious customers who wanted to confirm their suspicions, only to be led straight into a detailed genjutsu or, in the worst case, the cold dirt. It was necessary to protect the pack, but it was still a sad reminder that his boss’ life still held its imperfections.

..

Kakashi hated being dead at times. While it served to all but remove that biggest complications Iruka and Naruto had, mostly the fact that most normal people wouldn’t bother looking twice at him no matter how suspicious he tends to look, it also meant that Kakashi was effectively unable to claim any missions that he’d taken before being so dead.

Missions were a cruel mistress that haunted his new, shinobi-less life. While Yugakure was, on the surface, entirely neutral to any conflict occurring outside of itself, Kakashi was only one of several young men and women who took missions under the table in order to supplement income and the itch for violence most retired shinobi had. They didn’t need the money, that was stressed to him every time he came home from one by a very worried spouse. Not necessarily true if they factored in the eternally stretched pockets that a teachers’ salary gave them, even with two incomes to lighten the load. How Iruka used to quell both Naruto’s constant appetite and his constant growth while entirely devoid of financial help was a mystery to him. Kakashi had left Konoha with only the clothes on his back and whatever ryo his bag could carry, a pitiful amount in the face of the endless slew of things you had to pay for when you became responsible for anyone besides yourself.

Missions gave them a good life, a comfortable one compared to just teaching pets to respond to their mediocre owners. A single mission every month or two was a manageable amount of pain, both mental and physical, if it delivered extra food and gifts for two people Kakashi couldn’t argue deserved anything less.

Being dead, however, meant that he could only take so many missions before the well ran dry on people he could involve himself with without the fear of blowing his lie apart in mere seconds. Being dead was, sadly, the best thing for him though.

Because death meant he wasn’t missing, wasn’t a rogue ninja, and wouldn’t be hunted down as aggressively as Iruka and Naruto were even 4 years ago. It had settled down recently which only served to further Kakashi’s paranoia that something hid behind the trees that knew something it shouldn’t.

Despite being dead, he wasn’t about to risk throwing away the gift that had been given to him by Tenzo and Gai by trying to find out any intimate details about the overheard tidbits of information on Konoha that being a for-hire mercenary rewarded.

As far as he knew, the leaf wasn’t much different after so long without him. Maybe that reflected how useless he really was in the grand scheme of things. Maybe they found another poor soul to replace him as a workhorse. Neither option helped his dismal attitude towards Konoha.

Iruka was his saving grace after so long spent thinking of himself as a blunt sword rather than a person. He didn’t like the missions, but he never made Kakashi’s choice their misery. He held Kakashi close and whispered that he didn’t need to be anything, that they could live without it, but he never forced Kakashi to give up what he’s known for so long as his only purpose. His soft skin pressed against him at night even went so far as to wax poetics about things Kakashi should spend the money on for himself. It made him feel less guilt to see Kakashi enjoying the fruits of his labor.

Kakashi apologized to him sometimes, mindlessly picking at small knots in Iruka’s delicate hair like they’d been caused by him. Iruka never accepted them.

Their mornings were slower than they used to be, Naruto far enough in his mentorship that they could relax a small bit. For the first time in a while, Kakashi could sleep long enough to recuperate the energy he lost the day prior. Even better, he could sleep next to the merciful deity that had blessed him with the knowledge of his curves and imperfections that made him so ethereal. He could make breakfast for a group of people who loved him - not that Naruto went out of his way to admit it - and whom he loved. He let himself love again and it was beautiful.

The missions could get as ugly as he could handle because they would never force him back into who he was before this.

But this one was admittedly kind of weird.

Iruka’s arms found their way onto his person, fresh from a good night’s rest. “Are you looking over the new spread?”

“Mhm.”

“Any personal calls this time?”

“Yep.” Kakashi patted the hand snaking around him, turning to face Iruka as he yawned.

“Shimogakure again?”

“No. It’s Tenzo.”

Iruka stilled, his arms freezing on Kakashi’s shoulders as his eyes fell onto the paper. “Tenzo… Yamato?”

“The very same. He called for me by my pseudonym, but he didn’t use his regular code name.”

“Did Tenzo ever do for-hire stuff outside of the village?”

“No. That’s the weird part.”

..

Kakashi didn’t necessarily need to accept this mission. He’d already fulfilled his once-a-month quota last week with a quick escort to lower Yugakure.

But he was a victim of his own curiosity.

As he shrugged on the non-descript blues of his non-allied shinobi clothes, along with his old flak jacket, Iruka stood by with his kunai.

The handing of the old kunai he’d once wielded to keep them safe from rogue-nin had come to be an informal tradition for them. Before his missions, Kakashi would suit up in view of Iruka so that the other man could triple check he was fully prepared for the task at hand. Maybe he would even slip a seal into his pocket if he was especially fretful that day. When they were done, however, the last thing to do was hand over the kunai, the symbol of all that he did for them. The promise they forged every time he left.

“Promise me if anything goes wrong, you’ll come back.”

“I will.”

“Then be safe. Tenzo might need serious help.” He could see the gears turning in Iruka’s head already on ways to help a complete stranger on the off chance this wasn’t a total snare. Despite it all, Iruka’s unyielding kindness had only grown in the years since their choice to flee. That kindness that Konoha had become so bleak without.

With a peck at the edge of his bare face to cement their words, Iruka waved goodbye to him as he set off into the heart of the Hot Water village.

..

The building that housed the skeevy deals that Kakashi often took was what he could only describe as “nondescript.” It was run-down and abandoned beyond the point of unique description, any trace of what it might have once been stripped away over the years as it became a hub for the poor and the antsy alike. Kakashi could only pick up the faintest hint of the polish the less seasoned shinobi used, even with his superior senses.

Ironically, it was houses so devoid of any suspicious features that were often the most suspicious to someone like him. Acting on such a thing was what led him to first find the underbelly of for-hire shinobi missions. Some harmless, some far too little pay for their true danger, and some that Kakashi himself refused to take now that he wasn’t obligated to.

Normally, a mission for the leaf was one of these restricted missions that he didn’t enjoy so much as gazing at. But Kakashi couldn’t complain. He’d lived a good 4 years of true, uninterrupted bliss. It was bound to be ruined by something at some point.

Namely, the man sitting in the corner of this small gathering of shinobi. Tenzo stood out like a sore thumb with his Konoha insignia, hunched over in an attempt at hiding his face, and his lack of fraternizing with the other contract hires. It was like he’d stepped out of an awful cop drama.

Kakashi had missed him.

Sitting down, all Kakashi could catch that signified anything passed in the years since they last spoke was a slight difference in length in Tenzo’s hair, imperceptible but telling a story all on its own.

“So, a leaf shinobi has enlisted my services?”

“Kaka-”

Kakashi cut him off with a glare. “No relation.”

“Right… Sukea.” Tenzo amended. “Sorry about that, I just thought I saw a friendly face here. I know you don’t typically take missions in the Fire Country’s borders.”

“I fight for people, not places. If anybody needs my services and I find it interesting enough, I’ll bend a bit. So, what does the mission entail?”

“Actually I think it’d be better if we went somewhere with less ears.” Tenzo leaned in, voice barely audible. “It’s not business to be shared lightly.”

“That’s not really the protocol I have here, but I’ll make an exception just this once. For a friendly face.” Kakashi stood up, careful not to look at any of the other patrons as they swiftly exited the building. They knew better than anyone how unflinching Kakashi usually was on his terms of service.

Once outside, Tenzo looked like he could breathe again. “This would be better shared with the rest of your clan, Sukea. It’s something you all need to hear.”

“That important?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.”

“Then we can’t help it, I guess. Though, you should know that I have a very excitable clan. If they suspect anything less than kind about your intentions, they won’t hesitate to protect themselves.”

“Do you really think I’d do something like that now?”

“Nope. But a little warning never hurt anybody.”

..

“Iruka, Kakashi’s back. And he has some other weirdo with him.”

Iruka paused in his grading at Naruto’s words. “What?”

“Some guy with brown hair and a scary face.”

Iruka nudged Naruto aside, watching through the curtains as two dark figures approached the house. Surely enough, one was Kakashi but the other one was entirely unrecognizable. Though, the shine of the moon took mercy on them, because his shinobi headband glinted with the inscription of the leaf.

“What do we do?”

“Kakashi isn’t giving any signals. Be ready for anything.”

Naruto nodded, shuriken spinning on his finger as they backed up into the center of the room. When Kakashi’s rhythmic knock sounded, they pocketed their weapons. A moment later, the door opened and Kakashi’s familiar tuft of hair poked through.

“Iruka~ I have someone who wants to meet you.”

“Is it Tenzo-san?”

“Yep. So can you and Naruto please not kill him? He’s here to help, I think.”

“Maybe you should have started with that then, Kakashi.”

The man behind Kakashi was a very interesting sight to see; his faded brown hair complimented his large black eyes. He looked intimidating at first glance as he half-hid behind Kakashi in the doorway, but as Iruka leaned over to get a better look at him, he realized a better word for it was awkwardness.

Sometimes he forgot that he was considered a menacing figure in the shinobi world. Not entirely unfounded, but still.

“Hello, it’s nice to finally meet one of Kakashi’s friends. I’m Umino Iruka.”

“Uzumaki Naruto.”

“Tenzo. I’m sorry we have to meet like this.”

“No time like the present, Tenzo-san. C’mon, I have some tea steeping in the kitchen, make yourself comfortable.” Iruka nodded towards the couch and motioned for Kakashi to help him set up a plate of refreshments.

Kakashi gazed at him with abandon as he forced himself to relax for the sake of appearing put together.

“I probably should have prepared you for Tenzo coming back with me.”

“It’s nothing. You’re sure he’s trustworthy, right?”

“Yes. He wouldn’t be near this home if he wasn’t.”

“I know. I trust you, Kakashi, I’m just not excited about what might make a shinobi from a village who wants us dead need to speak to us.” Iruka rubbed the nape of his neck, eyes trained on the tea pot. “The way you speak about him isn’t hateful, but it doesn’t paint the image that Tenzo would seek us out if he didn’t think he had any other choice.”

“True. This’ll undoubtedly impact us in ways we couldn’t believe. But it could be an impact that leads to something even greater.”

“Now you’re just quoting my old self-help books, aren’t you?” Iruka picked up the teapot to place on the serving dish as he scoffed.

Kakashi glanced at him, nonplussed. “So concerned with the little things. Why not let yourself believe I’m capable of productive advice?”

..

“What did you need Tenzo?”

“There’s no great way to put this, but Konoha needs you.” Tenzo looked between their hardened faces, palming his tea distractedly. “It needs the kyuubi, to be specific.”

“Me?” Naruto asked.

“Kakashi, when you left the leaf, Kakashi, a ripple effect occurred that led to Orochimaru seizing the opportunity of our weakened defense and attacking. As you may have heard, Hiruzen-sama was able to mortally wound him but… he lost his life in the process.”

The room fell into silence, any lingering excitement over Tenzo’s arrival disappearing immediately as the words were processed by everyone.

“What?” Iruka spoke up first, ignoring his dry throat.

“After Hiruzen-sama died, we needed a new hokage. The council gave us time to find a new hokage in one of the old sannin but they were unreachable. Jiraiya came willingly, but denied the position and when he went to seek out Tsunade, he couldn’t convince her. Nobody else stepped forward to claim the hat who could be seen as a worthy replacement. We were forced to take the council nomination.”

“Don’t tell me…”

Tenzo bowed his head. “Danzo is the new interim hokage of the hidden leaf.”

“But- but how?”

“He’s always been unmatched in his ability to make his wants look like Konoha’s needs.”

“Even so, Danzo has never held any favor with the people of Konoha! Nobody in their right mind would see his plans as good for the leaf.”

“I agree, Umino-san. That’s why I’m here. I need help from someone outside of the hidden leaf to get Danzo out of power by finding and convincing Tsunade to take up the responsibility.”

“What makes you think any of us could help with that?” Kakashi piped up in confusion.

“Kakashi, your skills in detection are amazing even among other shinobi but if anybody could convince Tsunade to take up arms in this fight, I think it may just be someone who understands why she rejected the mantle to begin with.”

“Ma, I’m not so sure-”

“I'll go!” Naruto spoke up from beside Iruka, hand raised triumphantly. “I can definitely knock some sense into this Tsunade lady!”

“Naruto, this isn’t a game. This is a real mission, like the ones Kakashi takes. They’re dangerous missions that could put your life in danger.”

“But what if Tsunade is that change the leaf needs to not be so awful anymore?”

“And what if we lose something we can’t replace?”

Kakashi cut in. “Tenzo. What are our chances of being intercepted during our mission?”

“About average. She’s in Fire Country, but where exactly is unknown. All we know for now is that when Jiraiya first sought her out, it was by visiting bars in the surrounding area. He thinks it can’t hurt to look again.”

“Jiraiya is helping you out?”

“The sannin are of the few uncompromised entities in the village right now. He’s sympathetic to Tsunade in particular; he thinks she would be a good face for the leaf, like a bandaid that’ll stop our heavy bleeding.”

“And what do you think about them?”

“I think they’re our best option short of a new candidate. The council has made it clear they won’t choose anybody less than that of a sannin. I’ve never met Tsunade personally, but Jiraiya speaks very highly of her.”

“Then we have to find her as soon as we can!”

“When do we leave?”

“It’s as Naruto said: the sooner the better.”

..

Iruka sat at the edge of the bed trying to find new ways to visually communicate his growing trepidation with the news they’ve received. The thought of Naruto going on a mission of this calibre was an unsung inevitability of the life he’d willingly chosen for himself. To be the cherished person of a shinobi, and the great pain that came from it. He’d taken on this pain knowing that the worst ending would leave him alone in this world, devoid of the warmth that this unique family gave him on the coldest of nights.

It was so easy to pretend that Kakashi’s monthly missions were just errands with dramatized titles and that there was no underlying truth that Kakashi could one day not poke through the forest again. They weren’t labelled higher than they should be, Kakashi didn’t take missions he knew would be too much too handle, and still Iruka had nights where he couldn’t do anything but pace around until he was too exhausted to think at all anymore.

To imagine Naruto taking part in a mission, his first real one, alongside two seasoned jonins and a sannin was something of a crushing weight on his already weak heart.

Of all the dreams, Iruka had to have a child whose dream was steeped in the horror of never knowing his status until he was informed. Either by Naruto or by whoever survived.

Kakashi walked in while he was anxiously wringing his hands again and sat beside him wordlessly.

The silence stretched as Iruka tried to find some way to not sound as selfish as he felt he was being. How could he even think about asking for there to be another way when he knew what was on the line? It went against everything he’d taught Naruto about kindness that wasn’t defined by creed. It went against his own dream to see Naruto succeed despite everything.

They would be at least three days away by foot. Maybe longer. That far from their sole safe place…

“You have to let him go, Iruka.”

“I know.”

“Alone.” Iruka’s lips thinned and he turned away from Kakashi. “You have to be able to trust Naruto to take missions.”

“I do.”

“Without you. He’s a young man now, Iruka. He can’t rely on us forever.”

A young man? Iruka could’ve laughed. All he could see when he looked at Naruto was the child who still needed his help with paperwork and who had an awful sense of direction no matter how familiar he was with a place. He was nowhere near prepared for Naruto to take missions. “What if he’s not ready?”

“You taught him well, Iruka. If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t be pushing for him to do this.”

“Then I should be there with him.”

“If you come, it’ll only prove to him that you don’t trust either of us as much as you say you do.” Kakashi placed a hand on his, the other rubbing against the raised skin on his back. “I’ll be there to keep him safe. I want you to stay here and hold down the fort so we don’t have to risk revealing more than we have to. Konoha doesn’t view you with the same insurance it does me or Naruto; they would see no reason not to engage with you.”

“Who knew being such an average shinobi could be such a pain?”

“An average shinobi being used to describe what you’ve done is a better joke than anything I could put together.”

“I did all of that to protect him. And now, he’s putting himself in danger again for Konoha after all they’ve done to hurt him.”

“He’s so much like you, it hurts.”

“Are you blaming me for how amazing he is? He’s obviously gotten some of this newfound independence from you. Why’d you have to be so good at teaching jutsu?”

“I apologize sincerely. I’ll make sure to stop that as soon as possible.”

A knock sounded, breaking them out of their light banter. A moment later, Naruto’s head peeked in.

“Eh… dad?”

“Yeah, Naruto?”

“Am I interrupting anything?”

“Nope, just talking. C’mon, sit down.”

“What were you talking about?”

“How much we hate how fast you’re growing up. You’re gonna have a beard soon if I’m not careful.”

“Iruka…” Kakashi began, but Iruka put an arm on his shoulder to stop him. He didn’t want Naruto to spend tonight drowning in the same worries he was. The least he could give him was this moment, unburdened by ugly things like pain and death. When they accomplished their new goal, pain and death would become all too normalized for them once more. So tonight, Iruka could make tonight empty of all that existed outside of their home.

“It’s true. Pretty soon you’re gonna have to start cutting and dying your own hair. Maybe find someone you love and move out while we start getting super old and bald.”

“Never! I don’t trust anybody else to cut it the way I like it. I’d probably chop it all off by accident.” Naruto pulled at one of his many strands of red hair. “I’d go bald before you do.”

“Not if you don’t forget to take care of it like I showed you. If you’re gonna be going on a mission like this then you’ll have to learn to do it alone unless you want Kakashi to do it.”

“No way. I still have that chunk missing from last time.”

“It wasn’t my fault you move so much when I’m trying to make my art.”

“You chop it like I’m some dog!”

..

Naruto suited up for the first time the next morning. The first of many times if everything went to plan. Which it would, anything different was impossible.

It had to be.

Iruka watched them both layer on weapons and rations, hand itching to fix a stray thread or improperly placed thigh pack. Kakashi was right, he knew deep down if he didn’t let go now he probably never would. It’d start with letting Naruto fix his own bag and it’d end one day with him becoming that big hero to others that he always knew he already was.

So why was it so hard to see Naruto as that big hero who didn’t need him anymore?

Kakashi finished putting on his padding first and waited idly by for Naruto to finish up his pack. It was a rookie mistake every shinobi made to over-prepare the first time they went on a mission like this and it squeezed Iruka’s heart to see Naruto hike up the bag on his shoulders with the unearned confidence of one. He’d grown so much in the time since Kakashi showed up, now not so much shorter that Iruka had to bend down to look him in the eyes anymore.

Iruka sighed. He held the small kunai in his hand bearing the signature three pronged pattern in his arms with the most delicate hold he could muster and swallowed whatever sentimental sobs he could feel trying to force their way out. He used both hands to place it on Naruto's own.

“Kakashi really wanted to give this to you when you went on your first official mission. It being this close to your birthday was just a happy coincidence.”

“What is it?”

“It belonged to your biological father, Minato. The fourth hokage.”

“He gave it to me when I became a jonin as proof that I was ready to be responsible for myself and others on the battlefield. I’m giving it to you now, for the same reason.”

“Wow…”

Iruka but in. “It’s also your promise to us that you’ll come back no matter what. The mission is never, and never will be, more important than your lives and the lives of those around you. No amount of failure will change the fact that you’re my kid, okay?”

“I promise.” Iruka nodded, mostly satiated, but Naruto’s voice grew louder when he turned towards Kakashi. Naruto held up his pinky finger. “Hey! You have to promise too! Promise that you’ll stay safe until we get back so we can celebrate my first real mission together.”

“I promise.” Iruka smiled and snuck a few extra sheets of barrier scrolls into his pocket before he could argue.

Iruka had watched them leave from the Engawa with a sense of deja vu overtaking his senses. He couldn’t help but feel put out by being the one staying behind on Naruto’s journey, as though he couldn’t protect Naruto as good as anyone else, but he tried to reason that Kakashi knew the field better than he did after so long not taking any missions. The last mission he’d ever technically been on was eight years ago and he’d almost died.

Did Kakashi think of that night when he massaged his back?

That man could fret like nobody’s business when it came to them. Maybe he was as worried as Iruka was. He hoped not. Iruka could worry enough for the three of them quite easily.

He turned back to look at the home in front of him, for the first time in so very long devoid of anybody except him.

Iruka patted his yukata to smooth out the creases. If he wasn’t needed on the field then he would find purpose, as he always did, in the little things.

..

With that, they were all set to begin their journey to find the great sannin Tsunade. Jiraiya would meet up with them on their way, but until then they were entirely at the mercy of their own abilities.

To pass time as they dashed towards the border of Yugakure, Tenzo filled them in on any information they hadn’t gleaned from their initial talks.

“Why is he just the interim hokage?”

“Because even the council knows that if they announced him as the fifth hokage too early, they’d have more than a few complaints from even their allies. Him being interim is so he can build relationships with the other nations before usurping the title so that by the time he does, the only people to oppose him will be internal.”

“And internal threats can be easily taken care of.”

“Exactly. The reason I came was because his tenure as interim is coming to an end soon. If we didn’t move now, the leaf would never recover from Danzo’s influence.”

“But why only now?”

“You have a good thing going on here. I wanted to think we could handle it alone.”

“I’m grateful you care so much, but it’s not as though there aren’t still people in Konoha that I’d rather not see suffer. Iruka’d have my head if he heard anything happened to so many innocent people and we did nothing.”

“Congrats, by the way. On that.” Tenzo motioned towards his left ring finger, which had a very noticeable band on it. “I owe you a gift.”

“You could pay for Naruto’s dinner as a gift.”

“Just his? I’ve got it covered for the rest of our travels.” Tenzo huffed at the idea of the lackluster gift.

Kakashi bit back a smile from gracing his bare face. If Tenzo only knew…

“Is Danzo really going to just let us usurp him like this?”

“Nope. Talking down Danzo from his tower is pointless; I’d know. I tried to get him to see the light more than once, even open up to recruiting shinobi from beyond the leaf to make up for all the manpower we were all bleeding, but he’s got this image that Konoha would be better off torn apart with pride than lower themselves to dealing with traitor nins like you.”

“So he’d rather die than check his ego?”

“Pretty much. Imagine how awful the rest of Konoha feels.”

“So I take it he won’t be very happy to see us either?”

Tenzo nodded solemnly. “It’s all really messy. We’re desperate.”

..

They broke formation to rest for the night. Naruto fell asleep quicker than they could begin to find out rotations, which meant Kakashi and Tenzo would be stuck doing double shifts; the things he did for this kid.

Tenzo didn’t seem to mind as much as he did to have his sleeping cycle cut back further than he was now used to. The man took the lead and set his night-pack on the ground before seating himself in front of the small fire he’d started. Kakashi sent up a prayer that wherever they ended up, prison or death, it’d at least not have anything to do with these sleep rotations.

Kakashi settled into his own pack for the night, finally content now that Naruto was blissfully unaware of his surroundings as he fell deeper into his daze. It gave him time to ask one last question he’d been holding onto since Tenzo had first mentioned Danzo.

“Tenzo?”

“Hm?”

“I’d been wondering… whatever happened to that boy Mizuki?”

..

“And then Kakashi taught me this really cool fireball jutsu that dad says I’ll be able to turn into a barrier-explosion jutsu one day. Ooh! And substitution jutsu, but that’s an easy one. And-”

“Naruto, I don’t think Tenzo needs to hear you name every single jutsu you’ve ever learned.”

“It’s okay, I’ve been pretty excited to meet the fabled nine-tails. To think he’s such a weird kid, the stories don’t do his character any justice.”

“Who’re you calling weird, weirdo-jonin?!”

Tenzo halted his steps in front of Naruto. Kakashi held back a sigh, fully aware of what would happen next. Tenzo turned slowly towards Naruto, the action reminiscent of a barn owl as his dead-eyed glare met Naruto’s accusatory glance. “I’m what?”

Naruto flung back in terror, nearly falling on his behind as Tenzo’s face came into view. He hollered for a moment before Tenzo broke the glare, laughing at his horrified look as though it were the funniest thing he’d seen all day.

“That is so not funny!”

Well, at least he could be sure Naruto hadn’t overheard their conversation last night. Naruto’s boisterous personality wouldn’t have kept quiet about those revelations if he had an inkling about it.

At least Iruka was having a better time than him.

..

Iruka let out an irritated groan when he realized that getting caught up with a summers’ worth of teaching plans wouldn’t take as long as he feared. He’d even burdened himself with re-organizing his personal collection of books while he was at it, but he was still almost done before even two days had passed. It sucked being home alone.

At least mostly alone.

Pakkun had been nice enough to stay behind too, which Iruka had only realized when he’d exited his room to find the small pug on his couch. He hadn’t had the heart to move him and migrated his workspace so that the ninken wouldn’t have to be alone.

Oh who was he fooling? Definitely not Pakkun if his face was any indication.

Iruka glanced at Kakashi’s bookshelf that littered the living space. He’d sworn to himself years ago that he’d never attempt to organize the depraved, mostly kitschy array of novels Kakashi had amassed over his many years suffering from the repression of his professional life.

Just one glance at a stray copy of Icha Icha Kakashi had left open after dinner one night had him ready to sleep on the couch, very far away from his better half.

Iruka rolled up the sleeves of his yukata, steeling himself for a very humbling few hours.

..

The trio of shinobi arrived at a small swath of land in the fire country that barely qualified as a town at all. From a fair distance away, Kakashi could reason that scoping out every corner wouldn’t take more than a day if they were needlessly thorough.

It didn’t look like it was a city that any shinobi would frequent, which Kakashi had to admit made it as good a hiding place as any for a shinobi that didn’t want to be found. If it weren’t for Jiraiya’s clear direction as to where she’d be, he would have made the mistake of passing over it with a minor cursory glance. It wasn’t unlike the characteristics of their own home in the mountains with how un-assuming it was. Almost like a location so obvious that shinobi internally assumed it would be too good to be true.

It likely grew from their biases towards viewing all defectors as dangerous criminals who would seek out somewhere highly populated for their long list of illegal needs instead of, at least sometimes, people who just couldn’t handle it anymore.

If Tsunade wanted to get away from Shinobi life, he’d say she was doing pretty good coming to a place he wasn’t even sure had a name.

Naruto looked about ready to tear apart the town in their search, but Kakashi held him back with a hand on his hoodie. “Not yet. We have to wait for Jiraiya-san.”

Tenzo kneeled down next to them. “He said he’d meet us here by the gate but he hasn’t arrived. Maybe we’d cover more ground if one of us stayed behind while the others searched?”

“I can go look for her!”

“You don’t even know what she looks like.” Kakashi muttered, biting his thumb soon after. “I’ll send a ninken to track her scent while we wait on Jiraiya-san, that way nobody feels left out.” Bisuke appeared in a puff of smoke and Kakashi borrowed Tenzo’s sample of Tsunade’s old sake cup. “If you find anything, bring it back to us. Don’t engage.”

“Got it, boss. I’m on it!” Bisuke barked his goodbyes to Kakashi and Naruto before trotting off with his nose in the ground to find any leads.

Naruto glared at him in fitful boredom as Tenzo began tracing images into the ground with his newly wooden finger.

They sat there for an hour or so as Naruto kept trying to goad Tenzo into showing him anything cooler than a twig-sized wood-style attack, to absolutely no favorable result. Even so, Kakashi had to admit that he didn’t think Tenzo was even capable of the amount of patience he was giving to Naruto. Answering every question Naruto’s mind could come up with was a task tantamount to something of a Greek tragedy with how pointless it was to attempt in the first place if you weren’t some kind of enjoyer of all things painful. Tenzo often hit the end of his rope with Kakashi faster than he did with others, thanks to his penchant for needling people into doing his work.

Naruto took to the man quicker than Kakashi thought he would, especially for all his apprehension towards the topic of Konoha. Maybe, for once in his life, Kakashi’s musings had turned out to be true; those wonder-filled eyes of Naruto’s were just too strong for any distaste to survive long.

It was nice to see Naruto forming connections with Tenzo, even if he was put out by Tenzo’s lack of love for ramen.

“Dipping noodles are inferior to ramen, believe it.”

“I just think the broth is too filling, dipping noodles don’t feel like such a heavy meal.”

“That’s because it’s supposed to fill you up, not feel like a snack! That’s why you add all the extra bits.”

“Sorry, but I don’t agree. Too much ramen makes me sick to my stomach.”

“How? I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Especially with Iruka’s special salty broth. It’s really savory for the pork in the tonkatsu, and then you don’t need to season the rest so much.”

Tenzo thought about it for a moment, probably trying to gauge whether it was worth it to argue the merits of having ramen as his primary source of nutrients when they were interrupted by a booming voice Kakashi swore he’d only ever heard in his childhood.

“Ramen for breakfast? Sounds disgusting.”

Naruto turned, ready to take on another opponent in his ramen supremacy debate but Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder.

Before them stood a shinobi of great power, hair flowing long behind him as he stood in his trademark pose. He was towering over Naruto’s shorter frame, standing at an impressive 6’3 without the geta on his feet. His smile sold the entire image, communicating the picture of a shinobi that was far too accomplished to be nervous in his movements anymore, even if he was holding the pose a little too long for it to be cool anymore.

“Greetings, it is I, Jiraiya of the Sannin!”

“Uh, he’s kind of old for a ninja, isn’t he?” Naruto let slip instead of something to communicate the awe of standing before one of the strongest ninja to grace this generation. Curse his tendency to speak without filtering any of his words through the same internal system everybody else did.

Kakashi smacked the back of his head lightly in lieu of explaining why calling their powerful ally a geezer was not the best idea. “Forgive us Jiraiya-san.”

Jiraiya waved it off, chuckling a bit after he recovered from the dig at his age. “This must be Uzumaki Naruto, huh? Looks like he got his mothers’ hair and her silver tongue.”

Naruto ran a hand through his hair, his smile turning soft at the mention. “It’s hair dye, but Kakashi says the same thing all the time.”

“It’s true. You have Minato’s eyes but other than that, it’s uncanny.”

It was easy for Jiraiya to endear himself to other extroverted souls like Naruto. They were so similar it made sense that they’d immediately form some kind of friendship. After another glance at the face of his student’s legacy, Jiraiya finally turned to Kakashi and Tenzo.

“So, are we ready?”

“Yep, just a minute.” Kakashi called for Bisuke to report back to them and the group set off to investigate.

..

Tsunade should have been easy to find considering their lack of announcing their presence and intent to track her down. Silly Kakashi, assuming he’d be given a break today. It wasn’t enough that he was constantly looking over his shoulder for any looks that felt too dissecting, but they had scoured nearly the entire village more than once with no results. Even the sample they’d used for Bisuke yielded nothing but a dead trail.

Jiraiya rubbed his chin thoughtfully as they walked down the trail leading into the forest. “My diving toad didn’t mention any sign of her leaving this place when he reported back to me the other day, so no matter what she can’t be far. The most we can hope for is that Tsunade’s taking her time moving on too.”

Kakashi’s sandals hit the brown dirt of the gravel path leading towards the outskirts of town.

They could only hope so.

..

The woods weren’t too hard to navigate, even with four men taking up the thin trail.

Bisuke stayed out in case the trail went warm again, his sniffing breaking into the quiet rhythm of their steps.

Every now and then someone, mostly Naruto, would rouse some small talk to distract from the fact they were walking as aimlessly as they had been for the past few days. Sometimes he would thumb a single seal he held in his hand as they walked and bumped shoulders with Kakashi.

It was hard to stick by his words of Naruto being past the point of coddling when he acted like this. Kakashi tried to provide the tiny comforts he knew to be foolproof when Iruka had done them; a nod of encouragement or an arm on his shoulder to ground him. Maybe invoking those images of what they left behind weren’t a good idea for Naruto’s homesickness, but Kakashi didn’t know how better to dissuade his worries. He wasn’t the father Iruka was, he was imperfect in too many ways for Naruto to be such a thing. Although he couldn’t help but wonder what Naruto did see him as, Kakashi didn’t like to pretend to be more important to Naruto than he was.

When they had walked too far into the woods to turn back, they settled for another night of roughing it on the forest floors.

Nobody felt like sleeping after such a thankless search, so they sat up on their packs and stared at the fire with hope for introspection. Beside him, Naruto was gazing up at the stars like they were speaking to him.

“I’m sure Iruka’s already deep-cleaned the house twice by now.”

Naruto glanced at him warily. “Do you think he’s sleeping already?”

“No. He’s probably forcing Pakkun to listen to his chakra theory and reading those books on Kiri history.”

Naruto sighed as though that sounded like nothing less than perfection. To Kakashi, it was understandable. If he hadn’t had half a foot in the field this entire time, the idea of leaving Iruka so long would hurt more than the minor pang it left in his chest.

“Who’s Iruka?” Jiraiya asked, startling Kakashi when he realized their conversation hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Naruto puffed up his chest at the opportunity to answer. “He’s my dad! He’s the chuunin who saved me from the hidden leaf and he’s totally awesome! He’d be here right now but uh… he’s not.”

Later that night, Jiraiya nudged him. “His dad?”

“Adoptive. But if you asked me, it doesn’t make much of a difference. Iruka’s the most important person Naruto has.”

Jiraiya snapped, finally remembering where he’d heard such a name. “So he’s the missing-nin that “robbed” the leaf? Doesn’t sound like the cold-blooded leech Danzo told me to look out for.”

“Iruka’s…” Kakashi paused to gaze over at Naruto, still clutching the barrier seal while settling in for bed. “The most selfless shinobi I know.”

“High praise from you and the kid? I’d quite like to meet him and judge for myself.”

“You will, after we catch up to Tsunade and make things right.” Kakashi fiddled with his ring, watching the reflection of the moon dance across it as he remembered the night he gave Iruka his ring.

Iruka fitted the house with a ton of party favors and hung up some cheap balloons in the kitchen to celebrate their third anniversary. Turns out spending so much time trying to recreate Kakashi’s childhood dish meant he’d left the decoration buying to Naruto, who forgot to ask what they were celebrating before running into town. Even the small carrot cake Naruto bought had been frosted for a happy 30th birthday - which confused a not yet 29 year old Kakashi - instead of the anniversary of the day he’d decided to love them no matter what sacrifices it took.

The scene was so ridiculous Kakashi decided then and there that waiting for Iruka’s birthday simply wouldn’t do. He knew, had known for some time subconsciously that he wanted Iruka to see the depths of his love, a love that couldn’t be contained in words or gestures or material goods. A love that demanded itself be known by sight alone, even if it was with such a simple trinket.

It wasn’t something they could put on paper; Kakashi wouldn’t care if it was. Maybe so soon made him foolish, or maybe Iruka’s need for his love to be known was rubbing off on him.

He couldn’t say. He could only toy with the band on his finger a little longer and imagine what meals he would cook for Iruka as an apology for implying they’d served their purpose. There was no end to a service like this, nor did he find himself seeking an end to it.

..

Iruka was staring at a picture frame.

When he’d first settled down in the home years ago, the pack he’d brought with him was licked almost clean of anything he could fit into his new life.

Everything except a small few pieces of memorabilia that he’d not been able to throw out back then.

The picture would have been nothing special to most people after so many years having no contact with those in it. But Iruka wasn’t most.

It was a picture that had been taken years ago, before Iruka had begun going to the academy in Konoha. It was meant to snapshot his first friends in that foreign place his family had decided was worth the trouble of renouncing their old lives in Kiri.

He was only about 8 if he remembered correctly. His facial scar was still new and bright red, which Anko had told him made for an awesome way to scare other kids. Izumo, who had caused the addition to his look, was still in the middle of arguing with Anko about lies they could come up with for how he got it in fear his parents would never let him hang out with them again. Kotetsu was in the middle of showing Iruka the bandage he tied to his nose to make him feel less like a weirdo for his new scar.

He’d known Kotetsu longer than anybody in Konoha because he’d shared a caravan with his family when they came to the hidden leaf village. They used to joke so much about being cousins at heart because of how often he spent time at his house.

Anko was the only other orphan who’d understood the way he lashed out so aggressively when he lost his parents. She’d had to advocate for him more than once, and she’d done so happily.

Izumo shared his love for the calm and quiet of life outside of being a shinobi. They’d shared more than a few of their hopes and dreams in the safe silence of the midnight air during a sleepover.

He wondered what they were doing now, if they were even still around. What would they think of him if they saw him?

A knock crashed Iruka’s train of thought and he wordlessly turned towards the door in confusion. It’d been less than a week since they’d left to find Tsunade. Even the mere act of getting back here from the countryside of the fire country without accounting for hiccups would have taken longer. Another knock whacked on his door quickly, indicating the other person was in a hurry.

He almost turned to answer the door instinctually- because what if Naruto really needed to be let in- but Iruka paused. He hadn’t been performing his echolocation jutsu. This entire time, he’d forgotten that Pakkun was meant to be guarding the radius of the home. Instead, Pakkun was nowhere to be seen, likely nursing his paws and unaware of the new intruder.

He raised two fingers silently, trying to still his breathing. The chakra signature here was…

It couldn’t be.

..

Tsunade looked at their rag-tag group with the kind of exasperation only a woman who’d experienced too many contrivances to count could.

Downing the glass of sake in her hand to nurse the burgeoning headache, all she could say was, “Is that Kakashi of the Sharingan, the very famously “killed in action” shinobi?”

“Yes.”

“Great. So that’s how today’s gonna go. I’m so excited.” Tsunade spared half a glance at the boy standing near Jiraiya. “This one I don’t recognize.”

“Uzumaki Naruto, future hokage of the hidden leaf.”

Tsunade’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second, contemplating the odds of such a high-status person openly announcing himself in a bar not too far from the heart of the village he was taken from. She eyed her sake like she regretted already finishing it and stood up. “Listen Jiraiya, I know what you’re gonna say and the answer’s the same as it was three years ago. Not a chance.”

“Hold it! You didn’t even hear us out. We didn’t come all this way for you to just ignore us.”

“I don’t need to hear you out. I have no interest in being hokage; it’s a fools errand.”

“A fools errand? How can you say that?! Being hokage is the ultimate honor of someone trying to do good!”

“Doing good? Is that what the leaf did for you, Naruto? Is that what you think it will do if it sees either of your faces and realizes that you’re willing traitors?”

“Well, no, but-”

“If being hokage is so great then why did you leave when you had a chance?” Tsunade glared at him with immense discomfort painting her scrunched features. “Unless you thought there was nothing left to save, there’d be no reason for you to leave, right?”

“You’re wrong. I had things worth saving back then. I had friends that I wanted to keep, people who I wish I got to say goodbye to.”

“But you didn’t. Why?”

“I shouldn’t need to suffer through the worst of it because of the hope that things would get better. My dad told me that he never wanted me to stay in Konoha because it’d ruin the ability for me to see the good in things the way a normal child could.”

“That’s naive.”

“What?”

“You and your foolish father are naive to think that way. You think just because you want to believe there’s good in the worst of it, then it has to be true. It’s the way toddlers think. Sometimes… sometimes things that appear beyond saving are actually just beyond saving and not some pet project for an optimist like you.” Tsunade blew out a breath. “Listen kid, I’m sure that you mean well. It’s probably better for children like you to be so naive when it comes to the harsh reality of the world, but I can’t see it that way. And one day, neither will you.”

Naruto glared at her, pout apparent as he grew angry in her scornful tone. Kakashi shook his head when they met eyes, imploring him to stop pushing her so far.

“Goodness isn’t some childish way of thinking, it’s the truth! Good people are the ones responsible for moving the world forward and making it worth the next generation to inherit. What does it say about us if we just stand by and let someone like Danzo define the hidden leaf and the next generation?”

“It says that we’re not very good people. You know, I’ve never considered myself much of a good person at all.”

“But… you’re a healer.”

“What does that matter?”

“Healers are some of the goodest among the good. People who sacrifice their own selves for the chance to save other people are the exact kind of people who should represent us.” Naruto broke from the rest of them to get into Tsunade’s space and thrust his finger towards his chest. “A world where people like that do nothing is a world I won’t live in, believe it!”

Tsunade’s eyes fell to her own chest, hands lightly placed upon her necklace as she looked down at Naruto’s face. What did she see in this boy, Kakashi wondered; was it the same thing he saw, or Tenzo, or Jiraiya? After too long spent listening to the wind, she shook her head.

“You asked me what my answer was, and I gave it to you. I’m sorry, but I can’t watch another thing I loved become a painful memory."

Naruto’s hopeful grin dropped.

..

No. That wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

She was supposed to agree and go with them and save Konoha from itself. That was how it went in his head every time he replayed the scene. Maybe some salty tears and some hugging, but always a yes eventually.

Naruto stared down at his third bowl of ramen, unable to figure out where he went wrong.

Kakashi paused in his transference of pork from his bowl to Naruto’s when Naruto met his gaze out of the corner of his eye. It was that heartbroken look again, the same one that usually followed a bad dream, where he’d look to Kakashi for clarity the way he presumed non-prodigal kids did.

“We always knew there was a chance she’d say no, Naruto.”

“But why? Doesn’t she want to help the leaf?”

“I don’t know. But at the end of the day, we can’t force her to become hokage if that’s not what she wants. It’s a huge responsibility, so we wouldn’t want her to treat it like an easy decision anyways. Would you blame anyone for not wanting anything to do with the leaf?”

“No, but that’s why we need her!”

“Jiraiya already said he’d try to talk to her one last time before we plan our next course of action. If we’re lucky, he’ll be able to break through to her.”

Naruto frowned into the leftover broth of his ramen, downing it to avoid thinking about their situation. “Another one, please!”

Tenzo glared at him from across the table, to which Kakashi whistled a mindless tune in an attempt to avoid his gaze. Maybe he shouldn’t have promised Naruto as much ramen as he could eat to make up for it.

They left the ramen stand 3 pounds heavier and about 7000 ryo lighter, thanks to Tenzo’s thoughtful belated wedding gift and took a stroll around town while waiting for Jiraiya to report something that would give them insight. They agreed on walking by the edges of the towns’ walls so that they could at least avoid any more suspicious glances from the civilians inside, which gave them a perfect view of two figures arriving just outside of the small town.

Kakashi gazed at them, not able to shake the idea that their robes looked far too eccentric for the heat of the last of the summer’s days.

Tenzo followed his gaze, sharply intaking as he grasped Naruto and Kakashi and hopped into the nearby foliage before the two strangers could see them.

“Ow! What gives-”

Tenzo shushed him with a hand over his mouth. From their hiding spot, they could see the two growing closer to the entrance of the town.

As they came closer to his line of sight, Kakashi could finally make out the finer details of their uniform; swirling blood-red clouds that littered their stark black cloaks.

He’d seen it only once before, years ago when he’d been foolish enough to take a mission deep into the hidden sand. He’d just narrowly avoided being caught up in an altercation between two of them as they argued heavily over artistic merit while flinging projectiles at one another.

The Akatsuki.

..

Iruka could only scrounge up the power to come to a handful of times. While the majority of these spells rewarded very little in the way of introspection, spent with mostly darkened vision and a nausea so intense that he wouldn’t risk trying to stress his other senses.

He was being held up by two strong arms. The sound of footsteps behind him indicated at least two guards.

They weren’t as rough with him as he would have expected after one of them had presumably back-ended him with a kunai. His nose had been plugged with tissue paper by some kind soul in the interim too, though that didn’t do much to stop the throbbing pain from exacerbating his already pulsing headache.

This level of pain felt torturous. He couldn’t move his arms, his legs, not even his head. Everything felt too heavy to move.

The guards forcing his body to move forward would occasionally sag and loosen their grip. Despite his every instinct, he couldn’t help but equally worry about making a run for it with his current state. What if the guards were merely testing his compliance, waiting for him to try to run in order to have an excuse to really hurt him? He was just assuming neither of these shinobi were the same one that had violently struck him over the head.

Iruka tried to swallow around the singular thought breaking through his haze of pain; He’d broken his promise.

No.

He refused.

Iruka may not be in the field, but he wouldn’t allow himself to be made an example of. There was no crime committed, no reason for him to go quietly.

If Umino Iruka was anything, he was most certainly not the kind to go quietly.

..

Kakashi glanced warily at their new friends, sharingan pulsing as it recorded every minor fidget in their stances. From behind him, Naruto was surveying what he could and holding onto the three-pronged kunai while Tenzo held himself steady to begin weaving through the hand-signs for his jutsu the minute these criminals made a move.

“Who are they?”

“Akatsuki; members of a terrorist organization hunting down Jinchuuriki like you for their benefit.”

“Hidan and Kakuzu. Asuma-sensei had an awful battle with them a few weeks ago that we’re lucky he ever walked away from. That one with the scythe has some kind of voodoo doll jutsu tied to blood. They’re not people we should provoke if we can help it.”

“But if they’re hunting jinchuuriki, then why are they here?”

“That I can’t say. We should leave before they make their move, though.”

“But what about these people?”

“We’ll have to hope the akatsuki aren’t here on official business. Kakuzu, the one with the mask, he’s obsessed with material wealth. There’s a good chance they may not attack if they’re just here to speak with a bounty hunter.”

“What about Tsunade-san? And Jiraiya-san?”

“They’re strong. If anything happens, they’ll be fine.”

Naruto wouldn’t move, though. It made sense; this was a kid who’d only ever been taught to help. Leaving so many people at the mercy of potential serial killers wouldn’t do.

“Is there anything else we should know before the inevitable?”

“Asuma said something about Kakuzu and Hidan being immortal but we were lucky enough to only see Hidan’s power in battle. If Kakuzu had gotten in the middle, he would have been a dead man.”

“So one enemy we know everything about and one we don’t know anything about.” Kakashi didn’t like those odds. While they could formulate a decent plan against Hidan, Kakuzu was a wild card that could disrupt at any time and they would be at his mercy. And immortality? That meant there would be no holding back from their enemies.

And if they knew they’d stumbled upon a jinchuuriki, not even their begging would lead to a peaceful resolution.

..

Iruka was beginning to gain an idea of where they were now.

His feet had been gliding across rock-hard ground that felt like ice against his socked feet, but now his feet were entirely detached from the ground. He’d been handed off on one of the guards to carry over his back as they picked up pace to hurry over the border, which meant the occasional thunk he’d been hearing was the sound of sandal against the bark of a tree.

If they were in the trees, they had to be past Yugakure’s stony paths and now firmly heading south towards Fire Country. That wasn’t good; Yugakure may be a ways away from Konoha’s heart, but once they were in their borders then Iruka was as good as imprisoned. If he broke free now, he might be able to make a break for a nearby village where he could at least hide and wait for his first opportunity to get home. It was an imperfect plan, but this situation was admittedly far from perfect.

One guard holding him, with at least one more very close by. If he strained his hand into the proper sign, he could almost make out the shape of a third that was quickly escaping them.

It seemed at least one shinobi was so eager to go home that he was breaking formation to run ahead. Impatient, bordering on childish.

The seal in his yukata would capture them before they could alert the third. If he was lucky, he could put enough space between them that they’d be forced to reconvene.

Iruka shifted slightly, able to feel the rustle of paper against his chest. There was no way to convincingly bring his arms to his chest while slung over him like this.

Iruka sighed. It would hurt, but it would work.

Iruka let his arms fall and focused his gaze on the grass below them. Forcing himself to push his weight as far back as he could, he took advantage of that softened grasp and felt his body give way to the solid ground underneath. Landing on his weak back was another vicious shock, but it allowed him to feign the wild jerking of a corpse, hand sitting on his haneri.

When he felt the quiet cursing and airy sound of the shinobi dropping down next to him, he jumped back, flashing a perfect barrier seal that was just pedestrian enough for him to activate while so weakened. Iruka breathed in deeply, hands joining together to incapacitate them before they could even think.

But something stopped him.

The shinobi he’d caught, they were…

“Kotetsu? Izumo?” Their horrified looks greeted him from across the forest. They didn’t speak. Not that Iruka would have heard any words they found. “You… you two were the ones who kidnapped me? Why? What have I done that’s so wrong that you could do this?!”

Iruka’s hands shivered from exhaustion as he weakly smacked at them to force them to look at him in the eyes, to gaze upon the face of the person they could so maliciously betray.

His tears flowed like small rivers as he kept striking at them, begging for an answer from his oldest companions. “Could you really hate someone so much? Do you believe the lies Konoha’s spreading about me? Answer me!”

He was barely able to stand, much less run. Before him were two shinobi capable of taking down threats twice their skill level when working in tandem. Any half-baked attempt at running would result in harsher restraints for the next day or two.

Iruka was so tired that he almost missed Kotetsu’s frustrated grunt, a habit he’d never bothered to kick from before graduating the academy. He was angry, furious even when Iruka begged his eyes to stop drifting downward for a minute to meet his gaze. But just what did he have to be angry about? Iruka was watching his faith in everything good get torn apart by the minute and Kotetsu was angry?

“Believe me, if anyone has a right to be pissed right now, it’s me! All our years together and you couldn’t just leave me alone? You had to seek me out-”

“We didn’t seek you out!”

“Then why are you hauling me back to Konoha?”

“Danzo ordered it. Iruka; Mizuki is the mission leader, we wouldn’t be doing this if we thought he wouldn’t have our heads.”

“Who’s head is it if I’m brought back?”

“…You didn’t do anything wrong; maybe if he knew that, he’d let you go.”

“No he won’t. He’s going to kill me, and then- then Naruto will come back from his mission without a father.” Iruka could have pulled at his hair if it didn’t mean turning his headache into an ear-splitting migraine. “Because it’s always somehow Konoha’s greater good for the lives of innocent people!”

“Don’t. You think I want to turn you over to him? If it were up to us, me and Izumo would be missing-nin too by now! But Tenzo said he was going to get help, so… I wanted to hope he got back before we did.”

“And you gambled my life on that?”

“Yeah, we did! Because if we didn’t take a chance on something better, we’d be dead and you’d still be captured. There’s no pride in dying to make a point.”

“Well what about living for it?”

“This is us living for what we believe. Danzo won’t kill you.”

“Why not?”

“You can’t bargain with a corpse.”

Iruka stared at him incredulously. Kotetsu was more serious than he’d ever seen the man. It was a look that didn’t suit him, the grave importance of his words being emphasized by the chagrined expression on his face. Danzo’s callousness wasn’t just an overexaggerated joke Kakashi sometimes mentioned after a rough night; it was too real to believe.

“Oh no… I can’t let him do that to him. It’d kill him to have to choose something like that.”

“Yeah but it’s not really a choice, you know? I think either of us would choose the same if we were in his shoes.”

Iruka was silent for a few moments.

“Where is Mizuki?”

“He got tired of me slowing down the rest of the group so he was ahead of us by a bit. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t notice we stopped for the next few minutes, his massive ego is probably blinding his shinobi instincts.”

“Then you should probably take me before he gets too far away, huh?”

“I think your iron will is rubbing off on us, but I really don’t want to hand my old friend over to a dictator.” Kotetsu stood up and stretched for a minute before turning towards the direction they were going. “Maybe if we think quickly, we can lose him.”

“Or kill him.” Izumo added. He looked between their disapproving, shocked glances with his own look of confusion. “What.”

“We’re not going to kill him, Iruka’s a pessimist.”

It was a blessing and a curse to hear Kotetsu’s glib thinking return. “Pacifist. I’m a pacifist.”

“There’s gotta be exceptions, though.”

“It’s not that I don’t want him dead, it’s that I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

“So we kill him.” Izumo offered. “Or we lose him and let Danzo deal with him. I was just offering to kill him first as an act of mercy.”

Iruka sighed. Kotetsu put a hand on his hair and lightly pet it. “Don’t worry, he sucks and nobody’ll miss him. Think of it as a service to humanity.”

..

Hidan was getting tired of this constant endless search for a jinchuuriki that could be long dead. First, Pain’s incessant orders being barked about the absolute necessity to look for the nine tails because missing didn’t mean dead and now Kakuzu’s own grating insistence that they follow a bum lead to this middle-of-nowhere town because he wanted to call dibs on the bounty after they extracted its beast.

Hidan could have laughed at the very idea that such a destructive source of power would hide out in a place that couldn’t survive a single tail. And after a decade or so of total silence, Hidan would bet all of Kakuzu’s money that this so-called nine tails had died in a ditch somewhere years ago.

He glanced at Kakuzu, who was too pre-occupied with looking over his personal bingo book to notice that they’d been standing in place outside of the city walls for several minutes now.

“Hey, Kakuzu! Do me a favor and make it quick, will you? I’m not here to stare at the flowers.” Hidan spat as he sat himself on a stray rock just outside.

“I’ll take as long as I need to.” The deep baritone of Kakuzu’s voice replied mockingly, igniting the bloodlust Hidan had to keep clamped down most of the time. He was getting beyond peeved to be on this sidequest when they were neglecting the very active jinchuuriki in the hidden sand. Hell, they could have had better luck walking around the entire Land of Fire and stumbling upon one of the other uncaptured tailed beasts than wasting their time chasing evidence of a dead person.

They had an entire team of S-ranked threats and not one of them could find a corpse, what a load of shit.

Hidan huffed, head bowing down to be held up by his hand as he settled for what would be a long wait for his partner.

Like a jinchuuriki was just gonna fall out of the sky-

“Uhm, excuse me?” Hidan blinked in shock before turning to see a kid in the most garish shade of orange he’d ever seen. His bright red hair was equally hard for his eyes to digest, with the odd smattering of red on his cheeks bringing the entire look together in a bit of a traffic-cone inspired piece. Hidan almost wanted to ask how one could even acquire such a fashion sense without being color-blind.

“Beat it, kid.”

“I would love to, but I was just wondering if you could help me with something? I think I lost my ball somewhere over there.”

“Your ball? What are you, five?”

The kid’s eye twitched and Hidan caught a peek at his annoyed sneer before his face was once again perfectly innocent. “I’m not five, and I was playing with some other kids when the ball got kicked into the trees. Can you please help me out?”

“No.”

The kid let out an irritated growl before raising the volume of his voice to a shrill degree. “Listen, if you help me out, I’ll do you a favor, alright? What do you want, money?”

“Hmph, I have no need for money. The only thing you could ever offer me worth having is eternal salvation from the true light, Jashin.”

“Who’s that?”

“Huh? You don’t know who Jashin is?” This kid was really starting to piss him off. First, he treats him like a total pacifist do-gooder, and now he reveals his total ignorance towards the one thing that doesn’t usually piss him off. “Where are you from, stupid-town?”

“No! From Yugakure!”

Hm. A kid from his own bastard hometown, this far into Fire Country. Small world. At least now he’d be able to have a little fun with this. “Yugakure, those babies who hate fighting? Let me guess, you left because you realized that you had to be out there with the action.”

“Yeah, something like that!”

“Then let me be the first to introduce you to the only modern religious movement that’ll tame the beast inside your fiery little heart.” Hidan held up his necklace and watched the sunlight reflect off his most prized possession. “The practice of Jashinism.”

“Wow, sounds super interesting! Maybe you can tell me more while we look for my ball?”

Hidan really didn’t want to waste his time looking for a stupid ball just to wind up fruitless, but Kakuzu wasn’t one to rush for his sake. Why should Hidan have to suffer by waiting here mindlessly when he could get a potential recruit or a potential sacrifice?

“You know what? Sure, kid. You said it went into the forest, right?”

..

This ball was impossible to find. Like it vanished into thin air or something. Hidan was growing more and more impatient by the minute, watching this brat lead him on a wild goose chase through some dumb trees and being painfully dense about the one thing that made Hidan get involved to begin with.

“So, he’s like a demon?”

“No! He’s the god!”

“But why would a god want to hurt his people?”

“Because he thrives on the death and destruction of all those under his thumb! It’s not that hard to understand.”

The kid kept looking behind trees as Hidan circled the clearing they were in and pretended to turn over rocks with his scythe in their search, disappearing for mere moments before bursting back into his line of sight with another dumb question. “But if his whole thing is killing people, what happens when all of his followers die?”

“His followers are the harbingers of death, you little pest!”

“That didn’t really answer my question.”

Hidan sent a sorry prayer up to his god, unsure if he’ll be able to send a true prayer for a good killing up before he kills this damn kid. “Listen, do you like the idea or not? You don’t need to know everything now, you can learn on the way.”

“I’m just not really seeing what’s so great about it, you know? An entire religion dedicated to making people live in fear and pain 24/7? Sounds a bit dumb.”

“Dumb? Listen here kid, you do not want to start shit with me.”

“I’m just saying, it sounds really stupid to start a way of life that relies on killing other members.”

“We’re killing non-believers!"

“So other members are off-limits?”

“No, but you need permission!” Hidan let out a short, guttural groan and his hand firmly grasped his scythe. “That’s it! I don’t care anymore! You’re obviously not bright enough to appreciate the might of Jashin! I’d say I’m fulfilling the tenants by doing this, but you’re way too annoying to call my neighbor.”

He un-sheathed his weapon and held the blade end towards the child who stood, half-hidden by the trees ahead of him.

“Lord Jashin, forgive me for this little stain I’m about to smear all over the ground.”

..

Mizuki took about five minutes to notice he was running in the trees alone. What tipped him off was the lack of any footsteps behind him when he paused to take a breather between his hushed insults towards Kotetsu’s inadequacy as a field ninja. The quiet of the forest was one that brought him such immense discomfort even years after the fact, minor pins digging into his skin when he sat still for too long and listened to the birds chirping their pointless melodies.

It was inane of Danzo to let those idiots on such an important mission. They weren’t loyal to him and it was plain to see how often Izumo and Kotetsu shot these looks at one another when they have to do anything worthy of their position as jonins.

It set Mizuki’s skin on fire watching them display such soft tendencies in their field.

And now, they were being weak in front of the target too; Mizuki’s target. Not theirs. Mizuki was the one who offered to come alone and deal out justice as he saw fit, but Danzo forbid it. He needed a breathing captive, not a husk, and he thought Mizuki was too involved to adhere to mission protocol.

As if Kotetsu sharing a dining table with that pest for four years didn’t compromise his involvement.

Mizuki ran in the opposite direction they came from, sprinting as fast as he could. It wasn’t crazy to think they would try to skip out on their duty at the first chance they had, Mizuki had been waiting for their feeble protests for humane treatment ever since they’d left Konoha, but they were ninken more than equal shinobi to him.

They had to be taught and redirected a million times before they would get to a fraction of the devotion Mizuki had for Konoha, and even then they would be limited by their own lack of talent.

He once thought Iruka was his equal, but that was so long ago. Before he invited that disaster onto their doorsteps and ran off with it before it could become something Konoha didn’t have to worry about.

Mizuki stopped at a tree, watching Kotetsu and Izumo groan about on the ground while cradling themselves. “What’s going on here?”

Izumo stood up first, aching. He brushed a few wet leaves off of his vest and spoke with a wince. “Umino-san- he… he escaped!”

“What?! You had one duty, what do you mean he managed to escape both of you?”

“He waited until he could catch us off guard and then set off this crazy barrier jutsu… we could have died.”

“He wouldn’t have had the energy for a barrier jutsu if you’d let me make sure he was out of commission. Now, make yourself useful and tell me where he went.”

Kotetsu and Izumo pointed in conflicting directions before shaking their heads and adjusting their fingers to right behind Mizuki, whose groan of exasperation rivalled their own.

“How did I get stuck with you two of all people?”

Mizuki turned towards the thicket behind them, before a searing pain enveloped his senses, knocking him to the ground.

Kotetsu snickered as two sets of feet approached him. “That was harsh.”

“I’m against killing, not karma.”

Their voices were so far away now, with his slowly darkening vision.

But it sounded so familiar.

..

Naruto was shocked when Kakashi actually let him take on Hidan by himself. Sure, he’d yelled at him about how he should trust him but he didn’t actually think Kakashi did, so when Kakashi relented that he’d take on Hidan while they looked for Tsunade and Jiraiya while avoiding Kakuzu, it was weird.

Kakashi didn’t look quite so happy with this decision either, but they knew enough about Hidan. They knew next to nothing about this other guy, there was far too much risk in engaging him compared to the other. Tenzo was smart, he’d be able to divulge more from Kakuzu’s moment-to-moment moves than Naruto would. As for why Kakashi went along, Naruto didn’t know.

He worried his bottom lip as he kept circling Hidan from behind the trees, occasionally stopping to plant a seal before falling into his line of sight once more. This guy was easy to aggravate, that’s for sure. Naruto hadn’t even begun being truly annoying and the guy was already starting to aim his weapon square between his eyes and rambling about this Jashin guy again.

Naruto was certain that blade would end up embedded in him if he asked him who Jashin was supposed to be again. He couldn’t help it, he was too focused on making sure Hidan wasn’t going to lash out and strike to pay close attention to whatever he was talking about.

“Be careful with that, you could poke someone’s eye out!”

“Oh, you better hope that’s all I do, you brat!” With a decisive swing, Hidan brought his large blade down towards Naruto, not bothering to avoid the large tree he was using for cover and slicing through the width of it. Naruto hopped back on instinct and narrowly avoided being skewered through the middle by the large weapon, surprised gasps leaving him as the tree fell down. That tree connected the circle of seals he needed to put his plan into action and restrain Hidan; he’d need to re-think this plan and quick before he had his head lobbed off.

“So… I’m guessing there’s no talking this out?” Naruto squeaked as Hidan began swinging his blade erratically, swiping all around him in a frenzy with little rhyme or reason to each strike. He struck out occasionally to destroy possible breathing spots for Naruto; trees, rocks, and foliage were cut down and left Naruto out in the open for Hidan to eye with a look that screamed for his untimely demise.

Think, Naruto, think! What could he do when his carefully laid plans and constructive conversation failed?

Hidan caught him by the neck before he could land another physical attack and held him just out of reach, free hand fiddling with the chain of his blade as he slowly drew it back towards him. Naruto scratched with all his might to force Hidan to drop it, who hissed and tightened his hold as Naruto became desperate in his writhing.

He needed to stay in control, he was getting too overwhelmed. If he could have a moment to think, he could do something, he knew it, but he’s so focused on keeping his breathing normal that anything else is falling wayside in his brain right now.

Naruto couldn’t help the pooling he began to feel in his gut, that bubbling he’d felt only once before now. He internally pleaded against it, this red-hot fury that would make the fight effortless at the cost of not just all he’s learned about not relying on its power, but at the potential cost of the entire surrounding area if he couldn’t get it under control again.

He caught the quick flicker of his eyes as Hidan’s scythe stood at eye level with him, something he knew Hidan caught too.

“Hm? How’d you do that?” He brought the kid closer to him and looked over his face closely. “And you’re wearing facepaint… you’re not just some regular bozo after all. Well that won’t do; its bad manners to not give the guy you’re fighting your name, you know.” Hidan turned around suddenly, bashing Naruto into the adjacent tree by his neck. “So give it, and I may just let you live long enough to be part of my ritual.”

“No way!”

“Then I guess I’ll just have to kill you now and loot the ID off of you afterwards!”

As Hidan pressed further down and Naruto began seeing spots in his vision, he was suddenly freed. As he fell to the ground, he gasped loudly to try to make up for the light-headed daze he was in and calm his out-of-control nerves before the point of no return.

Hidan was cradling his wrist, pierced through by a senbon dripping purple liquid and swearing his head off.

“Hey, kid! You look like you’re in over your head.” Naruto’s eyes drifted towards the booming voice within the trees and Hidan even stopped his cursing to find Tsunade standing tall on a branch above them.

“Tsu- Tsunade-san!”

“Listen twerp, just stay out of it. The big kids are playing now.” It’s said with the fiery might of a woman who would hear no “buts,” but the soft glazing of her eyes as she looked back at Naruto was one of what Naruto could only think of as unfounded amounts of affection for him.

With a snort, he stood up and steadied himself into a defensive stance beside her, kunai raised. “Don’t underestimate me! I’ll probably end up saving your hide before this is all over!”

“Don’t bet on it, kid.” Tsunade took advantage of the disorienting moment she'd caused and brought her leg down with such a force that the ground beneath them opened up like the maw of a great beast.

Hidan recovered in time to dodge the chasm she’d created and held his scythe closer as he eyed them both. “Grandma sannin too? I’m really popular today.”

Tsunade grit her teeth. “What do we know, kid?”

“All I know is he’s got some weird voodoo jutsu that can hurt people.”

“That’s all we need to know.” Tsunade reached into the sleeves of her kimono jacket and pulled out various senbon. “Focus on disarming him, Naruto!”

“Got it!” Naruto sprung into action, reinvigorated in his attempts to get within close quarters of Hidan. His kunai parried ferociously with the large blade as he and Hidan glared with equal amounts of anger, Tsunade’s devastating physical and ranged attacks doing well to distract Hidan the slightest bit.

It wasn’t easy keeping out of the way of the huge weapon, to be truthful, and Naruto was itching to get this man pinned down before he was caught in the crosshairs. Tsunade wasn’t willing to get within the necessary parameters to do serious damage to him, a reason unknown to Naruto, which meant he was putting up the bulk of damage Hidan couldn’t evade. That meant punches and kicks with a rare swipe of his kunai that the grown man only sustained through his own arrogant fighting style.

It was… familiar in a way Naruto couldn’t quite name.

Naruto called forth a few shadow clones to crowd Hidan while he was busy dividing his attention between three possible attackers, not bothering to hide his jutsu as he focused on overwhelming him with the might of his additional man-power.

From behind them, he readied himself using a few extra clones he summoned once Hidan broke eye contact. Visualizing the chakra in his hand, remembering what Kakashi had told him the first time they began to learn such a difficult technique. Chakra, rotated and confined into a single moving sphere of perpetual power.

Hidan was busy swiping at the clones climbing his back and Naruto took advantage of the one open spot he’d have; he broke into a quick sprint and held his arm out in front of him. “Rasengan!”

The attack was one devastating by nature to the recipient, and Hidan’s jutsu didn’t make him any more resilient than the average person. His body was blown back immediately, shot back so fiercely that it created a dig-in and tore up his cloak.

Naruto breathed deeply, thankful it landed the first time. He’d been practicing for far too long just to have the rasengan appear.

He wasn’t sure he could pull this jutsu out again without burning through the rest of his limited reserves.

“Another win for Naruto! Woo!”

“Naruto, watch out-”

Naruto hopped back a minute too late and was rewarded for his early celebration with a gash in his left shoulder that began bleeding immediately. His hand came up to cover the wound instinctually as he grunted in pain, watching Hidan stand from the small mound of dirt with his scythe covered in fresh blood. Like Naruto thought, he hadn’t dodged his rasengan; the bruised indent in his stomach told as much.

“You know, I used to be good friends with your buddy, Orochimaru. He used to gossip about you guys all the time before he backstabbed us and went back to whatever crazy shit he’s doing now. I kinda wanna see if it was true…” Hidan thrusted his blade towards Tsunade, not deterred when Naruto went to grab the hilt, and stopped just short of her face, splashing wet blood all over her.

Tsunade stilled instantly, a terrified look in her eyes. She was completely silent, a frightening change from her earlier disposition.

“Tsunade?”

“Don’t waste your breath. She’s as good as gone right now, which means we can go back to our little scuffle, fair and square.”

Naruto felt a bead of sweat trailing down his face. That move usually decimated whatever it touched, it was too powerful to use outside of situations like this, and he’d shouldered it like it was nothing. He was staggering as much as Naruto was, but he was still swinging his weapon and laughing his head off.

Hidan recalled his weapon and held the stained tip of his blade up to his mouth, eyes crazed as he lapped up the small trail of blood and smiled with blood-stained teeth at Naruto like his next prey. Immediately, it was as if a switch had flipped in Hidan’s head and he used the end of the scythe to begin drawing a circle around him. Naruto didn’t need any extra information to guess that it was probably not good to let him continue with what he was doing.

Naruto sprung into action, calling forth two new shadow clones to interrupt his little ritual, but Hidan had apparently decided that he wouldn’t entertain his sputtered and desperate prodding anymore and cut through them faster than Naruto could even see.

“Now listen here, kid.” As he finished his drawing, Hidan’s skin shifted miraculously from his pale pink shade to a dark, shadowy hue decorated with pearly white lines. “I’m feeling nice today since you’re both so weak, it’s funny. Give me your name and I’ll make your death quicker than hers.”

“I would love to give you my name when you’re looking up at me from where people like you go when they die.” Naruto flashed through the signs he’d become too familiar with during his barrier training, to Hidan’s continued laughter.

“Hey, twerp, I don’t think you noticed but you forgot the “set up” part of your trap.” Hidan raised his scythe high into the air, savoring the way the blood stained metal reflected his own undead appearance back at him before stabbing himself through the abdomen.

Naruto gasped. Tsunade cried out.

“Feels good, doesn’t it? This… this is the might of Jashin that you take in vain.” Hidan sliced across the width of his body to add onto his snide tone, watching as Naruto began to sink to the ground, hands still held in the final sign for a barrier jutsu.

“You idiot. What were you thinking, engaging him so closely?... Why would you deprive the world of another good person?” Tsunade cried, a soft tear falling as she watched Naruto fall.

“Don’t cry too much, I’ll get you next.” Hidan giggled maniacally as he steadied his arm for another deadly strike. “Kakuzu’s gonna be so jealous I got one of you geriatric assholes before he did!”

As Hidan’s arm lurched forward, his already fragile wrist was struck by a rough force and his scythe clattered to the floor several feet away. Just as Hidan attempted to gauge his surroundings, the world before him turned an odd shade of saturated blue.

“Huh?!” Standing with him in the barrier was the very same kid whose innards he was sure he’d made outward, no longer harmed. Behind him was a hole that burrowed deep into the dirt just in front of Hidan. In his hand, was a single piece of sealing paper.

“You know, one of my sensei used to catch me with that mole technique all the time when we first started training together. He said it was because I fought like I was running on a timer.” Naruto stuck the seal on with immense force before he too, puffed out of existence. “My other sensei used to say if your enemy was moving, they were still a threat.”

Hidan gasped; he’d completely forgotten about the two other shadow clones that he’d used during the fight.

From outside the barrier, he could just make out Tsunade being helped up to her feet by the real Naruto.

“So what, you pulled some baby jutsu and trapped me in a bubble? Do you really think any of that’ll stop me?! I’m immortal, you hear? I’ll come back and put you in the ground! You better remember me, because this face is gonna hunt you down for the rest of time!”

As the seal on his chest activated, he was suddenly overcome with an intense pressure pushing him towards the ground as multiple needles pierced every surface of his body.

The needles expanded slowly, skewering parts of his body slowly as the tendons joining his limbs to his midsection were ripped clean.

..

Tsunade huffed, watching Hidan struggle against the barrier. “I’m sorry kid. I put you in danger clamming up like that.”

“Hey, you were the one who kept him distracted. You’re really strong, I had no idea healers could be so good at taijutsu.”

“Hmph. If it were up to me, they would be.” Tsunade smiled. “Not bad, though, for a kid. Where’d you learn that barrier technique?”

“My dad is really good at that stuff. The seal is actually his and we worked together to make it a perfect seal.”

“Your dad, the major proponent of peace, has a barrier that can tear people apart?” She turned towards the barrier. “He sounds like my granddad.”

“He’s a bit scary, but he’s the best! He was gonna come… but you can meet him after we head back! He’d love you; he’s a pretty bad healer, but he’s really into the practice.”

“Can’t wait. I’m a bit of a seals enthusiast myself.” Tsunade laughed from her place on a rock next to Naruto, who sat on the bark of the fallen tree.

“Hey!” Tsunade and Naruto turned towards the new voice, finding Jiraiya and Kakashi walking towards them looking worse for wear. “Finally found you two. We were worried you were defeated by one of those akatsuki guys.”

Tenzo poked through the trees just behind them, looking the worst of them all. He was breathing deeply and his entire outfit had been torn up, with various cuts residing in the gaps of skin Naruto could see under his uniform.

“I’m gonna assume you guys got caught up with the other one.” Naruto asked Kakashi, who stopped by him and discretely examined the visceral bruising on his neck.

“Yep. You’re lucky you only had to fight this one; that guy had like, five different bodies.”

“Speaking of, he’s still alive.”

Kakashi’s good eye scrutinized Naruto for a second before turning back to Tenzo. “I think the best way to get rid of him for good is to make sure he can’t do anything even if he is alive.”

Tenzo nodded and the two headed over to the barrier.

Jiraiya stood close to them. “Good work, little man. Not many kids your age can say they’ve taken out an S-ranked threat.”

“Thanks, Jiraiya-san, but I didn’t really do it by myself.”

“Most young shinobi couldn’t even do it with one of the sannin involved. You trapped an akatsuki member; that takes brains and bravery. You kind of remind me of your dad. He was an absolute unit on the field.”

..

“Kakashi, why did Iruka care so much that I wanted to go on this mission?”

“Asking a question like that so far into our mission is a bit redundant, isn’t it?” Kakashi leaned forward in his chair as he spooned food from the pot into their bowls.

Naruto shuffled over to his seat across from Kakashi slowly. “It’s not like I regret it. I was just thinking about that night before we left again. Does Iruka not want me to be a shinobi?”

“It’s not that. You becoming a shinobi was inevitable because of your goals, and we always knew that one day you’d have to do what you thought was right. But for Iruka you’re not a shinobi, you’re a person. One he holds close to his chest and would hate to no longer have to annoy him one day.”

“But you’re okay with it?”

Kakashi didn’t answer, instead misdirecting. “I was raised in it. I get that urge to be part of the action, or I used to. The older I get, the less I want to leave my pack even when it means doing something I’ve been taught is so important.”

“It’s not about being part of the action, it’s about making a difference. What difference can I even make if I’m not a shinobi? It’s so frustrating! It’s like I can never make Iruka happy no matter what I’m doing.”

“You think Iruka’s upset with you?” Kakashi looked at him like it was some forbidden jutsu he’d mentioned and not the guy he shared a bed with. “I think if he was upset, we’d know.”

“No… I know he loves me and you tolerate me-”

“I love you.” Kakashi interrupted, face hidden by his bowl as he ate. “And so does Iruka. It’s probably not as important to you but I’d say I love you to the same effect that he does. It’s hard not to love someone like you.”

“It is important. It’s just- Iruka cares so much about the killing and the importance of helping instead of hurting, but what am I supposed to do if I can’t get through to someone like Hidan? If I kill someone someday?”

“The fact that it’s so hard for you to even think about killing someone shows that you care far more about people’s lives than most shinobi could handle. If you carry that compassion with you, then you’ll know when to use it. Iruka and I aren’t special for not wanting to put more hate into the world, we’re just lucky to be able to exercise it.”

“But why is it easy for you and Iruka, but super hard for everybody in Konoha? Why do I have to be some sacrifice- why does anyone have to be?”

“All we know how to do is react sometimes, even if it’s not right. It’s the furthest thing from right, but the people of Konoha are just as human as us. People like me and your dad aren’t any different in a way that other people in Konoha couldn’t be if they stopped running on anger long enough to see what that anger was directed towards.”

“Do you think they’ll ever get over that, though?”

“Even if they do, you won’t have to accept it. Me and Iruka will follow you to the ends of the earth, even if the world stays the same, hateful place tomorrow. Because that’s our purpose as… people close to you.”

“You know you can say family? I know we’re pack, like the dogs, but you’re stuck with us too.”

“What you and Iruka share is something special.”

“And you’re part of it. Don’t make me get mushy, you know you’re not just like a friend or something. You’re… kinda like what Iruka is to me, I guess.”

“Then I guess I should say that both of us only want you to be happy and healthy. Iruka isn’t disappointed and I’m definitely not either, but the pain of watching your child slowly grow out of needing you is a pain I can’t explain to you.”

“I’ll always need you guys. I still forget who our doctor is when I get check-ups.” Naruto said with a light laugh. “It’s a bit depressing that you guys think I’m gonna throw you in the garbage because I’m not 8 anymore.”

“You wouldn’t get it because you’re not old with kids yet.”

“And I never will be, kids freak me out. I’d rather be old and cool like the village grannies; all they do is sit and gossip while eating sweets.”

Kakashi smiles at Naruto’s over-enthusiastic demeanor, not emotional at all over the idea of Naruto getting even older than he is now and the possibility that he won’t be here one day to see it. This moment, one that cannot be replicated in any other timeframe, where Naruto only gets older by the second, and he’s spending it laughing with Kakashi in a ryokan after narrowly avoiding death at the hands of the Akatsuki. How many more moments do they have left of this, the calm between their storms? Not for the first time, Kakashi regrets not leaving with them the very first time Iruka indirectly asked him to and instead leaving 4 years worth of irreparably lost time to sit between them all. Time that Kakashi doesn’t think he’ll ever make up for, not if he spent every waking moment with them, because Naruto will never be so small and reliant on them ever again.

He’s happy to see the changes that have occurred right under his nose for the past few years, but it’s a melancholy kind of happiness that one catches when they’re struck with the knowledge that time will never stop moving forward, even if they do.

“Hey, when we get back, we should buy a sheet cake and eat it out of the box with forks like me and dad used to do on my birthday! We used to have to lay on the floor because of how bad our stomachs hurt after!”

“If you want to spend your birthday comatose with us in the living room, I guess that’d be alright.” Kakashi didn’t care for sweets, as he’d been forced to repeat to Naruto many times, but he supposed that day could be an exception.

Naruto nodded excitedly. “I can’t wait for this mission to be over!”

Tenzo cleared his throat from the kitchenette area, awkwardly standing by as he held his food close to his chest, eating while standing next to the counter. “Me too.”

“Oh. Sorry Yamato-sensei, I kinda forgot you were here. You can totally come to my birthday party, if you want. The sheet cakes at Hino-san’s bakery are way too huge for three people. Promise it’s not as gross as it sounds.”

“Thanks, Naruto. That’s… really thoughtful, actually. I’ll make sure to invite Gai too, he’s missed you a lot.”

Kakashi nodded, thankful for the invitation to recount the past four years to someone who would be seated in rapt attention for all of it.

He was broken out of his light-hearted reverie by a soft noise that only seemed to resonate through his sensitive ears. The trademark bark of a dog, but not just any dog. The singular summon he’d left behind.

“Pakkun?”

Kakashi’s voice broke through the quiet calm of their eating, springing up from the floor as that barking in the distance rapidly approached them and sliding the door open with more force than was necessary.

Naruto fought his worn muscles long enough to stand upright and meet Kakashi at the edge of the genkan, where Pakkun came to an abrupt stop.

“Pakkun? What’s the deal, you were supposed to be back home!”

“Status report.”

Pakkun was weary, but he shook his head to clear it and sat back on his hind legs. “Compromised.”

“And him?”

With a touch more emotion clouding his usually perpetually bored tone, Pakkun replied, "Apprehended by Leaf Shinobi.”

“What? Who?! Tell me!”

“Slow down, kid, I’m just as angry as you are. When I was sniffing around the back of the house three shinobi slipped in and knocked him out before I could even notice. By the time I realized anything was happening, they were already escaping the scene.”

“Is Iruka okay?”

“He smelled like he was bleeding, but not dead. I tailed them for a bit when I realized they were going in your direction. It looks like they were bringing him back to the leaf.”

“How? We’ve been more than careful, there’s no way the Hidden Leaf could have found out.”

“Tenzo? Are you absolutely sure you weren’t being tailed when you went looking for us?”

“I’m sure. I triple-checked to make sure no other shinobi were there.”

“Why are we standing here? They have Iruka, we have to go!”

“And do what?” Tenzo asked.

Kakashi stared off into the distance, vaguely north of where they were. “That all depends on if Iruka’s alive when we get there, doesn’t it?”

..

Their small group of people had grown by two as they raced back to the village. They landed at the front of one of the entrances leading into Konoha.

This was it. The culmination of all their shared efforts.

Tsunade led them, the terror that her sheer aura exuded unmatched by anyone else, all the way to the Hokage office.

“We’ve come to speak with the council.”

“You’ll need to schedule a meeting through the hokage and come back-” The jonin on guard trailed off once his eyes finally caught up to the sight ahead of him. Two sannin. Two ANBU, one presumed dead. The Jinchuuriki, nearly a decade older than when he left.

The poor shinobi’s head looked like it was overheating with the dilemma of actually trying to stop them or just letting them go.

“We’re here to make a plea for Danzo’s immediate dismissal and the appointment of me as the fifth hokage; there’s no need to alert the interim hokage until the meeting is set if we have reason to believe he’d interfere with due process. Of course, if we, the Sannin, have to go find the council ourselves, we’d be happy to.”

“Yeah, what she said.” Naruto supplied helpfully from behind Kakashi.

“Now, would you please make yourself useful and tell the council that we’re here and willing to negotiate?”

“Yes. Of course, right away Lady Tsunade!” The jonin ran into the tower hastily as Tsunade blew air at a stray piece of hair in her face.

“Wow. You’re really scary.” Naruto said with awe behind her.

“Thanks, kid, but save the compliments for after the meeting.”

Eventually, they were greeted with the face of a different jonin who offered to bring them to the top of hokage tower in exchange for his well-being probably. As the small group of people walked, the jonin spoke quietly.

“It’s nice to see you alive and well, Hatake-san.”

“Sarutobi-san, where’s Iruka?”

The older man huffed out a puff of smoke from his mouth. “That’s the kind of thing a traitor might say, isn’t it? I can’t just tell you classified stuff like that.” The jonin tilted his head to the side as he assessed them all with a disconnected look, face scrunching up as though the idea of this group of people being considered traitors was a poor attempt at a joke. “You’ll find out soon enough anyways.”

“Is he okay?” Naruto jumped in, sick with not being able to grasp any concrete information on Iruka. When was he supposed to learn about it, after something awful happened? No way. That was torturous, waiting for someone to take mercy on him and let him know what was going on.

It felt like it was weakening his heart by the minute not knowing anything.

Sarutobi-san didn’t give him any form of verbal affirmation, but his nod was enough. Naruto could breathe again, his heart could stop tightening up so needlessly.

Even Kakashi looked a little less distressed by the news.

“Like I said, not much for me to say to “traitors” of the leaf. I don’t think I’m even supposed to say what I have, Danzo’s kinda strict about that stuff. I’m assuming you guys are about to head up there, huh?”

“Yep, Tsunade’s gonna knock this geezer out of office.”

Asuma once again neglected to vocalize an answer to properly convey how he felt about such information, but he hummed a tune Naruto thought sounded pleasant as he walked away.

..

Kotetsu and Izumo had apparently shed their skin of submissiveness the moment Mizuki met the wrong end of Iruka’s right hook. They’d been making small jokes and sharing stories of moments Iruka missed in the time they’d been apart, like how Genma was still getting made fun of for being caught in his own trap while on a reconnaissance mission. They barely made an effort to maintain any shinobi aspect of themselves as they ran alongside Iruka, occasionally slowing down when he struggled to maintain their pace.

It was this moment that made Iruka hurt for all that they’d lost.

They’d probably never be as close as they were before they had to be shinobi anymore, but they could be more than nothing again.

It was one of those idealist fantasies that wafted around Iruka’s head alongside his yearning for peace. But Iruka had experience fighting for things Konoha deemed impossible.

..

“Council, if I may;” Tsunade stood up, bowing before the council before beckoning Naruto forward. “This is Uzumaki Naruto, the jinchuuriki of the nine tailed fox, and he risked his life to bring me here to fulfill the people’s cry for a new hokage. We believe that the acceptance of a new hokage will bring forward an age of prosperity for Konoha comparable to the time of Sarutobi Hiruzen. The jinchuuriki has agreed to pledge a steady alliance with Konoha and Yugakure that would allow them to take full advantage of one anothers “resources.” She relayed, gesturing towards Naruto. “Alongside him would be the resource of Hatake Kakashi, Jiraiya of the Sannin and I. These are resources that we’ll only be able to secure if we agree to Danzo’s rightful termination and the passing of the title onto me.”

The faces of the konoha council looked at one each other as though communicating telepathically before their eyes fell on the young boy. “This boy looks nothing like the jinchuuriki; how do we know you’re not bluffing?”

Tsunade ushered Naruto forward, who lifted his shirt to show off the unique seal seared into his stomach. “Despite his appearance, this is surely the nine tails’ host. Hatake is willing to provide proof of his identity too, if necessary, but this is no bluff.”

“So you want us to kneel to whatever whim this jinchuuriki decides we should meet or he’ll escape again?”

“This jinchuuriki is called Naruto, a name he’s quite proud of. He’s willing to keep to his word by putting it in writing and so is Hatake-san. The ANBU currently under the name Yamato is also willing to vouch for the character of these two men if you need additional security that the jinchuuriki has every intention of working alongside Konoha to usher in a new era of peace.”

Naruto avoided the prying eyes of the council as she put a hand on his shoulder, viscerally uncomfortable with the way they looked at him with open distaste. It was too reminiscent of what he’d ran from so long ago.

“They have a stipulation, however.” Tsunade nodded at Naruto.

“It’s a pleasure, council. Your current hokage has imprisoned Umino Iruka, a missing-nin who is responsible for taking me from Konoha. I’m asking for his immediate release upon coming to an agreement, as he has been slandered by Danzo and his men in order to stoke the flames of infighting among shinobi. We were attacked, and the reason I left Konoha is largely because he feared for my life if we remained in Konoha after a failed assassination attempt.”

“Regardless of motivations, he bypassed the proper way of going about things for his own misguided pity. That alone should net him a prison sentence.”

“There were no proper channels…” Naruto murmured before clearing his throat. “What he did was a selfless act that may have been his last if he didn’t care so much for the life of your precious tailed beast. Umino-san is no criminal and he should be lauded as a hero for all he’s done to keep the jinchuuriki available to you, not strung up in prison in a bid to punish his actions.”

Kakashi stepped in, head bowed. “It is our stipulation, council. All things considered, it’s not as hefty as it perhaps should be.”

“But we understand if you don’t want to adhere to our stipulation. We will depart as soon as possible should you decide you cannot look past one prisoner for all we are offering.”

The man sitting before them sucked in a breath, a small slip to show how little they wanted to let their prized weapon slip out of their hands once more and stay a vulnerable village. It almost made Naruto smirk to know the council wasn’t immune to the power of a deal that was too good to ignore.

Danzo stood off to the side, not allowed to rule on his own resignation for fear of conflict of interest, and he did a worse job keeping it together. He knew as well as they did that the council couldn’t ignore their offer. Not while Konoha was still recovering from the last tragedy they had to survive without the jinchuuriki.

Weirdly enough, Danzo hadn’t mentioned their hostage at all. Not that it would have helped the council’s already disapproving stares.

..

“Dad! Dad! You’re free!” Naruto ran down the halls of T&I screaming as loud as his little lungs could, Kakashi following at a pace slightly brisker than he was used to. “You can leave!”

As they pounced down the halls, they bumped into one Mitarashi Anko, who’d been having a hushed conversation with Ibiki. Kakashi held Naruto back by his hair before he could barrel into them and announced himself.

“Oi. Where’s Iruka?”

Anko looked angry in the moment it took her to realize she was talking to Kakashi, face falling into something almost light-hearted as she saw the kid fighting against his hold to reach her old friend. “Woah, is this the fabled jinchuuriki? He’s a bit puny for a tailed beast, isn’t he?” Naruto huffed and Anko let a small chuckle escape her lips as she waved a quick goodbye to Ibiki. “I’ll show you where he is. Maybe you’ll get a laugh out of it too.”

..

Naruto was having trouble processing this.

Two jonin were guarding a mission scroll with a death grip from under a tree outside the gates while looking every which way to make sure they wouldn’t get caught. When they noticed the open staring the three of them were doing, they stood pin straight as though they’d been caught stealing, which they might as well have been.

“Kotetsu. Izumo. Remember Hatake-san and Uzumaki-kun? They got approval.”

“Oh… that’s awesome! We totally thought you would! You heard that, Iruka? You’re free!” Kotetsu screamed up into the tree, waving the scroll in his hands as he hopped up and down.

“Great. I don’t think sitting in this tree is gonna help me heal any faster.” Iruka slowly came into view as he gingerly made his way down the tree.

Kakashi turned towards Anko, who looked more than pleased with the way Kotetsu scrambled to get Iruka back on his feet. “What’s going on?”

“They were so depressed about Touji forcing them on his little retrieval mission that they said they were gonna help him escape, but they had no idea what to do after so they got me to talk to Ibiki about memory wiping.”

Iruka shook his head. “It was thoughtful, even if knocking Mizuki out and hiding him in a scroll had a decent chance of totally backfiring.” He smoothed down his outfit before turning towards Naruto, eyes softening as he took in his boy covered in numerous bruises and cuts.

He couldn’t form any words. Instead, he walked over and cradled Naruto’s face, paint smeared across his cheeks not helping the visible dishevelment his entire look had taken on after Hidan. Soft fingers trailed down to his shoulder to study the wound he’d gained as well; it looked like all Iruka could see were the endless amount of injuries he’d sustained in the time since they left.

Naruto could relate; Pakkun relayed Iruka’s head injury and part of him wanted to make sure he was okay too, despite the knowledge that he’d survived far worse.

“Dad…” Naruto tried to sound as embarrassed as possible under the watchful eye of so many other ninja.

“Just checking. You’re never too old to be my son.”

“I know, dad.” Naruto laughed as Iruka became more dramatic in his fussing, poking at Naruto’s cheeks and ruffling up his hair, now more of a sunset than the red they’d become used to. “I know.”

Iruka gave him one of his softest smiles before turning to Kakashi. “And you!” Kakashi’s eye shrunk as Iruka’s harsh gaze mentally derobed him, preparing for the verbal lacerations he would receive for letting his… their kid get hurt on the job, but instead, Iruka engulfed Kakashi in a tight hug that hurt far better than any attack could have. “I missed you.”

“We missed you too.”

..

Naruto insisted on being the one to oversee Iruka’s newfound diplomatic immunity without any interference by any shinobi who might have a bone to pick. Kakashi tagged along, amused at the prospect of a shinobi even attempting to risk his life for such a pointless cause. The rest of Iruka’s friends trailed further behind them, discussing bringing the scroll to Tsunade with rigorous explanations as to why they had him sealed away.

But, there was still one last thing to address.

Jiraiya offered to teach Naruto an abridged form of the training he’d undergone with his father to fill in some gaps in his ninjutsu mastery. It was invaluable to Naruto if he wanted to continue down the path he was heading, especially if the akatsuki decided to move forward after word got back to them that Kakuzu and Hidan were taken out by a mysterious stranger. It was obvious what had to be done, but something being obvious never quite helped with how much it hurt.

“If you want to be a shinobi… it may be necessary to study under someone like Jiraiya-san. He’ll be able to teach you things even I can’t do.” Kakashi reasoned as they waved goodbye to Iruka’s friends who had to get to their afternoon shifts.

“But… I’ll be gone for who knows how long.”

“And we’ll be there when you come back.” Iruka said with finality.

“How do you know that?”

“I have the uncanny ability to love you so much it makes me invincible, it’s my kekkai genkai.”

“You can’t promise that.” Naruto replied quietly.

They stopped walking to give their full attention to Naruto’s mood. Iruka placed a sturdy hand on his shoulder under the guise of cleaning some non-existent rubble off of it. “I know, but neither can you. So how about we both just say we’ll try our best not to give the other a heart attack?”

Naruto’s eyes filled with determination once more, steeling himself. “I’ll do my best.”

..

Kakashi made sure to take advantage of their short venture into Konoha to reunite with the riches he left behind years ago while Iruka and Naruto discussed further what they would do for lodging now.

More than once, Kakashi hesitated to mention his only worthwhile addition of taking up temporary residence in the Hatake Clan grounds. He was a father now, as hard as it was for him to accept such a sensitivity in his heart, and it was partially his duty to set aside his hatred for the ghostly shell that hung over the grounds if his family thought it would solve their problem.

It was close enough to the edge of Konoha, it could be easily done to pretend they don’t even live in it. All it would take is Kakashi overcoming this small hangup that he’d allowed to fester until it became irreconcilable.

He couldn’t offer them an exact replica of the life they had before and the guilt he felt at being unable to perform whatever magic could do that weighed heavy on his shoulders. It attacked him internally, picking at the most primitive parts of his brain that yelled at him for lacking the ability to rewrite the past few days in a way that would let them not lose anything at all.

Iruka’s hand brushed against his in a grounding moment for the older man. Their eyes met and Kakashi captured his hand fully as they all walked into the bustling civilian square.

“You think too much. It’ll be fine, Kakashi.”

“I’m just so glad you’re okay.”

“So are you. Maybe you can cut back on missions for a little while, for my peace of mind?”

“I’m done with those for now. I’m ready to try being useless for a little while.”

Iruka smiled. “Getting older with you doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Just wait until I start balding.” Kakashi soured at Iruka’s snort of laughter. Eager to move past that topic, he nudged him once more. “The Hatake Clan Grounds are still around.”

He says it too fast, like it would hurt to dwell on it for too long, and Iruka sobers. “Really?”

“It’s still my land to claim if I want to. It’s not perfect, but it’s a home built for the Hatake clan to flourish and you have a right to it as one of us.”

“Do you want us to live there?” Iruka had used to wonder why the Hatake grounds were so barren of life. That wasn’t a question he had the bliss to be ignorant to anymore and it shocked him that Kakashi would even entertain it for their sakes.

“I want to live wherever you’ll have me. A few bad memories pales in comparison to the duty we have to each other, doesn’t it?”

“It’s not just some bad memories. I don’t want you to hand over something you feel you have to. It’s yours to deal with, Kakashi, but a home shouldn’t feel like another obligation.”

“It won’t. Not with you there.”

“That’s sweet, but it doesn’t change anything. If we live there, Kakashi, it’ll be hard.”

“I have the strength now to face it. I want you and Naruto to represent the Hatake clan. That’s not a lie.”

The Hatake clan was filled with a surplus of warriors that could never stop fighting. They ran and cut and bled until whatever chased every member of the Hatake clan caught up to them in their final moments. It was the natural end to a clan built on producing prodigal soldiers and not cultivating a family. His father broke from it, but even he couldn’t fight back against the need to be needed that every Hatake member lusted for. The clan was nearly entirely eradicated because every Hatake that set foot on their cursed land tracked blood into it; the lucky ones died on the outskirts of wars, and the unlucky lived long enough to have something worth leaving behind.

Iruka and Naruto belonging to the clan felt like cleansing the grounds of the evil that conquered it. That the last of the Hatake would not be bloodthirsty warriors or unwilling pawns, but instead that the love that his father wanted to believe in survived in these two people. That he didn’t die for the facade of Konoha, but for the truth that was their family.

He didn’t mention that the wards on the Hatake grounds were so archaic that trying to bypass them was nearly impossible. He didn’t need Iruka to feel guilty for the weak spot in their defenses having been exploited.

Iruka sighed. “If I think for one minute it’s too much for you, I will buy a new house myself.”

Kakashi smiled from under his mask, to which Iruka gave him a small kiss above the fabric of it. “I’ll ask Tenzo to help me out with the renovations; we can stay at a ryokan until then.”

“Naruto will be very happy to have the choice out of his hands.”

“I’m happier; I don’t want to think about what orange monstrosity Naruto would have found for us.”

..

It took a week of constant effort for Tenzo and Kakashi, plus the combined efforts of Gai’s enthusiastic team once he learned of their presence, to make the Hatake grounds into something habitable. By the time they finished the major restorative efforts of the home, most of Konoha knew that they were unofficially allies of the leaf again and more than one hour of rebuilding had to be devoted to scaring off a ninja or two that wandered too close to their home. It helped Kakashi test the warding, so it wasn’t all bad.

Gai took to Iruka quite fast, almost faster than he took to Tenzo when they first met. After he was cleared by a hospital, he would come by to help during the latter half of their work and Gai took full advantage to dissect Iruka as though he would never get the chance to see him again. He’d even gone as far as to inform Iruka that Kakashi was a catch that he’d have to be one bad fisherman to let go of.

It was his own, weird way of showing Kakashi that he cared.

The upside to allowing a group of children to oversee parts of the building effort was that Naruto got to talk to kids his age that were actual shinobi. He loved to be able to show off all that he knew to them in the way of ninjutsu and fuuinjutsu, making Tenten blush when he gushed so openly at her fighting style and how they could combine their skills to make even cooler scrolls. Even Neji seemed interested in the jinchuuriki’s ability to advance so much without any real access to the chakra reserves inside of him.

The final night of renovating, Naruto hunted down a sheet cake that would satisfy the appetites of their small party and demanded they partake in sharing the treat as an act of celebration not just for his birthday, but for their new friendships.

..

It was another week later that would dictate Naruto left with Jiraiya to start training as soon as they could.

It was sad to say goodbye when he’d only just begun to form new friendships and sought out past ones to attempt to rekindle, but it was true. Ideally, this training would have happened over the course of a few years, years they didn’t have if they wanted Naruto to be prepared for the threats laying beyond the horizon.

Iruka was a teary-eyed mess by the time they were done saying their goodbyes and Kakashi had to keep evening out his breathing when Naruto hiked up his bulging mission pack and hugged them so tight they’d remember the feeling for the next few months.

Iruka stood by the door of the home, watching Naruto disappear. Kakashi stood by him, picking at the leftover scraps of carrot cake and occasionally offering a bite to Iruka.

He couldn’t help but remember years ago, leaving them like this, and how much it must have hurt for them to watch him disappear back then with that same lingering thought of it being the last time they heard from him.

“He’ll be back before we know it.” Iruka sniffled as he said it. “It’s just a few months and we needed a break anyways.”

“I know.” Kakashi bumped their shoulders together.

“It’s a bit childish to be so overprotective of him at this point, you know? We should be begging him to go out more, that’s what a good parent does, I read about it.”

“I know.”

“He took the heating packs, right? What if he didn’t take enough, it’s getting colder and they could cut through the land of waves-”

“Iruka. It’s okay.”

“Look at me, it’s way too late to think about things like that. I don’t get how I don’t give you a headache sometimes.”

“Maa, no more than the ones I give you, I hope.”

..

A few months turned into five before Jiraiya felt that Naruto was properly prepared for what the future held. Scary thought it was, to imagine the terrifying things that laid beyond what they knew.

He missed out on the entirety of winter and the first days of spring.

He missed a lot of moments that could have been good memories. But they were all learning not to dwell on what they’ve missed, on what they could have changed if they’d been given endless power to right every wrong and fix every problem that sprung up. That was life sometimes, it moves without reason or purpose and sometimes it is all we can do to react as things pass by.

He came back to a home and two people that acted as though he had painted the stars in the sky because of who he was rather than what he offered.

If this was what life was for him, he couldn’t complain. Even something as glorious as becoming hokage paled in comparison to the feeling he got eating a home cooked meal in the company of warm voices and soft hugs.

Naruto had no idea what he was doing, but the future didn’t seem so dark as it did when he was a child.

art 1

extra sketches :D