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Over five hundred years ago the world was at war with demons, referred to now as yokai. Countless lives were lost, villages and lands destroyed, and the earth became one enormous battlefield harboring nothing but death, suffering and destruction. There are many different theories and beliefs as to how the war began and ended, but nobody knows exactly what happened. Since then, times have drastically changed. Humans and yokai alike now live among each other peacefully. Mostly, anyways. There's always those few from both parties who remain prejudice, clinging onto the past because they are too stubborn or naive to believe two species of sentient beings can coexist on the same planet.
Iruka despised such shallow narrow-minded people. His parents were killed by a yokai, but he doesn't go around hating the rest of them because of it. There were just as many bad yokai as there were humans, he couldn't judge an entire race based off of one incident alone, otherwise he's no better than those discriminating pigs. Luckily, Konohagakure's village was pretty lenient. The amount of yokai and humans living together here was about even, and fights between the two were extremely rare.
Yokai possessed the ability to shapeshift, all of them having three respective forms. Their first form was their true demon form, which is whatever animal they are. Their second form is their half-demon one, which is essentially them appearing human with their animal-like attributes such as ears, horns, tails, claws, wings, etc. And finally, their human form, no different than an ordinary human physically. Normally, yokai remained in their second form, kind of a middle ground between the two. They really only used their full demon form when traveling or engaged in a fight, and changed into a human to hide or simply make other humans feel more comfortable around them.
Depending on a yokai's age, skill, and power determined how large their first form was. They could be indistinguishable from another normal critter, or ten times as big. It was rumored back during the war days there were yokai bigger than mountains, living to be centuries old in able to harness all of that incredible demonic energy. Apparently, the fox yokai that attacked the village over a decade ago and ended the lives of his parents along with many others had been taller than any of the surrounding oak trees, one swipe of its mighty paw enough to bring down many buildings. Iruka wasn't sure if he believed that or not, he was taken away before he could catch a glimpse at the monstrous thing.
The biggest Iruka's seen so far is one of the ravens from the famous Uchiha clan. He remembered witnessing the massive bird of prey flying back home from the council meeting tower, its wingspan well over twelve feet long. He could only imagine what it'd be like to be snatched by those talons and swept away into the sky. Iruka clutched his grocery bag tighter to his chest, shuttering at the mere thought. He continued down the alleyway briskly, a shortcut to his apartment he's been using for years.
The unsettling feeling of being watched and followed had Iruka slow to an eventual stop, unable to ignore it any longer. Konoha wasn't big on crime, and he's not sensing any threatening demonic aura nearby but one could never be too sure. Iruka could more than hold his own in a fight, having been trained on traditional martial arts by his adoptive father figure, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who recently passed away from old age. Of course, those skills meant absolutely nothing against a seasoned yokai but they've gotten Iruka out of a few situations involving someone getting too handsy at the local bar.
"I know you're there." Iruka says flatly, eyes narrowing while he turned to look behind him. All of his worries vanish once he catches sight of a puffy white tail sticking out from behind a trashcan.
"Damn it! We've been found out!
"Awe crap, it's a guy!"
"What? No way."
"Come on!"
Three rabbit yokai boys, hardly above eleven years old emerge from their hiding places in the alleyway, each of them harboring quite the pouty face. Their long ears are drooping down, obviously disappointed the supposed woman they'd been following for whatever reason turned out to be the opposite gender. Iruka couldn't find it in him to be angry, it was their fault their sense of smell was so bad they couldn't distinguish him from a lady.
But did he really look that girly from behind? Sure, the summer kimono he sported was a snug fit to his physique and his long hair pulled up into a sloppy bun could be confusing from certain angles maybe, but purple was a color that both men and women could wear. Iruka would urge day and night over that.
"It's not polite to follow strangers down alleys." Iruka begins in a stern voice. Little perverts in the making, they were. "Shouldn't you be heading home? Curfew for children is an hour before sunset."
What he gets in return is three tongues promptly sticking out at him, followed by a puff of smoke and the trio of bunnies are bounding around his ankles, nearly tripping him up before hopping out of sight around a corner while giggling. Iruka scoffs out loud, muttering irritably under his breath while crouching to pick up a few apples and oranges that spilled from the top of his grocery bag while he avoided crushing a poor bunny child under his foot.
As he reaches for the last apple that's steadily rolling away, there's suddenly a much larger and paler hand grabbing it before he could get close enough. Iruka pauses, eyes wandering over the claws which were delicately avoiding puncturing the red fruit now held out in front of him. He gingerly takes the apple while rising to his full height again, unconsciously returning the item to the brown paper bag tucked in the crook of his other arm while staring at the tall figure standing before him.
The thank you which Iruka automatically wants to say gets lodged somewhere in his throat. He's stunned not just by the man's looks, but his very presence. There's a certain intensity that makes Iruka mentally stagger. The sheer volume of this fellow's ambience is striking, exudes a lethal undertone, something of which raises the hair on the back of Iruka's neck. He can't remember the last time he had encountered somebody with such a powerful demonic energy, Iruka felt like there was an invisible vortex consuming him from the inside out standing this close.
However, Iruka wasn't picking up any hostile or menacing vibes. The man in front of him appeared friendly enough, if not a bit curious. Iruka's gaze moved from the poofy tail up towards the fluffy ears sticking out from the mess of silvery grey hair. Dog yokai? Wait, coyote perhaps? No—wolf. The eyes looking at him are half-lidded, lazy almost, contradicting the owners alarming aura. They're two different colors as well, steely grey and a deep crimson, fitted on a defined masculine face. Not the first random mysterious stranger Iruka's encountered in an alleyway, but certainly the most attractive one yet.
"Thank you." Iruka can't help but notice the dark blue, white and black designed kimono the man is wearing looks quite expensive, and those colors do wonderful things to accentuate the porcelain skin underneath. He frowns slightly, eyeing-up the taller individual considerately. There was something strangely familiar about the wolf yokai that Iruka just couldn't pinpoint at the moment. "Have we met?"
"I'm afraid not." The man chuckles faintly, his voice a rich tenor and making Iruka regret ever opening his damn mouth because that seductive deep pitch was now going to be stuck in his head all night. "Otherwise I would surely remember someone like you."
"Someone like me." He repeats suspiciously, mouth thinning into an irritated line. Iruka adjusts his grocery bag and promptly steps around the wolf yokai, beginning the rest of his trek back to his apartment. Ridiculously handsome or not, he's not about to entertain another annoying pervert prowling behind buildings in the late evening. Iruka's got better things to do. He stops in his tracks when the other man swiftly cuts him off, his eyes a little wider than before while his hands raise with his palms facing out in a neutral gesture.
"Wait—you misunderstand. I merely wanted to ask you a question."
Iruka thinks he does a fine job ignoring how the yokai's ears perk upward cutely. "What is it?" He asks, his voice only harnessing a slight edge to it.
"Are you a priest?"
Iruka blinked a couple of times, deadpanning. The question definitely caught him off guard, he expected something perverted, or weird, or whatever kind of questions random hot yokai men in alleyways asked. It's not the first time someone's asked him that, either. During his time spent with old man Sarutobi, Iruka not only honed his physical abilities but his spiritual ones as well. Anyone can feel a strong demonic presence, especially if the yokai has killing intent, but majority of people couldn't simply distinguish them like black and white until it was too late.
Iruka figured he's able to sense yokai so well due to inheriting the trait from his mother. Before she died, she had been a traveling priestess. Back in the war times, priests and priestesses were used in human villages to alert the townsfolk of a yokai attack. Some were even so skilled they could tell the number of yokai, the species, and how powerful each of them were from over a miles distance away. Iruka's nowhere near that skilled, but he's able to tell the difference between a real human and a yokai in its third from, and he can damn sure figure out when he's being followed by three annoying bunny brats. Now days, priests and priestesses were merely used for blessing shrines and purifying supposed evil areas or objects tainted and haunted in the aftermath of war from centuries ago.
"You were able to sense those rabbits." The silver-haired fellow continues at his silence. "They did a poor job of disguising themselves, but even so most humans wouldn't have noticed until much later. You caught on not two minutes into the pursuit."
"So that means you were following me too." Iruka finally replies, a single brow arching dubiously.
"Maa. Not necessarily." The yokai's ears flop sideways in addition to his sheepish tone of voice. Stop it, Iruka thinks to himself. Do not look at those adorable ears. I bet he uses them to manipulate people.
"I'm not a priest, but my mom was a priestess before she settled down here." He supplies with a single-shouldered shrug.
"Do you not wish to follow in your mothers footsteps?"
"Not really. I find more passion in teaching."
"Oh?" And then those ears shot straight up, along with the yokai's head cocking to one side slightly, making Iruka's inner thoughts go haywire. Ignore it. Ignore it. Ignore it. Oh god his tail is wagging— "That explains how you dealt with the rabbits so well. A teachers patience is truly unrivaled."
"They got off easy." Iruka mutters, casting a glance at his bag of groceries which was starting to feel heavier the longer he stood. If he weren't so hungry and eager to get home and cook, he would've surely gave the perverted bunnies a piece of his mind. Maybe throw one of the apples at them for good measure. Iruka's been told his aim is deadly, especially if it was a pencil sharpener or stapler being thrown. A low chuckle brings his attention back to the yokai, and Iruka makes a face partially because he knows the man is laughing at him, and also because the guy has no buisness looking that good. The way his sharp cheekbones raise with his smile, the dimming light of dusk casting a mesmerizing glow over that ivory skin, making it look like pure marble—and from the muscular contours of the other mans torso visible beneath the clothing, Iruka's got no doubt his body would be as solid as marble as well.
"Maa, Sensei, so cruel." The wolf yokai's tone is playful.
"Sensei?" Iruka manages to blurt out after forcing his eyes not to ogle any further. Damn that cute mole.
"You are a teacher, aren't you?"
"Yes but—"
"With hearing like mine, you can tell the difference in a persons footsteps if they're trained in martial arts or not. Sarutobi was a good master indeed."
Iruka's eyes widen and he meets that mismatched gaze head on. "You said we haven't met!"
"We haven't." The yokai's smile returns, his voice infuriatingly cheerful. "Seeing you and meeting you are two very different things, Sensei."
And that's when Iruka finally remembers. Some years ago during his intermediate training, Iruka was preforming some techniques for old man Sarutobi while he watched at a distance, smoking away on that pipe. He recalled seeing a few people dressed in soldier uniforms approach to briefly discuss something with Hiruzen—which wasn't unusual at all considering he was a part of the villages main council. The small group didn't stay long, a few silent words exchanged before they took their leave, not without one of them turning around and glimpsing in Iruka's direction. Although he couldn't see the man's face behind the mask, there was spiky silver hair and a certain something about him that made Iruka lock up and faceplant into the dirt. Now that he's older and more experienced, Iruka knows that something was the yokai's incredible demonic aura.
"Did you ever end up adopting that kitsune cub?" The man then asks, snapping Iruka from his thoughts.
He stares open-mouthed at the wolf yokai for a moment, his grip on the grocery bag subtly tightening. "Who are you? Have you been stalking me?"
"Stalking?" The silver-haired man repeats, looking mildly surprised. "No. Sarutobi mentioned you a few times here and there. You were the only person who ever discussed the topic of taking the kitsune as your own. Even other yokai didn't want him."
At those last words, Iruka's anger flares. After the village was attacked over ten years ago by the ruthless nine tails, other kitsune yokai steadily disappeared until there were none left. The few who used to live in Konoha faced the townspeople's harsh treatment and relocated elsewhere. The damage left a strong bitterness towards foxes, and ever since then the village deemed them bad luck. Some people say the newborn found on that tragic day was a cursed baby, his birthday falling on the day of the attack. Iruka was mortified to hear some people were willing to murder the poor yokai cub in order to prevent another attack.
When he eventually learned of Naruto's situation through old man Sarutobi, Iruka didn't hesitate a moment to take the kid under his wing. Adopting a child when he himself barely exceeded the legal age limit to consume alcohol along with having no parental experience was very tough, but Iruka persisted. He supposed it was because he empathized with Naruto. Iruka's parents were killed in the mighty fox yokai attack, and Naruto's were too presumably. It's a miracle he didn't die, really. Iruka did his best to provide and love the kid, but he still thought Naruto seemed a bit lonely at times. Being the only one of your kind in an entire village wouldn't feel too good at all no matter how many new friends he made.
A smile breaks out across Iruka's lips as he imagines the blond waiting impatiently back at the apartment for him to return and cook dinner. "Yeah, I took him in."
"How is he?" The wolf yokai asks offhandedly. Everything about him was so nonchalant though his eyes sparkled with curiosity, letting Iruka know the man was actually interested in his response and not just making idle small-talk. Iruka vaguely wondered if his left eye was deprived of sight, that long scar looked pretty nasty.
"He's doing good. Grew up faster than I could blink. Very energetic." Iruka chuckled, shifting his feet against the ground. Energetic wasn't the half of it. Sometimes Iruka wished Naruto had a power down switch on him. The kid really lived up to the kitsune spirit. Active, mischievous, stubborn, sarcastic, playful, cunning. He gave Iruka the slip on more than one occasion, making him fall victim to silly pranks. Only when Naruto was asleep could Iruka get some peace of mind, but he wouldn't trade anything for the world. He realizes the silver-haired man is smiling too, the expression sending a pleasant warmth across Iruka's cheeks. He clears his throat and holds out his free hand in offering. "Iruka Umino. Sorry I called you a stalker."
"No worries." Came the good-natured chuckle, followed by a pale calloused hand shaking his own in a casual yet firm grip. "Kakashi."
Iruka can't dwell on the fact that Kakashi didn't give him a last name because his stomach chooses this precise moment to growl quite loudly. He releases the others hand and scratches the bridge of his nose, averting his eyes while ignoring the renewed heat burning his features. Kakashi's laugh does nothing to help his blush, and Iruka wants to sock him in that damned perfect jawline as much as he wants to caress the hell out of those fuzzy ears.
"Maa, Sensei. I didn't mean to keep you. Though I have to say the ingredients in that bag do smell quite delicious."
"Homemade ramen with pork." Iruka grins, walking once again with Kakashi strolling next to him at a leisurely pace. He doesn't take notice to how close Kakashi is until every few steps there's a faint brush of their shoulders. There was just something oddly relaxing about walking with the mysterious wolf yokai as sunset approached. A calm easiness settles, as if they'd taken this path a hundred times before. Even though Kakashi knew old man Sarutobi, he's technically still a total stranger but at least now Iruka knows he's not a threat. In fact, quite the opposite. Anyone working directly underneath a high ranked councilman was surely trustworthy.
"Back then, you were in the black uniform with masks." Iruka comments neutrally, glimpsing at the taller man out of the corner of his eye. "Are you special forces?"
"Formerly." Kakashi replies in a somewhat aloof tone, and Iruka nods silently, not pressing the subject further. He knew the elite members of the villages military weren't allowed to disperse any imperative information, even to their families. Kakashi put on a good easygoing, charming and lazy-guy act, but Iruka's knows underneath that he's capable of many things. Deadly things, more specifically.
"I'm right here." He gestures with a tip of his head at the building to their left. There's a couple ferret yokai kids playing in the grass, only to be ushered inside by their mother yelling in a hushed tone it was time for bed. By now the sun was more than halfway set in the sky, and the first bits of nighttime was seen by the few stars dotting the atmosphere.
"Peaceful place." Kakashi murmurs, his eyes trailing across the vicinity.
"Yeah." Iruka smiles, nodding in agreement. "Thank you for walking me home, but did I really need a big bad wolf to protect me from three little rabbits?" He adds playfully.
Just when Iruka thought the man couldn't possibly get anymore attractive, Kakashi tosses him a crooked smirk and he nearly drops the entire bag of groceries right then and there. Really? Get a grip, Umino. Iruka thinks grouchily at himself.
"Careful Sensei." Kakashi leans forwards and Iruka's body promptly freezes all movement, eyes wide. He's close enough to where he can smell the other man's scent, and its alluringly natural, sort of like like pine trees and waterfalls and grass, but also something smoky and electric. "Looks can be deceiving after all."
"If we're talkin' bunnies, I'll take my chances." Iruka rasps, breathing out a quiet shaky sigh of relief when Kakashi moves out of his personal space while laughing, his thick tail lashing behind his body and swatting Iruka's thigh. He can feel his own smile widening, even after Kakashi's started to walk away while his chuckles died down.
"Until next time. Have a good night, Sensei."
"You too."
Kakashi throws a single hand in the air lazily without looking back, his version of a goodbye wave. Iruka watches him retreat for a few moments then returns to his apartment, his smile never leaving his lips.
At first, Kakashi would appear out of nowhere at the most random times, never ceasing to surprise Iruka. Sometimes it was a quick hi and bye, other times he'd walk Iruka to his next destination while chatting along the way. All too soon the days elapsed into weeks, and by the time one month passed the two began hanging out more frequently and in a more organized fashion. Iruka quickly found out Kakashi had a bad habit of being late to everything, somehow finding a different excuse for each occasion.
The man was also more perverted than anyone else Iruka's ever met, but that was entirely his fault for befriending someone who prowled through back alley's at dusk for no apparent reason. Iruka wouldn't necessarily call Kakashi antisocial per se, but he definitely did the most talking between them although that wasn't always a bad thing because whenever Kakashi spoke Iruka got sucked into a trance of staring at the way his mouth moved.
He figured Kakashi was more reserved than the average villager because the man used to be a part of special forces, and Iruka knows just how much of a physical and mental strain that can be on somebody. Patience was the best remedy for dealing with someone distant, and sure enough as their friendship progressed Iruka got to witness Kakashi come out of his shell little by little. He was as much gratified as he was humbled, one of the villages elite soldiers found him interesting enough to interact with on a regular basis. Iruka hated how quickly he developed a crush on Kakashi, but it was impossible not to feel a bit giddy when receiving constant attention from such a powerful and interesting yokai. Kakashi being immensely good-looking was just another bonus.
That being said, it was only natural Iruka felt a bit disappointed when Kakashi never showed up to their planned Thursday evening spar. Iruka was greatly looking forward to it, and quite frankly Kakashi's high level close-quarters combat training, playful or not, was a good learning experience for him. There were some things Kakashi did or said that Iruka could incorporate into his teaching methods, granted in a much more basic manner. Plus, he was getting a nice workout as well.
Iruka couldn't really say the same for Kakashi, though. The man hardly broke a sweat, and meanwhile Iruka ended up panting and covered in dirt by the end of the spars. He knew his physical capabilities were vastly inferior compared to Kakashi's, and not just because he was a yokai—there were plenty of humans stronger than some yokai after all—but because of the man's background knowledge and expertise. Iruka would have no doubt if Kakashi were a human he'd still get the snot beaten out of him in a serious fight.
Despite those things, Kakashi wasn't ever conceited or cocky about it. In no way did the man make Iruka feel lesser during their spars, actually quite the opposite. He critiqued and praised Iruka's techniques, saw the logic and value behind the perfected simplicity of his moves, gave him tips and recommendations that would benefit him in many categories. Honestly, it gave Iruka a bit of nostalgia back when he trained with old man Sarutobi, except Kakashi didn't hold back as much in an obvious fear of hurting him. He wasn't overly-aggressive or anything, but Iruka's definitely got a few fair-sized bruises now from their last spar. And it was thanks to those bruises he was currently getting side-eyed skeptically by Konoha's current reigning sovereign.
"Your part-time job as a mission report receiver seems to be going well."
"Yes ma'am, it is." Iruka replies politely.
"Not everyone's fit to deal with that environment. It seems easy enough, but it can be very stressful." The woman continues while fiddling idly with a stack of papers, her amber eyes focused solely on Iruka, making him just the slightest bit nervous.
"Indeed, Lady Tsunade." He says, not entirely sure what she's getting at. Tsunade was hard to read at times, and this was only Iruka's third interaction with the woman so it's no surprise he's made zero progress in figuring out her motives from reading her facial expressions alone. Tsunade's gaze lingers on the discolored skin on his forearm, and Iruka clears his throat. Of course she'd notice the bruise, Tsunade was a slug yokai who used her advanced demonic powers to specialize in healing abilities. It is said her medical skills are unparalleled, and people from many regions come to the village to seek her help.
"If the returning soldiers are mistreating you—"
"They're not." Iruka replies instantly, his posture sagging once he realized he rudely interrupted the woman. "I was sparring earlier this week."
Tsunade's eyes narrow for a moment, but she eventually seems to relax. It was awkward, yes, but Iruka was thankful for her concern. Taking, organizing, and reviewing reports from the villages army was a task that not only required patience, but tenacity as well. Soldiers entered the room tired and most of the time agitated, and those combined emotions can easily be taken out on the person behind the desk if the wrong thing is said. Iruka deals with snippy adults the same way he does with snarky brats, he doesn't put up with it.
Iruka wanted to be a member of Konoha's force a while back, but he eventually found his passion for teaching instead. It wasn't that he was a coward, Iruka would lay down his life in a heartbeat to protect Konoha's prosperity, but he rather liked the idea of educating younger generations on what it truly meant to be a warrior, and that it didn't always require suiting up and fighting on the front lines. You could support the village from the inside just as much as the outside.
Times of war were over perhaps, but that didn't mean everything everywhere was perfectly peaceful. Far from it, really. From petty border skirmishes, to land rights, to trading, food, and other things, the Five Great Regions were constantly bickering or fighting about something. The military dealt with most of those common problems, while their extended elite branch which made up special forces units handled the more serious matters such as spying, assassination of tyrants, investigating murders, kidnappings, and other brutal things Iruka would rather not imagine.
"Very well." Tsunade takes a drink from a small cup whose contents seem suspiciously alcoholic. Iruka comments not on that. "You and I both know the consequences a soldier receives if he or she harasses or harms an employee. Do not hesitate to tell me if their behavior gets out of hand."
"Yes ma'am, I assure you I will." Iruka nods.
"Good. In any case, since Genjiro retired, how would you like to become chief executive of the military reporting department?"
"What? Me?" Iruka couldn't hide his surprise even if he tried.
"Yes, you." Tsunade chuckled, leaning back in her chair. "You haven't been working there very long, but already I've heard many exceptional things. You're a great employee, Iruka, I have no doubt you'd succeed."
"Ah.. thank you. Does that mean I have to quit my teaching job?"
"Well, logically yes. It is a full time position after all."
"I see." Iruka trailed off a few moments, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth while shifting on his feet. "I do apologize Lady Tsunade but—"
"You don't wanna leave the brats, huh?" Tsunade says, tilting her head with a smile. "I figured you'd say something like that."
His lips upturned in a small smile of his own. Was he really that easy to read? Iruka chuckled lightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I really am honored to have been given the opportunity for a promotion, but I believe I'll stick to my part-time position."
"If you happen to change your mind, the offer still stands." Tsunade rasped, taking another large sip of her possibly-most-likely alcoholic beverage. "That—"
"Lady Tsunade!" The doors burst open and in came a short dark-haired woman that Iruka vaguely recognized as Shizune, who was the villages sovereigns assistant. "Excuse my interruption, but the team dispatched to the Mist Region were ambushed, most have returned severely injured, Anko and Kakashi are the only ones conscious at the moment."
Iruka freezes once he hears Kakashi's name. He knew the yokai was retired from the special forces unit, but he wasn't aware Kakashi still did missions. Iruka figured the man retired from being a soldier completely, but apparantly that was not the case. All those random disappearances now made sense, Kakashi wasn't deliberately avoiding him, he was probably sent off on other assignments. They've only known each other for approximately a month, but Iruka still wished Kakashi mentioned that to him.
"Let's go. Iruka Sensei, you're dismissed." At once Tsunade is on her feet, walking briskly around the desk after downing the rest of her drink in one go. Iruka follows the blonde woman out of the office, and the door is shut behind them by Shizune. He watches them speed-walk down the hallway, swaying on his heels, debating on going after them. It wasn't his place to question the details on high-ranked missions, but surely he'd be able to visit a friend in the hospital?
Iruka settled for stopping by his apartment first then visit Kakashi at the hospital a bit later after things settled down. He was training by himself and didn't get the chance to shower before being summoned by Lady Tsunade. Washing the dirt and sweat from his hair was a top priority at the moment. Turning in the opposite direction, Iruka left the main building, giving a small nod to guards standing about as he made his way outside.
Summer time in Konoha was always the most vibrant. The sky was bright blue, fluffy clouds filling the atmosphere, the grass was plush and green, the village was lively, and everyone just seemed to be in a better mood when the weather was nice. It was hot, but not humid or an uncomfortable type of heat, perfect for having a nice dip in a river or lake. There were lots of kids running about as well, Iruka couldn't blame them for wanting to spend their time outside, it was truly beautiful.
With Konoha being located in the forest, naturally there was an abundance of mammal yokai such as bears, deer, elk, wolves, coyotes, dogs, cats, birds, bugs, badgers, raccoons, possums, and so forth. The various strange noises used to confuse Iruka, but over the years he's learned to distinguish almost every last one of them. There's a nearby high-pitched sound that's an odd combination of a bird chirping, a hyena laughing, and someone screaming. Iruka knows its Naruto without a doubt.
He never really noticed how odd foxes sounded until he adopted the orphaned blond. Truth be told Iruka thought someone was being bloody murdered in the backyard, but turns out it was just Naruto playing with a dog. He slows to a stop, looking around until he spots one of the many training grounds located throughout the village. Iruka walks into the open gate and peeks into the field curiously, the loud flap of wings drawing his gaze above the trees to where a raven is hovering above.
It's not nearly as big as the one he saw leaving the tower that one time, but it's still an Uchiha no doubt. Emerging from a nearby mud puddle is Naruto himself, every single last one of his nine tails are thrashing back and forth in irritation while he gekkered angrily, his fur stained brown. Naruto shifts from his first to second form, sputtering and shaking his wild blond hair, droplets of water spraying everywhere. Iruka chuckles, leaning against the fence post with his arms crossed.
"Sparring Sasuke again?"
"Yeah." Naruto grumbles, his ears flattened back. He picks away a few blue-black feathers from around his mouth. "Bastard, get down here!" The teenager shouts, throwing a fist into the air.
The large raven soon descends, wings extended and legs outstretched. About ten feet from the ground, Sasuke switches to his second form and lands in a graceful crouch, his wings tucked neatly behind his back as he strolls up, the same disinterested expression on his pale face like usual. Aloof as always, Iruka thinks to himself. I wonder how he and Naruto became friends. They always fought in school.
"I told you not to bite my tail feathers off anymore idiot." Sasuke sneers.
"But you grabbed me with those yucky bird claws!" Naruto shouted back, blue eyes wide and wild.
"Hn. It's a spar." The Uchiha replies matter-of-factly.
Naruto looks like he's going to explode and Iruka quickly steps in with a small laugh, placing a hand on the teenagers shoulder. "Regardless of the rules, make sure you two aren't over-doing it. Getting hurt during training is the last thing anyone needs."
"Okay Iruka Sensei." Naruto pouts, his tails drooping and dragging on the ground. Sasuke merely gives a small nod and Iruka smiles. That would explain the many feathers Iruka's been finding around the apartment and stuck to some of Naruto's clothing lately. Leaving the boys to themselves, Iruka returns on the path towards his apartment and pretends not to hear the loud cawing and yipping behind him as their spar resumes. Children he could deal with, stubborn teenagers were another story.
. . .
Its well into the evening before Iruka leaves his apartment and finally heads for the hospital. Tidying up the place and taking a long shower consumed more time than he originally thought it would. Held in one of his arms is a medium-sized tupperware filled with miso soup and eggplant along with some bread wrapped in a cloth. It didn't take Iruka long at all to figure out Kakashi's favorite food, hopefully the man wouldn't be too injured to enjoy a warm meal.
After a brief encounter at the hospitals receptionists desk, Iruka found himself lingering outside of the door. He wasn't sure what to expect, but it couldn't be too bad since the lady gave Iruka permission for Kakashi to have visitors now. Drawing in a deep breath of air, Iruka forces himself to relax and lets a smile slip on his face while turning the knob and stepping into the room. It's bright inside, the blinds to the window are pulled all the way up, letting the evening sunshine spill in the room.
Kakashi's sitting up, leaning against many fluffy white pillows while reading a book. One of his legs his propped up on another pillow for support, bandaged from the knee down and his shirtless form reveals a few cuts on his torso that have been cleaned and tended to. Overall, he's in better condition than Iruka previously assumed, but even so it must've been one hell of an ambush for someone like Kakashi to have been injured this badly at all.
"Hey." Iruka greets, his smile involuntary widening when the silver-haired man peeked up from his novel and threw him a lopsided smirk.
"I was wondering when you'd visit." Kakashi's voice was nothing short of a purr.
"How was I supposed to know you'd end up here? You never tell me anything." Iruka fake-frowns, lightly shutting the door with his free hand.
"Mm. What is that divine smell?" The yokai asks, completely ignoring Iruka's previous statement. He rolls his eyes, placing the food on the little desk by the bed.
"It's your favorite." Iruka gestures towards the soup container. "The bread might be a little stale though." He adds sheepishly.
Kakashi gives him a slow look, mismatched eyes deliberately trailing up Iruka's body in a way which makes a shiver cascade down his spine. "I wasn't talking about the food, Sensei."
From the very first night they met, Kakashi never dropped the whole Sensei title despite his protests, and while Iruka was used to being called that by the children and other fellow teachers, Kakashi somehow made the honorific sound dirty, no matter the context or tone of his voice. To say it effected Iruka would be an understatement.
"Ah.. I'm not sure what you're referring to."
"Come closer." Kakashi says with a bright, deceptively innocent smile, fluffy silver ears flicking on top of his head.
Despite his better judgement, Iruka took a couple cautious steps forwards up until he was directly in front of the hospital bed. Kakashi made some gesturing motion with his head, and Iruka arched a brow at the man. He had a weird feeling about this, like he was going to fall victim to some prank. Huffing, Iruka hesitated only a moment longer before leaning down over the bed in a way which looked as if Kakashi were going to whisper something in his ear. His entire body froze once a clawed hand suddenly reached up and gently took a few loose strands of hair from his ponytail.
"Lavender?" Kakashi murmured huskily. Iruka hardly heard him at all because his eyes were too busy soaking in the lovely view of those pale collarbones so close yet so far away. On another note, that was also a very nice necklace Kakashi sported there, but Iruka found his bare chest more interesting at the moment.
"Ye-yeah. My shampoo." Iruka internally cursed at himself for stuttering. He remained perfectly still as Kakashi twirled the piece of hair between a couple of his fingers. This was the first time Iruka's been so close to the man aside from sparring, and it was a little bit frightening how easily he could just let himself be hypnotized by every part of him.
"I like it." The yokai cooed, smiling that same smile he always did and damn him, he knew exactly what he was doing. Blinking a few times while clearing his throat, Iruka regained his personal space by leaning back to his full height, taking a half step away from the mattress.
"Why are you reading porn?" Iruka blurts, desperate for a subject change, and catching a glimpse at the erotic book cover did just that.
"Maa, Sensei. It's romance, not porn."
"Yeah, right." He suppresses a snort. "How long are you staying here anyway?"
"Couple days." Kakashi shrugged a single shoulder.
"Really?" Iruka eyed the man dubiously. It looked like his injures needed at least a weeks worth of rest.
"Would it trouble you to visit again? It gets rather boring in here."
Why do I even bother? Iruka thinks amusedly, chuckling to himself. "Of course. You'll have to wait until school gets out though."
"As long as I get to see you, Sensei." Kakashi smiled.
"Ah.. yes. Get some rest, okay? I'll drop by again tomorrow." Iruka swiftly turns on his heel, willing his blush to go away. He could practically feel Kakashi's eyes linger on his backside as he walked out of the room and shut the door behind him. Letting out a slow breath of air to regain some semblance of composure, Iruka nodded at one of the bypassing nurses and continued down the hallway out of the hospital. He took a loose strand of his own hair between two fingers and brought it to his nose, a smile widening his lips as the scent of lavender filled his nostrils.
"Do you think—ngh—ah.. do you think Iruka's caught on by now?" Naruto asked, pausing long enough so that he could get a full sentence out.
His heart pounded like a drum in his chest, ringing in his ears, nerves tingling with adrenaline and exhilaration. Naruto's hands were trembling from where they held pale hips, the tips of his claws ever so slightly pinching into the flesh. Sasuke's ass remained firmly against his pelvis, both cheeks a lovely shade of red and no doubt sore. He gave the left one a firm slap when Sasuke pressed back impatiently, the action causing a groan to tumble past Naruto's lips as his cock was squeezed in retaliation.
"Move.." Sasuke growled out, voice a bit muffled from where his face was pressed into the sheets.
"But you didn't answer my question." Naruto pouted, rubbing the pad of his thumb against where they were joined, where that pretty little hole was stretched around his cock. Sasuke's wings fluttered and his entire body jolted underneath Naruto's. He grinned devilishly, pointy black-tipped ears swiveling forwards with interest. Every muscle in Sasuke's body was quivering, including his insides, he was dangerously close although Naruto knew Sasuke would never beg.
"Stop fucking talking." The Uchiha hissed through gritted teeth, glaring over one shoulder. The expression lacked its usual venom because Sasuke's hair was a sweaty disheveled mess on top of his head, features flushed while his lips were swollen and shiny from giving Naruto another A plus, mind-numbingly amazing blowjob earlier. It was a nice sight, yes, but Naruto found Sasuke's eyes the most arousing out of anything. All midnight darkness, slightly narrowed and lust-filled with an edge of desperation. Said eyes then rolled up in Sasuke's head when he moved his hips in a circular motion.
Ignoring the bastard's verbal abuse, Naruto gradually withdrew himself until only the tip was left, paused a moment, then sunk back in effortlessly. The choked off sound Sasuke made had another toothy grin plastered on his face. He repeated the action, though this time completely left that deliciously tight heat, watching the way Sasuke clamped down on nothing but air. Naruto was content grinding his dick on the curve of Sasuke's ass, leaving behind a glistening trail of precum mixed with lube that trickled out of that used hole. He pushed in maybe halfway, slipped back out, dragged his cock between those supple pale cheeks while giving them a good grope, then did it again. And again, in, out, drag, squeeze, again, and—wow those were some pretty high-pitched noises—
"I'll kill you.." The hoarse, weak threat that was Sasuke's voice only succeeded in making Naruto chuckle darkly.
He delved to the hilt in one sharp thrust, enjoying the way Sasuke shuttered and flexed around him, like he was trying to lock Naruto's dick in place, to be stuffed full of him forever. Naruto jumped slightly as Sasuke's wings which were previously tucked against his shoulder blades abruptly spread to their full extent and gave a few wild flaps, nearly catching him in the face. He leaned forwards while pressing the palm of his hand to the back of Sasuke's neck to keep him in place.
"What the hell Sasuke!? You tryna' take flight or somethin'? Stay still damn it."
"Then stop teasing!" Was the heated response.
"Okay, okay." Naruto huffed, readjusting their position by keeping Sasuke's chest against the mattress while pulling his hips further up. He rather liked the beautiful arch Sasuke's back acquired, most girls would have a difficult time achieving such flexibility. Naruto made sure to angle himself where he knew Sasuke loved it most before beginning to fuck the other at a pace he was sure Sasuke wasn't ready for, if that strange yet slightly funny gasping noise was anything to go by. He was going to get slapped in the face for mimicking it later, but it was gonna be so worth it.
Fleshy smacks filled the Uchiha's bedroom, accompanied by Naruto's occasional grunt and Sasuke's variety of noises which he was quite terrible at suppressing. It was the primary reason they had to wait until everyone in Sasuke's family left the house before doing this. If Sasuke couldn't make noise, his wings would go crazy, and Naruto would rather not experience fucking in the air, as strangely erotic and kinky as that may sound.
"Fuck," Naruto cursed, all thoughts wiped from his brain for the only thing he could focus on was that intoxicating velvety slide of his cock dipping in and out of that perfect ass. Sasuke's fists were clenched in a white-kucknled grip, sheets bunched beneath his grasp and Naruto could feel his muscular thighs quaking, the telltale sign they would give out soon. One of Sasuke's arms moved to reach beneath his torso and began jerking himself off quickly, as Naruto could see by the obvious movement of his shoulder.
He groaned appreciatively, speeding up his thrusts into a wild pace that just hardly kept any rhythm. Naruto's body burned with exertion, a new sheen of sweat glistening over his tanned skin while a small amount of blood gathered under the tips of his claws from how roughly he held Sasuke's hips. Sasuke had gone quiet now, either his mouth was open in a non-audible scream or his voice completely burnt out, either one kindled the fire of Naruto's own approaching orgasm.
His hips slowed into jerky, sloppy movements as Sasuke finally came undone beneath him. Blue-black feathered wings went stiff, lube-slicked walls spasming around his cock, the tightness near painful and making Naruto absolutely light headed with sensation. Sasuke's body twitched repeatedly for a full minute but Naruto didn't cease, his own climax just a little bit away. He panted heavily, leaning over Sasuke's body and admiring the strong pale back muscles until suddenly Sasuke twisted underneath him while wrenching his legs away. Naruto yelped as he was rudely tossed on his back, eyes wide as he peered up at Sasuke who looked so incredibly sexy in the aftermath of orgasm but that didn't matter because the bastard just deprived him of his own.
"Gah! Asshole, why did you do that?!"
"I'd rather not be stuck to an idiot for an additional twenty minutes." Sasuke replied, his voice utterly wrecked though he still managed to sound cocky. Naruto was about to protest, but whatever he was going to say was pushed aside as Sasuke scooted forwards and gripped his cock firmly and began pumping rapidly. Naruto spread his thighs and relaxed against the bed, rolling his hips up into the fist working him over the edge. It was Sasuke's fucked-out yet still concentrated expression that brought him to his peak, and he groaned deeply while watching the milky streams of cum splatter on the Uchiha's chest and coat his hand messily.
Sasuke slowed and stroked him through it, milking every last drop while rubbing his thumb against the dribbling slit up until Naruto bucked against him, a tad oversensitive. Sasuke released his softening cock and Naruto didn't get a chance to bask in the afterglow before the recognizable sound of the front door opening and closing had them both freezing.
"Sasuke?" Itachi's voice sounded from downstairs. "I'm back earlier than expected, the meeting didn't last."
Naruto slapped a hand over his mouth to prevent the giggle spilling past his lips, and Sasuke sent him a death glare while sliding off the bed.
"Get out." Sasuke mouthed quietly, throwing Naruto's clothes at him. He caught the items and hurriedly began dressing, biting his lip to keep from laughing once he noticed Sasuke struggling to walk across the room to clean up and get his own clothes in a borderline panicked fashion.
"Otouto, you have a friend over? I can prepare dinner for us all." Itachi sounded closer now, and from the faint thumps Naruto guessed Sasuke's older brother was currently walking up the stairs. He was glad birds had terrible senses of smell, otherwise they would've been caught long ago. Hiding those messy sheets was another story, though. Nothing got past Itachi's eyes.
"Nobody's here." Sasuke snapped loudly, wrenching a shirt over his head.
"Oh? Then would you like to tell me how your feet have grown two sizes since this morning?"
Naruto could swear there was laughter in Itachi's voice. Sasuke's face turned beet red as he froze, and it was then Naruto realized he forgot to bring his shoes upstairs after taking them off at the entryway. Mouthing a non-apologetic whoops, Naruto shifted into his first form and leapt out Sasuke's open window, bounding away in the tall grass while snickering to himself, all nine tails waving happily behind his body.
"Visitor for Kakashi Hatake?"
"Ah, yes." Iruka rubbed the back of his neck while smiling sheepishly. Jeez, even the new nurses knew who he was. Its only been four days since he began visiting the hospital, and already it seemed like his face was known throughout the entire building. No matter, Iruka still looked forward to the visits. With Kakashi being temporarily bed-ridden, it gave them more opportunity to talk with one another. Each day upheld many different conversations, some funny, some flirty, some serious, it really gave Iruka a new view on Kakashi's personality.
He was still a pervert. No doubt about that. But the pervert also had a sensitive heart and cared deeply for his close ones, it was just all covered by a bunch of bottled up emotions and passive mannerisms. In the back of his mind, Iruka knew he shouldn't be spending nearly every minute of his free time with Kakashi, especially not with the way his feelings grew stronger each time he laid eyes on the man. The rapid pace of his heart, the nervous-exited flips in his gut, the butterfly effect tingles he got when Kakashi gave him that smile. Anyone sane would say he long since passed the boundary of a simple crush.
"He's been moved to room 39B, down the hallway to your left." The receptionist smiled.
"Thank you." Iruka bowed, walking around the desk towards the direction indicated. Leftover ramen would be Kakashi's dinner today. Iruka hoped he liked it, wolves weren't necessarily picky eaters but one could never know. He opened the door to find the room perfectly clean and empty, untouched by the looks of it. Iruka blinked a few times, stepping back while peering at the plate perched on the side of the door. 39B, just as the woman had said minutes ago. Odd. Maybe she got some numbers or letters mixed up.
"Excuse me, miss? That room is empty." Iruka chuckled while rounding the corner.
"What?" The young receptionist looked utterly perplexed. "Are you sure?"
"Have a look for yourself." Iruka said, arching an eyebrow.
"No way." She muttered, scooting back in her chair loudly while jumping to her feet. Iruka watched as she power walked down the hall and swung the door open, looking around the room through widened eyes. "Damn it, not again!"
Again? What was she talking about? Iruka couldn't dwell on it much longer because the short woman was stomping past him while grumbling under her breath, walking down a flight of stairs and disappearing from sight.
"Huh." Iruka stood there only a few moments longer, shrugged, and headed out of the hospital. Weird, Iruka thought, strolling through the villages streets aimlessly, not having a particular destination in mind. He didn't really feel like heading back to his apartment quite yet, so Iruka decided to take a nice evening walk today. The ramen was getting at bit annoying to hold, but he could deal with it in return for the beautiful scenery around him. Konoha was truly one of a kind, Iruka was happy he was born here in the Leaf Region.
All the other four regions differed greatly. For example, Sunagakure, the village in the sand Sand Region, was nothing but an enormous desert. There were a lot of scorpion, snake, lizard, oryx, dingo, camel, and other yokai there who could stand the blistering heat. Iruka couldn't imagine living in such conditions every single day. Completely opposite to that was Kirigakure, the village in the Mist Region. It was an extremely damp region where rain was constant and water abundant, thus being a large source for trading crops since the soil was so rich there. That was the primary reason why Kirigakure got into many conflicts with other villages. Fish, shark, alligator, squid, turtles, and other underwater dwelling yokai were most common there.
Iruka didn't know too much about the villages in the Cloud and Stone Region other than it was a very long journey to both and Kumogakure hardly ever received any visitors because their village was located on such high elevation, it was hard to breathe there for someone not accustomed. Their lightning storms were rumored to be a beautiful phenomenon, though. Needless to say, Konoha remained his favorite.
Iruka walked across a wooden bridge on a creek, smiling as he saw a few kids playing in the water further downstream. He found a nice patch of grass near the bank and settled down, stretching his legs out while sighing, basking in the late sun and enjoying the peaceful sound of water flowing.
"You make a nice picture, Sensei."
Eyes flashing open—Iruka didn't exactly remember closing them—he jumped only a little bit once seeing Kakashi standing barefoot in the water, trousers rolled up to his knees and one hand in his pocket as he gave Iruka a casual wave with the other.
"What are you—how did you—" Iruka sighed, ignoring the yokai's cheerful expression. "You broke out of the hospital."
"Maa, I said I only needed a few days of recovery." Kakashi tilted his head, one ear up while the other one flopped backward. It's taken a lot of Iruka's restraint not to touch them thus far.
"I'm pretty sure that's up for the nurses to decide." Iruka chides playfully, rising to his feet while slipping off his sandals. He rolled up his pants a few times and joined Kakashi in the water, pleased that the temperature wasn't ice cold like he expected it to be. "You nearly gave the poor receptionist a heart attack."
"Whoops." Kakashi smiled, extending out a hand. Iruka stared at the appendage a second before hesitantly taking it, unable to stop the heat spreading to his cheeks as their fingers intertwined and he was suddenly being led down the shallow creek. The rocks at the bottom were thankfully small and smooth, mostly covered by soft sand that felt good between his toes. Iruka watched fish dart around both he and Kakashi's legs, swimming against the light current.
As they moved further down stream, the foliage on the side of the water got thicker, surrounded by tall grass and cattails. There were also larger rocks bordering the creek, some big enough to sit on. Iruka followed Kakashi over to where one of the rocks was flat, the surface dry and smooth, perfect for a seat. Kakashi hopped up first and practically pulled Iruka up with one arm alone. They both sat down, feet dangling just above the water below.
"I come here a lot to space out." Kakashi murmured.
"It's gorgeous here." Iruka said quietly.
And that was lightly putting it. This was nothing short of a dream, it almost seemed too perfect to be real. The flourishing green vegetation, clean clear water, birds singing in the distance and crickets chirping. He wasn't sure exactly how much time passed, but Iruka could spend a lifetime here like this. Iruka was so utterly relaxed that he accidentally began to doze off for a bit, lulled by the serene surroundings. He was snapped fully awake again by a loud splash that had come from a frog jumping into the water nearby.
His sudden jostle made him aware just how close he and Kakashi were sitting next to each other. The other man was more or less pressed against his entire left side, his body and presence a pleasantly addicting warmth. Iruka wanted to apologize for beginning to fall asleep, but Kakashi appeared anything besides angry. Kakashi's eyes were closed, chin tilted up towards the darkening skies, ears relaxed and a faint, barely-there smile on his lips while a few locks of his hair swayed with the breeze. The shadows from the setting sun accentuated his features in a way that nearly had Iruka's heart stopping in his chest. Smiling, Iruka allowed his head to rest on the shoulder next to him, feeling warm and tingly all over again when Kakashi leaned further into him.
The teacher in him loved to talk, and normally Iruka would be striking up a conversation by now but the silence was equally as good. Kakashi's slow, even breathing was starting to pull Iruka into sleep again, and his eyes wandered towards the mans necklace which was outside of his shirt and seemed to glow as it got darker outside. It was some kind of stone amulet, colored black and shiny chrome grey with designs so small and precise, the person who made it must've had eyes better than the Uchiha's to get such amazing detail.
"That's a really beautiful necklace."
All in the matter of a split second, the tranquil vibe was no more. Kakashi's eyes snapped open, ears immediately flattened backwards, and Iruka could feel the tension pass through the yokai's body like a tidal wave. As Kakashi abruptly moved away from him, a wave of cold air hit Iruka's side and he blinked up at the other man in total confusion, tiredness forgotten. Kakashi's mouth closed, opened, then closed again with a harsh frown twisting face as he shook his head.
"I'm sorry."
"What do you mean?" Iruka asked, moving his legs up from over the rock. He tried to catch Kakashi's eyes but the man was avoiding his gaze.
"I shouldn't have brought you here. We can't be friends anymore." Kakashi says quickly, turning away.
He could barely open his mouth before Kakashi was swiftly jumping off the rock onto the grass, sprinting into the tree line of the woods without so much as a glance. Iruka stared at the spot the yokai vanished in for a full minute, unsure of what he should be feeling. What the hell just happened? Now cold and confused, Iruka slowly pushed himself to his feet and carefully maneuvered onto the grass, walking until he found his shoes and the tupperware of ramen right where he left them.
Too lost to feel angry, too tired to feel hurt, Iruka refastens his sandals, grabs the leftover ramen and heads back the way he came, not without taking one final glance over his shoulder. The walk to his apartment is unhurried, Iruka spends the majority of the time replaying the scene over and over again in his head, trying to think of something different he could've said or done to change the scenario, but he couldn't think of anything. Kakashi just out of the blue started acting weird, like something triggered him.
By the time he reached his home, it was completely dark outside and the full moon shone brightly along with many stars twinkling and glittering above. A nice bath and heading straight to bed it was. Iruka paused halfway in the door when a low howl was heard somewhere in the distance. Without a pack, a wolfs howl sounded truly lonely. Iruka glimpsed up into the night sky, his mind reeled back to Kakashi's troubled expression.
What aren't you telling me?
A full week and a half blows by, not a single sign from Kakashi. It never really occurred to Iruka they always met up at a designated place, and he hadn't the slightest clue where Kakashi lived. Iruka couldn't just up and ask any ol' wolf yokai on the street either, there were many different family groups, packs, and clans inside of Konoha, plus he didn't want to seem stalker-ish. Iruka just wanted answers, truthfully. He could live on fine with Kakashi not liking him back, but his mind wouldn't be at ease until he figured out what set the man off that faithful evening.
"Don't think, drink." Genma's voice broke Iruka from his thoughts, and his eyes were trained on another serving of alcohol pushed towards him.
"That's all he's been doing." Ebisu mutters on his other side, downing his drink with a wince.
"Leave him alone." Kurenai speaks from across the table, rolling her eyes at the other teacher.
"Brats acting up again?" Genma asks lazily, playing with the ice cubes in his drink.
"Something like that." Iruka sighed deeply. Hanging out with a few friends and grabbing drinks didn't exactly help clear his mind like he thought it would. With Naruto frequently training to hone his abilities, Iruka was left brooding around the apartment lately. That was no way to spend the summer. He needed a proper distraction. Catching the gaze of a man dressed in a guards uniform who's been eyeing him for the past twenty minutes, Iruka forces himself to chug his drink and slams the cup on the table before standing up while adjusting his clothes.
Kurenai gives him an encouraging pap on the side, Ebisu a halfhearted wave, and Genma hardly notices at all as he leaves the table. A good stress reliever should clear up the fogginess in his brain. Iruka regrets not eating a good meal before leaving home, his stomach feels oddly liquid-y and it makes his confidence slip as he approaches the man who actually isn't all that bad-looking up close. A bit rough around the edges, but Iruka would be lying if he said he didn't like it good and hard every once in a while.
They fly through meaningless small-talk. Iruka already forgot his name, or maybe he wasn't paying that much attention in the first place. The guy is a inner-perimeter guardsmen, early thirties, and anything after that goes in one ear and out the other. Iruka nods, smiles and laughs whenever necessary. The sooner they got out of the bar, the better. He didn't want to think anymore, simply let go and feel. Its cooler than it was the past few nights, and the small chill does a good job of sobering Iruka up enough that he's annoyed by the smell of smoke exuding off the other mans clothing as they walk out of the building. If he wanted his nostrils to be filled with cigarettes, he would've told Kurenai to invite Asuma.
Iruka doesn't remember being led into an alleyway, but somehow his back is to a cold wall and there's hands on his hips. The hands are smaller, fingers shorter and neither pale or thin. The body invading his personal space is too stocky, too sluggish, not gracefully agile or limber. Despite what Iruka wants, his brain betrays him and keeps comparing this guardsman to Kakashi, the one he truly wanted but hated to admit at the moment.
"What made you approach me?" The slightly raspy voice asked next to his ear.
"Your eyes." Iruka says, and its not entirely a lie. The man isn't ugly whatsoever, his eyes are a nice hazel color and Iruka's sure he's a fairly decent person outside of the whole one night stand setting. He's just already fallen for someone else. The man's tongue licks the lobe of his ear before traveling towards his neck, and Iruka's hands rest robotically on his sides. When their lips meet, the kiss doesn't excite him or distract him at all, in fact Iruka feels entirely opposite as he planned for. The guard soon stops once picking up Iruka's lack of responsiveness, eyes searching but his face wasn't irritated, surprisingly enough.
"No?"
"I.." Iruka shook his head, looking at the ground. "I'm really sorry."
"No worries." The hands fell from his hips. "At least you stopped here and not when the condom package was opened."
A laugh instantly bubbles up in his chest at the comment, and the alley is temporarily filled with both mens chuckles. Well, he wasn't Kakashi but he certainly shared his dirty sense of humor. Iruka peers up into deep hazel eyes glittering with amusement and glazed in a way which told him the man was fairly intoxicated but still coherent. Better at holding alcohol than I am, that's for sure. Iruka muses to himself.
"I think I'm going to head home, but I'll buy your next round to make up?"
"Don't worry about that. I needa' sober up anyway, gotta' ten hour shift tomorrow." The guard replies, pulling out a smoke and light from his pocket, the cigarette dangling between his lips.
"Ouch. Good luck staying awake." Iruka grins.
"If anyone tries to break into the village tomorrow they'll be killed by my morning breath." The man said while yawning, flicking some ashes onto the ground. He slurred something else under his breath along with a brief goodbye, and Iruka watched him leave while chuckling lightly. In different circumstances, he could definitely see that guardsman becoming a part of his friend group. Genma would get along great with him.
Hungry, annoyed at his behavior, and now a bit guilty, Iruka heaved a deep sigh, rubbing a hand against his skull. All the time spent trying not to think then thinking too much ultimately ended up giving him a major headache. What he needed was a nice cup of tea and the comfort of his living room couch. On his way out of the alley around the corner, Iruka accidentally bumped into someone while in the middle of fixing his crooked ponytail. The holder fell somewhere on the ground, and Iruka flipped a few shoulder-length brown locks out of his face.
"Pardon me, I wasn't watching where I was going."
A low purr gave Iruka a pause, and he realized it was a panther yokai he ran into. The rounded black ears flicked, and his skinny long tail swayed behind his body. The stranger was accompanied by a badger yokai who was on the shorter and chubbier side.
"Where are you headed, sexy?" The panther asked, his eyes taking in Iruka's form suggestively.
"Home." Iruka said, hoping his voice came out as stern as he sounded in his mind.
"Aww." The taller man pouted, and Iruka froze once he felt that long tail brush against his leg, and there were sharp claws teasing a few strands of his let down hair. "Got room for one more?"
"One more?" The badger yokai gruffed, a frown on his face.
"No." Iruka slapped the intruding hand away, sidestepping the man only to have one of his wrists snatched roughly. He blamed the alcohol for his slow reflexes. Iruka saw that coming, and old man Sarutobi taught him well enough that he could've broken that wrist in three different places had he been completely sober. Iruka instead delivered a knee to the mans crotch, gratified when the panther yokai's grip let loose and his ears flattened back while he hissed.
A yell tore from his throat when a fistful of his hair was grabbed, and he was being nearly dragged into the nearby alley by the badger yokai, his scalp on fire. The sounds of noisy patrons from the bar drowned out Iruka's angered cusses, and he countered the punch that was aimed at his stomach without a second to spare.
"Feisty. I like you." The panther yokai purred, his eyes glinting dangerously. Suddenly, the smirk fell from his lips and he was staring up at something. Iruka didn't know what the man was looking at, but the one holding his hair suddenly went limp, crashing to the ground and knocking over a trash bin. Iruka's shock couldn't register because a shadowy figure then leapt from the rooftop and landed in front of him, blocking the panther who had jumped backwards out of the way.
The deep growl that filled the alleyway shook Iruka to his core, and his eyes moved from the puffy lashing tail up towards silver hair—Kakashi? Iruka blinked, and hell, it must've been one slow-ass blink since the panther had shifted to his first form and was now fighting the wolf yokai who was the size of a small horse, a tussle of claws and teeth, growling yowling and snarling. It ended all too soon with the big cat climbing up the side of a nearby building, retreating from the fight that he was clearly outmatched for with his badger partner knocked out cold.
"Are you okay?" Kakashi's voice was low as he reverted back to his second form and approached Iruka, pulling him to his feet by his arms. Iruka didn't even know he was on the ground until then.
"Yeah." Iruka nodded, stopping the motion immediately when his vision blurred. When had everything seemed so dizzy? Probably from his severe headache that only worsened when his hair was pulled. "I'm fine."
The mismatched eyes were searching, narrowed, and Kakashi's nose twitched while he stared at him. "You're drunk."
"Tipsy." He countered with a glare, shrugging away the pale hand when it reached for his disheveled hair. "What are you doing here?"
"They touched you." Kakashi snarled, startling Iruka by the sheer amount of venom in his voice.
"Only my hair." Iruka blinked owlishly, both surprised and a little grateful at how angry Kakashi was over it. "Thanks for that by the way."
"I'm taking you home."
"I—"
In the blink of an eye, Iruka found himself being carried bridal style in a strong grip, and then Kakashi was jumping into the air, forcing Iruka to wrap his arms around the man's nape in fear of falling as the yokai moved from rooftop to rooftop. He gradually opened his eyes when the initial nervousness passed, and the sight of the village from traveling up high was one to behold. Iruka tilted his head and peered up at Kakashi when he noticed the man was trembling for some odd reason. He couldn't possibly be cold, could he?
They reached Iruka's apartment in record time, and he personally wished it would've taken longer because that was really a fun way to travel so long as being afraid of heights wasn't an issue. He was placed gently on the ground again, a bit reluctant to move away from Kakashi's warmth but nevertheless Iruka removed his arms. Now that there was better lighting, Iruka could clearly see how tired and anxious Kakashi appeared, as if he'd been awake for days stressing over something.
"Do you want to come inside?"
"I can't." Kakashi murmured, beginning to step away but Iruka snatched the sleeve of his shirt before he could vanish a second time.
"Why?" Iruka prompted, a frown on his face as he stepped closer to the other man. "What's the matter? Why are you avoiding me all of a sudden?"
Kakashi reached up underneath his shirt and grabbed his necklace, letting the item dangle on top of his clothes. Iruka stared at it a moment, then lifted his gaze to peer into those mismatched eyes which were looking at him with a combination of want and sadness.
"I'm engaged."
As the words sunk in, Iruka slowly let go of Kakashi's shirt, his chest feeling weirdly hollow. His eyes locked onto the stone amulet dangling from a thin chain, all along the answer was right in front of his face. Marriages could be set through a number of items, rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, sometimes nothing symbolic at all. It depended on the people and their family. Iruka never would've guessed, he assumed it was just another ordinary fashionable necklace.
"That's why I can't see you anymore." Kakashi continued quietly, tucking the necklace back under his shirt. "I like you too much. It's my fault for letting it get this far. But.. may I ask one last thing?"
"What is it?" Iruka's voice shakes, caught up in a variety of emotions.
"Can I kiss you?"
"What?" He snapped, staring at the other man in disbelief and slight anger. "You said—"
"I know." Kakashi sighed deeply, his shoulders sagging. "I just wanted to at least once before I met her."
"You haven't even met your bride?" Iruka blurted out.
"No, she's not from this village. It was an agreement settled among the superiors for agricultural and territory benefits. As you know the Mist region is the smallest of the five regions but contains the best area for growing crops and supplies a great deal of our food. They wish to expand their outer farms closer to the unused open fields and grasslands outside of Konoha's forests, and you can see why that would arise conflict. I was recently sent to the Mist to finalize exact locations when a rebellious group opposing the arrangement attacked us on the way back."
"That's the ambush Lady Tsunade and Shizune were talking about." Iruka deadpanned, eyes wide. He's almost positive Kakashi shouldn't be dispersing such information to him. "So your marriage is essentially a peace treaty, and all these annoying border fights should cease afterwards?"
"Yes, that's the plan." Kakashi nods.
"You and I both know that almost never works. I'm pretty sure the Sand and Stone region did something similar, and less than a year later they were back at it. What makes this different?"
"Well, that's what the Mist was arguing about. But given my status along with the fact that she's their leaders younger sister, the chances of success should be a higher rate."
"And.. you're alright with all of this?"
Kakashi's face remained rather blank but Iruka could tell with the way his ears were poised backward meant he wasn't at all happy. Iruka sighed while tucking some hair behind his ear, that conversation had pretty much entirely sobered him up. All of his previous doubts and questions were answered, but for some reason he didn't feel the slightest bit content. Frowning, his eyes lower to a large rip in Kakashi's shirt at his side, there's four long gashes under the shredded black material.
Iruka walked up to the door while fishing his key out of his pocket, gesturing with a tilt of his head. Kakashi hesitated for about ten seconds before following him inside. The door closed with a soft click, and Iruka flicked on the light after tossing his sandals aside. Kakashi took his own shoes off and stood in the entryway patiently as Iruka grabbed a clean cloth and rinsed it with cool water along with a container of antibiotic cream.
Wordlessly, Kakashi walked forwards while crossing his arms, snagging the hem of his torn shirt and pulling the item up over his head. Iruka stared at the splay of toned muscles only a brief moment before his eyes were drawn to the even scratches on Kakashi's oblique left behind from the panther. They weren't terribly deep, just a lot of dried up blood. Iruka gingerly wiped away the crusted red substance with the cool damp cloth and softly applied the ointment with a couple trembling fingers.
Kakashi's clawed hand enclosed over his wrist, and Iruka stilled while dragging his gaze up the pale torso, licking his dry lips when he saw nothing but intense frustration and desire lingering within those mismatched eyes. The small container of cream fell from his hand onto the floor with a disregarded thump as Kakashi leaned down and kissed him fervently, sharp teeth catching Iruka's bottom lip. Weeks of pent up longing and aimless thinking boiled down to this precise moment. There's a certain yearning behind the kiss, an eager desperation which only intensifies between them as Kakashi's tongue works against his own.
Iruka's fingers tangle in weirdly smooth yet spiky tufts of silver hair, brushing the small wolf ears that twitch when his skin comes into contact with them. They're even softer than he imagined. Kakashi's nearly consuming him, making Iruka feel like he was drowning in an ocean of the mans presence. Insistent and passionate, nearly overbearing. Iruka turns away with a gasp when his lungs burn for oxygen, and the column of his neck is promptly attacked next, sharp teeth scraping, a warm tongue lapping.
The sound that comes out of his mouth is short lived when his back hits the nearest wall and a pair of hands grasp underneath his thighs, lifting him effortlessly as Kakashi slots himself between his legs. The selfish part of Iruka overrides logical reason, and the hovering thought that this was wrong just doubles the amount of thrill shooting through his every nerve. It's too many layers, not enough skin, even as Kakashi grinds his hips into Iruka forcefully, biting a mark onto his collarbone that sends a shock straight to his groin.
Little, sloppy kisses are littered everywhere from the man's forehead, down his cheek, along his jawline and back again. Iruka tightens his legs and lock his ankles together, ears filled with his thrumming heartbeat and Kakashi's pants.
"I need you.." Kakashi growled lowly, nosing around Iruka's loosed hair while breathing in deeply. Iruka's breath stuttered, goosebumps prickling his skin at the words. He doesn't oppose when Kakashi moves from the wall, merely hangs on as he's carried to his own dark bedroom, soon laid down on a familiar softness, brown locks splayed out behind his head. His shirt is stripped so hurriedly, Iruka's sure the fabric is torn but that's the last of his worries.
There's no doubt in Kakashi's actions as both their clothes become a mess on the floor in the timespan of mere seconds. Only when the man is staring down at Iruka's naked form do his eyes seem to flash with a wordless hesitation. Iruka curls his leg over the back of a pale thigh, a silent invitation, and sure enough the expression dissipates immediately. A part of him wonders if he hadn't initiated that last action, would they have stopped this?
Iruka hisses out a curse when Kakashi moves against him, cock to cock, the slide of bare skin he longed to feel minutes earlier earning a gracious moan. Iruka's hands slide over every part of pale flesh they can touch, relishing the flexing muscles felt underneath his palms. It was too much too fast, yet still not nearly enough.
"Please." He breathed, gasping when Kakashi's warm tongue lapped over a pert nipple.
"Third form?" Kakashi asks, breath ghosting along Iruka's sweat slicked skin.
"You're more comfortable like this right?"
The other man nods, stroking Iruka in a slow, firm grip while planting his lips over his abdomen.
"Ahn.. I don't mind." Iruka's voice jumps in pitch, and he quickly reaches over the side of his bed to fumble with a container of oil. He'd have to prepare himself, since Kakashi's claws would get in the way. Kakashi scoots back and gives him room to lift his legs, and Iruka dips a few fingers in the oil before bringing his hand down and teasing around the puckered skin, smearing the substance around. It was a little erotic and embarrassing with Kakashi's face right there, watching his every move. Iruka's head tilted back with a groan when the man lapped at his cock when he slipped two fingers inside. He was able to work himself open much quicker due to the fact he's been giving himself pleasure recently. The dark gleam in Kakashi's eyes as he peers up Iruka's body when he shoves a third finger in told him he knew as well.
"Okay," Iruka pants, spreading his thighs wider while removing his fingers, wiping them on the crumpled sheets. "Okay, now."
Not once did Kakashi's gaze leave his own as he settled into a comfortable position, his somehow already slicked-up cock nudging Iruka's entrance which twitched at the contact. Kakashi's hands were shaking slightly from where they held underneath Iruka's knees, as if he could hardly contain himself. Iruka's jaw falls slack in a silent cry as Kakashi sinks in at a speed that's borderline rushed, stretching him wider than three fingers, stopping with a groan when Iruka's spasming rim met the base of his cock.
His hands wildly find Kakashi's sides, nails scraping across his sculpted lower back, urging him to move. The first withdraw has a whine leaving Iruka's throat, the small discomfort easily dismissed when Kakashi plunges back inside, immediately setting a pace as desperate and eager as the look in his eyes. The smack of skin of their coupling is drowned out by Iruka's moans, everything was heady and rough, muscles coiled and trembling, a declaration of their long suppressed desires finally boiling over.
Kakashi descends over him, pinning his hands above Iruka's head while their fingers entangle together, the faint sting of claws digging into the back of his hands ignored. Iruka's hips buck upwards against Kakashi who's fucking impossibly deep, a delicious mixture of flexing, grinding, thrusting and rolling his hips, reveling in every motion that makes Iruka shout out breathlessly. His legs lift and wrap tightly around the man's lower body, back arching and toes curling, a bustle of chants tumbling past his lips.
Teeth clack in a messy kiss, saliva glistening their lips, breathing warm puffs of air against each others mouths. Kakashi groans deeply above him, head falling in the crook of Iruka's neck and collarbone as his movements speed up and roughen, jerking Iruka's entire body with the sheer force until his entire pelvis ached from it. Iruka frees his hands and clutches at the broad back, nails gouging the mans pale flesh as he held on for dear life, dizzy in the wake of ecstasy.
Already he's straining with imminent release despite his untouched cock, balls drawn up, eyes blurry with oncoming tears and voice stammering out jibber-jabbers. It only takes a few more drilling thrusts against his prostate before Iruka's tipped over the edge of oblivion. His insides squeeze and throb around Kakashi's cock, messily wetting both their bellies with his cum that leaves him in thick streams. His body involuntarily convulsed underneath the other man, writhing on the bed as the full effect of his climax washed over him.
Kakashi's hips stuttered to a stop while he gasped sharply, eyes wide. Iruka's body seemed to literally suck out the other mans orgasm because not seconds later he feels Kakashi's cock pulsate inside of him followed by hot gushes of cum, coating his walls which still repeatedly quivered, milking his partner thoroughly and—holy hell Kakashi came a lot, he must've been holding off all those past weeks. Their groans die down into pants as the aftermath of intense pleasure gradually fades, leaving Iruka sweaty, satisfied and sensitive.
Iruka shifted his legs, letting them fall back into place while biting his lower lip. Maybe he had been too exited before but he didn't really notice how big Kakashi was, and now that he wasn't drunk off lust his ass was a bit sore, actually it still kind of hurt. Iruka lightly pushed a palm on Kakashi's stomach, a silent notion for him to move. Kakashi got the clue and raised up off of him, allowing Iruka to breathe more now that he wasn't trapped under a hundred-and-something pounds of muscle, bones and sweat. The moment he tried to roll in the opposite direction, a flash of pain shot up his spine and Iruka yelped while stilling, body rigid.
His widened eyes glimpsed up at Kakashi who had a grimace on his face, and his ears were so flattened back against his head it looked like they weren't even there anymore. Iruka then realized, from the dull throb of pain down there, they were stuck.
"Wh—" Iruka stopped his sentence before it could form. Now that his brain could somewhat function, he vaguely recalled this happened to all canid animals, and Kakashi, being a wolf yokai, was no exception.
"You said you were alright with me in my second form, I thought you knew." Kakashi said through gritted teeth, his voice strained. Probably because Iruka nearly tried to rip his dick off. Yeah, that couldn't have felt nice.
"I'm sorry." Iruka murmured sheepishly. "I forgot."
"Figures." The man chuckled faintly.
"How long?"
"Twenty minutes at least." Kakashi replied, his ears finally standing up again. "Here, let me." The man gripped Iruka by the hips securely, and he let his arms drape around Kakashi's nape as the man sat up on his heels and turned them around, allowing Iruka to rest comfortably in his lap while he leaned against the pillows. Iruka made a small noise as the reposition seemed to force Kakashi even deeper inside him, and there was a continuous press against his prostate from the way he was angled.
Iruka let his head rest on a single pale shoulder, enjoying the way Kakashi's warm hand stroked through his hair, smoothing it down his back. His tired eyes trailed to the betrothal necklace laying against the toned chest, and despite himself, there wasn't an ounce of regret in his system. It should be a powerful yokai woman Kakashi held in the wake of a blissful night, impregnating with his seed which was instead wasted inside of Iruka, inside of a nonexistent womb.
A smirk adorn's his features as he reaches a hand up, fiddling with the stone amulet between his fingers. Iruka brings the item to his lips and kisses the cold smooth surface, flicking his eyes up towards Kakashi who's watching him intently while continuing to pet his hair, mismatched gaze gleaming with an unspoken promise.
"You're positive?" Tsunade frowns, fingertips tightening on her cup of sake.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade." The masked soldier replied with a small nod. "Our spying team confirmed the one behind the ambush last month was no other than Mei-sama's younger sister. Mei-sama herself was not involved nor was she aware of the incident."
The blonde woman hummed, swirling around her drink.
"M'lady, should I dispatch a messenger to inform Hatake-san the wedding operation is no more?"
"Nah." Tsunade leaned back in her chair while crossing her legs, gulping down the remaining sake in her cup to hide her smile. "Dismissed."