Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Need You Now
By : djserani
Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male
Views: 3671 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto and I make no money from it!
Chapter List
- 22
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- 24
The three of them stood over the table with Gaara, Kankuro and Temari. "Okay, the base is here," Kakashi pointed to a spot on the map. "The closest villages are here, here and here, at least in Earth country." He glanced over at Naruto. "It'll be up to you to get to them and let them know what's going on." Naruto nodded.

Kakashi frowned. "These three here are probably the closest sand villages, though I don't know what's left in them."

"These two are still populated. This one emptied right before the storm." Kankuro pointed to the dots on the map with a kunai.

"Okay, well, I'd expect those to be hit first. Regardless, it'll take them time to get from the base to the villages they're attacking. Hold them there as long as you can to buy us as much time as possible." Kakashi sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"Can you really get in there? Just the three of you?" Gaara asked.

Kakashi debated how much to say. He didn't want to give away Iruka's former ANBU status, that was his business. He settled on, "this is the best team make up for it." He sighed. "It'll take most of the day to get there, so I don't expect, unless it's empty when we arrive, to try tonight yet."

Gaara considered him a moment, then nodded. "Okay. Well, good luck."

"Thanks." Kakashi turned to the other two. "Let's move."

They replenished their kunai and shuriken, checked their other supplies and headed out. They traveled in silence, working their way north and landing near Iwa late that afternoon. Iruka took the time travelling to push aside any of his emotional questions. It meant he was much closer to shut down, but it couldn't be helped. He couldn't be distracted by that stuff.

Kakashi looked to Iruka when they got close, noting that the flat eyes and blank face were back in place. He frowned at it, but understood the necessity. He hoped they could pull him back if it got worse. He signaled to the younger man, who nodded.

Iruka dropped from the trees first. He closed his eyes and began the process of separating sounds and listening for what he wanted. "Clear," he called softly a moment later and the other two joined him. "None within my range yet," he reported.

Kakashi nodded. "Okay. We still have a few kilometers." He glanced at the sky. "We have time to check it out before finding a place to spend the night." Iruka and Yamato nodded and the three of them took to the trees again.

But only two kilometers further along, Iruka put up a hand. They dropped quickly and watched him. He motioned to the right with two fingers and to the left with one. Kakashi pointed to Yamato and gestured to the sentry to their left, then he and Iruka headed to the right.

Iruka dropped down on the sentry from above, the kunai in his hand and across the unaware nin's throat before he could do so much as twitch. The Rock shinobi fell to the forest floor and Iruka dropped after him. He stared for a moment at the dead ninja and fought with the urge to shut down. Dammit, he hated this part of it.

"Iruka." Kakashi said his name sharply and he looked up and the look in the visible eye was enough. He started breathing more normally again.

"Thank you." He said, turning away from the dead ninja. He swallowed hard and turned to Yamato as he approached. "It's clear for now."

They nodded and turned toward the cliff face, but there were two more nin between them and the edge. When they got close, Kakashi motioned for Iruka to stand back and Yamato sent his wood tendrils out after them.

Iruka ground his teeth together. If he didn't get a grip on himself, he was going to be more of a hindrance than a help. He took a deep breath, forced himself to focus and they slipped up to the edge of the cliff.

He closed his eyes and focused once more on the sounds. But when he started down into the caves below, he didn't need to get far for their answer. He opened his eyes and met Kakashi's, then shook his head.

Kakashi nodded, then motioned toward the south and they took off again, skirting the cliffs. A few kilometers down and out of sentry range, they paused. Iruka checked the area and, after reporting it clear, they dropped to the forest floor. "This is as good as any place," Kakashi said.

They settled in near the edge of the plateau on their end and watched the rock faces. The caves could just be seen from there, the cliff having curved around. But unless they were looking, they wouldn't be able to see any movement unless the caves emptied completely. It was just a little too far away.

Iruka sighed. "I'll have to go back regularly to check."

"Maybe. But unless a good portion of them leave, we can't do much, so it might be best to stay here and wait. We should be able to see if the larger attack force moves out and go then. We have to give Naruto and the Sand time to organize their end of it, anyway." Kakashi leaned back against a tree and got comfortable. He looked Iruka over. "Are you alright?"

The younger man frowned. "Yes. I'm sorry, I'll get a handle on this."

Yamato raised an eyebrow. "A handle on what?"

"My emotions," Iruka said, some of the frustration leaking through. "You don't need to be worrying about me while we're out here."

Kakashi blinked at him, puzzled. "We're not. Why would you think that?"

Iruka looked between them, confused. "But� you sent Yamato in earlier."

"Yeah, because if I sent you, and something happened, our most valuable resource right now might end up injured or dead." Kakashi shrugged. "You don't risk them if you don't have to."

Iruka sighed. "Fuck. It's been too long since I've been on missions like this." He rubbed his face hard. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. It's not that I don't trust your abilities --" Kakashi started.

"But sometimes someone gets the better of even the best," Iruka finished, looking over at Yamato who blinked and blushed.

"Right." Kakashi said.

A muttered 'hardly' could be heard from Yamato's direction.

"And I'm far from the best," Iruka added quietly, then sighed. "Okay, well, how long will it take for them to get ready?"

"I expect Naruto will be in place by morning, same with the Sand ninja. So we'll check once or twice maybe, but I'm not sure I want to try to get in yet. If they leave to attack before then, there's no guarantee they'll be gone long enough for us to do what we need to do." Kakashi frowned. "We'll have to take the chance, though." He sighed, looking again toward the caves.

"It's going to be a long night." Yamato said, trying to get comfortable.

"We could be in for a long wait altogether," Iruka commented, his eyes still watching the entrance to the base. "Remember it can be days before they leave to try again."

"And we're assuming they still will," Kakashi added.

"We can't second-guess the plan now." Yamato glanced at them. "This is the best we're going to get with what we have. The three of us may be good, but it's certainly not equal to an entire large force of shinobi. And that's the only thing that would almost guarantee success."

"Stealth might be better anyway," Iruka said, frowning. "We're still trying to keep this from turning into a war between these three countries. The last thing that would help that would be a large force. We need to get in, take care of them and get back out without being detected if at all possible." He shook his head. "I almost - almost - miss the grey vest and mask for this kind of thing."

"Yeah." Yamato said, "I know what you mean." Conversation trailed off as they got comfortable for a potentially long wait.

Surveillance sucked, there were no two ways about it. It was boring and exhausting at the same time. They had to keep focused not only in case they saw what they were waiting for, but in case they were discovered.

As nightfall started to descend, Kakashi turned to the other two. "Let's take shifts. We need time to rest or we'll all be basket cases. I'll take first watch. Iruka, you're second and Yamato, third. Take a few hours and try to rest."

The other two nodded and pulled out their blankets. Iruka was surprised when Yamato leaned over and kissed him, then dropped one on Kakashi before settling under his blanket. He stared at the other man a moment. "Don't I get one?" Kakashi asked.

Iruka turned to the copy nin. "Sorry, my mind is firmly in mission mode." Kakashi bought the excuse, gave him a quick kiss of his own and the younger man settled down into his own blanket. He stared at the sky a moment, the confusion over them leaking back in. He closed his eyes and forced himself to calm. He needed rest, so he pushed the questions and puzzlement away for later and fell into that not-quite-sleep state that shinobi go to when they're out on missions.

"Ruka." Iruka opened his eyes to see Kakashi squatted over him.

"Hi." He sat up and rubbed his face. "My turn?"

"Yeah, I'm beat. Nothing's happened yet, not that I expect anything to." Kakashi said, grabbing his own blanket.

"I don't either." Iruka stood and stretched a bit before settling in near the edge to watch. "Get some rest, this could be a long wait."

"Don't I know it. Thanks," Kakashi stretched out next to Yamato and Iruka watched him fold his hands and go still. He knew he wasn't going to sleep, none of them really did when they were on edge like that, but their bodies needed time to shut down.

He turned to observe the cave entrances on the opposite wall. He could see a few faint flickering lights from inside, but nothing else. They were all just as likely asleep in there. He slipped back from the edge and sat against the tree Kakashi had claimed earlier.

He let his eyes move over the other two men. Yamato was, once again, sprawled. He wasn't really sleeping, Iruka knew, but even in the half-state, he spread out. He couldn't stop the smile at that.

Iruka swallowed hard as he stared at him. He'd been ready to ask Iruka out before Kakashi accepted the statue. Iruka briefly thought about being his second choice, but he shrugged that off. They hadn't been the first people he'd ever noticed in his life, though they might well be the last. Feeling the way he did, he doubted he'd ever love anyone else the same as he did them.

With that bit of news, though, brought to him facts he couldn't ignore. They wanted him around them. They stayed in the lobby the day before while he taught when they could have gone up to the room. They could have disappeared, spent time alone, but they didn't.

Yamato obviously felt something for him, if he'd wanted to ask him out. So, he couldn't pretend that this was one-sided, period. He'd certainly seen something in their eyes when they'd made love.

He forced his thoughts away from that before he ended up having to sit uncomfortably. He frowned to himself. He'd been sure he'd seen things in Raido's eyes, too. Maybe he just didn't read people very well. His one downfall and what had caused so many problems before he started teaching was his insistence on seeing the best in everyone.

It had caused the problems on his last mission with Kakashi, and they'd come out of it horribly injured. His mind flashed to the morning in front of the mirror. He had seen things in the other man's eyes, there was no doubt about that. But what had it been? Had Raido really loved him? Or was it something else?

He sighed, swallowing hard. If Raido had loved him, then he'd really hurt the man. That didn't sit well and he stared for a moment, unseeingly, at the stars. He took a deep breath and tried to force it all back. He couldn't change that now. If he had, he felt bad for it, but he couldn't do anything at this point. It would only make it worse if he tried to say anything.

Because regardless of what happened with Kakashi and Yamato when they got home, he knew that he wasn't going to be able to let go of them. At least from his side, and not for a very long time, if they decide to push him away. He still couldn't see them doing anything but wanting to be friends, maybe friends who had sex now and again, but friends nonetheless.

Yamato had referred to Kakashi as our lover. Inner-Iruka reminded him.

But that didn't necessarily mean they meant to go further with it. You can be lovers and never go beyond sex. Hadn't he and Raido gone through the very same thing? They'd never moved in, never took it beyond dating and spending the night at each other's apartments, at times. And they hadn't already had someone else they were committed to!

And those two were very much in love and committed. Iruka could see it. They had already formed silent communication. The way they touched each other, understood each other. Some of that, undoubtedly, came from knowing the other person for as long as they had. Some of it from being teammates for years. But some of it was being together, being committed.

He sighed and let his eyes travel to the copy nin. He hadn't moved. His hands were still folded on his chest, he was still in the same exact position he was in when he'd laid down. There were parts, he was sure, of the man that no one had touched yet. He'd heard the stories, knew what had happened to him. His father, Obito.

Iruka didn't know if he could have handled the things Kakashi had been through. Probably, for all his shortcomings, he was still a strong person. But he wondered how he would have turned out. He shook his head, he couldn't know.

He turned his attention back to the caves again and, as he'd expected, there was no movement. He frowned. The lights he'd seen earlier were a little dimmer. He glanced at the sky and realized that dawn was approaching. He crept backwards toward Yamato. He'd let his mind wander longer than he'd intended to.

When Yamato awakened him later, there was still nothing happening at the caves. Iruka slipped closer to the base and focused his hearing, but it was still filled with shinobi.

"They're still there. I took a moment and pushed as far as I could. I can count at least fifty people in there, scattered throughout some of the cave system. It's intricate in there, too." He sighed. "And close. I think I actually miss my katana. That's going to be fun to fight in."

"Great. Well, we can handle it. Good work." Kakashi said, then sighed. "I guess we wait."

Several hours later, they found themselves sitting at the edge of the cliff again. This time, however, they were watching carefully as a good number of the shinobi in the caves made their way to the top and into the trees. They were fast. If Iruka hadn't been watching for it, they would have missed it. "I guess it's time," Kakashi said, quietly. The other two men glanced at each other and a few seconds later, they were in the trees and on their way.

"Okay," Iruka said quietly. "No one close for the moment. The caves branch off less than fifty meters in. The vast majority of the ninja that were in there are gone, but there's a group of people in the rightmost cave. I counted eight, but there are several in other parts of the caves, too."

"So, which one is it?" Yamato asked.

Iruka shook his head. "I have no idea, but if I had to guess, I wouldn't think the Mist nin would be in with the rest."

"Probably not." Kakashi said. "What I know of him, he likes to be alone. Were there any areas with only two or three?"

Iruka thought it over. "If we go left, there are two different areas like that."

"Then that's our target." He took a deep breath. "Move out."

The three of them took off. Iruka held up his hand when they were still a hundred meters out. He focused his hearing, cast a look at each of the others and they dropped. Iruka released kunai, one from each hand, and they heard the bodies drop. Motioning again, they kept going.

They approached the edge of the cliff and slipped over silently. Iruka pointed to the cave entrance they were aiming for and they dropped into it. When they landed, he motioned toward the left branch of the fork ahead.

The first ninja they encountered heard nothing. They, in fact , never registered the existence of the three Leaf shinobi. Yamato sent his mokuton tendrils around him and a moment later, the man was dragged out of sight.

"First one is ahead on the right," Iruka whispered and Kakashi nodded.

As they rounded the curve in the cave, Kakashi examined the three ninja sitting around the small room. All three were very relaxed, in standard Rock ninja garb. Kakashi shook his head and the three of them slipped backwards out of sight.

"Left." Iruka pointed toward another room off of the corridor they were in some fifty meters down.

Sure enough, as they approached, not only was the missing Mist nin in there, but two others. "I'm not sure what you think I can do, Kazuko, about a damned ghost." The voice was almost lazy.

A female voice, undoubtedly Kazuko, said, "you know damned well it's not a ghost. They're Leaf shinobi. Undoubtedly ANBU."

"If they were ANBU, we'd know it. Besides, even their ANBU isn't that good." The first voice said. "You do remember the ones we took out a few weeks ago?"

Someone snorted. "You got lucky. Don't underestimate them, Machio." That was Kazuko's voice again.

"Leaf ninja are a joke. They're not the first ones I've gone up against," Machio sighed. "But fine, we still don't know where they are."

"Above us, somewhere. We lost two more sentries this morning." A third voice, this one male, said. "They're out there and they're close."

"So why haven't they tried for us yet?" Machio asked.

"Too many of us?" Kazuko asked. "They're not stupid."

One of them snorted at that, then "right."

"Stupid shinobi don't take out five sentries without a struggle, Machio. I'd think that if you were able to survive for twenty years as a missing-nin you'd be a little smarter than this." This from Kazuko.

"Maybe he's just too cocky." The third voice said.

Kakashi looked at the other two, raising his eyebrows. Iruka and Yamato nodded. They'd heard enough.

"Looking for us?" Kakashi asked as they stepped into the small room.

All three of the other shinobi stood up. "I told you not to underestimate them," Kazuko said. She was tall with long red hair, fierce blue eyes and a deep scowl.

In the middle of the group was the missing Mist nin. Takashi Machio stared at Kakashi. "You?"

"Why do they always say that?" Kakashi asked, rolling his eyes toward at Yamato, who shrugged.

"I thought I got rid of you!" Machio lifted his sword, a long sword with a ridiculously thin-looking blade. All three of the Leaf nin knew better than to underestimate it. The legendary swords were not something to trifle with. Kakashi's last encounter with that blade had left him nearly drained of chakra.

"Sorry, he's not that easy to kill," Iruka said, turning his attention to the third ninja. Smaller than the other two, he looked fast and mean.

They stood opposite each other, evaluating, considering. Neither group moved at first, watching and waiting.

"Which one of you is heading the coup?" Kakashi asked, casually.

Kazuko's eyes widened. "Dammit. Yuuma."

"Don't be too hard on him if you see him again. He did take a lot of convincing to give up the information." Kakashi gave a half smile that didn't reach his eyes. The only indication his face moved was the shift in his mask.

The third ninja took a half step forward and Iruka lifted his kunai, waiting.

Machio laughed. "See? They're not even ANBU, I don't know what you're worried about." He pointed his sword at Kakashi.

"I've had enough of this," Kakashi said and formed the hand signs for his water bubble.

This seemed to spur the two Rock nin into action and the small one went after Iruka. The teacher spun with his leg in a kick, but the rock nin bent under it, bringing his own up. Iruka dodged, swinging out with the kunai. He caught the other man with the blade, but only barely nicking him. The little one struck out with a kunai of his own and Iruka parried it, knocking the knife out of his hand.

Meanwhile, Yamato had sent his branches out to Kazuko, wrapping them around her. She stared in shock at him. "What the hell is that?"

"Wood release. I told you, you weren't cut out to take over as Tsuchikage. You're too stupid." Machio said, bringing his sword up and surprising Kakashi by slicing through the water bubble. He's not supposed to be able to do that.

Kazuko growled in frustration and pushed chakra out to break the branches holding her. She turned to Yamato, lashing out with her own kunai, swinging her arm wide. The thought flashed through Yamato's mind that Iruka had been right. The katanas would have come in very handy in a space like this. He parried the blade with one of his own and spun, kicking out at her.

Iruka was consistently aware of where Yamato and Kakashi was at all times. It was a little odd that he'd be so aware of them, but he managed, even in the small space, to avoid them completely as he and the other Rock nin kicked, parried and struck at each other. He cursed his lack of sword again. He couldn't risk his fireballs in the small space, there was too much chance he'd hit Kakashi or Yamato.

Finally, after dancing with the nin for another minute, evaluating his moves, he saw it. He launched one more kunai, catching him under the arm when he swung it up for another strike and the other man slumped to the floor.

He turned to the other two just as Kakashi pushed a Raikiri at the Mist nin's sword. It connected and Iruka watched in fascination as it snaked up the blade, connecting with the hand holding it. The nin screamed and released the sword, dropping it to the ground.

A few seconds later, Yamato's branches surrounded the Mist nin and held him in place. Iruka didn't think twice, he released a kunai that went right between them, embedding itself with deadly accuracy into the nin's chest, right at his heart. Machio cast a stunned look at them before falling, face first, onto the cave floor. He lay there, unmoving.

The three men turned toward the woman left in the cave. She looked from one to the other before raising her hands. "Despite Machio's words, I'm not stupid." She looked from one to the other. "I don't know who you are for sure, but I have no wish to fight all three of you."

Yamato raised an eyebrow. She was going to unseat the Tsuchikage?

But just then, when Yamato moved to send out his branches again, she disappeared. "Shit," Kakashi said, succinctly. He turned, "Iruka?"

He already had his eyes closed in concentration. He shook his head. "I have no idea. She's no where nearby."

"Let's go." They took off down the corridors, led by Iruka, emerging at the cliff. They paused long enough for Iruka to confirm the ground above was clear, the Rock nin left in the caves apparently unaware of what had taken place so far, and they headed up.

"Now what?" Yamato asked.

Kakashi shook his head. "We have no idea where she could have gone. I doubt she could transport far, but there are still too many places she could have gone." He turned to Iruka. "Anyone nearby?"

Iruka closed his eyes once more and listened. "There are a few ninja further along that way," he pointed north. "In the trees. Undoubtedly sentries. But none here."

Kakashi thought it over. "Maybe one of them will know where she would go."

They took off after the sentries and Iruka caught the one highest in the trees off guard. Iruka dropped down behind him, wrapping him in chakra wire, holding the kunai to his throat. "Don't move," he said in the nin's ear.

Yamato and Kakashi fought with the other two, Kakashi taking one out, Yamato wrapping the other in his branches. They joined Iruka on the forest floor a moment later and, dragging the struggling Rock nin with them, they moved away from the other two.

"I'm not screwing around this time," he said quietly and lifted his headband.

"Don't look," Yamato said quietly and he and Iruka turned away.

They still had to fight the bile at the scream. They knew that there was nothing physically happening to him, but the sound was damned near inhuman. Iruka fought it, but when the second scream came out, his face went completely blank.

"She's not here," Kakashi said, approaching them. He stared for a moment at Iruka, noticing the look on his face. He put a hand on the other man's shoulder. "Iruka," he said sharply and the younger man met his gaze. "He's okay. He'll be fine."

Iruka closed his eyes and focused on the hand on his shoulder. He felt another on his other shoulder and the darkness started to fade again. He took a deep breath. "So, where is she?"

"She's back in Iwa somewhere. The nin is sure there's no other place outside the village that they'd go," Kakashi said. He stared at Iruka another moment and let his hand drop. "We can't do anything more here, right now. We need rest and we need to regroup. Move out."
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Need You Now	By : djserani Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 3671 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto and I make no money from it!

Need You Now