Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

All For the Sake of Pleasure	By : Kanemoshi Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Kakashi/Iruka Views: 8217 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 6
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters and did not make any money from creating this story.

Chapter List
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Chapter Thirty Five
Kakashi stretched his arms over his head, yawning as he took the last few steps to the front door in a bit of a stumble. He had thought that these months with Iruka and Saki would have kept him fit, but he had quickly learned that being on leave so long had left him out of shape. The seemingly simple mission he had taken this morning had left him exhausted and sore. It had been the first time in months that he had free time and, as much as he loved his son, Kakashi had almost thrown Saki into Naruto's arms when the blonde had offered to take care of him for the day.
The jounin had come to learn a few things in the past few months. One: he could not cook. But that was fixable and, even after just a few cooking lessons with Sasuke, he could now boil water without burning the pot. Two: no amount of cleaning or organizing was enough for Iruka. If even a single sheet of paper was not in its exact place, his brunet would begin compulsively lining things up until they were perfect in his mind. Kakashi couldn't even tell the difference, though sometimes he had just been a degree or two off in his angling of something. No sane person would even notice, but he knew sanity, where Iruka was concerned, was sometimes a questionable thing. Three: everyone needed some alone-time. Living by himself for nearly his entire life, Kakashi would have thought he had more than enough solitude to last the rest of his lifetime, but he still reveled in the occasional silence and calm. It made him appreciate his son and lover's presence all the more and, even when he wanted some privacy, he always raced back home to his family when he was done collecting his thoughts.
The fourth and final thing he had come to learn since moving in with Iruka: the tiny apartment was nowhere near large enough for him, Iruka, and Saki, not to mention Naruto and Sasuke, who pretty much lived there whenever they were in Konoha. Then there was the pack; at least one ninken was around the apartment at all times, though it was starting to be more common to have all of them there. Pakkun claimed the pack wanted to spend time with Saki. Kakashi knew that that was only about half of their reasoning. For the first time in his life, he was comfortable with his emotions. He smiled and laughed with ease, cuddled with Iruka as though it was the most natural thing, and doted on his son – his pack just wanted to be around to witness such a miraculous change in their once cold master.
But as good as it was to have his pack want to be around him, the facts did not change. Kakashi was constantly tripping over ninken, being slammed into walls as Naruto went barreling by, or otherwise realizing that Iruka's apartment was not large enough for all of them. He would ask Iruka to move in with him, but his apartment was even smaller. That insight – that he was willing to not simply stay over as a permanent guest, but live with Iruka – had been what inspired his self-assigned mission this morning as soon as his son had left with Naruto.
Iruka was obsessive compulsive, so his place was always clean. Kakashi's apartment was rarely messy because he was hardly ever there, even before Iruka came into his life. Therefore, the jounin wasn't accustomed to cleaning much more than the occasional dusting or sweeping. But, Kakashi had come to learn that twenty-odd years of dust was much more than a day's worth of cleaning. He was going to need months, if not years, to get everything in order. Even then, Kakashi wasn't sure he was ever going to be able to meet Iruka's exacting demands. But it was worth a try and, as difficult as today was, the hours and hours of cleaning were strangely cathartic.
It was as though, with every sweep of the broom across once-familiar floorboards, he was ridding himself the ghosts of his past. Everything he looked at no longer held the same agonizing memories, but instead, hinted at his future. The courtyard had once been a painful reminder of riding on his father's shoulders as they chased after the pack; now, he could imagine Saki splashing around in the koi pond as he once had. Rooms that had once haunted him with memories of his father and his unique childhood now only made him wonder. Would Iruka want the couch there? Would he want more modern furniture in that room? Would Saki like this room for his bedroom? At the same time, he could now recall his short childhood with a smile instead of tears and pain, which made today's mission bearable.
Though there was overgrowth, cleaning and repairs to be seen to – results of nearly three decades of neglect – Kakashi made it his project. He had let his past govern his life for far too long. It was about time he came to grips with those first eight years of his life and this was the best way for him to do that.
Glancing down at his hands, Kakashi ran his fingers over the large, old-fashioned key he held. Once he had things a little more in order and the Hatake mansion didn't look like a warzone, he would give Iruka this key. He would hand his lover the paperwork he had just filed this morning that put Iruka's name on the deed. He would show his lover that Iruka was stuck with him. No matter the fights, of which they had already had a few minor ones due to their similar, stubborn personalities; no matter the stress of raising their genius son. No matter what, Kakashi was determined to make their relationship work. He was going to live the rest of his life with Iruka.
The jounin smiled at that thought, tucking the key into his jeans before he hopped up the last few steps. Iruka would be home by now. Kakashi had lost track of time as he cleaned his childhood home, but his best guess was that it was around eight. That meant Saki was probably already in bed for the night, but that wouldn't stop Kakashi from kissing his son goodnight. But Kakashi still felt a flicker of anxiety as he turned the doorknob. Knowing Iruka, his brunet was either worried where he was or annoyed that he didn't know when to have dinner ready. Iruka was probably more angry than concerned, considering Kakashi had vanished, leaving their precious son with his hyper, irresponsible uncle for a day. Perhaps he should have left a note, but he didn't even want to hint at his surprise for Iruka.
Even before he stepped into the apartment, Kakashi jumped back at the noise that instantly filled his ears. His hand instinctively went to his kunai pouch, only to recall that he had worn civilian clothes today. He didn't want to scare the poor clerk at his lawyer's office with his full shinobi uniform and accompanying weapons. The last time he had done that, he had given a secretary a heart attack when she bumped into him and saw the sword sheathes strapped across his back and the katana in his hand. Then again, Bull had been about ready to pounce on her for scaring the crap out of his master, not realizing the girl was just as terrified as Kakashi was. It probably would have been a good idea to have been a little less conspicuous when he had gone to put Gai into his will. But, mere weeks after physically recovering from his capture and torture, he had been more than a little paranoid.
For so many years afterwards, he never went anywhere without his blades and at least one ninken to watch his back. Over time, the desire to have his pack watch his back diminished so that Kakashi was comfortable just by himself. That comfort was not enough to make Kakashi forgo his weapons…not until Iruka. For once, Kakashi had no weapon on him. His blades were in the bedroom, along with his uniform. Finally, he was not looking over his shoulder constantly, wondering when his next enemy was going to attack him. Iruka had taught him the meaning of trust, so it was no wonder Kakashi had not carried any weapon today. There had been no need to be armed when he was going to speak to his lawyer, and then go clean his own property. Even as Kakashi's hand automatically grasped for the blades he instinctively wanted to throw, he was never so happy he was completely unarmed. Because, no matter how much he consciously trusted people, his reflexes were those of a paranoid, violent shinobi.
"SURPRISE!"
Kakashi stumbled backwards and, after several moments of deep breathing to calm his fighting instincts and his racing heart, looked into the apartment and saw the large number of people it contained. It was definitely a good thing he had no weapon on him or else he might have actually thrown it at the source of the highest and most annoying voice. And Sasuke wouldn't have been too pleased if Kakashi attempted to kill his lover.
"Maa?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow as he stepped through the doorway, his heart still pounding in his ears. Yes, it was certainly a good thing, for Naruto's sake, that Iruka had taught Kakashi that not everyone was an enemy in disguise. But that did not stop Kakashi from momentarily glaring at his ex-student. Damn it, most people knew not to surprise him. Hadn't Naruto learned that lesson after trying to wake Kakashi up more than once only to find himself pinned to the ground with a blade to his throat an instant later?
"Happy birthday!" Iruka exclaimed as he stepped forwards, brushing his lips against Kakashi's. This close to his lover, he could sense the tremble of Kakashi's body, as though he was preparing himself for an attack. Inwardly, Iruka promised he would strangle his brother later. He had told Naruto not to yell "surprise" when Kakashi walked in, knowing it would startle his lover. The only thing that saved Naruto from stitches – and probably a short hospital stay – was the fact Kakashi had no weapon.
Startled at that realization, Iruka studied his lover. No, for the first time in all the months he had known Kakashi, his lover had gone out in public without at least one weapon on him. Iruka did not know if Kakashi had started trusting other people or if he had somehow forgotten – the teacher was far too distracted by those tight jeans covering his lover's lower body to care.
"Why are there people here?" Kakashi whispered into his lover's hair, his voice thick with desire. There was no way he could stop himself from being aroused by Iruka's heated gaze, which was focused on his crotch. He was more than happy to scare everyone into leaving so he could teach his uke what happens to brunets who ogle him with such lust in their eyes.
"Your birthday party," Iruka replied, his tone turning questioning as he tore his gaze from Kakashi's tight-fitting pants to see the confusion in his lover's eyes. It took him only a moment to understand and for a pang of sympathy to hit him in the chest. When was the last time Kakashi had a birthday party? Gai and the rest of Kakashi's friends sounded surprised when Iruka brought the idea up to them the other week. In fact, most of them weren't even sure when Kakashi's actually birthday was because he never celebrated it. They only went out on a drinking binge once a year around the middle of September. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke knew the actual date, but they too said that Kakashi only celebrated his birthday with alcohol and going home with at least one bed partner. That meant Kakashi hadn't truly had a birthday party since he was a teenager, if not younger.
Had Iruka realized that earlier, he would have hesitated throwing a big celebration for Kakashi. Perhaps it would have been better to have a small party of just Kakashi, Saki and him to celebrate his lover turning thirty five. Sometimes, it was so easy to forget that Kakashi had had such a lonely, unusual life. It was not until he got to know Kakashi that Iruka realized just how much in his life he had always taken for granted. Friends, family – even things as seemingly average as birthday parties.
"Oi, old man! The rest of us aren't getting any younger and I want cake!"
Iruka shook his head at his brother's uncouth statement. If not for the fact everyone knew just how much Naruto loved and respected Kakashi, that comment might have even been offensive. As it was, Kakashi only smirked and raised an eyebrow as he glanced to Naruto. Slowly, his gaze raked down his ex-student's frame. Naruto, though his taste in clothing was enough to make anyone pray for blindness, would be a perfect model. Right now, however, Naruto's fashion taste must have been beaten into submission by his well-dressed lover. Sasuke had somehow gotten Naruto into dark jeans and a black dress shirt that showed off his muscular shoulders and thin waist to perfection. Naruto could definitely be a male model, but then again, Sasuke would probably kill anyone who looked at his lover with admiration or, worse, lust.
"Maa…I don't think you need any more cake. You want to make sure your vest still zips up, ne?" Kakashi replied nonchalantly, somehow holding back his laugh as Naruto bristled. "I could always help you get back into shape – you never got that bell from me yet."
Iruka had to bite down on his lip to stop from chuckling. At least Kakashi got over his surprise and forgave Naruto for the scare for them to be bantering like this. Rolling his eyes, Iruka released his lover and went back towards the kitchen, where he and Saki had been putting the finishing touches on Kakashi's birthday cake.
"You cheated!"
Iruka heard Naruto's retort from the other room and, unable to stop himself this time, he let out a chuckle. Saki, from his current position on the counter, giggled as he clapped his hands together, obviously enjoying his father's good humor. It was either that or he was hyper from all the icing Pakkun had been stealing for him throughout the evening. As though Iruka wouldn't notice sections of missing icing that were suspiciously shaped like paw prints.
"Maa…I didn't cheat, you were just too slow."
"S-Slow? You shoved your fingers up my ass!"
"Like I said…too slow."
Iruka shook his head. Sometimes, he just didn't understand Kakashi's methods for teaching Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. With anyone else, that abuse of One Thousand Years of Death would have been pedophilia and sexual harassment – perhaps even rape. Kakashi considered it motivation. Then again, he did produce three of the greatest shinobi of their generation. One was a medical genius, another was the captain of ANBU, and the third was going to be the next Hokage. Despite the amazing results, Iruka knew he would certainly not go to such lengths to train his own students.
"Now, if Daddy ever tries teaching you One Thousand Years of Death, you tell him no. I don't want you to terrorize every butt you can reach, got it?" Iruka asked his son, who had crawled across the counter in Iruka's moment of inattentiveness and begun sticking his fingers in the icing, much as Pakkun had done earlier.
"Maa?" Saki mumbled as Iruka picked up the cake and moved it across the kitchen, far away from his chubby fingers. Iruka quickly finished fixing the icing, once again, then went to pick Saki up and bring his son back out into the other room along with the cake. Seeing Naruto on the floor in a headlock with a cackling Kakashi holding him down, Iruka let out a sigh. He was never going to understand them.
"Let me help." Iruka turned at his brother-in-law's voice, smiling as Sasuke took both the cake and Saki from him. "You didn't have to do all of this all by yourself," he added as he set the cake down amidst the mountain of brightly wrapped presents before gesturing to the decorations, the cake, and the rest of Iruka's afternoon of work. The fact Kakashi was already out of the apartment made things infinitely easier. He didn't have to con his brothers into taking Kakashi somewhere or otherwise chance making Kakashi suspicious. Apparently Kakashi left this morning when Naruto came to pick up Saki. What he had been up to, no one knew even though everyone had kept their eye out for him, under strict orders to keep him away from the apartment until tonight. But no one knew where he was to try sidetracking him. It was as though, for an entire day, Kakashi had disappeared.
Iruka wondered if it was some tradition Kakashi had, celebrating his birthday alone. It was a saddening thought that, even with his family surrounding him, Kakashi still was not accustomed to them. When everyone else left for the night, he would ask Kakashi about how he had spent his birthday. If it was something Kakashi did not want to talk about, Iruka wouldn't press, but he could not help but wonder.
XXX
"I'm going to be ill…" Kakashi moaned as he held his stuffed stomach, earning a gentle slap from Iruka. Peeking at his lover, Kakashi could see the smile twitching at the corners of his lips. "Thank you," he added, shifting so he could brush his lips against Iruka's cheek. It wasn't simply the decorations or the presents. It was more than, for the first time in his life, having a birthday cake – a fact he had the feeling would make Iruka cry if he told him that. It was being surrounded by his friends and family when every year since he was eight, his birthday had gone unnoticed, many times even by him. Iruka had unknowingly given him a gift far more precious than he could have ever hoped for.
"I'm sorry for Naruto surprising you…I told him not to," Iruka replied as he looked up from Saki's sleeping face. Iruka smiled as he watched his lover lean against the crib, reaching in to brush his fingers against Saki's cheek. The baby turned his head in his sleep, letting out a cute snuffle that sounded like it should have come out of Pakkun. Then again, those two spent an inordinate amount of time together. Even now, the pug was curled up at his little master's head, snoring heavily and oblivious to the rest of the world. If Saki ate his weight in icing, Pakkun ate twice as much – and the pug had crashed hours ago as a result, falling asleep with the party's youngest member before the first presents were opened.
"It's okay…" Kakashi shrugged his shoulders before moving to wrap Iruka in his arms. "I wasn't expecting any kind of party. Usually, we just go out drinking around my birthday if I'm in the village…but I liked this better."
"I'm glad," Iruka replied as he lifted his head, gingerly kissing his lover's cheek. "Did you like your presents?" he had to ask, feeling the rumbling of his lover's chest against his back as Kakashi laughed softly.
"Well, I now have two copies of the entire Icha Icha collection, more weapons than I'll ever need…" Kakashi mentally ran through all of the presents he had received from his friends. Sasuke had given him a Cooking for Dummies book and a fire extinguisher…the sarcastic bastard. Naruto had gotten him a year's worth of free ramen at Ichiraku's. Sakura gave him an impressive medical kit that was almost a miniature hospital in itself; she learned years ago that Kakashi hated going to the hospital. Even Tsunade had sent a case of her favorite sake, along with a note with her apologies for not coming, but for them to have fun – but not too much fun – without her. One of his favorite presents was surprisingly the one from Gai. The Green Beast had given him a complete list of youthful laws and rules for men of their advanced age to follow – all bound with sparking thread that reminded Kakashi of his friend's glittering teeth. As strange as it was, it was kind of touching when Kakashi started flipping through it. The first rule: tell the one you love every day how much you care for him. Second rule: show him that love at least once a week. Third rule: be a kid again with your own children. Gai must have spent a disgusting amount of time on the small book and, as he glanced through those pages, Kakashi was infinitely glad to have had Gai come into his life.
The best present, however, was from Iruka, Saki and the pack. Kakashi had only been able to look through a few pages or else he would have ruined the happy mood of the party by tearing up. Those bound pages contained pictures Kakashi had never seen before. Images of him and his son sleeping, photographs of Kakashi's attempts to feed Saki without any mess, but failing horribly, and pictures of them playing filled those pages. There were pages with Iruka and Saki too, as well as ones containing the pack and their little master as Saki terrorized them or, in one such image, curled up with them for an afternoon nap. Kakashi had only been able to flip through the photo album at the party, too moved to look at each and every picture.
"H-How did you get those pictures?" Kakashi asked, his voice thick with emotion as he tightened his arms around Iruka. Iruka, of all people, had to know how much Kakashi appreciated having a photo album of his family. His lover shrugged, leaning his head against Kakashi's collar bone.
"We had to teach the pack to take pictures – you have no idea how many photos we had to develop to get those ones…then Sasuke and Naruto took some while you weren't looking too. I started taking pictures even before Saki was born…those are in another album, though," Iruka admitted as he recalled the boxes of pictures he had pored through with Pakkun to find the perfect pictures to put in Kakashi's album. They had wanted to give Kakashi something unforgettable. From the glistening Iruka had seen in his lover's natural eye when Kakashi unwrapped his gift, they had gotten the perfect present.
The only thing that could have made it better would have been to add the pictures Pakkun could distinctly remember Kakashi's father taking of him. But, from what he gathered from the pug, they had been either lost or destroyed by Kakashi's hands years ago.
"Thank you," Kakashi whispered into his lover's hair, unable to voice just how grateful he was to have Iruka and Saki now in his life. A few years ago, he never imagined having a lover who was not more than a fling. He would have snorted in disbelief if someone told him that, by his thirty-fifth birthday, he would be a father. If they added that he was more than just content – that he was deliriously happy and in love – he would have thought them crazy.
"Where did you go today?" Iruka asked quietly as he studied their son and Pakkun. Even the pug had no idea where Kakashi had gone today when Iruka had asked him when he got home from the academy. But, from the ninken's widened eyes when Kakashi returned home tonight, he could smell where his master had been. Too bad Pakkun had fallen asleep before Iruka could properly interrogate him.
"I…um…" Kakashi shifted, scratching the back of his head uneasily. The mansion was nowhere near done, but he promised to never keep secrets from Iruka. They had learned their lesson from Iruka's dishonesty about 'Keiko,' and Kakashi was not prepared to lie, even if it was something as innocent as this.
"I understand if you don't want to talk about it…I just feel bad you spent most of your birthday alone," Iruka said softly, his tone telling Kakashi he would not press for an answer. Gently, he pulled himself from his lover's arms and moved to go back to their bedroom, but froze when he felt something warm press against his palm. Iruka glanced down at his hand, his gaze focusing on the metal key Kakashi had placed there. "What's this?"
"I-I was going to give it to you when I was done…maybe a Christmas present – though more likely, a birthday present two or three years from now…" Kakashi trailed off with a shrug of his shoulders. The jounin watched as Iruka turned the large key over in his hands, studying it.
As soon as Iruka saw the ornate etching in the bow of the key, he furrowed his eyebrows. Even as tarnished as the old key was, he could still make out the kanji. Hatake. Iruka looked up at his lover and, for the first time tonight, noticed something different in his lover's eyes. There was a calmness there that Iruka had never seen before. All it took was a glance to his dusty jeans for Iruka to start understanding.
"Y-You…" Iruka gripped the key in his fist, staring at his lover in awe. There was only one reason for Kakashi to have an obviously old key with his clan's name on it. There was only one way to explain the dust and dirt covering his lover's clothing. The realization that Kakashi had started opening up his ancestral home was beyond belief. It was a place filled with painful memories for him, but Kakashi somehow came to terms with his father's violent end for him to offer such a gift to Iruka. A part of Iruka was amazed the house still stood, having expected Kakashi to burn it after his father's death. Another part of him was astonished Kakashi still possessed the building – any sane person would have sold it when he moved out instead of letting it collect dust. But for twenty seven years, Kakashi had ignored the fact he still owned his childhood home, only now finding a reason to battle the ghosts of his past.
"We don't have enough room here…" Kakashi said nonchalantly, as though that would explain his actions. But Iruka saw right through his attempts at solid logic. Suddenly, Kakashi found his arms filled with his lover as Iruka kissed him.
"Thank you!" Iruka squeaked between kisses, littering his lover's face as he expressed his gratitude for such a gift. "I love it!"
"You might want to see it first…" Kakashi pointed out hesitantly, not wanting to tell Iruka that his ancestral home was run down. In his childhood, it had been a thing of beauty. But now? Well, it was probably a few rats away from being condemned. He had hoped to at least get it looking a bit better before Iruka saw it, but any chances of that disappeared as his lover stopped pecking his cheek to study him.
"That bad?"
"Twenty seven years…I didn't know how to close up a house when I was eight," Kakashi replied. One reason he hadn't given up on the house completely was that he had more than enough money to refurnish the house. He could redo the floors, walls, ceilings and everything else that had to be done. That was not the issue. He had time and money, but more importantly, a part of him wanted to return his childhood home to what it once was. He wanted to give Saki, not just stories of his ancestors, but a place filled with their history. He wanted to teach his son how to climb the cherry trees just as his own father had done with him.
"Good, we'll have something to do in our free time," Iruka replied with a determined nod of his head. Kakashi stared at him blankly, confusion etched in his features. "You couldn't have thought you'd do all of this alone, did you?" From the look in Kakashi's face, he had been thinking just that when he had started cleaning this morning. "Baka, you don't have to do everything by yourself."
"But it's a present for you…you shouldn't have to be the one working on it…"
"Hmm…maybe…but I end up doing the work when you give me gifts," Iruka mocked with a smirk. Before Kakashi could deny it, he started counting off on his fingers. "When you made dinner last week, I had to clean the ceiling after I made something that doesn't blow up. You did laundry and I had to go out to buy all new clothes to replace the ones that now fit Saki. Most of all, you give me a night of pleasure as a woman and I end up pregnant." That last one was said with a grin covering his face and a small chuckle.
"Maa…it was easier to use the exploding tags to make mashed potatoes and you know it…" Kakashi attempted to defend his attempts at dinner, but failed horribly when he heard his lover's soft laughter, which only made him smile all the more. A lifetime of this was certainly something Kakashi could get used to.
XXX
Glancing over his shoulder at the offended squeak coming from his son, Iruka caught a glimpse of the baby scowling at Pakkun as the ninken roared with laughter. It took only a moment to register that Saki's face had taken on an unusual grey shade. Then again, with all the dust surrounding them, the now ash-colored baby blended in with everything else.
Studying the two for another moment, Iruka realized the source of Saki's new coloring. By his best guess, the couch that Saki was using to hold himself up had been collecting dust for longer than even Iruka or Kakashi had been alive. Why else would the ancient furniture release a puff of dust the moment a tiny baby grabbed it as support as he toddled around on unsteady legs.
"Pakkun, would you please clean up Saki," Iruka requested with an exasperated sigh. If his arms were not currently filled with cleaning supplies, he would have done so himself. Kakashi, along with the rest of the ninken pack, was too preoccupied downstairs, taking all the unsalvageable furniture outside, where Sasuke was making an impressive bonfire. Naruto – who the hell knew where he was. The blonde, more than likely, had found a hidey hole in the gigantic house and fell asleep after a full day of grueling work.
Left alone with a baby and a dog that was too intelligent and sarcastic for his own good, Iruka wondered if he could join his little brother for that nap. He had expected a few days of work to help Kakashi clean out their new home, but when Kakashi finally brought him here, Iruka had realized they would need an act of god – or recruiting Naruto and Sasuke. And, though they had already been working an entire day on the house, Iruka could not tell if they had even made a dent. Downstairs was better – he was no longer running into cobwebs left and right, but upstairs was another matter entirely.
Iruka looked around the room, which looked like it would be more at home in a horror film. Nearly thirty years of dirt, dust, and neglect was bad enough, but the room's sole source of light – a single candle far out of Saki's curious reach – cast eerie shadows that had Iruka jumpy. If not for the fact Iruka was normally a logical, sane person, he might have sworn he had seen ghosts several times throughout the day.
"What was this room, Pakkun?" Iruka asked curiously as he put down the cleaning supplies. Slowly, he ran his touch along the edge of the delicately-carved dresser, his fingers leaving a streak in the film of dust. A quick look revealed that this dresser had once been a rich mahogany color, but was now almost completely gray, just like everything else.
Judging from the small size and intricate design, Iruka could only wonder if this had been a woman's room. As Pakkun had explained to him earlier today as Iruka stared at the house in awe, having never realized just how large Kakashi's childhood home was, the mansion had once contained a mere fraction of the large Hatake clan. They had once been spread throughout a compound far larger than any other Konoha clan's. But the shinobi wars had wiped out nearly every member of the clan, leaving only a few elderly members and Hatake Sakumo. The White Fang apparently grew up in the empty mansion, slowly closing off sections of the main house and selling buildings and property as his few remaining relatives died until he was the only one left.
All of that apparently changed when Sakumo met a young medic who had had the audacity to tranquilize him and drag him into the hospital after a particularly injurious mission.
Pakkun had described theirs as a whirlwind courtship, lasting mere months before Sakumo was married. His wife quickly began opening up the house's wings, claiming she wanted everything ready for their children. Even before the wedding, they had decided to have a large family, but wanted to wait a few years to restore their home and get settled into their new life together. Things didn't go according to plan because, even as she began her seemingly endless mission, Sakumo's wife was unknowingly already carrying Kakashi.
Iruka brushed a bit more of the dust away from the feminine dresser as he recalled how Pakkun had choked up as he talked about Kakashi's mother. From the way he described her, she had been a saint and her death still took a heavy toll on him and the rest of the pack. For Kakashi, talking about her had been easier because he had only known her through stories his father had told him.
"This was her room," Pakkun whispered as he moved over to Iruka's side, sitting down next to his master's mate as the brunet continued to study the dresser. "She had a temper…like you…so she kicked Sakumo out a few times. He was forced to sleep a few doors down until she forgave him. A-After she died…he refused to come into this room. None of us could…not until Kakashi realized what this room was when he was four. After that, he took care of this room more than any of the others. When he came home from a difficult mission, we could always find him in here. After his father…passed away…he locked himself in here and refused to come out for days. When he finally did, he just told us we were moving and to lock everything up."
"Why didn't he sell the house?" Iruka asked as he glanced down at the pug with teary eyes. It was not hard to imagine Kakashi as a child, sitting in the middle of the room as he tried to picture what his mother had been like. It was heart-wrenching to realize that Kakashi had come here for comfort when he was young and distraught after missions no child should have ever been sent on. But, after his father committed suicide, Kakashi had ignored this place as though it never even existed.
"I thought he did. After we moved, he never spoke of the main house again. I never knew he even kept the key," Pakkun admitted as he shrugged his shoulders. "When I smelled this place on him on his birthday, I thought I was losing my mind. Seeing him today, though...I think I understand. This is the only place he has memories of his father and, no matter how ashamed he was of his father after Sakumo's death…he couldn't just turn his back on everything that made him who he was."
"Maa…I leave for a minute and you two stop working."
Iruka turned at the sound of his lover's voice in just enough time to catch a glimpse of the emotion in Kakashi's face as he stepped into the room. Though he could not place the emotion, Iruka knew that his lover was studying everything, comparing it to childhood memories – just as he had done all day when he thought no one else was looking. But Iruka had kept a constant eye on Kakashi to judge his reaction to returning to his ancestral home with a family of his own.
"Pakkun was telling me about your mother's attempts to clean this place up," Iruka admitted as he walked across the room and wrapped his arms around his lover. It did not matter that Kakashi's once black clothes now matched his hair – Iruka was certain he was a similar shade. All that mattered was that Kakashi's long arms immediately encircled him and the tall man leaned against him, resting his head against Iruka's shoulder.
"She must have realized it was useless too," Kakashi replied with a snort. Though there was amusement in his voice, Iruka could feel a slight tension radiate through his body. It took mere moments for him to realize that, even now, Kakashi was not certain if this was the right idea or if it would have been a better choice just to buy a new house.
"It is not useless! We've nearly finished downstairs and I've gotten through three rooms up here!" Iruka pointed out as he took a step back and studied Kakashi. That snicker, accompanied by an amused gaze, made Iruka wonder just why his lover was so pessimistic all of a sudden. It was only then he recalled that there were a number of doors downstairs he had not investigated, not to mention the lengthy corridor he had only started moving down. "J-Just how many rooms are left?" Iruka asked hesitantly as he glanced from Kakashi to Pakkun.
"We've only started on the west wing…"
"Wing? What do you mean wing!? Houses don't have wings…they have a master bedroom, a few extra bedrooms…" Iruka counted as he watched his lover. Seeing Kakashi shake his head in amusement, the blood drained from Iruka's face. "H-How many rooms?"
"Ehh…I think the count was in the forties...then again, Sakumo was always finding new rooms whenever he and Kakashi played hide and seek in here. There were also secret panels and corridors leading to nowhere," Pakkun said as he shrugged his shoulders.
"F-Forty?" Iruka's gaze bounced between Kakashi and Pakkun as he tried to wrap his head around the astonishing number. What could he and Kakashi possibly use so many rooms for? The fact that the Hatake clan apparently had the same penchant for mystery as Kakashi did only made things worse – why else put in secret rooms and hallways?
"Un…I got lost a few times and it took hours for my father to find me," Kakashi said with a chuckle as he wrapped his arms around his lover. He could remember his adventures around the silent mansion, forgetting how he got to certain rooms. Even as young as he was, he knew better than to try finding his way back, which would have only gotten him even more confused and lost. Instead, he simply sat in the room, waiting for his father to come find him – always certain that the White Fang would find him. Unknowingly, the jounin smiled at the memory of how much trust he had had in his father to protect him. Even though he was promoted to chuunin at such a young age – something that his father was infinitely proud of – he still was a child. He still had nightmares that had him racing into his father's bedroom in the middle of the night. He still played games with and tricks on the elite jounin, just to hear his father's deep, rumbling laughter. Most of all, his chest always swelled with pride and joy every time his father ruffled his hair and told him that he was the best son any man could ask for.
Even now, Kakashi could not help but wonder what his life would have been like had his father not died all those years ago. Would the White Fang have been there for Kakashi's jounin promotion, being the first to congratulate him? Would he have been pleased that Kakashi had been one of the youngest ANBU captains? Would he have held Kakashi and taken care of him after the mission that made him leave the assassination squad? Would he have promised death to those who had hurt his son so?
Would he have laughed as Kakashi complained about his stubborn genin team? Would he have liked to spend time with those three, reassuring them that his son was not as heartless as he made himself out to be? Would he have liked sitting down with Iruka and getting to know the man who had stolen his son's heart?
Kakashi let out a shaky sigh as he wondered what his father would think of Saki. He did not have to think long to know that his father would have slapped sense into him the moment he found "Keiko". He would have forced Kakashi to admit his feelings long before he had. Had his father been alive, the White Fang would have made sure that, from the moment Saki was born, he would have had his two parents to take care of him. Hell, he would have probably gotten Kakashi to 'do the right thing' and propose to Iruka long before they became parents.
"What is it?" Iruka asked as he felt his lover's arms tighten around him. He no longer had to see Kakashi's face to read his emotion. He could sense Kakashi's pain and loss in his lover's powerful embrace. Kakashi sighed as he nuzzled the brunet's neck, not answering until he was certain his voice would not waver.
"My father would have loved you and Saki," Kakashi replied as he brushed his lips against Iruka's cheek. Of all the questions he had, that was one answer he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt. From the stories his father had told him of his mother, Kakashi had the feeling Iruka would have reminded the White Fang of his late wife. Stubborn, temperamental, and otherwise crazy by most people's standards, Sakumo would have adored the brunet teacher for the same qualities that had attracted him to his wife. More than that, he would have loved Iruka because of what he had done for Kakashi. He had not only taught the Copy Ninja about love and trust, but he had given him everything he could have ever asked for.
"I wish I could have met him," Iruka admitted quietly. From the stories he was starting to get out of Kakashi and Pakkun, the White Fang had been an impressive man Iruka had the feeling he would have gotten along with just fine. Pulling away from his lover, Iruka looked into Kakashi's visible eye and smiled at the love that he could see in that single sapphire orb. "I would have loved to ask him how he took care of you all by himself. There are two of us and Saki is still a little terror."
"Oi! Don't forget about me! I watch Saki more than the rest of you!" Pakkun grumbled in aggravation as he glared at the brunet. In response, Iruka dropped down onto one knee and began scratching behind the pug's ear until Pakkun's annoyance disappeared and his tiny tail was wagging happily.
"You're a pushover, Pakkun," Kakashi pointed out as he shook his head. At one time, his pug had been a grumpy, hardened little monster. People had actually feared the tiny ninken, not just because of his sharp teeth and claws, but because of his razor-sharp wit and even more acerbic tongue. Now? Now he was a big softy who would do anything for a scratch or kind word from his favorite academy teacher. Then again, Kakashi had the feeling that Saki also had something to do with Pakkun's gentler nature. Unable to help himself, Kakashi's eyes searched the room for his tiny son.
"Maa…if you watch Saki more than us…want to tell me where my son went?" Kakashi asked as he looked to Pakkun. The pug's head turned so quickly, Kakashi worried the little ninken was going to give himself whiplash. Following the dog's gaze, Kakashi eyed the couch Pakkun was now staring at in terror.
"Forty some-odd rooms, huh?" Iruka said with a sigh as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Saki had vanished more than enough times that he did not instantly fear the worst. No, he knew his son far too well. Saki, the curious, mobile little genius he was, was definitely searching his new home for the best hiding spots so that he could surprise Iruka when he least expected it. Looking to Kakashi, Iruka saw that his lover was similarly unconcerned about their son's disappearance. In fact, Kakashi was chuckling under his breath as he nodded his head in response to the brunet's question.
As much as he loved Kakashi and Saki, Iruka could not help but wish his son was a little less like his father. How Sakumo had taken care of Kakashi all on his own, Iruka had no idea, but he respected the man all the more for it. With a sigh, Iruka began to shuffle out of the room in search of his adventurous son with the distinct feeling that he was going to learn the layout of his new home very quickly.
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All For the Sake of Pleasure