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Show and Tell	By : hatochan Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1304 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Author's Notes

- That didn't take too long :) At least not long for me!

- I just want to tell all you wonderful people to check my profile from time to time, because I keep an updated list of links for fanart and new stories that are related to the TI universe ( I have a universe!) but not posted here. Especially be on the lookout for some future smuttiness ;)

- Tiffany- Thanks soooooooo much!!! You're awesome!

- Hen- XD! I knew there'd be a mutiny if I ended at that line! It would've been too cruel ! Thanks sooooooooo much!!!

- KansouAme- Thanks sooooooooo much!!! Here you go, a huge serving of Iruka's answers XD

- Thanks to everyone who reads this mess XD!!!

Story Notes

- This occurs several months after the events of Tolerant Intolerance, perhaps a month or so after the events in Along the Way: CDs2.

Warnings: ANGSTANGSTANGSTANGSTANGSTANGSTANGST, Coarse language, malexmale sexual dialogue, biseinen-ai, mentions of incest, etc.

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

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Show and Tell

Chapter 5

I'll Show You Mine...

" I thought you were just hungover before you left."
" Yeah."
" You should have told me that the whole vomiting thing wasn't alcohol related."
" Noted."
" Asshole."
Kakashi smirked at Iruka's swearing, watching the chuunin through half lidded eyes as the man sat nearby on the floor, folding his clean laundry into neat piles. The tan hands were so nimble and efficient, flipping and tucking the uniform shirts and pyjama pants and black silk thong- Ooooooh, I wondered what happened to that. He enjoyed the blush as it exploded across Iruka's face, darkening his facial scar and reddening the tips of his ears. After a few splutters and a muttered " Thought I'd hidden that..." , the thong was promptly shoved to the bottom of his stack of boxers.
Kakashi used his highly advanced skills of stealth to snatch them when Iruka turned his back. The knickers were stashed nearby for his future amusement.
Huge pillows were supporting Kakashi's back as he lounged in his lover's futon, half sitting in the late morning sunshine. He still ached a bit, his body recovering slowly from the vicious flu virus running rampant among the upper ranks. I've been back for two days and I still feel so weak. Though I did stop throwing up once Tsunade-baa'chan forced that revolting potion of hers down my throat. The jounin grimaced at the thought of the bubbling puce colored concoction that the Hokage had poured into his mouth while Iruka held him down like a fussy child. Kakashi felt that the medicine had been inordinately nasty.

Well, at least I'm not the only one. He had witnessed several others undergoing the same treatment. Raidou had to literally pry his husband's mouth open for a double dose, Genma's system being hit harder than anyone else's ( Iruka said it was because the tokujo was still recovering from an accidental poisoning, ie; he stuck the wrong end of his senbon in his mouth). Anko and Kiba had come to the hospital together ( rumors were spreading fasting than the virus) and quite a bit of noise had accompanied both their dosings. The last thing Kakashi remembered seeing before blacking out was Hinata and Choji in the waiting room, the Hyuuga beauty sympathetically patting the young Akimichi's back as he vomited into a wastebin.

Thank kami it's a slow week or we'd be sending genin on A-ranks.

He had woken up in Iruka's bed and spent the past 48 hours either there or in the bathroom. I wonder if I can get another assisted bath before the day is over? That would be sweet. Kakashi plotted another hour of hot, sudsy fun while his lover busied himself putting away the clean clothes. Iruka bent over the small dresser, packing uniform pants into the bottom drawer, his loosely clad ass swaying to whatever tune he was playing in his head. The jounin admired the view and absently pulled at the blankets laying wrinkled over his lap. They were sky blue and brand new, but Iruka had washed them several times to break them in, making them soft and inviting and they already smelled of Iruka's herbal shampoo. He hadn't known where he was when he first woke up among the unfamiliar bedding. When questioned, Iruka had blushed and stammered, finally shutting Kakashi up with a bowl of miso soup. As soon as he found out my favorite color he started thinking of gifts, same as me. Kakashi chuckled quietly. Great minds think alike.

" What are you laughing about?" Iruka turned his head to nail the invalid with his dark eyes. The high ponytail swung with him, the loose strands framing his face flying in a wide arc.

Beautiful. Kakashi tilted his head to the side to emphasize his lopsided smile. " Life's mysteries." The dolphin rolled his eyes and finished with his chore.
Kakashi dozed lightly, lulled by Iruka's quiet movements about the bedroom and other parts of the flat. He really wasn't tired, just bored and full. Since they had slept in, the first meal of the day had been brunch and for the first time since becoming ill Kakashi actually wanted to eat. So Iruka had pulled out all the stops and whipped up enough food to make even Naruto take pause. Unfortunately, the jounin had only been able to eat a small amount, much to his dismay. He made crepes, kami-sama, fruit crepes! I love fruit crepes and I could only shove like one and a half into my shriveled stomach! Life's so unfair.
The blankets shifted and a weight settled at the foot of the futon. A gray eye cracked open and found a rather somber looking Iruka sitting near his feet. Kakashi sat up, feeling the slide of the hidden thong along the small of his bare back, falling deeper into the nest of pillows and blankets. " Iruka? Is something wrong?" Obito's eye also opened , causing a slight wave of dizziness to pass through him before his body adjusted as well as it could to the sharingan.
" Did you think about what you wanted to ask me? " Iruka spoke very quietly, his sable eyes fixated on the jounin's left hand resting atop a bright orange cushion. " If you're feeling up to it, I'd like to answer any questions you have about me."
Kakashi noticed seven scrolls stacked in a pyramid on the floor to one side of Iruka's folded legs. Genma's words popped into his thoughts, the tokujo's admiring tone running through his mind. " ...Iruka kept scrolls with all his partners; names, dates, locations, protection or lack of, positions, fluids exchanged... he didn't miss a detail. " . Kakashi drew in a tiny pant, eyes widening. He's actually going to let me see them?!
" Genma came over that morning, you know, after the party. He was upset because he felt that in his drunken state he had betrayed some of my " secrets"." Iruka made the quotation marks with his fingers, rolling his eyes and displaying his exasperation with his friend. " So, I know he told you about these scrolls and I don't have any problem letting you read them. " He pushed the stack towards the jounin who was leaning forward and reaching for the offered bundles of parchment. " Just a run down; there are 4, 011 entries, 2,755 names, the entries that are chakra blocked are mission related and can only be read by myself, the head of Torture and Interrogation, and the Hokage. "
" Of course. " Kakashi mumbled, eyes transfixed by the utter normalcy of the scrolls' appearance. They looked like standard blank scrolls issued by the academy to its instructors. Actually, they probably are and that's what makes them excellent for hiding sensitive information; no one would ever think to check them. The only thing marking them as different was the small crest drawn along the seam, showing cresting waves within a heavy circle. Even his sharingan couldn't depict the security measures Iruka had said were on the scrolls. Kakashi paused as his fingers brushed over the ink strokes, then his arm fell back to his side, his hand in his lap. " Can I ask about some things first?"
" O-of course, of course! " Iruka stuttered and Kakashi would have found it adorable if it wasn't for the fact that the dolphin really seemed to be distressed.
" Okay, " Kakashi decided to start off simple in an effort to soothe some of his lover's unease. " I already know your favorite color. " He watched as Iruka giggled and cast eyes at his wrist where the green ribbon was looped and tied in a bow. " So, what's your favorite flower?"
" Violets. They were my mother's favorite, too. " Iruka seemed to be breathing a little easier. His cheeks were tinged pink and Kakashi didn't resist the urge to find the habit endearing. " They grew all over the back yard and 'Kaasan would pick bundles and fill the house with that sweet scent. Sometimes we would just lay on our backs, surrounded by purple and blue and green, and watch the clouds drifting through the sky. " The brilliant smile was back . " Sorry, that was probably boring information that you could've lived without."
" No, I want to hear things like that. I like to hear about things like that. " Kakashi stretched out a hand and rubbed the other man's knee through the baggy cotton pants. " Never hear enough about pleasant memories. " He continued to move his palm over Iruka's leg, his thoughts swiftly falling into turmoil. I really want to ask him about some of the people in those scrolls, mainly the ones Genma mentioned; his serious relationships. But he just doesn't seem ready and after his confession right before I left... " I've just been so afraid." Why would Iruka be afraid to tell me something? " You know, Iruka, we don't have to do this now. It can wait."
" No, I want to do this. I-I think I need to do this, for both of us. " Iruka rubbed his first finger across the bridge of his nose and over one cheek, tracing half the scar. He seemed very determined and Kakashi knew he wouldn't have any choice but to continue with his interrogation.
The scarecrow gave his lover's knee one more pat before tapping him playfully on the nose and gathering his thoughts. Kakashi pushed an errant strand of silver from his gray eye and finger combed the whole mess to cover his ruby eye. Okay, let's keep following the same line of questioning that he used. " I've already revealed that you were my first kiss, but who do you remember as your first kiss? "
" Anko, when I was six. " A little grin quirked Iruka's mouth at the corners, smoothing over the tense lines of his face. " She pounced on me on the playground, kissed me, and ground my face into the dirt. "
" Ouch." No wonder you graze on both sides of the fence. Kakashi gave a sympathetic grimace. " How about all the fun stuff? BJs, HJs, dry humping on the Hokage's Monument?"
" 'Kashi, I don't see how you can complain about the way Genma talks, when you can be just as crass and often are. " The sensei admonished his lover before answering. " But, all those things occurred when I was thirteen-years-old and they all occurred with Anko. "
" Well, quite the one woman man, weren't we Iruka?" Gray glinted with amusement.
A brown hand made a half hearted swipe at the jounin's covered leg. " We were childhood friends, we started dating when we were twelve and stayed together until she left with Orochimaru. " Iruka paused, a hint of sorrow seeping back into his expression.

And I've made him sad. Great work, Hatake. " Did she pop your cherry, too? " He decided to go with levity.
" Uh, no." The receding blush exploded across the golden skin, once more, deepening to a ripe tomato red. " She left before we got any further."
" Was it some other sweet little girl that you beguiled with your puppy dog eyes?"
" No." Tomato red turned burning crimson.
Kakashi was intrigued by the sudden blush-fest. " Are you afraid or embarrassed to tell me?"
" Both." Iruka sighed and slumped over.
" 'Ruka, don't make me tickle you."
" It was Genma! " Iruka had both eyes squeezed shut, as though in preparation for a strike.
" Genma?" Kakashi didn't know why he was shocked. He simply was.
One dark eye cracked open and peeked at the silver haired man. " Are you angry?"
" I'd never be angry with you about that, Iruka." Kakashi assured his lover.
" I mean, angry with Genma." Iruka clarified, hands clenching in the loose folds of his pyjama pants. Both eyes were opened to full doe effect, pleading for leniency.
" I'm not angry. A little jealous, maybe." The jounin admitted, his expression morphing from amused to thoughtful. He pictured all the times Iruka and the older tokujo had flirted and touched and he wondered how he had never suspected that they had been lovers. Genma did know an awful lot about Iruka's sex life. Too much for just secondhand knowledge. Kakashi noticed the chuunin worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. " But it's fine, I should've figured it out on my own. Could I hear about it? Not necessarily the finer details, but , you know..."
" Shortly after my breakdown with Genma, " Iruka started, his face returning to its original caramel color. " he began taking me out with him and his circle of friends. A couple of months later our frotting got out of hand and I had him stripped and thrown onto a bed before he knew what had happened. Thus began my true sexual education. " Dark hair was brushed behind his ears. " I spent nearly every night of the following month in his bed, learning every trick and variation known to man, and a few that devil had made up, as well. "
" Did you top him?" Kakashi couldn't help but ask.
" Yes. The third night we slept together, I tied him to the bed and took him." Iruka's face began to brighten again. " The look on his face when I spanked him and made him call me ' Sensei' was priceless."
" Holy shit." Kakashi was stunned. His lover had gone from practically a virgin ( blow jobs didn't count) to a freakin' dom in three days. Fast learner. " You never let me call you 'Sensei', at least not in the bedroom. " He put on a mock pout.
" I wasn't a teacher, yet, at the time. The title didn't conjure up the image of any number of children who have used it since I've taken up a position at the academy. " Iruka winked at his elder. " When I hear it now, all I can think of are snotty noses and nicked fingers, bless the little darlings. "
Kakashi nodded his silver head and raised his hands in surrender. " Okay, no teacher-student role play. Got it. So, why'd you and Genma break up? "
" I walked in on him and a rather busty kunoichi fucking each other senseless on my couch ." Iruka gave a disgruntled puff of air at Kakashi's incredulous gaze. " I was working under the misunderstanding that he and I were dating. Puppy love on my part. Genma didn't realize that that was how I felt and since he was staying at my flat that week ( his apartment had been flooded due to a plumbing accident) he didn't think anything of bringing his conquest to my place. "
" That must've been really rough." Pale fingers played with the blanket, a tip tracing the leaf pattern over the material.
" I was crushed for about a week. I think Genma took it harder than me, he spent the next few months trying to make up for it. " The green ribbon was untied and Iruka began to run it through his fingers, creating odd designs with the silk. " As for the sex, he was always there when I felt the urge or needed some comfort. I only stayed out of his bed when I was in a serious relationship or if he was, though that was rare. "
A bird chirped loudly just outside the window. Kakashi listened to its song as he absorbed the recent additions to his stockpile of Iruka info. Well, that makes a lot of sense to me. And I will not get jealous the next time that senbon sucker sees Iruka. The jounin moved through his list of names and chose the next in line. " What about Raidou?"
The ribbon entwined fingers fell into Iruka's lap. " Technically, we never dated, but we've been close friends since Genma introduced us. He and Genma had been sexually involved for years, but it took me forever to get him to sleep with me. I think he might've been afraid of getting into a similar situation as Genma; with me being infatuated. " Iruka shook the green strip loose and started over. " But I proved to him that Genma's hedonism had rubbed off onto me and he was happy to join us, or to oblige me solo. Rai-chan's so great, he could do this thing with his tongue-"
" Okay, that is too much information!" Kakashi yelped, covering his ears. I think I've already heard from Genma about Raidou's amazing tongue, so I most certainly do not need to hear it from Iruka! After a few seconds of his loud " la-la-la I can't hear you!" and the dolphin's accompanying chuckles, the jounin regained his composure. " Now I understand why you three behave the way you do. Explains quite a bit. " Kakashi tapped the scrolls, again, racking his brain for the other names. " Genma also mentioned a Bachiko. I don't think I know her."
" Do you remember the jounin couple that was dancing in the cage for most of the party? The woman was wearing a cut-off kimono over a strip of leather that she called a skirt."
" Wasn't the guy she was with wearing like a bondage get-up? Studded leather straps, a leash and collar?"
Iruka nodded in confirmation. " That would be them, Cho Bachiko and Benjiro, twins. And lovers, though they usually keep it pretty well under wraps. Of course, most of the ranks have them figured out. " He shrugged as he studied the cat's cradle laced between his fingers. " I met them through Genma, and I dated Bachiko when I was sixteen. That lasted all of five weeks."
" What happened there? She want you to join her and her brother? "
" No, jackass. She found out how old I was. She's two years younger than Genma, but she couldn't stand the thought of being with a 'child'. Which was ridiculous, because by that point I had more A-ranks under my belt that she did. " Iruka's lower lip stuck out in a rueful pout, the cat's cradle disappeared when his hands folded and slipped from the ribbon's hold. " Anyway, she was, and is, a great person so there really weren't any hard feelings. A few years later she and Benjiro finally just gave up on outside relationships and they've been happy together ever since. Though it sucks they'll never be able to have kids. "

I should probably be offended , but I can't fault them for finding love. Even in an unorthodox manner. Kakashi watched another intricate web being created along the brown digits. Well, best of luck to them. He scratched at the seal on the top most scroll, fingernail lifting some of the ink from the parchment. " Mizuki was next, wasn't he? "
" Yeah, on and off from seventeen to nineteen. There were a few flings during our break ups, but I've always been faithful otherwise. I think I actually ended up in Genma and Raidou's beds more often during those short off periods than I did in the years before dating Mizuki. " Iruka smirked. " Unless you have some specific questions, I think we've covered my relationship with him. "
" I don't, and we have. " Kakashi knew he could think up something to ask about the silver headed traitor, but Mizuki was a sore spot with Iruka and the jounin didn't want to press any more. He had the distinct feeling that the worst was yet to come.
" If you're still going chronologically, then Hayate would be next. " Iruka offered. He pulled the ribbon around his middle finger, crossing the loose ends over the back of his hand before circling his wrist. Kakashi was reminded of the matching slave bracelets that he had seen a few nights ago. " We'd known each other since we were little, went through the academy together, assigned to the same genin team... Hayate was one of my saviors when Mizuki snapped. He came to see me everyday after it happened, sent flowers and a thousand varieties of tea the week I was breaking. Kami-sama, that kid loved tea. " The chuunin's voice was tinged with nostalgia, affection and sorrow, as he spoke of the dearly departed. " The first day I was well enough to have visitors Hayate was on Genma's doorstep with half the Yamanaka's floral shop in tow. Gen-chan was actually getting pissed off because nearly every available container in the flat was full of flowers, I was even using some of the cooking pots for the hydrangeas and lilacs. "

Wait a minute. Kakashi furrowed his brow in confusion. " I thought Hayate and Uzuki Yugao had been together for years. "
" They were, but there was a short period when they started seeing other people. She wanted some breathing room and it nearly killed Hayate. I was the only person he dated. Basically rebound on both our parts. " Sable eyes followed the green lines as they criss-crossed up his arm. " That month and a half with him was the honestly the best in my life at that point. "
" Hayate was a good person, from I saw and heard of him. " Kakashi again lamented the fact that he had closed himself off for so long. I never really got to know Hayate and it's too late now. " I bet you two made a cute couple."
" It was nice. " Iruka admitted happily. " It was almost normal, like being a civilian family. I would come home with Naruto from the academy, clean up a bit and start dinner. Hayate would come in from his missions or training, always with flowers and some little game or toy for Naruto. " The chuunin smiled softly at his memories, the ribbon forgotten for the moment. " He would sweep me into a big hug and kiss. Hayate tasted different from everyone else I'd kissed; like honey and medicinal herbs. He was always worried that he'd taste like sickness and death, so he'd brush his teeth a dozen times a day, gargle sweet water, chew rosemary and mint, covering the illness up so my tongue couldn't find it. But desperation and sorrow have their own flavor, and he was never able to hide them from me. "
Kakashi mulled that over. He'd never thought of that particular consequence of the swordsman's malady. To kiss death each time he held him. To live with the knowledge that he'd be gone, sooner rather than later... And I now have a deeper appreciation for Jomei's choice. The jounin hid a sniff behind a light cough. I can sulk over that later.

" One night, after Naruto had gone to bed, Yugao came knocking on my door. Hayate went outside, they stayed out there for a few hours, and when he came back in he was in tears. So I told him it was over and to go back home. "
" Rather harsh, " Kakashi grimaced, taking a sympathetic hit for the deceased shinobi. " but I guess I can understand why."
Iruka tilted his head, dark chocolate colored strands angling to his left. " He loved Yugao very much and I didn't want him to suffer through a decision. So I made it for him. " The green silk was pulled from his arm and replaced about his wrist, looped and tied in a sloppy bow. " It was hard on us both, and I have no doubts that if I hadn't left him, then we would have been happy until the day of his death. " Another sad smile. " But it wasn't meant to be. It took some time before we could speak to each other without the hurt, but eventually we became best of friends, again. I still miss him. " Widened eyes, apologetic expression. " I mean, not that you aren't- or that I don't think you're -you know-!"
Kakashi cursed himself for leaving his emotions so exposed on his naked face and causing another upset. Can't you do anything right, Hatake? And then the laughter began to bubble up. He watched Iruka's growing panic, his gestures becoming broader, more exaggerated. He's been through some emotional hell that I couldn't even begin to know because I've never let go of someone I've wanted, and he's freaking out because he thinks I'm going to be mad about him missing Hayate. This is too fucking ridiculous. " Iruka, Iruka...IRUKA! "
The younger man fell silent, his mouth still hanging open in profuse apology, hands waving in the air. There was a stilted giggle, then Iruka quieted again and allowed his hands to fall into his lap where they twisted together.
" It's okay, Iruka. I didn't misconstrue the statement. I understand what you're saying. Okay?"
" Sorry. I'm a little nervous and- uh- I-" Iruka spluttered and clamped his mouth shut.

Yeah, time to get off this particular part of his past. The scarecrow rolled one scroll in place with his first finger, watching the crest appear and disappear. Kakashi mentally ran the list through his head one more time. " Hisaye. Genma said Hisaye was your last relationship before me. Can you tell me about her?"
" Uh, yeah. " Instead of calming the chuunin down, the question seemed to increase his anxiety. Kakashi looked on, startled, as Iruka crawled across the floor to his small dresser. Every line of his body seemed to be vibrating with tension as he picked up a small box, hesitating a moment with his back to the jounin, and crawled back to his spot on the futon. He sat hunched, his body curled protectively around the box. His behavior seriously bothered Kakashi and he feared the worst when his lover parted his lips. Iruka's eyes were locked onto his treasure, never wandering as he spoke.
" The first few weeks after Hayate and I parted, Anko would drag me out every weekend to the bars and clubs. Always with a big group of people from the missions office and academy, Hisaye always came along. " Iruka's voice had steadied despite his pained expression and tensed form. It didn't comfort Kakashi. " Anko introduced us at Hisaye's tokujo promotion party the year before. She was a lot like Anko; friendly, outgoing, a sweet tooth from hell, but her addiction was geared towards ice cream. An incredibly lovable person. " There was a strained smile at the memory. " She was awarded her tokubetsu jounin status for her explosives expertise. Hisaye could take out an entire field of enemies with three properly placed explosive tags, it was amazing to watch. Anyway, she and Anko were determined to get me back into the world of dating, playing matchmaker on my behalf. "

I have never seen him this upset when talking about his past ( Told you, you wouldn't want to know). I didn't think anything could be worse than his parents or the hell that Mizuki put him through, but this ( You just couldn't leave well enough alone) is excruciating to watch. Kakashi could feel the burning of both eyes, his emotions swelling as he witnessed the obvious suffering of his lover. He contemplated halting the confession, but knew that Iruka would be angry with him since he had made the decision to go through with the whole talk. Kakashi could do nothing but sit silently. No matter what happens, by the end of today that man will be in this bed with a smile on his face, come hell or high water.

" Eventually, we started hanging out, spending more time together. She and Naruto took to each other like true partners in crime. In fact, the Forest of Death received a few new wards and fences because of those two." The brown hands were turning pale with the pressure being exerted on the wooden cube. " She was smart and funny and we could talk for hours about anything or nothing at all. Within a couple of months we became lovers. A few months after that I gave her my mother's engagement ring and we started planning our wedding."

WEDDING!!! Kakashi fought the urge to hyperventilate. He'd had no idea that Iruka had ever had such a serious relationship. I loved Jomei, more than life itself, but it never occurred to me to get married. We never even exchanged rings. He drew in a shaky breath and composed himself.
The dolphin's grip tightened and his knuckles became a shade of white that rivaled Kakashi's ivory complexion. " Eight months into our engagement, Hisaye took a mission to Mist with Raidou, Benjiro and Anko. They needed her to create a distraction within a large compound while they recovered stolen scrolls from the basement vaults. The mission report said that she set off a myriad of explosions around the compound, Benjiro covering her while she worked. Rai and Anko grabbed the scrolls without any trouble and the four of them took off towards home. " Iruka was beginning to tremble. His eyes were half shuttered and glossy, tears forming at his lash line, breathing labored. " They were just hours away from Konoha when they were attacked by a group of Mist jounin. Apparently, the enemy shinobi had recognized Anko, who was in their bingo book with a rather hefty price on her head. Their main targets were Anko and Benjiro who was carrying the scrolls. Benjiro was injured in the first strike, rendered one arm and leg useless, Raidou stuck close to him and continued to help defend Anko while Hisaye took out as many Mist as she could. " The well worn speech patterns of hundreds of mission briefings was tainted by the chuunin's strong emotions.
Kakashi was amazed that Iruka was able to speak as clearly as he was, considering how rough his breathing had gotten. He wanted so badly to say something, to stop his lover's painful monologue and remain blissfully ignorant of his internal agony. But Kakashi knew that Iruka needed him to listen, and Iruka more than deserved that courtesy from his lover.
And then Iruka moved. The box was lifted in two shaking hands and offered to the jounin. Kakashi paused, then he carefully wrapped his fingers around the middle of the ebony wood. Another few seconds passed before Iruka released the box and snatched his hands back to his lap, clutching each other in lieu of their little treasure. " Anko was doing pretty well on her own, but Rai had his hands full. Hisaye had cut the enemy numbers by more than half, but the leader and three others were still left."
The box fit easily in the palm of Kakashi's hand. Its curved lid was covered in decorative carvings, intricate vines and flowers catching the light. He opened the hinged lid and his gray eye blinked.
" She and Anko had just disposed of the last three, leaving the leader. The Mist nin launched at Raidou who was supporting an unconscious Benjiro, still tryin gto protect the scrolls. "
Stuck to the underside of the lid was a photograph of a younger Iruka and a young woman that Kakashi vaguely recognized from his ANBU days. He was fairly certain that he had seen her in Morino Ibiki's office, years ago. Her mop of dark hair nearly obscured the hitai-ate plate covering her forehead, what hung below the blue cloth was pulled into twin hair bands, low on either side of the back of her head. She wore a black high-neck, sleeveless top that Kakashi would have thought was regulation ANBU, except it became standard fishnet just below her bust. Iruka was grinning broadly, his arms wrapped tightly around the smaller figure. The girl was smiling just as brightly, her brown eyes practically sparkling in the color photo.

So this is Hisaye.

" Hisa-chan was already moving towards them, but she didn't have time to pull a weapon or make seals. Anko thinks she just moved on instinct to protect Raidou, to protect my friend. "
Kakashi set the box in his lap and studied the metal plates sitting atop a scrap of material. He cradled the dog tags in his palm, careful not to disturb the dark streaks littering the dull surface. The strip of fabric was lifted, as well, and Kakashi knew the white silk with gold and silver embroidery had belonged to a wedding kimono.

Never used, gathering dust in some second hand shop.

" She jumped in front of Rai's unguarded back and took a kunai through her throat. The blow was so forceful, the tip of the blade still cut into Raidou's flak vest. Anko beheaded the Mist jounin and gave Hisaye as much of her chakra as she could while fleeing back to Konoha. But it was too late."
The precious strip of silk was folded and set aside, dog tags placed on top. At the bottom of the box was another small item of material. Two matching items, actually, hardly any bigger than Kakashi's thumb. The silver haired man felt the unshed tears that had been fervently burning his eyes finally give way and roll down his pale cheeks as he picked up the last bit of nostalgia.

Dear kami, no.

" I sent Naruto to stay with Gai and when I got to the hospital, it was Rai and Anko who told me about Hisa-chan, pronounced dead as soon as she entered the ER. I was strong, I stayed strong because as shinobi we always have to be ready for death. I teach that to my classes everyday. I stayed strong for Raidou because he was practically hysterical, blaming himself. Then the head med-nin on duty took me into an empty exam room and told me that Hisaye had scheduled an appointment with him before she left on the mission, he ran the requested test on her body when she was brought in. And he told me that Hisa-chan was five weeks pregnant. "
The socks were so small. Kakashi couldn't remember the last time, if ever, that he had seen a piece of clothing so tiny. They were a very light green color with pale lavender stripes across the toes. He rubbed them between his fingertips and marveled out how soft the woven material was against his skin.
" He said it was up to me whether or not the information was released to anyone outside of himself, he wouldn't even list it on her medical records. If she hadn't suspected anything prior, hadn't requested a check-up, then no one would have ever known. "
Kakashi wrapped the dog tags in the kimono scrap and replaced them inside the box. He was unable to give up the infant tabi, however. Gray and concealed ruby looked up from the memory chest to find a shattered Iruka hugging himself tightly, tanned face streaked with tears, nose running unchecked. And yet his voice continued on, steady and deliberate.
" So I told him to keep it off the records and not to tell anyone because I thought it wouldn't do anything but hurt them more. I left the hospital, walked right past Raidou who had broken down completely in the waiting room, and walked around Konoha for hours. I don't even remember how I got there, but at one point I realized that I was standing outside a children's specialty shop. I went inside and looked at all the little kimonos and obi and these tiny little geta that looked like doll clothes. And I saw those socks, and purple was her favorite color and green was my favorite color and they just seemed so perfect, so I bought them and took them home. "
The small socks were gently placed on top of the white silk and the wooden top lowered, shutting away the precious items. Kakashi pushed the scrolls to the side and set the box next to them on the floor. With painstakingly slow motions, he leaned forward and moved closer to his distraught lover, hands reaching for the younger man. Iruka's voice was beginning to crack, becoming high pitched as the words tumbled out of his gasping mouth.
" And I never told anyone! No one! And Raidou cried for so long and I just smiled and told him it was alright, but I hated him! Hated him for coming back alive and Hisa-chan and my ch-chibi were dead! But I never told him, never told Genma, never told Anko or Benjiro or Naruto! N-Never told Naruto that he had a baby brother or sister! Never told anyone, because I didn't w-w-want anyone else to feel the f-fucking hell that I felt, " Iruka sucked in a desperate sob and turned his head up to scream at the world. " BECAUSE MY BABY WAS DEAD!!! "
Kakashi lunged forward and surrounded his lover with as much of his body as he could, dragging him back to the pillows to ensconce him in thick blankets and strong arms. The jounin's mind drew a blank as he cradled Iruka to his chest, trying his best to soothe the anguished cries, to still the clawing hands.
" Beloved, Beloved, my lovely Iruka." His own voice was thick and his cheeks were itching from the tear tracks, but he continued to murmur useless comforts into the dark hair.

tbc...

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- That's enough angst for me right now. The next chapter will be full of rainbows and teddy bears and smex.

- There will be a AtW chapter that deals solely with Iruka telling Kakashi about his relationship with Mizuki, in case anyone was wondering about that ( xgossamerstarsx). That will be posted when ST is complete.
- 4
- 5
- 6
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