Embracing Dreams, Part 40

Warnings: dialogue, smutty KakaIru lemon

Part 40

Iruka was hovering just outside Naruto's door when Kakashi left his room. Despite the fact that Kakashi had taken his sweet time, the man was in the exact
same spot he'd been earlier. He was facing the door, head down, vacant gaze aimed vaguely at the doorknob, one hand raised and frozen halfway to touching
it. Whether he was lost in thought or in a drugged stupor was anyone's guess. Kakashi supposed it was a combination of the two. He was curious to see if
Iruka would go through with it and have whatever talk he felt he needed to have with Naruto. But he had an idea it would be quite some time before Iruka
moved from that spot on his own initiative, considering how long he'd been standing there already. The night wasn't that young. So rather than knocking, and
possibly snapping Iruka out of his daze, he slipped into Sai's room as quietly as he might have snuck up behind Sasuke. He wasn't surprised when his sudden
entrance startled the boy, though he did raise an eyebrow at the speed with which Sai blanked his computer monitor.

"I'm sorry to intrude," Kakashi said pleasantly. "There's one little thing I wanted to ask before I call it an evening."

Sai's tone was as curious and pleasant as could be, and his expression would have certainly fooled anyone who didn't wear a mask on a regular basis. "What
might that be?"

Kakashi leaned casually against the door, playing the game as well as the kid if not better. "Predictions. I was just curious what sort of futures your group saw
before all of these wild cards changed things for you. Not the futures you see now, because knowing those might influence things and you're not here to
influence." He gave a long smile at the way Sai's eye ticked. "What three futures did you see for Sasuke before? When he only had one chance of living to
adulthood? You didn't seem too surprised by the action just now, so I assume this attack was in the old predictions as well as the new ones. Am I wrong?"

"No," Sai admitted evenly. "We knew this would happen. The only change is that he was supposed to leave the house. None of our predictions had him staying
and risking the people here. It isn't in his nature to knowingly endanger others. Even our new predictions showed him leaving the house the moment he
realized what had happened. We couldn't account for Naruto's presence changing things."

"And what was supposed to happen when he left the house? Not in the new predictions, but in the old ones."

"They're the same as far as that goes. He was supposed to leave, to be captured a safe distance from the house, and held until Uchiha arrives." He gave a
sober frown, genuine and cold. "He shouldn't be here. If he's still in this house when Uchiha arrives it will be impossible to ensure that no one else is involved.
He's supposed to stay in this town until Uchiha arrives, not in this house. I know you assisted Naruto in keeping him here. I don't know what you did to counter
the hallucinogen, but you shouldn't have."

"Don't." Kakashi waved a hand, not missing the slight flinch Sai gave. The boy was wary of him. Good. "I didn't ask what you think I or anyone here should do
in order to make your predictions come true. I didn't ask for your opinions or anything of the sort. I asked what three futures you saw before coming here. The
three defunct futures. That's all. I have better things to do than chat with you, and I'm sure you have business you'd like to get back to." His eye flicked to the
black computer screen. "Reporting in and all."

Sai's lips pressed thin, an odd expression pulling at his face. "You don't intimidate me."

"Yes, I do," Kakashi smiled. "So tell me what I came to hear and I'll leave you to your work."

"No," Sai sighed, "you really don't. You intrigue me. I haven't been given full clearance to your case file, so all I know are the basics about you."

"And you can't draw me very well because of the sharingan," Kakashi finished for him. He almost laughed when that pursed little frown pulled Sai's face again.
"I know more than you think I should, is that what you're trying to say? Well, I probably do. But I don't know those three predictions of yours. Tell. Quickly, if you
don't mind. I don't want to spend the night playing with you."

"It doesn't matter now. Those predictions have been discarded." A moment of silence stretched out between them, then Sai turned to face his computer. His
voice was toneless as he recited the defunct information. "All three futures had him being captured tonight, while under the drug's influence. They kept him
until Uchiha arrived. One prediction had Sasuke dying during the encounter, an accident as far as we could tell, though it ultimately led Uchiha to wipe out the
group in retaliation. One prediction had Uchiha dying during the encounter, though we were never able to determine how exactly, and the - and Sasuke being
subsumed by the other group. We considered that death. The third prediction had the two groups parting without incident only for both brothers to die
together years later. Again, the nature and cause of Uchiha's death was never determined. We didn't rule out the possibility that Sasuke killed Uchiha before
taking his own life. He was more than powerful enough to have done so by then."

"I see. Even when he survived to adulthood, he still led a short life. And suicide? Really? All three of those futures seem rather bleak to me. But now you see
two futures where Sasuke lives to adulthood rather than just one...?"

Sai didn't so much as glance over at him. "I thought you didn't want to discuss our current predictions."

"You're right. I don't." Kakashi flashed a smile that he knew the boy could see reflected in that blank monitor. "You've told me more than enough. Thanks for
your time. And thank you for not interfering tonight. I'm sure you were tempted to."

"You have no idea," Sai muttered.

Kakashi laughed quietly before slipping back out the door. He had an idea, alright. In fact, he was fairly sure he'd figured the group's agenda here out
completely. All he'd wanted was confirmation and Sai had given him that. They claimed there were always three futures, one good, two bad. Of those three
futures, it was obvious which one they had considered good. The one in which Itachi survived. As far as they were concerned, what happened to Sasuke was
incidental. And if they had told Iruka that, Sai would never have been allowed into the house. He had to restrain himself from lecturing the boy about hiding
things better. Subterfuge and misdirection didn't seem to be Sai's strong suits. As it was, he'd just wait and see how long the kid could go without interfering.

Iruka was still in the hall, as motionless as ever. Kakashi shook his head at the sight of him. For all he knew, Iruka had fallen asleep standing up and would
stay there until gravity finally had her way wicked with him. If he'd had a samaritan bone in his body, he might have considered waiting around to catch him, or
leading him off to bed. Instead he flashed an amused smile at the man's back and slipped away while Iruka was otherwise occupied. He'd find out later whether
or not Iruka had followed through with his obvious need to hover and meddle.

.-.

As Sasuke had accused, Naruto was putting his clones to good use. Along with the ones he'd sent out earlier, he assigned another one to the bed. It was
currently stretched out on top of the covers, which he claimed was more to keep Sasuke warm than to snuggle with him, and watching him for the slightest
twitch. Naruto was at his desk, skimming through Sasuke's notebook while Kyuubi memorized and made connections.

The picture that formed was horribly interesting. It helped that the notes were concise and detached, impersonal, even. Each early account included a detailed
description of the mutant, anything noteworthy that he'd said, accents and scars, so he'd be recognized on sight if they ever met again. After a little skimming,
Naruto knew Sasuke had never fought the same mutant twice. The descriptions became shorter over time, less about what part of the world Sasuke supposed
they'd come from, more on the nature of their talents, with later additions listing what talents he'd seen or copied since the fight that could have been used to
counter them. Where the first accounts were mostly records of the injuries he'd sustained, the later ones recorded the injuries he'd inflicted. Kyuubi in
particular could see the way he'd gone from victim to aggressor, defense to offense, could almost point out which fights had the biggest impact on his
approach to the entire situation.

One loss to a mutant with wires that had wrapped him up and could easily have cut him into a hundred pieces. In every fight thereafter, he was shielding the
moment any attack began. That was also the point where he'd gotten his threads, though there was no mention of them being used offensively until much
later. A one-hit loss where his opponent took him down with a single blow that made his shielding seem nonexistent. Then he was reinforcing so that his own
blows carried more impact than his physical strength could achieve. Sasuke might have taunted him to read the notes to teach him about the variety of
mutants out there, but the book told more about the way Sasuke fought than anything, a record of how his tactics had developed and why.

Some things weren't clear in the notebook. All of the early accounts had mutants who were faster than him, with no way of telling whether that was because
they'd been older or because their talents gave them a speed advantage. Kyuubi had expected to find a fight with a mutant whose main talent was speed, one
he could point to as being the source of Sasuke's own speed. There were none. Even in the accounts of Sasuke's fighting, the speed increase seemed
gradual, taken for granted. Where he'd started being unable to follow the moves of half his opponents, eventually he was not only following, but outstripping
them. Naruto speculated that maybe he'd copied speed from someone without realizing it and began to perfect it over time. Kyuubi wasn't so sure. Sasuke
hadn't copied his ability to manipulate his energy from anyone. He might have seen the ways others used their own energy, reinforcement, shielding, but he'd
learned how to implement it on his own. Through trial and error, or sheer experience over time? Naruto was learning that exact same thing himself, which
meant anyone could probably learn to do it. Was speed the same way? Just another way of manipulating energy? Even later, when Sasuke was clearly faster
than most of his opponents, they were fast enough in their own right to run circles around Naruto. That much was obvious, and frustrating. Kyuubi had never
considered himself slow. After being chased by Sasuke in the field, while he and Naruto were running together at top speed, he had to concede that they were
slow. Quite slow. Humiliatingly slow. He wanted to believe they'd get faster the more they trained, fought, because otherwise they'd always be at a huge
disadvantage. It was bad enough being danced around by Kakashi and Sasuke without imagining a serious fight with enemies just as fast if not faster.

Another thing that wasn't clear in the accounts was the purpose of some of the attacks. They were going on the assumption that Sasuke's brother had sent
these mutants after him for a specific reason, because that was the assumption Sasuke made in his notes. They were sent after him so he would copy them,
learn from them, to make him stronger. But there were some attacks where his opponents were so far beyond him they seemed pointless. The shark was one
of these. In the account, Sasuke noted that he had seen him before, accompanying Itachi, but they'd never fought. For good reason, apparently. The mutant
had barely grazed him with a bizarre looking sword and sucked every drop of energy he had. Why? He hadn't learned from it, hadn't copied anything. The
snake was another. The attack was over the moment it started, and even if he had been intended to copy that talent, what would he ever need with the ability
to make creatures from his own body? Assuming he'd even copied it. It didn't sound like he had. The account had more information on the aftermath, the
hallucinations and hospitalization, than the talent itself. So what was the point of setting that mutant on Sasuke? They were trying to get into Itachi's head and
failing miserably.

The water mutant was the only account with a name given to the attacker. Suigetsu. There was nothing in the notebook implying that he and Sasuke had
known each other before the attack except for the fact that he'd known his name. And it was definitely an attack, not a fight. He'd been stabbed with something
and when he'd woken and turned, he was surrounded by water and drowned. The entire attack lasted less than two minutes by Sasuke's count, most of that
time spent suffocating. Unlike with the shark and snake, they'd heard enough from Sasuke to know the point of this one. He hadn't copied anything, but he'd
certainly learned from it. Judging by the way Sasuke had hallucinated about the guy, it was a lesson he'd never forget. Naruto didn't want to read anymore
after that.

'What do you think it was like?' Naruto asked. 'Living like this...'

Kyuubi responded sharply, reminding him, 'That's not why we're reading this. Feeling sorry for him won't help anything. You can't change the past, you can
only learn from it. Like he has.'

'Yeah, that's easy to say.' Naruto risked a fleeting glance at the bed. He couldn't look for long without getting a burning dose of jealousy at the sight. That was
himself lying there, holding Sasuke, and he knew it. Once he let the clone go, he'd remember being there, doing that. And still he couldn't stand to see it. His
jealousy and Kyuubi's possessiveness. How could Kyuubi even try to pretend he wasn't affected by what they'd read? He didn't need to turn around and look
to know the fox was coiled, his body language giving him away as surely as the fuming waves he was letting off. This wasn't about feeling sorry for Sasuke,
though he did, this was about feeling outraged on his behalf. Kyuubi could tell him to look at the notes objectively, but he knew they both felt the exact same
way. 'We have to kill this guy...'

'Now that's easy to say,' Kyuubi snorted in disgust. 'You're not killing anyone. I'll be the one to do it.'

'Are we seriously going to argue over who gets to finish this guy off? Because if we are, we might as well wait till Sasuke wakes up so he can jump in, too. We
all hate the guy. If he's as strong as everyone says, then we have a better chance working together than fighting each other to see who gets the first crack at
him.'

Kyuubi didn't respond to that. Naruto didn't understand yet. Right now Naruto was upset and angry, protective and eager to get rid of the threat. But Kyuubi
knew better than that. It was that soft pathetic part of Naruto's nature that made Kyuubi unwilling to even consider what might happen to him if he were ever
truly on his own. Naruto was too human to kill, even with someone who clearly needed to die. To this day, Naruto continued to suffer guilt over the people
Kyuubi had slaughtered, people who'd been well on their way to torturing a crying child to death. If Naruto ever took part in a murder himself, Kyuubi knew that
precious conscience of his would cripple him afterward. He was just that useless.

'That's not true,' Naruto growled. He whipped around, too angry to be amused at the way Kyuubi flinched, eyes wide, ears back, looking startled and caught.
Although he hadn't heard any words, he'd gotten the gist of it from the vibes his fox was letting off. 'You're thinking about what you did, aren't you? About what
happened to me and those people you killed? This is different. We're not talking about killing an entire crowd of people just because one or two of them did
something bad. This is one maniac who took his own brother and systematically tortured him for years. And he's still doing it. He has to be killed or else he
might never stop.'

'Angry words,' Kyuubi said quietly. He was surprised Naruto had caught the direction of his thoughts, but he wouldn't be dissuaded by some little speech given
in the heat of the moment. 'You can agree that he needs to die, but if you had any part in his death you would feel guilty about it. Don't bother to deny it, we
both know you would.'

'So what if I do? Knowing I'll feel guilty afterward isn't going to stop me from doing what needs to be done. I hate him, Kyuubi, just as much as you do. You're
not the only one who's going to get satisfaction out of it, either. I want to hurt him every bit as much as he's hurt Sasuke. I want him dead so I don't have to
worry about him ever hurting Sasuke again. Yeah, I'm sorry he has to be killed because the thought of killing anyone makes me feel dirty. But so what? I'm
human. We're supposed to feel that way. Do you think Sasuke doesn't feel that way? He got used to it because he had to, that doesn't mean he likes having to
do it. I'm never going to like it. That doesn't mean I can't do it when it's necessary.'

'You're still talking at me, still spitting words.' Kyuubi pressed close enough that he could have tugged Naruto back into his mind if he'd wanted to, overriding
the mental objection before it could come out in more words. 'You won't make me agree with your morals no matter how much you fling them at me. I know you
have the will to kill, if you're forced to. You'll kill to protect, if you have to. But even if you are forced to do so, you won't be able to. By the time you realize you
have been forced, that you have no choice but to kill, either you or the person you're trying to protect will already be dead. Read the notes again, look at the
numbers. Five seconds between spotting the attack and delivering the finishing blow. No time for doubt, no time to decide if there's a choice or not, that choice
was made the second the attack was spotted. That's his instinct, and mine, and that's the sort of enemies that will kill you and never feel the guilt you feel.
Accept it. Even if you could judge the situation and make that decision in an instant, that instant will slow us down too much. We're not fast enough to waste
even that instant on hesitation. And you will hesitate. Because you're supposed to. Supposed to feel that way, to be human. But you're not. You're a mutant.
You may look human, want to be human, but you're something else. So is he, and so are they. And so am I. There is nothing human in me. Keep your human
morals. They're good for you, I know that. Don't expect me to share them. I don't. I won't. And I don't just take satisfaction out of killing, Naruto. I enjoy it. I know
you hate that, but it's true. He deserves to die and I'm going to enjoy killing him very much.'

Naruto wanted to turn away in disgust, to put enough distance between them that he could ignore the hard truth until it settled into the back of his mind where
it belonged. Had Kyuubi been in his den, he would have done just that. As it was, he let his back be warmed, as if Kyuubi were really standing behind him. But
he he didn't lean into it. He kept himself stiff in at least a token of resistance, enough so his face and front felt cold in comparison to the warmth behind him. He
accepted Kyuubi's bloodlust, in that he knew it was there and wouldn't go away, but he would never accept it. There was always a temptation to listen, to
appreciate Kyuubi's way of thinking. He was most aware of it when he was angry, how similar their need for justice was, and how easy it would be to fall into
Kyuubi's more sadistic enjoyment in the reaping of vengeance. He could be just as self righteous as Kyuubi when it came to revenge, repaying someone who
had wronged him or one of his. He got just as much satisfaction and enjoyment as Kyuubi did when it came to punishing someone he felt deserved it. The
difference between them was that he didn't want to be that way. Kyuubi could pander to him and dump scorn on him for his stubborn moral code, his naivety,
but as far as Naruto was concerned that was what kept him human.

'Rage makes us no better than an animal,' he remarked. He wasn't trying to convince Kyuubi of anything now. He didn't want to fight a useless fight. But it had
to be said. 'It's the fight or flight instinct Iruka-sensei talks about. Ours is fight, it comes in anger, and it's blind and rabid. Kill or be killed? We'll kill. You'll enjoy
it and I'll regret it, because I don't want to be an animal and you don't want to be human. That's just how it is. When the time comes, we'll react the same way,
with rage, so it doesn't really matter if we don't feel the same afterward. By then, it'll already be done.'

'Agreed.'

Naruto sighed, looking down at the notebook still opened in front of him. He wanted to read the more recent notes Sasuke had made, to see if there was any
mention of him in there, but he didn't feel up to any more right now. 'Do you think the 'fight or flight' thing is different for him?'

'I think he's been trained for fight,' Kyuubi said quietly. 'We've never had to fight to defend ourselves. I was defending you when I began killing those people,
not myself. I continued killing them because I wanted to, I enjoyed it, they deserved it.'

Naruto didn't agree because there had been too many people involved and they couldn't have all deserved it. But Kyuubi already knew how he felt about that,
so he wouldn't bother repeating it. 'You were motivated by anger, revenge, rage.'

'And bloodlust, yes. He's different. He was conditioned through fear. When he stabbed us, he did it because he was afraid but unable to flee. He took flight
mentally while physically he switched to automatic fight. It's a trained response. Instead of feeling more, he feels nothing. I could see it, smell it, his instinct was
flight but his reaction was the exact opposite. It's wrong to automatically act counter to one's instinct that way. Unnatural.'

'Because that's the way his brother wanted him to be. But why?' Naruto didn't expect an answer to that. Sasuke had no idea, so how were they supposed to
guess? 'Just to see if he could...? If the guy has that many dangerous mutants handy to send after Sasuke, then why didn't he do his 'training' on them
instead? Why turn a normal person, a little kid, into a mutant if all he wanted was to make a killing machine? It makes no sense.' That was the worst part. If
there was no motive, no reason behind any of it, then that meant the man was doing it simply because he wanted to do it. Because he enjoyed it? What Itachi
had done to Sasuke was easily as sadistic as Kyuubi's bloodiest fantasies.

'He's much worse than I am,' Kyuubi argued, in an angry and insulted tone. 'I let my victims die when I'm done with them. He keeps his alive for years so he can
resume the torture any time he feels like it. Even I'm not that depraved.'

'Not helping,' Naruto winced. He didn't like the present tense Kyuubi had used, as if he were actually killing people on a regular basis rather than just imagining
it. Knowing he had a would-be serial killer sharing his head was difficult enough without having to talk about it. 'That's a good point, though,' he said quickly.
'Sasuke did say his brother doesn't want him dead. If he doesn't try to hurt Sasuke when he gets here, then it'll be hard to justify just walking up and attacking
the guy.'

'Everything we've heard implies that he won't let anyone get between him and Sasuke. He'll attack us when we do. Then it's self defense.'

'Right.' Not that killing out of self defense would clear his conscience any, but Naruto knew better than to start that argument up again. 'I hope we hear from
the clones soon. It's bad enough waiting for Sasuke's brother without the mutants here starting trouble early.' Assuming it was them. Kyuubi assured him there
were no new mutants in the area, but Naruto didn't see why the ones here wouldn't have tried something sooner if that was their aim. The only thing they could
come up with was that they'd waited till the last minute so there was less time for Sasuke to get away from them before his brother turned up. Naruto preferred
to hope that wasn't the reason. They weren't anywhere near ready for Itachi to show up.

'While we're waiting, maybe you should see what Iruka wants.'

Naruto shot a quick look around the room, wondering what he'd missed. 'Iruka-sensei?'

'He's been standing outside your door for half an hour now. Ever so often he shifts his weight from one foot to the other, so I'm sure he's awake out there.'

'Why now?' Naruto blurted. He didn't want to talk to him right now. Or ever, if Iruka wanted to talk to him about what he suspected Iruka wanted to talk to him
about. 'It's because I told him I was taking Sasuke to my room. Can't he just let it go for tonight? It's not like we're going to mess around when Sasuke's
drugged up. Not that he'd have any room to talk if we did, what with that pervert being up in his bedroom the other night. Unless he snuck up while
Iruka-sensei was asleep...?'

'That wasn't the first time he slept up there,' Kyuubi said, calmly crushing Naruto's hopes. 'It's becoming a habit. Iruka is well aware of it.'

'Thanks for rubbing the salt in,' Naruto groused. He squirmed in his chair, eyeing the door for a second before glancing at the bed. The clone was asleep, still
spooning around Sasuke's blanketed form. He'd give anything to switch places with him.

'You're the one who insisted a clone do it.'

'Because Sasuke's afraid he'd wake up and kill me or something. If the clone handles him waking up just fine, then he'll see there's nothing to worry about.
And if the clone does gets poofed, then we just won't mention that it was there. He'll never know he was right, which means we'll still have plenty of chances to
prove he's wrong. It's the perfect solution.' Naruto ignored the snorting fox behind him. He knew he was right. Besides, Sasuke was the one who had remarked
on how he was finding lots of uses for his clones. That was practically a dare for him to find as many uses as possible. Who was he to disappoint him? He sent
a longer look at the door, his eyes dropping to lock on the motionless doorknob. 'You think if we stay really quiet, he'll just go away?'

'No. Eventually he'll either muster up the courage to knock or he'll fall asleep on his feet.' Kyuubi snorted in amusement, then let out a quiet rumble. 'It's been
a while since I've smelled him this nervous. Still tasty.'

'Yeah. Ew. Don't go there with Iruka-sensei, okay? At least not where I can hear you.' He went to the door, wondering what Iruka had to be nervous about. He
was the one on the spot here. Just as Kyuubi had warned, Iruka was standing right outside his door when he opened it. A long moment passed before the man
blinked and lifted his gaze from Naruto's waist, about where the doorknob used to be, to his face. 'He's so out of it,' Naruto winced. 'Has he really been
standing out here for half an hour? Why didn't you tell me sooner?'

'You were busy lecturing me about morality. I didn't want to interrupt your sermon with a reality check. You might have taken it the wrong way. You get rather
touchy when I point out your blatant hypocrisy.'

'You're such an ass,' Naruto muttered, rolling his eyes. He'd opened the door just enough so he could fill it with his body and, hopefully, obscure Iruka's view of
the room. Now he edged forward, wincing again at how slow Iruka was to react. He really didn't want to have this talk in the hallway, but he was no more willing
to leave the room than he was to invite Iruka into it. "Iruka-sensei!" Naruto said, trying to sound surprised and failing miserably. His smile was so forced it hurt.
"Did you need something?"

"I..." Iruka bit his lower lip, his gaze shifting over Naruto's shoulder to stare at the door. "Has there been any change with Sasuke?"

"No, nothing. He's sleeping normally." There were a few differences Kyuubi had pointed out, such as the lack of eye movement. Considering the hallucinations
he'd been having, Naruto figured it was a good thing he wasn't dreaming right now. He didn't want to imagine what kind of nightmares that poison might cause.
He wouldn't mention that to Iruka, though. Then Iruka would ask how he knew Sasuke usually dreamed a lot, and he definitely didn't want to get into the whole
'sneaking into Sasuke's room at night to watch him sleep' stalker thing.

'He doesn't mind Kakashi sneaking into his room,' Kyuubi pointed out, sounding a little sullen. 'Why shouldn't we sneak into Sasuke's?'

'You snuck in, not me,' Naruto reminded him. 'And it's more the 'staring at him all night while he sleeps' thing that looks bad. Besides, you just said the pervert
wasn't sneaking into his room while he was asleep. Are you saying he did?'

'No. Not while he's asleep.'

'Okay, then.' Naruto tried to project a calm, neutral, doctor-like expression onto his face. He had no idea what that would look like, so he wasn't sure how well
he pulled it off. The idea was to assure Iruka that there was no need to have this talk right now, because Naruto was only reacting the way he would if any of
his friends were sick. "It's pretty late. I'll wake you up if there's any change, but I think he'll be fine. Really. You don't have to stay up."

"Right." Iruka turned slowly, started to walk away, and then stopped. His eyes closed and he took a deep breath. Naruto was already cringing by the time he let
it out and turned back to him. "Naruto. Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into? Just how attached to him are you? Honestly?"

"I'm keeping him." Naruto winced when Kyuubi gave him a mental slash. "We're keeping him," he amended. "I know all about his situation and I don't care.
We're keeping him." He couldn't read Iruka's expression at all, but he didn't like the way he looked at him. It made him want to fidget, to drop his eyes and scuff
his feet like a little kid. Or blush, he could easily have given in to that.

"Have you told him that?"

Naruto jumped, glancing behind him as if there were any way Sasuke could have snuck out of bed and come within hearing range without him knowing. "No
way!" he grimaced. He shook his head at Iruka. "You can't say that to a person, especially someone like Sasuke." He barely resisted the urge to rub his arms.
"He'd think I was saying I owned him or something. He'd be insulted, furious, or he'd freak out and run and then I'd have a heck of a time conning him back with
me."

"Naruto-"

"I did tell him that much, though," Naruto said quickly, guessing what Iruka was going to say. "I told him if he runs off, I'll just follow him and bring him back. He
said I was stupid, but in the end he didn't run. He stayed here, so that means he's okay with it. Tonight, too. He wanted to take off to make sure he didn't hurt
anyone, but he didn't because he knows I would have gone after him and brought him back."

"If you're forcing him to-"

Naruto snorted, choking back a laugh. "Come on, Iruka-sensei. You've met Sasuke, right?"

Iruka sighed, a frown breaking on his face. "Manipulation is just as-"

"Again, have you met Sasuke? He's way more manipulative than I am." He shook his head, smiling a little. "I thought you'd be more worried about me than
about him, at least as far as that goes."

"I am worried about you," Iruka huffed. "Any relationship you two have is going to be so..." He cut himself off. He wasn't going to say anything about that.
Anything he said about their relationship itself would be meaningless if Sasuke's brother took him away, and premature even if he ended up staying. What he
was really worried about was Itachi. As protective as Naruto was being, not letting Sasuke out of his sight, he was going to be there when the brother showed
up no matter how they tried to keep him away. He couldn't tell Naruto not to interfere because that would just make him even more determined to do just that.
What could he say that wouldn't just encourage Naruto to prove him wrong, possibly getting killed in the attempt? And what if things went smoothly? For all
they knew, Itachi would come, check on his brother, and leave, giving the busybody spies nothing to show for their time and making all of his worry
unnecessary. If Itachi didn't intend to start a fight, then Iruka certainly didn't want to get Naruto keyed up for one. He sighed. "Naruto, do you know who sent
the thing that bit Sasuke?"

Naruto jumped on the change of subject. "It wasn't his brother, I know that much. It had to be one of the mutants who were already here. Kyuubi thinks they
were trying to run Sasuke out of the house so he'd be with in their hands when his brother shows up. Stack the deck in their favor, something like that. Sasuke
has this rule about not involving bystanders, so the second he realized he was hallucinating he wanted to go outside. They were probably planning on him
reacting that way. I'll have to ask him about it when he wakes up. It won't happen again, though, if that's what you're worried about."

"Alright. Stay inside tonight, okay?" He gave a tired smile at how enthusiastically Naruto nodded. There were undoubtedly some of those duplicates of his
outside at this very moment. He could already see how that ability would make grounding him difficult in the future. "I'll see you in the morning. Wake me up if
there's any trouble, though. Alright?"

"Sure! Good-night, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto waved at Iruka's back, just in case the man glanced back at him. The second he opened the door to the stairs,
Naruto ducked back into his room. 'Ugh! I'm glad he was half asleep. I'd hate to have tried that with him wide awake.'

'A brief stay of execution at best,' Kyuubi sniffed. 'Why don't you take a nap while I read the rest of the journal. I'll wake you when we hear from the clones.'

'Sounds like a plan.' Naruto shot one longing look at the comfortable pair on the bed and then relinquished control to Kyuubi. Sleeping in Kyuubi's den alone
while a copy of himself snuggled with Sasuke? That so wasn't fair.

.-.

The only part of the lizard snake thing that hadn't fallen apart by the time Naruto's clone returned to Sasuke's room was the head. Sasuke had ripped the body
apart, spraying blood and showering the floor with a handful of clumps, including at least one stretch of belly with legs still attached. But they'd crumbled and
dried until it looked like a simple pile of dirt clods. Even those lacked a clear scent, as if they'd been baked in the sun until the last bit of life was burned away.
The head, on the other hand, was still intact and very lifelike. Yet even it smelled more like dirt, possibly earthworms, than a real creature. Naruto bagged it
and took it with him. They'd found dirt smears on the wall leading up to the window, and what might have been a slithering trail in the dirt patch in the back
yard. That trail wasn't seen anywhere in the dewdropped grass. Without a scent, there was no chance of following it through the fields. Kyuubi didn't see any
point doing that, anyway. They already knew there was at least one mutant in town who stunk like wet earth.

They still sent one of the clones to patrol the field lining the backyard, just on the off chance he might sniff something out. Two more were left hanging out in
the yard itself, in case there were more scentless beasties looking for a way to sneak into the house. After an hour it was clear that standing guard would be a
long boring affair. They spent the time well, though, practicing shielding and brainstorming possible bubble-popping methods while the Kyuubi in each kept an
eye on their surroundings.

The clone with the bagged head didn't waste any time. He went straight to the house where they'd smelled the underground mutant with every intention of
digging him up if necessary. Kabuto appeared from around the side of the house before they could take a single step off the sidewalk.

Naruto's first impression of the man was that he looked annoyed at being disturbed. He almost felt embarrassed, as if he should apologize for bothering him so
late. It was hard to peg the guy as someone who would send a hallucinogenic snake-lizard after someone. Sasuke had warned him that the 'doctor' was young,
but not that he gave off an aura of harmlessness. He actually reminded Naruto a little of Iruka. He simply did not look like a bad guy. And he was definitely a lot
smaller than Naruto had expected. For some reason he had thought the guy would be ripped with muscles and tall and intimidating looking. Kyuubi quickly
reminded him that this was a healer, someone who attacked with energy rather than physical talents, and not to let his appearance fool him. They had agreed
beforehand that Naruto would be in control so that Kyuubi could continue to monitor everything around them, but Kyuubi was hard pressed to stay quiet when
Naruto immediately started to doubt himself.

Kabuto stopped a few feet away and folded his arms over his chest, the streetlight reflecting off his glasses. "Why are you making a liar out of me, Uzumaki
Naruto?"

"How do you know my name?" Naruto demanded, instantly defensive.

Kyuubi winced. The guy probably knew the names of everyone in the house. But at least Naruto was suspicious now. For a moment there Kyuubi had been
afraid Naruto would completely drop his guard. He really did have a bad habit of judging people by their appearances and Sasuke had failed to mention that
the 'doctor' had a pretty face. Kyuubi snorted to himself, knowing he'd have to remind Naruto of this the next time the boy complained about his leg fetish.

"I know more about you than you do," Kabuto said flatly. "Now please answer my question. I gave Sasuke my word that I wouldn't interfere with anyone living in
that house. I don't appreciate being made a liar. Why are you here? This is the second time you've come here. If it's simple curiosity, I don't have time for it."

'So I was right,' Kyuubi growled to Naruto. 'That mutant could sense me as clearly as I sensed him. But I don't sense him now. Either he isn't here or he's
underground again.'

'He did come out from behind the house,' Naruto shot back.

He pulled the bag out of his pocket and held it up so the man could see the head, "This is why I'm here. It stinks of dirt, just like that Frankenstein friend you
have out back." The man stiffened and then hurried forward for a closer look. Naruto took a sharp step back, letting Kyuubi flash some of his energy to warn
the man off. "That's close enough. You can see it just fine from there."

Kabuto's eyebrows shot up, and he stopped a foot away. "What exactly has Sasuke been telling you about me? I'm a healer. I've saved his life more times than
I can count, not that he has ever been appreciative of my efforts. He's even more ungrateful than Itachi, who to this day expects me to come running any time
he accidentally damages his brother too much. They really are a pair, the two of them. As for your gruesome trophy there, I can assure you Kimimaru had
nothing to do with that. And Frankenstein?" He scoffed, eyeing Naruto with open contempt. "You obviously have never met a mutant with an earth affinity. You
can tell your fox demon that his nose is confusing him. There is absolutely nothing unnatural about Kimimaru. He is the way he was born to be."

A cold chill shot down Naruto's back. 'How does he know about you?'

'He's lying,' Kyuubi growled, his tails lashing. 'That mutant is as unnatural as they come. Don't believe a word he says. About anything.'

'Yeah,' Naruto agreed. He couldn't help wondering, though. If Kabuto was the one who had healed Sasuke after all those attacks in his notebook, and he was
now Itachi's enemy, then why hadn't they joined forces against Itachi?

'Because he's working for the snake now,' Kyuubi reminded him. 'Snake. Venom. Hallucinations?'

Naruto forcefully silenced the rest of his lingering doubts. He glared at the man and turned the bag so the open mouth of the snake-like head was clearly
visible. "So you're saying you guys had nothing to do with this?"

"That depends on what it is," Kabuto said, as if that should have been obvious. He held out a hand. "May I see it?"

'He might destroy the evidence,' Naruto worried quickly. 'Do we need it for anything?'

'It's useless,' Kyuubi admitted. He wouldn't have let it leave the house with a clone had it been worth saving. 'Even if we knew how to make an antivenom, any
drops of venom we got from it would just turn to dust the second it's away from the rest of the head. Don't get within touching distance of him, though.'

Naruto tossed the bag, watching suspiciously as Kabuto peeled the plastic back. The man swiped a finger over the frayed neck, cutting it somehow despite his
lack of claws. The piece immediately dried up. He crumbled the bit of dirt between his fingers and raised his hand to his mouth. Naruto grimaced, fighting not to
warn the guy about the venom. If he was a bad guy, as Sasuke insisted he was, then he deserved to be poisoned. And he probably was a bad guy, because
no good guy would taste dirt that used to be the neck of a snake-lizard thing.

'It's just dirt,' Kyuubi scoffed, amused by the disgust Naruto was suffering.

'It's gross as hell,' Naruto insisted. He kept his attention on Kabuto's face, watching for any sign that he might be behind the attack after all. "Well?" he
prodded. "Do you know what it is?"

Kabuto's eyes flicked up, dark amusement flickering in them for a moment before the light hid them from sight. "Bad art?" He closed the bag, rocking the head
back and forth on his palm. "I take it the rest of this thing exploded? If so, you can assure Sasuke it had nothing to do with us. That's the handiwork of one of
Itachi's many enemies, a young mutant by the name of Deidara. Rumor has it that he had an encounter with Itachi just last week. Itachi has a bad habit of
leaving him alive."

"It didn't explode," Naruto said sharply. "It's poisonous. And I know there aren't any new mutants around here, so don't try and tell me someone else is the one
who-" Kabuto moved too suddenly for him to react. The man grabbed the front of his shirt, looking so shocked and panicky that there was no way he was
faking it.

"Did it bite Sasuke?" Kabuto demanded. He didn't give Naruto a chance to respond. "Of course it did. He would have destroyed what was left of it, otherwise."
He released him, crushing the snake head in his palm and dropping the bag of clay in disgust. "You should have told me immediately. How could you waste
time with stupid questions when he's out there alone and out of his mind? If Sasori's involved in this, too, then one of his damned puppets could kill him before
we can even find him!"

Kabuto turned on his heel, furious enough to kill the boy if he had to look at him for another second. He should have known something like this would happen.
Things had been going too smoothly. He had warned Orochimaru he would rue the day he introduced those two to each other. They would be a thorn in
everyone's side for as long as they lived. Neither of them could handle rejection and Itachi obviously enjoyed Deidara's attacks too much to just get rid of him
already. At least this would be the last straw. If Sasuke died because of this, then Itachi wouldn't hesitate to kill the both of them. But how the hell had Sasuke
gotten out of that house without Kimimaru noticing? They should have known the second he took off. They had been expecting him to run at some point,
because he always did, and Kimimaru should have been in place to catch him immediately. If he had found a way to run without being detected then he could
be anywhere by now!

"Sasuke's safe," Naruto called out quietly. There was no question in his mind now that the guy really had nothing to do with the attack. Even Kyuubi was
convinced of that much, though he continued to warn Naruto against dropping his guard.

Kabuto froze in his tracks. He closed his eyes and reminded himself of all the reasons Uzumaki Naruto was more useful alive than dead. Not the least of which
was that he was currently the main thing keeping Sasuke from running. If he killed the boy now, then Sasuke would be on the run by tomorrow. Then he would
have to find, catch, and keep him until Itachi showed up. And deal with Itachi's annoyance when he found out about it. Having Itachi seek him out the moment
he arrived definitely wasn't part of the plan. If he had his way, Itachi wouldn't even realize they were here until it was too late. He rubbed a hand over his
temple. Everything had been so much simpler back when Orochimaru had left the planning of these things to him. He swore the man was going senile in his
old age. Much more of this and he would join the Black Order and set his talents to the future rather than the present. At least they knew how to reward their
people. Orochimaru was nearly as bad at showing gratitude as Itachi was...

He heaved a sigh at all the suffering he put up with. Then he turned and went back to the boy, a relieved smile spreading over his lips. By the time he reached
Naruto, he was as harmless as could be. Outwardly, anyway. "Thank goodness. Was it a hallucinogen, then? Or a poison? If it was venom or poison, I'm sure
Sasuke's immunity will take care of it quickly. He's already been dosed with the best drug available to handle problems like that. I should know, since I
designed it myself. If it was a hallucinogen, then it should wear off on its own. It would depend on how many times he was bitten. What are his symptoms?
Clammy skin, shortness of breath? Neither Sasori nor Deidara is very good with drugs, so I doubt it's an original creation of theirs. I would be very surprised if
there are any side effects Umino-san can't handle. But if there are, tell him to call the hospital in the morning and ask for Yakushi-sensei. I'd be more than
happy to proscribe anything he might need. I know how much Sasuke hates hospitals."

Naruto shook his head, "He's just fine." He wouldn't have told him even if there had been symptoms, and he certainly wouldn't have Iruka contact him. Just
because the guy wasn't behind the attack didn't mean he'd trust him. "Tell me about the mutants you think sent the thing. Where would they be now?"

"They could be anywhere," Kabuto shrugged. "Sasori uses puppets, robots, corpses sometimes but not as much. He'd have to be close by to control a zombie
without it stinking the place up. With inanimate puppets, distance isn't really an issue. He's probably in a plane or boat, close enough to maintain contact but
not close enough to be detected himself." He sniffed at the plastic bag of clay. "Deidara definitely isn't here. He probably designed that and left it with Sasori in
case his attack on Itachi failed. He'll still be in Vermont right about now, licking his wounds. I can't imagine what he was hoping to achieve with this. Drugs aren't
his style. It was no doubt Sasori's idea. He's never cared for the way people tiptoe around Itachi. He might have even thought he'd be doing us a favor by
getting rid of Sasuke. He hasn't been in the loop in a long time," he smiled apologetically. "Rest assured, we don't want Sasuke dead. I'll send Kimimaru to take
care of whatever puppet Sasori has hidden in the mountains." He knew it would be in the mountains because that was where Sasuke was most likely to flee. It
was pathetic how predictable he was. "I promise, you won't have any more trouble from him."

"Does this Sasori guy work for you?" Naruto demanded.

Kabuto's eyes widened and he laughed. There was another reason not to kill the kid. He was funny. "No one works for me." The very idea was laughable.
"Didn't Sasuke tell you anything? I'm a freelance healer. I work for anyone who needs my talents. At the moment I'm working for Orochimaru. If something
happens to Sasuke, Itachi will call me to heal his brother and I'll be working for him. If Orochimaru and Itachi decided to face off and they both survived the
encounter, I'd heal them both. It's all the same to me."

"You...play both sides, then?" Naruto frowned, more than a little confused. He didn't think he was lying. Yet Sasuke definitely considered him the enemy, so...

"I play whatever side interests me at any given moment," Kabuto shrugged. "As for Sasori, he's not on anyone's side these days. He was working for
Orochimaru at one point, but he was replaced by Itachi." His eyes narrowed with mirth at Naruto's shocked expression. "You had no idea they were allies in the
past, did you? Sasuke never did try very hard to understand the situation he was caught up in. Anyway, Sasori has held a grudge against Itachi ever since.
That doesn't make him our ally. Orochimaru certainly won't look kindly on him for endangering Sasuke. He has as much invested in him as Itachi does."

Naruto jumped on that, Kyuubi pushing so close that his eyes flashed red. "What do you mean? What does he want with Sasuke?"

"The same thing as everyone else," Kabuto shrugged. It wasn't as if anyone had ever made a secret of it. "He wants the sharingan, of course. Sasuke's aren't
fully developed yet, but it's only a matter of time. Unfortunately most people aren't willing to wait, so they go after Sasuke now and Itachi kills them. Or they
target Itachi himself and he kills them." Even Orochimaru didn't have the patience to wait. If he hadn't been so eager to sink his teeth into Sasuke while he was
still young and defenseless, Itachi might never have turned against him. Instead of leaving Itachi alone and having a chance to get both someday, he had
basically ensured that he would never get either. Not that Orochimaru would ever listen to him on the matter. He sighed, "It's all very stupid, if you ask me. The
sharingan isn't the only talent that can copy others, and it certainly isn't the most powerful talent to have. But I just work for people. I can't make them take my
advice. Believe me, I've tried."

"Are you going to try to kill Itachi when he comes, then?" asked Naruto. Suddenly that possibility scared him. He was so conflicted he didn't know what to think.
He wanted Itachi dead for everything he'd done to Sasuke. But if Itachi was the only thing keeping people from targeting Sasuke, then they needed him alive.
Or would killing Itachi mean they had no reason to go after Sasuke at all? Did they have to kill someone to take his talent? Kakashi and Sasuke both took them
simply by touch or sight. So...

'I think he means taking the eyes themselves,' said Kyuubi. 'Or having someone with the eyes use them to pass the talent along. Sasuke said his brother gave
the eyes to him, so he could give them to anyone.'

Kabuto snorted. "I won't be going near Itachi unless something happens to Sasuke and Itachi sends for me to heal him. Kimimaru is here because Orochimaru
would like Itachi dead. He may make an attempt to kill Itachi. I'm not that suicidal. Frankly, I don't think anyone will ever kill Itachi except Sasuke, because he's
the one Itachi wants to be killed by. And it will be years before Sasuke's strong enough to manage that, assuming he lives that long."

"But if this Kimimaru guy does kill him?" asked Naruto.

Kabuto dropped his eyes, smiling at the thought. Orochimaru would insist on coming to collect Sasuke himself. He would probably empty the house while he
was at it. It would be nice to have Iruka around again, and he had always wanted the chance to study the genetics of a true second-generation mutant like
Naruto. He would get what was left of Itachi and with the sharingan at his disposal, he might even be able to extract the fox without killing him. But then he
would be expected to plant the fox into Orochimaru's new body and what a waste that would be. He shook his head. It was just as well Kimimaru didn't have a
chance in hell of killing Itachi. Orochimaru would reap all of the benefits and having gotten his way, yet again, he would be truly insufferable to have to live with.

"Don't count on that happening," Kabuto said, as he turned back for the house. He had an early shift at the hospital in a few hours. He'd send Kimimaru after
Sasori's puppet before turning in. "But if by some strange chance it does happen, run away. Run as far away from Sasuke as you can get. Take anyone you
care about with you."

.-.

Iruka was wallowing in self pity by the time he closed his bedroom door behind him. He was a failure as a parent and a pathetic excuse for a mutant. He didn't
know what to say to protect Naruto emotionally, and he couldn't do anything at all to protect Sasuke physically. He was utterly useless in this situation. He
leaned against the door, closed his eyes tight, and let out a miserable whine in the back of his throat.

"Well," Kakashi drawled, "that is definitely not the reaction I was hoping for."

His whine turned into a groan, and he pushed away from the door sluggishly. "What are you doing in here?" he grumbled. "I thought you were done with this-"
He blinked and his brain stopped working.

"Done?" Kakashi smiled, taking pity on the poor man. "Iruka, I haven't even gotten started yet."

Iruka stumbled back so his head thumped against the door. That kickstarted his brain, just a little. The man had the worst possible timing in the history of the
world. With everything that was happening, he couldn't possibly... How could he even think about... Why... He... Iruka whined again, his eyes scrunching but
not closing the way he wished they would. "You're..."

"Very tenacious?"

"Naked," Iruka whimpered.

"Yes, I am," Kakashi agreed. He stretched out more comfortably on the soft bed. "It's nice of you to notice."

Iruka finally put his hands over his burning eyes. If he couldn't tear them away, he'd just cover the traitorous things up. What was wrong with him? How could
he even be tempted at a time like this? But...those legs...abs...ass...and his... He smacked his hands against his eyes. Even with them closed now, the sight
wouldn't go away. In his bed. Kakashi was... "Naked," he choked out. The image burned onto his brain would never go away. It was so very wrong. Crazy. No,
this couldn't be happening. Nope, not real. Kakashi wasn't naked. That was just silly. He turned around and groped for the doorknob. "I'm going downstairs for
a while. When I come back up my room will be empty and this never happened."

A very solid warmth pressed all along the length of his back. Iruka whimpered again. His entire body felt like it was shaking and he didn't know if he was about
to burst into tears or hysterical laughter. He gave up on the doorknob and slumped against the door, thumping his forehead on it. "You're insane," he
whispered. It wasn't fair. "Please don't play this joke on me. Not right now. The timing-"

"Is always wrong," Kakashi murmured. "I know." He slipped an arm around Iruka's waist, letting his weight press him gently against the door as he nuzzled his
neck. His free arm quietly pressed the new bolt he'd installed on the door into place. Iruka didn't look like he'd be finding the doorknob tonight, but he wasn't
taking any chances.

"It is," Iruka insisted. "It really is." He knew that. He was worried sick about the kids. To even think about sex at a time like this was shameful. Indecent... He
tilted his head to bare more of his neck to Kakashi's hot tongue. It was too shameful and indecent to even consider. He knew that. He really did. "There's so
much going on right now."

"There always is," Kakashi agreed. "I know." He slid his hands up under Iruka's shirt to rub his thumbs over Iruka's nipples. Iruka melted with a liquid mewl that
had him grinning against the man's neck. He'd known his nipples would be sensitive. That explained Iruka's own fascination with them. He rubbed and plucked
at them until Iruka was rocking back against him, one arm reaching up to catch in his hair. His mouth was tugged closer to Iruka's ear, and he obliged him by
licking and nipping his earlobe.

"I'll hate myself tomorrow," Iruka groaned. He wanted to hate himself now. He was trying his best to, but he just couldn't seem to manage it. His free hand
reached back until his palm was pressed tight against one of those muscular thighs. What the hell did Kakashi do to get that toned? It was so hard he just
knew that if he nipped him there he wouldn't get so much as a pinch of skin between his teeth. "I'll never stop blushing."

Kakashi hissed as Iruka's hand shifted to rub something nearly as hard as his thigh. "I like it when you blush," he assured him, as he reached down to return
the favor. "Do you want to do this here or in the bed?"

"Bed," Iruka panted, his eyes opening to stare blurrily at the door his forehead was pressed against. "That way I'll have time to come to my senses and stop us
before-" He was turned and pushed back against the door so suddenly his breath escaped in a huff. And he found his lowered eyes falling on the very thing
he'd just been stroking. Then Kakashi's mismatched eyes were right in front of him, a smile curving his lips. He licked his own lips, not knowing which
temptation he wanted to taste more.

"As if I'd give you time to think," Kakashi laughed quietly. Iruka's hands caught in his hair and he let himself be pulled into a roving kiss. He pushed Iruka's
pants down enough so that he could stroke them both at the same time, his other hand rising to play with one of those peaked nipples. He tweaked and
tugged on the nub until Iruka was squirming, leaning harder against the door. Finally the man nipped his tongue with his teeth and pulled his head back.
Those lips were moist and hungry-looking, but they were pulled down into a definite frown. Kakashi steeled himself to ignore any rationalizations Iruka might
have just come up with. He had played Iruka's game long enough. Tonight it was his game and he wasn't going listen to a single protest from that mouth when
Iruka's hips were still rocking into his hand.

Kakashi's hands were sinfully skilled, and the feel of his erection pressed tight against his own made him both nervous and eager as hell. But he couldn't let
himself be distracted by that. Kakashi's fingers were torturing his nipple mercilessly and he wouldn't stand for it. He wasn't about to do anything he didn't like
and Kakashi had better understand that right now. He forced himself to stop staring at Kakashi's mouth and frown at him properly. "If you keep playing with my
nipple like that, it'll hurt."

Kakashi's eyebrows shot up in surprise and amusement. "Surely they're not that sensitive."

"They are," Iruka insisted, his own eyebrows dropping into a glower.

He didn't dare laugh at that belligerent expression, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling. Iruka clearly knew what he liked, and had no trouble speaking up
about things he didn't like. Kakashi liked that. It didn't hurt that Iruka's frown looked more like a pout than anything. He left off stroking him long enough to rid
Iruka of his shirt. Then he flattened his palms over his nipples, rubbing softly. Iruka's eyes closed, that frown melting away. "I'll be more gentle with them," he
promised. He lowered his head to lap at the abused nipple, causing Iruka to shiver and push his hips out. He obliged him with steady strokes, his fingers
curling and pulling enough to keep him on edge without sending him over. It was just as well he wasn't touching himself anymore. It had been far too long, and
he had no intention of ending this until Iruka was thoroughly ravished. The man deserved it for being such an awful tease.

"Good," Iruka huffed, pleased to have gotten his way. Good didn't begin to describe what Kakashi was doing to him, though. It really wasn't fair at all. He
wanted to taste him, too, but now he couldn't even reach his mouth, let alone the rest of him. He rubbed his face in that shock of soft pale hair, and then his
eyes caught on the hand Kakashi was rubbing over his chest. Kakashi did have such good hands. He was suddenly burning with jealousy at everyone Kakashi
had practiced on with those hands. There was simply no getting around it. The man was a slut. But he wouldn't be thinking about anyone else tonight, if Iruka
had his way. He ducked his head so his tongue flicked his fingertip. Kakashi looked up at him through his hair, and the sight of his tongue running along his
nipple made him all the more determined to get some for himself. He caught Kakashi's wrist and lifted his hand to his mouth. He ran his tongue over the pad of
Kakashi's thumb, then down to tickle across his palm before sliding up the next finger. Kakashi fought with his hands. It was no wonder he had such a refined
sense of touch.

Kakashi groaned, unable to tear his eyes away. His fingers were tingling, nerves awakening all over his body. The sight of Iruka's tongue sliding between his
fingers, those dark hungry eyes holding his own, was more than he could take. "Iruka..."

"Yes," Iruka confirmed, smiling with satisfaction. He shouldn't have doubted himself. It was his body Kakashi was lavishing pleasure on. Of course he wasn't
thinking of anyone else. He closed his eyes and took Kakashi's forefinger into his mouth, cupping it with his tongue. He didn't have to look to know how much
he enjoyed it. He could hear his breath catch, and felt the hot exhalation on his damp skin. He continued to make love to his hand until Kakashi tugged it away,
replacing it with a kiss every bit as needy as their first. Iruka smiled into his mouth as he was pushed hard against the door, that damp hand clamping tight on
his ass. Who was ready to explode now? He let Kakashi plunder his mouth, and then caught his eyes when he finally pulled away enough to glower at him.
"How long has it been?"

"I was about to ask you that," Kakashi muttered. He was sure that if he let Iruka have his way, he'd be completely undone before he had a chance to properly
molest the man. In fact, he'd probably be bending over and offering his own ass to him before he even remembered that wasn't part of the plan. He pressed a
damp finger into him, watching the way his face pinched as he rose on his toes, just a little, in an instinctive bid to get away from the intrusion. He swept his
tongue along Iruka's pursed lips. "How long has it been?"

"Years," Iruka hissed, "Forever." He spread his legs a little more and leaned against the door, trying not to squirm when Kakashi added a second finger to
stretch him. He had such long limber fingers. They moved every bit as carefully inside him as they had against his tongue. But that really wasn't the issue here
at all. Kakashi tried to catch his eyes, but he ducked his head to lick a path along Kakashi's jaw. He had such a well defined face when it wasn't hidden away
by that mask of his. His hand reached down to stroke what they were pressed too close for him to see. "You're bigger," he groaned, arching as Kakashi thrust
his fingers deeper. There really was no comparing Kakashi to the last person he'd been with. Not that he wanted to. He didn't even want to think about anyone
but Kakashi right now. That didn't change the facts. "Maybe too big."

"You shouldn't flatter me so much," Kakashi warned him. "I'll get a big head."

Iruka shook his head, pressing his face into Kakashi's neck. "It's already big." That was what he'd been trying to explain. He could feel that much. He ran his
thumb along the tip, smearing the moisture there. "I saw it." The image would never go away. Kakashi stretched out on his bed, his pale skin gleaming against
the cover, all long and limber and toned, every bit of him. And this already standing tall and proud, he was such a shameless man, he really was. Just the sight
of it had torn him in half, wanting to run away and wanting to grab it, get a good feel just like he was now, and see how much of it he could take. Frankly, he
had doubts, and if he had to explain them, then he would be the one thinking about someone else while he had his hands all over Kakashi. That wouldn't be
fair to Kakashi, and it wouldn't be much fun for him, either.

"I saw you see it," Kakashi drawled. He nipped at Iruka's ear and nuzzled when he quickly gave him more access to the spot. He thrust his fingers as deep as
he could, enjoying the way Iruka shuddered and gasped into his neck. He wasn't as loud as he would have liked, but his reactions were honest and
uninhibited. The fingers petting him eagerly told him just how much he enjoyed it. "You looked as if you had walked into a brick wall."

"No, it's not that hard." It was actually quite soft and silky until he curled his fingers all the way around and squeezed. He pulled, dragging his name from
Kakashi's lips. He'd never get enough of the way Kakashi drew it out, the last bit coming as a reproachful panting moan. As if Kakashi wasn't just as bad,
pushing so hard it seemed he wanted to fit his entire hand inside him. He leaned his shoulders against the door, taking some of his weight off Kakashi. His legs
felt shaky and he wasn't sure how much longer they'd last. "Bed?"

"We'll get there," Kakashi promised. By the time they did, Iruka would be so far gone there wouldn't be a chance of him coming to his senses as he had
threatened a little while ago. Besides, he had a favor to return. The first time they'd kissed, he had found himself thrown against his door and ravished. He fully
intended to return that with interest, quite a bit of interest. And unlike Iruka, he wouldn't stop until they'd both gotten their fill.

He lifted Iruka's hand, licking the fingers in thanks for the unnecessary but well appreciated attention. Then he eased his way down until he was on his knees
before him. While he appreciated the way Iruka had gone on about his size, because it was both amusing and very flattering, he didn't see why he would.
There wasn't much difference between them. Iruka certainly didn't have anything to feel inferior about. He took a long sliding taste, his fingers twisting to rub
and push so that Iruka was straining up on his toes again. He had come downstairs barefoot earlier and his toes were curling along the smooth floor. His pants
were also down around his ankles, keeping his legs from spreading too far. Kakashi considered helping him kick them away, but decided against it. He rather
liked having him hobbled, and so tight he was already throbbing with anticipation. He would have him spread out on the bed later. For now he liked having him
cornered and confined. Flustered and panting, too. He spared a glance up at him and smirked at how wide his mouth and eyes were. He had him stunned,
speechless even. He bobbed his head, his fingers moving in slow steady thrusts that had Iruka rocking his hips in time with his movements.

Iruka finally closed his eyes, tilting his back against the door. He was supposed to be the one doing that, not Kakashi. Leave it to Kakashi to play by his own
rules. And he was so very good at the game, too. He curled his fingers in Kakashi's hair. It was thick and fluffy, standing up like a flopsided brush. He did like
his hair, but there were so many other parts of him he wanted to touch and he couldn't reach any of them like this. It was horribly unfair, yet he was enjoying
himself too much to complain. Kakashi was nearly as good with his mouth as he was with his hands. His free hand was massaging the small of his back,
working down his thigh, and he knew he should make him stop that because it made him feel as if his muscles were being reduced to mush and he was
already worried about his legs giving out. They should have been in bed for this. Who did things like this standing up? And how long did Kakashi expect him to
hold out? He couldn't remember the last time someone had touched him like this. Except that wasn't right, either. As far as he knew no one had ever gone
down on him at all. He was always the one who did that. He should have been the one doing it now. Kakashi couldn't possibly call out his name when his lips
were wrapped tightly around him, his hot mouth determined to suck the life right out of him. He tugged on Kakashi's hair until he relented enough to look up at
him. For a long moment Iruka was too caught up in staring at that sinful mouth of his to remember what he had wanted to say. Kakashi brought his attention
back with a hard thrust of his fingers, bringing him up on his toes and causing his head to jerk back against the door. He gasped, licked his lips, and forced
himself to say it before it was too late. "You have to stop now. I'll come if you don't."

"Ah," Kakashi acknowledged. He was well aware of how close Iruka was. He could feel it in the way he trembled, how he clutched at his fingers each time he
pushed them all the way in. Then there were the sounds. Iruka wasn't being at all quiet now, though he wouldn't be the one to point it out. Nobody would hear
him except him, anyway. He curled his free hand around Iruka's erection, running his thumb gently over the tip as he caught his dazed eyes. "If you come now,
I won't have to move to the bedstand to get lube." As tightly wound as Iruka was, he was bound to come quite a bit. Iruka shook his head at him, the tail of his
hair wisping against the door. Kakashi reminded himself to undo that tail before he took him to the bed.

"My legs won't hold up," Iruka said quickly. He didn't want to fall partway through and be forced to finish up on the floor. "And you have to use lube. I don't like
it to hurt." Kakashi was much too big. He was already worried that he wouldn't be able to take him all. He held his breath as Kakashi's fingers eased out of him,
leaving him feeling both bereft and sorely misused. Just his fingers made him ache and burn. He'd never be able to take him without a proper lubricant. He
didn't notice that Kakashi had stood up until his mouth was taken in a heavy kiss that made his knees feel weaker than ever. His face flamed as he realized he
was tasting himself on Kakashi's tongue. It made him want to apologize and that had to be the most ridiculous thought that had passed through his mind all
night. He might apologize for not being willing to take him dry and standing up, but he wasn't about to apologize for the way he tasted. He certainly hadn't told
Kakashi to go down on him. Kakashi had decided to do that all on his own.

Kakashi pulled the band out of Iruka's hair and combed it with his fingers as they kissed. Iruka wasn't being nearly as bold in returning the kiss as he had
expected. He was also blushing. As much as Kakashi enjoyed those blushes, he wasn't about to let Iruka think himself into another retreat. They had gone
much too far for that. He leaned down to pick him up and then quickly kissed him again before he could say a word. He felt Iruka shift his legs so that his pants
slipped free to the floor. That told him the blush wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Was he about to turn shy on him, then? It was far too late for that, too. He took
him to the bed and immediately covered him, not giving him a moment to catch his bearings. His hand fisted in that thick hair, which felt every bit as good as he
had known it would, and he attacked Iruka's neck with tongue and teeth. He didn't bother to leave marks, knowing Iruka would simply heal them away the
moment he noticed them. Judging by the throaty moan he gave, he wouldn't be forgetting the feel of it any time soon. He pressed hard against him, crushing
him into the bed, once again stroking them together. Iruka's head tossed as he wrapped his arms around his back and shoulders, pushing up just as hard. He
nipped his earlobe and then murmured into his ear. "Iruka..."

"Yes..."

Kakashi grinned at the sheer pleasure audible in that breathy voice. "You like hearing me say your name, don't you," he murmured.

"Very much," Iruka moaned. He spread his legs wider and reached an arm down so he could pull Kakashi's hips harder into him. Even his ass was so toned it
was ridiculous. He squeezed and kneaded the muscles, enjoying the feel of it, until Kakashi panted his name again.

"I'd like a little of the same," Kakashi admitted, as he eased up enough to slick himself with the little tube he'd set aside earlier. He leaned down to lap at one of
Iruka's nipples, and Iruka tugged on his hair, encouraging him to give both equal treatment. He eased two of his slippery fingers inside him and they were
squeezed tightly, telling him it was an unnecessary but very welcome touch. No, he realized, Iruka wasn't about to turn shy on him.

"I'm sorry," Iruka gasped, "Ka-" He choked as Kakashi rubbed hard in just the right spot, panting as he came down again. "Kakashi..." He hadn't been
intentionally depriving him of that. It was just so hard to get his name out without stuttering horribly. He wasn't used to talking at all during sex. Just getting his
name from Kakashi's lips was such a heady rush. Kakashi pulled his fingers out and pressed against him. Iruka's eyes flashed open, and he tugged urgently
on Kakashi's hair until he looked up at him. "Don't be too rough to start with," he said quickly. "I don't like it to-"

"I know," Kakashi smiled. He kissed him softly, admiring how nice his hair looked spread over the pillow beneath him. Iruka's expression was so earnest he
couldn't help but kiss him again. "I have absolutely no intention of hurting you," he assured him. "Unless you ask me to." Iruka's eyes widened, his mouth
dropping open in surprise. Then he laughed and Kakashi ducked down to taste his smile.

Iruka wrapped his arms tightly around him, pulling him close so he could duck his head into the crook of his shoulder. Kakashi pushed in and he clung to him
for dear life. It was a strain, as he'd known it would be, but it felt so good he was hard pressed to remember why urging him to move faster would be a bad
thing. He was almost being too gentle. He told himself that he'd be grateful later that Kakashi was starting as slowly as he'd asked. Right now he wished he had
kept his big mouth shut. Kakashi slid an arm under his hips, lifting him just a little, and then he was all the way in. Iruka shuddered, choking out his name in a
stutter that was every bit as pathetic sounding as he had feared it would be. Kakashi couldn't have minded because he groaned his name into his ear in a
hoarse voice that told him exactly how good it felt for him. But he didn't move. He stayed right there, buried and throbbing inside him. Iruka found himself
kissing Kakashi's neck, his shoulder, everything he could reach, and pulling on his back as he rocked his own hips. Finally he whimpered in frustration right
into his ear. "Damn it, Kakashi, move...!"

"Quit hiding your face from me and I will," Kakashi shot back, feeling every bit as frustrated as Iruka sounded. Did Iruka think it was easy to wait him out when
he was writhing against him like that? Iruka's head dropped back against the pillow. He took one look at the man's pouting lips and broke into a grin. Iruka
couldn't possibly look that annoyed with him if he were hurt. If anything, he looked like he wanted to do a little hurting himself. "Are you done hiding?"

"I wasn't hiding," Iruka snapped. He had been, of course, but it was very rude of Kakashi to call him on it. "If you don't move, right now, I'm going to flip you on
your back and take over."

"I think you're bluffing," Kakashi drawled. His throat was so tight that his voice came out shaky and hoarse, but the taunt got the reaction he expected. Iruka
quirked an eyebrow at him, his lips turning down even further. Kakashi gave in, ducking down to kiss him senseless as he finally started to move. At least his
intention had been to ravage him. As Iruka's tongue thrust into his mouth and a strong hand caught his hair, holding him in place, he wasn't sure who was
ravaging whom. Oddly enough, he didn't care. He even decided he'd give Iruka a chance to flip them over and have a ride later, since he was so eager to
prove himself. It would be hours before he let him sleep.

.-.

Sai was ambushed the moment he stepped out the front door. He had been afraid that might happen. Nothing was going according to plan and it was all
Naruto's fault. He seemed to have a driving instinct to stick his nose into the business of everyone around him. If he hadn't been a wild card, he might have
made a fine recorder for the Order.

"Where do you think you're going?" Naruto asked, his arms folded over his chest. They had been in charge of watching the front of the house, and Kyuubi had
noticed the moment the boy headed for the front door. Naruto had already decided he didn't like the guy, so it was only natural to distrust him as well.

"The team here is going to the airport now," Sai told him. "Uchiha is due the day after tomorrow, so they have to be long gone before he gets here. I'm going to
see them off." Naruto's eyes widened, and he nodded politely to him before continuing down the walk.

Whether Naruto had the good sense to pass that warning along to Sasuke or not, it was the closest he could come to direct interference. He had warned his
director that Kakashi was on to them, but the man refused to budge. His mission was to report the changes the wild cards had on their predictions, and to
protect them from Uchiha if he showed any interest in them when he arrived. He wasn't to do anything else. There was no such thing as controlling the future
where Uchiha was involved. Even if he did directly interfere to get Sasuke out of the house now, it wouldn't guarantee that their predictions came true. Naruto
had already begun to change things.

Sai had never questioned an order before. But he had never been in direct contact with wild cards before, either. Except Uchiha, of course. Although he wasn't
officially considered a wild card, he had as much influence on mutants and events as any of the wild cards did. The only difference was that they had insight
into his actions via Sasuke. Without the sharingan activated, he was as readable as any human. He was their access to Uchiha. Their only access. He would
remind Tiedoll of that before the team left. Tiedoll had more influence on the director than he did, and he would know his opinion wasn't based on his personal
involvement in the case. He certainly wouldn't accuse him of being intimidated by Hatake Kakashi.

.-.

PART 41

.-.

FEEDBACK

FANFICTION INDEX