Mission Objective

midnight: geeze, i got this done faster than Kakashi could say "Sex Please!" sadly he was denied in this chapter, but more juicy stuff is comming next.

Disclaimer: Don't own, Don't sue!!


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Mission Objective: Failure

One Umino Iruka was not pleased to come home empty handed again. Seeing as he had no choice, he was met at the gates of Konoha and was escorted in due to the fact that the previously missing ninja named Itachi was with them. Itachi at this point was their only lead. Kiba had been insistant that he speak with the other ninja and find out where their blonde haired friend was.

Upon arrival in the large office of the Hokage, Captain Umino Iruka was very dissapointed in himself.

"So, he had left only hours before your arrival, correct?" Tsunade had said grimly. Did she have to rub it in like that? I mean for pete's sake could she be more considerate? Who is pete by the way?

"Yes ma'am. Itachi said that that was when Naruto had left again. I wonder, if he knew we were coming." Iruka couldn't help but think Naruto was either tipped off or could sense the others comming. Never the less, the fact still remains that no one knows where he had gone off to, nor are they sure what he's planning. They needed to speak to him quickly, before anything unreversable happens. Like the issuing of the status of missing nin. Iruka couldn't bear it if Naruto was to be killed on sight.

Iruka was unaware that the Hokage and Itachi were having a conversation, he was too wrapped up in the events that had happened just yesterday. Did he really have to kill them all? Surely there was someone there against their will, right?

"Captain." Kiba whispered to his superior and leader. Iruka turned his head slightly to affirm that he was paying attention. "Do you think Naruto knows? Ya know, that he can still come back whenever without punishment?"

The older brunett thought about it, did Naruto know, was that the reason why he left without a goodbye? Was that the reason why he hung out with the wrong sort of people just to get an answer that his own friends knew? They needed to tell him who the murderer really was.

"No, I don't think so, either that or he's afraid we won't allow him to leave again." was Iruka's answer.

- - - -

By the end of the meeting, it was decided that Itachi was to stay with Iruka and Kakashi until his meeting with the council. Iruka sighed heavely and reached for the hand that would help the blind ex-ninja navigate his way through the early morning people traffic. They met few stares - more glares though - as they walked to the housing district of Konoha. Iruka tried to take the less populated streets to avoid confrontation. That is, if people even recognized who the tratorous murderer was. Itachi was borderline malnurished, that Iruka gathered, due to his blindness, he couldn't see the plate of food that was in the middle of his last prison. Of all things, Iruka seen that second to Itachi's face.

The morning sun was just peaking it's big bright head around the Hokage mountain when they finally reached the apartment that Iruka and Kakashi shared. It had been no romantic idea, but the cost of living closer to the tower was a higher price. Since they were for the same objective but took missions at different times, it was perfect. Iruka was practically living with himself had it not been for the rareity of Kakashi's presence, whether sleeping, eating or studying scrolls, Iruka still had a sense of non-alienation. It had only been two years since he gave up his position as teacher at the academy and trained with... god had it only been two years? It seemed longer than that. With his training and studying to become a Jounin Iruka had lost track of time when he finally became what he was aiming to be. An ANBU skilled Jounin.

A long time ago it seemed, he had wished that he was stronger, only everyday he had seen how his students had advanced beyond what everyone thought that he couldn't accomplish. Year after strenuous year he would see how, even Naruto would become stronger and stronger. Seeing, and knowing what that boy was capable of, he knew that he had a chance. He wanted to prove that he was worth something more than just an academy level chuunin. He'd known ninja's who were just content in being chuunin's and nothing higher. They never trained or practiced longer than two hours a day, hell probably within a week. No, Umino-sensei needed to know that he could be able to acccomplish things that seemed out of reach, he needed to test himself in the most grueling and punishible way possible. Just to see if he could cut it. And he did. Only a few months ago did he reach Anbu-hood, and just a few hours after his assention did he receive his first assasination mission. That had to be the hardest test he had ever done.

Coming out of his reviere, Iruka dimly noticed that they were only a few doors away from his apartment. Sighing again he fished for his key in his shirt that was tied to a peice of leather and hung from his neck. (Only a chain necklace would make noise and would give him away, a leather cord was just the thing.) He slid the key home and turned the metal device a quarter turn to the right, half turn to the left and three quarters way right again. It was a pretty useless locking device, considering any skilled ninja could get in with a simple unlocking jutsu. But this useless locking device was more elaborate. The turns were like signals to an exploding tag above the door frame that made the tag redundant.

"Kinda useless don't you think? I've only just unlocked it." Iruka turned to see Kakashi leaning against the wall.

"Then why didn't you enter? I think that's kinda useless." Iruka had only recently gotten over his mad blushing around the silver-haired god. It made it easier to have conversations without having to blush all the time.

"I seen you two coming." was his simple answer. Whether he intended it or not, it sent both homecomming ninja's on edge. Iruka brushed off the other as he guided the scrawny, half broken man inside. The guiding ninja sat down his captive at the table. He stood back to take a good look at the younger man. He realized that there were tatoos hidden underneath his torn shirt, other than that he still looked like a beat up rag doll.

"So what do you want first? Bath or food?" Iruka asked, standing infront of the blind man. Kakashi strolled from the foyer to the kitchen, grabbed a cup of cold water and strolled back into the dinning room. To say that Kakashi was curious as to why they were harboring a criminal in their apartment. Well, that was Captain Umino's bit, not his.

Itachi took in a huge breath, realeased the air and shook his head. Like his younger brother, he wore a smirk that would make even trained Anbu captains feel like they were kids under the Uchiha's scrutinizing gaze. The smrik turned into a full smile though, then he gave his answer "Bath." monosylibic to the very end.

- - -

He was bathed and fed under Iruka's careful guardianship. The tenderness he had harbored in his younger years were still there, coming back full force when there was an ex-student to look after.

Iruka had helped him into the bath and proceeded to help detangle what what left of the black strands. Itachi, too weak to bathe himself, allowed the mother-like Iruka to scrub him from head to toe, ridding himself of all the dirt and decay. A second bath rinsed away the dirt that clung to the mangled body from the first bath. Fresh, hot bath water hit Itachi and soothed all his malnurished muscles and sore joints. After finally being rinsed and dried, the Anbu Captain took his charges ratted locks and snipped off the ends, untangling what he could. Itachi had ended up with shoulder length hair as opposite to his near rear-end length of dreds.

Taking a seat again at the table where Kakashi had yet to remove himself from, glass of water still infront of him, Itachi awaited his promised meal. Iruka took to the pots. He whipped up a simple cream of wheat and dry toast that would not upset Itachi's stomach, an omlete that he was once famous for, ramen and cheese, for Kakashi and a bowl of cold cereal for himself. They ate in silence. Itachi internally struggled not to eat too much, but the level of goodness Iruka had made his cereal was perfect. A little sugar and honey to get the carbs back into him, and the toast was a seven grain that he had had when he was younger, living with his parents. You could only get it here in Konoha.

Feeling full and content, Itachi was lead to Iruka's bed room where he would sleep peacefully. Not having to be interrupted by Naruto's questionings and beatings.

"Are you sure you don't want to sleep with me 'Ruka? I won't molest you or anything." Kakashi said with a mischevious gleem in his eyes. They had only spent a couple of nights naked under the covers and the perverted Jounin still thinks he's able to get some. Chuckling slightly to himself, Iruka grabbed the extra blanket and a pillow off Kakashi's bed and walked out to the living room.

"I'm fine on the couch Kakashi. Besides," he dropped the blanket and pillow and sauntered up to Kakashi, "you my not molest me but I can't promise that I won't take full advantage of that." He gave Kakashi a heated kiss, "so I'll just sleep out here."

Kakashi felt slightly put out but nodded and took a couple of scrolls he had been studying and put them on the table where he studied quietly, gazing up on occasion to look at his transformed dolphin, silently wondering if this beautiful man laying on the couch was even his anymore.

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midnight: pheew, that was fullfilling. Next chappie will have the promised lemons and cursing, I'm just focused now on my finals... math is a b*i*t*c*h*.

Iruka: well you could have asked for my help.

Kakashi: would you really help her after she made you what you are now?

Iruka: *covers his ears* NO! It's not happening, it's not real, itsnotrealitsnotreal.

midnight: poor 'Ruka-chan, I still love you.