Okay. So, sometimes I don't have any say in what I write. Once in a while, I have to just drop everything I'm working on, and start something completely new. Different fandom, or characters I haven't worked with for a while, or original stuff, whatever. This is one of those times. I tried working on several things that were requested, I also tried working on something original, but the only thing that my mind wanted to do was write this. It's a little different then what I usually do, but this idea wouldn't leave me alone. I'm also trying a newish Kakashi (for me at least). O.O Nervous. Enjoy.

Part 1: Mission Qualifications

Kakashi read over the report a second time, his one visible eye narrowing as the details sunk in. He slowly rolled his gaze up and over the top of the mission scroll and fixed a cold hard stare at the Fire Nation's fifth Hokage.

"Are you kidding?" he asked softly. "This is some kind of joke, right?"

Tsunade rested her chin in her hand and tapped manicured fingernails on the polished wood of her desk. She shook her head slowly and sighed.

"I wish it were, but it's not. We really have no choice, their deaths were complete accidents. No one saw it coming."

Kakashi let out a breath and tossed the scroll on the desktop. He then moved to sit in the chair across from the Hokage and rubbed his eyelid with his pointer finger. If Tsunade was irked at his informality, she said nothing.

"So… okay, let me run this by you out loud so you can hear how outrageous it is." Kakashi slouched and lifted his left leg to rest the ankle on his right knee. "You're sending two people—two men—over a thousand miles away into enemy territory, to pose as sex exhibitionists."

Tsunade stared at him deadpan for a moment before she nodded.

Kakashi cocked his head to the side. "Are you drunk?"

He instantly wished he hadn't said that. The Hokage was on her feet, teeth bared and snarling at him from across the desk. Kakashi lost his air of bored annoyance as he was fairly sure that the desk was the only thing keeping him alive at the moment. However, he kept his cool for the most part and stayed in his seat.

"There's nothing else I can do!" Tsunade roared. "These two were highly trained, highest ranking ninja, with clearances you couldn't even begin to touch!" The blonde stopped then, taking a breath and slowly returning to her seat. Kakashi sat quietly, waiting as Tsunade smoothed her hair and righted the empty coffee mug she had tipped over in her angry outburst.

"These two were the best," she continued. "They had connections to almost every major organized crime syndicate from here to the goddamned moon! No one knows they're dead yet, and if we move quickly, no one ever will! If we can get undercover replacements to where they need to be for their next three shows, that buys enough time to find permanent ones."

She eyed him with her most serious, most terrifying glare. "We can'tlet this chance slip by."

"So… why are you assigning me, again?" Kakashi drawled, unaffected by her heartfelt speech.

"You're perfect for this mission." Tsunade flipped open a folder on the desk and pulled back a few pages stapled to the inside. "The dominant in the duo is described as 'tall, pale-skinned, and wears an eye patch over his left eye'." The blonde's brow wrinkled and her long eyelashes danced as she scanned the report. "Sadistic, specializes in body manipulation and pain play. Favorite punishment for his submissive is sensory deprivation."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"It was the sadist part that drew my attention," Tsunade muttered.

Kakashi rubbed at his forehead. He understood what she was saying. He also understood the importance and the severity of this situation. He wasn't opposed to the idea. In fact, a little voice in the back of his head—one that he was a little ashamed of actually—was nagging that it might actually be kind of interesting. But there was one glaring problem about this whole thing that the Copy Nin could see right off the bat.

"So... what poor bastard is going to be my partner on this… unusual mission?"

Tsunade's eyes closed. She had obviously been having trouble with this part as well, judging by the way her shoulders seemed to suddenly be carrying the weight of a thousand words upon them.

"There are seven ninja in the village that fit the submissive's physical description. Four of those have the… qualifications needed to undertake some of the things they'll have to do."

Kakashi's visible eyebrow rose. "Qualifications?" he was pretty sure he knew what she meant, but the Copy Nin wanted to hear her say it.

Tsunade rested her elbows on her desk and rubbed her forehead tiredly. "Don't ask stupid questions. What do you think the qualifications are?"

"Humor me," Kakashi smirked under the mask.

"Most importantly, they're okay with having sex with another man," she glared at him. "They also need to have passed the psych evaluation and all tests proving that they can handle public humiliation."

"So we don't have any gay ninja in Konoha that are actually exhibitionists?" Kakashi snipped.

Tsunade rolled her eyes and spoke through a clenched jaw. "Not that fit the sub's physical description."

Kakashi looked at the floor, letting all the facts weigh in his head. There were going to be extreme ramifications to undertaking a mission like this, and what was worse, if he happened to actually know the guy that ended up being his partner, they would probably never be able to work together again.

As if she knew what he was thinking, Tsunade interrupted his thoughts. "I know this is going to be very, very awkward for you, and for whoever ends up joining you." Kakashi gave her a look, that said 'no shit' but she continued. "In light of that, I've spoken to the counsel, and we have come to a decision. When you two return, you will have the option of having your memory erased."

"Eh?" Kakashi asked, surprised.

"I know, I know." Tsunade waved a hand dismissively. "We've made an exception to the Yamanaka's forbidden mind alteration jutsu. I argued that you and whoever goes with you will be more affective if you both know this will be forgotten when it's over. I did not give the specifics of the mission, so when everything is done, if you two decide to have your memory of the mission erased, only I will know what really happened."

Kakashi blinked slowly and then turned to stare out the window. He scratched at the back of his head and rolled everything around in his brain. That changed everything: A mission with absolutely no consequences. Sort of. He wouldn't remember what went down, and more importantly, his partner wouldn't remember anything. There wouldn't be any awkward moments in the mission room when they returned, and his sometimes ferocious sexual habits would remain a secret.

He turned his attention back to Tsunade, smiling enough to let his one visible eye crinkle.

"You gonna let me know who the candidates are for my partner?"

"NO!"

The Copy Nin held up his hands. "Okay okay, just thought I'd ask. I like surprises sometimes."

Tsunade stood, gathering the mission scroll and assortment of folders that went with it. "So I should be taking that as a yes?"

Kakashi held up his hands. "I don't really have a choice, do I?"

Tsunade shrugged. "Technically you do. I could send Genma in your place, but he's on a mission right now and not due back for several weeks."

"So, in other words, I don't really have a choice."

Tsunade tucked the paperwork underneath her arm and grabbed the empty coffee cup from the desk.

"Correct."

That night, a heavy mist saturated the air as Kakashi made his way over the rooftops. He was packed, heading toward the eastern gate, and not a little excited to see who the Hokage had assigned as his partner. The moon shone brightly over the tops of the trees as the Copy Nin swooped down to the packed earth of Konoha's main street. He surveyed the area, but saw no one. Strange, since he was almost half an hour late to the rendezvous.

He took a few silent steps forward. The large city gates stood open a few feet to let in returning ninja. The sentry, a young chuunin with short red hair, sat in the box ignoring him, his face in a book.

What the hell? Kakashi thought. Did he chicken out at the last minute?

The Copy Nin relaxed when he felt the barest touch of chakra signature. It was warm and pleasant, friendly, but a little hesitant. Kakashi was used to that though; almost everyone (except Naruto and Sakura of course) was hesitant around him most of the time.

"Kakashi-san?" a soft voice said behind him.

No way…

Kakashi had to use a significant amount of restraint to not spin around dragging his jaw through the dirt. There, standing in front of him, was none other than Umino Iruka, Konoha's number one sensei, and lover of all things proper and good. This hadto be a joke. Any moment now, Tsunade and Gai, or freaking Raidou or Shykakyu were going to pop out of nowhere and yell "Just kidding! Oh my god, you should have seen the look on your face!" But as Kakashi stared, nothing happened except Iruka seemed to get a little antsy and his cheeks started to darken.

"I um," Iruka began softly, "I know this is weird, and I'm probably not the best choice for this mission, but I promise to do my best even though I'm not a super jounin."

Kakashi blinked. This was kind of good, but kind of bad in a way too. Iruka wasn't a jounin, yes, but that didn't mean he wasn't a formidable ninja. He was highly skilled, patient, smart, and he followed orders extremely well. Besides being super bad-ass, it was pretty much everything that Kakashi liked in a mission partner.

On the other hand, Iruka was extremely cute! The Copy Ninja didn't have a problem admitting to himself that he might have just the tiniest of crushes on the academy sensei. But really, who didn't? For this mission, however, that was not good! And damnit, Iruka was funny and goddamn nice!This was not a mission for someone like him! Iruka deserved to get missions that were all about rescuing children or world peace or saving kittens from evil trees! Not going to some far off country with eccentric Copy Ninja Kakashi and posing as a sexual deviant!

A thought struck Kakashi just then and his brain started to hurt from the epiphany that it caused.

If Iruka was here, that meant that he qualified…

"Yo," Kakashi put up a hand in greeting. "Sorry I spaced out. You're definitely not on the list of people I thought could be meeting me here, sensei."

Iruka nodded, his gaze lowering to the ground.

Kakashi continued, thinking he had maybe said something wrong with the way Iruka's shoulders seemed to sag.

"It's not a bad thing. And I meant that not like I didn't think you were good enough. I meant it like I didn't think you'd be so inclined-"

"I know what you meant, Kakashi-san," Iruka looked up again and met his eyes. Kakashi relaxed when he saw a small smile pulling at the corners of the younger man's mouth.

"It means a lot that you feel that way. Thank you."

So polite!Kakashi nodded. "Think nothing of it, sensei. Everyone knows you're a good guy. This mission isn't going to make me think any differently."

Iruka's smile widened and he nodded as well. "Well good, let's get going then."

Kakashi turned and readied himself for a leap into the trees.

They traveled for most of the night, the next morning, rested in the late afternoon the next day, and continued moving well into the evening. Kakashi was reminded again of what a great teammate Iruka was as they moved through the trees. He obviously was tired, but the man never complained or asked to stop for extra breaks. He followed Kakashi's pace and kept his attention focused on their surroundings.

When they made camp for the night, Iruka sat down in front of the fire beside Kakashi. He let his back rest against the large fallen log behind them and pulled out a package wrapped in brown paper. The smell of spices and dried meat hit Kakashi's nostrils and his mouth started to water. Inside Iruka's bundle were several thick strips of jerky. The younger man took one for himself and offered the bundle to Kakashi.

"Thanks," the Copy Nin watched as Iruka carefully rewrapped the package and put it back in his pack. When he bit into the snack, his taste buds exploded, sending his saliva glands into frenzy. "Wow, this is good," he said around the mouthful.

Iruka smiled as he chewed. "It's from Choji. I don't go on missions very often, so when I do he always makes me something."

"Jeez." Kakashi murmured, tearing into another bite. "Must be nice."

Iruka nodded. "It is."

Kakashi had expected the silences between them to be awkward, but he was surprised and pleased to find that they were not. Iruka was the same as he had been back when he had been a part of Kakashi's team. The sensei seemed always at ease and extremely content just sitting, watching the firelight. He was calm and collected, respectful, and helpful when it came time for duties—for example when they made camp. Iruka was still sweet and thoughtful, even now when they were on their way to fulfill a mission that should have had the teacher moody and anxious. The younger man's attitude delighted Kakashi. The Copy Nin found he had a new respect for the academy sensei even greater than the one he had previously held.

"You're pretty cool, Iruka-sensei," Kakashi murmured.

The look Iruka gave him then was worth more than anything the teacher could have said in response. The man's face turned a delicious shade of cherry tomato and he rubbed at the scar across his nose in a way that was strangely charming.

"I uh… w-what?" Iruka stammered. "We're just sitting here, how… why do you say that?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Well, we're headed toward this crazy mission and you're no different than normal. You're still calm and nice and sharing your yummy Akimichi treats with me. It's just cool."

Iruka smiled and wrapped his arms around one of his knees. "It's not that big a deal."

Kakashi leaned back against the log, cocking his head to the side. "Yes it is..."

Iruka made a noise, but didn't argue. Kakashi sat for a few minutes, watching Iruka watch the fire. He thought about what Tsunade had said, and before he could stop himself, he was speaking what was on his mind.

"Iruka-sensei, can I ask you something?"

Iruka didn't look at him, but he nodded.

Kakashi cleared his throat gently. "Tsunade-baba told me what the qualifications for this mission were… and now you're here… so should I assume that you're, uh…"

Iruka turned to him then and Kakashi was expecting a glare. He was surprised again however when the academy teacher smirked at him and rested fully against the log. He let his head fall back and closed his eyes.

"I'm not gay, if that's what you're asking."

"Ah." Kakashi frowned as his confusion grew. "So… uh…"

Iruka smiled and explained. "I've gone on other missions where I had to be with a man. I don't mind it that much. It's actually been pretty good a couple of times. But I still think I prefer girls, so I think I'm bi... Yeah, probably bi."

Kakashi nodded. "Oh, okay, that makes sense."

"And I guess I look just like the guy that died," Iruka continued, "he had a scar over his nose too." The sensei shifted against the log. "When Tsunade-san called me to her office, she told me that I was her first choice in looks, but even though I qualified on the psych tests, I didn't score the highest."

Kakashi sat up. "But they ended up sending you anyway? How's that?"

"I volunteered."

"You what!" Kakashi's head almost exploded.

Iruka cracked an eye open and made a face at Kakashi. "Don't be weird. I did it because I saw the list of all the potentials. I thought it would save some time."

Kakashi scratched at his cloth-covered chin. Iruka's admission had sent him reeling, but that didn't overshadow the fact that the Copy Nin knew the sensei wasn't telling him the whole truth.

"I guess that sounds good on paper," Kakashi said softly, "But why did you really volunteer?"

Iruka opened his eyes slowly. He sighed and sat up, folding his legs and resting his elbows on his knees. He sat quietly for so long that Kakashi started to think he wasn't going to answer. But then the younger man let out a breath and started to absently pluck the grass by his foot.

"That list I mentioned before? It was sitting on her desk when I came in. I don't think she meant for me to see it, but she seemed a little stressed. There were five names on it, including mine, and when I saw them…" He stopped there and his face looked pained. Kakashi sat absolutely still, not wishing to break the spell and take Iruka out of this sharing mood.

"My friend, Izumo, he's a chunnin, I don't know if you know him." At this he looked up and Kakashi shook his head. "Well, anyway, he's a really good friend, has been for a long time. His name was three or four down on the list. He's pretty unshakable. He's strong, cool, he can take a lot and be just fine. He's gay, and his partner and him are pretty rough, so I can see how he'd look good if you're just looking at his file. But…"

Here, Iruka paused, running a hand over his mouth. When he continued, his voice was low. "Zumo was… taken advantage of when he was younger, some jounin on a mission to Rain or something. He can't bottom. He gets sick just thinking about it."

Kakashi nodded slowly. "I see…"

The Copy Nin knew there was more by the way Iruka was looking away, watching the grass, carefully avoiding eye contact. Kakashi sat quietly, knowing that Iruka would tell him if he wanted to.

Finally, the young sensei sighed. "The uh… the main reason I volunteered though was Shikamaru."

Kakashi's head felt like it might explode again. "Shikamaru? Nara Shikamaru?"

Iruka nodded. "He's so smart he runs circles around those stupid psych tests. I have no idea if he really is inclined or not but, he has the same physical profile as me, and he's only a little shorter so…" He growled softly and put his cheek in his hand. "I wish he'd take stuff seriously sometimes."

Kakashi put a hand out before he really thought about what he was doing, and gripped Iruka's shoulder gently. "You know he's a ninja of Konoha, sensei. You can't protect him from everything forever."

"Oh, I know that," Iruka looked at him then. His eyes were sad. "I understand that completely. But there's just some things… there was no reason to make Shikamaru do this. I have experience. I'm older. I have a real damn scar on my face. I'm not fourteen and innocent and courting a cute girl from Suna."

"You don't know that he's innocent—"

"He's fourteen, Kakashi-san."

There was that teacher's voice. It was rough and absolute and Kakashi kind of liked it. Even if he didn't completely agree with the sensei, he could understand where Iruka was coming from.

"So, you volunteered for the mission to save your friend and former student."

Iruka looked away again. "I know they're ninja and they've given their lives to serving the greater good of Konoha… but I just couldn't sit back and let it happen, not if I had a way to stop it. I know it was stupid."

Kakashi felt a tug in his chest, and words from long ago echoed in the back of his head.

"It's absolutely not stupid, Iruka-sensei," he said quietly.

Iruka slowly turned to him but he said nothing.

"I think it was brave and selfless. Izumo is lucky to have you for a friend. Not to mention Shikamaru."

Iruka watched him for a few moments, breathing softly, his eyes searching Kakashi's face. When he spoke, it was achingly sweet and it warmed some very cold parts of Kakashi's body.

"Thank you…"

The two lapsed back into silence. An immeasurable amount of time passed as the two nin watched the fire and dozed comfortably. When Kakashi moved to add more kindling to the dying flame, Iruka stretched slowly and stood. He slipped his hands in his pockets and smiled down at Kakashi.

"I'm gonna turn in. You wore me out with your twelve hours of running without a break."

Kakashi chuckled, so he had wanted to stop after all? Well, good on him for not actually asking.

"See you in the morning, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka nodded and turned towards his bedroll. Kakashi watched as he stretched out, lying with his back to the Copy Nin, his head resting on his arm. It was a long time before Kakashi retired to his own bedroll, and when he did, he heard Iruka speak to him in the softest of voices over the crackle of the fire.

"Kakashi-san?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

There were a few long moments of silence before Iruka continued.

"It's really great to be on your team again…"

Kakashi didn't know what to say. It wasn't very often that someone spoke so highly of him without an agenda. Iruka's comment was sincere, heartfelt and completely innocent. It touched Kakashi deep down where no one had been able to reach in a lot time. When the Copy Nin was finally able to think up words for a response, he had to get them past the lump that had suddenly grown in his throat.

"Stop being so cool, Iruka-sensei."

"Oh my god, don't say anything," Iruka made a pained face. "Just count to three and do it."

Kakashi tried not to laugh and scooted a little closer to the younger man. "It won't hurt that bad, it's only a little prick and we're done. Look, it's just a baby senbon."

"It has nothing to do with it hurting or not!" Iruka made a noise that was an amusing combination between a whine and a laugh. "It's the fact that it's right there! There in that spot! I can't handle it!"

The two nins were seated cross legged on the grass facing each other. Kakashi held a small needle in his hand, and Iruka sat shirtless only inches away. The academy teacher was at the moment shielding his chest with his tanned arms, and trying desperately not to break out into peals of laughter as he had a moment ago when Kakashi had moved in close to his skin.

This time Kakashi did laugh. "You're being a baby."

"But it tickles!" Iruka yelped. The sensei's cheeks were crimson, but he was smiling.

"How bout I knock you out and I'll do it to you while you're unconscious." Innuendo be damned, thatsounded like a fantastic idea.

"No!" Iruka took a few deep breaths and removed his arms. "Okay, okay. I can do this."

Kakashi bit his lips beneath his mask and leaned in, trying to ignore how pretty Iruka's nipples were after they had sterilized them with alcohol and a cotton pad. The skin around them was flushed pink and the small buds stood out, hard in the cool evening breeze.

"Okay," Kakashi snickered. "On three… One… Two-"

"-Gah! Just do it!-"

"-three!"

Iruka made a high-pitched whining noise, but did a fairly good job keeping still while Kakashi pushed the needle through his left nipple. "Oh shit! It does hurt!" the younger man cried between trying to hold down his laughter and not thrash out of the Copy Nin's hold.

When the small silver barbell was in place, Iruka fell back laughing until tears ran down his cheeks. Kakashi couldn't hold it in anymore, the sight of a full-grown man in hysterics over being tickled did him in. He cracked up right along with the young sensei.

"Oh my god," Kakashi said when he caught his breath. "What are we gonna do when we have to do nipple play!"

Iruka grinned up at him from the grass and shook his head. "I have no idea."

Kakashi sighed, returning the grin so his eye crinkled merrily. "I had no idea you were so ticklish, sensei."

Iruka shrugged. "Sorry."

"It's not a bad thing," Kakashi waved his hand. "Actually it's kind of cute."

Iruka rolled his eyes. "Thanks, I guess." He pointed to his pack. "Hand me the salve in the front pocket, Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi complied, pulling the small container from the pouch and handing it to the younger nin. He chuckled as Iruka opened it and dipped his fingers into the clear gel.

"Pink, sensei?"

Iruka rolled his eyes again. "I got it from Sakura."

Kakashi cocked his head to the side. "Because you don't go on missions often?"

"Correct," Iruka nodded as he applied the salve to his now swollen nipple. Kakashi licked his lips and had to turn away. The sight was just a little too tempting.

"This is embarrassing," Iruka chuckled quietly. "I'm glad you won't remember it."

Kakashi snorted. "Yeah, I'll just have to enjoy it while I can." He held up the needle and flipped it dexterously through his fingers.

"Ready for the other one?"

He was going to have to do it sooner or later. They were about to eat, so now was as good a time as any. It was going to be weird, and he was going to stare, but surprisingly, Kakashi found himself not that anxious about it.

As Iruka pulled his rations bag from his pack and pulled the string to open it, Kakashi slowly lifted his hand and pushed the hitai-ate up so it sat properly on his forehead. He then hooked his fingers over the edge of his mask and pulled the fabric down, exposing his mouth, his chin, all the way down his throat. He sat on the fallen log across from Iruka and rested an elbow on his knee. He opened his own rations pack and shuffled through the contents. When all sound had ceased from Iruka's direction, Kakashi figured it was because the sensei was staring.

He was wrong. When the Copy Nin looked up, Iruka was turned away, staring wide-eyed into the tree line. He was holding the top of his pack, his knuckles white in a death grip.

Kakashi had to grin. Umino Iruka: always polite.

"You're gonna have to look eventually, sensei," Kakashi drawled.

"I…" Iruka's eyes studied the forest like it held all the answers to every mystery in the universe. "I know… I just… I was about to… and then you… and I thought you'd be handsome, but you're—you're… and now I can't eat, and now I won't be able to sleep, and-"

Kakashi snickered. He threw a piece of dried fruit in his mouth and smiled wide. The pull on his cheeks felt strange without the thick fabric cover.

Iruka tried to swallow, but it seemed his muscles didn't want to cooperate.

"Stop laughing at me," the sensei pouted. "It's not funny."

Kakashi tossed a piece of dried apple at Iruka's head. "Oh, sensei, you're wrong. It's reallyfunny."

Iruka, having caught the apple slice, flung it back at Kakashi, not looking to see if it hit. The Copy Nin dodged the hurling fruit and stood. He waltzed across the camp with a lazy gait that camouflaged his natural alertness. He sat down next to Iruka and the teacher whirled around, effectively placing his back to Kakashi.

"Iruka-sensei," Kakashi sing-songed, "you do know that eventually we're going to have to have sex with each other, right? If this little face thing is going to send you into fits of embarrassment, we're going to have a problem."

Iruka growled over his shoulder and the jounin was pleased to see the younger man's cheeks were a dark shade of lobster.

"You didn't give me any time to prepare at all! One minute it's normal, and the next it's WOA, Kakashi-san's FACE! What the hell are you trying to do? Kill me?"

Kakashi snickered. "But, Iruka-sensei, I thought you'd just do like everyone else and stare for a while, and then try and jump me in my sleep later."

Kakashi moved to peek around Iruka's shoulder. The chuunin sensed him coming and turned the opposite way. When Kakashi hopped off the log and moved forward again, Iruka turned around. The Copy Nin expected this however, and jumped back to his original spot. He sat grinning, face to face with the academy sensei, who now had his eyes squeezed shut and his arms folded tightly across his chest.

"So what was that about how you thought I was going to be handsome? Did I disappoint you, sensei?"

"No!" Iruka cried. His eyes snapped open, but his gaze dropped immediately. "I… That's not what I meant."

Kakashi leaned forward. "What did you mean?"

Iruka eyes slowly trailed up over Kakashi's flack vest, paused for a moment at the older man's collar, and then finally settled on the jounin's face. He blinked once, twice, taking a quick breath and letting it out slowly.

"I meant," Iruka said softly, his face still burning. "I thought that you were going to be handsome, more the rugged type like Asuma-sensei, or Shikaku-san. But you're not."

Kakashi was charmed by the young sensei. He knew it was dangerous, but death by cute didn't seem like such a bad thing.

"So?" Kakashi quirked an eyebrow, "now that you've stomped all over my manly pride, what am I, sensei?"

The teacher tilted his head and a soft smile played across his lips.

"You're cute, Kakashi-san," Iruka whispered. "You're really cute."

"Stop moving!" Iruka laughed. "Now you have dye on your forehead!"

Kakashi whined and squirmed beneath the teacher's gloved hands. "See, Iruka-sensei, when someone says 'don't move' that's like a magic 'go' phrase for all your skin to start itching like crazy." It was true, the hair dye was making his scalp burn, and his grey eye was watering from the potent ammonia fumes. "Why can't I just jutsu my hair black?"

Iruka poured more of the foul-smelling goop into Kakashi's hair and ran his fingers through the sopping strands. His hands were gentle as he worked. Kakashi fought the urge to pout a little if only to see Iruka's reaction.

"You know appearance jutsus don't hold well during sex, Kakashi-san," Iruka said quietly, his voice taking on the soothing timber of one explaining something to a child. "Wouldn't do well for our cover if your hair suddenly poofed silver during a show, now would it?"

Kakashi smiled despite himself. "I'm pretty sure the crowd isn't going to be fixated on my hair. Besides doesn't one of the outfits have me wearing some leather head thing or something?"

Iruka chuckled under his breath and stepped back. He set the bottle down, pulled off one of the plastic gloves, and handed it to the Copy Nin. "I wasn't talking about the hair on your head, Kakashi-san." He smiled and moved away to wash his hands in the nearby stream. "Have fun."

Kakashi sat watching the academy sensei walk away, the muscles in his ass and thighs rolling and stretching so nicely underneath his uniform pants. The Copy Nin was mesmerized for a moment, but only for as long as the teacher was in sight. When the younger man disappeared down the hill, Kakashi blinked and glanced down at the bottle Iruka had left him and the glove in his hand. Realization swept over him and he groaned.

"Ah man… This sucks."

"I should have just shaved it all off," Kakashi grumbled. He sat leaning against a stump, once again peeking underneath the waistband of his pants to eye the dark curls that had been silver just the day before.

Iruka glanced up from the scroll he was reading and looked at the older nin. "Why? Does it itch or something?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Naw, it's just weird."

Iruka chuckled and went back to the scroll. "Well, I think the black looks good on you."

Kakashi looked up and released the top of his pants. "Thanks…" he murmured softly, not a little flattered. He watched Iruka chew his lip as he read whatever he was reading. During the last few days, Kakashi had found himself feeling like Iruka's opinion mattered more than most. It was strange because even after having known Iruka for a long time, even having been on the same team, they had never been that close.

The Copy Nin had chalked it up to just being a minor side-effect to the mission. The atmosphere had been quite intimate since they had left. However, that did not make the feeling any less bizarre.

"Hm," Iruka murmured, putting his thumbnail between his teeth.

"What?" Kakashi asked.

Iruka shrugged. "The relationship between the two ninja we're impersonating. It's just interesting."

Kakashi nodded. "It's not very standard. Most of the time doms don't give their subs so much freedom. But then again, they probably didn't have a real dominant submissive relationship behind the scenes."

Iruka was quiet for a moment before he spoke again. "It says here that in the accident, Endo threw himself onto Haru trying to shield him from the worst of the explosion." The teacher's eyes were sad as he read. "They were found a few hours later. Haru had dragged Endo's body to a nearby shinobi shelter… He died with Endo in his arms…"

Kakashi was quiet, watching Iruka's expression. Unlike the elite ninja of Konoha, who trained themselves to be impartial, Iruka felt things very deeply. He connected with people he barely knew on a very personal level. It was dangerous, but Iruka took that part of himself that some would call a weakness, and used it to his advantage. There was no doubt in the Copy Nin's mind that Iruka was stronger because of his unwillingness to let that particular part of himself go.

"They must have loved each other very much," Iruka said softly.

Kakashi stretched out his legs, letting his sandaled toes knock against Iruka's. The teacher looked up at him, his dark eyes clouded with pain and regret.

"I'm sure they did…" Kakashi answered.

Iruka sat for a moment, studying Kakashi. Then he blinked and returned his gaze to the scroll. His shoulders sagged a little as he continued to read.

"We'll be there tomorrow," the teacher said softly.

Kakashi picked at a piece of moss he had pulled from the stump. "Yeah…"

The lines around Iruka's eyes deepened, as if he needed to squint to see the fine print on the scroll. Kakashi could tell he was tense, and it wasn't really that far of a stretch to guess what about.

"What's on your mind, sensei?" Kakashi asked gently.

Iruka closed his eyes and rolled his neck and shoulders. He put the scroll away in his pack and leaned back against the heavy canvas.

"I don't really know how to prepare for this," he sighed. "Can you? Is it even possible?"

Kakashi let out a breath and looked up at the night sky. He had been hoping for one more easy night with the sensei, but no doubt Iruka was starting to get nervous. What awaited them was a lot of unpleasantness. Iruka had read the scrolls. He knew.

"I'll be honest with you, sensei," Kakashi murmured. "It's gonna be rough. The lifestyle is tricky and if you're not into it, or you've never experienced it before…" he shook his head. "I'll go over some basics with you when we get to the hotel. I'll try and help you prepare, but…"

Iruka shifted, sitting up and moving closer.

"Are you into it, Kakashi-san?" he asked. "I mean, is this what you like?"

Kakashi looked at him. The teacher's eyes were wide and curious, not disgusted or afraid like the Copy Nin had expected.

"It used to be," Kakashi said softly, "when I was younger. I felt like my life was out of control. Sex was the one area where I could do what I wanted. Or, more importantly, I could make other people do what I wanted."

The Copy Nin ripped another bit of moss from the stump and twisted it between his fingers. "After a while though, I noticed that what I was doing wasn't healthy. I wasn't respecting my partners. I was just hurting them, letting my frustrations out on these people I didn't even know."

Iruka's brow furrowed in thought. "I'm confused. Isn't that what they want? To be hurt?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Domination and submission isn't about the pain or the punishment, or even the sex. It's about creating a connection. A dominant creates a scenario where the submissive can let go and give themselves completely over. The dominant responds by what the submissive does or how he reacts. The submissive controls the scene. He has the ability to keep it going, to pause it, or to end it completely. The dominant just makes it happen. It's the ultimate form of trust, the ultimate… release."

Iruka was staring at him wide eyed when Kakashi finished. The teacher's hands were clenched so tightly, his knuckles were white. He swallowed and opened his mouth to say something, closed it, and then opened it again.

"It sounds…" he stopped again, cleared his throat. "It sounds very complicated."

Kakashi nodded. "It may sound that way, but only from the outside."

Iruka sat for a long time staring at the small fire, perfectly still. His eyes far away and clouded with thought. Eventually, he moved to his bedroll. He didn't say a word. He lay on his side, watching the fire with no indication that he was ever going to sleep.

Kakashi watched him until his one free eyelid felt heavy, then moved to his own bedroll and fell asleep. He dreamed of tanned skin wrapped in leather, a sweet and supple mouth gagged, and hands that could be either deadly or gentle bound behind a writhing back.

They reached the country of Konshu around the time the sun set the next day. Kakashi located the safe house easily, having been in the area once before. Inside the small quarters, were two duffle bags. One was filled with civilian clothes, jewelry, shoes, and all manner of hair products and makeup. The other was filled with things pertaining to the job: leather straps, buckles, crops, dildos, and other assorted toys and paraphernalia. Iruka opened the second bag first and lowered himself to the floor to examine each device individually.

"Wow…" the sensei breathed. "What is this for?"

Kakashi turned to see the younger man holding a complex leather buckle system. The Copy Nin smirked. "That holds your arms behind your back."

Iruka looked at the piece again. "Seems really intricate for something that could be done with handcuffs."

Kakashi chuckled and moved close. "Arms, not hands. This piece holds the entire length of your arms so that they're straight behind your back. It forces your shoulders back, and presses your chest out. It's very pretty."

Iruka inspected the piece one more time before he placed it back in the duffle. He rifled through the rest of the bag, making small noises of surprise when something in particular shocked him.

"This isn't what I think it is, is it?" he asked warily, pointing into the bag.

Kakashi rested his chin in his hand. "It's a butt plug."

"Gross…"

Kakashi couldn't help but smile. "If that's where you start to get squeamish, sensei, you're gonna blow our cover."

Iruka looked up, surprised. "Uh, no. That's not how I meant it. I… I've used…" he stopped and cleared his throat. "I've used them before. I was just thinking how it's kind of nasty that it belonged to someone else… and now I gotta… you know."

Kakashi felt like giggling. "Everything's been sanitized you know."

"Yeah," Iruka murmured, "but still…"

The Copy Nin smacked Iruka on the shoulder and stood. "Well! Time to change. You want to wear the t-shirt that says Eat Me, or the black one with the nipples cut out?"

As darkness settled over the city, the lights in the lower district flashed red. All manner of people emerged from the shadows, coming up from the underbelly to push whatever vices they had. Drugs, gambling, sex, whatever was taboo in the daytime, flourished here in the night.

As whores, thieves, pickpockets and pimps strolled the streets, looking for potential clients—or victims as the case may be, two men strode down the path together. One was tall and lithe, with wild black hair and an eye patch over his left eye. He was cool and composed, possibly dangerous behind that mischievous smile. He moved through the streets, holding up his partner, a slightly younger man with long brown hair and a beautiful face, save for the scar across the bridge of his nose. The shorter one laughed and clung to the taller. The smell of liquor was strong as he passed. He stumbled and almost fell, but the taller man held him steady. They were both pierced, clothed in leather and chains, and each carried a large, black duffle bag.

When they entered the unmarked building at the end of West Street, no one had to guess what they were there for. It was obvious. They were the performers that were scheduled to do a show for the bigwig's meeting later that night. There had been whispers, talk of them coming sometime this month, and now, here they were.

When the tall one signed the ledger inside, the man behind the counter smiled a greasy smile and offered to have someone come down and take their bags. They refused. When the brunette chuckled drunkenly and whispered something into the taller one's ear, the man behind the counter scratched his rolled chin and asked how much for an hour with the scarred one.

The man with the eye patch took the man's head, and slammed his face into the counter.

The two guests were given a wide birth as they headed upstairs. A few housekeepers ran to assist the desk clerk but they found that the only thing broken, besides the man's nose, was his pride.

"Does this really look okay?" Iruka asked in a small voice.

Kakashi had to hold himself back. Did he look okay? Yes. Iruka looked okay. He looked fucking amazing. The teacher stood looking at himself in the full length mirror. He was decked out in black leather laced with white, silk cord. Barefoot, with his hair down, and thick, black eyeliner, he looked like a futuristic version of a wild jungle savage. He looked like he should be running through the trees, hunting tigers. Cyborg tigers.

And as if that wasn't enough, the rings through Iruka's nipples pushed at the thin material across his chest, outlining them both in perfect and obscene detail. Kakashi loved piercings, and piercings that could be seen through the clothes were even better.

The pants were a plus as well. Iruka wore a white leather thong underneath what was basically a belt with leggings attached. Pretty much all of the sensei's ass, upper thighs, and deliciously toned hips were bare.

"It looks pretty good to me," was all Kakashi was willing to let himself say.

Iruka turned around and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yours isn't as complicated as mine. It's not fair."

Kakashi grinned, it was true. He was wearing a simple ensemble of leather pants and belt, a harness with pyramid studs, and black cuffs that matched the harness and belt.

"I'm not the one who needs to look pretty."

Iruka scoffed. "I'm not pretty. I look like an ax murderer."

Kakashi shrugged. "At least you're a sexy ax murder… You ready for the last part?"

Iruka stiffened, but quickly forced his shoulders to relax. "Uh…not really, but I don't have much of a choice."

"Can you do it?" Kakashi moved closer.

Iruka's face reddened and he looked away. "Yeah, I think so."

Kakashi held up the cock ring. "This one's set to keep you hard until I, and only I, release it. When my chakra signature breaks the seal, it will stimulate your prostate, causing immediate ejaculation."

Iruka nodded, his eyes still turned away, focused on the wall behind Kakashi.

The Copy Nin moved closer, speaking softly and gently. "I don't have to tell you that this is going to hurt a little. It's also going to be really strange and extremely uncomfortable to ejaculate when your body's probably not—"

"It'll be fine." Iruka looked at him then.

Kakashi blinked slowly. "You sure?"

Iruka nodded. "Yes. I've come under duress before. It's not a new experience."

His curiosity sparked, but holding his tongue on the questions he wanted to ask, Kakashi came closer and ran his fingers over the front of Iruka's thong. He slowly turned his hand and palmed an erection already hard and straining against the leather.

Kakashi looked up to find Iruka still watching him. The blush was gone, and something hot, maybe even a little seductive, burned in the younger man's eyes. He made no sound as Kakashi stroked him. He merely parted his lips and leaned closer, his hands moving to steady himself on the shelf behind him.

Kakashi was mesmerized. Not only was Iruka sweet, but he was sexy. This was turning out to be better than he had originally hoped. Now, he only had to worry about Iruka's reaction and how well he would hold up after everything was said and done.

"You feel like you're ready now?" Kakashi asked.

Iruka licked his bottom lip, an action that had Kakashi's own cock throbbing. The younger man's eyes hooded as his breath came a little faster.

"Yes…" he whispered.

Kakashi pushed the leather of the thong aside and slipped the cock ring over Iruka's shaft and clipped it in place. He sent a pulse of chakra through the small piece of metal and he felt the seal lock. Iruka gasped, and he arched slightly. Kakashi took the teacher's chin gently in his hand and met the younger man's eyes.

"You okay?" he asked.

Iruka panted against his skin, his limbs trembled slightly, but that fire was not gone from his eyes.

"I'm…" Iruka finally breathed. "I'm okay… It… it feels kind of… kind of good."

Kakashi's cock twitched again as he pulled the thong back into place. "Good. You ready to go then… Haru?"

Iruka nodded. "Yes… Endo. Let's go."

TBC