A/n: With the end of the manga I've been going back and rewatching Naruto again, reminding me how much I freaking love this fandom. So I'm reworking this story, including updating it to make it more canon compliant as when I first started the fic much of Kakashi's backstory was unknown. Some things will change as my views on the characters have also shifted. I don't know how much yet as I've just started the revision.
Title: A Birthday Present
Author: Jade_Dragoness aka JD
Summary: Naruto needs help finding a present for Iruka-sensei and he enlists Sakura and Sasuke to help him.
Pairing: Kakashi/Iruka; hints of Sasuke/Naruto
Chapter 1 - Naruto Asks for Help [revised]
"Come on guys," Naruto whined piteously to his two teammates. Team 7 was once again waiting for the arrival of the arrival of their teacher, the jonin Kakashi Hatake. He was already over three hours late.
Having yet to grown wise to his tactics, the team had been waiting the entire time.
"I need your help!"
Sasuke rolled his coal-black eyes and gave Naruto a mild glare. "You haven't told us what you need help for, dobe."
Naruto snarled loudly at the insult but managed to bite back a scathing retort. He hated to admit it, but he really needed that bastard's help.
Sakura gave Sasuke a starry-eyed glance before shooting Naruto a doubting look. She said, "It would help us if we knew what you needed help with." Her green eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. She hissed, "Because if it's for some stupid prank…." The menancing aura which radiated off the kunoichi was impressive considering her young age.
"No, no," Naruto said at once, shaking his head in frantic denial and making his blond hair flare out. "It isn't like that at all. I swear!"
"Then what is it?" Sakura asked impatiently, tapping her foot.
"Umm," Naruto said as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, grinning hopefully at his team. "I need help finding a present for Iruka-sensei. It'll be his birthday in just three days on May 26th."
Both Sakura and Sasuke gave Naruto two very surprised wide-eyed looks.
"I didn't even know you knew the date of Iruka-sensei's birthday," Sakura said startled. Then her eyes began to gleam with a typical girl's fervent joy of shopping. Both Sasuke and Naruto exchanged frightened looks and backed away from the pink haired girl. They didn't even noticed how they got closer to each other as if ready to jump to the other's protection.
"Scary," Naruto mumbled, his knees knocking together. Sasuke silently nodded in agreement and kept a wary on the maniacally grinning girl. He was used to a certain level of crazy from Sakura but this was a whole new level of disturbing.
"This is perfect!" Sakura cried out, her right clenched in a determined fist. "I haven't been shopping in ages. I'm always too busy training or on missions." She spun around to face them, making both boys jump in shock. "Naruto! Do you know the sort of stuff that Iruka-sensei might like?"
Naruto crossed his hands in front of his chest and tilted his head forward. His face was uncharacteristically serious, his mouth in a deep frown and he closed his bright blue eyes as he thought. He hummed for a few seconds. Then he looked up at Sakura and Sasuke, giving both a huge toothy smile. Naruto said admitted, "I have no idea!"
'What!' Inner Sakura screamed while Outer Sakura looked ready to strangle Naruto.
Sasuke fought back a smile at Sakura's expression and gave a Naruto a cold look. "You're such a loser."
"Hey! Stop calling me that!" Naruto protested. "Why do you think that I'm asking for your help in the first place! If I knew the sort of stuff that an old guy like Iruka-sensei liked then I wouldn't need your help would I?"
Sakura drooped and gave the ground a 'Why-Me?' look.
A cheerful voice hailed them before a one-sided yelling match could erupt between Sasuke and Naruto. One-sided because Sasuke would coldly insult Naruto while Naruto did the actual screaming in return. It could go on for hours, especially when Sakura jumped in to defend Sasuke, unnecessarily. "Hello Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. Is Kakashi-sensei late again?"
All of Team 7 turned to see the object of their discussion standing behind them.
"Aarghh!" Naruto and Sakura screamed as one. Sasuke willed his hand from clamping itself onto his chest in the attempt to calm down his rapidly beating heart. They hadn't even heard Iruka walk up to them.
Iruka gave them an apologetic look, although the amusement dancing in his eyes detracted from its sincerity. "Ah sorry, I didn't mean to scare you guys like that. I thought you heard me walking up to you."
"You shouldn't do that to people!" yelled Naruto. He crossed his fingers behind his back in hope that Iruka hadn't managed to hear what they had been talking about. "You need to make more noise, Iruka-sensei! I just lost ten years of my life!"
Next to him Sakura nodded in silent agreement.
Iruka just looked more amused, an expression which faded as he looked around. "How long have you guys been waiting here?" he asked curiously.
"Over three hours," Sakura answered.
"Forever!" Naruto yelled. His stomach growled loudly. "I'm so hungry." He gave Iruka a pleading look.
"You're always hungry, idiot," Sasuke told the other boy. "Stop trying to get Iruka-sensei to buy you ramen."
Naruto glared back. "Shut up! Bastard!"
Sakura glared at Naruto for insulting Sasuke. Inner Sakura silently agreed with the blond boy that she could use some food. She'd only eaten a piece of toast this morning as part of a diet she was on but by now that toast had long since worn off. She could feel the rumbles in her tummy although they weren't loud enough for the others to hear. Yet.
Iruka gave them another smile, and reached into one of the pockets of his green flak jacket. He pulled out three ration bars and held them out to the three genin. "I know that this isn't much of a substitute for a real meal but I don't think I should be taking you guys anywhere to eat if you were suppose to wait for Kakashi-sensei. Hopefully, this will hold you guys until you can eat something more filling."
Eagerly, Naruto snatched one of the bars from Iruka's hand, barely giving himself time to rip off the wrapper before he wolfed down. Sakura followed closely behind, said thank you and daintily nibbled the bar. Iruka held out the last ration bar to Sasuke, who gave the teacher an evaluating look before reluctantly reaching for it.
Naruto cheerfully chewed the bar, while beaming up at Iruka. This was the sort of small things that Iruka-sensei would do that endeared him to the blond boy. It just made him more determined than before to find a present which would really make the man happy. There just had to be something out there that could do that! He would find it, or his name wasn't Naruto Uzumaki!
"Trying to steal my students back, eh, Iruka-sensei?" called out a voice from above.
At once all the four ninjas turned to look and saw Kakashi looking down upon them from the top of a light pole with one visible eye clearly showing his good mood as it curved.
"Good afternoon, Kakashi-sensei," Iruka said cheerfully, a bright smile on his face.
Sakura turned towards Iruka the tone of his voice catching her attention. There was something very familiar in the way that Iruka-sensei had addressed Kakashi. She nibbled another bite of her ration bar as she tried to figure out what it could be.
"You're late!" Naruto shout up to the jonin.
"Ah. Ah." Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. "I met this gorgeous babe in need of assistance. She was stuck in a tree!"
"Liar!" Naruto screamed, pointing accusingly at Kakashi.
Sakura's hand tightened on her bar as she watched the cheerful smile on Iruka's face drop, and the melancholy look creep into his eyes, even his shoulders slumped a little at Kakashi's mention of a 'babe'. Now she remembered where she had heard that tone of voice before. It was the very same one that she and a bunch of other girls got when ever they were talking to Sasuke. It was that same infatuated voice and 'I Love Just Being Near You' expression that showed up with it.
Her free hand trembled at the realization that Iruka-sensei was completely head-over-heels in love with Kakashi-sensei. Sasuke's eyes flickered in her direction then followed her line of sight to Iruka. A small confused frown tugged at his lips.
Iruka shoved the sadness away and plastered a fake smile as Kakashi jumped down to join them. He silently admired Kakashi's strong body and its graceful twist as he hit the ground feet first. He even loved the way the messy spiked silver hair moved in the light breeze. He shoved his hands into his pockets and began to walk away from the quartet. He called out behind him, "I have some homework to grade. I'll see you guys later. If you guys aren't too exhausted I'll even treat to you ramen tonight."
"Yeah!" Naruto screamed in joy. He raised hand and danced around as if in exuberant triumph of getting Iruka to buy them ramen. The blond completely ignored the fact that Iruka offered it out of his own free will.
"Hey," Kakashi called out to the school teacher. "You can join us if you'd like."
Not willing to turn around Iruka waved a no. "Thanks for the offer but I've been putting off that work to do some chores all weekend. I really need to get it done!"
Kakashi shrugged and turned to face his students. His keen eye noticed the way Sakura was staring after Iruka. He wondered if she was finally shifting her crush from Sasuke onto Iruka, who actually had more of a possibility of responding than Sasuke. At that thought his breath hitched and an uncomfortable feeling settled inside him. He frowned and his gaze flicked back to Iruka's walking figure. The feeling dimmed away. Mentally shrugging at himself, Kakashi gleefully turned to today's torture of Team 7.