Kakashi had been determined to be on time for training today. Or, at least not be more than half an hour late. It wasn't that he was looking forward to it, quite the opposite in fact, but because he didn't want to upset Naruto more than necessary. Because even if the boy had given him and Iruka his blessing, he was still suspicious towards Kakashi and spend a little more time than usual hanging around Iruka, scowling at the Copy-nin if he came too close. His team mates were also acting a little stranger than usual, giving their sensei occasional glances that made him wonder what Izumo had actually told them.

Feeling it was safest not to dig too deep in that, Kakashi had settled for trying to win their favour by butter them up. He had actually considered taking them all to Ichiraku's, but decided that that would be overdoing it a little. So he tried to be on time, and it had worked rather well the last few days. Today, however, the sight that met him as he drew nearer the guard booth by the gates was so unusual that he just had to stop.

Kotetsu was sitting there, an extremely grumpy look on his face and busy digging a hole in the wooden desk with his kunai. He was alone. Puzzled at this strange phenomenon Kakashi walked up to the Chuunin.

"Yo. Where's your wife?"

"What wife?" said Kotetsu, giving him a dark look before turning his concentration back to the hole in the desk.

"That guy you hang out with all the time…Izumo? He's not out pretending to be me again, is he?"

The gate keeper shook his head.

"Mission."

"Without you? I thought you two were joined by the hip."

"Tsunade-sama caught us going through her sake stash," Kotetsu raised his hand with the kunai, "and then she thought it'd be good for us to spend some time apart." He brought it down fiercely, sending pieces of wood flying.

"I see." Kakashi looked closely at the Chuunin. "You must miss him."

"Hmpf. It's quite nice to get rid of his whining," said Kotetsu in a not so convincing voice. "I can manage without him. It's not like we're a couple or anything, like you and Iruka…"

"I guess not," said Kakashi thoughtfully. "Well, I'm late for training. Seeya." And he left the lonely gate keeper to continue his vandalising of the village property.

--

Dusk was falling over Konoha, spreading its greyness over the houses and people, but by no means marking the end of the day. At first glance, the village might seem deserted, but of course, that was not the case. Because what time is better than dusk, when it comes to doing what shinobi do best, namely hide in shadows?

Two people who were not bothering to stick to the shadows on their way through the village were Kakashi and Iruka. They were walking quite openly towards the main gate and the guard booth, where its keeper greeted them with dull surprise.

"You've seemed a bit down lately, so we thought we'd try and cheer you up," said Iruka as an answer to his questioning look.

"We brought sake!" Kakashi smiled and waved a rather large bottle.

"I shouldn't be drinking while I'm on duty," protested Kotetsu half-heartedly as he watched Kakashi pour the clear liquid into three glasses.

"I'll just give you half a glass then."

Kotetsu looked at his small drink.

"I'll just thin it down a bit," he mumbled and took out the battered plastic bottle labelled Mizu no Kuni's Finest Mineral Water, filling up the rest of the glass.

Iruka and Kakashi exchanged an amused look, but said nothing.

"So, how're things going with Naruto?" Kotetsu asked after draining his first cup.

"Pretty good," said Kakashi, filling it again. "He's getting over it. Still calls me Yaoi-sensei, though."

Kotetsu sniggered.

"At least it's better that Ero-sennin."

"So, what have you been up to lately?"

Kakashi and Iruka kept the conversation going, talking about nothing and everything and Kotetsu, who'd been quite grumpy at first, became more and more cheerful as the sake bottle became emptier and emptier.

"Speaking of Motoko-chan," said Iruka as he and Kotetsu were reminiscing about their days at the academy, "She asked me about Izumo the other day, wondered when he'd be back from his mission. Didn't they use to go out together?"

"Only a short while."

"I think she still likes him."

"They should get together again, then," said Kakashi, refilling Kotetsu's glass, "it's about time he got himself a girlfriend."

Kotetsu made an irritated noise and took a gulp of sake.

"It's strange that he doesn't have one, actually," said Iruka thoughtfully. "I mean, he's good looking, kind, fun…" he looked curiously at the gate keeper, who seemed to get more and more annoyed with every word.

"A great guy when he's minding his own business." Kakashi agreed, also observing the development. "He would be quite the catch, actually."

"I know why he doesn't have a girlfriend," Kotetsu declared suddenly, slurring the words a bit. "He's a bad kisser."

"Is he?"

"Yeah, too much tongue… wait a minute!" the gate guard stood up, finally catching on to smug expression on Kakashi and Iruka's faces. "I know what this is!" He looked from the sake bottle to the couple beside it. "This is a Drinker's Decoy!"

"A what?"

"You're meddling!" He pointed accusingly at them.

"In what?" asked Kakashi innocently.

Kotetsu let his arm drop.

"Nothing. There's nothing to meddle in… nothing at all…wasting your time, that's what you're doing…'s only when we're drunk anyway…not that-" his angry mutterings were interrupted by a familiar chakra appearing on the other side of the wall.

Kakashi and Iruka had sensed it too and with a quick look at each other they left the booth, hiding themselves in a tree not far from the one in which the two gate guards had been lurking some weeks ago.

"Hey, wait!" Kotetsu made to stop them, but lost his balance and fell right into the arms of Izumo, who'd just entered through the gates.

"Kotetsu?" he said surprised. "Are you all right?"

"I would be if it weren't those two dickheads," Kotetsu muttered, freeing himself from Izumo's grip.

"Who?"

"Kakashi and Iruka…think they're so fucking smart… I'll show them…that Kakashi thinks he's so fucking cool 'cause he's a fucking Jounin…and Iruka thinks he's so fucking cool 'cause he's fucking a Jounin…"

Izumo looked amused at his best friend, keeping one arm around his waist to prevent him from falling over again.

"What did they do?"

"They pulled a fucking Drinker's Decoy on me!"

"A Drinker's…why did they do that?"

"'Cause they're stupid, fucking dickheads, that's why!"

Izumo looked around them, seeming slightly nervous.

"If they pulled a DD they should still be around here somewhere…"

"Izumo?"

"Yes?"

"Did you miss me while you were gone?"

"D-did I what?" stuttered Izumo, the darkness almost concealing his blush. "Ko, how drunk are you?"

"'bout two bottles…"

Then, without warning, Kotetsu leaned, or rather fell, into Izumo's arms again and kissed him rather violently. Surprised, Izumo answered the kiss, wrapping his other arm around Kotetsu's waist as well. After quite a while they broke apart, gasping for air.

"Izumo?"

"Yes…"

"You're not drunk, are you?"

"…no…"

There was a silence during which Kotetsu appeared to be thinking hard.

"That's good," he stated at last and resumed the kissing with renewed vigour.

"Well, look at that," said Kakashi as he and Iruka watched the couple from their place in the tree. "We didn't even have to lock them up." Grinning, he raised his voice and called: "Hey, Izumo, go easy on the tongue!"

"Kakashi, shut up!" Iruka hissed, clapping one hand over his lover's mouth. "Don't disturb them."

But the two guards didn't seem to have heard. Iruka sighed.

"It looks like you and I'll be guarding the gates tonight."