"...I, of course, take full responsibility. Yuuna-sama is obviously not at all well. Considering the circumstances, I will remove my personal property from the academy as soon as Shizune-san discharges me and present myself to Ibiki for interrogation."

"No."

"..."

"You won't do anything. The political fall-out from this would be a disaster, therefore nothing happened. If nothing happened, there is nothing to resign for and nothing to prosecute. Or anything to speak of. Do I make myself clear."

Silence, then. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Good. You can open your eyes now, brat. I'm leaving."

Footsteps. Kakashi waited until they'd passed out of earshot before opening his eyes. Iruka was standing by the bed, still staring at the door. Apart from being a bit skinnier and more drawn than usual, he seemed fine. Someone had trimmed his impromptu hair cut so it was even on both sides and the result was even sexier than before. Right now though, he looked kind of shell-shocked.

After a moment he seemed to pull himself together, shook his head in what could be disbelief and sat down. Kakashi waved at him. Iruka immediately bounced back to his feet with a concerned smile. "Oh, my apologies, I didn't realise you were awake." He then performed a very obviously rehearsed little bow and said, "Anno, Kakashi-san, I hope I'm not intruding, but I wanted to offer my thanks for all your help during recent events, and to tell you that I understand that any offers were made purely in the spirit of camaraderie and that no expectations remain on my part." He stood there staring at the blanket looking like someone had just handed him ten million ryo and told him he couldn't spend it.

Kakashi decided he wasn't touching that lot with a ten foot pole. He tried to change the subject, discovered his vocal chords had gone on strike and gestured hopefully at the jug next to the bed. Iruka immediately sprang to his aid and, after being helped to sit up and take a few sips water, Kakashi tried again. "How's Naruto?"

Iruka smiled, though Kakashi could tell his heart wasn't it in. "He lost Sasuke out towards the Ame border and Hokage-sama made him come home. He's disappointed though he is declaring to any who will listen that Sasuke is still redeemable and he will absolutely and definitely bring him home next time."

"Hm." Typically Naruto, though maybe he wasn't wrong. Homicidal plots aside, something about Sasuke seemed to have changed. "The kids?"

"All fine, just tired, dehydrated and hungry. Shizune-san says she'll discharge them tomorrow."

"And you?"

"I'm fine also, thank you for asking."

The conversation was stilted and awkward. Iruka had reverted to formality and Kakashi again felt like he was picking his way through a minefield of meanings every time he spoke. It was almost enough to make him wish they were back at Taka's mercy. At least then they'd seemed to communicate.

Maybe he should deal with at least one of the elephants in the room. "Iruka," he said just as Iruka said, "Kakashi-san." In the round of apologies that followed, Kakashi managed to persuade Iruka to go first.

"I'm sorry for asking such a personal question, Kakashi-san, but, was it hard graduating at five years old?"

"I passed the exam," Kakashi shrugged, wondering what Iruka was driving at. "It wasn't a difficult one."

"That's not what I mean. You were so young. To be thrown into an adult world at that age, it must have been hard."

Ah, that was it. "You want to know if it did me some kind of lasting psychological damage."

Iruka blushed and looked down, rubbing at his scar with his fingertips. "I-I suppose so, yes."

"Hmm. Honestly, no. I don't think either graduating or becoming a chuunin early did me any great harm." When Iruka opened his mouth to speak, Kakashi cut him off. "Which is not to say it wasn't problematic. I take it you're worried about your students?"

Iruka nodded. "There's so much pressure on them to graduate as soon as possible."

"Even if they graduated tomorrow, they'd be fine, I promise you."

"How can you say that, they're just children!" And the passion was back. Iruka straightened in his chair and his dark eyes flashed with feeling. Kakashi could only celebrate etiquette's timely departure.

"Because they have something I didn't."

"Pshaw! If you're going to say something about a good teacher-" Iruka was already brushing off what he thought Kakashi was going to say. It was amusing, in an infuriating way.

Kakashi interrupted him. "No. I had excellent instructors, both in the academy and after I graduated. And I certainly couldn't have asked for a better one than Minato-sensei."

Iruka looked mortified. "I didn't mean to imply the Yondaime-"

Kakashi was having none of it. "It wasn't teachers I lacked, it was peers. When I graduated from the academy the closest genin to me in age was Namiashi Raido and he was ten. Most of the others were twelve years old or more. The pre-genin were all scared of me and none of the genin wanted to be seen with a 'baby'. Like I said, your kids will be fine. They have each other."

Iruka was staring at him like he had grown an extra head and his eyes looked a touch shiny. Kakashi regarded him warily, a trifle concerned he might burst into tears there and then. "It wasn't that bad, honestly. Just a bit lonely."

"I never thought," Iruka said, still staring. After a moment, he shook his head, looking away. "It never occurred to me it might be a lack of friends. I thought maybe your father but-"

Kakashi shrugged. "Dad tried to help before... But he was Konoha's White Fang. He was off on missions and when he wasn't he had duties in the village." Afterwards he hadn't even been able to help himself. Kakashi found it easier to remember his father before that final mission. After it, he was less than a ghost of his former self. "And, to be fair, I wasn't an easy kid. I was more interested in learning a new taijutsu move than I was in kicking a ball around. It made me lousy friendship material for the other kids. Except Gai. He did his best but well..."

A smile spread over Iruka's face. "I bet you were cute," he said and leaned forward closer to Kakashi. "I bet you took yourself so seriously."

"Oh hell, yes. Why do you think Tsunade still calls me a brat?" Kakashi smirked, remembering the merry dance he'd led her when they'd all been younger. "She'd baby sit me sometimes if Dad was busy. I remember once-" A vast yawn broke in to what he was about to say. Iruka immediately looked worried.

"You should rest. You've got a lot of healing left to do even with Hokage-sama seeing to you herself."

"She did?" Then a thought occurred to him. "Iruka, what was it she said didn't happen?"

"Um." Iruka averted his eyes and the flush was back. "I don't think I'm allowed to talk about it."

"Not even with me?" Not that it mattered. He'd find out when he made Hokage anyway.

"Not with anyone. Now lie down." Iruka pulled up the covers, holding them clear for Kakashi to get comfortable.

Kakashi was not being swayed so easily. He folded his arms and ignored Iruka's encouraging bedding flaps. "Does that mean you still have the cheating problem hanging over you?" Because if he did, Kakashi wanted to deal with it as soon as possible. Iruka absolutely deserved that promotion.

Iruka's face cleared into a broad smile. "No actually. She decided that my field abilities have been adequately proven so the whole thing's been dropped. I can still teach."

"So the old hag let you off."

"Kakashi-san!" Iruka scolded. "Please try and set an example to others."

Making a point of looking around, Kakashi said, "Not seeing anyone here except us. In fact, you could join me in here if you wanted." He tagged a leer on the end of the comment and patted the bed, just to see Iruka blush. Ah, yes, there it went.

"Kakashi-san!" He sounded scandalised but he looked pleased. Well, embarrassed and pleased.

Kakashi decided to behave. "You get to stay a tokujo?"

"Pff, I don't care about that. It was never the rank I wanted, just the chance to advance on the policy making side."

"Oh, now it's all coming out. You're just a power mad teacher with delusions of grandeur, admit it."

"It's true! You've found my deep and dark secret," Iruka laughed.

They stared at each other, grinning and happy and relaxed. Kakashi couldn't remember a time when he'd felt so comfortable with someone. "Iruka," he began and then the words dried up again, damn it.

This time though, Iruka spoke for him, "I was thinking maybe having dinner together would be fun." The tops of his cheeks coloured just a little, but his eyes were glowing. He was so warm and alive. "I think it only fair to warn you, though," he continued. "I have issues."

Kakashi's lips twitched. "Really?"

"Oh yes. Many, many issues."

"You cheat," Kakashi suggested.

"I do. But only on exams. I never cheat on people."

"That's good." And terrifying. Not cheating meant commitment. Was he ready for commitment?

"And you know half the trick of dealing with issues is admitting you have them in the first place," Iruka continued.

That was an unsubtle hint if ever Kakashi had heard one. Iruka had a damn good point though. If they were going to try for something between them, Kakashi owed him something. Iruka flapped the bedding again and this time Kakashi cooperated, snuggling down under the covers and thinking about what Pakkun had said, and about possibilities and maybe even a future. Iruka fussed with the water jug and the glass for a moment then turned to go. It was now or never.

"I might have a few issues too," Kakashi blurted, wondering if he was about to make a huge mistake. "I'm not good... at letting people close. But I don't want to let that... let him... ruin the rest of my life."

The look Iruka gave him as he walked back to the bedside went beyond understanding. "Then I think these two issue-laden, lonely-hearted men should try and forge something worthwhile," he said.

Kakashi felt something loosen in his chest. Maybe he could have this after all. "You think we can?"

"I do. If we both give it our best shot, I really think we can."