Pick Up The Pieces

Confrontation

If anything, The Underground lived up to its name. New age and dance music blasted through the club from invisible sources, while the stench of sweat and dirt clung to the air with strong fingers. The place was damp and earthy, while skimpily-dressed neko women trailed through, offering their 'services' to an array of customers who scanned them up and down with predatory grins. If the location wasn't enough to deter wanderers, then the contents inside would. Both Kotetsu and Iruka looked terribly out of place, staring dumbfounded at the scene before them.

'Remind me again why we came here?!' Kotetsu nudged Iruka and strained to be heard over the thumping bass.

'Naruto wanted to go out, and he invited us. I didn't think he'd be into this stuff!' Iruka yelled back, keeping his eyes on the young blonde.

'He's sixteen! He shouldn't even be here!'

'He's the Hokage! I'm pretty certain that he can't get away with this if he wants!'

'That's one way to take liabilities!'

'What?!'

'I said-'

'I can't hear you!'

'Never mind!'

Even though his head was already beginning to throb with pain, he entered the scummy club and eased himself into a dark corner of the room. Even though the music was deafening, it was a tiny iota quieter here, where he and Iruka breathed a sigh of relief and shook their heads at one another.

'Look!' Iruka pointed to the opposite corner.

'Kakashi's here!'

'Where?!'

'Past the...!' Iruka swallowed, a terrible blush reddening his already warm cheeks. 'Past the couple that are...umm..."acquainting themselves" with each other!'

Kotetsu followed the direction of Iruka's finger. Lo and behold, the starry-haired joūnin was sitting in the corner of the bar, his eye lazily scanning over the crowd and back down to his bottle of sake.

'Should we join him?!' Kotetsu asked, huddling closer to the smaller chūnin in a light form of protection. Iruka was being jostled in almost every direction by sweating bodies and horny men, and he looked like he was about to pass out. The brunette nodded quickly and the two pushed passed the gyrating and dancing bodies around them until they broke through to the other side. Oddly, the music was just a muffled background noise now.

Kakashi's eye turned up in a crescent as he smiled at them through his mask.

'Hello Iruka. I didn't expect you to be here.' Kakashi said pleasantly, offering them a seat at the bar with him.

'Nor you Kotetsu. How are you faring?'

'Uh...fine Kakashi.' Kotetsu stammered, butterflies in his stomach. Why was it that he made him feel so childlike? Kakashi was a pleasant person to talk to, but something about him made Kotetsu feel like he was back in the academy, despite the fluffy-haired one only being a few years older.

'Why is it so quiet over here, Kakashi?' Iruka said, equally as puzzled by the dim noise. 'You've casted something?'

'Perceptive as ever, Iruka-San, aren't you?' Kakashi chuckled and held up three fingers to the barkeep.

'Though I'm surprised to see you two in a place like this. What are you doing?'

'Naruto wanted to have a break, and he came here.' Iruka said sheepishly. He was terribly embarrassed to even utter the words, as if they would curse him.