When Sasuke Met Naruto (SasuNaru)

- Chapter 32 -

Kakashi Hatake sat on his sofa Saturday morning, sipping a cup of coffee as he watched the morning news. The previous night had been quiet – not that there was anything wrong with that, of course. He had enjoyed simply staying at home and finishing up the latest novel from Jiraiya. Now that his book was finished, however, the silver-haired man was decidedly bored.

At the same time, though, he was tingling with anticipation. He and Iruka had decided to meet early that morning to go out and spend some time together. It wasn't anything particularly special – just a trip to the park, maybe lunch. Still, Kakashi was looking forward to seeing Iruka again. They had talked a few times since their date earlier that week – if you could even call it a date – but this was the first time they'd actually be together for an extended period of time as a couple.

And it made Kakashi as nervous as hell.

He liked Iruka – really, he did. Their brief kiss earlier that week had brought out feelings in Kakashi that he hadn't felt for some time. But, of course, that left Kakashi somewhat uneasy. He knew he would have to move on from Obito, and he told himself that time and again. No amount of logic could possibly remove that lingering hesitation – only time could heal what remained of that wound.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, causing Kakashi to glance up from the television in surprise. He hadn't been expecting Iruka this early – he wasn't even dressed yet. Deciding his pajama pants would have to do, the silver-haired teacher rose off the sofa, scratching his bare midriff as he approached the door. With a sigh, he threw open the door, only to have his doubt vanish in an instant.

"Good morning, Kakashi!" Iruka said with a bright smile. He looked momentarily concerned when he saw the other man's attire. "I'm sorry! You weren't sleeping, were you?"

Kakashi smiled, chuckling as he scratched his chin. It felt strange, talking to someone without wearing his trademark mask, but he didn't feel self-conscious about it around Iruka. "No, no – you're fine. I was just lounging around a bit. Come on in."

Stepping aside, Kakashi let the brunet inside before shutting the door behind them. They stood awkwardly in the entryway for a moment, neither one knowing quite what to say. "Umm... would you like some coffee?"

"Sure, sounds good," Iruka responded, following the other man into the living room.

"I'll grab you some real quick. Have a seat on the couch and I'll be right in," Kakashi said as he strolled into the kitchen.

It took only a moment for Kakashi to pour Iruka a cup and join him on the couch, where they proceeded to watch the news as they chatted. "So, what's the plan for today? Did you want to go out for lunch after our walk?"

"We'll play it by ear," Iruka said, sipping the coffee. He glanced up suddenly when the television screen turned dark. "Oh? What's this, now?"

A news anchor's voice came through the speakers as the screen showed a rainy scene on the Konoha Bridge. "A tragic story almost took a turn for the worst late last night as a young man by the name of Gaara Subakuno contemplated suicide here at the Konoha Bridge. It's been revealed that, earlier that evening, Gaara suffered a serious trauma as he killed his own father in self-defense. In his despair, Gaara was going to throw himself to his death, but was stopped by a heroic friend named Naruto Uzumaki."

Kakashi's eyes widened as the familiar blond's face appeared onscreen. In the photo, he was standing up at the top of a tower on the bridge alongside Gaara. Before he could say a word about this, however, Iruka suddenly shouted out in a combination of indignation and horror.

"NARUTO?!"

For a moment, Kakashi wasn't sure what surprised him more: the fact that Naruto was on the news, or that Iruka somehow knew who the blond was. He decided to find an answer to the simpler question first. "You know him?"