All for the Sake of Pleasure

Chapter 28

Kakashi fell back against the couch's cushions as he raked a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. He was not accustomed to this kind of heat. In fact, he hated warm weather. Everyone thought he was just so pale that he could not tan. Kakashi was perfectly capable of tanning; he just chose not to sit out in the sun like those crazed idiots who actually enjoyed the heat. What no one realized was that, if it was warm enough that other people were out tanning, Kakashi was happily ensconced indoors, preferably underground or somewhere else where it was cold. Only Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura knew of his hatred of the summer months, and that was only because they had to deal with his griping and grumbling over the years.
For the past few days, he had tried his best to ignore the rising temperature. He had somehow forced himself to continue training despite the heat. Today, however, was thoroughly disgusting. Even though the sun had set hours ago, it had not helped lessen the oppressive heat. With a quick glance to the clock, Kakashi corrected his thoughts. Yesterday was revoltingly warm.
It was too hot to sleep, so he had spent the past several hours meditating. A year ago, meditation was just another way to train his body and mind. It was a way to go through theoretical battles, to strategize and prepare himself for future attacks. Now, however, meditation was the only way to escape his emotions.
It was the only way to have a moment of peace.
Rubbing his aching head, the jounin leaned forwards with his elbows on his knees. It had been nine horrendous days since he had last spoken to Iruka – if their harsh words could even be considered speaking. Nine days of desperately missing Iruka and Saki as he worked himself to the point of exhaustion just so that he could sleep through the night.
With a sigh, Kakashi turned to look at the seemingly innocuous envelope that never left his side. When he trained, it was safely hidden in his jacket, pressed against his heart. While he slept, it held a place of honor underneath his pillow. Even when he meditated, it sat next to him. It was always within reach, just in case he wanted to see its contents.
Slowly, Kakashi moved to pick the envelope up. As he did so many times over the past nine days, he turned it over and studied the only thing between him and the proof that Saki was not his son – a seal that Kakashi had yet to muster the courage to break.
No matter how much that envelope haunted him, Kakashi had not been able to open it. Despite knowing that Iruka would take his actions – or lack thereof – as evidence of Saki's parentage, Kakashi couldn't do it. He couldn't look at the words that told him Saki was not his. As impossible as it may be, a small part of Kakashi desperately clung to the flicker of hope that he was wrong, that that beautiful little boy was somehow his.
Perhaps one day, he would have the courage to look at the test results. One day, he could truthfully stand before Saki and tell the boy that they had no connection other than emotional ties. Eventually, he may have the strength to tell Saki that, from the moment he met him, Kakashi had loved him. He would tell him that, had things been different, he would have happily been a part of his life. Sometime in the future, he may even be able to tell Sakumo that he was desperately in love with his father and that his love for Iruka would never lessen, no matter how much time went by or the pain Iruka caused him. But he could not imagine doing so now. Not while his wounds were still so raw.
Despite his reservations, Kakashi still unconsciously fingered the loosened edge of the sealed envelope. He had not begun opening the packet, so he could only assume that Iruka had had the same conflicting emotions concerning these results. Was Iruka as torn as he was when he had held these pages in his hands? Had he thought about what the results would mean when he started to open the envelope? Had he wondered what it would be like to sit Saki down one day and discuss their odd relationship? Had he thought about telling his son who Sakumo was named after and why?
Those thoughts brought a saddened smile to the jounin's face.
He could only hope that Saki would one day respect the man he had been named for – and not listen to the rumors surrounding the White Fang. Perhaps someday, he could tell Saki what his own father had been like before he had been so dishonored that his only option was suicide.
Sighing, Kakashi moved to stand as he folded the envelope and placed it inside his loose-fitting shirt. Patting his chest right above his heart and listening to the now-familiar crinkle of paper, Kakashi wished, not for the first time and certainly not for the last, that things had turned out differently between him and Iruka. What was worst of all was that he knew, if he had another chance, he would be the one on his knees, begging for Iruka to take him back. Iruka had already apologized for his lies and secrets...and in his heart, Kakashi had accepted the apology. He did not hate Iruka; he no longer even felt a flicker of anger. All he wanted was to pull Iruka into his arms and feel his brunet's comforting, loving embrace. His ears ached to hear those three words he had been too hurt to appreciate when Iruka had said them for the first, and only, time.
I love you.
With one last brush of his hands through his hair, Kakashi walked towards the kitchen to make himself a much-needed pot of coffee. It was not the first sleepless night he had dealt with, but this would certainly be one of the worst. Dealing with the Sabaku family was never an easy thing and a lack of sleep would certainly make his life worse.
Before he even made it into the kitchen, Kakashi sensed a change in the atmosphere. Even before he felt the tingle of a chakra other than his own, he knew he was no longer alone. Whipping around, Kakashi already was grabbing for a weapon, but froze when he saw who had popped into his apartment without so much as a warning.
Even before those painfully familiar features registered in his mind, Kakashi found his arms filled with his brunet. He had dreamt about the warmth of his lover ever since their relationship had crumbled. He had fantasized about the feel of those muscular, yet tender arms around his neck, clinging to him in need. Had it not been for the heart-wrenching differences from his delusions, Kakashi would have thought he was hallucinating once again.
But not in a single one of his dream did Iruka clutch him, sobbing hysterically. Never did he envision his lover's strength sapped by some invisible force, leaving Iruka weak and trembling. He never considered the feel of hot tears stinging his bare neck as Iruka pressed his face against Kakashi's chest. Worst of all, he had never envisioned what his own response would be to encounter such a situation.
It was as though all the warmth in his body dissipated, leaving Kakashi frozen as Iruka's sobs sent stabs of horrifying terror through him. If it was not for the fact he had nothing in his stomach, Kakashi might have even thrown up from the pain and nausea that hit him. He had dealt with some of the most frightening circumstances any shinobi could imagine without so much as a flicker of fear. Missing nin, demons and every other form of evil he had dedicated his life to fight against – they were nothing in comparison to one brunet chuunin who could not bring himself to harm a fly. The worst evils in the world were child's play compared to Iruka's tears and the sickening realization of what could have caused such a reaction in the brunet.
Saki was not in Iruka's arms.
Iruka clung to his lover, not caring that Kakashi must think he was crazy. Popping into Kakashi's apartment without warning was bad enough – having learned from Sasuke's mistake several weeks ago – but to come in tears without explaining himself was another thing entirely. He would have explained himself if he could, but he could not form a single word. All he could do was tighten his arms around Kakashi's neck.
Kakashi had made his position clear – he wanted nothing to do with them, yet Iruka instinctively went to him, no matter how poorly their relationship ended. But none of that went through Iruka's mind in those moments between discovering Saki was missing and transporting himself to Kakashi's apartment.
Under different circumstances, Iruka would have reveled in the warmth and strength of Kakashi's arms around him. He would have inhaled his lover's scent and etched to memory the feel of the jounin's muscular frame pressed against his own. Most of all, if things were different, he would have frozen the moment he had transported himself into Kakashi's apartment. He would have been stunned to find the jounin here and not in Suna, where he leaving for a week ago.
But Iruka was too terrified to care about the reason behind Kakashi's presence. All that mattered was that the jounin was here now, and no matter how Kakashi felt about him at the moment, Iruka knew that the Copy Ninja would do anything in his power to bring Saki home safely.
Despite the fear that made his hands shake uncontrollably, Kakashi somehow found the strength to slowly pull Iruka off of him. The brunet, for a brief moment, refused to let go, clinging to him as though Kakashi was the only thing keeping him upright. The moment Kakashi got his lover to release his death-grip from around his neck, Iruka sagged as though all his strength was stripped from him. If it was not for the jounin's quick reflexes, his trembling lover would have fallen to the floor.
Never in his life was Kakashi so glad he could move faster than the eye could see. Kakashi's heart skipped a beat as he cradled Iruka gingerly against his chest for a brief moment. Thoughts whirled through his head as he moved to lay his Iruka down on the couch. Was he injured? Why would he be so weak that he could not stand on his own? Where was Saki? What could have possibly happened to make Iruka so pale and obviously distraught?
Instinct kicked in as Kakashi knelt down next to the couch and cupped Iruka's pale face in his hands, forcing his lover to look at him, though Iruka's dulled eyes refused to meet his. Tenderly, Kakashi brushed his thumbs against Iruka's cheeks, wiping away the streaks of tears that only returned moments later as Iruka continued to cry.
"Iruka..." Kakashi whispered, not trusting his own voice to speak any louder. With a gentleness he did not know he possessed, the jounin pressed his lips against Iruka's forehead. Even his lover's skin felt cold, and it was obvious Iruka was terrified of something Kakashi could not bring himself to even think of if he wanted to keep his desperate grip on his sanity.
"What happened, Iruka?" he asked softly, his lips still touching Iruka's chilled forehead. So close to his lover, Kakashi could not only hear, but feel Iruka's ragged gasps for air. He could taste Iruka's fear as though it was his own, leaving him swallowing heavily as he forced himself to speak. "What is it? Why did you come here?"
"S-Sa-Saki..." Iruka whimpered, his voice unrecognizable to Kakashi's ears. Gone was the warm, confident tone of his lover, replaced by a quivering, broken sound that the jounin would never have associated with the teacher. Iruka was strong, compassionate, and above all else, powerful. It was not the same kind of power most shinobi respected. It was not physical strength or mastery of chakra or jutsu. It was not the ability to calculate and strategize battles in a split second. No, Iruka's strength was something else entirely. It was the ability to come to terms with his emotions instead of burying them like so many other shinobi. If Iruka had been anyone else, he would have been able to be calm and collected in such an important moment like this. No matter how much he was hurting, a different shinobi would have been able to swallow it for the sake of the mission. But Iruka ignored all the rules of the shinobi world as a new batch of tears slid down his cheeks and his eyes finally focused on Kakashi. He did not listen to the unspoken law of hiding his fears as he let out a sob that Kakashi just barely understood for what it was.
"S-Saki's gone."
Those two simple words made Kakashi's entire world to come to a screeching halt. For a split second, Kakashi wondered if he had somehow misheard Iruka's wail. It would have been easy – Iruka's words were little more than a cry of pain. But deep in his heart, Kakashi knew he had not misunderstood those painful syllables. The cold shiver that went down his back, causing his hair to rise and his fingers to tremble, told him he had heard correctly.
Gone. Saki was gone. Had it not been for the fact he was already kneeling, Kakashi would have fallen to the floor at those words. There was only one implication that those terrifying words had in the jounin's mind, and he let out a pained cry at the thought. Gone had many meanings, but it was obvious Iruka did not mean his son was gone for a short while. Saki was not simply visiting his uncles or doing something similarly harmless. No – this was a gone that left his father sobbing hysterically, clinging to Kakashi as though he was the only thing left in the world the brunet trusted.
The only possible meaning Kakashi could come up with sent his head spinning. There was only one kind of gone that could make Iruka act like this; only one sort of gone could make Kakashi's heart thump painfully as terror tore at him relentlessly. It was the type of gone that caused the unfamiliar burn of tears to fill Kakashi's natural eye as he searched Iruka's face for some kind of indication he had misheard his lover. But only one meaning of gone could make a once heartless jounin, for the first time in his life, not care that he was crying in front of someone. The only kind of gone that Kakashi could think of was the one that he had never thought could be possible.
Permanently gone.
"W-What?" Kakashi could not manage anything else as he bowed his head, his breath coming out in pained gasps. It couldn't be. Saki was just a baby; he still had an entire life to live. He still had years left – years to learn how to talk and walk. Under Iruka's guidance, he would become compassionate, selfless, and one of the greatest shinobi of his generation. Kakashi had thought of Saki's future quite often, but he had never considered the possibility that that bright life could be extinguished prematurely. Why would he? Saki was healthy. He was protected by not only Iruka, but a number of Konoha's most powerful shinobi. Naruto and Sasuke would never allow any harm to befall their nephew. Kakashi had never worried about Saki's wellbeing for that reason, but he had grossly miscalculated somewhere. How else could he explain Iruka's terrifying admission?
Iruka was shocked by the raw pain in Kakashi's voice. It was a tone he had never imagined coming from the controlled jounin. Blinking a few times to clear his eyes, the brunet let out a soft cry when he saw the twin streaks running down Kakashi's bare face. The pain of losing Saki to kidnappers only intensified as he saw proof of how much his son meant to Kakashi. How could he be so careless? How could he be so irresponsible?
Kakashi would hate him if he knew Iruka had been mere feet away when his son had been taken. Iruka bit his lower lip as he forced himself to breathe deeply so that he could speak. After several calming breaths that did nothing to ease his terror, Iruka swallowed heavily.
"S-Saki was...he was kidnapped," Iruka admitted quietly as he studied Kakashi's face for his reaction. And the flicker of emotion that momentarily filled Kakashi's watery eyes was one Iruka had never imagined the jounin could feel at a time like this.
Pure, unrestrained joy.
Saki was kidnapped. He wasn't dead! That beautiful, healthy, loving little boy was still alive! It was a thought that very nearly made Kakashi smile giddily. Instead, as tears of relief filled his eyes, his thoughts flew at a speed that would have given a lesser man a headache. Kidnapped meant Saki was being held for ransom. But why would someone take the baby? Iruka was not rich, nor was he a shinobi who made enemies. So what could someone possibly gain by stealing Saki?
It took no more than a glance to Iruka for the painful realization to hit. No one would have kidnapped Saki to hurt Iruka. He was loved by everyone in the village. He had no enemies, much less ones strong enough to sneak his son out of his well-guarded apartment without alerting Iruka. Saki's nursery was better protected than the Hokage's Tower. It was entirely possible – and more than likely – that someone that powerful would have done such a terrible thing to get to Kakashi.
It was as though he had been hit squarely in the stomach, forcing the air from his lungs. In that moment, Kakashi regretted ever getting to know Iruka and Saki. This was the very reason he pushed everyone away. He kept even his friends at a distance. But he had gone against his instincts and let Iruka and Saki in. He had let down his guard for the two compassionate brunets. And someone had found his weakness – and was now using his lapse in self-preservation to shred Kakashi's life and heart to bits.
Iruka saw the glint of horror hit Kakashi. For a brief moment, the brunet could not help but wonder what was going through the jounin's head. He started to understand when he saw the calculating, cold hatred in Kakashi's eyes quickly replace every other emotion. And, in that moment, as Iruka's heart sped up and he felt a flicker of unreasonable fear towards Kakashi, the brunet knew that this was the man that terrified even the hardest of missing nin.
"I'll kill them," Kakashi growled as he moved to stand, his hands already going towards his kunai pouch. If he had to, he would rip the kidnappers' throats open with his bare hands, but a blade was always a good addition to his arsenal. Much better to pin the bastards to the wall with and slowly torture them for daring to touch a curled hair on Saki's beautiful little head.
The hatred burning in his chest was enough to momentarily banish any fear Kakashi had towards Saki's wellbeing. Smart kidnappers did not dare harm their victims – or else they would lose their leverage. Whatever these bastards wanted with him, they knew better than to do anything to Saki or else they would be slaughtered by the jounin. What they apparently didn't think of was that Kakashi was more than happy to bloody his hands for the pain and suffering they had caused him and Iruka, not to mention the fear Saki must be feeling.
"P-Please, Kakashi," Iruka stammered as the jounin's icy gaze focused on him. This was not the man who laughed easily or was the most passionate, caring partner Iruka had ever had, nor was it the man who loved Saki with every fiber of his being and was not afraid to show it. Terrified by the unfamiliar eyes that now studied him without emotion, Iruka swallowed heavily. Somewhere under his fear, Iruka knew that this side of Kakashi was not directed at him. Perhaps when Saki was back in his arms, Kakashi might apologize for frightening Iruka so easily with his unnerving switch in personality. But this was not the time for hurt feelings. Now was the time for revenge, and Iruka could not help but feel a twinge of pity for the people who had dared to kidnap Saki. And the realization that Kakashi would do anything in his power to bring Saki back unharmed alleviated a great deal of Iruka's fear.
XXX
"Boss, no scent..." Kakashi barely registered Bull's broken phrases as he ran his fingers along the white painted wood of the baby's crib. His heightened senses told him what his pack had also determined. There was no discernable scent of a stranger, which was what he had been expecting from someone powerful enough to break into Iruka's apartment and steal the baby right from under his nose.
What he had not been expecting was that there was no trace of the kidnappers. No lingering chakra, no thread or hair for the ninken to find. There was nothing to determine the identity of Saki's kidnappers. Whoever had dared to take Saki – they were good. If it was not for the fact they had kidnapped Saki, Kakashi might have actually been impressed. In fact, had it been anyone other than that beautiful baby taken, Kakashi would have been deliriously happy to have such a challenge. As things were, however, all Kakashi wanted was to find the bastards, slaughter them, and bring Saki back safe and sound.
"Bull's right. Something's not right here," Pakkun commented as he lifted his head from sniffing one of Saki's favorite stuffed teddy bears. Studying his master, the pug sat back on his haunches. It was not often he saw this cold, emotionless side of the jounin. In fact, he had not seen this part of Kakashi since the jounin had retired his ANBU mask.
Pakkun watched with saddened eyes as Kakashi stalked around the room. Kakashi had ignored this side of himself for so many years that even Pakkun had forgotten that his oddly bubbly and disgustingly perverse master could be this dark and formidable. Oh, he had seen Kakashi angry, frightening, and any other number of characteristics that sent missing nin and demons running in the other direction. But this cold, unfeeling side of his master was the worst of them all.
After the death of the Yondaime, Kakashi had discovered that he could do more than just simply hide his emotions as he had done since he was eight. No, he had somehow learned to not feel at all. It was a terrible, yet amazing ability that had shot him to the top of the shinobi community. It was that single feature that had made him the youngest ANBU captain to exist. And it was that same characteristic that had been his downfall.
Kakashi had spent the first eight years of his life pretending his emotions were beneath him, the next five years ignoring them, and four years after that being this unfeeling, uncaring monster. It was no wonder Kakashi had difficulty understanding other people and their emotions when he himself rarely could understand his own. How could he when he spent the first seventeen years of his life ignoring the fact that he was human and just like everyone else?
It was not surprising that Kakashi had lashed out when, at seventeen, he was forced to feel emotions that he had no understanding of. How could a mere teenager truly understand what it was like to be completely alone? Kakashi, even at his worst, had comrades, but how could he come to grips with being unable to keep the one promise he had made to his father? He had promised the White Fang that he would keep the Hatake line alive; he had sworn that he would remove the tarnish from their family name.
And he had thought those promises were forever broken until he met a brunette who had dared to tell him he was wrong.
Pakkun watched as his master made another sweep of the room, his Sharingan swirling so quickly, Kakashi was probably giving himself a migraine. Not that the idiot would care about some physical pain judging from his current state. With that determined look in his eyes, it was obvious the jouninn would not give up looking for Saki until the baby was safe.
With a sigh, the pug glanced over at Bull. The massive canine gave him a knowing look – a look that Pakkun had been dreading since they had started sniffing around the nursery. As he opened his mouth, the ninken could not help but wonder if his master had come to the same conclusion his pack had.
"It could be an inside job," Pakkun said quietly as he watched Kakashi for a reaction, but the jounin merely looked at him with a glance that told the pug to continue speaking if he valued his life. "The only chakra signatures we can pick up are all familiar – as are all the smells. Saki, Naruto, Sasuke, Iruka, the Hokage, you and the Hyuuga heiress. No one else has been in this room. We could bring in an Inuzuka, but he or she will tell you the same thing."
"Control?" Bull pointed out as he shifted so that the top of his head brushed against Kakashi's open hand. Pakkun narrowed his gaze at his fellow canine, silently telling him that now was not the time to beg for a scratch behind the ear. If anything, Bull was dancing with death just for standing anywhere near their volatile master.
"Who would the kidnapper control? Everyone who has been in this room is too powerful to be controlled by such a jutsu...well, everyone but the Hyuuga, but her Byakkugan makes it nearly impossible to control her," Pakkun responded, wishing that it was something as obvious as forcing someone familiar to take Saki from the nursery.
"You're suggesting that one of us took Saki?" Kakashi asked coldly as his gaze shifted from the empty crib to Pakkun. "Tsunade is not that stupid, and Hinata would never do anything to hurt Iruka." It was impossible to even consider Naruto and Sasuke were behind this for those same reasons – not to mention neither young jounin would survive Iruka's wrath if they had been the ones to take Saki without telling his protective father.
The only other person whose presence Pakkun and Bull could pick up on was his own. Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows as he glanced back at Saki's crib. Could Iruka have gone through these very same thoughts before he came to Kakashi's apartment? Could he have ruled out his brothers or friends taking Saki for a few hours without warning him? But had he even for a moment thought that Kakashi had been the one to take Saki?
No.
A stab of emotion hit his icy heart as Kakashi looked up and saw the pastel plaque with Saki's name on it. Sakumo. In that moment, Kakashi knew that Iruka did not consider that possibility. Iruka knew that Kakashi loved the baby more than life itself. The brunet had even given Kakashi every opportunity to be a part of Saki's life – he had wanted Kakashi to be around as much as possible. Iruka had known there was no reason for Kakashi to steal Saki. But it was more than that.
Iruka trusted him.
Kakashi did not have to ask his distraught brunet who else knew about Saki's disappearance. It was obvious that he was the first person Iruka had gone to. Iruka had not once shown a moment of distrust or suspicion. He had not asked if Saki was there or if Kakashi knew where the baby was. All Iruka did was beg for Kakashi to bring his son back.
Iruka did not make Kakashi feel guilty – as though leaving him and Saki somehow resulted in the baby's kidnapping. Iruka did not place any blame. He did not demand anything from Kakashi. He did not try to use their short relationship as means to force Kakashi to help search for his son.
Unconsciously, Kakashi fingered the small, delicate baby blanket that was crumpled along the side of the crib. The pale blue and grey material was Saki's favorite, so much so the baby refused to go to sleep in his crib unless he was curled up in it. A saddened smile touched the corners of Kakashi's lips as the jounin wondered if Saki somehow knew where the blanket had come from. He doubted Iruka had figured it out. Why would Iruka guess that the quilt had been Kakashi's own blanket, hand-stitched by his mother before he had been born? Iruka definitely would not have determined that the blanket had meant just as much to Kakashi as it had to Saki.
Whoever had taken Saki obviously knew nothing about the baby or else they would have taken this blanket as well. If for no other reason than to save their ears and their sanity, they would have grabbed the small quilt if they were familiar with Saki and his idiosyncrasies.
Kakashi's fingers curled around the quilt, tightening into a fist as he whirled around to eye his two ninken. Bull merely tilted his massive head to the side at the fiery look in his master's eyes. Pakkun, however, very nearly squeaked in joy at the sight of emotion returning to Kakashi.
"Gather the rest of the pack. We meet back here in fifteen minutes," Kakashi said, his tone filled with determination. Pakkun smartly nodded, already preparing himself to inform the rest of the ninken about their mission. Bull, however, was not as proficient at reading human emotion. The poor dog still thought Kakashi was angry every time he saw his master smile, so it was no wonder the monstrous canine spoke.
"Why, master?"
"Because we're going hunting."
XXX
"Mmph!"
The blonde ignored the tired grumble as well as the gentle slap of his lover's hand against his roaming fingers. For once, being the first one up, he had the unheard of chance of waking up Sasuke any way he wanted. If Naruto had not caught glimpses of his lover sleeping when he came home late, the blond would have wondered if the genius even slept. But even then, Sasuke woke up the instant he sensed Naruto's chakra – the blonde had no chance of sneaking up on him. So, for the first time in all the years of being together, Naruto found himself with the opportunity to get Sasuke back for all the times the horny jounin shocked him into consciousness. And damn if he was not going to take this miraculous gift and do his worst!
With a soft cackle that was only muffled by pressing his lips against Sasuke's bare shoulder, he continued tracing his lover's abdomen. After all these years, the blonde knew exactly how to touch the pale-skinned jounin. Of course, that knowledge went both ways. But with a seme like Sasuke, Naruto rarely had the chance to take control of anything. Others would call Sasuke controlling, but Naruto normally loved how dominating the Uchiha was.
But all bets were off now that Naruto had caught his lover asleep and vulnerable.
Naruto nearly cried in joy as his touch slid over his lover's narrow hip, reveling in the feel of Sasuke's soft skin underneath his fingertips. Then, with the speed that came with being a jounin – and a perverse smile that he learned from Kakashi – Naruto's fingers found their target.
Biting his lip to keep himself from making a sound and alerting his seme to his intentions, Naruto traced his fingers along the delicious roundness of his lover's ass. Few people knew that Sasuke's posterior was a thing of perfection. Sasuke had done a great job of hiding his beautiful ass underneath baggy shorts and pants all these years, and Naruto was perfectly fine with continuing to keep Konoha's greatest creation a secret. Unable to help himself, Naruto squeezed his lover's ass. When the only thing the dark-haired jounin did was grumble sleepily at Naruto's possessive touch, the blonde knew his uptight lover was still unconscious. Otherwise, Naruto would have found himself pinned to the bed with a half-awake, horny jounin on top of him.
Involuntarily, Naruto's fingers wiggled in overjoyed anticipation. Slowly, the blonde shifted so that he was prepared to pin his powerful lover when Sasuke woke up and started fighting back. No matter how many bruises and other injuries he was bound to receive from his squirming lover, Naruto knew it was all worth it.
Then, before Sasuke woke up and Naruto lost his one chance, he moved into action.
With a battle cry, the blonde threw all of his weight onto his lover. Even as he moved to pin Sasuke's legs with his own and caught both of the jounin's thin wrists over Sasuke's head, Naruto could feel his lover jolting into consciousness. He could feel every muscle in Sasuke's body tense, preparing wrestle out of his grasp. But Naruto was faster.
"MMPH!" Naruto laughed at the surprised sound Sasuke let out, its meaning muffled by the pillow the jounin's face was currently being pressed into. The affronted noise, however, was enough to tell the blonde he did not have much time before Sasuke found a way to break his hold.
Naruto's free hand drifted to the one spot he had been aiming towards the moment he had woken up.
"Nrgh!" Sasuke finally freed his face from the pillow and turned to glare at his lover. Despite the fact the room was pitch-black – telling the jounin that it was an ungodly hour of the morning that the sun was not even up yet – Sasuke knew his lover was grinning from ear to ear. "Don't you dare!" he said in a cold tone that had gotten lesser shinobi to tremble in fear. He could feel his uke shake alright – but in laughter.
"What are you gonna do?" Naruto teased as he wiggled his finger against the one spot Sasuke kept protected above all else and for good reason. If Sasuke's enemies – much less his friends – knew about his weakness, there would be no rest for the Uchiha. With just a single gentle swipe of Naruto's finger against the extremely sensitive spot where Sasuke's ass met the back of his thigh, the feared ANBU member lost his entire icy exterior.
And Sasuke, for lack of a better term, squeaked before dissolving into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.
Cackling, Naruto continued to tickle his lover while keeping the strong jounin pinned to their bed. Sasuke struggled to throw Naruto off of him, but only succeeded in getting his lover to tighten his hold on him. Gasping for air, the brunet wriggled every way he could, but with his legs uselessly pinned beneath Naruto's, he could do little more than try to rip his arms out of his lover's grasp. But he did not to even try to do so, knowing that he had a good chance of elbowing or punching Naruto – and hurting his beloved uke – in his attempts.
So Sasuke squirmed, desperately trying not to hit his lover as his body took on a mind of its own and jerked every which way as Naruto continued to tickle him.
"Ba-Bastard!" the dark-haired jounin cried between high-pitched giggles that he had no control over. Naruto only laughed in response. "S-S-St-Stop!" Sasuke cried as he wriggled in attempt of getting away from Naruto's fingers, but to no avail. He was stuck until he either was willing to chance harming his uke or Naruto let him go. Neither option looked like it was going to happen any time soon.
Gasping for air between squeals, Sasuke found himself lightheaded. It might be due to lack of air, though the jounin had the feeling it had more to do with having his powerful lover pressed up against him. If it was not for the fact he was laughing too hard to do anything else, Sasuke might have blushed as he felt the heat and hardness of his lover's erection grind against his lower back.
Despite his current helpless state, Sasuke was unbelievably turned on by the unusual reversal of roles. Then again, having Naruto's long, muscular body press him into the mattress was an arousing change of pace. For a moment, Sasuke could not help but wonder what it would be like to let Naruto get his way. Could he actually give into Naruto's request and try being uke for once?
Sasuke was just horny enough to try. But, first, he had to teach Naruto a lesson for tickling him.
Still laughing uncontrollably as a result of his lover's damn fingers tickling him, Sasuke found enough purchase to lift his hips. The instant squeak of astonishment that came out of Naruto was the perfect opening for Sasuke. Catching his lover by surprise, Sasuke felt Naruto's hands loosen their grip. It was just enough.
Before Sasuke got the chance to flip his uke to the bed and take control, he felt a change in the room. Sasuke did not even need a full second to recognize the feel of a transportation jutsu. Sasuke switched positions with Naruto, but instead of throwing his to the bed and tickling him in retaliation, he protectively covered Naruto's body with his own. Before Naruto even let out a squeak of protest, Sasuke had launched a kunai that had been resting on the nightstand towards the intruder.
Even before the hilt left his fingers, Sasuke recognized the chakra and regretted acting so impulsively.
"OI!" Naruto finally screeched as he pushed Sasuke off of him, freezing when he caught a glimpse of their unexpected visitor. For once, he wished he had not inherited the Kyuubi's ability to see in the dark. Because of his night vision, the blonde could see the fiery look in their guest's eyes. Naruto winced in remembrance of all the times he had pissed off the famed jounin. And this time, Kakashi did not look happy at all – though that may be due to the fact he had caught a kunai aimed for his heart. And he had just barely caught it. If Naruto wasn't mistaken, it had already nicked a hole in his jacket.
"Kakashi?" Sasuke asked, breathless from his lover's tickling. The Uchiha blushed furiously, wondering what his panting must sound like to Kakashi's ears. The pervert was probably having a field day for having finally caught them. "I thought you were leaving for Suna..." Well, at least that was the last Sasuke had heard. Kakashi was supposed to leave last week, but had been putting it off. Sasuke had hoped Kakashi's reluctance had something to do with Iruka and Saki.
"Get dressed. We have a mission." Both Naruto and Sasuke perked up at their ex-sensei's tone. It was not perverse, as would have been expected in such a situation. Nor was it gleeful for having gained some more blackmail material. No, it was not even angry for the kunai that had pierced his jacket. It was far worse. This was the voice of a killer, one who was fully prepared to wreak havoc and destroy everything in his way.
For the first time in all the years they had known Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke were terrified of the man who stood before them.
"Whaaaa? It's only two in the morning!" Naruto whined, covering up the flicker of fear he felt towards his ex-sensei, as he glanced over at the digital clock on his nightstand. If this was another one of Tsunade's 'tests' to see if he was prepared to take the Hokage title, he was going to kill the wrinkly hag. He had Sasuke in tears, he was laughing so hard! Damn it!
"Saki was kidnapped at some point in the past seven hours." That was all Kakashi had to say to get the two young jounin to jump from bed. Neither even gave a moment towards modesty or embarrassment due to their nudity. It took mere moments to get dressed and armed.
"Who?" Sasuke asked as he strapped on an extra kunai pouch then moved to tuck a summoning scroll in his jacket. Though it was useless in this light, the Uchiha still glanced in Kakashi's direction out of habit and waited for an answer.
"No ransom note and the ninken cannot pick up a scent." Kakashi's words were clipped and painfully sharp. Being so familiar with Kakashi's firm hold on his emotions, Sasuke winced, understanding that his friend was moments away from breaking down. It took a great deal to make Kakashi lose that lazy, bored tone of his. Then again, he had to admit that if he was in Kakashi's place, he would be seeing red and demanding blood.
"I'll get Kiba," Naruto stated, then disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Get a team together and meet me at Iruka's in ten minutes," Kakashi stated firmly moments before he transported himself from the room. Sasuke took only one deep breath of air before he ran through a list of shinobi he knew to be in the village. With a smile that bespoke death to whoever dared to take Saki, the Uchiha vanished.
XXX
"C'mon, Iruka," Pakkun uneasily patted the crying brunet's leg. He was not accustomed to comforting humans. Why would he be when his own master rarely showed emotion? Shifting, he plopped himself in Iruka's lap, unsure what else he could do to ease Iruka's pain. Almost instantly, Iruka's arms surrounded him and the pug lost the ability to breathe as he was squeezed against the brunet's chest.
"I-I...I ju-just want h-h-him back," Iruka sobbed as he tightened his embrace, all but choking the dog in his arms. Bowing his head, unaware he was suffocating Kakashi's ninken, Iruka buried his face in Pakkun's wiry fur. "I n-never th-tho-thought any...anyone w-would do someth-thing like this."
"Ka-Kakashi...will bring...h-him back," Pakkun gasped as he squirmed, finally getting Iruka to loosen his hold. Finally able to breathe somewhat normally, the pug lifted his head and looked at the crying brunet. Damn it, he was not used to these kinds of human emotions! If Iruka was a ninken, he would be out there searching for Saki as well. That did not mean, however, that Pakkun thought less of the brunet for staying behind. In fact, the pug respected Iruka all the more for not being just like every other shinobi in search for Saki. His voice was not one of hatred or vengeance. No – of all the shinobi Pakkun had seen today, Iruka was acting the sanest of them all.
With a silent curse, Pakkun listened to his canine instincts and licked the tears from Iruka's cheek. "You have the best shinobi in Konoha looking for him. Entire ANBU teams have been called in. The Hokage has put the village on alert. Whoever took him won't get away with it." His words were meant to calm Iruka's fears, but they only served to make the brunet cry all the more.
"B-But what if th-they can't?" Iruka whispered apprehensively with a sniffle as he looked down at Pakkun. "I-It's been hours..."
Pakkun placed a paw across Iruka's lips before the brunet could go on and worry himself into another fit of hysterics. He had thought he was being the smart and compassionate one for coming to sit with Iruka while everyone else searched for Saki. Compassionate, yes – considering Iruka was incapable of even speaking when Pakkun had first gotten here. Smart, however, that was a matter of opinion. If anyone was capable of helping Iruka, it would be his brother or Kakashi, but neither man was even in the village right now, much less in the mindset to calm Iruka's nerves. No, last he had seen of Naruto, his eyes were blood-red and his fangs visible for all to see. In any other time, Pakkun might have been startled by Naruto's use of his demonic chakra, but if it meant bringing Saki back unharmed, he was more than willing to ignore the fact Naruto was getting help from that smelly fox. Kakashi was similarly using every ability he had to aid in the search. Never before had Pakkun seen his master's Sharingan spin so wildly or drain his chakra so quickly. At the rate Kakashi was going, he would more than likely exhaust himself in a matter of hours, but he would refuse to rest until Saki was found.
They had forty-eight hours. That was the timeframe for normal kidnapping cases. After those first two days, the chances of finding Saki dropped dramatically. Though, with all the shinobi they had looking, Pakkun could not imagine the search taking two days. No, perhaps a few more hours, but not more than that.
"Kakashi will bring him home," he repeated firmly as he looked into Iruka's eyes. If it meant Kakashi drained his chakra so completely, he put himself into a coma, he would do just that to get Saki back. If he had to torture or slaughter every missing nin he came across to get information about Saki's kidnappers, he would. Kakashi would do anything to bring Sakumo home.