The sun was setting on the horizon, tinting the sky with shades of orange and gold, while a gentle breeze danced among the leaves of the trees. It was another day of transition, as summer began to yield its reign to autumn, and Konoha prepared to don its golden robe.
Green leaves began to give way to a richer and deeper color palette. The crowns of the trees began to tint with shades of red, orange and yellow, creating a scene that seemed to have come out of a dream, from a fairy tale. The cherry trees that once boasted pink flowers, now began to release delicate petals that danced in the air, like a farewell confetti of summer; and some of them accumulated in the hair of a young sensei who was sitting under one such beautiful tree. He had finished another day of work, and was tired, after dealing with children who had more energy than the sun. It was exhausting, but he loved what he did.
The chuunin watched the gardens and parks around him. Everything was in a quiet state of transformation, of change. The small stream that meandered the park reflected the sun's rays that penetrated the dense crown of the tree; and lilies floated gracefully on the serene surface, their white petals contrasting with the changing colors of the leaves that gathered on the banks.
As the afternoon progressed and the temperature began to drop, the sun's rays became softer, spreading a golden, diffused light over the beautiful scenery that the sensei was observing. It was in the middle of that landscape that something caught the attention of the young shinobi.
At first he thought it was a child, perhaps from the Aburame clan, because from where he was, he thought he could see the characteristic glasses they wore, at least from what he remembered from one of his students, Shino Aburame. However, when he looked closer, he realized that it was not a person, but a dog.
His track record with animals wasn't very favorable. Not that he was afraid, but... the Inukuza's ninken made him a little apprehensive.
Leaving his fear aside, he approached the animal, which looked injured, as it limped. The canine had a dense brown coat, and its appearance reminded him of a German shepherd.
“Hey, boy! It seems that you took the brunt of a fight," He commented while trying to find some identification. But the only thing the dog had, besides what was once some kind of vest, was his sunglasses.
“You don't have any ID. I should take you to the Inuzuka," Iruka said. He heard something like a grunt of denial in reply.
“That doesn't seem to appeal to you very much, does it?” He laughed as he stroked the animal's head.
To the sensei's surprise, the dog rested its head on his leg, forcing him to sit on the ground, while settling further on his legs, demonstrating that he was very tired.
Without thinking much, Iruka got up and took the dog in his arms, and took him to his house. He wasn't an animal expert, let alone a medical ninja, but he knew a thing or two about healing. Dealing with children who hurt themselves almost every day had forced him to learn the basics of medical ninjutsu.
When they arrived at the chuunin's small apartment, Iruka took the dog to the bathroom, where he washed it, so that he could clearly see the injuries. There were not as many as it seemed at first, and it was a relief for the young man.
He was surprised when he had no refusal from the dog, and that it even seemed to enjoy the bath, giving several licks to the man, who just laughed at its attitude. Iruka received a growl only when he tried to remove the dog’s glasses, so he dared not touch the object anymore.
“Now we have another problem. I don't have dog food, and I can't even offer my own food. For your safety, believe me.”
If Iruka heard a snort that resembled a laugh, he did not comment at all.
The dog didn't seem to mind. In fact, the only thing he seemed to want was affection, which Iruka was very willing to give. While it was enjoying this, it wasn’t expecting to also become a listener to some really interesting things.
Iruka was sitting on the sofa, with a mug of tea in one hand, and the other maintaining a constant caress of the animal. The sensei hadn’t even dared complain when his new friend joined him on the couch. Luckily, that night, he had no homework to correct, and could afford a well-deserved rest.
"Today I saw him, you know," He began with a distant look that seemed sincere, almost passionate. "It's strange to be talking to a dog about this, but you don't have the slightest chance of telling my friends about it. They're gossipers and would find a way to embarrass me," He rambled, deviating from the main topic.
“About who I saw... He is a jounin, a prodigy, everyone knows his reputation, and many even fear him. He lives in seclusion, talks to few people, and lives with his face stuck in that Jiraiya book. How can he read that anywhere?”
Another snort was heard by the sensei, and when he looked at the dog, he could have sworn that it was studying him attentively, even if the dark glasses prevented him from being completely sure. As if asking to continue, the dog barked once.
“Are you interested? All right, I'll tell you more about him. This shinobi has something that attracts me to him. Maybe it's all the mystery that surrounds him, or all the theories that surround him, that I believe are mostly invented and not real. I want to get closer to him, but I don't know how. I'm just an Academy sensei, a chuunin. I know I have good qualities and strengths, but why would he look at me?”
The dog climbed on Iruka’s lap, frightening him with the sudden act, and began to lick the man, who only laughed. It even seemed like the animal wanted to say that he was wrong, and should stop feeling sorry for himself.
“Okay, easy! I get it ... Maybe I will ask Kakashi-san out. The most that can happen is for him to tell me no and end up breaking my heart.”
The ears of the dog on his lap stood up when it heard that name, and the licking ceased immediately, however, it was not enough to attract Iruka's attention.
That night, the sensei had unusual company in his bed; but he couldn’t send the dog to the floor, not with those pleading eyes. That was why he wasn’t expecting to wake up alone the next morning, and with no sign of him. It was like he had disappeared into thin air.
｡ﾟ☆°｡
Iruka barely had time during the day to think about what had happened the day before, because for some reason he would never know, his students were even more restless, barely even giving him time to breathe. When the day finally ended, all the sensei wanted was to go to his house and sleep, but he still had homework to correct. His night would be long.
On the way home, Iruka passed by the same park, wondering if he would find the dog to bring home and thus distract his thoughts and make his night less stressful. Unfortunately he didn’t see it, however, when he went to his destination, he felt like he was being followed; and when he looked back, he came across another dog, very different from the first.
The first thing that caught his attention and sent a chill down his spine, was the eyes, which looked they were full of fury. But when the white and light brown-haired dog with long tufts sticking out on its head approached, clearly asking for affection, Iruka found out that only its face was unfriendly.
Once again, the chuunin had company and even someone to talk to about his day while correcting homework. Every now and again, he complained about the handwriting of his students, and even compared it to that of a certain copy ninja, and as he spoke, he could have sworn the barks that followed were laughter. He didn't give much thought to the possibility of a laughing dog, or he'd go crazy.
With the company, his evening was not as stressful and dull as he thought it would be. However, like the first day, with the first dog, the second one disappeared in the morning, leaving no sign that it had stayed over.
｡ﾟ☆°｡
On the third day, while eating ramen in Naruto's company, the two were surprised by another dog. This one resembled a greyhound, and had a reddish-brown coat on top, while the muzzle and underside were white. What caught his attention the most was the bandages that wrapped his head, neck, and front left leg.
The others had a vest with the heno-heno-moheji printed on it, too… Why did it look so familiar?, Iruka wondered.
“Is he hurt, Iruka-sensei?” Naruto asked worriedly.
Iruka took a quick look at the dog; and when it effortlessly placed both paws on his legs, he concluded that he shouldn’t be hurt.
"I believe not, Naruto. The bandages seem to be some kind of protection, just like the ones Neji and Lee wear on their arms and legs," Iruka explained.
“He seems to like you, sensei. Is it yours? Will you keep it? I can help take care of him.” The blonde broke off talking.
“Easy there. He's not mine and I'm not keeping him. I have the impression that he will disappear in the morning,” Iruka commented, caressing the ears of the dog, who had just jumped onto the ninja’s lap.
“Why? Do they already have an owner? Don't you like dogs?”
“Maybe they do and yes, Naruto, I like them. They're good company.” assured Iruka, alternating between eating, and paying attention to him and the dog.
After the meal, the dog accompanied the two of them to the house, even leaving a lick on Naruto when he said goodbye; and did not leave Iruka's side. As soon as the door was opened, he entered the sensei's house and positioned himself on the sofa, leaving Iruka to himself.
“Sure, why not? Come in, make yourself at home, as long as you don't eat any homework, nor my teaching books,” He muttered to himself.
Those pleading eyes would be his ruin, as he was utterly powerless against them.
That night, it was difficult for the chuunin to close his eyes. The day had not been as arduous as the previous one, but every time he crossed paths with Kakashi, everything turned into a mess, especially when he felt himself being analyzed by that one eye, even when the masked man tried to disguise it.
He calmed down a little when he felt a snout nudging him, as though trying to send him to sleep at once. He relaxed, feeling the dog settle by his feet, and finally slept.
He wasn’t surprised to wake up and not find the dog there, but he was starting to get frustrated with it.
｡ﾟ☆°｡
As the days passed, autumn seemed to move quickly, the reddish and orange tones quickly taking over the vegetation, and the weather beginning to cool down. Even so, Iruka continued to stop by the park. He liked to see the seasons change, and hoped to maybe meet a new four-legged friend.
He had already met three different dogs, and wondered if it could be a pattern. He’d even commented on it to his colleagues at the Academy, but no one had ever heard of any dog with the descriptions he’d given them.
Later that afternoon, as he gazed at the last rays of sunlight reflecting off the small lake, he felt paws on his leg. He didn't even have to look to know it was a dog, and as expected, it was different from the other three.
This little one had marks around his eyes that resembled dark circles, brown fur, and darker marks on his legs and ears. The dog had the kanji “shinobi” tattooed on his forehead, which he had no idea of how it had been done.
Without thinking, Iruka put him in his lap, and with one hand, he caressed his chin, and with the other, he traced that heno-heno-moheji that all the dogs he’d found had on their characteristic blue vests.
“Where do you guys come from? Who owns you? Why do you disappear first thing in the morning?” He asked.
For a moment he thought that he would receive an answer, due to the fact that he was being studied seriously, even if the dog's face was tilted to one side. It was cute, in his opinion, and once again, it seemed familiar to him, but he couldn’t remember where he had ever seen something like it.
“Let's go home. I even bought you guys some snacks. I don't know how many of you there are, and if you will continue to appear, but I decided to prepare myself," Iruka said, lifting a paper bag that was next to him.
The sensei took the animal from his lap, which had looked very comfortable there; and for the first time since meeting dogs at the park, he felt like he was being watched. He didn’t pay much attention, but guessed it was the owner of the dog in his arms. If it was, they would know where to find their four-legged friend.
No one knocked on the sensei's door that night for their little hound, and as expected, there was no sign of it in the morning.
｡ﾟ☆°｡
That day, Iruka had a shift at the mission desk, and was surprised to see a dog with brown fur, a white muzzle, long dark brown ears, and whiskers longer than any other dog he had ever seen, of course donning the blessed blue printed vest. It reminded him of Naruto, especially when it closed his eyes upon receiving chuunin's affection.
"I didn't know you adopted a dog," Izumo declared as he stroked the animal, which was very calm now that it was on the sensei's lap. He had picked it up without realizing, it even seemed automatic.
“I don't. This is the fifth dog I've seen this week. They come to me, ask for affection, keep me company at night, then leave the next morning and do not return. Well, none have returned so far.” Iruka clarified.
“You should take them to the Inuzuka, they should know who they are." Izumo suggested; and he almost got bitten, making Iruka laugh.
“Apparently they have an aversion to the Inuzuka, and don’t even like the mention of taking them there.” The sensei said, laughing.
However, his laughter died when his eyes focused on the ninja entering the room in that moment; Kakashi. Especially when he noticed the masked man's eye widen for a few seconds, before returning to his usual bored expression. Even so, his eye still seemed to keep on him and the animal that was on his lap. No one in the room understood when Kakashi turned his back and quickly retreated. The puppy just yawned at the commotion, as if he was familiar with the attitudes of that particular ninja.
“I don't know what got into him today. I know Kakashi is awkward most of the time, but today was different...”
Iruka was talking to the dog while preparing a bowl of food, and heard barking in response, which he could define as “he's always like that”. But he ignored it. After all, the animal couldn't understand him, could it?
“Just when I plucked up the courage to ask him out, he acts that way and disappears. Should I give up?” He asked no one as he sat down next to his companion for the day, who was more interested in his food than in the chuunin’s whining.
For yet another night, Iruka's bed had heat emanating from the dog next to him, and once again, he woke up with the house empty.
"They even seem like summons, to disappear out of nowhere like they have been," Iruka joked as he made tea to start a new day.
｡ﾟ☆°｡
Iruka was leaving the market he passed to pick up some ingredients and try, once again, to cook something decent to eat. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't live on instant ramen, nor could he afford a meal every day at Ichiraku.
When he set foot on the street, he was intercepted by a gray-haired dog, and on his head, a dark tuft, which for Iruka, very much resembled a mohawk. He didn't even get scared, in fact, he even expected the appearance of a dog at any moment. He was only surprised when the animal carefully took from his hand, with his mouth, one of the bags he was carrying, and went out in front, forcing him to follow, attracting many glances wherever they passed.
"I think your friends told you where I live," Iruka joked as he opened the door. How they did it was anyone's guess.
Once again, the ninja sensed that someone was watching him; and it seemed that his companion of the day also felt it, as they seemed to stare, fixated at a tree near the young man's house. Iruka tried to see what they were looking at, but gave up. If it happened to be a fellow shinobi, they would be very difficult to detect. However, the feeling remained for most of the night.
While preparing the meal, Iruka was under the supervision of his mohawked friend, who seemed to understand more about cooking than himself, as several times, he had poked him to check the pots or when he was adding seasoning, as if to say that it was already good.
That was the first time Iruka didn't burn his food, nor did it get too salty or bland.
“You and your friends should appear more often. I bet with your help I will finally learn to cook. Thank you, my furry friend!” Iruka left a kiss on the dog's forehead, and the dog jumped about through the small house, earning warm laughter from the chuunin.
After eating, they soon found themselves sitting on the sofa, Iruka wrapped in a blanket, as the autumn cold was increasing every day, and it was good to have something to keep him warm.
“Will I one day have human warmth heating me like this? Can I dream of one day having someone I want by my side? It would be a dream to have you here, with Kakashi. I would be the happiest person in the ninja world.” He stopped for a moment, to snuggle even deeper in the dog, which seemed to feel a sadness coming from the sensei.
“But this is just a distant dream. This would never happen, only in an Uchiha genjutsu, a powerful one. I wouldn't mind.”
The dog seemed to whimper softly, as if he didn't like what he heard, and licked Iruka's face to dry any tears that fell. That night, they slept on the couch, snuggled together, the chuunin hugging his friend of the day, letting himself be carried away by dreams and desires that would never come true.
A scream echoed through sensei's apartment in the morning, startling even his neighbors.
“How did I end up in my bed?!” He asked, with no understanding what had happened, and without the company of the dog.
｡ﾟ☆°｡
Finally the week was over, and all Iruka wanted was to stay at home; and he did, until halfway through the day when Izumo and Kotetsu showed up and convinced him to go — dragged him — to a bar to hang out. They said that he was spending too much time alone, attracting even ownerless dogs.
No matter how many times Iruka claimed that the dogs should have an owner, because they were well cared for, and even had those blue vests with heno-heno-moheji, nothing seemed to convince his friends.
As time passed, the sensei began to loosen up a little, even though he was not a drinker and knew his limits, and the night began to become more fun. This lasted until chuunin's brown eyes came across someone on the other side of the place, surrounded by fellow jounin, who clearly looked like he didn't want to be there, the owner of his thoughts; Kakashi Hatake.
His heart almost stopped beating when he received a brief greeting, the one where the masked man only raised his two fingers and closed his visible eye, almost as if he were smiling.
Iruka returned the greeting with a brief, shy smile as he tried to contain the blush that washed over his cheeks. He would blame the alcohol for that.
Perhaps motivated by the drink, he prepared to get up and meet the silver-haired man, but stopped his movements when he saw Genma approach and boldly sit right next to Kakashi, almost on his lap.
Iruka wanted to be swallowed by the ground so he couldn't see it.
From where he stood, he couldn't see that Kakashi was trying to push his friend away, who was visibly upset, and had argued with his partner, and seemed to want to drink the whole bar.
Unfortunately, Genma's position prevented Kakashi from seeing Iruka order a few more drinks, surprising his friends. He didn't even see him leave when Genma brought their faces closer together; and to the chuunin, it looked like they were both kissing.
Iruka stood up quickly, staggering slightly, leaving Kotetsu and Izumo behind, ignoring their calls.
As soon as he felt the chill of the autumn night hit him, he shrank into his clothes, cursing himself for leaving his coat behind; but he would not go back for it, he did not want to see that scene again, which was looping in his mind.
He slowly began to walk the streets of Konoha, not really paying attention to where he was going. He just wanted to get away. He didn’t notice that his feet had carried him to the park where he met the first dog; and he wished he could meet him once more, or any of the six he had seen that week. However, what he found was not at all what he expected.
Konoha was a safe village, however there were residents who were just as despicable as renegade and enemy ninjas. Iruka felt his arm being pulled hard, and his body slam against another one, bigger and clearly stronger than himself. Maybe it wouldn't have been so much if he was fully conscious. He cursed himself once again for drinking beyond his limit, he knew that weak to drinks.
“Did you know you shouldn't walk alone? Especially like this, so out of it. It’s a real treat," The man who was holding him said, bringing his mouth close to Iruka’s neck. He tried to push him away, but had no strength.
“Come on my dear, I'll make you feel good. You just have to cooperate, and don't try to stop me.” The tightness around Iruka’s body increased, and his despair began to grow.
However, the man let go of Iruka, or rather threw him hard to the ground and began to move away, with a terrified demeanor. Iruka turned to the direction the man was looking, and his eyes came across a much larger dog than usual.
It looked like a black bulldog, with a collar full of spikes, who growled at the man as it approached, closer and closer. Relief ran through the chuunin when he saw the already familiar blue vest with the heno-heno-moheji. When he heard a voice, he thought it came from the dog; and he did not expect who he was going to find when he followed its sound.
"You better leave; and if I find out that you have approached Iruka again, I will be happy to show you the power of the chidori," Kakashi threatened, his hand shining with the rays of his so well-known attack.
The man couldn’t seem to move, so the big dog came even closer, practically snorting in the other's face, which seemed to break him out of his trance; and he ran off, stumbling halfway. The dog started to go after him, but was stopped.
“Bull! Let him go," Kakashi ordered; and the dog came back and stopped next to Iruka, who was still sitting on the floor.
Iruka opened his mouth to say something, but his mind was spinning in a mixture of fear and adrenaline; and the last thing he saw was Kakashi coming towards him with a worried look, and then he blacked out.
Iruka woke up the next day with a headache, the memories of the previous night a complete mess. He didn’t know exactly what was real and what he had imagined. Or dreamed. For it was not possible that all of that had really happened, especially the Kakashi part. He rolled over in his bed and…
“How did I get here?!” He almost screamed, instantly regretting the noise, as the stab to his head made the pain even worse.
He lay down on the bed again, rolling over until he was on his side, and then he saw on the bedside table what looked like a small basket with a note, with a signature like the heno-heno-moheji he had seen on the vests of the dogs he’d met during the past week.
“Bull ... Is that the name of one of them? They... No... Is it? It can't be! I saw...” The sensei gave up thinking, as it seemed to worsen his hangover. “I'm never going to drink again.”
With a little effort, he sat up on the bed and opened the basket, finding a nice breakfast, as well as some pills, which he imagined were for a headache.
Throughout the day, Iruka tried to organize his thoughts and memories, but even if it all led to a conclusion, nothing made sense to him - the ninken with the same print on the blue vests, the big guy named Bull (that, he knew for sure), Kakashi appearing and calling Bull and him obeying, the basket, the heno-heno-moheji…
“But why? I need answers.”
Unfortunately, the answers did not come as quickly as Iruka wished.
It took him more than a week to find Kakashi, and some of the dogs he was sure belonged to him.
Iruka loved spring, but autumn had something special that brought him the feeling of coziness; and that late afternoon brought him that unique feeling, with a soft melancholy, that feeling of wanting warmth and to snuggle.
As the sun began to set, and the sky filled with colors of a dazzling palette, the trees slowly changed shades of red, orange and yellow, and they began to slowly fall, forming a blanket of golden and reddish leaves that covered the ground around them.
Iruka saw some ninjas and civilians with dogs and children playing in the leaves, blending into the landscape, and couldn't help but remember the first dog he encountered. It was only a few weeks ago, but to him it seemed like an eternity.
He spent a while looking at the spot where he found the dog with the dark glasses, and wished he could see it again, or any of the six that had come after him.
He sighed heavily as he realized it wouldn't happen. Was it all just a coincidence? Or had it all been done on purpose? He didn't know; and the only person who could give him those answers wasn't in the village.
Iruka was supposed to go home, but he didn't want to. He looked up once more, feeling the fresh air and a pleasant softness envelop his skin as the last rays of the sun bathed the landscape with a golden light, tinting the sky with shades of pink and purple, an indescribable spectacle. He wished he had a shoulder to rest his head on and enjoy the show that nature gave him.
When the first stars appeared in the sky, Iruka got up from where he was. It was time to go home. Dragging his feet heavily to his small house, he was in no hurry. He didn't have a dog to keep him company, he didn't have anyone waiting for him. Just the usual emptiness.
However, when he opened the door and found an eighth dog, one he had seen before, he almost fell back in surprise. This one, he knew very well who it belonged to.
“Hey, kid! You finally arrived. I was tired of waiting. My brothers said it was comfortable. I need to know if you really give the best pets.” Declared the little brown pug, with a grumpy face, much like its owner, or rather, summoner.
“Pakkun! What are you doing here?”
“I told you, kid, I was waiting for you," The dog repeated in a bored voice, very much like Kakashi.
“You mean that ... you and ... well ... everyone else... are ... really his?”
"Yes, we are all summons of the brat," Pakkun clarified. “So where's the pets? I want you to scratch my stomach.” He asked, and turned on his stomach, waiting for the gesture.
Iruka didn't know what to do other than fulfill the request. The two stayed for a while, with Pakkun almost fainting with happiness, not that he would admit it. Never.
“Where... Where are the others and... Kakashi?” Iruka broke the silence.
“The boss said something about fetching food, he should be back in a little while.”
The chuunin almost fell off the couch when he heard that. How come Kakashi was coming to his house?!
Before he could ask for more information, he heard a knock on the door; and with fear, barely feeling his legs, he got up and went to open it.
"Good evening, Iruka-sensei, I brought ramen." Kakashi declared, lifting bags from Ichiraku. “May I come in?”
Iruka moved away from the door, making room for the masked man to enter, not trusting his voice to say anything. He watched Kakashi head into his kitchen and start preparing things as if he already knew where everything would be; and maybe, he really did. When everything was ready, he turned to the owner of the house.
“Do you want to eat first, or do you want to talk? I know you have many questions, and I hope to answer all of them.” Kakashi said, and Iruka noticed his nervousness.
They could eat, but first, there was only one thing he needed to know.
"Genma ... that day ..." He began, not sure how to approach what bothered him so much.
“He drank too much, like you, that night. He had argued with Raidou, and like a spoiled child, refused to listen to his partner. Nothing happened between the two of us that day. I never get involved with someone who is in a relationship, especially when I am interested in someone else," Kakashi said, approaching the sensei.
“And who... who would that person be?” Iruka wanted to know, he needed to hear Kakashi confirm his suspicions.
“Well, he is a chuunin sensei, passionate about work, not afraid to put any stupid jounin in his place, expresses his wishes, and doesn’t hide anything. Except for one thing. He won over all my dogs before I could have a chance to introduce them," Kakashi clarified, stopping inches from Iruka.
“So you mean you had no involvement with them showing up every day to me at the most random times?”
“None, sensei. I didn’t understand why they wanted to be summoned, and where they went when they were called. That day with Bull, he seemed anxious and worried, and didn't settle until I summoned him; and he practically ran after you. He knew you were in danger, they seem to know everything about you.” Kakashi explained, bringing his right hand to Iruka’s face, lightly caressing it.
“It took me a while to realize they were yours. When I saw the heno-heno-moheji, it seemed so familiar; and after that night, while organizing the mission reports, I found some of yours. You always sign them the same way. But I still couldn't believe that it had any connection, or that you could -” Kakashi interrupted his speech.
“Be interested in you? You underestimate yourself too much, sensei. I have been watching you for a long time, admiring you, and plucking up the courage to approach you; and I almost didn't for fear of you pushing me away. My reputation is not the best, my past is even worse, I have every reason to keep you away from me, and –”
This time Iruka interrupted Kakashi's speech of self-pity, silencing him with a kiss, over the mask even, it didn't matter.
When the sensei pulled away, too fast for Kakashi, he was red, and so embarrassed that he barely had the courage to look into his eyes again. However, he was forced, gently, when Kakashi held his face and lifted it up; and Iruka almost fell to the ground. Kakashi’s face, it was totally exposed to him; and he knew what would happen next, he longed for what would follow.
Kakashi briefly caressed Iruka's lips, before finally kissing him without hesitation, and it was the best feeling he'd had in a while, or in his entire life. His ninken were right, you shouldn't be afraid of that feeling.
"I think our dinner is getting cold," Iruka declared, not knowing what to say at that moment.
Why did he have to feel like a teenager who had never been in a relationship before? Maybe because he never really was.
“Yes, of course... Let's eat, and then ... would you like to meet them officially?” Kakashi asked, referring to his ninken.
"I'd love to," Iruka replied, giving the jounin a brief kiss on the lips before leading him to the table to eat.
｡ﾟ☆°｡
Iruka's small apartment was full. The ninken occupied all the spaces around him, leaving a slightly sulking Kakashi sitting on the couch, watching the scene in front of him.
Iruka was on the ground, leaning on Bull, the first dog he’d learnt the name of, with Pakkun on his back, practically asleep.
It turned out that the first dog who had appeared, the one with dark glasses, was Akino; and that he had gotten separated from the pack when they returned from a mission, which is why he had been a little hurt. And it was Iruka's care that made everyone want to meet him in person. They also made a point of not hiding the fact that the “boss” was always watching him; and Kakashi tried not to blush after being exposed.
The second ninken Iruka met was Urushi, who had nothing scary about him, something that he had already discovered.
The one with bandages, which Naruto and Iruka met at Ichiraku, was Ūhei, and why he wore them was still a mystery.
The one with the kanji, which Iruka thought was a tattoo, was Bisuke. In reality it was some kind of seal, which didn’t interfere with anything at all. It just symbolized that he was a summoning dog.
The one that reminded him of Naruto, which even Kakashi agreed with, was Guruko. He was as excitable as the boy, and didn’t sit still for a second, only when he was receiving attention from the sensei.
The ninken Iruka found at the market was Shiba; and Kakashi was surprised when he learned that he helped sensei cook, and assured Iruka that he would help him improve his culinary skills.
Iruka was very surprised when he found out that everyone spoke except Bull. Kakashi explained that it was on his account, and that Pakkun understood him perfectly; and this generated a curiosity in the sensei.
“Why didn't any of you talk to me when we first met?” Iruka questioned.
“We didn't want to scare you or make you think the boss had sent us," Pakkun explained.
"I think you wanted to know if I was good for him, right?" Iruka joked. He heard howls and barks of denial, making him laugh at the situation.
“I know that wasn't it. Don't worry. I mean, I loved meeting all of you, thank you for keeping me company," Iruka declared, laying his head on Kakashi's leg, who gently stroked his hair, leaving a kiss afterwards.
“Will we have to put up with this mush from now on?” Pakkun asked with false indignation.
"Be quiet, Pakkun, leave Boss and the boy," Bisuke complained.
"As long as we keep getting pets and treats, it's okay with me," Guruko interjected.
“You bought my dogs with food and love. When will you have time for me?” Kakashi asked with a certain mourning.
"I will always have time for you, my dear," Iruka assured, kissing him once again.
Iruka might love spring, but autumn has become his favorite season, because he can always count on Kakashi and the ninken to keep warm until winter.