Chapter 1
Iruka was completely lost. He was following a trail he was positive he'd taken a thousand times before, but he had no idea where he was going. The rest of his surroundings felt very familiar, too, like he'd seen them a million times; but if anyone asked him where he was, he wouldn't be able to answer them - he was just as clueless as a foreigner. Or maybe he was a foreigner that perhaps... visited often? Whatever the case, he was lost, and had no idea where this path was leading him.
As he continued along the winding road, the burning in his lungs spread across his already sore body; and all he wanted to do was stop and rest, but something was telling him to keep going, that he was nearly where he was supposed to be. He didn't know what that meant, but up ahead, he saw some gates, which meant there was a village. That's right… He'd been heading to a village. Was this the one he'd been searching for? His instincts assured him that it was, so he put his faith in the only thing he knew and stumbled to the gates. But why had he needed to go to a village, again?
"Yo, Iruka-san, good to see you made it back!"
"Yeah, how'd your mission go?"
"I…" Iruka said weakly.
Who were these people, and how did they know his name? Where was he? And why had the world suddenly become upside down and inside out, and filled with black haze? A million other questions raced through his mind as the world speckled and darkened around him; and he became dizzy and disoriented, staggering along as he passed the gates…
"Kotetsu, something's wrong."
"Iruka-san, hey, c'mon, man, stay awake."
A man with bandages over his nose leapt over to him and wrapped an arm around his side, keeping him from falling as he walked. Iruka felt like he should know who it was, but he really had no idea. Was this Kotetsu, or that other guy? And why did he think those two were dating each other? Was he dating someone, too? Iruka stopped walking. His mind was clearing up a little, and he felt like he was on the verge of remembering something. What was it? A person? A place? A name? No… It was a feeling. Love. He loved someone; and they were going to be here for him. Yes, that's why he was at this village. He was coming home to his partner. But why had he left in the first place, and who was waiting for him? A sudden panic swept over him as he tried harder to remember their name. How could he not know the name of someone he loved?!
"Kakashi!" he gasped in distress, as he fell to the ground.
It was a foreign name, but it rolled right off his tongue like he had said it so many times before. Kakashi… Yes, that had to be his lover. His name felt so right to say, so comforting, so familiar, so safe. Iruka was growing weaker with every second that passed, and the world was turning black before his very eyes; but he couldn't let the darkness consume him yet - he still had to get to his partner.
"Please…" he begged to the man helping him, "Take me to Kakashi."