Archive of Our Own

(I don't own any characters etc etc)

Iruka loved his friends, he did, but sometimes they just didn’t listen. They meant well, he knew, but as he walked around the village with them one evening in early May, discussing his birthday later that month, no one seemed to take him into account.

Which, you know, seeing as it was his birthday, well, felt kind of rude.

“I appreciate you all wanting to make plans,” he gently began. “But I just want something small, quiet, low key. Nothing big, just something casual.”

“No,” Izumo began. “Something big is good, you deserve it!”

“Something out of the ordinary for us!” Kotetsu agreed.

“Something fancy?” Anko posed.

“A nice way to unwind, really get out there and let our hair down!” an academy colleague added, as others expressed similar sentiment.

“I just want a nice quiet dinner,” Iruka sighed. “At home, even.”

“Your birthday isn’t about you, duh!” Anko laughed, and the conversation resumed with grandiose ideas.

Iruka sighed and slipped away at the next corner, hoping no one would notice. And when they didn’t, or at least didn’t come looking for him, he let out a sigh of relief as he headed home.

“I appreciate and love them, but I need to get a step or two ahead,” Iruka told himself, trying to come up with a plan.

He put said plan into action a few days later at the missions office, during a quiet period in which he was the only one working. Iruka had just pulled the missions ledger towards himself and was studying it intensely when Kakashi entered, offering the jonin murmured general greetings.

“Evening, sensei,” Kakashi responded as he arrived at his desk, and Iruka looked up, surprised.

“Sorry, I wasn’t really paying attention just now,” Iruka bashfully admitted.

“Tsk tsk, I could have been an enemy,” Kakashi half-teased and half-reminded him.

Iruka rolled his eyes. “That would be just fine with me, put me out of my misery,” he posed, and Kakashi raised an eyebrow curiously. “Never mind,” the teacher sighed. “What can I do for you?”

“Just turning in a report from the team,” the jonin said, holding out a scroll. He didn’t miss Iruka’s eyebrow quirk. “Sakura wrote it, so it’s good and on time.”

“Glad to hear it,” Iruka laughed, and began to review it.

Nosily, Kakashi pulled the ledger towards him, Iruka keeping an eye on him. “Anything big coming up?”

“No, I was just browsing.”

“For yourself?”

“I do take missions at times,” Iruka stiffly reminded him.

“Sure, right,” Kakashi agreed. “But Naruto says you usually only do that when the academy is on break or it’s, and I quote ‘super special top secret only for Iruka-sensei.’ And the end of May isn’t common break time for the academy, or so I thought.”

“No, that’s fair,” Iruka sighed, leaning back in his chair and pausing his reading of the scroll. “And unfortunately nothing only for me, though I was hoping for one, with or without a team. But it doesn’t look there’s one I can swing, or rather justify needing to go on.”

“Ah, itching to get out of the village ahead of the summer, fair,” the copy nin offered, and Iruka just shrugged and nodded. He returned his attention to the report before pausing and looking at Kakashi again.

“Would you like to ask for one?”

“What?” Kakashi asked. “For me to be assigned one? I suppose so…”

“No, to have one completed for you. Or in place of you. Whichever.”

“What?” the jonin laughed.

Iruka sighed. “I want to be out of town at a particular timeframe this month.”

“So just go, leave town, what of it?”

“It’s not that easy,” Iruka sighed again. “I want to avoid celebrating my birthday with my friends.”

“What?” Kakashi asked again, and Iruka shared key points of the conversation from the other night with said friends.

“And if I just run without good reason, it’ll offend them,” Iruka concluded.

“You not allowing them to celebrate you might be as offensive, if not more, no?”

“Yeah, but everyone wants something different and there’s no making anyone happy,” the teacher grumbled. “If I leave on a mission I can organize a dinner when I get back, as it will have already passed and they’ll be more inclined to do something I want to do.”

“Naruto would miss you,” Kakashi gently challenged, and Iruka offered a small smile, pleased to see how the blond had grown on the copy nin.

“I think he’ll also be fine with celebrating it late, but that’s fair. Still, if I delay celebrations with my friends, who are more challenging than him –”

“Hard to believe,” Kakashi scoffed.

“It’s a win-win,” Iruka continued. “They’ll just be happy to have a reason to get together and celebrate something, I get to have a nice time in a quiet, simple way. Win-win,” he repeated.

“I suppose….”

“You don’t sound convinced,” Iruka commented, narrowing his eyes at him.

The jonin shrugged. “It’s an unusual concept. Normally I’m the one running away from social things, so it’s strange to see someone else do it,” he admitted, making the younger man laugh. “I don’t know what I’d request for someone to do for me, though. Sorry?”

“It was worth a shot,” Iruka sighed, pulling Team Seven’s report back to him. He read in silence for a few moments, Kakashi having pulled out his beloved orange book, before Iruka paused and spoke again. “Unless….” he began, slyly looking at the jonin, who looked at him over his book.

“You could organize a mission?” Iruka sweetly posed.

Kakashi blinked. “I’m sorry, what?”

Iruka nodded. “You could put in a request to take on a mission, have it be assigned to you, and we could go together!”

“I don’t know,” Kakashi slowly commented, closing his book. “What about my team? We all go together? That would be unusual for a genin team to have two higher ranked shinobi assigned to them, unless it was a dangerous mission.” He paused. “Do you want them on a dangerous mission?”

“Not yet, not really,” Iruka admitted. “They’re still new, I don’t want to endanger them for me, it happens often enough without my meddling. But…” he paused to consider a plan, scratching the scar on his nose. “Doesn’t Jiraiya want to train Naruto again for a bit? We could send the others with him!”

“I didn’t think Jiraiya was a babysitter,” Kakashi snorted.

“Trainer,” Iruka said, stressing the word. “Trainer. He’s a sannin, he can handle them,” he continued, waving concerns away. “Or not. Probably,” he added, shrugging. “I’ll bribe him or something,” Iruka muttered. “Well?”

Kakashi looked at his eager, hopeful eyes. He had never disliked Iruka, even if/when they butted heads. The guy meant well, and was competent, and time away from the kids was always welcomed.

Kakashi sighed.

“I’ll consider it,” he said, and Iruka smiled widely at him, to the jonin’s surprise. “If Jiraiya agrees,” Kakashi firmly added. “And if you get approved to go.”

“Deal!” Iruka cheered. “Just you wait!”

“I won’t hold my breath,” Kakashi laughed, and the conversation moved on to part of the team’s report.

Kakashi didn’t really think anything would come of the discussion with Iruka. Jiraiya was far too busy, far too far away to be contacted or agree, he figured. The guy had much better and bigger things to do than take Team Seven off his hands for a few days. Even if it meant working with Naruto (which Jiraiya did want to continue to do), and Sasuke (which, who wouldn’t want to train the last Uchiha), and Sakura (who was getting to be a little too like Tsunade, and Kakashi could only hope the two kunoichi wouldn’t cross paths any time soon).

Okay, so maybe Team Seven would actually be kind of fun for Jiraiya to work with for a few days, Kakashi admitted to himself, knowing that it was actually due to Iruka’s decision as their former teacher to team those three up.

But again, surely it was too short on notice for Jiraiya to agree, seeing as it was the 7th of May when the two men made the supposed deal, and didn’t Iruka say his birthday was the 26th?

So, when nearly one week later, Kakashi was told he was assigned a fairly tame mission several hours away from Konoha for the end of May, he didn’t give it any thought other than to begin to study maps for the area and decide what day to tell the gremlins…genin…that they would be working with another rookie team in his absence. Was Asuma’s better, or would Ino and Sakura fight too much? Maybe Kurenai’s team? He would pair them with Gai’s, but Gai was a lot for anyone, so…

Two days later, Iruka found Kakashi as he walked around the village en route to a challenge with Gai, the jonin still considering if his friend would be a good fit for Team Seven later in the month. The chuunin called out to him and excitedly pulled a letter out of his vest.

“Here!” Iruka told him. “Read it and weep! Or, you know, get packing for a mission, if we can find one!”

“What?” Kakashi asked, unfolding it and finding that Jiraiya had in fact been written to and replied, and seemingly sent it urgently via a messenger hawk or summons. But more importantly, the older shinobi was agreeing to cover Team Seven if needed at the end of May! “How did that even…” Kakashi began, shaking his head and looking at a very smiley Iruka. “I was just assigned a mission leaving between the 23rd and 24th,” he admitted, “so I guess everything has aligned itself?”

“Excellent!” Iruka cheered. “I'll talk to the academy but I'm sure it'll be fine, I'll throw your name into it,” he said, ignoring Kakashi’s sigh. “Who requested the mission?”

“I’m actually not sure,” Kakashi told him. “That part is confidential, it seems.”

Iruka shrugged. “Happens often enough. When do you want to meet to start discussing it?”

Kakashi considered it, given that it was already May 15th and they were a little short on time. The two men made plans to get together the next day, and over tea in a shinobi lounge in Hokage Tower, Kakashi passed him the scroll.

Iruka read it and they discussed parameters. They would be leaving, incidentally, a few days before Iruka’s birthday, and were to be gone for four full days.

“We could leave on the 23rd, and depart on the 28th, arriving back here later in the day…” Iruka posed.

“Won’t people see through your plan?”

Iruka shrugged. “It’s a mission, so hopefully not. But leaving on the 23rd is far enough in advance it doesn’t look like I’m skipping town for it –”

“Though you are,” Kakashi laughed, and Iruka nodded.

“And I’m not back right after, so hopefully it’s fine,” Iruka repeated.

“And when your friends find out you got yourself an out of town mission and blame me and want to kill me for it?” Kakashi sighed.

“You know some of them.”

“Fine, when our friends want to kill me for it?”

Iruka shrugged. “It was bound to happen one day,” he teased. “Kidding! Mostly! I’ll make it work, you just keep this mission and don’t let anyone else take it!”

Kakashi sighed. “Fine, let’s just focus on this as a mission, and nothing else,” he posed, and Iruka nodded, turning the conversation more formally towards that.

__

Iruka was over the moon the next day when he could tell his friends that he had been called to a mission over his birthday.

“Yeah, so sad, a real shame, duty calls, work first,” he said, nodding as needed and putting on a supposedly brave face as they grumbled about it. He was appreciative, truly, that they did want to celebrate him and were bummed it could not be on the day itself.

“But when I’m back we’ll definitely have dinner that week, something chill to catch up, okay?” he gently suggested, exhaling in relief when they agreed without any argument. Iruka quickly excused himself, stating that he had to meet with Kakashi to plan more for the mission, making plans three more times with the jonin to get together to go over it before they were due to leave.

“This is hardly a detailed mission,” Kakashi gently told him. “Surely you’re not afraid of going into the field for it? I mean, we’re not even in the field, we’re staying in a village.”

Iruka laughed. “No, I’m fine, trust me. But it’s more time away from friends who might want to do something big before my birthday, just in case.”

“Using me again,” Kakashi dramatically sighed. “I should be compensated.”

“You should be,” Iruka agreed, to the other man’s surprise. “I’ll buy you a meal or two on the mission.”

“There’s a stipend already for that,” Kakashi flatly told him.

“Then I’ll buy a meal or two in Konoha.”

The copy nin shrugged. “Deal. And keep people from killing me over your lies.”

“I’ll do my best,” Iruka told him with a grin.

They soon found themselves departing the village in late morning of the 23rd, waving goodbye to Team Seven and Jiraiya, who had come to see them off at the west gate. The men hiked almost three hours to another village where they were to do countless and thankless errands and tasks, along with some minor collaboration on maps being created (all just topography, nothing confidential). They checked in with the daimyo and his council and were encouraged to get settled at an inn where they had a reservation, to return after some rest and lunch.

“We’re shinobi, we don’t need rest and lunch,” Kakashi grumbled as Iruka rolled his eyes.

“They’re practically fluffy indoor house cats, they think we do because they do, or would if they walked as much as we did,” Iruka mused as they walked.

“I hate cats,” Kakashi muttered, and Iruka laughed.

“I know, that’s why I went with them and not indoor dogs, which wouldn’t make sense anyway,” Iruka mused, as Kakashi snorted.

They found the inn to be on a cozy street and were shown to a shared room, as per usual on missions. Iruka offered Kakashi the choice of two beds given he was the team lead, and the jonin went for the one farthest from the door. He watched Iruka set up wards and seals in the room for privacy and security, pleased to find the other man taking this mission seriously even if it were to be working for fluffy house cats.

Kakashi snorted again.

The mission itself was as straightforward and both boring and slightly tedious as expected when being representatives of Konoha for another area. It made sense for Kakashi to be sent on it, Iruka thought to himself as he watched the jonin discuss maps with council members, given he was from such an esteemed clan. And for the copy nin to be accompanied by an academy teacher, well, people either didn’t even ask about Iruka’s job, or care. Or perhaps saw it as fitting as for the Hatake to be there, whichever.

Iruka was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, for as far as he was concerned, his mission of avoiding big birthday plans was a success, he thought, as he woke on the morning of the 26th, a smile on his face.

“A quiet birthday today, barely a birthday, even. Perhaps I’ll grab a small sweet later, splurge on a nice coffee or seasonal drink, but just being able to be alive, in good health, and a strong child of Konoha is enough for me, knowing I’ve got friends and a nice apartment back home!”

Of course, he wasn’t going to dare bring it up to Kakashi, for neither had mentioned it being his birthday mission since before they left Konoha. No, the man had done more than enough by letting Iruka tag along, the teacher told himself.

But…Kakashi acted strange throughout the day. They had breakfast at the inn as they had the last two mornings, but the jonin went to refill his own coffee cup and returned with a pastry on a small plate, putting it down in front of Iruka.

“What’s this?” Iruka asked as he sipped his own coffee.

Kakashi shrugged. “Just something they had out, last one so I snagged it for you.”

“Thanks. I admit, I didn’t see those up there earlier…”

The jonin shrugged again. “They said they switch things up daily. I can put it back…”

“No! No, thank you,” Iruka quickly told him, digging in after offering some to the other man. It was exactly what he wanted today, Iruka thought as they walked to work a short time later, a nice sweet treat that was a step up from what he might normally have. “Perfect!” he thought to himself. “What luck for Kakashi to get the last one!”

The morning continued with random errands and running around, the skies an unseasonal grey and the weather colder than usual for that time of year. The men discussed their preference for cooler weather than extreme heat, and how curious the weather was to suddenly be like that, but so long as it didn’t rain on their return home, who cared?

They had lunch with council members, as had occurred already once in that mission, and after Kakashi excused them under the pretense of needing to accomplish tasks for their Hokage.

“I just thought we could do with a break from them,” he whispered to Iruka as they started to wander the village, as admittedly they had only done a little in the evenings, as busy as they were during the day.

Iruka laughed and agreed, and they went wherever interested them. A used book shop, where Kakashi bought an Icha Icha for himself (“you can never have too many!”) and paid for Iruka’s selection (non Icha Icha). The teacher protested and offered to pay, but Kakashi just pointed to a sign stating that some books were buy one get one free, and that their choices fell under that.

“If I let you buy me an Icha Icha and Naruto hears about it, I’ll never live it down,” Kakashi sighed. “He’ll be convinced I’ve…I don’t know, corrupted you, or something like that.”

Iruka laughed and tucked his own book into his vest. “I suppose that’s true, though if he’s training with Jiraiya, surely he gives it some grace?”

“Nah, he calls him Pervy Sage for a reason,” Kakashi mused. “The bigger thing is, what does it say about us that our books fell under that discount?”

“Well, we did get them from the ‘last chance’ bin at a used bookstore,” Iruka laughed again.

“So we’re what, old? Old fashioned?”

“Perhaps…we have very good taste, but vintage,” Iruka offered. “I can’t complain, I’ve been meaning to read it for ages, just never got around to it.”

“Then let’s get to it,” Kakashi said, leading them to a café to sit and read. Iruka requested he buy them their drinks, as Kakashi had bought the books, and that he wouldn’t take no for an answer. The jonin relented and thanked him, and they sat in comfortable silence for an hour, reading, before returning to their mission tasks.

Later, they went back to the inn to freshen up before dinner, as they had helped with construction for obstacles in a training area for the local guards. Once showered and changed, the men headed out for dinner, as it was not offered by the inn.

Kakashi led them to a restaurant he said had been highly recommended, and Iruka was surprised to find it slightly nicer than usual. He commented as much to the jonin, who shrugged.

“It’s within mission parameters, so whatever,” Kakashi said, suggesting some items they consider trying.

But Iruka couldn’t shake the thought that something was amiss once they ordered, even if it was nice to have an upscale meal on his birthday. He remained silent about it, choosing moderately priced dishes that interested him, and declining dessert. However, when Kakashi told the server they’d have a piece of chocolate cake, lemon sorbet, and two coffees, Iruka felt something nudge his brain about it all. He shared his concern once more, and Kakashi sighed.

“Fine, fine. It’s part of my mission.”

Iruka frowned. “I don’t recall our mission covering something like this.”

“Not our mission, my mission,” Kakashi told him.

“What?” Iruka asked, but the jonin just shrugged. “You were assigned a second mission, during this?” he continued, not receiving a response.

The desserts and coffee arrived and the copy nin nudged the cake towards him.

“Are you sure?” Iruka asked.

“Part of my mission,” Kakashi said as some of his sorbet disappeared.

“Part of your mission,” Iruka murmured as he ate, pausing as it was really good cake. “What were the parameters?” he asked a moment later.

“Confidential.”

Iruka frowned around his cake. “Who assigned it?”

“Confidential.”

“Can I know anything about it? As your teammate on one mission, I’m not sure it’s ideal to be kept in the dark.”

“It was time sensitive,” Kakashi said. “And nearly done. Just a few hours left on it.”

“Hmm. Was it just for today?” Iruka asked.

“Yes.”

“Anything else I can know?”

Kakashi paused to consider it as he continued to ate, or at least his sorbet continued to disappear. “The cake was a very integral part of it.”

“Really?” Iruka asked, surprised, and the other man laughed. “Just for today…all day…and cake was important…” Iruka murmured, trailing off and blushing as realization hit him. “Thank you, for everything today. I’m sorry it was assigned to you.”

“It was fine, and nice, even,” Kakashi told him, surprised to find it was the truth. “Naruto would’ve killed me if I didn’t do anything for your birthday, but I don’t think he was part of the mission. I really don't know who requested it.”

“A birthday mission, how strange,” Iruka laughed. “Do I get to see the scroll for it?”

“No.”

“The report, when you’ve written it?”

“Also no.”

Iruka laughed. “I’ll just request it when it’s been filed, then.”

“I’ll make sure it’s above your security clearance,” Kakashi told him.

“Fair,” Iruka laughed again. “Just write the report in a timely manner, okay?”

“Will do,” Kakashi said with an eye smile. “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you,” Iruka replied, smiling into his cake.

“Naruto says happy birthday too, the whole team does,” the jonin told him, and Iruka smiled again. “Even Jiraiya, not that I know how he knew…”

“Naruto must have told him, he's too open sometimes,” the birthday boy laughed fondly.

“Fair enough. Jiraiya was actually really eager for me to take this mission.”

Iruka sipped his coffee. “Really?”

Kakashi nodded and drummed his fingers around his own cup. “Yeah, told me it would be good for me. A simple mission like this though? Being, what did you call it, indoor cats?”

Iruka laughed. “Fluffly indoor cats,” he corrected the other man, who rolled his eye. “Well, maybe he's right, you getting a simple, low stress mission, knock on wood,” he said, laughing again as he did just that on the tabletop between them. “It's good for someone like you to take it now and again.”

“Someone like me,” Kakashi bluntly repeated.

“Someone who's assigned intense, dangerous missions at any moment and works with a genin team.”

Kakashi sighed. “Yeah, the team is worst than most S-rank missions,” he commented, and the younger man laughed again.

“You think they're bad? Try a classroom of pre genin,” Iruka told him, picking his fork back up. Kakashi shuddered at the thought, and they spent the rest of the meal trading different stories of their students.

__

Their last day of the mission was as uneventful as the others had been, and on the 28th they dutifully headed back to Konoha. Anko was at the gate chatting with the guards there when the two arrived. She greeted them before pulling Iruka into a hug-turned-headlock, rubbing her knuckles on his head as he flailed embarrassingly in front of Kakashi before he could pull away. Curse her surprise strength when she wanted to be stubborn, he thought as he smoothed down his uniform, blushing at the other man chuckling at it all.

“Punk! You missed your birthday!” she scowled at him.

“I told you I had a mission,” Iruka reminded her with a frown.

“I thought you were lying!” she said, throwing her hands up in frustration.

“Way to show off your astute listening skills,” Kakashi teased her and she glared at him.

“And you! What do you think you were doing, taking him away for his birthday?”

The copy nin shrugged. “Doing just that. Taking him away on a mission.”

Anko scowled again. “Couldn’t anyone else have gone? It’s sus that he went during the academy year.”

“It was just that important,” Kakashi said, shrugging. “If the academy could release him to me, why shouldn’t he go?”

She narrowed her eyes at him for a long moment before shrugging herself. “Fine, whatever. Now that you’re back, we’re celebrating tomorrow,” she said to Iruka, before looking at Kakashi. “You too, oh esteemed teammate of his. You can buy the first round.”

“Anko!” Iruka hissed, mortified.

“Fine, fine,” she sighed. “You can buy him a drink or two, and perhaps one for me if you’re feeling generous.”

“I’ll buy you both a drink,” Kakashi agreed, and she smiled.

“I knew we were friends, Kakashi! Tomorrow at seven,” Anko told them, sharing that it would be at a popular restaurant-bar in the village. The men agreed and walked away, as Iruka sighed that he would at least hope the night out wouldn't be too over the top, seeing as he had told his friends they'd have dinner when he got back.

“Oh, the reports! When do you want to write them?” he asked.

“You mean the one report for our joint mission?” Kakashi corrected him, and Iruka grinned and put his hands behind his head like Naruto.

“It was worth a shot, but sure, yeah, the one.”

Kakashi considered it. It was Thursday, they were meeting with Iruka’s friends on Friday, so that left the weekend…though, he wasn’t sure if that was imposing on the teacher, or if the man had plans. “Monday afternoon? I could swing by after the academy.”

Iruka nodded. “That works, I have a free evening,” he agreed, and they soon parted ways. “See you tomorrow!” he called out, and Kakashi replied similarly.

Friday saw each man return to duty, so to speak. Iruka touched base with his students in the afternoon and with his substitute, and Kakashi met with Jiraiya and Team Seven to review what they had done.

In the evening, as agreed, the men separately made their way to the restaurant, with Iruka arriving first. He was pulled into many hugs by his friends just as Kakashi arrived, and the same friends turned on the jonin to, as with Anko, inquire about Kakashi’s need for Iruka. Fortunately they were friendlier about it than Anko had been, as she continued to grumble aloud about her distrust of the copy nin’s earlier intentions.

“Relax,” Genma sighed, and Kakashi was once again grateful that he was already on good terms with some of Iruka’s social circle, it seemed, for he and Genma and others were friends. “If Kakashi needed Iruka for a mission, he needed him for a mission. What, you think they went off on some romantic rendezvous?” he snorted, making others laugh as Iruka rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, and you think Naruto wouldn’t have fought tooth and nail to be on a mission with them if he could have?” Asuma added, laughing as well.

“Well, I hope there was no hankypanky on the mission,” Anko said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, but Iruka just rolled his eyes at her and Kakashi flipped her off. “Fine, fine, sue me that I want the birthday boy to get some action on his birthday.”

“Some of us are more mature than that,” Iruka teased her. “I had cake, that was good enough for me.”

“Is that what the kids are calling it these days?” someone called out, and Iruka sighed but laughed as well, and fortunately the conversation moved on.

It was a good night, with easy conversation, a few games, and lots of banter and jokes, Kakashi was happy to find. He hadn’t been sure if he was going to bail early, but found he stayed out with everyone, and wondered why Iruka hadn’t been out to other events and nights out their mutual friends organized. Kakashi shared as much with Asuma as the two walked home, their paths the same for part of the walk.

Asuma lit a new cigarette and inhaled deeply, exhaling a long plume of smoke before answering. “He does often enough, you just don’t always go out with us when that happens”

“Huh?”

Asuma shrugged. “You’d be on missions, or at home, or sometimes get there late and he’d have called it a night early. I get it, don’t get me wrong, we’ve all got high stress jobs and going out isn’t always easy to do. But yeah, he’s not a stranger to us, we’re all friends.”

“Huh,” Kakashi said again, more contemplatively this time, numbly responding as Asuma talked of something his team had done that week. They parted ways and Kakashi went home, continuing to think it over as he drank water and changed for bed.

Ultimately, he decided to think about it more another time as he had training with Jiraiya and Team Seven again the next day, as the older shinobi was leaving the village soon and Kakashi wanted to continue to fine tune some things with the kids with him. Any help with the genin was welcome!

Naruto came to training with a wide smile on his face, and not just because Jiraiya had brought the copy nin to training on time. No, he was eager to tell them that he went to see Iruka on his way this morning to drop off a birthday gift, and that he was taking Iruka out for their usual ramen birthday meal that night. He invited the others, and Sakura eagerly agreed. Sasuke tried to get out of it but as he had no real excuse, his teammates insisted he join them.

“For Iruka-sensei’s sake, fine,” the Uchiha sighed. “I guess there’s worse things to spend some mission pay on,” he said, for he knew their former teacher had been instrumental in his own shinobi journey thus far.

“That’s the spirit,” Jiraiya laughed. “But you know what, dinner is on me!”

“Wow! Really?” Naruto asked, surprised, and the man nodded and grinned.

“Sure, he’s a fine guy to celebrate. I don’t know if we’ll all fit at Ichiraku, and you know what, I haven’t been in Konoha for a while. Naruto, do you think it’s okay if we go somewhere else tonight, a little different, maybe something like barbeque?”

Kakashi snorted. “Defeats the whole ‘ramen for the birthday’ thing, no?”

But Naruto just nodded. “I think Iruka-sensei would be really flattered by that! I can’t usually afford it for us,” he admitted, but Sakura just smiled.

“Iruka-sensei always appreciates anything you do,” she assured him. “And he gets treated twice now, once by Jiraiya-san, and once by you!”

“Yeah!” Naruto agreed, cheered up. “Extra special!”

Satisfied, the group moved to start training, and Kakashi spoke to Jiraiya before he realized it.

“Treated more than twice,” the jonin mused.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, at least another two times. I was assigned to do some stuff for him on his birthday on the mission.”

Jiraiya laughed. “Is that so? How unique! Who assigned it?”

“I don’t know,” Kakashi admitted. “It was sent by messenger hawk the night before we left. It wasn’t a lot to do, and money was sent, so…” he trailed off, scratching his masked chin. “It was probably Naruto, doing something like that, not that I know how he swung it.”

“Fair enough,” the older man agreed. “I’ll have to include that in my next book or two, a mission in a mission in a mission.” He paused. “What was the other time he was treated?”

“Hmm?”

“You said at least two other times, for Iruka.”

“Oh,” Kakashi replied. “Some of his friends and our mutual friends took him out Friday, it was a nice time.”

Jiraiya looked at him in surprise. “You went?”

“Yeah, I was invited,” Kakashi said, shrugging and watching the genin move into stances. “It was fun, decent.”

“Huh,” Jiraiya mused, studying him for a long moment before joining the genin to train. “Interesting…”

__

The meal was a nice time, Iruka being very surprised and flattered to be treated to a nicer than expected meal. They sat at a rectangular table, with Naruto on one side, Iruka between he and Sasuke. Kakashi sat across from Sasuke, with Sakura between he and Jiraiya. Conversation flowed easily as they ate, with Iruka and Kakashi sharing some events from their mission.

“Largely uneventful, really,” Kakashi concluded, both omitting anything about Iruka’s birthday or Kakashi’s “other” mission.

“We could’ve gone,” Naruto pouted.

“It was for two experienced shinobi,” the copy nin said, shrugging.

“I’m sure only because it was for a daimyo, and there was pomp and circumstance to uphold,” Iruka gently added. “You three aren’t quite there yet, enjoy it while you can,” he added, making the adults laugh. Sakura nodded, Sasuke rolled his eyes, and Naruto shrugged.

“He’s right, too many formalities can get in the way of everything else,” Jiraiya agreed. “Sounds like you were a good fit for Kakashi for the mission.”

Iruka smiled. “I tried my best.”

“It sounds like he was on his best behavior with you,” Sakura mused, glancing at her teacher. “Not like with us, being on his own plane of time, reading whenever he wants…”

Iruka laughed. “He was the team lead, we can trust Kakashi-sensei to be professional.”

“Good to know he’s capable of it and we get the short end,” Sasuke grumbled.

“Perhaps Iruka brings out the best in him,” Jiraiya mused as he swirled his cup. “That makes a good team, a good foundation in life.”

“Kakashi-sensei has us for a team, he doesn’t need Iruka-sensei! No offense,” Naruto added, and was playfully nudged by his former teacher.

“None taken,” Iruka said, catching Kakashi’s eye and smiling and rolling his own eyes.

“Need and want aren’t the same,” Jiraiya posed. “It’s good to know who’s good for and with you in life, who you want to choose.”

“For a team?” Naruto asked.

“Yes, for all kinds of teams, and partners” Jiriaya agreed, smiling. Sakura giggled, and Sasuke sighed. “Speaking of teams, why don’t you three tell Iruka here about our in-village mission that led us around Konoha for a whole day?” he suggested, sitting back as the three did just that, talking over each other.

Jiraiya paid their bill when they were done and the group went their separate ways, with Iruka and Naruto making plans for ramen the next day, Kakashi and Jiraiya making their own plans together.

Throughout all of Sunday, here and there, Iruka and Kakashi thought of what Jiraiya had said, that they had made a fine enough team for such an easy mission, hadn’t they? Not argued, or been formal, just commiserated over the boring components of it and were comfortable.

“I might be making too much out of nothing,” Iruka thought as he sat later with the book Kakashi had bought him. “After all, he did have a mission about me to complete, he was just doing his job. Though…he seemed to take it in stride, I think?” He shrugged. “It was fine, fun, our time together. We’ll write the report tomorrow and when I see him around, I see him around.” Iruka paused. “Though….we do have some mutual friends, and it was nice to have a night out with them and him, so perhaps we’ll see each other more…” Iruka paused again and shook his head. “Anko’s in my head, that’s all.” He looked at his book. “Good thing you’re not a romance book, eh?” he laughed as he opened it to where he had left off.

Kakashi fared similarly, thinking again about Jiraiya’s words at the team meal as well as that night at their own shared meal. Jiraiya had shared plot points of a friends to lovers book he was working on, bantering with the younger man about what was realistic and what was too far fetched.

“They can work together well but not be direct colleagues,” Kakashi suggested. “Otherwise why didn’t they get together earlier?”

Jiraiya shrugged. “They’re in different areas of the business, and spending time together in new ways gave them a new outlook on each other. Saw them in a different light.”

“That doesn’t happen.”

“Doesn’t it?” the author challenged. “When I worked with your team, Naruto made more progress at first on a jutsu than Sakura did, and she admitted that he was getting stronger than she thought. Not that she’s head over heels for him and not Sasuke, but she could see where his training is starting to take him, can see things in him she didn’t see before, or even wanted to, perhaps. Can’t that happen for adults for romance?”

“I suppose,” the copy nin conceded. “I’m just not sure the readers will buy it.”

“I’ll flesh it out, of course, it won’t be love at first sight,” Jiraiya laughed. “Though, if they’ve known each other for some time, that could make it a bit more believable rather than total strangers.”

Kakashi nodded then and nodded now at his own apartment. It was, he thought, a bit like he and Iruka. Knew each other, but not a mission together, just them, since…well, he didn’t want to think about it. Ages ago, really. It wasn’t the most grueling mission by a long shot, but he had been glad to have someone like Iruka with him, who could prompt him to play nice with the bigwigs, make comments under his breath to ease tension for Kakashi, and give him space when needed, seeing as they had been spending all their time together for several days.

He glanced at the mission report for his own mission he had to write, still wondering who had assigned it to him.

“You weren’t bad, really,” Kakashi told it as he sat to write it. “It ended up being fun, even, like a little game to figure out. And even celebrating his birthday what, two more times, those were nice. More than I usually do in a typical week, going out a bunch, but it was nice, refreshing, even.”

Kakashi started to write the report, pausing as he was lost in thought, Jiraiya’s story idea running through his mind. “I wonder…”

_____

Monday came and brought a new week with his students, so Iruka put all thoughts of his birthday and Kakashi out of his mind. It was more tiresome than he wanted it to be, having his kids return from adjusting to a substitute, though many were glad for him to be back. And any Monday could be a lot overall!

Truthfully, Iruka had even forgotten about writing the report with the jonin until the other man showed up ten minutes after the kids had been dismissed.

“Oh, right, let me clear space,” Iruka said, hurrying to move things off his desk. They sat across from each other as they discussed points to write, the teacher offering to do the actual writing.

“Almost done,” Iruka said, passing it to Kakashi to review. He did just that and signed it, with Iruka doing the same.

“Now we just have to debrief from it,” the copy nin posed, rolling the scroll up and tucking it into his vest.

“What?” Iruka asked, confused. “It wasn’t that big of a mission, I thought.”

Kakashi shrugged. “Hokage wants to speak to us about it,” was all he could say, and Iruka nodded, feeling more relaxed when he learned there was no rush.

“I’ll just finish up here and we can go, give me like half an hour?” Iruka asked, for he had no grading to do, just organizing of papers. Kakashi agreed but offered to help him sort, to the teacher’s surprise, and they did just that together, heading to the Hokage sooner than expected.

There, Sarutobi read the report and nodded, asking different questions about the daimyo and his court, as well as some maps that had been brought back by the men.

“Good, a successful mission, and good teamwork,” he said when he had all the information needed. “The daimyo spoke highly of my representatives.”

Iruka smiled and bowed. “We appreciate it, Hokage-sama,” he replied, and Kakashi nodded and bowed as well. The men were soon dismissed, and exited the man’s office, walking downstairs together.

“So, congrats on another successful mission,” Iruka laughed. “Even if it was a simple one.”

Kakashi shrugged. “I’m starting to think simple missions might not be bad. How about I buy you dinner, as a thanks for being such a good teammate?”

Iruka laughed again. “Oh, you don’t have to. I was just doing my part.”

“I insist.”

“Then sure,” Iruka agreed, smiling. “Careful, or I might want to always be on your team if I get a free meal after.”

Kakashi shrugged again as they neared the exit to the street. “Or, I can take you out for another meal this week, make a proper date out of it. Unrelated to missions or work.”

Iruka looked at him in surprise and blushed, smiling. “I’d like that. We can talk about it more over dinner tonight, as these walls have ears,” he laughed, and Kakashi nodded.

“Ah, hold on, I have to turn in another report,” the jonin remembered, pulling out his second scroll.

“I’ll drop it off for you,” Jiraiya said, as he stepped through the doorway. “I’m heading upstairs anyway to finish some things.”

“Thanks,” Kakashi said, passing it to him. “To the Hokage, please.” Jiraiya nodded and the younger shinobi continued on their way, Kakashi laughing as Iruka asked if that was about his second mission. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the jonin said, steering them to one of his favorite quiet eateries.

Jiraiya went straight to the Hokage’s office, grinning as he waved Kakashi’s report. “Guess what I have!”

And while Iruka and Kakashi had an informal first date and made plans for their official first date (or second, however one wanted to look at it), Jiraiya and the Hokage had a drink and toasted their own handiwork for how their creating and planning of two missions had been a success to bring the men together.

“After all, we couldn’t pass up on a chance to play Cupid for two people we care about,” Jiraiya mused. “It’s just like in my next book…”