The Light in the Dark [ENGLISCH/GB]

2

Incredulous, Tenzou looked at Kakashi and then had to laugh softly. "Are you serious?" he then asked, wiping a tear of laughter from his eyes. "You are both just idiots and blind when it comes to love." he said, and took a sip of water from his bottle before his eyes slipped towards Sakura and Naruto. "No wonder it took him so long to realise how Hinata felt about him...with such teachers" he grinned before his gaze slipped back to Kakashi.
"You've been in love with Iruka since you first saw him, because something has changed in your gaze. He said that and Kakashi waved. "You imagined it. Apart from a rather friendly relationship, there is no connection between Iruka and me. We both helped Naruto. ...to become who he is, but that's all there is to what we have in common. Kakashi said seriously and looked at Tenzou. "It's time for you to go to sleep. I'll take the watch," the Rokudaime ordered, and the Anbu shook his head with a slight grin before he lay down and closed his eyes.

-*-

In the meantime in Konoha:
Iruka was now well tipsy and together with Izumi, Kotetsu and Genma he laughed a lot. It was the first time in a really long time that he had felt so weightless and also a little carefree. Was it the company of 3 or alcohol? The Chu-Nin just decided not to think about it and just enjoy it.
Only late at night or early in the morning was he accompanied home by Genma. "You can really drink away" laughed Gen and Iruka looked at him. "I... have... but... I have... so much..." Genma shook her head with a grin and when they arrived at Iruka's house, he unlocked the flat for him and put him to bed. "Sleep it off... I'll tell the academy you'll be late." Said Gen even though he didn't know if Iruka would remember that the next day and as careful as he was, he wrote it down on a piece of paper, put it on the bedside table with a glass of water and a headache tablet. Iruka was already snoring peacefully and so he covered him up, opened the window slightly and finally left.

The next morning the brown-haired teacher woke up with a buzzing skull, but immediately saw the headache tablet and the water, which he immediately took both and then saw the note from Genma. How much had he drunk yesterday, please? A glance at his watch told him that it was already noon, so he simply decided to turn around and close his eyes. He had never not been to the academy before in his entire career as a teacher there, so he was able to take a day off quietly. Besides, the Rokudaime wasn't there, so at least today there wouldn't be much trouble for that either. After he had finally slept it off, he got up, went to shower and got dressed. Shit, he had forgotten to go shopping! So he had to eat at Ichiraku's for dinner, for better or worse. Anything else would probably be too heavy for him. Iruka sighed, just today when he had absolutely no desire for the other scythes, he briefly put his forehead against the cupboard door and cursed himself inwardly for not having said no yesterday! But he had often put off the 3 and so he had simply had a bad conscience to do it again, that he had just agreed to do it. Sighing, he put on his shoes and slowly walked out the door to make his way to Ichiraku, on the way he thankfully met no one who really knew him. Also in Ichiraku he was alone today and for that he was really grateful, he really did not feel like going to the academy for a consultation with the other teachers, why he had not been at the academy today.

So two days passed and Iruka spent teaching the new students the rules of the academy and the first basics for a good shinobi. Somewhere in the background he realized that the Rokudaime and his companions were back again and he hoped that nobody told them about his slip.
Iruka sat in the teachers' room and continued to correct the essays and drank coffee.

-*-

After they had finished the meeting quite quickly, they were back in Konoha after only 3 days, counting the day of departure. Immediately his way led him to the Hoka Tower, where he was received by Shikamaru. "There were no incidents of any kind in your absence." He said and took Kakashi's bag off, which he finally put aside in the office and the Hokage sat down at his desk, sighing, where there was still a pile of papers.
"Did everything really go smoothly," he asked and Shikamaru nodded, it wasn't his place to tell Kakashi that the most popular teacher at the Academy had taken a day off, to be honest, it was none of his business either. "But you should call it a night. You can still do the paperwork tomorrow..." Kakashi smiled, looked up and waved away. "Oh, I'll finish them quickly today...Tomorrow the next stack will be here for sure. But you go home, Temari will be waiting for you." And so Shikamaru said goodbye to his boss and made his way home.
Within an hour, Kakashi had finished the aforementioned pile and then actually went home. Hungry, he set off for Ichiraku, something he missed every time he wasn't in Konoha. On the way there, he saw a naruto with Hinata's favourite flowers going to the Hyuuga estate, and a sakura joyfully embraced Sasuke as he appeared before her. It was somehow beautiful and reassuring to see how grown up the 3 had become. Over the next few years, he would set about pushing Naruto a bit harder so that he could have the post of hoka next. He had only accepted the post temporarily, as Tsunade wanted to retire and Naruto was not yet ready for it. After all, he had still been half a child, even if it hadn't looked like that.

Finally, sighing, he lowered himself onto one of the stools near Ichiraku and ordered his favourite rams as he saw Iruka on his left side. "Oops, good evening Iruka-Sensei" he greeted him with a smile and saw how the other one was apparently startled by his thoughts. "Oh good evening Kakashi-Sama" he greeted him and Kakashi laughed. "When did you become so polite? We can just stick to our names." He said and saw Iruka blushing slightly, which he thought was kind of cute.
The brown-haired man scratched his cheek in embarrassment and then looked at his ramen again. "Sorry...I guess it was just a reflex. How was the summit?" he asked and felt Kakashi sighing, "Exhausting...but we managed to settle a few more agreements between the villages and to conclude another trade agreement for Konoha...All of this...When I see how Naruto deals with the other Kage, I'm happy that he will get the post in the next few years. It is only thanks to him that we have such good relations. He spoke honestly and directly. "And we owe that to you... Has anyone ever thanked you for that? That you put him on the right track?" Kakashi said and could make out a somewhat surprised face. "I didn't... do anything special." Iruka said. "I was just there... after all... we both know very well what it's like to grow up without parents." And now it was Kakashi who laughed softly and really only for a fraction of a second. "You have done so much more than just being there...And for that I thank you as Kakashi and as Hokage." He said honestly and looked into the more than blushed and surprised face. Really cute! The grey-haired man thought to himself.