Title: Click
Author: icefalcon
Character: Iruka main, mild Kakashi/Iruka.
Rating: PG-13
Category: Crossover, Naruto/Saiyuki
Warnings: sanzo!Iruka. No real spoilers, general series knowledge of both worlds.
Disclaimer: Belongs to Minekura Kazuya and Masahi Kishimoto.

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CLICK - went the lighter.

"Shit," he spat quietly. Again, louder. "Shit."

A controlled exhalation sent bitter smoke ripping through the air.

- Iruka pacing forwards, rusty sneer standing out all red black and pale on a bruised mouth -

He wrapped a defensive arm around his waist, staring at the limp sutra that lay at his feet.

- careless bone linen flowing, unbound hair whipping under crown and cloth, leather protesting a mad defiance -

Shit. Iruka kicked at the body-wreck in front of him. No movement issued, and several quick kunai flickering ensured that there never again could be.

- weight almost settling across his shoulders, unsealing an awareness held apart for too long -

He straightened, shaking out his sleeves, and grudgingly chanted a few short words around his cigarette. Some things should be done properly.

- hidden worries of late, too late, furious drive to protect, rising anger, all twisting together into a final savagely blind smile backwards -

Iruka let himself hear stirrings of life around him.

- Oh? And what are you supposed to be, little one? The demon's amusement, diverted, trickling down from a lofty distance. The last resort of a dying village? -

He could hear patches of silence where something should be stirring, but nothing was.

- Come and see - a furious glare putting the flames of hell to tepid shame -

'Iruka-sensei?' Naruto's voice eased a small knot of tension. A voice was a life, and Naruto's was safe.

- Iruka! No! Kakashi's startled, battle-tense voice cut off, swiped aside with a rapidly ruthless demon assault -

A larger knot remained.

- placing hands together - jounin pushed aside -

Lives… these things should be done properly - a chant for the living.

- the demon's disbelieving laugh - chakra pushed aside -

A chant for those of his he hoped somehow still were.

- letting it all go, and carrying only the hellfire forward -

The life-voices behind him fell silent as he raised his own again, purifying words of burning coal coalescing into pale gold substance, restoring an unexpected lost brilliance to those left to hear it.

- the hissing stir of something old, strong like darkness and stars, immensely deeper than chakra, coiling through the air –

Pale gold words, cold and clear, blending life over death, finally trailing off as Iruka listened.

- murmured words of newly cautious poison, join him, serve him, he would grant all desires, eternal life, would protect him, save him, give him what he deserved, what he needed -

Listened for one patch of silence he didn't want to hear.

- pausing. I don't need a damn thing from you. not looking to the unmoving nin -

He was afraid that he was already hearing it.

- slurred chanting, rising insistently in merciless volume -

He hurriedly lit another cigarette, wormwood trails fading.

- tearing open the abyss inside -

Cigarettes burned too quickly.

- 'Makai Tenjyo!' –

Once his last burned down, he had to face more than ash stains.

- eyelashes startlingly distinct against skin, closing his eyes, soul-searing sutra radiance thrashing around him -

'Iruka…' Kakashi, hoarsely.

- sutra entwining, reaching, shattering through cracks in demonic form, shrieks of panic echoing through the shroud of the word -

Kakashi.

- shrieks turning to screams, screams of salt and blood -

Kakashi.

- The sun rising – and silence.

'Ah, shit,' Iruka breathed finally, flicked the cigarette to the side and stood to face the precious things behind him.