Hello, back again and this time with a slightly cliqued plot. I'm not certain if this one should be continued in posting. It was supposed to be short but it quickly evolved into a bit of a monster that won't end.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor any of it's characters, I am just borrowing them.

Chapter ONE~~~

Iruka sighed dejectedly, his body slumping against the tree he was perched in. He had never felt so tired; not a physical tiredness but a tiredness of the soul.

He wasn't entirely sure how he ended up here; well not physically here, he knew how he got 'here'. It was his path of life that he was uncertain of. He was currently slumped against a tree poised above a dying rogue ninja from the Earth Country. He was waiting until the ANBU got closer to move on.

Dodging them was half the battle, they're rather notorious for stabbing him in the back since he too went rogue.

He gave another tired sigh and reluctantly pulled himself to his feet. Despite his rogue ninja status and the weariness in his soul, he has no plans on dying anytime soon. He flicked back a loose strand of hair from his coal black eyes and leapt away.

The ANBU were trying to encircle him again and if he didn't move now he'd have to fight them again. He knows they're still a bit sore about the last time.

But to be fair, they started it.

He was just minding his own business, killing Konoha's enemies and living on the boarder of the Fire Country when they decided to attack him. He had to defend himself and the preplanned traps hurt several of the ANBU's pride.

But really, was he the only ninja in the Fire Country that did background checks on his enemies? They would have known of his penchant for humiliating traps if they had looked at his records. Hardly his fault they wound up coated in honey and feathers. Then attacked by bees.

He sighed heavily again, suppressing his aura to as close to non-existent as ninja-ly possible. He stooped in a tree, watching the aura of the ANBU pass with his mind's eye before moving on.

For the last few months he had been camping out at an abandoned shrine a few kilometers north west of here. He placed a few traps down behind him as he meandered home.

He really wished they'd quit hunting him, after all what had he done to them? Other than the traps, which was entirely out of his hands. They stumbled into them on their own. Well... the third time was their fault.

The first time was when he initially went rogue and the second was when he was wounded by a rogue Water ninja and the jerks stabbed him while they were apprehending the water ninja. Completely deserved that one, in his opinion.

When he finally arrived home he wasn't too surprised by the aura waiting for him.

He had been sent after Iruka almost immediately; Iruka believed he volunteered for the job. When they did finally run into each other, they had managed to save each other before Iruka dropped a chakra depleted Kakashi by the guards and tormenting the ANBU some more.

Kakashi drifted out to the small porch, his lone stormy grey eye piercing the thick foliage to where Iruka was crouched. He gave a jaunty salute as he ambled over.

"Yo, Iruka sensei." He greeted softly, and Iruka nodded back.

"Hello, Kakashi san, I wasn't entirely expecting you. I thought your mission was suppose to last a few more days." Kakashi had since gained a rather grudging respect for the chuunin level rogue that gradually turned into admiration. After being assisted a couple times he had begun informing Iruka of when he was going on missions and when he could he expected to return.

"I found myself bored and completed it early." Kakashi smiled and gave a false laugh.

"I see." Iruka stated tiredly, his head tipping back to the tree trunk behind him. He shifted back to lean more fully against it. "I'm surprised more people don't find your need to be outside the village so often somewhat suspicious."

"I'm sure they do, but I'll them play-guess at what my reasoning is." Kakashi then turned an evaluating gaze on him, his eye flicking over the slightly haggard figure. Kakashi adjusted the black shirt slightly, dusting off one particularly dirty patch. "Maa, Iruka sensei, you're really letting yourself go."

"I only own two sets of clothes and most of the rivers are littered with ANBU." Iruka gave a non-committal shrug, his eyes falling closed.

"I keep telling the Lady Hokage she needs to pick them up, they're really wrecking havoc on the ecology." Kakashi bantered, watching carefully for Iruka's response; which was a soft chuckle and a minor upwards tug on his lips. His closed eyes crinkled slightly but the face fell flat within nanoseconds.

"Indeed, indeed, Kakashi san." Iruka murmured, falling reluctantly asleep. It wasn't often he fell asleep on Kakashi, but after their past scuffles they had come to rely on each other.

Kakashi gave a concerned sigh as he gently scooped up Iruka, moving him to the shrine. He was grateful for having time to observe him like this.

He had never known Iruka well enough to be able to tell when he had started his withdrawal from society and reached this self destructive point, but he was trying to tell if he was going to have to keep a more watchful eye on him. Kakashi knew Naruto would come back from his training and be able to convince the stalwart teacher to rejoin the village and that Tsunade would take him back.

None of the ANBU orders had yet to include killing him on sight.

He sighed and moved to the high pitched roof of the shrine, his mind venturing back to when he had been first sent to find Iruka.

Kakashi leapt through the forest as quick as he could, when the duo had returned to the village, injured and calling for Tsunade, he had been summoned.

He wasn't able to get the whole story but apparently this was Iruka's handiwork; he had been sent with them on a mission and had just now worked up the courage to attack them and try to steal their mission report and lives.

Kakashi didn't know Iruka well but he knew that Naruto would never hold such a person so dearly if this was true character. He had begged Tsunade to let him go, see if he couldn't discern what was going on.

Tsunade had relented and sent him on. However Iruka had several hours and kilometers on him and if Kakashi didn't hurry, Tsunade would have no choice but to declare him a rogue ninja and add him to their BINGO books.

In the first kilometer he come across Iruka's uniform, the slashed hitai-ate, the slashed and partially scorched chuunin vest, he had even abandoned his tabi. The only things he kept were weapons.

'Obviously had already planned this...'

He did eventually catch up with Iruka but he knew it was a trap he was walking into. Iruka was standing on the opposite edge of a clearing, his dark eyes blank and staring listlessly into Kakashi's soul.

Kakashi barely suppressed a shiver at the empty gaze.

"Iruka sensei, what is the meaning of this?"

"Boredom mostly." Iruka tilted his head and gave a short shrug, although Kakashi growled at the smirk curling Iruka's lips. "Why are you here Kakashi san?"

"I'm here to figure out what you're doing. Do you not realize how much information you hold or how many people you're leaving behind?" Kakashi's blood was boiling at the smirk. "What would Naruto think? His teammate goes rogue now his teacher?"

"Naruto's a big boy, he doesn't need me anymore." Iruka scowled and shook his head, "beside it's rogue teacher now."

"Iruka sensei-"

"Iruka san, or even Umino would work. I'm not a teacher anymore." Iruka quickly corrected.

"Iruka sensei," Kakashi drawled trying to push his buttons, "you're delusional to think Naruto suddenly no longer wants you in his life. I haven't been his teacher in years and he still clings to me whenever he's home."

"Good for you Kakashi san." Both their eyes flicked back the way Kakashi had come from. The ANBU were closing in. "Well, good bye Kakashi san. I must be off." He gave a mock salute before back flipping into the tree line.

"Iruka!" Kakashi roared, rushing forward.

His clone poofed from existence as it was hit by a barrage of kunai. He scowled and rushed on, barely dodging the explosive tags pinned up in the trees.

He got caught in one exceptionally large blast and tried to ride in forward, barely managing to tuck properly before colliding roughly with the ground.

'Dammit.' He rolled again for good measure and came up running, pushing up his hitai-ate to better detect the traps.

He almost missed an old fashion log trap rigged up without any chakra enhancements. When he rolled out of the way he was blown passed by five hunter ANBU.

"Wait! Watch out!" Kakashi called a second too late.

The ANBU crossed several zigzagging wires that released a hailstorm of unidentifiable kunai like knives. A second wave of knives flashed in, colliding with the flash knives.

The area was coated in a plume of white, that they'd realize later was flour.

"Poison!"

"How did he acquire so much!" The ANBU panicked, already starting to retreat.

Kakashi was just outside the cloud of white and was staring in shock at the trap, he knew that day, that Iruka wasn't one to be underestimated.

While he might not be as fast or have the chakra supplies that most jounin have, he has the intelligence and the skill that more than make up for it. He didn't need jutsu to kill enemies, just a bit of flour and a spark.

Kakashi was pulled from his reveries when he felt a ninja closing in. Iruka had long since learned to sleep with his chakra masked and was excellently hidden.

However Kakashi moved away, not wanting the other ninja to wake him up. If he did wake up he might have to fight them off and find a new shelter.

"KAKASHI! MY YOUTHFUL AND HIP RIVAL! Where are you running to now?"

Kakashi slowed down, letting Gai catch up. He ignored him as he came up beside him and then both turned for Konoha.

"Kakashi! You have been roaming these forest like a wraith! What has my Hip and Cool rival discovered out here in this Dark and Mysterious forest, I wonder!" Gai shouted and Kakashi was glad he had opted to move away. There was no way anyone could sleep through a Gai speech.

"Huh? Oh, I didn't notice you there Gai. When did you get here?" Kakashi stated boredly, giving him a 'he' eyed smile.

"AH! MY HIP AND COOL RIVAL, YOU HAVE DEFEATED ME AGAIN!" Gai shouted, his face shifting to that of unabashed and completely disbelieving awe.

"Did you want something, Gai?" Kakashi sighed internally, trying to see if he could go back and give Iruka a proper goodbye.

"Yes, I have been sent by Tsunade." He slipped easily to serious, his eyes becoming piercing as he studied his friend and rival.

"I see, well then shall we get going?" Kakashi motioned towards the village and leapt into the trees.

"I was being serious Kakashi, you have been more withdrawn since you and that ANBU force had been sent after those missing ninja. The ones that Umino had half killed before you gotten there."

"I have no idea what you're talking about Gai." Kakashi stated icily; he knew exactly what happened there. That was when he had taken to informing Iruka of when he was going on missions. He couldn't reveal any mission details but he could artfully navigate Iruka to the mission objective.

"What happened out there, my eternal rival?" Gai asked softly, much softer than most people ever thought he could be.

"We got the rogue ninja but Iruka sensei got away."

"... You shouldn't call him Iruka sensei any more. It'll make you hesitate..." Gai's intelligent eyes narrowed as he took in Kakashi's sullen appearance. "That's why you're out isn't, trying to find and capture him?"

"No Gai, I'm not." Kakashi gave a loud sigh, shaking his head. "I just want to get some fresh air."

Gai could detect the hint of truth Kakashi had injected into the statement and while his mind would keep working on the puzzle he had silently agreed to drop the subject, Kakashi was clearly not going to let this secret slip so easily.

If you all want, I'll keep posting but this one is kindda for me. It was just going to keep gnawing on my soul until I unleased it. So please tell me if you want more or not.