Chapter 1 - Lucky in Love

Lucky in Love

A ten-year-old Kakashi wrinkled his nose slightly under the mask as the twelfth girl on the training grounds today shoved a box of chocolates into his hands before running off embarrassedly, a blush covering her giggling face. He sighed and went to go place the gift in the pile by a tree. If he had had his way, he wouldnt be here right now, but Sensei had insisted that he train even if it was Valentines Day, which Kakashi knew was the best day to stay in bed in order to avoid the outside world of rabid fan girls. He knew he would be swarmed  it happened every year. And Im sure Sensei knows it too&



Another hour and ten boxes of chocolate later, Kakashi gave up. It was clear he wasnt going to get any training done with these constant interruptions. He gathered up all twenty-two boxes of chocolate, balancing them carefully on top of each other. Then, he made his way to Irukas house.

An excited nine-year-old opened the door, and his eyes widened in surprise as he was greeted by the older boy chin-high in chocolate boxes.

For you, Kakashi sighed wearily.

Iruka knew Kakashi didnt like sweets, and all of those boxes of chocolate were making his mouth water a little as he imagined how good theyd taste melting on his tongue. He helped Kakashi with the boxes once the chuunin had entered the house, while his parents exchanged looks in the kitchen.

After the chocolate had been put away, Kakashi and Iruka wandered out into the village. The original plan had been to stay inside Irukas house where they would be left alone, but the Uminos had shooed them out after a while, partly to encourage them to do something besides sit around the house, and partly to get Iruka away from the boxes of chocolate he had been devouring. Oh well. It was boring in there anyway.

They headed over to the Yellow Flashs house instead, but were surprised to find it empty. On the kitchen table, Kakashi found a note for him.

Kakashi-kun,

Sandaime called all the jounin for a meeting this afternoon. Afterwards Im going to the sushi bar downtown for lunch. If you get this in time, you and Iruka-kun are welcome to join me. If not, Ill be home by five.

-Sensei

P.S- Save one of the boxes of chocolate you get for me.



He shouldnt have trouble getting his own chocolate, Kakashi grumbled to himself.

Is this why he made me go out?



Lets go meet Sensei! Iruka said excitedly.

The chuunin smirked at his friends enthusiasm.

Okay, he agreed.

They left the house and started walking through the village. The scar on Irukas face wrinkled slightly with the younger boys grin. Suddenly, he bolted forward, leaving the chuunin behind him.

Race you, Kakashi! he called out.

The silver-haired boy accepted the challenge and ran after him.

You know youre gonna lose, Iruka! he yelled, I always beat you!

He began closing in on him quickly, but his plans for victory were soon thwarted by an inconveniently placed stone in the road. The chuunin went down, lying for a moment in shock on the ground as he could not remember the last time he had tripped and fallen. He picked himself up embarrassedly and was about to resume his chase after Iruka (the other boy hadnt seen his fall and was now getting a good head start), when he heard a soothing voice behind him.

Oh! Are you okay?

He turned around to see a tall kunoichi wearing a jounin vest and standard ninja uniform. Her headband shone brightly on her forehead, tied around long black hair that flowed down to her waist.

Im fine, maam, Kakashi replied politely.

Such a cute boy! Whats your name?

Hatake Kakashi.

Well, Kakashi-kun, do you mind if I take care of that knee of yours?

The chuunin blinked at her and looked down to see his right knee dripping blood from the scrape he had gotten when he fell. He had felt the sting, but the boy was used to small injuries and had ignored it.

Its okay- he started, but the kunoichi was already on her knees with a small first aid kit that she had pulled out of her pouch.

This will only take a second, she assured him.

Kakashi sighed but didnt protest. He looked off in the direction Iruka had run. That boy was going to rub it in his face later once he declared himself the winner.

There. All done, the woman said, standing up.

It had been quick indeed. The jounin had cleaned his wound and bandaged it nicely. She put her kit away and smiled down at Kakashi. The boy bowed quickly and thanked her before running off in the direction of the restaurant. The kunoichis emerald green eyes followed him before she turned to make her way down the opposite side of the road.

Kakashi arrived at the sushi bar, out of breath. He found his friend standing outside, waiting for him to catch up before entering and meeting with Sensei. Iruka greeted him with a smug smile.

Bout time you got here!

Kakashi frowned at him.

Dont get so cocky. I fell&

Iruka ignored him.

I won! I won! I beat a chuunin!

Kakashi sighed and shook his head.

Can we just go find Sensei now?

The Yellow Flash was sitting on a stool near the chef who was busily cutting up sushi. Beside him sat a woman with short reddish brown hair who was leaning forward on her stool with her head propped up on one hand, busily chatting away with the blonde man. He seemed to be enjoying himself, Kakashi noticed, but something about that woman stealing all his attention set off a jealous spark in his stomach that he refused to acknowledge at first.

He followed Iruka as the younger boy approached the two adults. Sensei didnt see him until the academy student hugged the man around the waist by way of greeting. The womans eyebrows arched in surprise as Iruka laughed at having successfully snuck up on someone who was so famous for his incredible ninja skills.

Got you! he laughed.

Oh, hello Iruka-kun, the man laughed nervously.

The woman blinked at him.

You have kids?

Oh no, hes not mine&This is Iruka. Hes a friend of Kakashis, my foster son.

So you do have kids! the woman exclaimed, though her lips twisted slightly.

Yes, Im his guardian. More like a live-in sensei, really. Ive been training Kakashi-kun since he was tiny. Isnt that right? he asked his student sweetly.

Kakashi frowned. There was something wrong with Sensei. He was acting different somehow. Whatever it was, he didnt like it. And he didnt like this woman. What was she doing to him? Using some kind of jutsu? No one messed with Sensei. Thats it- she had to go.

Yep, Kakashi chimed suddenly, putting on a fake smile, Ive lived with Sensei a long time! Its just him, me, and the dogs!

Dogs?

The womans face twisted into a frown, and she wrinkled her nose a bit. It was just the type of sign Kakashi had been waiting for.

Yeah. Want to meet them?

N-no, honey. Thats-

It was too late. Kakashi had already slipped his thumb under the bandage on his knee were a tiny bit of blood remained. He formed the hand seals and summoned the dogs&right on the womans lap.

Before she knew it, eight nindogs were piled on top of her. The weight of the largest one knocked her off her stool to the floor. The smaller ones sniffed her and wandered around the restaurant. Pakkun looked to Kakashi who gave him a wink. The pug grinned and stuck up a leg.

The Yellow Flashs face switched from pale from horror to red from embarrassment and back again when he saw his conversation partner on the floor covered in dog slobber and urine, screaming and cursing the animals before running off from the restaurant in tears. Heads from all over the restaurant turned to stare at Iruka and Kakashi, who were dying from laughter. Iruka collapsed and started rolling around on the floor till his sides hurt. Kakashi was happily petting the Ninken as a reward for a job well done&until he felt Senseis death glare upon him.

Kakashi&

The chuunin gulped.

Um&whoops?

The silence that came after was scarier than any words the Yellow Flash could have spoken. He and the sushi chef bought held identical glares; okay maybe Senseis was a little bit scarier, but it was enough to make Kakashi cuddle Pakkun and attempt a puppy dog look, something he never did. In fact, it failed quite horribly and left the chuunin mentally begging Iruka for help.

A fiery aura appeared around the Yellow Flash that made even the proud chuunin cringe slightly. He couldnt remember his guardian ever getting mad at him before; he was usually a very patient man, but could Kakashi have crossed the line this time?

Kakashi&you&

The silver-haired boy was nearly intimidated enough to burst into a series of pleading apologies, when suddenly, he noticed his senseis lip quivering. His fear turned into confusion, which left him dumbfounded, staring at his sensei who was now supporting himself on the stool and leaning over in defeat.

Kakashi, you ruined my chance! Why? I was so close! I thought she liked me&and now youve chased her away! What did I do to deserve that?!

Now the chuunin was in a state of panic. If his sensei started crying in the restaurant, he wasnt sure what hed do. It was also incredibly embarrassing for him to have his father figure behaving like this in public. The Yellow Flash was a grown man! And an outstanding jounin at that!

Sensei&Im sorry. I-I didnt like her. She was making you act strange.

Kakashis guardian stopped his sulking long enough to stare at his charge questioningly.

Did she really bother you, Kakashi? Or is it me?

The chuunin wasnt really sure how to respond. There had been jealousy, but also a sense of protectiveness. He didnt want anyone getting close to his sensei if she didnt deserve him. He was too important to Kakashi to let just anyone have him. That woman had given him completely the wrong vibe. Iruka stared at both of them silently, not sure how to deal with the situation before him.

You deserve someone better than her, Sensei. She wasnt very nice.

The blonde man laughed slightly at that.

You didnt think so, huh? Well, if thats the case, Im sure there are plenty of beautiful and deserving women out there, just waiting for me! Though I have to say, Ive never been very lucky in love&

The man went back to sulking, and the two boys stared at each other with confused looks before Kakashi finally gave up and decided it was time to walk Sensei home.

That evening, as the sun was setting and casting shadows on the stone faces of the three Hokages, Kakashi and Iruka walked back to the Uminos house. Sensei hadnt stopped moping ever since the sushi bar incident, and even training had been less interesting for the boys than it usually was. Kakashi wasnt sure how many times he had turned around to see his mentor carving crooked hearts on the trunks of trees with his kunai. Sensei needed help, and there was only one person who could give it to him&Well, maybe two.

Hey, Iruka, what do you think we should do about Sensei?

The tan boy raised an eyebrow and gave him a confused look.

Huh?

You saw the way he was acting. Hes upset because he cant get a girl, and now hes spending Valentines Day all alone. We should do something.

Like what? Iruka asked, more puzzled than ever.

He has trouble finding women who like him. What if we found one for him?

What? How?

Kakashi shook his head and smiled.

Use your imagination a bit. We can look around for someone he might like and then try to get them to meet.

Iruka grinned mischievously.

Sounds like fun, but I dont think its going to be that easy&

There was silence as both of them thought to themselves. As much as Kakashi hated to admit it, he really didnt have much of a plan further than those vague details. Besides, there was no telling how Sensei would react if he found out he was being set up. Also, what if the woman didnt go along with it? Suddenly, an idea struck him.

I think I have a plan, he grinned under his mask and began whispering something into Irukas ear.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The next day, the Yellow Flash walked proudly down the street, giving a smile to those who greeted him as he made his way to the downtown area of Konoha. His bright blue eyes scanned the street before him. Not too far behind, small feet pattered after him.

Senseis walk went uninterrupted until he stopped by a pet supply store as a woman came out carrying a large bag of dog food with a small black and white puppy at her heels. The puppy stopped to sniff at his feet and gave a yelp. The woman stared at the man through eyes with animal-like pupils.

Seems like he likes you, she said.

Hes cute, the blonde man replied, Whats his name?

Kuromaru, she answered.

Sensei bent down to pet the puppy, who sniffed his hand warily. The man raised an eyebrow when the small dog suddenly growled. Without warning, Kuromaru leapt forward and clamped down on the Yellow Flashs hand! The woman gaped at him as the blonde man let out a yelp. The puppy snapped at him again, and he jumped back, twitching slightly.

Kuromaru, stop! the woman ordered before turning to the man, Im so sorry! He must sense something strange about you. Just who- Are you okay?

The Yellow Flash didnt answer. Instead, he bolted from the front of the shop and raced down the street, clutching a hand patterned by small bite marks. When he was out of the womans sight, he dashed into an alleyway and was engulfed in a cloud of smoke. A nine-year-old boy with a large scar on his nose soon joined him.

Did you talk to her? Iruka asked.

The white smoke vanished to reveal&Kakashi.

No, he grunted, Not really. Her dog sensed my jutsu and bit me. I couldnt hold the form any longer  so I ran.

Iruka shook his head. Kakashi frowned, feeling guilty. It seemed his sensei was going to get a new reputation. He could already imagine the other jounin talking. Did you hear about what happened to the Yellow Flash yesterday? He got bitten by a puppy and ran away! Some ninja& The older boy sighed.

I guess we have to try someone else, huh?

My turn next! Iruka said excitedly.

Do you even know how? Kakashi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Well, no, but&can you teach me, please?

The tan boy pouted a bit, and Kakashi sighed.

Okay, okay. Its not that hard. Hopefully, youll catch on quick.

On the street, passersby turned their heads towards the alley to see two children repeatedly transforming into the Yellow Flash&well, one child transforming into the Yellow Flash and the other transforming into something with blonde hair. After several long rounds resulting in failure, Iruka finally got it right.

Ha! I did it! Do I look like him, Kakashi-kun? the blonde man asked excitedly.

Yeah, the silver-haired boy replied, but now you have to act like him too. Senseis not some hyper kid. You have to be&cool.

Cool? Arent I cool?

Sensei-Iruka flexed a well-toned muscle. His friend unsuccessfully fought back a snicker.

Yeah, you are&but you cant just be cool. You have to be smooth, Kakashi told him.

Smooth, Iruka repeated, as his excited grin was replaced by a calm smirk.

Now youre getting it.

Sensei-Iruka gave him a small Sensei-like grin and strolled proudly out into the street. Kakashi followed behind, careful to keep himself well out of sight.

The blonde man made his way past the dango shop to a small store on the next block that sold flowers. He stopped to gaze at it, figuring this might be a place where a beautiful woman could be found, and went inside. What he actually found were mostly men buying flowers for their significant others, but near the back corner, one woman with dark curly hair was shifting through the different kinds of flowers, picking them up and placing them side by side, as if comparing them or rather, trying to see how well they went with one another.

Sensei-Iruka approached her cautiously, not exactly sure how to begin the conversation.

Err&hello.

The woman turned around and blinked at him. She stared for a moment and then lowered her glasses as if to get a better look, though in reality, the blonde man before her just became fuzzier. She could tell he was handsome, however. Very handsome at that.

Oh&hello.

The Yellow Flash held his smile and laughed nervously to himself. Now what?

Those are&some nice flowers.

The woman raised an eyebrow at him, but grinned warmly.

Yes. Im a teachers aide at the Academy. Sensei said wed be teaching the little kunoichi the art of flower arranging, so I thought Id practice with all the different flowers I could find here.

The blonde man nodded. He chanced a glance over his shoulder and saw a flash of silver hair duck behind one of he larger flowerpots. A small thumbs-up rose over the rim.

There are a lot of flowers to choose from here, Sensei-Iruka said.

The woman smiled.

What kind are you looking for? A rose for a lover?

She gave him a crafty look. Inside Senseis form, Iruka was sweating, trying to keep up the jutsu and answer the ladys questions in a way that would guarantee a future date between her and Sensei.

N-no. One of my friends is in the hospital, he replied.

Oh! Im sorry to hear that.

Hell be okay, Sensei-Iruka assured her, It was just an injury he got on a mission. Theyll let him out soon.

Thats good&

Silence. Now what?, Iruka wondered, but he didnt have to wonder long because right then, a pink-haired woman accidentally bumped into him from behind, pushing Sensei-Iruka forward until his lips and the curly-haired womans were almost touching. He panicked and backed up, bumping into the pink-haired woman just as she was apologizing to him for their previous collision. The pink-haired woman fell, knocking over a blonde woman behind her. Sensei-Iruka fought to stay on his feet as he watched the two women behind him go down like dominoes. His face turned bright red with embarrassment, and he began apologizing to the women on the floor and trying to help them up rather unsuccessfully as they began bickering with each other on the floor. Behind the giant flowerpot, Kakashi slapped his hand over his face.

Watch it, billboard-brow!

Excuse me! It was an accident, stupid!

Watch who youre calling stupid, idiot! This is my flowershop!

Well, its not my fault I fell over! I was pushed by&by-

She seemed to notice Sensei-Iruka for the first time. The pink-haired lady stood up immediately, forgetting about the blonde girl she had been fighting with on the floor.

Are you okay? he asked her.

Im fine, the pink-haired woman said, blushing slightly as she looked into his gorgeous blue eyes.

Oh, thats good, the blonde man said with a sigh of relief.

At least this ladys not mad at me for knocking her over.


Do you need help finding something? the blonde lady asked suddenly.

Huh? Sensei-Iruka asked, confused, Oh, no, thank you. Im-

Hey! the pink-haired lady burst out, I saw him first!

What are you talking about? the other woman roared, Im helping a customer!

Like hell you are! Back off!

Sensei-Iruka found one of his arms attacked by the pink-haired woman as she attached herself to it.

No, you back off! Hes mine!

His other arm was soon claimed too.

Let go of him! He doesnt like you!

Youre the one he doesnt like!

Sensei-Iruka was more than a little confused. When had he said he liked either of them? He felt even more disoriented when the two women began yanking his arms back and forth, trying to pull him in two different directions.

Hes mine! they both shouted at the same time.

The blonde man couldnt take it anymore. Using all his strength, he pulled away from both of them and ran screaming out the door. Both women stared in the direction he had fled, frozen. The one he had been talking to before the incident had slipped away long ago. Kakashi mumbled darkly to himself and went off to find his friend.

He discovered Iruka huddled in the alley they had trained in, no longer transformed. Kakashi smirked a little and rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced down at his traumatized friend.

Well, that went smoothly.

Iruka frowned at him.

You dont have to rub it in. I know I did bad, but those ladies were scary.

You have a point there, Kakashi admitted.

This is stupid, Iruka mumbled, Maybe we should just quit.

We cant do that! Kakashi argued, What about Sensei?

How are we supposed to find anyone good enough for him? the brown-haired boy asked, We cant even pretend to be him very well.

Im not ready to give up, the chuunin told him, Im going to try it again, just once. If I fail this time, we dont have to do it anymore.

Iruka looked back up at him.

As long as youre the one to do it.

Kakashi grinned.

I think I have it all planned out.

The Yellow Flash strode out onto the street once again, only this time, it was Kakashi in control. He made his way further towards the edge of the village, passing the Uchiha district on the way. There were few restaurants this far out, but he did spot a small teashop on the next corner. There were a few people sitting outside the shop, sipping hot green tea from plain stone cups. Sensei-Kakashi ordered some and sat down not far from a beautiful dark-haired woman who was sitting on a bench beside a large tree. The blonde man sat on the other end of the same bench, waiting for his tea. When it was ready, he dared to venture close enough to start a conversation. Remember, smooth&



Is it just the tea, or is it getting hot in here?

The woman turned to stare at him. Sensei-Kakashi felt his cheeks get increasingly warmer as he tried to think of something more to say.

Im sorry, but when I saw your face, I thought someone had put up a genjutsu because theres no way anyone can be that beautiful.

Now it was the womans turn to blush. She seemed a little flustered by the compliments and turned away shyly. Sensei-Kakashi hid a smug smirk. I think Ive got it. Im the smoothest talker in the village!



Youre flattering me, she said finally.

Im just being honest, Sensei-Kakashi insisted, No one in Konoha can compare.

With my skills, Kakashi added secretly. The woman looked slightly suspicious now, though. The chuunin hadnt realized that maybe he had been overdoing it. The lady studied him intently, and suddenly, her eyes turned red. Slowly, she smiled.

Youre very cute, but I think youre a little too young for me.

The Yellow Flash jumped in realization that he had been discovered by the famous Uchiha Sharingan. He hadnt realized the woman was an Uchiha when he had started flirting with her. Now he found himself in a rather awkward position. The woman took a final sip of tea, stood up, and gave him a casual wave before leaving him alone on the bench, still sitting in shock. Finally, Sensei-Kakashi sighed. Well, I guess that didnt go so smoothly after all&It was my last try. I guess its over now.



Just as Kakashi was about to dispel the jutsu, however, he heard a familiar voice shout at him.

You! Stop right there!

Before he even had a chance to look up, someone had suddenly appeared before him without warning and yanked him up by his vest. He froze in shock as he was suddenly eye-to-eye with&Sensei.

Who do you think you are, marching around Konoha, impersonating me? Do you have any idea of the kinds of rumors youve started?

I-I- Sensei-Kakashi stammered.

Dont think you can get away with this! the Yellow Flash shouted, shoving him against a tree, I wont be made a fool of! Running from puppies and women in flower shops!

N-no, wait! I can explain!

The blonde man had already raised a fist, though, and Kakashi stared at it, horrified. He knew a punch from Sensei was bound to hurt&a lot. He didnt seem to be getting through to his teacher, though, so there was only one thing left to do. As much as he hated it, he was going to have to reveal himself. Quickly, he dispelled the jutsu and turned back into a ten-year-old chuunin.

The Yellow Flash halted his blow immediately and let his jaw drop open. He stared at the student he had pinned up against the tree in disbelief.

Kakashi?!

STOP! a female voice suddenly yelled behind him, Put that boy down!

Before the Yellow Flash even had the chance to turn his head, something hard collided with his skull, and he staggered forward, releasing his hold on Kakashi completely. He swayed on his feet slightly before falling flat on his back. When he looked up dizzily, he saw an angry woman glaring down at him, hands on her hips.

How could you go around bullying children? she demanded, I thought you were supposed to be an elite ninja.

The blonde man blinked at her from the floor, more than a little confused.

Bullying? No! I thought he was-

Dont make excuses! the woman hissed at him.

She turned to Kakashi, and in a much sweeter voice asked, Are you okay, Kakashi-kun?

The chuunin stared back at her wide-eyed as he realized she was the same kunoichi who had treated his leg the day before. Slowly, the boy nodded in response to the question. When he had finally shaken himself out of his state, he tried to explain the situation.

Im fine. This is my sensei. He was going to beat me up on accident because he didnt know I was pretending to be him today, and we caused all this trouble and people spread rumors about him, so now they all think hes a coward.

Kakashi thought he had summed it up pretty well. The woman only gave him a look and then turned back to the elite ninja who was still lying on the floor.

I hope&I didnt hurt you.

Ill be fine, the Yellow Flash replied, Though Im not used to having stones thrown at my head regularly  and having them actually hit.

The kunoichi smiled a bit despite her guilt. Her green eyes met with his bright blue ones, and for a moment, they locked suddenly; both ninja fell silent. Iruka, who had been hiding around the corner of a nearby building crept out to see the two adults blushing at each other and Kakashi standing next to them, confused by the sudden change in their behavior. The kunoichi reached out to touch the side of Senseis head were the rock had hit, and he flinched slightly.

I can take care of that, she said quickly, pulling out the first aid kit she had used to treat Kakashi.

Oh no, you dont have to, Sensei told her.

Please, she insisted, Its my fault.

You were only trying to protect my student. That was very kind of you.

The woman turned a deeper shade of red.

I didnt know he was your student. I made a mistake and hurt you for no reason.

It still wasnt your fault.

The kunoichi smiled at him and finished applying the bandage.

There, I hope thats a bit better.

Much better, the Yellow Flash said, Thank you.

No problem, she replied.

Silence. Kakashi slowly slunk away to stand with Iruka, who was watching from the other end of the bench by the tree. The two adults seemed to be talking in looks now. Neither of them said a word, and Kakashi began to grow impatient.

Just ask her out to dinner, Sensei!

Kakashi! the blonde man hissed embarrassedly.

Dinner sounds great, the woman said, without even waiting for the question.

Sensei laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

Do you like ramen?

I love ramen. Theres nothing better.

The Yellow Flashs smirk grew into a wide grin. He took the kunoichis hand in his.

I think that you and I are going to get along just fine.

With that, the couple began to walk away, but not before Senseis new date turned around and beckoned for the two boys to follow them. Kakashi and Iruka exchanged smiles, then high-fives, as they ran along behind the couple, beaming with pride at their success. Mission complete.

Owari

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