Title: Compensate
Author: Silver-blue Dolphin
Disclaimer: the characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto, creator of Naruto.
Pairings: KakaIru
Warnings: Violence
Notes: Flashbacks are in italics

Compensate
Chapter 01

Kakashi strode casually into the building adjoint to the Leaf Ninja Academy. Except today, his unhidden eye wasn't crinkled in happiness, nor was there a skip in his steps. He didn't even bother to wave or say hello to his fellow colleagues. No, not this man. For you see, there was a crime that weighed heavily on his heart that prevented him from masquerading for the village and for once, Kakashi found himself unable to put on that front of normalcy he perfected over the years, even for the sake of his team whom he was meeting up with today in the Duty Acceptance Room. Even Obito, was left stranded, as he chose not to visit his old friend at the monument for the inhuman act he had committed nineteen hours earlier.

"Get up!" bit the man, backhanding the younger ninja in the face. Wide chocolate brown eyes stared in disbelief and in quiet fear as he held his bruised cheek; the blood vessels erupting underneath frail skin.

As for the force generated behind the blow, it sent him sprawling backwards onto the wooden floorboards and he laid there bonelessly, trembling before his inflictor like a scared child. But when his sensitive hearing picked up the approach of steady footsteps, he knew Kakashi was drawing near and his breath hitched in the back of his throat when the silver-haired jounin stopped dead in his tracks at the center of his otherwise preoccupiless room.

"Are you deaf?!" scoffed Kakashi. He kicked the upturn chair near his feet with the heel of his boot and the flying wooden object spun across the room before smashing against the wall, close to Iruka and splintering to pieces.

The room shook from the impact; along with the floor rafters, where Iruka still laid frozen in fear.

But to Kakashi, it matter not to him and he stated his next command with a razor sharp edge that guaranteed great misfortune to the recipiant who dared to deny him once more, "Do as I say."

Iruka, whom was terribly frightened by this point, reacted from the badly concealed threat and trepidly recoiled but otherwise did as was instructed. He knew now, from prior experience, that it would be a grande error on his part to lengthen this man's anger any further.

Maybe it had been a mistake afterall to invite the jounin instructor over for a cup of tea or maybe this was the by-product of his unwittingly confession a few minutes earlier.

Stopping before the door, Kakashi listened to the muffled chatter inside the assignment room. His heart twist as he heard one of the staff members ask about the whereabouts of the absent dolphin teacher. With his trembling hand, Kakashi slid the door opened and stepped inside, sliding the door closed behind him. The first thing that poured into his vision, was his three students, whom were waiting patiently and compliantly for him, while they anticipated for their next assigned from the Hokage for them to partake in and for him to observe their teamwork progression.

When Naruto turned and waved chirpily to him, Kakashi meagerly conjured up a fake smile of his own and watched as the hyperactive boy pranced up and down in excitement, regardless that he wasn't on time again. Sakura waved too, smiling shly and the boy, Sasuke, complied in greeting by nodding in acknowledgment by his prescence.

Discouraged, Kakashi dropped the act he was performing for his students but after he nodded to Sasuke. He felt so dirty, he could cry right there.

If only Team 7 knew what he had done to their beloved former teacher; he doubt that they would be waiting so loyalfully for him. Distantly, Kakashi wondered if Iruka woke up yet but highly doubted it. It was a miracle that he lived, considering he hadn't held any of his strength back in his advancements.

The fourth person that entered his eyesight, was the village Hokage, whose old features were tightened and troubled. The Third was mawling on the end of his tobacco pipe with his dentures. One arm in his lap, the other resting on the table but turned up so that his thumb could rub the stub of white hair that formed a pointy beard at his chin.

The Third looked conspiciously deep in thought and he also seemed to be peering at the empty chair that was beside him.

Which happened to be Iruka-sensei's chair.

A man who always shown up here after class except when called out on duty or summoned for a meeting. Even on sick days, Iruka would be present, not caring about his health. Instead, he seemed to worry always over his students, especially Naruto.

Pushing himself up on wearily arms and knee's, Iruka grunted as a booted foot clipped his chin with no warning, whatsoever. He fell back down, face first, and split his lip all over again. He was starting to feel like he was a masochist, a person who enjoyed pain regardless of his terror. He guessed, it was better than nothing but there was one thing for sure, he didn't regret informing Hatake Kakashi that he liked him, just the stuff afterwards.

Licking his lip, Iruka savoured the taste of the bitter crimson paste that filled his mouth, instead of spitting it out. As his trembling started to reside, and his fear eddied, he was yanked up to his feet by the roots of his hair, where the hand did not let up one second.

Finding resignation of his fate, he smiled cruelly to himself and accepted this treatment from Kakashi and made sure to hide the curve of his red-coated lips with the front of his forearm, so not to gain anymore titleless endownments by the proud man.

"Worthless," was the sneer of disdainment, dropped by Kakashi, as he regarded the dolphin. With the flick of his wrist, he flung the school teacher from him.

Iruka bounced off the hard surface with his back and there was little doubt in his mind that the coating interior was decorated with a grime splatter of his blood.

Gazing under long eyelashes, Iruka stared into Kakashi's masked face, as the jounin instructor advanced to him and his eyes opened wide when his throat was caught.

"Tell me you were lying and I'll stop this," whispered Kakashi, his blue and sharingan eye's losing there fire and softening. He looked gloomly at Iruka, the young teacher he started to consider a friend before this betrayel.

Carefully, while never breaking eye contact with Kakashi, Iruka untangled Kakashi's hand from his neck, and leaked a carefree smile, "Why would I lie? It's how I feel, I can't change that. Not even for you," bravely, Iruka brought up Kakashi's gloved hand to his lips, and delicately kissed the shaking appendage. He winced though, when he was pushed harder into the wall by Kakashi's gloved hand.

"Then I have no choice. I will teach you why it's wrong for a man to love another man."