"Come," Iruka would urge, and Kakashi would stumble forward, clumsy and unsure, and Iruka would hold his hand, lead him away to safety. It was inevitable, though, that they would be found, that the Hunters would catch up with them.

"Come with us, Sensei, and you won't die," they offered kindly, and Iruka stared back at them, standing between them and Kakashi.

"You're serious?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Come with us, Sensei."

"It was an accident," he screamed, clutching Kakashi's hand, and Kakashi flinched. "It was an accident, a damn accident!"

"Sensei," they said warningly, and Iruka shoved Kakashi further behind him. Kakashi jerked, then grabbed Iruka, twisting, and the Hunters leapt forward.

"An accident," Iruka repeated, dully, looking up at Kakashi. A Hunter fell to his knees near Iruka, headless, and the second stumbling backwards, clutching at his throat, blood spraying from between his fingers. "An accident." Kakashi staggered a few feet away, muttering Genma's name, and Raidou's, Anko's, Ibiki's, Gai's. "An accident." Iruka rolled away from the bodies, climbing to his feet, feeling sick.

He led Kakashi away from the bodies and deeper into the forest, holding his hand loosely. After a time he stopped, dropping Kakashi's hand, standing with his back to the older man. "Kakashi?" he asked, staring at the dirt. Kakashi stepped closer, reaching for Iruka's hand like a child, and Iruka grabbed a kunai, slamming it into Kakashi's chest. Kakashi blinked, his eye going wide, staring down at the metal protruding from between his ribs. His mouth moved soundlessly and he reached out for Iruka, wrapping his fingers around the chuunin's neck. Iruka stared back, lips turning blue.

"Iruka," Kakashi said wonderingly, clenching his hands around Iruka's neck with a snap before he fell to the ground, twitching. His hand jerked, fingers curling and uncurling, reaching for Iruka as the younger man fell bonelessly to the ground. He stared up at the sky, blue through green leaves, and his hand spasmed a last time.

And Iruka lay dying in the dirt.

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