epic_recs | The Kakashi Mission by JBMcDragon (NC-17)

Recced by

tingel

Title: The Kakashi Mission by JBMcDragon
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Kakashi/Iruka
Categories: angst, drama, humor, romance
Length: epic (~70,000 words)
Warnings: angst (it deserves a warning here), some violence, character death (not in the present)

Author on LJ:

jbmcdragon
Website: http://tentative.net/JBMcDragon/livingroom.html

Review:
The third hokage is worried that Kakashi may snap after losing his genin team. So he suspends him from ANBU and asks Iruka to befriend him. Romance follows, but it isn't easy as Kakashi is truely neurotic and Iruka is stubborn.

This story twists and turns through moods (from highly hilarious to extreme angst) and time (jumping from past to present and back) which works wonderfully to shed light on the characters, especially Kakashi. In this story he is even weirder than the anime/manga. He can't connect to others, is obsessively clean and private. This drives to plot in the present because Iruka has to overcome it. The terrifying thing is that Kakashi's character makes perfect sense through the flashbacks and stays in character. JBMcDragon really knows her canon.

The story doesn't ignore the realities and consequences of the way of the ninja. Even Iruka has to battle his own demons. Luckily the heavy angst is contrasted by the interaction between the two protagonists and a crew of other chuunin and jounin which at times had me laughing out loud while reading.

In the end this is a very, very satisfying read, funny and heart-breaking, with well written action and deep understanding for the characters.

The Kakashi Mission