[FIC] The Kunoichi's Heart 04
Title : The Kunoichi's Heart
Rating : PG-13 (this chapter), R later on.
Disclaimer : The characters are NOT MINE.
Chapter : 4/???
Words : 4,893 words
Summary : What if Iruka was a female? Follow the Naruto story since the very beginning.....
Pairing : KakaIru (the others will be canon-like hopefully)
WARNING : UNBETAED YET!!
A/N :
And here the chapter four is! :D I stated before that this fic is NOT an always happy-go-lucky-fic, but it won't be full of angst either. I don't like too much angst/tragedy... >_> AND it WILL have a happy ending! So don't worry too much.... ;) Last, enjoy the story! :)
~blue iceland (a.k.a. Izky)
| Chapter 01 - The Failed Student |
| Chapter 02 - The Realization |
| Chapter 03 - The Promise & the Test |
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Chapter 04 - The Growing Fondness : 4,893 words
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“Iruka-sensei!!!”
Iruka didn’t have a chance to turn her head in the middle of shopping when a blur of orange attacked her and attached itself into her lower body. The force of it left the female sensei let go her shop carriage and fell straight toward the hard floor.
“Eeep!!!” Too late and couldn’t do anything with her feet trapped, Iruka waited for the impact with the cold hard floor of the supermarket.
She didn’t expect to feel a hard warm of something on her front side, grabbing her shoulders gently as her body fell against it from the force of Naruto’s hug.
Opening her eyes warily, she only met with a familiar green vest. Turning her face up, she met with a curved single eye with a familiar masked face and silver hair.
“Nice to see you too, Iruka-sensei.” Kakashi couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at the sensei’s expression. She was gaping and blinking for quite a few seconds at him, as if she didn’t recognize who he was. The expression quite resembled a few year olds she taught.
Surprised to see me, sensei…?
Iruka blinked for quite a while before realizing that somehow she was sandwiched against Kakashi’s front and Naruto who was clinging at her lower back.
“Ah…hello to you too, Kakashi-san….. NARUTO! How many times I’ve told you … Don’t do THAT from behind!!? ” She turned her head back at Naruto, fully prepared to scold the blonde boy.
Naruto just grinned cheekily at her, finally releasing her lower back. Iruka could feel the larger gloved hands released her shoulder as she turned fully back to scold at her ex-student.
“You know I’m shopping right now and if that’s not by Kakashi-san I could fall into the floor! You should think before you do that again, understand, Naruto-KUN!??” She scolded him for a minute when Naruto just turned his head down obediently.
But, right after she finished her scolding, Naruto glanced up again at her and hugged her from the front, “Iruka-sensei!! I PASS THE TEST!! WE PASS THE TEST!!”
Iruka hadn’t expected the hug once more as the force thrown her against the figure behind her. She had to apologize later to Kakashi as her mind just processed the sentence came out from the hyperactive boy. “Wha..? You … pass the test?”
Glancing at the spiky blonde hair on her waist stupidly, Iruka could hear Naruto mumbled rather loudly to her chuunin vest. “Yup…I’m a genin now, Iruka-sensei!! With Sakura-chan and Sasuke-baka!!”
“Naruto!! Wait a minute! You walk too fast… and Kakashi-sensei too!!”
A familiar feminine voice turned Iruka’s eyes up to find her ex-students - Sakura and Sasuke walked toward them from the supermarket’s gate.
“Sakura-chan? Sasuke-kun?”
“Iruka-sensei!! It’s good to see you!! We pass the test!” Sakura walked happily toward them and clutched at Iruka’s arm.
“Hn…Iruka-sensei.” Sasuke trailed behind, his scowl on place as usual. Still, he bowed slightly at her sensei.
Kakashi raised his eyebrows at the respect Sasuke had toward the chuunin.
He GROWLED at me the first time we talk and here he BOWS to Iruka?? The angsty boy has serious manner problems here….
Iruka seemed still processed the information, “Wha….? You three pass…?”
They pass!? Really?
She wasn’t a dreamer and she knew that she had to fully accept if Naruto and his team would be failed by Kakashi’s high expectation (and considering this was Sharingan Kakashi, it could be very very high….). She didn’t dare to imagine what the results could be all day, that’s why she went shopping, hoping to ease her stressed mind off it.
“Iruka-sensei? You alright?” A whisper right beside her ear seemed to snap back her into the reality. A blush automatically rose on her face as she nearly jumped in surprise. She wanted to step away from the jounin behind her, but two gloved hands on her upper arms and a happy Naruto clinging on her waist made it impossible to do so.
“Uh…I’m fine… Naruto, you can let go, okay?” She said weakly as she ruffled the blonde hair. She wanted to say more, but the hardness she could feel across her back and the warm grip on her upper arms made her lose some of her concentration.
“Hmmph…no way…you’re warm, Iruka-sensei.” Naruto mumbled, rubbing his head against her sensei’s stomach.
“Naruto! You must let go of her, Iruka’s sensei could get hyperventilate! Her face turned red now!” Sakura scolded at her teammate. Sasuke grunted in response.
Sakura-chan… People get hyperventilate if they turn blue…not red… Iruka’s automatic teacher mode would have wanted to say that, but the sensei currently could not think of..anything.
On the other hand, Kakashi was having a big time himself. He didn’t know why, but it felt…. calming to stand closer to the chuunin sensei. The sensei’s chakra was rather calm and welcoming, His usually sharp nose went down, barely touched the brown strands of hair fell after that cute ponytail, trying to recognize the sweet smell around the female.
She smells like…. sweat….ink….. and…waterfall? Is there any waterfall here…?
Turning his neck slightly, Kakashi blinked at the chuunin’s face. She looked….well… for the lack of better words….dumfounded.
A chuckle was heard from behind Iruka as finally the jounin behind her stepped away from her, letting go her arms in process. He didn’t miss the way Sakura hide her slightly blushing face behind her hand or Sasuke raised his eyebrows at them with a smirk on his face. The jounin simply curved his eye in return at them.
Hmm… Looks like a certain pair of gennins are too observant for their own good….
“Maa…Iruka-sensei. You don’t need to look that surprised to hear the news you know.” Finally Kakashi joined the conversation, stepping aside to face her.
Letting a sigh in relief (of what? ) , Iruka finally smiled at the three of her ex-students before her (actually one clinging on her, but that’s beside the point). “Congratulations. Now you become gennins. I’m sure you three will be great shinobis one day!”
Her smile softened a bit after realizing for the first time the other’s appearances. Judging from the leaves, dirt, and scraps covered most of the gennin’s appearance, Iruka knew it was not an easy task to pass Kakashi’s expectation and test (which hopefully didn’t involve any Icha-icha at all…) and knowing her students passed the test made her warm all over inside.
I’m very proud of them…
Naruto tightened his arms around her waist as his warm laugh was muffled against Iruka’s vest. “Thank you, sensei!”
Sakura squealed at her and hugging her waist as well, the part which Naruto hadn’t hugged on. “Yay!! Thank you, Iruka-sensei!!”
Sasuke nodded back, there was a hint of tiny smile on his lips, but maybe that was only Iruka’s imagination. “Hnn.”
Giving in to be a temporary human pillow to her two ex-students, she finally braved herself to glance up at the jounin before her, “You too, Kakashi-san. Thank you.”
Thank you for believing in them…
The jounin chuckled, rubbing his spiky silver hair lazily. For some reasons that he didn’t know, he could feel blush grew on his cheek. He had never felt grateful for the mask he wore now. “Maa…that’s not me you should thank to. Your students were doing great on their own. They can’t do that without your teaching though.”
Iruka chuckled back, ruffling both Naruto and Sakura’s hair with both of her hands, “They naturally are great and good children, that’s why.”
Naruto, ‘satisfied’ with his human pillow, finally letting go his sensei’s waist, in the process making Sakura let her go as well, “Iruka-sensei. Are you better now? Do you still feel hurt? And how is your back? Is it still hurt?” he asked worriedly. The more he saw and talked to the chuunin, the more Naruto felt closer and closer to her. Iruka was turning into one of his most important persons and Naruto couldn’t help but worry over her conditions every day.
Hell, if that Miz-bastard still can walk around freely in Konoha, I’ll punch him thousand times for every wound he gave to Iruka-sensei!
Iruka knew she was going better and better day by day. Still, sometimes she still felt light headaches and slight pain on her back if she stood too long. But she wouldn’t want to make Naruto worry, right?
“I’m better, Naruto-kun. The doctor said I shouldn’t do any harder activities yet, but I’m doing okay.” Iruka smiled reassuringly at him.
“You said that you fell on stairs a few days ago, Iruka-sensei. But what’s that got to do with your back?” Sasuke, as observant as ever, raised his eyebrows at her.
Kakashi kept his mouth shut, understanding that Iruka didn’t want to make her students worry about her more than they already did.
You’re too kind, sensei… They were already gennins now. You should stop spoiling them rotten you know…
Iruka sweat dropped. Actually she didn’t want to tell the truth about why or how she got her wounds to her innocent students yet. That’s why she explained that she fell on stairs to some students that asked her that. But of course, she didn’t tell them the wound on her back.
“I..uh…it’s a long story, Sasuke-kun. I just scrapped my back when falling on the stairs. That’s all. Naruto-kun is just too worried about me.”
Naruto protested. “Hey! I AM worried about you. You got-“
Before Naruto finished her words, Iruka quickly covered her mouth with her hand, smiling nervously. “Naruto, there’s no need to explain it, okay?”
Seeing Iruka clearly didn’t want to talk more about it, Kakashi tried to help. “Maa…. Well, then excuse us, Iruka-sensei. I see you’re in the middle of shopping. We shouldn’t disturb you. Come on, kids, you have to go home as well. It’s late already.” With that, Kakashi nodded slightly at Iruka and gestured to his now gennin students to follow him out of the market.
Sakura and Sasuke nodded, bowing slightly at their academy sensei.
“Hn. See you later, sensei.” Sasuke grunted and walked away, following his jounin teacher.
“Well…I’m off as well, Iruka-sensei. Bye!!” Sakura waved before walking off.
Iruka waved slightly on them. She glanced down at the blonde boy still standing beside her. “Shouldn’t you go home as well, Naruto-kun?”
Naruto just shrugged, grinning at her. “I want to accompany you shopping. No one will scold me if I get home late anyway. You don’t mind, right sensei?”
Hearing that, Iruka felt a tight lump on her throat, imagining the empty small apartment Naruto had lived all these years. She sometimes had a chance to visit the blonde boy to discuss about his academy reports. The apartment was small, scrappy, and filled with junks and things that were scattered on its floor. There were no adults that would remind the blonde how to take care of his things and his home. How to clean, how to cook (Iruka learned the hard way how Naruto had no logic sense whatsoever about what he could eat or not. Honestly… , ramen covered by spoiled milk?? She still had nightmare for that particular food Naruto made in cooking class) how to put things in their right place, and many others things that Iruka herself had a slight chance to learn before Kyuubi attack the village and killed her parent. She knew sometimes Sandaime visited him as well, but the Hokage tended to be very busy every day and there were nobody else who would care to visit Naruto.
A small boy like him shouldn’t live alone in that small apartment…
No wonder Naruto was so attached to her. He needed a parent figure, Iruka realized, and the closest thing was herself, Naruto’s own teacher.
“Naruto¬-kun? Would you like to have a dinner with me?” Carefully she asked that to the boy beside her. After a few long years, it was the first time for her to invite anyone -save for Izumo and Kotetsu to their monthly dinner together - for dinner because she was too busy in her academy job to cook more than necessary and invite some friends. Having to cook for Kotetsu and Izumo, which had bottomless stomachs, was hard enough for Iruka. No need to add anymore stomach to feed in.
But well… she could make an exception for Naruto.
Naruto’s grin -if possible- widened even more, “Really!?? Of course Iruka-sensei!!”
Iruka chuckled, glad to see the happy glow showed in that chubby face.
Yes, Naruto always seems to be an exception for me….
And it felt right.
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It had been a few weeks since the dinner she had with Naruto. She now had to admit to herself that yes, she grew fond of Naruto, and yes, she treat him more than a teacher should to a student, and yes, she care of Naruto very much.
Naruto, despite of his new D-missions with team 7, always seemed to visit her anywhere. He loved to talk about how the missions go, how lazy Kakashi-sensei was, how frustrated Sasuke made him, and how smitten Sakura-chan to Sasuke and how it made him want to puke, because who the hell wants to like that ignorant pompous Uchiha boy anyway?? And of course not to forget, he WILL be the Hokage one day!
But despite of Naruto’s comments, Iruka could recognize the growing fondness in Naruto’s tone every time he talked about them. Iruka herself really enjoyed his stories, because it let her know how the development of their team was, however slow and impossible it was. And yes, team 7 was growing closer each day. She could feel it from Naruto’s stories.
Iruka herself grew fond of the team itself. She knew there were two other teams who passed the exam, team 8 under Kurenai’s guide and team 10 under Asuma’s (she met them a few days ago and congratulated them and of course had a long nice talk with their jounin senseis), still she couldn’t help but put most of her attention to the team 7, the team where Naruto put into.
Every few times each week, she made time to visit them on the training ground and greeted them. Once she even made them lunches, for Kakashi-san included (Apparently Kakashi-sensei really liked the eggplants she made). Sakura even joked slightly that Iruka was too much fussing over them sometimes, which made the chuunin sensei blushed. But really, all of the teasing worth the smiles, the laughs, fond hugs Naruto gave her in every chance he could when they were together.
She hadn’t realized how much Naruto really affected her life.
And now….she needed to make sure of something.
Will…Can Izumo and Kotetsu…accept Naruto like me?
Kotetsu and Izumo were two of the most important people in Iruka’s life. And realizing her growing fondness to Naruto, she couldn’t help but want to share what she felt about the blonde boy to them, the ones who always be there to listen to her happy news and troubled mind.
They’re always beside me after these long years…
When sensei left me…
When my parents were gone forever…
When ‘he’ was gone as well….
When I was truly left alone…
I wouldn’t be here without these two here….
They deserve the truth… at least…
Deciding to tell them the truth, she asked them to have dinner with her. Now, Iruka , together with her teammates Izumo & Kotetsu, was having their monthly dinner. They were currently eating in one of the small cafés that night. It was a bit dark but cozy. The food tasted good and the environment was friendly. Iruka liked that.
“-and you know what, Ruka? We had to stand for SIX hours straight every damn night!!! It was HELL!!” Kotetsu groaned, munching his meat ball eagerly. He had been complaining about his and Izumo’s last mission for the past ten minutes.
“Language, Ko. And no, it would have not been six hours if you hadn’t been caught by the daimyo sleeping in the first place in the middle of his speech you know.” Izumo replied, drinking his sake calmly.
“So it was MY fault??”
“Yes.”
Iruka sighed inside, watching the bickering of her two teammates before her. Sometimes she had to wonder how the hell Kotetsu and Izumo can bear each other’s presence without killing each other. They were far too opposite. Where Kotetsu was brash, blunt, and honest with everything he said, the ‘attack first, think later, anyone up for a fight?’ type, Izumo was the calm, rational, soft spoken, the ‘think before attack, maybe we can avoid fighting please?’ type.
Now that I think it…they remind me of Naruto and…Sasuke?
Nah…Sasuke isn’t THAT polite… and Izumo was anything but arrogant.
And no, I refuse to think Naruto will grow up to be THAT rude.
“Helloo….Ruka? You’re still there??”
Iruka blinked as a large hand waving before her face. Kotetsu’s. “Huh? Sorry? What did you say?”
“You’re daydreaming, Ruka.” Izumo chuckled.
Iruka smiled sheepishly, brushing her scar slightly. “Ah…forgive me. I must be more tired that I think…”
“Yeah, you look a bit pale. So, how is your wound? Better?” Kotetsu asked.
“Mmh….it’s better. The wound is already closed, but the skin around it is still a bit tender.” Iruka answered honestly, refereeing to the huge scar on her back.
“If you want, I can make the healing process faster, Ruka. It’ll be still a huge scar though.” Izumo offered, eating his noodle. He was, after all, the medic nin of their team. And their sensei’s favorite.
“Yeah, you know Zumo can do that, Ruka.” Kotetsu added.
Iruka smiled at their concern, shaking her head. “Nah… it’s okay. You two are still tired from the mission. Just go take a rest after dinner, okay?”
“Yes, Mom.” Kotetsu winked. Izumo just chuckled.
“So….what do you want to talk about, Ruka?” Izumo asked suddenly.
Huh? How did…
“And don’t give us that look. We know you since forever, you know.” Kotetsu said, shrugging his shoulders.
“I can’t hide anything from you guys, can I?” Iruka groaned, blushing slightly.
“Nope.” They answered in unison, grins on their face.
“So?” Izumo asked.
“Eer….”
“Spill it out, Ruka.”
There were only few things that could make her two best friends put that look, the one which filled by curiosity, fondness, acceptance, and…. love.
And Iruka realized this time, it included…. herself.
Feeling her heart warmed over this thought, she finally decided to say those words.
“I think........I like…no….I love Naruto, Ko, Zumo.”
Despite of the random noisy talk other people had around their table, Iruka could feel the sudden silence very well.
She tried her best not to flinch against the surprised looks her teammates threw on her, staring back against them instead.
It had been a long thirty seconds before one of them finally blinked. Kotetsu.
“Ruka?? You mean you AND that kid?? But he’s TOO young!!!” Kotetsu was horrified.
EEwww!!!! Don’t tell me that she’s a pedophile??? Our sweet Ruka….. I think I wanna go puke or something…..
“Calm down, baka!! That’s NOT what she means!!” *PUNCH* “Right, Ruka?” Izumo, understanding his teammate so well (too well actually), sweatdropped at the ill expression Kotetsu had.
“Eer….yes, Zumo.” *sweatdrops*
“OWWW!!! That HURTS, Zumo!!”
“Maa…. Calm down, you two…” Iruka sighed, once again seeing the familiar sight of them bickering before her.
Honestly…. They’re such kids….
“Okay…. *coughs* Ruka?” Izumo, the calmer one, stared back at her.
Iruka nodded, asking him to continue.
“Since when….?”
“Well…I can’t exactly realize when….but…it might be nearly a month ago I asked him to have dinner with me. And after that…. He always seems to be anywhere I go. We often go for Ramen after he finished training and he often tells me how team 7’s going recently. Sometimes I watch them training as well. You won’t believe that Kakashi-san has quite a sense of humor in him.” Iruka couldn’t help but chuckle lightly in remembrance.
“Eeer….Kakashi-san?”
“Hmm..?”
“Are those…..your students hanging upside down with rope on the tree…?”
“Well…yes. What’s about it?”
“Nothing…”
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“Sasuke…. Is that GERBIL on your ….chin? It’s…alive…”
“Don’t ask, Iruka-sensei…”
“But…”
“Kakashi-sensei just invented a new jutsu. That’s all.”
“I don’t think I want to know, Sasuke….”
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“Arghh…!!! Iruka-sensei!!! Help us!!!”
“Sakura-kun? What’s wrong?”
“Do you see a cat with pig tail fly around this area? Kakashi-sensei told us to find that… THING!!”
“Eeeer…” *sweatdrop*
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“Ruka….”
Iruka blinked, glancing up at her friends, only to find them raised their eyebrows in confusion. She blushed slightly, “Sorry.”
“Okay…back on track. So…any reasons at all?” Izumo asked, curiosity filled his face.
“I … don’t understand myself what happened … but… I just really want to protect him…. He looks … so…happy…when I’m near him. It makes me happy to see him like that.” Iruka smiled slightly.
“Do you….pity him then?” Kotetsu raised his eyebrow, an unfamiliar seriousness crept inside his words.
Iruka surprised even herself when she shouted immediately, “NO!! That’s NOT what I mean!”
In return, Izumo knocked Kotetsu on the head. Hard. “Forgive him, Ruka. He tends to have a runaway mouth sometimes. Not that you don’t know that.”
“OOWWW!! I just ASKED Damn IT!”
Iruka coughed, deciding to explain more of her thoughts. “It’s just….that… I know he has… that … in him, but that’s not what makes me care about him… Sometimes I think….he reminds me of…myself... a long time ago.”
Slowly, she saw the change in her teammates’ expressions. Their eyes softened in remembrance.
“Yeah… I agree…” Izumo smiled slowly.
“Now that you say that…. I think I can see that.” Kotetsu nodded, a small grin appeared.
He acts very much like your old self….
The prankster, the tomboy little girl who always had runaway mouth……
Do you miss her as we do, Ruka…?
Iruka asked hesistantly, “So…. Do you think… I-“
…do the right thing? Caring and loving…..that Naruto?
Before she could continue, Izumo already reached her hands and Kotetsu sat beside her, circling her shoulder gently. Both smiled at her hesitated face.
“Whatever you do…. We’re always beside you, Ruka.” Izumo smiled, staring at her with gentleness he just reserved for her.
“Yeah…. Liking Kyuubi boy or not, hell- if you want to be Orochimaru’s daughter or wife- we’ll accompany you FOREVER, okay!??” Kotetsu grinned widely, tightening his grip on her lightly.
“If you care about Naruto that much…… we’ll try to get along, ……. right Ko?” Izumo smiled, patting her hands gently with his much larger hand.
“Zumo is right, Ruka. You have to introduce him to us as well sometimes later, okay?”
“You two are the best, guys. Thank you.” Iruka put her best smile at the two of the most important people in her life.
“Hey, anything for you, sis.”
Iruka chuckled, leaning on Kotetsu’s broad shoulder trustingly. Her hands were on Izumo’s larger and paler hands, rubbing gently against her softer ones. She felt truly content.
“Eer…. I think I can survive without the ‘Orochimaru’ part, Ko. I’m not THAT crazy.”
All of them laughed at that.
Thank you, Ko, Zumo… I’m so lucky to have you two…
.
.
.
.
.
“Er…. So….you are not liking him in THAT way right? Because not only for the ill facto-“
*PUNCHS*
“Oww!!! What’s that for, Ruka??”
Iruka simply brushed her knuckle, shaking her head. “That’s for thinking me as pedophile, Ko.”
Izumo and Kotetsu shared a knowing nostalgic smile, missed by the female that tucked herself back into her teammate’s arms.
The old real you is still somewhere there, Ruka.
When will you let her go…?
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A FEW MONTHS LATER………………….
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Both of them reached Iruka’s house after going shopping for food in markets. Naruto was happily bringing loads of ramen in the huge plastic bags as Iruka herself opened the door with the key, two smaller plastic bags on her other hand.
“Iruka-sensei!! What would we make this time!?? Can I have ramen?? Yesterday Kakashi-sensei made all of us eat together in Ichiraku Ramen like we did two days before! And it was really good! You should have eaten with us as well!!” Naruto talked animatedly, walking inside the house happily after putting off his shoes like what Iruka told him to.
Iruka grinned, walking into the kitchen and putting down all the groceries on the table. Naruto trailed after her. “Really? Does he pay for you, Naruto-kun?”
Naruto sulked, “No. He said that we have to pay what we eat ourselves. Like what Kotetsu-san said to me before. That’s not cool. You usually pay for my part as well. Or Izumo-san.”
Iruka shook her head, smiling, “Well… that’s because I or Izumo offer to pay for you ourselves. And of course, I guess, Kakashi-sensei and Kotetsu did not.”
Naruto pouted at her, “Still. It’s no fun.”
Iruka grinned, brushing the familiar yellow bangs from his temple, “You should realize one day it’ll be your turn to treat people. Now, just go take a bath first. Your clothes are already on the bathroom for the change.”
Their relationship grew quicker than Iruka thought. Nowadays, Naruto could spend half a week in Iruka’s house. Every few days, Iruka would pick him up after the mission or training, treat him Ramen, and go back together to her house to have a sleepover. There were more than a few Naruto’s things emerged in her house - not that she minded of course - such as the clothes, scrolls, toys, shurikens, and many else, that Iruka sure never bought herself, and all of them were saved neatly in Iruka’s main room.
“Do you mean I must treat you, sensei?? Naah…I prefer the other way around. ” Naruto snorted and ran toward the bathroom before her sensei could reprimand him for not running around the house.
Iruka just sighed fondly at the retreating figure, preparing to cook for the dinner.
I definitely could get used to this…..
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The dinner turned out to be far noisier as Naruto talked animatedly over his mission, eating his dinner and watching his favorite sensei’s response.
“And then Sasuke-baka just smirked in that ‘I’m GREATER than thou’ way and-“
“Naruto-kun, eat that vegetable.”
“Ew! What’s that greenish thing anyway?? But if Iruka-sensei says so, okay. And then Sakura-chan just giggled and blushed at him AGAIN. I just don’t get it, what’s GOOD in that baka Uchiha boy-“
“Languange, Naruto-kun.”
“Ah yes, I mean that ARROGANT Uchiha boy. Sorry. And Kaka-sensei just read that good for nothing porn in his usual lazy posture. I mean, he’s great jounin and all- yeah I agree- but he’s reading PORN!!”
“Okay, I understand what you mean.”
“See, sensei?? And -“
It was an hour later when the dinner and the dishes were done that Naruto told the news.
They were currently sitting before the TV, watching the cartoon (Naruto loved to watch the Bleach anime). Naruto cuddled beside his sensei as he giggled, telling the news.
“We get to do a C MISSION tomorrow!! It’s an escorting mission, sensei!!”
“What?? I thought you’re still not ready for that kind of mission, Naruto-kun.” Iruka blinked worriedly.
“Pft. I’ve been bored doing D Missions since forever, sensei! Even Sakura-chan and Sasuke-baka agreed with me! We succeeded asking Sandaime to give us a greater mission, and tomorrow we’ll go to the Wave country!!” Naruto grinned in triumph.
“Did Kakashi-sensei agree with you all on this?” Iruka couldn’t help but ask.
He shouldn’t let team 7 go at all. They’re only few months being Gennin & already get mission to outer country??!
Naruto nodded happily, “He agreed as well! He said we need more experiences in missions and this C mission will be a great chance to get one, sensei!”
Kakashi-sensei…. I’ll kill you … later.
Naruto talked more and more, but Iruka couldn’t get her growing worry over the upcoming mission.
No matter how low-ranked that C mission is….. there’s still a chance for enemy nins to lurk along the way…
I hope things will be okay….
That night, Iruka fell asleep with unusual worry growing in her
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A forgotten memory of their backs, walking away….
….Vanished in the darkness of the night.
She only could nod, helpless against the bittersweet of their last moment together. She remembered the forced smile, the awkward silence, the worried glances her friends threw between them.
“I can’t do this anymore…….” The words were the last things she heard from those lips.
“I’m going….”
She couldn’t say ‘I’m sorry’….
It was too late….
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He stood proudly over the Hokage monument. The dark, familiar dark eyes stared down, down at her. The previously thin line turn into a familiar grin she grew to love so much to see every day.
She wasn’t going to see it again for how long…. She didn’t know.
“I need to go. See you later, Iruka-chan. Be a strong kunoichi, okay?”
She nodded, trying her hardest to smile. She wanted their last moment together filled by her smile and his laugh.
She didn’t want to make the same mistake ever again.
She didn’t want his last memory of her crying; she really didn’t.
“Take care….sensei….”
She gave him her best smile.
He gave her his last grin and he vanished in the swirl of leaves.
Standing alone now, she slowly tilted her head upward.
The bright sunny sky answered her eyes.
“It’s raining, huh?,” She asked no one.
And it was.
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Tbc………
A/N :
So….we get a glimpse of Iruka’s past here…. She isn’t simply what people think she is…. ;) And now...off we go to the Wave country! To Haku and Zabuza, the Missing Nins! ^___^
The Next Chapter - The New ‘Friends’ (Will be up hopefully next week)
Teasers :
“You’re to accompany Tazuna-san of the Wave Country. He's a bridge builder requesting for some shinobi to escort him back to his home and protect him from bandits or robbers. Good luck.”
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Maybe….this team could break her mask one day….
I only hope I’m still alive to witness that moment….
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A few hundred meters away, two gennins glanced at each other with knowing smile. Sakura giggled behind her hands as Sasuke merely smirked at the blonde’s obliviousness to what happened between his ‘mother’ figure with their silver haired sensei.
You’re so whipped, Kakashi-sensei….
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“Oh My God….You’re a BOY!???” Iruka’s eyes widened as her brain just registered with the fact.
“………………….”
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The piles of unfinished papers lied forgotten on the desk few feet away as the two shinobis walked together, both completely oblivious with the raised eyebrows of their coworkers and their open smirks.
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LoL...... Please comment! I'd like to hear what u think of this chapter! :)
| Chapter 05 - The New 'Friends' |
Rating : PG-13 (this chapter), R later on.
Disclaimer : The characters are NOT MINE.
Chapter : 4/???
Words : 4,893 words
Summary : What if Iruka was a female? Follow the Naruto story since the very beginning.....
Pairing : KakaIru (the others will be canon-like hopefully)
WARNING : UNBETAED YET!!
A/N :
And here the chapter four is! :D I stated before that this fic is NOT an always happy-go-lucky-fic, but it won't be full of angst either. I don't like too much angst/tragedy... >_> AND it WILL have a happy ending! So don't worry too much.... ;) Last, enjoy the story! :)
~blue iceland (a.k.a. Izky)
| Chapter 01 - The Failed Student |
| Chapter 02 - The Realization |
| Chapter 03 - The Promise & the Test |
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Chapter 04 - The Growing Fondness : 4,893 words
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“Iruka-sensei!!!”
Iruka didn’t have a chance to turn her head in the middle of shopping when a blur of orange attacked her and attached itself into her lower body. The force of it left the female sensei let go her shop carriage and fell straight toward the hard floor.
“Eeep!!!” Too late and couldn’t do anything with her feet trapped, Iruka waited for the impact with the cold hard floor of the supermarket.
She didn’t expect to feel a hard warm of something on her front side, grabbing her shoulders gently as her body fell against it from the force of Naruto’s hug.
Opening her eyes warily, she only met with a familiar green vest. Turning her face up, she met with a curved single eye with a familiar masked face and silver hair.
“Nice to see you too, Iruka-sensei.” Kakashi couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at the sensei’s expression. She was gaping and blinking for quite a few seconds at him, as if she didn’t recognize who he was. The expression quite resembled a few year olds she taught.
Surprised to see me, sensei…?
Iruka blinked for quite a while before realizing that somehow she was sandwiched against Kakashi’s front and Naruto who was clinging at her lower back.
“Ah…hello to you too, Kakashi-san….. NARUTO! How many times I’ve told you … Don’t do THAT from behind!!? ” She turned her head back at Naruto, fully prepared to scold the blonde boy.
Naruto just grinned cheekily at her, finally releasing her lower back. Iruka could feel the larger gloved hands released her shoulder as she turned fully back to scold at her ex-student.
“You know I’m shopping right now and if that’s not by Kakashi-san I could fall into the floor! You should think before you do that again, understand, Naruto-KUN!??” She scolded him for a minute when Naruto just turned his head down obediently.
But, right after she finished her scolding, Naruto glanced up again at her and hugged her from the front, “Iruka-sensei!! I PASS THE TEST!! WE PASS THE TEST!!”
Iruka hadn’t expected the hug once more as the force thrown her against the figure behind her. She had to apologize later to Kakashi as her mind just processed the sentence came out from the hyperactive boy. “Wha..? You … pass the test?”
Glancing at the spiky blonde hair on her waist stupidly, Iruka could hear Naruto mumbled rather loudly to her chuunin vest. “Yup…I’m a genin now, Iruka-sensei!! With Sakura-chan and Sasuke-baka!!”
“Naruto!! Wait a minute! You walk too fast… and Kakashi-sensei too!!”
A familiar feminine voice turned Iruka’s eyes up to find her ex-students - Sakura and Sasuke walked toward them from the supermarket’s gate.
“Sakura-chan? Sasuke-kun?”
“Iruka-sensei!! It’s good to see you!! We pass the test!” Sakura walked happily toward them and clutched at Iruka’s arm.
“Hn…Iruka-sensei.” Sasuke trailed behind, his scowl on place as usual. Still, he bowed slightly at her sensei.
Kakashi raised his eyebrows at the respect Sasuke had toward the chuunin.
He GROWLED at me the first time we talk and here he BOWS to Iruka?? The angsty boy has serious manner problems here….
Iruka seemed still processed the information, “Wha….? You three pass…?”
They pass!? Really?
She wasn’t a dreamer and she knew that she had to fully accept if Naruto and his team would be failed by Kakashi’s high expectation (and considering this was Sharingan Kakashi, it could be very very high….). She didn’t dare to imagine what the results could be all day, that’s why she went shopping, hoping to ease her stressed mind off it.
“Iruka-sensei? You alright?” A whisper right beside her ear seemed to snap back her into the reality. A blush automatically rose on her face as she nearly jumped in surprise. She wanted to step away from the jounin behind her, but two gloved hands on her upper arms and a happy Naruto clinging on her waist made it impossible to do so.
“Uh…I’m fine… Naruto, you can let go, okay?” She said weakly as she ruffled the blonde hair. She wanted to say more, but the hardness she could feel across her back and the warm grip on her upper arms made her lose some of her concentration.
“Hmmph…no way…you’re warm, Iruka-sensei.” Naruto mumbled, rubbing his head against her sensei’s stomach.
“Naruto! You must let go of her, Iruka’s sensei could get hyperventilate! Her face turned red now!” Sakura scolded at her teammate. Sasuke grunted in response.
Sakura-chan… People get hyperventilate if they turn blue…not red… Iruka’s automatic teacher mode would have wanted to say that, but the sensei currently could not think of..anything.
On the other hand, Kakashi was having a big time himself. He didn’t know why, but it felt…. calming to stand closer to the chuunin sensei. The sensei’s chakra was rather calm and welcoming, His usually sharp nose went down, barely touched the brown strands of hair fell after that cute ponytail, trying to recognize the sweet smell around the female.
She smells like…. sweat….ink….. and…waterfall? Is there any waterfall here…?
Turning his neck slightly, Kakashi blinked at the chuunin’s face. She looked….well… for the lack of better words….dumfounded.
A chuckle was heard from behind Iruka as finally the jounin behind her stepped away from her, letting go her arms in process. He didn’t miss the way Sakura hide her slightly blushing face behind her hand or Sasuke raised his eyebrows at them with a smirk on his face. The jounin simply curved his eye in return at them.
Hmm… Looks like a certain pair of gennins are too observant for their own good….
“Maa…Iruka-sensei. You don’t need to look that surprised to hear the news you know.” Finally Kakashi joined the conversation, stepping aside to face her.
Letting a sigh in relief (of what? ) , Iruka finally smiled at the three of her ex-students before her (actually one clinging on her, but that’s beside the point). “Congratulations. Now you become gennins. I’m sure you three will be great shinobis one day!”
Her smile softened a bit after realizing for the first time the other’s appearances. Judging from the leaves, dirt, and scraps covered most of the gennin’s appearance, Iruka knew it was not an easy task to pass Kakashi’s expectation and test (which hopefully didn’t involve any Icha-icha at all…) and knowing her students passed the test made her warm all over inside.
I’m very proud of them…
Naruto tightened his arms around her waist as his warm laugh was muffled against Iruka’s vest. “Thank you, sensei!”
Sakura squealed at her and hugging her waist as well, the part which Naruto hadn’t hugged on. “Yay!! Thank you, Iruka-sensei!!”
Sasuke nodded back, there was a hint of tiny smile on his lips, but maybe that was only Iruka’s imagination. “Hnn.”
Giving in to be a temporary human pillow to her two ex-students, she finally braved herself to glance up at the jounin before her, “You too, Kakashi-san. Thank you.”
Thank you for believing in them…
The jounin chuckled, rubbing his spiky silver hair lazily. For some reasons that he didn’t know, he could feel blush grew on his cheek. He had never felt grateful for the mask he wore now. “Maa…that’s not me you should thank to. Your students were doing great on their own. They can’t do that without your teaching though.”
Iruka chuckled back, ruffling both Naruto and Sakura’s hair with both of her hands, “They naturally are great and good children, that’s why.”
Naruto, ‘satisfied’ with his human pillow, finally letting go his sensei’s waist, in the process making Sakura let her go as well, “Iruka-sensei. Are you better now? Do you still feel hurt? And how is your back? Is it still hurt?” he asked worriedly. The more he saw and talked to the chuunin, the more Naruto felt closer and closer to her. Iruka was turning into one of his most important persons and Naruto couldn’t help but worry over her conditions every day.
Hell, if that Miz-bastard still can walk around freely in Konoha, I’ll punch him thousand times for every wound he gave to Iruka-sensei!
Iruka knew she was going better and better day by day. Still, sometimes she still felt light headaches and slight pain on her back if she stood too long. But she wouldn’t want to make Naruto worry, right?
“I’m better, Naruto-kun. The doctor said I shouldn’t do any harder activities yet, but I’m doing okay.” Iruka smiled reassuringly at him.
“You said that you fell on stairs a few days ago, Iruka-sensei. But what’s that got to do with your back?” Sasuke, as observant as ever, raised his eyebrows at her.
Kakashi kept his mouth shut, understanding that Iruka didn’t want to make her students worry about her more than they already did.
You’re too kind, sensei… They were already gennins now. You should stop spoiling them rotten you know…
Iruka sweat dropped. Actually she didn’t want to tell the truth about why or how she got her wounds to her innocent students yet. That’s why she explained that she fell on stairs to some students that asked her that. But of course, she didn’t tell them the wound on her back.
“I..uh…it’s a long story, Sasuke-kun. I just scrapped my back when falling on the stairs. That’s all. Naruto-kun is just too worried about me.”
Naruto protested. “Hey! I AM worried about you. You got-“
Before Naruto finished her words, Iruka quickly covered her mouth with her hand, smiling nervously. “Naruto, there’s no need to explain it, okay?”
Seeing Iruka clearly didn’t want to talk more about it, Kakashi tried to help. “Maa…. Well, then excuse us, Iruka-sensei. I see you’re in the middle of shopping. We shouldn’t disturb you. Come on, kids, you have to go home as well. It’s late already.” With that, Kakashi nodded slightly at Iruka and gestured to his now gennin students to follow him out of the market.
Sakura and Sasuke nodded, bowing slightly at their academy sensei.
“Hn. See you later, sensei.” Sasuke grunted and walked away, following his jounin teacher.
“Well…I’m off as well, Iruka-sensei. Bye!!” Sakura waved before walking off.
Iruka waved slightly on them. She glanced down at the blonde boy still standing beside her. “Shouldn’t you go home as well, Naruto-kun?”
Naruto just shrugged, grinning at her. “I want to accompany you shopping. No one will scold me if I get home late anyway. You don’t mind, right sensei?”
Hearing that, Iruka felt a tight lump on her throat, imagining the empty small apartment Naruto had lived all these years. She sometimes had a chance to visit the blonde boy to discuss about his academy reports. The apartment was small, scrappy, and filled with junks and things that were scattered on its floor. There were no adults that would remind the blonde how to take care of his things and his home. How to clean, how to cook (Iruka learned the hard way how Naruto had no logic sense whatsoever about what he could eat or not. Honestly… , ramen covered by spoiled milk?? She still had nightmare for that particular food Naruto made in cooking class) how to put things in their right place, and many others things that Iruka herself had a slight chance to learn before Kyuubi attack the village and killed her parent. She knew sometimes Sandaime visited him as well, but the Hokage tended to be very busy every day and there were nobody else who would care to visit Naruto.
A small boy like him shouldn’t live alone in that small apartment…
No wonder Naruto was so attached to her. He needed a parent figure, Iruka realized, and the closest thing was herself, Naruto’s own teacher.
“Naruto¬-kun? Would you like to have a dinner with me?” Carefully she asked that to the boy beside her. After a few long years, it was the first time for her to invite anyone -save for Izumo and Kotetsu to their monthly dinner together - for dinner because she was too busy in her academy job to cook more than necessary and invite some friends. Having to cook for Kotetsu and Izumo, which had bottomless stomachs, was hard enough for Iruka. No need to add anymore stomach to feed in.
But well… she could make an exception for Naruto.
Naruto’s grin -if possible- widened even more, “Really!?? Of course Iruka-sensei!!”
Iruka chuckled, glad to see the happy glow showed in that chubby face.
Yes, Naruto always seems to be an exception for me….
And it felt right.
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It had been a few weeks since the dinner she had with Naruto. She now had to admit to herself that yes, she grew fond of Naruto, and yes, she treat him more than a teacher should to a student, and yes, she care of Naruto very much.
Naruto, despite of his new D-missions with team 7, always seemed to visit her anywhere. He loved to talk about how the missions go, how lazy Kakashi-sensei was, how frustrated Sasuke made him, and how smitten Sakura-chan to Sasuke and how it made him want to puke, because who the hell wants to like that ignorant pompous Uchiha boy anyway?? And of course not to forget, he WILL be the Hokage one day!
But despite of Naruto’s comments, Iruka could recognize the growing fondness in Naruto’s tone every time he talked about them. Iruka herself really enjoyed his stories, because it let her know how the development of their team was, however slow and impossible it was. And yes, team 7 was growing closer each day. She could feel it from Naruto’s stories.
Iruka herself grew fond of the team itself. She knew there were two other teams who passed the exam, team 8 under Kurenai’s guide and team 10 under Asuma’s (she met them a few days ago and congratulated them and of course had a long nice talk with their jounin senseis), still she couldn’t help but put most of her attention to the team 7, the team where Naruto put into.
Every few times each week, she made time to visit them on the training ground and greeted them. Once she even made them lunches, for Kakashi-san included (Apparently Kakashi-sensei really liked the eggplants she made). Sakura even joked slightly that Iruka was too much fussing over them sometimes, which made the chuunin sensei blushed. But really, all of the teasing worth the smiles, the laughs, fond hugs Naruto gave her in every chance he could when they were together.
She hadn’t realized how much Naruto really affected her life.
And now….she needed to make sure of something.
Will…Can Izumo and Kotetsu…accept Naruto like me?
Kotetsu and Izumo were two of the most important people in Iruka’s life. And realizing her growing fondness to Naruto, she couldn’t help but want to share what she felt about the blonde boy to them, the ones who always be there to listen to her happy news and troubled mind.
They’re always beside me after these long years…
When sensei left me…
When my parents were gone forever…
When ‘he’ was gone as well….
When I was truly left alone…
I wouldn’t be here without these two here….
They deserve the truth… at least…
Deciding to tell them the truth, she asked them to have dinner with her. Now, Iruka , together with her teammates Izumo & Kotetsu, was having their monthly dinner. They were currently eating in one of the small cafés that night. It was a bit dark but cozy. The food tasted good and the environment was friendly. Iruka liked that.
“-and you know what, Ruka? We had to stand for SIX hours straight every damn night!!! It was HELL!!” Kotetsu groaned, munching his meat ball eagerly. He had been complaining about his and Izumo’s last mission for the past ten minutes.
“Language, Ko. And no, it would have not been six hours if you hadn’t been caught by the daimyo sleeping in the first place in the middle of his speech you know.” Izumo replied, drinking his sake calmly.
“So it was MY fault??”
“Yes.”
Iruka sighed inside, watching the bickering of her two teammates before her. Sometimes she had to wonder how the hell Kotetsu and Izumo can bear each other’s presence without killing each other. They were far too opposite. Where Kotetsu was brash, blunt, and honest with everything he said, the ‘attack first, think later, anyone up for a fight?’ type, Izumo was the calm, rational, soft spoken, the ‘think before attack, maybe we can avoid fighting please?’ type.
Now that I think it…they remind me of Naruto and…Sasuke?
Nah…Sasuke isn’t THAT polite… and Izumo was anything but arrogant.
And no, I refuse to think Naruto will grow up to be THAT rude.
“Helloo….Ruka? You’re still there??”
Iruka blinked as a large hand waving before her face. Kotetsu’s. “Huh? Sorry? What did you say?”
“You’re daydreaming, Ruka.” Izumo chuckled.
Iruka smiled sheepishly, brushing her scar slightly. “Ah…forgive me. I must be more tired that I think…”
“Yeah, you look a bit pale. So, how is your wound? Better?” Kotetsu asked.
“Mmh….it’s better. The wound is already closed, but the skin around it is still a bit tender.” Iruka answered honestly, refereeing to the huge scar on her back.
“If you want, I can make the healing process faster, Ruka. It’ll be still a huge scar though.” Izumo offered, eating his noodle. He was, after all, the medic nin of their team. And their sensei’s favorite.
“Yeah, you know Zumo can do that, Ruka.” Kotetsu added.
Iruka smiled at their concern, shaking her head. “Nah… it’s okay. You two are still tired from the mission. Just go take a rest after dinner, okay?”
“Yes, Mom.” Kotetsu winked. Izumo just chuckled.
“So….what do you want to talk about, Ruka?” Izumo asked suddenly.
Huh? How did…
“And don’t give us that look. We know you since forever, you know.” Kotetsu said, shrugging his shoulders.
“I can’t hide anything from you guys, can I?” Iruka groaned, blushing slightly.
“Nope.” They answered in unison, grins on their face.
“So?” Izumo asked.
“Eer….”
“Spill it out, Ruka.”
There were only few things that could make her two best friends put that look, the one which filled by curiosity, fondness, acceptance, and…. love.
And Iruka realized this time, it included…. herself.
Feeling her heart warmed over this thought, she finally decided to say those words.
“I think........I like…no….I love Naruto, Ko, Zumo.”
Despite of the random noisy talk other people had around their table, Iruka could feel the sudden silence very well.
She tried her best not to flinch against the surprised looks her teammates threw on her, staring back against them instead.
It had been a long thirty seconds before one of them finally blinked. Kotetsu.
“Ruka?? You mean you AND that kid?? But he’s TOO young!!!” Kotetsu was horrified.
EEwww!!!! Don’t tell me that she’s a pedophile??? Our sweet Ruka….. I think I wanna go puke or something…..
“Calm down, baka!! That’s NOT what she means!!” *PUNCH* “Right, Ruka?” Izumo, understanding his teammate so well (too well actually), sweatdropped at the ill expression Kotetsu had.
“Eer….yes, Zumo.” *sweatdrops*
“OWWW!!! That HURTS, Zumo!!”
“Maa…. Calm down, you two…” Iruka sighed, once again seeing the familiar sight of them bickering before her.
Honestly…. They’re such kids….
“Okay…. *coughs* Ruka?” Izumo, the calmer one, stared back at her.
Iruka nodded, asking him to continue.
“Since when….?”
“Well…I can’t exactly realize when….but…it might be nearly a month ago I asked him to have dinner with me. And after that…. He always seems to be anywhere I go. We often go for Ramen after he finished training and he often tells me how team 7’s going recently. Sometimes I watch them training as well. You won’t believe that Kakashi-san has quite a sense of humor in him.” Iruka couldn’t help but chuckle lightly in remembrance.
“Eeer….Kakashi-san?”
“Hmm..?”
“Are those…..your students hanging upside down with rope on the tree…?”
“Well…yes. What’s about it?”
“Nothing…”
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“Sasuke…. Is that GERBIL on your ….chin? It’s…alive…”
“Don’t ask, Iruka-sensei…”
“But…”
“Kakashi-sensei just invented a new jutsu. That’s all.”
“I don’t think I want to know, Sasuke….”
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“Arghh…!!! Iruka-sensei!!! Help us!!!”
“Sakura-kun? What’s wrong?”
“Do you see a cat with pig tail fly around this area? Kakashi-sensei told us to find that… THING!!”
“Eeeer…” *sweatdrop*
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“Ruka….”
Iruka blinked, glancing up at her friends, only to find them raised their eyebrows in confusion. She blushed slightly, “Sorry.”
“Okay…back on track. So…any reasons at all?” Izumo asked, curiosity filled his face.
“I … don’t understand myself what happened … but… I just really want to protect him…. He looks … so…happy…when I’m near him. It makes me happy to see him like that.” Iruka smiled slightly.
“Do you….pity him then?” Kotetsu raised his eyebrow, an unfamiliar seriousness crept inside his words.
Iruka surprised even herself when she shouted immediately, “NO!! That’s NOT what I mean!”
In return, Izumo knocked Kotetsu on the head. Hard. “Forgive him, Ruka. He tends to have a runaway mouth sometimes. Not that you don’t know that.”
“OOWWW!! I just ASKED Damn IT!”
Iruka coughed, deciding to explain more of her thoughts. “It’s just….that… I know he has… that … in him, but that’s not what makes me care about him… Sometimes I think….he reminds me of…myself... a long time ago.”
Slowly, she saw the change in her teammates’ expressions. Their eyes softened in remembrance.
“Yeah… I agree…” Izumo smiled slowly.
“Now that you say that…. I think I can see that.” Kotetsu nodded, a small grin appeared.
He acts very much like your old self….
The prankster, the tomboy little girl who always had runaway mouth……
Do you miss her as we do, Ruka…?
Iruka asked hesistantly, “So…. Do you think… I-“
…do the right thing? Caring and loving…..that Naruto?
Before she could continue, Izumo already reached her hands and Kotetsu sat beside her, circling her shoulder gently. Both smiled at her hesitated face.
“Whatever you do…. We’re always beside you, Ruka.” Izumo smiled, staring at her with gentleness he just reserved for her.
“Yeah…. Liking Kyuubi boy or not, hell- if you want to be Orochimaru’s daughter or wife- we’ll accompany you FOREVER, okay!??” Kotetsu grinned widely, tightening his grip on her lightly.
“If you care about Naruto that much…… we’ll try to get along, ……. right Ko?” Izumo smiled, patting her hands gently with his much larger hand.
“Zumo is right, Ruka. You have to introduce him to us as well sometimes later, okay?”
“You two are the best, guys. Thank you.” Iruka put her best smile at the two of the most important people in her life.
“Hey, anything for you, sis.”
Iruka chuckled, leaning on Kotetsu’s broad shoulder trustingly. Her hands were on Izumo’s larger and paler hands, rubbing gently against her softer ones. She felt truly content.
“Eer…. I think I can survive without the ‘Orochimaru’ part, Ko. I’m not THAT crazy.”
All of them laughed at that.
Thank you, Ko, Zumo… I’m so lucky to have you two…
.
.
.
.
.
“Er…. So….you are not liking him in THAT way right? Because not only for the ill facto-“
*PUNCHS*
“Oww!!! What’s that for, Ruka??”
Iruka simply brushed her knuckle, shaking her head. “That’s for thinking me as pedophile, Ko.”
Izumo and Kotetsu shared a knowing nostalgic smile, missed by the female that tucked herself back into her teammate’s arms.
The old real you is still somewhere there, Ruka.
When will you let her go…?
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A FEW MONTHS LATER………………….
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Both of them reached Iruka’s house after going shopping for food in markets. Naruto was happily bringing loads of ramen in the huge plastic bags as Iruka herself opened the door with the key, two smaller plastic bags on her other hand.
“Iruka-sensei!! What would we make this time!?? Can I have ramen?? Yesterday Kakashi-sensei made all of us eat together in Ichiraku Ramen like we did two days before! And it was really good! You should have eaten with us as well!!” Naruto talked animatedly, walking inside the house happily after putting off his shoes like what Iruka told him to.
Iruka grinned, walking into the kitchen and putting down all the groceries on the table. Naruto trailed after her. “Really? Does he pay for you, Naruto-kun?”
Naruto sulked, “No. He said that we have to pay what we eat ourselves. Like what Kotetsu-san said to me before. That’s not cool. You usually pay for my part as well. Or Izumo-san.”
Iruka shook her head, smiling, “Well… that’s because I or Izumo offer to pay for you ourselves. And of course, I guess, Kakashi-sensei and Kotetsu did not.”
Naruto pouted at her, “Still. It’s no fun.”
Iruka grinned, brushing the familiar yellow bangs from his temple, “You should realize one day it’ll be your turn to treat people. Now, just go take a bath first. Your clothes are already on the bathroom for the change.”
Their relationship grew quicker than Iruka thought. Nowadays, Naruto could spend half a week in Iruka’s house. Every few days, Iruka would pick him up after the mission or training, treat him Ramen, and go back together to her house to have a sleepover. There were more than a few Naruto’s things emerged in her house - not that she minded of course - such as the clothes, scrolls, toys, shurikens, and many else, that Iruka sure never bought herself, and all of them were saved neatly in Iruka’s main room.
“Do you mean I must treat you, sensei?? Naah…I prefer the other way around. ” Naruto snorted and ran toward the bathroom before her sensei could reprimand him for not running around the house.
Iruka just sighed fondly at the retreating figure, preparing to cook for the dinner.
I definitely could get used to this…..
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The dinner turned out to be far noisier as Naruto talked animatedly over his mission, eating his dinner and watching his favorite sensei’s response.
“And then Sasuke-baka just smirked in that ‘I’m GREATER than thou’ way and-“
“Naruto-kun, eat that vegetable.”
“Ew! What’s that greenish thing anyway?? But if Iruka-sensei says so, okay. And then Sakura-chan just giggled and blushed at him AGAIN. I just don’t get it, what’s GOOD in that baka Uchiha boy-“
“Languange, Naruto-kun.”
“Ah yes, I mean that ARROGANT Uchiha boy. Sorry. And Kaka-sensei just read that good for nothing porn in his usual lazy posture. I mean, he’s great jounin and all- yeah I agree- but he’s reading PORN!!”
“Okay, I understand what you mean.”
“See, sensei?? And -“
It was an hour later when the dinner and the dishes were done that Naruto told the news.
They were currently sitting before the TV, watching the cartoon (Naruto loved to watch the Bleach anime). Naruto cuddled beside his sensei as he giggled, telling the news.
“We get to do a C MISSION tomorrow!! It’s an escorting mission, sensei!!”
“What?? I thought you’re still not ready for that kind of mission, Naruto-kun.” Iruka blinked worriedly.
“Pft. I’ve been bored doing D Missions since forever, sensei! Even Sakura-chan and Sasuke-baka agreed with me! We succeeded asking Sandaime to give us a greater mission, and tomorrow we’ll go to the Wave country!!” Naruto grinned in triumph.
“Did Kakashi-sensei agree with you all on this?” Iruka couldn’t help but ask.
He shouldn’t let team 7 go at all. They’re only few months being Gennin & already get mission to outer country??!
Naruto nodded happily, “He agreed as well! He said we need more experiences in missions and this C mission will be a great chance to get one, sensei!”
Kakashi-sensei…. I’ll kill you … later.
Naruto talked more and more, but Iruka couldn’t get her growing worry over the upcoming mission.
No matter how low-ranked that C mission is….. there’s still a chance for enemy nins to lurk along the way…
I hope things will be okay….
That night, Iruka fell asleep with unusual worry growing in her
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A forgotten memory of their backs, walking away….
….Vanished in the darkness of the night.
She only could nod, helpless against the bittersweet of their last moment together. She remembered the forced smile, the awkward silence, the worried glances her friends threw between them.
“I can’t do this anymore…….” The words were the last things she heard from those lips.
“I’m going….”
She couldn’t say ‘I’m sorry’….
It was too late….
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He stood proudly over the Hokage monument. The dark, familiar dark eyes stared down, down at her. The previously thin line turn into a familiar grin she grew to love so much to see every day.
She wasn’t going to see it again for how long…. She didn’t know.
“I need to go. See you later, Iruka-chan. Be a strong kunoichi, okay?”
She nodded, trying her hardest to smile. She wanted their last moment together filled by her smile and his laugh.
She didn’t want to make the same mistake ever again.
She didn’t want his last memory of her crying; she really didn’t.
“Take care….sensei….”
She gave him her best smile.
He gave her his last grin and he vanished in the swirl of leaves.
Standing alone now, she slowly tilted her head upward.
The bright sunny sky answered her eyes.
“It’s raining, huh?,” She asked no one.
And it was.
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Tbc………
A/N :
So….we get a glimpse of Iruka’s past here…. She isn’t simply what people think she is…. ;) And now...off we go to the Wave country! To Haku and Zabuza, the Missing Nins! ^___^
The Next Chapter - The New ‘Friends’ (Will be up hopefully next week)
Teasers :
“You’re to accompany Tazuna-san of the Wave Country. He's a bridge builder requesting for some shinobi to escort him back to his home and protect him from bandits or robbers. Good luck.”
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Maybe….this team could break her mask one day….
I only hope I’m still alive to witness that moment….
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A few hundred meters away, two gennins glanced at each other with knowing smile. Sakura giggled behind her hands as Sasuke merely smirked at the blonde’s obliviousness to what happened between his ‘mother’ figure with their silver haired sensei.
You’re so whipped, Kakashi-sensei….
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“Oh My God….You’re a BOY!???” Iruka’s eyes widened as her brain just registered with the fact.
“………………….”
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The piles of unfinished papers lied forgotten on the desk few feet away as the two shinobis walked together, both completely oblivious with the raised eyebrows of their coworkers and their open smirks.
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LoL...... Please comment! I'd like to hear what u think of this chapter! :)
| Chapter 05 - The New 'Friends' |