Sins of the Family ch.II: The Eyes of a Child
Title: Sins of the Family
Series: Naruto
Rating: PG-13 (for violence)
Category: Adventure/Suspense/Romance
Synopsis: A direct attempt on Iruka’s life forces him to flee from Konoha with Kakashi as a reluctant bodyguard. Their only hope lies in uncovering the buried secrets of Iruka’s family, and they must do so before the assassin succeeds in his mission. This story takes place shortly after Naruto leaves with Jiraiya.
Author's Notes/A Proper Introduction: I forgot to write in the previous chapter that it has been many years since I have revisited the Naruto-universe, and even longer since I've been driven to write a fanfic based on the characters. Kakashi and Iruka have always had a special place in my heart, and I still hold onto my beloved KakaIru doujinshi with a iron death grip (I am totally taking all of my doujinshi to the grave with me! >:D ) The story 'Sins of the Family' has been festering in the back of my head for a while, and for no reason at all it finally reared it's head and demanded that I write it down. Since then I've been writing this story nearly every chance I get, even waking up a few hours earlier just to get a few paragraphs in (a highly unusual and scary thing for me to do!
Either way, this story practically fought its way out and demanded to be told. I'm happy to write it but a little scared to share it, for even as a mere fanfic it means a lot to me. Anyways, please enjoy Ch. II: the Eyes of a Child, and thank you so much for reading 'Sins of the Family'!
Announcement: Now looking for a BETA! I suck at writing/speaking the English properly, and I still have a lot to learn! I would appreciate any help with this story.
*Chapter 2 revised 03-2-12*
Chapter 2: The Eyes of a Child
Iruka forgot about the incident with the butcher as he was absorbed in the reassuring rhythm of his daily routine. He had barely finished grading the last essay before first bell rang to signal the start of class, and the entirety of his students poured in from both the door and windows.
Iruka straightened the stack of papers and stood up smiling. “Good morning class.”
“Good morning sensei!” Twenty three young voices replied back.
“Iruka-Sensei! What happened to your neck!?" Konohomaru demanded excitedly. "Did you get hurt on a mission?”
Iruka had already prepared an explanation. “It’s a cut from a training accident. Even adults make a mistake, sometimes.”
“I bet it’s a hickey.” Hyuuga Hanabi muttered under her breath. A few of the students giggled at the remark.
Iruka's eyebrow twitched. He really didn’t have the patience for snide remarks today, so he chose to ignore it. “I have finished grading everyone’s family tree essays, and I will say that I am very impressed with every one’s family or favorite hero.” He handed the stack of papers to a student to start passing around. “We will continue with our study of families today. Does anyone know another term that’s commonly used when researching about your family history?”
Moegi raised her hand. “Gynecology?” she asked innocently.
‘Kids these days...’
“It’s pronounced Genealogy, Moegi. It’s the study of your ancestry and family histories. Can anyone tell me why this is important? Yes, Udon?”
Udon sniffled and pushed his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose. “To uhhh...remember our ancestors?”
“Very good. It is also a good way to honor them and everything they have done for us. Especially since without your ancestors, none of you would exist.” Iruka walked to the chalkboard where he had tacked a poster the previous week. On it was a simple diagram showing Iruka’s family history; from his parents to both sets of grandparents. “I would like everyone to make a poster this week with at least five family members on it, or a poster of your favorite Konoha hero.” Iruka always made sure that there was an alternate choice for students in this particular lesson plan. He could clearly recall how Naruto had decided to make a poster of himself as the future Hokage of Konoha. He had a feeling that Konohomaru might do the same.
“Iruka-Sensei?” a soft voice asked from the back of the room.
“Yes, Shizu?”
The little blond haired girl stared at the surface of her desk. “Do we have to put everybody in our poster?”
Iruka inwardly sighed. He was well aware, as was the rest of the village, of Shizu’s older brother recent desertion from the Leaf in favor of the Sound. He doubted that her brother’s name was even spoken in the young girl's household. “You and everyone else can decide how many family members you would like to include in your project.”
Shizu made a little smile of gratitude that lifted Iruka’s spirits at bit. He was about to change the course of his lesson plan to weapons when Shizu unexpectedly spoke again.
“Sensei, who were your grandparents?”
“My grandparents?” Iruka paused, finding it a little unusual for a student to be so direct about his personal history--let alone about people that were long dead before any of the children have been born. “Like everyone else, Shizu, I have two sets of grandparents on either side of my family that had raised each of my parents, and therefore contributed to create me.”
“Yes, but who?”
Iruka almost frowned at the question. “Their names are on my poster, Shizu. My father’s parents Shinji and Yuki Umino, and my mother’s parents Torichi and Keano Hashi.” Iruka’s mouth fixed into a firm line. “Now everyone, shall we go outside to-“
“Did they have any other kids besides your mom?” Shizu pressed, sounding strangely eager. A few students turned in their seats to give her odd looks.
Okay, now that question was weird. “Okay kids! I think now is a good time to go outside for some weapons practice!”
The Academy students cheered and flew aside their notebooks and essays (the ones that Iruka had fought so hard to complete) and practically scrambled over each other in their haste for any excuse to handle sharp pointy objects. Iruka shook his head ruefully at the mess. He really did not expect any less after returning the homework to the children. The students could run around all they want, only Iruka could unlock the safe and give them any weapons to practice with.
“Sensei?” Shizu was the only student to remain behind in the classroom. She stood stoically before her teacher; her head bowed enough for her shoulder length hair to obscure her eyes, though Iruka could see that Shizu's mouth was pulled tight as if she was trying her hardest not to cry. “My brother is never coming home, is he? No one at my house ever talks about him anymore!”
Iruka chose his next words carefully. It was not the first time that a student confided with him, and it would not be the last. “Shizu, your brother is his own person and made a decision that he felt was best for him. I can’t say that he won’t ever return, but if he does then he will have to face the consequences of his actions.”
Shizu’s lower lip trembled. “Will everybody just forget about him if he never does?”
“You are his sister; you have the choice to remember him however you would like. When you are older and decide to have children of your own, it will be your decision alone on how you want them to know about your brother; both the good and the bad.”
The young student made a choking sound and ran up to her sensei. Iruka gently stroked her straw colored hair as the young girl cried softly into his vest.
He gasped in surprise as a sharp pressure stung in his side. At the same moment Shizu leaped away in a quick blur of motion. She landed in a crouch on the floor, blood dripped from a thin knife grasped in her hand.
“Shizu-!?” Iruka looked down to see a dark stain quickly spreading from the left side of his abdomen, and then the pain truly hit him. He grunted and took a step back as blood-too much blood-streamed down under his clothes to trickle down his leg. The stab wound hurt and bled far too much, a sure sign that the blade was poisoned.
Shizu rose from the floor and took a step towards her teacher; the young girl’s face had contorted into that of a killer. Her green eyes held that same vacant fury that had controlled Kakashi the night before.
“No. Shizu...run. Get away from here!” Iruka managed to gasp before his back collided against his desk. His vision began to swim as he slid to the floor, his legs no longer seemed to work. He could only focus on Shizu's face. All semblance of the girl that he had comforted moments before was gone, only naked malice that no child should ever possess remained in her eyes.
“You will die, last of the Hashibara clan!” Shizu hissed in a voice thick with hatred. Her grip on the knife tightened as she raised it, and then lunged for Iruka's throat.
Something large and grey streaked across the room and collided into the girl. It hit Shizu with enough force to throw both across the room and crash into the neat rows of desks and chairs, leaving only a splintered heap in their wake.
Iruka’s eyesight cleared long enough for him to see a sleek greyhound with a Hitai-ate tied around its neck standing over Shizu among the wreckage of the classroom. The young girl sat up straight with a startled yelp at the sight of the huge ninkin. Her eyes were once again that of a child, and held confusion and rising panic at the destruction around her. Then Iruka’s world began to go dim.
“Iruka!” a familiar voice cried. Iruka could only recognize Kakashi by the silver hair as the other man knelt down to press a hand to Iruka’s wound. “Stay with me, help is coming.”
Darkness crept into the edge of Iruka’s vision. He knew that he shouldn’t let it take him, but he hurt too much and his mind was too numb to really care. He was vaguely aware of Kakashi’s stern voice talking to him over the noise of Shizu’s high pitched wailing. He thought that he could hear Anko shouting orders from somewhere outside the classroom.
It was wall too much. Iruka closed his eyes and welcomed the darkness.
END OF CHAPTER 2
Next Chapter
Chapter 3: Exiled
Previous Chapters
Chapter 1: A Very Bad Monday Morning
Series: Naruto
Rating: PG-13 (for violence)
Category: Adventure/Suspense/Romance
Synopsis: A direct attempt on Iruka’s life forces him to flee from Konoha with Kakashi as a reluctant bodyguard. Their only hope lies in uncovering the buried secrets of Iruka’s family, and they must do so before the assassin succeeds in his mission. This story takes place shortly after Naruto leaves with Jiraiya.
Author's Notes/A Proper Introduction: I forgot to write in the previous chapter that it has been many years since I have revisited the Naruto-universe, and even longer since I've been driven to write a fanfic based on the characters. Kakashi and Iruka have always had a special place in my heart, and I still hold onto my beloved KakaIru doujinshi with a iron death grip (I am totally taking all of my doujinshi to the grave with me! >:D ) The story 'Sins of the Family' has been festering in the back of my head for a while, and for no reason at all it finally reared it's head and demanded that I write it down. Since then I've been writing this story nearly every chance I get, even waking up a few hours earlier just to get a few paragraphs in (a highly unusual and scary thing for me to do!
Either way, this story practically fought its way out and demanded to be told. I'm happy to write it but a little scared to share it, for even as a mere fanfic it means a lot to me. Anyways, please enjoy Ch. II: the Eyes of a Child, and thank you so much for reading 'Sins of the Family'!
Announcement: Now looking for a BETA! I suck at writing/speaking the English properly, and I still have a lot to learn! I would appreciate any help with this story.
*Chapter 2 revised 03-2-12*
Chapter 2: The Eyes of a Child
Iruka forgot about the incident with the butcher as he was absorbed in the reassuring rhythm of his daily routine. He had barely finished grading the last essay before first bell rang to signal the start of class, and the entirety of his students poured in from both the door and windows.
Iruka straightened the stack of papers and stood up smiling. “Good morning class.”
“Good morning sensei!” Twenty three young voices replied back.
“Iruka-Sensei! What happened to your neck!?" Konohomaru demanded excitedly. "Did you get hurt on a mission?”
Iruka had already prepared an explanation. “It’s a cut from a training accident. Even adults make a mistake, sometimes.”
“I bet it’s a hickey.” Hyuuga Hanabi muttered under her breath. A few of the students giggled at the remark.
Iruka's eyebrow twitched. He really didn’t have the patience for snide remarks today, so he chose to ignore it. “I have finished grading everyone’s family tree essays, and I will say that I am very impressed with every one’s family or favorite hero.” He handed the stack of papers to a student to start passing around. “We will continue with our study of families today. Does anyone know another term that’s commonly used when researching about your family history?”
Moegi raised her hand. “Gynecology?” she asked innocently.
‘Kids these days...’
“It’s pronounced Genealogy, Moegi. It’s the study of your ancestry and family histories. Can anyone tell me why this is important? Yes, Udon?”
Udon sniffled and pushed his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose. “To uhhh...remember our ancestors?”
“Very good. It is also a good way to honor them and everything they have done for us. Especially since without your ancestors, none of you would exist.” Iruka walked to the chalkboard where he had tacked a poster the previous week. On it was a simple diagram showing Iruka’s family history; from his parents to both sets of grandparents. “I would like everyone to make a poster this week with at least five family members on it, or a poster of your favorite Konoha hero.” Iruka always made sure that there was an alternate choice for students in this particular lesson plan. He could clearly recall how Naruto had decided to make a poster of himself as the future Hokage of Konoha. He had a feeling that Konohomaru might do the same.
“Iruka-Sensei?” a soft voice asked from the back of the room.
“Yes, Shizu?”
The little blond haired girl stared at the surface of her desk. “Do we have to put everybody in our poster?”
Iruka inwardly sighed. He was well aware, as was the rest of the village, of Shizu’s older brother recent desertion from the Leaf in favor of the Sound. He doubted that her brother’s name was even spoken in the young girl's household. “You and everyone else can decide how many family members you would like to include in your project.”
Shizu made a little smile of gratitude that lifted Iruka’s spirits at bit. He was about to change the course of his lesson plan to weapons when Shizu unexpectedly spoke again.
“Sensei, who were your grandparents?”
“My grandparents?” Iruka paused, finding it a little unusual for a student to be so direct about his personal history--let alone about people that were long dead before any of the children have been born. “Like everyone else, Shizu, I have two sets of grandparents on either side of my family that had raised each of my parents, and therefore contributed to create me.”
“Yes, but who?”
Iruka almost frowned at the question. “Their names are on my poster, Shizu. My father’s parents Shinji and Yuki Umino, and my mother’s parents Torichi and Keano Hashi.” Iruka’s mouth fixed into a firm line. “Now everyone, shall we go outside to-“
“Did they have any other kids besides your mom?” Shizu pressed, sounding strangely eager. A few students turned in their seats to give her odd looks.
Okay, now that question was weird. “Okay kids! I think now is a good time to go outside for some weapons practice!”
The Academy students cheered and flew aside their notebooks and essays (the ones that Iruka had fought so hard to complete) and practically scrambled over each other in their haste for any excuse to handle sharp pointy objects. Iruka shook his head ruefully at the mess. He really did not expect any less after returning the homework to the children. The students could run around all they want, only Iruka could unlock the safe and give them any weapons to practice with.
“Sensei?” Shizu was the only student to remain behind in the classroom. She stood stoically before her teacher; her head bowed enough for her shoulder length hair to obscure her eyes, though Iruka could see that Shizu's mouth was pulled tight as if she was trying her hardest not to cry. “My brother is never coming home, is he? No one at my house ever talks about him anymore!”
Iruka chose his next words carefully. It was not the first time that a student confided with him, and it would not be the last. “Shizu, your brother is his own person and made a decision that he felt was best for him. I can’t say that he won’t ever return, but if he does then he will have to face the consequences of his actions.”
Shizu’s lower lip trembled. “Will everybody just forget about him if he never does?”
“You are his sister; you have the choice to remember him however you would like. When you are older and decide to have children of your own, it will be your decision alone on how you want them to know about your brother; both the good and the bad.”
The young student made a choking sound and ran up to her sensei. Iruka gently stroked her straw colored hair as the young girl cried softly into his vest.
He gasped in surprise as a sharp pressure stung in his side. At the same moment Shizu leaped away in a quick blur of motion. She landed in a crouch on the floor, blood dripped from a thin knife grasped in her hand.
“Shizu-!?” Iruka looked down to see a dark stain quickly spreading from the left side of his abdomen, and then the pain truly hit him. He grunted and took a step back as blood-too much blood-streamed down under his clothes to trickle down his leg. The stab wound hurt and bled far too much, a sure sign that the blade was poisoned.
Shizu rose from the floor and took a step towards her teacher; the young girl’s face had contorted into that of a killer. Her green eyes held that same vacant fury that had controlled Kakashi the night before.
“No. Shizu...run. Get away from here!” Iruka managed to gasp before his back collided against his desk. His vision began to swim as he slid to the floor, his legs no longer seemed to work. He could only focus on Shizu's face. All semblance of the girl that he had comforted moments before was gone, only naked malice that no child should ever possess remained in her eyes.
“You will die, last of the Hashibara clan!” Shizu hissed in a voice thick with hatred. Her grip on the knife tightened as she raised it, and then lunged for Iruka's throat.
Something large and grey streaked across the room and collided into the girl. It hit Shizu with enough force to throw both across the room and crash into the neat rows of desks and chairs, leaving only a splintered heap in their wake.
Iruka’s eyesight cleared long enough for him to see a sleek greyhound with a Hitai-ate tied around its neck standing over Shizu among the wreckage of the classroom. The young girl sat up straight with a startled yelp at the sight of the huge ninkin. Her eyes were once again that of a child, and held confusion and rising panic at the destruction around her. Then Iruka’s world began to go dim.
“Iruka!” a familiar voice cried. Iruka could only recognize Kakashi by the silver hair as the other man knelt down to press a hand to Iruka’s wound. “Stay with me, help is coming.”
Darkness crept into the edge of Iruka’s vision. He knew that he shouldn’t let it take him, but he hurt too much and his mind was too numb to really care. He was vaguely aware of Kakashi’s stern voice talking to him over the noise of Shizu’s high pitched wailing. He thought that he could hear Anko shouting orders from somewhere outside the classroom.
It was wall too much. Iruka closed his eyes and welcomed the darkness.
END OF CHAPTER 2
Next Chapter
Chapter 3: Exiled
Previous Chapters
Chapter 1: A Very Bad Monday Morning