This was a test-challenge...thing...XD Done for jkmrsy to try out her new challenge idea. Quite interesting. I ended up with the guidelines of Seme!Naruto, Uke!Iruka and the use of Peppermint, either as candy, smell, or a herb. :L

This isn't a pairing I would usually write (not even one I support, which can probably be seen here XD) but it was fun in its own way. :) It felt nice to write something spontaneously, but still guided and without me having to put too much thought into it. (because I've noticed that when I try to write spontaneous, and put too much thought, it goes from being a short one-shot to being things like Online!, WTBA, and ADB. :L)

Anyway, this was just a little random something, though it feels good to get back to writing after not doing it. (and I've been struggling to write Naruto lately...I blame Hetalia, the attention-sucking fandom that it is. XD)

Warnings: One-sided NaruIru. Seme-ish student, Uke-ish teacher. Bad thoughts of the murderous kind revolving around stationary...the usual. :D

Disclaimer: Do I own it? No, I don't. :L That's why my life is rather sad, among numerous other reasons.

Umino Iruka had always loved teaching. Ever since he was old enough to know that he would need a job, he had set his sights on becoming a teacher. His ambition stemmed from his mother, who had been a high school teacher for years before she went to teach first graders when they moved, several months before the devastating accident that killed them and multiple others.

But Iruka had worked hard and achieved his goal, becoming a teacher and he had finally worked his way up to working in a high school. It thrilled him, to offer his knowledge and experience to all these hopeful, young individuals that would be guiding their future. He loved that he could say he had an honest hand in trying to form a better, next generation. Sure, many would argue that the new generations were getting worse, but it didn't stop Iruka from trying.

He hummed to himself as he sorted out a stack of papers, gathering them together and tapping them against the table to set them straight. It was quite early, before the first class, but he liked everything to be ordered and neat before class began.

He was just getting out some pens to replace the missing ones-honestly, he would find the pen thief one day and lecture them until their ears bled apologies- when he was interrupted by a voice.

"Well good morning Sensei~"

Iruka froze, eyes widening in mild horror as the voice registered in his mind, and he snapped around to see the one student who caused him endless grief in a very unorthodox way.

Uzumaki Naruto was considered the 'Bad Apple' of the school, what with his disruptive behaviour and constant fights with students and teachers alike. He was a handsome young boy with bright blond hair that was often spiked wildly, and sun-tanned skin that came from his undoubtedly long hours spent outside playing sports or even fighting with others on the street. His eyes were a vivid blue and Iruka knew from experience that they could change from a bright, childishly happy blue to a dark, sinister icy grey in record timing. Naruto wasn't a large boy, in fact he was quite short for his age, but he made up for the slight height issue with the overwhelming size of his confidence and, in the opinions of some, his obnoxious behaviour.

Iruka straightened, clutching his papers tightly and giving a tight-lipped smile.

"Good morning, Uzumaki-kun. You're here rather early; class doesn't start for another twenty minutes," he said, checking his watch to emphasise his statement. Naruto smirked, a sight that Iruka knew spelled trouble for him.

"I know," Naruto said, pushing away from the doorframe he had been leaning on and walking into the class with a confidant air, his hands deep in his pockets and his bag casually slung over one shoulder. "But I knew you'd be here early, and I wanted to see you."

Iruka held back a groan.

This was where his unorthodox student troubles began.

Uzumaki was a troublemaker, disruptive and even a bit of a delinquent in certain aspects. All the teachers suffered when dealing with him, and many had dismissed him entirely, labelling him a lost cause and treating him as a worthless student.

But Iruka hadn't. When he first started, he'd been hesitant of the boy, but he had made it his own goal to prove that, with the right attitude and encouragement, even someone as seemingly hopeless as Uzumaki Naruto could become something. And so he'd looked passed the boy's behaviour and actions, pressing him to do better and trying to show him that he wasn't worthless.

For the first few months, it had been all out war between him and Naruto, with the boy pulling outrageous pranks to try and make him quit or at least give up, and him working like some kind of possessed half-mother half-monster that not only punished the boy for his wrongdoings but coddled him when no one was looking.

And then, somehow, things had shifted. And for a while, Naruto had been doing really well; getting good grades, and actually making some real friends. Iruka had been so proud. He remembered the turning point had been after Naruto got into a fight, which Iruka lectured him until he was in tears, and then, now that he had made the boy regret his actions, Iruka had produced a single sweet, a Peppermint, and told him he was glad he was alright.

That's when Naruto started improving, and for a long time Iruka was confident that he was doing the right thing. They even gained a system of Naruto showing his grades to Iruka, or telling him of a new accomplishment, and he would reward his student with a Peppermint, which Naruto seemed rather fond of.

Then it went downhill again.

Iruka was never one hundred percent certain what made Naruto crack, but he guessed a lot of it had to do with one student, a boy named Uchiha Sasuke, leaving the school quite abruptly. From what he remembered of those conversations he had with Naruto when it was just the two of them in the nurse's office, wrapping more of Naruto's fight-wounds as he sucked sourly on a Peppermint Iruka had given him for consolation, Sasuke had been Naruto's best friend slash eternal rival or something strange.

When the Uchiha left the school, Naruto had been absent for a while. Long enough to make Iruka worry about his well-being, in fact.

And then when he returned again, it was like something out of a nightmare. Iruka had been so happy to see the boy walking through his door after school was over, that he went and hugged him and told him he was glad he was okay. Naruto looked up, and instantly Iruka saw the old, rebellious and disruptive behaviour glittering in his eyes.

A second later, Naruto grabbed his collar and pulled him into one of the most heart-stopping-in-pure-terror kisses he'd ever experienced in his lifetime...and possibly many past lifetimes as well.

Iruka wasn't sure who was closer to dying that day; him, from heart failure, or Naruto, from strangulation for pulling such a stunt.

Needless to say that after that day, Iruka and Naruto's friendly mentor-student relationship turned into a rather sick game of cat and mouse, where Iruka was the poor, confused and irritated mouse and Naruto was the mutated cat-turned-fox with a cheeky grin and a nasty habit of cornering him when he was alone.

"Naruto, this is hardly the time for games," Iruka said slowly, wondering how many injuries he would sustain if he dived out the window to escape. He guessed some of them could be fatal.

"But Sensei, don't you want to see me? I really wanted to see you," Naruto cooed, leaning towards him with an innocent look on his face, but his eyes were darkened deviously.

Iruka began weighing the possibilities of possible-death-via-defenestration against certain-imprisonment for murdering his student with a stapler.

He mentally shook his head. He wouldn't have enough staples.

"Naruto, surely you've had enough of this ruse?" he asked tiredly, massaging his temple. Honestly, they had been doing so well. If his guesses were right, and Uchiha Sasuke's abrupt departure was the cause of Naruto's relapse into delinquency, then Iruka couldn't help but think a rather bitter 'darn you Uchiha' to himself.

"What ruse?" Naruto asked in a voice that was painfully oblivious. He was grinning, leaning closer over the desk towards Iruka. "I'm not pulling any sort of ruse, Iruka-sensei," he beamed a bit at the end, and Iruka wondered how such a bright face could make his stomach feel like it just got lost in a dark cavern infested with bats. He did care for Naruto, of course he did, but it was the care a teacher had for a favourite student, or an uncle had for their only nephew. He wanted Naruto to do well and grow up to be something...but he didn't want that something to be a pervert trying to shove his tongue down Iruka's throat for shits and giggles.

"Enough, Uzumaki!" Iruka snapped, slapping his palm down on the table. He never could control his temper as well when it came to Naruto. "I'm not sure what you find fun about harassing me like this, but it's gone on long enough! The first time was bad enough, we don't need a-"

"Don't forget the kiss in the bathroom," Naruto interrupted blankly, a cheeky smile on his face. "Or the one behind the sports shed-"

A scrunched up ball of paper landed square on his nose, making the blond yelp and back up in surprise. Iruka glowered at him, a flush over his face at those unpleasant reminders. Naruto had cornered him both those times, practically attacking him in the bathroom. He'd had to splash water on the boy to get him away long enough to give him a short lecture of 'Never Again' along with the slicing motion across his neck before making a mad dash for the staff room and a much needed mug of coffee with about fifty sugars to kill his mouth after the scary ordeal.

As for the sports shed, well, let's say he would never agree to monitor Coach Asuma's class so he could have a cigarette break again.

Ever.

"I said that's enough," Iruka growled.

Naruto blinked at him, folding his arms over his chest and meeting his glare with an impassive, almost scathing look of his own. Gone were the days when Iruka had seen respect and happiness in those eyes, replaced with this contempt and sickening delight in his little games. It hurt Iruka, to see the hopeful boy swaying so far off the right path over something he couldn't help. But unless Naruto expressed a wish to change, Iruka couldn't do more than lecture him and try to avoid and stop his strange schemes.

"You're right," Naruto suddenly said, his arms falling and his head tilting down. "I'm...I'm sorry Sensei. I just...I'm just really confused these days," he said and Iruka's glare vanished as he heard the lost tone of the boy's voice. "I mean, I lost my best friend to some stuck-up, special-school freak of nature, the other teachers treat me like crap and I just...I feel like you hate me, and I don't want that!" he looked up, blue eyes wide and watery.

Iruka felt his heart jiggle in sadness, and if it had a voice it would be going 'AWWWWW BABIIIEEE!' at the top of its lungs. As it was, he simply stepped around the desk and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Come now, Naruto, you know I don't hate you. I want you to grow up well and make something great of your life, not for you to waste it over these silly little pranks. I don't hate you, Naruto, and I never will. But you need to at least try to make a difference, alright?" he said soothingly, encouragingly. He rubbed the boy's arms, looking him in his eyes and smiling to show his sincerity. Naruto sniffed slightly, wiping at his eyes before he nodded slowly and lifted his arms.

"C-Can I have a hug? For some support?" he asked pathetically. Iruka turned to mush at the pleading puppy eyes and sighed.

"Of course you can," he said, opening his arms and letting Naruto hug him tightly. He smiled, glad that he seemed to have gotten through to the boy. Perhaps now Naruto would start working hard again, and would stop with his silly-

"NARUTO WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU PUTTING YOUR HANDS!?" Iruka shrieked, feeling two hands clamp down rather firmly on his behind. He heard the signature, cheeky laugh that was his student's and looked down, ready to yell him into a coma for the next year. As he opened his mouth, Naruto surged forward and sealed their lips together. Iruka made an odd choking sound as he felt the boy stick his tongue into his mouth, something small and hard landing on his own before Naruto pulled away with a triumphant, gleeful giggle and jumped out of Iruka's reach.

"Thanks for the hug, Sensei~ I'll see you when class starts and enjoy the treat!" he winked before vanishing, his laughter ringing in the halls as Iruka stared at the doorway with a red face and murder in his eyes. He bit down, feeling the invading object Naruto had shoved in his mouth, and tentatively ran his tongue over it to try and identify what it was.

His eyes narrowed into a glare, a twitch developing in his jaw.

A Peppermint.

That cheeky little shit.

:D You can all decide whether Naruto turned over a new leaf or not! Poor Iruka...he's a victim, but the type of victim that doesn't get scared, but pissed off...(the best type of victim, given the circumstances) I considered writing him all terrified of getting fired, but my fingers flowed and this was the current they followed, so I won't question. *sage nod*

Anyway, if anyone else wants to try out the challenge, just send a message to jkmrsy asking for it. It's definitely interesting (and I foresee many strange and uncommon crack pairings coming from it)

I hope you enjoyed this shortness of randomness! And to jkmrsy, I hope this was a worthy result? ^^; Sorry if you were hoping for a bit more...uhm...action...but I couldn't do it; not with this pairing anyway. Anywaffles, leave a review telling your thoughts!

Till next time!