Title: Doves and Decoys [ How to become a legend in Nine seconds or less ]
Pairing: Kakashi/Iruka, past Sasu/Naru and present Gaa/Naru implied ( phew )
Rating: R ( for language )
Summary: In order for it to be a suicide mission, you have to want to die. You've always been too damn stubborn.

A/N:I really wish they would give Iruka more actions scenes...well, more scenes in general. ;sigh.; Confusing fic to sate my own desires, explanation at the end.

I tell of giants from
times forgotten /
Those who fed me in
former days / Nine
worlds I can reckon,
nine roots of the Tree, /
The wonderful Ash,
way under the ground.

--Taken from The Creation of the World from Voluspa.

Nine seconds.

You hardly see that as enough time to kill anyone--let alone this one.

You are not a legendary ninja, your strength is not hailed throughout the ranks of konoha shinobi; your existence is not spoken of in hushed tones mixed with awe and fear. You're a teacher, a fucking chuunin, have been a chuunin since 16 and have--had--no intentions of being otherwise. You were never special and that was alright with you. In the world of shinobi, being special only means dying younger. Being a prodigy simply means being put out on the front lines. Though you've never been special, you've almost always been at least a little lucky.

And you always have a trick or two up your sleeve.

What is being asked of you is nothing short of suicide.

But this is alright. Really, it can't be a suicide mission unless you want to die; and you're too stubborn, too headstrong. If anyone can find a loophole and live through this, it's going to be you. That's what they're expecting, you see it in their eyes.

Kakashi tries hard to keep his gaze on you and protect Naruto at the same time, but with all his talent its a feat he can't manage and in your best 'I'm the head bitch here, listen up' voice, you tell him to focus. You may be dead in the next ten minutes and you're screaming at him.

Something flies past you and before you can react a wall of sand blocks you from the path of a well aimed kunai. You make a mental note to thank the Kazekage--right after you threaten him, just to be sure he treats your sons heart with care.

Son.

You get a glimpse of Naruto trying to run to you, fighting Kakashi's hold and Gaara's sand; raging against Sakura's plea's for submission and tearing at Sasuke's flesh with overgrown canine's. After all he's done, it's strange seeing the Uchiha trying to help instead of hurt. You feel the Kyuubi's power and for once it doesn't seem as if its trying to overthrow it's vessel--you realize the demon is no more interested in being Madara's bitch than you are.

Knowing the spirit of a monster is somehow on your side brings a bit of comfort. You decide your psyche must be pleasantly fuckedif that's a comforting thought. The moon seems all the whiter before a background of scarlet and amaranth; strange enough, it really is beautiful. Something heavy falls beside you. The body of a fellow comrade in mid-strike. You try to ignore the honey colored hair and partially askew bandanna. A bloody senbon lands by your feet.

You know damn fucking wellGemna knows better than to die on you at a time like this.

The sound of war is thick and when you inhale, the smell of metal and blood and something you hope to God is not burning flesh blurs your senses. To the east, Madara stands in all his pride and arrogance. There is something noble in his stance, something regal about the small smile on the pale visage and the wild gleam in the sunken, scarlet irises. You know he is not looking at you, your chakra output isn't nearly high enough to even put you on his radar. Like all arrogant men, he wants to play. He toys with Konoha's shinobi, throwing their attacks and attempts back at them in half the time with twice the malice. He wants to draw out this almost-victory as long as possible before he snatches the Kyuubi--snatches Naruto. He focuses his attentions on your small, patchwork family--your fair haired son and porcelain skinned lover; your annoying pink-haired warrior princess and even your reluctant Uchiha comrade--while effortlessly disposing of the jounin throwing themselves at him with battle cries and screams of vengeance. He wants Naruto with a fervor unmatched and you've seen that look in the eyes of a different Uchiha; only filled with a different type of want and a desperate need.

You allow yourself a brief moment to mourn the past. You know, just in case shit hits the fan and you have no future.

Beside him Killerbee is slumped forward, hollow and unmoving. You apologize for not being quite fast enough and hope that wherever he is, he can hear you.

You know you don't have much time. You look to Kakashi and give a small smile; the only warning for what you are about to do and you hope he picks up on it. But he's Sharingan no Kakashi, the legendary copy-nin, of course he knows. And if you had any doubt, the pain and fear in his mix colored eyes would be proof enough. You want to yell at him again, to tell him not to be so damn afraid, to not doubt you as everyone else has.

But you're afraid too; and as you force the last of your chakra reserves into your hand, forming tiny, weak bundles of electrical pulses on your fingertips and as your body moves from sensation to anticipation, the fear mounts as well. They doubted you could do this and you're not sure why since you teach this. You teach their brats all about chakra control and preservation. They doubt it will work and for that you don't blame them. But your life--Naruto's life, depends on proving them wrong.

You're going up against one of the strongest known Uchiha's with a hope, a whim and Ranshinsho. No matter what, Madara is still human. He is still human and this simple, meger jutsu will only buy you a few seconds--nine at best--for someone to take the offensive and finish this. That someone will be Kakashi, you know it, and as you run forward you say a short prayer.

Madara doesn't sense you--yet--and you think maybe, just maybe because you're a mere chuunin, you might be able to pull this off. If this man had been one of your students, he would have known better than to underestimate you simply because you're not readily perceived as a threat.

You always taught your babies well.

You parry to the left and move in toward Madara from the right. The aura surrounding him is suffocating, thick and dark and you worry you may not be able to get close enough because if his aura is that effective from this distance who knows what it will be up close and personal. But this is all you have, all you have left to offer--and for Konoha, for your people and village, for Kakashi, for Naruto, Sakura, Genma, your students, you will offer this and so much more.

You will offer the skin off your back, the blood of your veins, the breath in your lungs.

So close..

You remember honey-sweet kisses under clear blues skies of Konoha; soft caresses and the sweet smell of battle scarred porcelain skin.

You remember nights spent at Ramen shops, filled with story-telling and hopeful blue eyes.

You remember the coming of age of a pink-haired girl; the beauty of a queen with the strength of a deity.

You remember the delicate, yet solid weight of the doves you and Kakashi released over the cliffs of Konoha--a simple, silent promise of forever meant only for the two of you.

Madara tenses, slowly, deliberately begins to turn his head, but all you need to do is brush the tips of your fingers against his neck, just the tips just the tips just the tips, this is your mantra. Something sharp digs into your right side; a white-hot, burning pain follows. It doesn't stop you, nothing can stop you now. Behind you, you hear the sharp crackling of Kakashi's most feared attack. The hair on your neck stands to attention in response.

On instinct, you shut your eyes from the glare of scarlet eyes. Your sonar abilities dictate to you that it might not be to late, you're even closer, you can smell the blood of your comrades on Madara's skin.

With a prayer and a cry you leap forward.

Just like the doves you ride the wind and surrender your fate to the air.

A/N: Firstly, I want to apologize. I'm pretty sure that mess up there was confusing and impossible to understand. I wanted to try something different; I wanted Iruka to be the hero for once, but it didn't turn out like I wanted ( yet again ). I figured since it worked on Kabuto ( bad example ) it would work on Madara because no matter what is still HUMAN to some degree; only he would be able to re-arange himself even faster, giving them only a few seconds for a follow up attack ( Kakashi's job ). I didn't go into much detail about others because I wanted to focus on my dolphin and I left the ending a bit open-ended because...I'm lazy? Secondly, thanks for reading it anyway, haha.