Author's note: My first fic, I know it's not very good, but please r & r.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
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Umino Iruka lay on the grass by the sparkling river, watching the clouds float by in the beautiful blue sky. It was his favourite relaxation spot after a hard day's work at the Academy. He smiled as he recalled the day's events, with Kei and his friends attempting to sneak out of class a record-breaking total of twelve times. That kid was turning out to be an even bigger prankster than Naruto, Iruka smiled at that thought.
Naruto...
"My darling! I'm going to cook all your favourite dishes tonight to celebrate your graduation from the Academy!" A proud mother kissed her daughter.
"I'm so proud of you, son!" A father hugged his son with pride.
A young blond-haired boy sitting on a swing looked on at the happy crowd with lonely eyes. He was the only one who has failed the Academy exam this year, the only one who doesn't have any family surrounding him, smiling at him, hugging him.
Hidden from the boy's view, Iruka silently observed him. He saw the loneliness in his eyes, deep like a bottomless well. He saw his pain as he looked on at the crowd, his pain of having no one in his life, of being shunned by everyone. He saw his desperate wish to be like the other kids, to be able to laugh at a younger brother's antics, to be able to cringe under a mother's disapproving gaze, to be able to grin with pride at a father's praise.
He saw himself.
Iruka understood the pain too well. His parents had been killed while fighting the Kyuubi ten years ago. Loneliness, and the pain, ensued. To numb himself, he acted like an idiot in class, playing the most pranks, laughing the loudest. Other people did not see his loneliness, his pain. Except Sandaime-sama…
Just as he now saw Naruto's.
"Yo, Naruto! Sensei's just going for dinner at Ichiraku. Wanna come along? My treat." Iruka approached the boy, grinning.
Naruto's eyes brightened, and broke into a wide grin. "Iruka-sensei! Really? Really? You're really treating me to ramen? Yay!!! I want an extra big bowl of miso ramen!!"
"What are you waiting for? Let's go then!"
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Iruka smiled as he walked home, thinking of the enjoyable dinner and conversation at Ichiraku Ramen just now. It was really a pleasure listening to Naruto's enthusiastic rambling about his pranks and his dream of being the greatest Hokage in the history of Konaha. He grinned to himself as he recalled Naruto telling him about a particularly hilarious prank Naruto played on the Hokage. He lectured him for playing pranks on the Hokage, of course, it was his duty as his sensei to do so.
"Why are you grinning like an idiot?"
Iruka turned around. It was Yuu, one of his fellow teachers at the Academy. "Nothing," he replied. "Just thinking about dinner just now."
Yuu looked disgusted. "You had dinner with the Kyuubi boy, and you're still so happy about it? He's the killer of your parents, remember? I don't understand what exactly you are thinking, Iruka!"
Iruka's eyes flashed with anger. "Naruto. Is. Not. The. Kyuubi!" He gritted out every word. "Yondaime-sama sealed the Kyuubi in Naruto's body, but that does not make him the Kyuubi!"
Yuu shrugged nonchalantly. "I see no difference."
"There is a major difference! Naruto did not ask for the Kyuubi to be sealed in him!"
"It does not matter. What matters is that he has the Kyuubi in his body, and that makes him a danger to the village in everybody's eyes."
"Yondaime-sama sacrificed himself for the village, but Naruto is as much a sacrifice as he is! He's the living prison for the Kyuubi!"
"I don't see it this way. The villagers don't see it this way. He'll never be able to earn the trust and acknowledgement of the village." With that, Yuu turned and walked off.
Iruka watched him walk away silently.
You're wrong, Yuu... I believe in Naruto. One of these days he is going to be the greatest Hokage that Konoha has even seen... And I, Umino Iruka, will do everything in my power to help him achieve his dream... I promise.
"...ka-sensei? Iruka-sensei?"
A 16-year-old Naruto was grinning down at him. "Naruto! Back from your first mission as a Jounin, huh?"
"Yeah! It was great! I'm absolutely famished now! What were you thinking about just now, Iruka-sensei? You looked so distant."
Iruka smiled. "Nothing. Just thinking about the past. Yo, Naruto! Ramen at Ichiraku? My treat!"
"Really? Really? Iruka-sensei? Yay!!! I want an extra big bowl of miso ramen!! Let's go!!" Naruto ran off in the direction of Ichiraku Ramen, waving at some villagers as he ran past them. "Hi, Naruto-kun!" One of them called.
Look at Naruto now, Yuu... Are you going to take back your words now?
Deciding he would ask Yuu that the next day, Iruka grinned and ran after Naruto to the Ichiraku Ramen.