Forever Love…
Chapter 1: Abandoned
He had lost his parents recently, at the age of 14, courtesy of the Kyuubi attacking his village, Konoha. Iruka was devastated that the two people, who have raised him, died without saying 'I love you' to them. Now, it has only been a month since he had lost them and is currently going on a mission with a couple of ninjas to Suna. The mission was simple, go check if anything suspicious is going on in the village hidden in the sand. Iruka had become a Chunin a week ago and already has a mission outside of Konoha alongside with some Jounins and Chunins. There were rumors spreading about the Kazekage having created a human weapon for the usage of war. Of course, the Third Hokage was curious and wanted to investigate, thus sending a group of seven ninjas to Suna. The mission would only take a couple of days, depending if the Kazekage and the Suna ninjas would cooperate and tell the truth, but in Iruka's mind was 'what were the chances of them actually doing that?' The group of ninjas stopped in the middle of a dense forest and decided to rest for the night. They all had agreed that Iruka would be first watch while everybody was sleeping. He stayed up and stared at the fire in front of him while the rest of his comrades were sleeping except for one shinobi in particular.
"Hey, Iruka you can sleep if you want, and I'll take first watch. I'm not tired or sleepy, plus I want to continue reading this book." said a 15-year old jounin by the name of Kakashi Hatake.
"Hmm….figures you'd stayed up late, not letting go of those perverted books." commented Iruka.
"There not perverted, there educational, so do you want to switch positions or not?" asked Kakashi.
"Fine, I'm a little sleepy anyways." Iruka replied as he started to lie down, but then he remembered what he was going to ask Kakashi.
"Hey, Kakashi, how long will it take to arrive at Suna?"
"Hmmm…I say we're about a day away from there, we'll arrive by tomorrow afternoon." answered the jounin without taking his eye out of the book. Sometimes Iruka wondered how a kid like Kakashi would be able to become a Jounin despite the fact that Kakashi read those rated X novels. After that, Iruka closed his eyes and let himself to sleep.
"We're here, everybody." announced Kurenai, another Chunin. The groups of ninjas arrived at the Suna gates were headed inside before they were interrupted by two gate guards.
"Halt! Who are you people and why have you come to Suna?" asked one of the guards, in a fighting stance position.
"Whoa, there buddy, we're only ninjas from Konoha, here on a mission concerning your village." replied Kakashi, "Surely, you guys were advised that a couple of ninjas were coming today?"
"Hmm…if you say so, then enter, but be warned to not attack one single civilian or else." warned the guard before disappearing.
"Wow, they surely were welcoming." commented Iruka
"Can't blame them Iruka, their town has been in ruins for a while and are extra cautious for any unexpected invasions." explained Shikaku Nara, who was oldest and wisest in the group as well as a special jounin and the one who will be questioning the Kazekage about the rumors they were hearing.
"Ok, guys just follow me and we'll by the Kage tower in no time." he said.
The rest of the shinobis nodded and followed the Nara, without no complains. Iruka was looking around and saw how different Suna was from Konoha. He really did wish he would take the other mission instead of this one because Shikaku would mostly do all the talking and the rest would be just witnesses. He was in thought, before Kakashi interrupted,
"Hey, Iruka, if you continue to wonder off you'll get lost and won't have any idea where we are."
Iruka snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Kakashi before interpreting what his jounin friend had told him. Then he realized he was being left-behind so he ran in order to catch up with the rest of his companions.
"Something interesting better happen while we're at Suna." thought the teen Chunin as he was jogging to catch up as he saw the Kazekage tower ahead of him.
"So, what you're saying Lord Kazekage, is that there is in no way that you and your village have created a weapon for the use of war?" asked the shadow user, Shikaku. The Kazekage was wearing a white and red robe and had brown spiked up hair and he looked serious; everybody except for Shikaku thought he was telling the truth. It had already been thirty minutes since arriving Suna and Iruka, Kakashi, Kurenai, Shikaku, Asuma, Hayate, and Anko were already trying to force the truth out at any Suna ninja and the Kazekage so they can spill the truth without resorting to violence. To say the least, Iruka was not being patient and was getting tired of standing and hearing the adults talk.
"Hey, try not to cause any chaos, bob." whispered Anko from Iruka's shoulder. Iruka turned his head to the side and saw that Anko was behind him,
"I'm not going to cause chaos, not in front of these people anyways, so I would stay quiet Anko. You should be more worried on what you're going to do than what I'm going to do." Anko got a little mad at Iruka, but she let it slide…for now anyways.
"I assure you all, that the rumors that Konoha has heard are false and that we do not possess any type of weapon of mass destruction." claimed the Kage.
"So, you claim that the rumors of you using a newborn child, almost a year ago, was not forcefully used to contain one of the tailed-beasts?" questioned the Nara. The Kazekage just nodded as well as two of his children who were standing alongside him.
"Hmmm…..well just to be sure, us, seven will be staying here in Suna for a couple of days, that's if it's some disturbance to you." inquired Shikaku. When Iruka turned to see the face of the Kazekage, he swore he saw his twitch for a second, but apparently, no one else has seen the look on the Kazekage.
"Very well then, stay as long as you please anything to convince you guys that we, the people of Suna, have nothing to hide." said the Kage as he signaling his men to come forward, "Please show, our Konoha guests where they will be staying for the remainder of their visit." Three Suna ninjas gave the Kage a bow in agreement and escorted the team of seven out the door. After they left, the Kazekage ordered his two kids to go to their room. Once that was done he gave a long sigh and then out of nowhere a Suna ninja approached the Kazekage,
"You do know that their going to figure it all out, sooner or later."
"That's what I was thinking, Baki, but I have a plan and this plan will not fail." assured the Kage.
"What's your plan Lord Kazekage?" asked Baki
"This is top secret Baki, only you and I would know what we're going to do to him." he said as he faced Baki face to face, "The plan is to get rid of him, it's been a mistake to actually bring him to this world, he has killed my wife and I' am getting second thoughts that he may be a threat later in life." All Baki do was just stand there as he was processing the Kazekage's idea in his head.
"So, what you're saying is that we'll give Gaara away?"
"More like abandon him…." the Kage said before he was interrupted,
"Abandon, your son? Where and who will be willing to actually take him as their own, knowing full well that he might kill anyone in the near future?" said Baki.
"I was thinking of abandoning him near the place where the Konoha ninjas are staying, they are known for being good-hearted people. Besides I believe that they are capable of two demon-containers, seeing that they have one demon-container of their own, plus they don't know anything about Gaara especially about him being a demon host." he added. Baki was thinking and agreed with the Kazekage's logical explanations on abandoning Gaara near the Konoha ninja's room.
"I see, so when will we be abandoning the child?" he asked.
"I was thinking tonight, that way either of them would have the time to adopt him."
"But Kazekage, some of those ninjas are too young to adopt a child and wouldn't they able to see that Gaara, looks like you?" asked Baki as he came into a realization on the baby's appearance.
"Gaara doesn't resemble me as much other than the hair and face, but that won't be noticeable until a few years have gone by and plus I think that those ninjas are mature enough to take care of a baby." the Kazekage replied as he started to leave his office, then he turned to the side and looked at Baki,
"Make sure, you don't get caught and swear on your life that you won't reveal this to no one until the time is right, understood?"
"Yes, Lord Kazekage." agreed the Suna shinobi then there little meeting ended and were gone getting ready to do the plan.
"C'mon, Anko, you cheated!" scolded Kurenai as they finished playing a card game.
"How the hell would I cheat? If you ask me, this game is too hard to cheat on." hissed Anko.
"Hey, girls, be quiet me and the rest of the guys are trying to get some shut eye here!" shouted Asuma from his room. It was already ten o'clock at night and the guys were tired and sleepy after traveling around Suna, but not the girls, they wanted to stay up a little longer.
"Boo hoo… tough luck Asuma, but me and Kurenai…"
"Kurenai and I." shouted a sleepy Kakashi.
"Shut it mask boy!" warned Anko, "As I was saying, too bad, but me and Kurenai can be loud as we want." Then a now not so sleepy Iruka got out of his room and sat on the couch where Anko and Kurenai were playing.
"Can't sleep there, Iruka?" asked Kurenai.
"Yeah, you guys are loud so what's the point of trying to fall asleep." commented Iruka.
"True, so you want to play with us then?" asked Anko, politely, which surprised Kurenai a little, but she shove the thought off.
"Why not?" said Iruka.
It was now midnight and everybody was asleep except for Iruka. He was thinking what has happened in one month: losing his parents, becoming a Chunin, and now here in Suna in a mission with possibly the best Chunins and Jounins in all of Konoha. He walked by the window and saw the sky,
"Hope, you guys are happy up there and looking down on me, proud of me for becoming a Chunin.'' thought Iruka as he said those words to his deceased parents. He wasn't the only ninja that lost somebody important; his new friend Kakashi had lost his sensei, which was the fourth Hokage, who sacrificed his own life to stop the Kyuubi. He knew that he wasn't alone and that he wished that in some way, shape or form, he would do anything in order to change the way Konoha or any ninja village lived, even if it meant becoming a ninja academy teacher. Then his thoughts went to the newborn baby that was used to seal the Kyuubi, Naruto, he learned his name from Kakashi, he said that the Fourth wanted the villagers to see Naruto as a hero, for keeping the Kyuubi locked away. Iruka was beginning to think on maybe visiting the boy sometimes, knowing full well that the Naruto kid won't be treated nicely by the villagers because of the nine-tailed demon within him.
"I'll probably befriend the boy." then when he's about to leave, he heard a noise of rustled leaves outside the window. Curious, he went and looked out the window to see if there was someone out there, no one.
"Probably my imagination." Iruka thought but then he heard a small cry of….a baby. Before the baby cried any louder to wake up his teammates, he jumped out of the window and tried his best to find the location of the baby. Then after not hearing any more baby cries he turns to leave, but then he heard the child again and this time loud enough to be called bloody murder. He quickly went to the direction of the noise and he found the baby hidden in a bush. The baby looked like he was around a couple of months old to a year; he had red-hair and was tucked nicely in a basket. Iruka then picked up the baby and cradled him until he stopped crying.
"What in the world is a baby doing out here at this late of night? Unless someone left him here to die? But why?" Iruka was thinking then when the baby had stopped crying, he opened his eyes to reveal that his eyes were aquamarine, then he smiled at Iruka and giggled happily as he tried to grab Iruka's face.
"Well, I think you're calm now, little fellow, but who dropped you here?" asked Iruka. All the baby did was smile, and then Iruka noticed a piece of paper that was placed on the basket. With one hand, he carried the baby while the other hand grabbed the sheet of paper. The note said,
'He is now left in your care. Please take him and adopt him as your own. For he would have a much better life living with you than us. His name is Gaara."
Iruka was now officially confused, he was only 14 years old and now someone had given up their child for him to take care? He didn't even know how to raise a child, but then somewhere inside him knew that he should at least take care of the child until everybody in his team is awake, then they would help him take care of the situation. He sighed and looked back at the boy, whose name was now Gaara, was falling asleep in Iruka's arm as if he felt safe and comfortable in his arms.
"Well, I don't know what's going, but there's no way I'm leaving you here in the streets so late at night, you're coming with me." proclaimed Iruka as he grabbed the basket and went up to the room his team and him were staying in.