I realized, in writing 'The Banished', that I wrote down Kakashi, Iruka, and Naruto as like a family unit. So, here's a little one-shot about a few points in this 'family's' life. This IS a companion piece to 'The Banished'.
If you want more one-shots, like a one-shot of Naruto making Iruka's previous boyfriend leave... Well, just review it. Or PM me. Whichever.
To the one-shot!
~:~
Kakashi appeared in front of the Sandaime for the third year in a row, a month before this years' students were going to graduate from the Academy. "Can I -"
The other jounin senseis watched the Sandaime hold up his hand, then shuffle through the six teams Kakashi had taken care of in the past three years.
"No." The Sandaime responded after a while.
"But -"
"No." The Sandaime looked amused at Kakashi's actions, which puzzled the other jounin senseis.
"But, sir -"
"I said no!"
Kakashi pouted. "Yes, sir," he said in a sullen tone. The man went out the window.
~:~
Taking a week's leave, the jounin searched far and wide for the one and only Sannin, Jiraiya.
When he'd finally found him, he was drinking liquor and laughing at the women.
But upon seeing Kakashi, who had literally run from the next town, he stopped and apologized to the ladies and went to get up.
"Jiraiya-sama, please ask the Hokage to allow me to be my sensei's child's sensei!" Kakashi burst out.
Jiraiya blinked at him. "...what?"
"I want to be Naruto's sensei, but the Hokage won't let me." Kakashi managed, somehow, to look like a petulant child.
"And you think he'll allow you on my behalf?" Jiraiya asked, incredulous. "How many teams have you failed?"
"The magical number," Kakashi replied. "I got saddled down with six genin teams. Three of the jounin senseis got killed," he added at Jiraiya's horrified look.
Then Jiraiya looked thoughtful.
"Well, I can write to him," Jiraiya nodded. "But I don't know if my recommendation will be enough. If that doesn't help, threaten to burn the book in the third drawer of his desk." Kakashi smirked, though the only evidence of that was his crinkled eye, and bowed at Jiraiya. Then he popped, revealing he was nothing more than a Kage Bunshin.
~:~
When the Sandaime entered his office, Kakashi had just flicked a lighter on.
The clear smell of kerosene hung in the air, and the Sandaime stared, horrified, at the books on the ground.
"Hokage-sama." Kakashi's voice was pleasant. "Can I please be the sensei of Uzumaki Naruto this time? The sensei of Team 7?"
The Sandaime gulped, then nodded quickly. He signed the papers in a matter of seconds, stamped them, and shoved them into Kakashi's hands.
Kakashi flicked the lighter off, smiled and bowed.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
It only crossed his mind just who must have told him where those books were after he'd signed the paper. Danzou wouldn't tell anyone, Tsunade was a drunk, none of his ANBU knew which drawer held it, and Orochimaru was a traitor. That
DAMN YOU, JIRAIYA!
~:~
Iruka snorted at what Naruto was saying, her bubbly personality making the words funnier than they were probably supposed to be.
"Naruto, hitting Ami is not a good thing," Iruka scolded her.
"Well what was I supposed to do, huh?" Naruto scowled as she slurped up some ramen. "By the way, when is Inu-baka coming home?"
It warmed Iruka's heart she called his small apartment 'home', and not the lonely apartment she went back to 'home'. Iruka didn't have enough space, but Kakashi or Iruka (sometimes both) walked her home. It was their duty to make sure she was safe when walking home, after all.
"He should be here soon," Iruka said, glancing at the clock. Since he'd started dating Kakashi, he'd gotten used to a few odds and ends appearing here and there. Then, Kakashi had given him puppy eyes and asked to move in, and Iruka had relented. It was a relatively quiet relationship, despite the fact that jounin occasionally came by to talk to Iruka. It was not like Kurenai and Asuma, who went on very public dates. Iruka and Kakashi were private people. It was commonplace enough as it was to see Naruto doing homework at Iruka's.
He knew she couldn't read, but that the Kyuubi helped her out with that. He didn't attempt to teach her, knowing she'd get upset and angry and defensive.
Kakashi came in through the front door, giving Iruka a beaming smile.
"I take it you were successful?" Iruka asked, getting the scent of kerosene off of Kakashi. The previous night he'd gotten a great idea in the middle of the night, and he hadn't been seen since.
"Yep. Did a few D-Ranks to clear things up with the Hokage," Kakashi replied. "Anyway, you'll definitely pass this time, baka-chan."
Naruto grinned at him. "Yay!" She fistpumped the air. "Now sit, Inu-baka!" Despite knowing his real name, Naruto had vowed, in front of them, to never speak it until she became a genin. She'd nearly blurted it out several times before, but had slapped a hand over her mouth.
"Are you ready for the graduation test?" Iruka asked her. He and his ex, Mizuki, were going to be the proctors for it.
Naruto blinked at him. "Hokage-jiji said you need to fail me." Her eyes were calm and accepting. Too calm. "I can't tell you why, but if I do this for him then I can be a ninja. Kay?"
Her eyes begged him to understand.
Iruka sighed. "Aright, fine. But if I don't see you with a headband next time I see you tomorrow night, then I'm going to the Hokage. Got it?"
Naruto nodded, then started in on her sandwich.
Kakashi ruffled her hair and went into the kitchen.
~:~
Kakashi, if he was totally honest, was kind of scared of Naruto. KIND OF.
He'd just started dating Iruka quietly, and Naruto had smiled at him and acted like she/he had liked Kakashi.
Until, of course, it was made obvious that she did not. Well... Not so much disliked as wary of.
He remembered that day very clearly.
FLASHBACK NO JUTSU (brought to you by Kakashi)
Kakashi had just made a cup of coffee when Naruto's footsteps edged into the kitchen.
"Ah, Naruto-kun," he said, his nose picking up on the hormonal difference of the male Naruto versus the female version. "What's up?"
He turned when he sensed danger, and a red-eyed Naruto glared at him. Kakashi swallowed.
"If you hurt Iruka," Naruto said, taking a kunai and setting it down, "I will hunt you down and rip your throat out myself. Are we clear?" He smiled at Kakashi, doing nothing to reassure the silver-haired jounin.
Frankly, the kid's smile scared him more than anything. Kakashi started to sweat nervously.
"We're clear," he said in a high, yet quiet, voice.
Naruto's eyes faded to that normal blue again, and Kakashi flinched at that grin that spread itself so joyously across his face.
FLASHBACK END
Kakashi shuddered a little. The little blonde girl he was going to teach would be a terrifying opponent one day.
~:~
And then that awful night came.
Kakashi was tracking down that idiot jinchuuriki girl when he came across a sigh he'd never thought he'd see. Iruka, wounded. With a hole in the middle of his back.
"Naruto... Is my little sister," coughed the man. Warm pride swirled in the hidden jounin, who looked down to see Naruto's eyes filling with tears. "She's a bundle of joy and yes, somewhat of an idiot. But she's my little sister, and I will never stop loving her. She's not the fox. She's a friend of the fox, certainly, but she's not the fox." Naruto shoved a fist in her mouth, possibly to hide the sob that came out quieter than what had been expected.
"Either way, both of you will still die!" Mizuki took out a kunai. Iruka shut his eyes. Naruto's aura seemed to pulse, and her red eyes caught Kakashi's attention. Naruto let the kunai hit her in the shoulder, and her eyes burned into Mizuki. Kakashi realized that the fox's chakra was leaking out, as well as the purest, oldest form of KI known to man; and a chuunin like Mizuki - a coward of the highest order - had no chance. Iruka seemed unaffected.
"Don't you dare touch my sensei!" Naruto snarled. A red film started to cover her body, bubbling chakra coming up. The Forbidden Scroll on her back fell away, the string holding it to her body incinerated by the Kyuubi's corrosive chakra.
She put her fingers in the sign of the Shadow Clone, and a massive burst of chakra flared. Hundreds of shadow clones appeared.
"You're about to feel my wrath, a hundred times over! Ready for it?" Naruto challenged, glaring at him.
Mizuki whimpered, "No!"
"Too bad," Naruto spat, launching herself at him and delivering a harsh swipe.
Soon, he was an unrecognizable lump of black and blue, and Naruto was fussing over Iruka. Still Kakashi didn't move, Shiranui Genma appearing next to him and halting at Kakashi's stillness.
And yes, Naruto's care for Iruka was beyond visible at this point. The fact that Naruto, not even genin, had helped her sensei - who was notorious for his defense of the so-called 'demon child', but who had many reasons to hate Naruto - made many things clear to the shinobi.
"Naruto, I'm fine. But I want you to close your eyes," Iruka said gently.
Naruto nodded, and closed her eyes. Iruka reached up and took off his hitai-ate, then tied it around her head.
Naruto tensed, opening her eyes.
"Sensei?"
"Congrats, kiddo," he grinned. "You're officially a genin!"
Naruto burst into tears and hugged her sensei.
Kakashi dropped down.
"Oi, gaki-chan."
Naruto turned and ran at him, hugging him. Kakashi tensed, but ruffled her hair like Iruka had done only moments ago. "I have to go take Iruka-koi to the hospital. Genma will take care of you until I get you, okay?"
Naruto sniffled and nodded.
"Go home," he instructed her. "I'll be there after I take him to the hospital. Ibiki-san, please take care of the traitor."
Naruto's eyes went red-hued as she looked at the piece of trash, but she followed the senbon enthusiast as he whistled for the girl's attention.
"Oi, gaki. I'll be takin' care of ya," Genma winked. "I travel faster than a genin, so let me carry you." He grinned at her.
She looked unimpressed and unsure.
"Go!" Kakashi ordered, eyes flashing. She nodded, her face paling as she hopped on Genma's back.
Kakashi looked down at his paling lover. "Hey, dolphin," he grinned. "Guess you're my bride."
Iruka gave him a glare. "Kakashi, I will gut you if you make those jokes."
Kakashi snorted as he jumped up, getting to the hospital in record time.
~:~
Shiranui Genma blinked as the gaki gave him directions to Kakashi's apartment. The kid wiggled off of his back when he stopped on the balcony of Kakashi's home and unlocked the door with a key on a ring of keys.
"Gaki -"
"Naruto. My name is Naruto," the kid snapped. "Not 'gaki'. Jeez. And I don't live here, but I'm not leaving here until I know Iruka's okay." Her eyes had a red hue to it, but she barely glanced at him as she stalked in, leaving the door wide open. "Want some ramen? Or tea? I only know how to make jasmine tea, sorry."
"Tea's fine, kid." He wanted to ask her, he really did -
"Ask away."
He looked at her back as she prepared the tea. Her shoulders were slumped.
"Did you know?" He meant about the Kyuubi.
"I know a lot of things," the girl said in a smart voice.
"About the fox."
The girl actually turned around and stared at him.
"No duh!" the kid suddenly snapped. "Why does everyone think I'm stupid enough not to know the freakin' giant-ass creature sharing my mind?! I'm not that much of an idiot!"
She scowled furiously and went to the cupboard, grabbing some tea leaves and putting them in the hot tea. It started to steep, and Naruto met his eyes.
Genma didn't flinch at the violet eyes, which meant she was being influenced by the Kyuubi only enough to where her eyes became violet.
Together, they remained in the silence until the young girl poured the tea and set in front of Genma.
~"~
It was a long night. Naruto had fallen asleep on the couch, sitting up. She was breathing regularly, and when Kakashi walked in, Genma looked up from his cold tea.
"How is Iruka?" Genma asked, not knowing the chuunin well enough to ask but for Kakashi.
"Nothing major was hurt. Actually, it was healed up before we got to the hospital. The major damage was his blood loss."
A third voice met their ears.
"You can say thank you, you know. It wouldn't kill you, would it?"
They both turned to see Naruto standing, eyes closed and head hanging, whisker marks thick.
"You're the Kyuubi, I assume?" Kakashi asked the Kyuubi.
A smirk appeared, and then the Kyuubi lifted her head. Red eyes opened slowly.
"No shit," the Kyuubi sighed, rolling Naruto's shoulders. "Also, you hurt my kit, I'll kill you myself. Got it?"
Kakashi paled.
"I'm kidding. Mostly. I'll just castrate you," the Kyuubi grinned.
Kakashi gulped. "You and Naruto are terrifying."
The Kyuubi actually looked surprised.
"My idiot is scary... FINALLY!" the Kyuubi boomed, fistpumping. "When I get outta this body I owe Naruto a punch in the stomach!"
Kakashi facepalmed. "You're scaring this Konoha ninja. Who was the former guard of the Yondaime. Who you killed."
"No I didn't," the Kyuubi said, looking puzzled. "His damn fuuinjutsu did. Sealed away half of me for his life. I hate him. But I also respect him. He was a fly. You are a spider, Hatake. My kit is a kit." the Kyuubi nodded to himself. "I'm going now. Have a nice day. Forget I said that."
The girl's eyes turned a dull blue, and her knees buckled. Kakashi caught her.
"Are you sure she's -" Genma's words caught in his throat as Kakashi turned burning eyes to Genma.
"Kakashi?"
Both sets of eyes turned to Naruto, who was looking at Kakashi with sleepy blues.
"Is kaa-san gonna be okay?"
It took a minute for them to get who she was referring to.
"Yeah, gaki-chan. Iruka will be all right."
Naruto smiled. "'M glad."
She fell asleep.
~:~
Iruka smirked at the assembled class. Naruto entered, ignoring the glances he got as he did so. He sat next to Sasuke, then, for some reason, got up and started to glare at him as Sakura and Ino entered the room, as usual fighting among themselves.
Someone bumped into Naruto, causing him and -
Iruka's mind screeched to a halt. KI flowed off of him and in Sasuke's direction.
HOW DARE THAT UCHIHA STEAL HIS PRECIOUS NARUTO'S FIRST KISS!
As the fangirls came in, Iruka slammed a book on his desk just as Sakura rose her fist to hit Naruto.
Silence.
"Sit. Down."
Everyone sat.
"Now," Iruka smiled. "Let's read the list of teams." He glared at the Uchiha, who shuddered at Iruka's sudden hostility. "Team 1..." He read on and on. Then he smirked as he reached his forever favorite student's team. "Team 7. Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Uzumaki Naruto."
Naruto slammed his head on the desk.
Iruka continued the list, then pretended to head out while really using a chameleon jutsu to blend in with his surroundings.
~"~
Kakashi stepped in the classroom. Naruto turned, looking at him with exasperation - and his jaw dropped and eyes bugged out.
"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Naruto bellowed, shocking his teammates. "WHY THE HELL ARE YOU OUR SENSEI?!"
Kakashi smirked under his mask.
"Shut up, gaki-chan."
"But - But -" An enraged expression came onto his face. "IRUKA-SENSEI KNEW!"
"Of course he did!" Kakashi beamed. "Also, Uchiha, please refrain from kissing my daughter figure."
Both genin went green at the mention of the kiss.
And the rest? Well, the rest is pretty much history.