Just a little something. The chapters will be kept short, for now at least. I'll update again tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after.
This is the prologue.
I do not own the characters in this fanfic - just the storyline.
NB: shinrai [信頼] - reliance; trust; faith; confidence
Shinrai: Prologue
Iruka trusted. That was easy enough to see and understand. He trusted his village, his trusted his comrades, he trusted his students (okay, maybe not with sharp, pointy things, but he trusted in them to become strong, respectable ninja who would make his village proud). He respected others, and was respected in return. He enjoyed the ties that held him to the village – the invisible, intricate web of respect, trust and understanding that tied them all together as one and united them. It was what kept the village together, and what made this place feel like home.
Yet as much as Iruka would trust these people with his life, he wouldn't trust them with himself. It was a different kind of trust, and one that he was more terrified to try than he should be. He was becoming painfully aware of this fact as people around him paired up, settled down and started families. Even getting close to friends was something he was wary of. It was completely different to any kind of relationship shared on a mission, or with the community as a whole. It singled him out as an individual and left him open to direct emotional attack.
Although, when he thought about it, Iruka guessed he was okay with the way things were. He had his place in the village, and was as much a part of the pride and future of Konoha as the elite jounin and the smallest, snottiest pre-genin. He was engrained in the woodwork – another fragment making up a greater whole. He belonged, and that was all that mattered.