Prologue
Kitten: Just thought this idea up today…
Summery: Iruka is targeted by rouge clones from Kakashi, just because of an accidental brush of shoulders. No one knows the extent of the major problem that has occurred. Not even the man who had targeted Kakashi. Even after a group is sent to Iruka's house is it to late to save Iruka?
- Break -
Iruka knew he was being watched the second he stepped out of the academy around 7:15pm. He walked with a calm stride, hiding the fact that his nerves were hitting the red zone at the moment. The Chuunin casually stopped to fiddle with the bundle of papers pressed to his chest by his folded arms and with every stop he sent out a wave of chakra trying to detect the stalking creeper who seemed to just be out of his reach. However, each time he would continue walking, he could feel those eyes on him again. Yet, they always had a different feel to them, but Iruka knew it was the same person.
- Break -
On the other side of Konaha a very tired silver haired Jounin staggered through the gates. He was offered help by the two people there welcoming and checking people. However, when a hand went to touch his shoulder he flinched and looked at the other ninja with a stony glazed expression. He was bloody, clothing ripped and his chakra was nearly drained, in all this Jounin was heavily and brutally roughed up.
"I need to see Tsunade…Now!" he growled through the mask covering his face. The two ninja looked at him with worry before looking at each other, communicating with their eyes they finally returned their gaze to the Jounin.
"We'll escort you to her office Hatake-sama." They reassured the Jounin who swayed upon his feet.
- Break -
Just as his apartment came into view Iruka noticed that the presence had dissipated. Though he didn't feel those piercing predatory eyes upon his being, he was still on edge. He didn't let his guard down even when he was walking up the stairs and undoing the traps that he had set. When the door shut, locked and a trap set just in case, Iruka felt a little more relaxed. He eased out of his shoes, placing them at the door before stepping into his cozy, small apartment.
He put his stack of test papers upon the coffee table before heading into the tiny kitchen, finding the kettle set beside the faucet. After placing the kettle on the stove, he made his way back to the living room. Settled now on a cushion in front of his stack of papers he took the red correcting pen from behind his ear and began to go through the grueling task of grading the two page test that he had given his twenty-five students today. He chuckled when he recognized Konohamaru's penmanship. However, as he went through the test a twitch began in his eyebrow.
"He's definitely Naruto's mini." Said Iruka to himself, out loud he shook his head as he placed the corrected test aside and began another one. Five minutes later he heard the unmistakable sound of the kettle crying. Standing, Iruka put the pen behind his ear again and walked into the kitchen snagging a mug from the cupboard. He turned the stove off and took the kettle to the small one person table where he had placed his mug. The assorted tea was on a shelf just above the table. "Hmmm… Now which one should I pick today?" He scanned the selection and spotted the tea for relaxing.
As though on cue he felt the tension in his lower back, upper back, shoulders and neck. He sighed and grabbed the box of tea. Plopping three tea bags into the kettle he added a bit of sugar before waiting a minute. Pouring the steaming, boiling water into the mug Iruka then went to the fridge taking the creamer and adding just a pinch of that before returning everything that he had used in its proper locations, excluding the creamer. He took the kettle, creamer and his own mug back to the coffee table where he resettled himself with his tea and his papers.
"Okay, lets finish this before 9~" Iruka stopped in midsentence when he looked up at the Maneki-neko(Lucky-Cat), 9:23pm. Looking from the four to five graded papers to the twenty he still had to do. 'Another long night with an early morning…' Iruka felt another knot entangled itself within his already tensed back. He picked up his mug of tea, breathed in the sweet scent, a satisfied breathe of air escaped his mouth. Taking a long soothing sip Iruka could practically feel his muscles deflate, loosen up. He hummed lightly. A small smile was on his face when the mug was taken from his lips. It was a lovely feeling to have after a long day with kids and a not so pleasant run-in with his not so friendly comrade, Hatake. However, Iruka shrugged it off and went back to working on the papers.
- Break -
Shizune was the first to burst into Tsunade's office, her eyes wide with worry and shock. Tsunede stood abruptly, the sake and her chair knocked over.
"Lady Tsunade! Hatake Kakashi has returned with something urgent to talk to you about!" As Shizune spoke, Kakashi was brought in by the two ninja.
"Don't touch me! You mustn't touch me!" he snapped.
"Kakashi!" yelled Tsunade, slamming the palms of her hand on her desk. "What in the world is going on!" she demanded. Kakashi staggered on his feet for a moment before looking to his Hokage.
"The mission you sent me on… It was a…a trap."
- Break -
The Maneki-neko alerted Iruka that it was ten o'clock, and by the second alert, eleven o'clock, Iruka had relocated himself on the couch. His hair was down the hair tie was left on the table next to the kettle that was now empty. His mug was half full and as he finished the twenty-second test a rumble of thunder was all he got as the rain began to pound against his windows. A flash of lightening lit up the dimly lit room. For a brief moment, Iruka sat there stunned. There had been no report of a thunderstorm, but when he remembered what time it was it accrued that it was the thunderstorm that was suppose to hit the next day it had just started earlier.
Iruka was just getting back to his few remaining tests when another flash of lightening lit up his little apartment. Yet, that flash of light also brought something else, that familiar feeling from before. The presence Iruka had been feeling when exiting the Academy that evening, were back and in full swing too. It felt like it was…right behind….him. And as he turned his head, the figure of a dog came into view. It stood with wide white glowing eyes standing in the hallway. The raw chakra that the dog was giving off was causing Iruka to feel nauseous. He was in full defense mode in a matter seconds. But it was what the dog said next that really got Iruka.
"Iruka-Sensei you are miiinnnne~"
- Break -
"What do you mean?" Tsunade said suddenly standing directly in front of the Jounin who was on his knees after explained most of what had happened on his mission. "You're three clones did not disperse after you got away?"
"Someone knew about the mission and attacked me…It must be why…" Kakashi said as he clutched his chest in pain. "My-y chakra… it's being"
"Drained…" finished Tsunade in a whisper. "Do you think it is because of the clones?" She went next to him to check him more thorally but Kakashi snapped is head up to look at her, a feral desperate look stopped her in her tracks. She stepped back. "Kakashi, if you're clones are rouge like you said, then you're chakra loss could be contributing to that fact."
Kakashi groaned.
"The attacker laughed and said I should watch out for my closest beings…" Tsunade frowned, thinking hard. "I don't have anyone special…Everyone basically knows that." Tsunade then spoke.
"Kakashi, after he got you with the needle you formed the clones, correct." She only waited for the nod before she went on. "And your clones did not seem odd at all, nothing strange." Kakashi shook his head. "But then… Afterwards they seemed to flee… How strange. " She began to pace as Shizune began to feed her own chakra to Kakashi without touching him. She rubbed her temple in frustration. She had already called in some elite ninja to check the surroundings of the village to make sure that the clones would not enter Konaha.
Then as a deep guttural groan escaped Kakashi and he doubled over, still clutching his chest, something clicked in Tsunade's brain. Her eyes widened as she saw the flicker of chakra running through Kakashi's system.
"Kakashi…What if your attacker was thinking that you did…have someone special?" She then began to pace again worried.
"Lady Tsunade?" questioned Shizune looking up from what she was doing.
"I mean what if this jutsu was for the last person you came into contact with?" if Tsunade could have seen Kakashi's face she would have seen his single eye widen in pure horror. "What if you were supposed to be the one to kill them… but because of making clones right after… they are now hunting that person down…"
"If that is the case then…" stuttered Shizune with terror
"Someone in Konaha is in terrible danger…" Tsunade turned to Kakashi. "Who was the last person you came into contact with Kakashi?" she said in urgency. Kakashi was silent for too long for Tsunades liking. "KAKASHI!" When he looked at her though her blood chilled, but her body nearly gave out on her when the name was finally spoken.
"Umino Iruka"
- Break -
The dog was large, bigger then a wolf, and built kind of like a bull. Its fur was silver and shaggy, ruffled style. One eye was stony while the other eye was a shining bloody red. Its lips were pulled back almost like it was smiling, crazily. It was frozen, just staring at him, ears erect tail slowly rising to stand in attention. Iruka could tell that this dog meant business and he only had one choice and it was made for him. How he wished hadn't been so keen to relax and let his guard down! Know he was in danger and it was in the form of a dog!
Iruka leapt from his place on the couch, but before he could go for his pouch, the dog was right on top of him, literally. Iruka slammed against the ground with a painful thwack, the dog's huge front paws weighed down upon Iruka's chest, pushing any air out of his lungs. Iruka gasped struggled, the pouch was the first thing the dog went for, ripping it from Iruka's arm pouch, as the dog went for Iruka's leg pouch. He made his move! He kneed the dog in the gut throwing it off balance for only a second, giving Iruka enough time to slither from underneath his attacker. However it wasn't to much time.
The dog's fangs sank into Iruka's pants leg, yanking him back. Now on his stomach, Iruka tried to form signs, but the dog was smarter, quicker, heavier, and faster. It reared up for a moment then slammed not only his huge clawed paws into Iruka's shoulder but his head connected with the back of the Chuunin's head. Iruka yelped when he felt the sharp pain, his body suddenly felt so weak as though his chakra was being drained. He became shaker, unstable and his vision blurred. He couldn't do anything more than allow the other to do as he pleased. And the first thing that he thought was it was the end of him.
The dog dug his claws into Iruka's back, drawing blood. He lowered his muzzle to Iruka's ear and growled out lowly.
"Your chakra… It's so….hmm delicious!" Iruka whined as he was weakening. Iruka could tell that he was being flipped over onto his back. His head fell to the side. A wet nose glided over the junction of his neck and shoulder. Goosebumps rose over his body at the cold sensation running over a sensitive warm spot. "And I found you first!" it chuckled first and before Iruka could ready himself for what came next, a blood curtailing scream ripped from his throat, as the dog's fangs sank to the gumline into the junction of Iruka's neck/shoulder. Blood gushed from around the dog's teeth, puddling under Iruka's heavy body. Everything went black… All he could feel was the pain which seemed to escalate as time went by slowly.
- Break -
"Team A and B, Go straight to Umino Iruka's apartment make sure everything is okay! NOW DISBERST!"
"Hai!" the two groups of four disappeared. Kakashi was laying on the ground, unconscious. Tsunade stared at him, worry was not the right word for this. She was more than just a little worried.
"I hope we aren't to late."
- Prologue Ending-
Kitten: Been forever since I wrote something… I needed something to right so here it is… Hope you like it. Please don't just fave my story. The more you reply the more I am eager to write. -smiles- Now it is… -looks at clock- 12:07am WAY past my bedy-by-time. Goodnight all!
Chapter 1: Normal