Synchronization

Love Naruto and thought I'd try my hand at a few stories with these amazingly rich and deep characters. I hope you enjoy and will review to let me know your opinions good or bad. I do not have one problem with yaoi, but this story will not contain that genre. I am only stating this for those that do not understand that love is simply love.

I own nothing. Nothing.

Chapter One

A shinobi stared up at the building as the crisp wind fluttered his hair. Where once this building had brought feelings of security…now the shadows cast from its walls left him cold. How much had changed in such a short time. How much had he fallen from that bit of security he had felt within this village, but he would not back down. In his heart he knew that he'd done the right thing.

"That's him. That's the one right there."

Iruka gazed over to the whispering youths and watched them scuttle away when they knew he heard them. The chunin sighed softly as he climbed the stairs with little sound to his footsteps despite the coil of anxiety that built in his stomach. Still they turned around to stare at him as if he announced his arrival like Maito Gai. Jonin, chunin, Anbu, and genin. Some glared and some dismissed him without really acknowledging his presence. The stares followed him to the mission desk. The cold looks thrown to him by the two who had once been his closest friends cut into him like kunai. Once he'd been a comrade…now Izumo and Kotetsu turned away. Iruka sighed again and readied to take his shift at the desk. The soft buzzing began as he took the first report to review.

"Can you believe he can still show his face after going against the Hokage's orders? Lady Tsunade should have thrown him out of the village."

"Lucky for him that our Hokage has forgiveness in her heart for weak, pathetic shinobi like that one."

"I heard he even stood up against the Copy-Nin to defend an enemy's life. Shows Umino has no respect for the village or our shinobi. Filth."

"My mother pulled my little brother from that one's class. I'm glad. Don't want his ways tainting my kin."

Iruka felt the eyes on him. The heated stares that burned into his soul from the hatred and killing intent aimed his way. Swallowing, he straightened his back and stamped the report quickly as he thanked the jonin for his hard work. The man scowled and turned away in disgust. Iruka simply accepted the next report thrust at him. He had no tears left to pity himself for what he felt was unfair treatment, but he felt no remorse at what he'd chosen to do. The child had only been fourteen and had been misled to hate Konoha. That boy's hatred had been programmed. Surely anything programmed can be un-programmed. The Village Hidden in the Sand had taken the lost soul in to try and help the young shinobi heal, but Iruka had been thoroughly disgraced for daring to stand up against Kakashi and the Anbu with him.

"Umino," a voice spat as Iruka looked up to see the Hokage, "In my office now."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Iruka rose as malicious gazes watched his movements. He followed the swaying blonde hair and remained standing as the Hokage slammed her door and went and sat at her desk. The lack of –san at the end of his name showed the loss of respect Lady Tsunade had for Iruka now. This was not the first time she had lashed out at him since he had protected that child.

"Umino, you are disrupting the mission room," Lady Tsunade snapped as Iruka glanced up at her in surprise, "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I…I was doing my duties," Iruka stated in confusion, "I've not argued with anyone since I arrived, Hokage-sama."

"Maa, maa," a voice drawled as Iruka's eyes snapped to see Kakashi Hatake sitting in a chair against the wall, "You see, Lady Tsunade? This is what I spoke about."

"What?" Iruka asked, blinking as he tried to unravel this mystery, "Have I done something wrong?"

"Total disrespect," Kakashi stated as Iruka's eyes widened, "Umino addresses his superiors with little respect of our higher rank. I think someone has grown too big for his flak jacket and needs to realize his place a little more. He thanked Toshi and failed to even call him 'Jonin-san' or even 'Shinobi-san.' I think the disrespect for his peers has gone on long enough, Hokage-sama."

"Agreed," Tsunade replied as Iruka glanced to her quickly, "Umino, your shift ends now. I will no longer need your services at the mission desk until the matter with your last mission is thoroughly investigated. I'm sure you need to plan for your next class tomorrow anyway so tell Izumo I'll send him a replacement shortly. Good day and remember to show your superiors the proper respect they deserve for all they do for this village."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," Iruka agreed, bowing low to the Hokage and then to Kakashi, "My apologies to you both. I will do as asked without question."

"That would be a first."

The chunin couldn't help a flinch at Kakashi's angered words, but merely straightened and left without snapping back at the jonin. Iruka's heart sank as he quietly left the office to go and gather his belongings from the mission desk. His teaching salary only covered his rent and some utilities. He had relied on missions, some tutoring sessions and this second job to cover food and other essentials. He was no longer on active duty due to the investigation to be able to do any missions and now had lost his mission desk job. Now what would he do?

"I'm still shinobi," Iruka thought to himself as he gathered up his bag while Izuma glanced up sharply, "I'll make do."

"Where are you going? Your shift isn't over yet and Kotetsu has to leave soon," Izumo growled as all the shinobi in the room listened in to see what Iruka would say.

"My presence is no longer needed here, Izumo-san, by Hokage-sama's orders," Iruka answered as he hid the trembling of his hands by gripping his bag tighter, "Lady Tsunade-sama will be sending a replacement shortly to work my shift. I humbly thank you for allowing me to work among you."

Murmurs began as Iruka bowed deeply and turned to see Kakashi watching him with one narrowed eye. Contempt…such horrible contempt in that gaze. The younger hid a shudder and bowed to the Copy-nin before exiting as voices began to gossip behind him. Iruka walked slowly towards his apartment. He had hoped to get his wages early for today so he could do some grocery shopping. He'd run out of food this morning and hunger pains throughout the day were making concentrating difficult.

"I'll have to forage," Iruka decided, "Hopefully, there is enough within the forest to tide me over until the investigation is complete. Surely, Lady Tsunade will see that killing that child would have been a travesty. Surely she will and there is always the tutoring sessions with the community center to help me out a little. They don't pay much, but every little bit helps."

Iruka's hopes of that were dashed halfway home. The community center manager met him stiffly within the market and let him know that his services were no longer needed due to complaints from parents that a dishonored man shouldn't be teaching their children. Iruka groaned internally, but thanked the manager for his time working for the center. The shinobi followed the man's back with his gaze as the manager marched away. Still, there were no tears left to cry. He was not ashamed of what he'd done. He'd protected a child. He could still look Naruto in the face when he came back home. That was what was most important.

"Let's see," Iruka said aloud as he pulled out his bank information and gathered the little bit of monies he had upon his person once home.

His heart sank again. He had enough for rent and one other bill.

"I'll pay the water payment," Iruka decided, "Still need to be presentable for teaching and I can drink water to fill my stomach to fool it into thinking I've eaten enough. I also have enough candles to see me through for a few months so not having power shouldn't be too much of a hardship. A shinobi doesn't have powered lights on missions anyway."

Iruka gathered his resolve around himself like a cloak. They wouldn't break him. He'd survive and win back his honor. He left to forage and stayed on paths that the village rarely used. Gathering was harder than he expected. Fall was almost over and there was little left to forage. Iruka chuckled to himself as he dug up some black root. He'd hated this root worse than anything since forever, but beggars could not be choosers.

"Father, you'd smile to know that finding this root would be something that would be needed and actually motivate me to eat this stuff," Iruka laughed out, "Thank you for teaching me where to look."

The shinobi walked back towards the village as he remembered when times had been better. Iruka's mother and father had despaired at how much their son hated a root that was regular fare from their old village prior to coming to Konoha. Black root was nasty and hard. A person had to chew on it for a long time to soften it enough to swallow, but the chewing made the stomach think you had eaten more than you really had and black root had decent vitamins that could be released when chewed enough.

"Ugh," Iruka groaned once home and he began to clean up the bit of foraged foods, "This is going to be great. Survival 101 right here in my own place. Yum."

Iruka cut the roots into manageable pieces and popped a bit into his mouth. Nasty, but not the worst he'd ever had. His stomach grumbled loudly. Okay. Time to take stock what he had.

"Half a box of teas leaves," he murmured to himself, continuing to try and chew the root down into a manageable softness, "What is this back here? Ah. Two cans of beans. Anything in the fridge? Nothing."

Power would be turned off by the end of the week anyway so anything in the fridge would go bad and he'd not be able to use the stove. Iruka grimaced as he filled a glass with water and drank it down before downing another one. He'd survive. Hopefully the investigation would be over with soon anyway and life could get back to normal. A few days of foraged food wasn't too terrible to deal with. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on Iruka's side once again. The Village Hidden in the Mist was angered over the battle and was denying any evidence that showed that the unit of nin had been out to attack Konoha. After three weeks the investigation was still under way and Iruka's life had become a ring of despair that continued to try and pull him down. His students were cold to him since they had picked up on their parents' anger, the principal of the academy treated him like dirt, and all Iruka could do was keep his head down and go forward. He continued to do his duties as he'd always done and refused to give in. It turned out that the mission room couldn't seem to organize efficiently without him so the Hokage had placed him on filing duty. Unfortunately, this was a punishment for his actions rather than a paid job.

"At least I'm warmer here and away from everyone else except when I have to pick up the reports to file," Iruka thought as he walked like a wraith back out of the mission room with few noticing his presence.

Winter had hit hard and without power there was no heat in his apartment. Night was cold and dark as he shivered while trying to grade class assignments by the light of a single candle. Iruka bit back any pity for his new life and allowed his stubborn side to push forward. So what if he was cold. So what if he was hungry and dealt with a headache incessantly these days. So what that the only time he spoke was when he was teaching or answering questions for students. Who cares that he was losing a little weight.

"Nin survive," Iruka reminded himself as he continued to file the newest reports, "I'm still a shinobi of Konoha. I won't back down. That is my ninja way."

"You," a voice called as he turned to see none other than Kakashi Hatake leaning in the doorframe, "I need the mission report from Genma's last mission, stat."

"Hai, Jonin-sama," Iruka voiced, dropping the scroll he held and went to find the requested report.

Iruka felt a gaze following him. Scrutinizing him. Voices began to question Kakashi and Iruka glanced over his shoulder to see Genma and Asuma having a terse conversation so he adverted his eyes to find what was needed. The younger shinobi straightened as he found the report quickly and handed it to the Copy-nin.

"Have you lost weight, Umino?" Kakashi blurted as the others glanced up in surprise and then studied the chunin a little closer.

"Perhaps, Jonin-sama," Iruka truthfully admitted, "The academy is working with the older students to teach them winter survival and I have been selected to be the instructor this year. I've been outside running about more than usual. I've probably lost a bit, but I've always done that during winter months since I was a boy. I gain back all lost weight in the spring."

"Hmn," Kakashi hummed, turning away, "Eat more protein."

"Hai, Jonin-sama," Iruka agreed, hiding the want to roll his eyes as he bowed deeply and returned to his filing even as he heard the voices of Kakashi, Asuma and Genma.

"What was that about, Kakashi?"

"He looks like his clothes aren't fitting him the way they used to, Genma."

"I agree, Kakashi. Probably the investigation is getting to the kid. Umino looks worn out."

"Good. Maybe he'll learn from his mistakes, Asuma. Mist wouldn't be threatening possible war if Kakashi could have finished the mission."

Iruka sighed as he leaned against the wall he stood near while the voices faded showing that the shinobi had walked farther away. Protein? The tug of yearning for some meat or tofu pulled strongly at him as his stomach reminded him again that it was empty.

"Behave," Iruka chided his traitorous stomach as he pulled out some more of the horrible root from his flak jacket to try and chew as he worked, "No helping it. This is all I've got to give you."

The chunin realized he'd have to wear extra layers to disguise his weight loss. Black root was keeping him going, but not helping him keep weight on. Plus, the principal of the academy had forced him out of his usual classroom and thrust the winter training on him out of spite. He'd heard the sniggers in the teacher workroom that he deserved his "punishment," but the grueling, non-stop activities were taking its toll on his stamina.

"Forward," Iruka reminded himself, "Just keep going forward. I still stand behind saving that child."

To be continued…