First : I'm a KakaIru fangirl and I don't mind shounen-ai or a few yaoish stuffs. But I just want to imagine how the life's in Naruto story if Iruka was female. That's all. I don't mind enjoying some M-pregnant KakaIru fics, but I rather want to enjoy it in a natural way which means I need to change his gender completely and restart from the very beginning. This's a KakaIru fic, but there'll be other CANON pairings as well. If you don't like it, please don't read.

WARNING : I'm an artist, not a writer. And I'm not English speaker. My grammar is H.O.R.R.I.B.L.E. Oh the horrors… You can ask my beta bronzetigress if u don't believe it.

Extra thanks to my beta : bronzetigress. This fic won't be here without u, dear! Thank you for being patient with me! hugs

Enjoy the story.

THE KUNOICHI'S HEART

Title: The Kunoichi's Heart

Rating: PG-13 (this chapter), R later on.

Disclaimer: The characters are NOT MINE.

Chapter: 1/???

Words : 4,415 words + Prologue

Summary : What if Iruka was a female? Follow the Naruto story since the very beginning...

Pairing : KakaIru, SasuSaku, NaruHina (the others will ba canon-like hopefully)

Chapter 00 – The Prologue

Konohagakure, the Hidden Leaf Village

It was a fine morning. Birds chirped everywhere, waking the inhabitants from their sleep. Every person, ninja or civilian, got out of bed to start the day (except ones who were coming in after an overnight shift/mission of course).

It was a pretty calm morning, until a loud feminine shout was heard.

"NARU-----TOOOO!!! What did I tell YOU not to do THAT AGAIN!!!???"

An equally loud boyish voice answered.

"But…But…IRUKA-SEN--SEI!!! It's FUN!!! You try it!!!"

From far away, two figures could be seen running on the rooftops. The taller figure, who seemed to be a woman, was running after the shorter figure that carried a few cans of paint in his hand. The woman shouted another few curses that wasn't very lady-like at all at the blonde boy who just laughed freely. Far behind them, you could see the sculpture of the Hokage's face on the mountain, painted creatively with what seemed like horrible makeup.

The people under them just shook their heads at the antics above their roofs.

"Iruka-sensei….such a high-spirited young woman…"

"And that blonde boy… He seems to be always a troublemaker."

"Poor Iruka-sensei…"

Yep, it's a fine usual morning.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 01 The Failed Student : 4,415 words

--------------------------------------------------------------

Umino Iruka, a single female chuunin, a full-time teacher at the Academy and a part-time staff in the mission room, walked out of the class room with the yearly reports of the would-be-genins filling her arms. She had her dark brown hair up in a ponytail with a few strands of hair escaped from her hitae-ate worn around her temples. Her tan skin glowed a bit with sweat, making her chuunin vest fit a bit tighter around her black shirt. She hadn't noticed the greetings people sent to her along the way, trusting her feet to walk on autopilot to the staff room. Her mind was busy thinking about things that had happened these recent weeks.

This year I've already graded all the students' report…but…

Poor Naruto…he couldn't graduate with all of these scores he had. If only he could have passed the bunshin jutsu…Nah, there's nothing you can do, Iruka. He really has to learn that not everyone can graduate every year…

"Something wrong, Iruka?"

The sudden voice made her look up almost immediately, for the first time noticing that there were two worried faces in front of her. Kotetsu and Izumo.

"Huh? I'm fine, Kotetsu, Izumo." Iruka smiled, carefully putting all the reports into the locker standing beside her. After that was done, she turned back to her friends.

"Not that I mind, but why do you ask?"

Kotetsu, the ruder of the two, snorted. "Please, Iruka-kun. We know you for decades. You always used to be worried sick over everything, particularly your students."

Izumo kicked his friend on the shin lightly, "What we really mean is we're worried about you. I think your face is a bit pale, Iruka."

"Ow!! No need to kick me!!"

Iruka just sighed seeing the antics of her friends. She, Izumo, and Kotetsu had been friends since forever it seemed. They had been teammates since they were Genin and sometimes they still went as a Chuunin team if a team was needed – a very rare bond in a hidden village filled by shinobis, missions, threats, and deaths. Izumo and Kotetsu, like her, worked in the mission room as well to manage the missions they gave to and from other shinobis. But unlike her who chose to work in the Academy, they worked for the Intelligence & Torture Unit under Morino Ibiki, a place where Iruka was sometimesasked to help as well.

"Please you two, keep your playtime out of work, okay? I'm fine really…. It's just that Naruto-"

"You mean that little blonde boy in your class? He seems like trouble to me…" Kotetsu cut off her words.

"Is he…that kid?" Izumo blinked.

Iruka winced at the tone her friend used against him. "He's a good boy."

Despite the little boy's pranks all of these years, Iruka admitted at least to herself that she grew fond with the blonde. Iruka herself had taught him since she got her job at the Academy, which was four years ago, when Sandaime insisted –despite the villager's protests- that every child in Konoha deserved an education as their right.

Izumo, who seemed to know her distress, patted her shoulder. There was regret in his next words. "Ah…I know… I'm sorry. It's just that…"

Iruka shook her head, showing him it's alright. "No, it's okay. It's just that…. he couldn't pass this year's class. His score is not good enough…" She sighed again.

Naruto, as much of a troublemaker as he was, was actually a bright child. Too bad for him, being an orphan and having more than half the villagers hate the blonde, there weren't many that wanted to help him to understand more of the academy lessons than necessary.

That's why Sandaime took it on himself to take care of the boy, especially his education. Still, so many Hokage's duties made the old man sometimes too busy to make time for the boy. And thus, the task fell on Iruka's shoulders, as Naruto's teacher at least.

Iruka couldn't help but be disappointed with the result. Naruto's score was less than required from the academy. And this was supposed to be the boy's last year.

Naruto…what should I do with you…?

"You care about him a lot, Iruka…" Izumo said, noticing his friend's expression. He had always been the more observant of the two.

Iruka felt her lips turn up a bit, "Yeah… He's an orphan… and actually under all the pranks he pulls he's really a good boy."

She had been a teacher at the Academy for more than five years, since she was 18 years old. She had met various kinds of children and learned how to handle them. Each child was special in his/her own way and Iruka always wanted to show them that. However, Naruto was a very special case.

He's barely twelve year old… yet he's been an orphan since he was born. And it doesn't help that he's the Kyuubi container. Yondaime-sama… I wonder how you would feel if you could see how most of the villagers treat your son…

Shaking her head, she smiled back at her teammate. "Well… I think I should go to my desk. It's nearly my watch. See you later, Izumo, Kotetsu." With that, she left them to their own thoughts.

------------------------------------------------------------

"Well…. Genma-san. I'm sure you know this but could you write more… thoroughly?" Iruka raised her eyebrow at the sheepish face of Genma, one of the jounins who were lined up before her desk.

"Ah…I know that, Iruka-chan. It's just that I was in a rush…with the mission and all…"

Iruka bit her lips to keep her mouth from shouting at the said jounin. In a rush?? It's more like you wrote this report down as you walked into this room… which is probably true.

Glaring at the jounin before her, Iruka said in a flat tone. "This…chicken scratch handwriting can't be accepted, Genma-san. I'm sorry, but you have to write it again. Please use this new form. And don't call me that." With that, ignoring the pout Genma wore (not that it was cute or anything), she handed a new paper to Genma. "Next person, please."

"Ah…you're really not cute, Iruka-chan." Genma winked at her, before walking away to go – hopefully to do what she told him.

"Don't call me that." Iruka glared back at him. She had never liked people call her such a sweet nickname, no matter what flirts they were.

"Hard day, Iruka-kun?" A feminine voice snapped Iruka out of her killer stare. Iruka turned her eyes up to see Kurenai, one of her jounin friends.

"Ah…you can say that, Kurenai-san." Iruka couldn't help but smile lightly at the red eyed woman standing before her desk. Gratefully, she accepted the mission report from the woman's hand. "Thank you for your hard work, Kurenai-san."

Reading briefly the report, Iruka nodded in satisfaction. "It's great, Kurenai-san."

Thank God for the nice handwriting… It's a rare case to find jounins who can write legible reportsnowadays… I should open a grammar class or something for these jounins. Hopefully the next ones would be –at least half good- like this.

"Maa…Iruka-sensei, I came to give you my report…" A familiar baritone voice made Iruka's shoulders automatically stiffen up.

There goes my hope…

Glancing up at the figure that appeared beside Kurenai, Iruka couldn't help but sigh inside. "Ah… Hello, Kakashi-san."

A single nearly closed gray eye stared back at her. Iruka could tell that the guy was amused by what he saw, though Iruka didn't know what it was. Unconsciously, Iruka rubbed her hand against the scar running across her face in a nervous gesture, turning her eyes away. Unlike most of the women, she bore a scar on her face and didn't bother to hide it under make-up, which was too troublesome for Iruka's liking (she wasn't too fond of make-up, thank you).

She had never liked how that single eye pierced through her. It sometimes made her feel…. inadequate in the presence of the silver haired jounin.

Hatake Kakashi, a silver haired jounin, the Sharingan Kakashi, the master of a thousand jutsu, the copy nin, was an intimidating presence in his own way. With his lazy almost careless posture, his single eye always held the same bored expression, like he never wanted to bother to grace you with his presence. And with half of his face covered with that damn mask (and hitae-ate to cover the other infamous eye, the Sharingan), there's no way you could tell what he thought. And that…that…Icha-Icha thing…what the hell was the man thinking, walking around the mission room and the streets outside with that book hanging down under his nose?

Simply put, Hatake Kakashi wasn't on the list of Iruka's favorite people at all.

A paper that had seen some better days was thrust under her nose. Iruka grimaced at the state it was in. It was covered with mud and leaves and the messy handwriting clearly didn't help the condition of the paper. And of course, it was two days late.

Resigned to her fate, she accepted the mission report, already calculating how she would have to rewrite it again in a more acceptable form. "Ah…thank you, Kakashi-san."

"Glad to help, Iruka-sensei." There was something in that tone that made blood rush barely up to her neck.

"You never learn, do you, Kakashi?" Kurenai's amused tone seemed to break Iruka out of her down mood.

"Mm…what makes you say that, Kurenai?" Kakashi's bored tone asked back. Iruka didn't dare to glance up in their direction, busying herself with the papers sprawled on her desk.

"Nothing." From her tone, Iruka bet there was a smirk across those red lips.

"Thank you for your hard work, Kurenai-san, Kakashi-san. Next person, please." Iruka smiled lightly at them, finally risking a glance at the copy nin briefly, before turning back to the next shinobi lined up behind him.

"See you later, Iruka­-sensei."

"Bye, Iruka-kun."

With that, they vanished in smoke. Iruka sighed inside.

Jounins… are exhibitionists.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kakashi walked in his usual lazy steps into the familiar building, ready to hand the finished mission to whoever manned the mission room. A daimyo was too paranoid to walk back to Waterfall country after a few days in Konoha and Kakashi got the job to accompany the paranoid old man.

He didn't mind though. The trip only wasted half a day and Kakashi was already back to Konoha at the late afternoon.

Walking into the building, he was greeted by some jounins (which he answered with a casual nod). A certain dark bearded jounin, leaning back at the wall, waved lazily at him. "Hey, Kakashi. Done with the day?"

Kakashi nodded, walking toward the said jounin instead of the staff desk. The mission scroll could wait for few minutes anyway. "Hnn."

"What're you doing here?" He leaned back against the wall, glancing at the few jounins who finally left the staff desk.

"Waiting for Kurenai. As usual." Asuma grunted, pointing at a certain familiar red eyed jounin who apparently done with her report.

Instead of glancing at the said jounin, Kakashi's eyes stared far toward a certain ponytail which appeared behind the piles of papers before Kurenai.

Ah… there she is.

"See you later." Without bothering to see his friend's response, he straightened his posture and walked closer to the desk him recently fond to see.

"Maa…Iruka-sensei, I came to give you my report…" Stepping beside Kurenai, Kakashi glanced down to see a certain brown haired chuunin who just finished with Kurenai's report.

"Ah… Hello, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi couldn't help but stare at the person before him. The chuunin , Umino Iruka, was always an unusual sight for him. For him who used to see how many guarded or emotionless faces in every shinobi he came cross – friends or enemies, it was a rarity to see such a carefree honest face –free of burden- in an adult face like Umino Iruka.

He always wondered how this Iruka person could be a shinobi –much less passed the chuunin exam- with an open face like that. Didn't she realize it was dangerous to show what you thought or felt right on your face?

Maybe…she hasn't had those experiences…yet.

Kakashi could feel something tighten inside him when the chuunin turn her eyes away from his, failing to hide the blush that rose very slightly on her tan cheeks as she brushed the scar on her nose. It was obvious that his stare made the chuunin nervous.

Deciding to forget whatever he thought at the moment, he gave the report (from two days ago of course, the mission today would be given a few days later – he had reputation to keep after all) right under her nose. Predictably, the nervous face turned relaxed (and if Kakashi squinted more – a bit grimaced) at the sight of familiar report. "Ah…thank you, Kakashi-san." The slender tan hand accepted the sheet, careful not to touch his much bigger hand.

"Glad to help, Iruka-sensei."

"You never learn, do you, Kakashi?"

It was the sudden voice of Kurenai's that broke Kakashi's gaze from the chuunin. He glanced at the red eyed female beside him, who apparently was amused with something.

"Mm…what makes you say that, Kurenai?"

In response, Kurenai just smirked at him. "Nothing."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes for a few seconds, searching for any hidden clues underneath those simple words.

Women are so complicated…

"Thank you for your hard work, Kurenai-san, Kakashi-san. Next person, please." Iruka, apparently quite done with his report, smiled lightly at both of them. Kakashi curved his eyes in return, deciding to not bother with the other jounin's words.

"See you later, Iruka­-sensei."

He vanished in the swirl of smokes.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"But…Iruka-sensei!! I studied hard already!!" Naruto's wail resonated through the classroom, which was empty save for Iruka and Naruto himself. His spiky shoulder-length blonde hair was sticking out everywhere complete with a black bandana tied on his head. He wore a bright orange jacket and pants that looked too baggy for his small frame.

"Naruto-kun, you should understand you still had to go to class everyday, not lock yourself into your apartment!" Iruka tried to keep her temper in check, which was not an easy task by the way.

"I've studied for hours in my room! I can answer most of my homework, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto, his chubby face in a pout.

Iruka sighed, "Naruto-kun, your score isn't only measured by homework alone. You should have gone to class more often. Your presence in class is not for nothing you know. It has its own score."

"Well…the class is no fun! The teachers always treat me like I'm not there! And that stubborn Sasuke always looks down on me, I hate him! How could I study like that in class!??" Naruto shouted again, his blue eyes shining with some tears already. Still, he refused to cry before his teacher.

Iruka grimaced inside. She was aware most of the teachers in the Academy despised Naruto due to his … background. In fact, Iruka was aware that the only teacher who somehow cared about Naruto's well being was …. herself. As for Sasuke's case…well… he always looked down on everyone.

"Naruto-kun… I know this's hard to accept. But the Bunshin test your class must take this morning is your last final test that determines your passing and graduating from the Academy. But… it isn't the only test you have to take. Your score is the accumulation from all the one year class you have studied in. And I regret to tell you this…but…" Iruka could feel a great lump formed inside her throat at the big shiny blue eyes staring back against her.

"What, sensei?"

"You…can't graduate this year. I'm sorry."

She expected Naruto to shout, to cry, to scream, or to do anything that would show how he couldn't accept the fact. This was Naruto after all.

She didn't expect the empty blank eyes that stared back at her, with a few tears falling down slowly against that chubby cheek.

I'm sorry….Naruto…

-------------------------------------------------

The graduation ceremony went well. All the parents congratulated their children and promised to celebrate at home. Everyone smiled (even that Hyuuga Hiashi let loose one before his shy daughter), laughed, and thanked the teachers for how great they taught the children and said how thankful the parents were.

She was supposed to be happy that day, because how could she not? It was an event that came once a year and she could finally see how every student of hers could develop into a great shinobi one day.

The parents congratulated her and smiled at her and hugged her and had so many happy expressions on their faces, telling her how proud they were of their children. Yet, Iruka was aware of missing some familiar faces, those of Uchiha parents and their children. In fact, one of the only two remaining Uchihas (where the other had gone missing-nin) stood proudly with his solemn face when he received his hitae-ate from the Hokage himself. Iruka wanted to do something more for the boy, but the glares she received from Sasuke finally made her just pat the dark hair and smile, saying that she was proud of him.

Still….

There was only one student missing today.

Iruka couldn't help but feel that her smile was more and more restrained with every passing hour of the ceremony.

Naruto… where areyou…?

"Lost in thought, Iruka-sensei?"

In reflex, she turned her head aside, meeting with a rather familiar smirking silver haired guy.

"Mizuki-sensei…" Unconsciously she took a step away from the other chuunin.

Like her, Mizuki was one of the chuunin teachers at the Academy. He was rather handsome alright. Plus with that silver hair, he had women trailing behind him at every step. Iruka wasn't too close with him because well… she wasn't too fond of his arrogance. He loved attention and Iruka preferred to be alone rather than being the center of it. They were rather…too opposite.

Aware she was standing like a fool in the middle of graduation, Iruka tried to smile a bit, rather forcedly it seemed. "Ah…what could I help you with, Mizuki-sensei?"

Mizuki grinned, patting her shoulder in a rather close friendly manner. "Well…this's a graduation ceremony. We should celebrate it together, Iruka-sensei. How about we go having a drink or something?"

Iruka thought about it. The ceremony was over already and she could take a break and have fun as her colleagues did. But something told her she couldn't.

Naruto…

"Ah…I'm sorry. I'm afraid I can't do that. There are a few students I still have to talk to today…" she explained sheepishly.

Mizuki's grin seemed to fade at that. His eyes hardened, "Do you mean students….like that boy?"

There was something off with his tone that Iruka didn't like. "I would like to go to meet few students that can't make it to the graduation today. I'm afraid I need to have a few… words with them."

Mizuki shrugged, "Well…too bad then. Call me if you change your mind, Iruka-sensei!" With that, he strolled off to join the other teachers who laughed at their jokes not far away from them.

Iruka sighed. Looking back at her happy colleagues, she made her resolution.

I need to meet and talk to Naruto…soon…

------------------------------------------------------------------

"Something on your mind, Iruka-sensei?"

The familiar baritone voice snapped Iruka out of her blank stare. She quickly glanced up from where she sat toward a standing Kakashi before her desk. His Icha-Icha book was opened under his nose as usual.

Aware that she had been working at nothing for a while now, she blushed. Rather frantically, she stammered at the amused jounin before her who was no doubt enjoying her nervousness. "Ah … forgive me. Do you need something, Kakashi-san?"

She had searched for Naruto everywhere this afternoon, but to no avail. His apartment was empty and Iruka thought she had already searched every damn place she thought Naruto would likely be. But damn, it looked like Naruto wanted to be alone today and Iruka couldn't blame him. Rather disappointed, she decided to man her task in the mission room as usual. And from a quick glance at the clock, it was eight pm already.

Time's sure going rather fast today… I should search for Naruto tomorrow then…

"You look exhausted, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka blinked at that, but somehow couldn't find a reason why the jounin asked her that. "Um…I'm fi-"

"IRUKA!!"

Suddenly, Kotetsu and Izumo appeared in clouds of smokes beside her desk. Their faces looked pale. Immediately, Iruka stood up, forgetting her conversation with the jounin before her.

"What happened, Kotetsu? Izumo?"

"This is an emergency!! Your student, Uzumaki Naruto! He's stolen a secret scroll from the Hokage's Office! Sandaime told all of us to find him NOW!" Kotetsu said in a rush.

Iruka's face went pale at that. "Are you sure!? When's the last time you see him!?"

Naruto…what have you DONE!??

Izumo gripped her arm lightly, "We guess he ran toward the Forest of Death. I don't want to tell you this, Ruka. But it's possible that he might have been caught by enemy nins right now. The scroll he stole is forbidden jutsu for most people and rather precious. We must find him as fast as we can."

She could feel her legs shake at that. Gripping back at Izumo's arm, she whispered, "We must go NOW."

At that, they vanished in a swirl of smoke.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Hmm…… it seems today is the graduation day… Many new gennins huh…

Walking home after yet another mission, Kakashi glanced briefly at the many people who walked on the streets around him. Although it was already late in the afternoon, many people were still filling the streets. Parents walked with their children (whom –Kakashi guessed from their happy faces- graduated with flying colors) and promised to treat them to family restaurant to celebrate.

That's not my business though…

He let got the chance being a jounin sensei for gennin team since long ago after a few times managed to fail those brats that didn't think anything but their self (true, they were the lowest ranks in their class, still…)

Oh well…Forget about it. I should give the yesterday mission report now…

Entering the mission room, Kakashi's bored gaze glanced around until it found a familiar chuunin-sensei sat before her desk. Automatically he headed toward the desk.

The unfamiliar sight of unsmiling Iruka made him raise his eyebrow slightly. The sensei was writing down something on papers before her, but anyone could see she didn't think anything related with the papers and work before her. She was staring at the floor next to where Kakashi stood, lost in thought. She wasn't aware his presence yet.

Kakashi's eyebrows raised even more at the paper, reading the messy illegible writing.

I don't know she could write backward like that… And are those written in… … ANBU code?? Na…ru…to…?

An image of a blonde-haired little boy appeared inside his mind.

Ah……sensei's son..

Kakashi rarely ever saw the little boy, but he made a point to see how the brat did every few weeks. He often crouched on the trees facing the boy's apartment to see how his sensei's first and only child managed with his life, hiding from prying eyes and enjoying the sight before him (the boy was sure clumsy in his own apartment and he managed to be pretty creative with his foods).

He was aware every adult in Konoha avoided the blonde boy, afraid and hate mingled in their gaze every time they saw the boy walked on the streets. Still, he couldn't manage to bring himself to meet him in face, much less talk with him because of the reason unlike most of the villagers had. It wasn't his intention to introduce himself to the boy (at least not yet), because, he knew an innocent little boy like him wasn't living in the same world like a bloodied nin like him – at that moment.

Still… I have to make sure he can grow up to be a fine shinobi… that's the least I can do for you, sensei.

Deciding not to dwell in the past (too much), Kakashi got back to do what he would do earlier – giving his mission report to apparently still unaware chuunin. He decided a waking call was in order.

"Something on your mind, Iruka-sensei?"

The question seemed to do the trick as the female chuunin blinked and glanced up quickly at him and immediately blushed at him. "Ah … forgive me. Do you need something, Kakashi-san?"

Now that he had the chuunin's attention, Kakashi just realized that Iruka seemed a bit paler than usual, a contrast against her usually healthy tan skin. Her usually soft brown eyes turned a bit gloomy as well.

"You look exhausted, Iruka-sensei." He said bluntly.

Hmm… today is graduation day… maybe she is too tired after attending the long-speech of Sandaime-sama in the graduation ceremony…?

Iruka seemed startled at his question, blushing slightly at his statement. Kakashi's eyes softened a bit at the finally familiar gesture.

Now that's a better expression on her face…

"Um, I'm fi-"

Before the sensei could continue, there was a sudden swirl of smokes appeared next to her. Immediately she stood up, forgetting her conversation with Kakashi as the figures of two other chuunins, Hagane Kotetsu and Kamizuki Izumo, stood before them. Kakashi could feel him tense at their pale faces.

What the…

"This is an emergency!! Your student, Uzumaki Naruto! He's stolen a secret scroll from the Hokage's Office! Sandaime told all of us to find him NOW!" The spiky haired one said in a rush to the surprised chuunin, ignoring his presence.

"Are you sure!? When's the last time you see him!?" If possible, Iruka's face went paler at the mention of her student.

"We guess he ran toward the Forest of Death. I don't want to tell you this, Ruka. But it's possible that he might have been caught by enemy nins right now. The scroll he stole is forbidden jutsu for most people and rather precious. We must find him as fast as we can." The other one, Izumo if Kakashi recalled the name right, explained in a rush.

Naruto?? That kid!??

The information ran through Kakashi's brain quickly.

Before he could say anything, the three figures before him already vanished in the swirl of smokes.

Damn it….

And he followed.

Tbc……

A/N :

Well…what do u think of this edited chapter?? Hope u like it… ;

The next chapter – the Realization