Rating: T Dark themes, graphically described death scene. This directly contradicts Anime-only canon, which doesn't count anyway.
Summary: Just promise me one thing, Iruka: Don't die for him. He doesn't deserve it.
Inspiration: Inspired by my fascination with Iruka and Mizuki in general, born because of Naruto's utter Gary-Stuishness in recent chapters and rejection of Iruka. Not a complete rejection, but it might as well be one. Two suns, my foot.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Notes: Another piece written in 20 minutes. I've always wanted to explore the bond between Iruka and Mizuki. Besides Yaoi stuff there isn't much on it.
Tetsu means "Iron". Umi means "Ocean" or "sea."
Correspondence
Tetsu,
I wish I could understand. Understand what happened. Why did you do it? I know that the scroll was only a decoy. While it does have some of Konoha's more advanced techniques, the real secret ones are locked away in S-rank vaults that a genin could never, never hope to open.
Which means everything was set up simply to make it look like Naruto had run off with the scroll, and your main objective was killing him. I don't understand. We had it all here, Mizuki. Anko was back, Hayate's more or less back to full strength. I highly doubt you missed Jiraiya-san much after two years of being subjected to his... vulgar habits, and you had a family. Why did you throw it all away?
Umi
Dear Deluded Iruka:
You lost your parents to that monster, you of all people should understand at least a fragment of my pain. But you never could, in a way. You know a version of the pain I feel, but not the same degree, not the same facets of grief. My sister is someone I'm charged to protect whether she's older than me or not. If I fail in that, honor demands that I take out her murderer. You're too soft- even if you had the guts, your stupid conscience would never let you do it.
Sorry I had to drag you into this. Nothing personal.
Oh, wait, it is personal! How on earth can you stand to look at that thing, let alone touch It! I've seen you. You take It out for ramen, you're actually concerned when It hurts Itself (even though the stupid thing can regenerate), you even tell It that you actually care about It! And you're not lying!
I'm sure your parents would be very, very proud. You don't even care, do you?
Mizuki
PS- Don't call me Tetsu. Stop using our old team nicknames. Don't you get it? We're dead, Iruka. You nearly died when your parents did, but Anko's the one who did you in. I died when my sister did. Anko's been dead ever since Orochimaru left.
We're all broken, Iruka. You most of all.
Mizuki,
Naruto is not an it. My parent's death still hurts, but I am not letting it rule my entire life. I am not going to take it out on a victim of circumstances. If things had been different, either one of us could have been forced into becoming the vessel.
Iruka
Dear Poor Deluded You:
Fine, delude yourself. But just you wait. Uzumaki- quite a long-lived clan. Sooner or later, his mother or father (or both) will show up. They'll replace you, Iruka. He'll forget all about you and run into the sunset-just like you replaced me.
And when you die, it will figure it out too late just how much you mean to it, that you're its true father. You will die, and your screams will echo in its ears like the waves the sea is made of. It will watch the blood leak from your veins, hear that last horrible gasp as you try to breathe but can't.
With you dead, nothing will stop the Kyuubi from destroying everything it sees. The seal will shatter like your promises to protect it, for how can you protect something that won't let you protect it?
And I'll be here, laughing in my cell. Hahaha.
Just promise me one thing, Iruka- don't die for It. It doesn't deserve your love, doesn't deserve what a sacrifice that would be. You held us together, Iruka, and you're the only thing keeping Konoha from being crushed under the weight of its own corruption. And... even though you betrayed me, I still care about you. Somewhat. And since you survived my poisoned shuriken (You jerk) I might as well try to protect you from yourself.
But I doubt you'll listen. This note will probably be crumpled up once you finish reading it. You probably won't even bother to reply. Because in what I've said here, I've touched upon your deepest fear- being abandoned. Not just alone, abandoned. Ab. An. Doned. Left behind, discarded, replaced, ditched, thrown aside. You need It more than It needs you. And deep down, you know it.
It will replace you eventually, whether it be a birth father or the jounin sensei you set him up with or even Jiraiya, if he ever shows up again. And only time will tell if you can save it from itself and live or if you must die for you to succeed. Maybe you won't succeed no matter what you do. Either way, you're going to burn.
Fire, fire, shining bright,
See the Kyuubi's firelight
Ocean's death shall prove me right,
How the world will burn that night.
Mizuki