Against the Tide

Today had started rather well for Iruka, oddly enough the children were behaving themselves in class, it was also a surprise to see Kohonamaru present in class along with his two little friends and none of them complained either. Iruka looked at his class suspiciously as they were all wearing their angel face mask, warily he tested his chair he certainly didn't want a repeat of last week, when the little devils has sawed one leg of the chair to send him sprawling on the floor the moment he sat on the chair. The chair seemed solid enough, slowly and carefully Iruka sat on the chair and winced when the chair made a noise, he braced himself waiting to be sent on the floor again but nothing happened. Iruka looked at the children again all of them behaving and in silence, maybe his wish had come true after all he would finally have a class that any teacher would be proud to teach. As Iruka started today's lesson, in the back of his mind he made a note to go to the wishing well again.

After the class was over Iruka neatly placed his students homeworks in a pile and stored them in one of the desk drawer and locked said drawer before leaving to the Hokage office where more paperwork would be waiting for him. It already been a month since Sasuke left the village and became a missing nin but not before he did quite a number on Naruto. Even if the boy could use Kyubi's chakra to heal himself, Naruto came back changed after loosing to Sasuke. Gone was the cheerful boy who hid his sadness behind a foxy grin, gone was the boy with a dream to be the best there was and gone was the dream to become Hokage one day. One month day for day and Naruto was still at the hospital staring out at the window more often than not trapped in his own world.

Iruka made another note to see Naturo today as he entered the Hokage office, well it did look like he was the first one here again, he sat behind the desk but did not have to wait long for Kakashi just appeared in a puff of smoke with his report in hand.

"What?" Kakashi blinked when Iruka gave him a strange look.

"It's just strange to see you hand report in time, how is Sakura doing today?" Iruka asked curious on the well being of one of his brilliant former student.

"She's doing well considering what had happened to both of her teammates, but she still not over the fact that Sasuke really left. I think she feels guilty about Naruto..." He too was out of it, Kakashi lost all of his loved one and never bothered to get close to anyone but the brief time he spent with team 7 gave him a new prospective in life, and right now going on missions with Sakura was the only thing he could think of to keep himself and Sakura occupied.

"I hope Naruto will be all right....." Iruka's mind was again wandering back toward Naruto condition, he knew most people didn't really care for his well being but to a select few Naruto changed their world.

"Me too" On that the silver haired Jounin disappeared in a puff of smoke, once again leaving Iruka alone. Strangely enough the day went on like this without much of a problem.

After work Iruka stopped at Naruto's favorite ramen stand and bought some miso ramen for his former student. He would probably have to spoon feed Naruto but Iruka didn't mind, it just right now everything was beyond him, he so much wants to heal away Naruto's pain but he knew there was nothing he could do. In the back of his mind there was this little voice that told him that Naruto would never be like he used to be, that the boy would never become Hokage either.

Iruka stepped in Naruto's room and was not really surprised to see Hinata in the room, according to the doctors the girl came to Naruto's bedside each day after training with her sensei. Iruka smiled a little seeing the girl holding the blond boy's hand.

"How is he doing today Hinata-chan?" Iruka sat on the chair on the oposite side of the bed and the ramen on the night stand.

"Oh Iruka-sama." The girl blushed a little but Iruka could see the worry in those milky colored eyes.

"He's still the same looking out the window as if he waiting for something or someone to show." The Hyuga girl replied softly.

"Hinata-chan, why don't you go home I'm sure your father is waiting for you. I'll stay and watch over Naruto for a while ok?" Hinata's face fell a little at the mention of her father, Iruka wasn't blind either he knew that Hyuga Hiashi pretty much ignored his heir, his eldest daughter because he thought she was weak, someone had yet to teach the Hyuga patriarch that strenght came in many forms. Iruka gave the girl an encouraging smile.

"Y..y.your right Iruka-sama, I should go..." Hinata bowed and left the room quietly leaving Iruka alone with Naruto.

"Naruto if only you knew......" The teacher whispered as he resumed his watch on the boy, the ramen now forgotten on the night stand.

It was rather late when Iruka decided to finally go home he had a class to teach tomorrow, he had about a five minutes walk to get to his small apartment. He stopped now only remembering about himself making notes to go by the wishing well. Iruka took the small detour that would lead him to the forest where the wishing well was. It wasn't much of a well since the rocks were eroded by time and Iruka guessed that it was probably dry as well, but it was the little things that cheered people up. Iruka took a coin from his pocket and made his wish.

"I wish for Naruto to be his old self again..." The wish was made and the coin was dropped into the well.

Iruka turned around and left in the general direction of his apartment had he stayed a little longer he would have seen that something was glowing at the bottom of the well. Someone should have told Iruka that night about the saying: "Be careful what you wish for, because you may get your wish."

This is all for chapter one, note that this is my first attempt at a Naruto fanfic so please review. If you have flames do so but please keep this civil..thank you.