I'm a bit apprehensive of posting a story that consists more than one chapter. Knowing my inability to post new chapters at regular intervals, I have been postponing posting this story… well, until I'm more than just fairly certain I can finish it. Now that I did post it, I just hope I can deliver the next chapter quicker than when I posted 'The Beginning' a few years back. I also hope it will as enjoyable as my previous stories. Thanks!
P/s: Before I forget, this is Kakairu all the way. (I need to grow out of this pairing!!!)
For The Love Of…
By Guardian of Jupiter
Chapter 1: The Mission
It was unheard of for Iruka to be sick. For all those years he had become an academy sensei, fighting the insufferable little shinobi children, who could throw unspeakable things, put up unimaginable traps all over the school ground, brought along various kind of pets to class (which meant Iruka had to baby sit the children and the pets) and yet despite all that, could still behold irresistible puppy/doe eyes, Iruka had never once succumbed to the weakness that all other academy sensei's had pleaded to suffer from once in awhile.
This feeling of self-discipline and self-righteousness was almost ironic and funny when he thought of how uncontrollable he was when he was young. Some people thought he was too strict when it came to rules but Iruka thought 'if only they remembered the incident with the water jutsu and dozens of illusion fuudas that he had stuck all over the village'. It was amusing as hell to watch but it was hell when his jounin sensei found out about it and he had to clean to whole mess. Alone.
Anyway, despite the well-known invincibility that his students seemed to believe he possessed, he just had to fall sick. Only Iruka didn't know whether it was blessing that he didn't fall sick when he was in Konoha, teaching his boisterous students (who would never let this particular sick issue go since he had never fallen sick before) or it was curse that he had to fall sick when he was on a mission.
And it was the first mission he had this year! Iruka whined silently as he jumped from branch to branch. Never mind the fact that perhaps the cold (freezing!) temperature as he reached Snow Country closer that caused him to get this ferocious mother-of-all flu; he was finally getting a mission so that he could sharpen his rusted skills. And his training would not be the little children, dangerously uncontrollable ones – if he might add – but real people with problems!
Iruka halted for a while to take out his handkerchief to wipe the running nose. It was turning pink amidst the tanned skin and Iruka feared if he didn't go a healer soon; his nose would fall off after so many rubbings. And what an undignified way to die too! Iruka thought with a mirthless twist of smile. He could clearly see his body was brought back by ANBU.
We're sorry, Tsunade-sama. Apparently, Iruka-sensei died because he accidentally rubbed his nose off. We meant, literally – off...
Iruka snickered silently.
Not only his flu was infecting his nose, it was playing crazy game with his imagination.
Oh! Kakashi-sensei would certainly love to see his dead body and laugh his nasty heart out when he saw Iruka was without the nose. Iruka frowned. Just the thought of that... that... ill-mannered, presumptuous, sad excuse for a jounin with an unbelievable nerve was enough for Iruka to summon up fury to warm his cold (freezing!) body.
With both dark brows furrowed, which could be mistaken for utter concentration, Iruka resumed his journey. He could still remember Kakashi-sensei's last words before he took off for this mission.
"A mission, Iruka-sensei?" Kakashi drawled. Oh... Iruka began to simmer silently. It was the way he spoke his name together with his title with that... that tone that made Iruka switched from his pleasant and polite mode to angry-tantrum-teenage mode that he thought he had long grown out in a split second.
"Yes, Kakashi-sensei," Iruka gritted a smile and he continued writing the lesson plan to his substitute. Even if he tried to return the disdain that he often heard Kakashi-sensei's voice, Iruka knew he didn't have enough meanness (as Anko would always point out) to really do it.
"And it's an A-rank mission." The incredulity was palpable.
Iruka risked a glance up to the jounin. Kakashi-sensei stood in front of him with both hands in his pockets, looking lazy and uncared. Typical.
"I have done my shares of A-rank missions." Iruka glared. Though not many… Iruka added silently but there was no reason why Kakashi should know that, shouldn't he? "You don't have to sound so inanely surprise."
And the man had the gall to widen that stupid eye and clucked his teeth! "I'm sorry, Iruka-sensei." Hah! Iruka thought rebelliously at his superior. He had been the end recipient of that kind of sorry from this man for so many times before. HAH! And the glare intensified another notch up.
"It's just that..." Kakashi's eye curved up.
Oh, he just had to elaborate that 'sorry', didn't he? Iruka thought sourly.
"It's just you don't seem like an A-rank mission kind of chuunin, you know."
One eyebrow twitched dangerously together with a pair of jaws snapped closed with visible strain and if it was one of his students that was in front of him, he or she would already be scurrying to nearest bomb-shelter and stay there until the apocalypse ended.
But the said jounin just smiled that stupid, STUPID eye and stood nonchalantly (still) in front of him.
"I abhor condescending, jounin-sama." Iruka said silkily and he knew his face began to spread the flush, starting from his scar and moved toward his cheeks.
"It wasn't an insult, honest!"
"It wasn't?!" Iruka was standing up now, responding so easily toward Kakashi's provocation. "Well, flash news to you, Kakashi-sensei, everything you have ever said to me, from the first time we have met, has always been an insult and I wish you would just stop dancing around with words and tell me straight that you hate me!"
"Now, now, Iruka-sensei." Kakashi put up both of his hands up in placating motions. "Hate is such a strong word to use. There are other more appropriate words to express yourself."
"Are you challenging my vocabulary now?" Iruka mouth dropped open. The nerve! "You abhor me. Detest! Disdain! Dislike! All those words that start with D and..."
"Actually, disdain is not entirely meant hate." Kakashi interrupted. "More like rudeness. Like you are to me now, considering I'm your superior."
Iruka was left speechless. So, he was the rude one? "I'd like to know why I'm the one who's being disdain when you're the one who insults my abilities." He asked tightly and the half-way written lesson plan died painfully in his fist.
"I was merely curious about your infrequent missions, that's all," Kakashi was either oblivious at Iruka's tone or he was just being sadistic. Like usual.
"My lack of mission doesn't impair my shinobi skills, Kakashi-sensei." Iruka had turned stiff but his face still red from strained anger.
"First mission in six months? In somewhere far like Snow Country? A-rank mission?" Kakashi persisted. "It's got to rattle you a bit."
By now, Iruka was thoroughly insulted. Rattle? How long did Kakashi-sensei think he had become a shinobi? Did Kakashi-sensei think he was that inexperience and incompetent that a mere mission rattled him? How low was he in front of Kakashi-sensei's eyes?
He didn't think he could still stand in front of Kakashi-sensei and not act stupid like he did during the Chuunin test nomination. Or like punching through Kakashi-sensei's face or stuffing the crumpled paper he had fisted in his hand into his superior's mouth regardless the fact he couldn't see the mouth or...
No.
He wouldn't.
If he did, it meant Kakashi-sensei had won.
If he did, it meant Kakashi-sensei was right about him being rattled, incompetent and unworthy of the symbol he wore proudly every day.
He would not cry in front of this bastard.
He reached out for several pieces of new papers and shoved them in his bag. Without looking at Kakashi-sensei (he knew he would lose it), he said quietly, "The only thing that rattles me is that after all those countless taunts you threw at me, I still don't know why you hate me so."
With that, he walked stiffly out the deserted office (thank gods for lack of audience!), saving whatever shreds of dignity he had.
Which was not much...
Perhaps he was hallucinating or even wishful but he thought he had heard a whisper of, "...damn it..." just before he left. When he thought about it, he knew it was impossible.
From far, he could see the snow-covered roofs of civilians' houses and the castle loomed visibly from here. Sneezing once, twice, thrice... oh great, would you just stop! Iruka knew he was whining to himself again as he wiped his nose.
Nice impression he would make if he arrived in front of this country's lord with his nose running, tips of his ears, cheeks and nose flushed and him sneezing every five minutes while trying to look reassured and capable at the same time.
Swallowing back the unbecoming sighs, Iruka straightened his aching back and wiped his flushing face. Everybody entitled to get sick once in a while. He told himself as he jumped towards the city. Even the invincible Iruka-sensei, who had never taken sick leave in his entire career life.
Right.
He only hoped he would not be an embarrassment to Konoha. Not on his first mission in six months. Not when the last words he could remember amongst the upcoming headaches and shivering colds were Kakashi-sensei asking him if he was rattled.
First. First. Iruka knew he had to find a healer. But not with this shinobi uniform. The guards would be freaked because even if with invitation, Iruka knew he had to greet the country's lord first before anything else. Part of it was courtesy (as Iruka always like to believe) and another part of it... let's just say, many of the hidden villages had loyalty of a grass; it swayed to the highest bidder and the greeting was a symbol to show where was, currently, the particular hidden village loyalty laid.
Iruka knew, now and then, that he liked his belief better than the commonly used reason.
Changing into civilian clothes may be the stupidest idea but his nose was driving him crazy! And his head was beginning to join the party that his nose started. What could be more worse, finding yourself fainted in the middle of the greeting session (and kissed the attempt to look reassured and competent goodbye) or finding yourself locked up in your customer's dungeon within ten minutes stepping inside the country (and being tormented by the visions of Kakashi-sensei rolling on the ground with breathless laughter).
Well...
Runny nose was annoying and distracting. So did the beginning of the head-pounding.
Visions of Kakashi-sensei's smug I-told-you-so smirks?
Hell. No.
Fine, he would go and greet the lord first. The mighty lord of this country would have to bear the disgusting snot of a commoner.
And so, Iruka jumped down from the branch and stood visibly in front of the massive main gate. He had his scarf covered half his face, hiding the puffy nose and cracked lips – there was no need to broadcast how sick he was in front of everybody, was there? His feet were soundless and at first the guards were unaware, so, Iruka purposely stepped on a dried stick to produce a loud crack!
"Who's there?!" One of the gatekeepers shouted while the remaining guards on the watching towers drew their bows steady and readied. "Identify yourself!"
Iruka appeared slowly from behind the tree cautiously. Obviously the people of this country were already suspicious and prepared. Thank Gods for the insight of Kakashi rolling on the ground because seeing the healer first was a very bad idea. "I'm Umino Iruka from Hidden Village Konoha. I was hired by your lord. It seems you lord needs an assistance of some sort."
The spoken gatekeeper stood a full foot higher than Iruka, trying to look intimidating. However, if you dealt with monstro... he meant boisterous students of his in the mornings and then, thoughtle... he meant thoughtful jounin (except for one) in the evenings, a six foot gatekeeper was a mere domestic dog– the one that tried to be fierce but too domestic to be able to do so. "My lord hasn't said anything about hiring shinobi or the fact one who is on the way."
His headache was beginning to show its audacious attitude as the pounding started. Iruka didn't want to spend time talking to this big log, explaining things that were not his responsibility. "If you could just take me to you lord..."
"And let you do your freakish magic's and scrolls and sticking papers within 3 feet from my lord? I don't think so."
Iruka rolled his eyes at another attempt of threatening and nearly cursed out loud at the sharp pain in his head from the rolling. He shoved his hand inside his jacket's pocket and took out a hired letter. "See?" He showed. "It is the hired letter to me from your lord. It bears his signature."
The suspicious eyes looked at the paper and then, looked back at Iruka. Then the gatekeeper huffed, "Can't blame me for not believing you speak the truth. You don't look that intimidating..."
Oh, look who's talking! Iruka wanted very much to say that but bit his lips. "Will you take me to you lord now?"
As they shuffled into the country, Iruka heard, "Unintimidating and polite!" from the guards. Then the laughter.
Yeah, laugh up, gangsters wanna be! Iruka thought. When the time comes and I pull out my magic and scrolls and those freakish stickers, you'll see who'll be the one is unintimidating!
"And that is not even a word..." Iruka muttered as he followed the gatekeepers.
"Is Hokage of Konoha trying to say something to me?" The thunderous voice echoed the receiving hall. Iruka, in habit of facing impertinent superiors, kept his chin up and met the fury of the lord of this god-forsaken country unwaveringly.
"I paid accordingly and she sent a sick, unreliable looking chuunin to my aid?!"
Ok, now that was low. Iruka thought. And absolutely tiresome. Was he that... average? Damn it! If he had known that coughing and sneezing for mere ten seconds could send this old man into fits, he wouldn't have bothered to be polite and cover his face. He should march straight up to him and cough right in front of his face.
Yeah, and then, answer to Tsunade-sama why she was receiving declaration of war.
Maybe dealing with the ungrateful citizens made this mission an A-rank one. Iruka was glad the scarf hid his pursing mouth. "No, my lord." Iruka resisted the urge to cough again. "I was perfectly healthy the day I left Konoha. I suppose the cold weather does not agree with me."
"Yes, I can see that," the old man actually sneered. "It shows the level of endurance you have even as a shinobi."
Ouch! That actually hurts. Iruka grimaced. I will not kill this old fart... I will not kill this old fart... Damn it, I will not kill the only customer assigned to me in six months!
"Do you even have the skills to complete the assignment, I wonder."
Enough with the insults already. Exasperation began to fill the academy sensei. First, Kakashi-sensei, then the gangster-but-actually-a-domestic-dog and now, some old fart who thinks he is rich enough to pay for my skills and the luxury of insulting.
Iruka forced his stiff back to bow. "If you could just let me see one of your healers, I will start my duties soon."
"Now we have to play nurse for you?"
Teeth were gritted. "If it made you feel any better, my lord, I'll pay and nurse myself and I assure you that tomorrow, you'll have me at your service." Oh gods let there be slightest mercy in these people and find me something flat so I can lay my pounding head...
The old man sniffed loudly before waving his hand to shoo Iruka off.
Iruka bowed again and then, pulled his wool-woven scarf around his face more securely. He knew the flush from his face was little from the flu and a lot from anger.
When everything was settled, Iruka found himself sighed in utter gratefulness for the soft futon in the room of one of the motels in this country. He was drowsy with medicinal herbs that he consumed for the flu and tiredness of traveling with chakra while sick. If he sleep now, he would certainly be alright tomorrow (because he rarely got sick; what were the chances of him getting really, really sick here, now?)
Yes, Iruka let the last fleeting; drug-induced thought filled his mind. Everything is going to be fine... The worst has already done and gone...
One thing that Iruka was going to learn in this mission is that he should never tempt the fate.