Author's Note: This author's note is to ease any worries you readers may have while reading this story. First off, in the first few chapters Naruto is ten years old. Iruka is nine years older than Naruto. There are a couple time skips and only when Naruto is a teenager does any sexual attractions arise between Iruka and Naruto. Iruka is not a pedobear.
Pairings: IruNaru, (brief) SasuNaru, ItaSasu
Warning: Sexual Content, Language, Violence
Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto series or any of its characters.
"Now the time is here,
Baby you don't have to live your life in fear
And the sky is clear, is clear of fear"
-Marina and the Diamonds, Fear and Loathing
Rain falls heavily as a child shivers against an aging tree deep in a forest. Rain soaks his clothes, mud clings to his shoes and pants. He sits with his shoulders hunched and head bent. Tears mix with the rain as he drifts in and out of his thoughts. Though injured, a much greater pain overrides the ache of his broken wrist that he cradles against his chest.
He opens his eyes, his usually bright cerulean eyes now dimmed with the hue of an angry sea. He does not understand it. It does not make sense. He is just a child. Not much different than any other ten year old boy. Yet it is evident no one else in the village sees him that way. They treat him like a traitor, call him a monster. But what has he done? In what way is he different from the other boys?
His sight fogs up, like a mirror in a steamy room, and he can barely make out a figure slowly approaching where he sits with his knees pressed up to his chest shielding the broken wrist, along with his broken heart.
He shudders morosely at the thought of someone coming to enforce more damage onto him. He squints, his eyes still unable to focus.
The figure pauses, staring down at the quivering boy that shakes with both cold and fear. Leaning downwards and lifting him up, the mysterious person sighs. The child's wet, quivering frame barely moves as it is pulled upwards against a strong chest. Exhaustion overcomes him and he falls into a fitful sleep.
Light washes over the body of a confused blonde. He has awoken to a sharp pain in his wrist, but that is not what has him as confused as he currently is. He is used to waking up alone upon a pile of blankets and clothes within his apartment in pain and covered in bruises, that is, until it was burnt to ashes. The small, dingy apartment he called home was funded by the council. He was grateful for it and thanked whatever force is was that convinced the bitter elders to give him shelter.
What confuses him is that said broken wrist is bandaged in a sling, he also woke up upon a soft futon and is wearing an over-sized white cotton t-shirt that stops at his knees.
His surroundings, now that really confuses him. The room he has awoken to is medium sized. There is a closet, a dresser, a desk that holds a pile of papers. Soft footfalls are heard and the boy turns his head to see a tall, tan brunette man.
The perplexed youth's eyes grow wide as gentle brown eyes look down at him with concern. The blonde's expression becomes fretful as the man steps forward.
"Oh, you're awake! Wonderful!" The man says with a warm smile and glimmering brown eyes. He supports in both hands a tray with a steaming bowl of ramen and a cup of tea. The noodle's scent fills the boy's sensitive nostrils and his stomach growls. Hearing this, the man chuckles softly.
"Eat up." The gentle stranger says as he sets the tray upon the awed youth's lap. With a brief pat to Naruto's head, the man rises and takes a seat at the desk.
Naruto slowly nods as he lifts the chop sticks and devours the delicious noodles that make him swoon. As for the kind stranger, he simply smiles at the sight.
Iruka stares contently at the boy in front of him. With messy, vibrant blonde hair- tan skin, a heart-shaped baby face, and shimmering blue eyes it looks as if the boy in front of him was the summer sky in human form. The thought makes him smile, but that smile soon vanishes when he thinks of the night before.
Iruka had heard all the many stories of Kyuubi. Along with the Demon's vessel. He had heard that the child was just as nasty as the demon that inhabited him. Rotten with hatred and cruel to all things living. When he had heard of the villagers' plot he had to see it himself.
When he arrived to the apartment building, hot fingers of heat devoured the complex as a small flash of orange dashed out a window. It was early morning and most people would usually still be asleep. The orange blur was stampeded by a mob of angry villagers and horrid cries could be heard, mixed with the high pitch shrieks of the flames that grew higher and higher, as if trying to devour the sky itself.
The cries turned into yelps as a small boy was thrown against the wall of the neighboring complex. A man pinned him, holding him up by one arm twisting his wrist all the way, tears swelled in the child's eyes as he wailed in pain. Kicks to the stomach and ribs caused him to fall over once released.
Now Iruka was certainly confused. This was merely a child. This was wrong! If the child was so nasty and powerful, then why wasn't he fighting back? Why didn't he lash out? This had to be some kind of mistake!
The child's moans could be heard as he held his side with one arm and the other dangled beside him. A few villagers laughed and pointed at the sight.
That's when he realized that this child, this innocent youth, was nothing like how the villagers described him. The villagers were merely blaming him. They needed to blame someone for all the lives that were lost and ruined—but a child? Iruka balled his fists, his knuckles turned white. He then growled as the memories continued to stain his mind. If anything those people should be worshipping the child. Not trying to kill him. No, this was sick and wrong. A lump formed in Iruka's throat.
Distracted by his thoughts he did not notice what happened next. He heard the curses of villagers as Naruto lurched away from his captors and fled. The cruel villagers cursed and ranted.
"What is wrong with you people?"
Gasps are heard as attention is focused on Iruka. His face is flushed, his eyes narrowed with anger.
"You should all be ashamed! He's only a child!"
"Iruka, are you blind? That 'child' is an abomination. We must get rid of it!" a man fires back.
"You people disgust me."
With that he dashed past trees and branches as he goes in pursuit of the injured youth. As he followed the still damp tracks of blood that were splashed about the forest floor he came upon the child. Hovered against a large tree, barely conscious. As he looked up at Iruka with lidded eyes, there was no protest as Iruka lifted him up to his chest, wishing that he could simply shield him from the world.
And he could try, he could try