A slightly revised version of chapter two and now hopefully things have been made a little clearer, I hope. My apologies for any confusion. jazzy
CHAPTER TWO
Tsunade was delighted by this turn of events. She believed they would be perfect for a mission she had been mulling over for the last several weeks. She would have asked Iruka on the mission regardless of his super powers in the organization of the missions' room or his skills that so well worked with Shizune in helping her to run the Hidden Leaf Village.
This mission was a delicate one. It would need Iruka's abilities as a teacher and loving father figure. It also needed Kakashi's strength, power, and special abilities. It would need the two men combined. The mission would not be an easy one, perhaps in the rating of A or S ranked. She knew Iruka did not take missions. He did not like to kill. That was okay. That was why Kakashi would be there.
Iruka slept poorly still mortified by Kakashi and his own misbehavior earlier in the day. He had little excuse for such immature behaviors. He was a teacher and a respected administrator he couldn't afford to give in to tantrums like that no matter how much it had felt good to flatten Kakashi into the ground, still, what kind of example was that to set for the young ones of the village? What kind of role model did that make him?
He sighed, turned and tossed. The night was grueling.
Kakashi was thickly entrenched in his mind. What was it about the man that made it so impossible for him to stop thinking about?
Naruto was a sweet kid. Iruka was tired of people mistreating Naruto and giving him the short end of the stick. Naruto was determined and strong and a genius in his own right and yet no one seemed to see that in him. Yes, Naruto could be slow sometimes maybe even some would call on the less bright side of the spectrum, okay lets not pretty it up, Naruto can be a total idiot sometimes, but he makes his own way in life and comes to brilliant but very different ways of getting the handle on a jutsu. He can put his own twist on a jutsu and that in itself made Naruto a genius level ninja.
Yet no one seemed to appreciate this or understand it. Even it seemed Kakashi turned a blind eye to Naruto's good points.
It was so unfair.
It was an injustice.
Iruka's heart burned with the pain of his realization. Naruto was just one child but Naruto was Iruka's child, a child of his heart. He had raised Naruto when nannies turned their backs on the demon container. Adults didn't look past the demon trapped inside of Naruto. Naruto was Naruto and he had been a lonely pained child.
Was it so terrible that Iruka wanted to make it up to Naruto, make all the pain in his life be healed with love and kindness and some well deserved spoiling?
Naruto worked harder than any other genin next to Lee. Naruto never gave up. He worked hard so hard to get here to this level and Kakashi dared to treat him as less than the rest of his team?
It was infuriating!Plus the man was a shameful excuse for a shinobi. He reads pervert books and in front of children and out in public. Even in the mission room he would read that nasty book and turn in his missions reports late. He's always late; he can never be on time. He was a lazy bum who mistreated Naruto and Kakashi had looked down his nose at Iruka and Kakashi was just plain rude and Iruka shouldn't feel remorse for slamming him the way he had.
The high level jounin had deserved every moment of punishment, for every slight and every moment of aggravation he'd given to Iruka and to Kakashi's team 7. Someone had to put him in his place.
Kakashi's voice kept playing in his ear.
"Iruka Umino, I think I'm in love with you."
"Iruka Umino, I think I'm in love with you."
Iruka growled and rolled out of bed. That sentence was just plain disturbing. Kakashi's lazy voice kept whispering in his head not letting him get any sleep.
"Iruka Umino, I think I'm in love with you."
"Iruka Umino, I think I'm in love with you."
Why wouldn't it leave him alone? Iruka slapped his face a couple of times and shook his head trying to dispel the nerve racking words from his brain and from his hearing sensory memory.
"That Pervert." He hissed. "How could he say such a thing? Why would he say such a thing?"
Iruka looked in the mirror at his ghostly aspect and shivered. What was it about him that attracted the psychos? Mizuki had loved him once to. Iruka had not been able to defend himself against Mizuki. He didn't want another Mizuki.
"I'm not going to let him trick me like Mizuki did." He hissed. His back twinged along with several old wounds, wounds he'd received over the years being involved with Mizuki.
Mizuki had always been sorry afterwards, remorseful, and so loving, always he said to Iruka "I love you." But that love never stopped him from hurting Iruka. It never stopped Mizuki from breaking his every promise to Iruka.
"Stop!"
"Stop thinking about this!"
"Stop it!"
"You don't need to remember Mizuki. He's in prison that's where he belongs. You don't need anybody. You have Naruto and your students. You don't need Kakashi or people like Mizuki in your life." He hissed, talking to his reflection trying to make his resolve strong.
He pulled off his night shirt and traced every scar on his skin, making himself remember every wound, every tear he'd shed, every whimper that had left his throat, begging Mizuki to stop.
"Kakashi and Mizuki are of the same cloth. You don't need that kind of pain in your life." He told himself. "You don't need that kind of pain ever."
"Not ever."
He went to bed but did not sleep. He was tormented with memories and more memories of pain and torment. He tried to think on something else. Naruto's smile. Naruto's rambunctious behaviors, Naruto's simple pure love for anything ramen, and his strong heart and love for a village that hated him. His child's loving heart that also loved Iruka simply and devotedly.
Iruka loved Naruto like a son.
He worried about the boy. He worried that maybe some day the 9-tailed kitsune sealed inside of him would break out of its prison and destroy the boy Naruto was. Iruka gazed out of his window long into the night watching as the slow rays of morning dawn light moved through the window and into his room. He got out of bed then took his time getting breakfast ready for himself and for Naruto. He figured he'd cross the hall way to visit Naruto and make the morning a pleasant one to banish the unpleasantness of last night.
Naruto was overjoyed to have Iruka visit him even if it was pretty early in the morning but than again Kakashi had asked his team to meet him early at the bridge but Naruto knew like the rest of the team did that Kakashi wouldn't be on time even if his pants caught fire. The man was a slacker, a habitual slacker.
"Nissan!" crowed Naruto happily as Iruka set out the breakfast on his rarely used table. "Breakfast, yay! Pancakes, waffles, sweet fruits in cream! Yes!" A moment later and Naruto wasn't as enthused. He became worried. "Uh, Nissan, what's going on? You made a lot of breakfast." He said his joy momentarily overshadowed by sudden unease.
Was there something wrong with his Iruka? Or had Naruto forgot something important? Or maybe something bad was going to happen to Naruto and this was his last meal on earth? Or….
Iruka smiled thinly at Naruto's paranoia. "Don't worry so much Naruto. I woke early and I thought I would make breakfast and share it with you. Its nothing bad or some celebration you forgot about. Though we could make it a very late, several months overdue celebratory breakfast for your graduation to genin if you like?" He chuckled warmly. "But truly, I just wanted to spend some time with you that's all."
Naruto smiled happily and thanked Iruka and the gods all simultaneously. "hmm! YUMMY!" he roared happily and chowed down like the ill mannered starving child that he was. Iruka laughed but quickly dug in to his own breakfast in a similar fashion.
Iruka escorted Naruto to the bridge and left him there after he was summoned to the Hokage Tower.
At first both jounin and chunin protested the assignment but in the end they knew their duty to Konoha and to the Hokage. They had no choice but to accept the assignment.
Tsunade smirked. "Try your best, both of you, to make this family work. You need to fool everyone and keep it up for as long as the assignment allows. This is a delicate assignment do you understand? You are now and for the assignment's duration husband and wife."
"I'm sorry Iruka you unfortunately lose out on the male part of this marriage. You have delicate bone structure and you're shorter than Kakashi. You also don't exactly give off "mess with me and you die" vibes."
Iruka blushed, underestimated yet again, but he accepted it. That's what he did in life acceptance. He was calm, serene even, coming to terms with how little people saw the real him. But that was okay. It wasn't bad thing being underestimated. It could be annoying but it wasn't so terrible he couldn't make a couple of cups of lemonade out of it.
"I understand Hokage sama." He said eyes downcast.
"Shizune will help you with your Kimono and female ensemble. As for you, Kakashi, find some non ninja clothes and put a patch over your eye. You are not a ninja but a Yakuza looking for work in a new gang. You're scruffy enough as you are. I don't think you will have any difficulty getting into the gang and infiltrating it to the top boss. Once you make contact and once you have the proof, termination will follow."
"Yes, Tsunade Hokage Sama, I understand."
Iruka bowed his head. "Yes, Hokage Sama, girl form Iruka coming up."
"Good, and good luck."
Shizune smiled at her work of art. Iruka was hardly recognizable. He had the demeanor and walk down pat in a mere couple of hours.
It was awkward seeing Kakashi again after having beat his ass just the other day. Guilt pained Iruka but he wasn't going to apologize. He still felt justified in his actions. Kakashi had deserved every moment of retribution. The man had made aspersions on his honor as a teacher and father. Plus the man had done it in public and in front of his students. If one has an issue with one's flaws one did not come out and make those accusations in front of a public audience one would instead retire to a private office and discuss the flaws and try to work out some form of understanding. But no. Kakashi had to call him out in public. Kakashi had belittled him for the last time. Kakashi had deserved what he got for his insensitivity. No one could convince Iruka otherwise.
Kakashi was scruffy, dressed in a workman's clothes, stubble on his chin, cheeky grin in place, pervert book in his hands. Eyes riveted to the coifed and kimonoed feminine jutsued Iruka. It was strange to see breasts on Iruka sensei. And because those breasts were on his Iruka sensei he couldn't help but have extremely perverted thoughts on the matter. He crossed his legs and squirmed. He liked Iruka as a man but as a woman he was fetching but not half as fetching as when he was a man. Kakashi liked Iruka as a man. He didn't mind Iruka as a woman. But he would have preferred him to stay the man Kakashi knew him to be and looked.
Both men were reluctant to broach the topic that weighed heavy on their minds. How were they going to pull this off and how were they going to be convincing as a couple when they had just fought not 24 hours before and Kakashi having been thoroughly thrashed and still suffering from the affects of such a thrashing?
"We can't afford to be enemies Iruka-san." Said Kakashi quietly. "The mission needs us to be devoted and loving to one another. Is there nothing about me that you can forgive? Is there not one little thing you can like about me?"
Iruka was hesitant in replying. He took a long few moments to think on how to answer such an earnest and unforeseen question.
"All I wanted was a little respect Kakashi-san. All I see every day is how everyone mistreats Naruto. I know that Sakura detests him. I know that Sasuke is apathetic and on a dark path. I want Naruto to be recognized for having some good qualities. No one will do that. I watch how you treat your mission reports and how you treat your little "soldiers" and honestly, Kakashi I don't know if there is much about you that I can stand but truthfully I do not know you and I do not know if I ever want to know you. But we have a dilemma here. We have a mission that the Hokage has entrusted to us. We have no choice in the matter so let's play the "let's get to know each other game" all right?"
"So you're giving me a chance than, right?" asked Kakashi trying to understand.
"Yeah, I suppose you could say that. All right, lets' see... I like my job as a teacher. I enjoy molding young minds. My favorite colors are…" he paused. "Several shades of blue and green. And you, Kakashi-san, do you like your job?"
Kakashi shrugged. "You could say I have several jobs. I am jounin, teacher, pervert…"
Iruka's temper was climbing. "Take this seriously or don't participate at all, and by all means lets jeopardize the mission and get us killed and lets tell the Hokage that Kakashi-san killed us because he couldn't be serious!" by the end of his words he was yelling at the top of his lungs. The vein in his forehead throbbed painfully as his blood pressure climbed.
"Now calm down Iruka-san," said Kakashi gently, catching Iruka as he swayed on his feet. The chunin really didn't look too well at the moment. "That's not a good color for you. Though that Kimono of yours is very splendid, can I say that chocolate silk look does wonders for your eyes? Here let's get you seated on this nice log." Insisted Kakashi, patting his shoulder and holding Iruka's hand. "The breeze is nice, isn't it? The grass smells sweet today, neh?"
Iruka reluctantly let Kakashi help him to the log and to sit down allowing the fields and tress and the breeze to help calm him.
A few moments later Iruka apologized. "I'm sorry, I have a terrible temper Kakashi-san, and I failed to get any sleep last night. My sincerest apologies on yelling at you."
"It's no bother Iruka-san. Let me assure I do take your safety and the safety of my little team very seriously. I have a terrible sense of timing in my humor. I tease I do not mean to offend you by it. I'm sorry if it seems I've disrespected you or stepped on your toes." Apologized Kakashi in return. "I am hard on Naruto but it's not for lack of liking him. Naruto is an amazing achievement Iruka-san and no one should be prouder of his development than you should be. He's remarkable, he's loving, he's loud, and he burns with so much determination and strength. I know that most of that is because of you, Iruka-san. He gets that passion from you. I have nothing but the sincerest and deepest respects for you Iruka. Though I do not always agree with your method and do believe you baby Naruto a little, still you haven't done a bad job and he only gets stronger every day Iruka. I don't know whether to be glad of that or to be afraid of it." Kakashi explained.
"Naruto is Naruto." Insisted Iruka stubbornly. "No kitsune demon is involved in who he is. He's a good boy. You should not fear him. All he wants is your attentions and your respect and for you to teach him."
"I'm not who he needs Iruka. He needs someone more powerful than me and who knows about seals and mystic stuff, like the great toad sennin, Jiraiya-sama." How had they gotten to this point, unburdening his soul and his insecurities to Iruka? At least they were talking; at least they were able to look each other in the eyes again. The hard feelings between them seemed to be gone for the moment. This was good. It felt good to be with Iruka.
"It doesn't matter if you're who he needs or not Kakashi. Naruto has found someone other than me to admire and that person is you. I think I'm a little jealous about that. For a long time Naruto only looked up to me and wanted to be like me. I want him to surpass me. I want him to survive and to see his dreams fulfilled."
"As do I." assured Kakashi.
"And I can now see that as well." Smiled Iruka.
They had made peace of sorts for the time being. Kakashi and Iruka practiced and hashed out their stories to perfection in preparation for the mission and for what they were going to say to their genin team. The kids would be psyched about the mission but they may not like how the assignment was to be portrayed and all their roles in it.
Surprisingly things had gone fairly okay. At least Kakashi and Iruka were at a truce. The kids were as predicted happy about the high ranking assignment but they weren't very sure about the whole family thing. But they had time to get use to it on the journey to their destination. Two months traveling to be exact enough time to perfect the family feel to their little group.
On their journey through water country, a few weeks into their journey, Iruka seemed to fall under a strange melancholy. Kakashi watched him with a concerned eye. The chunin had been showing signs of unusual stress as well.
He knew Iruka was not usually assigned to missions. Travel had never agreed with Iruka well or so rumor had it, but then again, Mizuki had often been the one to tell the tail. Of course when Mizuki and Iruka had been together there had also been a lot of sick days and unexplained bruises that Iruka had often laughed off and made light of. Of course having been on the other end of Iruka's temper he still wondered how Iruka had let it get so far out of control.
Iruka's mental state wasn't healthy. Of course though what ninja's mentality was healthy? Iruka was stable at home but Kakashi wondered would it last. He couldn't ignore that Iruka had nightmares. He couldn't ignore how Iruka would look at the kids some times. It reminded him of some weird post-partum-depression thing that some mothers went through after having kids. Yet Iruka shouldn't be suffering such symptoms.
Iruka loved Naruto as a father no one could ignore that fact. Iruka had suffered for that child and done everything in his considerable power to keep Naruto by his side and safe from the misfortunes from previous earlier years. Naruto relied on Iruka, trusted Iruka. And something was now affecting Iruka and endangering that relationship or quite possibly someone was about to use that relationship to everyone's misfortune.
Kakashi kept trying to dispel the jutsu he knew was affecting Iruka but he couldn't sense what it was or where it was coming from. The jutsu was tenacious and would not be dispelled no matter how many times Kakashi tried.
He would stand over Iruka in the night and watch the little Chunin struggle in his sleep and Kakashi would feel the intense feeling of helplessness. Something was wrong with Iruka. Kakashi's senses told him so. Pakkun told him so as well. Todachi was a giant dog and was traveling with their group as well as a sort of nurse-maid slash guard dog slash family pet.
Todachi was perhaps the only one of his nin-dogs that was mild enough in temperament to allow the kids, especially Naruto to hang on him and ride him like a small pony. Todachi seemed to love the pups and even seemed to very much approve of and worry about Iruka like his master did.
Kakashi's brooding was derailed as Iruka gasped at the sight that unfolded before his eyes. Kakashi watched him with fascination. It was so rare to find a shinobi who felt so much and showed it.
The water country was so beautiful. Iruka felt his heart ache a little. He loved the village hidden in the leaves but he was originally from the water country. His name itself was derivative and meant "Dolphin of the sea". He felt his eyes burn with sudden intense emotion.
The ocean spread out for miles and miles. The city spread likewise along the banks, wharves and piers with boats of all kinds, sails and steam. The ocean glittered so beautifully.
"Okasan?" asked Naruto in distress, noticing Iruka's tears. He hadn't seen Iruka cry in over two years not since they left Mizuki, not since Mizuki tried to kill them last year.
"I'm all right, Na-Kagetera. Mizuki used to promise he'd take me back here some day. This is my home, originally, before my family moved to Konoha." Explained Iruka. "Every year I would make plans to come here and then I never could bring myself to go and then Mizuki, my first husband, would make me promises, this anniversary or that anniversary, he'd say and then he'd end of working and we'd put it off till the next one. I finally simply stopped thinking I'd ever visit here."
Iruka paused to let the tears flow and wash his pain away. "I didn't think I missed it as much as I obviously do. Isn't it beautiful Naru - I mean Kagetera?" he asked suddenly excited and happy. He then pointed out the piers below to Naruto. "Look at all those boats and fisherman and fisherwomen. Smell that salt air. Smell the fish in the harbor, the corral and sea plants." He laughed, suddenly and looked years younger. "Look at those crazy seagulls." He gasped, pointing out a flock of gulls flying and playing in the air and a few fighting on the ground over scraps below them.
The tears of joy leaked and then stopped as he was suffused with memories and joy. He loved the water country it would always be first in his heart.
Naruto grinned happily at his foster father. Kakashi looked pained for a moment for Iruka's sake before he was caught in the sudden joy in the chunin's face, a joy that transformed Iruka suddenly into a much younger man.
"We have enough time, Iruka. If you would like, we can spend the week here."
"But our assignment?" protested Iruka looking torn between duty and something in his soul needing to be here, to commune with this place.
Kakashi grinned. "We're supposed to be a loving couple. We can still write it off as business expense and spend our "Anniversary" here, what's one week in a long term assignment?" asked Kakashi conniving and convincing.
Iruka looked troubled even a little dubious. But Kakashi was good at manipulation like Mizuki and Iruka really wanted to be swayed. He'd wanted to come here for so long.
"Three days." He temporized. He couldn't conscience a full week, but surely three days could be forgiven?
The kids' reactions ranged from uncertain to disapproving to overjoyed. Kakashi's visible eye closed in a warm crescent of joy and approval. Iruka blushed.
The three days passed pretty quickly. They ate at several boardwalk cafes, took strolls down by the beach at day break and sun down. They eventually took a full day's tour on a sail boat where Iruka dressed as Kakashi's wife in a kimono and with her hair loose and hanging down far down her back.
Iruka stood over the bow and greeted his brethren of the ocean. Iruka laughed carefree and beautiful transformed into his actual youth, though the female version of his youth. Dolphins danced on the waves and seemed to wave their flippers at him or they would jump out of the water and do flips.
Sakura for once was actually being awed by someone other than Sasuke. Iruka was a different person here. He looked amazingly handsome. His features had always been kind but plain but now they seemed to glow with some strange inner beauty that was captivating. Sakura noticed that Kakashi was definitely captivated, very captivated, there were a few times the man looked as if he were caught in some kind of spell, his usual pervert porno book almost falling from his lax fingers as he gazed stupidly and dreamily at Iruka sensei and Iruka sensei seemed utterly oblivious to Kakashi's will being held hostage by Iruka's beauty.
Naruto and Iruka seemed more alike now that she observed them more closely. Naruto really could have been Iruka's son. They were both so emotional and oblivious to their hold on the people around them. Sasuke watched out for Naruto and was always orbiting around Naruto. Sakura hated that. She hated being second in Sasuke's affections. She loved Sasuke but she wasn't totally blind to how he looked at Naruto, how he seemed to come to care for Naruto above Sakura and all the rest but not above his mission of vengeance. No one seemed able to steer him from that path.
Iruka was captivating and captivated. He laughed at the dolphins antics. He seemed to be conversing with them. Eventually amazingly a killer whale showed up and gifted Iruka a giant fish. Iruka laughed even more delightedly and somewhat embarrassed by the attentions such things were giving to him. Kakashi scowled at the whale and the dolphins.
"If I didn't know better I would say they were trying to steal my wife away from me." He grumbled, teased, half serious.
Iruka blushed painfully. "Oh Kashi-sama." He pretend cooed. "Don't be so silly. I'm a devoted wife and mother." He insisted playing his part to the hilt as Kakashi was doing.
The kids were still a little uncomfortable with the whole set up and were still trying to get used to calling and thinking of their two senseis as "Okasan" Mom and "Otosan" Dad. But the mission required it of them and Kakashi and Iruka had both explained to succeed they must not only pretend to be family but be family. They could not afford to be discovered, if they were so discovered terrible consequences could come of it, such as the death of their whole team.
"Mommy!" cried Naruto, happily. Iruka grabbed Naruto up into a hug and grinned happily and continued to show Naruto more things out at sea.
Kakashi's arm was wrapped around Iruka's shoulders as a husband's arm should be when he was in love with his wife and sight seeing with her. Sasuke seemed torn by the sight. He was having more difficulty with this set up than either Sakura or Naruto were. Even Kakashi, the opportunistic pervert was taking full advantage of the mission to hug and cuddle and tease Iruka mercilessly.
Sasuke was once more reminded of the shame he felt for having Kakashi for a teacher. The man may be the most powerful and ingenious ninja in all of the world but as a man, as a person, he was lacking some serious character. Iruka could do tons better than Kakashi. Sasuke just hoped Iruka didn't fall for Kakashi. Kakashi was a lazy no account pervert despite his prestige as the "great copy ninja" and Iruka sensei deserved and could do much much better than Kakashi Hatake.
Sasuke continued to glare at his "old" man. Kakashi turned to grin cheekily at Sasuke and to reach out his hand and ruffle his son's perfect dark hair.
Bastard!
Sasuke's glare intensified to "die pervert die" status.
Kakashi continued to grin. He loved doing that to Sasuke, messing up mr.perfect's perfect head of ink black hair. He chuckled evilly. Naruto laughed out loud and pointed at Sasuke until his laughs turned into giggles then into snorts and wheezes. Iruka scowled at Naruto and at Kakashi.
"Behave." Iruka ordered, in stern wife, stern teacher mode.
Kakashi immediately snuggled back against Iruka, copping more than a couple of feels of the preoccupied chunin's ass which by the third touch made Iruka blush then hiss.
"I said behave."
"Yes dear." Said Kakashi instantly contrite, but not very convincingly. He loved touching Iruka.
Naruto managed to glare deadly at Kakashi. "Dad, leave Mom alone. We don't want another sibling. Three kids are more than enough already, especially since you barely support us as it is!"
"Naruto!" growled Iruka, mortified. Sakura couldn't help a gasp either. She was so embarrassed by her "little" brother. If Iruka hadn't been holding Naruto at the time Sakura would have given Naruto some serious punishment with her fists. Sasuke only smirked and agreed with Naruto. Kakashi was being far too familiar and in public with okasan.
"Well he doesn't. He's a bum." Naruto pouted, eyes glistening near tears. My poor mommy! How she suffers!
"Your father is paying for this vacation and you will show him respect, right this instant." Chastised Iruka.
"Yeah brat." Said Kakashi in a voice scary as if from the grave, it was a deadly husky sound that made Iruka and the two other children back up a step. Naruto though bull headed came nose to nose with Kakashi.
"You threatening me?" roared Naruto.
"You being a pain in my ass?" asked Kakashi, his voice still an intense rasp.
Iruka nervously fidgeted not sure how to keep their cover and how avert the disaster that was coming their way and then inspiration struck and he began to weep piteously.
"Oh the shame of it." He wailed. "Oh how ashamed I am! I've raised my children to disrespect their father. I am a worthless and horrible wife."
This made Kakashi switch gears from threatening to suddenly sympathetic tolerant husband. Groping husband at that. The man's hands were everywhere in seconds. Iruka hid the fury in his eyes behind his hands as if trying to hide his shame as a failure of a wife. In truth he was plotting revenge.
"Now, now, dear" Soothed Kakashi, patting Iruka's back. "It's not your fault. I wasn't there for you and the kids. It's my fault. They didn't have a strong manly presence as they were growing up. But I've vowed to you to change my old ways, and we will in our new home have a better life, I promise you, love. I'll make it up to. The kids will learn to respect their father, I promise you, my darling, in our new life together everything will be perfect." He said sincerely, it could almost have been the truth.
Iruka was almost fooled like the rest of the crowd, if Iruka hadn't known who and what he was and that the two of them were on a mission he'd almost fall for such a schpeel himself if he had been in this situation in real life.
Onlookers, especially the women, were suddenly envious of Iruka. She was so lucky to have such a loving and understanding husband.
"You are too good to me Kashi-sama." He whimpered low and like a good little wife but as he neared Kakashi's ear his face still holding the perfect love sick look, he growled.
"Touch my privates one more time and I am going to stick a kunai so far up your ass it'll take Tsunade-Sama and a whole field of med nins a week to find it, got it."
Kakashi grinned even more maniac and more in love. "Anything you say my love. Your words are like nectar from the sweetest of peaches." He gave Iruka one last squeeze and then gracefully slouching his way across the deck to his usual seat he took out his pervert book and began to read.
Iruka sighed.
All three children glared at their otosan. He was such a pervert!
"Okasan, you did the best you could. You should never be ashamed of that." Insisted Sasuke sweetly. "Look what you had to deal with. The man knows no shame."
Iruka blinked a few times amazed. Sasuke hadn't been sweet in a long long time. Then the words sank in and he blushed.
"Now son, that's not a nice thing to say about your otosan." In a low, very low voice, conspiracy voice. "Even if it is true." Eyes looked at Kakashi with unhidden malice for a moment before smoothing out into kinder sappier emotions. "You are the eldest Tsubaru; you must set an example for your young sister Kagome and younger brother Kagetera."
"I will do my best Okasan."
"Good. I believe the boat is about to dock, let's get this fish packed and our bags together and get back to the hotel, alright." Iruka smiled sweetly at all three children Naruto still held protectively in his arms. Naruto snuggled contentedly in his okasan's arms his eyes actually beginning to droop from exhaustion from the excitement of the afternoon and the wonderful time he'd been having on their mini vacation.
"Can we get ice cream okasan?" asked Naruto nearer to sleep.
"Yes, Kagetera, we will get ice cream later tonight for our last walk on the beach."
Naruto smiled and fell instantly asleep. He enjoyed playing the youngest he was spoilt rotten. Iruka loved him best and they all knew it, too. Huh! Finally Naruto was number one and the rest of them were seconds. He was so happy.
TBC
Chapter three in the works! Should hopefully be posted later in the week.