Chapter 1

All was quiet within the hospital walls, a newborn baby slept peacefully and undisturbed, skin somewhat tanned and hair dark, the name written before his bed was Iruka, Umino Iruka. Harry pondered this as he stared down at the babe. "I apologise," he spoke softly, "but I require a body to do as I wish in this world, but I believe you will forgive me this once..." as he spoke his body turned to vapour, encircling the young human and absorbing into it's skin, a brief cry left it's body as a small soul left it and it's skin lost it's pigment, almost giving the appearance of death, yet blood still flowed and chest still rose, the master of death had a new body, and it fit perfectly as any would.

A sharp scream echoed through the maternity ward, as a young mother had to be comforted and consoled by nurses. "Calm down, your baby is not dead, see he's breathing, calm down," the nurse tried to quiet the woman to little avail. "How could he not be dead, look at his skin! So pale and nothing like yesterday!" the mother was almost hysterical in her words, then everything stopped, the babe's eyes opened, a shocking green peering our to the world, a glance was sent to the mother and time moved once more.

"Oh?" the mother spoke, noticing she was on the floor, "did something happen?" she questioned as the nurse helped her stand, "You are still weak from giving birth madam, you simply lost your balance," the nurse chastised, "Now you do want to hold your baby?" she added with a smile. "Of course! Where is my dear Iruka? Oh there he is! Such an adorable babe!" The mother gushed, fingers carefully touching the infant's hand, cooing at it's softness. It was as if nothing had happened before, the drastic change in appearance forgotten and unnoticed.

– POV Change –

It has been five years since I came to this world and entered this body, my body's parents, or I suppose I should say 'my' parents, are 'chunin', a level of ninja exhibited in this world, this means they are often out of missions, which is fine as it gives me time to properly acclimate to this body and the powers of this world, it would not do to appear more powerful than I should be, this would not be worth the trouble of dealing with at this stage of my life. This is because I have long developed a habit when it came to being reborn, as at the very least the first 10-11 years are to be spent in peace before I actually act. This makes it is easier to fit in and to act as I please later in time. It is also likely the only thing, other than my own being, that keeps me sane. I suppose it is also nice. I snap out of my musings as I near my destination, today I am headed for the Konoha training grounds, wherein which I will meet my current babysitter, a Namikaze Minato and his genin team, my parents being on a two-month mission. They were unimpressed at my proposition of home staying alone.

"Iruka-kun!" the man says my name with a smile as I approach with a nod of my head. "Good morning Namikaze-san, is it alright for me to read here while you do your training?" I say, noticing I seem to have interrupted some pseudo-mission of the three genin. "Of course Iruka-kun, hopefully we won't be to loud for you." Minato is a very smiley man, I remark to myself as he speaks. It is really a pity, the fate that awaits him, I would feel sorry if I had not been what I was, death is simply a part of life and his soul will have another chance in a different plane of existence.

Of course his promise is quickly broken when one of the three genin abandons the exercise in favour of speaking to me, Uchiha Obito I believe. One of the main reasons for my current presence in this world, he and that pesky ancestor of his will attempt to mess with the order of life. It is my duty in my boredom to stop him. Of course I could end it now by killing the two now but there is no fun in that. Closing the book I had been planning to read I fell into conversation with the genins and their mentor, making the realization that the next two months would not pass as quickly as I would like them to.

I am now eight years old, or at least my body is. After entering the Shinobi Academy I began being more involved in the person I will be in this world, focusing on perfecting my 'persona' while studying everything and anything that I could in my spare time. I decided to become a 'book-smart' person, with a love of traps and pranks, I may have been influenced by what this body's original soul life was meant to be but it was best for my course of action I realised, after all, who has a better influence on society than a teacher? Especially if one teaches the future soldiers and leaders? The original Iruka's life is my best option to form myself from.

The Kyubi is as beautiful as ever, I thought as I watched it ravage the village, it was with little surprise that I felt the souls of my parents extinguished, many will die today and I will feel each and every one, as is the curse of being the master of death. I felt a pang in my chest as the fourth Hokage used the Shinigami seal, summoning my true form before him. I could feel his and the Kyubi's awe at my presence and for the first time in a decade I let my wings spread and my hair flow free. "Iruka..." the hokage whispered in shock but I interrupted before more could be said, "In exchange for your soul you wish me to seal half into your child and half into you? Originally I would but it is simply easier to the Kyubi's entirety into your son." My words make him protest, but I have already begun the sealing.

"Do not worry, Namikaze, while your son will face hardship he will also love and be loved, his life will be long, probably much longer than you would expect, and he will not fault you for your actions this day." With those parting words I took his soul and returned to my body, Naruto left with nothing but the dead body that was his father.

I had stayed in the orphanage for a year before becoming a genin and returning to my parent's old house, Naruto had been announced as Jinchuuriki, a stupid but expected act, and was being kept hidden by the Third Hokage, however this was of no concern to me at this point. Of course no matter what any human tried Naruto would not die, for I had done something more than just seal the Kyubi into the boy, I had given him a blessing to let him live till twenty without risk of death. However there was little risk even after that, as I tweaked the seal to slowly merge the Kyubi and Naruto's existences, they would become lifelong companions in one body.

I suppressed a giggle wondering how they would react once they had realised what had happened, unintentionally frightening my genin team. Ignoring them I traced the scar on my nose, a wound caused by me leaving my body when sealing the Kyubi, it was just my luck I would land face first on a sharp stone.

I smiled as I accepted the title of chunin, not bad I thought for sixteen coming on too-old-to-count, I would likely not advance beyond this point, not because I couldn't, but because I had no desire to, my goal was to become an academy teacher, which is the job a chunin not a jounin so why should I become one? The chunin vest looked good on me also, fitting my outfit of a black sleeveless turtle-neck paired with long fingerless black gloves and black trousers. I wore a pair of new heeled sandals on my feet, not at all to compensate for my height, purely an aesthetic choice I tell you.

A few days later I was surprised when the Hokage offered me the job of head teacher at the Academy, of course this was my goal but still I did not see this coming so soon. "We have been having issues with bias and falling academy standards, based on your intelligence and neutrality I believed you were our best option to revitalise the academy." The hokage began, he had likely planned out an entire elaborate speech to convince me to take the job, the only question was if to humour him or just accept now. Going with option B I interrupt, "I accept," he gives me a startled look before I continue, "So long as you give me full control over any and all changes I make," now this was a point I would not move from, during my years of schooling I realised just how woefully unprepared the majority of my classmates were due to the lacking standards and what was actually taught.

After a brief chat I left his office and immediately set to creating a revamp of the schooling system. Three hours later I sat before him again as he read my proposal. "This took you three hours?" he asked and I blushed before I could help myself. It had been many centuries since I has felt nervous, it was likely because I had never been a teacher, a proper teacher, in any of my lives, and something about the idea made me feel giddy and good inside, it was a strange and foreign feeling, one I hadn't had since – oh, since my first life. I pushed this revelation to the back of my mind to focus on the situation at hand. I jostled out of my thoughts just as the hokage spoke again, "Iruka, I must say that you are truly a genius, and I will do everything to support you in implementing this change into the academy curriculum."