Hello again. Thanks for the reviews everyone. They were very much appreciated.
Well the votes are in. Iruka's baby is a….drum rolls please…boy. Thanks for the votes everyone.
Journey Home
Chapter 2
Kakashi didn't very much appreciate the smell of blood. His sensitive nose made the smell of blood taste like old boiled meat mixed with sour milk. His masked, luckily, prevented enough of the smell from reaching him, thwarting him gagging.
Blood was everywhere. Every step he took was in a puddle of blood. The blood even coated his uniform. Naruto and Sakura, not far off from where he stood, were submerged in their enemies' blood. It wasn't a battle, it was a massacre. Kakashi knew both him and his team had no choice but to kill the sound shinobi, but it was such an outmatched fight that Kakashi couldn't help but feel some form of pity for them.
What ever drove the sound shinobi into that battle was unquestionably the foundation of their deaths. Kakashi was certain that what drove them was fear. Fear of Orochimaru. Fear of his experiments and punishments for those who failed him. They had preferred to die here then die by failure from Orochimaru, their leader. Only fools would follow such a corrupt leader. Kakashi turned his head and spitted onto the ground.
This war against the mysterious sound village was getting out of hand. Kakashi looked from the corner of his visible eye at his team. These skirmishes are running us dry. Sooner or later we will make a mistake that will cause our own deaths. "Let's head back to Konoha, team," Kakashi waved them towards him, so they could begin their trek home.
Naruto was the first to meet him, Sakura not far behind him. "I know why you want to go home," Naruto raised a finger, poking Kakashi in the shoulder.
Kakashi moved back, away from Naruto and his finger, "Naruto, I don't think you …"
"Kakashi, don't lie to us," Sakura interrupted, using her scholarly voice and tone; "You're worried about her, aren't you?" She pushed past Naruto, "How far along is she? Four months, right?" She lowered her head and winked at him.
Kakashi looked at them, wondering when his personal life became such an open public discussion.
123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
One more day. One more day until Kabuto's plan is put into action. Iruka couldn't stop the jitters from coursing through his body as anxiety ripped at his nerves. Kabuto still hadn't told him what the distraction was going to be, but at this moment, he didn't much care. The distraction would give him a chance to disappear. Leave this horrid place forever. Abandon the pain, fear, and nightmares behind these walls.
Iruka would take his child out of this citadel of horrors. He would take his son to where there were kind faces and good people. His son could play with other children, and be happy. Tears formed in Iruka's eyes as he thought of what a life his son would have lived if they never escaped and stayed here. Dreadful thoughts that tore at Iruka's heart and soul.
Crying could be heard among the collection of blankets that were laid on Iruka's bed. While Iruka was arranging baby supplies into what was required and what was not necessary, the baby had fallen asleep. Iruka had set his son onto his bed; surrounded by blankets, to allow him some more needed baby sleep.
"Let me guess, sweetie," Iruka picked up a small moving bundle of blankets and began to hold his son in his arms, speaking softly, "You're hungry again." He kissed the baby's forehead soothingly.
The child continued to cry until a nipple of a bottle filled with baby formula entered his lips. The baby began to suckle onto it, small fingers wrapping around the bottle. Big, beautiful bright baby eyes stared up at his parents. Iruka pursed his lips, making adorable baby noises to his son.
Knock. Knock. There was pause at the door before it opened. Iruka turned around expecting Orochimaru or one of his henchmen's summoning Iruka into Orochimaru's presence. To his immense surprise, the pale skin and black hair were not of Orochimaru's but that of Sasuke's. Iruka's heart stopped as he looked at the young man that stood before. He doesn't carry the same demeanor as he did when he was a child. He appears to be more cold and hateful. An empty shell of the boy he used to be.
"Welcome, Sasuke," Iruka gave a small bow, ever so careful of the child in his arms. "It is has been a long time. How have you been?"
"Iruka," Sasuke's voice even carried the cold demeanor; it sent shivers down Iruka's spine. "How are you?" Iruka was not surprised Sasuke didn't answer the personal question directed at him but instead redirected back towards Iruka.
"I'm thriving."
"Hmm…How about Kichirou?"
Iruka lifted his son up so Sasuke could have a better view of the child bottle feeding, "I think he is doing pretty good now that his stomach is almost full." Iruka lowered Kichirou, taking the bottle away from the small mouth when his son stopped drinking. "Do you wish to do the honors?" Iruka lifted his son so he would be against Iruka's shoulder with his head just over as he waited for Sasuke's answer.
"Err…I would rather not," Sasuke watched Iruka pat the child's back, attempting to have Kichirou to burp. Sasuke had heard to many stories from when he was younger, when his mother was still alive, about how sometimes when the baby is burped they might puke all over your clothing. Sasuke wanted no part of that. He would be the one cleaning his own clothes, and even though it would be baby's puke, it would still be puke.
When Iruka was satisfied with the burp he received from Kichirou, he settled his son down back on the bed among the blankets. Iruka watched as Kichirou began quietly to have a staring contest with one his dolls, a small brown dog with buttons for eyes. A young sound shinobi had found it and had given it to Iruka shortly after the delivery of Kichirou. Iruka couldn't help but to love the small stuffed dog, it reminded him so much of another small dog he once knew.
Sasuke's cough brought Iruka back to reality and away from his reminiscences of the past. Iruka glanced at Sasuke; he was watching Iruka with a strange, lop-sided expression on his face. Iruka couldn't help but snicker at the young man, in return Sasuke lost the expression to gain another that was supposed to strike fear into his previous sensei.
"There is a reason I came here," Sasuke spoke in a monotone voice, but Iruka could pick up a tinge of hurt feelings. "Orochimaru may not have noticed, but I certainly have," he paused as he gestured Iruka to sit in a chair. When Iruka had settled himself into a comfortable red oak rocking chair Sasuke began again, "You plan on leaving here, aren't you?"
Iruka's heart skipped a beat. He had been careful, he hadn't changed any of his normal routines nor behaved any different then what he usually did. What if others have noticed also? Iruka could feel his lungs closing onto his heart; he was struggling to keep breathing to what would appear to be normal.
"What do you mean I'm planning on leaving?"
"I know you, sensei," Sasuke's accusation went straight to Iruka's heart. "I know that you can't stand it here, and I know you are too kind and gentle for a place like this."
Sasuke took a seat upon a tall stool not far from where Iruka sat, lifting leg so that one of his feet rested on of the cross-bars that conjoined the legs the of the stool. "This place is for those who are seeking something that is beyond just power, but that of revenge. You do not fit here, Iruka. And I know that you are very stubborn in your ways. You don't hold hatred or seek revenge. You are a ray of light in a world of shadow. If you stay here that light of yours will be swallowed by the shadows become that of the shadows. You're not just leaving this place because you don't fit here. You're leaving because you would cease to exist in this world as the Iruka that we all have known. The Iruka we all know would die. "
Sasuke took a deep breath, looked at his feet and then back at Iruka. Sasuke didn't take his eyes away from Iruka's nor did he blink when he gave his final statement, "And I'm going to help you escape."
Iruka never felt his eyes go as wide nor his mouth drop so far in that last sentence, not to mention this was the most words he had ever heard spoken from this Uchiha's mouth. "Why?" Iruka couldn't understand why all this hospitality from Orochimaru's men were on him escaping. Where was this hospitality when I first arrived?
"I know Kabuto is planning a distraction tomorrow, allowing more than enough ample time for you to escape. I will help you by disarming all traps that would be in your way or could stop you in your leaving," Sasuke stood and walked over to Iruka, "The only other things I can give you are this solution that will hide your chakra for a few hours and this…" Sasuke took out a small pacifier with an Uchiha's crest on it and held out for Iruka to take.
"I can't take that," Iruka took the pacifier carefully within his own hands looking at the small offering. It must have meant something very important for him to carry it this long. Iruka decided that if Sasuke was offering him something as important as this, then it would be rude of him to say no and return it. He glanced upwards to tell Sasuke thanks, but he was gone. That little bastard. He gets me all riled up and leaves me here.
Kichirou could be heard making noises in his temporary crib on Iruka's bed. His small hands were grasped tightly around the toy stuffed dog he was playing with earlier and a plushy snake that crackled when played with. Iruka didn't much like the toy snake, Orochimaru had given it to Kichirou a couple of weeks ago, but it was one of Kichirou's toys and it appeared that Kichirou liked the toy.
Iruka carefully rose to his feet, walking slowly towards his son who was still lying peacefully on the bed. Iruka set the chakra sealing solution into the diaper bag he was going to take with him when he left tomorrow. What time? He wasn't sure, but he was ready for when it happened.
Delicately, Iruka positioned himself next to his son on the bed. Kichirou looked at Iruka, pausing in his playtime with his toys. Iruka used his elbow to support most his weight, as Kichirou was closer to his stomach.
"Look at what I have for you, Kichirou," Iruka held the pacifier above his son's head. He watched in amusement as the large eyes followed the object in Iruka's hands. "It's a pacifier from an old student of mine, and he wishes for you to have it," he lowered it to his son's lips, "so don't lose it or ruin it. We'll have to give it back to him one day." Kichirou's small lips opened, accepting the pacifier quietly. Iruka laughed as he watched the pacifier wiggled as his son begun to suck fervently upon it. "Good boy," Iruka kissed his son's head as he sat up to finish his packing of supplies.
"Where was I?" Iruka spoke to himself, "Do you remember, Kichirou?" Iruka turned around just in time to watch his son's face go red. "Oh yeah… That's right. Diapers." Iruka grabbed a clean diaper and some wipes as he went over to his son to take care of the dirty business of raising a child. "Once we leave here, I'm going to start potty train you. You might still be too young, but we have to start somewhere right?"
123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
Orochimaru listened to the last recount of what had happened to his sound shinobi who were sent to the Village Hidden in the Sand by one of his scouts that escaped. Kakashi was definitely beginning to get onto his nerves. Kakashi and his pathetic team of misfit shinobi had killed his shinobi, all the sound shinobi he had sent. It wasn't as if he sent enough sound shinobi that it required such an assault, in fact they were traveling around the outskirts of the village.
"Disgusting maggots have no right to call themselves shinobi if they outnumbered the enemy and were still killed by an eccentric team of misfits," Orochimaru waved the man away, no reason to add that man's death to the numbers. He wouldn't have any left if he killed them off himself.
"I don't understand why it requires so much work to get one little thing from a village," Orochimaru fumed. "All I requested from those idiots was to retrieve that small item from that shop that sat right outside the village." Orochimaru turned to one of his henchmen that stood in the shadows in the corner of the room, waiting for any orders from his lord and master, "Send out another party, fewer numbers and make sure they have enough brains to know to cover their chakra and be in disguise."
Tbc…
The end of another chapter. This one took longer than the others swipes forehead. I hope you guys enjoy. Reviews much appreciated. Next chapter I plan to start the action sequence.
