A/N: And here's the next chapter. Thanks for all the reviews!

Chapter 4: Cruel Revelation

Kakashi pushed open the door and stepped out into the open. Iruka followed closely behind and trailed after the teen onto the streets. He gasped in shock when he caught sight of what had remained after the raging battle.

Everywhere, shinobi and medic-nins were tending to the injured. Apparently, the hospital was too crowded and casualties had to be tended to on the streets. There was blood everywhere. Thankfully, the structures in that part of the village were still in a good enough condition for injured shinobi to rest. The Kyuubi hadn't attacked that far into the village.

But beyond that stretch of street, Iruka could see that debris lay everywhere. Houses were destroyed and structures were flattened. Dead bodies lie everywhere and shinobi were busy clearing up the place. The aftermath of the fight was devastating.

Iruka was stunned. He had never come across such a sight before. Even during the Third Great Shinobi War two years back, he had been kept safe in the warmth of his home and the battlefield never reached beyond the gates of the village. He had never witnessed the bloodiness that went on in that war. And he had never seen such utter destruction in his life.

"This is the life of a shinobi. Get used to it if you are going to become one." Kakashi said quietly as he glanced at the child who was shocked into silence.

Iruka snapped from his daze and looked at the ANBU incredulously. "How can anyone ever get use to so many deaths and blood right before their eyes?"

"I can. And so do all the other shinobi in this village." Kakashi said emotionlessly. "It's a cycle. It's either you kill or be killed. If you do not spill your enemies' blood and seal their deaths, you will be courting your own."

Kakashi turned and strode on. "Come on. We've got to get going. We are wasting time here."

"Wait!" Iruka folded his arms and glared at the teen. "Where are we going?"

"Follow me and you will know." Kakashi did not turn around.

"No." Iruka turned his head to one side stubbornly. "Not until you tell me."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow behind his mask. This kid was interesting. Almost every other child he had ever come across before feared him and scrambled away at the mere sight of him in his ANBU mask.

Even before he joined ANBU, children his age never stuck around him, other than his genin team. Everyone feared and respected him. He was known to serve without questions and a trained killing machine at a young age. After all, he was the only one during his time who made chunin at the age of six when all others were still studying in the academy and also the only one who made jounin at twelve while the others were either genin or chunin.

But now, here was a kid, who hadn't even graduated from the academy, challenging his authority and demanding an answer from him. Kakashi cocked his head to one side in mild amusement. This child wasn't scared of him at all. And to top it off, Kakashi realized that this child bears too much emotion to make a good shinobi.

He sighed and decided to just get on with what he had come to do. He reached into his pouch and pulled out the last memento from Iruka's mother. He approached the tanned child and held the white hankie out to him.

Iruka shot a sideway glance at the thing the ANBU was holding out to him and turned away again. Then his eyes wandered back to the hankie and he caught sight of something in the corner. He immediately tore the handkerchief out of the gloved hand and examined it.

"What's this? Why does it have my name?" Iruka turned the thing around curiously and noted the blood streaks on it. He shook the weight in the hankie out and stared at the chain in his hand.

"What is this?" He looked up at Kakashi with fear in his eyes and his voice quivering. "How did you get my mother's necklace?"

"She gave it to me. Ask me to hand it to you." Kakashi said quietly. "She said she was sorry."

The tears streamed down the brown orbs and Iruka wiped it off. He stared at the ANBU desperately. "Where is she? Where is my mother? And where is my father?"

Kakashi looked away. He understood how the child was feeling. He had lost everyone precious to him as well. The last remaining person who was close to him had died that night too. Sure, he still has friends whom he had made after Obito died. They hang out pretty much often when he doesn't have ANBU duties. They are friends that he valued, but they aren't people close to his heart.

They can't be called family.

He reached into his pouch again and retrieved the identity tags. He reached out to take Iruka's hand and pressed the tags into the palm, closing the trembling fingers over them.

"These are your parents' shinobi tags."

Iruka opened his hand to stare at the glint of metal reflecting back at him. He sobbed, when he realized what that meant. Then he looked up at the ANBU.

"Where are they?" Iruka tugged at the older boy's hand frantically as the tears flowed uncontrollably. "Please tell me. I want to see them."

"Come with me." Kakashi started walking. He allowed the boy to cling on to him. The child needed the comfort now and though he did not know how to give, he knew Iruka would know how to seek it.

Iruka couldn't stop his tears as he followed the older boy down the streets. The smell of blood hung in the air and as Iruka walked on; he could see the extent of damages that the Kyuubi had inflicted on Konoha. He clutched his parents' last keepsake tightly in one of his small hands.

Kakashi led him into the sullen atmosphere of the village's hospital. Iruka cringed when he noticed the red painted on the once white walls of the infirmary. The corridors were packed with countless of people, tended to by the medic-nins.

The ANBU didn't say anything. He brought the child down a dark corridor, and then stopped in front of a door. Iruka stared up at him with tearful brown eyes and Kakashi sighed. He pushed the door open and stepped into the brightly lit morgue.

Iruka immediately moved behind the older teen and hid himself from the view of all the dead bodies. Kakashi turned slightly and took his hand.

"Come with me."

Iruka trembled as he followed Kakashi down the rows of dead bodies. The silver-haired boy stopped before one of them and lifted the white veil. Then he turned to look at Iruka.

The brunette sniffled and stepped forward hesitantly. When he stared into the face of the motionless body, disbelief crossed his face and he broke down.

"Father!" The tanned boy wailed as he desperately brushed the back of his hands against his face, trying to clear the tears.

Kakashi placed a comforting hand on his back and led him on. Iruka took a few jerky steps forward and then stopped at another body. His wails grew louder.

Kakashi removed the white veil covering the face and the younger boy crumbled to the ground upon recognizing who it was. His small hand clung on tightly to his the last memento from his parents and brushed the tears desperately from his face.

"Mother……!" Iruka's breath hitched. "Father….. You lied! Liars! You said you would come back. You said you will see me later!" His shrieks and wails grew louder as he willed for all these to be just a dream and that when he wakes up, his parents would still be there to hug him and kiss him good morning.

His crying attracted the medic-nins in the room and they hurried over to see what had caused the commotion.

When they saw a stony ANBU standing quietly at the side and a wailing child sitting on the floor, they understood immediately and shook their heads regretfully. Kakashi turned to look at them and waved them off with a hand.

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Hiruzen stepped into the mortuary, with the intention to assess the extent of damage done when he heard the desperate sobs coming from a corner of the room. He walked over quietly and sighed when he saw the child sitting on the floor, crying his heart out.

"Kakashi." He said quietly and the ANBU standing at the side turned his head.

"Hiruzen-sama."

"Who died?" The older man looked at the bawling kid with sympathy.

Kakashi sighed. "His parents. Both of them."

"What's his name?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Umino Iruka."

Hiruzen shook his head sadly as he put his pipe into his mouth and took a puff. "Left alone?"

Kakashi turned to look at the boy. "I think so. It doesn't seem like he has any other family members."

Hiruzen nodded in understanding. "Do me a favor, Kakashi. Bring him home and stay with him tonight. I will try to arrange for someone to look after him soon. Don't let him dwell too long here. It's not going to do him any good."

The ANBU nodded and moved towards the boy quietly. When he reached Iruka, he hauled the child to his feet.

"Come on now. Let's go home." He said quietly.

"I don't want." Iruka wailed. "I want my parents. I want them back."

"You should be proud of them. They protected the village with their lives. They are heroes. This is an honor." Kakashi said.

"I don't want heroes." Iruka sniveled. "I don't want honor. I just want my father and my mother."

Hiruzen approached the distressed child and frustrated ANBU. He knelt down before Iruka and ruffled his hair. "You are Iruka right?"

Iruka wiped the tears from his eyes and nodded as he sniffled, trying to hold back his tears, as he stood before the respected council elder and ex-Hokage.

Hiruzen smiled. "Iruka is a strong child, I believe. And he will become a strong shinobi of Konoha in future. You may not understand now. But one day, you will know why your parents did what they did and you will be proud of them."

"But I want them now!" Fresh tears spilled from the boy's eyes. "I want them back home with me! They are liars! They said they would come home soon. But they didn't. They are not coming back anymore." The words tore into the hearts of everyone in the room. Even Kakashi turned and looked away.

"Iruka, you still have many of us with you. You have your friends, your classmates, your teachers and the other shinobi. And you have me and an ANBU behind you who is looking after you." Hiruzen comforted. He smiled kindly. "You know, it's a privilege. This ANBU here doesn't usually care for people like he does to you."

Kakashi scowled behind his mask. If it hadn't been for that last wish from a fellow shinobi, he wouldn't have bothered either.

"Now Iruka, your parents wouldn't want you to cry. That would taint their dedicated hearts towards Konoha. They want you to mark them with valor and not with tears. So, be strong for them. They would want you to carry on with life."

"But I miss them." Iruka whimpered softly. "I miss them."

"I know." Hiruzen pulled the sobbing boy into a comforting hug and stroked his back. "Keep them in your memories. Remember only the happy moments and forget the sad ones. Keep in mind their bravery and dedication and they will continue to live with you forever."

Iruka continued sobbing as Hiruzen pulled away and stood up to look at Kakashi.

"Take him back and take care of him."

Kakashi nodded and putting one arm around the small frame, he led the reluctant child out of the morgue. Iruka threw one last glance at the two bodies and then followed the ANBU, moving away from the morgue and the hospital.

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