AN: wow, another one, feel special.

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Iruka stalked down the hallway trying to fight off the memories, the feel of her small sandpapery tongue against his cheek, the happy yips as she dashed around the lawn chasing butterflies; her three tails waving happily even though the twirling insects constantly eluded her.

"Hey...Karu-chan, why chase them when you never catch them?" Her joy had flowed through their link as she barked her happiness.

"Because I can Iru-chan. Because I can!" He slammed open the doors to a small chapel, not knowing or caring where he was.

"I'm going to have kits Iru-chan!"

"Will you love them more than me?"

"I will love you all the same, you are my kit to, silly human." Cold seeped through his clothes as he curled on one of the small benches.

"Will you mind being away from your mate?"

"No, the kits will be with me, and I will be keeping all four of you in line in this strange place."

"I'm sorry..." His whisper seemed to echo in the small chamber.

"Iruka! Poachers! Save the ki-" He remembered the panic, and emptiness when the link was severed.

He could vaguely recall the mad dash from Prince Itachi's study to the small forest next to the wall.

He saw, vividly the mangled body of his birth companion, his soul mate, his little sanbi, Karui.

And he remembered the kits, small skinless blobs of muscle and nerves...

After that, nothing was clear except a red haze of grief and vengeance, destruction of the evil that had stolen a half of his spirit.

He had killed. According to detailed reports written by Prince Itachi himself, he had exacted the ancient law of Solomon. The skinned men had still been screaming when the rescue party arrived, unable to blink, they had no eyelids, unable to speak without lips and tongue hands tied together and dangled in front of their faces as they bled from rough hewn stumps.

An Eye For An Eye.

Yes, he had made himself difficult to forget.

"I'm sorry..." barely even a sigh of sound now.

He had awoken to a dark cell, chains wound tightly about him, under the pretext of keeping him from injuring himself.

He had been brought to face King Oibito Uchiha, and only Itachi's explanation of the bond between the Konoha citizenry and the many fox demons inhabiting their land had saved him from execution.

Some days he wondered if death would have been preferable. How would he have dealt with having to face the spirit of Karui, knowing he had failed to save her and her kits? Ever since then none of the kitsune would think of entering this territory, which made sending anyone almost impossible, very few people would willingly be parted from their bondmates for extended periods of time.

That's what made Mizuki special, he'd volunteered.

"IRUKA SENSEI!" The panicked shout brought the teacher to his feet and he was running before he'd realized he was standing.

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Naruto had followed Mizuki's scent, it was easy, following the smell of pine in this land of cherry blossoms.

"Heeeey! Miiizuuukiii-san! Iruka Sensei said..." Something was wrong, the air felt different.

"Mizuki-san?" a flutter of gray flashed in his peripheral vision in time for him to avoid the aide's wild lunge.

"Hoommmee..." Naruto dodged another grab, but he was exhausted from the fight with his mate to be...

"Want to goo hoooommmmeee..." The glazed eyes were scaring him, and he tripped over the plush rug.

" IRUKA SENSEI!" The blonde scrambled away from the silver haired man. Suddenly the teal eyes focused on him.

"Your fault I'm here..." Naruto couldn't speak past the fear rising in his throat. Suddenly pale hands were wrapping around his neck.

"Wouldn't have come if he hadn't asked, he wouldn't have asked if it wasn't for YOU!"And suddenly the hands were wrenched away allowing the young prince deep gasping breaths.

"Mizuki! Snap out of it!" And then all was quiet save for the blondes hash breaths.

"Oh god...oh god what have I done?"

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Three hours and many reassurances later Mizuki was on his way back to the Konoha kingdom, and Naruto was looking for Sasuke to calm his nerves. Iruka had managed to find his way back to the chapel he'd been in earlier. If they were discreet they could keep this incident to themselves and-

"You're pretty quick for an ambassador." The brunette felt his eye twitch.

"I think it took you a minute and a half tops to get from here to the suite." That did it. The scarred man whirled to face the masked guardsman.

"And why were you following me? Surely His Majesty has a job for you!" The one visible eye curved up.

"Yes, I'm to escort you and the young prince throughout your stay."

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Yes the fight scene sucked I know, I know it wasn't explained well, but I needed to fluff out the chapter or it would have been just the gore of Iruka's past. I'm not sure if a three tailed kitsune is called a Sanbi but in my world it is.