Chapter 10: A Kind Heart

I wonder how Kagome's doing on her mission. Iruka thought as he ate his lunch outside. It was already noon time at the academy. He kept wondering how Kagome was doing on her first C-rank mission. Though he wished that she would just take a D-rank mission instead. Even though Kagome is no longer his student, he still worry for her. Especially during those awful times in her childhood. She was always getting bullied for what was inside of her. But somehow, she was able to make friends with most of the students and some civilians. Although he wasn't expecting her to befriend a lot of animals as well.

"Iruka-san?"

Iruka looked up and turned towards where he heard the voice near the fence. He saw a familiar face who had long brown hair that stopped at the shoulders and hazel colored eyes. Mao, a nurse that works at the Konoha hospital and she was the only one who treats Kagome whenever she's injured.

"Hey, Mao-chan. What are you doing around here?" Iruka asked as he stood up and walked in front of the fence.

"Oh, since it's my day off I thought that I should get some groceries and do some house chores." Mao said, smiling.

"I see." Iruka said.

"By the way, where's Kagome-chan?" Mao asked.

"Oh, she's on a mission with her team in the Land of Waves." Iruka said.

"That must be a C-rank mission. Her team must be glad to finally have a higher rank mission." Mao asked with a closed eye smile.

"Hai, they were very anxious to get this one. Even though they didn't seem to like the client at all." Iruka said while rubbing the back of his head.

"But you're worried about her, aren't you?" Mao asked with a soft look.

"Hai." Iruka said. He couldn't really help it. To Iruka, Kagome was like a little sister. Causing mischief sometimes while studying and training hard to become a powerful kunoichi.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine. She has her team to rely on." Mao said, reassuring him.

"Thank you, Mao-chan." Iruka said.

"You're welcome, Iruka-san." Mao said, "Well, I better get going if I want to get those chores done."

"Hey, Mao-chan." Iruka said.

"Hai?" Mao asked.

"Would you...would you like to go out to dinner with me tonight?" Iruka asked.

"Sure, I would love to, Iruka-san." Mao said with a soft gaze.

"G-Great! I'll pick you up at six then?" Iruka asked.

"Hai, see you then." Mao said.

Later:

Iruka had taken Mao to an udon restaurant. It was a change of pace for the both of them since they both eat their own meals at home or at work. So it worked out for them. They had casual talk like if anything interesting happened in the academy or in the hospital. Iruka said that Konohamaru and friends were training very hard to become ninjas and Konohamaru was determined to surpass Kagome. Mao told him about a couple getting into a ridiculous argument in one of the hospital rooms. They both laughed at the story. Then Mao decided to ask Iruka about Kagome.

"By the way, Iruka-san." Mao said.

"Hm?" Iruka asked.

"How did you come across Kagome when she was heavily injured when she was three?" Mao asked.

"Well, I was on my way home after I finished grading the tests at the academy." Iruka began to say as he started to remember what happened that day.

Flashback:

"I wonder what I should make for dinner tonight?" Iruka asked himself as he walked towards his apartment. Kagome gave him a few recipes of her own so that he wouldn't eat the same thing every night. He knew that Kagome was trying to look out for him just as he was looking out for her.

"Meow."

A sound broke him out of his thoughts. He looked down and saw a tan colored cat with two tails and red eyes sitting down in front of him. He was a little bit confused on what kind of cat this was and why it was just staring up at him. Then the cat walked up and was clawing at his pants.

"Meow!"

"What's wrong?" Iruka asked. The cat ran away from him only to stop a couple inches away. For some strange reason, it seems like the cat wanted him to follow it. After following the cat all the way to an alley, Iruka could tell that something was wrong. Then the cat ran into the alley with him behind. He quickly followed the cat and saw something that made his coal colored eyes widened in shock and almost made his heart stopped.

"KAGOME!"

Kagome was slumped against the wall, unconscious. Her clothes were tattered and ripped. There were bruises all over and a heavy cut was on the side of her cheek. She had a black eye on her right eye as well. Iruka could easily tell that she was beat up really bad. He carefully lifted her into his arms and raced towards the hospital.

Flashback Ends

"I'm glad that you were there that night, Mao." Iruka said.

"Hai, I'm glad as well. I wouldn't be a nurse if I didn't help an injured person. Especially a child like Kagome." Mao said. She also couldn't forget that night as well.

Flashback:

Mao sighed for the fifth time today as she walked down towards the front desk. There haven't been many patients lately. Well, most A-rank missions have sent a few jounin here for injuries. Many of them aren't really life threatening. Except for the ANBU members. Most of them have really bad injuries, which includes poisons and broken bones. She was just glad that there weren't any civilian ones. Some were small colds or really bad fevers. Broken bones from working or fist fights.

'I really wish that people would be more considerate of themselves instead of just going straight into a fight without a second thought.' Mao thought to herself as she sat down behind the desk. What broke her out of her thoughts was when a Konoha shinobi poofed into the front of the hospital desk. She recognized him. It was Iruka Umino from the ninja academy. He appeared to be carrying someone in his arms. She walked a little closer and to see that it was a little girl. Probably three years old or older. She looked really beat up. Then Mao recognized the child: Kagome Uzumaki the jinchūriki of the nine tailed kitsune.

"Please, you have to help her!" Iruka said. Mao quickly walked around the desk and could clearly see that she had heavy injuries. She didn't think that people would be so cruel towards a little girl who had no idea what was inside her.

"Okay, follow me." Mao said as she lead him towards an empty room.

When Mao finished treating Kagome, she gazed at the little girl. She never knew that this small girl would accept the hatred that the villagers had towards her. It was worse when she doesn't even know who her parents were. Sometimes, Mao wondered why the Yondaime would make this child go through so much pain with the beast sealed inside of her. Did he know that this would happen to the little girl in front of her?

Mao listened to her breathing as she slept in the hospital bed. To her point of view, she looked like an innocent child. She turned around and walked out of the room to see Iruka standing outside of the room with his arms crossed in front of his chest and his back leaning against the wall. Another thing she noticed was the two tailed cat sitting on his left shoulder. Iruka looked up at her when he heard her open the door.

"How is she?" Iruka asked, worried.

"She has some bruises, a black eye, and a broken rib on her left side. She'll have to stay here overnight." Mao said.

"Thank god." Iruka said as he slumped to his knees.

"You're welcome to come in and see her." Mao said.

"Thank you." Iruka said as he stood back up. Mao nodded and turned around to open the door for him. He went into the room with Mao behind him. The both of them looked at Kagome with pity and sadness. They knew that they couldn't do much except to watch over the girl. Iruka stood at Kagome's bedside and brushed her bangs aside as she slept peacefully. His eyes were shaking with tears in the corner of his eyes. At that moment he felt so much regret. He wished that he was with Kagome before this happened. He should have walked her home instead of grading all of the tests. Then she wouldn't have ended up in this condition. Iruka turned around and stared at Mao.

"Thank you, for helping Kagome-chan." Iruka said.

"I wouldn't be a nurse if I refused to help a patient." Mao said with a soft look in her eyes.

"But still, thank you." Iruka said, wiping away his tears.

"You're welcome." Mao said with a closed smile.

"If it's not too much to ask...could you keep an eye on Kagome for me?" Iruka asked.

"I promise I will." Mao said.

"Thank you once more." Iruka said. Then he stepped away from the bed, but he stopped in his footsteps when he felt a hand on his left wrist. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Kagome's hand gripping his wrist.

"Iruka-sensei, could you stay here?" Kagome asked with half lid eyes. His eyes soften at the look.

"Sure." Iruka said as he sat in a chair next to the bed. The cat jumped off his shoulder and onto Kagome's bed. She curled up next to Kagome's right side. Iruka smiled at the scene before him.

Flashback Ends

Iruka could never forget how worried he was when he found Kagome in that horrible condition. He felt so guilty that he was unable to help his student. After that incident, Iruka would always walk Kagome home after academy ended. Somehow, he didn't want to find her in that condition again. To his point of view, Kagome was like family to him. Someone who went through the same hardships as him, but their circumstances were a little bit different.

"Iruka." Mao said.

"Hai?" Iruka asked, coming back from his thoughts.

"Why do you care so much about Kagome?" Mao asked.

"For some strange reason, she kind of reminds me of me." Iruka said.

"You?" Mao asked, curious.

"When my parents were killed, no one seemed to care and no one paid any attention to me. So I pulled pranks in order to get attention. Not to mention that my grades dropped as well." Iruka said.

"I see." Mao said, smiling.

After dinner and dessert was over, Iruka decided to walk Mao home since sometimes the streets were not safe at night. Especially if you go out alone. Kagome was proof for that statement. Iruka couldn't stop thinking about that event. The time when he felt like he failed to protect Kagome from harm. He just wished that he had gotten there sooner.

"Don't keep blaming yourself, Iruka-san." Mao said. Her voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"I know, but sometimes I can't help it." Iruka said.

"Well, that was in the past now, Iruka-san. It's about time to move on from that." Mao said. Iruka closed his eyes and sighed. Mao was right. It's all in the past now. Kagome is stronger enough to hold her own and she has a team who will look out for each other.

"You're right, Mao-chan." Iruka said as his eyes soften, "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Iruka-san." Mao said, her eyes soften as well.

Then they finally arrived at Mao's apartment. It was a little quiet between them and neither didn't know what to do at that moment. Luckily, Iruka was able to break the silence.

"I hope you had a good time tonight, Mao-chan." Iruka said with pink cheeks as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I did and thank you, Iruka-san." Mao said with a shade of pink on her cheeks while looking down at her feet and fidgeting with her hands.

"You're welcome." Iruka said. Suddenly, Iruka felt something soft against his lips. His eyes widened when he realized that Mao was kissing him. He closed his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her waist while she wrapped her arms around his neck. Then their kisses got hungrier as they changed the angles of their lips. Unfortunately, they had to let go when oxygen was need. Iruka stared into Mao's hazel colored eyes as he panted while Mao was staring into Iruka's dark colored eyes while panting. Iruka kissed her once more before he let go of her lips.

"Well, I uh...see you tomorrow." Iruka said, looking away. Feeling embarrassed.

"Oh, yeah...see you then." Mao said, blushing in a deep shade of red. Mao took out her keys and tried to put it in the keyhole. Her hands were a little bit shaky for some reason. Then the keys were taken out of her hand.

"Here, I'll do it." Iruka said, put the key in. There was a click and he opened the door for Mao.

"Thank you, again Iruka-san." Mao said, smiling.

"Don't mention it. Well, good night." Iruka said before turning around and walking down the steps from the apartment.

"Good night." Mao said before entering her apartment and closing the door behind her.

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.

- Lao Tzu