Fan Fiction Name: Tales of a Would-be Jounin
Chapter Name: Deep Underneath
Info: After a visit to the Memorial Stone and a talk with his most memorable student, Umino Iruka decides to go for the jounin rank. Will he choke or will he get assistance from the most unlikely of places? Naruto II spoilers here!
Disclaimers: Well, I do not own any of Naruto, nor do I own the many characters of these fan fictions, save my own creations. It's sad, but all too true. How I wish I owned them….waaaaaahhhhh!!!!!
Tales of a Would-Be Jounin
Chapter 14
Iruka laughed internally at the days events. After hitting his elbow when accidentally discovering how to make his defensive move into an offensive one, to Anko dragging him to a bar and getting a wee bit tipsy (okay, "wee bit" is an understatement), and then him and Naruto having to take an unconscious Anko home (who reeked of booze and mumbled incoherently in her stupor) to a visit to his favorite ramen stand. After the visit to Ichirakus, Naruto had pestered him about the Kage Sennpu and how he created it. Iruka had told him, and Naruto had gone on this rant on how the Rasengan is a better attack and would have demolished the whirlwind in a second, all the while pouring bowl after bowl of ramen down his throat. Iruka could only watch the young man in his rants and laugh. Maybe this is what having a son felt like…
As he lay in his bed, his mind caught on an event earlier in the day. They had been in the bar and Anko had her third cup of sake. She was quite drunk and was all over Iruka, rubbing against him and flirting through a slurred voice.
Iruka could only shake his head as Anko downed her third glass. She was drunk. Really drunk. Iruka could only shake his head as she swayed side to side. His eyes went to Naruto, who looked extremely bored. At a place like this, he didn't have much to do.
Suddenly, a small pair of hands began wrapping around Irukas waist, slowly rubbing his stomach. Iruka turned to see a red-faced Anko, her face stretched into a lecherous grin as she began to walk her hands lower…and lower…
Iruka turned red as he realized what she was doing. He stopped her hands just before she was about to go "there" when she quickly jumped off her seat and onto the bars, steadying herself using the ceiling as she seemed to be a bit…off.
"Allrighht ehveryohne!" Anko said loudly, her voice slurred. Iruka winced at every word. 'How strong was that sake?' He asked himself as he looked at Anko, who was angrily glaring at the only woman besides her in the bar.
"You husssie! Iruka-kuhhn is my mahhn!" Anko yelled loudly as she stumbled backwards. Loosing her footing, Anko fell with a squawk...and into Iruka lap with a pronounced "whump". Iruka pitched back at the sudden weight and, with Anko still on him, he landed unceremoniously with his back now laying uncomfortably on the ground. Luckily, besides the bartender, the woman Anko yelled at, Naruto, and two other men, the bar was lacking in people to gawk at the pair now flat on the floor.
"I dihdn't know youh were so forward, Iruka-kuhhn…" Anko said to Iruka before she finally passed out on his stomach. After a few uncomfortable, Naruto began laughing while helping Iruka pull the now unconscious Anko off of him, the whole time glaring at Naruto for his antics.
Irukas mind, while still laughing, was now more confused about his relationship with the lovely purple-haired jounin. She was among the best looking women he knew, and she seemed to be interested in him. After all, she had kissed him just a week prior, and she had claimed him as her own. Well, if the drunken stupor of Ankos was to be believed.
Iruka then sat up in his bed, looking out the nearest window, as if to ask the moon for the answer. But something caught his eye. It…looked almost like an ANBU mask. It was bestial…almost frightening. Iruka jumped out of his bed, tearing his way to the window to see a swift-moving blur retreating away from his window. Iruka tried to get a good look at the person retreating, but came up with little more then a glimpse of the persons retreating form as the person jumped from rooftop to rooftop, quickly moving away from the chuunins window. Iruka simply watched as the retreating form faded in the distance, to disappear between some buildings.
'That was…weird. Who was that?' Iruka thought as he cast another glance suspiciously at where the figure had been. Had it been his imagination?
- - - - -
Anko woke from her alcohol-induced slumber and instantly regretted it. The bright light of the evening sun glared through the window of her apartment. She shook her head, cursing the sun being so bright today when, through her hangover-clouded mind, that she realized something interesting: she was not in the bar. In the occasions where she had a bit too much and went under, more often then not the owner let her sleep it off (and often charged her extra on her tab for "occupational usage". The guy was a bastard.). It took Anko a second more to realize where she was.
She was in her apartment.
Anko shook her head in confusion when she saw what looked like a note at the foot of her bed. The scrawl looked rushed, so she squinted to read it (and again cursed the brightness of the light that seemed more and more eager to torment her).
Anko-sensei:
You had a little too much to drink earlier and passed out in the bar. Naruto and I managed to find our way to your apartment and drop you off there. Sleep it off and I'll see you tomorrow at practice.
Iruka
PS: Do you need to get a maid or something? Your place is filthy.
Anko scowled a little bit Irukas last comment Her place messy! How could he have even thought that?
It was just in-between her monthly cleaning days.
Anko then made her way through her small apartment, mumbling under her breath about how stupid she was for getting drunk in the afternoon. She was not gonna get to bed 'til way later, and then she would have trouble getting up, which meant fascist Ibiki would be pissed off and give her another crappy mission and…
"Mitarashi Anko."
Anko instantly turned to her left and lashed out, catching whoever was there in the stomach. Backing away, she brought up her defensive guard when she realized that it was another leaf shinobi in her living room-slash- dining room. She immediately stopped when she saw the dragon mask. An ANBU ninja. They had a really bad tendency of being freakishly invasive when passing along missions and messages. The last time she had a visit by and ANBU ninja, she nearly knocked the guys head off and had a one-month dock in pay because of it.
The ANBU simply readjusted him(her)self at the blow as the dragon mask turned to regard her.
"You are needed to do something in the interest of Konoha," a bland, almost emotionless voice came from behind the mask. Anko flinched at the coldness of the voice (it was definitely a "him" though. No womans voice could possibly be THAT deep).
"Yeah, well I'm a ninja. Damn near everything I do is in the name of Konoha," Anko retorted coldly. It was almost like there had been a question of loyalty in that statement. Anko tried to use her death glare on the man, but then kicked herself. He was wearing a MASK and was a damn ANBU. Even if she was able to get a reaction out of the man (freakishly unlikely, seeing that ANBU were notoriously unemotional), she wouldn't be able to see it.
"It is one of surpassing importance, and would only be successful if your involvement was direct," the masked man responded, his voice not once changing tone. Anko glared at the man again, but inside her mind she was extremely confused. Did it have to do with her former sensei?
"You are to begin keeping a detailed account of the actions and behavior of one Iruka Umino," the man, his flat voice again not betraying emotion.
Anko simply could not understand what was going on here. Her face mirrored this confusion, as she tried to make a single word, a single sound come out of her mouth. After a few seconds, her voice, hard and seething with anger, was able to make out the words needed.
"You want me to spy on Iruka."
The mask wearing ninja did not respond.
"Where are the orders? What is the suspicion? Why would you want to SPY on him?' Anko said again, her voice now extremely loud and her anger clouding her vision slightly. Why was she supposed to spy on Iruka-kun? Why Iruka-kun? What had he done.
"It is for…ANBU purposes."
Anko face went from angry to confused. ANBU purposes? What did he mean by that? The man, after leaving a small scroll on the table, performed a small series of hand seals and disappeared from the room with a puff of smoke.
What had he meant by ANBU purposes?
- - - - -
Narutos bright blue eyes were clouded in confusion at what Sai had told him. If it was true, then knowing just how Iruka is, he would easily become a strong wild card in that mans plans. If he were to know Iruka-sensei beliefs, would he try to recruit him…or eliminate him? Would he try to use force to turn Iruka? That would not work. Naruto knew that Iruka wouldn't simply bend that way. Iruka-sensei would sooner die then betray all he knew. Try to but him off? That would get the same result as the first, and word would immediately spread.
Where else could he get Iruka? How could…
Gah! He wasn't meant to think like this! Sakura-chan was more adept at the "seeing underneath the underneath" thing that Kakashi-sensei had taught him. Hinata-chan, too. But knowing him both would be too obvious and would immediately cast suspicion on Naruto. Same would go with the damn snake lady.
Who? Who could watch what was going on with Iruka-sensei?
Suddenly, a revelation came to Naruto. It was so obvious! Who was freakishly smart, non-obtrusive in the normal daily life of Umino Iruka, and was more than able to think ahead of those working against him?
Yep, that lazy bum was definitely going to have his word cut out for him.
END
A/N: Well, here is the newest chapter of the story. Now was the time I was to reveal those involved in what could be going on in the background of my story! And next chapter features the introduction of another major player in this: the one, the only, lazy bum genius himself!