Soon after the whole floor was covered in flames as the fire spread over it using the sake as fuel.
"Shit!" cursed Kakashi as he watched as their exits were blocked by flames.
Asuma sighed, listening to Ino complaining to Choji about late night training sessions. Shikimaru walked slowly beside his friends, eyes closed.
"Wooohoo!"
"Burn Demon!" Asuma snapped into high alert when the voices reached his ears, as did his team.
"What's going on?" Choji asked. Their eyes narrowing when smoke drifted past their noses. As one they leapt forward, soon appearing in front of a small house that was well and truly on fire. Ino gasped when she realised who it belonged to, as did Asuma.
"Kakashi!"
"Naruto!" Asuma spared a glance at Ino, surprised to see that his normally self-concerned student seemed prepared to go into the burning building.
"Shikimaru, Choji secure those civilians. Ino come with me. We need to see if Kakashi and Naruto got out." Asuma added Naruto to the equation since Ino had mentioned him though he had no idea why Naruto would be there as Kakashi was a private person. Ino nodded and they both pushed forward to search for a safe entry point. Unknown to them Kakashi and Naruto were searching for a way out full stop.
"Can't you just teleport us out?" Naruto coughed. Kakashi shook his head, his mask offering some resistance to the smoke.
"I have no idea where everyone is now so it would be too dangerous." Both jumped back as the fire climbed up the wall beside them. Naruto held a cloth over his mouth, his eyes watering.
"Perhaps one of the windows?" His voice was muffled and slightly hoarse now. Kakashi couldn't hear him and was also starting to have trouble breathing despite his mask. Naruto gestured to the window just as it crashed inwards and a Sake bottle smashed between them, exploding in flames and sending the two sprawling. The fresh air only served to further fuel the fire as it spread faster through the house. Thoroughly disorientated Kakashi crawled to his student.
"You alright Naruto?" he asked loudly. Naruto nodded and struggled into a crouching position, legs braced to shift him at a moment notice. Though both were now lacking the oxygen needed to force their limbs to work.
"Shit!" Asuma and Ino spun at Shikimaru's curse and neither was able to stop the sake bottle that was thrown through one of the windows. Expressions of horror were mirrored on four faces as flames burst out the window. Ino gulped, tears forming in her eyes.
"Sensei!" She screeched and pointed before taking off and leaping through the window, Asuma following closely. Soon Ino found what she had see before and rushed forward. Both gasped when the saw the half-conscious student and teacher and they quickly worked to get them back to the window.
"Crap. How are we going to get them out?" Thought Asuma as he heaved Kakashi up awkwardly, Ino did the same with Naruto, her breath catching when she saw how pale he was.
"Sensei. I don't know how to get them out. I can barely lift Naruto." Asuma nodded, he too was struggling to hold his charge up despite the help the man was giving him. Both blinked when Shikimaru and Choji came rushing through the window and flames. With them helping they soon had their friends outside.
Kakashi felt light headed and his vision was failing. He could barely make out Naruto in front of him and could not find a way to reach him. Had he had the strength he would have jumped when he felt firm hands grasp him and pull him to his feet. Kakashi offered what help he could, hoping that someone had grabbed Naruto. Kakashi felt his support waver and however they got it would be near impossible to get them out. When a second set of hands helped to steady him Kakashi groaned and collapsed fully, his strength spent. Thinking this was the end, Kakashi was surprised when fresh air hit his face and a voice telling him to breath.
Naruto tried to snuggle further into the warmth that had a hold of his body. Kyuubi's voice had long disappeared and Naruto welcomed the darkness that came with the warmth. He couldn't recall why it was dark only that it felt nice. He cringed when he felt a familiar chakra fore its way past his barriers.
Tsunade frowned as her Anbu quickly brought the raging crowd under control, trying her best to ignore the dread swelling up in her chest which constricted painfully when Asuma and Shikimaru came flying out, dragging Kakashi between them, Ino and Choji following closely with Naruto. Shizune and Tsunade immediately began work trying to repair their lungs.
"Come on Kakashi breath!" Shizune ordered. Team ten nervously hung over the two's shoulders. Tsunade and Shizune worked tirelessly to repair the damage and when both their patients drew in a breath a collective sigh went up from those gathered there and Tsunade ordered them to be taken to the hospital where she and Shizune set them both up with breathing masks. Sighing Tsunade closed the door behind her and turned around to face an anxious team ten.
"How are they?" asked Asuma.
"Other than a few bad burns and some lung damage, they're both going to be fine."
"What happened?" Shizune asked, her gaze encompassing the whole team.
"We were going to do a late night training session," his team gave him foul looks, "when we heard that mob shouting and then we smelt the smoke. After which we followed it to the source and it led us to Kakashi's house. I assigned Shikimaru and Choji to control the crowd. Ino and I went in to retrieve Kakashi and Naruto. Hokage-sama if I may ask, do you know why Naruto was at Kakashi's house in the first place?" Ino cleared her throat.
"He lives with Kakashi-sensei since his house got trashed by a mob of villagers."
"How do you know that?" Tsunade asked sharply while Ino's team mates stared at her.
"We talked about it when we hung out at the shop today." Ino rolled her eyes. Everyone went still. Choji chocked on his chips and Asuma dropped his cigarette. Tsunade smiled and shook her head. Now she knew why Ino was crying whilst holding Naruto outside the burning house.
"Ok what happened next?" Shikimaru sighed.
"Your Anbu turned up and Choji and I also entered the house. From there we aided our team mate and sensei in carrying them outside. You know what happened from there."
Whatever else someone could have said was lost when the hospital doors opened with a resounding band as a very distraught Iruka burst through them. Asuma rose, ready to halt his progress.
"Where's Naruto?" Tsunade gingerly pointed at the room she had just exited. Iruka disappeared. All anyone saw was the door opening and closing and they blinked.
"Word of warning Asuma. Never get between Iruka and Naruto. Ever." Tsunade stated flatly. Ino, Shikimaru and Choji all nodded their heads.
"Has anyone informed Sakura and Sasuke yet?" Shikimaru asked. Tsunade nodded.
"I sent one of my Anbu's to Sasuke's house." Shikimaru raised an eyebrow.
"What about Sakura?"
"They live together now." Ino casually said once again causing silence to descend upon the group.
"Ino perhaps we should have you trained as a spy. You gather information incredibly well." Ino blushed.
"Can I go see Naruto now?"
"Doesn't your team have training to do?" Ino looked pleadingly at her sensei, her eyes full of barely restrained tears. Asuma sighed.
"Five minutes and don't annoy Iruka-sensei." Ino nodded eagerly and stepped into the room, her tears finally falling when she gazed upon Naruto. Iruka was holding his hand and she quietly stepped up to Naruto's other side and gently brushed a stray strand of hair from his face.
"Why Iruka-sensei? Why did they do it?" Iruka looked up and Ino could see the hurt residing there.
"Because, Ino, they don't understand. No they don't want to understand. The villagers refuse to see the raw determination and courage, the bravery and loyalty that belong to a small lonely child. They only see a;; the parts of themselves that they don't want to face, loneliness, bitterness and anger. It would kill them to see what they're doing to a fellow human being." Ino started. Never had she heard her old sensei so angry or depressed. She leaned forward, lips poised above Naruto's forehead. Iruka looked uncomfortable. Ino spoke.
"Iruka-sensei, Naruto has not been alone for many years. You have no idea how much you mean to Naruto. You gave him his first real reason to keep going and after that he gained his team and now Naruto has me." Ino kissed Naruto's forehead ad left the room to train with her team. Iruka smiled and glanced at the boy whose hand he held.
"You really are like a son to me Naruto." Iruka stayed by his side the whole night and was there to comfort both Sakura and Sasuke when they stormed in. He sent them back home after an hour of reassuring them that Kakashi and Naruto would be fine. That was a hard task in itself considering both were unconscious and were wearing breathing masks.
Iruka was about ready to hit whoever was poking him and he drowsily opened his eyes. As the whitewalls came into the focus Iruka jumped awake and followed the poking hand up to the smiling, though confused, face of Naruto. He pointed at his mask and seemed to ask something which the mask muffled. Iruka laughed at the now scowling boy and gently removed the mask.
"Where's Kakashi?"
"Yo." Both turned to the other bed where Kakashi was sitting up, breathing mask in one hand, the other raised in a wave.
"How come he can pull his mask off but I have to ask before I remove any medical assistance thingy's?"
"Because you tend to rip them off, or out, and generally cause more damage." Naruto looked sheepish and Kakashi laughed. Naruto poked his tongue out at him.
"Good to see you two awake." Said Asuma as he walked into their room.
"How ya's feeling?"
"Yes how are you two feeling?" Tsunade asked coming in behind him.
"Fine." They both answered, though it was obvious they were tired.
"What happened? I know someone came into my house and pulled us out." Kakashi asked, his gazed fixed on Asuma.
"My team and I were in the area when we smelt the smoke. We pulled you guys out."
"That was dangerous Asuma-senpai." Kakashi remarked. "Thankyou" Asuma nodded in reply. Tsunade checked them both over and then ordered them to get some more sleep. Naruto's words halted her exit.
"Was Kakashi-sensei's house destroyed?"
"Unfortunately. Although the backpacks you guys had with you at the times were saved." Naruto looked down sadly and mumbled.
"I'm sorry Sensei."
A/N Last re-written chapter. I hope you guys are enjoying the direction my story is going and as always i would love to receive advice and critism :D Help is always welcome :p