Iruka surveyed the mess around him; scrolls scattered across the floor,
vests strewn about, it looked like a tornado had swept through his home. He
was about to give up when out of the corner of his eye; he spotted a small
bronze chest sitting in the corner covered in a layer of dust. He had spent
a good part of the day looking for the box of scrolls his father had kept
hidden from him as a child, citing them as far too dangerous for someone
his age. Protest as he may, even as a student at the ninja academy, his
father still refused to entrust the information of the scrolls to him. The
chest contained his most prized possessions his father once told him. Iruka
held his breath as he unlatched the box. Nestled inside the velvet lining
were two scrolls, one black and one white. He picked up the scrolls and
placed them aside. What he found underneath them surprised him: a stash of
old photos.
Iruka stared at the photo on top. It was their last family portrait. He picked it up gingerly making sure his fingers didn't smudge anything. He smiled as he remembered the day they had taken it. It was a day like all others; his mother had returned home from her mission a few minutes before his father rushed through the door. He was excited about something and wanted to share it with them but he made sure they changed into their very best before heading out. Iruka had protested but despite that, his mother managed to wrangle him into a yukata similar to hers. His father led them up to the foot of the Hokage monument that overlooked the village and declared they would be taking a family portrait. When the sun went down and the skies were streaked in purple, pink, and orange his father said it reminded him of fire that enveloped and protected their village just like the will of fire the Konoha ninjas had.
Iruka sifted through the photos, each of them eliciting a small twinge on sadness. He didn't remember why he had hidden the chest so well but now it came back to him.
"Hmn." Kakashi cleared his throat, letting Iruka know of his presence. Ever since their last encounter, he was sure to be on his best behavior when around the other man. "Our mission starts tomorrow. Sasuke's already out of the hospital."
"Mm. Ok." Iruka mumbled. He hurried to place the photos back into the chest before Kakashi could see them but neglected to notice one that slipped out.
"Iruka?" Kakashi walked up behind Iruka just in time to see him shove something back into a box, "Are you ok?"
"Would you like some tea?" Iruka replied, changing the subject. Before Kakashi could reply Iruka had gotten up and was already rummaging through the kitchen for tea, "Gyokuro tea ok?"
Kakashi noticed the photograph on the floor and checked on Iruka to see him straightening up the kitchen before squatting down to take a closer look. It was a picture of Iruka. The photograph still looked new, no signs of yellowing with age, no signs of fading colors. Kakashi smiled, Iruka was probably five in the photo and was dressed in a ninja outfit way too big for him, and most probably his father's he thought to himself. Kakshi hastily slipped the photo in his vest when he heard Iruka's footsteps getting closer.
"Sorry about the mess," Iruka said, smiling apologetically. He cleared away the junk on the table and settled the tray down. In one smooth action, he shoved all the clothes and scrolls on the sofa and pushed them onto the floor. He sat down, lifted a cup of warm tea and placed it in Kakashi's hands.
"Thank you." Kakashi smiled, eyes curving upward. "You shouldn't apologize."
"Oh but I mean it! It's, well, I guess it's not that but I feel bad." Iruka stumbled over his words, trying to explain himself.
"But doesn't saying sorry for every little thing make your apologies meaningless?"
Iruka opened and shut his mouth, he wanted to retort back but what Kakashi said was true, "Sorry, I can't help myself." After saying that, he got up to clean but was promptly pulled back down to sit.
"No, I like it this way, to know that you're not perfect."
Both men sat there drinking their tea, lapsing into silence. It was not an uncomfortable silence between two acquaintances but rather, a calm stillness shared only between two people that would entrust one another with their lives.*
Kakashi placed his empty cup on the table and excused himself, "I'll see you tomorrow. At the bridge, at 6:00AM."
"6:00 AM?? So does that mean I should get there at 9:00?" Iruka shouted as Kakashi disappeared into the night.
* * *
Iruka rubbed his eyes; he was up at the crack of dawn in case Kakashi really meant six o' clock. "Why, why on earth do I even give him a benefit of a doubt?" he questioned to himself as he took a look at his watch. It was close to nine. He wasn't sure what Kakashi had planned on telling his team so he couldn't very well show up until the other ninja arrived. Iruka hadn't noticed but he was already lying down on the tree branch in which he had made his hiding spot. Iruka yawned, turning to his side and shifting his position to get a better look at the children. Sasuke held onto the wooden railing with his hands, peering over the side to watch the water running beneath him. Sakura wasn't sure what to say to Sasuke but snuck concerned glances every now and then. Naruto sat on top of the railing, elbows on his knees and fists propped up against his chin. Occasionally, his head would drop to the side and he would be jerked away but he would return to the same position again. Watching Naruto made it all the more harder to stay awake. He had recently been riddled with insomnia trying to come up with an answer to Tsunade's question. What was holding him back? He closed his eyes, thinking perhaps he would find the answers in his dreams.
"You're LATE!" Naruto shouted. Iruka jumped at the unexpected outburst and tried to cling on with the tree with all his chakra but to no avail, he landed on the bridge with a loud thud.
"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto and Sakura exclaimed.
"You're LATE!" Kakashi shouted pointing to the man on the ground.
"You're one to talk!" Narutou retorted.
Kakashi scratched his head, "I've always wanted to say that but somehow, I'm never the one that gets there first."
Naruto had since scooted over to Iruka, "Ne, ne, what are you doing here? Spying in Kakashi-sensei and reporting what a lousy teacher he's been? Always late and playing cruel jokes on us?"
Kakashi lifted Naruto up by his collar, "Cruel jokes?"
Naruto held his hands together, ready to do his Kage-Bunshin no jutsu.
"Naruto, I thought I taught you better than to waste your chakra like that." Iruka chided.
Kakashi raised his eyebrow when Naruto unquestioningly released his hands, "You listen to him that easily?" He tossed him to the ground, "What a bad student."
"Oy! That's because he doesn't throw me around like you!" Naruto stuck his tongue out and made a face at him. Turning to Iruka, he asked, "So are you going to report the abuse that goes on around here? Make sure they replace him with someone better!" Naruto paused, squinted and thought for a second, "Why don't you replace him?"
Sasuke turned around for the first time and muttered something inaudible, "So Kakashi-sensei, you've found us a better teacher."
"Na-ru-to..." Sakura whispered to him, "He's not a jounin, remember?"
Iruka smiled at the children, "Oh, but I'm going to apply to become a jounin after this mission with you guys."
"Yes! A mission!" Naruto jumped with joy.
* * *
Eh. Sorry for the slow updates. I write the same paragraphs over and over and agonize over the words I cannot come up with. I'll try to be faster with the updates! I promise! This fic seems to be getting a little too long but at least they're short chapters right??
* Does this paragraph sound too corny? HAHA.. that's what I was thinking... but I kind of liked it. Comments?
Thanks again for the reviews! Thank you thank you thank you!
Iruka stared at the photo on top. It was their last family portrait. He picked it up gingerly making sure his fingers didn't smudge anything. He smiled as he remembered the day they had taken it. It was a day like all others; his mother had returned home from her mission a few minutes before his father rushed through the door. He was excited about something and wanted to share it with them but he made sure they changed into their very best before heading out. Iruka had protested but despite that, his mother managed to wrangle him into a yukata similar to hers. His father led them up to the foot of the Hokage monument that overlooked the village and declared they would be taking a family portrait. When the sun went down and the skies were streaked in purple, pink, and orange his father said it reminded him of fire that enveloped and protected their village just like the will of fire the Konoha ninjas had.
Iruka sifted through the photos, each of them eliciting a small twinge on sadness. He didn't remember why he had hidden the chest so well but now it came back to him.
"Hmn." Kakashi cleared his throat, letting Iruka know of his presence. Ever since their last encounter, he was sure to be on his best behavior when around the other man. "Our mission starts tomorrow. Sasuke's already out of the hospital."
"Mm. Ok." Iruka mumbled. He hurried to place the photos back into the chest before Kakashi could see them but neglected to notice one that slipped out.
"Iruka?" Kakashi walked up behind Iruka just in time to see him shove something back into a box, "Are you ok?"
"Would you like some tea?" Iruka replied, changing the subject. Before Kakashi could reply Iruka had gotten up and was already rummaging through the kitchen for tea, "Gyokuro tea ok?"
Kakashi noticed the photograph on the floor and checked on Iruka to see him straightening up the kitchen before squatting down to take a closer look. It was a picture of Iruka. The photograph still looked new, no signs of yellowing with age, no signs of fading colors. Kakashi smiled, Iruka was probably five in the photo and was dressed in a ninja outfit way too big for him, and most probably his father's he thought to himself. Kakshi hastily slipped the photo in his vest when he heard Iruka's footsteps getting closer.
"Sorry about the mess," Iruka said, smiling apologetically. He cleared away the junk on the table and settled the tray down. In one smooth action, he shoved all the clothes and scrolls on the sofa and pushed them onto the floor. He sat down, lifted a cup of warm tea and placed it in Kakashi's hands.
"Thank you." Kakashi smiled, eyes curving upward. "You shouldn't apologize."
"Oh but I mean it! It's, well, I guess it's not that but I feel bad." Iruka stumbled over his words, trying to explain himself.
"But doesn't saying sorry for every little thing make your apologies meaningless?"
Iruka opened and shut his mouth, he wanted to retort back but what Kakashi said was true, "Sorry, I can't help myself." After saying that, he got up to clean but was promptly pulled back down to sit.
"No, I like it this way, to know that you're not perfect."
Both men sat there drinking their tea, lapsing into silence. It was not an uncomfortable silence between two acquaintances but rather, a calm stillness shared only between two people that would entrust one another with their lives.*
Kakashi placed his empty cup on the table and excused himself, "I'll see you tomorrow. At the bridge, at 6:00AM."
"6:00 AM?? So does that mean I should get there at 9:00?" Iruka shouted as Kakashi disappeared into the night.
* * *
Iruka rubbed his eyes; he was up at the crack of dawn in case Kakashi really meant six o' clock. "Why, why on earth do I even give him a benefit of a doubt?" he questioned to himself as he took a look at his watch. It was close to nine. He wasn't sure what Kakashi had planned on telling his team so he couldn't very well show up until the other ninja arrived. Iruka hadn't noticed but he was already lying down on the tree branch in which he had made his hiding spot. Iruka yawned, turning to his side and shifting his position to get a better look at the children. Sasuke held onto the wooden railing with his hands, peering over the side to watch the water running beneath him. Sakura wasn't sure what to say to Sasuke but snuck concerned glances every now and then. Naruto sat on top of the railing, elbows on his knees and fists propped up against his chin. Occasionally, his head would drop to the side and he would be jerked away but he would return to the same position again. Watching Naruto made it all the more harder to stay awake. He had recently been riddled with insomnia trying to come up with an answer to Tsunade's question. What was holding him back? He closed his eyes, thinking perhaps he would find the answers in his dreams.
"You're LATE!" Naruto shouted. Iruka jumped at the unexpected outburst and tried to cling on with the tree with all his chakra but to no avail, he landed on the bridge with a loud thud.
"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto and Sakura exclaimed.
"You're LATE!" Kakashi shouted pointing to the man on the ground.
"You're one to talk!" Narutou retorted.
Kakashi scratched his head, "I've always wanted to say that but somehow, I'm never the one that gets there first."
Naruto had since scooted over to Iruka, "Ne, ne, what are you doing here? Spying in Kakashi-sensei and reporting what a lousy teacher he's been? Always late and playing cruel jokes on us?"
Kakashi lifted Naruto up by his collar, "Cruel jokes?"
Naruto held his hands together, ready to do his Kage-Bunshin no jutsu.
"Naruto, I thought I taught you better than to waste your chakra like that." Iruka chided.
Kakashi raised his eyebrow when Naruto unquestioningly released his hands, "You listen to him that easily?" He tossed him to the ground, "What a bad student."
"Oy! That's because he doesn't throw me around like you!" Naruto stuck his tongue out and made a face at him. Turning to Iruka, he asked, "So are you going to report the abuse that goes on around here? Make sure they replace him with someone better!" Naruto paused, squinted and thought for a second, "Why don't you replace him?"
Sasuke turned around for the first time and muttered something inaudible, "So Kakashi-sensei, you've found us a better teacher."
"Na-ru-to..." Sakura whispered to him, "He's not a jounin, remember?"
Iruka smiled at the children, "Oh, but I'm going to apply to become a jounin after this mission with you guys."
"Yes! A mission!" Naruto jumped with joy.
* * *
Eh. Sorry for the slow updates. I write the same paragraphs over and over and agonize over the words I cannot come up with. I'll try to be faster with the updates! I promise! This fic seems to be getting a little too long but at least they're short chapters right??
* Does this paragraph sound too corny? HAHA.. that's what I was thinking... but I kind of liked it. Comments?
Thanks again for the reviews! Thank you thank you thank you!