Part Four

Okay, I just found out I'm writing an AU... but okay. . Good for Lee either way. He either is healed or he has Iruka. And yes, it is supposed to be an Iruka/Lee because Akima wanted me to. Remember, if you don't like the pairing, blame Akima! She challenged me to this pairing, along with that Gai/Sakura... . Don't ask. Oh well, I kinda challenged her to some too. .

It was the first day after projectiles and Iruka's students were filing in. Sao was in the usual group, but paused and looked around confused.

"Iruka-sensei, is Lee-kun okay?"

"He's fine, why do you ask?"

"He's not here."

"He normally helps Gai-sensei. He was just helping me with the projectiles."

"But... Lee-kun was cool." A few murmurs from the class seconded her. "Will he come back?"

"Well, possibly. I would have to check." Iruka's class cheered. "Now calm down, it's time to start class." Iruka smiled with the prospect of having Lee in his class full time.

Class ended and Lee came in as he normally did. Iruka offered part of the paperwork stack as he normally did. He also started small talk like he normally did.

"How was your day back with Gai-sensei?"

Lee sighed sadly, which wasn't what he normally did. "He seems to have done better without me. All I seem to do is slow the class down."

Iruka caught one of Lee's hands that was reaching for the paperwork, and held it in concern. "Not al all. You helped my class wonderfully. It normally takes a few more days to teach projectiles because of all the students. Since it's basics I have a bigger class then the specialized students. In fact, my students miss you. They were wondering where you were this morning."

Lee smiled slightly. "Really?" He moved his hand so it was holding Iruka's better. "Thank you."

"If I don't ask this, I won't here the end of it from my students. Would you help me in my class more often?"

Lee grinned. "I'd love to!" He squeezed Iruka's hand, then realized what he was doing. He blushed and started to pull away.

Iruka kept hold of Lee's hand. "I believe you've made quite a few people happy helping me." Iruka smiled, then let go of Lee's hand, almost reluctantly. "Stupid paperwork. I wish I didn't have to take the time to do this."

"Yeah..." Lee stared at his stack, deep in thought.

"I'm sorry." Iruka whispered quietly.

Lee looked up suddenly. "For what?"

"I'm probably taking up you time."

"Not at all. I'm like you, I don't like to go home. I never knew my parents, they died when I was one, so I'm kind of alone." Lee shyly offered his hand again.

Iruka stared at Lee and took his hand. "You lost your parents in the same battle as I lost mine..."

"Yeah... I'm kind of used to being alone. I used to take up the time training, but since it's much harder to train and Gai-sensei's coddling, I don't train nearly as often. I'm starting to feel a bit alone..." Lee brought his other hand up and lightly traced Iruka's scar, then pulled back, blushing. "Sorry."

"It's okay, I don't mind at all." Iruka smiled gently.

"How did you get that?" Lee lightly touched the scar again.

"You'd be surprised. It's from falling out of a tree when I was about five. I somehow hit a rock without breaking my nose or my head, just the deep cut." Iruka lightly laughed.

Lee smiled. "Do you know how many of your students who would love to know what happened?"

"Yup, and I know how many would be disappointed too." Iruka grinned.

Lee laughed. "Yeah. The theories have run from simple accidents to you trying to save your parents from the fox demon."

"I was pulled off of the battlefield before I could even try."

Lee's eyes widened in amazement. "Did you get to see it?"

Iruka raised an eyebrow. "It was kind of big. Really hard to miss."

Lee let the sarcasm pass by with his enthusiasm. "What did it look like?"

"Ummm… like a giant fox with nine tails. I would have thought you'd of known that from all the stories floating around."

"I don't pay attention to rumors. I mean, I've even once heard Naruto was the nine tails!" Lee laughed.

"Yeah…" Iruka laughed nervously.

"Do you have any other neat stories?" Lee looked intent.

"Umm… I did protect Naruto from Mizuki." Iruka rubbed his back absently. "It left a pretty big scar there too…"

"Sounds painful… Why did Mizuki-sensei do that? What I remember about him was a quiet, polite teacher." Lee looked concerned.

"He wanted the power of the Kage scroll so much that he convinced Naruto to steal it for him."

"Steal that? Why?"

"Well, I would think you'd remember that it holds the strongest jitsus known, and most of them forbidden to anyone lower than anbu and hunter-nin, if not completely forbidden."

"Oh yeah…" Lee smiled sheepishly, showing that he did forget.

"Naruto forgot that too, so stole it because Mizuki told him that it would make him stronger. Naruto learned Kage Bunshin from that though, so I guess there was a good point to the whole thing."

"So… did you beat Mizuki up?"

"Umm… no… Naruto did." Iruka blushed. "I guess I did distract Mizuki well enough. The blood loss was getting to me by then."

"Riiiiight… Don't hurt me!" Lee tried to physically block Iruka's glare.

Iruka just shook his head. "You are strange."

"You know you love me!" Lee batted his eyelashes.

"Sure, sure. You know we still haven't done a sheet of paperwork, right?"

Lee looked at his stack. "Oh yeah… paperwork."

They both started on the paperwork, finishing it a little later, than normal. Then they ate at Keiniku like normal, and played random games, like normal, and talked until late, like normal. Lee opted to stay over, like normal, and crashed on the couch.

Lee opened his eyes in the morning to a pair of blue ones and a shock of blond hair.

"Ack!" Lee scooted back and sat up. "Don't do that!"

Naruto snickered at Lee. "You should pay attention, even in sleep."

Lee stuck out his tongue. "I didn't think I would be attacked at Iruka's house."

Naruto was slightly surprised at the lack of the title, but brushed it off. "Food, now!"

"Okay, I'm up. Food is good." Lee walked into the kitchen where Iruka had set out breakfast and Sasuke was already in a chair. Lee got himself coffee and sat down.

"Food!" Naruto stared at Iruka, who was wasting his time just to annoy Naruto. He finally sat down, and they ate.

"Oi, Lee!" Naruto talked around a mouthful of food. "You're almost always over here. Why don't you just move in?"

Both Lee and Iruka blushed. "I wouldn't want to intrude on Iruka's time any more than I already have."

Naruto laughed. "Riiiight. Whatever." He finished eating and watched Sasuke eat his meal at a slower pace. Naruto looked back up. "Did you think I was serious?"

Lee blushed and stuttered. Naruto laughed and continued, interrupting any type of reply from Lee. "Of course you didn't!"

"Of… of course." Lee blushed and was absorbed in his meal.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, but went back to staring at Sasuke eating. "You're slow."

Sasuke glared. "You eat to fast." He took his final bite. "Happy now?"

Naruto grinned. "Sure! Let's get going!"

"Fine, fine." Sasuke followed Naruto to the door.

Iruka waved as the left, then turned to Lee. "You don't look so well."

"I'm fine!" Lee blushed again.

"You ready to help me today?"

"Yep!… You're class really missed me?" Lee looked hopeful.

"Really. Pretty much the whole class, myself included."

"Yourself included?" Lee smiled with a faint blush still on his cheeks.

You actually help me, and you're a close friend, if not my only one…" Iruka smiled back. "Now, we need to head to class. I don't think my, I mean, our class would appreciate us being late." Iruka stood up and started to pick up the dishes, but Lee stopped him.

"Let me." Lee finished picking them up and washed them off in the sink.

Iruka watched, surprised. "You don't have to do that."

"I'm here often enough that I should help some." Lee grinned as he finished washing the dishes. "There. I really don't mind doing things around here to help."

"You still don't have to."

"I like helping. Now about 'our' class?" Lee lightly pushed Iruka towards the door.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going!" Iruka laughed as they both left to their class.