Title: Wishes Are Free
Author: Cheza-chan
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Pairing: KakaIru, SasuNaru
Disclaimer: Ummmmm... Okay, I was just checking, but there's nothing I can put a disclaimer to... yet. Naruto isn't mine... you can't have my manga and anime! (hugs bookshelf)
A/N: Weee! I was finished with it early, so I decided to post. I would also like to thank those of you who reviewed... (wipes the tears from her eyes) Even though it's only seven, and some people get as much as 23 on their first chapter, I'm still moved and touched... (cries!)
Thanks go out to....
Ravyn-09
ElizabethMarieRose – I'm glad to know you actually think it's worth the while and the wait. (is self-conscious about work) Maybe I can shorten the update time if things go good. (V-sign!)
crabapplered – Thank you for your constructive criticism. I'm going to work harder on Iruka from now on. Ooh! Please, I would love a fanart! Please, please, please. (begs)
Hat Trick1
eyes0nme19
Isolde1 – Oh my gosh! I didn't realize Isolde-sama reviewed until I was just doing this... XO I love your work... I read all your Naruto fics... I especially love "The Silent Blade"... (bows in reverence)
Lady Geuna – (to the cheers) I will! I will! I will! X3
Chapter Two - Completely Unprepared
The close warmth of another; the feeling of eyes constantly on him; strong arms under his; soft lips.
Naruto's eyes flew open and he shot up in bed. "What the hell am I thinking?!" He winced, wrapping his arms around his midsection and tried to remember hours earlier, but was only conjuring up thoughts of "soft lips".
'The only lips on mine, ever, were...' The whites of the boy's eyes were the only thing visible as he blanched. "SASUKE'S!!"
§§§
Rousing from his own bed, said boy sneezed. Why'd he attack Naruto... again? And who hit him? 'Iruka-sensei,' his mind answered. He rubbed his neck with a soft sigh and sat up.
Sasuke realized he was quickly growing tired of hitting Naruto and was on the verge of dismantling Sakura's arms from her body. 'She's so loud, annoying and... clingy.'
He scoffed and slipped from his bed. "If she knew where I lived, I'd never get rid of her." He slid open the door of his room and stepped onto the outer hall, staring unenthusiastically at the courtyard before him.
The #1 Rookie sighed again, leaping across the space to land on the far wall. 'Naruto...' It's as if he was seeing the boy in a completely different light, one that might actually get him to open up, a fact that truly scared him. He jumped down and headed back into the village, no purpose in mind.
Iruka sat on the roof of Naruto's apartment, listening with a faint smile at the boy's continuous anguished screams and loud clattering. Beside him was a bag of takeout from Ichiraku that was meant to be on the inside of the building, but the Chuunin couldn't bring himself to knock. His dark eyes narrowed and he grabbed the food before standing.
Iruka ran down the slanted roof, determined to get away from the overly-persistent Jounin–the reason why he couldn't find time to give Naruto the reassuring visit he needed. "Stop it!" he yelled, tossing the ramen at the silver-haired Copy Ninja. 'Gomen, Naruto.' Iruka then purposely fell from the shingled roof, forming several quick hand seals and disappearing before he reached the ground.
Kakashi smirked, tossing the package in the air a few times.
Iruka leapt along the Konoha village's roofs as he tried to put distance between himself and a scarecrow. Unbeknownst to him, he was dragged into a sudden game of cat and mouse, himself portraying the role of the mouse. He dropped to the ground, making a mad dash for the Ninja Academy in hopes of finding sanctuary; sanctuary was coming to him.
"Just in time," Genma mumbled around the needle in his mouth, waving the Chuunin in. "The Godaime was just asking for you."
"Great!" Iruka yelled, running by.
The former Chuunin Examiner blinked then directed his attention to a silver-haired Jounin. "My lucky day," he smiled. "Hokage-sama wants to see you also."
"Hai, hai." Kakashi entered the building with a bounce in his step, leaving Genma to wonder if a rival Nation had released something into the air. He sniffed experimentally, then shrugged.
§§§
Iruka straightened as the door opened, hoping this was whom he had had to wait for. The Hokage had steadfastly refused to divulge any information until his partner got here. Suddenly, it felt as if Naruto had just landed on him from the Hokage Monument as Kakashi stepped in.
"Wari, wari," the older male chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.
"No matter," the Godaime murmured. "I just wanted you both here to let you know you will be partaking in a mission together."
There was a pause, silence seeming to stretch on forever.
"We're what?!" Iruka sputtered, eyes wide. 'I spend a day running from him and now we're stuck together indefinitely?'
"You're going on a mission," she drawled, accentuating each word, each syllable. "To-ge-ther."
"Nande?!" the Chuunin cried. Tsunade winced then glanced at the dark-haired teacher.
Kakashi duly noted the ANBU members' subtle shifts of discomfort to the young man's noise and smirked. Iruka could be loud whenever the right strings were plucked. Loud. Kakashi filed the information away and Tsunade's eyebrow rose at the sudden lecherous gleam in his visible eye.
"Godaime-sama," Iruka muttered, severing her current train of thought. "Why? Why him? Why...me? I have to teach the students..."
She waved a hand. "Because you're perfect. And also, Genma's already looking after your students."
'Genma...' He sweatdropped. 'She might as well let Raidou do it, or better yet, the chain smoker, Sarutobi Asuma!' Iruka chuckled nervously, smiling.
The woman slid her legs from the desk, leaning forward to balance her chin on her upraised, steepled fingers, busty cleavage exposed at the edges of the lapels of her outfit. Her eyes narrowed as her smirk widened. "You two are like Water and Fire, both elements useful but dangerous."
"Who's Fire?" the scarecrow asked out of curiosity.
"You."
Tsunade's gaze and smirk was still locked on the timid Iruka thought her answer was directed to Kakashi. "He's Water. A most perfect ally to all life, but also most feared by the Earth; Water can put out Fire." She shot the Jounin a knowing look, gave a sharp laugh, then sighed, leaning back in her chair. "As I was saying... The mission will have you two travel to the Wave Country to investigate the disappearances of two children admitted as Gennin."
"Sou..." Iruka rubbed the bridge of his nose. He'd heard that the Wave Country's prosperity had risen considerably ever since the Great Naruto Bridge had been completed; so much that they decided to take their safety into their own hands and form a Ninja Academy of their own in the newly created Hidden Village of Wave.
"It's just two children," Kakashi muttered.
"The disappearances weren't reported."
The man's eyebrow rose at the Hokage's statement.
"Genma was on patrol that day, to watch over the town's progress, and he overheard it as the family left the school," Tsunade continued. "Things like that still come to us, but a report was never turned in."
"You said 'children', right?" Iruka mumbled suddenly, dropping his hand to his side. "Do you want us to take on such forms to perform the mission?"
"No," Tsunade said. "I sent Genma out to retrieve Kakashi's pupils for that purpose."
The tan-skinned male started to nod but stopped, cheeks coloring. "Are we supposed to represent a family? Because... to do so..."
"No. Though I wouldn't mind seeing you both use Naruto's Sexy no Jutsu," the fifth Hokage sighed absently. She waved a hand to dismiss the thought, oblivious to the faint surprise in Kakashi's eye and Iruka's blush. "You're single fathers raising your kids. Here." The blonde tossed a folder onto the desk. "It's all in there. Iruka," she said curtly, interrupting said teacher. "If another question comes from your mouth, I'll send Kakashi out to have these ANBU members dispose of you."
"Hai..." Iruka picked up the folder, his expression now detached, and pressed it against his chest.
Kakashi scowled at how quickly the other's good-natured disposition had been shot down, the action aimed at the nonchalant woman, knowing she felt his disgust. He was also aware that the ANBU would love the chance to play with the Chuunin before taking his life.
"If that's all," he rushed out, grabbing the dolphin by the elbow. He opened the door, dragging him out, and closed it behind them. "Don't let her get to you," Kakashi said reassuringly.
Iruka shrugged his arm to relieve it of the man's touch and opened the folder, skimming through the papers. He stopped, hands trembling and eyes wide. "Naruto... and Sasuke..."
"That means I get Sakura-chan," the scarecrow smiled.
Iruka shot him a deadly glare.
"Tsunade just wants the mission to be realistic. Whoever's taking the children wouldn't be wary of an everyday arguing family, would they?"
"I guess... Here."
Kakashi grunted as the mission file was slapped against his chest, holding it there, and watched the ponytailed teacher storm off. The Jounin laughed softly then opened the folder with a "hmm", eyebrow rising.
§§§
Genma stood between the boys, his threats of purposely disqualifying them the next time they tried for Chuunin barely keeping them from each other's throats. Sakura stood to the side; internally raging at him while she smiled sheepishly.
"Tch." The man clicked his tongue softly, wondering who he angered to deserve this. Genma shifted the needle to the other side of his mouth, clamping his teeth down on it with a loud sigh.
"Ara, ara." Kakashi strolled up, placing a hand on the Jounin's shoulder, giving him a nod. The honey-haired examiner left with a scoff, waving over his shoulder; the boys knew better than to openly act up in front of their teacher for punishment would have been the lowest D-Rank mission. "As Genma probably told you," he started. "We have a mission that takes us to the Nation of Waves."
A grin split Naruto's bright face.
"The rank is undetermined, but I'm guessing a possible A."
"Sugei! Sugei!" the blonde laughed, fists clenched in excitement.
"Iruka-sensei will also be joining us," the Jounin added with a hidden smirk. "Sugei! Sugei! Sugei! Iruka-sensei can treat me to ramen all the time!"
"Wrong."
Sasuke smirked at the sight o f the whiskered boy rolling around, cradling his head. Iruka unclenched his fingers then glanced at the other "sensei". "Maybe you should tell them the rest of the mission in an area free of villagers," he suggested.
"Doushite?" Sakura murmured.
"Because it calls for Sasuke and Naruto to be brothers," Kakashi chirped.
Iruka slapped a hand over his face as tempers flared once again. 'That 'you're Water' speech was a load of crap. She did this to torture me. I know it.'
§§§
Instead of dragging the Uchiha back to his home, he took him to his own, hoping the boy would stay unconscious before mid-morning. The dark-haired man would've felt better around Naruto but Kakashi always intercepted him as he tried to reach the boy; everything the other man did against him was irritating.
Iruka made his way through the house and into the living room, placing Sasuke on his couch, then turned his attention to his nightly tasks. He set a pot of water on for his coffee fix then munched idly on some Pocky–said snack stolen from Naruto–while staring at the stack of papers he'd brought home earlier, not seeing them; his mind was on the one-eyed wonder: Hatake Kakashi.
Always at the Sandaime's side, before his death, he'd been in contact with the man, but never on the best of terms. He'd exploded several times in front of him, though one of those times he was yelling at Naruto and his antics. Now, all of a sudden, he became the Jounin's stalked prey.
Iruka sighed, sticking two of the snack pieces in his mouth before pushing away from the doorframe and heading to his worktable. He set the scrolls to one side then the tests papers to the other. Important documents that were deemed first priority sat in the middle.
The young man cracked his fingers and started in. He'd just finished consenting to the last form and was starting on homework scrolls when Sasuke groaned, stalling him into sweatdropping. "Just like an Uchiha. I expected another few hours."
The chocolate-haired Chuunin tried to ignore the boy and opened the first scroll, stretching it across the tabletop to check that his instructions had been properly followed, unaware that Sasuke remained silent.
Thirty minutes later, the boy behind him gave another sound of waking, but it was accompanied by a whispered name: Naruto. Iruka froze and shot the still figure a wide-eyed gaze. 'Don't tell me...!'
Kakashi came over the next morning to walk his new "best friend" to school only to find him propped against the wall of his house, head tilted as he slept. 'He's finally lost his mind.' The silver-haired man shuffled over, though with all his ANBU training, his steps remained light. "Iruka-sensei!"
The man yawned before opening bleary and bloodshot eyes. He glared at the Jounin while relieving his sore muscles.
"I thought people slept inside, on beds," Kakashi chuckled, offering a small salute as he stopped before the other man.
"Sasuke..."
"–Kicked you out of your own house?"
"No!" Iruka shook his head vehemently, sighing, as the familiar blush glanced over his cheeks. He looked to his right side, blush intensifying as he remembered what had drove him to sleep outside.
The Uchiha child sat up slowly at the shout. 'Kuso. How long was I out for? Iruka-sensei hits hard...' He stood, staring around and was unable to make heads or tails of whose house he resided in until he stepped through the empty doorway and noticed the paperwork on the table that had been hidden from his sight. It could only be Umino Iruka.
Sasuke stuck his hands in his pockets, sauntering to the front door with a listless glance at the work the teacher had been completing when he stopped, listening to the voices coming in. 'Kakashi-sensei?'
Kakashi had the blushing teacher pressed against the wall of his own house, masked face inches away from the other's. "Sasuke-kun kept you up? Doing what? Hmm?"
"You read too much of Jiraiya-sama's books. It was not... well... he..." The dark-haired young man pressed the palm of his hand against the house, wondering if its falling would distract the scarecrow enough for him to escape this hellish interrogation.
Sasuke's pitch black eyes widened slowly.
"He kept..."
"Kept?" Kakashi prodded.
Iruka's blush intensified to the point where he was starting to look like a Christmas tree decoration. "...Kept calling Naruto's name. He even...It was like... a..." He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. "He was moaning!"
The masked Jounin snorted loudly, eye closing as he laughed.
"It's... it's not funny! I couldn't get anything done, and I didn't want to wake him up to say 'please stop dreaming of Naruto'."
"Were you aroused?"
"Kakashi-sensei!"
Kakashi avoided the punch and pinned the Chuunin's arms to the wall. "Naruto did the same thing, too... if that makes you feel any better, Sasuke-kun," he added teasingly.
The door flew open and the stampede of oxen that had chased Naruto to the outdoor Exam arena would cower in fear at the look in the boy's dark eyes, unable to see he was as flustered as he was angry.
"Sasuke–"
Sasuke shot Iruka a glare of murderous intent that cut the man's plea short, before disappearing along the rooftops.
"Enjoy the remainder of your life... o-tou-chan." Kakashi's warm breath ghosted over the dolphin's lips then he was gone, vanished. Iruka slowly sank to the ground, Kakashi's hold no longer there to keep him uptight. He gave pained whimper, covering his face.
"I do have to pretend to be his father..." His whimpers escalated to groans.
A/N: (pouts) Okay. I felt like this was almost rushed. This chapter is also like... 1000 words shorter than the other one, but that's because... Well, I know it because of something... Oh, oh! Also, if anyone knows anything about the ANBU like... at all, at all... can you e-mail it to me at: muse(underscore)yanashi(at)hotmail . com Thank you much! (hurries off to work on the next chapter)
