Title: Wishes Are Free

Author: Cheza-chan

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Pairing: KakaIru, SasuNaru

Disclaimer: Whereas the concept of Naruto the series doesn't belong to me, nor the show's original characters, Shuuha and its villagers, buildings, jutsus, etc., do.

A/N: Wee! I said I could bring out chapters earlier if anyone wanted n-n Also, thank you Guena-sama! I do have that picture, I wish to make it into a poster to hang on my ceiling so I can fall asleep with Kakashi watching me... (coughs) Again, thank you for that reminder! As often as I've looked at Kakashi images, I never did pay close attention to the mask! X3

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Chapter Five – Is It Home Or On The Sleeve?

"Genins, listen up!" The chattering slowed then ceased at the woman's shout. May dropped the arm she'd been holding up for absolute silence and placed it on her hip. "I'm going to announce your teams now. So, when you hear your name, joins your teammates on the floor." She raised the clipboard she held and started going down the list.

Four teams completed, she came across the fifth. "Team 5. Kazoku Oyasa, Haruno Sakura, and Nago Takai."

Inner Sakura raged while the pink-haired girl stepped down to join her two male teammates. Oyasa smiled warmly, his forehead protector tied around his neck, knot hidden. His aqua eyes sparkled, long oak-colored hair pulled back into a doubled ponytail. Takai scoffed and looked away, gray eyes holding contempt for the two. Sakura smiled nervously.

"Team 8. Umino Naruto, Shinme Haka, and Hitsu Shikyo."

Naruto looked around to see who moved, eyes narrowed. From the middle rows and the far right, two girls made their way down to the floor. "Chotto!" he yelled, crossing his arms in an X before him.

May looked up from her clipboard. "What is it?" she murmured. "Wondering why your brother's not in your team? Or your little friend?"

"Hai!"

"Iruka-kun specifically told me not to put you three in the same team."

"Demo sa, demo sa...! They're both girls." Naruto's outburst was drawing the attention of the entire room.

"Naruto-kun," May sighed. "I chose the teams as I saw fit."

The kyuubi grumbled under his breath as he stomped down to meet the girls, drowning out all talk and only listening for the name of his real remaining teammate.

"Finally, Team 12. Akogi Yoku, Netami Chigiri, and Umino Sasuke."

May exhaled deeply then grinned, hand holding the clipboard on her hip. "You'll meet your team leaders shortly. In the meantime, get to know your partners." She waved, strolling out.

Naruto fidgeted with his new forehead protector, staring at the two girls. The end of Haka's short cherry red hair was visible under the forehead protector that was completely wrapped around her head, metal-plated insignia on the side. Her brown eyes held little interest for him while Shikyo blushed–lowering her golden eyes to the floor–every time she glanced the boy's way or vice versa.

"Ano sa, ano sa!" the boy started.

"Your father works here," Haka cut in.

"Aa..." Naruto stared at her through squinty eyes.

"You're going to get special attention. You and your aniki." She smirked.

"Haka," Shikyo rebuked, a frown disrupting her cute features. "Naruto-kun seems like someone that doesn't depend on others."

"Hai, hai!" the kyuubi laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

Sasuke and Sakura's attention was drawn to the blonde's laughter, Team 8 seeming to be the only one getting along. "What do you like?" the more timid of the team questioned.

"Ramen!" Naruto shouted.

Haka snorted, earning a glare from the other two.

"Also, I like Iruka-sensei!"

"You call your father 'sensei'?" Shikyo murmured, blinking.

"Ah... hai," Naruto rubbed the back of his head, laughing nervously. As their conversation continued–the only one in the room–the Jounins arrived almost forty-five minutes later. They began calling out team numbers where they stopped.

"Team 5."

Sakura blinked as she stared at the male proctor from before. "Anata."

"Kenshiki Hizaku," he corrected. Takai glared at the man then Sakura as if saying he couldn't believe he was placed in a team with a teacher's pet.

"Team 8." Tenko looked around then brushed her wavy hair aside as Naruto bounded towards her, followed by his more docile teammates.

"Onee-chan!" The boy pointed.

"Ayaki Tenko," she laughed.

"It's already started," Haka sighed loudly. Naruto shot her a glare and immediately noticed Sasuke. The undercover Uchiha looked up after feeling eyes on him and smirked.

"Team 12."

He broke Naruto's gaze to find where the voice of his supposed leader had come from. His eyes narrowed at the familiar chakra. 'Don't tell me... Kakashi-sensei...!'

A lethargically strolling Jounin made his way toward them, forehead protector covering what could be assumed as another lazy ice blue eye. Never without his mask, it was a surprise to see nose and chin on Kakashi, but remembered he was using the Henge no Jutsu. The scarecrow had given himself straight, hanging sandy hair that touched the tops of his shoulders and a cross-like scar at the left corner of his mouth.

"Neku Kentan," he drawled in a voice conveying boredom. Sasuke shook his head in frustration as he followed the man, his quiet teammates beside him.

§§§

Iruka leaned against the outer wall of the school building, eyes closed as he listened to the children play. 'This is where I belong. Out all day, surrounded by children's laughter and work to keep me occupied.'

"Iruka-sensei!"

The Chuunin's smile broadened as he opened his eyes to find his Academy student waving, unable to not wave back at the energetic little boy. He was allowing them to play to their hearts' content until he told them it was time to go back inside. 'I wonder how Naruto and the others are faring.'

"Iruka-kun!" Only one person called him that.

Iruka straightened, pushing away from the wall as May sauntered over. She stopped in front of him, both hands on her tiny hips. "I just wanted to let you know your boys headed out today," she stated. "Naruto seemed to be enjoying himself. Also..."

The dolphin stiffened at the drawled word.

"The completed bridge..."

Iruka smiled nervously. "Hai...?"

Her white eyes studied him carefully and the Chuunin almost believed the pupil-less orbs were trying to see through him like a Hyuga's Byakugan. "Your son inspired it, yes?" the young woman queried. "Ayaki told me he aspires to become a great ninja some day."

"He's always told me he wanted to be Kage of his own Hidden Village," Iruka chuckled.

"I'm sure he can be," May stated softly, lowering her eyes. "He has great potential and the position of Namikage is still being decided."

They laughed until the sound faded, the woman sighing, "You've raised a wonderful child."

'I did raise Naruto.' The brunet's nervous air disappeared, revealing a warmth and deep love for the orphaned child conquering the world on Hidden Village at a time. Iruka laughed again, this time sharing a smile with the Special Jounin before him.

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May claimed that practice mere minutes after becoming a team was barbaric and placed a one-week hiatus on doing just that. Some would consider that a sign of weakness, but the Jounin knew through experience what was best. This left the Konoha ninjas to their own devices. Naruto tried to spend time with Sasuke, but his plans were always crushed by Sakura; Kakashi was the main reason for her constant visits: he would not leave Iruka a moment's peace, and, as Kentan, he had now accessibility to the Academy.

"Knock, knock." For the third day that week, the Copy-nin came over at breakfast, Sakura trailing not too far behind. "Iruka-sensei!" he called out.

The dark-haired Chuunin massaged his temples, elbows resting on the walls of the living room. "What did I do to deserve this..." he groaned.

Neither of the two boys managed to make it near the hall–their only means of escape–and the small kitchen soon became quite crowded. "Sasuke-kun," Sakura giggled, pushing Naruto out of the way to stand beside her dream boy. The blonde opened his mouth, but then snapped it shut, turning away with a dark look in his eyes. 'Sasuke.'

Sasuke repressed a deep sigh, glancing over his shoulder. The other boy was digging through the fridge in search of something that could pass as breakfast. He came out with a box of milk that he placed directly to his lips, blatantly ignoring the couple.

Sakura gained the brunet's attention once more as she hugged him arm, grinning. "Sasuke-kun. Let's go out. We won't be able to spend time together starting next week."

'I never wanted to spend time with you.' "Aa," the raven-haired boy muttered.

Naruto cursed sharply as the box slipped from his hand, clattering dully on the floor. He looked up at the curious stares–more of a glower in the pink-haired girl's case–from his other team members and grinned, throwing the empty milk carton in the garbage. "Wari," he said as he rushed by them with the intention of finding his "father".

'Was he...?' Sasuke's eyes narrowed. 'Jealous...?'

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto turned away from the bottom of the stairs into the living room. He stopped and scowled at the sight of his Team leader tugging on the end of Iruka's black turtleneck and long-sleeved shirt. "Kakashi-sensei, leave him alone!"

Kakashi tilted his head, eyebrow raising lazily. "I was simply helping Iruka-sensei dress for school."

"Nani?!" the blonde and Chuunin yelled, wide-eyed expressions identical. 'Undress me is more like it,' Iruka thought, prying the Jounin's fingers away from the hem of the material.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto yelled, running over and staring up at the man. "Ne, ne! Can I come with you? I don't have anything else to do."

"What about Sasuke and Sakura?" the dolphin asked in an irritated voice, swatting at the Kakashi's hands. "Stop," he hissed at the other adult, missing the spark in the eyes of the boy before him.

The silver-haired ninja whined.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto cried again for attention, hands fisted before him.

The voices and sounds swirled inside of the teacher's head, tearing at his patience, tolerance, and nerves. 'Shut up, shut up, shut up–' "Urusai!" the brunet screamed, hands raised above his head. "Kakashi." He turned towards the Copy-nin with a dark look, finger pointed in the direction of the door. "Get out."

The one wide eye blinked twice but followed orders, strolling by a curious Sakura and Sasuke. Iruka gave his full attention to the boy before him, berating himself for his outburst. 'Naruto.' "Naruto." The blonde's shoulders jerked and he lowered his head inches more. "Naruto, gomen. You can come to class with me."

"Yatta!"

The dolphin laughed as Naruto hugged him fiercely, almost toppling over at the force. He ruffled the unruly golden locks then glanced around for his blue flak jacket. 'That's weird.' He knew he'd left it on the arch of the couch and the children wouldn't take it. Iruka's eyes narrowed into slits as he came to an absolute conclusion.

"Hmm." Kakashi checked the scroll pockets of the Chuunin's flak jacket, pulling out and replacing notices and personal agendas. There was nothing of importance to him. 'Chotto.' "What's this?" he murmured, reaching inside the Academy uniform to a secret compartment.

"Kakashi!"

The door flew open and he pulled his hand out. The Jounin raised his arms, jacket dangling from his right hand.

"That's a blatant disregard of my privacy," Iruka growled, storming in with Naruto hot on his heels. He'd suspected that Kakashi had swiped it in the midst of his sudden explosion and, experienced ninja that he was, walked out with it hidden. He snatched back the flak jacket and pulled it on to limit the chances of it being swiped once more. "You need a better hobby than stalking me."

"I have one." Kakashi tapped the forehead protector belonging to "Kentan" that lay over his eye. "Learning jutsus."

"More like stealing," the dolphin muttered, anger still pricked. He nudged the boy beside him. "Come on, Naruto." The blonde stuck out his tongue at the silver-haired male, pulling on his bottom eyelid, then ran after Iruka, slamming the door.

The scarecrow sighed and raised two fingers before him, transforming into Shuuha's Team 12 leader.

§§§

A wide smile lay on the Chuunin's face as they stepped onto the Academy grounds; he had been listening to Naruto prattle on about suggesting him for Namikage for the past fifteen minutes.

"What do you think, otou-san?"

Iruka's step faltered, innocent eyes wide, but he recovered quickly and glanced at the bright whiskered face. Iruka stopped and knelt, cupping a hand around his mouth and the blonde's ear. Naruto nodded slowly as he listened to what was being whispered to him. His eyes gradually widened until they grew to the size of saucers, pendulum teardrops handing from them. "Iruka-sensei... Iruka-sensei!!"

May watched from her office window as son tackled father in the schoolyard, the boy's wails ringing off the walls. She smiled wistfully and turned away, burying memories that no longer held meaning.

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"I'd like to introduce one of my sons," Iruka told his class, patting Naruto on the head. The boy swatted his hand away, not wanting to be babied in front of others. "He became a Genin a few days ago. You will be able to do the same if you study hard and keep up." Naruto's chest expanded with pride as he beamed at the awed children.

"Iruka-sensei!" A young boy with striking golden eyes similar to Shikyo's and bright with excitement raised his hand as he stood.

"Hai, Sendo-kun?"

"Can he show us something? Please!"

Iruka looked down to meet bright blue eyes and a nod and agreed, stepping back with his arms crossed so the boy could have the floor. "Yosha!" Naruto stared around the classroom, suddenly feeling nostalgic, and grinned, raising his hands.

After two hours of keeping the kids entertained, he ran errands for the Chuunin, taking the opportunity to explore the school. He delivered the necessary paperwork to a classroom doors down, then kept going, hands tucked behind his head. 'It's almost bigger than our school,' Naruto mused as he ascended a flight of stairs. He slowed his pace as a group of teachers entered the hall from what could be assumed as their conference room and headed in his direction. Lengthening his steps, the Konoha ninja tried to the amount of time and distance between them.

"Naruto-kun?"

Naruto froze, a shiver running down his spine, and he looked up to find himself surrounded, Tenko's smiling face leaning down close to him. "Are you visiting your father?" she asked.

"Hai..."

"You're going the wrong way, then." Taking him by the elbow, the red-haired Jounin excused herself from her comrades and rushed off in the direction the boy had just come from. 'Yada! I'm spying. Sensei!' Naruto screamed mentally. Tenko slid open Iruka's classroom door and bowed. "Sumimasen, Iruka-sensei," she said loudly. "I brought your son. He said he was looking for you, but was a floor off."

Iruka shot his giggling class a glare and smiled at the young woman, bowing in return. "Arigatou, Tenko-sensei."

"No problem," she laughed.

Sweatdropping and smiling helplessly, the kyuubi trudged back in, thanking the young woman. Tenko waved and stepped out, closing the door. He made his way to the desk, dropping into the teacher's chair. Iruka sighed and resumed on basic Genjutsu, occasionally referring to Naruto's earlier display for examples.

Naruto scoffed under his breath, dropping his head onto the desk. 'If I could've gotten into that room... the things they keep in there!' Iruka's lecture started sinking in as the blonde heard his name once more and he smirked. "Heh." The Chuunin watched with mild interest as the enthusiastic boy skittered away snickering to himself. Naruto performed a Henge no Jutsu as he reached the stairs, darting up.

Hizaku looked up as the conference door slid open, arching an eyebrow.

A head of two blonde pigtails peeked in; the young woman they belonged to giggled, "Konnichiwa. Ano..."

The Jounin stood slowly. "May I help you?" he questioned, leaning his hip against the table. Since the school was only just starting out, the amount of paperwork to cluster the area was limited, so the atmosphere wasn't stifling.

"I'm looking for an Umino Iruka, but I seem to be lost." She smiled sheepishly, stepping inside. The disguised Uzumaki child wore a white and strapless sundress, white wide-brimmed hat in hand.

'She almost looks like...' "You wouldn't happen to be Naruto's mother?" Hizaku inquired, removing his hand from his hip to cross his arms. Maybe it had been the lighting of the other room, but the Jounin didn't seem as old or grumpy as he had the day they registered.

"Hai!" the blonde giggled, blushing.

'She looks twenty! There's something seriously wrong with this family.' "If you could wait here, I'll bring him to you."

'Yes!' "Arigatou."

"Your name?"

"Eh...heh." 'My name...Ah!' "Chiha Naru," the young woman chirped, smiling brightly.

Hizaku shook his head with a quiet sigh, but smiled as he walked by her to exit the room. Something wasn't sitting right about the whole thing–three new Genins that none of the other children had seen and a teacher–but acting too strongly on pure instinct was frowned upon by the village founder. 'Although my instincts seem pretty solid, Shuku-san would have my head, for she's grown quite attached to the Umino family.' Hizaku sighed again, more deeply this time.

"Yosh!" Naruto tossed the hat in the nearest chair and started sorting through the few stacks of papers on the rectangular table. Mission suggestions that were being approved and rejected, reports, and Tenko's obvious doodles were all he found. Glancing at the scroll Hizaku had folded over before leaving, he threw it back open, scanning the flowing characters. 'Sakura?! Why is she–'

"Chiha-san?"

"H–hai?" Naru laughed nervously, fiddling with the scroll behind her back. Her attempts to close it were in vain as it fell with a clunk, rolling along the ground. The Jounin's eyes narrowed, staring at his personal scroll, and she sweatdropped, skirting away. Her cerulean blue gaze landed on the brown-haired Chuunin and his clenched fists. "Iruka-san!" the blonde squealed, hugging the young teacher around the neck.

"Naruto," Iruka hissed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Spying. Shh." The female voice rose once more as the charade continued. "I've missed you and Naruto-kun so much!"

"Damare!"

Hizaku's eyes widened at the blow the young woman received to the head. 'Something's definitely wrong.'

"Iruka-san...! Hidoi yo!"

"Let's go."

"Demo... demo–"

"Urusai!" the brown-haired teacher repeated.

Team 5's leader stared after the quarreling couple, scratching the back of his head.

"What were you thinking?" Iruka sighed, hand pressed against his forehead. They were now standing in the front of his classroom. "What if you had gotten caught?"

"But I didn't!" Naruto protested loudly, now back to normal appearances.

"What name did you give him?"

He laughed. "Chiha Naru. It came from Uchiha Naruto." The boy's eyes widened and Iruka reacted quickly, ushering him out onto the field where the children were for recess, hoping the noise and play stopped Naruto's mind from doting on the name for too long.

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Sasuke rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time, hands buried deep in the pockets of his white pants. Another giggle or sigh from the girl walking beside him would drive him absolutely mad and he might resort to ending her life in public view. All day long, all she'd done was sigh, shoot him a dreamy glance, then giggle. Earlier there had been an attempted conversation, but Sasuke had ended it as it turned down a dangerous path about their "relationship". 'There will never be a relationship between us. That should be obvious.'

"Ah, Sasuke-kun!"

'What now?' The ebony-haired youth looked up to see Sakura waving to another dark-haired boy.

"Oyasa!" the girl laughed.

Oyasa ran over, smiling. "Sakura-chan. I'm surprised to see you," he commented.

"Same here."

Sasuke eyed the boy warily–everyone was a suspect in his eyes–and crossed his arms behind his head.

"Isn't that Naruto-kun's older brother?" the long-haired boy murmured, returning the brunet's stare. 'They look nothing alike...'

Sakura's expression darkened. 'Naruto's... older...' She clenched her fists at her sides. 'Sasuke-kun should be living with me! Not as my brother, but just in the same house as me. Naruto gets to be with him... and they both hate each other!' Inner Sakura agreed with intensely.

"Hai," the Uchiha replied himself. "And he asked me to join him at Kan'you for lunch."

"Wha... Demo, Sasuke-kun!" the pink-haired girl cried, staring after the already-retreating form. Her oak-haired teammate grasped her elbow gently, tugging.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," the Shuuha Genin said reassuringly. "Come with me. I want to show you around."

Sakura turned, staring into the glittering aqua orbs, and smiled. "Hai!" Oyasa chuckled and led the way, Sasuke slowly becoming but a memory.

Said brunet was happy to be by himself now, but had no idea where to venture. Naruto wouldn't be at Kan'you or at home. Home. "Home," Sasuke snorted.

"It's where the heart is," a female voice added.

His eyes narrowed then returned to normal size as Chigiri came up on his left; it would be a while before he could decipher the new chakra types and voices. "Where is your home?" she asked.

"Omae..."

"Chigiri. Netami Chigiri," she grumbled, snow white hair obscuring the left side of her face. "Remember your teammate's name, Umino Sasuke."

"Are you trying to be sociable now for a reason?" the boy snorted.

"Hardly," Chigiri laughed. "I'm just accompanying you to the school where you're going to meet your beloved otouto." Sasuke tilted his head with a smirk and the pair walked on in a companionable silence. They reached the Academy just as most children began running out.

"See you next week." Chigiri gave a short salute then disappeared.

'Omoshiroi.' The Uchiha child smirked and waited for the blonde mop to appear above the children. He found it, but it was several feet higher than he'd expected. Iruka was carrying Naruto on his shoulders. Sasuke sighed and figured the week would go without him having spent time with the one who held the skeleton key to his heart and soul. 'Sap.' He turned, his blue shirt attracting the blonde's gaze.

"Sasuke, ano... Matte!" Naruto called out. "Iruka-sensei, can you...?"

"Hai," the man smiled, setting the boy down. 'I'm sure Kakashi's somewhere around.'

Naruto ran through the clamoring children to get to the raven-haired boy that waited for him. His grin turned devious as he got a wicked thought. Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the change in expressions. 'What's he going... No.'

"Sasuke!" the kyuubi yelled. The brunet pulled his hands from his pockets as the blonde launched himself in his direction; he was left with no choice but to catch him.

Iruka tilted his head with a warm smile at the two boys. For them to find happiness in each other under the circumstances proved they were much stronger than himself. He sighed and started walking once more, vaguely aware of the sandy-haired Jounin at his side. "Kentan-sensei," the dolphin murmured.

They were still following the boys, but at a distance that allowed each pair their privacy. As the sun dipped below the mountains, their shadows were thrown behind them as vendor and store lights served their purpose. "Aa?" Kentan sighed.

"Don't come over again, please," Iruka implored softly, staring at the ground. It was too early in the morning and hid presence was only contributing to the weight he carried on his shoulders. Kakashi undid his transformation discreetly as they entered the busier part of town. "At least... not until next week," the brunet added. "I need some time for myself."

'Practices start next week,' the scarecrow reminded himself. "Iruka-sensei–"

"Please."

Iruka's sullen, almost pitiful expression made him turn away with a faint feel of disgust at his actions. Kakashi sighed, "Wakata."

"Arigatou," Iruka smiled. He stepped back, chuckling at the group of children pretending to be shinobi that ran through them, then looked up to find the scarecrow gone. "Kakashi..." He sighed and continued homeward by himself.

"Tadaima," the Chuunin sighed as he finally entered the house. He received no answer and it was as if he was back in Konoha once more.

"Okaeri!" Naruto's voice yelled down. Iruka smiled as his spirits lifted and pulled off his forehead protector, letting it dangle from his wrist. Locking the door, he passed through the dining room and turned left down the hall to head up the stairs. Naruto met him at the top with a broad grin that left room for questioning.

"Gomen," the brown-haired teacher said. "I'm a little too tired to cook..."

"Daijoubu! You've done enough for today, Iruka-sensei," the blonde laughed.

He knew he should try to figure out what the boy was hiding, but sleep weighed down his eyes. The young man gave Naruto a quick pat to his head before retiring to his room with a sigh. He stumbled to the bed and dropped onto it, falling asleep seconds before his head touched the pillow.

§§§

"Sakura?" Kakashi knocked on the door. 'Huh. Guess she's not back.' With a shrug, he headed back downstairs to fix himself some warm tea. As he tugged on his mask with a sigh, he realized he wanted to remove his mask, permanently, and be the 'Kakashi' Iruka wanted. But the trained shinobi in him knew that when the mission was complete, the children's kidnapper wouldn't be the only thing found out and the latter finding would benefit no one.

The Chuunin wore his heart on his sleeve, but only the emotions he took pride in the most. Even when he was angry, there was always a little part of him that remained pleased at the attention he was receiving.

The scarecrow removed a mug from the cupboard and poured the tea he'd just boiled into it. With a faraway look in his visible eye, he stirred the contents of the mug. 'Maybe this mask was to conceal the heart on my own sleeve.' It had been on so long, Kakashi had forgotten the original reason for wearing it. The Jounin sighed and poured the tea down the drain, leaving the cup in the sink. He made his way back up to his room, replacing the mask before he crossed in front of any windows, and dropped carelessly onto the bed. Icha Icha Paradise lay atop the covers, but he had no interest in reading it. "Iruka... I want to get to know... you. Umino Iruka, in his entirety."

Kakashi sat up as the front door opened, but relaxed once Sakura announced her return. The pink-haired girl skipped up the stairs and entered her room after bidding her teacher goodnight. 'Oyasa-kun...' Sakura giggled, covering her blush-covered face.

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A/N: Boo! Hmm! I want to do something... Halloween-y! (cheers) Yes, in the world of Naruto... it might end up being AU, though. Do they know about Halloween? O.o Maybe I'll just spawn a Halloween fic... then a Christmas fic later on in the year, both under Humor/Romance, because they're going to be sappy, sappy, sappy! (cackles)

I hope no one gets disappointed when the story's over... I think I might be putting too much hype on Iruka's secret X