Disclaimer:
I don't own Naruto, though I will one day rule the world.
Summary:
It all began with a harmless joke on an unsuspecting chunin. Nothing bad was supposed to happen, really, and Kakashi was supposed to go scot-free. Instead he got saddled with the finished problem: One super-cute Iruka chibi.
Author's Notes:
Please. Don't. Kill. Me.
Run. Punch. Kick. Block. Lunge. Step. Dodge. Punch. Jump. Cut.
Kakashi glanced down at the body on the ground, his expression covered by the usual fabric and a painted porcelain mask in the shape of a dog. No one had to know that the great copycat Hatake Kakashi was here to eliminate Nanashi. Plus it made him feel like he was an ANBU again.
Suddenly, he reached into his vest. Pulling out the mission scroll, he looked it over and checked off a name, replacing it quickly next to his body. It was very unprofessional if the enemy stole a scroll that said who was killing them and when.
Of course this would have been unnecessary if Kakashi had simply remembered the contents and burned the scroll like he was supposed to.
The man sighed as the sun became brighter when the cloud passed. That small cloud was the reason he was able to kill the ninja. It also meant that this mission would be over quicker than normal.
With the figure closest to Nanashi dead, Kakashi could take his time to kill the ninja who destroyed neighboring, smaller villages to Konoha. Except Kakashi didn't want to take his time. He wanted to finish this up to get back to Konohagakure. To the familiar people.
'To Iruka.'
Kakashi's eyes widened from behind the mask, completely halting his thought process. 'I did not just think… I'll just stop thinking.'
What made his mind finally get back on track was the reality that it would take half a day to travel to the town where Nanashi was last seen. He had to get to that location before nightfall or he'd have to wait another day to set up the infiltration. It didn't help that Nanashi had a skilled underground network. In fact, he probably already knew that somebody was coming to try and kill him.
It was going to be a long day.
-
'It's going to be a long day…' Iruka thought as he allowed the taller girl to drag him around to this mystery place. He frowned in distaste, it wasn't his fault that he was a little on the short side. But Sakura didn't have to rub it in by constantly patting him on the head and calling him, "Cute-widdle Iruka."
Iruka's face darkened, "I'm older." He muttered while pulling his hand from Sakura's. When she turned to give him a pleading stare she was met with a stubborn glare. She sighed; she thought Iruka was going to be nice like he was when he was her teacher.
"What's wrong with you" Sakura asked, hands on her hips in a basic angry girl mode. "We need to get going if we're going to get you some new clothes" She gestured to the clothing that he was currently wearing, a baggy shirt covering a pair of shorts that were held up by a particularly large belt. "It'll be fun"
The chunin growled and followed a few steps behind, the girl who was taking care of him. At least until Kurenai came back from Asuma's house. Iruka shivered when he thought about what she was doing to the older man, fearing for Asuma and what was going to happen when he woke up.
He sighed when Sakura grabbed his hand and jogged down the street, dodging the little children who were running in the other direction. "Are we there yet" Iruka whined, wanting to get rid of Sakura as soon as possible. He just had to wait for the right moment to flee from the overly possessive girl.
The pink haired female frowned at the boy following her. Correction; her teacher who was now in the body of a twelve-year-old's. 'It wouldn't be so bad if he was a little helpful.' She thought as she turned down a familiar road.
Stopping in front of a door, Sakura dug into her pocket and pulled out a key before slipping it into the slot and turning. "And welcome to the house of Kakashi-sensei."
The modern looking apartment was fairly clean, a few things misplaced. Sakura walked right in, placing the keys on a nearby counter. With a glance back, to make sure Iruka followed her, she bounced onto the leather couch.
"We'll be waiting here until Kurenai-san comes to find up." She sighed deeply, leaning back into the chair. "See if you can find some clothes that fit you better. I think Kakashi-sensei's room is in the back." Sakura smiled and gestured to her right, "Make sure you get some that are a little big, you might be having a growth spurt soon."
She smiled innocently while Iruka stomped away from her, his every movement screaming annoyance. Suddenly she sat up straighter, "I heard that"
Iruka continued mumbling underneath his breath as he swung open the door, slamming it behind him in a show of power. The pony tailed teenager smiled when Sakura screamed at the door. "Finally! Away from that annoying girl" He sighed and walked over to bed, stepping over the few articles of clothing that littered the floor.
With a quick twist, he landed on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. The boy looked pensive for a moment, strange for children of his age group, but it soon vanished when he rolled over on his side. "It would help if I knew what her name was…" He murmured as his body relaxed into the rarely used bed.
The chunin frowned as he shifted his weight, feeling a lump underneath his back. He arched his body and reached under, hand stretching to its limits with his arm at a strange angle, and grabbed the object that was annoying him. Withdrawing his hand, the boy glared at the thing he would never expect to see in an elite jounin's house, no less in his bed.
The stuffed horse stared blankly with its beady eyes at the person in front of it, the light from the window reflecting off the black glass.
Iruka glared at the plush object in his hand, wondering if this was what happened to ninja's when they hit their prime. When the horse didn't spring to life, or anything else extraordinary like that, Iruka sighed and let it flop down onto his chest. "What's a little guy like you doing in a place like this" He murmured, stroking the soft fur.
"I feel like I've seen you before…" Iruka sighed, nuzzling the plush in front of him. "As if you're something that I should remember…like that girl from before." He grinned when the fuzziness tickled his nose, quelling the urge to sneeze as he continued to cuddle the small object in front of him.
He frowned suddenly, pulling the horse away from his face to look closer at the room surrounding him. The scar across his nose crinkled when he squinted to gaze at the few reading materials scattered across the floor, or maybe he was trying to see if anyone was listening in on his conversation with the stuffed animal. He cleared his throat in an obnoxious way, to prove he knew that a person was on the other side of the wooden door.
Someone squeaked loudly outside the door and when the shuffling of feet that he had initially heard walked away, he relaxed onto the covers yet again to contemplate the gaps and feelings of familiarity that he felt every time he met a new person. "I want Kakashi-san back…" He muttered unaware of the words leaving his lips.
Iruka's eyes snapped to their fullest when his brain grasped what he had just said. The chunin, though much smaller than he used to be, still had his unique ability to blush bright red. So he sighed, held his breath, and allowed his face to change its shades rapidly.
He hated when that happened.
Good thing that only Haiku was watching him. Iruka snuggled the horse fiercely, hiding his face in the short fur. He sighed and sniffled, moving so that he was lying on his back and staring at the blank, white ceiling.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be babbling on like this…"
When the animal didn't respond, which wasn't strange at all, Iruka closed his eyes in contemplation. He felt his breathing slow down in relaxation as his body prepared to go to sleep, eyelids refusing to lift back up. The stuffed toy fell off his chest and onto the bed when he rolled over to put his arm underneath his head to cushion it.
He didn't hear the door creak as it opened slowly, too caught up in his sleepy daze to recognize the danger that he had allowed himself to be put in. The only witness to the approaching peril was Haiku, but, alas, he was only a stuffed horse and could not do anything except stare as the person crept forward.
A pair of red eyes stared greedily down at the sleeping child, hands flexing away the urge to pinch the slightly flushed cheeks. With one fluid movement, while biting tongue, the figure scooped the chunin into their arms and against their chest. As a second thought, they moved to pick up the stuffed horse.
Unfortunately, this involved much moving since the plush animal had rolled off the bed and onto the floor, because of this the person cursed at their stroke of bad luck. After grabbing the horse, they sighed. At least their prize didn't wake up.
Iruka stirred slightly at the change in position, causing the mysterious figure to stop breathing for a moment. When he resumed sleeping, the figure made their way to the window. If they were going to do it, they had to do it so no on could follow their tracks.
Even if it involved jumping out a window.
Pausing for a moment, to open the escape route and adjust the person in front of them, the thief flicked away a few strands of black hair that had fallen into their eyes. That was the reason they wanted to get it cut, stupid hair trying to foil their kid napping… Rescuing.
Sakura sighed as she looked around the kitchen one more time. Everything was the same; nothing had sprouted legs and walked off. She glanced suspiciously at the plant in the corner of the room, a post-it with the words; "Mr. Ukki-chan" stuck to the ceramic pottery. That was the only thing that unnerved her just a little bit.
Not that she was scared of the plant. No, it was quite the opposite. It was just…a little unnerving. Who names a plant? It's not like they respond to it. Maybe Kakashi-sensei was crazy and this was his only companion in his life.
She giggled at that. Kakashi-sensei, reading his old man books to this little, innocent plant. It was like something from a soap opera. 'Not that we watch them.' Sakura's inner-self reminded, her stern, no nonsense face, already in place.
The pink haired girl sighed, playing with her tea cup. This was boring. She sighed again, hoping to spice things up. Nope…It was still boring. She stretched in her chair and happened to look into the living room, just happening to see a television.
"If Kakashi-sensei isn't here to watch his television," She rationalized to herself, and her inner-self, aloud, "Then I should watch it for him. I mean, he's paying all this money, and someone should enjoy it if he's away." She nodded, "It's my duty as a Konohagakure genin."
So, Sakura settled in front of the television and switched it on with the remote, thinking that Iruka was still in the other room. Luckily the newest episode of "The Ninja and the Ninja-ess" was coming on next.
Not that she cared.
"I don't really enjoy these shows." She muttered to herself as the credits rolled across the screen against the background of the sea. "Who needs to know about the lives of ninja's and how they never are allowed to love and…" The girl drifted off as the screen went blank, revealing a lone woman in the middle of the screen.
Thewoman blinked, her blue and green eye brimming with tears, "I wish he would stay, for me. Why does he have to save the world? Why can't he just stay with me? I would be happy then, and the world would go on for us." As she finished her statement, Sakura snorted.
The genin leaned back in the chair, "What ninja would give up their job to stay with you. She isn't even that pretty." She grumbled, turning to glance at the clock. When she turned back to the screen, which was now showing a man hugging the woman, something was on the ground. An object that she couldn't quite identify. She shrugged, thinking it was only a huge dust bunny, but then it moved.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" Sakura yelled, loud enough to scare the thing near the t.v., but not loud enough to alert anyone nearby. She pulled her feet onto the couch as the thing moved even more, beginning to fear for her life.
A pug stared at her with sad eyes; a Konoha headband tied around its head, and cocked its head to the side at her reaction. It panted and stood up slowly, little legs moving in a quick burst of speed so it could jump up onto the couch. It grunted slightly at the effort, collapsing onto a pillow located nearby, and closed its eyes in a moment of relaxation.
The girl could feel her defenses crumbling when the squashed face looked at her again, no longer fearing the dog that wasn't even up to her shin. "You're so cute!" Sakura gushed suddenly, sweeping the startled dog into an embrace.
A whimper was all the dog could do before it was attacked in the hug, squirming was also an option but the girl knew exactly what to do to immobilize her prey. Must have been learned from all those times she stalked Sasuke. "Aww, Kakashi-sensei never told me about his cute-widdle puppy that needs cuddles when he's away." Sakura said; turning back to the t.v. with the dog firmly secured in her arms.
"Did you come out because you want to watch a show with me?" She continued; unaware of the withering look directed at her currently. "You're lucky you came out when you did. The show's about to get to the best part."
As she finished her phrase, a scream erupted from the television as if it knew that it now had the complete attention of the room's occupants. The woman, from the opening scene, was now kneeling in front of a person who they could assume was the emperor in this series.
"I know that you wish for me to marry him, but I cannot. I do not love him, and that would be the greatest sin of all, to marry and not love your other." She said firmly, silent tears streaming down the sides of her face.
Sakura herself sniffled at the show of emotion, hugging the dog tighter, "Her name's Shiro." She gestured to the emperor, his face as still as stone, "He's evil, you don't have to know his name."
Pakkun sighed in her arms, wondering what he did to deserve this. 'I only came out to get something to eat, damn Kakashi leaving me to starve as he goes off on another mission.' A mental growl followed this thought.
"I agree; he should die!" Sakura continued happily on, watching her soap opera with no idea that this was a jutsu dog, or that he was trying to escape. "But if he died, there would be nothing to hold back Shiro from him."
Her eyes glazed over for a moment when a young man walked onto the screen, his body covered from head to toe in black with only his upper half of his face showing, "That's Herro." Her voice became breathy and light as the man moved across the screen to kneel in front of the other seated man.
"He's a ninja who's under the evil control of the emperor, like Shiro, but all he wants to do is settle down with her." Her shoulders lowered as she sighed outwardly, joy in her every movement. "I wish I could meet him…"
"Why don't you watch this drivel alone then, and let me go?"
Sakura felt the body in her arms increase its struggling at the phrase, confirming that it was, indeed, the dog that spoke. The dog. That spoke. A pug, which was speaking as if he were a normal person.
"I thought the plant was bad!" Sakura moaned, dropping the dog roughly onto the ground. More like threw, but she didn't fell like taking count of those little details. "Now I have to deal with a talking dog! This is turning into a really bad cartoon version of my life!" The young ninja pulled her hands down her face, ignoring the bored look from the small dog.
Said dog shrugged mentally and wandered off into the kitchen, content with knowing that the girl would probably follow him to see where he was going. "Stupid humans' always watching dumb shows and forgetting all about the pets and their needs."
Sakura stumbled after the muttering animal, wondering if this was really Kakashi-sensei's dog. 'I don't think I should have come here, with Iruka or not' She thought, drifting back to the younger looking boy that she left in the bedroom. 'He's probably sleeping right now, thinking about how he's going to repay me for saving him from Kakashi-sensei and Kurenai-san.'
For a moment, the vision of the present Iruka loomed in front of her, his face blushing beet read as he tried to stammer out his childhood crush on her. Cherry blossoms fell down, surrounding them both, when a gust blew. The schoolyard was quiet, everyone else had gone home, and even the teachers had left.
The genin sighed, but then snapped herself out of that daydream, remembering that Iruka was one of those teachers, and that he would soon be changing back into that adult. "A girl can dream." She said firmly to herself, clenching her fists at her side.
"Well, dogs can too. And this one is dreaming of some food, so get over here." A voice came from the tiled kitchen, whining almost in badly contained excitement. A dog was a dog, even if it did know how to talk.
Sakura picked up the pace slightly, moving quicker to the kitchen to feed the animal, which, when she walked into the room, was lying on its side and playing dead. With a scoff underneath her breath, she moved over to the refrigerator and pulled it open.
"Kakashi-sensei doesn't feed you people food, does he?" Sakura asked uncertainly as she looked into the fridge and finding nothing that even resembled food. There was something blue and fuzzy, which she started to reach for, but then stopped. To her knowledge, nothing edible was that shade of a brilliant blue.
As an extra precaution she wiped her hand on her dress.
The pug looked over at her sideways, too busy with scratching behind his ear to pay full attention to her, and his tongue lolled out. "That bastard usually doesn't let me out of the seal; much less let me eat people food. Nah, there's some canned stuff in that counter."
He jerked his head in a general direction, Sakura sighing in relief. No one deserved to eat the food found in Kakashi's house, no one. She slammed the fridge door closed and moved over to the counter, popped it open, and found, terrifyingly, neat rows of dog food cans filling the whole shelf.
"Kakashi-baka gets them filled every Saturday by the store, just in case one of us feels like hanging out for a while." Pakkun explained, waddling over to the girl at his slow gait. His grin said that this happened often enough for there to be an entire shelf devoted to the feeding of said dogs.
"Course he keeps us here in case someone tries to break in when he's away on a mission." The pug said, swallowing mouthfuls of the food that was still in the shape the canister that it was in.
Sakura could feel the fear creep into her thoughts as she slumped into the kitchen's lone chair. 'That dog says it so easily, it must have happened before.' She thought, turning to look out the window that was letting in the afternoon light, eyes widening, 'Someone could come in that window right now and…And have there way with me!'
With her imagination in overdrive, and her inner self not helping in any way, Sakura allowed her thoughts to go wild. A shiver went up her spine at thinking about what horrible deeds could be done to her young flesh. 'And they wouldn't know that I'm here, because I'm supposed to have no class, since Kakashi-sensei is on a mission. No one would hear my screams.'
The girl shook her head while whimpering in a strangled voice, clearing these thoughts from her head. "Nothing can hurt me, not even a scary, named plant. I'm in a jounin's house and it's not like any of his enemies know where he lives." The minute she said it, a knock echoed through the house from the door.
She stiffened, slowly rising from her chair, precautious of the sound, "If I don't answer the door, the person will go away, and I'll just tell Kakashi-san that when he was gone that a visitor came but they left before I could find out who they were." Sakura nodded, happy with her hushed response.
The images which she had cooked up, involving her against a band of assassins that were running from the law, came back at her full speed, sending a blush to her face and almost causing her to swoon.
"Or you could go answer the door, like a civilized person?" Pakkun suggested helpfully from the floor, the folds in his forehead drawing together in confusion at the girl, glancing up from the floor from his bowl while licking his chomps. With that said, and his little mind not functioning properly when so close to food, he dove back into the half full bowl that was currently in front of him.
This time the knocking came louder while becoming more insistent. The genin tensed even more, if that were possible, and she walked robotically over to the door. She hesitated when it came to lifting her hand to actually touch the knob, stopping a few mere inches from the polished surface. "Should I be doing this?" She whispered, pushing her pink hair back with her other hand, "I just know something bad is going to happen."
At that moment, when she reached forward, the door burst open from its hinges and someone stood, silhouetted, in the middle of the hallway.
"Never fear, the amazing Anko is here!"
End of Chapter Notes:
Yes, I know, you people are still going to kill me even though I asked you not to. The truth is, no excuses, you should kill me. I haven't been working at all on the computer and then I got myself in trouble so I'm not allowed to even go on this site. Ah, my life is wonderful, is it not?
But if you guys get my reviews up to 95, I might be able to do something about getting the next chapter out quicker.