Kage of the Graves:
A lesson in loss.

"H… hey brakenner! Erp… Barteep!" The voice that rang out above the din of the breakfast crowd had a very heavy slur. This did not bother the man who had slurred, nor did it bother the barkeep. Said Barkeep was an old friend of the drunken academy teacher, and so, he allowed the intoxicated man to have as many drinks as it took to put him out his misery.

Umino Iruka, often described as 'the cool teacher', had been inside of a bottle since late in the previous night. No one questioned his reasons, and for those who did - his slurred answer of "Meh shun di't, er meb'a mer broffer d', T…tik 'er peck, eh? Neh Fug o-errrrrrrp-fff…" - which, to those with an ear for grief stricken drunks - meant "My son died, or maybe my brother did,. take your pick,eh? Now, fuck off." Then he'd laugh, a sound more closely resembling an unbalanced giggle mixed with a weary sob.

For a Chuunin, especially an Academy Teacher Chuunin, someone beating down his door at 7:30 in the evening to deliver an urgent summons for the Hokage was never a good thing. It usually meant that, for one reason or another, Iruka would be traipsing about the country, or another country for that matter, acting in the capacity of bodyguard, translator, logistics officer, evaluator, field medic, or even tutor every once in a while. While there were usually perks involved with such trips and travels, they were almost never as enjoyable as teaching his students, eating a dinner of the worlds best ramen, or even curling up on his loveseat in front of a crackling fire with either a good book, or the very, extremely occasional woman.

This time however, it had not been bad news - it had been the worst thing Iruka could ever remember happening to him, surpassing even the death of his barely remember parents. His little brother, for that was Naruto's standings when the two hung out or played in the park, and his only son, Naruto's role when he had gone out of line with some prank or had some proud achievement to show off - both one in the same, had died. At first, he had reacted much as the others - shocked rage nearly swallowing him alive as he demanded to know what had been done with Naruto's assassin.

He roared in the face of any man or woman who dared to tell him such lies as "It was a suicide," even going so far as to threaten the distraught Hokage for answers, but eventually, upon seeing the note and rereading it several times, Iruka had finally accepted the fact that there was no one for him to unleash the wild, uncontrollable, grief fueled rage upon, and in a matter of seconds, the proud Chuunin had collapsed in on himself.

Naruto… How could he have not seen the signs? How could he miss the obvious tell-tail signs of suicidal depression that seemed so obvious now. The boy had lived alone in a crummy little hotel-room sized apartment since it became obvious that caretakers weren't a safe option, and yet… and yet, no one had ever thought to question that the brilliant smile the boy always wore was just a façade. And now, now that the façade had broken, Iruka simply didn't know what to do anymore, and so.

"Hey," his voice, suddenly devoid of the slur that had dominated it, testament to the complete apathy that had now claimed him, continued. "How about one last drink for the road…"

'Goodbye… Naruto…'

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Naruto was at a loss for words. He'd been listening half heartedly to the fellow specter beside him though, the real reason behind his state of shock was the total collapse of his favorite teacher and loved family member just across the room. The specter had been informing him of the fact that he wasn't supposed to be dead, and that this meant something important, but Naruto simply couldn't get over the terrible sight before him.

He'd gotten drunk once, some time ago, perhaps a year at most - and it had been Iruka, more than anyone else, who had so emphatically scolded him against the evils of drinking. Naruto remembered Iruka yelling, claiming that alcohol was a horrible thing for a Shinobi or anyone else alive to imbibe. The chuunin had said that he would never drink anything in his life, that nothing could make him want to drink…. And yet, Iruka was here, in a bar, becoming worse and worse by the minute.

-"Kami… what have I done to him?"-

-"What? Damnit boy, havn't you paid attention to a word I've said? You're supposed to pay attention to me, not some drunken teacher across the room!"-

But Naruto simply didn't care to listen to the spook, he could only watch - as depression set in - while Itruka downed one last glass and shambled out into the cold.

-"Please,Iruka-sensei, forgive me for what I've done to you…"-

(AN: Sooooo.. Naruto's starting to see that it wasn't the best Idea, and the other ghost - one whom I have yet to name or decide who the identity should be - starts to mention a little more relevant stuff. More on this later,yah?