Don't own Naruto!

Sorry for the shortness of the chapter! Hopefully I'll be able to get some more up later!

THANKS TO ALL REVIEWERS! Please review – then I'll know if this is worth continuing or not!

Chapter 6: Revelation?

The sun rose without much ado the next day. The skies were clear and crisp in the early morning – somewhere a bird sang on the thorn – God was in heaven – all was right with the world. Lambs skipped and played in the green, green meadows, ninja began to rise – in Kakashi and Genma's case, rise VEERRRRY slowly – to start another day of killing, assassinating and whatever else ninjas do on an ordinary day.

It was 6:30 in this part of the world.

And for Iruka, the day (of preparatory study, then mission room, then class and then mission room) began exceptionally well – he put his best foot forward and smiled, feeling that once again, he was looking forward to another day of molding the young minds of the future.

In fact, he looked exceptionally cute and perky as he entered his room, whistling a tune – before he ran out and threw up his breakfast in the bathroom.

Okay. So he wasn't exactly feeling well, but he felt that lunch time would cheer him up no end. He just had to survive it that long.

Genma couldn't believe it.

"Inhuman…." He whispered to Raidou (standing with his back against the farthest classroom wall).

Iruka stopped mid-whistle and craned his head.

He shrugged.

Just his imagination.

He hoped.

Raido pinched Genma.

Hard.

Genma's face contorted in silent pain.

But he said nothing.

He hadn't gotten an A in Ibiki's Interrogation 101 for nothing.

Iruka finished his morning preparations. Set out sheets, double checked the state of the chalkboard erasers, made sure Konohamaru had emptied the pencil sharpener as he was supposed to – and then left for the mission room.

Everybody gave a sigh of relief.

"That was – well… okay…"

Ibiki nodded. "As long as Shiranui shuts his clap-trap it'll be okay."

"Hmph. If us Jounin can't hide from a measly Chuunin, we're in bad shape anyway," Anko snorted from her invisible position – hanging off the ceiling.

"As long as Kotetsu and Izumo don't blow our cover – " Asuma said with a glare at Genma. "Like Genma nearly did."

"Regardless," Kurenai said to Tsume (who was with Ibiki behind a wall hanging). "It's a good thing Iruka's not feeling too well. If he were any perkier, he would have noticed the genjutsu."

"You think so?" asked Raido. "It looks fine to me."

"Hmm… my eternal rival would have been able to spot it."

"But that's Kakashi for you," Tsume said. "Anal retentive, right?"

"I'm not sure anal is quite the word for it," mused Gai.

Passing down the hall, five of the Chuunin Teachers chattered about grading, pranksters, troubled kids, trickster jutsus and hideous punishments for kids.

"They are ALL insane," Genma said. "How do they do it?"

"Did you catch that?" asked one of the teachers.

"Yeah…"

"I guess it's started then."

"Kotetsu had better let us in on the know," another teacher grumbled. "I hate it when something goes down and we're missing on the action."

"Does anybody even know why Iruka-sensei is being targeted by Jounins?"

"Maybe he's a traitor!"

"A spy!"

"Or he's taking bribes?"

"Or maybe," a more sensible teacher suggested, "he's just meeting with a parent?"

"Or it's not Iruka-sensei they are after."

"Maybe it's Konohamaru…."

"He deserves that…"

"Hmph. Little monster."

"Still, I hope we find out."

"Well… we could pass by during lunch time…"

"Just for a peek."

"Guys – that's not a good idea," said the more sensible teacher. "Leave the Jounins to cover it. They'll have our asses if we fuck it up."
"But Kotetsu, Izumo and Tsume are doing it too!"

"We won't go into the room… just pass by…"

And so the day started.

12:00 A.M.

When the lunch hour rolled around, Iruka-sensei was bushed. He had thought (in the early morning when euphoric feelings tended to sweep him along) he would be able to handle a day of school right after his flu bug – but it seemed as if he had overestimated his stamina and underestimated the precociousness of his students on that day.

And there were the two newbies given to him by Herada-sensei, who had said he had too much on his hands (some sort of field trip) which the kids hadn't been able to sign up for – and would Iruka-sensei mind keeping an eye on them?

Iruka felt miffed.

A field trip? He wouldn't have minded taking his class on a field trip with Herada-sensei…

He watched Konohamaru try to slip out of the door yet again.

Or maybe not. Running around trying to stop kids from escaping on a field trip would be harder than cooping them all up in one room under his eye.

But, thank kami, the room was now empty. The lunch break was in full session – his kids (and the two newbies – he couldn't remember their names…) were now terrorizing other kids on the school playground and someone was running late. Still, Iruka decided to redeem the time by marking a few of the papers. He ended up falling asleep.

He woke up to a whump.

Bleary, he focused on a kunai decorated (as an afterthought) with a pink bow and red rose. And a message attached to the ring.

Iruka opened the tiny scroll.

"You're being watched. Meet me in the IchiRaku Ramen shop. My treat."

Iruka blinked.

Watched?

He was being watched?

He felt suddenly that his day was getting worse and worse. Groaning he shut his eyes, stifled a self-pitying sob and focused his energies on his surroundings. Kakashi was right. Iruke felt like an idiot to not notice.

Geez!

The amount of energy surrounding the room – beyond the door in the hallway, beyond the window to his right. In the classroom itself.

Iruka didn't want to know.

He fled.

As soon as he left the building, all of the ninjas tried to surreptitiously follow him.

Perhaps he was leading him to the lover.

Only Genma stayed behind, to finger the kunai and the note. Raido watched him closely. It wasn't like his friend to be so unenthusiastic about stuff like this.

"You recognize something?" he asked curiously.

"Mmmmmm…."

"A clue…"

"Yeah…"

"You know who it is then?"

Genma said nothing – merely placing the kunai down.

A moment's pause.

"Yeah."

"So…"

"So what?"

"Tell me!"

"What?"

"C'mmmmooooonnnnn! Teelllllllllll meeee!" whined Raido, producing a pair of puppy eyes that would shame Konohamaru.

"You'll owe me."

"Sure – the whole world!"

"And you can't say anything."

"Yeah, yeah…"

Genma leaned forward – after looking around him surreptitiously – and whispered something in Raido's ear.

"Nooo… impossible…." Raido blinked.

"Totally. It's the knot. A – type of speciality…"

"Squeeee…." Raido tried to stop his nose from bleeding.

"Yeah," sighed Genma. "Me too…."

He paused.

"You owe me."

"I sure do," Raido said and dragged Genma off.

Paying off a debt to Genma was always easy!

Next up: Buisness is even better at the Ichiraku Ramen shop now that all of Konoha is here! But why are they all staring at Iruka? Eh? He's got a lover? Perhaps this is an assignation? Next! One who sees through the illusions, one who is NOT a noodle head!