3. Chapter 3
The doors to the dining room opened but Kakashi didn't look up from his dinner, he knew there was only one person who would be late to a royal dinner other then himself.
'But father demanded I talked with him before dinner so I couldn't be late,' Kakashi pouted. He remembered he wasn't wearing his mask and stopped pouting immediately.
"Sorry I'm late, I was helping some boy scouts sell their cookies," Obito said smoothly.
"You're so generous Obito," Sakumo smiled knowingly. Obito kissed Sakumo's cheek and sat to his left, he took the crown off his head and sat it on the white tablecloth.
"Aren't I? What have you two been doing today then?" Obito pulled out his goggles and snapped them on his head with a smile. He had been ruling by Sakumo's side for more then 20 years but he still preferred his own headgear to his crown.
"Had some meetings, did some ruling you know the usual," Sakumo gestured to a servant, the man brought Obito's dinner over and set it down carefully in front of the excited king.
"Lessons, sword training and then socialising," Kakashi said vaguely.
"With the Ukes in the kitchen again?" Sakumo said and Kakashi nodded.
"I'm going to be king one day so I should be on good terms with my subjects," Kakashi smirked.
"I heard an interesting rumour today," Obito cut into his fish and chewed it thoroughly. Kakashi watched his mother's lips morph into a cheshire cat like grin, a voice inside his head told him to run.
"Interesting?" Kakashi repeated in a bored tone and Obito nodded.
"Professor Mashimizu's nephew arrived here which is strange because the last person able to cross the dimensional plane was 7 years ago, a lot of the researchers are going mad with the discovery," Obito said curiously.
"Aaah," Kakashi hummed.
"But that's not the biggest thing, apparently his nephew is a real cutie," Obito curled a strand of dark hair around his finger.
"He's not cute. People aren't…. interested in him are they?" Kakashi frowned and Obito smirked.
"_Maybe_. Where are they? They should be here for dinner?" Obito asked. Kakashi shrugged and started poking his fish childishly.
"Mashimizu is upstairs with him, Iruka-san is having trouble adjusting," Sakumo said finally.
Bright lights danced before Iruka's eyes, they started to clear slowly and Iruka became more aware. His hands gripped in the sheets and he sighed dejectedly, he never thought he'd hate the feeling of silk between his fingers.
'So it's real?….._ Great_…. Just _great_…' Iruka scrunched his eyes up and tried to stop any tears leaking out. He was in a different dimension where his dead uncle was alive and probably running around somewhere….
"Iruka-kun are you awake?" Mashimizu asked.
…. Or in the room with him. Iruka sat up and leaned against the headboard, the room was a pastel yellow colour with gold sheets and a large french window. Iruka didn't have time to admire the room, a movement caught his eye. At the foot of the bed, sitting in a wicker chair was his uncle.
"How are you feeling?" Mashimizu said softly, Iruka could tell he was trying to make an effort to be understanding.
"Confused, nauseous, insane. Take your pick," Iruka held his waist tightly.
"I know it's a lot to handle….. What happened to little Iruka-chan? If he was whisked away to another world he would be so excited!" Mashimizu clapped his hands together.
"That was a long time ago. I'm still that person but…. I still can't believe you're alive," Iruka laughed.
"I'm sorry I left without telling you. My research led to our family mirror and it started glowing, then a voice boomed out 'Take essentials, tell no one, knowledge will be your guide'," Mashimizu explained.
"I see. I thought you'd blown up, we all went out to see the village fireworks and you were gone when we came back, Who called you into the mirror?" Iruka said sadly.
"Each dimension has a guardian, the guardians are controlled by 5 Kages who control all the dimensions. Our guardian is Hiruzen-sama, it was in everyone's best interest if I came here. I never fitted in on Earth did I?" Mashimizu stood up and walked round the bed. Iruka bowed his head in shame, his uncle was eccentric and people didn't understand the creative genius Iruka knew.
"…. How do you know all this?" Iruka's head throbbed at the information.
"I've researched it for years. Many dimensions have no clue that there are other worlds out there but luckily this dimension is aware of it so we're able to research it. That's the reason you're here," Mashimizu sat on the sheets beside Iruka and held both his hands.
"The reason I'm here?" Iruka repeated.
"One of my researchers is off on paternity leave. I want you to work by my side, I miss my family but I know I can't bring everyone through the mirror. It would disrupt the balance," The professor said eagerly.
"Me?….. After everything…." Iruka was torn between hugging his uncle or punching him. Too many complicated emotions raced through Iruka's head, Mashimizu sighed.
"Right now you're bottling your emotions and you need to let them out. So yell at me, hit me, do something because I know it's hard. I went through the same thing when I arrived here and it hurts because it's serious change. Let it all out and I won't judge you or get upset about what you say, I promise," Mashimizu said seriously. Anger bubbled up inside Iruka and he clenched his fists in the silk, silently thanking it's strength or it would have been torn.
"You are so **stupid**!" Iruka exclaimed, he wet his lips and glared angrily.
"You just drag me here? I have a life! I'm a teacher and I love my students. You decide to do this now? It's been 7 years and you didn't care then!" Iruka roared. Mashimizu bit his tongue and waited for Iruka to get everything out his system.
"Do you know how scared I was? I thought Ky… someone was in the house! Then two hands came out the mirror and grabbed me, my heart literally stopped. I was petrified and you're acting like everything is okay?" Iruka ranted, he breathed deeply and dug the heels of his palms into his eyes.
"Better?" Mashimizu said.
"Yeah…. Thanks," Iruka smiled awkwardly.
"It's fine. I remember doing it with you when you were younger," Mashimizu said.
"I'm sorry. I should be grateful…. My favourite uncle is alive," Iruka said in awe, it all seemed unreal.
"Are you hungry? I can get some food sent up," Mashimizu patted Iruka's arm, the younger man tensed and shook his head.
"No. If I'm hungry I can get something myself," Iruka said quickly, the older Umino raised an eyebrow but said nothing about his nephew's strange behaviour.
"I'd rather do it myself, I'm not used to relying on others," Iruka laughed sweetly. Mashimizu couldn't help noticing the Iruka had inherited the Umino stubbornness.
'Big sister must be so proud of him,' the professor thought fondly.
"Come with me, I need to show you something," Mashimizu stood up and held out a hand.
Kakashi navigated the halls with his nose in a book, Obito walked at his side and tried to peek at the pages.
"You never let me see what you're reading," Obito sulked and Kakashi shrugged.
"It's a textbook," Kakashi said sullenly.
"I don't believe yo~ou. So what room is Umino-san in?" Obito gossiped. Kakashi ignored the request and kept walking, his thoughts drifting to Iruka. After feeling his mother's eyes drilling into him for 5 minutes, Kakashi finally gave in.
"He'll be asleep, it's late," Kakashi said.
"Okay I won't disturb him but where is he sleeping?" Obito persisted.
"The room next to mine," Kakashi sped up and a smile tugged at the raven's lips.
"I see. I really want to meet him…." Obito sighed. They rounded the corner and Kakashi bid goodbye to his mother, he placed a hand on the doorknob and frowned. Obito had stopped outside Iruka's room with an excited look.
"The doors ajar so technically I'm allowed in," Obito announced with a grin.
"And people say my logic is screwed up," Kakashi muttered. He pushed his door open and heard a gargled whine from next door.
"No fair, he's not here," He heard Obito say. His visible eye widened and he rushed out the door and pulled his mother away. He pushed the cloth over his eye up and scanned the room with Sharingan, Obito watched the action with interest.
"Where's Iruka?" Kakashi and Obito smirked.
"Where's who?" He asked sweetly. Kakashi coughed and pulled the dark material over his eye again.
"I said 'Where's Umino-san?'" Kakashi said loudly. A tall black haired man rushed past with his arms full of scrolls, clad in a bright green robe.
"Lee have you seen our guest?" Kakashi said clearly, Lee looked at the pair with a thoughtful look.
"Yes. I just saw Umino-san with….. Umino-san…. This is going to be confusing, My King. My Prince," Lee bowed with grace, managing to hold onto every single scroll. He rushed off and Obito blew some hair out of his face.
"If he's with Professor Mashimizu then it will be fine. Let's retire for the night…. Unless you want to wait up for Umino-san?" Obito teased. Kakashi's mask twitched and Obito strolled away laughing, his son was too serious sometimes.
Iruka held his kimono up with one hand to stop him tripping, he hadn't expected to be pulled at several miles per hour down the hall when he took his uncle's hand. He had passed by a few people who didn't spare them a glance.
'He obviously pulls people around a lot,' Iruka thought. They stopped momentarily so Mashimizu could pull the lab door open.
"Uncle can we slow down?" Iruka rasped, he got a quick glance at the large lab before he was pulled again. There were several pedestals with strange looking artefacts, desks piled high with equipment sat untouched.
"Where is everyone?" Iruka called. He was pulled down another thin corridor and up a tall spiral staircase.
"At their homes. Work finished an hour ago," Mashimizu answered, he checked his watch and dragged Iruka up the stairs.
"Where are we?" Iruka's voice echoed against the narrow brick walls.
"The castle has 8 towers, this is the…. No I can't tell you or I'll give it away," Mashimizu said cryptically. Iruka's feet finally touched down on the brick floor and he looked around with a frown. It was a dark circular room with a tall ceiling, a few chairs were stacked by the edge of the room and a large red mat was laid out on the floor.
'Must be one of the towers with the turrets on them,' Iruka thought.
"Iruka-kun, lie down on the floor," Mashimizu said officially. Iruka pointed to the mat and then to himself, Mashimizu nodded and Iruka scoffed.** (Chibi moment xD)**
"No way that's weird," Iruka blurted out.
"You're in an alternate universe via a mirror, you let a complete stranger undress and dress you again even though he's a man and _now_ you're freaked out about laying down?" Mashimizu said incredulously, Iruka blushed and scratched his scar.
"Well…. When you put it like that…._ And _I didn't_ let_ him do anything, pervert," Iruka huffed.
'That will be a fun meeting,' Mashimizu thought as he pushed the younger man down onto the floor. Iruka stared up at the ceiling with a pout, he could hear his uncle fussing around with something.
"What am I looking at Un...Aah!" Iruka gasped in awe, the ceiling disappeared before his eyes and a dark starry sky lay before him.
A blanket of onyx and indigo with small shining diamonds sewn in it looked down at Iruka. A feeling of peace and wonder enveloped him, his mouth falling open in admiration. His fingers and toes started tingling and Iruka's eyes traced over the random constellations. He didn't recognise the new collections of stars but he still enjoyed them.
"Iruka-kun close your eyes," Mashimizu whispered, he didn't want to break the trance Iruka but the surprise wasn't finished.
"Why would I close my….?" Iruka mumbled.
"Trust me. Close your eyes and _listen_," Mashimizu said seriously. Iruka took a deep breath and let his eyelids drop shut.
The sounds of Konoha drifted to his ears, he could hear the sound of the guards talking, children laughing, church bells ringing. It was as if all of Konoha was welcoming him, like the kingdom itself was alive.
"Why?" Iruka's voice echoed around the room.
"You were always scared of magical things. Don't get me wrong, you were interested in them but the practical part of your mind feared the supernatural. I wanted to show you that magic is good too," Mashimizu said softly. Iruka laughed and opened his eyes, he took one last look at the night sky before pushing himself up.
"I'm keeping you from getting home and about that researchers job….." Iruka trailed off, Mashimizu looked at Iruka hopefully.
"We'll talk about it in the morning but I'm not promising anything Uncle," Iruka said firmly, he stood up and brushed the non-existent dirt off his clothes.
"That's all I can ask, you'll be sleeping in the room we were in before," Mashimizu explained.
"Sleep? I've been sleeping all day. Can you do me a favour?" Iruka asked.
Iruka sank into the warm water with a relieved moan. His hands worked quickly to tie his hair up in a messy bun, he didn't want to have to wash his hair yet. He rested on the side of the bath and pouted. The bath was literally the size of a swimming pool and Iruka guessed that about 10 people could easily fit in it.
'I'll never understand why this bath has to be so big, Uncle said there was 10 more that were bigger,' Iruka thought.
_**Knock Knock**_
"It's me Iruka-kun," Mashimizu called. The door opened and the older man stepped in, a pile of pyjamas in his arms.
"They might be a bit big but they are more casual then that kimono. I wasn't used to the formal wear when I first came here. You only have to wear stuff like that for events where nobles are present," Mashimizu said quickly. He set the folded pyjamas down by the door and turned to leave.
"Thank you Uncle. Goodnight," Iruka said.
"Oh Iruka-kun? Don't stay in the bath too long, I have a bad feeling," Mashimizu's eyes scanned around the room nervously.
"You worry too much," Iruka smiled. Mashimizu sighed and left Iruka to bathe.
Shikamaru tightened his grip on the file he carried, he was often called back into the castle late at night when the King needed advice on important matters. He welcomed it because it meant Neji couldn't kick him in his sleep, the former Hyuuga hadn't been sleeping well which probably had something to do with him being 5 months pregnant.
"How troublesome," Shikamaru muttered. He slowed his pace when he noticed a figure walking towards him. The person was wearing a black vest top and slightly baggy blue pyjama pants, a towel was slung around his neck and his hair had slipped into a ponytail.
"Umino Iruka," Shikamaru greeted. The tanned man smiled and bowed to the younger man.
"Nara-san," Iruka replied.
"Are you retiring to bed now?" Shikamaru inquired.
"Yes, hot baths make me sleepy. Goodnight Nara-san," Iruka yawned, he pushed his bedroom door open and shut it behind him. Shikamaru took 5 more steps when he saw someone else approaching.
A tall figure in low cut black pants and a white t-shirt stepped into the light.
"Prince Kakashi? I was told you'd retired to bed already?" Shikamaru looked at the man suspiciously.
"I felt like a walk," Kakashi said bluntly. He passed the advisor quickly and opened his door.
"This walk go anywhere near the west wing baths?" Shikamaru smirked.
"Do I look wet?" Kakashi sneered and Shikamaru scowled.
"That's not what I meant," Shikamaru answered.
"Then you shouldn't be so vague when you're asking something," Kakashi said disappearing into his own room. Shikamaru shook his head and continued on his way.
