"After four years of silence, K.O.P.O.L confirmed that the widely known crime syndicate The Akatsuki is once again on the move. A.N.B.U Captain Yamato stated in a release on Thursday that this is the first movement they've seen since their attack on the precinct four years ago that took the lives of 21 and wounded many more. Among them, retired A.N.B.U captain Hatake Kakashi, Officers Sarutobi Asuma, Uchiha Obito, and Hyyuga Neji. They are unaware of their goal at this time but issue caution to the general public. If you come into contact with somebody who matches these following descriptions, do not engage..."
"Lunches!" Iruka nearly screams, broken out of his stupor by the two boys whose backs were turned to him, half-way out the front door. One had a half slice of toast pinched between his teeth, another with jam spread all over his face and an untied shoe. Thankfully, at least one of them had stopped to neatly pack his lunch into his bag.
Sai was a blessing, wasn't he? Iruka sighs fondly. They made a good decision with him.
"Thanks, old man!" Naruto cackles, fingers crumbling the paper bag that he tosses into his backpack.
"Yeah! Thanks, old man!" Irukashi beams innocently.
Iruka feels his blood boil.
"Look at what you're teaching your younger brother! Naruto, I swear to G-"
"Good morning, old man..." comes a grinning chuckle that soothes the burn of his blood. Strong arms wrap around Iruka's middle, nose pressing to the warm skin of his jaw.
"So you're to blame for our children being brats?"
"I'll take the blame and wear it proudly." Kakashi grins, placing a chaste kiss to the teacher's lips.
"Better to raise brats than unhappy kids." His tone is playful but Iruka nearly shivers; that's why he had married him.
"Thank you, Iruka..." A red-haired boy half-smiles, quickly gathering his things and packing them into his bag.
"Here again, are you?" Kakashi teases into his mug, hauling Gaara into his chest for a loose hug. Iruka watches the young boy flush pink, giving the older man a gentle nod, a smile visible despite it.
Iruka had to admit that raising teenagers wasn't nearly as difficult as television made it look. They had a seventeen year old, a sixteen year old, a seven year old, and a four year old and while all of them were at ages that Iruka found fun, he favored the older two only a little bit more than he would admit. Naruto would argue that he favored their partners more than them but he would never admit that it was true, even if Ino and Gaara were wonderful kids.
Gaara was Naruto's boyfriend but Iruka considered him another member of their family. The young boy spent more time at their place than he did at home and Iruka often wondered why. They had bonded over their shared difficulties with a sense of self; both he and Gaara hadn't been born into bodies that matched the nature of their brains. He found it funny how it had worked out. His son was taking the same place in Gaara's life that Kakashi had taken in his own.
"Have a good day, kid." Kakashi says softly, laying a gentle hand on Gaara's back after releasing him from his grasp.
"T-Thanks."
Kakashi's gaze flicks to Iruka's eyes. They had considered letting him stay with them permanently but they didn't want to overstep parental boundaries. Kakashi had expressed concern at the end of a two week stay, Iruka tried his hardest to press the school to look into it but without probable cause, it was nearly impossible. Yamato had said that even if they got somebody to check out his home situation, families liked to be on their best behaviors when a social worker was on their way.
He hated it. Parents who didn't treat their kids well were as fertile as the Earth and parents who would, weren't able to have children of their own. He and Kakashi had tried for six years with no luck. They knew it would be harder for them but they didn't expect it to be as hard as it had been. Kakashi being a detective at the time didn't make things any easier. He over-analyzed everything and kept charts that made the situation feel more like a to-do list than trying to grow their family.
It worked itself out in the end.
Naruto was their first. Unlike most adoptions, the day they were told that they'd be taking in a newborn wasn't a happy day for them. Kakashi was more so broken over it than Iruka was. His captain had passed away along with his wife, leaving Naruto alone and in need of a home. They volunteered to raise him. At first he thought that Kakashi was doing it out of obligation but when the dust and grief settled, he found that Kakashi wanted children just as much as he did.
It was strange how two people could grow up together and know so little about each other. He always thought that his husband was humoring his desire for a large family but finding out Kakashi held a desire to father children as well was a turning point in their relationship.
Sai was their second. He came to them when he was eight and Naruto was seven. Most of his history was unknown to them and the agency but he had been in a group home from the moment of his birth until the day they had given him a permanent home with them.
Irukashi and Ren were their youngest children, both sharing the same DNA as Iruka, Kakashi, and Tenzo, their shared partner. Irukashi was older by three years, biologically Kakashi's and Ren was the youngest and only girl, fathered by Tenzo.
Today their family would grow by one more.
Iruka was excited to get to know the teenager, to see how his personality differed to those who were already under their roof. However, the knowledge that Sasuke had an issue with authority was troubling.
Their children were well-behaved, driven, and respectful but they were also sensitive. To have somebody in their home that could threaten or trigger their sensitivities was always a concern. Not to mention that both of his husbands didn't take lightly to disrespect or disobedience. Of course, they would never physically harm or yell at one of their children, he simply hoped that Sasuke's personality wouldn't create conflict in their normally peaceful albeit loud home.
Fostering was much different than adopting, he'd come to realize.
"What's up?" Kakashi asks, sitting himself at the kitchen table, bringing his cup to his lips once more.
"I'm a little nervous..." He starts. "...about today."
Kakashi gives him a nod.
"We've handled more difficult situations, Iruka..." Yamato says in monotone, a simple grin working its way into his lips.
"Besides, kids in the system get labelled incorrectly all the time by it. When they advocate for themselves and it doesn't align with the morality of their placement, conflict is normally blamed on the kids..." The captain says, placing a mug in the teacher's hands. Iruka's eyes soften, fingers wrapping around warm porcelain.
He wasn't wrong.
Kakashi's grey eyes fall on the pair, a soft smile gracing his features. He was glad that Yamato would be there when they picked him up. He still wasn't the best at talking Iruka out of his worry and anxiety, even after all of these years.
"Where's Ren?" The physician asks, looking around the kitchen in search for their daughter.
"In Naruto's bed." Yamato chuckles. "Fast asleep."
"See? No harm done." Kakashi smirks.
"You're impossible."
"I know."