Iruka had gotten used to being called to the Hokage's office at odd hours, either to courier confidential files or deal out a scolding to Naruto for one of his pranks. However, he had yet to be called away during classes.

'The boy must have crossed a line this time.' He mused as he handed the reins of the class over to Mitzuki to follow the ANBU to the Hokage's office. As they went he made note that the desk-ninja in the administration building seemed to be in a tizzy, darting back and forth and reshuffling papers like their lives depended on it. Not that it didn't, well not theirs, but the ninja of the village's lives did depend on those papers being filed correctly. But on a normal day that fact would merit they take their time and double check everything, rather than rushing like there was an unexpected diplomatic envoy to prepare for.

"We need your help dealing with an unexpected diplomatic envoy." The ANBU said as they were headed up the last set of stairs, causing Iruka to nearly fall back down them. "What! Why me?" he said, stumbling to his feet, the ANBU stopped and turned to him, "Due to an uncontrolled time-space technique, Naruto Uzumaki is now the acting ambassador of a foreign world." They said in monotone.

For a moment the chunin stood stock still, still enough that the ANBU reflexively checked for genjutsu.

The next moment Iruka disappeared up the stairs in a blur, slamming the ANBU against the wall.

He wasn't even using chakra.

And he didn't slow down when he reached the door, just threw it open, "Hokage-sama! Is Naru-" "Iruka-sensei!" Suddenly an orange missile slammed into his midsection, knocking the wind out of him. He looked down to see a wild blond mop of hair under his nose, "Naruto?" He asked, and his breath caught when the head under his chin tilted up to look at him. It was defiantly Naruto, but not the same one that had been missing from his class yesterday.

There were immediate details that the average nin would pick up on, like a deeper tan, brighter teeth, and longer hair. But, to those who knew him, the big one was the eyes. Where-as before they'd always been bright, now they shone. Not merely with happiness, but confidence, a self-assuredness that he usually saw in the better adjusted jonin.

This…

…

This… highlighted just how much had been missing before, and… Iruka felt something in his heart, shift back in place. This happened in the space of two seconds, so with barely a stutter he chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair, "Well, I see you're alright, but what's this I hear about being ambassador to another world?" he said.

The smile he got back was blinding. Before the academy student could start shouting happily however, the Hokage cleared his throat and suddenly Iruka remembered where they were. He flushed and snapped a salute, "Hokage-sama, my apologies, I don't know what came over me! You sent for me but that wasn't invitation to barge in." The Hokage chuckled, "It's fine Iruka-kun, come in, come in." As Iruka fully entered the office he finally saw the other occupants of the room. Three furry humanoids with pointed animal ears and rodent –like snouts peered at him over the backs of chairs arrayed in front of the Hokage's desk, and what appered to be a wood mask floating above the smaller male. Hakate Kakashi leaned against the left wall, his posture oozing casual disregard but his eye was riveted to the three 'animal-men'. "Iruka-kun, I would like you to meet the Clan-head of the Bandicoot clan and sovereign of the Wumpa Islands, Crash Bandicoot, his advisers Crunch and Coco Bandicoot, and their guardian spirit Aku Aku."

Iruka's eyes widened at the apparent importance of those in front of him and bowed hastily. "Up, up! It's not right for you to bow when we're not even facing you, up!" The one called Crunch rumbled, waving his metal-covered hand up and down. Iruka sheepishly stood straight, "Um… Greetings Bandicoot-samas, my name is Iruka Umino." The three bandicoots nodded in acknowledgment as the Hokage motioned for him to stand beside his desk. As he went, Naruto trotted over and sat on the Clan-head's lap. Iruka was about to open his mouth to reprimand him, but stopped when the bandicoot merely reacted by ruffling the child's hair. 'Ambassador, or son?' Iruka thought.

"Now Iruka-kun, Kakashi-kun, I'm sure you're wondering how this all happened. It started the day before yesterday when Naruto found a damaged summon-contract and took it back to his house." Iruka's breath caught and Kakashi tensed, a summoning-contract is a very delicate peace of seal work, a damaged one is exceedingly dangerous to even be near, 'Tell me he didn't-' "He signed it, and preformed the summoning jutsu from the hand-seals on the scroll." The Hokage's eyes narrowed, "And apparently, he didn't know not do this because he'd been made to serve a detention during class, by Iruka-kun's teacher's aid Mitzuki-san."

The Hokage was saying something further, but Iruka couldn't hear it over the rushing of blood in his ears, "THAT BASTARD DID WHAT?!" Red-faced he unconsciously activated his 'Demon-Head-jutsu', creating a massive illusion of his face that brushed the ceiling, and a stiff gust of wind to simulate the force of his yell. He gathered breath for another yell, but was startled out of his technique by a peal of laughter from the Bandicoot's. He looked over to see them having a riot, Crunch with his head reared back as he let out loud guffaws, Coco doubled over with giggles, and the Clan-head Crash chuckling and smirking at him.

Finally they seemed to calm down, Coco wiped a tear from her eye, "Hooo, you weren't kidding Kit. His head really does get big!" She looked around, and seemed to be confused that the Hokage and Hakate seemed to be cowering from the Academy-sensei. Crash cleared his throat, "Em-ze hile. Guoug raas duba-" after a few seconds of being stunned that a Clan-head was talking like a baby, Iruka realized the mask was talking at the same time-translating-he-should-listen- "transported to our world. There he was adopted by our family, and began his training in our arts as well as what we could of ninja skills."

The bandicoot frowned, "During his training we discovered the fox." Iruka noticed Kakashi stiffen from the corner of his eye, "We were able to interrogate him, learned that he was controlled by a Rouge Uchiha the night of Naruto's birth. Naruto managed to talk him into working with him." Iruka started to be surprised that Naruto had made friends with the Kyuubi, but gave-up on it. "However after so long being so angry that his power turned caustic, his chakra needed to be purified; thankfully Mojo is quite good at that." Iruka managed to be blown the fuck away at the idea of a force strong enough to change the nature of a Buiju. "This resulted in the fox being mentally regressed, we don't know quite why, only that it hasn't affected his memory or power. He sees Naruto as a big brother now. Then we realized to have free access to each-other's chakra, we needed to open the cage of the seal."

Iruka went perfectly still, and Kakashi moved to pounce, but the Hokage subtlety flexed his chakra in the signal for 'stand-down'. The wizened Kage smiled genially at them, and it was terrifying, "Relax my leaves, relax. As you can see Naruto is unharmed and the Rikudou Sennin's son is not rampaging. So it would behoove you to hear the rest of the story." The two ninja subsided, their minds awhirl with the near world shattering implications of what the Hokage had said.

Crash nodded his thanks, "We were about to open the seal, when suddenly everything went white, and Aku and my mental projection were confronted by a chakra-impression of the Yondaime-Hokage, his father." He paused to shift Naruto, who'd started to nod-off, "We explained what we'd done and what we intended, and he was in full support of us taking Naruto in hand, but explained that his seal needed a key to be opened without killing him. Meanwhile Naruto was talking to a chakra impression of his mom. After the teary reunion, she told him they only had a short time together due to only having so much energy. And Naruto, showing just how well that knuckle-head of his works when motivated, made the leap that we could use Mojo to sustain them, and had her bring them to us and his dad."

"From there it was just a matter of getting the Kit home."