WARNING (sort of…) - This chapter is not necessary for this story. It's here as a kind of extended intro and is relatively boring. I wouldn't read it but I wanted to put it here to kind of explain how Iruka got the coaching job and to give some perspective on the story. You don't have to read it if you don't want to but it might be helpful for future reference.
Disclaimer: I own no aspect of Naruto what-so-ever. If I violate any copyright law at all, please alert me and I'll change/remove my story accordingly.
[Reflection
There he stood, right in the middle of the glory that is the Konoha High School football field. His feet were planted firmly on top of the large white K painted at the center of the field. A thin mist created an eerie and lonesome atmosphere as he observed the stadium.
Konoha High School has had a history of good football team fueled by talented players. Year after year, it had produced winning seasons and created a strong following of fans from within the large high school sports community in the village of Konoha. Soon the school's football program had become the village's pride and joy. No one could've foreseen the tragic events that were to unfold.
Twelve years ago… that was when 'it' happened. It was a year after they had won the championship in Suna, and team had stayed late during an especially long practice. No one truly knew how the events unfolded but rumors and legend abound about what happened that night. It was a year after they had won the championship in Suna. And the team had stayed late during a particularly long practice. It is believed that as the team was in the locker room changing, the head coach inexplicably went insane. After a shouting match with the assistant coach, he had gone outside and entered his vehicle. The players and the rest of the coaching staff thought nothing of it until gunshots rang throughout the locker room. Alarmed by the noises, some neighbors rushed to the school and found the head coach firing a handgun indiscriminately at his coaching staff and at his players.
The following morning, the Leaf County police force arrived on the scene and met a chilling sight. The coach had killed all but one of his coaches and had claimed the lives of two of his athletes before he taking his own life. Friends and families of the victims were grief stricken and the event became known as the Konoha county massacre.
The most widely accepted explanation for the senseless killings was that a Kyuubi possessed the coach's spirit. Regardless of the cause, the village of Konoha was scarred forever. The football program was removed from the school's curriculum and the villagers wanted nothing to do with the sport for several years as the mere mention of football brought back painful memories. However, eight years after the tragedy, the nightmare had faded and rumors began to spread that the school was going to reinstate its football team. The rumors eventually gained some truth when the Leaf County athletics committee announced that it had recently approved league entry of a new team. Finally, the school approached the Village Council and requested that it approve a new football team. The motion narrowly passed the voting process because of the mixed feelings towards football. While some were optimistic about the sport, others were still struggling with the events that had happened. Never the less, the hunger for a new team overpowered the fear of history repeating itself. Thus began the second era of Konoha's football program. The rebuilding process took three years to complete. The stadium had not been used in years and desperately needed refurbishment. Also, a completely new coaching staff needed to be assembled. Though once a prestigious position, a coaching job at Konoha High simply wasn't was appealing as it had once been. Many coaches shied away from the position because the unclear talent level of the school's prospects made the job risky. Others avoided the job because they believed it is cursed.
Eventually, the stadium had been completely rebuilt. The pale grass field was replaced by a vibrant new one composed of artificial turf. Also, the dirt track that had circled the field was replaced by a slightly wider one made of brick-red vulcanized rubber. Even the rusty old bleachers were replaced by new ones made of titanium. On top of the home bleachers was a small press box to be used to house commentators and to provide a place for teams to record film of the games. Eventually the school found former football players, some of whom had blown their retirement fund and desperately needed money, and others who had their careers cut short by injuries. These misfits were gathered and formed into a makeshift coaching staff. Of course, this was for the Varsity team. The JV football team was added as an afterthought. JV teams usually existed to accommodate freshmen, sophomore, and certain juniors who are not yet ready to play at the varsity level. The title of JV Football coach wasn't a very prestigious one but it paid a decent salary and was much more low profile than the Varsity position.
Which is exactly why Iruka did it. Iruka Umino signed a contract that bound him and his loyalty to Konoha High School. When asked as to why he took such a lowly position, he simply answered that he needed the money. However, those that knew him better knew he was doing it to prove something to himself. Him and his staff were expected to take young prospects and prepare them for the next level of football. He would have three months of summer to condition his team. The season would start right along the time that the school year does. Including the summer practices, the football program will run for six months. As he stands in the fog, awaiting his new team to arrive, Iruka vows to himself that, for those six months, he will devote himself to the young players and bring out the best in each and every one of them. He would turn them into football players.
Author's Note: Well, this chapter isn't so much a chapter as it was an intro/summary/history of the story. It's here just to give some insight as to how things got to the point where the story actually starts. The next chapter will be where my story officially begins. This chapter was kind of drawn out and dull. Trust me, the actually story is nothing like this. Expect updates every few weeks or so, I'm a busy person and like to write during my free time. Btw, I haven't given up on my Evangelion fanfic, it's just on a hiatus until I get a break from school and such.