Hi everyone!
I'm sorry for the wait... . I'm slow...
Note: Iruka knows about Naruto's death but not the exact circumstances leading to his little brother figure.
Thanks to all reviewers even the flammer (LOL) : Shadow-Sensei ; Cyber-Porygon ; FFz (thanks for reminding me this... It's something I had to do since forever... XD) ; Lyemi ; Kenji Star (sorry for the shortness of my chapters...) ; Senyor Fier Mensheir ; Akri07 (glomps thanks ! ) ; deviltwit ; sweetsorrowthroughEternity (hey hey I love angst too :p) ; LanierShazar ; MysteryLady-Tx ; uzumaki misaki (He is rationalizing. He had to find a reason to be with Itachi.)
This chapter is beta-ed by Cyber-Porygon ! Thanks ! XD
Painful praise 7
"Kakashi..." Sasuke asked in a low voice, avoiding any eyes contact with the older man. "I would like to speak with Iruka... "
Kakashi eyed the youngest Uchiha wearily.
'Why would he want to see Iruka?'
Speaking of whom, he had not seen the scared faced teacher since the return of the rescue team. He could only hope that the Chûnin was fine.
He shook his head at those thoughts, it was certainly not the first time that Iruka lost a pupil and technically Naruto was not his student anymore, but it seems that the young teacher was very protective of his ex-pupils.
Kakashi sighed.
"If you want... " Kakashi muttered his eye fixed on Sasuke.
Sasuke's shoulders tensed, he gulped knowing that what he was about to do was cruel. But he had no choice ; if he wanted to be alone he had to ditch Kakashi.
He thanked all the gods he knew for the lack of information Kakashi had about Iruka and Naruto's relationship. He knew that he would have not been able to see Iruka if Kakashi had had the slightest idea of how deep Iruka's relationship with Naruto was.
But on the other hand, he found it weird that Kakashi did not know about the brotherly relationship between Naruto and Iruka.
After all, Kakashi knew everything about Sakura and himself. He could even tell what sort of underwear Sasuke was wearing.
Sasuke smirked a little at the thought but soon reminded himself what he was about to do, his lips settled in a grim line, he closed his eyes trying to held back the tears.
'An Uchiha does NOT cry.' He thought while biting the inside of his cheek.
They walked in silence up to the stairs leading to Iruka modest flat. Sasuke took a deep breath in and out, and knocked onto the door.
Rustles were heard on the other side of the door, then snuffles and finally the door opened slightly just enough so that they could see the disbelieved Iruka, whose hair were down, and whose eyes were red surely due to the fact that he cried himself to sleep.
"Sa-Sasuke-kun...Kakashi-san..." Iruka shuttered, his voice raw from crying.
Iruka opened the door, stepping aside so they could enter.
"I'm sorry for the mess." Iruka said sniffleling. "I... I did not think I would have any visitors"
Iruka walked up to the sofa, putting off the papers, scrolls and books scattered carelessly everywhere.
"Sit down ! Sit down !" Iruka said hurriedly.
Iruka quickly went into the kitchen avoiding the piles of scrolls.
"Do you want some tea ? Coffee ? Fruit juice ?" Iruka asked, his voice breaking down at the last statement.
Sasuke sat down on the couch, Kakashi remained standing at his side.
"No thanks... " Sasuke answered just loud enough for Iruka to hear him.
"A cup of coffee would be fine." Kakashi said his eyes wandering around the small room.
He had thought that Iruka would be a neat freak or something like that ; each thing had a place and a place for each things. But it seems that he was wrong.
Recently he was often wrong.
His lips set in a grim smile.
He was considered like a perceptive person and people often asked for his opinion.
Like when the Third had asked him if his team was ready for the Chûnin exam.
But, obviously, he had been wrong.
Naruto, even thought he had a good Taijutsu and Ninjutsu, could not defend himself properly against Genjutsu, and was lacking greatly in the strategy part.
Sasuke was psychologically too weak, he could not admit defeat, his pride blinding him, and his Genjutsu was that of a low Genin, in reality he had made no progress at all in that aspect.
And Sakura, she was far below his expectation: her Taijutsu was nearly inexistent, her Genjutsu was just above average, and her Ninjutsu was barely noticeable. In all, she had not what it took to become a Chûnin, yet.
He knew it or rather he should have known it. But he did not want her to think that she was slowing down Sasuke and Naruto progress in ranks.
Or maybe he did not want them to feel like they were falling behind seeing that all the rookies were taking the exam this year.
Who was he kidding!
It was his own pride as a special Jounin that had not permitted him to see the wrong he would be doing to his team. And now, it was too late for Regrets.
His team had fallen apart without him even noticing. And now one of them was dead by the hands of his own teammate. He would never forgive himself.
Kakashi's thought were interrupted by Iruka shoving a hot mug of coffee in his hands.
Kakashi looked up to see Iruka sitting in an armchair facing them.
"So why are you here?" Iruka asked sighing.
"I... wanted... to... tell you something." Sasuke said hesitating, his eyes avoiding any contact with Iruka.
Iruka looked worriedly at the Uchiha's heir. He had never heard the young boy hesitate, not for the all three years he had him in his classes.
Kakashi frowned not knowing what the Uchiha had in mind but knowing that he was up to no good.
"To tell you..." Sasuke began, taking a deep breath. "Something that Naruto wanted me to tell you... "
Iruka gasped, tears gathering in his eyes.
"Wh... What?" He asked unsure, not really wanted to know the answer.
"He asked me to tell you... that he... he..." Sasuke shuttered looking away from Iruka. "That... he... loves you... and that he felt like... being with you was... like having a family... "
Iruka's jaw stiffened, tears slowly trickling down his face, he brought his shaking right hand up to his mouth. His eyes fixed on Sasuke, desperately trying to figure out if it was true or was it something that Sasuke had invented to make him feel better.
'Sasuke is definitely a cruel person.' Kakashi thought watching the scene unfold in front of him.
Sasuke took a last deep breath, passing his tongue on his dry lips.
He was fully aware that this would bring him the hatred of the young teacher in front of him. But he could not care less ; he would in fact take it with open arms. And he would not hope for less.
'Because Iruka is complete (1), in love and in hatred.' Sasuke thought biting the inside of his lips.
"He told me... that being in team seven... and with you... he wondered... if it was... that to be a family..." Sasuke said gulping. "He said that... with... a smile... before... before I... I p-plunged...my arms inside of him... "
Sasuke's breath was erratic, but he felt like a huge weight had been taken off his heart.
Looking up to Iruka for the first time since he entered the apartment, he saw the young teacher watching him eyes wide opened, tears making their way down his face, his jaw slightly opened.
Iruka was pale as death, his shaking hands folded in front of his mouth ; he breathed in and out, sniffleling.
"You killed him?" Iruka asked with a trembling broken voice. "You killed him ?"
Iruka stood up slowly walking up to Sasuke. His eyes fixed on the Uchiha, his jaws stilled, his hands closing into fist.
"You killed him!" Iruka yelled hysterically throwing himself at the young boy in an attempt to hurt him.
Immediately, Kakashi gripped the teacher by the wrists, effectively preventing him from harming the Uchiha.
"Calm down Iruka !" Kakashi said in a firm authoritative voice, tightening his grip on the teacher's wrists.
"He killed him ! He killed him ! He killed him !" Iruka yelled, trying to extricate his wrists from Kakashi's death grip.
"I'm sorry... " Sasuke muttered looking away from the hysterical Iruka.
This only made Iruka even more enrage. He had successfully freed himself from Kakashi, and was now sizing the young Uchiha, shaking him back and for.
"Sorry ? Sorry ?" Iruka spitted. "Sorry for what ? Killing him ? It was what you wanted all along, was it not ? You thought that no one would miss him if you killed him ! He was just a pawn for your revenge ! "
Sasuke's head shot up, his widening eyes staring at Iruka hatred filled brown eyes. What was Iruka talking about ?
"Do you think I did not know ?" Iruka continued, glaring at the young Uchiha. "You little monster ! All this to avenge some dead people who never cared for you to begin with."
Sasuke was stunned, his plan was working, but he could not care. He could not move an inch, as Iruka washed him with hatred and anger.
"Neglecting the living to live with the dead... You should have died that night ! If you had only died that night..." Iruka said, slopping down his knee his hands covering his eyes.
Kakashi watched the scene unfold before him, this was surrealist.
Well, he did not know Iruka all that well but he would never have thought that he could be so... cruel...
He looked down at the teacher, his one eye filled with sadness, as he saw the young man, knees up to his chest rocking back and for like a young child waking up from a nightmare, muttering the dead blond name again and again.
He turned his back to the Uchiha, hoping that the harsh words of the Chûnin had not have too much of an impact.
His only visible eye widen as he saw that the Uchiha was not there anymore. He understood now...
'What a cruel person you are Sasuke...' Kakashi thought.
Chapter 7 End
(1) I got this from 'Neji no Kaiten' for those who know it... XD
I know this is a short chapter... but don't forget to leave a review none the least.