Fighting Dreamers
Chapter 4
"Lessons and Lust"
After Naruto's fight the previous day, Iruka didn't want to let him out on his own again. He was making Naruto work on his studies instead. Iruka had taught Naruto everything he knew, and Iruka was secretly scared that he had not prepared him well enough. Naruto would not only lag behind the other students physically but academically as well. He was a slow learner and required tireless patience to teach, and it wasn't as if Iruka had received an amazing education himself. Most of the time, Iruka was learning what he taught to Naruto just weeks before he gave him a new lesson.
"Ugh! This is so stupid! When am I ever gonna need this?" Naruto growled, pushing the paper away from him in disgust. Bracing himself for a battle, Iruka leaned over the table to see how far Naruto had gotten.
"You didn't even try the first problem, Naruto," he chastised sternly. His son scowled and looked away.
"I hate math," he replied stubbornly. Iruka aimed his best scary face at the petulant boy. Naruto glimpsed him out of the corner of his eye and blanched. Quickly, he picked up his stubby pencil and began to work on his assignment.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Iruka commented with a smug grin. His son waited until he thought he was absorbed in his book and then Naruto stuck his tongue out at him. "I saw that," Iruka said, his book hiding an amused smile. Naruto's blonde head lowered back over his paper and he began working in earnest, wary of provoking his father any further.
Time seemed to grind to a halt. Naruto alternated between staring at his word problem and glaring at the clock.
A few seconds ticked by. Then, Naruto was positive the hand went backwards instead of forwards.
"Dad! The clock's broken! It's going backwards instead of –"
"DO YOUR MATH!" Iruka roared, his face turning a vibrant, scary shade of red. Naruto looked properly scolded for about two seconds and then, for the millionth time, he started the first problem. Regaining his temper, Iruka sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose. "Do you need help?" he asked wearily. Naruto gave him a long glance and then returned his eyes to his paper.
"No, I know how to do it," Naruto replied innocently.
Iruka felt his eye twitch. It was a close thing, but he kept another outburst reigned in and returned to his reading. Naruto had finished two of the problems before he dared to speak again.
"Hey, Dad?" he asked.
"Hmm?" Iruka asked absently, absorbed in the story he was reading.
"Do you think Kakashi-sensei will be a good teacher?"
Iruka considered the man's personality. He sighed.
"Just don't pull any pranks on him and try to be respectful. I know it's hard for you to focus sometimes, especially when you get excited, but Kakashi probably won't be as patient with you as I am," Iruka said.
"What are you going to do while we train?" Naruto asked, chewing on the end of his pencil. Iruka put his book down.
"I still have to find a job here. I'll probably start this afternoon. Speaking of which, if I'm not here when you get home eat whatever I've left out for you and then get ready for bed, okay?" Naruto nodded and went back to his math problems.
By the time the morning was over and lunch was finished, Naruto had been cooped up inside for quite awhile. Iruka almost felt guilty for delivering him to Kakashi in such a hyper mood. Still, he'd be doing physical exercise, so Kakashi should be able to wear him down quickly. The two of them made their way to the ramen stand at the appropriate time, but Kakashi was nowhere in sight. Resigned to waiting, the two of them took a seat outside the building. They watched the villagers come and go for half an hour and still Kakashi hadn't showed up.
"I'm sorry, Naruto. Kakashi was probably tied up with work," Iruka said to the disappointed boy. Iruka was irritated highly with the man. What kind of person told a child they'd do something and then just blew the kid off without sending word? Naruto looked like someone had told him his puppy had been run over. Again, feeling helpless, Iruka said, "I'm sure there will be other chances, Naruto. Why don't you come with me to do some job hunting?"
Naruto only shrugged. His big blue eyes kept roving up and down the street, searching for a familiar orange book and a shock of silver hair.
"Dad, can I stay and wait just a little longer? If it gets late I'll go home. Please?" Naruto begged. Iruka sighed. He really needed to job hunt, and Naruto would only act sullen and moody if he forced him to go along. Surely, the boy couldn't get into too much trouble just waiting. With a reluctant nod, Iruka agreed.
"Okay, but one more hour tops. If he's still not here by then, go home," Iruka ordered. Naruto nodded, happy that he'd be allowed to stay. Casting one last glance at him, Iruka took off down the street.
Naruto was not entertained by people-watching for very long without Iruka there to make it interesting. The antsy boy got up and walked in circles. The owner of the ramen stand came out, his apron still on, and gave him a friendly smile.
"Hey! It's my big eater!" he greeted happily. Naruto flashed him a bright smile and patted his stomach.
"Yeah, but my dad already made me lunch. I'm here to meet my friend," Naruto explained. The kindly owner indicated a cart loaded with boxes waiting near the back of the restaurant.
"Well, since he's not here yet, would you like to help me out? I'll give you some free ramen passes if you do," he offered. Naruto whooped happily and punched his fist into the air.
"Sure thing, old man!" The owner, whose actual name was Teuchi, merely smiled at the boy's exuberance.
"Alright, well let's get started so that you'll be done before your friend gets here," he said genially. The cart was unloaded quickly with Naruto's energetic help. When the work was done, Teuchi presented Naruto with five meal tickets – good for three bowls each. Reverently, the boy tucked them into his pocket.
"Thanks, old man!" Naruto said. "Hey, hey, what time is it?" he asked, having almost forgotten about Kakashi.
"It's almost five thirty," Teuchi replied. Teuchi was about to ask what time the friend was supposed to arrive when Kakashi casually strolled up, his nose buried in his orange book.
"YOU'RE LATE!" Naruto shouted with his finger thrust towards Kakashi accusingly. Kakashi raised an eyebrow and tucked away his book.
"I was helping a baby bird learn to fly in the forest…" Kakashi said with a happily crinkled eye. Naruto narrowed his eyes at him and then crossed his arms over his chest in a huff.
"You're late and you're lying, too! Better not tell lies around my dad. He gives spankings for lies. He says you should always keep your word and be honest," Naruto informed, completely oblivious to the effect his words were having on Kakashi.
The silver-haired shinobi had to whip out his book to cover his mask; he was afraid he might have a nosebleed. The mental image of getting spanked by the sexy brunette for telling a lie was almost too much to handle.
"Enough about that. Let's get going," Kakashi said briskly, pretending to read as he led Naruto through the village streets towards the training ground. The hyperactive blonde bounced around him, skipping and jumping and generally acting like a moron. "Walk normally. Don't waste energy uselessly," Kakashi said – mostly so that he wouldn't get seasick watching the boy's blonde head bob up and down like a yo-yo.
Naruto nodded determinedly and moved behind Kakashi, imitating his slouched, long stride, one hand in his pocket. Oblivious, as Naruto was behind him, Kakashi merely walked on until they reached the training ground. It was empty, except for a few younger children that scurried off when they saw him approaching.
Kakashi tucked away his book.
"Okay, so we'll start with the basics. Throw a punch at me," he ordered. Naruto did so immediately and without hesitation, barreling into him with his fist extended and his head ducked down. Kakashi easily side stepped him and knocked him off balance. Naruto hit the ground and grunted, but quickly stood up as if ready to charge again. "Easy, easy!" Kakashi said, holding up his hand in a pacifying manner. Naruto huffed, like a frustrated bull, but remained waiting.
"First of all, don't tuck your thumb inside your other fingers when you make a fist. In the unlikely event that you ever manage to hit something, you'll break it. Do it like this," Kakashi said and showed him a proper fist. Naruto nodded, obviously hanging on his every word. "Secondly, never take your eyes off of me. Don't sacrifice vision for power – it becomes too easy for the enemy to retaliate." Naruto nodded, but opened his mouth to ask a question.
"Hey, what's 'retaliate' mean?" Kakashi sighed.
"Retaliation means hitting you back," Kakashi explained. Naruto nodded, his mouth forming the new word a few times silently as if he was trying to memorize it.
"Okay, I got it! What's next?"
It went on like that until Naruto was kicking, punching, and blocking with relative ease. Kakashi kept expecting the boy to show signs of tiring, but after each new lesson he asked for the next one. It had almost been two and half hours of hard exercise – well, hard exercise for a child anyway. Naruto, however, hadn't even broken a sweat.
Kakashi began to get curious about the source of the kid's energy. He stopped Naruto from doing the repeated high kicks.
"Tell me, were your real parents ninja?" he asked. Naruto became quiet. He stared at Kakashi unflinchingly, and Kakashi thought he saw a glimpse of a child that was nothing like the bubbly boy he knew as Naruto. There was something lurking behind those big eyes of his – something steely blue and frightening in its ferocity.
The child was scarred, no matter how he tried to hide it.
"My dad is my real dad. I don't know what you mean," Naruto replied, though his tone suggested he knew exactly what Kakashi meant. His curiosity heightened even more, Kakashi re-phrased.
"Alright then, who were your birth parents?" he asked, feeling as though he'd entered into a staring contest with the boy.
The tension dissipated. Naruto returned to his kicks without being told to do so. Between the movements he spoke.
"I remember being really hungry, but not a normal hungry. I wanted something else. I wanted something red – lots and lots of red. There was a man not like my dad who had me, and then he left me in a dark place. Then I was hungry for food, and I was cold. There were hands that I didn't like, and then shouting, and then dad picked me up and wrapped me in his coat so that I couldn't see anything." Naruto finished the high kicks and began to do lower ones with his other leg, still not paying Kakashi any attention. It was as if he was lost in vague, nightmarish memories. "I didn't know he was my dad then. He was just a stranger. But he took care of me. I didn't like him at first, because I thought he was going to leave me in the dark place again, but he kept me, even though I was really bad. When I got older and I could understand, he promised me he'd never leave me in the dark place. That's why my dad always does what he says he's going to do, so that I know I can trust him and I'll never get left in the dark place again."
Kakashi told him to stop his kicks.
"I think we're done for today," he said quietly. Lost in thought, Kakashi started to wander in the direction of the memorial stone automatically, but Naruto's forcefully cheery voice startled him out of his thoughts.
"Hey! Don't you want to come to my house for dinner?" he asked brightly, as if the scarred, jaded Naruto of a few moments ago had merely been a figment of Kakashi's imagination. Kakashi's eye widened at the abrupt change in demeanor, and he was reminded of his earlier plan.
Sex was good for getting rid of troublesome thoughts, too.
Naruto talked loudly and boisterously all the way back to his new home, but Kakashi knew and could not forget that there was something underneath the underneath where Naruto was concerned – he just didn't know what exactly it was or what to make of it.
He would simply have to study the boy more. For now, he could safely say that his first judgment of Naruto as inconsequential had perhaps been too hasty. Only time would tell.
The apartment was empty when Naruto led him in. Kakashi was extremely disappointed. Still, there was a chance Iruka might return. Besides, it gave him the opportunity to snoop without Iruka knowing. Naruto puttered about in the kitchen re-heating dinner while Kakashi examined the picture of two people on the small table by the couch. Their faces were familiar, but the memory was elusive and fuzzy.
"They're my grandparents!" Naruto said proudly. "They were really strong, brave ninja, but they died a long time ago. They were killed by a huge monster."
"The fox demon," Kakashi commented absently. He'd long ago sealed away any strong emotions connected with the monster that had killed his sensei. Naruto emerged from the kitchen holding a big pot of ramen with two sets of chopsticks. The pot had other random things in it – very obviously a personal recipe. Naruto set the pot down on the small dining table and passed the extra chopsticks to him.
Ignoring his qualms about eating from the same pot as the boy, he took a hesitant first bite once Naruto was distracted with his own eating. The meal was good, and he ate a bit more before feeling satisfied. Naruto continued to eat until the pot was empty.
"So where is Iruka?" Kakashi finally asked. Naruto scratched his belly and glanced at the clock.
"Dad is job hunting. He said I should put myself to bed if he's not back by bedtime. Hey, hey, do you want to tell me a story?" Naruto asked excitedly. "A real ninja story – not the pretend ones dad tells," Naruto clarified. Kakashi was grasping for an excuse when the front door opened and Iruka came in. He looked surprised to see Kakashi sitting at the table, but his surprise quickly morphed into a friendly smile.
"I'm glad Naruto thought to invite you for dinner. Did I make enough?" he asked. Kakashi nodded, and Naruto bounced over to his father to hug him in greeting.
"Did you find a job, Dad?" he asked brightly. Iruka gave him a tense smile and ruffled his hair.
"We'll talk about that later, Naruto. We have a guest now. How was your training?" he asked, successfully distracting the boy. Naruto immediately began recounting everything he'd been told earlier, about kicking, punching, and blocking in a never-ending stream of loud explanation. Iruka took it all in with a serene smile, occasionally shooting Kakashi an amused or sympathetic look, as the narrative warranted. "You did all of that and yet you still don't seem tired," Iruka said with a weary smile.
Kakashi admired how patient he was with Naruto's yapping. The kid wasn't so bad when he was busy doing something, but how on earth did the man survive him when he was bored and unoccupied?
"He's got stamina – lots of stamina. He may not be as technically advanced as the other kids, but he'll probably outlast all of them," Kakashi said. Naruto whooped excitedly at the praise.
"Did you hear that, Dad?" he asked.
"Yes, I heard. I'm glad you got off to such a good start. Have you brushed your teeth yet? Washed your face?" Naruto grumbled and headed for the door that Kakashi assumed led to the bedrooms.
He was surprised to see it was only a bathroom. He didn't show it, though. Kakashi examined the apartment again with a more critical eye. Everything was run down and the room was cramped, but yet somehow it felt like a good place. He couldn't pinpoint why.
"Well, I'm going to put Naruto to bed soon," Iruka commented, his eyes drifting towards the couch. Kakashi took the hint and stood.
"I'm going to wait outside. I'd like to talk to you for a moment when he's settled," Kakashi requested, not leaving much room for argument. Reluctantly, though it was obvious he was trying to hide the emotion, Iruka nodded.
Kakashi leaned against the metal railing of the apartment complex and looked out over the village settling down for the night. It wasn't as pretty a view as he had at his place, but it was still nice to watch Konoha fall asleep as the stars brightened in the sky. The night air was warm and there was a pleasant breeze. Finally, the door creaked open slowly and Iruka slipped out. He shut it gently behind him. He hesitated, but then he moved to stand beside him near the railing.
"Did he behave today?" Iruka asked, forcing a cheerful tone of voice. Kakashi examined Iruka in the starlight – saw how it gently defined his handsome face and slender neck. The shadows made his long hair look darker than it really was – almost black instead of chocolate brown. Without really thinking about it, he reached out a hand to tuck a stray lock of hair being blown by the breeze behind Iruka's ear.
Iruka allowed the touch, but when Kakashi pulled his hand back ever so slightly, Iruka moved away stiffly.
"I wanted to thank you for tutoring Naruto," he began, again in that falsely bright tone. He had turned his back to him and crossed his arms in front of his waist. His eyes were turned up to the stars. Feeling bold and a little reckless, Kakashi closed the distance between them again and wrapped his arms around Iruka's smaller body.
"Then thank me properly," he purred into the man's ear, following his suggestion with a greedy little lick. Iruka shivered, and Kakashi could feel him trembling, but the brunette sighed and leaned away. Kakashi had Iruka's arms trapped underneath his own, so he could not push him off.
"I can't thank you like that. Please let me go," Iruka said calmly. Kakashi, frustrated with Iruka's attempts to push him away, only wanted him more.
"And if I don't?" he asked huskily, tightening his arms around his prey and nuzzling against his exposed neck and shoulder. The shirt he wore was old and the neck of the garment was conveniently stretched out. It allowed him to nibble at Iruka's skin unhindered.
The brunette made a frustrated little noise and turned his head, as if to explain something to him, but it was a mistake. Kakashi was ready and waiting, mask pulled down, to capture Iruka's lips in a kiss. Iruka made a muffled sound of protest, but he was helpless. Kakashi turned Iruka's body and pulled him against his chest, letting the other man feel his growing excitement. Iruka's hands fisted around his flak jacket, but whether it was in protest or neediness Kakashi couldn't tell. He didn't care.
He ended the kiss reluctantly, and only so that he could express himself properly.
"I want to fuck you, Iruka. Right now." Iruka was shaking his head in protest, but his lips were wet with Kakashi's kiss and his eyes were so achingly beautiful and sad at the same time that Kakashi couldn't respect his wishes. He slanted his mouth over Iruka's again, digging his erection into the man's belly, wanting him to know just how much he was desired.
"Stop," Iruka whispered weakly, pulling away from the kiss and turning his face away. Kakashi just kissed his neck instead.
"I can't," he replied harshly, uncaring if anyone saw them. If he turned Iruka over the railing and fucked him right there, would the old metal be strong enough to hold their weight?
They'd soon find out.
"Stop it," Iruka tried again, straining to pull his arms free of Kakashi's embrace. In the process, his hips pushed against Kakashi's and there was proof that Iruka felt it too – it was carnal and hot and sparked like live wire between them.
"You want it, too, damn it," Kakashi replied, roughly cupping Iruka's erection to prove his point. The shorter man took advantage of his freed arm to slap his cheek. Hard.
"I want you to stop. Get a hold of yourself!" Iruka hissed angrily, cradling his throbbing hand against his chest. Kakashi, panting hard, stumbled back a few steps and touched his aching cheek in surprise.
"You slapped me," he said slowly, bewildered that his guard had been completely dropped. He'd lost his precious control again, and the realization left him reeling. In a movement that was cold as ice water - like another slap to the face- Iruka pushed by him.
"Go home Kakashi," Iruka barked. Kakashi heard the door close and lock, as if that could keep him away. As if they were done talking. As if he'd blown it.
Kakashi turned and plowed a chakra infused punch into the metal railing. The whole piece of railing whined, groaned, and nearly fell off the side of the building. His frustration nowhere near appeased, Kakashi growled and teleported himself to the memorial stone, his thoughts swirling like a Sharingan eye gone mad.
A/N: So things are heating up a bit again…and then Kakashi acted like a prick and ruined it. Thanks for the reviews, and I'm glad you guys are enjoying the fic.