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Chapter 4; Caring— Part 1

Naruto found out on a Monday morning.

It wasn't that he'd had any inkling that it was happening right under his nose, because he was sadly oblivious when it came to love and attraction. His senses on some level, still overflowing with pink and the need to meld it with gold. So it really shouldn't have surprised him that he'd not known it was happening.

Naruto woke up on that Monday morning in early June with the deep set knowledge in his heart that Kakashi and Iruka were dating.

More than that...

Kakashi and Iruka were sleeping together.

Somewhere deep inside him, Kyuubi laughed and shouted profanities at him, saying that he was as dense as the bars holding him in this cell.

Naruto sprang out of bed and yanked on his pants, completely forgetting the tattered walrus hat on his head as he slammed his feet into his sandals snatched up his red and black coat and ran from his home.

The sun hadn't even risen yet, but that didn't stop the blonde from stomping all the way across the village and pounding his fist on Kakashi's apartment door.

"COME OUT OF THERE, YOU BASTARD! I KNOW WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING TO HIM!"

BANG BANG BANG!

"COME OUT!"

He knew Kakashi was in there. He could feel him, the red hued tendrils of Naruto's chakra sliding under the apartment door and latching onto Kakashi's own pale white energies.

It was then that he realized Iruka-sensei was in there too, hiding his presence. He could feel the subdued, cloaked rich navy of the man's chakra and the orange smears in it as his anger rose.

He banged on the door again, spitefully, his face twisted into a pouting scowl of hatred.

"COME OUT, BASTARD!"

Locks clicked back, and traps eased open—

Naruto found himself looking directly into Iruka-sensei's rather bored, flushed face.

He had beads of sweat on his brow, and was clutching a sheet closed where it hung low and loose around his waist.

All his rage suddenly poofed away and Naruto felt his eyes widen in horror and surprise, peering up at Iruka like a small wide-eyed child, despite the fact he was now almost eighteen and stood only a little under an inch of Iruka's height.

"Naruto."

"Y-yes, sensei?"

Iruka took a deep breath and let it out slowly, in a controlled, annoyed hiss. "If you call me a bastard again, I'll—"

Naruto waved his hands, eyes round in horror; "NO NO NO! NOT YOU! I'd never call you a bastard, Iruka-sensei! I meant Kaka-baka!" He pointed into the apartment where Kakashi was lying on his stomach in the mattress, arms folded under his head, hiding his bare face. Praying the violent jut of his finger was evidence of his complete disdain and hatred.

The silver haired man's eyes curved upward in a grin and he flipped two fingers in Naruto's direction. His feet wagged in the air, and to Naruto he resembled some teen-aged girl lying in a field of flowers day-dreaming about their crush.

It was quite disturbing.

"Kaka-hentai has no business molesting you, Iruka-sensei! He's a dirty old man! Why did you pick him! WHY!"

Iruka's fingers drummed on the doorframe, his hip cocking as he shifted his weight on his feet. He was quiet for a minute, licking his teeth, eyes becoming unfocused as he thought carefully on what he was going to say.

Naruto's shoulders suddenly slumped and his eyes squinted with displeasure, mouth drawing down in a severe pout, despaired rage bubbling in his belly again; "You've seen his face, haven't you."

Iruka's eyes flicked upward and the very corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly into a devious little smirk.

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