Susume

He knocked on the classroom door and waited for the familiar voice inside to answer.

"Come in."

Naruto gave a big sigh and pulled the screen open. He found Iruka at his desk, grading papers from the looks of it. Were Naruto's hands sweating? What on earth was wrong with him? Why was he so nervous?

"Naruto," Iruka offered him a welcoming smile. "This is a surprise."

"Hey, Iruka-sensei," he let out feebly seating himself in the front row of the class.

The older man smiled. "It's been a while since I've been able to teach you anything Naruto, you don't have to keep calling me that."

Naruto thought about this for a while. "But you're Iruka-sensei," he said somewhat confused, "And I'm sure you'll never run out of things to teach me."

Iruka looked up from his papers and smiled at the boy, well, no, not the boy actually. If Iruka still saw the 18 year old as a boy how could he blame him for still seeing him as a teacher? "I hope not. What can I do for you Naruto?"

"Actually, that's kinda why I'm here."

Iruka raised a brow, "Need a lesson?"

"Just some advice," Naruto said looking down at his hands. "I really wanted to talk to Kakashi-sensei, but his office said he was away on official business."

"Really?" Iruka tried to hide how much it irked him that he was second fiddle to the Rokudaime, and that Naruto actual believed "official business" wasn't code for, hiding from paperwork.

"Well, what's on your mind?"

He gave an audible sigh and, was Iruka just seeing things or, was he blushing?

"It's about a girl," he finally confessed.

Iruka's brows rose in a pleasant surprise. "Really!"

"Yes, really," Naruto said, annoyed at the amused tone in his teachers voice.

"Is it Sakura-chan?" Iruka asked, remembering the boy's fondness for the kunoichi.

"What? No, I- that's been over for a long time," Naruto said as he brushed away the distasteful memory of her "confession."

"Oh, I didn't know," he said apologetically. It had been a while since they'd talked.

"No, Iruka-sensei, I fell in love with someone else. She's beautiful and smart and kind and strong and, amazingly, she loves me too."

"Well, of course she does Naruto. Everyone in the village looks up to you now."

"No, I mean, she loved me before I came back from the war. Before Madara, and before Pein, and before anyone even wanted to talk to me."

Yes, that definitely didn't describe Sakura, "She sounds amazing Naruto-kun, is she from the Leaf?" It was a valid question. Iruka didn't think he remembered anyone around his age that didn't look down on him when he was younger.

"Of course. You know her Iruka-sensei." Iruka saw the way his eyes softened and that lovesick smile that brightened up his face when he said her name. "It's Hinata."

His teacher blinked. "Hinata-chan?"

Naruto nodded still smiling.

"Hyuga Hinata?"

"Yeah."

"You're in love with a Hyuga? A main branch Hyuga?" They had no cast system or royalty here in Konoha, but if they had, Hinata would be as close to a princess as they could get. It was, funny to think about.

"What does her being from the main branch have to do with anything?"

"Eh? Oh, nothing, I'm just- never mind, go on. You two are... dating?"

"Yeah, well, something like that. I took her to get some ramen. Her choice! Not mine," he said quickly glancing at the disapproving look on his teachers face. "We've been out, and I hold her hand, and... we've kissed," he said somewhat dreamily. "It was... amazing dattebayo."

Iruka smiled. "So, what seems to be the problem?"

Naruto's smile disappeared. "It's just... back before the war started, I met my mom."

"You met Kushina?" Iruka asked piteously, "through Edo tensei?" Probably not a great experience for anyone to see a resuscitated loved one fighting on the opposite side of the war.

"No, no," Naruto assured, "Before that, it's a long story. That's not the point."

"Oh. Right," Iruka smiled nervously. He would definitely have to get back to the whole, 'you spoke to your dead mother' thing, but Naruto seemed determined to finishing his story.

"When I was with her, it was amazing. I've never really felt anything like her love again. I still feel it sometimes, when I remember her."

He sat in silence for a while and Iruka let him enjoy the memory of his mother. Iruka was so happy to know that Naruto had at least gotten a small taste of what it was to be loved by a mother. Because he was right, there wasn't anything in the world quite like it.

"Um, sorry," he said snapping out of his reverie. "Anyway, I got to talk to her. And, there's just been something that's been in my head since I've been with Hinata."

Iruka nodded encouragingly.

"Mom told me, to marry a girl just like her."

The older man furrowed his brows. "What?"

"And, from what my dad and Kakashi-sensei and Kuruma have told me,"

"Your dad?"

"She was loud and intense and excitable," Naruto continued paying no mind to the interruption. "Hinata is amazing, but, she's not like mom at all. And now I don't know what to do because, I want to be with Hinata. I-I'm in love with her. But, she is the exact opposite of my mom! Mom just wants the best for me and she probably knows more about this stuff than I do. But, am I disobeying her by being with Hinata? Should I try to look for someone else? I don't want to look for someone else, but, what do you think I should do Iruka-sensei?"

Naruto looked up into the wide unblinking eyes of his former teacher. Now that was the face of a man who had the answer.

"Um..."

"I wouldn't let go of that Hyuga girl if I were you Naruto."

Naruto turned to the new voice, "Oh? Kakashi-sensei?"

"Don't you agree, Iruka?" The rokudaime walked into the classroom and leaned against Iruka's desk.

"Kakashi! How many times have I told you not to use my classroom as a runaway spot?" Iruka shouted angrily.

"I didn't runaway. I'm simply replenishing my strength before the next wave of paperwork comes in."

Iruka made a non-committal grunt, noticing he had ditched his robes and hat somewhere, no doubt to make himself harder to find.

"Kakashi-sensei, do you really think I should stay with Hinata?" Naruto didn't seem at all bothered by the sudden interruption.

"Well, I knew both your parents when I was younger Naruto. I saw them interact and knew Yamato as my teacher and Kushina as... my teacher's scary wife."

Naruto smiled at the memory, a little envious that his teacher had known his mother better than he had.

"And you're right," Kakashi continued, "she was intense and passionate and loud; qualities that I wouldn't exactly use to describe Hinata. But, while I do think she only said what she thought was best for you, I believe that would only be good advice, if you were anything like your father."

Iruka raised a brow in understanding, but Naruto frowned. "What do you mean?" He didn't know why, but it seemed kind of insulting that Kakashi was implying that he was not like his father.

"I mean you have it backwards. One of your parents was calm, and patient and understanding, and the other was a loud passionate hurricane. That's why they fit so well. Don't you see? Hinata may not be like your mother, but she has many of the same qualities your father had. And you, even though you and your father are similar in appearance, you are an Uzumaki through and through. You'll do just fine with someone like Hinata."

Iruka smiled at the look of hopeful understanding on Naruto's face. "So, I'm like mom, and Hinata is like dad?"

Kakashi smiled with his eyes, the way only he knew how and nodded. They were both good kids. They deserved to have each other.

"Besides," the hokage finished lightheartedly, "it's not like Kushina and Hinata have nothing in common. They were both unusually kind, and they both loved you more than anyone I've known."

Naruto smiled, "Dattebayo."

Iruka's smile widened as something like relief washed over his student's expression.

"Thank you! Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei! I... I have somewhere I have to be!"

Iruka gave him a wave and Kakashi a knowing nod as the orange blur disappeared. They didn't have to wonder where he had rushed off to.

"So... Hinata-chan and Naruto?" Iruka asked the older man.

"It's been a while in the making. But I meant what I said."

Iruka nodded, looking at his ungraded papers then back to Kakashi in nervous sort of silence.

"Do you think Hiashi knows?"

Kakashi gave a snort, "No, but I bet that'll be a fun day."

~~~o*o~~~

Well, that update was quicker than I expected. I'd thought about this one for a long time when the idea finally clicked, it just took me a while to articulate it in a way I was happy with. It still seems a bit disjointed but, I think it's understandable so I'll leave it at that. If you enjoyed please please leave a review! It'd be nice to have some sort of feedback... any sort of feedback!