So now I have a livejournal account. It's actually quite exciting. It's like having a journal/blog, except you don't waste all of that paper and kill trees. Yeah, if you can't tell from that subtle hint, I'm an environmentalist. Not one of those crazy ones who are like "we will not eat food from a grocery store because it is mass produced!" but the kind that it like "turn off the taps as you brush your teeth" or "turn off the lights and unplug things that are not in use" or "RECYCLE!" The last one I cannot stress enough. Sure energy goes into recycling, and that energy source is not the best for the environment, but not recycling is so much worse. So recycle.

Now, onto chapter 3.

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Chapter 3: An Unlikely Friendship

Mizuki had been the only death that day. But I had been a damn near close second. Glancing at the clock again, he grimaced. 7:30. The world was out to get him. Well, considering the nature of his job, actually, the world was out to get him. He shook his head of these unpleasant thoughts and began bustling around the store. He picked up fallen books, moving graphic novels from the travel section where they had been haphazardly thrown because they were unwanted. He pushed his glasses up his nose irritably. Why is it that people thought that they could get away with putting Batman in the middle of The Historical Travels of Lewis and Clark? Moving from section to section, he put away the books, leaving his favorite section for last. Fiction, he smiled. His eyes fell on a book that had fallen off the shelves. The Legend of the Gutsy Ninja. Of course, he thought sadly, the one book which he had read multiple times. The only decent one by that pervert. It had been introduced to him by Naruto when he was lying bedridden. He missed that blonde.

-Flashback-

"Iruka-sensei!" a loud voice boomed in his ear. "Are you awake?"

Iruka moaned at the loudness that could only come from the one and only loudmouth named Naruto. And worst of all, because of his injury, he couldn't quite muster up the energy to move. His vision was suddenly filled with bright blue eyes. He couldn't help it; he smiled at those large, happy eyes.

"Naruto," he asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't tell me you forgot sensei!" He pouted. "You're going to tutor me today!"

"Ah yes, tutor." Iruka smiled. He had tried so hard to feel angry towards Naruto for taking away what little family he had left. He hadn't spoken to the boy for a month after he woke up from his coma. He remembered the first time that he opened his eyes after a week, only to see the blonde. He had raged and screamed at him, accusing him of being a monster for killing his best friend and brother. For a month, Iruka's heart clenched, I was so cruel. But it had been a day when he was waking from his nap that he heard Naruto's heartfelt apology. The poor boy hadn't even known what the task was; he had been tricked into coming by Mizuki. He had no idea how to shoot a gun; he had just pointed and pulled the trigger. Iruka had never wanted to hear such a self loathing tone ever again. When he had woken up, Naruto had almost bolted before Iruka had gently called him to his side. It had taken two months of kind words and praises before the boy had become his normal self. Little by little, Iruka had pulled the entire story from Naruto. How he was an orphan, how his older brother was Kyuubi the serial killer, how Mizuki had become an older brother for him until he found out who he was. And finally, how Mizuki had abandoned him because his relationship to Kyuubi and still burning hatred. As much as Iruka resented Kyuubi, he could not blame Naruto for what he did. Mizuki wasn't the only one who lost his family to Kyuubi; Naruto had been the final victim.

"Ne sensei?" Naruto looked quizzically at a zoning out Iruka. "Can you teach me how to do fractions?"

"Fractions?!" Iruka asked in a surprised manner. "But last week you were just on your multiplication tables. How did you move onto fractions so quickly?"

"Well," Naruto replied shyly, lowering his eyes, "I went home and practiced all of the tricks that you taught me here and got a 94 on my exam. The teachers were surprised at my good grade that they gave me another exam on division, which you had already taught me. When I passed that, they said I could move into a higher math class. My new class is on fractions so I need to catch up."

Iruka felt a balloon swell inside of him; this is what he was meant to do, teach. There was nothing like the feeling of satisfaction when someone understood what you taught perfectly and celebrated their successes with you. Smiling, he asked Naruto to open his book and show him exactly what had to be taught. He knew that there was no way he was going to be able to teach, so he'd make do with anything that he could. He knew that as soon as he recovered, he'd be back to the Game.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto whined. Iruka immediately turned back to him. There was time to think of the future when he was better.

-End Flashback-

Sighing, Iruka picked up a book that had fallen on the ground. His back twanged with a phantom pain, a clear sign that he had been either been working too hard, someone was about to attack him, or been thinking about the past. Well, it's obvious what it is today, he thought. Glancing at the clock, he rejoiced. 7:50 finally! Now he could start closing up.

"Attention customers, Kage Bookstore will be closing in ten minutes. Please bring all purchases up to the front desk. Thank you and have a good night." Iruka waited for the rush of the four or five book junkies to make it to the front.

"Iruka!" A brown haired man with hair falling across his face came up to the desk. "How have you been? I just found this amazing book about conspiracy theories. I love how you have a complete section dedicated to it!"

"Only for you Izumo." Iruka smiled. "Now where is your counterpart? I swear, if he is still sitting in that chair, I'll ban him from the store for three days."

"Now, now Iruka," another man said as he sidled up to the desk. "Don't be that way."

"One day I will carry out my threat Kotetsu!"

"Naw, you're too mild mannered." Kotetsu replied. "You probably couldn't harm a hair on the head of a flea. And those are nasty little buggers."

"Yeah, especially when an Inuzaka dog infected with one. You should see the panic those people get into." Izumo added.

"See you tomorrow guys" Iruka said, ushering them out the door.

"Always Iruka!" Waving cheerily, they left the bookstore, leaving Iruka with a couple of his employees. After checking and rechecking the store, Iruka sent his employees home as he locked up. It was time to go back and talk to Kakashi. Getting into his much beloved Prius, Iruka left his store, hoping that Kakashi would be willing to listen to his apology. He smiled as he thought of the other man. He was indebted to him for everything. He was the one who gave Naruto rides to and from school and to the hospital for Iruka's tutoring. It was Kakashi who helped him through physical therapy. It was Kakashi who suggested that they move into the same flat so that they could have each other's backs in the Game. It was Kakashi who got him the job at the bookstore as he saw how restless Iruka was sitting at home. Kakashi had done everything for him (and Naruto) and when asked why, he had simply waved it off, muttered "old debts," or said that Iruka and he weren't very different.

In return, Iruka had become a sort of housewife, taking care of Kakashi on bad days, making food, cleaning, and such. And he didn't mind at all; it was the least he could do for everything that Kakashi had done. And so, they had developed this unlikely friendship. Finally, Iruka parked his car and entered the flat apprehensively. A set of shoes told him that Kakashi was home.

"Kakashi," he called out. "I'm home. What would you like for dinner?"

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Please don't kill me *hides under desk* I haven't quite decided how the conversation is going to go between Iruka and Kakashi. All I know is that Kakashi won't be quite as laid back as he is in the manga. Usually I write crack, and this is one of the few times that I won't be.

But that's all I know right now. I have a brief respite from college work, and a plot bunny involving a hamster. So I will try to write a lot over the next few days so the next update will be sooner.

Read and Review Please!!!!