Back with Iruka, he had run to the Uchiha building and Kakashi met him. Naruko had told him frantically that Ariana was stuck at the dock. Kakashi called a cab and asked Iruka, "What about your hellion class?"
Iruka shrugged, "principal found me a sub. What do you think Ariana is doing at the dock?"
He shrugged, "No idea."
Naruko in the mean time was trying not to laugh to hard. Itachi found her hiding her face in her fashion design book and shoulders shaking. She froze when he asked her, "Something funny in that book."
She looked up slowly and said tightly, laughter barely hidden, "Yes, these colors. Hilarious."
He raised an eyebrow, dubbing that Ariana had rubbed off on her and his phone rang. He answered and Kakashi said, worried making his voice tight, "She's not here and not answering her phone. Can you try?"
"Yeah."
Itachi hung up and then dialed Ariana's cell.
0o0o0o0o0o
My phone vibrated in my pocket and I checked the Caller ID. I hmmed, Itachi finally called and it was almost lunch time. I put on an Australian accent and answer, the class quietening to watch, "Good day mate! How be you?"
Itachi growled slightly, "Fine. Ariana where are you?"
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a wrapper, "Library my good man! Oh no! Tunnel! Can't hear you!"
I crinkled the wrapper by the mouth piece and shut off the phone as Itachi said something like I'll tie you up when I see you. I looked at the class and grinned, "Wrong number."
A chill went down my spine and I looked at the door, eyes narrowed. I hopped off the desk and grabbed my crutch, heading for the door. I winked at the class, "Lets see if I can trust you to be good for five minutes."
Opening the door I slipped out and followed my bad feeling. It took me down the hall to the lockers. Where I found Ino and Sakura pinned to the wall by two bigger boys. Bristling I quietly went up as one leaned down to Sakura, who grimaced and looked about to cry, "Come on baby, lets do a quicky in the bathroom."
Ino snapped, wincing as the boy grabbed her arm, "We told you we're not interested! Now leave us alone!"
She yelped as the boy grabbed her hair and growled, "You'll do as I say!"
I said coldly, practically behind them, "That's no way to ask a girl out boys. Let them go."
They spun and when they saw a small woman wearing casts and using a crutch, they laughed. I was furious and didn't bother hiding it, "You boys need to leave now, before I do something drastic."
The one who had pinned Sakura leaned towards me, "What can you do bitch? Huh?"
The other let go of Ino and raised his hand to touch my cheek, " We're students. You can't touch us."
My crutch clattered to the ground as I let it go and grabbed his balls. He squealed like a pig and I twisted, "And you listen to me you disgusting bastards! You come near these girls again or any girl for that matter, and I will rip your balls off! Am I clear?"
The other guy took a swing at me and I let the boy I had go, smacked the fist away and grabbed his balls. He screamed like a little girl and I snarled, "Am I clear!"
They both squeaked, "Crystal!"
I let the boy go and spat, "Get out of my sight."
They did the first smart thing in their lives and bolted. I snorted in disgust and said, "They won't stay in this school if I have something to say about it."
I turned towards the girls, worry clear on my face, "Are you two alright?"
A tear trickled down Sakura's cheek and Ino shook her head. I quickly grabbed them both in a hug, gentle with my cast and they both practically fell apart. Feeling a bit awkward with two crying girls clinging to me in the hall, I said gently, "Come, into the restroom." I somehow managed to grab my crutch and get them into the girls bathroom without falling on my nose.
I let them cry on me and somehow tell me how those two boys harass them a lot and how the teachers wouldn't do anything. Iruka was the only one who seemed to believe them but hadn't done anything.
Once they let me go and started cleaning up I said gently, "I'm sure there's a reason Iruka hasn't done anything. Could be the parents are powerful and the school can't anger them. Fortunately Iruka wasn't here."
They looked at me, confused. I gave a smile that had no warmth in it, "I just scarred them for life. Iruka would have beaten them to a pulp."
They blinked, shocked and I said softly, "Now, lets get those books and back to class. We have work to do."
They nodded and we went out, grabbed their books and they kept pace with me as we headed to class. Ino and Sakura said softly, "Thank you Ariana."
I smiled at them, "Any time. If I didn't have these stupid casts on I would have done more."
We had come to the door and I heard an unfamiliar voice yell, "YOU MORONS!"
Sakura flinched and Ino grimaced. I opened the door and was shocked to find a man with a rat like face, wearing a suit, and had Kiba pinned to the wall by the shoulder. Kiba's lip was bleeding from being hit. Kiba flinched in pain as the man yelled, "DON'T LIE TO ME! WHERE IS IRUKA!"
Anger swept through me once more like a fire that grew hotter by the second. The class was group as far away from that man as possible. Sasuke and Naruto glared at him from in front of the class. But they knew as well as I that they couldn't hit a teacher.
They couldn't.
I could.
Moving towards him, all eyes on me, Kiba growled, "I told you I don't know!"
The man raised his hand to strike him, "Lie!"
He swung and Kiba closed his eyes. But the hit didn't reach him. I gripped the guys wrist in an iron grip and said furiously, "What the hell are you doing to my student?"
The man looked at me in disbelief and tried to yank his arm loose, "Who the hell are you?"
I sneered, "None of your buisness. Let him go."
He sneered back and said almost pleasantly, "We were just having a chat."
I gripped harder and he flinched. I growled, "Now. Before I snap your arm."
He stared at me in shock and then I put on more pressure and he let Kiba go. I dropped his arm, but didn't take my eyes off of him as I helped Kiba to his feet. The man rubbed his arm and snapped, "Who are you?"
I pushed Kiba towards his class mates and said, "Ariana McKing. Iruka's substitute. He had other buisness. Now."
My eyes glinted and my tone turned the temperature to freezing, "What are you doing in my class, beating on my student and screaming at them?"
He backed up a step on instinct and said with almost a smirk, "Just looking for Iruka. I wanted to offer to take him to lunch. That worthless boy."
He shot Kiba a glare, "Wouldn't tell me where he is."
I said coldly, my temper rising, "Because he didn't know. And you have no right to call him worthless. He isn'tbut you are."
The man bristled and I smirked, leaning in and whispering so that only he could hear, "Iruka has a boyfriend, didn't you know? And did you know I could have you thrown in jail for what you did to my students?"
His face turned red and he snarled, "You dare threaten me!"
I smiled at him, showing my teeth like I wanted to tear out his throat, "I dare. And if you come in here again, bother these kids or bother Iruka, I won't call the cops."
I reached up, grabbed his shirt collar and drug him down to my face, "I WILL CRUSH YOU AND LEAVE WHAT'S LEFT OF YOU TO THE CROWS!"
His face drained of all color and I let him go and smiled brightly, "Now I'm sure you have other duties to attend. You can be sure I will give Iruka the message."
His mouth flapped open like a fish and with a strangled cry he spun and stormed out. I had dropped my crutch during this and scooped it up. I turned to the students as the bell rang and grinned, "Now that the air doesn't smell so bad, why don't we go to lunch and then go over things when you get back."
Before Kiba could bolt I flicked a finger at him, "May I talk to you Kiba?"
He ducked his head and came with me to the teacher desk as the students left. I dug into my bag and produced medicine. He blinked and I held handed it over, "Put this on your lip. It will get rid of the sting."
I dug a little mirror out and held it up for him. He hesitated but did as I said and put it on. Then I took it back and came up to him. Leaning against the desk so I didn't fall over I patted his shoulder gently, "Kiba, don't you dare listen to a word that bastard said. I now worthless. And you aren't."
He frowned slightly and asked, "How do you know?"
I grinned, "Because I've met my fair share. Now don't question your teacher and go to lunch."
He smiled slightly, bowed thanks and left. I settled behind the desk with a bit of a sigh and blinked as Naruto and Sasuke came in. Naruto held up a box, "Cake!"
Sasuke held up another and I dug into my bag with a grin and produced another box, "Sandwiches!"
We laughed and blinked when there was a knock and turned as Hinata blushed, "Um, may I join you?"
I nodded with a smile and the boys nodded with me. She came in and said shyly, "Thank you for helping Kiba. He was defending me and got pinned by Kurodo-sensei."
I smiled softly at her, "No need to thank me."
I sat with my back to the blackboard and Sasuke and Naruto sat with me. Hinata took a desk in front of us. I looked at Sasuke and Naruto, "How long until that idiot has been terrorizing you guys?"
Sasuke shrugged, "About a month."
My eyes narrowed, "And you didn't mention this why?"
Shikamaru and Choji walked in with their lunches and Shikamaru said dully, "Because he'd fail us all. He's the vice principal."
I sniffed disdainfully and blinked as the rest of the class came in with their lunches. I shrugged and accepted a piece of cake from Naruto. A kid with black glasses and wearing a black bandana on his head, Shino, asked, "What happened to you tho? Did you get into a fight?"
I saw Naruto and Sasuke glance at each other and let out a bark of laughter. They jumped and I grinned, "Yeah, with a truck. Sadly the truck won."
I flexed my good arm, "But I gave it a few dents so my pride is intact."
That got laughs from all and I grinned goofishly. Munching on my cake a kid with long brown hair and the same eyes as Hinata, Neji, observed, "Your very different then before."
I shrugged, "You kids aren't fighting, tearing up the classroom or other such nonsense so I figure I should be nice. Not to mention I'm on my lunch break. I'll be all mean and stern when the bell rings."
I winked and munched on my sandwich. A thought came to me and I whipped out my cell and dialed a number.
0o0o0o0o0o
Naruko hid in a rack of clothes as Kakashi, Iruka and Itachi tried to find her to make her tell them where Ariana was. She giggled silently, "Too much fun."
Her phone vibrated and she slipped out of the rack and out the door before they saw and answered. Naruko grinned widely and said, "Hi Ariana. Yeah their searching for me to tell them where you are. Turns out they searched the whole city."
0o0o0o0o0o
I snorted, catching everyone's attention. I fought down peals of laughter and asked, "not everywhere apparently. If they catch you you can tell them. Only fair. Oh and can you come with Naruto tomorrow and look over some designs? The kids chose a cafe theme."
0o0o0o0o0o
She laughed, "Sounds good!" and yelped as Iruka ran out the door, "Gotta go!"
Iruka yelled, "Get back here!"
Naruko ran away laughing, knowing she'd be caught soon but this was too much fun.
