A/N: Please read the authors note at the end of this chapter once you have finished reading this chapter. *Ominously laughs*
Disclaimer: Yeah, no. This isn't mine.
Kakashi looked down on the village, his position from the Hokage monument letting him see all the destruction that had occurred during the hellish day.
The fires in the shinobi housing sector had only just begun to be put out. The hospital was a slowly recovering warzone. The shopping district was a misty nightmare, though the fog was gradually fading as Kakashi's stared down towards its midst. The vegetable market was cloaked in an impenetrable darkness, and the tower that had been erected within it earlier that day was nowhere in sight.
Kakashi let out a tired sigh, and flopped backwards onto his back, staring up towards the slightly cloudy sky as a freckled, flustered chuunin raced by. He traced the movements of the cumulus clouds, finding peace in their lazy movements through the blue above.
There would be no peace on the ground.
Once the outcome of The Bet was revealed, he would probably have another uprising on his hands. From clips of conversation Kakashi had heard on his walk here, other villages were much the same- Suna was under full lockdown, and Iwa had apparently been swallowed into a mountain. How the hell that had happened, he had no clue. Shipping crazed people always seemed capable of the impossible.
For now, Kakashi let his worries fade. The sky was blue, the breeze was calm, and the day was warm. Hell could wait till tomorrow. This was (hopefully) going to be the happiest day of Naruto's life, after all…
The day she finally confessed to the love of her life, her most precious person. Maybe the terrible things that happened today balanced out- Naruto's happiness was surely worth the current and future fallout.
…Right?
"Oh Kami, who am I kidding!?" Kakashi suddenly exclaimed. Throwing his hands to his face he moaned in despair. "Everything is going to become ten times worse when everyone finds out!" The Hatake feebly whimpered like a kicked dog, then sat up to hold his knees to his chest. He began rocking back and forth, his eyes going delirious with sheer terror.
"The paperwork nightmare after this... I'm never gonna catch a break! This really is the apocalypse!"
Xxx
Kiba was having an awesome day.
It had started off pretty rocky, what with kidnapping and all, but his time at Ichiraku's had been great. Hell, he had also gotten to learn that he was (apparently) the only emotionally stable person left in the whole village!
There was something in the back of his mind that kept him from falling into complete bliss, though. He couldn't place exactly what the feeling was, but it felt like he was missing something. What the hell he possibly could have missed, Kiba had no clue. It probably wasn't that important…
A sudden scent caught his attention, a whiff of lemon and sunshine, bright and popping. Kiba turned towards the entrance of the stand- who was ballsy enough to intrude on the territory of Umino Iruka?
A smoking hot blonde poked her head into the stand, hands clasped tightly in front of her sky blue dress. The leanly muscled contours of her arms and legs did little to detract from the obvious curves of her bust, waist and hips. A sharp canine peaked out to worry at her slightly chapped bottom lip, and her rounded cheeks held only a slight gleam of makeup. Her eyes completed the image, bluer than the clearest sky, and fixed just to the left of the Inuzuka. Kiba swallowed audibly at the sight she made.
Kiba tried to open his mouth to say something, anything, but found himself frozen- she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen! Was she actually going to come into the ramen stand? Kiba couldn't be that lucky… But if she did, he wasn't gonna complain, no siree!
At his side, Iruka tensed, eyes widening as he took in the blonde.
The woman slowly made her way into the stand, her stride slow and deliberate, her gaze solid and focused. Her hands were nervously fidgeting with each other, but otherwise she presented an illusion of calm. She was halfway to the counter when Kiba finally found his voice.
"H-hey!" Kiba managed to choke out, his throat suddenly dry. "W-who're you? Wouldn't expect a dolled-up girl like you to drop by this little ramen stand…" Oh Kami he sounded like an idiot- he was so nervous!
The blonde paused in her walk, and gave Kiba an incredulous look. She planted her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. "What the hell, Kiba? It's me. Don't tell me you've gone blind! And… why're you here, dattebayo?"
Kiba froze again, his mouth hanging open. An unintelligible squeak left his lips. Holy shit, this beautiful blonde… it was-
"…Hello, Naruto." Iruka spoke up. Naruto instantly whipped her head to face him, gaze determined. Kiba looked back as well, and saw in Iruka's eyes a deep resignation.
"…Hey, Iruka." Naruto whispered. She cautiously approached the empty seat at Iruka's side, and after a moment, sat down, gingerly placing her clasped hands on the counter. She flitted her eyes to Kiba's still gaping form, a small frown forming on her usually smiling face. She looked back and forth between Kiba and Iruka, her eyes becoming slightly panicked.
After a moment, she calmed herself, and a determined gleam once again entered her eyes. Giving one last piercing look at the gaping Inuzuka, she shook her head and turned back to the tense man at her side.
"I-I've got something I need to tell you…" she mumbled, gaze not once erring from the man in front of her. Iruka remained motionless.
As she took a moment to collect herself, Kiba broke out of his stupor and stared consideringly at the blonde. The whiskers that usually marked her cheeks were covered by light makeup, and she must have put on some perfume. All that, including the dress, made him not feel too bad for not recognizing her- hell, he had almost never seen her without at least some orange on before!
But… Why the hell was she here? Kiba wondered. After a moment, the obvious conclusion came, and Kiba felt like an idiot for not realizing the clear truth sooner. She must have come here because she wanted to tell Iruka first, and collect herself at her home-away-from-home before she confessed!
Kiba found himself smiling slightly. Of course Naruto would tell her oldest friend her plan before she carried it out. And coming here… She was probably going to buy a bowl of ramen before she left. Nothing like a reassuring bowl of ramen for the woman who was obsessed with it!
Honestly, she hardly needed a reason to enjoy her favourite food, but here one was- a calming meal before she confessed to a certain Hokage.
Kiba slyly looked over at the frozen form of Iruka. That the Umino had chosen to hole out at Ichiraku's made a certain amount of sense too- he had been planning to talk Naruto out of her confession! By waiting at the one place she was sure to go, Iruka was guaranteed an opportunity to say his piece. It must be kind of weird to have Kiba here to witness that conversation, but Iruka had never voiced any concerns on Kiba waiting out the apocalypse at the ramen stand, so he figured it was okay that he was here to witness Naruto sharing her plans with Iruka.
Kiba's musings were interrupted as Naruto cleared her throat. The blonde had finally collected herself, and was ready to continue her speech.
"I've wanted to tell you this for a long time…" she whispered. She folded her hands into her lap, and scrunched the fabric of her dress between her fingers, eyes still locked to Iruka's. After audibly gulping, she opened her mouth to speak again, but Iruka interrupted her before she could continue.
"Naruto, please- please don't- if you do, you can never go back, and things will never be the same," he begged. "I know it's your decision- that damn Hokage and Kiba made me realize that much- but I still don't think this is the right choice. And I still don't think that these feelings you have are one-hundred percent legitimate." Iruka bowed his head, and clenched his hands together on top of the counter like he was grounding himself through an immense pain.
"So please, before it's too late- turn back." Kiba couldn't see Iruka's eyes because the man was turned away from him and looking at Naruto, but the absolute amount of pain in his words surprised the Inuzuka. He really was bothered by the fact that Naruto loved Kakashi, wasn't he?
The Hokage-to-be was having none of Iruka's blitherings. A fire had lit within her eyes, and she tenderly lifted Iruka's hands into her own. She linked their fingers together, offering a pillar of solidarity to the anxious Umino.
"No, Iruka." She whispered. "No more running." She took in a heavy breath, and Iruka tensed like he was preparing for a blow. Kiba anxiously held his breath. Go Naruto! Tell him that Kakashi's the man for you!
Naruto exhaled, and smiled a small, shaky smile at the man before her. "Umino Iruka, I'm in love with you."
…WHAT.
Iruka began to speak, oblivious to Kiba destroyed perception of reality. "B-but how do you know its love?! You're almost ten years younger than me- for Kami's sake, I used to be your sensei! For all you know, this is some childhood infatuation that you just haven't had the time to get over yet. Please- just, just think about this for a second! How can you be sure?!"
Naruto stared calmly back at Iruka, still smiling in the face of his nervous ramblings. The shakiness that had been with her since she had entered the stand was finally gone. She pulled on the hands she had clasped with Iruka's, and leaned in closer to him, gently stroking a thumb over his knuckles when he tensed.
"I- I feel so free, now," she whispered. "I love you. I love you. I love you! No matter how much you say I don't, it's still the truth. So what if you're older? I don't got time for little boys. And being my old sensei… well, you weren't my sensei when we first became friends, and you're not anymore- haven't been for ten years. This is my choice." A shadow flickered across her face, and her gaze shuttered. The callused fingers of Naruto's hand stopped stroking Iruka's.
"But… if you honestly can never return my feelings, if this is pointless… tell me right now. Don't run away, or worry about hurting my feelings. I've been waiting six years to tell you this- I don't want to wait another six trying to figure out if you'll ever see me the way I see you." Naruto's lips pursed and her entire body locked in on itself.
"Do I have a chance?" she whispered, eyes wide and impossibly blue.
Iruka was quiet as he stared at the beautiful woman before him. After a moment, he finally heaved out a sigh and responded. "I- I need to know something first," he mumbled. Iruka clenched their hands tighter, but Naruto seemed oblivious to his tightening grip, her entire focus hanging upon his every word.
"…How do you know you love me?" he finished, staring at her with desperate eyes.
Naruto blinked, before beaming back at him, cutting through the tension like sunshine through a fog. "That's easy!" she exclaimed. A sheepish smile took over her face, and she lifted a hand from their clasped ones to nervously fiddle with the hiate-ate around her neck. "I gotta tell you another secret for it to make sense though- okay?"
Iruka jerkily nodded, and managed a weak grin. "This secret can't be near as much of a bomb as the one you just dropped. I just- I have to know that this is for the right reasons- that you're not being misled in any way."
The blonde gave a determined nod, before shifting slightly in her seat. She gently lowered her hand back to Iruka's. "This is something I've never told ANYONE. Like, I told a few people how a felt about you, but no one knows about this- it's something I've kept secret for, like, fifteen years…" Naruto trailed off, eyes reminiscing.
Iruka, who was hinged on her every word, made a small noise of surprise. The tiny, normalish action broke Naruto from her stupor. She gave him another small smile, which he instinctually returned. He always returned her smiles- even back when no one else would. Naruto took in a heavy breath, and finally delivering the greatest secret she had ever kept.
"Ramen is okay." She intoned, gaze levelled and serious.
Iruka was frozen for a moment. Then, the reality of Naruto words hit him and he groaned. "Naruto, everyone knows you like ramen- that's not a secret. And that doesn't explain at all why you think you're in love with me! Please, Naruto- I need more than jokes right now!"
Naruto puffed out her cheeks indignantly. "No, you don't get it; ramen is okay. It's not bad, but it's not great, either. It's way too salty, and once you eat all the noodles, it's just spicy broth. Jeeze, it's not really that healthy, either! Sweet things at least taste super good to make up for the fact that they suck for you!"
Iruka seemed dazed, and he shook his head like he was trying to ground himself through his disorientating thoughts. "But- that doesn't make sense... You love ramen. You're- you're always eating it, and if anyone asks what you want to eat, you'll always choose ramen over anything else. You make me buy it for you every time I take you out to eat! If you're telling the truth, and you honestly don't care that much for it, then why have you been eating it all these years? Why would you pretend you love it!?"
Naruto's cheeks reddened, and she smiled at the flustered Umino. "Because… the first time someone ever made me feel like I was important… like someone cared about me… we were at a ramen stand."
Iruka froze. Naruto continued to meet his gaze, eyes crinkling with her smile.
"I eat ramen, because whenever I eat it, it reminds me of who I always ate it with… and it reminds me of what my life used to be like. I used to be alone, and I was so cold, so empty. The villagers all avoided me, y'know, and the old man wasn't really a big part in my life until after my third year in the academy… I didn't know what being warm and happy was like, and, and if you hadn't been there… I still might not. All those times you'd take me out for ramen, when I was in the academy and after I'd left, you'd always be there, ready with that smile, that laugh- just for me… And suddenly, the world was brighter." Naruto trailed off, lost in some distant memory. After a moment, she pulled herself back into the present, and gave Iruka her signature Uzumaki grin.
"So no. I don't really care for ramen. But I love it because it reminds me of every happy memory I have with you. I didn't realize exactly what that meant- that I loved you- until I learned what precious people were, but it still stands." Naruto seemed to glow with quiet happiness, and she finished her last words off at a whisper.
"You're Umino Iruka. You crinkle your nose and scar when you smile, and you never let your hair down unless you're in your house. You're kinda bossy, but that's because you're strong and know your shit better than anyone- and refuse to take shit from others. You love murder mysteries, and keep track of more gossip than a middle age woman. You're a prankster at heart, but you don't joke around when I need you most. Kami, just seeing you brightens my day, makes my heart beat faster, and I can't help but smile when you smile back… I know that I might be able to live without you. But I don't want to. A life without hearing your laugh, seeing your smile, or ever feeling your hand put this hiate-ate around my neck… Isn't really a life at all. Because… well. Because you're Umino Iruka; my reason for ramen. And that's why I love you."
Iruka was speechless. His eyes were blown wide with his surprise and awe, and he thoughtlessly began to roll Naruto's fingers through his own. Naruto was still smiling, but her eyes took on a nervous cast. She anxiously bit her lip, eyes riveted and waiting for Iruka's reaction.
After a moment, Iruka blinked, and his face crinkled into a wide grin. He broke out into bright laughter, finally untethered. Lightly shaking his head, he turned a smaller and more nervous grin at the dazed blonde. "Of all the ways to prove you love someone…" he mumbled. Gently, he lifted their clasped hands, and leaned in towards the blushing woman. "But… you've finally convinced me this is real- that you really do love me. You've grown up from the kid in orange, always yelling you were going to be Hokage. You are a determined, beautiful, and incredible woman. You said that a life without me isn't really a life at all… But the reverse is true, too. Naruto- I don't want to live a life without seeing your smile, hearing your laugh. I- I've been ignoring the signs for years- at first, because you were too young. But… for the last three years- I've known. That I was lying not just to you, but to myself as well."
Iruka seemed finally at peace, and his eyes filled with a gentle love directed solely for the wide-eyed woman sitting beside him. He leaned forward and gave a light kiss to her hand, which was still clasped in his own, and whispered, "You've got one hell of a chance, Naruto."
It was Naruto's turn to freeze in shock. Bright blue eyes met amused brown, and after a moment a look of pure, unadultered joy swallowed her previous surprise.
"THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!" she exclaimed, and leaned forward to peck the unprepared Umino on the cheek. He instantly blushed, and though for a second he seemed like he was going to instinctively reprimand her, the reality of what had just occurred to him seemingly dawned on him. Instead, rolled his eyes and simply basked in Naruto's happiness.
"It's about damn time!" Teuchi, who had been unnoticed till now, exclaimed. Iruka and Naruto jerked in surprise, and their hands broke apart, each instinctively whipping towards the direction of the voice. Behind the counter, Teuchi was smugly smiling at the duo, his arms crossed satisfactorily across his chest and his gaze proud. At his side, Ayame at hearts in her eyes, and she flickered her eyes back and forth between Naruto and Iruka. She let out a happy squeal.
"Congratulations!" she beamed. "We've been rooting for you guys forever."
Iruka sighed and shook his head at her words, but Naruto shot Ayame the victory sign, and the girls shared a commiserating wink.
"How long's forever?" Iruka suspiciously asked, looking towards Teuchi as the blonde at his side excitedly conversed with the brown haired girl.
"Since she came back from that training trip," Teuchi responded with a smirk. "I didn't support it before then because she was too young, but… she really came into her own once she came back. I'm glad you finally got your head out of your ass and accepted what anyone who saw the signs knew was inevitable."
The cook then gave a pointed look towards the catatonic form of Kiba, who was sightlessly staring at the empty bowl of ramen in front of him and muttering incoherent words under his breath. Iruka winced at the sight the Inuzuka made, and bashfully looked back at Teuchi, who simply raised a brow.
"Trying to use that kid as a human shield, hoping that his presence here would make Naruto chicken out… It was a smart plan, but you've probably ruined any remaining sanity he had. And that says a lot, considering he was the last emotionally stable shinobi left in Konoha." Teuchi rolled his eyes at Iruka's ashamed expression, and turned back to his cooking prep work.
Naruto noticed the despondent attitude of the man beside her, and scooted her chair closer so that their sides were touching. Her cheeks momentarily reddened at the contact, but she shook away her nerves and turned serious eyes on the Umino.
"I don't wanna rush ya into this, but I was wondering…" Naruto shrunk a little as Iruka lifted his gaze to hers, but steeled herself and determinedly pressed on. "Would ya- would you like to go on a date? With me?" Naruto's eyes took on an injured puppy dog quality, and soulfully gazed into Iruka's.
The academy sensei had a lot of practice saying no to such expressions due to working in the academy (hell, he could even turn down Inuzuka's that used it!), but for once he found himself caving in. He didn't feel near as guilty doing so as he would have thought.
"I- I'd like that." He whispered with a smile.
Naruto beamed back, and impulsively grabbed his left hand with her right one, idly resting them on their touching thighs. "Great!" She shyly smiled at the Umino, and slowly leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder. Iruka made no move to stop her, and she relaxed completely into his side.
"Just… not Ichiraku's, okay?" she mumbled, words muffled by Iruka's chuunin vest. "I could do without ramen for a while. Besides, if you're eating with me, any food will taste good." Iruka hummed his agreement, and the two spoke no more words.
The atmosphere of the stand was calm, the home-away-from-home of the two shinobi bringing them to peace. Despite his fears for the future, Iruka found himself less worried than he had been in… well, years. The things he had been clinging to to avoid this, they all seemed so silly now. Sure, they had been valid concerns, and he was sure others would make a fuss as well about the age difference and him being her old sensei - especially because people would be pissed off from The Bet. Sometimes though, you had to face the truth. And right now, with a beautiful woman that loved him at his side, he felt that maybe, just maybe… he was finally done running.
THUMP!
Iruka was broken from his thoughts at the sudden sound, and Naruto lifted her head from his shoulder to peer around him. Kiba, who had been having one hell of reality crisis, had finally caved in to his shock. The Inuzuka must have fainted in his chair, and slouched to the side, because he was currently in crumpled heap on the ground. A slight sheen of red in his hair, and a quick glance at the counter, revealed he had had smoked his crown onto the corner of the counter as he fell.
The academy sensei slid from his seat to inspect Kiba's fallen form, gently probing the swelling flesh covered by his wild hair. Iruka sighed, and turned his head away from Kiba to meet Naruto's worried eyes. "Would you like to come with me to take him to the hospital? He might have a concussion."
Naruto firmly nodded, and jumped down from her stool to help the Umino support Kiba between them as they stood. Iruka gave a nod to Teuchi, who waved them away, and the duo made their way out onto the street.
The blonde excitedly beamed at the Umino as they stepped onto the road. "I can't wait to tell Sakura about all of this- she's gonna flip when she realizes I have a date and she doesn't. Serves her right... Did ya know that at the hospital party last summer, she admitted when she was drunk that she thought Bushy Brows was hot in spandex? She kept glubbering that she wished he would ask her out like a normal person 'cause he was "real, kind, determined, and not hung up on a ramen addict like a pretentious emo". Honestly, I think she just needs to get her head out of her ass and tell him she likes him herself, instead of waiting for him to do it how she wants."
Iruka blinked in surprise, before laughing. "That sounds like Sakura. Did you hear about Shino, though? Last I heard, he's apparently been head over heels for Ino since she stabbed Aoba in the thigh with a high heel for complaining that she spent too much time on her hair."
"That was years ago!" Naruto exclaimed, eyes riveted to Iruka's. "Betcha haven't' heard about why Genma's always wearing that headband of his though…" Naruto drawled, and coyly fluttered her lashes at the Umino.
He slyly smiled back. "Naruto, I'm the reason he has to wear that headband."
Naruto broke into giggles. "No! Really!?"
The two continued to converse, laughing as they shared stories, things more comfortable and easy between them than they had been in years. It was different now- they had always trusted each other, but… for the past few years, things between them had always had an underlying tension despite how much they enjoyed spending time with each other. Naruto had been carefully toeing the line, hoping for something more but scared to lose her most precious friend. Iruka had just been straight up terrified, of both Naruto's feelings and his own…
That tension was gone. And if there were lingering glances and shy smiles in its place, well… Iruka was done running. He had finally broken past his old image of Naruto- that she was just a kid with a crush. He had accepted the reality of what he felt for the Hokage-to-be… And now? Neither of them was about to deny themselves the happiness they had always found in each other.
"Is… that Naruto? Isn't she supposed to be off confessing to the love of her life?" a dazed shinobi muttered, he, along with the Akimichi at his side, freezing in their race across the rooftops as they looked down upon the smiling duo. Other shinobi on the street also stopped in their movements, confusedly looking at the smiling pair that was dragging the comatose form of Inuzuka Kiba in the direction of the Sakura- no, not anymore… The Slug gang's territory.
Iruka and Naruto didn't pay a lick of attention to the mutterings of the shinobi that parted around them, or the ruin of the streets. People in love tend to be pretty oblivious.
Xxx
Far off on top of the Hokage monument, Hatake Kakashi broke from his despair at the future paperwork to smile at the clouds, ignoring the approaching figures of two shinobi for the peaceful sky.
"Mah, paperwork and Minato's stupid promise or not, at least that damn bet of Sarutobi's is finally finished," he mumbled.
In retrospect, Iruka and Naruto… it was obvious.
A/N: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *Starts coughing from laughing so hard, but continues to grin* So… Surprise? Huge kudos to the people that figured it out before this chapter- air high fives to you guys! This has been the end game since the start of the story. Kakashi was the ultimate red herring, but if you look back, a little bit of Iruka is in all the flashbacks. Helpful hint- all that blushing of Naruto's? She's always touching a certain hiate-ate when she does. The same one Iruka gave her…
Now that the surprise is finally revealed, I can say where I got my inspiration from. Way back, when I was reading 'Making Arrangements', an awesome female Naruto fic, I thought to myself- 'Ah, Naruto is in love with her scarred sensei, who is older than her... Huh- coincidence. That could be about Iruka to, haha- wait. Waaiiittt… Oh holy crap that could be an awesome story and Kakashi would be a red herring woah woah WOAH!... I need to write this.'
And here we are.
Though, I should probably make clear- there is still one obstacle left in the way of IruNaru truly setting sail… *Cough*Mob of crazy ninja shippers holding Naruto's dream of being Hokage hostage*Cough*.
Apologies to Kage no Kage- you can take this story out of your community, and I'm sorry for being misleading to you and anyone else that was reading this specifically for the Kaka/Naru element. I just didn't want to spoil the surprise…
Thank you for sticking around for the surprise!
