Disclaimer: Nope, nada, not mine.
Naruto waits with her team for her new sensei.
An eraser falls (a test in disguise), but her new sensei thinks she's got 'spunk'. The grey-haired man seems like a bit of a weirdo, but Iruka-sensei (man, it's weird to call him that!) is right, like always. Other people will acknowledge her, too- and like her pranks! But, even with his cool ninja powers, this Kakashi guy doesn't hold a candle to Iruka, who is a badass that can pull off the most awesome of pranks, and still be a pillar of support in her turbulent life.
Iruka is the best sensei ever…
Xxx
Kakashi gives them 'The Bell Test' (Naruto can feel the capital letters), which reveals that Naruto is apparently awesome at teamwork. Hell, her and Sakura kind of got along for once! This day is going pretty good.
The best part is when Kakashi says she earned her headband. The headband given to her…
…Wait, what do you mean she's blushing like a tomato?! She was just thinking about Iruka!
Xxx
Naruto's kind of worried about her team, what with the Teme being on it and all, so she asks Iruka for advice.
"Oi, Iruka-"
"Iruka-sensei!"
"Yeah, yeah, 'sensei'- I was… wondering if you could tell me about your genin team. Cause, uh…"
"I get it, Naruto… Actually, I'll show you my genin team- I've got a picture of us at my apartment!"
Later in his apartment, (which is freakishly clean, but so like Iruka. It's pretty cute of him to keep everything so organized, and rub his scar like that when Naruto compliments the excellent way he's been caring of the plants she has given him over the years. Wait… Cute!?), Iruka points out the picture of his team as he makes them some tea. Naruto carefully picks it up, absentmindedly noticing the orange book that the frame had rested on upon the shelf. Iruka looks so young…
Iruka is going on about the time his team 'accidently' set Tora the demon cat on fire, and how it built the true and permanent bonds of comradeship between them, when Naruto realizes where she's seen the book on his shelf before.
"HOLY SHIT, IRUKA! YOU READ PORN?!"
For the first time in Naruto's life, she hears Iruka swear. It's glorious.
("Porn is important you know- the sure-fire way to man's heart!" Kakashi had exclaimed. Naruto carefully stores this information away. She's a prankster- it pays to hoard Intel of any kind.)
Xxx
The Mission to Wave is kind of sucking, what with that dick Gato being a tyrant and all, but at least Naruto gets to meet such a nice and pretty girl while she's practicing her tree climbing.
"Do you have anyone important to you? A precious person?"
Naruto beams. "I do! His name is Iruka- he's incredible, and smart, and super funny. He cares about me a lot, and we always eat ramen together. Whenever I'm around him, I feel all warm and fuzzy- it's the best feeling ever, even if it sometimes makes my stomach feel like it's doing loops. He accepts me for me, and he even saved my life! He's definitely my most precious person." Naruto happily beams at the amused girl in front of her.
Haku demurely raises a hand to hide her smile, but it doesn't stop Naruto from seeing her eyes crinkle at the corners. "Naruto, he's obviously your precious person, but it also sounds like you're in love with him."
Naruto freezes.
The pretty girl giggles, before picking up her basket and making her way for the edge of the clearing. She calls back over her shoulder to Naruto's stunned form- "Good luck with your precious person- love is a wonderful thing! And by the way… I'm actually a boy!"
…What. The. Fuck.
Naruto gives up. Nothing makes sense, because- because she's not in love with Iruka! He's older than her, by, like, ten years! Sure, he's amazing, and kind, and funny, and has a super amazing laugh, along with an incredible smile that sometimes goes sly when he does a prank, and sure he's good looking, especially with that scar, and-
…Okay, so she may be in love with him.
Later, Kakashi drops by with some weird old people advice, which is, well, kind of vaguely helpful? What it does do is remind her that old people know lots of stuff- the old man will know if she's in love! She'll ask him once she gets back from this mission…
Xxx
To take her mind off Haku and Zabuza and how unfair it all is, Naruto puts together a prank upon her return from Wave. Stupid vegetables deserve to be swamped with chickens, hehe… And holy crap, the Teme actually laughed!
The pranks purpose was twofold, though- she needed a quick way to get into the Hokage's office, and the old man never failed to bring her in to berate her for her pranks before, during her academy days. If she had just charged into his office, there would have also been eavesdroppers. But whenever she pulled pranks when she was younger, the old man liked to give personal lectures- without an audience.
What can she say- she's a genius!
"Ah, Naruto, I thought you and Iruka had taken care of that chicken smuggling ring, but instead it continued to thrive… And now you're using those same illegal chickens in pranks-"
"Old-man, I don't have time to talk about chickens!" Naruto interrupts. "I've got some adult questions for you!"
The old man freezes. He lightly coughs, before leaning forward in his chair, absolutely focused. "…Ah, Naruto… What brought this on?"
Naruto awkwardly shifts. "Well, during the Wave Mission, there was that Haku guy, right?" The Sandaime nods. "Anyways, we got talking about precious people, and when I was describing someone important to me, he asked if I was in love with them." Naruto narrows her eyes, and slams her hands down on the paperwork covered desk as she leans in closer to the stunned man before her. "Old-man, how do you know if you're in love?" Naruto tries to maintain eye-contact, but the Hokage has this really creepy look in his eyes, and there's this weird smile forming on his face, like he just got told he would never have to do paperwork again.
Naruto looks away. The old-man is acting super weird…
The Sandaime coughs, reclaiming his composure and Naruto's attention. "Ah… well, sometimes love comes about because the person has, in the past, saved you… Does that sound along the right lines?"
(Iruka, taking a fuuma shuriken to the back and hovering over Naruto, still managing to smile as he protects her from Mizuki)- Naruto shyly smiles. "Yeah… That does."
The old-man grins. "Excellent! As for knowing if its love or not…" The Sandaime's eyes go misty as he remembers some precious memory. "Before I met Biwako, I didn't care for coffee," he begins. "However, Biwako loved the stuff- took her coffee straight black, claimed she liked it darker that the night… Over time, we became good friends. But it only occurred to me that it might be something more when I realized that even the smell of coffee could make me smile, could brighten my day… All because it was a small detail that reminded me of her."
The old-man is too lost in thought to pay attention to Naruto, who is staring with wide-eyes at the corner of the desk. She… she didn't really like the taste of ramen as much as she pretended too. But because of its small connection to Iruka, she ate it every day, made it her favourite food, obsessed over it, loved it-
Naruto lets out a squeak and buries her head in her hands. The Hokage breaks from his musings to smile at her blushing form. "I see you have your answer… Ah, to be young and in love…"
Not waiting for a dismissal, Naruto races from the office, thoughts wild and face flaming red.
Back in his office, the Sandaime smiles. "I'm so happy she's found love with young Sasuke! Hitomi, cancel all my meetings, and send word for Hatake Kakashi- it's very urgent."
(The Hokage saw what he wanted to see. Much like he had been with Danzo, he was wilfully blind to the true situation.)
Xxx
Later that night in her apartment, Naruto comes to a surprisingly mature decision. She isn't going to act on her feelings until she knows that she is old enough, probably sixteen at the earliest. Besides, she wants to focus on being the best kunoichi she can be- she isn't some fangirl.
To Naruto, the only thing that has really changed is that her imagination is running wild. The possibility, of her and Iruka…
Well. It's certainly fuel for creative writing, that's for sure.
Someday, once she is Hokage, she will have hopefully achieved her greatest dream…
Xxx
"Iruka, am I glad to see you! That forest was crazy!"
Iruka blinks in befuddlement at the bedraggled team seven. Sakura and Sasuke look like death warmed over, and all of them are covered in scrapes and bruises, but Naruto has an ecstatic grin planted on her face despite this.
The pink-haired kunoichi leans forward, eyes pleading. "Iruka-sensei, were done this portion of the test, right?!"
The academy sensei beams at the three shinobi. "You bet! I'm proud of you three- you're all doing great in your first chuunin exams!" Iruka gives a pointed thumbs up to Naruto, who seems blissful under his praise. She excitedly leaps forward, throwing her arms around him.
"You owe me ramen for doing so good!" She exclaims. Sasuke snorts, and after giving a cursory nod to his old sensei, pushes past the blonde and with a bit more body contact than should probably be necessary… Sakura merely shoots Iruka a shy grin before racing after her crush.
Naruto remains buried into Iruka's side. Iruka nervously shifts, and lets out an awkward laugh.
"Uh, sure, Naruto… And you can let go now." Naruto grumbles for a moment, and reluctantly withdraws. She shoots him a cheeky grin before grabbing his hand and pulling him after her waiting teammates.
"I've got so much to tell you Iruka! There was this big ass snake, and I had to punch it in the face! But then it swallowed me whole, so I had to get creative, and I blew it up from the inside! And then this cross dresser gave Sasuke a hicky, and-"
"WHAT!?"
Xxx
A 'brown haired, brown-eyed woman' waits in an empty cabbage stand, fidgeting slightly as the stall owner turns narrowed eyes upon her.
"Watcha doing just standing there? Are you gonna buy some cabbages or not?!"
The 'woman' meeps under his stern gaze, cringing away from the combined force of her nerves and the stall owner's creepy stare, but forces herself to calm down. After taking a deep breath, she turns confident 'brown' eyes towards the man surrounded by the cabbages.
"I would like to place a little… 'bet'."
The man shoots her a sleazy grin before pointing towards a door at the back of the stall. With shaky steps, she crosses the stand, and opens the door, revealing…
Shikamaru asleep at a desk?
For a moment, the 'woman' stands quietly in place, slightly dumb-struck at the sight of the Nara. However, the moment stretches to uncomfortable lengths and the impatience finally gets to her. "Oi! I've got a bet here!"
Shikamaru slowly lifts his head, eyes droopy and hair slightly askew. "Yeah, yeah, give me a minute," the genin grumbles. With slow, lazy movements, Shikamaru slides a paper and pencil across the desk before once again burying his head in his arms.
The 'woman' lets out a shaky exhale, and puts down to paper the secret that will someday be her greatest prank.
Today though, it is simply confirmation of her future goal- the dream she cements into being with this single bet.
As the 'brown haired, brown eyed woman' leaves the back room, Shikamaru's eyes narrow down at the writing on the bet she had just made. After letting out a light snort, the Nara once again goes back to sleep.
Troublesome Naruto…
Xxx
Iruka smiles sadly at the blonde. "This is it, then, isn't it?"
The blonde's eyes are slightly misty, but no tears fall from them. "Yeah…" Naruto whispers. "Ero-sennin said we wouldn't be back for, like, three years…" Naruto scrunches up her face, and turns determined blue eyes to Iruka. "You're not allowed to forget about me, dattebayo! When I get back, I'm gonna be a kickass kunoichi, and you're gonna respect me! And- and take me out for ramen! 'Cause, 'cause we'll always be friends, and you're my most precious person-" Naruto chokes on her words, and finally overcome with emotion, throws herself into Iruka's waiting arms.
"Hey, it's okay," Iruka says, gently raising a hand to ruffle the blonde's hair. "Three years isn't that long- and there's no way I could ever forget about you, the orange kid always screaming that she's going to be Hokage!" Iruka lightly laughs, but his cheerful exterior is cut through and silenced when Naruto turns determined blue eyes up at him.
"When I get back, you're gonna see that I'm not a little kid anymore," she whispers.
Iruka freezes.
Naruto beams up the brown-haired man, breaking the tension of the moment, and pulls herself away. "Good luck with your academy students- you better stay on your toes, or they're gonna eat you alive!"
The Umino snorts, relaxing at Naruto's once again exuberant tone. "Naruto, no one could ever be as much of a hellion as you were- I'll be fine."
Naruto opens her mouth to say something else, but is interrupted before she can. "Gaki, I'm not waiting all day!" Naruto whips around to the impatient form of Jiraiya, who is waiting outside of the village gates. With a final frantic hug to Iruka, Naruto races after her new, and in her eyes, only, sensei.
Xxx
"Ero-sennin, train me!"
"Brat! I'm working on my writing! Go do some push ups, or something!"
Naruto perks up her head. "Can I read it?"
Jiraiya snorts. "Like a semi-illiterate orange eye-sore like you would be able to fully appreciate my masterpiece…"
"I'm not semi-illiterate! I actually want to be a writer too!"
The grey-haired man lifts his head from his writing to narrow his eyes at Naruto, who is red faced and indignantly crossing her arms in front of him. "Mmm… Show me what you've got!" With a jerk of his hand, Jiraiya tosses a small book and pencil at the girl, absentmindedly listening to her skrawk as the book beans her in the head.
"I'll show you! My writing is gonna make yours looks like crap!"
Three hours later, Jiraiya reads the short story with wide eyes. At his side, Naruto is smugly ginning with all the satisfaction of a cat that has caught the canary, and lazily crosses her arms behind her head. "How do you like them apples, dattebayo!?"
Jiraiya turns to her with serious eyes. "Congratulations- you're my new editor! Look over these hundred pages, and then read some of my old works to get yourself more familiar with different writing styles. You have a lot of potential… Maybe someday, I'll even let you continue the Icha Icha series for me!"
Jiraiya ignores Naruto's half-hearted protest, and after the blonde finishes making a fuss, "Lazy ass, making me do work on his books, and still refusing to properly train me…", the two sit together quietly in the clearing. The sannin gently folds the pages that Naruto had scrawled her story upon, and stores them within his sealing scroll.
The emotion within those pages, the incredible connection between 'Nareito' and 'Hiroka'… Well, with a few tweaks, some name changes, and a bit more sex, that could be one fine Icha Icha book. Hell, if you changed the names to 'Naruto' and 'Iruka', it could be one fine love story.
Jiraiya isn't an idiot. With proof like this, he's definitely going to win that bet of his old sensei's!
However, once he gets back to the village, Kakashi and he will be having words… That wannabe-pirate needed to understand how important it was that Naruto be kept from any underage relationship, but also that it was her decision to decide who she would end up with.
Knowing that emotionally inept scarecrow, he was probably just ignoring all evidence pointing to the inevitable, and was too chicken-shit to confront the truth. The truth that Kakashi would be breaking his promise to Minato, or crushing his student's heart.
Xxx
In front of Iruka, Teuchi continues to putter away. The stand is rather quiet, what with Iruka being the only customer at the moment, and if anything is slightly morose. The stand has been rather quiet for the past few years, in fact…
The academy sensei sighs and rests his chin on his arms that are crossed on the counter in front of him. It's slow, bland, and quiet days like these, when everything seems to lack that 'spark', that Iruka misses Naruto the most. If Naruto was here, all she would have to do to chase away the gloom was smile that smile, and bring that little piece of sunshine that was all her own to the table.
Hopefully, she would return home soon.
"Iruka!"
Ah, he's even imagining the sound of her voice! Iruka smiles self-depreciatingly. How pathetic can he get, missing a friend so much that the mere illusion of her calling his name made him instantly happy? Without Naruto, he seems to drag through the days, waiting for his old student to return. Maybe he should try and go on a date? He needs something to take his mind off the young child who had somehow become his best friend…
"IRUKA!"
A toned body slams into his from the side, and Iruka careens out of his chair. His assaulter comes with him, their limbs tangling together, and Iruka spits out a mouthful of hair. He lifts his eyes, opening his mouth to yell at his assailant, but when he shifts to see them clearly he finds the words dying on his tongue.
Above him, a beautiful girl with short, golden blonde hair, lean muscles covered in tanned skin, growing curves, and blue, blue eyes smiles down at him. Whiskered cheeks stretch into a wild grin, making Iruka's breath catch in his chest.
"Iruka, I missed you!" Naruto exclaims, and flops from her position above him so that she can tightly hug his frozen form.
…Oh Kami, this was Naruto! Holy shit this was his almost sixteen year old student get it together Iruka get it together-
"Ah, Naruto! It's good to see you to! How have you been?" Iruka politely asks. Naruto gently scrunches up her nose for a moment, before beaming again at him.
"I'm great! How are you?"
"I'm doing all right- somewhat crushed at the moment, but otherwise good." Naruto's cheeks redden, and she jumps to her feet, releasing Iruka from the trap of her body.
"Sorry, 'Ruka!" I was just so excited to see you!" Iruka waves away her concerns, and retakes his previous seat. After a moment, Naruto sits down next to him, anxiously fiddling with the hiate-ate around her throat. The sight of his old headband makes Iruka smile- Naruto has kept it in pristine condition, even after all these years...
But more concerning is the way she greeted him- not a single 'sensei' in sight. Iruka carefully ignores this information- after all, Naruto has never been one for formality. Iruka can let this slide. They are friends, after all!
"Teuchi, two bowls of our usuals, please!"
"Coming right up!"
Iruka gently coaxes Naruto into peaceful conversation, and while they eat their ramen, they catch up with one another- "-and that's how I broke up a religious cult in Tea country!" - "…never change, Naruto, never change…"- reunited friends catching up with one another.
It is nearly sunset when they finally agree to cut off their impromptu reunion. The Umino bids his old student goodbye with a lightened heart (it was so good to see her again!). Iruka turns to leave, but a gentle hold on his vest stops him in place. With curious eyes, Iruka turns around, and is met with the sight of a red faced Naruto.
Before he can process her blush, the blonde thrusts a bundle into his hands.
"Let me know what you think of it!" Without waiting for a response, Naruto turns and sprints away, her gate surprisingly tense after the peaceful lunch they had just had.
Iruka watches with amusement as the blonde bends around the corner and out of sight, shaking his head at the Uzumaki's antics. He turns considering eyes down towards the package Naruto had given him. With careful movements, he pulls away the brown paper surrounding it to reveal… A book?
The cover is a bright, lurid orange and proudly proclaims, 'Limited edition- Icha Icha Sensei Sensei: Uncut!'
…Iruka blinks, before letting out a shaky laugh. Of course Naruto would give him one of Jiraiya's novels as a gag gift! After carefully tucking into the confines of his jacket, Iruka makes his way back home, whistling out a merry tune.
Xxx
The next day, Naruto is happily walking the streets of Konoha when she sees Iruka again. The Uzumaki instinctively beams at the sight of him, and begins to skip towards the chuunin. The bags under his eyes make her stumble slightly though- Iruka doesn't look so good…
"N-Naruto, here's your book!" Iruka exclaims. The blonde in question comes to a halt in front of the twitching Umino, and tilts her head to gaze at him through lowered lashes.
"Iruka! D-did you like it?" Naruto mumbles out, and peers with hopeful eyes up at the panicked looking man.
"NO! I- I didn't even read it- this is porn, Naruto!" Iruka exclaims wildly, waving his arms as he does. With a beet red face he pushes the book into her hands. "I appreciate the… gesture, but I'm not going to read it."
Naruto blinks, a hurt look stealing across her face. "But, you already read porn! What's different with this one?"
Iruka's face goes blank. "Naruto. Icha Icha Sensei Sensei. I can't read something like that." The Umino sighs. "Thank you for giving me a present- a limited edition copy, no less- but I can't accept… this." The vague gesture of his hands leaves room for interpretation- was he not accepting the book? Or Naruto herself?...
His piece finished, Iruka turns away and heads down the street in the opposite direction, leaving the suddenly small looking girl behind.
Naruto shrinks deeper into the confines of her orange jacket, and clenches the book with a white knuckled hand. "Stupid fox, stupid Kakashi-sensei… porn is not the way to a man's heart." Angrily lifting her free hand to rub at her eyes, Naruto raises her head, and inspects the few people trailing the street. A lone chuunin with a lightly freckled face catches her eye.
The Uzumaki trudges towards the nervous looking man, who flinches once Naruto looms over him.
"Ah, Uzumaki-san, w-what is it-"
"Here!" Naruto thumps the book into the chuunin's chest. "It's your lucky day!" Naruto spins on her heel, leaving the flabbergasted chuunin behind. The brown-haired man slowly lifts the book to his eyes and blinks at the title.
"Oh Kami," Takeshi (or Minion Number 6, as he will later be known) whispers in awe. "The new limited edition Icha Icha novel!"
Xxx
Iruka apologizes the next day- but not before taking out his building anger on the ANBU that had interrupted his class for a field exercise. The prank he pulls calms him down enough to confront Naruto again while she is practising in the training grounds.
Naruto accepts his apology easily, but demands a sparring session in compensation. At first, they start off with a trap setting competition that results in both of them covered in honey and laughing as they run from the killer bees which have swamped the training grounds. After the innocent fun, Naruto challenges him to an all-out taijutsu spar…
While they are still covered in honey.
…Iruka treats it like the friendly spar it is (because that's what it was- a friendly spar), and leaves the training ground with mounting concerns, buried beneath denial- and a rather bruised back. Naruto had taken a great deal of pleasure in forcing him into intricate holds, and pinning him to the ground. She had straddled him a lot more than he had thought would be necessary as well…
She couldn't have- have been doing that to… No, that was impossible!
These unfounded concerns were unimportant. After all, Naruto was still the same orange kid, yelling she was going to be Hokage to the world. There was no way Naruto could possibly have some sort of crush on him!
…Iruka loves living in denial.
Xxx
The academy sensei is sorting out a recent backlash of paperwork, wishing for some kind of distraction from the monotony, when Team Seven enters the mission office. Tenzo is in the process of ignoring Sai, shooting betrayed looks to his teammates, while Sakura and Naruto are excitedly conversing, oblivious to the people around them. Kakashi, for once without book in hand, gives a slight nod to Iruka, who gives a tilt of his head back.
"Come on Naruto, it had to have been you!" Sakura exclaims, interrupting Iruka's concentration upon his papers. Somewhat indirectly, Naruto has answered his prayers- her and her team have broken him from the rather dry taxes he had been filing.
Sakura leans in closer to the blonde in question. "Who else would have been ballsy enough to prank ANBU…"
Iruka is ignorant of Sakura's following words- at the mention of what is surely his prank, he freezes in his seat. Naruto might accidently blow his cover! He should never have revealed to her during their sparring session that he had kept up with his pranking…
The Umino breaks from his panicked thoughts and returns to the kunoichi's conversation when Naruto begins to speak. "I can neither confirm nor deny…" Naruto turns her eyes subtly in his direction, pinning Iruka beneath her falsely dreamy gaze. "All I can say is that whoever pulled that prank is clearly an incredible, sexy mastermind. Why, I was so impressed with that prank, I could kiss them!"
Iruka freezes again. Then drops his head to repeatedly thunk it against his desk. Damnit, Naruto! Don't say things like that- people might get the wrong idea!
The Umino is distantly aware of team seven's conversation with the Hokage, but he is too busy repressing… whatever the hell this is to pay them much mind. Iruka is broken again from his thoughts by Naruto's loud exclamation. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU PALE-ASSED BASTARD!"
Iruka watches with wide eyes as Naruto attempts to attack Sai, who continues to smile blankly. Once she has finally calmed down, Naruto once again turns in his direction, a light pink dusting her cheeks. "For your information, Sai, sometimes me and Granny are kinda similar. I like older guys too- they're wayyyy more attractive than little boys like you."
Everything except for the blue of Naruto's eyes fades away, white noise filling his ears. Eventually, Naruto is dragged out the office, but she continues to meet his eyes until the door closes shut behind her.
For a moment, Iruka sits in stunned silence. Then, he lets out a wordless scream and collapses upon his desk, sending his papers spiralling throughout the office.
"CLEAN UP THOSE PAPERS, UMINO!" Tsunade hollers. Iruka can't bring himself to care about angering the Hokage- he has bigger problems on his mind…
Xxx
"Iruka's just so- urghhhh….." Naruto groans, flopping onto her back, heedless of the sewer around her.
From his prison, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the chakra manifestation of hatred himself, face palms.
"Brat, I don't care about your pathetic love life! It's not my problem that you can't attract the mate of your choosing!"
Naruto turns pleading eyes towards the Kyuubi, who flinches away under the force of her puppy dog eyes. Those things should be considered an S-class weapon!
"But- but I need some advice! Pleeaaasseee! What should I do to make Iruka notice me?"
"…Do I look like a relationship guru?"
Naruto tilits her head consideringly. "Mmm… Not really? Maybe you would look more like one if you had a fancy beaded necklace, or sat in seiza!"
The Kyuubi's disgusted expression said exactly what he thought of that suggestion.
The Uzumaki petulantly lifts her nose and lets out a disgruntled huff. "Well, if you're not going to offer me any tips-"
"I was the one that suggested the sparring session!"
"-any useful tips that actually get him to acknowledge me, I guess I'll just use you as someone to rant at! So, Iruka started dating that co-worker of his, Masami, who's a makeup obsessed harpy that doesn't know how to take a joke. Whenever I see her, I want to punch her in the face! She even kissed Iruka in front of me! Last time, when I was…"
Kurama attempts to block out the blonde's rants by covering his ears, but it is an exercise in futility. She's just so loud.
When she finally gets together with that chuunin, Kurama is going to rant in her ear all the time to distract her- she would deserve it, considering what she put him through on a daily basis!
Xxx
As time is want to do, it passes in a flurry of blurred moments. Eventually, there is no longer time for innocent forays into love- instead, the only future in sight is one filled with war.
Xxx
Naruto enters the Fourth Shinobi War with something to protect. Obviously, this includes her friends, comrades, and the many shiboi fighting valiantly at her side. It is for their sake that she pushes to succeed. But what truly gives her the final push to race forward without fear in the face of the enemy is a single, lingering thought- if she loses… Iruka himself will be one of the many casualties of the war, another tally to the looming death count. If she doesn't put her own life on the line, her most precious person could pay the ultimate price.
She is not going to let that happen.
It was with guts and determination that Naruto spearheads the victory of the United Shinobi Nations. As everyone celebrates their hard-won success, Naruto is quietly content with Iruka's every continued breath- and the small, proud smile he shines towards her on the eve of her victory.
That, beyond any words of praise or distinguishment, is her greatest reward.
Sometime later, after the end of the final battle and the Kage's emergency meeting (something about creating a 'Code Orange', whatever that is), Naruto finds herself discussing the future plans for the shinobi nations with Gaara. The Kazekage is oddly red in the face when Naruto praises his incredible leadership capabilities, but he had looked even worse when Naruto had stepped in close to feel his temperature, worried that he was sick.
In an effort to make him more comfortable, Naruto steps back to give him a little space, and directs her gaze occasionally away from him so as not to put him on the spot.
Gaara is saying something about increased trade throughout the shinobi nations, and maybe even a shinobi exchange program to make relations better, when her attention is completely diverted. Just ahead of her, Iruka is helping another wounded shinobi to the med tents. The Umino himself is covered in various wounds, but he doesn't pay them a lick of attention, too busy helping his comrade.
Naruto smiles quietly at the sight. That's just the kind of guy Iruka is- always putting others before himself.
The Uzumaki doesn't even notice that Gaara has stopped talking. The Kazekage follows the direction of her gaze, and his breath hitches when it leads to none other than Umino Iruka. Gaara is about to exclaim his surprise, and attempt to divert Naruto's attention from the older man, when something suddenly catches his attention.
Naruto's entire expression is tender, her smile gentle, and her eyes… Those blue chips of sky that he has always drowned in are filled with love. Not for Gaara, but for Iruka.
Gaara quietly steps away. He knows when he's been beat.
…He better win that damn bet for this. His heartbreak should be worth its weight in gold!
Xxx
Iruka watches the years drift by with panic, always conscious of his ever-growing problem. Heedless of his internal pleas, Naruto only continues to become more beautiful, more mature… Iruka attempts to ignore this looming attraction- he is her old sensei after all, almost ten years her senior!
But… that doesn't stop him from slowly coming to love her, piece by little piece.
It's in the way she smiles, and lights up with that uncapturable joy that radiates from her like the sun breaking through a clouded sky. It's the wrinkle of her brow when she's confused, the pursing of her lips when she's upset. The indignant huff she makes whenever Iruka is too 'troublesome'.
It's her tender care as she hands him an orchid she had grown herself for his birthday, her ecstatic expression as she shows him the animals she and Kiba had looked at in Kaiza's Pet Wonderland. Her calloused hand reaching to push dandelion blonde hair from her eyes, and Iruka finding his hands twitching to tuck the piece behind her ear with his own- barely holding himself back from reaching out to her. That damned tooth, gently biting a chapped lip, heavy lidded blue eyes looking up at Iruka through thick lashes like he's amazing, and the greatest gift she could ever receive…
Every day, Iruka stumbles upon some new reason to love the woman of his dreams- and every day, Iruka is ready to refute these terrible thoughts and push away the awful feelings that cling to him like tar. Naruto is still a kid compared to him, and he needs to just- just ignore this! His feelings will go away eventually-
-Naruto opens the door to her apartment in only a towel. "Sorry Iruka, I didn't' realize it would be you at the door!" Then who did she expect it to be?! Iruka is going to give this person a piece of his mind!- no, wait, he's not supposed to care-
-A weeklong pranking competition arises between them after Naruto changes his coffee to decaf, and his heart races as she lights up with glee and determination. In that moment, Iruka is heedless of the paint splatters across his face and the glitter bombs that have detonated in his apartment, but instead focuses entirely on the incredible woman before him-
-The blonde falls asleep with her head gently resting on his shoulder, and Iruka's entire back tenses as he forces his gaze away from the absolutely adorable expressions she makes when she's sleeping-
-Naruto smiles softly at the academy students practising in the yard, and Iruka is unable to make himself disturb her as she watches the children of what will someday be her village play and laugh. Iruka can't help but think that when Naruto's a mother, she's going to be the best one that ever was, and that if they had kids, she would love them so much-
…Oh Kami, he is so screwed.
Iruka doesn't know whether to be overjoyed or incredibly distraught when Naruto slowly tapers off her attempts to catch his attention. It was inevitable that she would move on. Besides, this is the right thing, and this is what he wanted. So why did it hurt so much?
Xxx
In the years after the war, Naruto makes various attempts at claiming Iruka's attention- setting up events so that he comes across her in little more than a towel, instigating numerous pranking wars, and letting herself fall asleep on his shoulder…
The attempts continue, none succeeding. Naruto slowly tapers off on her ploys to win Iruka's affections when it becomes clear that he is reaching the point where her sheer presence makes him uncomfortable. Naruto still remembers those dark years when Iruka was her sensei, when they were hardly even friends…
Naruto can't go back to that. Even if she can't have Iruka's love, she can still have his friendship. If she loses that, too… Naruto thinks something in her would break.
Naruto no longer wants the status quo- she wants Iruka as more than a friend. But he dances away from her, always slightly out of reach. Iruka acts like these feelings she has would go away if he ignores them. He still sees her as the immature kid in the orange jumpsuit, yelling her dreams of being Hokage to the world. And Naruto has no clue how to make him change his mind.
…Luckily for Naruto, fate intervenes- this time in the form of a mind reading shopaholic.
Ino invites her to go dress shopping, using the blackmail of her secret author status as leverage. Somehow, it begins the chain reaction of doom necessary to pull Naruto out of the depressed funk she has been ground into. Naruto now has a goal- she will reverse the downwards spiral her quest of love has been taking, and set the kami forsaken deathtrap- known more commonly as the friend zone- on fire.
Xxx
"Naruto is going to confess to the love of her life today because Yamanaka Ino accelerated The Bet! Run for your lives!"
Iruka carefully puts down the shuriken he had been in the process of buying to replace the dented ones at the academy. With rigid steps, he pushes through the swarming crowds, all of which are anxious to place their bets. In a trance, the chuunin finds himself going to the one place he has always associated with good things- thanks mostly in part to the blonde that is about to confess to him (oh Kami she's going to confess he doesn't know whether to be ecstatic or hate himself she didn't give up she loves him even though she shouldn't he's disgusting but he can't help the way he feels)-
"One miso, please," Iruka whispers, taking a careful seat. Teuchi shoots him a look punctuated by a raised eyebrow, but calmly moves to carry out the order.
Iruka stares with unblinking eyes at the counter before him. When the ramen arrives, he stares at that too. When shinobi swarm him for Intel… He 'takes care of them'.
Nothing can break Iruka from his torrential thoughts. Not Teuchi and Ayame's disapproving stares, not the distant insanity of Konoha, and not even some moronic ninja fishing for information on the precious shared history between himself and Naruto.
Eventually, he comes to a decision within his mind.
He is going to prevent Naruto from making the biggest mistake of her life. Even if it breaks him to do it.
…Luckily for Iruka, when Uzumaki Naruto is involved, plans tend to go pear-shaped. In this case, in the best possible way.
Xxx
And so begins the simple summer day to change the world.
