Chapter 6: The Calm Before the Storm

Masayuki woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside his window, the early morning light filtering through the curtains. For a moment, he lay still, enjoying the quiet before reality came crashing back in. Today was the day. One way or another, they had to deal with Kira's father. The thought made his stomach churn with anxiety, but there was no way around it.

He pushed himself out of bed and got dressed, trying to keep his mind focused on the task at hand. As he stepped out of his room, he glanced down the hall to where Kira had slept. She had blushed and insisted on sleeping in the other room by herself this time, and when he peeked inside, he saw that she was still fast asleep, curled up under the blankets. She looked more peaceful now, more stable than she had the night before, and for that, he was grateful.

But he couldn't help the nagging worry in the back of his mind. What if her father was waiting for them outside the academy? What if he intercepted them before they could get to Iruka-sensei? And what about Kira's mother? If Kira wasn't there, would she be left to face the brunt of her husband's wrath? Masayuki shook his head, trying to push those thoughts aside. He couldn't think about that now. They had to take things one step at a time.

He gently woke Kira, and after a quick breakfast of leftover rice and miso soup, they wrapped Kira's bruised eye up, and prepared to leave for the academy. The tension was thick in the air as they walked through the village, trying to be as inconspicuous as two non-ninja kids could be—which wasn't very inconspicuous at all. Masayuki's heart pounded in his chest, every shadow and passing villager making him jump with nerves. He could feel Kira's hand shaking in his, and he squeezed it reassuringly, though his own fear wasn't much better.

As they got closer to the academy, the tension only grew. They kept to the side streets, ducking behind corners and peeking out to see if anyone was waiting for them. Masayuki's mind raced with scenarios—what if her father was there? What if he attacked them? What if—

But when they finally reached the academy grounds, there was no one there apart from the usual parents dropping off their kids. The courtyard was bustling with the sounds of laughter and chatter, the normalcy of it all almost surreal in comparison to the anxiety that had been gnawing at them moments before.

"There's no sign of him," Kira whispered, her voice trembling with both relief and disbelief.

Masayuki let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. A part of him felt disappointed that there wasn't going to be any action, especially after he'd mentally prepared himself for a confrontation. He'd had it all planned out too—if Kira's father had shown up, he would have screamed out all the man's misdeeds in front of the other parents, many of whom were shinobi themselves, and hopefully, they would have protected them.

But no, there wasn't even the slightest hint of her father's presence. It was as if the man had vanished into thin air. "Guess we're not as important as we thought," Masayuki muttered under his breath, though the joke did little to ease the tension that still coiled in his gut.

Not wanting to waste any more time, they sprinted from where they'd been staking out into the academy, where Iruka-sensei was busy preparing for the day's lessons. The classroom was still empty, save for the rows of desks and the soft rustling of papers as Iruka arranged his materials.

"Sensei," Masayuki called out as they entered, his voice more serious than it had ever been.

Iruka looked up from his work, his expression immediately shifting to one of concern when he saw the looks on their faces. "Masayuki? Kira? What's going on?"

Masayuki exchanged a brief glance with Kira, who nodded slightly, giving him the silent go-ahead. He took a deep breath and launched into the story, explaining everything from Kira's father's abusive behavior to the events of the previous night, and how they had spent the night at his house to keep her safe. As he spoke, Kira stood beside him, her head bowed as she tried to hold back tears. But as the story went on, she couldn't keep them in anymore, and they spilled down her cheeks in silent streams.

Iruka's expression darkened with every word. His usually calm demeanor cracked, anger simmering just beneath the surface. When Kira finally finished her part of the story, pleading through her tears for Iruka to help her, he was visibly livid.

That anger exacerbated when Kira hesitantly unwrapped the bandage covering her eye. Iruka had wanted to kill that piece of shit at this point.

"How could a shinobi of Konoha fall to such levels as to abuse his own family?" Iruka hissed, his fists clenched at his sides. The disgust in his voice was palpable, and Masayuki could see the muscles in his jaw tighten as he ground his teeth. "This is unacceptable. Don't worry, Kira. I'll make sure this is taken care of."

Kira looked up at him, her eyes wide with hope. "You'll really help us?"

Iruka's gaze softened as he looked at her, his anger giving way to a gentle resolve. "Of course, Kira. No child should have to live in fear of their own parent. I'm going to have a word with the Hokage about this. I have a meeting with him later today, and I'll make sure this issue is brought up. Until then, I want you both to stay here at the academy. Don't leave until I get back, alright?"

Masayuki nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. Iruka was a good man, and if anyone could help them, it was him. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei," he said earnestly.

It irked him though, being this powerless and having to rely on the mercy of others, but he brushed that thought aside. He was going to be using that as fuel for motivation later tonight when he trained.

Iruka smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "It's the least I can do. Now, try to focus on your lessons today, alright? I'll take care of the rest."

As the day went on, classes proceeded as normal, though Masayuki could tell that Iruka was still shaken by the revelation of Kira's circumstances. Despite this, Iruka kept a calm and composed exterior, guiding the students through their lessons with his usual patience. Thankfully, today's lesson plan involved staying within the classroom, so they didn't have to worry about encountering Kira's father outside.

Naruto had arrived late as usual much to the disappointment of Iruka, and the amusement of their fellow classmates with his 'grand' entrance of literally flying towards his assigned seat. As much of a delinquent as he was, the kid was nimble, and far more talented than meets the eye. Masayuki felt bad for him, considering his circumstances. If he approached Naruto and straightened him up, would he inadvertently alter the timeline and ruin what was to be?

The hours dragged by, each tick of the clock feeling slower than the last. Masayuki and Kira tried to focus on their work, but their minds were elsewhere, anxiously waiting for the end of the day.

Finally, as the last bell rang and the other students began to pack up, Iruka called for Mizuki to take over while he went to meet with the Hokage.

Mizuki, much to his chagrin, was left in charge of the two as Iruka headed out. Masayuki couldn't help but feel a pang of unease around Mizuki. There was something about him that rubbed him the wrong way—maybe it was the slick way he spoke or the glint in his eyes that always seemed a bit too calculating. Masayuki knew from the anime that Mizuki would eventually betray Konoha due to his hidden involvement with Orochimaru, but for now, he let it slide. There wasn't much they could do about it at the moment, and they needed someone to keep an eye on them until Iruka got back.

Meanwhile, at the Hokage's office, Iruka arrived with a sense of urgency. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, was seated behind his desk, his expression calm and composed as always, but there was an underlying sharpness in his eyes. He had been expecting a routine update on Naruto's progress—perhaps another report on the boy's latest prank or an assessment of his improvement in ninjutsu. But as Iruka began to relay the story Masayuki and Kira had told him, the atmosphere in the room shifted.

The Hokage's face remained deadpan, the kind of expression that masked a storm brewing beneath the surface. Anyone who knew Hiruzen well could tell that he was pissed, even if his face didn't show it. As Iruka continued, recounting the horrors that Kira had faced at the hands of her father, Hiruzen's eyes darkened, and his hands clenched into fists on the desk.

When Iruka finished, Hiruzen was silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on a spot just beyond Iruka's shoulder as he processed the information. Then, with a quiet command, he gestured to one of the ANBU standing guard by the door. "Dispatch a team to investigate the home of Kira's father," he ordered, his voice cold and steely. "I want a full report on his current status."

The ANBU nodded and disappeared in a blur of movement, leaving the Hokage and Iruka alone in the office. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a kunai as they waited for the ANBU to return. Minutes ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity.

Finally, the ANBU reappeared in the room, his face hidden behind his mask as he approached the Hokage. He leaned in and whispered something in Hiruzen's ear, and whatever it was caused the Hokage's eyes to widen in shock. His teeth visibly clenched, and he stood up abruptly, his hands curling into fists at his sides.

Iruka felt a chill run down his spine at the sight of the Hokage's reaction. He had never seen the Third Hokage lose his composure like this. Whatever the ANBU had reported, it was bad—worse than anything Iruka had anticipated.

"That bastard killed his wife," the Hokage growled, his voice low and filled with barely restrained fury.

Notes: Sorry for the late update. Had a close uncle diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis so yeah, it sucks. Thanks for the reviews guys, they really motivate me to keep posting despite all that's happened. If reading this brings you even a little bit of joy, then I'm happy.

Hope to return to regular posting soon-ish. Hope you enjoy.

Edit: Made some minor changes to this and the previous chapters for consistency.