Lessons
Fire – it was burning everywhere. Iruka could feel the sweat dripping down the sides of his face as the heat surrounded him. He looked all around, searching for a way out, but all he could see were flames. Far away, he could hear voices mixed in with the sizzling crackle of his world being consumed, but he couldn’t make out whom they belonged to at first. Something about them sounded familiar, he realized. It was almost as if they were calling his name.
“Iruka! Iruka, run away! Get out of here!”
“ I c-can’t,” the young boy choked back, coughing as smoke entered his lungs, “There’s no way out!”
“Don’t die here!” the voice wailed, clearer now, “Please-”
It was desperate and begging. Iruka still didn’t recognize whom it belonged to, but he could feel a sickening twist in his stomach as he realized it might be someone he knew, whose voice had been grossly mutated. Not her…
“Iruka!”
A face burst through the flames directly in front of him, and Iruka saw what he had feared seeing most – the burned and distorted face of his mother. He couldn’t stand to look at her burned flesh or hear her weak damaged voice. He closed his eyes, covered his ears, and screamed.
“Iruka. Iruka!”
The voice was different now. It was smoother, comforting, normal. Something about it was also familiar, but he couldn’t remember whom it belonged to either.
“IRUKA! KAI!”
The tan boy blinked. It wasn’t hot anymore, but he was still sweating. He winced against the bright light of the sun as several eyes fixed themselves upon him. There was a patch of grass beneath his feet, still healthy and green. Not burnt. Slowly, Iruka began to remember where he was. It wasn’t anywhere near a fire – it was outside…with his classmates.
“Iruka, you’re the only one who wasn’t able to break out of the genjutsu,” his sensei told him, frowning with disapproval, “Did you allow yourself to believe everything you experienced was real?”
“It was real!” Iruka insisted, “I was hot, and I could smell smoke.”
“That was a mid-level genjutsu,” his sensei corrected him, “It affects every one of your five senses. Weren’t you paying attention when I explained this in class?”
Iruka looked away embarrassedly. He knew he had heard his sensei mention this, but experiencing it had been a whole different story. He had actually felt like he was going to burn up. He looked down at his hands and checked himself over again, but he was fine – no singes, nothing. How can I be the only one to fall for that genjutsu?, he thought bitterly. I wonder if they all saw the same thing I did.
He turned to see his sensei already preparing for the next round of training, and Iruka frowned at the possibility of failing to expel even more horrible images. Only two more years till we graduate. No one’ll let me live it down if I freak out over every little genjutsu. I gotta break out of the next one. This one didn’t even turn out to be scary; but Iruka was enjoying his fantasy world of playing with his classmates at the lake so much that he forgot he was supposed to be reaching back for the real world. It earned him another lecture from his sensei. The genjutsu that followed were more frightening than any that had come before. In one, a large monstrous creature towered over him as shinobi he had seen around the village were dying left and right. Iruka struggled, but by the time he broke out of it, he was shaking pretty hard and time had already been called. A classmate wetting his pants later on made him feel a little better.
The end of the school day came quicker than Iruka expected. Usually the afternoons before a day off just dragged on, but now Iruka found himself outside the academy building wondering what he should do with his newfound free time. He walked towards the tree with the swing before realizing that Kakashi wouldn’t be meeting him there today. His friend was still off on a mission. Too bad he’s not here, Iruka thought to himself, I’m sure he could help me with the genjutsu. The dark-skinned boy was not at all pleased with today’s performance. There had to be someone who could help him get better at it over the break. He wanted nothing more than to come back having mastered it to the point where he could show off his new skills without any trouble. Let them laugh then. Iruka knew his parents weren’t too skilled in the area either and blamed his genes for a while until he thought of someone else who might be able to help him.
A few minutes later, he found himself outside this person’s door. As it opened, he was greeted with a smile.
“Oh, Iruka! Good to see you. You know Kakashi’s out, right?”
The tan boy nodded and looked up at the blond man with his best pleading eyes.
“I came to see you, Sensei. Can you please help train me in breaking out of genjutsu?”
“You want my help, huh?” the Yellow Flash asked with a small laugh, “What about your parents?”
“They’re not any better at this stuff than I am,” Iruka mumbled, remembering his father’s last attempt to teach him resistance against genjutsu.
It had ended with Iruka quivering on the floor and sleeping next to his mother for a week. Actually I think they’re worse.
“Well, I have to admit it’s not my favorite area either, but I can help you out if you like,” the man told him, “I have a bit of time early tomorrow if you think you can get up.”
Iruka made a face at the thought of rising early on his day off, but he nodded.
“Thanks, Sensei!”
The next day, the two of them were standing on the practice field. Iruka gave a sleepy yawn but then tried his best to look awake. His mother had had to drag him out of bed herself since Iruka had asked her the night before to wake him up so he wouldn’t miss his lesson. He had eaten breakfast in a hurry, but had still arrived on the field not long after Sensei had gotten there.
“Ready for today’s lesson?” the blonde man asked.
“Yep!” Iruka chirped, determined not to look tired anymore.
He would have to be on full alert for this.
“Good. We’ll start with a lower level genjutsu and work our way up.”
The tan boy nodded. He was confident in his ability to dispel the lowest level of genjutsu at least, but he was sure he could learn more from practicing with them that would help him fight against the stronger ones.
“First,” Sensei said, “You have to get a feel for where you are. Look around – attach yourself to this place so that you won’t get sucked away into a world that doesn’t exist.”
Iruka glanced around him and took in everything on the training ground – the stretch of grass he and Sensei were standing on, the trees that lined the sides, and even the partly cloudy sky above. He closed his eyes and memorized the sounds and smells of the place he was standing in. He could sense Sensei watching him even though his world was dark.
“Focus,” the voice said, “Don’t let yourself drift away from where you are. Don’t think about anything outside this training field. When I try to take you away, fight back with your mind and remember what this place feels like. Try to get back here.”
Iruka nodded slowly. He felt like he was going into a trance. Is this how people meditate? He kept his mind attached to the training ground, and it wasn’t until a few moments later that he felt himself being pulled away. Heat- he felt himself getting warmer. He was pretty sure his eyes were still closed, but he was starting to see his parents standing before him. Okasan? Otosan? Where did you come from? You’re not- You’re not supposed to be here. Though it was difficult, Iruka tried to pull his mind away from his parents and think of the training field again.
“Iruka…”
They were calling his name now. It all seemed so real. Those voices – they were exactly what Iruka’s parents sounded like. No, Iruka thought, It’s fake. My parents aren’t here. I’m on the training grounds with Sensei. Focus. He pushed his mind away from their voices and tried to picture the grass and trees. There. He could feel them now. He had gotten a sense of where he was again.
“Iruka.”
The voice was different now. It didn’t belong to either one of Iruka’s parents, but it wasn’t Sensei’s voice either. Still, it was also familiar. Could it be…
“Kakashi!” Iruka blurted, surprised, and his friend appeared before him.
He hadn’t really expected to see him, but there he was. No wait, Kakashi’s out on a mission. He couldn’t be back already. No way – it can’t be. You’re not here. You’re not- Iruka tried to pull his mind away, but he got distracted from where he wanted to go back to. I wish he were back already. Kakashi had been gone for a while. What if – what if something happened? What if he didn’t come back? The kind of missions Kakashi went on were so dangerous. No, what am I thinking? It’s Kakashi. No way he’d ever let someone beat him…By the time Iruka had finally pulled his mind away, he had forgotten where he was.
“Kai,” Sensei said, and Iruka snapped back to the training field.
“Sorry, Sensei,” Iruka muttered, “I let myself get distracted.”
“Don’t worry about it,” the blonde man replied, “It was only the first round. You saw something you didn’t expect, right? Well most of genjutsu is about seeing what you don’t think you will and actually making you believe that you are seeing it. If you get too caught up in it and ask yourself too many questions, then you forget where you’re going.”
Iruka nodded. Part of him had been expecting to see Kakashi, or at least hoping to, and that was what had led to the confusion.
“It was only the first level too,” Iruka sighed.
“Just because it’s low level genjutsu doesn’t mean it can’t be tough without practice. Let’s try it again.”
Iruka nodded and closed his eyes. This time he thought only of the field. Whatever popped up was promptly ignored, even though some things tended to draw Iruka’s attention away if only for a second. Ramen! No, training field, training field…
“Kai,” Iruka finally said after a few moments, but he wasn’t free of the genjutsu.
“Try again,” he could hear sensei say.
“Kai!” Iruka yelled, putting all his mental force into it.
Finally he was free! Though he could swear the scent of ramen was still in the air…
“I did it!” Iruka said happily, “You are real, right, Sensei?”
“I was the last time I checked,” the blonde man smirked as Iruka gave him a poke just to make sure, “Well done.”
The tan boy grinned and waited eagerly to move on to the next level.
By the end of the day he was exhausted. He walked with Sensei as far as the jounin’s house, thanked him, and made his way back towards his own neighborhood. The sun was setting now, casting its orange rays on the statues of the three Hokage that overlooked the village. Iruka wondered absently what was for dinner; then his thoughts went back to Kakashi. Maybe the small chuunin would be home by tomorrow. I’ll go meet up with him then. We could practice together.
When Iruka arrived him, he was surprised that only his father greeted him.
“Where’s Okasan?” he asked.
“She got called away suddenly,” his father replied, with the usual quirk on his lips, “Seems some skirmishes have started on Konoha’s borders. Hopefully they’ll let her come home soon, though.”
Iruka frowned, but nodded understandingly. This kind of thing happened all the time. His mother had many talents and was sometimes needed on special force teams. Her missions usually didn’t last long though, so Iruka usually had little time to miss her. Still, she had recently started teaching Iruka how to use exploding tags on his kunai, and the young boy was impatient to master it. It was always so exciting to learn something new, and his mother was an excellent teacher. He pouted a bit.
“Cheer up,” his father said, “At least you’ve still got me to make you dinner! Hey, don’t make that face.”
Iruka gave him a mischievous smirk.
“Just don’t destroy the kitchen before she gets back,” he said, “Or she’ll have a new mission to make you fix it.”
“I’ll do my best to keep it in one piece,” his father replied.
Despite how his wife and son might have teased him, Mr. Umino was not a bad cook. It was just that cooking with one arm tended to be a bit of a challenge. Kind of like a C-rank mission – not as hard as it could be, but not as easy as D-rank. Rice he could do. As for anything beyond rice, well, Iruka’s father would just have to get creative. And juggle a little bit.
A few painstaking moments later, they had a meal. Iruka helped set the table while his father got the food ready. They sat down together at their small low table and began to eat.
“Itadakimasu!” Iruka said cheerfully before he dug in.
“Any good?” his dad inquired.
His son grinned.
“Not bad. Maybe soon you’ll be as good as Okasan.”
“Don’t flatter me too much,” his father replied, putting down his chopsticks to ruffle Iruka’s hair like he always did, “Otherwise, I’ll never believe you.”
The tan boy laughed and tried to stop his father’s hand from messing up his ponytail.
“It really is good though. She’d be impressed.”
“Well, maybe I’ll ask her to give me a few more lessons when she gets back,” his father said with a smile, and then a little later, “So, what were you up to today? Playing with Kakashi-kun?”
Iruka shook his head.
“He’s still off on his mission,” he replied, “and it’s not playing, Otosan! It’s training! Training!”
“Oh, right. Pardon me,” Mr. Umino replied, amused, “So you were training on your own then?”
“Not alone,” Iruka replied after gulping down a mouthful of rice, “With Sensei.”
“Private lessons from the Yellow Flash himself! You’re lucky.”
“He’s teaching me how to break out of genjutsu,” Iruka told him, “I’m having trouble with it at school.”
“Genjutsu was never my strongest point either,” his father sighed, “But you’ll get the hang of it. I’m sure with a sensei like that, you’ll master it in no time.”
“But I believe what I see too easily,” Iruka murmured, “And some things scare me so bad. It’s like being trapped in a nightmare, and you can’t wake up.”
“You have to learn how to wake yourself up,” the older man said knowingly, “It’s hard sometimes, but part of you will always remember what is real.”
Iruka shuddered to think of the images the genjutsu had made him see. The scariest part about seeing the destruction and loved ones in pain was that it was all a very real part of every ninja’s life. Iruka had never thought about what shinobi had to go through and how much one person must have seen by the time he or she was an adult. His eyes fell on the place where his father’s missing arm should have been, and he found he couldn’t take his eyes off it.
At some point his father noticed him staring and put his hand up to the empty shoulder. Iruka jumped as he broke out of his trance and looked away from his father guiltily.
“Otousan?”
“Yes, Iruka-kun?”
“Do you ever wish you hadn’t become a ninja?”
His father blinked in surprise, but then smiled, a little sadly.
“Sometimes I wonder how things would have been different,” he admitted, “I could have a safer job. I could have an easier life. I could leave home knowing that I’ll come back just fine. I could have two arms. But without anyone to protect this village, well, I couldn’t really have any of that, now could I?”
Iruka wasn’t sure what to say. All he could do was stare at his father with a stunned expression.
“I’m proud of what I do,” his father continued, “Because of me, people in Konoha can feel safe. Families like ours can eat dinner together and sleep without worrying about any danger. Everyone depends on each other. That’s why, no matter what, I’ll protect this village, until I can’t fight anymore.”
Iruka’s stunned look turned to one of admiration. He was proud of his father too. Maybe someday he’ll be proud of me, Iruka thought. Someday, when I’m a shinobi protecting this village with him.
“It’s not an easy way of life,” his father said, “but it’s the one I’ve chosen, and I know it’s right for me.”
“Me too,” Iruka agreed.
Mr. Umino smiled at his son and ruffled the tan boy’s hair playfully again. They finished the rest of their meal and went off to bed not long after. Iruka was excited to show his class what he’d learned the next day.
Thanks to Sensei’s special training course, Iruka was able to break out of his genjutsu much more easily than the time before. His sensei congratulated him and praised him for his improvement. After school, he waited by the tree to see if Kakashi would come. How long was this mission going to take? Iruka wanted his friend back. He also wanted to show him what he had learned. Time passed, however, and the chuunin didn’t show up. Must still be traveling back today…
Iruka was surprised to find an empty house when he came home.
“Otosaaan!” he called, but no one answered.
He walked into the kitchen and saw a note lying on the table for him in his father’s handwriting.
“Iruka – come to Konoha hospital. Don’t panic.”
And that was it. Iruka’s eyes widened as he stared at the note in disbelief. How could he not panic? The note didn’t even say why to come! What could have possibly have happened? There was only one thing he could think of.
He rushed off to the hospital as fast as his legs could carry him. Finally, he arrived at the door, panting, barely able to make it to the reception desk. Once he had gotten his breath back, he approached the lady standing there.
“Is my father here?” he asked.
“What’s your name?”
“Umino.”
“Oh yes, he’s with his wife on the third floor. I’ll have someone take you to them.”
Iruka followed a nurse up to where his parents were. When they entered the room, the first thing he saw was his father sitting next to the hospital bed. His mother lay on the bed, eyes closed and wrapped in bandages. His father, who had been watching her, looked up as his son came in.
“Oh, Iruka…”
The boy sped to the bedside.
“Okasan! Is she going to be okay?!” he asked desperately.
“She’ll be fine,” his father sighed, “She just overdid it a bit. Her chakra’s low, but once she gets her strength back, she’ll be ready to come home. She’s sleeping now.”
“Okasan…”
Iruka was upset with his mother for worrying him like this, but at least she was going to be okay. The young boy couldn’t help being disturbed by the image of his mother wrapped in bandages and lying in a hospital bed. Even though she was a ninja and it was common to be injured on a mission, it was too much like a genjutsu for Iruka’s comfort. What if something worse had happened? He thought about Kakashi and the trouble he could be facing right now. If his mother could come back in this condition, what could happen to an eleven-year old boy? Iruka knew that his mother and Kakashi were both chuunin, but still, Kakashi seemed like the more vulnerable one. Iruka had a hard time sleeping that night worrying over the ones he cared about.
The next day, after a minor cooking disaster that resulted in the near destruction of the ceiling (Iruka still wasn’t sure exactly how it had happened), Iruka’s father took him to Ichiraku for dinner. Though Mr. Umino’s kitchen shenanigans had been amusing, Iruka still couldn’t help feeling down after what had happened to his mother. He sipped his ramen slowly, while beside him, his father slurped as loud as possible.
“What’s wrong, Iruka?” the man asked once he had gulped down half his bowl, “Don’t you like your ramen?”
“It’s good,” Iruka said quietly, taking a larger sip to prove his point, “but I wish Okasan was here to eat it with us.”
His father smiled at him sympathetically and turned so he could pat Iruka’s shoulder with his single hand.
“Your mother will be fine,” he assured his son, “Don’t worry – she’s tough enough to get through this easily.”
“What if something worse happens to her next time?” Iruka asked worriedly.
The look in his eyes was almost desperate, pleading his father to give him a satisfactory answer that would take away all his concern. Mr. Umino sighed and stared down at his half-filled bowl.
“The hardest part about being a shinobi,” he said, “is never knowing if you’ll always come back. The time before every mission might be the last chance you get to see the ones you love.”
Iruka shuddered slightly at his father’s words. The thought of his parents leaving him was too much for him to handle. He couldn’t imagine life without his mother and father there, waiting for him at home when he came back from school, eating dinner with him at the table, saying goodnight when each day was over…
“What would you do if Okasan didn’t come back?” Iruka managed to ask in a low voice.
It was his father’s turn to flinch, but Mr. Umino thought carefully about his son’s question so that he could find the best way to answer it.
“That’s something I can’t ever prepare myself for,” he replied, “but I have to try. The reality is, no one lives forever. Some of us find our time here cut short, but no matter how many years we get, our spirits all have the same lifespan. When we lose someone we love, we cry because their physical self is gone, but that doesn’t mean they’re dead. They live on within you. And you have to live for them too and value their life for what it was. If something were to happen to your mother, I would grieve until I could join her – but at the same time, I’d be proud that she gave her life for this village. You can’t show anyone greater love than that.”
Iruka gave a nod and went back to sipping his noodles. He couldn’t think of a response to his father’s words, but he did have to admit that they gave him a lot to think about. Could a person really feel pride and sadness at the same time?
After dinner, the two Uminos headed home. Iruka stared at the sun growing redder and at the large shadow the three carved faces of the Hokage were casting. The village was growing quieter as the last of the children scampered home before dark. Iruka turned in the direction of Kakashi’s house and wondered if the chuunin was home yet.
“You can go on ahead, Otousan,” Iruka said, “I’m going to wait for Kakashi.”
His father gave a nod.
“Don’t stay out too late. I’ll be waiting for you at home.”
Iruka nodded back and went to up to Kakashi’s house to knock at the door. The Yellow Flash opened the door and explained to a disappointed Iruka that his friend still hadn’t returned.
“He should be home by tonight, though,” the blonde man told him encouragingly, “You’re welcome to wait here for him if you like.”
Iruka accepted the offer happily and drank some tea with Sensei as the two waited for the young chuunin’s return. Time passed, however, and after an hour or so had gone by, Iruka realized that his father would be worried about him.
“Sorry, Sensei, but I have to go home,” the tan boy sighed, “I’ll come say hi to Kakashi tomorrow.”
“Alright, Iruka. Sorry he didn’t show up. I’m sure he’s just a bit slow getting back. Probably tired after such a long mission.”
Iruka nodded understandingly, trying to hide his concern as best he could. He knew Kakashi could take care of himself, but after that talk with his father, he was beginning to wonder how he really would handle it if his friend didn’t return. The young boy had no choice but to shake off the feeling.
The next morning was a strange one. Iruka woke up to the sound of his father talking to another man in the living room. Who could this be, so early?
“Yes, I understand,” his father was sighing, “It might be a bit hard on him, but if the village needs me- Oh, Iruka, you’re up.”
The tan boy walked into the room and stared at the other shinobi that his father was talking to. He didn’t recognize the man, but the uniform told him he must have come to talk to his father about a something mission-related.
“Is everything okay?” Iruka asked worriedly.
“Just fine,” his father replied, “I have to go away for a mission for a few days, though, so someone else is going to look after you for a while until your mother can come home.”
“I can look after myself,” the boy protested.
“Konoha law requires all underage shinobi to stay in the academy dorms if they are unsupervised,” the stranger told him, “It won’t be for long.”
“Why can’t Sensei watch me?”
“The Yellow Flash is off on his own mission today,” his father replied, “but if you like, I could ask someone to ask him to look after you when he comes back.”
Iruka looked a little more hopeful, but he still didn’t like the idea of being forced to leave home and live with those…orphans.
“It’s just for a while,” his father said, giving him a half-hug, “Be strong, Iruka.”
Iruka had found himself inside the academy dorms by that afternoon. It wasn’t quite as bad has he had pictured it – a little rundown, but still all right. He was given his own room, which was a bit larger than his room back at home. The ten-year-old dumped his suitcase beneath the bed and took a look out the window. He had a great view of Konoha from up here, and in the end, Iruka decided that as long as it was only for a little while, living here wouldn’t be so bad.
“I’ll come in to check on you now and then,” his chaperone said, “If you need me for anything, my room is just down the hall. Dinner’s at sundown.”
Iruka thanked him and went back to arranging his things. It felt strange being away from home like this even though Iruka was used to mission survival training and spending the night at Sensei’s now and then. He wondered who had lived in this room before him.
As Iruka shuffled through his belongings, his thoughts drifted back to the academy. He was glad that breaking out of genjutsu wasn’t as difficult as it had used to be. The other children had gotten the hang of it much quicker, but there were some that still weren’t so good at it. Maybe Iruka would surpass them all with a little more practice. He’d ask Sensei for more help later, he decided.
The last thing Iruka unpacked was a picture of his family. His mother and father were standing behind him with Iruka in the middle. There were smiles spread across everyone’s faces, and Iruka noticed that his smile was almost identical with his mother’s. His father had a hand on his shoulder, the hand belonging to the arm that was now gone. Looking at himself, Iruka thought he looked so much younger back then, so tiny compared to now. Time really did pass by fast.
As the sun set, Iruka made his way down to the cafeteria. He could smell the food before he got there, and it made his mouth water. Other children stared at him as he walked in the large room. Iruka thought he heard some whispers, but decided he was imagining it. He walked over to the other side of the cafeteria and lined up by the trays. After he had been served, he scanned the tables looking for a place to sit. The cafeteria was packed, and there were only a few open spots. The young boy made his way over to the closest place, next to a boy with long silver hair that reminded him of Kakashi’s, only not so fluffy.
“Is it okay if I sit here?” he asked.
The other boy looked up at the stranger with a slight frown, but it soon turned into a friendlier smile.
“Sure,” he said and made some more room for him.
“Thanks,” Iruka said happily and sat down.
“You’re new here, aren’t you?” the other boy asked between mouthfuls of food.
“Yeah,” Iruka replied, “but I’m not staying for long. Just till my mom gets out of the hospital.”
“That’s lucky,” the other boy said, as some of the warmth drifted out of his voice, “Most kids here won’t ever see their parents again.”
Iruka flinched slightly.
“I’m sorry…Did you-?”
“Lose mine? Heh, a long time ago. My aunt takes care of me now, but she’s been out of the country for months, so they sent me here.”
“When is she coming back?”
The other boy shrugged.
“I dunno. This place isn’t so bad, I guess. I don’t mind it here, but sometimes I just want to go home.”
Iruka gave him a sympathetic look. Looking around, he really did realize how lucky he was to have a home to go back to and parents who were still alive to love him and teach him what he would never learn on his own. He thought about Kakashi, a genius. But even his friend was a lot like these children in a way. The chuunin didn’t have his own mother and father to go back to, but at least he had his guardian. Iruka was glad that Sensei was there.
“Maybe she’ll come back soon,” Iruka said, offering some comfort.
The silver-haired boy looked up from his meal and stared at Iruka for a moment.
“Maybe,” he muttered, then, “How did you get that scar on your nose?”
“This?” Iruka asked, touching it, “Some bully dragged a kunai over my face.”
The other boy grimaced.
“At least it makes you look tougher. Most kids have to graduate from the academy before they can get scars like that.”
“It’s not like I got it on a mission or anything,” Iruka told him.
“No one else has to know that,” the other boy replied, grinning mischievously.
Iruka smiled at him.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Mizuki. Yours?”
“Iruka.”
“I think I’ve seen you around the academy, now that I think about it. You’re in the year below me, right?”
Iruka shrugged, honestly unaware.
“I’ve only got a few more years before I graduate,” he told the other boy, “I can’t wait to train as a gennin!”
Mizuki just kind of chuckled to himself.
“That’ll be next year for me. It might not be as great as you think. But it’s a step up from the academy.”
Something about his cool and distant attitude reminded Iruka of Kakashi. This boy seemed so sure of himself, of his own power. Iruka wondered how good he really was.
The two boys finished up their meal and headed back upstairs. When Iruka stopped at his door, Mizuki began to head further down to his own room, but after a few steps, he stopped and turned back to the other boy.
“Do you want to sneak out tonight?”
“W-what?” Iruka asked, surprised.
“Come on, it’ll be fun,” Mizuki said, smiling encouragingly, “We can go explore Konoha under the cover of night – like real ninja!”
“But if the supervisor catches us, we’ll be in trouble…”
“That’s part of the fun,” Mizuki grinned, “besides, ninja don’t get caught.”
“Well…”
Iruka had to admit, the idea made him nervous. The ten-year-old had never been out in the middle of the night with no adults around, but he didn’t want his new friend to think he was a coward. Besides, it was only inside Konoha. As long as they stayed in the village, they should be safe.
“Great,” Mizuki said, not giving him time for a real answer, “I’ll tap on your door later, so make sure you’re awake, okay?”
Iruka managed a nod, and with that, Mizuki was off. Iruka opened the door to his own room and went inside. There wasn’t much to do until lights out, but Iruka entertained himself with a book he had brought until it was time for everyone else to go to sleep.
Midnight came. The supervisor had already come by to make sure everyone was in bed. Iruka lay awake listening for the sound of Mizuki tapping on the door, but it was a while before he heard anything at all in the darkness. Finally, a soft tapping came, and
Iruka rose silently from his bed and snuck over to the door. He opened it slowly so it wouldn’t creak, and in front of him, stood Mizuki.
“Come on, let’s go,” the other boy whispered, and to Iruka’s surprise, he pushed his way into his room and went over to the window.
“What are you doing?” Iruka asked.
“This is easier than sneaking out of the front,” Mizuki explained, swinging a foot outside, “Hurry up, and watch your step.”
Iruka followed him cautiously. There were some shingles outside his window, which sloped down to cover the first floor. It was kind of steep, but he was able to grip the pipes that ran along the wall to help him keep his balance. His sandals weren’t much good for standing on the slanted shingles. He hadn’t learned to control his chakra well enough to use it to grip onto the building to help keep him from falling, but at least he had mastered the chakra-powered jump that might help him land safely if he should slip.
He inched across the roof, following Mizuki’s feet rather than the back of his head. He kept a firm grip on the pipe, but his ankles were getting tired of keeping him from slipping down the steep angle.
“Quicker,” Mizuki told him, inching further ahead.
Iruka tried to keep up the best he could, but he lost his footing and began to fall. He barely had enough time to yell out before he stopped suddenly and found himself hanging by the arm. Mizuki had grabbed a hold of him just in time. The other boy tightened his grip and helped Iruka get his balance back. The young boy could still feel his heart thumping from his near fall.
“Thanks,” he managed to pant.
“Be more careful,” Mizuki whispered, “And stay quiet too. We don’t want anyone hearing us.”
“This isn’t a good idea,” Iruka hissed back, “It’s too dangerous. There’s no point in climbing around this roof if we’re just going to get in trouble for it.”
The other boy gave him a strange look and said quietly, “Maybe you don’t know because you haven’t been here long, but it gets boring. This will be fun, trust me. Better than sticking around locked up in this place.”
“What are we even doing?” Iruka demanded, “You want to go run around Konoha at midnight just for fun?”
“Don’t you have any sense of adventure? What kind of ninja can’t get away with creeping around a bit with no one noticing? Consider this training. I bet they don’t do stuff like this at the academy.”
Iruka just shook his head. He still didn’t know what he was getting into, but there was a part of him that was really excited at the thought of wandering around like a shinobi on a mission. It was all just one big game, and he didn’t want to be left out of it. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to break the rules only for tonight…Mizuki had just saved him from falling after all, so Iruka felt like he was in his debt.
The two boys finally made it off the roof safely. Iruka landed on the other side of the dorm’s fence swiftly and silently. He followed behind Mizuki as the other boy leapt forward several feet in front of him. It was hard for Iruka to describe how he felt right then. Part of him was terrified at the thought of getting caught, but the same fear also made him more excited about the risk they were taking. For one night, they were free to do as they wanted and explore the village, going wherever they felt like.
Iruka tried to land as quietly as possible as his feet touched the roofs of sleeping families. He and Mizuki sprang through the village, cutting through neighborhoods and passing the small shops and restaurants that lay in between. Iruka felt himself getting out of breath, but he wouldn’t admit he was tired. Instead, he did his best to keep up with Mizuki’s pace. The other boy was never far ahead of him. It didn’t seem like he had a certain path set in mind, but Iruka didn’t ask any more questions. He was too distracted by the thrill of the adventure to wonder much anyway.
“Look, it’s the Hokage’s tower,” Mizuki said with a grin, pointing, “Let’s go check it out.”
“But there’s got to be a dozen guards posted there!” Iruka protested, “What if someone sees us?”
“What, scared?” the other boy questioned, giving him a disappointed frown, “We won’t get that close. I just want to check out the tower. Come on.”
He turned around and was gone before Iruka had the chance to say anything else. The tan boy groaned to himself and followed again, this time keeping more of a distance. As they neared the tower, Iruka found himself fascinated by the size of it and the power it seemed to emit. He felt like the tower itself was watching him, and he grew a bit more intimidated.
“Mizuki!” he hissed, but the other boy didn’t hear him.
Iruka hurried to catch up and found that Mizuki had stopped on the roof of a building not too far from the tower. Iruka landed nervously behind him. The other boy was staring at something, and as Iruka followed his gaze, he could see what had him so transfixed. There was a figure moving out of the shadows and along the wall of the Hokage’s tower. The boys couldn’t see the figure’s face too clearly, but there was no doubt that it was not just a guard on patrol.
“Who-?” Iruka gasped.
Mizuki watched the figure silently.
“He’s not from Konoha,” he said after a moment, “I’ve never seen a shinobi that moves like that. Also, it’s weird for anyone to be sneaking around the tower at this time of night. It must be a spy.”
“We should tell someone!” Iruka told him.
“No,” Mizuki replied, a mischievous grin slowly working its way across his face, “We’re going after him ourselves. If we catch him, we’ll be heroes. Everyone will have to take us seriously. Besides, there’s two of us and only one of him. We can do it!”
“Are you crazy?” Iruka asked, unbelievingly, “He’s a trained shinobi! Maybe even ANBU level. We don’t stand a chance!”
Mizuki wasn’t even looking at him, though. His eyes were filled with a fierce determination, and Iruka’s heart sank at the thought that he wouldn’t be able to stop the other boy no matter what he said. I can’t let him do something this stupid, he thought, Somehow, I have to get him to listen to me.
Mizuki had already sped forward. Iruka bolted after him, determined to catch up. The other boy had proven himself faster than Iruka so far during their adventure, but he had started to tire a bit, and Iruka’s own determination to stop the silver-haired boy gave him both strength and speed. He reached forward and managed to grab the other boy’s shirt. He yanked him back as hard as he could, still getting pulled forward a bit as Mizuki skidded to a halt on the ground below.
“What do you think you’re doing?!” the other boy demanded, “Let me go!”
“You’ll get yourself killed!” Iruka hissed back, “Just think about this for a second!”
“You’re getting in the way,” Mizuki growled, freeing himself from Iruka’s grasp and pushing the tan boy away from him, “You do what you want – go ahead and run home, but don’t stop me from doing my duty as a shinobi!”
Iruka flinched. Mizuki gave him a glare and sped away again.
“You’re just a kid!” Iruka yelled after him, “You can’t...”
His voice trailed off as he watched the other boy run too far to hear. Iruka began to gave chase, but felt a bit sick to his stomach. What would happen if the spy attacked Mizuki? Should he go and get help? Or stay and fight beside him? He didn’t have too much time to question the current situation though, because only moments later, he was faced with a new one. As he rounded the next corner, he saw Mizuki and the spy squaring off. The dark figure still had an escape route, but seeing that his opponent was just a child, he didn’t seem intimidated enough to continue running. Instead, he turned to face Mizuki, kunai in hand.
“A little late for children to be running about, isn’t it?” a gruff voice asked the boys.
“What are you doing in Konoha?” Mizuki demanded, “You have no business sneaking around here!”
“What does it matter to you?” the spy asked, “In a moment, you’ll be dead, and then no one will ever know I was here anyway.”
Before Mizuki had time to answer, his enemy rushed forward at him. The other boy dodged the kunai he threw – barely. The next one the man threw grazed his thigh, which made Mizuki wince for a second, but he recovered quickly and prepared to fight his much older opponent.
“Mizuki!” Iruka yelled, rushing forward to join his friend.
He couldn’t go run for help and just leave Mizuki to face this opponent alone now.
“Are you sure you can handle this?” the other boy murmured as Iruka stepped in beside him, “This isn’t a battle for little academy students.”
“I can fight him too! Don’t underestimate me,” Iruka growled, annoyed that Mizuki was talking as if he had already graduated himself.
All Iruka wanted was to be taken seriously for once. Maybe he would finally get his chance. The intruder seemed to be having second thoughts about whether or not he wanted to waste his time fighting two Konoha brats or if it was better to simply flee the village before anyone else noticed he was here. His options decreased when the two boys charged at him. Iruka let out a loud yell as he ran, hoping it would alert anyone nearby of the battle that was taking place. The streets were quiet, though, and it seemed nobody was stirring despite the ruckus that was taking place just outside their windows.
Mizuki gave Iruka a sideways annoyed look, but turned his attention back on the target. He threw a round of shuriken, which the man avoided easily. Mizuki reached back and pulled out a scroll. Iruka’s eyes widened. He had never seen anyone so young use a summoning scroll. There was a puff of smoke, and all eyes turned to see what would emerge from it. Mizuki gripped his hand around his new weapon, a giant shuriken bigger than his head.
“Bet this makes the regular shuriken look like toys,” the silver hair boy chuckled quietly and with a great swing, sent the metal star flying.
The weapon sliced through the air at top speed, headed straight for the enemy. The other ninja saw it coming, but did not move completely out of the way fast enough. The giant shuriken cut his left arm, leaving a deep gash.
The boys’ opponent screamed and clutched his new wound. His infuriated eyes flashed at Iruka and Mizuki, and it was almost like the boys could feel their burn on their skin. The man charged at them for a moment, and then appeared to vanish.
“Where did he go?” Iruka whispered, eyes darting around him.
“He’ll come back in a moment,” Mizuki answered, “Don’t let your guard down.”
Iruka froze, still searching for where his enemy had gone. He strained his ears for every little sound, but it was the light thump the young boy felt through his feet that alerted him of the spy’s presence.
“Behind you!” he yelled at the other boy as a shadow loomed over them both.
Mizuki and Iruka jumped out of their attacker’s path, escaping his katana by just a hair. Iruka could feel his heart pumping even more fiercely in his chest. It wasn’t from the thrill of being out here anymore; now it had turned into fear as well as the determination to survive.
“Look out!” he heard Mizuki shout, but the scar-faced boy had already prepared to dodge the next attack.
I can’t keep this up, Iruka thought. Eventually, we’ll be hit. We have to get out of here fast. He knew Mizuki wasn’t likely to give up now that he’d already started, though. They’d have to find someway to end this quickly – someway to end it alive.
“Arghh!”
One of the enemy’s jutsu had sent Iruka’s friend flying. He hit the ground with a sickening thump and struggled to rise.
“Mizuki!”
Iruka ran over to where he had landed and helped the other boy up. Mizuki grunted a warning, and the tan boy turned around to face the much larger shinobi not too far away. Iruka stood in front of the other boy protectively as their enemy charged, but the man simply knocked him out of the way and lunged for Mizuki, kunai in hand. From the ground, Iruka could see the other boy struggling to get away as the enemy ninja slashed him repeatedly. He closed his eyes, but couldn’t block out Mizuki’s screams. I have to do something.
The ten-year-old shinobi rose bravely to his feet and with a trembling hand, took some shuriken from his pouch. His opponent had foolishly turned his back on him, not seeing him as much of a threat. Iruka would make him take him seriously. I’m not a weakling. I can fight as well as anyone. I’ll protect this village and everyone in it.
He threw the shuriken at an enemy who was too preoccupied with torturing his small victim to block in time. The sharp stars embedded themselves in his back and shoulder. He let out a cry in pain and gave Mizuki one final kick before whipping around to glare at his offender. Iruka was stiff with fear at this point, but tried his best to hide it. He glared back at the man with as much ferocity as he could muster and went into his fighting stance. He waited for his opponent to launch an attack, but the man only stood there, still glaring. Iruka suddenly felt a chill, as if his body had suddenly gone cold, but only for a few moments. The moon looked red in the sky now, with a few dark clouds flowing over part of it now and then. Iruka shivered a bit, but he ignored the feeling and instead focused on his fight.
His eyes darted around the battlefield, searching for his opponent, but the intruder had vanished again. Quickly, Iruka ran over to where Mizuki lay, motionless. The young boy froze, staring at his new friend with wide, frightened eyes. He bent down to nudge his shoulder. The other boy’s body was very white and stiff. Iruka froze with the realization that Mizuki wasn’t breathing. He felt his own breath growing short. There was blood leaking from Mizuki’s wound and mouth too. No, he can’t be…
Iruka was shaking as his angry, tear-filled eyes shot back up to where his enemy had suddenly appeared, not too far from him. The small ninja gritted his teeth and stood ready to fight. The other man was smiling at him, staring right into his face with heartless eyes.
“Do you want to kill me?” he taunted, “Do you really think you can?”
Iruka had a hand gripped tightly around a kunai now. He didn’t know if he had the power to defeat his opponent, but he knew he had to try. It wasn’t just the need to protect his own life that made him so determined, it was also the desire for revenge, something Iruka had never felt before. It was strong and consuming; the young boy didn’t like it, but it was something that gave him the drive he needed to attack someone he usually would have rather run away from.
Without waiting another moment, Iruka charged at his opponent. The man seemed surprised by his boldness, but he was ready to avoid the attack. Iruka lunged, but simply shot through the man as if he were made of air. He’s fast, the young shinobi thought. If I can’t hit him-
Suddenly a sharp pain shot through his right arm. Startled, he clutched it and looked around wildly for what had inflicted the new wound. He couldn’t see anyone around him, however. Something about this battle isn’t right. Iruka felt his stomach twist with sickness. He could sense something unnatural about his surroundings, yet it felt somewhat familiar. The boy flinched as he suddenly realized why he recognized it. Genjutsu.
Another invisible attack hit him before he could focus on breaking free from the illusion. It was hard to concentrate, but Iruka knew his time was limited. Quickly he closed his eyes and formed the hand seal.
“Kai,” he whispered.
Everything around him began to melt away. For a moment, Iruka felt as if he had created a new illusion himself, but soon he could see the night had returned to normal. There was still one thing that remained from the genjutsu, though, and that was the oncoming attack Iruka had to defend himself against. The enemy, angry now that his illusion had been seen through so easily, delivered a powerful blow that sent Iruka hurtling into the wall of the closest building. Iruka was stunned with pain and collapsed on the ground. Not too far away, he could see Mizuki’s body just as how it had looked in the illusion except for one thing – he was breathing. Barely breathing, but still alive. Iruka let out a small sigh of relief, but he felt himself growing weak.
He trembled slightly, glazed eyes staring unfixed in the direction of the figure standing not too far away. Is this what it’s like? To die in battle? With a shaking hand, he attempted one last move. He took a kunai from his pouch and clumsily attached an exploding tag to it. It was a weapon he was still learning how to use, but Iruka knew he had to try it. Hope this works, Okasan. As his enemy rushed towards him for the finishing blow, Iruka charged the tag with his chakra and regained enough focus to throw the weapon straight at his enemy. The man, seeing the danger in deflecting the kunai, tried to dodge it instead, but he didn’t get far enough. The tag exploded with a bang loud enough to shake the wall behind Iruka and the ground beneath him. As smoke and dirt covered the area, Iruka strained to see what had become of his enemy. He could hear shouts around him and was relieved that the explosion had been enough to finally rouse the villagers. Louder voices and thumping footsteps told him that help was on the way. As the dust settled, he could start to make out their shapes. One woman shouted at the others to follow the man who was trying to escape. Another figure was hunched down not too far from where Iruka sat slumped against the wall.
Mizuki! the young shinobi thought desperately. Will he be okay? Another shinobi was coming over to check on him. Iruka could barely keep his eyes open. It was far past the time he was used to going to sleep, and this battle hadn’t exactly helped in his exhaustion.
“Are you okay, kid?” the voice asked, concerned, “You were amazing – defending yourself against a trained shinobi.”
The boy managed a weak smile at the praise, but once a stretcher was rushed over and he was lying down and safe at last, he closed his eyes and finally gave in to the sleep that was fighting to overtake him.
There were dreams flowing through Iruka’s mind, but none clear enough to remember. Recent events and mixed memories were enough to confuse him, and the first thing Iruka wondered when he opened his eyes was where he was.
“Well, look who’s awake,” a cheerful voice said.
Iruka blinked in the bright light that poured through the wide window into his eyes. He lifted one arm wearily to block it and squinted, allowing his sight to adjust. There was someone sitting on the chair beside his bed, and under the shade of his arm, Iruka could only see the bottom half of his face. He recognized whom the gentle smile belonged to.
“Sensei!” the young academy student said happily.
“Glad to see you’re alright, Iruka-kun,” the Yellow Flash told him as he bent slightly to peek under Iruka’s arm with bright blue eyes, “You had everyone pretty worried.”
As if on cue, the door burst open and a very weary yet determined mother barged in. Her hair was a mess and she still wore her hospital attire from the room she had just escaped from. As she saw her son lying on the hospital bed, she made her way over to the side opposite of the Yellow Flash on slightly unsteady legs. Behind her trailed a highly concerned nurse.
“Umino-san! You’re still too weak to leave your bed! Please come back with me…”
But Iruka’s mother wasn’t listening to her. Instead she threw her arms around her son and held him close to her, though she was careful of his wounds.
“Iruka-kun! I’m so glad you’re okay. Though what you did last night was incredibly stupid,” she added, giving him a frown as she released him, “What were you thinking, running around Konoha in the middle of the night?”
“I’m sorry, Okasan,” Iruka murmured embarrassedly, “I never meant to get into so much trouble.”
Thinking about the trouble he had gotten into reminded him of something else.
“Mizuki!” he burst out, “What happened to him?! Is he-”
“Dead?” the nurse behind his mother mumbled, “Almost. If he had been brought in any later, it may have been too late. He’s lucky you got the adults’ attention when you did.”
“That’s right,” the Yellow Flash agreed, “I heard it was Iruka who used the exploding note to wake up the people nearby and also to fight off the enemy.”
The ten-year-old’s mother stared at the blonde man wide-eyed and then back at her son again. Obviously, she hadn’t heard the whole story.
“You fought an enemy shinobi all by yourself? It’s a miracle you’re still alive!”
In her mixture of pride and anger at her son, she attempted to fix up his hair, though her own was in far worse shape.
“My brave son,” she said more softly a moment later.
Iruka blushed a bit at being fussed over in front of Sensei and the nurse, but beside him, the Yellow Flash was still grinning.
“You did well, Iruka-kun,” he said, “And there’s someone else who’s coming to visit you. He should be here soon.”
Sure enough, not long after, there was a knock at the door, and a small shinobi pushed his way in. He was holding a basket full of fruit and seemed caught off guard by the number of people in the room.
“H-hi,” the chuunin stammered briefly before regaining the composure that was so typically Kakashi.
“Kakashi,” Iruka greeted the chuunin, sitting up slowly.
“I brought these for you,” the other boy told him, holding up the basket, and though he didn’t really show it, Iruka could tell he was a bit embarrassed, “They’re not much, but Sensei told me you were hurt, so I thought you might like these,” in a lower voice he added, “They’re better than hospital food.”
“ Thanks,” Iruka replied with a smile.
He was glad to see his friend safely back home from his mission. He could read Kakashi’s own relieved expression even through his mask. Maybe they would get that training session in once Iruka had recovered.
“I broke out of the genjutsu,” Iruka told the Yellow Flash proudly, “I realized what was happening and released myself from it the way you taught me.”
That lesson – it saved my life. Sensei beamed, and even Iruka’s mother smiled and threw the blonde man a grateful look. Kakashi looked almost stunned for a moment, but his eyes gleamed.
“Genjustu can be difficult to fight against,” the chuunin said, “You’re learning fast.”
“Next time, I’ll beat them,” Iruka said decidedly, “I won’t just let them run away.”
“The spy you fought was caught,” Sensei said, “Turned out he had stolen some information from the Hokage’s headquarters. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sandaime himself wants to give you his thanks.”
Iruka turned a bit red with embarrassment, but a grin inched its way back onto his face. For once he felt like an adult shinobi, someone who dedicated their life to protecting the village like his mother and father did. He wasn’t used to such acknowledgement, but it felt good, especially coming from the people closest to him. Maybe someday more people will look up to me, he thought. He liked the feeling of being admired; Iruka wanted to be someone people could respect, someone with a title attached to their name. He wanted to save lives. The realization clicked in Iruka’s head and he smiled as he thought to himself about what he would say to his father when he returned home from his mission.
“I want to be a sensei.”
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Chapter end notes: A/N: I know, I know. Long overdue, right? XD Thanks for sticking around; of course you know I'd never give up on this story! I was working on this chapter on and off all during my semester studying abroad in Japan, but it kept getting shoved on the back burner. XP It was a challenge to write an Iruka-centric chapter, but I really wanted to do it since Kakashi always tends to steal the spotlight in my stories (and this is supposed to be an Iruka story too!). Really wanted to get more of his mom in, but I guess Mr. Umino is a spotlight stealer as well. XD; At least she showed up again in the end! Mizuki's character was interesting to write because while I wanted to give him a sort of bad-boy image, I also wanted him to be someone Iruka thought he could trust. Crazy, huh? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and please let me know what you think! Reviews equal motivation, you know. Laters
-K.I.