Realization: Chapter 4

It was an early start to the day. After grabbing a few slices of toast and chugging down some orange juice, Iruka was off to teach his new class. He had to admit, with a twinge of guilt, that the new pupils weren't really that interesting; in fact, days dragged by with how monotonous teaching had become. Things had been much more eventful in the past with his recently graduated class. Probably, he thought with a small smile, because of Naruto.

The blonde haired boy had always been a distraction and a class clown, but he'd made things lively and kept Iruka on his toes. He could empathise with the orphan, and loved him as much as if Naruto had been his little brother, albeit an annoying, trickster of a brother.

He'd seen very little of the boy since Kakashi took over his training. It made him sad, knowing that his part in the early training of Naruto was over. He missed going out to ramen and talking with him, something that usually ended up putting him in the hole until the next payday. But it was worth it. Naruto was a hellion, but a good kid, deep down. Iruka wanted him to have a happy childhood, filled with friends and acceptance, something that he'd had to fight for in his childhood, behind practical jokes and faked clumsiness.

Iruka smile sadly. Naruto's childhood was almost over. He was already a Genin. It wouldn't be too long before he'd be trained in all the dirty tasks of a ninja. . . it made him feel bad to think of that boy, fox grin etched on his face, fighting someone, killing someone. . .

The sun hadn't been up for very long, but already it was drying the dew from the grass. He quickened his pace to get to his classroom. Might as well start early. . .

. . . and he saw the orange out of the corner of his eye. His head snapped to attention, and a small gasp escaped from his lips.

Naruto sat underneath the huge tree on the schoolyard's playground legs straddling the swing hanging from its boughs. His face was a mirror image of that day-- upset, let down, sorrowful. The ki of failure emanating from him. He had looked like that the day he had failed the Genin exam, far from the other children, an outcast.

The only difference was the spray of blood down his orange jacket, the stain of it under his nose.

He didn't notice as Iruka ran to him. The teacher quickly grabbed him by the arms, worry splayed across his face. Naruto looked up in shock, cerulean eyes fearful, and shirked away from Iruka's touch.

"Naruto! What happened?! Are you okay?" Iruka asked, worry evident in his tone. The blonde's eyes seemed to focus a little better as he stared up at the teacher for a long moment, and then looked away, mumbling that he was fine. Iruka knew immediately he wasn't. This, after all wasn't how Naruto usually dealt with people. Gone was his happy go lucky demeanor.

Maybe it was how he dealt with bad things. When he was alone. Iruka grimaced.

"Did you get in a fight?" he asked, racking his brain for somebody that would pick on the boy. Hell, it could be anyone, all of the adults in the villiage weren't secretive about their unfair hatred of the fox demon within Naruto's body. Even though sworn to secrecy, most of them had inadvertantly passed this hatred down to their children, who just hated the blonde for no reason that they could put their fingers on, other than he was different. He guessed though. "Did you get in a fight with Sasuke?"

Naruto cringed at the name, looking panicked, like he was about to run. "It wasn't anything, sensei, I just. . . " a dopey grin started to play it's way across his face. "That stupid guy, he was saying some dumb shit about how he was so cool and all. An' I tried to give him what he deserved. The stupid bastard got in a lucky punch is all."

It was a good lie. Iruka recognized it for the lie it was though. But he wasn't one to press Naruto for the truth. If the boy didn't want to share the circumstances of his injury (which, thanks to the powers of the fox demon, looked completely healed), there was no point in trying to goad it out of him. There was one thing that might help the words flow though.

"You want some ramen, Naruto?" Iruka asked hopefully. "My treat."

He was used to the boy's eyes tearing over at the thought of getting to eat his favorite treat. . .but the simple smile Naruto gave him only made Iruka worry more on what had happened to the boy.

"Don't you have a class to teach, sensei?" He asked, face a mask. Iruka shook his head,.

"I've been looking for a perfect time to give them bookwork anyway. I'll leave a note on the door, and then let's go get some food, okay?" He prodded, until the boy gave a half hearted 'yeah'.

It only made Iruka worry more.

After pinning the note to the classroom door, blotting the blood out of Naruto's jacket with a damp washrag, and taking said washrag to the protesting kitsune's face, they were on their way to ramen.

To Iruka's dismay, even the smell of the ramen shop didn't draw Naruto out of his darkness.

to be continued





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