Chapter Text
Year 95 After the Founding of the Village.
A few more years passed before people heard news of the Nine-Tailed Fox again.
The tragedy of that night left many empty holes, opened scars, and took so much from them. And for a long time, the residents of Konoha wondered if those spaces would ever be filled. How could they move on after that night?
But the sun rises, and the sun sets. Life goes on in Konohagakure, the village expands with each tragedy, each new conflict, each march of shinobi entering and leaving through the main gates. Buildings are rebuilt, and people continue to live with determination, hoping for a better future. The Third Great Ninja War ended fifteen years ago, and the small continent they call world fell into relative peace. Ignore the blood and the news that arrives from other villages, the ranks of shinobi that always dwindle and replenish. The world moves on and the days pass, things change. People too.
You see, Umino Iruka was no longer the frightened little boy of years ago. He had changed a lot since that day, that night he preferred not to remember. He had gone from a whiny, small, and easily anxious little boy to a man who hides his true strength, maintains a firm voice in the face of the greatest challenges, and who is now much more easily irritable. He had become much better at hiding it, he believed.
And now he was more than stressed. After seven years as an instructor, his first class of rookies would graduate from the Konoha Ninja Academy in a week.
There are twenty-eight students in his class, and Iruka is aware that only half will pass, and less than the other half will return to try the Graduation Exam again, this time with another instructor who will not be him. As soon as those students graduate, Iruka will receive a new class to mentor for the next seven years, and so it will be until the end.
Being an instructor wasn't his first choice, actually, but he felt it suited him better than the life of a warrior. The last mission he undertook as a chūnin opened his eyes to his own abilities, his own fears and weaknesses. It was a failure, if you look at it through the highly rigorous eyes of the Councilors. A mistake he couldn't make again, so Iruka left his position as a soldier and sought a vocation elsewhere.
Teaching comes naturally to him, he realized a few months after receiving his first class. Guiding these children and inspiring in them the Will of Fire became as important as wielding a sword and protecting the borders of his nation. Molding them to become great shinobi, as it was done with him, to his parents, and all the others who came during seven generations since the founding of the village.
Seven years ago, the rookie instructor hadn't expected to receive such a class; he thought he would be responsible for the students with the lowest grades who had migrated from the Formative Course to Ninja Course I. What a mistake. Among twenty-eight students, some from smaller or nameless families, seven were the children of the leaders of the Great Clans. And two of them were the Uzumaki twins.
The failure of these nine students—especially the twins—meant the failure of Iruka's life. A shame that would follow him until his last days and beyond. Konoha doesn't forget easily, and that is both a blessing and a curse. That's why he can't fail; the success of his students is his success.
"Is everything ready?" The chair next to him creaked as Mizuki, his best friend, sat down beside him, his green eyes holding a hint of good humor. His calm and confident attitude brought envy to his coworkers, and even to his childhood friend.
Iruka, who had been sitting at his desk for so many minutes since breakfast, blinked, disoriented. "Hm? Good morning, Mizuki." He cleared his throat to maintain his composure, his finger caressing the scar on his face. Doesn't hurt like before. It's a soft line that cuts the bridge of his nose, lighter than his skin tone. "I can say, yes. This year's graduation exam is scheduled for March 30th. Bekkō-san has assigned all the teachers to supervise the Course II classes. And you've been tasked with supervising my students' exam."
Mizuki takes the offered sheets of paper. The names and faces of Iruka's students are already quite familiar to him. "I expected this."
Iruka isn't surprised that Mizuki will be helping him with the exam either. Since becoming a chūnin at sixteen, he's been chosen to assist in the Taijutsu and Kenjutsu training of various classes of the Courses I and II, and, an even greater honor, he's been assigned to give Uzumaki Narumi special training since she was seven years old. An honor, so to speak, because since Narumi showed more instability than her brother, the Hokage decided that her training and supervision should be more rigorous, and Mizuki, as one of the most respected chūnin of his generation, was chosen by the Councilors to take this so hated task.
Iruka doesn't know much about what happens in their training, as Narumi never talks about it, not even with her brother, but she has improved a lot in Taijutsu, which pleased the Councilors, making Mizuki a little more popular among the Jōnin. Which also means invites for dinner with the high ranks, which Iruka and Mizuki adore. The only problem was that Narumi refused to show this progress in class, keeping her grades very close to red, fueling Iruka's fear that she would actually fail the Graduation Exam.
The sliding door to the teachers' lounge opens, but Mizuki doesn't look up. "Good morning, Suzume."
Iruka repeats, a little quieter. The older teacher closes the door carefully, several folders in her arms, and walks to her desk, which is the furthest away and the cleanest. Even though she's retired from espionage, she never stops moving around the academy, always working on something.
"Good morning, boys. Let's not be late for our last day of class." Suzume adjusts her glasses, in a good mood.
"I'd never have dreamed of that. Just resting." Mizuki jokes. He lingers on the sheet with the students with the most potential. "One week for the brats to train for the exam. And we prepare for the next batch of students."
With a chuckle, Iruka rests his shoulders in his chair, running a hand through his long hair that he forgot to tie back. "Hopefully, my next class won't be as chaotic as this one. Not that I don't love these kids, it's just that they're too much, you know?" Suzume maintains a neutral expression, the lenses of her glasses gleaming. "The twins are always fighting, Hibachi teasing his classmates, I can barely get to Shikamaru, and the girls..."
They are a complicated case, which Suzume understands. She knows that many of them have talent and impressive skills, but they seem too busy with teenage things, like little crushes and petty fights about hair, to show any seriousness. They're too soft, as Bekkō once said at Yakiniku, and the harshness of shinobi life hasn't reached them yet. And when it does, it'll hurt.
"You talk like a father, you know that, don't you?" Suzume says sweetly, a tiny smile on her face. Iruka feels his cheeks grow hot and lets his hair fall over his face, pretending to look for his ribbon.
Beside him, Mizuki also smiles, restrained, his green eyes crinkling slightly. "You know how Iruka is. Too much heart. Gets attached easily. He's worried about his rookies, I bet."
Immediately, it's as if Mizuki's chakra expands and replaces the air in the room, making Suzume's discomfort clear to Iruka. He's used to it. Whenever one of the Uzumaki twins is mentioned, most people become uncomfortable, as if they suddenly realize the presence of an unwanted creature they can't get rid of.
And Iruka is ashamed of it now, but there was a time when he reacted just like Suzume: shoulders back, eyes averted, and the need to change the subject or leave.
"Well, of course I am." He shrugs. Finishing tying his hair and putting on his headband, he places his hands on his knees. "Naruto and Narumi are of utmost importance, and they've been placed under my care. If they fail the tests, I can't even imagine what would happen to them."
Mizuki waves a hand in the air. "You've become too attached to them." He says, a little too sharply. Iruka narrows his eyes. "Even if they fail, I believe the Hokage will make them genin. You don't need to worry."
"And anyway, they've trained hard for years," Suzume points out. "And thanks to Mizuki here, they'll do better than the other students. Or at least, the girl will." Her lips tighten.
Rising from his chair, Mizuki places a hand on Iruka's shoulder. "Senpai, the way you talk makes it sound like I did all the work preparing them. Give Iruka credit, he kept them both in line this whole time."
"I didn't..." Iruka stammers. Pushing his friend's hand away, he sighs. "Yes, Narumi trained with you, she'll do fine. What worries me is Naruto."
From the beginning, Naruto had been a difficult child to handle, much worse than his twin sister. Impulsive, noisy, and arrogant, he never went unnoticed in a room, and that was exactly what he wanted. Being excluded your whole life makes you want to be seen, but how do you do that when everyone in the village avoids you, belittles you, and goes out of their way to stay far, far away from you? Create chaos, play pranks, and make noise. That's how Naruto spent the first years of his life. Becoming a big mess that no one can forget. This didn't change even when Iruka became responsible for them, nor when their ninja training became more intense. Naruto was still the worst in the class; his grades were low, and he could barely channel chakra to create a clone. And that's one of the most important parts of the graduation exam.
"Like I said, even if he fails, he'll become a genin," Mizuki says through his anxious fog. Iruka looks at him apprehensively. His friend continues to smile with that unique serenity. "The Hokage won't allow failure. Otherwise, it'll be a problem for the elders on the council." His words carry much more weight now. "I need to go to my class." Mizuki grabs his clipboard and walks around in the chair. Iruka does the same. "And my last training session with Narumi-chan later."
"Aren't you going to train her for the exam?" Suzume adjusts her glasses again. Mizuki shakes his head and opens the door for Iruka.
"The Hokage believes this is a journey our students must face alone. We can't always be there to protect them."
The two chūnin part ways on the stairs leading to the second and third floors, where the students from Course I and II await. Distant voices shout basic techniques, answer simple questions, and prepare for their last day.
"See you at Yakiniku tonight." Iruka waves to Mizuki, standing on the stairs.
"Anko will pay for us, right?" His friend tilts his head, suddenly more animated. "Maybe Tsubaki-chan will show up too."
Umino laughs and shakes his head. "Anko accepted an S-rank mission yesterday. So it's Ebisu's turn." He goes up to the third floor, a rather indiscreet rustling in the tree next to the stairwell window follows him.
His classroom was already full of life, the closed door indicating that his students were waiting for him inside, knowing that he doesn't tolerate them wandering around when class is about to begin. It happened a few times in his first days as a teacher, and they learned quickly. Iruka may be less strict than Bekkō, Mizuki, or Suzume, but he's no fool and takes his job very seriously. The chairs are occupied, the conversation only slows down when he enters and closes the sliding door, glancing up just in case, and goes to his desk.
"Let's settle, class." He snaps his fingers and everyone falls silent after wishing him good morning. "This is our last class together. As such, I'll be going over what will happen on graduation day."
Another rustle, this time on the roof ledge above his window, and his students whisper amongst themselves, probably nervous about what's to come. Iruka is writing on the board, feeling an eye on his shoulder, and doesn't realize that's not why everyone is acting strangely.
He turns and claps his hands together, smiling. "I've been with you since Course I, and I must say I am..." he stops and narrows his eyes. Inuzuka Kiba is giggling at his ninja pup, Akimichi Chōji looks guilty about something he didn't do, and Ami, Fuki, and Kasumi are gossiping behind their hands. Iruka crosses his arms. "What's wrong?"
Exchanges of glances, some giggles, some irritated sighs. Yamanaka Ino makes tosses her overly long hair back over her shoulder.
"Naruto skipped class again."
"He didn't even show up," Nara Shikamaru says between a yawn, and goes back to sleep at his desk.
"Only his sister," Fuki points to one of the higher desks. "This lazy bitch's been sleeping the whole time."
Iruka then notices the absence of the orange hurricane that is Uzumaki Naruto. The only sign of bright blond hair in the room is Narumi, who is sitting near the window, her head resting on the desk, snoring softly, the lack of a jacket that matches her brother's making her almost invisible among so many heads. While Naruto is noisy and wants to be seen, Narumi stays behind, disappears into the crowds and is too slow. Not in the sense that she is less talented or hardworking, just that she doesn't care about many things. Iruka fears the way she is apathetic, as if she were in a perpetual trance of boredom.
She's been like this since they met, and from what the other senseis said, nothing has ever changed. The only time Iruka saw her show any emotion other than mild irritation, she was eight years old, and they don't talk about that day. Now, the worst part of her apathy is that Narumi doesn't pay attention to where her brother goes or if he's behaving.
"That..." He swallows a curse and climbs the steps to the table where his student is sitting, empty because nobody wants to sit with the twins. "Narumi, wake up." He calls in a raised voice. She doesn't move, only continues sleeping, a soft snore escapes her. "NARUMI!" Iruka slams his hand on the table.
The girl sits up in a jump, her long, shiny hair tied in pigtails, hitting her face. Her blue eyes, a tone darker than her brother's, narrow at the sound of giggles. Iruka doesn't silence the class; he lets them laugh. He keeps his hands on his hips, leaning closer over the table.
"... What?" Narumi rests her chin on her hand, clearly already knowing why he's angry. Iruka hates that she doesn't just restrain Naruto, but also covers up his mischief when she thinks it's necessary.
"Where's your brother? Did he come to class?"
"No idea." She shrugs, her voice drawling. "I wasn't born attached to him, as far as I know."
On the other side of the room, one of the boys tells his classmate: "We're going to get detention b'cause of them."
Fuki slams her fists on the table, whispering to her friends, who agree with long sighs.
"That's so embarrassing!" Yamanaka Ino stands up and points at Narumi, her pale face a little flushed. "It's our last day, so you could take things more seriously!"
Narumi has the audacity to flip her off, letting out a yawn and preparing to doze off again. She probably arrived early, as she always does, so Iruka is sure she saw Naruto at some point.
Glazing at the watch, he decides there's still time to find Naruto and get back to give the last class. Even if he fails, it won't affect the students much, but he'll still make both Uzumaki pay for interrupting his class.
"Get up, Narumi." He grabs the girl's shoulder and helps her to her feet. She looks at him with surprise, annoyed. "We'll find Naruto before he causes a disaster."
He jumps out of the open window, and feels Narumi coming after him at the same speed. The two move away from the Ninja Academy, heading towards the market area, the place Naruto used to torment with his games when he was younger. It's been so long since he did something like that that Iruka has almost forgotten. Naruto wasn't an exemplary student, but since accepting Iruka as his guardian, he's made a greater effort to attend classes, even if he slept or lagged behind.
It was a promise he made, and Iruka hopes he's keeping it.
"It's Naruto." Narumi says as they jump through the colorful, old buildings of Konohagakure. Iruka didn't even notice she was trying to talk to him, focused on finding the other twin. "The most he can do is throw wheat into the fountain's water again. He's not a bomb." She says gruffly and speeds off, overtaking her sensei.
Unfortunately, Iruka would have to disagree. Naruto never caused much harm to anyone in his pranks, but he tended to overstep and had no respect or concern for who was caught in the middle. He knew this very well.
Year 88 After the Founding of the Village.
It's his first day of school, everything has to be perfect.
Nineteen-year-old Iruka takes a deep breath. One. Two. Three times. He tells himself that everything will be alright, murmuring all the way to the old Ninja Academy building. There's a large banner at the entrance, with some encouraging welcome phrases. Several families gather in the main courtyard, fathers and mothers hug their children and smile. He stops for a moment to look, tightening his grip on his bag strap and frowning, entering with hurried steps.
The teachers' lounge is empty, and he's grateful, finally able to breathe a little and reorganize himself. A few minutes pass as he tidies up his papers, and then he hears the door open.
"Iruka-kun!" Calls the gruff voice of Funeno Daikoku, his new coworker. He's an old, fat, and very strong man, with a brown goatee and a permanent smile on his face.
Iruka nods respectfully to the older man, and Funeno approaches, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder.
"I heard you're going to be taking on your first class. And you'll be teaching the Uzumaki siblings, on top of that."
"Yes, but I didn't have a choice." Iruka laments and leaves his bag on his new empty desk. A small cactus in a violet pot awaits him; a piece of paper signed by Suzume welcomes him. "The Sandaime requested it. And I will also be the chūnin responsible for both of them."
"Wow, you got all the dirty work." Funeno laughs loudly, finding Iruka's desolate expression very funny. It was very easy to read what he was feeling.
The young teacher leans against the table and rubs his face with both hands."Frankly, I don't know what to do. I heard they're complicated."
"Yes, they are. The last guy who took care of them only lasted a week."
Iruka's expression becomes more desperate. "What do I do? If even Katsuki and Suzume can't handle the them, how am I going to manage?" He had also heard stories that even Morino and Inuzuka hadn't managed to contain them. Which meant he was about to enter a nightmare.
"Just treat them well. Do what works." Funeno shrugs. Seeing Iruka's expression, he sighs and thinks for a second. "Listen, Naruto is loud, he provokes everyone on purpose, just ignore him when he tries to annoy you. Narumi doesn't cause as much trouble, but she does get into fights, just don't make her angry, she's more willing to cooperate if you're nice."
"Really?" Iruka rubs his eyes.
Funeno gives him another sharp slap on the back. "You'll be fine. If you don't bother with them, the children will disappear on their own."
With that, he leaves the room, heading to the third floor, where the Course II students await him. With no choice, Iruka grabs his briefcase with all the necessary papers and searches for his assigned classroom, passing by the many children who will begin the Formative Course, all of them under six years old. Funeno's words echo in his head, and he wonders if it's a good idea. As much as he dislikes the idea of teaching the Uzumaki, he doesn't think it's good to leave two seven-year-olds alone.
He doesn't notice the eraser stuck between the door and the wall.
Upon opening it, he is startled when the object falls on his head, covering his hair and shoulders with chalk dust. He hears some giggles and looks around; many students are scattered around the room, all looking at the teacher in surprise.
"Who did this?!" Iruka shouts, wiping the dirt from his eyes, not immediately noticing the blond boy laughing in front of him.
"Gotcha!" Naruto yells, clutching his stomach from laughing so hard. Iruka narrows his eyes at him; the boy turns to his sister, sitting at the teacher's desk. "I told you, 'Rumi! This guy's a total loser!"
Iruka clenches his fists so tightly his fingers turn white. He looks between the twins, biting his lip to stay calm. The children around were still watching and whispering, and Iruka remembered he was still in the classroom.
And he could feel Hound sitting on the roof, probably laughing like an idiot. Of course he'd be there. Probably running away from some Rank-B mission.
He took a deep breath and examined the twins, surprised to see they weren't exactly what he thought. Both were short, with overly thin limbs and bony fingers and knees. Their skin was slightly tanned from sun exposure, their cheeks round with strange cat-like markings that Iruka recognized very well the first time he saw them.
Each had a mane of yellow hair, but Naruto's was spiky – probably cut with a knife – and looked like a bird's nest, while Narumi had straight hair that she tied in two ponytails, her bangs hiding her serious expression. Iruka was surprised by her sad eyes (like Hound's). Naruto seemed softer, with a cute face, bright blue eyes, and a silly smile.
They didn't look like demons at all. They never did.
Iruka frowned and shook his head, remembering that he was still standing at the entrance and Naruto was still laughing. Narumi didn't move to reprimand her brother, as Iruka had thought she would.
"Naruto..." He hissed as a warning, slapping his hand against his head to get rid of the chalk dust. He had just received this new vest and would have to go without it during his first class.
The boy waved his hands, smile widening. "I know, I know. I'm grounded. I'm going to stand there in the hallway, thinking about what I did." He moved toward the door.
Iruka quickly put an arm out to stop him. He realized what Naruto was doing; he himself had done it several times with Arata-sensei. "No, forget it. Just go sit down."
Naruto's eyes widened, confused. Normally adults grounded and scolded him, but Iruka just walked past him as if it were nothing. He also just stared at Narumi in silence until she jumped off the table and went to the back of the room. They sat at the last table, as they would for the next seven years, resting their chins on the wood in disappointment.
Iruka stood behind the teacher's desk and smiled at his new students. "Good morning, welcome to Course I. From now on, you will receive more advanced training, and all your classes will be taught by me." He smiled, the children looked at him with interest or laziness. This was not good at all. "My name is Umino Iruka."
After that, one by one, he called the students to introduce themselves and say something about themselves. The children were nervous, but they stood and murmured why they wanted to be ninjas. Most said it was because their parents were, something normal. Others tried to be brave and said things like: "to get stronger," "to make my parents proud," "to protect my family," or "to kick someone's butt."
Iruka smiled at each of them and slowly his nervousness lessened, and he felt more at ease with the children.
"Uchiha Sasuke."
A pale boy with dark hair spiked back and onyx eyes stood on end, his hands clasped to his sides. He made an effort to appear polite and determined. "I want to be a strong ninja, like my older brother. I admire him a lot and want to be like him, but also..." He took a deep breath and blushed slightly. "I want to surpass him!"
Iruka nodded and said he probably could if he tried hard. He knew Uchiha Itachi, considered the genius of the Uchiha Clan and a very skilled ninja. He was pleased to see how determined Sasuke was and how he seemed to admire Itachi. The little boy thanked him with a polite whisper, sinking back into his chair afterward.
The next students said similar things. Hyūga Hinata had to repeat herself three times, and even when she tried to shout, Iruka didn't understand what she said. Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, and Akimichi Chōji said they were just following their parents' tradition. Iruka wasn't surprised; their clans were among the most important in the village, and the three had a tradition: the children of the heads of the three clans formed a team upon graduating, and their partnership lasted forever.
And then came the moment he feared most.
"Uzumaki Naruto."
Naruto stood up, a smile as bright as the sun on his face, his foot stomped hard on the chair, and said loudly: "I want to be a great ninja! Like, the strongest of all, I want to surpass all the other ninjas and be respected! Dattebayo!"
Some students chuckled softly, others rolled their eyes, but most were ignoring him. Iruka sighed, but smiled slowly; it wasn't a bad answer, and Naruto's face was too cute for him to be annoyed.
"Yes, I'm sure you'll be a very strong ninja."
Naruto fell back into his chair, playfully bumping his sister's arm. She pushed him away and remained seated, her head resting in her palm. Blinking to ward off sleep, she was barely heard by the class.
"Hm? Oh. Yeah, I don't give a damn."
Iruka blinked a few times, confused. Had he heard right? The other children were whispering and looking at her as if something was very wrong. Even Naruto seemed disappointed. He whispered something in her ear, but Narumi pushed him away.
Iruka cleared his throat. "Sorry, Narumi, but... what do you mean by that?"
"Exactly that." She said disinterestedly, in the same tone of voice Hound uses when he's pretending to read so he doesn't have to talk to Iruka, "I have no interest in being a ninja beyond my obligation. As part of the village, it's simply my duty. Nothing more."
The room filled with shouts and protests; the children were indignant. They were all excited to be ninjas, how could she not care?
Narumi didn't move at all. She kept her head resting on the table, as if all the noise didn't bother her, and Naruto was yelling back at the other children, telling them to stop bothering her. However, it was still possible to see the disappointment on his face. He had also been upset by what she said, but he was used to it. He was fully aware that his sister didn't like school and didn't want to be a ninja; he had just expected her to try to be a little more positive.
"Stop yelling, please." Iruka asked, waving his hands to get the children's attention. None of them sat down, and he swore he could see Hound's gray hair in the window, laughing at the situation. He took a deep breath and slammed his hand on the table. "SILENCE!"
Immediately, the children fell back into their seats. Narumi looked like she had fallen asleep, as did the Nara boy. Naruto was sulking in his seat. Iruka sighed loudly and counted in his mind. One. Two. Three times.
"I don't have a good feeling about those two," he thought. And he was more than right.
It didn't take long to find Naruto. It was like following a trail of destruction to reach the source. An obvious line of paint stained the buildings stretching from the rocky outcrop to the Lower District. Even from a distance from the academy, they could see the damage Naruto had done.
The Hokage Rock, Konoha's most important monument, which housed the faces of the village's great leaders, had been vandalized. Again. A red line that looked like blood gushed from the nostrils of each sculpted face. Iruka squinted and understood it must be snot. The First Hokage had an unpleasant swirl scrawled on his left cheek, while a steaming pile of poop decorated the Third Hokage's right cheek. More graffiti was scrawled everywhere, with some lame jokes on each forehead.
"This brings back memories," Narumi murmured beside him. Iruka glared, and she shrugged, her round face still indifferent.
The market area was bustling, civilians shouting at a group of Jōnin trying to contain the situation. To Iruka, this was somewhat unnecessary, calling so many high-ranking ninja to find an academy student.
Sure, Naruto was a Jinchūriki, and civilians had often tried to discipline him without the shinobi's intervention, and Iruka knew that the Jōnin were the ones who maintained a boundary, but it was still unnecessary. Even these well-trained men and women harbored a strong hatred for his protégé, and he had to take control immediately.
He landed on a residential building, where Hagane Kotetsu and other ninja were gathering, and below others were calming the crowd, their eyes fell on Narumi beside him, burning into her being. She stood behind him, almost hiding, and Iruka held firm as Kotetsu rushed towards him.
"Iruka-senpai. It's good that you're here. The Sandaime sent all of us after Naruto, can you believe?" He breathes heavily, his spiky black hair dripping green ink. Iruka held back from reprimanding him for getting caught.
But before he could, Kotetsu was thrown aside by an older chūnin, this one wearing a helmet and goggles, his green vest stained red and purple. "Iruka, control your student! He vandalized the Hokage Rock again!"
Ignoring Narumi's giggle, Iruka nodded impatiently. "I can see it, Yajirobee. I'm sorry, I didn't know he'd skipped class." The other shinobi begin to surround them.
"That's an insult, Umino!" Akimichi Dōtō points at him.
"You should be keeping an eye on them." Akame Iwana complains, wiping purple paint from his face and lifting the eyepatch. Noticing Narumi there, he walks over to grab her by the collar of her orange jacket. "And you?!"
Narumi isn't intimidated, barely moving when she's lifted off the ground. She was still sleepy, actually. "I didn't do anything, as you can see, sensei."
"And I'm supposed to believe that?" The chūnin shook her.
"Get out, Iwana!" Iruka grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him away. "Narumi was with me this whole time." He turned to his former teammate. "Kotetsu, disperse the shinobi, I'll go after Naruto and take him back to class."
Rokushō Aoi, who should have been on a C-rank mission, made a mocking gesture. "You're just going to let him get away with it."
"And he'll do it again." Yajirobee agreed. "We're going to teach him a lesson."
"We'll take him to the Hokage." Kotetsu tried to reassure him. "Maybe..."
But Iruka disagreed. "I'll take care of this. And I'll make sure Naruto cleans up the mess. Now, disperse." He orders and jumps off the roof, taking Narumi with him. "And apologize to Sandaime for me!"
The trail of ink from before disappears. Iruka almost congratulates Naruto for thinking of that small detail. As they run across the poles and rooftops, he can hear some villagers shouting profanities and death threats. Looking over his shoulder to check on Narumi, he finds her standing atop a tower, her face hidden by her badly cut bangs.
"Narumi, can you see your brother?" He lands beside her, keeping himself crouched.
His student nods and points to the short street ahead of them, an abandoned building that had been completely covered in graffiti in the past (perhaps by Iruka, who knows), hiding a vacant lot being guarded by two shinobi. The wooden fence moves, Iruka narrows his eyes and sees the outline of a sheet painted to look like wood, Naruto's little fingers trembling as he holds it.
The order to retreat reached the two jōnin before they could find Naruto. They left immediately, protests flying towards Iruka as he landed on the street just as Naruto lowered the sheet and laughed.
"Hehehe. Who needs Genjutsu?" He rubs his messy blonde hair. His jacket hung around his waist, and his shirt was slightly stained with the ink he used. "I can't believe they got right past me."
This wouldn't stand. Iruka marches up to the boy, grabbing him by the shoulders, startling him to the point of screaming as if he were being murdered.
"Naruto! You're in trouble." He snaps, preventing him from escaping.
Naruto struggled, his heart pounding. Nothing scared him more than an angry Iruka. "Iruka-sensei?! Where did you come from?" He stammers. Seeing the extra company, his expression changes to disappointment and anger. "'Rumi, are you plotting against me?!"
His twin sister shrugged. Iruka lets Naruto go; he falls to the ground and doesn't try to get up, his lips twisted into a childish pout.
"The whole village is after you, lucky for you I took the blame for that." He reached into the pouche of his flak vest, pulling out a meter of rope he always carried. Naruto trembled with a strange smile on his face, a sign that he was about to lose his patience. "Now, shall we all go back to class? Or will I have to drag you?"
And Naruto grinned back mischievously, his little eyes gleaming like a treacherous fox. "Guess." Narumi sniffed a laugh.
Iruka had to drag him, literally. An hour had passed since the start of class. The room fell silent as Iruka returned through the same window, pulling Naruto out tied up and placing him on the ground in front of everyone so he could be reprimanded. And Narumi, still clueless as to why she was involved in this, had to stand beside her brother, hands in her pockets.
"I'm tired of you two getting into trouble, disturbing civilians, defacing the Hokages' faces, sleeping in class, eating in class, disrupting the class, trying to skip class, talking in class, and fighting in class." Iruka says, barely breathing. "Naruto, you failed that test last week." He points at the younger boy, who turns his head away. "And Narumi, you got into a fight yesterday and were sleeping instead of knowing where Naruto was."
"I'm not his babysitter." The oldest huffed.
Iruka spun on his heels, trying to maintain his patience on this last day. His feet tapped on the wooden floor with every step. He'd still pretend there wasn't a jōnin hiding by the window laughing at him. "Next week is the Graduation Exam, the opportunity to become ninja, and you're throwing it out the window."
He turned around a few times and when he turned back he noticed Narumi was covering her face, and Naruto was pretending to sleep. The class chuckled behind their hands, believing that making fun of their sensei was better than being the target of their jokes; for a moment they forgot that they were also angry at Naruto, and he accepted this moment to shine.
Opening one eye, he feigned a long yawn, his white teeth emerging in a grin. "Sorry, did you say something, sensei?"
A vein throbbed on Iruka's forehead, the last sign of his impatience. His whole face grew hot, his ears too, and he could barely keep his voice at an acceptable level as he turned to the other students who continued to laugh.
"Oh, is that so? Then how about we all review for the Graduation Exam?!"
The class groaned and protested. The rustling at the window disappeared completely, and Iruka thought it would be better that way, or he would get into much bigger trouble soon. Feet shuffled away from the desks, twenty-eight students lined up in front of the teacher's desk. Naruto had his ropes untied and was ordered to stand with his classmates, keeping a reasonable distance.
Iruka stood behind his desk, taking a deep breath. Once, twice. And he sat down, still fuming. "The graduation test consists of three essential phases for shinobi. First, you will answer a test on combat norms and our laws; it's quite technical, something you should already know." He looked at the students he knew would do best. Haruno Sakura, in particular, seemed to already have all the answers in her head, so her high grade was already guaranteed, even if it was only average in Taijutsu, as he expected. "Then we'll ask some questions about Genjutsu, and if you can show any skill breaking or creating an illusion, even better." He pointed to Ino and looked hopefully at Uchiha Sasuke, finding him staring out the window with interest. "The Taijutsu test will be a demonstration of basic techniques with Mizuki, and me. I'm sure everyone in the class will do well, if not acceptable."
"Of course, sensei." Inuzuka Kiba barks, his fangs emerging.
"And then we'll have a Ninjutsu demonstration. Since the clone jutsu is of medium level and requires Chakra control, that's what you'll be doing. If you pass all these tests, you'll become genin."
For the rest of the class, each of the twenty-eight rookies, when called upon, goes to the center of the room and gives a small demonstration of the Transformation Technique, changing their appearance to resemble him or a classmate, or another shinobi they know. No imperfections in sight, each transformation is perfect, or close enough to be useful on a mission. Iruka feels proud of everyone, his mood improving, and he almost forgets that he'll have to spend the rest of the evening with Naruto because of his prank.
Haruno Sakura finishes her demonstration and skips back to her seat, trying to get Uchiha Sasuke's attention with hysterical squeals, then it's Narumi's turn. Iruka expects her to put in some effort, instead of just performing a mediocre transformation to pass. In their first years, Iruka tried to punish her by making her repeat the transformation until she got it right, over and over again, and then he learned that Narumi didn't care about failing as many times as necessary until she was left alone. She would only do what she felt like, and nobody could move her unless forced to.
"Come on, Narumi. I know you can do it." He would say, his cheeks tense and a vein throbbing on his forehead.
Narumi, ten years old and with empty eyes, would shrug and change into something pathetic and useless, a paler and cruder version of Iruka. "I think this is my best, sensei." Her mind would wander as he reprimanded and sent her to a corner.
This time, she transforms into the Third Hokage, perfectly. Wrinkled face, pipe, and red hat. She even makes a point of leaning forward and mimicking the old leader's distant gaze.
"Good, very good." He says, and Narumi is already leaving. Seated at her usual table, Ino tosses her hair over her shoulder as Narumi passes, almost hitting her in the face. Narumi keeps walking, avoiding a fight. Iruka sighs and looks at the last name on his list.
Naruto jumped up from the floor with a well-practiced leap, his hands in his pockets. As soon as he stopped in front of the table, he glanced at his sister over his shoulder, and when he turned back, his eyes crinkled into a mischievous smile, and Iruka braced himself.
"He's going to do something I won't like."
And so he did. Naruto clasped his hands in the special seal for the technique and concentrated his chakra. It was always a spectacle for him to do it. Iruka felt a chill; the warm, ancient energy hidden behind the soft blue that came from Naruto made his clothes and hair flutter. It wasn't natural. It shouldn't take so much effort for a student of that age to perform that jutsu.
But Naruto wasn't normal. There was something holding him back, and Iruka couldn't see it, only feel it.
"Uzumaki Style!: Oiroke no Jutsu!" Naruto shouts, and the characteristic smoke surrounds him, dissipating in seconds. Damn boy, Iruka should have known it would be something idiotic when he heard the name.
Instead of transforming into his sensei, Naruto transformed into an older, female version of himself, his long hair shining, completely naked. Or almost fully naked, if it weren't for the illusion of fluffy clouds and stars covering him. It takes Iruka a moment to process what he's seeing, until he chokes on nothing and slams his clipboard against his burning face, throwing himself backward.
"NARUTO!" He shouts over the laughter and jeers of his classmates. And over Narumi's scream of horror in the back.
Naruto reverts to his original form and the entire transformation, which is very elaborate and even impressive, dissipates, and he falls backward with a thunderous laugh. "Gotcha! You fell right into my jutsu!"
"You moron!" Narumi roars above all the noise, jumping from her seat to reach her brother and wrap both hands around his neck, ignoring Iruka and cutting off his fox laughter. "I told you not to use that jutsu!"
"W-What?" Naruto tries to say and break free from the grip. "That was funny!"
"That's my face!"
Iruka noticed that detail too late. Naruto doesn't seem to care much about it, swearing it was funny and totally harmless; after all, they look alike, and he transformed into himself, he swears. Narumi isn't convinced and punches her younger brother in the cheek. The room erupts in more laughter, like it's all a show. The tree next to the window is motionless, and Iruka has had enough for a whole day.
Slamming both hands on his desk, he shouts, loud enough for the entire Academy and the Archives Room to hear him: "Enough of these dumb tricks!" Everything stops and the twins continue grabbing each other's hair, their heads bowed. He takes a few deep breaths and rubs his still flushed face. One. Two. Three. He can't calm down.
The door slowly opens and half of Mizuki's head appears, green eyes darting from the twins to him as if expecting to find a bloody battlefield in there. "Iruka? It's past time to leave."
Iruka glances at the clock above the blackboard, then returns to his desk. "You're all dismissed. See you next week."
His students, those he has mentored for seven years, shout short farewells and disappear through the door, thrilled to be free. The day is far from over, the sky still blue. The twins don't try to escape, and follow their sensei to the Academy courtyard, still quiet, like they're capable of feeling shame for what they did. The sounds of laughter and children's voices are already fading outside.
"Mizuki, when Narumi finishes her training, can you bring her to me?" Iruka asks, each of the twins standing beside a sensei.
His friend maintains a neutral smile, nodding. "I will. Come on, Narumi-chan." He looks at the girl gently, she grumbles, and the two turn their backs, disappearing in a flash.
Iruka turns on his heels toward the stairs that will take them to the top of the Hokage Rock. When they get there, Kotetsu will be waiting for them with something for Naruto to wipe the rock faces with, and he can read about his next class in relative silence.
"That guy is a weirdo." He hears his worst student say, sandals gently crushing the metal. "Why are you even friends with him?"
He doesn't dignify him with an answer. A bucket of water, cleaning supplies, and old rags await at the top. Kotetsu doesn't need to teach Naruto how to use the platform to reach the sculptures. He doesn't even show up; that kind of work is beneath his rank. Iruka sits on the head of the Nidaime while Naruto begins with the Shodai Hokage, a student roster on his lap.
A heavy sigh escapes his lips as he reads Sarutobi Konohamaru's name on the list. He thinks the Sandaime trusts his abilities too much to place such important students under his tutelage. However, he won't complain. Whatever responsibility he receives, he will handle it with the determination of a shinobi. If he survived Naruto, he can survive the leader's grandson.
A tender smile is forming on his face; he realizes this when he catches himself imagining at the possibility of Konohamaru-sama being like his "older siblings." His attention is stolen by Naruto's soft complaints from the other side of the precipice. Despite the curses and profanities pouring from his mouth, he struggles to scrub away the ink and finish his work, the cat marks accentuated by the blush on his cheeks.
"Damnit. My hand is going numb. Can't believe I had this stupid idea." He throws the cloth into the bucket of water and wrings it out. Same rhythm. Half an hour has passed and the Shodai is still covered in paint. "I'll be here 'til morning."
Iruka shakes his head and covers his smile with a frown. "Stop complaining and keep scrubbing. You're only leaving when you're done cleaning." He says in a gruff voice, turning back to his files when Naruto turns to stick his tongue out at him. "When Narumi finishes her training, she'll join you. Punishment for letting you escape so easily."
The bucket of water slams against the metal platform with force, and Naruto shouts: "Who cares?! We can stay here all night! There's no one waiting for us at home anyway."
Birds chirping and the distant sound of civilians banging pots and pans and announcing prices is all he can hear. Iruka relaxes his shoulders and watches Naruto finish with the Shodai and move on to the Nidaime, his badly cut hair falling over his eyes, but he can't hide the slight tremor in his lips, or the way his eyes are too fixed on the rock beneath his hands.
The bitterness vanishes from his heart, and Iruka finds himself softened once more by this boy. This lonely boy who reminds him so much of himself when he was younger, after the death of his parents. A troublemaker, irritable, rebellious, who didn't listen to his teachers and spent his time trying to make his classmates laugh. It worked sometimes, but often he was lonely. And Iruka hated that version of himself.
And for a long time he hated looking at Naruto and Narumi and remembering how he used to be; he hated that the Sandaime compared them, that he implied he could understand them because they were the same, when he had worked so hard to grow and become a better version of himself. Someone who could make his deceased parents and the Sandaime proud, the one who saved him from loneliness and gave him the most important task of his life.
Year 88 After the Founding of the Village.
It had been a month since his last field mission ended. Everyone had survive, but Iruka was ashamed of his failure. He was weak, too sensitive, and he knew it. The Sandaime had been understanding when Iruka asked to change his profession to instructor, his old face wrinkling with a father's tenderness and a wish for good luck.
Now Iruka sat uncomfortably on a cushion in front of an altar where Hiruzen should been, but the older man was irritatingly quiet, smoking while looking out the window. The room was dimly lit, the smell of cigarettes clinging to his new jacket, dusty canvases covering the walls, unfinished faces staring back at him. Faces he didn't know personally, but he had an idea of who they were.
"They're truly incorrigible," old Sarutobi finally said, after twenty minutes of standing still, with a tired sigh. Iruka blinked, and the Hokage waved his hand for him to join at the window.
Obeying, the new instructor stuck his head outside and looked for what had caught his attention. Immediately, he saw it and almost choked in surprise. The Hokage Rock was a mess of colors and black paint, as it would be seven years from now. Graffiti and dirty jokes were scattered all over the chain of rocks that protect Konohagakure.
Iruka's jaw dropped. Not even his pranks reached this level when he was still a student. There were only two people in the entire Land of Fire who would have the courage to do such a thing.
When he looked down, he saw a crowd of furious civilians yelling at two Jōnin who were trying to calm them down, while a third was shouting at the top of his lungs at two small children. Each with a mane of yellow hair that Iruka immediately recognized.
Again, he frowned and looked away. For seven years he had avoided the Uzumaki twins, but from what he had heard—and now witnessed—they continued to be little troublemakers.
"As you can see, Iruka-kun, everyone is affected by the Uzumaki's antics." The Hokage said, going to sit at the altar. Iruka returned to the cushion in the center of the room. "And they're getting worse every day."
"Yes, I know, Hokage-sama." Iruka shook his head, his shoulders so high he could hide in the collar of his vest. "But, I'd like to know why you summoned me here."
Hiruzen took a drag, exhaled smoke, thought, and looked at one of the paintings he had created. Iruka grew slightly more irritated. "As I said: Naruto and Narumi are incorrigible. I've been trying to teach them how to behave for years, and they refuse to listen." Hiruzen continued with impressive patience. "No one wants to accept them. All the other Jōnin and Chūnin who took care of them gave up after a few weeks."
Iruka paused for a moment and simply stared at Hiruzen, trying to decipher his words. A feeling of panic settled in his chest as he realized what he wanted from him. No, it couldn't be. Iruka didn't want to accept it.
It had been six years since he last saw the twins in person, and since then he had tried everything to move on and not think about them. Whenever he remembered that they were still in the village, he remembered that night. He knew he couldn't blame them for what happened, but he couldn't help it. He didn't want to hurt them or have anything to do with them, so he spent the last years pretending they didn't exist.
Iruka took a deep breath. One. Two. Three times. His hand unconsciously rose to the scar on his face. He maintained a neutral and peaceful expression as he gathered his words.
"And, without meaning to be rude, what does this have to do with me, sir?"
"I believe a teacher's job is to enhance the virtues of their students. That's why I chose you to be their next mentor," Hiruzen said thoughtfully. "Naruto and Narumi need to improve, otherwise they won't graduate and become Shinobi. And it's extremely important that they graduate." His gaze became stern for a moment. "You know that, Iruka-kun."
Iruka lowered his head, swallowing hard. His eyes closed as red orbs appeared in his mind. "I understand. But... I'm not the right person for this." He scratched his scar, his other hand gripping his pants. "They're both Jinchūriki, they need someone who can guide them on the right path to control their power." He shrugged. "I'm just a Chūnin."
"You underestimate yourself too much, Iruka-kun," Hiruzen smiled. "You are one of the most skilled ninjas I know, and one of the most determined and kind. And that's exactly what they both need."
"Excuse me?" The sensei choked.
"The twins are stubborn, they don't trust adults easily. But they are also lonely and desperate for attention. I believe that's why they do that." Sarutobi pointed to the window; the shouting had stopped. "They want people to look at them. Even if it's just for a moment. You know how they feel."
Feeling as if he'd been punched in the stomach, Iruka lowered his head and clenched his hands on his pants. He felt a pang of anger slowly growing. He knew Hiruzen didn't mean to upset him, but he wished he wouldn't try to compare the twins to him.
"They're alone, they need someone to guide them on the right path, as you said. But nobody trusts them, and they don't trust anyone but themselves. Perhaps they need someone who understands them." Hiruzen's voice became more serene. "Someone kind and determined like you."
Iruka slowly raised his head, forcing a smile. He had become very good at it in recent years. "I'm... quite touched by your words, sir. It's an honor to have been chosen." He lied softly.
"Oh!" Hiruzen's eyes widened, and he smiled like a child. "So you'll accept? You'll become the new sensei in charge of the twins?"
Iruka thought for a second. He really didn't like the idea of having to take care of Naruto and Narumi. He knew that being near them would only bring back bad memories; just hearing about them made him nervous. However, he had no choice, he knew that. No matter how smiling Hiruzen pretended to be.
And he didn't want to run away now; he had just received permission to teach at the Academy. He could feel Hound's eyes somewhere, fixed on him as he hid in the shadows. Iruka didn't know how he managed to do that.
He tried to ignore the feeling of being watched by the ANBU and looked deep into the Hokage's eyes. "I... yes, I accept." His shoulders almost slumped.
"Thank you, Iruka-kun!" Hiruzen clapped once. "I'm sure they'll be in excellent hands. I'm counting on you."
Iruka forced another smile and stood after a respectful bow, leaving the room as quickly as possible.
It took him a while to accept Naruto and Narumi, and he hates to admit that Hiruzen was right. It's easy to love those kids when you get to know them. At first, Iruka ignored them; he's ashamed of that now. He followed Funeno's advice, pretending he couldn't see Naruto's antics, that he couldn't hear Narumi cursing her classmates when they teased her for no reason. Every second in the classroom, Iruka stared right through them as if they were air, just like most adults did to him.
Shame gnaws at his guts when he remembers it, the way their innocent little faces withered. If he could go back, he would have done things differently, he wouldn't have let his fear get the better of him and listened to Funeno, or his own anger, or Mizuki.
But there's nothing he can do about it now.
His sandals make a soft sound as he lands on the metal platform next to Naruto and picks another old rag to wipe away the ink on the Nidaime's face. They still have a long way to go, and he's already feeling tired.
"What are you doing, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto yells in his face, cheeks red. "This was supposed to be my punishment!"
Iruka rolls his eyes and continues scrubbing. "Do you want to finish this now or not? Stop complaining and accept my help."
Naruto won't complain about the extra pair of hands. He keeps his back turned, and they work in silence, Iruka reaching the most difficult places, concentrating chakra on his feet to avoid falling, and the afternoon flows and finishes faster than they expected. When they are finishing the Sandaime, Narumi joins them and gives Iruka a look that would put Madame Koharu to shame.
"That's why they never learn. I go too easy on them," Iruka scolds himself. Down below, Mizuki is already leaving with his fiancé to the dinner with other shinobi, glancing over his shoulder, certainly agreeing with his thoughts.
"Why are you helping, sensei?" Narumi asks in a disinterested tone, without looking at him as she picks her own rag to work.
Iruka wipes the sweat from his face. His headband and flak-jacket were thrown somewhere. "I was thinking... If we finish it now, maybe we can go to Ichiraku."
As expected, the faces of his protégé light up like the sun, their eyes shining like sapphires. "Serious?" Naruto shouts, and he agrees with a low laugh. Narumi turns her back, the tips of her ears slightly red. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei! We'll finish this right now!"
Just in time for dinner, they descend from the Hokage Rock, jackets thrown over their shoulders and hands wet. A shower would be nice, but Iruka keeps his promise and leads them down the small street where their favorite restaurant is hidden. Ichiraku is old and somewhat forgotten if it weren't for a few loyal customers. Iruka remembers the days he used to dine there with his parents, encountering some faces so famous that he found it ridiculous how unpopular the place had become in recent years.
Teuchi greets them with a caring smile and immediately begins preparing their orders, asking them to sit on the stools in front of the counter. The cramped space is filled with smoke rising from the kitchen in the back; the smell of home-cooked food makes them feel nostalgic. The twins are comfortable in their seats, and even Narumi smiles now, unbothered by her brother spinning on the stool.
"Shouldn't you be at Yakiniku right now, sensei?" Ayame, Teuchi's daughter, asks, somewhat shyly. She must have overheard Kotetsu or Izumo making plans for tonight, always attentive to detail.
Iruka shrugs. "I decided to skip dinner tonight." Anko will nag him tomorrow. But he hopes Mizuki will cover for him and give her a reason for his absence.
Three bowls of ramen are passed through the window, and Ayame places them on the counter. "Here you go, ramen with extra pork for Naruto." She pats him on the head. "And extra eggs and chili for Narumi." And smiles at the older girl.
"Thank you, Ayame!"
Iruka's bowl is a little simpler, less spicy. A bottle accompanies it, and the twins narrow their eyes. "Since I didn't go to dinner, I can have a drink tonight." He shrugs. A minute passes as he thanks for the food, and when he opens his eyes, Naruto already has broth smeared on his face and Narumi is chewing on her boiled eggs. He eats a little of his, slower than his students, savoring the food, until it becomes impossible to ignore the tug on his chest. "So, you two." He begins, placing his chopsticks in the bowl.
Narumi stops eating, her cheeks full of noodles, and her eyebrows fall. "What is it, sensei?"
The comfortable atmosphere of Ichiraku slowly changes. Iruka clasps his hands in front of his face, looking at the pamphlets on the other side of the counter. "It's been seven years since I became your sensei, and in those seven years, you haven't once defaced the Hokage Wall like that. You made a promise, remember?"
"Yeah, we do." Naruto finishes his ramen, his expression mirroring his sister's. "So what?"
Iruka runs a hand through his tightly tied-back hair. "Why do this now, Naruto? When you're so close to graduating?"
"I don't know. It seemed funny." The boy shrugs. "It's just a prank, I didn't throw any wheat bombs this time." He looks at Narumi, at Ayame who had ran to the kitchen, and at Iruka with slight irritation. "It's not a problem, is it?"
It's the third time Iruka slaps his hand, but manages to maintain an acceptable tone of voice when he reprimands him: "It is a problem because it's a gigantic lack of respect for the leaders of our village! These men founded and led our home, saved us from the Kyūbi, and you treat them like a joke!"
They know. They know how important those names are; they aren't stupid like so many expect. Iruka knows them better than anyone and is aware that they wouldn't do anything so dangerous if they hadn't been provoked. Or had some reason behind it. And now he can't think of anything that could have led Naruto to this old prank.
"Honestly, I'm so disappointed, I can barely..." He sighs and goes back to eating his ramen, getting halfway through the bowl in a few bites. "I thought you two had matured."
"I was in class," Narumi murmurs.
"You were sleeping in class," Iruka corrects her firmly. "And then you barely paid attention." His chopsticks fall into the empty bowl. He turns completely to them; Naruto tries to look at him, but keeps letting his gaze fall to his lap. "You have to understand the importance of all this. Naruto, didn't you say you'd be Hokage someday? And promised me you'd be the best student in the class?"
"I did..."
"Then what was that all about?"
No answer. So childish. Iruka doesn't know if he's ever felt so disappointed in them before. In seven years, he thought they had both improved, even if they weren't perfect, they had worked hard to erase their old reputation, proving they could be hardworking, good. Iruka thought he had made them better, perhaps like Sarutobi had done with him.
He doesn't expect to fix them. He doesn't think he can do that now. He only hoped he could do enough so they wouldn't be a complete failure. He knew they had talent; he saw it when Naruto survived alone in the forest when attacked by Taki's ninjas, when Narumi began receiving special training. And even today, when Naruto made such an incredible use of the Transformation Technique.
If it weren't a dirty trick, Iruka would have praised him. The complicated illusion was proof that Naruto's imagination could be useful in making him an incredible shinobi. If they put in a little effort, they could bring pride to their village, even surpassing the former Jinchūriki.
"I don't know what to do with you two," he finished, resting his chin on his hand again, unable to look at them any longer. "When you graduate from the Academy, I will no longer be your mentor; you will both be considered adults and will go on missions like all the other shinobi. Alone."
Narumi clicks her tongue. Sharp and wild, her teeth are clenched in an invisible growl. "Who cares about this shinobi crap?" She says, and Iruka is grateful that no one can hear her. Naruto's head snaps, but Narumi shrugs. Repulsion is written all over her soul. "You don't need to lecture me, sensei, I already know all that. That's why I'm training so hard. The problem is this idiot." She shrugs at her brother.
Naruto turns red, his fire igniting in a cry of indignation. "Shut up! I'm not an idiot!"
And Narumi retorts, straightening up on the bench to appear taller. "You don't take anything seriously, you big baby!"
"I do!" Naruto also rises, the stool creaks, and he turns to Iruka, his eyes too emotional. "I haven't forgotten my promise! I'm going to be a great ninja, and I'm going to become Hokage. Much better than the other four, I'm going to surpass them all! Even the Fourth Hokage! 'ttebayo!" He falls back onto the stool, his shoulders and head completely bent over the counter, his voice faltering. "I just... I'm going to be great, then everyone in this village will stop looking down on us, you'll see."
His hands tremble beside his empty bowl. Iruka can only look at him with sorrow. Naruto may be a hardworking boy, but Iruka knows, everyone knows except him, that a Jinchūriki, someone so insignificant, can never receive such a great title. And even Narumi knows, by the way she lowers her head with an emotion she reserves only for her little brother.
A blue eye blinks at him, teeth clenched. Iruka pretends not to see the red shining in that sea of sapphire. "I'll take things seriously, sensei." Naruto raises his head, smiling a little wider. "I promise. I'll train hard for the Graduation Exam." He glances quickly at Narumi, just to tease her. "Because I place a lot of importance on being a shinobi."
Iruka laughs, softly and worriedly. "I believe in you, Naruto. And in you, Narumi." He runs his hand through their blond hair. "You have a week, so you better not disappoint me."
"We won't." Naruto promises wholeheartedly.
Narumi continues to clench her teeth. "Whatever. I want another bowl. I have a coupon." She waves her hand to call Ayame. Iruka realizes that all their heated conversation was overheard and his cheeks burn. Even the roof above their heads seems a little noisier.
While another bowl is being prepared, Naruto timidly pokes his arm, his eyes crinkled. Like a fox's. This expression always surprises Iruka, as it reminds him that they are children.
"Sensei, since you forgave me."
"I didn't say that." He laughs, his shoulders swaying.
"Can I ask for something?" Naruto clasps his hands in front of his face. "I want to try your hitai-ate. Please?"
"This?" Iruka touches the metal piece covering his forehead. "Sorry. You'll only use one of these when you graduate."
"Damn it, that's not fair!" Naruto turned to Ayame, his cheeks puffed out. "In that case, I want another bowl. But I don't have a coupon."
"I expected that." Iruka ordered two more bowls. And for an entire night, nothing was wrong. He didn't sleep a wink that night. Red kept appearing in his mind even as he tried to convince himself that he knew those eyes.