Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Embracing Dreams ❯ Chapter 3
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Arigatomina 
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Comedy / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.12.2007 | Updated On: 08.12.2007 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.9K | Visits: 350 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Comedy / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.12.2007 | Updated On: 08.12.2007 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.9K | Visits: 350 | Status: Work In Progress
Embracing DreamsPart Three: Iruka, Sasuke
The wind picked up by the time the dim grey mountains began nibbling on the rim of the sun. It was the rolling hills that made dusk appear to come hours earlier than it should have. The landscape masked the fact that Lyberday was located in the bottom of a fishbowl, half circled by mountains so cold they looked further away than they were. No matter how warm a summer was by the time it came, late spring inevitably had more in common with early winter. Some blamed it on the shifting climate, but locals in Lyberday claimed it had always been that way. Their location trapped cold like it trapped heat and the only relief was that due to the surrounding fields the town was rarely prone to flooding.
Iruka had heard all of this in passing. The gossip had never really seemed important before now. He and Naruto had moved to the town just as the winter snow was melting. They hadn't witnessed anything more than the early nights and a few weeks of frost before spring set in with a vengeance. Now, with dark clouds crawling over each other and the sun doing its best to hide before the rain started, he realized he should have thought more about the weather.
He'd wanted the newcomers to experience the open fields and to see for themselves how strangely quiet and isolated the town was. There was something unreal about the landscape, with all those fertile fields growing wild and untended. Any other country would have swallowed the acres up for farmland, if nothing else. He could walk a few miles from the house and suddenly be unable to see anything for miles except the hills and the mountain range in the distance. Even the roads were hidden in valleys. He'd thought a long calm walk would be a much needed change from living in cramped hotels in bustling cities. He hadn't planned to have them rushing to avoid getting soaked.
He kept his worries to himself, not wanting to hear any more reminders about the car. Naruto was brimming with energy and had bounded off ahead of him so there was no need to hurry him along. If anything, Iruka was the one rushing to keep up with him.
Naruto had completely adapted to this place in a natural way that made Iruka faintly envious. Maybe he'd been born in the country and that was why he took the landscape for granted. He'd always wondered why Kyuubi was so uncomfortable with claustrophobic buildings and noisy streets, despite Naruto claiming that he felt perfectly at home in the same environment. As far as he could see, Kyuubi embodied everything Naruto repressed, which probably included his childhood memories. For Iruka, it was different.
He might not have remembered his childhood, but he had detailed records to tell him he'd always lived in large cities. The sheer emptiness of the fields was terrifying. They might as well have added a rollercoaster in their back yard. It was convenient, and he'd spent nearly as much time exploring as Naruto had. But he still couldn't take it for granted because that thrill of unreasonable terror never stopped niggling in the back of his mind, just a thought away.
According to Naruto, Kyuubi thought his irrational fear of open spaces was amusing. Iruka readily agreed. He'd half expected to pass out the first time he'd purposely gotten himself lost in the fields. If it had been anyone else with a similar phobia, he'd have known exactly how to tackle it. None of that worked for him, so he made the most of it like an avid skydiver with a fear of heights. And it came in handy in situations like this. By meeting the two travelers in the fields, he was putting them on equal grounds. From what little Kakashi had told him over the phone, the boy he was about to meet was instinctively paranoid and suspicious. That was exactly how Iruka felt with no walls in sight. The only difference was that he knew he had no reason to feel that way, while Sasuke had ample reason.
Naruto, who had already topped the hill ahead of him, turned suddenly and loped back. Iruka couldn't help but wince at the boy's stride. Naruto wasn't even looking at the ground to watch out for tangles and holes hidden by the grass. Kyuubi had an instinctive way of avoiding problems like that, supposedly. That didn't make it any easier to watch. Twisted ankles and broken bones were among the injuries Iruka couldn't heal on his own.
"They're early," Naruto huffed when he reached Iruka. "And the old guy's a pervert!"
Iruka gaped. "Naruto!"
"No, he is! Seriously!" Naruto nodded, his eyes wide. "He's walking with a book like this, can't see his face at all, and Kyuubi said he saw that same cover in the back of the rental place! The shelves across from the tanning bed room? You're the one who told me not to go back there 'cause that's all porn, right? So he's a total pervert! Kyuubi says he's dangerous, too. Smells bad or something. Wha...? Oh, right. Kyuubi says he smells strange, like there's something wrong with him. Besides being a pervert. Doesn't want me to go near him. He says you shouldn't, either. The kid's closer than the pervert. We can take him back with us and maybe the old guy'll get lost or something."
Iruka sighed and rubbed a hand over his arm. He was getting goosebumps from standing still so long, and the chill wind wasn't helping. It was lucky that their guests had managed to make such good time. That was what he should be focusing on, not Naruto's exciting warnings.
"I'm sure there's nothing wrong with Kakashi-san," said Iruka. "As for what he's reading..."
"You're gonna make excuses for him," Naruto accused. "Kyuubi said you would."
Iruka sighed again. "I'm not making excuses. But you shouldn't have even been looking at the back shelf in that store, let alone...memorizing the covers! Do I need to ban you from renting movies on your own? You promised you'd stay away from the back."
Now Naruto was fidgeting nearly as much as him. His expression was a scowl that bordered on a resentful pout. "It's not my fault. I only look that way when I see someone walk back there. Kyuubi's the pervert who memorizes pictures of stuff like that. All I've gotta do is glance that way and he'll remember everything he saw. But, you know, that guy's gonna be a really bad influence on me if he's reading porn all the time. We should definitely go back without him. Kyuubi says the kid might not be a pervert, so we can probably take him. But we should stay away from the old guy."
"We're not leaving either of them," Iruka said firmly. "They've had a long flight and a long walk. The last thing they need is to get caught in the rain. If you're really that uncomfortable, you can go ahead home. But...I'll remind you that you did agree to this. It's too late to change your mind now, Naruto."
"I know," Naruto grumbled, glaring at his feet. "I'm not changing my mind, and it's not just that he's a pervert. Kyuubi really doesn't like that guy. I mean really doesn't like him. He makes him nervous...and that makes me nervous. And - and what do you mean I can go ahead home! I just told you the guy's a pervert - you think I'm gonna leave you out here alone with him? There's no way! Shut up, Kyuubi. I'm not afraid of some pervy old guy. Wha...? Ew! He is not! Shut up, I'm not listening to you..."
Iruka had learned a while back not to get too worried when Naruto started talking to Kyuubi aloud. He still found it difficult to keep from touching him and distracting him from the argument. Luckily it didn't happen nearly as often these days. After a long moment, Naruto shivered and made a disgusted face. Then he shot a resigned look at Iruka.
"Do you want to share?" Iruka asked, with a weak smile.
"Not really," Naruto scowled. "They'll be here in a few minutes. They were on a hill when I looked, seemed close with Kyuubi's eyes and all, but not that close. Let's just get them before it starts raining. That old pervert over there can't be any worse than the one in my head, anyway."
Iruka blinked and cleared his throat. "So it's that? You are a teenager, it's not so strange for Kyuubi to...well..."
"Don't say it," Naruto winced, grinning and moving an arm up to ward off the hesitant words that might follow as if they were a physical attack. "We had The Talk. Once was way more than enough. Besides, you're too twitchy to start blushing on top of it. That's like an open invitation for perverts."
That last bit was given with a knowing smirk. Iruka returned the expression with a playful scowl. He promptly put his hands into the pockets of his jacket to keep from rubbing his arms.
The wind whipped at their backs when they crested the hill. Iruka saw Naruto fidget beside him. Kyuubi generally disliked being upwind from anyone. As paranoid as he'd made Naruto with that 'dangerous smelling pervert' spiel, being upwind probably put him in an even worse mood. Iruka was just glad Kyuubi seemed to be focusing his suspicions on Kakashi rather than Sasuke. The last thing he wanted was to have both boys being paranoid of each other.
Iruka's first impression of Hatake Kakashi wasn't a very good one. Because of the book. The moment Iruka called out a greeting, Kakashi snapped the book closed and dropped his arm. He might have given a bashful smile, but there wasn't any real embarrassment in his demeanor. He reminded Iruka of a kid who turned to face a wall when he felt like picking his nose in public. If he felt like doing it, he was going to do it, and he didn't particularly care if the 'wall' he turned to face happened to open into a restaurant full of strangers trying to eat. The comparison stuck in Iruka's mind, even as he wondered if he hadn't possibly been spending way too much time in the company of unruly teenage boys.
Kakashi's stance was careless and lax. Iruka couldn't tell if he were as amused as he seemed to be because most of his face was hidden from sight. He was wearing a dark blue mask from his neck to the bridge of his nose. The cloth stretched and conformed to his features, but it still hid more than it revealed. It didn't even have an opening for his mouth. He was wearing a cockeyed headband of the same material, with a thick plate on front that sloped down to cover his left eye. His right eye was crinkled in what looked like a smile.
Iruka smiled in return, despite his disapproval of the man's choice of reading material. He'd overlook it for now. Later they were going to have a talk about what was and wasn't appropriate behavior to display in front of impressionable young boys. Really. Kakashi had seemed so polite and well-mannered over the phone. Then again, he'd also sounded far too young to have a shock of wild silver-white hair. He could look forward to a lot of 'I told you so' from Naruto when they got home.
"I thought you'd be older," Kakashi greeted, with a sly, crinkled-eye smile.
Iruka just barely kept from stumbling. He ignored the quiet grumbles Naruto was giving behind him and gave a droll look at the messy hair hanging over Kakashi's headband. He smiled back with a pleasant, "And I thought you'd be younger."
That eye uncrinkled and blinked at him, and Iruka turned his smile on the boy standing a few yards to the side of Kakashi. "You must be Sasuke. I'm Iruka and this is Naruto."
He received a nod in response. He hadn't expected more than that. Kakashi had warned him that Sasuke wasn't much of a talker. Actually, the exact term he'd used was 'antisocial wannabe psychopath liable to bite fingers off if poked or prodded to be more friendly.' Iruka translated that as 'difficult and withdrawn with a side of paranoia.' He and Kyuubi would probably get along quite well.
The first thing that struck him about Sasuke was his appearance. Small and pale. Loaded up like a pack horse while Kakashi carried nothing but That Book. It really made Iruka wonder if the man were purposely giving the worst first impression possible.
Sasuke was Naruto's height, but he had a hungry, hunted look about him. Like he'd spent far too long making the most out of what little nourishment he could get and had just managed not to come out bony. He was even paler than Naruto had been when Iruka first met him. His dark clothing made his skin tone an almost deathly white, marking a sharp contrast with his dark hair and eyes. It didn't help that he was wearing a short sleeved shirt and shorts. Shorts! Iruka nearly went off on the very idea. The wind was biting through his own jacket and that blank-faced, pale, overburdened, and hungry-looking boy was wearing shorts.
Iruka gave a sharp shake of his head, sent a Look at Kakashi, and hurried over to remedy the situation as much as possible until they got back to the house. Naruto must have recognized his sudden mood shift, because he immediately volunteered to carry most of those bags. Iruka almost patted him on the head for being so helpful. Especially compared to some people.
Sasuke wasn't appreciative of the attention. But he was amused. Just a little. It was the way Kakashi looked when that man glared at him. Like he wanted to protest that he wasn't a selfish perverted old man, even though they both knew he was. And like he'd just realized this Iruka might not be as easy to play with as he looked. As much as Sasuke preferred not to get involved in Kakashi's little games, he did get satisfaction out of seeing the man thwarted. Within minutes of the first meeting, too. That had to be some kind of record.
Although they'd spent years traveling together, Sasuke had never quite figured out what Kakashi's type was. Not that he really wanted to know. It was just that Kakashi had this compulsive need to mess with people, and the presence of a target closer to his own age meant Sasuke didn't have to take the brunt of it. The man seemed indiscriminate most of the time. Anything that might make someone irritated or uncomfortable, and it came out of his mouth like there was some disconnect between the man's brain and tongue. It was bound to get him killed one of these days. That was another of the reasons Sasuke stuck around. He wanted to watch.
These two didn't look like they'd be doing the honors. The kid was notably jumpy, as if he expected Kakashi to try something. Which, knowing him, he probably would. The man, on the other hand, looked determined to ignore Kakashi until he redeemed himself. Fat chance of that happening.
Sasuke let the two take the bags from him. They weren't his, anyway. And Naruto looked like the sort who'd bang up whatever he carried. Maybe he'd drop and lose the bag carrying the porn. Kakashi would die. It would be entertaining.
He kept a close hold on his own bag. Kakashi had taken to buying him things after a while. Probably some attempt to placate him so he wouldn't kill him in his sleep or run away and leave him without a pet to torment. Sasuke had taken to refusing or pawning anything that kept him from traveling light. There was nothing in the bag he wouldn't abandon or destroy if he had to leave empty-handed. Until then, the bag was his, and he didn't want anyone touching his things. Besides that, it was almost insulting that the man wanted to take even that small bag from him. As if he couldn't carry a thing on his own.
He'd recognized the way Iruka looked at him. Like he was a stray in need of a hug. It set Sasuke's nerves on end. Kakashi had tried that once, in a fit of teasing. He'd done his damnedest to break his arm for it. At best he'd only managed to give him a dislocated shoulder, but it had gotten his point across. Kakashi had spent weeks making sly remarks after that, offering home therapy to help him get over his aversion to contact. He'd still been careful not to hug him again. That was one of the few things Sasuke honestly appreciated about him. For all his talk and taunting, he knew when he'd gone too far.
It turned out that keeping his bag was a small victory. Refusing the coat was a lot harder. His curt, 'I'm fine,' didn't seem to cut it. If anything, it made Iruka look all the more determined to wrap him up. Like he'd never been caught in cold rain before. And the open concern on the man's face made it hard to snap and threaten him with rapid violence if he persisted. What the hell had Kakashi gotten him into? He'd never said a word about the owner of the house being a mothering figure with doe eyes that made him grimace for even being tempted to lash out at him. He was used to dealing with killers and hired thugs. And Itachi. And bored multi-talented old perverts. Like the one that was smirking at him once he had someone else's coat wrapped over his shoulders. Smug bastard.
Sasuke was surprised to have the kid, who was suddenly striking him more as loud and bouncy, than wary and jumpy, do the protesting for him. He sent a sidelong glare at Kakashi, for looking so damned amused, and then watched the blonde hop after Iruka in a fit of...something energetic.
"Na, Iruka-sensei," Naruto protested, hopping after him as they turned for the house. "He could of used mine! I've got a lot more on than you do. I'm faster, too, so I won't get wet if it starts before we get home. What if you get sick? It's cold and you don't like cold. It would be really bad if you got sick. I only know how to make lunch foods! If you get sick I'll starve to death, or burn the house down trying to make breakfast. And you just know that old pervert can't cook, or Sasuke there wouldn't be so scrawny. You gotta stay healthy, see? We'd both end up skin and bones and too weak to go to school, and wouldn't that be bad...!"
Scrawny? Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. He'd been active most of his life. He could take down men twice his size and had done so on a regular basis. He was lean, maybe, but nowhere near scrawny. And that jacket? He'd gut himself and be caught dead before he'd wear bright orange. It hurt his eyes just looking at it. The thing was practically a beacon, probably visible from miles away.
He couldn't argue with Kakashi's lack of cooking skills, though. The man knew how to make one thing besides tea and coffee, some weird mix of vegetables and meat that Sasuke swore was only edible after being doused in spices and sauce. Preferably hot sauces because the stuff was sweet. Sasuke had an iron stomach and it had still taken him weeks to learn to keep the stuff down. He'd been tempted to ask where Kakashi had gotten the recipe so he could track down and mutilate the person responsible, but he had a horrible suspicion Kakashi was a self-taught chef. He had way too many reasons to kill the man to waste doing it over food. He could only kill him once, after all.
Kakashi looked a little put-out by the comments. Sasuke wondered which he took offense at, being called a bad cook or an old pervert. Both were perfectly accurate. That was probably the problem. It wasn't often someone recognized him for exactly what he was right away. Kakashi was obviously slipping in his old age. Good. Maybe that would teach him to hide the porn until he was alone.
Sasuke still hoped the kid would drop the bag with the books, though. And from the way he was bouncing around, he probably would. That was almost annoying, though. The bouncing. With those bags. Bags that weighed almost as much as Sasuke did and were filled with all sorts of things no self-proclaimed wanderer should be toting around with him. The blonde hadn't looked that strong. And inhuman strength was one of those talents he couldn't copy with the Sharingan. Sasuke was already strong for his size. He knew he was. But Itachi had never sent anyone with that particular talent after him because speed could only go so far against brute strength. One slip and he'd die.
"Oi, oi," Kakashi murmured, slinking alongside him. "What's with that look?"
A heavy hand dropped on Sasuke's shoulder, and he sent a warning glare up at the man. Kakashi pretended not to see it.
"They're not the enemy," Kakashi smiled. "Don't go being all frigid and suspicious now. You'll never make friends that way."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he reached for that hand. Kakashi danced away, very casually considering he'd almost had most of his fingers broken. He kept smiling, too, one that bordered on a knowing smirk. Sasuke stalked faster after the jabbering blonde. Ignoring Kakashi was the best way to spite him. Friends. Like he wanted to make friends. All he wanted was a room of his own and a fresh supply of skills to copy. If he had to stay in the middle of nowhere to get that, so be it. One look at the hills told him this was as good a place as any. Itachi never had liked the country. Not enough dead ends to corner him in.
.-.
TBC
The wind picked up by the time the dim grey mountains began nibbling on the rim of the sun. It was the rolling hills that made dusk appear to come hours earlier than it should have. The landscape masked the fact that Lyberday was located in the bottom of a fishbowl, half circled by mountains so cold they looked further away than they were. No matter how warm a summer was by the time it came, late spring inevitably had more in common with early winter. Some blamed it on the shifting climate, but locals in Lyberday claimed it had always been that way. Their location trapped cold like it trapped heat and the only relief was that due to the surrounding fields the town was rarely prone to flooding.
Iruka had heard all of this in passing. The gossip had never really seemed important before now. He and Naruto had moved to the town just as the winter snow was melting. They hadn't witnessed anything more than the early nights and a few weeks of frost before spring set in with a vengeance. Now, with dark clouds crawling over each other and the sun doing its best to hide before the rain started, he realized he should have thought more about the weather.
He'd wanted the newcomers to experience the open fields and to see for themselves how strangely quiet and isolated the town was. There was something unreal about the landscape, with all those fertile fields growing wild and untended. Any other country would have swallowed the acres up for farmland, if nothing else. He could walk a few miles from the house and suddenly be unable to see anything for miles except the hills and the mountain range in the distance. Even the roads were hidden in valleys. He'd thought a long calm walk would be a much needed change from living in cramped hotels in bustling cities. He hadn't planned to have them rushing to avoid getting soaked.
He kept his worries to himself, not wanting to hear any more reminders about the car. Naruto was brimming with energy and had bounded off ahead of him so there was no need to hurry him along. If anything, Iruka was the one rushing to keep up with him.
Naruto had completely adapted to this place in a natural way that made Iruka faintly envious. Maybe he'd been born in the country and that was why he took the landscape for granted. He'd always wondered why Kyuubi was so uncomfortable with claustrophobic buildings and noisy streets, despite Naruto claiming that he felt perfectly at home in the same environment. As far as he could see, Kyuubi embodied everything Naruto repressed, which probably included his childhood memories. For Iruka, it was different.
He might not have remembered his childhood, but he had detailed records to tell him he'd always lived in large cities. The sheer emptiness of the fields was terrifying. They might as well have added a rollercoaster in their back yard. It was convenient, and he'd spent nearly as much time exploring as Naruto had. But he still couldn't take it for granted because that thrill of unreasonable terror never stopped niggling in the back of his mind, just a thought away.
According to Naruto, Kyuubi thought his irrational fear of open spaces was amusing. Iruka readily agreed. He'd half expected to pass out the first time he'd purposely gotten himself lost in the fields. If it had been anyone else with a similar phobia, he'd have known exactly how to tackle it. None of that worked for him, so he made the most of it like an avid skydiver with a fear of heights. And it came in handy in situations like this. By meeting the two travelers in the fields, he was putting them on equal grounds. From what little Kakashi had told him over the phone, the boy he was about to meet was instinctively paranoid and suspicious. That was exactly how Iruka felt with no walls in sight. The only difference was that he knew he had no reason to feel that way, while Sasuke had ample reason.
Naruto, who had already topped the hill ahead of him, turned suddenly and loped back. Iruka couldn't help but wince at the boy's stride. Naruto wasn't even looking at the ground to watch out for tangles and holes hidden by the grass. Kyuubi had an instinctive way of avoiding problems like that, supposedly. That didn't make it any easier to watch. Twisted ankles and broken bones were among the injuries Iruka couldn't heal on his own.
"They're early," Naruto huffed when he reached Iruka. "And the old guy's a pervert!"
Iruka gaped. "Naruto!"
"No, he is! Seriously!" Naruto nodded, his eyes wide. "He's walking with a book like this, can't see his face at all, and Kyuubi said he saw that same cover in the back of the rental place! The shelves across from the tanning bed room? You're the one who told me not to go back there 'cause that's all porn, right? So he's a total pervert! Kyuubi says he's dangerous, too. Smells bad or something. Wha...? Oh, right. Kyuubi says he smells strange, like there's something wrong with him. Besides being a pervert. Doesn't want me to go near him. He says you shouldn't, either. The kid's closer than the pervert. We can take him back with us and maybe the old guy'll get lost or something."
Iruka sighed and rubbed a hand over his arm. He was getting goosebumps from standing still so long, and the chill wind wasn't helping. It was lucky that their guests had managed to make such good time. That was what he should be focusing on, not Naruto's exciting warnings.
"I'm sure there's nothing wrong with Kakashi-san," said Iruka. "As for what he's reading..."
"You're gonna make excuses for him," Naruto accused. "Kyuubi said you would."
Iruka sighed again. "I'm not making excuses. But you shouldn't have even been looking at the back shelf in that store, let alone...memorizing the covers! Do I need to ban you from renting movies on your own? You promised you'd stay away from the back."
Now Naruto was fidgeting nearly as much as him. His expression was a scowl that bordered on a resentful pout. "It's not my fault. I only look that way when I see someone walk back there. Kyuubi's the pervert who memorizes pictures of stuff like that. All I've gotta do is glance that way and he'll remember everything he saw. But, you know, that guy's gonna be a really bad influence on me if he's reading porn all the time. We should definitely go back without him. Kyuubi says the kid might not be a pervert, so we can probably take him. But we should stay away from the old guy."
"We're not leaving either of them," Iruka said firmly. "They've had a long flight and a long walk. The last thing they need is to get caught in the rain. If you're really that uncomfortable, you can go ahead home. But...I'll remind you that you did agree to this. It's too late to change your mind now, Naruto."
"I know," Naruto grumbled, glaring at his feet. "I'm not changing my mind, and it's not just that he's a pervert. Kyuubi really doesn't like that guy. I mean really doesn't like him. He makes him nervous...and that makes me nervous. And - and what do you mean I can go ahead home! I just told you the guy's a pervert - you think I'm gonna leave you out here alone with him? There's no way! Shut up, Kyuubi. I'm not afraid of some pervy old guy. Wha...? Ew! He is not! Shut up, I'm not listening to you..."
Iruka had learned a while back not to get too worried when Naruto started talking to Kyuubi aloud. He still found it difficult to keep from touching him and distracting him from the argument. Luckily it didn't happen nearly as often these days. After a long moment, Naruto shivered and made a disgusted face. Then he shot a resigned look at Iruka.
"Do you want to share?" Iruka asked, with a weak smile.
"Not really," Naruto scowled. "They'll be here in a few minutes. They were on a hill when I looked, seemed close with Kyuubi's eyes and all, but not that close. Let's just get them before it starts raining. That old pervert over there can't be any worse than the one in my head, anyway."
Iruka blinked and cleared his throat. "So it's that? You are a teenager, it's not so strange for Kyuubi to...well..."
"Don't say it," Naruto winced, grinning and moving an arm up to ward off the hesitant words that might follow as if they were a physical attack. "We had The Talk. Once was way more than enough. Besides, you're too twitchy to start blushing on top of it. That's like an open invitation for perverts."
That last bit was given with a knowing smirk. Iruka returned the expression with a playful scowl. He promptly put his hands into the pockets of his jacket to keep from rubbing his arms.
The wind whipped at their backs when they crested the hill. Iruka saw Naruto fidget beside him. Kyuubi generally disliked being upwind from anyone. As paranoid as he'd made Naruto with that 'dangerous smelling pervert' spiel, being upwind probably put him in an even worse mood. Iruka was just glad Kyuubi seemed to be focusing his suspicions on Kakashi rather than Sasuke. The last thing he wanted was to have both boys being paranoid of each other.
Iruka's first impression of Hatake Kakashi wasn't a very good one. Because of the book. The moment Iruka called out a greeting, Kakashi snapped the book closed and dropped his arm. He might have given a bashful smile, but there wasn't any real embarrassment in his demeanor. He reminded Iruka of a kid who turned to face a wall when he felt like picking his nose in public. If he felt like doing it, he was going to do it, and he didn't particularly care if the 'wall' he turned to face happened to open into a restaurant full of strangers trying to eat. The comparison stuck in Iruka's mind, even as he wondered if he hadn't possibly been spending way too much time in the company of unruly teenage boys.
Kakashi's stance was careless and lax. Iruka couldn't tell if he were as amused as he seemed to be because most of his face was hidden from sight. He was wearing a dark blue mask from his neck to the bridge of his nose. The cloth stretched and conformed to his features, but it still hid more than it revealed. It didn't even have an opening for his mouth. He was wearing a cockeyed headband of the same material, with a thick plate on front that sloped down to cover his left eye. His right eye was crinkled in what looked like a smile.
Iruka smiled in return, despite his disapproval of the man's choice of reading material. He'd overlook it for now. Later they were going to have a talk about what was and wasn't appropriate behavior to display in front of impressionable young boys. Really. Kakashi had seemed so polite and well-mannered over the phone. Then again, he'd also sounded far too young to have a shock of wild silver-white hair. He could look forward to a lot of 'I told you so' from Naruto when they got home.
"I thought you'd be older," Kakashi greeted, with a sly, crinkled-eye smile.
Iruka just barely kept from stumbling. He ignored the quiet grumbles Naruto was giving behind him and gave a droll look at the messy hair hanging over Kakashi's headband. He smiled back with a pleasant, "And I thought you'd be younger."
That eye uncrinkled and blinked at him, and Iruka turned his smile on the boy standing a few yards to the side of Kakashi. "You must be Sasuke. I'm Iruka and this is Naruto."
He received a nod in response. He hadn't expected more than that. Kakashi had warned him that Sasuke wasn't much of a talker. Actually, the exact term he'd used was 'antisocial wannabe psychopath liable to bite fingers off if poked or prodded to be more friendly.' Iruka translated that as 'difficult and withdrawn with a side of paranoia.' He and Kyuubi would probably get along quite well.
The first thing that struck him about Sasuke was his appearance. Small and pale. Loaded up like a pack horse while Kakashi carried nothing but That Book. It really made Iruka wonder if the man were purposely giving the worst first impression possible.
Sasuke was Naruto's height, but he had a hungry, hunted look about him. Like he'd spent far too long making the most out of what little nourishment he could get and had just managed not to come out bony. He was even paler than Naruto had been when Iruka first met him. His dark clothing made his skin tone an almost deathly white, marking a sharp contrast with his dark hair and eyes. It didn't help that he was wearing a short sleeved shirt and shorts. Shorts! Iruka nearly went off on the very idea. The wind was biting through his own jacket and that blank-faced, pale, overburdened, and hungry-looking boy was wearing shorts.
Iruka gave a sharp shake of his head, sent a Look at Kakashi, and hurried over to remedy the situation as much as possible until they got back to the house. Naruto must have recognized his sudden mood shift, because he immediately volunteered to carry most of those bags. Iruka almost patted him on the head for being so helpful. Especially compared to some people.
Sasuke wasn't appreciative of the attention. But he was amused. Just a little. It was the way Kakashi looked when that man glared at him. Like he wanted to protest that he wasn't a selfish perverted old man, even though they both knew he was. And like he'd just realized this Iruka might not be as easy to play with as he looked. As much as Sasuke preferred not to get involved in Kakashi's little games, he did get satisfaction out of seeing the man thwarted. Within minutes of the first meeting, too. That had to be some kind of record.
Although they'd spent years traveling together, Sasuke had never quite figured out what Kakashi's type was. Not that he really wanted to know. It was just that Kakashi had this compulsive need to mess with people, and the presence of a target closer to his own age meant Sasuke didn't have to take the brunt of it. The man seemed indiscriminate most of the time. Anything that might make someone irritated or uncomfortable, and it came out of his mouth like there was some disconnect between the man's brain and tongue. It was bound to get him killed one of these days. That was another of the reasons Sasuke stuck around. He wanted to watch.
These two didn't look like they'd be doing the honors. The kid was notably jumpy, as if he expected Kakashi to try something. Which, knowing him, he probably would. The man, on the other hand, looked determined to ignore Kakashi until he redeemed himself. Fat chance of that happening.
Sasuke let the two take the bags from him. They weren't his, anyway. And Naruto looked like the sort who'd bang up whatever he carried. Maybe he'd drop and lose the bag carrying the porn. Kakashi would die. It would be entertaining.
He kept a close hold on his own bag. Kakashi had taken to buying him things after a while. Probably some attempt to placate him so he wouldn't kill him in his sleep or run away and leave him without a pet to torment. Sasuke had taken to refusing or pawning anything that kept him from traveling light. There was nothing in the bag he wouldn't abandon or destroy if he had to leave empty-handed. Until then, the bag was his, and he didn't want anyone touching his things. Besides that, it was almost insulting that the man wanted to take even that small bag from him. As if he couldn't carry a thing on his own.
He'd recognized the way Iruka looked at him. Like he was a stray in need of a hug. It set Sasuke's nerves on end. Kakashi had tried that once, in a fit of teasing. He'd done his damnedest to break his arm for it. At best he'd only managed to give him a dislocated shoulder, but it had gotten his point across. Kakashi had spent weeks making sly remarks after that, offering home therapy to help him get over his aversion to contact. He'd still been careful not to hug him again. That was one of the few things Sasuke honestly appreciated about him. For all his talk and taunting, he knew when he'd gone too far.
It turned out that keeping his bag was a small victory. Refusing the coat was a lot harder. His curt, 'I'm fine,' didn't seem to cut it. If anything, it made Iruka look all the more determined to wrap him up. Like he'd never been caught in cold rain before. And the open concern on the man's face made it hard to snap and threaten him with rapid violence if he persisted. What the hell had Kakashi gotten him into? He'd never said a word about the owner of the house being a mothering figure with doe eyes that made him grimace for even being tempted to lash out at him. He was used to dealing with killers and hired thugs. And Itachi. And bored multi-talented old perverts. Like the one that was smirking at him once he had someone else's coat wrapped over his shoulders. Smug bastard.
Sasuke was surprised to have the kid, who was suddenly striking him more as loud and bouncy, than wary and jumpy, do the protesting for him. He sent a sidelong glare at Kakashi, for looking so damned amused, and then watched the blonde hop after Iruka in a fit of...something energetic.
"Na, Iruka-sensei," Naruto protested, hopping after him as they turned for the house. "He could of used mine! I've got a lot more on than you do. I'm faster, too, so I won't get wet if it starts before we get home. What if you get sick? It's cold and you don't like cold. It would be really bad if you got sick. I only know how to make lunch foods! If you get sick I'll starve to death, or burn the house down trying to make breakfast. And you just know that old pervert can't cook, or Sasuke there wouldn't be so scrawny. You gotta stay healthy, see? We'd both end up skin and bones and too weak to go to school, and wouldn't that be bad...!"
Scrawny? Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. He'd been active most of his life. He could take down men twice his size and had done so on a regular basis. He was lean, maybe, but nowhere near scrawny. And that jacket? He'd gut himself and be caught dead before he'd wear bright orange. It hurt his eyes just looking at it. The thing was practically a beacon, probably visible from miles away.
He couldn't argue with Kakashi's lack of cooking skills, though. The man knew how to make one thing besides tea and coffee, some weird mix of vegetables and meat that Sasuke swore was only edible after being doused in spices and sauce. Preferably hot sauces because the stuff was sweet. Sasuke had an iron stomach and it had still taken him weeks to learn to keep the stuff down. He'd been tempted to ask where Kakashi had gotten the recipe so he could track down and mutilate the person responsible, but he had a horrible suspicion Kakashi was a self-taught chef. He had way too many reasons to kill the man to waste doing it over food. He could only kill him once, after all.
Kakashi looked a little put-out by the comments. Sasuke wondered which he took offense at, being called a bad cook or an old pervert. Both were perfectly accurate. That was probably the problem. It wasn't often someone recognized him for exactly what he was right away. Kakashi was obviously slipping in his old age. Good. Maybe that would teach him to hide the porn until he was alone.
Sasuke still hoped the kid would drop the bag with the books, though. And from the way he was bouncing around, he probably would. That was almost annoying, though. The bouncing. With those bags. Bags that weighed almost as much as Sasuke did and were filled with all sorts of things no self-proclaimed wanderer should be toting around with him. The blonde hadn't looked that strong. And inhuman strength was one of those talents he couldn't copy with the Sharingan. Sasuke was already strong for his size. He knew he was. But Itachi had never sent anyone with that particular talent after him because speed could only go so far against brute strength. One slip and he'd die.
"Oi, oi," Kakashi murmured, slinking alongside him. "What's with that look?"
A heavy hand dropped on Sasuke's shoulder, and he sent a warning glare up at the man. Kakashi pretended not to see it.
"They're not the enemy," Kakashi smiled. "Don't go being all frigid and suspicious now. You'll never make friends that way."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he reached for that hand. Kakashi danced away, very casually considering he'd almost had most of his fingers broken. He kept smiling, too, one that bordered on a knowing smirk. Sasuke stalked faster after the jabbering blonde. Ignoring Kakashi was the best way to spite him. Friends. Like he wanted to make friends. All he wanted was a room of his own and a fresh supply of skills to copy. If he had to stay in the middle of nowhere to get that, so be it. One look at the hills told him this was as good a place as any. Itachi never had liked the country. Not enough dead ends to corner him in.
.-.
TBC