Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Faint ❯ Part 2 - Worry ( Chapter 2 )

Just so to mention. This is actually a side-story to WHY NOT. What I mean is, this all takes place before Naruto leaves. So if you have any doubts, leave it in your reviews and I'll reply to it in the next chapter.

Anyway, a big thank you Ravenshaelo. She's so nice, Minna! I love this girl! NYA!

Well, I can safely say that this chapter is all right. Progress with relationship I mean. To quote Ravenshaelo - "Inexpressibly cute!"

Enjoy!

FAINT 2

Iruka woke up at one thirty that day and felt like a wooden plank hit him repeatedly. He felt sore all over and he was dizzy. He gave a little sniff and sighed.

"Maybe I'm coming down with something." He grumbled to himself as he dragged himself awake. He still had a lot of things to do that day. He had laundry to wash, lessons to plan and groceries to buy. His fridge and cabinets had run out of food two days ago and he'd been living on ramen ever since. He loved ramen, but he wanted to eat something other than noodles soaked in warm broth.

He showered and changed into his casual clothes and randomly sorted out his laundry to white and colored, tossing the whites into the washing machine and setting the timer. He then grabbed his keys and wallet and headed for the market to get his supplies. As he shopped, many of the children's parents greeted him who happened to be shopping too. Iruka gave them a bright smile, spoke to each parent with patience and warmth and told them of their child's progress.

He exited the market about good two hours later, plastic bags in both his hands and slowly made his way home. He took a detour and entered his neighborhood when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder, startling him. He didn't even sense let alone hear the person approach him. The sudden contact made him jump a bit and drop the bag he held in his right hand, startlingly turning to look at the person behind him.

His eyes widened and quickly dropped his gaze in respect. "Shiranui-san." He said and dipped his head in greeting.

*

Genma took in the tired look of the shorter and younger chuunin before him. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Not your fault. I wasn't paying attention anyway." Iruka said and dropped to the ground to pick up the fallen green peppers that made their way out of the bag and placed them carefully back in. He felt embarrassed for acting like an academy student. He was a chuunin for crying out loud. He felt his cheeks color and the blood roar in his ears as he picked up the remaining vegetables that manage to escape the bag.

"Sorry." Genma said, placing the last green bell pepper into the bag.

"Don't worry about it, Shiranui-san." Iruka said and gave him a smile.

Genma was about to say something when a sudden growling sound echoed between the two standing men. Iruka flushed redder than the tomatoes in one of his bags and felt like shrinking in to something smaller than an ant. Genma felt his lips tugging into a smile at the sight of the flustered chuunin before him.

"Pardon me." Iruka mumbled lifting the bags from the ground. "I - I skipped a few meals."

"A few?" Genma asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Honestly?"

Iruka gave him a smile. "It's nothing. I better get going." Iruka's eyes fell on his arm and chest. A look of guilty mortification came to his expression and he looked away in shame. "Is your-"

"It's fine. The medical cream I put on has healed it quite nicely." Genma said, which was true. The skin was peeling but it wasn't as painful as the other day. It was actually more tolerable now.

"I - I'm sorry. I really am." Iruka stuttered. Before Genma could reply. "I - I better go."

Genma watched with a puzzled expression as Iruka hastily gave him a respectful bow and turned to jog down the road towards his apartment. Genma was about to turn when he spotted one of the peppers on the ground that Iruka must not have caught sight of. He picked it up and tossed it up in the air twice before turning the opposite direction.

*

Iruka had gone home, stocked his supplies and then headed for the laundry room and emptied the whites from his washing machine, stuffed the colored ones in and set the timer. He went about hanging his clothes to dry before sitting at the dining table to begin planning his lessons for the next week. He finished at about five in the afternoon, hung the remainder of his laundry and went about preparing himself a nice dinner.

He ate in silence, eyes looking around his little apartment that once belonged to his mother and father and felt the sadness creep up his spine. He shut his eyes and continued eating his dinner, in his mind the ghosts of his parents moved in the house. He let out a shaky sigh and began to clear up the dishes. The clouds outside were dark and lightning flashed above the peaceful village. Iruka grabbed his keys and decided to pay his respects. It's not like anyone at home expected him to stay.

*

Genma slapped down his cards, sipping from his sake cup. "There! Ha! Hand it over, Raido." He said, taking the ten bucks from the scowling scarred man.

"Why are you winning today?" Raido asked.

"I don't know. The heavens love me?" Genma said, giving him a cheeky grin as he arranged the bills properly.

"I've been meaning to ask." Raido said, as he gathered the cards. "Why are you carrying a bell pepper with you?"

Genma looked up at his friend then stared at the green pepper sitting innocently on the table they were playing poker on, right beside the sake jar. "Oh. I saw Iruka today."

"Did you?" Raido asked, something in his tone that made Genma feel like throwing the pepper right at his face.

"Poor guy. He's so tensed up. He got startled when I patted him on the back, dropped his groceries and this little thing missed his gaze." He said tapping the pepper with a finger.

"It's a green pepper. A vegetable." Raido said, giving Genma a funny look. "It's not like your pet goldfish or something."

"He dropped it." Genma shrugged, pouring himself some sake. As he sipped it, he caught sight of Raido giving him a funny look. "What?"

Raido shook his head. "Nothing." He turned his head and found a familiar pony-tailed man walking down the streets in the mild rain that began to fall from the sky, hands in his pockets. "Hey, look. It's Iruka." Genma turned to look and caught sight of the chuunin. "Well? Go give him his pepper back." Raido was grinning like a lunatic at what he just said because it sounded ridiculously insane.

"Very funny Raido." Genma grumbled and looked on at Iruka who was getting further and further away amidst the throngs of people.

"I'm going home." Raido said, clearing up the cards and stuffing them into his nin-pouch and pushing his chair back, leaving a few bills on the table. "You know, you should really go and give him his pepper back. He might be sad because you took his pepper without permission." Genma threw Raido an evil look and this made the scarred man laugh even more. "Seriously. Go talk to him. He's a nice guy."

Raido left the sake house, leaving a puzzled Genma who was now staring at the green pepper sitting innocently beside him on the table which seemed to be mocking him in all its green glory. Genma found it entirely ridiculous glaring at the green pepper.

"Oh what the hell?" He grumbled at the pepper and picked it up, tossed a few bills on the table and left the sake house.

*

The rain was a mere drizzle, not something harsh and cold. Just a light and gentle spray that Iruka appreciated as he looked at the cenotaph on which his parents' names were engraved on. They were brave people, Iruka thought to himself. He knelt upon the marble surface and clapped his hand twice before closing his eyes and giving a little prayer. Visiting them always somewhat cured the loneliness inside him. Sometimes he would cry, sometimes he would smile, but of most the time, he came in tears. Just like that day. But like every time he visited, the tears would eventually subside and he'd just end up looking blankly at the cenotaph, then a smile would come to his face and he'd remember his mother's words telling him, "You are a strong ninja, Iruka. You must never give up even if you feel there's nothing left for fighting or living for. In the end, there's always something."

He lifted his eyelids, stood, dipped his head in respect and turned to head back for home. He was walking down the pathway that lead to the cenotaph, hands in his pockets, eyes on the ground with his attention elsewhere. No one visited the monument at night and Iruka knew that from experience. A light sigh escaped his lips, as he suddenly felt a bit cold. Even though the rain was a light drizzle, he'd been standing under it for quite sometime and his shirt was soaked almost thoroughly. He sensed another presence walking down the same path. Iruka kept his gaze down and only when the person in front of him stopped and he walked passed him did the person speak.

"I heard that you were an all around nice person. Are you ignoring me?"

Iruka blinked and turned to find the charming looking man that he heard many female chuunins talk about. "Shiranui-san." He said, blinking in surprise and then flushed from embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I - I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings."

"You've been doing that a lot." Genma said, walking up to him and lifting an eyebrow in question. "Are you okay?"

Iruka was a bit confused about why a high-level and older Jounin would be concerned over him. He parted his lips in mere surprise at the thought and turned his attention back to the taller man before him. "I'm fine, thank you for asking." He said politely giving Genma a smile.

"Right." Genma said, shrugging. "Well, I'm just curious. You seem like a sensible young man, so what exactly are you doing getting soaked like that? You absence would mean more substitution."

Iruka felt something in him clench at those words, but he said nothing. He merely offered the Jounin before him a smile and then a light laugh. "Don't worry, Shiranui-san. The rain is kind of nice. Refreshing." Iruka suddenly felt very uncomfortable around the Jounin and the smile on his face became visibly strained. "Well, it's nice bumping into you. I better get going. It's getting late."

"It's a weekend." Genma said. "Shouldn't you be free?"

Iruka merely looked somewhere else other then the Jounin before him. "I - I still have some lessons to plan." Iruka gave Genma a little dip of his head and a distracted smile. "Good night, Shiranui-san."

A hand came to rest on his slim shoulder. "You are ignoring me, aren't you?"

"I am not." Iruka answered evenly.

"Then why are you so eager to leave?" Genma said, and this made Iruka face him.

"Is there a reason for me to stay?" Iruka asked, rather annoyed and quite hotly. "Enlighten me, Shiranui-san. Please." Sarcasm laced his voice and he clearly was getting very annoyed. Genma liked the smiling and calm chuunin annoyed. He looked rather amusing with his eyes narrowed and face in a semi-pout that Iruka seemed not to be aware of. "Well? I'm waiting!"

"Now, now, is that any way to speak to your elders?" Genma asked, voice drawling out every word.

Iruka caught himself and shook his head. "I'm tired, Shiranui-san. If there's nothing you want, I'd like to go home and rest." Genma gave him a bored look. Iruka just snapped. "Look," He said hotly. "If this is about that coffee incident, I said I was sorry! And I didn't mean for it to fall on you! I'm sorry all right?" A sudden look of concern came to his face. "How is your shoulder? Is it better? Have you gone to the hospital to have it checked?"

Genma blinked. First, Iruka was angry and pissed off, now he was concerned and caring? Genma found it utterly amusing. "It's fine. I told you that this afternoon."

"Right." Iruka said, blushing visibly. "Good night." He said again and this time with full intent of leaving Genma behind.

"By the way," Genma said and walked beside him, handing him a green bell pepper. Iruka looked at him weirdly, blinking and lips parted in surprise. "This one is yours." Iruka stuttered for words as he looked at the bell pepper in his hands and he imagined a little smile appearing on the pepper's surface. "It fell from your grocery bag this morning." Iruka brought a hand to cover his smile discreetly, and at the same time he fought down the fits of laughter threatening to explode out of his mouth.

"Thank you." Iruka managed to say almost-straightly. "For returning my bell pepper." He met Genma's eyes, saw the blush on the older man's cheeks and quickly bowed. "I better go. I'm starting to feel cold."

And Iruka ran as fast as he could to his apartment and once within its safety with the doors locked, he leaned against it and just burst out laughing till his sides hurt. All the while, the bell pepper was in his hand and every time he looked at it, he was overcome by fits of hilarity that he swore he'd never had since before his parents died during the war.

TBC