Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Hope ❯ Part 9 ( Chapter 9 )

HOPE 9

Iruka woke up feeling groggy. His visions swirled with black and white spots and everything seemed to be moving left then right then left then right. He blinked tiredly several times until the left-right motion finally slowed then stopped and he found himself staring at a sky-blue ceiling. His body ached with tiredness and he just wanted to go back to sleep in the soft bed that seemed to be very comfortable and warm and smell of pine and musk.

Iruka blinked. Sky-blue ceiling? Pine and musk? He sat up slightly, looking around him and recognized his old room. He had been occupying his parents' bedroom and gave his old room to Kakashi during his stay with him for three months. Wait! Kakashi?

Iruka turned to his left and found Kakashi asleep on the armchair, his perverse orange book covering half of his face. Iruka felt the sudden stiffening of the air of having someone like Kakashi close to him and he could feel sirens going off in his head. He was suddenly assaulted by visions of what those two men did to him months ago and a whimper escaped his lips. He lay back on the bed, turning his back to Kakashi as he curled up under the covers, feeling the tears brimming in his eyes. He shut his eyes tightly and tensed when he heard Kakashi's slight intake of breath and how the book was pulled down and closed. The light thumping sound the book made when it made contact with the side table ensured Iruka that Kakashi was now fully awake. It was six in the evening and it was still raining outside.

His mind drifted to Kakashi. Iruka had been vaguely aware of a hand supporting his neck and bitter herbal medicine being fed to him gently. No one else was in the house and he knew very well that it was Kakashi. He remembered dimly how Kakashi had caught him before he hit the ground and how he had dried him with utter gentleness that it surprised him, considering the fact that it was coming from a rather skilled assassin - and ANBU member at that. Deep down, Iruka could feel that Kakashi did care. Iruka was just afraid that it was all an act. Kakashi was wonderful, yes, but Iruka was still afraid of him. Afraid that he might say something harsh. Afraid that he might be left all alone again. Afraid that he might get hurt - physically and mentally. From that fear, his hate for him grew. But that all there was to it. Fear.

The sound of the rain only made Iruka sadder, because the sudden assault of memory flashes was flooding his mind again.

*

Kakashi heard the whimper and woke up to find Iruka curled to one side of the bed, his back to him. Kakashi watched the man shiver and huddle tighter and he could only guess that he was most probably remembering what happened to him. He set his book down on the side table and watched with a pained expression on how Iruka tried to cope.

"I-Iruka?" He was greeted by silence then the tensed shoulders relaxed.

Kakashi pulled the covers higher, before standing up and leaving the room, grabbing his book in the process. He closed the door with a light click and headed for the kitchen. He had nothing else to do and no duties that day so he started off by making dinner. He only had some toast that morning and he was feeling hungry. Perhaps he could keep the beef ramen ready for Iruka in case the man felt hungry.

He made himself a bowl of ramen, too lazy to do any sort of cooking. He lived most of his life alone after his parents passed away a long time ago and had survived with the basic cooking skills. Just because he was a bachelor doesn't mean he burned things like all people seemed to think bachelors are capable of. In fact he could cook wonderful cuisines that could match up against any married woman with skilled hands in the kitchen. It was something other single-men shinobis were jealous of. Plus he made a lot savings in cooking at home rather than eating take-out all the time.

He sat on the dining table, chewing on the noodles of his ramen, occasionally taking sip from his orange juice. He was enjoying the silence and soon he had finished his bowl and juice and was rinsing the things he used. He winced suddenly when he did a sudden jerking movement with his injured arm. A hiss escaped his lips as he tried to ignore the stinging pain that was jolting his senses. A few minutes of standing in the middle of the kitchen passed and then the pain was gone. He sighed and blinked as he felt a sudden presence in the room.

He turned towards the doorway and found Iruka standing by the doorway breathing hard, a hand on his chest. "Iruka." He mumbled and swallowed, feeling nervous all of a sudden. "Y-You should be resting. Are feeling dizzy?"

"A little." Iruka answered and turned to look up at Kakashi, his other hand holding out a first aid kit. "Here. Take care of that wound on your arm. It's bleeding again."

Kakashi froze, staring at the white box being held out to him. He approached Iruka and saw him stiffen a bit but fought to keep a steady expression, to show that he was unaffected. Once the box was in his grasp, Iruka turned around and made his way back to the bed he was lying on several minutes ago. Kakashi stared at the first aid kit in his hand.

"Iruka." He said slowly, eyes falling towards the window.

The rain had finally stopped.

*

Iruka woke up the next morning feeling vibrant and refreshed. He stretched his limbs like a cat and jumped off the bed, making sure he made it before he exited the room. A happy tune tickled its way out of his lips as he grabbed a towel from the linen room and padded his way to the bathroom. It felt as if he never caught a fever. He pushed the door open and the happy tune that was upon his tongue a few seconds ago died instantly.

For a moment he forgot that Kakashi was with him in his home.

Kakashi stood there, dressed in nothing else but a gray towel around his waist, mask gone, a blue toothbrush paused mid-brush across his teeth, hair wet from the shower and mismatched eyes wide in surprise at the sudden intrusion. He had one hand on the sink and he was slightly hunched forward. Iruka found him sort off cute.

Iruka blinked and then flushed furiously, his neck and face turning to a rivaling color of any strawberry or apple - better yet beetroot!

"S-Sorry!" He squeaked and slammed the door rather loudly. He then darted to the kitchen and grabbed a stool, sitting there a stiff as a rock from what he had just seen.

*

The whole day passed in a daze. Iruka avoided Kakashi like a plague and to Kakashi it was kind of normal but this time it wasn't the cold and aloof sort of ignoring. It the was skittish type of ignoring, and whenever Kakashi passed by let it be by the kitchen, living room or hallway, he would see Iruka flush from the corners of his eyes.

If possible, the wanting and longing for the slightly smaller man skyrocketed.

Kakashi watched - while giving the false pretense that he was reading his book - as Iruka and Naruto played scrabble in the middle of the living room. His report to Hokage was containing, once again, positive results. Four more days and Kakashi would be out of the house. He did go to that Hokage that day after that rather `cute' event in the bathroom and told her about Iruka. She had been glad that Kakashi saw it fit that Iruka would do fine and told him that he may leave and pass on the news to Iruka that he may start teaching that coming Monday. Kakashi was supposed to leave on Sunday, but he kept true to his word to Iruka and spoke to Hokage.

When he returned to his semi-permanent apartment, he found Iruka and Naruto playing chess. After Naruto lost about six times in a row, the chess became checkers and from checkers it went to snakes and ladders and from that it went monopoly and then finally scrabble. Kakashi was amused really, even though he had been watching them play for six hours straight, the bowl of chips beside them long empty. It was fun to see Iruka frown when Naruto miraculously conjure up a big word that was quite out his league.

"I heard Sasuke say it once." That was Naruto's excuse - though Naruto getting the spelling right sent wave of doubts in both teacher's mind.

After the game of scrabble, Iruka got up and prepared them some classic homemade ramen, making sure to make a big batch considering Naruto's appetite. While Iruka was cooking and Naruto was watching TV, Kakashi went about clearing his room and packing his things. It surprised Kakashi that when it was time to eat, Iruka beckoned him to join them and for once it wasn't the cold and polite way, but the warm, inviting and kind way that Kakashi found himself missing everyday since - well, he couldn't remember.

Naruto chatted away, telling Iruka his adventurous missions and how he had had plowed Sasuke's ass once during one training session. Iruka heard that story a hundred times and yet he always enjoyed listening to it because Naruto radiated with glowing hyper activeness that it was hard not to feel glad also.

By nine in the evening, Naruto bid his goodbyes and promised to see Iruka the next day if he did not get any missions.

Kakashi waited until Iruka had cleared the kitchen and was heading for his room before calling out to him.

"Iruka?" Kakashi called out clearly, and the man turned around and raised both eyebrows.

"Hmm?"

"Uh - there's something I have to tell you. Can you spare a few minutes?" Iruka nodded and leaned against the wall, waiting for Kakashi to speak. "I spoke to Hokage-sama this morning. I told her about my opinion on how you can start teaching at the academy. She said you may start this coming Monday."

A dark emotion clouded Iruka's eyes and he nodded. "I see. Thank you."

"I've already packed and cleared the room." He said, and closed his book. "I'll be leaving tonight. Hokage-sama suggested you plan lessons from unit six onwards since Asuma is already nearing the end of unit five."

Iruka opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. Kakashi watched as Iruka struggled for words and then decided that he better get going. Iruka will need all the privacy he could get. He turned his back to Iruka and adjusted his mask. He then gave him a smile from under his mask before heading to his room and grabbing his bag.

"Oh yeah, Asuma suggested that you come up with a silencing jutsu because the children are going to be showering you with questions." He then headed for the door. "Goodbye Iruka-sensei. Hope everything will be all right for you. Take care."

Without another word, Kakashi left the house, closing the door behind him with a light click. He remembered the wide eyed look of Iruka as he said his last few words and as he walked down the streets of Konoha, he couldn't help but feel a sudden chill go down his spine.

He couldn't help but feel empty.

TBC

WAH! He left! Oh dear me, he left! Poor Iruka! Poor Kakashi! Poor both of them!

Tune in next time.