Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Indecent Exposure ~ A Naruto Fan-Fic (K/I) ❯ Chapter 10

Indecent Exposure

A 'Naruto' fan-fiction by Ookami Kasumi

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~ Ten ~

 

Bright and early Thursday morning, Iruka's week went right back to hell, starting with his jog. He slipped badly on one of the rain-slick roofs and very nearly fell off the building. He caught a windowsill one-handed long before he got anywhere near the ground, but it strained something in his right shoulder and neck. He briefly wondered if the strain was actually due to the power-grading he'd been doing for the last few days. As it was, he was forced to cut his jog short, again.

 

A hot shower, breakfast, and a couple of pain pills helped put him in a better mood. He rushed off to class, looking forward to seeing his little monsters.

 

Homeroom went well. The kids were ecstatic to find out that their secret lesson for learning the henge was still on schedule.

 

Hell crashed down on Iruka's head when he suddenly realized that he didn't have enough chakra to perform a shadow clone.

 

Thirty-some-odd pairs of eyes narrowed in gleeful suspicion.

 

The Hyuuga, Hanabi stuck in her corner, snickered outright.

 

Iruka called up Konohamaru and sent him to go find Shikamaru.

 

The boy was still painfully grateful to Iruka so he actually did what he was told. He came back with the Nara in tow and completely ignored the angry glares from his classmates.

 

Shikamaru turned out to be even more useful at stopping cheaters than Iruka's clone. His shadows could monitor the movements of every student at once. The best part was that the Nara did absolutely nothing beyond what he actually had to. He was perfectly happy to let Iruka completely run the show, while he remained sitting by the window.

 

For that alone, the Nara was worth his weight in gold.

 

That lunch period, Iruka went straight to the principal's office and asked if Shikamaru could be permanently assigned to his room as an assistant-teacher. The angle he used was that Shikamaru would learn the techniques Iruka used to teach and control his students. It was something that strangely, no one had been able to figure out, never mind emulate. However, the true carrot was that as an assistant-teacher the Nara would also be a built-in substitute when Iruka had to go on missions.

 

Substitute teacher was of particular value because Iruka usually ended up being assigned the most troubled and troublesome students in the entire academy, but also some of the most brilliant. Almost the entire Rookie Nine had come from his class, which had included the Uchiha, Sasuke, the Uzamaki, Naruto, and the Nara Shikamaru.

 

In short, no one liked substituting for his classes -- ever.

 

It didn't hurt that the principal had been trying to put a teacher's aide in Iruka's classes for years. Sadly, none of the aides forcibly assigned lasted more than a week. His adorable little monsters were that frightening.

 

Truthfully, Iruka hadn't wanted a teacher's aide. He did not like anyone interfering with how he taught. So, to get rid of the unwanted assistants, he accidentally leaked that the aide was really a spy for the principal -- whether or not they actually were, and let his little monsters roll with it.

 

On a completely different note, the pay for an assistant-teacher was higher than for a student-teacher. Iruka was positive that Shikamaru would appreciate that.

 

Sitting behind his desk in his overlarge chair, the somewhat corpulent and very civilian principal blinked. "You want the Nara, seriously?" He suddenly grinned. "Excellent!" He grabbed his pen, and his seal, then started opening desk drawers and pawing through them with an unseemly amount of haste. "I'm sure he'll make you an excellent assistant." He yanked out a form and started scribbling on it. "Yes, perfect."

 

Iruka's brow lifted. "As an assistant-teacher, not a student-teacher?"

 

"Certainly. No problem." He inked his seal and slammed it at the bottom of the form, then stamped the bottom page of the form just as enthusiastically. He pulled the pages apart and offered the bottom yellow copy to Iruka. "He's all yours as soon as classes start after summer break."

 

Iruka took the yellow form and read it. Shikamaru was definitely assigned as his assistant-teacher. Damn, that was easy. In fact, it was too easy. He'd expected at least a token amount of resistance to taking Shikamaru. The Nara was brilliant and non-interfering. Any teacher would be glad to have him. He looked up at the principal and smiled. "Thank you. I appreciate the...expediency."

 

The principal's brows lifted and he smiled, just a little too broadly. "If you like, you can take him today?" A bead of sweat was rolling down the side of the man's face.

 

Iruka frowned in suspicion. Something is definitely off here. "The teacher he's currently working with won't mind if I take him today?" That the Nara was already ensconced in his classroom was completely beside the point.

 

The principal shook his head, his jowls wobbling alarmingly. "Not at all!"

 

"Okay, then I'll take him today." Iruka smiled sweetly and a little vacuously. "By the way, who was he originally assigned to?"

 

The principal pressed his fingertips together and his gaze slid to the side. "Um..." He named one of the jounin instructors.

 

Iruka wracked his memory on what he knew about that instructor. Retired, quiet, and very regimented. He was not creative in his teaching at all. He usually taught the students that rarely made trouble -- and rarely made it past chuunin.

 

Because the Nara was so quiet and reserved, they must have though he'd be a good match. Unfortunately, someone with Shikamaru's level of intelligence would have found that class very frustrating. He might have even tried to encourage a few of the students with that dry wasp-like wit if his -- and scared them half to death.

 

Iruka nodded, more to himself than to the principal. I get it now. It made perfect sense why that teacher wouldn't mind losing the Nara. It'd probably be a relief -- for both of them. Iruka smiled brightly. "Thank you! I'll go tell Shikamaru the good news."

 

The principal waved his hands in a shooing motion. "Yes, go and do that. I'm sure he'll be thrilled."

 

Iruka nodded happily. "I know he will."

 

The principal blinked in obvious confusion.

 

Iruka left him that way and went back to his class to find Shikamaru still sitting in his class by the window, eating a sandwich in silence, but with his eyes narrowed at the students.

 

The students were eyeing Shikamaru rather warily.

 

Iruka lifted his brow. "Did I miss anything?"

 

Every pair of eyes went to Shikamaru.

 

His gaze still fixed on the students, the Nara smiled, and it wasn't pretty. "Nope, nothing at all."

 

The class turned back to grin a little too widely at Iruka.

 

Iruka lowered both brows and aimed his patented teacher's glare on the Nara. "Oh, really?"

 

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "We had a little...discussion."

 

"Nothing on the exam I hope?" Iruka set his hand on his hips and eyed his students with a look of "you know better then to do that, don't you?"

 

Thirty-some little pairs of eyes went wide and thirty-some little heads shook hard. They spoke in perfect chorus. "No Iruka-sensei."

 

"Oh, then that's okay!" Iruka smiled.

 

Every last one of them sighed in relief, including Shikamaru.

 

Iruka walked to the front of the class, plotting how best to nail Shikamaru for attempting to subvert his class while at the same time welcoming him as part of it. He looked up at the clock. Fifteen more minutes till the end of lunch. Plenty of time. He turned to face the class with narrowed eyes and a tight smile. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement."

 

The whole class turned to face him with deep wariness. Clearly, suspecting that something not exactly pleasant was about to be dropped on them.

 

Iruka turned to smile sweetly at the Nara and held up the yellow slip. "Shikamaru could you take this please and tell the class what it is?"

 

Shikamaru rose from his seat on the broad windowsill and came forward, his eyes narrowed. It was obvious he knew Iruka was up to something and clearly suspected that he was at the center of it. He took the paper from Iruka's hand and looked, then looked again. "Is this for real?"

 

"Absolutely." Iruka calmly sat behind his desk. "Careful, the ink's still fresh."

 

Shikamaru remained frozen where he stood, his eyes scanning the page. Alarm raced across his face and something else, hope maybe? "You're serious?"

 

Iruka smiled. "Did you notice the position?"

 

Shikamaru nodded absently, then turned to look at the class, his eyes wide. He looked over at Iruka. "You want me to tell them?"

 

Iruka waved toward him and smiled. "In your own words."

 

Shikamaru nodded then faced the class with the most god-awful blood-curdling smile he could manage. "It says that you little rug-rats are stuck with me being in your class for the rest of the school year."

 

Thirty-some-odd pairs of eyes widened then thirty-some-odd mouths screamed. "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!"

 

Iruka eyed Shikamaru, his brow lifted. "Dare I ask?"

 

Shikamaru shrugged. "Long story." He flashed the ghost of a smile. "But happy ending."

 

Iruka rolled his eyes, but didn't quite suppress his smile. Time to pay your dues. He rose from his desk. "Okay, people, you have..." He looked over at the clock. "Ten minutes to ask Shikamaru anything you like...!"

 

Shikamaru stared at Iruka in open alarm.

 

Iruka shot him a smile and held up one finger. "As long as the question is not about anything on the exam, and..." He held up a second finger. "Shikamaru has the right to refuse to answer any question."

 

Whines broke out.

 

Iruka shook his head. "No ninja ever tells everything, got it?"

 

Nods.

 

"Okay!" Iruka turned to Shikamaru. "The rules. You can answer any way you like -- short of cuss-words..."

 

A few pouts appeared on his students faces.

 

Iruka held Shikamaru's gaze. "And tell the truth, or flat-out refuse. No lies. Got it?"

 

Shikamaru nodded once, his jaw tightening.

 

Iruka looked at his class. "Begin -- and I want to see hands, people!"

 

Hands flew up.

 

Shikamaru picked a hand.

 

The little-pig-tailed girl grinned. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

 

Iruka rolled his eyes. Typical...

 

Shikamaru lifted his chin. "I have a girlfriend and a boyfriend."

 

Iruka's brows lifted. Well now...

 

Another hand. "Who are they?"

 

Shikamaru shook his head. "I refuse." He pointed elsewhere.

 

"Are you gonna help teach us the henge?"

 

Shikamaru looked over at Iruka and lifted his brow.

 

Iruka shrugged. "Your choice, you can if you want to."

 

Shikamaru flashed a smile. "Love to." He nodded to the class. "Yep." He pointed.

 

"Are you gonna teach us your shadow thingy"

 

Shikamaru snorted. "Nope."

 

A collective whine broke out.

 

Shikamaru sighed. "It's a bloodline limit okay? Just like Hanabi's eyes."

 

More moaning, but in defeat.

 

"What's your favorite food?"

 

"Dango."

 

The question and answer session spiraled downward into pure silliness from there. Eventually, Shikamaru's ten minutes of hell ended and the student's last few hours of hell began with yet another written exam. Shikamaru went back to his windowsill to monitor for cheaters, but there was a hint of smile on his face.

 

~ * ~