Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Iruka's obsession ❯ Chapter 16

Part 16

 

The dogs smelled water before they did. Or at least before Iruka did, since he saw Kakashi lift his nose and sniff the air the same way the dogs were doing. Whatever the case, Iruka was sure he felt a stirring in the lump in his chest as they reached the river bank. He scanned the further shore hopefully for a sign of a green-spandex-clad figure, but there was nothing but a rather large banner waving in the trees on the other side.

 

Iruka did not need a Sharingan or any other blood limit technique to understand what it said. “Taking Shizune back to village. Don't worry, help is on the way. We have dealt with the ones on this side of the river.” It was rounded off with a pair of “!!” The whole thing had Gai written on it from top to bottom. And probably on the back of it as well. Where in the world had the man managed to find that large a piece of green cloth - on second thought, Iruka decided it had probably been an essential part of Gai's equipment - there was no way of getting around the weird things jounin did.

 

“We swim for it,” Iruka told Kakashi, who had probably come to the same conclusion. While the river was calm enough to walk on, with his chakra sealed, there was no way Kakashi could, and Iruka did not want to bring that up. “Can the dogs…”

 

There was no need to ask, since the dogs had started to wade into the water after Kakashi at some silent command. Iruka fished out the puppy, grateful to see it stir, and placed it on his head the same way Kiba would do with his pup. Unfortunately, this pup was not from the Inzuka stock, and all it did was slide off his head and would have hit the ground if Iruka had not been quick enough to catch it.

 

He looked at Kakashi, who was motioning the dogs to move ahead of him, even the ones he was carrying. The dogs started to swim one by one, and Iruka thanked God it was not rainy season in the Fire country as well. The volume of the river usually doubled when it rained there, and it would have been impossible for anyone to swim across it. He could not swim with a pup, so he decided to run across the water, carrying it. Iruka reached the shore before the dogs did, placed the pup on high ground, turned around and run as fast as he could to help the next dog that was floundering. He ran back and forth as efficiently as possible, dragging the dogs by the scruff of their necks to shallow water as fast as he could, while next to him, Kakashi also got into the water and started to swim, in an odd paddling sort of move with his head held above the water which made Iruka think of Gai's equally odd swimming techniques.

 

Iruka reached the shore finally and held out a hand to Kakashi, making a note to start swimming classes for all jounin-level ninjas.

 

“Kakashi,” he started. He was not going to call him Kakashi-sensei, ever. Well, not anytime soon. He could not -- not because he did not respect the jounin, but because he knew him far too well and knew better than to pretend otherwise. “You swim like a…

 

…the dogs close to the shore waded out of the water and shook themselves…

 

…Kakashi also shook himself like a…

 

“…dog,” Iruka finished weakly as he blinked at the water. He picked up the shivering pup from the ground and turned around to count heads, the same way he would do at school after each field outing.

 

“Thank you,” Kakashi said, sounding pleased, and Iruka decided it probably wasn't an insult to equate him to a canine.

 

“They've reached us,” Iruka said, his eyes fixed on the far shore.

 

“We don't have any choice, then,” Kakashi said with a wry turn of his mouth. “Final option, Iruka-sensei. Unseal me.”

 

“Without knowing what it might do?” Iruka asked, even as he channeled chakra to his fingertips and concentrated it evenly.

 

“Do we have an alternative?” Kakashi asked softly.

 

In reply, Iruka move forward and stuck his fingers in the points where the seal was activated, letting his chakra pulse through. He could feel the chakra that had been locked away break free like a dam breaking. Cool!

 

With a grunt Kakashi fell to his knees, his chakra pulsing wildly. Iruka gasped even as he felt for his shurikens, concentrating on the dangers ahead. It would be next to impossible to make a run for it in the condition they were in. However, it was also ridiculous to think Iruka even had a chance against - how many? - he counted three ninjas who were out for their blood.

 

Iruka pulled out his kunai, wishing he could transform it into a boomerang, and looked at Kakashi, who was still on his knees retching dryly. Iruka steeled himself to face his enemies no matter how much he wanted to go and kneel beside Kakashi and rub his back. That would most likely earn him an elbow in the stomach and a kunai in the back. The Copy-nin did not handle compassion or pity very well, and it was stupid to get distracted in the presence of the enemy.

 

“Ask the dogs to move back,” he said tersely instead and was rewarded by the dogs shuffling back, their lips drawn back in snarls. Not wondering exactly how the dogs knew what he was saying, Iruka pulled back, spread his feet and got ready.

 

“You fool,” Kakashi grated with difficulty. “Take the scroll and go.”

 

“And leave you …and the dogs,” Iruka said calmly. “I hope that if the circumstances were reversed you would do the same.” He did not wait for an answer, instead summoning his skills together for the battle ahead. “If you can get up, I want you to take the dogs and leave,” he said, his eyes fixed on the lot who were walking on water towards them. “I'll hold them back as much as I can.”

 

There was no time for replies as Iruka leapt forward to meet the first attacker. He parried the kunai that came towards him, fished out two explosive tags and threw them, attached to the shurikens. He waited until the enemy was out of the water, then attacked in earnest, parrying their assaults with his own, hoping he was buying time for the rest to get away. It was not much of a fight: Iruka was outnumbered, and his only hope was to hold on as long as possible.

 

It would have been next to impossible for him to win, Iruka decided as another ninja appeared on the farther shore. When he saw who it was, Iruka almost lost his concentration - for in his hand, the newcomer held an exotic double-bladed sword that needed no introduction.

 

With a curse, Iruka kicked the closest ninja in the stomach, used his chakra to fuse the man to the ground as he fell, and in one swift move, kicked him in the groin. Then he started to move back when he realized he could not. He was starting to sink into the mud as he had done before when he was attacked by the group of former Warerfall ninjas.

 

With great difficulty, Iruka freed one leg, concentrated just enough chakra to stand on the ground that was rapidly turning into a bog, and started to pull out the other. It was then that the ground gave a small - the word he would use later was - shake. In reality, the ground moved beneath his feet as if a shock wave had passed through it. It was the same as he had felt just before Shizune's legs had been broken. Only this time, his foot was inside the mud, and he felt the effect of the jutsu completely.

 

It was by no means a pleasant experience. The mud holding his leg tightened, twisted and heaved upwards in one smooth move. It was like having his leg caught in a vise and then twisted. Iruka felt his bone break, actually heard it inside his head, the snap followed by the lower part of his leg moving independently of the upper half as the bone pierced his skin and broke out.

 

Screaming in agony, Iruka pulled his leg free, falling back onto the ground gasping for breath. Shizune was a medi-nin who could control pain, while Iruka had to rely on his meditation techniques, which were about as effective as a leaf against a hail storm. His mental shields were torn to shards by the pain, and he actually whimpered as he pulled himself up, supporting his upper body on his elbows. There was no way he could do anything with his left leg radiating pain. It was like a hot poker from ankle to hip, though the break was about a few inches below his knee.

 

Iruka tried to bite his lower lip to stop the shout of pain as he reached for his fallen kunai. He could feel tears of pain rolling down his cheeks even as his fingers closed around the handle, shaking in pain. Whatever the jutsu was, it seemed to have also stimulated his nerve endings. It was sheer instinct that made him parry the kunai aimed at his throat - even as he did it, Iruka realized his hands here shaking. His leg was bleeding badly, and he did not think he could hold on for long.

 

He hoped Kakashi and the dogs had gotten away - he had forgotten to ask Kakashi if he could carry the pup he had carried up to that point. The creature was too small to be able to move as fast as the bigger dogs and … what was he thinking. Kakashi knew the dogs better than he did.

 

It was as if his chakra was leaking out with his blood; Iruka could feel his entire body shaking and his vision getting blurry. Taking a deep breath, he channeled the last of his chakra into his palms and used it to direct the kunai at the ninja who was heading his way. The kunai struck more by accident than by actual design. The ninja probably did not think Iruka capable of anything more than blowing out a candle and must have let his guard down… Iruka's throw hit the intended target dead on and buried itself to the handle in the other ninja's throat.

 

Even as the enemy fell, reeling backwards clutching his throat, Iruka realized that he was spent. There was no way he could do anything now. All he could do was bring his arm up in a useless gesture of warding off as the exotic double blade came into view. It was all he could do to hold up his hand - anything more would probably cause him to black out.

 

At the moment when his entire life was supposed to flash before his eyes, all Iruka could think of was the pile of test papers on his desk waiting to be graded and whether Kakashi would grade them the way he had before.

 

Iruka hoped that his distraction had bought enough time for the others to get away. He braced himself for the death blow the best he could, drew back and held his breath and waited ….and waited…

 

As the huge guy with the large blade sank to the ground and the mud split open to reveal Kakashi, who looked surprisingly mud free for a guy who had been underground. Iruka was close enough to the ground that he actually saw Kakashi put his palms on either side of the exotic blade wielders head, the only portion of his body that was above ground, and give it a good twist, breaking his neck instantly.

 

That done, Kakashi hurried over to Iruka and pushed him down, motioning him to lie still.

 

“That's a bad break,” Kakashi observed calmly. “Think you can faint, Iruka- sensei?”

 

“What do you think I am,” Iruka asked through gritted teeth. “Some woman who's going to faint at the sight of blood.”

 

“Well,” said Kakashi, and from the way those expressive lips twitched, it was obvious he wanted to make some snappy comeback but was holding back since it was not the right time for such comments. “I most assuredly know you're not woman,” he said instead.

 

Iruka was about to reply when he felt Kakashi slip an arm under him and pull him up carefully so his leg would not jar unnecessarily. He leaned into the body that was supporting his, feeling grateful as an arm wound around his neck. Then he started to panic as the arm started to cut off his air supply. Iruka struggled briefly, but in his weakened state, it did not take him long to black out.

 

------ --------- --------- ----------- ---------

 

“…with him in …”

 

“…ow could you…”

 

Iruka could hear snatches of conversation flying overhead. Conversation that was beyond his understanding but comforting. He knew those voices, he thought, as he opened his eyes slowly. The voices were annoying, since his head was aching, but at the same time comforting since they spelled familiarity and that, in turn, meant safety. He turned his head a little and smiled despite the discomfort.

 

“I'm your senpai, Ino-pig,” Sakura yelled as she tried to pull something out of the blonde's hand.

 

“Go get one of your own, Forehead-girl,” Ino shirked, making the trees nearby quiver.

 

This was a situation he could deal with, Iruka thought, as he smiled with fondness. “Girls, that's enough,” he said, and just as at the academy, the girls sprang aside and managed to look both outraged and guilty at the same time.

 

“She started it,” they both said together then looked even guiltier.

 

“Iruka-sensei,” Sakura said -- the first to recover. “How are you feeling?”

 

“I feel fine,” Iruka took stock of his body and sighed. His senses felt blunted as if he was under the influence of … “You've given me some pain killers I see,” he said instead.

 

“Had to,” Sakura said reaching for him, sounding all professional. As she approached him, Iruka tried to sit up but was pushed back by Ino, who had appeared on his other side.

 

“Lie still, sensei,” Ino said firmly. “You're still not up to walking.”

 

“Where am I?” Iruka asked, feeling stupid but wanting to know. They were still in a jungle, but the kunoichi were relaxed and … he looked around anxiously. “Kakashi … the dogs… where are they?”

 

“Kakashi-sensei left early to deliver a scroll to the village,” Sakura said, sounding rather hurt, and Iruka decided his departure had been rather abrupt. “He took the dogs that could walk with him. The ones that were badly hurt remained behind so we could treat them.” Well, Kakashi did have a mission to complete, he told himself, to fend off the pang of disappointment that accompanied the news.

 

“He set your leg before he left,” Ino replied a little grumpily. “By the time we got here, it was already healing, so all we had to do was work on the dogs.”

 

“It wasn't too bad,” Sakura intervened. “Tsunade-sama has always told me that it's good to be prepared for anything.”

 

“But dogs…” Ino wailed, making her feelings clear about the whole situation. “We're training to be medi-nins, not vets.”

 

“Each member of the team is important to the whole,” Sakura said as if reciting, and from Iruka's experience, she probably was. Sakura had an excellent memory and needed only to hear something once to commit it to memory. “These can include nin-dogs, horses and other animals that can help the…”

 

“Are you two alone?” Iruka asked, as he realized he was lying flat on his back in a clearing in the woods. And he really did not feel like listening to one of Sakura's recitals.

 

“We're a three-man team,” Ino replied with pride.

 

“Who's the third person?” Iruka asked, wondering if Gai had come back - but he could not see Gai with the two medi-nins in training. It always took a barrelful of patience to put up with these two in the same team, so it had to be someone with a strong sense of will….

 

“Ready to move, Iruka-sensei?”

 

“Ibiki-san!” Iruka said, startled.

 

“You seem surprised,” the taller man said with a grimace of a smile.

 

“You don't seem the type to form a three-man team with two girls,” Iruka replied with an answering smile which was rather unsteady. Ibiki always made him feel nervous.

 

“These two are undergoing medi-nin training with Tsunade-sama[1],” Ibiki replied shortly. “She referred them to me so I can teach them how to treat victims of torture and rape. Sometimes the medi-nin also doubles as a team councilor and in the front lines must work hard so ninjas can get up and go on fighting.”

 

“In other words, the ugly side of being a ninja,” Iruka said, feeling a little sad. Not everyone was ready for that - for being captured by an enemy did not always mean a certain death. Sometimes, death was kinder than what was in store for a prisoner - gender notwithstanding.

 

“It's my area of specialization,” Ibiki replied curtly, reminding Iruka that he was the village's head interrogator. “You're in no condition to walk - I'll have to carry you. Can you get on my back?”

 

Iruka blanched at the thought of getting on the bigger man's back but decided he had no choice but to do so. His leg hurt far too much for him to walk on, and it would be needless to protest over such a trivial matter. After all, he had taught his students how to carry an injured comrade in the field - now it would look stupid if he were to protest over it.

 

“We're moving out - girls. Ino, you will take point. Sakura, you're in back with the dogs -- can the dogs move?”

 

“They're ready,” said Sakura, sounding professional and alert at the same time. “I'll carry the pup.” Iruka whipped his head around at the mention of the pup, knowing for sure it was the one he had carried. He wondered what was wrong with it, but seeing it safe in Sakura's grip reassured a bit. It was in safe hands, and anyway, Iruka was in no condition to carry someone when he himself was being carried.

 

They set a medium pace, jumping through the tree branches slowly in leisurely hops, Ino in front and Sakura at the back. Iruka wound his hands around Ibiki's shoulders and hoped he would not fall off in mid-jump, feeling slightly embarrassed by the whole thing. It was unsettling to be so close to another male when he had been with Kakashi, even if the whole thing was totally platonic. Ibiki's back was wider than Kakashi's, and he smelled faintly of metal and sweat. So different from Kakashi, Iruka could not help thinking, even as he became aware that he was subtly sniffing the man.

 

It was also bothersome that Iruka did not know if Kakashi had made his way back to the village safely or not. He might have, but what of his chakra - had he been able to stabilize it? Why had he not waited for Iruka to regain consciousness? And where exactly did he stand with Kakashi? They'd had sex but was that all there was to it? Did it mean anything more than a one-night stand, a desperate groping in a small hovel just before a mission?

 

As if reading his mind, Ibiki spoke quietly. “Iruka-sensei.” His voice was quiet, and Iruka could feel the rumble deep within the large man starting from his chest. “You should not think so hard about things you can't influence.”

 

“And how would you know what I'm thinking of,” Iruka said, half amused, his voice also pitched low so the girls on either end could not hear their conversation.

 

“That's what I'm good at,” Ibiki said casually. “I'm good at studying people; I can usually tell a lot about them just by looking at them. If I did not have that ability, I would be useless at my job.”

 

“What can you tell me about myself?' Iruka asked curiously.

 

“I'm not in the business of fortune-telling,” Ibiki said abruptly, making Iruka blush.

 

“No, I meant, what can you say about my character?” Iruka asked probingly. “You can be harsh, I don't mind that.”

 

“You might not like what I tell you,” Ibiki warned.

 

“I can live with it,” Iruka said softly. He had lived through worse …

 

“But just tell me…did you really care for me? If Naruto had not asked …would you have even looked at me?”

 

“No.”

 

“You, Iruka-sensei, will most probably never make it to jounin,” Ibiki said softly. “It's not because you lack talent or because of your low chakra level. There are ninja with much, much less ability who will make it to that level by their will alone. In your case, you do not have the psychological make-up needed to be a cold-blooded killer. It's not a bad thing, really - the village could do with a few more mentally stable individuals.”

 

“That's not too bad,” Iruka said, after reflecting on Ibiki's words. “You made it sound as if all the jounin were cold-blooded and mentally unstable.”

 

“Not all, just some,” Ibiki said with a shrug of his shoulder that had Iruka clutching the interrogator's flak jacket for balance. “Take for example … your recent lover…”

 

Iruka was so startled that he felt his hand slip and had to struggle to catch himself. “How did you know?” he asked.

 

“Body language,” Ibiki said with a shrug. “Kakashi and I spoke before he went off - Gai told me to bring him some gear to change into -- and the way he acted around you told me as much. And if you recall, I met you in front of Kakashi's apartment looking distressed, and there was Gai acting as the village matchmaker. Gai might be a taijutsu expert, but he's not very discreet. It did not take a genius to figure out where that was going.”

 

“Oh.” Iruka was quiet for a while. “I don't suppose you can give me a character assessment of Kakashi as well,” he said finally.

 

“That would be a betrayal of trust,” Ibiki said, making Iruka blush again, since he had really asked about something truly personal. But still, he wanted to know.

 

“Maybe,” Iruka said softly, pushing it. “He accused me of not knowing him. I thought I knew him but …maybe I don't.”

 

“When you are young, adults seem so all-knowing and perfect,” Ibiki said softly. “When you fall in love, that person becomes forever the one true perfection. Then you grow up and you meet more people, but you will always compare them with your one true love, forever comparing with the idea of what the perfect lover should be. A memory that is timeless…”

 

“Because your true love is dead, and you've never seen him grow old or wrinkled or have faults,” Iruka completed silently. “Ibiki-san, did you just tell me Kakashi compares everyone in his life with Min - his sensei.”

 

“I see I'm not the only one he fell asleep with after sex and talked in his sleep to,” Ibiki remarked dryly, making Iruka spasm with a surge of jealousy so great it startled him.

 

“I only talk in my sleep when I feel safe with someone.”

 

“Relax, sensei,” Ibiki laughed gently, making his body shake. “He and I were too alike for it to have lasted long. He is also good at reading people, knowing the correct thing to say to goad people into fighting, provoking them. He knew I could read him the same way he could read me. It was far too disconcerting to have lasted long.”

 

“So,” said Iruka almost to himself. “He's in love with a ghost.”

 

“He thinks he's in love with a ghost,” Ibiki corrected Iruka firmly. “He strikes back at people who come close to seeing through that mask of his. Some of his poor social skills are deliberate attempts at keeping people at a distance, but I have a feeling you've gotten through to him on some levels.”

 

“He accused me of loving him without knowing him,” Iruka said softly, but he felt a warm feeling in his middle almost like hope. “And he doesn't care for me at all.” Even as he said that, Iruka remembered the night they'd spent together.

 

“Just imagine you fucking me hard on this bed…you can spread my legs and use your binding technique to fix me to this bed as surely as a…I want you to. Always did.”

 

Was it even possible to say such things to a person you had no feelings about?

 

“Well, they do say it's nice to know what sort of person you love,” Ibiki said a tad sarcastically. “In case you wind up with a mass-murderer or some weirdo with a tendency to pick his nose at the dinner table…”

 

Iruka had to give a snort of laughter at that and then said, “You surprise me, Ibiki-san. I didn't think you had a sense of humor.”

 

“Amazing what you can develop when you are saddled with two teenage girls who pluck their eyebrows out for fun. It's something I wouldn't consider doing for a torture technique.”

 

Iruka smiled at that, remembering the time Ino had fainted at school because the bandages had been too tight and had prevented her from breathing properly. “They do go through a lot of pain to look good, don't they,” he agreed as the Konaha gates came in sight.

 

“Iruka-sensei,” Ibiki said softly. “Just remember, you can never know a person completely. To know someone completely is impossible, even when you've known a person all your life - but you can still love someone. You can love them for what they are no matter what. It's called unconditional love.”

 

Iruka remained silent as they reached the gate.

 

“Once you get an all-clear from the hospital, you might want to drop in on someone, sensei,” Ibiki said knowingly, and Iruka understood the implication behind those words.

 

He was going to pay Hatake Kakashi a visit, and they were going to have a word.

 

 

 

A/N- Before writing any anime fight scene I would advice everyone to read the laws below. http://www.geocities.com/shinomegami/animelaws.html -Laws of Anime