Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Knock on Wood Konoha ❯ cyfriniaeth ( Chapter 2 )

Title: Knock on Wood Konoah

 

Chapter 2: cyfriniaeth

 

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Mystery. Mystery. Mystery.

R.F.Fischer

 

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Tsunade mentally sighed, but outwardly kept her gaze focused on the masked figure in front of her. The stark white mask was blank, the only one in ANBU to be like that. The man who wore it was as blank as his mask. Hundreds of meetings with him and Tsunade still couldn't get a read on him. Rumor was he'd been the student of the hunter nin known only as Henge for his love of henge jutsus.

 

No one had never seen his real face and Tsunade had always wondered what he was hiding that would lead him to such lengths.

 

How could one man be so ashamed as to hide his face for his entire life?

 

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The first time Naruto remembers meeting Iruka he was eight years old.

 

The first time Naruto met Iruka was many years earlier when he was only an infant.

 

He can't remember it, but he's heard stories, about a cherub cheeked infant, a broken Iruka, and a kind Hokage who cared almost too much.

 

***Flashback***

 

Sarutobi smiled and gentle cradled the blond, blue eyed infant with rosy red cheeks and whisker marks.

 

“Naruto….”

 

He was so innocent. Clear blue eyes stared back up at Sarutobi unblinking and the old man felt his heart twinge.

 

“Poor boy…”

 

“Sandaime-sama?”

 

An ANBU asked and Sarutobi looked up.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Iruka's here.”

 

Sarutobi nodded “Let him in.”

 

It was a testament to how much of a fixture Iruka was becoming in his household that he walked in before the ANBU was even completely out of the room. Everyone was getting so used to having him around that he had a freedom that rivaled the Hokage's. Just the other day the Hokage had had to rescue a majority of the ANBU from one of his pranks in their own head quarters….their top secret, classified, mystery headquarters that apparently Iruka had just walked in.

 

So much for top secret, classified, mystery….

 

Sarutobi smiled at the scared young boy. “Iruka come here a moment, there's someone I want you to meet.”

 

Iruka hesitated eyeing the tiny bundle with apprehension and fear. No wonder, considering just the night before the Kyuubi sealed in the baby had massacred half the nins in the village when they had tried to stop it, Iruka's parents as well.

 

Iruka hesitated, his steps faltering as he inched closer. When he finally reached Sarutobi's side he stopped, eyes narrowed.

 

Sarutobi held Naruto out to him.

 

A flash of panic raced across Iruka's face quickly replaced by forced disgust but when Sarutobi refused to back down Iruka reluctantly gave in. Iruka was ungodly stubborn but he also had an unnatural instinct for survival that appeared when ever he was faced with a situation that meant a change in his life. It never ceased to amaze Sarutobi that situations Iruka could get out of or avoid completely. Something in him must have realized that Naruto wasn't a threat to him and Sarutobi hoped that knowledge would one day lead Iruka to accept the boy. He had a feeling they were going to play very big roles in one another's lives.

 

Naruto wailed and waved tiny fists.

 

Iruka reached out a hesitant hand and touched one of the tiny fists.

 

Naruto clenched Iruka's much bigger hand and quieted.

 

***End Flashback***

 

“When did you start training with him?”

 

“My second year in the academy.”

 

“What happened?”

 

“I got upset when someone said I would never be as good as my brother. Iruka over heard and talked to me. Offered to give me lessons after class. I accepted, kept up until I graduated.”

 

“Cool.” Naruto slurped more of his ramen, looking sideways at a somber Sasuke as he did.

 

“He picked you.”

 

“Hmmm?” Naruto swallowed and turned to face him. “What?”

 

Sasuke turned to him, face dark.

 

Naruto's stomach fluttered.

 

“He picked you over me.”

 

“What?” Naruto starred wide eyed at him for a moment the snorted. “No he didn't. He picked us both. Iruka sensei didn't believe in picking one over the other.”

 

Sasuke stared hard into his ramen.

 

“He told me about you,” Naruto continued quietly turning back to his own ramen.

 

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Hinata threw several well aimed kunai at the tree, watched them land with perfect precision and blinked away tears.

 

Another day, another overheard conversation between her father, Neji, and Hanabi about ways to toughen her up or to insure the strength of the Hyuuga line.

 

The damn Hyuuga line! It was fine and they acted like the entire clan was doomed just because she was the heir.

 

Hinata blinked furiously, refusing to cry, but felt tears welling up anyway.

 

“Don't cry for them.”

 

The voice was warm, masculine and Hinata spun around in surprise.

 

Niku.

 

Commander of the ANBU forces of Konoha.

 

Tall, dark, dressed entirely in a black ANBU uniform with long sleeves and a hood over his head, no part of his body was visible, no flash of skin, no nothing. No one even knew if Niku was male or female.

 

Hinata stared, eyes wide too shocked to cry.

 

“They aren't worth your tears.”

 

Hinata blinked. “I-I…”

 

“You have promise, especially where your…special technique is concerned.”

 

“My…! How do you know about that?!”

 

“A friend told me.”

 

“A friend?”

 

Though she couldn't see through the mask, Hinata was pretty sure Niku was smiling.

 

“Wh-who?”

 

“What's wrong? Don't you trust me?”

 

“No.”

 

She'd probably never spoken with such conviction in her life.

 

Faster then Hinata could see Niku was suddenly directly in front of her, centimeters away.

 

“Well, well, nice to know you're not a complete pushover. Maybe I can help you.”

 

Hinata blinked.

 

“Huh?”

 

….diwedd….