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Iruka finishes putting the last finishing touch on the two bento boxes in front of him. “Naruto, are you ready?” he calls out, quickly putting the covers on them and wrapping the carrying cloth around them.

“Almost,” Naruto calls from the bathroom where he was last seen brushing his teeth and hair.

It’s been six months since that dreadful day and while things have died down some, they still aren’t back to where they were. People still glare and point wherever they go, mostly civilians but even a few shinobi do it as well. But no one attacks them like the one man did. The Hokage’s message was heard loud and clear: anyone who defied his decree would face severe consequences.

Naruto’s sixth birthday has come and gone, the two staying inside to avoid anyone who might try something on that memorable date. The boy has been in the Academy for the last four months and right now, they’re going to be late if they don’t hurry.

“Naruto,” he calls again, grabbing his bag and turning, he almost bumps into Naruto as he suddenly appears behind him.

“Ready,” he grins, hefting his backpack.

“Got your homework and books?” Iruka asks.

“Yep,” he answers.

“Alright, grab your lunch, the top one,” he says and Naruto runs over to grab it, handing Iruka his. “Thank you. Alright, let’s go,” he orders and they slip their sandals on and leave, quickly locking the door. The wards activate and they hustle down the stairs onto the street below.

The morning is cool, November inching them closer and closer to true winter. The nights have already started to get colder and a few times now, he’s seen frost on the window. Shivering a little in his coat, Naruto blows out a large breath, sending a white cloud out and he grins.

The Academy slowly comes into view. Their new place is much closer than their old place and makes getting to work on time far easier. “Alright, I have to stay a little late for a meeting,” he reminds Naruto. “So, you can either stay and wait for me, or I can get someone to walk you home,” he says as they near the main gate.

“I’ll wait,” Naruto decides and Iruka nods.

There’s a small crowd blocking the gate, children of various ages speaking excitedly and pointing towards something just inside. “Get to class,” he calls out and they start to disperse and he looks to see what had drawn their gaze.

He blinks at the ANBU standing just inside the gate. When the woman notices him and starts to head his way, his heart skips a little. ANBU looking for him can’t mean anything good. He grins down at Naruto, “Best get to class. I’ll see you this afternoon,” he assures.

“Okay,” Naruto agrees and runs towards the main doors, waving at a few of the other students as he nears.

“Umino-san,” the woman says once in ear shot.

“Oh, um, yes,” he says. “I’ve got to get to class,” he tells her.

“Someone has been assigned to cover for you, sensei. You have been asked to attend a meeting with the Hokage now,” she explains.

“What about?” he asks, worry bubbling in his stomach.

“I do not know. I was only tasked with finding and bringing you there,” she says with a shrug, her bird like mask cocking to the side. She looks vaguely familiar in the way most ANBU masks do. More than likely he’s seen it somewhere.

“I…,” he turns to look back at the Academy and sees Daikoku-sensei standing there. He waves and gives the thumbs up and Iruka sighs but nods, glad that Daikoku will keep an eye on Naruto for him. “Lead the way,” he says simply.

She nods sharply, taking to the roofs and he follows. He’s led to the Hokage Tower, silently following his guide as he tries to figure out what this is about. Maybe it’s about what happened six months before? Did they find the one who leaked the information?

He blinks in surprise when instead of heading to the Hokage’s office at the top; they stop a floor below, in an area he hasn’t really been before. “This way, Umino-san,” she murmurs and leads him down a short hall to a large door. A quick rap and someone calls out.

Opening it, she gestures for Iruka to enter ahead of her. Iruka steps through and comes to a halt, seeing five people staring at him as he enters. One is Hiruzen, but the other four, one in the mask of an ANBU, aren’t familiar to him, though he recognizes them somewhat.

“Ah, Iruka-sensei, please come in,” Hiruzen instructs as the door behind him shuts. A quick glance around shows four ANBU in the shadowed corners of the room, the woman taking the fourth corner.

“Hokage-sama?” he says in question, stepping towards where four couches are arranged around a square table.

“Please sit,” Hiruzen says and motions to the empty couch. He sits across from the Hokage. The other two couches holding two people. “Introductions first, I believe,” he says and motions around those gathered.

“These are my council, the elders of the village: Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura. And this is Cat, Commander of our ANBU forces,” he points to the last masked figure.

“Ah, hello,” he stammers out, realizing that he’s in front of some of the most powerful shinobi in the village, politically speaking. “Is…is something the matter?” he asks quietly. “If I knew this meeting was going to happen, I would have scheduled the time off to save you the trouble,” he adds quickly.

“No, there is no trouble you need to worry about. There is something we need to speak with you about is all and this meeting was a bit unscheduled,” Hiruzen explains, a faint grimace on his face letting Iruka knows that this wasn’t his idea.

“Of course,” he murmurs.

“Enough of the pleasantries,” Danzō snips, straightening in his seat, “There are things we need to discuss.”

“Yes, let us get to business,” Homura agrees.

Hiruzen waves a hand for Danzō to speak. Danzō’s single eye looks at Iruka sharply and he swallows, “Are aware of the duties of the Jinchuuriki?” he asks, voice clipped.

“Um, to act as a defense for the village-,” he says, frowning.

“Wrong,” Danzō cuts in and Iruka jumps. “You are a tool, a weapon,” he explains. “You are both a shield for the village and a blade to cut what we need, like any shinobi.”

“Of course, Danzō-sama,” he agrees, not sure where this is going.

Homura speaks up, “With recent events, we have decided that certain matters must be seen to,” he explains.

“Matters?” he asks, floundering a little.

“Matters concerning the Jinchuuriki,” Koharu speaks up. “We have never had two Jinchuuriki before. This is a bit unprecedented.”

“Of course,” he agrees.

“This meeting concerns your training,” Hiruzen speaks up finally.

“Training, Hokage-sama?” he asks, confused. He trains nearly every day, keeping his skills sharp. Is he doing something wrong?

“Are you dense, boy? Yes your training. With the Kyuubi’s added power, you should be a Jounin right now. But instead, you lingered as a genin for four years and have only been a chuunin for less than a year. You should have progressed further than this,” Danzō snaps.

“Now, that’s going a little far, Danzō,” Hiruzen snaps. “A solid foundation is far better than someone who rushes and falls short.”

“We will always disagree on that,” Danzō huffs but his antagonism seems to lessen some.

“I don’t think I follow,” Iruka admits.

“With the rise in risk to you and Naruto, it has been decided that you will undergo further training to better prepare you for…future conflicts,” Hiruzen explains simply. “This will also ensure you are better able to protect Naruto as well, with which your current skills are not…adequate.” He says the last part as if quoting someone else’s words.

‘Shield and a sword indeed,’ Iruka muses finally figuring out what they’re talking about. His skills are better situated for infiltration and stealth: a spy. He’s not a front line fighter and that is exactly what they want, someone who can deal out damage and take it. As one of the two Kyuubi Jinchuuriki he has the power do such a feat, but that he isn’t using it means he isn’t living up to what is expected of him.

“You will train under Cat until he deems you sufficiently skilled,” Danzō informs him.

“Do…Do I have any say in this?” he asks hesitantly.

“Of course,” Homura assures.

Danzō smirks, “As we have two Jinchuuriki, if you decide you do not wish to do this training, we can always begin Naruto’s training. He has started at the Academy, hasn’t he? It wouldn’t take much to accelerate his training and graduate him.”

Iruka’s heart drops into his stomach like a lead weight and his spine straightens, hands clenching into fists at the implied threat in his words: do as we say or we will do it to Naruto. They want to graduate him early, a literal child soldier. He’s only six, that’s far too young.

He feels anger burn in his chest and for a moment, feels a spark of something in his gut before he quickly smothers it, taking in a slow and even breath, fighting back the bile in his throat, eyes closed. Slowly, he drags his racing mind to a halt and focuses on one thought, ‘I won’t let them touch him!’

“Hokage-sama,” he says looking at the Sandaime, purposefully ignoring the three Elders. “If this is what you wish, I will do it.”

“It is for the best,” he grudgingly says, eyes showing how much he doesn’t want to go this route but he’s obviously been forced to it by the Elders.

“Then I accept,” he says still not acknowledging them. He turns to Cat, “You will be training me?” he asks.

“I will, Umino-san,” Cat says with a slight nod.

“Will I still be allowed to work at the Academy?” he asks the Sandaime.

“We have submitted a schedule to them to allow you to undergo this training and still teach,” Hiruzen assures, smirking a little at Iruka’s snub of the Elders.

“When do we start?” he asks Cat.

“Now,” Cat says, standing.

“Very well,” he says standing as well, “Hokage-sama,” he refuses to look at the Elders least he say something he shouldn’t. “Please, lead the way.” He follows after the ANBU Commander, ignoring the eyes boring into his back as he leaves the room, fists trembling still in anger.

~*~

Iruka grits his teeth, keeping the yell of pain locked in his throat as he falls to the ground. Tears prickle at his eyes and he blinks them away, sucking in quick breaths as he braces through the pain of the searing burn on his arm, all that the Katon caught in its blast for which he’s grateful. Holding it out awkwardly, he glanced down to see a large swath of his skin is bright red and blisters already coming up. Panting as a wave a nausea rolls through his stomach, he turns his gaze away.

“Get back up,” Cat orders, stepping closer, mask giving nothing away as to his thoughts. The only sign that they’ve been fighting on and off for the last three hours is the dirt dusting his clothes and the deep breaths he drags in, tanto out and shining in the light from around the underground training ground.

Panting heavily, he rolls awkwardly, keeping his burned arm away from his side so it doesn’t rub and stands, swaying, sweat dripping down his face as he pulls a kunai out and falls into a steadier stance. “Again,” Cat orders and Iruka rushes him, coming in low, twisting around a thrust from the tanto and lashes out, kunai clanging as Cat parries him. “Good…but not good enough,” and his leg flicks out, heavy kick catching him in the square in the chest and sending him flying back, skidding on his back until he comes to a stop.

Pulling in a shuddering breath, he stares up at the ceiling, seeing the heavy seals written into the ceiling and walls, meant dampen any large ninjutsus and keep the walls from crumbling under heavy impacts: the perfect place for ANBU, or a Jinchuuriki to train.

“Get up,” Cat orders.

“I’m done,” he grits out, sucking in a desperate breath, his limbs feeling like lead, his right arm hurting so badly he wanted to cry as he waits for his healing to kick in.

“You’re done when I say you’re done,” Cat snaps out, stepping closer. “Now get up.” Growling in exhausted frustration, he staggers back to his feet, swaying. “Again!”

He lunged again, good arm out and strikes again, metal screeching as blades meet. Before he can react, a hand shoots out, grabbing him by his vest and with a heave, Cat lifts him over his head and slams him into the ground, knocking the breath completely from his lungs and bruising the whole of his back. The tanto lashes out and comes to rest against his throat. “And now you’re dead,” Cat says simply.

Stepping back, he sheathed his tanto, “We’re done,” and Iruka would have cried if he had the energy to at those two words. “You have two days to recover and then we’ll meet here again,” he orders down to the panting Iruka.

“Time?” he manages to get out of a dust dry throat.

“Seven in the morning. That should give you time to get the boy to class,” he offers and Iruka nods in thanks for his thoughtfulness. A shadow falls over his face and he looks up to see a familiar mask. “He’s all yours,” Cat says and walks off, completely unaffected by their long bout of fighting.

“Hound,” he huffs.

“You’re looking a little crispy there,” he murmurs, a hint of laughter in his voice as a hand helps him sit up.

“Fuck you,” he huffs out but nods in thanks as Hound holds out a canteen to him and proceeds to guzzle the water thirstily.

“Don’t make yourself sick,” Hound cautions.

He pulls the canteen away with a gasp and turns an annoyed glare on the ANBU. “I know how to drink water,” he grits out.

Hound thankfully knows when to not say anything, simply holds up his hands to placate him and accepts the canteen back. “Can you stand?” he asks instead after tucking the container away.

Iruka frowns, looking down at his arm that is finally starting to heal, most of the blisters gone but still red. His whole body feels like over cooked noodles. “Maybe,” he admits, hating even admitting to that.

“Here,” Hound offers his shoulder and reluctantly, Iruka throws his good arm over his shoulder, allowing the man to help him stand.

“Is this also part of your job?” he asks snidely, his frustrations at the situation making him snap at the ANBU’s gesture.

Hound look at him sideways, the shadows under the mask obscuring any hint of color and only the glint of light off them shows he looked his way. “Yes,” he says calmly, ignoring the acid in his tone and it throws Iruka for a loop.

“What?” he asks, anger fizzling out just as quickly as it came.

Hound nods, “The four ANBU you saw in that meeting, we are yours and Naruto’s primary guards, though there will be others who will help. Our job is to guard you, yes, but to also support you when in battle, similar to the Hokage’s Guard Platoon.”

Iruka flushes in shame at taking out his anger at the Elders on Hound who is only doing his job. “Sorry,” he mutters. “You must be bored out of your minds watching over us right now,” he adds a few seconds after.

Hound shrugs and starts to walk towards the exit of the ANBU Training Ground. “I can’t say it’s the hardest job I’ve ever had to do,” he admits, but his shoulders shake ever so faintly with his silent laughter. “I must say, it’s nice to be paid to sit around and watch you corral a gaggle of children like herding cats.”

“Gods, it is, isn’t it,” Iruka huffs. “I’m dreading when we have to give them pointy objects.”

They step into the tunnel and start to follow it back the way they came. He has no idea what time it is. The meeting had only lasted maybe thirty minutes total. Afterwards, he’d followed Cat to the ANBU Head Quarters, an area he’d never been to, let alone knew where it was, which, under the Hokage Monument was not what he expected.

He’d spent a few hours writing out his own training regimen that he did, answering question after question on tactics, strategy, history, languages and code, what ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu he knew, as well as what weapons he was proficient with and anything else they could think of. Afterwards, he was given time to eat his lunch before he had been thrown into the lion’s den so to speak and had been thoroughly beaten black and blue, or red in the case of his arm, by Cat, all in the name of training. He just wanted to sleep.

He squints as they come out into the late afternoon sunlight, the sun starting to set behind the trees and shivers in the cold air. He grimaces, not willing to put on his coat with his arm hurt so. Is it already that late? He hopes Daikoku-sensei realized that he wasn’t coming back anytime soon and helped Naruto home. His heart skips at the thought of Naruto having to go through what he just did and his clenches his fist against his thigh. He won’t forget that threat anytime soon and gods help Shimura Danzō if he ever tries to follow through with it. They may want him to become their sword, but he’s a double edged blade and he’ll cut them down if they so much as hurt a hair on Naruto’s head. He made a promise to Minato and Kushina to look out for Naruto, and he will.

He glances around the street and despairs because his apartment is so far and he’s so tired right now. He gives a startled yelp when Hound’s grip shifts and he starts to fall only to feel his legs scooped up and Hound holding him easily as if he weights nothing. “I can walk,” he hisses out, though he’s thankful his hurt arm is on the outside and not rubbing on the man’s armor, his warmth keeping some of the chill away.

“I’m sure you can, Umino-san, but you’re borderline chakra exhausted and I’d rather you not take a nose dive running the roofs because you fainted,” he says and before Iruka can formulate a rebuttal, jumps to the nearest roof and throws them into a shunshin.

Reluctantly, Iruka allows it, too tired to fight it really. They’re passing through an empty training ground when he lets out a hiss of pain, his burned arm pulling in tight and Hound stops, jumping down from the tree limb he stopped on to set the teen down. “What’s wrong?” he asks, sounding worried.

“It fucking itches,” he grits out and Hound looks down see the dead skin starting to flake off. “Ugh, burns suck the most,” he grits out, clenching his uninjured fist to keep from scratching at his arm and doing more damage to it as it heals and the new skin grows in.

Hound snorts and helps settle him back against the tree. “We’ll take a moment,” he decides and Iruka nods with a huff.

A few minutes pass in silence before Iruka speaks up, “You must think I’m pathetic,” he says with a self-deprecating laugh.

“Hm, I do, do I?” Hound asks, not looking at him.

“Fuck, I couldn’t even land a hit on him. He should have just taken me out then and there,” he grumbles, scrubbing a hand through his hair that’s half out of its customary ponytail and caked with sweat and dust.

Hound huffs and turns to face him, “If Cat wanted you dead, you’d be dead,” he says deadpan. “That wasn’t him trying to kill you.”

“Oh, then what was it?” he grumbles.

“He was…assessing you,” he finally decides on. “He’s never seen you fight nor how you think. If he’s to train you, he needs to know where you suck and where you shine. Though, I will admit from my own experience that his training makes you wish for death sometimes,” Hound jokes softly.

“So he wasn’t just knocking me all over that training ground for fun then?” Iruka asks, feeling his age. A chuunin less than a year, no battle experience and most of his missions being covert and stealth operations, he’s got no experience to fall back on in regards to training to be a fighter. Don’t get him wrong, he can fight, but not the way Cat did, like he did it every day, like it is as easy as breathing.

“Well, I wouldn’t say that. Everyone has their own idea of a good time, but it was for a reason. Now, he’s seen how you think, how you fight. Seen how far he can push you and how long you can hold out in extended combat. Now, he’ll make a training schedule to improve where you lack and improve what you already excel at,” Hound explains, seeing his confusion.

“Ugh, I’m not looking forward to this at all,” he grumbles and glances down at his arm. The itching has died down and most of the dead skin has flaked away. He still feels a few pins and needles but for the most part, it’s fine. Flexing the arm, he feels the pull of new skin.

“Alright, I think we’re good,” he admits. This time, when Hound lifts him, he doesn’t protest, mind busy chewing over what the man told him. He’s never had any desire to become a jounin, if he’s honest with himself. For one thing, it’s more paperwork and he’s never felt like command material. Children, he can work with because they’re still developing their personalities and when they fight his authority, it’s because they’re just being brats and not because they feel entitled by rank and power. He’s too laid back, more often to defer than take charge, never wanting to butt heads with others. A peacemaker, if you will. Now, he’s going to have to fill that role, whether he like it or not.

He blinks as his building comes into view, Hound landing nimbly on the railing of his balcony and eases him down onto his feet, keeping one of his arms around Iruka’s waist when his knees wobble a bit. He’d kill for twelve uninterrupted hours of sleep right now.

Fishing out his key, he unlocks the window and wards, and Hound helps him hobble in. “I’m home,” he calls out.

“Welcome home!” Naruto yells out as the thunder of feet from their shared room heads their way and then Naruto comes careening around the corner only to slide to a stop at the sight of Iruka, dusty, sweaty and hanging off of Hound’s shoulder. “‘Ruka-nii!” he cries out, eyes wide.

“I’m fine, Naruto,” he assures, stepping away, his knees thankfully holding him as he slowly kneels to let Naruto hug him.

“What happened?” Naruto demands. “Daikoku-sensei said you went somewhere and then you weren’t here when I got home,” he rambles out, clutching at his shirt.

The words hang heavy on his tongue, to spew the truth of what really happened to him and with an effort he swallows them back. They taste like acid and hate. Plastering on a smile, he hugs Naruto closer. “Sorry, Naruto, I asked Hokage-sama if he could possibly help me find someone to train me to get stronger and he found someone willing but it was very sudden. I’m just tired from training is all,” he lies and it’s so easy to lie to Naruto, the boy trusting him and he hate this. He hates having to lie to him about so much.

“Did you get hurt?” he asks, looking him over and seeing a little blood on his vest.

“A bit but it’s healed up already,” he assures, thankful his burns are gone. He’d hate to have to explain that to the boy.

“Umino-san is fine. He just needs to eat some dinner and sleep,” Hound assures from behind him. Naruto eyes him and then turns back to Iruka who nods in agreement.

“Then we need to get dinner ready,” he decides, taking it in stride.

“Why don’t you start getting out the vegetables and I’ll see Hound out,” Iruka instructs and Naruto nods, scampering off to the kitchen. Standing shakily, he follows Hound to the balcony. “Thanks,” he says softly as the man steps up onto the banister.

“As I said, Umino-san, it’s my job,” he states with an easy shrug.

“Iruka,” he says back and the head tilts at that, making him flush a little, “If we’re going to be seeing more of each other, please, just use my name.”

“Very well, Iruka-san,” the head bobs in acquiesce. “Don’t forget to eat plenty of protein to build up strong muscles,” he adds off handedly and disappears in a whirl of leaves.

Iruka huffs in faux annoyance, “I know how to recover from a training session,” he grumbles out, though whether Hound heard it or not, he can’t tell.

“‘Ruka-nii,” Naruto calls and with one last look outside, he shuts the window.

~*~

“And then, Suzume-sensei let us pet it,” Naruto chatters next to him, excitedly gesturing as he describes his teacher’s minx summons in the lesson on summoning contracts and the many creatures they could contract with. Needless to say, Naruto hasn’t stopped talking about it since he got home from class yesterday afternoon. “Do you have a summons?” he asks hopefully.

Iruka shakes his head, “Sorry, I don’t. Most contracts pass through families or from teacher to student.” He’s never thought about getting one actually. He knows his parents never had a summons contract. It’s not as common as Naruto has been led to believe. Not every shinobi could contract. It took some degree of chakra control just to perform a summoning and then you had to convince what you summoned to make the contract, and some species are very selective in just who they contract with. “Is there an animal you’d like to summon?” he asks curiously of the boy.

Naruto’s eyes go wide and then he frowns, thinking hard, “Oh, a big giant elephant, so I could have it stomp on anyone mean to us,” he declares with a grin. “And, I can ride them too!”

“Is that so,” Iruka says with a laugh as they finally reach their destination: Training Ground 4. It’s one of the further training grounds, closer to the edge of the village than others and there are definitely closer ones to home, but…after everything that’s happened, he doesn’t feel comfortable being so exposed. There are too many eyes, too many ears. Out here, they’re less likely to run into any civilians. “No toad contract?” he asks.

“But toads are so small,” Naruto complains. “I like them but I don’t want them to get squashed,” he explains in a condescending way that only children seem to be able to.

Someone snorts on his left, “Actually, from what I hear, toad summons get quite large.”

Iruka jerks to a stop and turns to see two figures leaned against a tree. A quick glance shows kunai and shuriken littering the area, signs of training and he sighs inwardly at having to find somewhere else to help Naruto start training. He takes a closer look and realizes he recognizes the distinctive uchiwa fan sewn into both of the teens’ sleeves.

Naruto, always excited to learn cool information, immediately jumps on this bit of information. “Really? How big? Like, big as a dog or big as a horse?” he demands excitedly.

“Well, the few times I’ve seen them summoned, they were as tall as the Hokage Monument,” the older teen says with a grin. Iruka doesn’t recognize him but the other one…seems familiar.

“No way! That can’t be true,” Naruto denies and Iruka can’t help but laugh a little.

“Cross my heart,” the teen swears with a grin. “The Sannin Jiraiya has a contract with them and I believe the Yondaime did as well,” he says with a faint nod toward Iruka when he stiffens ever so faintly.

“‘Ruka-nii, I want to summon toads as big as mountains!” he begs, blue eyes wide and excited.

“I…I’m sure one day you’ll be able to but we came here to train on throwing kunai,” he reminds the boy. It’s one of his rare free moments. Between working at the Academy and his training that leaves him too tired to do more than eat and sleep once he gets home, he’s been strapped for any kind of time to spend with the boy where he isn’t exhausted.

The Academy is closed for the day as they hold exams for the students attempting to graduate during the spring examinations and thus freeing him up to let him start Naruto on training. They’ve only just started on throwing the practice weapons in his class and he had come home one day upset because everyone else seemed to throw them better than him and he didn’t want to fall behind. Iruka had caved like a wet paper bag.

“Oh yeah,” he says, finally back on track.

“Come on, it looks like this training ground is being used,” Iruka says, reaching for Naruto’s hand to steer him towards the direction of the nearest training ground he can think of that’s in this area.

“It’s alright, we were actually finishing up,” the older Uchiha teen calls out. Iruka turns back to see the other teen walking around plucking scattered weaponry from the ground.

Naruto, taking that as blanket permission, let’s go of Iruka’s hand and runs over, quickly picking up one of the shuriken and then yelps, dropping it and pulling his hand away to stick his finger into his mouth. “What did I tell you about sharp weapons?” Iruka says with a sigh, coming closer to pull his finger free and look at the small cut. It’s almost already healed.

“Don’t touch,” Naruto mutters sullenly.

“And ask permission if it’s not yours,” he adds and Naruto nods. “Sorry Uchiha-san,” he says, looking up towards them.

“It’s fine,” the older teen says with a shrug. “Uchiha Shisui. This is my cousin Itachi,” he greets.

“Umino Iruka,” Iruka says with a faint smile.

“I’m Uzumaki Naruto!” Naruto declares with a grin, minor injury already forgotten. “You guys are ninja! Are you really strong? Can you teach me a cool ninjutsu?” he asks excitedly and rapidly.

Iruka wants to face palm so hard right now. He’s quickly losing control of the situation and all they came here to do is practice throwing kunai. “Naruto,” he murmurs.

Shisui frowns and then crouches in front of Naruto with a glimmer in his eyes, hand under his chin as he looks the boy over, “Hmm, are you cool enough to learn a super cool ninjutsu?” he asks archly.

“I am!” Naruto insists with a nod, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“I don’t know,” Shisui says slowly, eyeing him up and down, “You don’t look that cool.”

“I am!” Naruto huffs in frustration.

Shisui sends a glance up at Iruka and Naruto, seeing where he’s looking, turns to look at him and give his best puppy eyes. “Naruto,” Iruka mutters, feeling a flush on his face.

“Please!” Naruto begs, Shisui adding his voice with a grin.

“I’m going to regret this,” he mutters and waves for them to go on.

“Yes,” Naruto shouts and then yelps as Shisui picks him up and throws him over his shoulder.

“Over here,” he instructs and walks over to the other side of the clearing to set the boy down. With their backs to them, he starts to whisper and gesture towards Naruto who listens with rapt attention.

“Forgive my cousin,” Itachi says softly with a faint frown sent the older teen’s way. “He means well.”

“It’s fine, Uchiha-san,” he sighs recalling his name. Itachi…Itachi…”Oh,” he mutters, realizing just where he recognizes the teen from.

“I take it you finally remember,” Itachi says with a faint smile, not seeming bothered by Iruka’s lack of recognition.

Iruka flushes, “Sorry, I…I’ve got a lot on my mind,” he apologizes.

“It’s fine, Umino-san. I was only in your class for four months before we graduated. Not a lot of time to leave a lasting impression,” Itachi excuses, bending down to snag another kunai from the ground. “I can stop my cousin if this is…too forward,” he says softly.

“No, that’s okay. The perils of teaching children is they only want to learn the cool stuff and ninjutsu will always trump sharp pointy objects,” Iruka waves him off.

“Experience?” Itachi asks with an arched brow.

Iruka nods, “I work at the Academy as a teaching assistant. Naruto’s not the first one to want learn cool stuff.”

“Understandable,” Itachi says. “Have you taught my brother?” he asks.

Iruka frowns, trying to recall any Uchiha in the two classes he helps out in. “There’s a girl Uchiha in one of my classes, but no boys I’m afraid. Naruto might know him though.”

“You don’t teach him?” Itachi asks conversationally.

Iruka shakes his head, watching the two crouched figures. Shisui pulls something from his pouch but he can’t see what. “No, they felt it would be…a conflict of interest,” he settles on, rather than the truth of the Elders not wanting him to have too much influence over his training. His resentment of them isn’t hidden and they don’t want him monopolizing Naruto more than he does by living with the boy. Iruka had wanted to tell them where they could shove that idea but had reluctantly agreed if only because he’s only a chuunin and a teaching assistant, not even a fully-fledged Academy instructor yet. Thankfully, Suzume-sensei likes to keep him updated on Naruto’s progress.

“Do you…enjoy it?” Itachi asks and Iruka looks at him with a raised brow. “Teaching?” Itachi clarifies.

“I…I do,” he admits with a smile. “It might frustrate me and exhaust me, but at the end of the day, seeing them learn and figuring out how the world works. Helping them decide what they want to do…it’s worth it. Do you want to teach?” he asks curiously.

Itachi shrugs, “My area of expertise unfortunately is not conducive for teaching,” he says with a faint grimace and Iruka can guess at what he means. Shinobi are killers: silent, deadly and precise. The better you are, the more you are called on to kill and many shinobi never find a way to break that cycle. They’re tools and used when needed but just because you’re good at killing, doesn’t mean you enjoy it.

“Who knows, anything is possible,” Iruka decides on and then winces when there’s a yelp, a burst of chakra clumsily molded and then Shisui ends up falling over onto his ass. He quickly scrambles up with a laugh.

Iruka side eyes the younger teen. Itachi had only been seven when he graduated the Academy, Iruka eleven at the time. A four year difference and yet this boy, barely into his teens is a Jounin, his vest sitting loosely against his smaller frame, the jounin arm band seeming too big for his slender arm. They wanted to do that to Naruto. A small ember of anger that hasn’t gone out since that meeting months before, flares before he pushes it back down.

“Do you want to spar?” Iruka asks out of the blue, trying to cover up the awkward silence and then flushes a little. “If you’re up to it of course. You did just finish your own training.”

Itachi smiles faintly at his fumbling. He glances towards Naruto and Shisui who are still huddled together. “I am not adverse to a friendly spar. It might be a bit,” he adds.

They move further away, Iruka setting the bag of their lunches and some of the practice weapons he’d borrowed from the Academy under a tree. “Taijutsu only?” he asks.

“Acceptable,” Itachi agrees and settles into a loose stance, Iruka copying. It’s not like the hell training he goes through with Cat. Itachi is clearly superior in skill to him but the teen doesn’t overpower him or flaunt it. He simply adjusts accordingly to allow them to spar for more than a few minutes, trading blows easily. It’s nice.

They’re mid clash when Naruto yells, “‘Ruka-nii!” and comes running up hands moving slowly though a few seals. As the last seal finishes, a huge gust of wind bursts through the clearing, blowing dirt and leaves everywhere, spattering the two teens liberally. “Oops,” Naruto yelps, eyes wide in shock.

Iruka can only blink in surprise, Itachi seemingly just as thrown by this sudden turn. “Well, I guess that confirms his wind affinity,” Shisui admits with a sheepish grin, holding up what can only be Chakra Induction Paper, cleanly cut into two smaller pieces. Why the teen had such a tool on his person is a question he decides to ignore.

Naruto grins brightly, “Did you see that?” he asks excitedly, running up to Iruka as the teen brushes dirt and leaves off his chuunin vest.

“I did,” Iruka says with a smile, “Good job,” he murmurs, ruffling the boy’s hair affectionately and he giggles.

Itachi gives his clansman a look and Shisui huffs, “Don’t give me that look, Itachi. It was just a simple wind jutsu. I just wasn’t expecting for it to come so easily to him,” he admits.

“I’m sorry for my cousin,” Itachi says with a resigned sigh, ignoring Shisui’s huff.

“It’s alright. Did you thank Shisui-san for teaching you?” he asks Naruto.

“Thank you,” Naruto says with a grin.

“Don’t mention it, brat,” Shisui says with a smile. His gaze flicks up, Iruka and Itachi following and spy the messenger hawk coming to land in a nearby tree. Shisui sighs, “Duty calls.”

“Thank you for the spar,” Iruka says to Itachi.

“You are a good fighter,” Itachi says with a nod. “Good day,” he says in farewell, Shisui giving a quick salute and then they’re jumping towards the tree the hawk is in, taking the message from it and disappearing.

Shaking himself a little, Iruka looks up to see what time it is and then back down at Naruto, “Lunch first or throwing practice?” he asks Naruto steering him towards where their stuff is still beneath the tree.

~*~

The flames curl around him, but though he feels their intense heat, they don’t touch him, the barrier he’s holding keeping them away from his person. Sweat beads on his face, dripping down as he struggles to maintain the barrier as another ANBU steps up and proceeds to throw a barrage of water at him, the waves swamping him momentarily and cutting off the light before it flows away, leaving a puddle around his dome barrier.

“Good,” Cat nods in approval. He signals for the next attack and cracks snake through the ground, sending up spines of earth but though a few strike the dome and go under it, none break through as it passes by and continues behind him.

“Let it go,” Cat barks out and he complies, letting his grip on the chakra fade and the barrier dissipates around him, leaving him in a perfect circle of unmarred earth. “Barriers seem to be your strong suit,” Cat remarks as the two ANBU helping him leave the training ground.

Huffing, Iruka wipes at his brow, “We did a few turns on the barrier squads when I was a genin and I picked it up pretty quickly,” he admits, accepting the canteen of water from him and taking a few swallows from it.

“You’re endurance is still shit,” he comments, “but you’re time is improving.” Iruka wants to roll his eyes but doesn’t. The barrier he’s been holding is meant for at least two people to hold, not a lone shinobi. That’s he’s held it this long is saying a lot.

“We’re done for the day,” Cat decides. “Good work,” he adds.

“Thanks,” Iruka nods and staggers to his feet, feeling the exhaustion acutely. Cat gives one last nod and makes his way for the passage out. Another ANBU makes their way towards him, the familiar mask and short, dark hair recognizable. “Lynx,” he huffs. He’s gotten to know the four guards permanently assigned to them: Hound, Lynx, Eagle, and Crow. Lynx and Hound seem to mainly be assigned to him, Eagle and Crow for Naruto.

“Do you need a moment?” he asks politely.

“I’m fine,” he assures and follows silently behind the ANBU, flexing his fingers to work out the cramps from holding the seal to the barrier for so long. He feels eyes on him, but when he glances around, he doesn’t spot anyone, though that doesn’t mean there isn’t someone there. ANBU tend to be the best when it comes to stealth and suppressing chakra.

“Problem?” Lynx asks and he realizes he’s stopped.

“Uh, no, I’m fine,” he assures and they continue out of the tunnel and soon emerge into the late afternoon sunlight. Iruka stretches his arms up, working the tension out of his tired muscles. They’ve been training since this morning, with only a few breaks to break up the time.

“Will you need help getting home, Umino-san?” Lynx asks and Iruka huffs softly. Lynx is the only one so far that won’t use his name, though whether that’s just his own personal quirk or his professionalism, he’s not sure. He at least knows when to pick his battles and doesn’t correct him.

“I’m okay. I’ll walk,” he decides. Gauging the time, he realizes that if he walks quickly, he can be at the Academy in time to pick Naruto up, since it seems Cat let the session end early. Lynx doesn’t argue and disappears in a whirl of leave. The man doesn’t go far, not while on duty, but he’s far enough the Iruka won’t see him unless something happens.

It’s strange having bodyguards but for the most part, he’s gotten used to it. Naruto still hasn’t figured it out yet and he hopes the boy will remain oblivious for a while yet. Picking up the pace a little, he settles into a fast walk, ignoring the people around him as he makes for the Academy.

A horde of children are already pouring out of the front doors, chattering excitedly when he arrives. He scans for bright blonde hair but doesn’t see Naruto yet. When the minutes pass and still Naruto hasn’t come out, he frowns and starts to wade through the sea of academy students to head inside.

A shadow detaches from a corner of the main hallway and he blinks as Eagle nods at him and points down the way and he nods in thanks, glad that nothing has happened. Guessing something delayed the boy, he keeps wading through until he comes to Naruto’s classroom.

Knocking on the door, he opens it to peek in and blinks at the scene in the room. Naruto and another dark haired boy are seated on opposite sides of the classroom, faces mulish. He can see the fading shadow of a black eye on Naruto’s face and blood is smeared under the brunette boy’s nose from what was probably a bloody nose. Suzume-sensei is seated at her desk, working on paperwork as the boys sit silently and occasionally throw a dark look at each other.

Suzume-sensei looks his way at the knock and she nods at him, pushing her glasses back up her nose. “‘Ruka-nii,” Naruto yelps as he stands up.

“Sit, Naruto-kun,” Suzume-sensei barks out and Naruto freezes before sitting back down.

“I…did something happen?” he asks.

“Yes, unfortunately. Naruto and Sasuke seemed to disagree on something and had an unsanctioned fight,” she says with a sigh, rubbing at her nose.

Iruka turns a look on Naruto and the boy seems to shrink, trying to look smaller. “Naruto,” he sighs softly.

A throat is cleared behind him and he turns to see a familiar face behind him, Itachi’s eyes looking towards the other boy. “Ah, Itachi-san, thank you for coming as well,” Suzume-sensei says.

“Aniki,” the boy, Sasuke, murmurs, looking a little guilty.

Iruka steps further in and Itachi follows, as they approach Suzume-sensei. “Was there anyone else involved?” Itachi asks quietly.

“No, thankfully we managed to stop them before they hurt each other too badly, but there are rules about starting unsupervised fights as well as disrupting the class and breaking Academy property,” she says with look to the boys who duck their heads.

“Broken property?” Iruka asks, already feeling a headache forming.

“Yes, one of the practice targets, though it is no big loss,” she assures Iruka.

“Disciplinary actions?” Itachi asks softly.

“They’ve been assigned extra clean up duties for the rest of the week, as well as extra work from me for disrupting the class,” she informs them and sends another glare towards the boys.

“Do they need to remain here?” Itachi asks.

“No, they’re free to go. We were just waiting for you to arrive,” she assures, standing. She looks to the two, “I trust we won’t have another incident like this, will we boys?” she asks and they quickly shake their heads no. “If you have a disagreement, you either discuss it like actual shinobi should or if you must, use taijutsu practice to settle the dispute, not brawling in the middle of a lecture, understood?” she asks again. They quickly nod. Suzume-sensei looks back to them, “They’re all yours.”

Grabbing her things, she quickly leaves the classroom, leaving Iruka and Itachi staring at their charges. Iruka sighs, walking over to Naruto and kneeling down in front of the desk he’s at, “Well, do you want to tell me what all this is about?”

Naruto juts out his bottom lip in a pout, trying to get out of talking and Iruka just waits patiently before he sighs and looks away, “He said I wouldn’t graduate because I was stupid,” he mutters. “I’m not stupid.”

“Is this true, otouto?” Itachi asks softly.

Iruka looks up and sees Sasuke squirm in his seat under his brother’s disapproving stare. “I didn’t mean it like that,” he mutters. “He said being a ninja is easy and he didn’t need to listen to Suzume-sensei to pass, and I said that that was a stupid idea, that you needed to work hard at it because they wouldn’t let stupid people graduate.”

Iruka looks back at Naruto and the boy has the decency to look away, “You weren’t paying attention in class?” he asks easily.

“It’s not like it was important stuff,” he mutters, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

“Everything you learn is important, Naruto,” he explains. “We teach it to you because you need to know it. You might not think so now, but years from now, these lessons could save you, your friends, even the village,” Iruka presses, reaching out to use a finger to lift his chin. “Do you understand that?”

Naruto stares at him and he stares back and sees the frustration in the boy’s eyes and a spark of understanding comes over him. He’s known for a while that Naruto has trouble…understanding some things. He hates tests and trying to get him to learn something by reading about it was like pulling teeth from him. Iruka worked with him most nights to help him better understand. Maybe this was about more than just a random comment.

“I know you’re not stupid Naruto. But, if you don’t understand something, you need to ask for help, not get frustrated that it doesn’t make sense,” he murmurs softly, keeping the words between them. Naruto nods at his words, shoulders sagging. “Now, you need to apologize to Sasuke-san for hurting him.”

Frowning mulishly, he huffs but nods, standing and walking over to where Sasuke and Itachi are talking quietly. Sasuke looks at him with a frown, “Sorry,” he mutters. “I…I shouldn’t have hit you.”

Sasuke looks to Itachi and the older boy nods, “Thanks. I’m sorry for hitting you in the eye,” he says.

“Eh, I’ve gotten worse,” he says with a grin, brightening up. “Your face looks way worse,” he adds.

Sasuke huffs in annoyance, “No yours does,” he shoots back, smiling a little.

“Perhaps we should take this outside,” Itachi suggests and both boys look a little sheepish.

Snorting, Iruka stands and follows the three out of the Academy, the boys grabbing their bags along the way. They let the two range a little further ahead, still shooting insults back and forth, “Sorry about this, Itachi-san,” he sighs.

Itachi shakes his head, a small smile on his lips, “No, it’s alright. I’m glad to see my brother making friends,” he says simply. Frowning, Iruka looks ahead, at the way the boys have devolved into roughhousing, messing each other’s hair up but grinning all the same and comes to the same conclusion.

They keep walking as the boys bicker ahead and Iruka glances at Itachi out of the corner of his eye. It’s only been a few months since he last saw the jounin, but he looks…tired. There are smudges under his eyes and the way he holds himself…tense, though he tries to not look like he is.

Iruka can’t stop the words from coming out of his mouth, “Would you and Sasuke like to join Naruto and I for dinner?” he asks and then blinks because, there’s a possibility that the younger teen might take that as something more than just an offering of friendship maybe and…his thoughts are spiraling.

Itachi actually looks shocked for a fraction of a second at his words before they smooth away under his mask. “Ah, that might not be a good idea,” he murmurs, glancing away.

Iruka feels a bit of hurt at those words, because he’d thought, from their brief interaction months before that Itachi hadn’t cared about him being one of the Kyuubi’s containers, but, it seemed that was only wishful thinking. “It’s alright, Itachi-san. If you don’t want to be friends, you don’t have to sugar coat it. I’m grown enough to accept such thing,” Iruka says with a sigh, feeling the exhaustion starting to really set in.

“That is not what I meant,” Itachi tries to say.

“It’s fine. I know what I am and I know that most people will only ever see that part of me first before they see me. You don’t need to explain yourself,” he says with a shrug, starting to turn away to collect Naruto.

“Stop, please,” Itachi murmurs, a hand on his arm, not grabbing, merely touching to make a point. As soon as Iruka stops, he lets go. “You misunderstand. I meant that it would not be wise for you and Naruto to be seen with myself and Sasuke,” he murmurs, eyes serious. Iruka frowns, not exactly understanding before his eyes flash red for the briefest of moments before fading.

“Oh,” he murmurs, finally getting it. Others wouldn’t like to see the Kyuubi’s two Jinchuuriki consorting with the Uchiha. He’s heard the rumors lately, whispers amongst the civilians and even a few shinobi. He hasn’t paid much mind, usually too busy with work or too tired from training or just trying to get through his shopping without drawing too many civilian eyes onto himself and having to listen to them talk about him. But even then, he’s heard the talk about the Uchiha and the whispered possibility that they were behind the Kyuubi’s attack. They’re wrong of course, but the truth has never stopped the power of a rumor before.

He doesn’t remember much of the first few years after he became a jinchuuriki. A lot of it was a blur of grief and mourning, helping to take care of Naruto and finishing his training at the Academy. He was completely ignorant of the political struggles going on at the time, of the silent war being waged against the Uchiha and their slow slide into being pariahs within the village. He knows sometime in the first year after the attack, the Uchiha were moved to a new compound but he never realized how much animosity that might place upon the clan as a whole when they couldn’t even talk with someone without being scrutinized. Of course, not everyone is the equivalent of a walking weapon of mass destruction like he and Naruto, but still.

Iruka frowns, glancing at Naruto and then Sasuke, seeing two boys whose whole lives had been dictated by one event and those in power that feared them and what they represented. Iruka lets the anger in his chest at that thought go. He won’t allow himself to get worked up over the Elders’ again, not when he already has a few bones to pick with them. “Itachi-san, I honestly could care less what those old wind bags think about me or who I call my friends. They already know what I think of them, but…if you feel it would be best if we weren’t friends, then I will accept it,” he says with a tired shrug.

Itachi frowns faintly, gaze flicking towards Naruto and Sasuke, the two boys standing close together unaware of what they are talking about as Sasuke tries to explain something to Naruto, hands gesturing broadly and Naruto nodding along while they waited for their brothers to catch up. He looks back at Iruka and some of the tension seems to leave his frame, just a little. “I could certainly use more friends,” he murmurs softly.

“So?” he asks.

“We would be happy to dine with you,” he agrees.

“Good,” he says with a smile. “Naruto, what do you want for dinner? Not ramen,” he adds hastily. If the boy could, he’d eat ramen for every meal.

“Ah, ‘Ruka-nii,” he cries out.

“Well, maybe Sasuke-san and Itachi-san don’t like ramen,” he offers to the boy.

“I don’t mind ramen,” Sasuke mutters with a shrug.

“Ramen is fine with me as well,” Itachi adds.

“Please!” Naruto begs.

Iruka snorts, “Fine. Let’s go say hi to Teuchi-san then,” he agrees with exaggerated reluctance.

“Yes! Come on,” Naruto yelps, grabbing Sasuke’s hand and starts dragging his new friend towards his favorite restaurant.

“Slow down, he’s not going anywhere,” Iruka calls out as he and Itachi fall into step behind them.

They walk in silence before Itachi finally speaks up, “You don’t like the Elders,” he comments mildly, voice kept low, lips barely moving.

Iruka sighs, not really wanting to talk about it but…he’s never really had anyone to talk to about it except for maybe Hound and perhaps Lynx who were there for that meeting. He shakes his head no, “They…they threatened to accelerate and graduate Naruto early. To make him a weapon if I wouldn’t fall in line,” he spits out softly, acid on his tongue at the memory.

Itachi doesn’t say anything, but then what could he say to make this better. “I promised to protect him,” he says with a shrug, eyes following Naruto’s path as Ichiraku’s familiar stall comes into view, the boys stumbling inside.

“I’m sorry,” Itachi finally says and when he glances at the younger teen, he sees a similar look of protective determination on his face as he looks ahead to where his own brother is and Iruka understands.

Iruka shrugs with a wry huff, “Eh, it’ll come back to bite them in the ass one day. You can’t wield a weapon without getting cut,” he says with a bitter grin and Itachi nods in understanding. They step into the stall, brushing the hangings aside and smile as Teuchi greets them warmly. Settling at the counter, Iruka can’t help but laugh as Naruto and Sasuke begin to tell a story from class to Teuchi as he cooks, the older man nodding along to their words. Glancing towards Itachi, he sees a small smile on his new friend’s face and is glad he took a risk today.