Stealing Paradise

By: Jecir

            It was a bright, sunny morning in the Leaf Village. The sky was clear, and a soft breeze took the edge from the mild heat building in the early hours past dawn. On days like today, Genins often begged their Jounin instructors to allow them the day off so they might enjoy the beautiful weather. Of course, it all depended on the individual Sensai to determine which team got off and which was stuck training. Chuunins and non-teaching Jounins would often spend the day loafing about, relaxing and visiting, not worrying about missions or threats on the village. No, definitely not on a day like today. On such a day, mischief was the last thing on anyone's mind.

            On this bright spring morning, young Hatake Kakashi found himself wondering if he could ditch out on this training session. He was in no mood to fight yet another pointless battle with Gai while having Kurenai and Asuma run a commentary on the entire ordeal. Sadly, backing out would only continue the scarring of his limited dignity. He had put this fight off for almost a week now, and Gai was not known for his patience. Kakashi shook his head, smiling softly under his mask at the thought of his limited relations. Gai was the closest thing he could possibly call a friend; Kurenai and Asuma were colleges in the same boat as he: Jounins of an early age. It seemed almost natural that they converge to form a small group. This group became rather notorious among the younger ninjas, becoming kind of a revered inner legend thing. Kakashi was not entirely sure what to call it. He, himself, already had a well known name for requiring a Sharingan. Gai had his above average hand-to-hand combat technique to speak for him; Asuma had developed personal weapons of his own, earning the name 'The steal knuckle'; and Kurenai…well, Kurenai had red eyes. Anyone would revere that. Overall, they were a weird bunch.

            Coming closer to the village gates, Kakashi paused as an older ninja appeared and began to post a sign on one of the bulletin walls. A bulletin wall, as it name stated, was a wall where notices and announcements and other such things were posted so the villagers could read them at their own leisure. Big, bold lettering spelled out the subject of this particular announcement: Results of the Chuunin Selection Exams. One finely curved silver brow rose in thought. So, the exams were finally over. He had not been paying much attention to this year's selection, but, if he recalled correctly, it had been held in the Wave Country almost two months ago. There had been a one month reprieve to prepare for the final test. In passing, Kakashi had heard rumors that Konoha had done rather well this year; perhaps two or three Genins had passed. Well, good for them. Not bothering to read who it was that had raised his or her level, Kakashi continued on his way to the outer fields separating the village from the forest.

            "Ah ha!" Gai exclaimed as Kakashi strolled into the field. "Kakashi, my greatest rival, you have finally decided to face me!"

            "Hn." was the Jounin's only response, not wanting to hurt his only visible eye by looking at that hideous green jump suit. What had possessed his rival to wear that? He shook his head to clear himself of such unwanted thoughts and focused his mind on the fight to come.

            Kurenai was standing next to Asuma, smirking in her own haughty way. "You finally came, Kakashi-kun. I was almost convinced you would lose what dignity you had by ditching again."

            Asuma snickered at that, finishing off his cigarette and crushing it under his boot. "Yeah, Kakashi-san, what gives?"

            Kakashi thought this over as he pulled off his vest and belt to lie next to Gai's excess clothing. A slight movement caught his eye. The silver-haired Jounin looked up, eye narrowing dangerously in search of what might be intruding upon them. Nothing. Nothing up in the trees minus leaves and birds. As a precaution, he allowed his senses to expand, searching for any unfamiliar Chakra that may be close by, incase the said intruder had already made a break for it. Once more, there was nothing to concern him. Three lesser Chakra signatures were off a good ways to the east of them. From the reading, he determined it to be a group of Genins probably on a mission or something. Other than that, there was nothing. Still, Kakashi felt on edge. Kurenai's taunting drew him away from his thoughts, however.  

            "What, no retort?" she was saying, hands planted on her hips. "It's official! Kakashi-kun is losing his edge!"

            Said ninja shot his teammate a look, then walked over to Gai in order to indicate this pointless battle. He did so by walking up behind the Green Beast and slapping him upside the head. Gai spun around angrily and charged. Kakashi laughed at the goofy expression and easily blocked the attack. Soon all thoughts of a supposed intruder were long gone from his mind.

*     *     *     *     *

            Nestled discretely within a small group of bushes, Iruka breathed a long, silent sigh of relief. The young boy lay still, allowing the shadows to hide him enough while he reorganized his thoughts. That had been far too close. If Kakashi had seen him, the entire plan would have been for nothing. Brown eyes staring past the leaves and branches to gaze longingly at the sky, the recently appointed Chuunin relaxed his mind and body, knowing full well that soon his presence would be forgotten. He listened carefully to the sounds of sparring, imagining each blow in his mind, counting the seconds as they ticked by. Minutes passed before he even dared to move. Shifting, he rolled onto his stomach and slowly lifted to one knee so as to look out over the field. He pulled out a kunai to part two of the branches in order to do said surveying. "Ah yes." he whispered, voice barely a whisper on the wind. "They are all here."

            Youthful eyes giving away no aspect of what was on his young heart, Iruka turned his gaze to the farthest two members of his secret hunting. A young woman of seventeen years with shoulder-length brown hair held in a tight ponytail stood laughing at the fight. She wore a pair of khaki shorts and a sleeveless white shirt half covered by her closed Jounin vest. Next to her was a teen of maybe eighteen or nineteen years. He was certainly the eldest of the group. His black/blue hair fell shaggily over his neck, matching the small goat-tee he was growing. He was wearing the normal Jounin uniform of dark blue and green. A cigarette was clutching lazily between his lips. "Kurenai the Vampire and Asuma the Steal Knuckle." Iruka muttered, a small smile spreading over his face. Oh, this was going to be grand.

            He looked away, swiftly locating the other two members of the ground. Gai, was dressed in his trademark jump suit complete with yellow leg…things –Iruka had no idea what to call them—was deftly challenging his opponent, thick; black eyebrows complimenting his bowl cut in some strange manner. "Gai the Green Beast, eternal rival of…" The young boy trailed off. There, the final member of the group. The greatest ninja of his generation, and possibly the next few, dressed in a black jump suit and nothing else stood proud and tall, silver hair coated in a thin layer of sweat. His one visible eye burned like blue fire as he awaited the next set of attacks. Iruka did not fight the sarcasm dripping from his voice upon looking at this man. "The great Sharingan Kakashi, Chuunin at six, trained by the Fourth, ANBU of the Konoha." The brown-haired boy scowled as he slipped the kunai back into his pouch. Let's see how great you are after I'm finished.

            Silently, he got back down onto his stomach, not caring that the dirt left stains on his tan shirt. The black mesh design would make sure to hide it. Black shorts bunching slightly as he moved, Iruka crawled back towards the tree, where he would claim his prize. The bushes stopped just short of the tree where two Jounin vests and an utility belt lay unprotected. Iruka narrowed his eyes in concentration. This was the tricky part and would require no mistakes. He reached down into the pouch connected to his right thigh to withdraw two long, thin needles, both attached to almost invisible wire. After getting enough leeway on the string, he went flat; pushing up on one arm to support his weight, Iruka prepared his throw, both needles held between his fingers. There he froze, breath echoing in his ears like thunder. Patience was the key to a proper hunt. If he wanted his prey, he had to be patient. Iruka listened intently to all that was going on around him.

            The sparring match was too close to his current location. If he were to strike, one of the four would see him. He waited, listening and envisioning each and every move. Gai's weight shifted to the left; Kakashi moved to the right to counter. The air shifted around them…Gai had dropped to swipe-kick at Kakashi's ankles, but the Jounin had already taken to the air. The sound of grass being flattened followed. Kakashi had landed and was now showing off by performing a few back hand springs to taunt Gai into following him. Follow him…to the other end of the field. This was his chance. Holding his breath, Iruka threw the needles. A low thunk drifted over his senses as the wire went taunt. The young Chuunin grinned. Target hit.

*     *     *     *     *

            Mizuki paced anxiously, once and a while sending a glare towards the back of his silent companion. Earlier that day, he had received a message from Iruka, telling him to meet by the rock. This was their special place, a type of fortified location where only he, Iruka, and Aki were allowed. It was located by the river, about a mile or two from the village. Upon arriving, Mizuki had found Aki there, waiting just as he was now. The message had said that today he would prove his point, but when Mizuki arrived, all he saw was Iruka sitting on top of the biggest rock, the one that they used to dive off of into the river, back turned to them…meditating? For the hundredth time, Mizuki kicked a stray pebble, complaining, "What the hell are you doing, Iruka! WAKE UP, BAKA!"

            And, for the hundredth time, Aki held him back from killing their friend. "Calm down, Mizuki!" he hissed, his long brown bangs falling over his green eyes, not bothering to let his leaf band hold the unruly strands at bay.

Mizuki scowled and continued pacing, angrily awaiting SOME movement from the boy. His wish was about to be answered, though not in the way he had hoped. A surge of Chakra drew both young men's attention just in time to see Iruka vanish in a puff of smoke. "AHHHH!!! IRUKA!!!" Mizuki cried, about to jump onto the rock in a panic, when a small bit of laughter stopped him in his track. "Oro?"

From the sky fell a green Jounin vest and an utility belt. Aki and Mizuki stared at the acquired materials with wide eyes. Following the laughter, they looked up to see Iruka smirking broadly, leaning against the trunk about half way up the actual tree. For a moment, it was silent. The two Genins gawked in amazement. They never actually thought Iruka would do it, much less succeed! Iruka cocked an eyebrow. "Well?"

Aki's pale face broke from its normally cold expression to give his friend one of his rare smiles. "Point taken, Iruka."

Mizuki whooped with excitement, converging on the vest. He wanted to know what exactly Hatake Kakashi kept in his pockets. Aki went for the utility belt. Iruka just shrugged and jumped off the branch, landing where his clone had been sitting. Iruka sat down, allowing one leg to dangle off the edge. He was tired. It took a lot of effort to force most of your Chakra into a clone in order to conceal your actual location, and even more of an effort to keep the clone alive while using two other techniques. Still, a satisfied smile graced his features. No one had seen him steal the great Kakashi's clothes. Looking back up at the sky, Iruka allowed himself to relax.

He was a Chuunin; he should not have allowed himself to be swayed by a stupid dare, but after passing the Chuunin exams on the first try, Mizuki had to tease him about the impossibility of that actually having happened. He had said that there must have been a mistake in the judging, that Umino Iruka was not good enough to pass the exams on the first try. Of course this irked the young boy. Iruka had trained endlessly to pass this exam; he had wanted to prove once and for all that he was not just the orphan son of two ninjas who had died valiantly only to be forgotten just as quickly. So, to prove himself, he had Mizuki think of the most impossible thing for him to steal. Of course, the white-haired Genin had to say, "The vest and belt of Sharingan Kakashi!"

At first, Iruka had wondered if it was, indeed, impossible to steal those off of the Jounin. He even went through thousands of different ideas as to how he could possibly do it. Each one failed to be convincing. Finally, Iruka had come up with a plan. He did not have to steal them OFF of him, just steal them FROM him. That was when he began to follow the elder ninja, searching for the right time to take them. Breaking into the elder teen's home was completely out of the question. Luck was on his side, however, when he found out about Kakashi's occasional training sessions. For almost two weeks, Iruka set his clone in the forest or at home, and proceeded to follow Kakashi to his training. Each time, the Jounin would take off his vest and belt. It was perfect. Iruka waited for the perfect opportunity; that was, of course, whenever Gai-san was in the mood to challenge his rival. Those fights always took a while. Everything had gone smoothly. The only minor detail that could have screwed up the entire plan would have been his shadow teleport escape.

Fatigue mixed with the slow movements of the clouds began to tempt tired brown eyes to slide closed. Iruka laid back on the rock, hands folding behind his head. Vaguely, he heard his two friends bantering over the new and wondrous things found in Kakashi's clothes. What is so different? He has kunai like all of us. What else is so fascinating?

"What the heck is this?" Mizuki cried. He had found a rather unusual item in one of the vest pockets. Iruka cracked open an eye to see what the fuss was about. Mizuki and Aki were looking at an orange book of some sort. Not seeing the importance in a book, Iruka closed his eyes again and began to drift. "Icha Icha Paradise? Huh, odd name."

"It's just a book, Mizuki, not something to be marveled over." Aki was saying as he turned back to his exploration of the belt.

"Yeah, but this is Sharigan Kakashi's book!" Iruka almost grimaced at the worshipful tone he heard Mizuki using. Kakashi was no more wonderful than a new pair of boots. At least, that was what Iruka thought. If he is so great, why isn't he here reclaiming his stuff? A regretful thought, the brown-haired teen would later realize. His eyes flew open. He could feel it, vague and distant, but it was there. Four Chakra signatures coming towards them. No wait…they were already here.

Knowing he had no time to warn his friends—and believing they deserved it seeing as this entire mess was their fault to begin with—Iruka jumped up from his spot, dropped down between his companions, grabbed his required targets, and ran, leaving a very confused Mizuki and a shocked Aki behind.

"What was that about?" Aki inquired, turning back to Mizuki, only to freeze in place, mouth agape. Standing behind Mizuki was the Vampire Queen herself! Voice stuttering slightly, Aki whispered, "Kurenai-san…."

*     *     *     *     *

Iruka ran fast and hard, managing to cram any loose items back into the pouches and pockets so as not to leave a trail. He could sense two of his pursuers still on his trail. If he was correct, it was Gai and Kakashi. Kurenai and Asuma must have stopped to question Mizuki and Aki. The young fugitive smiled inwardly. Serves them right. His senses alerted him to a presence closing in from the front. Before him, coming rapidly closer, was Gai. How the elder man got in front of him, Iruka would figure out later, but for now, he needed a plan. He looped his arms through the over sized vest—it sat nicely over his own—and pulled out a kunai; the belt dangling in his free hand.

Gai grinned at the challenge. "So, the Chuunin wants to try his hand. Fine then." He pulled two kunai from his belt and continued his charge, allowing the Chuunin the right to the first move.

When he was only a few steps from his attacker, Iruka gather his Chakra and jumped. The gleaming blade went before him as he flew through the air. Gai stopped, preparing to block the armature attack, thinking he had this game already won. Iruka smirked. The blades met; one kunai lodged between two others outstretched before the Jounin class ninja. Iruka used the force produced by the pushing blades to swing his legs down….between Gai's. His target was the small bit of shadow beneath the elder teen. Gai never saw it coming. One moment, his opponent was sliding between his legs, and the next…he was gone! The black-haired young man looked around frantically, agitated by the dead-ending Chakra trail. Whoever this Chuunin is, he certainly knows what he was doing, Gai thought with a half smile. He had to admit, though… the thought of what would happen once this thief runs into the enraged Kakashi was something he did NOT want to entertain. Whatever. Let's let Kakashi deal with his own troubles. Sighing heavily, the Konoha Green Beast continued on his way, curious as to where Asuma and Kurenai had gotten.

*     *     *     *     *

Iruka reemerged from the shadows to find himself somewhere in Konoha. He stood from his crouched position, panting slightly as the breeze cooled the sweat coating his face and neck. Three down, one to go. He could feel the burning presence of Hatake Kakashi closing in on his location. Looking down at the vest and belt, Iruka began to wonder if this was really a good idea. He had the village's number one Jounin hot on his tail. Should he really prolong this chase? A smirk formed on his thin lips. Oh hell yes.

*     *     *     *     *

The sun was beginning to set on this perfect day in Konoha, casting the peaceful village in a beautiful display of reds, blues, and oranges. From his desk, the Third Hokage smiled as his elderly eyes took in the breathtaking sight before him. Being Hokage gave him certain advantages, like having the best view in the entire village for one. There was nothing he loved more than this village and its people. Every single person was like one of his children. He loved to watch them grow into something great, whether it be a ninja, teacher, writer, or parent. It was all worth it in his eyes. A sigh escaped his lips. Too bad such a peaceful day was about to end. There were so few incident-free moments in Konoha. It almost seemed unnatural to have absolutely NOTHING happen today.

 "Hokage-sama! KO-NI-CHI-WA!" Speaking of trouble…

"Good evening, Iruka-kun." the Third greeted with a smile. "What brings you to my office today?" It was then that the elder ninja chose to look up at the grinning teen standing flat against the wall by the window. Panting and sweating, Iruka had that look in his eyes that meant he was pulling something. In the his hand was a belt. An utility belt to be precise. One that belonged to Jounins only. How had he gotten one of those? Shifting his position, the Hokage straightened so to question Iruka on his current mischief. "Iruka…" he began but was unable to finish as the window burst open.

"I'm going to kill you, you little brat!" An enraged Kakashi all but screamed as he lunged for the still grinning teen.

Iruka laughed heartily and jumped back, holding the belt up in taunting. Kakashi did not seem to notice, and if he did he gave no sign of caring, that he was in the presence of the leader of the village. Iruka back flipped, landing on the roof before shifting to the wall and launching himself toward the desk. The Hokage sat back in shock as papers went flying. Kakashi pushed off the wall with one foot, diving for the thieving Chuunin. With a yelp, Iruka went down; Kakashi having a death grip on his ankle. Before he hit the ground, Iruka vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving the belt behind. Kakashi growled dangerously. "CHIKUSO!!!!!!!" Snatching the belt, he ran out the window, jumping to the nearest roof and vanishing in haste.

The Third paused, staring after the retreating Jounin, and shook his head. What had he been saying about peaceful days?

*     *     *     *     *

The sun was completely set by the time Iruka made it back to his home. He was well beyond exhausted; his Chakra all but completely gone. He vaguely wondered if Kakashi had given up by now, or if the Sharingan toting ninja was still chasing the fifty or so clones he had let loose on the village. Only a few actually had the items Kakashi was looking for. Iruka grinned at his own cleverness as he slipped through the bedroom window. He had created an unnecessary amount of clones, giving each a healthy does of Chakra to make it believable that anyone of them was actually him, then he took out every single item from the pouches on the belt and pockets in the vest, divided them among the group, and sent them scattering. He, himself, casually wandered the village, staying out of view and being watchful of his pursuer. There was only one item left that Iruka was sure Kakashi did not have. He glanced down at the orange book sticking out of his vest pocket, the smirk still in place. "A title means nothing if it cannot be defended." he quoted smoothly.

Not bothering to close the window, Iruka happily melted into his futon, fully clothed with boots and all, and closed his eyes. However, sleep was eluding him for the book made for an uncomfortable lump against his chest. Irritated, Iruka rolled onto his back and pulled the book from his pocket. Eyebrow cocking in thought, he formed a quick signal to light the lamp by his bed. This was the first time he really got a good look at his prize. A worn, orange bound book with the picture of a man chasing a woman on the cover. The title was printed in big, bold, black letters across the top. The brown-eyed boy turned the book over in hopes of getting a summary from the back, but there was nothing but a short warning scripted there. "Not for children under eighteen." Iruka paused at that. "Nani???" He flipped the book over again to scrutinize the cover. "What is that suppose to mean?"

"It means you're not allowed to read it." Before the sentence could register in Iruka's mind, the book was snatched from him, and he found himself pinned on his stomach, both arms pulled painfully behind his back, and the not so pleasant feeling of a boot being ground into his spine. Kakashi leaned over his captive, blue eye burning angrily, "You really think you're clever, don't you?"

Iruka could not help the smirk crossing his face. "Yeah, actually." That earned him another painful twist to the spine. He bit back the groan rising in his throat. Mental note: Boots in the spine are not a good thing.

"A Chuunin should know better then to steal from a Jounin." Kakashi hissed darkly as he slipped his precious book back into its rightfully place: in his vest. He had just wasted one of his few days off chasing down clones made by a no name Chuunin in order to retrieve the items willfully stolen from under his nose. Needless to say, he was in no mood for attitude.

            Blatantly ignoring the warning going off in his fatigued mind, Iruka snapped, "I don't see any Jounins here, do you?" The groan hissed its way between clenched teeth as Iruka felt one of his arms being twisted in an unnatural direction . "Kuso!" he cursed. "What is you're problem, you jerk! It is just a book!"

            Kakashi continued to apply just enough pressure to the Chuunin's back, enough to cause molten hot pain without snapping it. "And my vest and my belt and my supplies." The blue-eyed eighteen year old focused most of his weight onto his foot, leaning down over the younger teen, not caring that he wasn't being gentle. In his experiences as an ANBU, the Copy Ninja had learned many new and inventive ways to cause pain without killing his captive. He was using this knowledge to punish his arrogant prey in an oh so satisfying manner. "I will say this, though. No one has made me run so much in a chase before." Iruka grinned at that, and, as if anticipating this, Kakashi drove his heal harder into his spine. "Don't feel so proud of yourself, boy."

            Iruka's head began to swim, pain clouding his senses. Nothing, not even the wounds he received in the Selection Exams, could camper to this new level of pain he was experiencing. And for what? A prank. A prank that went too far, Iruka admitted silently, but still… that gave Kakashi no right to put him through torture fit for an interrogation room. He had to get out of here but how? A rather desperate plan formed in his mind. It might work; then again, it might not. It didn't matter, as long as it stopped Kakashi from snapping his spine and arm at the same time. Closing his eyes, Iruka forced himself to focus his Chakra into this final move.

            Sensing the increase in Chakra, Kakashi moved in to break whatever concentration his captive could muster by inflicting more pain. "No you don't!" He drove is heal down, only to slip and fall on his face as he came in contact with a pillow instead of human flesh.  Kakashi pushed himself up in time to see Iruka jumping out the window. Growling angrily, the silver-haired teen ran after his prey. When he got to the window, Kakashi saw something he never expected. Iruka fell back towards the ground, hands fixed in a seal he had never seen before. The shadows around them converged onto one location: underneath the falling teen. When Iruka's back hit the darkened ground, it passed straight through. His entire body vanished into the inky blackness. Kakashi was shocked. So that was how the young nuisance managed to move around the village at such an erratic pace. "Great." Kakashi hissed as he climbed out the window. He was back on the hunt. He did not plan on giving up until he caught that thief and taught him a lesson on respect.

*     *     *     *     *

            "Do I even want to know?" Iruka wanted to moan in pain, growl angrily, and beg for sleep all at the same time. Instead, he leaned against the door frame, the best indignant pout he could muster on his pale features. After barely escaping Kakashi's torture trap, Iruka had made his way through the village as quickly and stealthfully as possible considering the throbbing pain in both his back and left arm. Being completely out of Chakra did not help the situation either. All he wished for now was a warm futon to curl up on. This was the only other place he could think of that that might be provided. Now, here he was, standing before his mentor looking like he had been attacked; which, in truth, he had been.

            Muraki Akuri was a fellow Chuunin. She lived alone, spending most of her time training Iruka in skills any normal Chuunin should not know. She was a lovely young woman of eighteen with short, dirty blond hair and kind, crystal blue eyes. At the moment, her eyes were not so kind as she took in the condition of her student. Shaking her head once, Akuri stepped aside, motioning Iruka to follow. She went to the kitchen for bandages and some medicines while Iruka sat broodingly on the couch. When she returned, she found that he already had his shirt off. Akuri whistled in amazement at the large, nasty bruise forming over his back. "I take it Kakashi caught you."

            Iruka did not seemed surprised by this. He grunted once, wincing as the noise sent a jolt of pain through his upper body. The blue-eyed woman shook her head again and sat down behind him; she set the bandages and medicines on the table as she observed the damage. Iruka had exhausted his Chakra, almost to the point of physical damage to himself. With the bruise on his back, there was muscular tearing in the forearm of his left arm and strained tendons along his ribs. She guessed that Iruka was forced onto his stomach, his arms pulled behind him, and one foot grinding into his spine more than once. She sighed, then reached down for some of the medicine. While rubbing ointment into the bruise, Akuri began her reprimand. "Then entire village saw how Kakashi was chasing you. Considering your previous record, it was not hard to speculate on what had happened, though details are scarce."

            Iruka was leaning forward, arms resting on his knees, blatantly ignoring the screaming pain in his left arm. He was not surprised by this either, knowing just how many clones he had made. It would have been impossible for the village to remain clueless. Glaring at the wall, as if it had personally offended him in some manner, Iruka muttered, "I stole his book."

            "You what?" Akuri paused in her ministration, fixing him with a hard look. "Iruka! What possessed you to do that?"

            Iruka winced under her reprimand, resisting the urge to shrink away from the look he could feel burning through his skull. All the tough boy air he had thrown about the entire day vanished he moment he had entered his mentor's home. It was here, and only here, that he allowed the truer part of his nature to come forth. In a tone that bordered on whining, he said, "Mizuki dared me to."

            The soothing hands dropped away. For a moment, the room was completely silent; the kind of heavy, uncomfortable silence no person could find comfort in. Then, ever so slowly, Akuri began. "You are fifteen now, Iruka, and a Chuunin. I would have hoped the gaining of that title would mark the end to your antics." Reaching over his shoulder, Akuri forced the younger boy to look at her. Blue eyes searched his imploringly. "You are too old for these games, but…what was it that made you do this?"

            The brown-haired teen wanted nothing more than to look away from that concerned gaze, but one slender hand held him still. Still, he diverted his eyes, feeling ashamed for the first time over his childish behavior. "Mizuki…he…I…" Stopping to recollect his thoughts, Iruka took a deep breath and let it all out, starting with Mizuki's taunting to his seemingly ingenious thieving exploit and ending with his painful encounter with Kakashi. When it was finished, he looked back up at the woman he cared for like a sister, hoping against hope that she was not disappointed in him.

            Akuri let go of his chin, allowing the tired Chuunin to rest his already throbbing neck, and considered his story. A smile slowly spread across her face. Silently, she restarted her ministration, rubbing medicines and ointments into the wounds and bandaging them with the utmost care. The silence was not so heavy this time, allowing Iruka a moment to rest. He relaxed under her touch, the pain induced from it being the farthest thing from his mind. When the last bandage was tied, Iruka turned to face his mentor, eyes glazed with fatigue. Akuri smiled lovingly at him, ruffling his hair just to annoy him. "Mizuki is fifteen, correct?" Iruka nodded. "And he is a Genin." The younger teen nodded again. Akuri sat back with a mock thoughtful expression. "Aw yes, I see. And you are fifteen and a Chuunin?" Iruka did not respond to this, knowing what it was she was implying. Pulling him into a hug, she whispered, "Don't worry about what Mizuki thinks or says. You earned your right as a Chuunin, you don't need to prove it. ESPECIALLY like this."

            Iruka leaned into her embrace, snuggling against her warmth like a child would when in the arms of his mother. For a boy who had no family figures of any kind, this was comforting to him even at such an age. "I'm sorry, Akuri-sempai."

            "I know, Iruka-chan, I know." She held him close, understanding full well the need to be held. She herself grew up without a family. That was one of the reasons she took it upon herself to take care of Iruka those few years ago. It was under her training that he grew into the warrior he is now. A secretive smile spread over her lips; she gave her younger "brother" a short squeeze before pushing him up. "Remember Iruka, you have an even bigger test to train for, one that not even the great Sharingan Kakashi took!" Her eyes narrowed mischievously as she leaned closer to him. Their foreheads touched, eyes locking. "Remember."

            Iruka smiled softly. "Yeah. I know."

            "Now." Akuri jumped up from her couch and grabbed his hand, careful not to rush him. "Off to bed with you. Just because you are injured does not mean I plan to go easy on you tomorrow when we train!"

            "Hai." Iruka half moaned, half yawned. Gratefully, he walked down the hall to the guest room, a room that he had claimed for himself long ago. He slid the door closed with a sigh, eyes scanning the darkness. Even without Chakra, he knew how to identify foreign presences in a room. Nothing. Just a futon with his name on it. Finally, the warm embrace of sleep he had been begging for. Curling up underneath the thick blanket, he sighed contently. Ah...paradise.

*     *     *     *     *

            Akuri sat in her living room, having long since finished cleaning up. She knew he would show up; it all depended on when. Ah…there you are. She stood, brushing some unseen fluff from her tunic before walking to the door. Instead of opening it, she turned her back and leaned again it, sighing heavily. "You cannot come in."

            "That is not you decision to make, Muraki-san." Kakashi commented from the other side, face a dangerous calm under his mask. "You know why I am here. Don't make this any more difficult."

            Akuri scowled. "This is my house, Kakashi-kun." She emphasized in a mocking manner. "It is my right to keep you out."

            "Kuso, Muraki-san, you can't protect him forever!" Kakashi threatened, his anger leaking into his voice. "Eventually, I will find him when you aren't there."

            "As long as he is under my guard, you can't touch him." Akuri hissed angrily. There was a deeper meaning in her words, one that no normal ninja would understand. Only those of the ANBU and the Hunter-nin would use and understand it. Silence reigned between them, a heavy blanket suffocating both occupants of this debate. "It is just a book, Hatake-san." Akuri stated calmly, a motherly edge in her voice. "Don't you think you are being rather rash over a book?"

            Kakashi bit back a growl, his back thudding against the door in defeat. He knew what she was implying. It was not the book that drove him to get revenge. It was the fact that a Chuunin not only stole what was his, but evaded detection, escaped three times, and forced Kakashi into the biggest wild goose chase of Konoha history. All of this boiled down to one thing: pride. His pride had been hurt by this prank, and it was being hurt even more by having another Chuunin point out his flaws. No, not just another Chuunin. he corrected himself mentally. Akuri was no ordinary Chuunin, just as Iruka would become no ordinary Chuunin in the future. Grumbling under his breath, Kakashi pushed off the door. "Fine." Without another word, he vanished from the doorstep, never to bother Umino Iruka again.

            Akuri took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Iruka, hun…you will be the death of me."

End.

AN: Ok, first of, the Disclaimer. I WANT IRUKA-KUN!!!!!!!!! ;-; ::clutches dolphin plushie:: But I don't, sadly. I don't own any of them…well, I do own Akuri and Aki. This is my second Naruto fic, so I hope you enjoyed it. Check out my other one, entitled Change. It is another fic centered on our favorite Dolphin Sensei! Anyway, please review or flame or whatever. But beware, all flamers will be fed to the Sakura! MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!! Ok, enough of that. Ja ne!