Hello everyone! :D

This is another request I decided to fill for the meme at LJ.

Contains subtle KakaIru, but nothing much really... it was just that I couldn't think of anyone else; not that I don't like that pairing, simply I'm not used to write other yaoi outside NarutoGaara ^^

Disclaimer: I own nothing but what wrote.

Ja ne,
Temari 88!

Three Times Iruka Wanted to Strangle Someone He Loved

-1-

When the Hokage gathered all the chunnin (and some lower ranking jounin) available to look for Naruto, who had just stolen the scroll containing the Forbidden techniques, Iruka had sighed in exasperation while he wondered at the same time how a twelve year-old kid who hand't even passed the genin exam had managed to take such an important scroll, from inside the Hokage Tower no less!

After Iruka had found Naruto and had given him his own itai-ate (after a spectacular show of power for the 'dead last', producing at least a hundred Kage Bunshin), making him officially a genin, the had gone to celebrate at Ichiraku. When the chunnin went home, he remembered he had forgotten to ask Naruto how he had infiltrated the Tower; shrugging, Iruka resolved he'd ask the Hokage if he had any idea.

[Next morning]

"WHAT? You're pulling my leg, aren't you Hokage-sama?" Iruka was so shocked he didn't even realise he was shouting.

"... I know it's hard to believe, Iruka-kun..." replied the old leader, not quite managing to suppress a smile.

Iruka felt the strong urge to sock the man he loved like a father in the face, or choke him—how could he laugh, knowing an academy graduate had knocked THE HOKAGE out using a freaking HENTAI MOVE!

-2-

Iruka was glad the invasion was finally over. He had unexpectedly found himself forced to take part on the fighting... he couldn't truthfully say he was that great a ninja: he was too soft hearted to bring himself to actually kill someone, and that was the main reason why he'd taken up teaching academy students. During the attempted invasion, he had been so busy he had lost sight of Naruto and now that it was over, he was worried sick so, after having his - rather minor - wounds treated at the hospital, he set out to look for the blond genin.

It took him hours of wandering before he finally gave up and went back to the hospital, hoping in the mean time Naruto had showed up there (or someone had brought him there). Once he found out the blond was in one of the rooms, Iruka couldn't help the relief that flooded his body; approaching the room, he spotted Kakashi standing outside and decided to stop and ask the jounin a few questions on what happened to the boy he considered his little brother/surrogate son.

Closing the door behind his back, Iruka got closer to the bed where Naruto was resting - his small back supported by pillows as he looked out the window, it was surprising the boy was already up after the fight and the after-effects of chakra exhaustion he had gone through.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto's voice cut through his thoughts, he sounded... worried? "What happened to you...? Why are you full of bandages?"

The boy was exaggerating, Iruka wasn't hurt badly, but he wasn't used to see bandages on his teacher. "Oh, it's nothi—" he started, smiling a little, before Naruto cut off his sentence.

"You look like a mummy!" he said, laughing loudly.

Iruka felt his eye twitch along with his hand. The nerve! he thought glaring at the blond, who didn't look any better than him. The chunnin shortened the distance between them and raised a hand, fully intentioned to throttle the cheeky brat but then changed curse, he closed his hand and punched the kid on top of the mop of blond hair, ignoring the 'Ow!' been uttered soon after.

-3-

Iruka had just finished talking with Naruto about the attack and consecutive destruction Pein caused the village. Naruto had told him how Nagato, the real Pein, had used what few of his chakra he had left to bring back everyone who had died in the attack... of all the speech coming out of Naruto's mouth, one sentence had caught Iruka's attention the most.

"I'm so happy Kakashi-sensei is alive...! It was really hard thinking he had died too..."

Iruka had no idea Kakashi had died during the attack; had no idea the man had been killed by one of Pein's bodies...

He had departed from Naruto, then, wanting to find Kakashi to ask him if it was true (not that he didn't believe Naruto, but he wanted to hear it from the other man's lips) and then strangle him bare handed for not telling him sooner—that was not a thing to keep secret!

Once located Kakashi, Iruka physically dragged him somewhere private and raised a finger at him, accusing. "Why the hell didn't you tell me you freaking DIED against Pein!" he was furious, he was beyond angry, he was.. well, terrified. "Didn't you think it was something I might have wanted to know!" The idea that Kakashi had laid somewhere in the wrecked village, most likely alone, and dead made Iruka shudder as a sudden cold wraped itself around him.

"... I didn't want you to react like you're reacting now..." said Kakashi, calmly, his uncovered eye never leaving the chunnin's pale face. "I thought it was useless to bring up such heavy topics, after all I'm alive now, aren't I?" he finished with a smile hidden by his mask as he closed the distance and let the other pull him in a tight hug.

Iruka only nodded, he could beat Kakashi up later, for now he was only glad Naruto managed to do what he did.