A short dabble in the Naruto universe, dedicated to Swiss Army Knife for inspiring me. If you're a fan of Iruka or Kakashi, I highly suggest her works.

Warm sunshine and the smell of sage, prickly grass beneath his hands. Snuffling snorts as Akamaru sniffed out a forlorn caterpillar. Yawning, Iruka leaned back on his elbows and watched wisps of cloud smudge an otherwise perfect day.

A tug on his elbow reminded him that his charges were more interested in the activities of a picnic than the serenity of a field. Crossly Kiba pointed at Naruto, frustrated tears already wobbling on his chin. Cackling, Naruto stuck out his tongue and waggled his hands before flicking Akamaru's caterpillar into the air. There was a moment of airborne awe, a gasp from Hinata, and resigned acceptance from Iruka before the wriggling grub plopped onto the teacher's nose.

Stunned horror silenced the class.

Sighing, Iruka plucked the caterpillar away and dropped it safely into the grass. "Naruto….." He was too relaxed to scold.

Relieved, the gaggle of six-year-olds burst into giggles. Kiba fell back in hysterics and Naruto grinned that cheeky, fox-like sneer that often sent Sakura skittering behind her teacher. Chuckling, Iruka raised a hand –

Iruka, can you see me?

Confused, he lowered his hand and wiped it against his pant leg. Moisture slicked his palms, but when he opened his fingers, they were dry.

"Iruka-Sensei!" Sheepishly twelve-year-old Naruto stood, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess you caught me, huh?"

Irked, Iruka stepped forward to lecture him… and then paused. Instinctively he looked over his shoulder, anticipating a white-haired shinobi.

Come out of the rain.

Water doused his shoulders and Iruka yelped at the sudden chill. Naruto's hoots rose above the screeches as his classmates ducked for cover. Clenching his fists around soggy papers, Iruka squeezed his eyes shut.

"Naruto!"

"Iruka-Sensei, you said it was a stealth test!" Naruto defended. "Didn't I pass? I bet I passed better than the teme!" His tongue darted out as he pointed at the soggy Uchiha across the room. Sasuke snorted in cool disdain.

"Eh, Teme!" Naruto shouted. "Don't tell me you can't feel that!"

The Uchiha was indeed shivering, but his glower should have evaporated the water streaming through his hair.

Iruka was cold.

He's been this way since I found him. I don't know what happened.

"Ramen!" Naruto exclaimed, clapping his hands over a steaming bowl.

Shaking his head in confusion, Iruka stared at his bowl. He didn't remember entering the ramen shop...

Shrugging away the memory of sprinklers and smeared test scores, Iruka smiled wanly and poked at the vegetables wilting in his bowl. The steam irritated his chapped knuckles and he rubbed them in slight alarm. The season was too warm for bleeding hands.

Hitting him? I don't think that's safe. You'll just have to wait for him to break free on his own.

Itai!

Gasping, Iruka clapped his hands to his chest and rubbed the raw tissue. Lancing burns dotted his skin, as though an explosive tag had ignited in his hand.

"Sensei, tell Ino that she can't have every purple pencil!" eight-year-old Sakura implored, reaching across Naruto to grab one of Ino's pencils.

"Hey! Get your own, billboard-brow!" Ino yelped, throwing her arms over her stash. "Iruka-Sensei, Sakura's stealing again!"

"I'm not stealing!" Sakura cried out.

"Billboard-brow's a sneak-thief! Billboard-brow's a sneak-thief!"

"Iruka-Sensei, tell her to stop!"

"Sakura, stop pulling my hair!"

"Quiet!" Iruka shouted.

He hasn't spoken since you brought him back. Kakashi-Sensei, do you think….

The classroom vanished. He was standing in one of Konoha's parks, glaring at his comrade.

"Vengeance isn't the same as willpower, Kakashi. You're training a hawk."

"I'm teaching him to utilize his skills and control them."

"He hasn't forgotten his oath. He's going to hunt Itachi."

Red eyes spun in Iruka's vision and Kakashi faded.

If he doesn't snap out of it soon….

"Iruka-Sensei." Broadening shoulders turned, and crimson eyes narrowed at the teacher. Finally, the setting felt real.

"Sasuke." Ten years hadn't been enough to eradicate the killer within. Hands outstretched from any weapon, Iruka slowly approached. "Naruto has been looking for you."

A flinch. Coolness returned and Sasuke's lip curled. "Why are you here?"

Alarm prickled Iruka's neck, and he knew he was too far ahead of his team. He only had moments to convince his former student. "Sasuke, this quest is worthless. Killing Itachi won't bring anyone back."

It was the wrong thing to say. Crimson spiraled into a ring of black and white fingers gripped the sword that had almost killed a former teammate. Iruka stepped back, reaching for a kunai, sharingan drawing too close…

Sleet spattered the windows, and Iruka slowly blinked.

White hair flashed into clarity. A red orb ceased to spin, and Kakashi sighed in relief. He never wasted words.

"You've been trapped in a genjutsu for five days."

Astonished, Iruka clenched his hands. Split knuckles, burned from chidori, cracked into new ribbons of pain. Kakashi's gaze darkened.

"We found you standing in the rain. Tsunade said the genjutsu would interfere with your healing. We couldn't risk pneumonia."

That explained the fever during his vision of Ichiraku's. Shivering, Iruka rubbed his bandaged hands. "Where is Sasuke now?"

"Gone." Kakashi leaned back, wearily folding his arms. "Team Taka removed all traces of their encampment."

Numb, Iruka nodded in acceptance. "How is Naruto taking this?"

Kakashi glanced outside the window, and Iruka followed his gaze.

Several rooftops away, an orange shirt glowed against the overcast.

It was raining.