A/N - This fic was written for my friend, who wanted to know why Iruka has that scar across his nose. I thought about it for hours (no really, I did) and came up with this. It's a short piece, and I can't say it's very impressive, but I've always thought that the story behind Iruka's scar would not be the epic that everyone expected, and rather, some simple mundane event that no one really wants to know about.

Scar

At three-and-a-half years old, Iruka was an inquisitive child, restless and inquiring, constantly searching for something new to satisfy his hyperactive appetite for knowledge. This healthy interest in the world around him was considered normal for a developing mind and amusing at times for the adults around him, though more often than not, it was, frankly, a huge pain in the kunai pouch.

His Uncle being the village butcher, it was a common sight to see the young Umuino at the heels of Sonoda-san barraging the older man with questions about everything. It was one particular incident at his Uncle's store that managed to curb Iruka's curiosity for a while and successfully scar him for life.

With his Aunt at the counter serving customers and his Uncle preoccupied with the latest delivery, Iruka decided to tour the back of the store on his own. Giant hooks laden with huge chunks of fresh beef, the entire flank of a pig, its naked skin staring starkly at him from behind the freezer door. Shivering, Iruka moved to a bench, where an item caught his eye.

A great, silver handle, just beyond his reach. Iruka wondered what it was. Needed to know what it was. For what seemed like an eternity and a half, the brown-haired boy stood in indecision, torn between the itch to investigate and his conscience, which replayed again and again Sonoda-san's warning of "Don't touch anything!"

The itch spread. Nagged. Won.

Straining his chubby fingers, Iruka stood on tip-toe, wishing his arms were slightly longer. Just… A… Bit… More…

Fingertips brushed the cool, smooth surface: Yes! Almost. Tongue poking out between his lips, Iruka brought his hand back and batted at his objective.

The heavy scraping sound followed by a squeal of surprise and howl of pian reverberated throughout the store, bringing Sonoda running. He burst into the room to find his nephew on his knees clutching his face as he sobbed, a meat cleaver on the floor beside him.

Two seconds later, Iruka passed out cold.

It required one-and-a-half-hours of intense healing from a medic-nin and thirty-five stitches to repair the damage caused by the heavy tool, which had almost been successful in cleaving off the boy's nose. Needless to say, it put Iruka off his "research" for a good three weeks and left a long, pink scar across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose that never found it appropriate to fade away.

People never really ask him about it now, assuming that he acquired the mark through means of an "Important and Dangerous Mission". It's a part of him, what makes the mild-faced Chunnin Academy teacher the personality he is. Iruka cannot fully recall the entire episode, being unconscious half the time, and he doesn't mind Kakashi's inventive cover stories, as they provide enough confusion and entertainment.

Besides, somehow, the explanation "A meat cleaver fell on my face" Just doesn't seem to cut it.