Something Wicked comes this Way

Author: Ryuosen
Chapters: 1/30
Words: ca. 12000+
Rating: PG15 for violence
Characters: Iruka, Naruto, Sandaime Hokage, ANBU
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Kakairu or Irukaka claimed at 30kisses, others not decided
Theme: #01 look over here
Warnings: spoilers for entire series just to be safe, violence and blood
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto otherwise I would be rich and Kakairu would be canon

Summary:
A botched exam, a desperate student, a stolen scroll, a devious traitor, an overly strict teacher - and suddenly Naruto finds himself on a pilgrimage of self-discovery, maturing and growing of his own making.

"talking"
thoughts, letters..

Final annoying author's note
This story is a birthday present for my friend Noir and should be finished some time before December the 2nd of this year, cause that's her birthday.. considering that I still haven't learned how to write short stories, we'll see how far I will have come until the deadline..
It's also my first Naruto story, I figure I will see how well it goes. Reviews and critics are welcome, as long as they are reasonable. Please do not write me reviews telling me for example: Oh NO you should have made Kakashi seme or whatever, I will ignore it, because frankly this is my story if you don't like it, either don't read it or write your own story!!
As already stated above there will Yaoi/Slash/Shonen Ai whatever you call it, while it's not the main focus of the story it will play an important role, concerning the character development of Iruka and Kakashi. It will also be the only pairing. All other characters, when they are paired off, will be Het.
If you don't like the thought of two boys together, then either ignore it or don't read the story, thank you!!
Questions will be answered in the next chapter or in my journal at lj.

I think that it all, I hope you will enjoy the story...

Ryuosen

Word explanation
Inu - jap. Dog
Same - jap. Shark
Ryuu - jap. Dragon

Prologue still not a shinobi

The scent was the first thing he became aware of... coppery and heavy…

Blood…

The metallic taste lingered on his tongue and drifted through the air around him, mixed with traces of cleaning products and herbs. He was in a hospital, of that he was sure. But why was he h...?

He couldn't remember… what happened?

It had been graduation day and the genin exam was finished, out of 27 students 26 had passed and Naruto had... Naruto had failed... of course, he had failed and then Mizuki had tried to use the young blond to gain hold of the forbidden scroll. He had found Naruto after he had learned a jutsu. Then Mizuki had confronted them and revealed the secret about the Kyuubi, which had led to a fight. Consequences for Mizuki had been that he had been beaten by a boy not even a genin.

And he? He had taken one of Mizuki's shuriken to the spine, which was the reason he was here in hospital. Not really a surprise, one did not take a shuriken to the spine and walked away unscathed, especially not one of Mizuki's grand shuriken. The chuunin was after all an expert concerning their handling.

Keeping his eyes closed and breathing calm he tried to assess the situation, Konoha hospital or not, a good ninja always analysed his surroundings before acting.

There was the steady beeping sound coming from the heart rate monitor along with his own rhythmic breathing, except that there was no other noise. He could sense faint presences outside of his room but none was anywhere near him. Feigning a sleepy movement he tilted the head to check the room by opening his eyes a bit.

He knew the room; it was the same he always occupied when he was injured. There were the blank white walls, the small closet, the table with two chairs and a second door that led to the bathroom. Only one detail was not normal, on the table stood a vase with a bouquet of flowers.

"Hokage-sama has already been here to see me..."

Sitting up, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, pushing the blankets aside while doing so. He suppressed a shudder as his feet touched the cold floor. Wit slow and controlled movements he stood, testing the strength of his legs. Feeling no pain, he assumed that a medic-nin had taken care of the wounds left behind by the kunai. With careful steps he walked over to the table and sat on one of the chairs, stretching his shaky legs while one hand took the small scroll that had been hidden between the stems.

Studying the seal a few seconds, he pricked his thumb on one of thorns of a pale pink rose and smeared his blood over the seal. A small glow and the scroll opened. After reading the contents, he used a small Kanton jutsu and set it on fire, leaving nothing but ash. Suppressing a wince he laid a hand over his heart that had been a bad idea. Taking a deep calming breath he let the tension flow from his body.

Standing he grabbed the clothes, which had been placed on the nightstand next to his bed. But before he had the chance to change out of his hospital gown, he sensed a presence nearing his room. Quickly he dropped the bundle and climbed back into bed, closing his eyes and pretended to be asleep.

The door opened and closed. Steps came closer and stood in front of his bed. An old wrinkled hand pushed the brown strands of hair away, before gently caressing his face.

"Iruka… aren't you a bit old for this? Pretending to be asleep?"

Knowing that he couldn't fool the old man, Iruka opened his eyes. Smiling slightly he tried to sit up, but stopped his attempt as sharp pain cursed through his body. Grimacing he eased back onto the mattress... apparently the painkillers had worn off?

"I was about to dress and come to you to give my report."

The old man tilted his head in a somewhat curious gesture, one grey eyebrow lifting.

"Hmm, so you've read the scroll? Don't bother with it, the report is late anyway. The medic-nin gave you a stronger dose of painkillers than I expected. You were out for more than a day."

His hands folded over the head of his wooden cane. For once he didn't wear the robe that not only proclaimed him to be the strongest ninja of this village but also it's leader. Studying Iruka's somewhat disbelieving face he continued unperturbed.

"I watched most of the confrontation and then monitored Naruto's movements. However I'm curious as to what occurred between you and Mizuki before you arrived at the clearing, where Naruto had hidden."

"Monitored? The seal?!"

The old man nodded his head again before pulling one of the chairs close to the bed and sat down.

"Naruto's will is as important to the maintenance of the seal as the symbols Yondaime used. It will only work properly if both are in a good condition. Had his will to live failed, the seal might have been broken."

"I see. But there is no danger..."

Iruka trailed off, unsure if his actions had been the correct ones. Looking back he couldn't remember seeing anger in the face of his student. Only disappointment, but that was to be expected.

"No, Naruto's will is now stronger than before. But now I would like to hear about Mizuki from you."

"Hai, Hokage-same."

+the evening after the failed exam+

The night held something dark and foreboding, seeming as if something terrible was about to take place soon. At least that was what the scarred chuunin thought, as he tilted his head back. His gaze had travelled from the dreary ceiling of his apartment to the clear night sky, which was illuminated by thousands of stars and the full moon. Not that he was really seeing them.

His mind was still on the graduation exam, which had taken place today and the singly student, who had failed. Lamenting Iruka supposed that he should be overjoyed, only one failed student. 26 out of a group of 27, the academy hadn't had such good results in years. Still, he couldn't bring himself to be happy, not when it was Naruto, who hadn't passed the exam. Not to forget the extra paper work. 26 students meant eight three-man cells and one with only two students. He would have to check the lists of the older genin teams, too. It was unacceptable to leave rookie genin in a two-man team.

Why had Naruto not passed?

Iruka couldn't understand it. True, Naruto missed classes often and yes he barely paid attention, when he actually attended but that only explained the abysmal written performances the boy showed, but it shouldn't influence the practical ones. Simply for the reason, that not only had Naruto attended every single lesson on ninjutsu; he had checked the class roster to make sure, but also practised in his free time. He had seen it with his own eyes. So why?

Why couldn't Naruto produce a simple Bushin?

While there had always been the occasional student who had trouble performing ninjutsu, there had also always been an explanation. For example because of too small chakra reserves or worse underdeveloped coils, like the case of Rock Lee, a student that had graduated the year prior.

Naruto though, didn't suffer from underdeveloped chakra coils or too small chakra reserves. On the contrary the blond loudmouth had to have the largest reserves he had ever seen in an academy student and while he never had the dubious 'honour' of teaching a genius like the infamous Uchiha Itachi or Hatake Kakashi, he knew that neither of them had had such reserves at this age. Why, simple because Naruto's reserves appeared to be nearly infinite in terms of size and potency.

Sure, he was no Hyuuga, he couldn't see the coils due to a genkei kekkai, but he still had eyes and other senses. Naruto's chakra was visible when he tried to perform a jutsu, something he had never seen another do and you had to be a very measly shinobi to not feel the energy that crackled along your skin when Naruto used chakra. So why couldn't he do it?

On some level Iruka was surprised at the depth of his feelings for Naruto. The blond goofball was after all not the first student he had failed and he probably wouldn't be the last one either. Perhaps it was because of their shared traits, because Naruto reminded him of himself. Of a young lonely boy, who wanted nothing more than a bit of attention and both used pranks to gain just that.

Iruka sighed in frustration as he noted that it was unlikely that the stars were going to give him an answer. Sometimes he wished that the Hokage hadn't assigned him to the academy, had never spoken with him about the case of Uzumaki Naruto, the container of the Kyuubi. But he had and Iruka knew why, he had seen it after all.

Suppressing another sigh, he pushed the thoughts and memories of the Kyuubi attack back. It had been twelve years, but the pain was still as raw as it had been the moment he knew that his parents were not going to come back.

The sound of someone knocking at his door interrupted his reminiscing. Getting up, he adjusted his hitai-ate and crossed his apartment towards the door. Opening it he was surprised to see Mizuki standing on his doorstep, still dressed in his flak vest and with an expression of panic on his face, or something close to it.

What could his colleague want? They had no contact outside of the academy...?

"Mizuki-sensei..."

The teacher seemed clearly agitated and Iruka frowned. Normally the older chuunin was very calm and relaxed, he often had an open ear for the people with problems and did his best to help them, so what had happened?

"Naruto took the forbidden scroll. Probably as a joke! The Hokage called for us!"

Without speaking Iruka nodded and turned inside to grab the vest and his sandals. He slipped both on before looking the door. Mizuki had already jumped onto the rooftop of the house across from his own. Making sure that the door was really locked, he followed the senior. Iruka's apartment building was within a 15 minute walking distance and travelling over the rooftops of Konoha it took even less time. But it was enough time for Iruka to mull over the information Mizuki had provided him with. Something about the situation was definitely off...

If Naruto had really taken one of the scrolls, why would he have chosen the forbidden scroll of all things? Iruka doubted that Naruto knew of the importance or danger the scroll entailed. Besides the scroll in question was stored in the Hokage library and you had to go through the Hokage's rooms to gain access. It just didn't make sense, he knew that Naruto enjoyed challenges, but normally only played pranks with minimal risk involved. And had he gotten the information to infiltrate the tower in the first place? To know the comings and goings in the Hokage's tower intimately you would have to stake out the place for months: Iruka would know; it had taken six months for him to learn enough to successfully break into the tower without being caught.

Iruka was sure he was missing something important, but before he could pursue the thread of thought, they reached the entrance to the Hokage's tower. Jumping down they joined the already gathered chuunin. In front of the massive doors was the Hokage. The old ninja was busy fending off exclamations and screams for retribution. Iruka hid his scowl at some of the contents and made it a point to keep his infamous temper in check. It wouldn't do well for the Hokage to suddenly miss a few chuunin, it wouldn't do at all.

Listening to the instructions he and Mizuki, who now also wore his hitai-ate, separated. The orders were short, basically consisting of finding Naruto and bringing him and the scroll back. With one last glance at the Hokage Iruka jumped onto one of the roofs and sped away. His mind already mapping Naruto's favourite hiding places as well as shortcuts on how to get there as fast as he could, but despite knowing them all the pre-genin remained elusive.

With a sigh he left the roofs and landed on an empty road. Looking for other places he had yet to search. No messenger bird had been sighted so far, a sign that Naruto still had not been found. It made Iruka glad and edgy at the same time, glad because he knew that the other chuunin wouldn't exactly be gently with him, they made no move to hide the contempt they felt for the Kyuubi container and edgy because it meant that Naruto was still missing.

"The woods, of course... I should check there too..."

Turning around he jumped onto a roof once more and ran into the direction of the Hokage mountain. The woods were waiting.

It was only a short distance form the mountain but the Konoha woods were wide and covered more than thrice the ground that the actual village did. Alone 20 training grounds were scattered among the trees. Most of them used by jounin or upper chuunin as not everything living in the forest were harmless. Gigantic mammals were only one of many dangers. Iruka knew it would take days to cover the complete area and considering that he was currently on his own and reluctant to tell his colleagues Naruto's potential hideaway, he could forget that idea.

But he could skim over the inner rims which bordered the village; he knew there were a few huts in running distance, built for the purpose of resting and refreshing during training trips inside the forest. Jounin-sensei and their genin-teams using them most, during preparations for exams and training missions. He knew that only about two miles away was one of these huts. He knew enough about Naruto and the situation to seriously consider checking up on the hut. Naruto had stamina that outlasted chuunin. It would be no problem for him to reach the hut and it had been more than half a day since the boy had gone missing. Yes he definitely should check it out.

Steering a bit to the left, he corrected his course before leaping from roof to branch. Without a hitch he landed and continued like he just hadn't made a 14 foot jump, without the enhancement of chakra mind you. He needed to hurry, because it had been more than half a day, then there the danger of the jutsu listed inside the scroll and not to forget that it was Naruto who had the scroll. The curious nature of the genin and his ability to attract trouble wherever he went was enough to guarantee surprises and as most shinobi Iruka despised surprises.

Few minutes later the woods grew thinner and a small clearing could be seen. Along with a small hut. Leaving the branches Iruka now preferred to travel on the ground; it gave him a better visual range.

"Gotcha!"

True to his predictions there was a small orange clad figure on the ground. Against the browns and greens of the background the boy's jumpsuit was like a lit torch, burning merrily. Iruka slowed his pace, steps becoming silent as he prepared to thoroughly lecture the boy. Iruka stood right before the boy; anger cursing through his veins at the thought of the dozen of ways Naruto could have hurt himself, took a deep breath, but only managed only a few anger laced words.

"NARUTO!!"

Distantly noting that Naruto's entire jumpsuit along with the face was caked with dirt and leafs. Sweat glistened in the blond strands and had undoubtedly run down his face as well. What had Naruto done here? It took a rigorous workout training regime worthy of a jounin to push the boy to this point of exhaustion. His recovery rate was abnormal to say the least.

"Ne, Iruka-sensei… you found me..."

As Naruto had always been good at stating the obvious, Iruka snapped. The boy would get a tirade and dose of him at his worst, the amount of worry he had felt the whole time couldn't be counted. Yet seeing the blonde's rueful smile Iruka knew he couldn't be angry with him. Once again noting the ruffled appearance and exhaustion he called Naruto on it.

"What happened to you?"

Naruto ignored his question instead rambling about learning only one jutsu. Iruka felt his sense tingle, something or someone was coming closer. But what or who, he hoped it was not one of the gigantic tigers; he was in no mood to save both their asses against one of the cats.

"So I'm gonna do this awesome jutsu, and then I'll pass the graduation exam, right?"

"Does this mean he was here to practise a jutsu from the forbidden scroll?! To the point of exhaustion? Still how did he know about the scroll?"

"Naruto, how'd you get the scroll?"

The blond glanced at the big roll of paper, currently strapped on his back, before scratching his head somewhat embarrassed.

"Why? Mizuki-sensei told me about it along with the place too. Said that I would pass as long as I learned one of the jutsu from the scroll..."

Now there was uncertainty in his voice, unsure about the information provided by Mizuki, because how could Iruka-sensei not know about it? Meanwhile Iruka was busy making conclusions of his own. Mizuki had told Naruto about the scroll, most likely on how to get it as well. Then there was this place, far away from general population and pretty secluded. Oh dear god...

"Mizuki is the traitor we have been looking for..."

Just in that moment Iruka felt air caress his skin and he reacted immediately. His hand pushed forward and connected with Naruto's chest pushing him aside and out of range of the incoming projectiles. Twisting Iruka suppressed a wince as a good deal of kunai hit him. Not for the first time in his life he was thankful for the vest he wore. Only few had actually pierced his skin. There was one in his left thigh, two in the right leg, one had hit the upper portion of his left arm and the last ones were stuck in his vest only the tips poking into his skin as he moved. A coppery taste filled his mouth; he must have bitten his tongue.

"So that's how it is…"

Iruka's voice trailed off as he watched Mizuki, who perched on one of the thick branches of one of the trees surrounding the clearing. Mizuki had told Naruto how to get the scroll and then lured him here to get the scroll for himself, all under the disguise of getting Naruto to actually pass the genin exam?! Naruto needed to leave now. He had to take the scroll and alert the Hokage.

Sadly Naruto seemed to be totally clueless what this situation actually meant. His head was turning from Iruka to Mizuki and back, making no move at all and not for the first time Iruka want to gut a few teachers and villagers for nearly destroying a promising shinobi like the blond goofball. He knew Naruto was intelligent enough, not a genius like Shikamaru or others, but there was a brain and a surprisingly perceptive mind, when Naruto actually used it. Unfortunately for them both, he rather seemed to express his ignorance through anger.

"Naruto give me the scroll!"

Mizuki was ignored while the blonde demanded to know what was going on. Iruka could do nothing but tell Naruto to run and not give the scroll to the damn traitor, pulling kunai from his arm and leg while doing so. Perhaps an explanation on why Mizuki should not get the scroll would help as well, but still Naruto made no move at all, only standing there. Though Iruka could see that the blonde pre-genin had realised that Mizuki had used him for his own gains. The balled fists and shaking frame conveyed it quite clearly.

What Mizuki said next terrified Iruka! Having no idea how the seal worked he didn't know if there was a danger of the seal breaking. He had to get the traitor to stop talking, but it was not enough. Helpless like a little child he watched as Mizuki broke one of the most guarded secrets of the village. Even worse he involved Iruka as well, by accusing Naruto of killing his, Iruka's parents.

It dredged up memories of loneliness and isolation that Iruka hadn't felt in a long time. Growling he ripped the last stuck kunai out and Iruka readied himself to attack Mizuki, who had taken one of his grand shuriken from his back and was already spinning it, way unfortunately still talking. Ignoring the words of the traitor Iruka reacted. He knew from colleagues and Hokage himself that the pale haired man was an expert regarding the use of grand shuriken, the only one in the village, and his accuracy was honed from training children everyday. Not to forget that Naruto had yet to get over the revelations, his stress levels caused his chakra to fluctuate. The blue energy waves visibly floating around his body in an eradicate manner.

Iruka was unwillingly remembering the first discussion he had with the Hokage concerning Uzumaki Naruto. The words vibrating through his mind and body as he moved faster than one could see. All he was aware of were the words and the little vibrations caused by the thrown shuriken. His body was pushed forward as he stretched his arms to brace himself above Naruto, his back already twisting to reduce the damage the weapon would cause on impact.

A sickening sound echoed through the clearing as one of the pointed ends of the shuriken broke through the flak vest and skin. Iruka himself made barely any sound at all, the emotions and memories Mizuki had invoked in him still leaving no room for anything else. He was surprised to find that he was crying and it was not because of the pain, he barely felt the shuriken. No he cried for Naruto and himself. It was also the reason why he confided in Naruto about his own childhood and the loneliness he had felt at first. After that Naruto ran off, the scroll still strapped to his back.

Iruka watched as Naruto fled the shock still visible on his young expressive face. Mizuki and he were all that was left in the clearing. The traitor now landing on the ground a few feet behind Iruka, who had in the meantime gripped the grand shuriken still embedded in his back. Trying to suppress the pained sound, he pulled and with a squishing noise ripped it out. Ignoring the warm liquid pouring down his back and soaking his uniform, he turned to face his former colleague.

Mizuki watched the whole situation without any concern and to Iruka it was clear that injured as he was, the pale haired man didn't regard him as a threat, probably more like collateral damage. Panting he stood and watched his opponent. Defending Naruto with words was not enough, it was time to act. Gripping the last kunai, which had been stuck in the right thigh, he yanked it out and threw it with the accuracy of someone, who handled weapons everyday, but as expected Mizuki dodged.

The older chuunin was after all, a teacher as well and dodged projectiles on a daily basis. But Iruka had expected the reaction as the one he had performed only seconds ago, blocking the kunai with his last grand shuriken. It gave him enough time to react. Pulling a kunai from his pouch, he rushed at his enemy, body crouching low to sweep the traitor off his feet. The older chuunin was prepared as well; jumping backwards he again landed on one of the branches. The hands formed seals and the sequence already told Iruka everything he needed to know.

Fingers slipped into familiar forms and chakra flew under his skin. As soon as the last seal was finished he threw himself aside. Coming to his feet again he lifted his hands just as Mizuki finished his own sequence of seals. A torrent of water shot from the air as the older man blew a fireball at him. Steam rose as the Kanton was extinguished and Iruka used the few moments to jump onto one of the branches as well. Slowing his breathing down the chuunin concealed his presence as best as he could from Mizuki.

As soon as the brunet was sure, that Mizuki wouldn't find him once the steam vanished, he formed a seal while fishing for one of the previously stashed kunai. As soon as the jutsu was finished water appeared out of thin air and formed a mizu clone. Satisfied Iruka gripped the kunai tighter and vanished onto another branch above his water image.

Then the steam was gone and his clone left behind with the man he had once called a colleague. The traitor was already launching another jutsu, Kanton at the clone, who dived out of the way and onto the ground. Keeping his attention on Mizuki Iruka crept closer and closer to the spot, where the older man stood. He was nearly above him, only a few moments more. As long as the pale haired man stayed where he was, everything was just fine. Another seal and a second clone morphed into existence, now Iruka was ready to spring his own trap.

Mizuki would regret betraying the village and attacking Naruto, Iruka would see to that.

Tilting his head, the second clone dropped down and landed almost soundlessly behind the other shinobi and as commanded kicked him in the back before his adversary had the chance to realise what was going on. Unfortunately Mizuki was one of the best chuunin the village had to offer and he of course sensed the presence of the clone and twisted away at last moment's notice.

Luckily Iruka had calculated that Mizuki might evade the attack and it was of no consequence for his trap as the clone on the ground threw kunai with pinpoint accuracy. The second was destroyed few seconds beforehand as the older man slashed his clone's throat. The water dripped down the branches by the former sensei's feet as Iruka finally made his move. Without as much as creating a wind the younger man jumped upwards, flipped forward and extended his leg while doing so.

This time Mizuki couldn't block. Iruka's heel connected and the chuunin put his whole weight on his enemy's back. The wiry body of the older shinobi was pressed down as the branch snapped like a twig under the power of the sensei's kick. Landing on a thick branch couldn't be pleasant and judging by the pained coughing Iruka guessed that it wasn't. Besides he had experienced firsthand how it felt to literally get the air squashed out of your lungs.

For him landing hadn't been a problem, having twisted his body away after the kick and now crouched smoothly, ready to evade or attack. But there was no time for relaxing, Mizuki, while still coughing, had already rolled over and was getting to his feet.

How odd, the kick should have broken his spine... ah the shuriken…

Iruka wanted to curse, because of his foolish mistake the man was still not in the land of death. The pre-genin instructor had forgotten that the older one still carried another of his grand shuriken and that one had protected the vulnerable spine. No wonder that he was still conscious.

Now Mizuki was eyeing him, and Iruka had the feeling that for once the senior took him quite serious. Something he had never done before. Most of the time he had seemed mild mannered and considerate, but he had never been able to shake the feeling that he was mocked with each and every sentence the man uttered. Mizuki had always been quite condescending and it had been known that he wanted nothing more than being promoted. Iruka knew why it had never happened. Mizuki was an excellent chuunin, but not jounin material. While his skills as well as his chakra reserves were good enough, he simply lacked the mindset to be one.
The senior was still panting and he knew he could count himself lucky, that the final shuriken had shielded him. Because, whether he thought that Iruka was a wimp or not was irrelevant, fact was that the brunet was able to shatter slabs of stone with his feet and doing so without chakra enhancement. But that wasn't important now; no he needed to get distance between himself and his adversary. Otherwise he might loose the Kyuubi brat and chances rose that another shinobi of the search party would find him first.

He needed to get away.

The pale haired man acted immediately by throwing simultaneously a kunai to destroy the last mizu clone as well as a smoke grenade. The tool fell to the ground and exploded, leaving nothing but smoke behind. Iruka immediately used the hem of his shirt to cover his mouth and nose, without any success. He coughed and tears were starting to gather in his eyes. The last thing he saw was Mizuki, who was watching him with a smirk, as he vanished in a swirl of, leafs.

His hand flew through a series of seals and with the use of "Fuuton Daitoppa" the smoke was gone in a matter of seconds, but so was the traitor. He was alone. Standing up Iruka hissed, blood was still trailing down his back and had by now nearly soaked his shirt. The hems of his pants were already damp and the darker fluid glistened on his hand after he had touched his back.

Things needed to speed up before he lost too much blood. First he needed to take care of Mizuki, then Naruto had to be found and lastly securing the scroll.

So the former sensei first. Glancing onto the ground he noticed the broken branch. Smirking he used a kunai to cut it down to a decent size before lifting it. Making another seal, there was a "puff" and a small boy holding a thick scroll in his arms stood in the clearing.

Blue eyes gleamed unholy under the moonlight.

"Let the hunt begin!"

With a splashing noise the clearing was left empty. The hunt had begun and now the tables were turned because the predator had been turned into prey, although he didn't know it yet.

Silently he sprinted over the trees, his feet barely touching the branches, stealthily the blond crept closer and closer until he could see a figure in the distance. With another uncharacteristic grin that was more than a bit malicious, "Naruto" sped up. Finally he recognized his own hair and the grin widened. Mizuki really was predictable. A henge was genin level skill, but as Naruto's teacher he knew that the blond couldn't discern the illusion from the original yet, only practise would teach him that. A genius stroke, he had to give Mizuki that because by sticking to the easy skills, he did not only fool Naruto but also compensated chakra and that meant, that he was still able to fight should he encounter another shinobi.

But it was still predictable, that he would try to use him, Iruka, to gain possession of the scroll, easy skills or not. Silently the younger teacher thanked his lucky stars that his sensei had always emphasised psychology and espionage. Looking underneath the underneath, wasn't just an empty saying, no it was one of the most important rules of the shinobi trade. And as proven now, there were dozens of reasons for it.

Speeding up, he began to imitate Naruto's unusual way of running, while silently bypassing the other man. Iruka briefly sensed Naruto's presence up ahead, which meant that if he wanted to stop Mizuki from gaining the scroll, now would be the time to do so. Inconspicuously he slipped into Mizuki's viewing range. He hoped that his senior would confuse Naruto's presence ahead with his own.

"Naruto..!"

Gotcha!

Mizuki was really predictable. He really should have taken advanced psychology classes with him. Knowing your enemy was another basic skill that was just as important as seeing underneath the underneath. Slowing down a bit, Iruka waited until the chuunin had caught up with him. During this time he dropped his body into a flexible position, getting ready to attack as soon as he was close enough.

"Naruto! Give me the scroll, Mizuki will come after you..."

Not even trying to hide his expression the young blond attacked. Using his shoulder he slammed it into Mizuki's midsection, hitting two pressure points with enough force to knock the senior out, seconds after contact.

Figures that something went wrong, twisting away Iruka landed against the trunk of a tree. A pained hiss escaped him as his back made contact with the rough bark, before watching with something akin to disbelief as Mizuki, still in his Iruka Henge, turned to him. Then the pale haired man released the Henge.

"How did you know, that I was not Iruka..?"

Smiling darkly, Iruka released his disguise as well and watched gleefully as the traitor was left speechless. Moving only the slightest bit to get more comfortable his lips parted to reply. The brunet could already taste blood on his tongue; it seemed that the grand shuriken had done more damage that anticipated.

"I'm Iruka…."

Pushing the log away, he indulged Mizuki, who seemed rather anxious to reveal his grand plan while pondering on the apparent failure of his knockout move. Had he perhaps underestimated Mizuki? It appeared that way, this carelessness could cost him greatly, he needed a new plan.

Shifting he prepared himself for Mizuki's kiss of death as he defended Naruto against the accusations thrown in his face. Naturally the former sensei grew rather angry, Iruka had always been good at getting people riled up, pulling the last grand shuriken from his back, he spun it and attacked the brown haired chuunin.

Back braced against the trunk, muscles tense, Iruka wanted to do something, even though it was most likely that he would be severely injured if not killed, but he had to make sure that Naruto was safe. Everything else didn't matter but the young blond had to survive, preferably with the scroll staying in the village.

But he before he could move, an orange clad blur shot out from behind a tree and knocked the older man off course. Standing in front of him was a battered Naruto, a battered angry Naruto. He could feel the killer intent leaking off the young boy and for once he was glad that he was not Mizuki right now, because the feeling of dread and malice was thick and suffocating. It reminded Iruka of the night years ago as the great monster had attacked their village and killed everything in sight. He had never seen Naruto like this before.

"If you hurt Iruka-sensei... I will kill you!"

It was no threat, but a promise and Iruka had no trouble believing the younger boy, because his voice spoke of anger and fury as well, dark and spiteful. He really didn't want to be Mizuki right now. The traitor though just laughed and challenged him as if the threat was nothing; clearly he didn't know the Kyuubi container well.

But then Naruto did something that left even Iruka speechless. The blond boy formed one hand seal and performed the Kage Bushin no jutsu, a Kinjutsu which had killed men trice Naruto's age upon attempting it and yet his student had created hundreds of clones, enough to fill the whole clearing without being winded let alone dieing of chakra exhaustion. Just how much chakra did Naruto have?

He wasn't the only one shocked though, the older man didn't move nor did he react to Naruto's taunt, which the blond decided was the signal to make the first move himself. Then all Iruka could see was orange as hundreds of clones closed in on Mizuki and began to beat him senseless. The pitiful screams droned out any other sound in the forest.

Only as Mizuki was bleeding and unconscious on the ground did Naruto stop, seemingly embarrassed by his actions. The jutsu was released and the hundreds of copies vanished with a small puff. Iruka sat and couldn't help himself, he smiled. Naruto would make a great shinobi once he graduated.

"Ha... I overdid it…?"

"Not at all, thank you for saving me…"

".. No one's threats my precious people!!"

"Naruto, come here..."

Iruka noticed how wary the boy really was and simply hugged him as he was close enough. He could feel the small frame stiffen, it was so obvious that Naruto wasn't used to affections of any kind. His heart ached at the knowledge and his own helplessness; he wished he could have done more for the tiny legacy that the Yondaime had left them, much more.

"How about a bowl of ramen tomorrow? My treat."

Naruto's cry of joy was enough. Ignoring the pain he tightened his grip on the boy. The future looked much brighter now.

+back in Iruka's room+

The Hokage regarded the chuunin after he had finished his tale, hands folded and seemingly deep in thought. Iruka kept quiet, knowing that the old man would address him once he had come to a conclusion. With careful movements he finally sat up, a dull throbbing feeling in his back, but that could be ignored. Pain was just that: pain. A signal to tell his brain that his body needed rest.

"You didn't pass him."

If the Hokage's question surprised Iruka, the chuunin didn't show it. Instead he pushed his legs over the edge so that he could face his leader, who was like a grandfather to him.

"No, I didn't."

"Why not? He defeated a chuunin, one of our best! Not many pre-genin could have done that, besides there is also the Kinjutsu he mastered."

"Exactly, I'm well aware that what Naruto did is nearly unbelievable, next to impossible even. But it's precisely my point. Out of all my students only Naruto could do it. If Mizuki had chosen anyone else, they would have been dead the second they attempted the jutsu. Long before either myself or Mizuki could have interfered. Naruto's chakra reserves are greater than the ones of many jounin and adults trice his age, it's the only reason why he is still alive."

Now Iruka felt emotions creeping into his voice, the passion making itself known. He would defend his students, even from the Hokage. That was after all his duty.

"The Kage Bushin is one of the most difficult jutsu, we both know that, but I cannot pass one of my students on the grounds of learning a jutsu that the others cannot hope to replicate, not in the genin exam. And even if I wanted to, the village council and both your advisors are wary of Naruto. They might think that I'm playing favourites, my position is risky as it is!"

I should not have shown so much support, but who else would do it?

The older man had been silent during Iruka's rather passionate speech. He had listened to the arguments the brunet made and he hated to admit it, but his friend had a point. As a teacher he was only allowed to pass performances inside his classroom and considering Naruto's infamous status in the village, everyone probably already knew that he had failed the exam. He had heard the adults talking about it.

Not to mention Iruka's shaky standing with the council and his advisors. He knew that Homura and Koharu only did what they thought was best for the village, but at the same time he couldn't help but think that they were overly harsh with Naruto and Iruka. Especially Naruto who wasn't even responsible for his fate. Iruka, Iruka was another story altogether, he could of course be held responsible for his actions; he had been a genin after all, an adult in the eyes of the village. There were times though when the past should be laid to rest, the younger man had been punished for his actions and would serve his sentence for the rest of his life. But that didn't mean that Iruka's fears were unfounded. The village council, made up from important villagers, wasn't always rational when it came to two of Konoha's scapegoats, even though Iruka was well liked by villagers and shinobi alike.

Turning his head he noticed that the chuunin was still waiting for his answer. With anyone else he might have felt embarrassed that he got lost in his thoughts but the brunet knew him well enough and stayed quiet.

"Your concerns are understandable and I agree; you shouldn't draw too much attention to yourself, especially the council's. It means that you cannot pass him, but I can and I will. He has earned his right to be a genin. I will accept no arguments from them in this case."

Nodding Iruka accepted the explanation, even though he still didn't agree with Naruto being a genin, because he was still lacking the basic skills, but he would not go against his leader's wishes.

"So I won't be staying at the academy any longer? I will go back to work at he mission desk fulltime?"

"Actually, I want you to stay at the academy one more year."

For once Iruka made no move to hide the surprise he felt. One of the dark brown eyebrows arched and vanished behind the loose strands of hair that fell into his face. Disbelief was written all over his face. Iruka wanted an explanation and he wanted it now! The Hokage complied.

"Ibiki has been tending to Mizuki since his capture and what he got so far, doesn't bode well for Konoha."

"Did he get something about his physical condition?"

The Hokage made something akin to a questioning noise as he studied his younger shinobi. Despite the age difference he trusted Iruka implicitly and therefore would take his concern seriously.

"Why are you asking?"

"I tried to knock him out using my two pressure point technique. Though all that happened was that he went down, no loss of conscious. It didn't even slow him down and no he only wore the standard chuunin vest, no armour."

"I know, his clothes were already examined, but they yielded no results. As you said, standard chuunin vest along with the uniform. Did you toy with him?"

"Only a little and not during the confrontation. My back injury hurt too much, I could barely move."

Now a worried expression appeared on the old wrinkled face, he hadn't expected that admission. He and Iruka had worked together for a long time and because of that he knew the chuunin as well as himself. Most people even the shinobi didn't know that the tanned man had once been a prankster, something which sometimes expressed itself in his fights, when he would initiate a game of cat and mouse, but only when he was confident in his victory. Iruka would never jeopardize a mission. Pinching his nose he wished for his pipe. Why couldn't it, for once, be easy?

"Iruka, I signed your discharging papers, I want you to go home. We will talk about this tonight, after you have rested more."

He nodded. Carefully just like before he set his bare feet on the ground and tested the strength of his legs before standing. Turning around he reached for the fastenings of his hospital gown and undid them. A wrinkled hand touched his shoulder and he shuddered at the coolness.

"Let me have a look..."

Fingers brushed down his back and Iruka didn't even try to suppress the pained sound as they slid over the bandages which covered his spine, where Mizuki's grand shuriken had struck home. The hands unfastened the wrapped cotton and he brunet watched detached as the bloodied fabric pooled at his feet. Just another scar to be added to his collection.

"It looks quite good; Iashi has done a fine job. The swelling is already going down, and the stitches have started to heal over. The chakra treats will probably be out in less than a week. However in lights of the recent events I find it more secure to have all of my shinobi on duty."

Goosebumps broke out all over his skin as he felt the tingling sensation of chakra being moulded behind his back. The cackling energy was pushed into his spine and surged through his coils soothing the agony that made every motion a challenge. Iruka sighed with relief.

"Get dressed and then go home. I expect you in my office tonight, the usual time."

With those final sentences the shinobi turned around and left, the door closing soundlessly. Nothing of his presence left behind with the exception of Iruka's now healed back. The chuunin stayed motionless for a few seconds before lifted the bandages from the ground, regarding the soiled fabric he threw them in the bin next to the bed before taking the clean ones which had been provided by the hospital. With practised movements he wrapped them around his chest even though his back was almost as good as new. It never hurt to be cautious after all.

Dressing in the provided clothes took only a few minutes, then he noticed that he had no hair tie, which in itself wasn't a big deal, but for Iruka alone that little detail was a message or rather an order.

So Hokage-sama wants no one to know about my premature release, but why?

Shrugging he stepped into the bathroom to arrange his hair to his liking, while taking great care to disguise his features without the use of genjutsu or make-up. Whether or not he knew the reason was irrelevant, he would do as his leader wanted. With a sigh he pulled a few strands loose and moved them, so that his scar wouldn't draw as much attention as it usually did. Scars were nothing unusual for shinobi, but naturally they drew attention, when they were not concealed and Iruka's scar was not only very old but also eye catching. Stretching over the bridge of his nose like it did.

Evaluating himself in a mirror like some vain royal, he decided that he now looked like a proper civilian. Now came the hardest part, chakra disguise, because no matter how good the physical disguise without proper chakra masking you would be discovered anyway. Simply because someone who was trained to control chakra had a vastly different feel to them than a civilian, who might not even know what chakra was. Therefore his chakra had to be altered, which was no simple feat, but a difficult one which took both patience and endurance not to mention excellent chakra control.

Taking a deep breath he concentrated on the energy crawling through his body, normally placid and calm, ready to be used at his command. There it was, now for the hard part. Carefully he called on the energy and started mixing it inside his coils, creating an image that resembled an enraged ocean. The hardship lay in the ability to irritate the chakra enough that it no longer seemed trained to a shinobi but also could still be controlled and used. It was a thin balance, one that could be destroyed with one wrong move, which meant failure and in the worst case scenario death.

At last he suppressed the now wild and seemingly untamed energy, till it bore a striking resemblance to a civilian with greater chakra reserves. There were hundreds of those in the village. He wouldn't stand out among them; let alone getting a second glance.

Surveying the room one last time to make sure that he didn't forget anything, Iruka grabbed the flowers from the vase and opened the door. The corridor was empty and he couldn't sense anyone nearby. After one last glance he quickly left the ward, reserved especially for the Hokage. Two sets of stairs down and he reached the ward for the long term patients. Slipping inside he greeted the medic-nin, who was manning the desk, before asking her in quiet tones to put the flowers into the room of Mujitsu Ejiki. The medic-nin didn't even look up but nodded nonetheless.

"Mujitsu Ejiki... hmmm... comatose patient... been here for eleven years…."

Iruka turned around as the mumbling trailed off, she wasn't telling him anything he didn't already know and being reminded of the incident was too depressing, so he chose to leave. Again two sets of stairs und he left through the main entrance, none of the clinic personnel had paid attention to him, he was just another civilian visiting a loved one, just like it should be.

Seemingly without care he wandered through the streets and for once he wasn't greeted at every corner by parents who knew him or former students. He revealed in the anonymity and quiet, it was a rare occurrence. No, with his hair down and face mostly hidden by the brown traces he was virtually unrecognizable, at least on first glance. His behaviour was also uncharacteristic for a ninja, he left his back unguarded, muscles relaxed and for once didn't evade the oncoming villagers, who most of the time didn't even try to changer their path. The sensei stopped briefly at a dango shop to buy himself a small meal before going home. After being unconscious for nearly two days, Iruka was famished. Savouring the dango he made his way home. Quite a distance considering that Iruka lived near the Hokage's Tower and the hospital being in a secluded area near the mountains.

Thirty minutes later he reached the apartment block, where his home was also located. Drawing closer he was surprised to see a brown box along with two plants in front of his door? What the…? His hands reached instinctive for his kunai pouch only to discover that it was missing. Ah yes, he was still dressed in civilian clothes. Ignoring the box he unlocked the door. After securing his apartment, he hoisted the box up and carried it along with the two plants inside. Deposing both on the living room table, Iruka inspected the box. There wasn't anything unusual about it, just a plain brown box, filled with kami knows what.

But that would have to wait, Iruka decided. There were more important matters to take care of, the box would have to wait. Wandering inside his kitchen he immediately noticed that some of his things were out of place. It meant someone had been to his apartment during his absence and seeing that none of his rather lethal traps had been triggered the person obviously had a key. That trait narrowed the choice down to three people, one he could immediately exclude as the Sandaime had visited the hospital to see him.

Two options left, but who had been here. It was more likely to be Anko, she worked in the TI department after all and had probably heard about his injury from Ibiki, who was responsible for Mizuki's interrogation. While he was contemplating, his eyes were drawn to one of his ramen bowls, which he had placed next to the sink the evening Naruto had stolen the scroll. Wrinkling his nose he sighed, he really needed to do the dishes. It was only as he stood in front of the sink that he noticed the small note tucked underneath the bowl and he grinned.

Dumping the bowl in the now filled sink, he took the piece of paper and read the brief message. No even trying to hide the smile he felt as if a huge weight had been taken off his shoulders. Anko had been informed by Ibiki and had taken care of everything. It reassured him that some things were still the same, even after all that happened and in moments like this he regretted how everything had turned out. But some things just couldn't be taken back, no matter how much one wanted to. Pinching his nose he set the note back down, before shaking his head. It was no use dwelling on the past, it couldn't be changed anyway.

Besides that his stomach chose this very moment to gain his attention. Dango really weren't very filling as his stomach rumbled again, reminding him that more nutrition would be welcome. Iruka chose to ignore it for now as well, because he could hear the shower calling him. A nurse or medic-nin had probably given him a sponge bath after the fight, but it wasn't enough. Iruka longed for a nice hot shower and a nice hot shower he would get. Thus the chuunin hurriedly undressed, he really didn't like civilian clothes, felt vulnerable in them, but most shinobi did.

Leaving his clothes scattered through the apartment he entered the bathroom, finally a shower. It took more than 30 minutes before the brunet felt clean enough. After showering he slipped into a silver coloured yukata and proceeded to prepare a pack of instant ramen. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't eat them, but since Sandaime was still expecting him in a couple of hours, it would have to do. Wrinkling his nose, he calmly took a pair of chopsticks and ate the noodles, nothing topped freshly made ramen. Stopping he took the bowl and went into the living room, ignoring the squeaking floorboards as he did so.

Sitting down he propped his feet next to the two potted plants and the box. Hiding a grimace at the bland flavour, he hurriedly finished the meal, not really tasting it. Then the chuunin noticed a small envelope hidden between the folds of the box. Inspecting it, he dropped one of the chopsticks and coated the other with chakra. Now the noodles stuck to the wood and he disinterestedly continued to eat as he pulled the envelope out.

The name scrawled on the paper was his and Iruka immediately recognized the loopy and sloppy penmanship as Naruto's. It was always horrible to correct Naruto's written works, when the blond bothered to do them at all. Slurping the broth he opened the envelope, pulled a short letter out and began to read…

"Hey Iruka-sensei…"

+two hours later after leaving the hospital+

The Hokage had finally managed to catch up with his paperwork as he sensed a presence at his window. Seconds later one of his ANBU stood inside the room, having slid through the wall to gain access.

"I wish you would stop doing that, Same."

The ANBU shrugged and tilted the head, face still hidden by a white porcelain mask, before becoming serious. Assuming a formal stance as if to report. The voice was oddly muffled but the mask tended to do that as the shinobi spoke.

"Hokage-sama! Uzumaki Naruto has left the village…"

The ANBU didn't get to finish the sentence as the older man moved with a speed that was nearly unequalled. Hitting the wall with a smacking sound the warrior hissed as a hand closed around his neck, but made no move to defend himself.

"How did that happen? Ryuu was supposed to watch over him!"

The fury in the leader's voice was raw and the tone alone would have been enough to send most chuunin and jounin running, yet the elite shinobi merely attempted to shrug again, ignoring the danger that the hand around his neck entailed while doing so. The mask gave no emotions away, but the Hokage just knew that his trusted shinobi had to be smirking. Why? Simple, one moment he was holding the man up by his neck, the next moment the wall rippled like unruly water as his ANBU slid into stone like it was nothing.

Knowing that he had been overreacting, the strongest shinobi of the village simply let his hand fall back before turning around and taking his seat again. He offered no apologies as the ANBU appeared again right next to his desk, both knew that it wasn't necessary at all. Talking one last calming breath he started to question his shinobi. If Naruto had really left, then he needed the details first before making a plan of action, which most like entailed sending a search troop after him.

"When was his absence first noticed?"

"About 30 minutes ago Umino Iruka was seen at Uzumaki's apartment by Inu. He appeared to be in near panic. After questioning the chuunin Inu proceeded to check Uzumaki's apartment. It was empty as Umino had stated. To confirm the sensei's statements he also went to his house and checked if Uzumaki's possessions were really there. They were just as Umino had described. Inu then informed me. After getting her report I came immediately to inform you. Inu got this from Umino, it appears to be a letter written by Uzumaki Naruto."

The ANBU pulled a slightly wrinkled letter from behind his armour, unfolding it, he handed the paper covered with Naruto's messy strokes to his leader. After that the shinobi stepped back to await future orders. Sarutobi read the letter four times before he finally put the paper down, absentminded he pulled his pipe out and lit it with a small Kanton jutsu, the other man noted that he didn't form seals to do so.

Regarding the shinobi in front of his desk the Sandaime contemplated the next moves. The mask painted with the shark like features didn't offer him any advice, but the old man took comfort in the fact that he had men who he could depend upon. Same wore standard issued pants and a black muscle shirt along with, for once, the white armour. Unlike most ANBU he forwent the armguards, instead opting to wrap them with thick leather and fishnet.

"Same, I want you to go to the Inuzuka compound and retrieve Shinmyou. Track Uzumaki down and bring him back before he is harmed. But before you do that, send Inu in. I want her report as well."

Seconds later the ANBU was gone, just as quietly as he had arrived. The aged man sighed, his pipe had gone out too. He had made many mistakes where the Kyuubi container was concerned and it seemed the spiral couldn't be broken. Leaning back in his seat he faintly wondered, not for the first time, what would have been if Naruto had grown up in another village. Would Yondaime's legacy have been happy, away from the hateful glares shinobi and villagers gave him? Probably, he knew that Naruto often faked a laugh so that no one would see the frail soul hidden beneath the boisterous exterior. The blond was a convincing actor and had it not been for another child like him, he probably wouldn't have noticed at all. Because for all the jounin, who preached about looking 'underneath the underneath', few actually did.

Pinching his nose, he lit his pipe once more. His eyes were drawn to the small piece of paper, which was all that Naruto had left behind save for his possessions at Iruka's place. Were the reasons in the letter the only ones, or were there more? What had caused Naruto to leave the village? It didn't make sense.

While he agreed with Naruto on the issue concerning the teachers he didn't understand what the blond hoped to gain from leaving the village. Civilians couldn't teach him what he needed to graduate from the academy and foreign shinobi guarded their techniques with the eyes of a hawk. He just didn't understand but it was probably a moot point anyway. Same would bring Naruto back. His companion Shinmyou was after all one of the best trackers the Inuzuka clan had to offer.

Sarutobi would have like to send Kakashi but the jounin would take on a genin team in two days and there was no telling how far Naruto had come in the last three, having heard enough tales from the chuunin chasing the blond.

"Bring him back unharmed…"

His voice trailed off as someone knocked at his door, it was probably Inu. The young ANBU had been the one to find Iruka and had checked the apartment that made her report very valuable. They needed all the details even if Same was already on his way to retrieve the little runaway.

"Enter!"

The door opened and Inu entered. She was noticeably shorter than Same had been with a thinner willowy built. Her feminine figure couldn't be completely disguised by the armour she wore. She unlike Same had pulled her mask aside, revealing her face and her long hair. Stopping in front of the desk Inu bowed before resuming the formal stance required for giving a report.

"Hokage-sama called."

"I want a report on tonight's events. Tell me when you met Umino Iruka, what you talked about, which areas in the apartments did you check and for how long."

If Inu was irritated with the orders she didn't show it, instead she started her report in a slow clear voice. From time to time she stopped to clarify a point or answer a specific question, while the Hokage's mood steadily got worse. Every answer matched perfectly with the ones of Same and while he trusted the younger ANBU implicitly he had hoped for more clues.

"That is enough Inu, you may leave.."

The dark haired woman nodded and pulled her mask back in place before turning around. Her hand had already enclosed the handle as her leader spoke once more, but this time with a voice made of ice.

"Inu, please be so kind and tell Ryuu that he has an appointment with Ibiki tomorrow at three and if he isn't there he won't like the consequences."

The female ANBU couldn't quite suppress the shudder that ran through her, the fury hidden beneath that calm icy tone.. she didn't want the Hokage to be angry with her ever. As for Ryuu, he dug himself a hole as he had begun to shirk his duties by letting his personal feelings get involved. She herself had no love left for the Kyuubi child but she would never let her personal feeling affect her duty. It was bad enough hat most ANBU had tolerated that their senior did it.

Now there would be hell to pay and in the end the one who would suffer the most would be the container, because secrets stayed never hidden for long. And an ANBU getting 'questioned' because of the ''demon brat would make the rounds faster than some shinobi moved. She almost pitied the boy. Closing the door behind herself she was glad that she didn't feel the penetrating stare anymore. No the Hokage was definitely someone you angered.

The Hokage watched as Yuugao vanished; mask firmly in place. She was one of his bests ANBU but like many of her colleagues she was rather biased towards Naruto, having lost her father to the Kyuubi. But at least it had yet to impact on her duties, which was why he considered her as a silent shadow once Naruto came back. Of course only for the first few weeks, he didn't have that many shinobi to spare and high class missions were always coming in. They didn't have war, but death would always wait for someone.

Extinguishing his pipe he resolved to go to bed. There was nothing he could do now. One last check to see if everything was ready for tomorrow's schedule he activated the security. Distantly he noted that is should be updated in the next days. After all a boy not even a genin had managed to infiltrate the tower without getting caught and Mizuki had managed to acquire the necessary information, which led him to believe that something big was going on.

For one moment he pitied Same, once he returned from his A-ranked mission, the ANBU would have quite a bit of work cut out for him. Being the shinobi responsible for internal safety, information transfer and information restriction meant that the task of analysing Mizuki's confession would fall to him, if the traitor gave one, but he had full confidence in Ibiki and his skills. Like it or not Mizuki would spill the secrets he hid.

With one last glance he flicked the lights off.

+one hour and thirty minutes after leaving the hospital+

Iruka was frantic, his feet were carrying him over the roofs of Konoha without really thinking about it. In his hand he clutched the short letter Naruto had left him. The chuunin desperately hoped that the boy hadn't already left, the letter had been written during Naruto's preparations so there was a chance that he was still inside the village.

Passing another presence he noted with some surprise that the shinobi, most likely ANBU, was following him. Did he look worried enough for the elite to take notice? Probably, he was certainly looking like Orochimaru, he suppressed another wince at the thought of the former leaf nin, was chasing him.

Finally he reached Naruto's apartment. Jumping down he stood in front of the door, knocking nearly frantically on it. He listened closely, but no hyperactive blond opened and greeted him with an enthusiastic: "Iruka-sensei!"

Naruto was really gone. Balling his hand, he punched the door in frustration. A crunching noise and the wood splintered, leaving a fist sized hole in the door. Great, just great. He cursed under his breath, just what he needed. Another problem, quickly making a mental note to send someone to repair the door he looked around. Had Naruto even an idea, what awaited him outside the village's walls? The story about the Kyuubi and Konoha was known in the whole country, then there were nuke-nin not to mention other shinobi who wouldn't hesitate to gut Naruto and he wasn't talking about Iwa-nin, who would love to rip a carbon copy of the Yondaime apart. And as if that was not enough, there were the political matters to consider.

A young loudmouth pre-genin in another country? Which nation would believe that, they would think of Naruto as a spy and take his actions as means to declare war on Konoha. Kami only knew how long Iwa was already waiting for their chance to avenge their forces they lost in the last war to the Yellow Flash.

He had to inform the Hokage. Turning around, his decision was already made, as he came face to face with the presence that had been following him. It was indeed one of ANBU, Inu to be precise. The woman behind the mask was one year his junior but he recognized her by her presence anyways. She had graduated with him: Uzuki Yuugao. Officially Iruka had yet to deal with her, though he knew that she and Gekkou Hayate were dating. She was a skilled shinobi, which showed as she had been drifted into ANBU two years prior.

"ANBU-san?"

Inu stayed quiet, nothing betrayed her thoughts. Seconds passed before she actually came closer, but not close enough for him to reach her. Should the situation require it she would be able to defend herself as well as attack.

"Is everything alright Umino-sensei?"

There was a tiny mistake she had made, she had addressed him as sensei, and while he was fairly known among the jounin for manning the mission desk, his employment at the academy was mostly known to students and their jounin-sensei. ANBU though wouldn't know even though he frequently held meetings with the Hokage concerning the school. But it was a tiny slip, he didn't mention.

"Hai, it appears that Uzumaki Naruto has left the village!"

The "without permission" was left hanging between them. She tilted her head, probably thinking of her options and the next course of actions.

"Umino-sensei are you sure that that Uzumaki-san has left the village?"

Iruka nodded, more than a bit impatient. Every minute they wasted talking Naruto got farther away. Besides that he would normally snap at the imbecile questioning him about his students, but given that he wanted this to hurry up, he forwent it for once.

"I found his possessions in front of my door, he also left me this letter. I have yet to check other places he frequents such as Ichiraku ramen, but according to this letter it would seem that way."

Lifting his arm he showed the younger woman the letter, which was by now more than slightly crumpled. Suddenly the chuunin hissed, one hand going towards his shoulder. The ANBU started, before coming close enough to touch his shoulder briefly. She had probably heard about the disaster with Mizuki as well.

"I will take you home Umino-sensei. We were informed by Ibiki-sama about the incident with Mizuki. You shouldn't run around, you should be in hospital…"

"But.. the letter.. I have to inform Hokage-sama.."

Scratching his scar Iruka could feel the blush that spread over his face, what was it about him that made women want to mother him? Still he must look like a chastised child in front of the ANBU because the women gently and carefully wrapped her arm around his waist before performing the seals for shushin no jutsu. A chakra reaction and they were off.

They landed nearly silent in Iruka's apartment, which was another tiny mistake as the ANBU had never asked him where he lived, which again implied that she knew him and that was ultimately a small step to her identity. Yuugao wasted no time and immediately inspected the two plants and the box Naruto had left behind. Only after confirming that it were indeed Naruto's belongings did she turn to him.

"Umino-sensei you should rest. Please give me the letter, I will inform Hokage-sama."

Normally Iruka would have frowned and told her he could do it himself, which he did, but he held his tongue. Instead he opted for offering his former classmate the letter that had been left behind. He then made her promise to check the blonde's apartment beforehand, perhaps Naruto had been merely asleep and hadn't heard Iruka. And while he knew that the likelihood of that being true, were as high as the chances of Uchiha Itachi returning, he still wanted to hope.

"Of course Umino-sensei."

With another swirl of leaves the ANBU vanished and Iruka cursed. He hated the leaves left behind by the shushin no jutsu, now he could sweep the floor again, but before doing that there was business to take care of. Checking on last time to make sure that Yuugao had really left, he went into his bedroom passing another room, which was currently unoccupied. Smiling slightly Iruka knew that it would soon change again.

Entering the room he went straight for the closet, riffling through it until he found what he was looking for. Unzipping the standard vest he pulled the long sleeved shirt over his shoulders dropping it carelessly onto the floor before taking the new piece of clothing.

"Naruto, you better appreciate what I'm doing.."

prologue end