Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Lost on the Road of Life ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

Hey minna! Wee! I am so excited for this chapter. It's gonna be awesome.

 

Disclaimer: No own

 

OOO

 

“Gasp. Where did Naruto go?”

 

A giggle came out from under the baby's blanket. The blanket shifted as the giggling increased. A wrinkled hand came down and snatched the blanket away, revealing the blond boy.

 

“Ah! There he is!” Sarutobi cried, smiling down at the baby. Naruto laughed now, clapping his hands in joy. The older man chuckled as he tossed the blanket over the baby again. “Gasp. Oh no! Naruto's gone again! Where did he go?” the old man said faking his shock.

 

This time it was Naruto who pulled the blanket off, smiling up at the old man. “Oh there he is!” Naruto laughed again as Sandaime chuckled. The Hokage smiled as he reached down for the baby. Naruto held on to the blanket as he was raised in air, just incase another game of “Peek-a-Boo” was in store.

 

“Ah, Naruto, now it's time to go see your father. The rains have passed and it isn't too humid outside,” Sarutobi said as he walked out of the nursery.

 

Kakashi had been sent out on a mission to the Lightning Country two days ago. As much as the jounin didn't want to leave Naruto, he had a duty to fulfill and reluctantly left the baby in the Third's care. Iruka had been given the week off so he could train with his team, as Gomi-sensei requested.

 

So Naruto was left solely in his care while the two boys were away. Not that he was complaining. The baby was a fascinating subject, very fun to be around. And it seems he also picked up a few ninja skills from Kakashi and Iruka.

 

Naruto had placed his blanket over himself as they went out in the hall. Passing shinobi stopped and humored Naruto in his game of “Peek-a-Boo”. Of course he was only found when he himself had revealed his hiding spot under the blanket, then left the shinobi baffled as he hid himself again.

 

Soon the two had arrived outside and were heading towards the top of the tower. Naruto was now trying to pull on the Third's beard, though his hand would gently be pulled away. The old man approached the rail, careful of the squiggling Naruto.

 

The Fourth's face was as solemn as ever as he looked over the village. The other three heads followed his gaze but none looked as serious as he did. Sarutobi let his mind wander as he looked up at the stone face, wondering how things would be if history had taken another course.

 

“Gah!”

 

Sarutobi looked at Naruto, who was pointing up at the Fourth's head. “Goo,” he said, still pointing at the Fourth. Sarutobi smiled at the baby. So he knows.

 

“Let's go back inside Naruto. I believe it's time for your nap.”

 

OOO

 

Kakashi twitched as Iruka sighed for the sixtieth time that day. He had only been here for three hours and he was just sighing all the time. How sad could he be?

 

Kakashi twitched again as he heard Iruka sigh. The young jounin looked over the rim of his book (which he had been trying to read) at the younger boy. How could he read about Aya and Kaori if Iruka kept interrupting him every three minutes?

 

And he was just getting to good part too.

 

“What's your problem?” Kakashi asked rather harshly. Iruka looked at him over his shoulder. Naruto squirmed around on the changing table, waiting for Iruka to finish changing his diaper. Iruka sighed again, making Kakashi twitch.

 

“Nothing's wrong. Just don't mind me.” Iruka picked up the newly changed Naruto, gave him his pacifier and went over to the rocking chair. After sitting down he began to rock, trying to get Naruto to sleep.

 

Now Kakashi knew something was wrong. Naruto's nap time wasn't for another hour, yet Iruka was trying to get him to sleep now. Something must really be wrong with him. Naruto felt it too, as babies are more sensitive to those around them. Naruto looked up at Iruka with his big blue eyes. He cooed at the boy and laid his head against his chest, offering what little comfort he can. Iruka didn't seem to notice.

 

Now Kakashi had to find out what was wrong with Iruka. Because he was making Naruto sad, thus making Kakashi sad. And Kakashi didn't like being sad.

 

“Hey, Kakashi, I have to go now. I'll see you later.”

 

Iruka stood from the rocking chair and handed the now sleeping Naruto to Kakashi. Iruka grabbed the backpack he had set on the floor and headed for the door. Before he could open Kakashi called out to him.

 

“Wait a second, kid. Where are you going in the middle of the day?” Kakashi was now standing behind him. Iruka didn't even look back at Kakashi. Dark bangs shadowed over the boy's eyes and a tanned hand reached for the door knob.

 

“Where are you going?” Kakashi demanded now. He had grabbed the boy's shoulder with his hand in an attempt to stop him.

 

“Let go,” Iruka snapped, harshly shrugging off Kakashi's hand. “What do you care anyway?”

 

“We're a team, kid. And teammates are supposed to tell each other their problems.”

 

“I already have a team. But I don't get to train with them because I'm stuck here taking care of that demon.” Iruka ruthlessly opened the door and stepped outside. The poor door was once again slammed shut, waking up little Naruto from his nap.

 

Kakashi was mad now.

 

OOO

 

Sandaime fed another spoonful of mush to Naruto. Kakashi sat in a chair nearby brooding about what happened earlier with Iruka. The old man was informed of what happened by Kakashi and was considering the best way to tell the jounin the reason of the young boy's actions. Sigh, teenagers these days.

 

“Kakashi, do you know what today is?” Sarutobi asked he fed Naruto. Kakashi shook his head and muttered a `no'. “You see Kakashi today is Iruka's birthday.”

 

After not getting a response, Sarutobi continued. “Like many other children, Iruka lost his parents during the Kyuubi's attack. This is the first time he's ever had to spend his birthday alone.”

 

Kakashi looked at Sarutobi before looking down at his hands. Kakashi had spent many of

his own birthdays alone. In all his life he only two parties thrown for him. They were the last “special occasions” his team had been together. Not only did Iruka not have his teammates but his parents were no longer there to celebrate with.

 

But why should he pity the other boy? This was his first birthday alone, while Kakashi had already gotten used to his loneliness. Why should he care?

 

The old man picked up Naruto and headed upstairs to bathe him. Kakashi was left to own devices.

 

A few minutes later Sarutobi returned to tell Kakashi that Naruto had fallen asleep. But the young jounin was nowhere to be found. The Hokage glanced at the open window and smiled.

 

Slowly the old man headed up the stairs again to his office.

 

OOO

 

To say finding Iruka was hard would be a lie. And Kakashi didn't like to lie, he just always avoided the saying the truth. But where else would a grieving child of ninjas be other than at the Ninja Memorial?

 

And that's exactly where he found him.

 

Iruka sitting in front of the stone tablet his knees drawn up to his chest. His eyes had a far away look in them. Kakashi landed a few feet away from him when he arrived. He walked up to the younger boy and stood next to him. A heavy silence settled between them before Kakashi decided to speak.

 

“Hokage-sama told me it was birthday today.” Iruka didn't move, so Kakashi continued. “I'm sorry about your parents but mourning won't bring them back.” Still no response. “Look, I know how it is to be alone your birthday. I lost my parents too you know.”

 

Iruka only blinked. Kakashi mentally growled. “Fine! I try to be nice to you and this is what I get?” He was about to walk away when he heard the other boy speak softly.

 

“Once when I was little, I think I was seven, I woke up and headed down stairs.” Kakashi stood next to Iruka again, silently urging him to continue. “Usually my mom made this cool breakfast, but when I got down there she just gave me this crummy oatmeal.

 

“I was so shocked I didn't even move for awhile.” Iruka smiled as he remembered. “Every time I'd try to ask if they forgot what today was they'd just interrupt me. All I could think about at school was how angry I was and how I would ignore them when I got home.

 

“When I did get home, they weren't there. All that was left was this little note saying how sorry they were about missing my birthday.” Iruka looked up at Kakashi from his spot on the ground. “They both had important missions to do that day and forgot about my birthday.” Iruka returned his gaze to the stone in front of him. “It was the first time I ever had to spend my birthday alone.”

 

Kakashi looked at the boy and then at the stone, instantly finding his friend's name. Almost instantly, his hand shot up to touched his covered left eye. Almost.

 

“Did you really mean what you said, Kakashi?” Iruka asked. At the confused look he got he elaborated. “About us being a team?”

 

Kakashi blinked at the boy before curving his eye into a crescent. “Of course I did.”

 

Iruka stared at the older boy in shock before smiling himself. This kid needs to smile more often, Kakashi thought. Iruka placed his hands on either side of him as he pushed himself up. “I'm glad Kakashi. To be honest, I feel…more at home when I'm with you and Naruto. I always wanted brothers, y'know?” Kakashi stared at Iruka, not really comprehending what he had just said. Before he could say anything, Iruka's knees buckled under him.

 

“Whoa! Hey what just happened?”

 

Kakashi sweat dropped. “Were you sitting like that since you left?” Iruka nodded. “Idiot, you're legs are asleep. You need to wake them up.”

 

Iruka groaned. “Aw man! But they feel all tingly and it hurts to move `em.” Kakashi just gave him a look. “What do you expect from sitting there for five hours?” Iruka laughed from his spot on the ground. It was already night as the sun had set without them knowing.

 

“Well, I didn't think this would happen.”

 

“The thing is you didn't think.”

 

Iruka looked up at the jounin to retort but stopped when the gloved hand appeared in front of him. At a loss for words, Iruka could only look at Kakashi for an explanation. Kakashi averted his eye from Iruka's brown ones.

 

“Just grab my hand so I could help you up, ok?”

 

Iruka nodded and grabbed onto Kakashi's hand. Kakashi pulled Iruka up onto his half numb legs, amused at how the younger struggled to stay up. Iruka grumbled as bent down to pick up his back pack. “We leaving?” he asked.

 

Kakashi nodded. “Answer something for me first.”

 

“Ok. Shoot.”

 

“What would you and your parents do today if they were still alive?”

 

Iruka blinked then smiled softly. “They would take me to the Ichiraku ramen stand and let me eat all I wanted.”

 

Kakashi raised an eyebrow in response. “Ramen? Ugh, that stuff makes me sick.” Iruka gasped, not believing what he had heard. “How can you not like ramen?” he cried. “It's the greatest thing in the whole world!”

 

“It's not healthy. One bowl is just loaded with fat,” Kakashi replied as he crossed his arms.

 

“Ramen is healthy! It has tons of vitamins and stuff.”

 

“Like what?”

 

Iruka faltered. “Well…there's that stuff…and…it…its just healthy ok? Besides, there are vegetables in it.” Kakashi scoffed and turned on his heels and walked towards the village. Iruka followed after him, ranting about how great ramen was and how funny his legs felt.

 

It was the start of a great relationship.

 

OOO

 

Iruka opened the door to his apartment. He called out a quiet “I'm home” before remembering that he wasn't going to get an answer. He removed his shoes and put on his house ones. He was about to take off his kunai holster when he noticed the kitchen light was on.

 

Somebody's here! Using his training, Iruka sneaked near the doorway leading into the kitchen, trying to hear someone moving around. He couldn't hear anything.

 

With a kunai in hand Iruka prepared himself to attack.

 

One…two…three!

 

Iruka gave a cry as he appeared in the doorway to find…no one? A blush quickly made its way to his face, making the scar more visible. He sighed and put his kunai back in the holster. That was when he noticed his table. Or more precisely what was on his table.

 

It was a bowl of ramen. A bowl of Ichiraku ramen.

 

In front of the bowl was a note addressed to him. Picking it he opened it and read.

 

Iruka,

 

Happy Birthday

 

-Kakashi

 

Iruka almost burst out into tears after he read the note. Sniffling he looked at the note once more before putting it in his pocket. He pulled up his chair, sat in it, muttered a quick `itadakimasu', broke apart a pair of chopsticks and began eating.

 

I guess I could try to like him.

 

OOO

 

Huzzah! I'm done!

 

Finally!

 

Points up Ano, that's just my sis. But I don't have time to talk to you right now, sis, I have reviews to answer!

 

wolvesmo0n, tiggra, NekoRaven, anbu-kakashi, karin and uzumakikaida thatnks for reviewing and saying my story was cool. I really appreciate it! XD

 

Dryden: I originally planned this story with no pairings, but later realized I was going to have one. This story writes itself sometimes, really.

 

Uzamaki Liliana: Uh, thanks. I like ya too…cough Er, um, yes this will be KakaIru and thanks for saying it's cute. XD

 

madnarutofan: Wow! My first flame ever! But anyway, I'm all up for criticism and stuff, but you crossed the line when you said this was crap. As for it being unoriginal I rarely see any stories like this. And for the perversion; what do you expect? Jiraiya's a pervert, Kakashi's a pervert, Ebisu's a closet pervert, and even the Sandaime has had his moments. But if you don't like my story, then please don't read it.

 

MalletWielderofDoom: I wish I knew why Sasuke turns out like that. I try to draw to, I've been told I draw ok; I just can't get Kakashi right. But people like you and me just got to keep on trying! And I update every month or so X/

 

Rock_Fox: In the anime no, in here he's bi. I really can't say he's fully gay or my sis gets mad.

 

Manatheron: Ne, sorry if I sounded mean then, I really didn't mean to. As for Naruto being female, I'll only write him like that if he uses the Sexy no Jutsu. Iruka just got over his demon thing. Yay!

 

Ulitheal: Really? That's what Kakashi would do? Hm…I never realized that till now.

 

R/R!! Pwease!