Iruka Umino sat at his desk at Mizu Middle School that Wednesday, grading papers while intermittently checking emails. His current paper was covered in scribbles – grammatical errors, misspellings, and one paragraph that ended mid-sentence. He sighed and wrote a large "D" at the top of the page before moving on.
It wasn't that he didn't care about his job anymore – he wanted nothing more than to see these kids succeed. The problem was getting his students motivated. Teaching remedial English at a school that focused primarily on athletics didn't exactly give him much to work with, and in spite of Iruka's best efforts to teach the kids the wonders of reading and writing, they continued to turn in sub-par papers.
Turning back to his computer monitor, desperate to put off reading yet another terrible essay on Shakespeare, Iruka was surprised to find a new email sitting in his inbox. It's subject read "URGENT," and it had been sent by Principal Danzo himself.
"What does he want now?" Iruka asked, taking a sip of his coffee as he clicked open the email. " 'Meet me in my office. Now.' I suppose people don't say please when they ask for things anymore..."
Shoving the papers into his briefcase and shutting down his computer, Iruka started out of the room, turning off the lights as he exited. Locking the door behind him, the teacher headed down the empty hall grumbling to himself.
"He's lucky I'm still here. Most teachers leave almost as soon as the students do..."
Soon, Iruka was standing outside Principal Danzo's office, where he knocked once on the door. Almost immediately, a gruff voice on the inside called out, "Come in."
Tentatively pushing the door open, Iruka poked his head inside and forced a smile. "You wanted to see me, sir?"
"Have a seat, Iruka," the principal replied, motioning towards an open chair.
Iruka nodded and plopped down on the worn, leather seat, staring intently at the old man before him. He'd always found Danzo to be a disgusting person – not only did he have a grating personality and stubborn views on education, but he actually looked frightening. Children often ran as soon as they saw the old man limp along with his cane, his left arm dangling limp at his side. Half the man's face was covered with bandages, as well, giving him the appearance of a mummy. How someone like him had become principal always amazed Iruka.
"I think it's high time we discuss your future here in the Mizu school district, Iruka," Danzo stated flatly, leaning back in his chair. "Tell me, what have done in the past few years that sets you apart from the rest of the school?"
"Not as much as I would've liked, I'll admit," Iruka responded, scratching the back of his head nervously. "I have certainly tried to teach these kids English, but I get the feeling that they just don't want to learn."
"No child wants to learn, Iruka. You have to make a child learn, beat the information into their skull if you have to, so long as they remember it in the future."
"Principal Danzo, with all due respect, I feel it's more important for a child to have the desire to learn than to simply be able to regurgitate information..."
"That's enough!" Danzo snapped, pounding his right fist on the table. "I'm sure Principal Sarutobi taught you that nonsense back when he was still corrupting our youth, but now he's gone. He had a lot of influence, and we're very sad to have lost him, but I can tell you it's for the best. His ideals were weak – they relied too much on emotion, and not enough on hard facts."
"Principal Sarutobi was a great man, and our school greatly benefited when he was in charge."
"Coincidence! Sarutobi was a lucky man, but not much more. He let emotion cloud his judgment. The fact is, if our school is going to receive more funds, then we'll have to improve the average grade level of our students. That means we'll have to do away with this wishy-washy business of Sarutobi's time, and reintroduce disciplined education to our students."
"You can't just make someone learn something! Remember the Chinese proverb 'Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me, and I'll understand.' We have to try and find a way to get these students interested in what we're teaching."
"I don't have to do anything. It's my school, and I'll implement whatever policies I wish in order to lead it in the proper direction. Do I make myself clear?"
There was silence. Both men had remained in their seats, staring each other down as their voices grew louder and louder. Now, though, Iruka had nothing to say – he was trapped. In the end, it was Danzo's decision. "I understand, sir."
"Good. Before we get the students' grades up, however, I'll have to make some cuts in the budget – the government won't give us any extra money for the time being," Danzo continued calmly as he picked up some papers from his desk. "Which brings me to why I called you down here. As of today, you are no longer a teacher at Mizu Middle School."
Iruka was stunned. He felt his blood run cold as Danzo smirked. "You mean... I'm fired?"
"Fired? No – you've done a great job. The fact of the matter is, though, that we can't afford to have so many different English classes. We'll be combining the remedial English students with the normal-paced students."
"But... it's the beginning of the school year. Where am I going to find another job now?"
"That's not my problem, Iruka. Now, you have today to pack up anything you might have in the school and vacate the premises," Danzo said, stapling two papers together forcefully.
Iruka rose, his heart pounding in his chest. What was he going to do? How could he possibly pay for Naruto's schooling now? What about the rent? They were barely getting by as things were... and now he didn't even have a job? It wasn't fair! Just before stepping out the door, the former teacher turned to glare at his boss. "You know, Principal Sarutobi would never have allowed this."
"Oh, I'm sure. Good day, Iruka."
With that, Iruka stepped out of the office, tears of frustration in his eyes. What was he going to tell Naruto?
xxxxx
Sasuke sat at the lunch table that day, feeling strangely uncomfortable. For the past two days he had noticed that something was off, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. Naruto hadn't been nearly as talkative, and whenever he met the Uchiha's eyes, he just looked away, almost as if he was ashamed of something.
Is it what we did in the shower the other day? I didn't picture Naruto as the bashful type... no, there must be something else...
Not only did Naruto have to have another reason for acting so strangely, but Sasuke knew, somehow, that his boyfriend's behavior was not the only thing bothering him. There was something else, as well – something at their table. Kiba was acting like his usual self, shouting unnecessarily loudly and trying to bite off half a hamburger at once. Choji seemed to be the same too, just quietly munching away on his chips. Shikamaru was avoiding Gaara, obviously – they were sitting on opposite ends of the table, and the Nara turned a deep shade of red whenever he met the other's gaze. Gaara wasn't acting so normal himself – he'd opted to sit on the other side of the table, leaving Sasuke and Naruto to themselves. Instead, the redhead was wedged between Kiba and Lee. It was too strange and sudden a change to be a coincidence.
Okay, Shikamaru's bothered by Gaara because of what happened with Temari – that much is obvious. But Gaara... why would he leave Naruto all of a sudden? Something must've happened between them – that's why Naruto's been acting so strangely. Did Gaara make a move when I had my guard down? Did he threaten to blackmail Naruto or something? That bastard... if he does anything to hurt him, so help me...
"Sasuke! There you are!"
The Uchiha snapped out of his reverie and spun around on his seat to find Ino and Sakura looming over him, their eyes glimmering with hunger. "What do you want?"
"What do you mean, 'what do we want?' We came to see you, of course! Everyone's been so depressed the past few days – it's like you've completely abandoned us!" Ino squealed, throwing her arms around her beloved.
"Is that so?" Sasuke replied with a roll of his eyes. "Why did you wait so long to express your sorrow?'
"Well, the truth is, we thought you were only hanging out with Naruto because of that project. I know you got stuck with him, so I told everyone to leave you alone while you worked on it. After all, it was probably hard enough without your fan club breathing down your neck," Sakura explained, nodding her head approvingly.
She's not as dumb as she looks... I mean, she's still dumb, just not as much as she looks...
"Yeah, Little Miss Forehead's right – it wouldn't be fair to be pressuring you into dates when you had Naruto to deal with. But still... now that the project's over, we're just a little curious," Ino continued, pushing Sakura out of the way.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, almost daring Ino to continue. "Yes?"
"Well, why are you still hanging out with them?" the blonde said simply, extending a hand towards the rest of the table in disgust.
How much does she know? Did Gaara already say something to them? Better play it safe...
"They're my friends," Sasuke said calmly, taking a sip of his soda.
"Friends? But they're... well, them!" Ino exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Is that a problem?
Ino was flabbergasted, sputtering random syllables as she tried to comprehend this bizarre turn of events. "But... and... Nar- you? I..."
"Let's go, Ino-pig. If Naruto's Sasuke's friend, then that's all there is to it," Sakura interrupted, dragging the other girl back by the ponytail. "Sorry to disturb your lunch, Sasuke."
With that, the two girls left, arguing loudly with one another as they disappeared into the crowded cafeteria. Sasuke eyed Sakura suspiciously as she walked away, however, feeling that everything had ended far too smoothly.
She knows something... not much, but she's suspicious. I'll have to keep an eye on her...
"Well, that shut them up," Choji commented with a grin before shoving another handful of chips into his mouth.
"They were bound to find out sooner or later," Sasuke replied, shrugging his shoulders.
The rest of the lunch period was awkward and generally quiet. Kiba tried to carry on a conversation with those around him, but it was an uphill battle – both Naruto and Gaara offered only half-hearted, monosyllabic responses. It was starting to get on Sasuke's nerves – what the hell was going on?
Moments later, the lunch bell rang, and the students began to shuffle out of the cafeteria like zombies. Sasuke, however, marched right over to his boyfriend and placed a firm hand on his shoulder, bringing the blond to an abrupt halt. Once the herd of students passed by, the Uchiha walked in front of Naruto and stared him straight in the eye.
"Do you want to tell me what's going on?"
Naruto gazed at the floor a few feet to the right. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Something happened between you and Gaara, didn't it?" Sasuke asked, staring intently at the other teen. "Well, am I right?"
"Look, it's nothing, okay? It's something we need to work out ourselves..."
"Naruto, you know you can tell me anything, right? Isn't that what being in a relationship's all about? Trusting each other?"
"This is different!" Naruto snapped, meeting the Uchiha's eyes almost pleadingly. "Just... drop it, all right?"
With that, Naruto started to walk past Sasuke, but was brought to a halt when the raven-haired teen spoke once again. "It's about me, isn't it?"
"No, it's not that," the blond replied softly, his hands shaking at his side.
"What did he say? Is he using me to get to you? Did he threaten to tell the school about us or something like that? Just tell me, Naruto!" Sasuke asked, growing increasingly irritated with his boyfriend's stubborn attitude.
"It's not like that!" Naruto exclaimed, turning to face the Uchiha. "He's not trying to hurt me - he's in love with me!"
Sasuke felt the color drain from his face. He had never considered the possibility that Gaara might fall for Naruto. To Sasuke, Gaara had always been the bloodthirsty killer of the school and nothing more. Now, he realized that, deep down, Gaara was just as human as the rest of them, and he was in love with Naruto. His Naruto.
"Did Gaara tell you that himself?"
"More or less," Naruto said, looking ashamed once more. "He kissed me... well, he tried to, at least. I pushed him away."
"He kissed you?"
"Shh!" the blond interrupted, cupping a hand over the Uchiha's mouth. "Keep it down! You want the whole school to hear or something?"
Sasuke slapped the hand away and continued in his raised voice. "What the hell do you expect me to say, Naruto? How could you let him kiss you like that?"
"It's not like I knew he was going to do it, Sasuke! He just... surprised me!" Naruto pouted, crossing his arms defensively. "Look, it's not like you knew he was in love with me, either."
Damn – he's got a point.
"Well... yeah, but...I don't know!" Sasuke exclaimed before throwing his arms up in exasperation. He took a moment to regain his composure before speaking in a calmer tone. "What did you do – when he kissed you, that is?"
"I kicked him into a lamp – that's why his hand's all bandaged," Naruto admitted, scratching the back of his head. "Then we talked. I wanted to know what he was thinking."
"And he told you he was in love with you, I take it?'
"Basically. He knew he'd never stand a chance against you, Sasuke, but he still wanted to try kissing me just once. To fly as close to love as possible before spiraling down to a sea of loneliness."
"Like Icarus," Sasuke mused, laughing to himself. As usual, Naruto caught him completely off guard with a profound thought. "And you just left things like that?"
"No, I couldn't completely reject him like that. I told him he could always find someone new, but that I was already in love with you. He'd already accepted that, I think, but I still felt like I was destroying his dreams or something," Naruto continued, shaking his head in confusion.
"You can't help it if someone falls in love with you, Naruto – it's not your job to love them back. It's better to let him no there's no chance of a relationship than to give him false hopes," Sasuke sighed, placing a hand on the vulpine boy's shoulder. "Besides, you've already done more than enough for Gaara – you're his only real friend in the world. If he's learned anything from you, then it shouldn't take him long to create new friendships."
Either that, or Gaara will completely snap and try to kill me... yikes...
"You're probably right, but still... I keep thinking about the time you told me you hated me. I didn't give up – I kept believing I could win you over. Was it right for me to tell Gaara there's no chance? Maybe all he needs is that hope..."
"Naruto, this is for the best, trust me. You're still friends with Gaara, right? You care about him, just not in the same way he cares for you. There's nothing you can do to change that," Sasuke said, running a hand through his hair in thought. "And as for when I said I hated you – I think you knew, deep down, that I was lying at the time. I was scared of the feelings I had for you, and I wanted to ignore them. And you also didn't try to show your feelings for me by kissing me against my will – you defended me instead."
"What are you trying to say?"
"It's hard to put into words... let's just say, if you want to help Gaara, then don't worry about returning your love for him. Instead, just try to be there for him – that's all he really needs," the Uchiha concluded, satisfied with his advice. "For starters, you can join me after school when I go to beat the crap out of him. I might need someone to stop me if I get carried away."
Before Naruto could offer any objection, Sasuke started out of the cafeteria, clenching his fists and biting his lip. Even if Naruto forgave Gaara for what he did, the Uchiha wasn't about to let things go so easily. For one, Gaara had crossed the line by kissing his boyfriend, but he'd also put Naruto into that awkward position. It was Sasuke's turn to stand up and defend his boyfriend, whether the blond liked it or not.
So, the Uchiha crawled through the rest of his classes, tapping his foot anxiously and practically staring at the clock, waiting for the final bell to ring. When that chime finally came at the end of Kakashi's class, Sasuke bolted for the door, his backpack slung over shoulder as he darted down the hall. He didn't even bother to stop at his locker, but instead headed outside, where a small crowd of students had already gathered. He stopped at the top of the stairs and scanned the area, looking for that blood-red hair among the sea of heads.
Before he could find his target, however, Sasuke heard someone approach from behind him. He didn't even bother to look at the new arrival. "Don't try to stop me, Naruto. I have to show Gaara that I'm not just going to let him walk all over me – I have to stand up for myself."
"I know, Uchiha."
Uchiha?
Sasuke spun around in surprise, only to find Gaara standing behind him, his arms crossed. On either side of the redhead were Naruto and Lee, both wearing solemn expressions. "What's going on?"
"I told him you wanted to see him after school," Naruto confessed with a sigh. "He knows you're just doing what you have to do."
"And why's Lee here?" the Uchiha asked, nodding towards the aforementioned teen. "Don't tell me you called in backup?"
"He's with me," Gaara interrupted frostily, shooting Sasuke a warning glare. "He's not going to interfere. This is just between you and me."
Sasuke considered this for a moment, trying to see if he was walking into some sort of trap. He soon came to the conclusion that they were telling the truth – or, at the very least, Naruto was. That was enough. "All right. Just one question before we do this, though: did you know what you were doing? Did you consider the consequences?"
"I knew exactly what I was doing. I knew I'd be rejected, and I knew you'd want retribution. I understand, Uchiha," the redhead said with a nod. "Now, let's get this over with."
Sasuke returned the nod and, taking a breath, punched Gaara right in the cheek. The blow sent Gaara tumbling back into Lee, who caught the redhead in his arms before he could fall to the ground. Shaking his hand, Sasuke simply stared at his opponent. Gaara stared back, his eyes filled with a sort of cold acceptance. He didn't even move to wipe the blood from his lip. This was his punishment, and he knew it.
More importantly, Sasuke noticed the way Lee seemed to be restraining himself. He wanted to fight back, to step in and protect Gaara. Why?
Gaara did say Lee was with him. Did he mean they're... together?
Sasuke cocked his fist once more, preparing to land another blow. He hesitated, seeing the pain in Lee's eyes. Naruto seemed torn himself. Was Sasuke even enjoying this?
I can't do it...
Sasuke's fists unclenched, and he extended a hand to the redhead. Gaara briefly stared at the hand, unsure what he should do, before grasping it with his own. With a grunt, Sasuke pulled his opponent to his feet and smiled.
"Sorry about that."
Gaara was shocked. "That's it, Uchiha? You didn't even hit me that hard."
"You've learned your lesson, I can tell," Sasuke said confidently. "You knew you were in the wrong, I think that's enough. And besides... I'm pretty sure you won't be going after Naruto any time soon."
"What do you mean, Uchiha?" Gaara asked, spitting out a bit of blood.
"Oh, I think you know. Right, Lee?" Sasuke replied, shooting the mop-topped teen a sly smirk.
Neither Lee nor Gaara could say a word. Lee turned a deep shade of red and scratched his chin, while Gaara found his lips curling into a half-smile. Naruto was just relieved that the fight was over as he rushed to his boyfriend's side.
"You're more observant than I thought, Uchiha," the redhead said, walking over to Lee's side. "Truce?"
"For now," Sasuke replied, turning to walk off with his own boyfriend. "If you try anything like that again, though... well, to use your phrase, I'll castrate you with a rusty fork."
With that, Sasuke started down the stairs, feeling quite proud of himself for beating Gaara at his own game. Naruto, on the other hand, was simply confused. "What was that all about?"
"Let's just say Gaara found someone new much faster than we expected."
Naruto's eyes widened. "You don't mean... Gaara and Lee? Together?"
Sasuke didn't say a word – his smirk was a sufficient response.
xxxxx
Iruka Umino sat on the couch in his apartment later that night, staring at the phone with a glass of vodka in one hand. Sitting on the coffee table before him was a half empty bottle of the drink, sitting beside numerous papers he'd torn to shreds in an earlier rampage. His eyes were red, and he looked surprisingly pale.
"Damn you, Danzo. I hope you die in a fire..."
After guzzling down the rest of the vodka, Iruka set the empty glass down beside the bottle and picked up the phone. Though the buttons were somewhat blurry from a combination of alcohol and tears, he managed to dial his desired number and waited, praying no one would pick up on the other end. Sadly, he did not have such luck.
"Hello?" came an energetic voice on the other end. A dog was barking in the background.
"Hi, Naruto," Iruka said with forced enthusiasm, trying to cover his slurred speech.
"Oh, hey, Dad! What's up?"
"Nothing, nothing – I just wanted to see how things are going down there. Having a good time at school and everything?"
"Yeah! It's been great this year!" Naruto exclaimed on the other end. "Sorry I haven't called you recently – I've just been really busy."
"That's fine, that's fine. I'm glad to hear things are going well," Iruka said, wiping away a tear as he spoke. "Look, Naruto, I have something to tell you..."
"Wait just a second, Dad," Naruto interrupted, "Stop it, Sasuke! That tickles!"
Sasuke? Who's Sasuke?
"Ha-ha! I said stop it! Leave my feet alone!" Naruto continued on the other end, accompanied by another boy's laughter. "That's it, I'm so going to get you after this! You still there, Dad? What was it you had to tell me?"
"Oh... just... stay out of trouble, that's all," Iruka concluded, feeling a sharp stab of pain in his heart. "Now go get Sasuke, or whoever it is, all right?"
Naruto hesitated. "Y-yeah, sure. Will do. Bye, Dad."
"Goodbye, Naruto."
"Dammit, Sasuke! Now my Dad heard –"
With that, the phone cut off on the other end, and Iruka found himself chuckling pitifully. "I couldn't do it... I can't bear to break his heart like that..."
Soon, the forced laughter had turned into tears of anger, and Iruka found himself grasping the glass once more. He just stared at the glass for a moment, tears running down his cheeks as he curse. "Damn you, Danzo! I'll see you in hell!"
With a roar, Iruka hurled the glass at the wall, causing it to shatter with a loud crack. As the shards fell to the carpet, the former teacher collapsed back onto the couch in a heap of despair.
"What the hell am I going to do?"