Notes

“Naruto that’s too heavy for you to carry by yourself,” Sasuke warned, but like always, Naruto went ahead by himself.

“No sweat, Sasuke, I can handle it...fine,” the blonde said, lifting the rather large box up and off the ground, trying to move it one step at a time. The strained look on his face told Sasuke that once again Naruto had bitten off more then he was able to chew and would eventually need help. With a groan of exasperation, he got up and helped heft up the box, making it easier to carry out of the attic into the room below.

They were helping Iruka with some chores. There had been a steady lack of missions for the two ninja so the older sensei had given them something to do while they waited for a mission to present itself. Sakura was downstairs dusting and vacuuming while the boys had decided to clean out the attic. This chore consisted of mostly taking all the old boxes and going through them to see if anything could be sold or pawned. They weren’t supposed to start going through things until Iruka got back from the store though, they were actually just getting the boxes out of the attic so that all would be ready once the sensei got home.

They were currently loading the last box into the empty room just beneath the attic where they’d start sorting once Iruka got home. The box got set down and Naruto promptly fell flat on his tuckus, panting as though he’d run a mile.

“What the hell is in that thing?”

“Family heirlooms, an old baby cradle the possibilities are numerous,” Sasuke pointed out, taking a seat on the carpet next to Naruto. He noticed the blonde now had a grin on his face for whatever reason. “You have gas again?”

Naruto gave him a look.

“No stupid,” he said, sounding offended. “I was thinking maybe we could start going through this stuff before Iruka gets here.” Sasuke gave him an unsure look. “It’ll be helpful! Everything’ll be out of the box and easier to look through!” Admittedly, Sasuke believed that they should wait for Iruka since some of this stuff was probably really personal like old childhood toys or something. Then again, Naruto made a good point. It would spare the need for so much effort later.

“I...I guess that would be a good idea,” he admitted. He looked up to find Naruto already rummaging through the box. He sweatdropped. “A little too eager aren’t you?”

“Hey! There’s a lot of neat stuff in here!” He hadn’t even heard Sasuke. However, curiosity got the better of the now chunin warrior and he too had to peek inside.

“What have you found?” Naruto decided it was easier to just tip the oversized box over and allow the contents to pour out on top of him, getting himself buried beneath an assortment of strange objects. He popped out at one point holding an old tethered baby blanket.

“I think it’s Iruka-sensei’s old baby blanket! See, it’s little kid designs on it like bears and stuff.” Sure enough, around the edge of the blanket were little brown teddy bears with different colored bows and eyes. On the inside of the blanket was the symbol on their headbands for the village hidden in the leaves.  Sasuke smirked.

“Wouldn’t have pictured Iruka to be someone who slept with a baby blanket.”

“Well, even was a baby once I guess,” Naruto said. Sasuke now went digging through everything and popped out with what looked like a scrapbook.

“Hey Naruto, check this out,” he said, motioning for Naruto to abandon the empty fishbowl he was examining. He plopped down next to Sasuke just as the black-haired chunin was opening the book to the first page.

“Hey cool!” His eyes widened at one point. “Is that...?”

“Iruka as a baby?”, Sasuke finished. On the first page was a picture of Iruka as a chubby infant. You could clearly see wisps of dark hair on his forehead and he lacked the scar on his nose he now wore after the fight with the nine-tailed fox.  He was wrapped up in the blanket Naruto had found and was being held by a mysterious woman with dark brown hair.

“That must be Iruka-sensei’s mom,” he pointed out. Sasuke merely nodded and turned the page.  The book was filled with old photos and paper mementos. For instance, they found a copy of his birth certificate and even his ninja info like age and blood type at the time he’d become a ninja. There were a few photos of whom Sasuke and Naruto assumed to be Iruka’s parents. They noticed though, halfway through the book that the two people stopped appearing when Iruka looked about their age; the time around which he was a student at the ninja academy. The book ended with a picture of Iruka proudly sporting his head band, looking almost EXACTLY as proud as Naruto had been when he’d finally been able to wear that symbol upon his brow. Sasuke closed the book and set it down.

“What else is in there?”, he said, now curious as to what could be found.

They rummaged around for about an hour finding little more then a bunch of old baby clothes and toys. They found an old dog collar with the name “Pika” written on it. Who knew Iruka ever owned a dog? Eventually though, they came upon an old shoe box that looked like it hadn’t been used for a while. Since Naruto was the one holding it, he opened the box and found it was FULL of notes. Not the notes Sakura took all the time in class, no, these were like...love notes, for lack of a better word. The were folded up just like the notes that kids passed back and forth through class and some of them had little chibi faces drawn on them. Naruto set down the box and looked at one of the notes that looked like it had a little chibi face of Kakashi on it make the victory sign with a pair of rather pudgy fingers. Written on it were the words “To My Dear Iruka, From The Great Hatake Kakashi”.

“Hey Sasuke!”, he yelled over at the older ninja, motioning him to come over.

“What did you find?”, he asked, sitting next to Naruto as he unfolded the note.

“I think it’s a note from Kakashi-sensei to Iruka-sensei.” Sasuke and Naruto both began to read the note, curious as to what the two could have written to each other about when they were complete opposites from what the younger ones had seen.

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
My Dear Iruka,

Hello! ^_^ You looked really grumpy this morning. Something the matter? Write back and tell me if something is! DARN YOU MAKING ME WORRY LIKE THIS!!

The Great Hatake Kakashi
!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Under the signature was that same chibi face of Kakashi, though this face was crying like people do in the cartoons, the tears, looking like little waterfalls. Then they found something written underneath it, though it a slightly neater handwriting.

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
Kakashi-

Nothing’s the matter, just haven’t had the best morning. I’ve got a slight headache but that’s pretty much it. Now stop writing me and focus on the lesson. CRAP! I think the sensei saw me writing!

-Iruka
!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Naruto laughed.

“Iruka-sensei sounded just like Sakura if you ask me!”, he said, letting out a bellowing laugh.

Sasuke couldn’t help but laugh a little. True enough, the wording did sort of remind him of his pink-haired partner. He picked another note out of the box and opened it, Naruto having to lean over to see what it said.

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!
Kakashi-

I wanted to write to you about yesterday...and...I’m sorry...I’m REALLY sorry! I didn’t know you were serious about what you said! I figured you were joking around like usual, you know, like when you always called me “Your Dear Iruka”. I didn’t mean to insult you and...God, had I ANY idea that you meant what you said I would NEVER have pushed you away!
Thing is...I...I...Well, this is hard to say in writing...but I’m so afraid to say it out loud! Kakashi...you know I’ve always looked up to you and...well you being a year older then me I respect you as well even though sometimes it’s hard to tell. In the midst of all that...I began to develop...feelings for you. >_< Dear God I’m blushing as I write this and I’m sure the other kids see it, but oh well, this needs to be said.
I love you too Kakashi...I really do...I can understand if you don’t want me after what I did but...at least now you know. Please write me back soon...

-Iruka
!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

They blinked.

They glanced at each other.

They blinked again.

Repeat.

They then  began digging through the notes, opening each one and scanning them. Seems Iruka had gone through and dated the notes. Wow the guy had a lot of free time.

“FOUND IT!!”, Naruto said triumphantly, holding up a square piece of paper that was folded over four times and Iruka had written the same date on it as the previous note.

“Don’t just stand there holding it up open it!”, Sasuke demanded. Naruto quickly opened it and was pleased to find that it was indeed Kakashi’s response to Iruka’s note.

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!
Iruka-kun,

I understand the pushing more then you think. Frankly I don’t know what kind of response I was expecting to get out of you after that! What the hell was I thinking believing you’d just right away be all hunky-dory with it!
But in response to your previous note...I don’t know what to say! I’m thrilled! Yes! Thrilled you like me back!  ^_^ It’s more then I’d ever wished for!  Of course I still want you! You had every right to react the way you did now that I look upon it in retrospect.
Though...since we’ve got our feelings out of the way....
Dinner and a movie Friday night sound good? ^_^
Write me back!

IRUKA’S SEME: Kakashi
!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Underneath that was some more writing from Iruka. Naruto burst out laughing at it and Sasuke merely grinned and chuckled lightly.

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Time out! Who said YOU were the seme?!

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

You’d SO be on the bottom...Iru-chan!  HAHAHA!!!

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

You S.O.B!!! Why don’t you prove it!

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

“Oohhhh, that sounds like a challenge,” Naruto mused, wiping away a tear from his eye.

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

I’d be very happy to prove it some time my love. ^_~ Name the place and time.

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

There was no reply after that. Just a badly drawn doodle of Kakashi getting squashed by Iruka wielding a giant mallet.

“Find another one, these are pretty funny!” Sasuke rummaged around and eventually popped out another note and popped it open, not knowing what to expect, but curious nonetheless.

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!
My Dearest Iruka,

Last. Night. Was. GREAT!!!  (enter a chibi Kakashi face grinning ear to ear) Are you sure you’ve never done that before because Jean Claude Van DAMN YOU’RE GOOD!!! ^^ And all those little noises you made were so cute! We have to do that again soon! *shiver* I get turned on just thinking about it!
Sorry if I hurt you at all. I mean, I imagine it would hurt! You looked like you were in pain when you sat down today. Are you all right?

Iruka’s Man-Attachment-
Kakashi
!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Kakashi,

I’m fine. Just a little sore is all. And...agreed last night was good....err....amazing...err...fantastic...um....
WHEN CAN WE DO IT AGAIN!?
O_O *blush* Sorry...um...I really, really enjoyed our night together....no I’ve never done it before and...well...the noises were due to it being so new really....

-Iruka

P.S. -_-; You are NOT a man attachment for the love of God...

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

“Wow...who would’ve guessed that Iruka and Kakashi-sensei were a couple, yanno?”, Naruto said, scratching the back of his head. Sasuke wasn’t listening, already reading another note. It looked like a photocopy of the original. What reason would Iruka-sensei have to make a copy of his note to Kakashi? As Sasuke read, he realized why. His eyes widened and for a rare moment, showed a good deal of emotion.

“Naruto...,” he said, nudging the blonde in the side. “You have to read this.” Naruto took the note and began to read. Eventually his expression changed as well.

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!


My Dearest Kakashi,

You’re graduating tomorrow. This means you’ll be assigned missions and things like that and I might not get to see you as often. I realize that you only get D and C ranked missions but those can still be dangerous. Plus, you might be gone for a few days at a time and if that is the case, I hope you consider this the note you always carry with you or something like that.
I love you.
I know I’ve said it before, but I feel I need to say it again.
I don’t know when the next time I see you will be, so I’ll write everything I want to say right now and give this to you tomorrow.
I love you. I probably always have, just hadn’t been able to recognize it. I don’t say it as often as I should, in fact I complain a lot when you tease me even though I know that’s your way.  I apologize for all of those times, and even the times before when we were just friends. You’re the world to me, even in the times where it seems like I hate you. That’s never the case, even when we fight I still love you and always will.
Please come back safely from all your missions. May God watch over you.

Love,
Iruka
!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

“Wow...,” Naruto said. He’d have never guessed that Iruka’s feelings for Kakashi ran so deep. He looked over at Sasuke who was reading what looked like it might be Kakashi’s response. “Hey, what’s that one say?” He leaned over Sasuke’s shoulder to read it along with him. Even the handwriting was different, as though their teacher had taken is precious time writing it so that it was perfectly neat and easy to read.

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!
Iruka-koi,

I can assure you that you need not worry about my safety. I’ve trained diligently as you have and will not allow myself to come back to this village dead or to be picked up by some tracker. I’ll always come back to you no matter what it takes for me to do so. Just so you know, I’m leaving on a mission tomorrow morning so I don’t know if I’ll be able to say goodbye to you even. It’s a lower C ranked mission so it probably won’t take more then the whole day. In any case, you don’t need to worry about me, even though you’re so cute when you worry.
When I get back the first thing I’ll do is visit you and tell you all about it. I’m sure you’d love to hear what an actual ninja mission is like.  Well...now that I think about it, the first thing I’ll probably do is kiss you. Take you in my arms and kiss you deeply, the way that makes you just melt like ice cream on a hot day.  THEN I’ll tell you about the mission. And then....then I’ll make love to you. It’ll be like the first time we ever did it. I’ll kiss you deeply and slowly, my hands exploring your perfect body. I’ll listen intently to all those little mewling and purring noises you make that I love so much. I’ll watch as that bright blush creeps across your cheeks and makes you look so virginal. They way your hands cling to me, pulling me closer to you, the way your supple lips seem to surrender almost immediately to any touch.
I’ll think of you any mission when I’m gone. And look forward to coming back to you. And again, don’t worry, I can look after myself. You just worry about getting through your classes until you graduate as well. Maybe then we’ll get to work together on something. ^_^ Won’t that be fun?
Till next I see you.

Love
Kakashi

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Sasuke folded the note up carefully, as through afraid of ripping it. Any believes they’d had about Kakashi being nothing more then a constantly tardy fool were completely shattered. It was hard to believe that the same guy who was constantly late to any appointment, who was completely blatant about his opinions of something could show this much emotion in mere writing. And for someone he seemed not to get along with no less! It was hard to remember they were still reading the words written by their sensei.

They carefully put the two notes back in the box and replaced the lid on it. Suddenly from downstairs came the noise of a door opening and closing and Sakura’s voice shot up through the house.

“NARUTO, SASUKE!! IRUKA-SENSEI’S BACK!!” The two glanced at each other and nodded in a silent agreement that it was not necessary to tell Iruka they had found the box of notes. They set it back into the bigger box and proceeded downstairs where Iruka would surely need help putting things away.

No one would be told about the notes, not even Sakura. The two chunin knew enough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~