Chapter Text
“Oh”
Warm golden light, steady hands in his hair, sweet coconut scent everywhere.
It's all so soft and all too good. Then Naruto opens his eyes and it's real real real.
“I thought I was dreaming again.ˮ Naruto whisper in the peaceful quiet.
Iruka laughs softly. “I am real.ˮ
Is it ok if Naruto wants to wake up like that all day, everyday? The cub gets up and looks at his surroundings. They are not in the kitchen anymore. “I didn't know you had a real bed.ˮ
It's a bedroom very much like the one of Naruto. Except the bed and the other furniture are not arranged the same way. The bedsheets are green instead of blue. There's no empty ramen boxes on the floor. It's all clean and fresh and bright.
Iruka laughs again. “I do, I just like sleeping in the kitchen sometimes.ˮ
“Why ?”
“It's- I feel safer there, I suppose,” Iruka scratches the back of his head and looks away sheepishly. “It's okay if you find it weird.”
“No, I think I get it. I like to sleep behind the door.ˮ Naruto flop back into the bed, it’s soft and comfy, the ceiling over them is as clean as the rest of the room, no mold or cracks in sight. “The masked men told me I can't sleep by the window anymore. So I sleep by the door. That way I can still hear the people behind. The noise makes me feel better.”
“Nobody..there is no one that comes to check on you sometime?”
The kid shakes his head then shifts around awkwardly for a few seconds, the bitter scent is back. It’s faint and Iruka doesn't let it show, but there is clearly something bothering him.
“The nurses used to come everyday to bring me food,” Naruto explains “now they just leave it by the door. They never really like speaking with me.”
The grown up looks at him curiously. The frown is back in place and Naruto doesn’t know how to fix it. “It’s their loss, you’re a great conversationalist.”
“Conversa-shiona-wha?” It’s a big word the kid has never heard before. His poor attempt to repeat it makes the grown up laugh loudly. Iruka rubs a hand on top of Naruto's head, it should probably make him pout but the frown is gone so he reluctantly accepts the teasing.
“It means I like to talk with you.”
It makes something in Naruto’s chest warm. Iruka is not lying, he genuinely likes being around Naruto. Iruka is so weird.
The cub grabs fistfuls of blanket, the fabric is soft between his fingers, it doesn’t smell as clean as the pile of laundry they have been sleeping on for the past few days. It’s kind of dusty, well worn, still it carries the same scent as Iruka.
Clary Sage, sweet coconut, salt and water- the sea, or well that’s how he always imagined the sea to smell like. It’s fresh and warm, comforting in the way he used to feel when he was very small.
It feels like the sunny days when they were allowed to run around in the orphanage’s courtyard. A tall grass field overgrown with millions of different plants. The light was so bright he had to crease his eyes, everything reduced to the blur of a vivid expanse of green beneath his naked feet and the endless blue sky above his head. Other children enjoyed the freedom so much that they did not care if he was laughing along with them. Splashing water, chasing each other through the tall grass until they were out of breath.
Red and green marks on his skin was the mark of a day well spent. Once, a younger nurse had fussed over his scrapped knees. Covering them in green bandaids that Naruto kept on long after the scrapes healed.
He never saw her again after that day. Sometimes he wondered if she was doing ok now. She probably didn’t know they weren’t supposed to be so nice to him. Maybe she is mad at him for getting her into trouble.
He wished he could at least say sorry and thank her again.
Now Naruto is here with Iruka. And the grown up knows who Naruto is and is still kind. He invites him into his home and shares his food. He looks at the kid with worry instead of horror. He covers Naruto in that sweet scent that makes him feel protected and cared for. Every time something is bothering Iruka, it’s never because of Naruto.
The man does all of this and asks for nothing in return.
Iruka is so weird.
“Can I ask you another question?” His voice is so small that for a moment he thinks the grown up could not have heard him.
“Anything.”
Anything. He says like offering something other than everything is not even an option. Like it’s the easiest thing to say. As if his kindness was a given.
The kid thinks of the way every doubt, every worry he had has been answered with mercy. Even the one he didn't say out loud.
“Can we be friends Iruka-san ?ˮ It's a big ask, one of the scariest question ever.
It's one Naruto thinks he already knows the answer to.
Warm brown eyes grow softer, if that's even possible. “Sure we can.ˮ Narutoʼs heart swell with relief. He makes a smile with all his teeth, fueled by pure delight.
“That's so dope, I will be your bestest friend ever, believe it.ˮ It's real, Naruto has to remember every minute. It's really happening.
Iruka matches his expression. He brushes a few blond strands of hair out his forehead with so much care it hurts. “I have no doubt.”
The Hound watches surprised as the window opens. Iruka sticks his head outside, hands resting on the window sill. He looks at the Anbu concealed in the tree foliage, well, glaring would be more appropriate to use actually.
"Are you gonna give me that bag of food or what?"
The Anbu pause. Aside from the way he got spotted immediately, the casual and expecting tone makes him ask himself if he should have tried sleeping harder.
It’s the evening of the fifth day, the sky burns a millions of different colors at the same time. Hound barely got home to change. The other agents assigned at the surveillance look at him with wariness everytime they cross pass. His superior doesn't bother asking him to take a break anymore.
The Omega raises an unimpressed eyebrow after a minute or two. Obliging Hound to come out from his hiding spot. He jumps on the window sill, standing close to the demanding nin that doesn’t even feign surprise. As if the Anbu didn’t seem to have spawned out of thin air a few inches away from his face. Perhaps a risky move, considering the last time he got too close, the Omega threw a kunai at his face.
This time Iruka only flashes pointy teeth to Hound. Causing the nin to freeze, ready to move away, yet somehow it's Iruka who ends up being the one taking a step back from the window while huffing, annoyed. Hound observes the man pouting, despite making space, it's the first time they stand so close to each other.
"You're observant." Hound quip still stunned
"You come over at the same hour everyday, lurk at the same spot too. Either you're sloppy or overly considerate.”
”Take a guess”
Iruka fixes him with a withering glare.
”I mean I'm not the one trying to sneak into the Den of others on the worst timing.”
Touché. The Hound doesn't even try to argue this one out. Instead handing the promised bag of food. Iruka eyes the content critically. "Homemade?"
The Anbu shrugs, watches the Omega examine the plastic box of Onigiris. Finally his shoulders sag, irritation melting away. Iruka gives Hound a reluctant yet grateful smile.
"Thank you, they look good"
“Sure.”
It doesn't make Hound's chest swell with pride. Not at all. It's nothing anyway. He made too much rice by accident and thought the two might as well eat something good for dinner. It doesn't make him happy to notice the growing piles of empty plates on the counter, no sir. He knew the cub's voracious appetite was mostly responsible for their state, but Iruka ate some of it too and that still counted for something. The Hound knew omegas could be picky on food in their heat. Hound made safe choice so far but still he noticed how-
"Need anything?"
The box was already stored in the fridge. By now Hound should already have retreated back to his spot. The Omega got an unimpressed expression plastered on. Yet the Hound can see the glint of entertained curiosity in his eyes. It hit him that Iruka did not just memorize his dropping hours, he noticed how this time the Alpha lingered a few more minutes than usual before showing up.
Opening that window, engaging in actual conversation. An olive branch concealed beneath annoyance.
Hound shifts on his feet, hoping for it to be subtle enough that Iruka doesn't notice.
"Actually, I wanted to ask something, but I'm afraid it might come off as insensitive."
The Omega stares intrigued, his fists resting on his hips. "Shoot"
"You have been in heat for the past 5 days," the Anbu know his tone is as even and as professional as it ever was, yet somehow he feel like he his words slurs together underneath the heavy scrutiny he is put under, "and I barely starting to see the sign that's it's wearing off…Does your heat usually last this long?"
Whatever Iruka thought he would be asking, it wasn't that. He waves a tired hand in the air, like the Hound asked him about the weather and not an overly personal question. "My heat stopped two days ago actually."
The Alpha blink. "Did it?" The Omega nods while he leans against his kitchen counter.
"But you're still all..." Hound gesture to all of Iruka. He just put a new patch on, yet with his sense of smell blocked as ever he still feels his instincts urge him to watch his steps. Iruka may be able to string coherent sentences together but he still had something feral in his gaze. The same eyes who were currently trying to tell him really ? while fixed on the Hound’s hands frozen mid air still gesturing toward him. The Anbu quickly clasps them to his sides.
He can't help but notice the ease Iruka has while speaking with Hound. You would think he's conversing with an annoying visitor rather than an Anbu Operative. Most people, even shinobis were wary of them, of all the shadow and secrets surrounding them.
He is still nervous, the Alpha can tell from the tensions in his frame, his clenched jaw. Iruka doesn't trust him, he barely tolerates Hound because he's the only one who tried to help so far. Still, he has a feeling it's mostly due to the circumstances rather than the rank of the Shinobi in front of him.
"Yes, it's PMS"
"...PMS ?"
"Pre-Menstrual Syndrome. I'm guessing you're unfamiliar with the terms."
The Alpha unfortunately was not. His silence and lowered gaze answered for him.
"Basically it's a general term to indicate the sets of symptoms one can get 1 to 2 weeks prior to their periods."
"So, in your case it just makes your heat symptoms last longer."
"Sort of. It usually drains my energy, makes me sad and angry. Obviously it makes pheromones go out of whacks and productivity is at an all time low. But since I managed to acquire a cub,” he claims with false cheer, “this time around my body just decided I get extra heat time, sort of. I can tell it’s not real Heat, but it's close enough to get me stuck here with Instinct screaming in my ears."
That's a lot of information. Things he didn't think the Omega would be giving so freely to an Intruder like him. Iruka finishes his tiny explanation with a shrug like it’s not a big deal. But Hound can deduce by the frustration hidden behind the blazed attitude that it was, in fact, a big deal.
"That sound... tough."
"Sure," Iruka smiles with gritted teeth, "it's tough."
The Alpha wished he could say something more eloquent. He couldn't understand the kind of trouble the Omega's body is being put through. He never pretended he could, even if he tried to inform himself for a while. Maybe he should have tried to keep up the effort. Even if he did though, there was no point. He had no Omega in his life, nobody really. And he doubted it would have a use as an Anbu Operative. Biology of others was not a matter easily discussed through their ranks, the question was rarely brought up for the matter of their missions. This little conversation was already an infringement on a few guidelines Hound usually tried to stick close to.
"Thank you for the clarification Umino-san. Is the Sandaime aware of your condition?”
"He is, otherwise I think there would have been a dozen Jonins hammering my door a few days ago already."
"Track out."
The conversation stops there, silence stretches out and the Hound takes it as his cue to leave.
They don’t talk about what will follow. That for all the special circumstances of PMS, the fact that Iruka was able to have coherent conversations and had not attacked Hound the moment he got too close would be enough reason to throw all the caution they put in place so far.
They both know that at this very moment, two agents have already left their hiding spot to report the exchange to the Hokage tower.
The Sandaime will probably show up tomorrow, first thing in the morning. Trying to ask Iruka to be reasonable. Hound has no idea of what the Omega will answer then.
"You're more talkative than what I expected from an Anbu." Hound was about to jump off the window and back to the shadows he came from. He turned away from the den already when he felt the weight of Iruka's eyes on his back.
"It's a special case."
A confession heavier than life lay somewhere in that quiet response. From the corner of his eye, Hound can see the reaction of Iruka. The sun has set now, the waning moon leaves little light to decipher the detail of Iruka’s surprised expression, his widened eyes and half parted lips. Hound has filed a complaint for the streetlamp in front of his flat to be fixed.
"You take good care of him."
"Do I?" Incredulosity, doubt and fears openly displayed in those two words already. Hound turns to face him fully. "I stole him from his home and I can't be bothered to raise my wards correctly."
"You saw a kid in a bad situation and acted. Your wards would have caused real trouble for anyone else."
"But not you?"
"No, unfortunately not for me."
In the growing dark, somehow Iruka notices the impetuous smirk hidden behind porcelain. Offended he opened his mouth to retort something, yet no words came out. He closes his mouth and schools his features into something akin to resignation.
Both of them sit there in silence again. They seem to do that a lot, taking time to assess the other, planning a move that always seems too risky for simple conversations.
"Go on,” there’s a tremor in Iruka’s voice, “I know you want to ask. Shoot."
He holds the gaze of Iruka with the smallest amount of negativity he can. No judgement, no anger. He knows he can't hide the worry however, how could he when it's that very feeling that pushes the words out of his throat.
"What are you gonna do Umino-san?"
The smile he receives is incredulous, full of teeth and full of cracks that show how wary the Omega truly feels.
"I don't know."
Hound breath stutters. He doesn't like what he sees, and can't compute that sight with what he learned from the man until now.
Without further thinking, Hound plants a hand on the Omega shoulder and says something he will or will not regret later on.
Iruka can't sleep, there is a cub snoring in his bed. He can’t sleep, there’s shadows shifting outside, circling his den. He can’t sleep, there’s a box of half eaten onigiris sitting in his fridge. He can't sleep because tomorrow is coming with too much hurry.
Naruto had little energy throughout the day, the poor cub was probably not used to being exposed to so much pheromones. One of the many reasons as to why it is very important for kids his age to have present adult figures in his life, ideally of different dynamics to assure the good development of his endocrine system and its response to outside stimuli. Iruka attended a class about it at the Academy last month.And wondered why that was not a mandatory lesson somewhere in their shinobis curriculum. Did civils know about this? They ought to, Iruka wondered if they were taught more basic everyday skills than he did.
Anyway, the point is the cub has been constantly drowsy ever since Iruka brought him here. It has improved gradually, and if it wasn’t uncommon for a kid his age to react this way to heat hormones, it was still on the heavier side of the spectrum though.
They spent the day making small conversations when Naruto was awake enough. Asking all kinds of important questions like ‘What is Iruka's favorite color?’ or ‘What Iruka wants to be when he grows up?’ Deceptively hard question to answer for a young adult who was supposed to have at least a few things figured out by now.
It was well past midnight now, the cub conked out a few hours earlier after demolishing a good chunk of the onigiris. Iruka left the bedside lamp on. Naruto swore up and down that he was not a scared little baby. Despite the fact that everytime the Omega tried to leave the room he was immediately called back in by the sound of small heartbreaking whines.
Iruka left the light on and the door open, as much for the ease of both of their minds that it was to provide a little light to filter through the living room. The big lights were still too bright for Iruka’s sensitive eyes.
He should grab a paper and a pen to make a plan, he should be calling his friends. But Iruka’s mind was still a bit fuzzy. The illogical, instinct driven part of his brain was screaming to go snuggle up with the small cub. And he could not, not right now.
So instead he is sitting on his kitchen floor folding laundry. The process of undoing his nest was depressingly easy. Even in the depth of his teenage angst, he thinks he did a better job than whatever was this big mess of nothing.
The Omega was now looking at a ridiculously large pile of clothes.
Ideally; he should clean everything all over again.
Realistically; he doesn't have the time nor the energy -both mental and physical- to do another big laundry run so soon.
He shakes a shirt full of crumbs and folds it neatly, and tosses a pants with grease stain aside for a quick handwash later.
Everything is covered in a too sweet scent that's going to linger in his dressing for the months to come.
Anko is gonna make fun of him into next century- Shit, no Anko is going to kill him actually.
His Jonin friend is probably aware of the situation by now, all his friends must be.
Maybe he should stay in this flat forever. Give him twelve more hours and he can figure out how to lock this place out until the end of time.
Iruka tosses a shirt soaked with orange juice on the growing pile of ‘quick handwash’. The prospect of all that scrubbing makes him dismayed already. Unfortunately Iruka doesn't have twelve hours, so that's not an option.
The omega folds a towel that Naruto used as a makeshift comforter. It smelled like the cub, under the overwhelming scent of sweet coconut and clary sage sits the one of milk. It's sweeter than what Iruka remembers it being back at his house. It's still too acrid for his taste.
What are you gonna do Umino-san ?
That Hound Anbu, his homemade meals and watchful eyes. He tries to hide his worry behind professional distance, like his acts don’t speak for themselves.
I don't know
Iruka confessed like a coward. His heart and mind were at each other's throat.
He already knows he will do what he can for Naruto, that much is settled. But what would that entail? What steps will he take next to ensure the kid is cared for?
Well, the fact is Iruka knows what he has to do. Funnily enough, the solution has been screamed on loop in the back of his brain the moment he was conscious enough to ask what his voice of reason thought of this. It was silent now, quiet and pondering as Iruka tried to decipher what was straight facts and what was skewed by emotions.
He has to lay all the information in front of him.
Iruka brings the laundry basket on one side, and lines up the pile of clothes he already folded on the other.
First he takes an old t-shirt Izumo gave him years ago. An ugly and tacky thing with a colorful dolphin design in the front. It was one well worn cloth that he refused to throw away, he also deemed it clean enough to be folded and put away.
Iruka is a nineteen year old chunin. After three years of low rank missions and a few desk shifts to pay the bills, he decided to go back to school. Further his study in the hope of…something.
Next is a yellow pillowcase part of a set his genin captain gifted him when he moved in here. He barely used it. The grease stain it adorned in the middle condemned it to the rewash pile.
Naruto is a five year old cub, an orphan without anyone to look after him. Clearly neglected and underfed. Nobody moved the tiniest of fingers to change things for him until now. And Iruka doubts anyone would ever have.
Iruka decided -even if it was greatly guided by instinct- to steal the cub from his living arrangements. They were now five days later, the excuse of heat and PMS will no longer hold. And if he didn't decide what he wanted to do next, the choice will be made for him tomorrow. His door will be caved in and the cub yanked away from his arms.
Iruka keeps going through the laundry, folding and tossing things aside absently.
The Omega wishes to prevent that trauma from the innocent cub. He also would love not to have to repay a door. On top of that, the whole thing could lead him to a disciplinary trial and eventually he’ll be discharged from Konoha's Shinobi Forces. Which would be troublesome if he wants to find the money to pay for the door. If he can’t pay it then he will have to say goodbye to his deposit. Which he will need after all of this because again, no longer a shinobi, no money. Then they would probably kick him out of his apartment as well since they are reserved for active duty chunin. And Iruka doesn't want to go live with Anko because she never cleans after herself and she never opens her windows which means her flat always stinks of stale alpha scent and- that’s not the subject at all actually.
The point is, Iruka needs to make a decision now. Because the alternative sucks and he refuses to sleep on Anko’s couch.
And to allow Naruto to go back to his previous living condition, of course.
So, Iruka has a few options.
Option one : Giving Naruto back to Konoha’s care.
Pros
It's the safest, soundest one. Naruto is not his cub, Iruka is not ready to take care of a child. Hell, he didn't even think of having a child of his own before. Besides, Naruto looks like the type to bring a lot of trouble his way. Iruka likes his peaceful and mundane life, thank you very much. He doesn't want to antagonize the Sandaime -as much as he want to critique his decision on the matter- no more than he want to antagonize the entire fucking village. It's a lot of pressure Iruka isn't sure he can't keep up with.
Iruka grabs long ribbons of wrapping bandages tied together to not entangle in the washing machine, seemingly clean. Thank the ancestors for that considering he was beginning to get shorts on them.
Cons
Iruka can't see himself giving the kid away. He pictures shiny eyes confused about being led back to that cold and empty flat. Iruka didn't know how he could look at himself in the mirror after that. How could he even step outside in his neighborhood? What are the odds of him stumbling on the cub after that?
Probably not much, he realizes somehow bitterly. No way would they let Naruto live as closely from him if there is even a sliver of chance that Iruka might do it again.
Next up is a grey jogging, a chocolate bar half melted still glued to the leg. It will be so annoying to remove, he can already tell.
Pros
Maybe he could fix some conditions before giving him away. Like finding the kid a decent guardian or something. At least make sure he has the bare minimum of social contacts and healthy meals.
This would probably put Iruka in a position closer to the one of a criminal taking a cub hostage and making demands than one of some concerned members of the community. Still Iruka is willing to put his career on the line to make the slightest of difference
Iruka folds the big green towel without a second glance, this one has been buried at the very bottom of the nest.
Cons
Would he be really happy with a small change though? If they stuck Naruto up with a bitter guardian that looks at the kid with nothing but contempt, someone who barely makes sure he stays alive until he is old enough to take care of himself, is this enough?
Would he be happy if they reintroduce him back to the orphanage of overworked nurses that Iruka already resent from the little Naruto has said of them?
What if they at least stick to a daily check up meeting with an Anbu? The cryptids figures are already creeping in Naruto's shadows, stepping out for a few minutes in the light for a chat. Faceless and emotionless statue asking an affection starved cub if he had a good day before retreating back to the shadow again..Iruka hates the picture it paints in his mind, every version of the bare minimum they could offer sounds even more damaging than to ignore the cub altogether.
Iruka sneers at the sight of what used to be one of his favorite pieces of clothing.
The more pessimistic part of him whispers with venom that they probably would not even bother. Even if Iruka wanted to ask for a regular check up, they would never allow him to see Naruto again. He would have to trust the words of whoever was in charge of the cub's wellbeing. And Shinobis know how to lie, they do it well. Especially if it regards things they deem as a threat to their village.
He wished he could believe it was all a mishap, that the Sandaime as kind and wise as he was could make mistakes from time to time. That he would rectify things if Iruka asked him to. But here's the thing; Iruka’s trust is something that is hard to win, and nearly impossible to gain back again.
He will never look at Hiruzen Sarutobi the same.
Iruka sighs to his beloved sweater, the latter has a scorch mark from the last time he trained with Kotetsu and Izumo. He remembers putting it to the wash and saying he will deal with it later. Looking at it now, he should probably just throw it away.
Option two: He let Hound take care of this for him.
Iruka is not crazy to think it is a viable option right?
Hound rested his hand on his shoulder, looking like he was gathering the courage to speak.
“You already did something remarkable, something that nobody dared to do until then.”
Iruka wanted to ask if it really was as good as the Anbu made it sound to be.
“Nobody is blaming you if you can't keep up.”
“Do you know anybody else who would be willing to?”
“I might.”
It left Iruka speechless, unsure if he heard correctly.
“I listened to this kid cry for far too long. And maybe..maybe I could strive to be more than scum for once.”
A strange phrasing. Too many feelings, way too many words strung together from what was supposed to be an all secretive Anbu.
The meaning of the act was not lost on Iruka.
It still was surreal to him. Like, what do you mean a member of the most elite, most devoted force of Konoha was siding with a dude that went against a direct order from the Hokage? What do you mean he proposed to be complicit in Iruka’s misdoing?
In what capacity was he willing to do something anyway? Iruka doubted he had the leeway to simply ask for the custody of the kid. He seemed to care enough to have already considered it and it mustn’t have been possible. Otherwise they would not be here.
Was he planning to just steal the kid and bounce? That seemed so risky for so many reasons. Hound seemed very skilled, and Iruka hoped he was not too prideful to the point of risking the safety of Naruto over it.
Whatever Hound had planned, Iruka speculation would not be able to decipher it tonight. He just had to decide whether it was a viable option to follow or not.
Iruka snaps back to the task at hand when he realizes he has been staring at the same black t-shirt for the past five minutes, if there was any stain on it, the dim light made them invisible.
Pros
Someone competent, skilled and that cared about the cub would take care of this. Probably better than Iruka could ever dream to. No matter what exactly Hound planned to do. That was probably more secure than anything Iruka could come up with tonight while folding his laundry.
Speaking of, another pair of bandages lived! With a little luck, he might be able to savage a whole uniform without having to clean anything.
Cons
Hound didn't do anything until then, why now? Just because Iruka showed up, it motivated him to do something? The Omega isn't sure on what to think, wished he knew more about the man behind the mask.
Would he really do something if Iruka decided to stop it there? Should he trust someone just because they started to care at the last minute?
As much as Iruka wants to, he is not sure he can.
Whatever karma Iruka had, it must not be that brilliant. This uniform undergarment was technically clean, however it must have been the piece of cloth he had been directly lying under back in the nest. Not only was it sweaty, it was also covered in so much Heat pheromones to be concealed by any kind of deodorant. Damn it!
Pro
Sometimes in life, you have to take a leap of faith. Actions can speak louder than words. Hound, even if he verbalizes his will to help only now, has shown up for Naruto countless times since the beginning of all of this.
Nobody else has looked for the Cub except Hound. Nobody else showed up with food three times a day. And if anyone else was willing to help, the Omega doubted they would have tried with half the care.
Hound tried to step on his space uninvited exactly once, he had been warned, retrieved, apologized and never tried it again. Even with the guise of instincts keeping Hound in check, a lesser Alpha Nin would have at least tried to sneak back a few times, for the sake of the mission if nothing else. Iruka knew Hound did not do such a thing, he had always been aware of where every nins observing his den stood. One of them -an Alpha, of course- tried to sneak closer than what Hiruzen had allowed them to, Iruka made sure the shuriken he threw cut the cheek of the impudent.
Hound though, Hound respected the boundary. Always lingered dangerously close, but only really breaking it to deliver food. Then he left as soon as it was done.
Iruka didn't really count tonight, he was the one who invited Hound afterall, and he technically remained outside of the den. Teasing bastard, still ready to move away the moment Iruka made his irritation known.
It was the bare minimum.
It was almost unheard of.
Could you imagine? An Alpha hearing someone say no and actually listening? Absolutely shocked and gagged.
The fact that he speaks so much to Iruka is also very telling. No Anbu as good as him made it this far without following closely to their code of conduct. Hound's tone is always even and neutral and somehow without a scent or a marked body language, he made his emotions clear for Iruka to see.
He cared. Hound cared about the wellbeing of the cub. He has been resigned to being a witness so far and now he could not bear it anymore.
It's late, but it's better than what far too many can tell.
Looking at the very few options of support available, Iruka could not afford to discard it on the account of distrust.
A blue shirt, this one was fairly new. One of the few pieces of clothing he allowed himself to buy this year. After a good shake to get rid of the bread crumbs it was good as new.
Cons
“Nobody is blaming you if you can't keep up.”
Has Iruka already confessed that he was petty? Because he is.
The Anbu meant it in the most caring way possible. Nobody could be expected to drop everything to take care of a child at random. If it happened to anyone else and Iruka was witness to it, he would surely say something similar to them.
Still, his teeth grind as the words echoes in his mind.
Hound thinks he can't keep up huh? It's too much for little Omega Chunin Umino Iruka? He has so much on his plate already with all his assignments and missions desk shift on the weekends. How could we expect him to take care of one single cub? He must be so scared with all these high ranked nins cornering him already. He probably can't take it anymore, probably on the verge of a breakdown-
Well first of all: Iruka is a grown ass man, thank you very much. He can provide for him and a cub if he has to. It's not that hard to figure out.
Second of all: yes the situation is overwhelming, but if Iruka was one to back down from a challenge, he would still be a frightened little genin now, would he? Put some respect on his goddamn name.
Iruka is sure Hound could deal with all of this flawlessly.
Iruka is also sure he could do the job as good as him.
It's not like child rearing is on the Anbu training regimen. It's not in the Academy's curriculum either, still Iruka is sure he could figure that out quicker than Hound.
His third and last uniform undergarment had not been spared by the melting chocolate bar. Iruka tosses it away with dismay.
Option three : (Not so) officially stealing Naruto's from Konoha's care, becoming a missing nin in the process.
Pro
Tempting, his most basic instincts whisper. The anger of the situation has not truly cooled down yet. The scent of curdled milk was still fresh in his mind. Unforgivable it cried, roaring for retribution.
It would serve them right. Lose one of the Sandaime's proteges and the Jinchuriki in the same throw. The scar over his nose would make him look good on a bingo book. He could enact his most vicious pranks to escape his pursuers. Iruka could hear the thirteen year old him cackle with glee at the mere thought.
Iruka stops a moment from his folding to look at his spare regulation band. Trying to decipher if the bloodstain encrusted in the fabric would give him some sort of style or if it would make him look stupid.
Con
He will miss his friends and his bed. The fugitive life is not the best environment to raise a child
Pro
Hound might tag along?
Cons
Hound might tag along.
Or he might be the one they send after him. For some reason that sucks a lot more.
In the end he put the headband aside, it has been washed multiple times already without any sign of the stain fading. It definitely would make him look stupid to wear it that way, still he can’t bring himself to throw it away.
Option 4 : He keep the cub
Pro
‘Do it do it do it do it’ is what both his instincts and his heart sings, it sounds a lot like pleading.
Iruka is already so attached to the cub that any other options sound painful to him.
He doesn't trust anybody else as much as he trusts himself to do what is right for Naruto.
Iruka finished sorting through the laundry. But looking at the big pile of things he will have to rewash, Iruka resigns to lower his standard of what counted as ‘clean’. Now he is scavenging through the pile of discarded clothes in the hope to reduce it a little.
Cons
Does he know what is right for Naruto? He is nineteen, he barely knows how to take care of himself. Is he ready to take care of a whole other human being? Full time? Some people are not meant to have kids, Iruka doesn't know when you know whether you belong on one side rather than the other
Well both his undergarments were still very dirty. He will have to clean at least one of those before tomorrow.
Pros
Nobody is ever ready to raise a kid. From what Iruka knows, it's super scary, no matter how much you think you're prepared. Iruka is a master at being freaked out and still doing things anyway. Look at him. He is having a semi breakdown over his future and he still folded all his fucking laundry.
Cons
As much as he wants to deny it, the fact that Naruto is the host of the demon who killed his parents is disturbing. Every time he feeds and cares for the cub, he also feeds and cares for the monster. Beneath big blue innocent eyes, the demon is observing. He already knows of Iruka's face, a small part of him wants to ask if it remembers the one of his parents, or if their face melded with the one of the countless victims of that night.
Iruka might grow to love Naruto with all his heart, that will not exorcise it.
Iruka has to live with that.
Looking back on it, it seems there was not much he could save from his first sorting. The pile doesn’t look any less big.
Pro
Iruka can definitely live with that. Because again, it's not just the demon or the cub, it's both. And the Omega already decided he cared far more for the little crying kid than for the nightmare of his childhood.
Why would I hate you?
Iruka didn't, he never did and refused to ever will.
At last, Iruka picked up the yellow t-shirt from the beginning- wait wasn’t it a pillowcase? He scrambles through his hazy memory until he remembers he threw that pillowcase years ago. The bad quality of the fabric did not survive the cheap detergent he used at the laundromat, the year wore it down to be more rag than bed linen.
No, this shirt was not supposed to be washed in the first place. Iruka outgrew it years ago. His parents had bought it too big, telling their pouting cub he will have all the time to wear it in a few months.
It was not a grease stain, but faded ink from when he started to get into seals on his own. A way to kill the boredom of his quiet genin dorm.
The fabric was soft and worn, it was way too big for Naruto to wear. In a few years maybe.
Iruka folded it neatly, ignoring for a moment the enormous pile of clothes he will have to clean sooner rather than later.
Daybreak bask everything in soft blue light.
Iruka feels slightly delirious. They refrain you from pulling all nighter at the academy, they say it hinders your critical thinking. Iruka made a lot of major breakthroughs during those forbidden times, a lot of failed attempts too.
This time though..
Yes, looking through all those options and what they would entail. The answer seems to be clear as day.