Chapter 2

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Yaburi yami tame mi-to ato chûnin (Escaping darkness to meet a chûnin)

A forbidden feeling… a gift….a curse…pain…sorrow….or is it something else…?.....

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Seven days. You had been there for a week and you still hadn’t awaked. One week of dreamless sleep, and Iruka watching over you. Four days ago Iruka had come home finding that you had a fever. It must have been from that freezing cold river. He started to worry if you were ever going to wake up. He hoped that you would wake up soon, even though he didn’t know who you were. Like the saying says, “Expect the worst; hope for the best.”

But then Iruka thought of what your reaction would be when you awaken. Would you be calm and relaxed and speak softly? Or would you panic and try to escape in your condition? Would you even glare at him and demand to know where you were? He would just have to find out when the time came (but he was also worried about your reaction to his friends).

Iruka quietly peeked into his room to see if you were awake. No, he saw the same sight he had seen for the past week. A girl sleeping in his bed with her eyes closed, a wet cloth on her forehead, and the curtains shut. He sighed as he walked soundlessly across the room to the side of the bed and sat on a small stool he had set there. He checked the small alarm-clock next to his bed. It was 12:15 pm. He would have to leave soon to speak with Lord Hokage. He had told him about you the day after he had found you. Lord Hokage then told him to come back at the end of the week; Saturday or Sunday, for he was on a tight schedule. It was Saturday so Iruka thought that he would visit him today.

Speaking of the day after he found you, he knew that he would never forget the reaction his friends had when he went back to Mitsumi’s house. Iruka closed his eyes and played the memory through his mind.

Flashback…

Iruka had just left Lord Hokage's house and was on his way to his own house when he remembered something. Naruto's birthday! He didn't return like he said. Iruka hit his now bare forehead with his hand and cursed under his breath. How was he going to explain that he found a wounded girl in a river and brought her back to his home? Some of them probably wouldn't believe him, but he had to try.
Before Iruka left, he hurried back to his house and set some food on a trey in his room for the girl (incase she woke up) and securely locked the door. Therefore she would be safe (and she wouldn't escape in her condition). Iruka then started walking in the direction of Mitsumi's dojo. No use in hurrying there if mostly everyone was still asleep from all the sake they drank (and he would have to give Naruto a good lecture from what he did). He sighed at the thought of how they might react. He did say that he would come back and he didn't. Iruka was so deep in thought that he had just noticed how many people were on the streets. Barely any. He had never seen so little people walking around the streets of the village before on a Saturday. He would have to ask about that to Lord Hokage later.
After about thirty-minutes of walking, Iruka had finally made it to Mitsumi's dojo. He walked silently down the stone path to the front of the dojo. He walked up onto the wooden stairs and quietly made his way towards where the party had taken place last night. Iruka stopped in front of the wooden sliding-door and reached out to open it. He did not hold back for it would happen anyway. He slid the door open and walked in and the first greeting he got was…
</i>"Where have you been Iruka-sensei?! And where is your hitai-ate leaf headband?!" shouted Sakura. Iruka sighed as he continued to walk over to the group.</i>
"Naruto started to worry that you had gotten killed," smirked Sasuke. Naruto glared at him.
"I was not! I was just drunk you moron!" he yelled.
"It doesn't matter as long as we know that the doofus is still alive," said Mitsumi who had her eyes closed and properly sitting on the floor. Iruka sweat-dropped and noticed that she had a bag of ice balanced on the top of her head. `She probably has a headache from last night' he thought and then chuckled.
"So, why have you suddenly come back Iruka??" asked Kakashi who was leaning up against the wall on the other side of the room.
"Yeah, tell us why you didn't come back," said Gai. Iruka hesitated for a moment but then sat on the floor between Lee and Naruto. There was a short silence as Iruka looked around the room at all the questioning eyes. He then noticed that Ino, Shikamaru, and TenTen weren't there so they probably already left (Neji and that fan-using girl weren't invited and I can never remember the fat kid's name so he wasn't there either. All that's left is Gai, Lee, Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, Kakashi, and Mitsumi. K?).
Iruka breathed deeply and began. He told them of the beautiful, wide river he had found when he was walking and all about the girl. He told them in detail about her long (color) hair and her pale skin. He said that he did not know where she had gotten all of those wounds or who did them or even when, but he said that when he was running to come back, he had somehow gotten himself back in Konoha village. He couldn't run back to the dojo, fearing that it would take to long. So, he told them that he simply ran to his house once he knew where he was and treated her(and cleared up the question of what happened to his leaf headband). He then finished by telling them that he had spoken with Lord Hokage and that on Saturday he would see him again. The room fell silent for a few moments while the rest of them processed the info Iruka told them.
"So…" began Naruto, "is she pretty?" Everyone's face faulted.
"Is that the only thing you were paying attention to Naruto?!" yelled Sakura as she hit him on the head.
"Well, we will need to see this girl you are speaking of Iruka," said Kakashi, "but only when she is healed enough." Iruka looked at Kakashi and nodded. After a moment, Mitsumi stood up and walked over to the door.
"Where are you going Mitsumi-san?" asked Lee. Mitsumi turned around.
"I think it would be best if this girl would stay with me Iruka, once she is able. Therefore, I will prepare a room for her," Mitsumi answered and then turned her head to Sakura. "I suppose that you could help me Sakura." Sakura nodded and followed Mitsumi. A few seconds later, Naruto wrapped his arms around one of Iruka's shoulders and Gai wrapped his arm around the other.
"So, Iruka…" Gai said slyly, "is this girl interfering with your little Mitsumi? `Cause Mitsumi seemed rather mad at you."
"I agree Gai-san," Naruto slyly answered, "maybe Iruka likes the girl as well…" Iruka then shook their arms off his shoulders and put up his hands in a defensive manner.
"You've got it all wrong!" he said, "I haven't even really had a good look at her since I put the bandages on!" Naruto and Gai chuckled and both slowly mumbled "Right…"

…End Flashback

Iruka sighed as he reopened his eyes to see the girl still asleep and he needed to soak the cloth on her forehead again. Iruka took the cloth off and soaked it in a small bucket of water next to the bed and wrung some of the water out and placed it back on her head. He stared at her sleeping form for a long time and then realized; this was no girl, this was a young woman; around the age of twenty. Her face showed of no age for it was very smooth and her hair (even though it hadn’t been brushed in a long time) almost looked like silk and she was just plain…beautiful. ‘Almost the same as Mitsumi…’ he thought. But curiosity then took Iruka as he wondered what color her eyes were. He knew everything else about her profile…except the color of his eyes. Iruka then realized that it had been awhile since he last checked the clock. He looked over at his small alarm-clock. It was 12:24 pm. He would have to leave now.

Iruka slowly stood up and glanced at the girl before walking out of the room. He didn’t bother leaving any food in the room but he did lock his house. He was now on his way to Lord Hokage.

~*~*~

Beforehand…

The figure watched as you jumped off of the cliff from the fear of him. He did not even budge to go after you. His dark cloak swayed in the cold wind of autumn while he waited for his companion to catch up. A second later he heard you hit the water in the river. ‘She will live…’ he thought. He didn’t go after you for he needn’t to.

The figure suddenly felt a presence behind him of his companion, Kisame. He slowly walked closer and stopped a few feet behind him.

“What is it Kisame…?” the figure asked. It seemed as if his companion was a little uneasy talking to his master.

“Well, are you sure that you shouldn’t go after the onna….Itachi-sama?” Kisame asked. The figure now known as Itachi turned around and walked past him.

“They said that we should test the onna but…I think we should let someone else see what her possessions are like now. She has stayed around us too much so nothing would really change,” he replied, as if speaking of the weather. His partner nodded.

“Of course, Itachi-sama,” he said, and followed him. ‘Let’s see what that onna is capable of…’ Itachi thought with a ghost of a smile. (please tell me if I screwed up anything in Kisame or Itachi’s personality okay??)

Current…

“Come in, Iruka,” Lord Hokage said from his desk (if you guys haven’t noticed yet, [SPOILER!] but Lord Hokage hasn’t died…yet. Okay?). Iruka slowly opened the door and shut it behind him quietly. Iruka couldn’t help but notice all of the papers all over the desk Lord Hokage was sitting behind. Papers scattered, in small piles, some sticking out of the drawers, simply everywhere. He also saw that Lord Hokage was annoyed either from all the papers on (and inside) his desk…or that he just wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone.

“Now, tell me again Iruka, why you must see me…” said Lord Hokage. Iruka sat down on the chair a few feet away from Lord Hokage’s desk.

“Well, you see Lord Hokage, about a week ago, I found a girl –um, woman, in the river with several wound, just as I told you six days ago,” Iruka explained. Lord Hokage nodded, signaling him to go on. “Well, I took her to my home and treated her, only in the price of” –he pointed to his bare forehead– “my leaf headband. But I do not know this woman and I don’t think anyone else does. But what concerns me the most is what must ‘have attacked her. For all we know, a serial killer could be on the loose! What do you suppose we do?”

Lord Hokage’s face stayed the same as he casually reached into the drawer on his left and pulled out three of the papers that Iruka noticed.

“Do you know what all these papers are Iruka?” he asked plainly. Iruka blinked confused from the sudden change of subjects.

“Um…no,” Iruka replied still confused. Lord Hokage sighed.

“These are reports of murders, deaths, strange characters walking about, and everything in-between that have been spotted in the Konoha village area. Obviously this woman you are speaking about must have something to do with this,” Lord Hokage said. Iruka then realized what he was talking about. The village streets! They were empty and he was planning on asking Lord Hokage. ‘Some of the people in Konoha probably got word out that something strange was going on so they stayed in their homes’ thought Iruka. Lord Hokage’s voice suddenly broke his train of thought.

“Iruka, I wish to see this girl once she has woken up and has healed enough so that we may get some answers out of her. Is that clear?” he said. Iruka quickly nodded and gulped. Lord Hokage only used that tone of voice whenever something very serious was going on.

“You are dismissed,” Lord Hokage finished. Iruka nodded again and stood up and quickly left. ‘Wow, that went by faster than I thought! But this is serious. Something big is about to happen’ thought Iruka while walking home.

Iruka’s home…your POV…

This…this isn’t darkness. Darkness has a certain feel to it, a certain length to it. This is…nothing. Emptiness. A never beginning yet never ending void of nothingness. It’s like I’m here but I’m not…but I am…but I’m not. What has happened to me? Where am I? I know I’m not dead but…could…could this really be it? No….I must live longer! I will not die like this! After the terrible life I lived…I must go on! I…I…I feel so alone.

I drop to my knees in this…place, and silently cry; warm, salty liquid running down my face in a stream. How could I die like this? Why? Why?!....

It’s….it’s not fair. Why can’t I just live a normal life like everyone else? How did I end up this way? How did my life turn out like this? I…I can’t remember! I can’t remember anything in my past! Nothing! Not my mother….my father…my home….nothing. The tears grow as my crying turns louder. No…I refuse…I REFUSE to die!!!

A bright light suddenly appears before me as I must shield my eyes as the light consumes me.

A few moments later, a dull light glows behind my eye lids. My left hand moves slightly and I feel a soft cloth underneath it. I can feel. I try to test if I can see and slowly start to open my eyes but shut then tightly again. I saw a glimpse of curtains and even though they are shut, I am still not used to that much light. Yes…I can still see. I then realize that my head is to one side as I turn it so that my head is facing up. I then flinch in pain. That wound in the back of my head still hasn’t healed yet. But I can now hear a little of the birds outside the window.

For the first time in my life, a tear of joy slides down my cheek. I am still alive, after all I have been through, I am still alive. After a few more moments, I try to open my eyes again. Slowly, I lift my eye-lids and start to adjust to the light. I then see (from my position) that I am in a small room. But who put me here? I hear something to my left and jump. Despite my condition, I slowly start to sit up in this…bed I guess.

I see that most of my wounds have healed tremendously and I sit up with no pain. I am just about to examine the room when I hear a gasp to my left. Shivers of fear crawl up my spine at not knowing what made that sound; I slowly turn my head in that direction.

I finally see what it was. I man with brown hair tied in a short, high pony-tail and (strangely) a single scar across his nose is sitting on a small chair next to the small bed. His dark eyes are wide with surprise but his expression slowly melts into happiness. Why is he acting like this?....Is he happy now that he knows he can kill me? Is he with them?

Possibilities of him killing or torturing me sprout in my head as my eyes widen in fear. He smiles.

“I’m so glad you woke up!” he beams. Cold fear then shoots up my spine as I see that my prediction was true.

Iruka’s POV…

I couldn’t believe it when I saw her slowly opening her eyes and sit up with no help from me. She was alright! She was going to make it.

Then, for some reason, I saw her uneasily turn her head towards me. I couldn’t help it. I had to greet her.

“I’m so glad you woke up!” I cheered, “I thought you were dead for sure.” I notice the girl start to slowly scoot away from me as I sit there, waiting for her to reply.

“Who are you…”

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Chap. 3: Coming Soon!

Back to Fanfic people unite!

<b>Weekly vote:
What do you think of my Iruka x Mitsumi relationship so far?
a) I think it sucks XP come on! Spice it up a bit!
b) how could you put Iruka w/ your own character! At least change your character!
c) I actually think it's very sweet ^^ I can't wait to see what it'll turn into in the future!
d) um….I think I'll wait till you write further chapters. Then I'll tell ya n_n
e) I…guess it's cute oO
f) are you kidding?! I think it's so kawai! They sound like an AWESOME couple!
g) other (write what you think what "other" would be)

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Bri-chan out...