Audacity

Author's Note:

So guys, I have been trying to keep the story as close that is canonically possible. Even the minor details are according to what I remember from the anime and manga. The only extra bits I write are to give an explanation for some plot holes. The previous chapter is an example of that. (Had to break my head and memorise everyone's ages so it adds up correctly) Also, the bit about what Shikamaru said was there in Yota's arc if I remember correctly :)

And yes, the part where Itachi and Kisame come to Konoha undercover probably meant they were collecting information from civilians by going to tea shops and the like first before getting into an altercation with Kurenai, Asuma and Kakashi then going for Naruto. Remember in the tea shop scene, Kakashi and Sasuke were very close to Itachi and Kisame but they didn't notice them. So there you have it. I hope you enjoy this as much I am enjoying writing such a carefree genre. :)))

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Kakashi decided to pay Iruka a visit. Shikamaru was called back by Naruto to help him so this time he was on his own. He rapped his knuckles on Iruka's apartment door and waited.

Iruka opened the door and was surprised to see Kakashi.

"Lord Sixth?"

Kakashi was seated on Iruka's couch and sipped his warm tea. He was waiting for Iruka to speak.

"The Third Hokage was the one who brought Naruto to me. I was quite confused because it was the middle of the term and he wouldn't be able to catch up with his peers. At first I didn't know it was him who was the Jinchuuriki so I treated him as any other kid. Lord Third told me to take him to class that day and I did,"

Kakashi knew of Iruka's background on how he became the academy's teacher. He was the squad leader and they both had gone on a mission together. Iruka had shown kindness to an enemy nin on that mission and almost endangered the everyone. When he went back, the Third Hokage assigned him to the academy where he could display his kindness fully and help pass on the Will of Fire.

There was one instance when Iruka had some problems with Naruto and came to him for advice. Back then, Iruka almost loathed Naruto. He could see it in his eyes. Yet he didn't do anything about it besides give some surface level chicken soup for the soul to him.

"I took him to class and introduced him but he couldn't mix in with the rest of the kids. On his first day after school, I gave him a basic worksheet to check his knowledge,"

"It was very bad. He only had basic knowledge of katakana alphabets and could barely string each word together. The grammar was all over the place. For the next few days, I would keep him back after school to make up for what he needed to know,"

"I found out about him being a Jinchuuriki a month after he joined and I confronted the Third about him. Thinking back, my eyes and heart were really clouded by hate. It is one of my regrets," continued Iruka sadly.

Kakashi observed the tea leaves at the bottom of his cup. Iruka had forgotten about his tea which was turning cold.

"I stopped keeping him back after that."

"So he began to study on his own?"

"Mostly. Besides what I taught in class, he would learn on his own."

Iruka got up and opened a cupboard within his bedroom. He came back with a stack of papers.

"These are all of Naruto's worksheets and assessments from day one. Lord Third told me to store them separately from the rest so I kept them with me till now."

He placed them on the table.

Kakashi didn't reach for it. He continued sipping his tea.

"How was Naruto's behaviour during class and lunch break?"

Iruka was about to answer but he stopped and sighed.

"You're asking the same questions Lord Third did, Kakashi-San,"

"It's all in the past. Why are you still keeping an eye on Naruto?"

Kakashi raised his eyebrow.

Iruka clenched his jaw.

They were at an impasse.

Finally Kakashi spoke seeing Iruka would keep staring him down until he explained his motive for his interrogation.

"I just want to know more about Naruto. I feel like I have missed out on a lot of his childhood."

"That's not the full reason," Iruka said with certainty. Maybe if he was the Iruka of the past, he would report everything to the Hokage but now he was retired. He no longer answered to the Hokage. Also, Naruto... was like his little brother. It was a given he would protect him when people came fishing for information about him. Especially if they had no relation or authority or rights to know so much.

He originally thought Kakashi wanted to know about Naruto's academic progress from academy until now. He didn't expect Kakashi to be more interested in the same things he used to be asked everytime by the Third Hokage or his subordinates or the ANBU

How was Naruto in class?

Did he make friends?

What does he do during lunch break? What does he eat during lunch break?

Who spoke to Naruto today?

Who fought with him today?

He knew. It was because Naruto was the Jinchuuriki. A living vessel for a monster. It was a given that they would keep tabs on him and monitor everything he did.

But Naruto was Hokage now. It had been many years since then. And yet Kakashi had the audacity to come and ask such questions again after all this while?

"I want to know about Naruto's childhood."

Kakashi decided to come clean.

"To be more specific, the time before he attended the academy."

Iruka's pupils constricted. Before the academy? Before? What was Naruto doing before the academy? Wasn't he with Lord Third? He was, right? What else could it have been?

"He was with Lord Third," Iruka said with certainty.

Kakashi just shook his head slowly. And that's when Iruka felt his body go cold.

"He wasn't?"