For @flashfictionfridayofficial Warm Hands and @madatobiweek Day 6: Confessions!

Fandom: Naruto

Tobirama/Madara

wc: 523

It's winter, and Tobirama is cold. Madara isn't. It's just not fair, but it all works out for Tobirama’s benefit in the end.

It was the coldest day of winter so far—thick frost on the windows and coating every branch of every tree in Konoha. To Madara, it was just another day to wear a much-too-light-for-the-weather mantle. Tobirama, with his boots, thick pants, sweater, haori, and extra fur swathed self, stared at him with incredulous disbelief. He also had the passing wish that his primary affinity was fire, rather than water. Oh, he could use fire, but it did not run through his chakra coils and keep him warm through the winter. (He thought it was probably the other way during the summer, but he wasn't interested in being fair right now.)

Tobirama took up his brush and began his morning's work of revising the academy plans that he'd discussed with lzuna and Nara Shikataro yesterday. If he managed to submerge his total attention into his work, he might be able to pretend he wasn't chilly.

It didn't really work today.

By midmorning he was working on the section detailing teacher qualifications and training. In a moment, when his brush was moved to the side for re-inking, a cup of steaming tea appeared in the middle of his field of view.

“Senju, I can see you shivering from across the hall. Take a break and warm your hands up.”

Tobirama jolted out of his semi-trance and looked up to see Madara standing right in front of his desk. He also noticed that Madara was right about the shivers, though they weren't so bad as to affect his writing.

Tobirama cleaned off his brush, then reached out to cradle the teacup in his hands. The heat radiated through the ceramic into his hands, then up his arms. The first sip started heating him from the inside out. Except… it wasn't just the heat from the cup and the tea warming him—just Madara's presence in his office was raising the temperature of the room.

Tobirama sighed in appreciation.

“Thank you.”

Then his mouth betrayed his better judgement. “You should move your desk in here. Keep me warm all winter.”

The moment the words were out of his mouth, he looked up in alarm. Madara was smirking at him. Tobirama dropped his head to his desk and groaned—but kept his hands cradling the tea. Damn it. From his reticent self, that was as good as a confession. He could only hope that Madara didn't know him well enough yet to realize it.

No such luck. Tobirama could imagine, in great detail, how Madara's smirk grew. He imagined that he would hear it in his voice, too.

“I'd be delighted.”

Tobirama’s head snapped up—that was more of a purr than a smirk. The look on Madara's face matched, too. No smirk, but smile, and his eyes were almost on fire. Tobirama wasn't sure if it was his imagination or not, but he thought the temperature of the room leapt up when his eyes met Madara's.

“Then I suppose we'd better get you moved in…”

“No need to mention this to our brothers…”

Tobirama paused, imagining the drama such information would unleash. He shuddered.

“Most definitely not.”

Summary: Iruka can't sleep because that baby won't stop crying. Not because he misses his mom and dad and home.

wc: 756

Iruka hated these nights—the dark ones, the cold ones, the lonely ones. He was tired, but he couldn't sleep. The room was full of other boys, but he was alone. Inside and all around was the dark, gaping hole where his parents and the warmth of their home should be.

And that baby who wouldn't stop crying!

He rolled over in the bed, the rough bedding an irritation against his skin—he wanted his own bed, the soft sheets and blankets with their familiar patterns—and mashed the pillow over his head to try and drown out the sound.

It didn't work.

Iruka wanted to scream.

Through the Haze

For @flashfictionfridayofficial prompt "Fractured Forms" which first brings to mind Edo Tensei.

Summary: Iruka came back to himself, finally, sitting at a campfire, a cup of soup in his hand, and a body newly sat beside him.

wc: 455

Warnings: set immediately after 4th War battle.

The fighting was finally finished, and Iruka stood in a kind of stunned shock. He vaguely supposed that there would be little skirmishes here and there, but this moment, here, was the end. Silence rang in his ears, though he knew, intellectually, that the field was not silent. The world around seemed frozen, though he also knew that the world had not stilled, nor those he’d fought beside.

Even he was not still—he breathed, and his hands moved automatically to put away kunai and shuriken and explosive tags. He moved to help the fallen around him. He carried or supported those too injured to walk to the healer’s tents on their own. He moved the dead into rows to be identified and burned. He picked up those kunai and swords and shuriken as could be salvaged. All this is a kind of daze.

He came back to himself, finally, sitting at a campfire, a cup of soup in his hand, and a body newly sat beside him.

“I had not thought to find one of mine here,” the Nidaime began.

Iruka’s brows furrowed together. He couldn't imagine how he would be one of the Nidaime's any more than any other Konoha shinobi, or why he, a chūnin academy sensei, would be singled out in any way.

The Nidaime must have read it on him—Iruka couldn't imagine much of anything was kept from him, if the stories of his prowess as a sensor were to be believed.

“Very few ever knew that I had children.”

Iruka’s eyes widened.

“I spent quite some time in Uzushio when I was much younger, he explained. “Before my father grew old enough and slow enough that we knew it would be sooner than later that Hashirama became clan head. I had to come back to support him. She did not want to move into the war zone that most of Fire Country was.” He closed his eyes. “I, too, believed they would be much safer there.”

Iruka wasn't so dull that he couldn't put the pieces together, though he could hardly believe the picture they formed.

“You— me— ?”

Tobirama put his hand on Iruka's shoulder. “Yes, you. If my sense of it is right, you are my great-grandson.”

“Oh” was all the sound that escaped Iruka’s lips.

Tobirama laughed. “You also very much have the look of a Senju about you, no matter how many generations removed you are.”

This Iruka knew, though he'd never really known why. He laughed ruefully.

“A few have joked about my resemblance to Shodaime-sama, but I never thought…”

“Indeed.”

The fractured form of his great grandfather wrapped around him in the first hug he'd had from family in far, far too long.

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Iruka & Naruto

WC: 183

Summary: Naruto has a moment of doubt. Iruka doesn't.

“I'm not sure that I ever truly believed this day would come.”

“You didn't?”

This was a rare moment of vulnerability. Iruka couldn't help but be surprised by it.

“No. It always just seemed so far away. Or just out of reach.”

“Even after Pein came? Even after the war?”

Naruto looked thoughtful.

“All those people may have celebrated me in that moment, but they were still all the same people that kicked me out of stores.”

“That's true.” Iruka picked up The Hat to gather his thoughts. “The people most important to you, though, they changed, didn't they?”

Naruto nodded, fiddling with the sleeves of his robe.

“You and your classmates all grew up. You got to know each other as individuals. You all love each other.” Iruka looked Naruto in the eye to make sure he understood. “No fame will ever truly make for recognition and acceptance. Only love can do that.”

Iruka placed The Hat on Naruto's head. “I love you. I have had great expectations of you since I came to truly know you—whether you are Hokage or not.”

@flashfictionfridayofficial

@flashfictionfridayofficial

Maybe One More

Fandom: Naruto

Char: Haruno Sakura

WC: 127

Sakura’s insides rumbled, and she looked up from her book. When did it get so dark? How late was it, anyway?

The red numbers on the clock beside were too blurry to read, which told her it was somewhere between way-too-late at night and way-too-early in the morning. And she really should close up the book and go to sleep. Team 7's training would be starting… not many hours from now… probably. But the book was just getting to the good part. She was sure that Asami-chan was about to discover that Akihiro-kun wasn't a missing-nin after all. And he loved her, and they would get their Happy Ever After™️.

Maybe just one more chapter. Kakashi-sensei was always late anyway, so it would be fine… right?

For @flashfictionfridayofficial and brought into focus by some comments in the Discord chat.

Fandom: Naruto

Iruka-centric, but future(?) Kakashi/Iruka

WC: 1095

Further Than Skin Deep

No one really understood how or why it started, or why it struck the way it did. After all, everyone has fears, and people who admitted to phobias weren't horror shows to look at. Not even those considered cowards by, well, most everyone.

Regardless, it was really inconvenient for Iruka right now. The bruising first manifested on his chest, where it could be hidden and ignored. Well, not ignored, truly, because he couldn't resist putting his hand over the spot. Poking at it. But he could ignore, put off, meditating upon the reason it may have appeared at all.

Open Your Eyes, Trust Your Luck

Fandom: Naruto

Rating: G

WC: 542

This story was written for @flashfictionfridayofficial and inspired by @keanblade Thicker Than Starstuff. (Linked below, highly recommended read, mind the tags)

Team Crane was stuck in a cave. Chimon was injured, and Yuna and Seiua were exhausted. Their fight with the Hyūga shinobi had been tough, but they'd managed to escape… right?

Yuna was worried that they might still be found. Tobirama-shishou had told them about the Hyūga when teaching them about Hayato’s eyes, but through what and how far could they see? Or, really, through what and how far could the ones they'd been fighting see?

They didn't light a fire, just in case. This far into summer, the cave, while cooler than outside, was warm enough to let them rest. Yuna tried to keep awake, but slowly, so slowly, her eyes became heavier and heavier, and she fell asleep…

"Open your eyes"

Yuna was so comfortable. And so tired. Surely Tobirama-shishou would understand just a few more minutes of sleep …? His loadstar was always telling him to sleep more, so she could, too, right?

"Open your eyes"

The voice came again, but it wasn't Tobirama-shishou's voice.

"Open your eyes"

Yuna shot wide awake. That was Bishamonten's voice.

Yuna was supposed to watching. Paying attention.

She crept quietly, quietly to the mouth of the cave. There were voices! The Hyūga? She listened more carefully. She thought hey were running through the trees. Yuna crept back to Chimon and Seiua. She woke them quietly, laying a finger gently over their mouths to indicate the need for silence. They both nodded and gathered their gear together, keeping weapons at hand as they moved toward the front of the cave. Out of sight (hopefully), but ready.

Two shinobi came into view. They were Hyūga, just not the ones from earlier.

Just when Yuna thought they'd gotten lucky and the shinobi would pass them by, they changed direction and ran right to the cave! Then kunai were flying toward them, and Yuna deflected them with her shakujō. In the next moment, all three members of Team Crane were out of the cave and defending themselves against the two new Hyūga.

Yuna kept her eyes on everyone as best she could, and the instant she thought there was an opening, she called out, “Break!” and Team Crane started running back toward the Ainu. She was beyond grateful that they'd had a little food and sleep. If they were really lucky, they'd be able to lead the Hyūga into the traps Tobirama-shishou had set up all around their islands…

They hadn’t been running long when their luck turned even better! Silent as only he and his loadstar could be, Tobirama-shishou was there! Running past them and attacking the Hyūga! Ryō was there, too, and stopped briefly to tell them to keep going to the Ainu before running and pouncing on the 2nd Hyūga.

Now that Tobirama-shishou was there, Yuna wanted to turn around and help, so much! But always, always told them to follow orders and that he and his loadstar or his brother could fight better if they could trust that Team Crane (or Team Tiger) was doing as they were ordered, so she kept running, and running, and running.

Yuna was sure it was a shorter time than it seemed before Tobirama-shishou and Ryō caught up to them. Yuna knew then that everything would be alright.

Blind Spot

Finally wrote up this prompt for @flashfictionfridayofficial... it's just a week late 🙃

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Tobirama & Hashirama

wc: 337

“What were you thinking, anija?!?” Tobirama yelled the moment the front door swung closed.

“He's my frien—”

“That man is not your friend!” Tobirama rebutted harshly. “What friend would demand that you kill a sibling that they know you love? What kind of friend demands that you kill yourself?”

He paced back and forth in front of Hashirama, trying to expend the wrathful energy he'd forced himself to contain since Madara had made his demand… and Hashirama started removing his armour.

“We've had the same dream since we were children!” Hashirama yelled back.

“You're not children any more! And he's not the same person any more! If he was, he could have accepted your peace any time before! He could have done it as soon as you both ascended to clan headship!”

“There's no one else who's ever wanted peace the way we do!”

Tobirama stopped and gaped. All his fire snuffed out in an instant.

“I shared your dream,” Tobirama replied, barely keeping the betrayed quaver out of his voice. “Before you ever met Madara. Have you forgotten us talking about it with Itama before he died?”

Hashirama didn't reply for a long while. Tobirama began to turn away, then stopped when Hashirama said, “You always spoke out against it whenever I brought it up.”

“I told you that the Uchiha couldn't be trusted to keep it.” Tobirama managed to bring his voice to the same volume and even tone that he used while explaining himself to children. “Madara kept refusing you. And Izuna was always too full of vitriolic hate. He would never be able to keep a treaty—he was cut from the same cloth as his father and our father.”

Tobirama paused.

“I have always respected you as my clan head and loved you as my brother, but you have a Madara-shaped blind spot if you think he is still your friend and still shares your dream… and that no one else can.”

Then Tobirama completed his turn and walked away.

For @kakairu-rocks KakaIru Valentine's Week 2024, Day 2 Prompt: Love Potion and @flashfictionfridayofficial prompt "Seal It Tight!"

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: lruka & Naruto

Pairing: lruka/Kakashi (future implied)

Word Count: 1092

It's (relatively) early on a Saturday morning in February when Iruka slips through the door of the Namikaze-Uzumaki household. The weather has been unusually warm for February, and everything outside is slippery from last night's freezing rain.

lruka quietly hangs his jacket (not his parka!) on a hook in the entrance, sets his boots on the mat, steps around Kakashi's backpack, and goes to find Naruto. Minato may or may not be home from work yet, and if he is, he'll be sleeping. Which is why he's here on a Saturday morning instead of his usual Thursday after school. Iruka is both surprised and worried that he doesn't hear Naruto. Naruto is loud at least 90% of the time that he's awake, and at—Iruka pulls his phone out to check—8:30 in the morning, there's no way Naruto isn't up.

Iruka pokes his head into several rooms, none of which hold Naruto, before he finally hears the babbling sound of a Naruto stream of consciousness ramble™️ coming from the kitchen.

lruka steps into the room and, even though Minato and Kushina said he didn't need to come until 9, wishes he'd arrived earlier. The kitchen was, well, not a <i>complete</i> disaster, but not far from it either. There are so many bottles of things from the fridge and cupboards on the countertops that lruka can't help but wonder if they are completely empty. The sink is full of dirty bowls, and there are puddles of… something on the floor and countertops.

Quietly, Iruka greets Naruto, “Hey, kiddo, whatcha up to?”

“Iruka!”

Naruto's whisper is so loud that it might as well be a shout.

"Is your dad home yet?”

“Yeah, he got home an hour ago. And Kakashi, that lazy bum, isn't up yet.”

Iruka snorts. Kakashi isn't remotely lazy, though Iruka understands why Naruto thinks he is.

“Did you have breakfast?”

Naruto grimaces, but nods.

“Dad made <i>so many</i> pancakes for supper last night!” Then he pouts. “We're gonna be stuck eatin’ ‘em ‘til Mom gets home!”

Iruka knows Kushina is gone for the next week, so this is definitely an exaggeration.

“What are you up to, then?”

“A potion to help Kakashi!” he exclaims.

“A potion?”

"Yeah!”

Iruka shushes Naruto before he gets even louder and wakes Minato. Naruto looks contrite for 0.25 seconds, but does continue more quietly.

“Me and Kakashi watched a movie last night—he let me stay up so late, it was awesome!—there was dragons and battles and wizards and witches—”

Iruka lets Naruto’s flood of words continue for a while, but none of them explain the mess in the kitchen or how any of it is supposed to help Kakashi, who is due to roll out of bed and stumble out the door late for work soon.

Eventually, Iruka interrupts, "Naruto. What does any of that have to do with this…?” Iruka gestures to the mess all around them.

“The sword guy had a crush on this sword girl, but she never even <i>noticed</i>, even though he was always talking stupid and turning red and watching her when they weren't fighting zombies!”

Iruka blinks in stunned confusion. Zombies? He thought it was dragons…

“So he went to this guy who made a potion so she would notice him and fall in love with him.”

Naruto sounds completely disgusted as he says those last few words, but he's also still young enough to believe that girls have cooties…

“Kakashi…?” Iruka prompts.

“Right. Mom said he has a crush. But he never does anything about it! Tch, lazy—”

“Naruto,” Iruka interrupts.

“Right. He needs <i>so much help</i>! So I'm making a potion so Kakashi can become awesome and the guy will notice him and fall in love.”

It's moments like this that show how much Naruto now sees Kakashi as his brother, rather than an interloper, because while Naruto’s tone expresses his disgust at the whole concept and how lacking he thinks Kakashi's person is for this, he <i>does</i> genuinely wanted to help. Which is cute, if misguided, but he decides to leave that conversation to Kakashi…

“And how is it going?”

Naruto sags. “Ugh. Not so good.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. We don't have any of the weird stuff the potion guy used, so I've been trying all kinds of stuff.”

That certainly explained all the bottles. Iruka decides to abandon the homework plan that was originally created for the morning and asks, “What can I do to help?”

Naruto actually pauses to think, and Iruka hears the front door close, so Kakashi definitely heard most of that. Iruka smirks as he imagines Kakashi playing along.

“It should be Valentinesy, I guess, maybe...?”

“That's a good idea. Maybe something chocolatey or sweet?”

Naruto's face lights up, “Yeah! And mom said something about being hot, so maybe spicy…?”

Iruka snickered, then sighed.

“Ok, well, we're going to need to clean this up before we can get started.”

Naruto makes a face, but doesn't argue, so Iruka starts putting bottles back in the cupboard, and Naruto grabs a dishcloth to start cleaning the spills.

Chocolate sauce.

Vanilla.

Honey.

Chili flakes.

Mustard powder.

Cinnamon.

They mix it all together in a clean bowl, and Naruto scoops some out for Iruka to taste. Iruka, having the advantage of knowing what's in it, doesn't grimace or wince once it goes into his mouth. He simply swallows and decides he's lucky that the flavours of the spices haven't had time to develop…

(Afterwards, he also adds some of Minato and Kushina's chocolate whiskey, but Naruto doesn't need to know about that.)

“Let's see if we can find a nice looking container for it, shall we?” lruka gives the concoction his seal of approval.

Before Iruka can stop him, Naruto jumps up, fist in the air, and shouts, “Yes!”

“Shhhh!”

“Sorry, sorry.”

“It's your dad you're going to need to apologise to if you wake him up,” is Iruka's stern response.

Together, they go and look through all of the vases, old perfume bottles, medicine bottles, water bottles, and food storage containers in the house. Nothing is quite good enough for Naruto. Naruto eventually hits the jackpot anyway with a little bottle in the recycling bin. Iruka thinks it was probably a sampler alcohol bottle Kushina brought home from her last business trip. The important thing is that it's cool looking enough for Naruto, and Iruka can wash and sterilise it.

“Seal it tight! You can give it to Kakashi when he gets home.”

Slyly, “Maybe <i>you</i> should give it to Kakashi instead.”