Broken Mask

Iruka's day was shit, to put it nicely. First he had rolled off his bed whacking his head on his bedside table, then, when he went to grab a cup of coffee the handle snapped off the mug and he burnt himself with the hot liquid. After he managed to clean himself up he had somehow ended up standing on a kunai meaning he had a three inch hole in his foot. Bandaging it up had been simple but the pain that shot up his leg every time he walked was aggravating.

Not to mention today was the day he had planned to help the children with their kunai and shuriken throwing. 'Today is going to be awful.' Iruka groaned pushing open the door to the classroom and nearly screaming when the customary bucket of water fell on his head. 'I was wrong,' Iruka thought as he watched the children laugh, even the stoic Uchiha almost cracked a smile. 'Today is worse than awful it's pure hell.'

In the afternoon, when Iruka took the children out to train with kunai, Iruka ended up watching as Kiba and Naruto, the demon spawned brat, began to fight again. Iruka rolled his eyes, he wished that they would stop but some things would never change and this was one of them. Even though it wasn't sparring time, not that what they were doing was actually a spar, Iruka had to admit that their fights were the reason both could be classified as the best fighters in their class. He wasn't like all of the other idiotic instructors who thought Naruto was just an attention seeking brat; he knew that Naruto had the potential to be a great ninja, the kid just never showed it. Naruto avoided the ANBU on a daily bases when pulling his pranks and he survived all the fights he got into with other students without even a scratch. Even the punches he took Iruka could see how he moved with them so it just seemed as if he had been hit when in reality the attack hadn't dealt any damage. Yet the head-up-their-asses shinobi never seemed to be able to see it.

Iruka watched as the two fought mentally critiquing it. Naruto had left his side wide open and Kiba had almost landed a hit on him. However, Naruto stumbled back as if the attack had landed and all of the children watching cheered. Seeing that the fight was getting out of hand, and realizing he couldn't stall this forever, Iruka intervened, stepping between both students and shouting: "Enough! Everyone get back to practicing NOW!"
So here Iruka was still trying teaching a class of demon spawned *cough* children about the proper way to throw a kunai and were they listening?

No of course they weren't! And the next time one of those idiots almost hit him with a kunai…Iruka ducked as a shuriken sailed over his head thunking into the tree behind him. 'That's it practice is over.' Iruka snarled mentally ordering all of the kids inside.

Watching as the class trudged inside he felt a pang of something for Naruto. Naruto was laughing and smiling in front of the rest of the students but there was no one with him. None of the students ever willingly talked to Naruto, not even Inuzuka Kiba who would often prank people just as much as Naruto. Pushing away the odd feeling, because he did not care about the demon spawn, Iruka turned and walked into the classroom. An eraser fell on his head and Iruka could only sigh knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that by the end of today he would either be suicidal or homicidal. As he watched his students laugh he was pretty sure he was leaning towards the second option.

'More than half the time they used my lessons as a joke,' Iruka ranted mentally. 'Never doing what was asked of them fighting and trying to use jutsus that were far too difficult for them.' Iruka was thankful at least that the day was over with and he could go home…or not there was that damn file from yesterday! Iruka had forgotten all about it after he had spoken with Haru and the Hokage. This brought Iruka to another stressing matter that he had to deal with, THE HOKAGE HAD THREATENED HIM!

When Iruka had gotten home he had had a panic attack. Honestly who wouldn't have a panic attack if the strongest ninja in the village, who could easily get away with murder and torture, threatened them? No one that's who! The Hokage was one scary bastard when he wanted to be.

So Iruka had spent an hour having a panic attack. He had had no idea, and still didn't, what he had done to get threatened either! Sure he had taken Haru's job offer but it was the Hokage who had made him do it!

~~~~~ I am the flashback line~~~~~

After the Hokage dragged Iruka into his office, the Third had gestured to the seat opposite his desk. Iruka sat down and tried to calm his raging heartbeat as the Hokage spoke: "So Iruka-kun, you have decided to accept Haru's job offer?"

Iruka nodded his head; he didn't trust his voice at the moment. In fact he was quite sure that it had disappeared on him, never to be used again. Besides it had been the Hokage who had glared him into agreeing to Haru's offer he should be aware of it already. The Hokage lit his pipe before blowing smoke out into the room a feral smile on his lips, his eyes were like steel. The Hokage looked at Iruka for several long moments before speaking again: "I am going to assume that you will not tell anyone the recipes that Haru uses."

Iruka nodded his head once again he still couldn't find his voice, the old Hokage looked at Iruka with hard eyes as he continued: "Should I find out that any of Haru's recipes have been made public knowledge I will know who to track down, and I will make your life hell. Haru is MY son and I will not allow some greedy civilians to get their hands on his recipes am I understood?"

Iruka managed to croak out a "Yes Hokage-sama," even if his voice did crack a bit at the end. After all he was alone in a room with a man who could, and would, gut him with no consequences. It wasn't exactly an environment that supported self-confidence.

The Hokage nodded his head before gesturing to the door and stating: "You are dismissed Iruka-kun and I do hope the next time we speak it will be on good terms. I would hate to have to find a replacement instructor when you do so well at your job."

Iruka made it too the door and made it home, it felt like a surreal dream to him; a surreal and very, very frightening dream.

~~~~ I am the flashback line~~~~

After Iruka had gotten home he had sat down on his couch to have his panic attack. Iruka didn't have anyone to turn to during his attack so he had suffered in silence like he had done so many times before. Iruka had made sure to avoid Haru for the next few days, going about his routine like nothing had changed but in truth a lot had changed more than he was willing to admit.

Shaking those thoughts from his head Iruka continued on his way to the Hokage's tower determined to deliver the file gripped tightly in his hands. He had decided to take a rather scenic route to get there however, hoping it would calm his nerves, and stumbled upon a rather shocking scene. His new employer, and somewhat friend, was surrounded by ANBU. Curious, which Iruka later reminded himself killed the cat, he made his way over and began listening in on the conversation. Because, honestly what kinds of dumb shit ANBU didn't notice another shinobi standing out in the open without any type of cloaking listening in on their conversation?
"Hinata-sama, are you alright?" came the question from a bird-masked ANBU.

Iruka watched as Hinata nodded her head attempting to reply. "Y-y-yes I am f-f-fine, if H-H-Haru-san hadn't of c-came when he did I w-w-wouldn't be th-though."

The ANBU looked towards Haru who was stood calm and collected ignoring everyone around him until he noticed Hinata beginning to shake. Moving closer to the young girl Haru started rubbing soothing circles on Hinata's back. Not even a couple of minutes later another ANBU came back with an unconscious body slung over his shoulders, the man was badly beaten and judging from the odd angles of his bones was suffering from broken bones as well. Hiashi, Hinata's father was looking at Haru with confusion as well as interest and slight respect. It was hard to earn the curiosity, though any who had it would not call it an honour at all, much less respect of any of the clans much less the Hyuugas.

Iruka could read Hiashi like an open book, a feat for a shinobi of any calibre as no one could read anyone from the Huuyga clan. Their pupils were virtually non existent and it made it near impossible for people to read them, yet somehow Iruka had managed to always know how they felt. He knew when they were angry so he avoided them, he also knew that the 'training' that Hiashi put Hinata through was abuse, something that Iruka couldn't stop after all who would listen to him? He was after all just defenceless, senseless Iruka the poor lowly chunnin.

Not bothering to hide, because honestly if the ANBU hadn't noticed him by now he wasn't expecting them to any time soon, Iruka continued to listen rather intrigued by this turn of events.

The bird ANBU turned to Haru and looked him up and down seemingly finding Haru lacking. Haru, not really caring what some overbearing head-up-his-own-ass thought of him merely smiled and wiggled his fingers at the man casually and with no respect in his posture or actions. The ANBU mentally snarled and bared his teeth beneath the mask while Haru, seemingly knowing what the man was doing, simply smiled wider his teeth glinting in the sun causing the ANBU to step back a chill had ran down his spine. That smile was the smile of a bloodthirsty predator and not a simple civilian. Iruka found himself shivering with the ANBU though it wasn't in fear and something warm curled in his belly. Iruka had to wonder what this new emotion was; he had never felt it before.

Hiashi looked at the strange civilian with interest, it had been a while since Hiashi had been interested in anything, and never a simple civilian, that was for certain yet this seemingly untrained and unremarkable man had managed to take down an S-rank missing nin that was planning on kidnapping Hinata and using her as a breeding mare. It was definitely something worth being interested over. After all his own family had not been able to stop the nin when this civilian didn't even have a scratch on him.

Personally, Haru had just happened to come across the ninja throwing Hinata over his shoulder while the girl screamed bloody murder. Never having been able to rid himself of his her complex Haru had ended up dropping all of his shopping bags, which he wouldn't use now because they had been out of his sight and he was paranoid that way, before giving chase. These events had led to the position they were all in now.

Hiashi strode over to the civilian that was continuing to scare the ANBU with all of his smiling. He had decided to kill two birds with one stone.

"We will be willing to pay you, if you will guard Hinata." It would keep the civilian around so Hiashi could study him and it would keep Hinata protected, a win-win in Hiashi's book.

Haru blinked and looked at Haishi before shaking his head. "No can do, I have a store to run." He stated simply turning to leave. He needed to go buy more groceries and eat dinner still, he didn't have time to waste here.

Hiashi reared back as did everyone else; no one had ever said no to a Huuyga before. Then again no one had ever met someone like Haru before. He didn't give a shit about proper or respectful. If he thought it he said it and if you didn't like it then you could kiss his ass.

Iruka mentally laughed at everyone's faces. He wasn't surprised at the Haru's statement. If Haru didn't want to do it then Haru didn't. Iruka looked over his new employer and mentally drooled. The clothing Haru was wearing left little to the imagination, those skin tight leather pants and sleeveless leather hoody should not be legal; Haru looked far too good in them. Iruka shook those thoughts off; it wouldn't do for him to have the 'hots' for his employer when the two weren't even friends. Iruka turned his atantion back to Haru and Hiashi's argument just as Haru decided to end it with one shouted word.

"ENOUGH!" Haru screamed eyes dark and posture threatening. He was done being questioned.

Everyone reared back as if struck and Iruka felt a strange power that wasn't chakra run down his spine, making him shudder and that heat to curl low in his belly again. What was that? Iruka was sure it came from Haru but for now he pushed the question aside for now as he watched the ending to the verbal fight.

"I will teach Hinata to defend herself that is all! I will not be her guard! I will not nanny her! Is that understood?!" Haru roared and only Iruka noticed the lightning that flashed along the ends of his hair.

Hiashi stiffly nodded his head replying with a curt "Understood," before turning to talk to one of the ANBU. It wasn't what he wanted but for now it would do. He would take things carefully and then when the civvie east expected it Hiashi would show him why it was you never said 'no' to a Hyuuga.

Haru looked over at Hinata and spoke in a soft voice not blaming her in the least for her father's actions. "Come by the shop tomorrow, your first lesson will begin then." After he got the affirmative from Hinata Haru walked back the way he had come his eyes flashing up to Iruka's as he motioned for the other man to follow.

Iruka trotted to Haru quickly eager to get all of his questions answered. However, before Iruka could open his mouth Haru began to speak, "I'll answer all of your questions tomorrow after we close the bakery." Iruka opened his mouth to argue not even noticing the needle until it was stuck in his neck. The last thing Iruka was aware of before he lost consciousness was Haru catching his body.

"Sorry Iruka," Haru sighed flipping the body over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "But you need a goodnight's sleep and you didn't seem like you would accept waiting very easily. But I promise to answer all of your questions tomorrow. I'll even tell you all about who I really am and you will be the third person to know my story." Finishing his dialogue Haru walked into an alley before apparating directly to Iruka's apartment. Setting Iruka on his bed and walking out Haru sighed. Tomorrow would be a long day.