La Speranza Ultima
folder
Naruto › Yaoi - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
14
Views:
1,325
Reviews:
33
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
Naruto › Yaoi - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
14
Views:
1,325
Reviews:
33
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Tolerance
VIII. Tolerance
Iruka knew his legs couldn’t take much more abuse, but still he pressed on, making his way through the forest floor in the same direction that the two demons had bolted off in. He was slow and he knew it. He knew he would be left behind at some point, but sheer determination kept him moving. Getting rid of Iruka wasn’t going to be as easy as Kakashi believed it would be. Giving a groan, the brunette finally couldn’t take any more movement and collapsed against a tree trunk, feeling pins and needles settle in his calves and thighs, imagining the lactic acid sloshing around on his muscles like liquid in a fallen bottle. He reached to rub his feet and found that somewhere, he’d lost his sandal. The sole of his foot was battered, cut and torn, leaving a trail of blood to be followed by any predator that could be lurking about. Sighing in admit of defeat, the human set his head back against the tree trunk and looked up at the canopy, trying not to cry.
He’d known there would come a day when Naruto would leave him. He’d been preparing for it since the day Naruto had learned to walk. Iruka just hadn’t expected it to be today – or so soon. It was frustrating, being so weak. No matter how hard Iruka worked or how hard he trained he just wasn’t as capable as a demon. He closed his eyes and tried not to scream in his anger. He had to be calm about this. When Naruto got hungry, he’d look for Iruka. Wouldn’t he?
Groaning, the brunette struggled to his feet and pulled himself along, trying to catch sight of his adopted little brother and that silver-haired bastard with him. It was impossible, he knew, because demons could travel twice as fast as humans, faster, even, if they really wanted to. And it was no secret that Kakashi detested Iruka twice as much as Iruka hated Kakashi, so Kakashi would do everything in his power to get rid of Iruka.
By the time Iruka reached the water of the lake, the human was exhausted, mentally and physically. He took a few moments to drink the fresh water before sitting back, trying to decide what to do. He couldn’t go back – he could only go forward. Iruka wasn’t a stranger to wandering lost, but it had been a long time since he had to survive on what he could scrounge. Shivering, the brunette slowly pulled off his clothes, intending to wash the garments as he bathed, pulling is hair from its customary ponytail. He slid into the water, clothes in hand, and moved to scrub the dirt and sweat from his body.
Had he known he wasn’t alone, Iruka probably never would have taken the time to stop. He probably never would have made himself so vulnerable.
But Iruka didn’t know, and he set his clothes on a sun-warmed rock to dry as he moved to scrub his hair. He went under the surface of the water only once, and when he came back up, he found a man standing over his clothes, grinning. Iruka reddened.
“Quite a pretty thing to be swimming all by herself.” The man said, bending down to pick up Iruka’s shirt.
“I’m not a girl.” Iruka replied heatedly. “Put that down.”
“Girl, boy, it doesn’t matter. The point is you’re in my territory.” The man’s lips spread into a grin, revealing sharp, pointed teeth. “And now you’re mine.”
Iruka froze only for a moment upon seeing those teeth and knew exactly what this creature was. He could run, but he doubted he could get very far, especially trapped within the demon’s own element. Slowly, Iruka began to shift his feet, to an attempt an escape, but then the demon was before him, grabbing onto his chin.
“I don’t appreciate my things disobeying me,” the demon said hotly, pressing far too close to the human. “I’ll have to teach you a lesson.”
The demon fisted Iruka’s hair, and without warning dunked the human beneath the water, holding him there while Iruka struggled. When he came up, the demon adjusted his grip for another dunk, another and another. Gasping on the return trip to the surface, Iruka shoved forward with both hands, forcing the demon back away from him. The creature howled in pain as he released Iruka from his hold and the human wasted no time in bolting for the shore. As fast as Iruka was, the demon was faster, and he caught Iruka around the middle, forcing him down onto the shore.
“What are you?” The demon hissed. “What are you, human?”
“He’s my brother!”
The moment the demon looked up, Naruto kicked at his face, snapping the water demon’s head back. Naruto grabbed onto Iruka, trying to pull him to safety before the demon recovered enough to attack the young kit, and suddenly Kakashi was there, between the duo and the demon.
“Iruka-nii, are you all right?” Naruto asked, tail twitching agitatedly, trying to nuzzle up to the brunette. Iruka just wrapped his arms around the boy and clung to him, trying not to tremble. He couldn’t meet Kakashi’s gaze, biting hard on his lower lip to keep him from crying at his own weakness. Kakashi turned then to the water demon, hands on his hips.
“He doesn’t belong to you. So be a good boy and leave him the hell alone.”
“And what does the great Hatake Kakashi care about some measly little human?” the demon snarled. “Didn’t you swear an oath to kill every human you came across?”
Kakashi didn’t reply. He just moved forward and tapped the demon in the forehead, walking past him to retrieve Iruka’s clothes. On his way back, Kakashi slashed a glare at the water demon, frowning.
“This one is special,” Kakashi said, “and you’re just unlucky.”
The demon blinked before he realized the silver-haired demon’s words and began to panic. Iruka looked up in time to see the water demon convulse violently as if being electrocuted and disappear into his own lake, only steam being the marker of the demon’s grave. Kakashi knelt before Iruka and Naruto then and offered Iruka his clothes. Saying nothing the brunette dressed quickly, still holding onto the blonde boy with a grip that would hurt another person. To Naruto, it just meant that Iruka needed him, and so the boy verily clung to Iruka’s side, trying to comfort his big brother. Kakashi rubbed his neck and sighed.
“Just keep up, human.”
Iruka opened his mouth to retort and found himself suddenly pulled onto the silver-haired demon’s back. The brunette flushed a fierce red at the thought of a piggyback ride, and hid his face before Naruto could ask why he was so red.
“I don’t like you,” Kakashi said softly, “and you don’t like me. The only thing we have in common is that little brat.”
“Are you suggesting a truce?”
Kakashi just looked back at Iruka with that lone sapphire eye. Slowly Iruka nodded, flexed his fingers, and bowed his head. For Naruto’s sake, he’d get along with Kakashi. Only for Naruto.
Iruka knew his legs couldn’t take much more abuse, but still he pressed on, making his way through the forest floor in the same direction that the two demons had bolted off in. He was slow and he knew it. He knew he would be left behind at some point, but sheer determination kept him moving. Getting rid of Iruka wasn’t going to be as easy as Kakashi believed it would be. Giving a groan, the brunette finally couldn’t take any more movement and collapsed against a tree trunk, feeling pins and needles settle in his calves and thighs, imagining the lactic acid sloshing around on his muscles like liquid in a fallen bottle. He reached to rub his feet and found that somewhere, he’d lost his sandal. The sole of his foot was battered, cut and torn, leaving a trail of blood to be followed by any predator that could be lurking about. Sighing in admit of defeat, the human set his head back against the tree trunk and looked up at the canopy, trying not to cry.
He’d known there would come a day when Naruto would leave him. He’d been preparing for it since the day Naruto had learned to walk. Iruka just hadn’t expected it to be today – or so soon. It was frustrating, being so weak. No matter how hard Iruka worked or how hard he trained he just wasn’t as capable as a demon. He closed his eyes and tried not to scream in his anger. He had to be calm about this. When Naruto got hungry, he’d look for Iruka. Wouldn’t he?
Groaning, the brunette struggled to his feet and pulled himself along, trying to catch sight of his adopted little brother and that silver-haired bastard with him. It was impossible, he knew, because demons could travel twice as fast as humans, faster, even, if they really wanted to. And it was no secret that Kakashi detested Iruka twice as much as Iruka hated Kakashi, so Kakashi would do everything in his power to get rid of Iruka.
By the time Iruka reached the water of the lake, the human was exhausted, mentally and physically. He took a few moments to drink the fresh water before sitting back, trying to decide what to do. He couldn’t go back – he could only go forward. Iruka wasn’t a stranger to wandering lost, but it had been a long time since he had to survive on what he could scrounge. Shivering, the brunette slowly pulled off his clothes, intending to wash the garments as he bathed, pulling is hair from its customary ponytail. He slid into the water, clothes in hand, and moved to scrub the dirt and sweat from his body.
Had he known he wasn’t alone, Iruka probably never would have taken the time to stop. He probably never would have made himself so vulnerable.
But Iruka didn’t know, and he set his clothes on a sun-warmed rock to dry as he moved to scrub his hair. He went under the surface of the water only once, and when he came back up, he found a man standing over his clothes, grinning. Iruka reddened.
“Quite a pretty thing to be swimming all by herself.” The man said, bending down to pick up Iruka’s shirt.
“I’m not a girl.” Iruka replied heatedly. “Put that down.”
“Girl, boy, it doesn’t matter. The point is you’re in my territory.” The man’s lips spread into a grin, revealing sharp, pointed teeth. “And now you’re mine.”
Iruka froze only for a moment upon seeing those teeth and knew exactly what this creature was. He could run, but he doubted he could get very far, especially trapped within the demon’s own element. Slowly, Iruka began to shift his feet, to an attempt an escape, but then the demon was before him, grabbing onto his chin.
“I don’t appreciate my things disobeying me,” the demon said hotly, pressing far too close to the human. “I’ll have to teach you a lesson.”
The demon fisted Iruka’s hair, and without warning dunked the human beneath the water, holding him there while Iruka struggled. When he came up, the demon adjusted his grip for another dunk, another and another. Gasping on the return trip to the surface, Iruka shoved forward with both hands, forcing the demon back away from him. The creature howled in pain as he released Iruka from his hold and the human wasted no time in bolting for the shore. As fast as Iruka was, the demon was faster, and he caught Iruka around the middle, forcing him down onto the shore.
“What are you?” The demon hissed. “What are you, human?”
“He’s my brother!”
The moment the demon looked up, Naruto kicked at his face, snapping the water demon’s head back. Naruto grabbed onto Iruka, trying to pull him to safety before the demon recovered enough to attack the young kit, and suddenly Kakashi was there, between the duo and the demon.
“Iruka-nii, are you all right?” Naruto asked, tail twitching agitatedly, trying to nuzzle up to the brunette. Iruka just wrapped his arms around the boy and clung to him, trying not to tremble. He couldn’t meet Kakashi’s gaze, biting hard on his lower lip to keep him from crying at his own weakness. Kakashi turned then to the water demon, hands on his hips.
“He doesn’t belong to you. So be a good boy and leave him the hell alone.”
“And what does the great Hatake Kakashi care about some measly little human?” the demon snarled. “Didn’t you swear an oath to kill every human you came across?”
Kakashi didn’t reply. He just moved forward and tapped the demon in the forehead, walking past him to retrieve Iruka’s clothes. On his way back, Kakashi slashed a glare at the water demon, frowning.
“This one is special,” Kakashi said, “and you’re just unlucky.”
The demon blinked before he realized the silver-haired demon’s words and began to panic. Iruka looked up in time to see the water demon convulse violently as if being electrocuted and disappear into his own lake, only steam being the marker of the demon’s grave. Kakashi knelt before Iruka and Naruto then and offered Iruka his clothes. Saying nothing the brunette dressed quickly, still holding onto the blonde boy with a grip that would hurt another person. To Naruto, it just meant that Iruka needed him, and so the boy verily clung to Iruka’s side, trying to comfort his big brother. Kakashi rubbed his neck and sighed.
“Just keep up, human.”
Iruka opened his mouth to retort and found himself suddenly pulled onto the silver-haired demon’s back. The brunette flushed a fierce red at the thought of a piggyback ride, and hid his face before Naruto could ask why he was so red.
“I don’t like you,” Kakashi said softly, “and you don’t like me. The only thing we have in common is that little brat.”
“Are you suggesting a truce?”
Kakashi just looked back at Iruka with that lone sapphire eye. Slowly Iruka nodded, flexed his fingers, and bowed his head. For Naruto’s sake, he’d get along with Kakashi. Only for Naruto.