Sairai 再来

Chapter 17 - Sandcastles and proposals

Third POV

Iruka didn't like this at all, in fact, he hated everything that was happening right now. Between Shisui's mocking smirk, Kakashi's way too laid-back personality, and the Hokage's ignorance, the young teacher didn't know which one made him lose more hair. If he had to put up with this another 10 years he was sure he would go bald by the time he is thirty.

"No, no, absolutely not!" he yelled at the four jonins. Guy left the meeting as soon as he signed up his students for the Chunin exams, saying that he has to train them more, not that Iruka had a problem with him, his problem was with those four, who barely had the teams for a few months and now they wanted to throw them into a life or death exam. He felt his knees weaken at the thought of his ex-students being carried away on a stretcher.

"Why? They are prepared enough," Shisui answered in his usual tone that made Iruka's blood boil. The only reason why he didn't punch the Uchiha all these years was Naruto. The blonde genin had been considering the blind man his older brother ever since they met.

"My students could die! What if they die?" he tried to reason with them. He saw Shisui flinch a bit, rethinking for a few seconds only to go back to his smiling facade.

"They won't, don't worry."

"They are not your students anymore, Iruka," Kakashi spoke lazily. "If I want to throw them into a death pit, as their teacher I am allowed to, and you don't have a word in this."

Something snapped in Iruka as he got up from his chair ready to use even physical force against the silver man. He knew that he couldn't win, but trying never killed anybody. Kurenai and Asuma had been silent the whole time, not having a chance to speak over the three males, not even the Hokage dared to interrupt them.

"Sit down Iruka," Hiruzen finally spoke, trying to calm down the young teacher. "If they want to sign up their genin to the Chunin Exams it's their choice, not yours." The brown-haired man fell back into his chair, not daring to look at the smug faces of Kakashi and Shisui.

"Only on one condition, let me test them a bit."

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First POV

It's been a month since Sasuke and I started going almost daily to the Naka Shrine to try to figure out how to breach the seal. It wasn't going as well as I thought it would, neither I nor Sasuke were experts in fuinjutsu nor had any talent in it. The sequence on the stone was long, and it did have traps put in by the author. Whatever the Uchiha clan was hiding down there must be important.

"We could ask Naruto to help," Sasuke proposed to me as we made our way to the training grounds. Today had been another unlucky day at deciphering the barrier. 

"Naruto? I guess he is an Uzumaki, he should have a natural affiliation to fuinjutsu," I concluded. "But he is a bit... too reckless."

"I think it would be fine if we watch over him."

"Let's hope he can help. Where is he, any-..."

I wasn't able to finish my question as Naruto's loud voice echoed from around the corner, followed by Sakura's. I looked over at Sasuke who simply just sighed, as we made our way to where the voices came from. Dramatically, as usual, my Uchiha friend decided to climb a tree to make his entrance, instead of just walking there like a normal person.

I saw Sakura and Naruto in a fighting stance as a shinobi from the Sand Village was holding a child by their arm. Behind the sand ninja was a girl around our age who didn't seem to mind what was going on. As I got closer I recognized the child as the Hokage's grandson, Konohamaru. I knew Naruto sometimes hang out with him, as the young boy developed quite the respect for the loud blonde.