Categories > Anime/Manga > Naruto > Pink and Blue Blues
Chapter 3: Second Trimester Pt 1
Iruka sat with his elbows propped on the counter and his mouth pressed against his clasped hands. He stared down at the untouched mug of tea that sat on the counter in front of him.
Ayame watched him for a moment, then leaned her arms on the upper counter, tilting her head over to try to get into his line of vision.
"That tea's probably cold by now," she remarked.
"What?" Iruka blinked up at her, stirring from his reverie. "Oh." He looked back down at his cup and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I was miles away."
Ayame reached over and picked up the mug. "Let me get you a fresh one." Iruka nodded absently.
The two other diners at the ramen stand paid for their meal and left. "Thank you!" Ayame called after them. "Come back and see us again!"
Iruka now sat by himself at the counter, and Ayame set a hot mug of tea before him.
"Have you seen Kakashi at all?" she asked.
Iruka shook his head. It had been three weeks now since the jonin's isolation began. "No, I haven't tried. I'm not sure he'd want to see me."
"Why?"
Iruka smile wryly. "I think he'd just see me as part of the establishment."
"Has anyone been to see him? Naruto?"
"Oh, no!" Iruka replied. "No one under the age of at least twenty is allowed anywhere near there. Only the chunin who are assigned to guard the apartment have any actual contact with him. It's not like he's in the hospital and there are visiting hours," he added.
Ayame gave a dismissive snort. Iruka looked at her questioningly. "It's a lot of fuss about nothing, if you ask me!" she said hotly.
Iruka sighed. His own feelings were torn. On the one hand, he was as shocked and disturbed by the news as everyone else, once it started spreading like fire through dry brush. But he knew there must be more to it than just "some hot shot jonin who thinks he owns the place seducing some poor innocent little girl", as some rumors would have it, or "some cheap piece destroying the career of one of Konoha's greatest shinobi," as others were muttering.
The dark-haired chunin raised an eyebrow. "It's hardly nothing, Ayame. He got an underage girl pregnant. The Hokage's apprentice, no less."
"Well, that's it right there, isn't it," Ayame said. "It hit her personally and she's taking it out on him." Her dark eyes grew sad "They must be heartbroken," she went on, almost to herself.
Aside from the many other qualities that endeared her to Iruka, Ayame was a hopeless romantic. But he didn't quite see the potential for the happily-ever-after scenario that she was apparently hoping for in this situation. Apart from the views of society in general on this sort of scandal, the ninja way alone could be very unforgiving.
"They might very well be heartbroken," Iruka said carefully, not wanting to start an argument. "But you may want to be careful about getting your hopes up too much."
Ayame didn't reply. A small group of people came to sit at the counter and she went over to take their orders. "I'll see you later," she said to Iruka over her shoulder, her voice quiet and thoughtful.
Iruka nodded and left the restaurant, not feeling entirely comfortable. The last thing he wanted was for Ayame to be mad at him. There seemed to be a cloud that had settled over the whole village, putting everyone on edge. He gave a slight shrug of his shoulders and headed back to the Academy.
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Sakura stood in front of Shueido's bookstore in Konoha's shopping district. She was trying very hard to pretend that the" Icha Icha Paradise" banner was not ruffling in the breeze over her head. She ran her fingers over the spines of a number of books stacked on a table on the sidewalk outside the store. She paused over one of them, "Your Baby's First Three Months", debating whether to brave the stares of the other shoppers in the store by buying it, or waiting until later when there were fewer people out. She glanced around her, then picked up the book, setting it on top of the others and opening it up.
There were pictures inside of adoring young couples gazing down lovingly at little swaddled bundles in their arms, their fingers clutched by tiny pink fists. They all looked so damn happy! Sakura flipped through a few more pages, enduring the sight of contented mothers nursing their infants or smiling fathers holding giggling babies up in the air. She finally clapped the book shut and put it back in its place, pulling out another one on postpartum depression, feeling like this would be more up her street.
Naruto stepped out of the shop across the street holding a back full of instant ramen cups. He walked back over to join Sakura just as Hinata approached them as well. Sakura looked up and smiled at them. They had stood by her the most, offering her much needed emotional support rather than avoiding her out of embarrassment or resentment. Hinata's luminous eyes seemed a little troubled.
"What's the matter?" Naruto asked immediately. They were constantly picking up bits of rumors or comments other people made, and it made him angry. By the look on Hinata's face, he could tell she had probably heard something else.
The dark-haired girl shook her head. "It's nothing," she replied quietly.
"It's all right, Hinata," Sakura said wearily. "What was it this time?"
Hinata gave a little shrug and said reluctantly, "It's just-when I was talking to Ino, she told me that her father has said some very...angry things."
"Like what?" Naruto asked. Being the father of a teenage daughter, Yamanaka Inoichi was reacting pretty strongly to the news.
"Just...well...just what he thinks should happen to Kakashi," Hinata replied. "I don't really want to repeat it." Ino had recounted in lurid detail her father's angry rant the other night about how Kakashi should be strung up by a certain part of his anatomy and beaten with anything anybody could get a hold of.
"Jerk!" Naruto muttered darkly, dumping his bag of ramen on the sidewalk.
Sakura shrugged. "What did you expect, Naruto?"
"I don't know! I'm just getting sick of this!" the blond teen fumed.
Sakura gave a short, humorless laugh. "You're sick of it?"
Slut!
Sakura stiffened and felt the blood rush from her face, them back up as her cheeks began to burn. She couldn't tell who had spoken, whether man or woman, or where the voice had come from. She stood silently staring at the books before her.
Naruto stared at her profile for a moment. He began to feel a boiling rage surge up in him and he spun around to glare at the passersby on the street around him. His eyes blazed red, his pupils changing from round dots to sharp slits. People passing near him jumped back in shock, bumping into others behind them.
"I'm sick of you people!" the young man shouted furiously. "Why can't you all just mind your own damn business!"
Sakura stayed motionless, but Hinata ran over to stand in front of Naruto and placed her hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look at her.
"Stop, Naruto-kun! It's all right!" she whispered urgently.
Naruto breathed heavily and closed his eyes, forcing the waves of anger to subside. After a few moments, he opened blue eyes to gaze somberly into Hinata's opalescent ones.
"I'm okay," he whispered back.
Iruka hurried up to them, having heard Naruto's outburst. The villagers were starting to walk away, either pretending nothing had happened or casting dark looks at the young man in the street or the young woman with her back to them.
"What happened!" Iruka asked, already having a fairly good idea.
Naruto shook his head. "Just more of the same," he muttered.
Sakura tossed the book she had been looking at on top of the others. "I'm going home," she declared, turning away.
"We'll walk you back," Naruto called, starting after her.
"I'm pregnant, Naruto. I'm not crippled," Sakura called back without looking at them. She walked away up the street, ignoring the glances of other people.
Hinata slipped her hand into Naruto's as they sadly watched her disappear around a corner. Naruto turned his head and kissed Hinata on the temple. "Thanks," he whispered to her.
"I hope things don't get worse," Hinata commented. Naruto nodded in agreement. He turned to look at Iruka.
"Iruka-sensei, why do people have to be so mean?" he asked. At seventeen, he was still young enough to be amazed at the sometimes inexplicable behavior of adults.
Iruka sighed and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I don't know. I guess it's because it's such an emotional issue."
"Well, it's stupid!" Naruto shook his head in frustration. "They don't know what's going on! It's none of their business!" He looked back up the street where he had last seen Sakura. "She's my friend. And Kakashi-sensei's my friend. Yeah, I know it's kind of crazy what happened. But you should see how sad Sakura gets. She really, really loves him. And she says that he really loves her. Why can't Granny Tsunade just let them be together?"
"It's not that simple, Naruto."
Naruto clutched his head. "Aargh! I know it isn't. But it should be!"
You're starting to sound like Ayame, Iruka thought. "It would be nice if it could be, but real life isn't like that. Anyway, we just need to let her know we're here for her. Things probably aren't going to get much better."
Iruka sat with his elbows propped on the counter and his mouth pressed against his clasped hands. He stared down at the untouched mug of tea that sat on the counter in front of him.
Ayame watched him for a moment, then leaned her arms on the upper counter, tilting her head over to try to get into his line of vision.
"That tea's probably cold by now," she remarked.
"What?" Iruka blinked up at her, stirring from his reverie. "Oh." He looked back down at his cup and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I was miles away."
Ayame reached over and picked up the mug. "Let me get you a fresh one." Iruka nodded absently.
The two other diners at the ramen stand paid for their meal and left. "Thank you!" Ayame called after them. "Come back and see us again!"
Iruka now sat by himself at the counter, and Ayame set a hot mug of tea before him.
"Have you seen Kakashi at all?" she asked.
Iruka shook his head. It had been three weeks now since the jonin's isolation began. "No, I haven't tried. I'm not sure he'd want to see me."
"Why?"
Iruka smile wryly. "I think he'd just see me as part of the establishment."
"Has anyone been to see him? Naruto?"
"Oh, no!" Iruka replied. "No one under the age of at least twenty is allowed anywhere near there. Only the chunin who are assigned to guard the apartment have any actual contact with him. It's not like he's in the hospital and there are visiting hours," he added.
Ayame gave a dismissive snort. Iruka looked at her questioningly. "It's a lot of fuss about nothing, if you ask me!" she said hotly.
Iruka sighed. His own feelings were torn. On the one hand, he was as shocked and disturbed by the news as everyone else, once it started spreading like fire through dry brush. But he knew there must be more to it than just "some hot shot jonin who thinks he owns the place seducing some poor innocent little girl", as some rumors would have it, or "some cheap piece destroying the career of one of Konoha's greatest shinobi," as others were muttering.
The dark-haired chunin raised an eyebrow. "It's hardly nothing, Ayame. He got an underage girl pregnant. The Hokage's apprentice, no less."
"Well, that's it right there, isn't it," Ayame said. "It hit her personally and she's taking it out on him." Her dark eyes grew sad "They must be heartbroken," she went on, almost to herself.
Aside from the many other qualities that endeared her to Iruka, Ayame was a hopeless romantic. But he didn't quite see the potential for the happily-ever-after scenario that she was apparently hoping for in this situation. Apart from the views of society in general on this sort of scandal, the ninja way alone could be very unforgiving.
"They might very well be heartbroken," Iruka said carefully, not wanting to start an argument. "But you may want to be careful about getting your hopes up too much."
Ayame didn't reply. A small group of people came to sit at the counter and she went over to take their orders. "I'll see you later," she said to Iruka over her shoulder, her voice quiet and thoughtful.
Iruka nodded and left the restaurant, not feeling entirely comfortable. The last thing he wanted was for Ayame to be mad at him. There seemed to be a cloud that had settled over the whole village, putting everyone on edge. He gave a slight shrug of his shoulders and headed back to the Academy.
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Sakura stood in front of Shueido's bookstore in Konoha's shopping district. She was trying very hard to pretend that the" Icha Icha Paradise" banner was not ruffling in the breeze over her head. She ran her fingers over the spines of a number of books stacked on a table on the sidewalk outside the store. She paused over one of them, "Your Baby's First Three Months", debating whether to brave the stares of the other shoppers in the store by buying it, or waiting until later when there were fewer people out. She glanced around her, then picked up the book, setting it on top of the others and opening it up.
There were pictures inside of adoring young couples gazing down lovingly at little swaddled bundles in their arms, their fingers clutched by tiny pink fists. They all looked so damn happy! Sakura flipped through a few more pages, enduring the sight of contented mothers nursing their infants or smiling fathers holding giggling babies up in the air. She finally clapped the book shut and put it back in its place, pulling out another one on postpartum depression, feeling like this would be more up her street.
Naruto stepped out of the shop across the street holding a back full of instant ramen cups. He walked back over to join Sakura just as Hinata approached them as well. Sakura looked up and smiled at them. They had stood by her the most, offering her much needed emotional support rather than avoiding her out of embarrassment or resentment. Hinata's luminous eyes seemed a little troubled.
"What's the matter?" Naruto asked immediately. They were constantly picking up bits of rumors or comments other people made, and it made him angry. By the look on Hinata's face, he could tell she had probably heard something else.
The dark-haired girl shook her head. "It's nothing," she replied quietly.
"It's all right, Hinata," Sakura said wearily. "What was it this time?"
Hinata gave a little shrug and said reluctantly, "It's just-when I was talking to Ino, she told me that her father has said some very...angry things."
"Like what?" Naruto asked. Being the father of a teenage daughter, Yamanaka Inoichi was reacting pretty strongly to the news.
"Just...well...just what he thinks should happen to Kakashi," Hinata replied. "I don't really want to repeat it." Ino had recounted in lurid detail her father's angry rant the other night about how Kakashi should be strung up by a certain part of his anatomy and beaten with anything anybody could get a hold of.
"Jerk!" Naruto muttered darkly, dumping his bag of ramen on the sidewalk.
Sakura shrugged. "What did you expect, Naruto?"
"I don't know! I'm just getting sick of this!" the blond teen fumed.
Sakura gave a short, humorless laugh. "You're sick of it?"
Slut!
Sakura stiffened and felt the blood rush from her face, them back up as her cheeks began to burn. She couldn't tell who had spoken, whether man or woman, or where the voice had come from. She stood silently staring at the books before her.
Naruto stared at her profile for a moment. He began to feel a boiling rage surge up in him and he spun around to glare at the passersby on the street around him. His eyes blazed red, his pupils changing from round dots to sharp slits. People passing near him jumped back in shock, bumping into others behind them.
"I'm sick of you people!" the young man shouted furiously. "Why can't you all just mind your own damn business!"
Sakura stayed motionless, but Hinata ran over to stand in front of Naruto and placed her hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look at her.
"Stop, Naruto-kun! It's all right!" she whispered urgently.
Naruto breathed heavily and closed his eyes, forcing the waves of anger to subside. After a few moments, he opened blue eyes to gaze somberly into Hinata's opalescent ones.
"I'm okay," he whispered back.
Iruka hurried up to them, having heard Naruto's outburst. The villagers were starting to walk away, either pretending nothing had happened or casting dark looks at the young man in the street or the young woman with her back to them.
"What happened!" Iruka asked, already having a fairly good idea.
Naruto shook his head. "Just more of the same," he muttered.
Sakura tossed the book she had been looking at on top of the others. "I'm going home," she declared, turning away.
"We'll walk you back," Naruto called, starting after her.
"I'm pregnant, Naruto. I'm not crippled," Sakura called back without looking at them. She walked away up the street, ignoring the glances of other people.
Hinata slipped her hand into Naruto's as they sadly watched her disappear around a corner. Naruto turned his head and kissed Hinata on the temple. "Thanks," he whispered to her.
"I hope things don't get worse," Hinata commented. Naruto nodded in agreement. He turned to look at Iruka.
"Iruka-sensei, why do people have to be so mean?" he asked. At seventeen, he was still young enough to be amazed at the sometimes inexplicable behavior of adults.
Iruka sighed and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I don't know. I guess it's because it's such an emotional issue."
"Well, it's stupid!" Naruto shook his head in frustration. "They don't know what's going on! It's none of their business!" He looked back up the street where he had last seen Sakura. "She's my friend. And Kakashi-sensei's my friend. Yeah, I know it's kind of crazy what happened. But you should see how sad Sakura gets. She really, really loves him. And she says that he really loves her. Why can't Granny Tsunade just let them be together?"
"It's not that simple, Naruto."
Naruto clutched his head. "Aargh! I know it isn't. But it should be!"
You're starting to sound like Ayame, Iruka thought. "It would be nice if it could be, but real life isn't like that. Anyway, we just need to let her know we're here for her. Things probably aren't going to get much better."
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