Tryin' to Get to Heaven, Part 3
May. 1st, 2005 03:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
midnightdiddleBecause I have no life. Instead, I sit at home, typing. And typing. And typing some more. ^____^
It was getting harder to breathe. His mouth was filling with mud from the outside, and he was gagging, vomit filling up his mouth from the inside. The weight on his chest was increasing, and he could feel his bones in his pinned arms and legs grating against joints.
!-!-! Three Months Before !-!-!
"Hokage-sama," he asked, bowing, "you asked for me?" He straightened up and glanced around the room, eyebrows lifting as he counted the ninja present. They were in small knots, scattered here and there, speaking in low murmurs and sneaking glances around.
"Iruka-sensei," Tsunade said, leaning forward on her desk. "I'm sure you've heard the rumors. Ninjas are infamous for gossiping, after all." The look in her eyes belied her light tone.
"I might have," he said carefully.
She set her hands down on the desk, one on either side of a mug. She looked into the mug, focusing her attention on the liquid. "I'm sure you've heard that Sound's moving in past our borders. We can't afford another attack on Konoha itself, so we have to stop them."
"A fight, then?"
"A battle," said Tsunade stiffly. "They're encroaching upon our territory. It's war, Iruka." She looked up at him beneath her bangs, her fingertips tapping the desk. "I'm putting you in charge of one of the chuunin teams. You'll be heading out tomorrow, with Ibiki."
Iruka felt his stomach drop out from under him and closed his eyes for a moment, biting his lip. "Of course, Hokage-sama. I'm honored."
"Of course you are," she said, not unkindly, as she handed him a scroll. "The names of all the chuunin on your team." She stood and the room fell quiet, ninja turning to watch her. "Then that's all of you. You've been given your teams. You'll head north tomorrow. I should say something, deep and meaningful, to send you on your way, but there's nothing to say. This is a war. Either they die, or we die. Do your best."
As one, the assembled ninja bowed, then poofed out of the room, Iruka among them.
!-!-! Present !-!-!
The weight on his chest increased, then disappeared. He spat and coughed, vomit dribbling down his chin, his lungs burning. It hurt to breathe, it hurt and hurt and hurt, and the solution to stop the hurting was simple. He stopped breathing. The pressure increased once again, then melted away, and when hands grabbed his shoulders, shaking him, he felt as though he was floating.
"Breathe, Iruka-sensei."
The voice was familar, but it sounded harsh. He'd never heard this voice harsh, and he tried to ignore it. Breathing hurt, and he'd had enough of hurt.
"Iruka-sensei, breathe."
It was even harsher this time, a snapped command, and Iruka obeyed automatically, taking in another gulping breath. It sent him into a fit of coughing, and the hands on his shoulders held him, supporting him, as his body shook. "Who?" he tried to ask, choking. There was something covered his eyes and he couldn't get his arms to move, to rub at them. "My eyes-"
"Hold on," the voice said, and this time it was no longer harsh. Fingers pressed against Iruka's eyes, then moved away in a wiping motion. "You've got mud in your eyes, and your mouth. Can you breathe, sensei?"
He nodded silently, leaning hard against the voice's body.
"You can open your eyes now. I got as much mud off them as I could."
He opened his eyes cautiously, squinting through the grains of dirt left on his eyelids. He slowly focused on the voice's face, almost incredulous. "Gai-san?"
The older man smiled, a flash of white. "You can see, that's good. Can you move? Your limbs were all pinned in the wrong ways, so they're probably numb, but I couldn't find any broken bones."
Iruka nodded, then dropped his head forward, dizzy. "M' ribs," he groaned. "Think my ribs got broken." Fingers touched his side gingerly and he winced away, biting his lip.
"We can wrap them for now."
That's it for now.
And technically, I killed Genma off in the fifth paragraph. ^__^
Until next time! Which will probably be a few hours...
It was getting harder to breathe. His mouth was filling with mud from the outside, and he was gagging, vomit filling up his mouth from the inside. The weight on his chest was increasing, and he could feel his bones in his pinned arms and legs grating against joints.
!-!-! Three Months Before !-!-!
"Hokage-sama," he asked, bowing, "you asked for me?" He straightened up and glanced around the room, eyebrows lifting as he counted the ninja present. They were in small knots, scattered here and there, speaking in low murmurs and sneaking glances around.
"Iruka-sensei," Tsunade said, leaning forward on her desk. "I'm sure you've heard the rumors. Ninjas are infamous for gossiping, after all." The look in her eyes belied her light tone.
"I might have," he said carefully.
She set her hands down on the desk, one on either side of a mug. She looked into the mug, focusing her attention on the liquid. "I'm sure you've heard that Sound's moving in past our borders. We can't afford another attack on Konoha itself, so we have to stop them."
"A fight, then?"
"A battle," said Tsunade stiffly. "They're encroaching upon our territory. It's war, Iruka." She looked up at him beneath her bangs, her fingertips tapping the desk. "I'm putting you in charge of one of the chuunin teams. You'll be heading out tomorrow, with Ibiki."
Iruka felt his stomach drop out from under him and closed his eyes for a moment, biting his lip. "Of course, Hokage-sama. I'm honored."
"Of course you are," she said, not unkindly, as she handed him a scroll. "The names of all the chuunin on your team." She stood and the room fell quiet, ninja turning to watch her. "Then that's all of you. You've been given your teams. You'll head north tomorrow. I should say something, deep and meaningful, to send you on your way, but there's nothing to say. This is a war. Either they die, or we die. Do your best."
As one, the assembled ninja bowed, then poofed out of the room, Iruka among them.
!-!-! Present !-!-!
The weight on his chest increased, then disappeared. He spat and coughed, vomit dribbling down his chin, his lungs burning. It hurt to breathe, it hurt and hurt and hurt, and the solution to stop the hurting was simple. He stopped breathing. The pressure increased once again, then melted away, and when hands grabbed his shoulders, shaking him, he felt as though he was floating.
"Breathe, Iruka-sensei."
The voice was familar, but it sounded harsh. He'd never heard this voice harsh, and he tried to ignore it. Breathing hurt, and he'd had enough of hurt.
"Iruka-sensei, breathe."
It was even harsher this time, a snapped command, and Iruka obeyed automatically, taking in another gulping breath. It sent him into a fit of coughing, and the hands on his shoulders held him, supporting him, as his body shook. "Who?" he tried to ask, choking. There was something covered his eyes and he couldn't get his arms to move, to rub at them. "My eyes-"
"Hold on," the voice said, and this time it was no longer harsh. Fingers pressed against Iruka's eyes, then moved away in a wiping motion. "You've got mud in your eyes, and your mouth. Can you breathe, sensei?"
He nodded silently, leaning hard against the voice's body.
"You can open your eyes now. I got as much mud off them as I could."
He opened his eyes cautiously, squinting through the grains of dirt left on his eyelids. He slowly focused on the voice's face, almost incredulous. "Gai-san?"
The older man smiled, a flash of white. "You can see, that's good. Can you move? Your limbs were all pinned in the wrong ways, so they're probably numb, but I couldn't find any broken bones."
Iruka nodded, then dropped his head forward, dizzy. "M' ribs," he groaned. "Think my ribs got broken." Fingers touched his side gingerly and he winced away, biting his lip.
"We can wrap them for now."
That's it for now.
And technically, I killed Genma off in the fifth paragraph. ^__^
Until next time! Which will probably be a few hours...
no subject
Date: 2005-05-02 02:04 am (UTC)Muh.
You are my KakaIru angst goddess.
No seriously - there's authors I go to for certain things, fluff, humour etc. But for you, there is no comparing with your angst! I read "Eleven Kisses" and wow, just wow.
I also adored "Kakashi Loves Iruka." Lady, you have no equal when it comes to beautiful, poignant stories! I /love/ your insane Iruka.
This current one is worrying me - the little voice is going "where's Kakashi? What's she done with him? Kakashi-san?" ;D
More!
no subject
Date: 2005-05-02 03:07 am (UTC)^___^
But , it was totally unexpected that Gai would save Iruka ... O___o;; I admit I was expecting Kakashi , since he seemed so worried in the previous " chapter " ... hmm .. WHAT did you do to him ? -_____-;;
Hopefully , nothing bad ? But then again , it IS war ... gah .
no subject
Date: 2005-05-02 04:51 am (UTC)We'll see Kakashi again, later. Maybe.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-02 04:46 am (UTC)Thank you so much. I'm so flattered right now. I'm blushing and stammering and giggling like a schoolgirl.
And "where's Kakashi?" You'll find out. Eventually. XD