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[personal profile] midnightdiddle
I've changed my journal look. I might change it again, depends on whether I like this one layout or not.

Here, a drabble. It's, of course, Iruka-centric, and it even ponders the possibility of how Iruka about his scar. Because, after all, I lurve Iruka.



Konoha has a dirty little secret. It's one of those secrets that no one talks about, because that'd be condoning it, and it's just such a dirty little thing. The war's going badly, Konoha's not doing so well, and so, in desperation, they're sending children out to the battlefield. To test the children, to see if they can come up to par and kill a man, they turn the children, one upon another. When they can attack their friends, with intent to kill, then they're ready. Then they can go to the battlefield.

Iruka's six and a half. His voice is high, and he childishly slurs his words. His eyes are big like his mother's, brown like his father's, and he laughs like the child he is. Today is the day of his test.

His parents send him to school, smiling behind masks and lies and pain, and when he's out of view, his mother falls to her knees to pray and his father punches a hole through the wall. He won't come home the same happy boy as when he left, and it feels like he's already dead.

When Iruka reaches the classroom, the other children are strangely quiet. They're staring at the teacher, at each other, at the wall, looking anywhere and everywhere with confused eyes, and when the teacher leads them to the training field, they follow silently. Feet pad on the grass, chubby hands holding the hands of friends, and the teacher feels sick. He lines them up and counts them off in 'ones' and 'twos,' sending the 'ones' to one side of the field, the 'twos' to another. Iruka's upset because he's a 'two,' and Hayate is a 'one.' The teacher hands out weapons, handfuls of kunai and shuriken, to each student, and as Iruka straps the holster around his leg, jounin and ANBU come. They circle around the children, like vultures, and Iruka's unsure of himself, clumsy.

"We're having a test," the teacher says, barking loud enough to catch all the children's attention. They look up at him, young eyes looking out of faces round with baby-fat, and he looks over their heads. "You're going to fight your classmates. If you win the fight, you'll graduate from the academy."

The students are exited. They don't understand, they're too busy babbling to each other in happy voices, with laughter and smiles, and when the teacher raises his hands, they are slow to quiet.

"You'll fight to kill," he says strangely, and the children still smile, but now they're unsure. "If you don't kill your classmate, they will kill you. Kaito, Toshi." Two boys step up, one from each side of the field, and the jounin and ANBU shift, straightening to watch.

Iruka's lost, drifting in a current too strong and too fast, and before he realizes it, Kaito's lying on the ground, blood pouring from his stomach, and Toshi's curling on in the grass, throwing up and crying. A jounin grabs Kaito, disappears with him, and an ANBU pulls Toshi from the bloody grass. The teacher calls out more names, and more children step up, and Iruka's terrified.

Time flies. Children bleed, and cry, and before he knows it, Iruka's name is called. He shakes his head, steps back, and his teacher pushes him forward. He stumbles, nearly falls, and the other boy is on him before he knows it. Shimon's eyes are scared, just like Iruka's, but he doesn't hesitate like Iruka. He tackles Iruka, pushes him into the ground, and Iruka flails, kicking and scratching until he knocks Shimon away. He crawls, pushes himself to his feet, but Shimon grabs his ankles, pulls and twists, and with a snap, Iruka falls. Shimon scrambles on top of him, pinning Iruka’s left arm with a knee, and slams his other knee into Iruka’s stomach.

There are spots swimming in Iruka’s eyes and he stares up at Shimon, frozen. Shimon’s eyes are still terrified, and Iruka wonders if he looks as afraid. He reaches up with his right arm, scratches Shimon’s face, tries to scratch Shimon’s eyes, and Shimon grabs a kunai, slashing at Iruka, at his neck. Iruka ducks his head, pressing his chin against his collarbone, and the kunai catches on his cheek, pulls across his nose, slides across his other cheek.

The pain is sharp, bright, sending red-hot sparks in Iruka’s eyes, and he can barely feel his nails catch on Shimon’s face. His hand spasms at the pain, and Shimon whimpers, letting go of the kunai. Iruka pushes and, with blood covering his face, sliding into his eyes and slipping into his mouth, rolls over, clawing his way from under the other boy. He feels hands, big calloused hands, grab his shoulders. Panicking, he screams, hanging limp from the large hands, screaming and screaming and screaming as the jounin runs them to the hospital.

Iruka’s parents arrive at the hospital only moments after him.

“Hush, Iruka,” his mother murmurs, holding his bloody hair back from his face. His father holds his hand, tight, as the nurse stitches up the boy’s face. With each stitch, Iruka clutches at his father’s hand, and his father squeezes back. They take him home, carrying him because he can’t stand without stumbling, and he doesn’t leave his bed for three days. He screams himself awake at night, and his mother washes the blood from his hair. He finally leaves his room, padding through the house, searching for his mother, and when he reaches the front door, he sees her.

She’s standing in the yard, surrounded by women, and they’re all whispering at her, speaking in low voices about Konoha’s dirty little secret.

“Be grateful,” they say.

“Be grateful he’s alive.”

“Be grateful he’s not wanted.”

“Be grateful he only has a scar.”

“Be grateful-”

Iruka doesn’t go to school anymore.



There. Like? I liked it. Hehe. This idea's been in my head for ages, and I've finally written it.

Date: 2005-08-04 03:36 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sherriaisling.livejournal.com
Firstly, icon love.

Like? Yup. ^_^ It's a tad disturbing, and a totally different take on how Iruka got his scar than anything I've read before.

Date: 2005-08-04 09:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] midnightdiddle.livejournal.com
Oh, good. I was hoping it'd be unique.

And the icon? Isn't it adorable! [livejournal.com profile] jello_mix made it. She's a genius. :)

Date: 2005-08-04 03:50 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] luv-wiz.livejournal.com
pretty journal ... :) It's a nice color , and easy on the eye . ^^

Makes me feel calm ... =P;;

And the fic was too angsty . O__o;;

It wasn't bad ; it was really good , but still oh-so-angsty ... @___@

Date: 2005-08-04 09:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] midnightdiddle.livejournal.com
I'm glad you like the layout! It is very calm, isn't it? Much nicer than my previous layouts. Though, of course, I may go back to that KakaIru layout eventually. Maybe.

Date: 2005-08-04 04:10 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dana-fields.livejournal.com
Hey. *waves* I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while... I got back home a week ago, but I haven't been my computer much, because it was broken.

And that fic... It's so... reminds me of a movie I saw in school. Real-life footage, some country in Africa... It's really scary, and so sad...

That piece was really powerful. I stared at the screen and I was almost shaking. Six years old? >.< That hurts. What a dark explaination of Iruka's scar...

As always, beautiful. *clap clap clap*

Now, I'm gonna look at some pretty flowers, just to... to...

...children... :'-|

Date: 2005-08-04 09:03 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] midnightdiddle.livejournal.com
You're back! I've missed you! *glomp*

Did you have a wonderful time?

And...I'm glad you liked it. :)

Date: 2005-08-04 10:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dana-fields.livejournal.com
^_^ I missed you, too!

Yes, thank you! ^_^ I had a lot of fun! (Well, my kind of 'fun' is more like museums and historic places, but)

APPROVAL

Date: 2005-08-04 07:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] akashacatbat.livejournal.com
Iruka approves, and so do I.

See how happy he is with your writing? Awwww....he's so cute with his widdle scar. Erk, somebody slap me before any more baby talk comes out.

Re: APPROVAL

Date: 2005-08-04 09:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] midnightdiddle.livejournal.com
Hehehe. I'm glad both of you approve. *steals Iruka*

Re: APPROVAL

Date: 2005-08-06 02:42 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] akashacatbat.livejournal.com
STEALING IS WRONG. IT'S IN THE BIBLE. >:(

*steals Iruka back* :P

Yes, I am a hypocrite. ;)

Date: 2005-08-04 12:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] telosphilos.livejournal.com
Well, that is rather evil. Poor baby. It puts a whole different skew on his teaching style.

Hope you are doing well. *hugs*

Date: 2005-08-04 09:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] midnightdiddle.livejournal.com
*cough* evil? Well, yes, probably. I seem to throw a lot at Iruka, but he's just such a good sport about it.

I'm doing loverly, and you? Good, I hope. And the baby? Not to mention the bu and husband?

Date: 2005-08-04 10:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] telosphilos.livejournal.com
He is a good sport isn't he. Poor thing.

The bean is happy as a clam. He was hiding from the fetal doplar at the appointment, but we found him. The boy is himself, hyper, cute, active, and just well my much loved brat. The husband, well, he's calling me a terrible tease, I think I must remember to take care of that tonight. ;)

Date: 2005-08-04 10:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jello-mix.livejournal.com
That was wonderful. Really, truly wonderful. It fit Iruka so well. Personally, I think he's only a chuunin because he just can't bring himself to kill; this just meshed with that idea, completed it so nicely, and I thank you for it!

Date: 2005-08-05 04:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] midnightdiddle.livejournal.com
I have so many theories on why he's still a chuunin, it ain't even funny. Someday, I'll even write drabbles for reasons and such. Someday. When my prince comes! Hah!

Date: 2005-08-05 01:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] aozora23.livejournal.com
I really like this! A completely different take on Iruka and his scar. ^_^ Thanks for sharing! And I like your new layout!

Date: 2005-08-05 04:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] midnightdiddle.livejournal.com
You're most welcome, and thank you. And I'm glad you like the layout. It's growing a great deal on me.

Date: 2005-08-07 02:08 am (UTC)
From: [personal profile] marmaladecat
That's very...savage?

Nasty too - much enjoyment.

Date: 2005-08-14 04:22 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kidinair.livejournal.com
!!! I didn't see this one?! *shoots self* I know some say it may be angsty, but it's perfect to me. This actually explains your grown-up Iruka quite a lot...especially your fic where Kakashi talks about the light and the dark Iruka. It's incredible though, that you can deliver all these pent up emotions through just so many words and one scene. <3's all around.

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