Home » Naruto
Naruto » Avalanche » Life Lessons

Life Lessons

Knowing that you’re sending twelve-year-olds into the field to fight, what do you need to teach them before they go? And what do you do when it never seems to work? Sometimes Iruka has trouble with that second one. Drama, Angst, Fluff, I-5

Warning: Discusses aftermath of trauma.

Pairing(s): Kakashi/Iruka

Umino Iruka loved to teach. He really did. He’d taught at the Academy for years, and with every new class he felt again the wonder of shaping Konoha’s future through his students.

There were also weeks when he needed to remind himself of this strenuously to keep his hands from closing around their skinny, little necks.

“All right, everyone, settle down, Kiba tell Akamaru to let go of Ino’s bag. Today we’re talking about trauma-care within your team.”

“Aw, we’ve done first aid already,” Shikamaru grumbled, not quite under his breath.

“If you graduate and take on field jobs,” Iruka continued, as if he hadn’t heard, “there will come a time when you or one of your teammates will not be in their usual state of mind. You may have been in a fight and almost died. Your teammate may have been captured and tortured. It isn’t unusual to need people you know and trust around you, after something like that.”

“So, what, we’re supposed to pack along a teddy bear?” Kiba muttered and Naruto snickered. Iruka gave them his second-best glare and continued when they shut up.

“Your textbooks list several chakra techniques that may, if you develop the control for them, be used to soothe your teammate until competent medical help is available. We will be practicing those today. There are also three pressure point techniques that are safe for novices. We will practice those tomorrow.” Fortunately, the worst they could do to each other with those was fail; he made a mental note to ask Hinata not to demonstrate any more advanced techniques she might know from her clan’s teaching to her classmates.

“Wait a minute, you mean we have to, like, let someone touch us?” Ino protested with a look of distaste at her deskmate, Chouji. A wave of sniggering and blushing swept the class and Iruka braced himself. This was exactly why he hated this unit.

“That brings us to the third option discussed in this chapter,” he said, commanding himself sternly not to blush; teachers didn’t blush damn it. “There will not be a practical exercise for this option, but your homework for tonight is to write three pages on the possible signs that the third option is called for or appropriate. Some people respond to some kinds of trauma or threat with a need for sexual contact. We’ve already discussed, earlier this year, some differences between civilian attitudes toward sex and shinobi attitudes. Among shinobi it is both acceptable and appropriate to offer that contact to your teammates if you are able and willing to do so. This chapter covers some ways to determine whether one of your teammates needs that kind of contact.” The dead silence that had struck the room dissolved into squeals and whispers and exclamations. Sasuke, recipient of several rather predatory looks, drew even further in on himself than usual, and Naruto was making gagging faces with Shikamaru. Iruka soldiered grimly on.

“Recognizing the signs is extremely important, because it is equally common for a person to desire non-sexual contact with teammates after experiencing stress or trauma. No one who cannot demonstrate their knowledge of the signs listed in your textbooks will be passed for a field assignment, so pay attention to your reading and take good notes. Now.” He swept them with his very best glare to silence the whispering and giggling. “Everyone open your books to page seventy-two and start copying out the first seal.”

He sat down at his desk while the class settled into their usual restless order, books open, brushes moving.

“Naruto, stop trying to paint Shino’s jacket and work on the seal.”

"Aww…"

Sometimes moving the wrong places, but it looked like the work to fooling around ratio was about seven to three today, which was about as good as it ever got.

Ino passed a note over to Sakura and they both looked back at Sasuke and giggled, pink-cheeked.

Okay, maybe six to four. He sighed to himself. He really hated this unit. And talking about the homework tomorrow was going to be worse.


Iruka didn’t lift his head from his hands when the door to the teacher’s room opened and closed. Uncharacteristic inattention to surroundings, his memory recited, or unresponsiveness, especially if it appears deliberate.

“Iruka? Hey, you okay? What did the little monsters do to you today?” Shizuka’s voice came closer and was punctuated by a papery thump.

“Yeah,” he said, low, “it’s just that time of year again. That unit, you know.”

“Oh shit, I totally lost track of time! That’s this month?” Her steps went to the window and the vertical blinds rattled across them.

Ensure as much privacy as possible without obstructing exit routes. “Yeah.”

Her steps came back and the chair beside him scraped out. “Want to talk about it? Or just go get a drink?”

Offer verbal contact first, along with an alternative form of communication or connection if your teammate is unwilling or unable to speak.

Iruka took in a shaky breath and let it out. “They don’t know. They think it’s funny. Just like when we do the first aid unit, and the ones who have never broken anything laugh over the lesson on improvising splints. And next week we have to cover torture and rape recovery. Why do we try to teach them this so early?” Why did he have to go through this, trying and failing to reach them, year after year?

Shizuka sighed. “Sometimes I wonder too.” She touched his wrist lightly. “You want a hand with this?”

Do not attempt to answer questions. He could nearly see the letters on the page. Initial physical contact should be at a neutral location. (Caution: this may be influenced by your teammate’s specific experience.) He put his head down on his arms and laughed, rough and helpless. “You’d pass the test with flying colors,” he told her, husky. So many wouldn’t, not for real, not until it was real and that would be too late.

“Bad year, huh? Should I stay?” she asked him gently, “Or should I get that slacker Hatake in here for you?”

Your teammate may be unable to ask for contact. Offer several possible courses of action. Iruka bit his lip. After a moment he managed, quietly, “Door two?”

“You got it.” She squeezed his shoulders as she stood. “Just wait a little.” And she was gone. Shizuka was a good shinobi, and a good teacher, Iruka reflected. She cared. That was a hard quality to find sometimes, though he did his best to teach it to his students. It was always during this unit that he despaired of getting through to them. He knew that, he knew it was coming, and his failure hit him like this every year anyway.

“Yo.” A warm hand fell on the back of his neck and Iruka jumped, startled out of his drifting thoughts. “You look like a wreck. Who is it this year?”

Iruka’s muscles locked. Everyone knew; it would be someone. He’d fail some one of his students.

Over his head, Kakashi sighed quietly. “Come here.” He put a hand under Iruka’s arm and levered him up out of his chair, leading him over to the battered couch tucked in the corner for emergency naps. He thumped down onto it and pulled Iruka tight against his side.

And hooked a finger into his facemask, tugging it down.

“Kakashi-san,” Iruka said, rough, looking up at him, a little of the fear in him unwinding, letting him straighten. His old commander had always trusted him, and obviously still did.

“Who is it this year?” Kakashi demanded quietly, dark gaze level.

Iruka swallowed. “Hinata,” he whispered finally. “Hyuuga Hinata. If she’s ever taken I don’t know if there will be enough of her left to make it back. And…” he bit his lip.

Kakashi kneaded the back of his neck with a strong, calloused hand. “And?” he pressed.

“…Sasuke.” Iruka closed his eyes. “I can’t even say that he isn’t broken already. He should be! And all the boys can think is how they want to take him down a notch and all the girls can think is how cute he looks, and…” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “Fuck.”

Kakashi smiled at that, startlingly clear without his mask. “Very eloquent.” He caught Iruka’s chin, making Iruka meet his eye. “You can’t do this for them. And that isn’t your fault, or your failure.”

There was no room for argument in his voice and Iruka leaned on that, trying to believe it. “I know,” he said, low, “I just—” he broke off because Kakashi had pressed two fingers to his lips.

“Enough.”

That was an order, and Iruka subsided. Kakashi had been his first commander after Iruka’s jounin-sensei had passed him, and Iruka knew, ruefully, he’d never quite gotten over that. Kakashi knew it, too, and had no qualms about using it. “I think you need some distraction,” Kakashi declared. “So, which will it be: do I get you drunk or do I take you to bed?”

Offer several possible courses of action Iruka’s teacher-memory reminded him, and he had to press his head against Kakashi’s shoulder while he laughed. This wasn’t exactly the textbook approach, but it worked. That was what the field always had to teach his students, and it would be no different for this. “How about both,” he decided.

“Taking shameless advantage,” Kakashi tsked mournfully. It wasn’t as effective when you could see the quirk to his lips. “Your place, then; I’m out of booze.”

“Speaking of taking shameless advantage,” Iruka said dryly, feeling a little more himself.

Kakashi smiled and tugged his facemask back up as he stood. “Have to keep my reputation up. Come on.”

Iruka followed him out the window and over the roofs, holding on to the calm he’d regained. He’d need it for next week. But that, as Kakashi would no doubt tell him, and scold him for forgetting, was what a person’s team was for. They would learn, his students. He would do what he could and life would do the rest.

And they’d all live with that, however they could.

End

Last Modified: May 10, 12
Posted: Jul 29, 11
Name (optional):
Katharinoe, Theodosia21, down, tucuxi, TangoAlpha, Talyssa, deathgeonous, bookfanatic, Silver Magiccraft (silver_magiccraft), p3x, ganima, starr_falling, Icka M Chif (mischif) and 23 other readers sent Plaudits.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

15 Comments

  1. shiraume

    *chokes*

    I mean, yeah it’s reasonable to learn that but ZOMG Iruka managed to SAY that without passing out? *impressed*

    …Although it did kinda occur to me, in the course of canon and fanfics, that they do graduate their kids awfully young. >.< I’m not sure if I want to imagine what they actually teach. I mean, how do you get it across to kids that they are basically learning things that will help them kill people later? n.n;

    And I’m liking the Kakashi/Iruka vibes here a lot, and that’s really saying something. (I usually hate that pairing. ^^;)

    Reply
    1. branchandroot Post author

      Iruka is really an amazing teacher, I’m convinced of this.

      And Edenfalling’s fic really got me thinking; what /are/ they doing, sending kids that young into the field? It has some pretty grim implications, really. And then I thought about /teaching/ them that kind of stuff and, well. That’s gotta be a killer.

      *hearts* Kakashi is my favorite, I throw him in bed with everyone.

      Reply
  2. theodosia21

    Oh. Oh, wow. This is brilliant, and heartbreaking, and I love the relationship you have between Iruka & Kakashi here. I love the reality you bring to this world and these people.

    Reply
    1. branchandroot Post author

      *sparkles* Thank you! The idea of Kakashi having been Iruka’s commander once is the one bit of filler I thought made /total/ sense. And goodness knows any teacher at the academy must need the support, when you think about it.

      Reply
  3. edenfalling

    Ack. Oh, god, yeah, that would be an issue, wouldn’t it? And the kids wouldn’t be anywhere near ready to listen, let alone really understand. I mean… okay, to take an example from my own life, I went through a church religious education unit called About Your Sexuality (was one of the last people to go through it, actually, because they switched to a somewhat different program a couple years later, called Our Whole Lives) when I was in eighth grade. So, 13-14 years old. It was a mixed-age group; the girls were in my grade, and the three boys were all one year younger, which did not help anything. And this was done in a safe space, which we were all used to having as a safe space, with explicitly no pressure — if we were uncomfortable with any topic, the facilitators would let us go aside and do something else, or talk to them in private, or write anonymous notes and leave them in a blind drop box — and still it was one of the most awkward and uncomfortable things I’ve ever done in my life. I cannot imagine trying to do something geared specifically toward trauma with kids even younger than that, and then testing them on what they learned.

    And yet. It needs to be done, if they’re going to be ninja.

    I really like how realistic you made this feel — the kids are acting like themselves and like kids that age — and Iruka is very believably worn down and upset, and yet pushing through because somebody has to do this and if so, he’s going to make sure it’s done as well as possible. I like how he can’t stop cataloging Shizuka’s responses as textbook examples of how post-trauma response is meant to go, and how he does the same thing to Kakashi when he shows up. Because I get the feeling that both Shizuka and Kakashi genuinely mean their concern, but yeah, they ARE following a trained pattern, and it’s got to be disconcerting to be on the receiving end while seeing the steps so clearly.

    On a different subject, this is a Kakashi/Iruka setup I can almost believe in, rather than just go along with for the duration of a story — mostly because it’s based on them being ninja instead of them being in love.

    So yeah. This hurts in all the best ways.

    Reply
    1. branchandroot Post author

      *sparkles at you* This, this, all of this. When I got to thinking about the sexual issues this story just about ran me down in the street. They /have/ to have this before they hit the field, because it’s been shown that age won’t save them. But will they pay attention? Fat chance! And I know how it wears me down just teaching /writing/, this unit has got to be hell for poor Iruka.

      And yes, the weirdness of seeing what happens when people /have/ learned and listened and do it by the book, as it were. Which, at the time, probably just rubs in how the kids aren’t but I think it also comforts him in a weird way; because clearly people /do/ learn this. Eventually. *shivers a bit*

      *snickers* I admit, I’m having way too much fun with the notion that ninja active in the field have exactly this kind of approach to sexuality. It’s like making someone a nice cup of tea. Only more athletic.

      Reply
  4. askerian

    … eeeeeee.

    Worldbuilding! Ninja training that seems so very believable and so ROUTINE it’s scary! And man, usually I don’t give a crap about Iruka, I find him boring, but in this fic he’s really easy to relate to and his reaction to knowing his students will only get what he’s trying to teach them once it’s too late… Mmmmh, yesss. *__* I even enjoyed the kakairu moment, for basically the same reason as Edenfalling; prrt ninja responses to trauma.

    Poor Sasuke. Yeah, I think he’s really got to start learning to accept nonsexual comfort before sexual comfort will ever do anything but make it worse. He’s being hounded so much, I think he’d have a hard time accepting even a simple hug as not having selfish ulterior motives.

    Reply
    1. branchandroot Post author

      *hearts* Seriously, the Academy gets played for laughs in canon but when you think about what it /is/… brrrrrr. No wonder so many of these kids are so messed up!

      *pets Sasuke* Yeah, it’s gonna take him a few years of pretty consistent “just being here for you” before he can deal with sexual contact. And longer before he figures out the possible non-trauma emotional elements!

      Reply
  5. mitsuhachi

    O-oh man. Teaching what, ten year olds? Eleven year olds? about how to respond to one of their teammates being raped or tortured, and OF COURSE they don’t get it and OF COURSE thats one of the things the academy would have to prepare them for. I love Iruka ticking off each of the steps in the way people handle him.

    Naruto doesn’t often deal with these kinds of issues, training children to be spies and thieves and assassins, and the kind of things that means putting them through, and I LOVE that you’re addressing that here. I love when people acknowledge that it’s not just the characters who are broken, but that the whole social structure is itself kind of broken.

    Reply
    1. Branch Post author

      Yes, yes, yes, the social structure is oh so very broken. And Kishimoto keeps gesturing toward that and then backing off from it, drives me nuts. So, I wondered what would be the worst thing I could do to a teacher character, and here it was. *wry*

      Reply
  6. wei

    This was a really insightful story. I liked how the second part built upon and added more layers to the first section, as well as how the second part was built upon the academy “lesson” as a way to orient the reader to what you were doing and drive in the practicality of what the academy students were learning.

    Reply
    1. Branch Post author

      Thank you! I’m a big fan of Edenfalling’s fic, and she got me thinking about what it would really mean to teach field skills to kids that young.

      Reply