He remembered the day when the timeline had first been altered. That particular day when he'd turned up at Ichiraku's with his previously, and now twice, dead parents having lunch, before he'd realized that he'd been given the opportunity to change things around as much as he pleased.
That is not to say that Iruka changed everything just for the heck of it, or for personal gain. If it had been, his parents would still be alive, and he would've been higher up in the chain of command than stuck as a mediocre chuunin turned into a school teacher.
Truth is, if there was one thing about the first timeline Iruka had truly enjoyed, and still treasured, it was his time at the academy, watching over the next generations of shinobi.
He didn't need a reputation good enough for bingo books. See, that kind of respect he had done well without the first time around, and he most certainly had no use for it now.
What he did need was to have Konoha to call his home, and the citizens to cherish. Although, if he were honest, loving the villagers were easier some days than others.
For instance, the treatment of his future, favorite student.
It had grated on his nerves to see the sneers directed at Naruto, the misdirected anger and cold, hard looks.
It very much reminded Iruka of those two weeks he'd campaigned on the Hatake clan head's behalf, whether the man wished for it or not, and of lots of confiscated pamphlets he had the suspicion the Sandaime was still keeping around as blackmail material for a rainy day.
Either way... the man had still, unfortunately, died, but it was plain to see those two weeks had made a difference: Sakumo didn't die until almost a year later than he was 'supposed' to, and the state of the village was in a slightly better shape.
Both factoring in that Kakashi didn't have to find his father dead in his ancestral home, in which Iruka supposed the ANBU still resided in, and the legendary White Fang of Konohagakure had his name carved onto the memorial stone as it ought to have been in the timeline Iruka had cast away.
Sakumo had perished on the battlefield, which was decidedly better than bleeding out on a worn-out tatami.
Initially, it had been somewhat difficult, to see how things came to be when he'd already lived through it once.
The bad thing was, he couldn't trust anybody with that piece of knowledge.
Not only because he really did not fancy a trip to the T & I department, but also, because those small, minor changes he'd initially thought would have no bearing on the timeline had actually been like larvae, seemingly small and insignificant, only to turn into butterflies gobbling up everything in their paths.
No wonder he absolutely hated that pesky winged creature, and he also should find himself a better analogy while he was at it. Ripple effects, yes. That's what this was about.
So, while he had lived through it once, events weren't unfolding the way he'd expect them to, which is why informing his superiors about it would've been rather pointless.
What if speaking up and be believed would mean that whatever good tidings supposed to come to Konohagakure, would be denied them simply because they listened to what Iruka remembered and they would be worse off? Would he be able to live with that guilt?
Just the once, he'd attempted to tell his parents of their impending deaths, but his tongue refused to cooperate. It was almost as though a seal ensuring his silence had been placed upon him, the words he tried to speak choking him.
So, he kept his silence, and could do nothing else but watch the village he loved so much burn. Only the thought that they would overcome the fox attack, the certainty that life would go on despite of the pain caused by the inferno, kept Iruka from running to his parents when they too were added to the ever-growing list of casualties.
Maybe it was the memory of that day, with the help of a tipsy, amorous Anko that made him laugh despite of all the horribleness that crept upon him when least expected, that made him forget about the little things.
Up until that moment when he finally laid his eyes on him. Then, he couldn't understand how he had ever been able to not think about that child.
Thing was, Naruto. Gods, Iruka had near enough forgotten just how small that child had been.
Although watching Naruto from a distance with a brand new pair of binoculars bought just for the occasion -and thanking his lucky stars for not being mistakenly identified as a pervert- he didn't know how to go about introducing himself to the little munchkin who would soon be joining his class.
He knew he wanted to make a good impression, other than what a double portion of ramen would give him. How to appeal to a boy as adventurous as Naruto? It was a conundrum.
Chewing his lower lip in contemplation, he lowered his gaze to the patch of grass he shared with a colony of beetles that didn't seem to mind his company and then brought the binoculars back again to watch the... empty spot he was sure had been occupied by a ball of sunshine less than a minute ago. Where had Naruto gone?
"What are you doing, mistah?" a chipper voice cried into his ear with a volume that was needlessly loud for this time of day.
"Gah!" he yelped, dropping the binoculars out of surprise, rather shamefaced that he'd been spotted. "N-Naruto," he stammered, face flushed and found that he had absolutely nothing else to say.
He had imagined several scenarios in which he would introduce himself to his future student, and not one of them had ever involved him being "outed" as a creeper that hides in bushes.
"I was just, uh..." Yes, what was it he was doing, again, exactly? Very smooth, Iruka, he berated himself internally. Now the kid must think him to be a nutcase.
It was fortunate, and a sad fact however you choose to see it, that Naruto had no problems being around 'nutcases', if said wacko would pay him any kind of attention.
"My name is Umino Iruka," he told the boy, standing up and brushing grass stains off of his pants, smiling while doing so. "I won't mind if you call me Iruka, though."
Naruto's cheeks reddened, obviously pleased that the scarred man had so far acted in a friendly manner towards him, and he scratched his neck in the way Iruka had seen him do a dozens of times before.
Perhaps it had been thanks to that familiar gesture helping Iruka recall those forgotten moments.
Perhaps it had also been the memory of Naruto with a bucket of red paint, and grumbling citizens below the Hokage Rock that had done it.
Iruka knew, with absolute certainty, what to do, and in another life, the mere thought would have appalled him. Now? He was sort of looking forward to it, despite the chaos that were sure to happen.
He had to admit, though, that this sudden urge of his was surprising. He had honestly thought he'd put his days as a prankster behind him.
Granted, being caught red-handed wasn't very good for his résumé, and Iruka supposed that as a teacher he was supposed to lead by example, but what the heck, he'd had fun, and more importantly, Naruto had laughed as they'd sat side by side on the makeshift ladder, creating a masterpiece on top of the visages of deceased kages.
Yes, Iruka really should give more fucks about that, but the thought of his precious student, his honorary brother and sometimes son, smiling carefreely because he was happy made Iruka feel gooey inside and it was all he could do to not glomp the boy right then and there because his emotions was in an overloaded state.
All he could hope for in this moment, standing on the wrong side of the kage's desk as the pipe-smoking man was observing him with an unreadable expression in his shadowed eyes, was to be able to teach Naruto the upcoming year, which was far from a sure thing if the trio of unfriendly sods, that otherwise were known as Shimura, Mitokado and Utatane, had their way as they seemed rather intent on having him fired.
Something about being a "bad influence"? Honestly, he'd stopped listening by the third time they'd called him unreliable.
"See that," Shimura waved his hand in Iruka's vicinity, close enough that Iruka felt compelled to sink his teeth in those appendages currently violating his personal space. Not that he did, but it took a real effort on his part.
"He's entirely unapologetic! It's disgraceful to have a teacher like that at the academy, not to mention his background." And now the creepy eye homed in on him like a missile. "Poor upbringing, obviously. It goes to show...!"
"Shimura-sama," never before had he applied such a saccharine tone to an honorific, but when the elder chose to disrespect his deceased parents, he had gone too far, "while I do admit that my actions may have been reprehensible, they were made with good intentions. I do not believe an attempt to know one of my future students is dishonorable. It is good to have a bonding moment, is it not?"
Yes, it would not do for the elders to believe they could get rid of him that easily. So, he had to fight for his right to stay by Naruto's side, and fight he would.
"B-bonding moment?!" the man seemed to choke on his own saliva, and it was a pity nothing more came out of that as Iruka was fairly certain Konohagakure would fare a lot better without the mummified has-been.
Three days of suspension. All things considered, Iruka got off easy, and perhaps it was partially due to the fact Sarutobi had always had a soft spot for him, but he was sure it was mostly because Iruka was one of the few giving Naruto the time of day.
And perhaps, just perhaps, the hokage also remembered the day when they had first met, and the consequential talk they'd had before Iruka's father had dragged him back home.
Regardless of the reason, Iruka was suspended with a none too flattering note in his file, but he was hard-pressed to regret the day he'd had.
Especially when Naruto smiled up at him on their way over to Ichiraku's.
Indeed, the time traveler that so happened to be the last of the Umino clan, once again regretted nothing.