Painfully Aware with So Much to Learn

Chapter Eighteen: Living Arangements

Nart POV

After I had stopped the water works of the tiny fanclub of mine, I turned back to face my old friend Shikamaru.

Kami puberty treated him well. He's still taller than me, although I'm more up to his nose than his chin now. He filled out and his face is slimmer now, but it's kinda comforting that he still stands lazily with his tight ratty ponytail and gentle, quizzical dark brown eyes.

Shikamaru was actually the first to speak up. "So, how did you manage to pay rent for the time you were gone?" He asked, I brushed off his amused smirk as I paled. 'I'm homeless' I realised, thinking back onto the plants I left. And I realised that I hadn't watered them and they was most definitely dead.

I was snapped out of my spiraling by a deep chuckle, Shikamaru had one eyebrow raised as he looked at me.

"Oi! It's not funny that I'm homeless!!!" I yelled a little too loudly, Iruka-sensei was next to me in a second, hugging me and anime crying.

"Oh Naruto, if you have nowhere to stay you can always stay with-"

"-me, you can stay with me. My house is big and my troublesome mother already likes you." Shikamatu finished, paying no mind to the teacher that was hugging me in a motherly embrace. Iruka-sensei looked the Nara up and down before holding me closer.

"Don't trust him, boys have cooties." He said, his gaze not leaving the lazy chunin.

I looked up at him as much as I could with the back of my head shoved in his chest before speaking. "Ya know, you're a boy too Iruka-sensei."

"Exactly, so I would know." He said proudly, glaring kunais at Shikamaru.

I looked at Iruka for a minuite, considering this new logic I had been given.

"You're right, Iruka-sensei! I wouldn't want cooties. You wanna get ramen on our way to your house?" I said in a high voice. I was acting a bit more babyish, I know it's kinda manipulative but I'm dying for a bowl of ramen and gama-chan's empty. I know full well that I -a boy- also have cooties and am safe from cooties. Plus I don't want to intrude on people that didn't ask and Iruka-sensei lives alone.

Shikamaru was looking at me, he looked like he was calculating if I was lying or I was stupid. I was kinda insulted so I winked at him before leaving with Iruka. Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw his ears turn red, but it must've been a trick of the light.

When we arrived at Ichiraku's, I lifted the curtain to reveal Teuchi-oji-san working hard behind the counter. He turned around with a 'customer service smile' before he saw me and it was replaced with a genuine one.

"Hey Oji-san, do ya remember me?" I asked, I was trying to be sarcastic but I was a bit anxious. He chuckled a bit before saying. "How could I forget my best customer? Welcome home Naruto!" He said gleefully before his daughter popped her head in the back doorway. "It is you! Naruto you've sure grown!" She said, giving me a warm smile before popping her head back out of view.

Iruka and I sat down to order. "Don't worry, ramen's on the house tonight to celebrate. I'm assuming Naruto will have his usual and you'll have what he's having in a normal size." Teuchi said, looking at Iruka who gave a small thank you and nod.

The ramen was there quick and I dug in while the teacher next to me slowly ate his ramen.

He suddenly put his chopsticks down. "I know you were only at my house after that time." Iruka said grimly, looking at me as I had set my own chopsticks down. He took a deep breath, banishing the memory before continuing. "But I moved while you were gone, I live with my boyfriend now." He finished, looking to see my reaction.

My face lit up, Iruka never used to talk about his boyfriends, all I knew about them was that they were with Iruka for about four years and they were taking things slow for some reason. I put my elbows on the table, balancing my head on my hands before asking the first question of many.

"So are you finally gonna tell me how many and whom your boyfriends are?!" I asked excitedly, earning a small blush from Iruka.

"Don't say stuff like that, it makes me sound like a floozy." He scolded.

"That doesn't answer my question." I said, giving Iruka my trademark puppy eyes.

Iruka let out a loud sigh. "Well there are three-"

I cut him off. "Who are they? Are they nice? Do they treat you well? Do they have kids? Will there kids replace me? How-"

"Naruto! You didn't let me finish." Iruka scolded yet again. "I have three boyfriends but I only live with one of them. It's Kakashi." He said calmly.

My eyes lit up further. "So my dad's are dating?!" Iruka's tanned face turned a deep shade of red.

"W-what do you mean?!?!?! Since when is Kakashi your dad?!" He sputtered. I took a big slurp of noodles before elaborating.

"Iruka, you're the doting dad that cares about my wellbeing and stuff while Kakashi is the cool dad that's laid back and let's me do what I want but still cares about me." I explained as if it were common  knowledge.

"I am not 'doting', I-" Iruka cut himself off and furrowed his eyebrows. He swiftly dabbed his tongue on his sleeve before wiping some ramen off my cheek. I looked at him with an 'are you serious?' face before I sighed.

Iruka sat there for a second before glaring at me. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" He accused. "Well maybe I am, but you need a doting parent or you would still be painting the Hokage monument."

"So who are the other two?" I changed the subject.

Iruka contemplated something while I finished my third bowl. "Well, you might not know them, Yamamoto and Gai." He said casually, my whole face lit up.

"Yamato-taicho and bushier-brow-sensei?!" I asked disbelieving. I had met Yamato a while ago when Kakashi introduced us and I met him again on my travels. He's actually a pretty nice guy and he helped me with training to control bijou chakra with his wood release. Wait, if bushier brows is part of the 'quatrouple' does that mean Lee and I are brothers? Well, if anyone is going to replace me, I'm happy it's Lee, he's awesome. "I had a brother and no one told me! All three of my dad's are dating and I have a brother and you didn't tell me?!" Iruka just lay limp on the counter, steam coming out of his ears.

"Since when was I your dad?!" He asked, his voice muffled by the wood.

"Are you saying you don't wanna be my dad?" I anime cried. Iruka's head shot up before I could say 'dattebayo' and hugged me, also anime crying. "I'm sorry of course I'm your dad!"

"But I have to ask," Iruka said, suddenly serious. "Are there any more parents I should know about?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, theres Jiraiya who's my grandpa, Baa-chan is my grandma, I heard there was a girl named Karin who used to live here who was an Uzumaki and once I get Sasuke I'll look for her, and my little siblings, Kiba, Moegi, Udon and Konohamaru and by extension I have Asuma as an uncle. Oh! Theres Lee now who's my step brother and..." I trailed off, thinking about what other family I had. "Well theres Inari from the land of waves, he treats me like an older brother. Shoot! And my biological parents, Minato and Kushina." I said casually.

Iruka looked shocked, but I couldn't blame him.

"WHAT?!?!?!?!"
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Heya! Sorry this chapter took so long, I was busy with Halloween. Happy belated Halloween and thank you for reading!

Yes I put Kakashi in a poly relationship with all the ships I ship (-kakanaru) and I've seen ships with Iruka and Yamamoto or Iruka and Gai so it just works. ♡💚🖤💖 🏳️‍🌈