Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns all and I own nothing.

Warning: Drabbles.

Notes: Loosely connected drabbles from Kakashi and Iruka. For some reason Kakashi wanted to be written in first person while Iruka prefers third.

A Reason to Live
by Fairady

Iruka thinks sometimes that it would be nice to have a family. A wife and a few kids. Just a small family that he would come home to everyday. Voices to fill his home and chase the stillness away.

A wife who was sweet and kind. Perhaps his wife would be a civilian because one ninja parent is really more than enough for any child to have to deal with. She'd be a good cook because all Iruka really knew to make was ramen.

A son and a daughter who would follow in his steps. The boy would be outgoing and active. Always running around with his friends and getting into all sorts of little troubles. The girl would be quiet and a little shy. She'd be very bright and would love to become a teacher just like her father. She might not even become a ninja, but she'd at least try.

Iruka likes to think about the family he could have. About the faceless woman and the two kids whose faces really don't look like his the more he imagines it. He likes to think about it, especially on the nights that he can't sleep. About the conversations they might have, the troubles his son might get into, the grades his daughter might get. He likes to think about it and it's a nice fantasy for him to have.

A fantasy, nothing more.

Even if there was a woman who interested him he doubted he'd be able to marry her. No kunochi was interested in a life long chuunin academy teacher. Especially not one who had such a debilitating hereditary flaw that could be passed on to his children.

He wouldn't be able to marry a civilian either. He really couldn't imagine coming home to a wife who couldn't understand what he did. Who wouldn't see the importance of the blood she washed out of his clothes or the history of the scars on his body.

He knows he wouldn't be able to have children. Knowing his own flesh and blood were shinobi and knowing they were out on missions that could end with them dead or worse. Seeing his child in the hospital for the first -and not last- time. Watching the innocent boy and girl he'd raise slowly harden with each kill. The pain of it all would kill him.

It's bad enough with just Naruto. He can't imagine what it would be like with two kids.

A family. It's just a nice fantasy to indulge in from time to time when he can't sleep.