"Reunion"
If you are a nature lover, there's no better place in the world than Earth Country. The snow on the mountains begins to melt around mid-march, and the wildflower fields dotted along the mountain paths are perfect for picnics. Because of the stable government, citizens of any nationality are guaranteed safe passage, as long as they carry a current passport. The people are friendly enough, and even friendlier if you're willing to spend some money. Each village is full of interesting markets to explore and shop at. The clothing is specialized to the area, and the quality is exceptional. The goods you purchase here are well worth the…
"Dad! We're moving again!"
The goods you purchase here are well worth the investment. For those of you interested in a history lesson…
"Come on, Dad, or we're going to leave you behind!" Naruto boomed, directly in his face. Iruka sighed in irritation and snapped his diary closed, giving his son a sharp look as he did so. Naruto gave him a cheeky grin in response and skipped off before Iruka could scold him for being so loud. How Jiraiya found time to write on the road was beyond him. He was constantly being distracted and interrupted. He'd fantasized once or twice about hurling his detailed notes into the campfire and saving himself the headache.
Iruka tucked his small diary into his bag and stood, stretching his arms above his head and yawning. After their battle with Orochimaru, and his long hospital visit, Iruka was sure he'd never sleep so much again. Now that they were back on the road, all he wanted to do was curl up somewhere warm and take a long nap. He rubbed absently at a lingering bruise on his chest and sighed, scanning their surroundings as he did so. Somewhere along the path, the endless fields of Rice Field Country had turned into sparse woods. The group was already walking, leaving him to bring up the rear.
He suppressed yet another yawn and began to follow. They hadn't walked long before the usual bickering started.
"I bet I can beat you to that tree," Naruto boasted, narrowing his blue eyes challengingly up at Jiraiya. The white-haired man glanced down at him and snorted dismissively.
"Why are you always so loud?" Jiraiya asked, digging a finger into his ear in complaint. Naruto stuck his tongue out at him and sprung up into the trees, swinging from limb to limb like a monkey.
"Come on, you old toad! Race me!" Naruto shouted down gleefully.
"I'm hung over. I'm not racing anywhere," Jiraiya finally replied waspishly. Tsunade snorted in amusement at Jiraiya's predicament, but she looked a little worse for wear herself. No doubt she and Jiraiya had stayed up on their last night in town to drink together.
"Naruto, get down from the trees. What have we all told you about wasting your energy?" Iruka called out half-heartedly. It was pointless, as Naruto had proved time and time again that he never ran out of energy, no matter how many miles they walked or how many battles they fought. Still, out of respect for his father's order, Naruto dropped to the ground and dusted off his vibrant orange outfit.
Despite Jiraiya's protests, and Iruka's concerns, when Naruto had been allowed to pick out his first outfit, he'd found the loudest, boldest outfit in the store. He didn't use the ornate katana strapped to his back – it was a birthday gift for Sasuke-kun. Iruka admired how tall his son had grown over the past year. He wasn't nearly so scrawny anymore. Every now and then Iruka could catch glimpses of the man his son would become one day.
"I'm going to see Sasuke soon!" Naruto sang happily, flipping up to walk on his hands for a few moments before cart wheeling back onto his feet again.
"We still have four or five solid hours of walking, Naruto," Iruka reminded him, a bit of exasperation creeping into his voice. Ignoring him, Naruto scampered off ahead and stopped to poke at something on the side of the road with a stick. His brows creasing in worry, Iruka hurried past the others to see what Naruto was doing. He realized too late.
An ominous buzzing filled the air, and an angry cloud of bees mushroomed out of their fallen hive. Iruka's eyes widened comically and he started to run. He didn't need to tell Naruto to do the same.
"What the hell are you two -"
"Oh shit!" Tsunade cursed, her hazel eyes spotting the massive cloud of angry insects. Beside her, Shizune winced and her pet pig squealed unhappily.
"I hate bees!" Shizune fretted, backing up a few paces as the bees rocketed through the air towards them.
"NARUTO TO THE RESCUE!" the blonde boy shouted. Without further warning, a blast of blue chakra came spiraling through the cloud of bees. It killed about three of them and then connected directly with Jiraiya's chest. The big man grunted as he was flung backwards fifteen feet, his butt skidding across the dirt path painfully the whole way.
Angry for their fallen brothers, the bees began to practically vibrate in the air. They spotted Tsunade and dive-bombed her. Cursing like a sailor, Tsunade ducked under the cloud and ran straight towards Iruka and Naruto.
"Don't run towards me!" Iruka protested uselessly. Once again, he and Naruto were forced to start running. From behind, Jiraiya wobbled to his feet, massaging his aching bum.
"NARUTO! WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT MIS-USING THE RASENGAN?" Like an angered bull, Jiraiya dug his sandal trough the dirt and then charged, uncaring of the bees ahead of him. Helpless, Shizune clutched her pig a little tighter and followed after the group, trying to keep a safe distance from the bees.
"Yay!" Naruto shouted happily when he realized everyone was running, "Now we'll get to Sasuke faster!"
"Why you little -" Tsunade threatened, picking up her speed to catch Naruto. The blonde boy whooped happily and streaked off faster, leaving the two legendary Sannin to chase after him, swatting at bees the whole way. Huffing and puffing, Iruka decided to evade rather than out-run. He ducked behind a nearby tree and breathed a sigh of relief when the angry bees passed by him in favor of tailing Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Naruto.
Shizune caught up to him and winced when she saw the bee sting on his forearm.
"Oh, are you alright, Iruka?" Shizune asked. Her pig, Tonton, squealed in what Iruka guessed was concern.
"I'm fine. I don't think I'm allergic to bee stings. Of course, this wasn't the best way to test that theory," Iruka replied with a small smile.
"Here, let me get the stinger out," Shizune offered. The two of them sat down by the roadside and Tonton bounced away from Shizune to sniff around. Gently, Shizune traced her finger around the sting, and then pulled out a sharpened kunai. Iruka gulped, but he'd learned to trust the medic-ninja. He closed his eyes.
Shizune noticed his expression and grinned.
"Don't worry, Iruka, I'm just going to scrape the stinger out," she warned. Carefully, she dragged the flat of the blade over his arm, her eyes lighting up triumphantly when the little stinger was snagged and pulled free. Next, she pulled a tiny jar out of her bag and opened it up. It looked like some kind of lotion. "This will stop the swelling and ease the burn." She dabbed on the blissfully cold cream and Iruka sighed in relief. Iruka thought he saw a red spot on Shizune's shoulder. Concerned, he reached forward and pushed the fabric away slightly.
"Did you get stung, too?" he asked. Shizune blushed brightly and hurriedly stood, tugging her top back into place.
"No, no! I'm fine!" Iruka kindly ignored her flushed cheeks and merely smiled.
"Okay then, let's catch up to the others." Shizune's blush faded and she nodded. Tonton pranced along beside them happily. Shizune glanced shyly to her side at Iruka's profile.
"You're haircut looks good," she praised. Iruka ran his hand over his much shorter ponytail and smiled.
"Well, I have an excellent hair dresser," Iruka replied teasingly. Shizune blushed again, because she had been the one to neatly trim his hair to shoulder length. They turned a bend in the path and saw the aftermath of the battle with the bees. The cloud had dispersed, and both Jiraiya and Tsunade were covered in stings. Naruto sat in the middle of the road clutching his head and moaning pitifully. He'd obviously been knocked in the skull by two, powerful fists. Iruka could already see the angry lumps. Sharing a sigh, Shizune and Iruka began to walk towards their fallen comrades.
'Just a few more hours of walking,' Iruka reminded himself. The thought (and the sight of Jiraiya and Tsunade looking like teenagers with bad acne) made a smile come to his face.
~*~
"Yo," Kakashi greeted. Sasuke's black eyes darted in Kakashi and Tenzo's direction, but that was the only response he gave.
"You still out here, squirt?" Tenzo asked with a smile, playfully ruffling Sasuke's hair as the boy attempted to dodge.
"Unless I made a clone of myself that I'm unaware of, it would appear that I'm still out here," Sasuke retorted sharply. Tenzo laughed at the easily riled boy and finally managed to snag him in a headlock. He gave him a noogie and then released him. Sasuke staggered away spitting mad, trying to inconspicuously fix his hair and pull out a kunai to chunk at Tenzo in the same motion. He was less than successful, and the brunet easily dodged, laughing at his attempt.
"Were you aiming for a target I don't know about? Because surely you weren't trying to hit me with that throw," Tenzo mocked. Sasuke practically growled and rapidly started the hand motions for his family's signature fire attack. Kakashi's revealed eye widened slightly and he quickly appeared in front of Sasuke, halting the boy's hand motions.
"Sasuke-kun, calm down. Tenzo was only joking."
Sasuke snorted in irritation and glared hotly at Tenzo.
"Who invited you anyway?" Sasuke spat rudely. Tenzo raised up his hands defensively.
"Hey, don't be mean, Sasuke-kun! I know you're excited about seeing your little boyfriend again but you don't have to be such a tight ass, squirt."
"Ugh, just leave, Tenzo!" Sasuke hissed, storming away from the two men to sit beside the road broodingly. Kakashi and Tenzo shared a look that spoke volumes. With a sigh, Kakashi tucked away his book and ambled forward. Sensing Sasuke needed some space, Tenzo walked off in the other direction, allowing the two some privacy. It wasn't the first time such a scene had played out. Quite often Tenzo wouldn't know when to stop teasing, and Sasuke would turn to Kakashi. It was partly why the two had become so close.
"He doesn't understand how much this means to you, Sasuke," Kakashi reminded him quietly. He squatted down until he was nearly level with Sasuke. "Would you rather wait for them alone?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke merely stared stubbornly at the road. There was a long pause and then Sasuke replied.
"What if he's different?" Sasuke asked, almost so softly that Kakashi couldn't hear. Kakashi sighed as if he were bored, but Sasuke had learned that Kakashi's lazy expression and posture often hid turbulent emotions.
"You're different. He'll be different. You'll still be friends, though," Kakashi reassured. Behind them, the large gates of Konoha creaked open again, and Kakashi stood. With a smile on her pretty features, Tsubaki walked towards them. She carried a squirming bundle of Hotaru in her arms. Tenzo's face lit up when he saw them, and he eagerly met them half way.
"Let me hold her," Tenzo said, grinning from ear to ear as the little girl was passed to him. Tenzo immediately did his 'spooky' face, which intimidated most people but merely caused little Hotaru to laugh and reach for his nose with her chubby hands.
"Hello everyone. Think today's the day?" Tsubaki asked with an excited smile. Sasuke stood up and dusted off his pants. He nodded once. Giving him a soft smile, Tsubaki ran her fingers through his hair once she was close enough. The boy allowed the touch without complaint. He merely looked up at her, a million unsaid worries in his eyes. "I know," she replied (confusing Kakashi), "I'm worried, too. I don't even know why, though. Isn't that silly?" Sasuke finally smiled a little but didn't reply. He leaned into Tsubaki's side, letting her play with his hair.
"Who's the most handsome ninja in all of Konoha?" Tenzo babbled to Hotaru. The little girl smiled at him cutely and her dark eyes crinkled. "That's right, I am. Hotaru-chan is so smart!" Tenzo lifted her up and rubbed his nose against her belly, making her grin again. Tsubaki rolled her eyes at the pair and looked down at Sasuke. He was getting so tall.
"You have a birthday coming up, Sasuke-kun," she remarked absently. Sasuke shrugged a bit, as if such a trivial thing as a birthday didn't really concern him.
"You'll be thirteen right?" Kakashi verified. Sasuke gave him a small nod. Kakashi smirked.
"I pity the poor bastard that gets stuck with you and Naruto on his team," Kakashi said with a smile. Tsubaki shot him a glare.
"Do you really have to use that kind of language?" she asked reproachfully. Tenzo joined the group and stuck his tongue out at her playfully.
"You're such a mom, Tsubaki. Poor Hotaru. She's never going to be allowed to have any fun. That's okay, though. Don't you worry, little firefly," Tenzo said to Hotaru, "Tenzo will be here to teach you how to sneak out and buy you alcohol."
Sasuke snorted in irritation and crossed his arms.
"How did an idiot like you get to be in ANBU?" Sasuke asked, mostly to himself. Tenzo flashed him a grin.
"Well, they need someone to replace the old geezers like Kakashi," Tenzo joked. Kakashi smiled underneath his mask, but Tsubaki thought she saw another emotion in his revealed eye. It made her feel protective of his feelings. Tenzo could be so insensitive sometimes.
"Tenzo, don't you ever give it a rest? I know you can be charming and sweet when you try. Do us all a favor and try really hard now," Tsubaki said lightly. Tenzo rolled his eyes and wandered off again, babbling nonsense at Hotaru. Tsubaki sighed. Tenzo could be serious, but when a situation was tense, he always tried to make light of it by joking. Most of the time, it was inappropriate and irritating. She knew, however, that it was just his way. He was terrified of meeting Iruka – terrified of being replaced.
It was such a sticky situation for everyone.
Still, she had never wanted anything as much as she wanted Iruka to come home. Reading his letters the past year had been the only thing that gave her strength some days. Somehow, defying distance, Iruka had become her anchor. She felt like he understood her, and that no matter the scenario, things could only improve by his coming home. It would be difficult for Kakashi and Tenzo, but there was simply no way around that.
Kakashi turned to look down the road.
"They're coming. I'd say only a half-hour away."
Everyone froze, and Tsubaki could see the way Tenzo temporarily forgot to breathe. It wasn't until Hotaru squirmed in his arms that Tenzo recovered and replaced his mask of indifference. Tenzo paced with her, jiggling her gently to soothe her. Despite herself, Tsubaki smiled. Tenzo was such a natural with Hotaru. Kakashi was afraid to even breathe on her, but Tenzo had taken to her like a fish to water. The two of them looked so adorable together, but sometimes she would picture Mizuki in Tenzo's place and she would have to look away.
Those were the sorts of things she wanted to talk about with Iruka.
"Sasuke-kun, I want to tell you something," she said quietly. Kakashi walked over to where Tenzo was standing with Hotaru, but she knew the two of them were listening despite their turned backs. Tsubaki kneeled down to look Sasuke in the eyes. With a loving smile, she caressed his cheek and absently pushed his long bangs away from his eyes. Sasuke looked at her as if her words might end the world. He was afraid she'd tell him Naruto might not be the same. Naruto might make new friends in Konoha. Naruto might be too strong to be put in a team with him.
"Tell me," he half-whispered. Tsubaki found the chain he wore hidden underneath his shirt and pulled it out. The ring, carefully polished, glittered in the dappled sunlight.
"For the first few days, Naruto might talk about people and places you know nothing about. He might be stronger than you. I know that's going to upset you, but I want you to remember that he gave you this because you're special to him. I know you anger easily, and I know you get impatient, but try to give him a little leeway. Don't be quick to judge him just because you think he might not like you anymore. It won't be like that. This ring is proof that he's remembered you all this time. Okay?" Tsubaki asked. Sasuke nodded, his eyes finally showing that he'd regained some of his inner peace. Sasuke merely shrugged and turned to look up the road. Tsubaki stood again and gave him a smile. He would listen to her. He would give Naruto time.
"And don't tell him about the huge crush you have on him – that'll just make things awkward!" Tenzo joked loudly. Sasuke growled and almost knocked Tsubaki over in his haste to reach Tenzo. Laughing, Tenzo passed Hotaru to Kakashi before the ninja could protest. Kakashi held her out in front of himself as if she were a ticking bomb.
"Don't you DARE say anything stupid or I swear I'll -"
"Play hard to get, Sasuke-kun. Just don't tell him you've never been kissed!" Tenzo interrupted. He took to the trees and Sasuke chased after him like a rampaging rhino. Shaking her head, Tsubaki moved to take Hotaru from Kakashi. It was too late, though. Hotaru burped loudly. Startled, Kakashi brought her in closer to his body only to realize she was about to blow. Spit up dribbled all down Kakashi's favorite flak jacket.
"Oh, Kakashi, I'm so sorry! I should have told Tenzo not to jiggle her around. She ate not so long ago. Here, let me get that," Tsubaki apologized as she fished a rag out of the pocket of her dress. She took Hotaru into her arms and dabbed ineffectively at the massive stain on Kakashi's front. It smeared and Kakashi began to stink.
"Don't worry about it. This jacket has seen worse stains," Kakashi said blandly. From the trees, they could hear Sasuke and Tenzo wrestling and sparring. Tenzo was mocking Sasuke in a sing-song voice that drove the boy crazy.
"Oh, Naruto, how I love you! You're the most beautiful boy in the world! I want to have your babies!"
"SHUT UP! Boys can't have babies, you dumb shit! And I DON'T want to have his!"
"Sasuke!" Tsubaki hollered. "Watch your language!"
And so they waited.
~*~
Naruto spotted the gates first. He let out a loud whoop and began to run. He made a miniature cloud of dust that blocked his vision, so he didn't notice that he'd run into someone until he was on top of him.
"I think he missed you, Sasuke-kun!" a voice bellowed from nearby. Beneath him, Naruto heard a voice he recognized.
"Shut up, Tenzo!" Sasuke groused. Naruto's face split into huge grin. Instead of standing, he rose up on his knees and grabbed the front of Sasuke's shirt. He pulled the other boy into a sitting position and then gave him a huge hug, still straddling him. With a vivid blush on his face, Sasuke didn't push him away as he would have done if anyone else dared to embrace him in such a way. "Get off of me, you idiot," Sasuke finally said, without much enthusiasm. Laughing, Naruto let go and hopped up, offering his hand to help Sasuke stand. Sasuke grasped it and stood, staring into the face of his best friend for the first time in a year.
Both boys smiled.
"Naruto, you're going to barrel into someone, running like that!" Iruka's voice yelled. A few more moments and the distant figure of Iruka could be seen clearly. He smiled broadly when he saw their welcoming committee. He too began to jog, until he came to a stop in front of Tsubaki. Immediately, he caressed little Hotaru's dark head of hair. It was the same black as her mother's. "Tsubaki, she's gorgeous. She's the prettiest little baby I've ever seen," Iruka praised with a huge smile. Tsubaki looked up at him with big, happy tears in her eyes. She passed Hotaru to Sasuke, who stood nearby, and then laughed happily as she gave Iruka the biggest hug of his life. He laughed, too, and even spun her around.
"I've missed you so much!" Tsubaki said, crying in happiness. Finally, the rest of the traveling party caught up. Shizune frowned a bit at the way Iruka and Tsubaki embraced – there was something intimate about it. Her frown was mirrored on Kakashi's face, who stood off to the side, unacknowledged.
"Hey, brat!" Jiraiya greeted, waving at Kakashi good-naturedly. Finally, though he didn't release Tsubaki, Iruka looked Kakashi's way. He gave him a gentle, polite smile. It was nothing like the happy grin he'd given to Tsubaki. It hurt Kakashi to see the distance that had grown between them. He couldn't speak. Instead, he merely nodded and turned his gaze to Jiraiya. Iruka's grin faded, but Tsubaki squeezed him reassuringly. He gave her a look that spoke his true feelings before grinning again at Sasuke. Tsubaki took Hotaru again, and Iruka didn't hesitate to pull the boy into a hug.
"How are you, Sasuke-kun? I've missed you so much! You're so tall now!" Iruka said. Sasuke grinned at the attention and allowed someone to hug him for the second time that day. The two groups merged and soon everyone was greeting everyone. Iruka introduced Tsunade and Jiraiya to Sasuke and Tsubaki, all while he happily cuddled Hotaru in his arms. Shizune spoke with Tenzo and Kakashi, answering banal questions about the traveling conditions. In a noisy group, they made their way through the gates and back into Konoha. Iruka and Tenzo did not greet each other, but the two of them did catch each other's gazes. It wasn't a friendly look on Tenzo's part.
Iruka passed Hotaru back to her mother and found Naruto to squeeze his shoulder.
"We're home," he said with a soft smile. Naruto looked up at him and then at Sasuke, who stood to his left.
"Yeah, and I'm really glad, too. Let's get ramen!" Naruto suggested. Laughing, the adults agreed to his request.
"We have to be going," Tenzo said. Kakashi's revealed eye widened in surprise. He looked at Tenzo questioningly. Then, when Tenzo merely glared in response, Kakashi's gaze hardened.
"I'm staying to eat ramen with them. I'll catch up to you later," he said nonchalantly. Tenzo continued the glaring contest for a few more seconds before curtly nodding at Tsubaki before turning on his heel and leaving them.
"Guess Kakashi's not getting any tonight!" Jiraiya joked crudely, waggling his eyebrows and chuckling loudly at his own joke. Iruka smacked him on his shoulder.
"Don't talk like that in front of a ladies and children, Jiraiya," Iruka scolded half-heartedly. Still, there was a smile on Iruka's face. He was glad that Tenzo had left. Once the group was moving towards the ramen stand, Iruka dropped back some to walk beside Kakashi.
"So…did you get my letters?" Iruka asked hesitantly. Kakashi merely nodded. It wasn't exactly the reunion Iruka had been imagining.
"I'm sorry," Kakashi blurted out suddenly. Iruka paused for a moment, but then caught up when Kakashi kept walking.
"You're sorry?" Iruka repeated.
"I didn't stutter," Kakashi snapped. Iruka smiled.
"Finally you show a little emotion. I was wondering how long you were going to give me that bland look and monotone voice," Iruka commented. Kakashi glanced at him, and some warmth came into his expression.
"I –" Kakashi began. Iruka interrupted.
"Wait, first let me say that I'm sorry, too. Okay, now what were you going to say?" Iruka asked. In front of them, Naruto turned back and shouted for them both to hurry up. Iruka grinned sheepishly. "We'll talk later, I guess," he said. After a moment, Kakashi nodded. The two of them joined everyone else at the ramen stand.
"My big customer is back!" The kindly chef said with a broad grin. Naruto hopped up onto a stool and patted his stomach.
"Hey, old man! I can eat even more now!" The owner chuckled and began taking everyone's orders. Iruka sat in between Sasuke and Tsubaki. Happily, he took Hotaru into his arms.
"She really is beautiful, Tsubaki," Iruka praised, almost in awe. "She's just so tiny!" Iruka grinned when Hotaru pressed her little hand against his bigger one. Naruto leaned around Sasuke to grin at her.
"How much ramen can she eat?" he asked Tsubaki. She smiled and gently caressed Hotaru's puffy cheek.
"She only eats milk, Naruto," Sasuke explained. Naruto looked up at him skeptically.
"You didn't call me an idiot," he noticed. Sasuke shrugged.
"Guess I just didn't want to get scolded by Iruka so soon," he replied with a smirk. Naruto rolled his eyes and leaned in the other direction, towards the two Sannin, Shizune, and Kakashi.
"Hey, hey, Kakashi, dad has a gift for you!"
Jiraiya and Kakashi paused in their discussion and Kakashi's eye looked up questioningly. Iruka blushed so darkly that it was visible through his tan.
"It's…err…nothing, really. I'll get it out of my bag for you later," Iruka replied. Noticing the intense gaze between the two, Shizune cleared her throat.
"So, Iruka, I was pretty little when we left Konoha and I don't recognize much. You're still going to give me that tour, right?" she asked. Jiraiya began talking to Kakashi again, and Iruka smiled and nodded at Shizune.
"Of course," he replied.
"I'll leave you all to take your tour then. I need to put Hotaru down for a nap after this," Tsubaki said.
"Dad, do Sasuke and I have to come, too?" Naruto asked. It was obvious he wanted to run off with Sasuke and play.
"No, you two can spend the afternoon catching up. After I give them a tour, we need to look into finding a place to live," Iruka said. The meal arrived just as Hotaru began to get fussy.
"Oh, she just wants to be walked. Tenzo's spoiled her rotten," Tsubaki said irritably. Abandoning her meal, she stood and began to walk with the girl, bouncing her lightly on her shoulder. To Sasuke she said, "Honey, there's a pacifier in my diaper bag. Can you hand it to me?" Sasuke jumped off his stool and dug for the pacifier. Iruka smiled at how close Sasuke and Tsubaki had become. When the pacifier was doing its job, Tsubaki returned to her seat. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about where you're going to live,"
Tsubaki began. "I wrote about it in a letter…it's so strange getting to talk to you directly after all this time! Well, anyway, my point is that we had an extra room built onto my house, and I was hoping you and Naruto might stay with me for awhile."
Iruka thought of all the money he'd saved for them to get a nice place with his own bedroom, but the look in Tsubaki's eyes was pleading. He knew it must be hard on her as a single parent of an infant. He gave her a friendly smile.
"Sure, Tsubaki. Naruto and I would love to. I want to be able to help you out with Hotaru. Thank you for suggesting it."
Tsubaki's smile in return was one of pure relief.
"Are we going to live with Hotaru-chan?" Naruto asked, peaking his head around a large stack of ramen bowls he'd already plowed through.
"Yes, if that's okay with you, Naruto," Iruka replied. Naruto grinned happily.
"As long as Sasuke can sleep over, too!" Tsubaki smiled.
"Of course, he knows he's always welcome." In her arms, Hotaru began to cry. "I hate to have to take off like this, but she's ready for her nap. So I'll see you and Naruto later, Iruka?" Tsubaki asked. Iruka nodded.
"Do you need help getting home?" Iruka asked. Listening in on their conversation, Kakashi stood.
"I can walk her home," he offered. He scooped the diaper bag up off the floor and slung it over his shoulder. With one last glance at him, Kakashi left Iruka at the ramen stand.
The others stood as well, their meals finished. Naruto, however, was still devouring bowls. Iruka fished plenty of money out of his pouch and passed it to the stand owner.
"Just give him the change. Naruto, bring my change back, okay?" Iruka said as he ruffled his son's golden hair. Iruka smiled at Sasuke and then gave him another hug.
"I'm so glad to see you again, Sasuke-kun. Thank you for taking such good care of Tsubaki and Kakashi," Iruka said. Sasuke only nodded and gave him a small smile. "Well, are you ready Shizune?" Iruka asked. The dark haired woman nodded.
"I think I'll come along, too. I'll put off meeting with the counsel for at least another half hour," Tsunade said with a smile. Jiraiya stretched and patted his full stomach.
"How about we start with the bathhouse?" Jiraiya asked. Tsunade growled and smacked the back of his head. Jiraiya went sprawling, and Naruto snickered into his bowl of ramen. Iruka smiled at the scene and turned to watch Kakashi and Tsubaki disappearing down the street. It was good to be home where all of the people he loved were in one place, but something still felt missing. It was the feeling of business left unfinished, and the discovery of loose ends where he thought there had been knots.
A/N: This is a sequel! It will make more sense if you read the first two arcs (Fighting Dreamers and Letters) on my profile page! To the original readers – sorry for the two year hiatus. I know that's crazy. Forgive me?