Disclaimer: These characters, story, and plot do not belong to me in any way possible. They do, in fact, belong to Masashi Kishimoto, Shonen Jump, and all of the many people involved in its creation. I'm only borrowing the image of them for my own entertainment.
A flash of tanned skin, dark eyes, and ashen hair burst through the front door. Quickly forgotten, blue sandals landed haphazardly in the orange glow of summer sunset. Hurried, young footsteps stopped abruptly in front of a short bookshelf crowned with a slightly aged photograph. Childish gasps sounded in the form of an open-mouthed grin, catching his breath with hands resting on clumsy knees.
"Guess what?" Umino Iruka couldn't keep the glee from his voice for all of his fourteen years of age. Staring back into the jubilant eyes was the image of the unmoving faces of his parents.
Thin fingers held out a brand new hitai-ate with great care. "I passed." The gravity of those words could have stopped time.
Iruka slowly straightened his stance and took a calming breath. Dark eyes slipped closed, and steady hands slowly brought the hitai-ate level to the boy's forehead. Deft fingers intricately working to tie a firm knot. The ends of the navy material hung a few centimeters longer.
As his hands finally dropped to his sides, Iruka grinned. The sort that stretches from ear to ear, crinkles his nose just above his scar, and forces his eyes closed. The sort he'd smile when he was younger. A rarity.
"Yo, Iruka." A familiar voice called out through the house. "You coming? People are waiting, you know. We have to celebrate you finally becoming a genin."
"Yeah," Iruka answered, turning on his heel and heading towards the front door. Anko had graduated two years earlier; the first time she had taken the test. He put his sandals on as hastily as they had been thrown off, throwing Anko another childish grin.
The ebony haired girl answered with a puzzled expression. "What the hell are you smiling at?"
"Nothing." Passing her, Iruka paused in the street. "I'll beat you there."
"Don't get so cocky." A quirked eyebrow followed by a slowly spreading smirk. Anko quickly closed the distance, the two dashing towards the intersection where other genin waited.
Slowly, the sun slipped below the horizon, surrounded by the cacophony of humming cicadas and the faded laughter of children.