"Dad," Kiba called, standing over his father's body. The Jounin was currently lounging across the living room floor, lazily opening one eye at the arrival of his son before smiling up at him "What are you doing on the floor?" Kiba frowned, wondering if his old man had finally lost it. Genma only continued smiling in response, taking a good look at this son.
"The Chuunin exam is soon right?"
"Yeah..?"
"You haven't stopped moving about since you graduated," Genma chuckled, nostalgia lacing his voice.
"I haven't had time to stop," Kiba grinned proudly "but that still doesn't explain why you're on the floor."
"Oh, right."
The two stood - and lay - in silence before Kiba frowned at his father "uhh... Dad you still haven't told me."
"I don't like talking to you all the way up there."
"I'm not lying on the floor!"
"Then I won't tell you!" Genma grinned childishly, leaving Kiba to narrow his eyes at this father. After a minute he sighed, and slowly lowered himself to his father's level.
"Dad-"
"Y'know, I used to sleep through the afternoon with you like this - when you were a baby. I used to get off with so much paperwork back then," He smiled, senbon twitching between his teeth "You'd just sleep next to whatever dog you could find; you were like a little puppy yourself!"
"I'm not a baby anymore."
"I know - I used to be able to drop whatever I was doing: Just so I could get a few more minutes with you." He smiled in recollection and memory.
"Are you drinking again? You know Mom doesn't like it when you drink so early."
"I'm perfectly sober," the Jounin scowled before sighing "Don't you ever wish you could stop - make everything stand still - just for a few seconds longer?"
"No," Kiba scoffed "Stop talking crazy Dad" He tutted, but lingered for a few more moments next to his father – just for a few seconds longer.
Genma stared even harder at the picture in front of him, hoping to God he had it the right way round for a start. What was Kiba expecting him to say? He had no clue what the kid had painted and he wasn't exactly sure where to even start with comments on the 'artwork'.
"Oh, I see!" He nodded, pointing at a green figure he could vaguely recognize as a tree "That's the uhh..." He coughed, giving Kiba a chance to fill in the gaps
"It's Iruka-Sensei" The boy smiled, pointing out the various features with small, excited hands. Genma only nodded in reply, wondering when Iruka's scar had consumed his whole face.
"It's very life like," The senbon user lied, silently begging Kiba never to give up his ninja training in the pursuit of the fine arts "What's this uhh..." he briefly pointed to another shape.
"That's Shika!" The boy grinned, showing off the gap where his two front teeth had fallen out. Genma and Tsume had spent all day coming up with ways to pull the wobbly teeth out - before Kiba had cried when it came to the real deal. Apparently having your teeth ripped out by a door wasn't as appealing as Kiba had first thought, and had ignored his mother's jibes about bravery and manliness while Genma forced apples into his mouth. Eventually the teeth had fallen out as Kiba had munched through his snack, and both Tsume and Genma had each kept one – the senbon user a little weirded out that he had his son's incisor as his new lucky charm.
"Of course it is..." Genma frowned, now wondering when Nara's son had grown multiple pineapples for a head "That's... Shino?" He guessed, pointing at another figure.
"No!" Kiba pouted, almost punching his father in the face as he waved his fists in annoyance "It's Hinata!"
"Hinata... Oh of course, it must be my eyesight," The Jounin replied with as much sarcasm as he could muster, only to be wasted on Kiba's innocence.
"Of course it's your eyesight – she's too pretty to be mixed up with anyone else!" his son argued indignantly, Genma scowling as Tsume's cackle echoed from the kitchen.
"Sorry, the brown threw me off," he lied once more, silently begging for Kiba to go find something new to show him; Something that didn't involve the scribbling of a six year old.
"Stupid," Kiba pouted again. A snigger from the kitchen had Genma grinding his senbon.
"Hey, Hey! Don't call your old man stupid!"
"Stupid!" Kiba grinned, climbing down from his father's lap and running off into the next room.
"Where are you going?"
"To paint a picture of my stupid Daddy!" Kiba called from across the house, and Genma groaned into the sofa – ignoring Tsume as reminded Kiba to make sure she explained everything to her father this time, because he was a bit dense when it came to interpreting art work above and beyond his own skill.
"Sensei!"
"Aoba?"
"Genma didn't show up again..." The boy trailed off, vaguely pointing in the direction of where a certain brunette should have been seated. Tsume followed his fingers, resting her own eyes on the empty seat. The boy hadn't turned up all week, far longer than his usual skiving lasted.
"Aoba I keep telling you, if Genma won't turn up for his lessons than I can't do anything about it. It's his choice and I have other students I need to teach"
"But-"
"No buts Aoba!" Their teacher snapped, turning back to the handouts "I don't want to hear anymore about it - Genma can screw up his own learning, but I won't have him slowing the rest of the class down." The boy could only blush in response, embarrassed from the lecture and the attention of his classmates. Recognizing this, Raidou gently pushed him down into his seat, taking over Genma's usual role of reassurance.
Tsume merely watched the two boys, not entirely bothered by the whole thing. Shiranui was always picking arguments with her anyway - it would be easier to learn without the boy there to start petty banter over the smallest things. He was always in her face, chewing various stationary while copying her answers. It wasn't any of her business anyway, she reasoned. If Shiranui wanted to break the rules, then that was his problem. It wasn't as if she wanted to speak to him. It wasn't as if she let him copy her notes. It wasn't as if she revised his weak points, knowing that he'd come and sweet talk his way into her notes. Stupid Shiranui, she spat. He'd be even further behind when he showed his face up again.
Maybe, she sighed, just maybe she'd be better off making two copies of everything... Just in case she needed a spare sheet or something.
Not for Shiranui though.
Stupid Shiranui.
"I'm not doing it." Genma sighed, brushing Tsume's hand from his arm. There was no way in hell he was turning up to compete in some race. Even if it was to make Kiba happy - He would like some respect and dignity left for when he had to saunter into the Jounin lounge after missions.
"Yes you are," Tsume replied, taking Genma's arm back into her hand "Your son wants you to turn up at his academy's sports day, and you are god damn well going!" She growled, resisting the urge to push him through the front door and into the summer heat. It didn't matter how much he planned to whine and flirt his way into staying at home, he was going to play sports and he was going to enjoy it.
"It's hot outside," Genma whined, just as Tsume had expected. What did he think it was going to be? Snowing? The middle of summer and the Jounin was still walking around with a flak jacket on with that bloody backwards headband "Can't I stay home at cool down?"
"Then you can cool down – after, you and our son shows every other ninja and their child how sports day should be won!" She grinned, pushing him closer and closer to the door. They both knew that he would end up going anyway, but under whose conditions were about to be decided.
"What do we get for winning?" He asked suspiciously
"The satisfactory feeling of being the best father and son combination" She snorted, edging him closer and closer towards the door. Just a few more inches and she'd have the house to herself while Genma made an ass of himself.
"I'd prefer a different satisfactory feeling" he had replied smoothly, only to receive the answer of a slammed door and the heat of the Konoha sun.
Genma often thought about his family. What a weird word. He never expected to have that. Maybe Raidou or even Aoba, but not him. Not that he'd tell anyone - but he enjoyed it more than anything he'd ever experienced. Shinobi weren't meant to make attachments; he was supposed to have a family when he was out of work, or at least when his partner was out of work. Not that Genma really cared for sticking to traditions. Not that he really cared for freezing his ass off while his home was probably heated with warm bodies he wouldn't be able to see for another couple of days. Maybe that was the part he liked most, he had people to miss and love – people who cared if a kunai went through his jugular. Home wasn't just a place to hang around in until a mission came up – it was somewhere he belonged. His place was teaching Kiba how to hold a kunai, pride filling his senses as his own flesh and blood managed to wreck Tsume's vegetables in one unexpected hit. But his place was also ending lives and protecting his village, even if he resented being away for so long – he would still comply with the elder's wishes as long as he could stand with a senbon hanging from his mouth. Maybe when he got home, he'd have to ask Kiba to throw with him again. He'd like that, he mused. He'd like that a lot.
"But you can't tell!" Kiba protested, grabbing onto the hem of his father's flak jacket in a panic. Genma eyed up his son for a few seconds, having to force himself not to chuckle at his behaviour. The academy student carried his mother's determined face, with his own uncertain features highlighting his childishness. He idly wondered if he laughed in his sons face right now, would the boy stab a kunai into his leg? He still had the reminder where Tsume had done it.
"Daaaad" The boy whined when his father didn't respond (A quality Tsume never hesitated to point out that he had inherited from Genma)
"Soooon" He imitated, chuckling softly as he watched Kiba restrain a pout.
"Promise you won't tell her!" He'd be lucky, Genma sighed internally. Tsume was going to assume Genma was the one who smashed the contents of her table all over the floor. As much as he loved his son - he hated sleeping on the sofa and he wasn't prepared to be chewed out for something he hadn't done. Anyway, it would teach Kiba to keep a better eye on Akamaru.
"Son, I love you and ev-" Genma began, wondering how to phrase it so his son wouldn't hate him for the next week.
"I love you too Dad" His son smiled as he cut across his father, too innocently for Genma's liking. Genma wasn't sure why that made him more inclined to change his thoughts, or why hearing that made his day. Was it normal with children, to want to hear them reassure you? To want to know what you children loved you as much s you loved them. He flicked his ever-present senbon with frustration, before lazily resting a hand atop of Kiba's head.
"Then you best love me even more when I'm sleeping on that damn sofa for you!"
"Have I ever told you how pretty you are?"
"No," Tsume replied, ignoring Genma and continuing with her work. She wasn't comfortable with the man in front of her, not at all feeling in control of the situation. At least if Kuromaru had been there, she would have had reassurance.
"Mmm? Really? I think I have," He grinned, leaning over the mission desk and flicking his senbon.
"If anything, you spent two years of the academy copying my answers and asking me dog related questions – to which I'm sure you knew every answer to," she scoffed, lifting her head up to stare him in the eye, hoping her body language portrayed the confidence she wished she was feeling at the moment.
"Did I?" He chuckled, leaning an inch closer towards her face. If she had been any less of a ninja, Tsume would have flinched back – the senbon too close to her face for comfort. She kept her face high and unmoving, because, as much a she hated to admit it, she trusted Genma enough not to stab her in the face with his chew toy.
"Yes, now get out of my face – I'm trying to work," She hissed, facial muscles twitching with her facade of annoyance.
"I only came to ask you a question; I can't help it if you attract me so much that I have to start flirting with you over missions reports."
"What question?" She asked, trying to stop herself appearing flustered.
"Oh," He paused, staring off for a minute "Oh yeah – How am I meant to stop our son from biting everything we own?"
"What?" Tsume paused, wondering if she had heard correctly
"He's teething right? But I lost the teething ring and Kotetsu said something about alcohol on gums, but I was sure you'd break my pretty face if I tired that..."
"Too right I would!" She shouted, the action leading to her almost stabbing herself on Genma's senbon - if he hadn't tilted his head backwards she would have been nursing a split lip "So what have you given him?"
"Kuromar-"
"Genma!"
"I'm joking... Sort of, I left Kuromaru in charge while I came here."
"Why didn't you send a clone, idiot! You can't just leave Kiba at home while you run around the village!"
"He's fine, you've told me enough times Kuromaru isn't dangerous ect. ect." He sighed, sarcasm rolling off his tongue as easily as his senbon. Tsume only growled in response, ignoring Genma as he lightly brushed his senbon against her cheek.
"What should I give him then?"
"Go run a cold spoon over his gums."
"Are you serious?" He asked sceptically, gently prodding her with his senbon.
"Or course I'm serious, go do it and stop wasting time here! – He'll probably be pulling at Kuromaru's fur by now!"
"Alright, Alright – I'm going!" He sighed in defeat, thoughts of spoons running through his mind. As Tsume pulled her head back in approval, the man chuckled and placed his senbon into his hands with a smooth, fluid movement. The only thing about a senbon for a weapon, was it often got in the way, he muttered internally – quickly leaning back over the desk and pressing his lips against Tsume's.
"Go home," she whispered against his lips, ignoring the blush growing across her cheeks.
"Already going," He smiled back, the one smile that wasn't arrogant or sarcastic. The smile Tsume liked best, because it was the reminder that Genma wasn't going anywhere but home.
Genma didn't often see his older sister. She worked during the evenings and spent weekends away from home. If his sister was home ill, Genma would refuse to turn up at the academy – much more content to stay at home and play cards over their worn table. With both their parents being ninja, the two had been left alone for as long as Genma had lived. Being separated from family, for long periods of time, was something most children in the village had grown up with and had learnt to deal with. The boy often liked to mouth off about how he preferred it that way, but when faced with the option of spending a day with his sister; the boy would whine and talk his way into staying at home.
"Hey," his sister called, playing her last card and effectively winning the round "Genma, you know I'm getting married don't you?"
"I'm not stupid," The boy snorted, glaring at the cards in front of him "That guy that's using you for money and se-"
"Genma!"
"It's true!"
"There's more to it than that!" She seethed, hitting the boy over the head with the card box "You're too young to be saying things like that anyway."
"I'm old enough to kill people, why can't I be old enough to tell you what I think about-"
"You're too cocky for your age," She cut across, sighing with frustration "What about when you end up marrying? Hmm?"
"I'm not getting married," Genma snorted again, shuffling the cards on the table into a pile "I don't need a family."
"Whatever," She smiled knowingly, swiping the cards from his hand and shuffling them herself "Don't you want little baby Genma's running around?" She teased, passing him back the cards as she cuffed his chin with them.
"Why would I want a child?" He argued, rubbing at his chin indignantly "I do just fine by myself anyway; I'm a strong man y'know!"
"You're a boy," She sighed, pushing her mousy locks back, in even further frustration "Whatever, just deal me a card and then in ten years time send me a card from you and your family – Mr. I'msomanlybymyself."
"You didn't send me a card" The woman pouted, her eyes smirking across the table at him.
"I told Tsume not to bother; it's a waste of money."
"I'm your sister, and you wouldn't even send me a card?"
"Kiba can't even write yet, what did you want me to do? Cover his face in ink and rub it over the card?"
"I don't see the problem with that," She laughed, "So! So! How's life going? Y'know – now that your plans for a lonely life have been ruined."
"Hey!" He grinned, senbon swishing as his features lit up with his smile "They didn't get ruined, just seriously altered."
"Isn't that the same thing?"
"Nope, ruined would imply I regret having this – and I don't want to even suggest something like that."