Umino Iruka: 15 years old; 1st year

My name is Hatake Kakashi and today I am meeting with another one of my juniors for Minato-sensei's bothersome mentor-mentee program. As the students around me clear the halls to rush home or to after school club activities, I am stuck trudging towards the school library. My Wednesday mentee is actually a first year who Minato-sensei believes shows great promise in intellectual areas, communication, and leadership. I am not exactly sure what I am expected to do for him besides assist with the advance case load the ambitious kid is taking. The guy is both softhearted and bighearted, yet he is also pretty…boring. He takes his studies very seriously.

I catch a glimpse of the clock on the wall and inwardly sigh. Ten minutes late. Unlike Yamato, this kohai has no problems with giving me grief for my tardiness. Case in point, I almost turn around when I walk in to find narrow eyes glaring at me from a round table cluttered with textbooks. His dark brown hair is tied up into its usual ponytail and his even darker eyes are a blaze with righteous indignation. The scar that runs across the entire bridge of his nose is just as prominent as ever. Whew, if looks could kill…

"Yo." Still, I offer him a friendly smile and wave as I pull up a chair next to him. "Iruka."

"Yo Iruka? Really Kakashi-senpai? That is all you have to say?" He huffs out his questions in rapid succession only to quickly dismiss me before I can answer. "Tsk, I am adding on the twelve extra minutes you were late to the end of this session."

"Eeeeh—oof!" He drops a couple of heavy books into my lap with reckless abandon; all without taking his eyes off his paper.

"I have highlighted all the problems and topics I struggled with this past week. Please look over them senpai."

"I—"

"Thank you."

Knowing that this is not a battle I am going to win, I let out a resigned sigh and get to work. After about fifteen minutes I can no longer keep my focus. I look over at the bronze-skinned teen and find him scanning his pages with analytical focus. Geez, I have heard about how hardworking he is, but this is too tense. A quick break could not hurt. As stealthily as possible, I slip my hand into my messenger bag and retrieve the latest issue of Make-Out Tactics. Again, I glance over at Iruka, but he is completely absorbed into his schoolwork. With a triumphant smile to myself I slip the novel into the textbook and lift them closer to my face so that only the workbook is visible. Much better. The minutes tick by in comfortable silence, only disturbed by the turning of pages and occasional passerby. I become so engrossed into a plot twist that I nearly jump out of my chair when Iruka leans over with a worksheet in hand.

"I do not mean to break your concentration senpai, but could you help…me…with…" I tried to snap my book closed, but I know I failed by the way his eyes nearly fall out of his head. The shock is soon replaced by a look that is equal parts anger and embarrassment. "Sen—pai." He grits out between clenched teeth as his face flushes red.

"Eheheh, come on Iruka. Don't go getting upset."

"Don't get upset?!"

"Oi, ssh we are in the—"

"Seriously Kakashi-senpai?!"

"Iruka sh—"

"Why does Minato-sensei even-!"

"SSSH!" This time the shush does not come from me and we both shrink at the approach of the notoriously strict librarian. "Where do you think you are, young man?"

"Ah, g-gomen."

"Sorry? Is that all you have to say for yourself?" She presses, "I ought to—"

"Sumimasen librarian-san." I plaster on my most charming smile as I rise from my seat to humbly bow to her. Although my face is mostly covered, I can see her deflate a little. "The ruckus is actually my fault. I do not know what came over me. I know you do your utmost to ensure this library is a sanctuary for those who need it. Please excuse our intrusion."

She hesitates, looking like she would love nothing more than to nag us some more, but one more look at my close-eyed smile and she relents. "Very well. I expect more from you Kakashi-kun."

"Of course, miss."

By the time she walks away, Iruka has turned an even deeper shade of red and looks like he wants to be anywhere else but here. "Ano…thank you Kakashi-senpai."

"Hm? Oh, don't mention it."

He looks over at me oddly as I plop back down and lean back with my arms behind my head. "But you got scolded because of me."

"There are worst things."

"…" At the sound of his little sigh, I open my eye to look at him again. He looks exasperated but relieved at the same time. "I do not understand how you are so easygoing senpai…but, I guess you can be reliable when you want to be."

There goes that word. For the last few weeks, I have noticed he is always going on about reliability and hard work. Most of the time, he sounds like a parent or teacher or counselor. Not at all like a fifteen-year-old high school student. "Iruka, what is with your fixation on the idea of reliance?"

"Huh?"

"You always get on my case for not being reliable or talking about which teachers are and which are not. And you just seem overly fixated on the concept of reliability."

His face, which had just returned to its' normal tan color, flushes pink again now that I have put him on the spot. "I am not fixated on it!" He looks away for a moment before sighing. "You actually noticed something like that? Hah, I wish you would pay that much attention to the studies you are supposed to be helping me with."

"To be fair, you are much more interesting than schoolwork Iruka-kun~"

I almost burst out into a laugh at the way he pouts and looks away. Who knew someone so fickle could also be so cute? "Yeah…well…to answer your question, I really admire people who are reliable, and I want to be that way too. The youth are the backbone of society and hold the key to change, peace, and hope." What is he, eighty-five?! "And I want to be there to nurture them and guide them on the right path. To do that, I need to be reliable."

"Hmmm."

"That is why I want to hurry and learn everything and do my best. I have to get stronger and become someone people can depend on—like Lord Third or how my parents were."

"You know," I reach over to rub his head and pause to chuckle as he bristles under my touch. Although he gives me a disapproving stare, he does not move my hand. "As admirable as that is, remember that you are a part of this 'youth' for now. So do not forget to rely on others as well."

"Hmpt. What? Rely on others like you?"

"Hey! I just proved that I can be a reliable guy."

"Yeah? Well prove it more and help me with this work now!" The brunette grabs my wrist and yanks it off his head before quickly adding, "Please senpai?"

One look at his earnest face and all I can do is sigh, "Okay, okay…but first, let me finish this chapter, ne? There are only a couple pages left."

"Haaah? Kakashi-senpai…you are incorrigible." Yes! That sounds like he is giving in. Seizing the chance before it gets away, I turn to the page I was on and all but bury my nose into it. That is until I notice Iruka tentatively, yet curiously, watching me from the corner of his eye. With a sly smirk I throw an arm around his shoulders and pull him close while dropping the book into my lap so he can get a better look. "C-Chotto matte K-Kakashi-sen—"

"You deserve a break too. Relax a little Iruka." The younger teen squirms and mutters his displeasure incoherently, but in the end his obvious interest wins out and he leans closer to read along with me. My peaceful reading does not even last a minute before a red droplet falls onto the page, disrupting my concentration completely. Huh? I look up and over to find Iruka red-faced, wide-eyed, and with a trickling nosebleed. Pfft. "Erm, Iruka…"

"Huh?"

"Your nose is bleeding."

"Huh? Oh—Ah!" His knee jerk reaction is to flinch back and cover his nose with both hands. However, he moves a little too forcefully, sending his chair rocking back onto its hind legs. "AAAH!"

Before he can become painfully acquainted with the ground, I quickly lash out and pull the chair back down to the floor. "Bwuahaha! You really are interesting Iruka, hahaha!"

"Kakashi-senpai! Do not laugh! This is all your fault!"

"Hahaha," I am almost in tears at the incensed look on his red face.

"KAKASHI-SENPAI—"

"THAT IS IT!" We both freeze in dread as the librarian comes charging towards our table. "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! OUT! GET OUT RIGHT NOW!" Not needing to be told more than once, we gather everything in a frenzy and dash out the double doors leading to outside. She is still ranting and raving behind us, so we jog a little way before breathing in relief.

I cannot help snickering at the situation. "Ah, we really went and did it now."

"Aaaw no, what will I do if I am not allowed back to the library?"

My chuckles taper off into a soft smile at the sound of his dejected tone. He looks genuinely put out, so I throw my arm over his shoulder—earning myself a particularly nasty stink eye. "Do not fret too much Iruka. You can study at my place."

"…"

"I live alone, so you can stay as long as you like. And come over whenever you need to…well when I am home that is."

"…" Seeing as he has little options left, he sighs and hugs his books closer to his chest. "Fine, let's go."

"Good." I do not remove my arm and neither does he, so I use his shorter stature to lean on him and walk at a leisurely pace.

"But I expect you to actually help me this time, senpai!"

"Okay, okay."

"No more Make-Out Tactics. No more foolishness!"

"I got it, Iruka, I got it."

He may be more interesting than I initially thought, but man is he zealous.

….