Chapter 16

"I'm telling you – they're totally doing it."

The day was warm and the wind calm. Nestled in the long grass of the schoolyard were six children. The members of Team 7 – Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke – had joined Team 6 for lunch.

"No way," Sakura replied. She plucked a helping of rice from her bento box and sighed. "And even if they were, it's none of our business."

"Of course it is," Emiko insisted. "Come on, tell me: How many times has he been late?"

Naruto slurped a string of noodles. "Well," he said sloppily, "come to think of it, he's always late."

"But that could be for any number of reasons," Sakura countered.

"Sure – but you remember what happened last week, right?" Naruto wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve. "I mean, did you see the way they looked at each other?"

Jun fiddled with her pendant. Emiko's gift must've meant a lot to her; she wore it every day. "Wait, what? What happened?"

"Nothing," Sasuke remarked. "It was a sparring match."

Kazumi's personal life had been a popular subject as of late. Emiko was to blame, of course; she did not hesitate to share the conversation she'd overheard at the ramen bar. Thus far, the only people who knew about it – and talked about it – were those in attendance. It was such a hot topic, in fact, that the six genin met for lunch daily. Kazumi's fabled love life had inadvertently brought them together.

"It was way more than that," Naruto insisted. "You should've seen it! She knocked Kakashi-sensei flat on his back and crawled on top of him."

Hiroshi shrugged and adjusted his glasses. "She is a taijutsu specialist." A rosy hue tinted his cheeks. "It was probably a submission hold."

Jun smirked and unboxed her meal. "Well, I heard that she hooked up with Iruka-sensei."

Emiko's mouth was agape. "Huh?! No way! Where'd you hear that?"

"My parents."

"Guys?" Hiroshi brought his knees close to his chest. "We really shouldn't be discussing this…"

"Discussing what?"

The six students exchanged glances. To their collective horror, Kakashi joined the conversation. He had arrived not with lunch, but with a pet carrier.

"Don't leave me in suspense," he said. The cat in his custody howled and stuck its paw through a hole in the canvas.

"N-Nothing, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto insisted. He smiled cheerily and rubbed the back of his neck. "We were just talking about…uh…"

"About me and Hiroshi." Emiko looped an arm around the boy's narrow shoulders. She was the most accomplished liar in the group. "We're dating."

Hiroshi leaned against Emiko when she tugged him closer. Eventually, he choked out, "Y-Yeah, we are."

Kakashi seemed taken aback by the news. He regarded both children with a wide-eyed stare. "Oh – well, congratulations," he offered. It was an odd pairing…but then again, so were the protagonists in his favorite novel.

Reeeeow! The brown tabby had had enough.

"Anyway," Kakashi drawled, "Madam Shijimi is here to pick up her cat." The carrier rocked to and fro; Kakashi held it at arm's length to prevent injury. "Lord Hokage will debrief us shortly."

"Yeah, alright!" Naruto dashed across the lawn and discarded his empty ramen cup. When he returned, he said, "Maybe we'll get a real mission this time!"

The members of Team 6 waved farewell when Kakashi led his students away. As soon as they were out of sight, Emiko released Hiroshi and shoved him. "Jeez, you're clingy," she sneered. "As if I would date you."

"Ow!" he squeaked. "Well, I wouldn't date you either!"

Hiroshi's voice reached room 113. Iruka Umino's classroom was one of many that bordered the schoolyard. For the past week or so, he and Kazumi had taken their lunch hour together; it was something she looked forward to every day.

But alas, all good things came to an end. Kazumi sighed and looked out the window. Her little darlings were bickering again. "That's my cue," she said.

Iruka nodded and stood up. He had been sitting on top of his desk. "How are they doing?"

"Better than expected," she replied. "But we have a ways to go." That was an understatement. Every mission was a gamble. If luck weighed in her favor, their next assignment would be an easy one.

"You've got your work cut out for you."

"Mhm." Kazumi capped her water bottle and slipped it into her bag. "Sure do."

Suddenly, the bell rang. "I should get going too," Iruka said. "Team 7 is due back in 15 minutes."

Her thoughts fell on Kakashi when Iruka mentioned his squad. The two of them hadn't spoken in days. Truthfully, she had nothing to say; Kazumi couldn't bring herself to revisit the topic – not yet anyway. A small part of her hoped that he would break the ice and seek her out instead.

"Alright!" Kazumi's tone was chipper despite the unexpected change in her mood. "If I don't see you, Iruka, have a wonderful weekend." The words might have been generic, but they were nonetheless sincere.

Kazumi left room 113 and made her way to the rear exit. It was the quickest route to the schoolyard. In four hours, she would bid farewell to her students and begin a much-needed respite.

"Wait – was that Kazumi-sensei?"

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura stared at the woman as she walked in the opposite direction. Kakashi had climbed the stairs already, yet the other members of Team 7 loitered in the stairwell.

"Yeah," Sakura mumbled. "You don't think-"

"Don't be stupid," Sasuke said flatly. He gripped the railing and made his ascent without another word.

"Hm." Naruto nodded, crossed his arms, and pressed his lips into a thin line. "Jun might be onto something there."

His words fell on deaf ears. "Hey, Sasuke – wait!" Sakura called. She clambered up the stairs after the Uchiha boy, leaving Naruto in the proverbial dust.

Naruto whirled around and scurried after her. "Sakura-chan!"

The clack, clack, clack of his shoes echoed in the hallway. Had Naruto waited a moment longer, he might have had an opportunity to ask Iruka himself.