Iruka walked into the classroom, five AM sun casting a golden light just over the horizon. His team of a month and a half was sitting on his desk, going through his other class' homework.

"Looks like my fiancée was too lazy to turn in his work again," Angel was saying as Iruka groaned. "He's going to make a horrible husband…"

"…" Murray put Naruto's paper back down, the F gleaming in bright red at the top of the page.

"I hate both of you," Iruka mumbled, as was his usual greeting.

"Morning, 'Ruka-sensei," Angel greeted, bouncing off the desk. "What'er we doing today? Something cool?"

"We're going to paint Mrs. Saidle's house." Angel pouted and Iruka smirked. "Actually, you two will paint Mrs. Saidle's house – I still have half a class to teach today."

"Goddammit," Angel whined and Murray threw a homework scroll at him. "Can't you skip class for once and teach us some cool new jutsu?"

"Not a chance." Iruka shooed the two girls out of his room. "Now hurry up and go – Mrs. Saidle is waiting for you."

"You're just punishing us for making you our permanent instructor," Angel grumbled and Murray agreed."

"I would never be that spiteful," Iruka replied innocently, shoving the girls out the door and closing it behind them quickly.

Angel groaned and turned to Murray. "Let's go. Man, this is gonna suck!"

The ancient lady was waiting for them on her porch, sitting in a creaking rocking chair and with a fat orange tabby in her lap. She squinted as they approached, being nearly blind.

"Ah, children. You're here," she crooned.

"Yes ma'am," Angel greeted politely as Murray bowed. "What did you want us to paint?"

Mrs. Saidle raised a quivering, wrinkly hand. "I want the entire house a pretty light green."

Murray walked over to the stacked of paint cans and inspected the labels. "…!…?"

"Uh, ma'am? Murray says that all your paint is pink," Angel mumbled, tail twitching.

"Oh dear. I guess pink is good too…"

Angel groaned and rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Murray, let's get this over with…"

"…"

Iruka let his class go, cursing under his breath as the children giggled and ran out the door. Naruto was becoming more and more of a pest the closer he came to graduation.

Said student hovered by Iruka's desk as the other children poured out the door. He looked at his teacher and grinned impishly. "Iruka-sensei…"

Iruka looked at Naruto and sighed. "Yes, I'll take you out for ramen tonight."

Naruto cheered and threw his arms around his teacher. "You're the best person in the whole world!"

Iruka felt a smile tug at his lips as he patted the top of Naruto's head. "I'll come get you later, all right? Now I need to go."

Naruto grinned and bounced out the door, eagerly waiting for later that night. Iruka smiled as he watched the child leave, but groaned when he remembered that he still had to go out and deal with his team. He gathered the papers that he needed to grade and headed out the door, not particularly eager to have to deal with his team again. He left the Academy, taking his time to stop and talk to people or greet students who were up to no good.

When he finally arrived at Mrs. Saidle's house, nearly an hour later, he paused. The house itself was coming along nicely, the faded eggshell yellow slowly becoming replaced with a deep pink, but that wasn't what gave him pause.

Angel was perched on the roof, paint can resting on a windowsill peeking out from the attic, painting the house near the top and looking dizzy from the fumes; Murray was painting around the door, carefully and expertly avoiding dripping paint everywhere.

And there, painting around on of the two front windows, was a young boy in a bright orange hoodie and pants. For a moment, Iruka had thought that the two girls had invited Naruto to help them, but he noticed that the coat bore none of Naruto's spiral patches and was a solid orange.

He walked up to the boy and tapped on the top of his head. The boy turned and Iruka saw that the boy's hood was drawn so tight, only his eyes could be seen.

"Who are you?" Iruka asked.

"Mrff, mmph, mf mm mph," the boy replied, voice muffled heavily by the jacket."

"His name is Kenny," Angel called from the roof. "We found him about two hours ago – can we keep him?"

Iruka sighed and looked at the girl, who nearly fell of the roof. "You can't just recruit random people off the streets, you know."

"But he's a gennin." Iruka finally noticed the metallic plate stitched into the fabric on Kenny's forehead. "And he doesn't have a team. And we still need a third member."

Iruka sighed. "Fine. I'll petition to the Hokage."

"Woohoo!" Angel cheered as Murray grinned. "Welcome to the team, Kenny!"

"Mrff mph."

The attic window was shoved open, knocking the paint can over, and Mrs. Saidle poked her head out. "What a wonderful day," she crooned, not noticing how the paint can tumbled down, striking Kenny in the head and killing him instantly.

"Oh my god!" Angel cried. "She killed Kenny!"

Murray shook her fist at the senile figure disappearing back into the house, opening her mouth to yell, "You bastard!"

Iruka groaned as rats suddenly materialized, attacking Kenny's bloody body with loud squeaks. This was going to be an interesting team…

END

Oh my godness... I... finished something... multi-chaptered!-fears- The world will end soon...

Oh well, if the Apocolypse isn't here by the time I post this, I only own Angel. Everyone/thing else belongs to other perople. So, bye for now