Magic Ramen-no-Jutsu

AN: Woohoo, Fourth Chapter. Enjoy! Thanks for all the reception! It's been great! Sorry for the lag on this update.

Rating: T, Rating may be subject to change

Genre: Romance/Drama/Humor.

Main Pairings : FemHarry/Naruto, FemHarry/Kakashi, FemHarry/Shikamaru, FemHarry/Shino, FemHarry/Neji, FemHarry/Chouji, FemHarry/Kiba, FemHarry/Gaara, FemHarry/Iruka, FemHarry/Asuma,

Summary: If Harry were being honest with herself, she would have said that yes, accidents happen in magic. It's what made magic, well, magic. But nothing could've allowed her to predict that magic would've transported her into the body of the daughter of a Ramen Stand of Konoha. Now finding herself living the routine of a restaurant waitress, Ayame must struggle between hiding her magical ways, adjusting to life in a shinobi village and warding off the unwanted attention of multiple ninja. She's not quite sure which will be the bigger task. [Fem!Harry, Reverse Harem, Final Pairing Undecided]

Chapter 4: Cigarettes

Note: I'd recommend listening to "Athelete - Rubik's cube" while reading this chapter. I wrote it while listening to the song.

Iruka had, in his own awkward 20 year old adult way, made his presence and change known to Harry, Naruto and Teuchi over the coming weeks.

And everyone had their varying reactions and thoughts to the pineapple tanned chunin instructor and his new "persona".

After a very eventful weekend, he was now holding himself a little bit taller, seemed to have a more confident stride, and was as strict as ever

More importantly, Iruka Umino seemed so much more alive.

The kids at the academy had noticed the change. A fire that had lit under Iruka the teacher and his booming enthusiastic voice could be heard throughout the hallways of the academy during the week to the point where the windows started shaking and crows piled on the roofs in fear. He was more enthusiastic in class, focusing on more practical jutsus but still integrating history and he expected a higher standard from his students. The highest of standards, he expected from Naruto Uzumaki himself. The kids loved it and hated it because, while Iruka had turned into a hard-ass they were quickly becoming one of the top classrooms at the academy. He had finally taken control.

The ninja at the academy had noticed the change. He was a lot less tolerant of their glares, complaining and whinging towards not just Naruto but any one of the kids that may be discouraged by their behavior. On more than one occasion, Iruka Umino reduced one of the chunin or assistant teachers to bugged eyed statues as he berated them for their behavior. He started to cary around a roll of paper, now dubbed the "enforcer" to whack bigoted ninja in the head. Over the week, shinobi at the academy knew better than to insult or degrade one of Umino-sensei's students. He had finally instilled respect (grudgingly as it was)

The Hokage noticed the change. Hiruzen Sarutobi had his fair amount of work, but far be it from him to want to peak on his crystal ball to make sure Konoha was going smoothly. It did not escape his attention that one Iruka Umino was a lot more active at his duties than he used to be. When he came in for his weekly reports of the academy he talked with a new life in his voice and sparkle in his eyes. He talked about changing the curriculum to include more team-building skills, talked about adding discussion components to classes, chatted about his students.

Most noticeable, he never asked Hiruzen about changing classes or asking that Uzumaki be switched to another classroom. In fact he praised the child, saying animatedly how the kid wasn't the top of the class by any means but was definitely improving; he was no longer the dead last. It took all the years of experience and effort for Hiruzen's face not to twitch into a large grin.

When he asked Iruka what had brought on such a change, Iruka stopped mid-sentence and an uncharacteristic blush bloomed across his face. Scratching his scar sheepishly, Hiruzen was able to make out his one sentence explanation

I want to be a better man

With that, Iruka closed his folders with his notes and left the office to continue to do so

Much of his efforts towards this goal were put in place to make the life of Naruto Uzumaki a little bit easier.

And Naruto Uzumaki, block-head and former dead last, took notice.

He relayed the events of his week during dinner over steaming ramen, to the surprise of Ayame and Teuchi. Naruto chirped happily about how the academy was getting better: Sasuke was the one following him around (not the other way around), he was getting better at Taijutsu and how Iruka-sensei was "different"

To Naruto, it seemed that something had happened over the weekend to Iruka-sensei. He was more hyperactive than he used to be (not that he called it hyperactivity, he had dubbed it "Go Go Mood"). And he didn't seem to have a spider in his boxer anymore because for some reason or another he looked at him. Actually looked at him, in. the. eye.

And not just that, but he even picked on him to answer questions and demonstrate jutsus. He didn't always get it right dattebayo. Times that he did get it right usually signaled shock and awe from his class, the occasional shriek from some bubble-gummed hair girl or stutter from the boys. A guaranteed glare from duckbutt. But Naruto only ever really noticed how Iruka would smile, nod at him, and tell him he did a "good job"

That was new

Another new thing was Iruka calling him over after class to give him advice on things that he did get wrong (because Naruto did get things wrong too) and how he could improve. It made him shocked and weary the first couple times that Iruka tried to reach out to him. But Ayame-chan had assured him that Iruka wasn't a bad guy, just a little "awkward in expressing himself" sometimes, so Naruto took that as an invitation.

An invitation for nosiness and dragging Iruka places. Like the ramen stand

"Let's go sensei-ttebayo!"

At first, when Naruto had first dragged Iruka to try some more of the food from the Gods, Harry in her very awkward english witch kind of way bumbled around the kitchen. She was more than just embarrassed to face the 20 year old man she had verbally berated some time ago. She had no idea what he must think of her, or how to talk to him without coming across as too aggresive. Far from the realm of possibility for Harry Potter, was that Iruka was equally nervous and awkward to talk to Ayame. He had wanted to talk to her for so long, after their last conversation, so that he could thank her for everything but just didn't know how.

They danced around it for a couple of days, before one of them broke the silence. They weren't sure who stuttered or stammered first but it eventually lead to a dual apology and a dual thanks. Nervous laughter ensued, but as Teuchi served all members of the new ragtag group of Naruto supporters a tentative little friendship began to bloom between Ayame and Iruka and Naruto.

He was, after all, a little bit more confident. No longer bogged down by the influence of "friends" or letting the villagers goad him into bitterness, Iruka was more assured of his own character and what type of person he wanted to be.
And Harry was feeling more comfortable with this character. Enough to ask him for help to answer some of her own questions about her character.

For example:

What was her purpose here?

Why am I here?

The more she was settling into Konoha, the more it seemed she was feeling unsettled by her presence there. Weeks had gone by and no sign from the man, men, woman, women, things, its upstairs about how exactly she had gotten here, what she was expected to do, and when (or even if) she was ever going to go back.

And if she went back what did that mean for the friends she had made here? What would happen to them if she needed to go back? What would happen to Naruto? Would he feel the same way she did when her friends had left her? And how would Ayame-chan settle back in (if she even did come back)? How did all of this work?

But the biggest question for Harry was:

Where could Ayame have gone if Harry was here?

She was trying her best to try and figure all of these things out, in between working at the ramen stand, helping Naruto study, and taking care of the home for her, now considered, surrogate father Harry was trying to figure out more of the pieces to the puzzle that permeated in her mind.

Her magic was not gone, but it was not strong like she was used too. Without a wand to conduct her magic, she'd have to rough it up muggle style if she was going to figure things out. That meant no Accio answers for her.

That's where Iruka came in: when he was free from his academy duties she would go over to the Academy or public library with him to search through scrolls and textbooks about transportation, mind transfers and things of that nature through the archives. She had explained that it was to help hone some of Naruto's skills and because she was generally curious; Iruka was sated by the answer.

Though she hadn't found anything yet, she was determined to power through

In thanks for all his help, she would go to the academy a couple of times a week during lunch time to deliver lunchboxes to both Naruto and Iruka. She would find herself spending some of her lunch times leaning against the academy wall talking with Iruka about history, japanese and other intellectual topics while Naruto went off to bother Sasuke or train. The type of topics they discussed were actually things that Harry was generally interested in.

She may not have been a bookworm like Hermione, but that didn't mean she wasn't interested in things that seemed very far away from her old muggle life. Magic and Jutsus were two sides of the same coin and Iruka was happy to indulge her (being a bookworm himself).

And as time passed, Harry appreciated the bond and type of friendship that she had formed with Iruka and looked forwards to times she could research and further explore the ninja world with him.

In the midst of all of this research, Naruto Uzumaki was feeling some kind of way.

The blonde boy was feeling something...something he wouldn't quite pinpoint nor understand when he witnessed his "pretty alright guy" sensei and his "friend" Ayame-chan leaning against the wall, talking, and Iruka frequently turning away to hide a blush.

It was...weird...and he couldn't quite put his finger on why

His left cheek twitching as he observed the scene, Naruto promised himself to keep an eye on his "sensei"

The guy was nice and all, he was a good eating and sparring partner and was looking out for him now but when it came to Ayame-chan...

You never knew what type of behavior could come out of the woodwork if he was left alone with her for too long.

I'll protect you from perverts-ttebayo!

Pumping his fist in the air, Naruto chose to forget cheek twitching and proceeded to search for "Teme" to share some of his treats. That was sure to push him over the edge

And he had promised he'd keep doing this till Sasuke Uchiha utterly lost it

Well now, Naruto is a boy who keeps his word right?

Post-war Harriet Potter had taken some time to travel other countries and magical schools with her two best friends

Saving the entire world seemed like a good enough reason to take a couple of week off

She had traveled through several European countries, even stopping off in Romania to visit a certain Viktor Krum (Ronald was not pleased) and got a chance to learn a lot of things.

One of her destinations included Greece, where Hermione had embarrassingly insisted she wear a bikini as the group laid on the beach and Ronald had devoured enough snow cones to serve an entire hoard of Northern seals. While she wasn't trying to cover up the more exposed parts of her body, Harry allowed herself to bask in the Greek sun and community. In the midst of their trip to Athens, Harry had learned a new word that seemed eerily relevant and beautiful.

Eleutheromania (noun) : An intense and irresistible desire for freedom

One Asuma Sarutobi, if he knew that such a country let alone a language existed, would have thought that word was the perfect word to describe what he was feeling

Eleutheromania

I wanna get out of here

Then why the hell was he here?

Ah the million dollar question

It had been a couple months since the Twelve Guardian Ninja group had disbanded and Asuma, the tall dark haired one of the group, had left its rank. An elite group of ninja, the Twelve guardian Ninja were tasked with protecting the Fire Daimyo with their lives. It was all fine, truly. It was a nice gig and he got to travel a lot and put his skill to the test. He even had quite a high bounty on his hand during his time. It was all going swimmingly...up until 6 of his group's members decided to attempt a coup d'etat and Asuma the remaining five had to kill all of their asses.

Relieved of his duty by the daimyo, Asuma had at first attempted to wander the world to further his skills. However, a combination of guilt, a sense of duty and an overall necessity meant he had come back. The village was in need of strong capable jounin to watch out for the next generation and the safety of the village with new threats seeming to crop up at every corner. The daimyo and hokage had insisted he return, but it was finally Chiruku's, his closest friend, insistence that convinced him too.

There wasn't a day that went by that he didn't curse his best friend for doing so

The fucking bastard

It all led him to returning to his post as Jounin of the leaf village under the command and restrictions of the third Hokage. Between taking A and B ranked missions and an impending appointment as a Jounin sensei, Asuma Sarutobi had a lot on his plate since he got back.

And he was bored

Bored out of his fucking mind

So Asuma took walks

And he made sure to take slow and preferably long walks when he had the chance, allowing himself time to have his mind wander to bigger and better things than the pavement he crossed; out of the walls of Konoha that made him feel like he was slowly losing his mind from the sheer amount of metaphorical pressure the walls represented. He found himself, now, exiting the Hokage tower, heading nowhere and anywhere with his hands in his pocket and occasionally blowing the strands of hair that brushed across his eyes out of his face.

He really needed a haircut

But of course he wasn't thinking of doing that at the moment, his body and mind were still rigid after he had left the Hokage's tower.

If I weren't his son...

In spite of himself, he gritted his teeth in annoyance and frustration at the thought of having to return to the village he had left so many years ago due in part to this fact. As was habit, he dug through his pockets and jounin flak jacket to find a cigarette and lighter. Lighting it, he took a drag and instantly felt his body and mind relax from the pressure. He hated feeling this way, just as he hated discussing anything with his father

It was always the same argument in the end

There are reports of your behavior Asuma...

You're projecting this image of...laziness Asuma. It could jeopardize your team and missions

As a Sarutobi...

As a Sarutobi, as a Sarutobi, as a Sarutobi. As if all that mattered was the last name that was attached to his first. As if to say that was all that mattered about his identity. The name reeked of an ancient lineage that Asuma wished he could've dissociated himself from. The type of name that would rather turn a blind eye to the darker sides of Konoha in favor of the bright picture. The type of name that would rather stifle than set free

The most heated version of this argument led to him leaving the village

You are a Sarutobi! You have a duty to the name and what it represents.

As an inheritor of the will of fi-

I would rather die than be handed down this so called "will"!

He scoffed internally having recalled the memory, kicking a pebble aside as he neared the pathway to the academy. Reporting back to the Hokage always put him in a bad mood and always always gave him the compulsion to have a smoke. Cigarettes were a form of release for him, a form of control over himself. He had control over whether he could taste the bitterness of nicotine and he was damn well going to taste it.

He supposed that the only consolation of his return and situation was that being a Jounin of Konoha meant that he had more time training and developing his skills in comparison to his earlier post. Which meant more opportunity for dangerous and preferably long missions away from Konoha.

Turning the corner, Asuma took another puff of smoke, completely lost in his thoughts. That is until...

"You're Naruto-kun's teacher and you would say something like that?!"

The power and venom in that voice pulled him out of his thoughts. As he turned his head towards the source of the scream he found himself looking towards the Academy building. What seemed to be the figure of his acquaintance, Iruka Umino, who was only noticeable because of his flak jacket, the pineapple hair and his standard nervous and awkward stance.

In front of him was...

A lioness in a tiny package

The source of the voice in question was could only be described as a little elf of a girl. A very petit, very pale, and very angry girl. She had a white bandana tied around her head and seemed to be wearing kitchen attire. What really stood out was her body language: she looked like she was ready to stare down Iruka into a husk and even Asuma felt the killing intent from where he was standing.

Damn...

He had vague recollections of the girl in the expanse of his memory. Yes, the girl with the white bandana who worked at the ramen stand he chose to frequent if the craving struck him. She was...not a memorable person both physically and personality wise from what he could remember observing. Asuma could only recall a blurry figure who was always busy cleaning and helping the owner of the stand.

She might as well have been replaced with any other civilian in the village for all he cared. Her only distinguishing feature being her pale skin and white bandana tied around her head. He never attempted to get to know civilians before and he sure as hell wasn't going to start with her of all people: a kid whose only interests seemed to be cleaning and ramen and walking slow. He had never taken an interest because she always seemed too shy and too fragile

But this...

"You...You're nothing but a coward"

Was unexpected

He watched, mouth agape, as the girl with enough ice in her voice to bring about the ice age proceeded to storm off away from Iruka Umino towards a very blonde and very hyperactive child

Uzumaki Naruto?

Asuma felt his eyebrows raise past his hairline in surprise and intense curiosity. He was privy to the S-class secret that plagued the village: how the Fourth Hokage had given up his life to seal the Kyuubi and the vessel being that of a newborn baby known later as Naruto Uzumaki. The kid was helmed by Hiruzen as a savior, but was only met with hate and intense scrutiny. Though he did not know the child personally, his story along with a multitude of other nonsense things about how things were run here were part of the reason Asuma was itching to get out and why he resented having to return.

A week had passed and still the incident remained in Asuma's conscious.

Such a situation, where a civilian was going against the status-quo of hate in Konoha, screamed...

If such a thing couldn't be called interesting he didn't know what could.

It made him curious

It permeated through his thoughts for the next coming weeks, with his idle mind and free time he found himself unconsciously taking walks using the pathways that lead towards the academy or the ramen stand. Never truly seeking, but the small bite of curiosity in his brain gave him the sensation and desire to catch a small glimpse of her. Not that he needed to know or see anything specifically in this civilian

It was just that she was curious

And on days in which he did manage to get a glimpse of this curious girl, he would often see her walking besides either her father, Uzumaki or Umino. The latter two's presence of which made his curiosity skyrocket. This girl was not conventional. She went against the standards of Konoha civilian society and what was expected of her. She made no move to hide her friendship with a boy who was labelled a demon, and was willing to walk beside the man who previously ostracized the former. And some days he would find that all three of them would walk along side each other, getting along as if nothing was wrong.

As if the past no longer dictated their friendships

And somehow she had brought these two boys together

Curious

Then one afternoon, he came across the curious girl walking through the street besides the river. She was walking calmly, an image of relaxation and contentment with a straw basket full of what seemed like groceries and house supplies. Tied around the basket was a little pink ribbon. Seemed the girl wanted to mark her territory in case anyone mistook her bag as theirs. And she was alone.

Hmm

A gust of wind

Curiosity got the best of Asuma Sarutobi that afternoon

Ribbon untied

And we all know what curiosity does

A rustle in the trees

This was one of the rare occasions that Harry was walking home alone.

Neither Naruto Uzumaki nor Iruka Umino were anywhere in sight or even free to spend the rest of the afternoon with her. Not by choice, mind you, but with Ayame's insistence Naruto had gone off to train his ninjutsu in the training field again as she felt he was spending too much time lately hitting the books then he did doing the practical stuff.

And Iruka had been delegated some tasks by the Hokage to handle and was not free to discuss some points about Konoha's history. Teuchi had closed up shop for the day because he was sick with a mild fever and it would do no good for customers if he got them all sick as well.

Which is why Harry found herself with a basket full of groceries and medicine, her little pink ribbon which was given to her by Teuchi as a gift tied around the side to remind her it was hers (she had encountered some problems with other civilians before), walking home alone.

Harry had decided to go to the market to buy some ingredients to make a nice english chicken noodle soup for her surrogate father in the hopes he would get well soon. She recalled the recipe, ingredients and steps being read in her mind by Molly Weasley's voice, and the soup had always made her feel better.

She breathed in the fresh air deeply, praising herself for choosing the pathway next to the river. The sun was setting, and a burst of color exploded in the sky. Hues of pink, orange, yellow and gold radiated from the sun and reflected on the clear water creating an image that took her breathe away. Only the sight of Hogwarts at sunrise and sunset could've done the same.

Walking down the cobble stone pathway, she allowed herself the chance to clear her thoughts of Hogwarts, witches, magic and ninjas for the time being. She chose to live in denial and forget just for a moment. Choosing to bask in the blissful isolation of her walk instead.

One of the few things she did not miss about the Wizarding World had always been that she didn't have enough time or privacy to take nice long peaceful walks. Being the savior of the world did not afford her the ability to do so. Out of the victory and fame of the war, came the necessity for her to stay inside.

Stay inside the library and the walls of Hogwarts, don't go outside or risk being hounded by the press, always be reminded of those years at war

She could never be free to fly, to walk and to just be

Being alone, now in this universe, was a sweeter reward than any galleons a ministry could ever give her.

The very small dark part of her deep deep inside of herself knew, too, that she wouldn't trade these blissful moments of freedom for anything in the world.

Not even the chance to go back.

For now, she just wanted to savor the moment, indulge in something for once in her life, she had never had a chance for a peaceful moment ever in her life. It was selfish (she knew that) but she needed this.

She needed to feel the warm autumn breeze gust around her, needed to smell the deep earthy smell of leaves falling to the ground, needed to only hear the sounds of the water streaming down the river.

Paradise

A strong gust of wind came through to take her out of her spell, forcing to hold on tightly to her basket and hair as the wind pushed through her.

As it began to lessen to a soft breeze once again, Harry composed herself, combing through her hair with her fingers and making sure all her items were still intact. Still unaware of her surroundings

Then

"You dropped something."

Turning around she found her face engulfed by a plume of smoke

It smelled like cider and tabacco

Waving her hand to clear the smoke from her face she was met face to face with

An orca with a mohawk?

Wait that couldn't be right, she squinted her eyes in hopes that her vision would clear up and sure enough, she wasn't staring an orca with a mohawk.

Instead she was dangerously close to the face of a man who was hanging upside down a tree with a cigarette in his mouth.

Okaaayy...

He was close enough that she could see how rugged and scarred this man was, his mop of black hair was just as choppy and earthy as his face was. He had a hitae which told her he must've been a shinobi. With the multitude of scars on his face and hands, it had seemed he had been in combat for some time. His dark eyes were boring into hers. She was sure she could've gotten a clearer image had the smoke not caused tears to form in her eyes.

But she could've sworn she saw him somewhere in passing before...

"You dropped something..." he repeated as he held a pink ribbon in his hands

"Oh..." looking back down at her basket noticing that her pink ribbon was missing "Um, thank you" trying to reach out for her ribbon only to have him hold it above her head.

"I've seen you around, you're the ramen stand's daughter right?"

"Uh, yeah. Can I have my ribbon back now?"

He didn't let her continue, as he put her ribbon into his flak jacket pocket

"I have to say" taking another puff "You have a lot of spunk for a ki-"

"Stop right there, I'm sorry but I can't take you seriously when you're having upside down from a tree with a cigarette in your mouth"

"Ahh, sorry. It's an old habit" Releasing his chakra, and in the blink of an eye coming down from the tree to stand in front of her right-side up. Now towering over her, he took another puff from his cigarette.

That of course, made her even more irritated.

"Which part? The death sticks or the hanging upside down trees?"

"Death sticks? My, I've never heard that before."

"Well now you do"

"You have a problem with cigarettes kid?

"As a matter of fact I do, Tree-sama" she said dryly

"Hmmph, so then, what's it about cigarettes you dislike so much"

"I've read up on it" she continued putting one finger into the air to emphasize her point, "Cigarette smokers, on average, live shorter lives in comparison to those that don't. 15% of your life is cut short if you smoke. It's like you're cutting off 15% of your story on purpose"

Turning towards the water, Harry lowered her hands to grip her basket and her eyes clouded over. Memories flooding in.

"I used to say the same to my godfa-u-uncle every time he lit a cigarette. Every time I'd say 'that's 6 less minutes you get to spend with me'"

She had caught herself but the words that spilled out of her made her get lost in her thoughts. She loathed cigarettes because the Dursleys house would always be thick with clouds of smoke that would make her sense of suffocation that much worse. It was an association that later made her feel agitated at the thought of cigarettes, cigars or drugs (which is why she never delved in such activities).

When she had found that Sirius partook in the same things as the Dursleys did she had done everythign in her power to try and stop him. From rambling on about statistics to telling him horror stories about the health consequences of cigarettes.

He would always bark with laughter and give her a soft smile

It's just to take the edge off dear. Don't worry about this old dog so.

So the more cigarettes he smoked, the more cigarettes reminded her of her godfather. It became an uncomfortable mix. A reminder of the people she hated and the person she loved. She supposed cigarettes users felt the same way about the cigarette itself.

hate it and love it

"So what would six minutes with you mean then?" taking the cigarette from his mouth and waving it in the air

She awkwardly looked at him, unsure of what hidden innuendo there may be or what he was trying to imply, he couldn't have been younger than 25 and she was 10 years younger than him in this life so why did it seem like he was flirting with her? Nah that couldn't be right, right?

She tried to stifle her blush anyway "Uh well um...I-I-I don't know what you mean by that"

His mouth turned upwards as he dropped his cigarette on the ground "Oh I think you do but you're just to shy to think about it. I think I got you figured out in less than 6 minutes."

That made her twitch

"For your information Cigarette-san" Closing her eyes to stifle the irritation in her voice "I am not shy and it's sure going to take more than six days to even get close to figuring me out"

Chuckling at her response,"So it's cigarette-san now?"

"Yeah. Not like you introduced yourself"

"And I don't intend to"

"Well, that nickname is going to stick then"

Turning his head slightly, he continued to smile at her with his eyes full of mirth

"So then what should I call you?"

She crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes

"My father taught me not to give out my name to strangers"

"Damn, you are feisty...like a cat...hmmm sound about right. Then I guess kitten will suffice for now"

"Wh-Wha-What-" blush starting to form on her cheeks

"So kitten, what are you doing walking around the village alone at this hour?"

"Don't call me that!"

A toothy grin starting to form, he lowered his head as his hair covered his eyes

"Don't like kitten? I could call you kitty? or kat? or pus-"

"Stop right there!" Blushing furiously "Y-You shouldn't talk like that to people my age!"

"But it's just an innocent word. A synonym with cat. My, my what a dirty mind you have there to think it's something else. Not much of a kid are you"

"I-I I DO NOT HAVE A DIRTY MIND" mouth agape, she had dropped her basket in shock

"I think you protest too much"

"I-I...just I-" looking anywhere for escape

"My, have I given you a loss for words? What happened to be intriguing enough to last 6 days needing to crack you hmmm?"

"Argh! Just forget it! Give me my ribbon back Cigarette man! I'm walking home." her lips twitching into a frown

"But it's late, you shouldn't be walking home alone."

"It's not that late" pointing towards the sky across the lake "The sun is still in the sky you know"

"Ahhh, but see how its across the horizon? Looks like the sun's going to go to bed soon kitten" using his own arms to point towards the setting sun.

"Stop calling me that! And I'm not a child! I can handle walking home myself at this hour" rolling her hands into fists

"So then if you're not a child but you're a proper little lady, then I guess the only acceptable name for you would be kitten wouldn't it" placing his finger on his chin in thought

"I-I-I...f-fi-fine...just call me whatever. I don't care. Can I have that ribbon back now?"

He gave it some thought before his eyes met hers in a smoldering gaze that sent her face aflame and irritation skyrocketing

"Hmmm, maybe"

"What do you mean by maybe?" she sputtered

"I mean that, what do I get out of it if I give you the ribbon back?"

"I-I don't know? What do you want exactly" she scrunched her face in annoyance

"Hmm, I want an answer" smiling at her

"And answer to what?"

"Well answers are meant for questions aren't they? I have a question kitten. An itch that needs to be scratched"

She continued to look at him weirdly, not understanding exactly what he wanted from her, or why a complete stranger wanted to ask her anything at all. But...he still had the ribbon, the ribbon Teuchi gave her and while it was a small gift Harry still had some sentimental feelings towards it.

"...Sigh, so what's the question then?" giving in

His eyes then had a glint in them as he lowered his face towards her

"What do you think of foxes, kitten?"

Something curious crossed over her eyes. He suspected she understood his meaning, as her eyes sharpened and her face looked determined

She's sharp

"They can be a furry little problem, but I don't see anything wrong or bad about foxes. They can't help it if they cause troubles sometimes" she stated with more confidence than she had throughout the entire conversation

"Hmm, interesting. Rare answer"

Her eyes narrowed "I don't care if it's rare, it shouldn't be, but that's what I believe in"

"And what do you believe in kitten?" His smile deepening

"Furry little problems are just that, little problems." She said with finality

He laughed at her response, with a full grin plastered on his face, placing a hand on his heart and he finally gave her the ribbon.

"Ah, a girl after my own Sarutobi heart" he said with mirth

She blinked her eyes in surprise, as she was returned the ribbon and attempted to register what he had said.

"Sarutobi? Then...you're related to the hokage?"

"Yes my lady" He curtsied mockingly "I am the second son of the sandaime, former member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja Group, Jounin and inheritor of the will of fire"

Raising an eyebrow, Harry crossed her arms

"I've never been one for titles Cigarette-san"

Once again, he was given pause

She...

He let out an inaudible sigh. Matching her gaze, his eyes went impossibly dark

"Then you'd be one of few kitten..."

Her eyebrows furrowed, a question plastered on her face

Strange

"So is this going to be our thing? Nicknames instead of our actual names?"

"My my, we have a thing now? Are you trying to seduce me? Don't you think you're a little too young for that?" he smirked

"W-wh-what? I-I..wh-what? I-I am doing no such thing!" flustered and mouth agape, Harry couldn't believe what she was hearing

"Come back to me in a few years" smirking further

"Y-Yo-You're impossible!" waving her arms in frustration

"Too right, I'm-possible, after all I am in front of you here now aren't I?" he gave her an open-toothed smile

"Wh-wh-why You!"

Taking her bag of groceries and giving little care for its contents, Harry took a swing at Asuma, of which he easily avoided by stepping back. The weight of the bag only proceeded to make her stumble in her steps which of course only made his annoying smirk widen even more. Having regained her footing, Harry could only give Asuma a glare. She raised her hand to point at him accusingly, still blushing and embarrassed over the entire ordeal.

"I'm walking the rest of the way home and don't you dare follow me! I don't care if you're the hokage's son OR a ninja! That won't stop me from beating you to a pulp if you do!"

His deep baritone laugh followed her all the way home

Whatever you say...kitten.

Asuma watched the girl retreat until she was but a speck before deciding to turn around in the opposite direction.

Now that wasn't what he was expecting

Placing a hand on his chin and scratching his beard in thought, Asuma chuckled to himself. So his deductions were correct: the girl was not demure, patient and shy as she had portrayed herself. She was anything but. She was, in Asuma's word, a regular old spitfire.

He placed a cigarette between his lips, digging through his pocket for his lighter but his hand hesitated as he felt the cool metal of the lighter

"Hmmm..." he thought to himself

He removed the cigarette from his mouth and tucked it in his flak jacket

Opting to instead reach for the lighter to flick it on and off

Putting his other hand in his pocket, Asuma Sarutobi walked towards his apartment under the warm glow of the streetlights and to the sound of crickets chirping.

Tonight, he wouldn't smoke

Just for tonight

Author Note: Pretty dialogue heavy chapter. Some development for Iru-Naru-Aya and introducing a very cheeky, charming but still very lazy Asuma! Given his past and demeanor, I thought it be interesting to examine how he must have been post Twelve Guardian and explore a little more why he feuded with his father in the first place. With these building blocks, I eventually wrote him as being very similar to who Sirius might have been in his younger years (a chain smoker with a need for freedom and an insufferable level of charm and wit AND laziness) the same way I'd equate Kakashi to Remus. Ofc Harry doesn't see Asuma as a godfather candidate by any means but the comparison is there. I know Asuma had a thing for nicknames so I had a lot of fun with that :)

I'm also realizing that Ayame does not have a last name which makes it look awkward when I use last names in general lol but I don't want to add a last name just for the sake of it because I think that's really corny, just as I don't want to make Harry a Mary Sue character where everyone falls in love with her at first sight and that her only enemies are fangirls (that won't be the case).

Some people have asked about my update schedule. I don't have one, because that sucks the fun out of writing. But I try to post chapter every 3-7 days or so theres that if you need an estimation.

Thanks to all who reviewed last chapter!

Shout out to the reviewers for chapter 3 and thank you so much! Your words have really kept me motivated: kingdomlily, Bravo13, MidnightRaineStorm, Miyu Kokomi, Silvermane1, talldrow, shadow-binder, Fire Dolphin, SleepyMangaHead, Shelik, bbb671, writerlover101, xXxOtAkU-444xXx, RenTenTen, TamashinoSuzume, Shadowsmage, icyquest4, DarkDust27, Khait Khepri, Fk306, RebeliousOne, SilverMidnightKitten, Mia Heartnet, Falling Blue Roses, Uchiha Salad, Dattebasa1, Summertimefun34, Lady Nyshah, dhh, LittleAngel2292, AkabaneKazama, chickeyd, Angel4EverLostInLife, Meilinfan, MarieCP, Zana20, HoneyGrl, kipper2208, CelesteUzumaki2718 and guests reviewers: suzaan, DragonLily22!

Since there were so many reviews this time, I'll pm those that have questions. Thanks so much for the feedback it truly means a lot :)

Announcement: Part of the why the update was a little later was because I'm writing a new one-shot, potential short series fic with FemHarry in Naruverse! It'll be short because Magic Ramen-no-Jutsu is my focus right now but I'm hoping it'll still be a fun ride for those that do read it. I've enclosed a little preview for it and hope you'll give it a shot once I post it (probably next week) Hope you enjoy!

Its called: A Lil Hypnosis Never Killed Nobody

Synopsis: Having been flung back into one of her past lives, Harriet Potter should've known better than to go to Prof. Sybill Trelawny of all people for help with her strange dreams. [Fem!Harry, KakashiRinObito]

Preview:

"Professor?! Professor Trelawny? What the bloody hell is going on?!"

"Well, fancy that! I'm still an old woman? Hmmm, but it looks like I have bigger knockers in this life. Hah! What big ones, you big old pups. And what's this I detect? Is that mousey brown hair? Shame, I was always partial to strawberry blonde myself and thi-"

"Professor! Why I am holding a dead fish?! What are we doing in this room? Why are you wearing those cloth-"

"Cestia's armpits! I'm the wife of the king of ninjas?! This reincarnation regression is splendid! I always had a suspicion that I came from divine lineage. My blood was always a little blue in shade if you can understand my meaning, especially when I accidentally pricked my finger I'd find my droplets was always a tad aquamarine. Especially the time that my kneazle, the poor dear, mistook me for an attacker and fiercely protected her own life. I've always been partial to-"

"Reincarn- What...? Professor FOCUS! Where are we?! Why are we here?! Why are you a japanese old woman?! Why am I a 13 year old girl again?! Why is my hair brown?! And short?! Why do I have purple squares on my cheeks? MERLIN'S BEARD WHAT IS GOING ON?!"

"Don't be so loud dear, you'll wake up the birds."

"PROFESSOR, WHAT IS HAPPENING?"

"Oh dear sweet Harriet" patting her cheek "The spirits have control of magic we can only hope to being to comprehend someday. It seems that the hypnosis spell worked far better than I could ever hope. Thus here we are, living out our past lives."

"P-Pa-Past Life?"

"Yes dear, past life."

"Wh-What..Why?"

"Why dear? Well, I can't be sure of the specifics but I suspect this is because the spirits want us to change something. Change the course of events and fates of these lives. In doing so, perhaps, we may be able to change the fates of our future."

"..."

"Now be a dear and get some tea poppet, I need to replenish my veins"

Preview

Chapter 5: Dress

Harriet Potter was never big on shopping or fashion

And she suspected a young boy who ate bbq chips daily wouldn't be much help either

But alas, there they were.