A/N: Sorry it took me a while to write up Chapter 3. Chapter 4 is now in progress and I hope to post it up soon. And thanks to all those who have reviewed the previous chapters. Appreciate lots!

Chapter 3: Unexpected

Iruka tapped his table impatiently, seemingly waiting for someone. His students were beginning to get restless, but none of them dared to make a noise, especially after the last heated glare the teacher had thrown at them.

He hadn't expected this. It's disrupting his lesson plans. Sandaime had called him into his office early that morning before classes start and told him that he had a proposal for him.

And the proposal would be what Iruka had expected the least. Hiruzen had gotten all the newly appointed genins to share their learning experiences with the pre-genins and it will take up the slot during Iruka's afternoon session. Iruka couldn't even protest, because the Hokage said that it has already been fixed.

It sounded more like an order than proposal to Iruka.

It wouldn't have been so bad if they were punctual. But after the first fifteen minutes had passed, and no one had shown up, Iruka was getting impatient. They were practically wasting his time. What kind of examples are they showing the young ones?

Finally, the door slid open, and Iruka turned his head towards the door. Team Eight entered first with their jounin-sensei, Kurenai. Iruka blinked. Sandaime hadn't mentioned anything about jounin being there. But then, he guessed it made sense. If the genin made any mistake, the jounin will be able to correct them.

And as his students watched the genin and jounin in fascination, a thought passed his mind. If the jounin are accompanying their genin team, doesn't that mean……..

Iruka gulped.

Doesn't that mean Kakashi will be accompanying Team Seven?

He didn't even have time to react when a loud, exuberant voice came through the door after Team Ten had entered the classroom with Asuma. He groaned as he watched Naruto walked into the room, followed by Sakura and finally Sasuke, who slid the door shut.

Iruka blinked. Wait! Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and a closed door. There's no Kakashi.

He smiled and almost let out a sigh of relief when a voice behind him made him jump.

"Yo, Iruka-sensei. Sorry that we are late."

Iruka turned around slowly and came face to face with the infamous copy nin. He swallowed hard.

"Hi….. Ka……Kakashi-sensei."

"Seriously, Kakashi, when are you going to start learning to enter using the door and not the window?" Asuma grunted. Kakashi smiled brightly.

Kurenai shook her head and turned to Iruka. "Sorry that we are late. Sandaime is briefing us on the matters for this sharing session."

Iruka smiled weakly. He could already feel half of his energy drained out from his body. He gestured towards the class. "Don't worry. Just go ahead." With that, he slumped back into his chair.

The sharing session went off well. Iruka smiled as he listened to Team Eight talking about their experiences. Kurenai didn't interrupt anything. She stood at a corner of the room listening, occasionally talking to Asuma beside her.

Then his gaze shifted to a spot behind him. He fidgeted a little. Kakashi was standing a little too close to him for comfort. He wished that the jounin will just join his two other companions at the corner, rather than stand behind him like that.

But Kakashi did not budge. He seems to be enjoying making Iruka awkward, in the chunin's point of view. And to make things worse, he is reading his favourite little orange book.

Iruka sighed and spoke in a low voice. "Kakashi-sensei, can you please put the book away? We are in a classroom of children."

Kakashi looked up a bit and then back to his book, flipping another page. "It's not like they are looking anyway. They are too absorbed in listening to those little stories."

Iruka opened his mouth to say something else, but he was cut short by the applause from his class, given to Team Eight who had finished their sharing. He turned his attention back to his students and watched as Team Ten began to narrate to the pre-genins. He smiled as Ino began talking and Choji joined in between munches while Shikamaru, as usual, remain at the background with an extremely bored look.

Then suddenly, a voice came up beside his ears, breathing hot air down his neck. He jumped a little.

"Iruka-sensei, I think you still owe me something, don't you?"

Iruka froze. His mind race to come up with something intelligent to say. Before he could say anything though, the presence was gone. He turned around to look at the copy nin.

Kakashi was leaning leisurely at the same spot behind his chair. There was no indication that he had ever moved before. But then, the jounin lowered his book and Iruka could distinctly see a smirk on the masked face.

He swallowed dryly and turned stiffly back to face his class. He could barely register what was being said for the rest of the session.

"Alright, class, this is the end of the sharing session. Let's give them another round of applause to thank them for their time." Iruka smiled as his students applauded and cheered. The genin looked on, slightly embarrassed.

When the cheering ceased, Iruka made to dismiss his class. "That's the end of today's lessons. Please remember to submit your learning journal this Friday based on today's sharing session. Class dismissed."

The pre-genin immediately pushed back their chairs as they packed their stuff and headed for home. Iruka smiled, seemingly forgetting that he had others with him in the classroom. He was only reminded when Naruto tugged at his sleeve.

"Na, Iruka-sensei, can we go for some ramen?" The blond grinned up at his former teacher. Iruka returned the grin and ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Sure. Let me pack up my things first and we can head out." He then turned to Kurenai and Asuma. "Thank you for your time today."

"Anytime, Iruka." Kurenai smiled. "We will make a move first."

Iruka nodded as he watched Kurenai and Asuma leading their teams out of the classroom amidst the group of young students, heading excitedly out of the door.

When the room was finally cleared, the only people remaining in the room were Iruka, Team Seven and Kakashi. Iruka started to pack his things when he felt someone staring at him. He fidgeted nervously and started stacking the books and papers together. Before he could lift them up into his arms, however, someone spoke.

"Good job, everyone. Now, if you would be nice enough to help Iruka-sensei to move his things to the office, I will buy all of you ramen." Kakashi nodded approvingly at his team.

"Really, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked excitedly. Sasuke and Sakura looked at him suspiciously.

"Of course." Kakashi's eye formed a small arc as he smiled. Naruto immediately picked up some papers from the stack.

"I will help you carry this, Iruka-sensei." With that, the boy walked towards the door.

Iruka was surprised. He hadn't expected the jounin to say that. He slowly recovered his senses. "It's alright, Naruto."

"Let them, Iruka-sensei. It's good to teach them to be helpful. It will help in their career as a ninja."

"I thought being too helpful as a ninja would get you killed." Sasuke snorted.

"Maa…… Sasuke, you need to learn to take orders and advice from your superiors." Kakashi said. "Being helpful at the right time will get you far. Now, move your hands and help to carry those out."

Sasuke glared, but complied anyway. He picked up some of the books from the table and headed out of the room, following after the blond who had left the room sometime earlier. Sakura looked at the raven haired boy then at her teacher, and decided that she didn't want to disobey. She picked up the remaining books and left after the Uchiha.

Iruka watched in stunned silence. That is, until he felt the presence near him again. He jumped and immediately took a step back.

"Maa…… Iruka-sensei, I'm not that scary, am I?"

"Sorry." Iruka blushed. Kakashi chuckled.

"So, Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka gulped. "What?"

"You owe me a date."

Iruka's eyes widened. "You were serious?"

"Of course." Kakashi smirked. "I'm still waiting."

Iruka tensed. "But….. But….."

"You are so cute, Iruka-sensei."

"Wha –?!"

Kakashi chuckled again when the chunin start to turn red with embarrassment. Then he stepped back as Naruto came running back into the room.

"All done, Kakashi-sensei. Can we go for ramen now?" Naruto looked at the jounin expectantly.

"Of course." Kakashi smiled as Sasuke and Sakura stepped into the room. "Let's go. Iruka-sensei, you are joining us, right?'

Before Iruka could answer, Naruto interrupted. "Of course he is. Come on, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka could only curse under his breath as the blond pulled him out of the classroom.