A/N: The weekend is doing me great. At least I managed to come up with an update for this story. So here you go. The next chapter of the fic. Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Flirting Antics

Iruka entered the pub and immediately caught sight of Izumo who was waving frantically at him from a table in the corner. He shook his head in amusement and walked over to join the group, who had apparently been there for a while.

"You are late, Iruka." Kotetsu grumbled.

"I have some work to finish up." Iruka sighed as he called for a drink.

"You've been pretty busy lately." Kurenai smiled. Iruka nodded woefully.

"There's an upcoming test next month at the academy. We got our hands full just preparing for it."

"Poor Ruka. You must drink your fill tonight then and get some of that stress away." Anko grinned and ruffled his hair playfully. Iruka scowled.

Izumo called for another round of drinks. "Good point there, Anko. We will all drink to our fill tonight."

"I need to go back to the academy tomorrow morning, so I think I will opt out." Iruka shook his head in amusement. "Where's Raidou anyway? Did you say he would be here?"

"He said he would be late. He's running some errands for Tsunade-sama." Izumo swirled his drink with a lazy smile on his face.

"Iwashi is late too." Kotetsu groused. "And he didn't even give a god damn reason."

"You are being unusually grouchy today, Kotetsu." Anko took a swipe from her drink.

"Hokage-sama confiscated the sake he kept hidden at the guard post by the gate. And it was a damn good one. I guess we don't have to be a genius to know that she is enjoying it now instead of him." Izumo chuckled.

Anko rolled her eyes. Then she shifted her glance slightly and squinted to see clearly in the dimly lit pub.

"Raidou is here."

All of them turned towards the entrance.

"Iwashi is here too." Izumo grinned when he spotted two figures appearing by the entrance shortly after the tokubetsu jounin had walked through it.

Raidou waved as he approached the group and sat down between Iruka and Kotetsu. Shortly after the remaining two joined them at the table.

"Hey Iwashi!" Izumo greeted. The others around the table murmured their acknowledgements.

"Haven't seen you in a while. How have you been?" Iruka smiled at him. Iwashi sighed exasperatedly.

"It's been missions after missions. I really need a break." The chunin rubbed his temples tiredly. "Anyway, guys, meet Oukei. He was in my genin team and rose to chunin in the last exam."

Everyone nodded as they studied the new addition to the group. Oukei smiled and swept his gaze through the shinobi sitting around the table. His gaze rested on Iruka and his smile widened.

"It's a pleasure to see you here, Iruka-sensei."

The tanned chunin startled a little at the blatant acknowledgement. He was sure he hadn't known Oukei before this. Nevertheless, he smiled politely. "Glad you could join us, Oukei-sensei."

Anko raised an eyebrow. "You know each other?"

"Oukei has recently joined the academy as an assistant teacher." Iwashi interrupted. "So, the two of them should have met sometime during work."

"I see….." Anko frowned, not liking one bit at the way Oukei was looking at Iruka with an all too wide smile.

"Hey, Iruka-sensei, since you are here, I do have something that I need your help on. Think you can provide me with some advice?" Oukei slipped into the space between Raidou and Iruka, causing the jounin to scowl when he was shoved slightly. He glared at the chunin, but was too polite to say anything.

"Uh….." Iruka leaned back a little at the sudden invasion of his personal space. He eyed the other man for a moment before he nodded uncertainly. "Sure."

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Three bodies flittered through the trees quickly as they headed towards their destination. The only sign of exhaustion was only evident from the temporal slowing down in the movements by one or the other. All senses were heightened, ready to detect the first sign of threats or danger.

"I don't feel too good about this." Genma murmured.

The other two glanced at him.

"I get what you mean." Kakashi surveyed his surroundings as he kicked off from another branch. "Something feels off."

Asuma shrugged. "Somewhere there. Three o'clock, I think."

The three exchanged knowing looks.

Kakashi's eye narrowed. "Let's take a detour."

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Kurenai glared with such intensity that everyone could feel her angry chakra. Anko bristled in irritation, fingering her kunai in the holster. Raidou frowned deeply, his grip on his glass tightening by ten folds. Izumo cocked an eyebrow, wondering if he should send a message bird to Kakashi now. Even Kotetsu was quiet for once and looking on silently.

Iwashi swallowed hard and fidgeted nervously as he watched Oukei continue to chat up the other academy teacher. He could sense his other friends' irritations and he was well aware that Iruka, though kept up with a polite demeanor, was already annoyed to no end with the incessant harassment.

It wouldn't have been so bad if Oukei had just kept to simple talks and polite gestures. But throughout the two hours they had been there, the newly instated chunin had subtly and not-so-subtly been flirting with Iruka. Anyone who had been at the table long enough would have heard Oukei dropping the insinuations and seen the subtle touches throughout the night.

Anko slammed her glass down onto the table top, startling everyone. But Oukei apparently did not pay her any heed as he lamented to Iruka about the rowdy students in the academy and asking for his advice to get them under control. The tanned academy teacher was torn between listening politely and finding out what was wrong with his friend.

"Iwashi." Anko hissed as she tried to get her temper under control.

Iwashi flinched. "Yeah?"

Anko took in a deep breath. "This…… This man……. What does he think he is doing?"

Iwashi tensed, sensing the murderous intent emitting out from the kunoichi. "I…… Um….. I think uh….. He's just trying to be friendly?" He shot a glance at his friend who was oblivious about the conversation that was going on.

"Too friendly for our liking." Kurenai frowned darkly as she watched the much one-sided conversation went on between Iruka and Oukei.

"I've had enough of this." Raidou muttered as he downed the last of his drink and stood up. "Iruka, I'm heading back. Let's go."

The academy teacher turned at the call of his name and nodded. He smiled politely at Oukei.

"I've got to go."

"Sure. I will see you tomorrow at the academy then." Oukei beamed.

Iruka took in a deep breath to calm his nerves before he smiled and nodded. He stepped away from his seat and followed his friend out of the pub. Anko and Kurenai pushed back their chairs and stood up.

"We are leaving too. See you guys around." Kurenai walked towards the exit. Anko shot another dirty look at Oukei before following, leaving the four chunin to their drinking session.

Izumo sighed and ruffled his hair. "I need to use the washroom."

The rest nodded as Izumo retreated from the table. Iwashi turned to look at his friend.

"Um, Oukei, I didn't know you knew Iruka that well."

Oukei blinked. "Oh, before tonight, I don't."

"Then why were you flirting with him the entire night?" Kotetsu glared at him. Iwashi gaped at his friend's straightforwardness. Oukei raised an eyebrow. Then he smiled.

"Simple. I like him." He stated matter-of-fact. "Though I didn't think I was that obvious."

"Yeah, anyone without a brain probably would not see it." Kotetsu snapped in sarcasm.

Iwashi decided to cut in before the whole conversation turned into a full-fledged argument. "Oukei, you can't say that about someone you just met for the first time. I don't think you even know Iruka well enough."

"I've noticed him for long enough, Iwashi." Oukei grinned. "I've been watching him ever since I first met him in the mission room two months ago. I wonder why I've never noticed him before."

"You what?" Kotetsu glowered, apparently unhappy that his friend had been spied on.

"Oukei, since that's the case, then I think you should know that Iruka is attached." Iwashi tried to play down on the tension.

"Oh?" Oukei's eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't really know that. Now I do."

Iwashi heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that he had finally been able to knock some sense in his friend.

"But……" Oukei drummed his fingers against the table thoughtfully. "That doesn't mean I can't court him. After all, all is fair in love and war."

Kotetsu's eyes narrowed. Iwashi's jaw dropped. He eyed his friend uncertainly. "Do you want to take back what you just said?"

Oukei smiled. "No."

"Do you even know who his boyfriend is?" Kotetsu shot out a menacing glare.

"Boyfriend? Ah…. So I was right. He swings that way." Oukei nodded in confidence. "Anyway, no. I don't need to know. It's not important."

Kotetsu growled. "You are impossible." He pushed back his chair and stood up just as Izumo came up behind him.

"Ko?"

"Let's go, Izumo. I'm tired."

"Oh…… Uh, see you around, Iwashi."

Iwashi nodded tiredly. He watched as the two turned and walked out of the pub. Then, he eyed his friend intently.

"Seriously, Oukei, I don't think you would want to deal with Iruka's boyfriend."

The chunin merely smiled confidently and called for another round of drinks, much to Iwashi's chagrin.

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