Good late evening from the middle of E. :)

20

The owl, sent with an urgent letter to the interrogation specialist, found him and the rest of Team Ibiki hiding comfortably in a thorny bush, shivering from early morning cold.

"Eh. Owl." Iruka said intelligently, his half-awoken brain wasn't yet able to comprehend how could the animal got from Konoha to the Hideous Hidden Horrible Forest, as he called the area where they had been spending their last week, trying to get as much information about the monks, as possible.

"I can see that." Ibiki informed him, in case Iruka hadn't noticed. "Go get it, brat."

Iruka shakily stood up on his frozen legs and jogged closer to the path. The forest was dark and the only thing talking resembling civilization was the muddy path, so he didn't really bother with hiding his presence. He heard the sound of wind crashing against soft wings even before he saw the owl flying towards him. It's claws were sharp and it almost cut his skin trough the leather wrist-protector.

"Maa.. aren't you a cute thing.." he mumbled soothingly, eying the letter attached to it's leg with a wary look. "And you would be even cuter, if I was sure you aren't carrying the order to get our asses back.." the owl looked at him with large, intelligent eyes and hooked in an apologetic way. Or I am just too tired.

"Here. It has a letter." Iruka announced and plopped back on the spot of deeply frozen forest ground where he had previously warmed to at least survivable temperature.

Ibiki grunted his 'thank you' and unsealed the letter rolling it open and quickly scanning the tiny penmanship. He sighed and his face fell in something akin to sadness.

"Well, brats. We are going home, our mission is officially over."

"What about the information?" Hayate asked sleepily.

"We got enough information to totally destroy them in one attack. It's over." Ibiki said silently, hoping that what he said to calm his brats was true. "We are leaving in an hour, say 'bye' to the forest, you will not be seeing outsides of Konoha anytime soon." The interrogator's voice was regretful.

Anko rolled on her back, watching the setting sun. "I wonder when are they coming home.." she whispered and closed her eyes, just listening to the sounds of Konoha, trying to recognize the silent footsteps heading towards her from the forest.

It's probably Izumo with Kotetsu, or Mizuki.

"Home, sweet home." Iruka said feeling suddenly down. "It's nice being back in Konoha, damnit."

"Nah, it's weird being back in Konoha." Hayate opposed and took a look around to see that nothing had changed.

"Uhm-m. It's stupid being back in Konoha." Iruka exclaimed again cracking his neck.

"Well, and it's almost irritating being back in Konoha." Hayate added again.

"Humiliating even."

"Annoying, I would add."

"Tiresome?"

"Yea.. and boring."

"Awful."

"..and terrible."

"And what more, it's troublesome."

"I second that, and it's actually-" Hayate was interrupted by Ibiki:

"Shut it, brats. Go take a bath, you stink."

"..." Hayate looked at him funny before signing in resigned way.

"You are tactful as usual, Ibi-sama." Iruka laughed. "But we shall obey your orders, Sir-Sensei-Sir!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just go." he waved them off, and turned away himself, to take a quick shower before going to have his 'tea' with the Hokage. "Before I forget!" he shouted over his shoulder. "You three are signed to the Chuunin exam, go find the girl and train."

"Shower~ The most awesome invention from the beginning of human race! I feel like singing." Iruka exclaimed happily and enjoyed the warm water caressing his frozen skin.

"Don't. Please, don't." Hayate laughed from where he was sitting outside of the bathroom, already clean and reading some scroll. He was leaning against the door, waiting for his friend to finish.

"You know, you could just go to the bedroom or kitchen or something." Iruka answered and Hayate just knew, he was pouting in the silly way of his.

"Nah.. I will wait." the smaller genin said and rested his head against the wooden door.

"You know.." Iruka said as he started drying himself. "They call it 'after-mission solidarity'. The aversion of leaving your teammates." he mused out loud.

"Well, genius, why's that?" Hayate asked uninterestedly, but knowing Iruka wouldn't shut up anyway.

"It's 'cause we were together for about one week, protecting each other and watching each other's back. If you were alone, you wouldn't sleep this night, feeling insecure. It's like short-time paranoia." Iruka chuckled.

"If you say so.." Hayate returned back to the sword-techniques from series called stupidly 'Body-Light Techniques'.

"I heard those two idiots are back." Izumo said and sat down next to the silent girl. Anko looked up suddenly feeling the urge to smile. She grinned instead.

"Good." she said and turned her head back towards the lazy village.

"They are probably going to clean themselves and go visit Yondi-sama." Kotetsu added and stood at the precipice of Sandaime's head, where Anko had been sitting for almost three hours straight, reading a book.

"So we will be having them here in about.. hmm.. ten minutes?" Mizuki titled his head and laid down savoring the feeling of sun-shine.

"Why do you think it's gonna be ten?" Kotetsu asked curiously, because he would have guessed about hour or so.

"Well.. I assumed it, considering the direction and speed of wind, our current season and the night temperature in south Europa. I multiplied it with the number of people having lunch right now and divided with the number of your braincells which died because of you thinking about this." Mizuki said with a roll of his eyes. "That, and because they are walking over there." he pointed towards the riverbank he could see from his spot on Sandaime's head.

"..." Kotetsu looked at him dumbfounded and Anko laughed.

"Thank you." the girl said and closed her eyes, smiling. She was looking forward seeing them again, even though she knew it was good for them to have a little trip outside of the borders of Konoha.

After all, they were Ibiki's fellow prisoners of the Village.

Hope you liked it.

I will try to post it here tomorrow, if just for the fact that its going to be the last chapter, the next one. :) So bear with me for one more day.

Good night.