Leaves in the Wind

Chapter Seventeen: Fully Loaded

Kuro's voice alone was enough to set Kakashi on edge. The Jounin's hands clenched up into fists, and his eye flickered open, narrowing upon a random point on the bathroom door. He was unable to look the disgusting man in the face, only listen to the soft whisper of a voice inside his mind. Were the Harogami's able to see through the eyes and hear through the ears of the person they channeled through, or was it simply a knowledge? Judging by Kuro's responses to Kakashi's every twitch, he assumed the senses were accessible. This jutsu was unlike any other he'd ever encountered, and it was irritating.

"No greeting?" The twin's voice echoed in his head. Soft laughter indicated that the man was enjoying every moment of Kakashi's discomfort. "That's rude, even for you, Kakashi-sama." The voice paused, apparently listening to the water falling on the other side of the door. Feet squeaked on wet tile as Iruka made a movement in the shower. "So many doorways lead to so many new possibilities. For example, this one leads to- ah, but I don't have to remind you. You already know."

Kakashi stepped back from the door, an overwhelming anger steadily bubbling in the pit of his stomach. He would be sure the Kuro brothers suffered a painful, lonely death for their intrusion into Iruka's life.

"I do wish I could physically be there but unfortunately, I remain only in spirit." Kuro laughed. "That feeling you had. I never would have guessed it of you! Iruka-san perhaps, but not the infamous Sharingan no Kakashi!"

"Just leave him brother." The second brother gave a short warning. Both had taken root in Kakashi's hearing now.

"Why?"

"Because, it's rude. And we don't want to be rude to our friend, do we, Kuro-kun?"

Kakashi heard a low grumble that preceded the comment, "Of course not, Kuro-kun. Well, Kakashi-sama. Kuro-kun would like to meet with you tonight-" He was cut off by the shutting off of water. Fabric rustled. "But if you're…busy then we can wait."

Kakashi's eye flickered to the bathroom door. "Yes."

"Was that a 'yes' you're busy or 'yes' you're not?"

"I believe that was a 'yes' he's not, Kuro-kun," came the response. "And Kakashi-sama, if you try to kill either of us during our little visit, I'm going to assume that Konoha Chuunin are expendable, ne?"

The Jounin emitted a low growl at that comment.

"On the fringes on the Southern district, nearest the merchant roads, you'll find a small house. Can't miss it, guaranteed."

"That's obvious, Kuro-kun. You can't miss the only house in the area."

"Especially if you're a ninja."

"Especially." They both laughed and it resonated in Kakashi's ear as though it were the afterthoughts of a large gong. "I shall be seeing you soon, Kakashi-sama."

He heard them no more.

Kakashi's ear pricked at the sound of shifting. The Jounin left the doorway into the bedroom, quickly checking his basic equipment before Iruka had a chance to keep an eye on him. Kakashi was not sure if a non-confrontational meeting with the Kuro brothers was possible. If the Jounin was to keep Iruka safe, he would have to make it so. Even with this tidbit, the man was still unsure. The entire situation could be a ploy to lure him away, but taking into consideration past events and personalities, it was unlikely.

They had after all, stopped by Isamu-san's apartment for a cup of tea…

He counted kunai just in case, slipping them in the pouch and organizing their positions. He stowed it away in his pack as Iruka entered with a towel pulled tightly around his waist. The copy nin looked up and stood. "Oh, sorry… I'll just leave the room to you."

Iruka stared at him, shook his head, and waved Kakashi out the door.

---

Harogami Kuro observed the birds with awe. He watched them take flight and then imitated their graceful movements by leaping from branch to branch with outstretched arms. His brother took little note of the avian creatures and his manic sibling. He watched and listened to the environment, waiting for it to tell him when their 'guest' had arrived. Kuro-kun had insisted they go outside to wait and then invite Kakashi in for tea. Naturally, the youngest Kuro simply had to agree with his brother.

"Green or black?" Came an excited quip from the elder brother.

"What?"

"The tea!" He exclaimed. "Green or black tea?" Kuro tried to catch a bird with his hands. The effort failed.

"Ask him when he gets here."

"I think he concealed himself, Kuro-kun."

The younger paused. That was a possibility. Oh well. He'd show himself either way. "Sensei will be watching." Kuro pointed out. He felt a small sliver of satisfaction as his brother's face fell.

"But why? What if we make a mistake?"

"We are Harogami Kuro. We do not make mistakes."

"So," Kakashi's voice stopped their conversation. "You died quite on purpose?" Kakashi stood in the front yard, peering up at the Kuro on the roof. "I'm thrilled to see you're well, Kuro-san."

The Kuro-kun in the trees grinned brightly, kicking at a bird in mid-flight. His brother's golden eyes followed the decent of a now dead creature. "Yes. Completely intentional. Good evening, Kakashi-sama. Where's your friend?"

"You didn't mention him." Kakashi kept full attention on both brothers and his surroundings. "It's just me."

The Kuro sitting on the roof was finally brought out of his passive mood. He laughed, beckoning his sibling to come to his side. "Well he is being looked after, so I suppose it doesn't matter. Here, there, wherever."

"Tea?"

"No," the silver-haired nin shot down.

Kuro sighed, shaking his head. His long snowy ponytail swished with the motion, chimes as silent as ever. The twin glanced to his brother for help. "But it's the perfect time of night for freshly brewed tea…"

"Come in. I apologize, we have nothing to eat. Our home was raided earlier." Both twins leapt gracefully from the roof, landing in front of the Jounin with identical grins on their faces. "ANBU seem to be lacking in common courtesy."

Kakashi's eye narrowed at him. "I see." All three stepped into the house.

"Our furniture has been deconstructed too, unfortunately." One Kuro rushed into the kitchen.

The other stayed at Kakashi's side, not hiding his observation of movements. "But please, sit. Kuro-kun will prepare the tea."

"I'll stand."

"You know," the younger brother started congenially as he sat on a couch cushion, "Kuro-kun's tea addiction rivals Isamu-san's. It's almost amusing." Kuro glanced up at the ceiling. "But I find that I don't really care anymore. Odd isn't it? I've seen many ninja begin to loose their senses. I've seen them at the end. Empty. But, that's what you have to be in order to survive, ne?" Golden eyes swiveled sideways, locking with Kakashi's. "Ne?" After the man registered his guest's blatant refusal to respond, he continued. "Really. Then it's only me. My brother has no real opinion on it." The not-so-missing-but-still-missing nin sat, turning to watch his older brother prod at a tea cup in obvious suspicion.

"Kuro-kun, someone other than you has touched my tea cup!"

"So?"

"It's my tea cup and I had it hidden-"

"ANBU."

Kuro set the kettle down on the counter and glared at both men in the living room. "Why would they drink our tea, Kuro-kun?" A long, palpable silence fell over them. They froze, faces gaining twin looks of horror. "Sensei?" It echoed off their lips and throughout the empty spaces of their home. One of them twitched. "Ah, but why?" They had momentarily forgotten their guest. "We've done nothing but what we've been- Suien-san's body!"

"Damn…"

"Oh no…" Kuro bit his bottom lip and slowly picked the kettle back up. Attention was quickly shifted away from the topic of their sensei. "Well, Kakashi-sama, Nii-san, let's get to business, ne?"

"Yes, let's." The youngest glanced up at the masked man. "We wanted to ask you a few things."

"Ask then," Kakashi muttered.

"Isamu-san has told you everything we've told him?"

"Perhaps."

Kuro seemed to approve of this answer and continued. "And you're aware that we didn't murder Leiko Suzume?"

"Perhaps," he answered again.

A tea cup was set down in front of the seated Kuro and one was set before Kakashi's feet. The server plopped down next to his sibling, leaning against the man and staring down into the swirling brown liquid. "Do you like green tea?"

"Kuro-kun, that has nothing to-"

"Well?"

Kakashi's answer was no surprise to them. "Perhaps."

"Well do you like black?"

Oh, Kakashi yearned to slit their throats. Strangle them, beat them, flame them, whatever he could do to kill them. But he never lost his cool nor showed his desired intention. "Perhaps."

"Because Iruka-san said he hated black tea."

Surprisingly, this, Kakashi knew.

Kuro-kun and Kuro-kun smiled at Kakashi. "Returning to Leiko-chan. Did you know she was once enrolled in the Academy? She could have been a decent Chuunin if she passed the test." One of them titled his head to the side. "Not just an ordinary citizen," he sang, "Sensei taught her a special jutsu. One that he'd learned from her father. A missing nin." Kuro leaned forward. "It can affect anyone, anywhere. It requires significant chakara to use but it's long lasting. All that's needed is a trigger."

"Why do we speak the obvious?"

"Because the woman sensei taught has taught the same to us, as you have seen." Kuro leaned back as his brother leaned forward. He plucked his tea cup off the floor and took a calculated sip. "And we wanted to see your reaction when we said we'd decided to reinstate the Leiko Suzume Curse."

"On Iruka-senseeiiiii." The other Kuro snatched his brother's tea cup, quietly scolding the man for switching them while he'd been looking at Kakashi.

"The bird jutsu?" The Jounin asked, staring down at them with half irritation.

"Indeed!"

"Yes." Younger Kuro sighed as Kuro-kun consumed his tea as well as the other two cups. "So if we ordered him to die-"

"He would." Kuro finished cheerfully, gulping down the rest of the tea. "The meaning of this meeting?"

"Kill us, kill him. We want to be left alone."

Kakashi's casual eye narrowed slightly and then relaxed. "Fine."

"But that doesn't mean some foreplay can't be arranged."

The elder Kuro-kun burst into a fit of laughter at his sibling's pun. He stood and returned to their kitchen to fetch the porcelain kettle. "Are you sure you don't want any? There's not much else we wished to say, actually. But company would be pleasing."

"No." Kakashi switched his weight to the other foot, gaze shifting around the nearly destroyed home. Now it was his turn to direct the conversation. "You two must be pretty dedicated to your sensei."

Both men turned their golden gazes on him, answering in sudden grim and solemn tones. "We are."

"You gave up everything for him," Kakashi continued. "You took lives you once tried to save. You lost friends, your home. What is there for you to gain from him?"

"Freedom." They answered in unison. The eldest Kuro glanced out one of the windows, absorbed in another bird that had fluttered to the ground.

"And Hatake Kakashi should be careful he doesn't give up everything either."

"Freedom…" Kakashi scoffed. "What freedom is it?"

The younger Kuro's eyes snapped upon Kakashi, voice falling to a breathy whisper. "The kind you will never have."

---

Light footsteps approached a sleeping, curled up Iruka. The chakara had been concealed, and the breath was virtually non-existent. The person kneeled down by the Chuunin.

"Nn." Iruka mumbled as he rolled over, hand falling next to his head.

Kakashi pulled off his vest and set his other items on top of the folded item. He sat on his futon, resting his elbows on his knees. He pulled the hitae-ate off and set that beside his vest. Two eyes landed on Iruka in an almost shaming manner. The sensei should have already been at his throat by now, even if his presence seemed benevolent.

As though the stare had initiated it, Iruka's hand shot out and grabbed Kakashi's arm. However, rather than attempting to strangle or threaten the Jounin in anyway, he tried to pull him down. The Chuunin wasn't fully awake yet. "Mmn…whaddyuwankakshi-?"

He pried Iruka's hand away from his arm. "Nothing. Just having a hard time sleeping is all." Kakashi shifted under his own covers and laid on his side, watching Iruka intently. His mind fluttered over the thought of Kuro and Kuro's bird jutsu. It was disturbing, and unbeknownst to Kakashi, he showed his concern.

This resulted in a now fully awake Iruka. "What?"

"No. It's nothing." The Jounin rolled over.

"Don't lie, Kakashi." Iruka shot glares at the man's back. Wake him up for nothing, just to say he had trouble sleeping?

In response to Iruka's skepticism, Kakashi's breathing regulated.

"I know you're faking, damn it!" The Chuunin pushed lightly at Kakashi. The man was not going to get away with that, and yet Iruka only collected an irritated mutter and regulated breathing. Iruka considered hitting him, was tempted, resisted temptation, and fell back against his futon. Something felt out of place here. As he'd been sleeping, he hadn't felt any presences that would cause him to wake; but then, he hadn't felt any at all. "So where were you?"

"Right here." The Jounin said through a yawn.

"Kakashi, do you really think that's going to work?"

"Yes."

"Where did you go, Kakashi?"

"I don't dream."

Iruka resisted the urge to strangle the man. "Kakashi…please, please don't do this. I've been looking after children training to be ninja for years. Lying is nothing new to me."

"Ah, but the truth is."

Oh, it was tempting. He could smother Kakashi with his pillow; at least he wouldn't have to hear Kakashi's lazy drone anymore. "Alright. Fine. It's not my business anyway."

"Good." The Jounin's voice had lowered.

He should have been expecting that. But for some reason, he couldn't leave it alone. "Was it the stone?"

Kakashi was silent for some time before shifting so he could look back at Iruka. A both eyes gleamed in the darkness. It vaguely reminded Iruka of a hunting cat. "…Yeah."

Iruka sighed, rubbing at his forehead. "Warn me before you do that. I don't care where you go, but in the middle of the night after- Just tell me."

"Ok, Iruka."

Brown eyes narrowed but the Chuunin lay back, partially satisfied. Kakashi could take care of himself, more than Iruka could, but it didn't stop him from worrying. The twins had killed Amaya and the woman had been powerful enough to nearly match Kakashi. Even the infamous copy nin was no exception to death. "Thank you."

"Mm."

---

"Sink hole on the merchant's trail. Three travelers trapped. B class." Iruka tapped the scroll against his desk, meeting Nakura's gaze with a weary resignation. Classes hadn't given him the migraine he'd expected but then, he'd almost enjoyed the return. This was a reintroduction to relative normality for Umino Iruka and damn it, he wanted it to stay that way. The kids were ecstatic to have their sensei back; as much fun as it was to harass Ebisu, they wanted a tougher opponent.

"Yes! So glad to see you back, Iruka-sensei!"

He graced her with a polite smile and wished she would go now. When it didn't seem to be happening, he held out the scroll and added, "There is a time restraint. Those people need to be rescued."

Nakura finally accepted her mission, vanishing in her customarily unnecessary way. Several nin watched the smoke waft out through the open windows.

Asuma assumed it was safe to talk again. "She's been hanging off anyone she can get a hand on since you've been out, Umino."

Iruka shook his head, shifting papers and ink around. "Asuma-san, shouldn't you be with team ten?"

"Maybe." After flashing a cocky grin, Asuma took another drag on his cigarette.

The usual group of Jounin that haunted the Missions Office were absent, sans Asuma. The threat of the rogue medical ninja was still looming over Konoha; the knowledge was lingering in the thought and movement of every Shinobi in the village. Iruka had no idea where Kurenai was, nor Gekkou nor Gai. According to Asuma, they'd been gone for days. Also, so said Asuma, he himself would be leaving in two days. Asking 'where' merely got him a face full of smoke after an ear full of laughter.

He wisely decided to ignore Asuma and continue 'working'.

A loud commotion erupted from down the hallway before the doors were pushed open by Sakura. She spotted Iruka and walked towards him with dignified purpose. "Sensei! Are you okay now?"

Kakashi walked in afterwards, holding Naruto in the air, who was wailing loudly about not having a proper mission in weeks. The Jounin apparently had his hands full on his first full day of his own work. Sasuke was standing next to him. "Hey!" He waved Naruto around almost violently. He seemed frazzled. "We're here! Naruto-kun, I'm going to-"

Sakura leaned forward on Iruka's desk. "We need a mission."

"Actually, Sakura-chan, I'm afraid missions have slowed…" Iruka rummaged around in his desk drawers, pushing random scrolls aside.

"Means 'none for you, lazy bastard'." Asuma raised a brow at Kakashi. "Being punctual might have something to do with it."

Sakura sighed and her head dropped against her chest. Naruto's shouting echoed around her. Her ear twitched and she whirled around pointing at the two. "Kakashi-sensei! Naruto-kun! It's- ALL- your- fault!"

Kakashi dropped Naruto, letting the boy punch at his legs. "I had to help the old woman across the street," he defended.

And for some strange, inexplicable reason, Iruka didn't believe any of it. "I see…Well, I think the hallways in the Academy need to be swept and I found graffiti in the boy's bathroom. Therefore, Kakashi-san, you and team seven- You now have a mission."

Naruto paused. "Wait…that's not a mission, Iruka-sensei!"

Sasuke twitched. He didn't know if he'd rather walk dogs or scrape off graffiti. Either with Naruto was bad. He looked up at Kakashi.

The Jounin sighed, pointing at the blonde boy. "There Naruto-kun. You've been begging for a mission, now you've got one." He'd need to bring an extra book for this one…

"I'm not going in the boy's room. I'll sweep." Sakura crossed her arms.

The Genin watched Iruka glance up at Kakashi. "Kakashi-san."

Kakashi placed a finger on Naruto's forehead to keep the boy at arm's length as he spoke. His attention rose to Iruka. "Ne?"

"I expect a report on time."

"He's not going to do it! He'd never do it! Ever! Iruka-sensei, this isn't a MISSION! Can't we do something else?!"

Kakashi noted that he would have to handle his own dinner tonight… "Naruto-kun, don't-"

Iruka smiled at the group. "Is there something wrong with this mission?"

Naruto hadn't quite heard the dangerous tone in the man's voice, therefore both of his teammates had to grab his arms and haul him out of the room before he killed them all. They prayed Kakashi-sensei wouldn't say anything to set Iruka off.

Kakashi lifted a hand and disappeared through the door.

---

"It fell in the toilet."

"And?"

"Naruto-kun flushed it."

The outstretched hand that had been awaiting a missions report was lowered and a finger began to tap ominously on the desk. Iruka's brown eyes closed, his lips setting into a firm straight line. "Is it that difficult to just admit you didn't write it?"

"No, no, I'm serious." Kakashi shook his head slowly. "I put forth extra effort this time. But you see, when the toilet began to flood the rooms-"

One of the Chuunin at a neighboring desk jumped back as Iruka shot up from his chair, glaring murderously at Kakashi. "WHAT?!"

Kakashi's mouth snapped shut, unsure of how to approach the next few sentences. He had expected a delicate situation. The Jounin pocketed his hands, gaining his casual composure in the face of rage and imminent death. "Your room will be repaired by tomorrow."

Very slowly, gently, Iruka lowered himself into his chair. He wouldn't put Naruto at fault. As much as the boy liked to complain about chores like this, he would work hard at it. The unfortunate soul and target of his wrath was the man standing in front of him fixing him with a lazy stare. "…Repaired by school start tomorrow?"

"Yup." Kakashi shifted his weight, the only clue that he was remotely disturbed by Iruka's glare. "Don't get mad at Naruto. There were just too many of him to keep the situation under control. He's just over enthusiastic."
"Mm hm." Papers were being shuffled as Iruka's glare intensified. "Naruto-kun is very enthusiastic."

"Ok." Kakashi turned and started towards the door. "Now that that's cleared up, I've got to meet Asuma-san." He could feel the death glare boring into his back. Kakashi turned his head slightly, peering over his shoulder at Iruka with a grin on his face. "There's a get-together at Asuma-san's place, if you're interested."

---

Kunai whizzed through the air, aimed in the general direction of Genma's body. They smacked into the white wall behind him and there was a roar of cheers around the room. A cup of sake was passed to him and with a long gulp, he stood at the back of the line.

Kakashi observed this drinking game from the couch pressed against the wall. His arms were crossed and a look of amusement dominated his features. Asuma was sitting beside him with a cigarette in his mouth and a cup of sake in hand. Most of the Jounin and Chuunin who were invited were getting pretty drunk as they flung kunai at each other in an attempt to pin the unfortunate victim to the wall. Nakura was nailed in the arm, but her alcohol intake resulted in her merely laughing. They would all probably need stitches in the morning.

The Jounin laughed. He wouldn't join the game himself. Observing the stupidity was more his style. "I invited Iruka-san, just so you know," an offhanded comment to a buzzed Asuma.

"Huh." After a moment of consideration, Asuma swiveled his head to stare at his drinking companion. "I'm betting three weeks free ramen he doesn't show." He returned his attention to the wall and hollered as a Chuunin was nailed in the leg; he knew the face but he couldn't tack a name to it. The impulse to throw a kunai was enticing.

Kakashi reached forward to take a nearly empty bottle off of the coffee table, and he refilled Asuma's glass for him, then set it back down. "I'd take my own try, but I'd end up killing them on accident."

"True." Asuma grunted as Genma shouted an insult in his direction.

Nakura chuckled manically as another victim was nailed in the foot. The one throwing the kunai was obviously growing a little more unstable. She abruptly froze in place which caused Genma to nearly stumble into her.

Asuma followed her gaze to the door and shrugged. "Eh, damn. A whole three weeks worth…"

Iruka eyed them with evident disdain.

A kunai knife whizzed by Iruka's ear and was nailed into the wall of the hallway. A boy with deep brown eyes and matching hair pulled back by a bandana style hitae-ate grinned at him. Hashimoto Yasuo, a former Academy student of Iruka's. He'd become a Chuunin just last year, and to Iruka's chagrin, the seventeen year-old had already fallen into the wrong crowd. It almost surprised Umino Iruka that the kid would have been so accepted by the other much older Jounin in attendance. Yasuo waved. "Iruka-sensei!" They all laughed, holding their sides and clutching hold of sake glasses. Apparently, Asuma was kind enough to allow underage drinking at his little parties.

Kakashi waved from the couch in the back of the room. The game quickly resumed. A kunai was dodged and alcohol in all forms was handed around. Iruka found a glass pushed into his hand.

The sensei promptly turned on his heel and was met with an enthusiastic Nakura shoving him into the room, blocking the door. "Iruka-saaan! Play with us!"

Asuma snorted at the infantile statement. Ah, the amusement to be had in a room of drunken ninja. "Hey, hey, sit down!" He stood, offering his seat. "Just about to have some fun myself."

They watched Iruka shake his head slowly, willing himself to stick to the floor. Nakura prodded him, but she gave up quickly in favor of joining the line again. The kunai whizzing through the air was just too intoxicating. Cigarette smoke lingered where Asuma had once sat. He was now seen flinging kunai at Hayate who dodged them easily. Shots for all.

Kakashi reached up and grabbed Iruka's back pouch, pulling him to the couch next to him. "You showed. Perfect, I just got three weeks of ramen."

"I'm not here to socialize," Iruka muttered flatly, gingerly placing the sake cup on the table in front of him. "I wanted to know if you were going to stay with someone else; I've got to clean my apartment and that extra futon-"

"Oh, I'll just grab my stuff and crash here tonight," the Jounin offered. There was an amused glint in his grey eye as another kunai stuck a younger ninja in the arm. He chuckled. What idiots Tekki would have to face in the morning. He wanted to be there just to see the look on the med-nin's face. He wouldn't tell Matsuhara that the initiation of the game had been Kakashi's idea.

"This is ridiculous…" The Chuunin at his side groaned, rising.

Genma was arguing with Asuma on who would throw the next knife. Hayate threw it for them.

Iruka felt himself being pulled back down. "Hey, why don't you stay for a bit."

"Because I'm in a room filled with intoxicated Shinobi throwing kunai knives at each other."

Kakashi laughed. The man seemed pretty relaxed in this atmosphere, go figure. "Just for a little while longer? Things change quickly."

Iruka sighed, letting himself fall back. He swiped his sake cup and took a sip. "Fifteen minutes."

"OOUCH ow ow ow ow!" A shout from across the room. Kakashi and Iruka's eyes snapped up to see Yasuo dancing around painfully with a kunai in his leg. The boy plopped to the floor and plucked it out. "New game! That hurt a bit too much…" He whimpered cutely and sake was passed his direction.

"It's the new kid," Kakashi explained. "Never been to one of the parties before. Asuma picked him up on the street during an errand." He could see Iruka visibly restraining the urge to reprimand his former student. His hands were twitching; must mean he was struggling not to drag the kid out of the room…and punish him however Iruka punished his kids. Kakashi decided to ask later. He'd never actually seen a punishment. It could be interesting.

Iruka sighed as Yasuo took yet another cup of sake. "He's under age…"

Asuma waved over to them. "Hey, care to join, Umino?"

Yasuo's whimpering could be heard as he and a sympathetic female stumbled over to a chair to look at the wound.

Iruka downed his cup. Five minutes had passed. He was going to stick to his designated fifteen minutes even if it killed him. Which, given his company, he wasn't dismissing as a possibility.

"Yaaasuooooo-kuuuun!" A girl called across the room to the pouting boy. "Hey! Hey! I bet you couldn't juggle three kunai with your mouth if your life depended on it."

The dark-haired boy shot her a glare. He hunched over rather dejectedly. "I bet YOU couldn't either!"

Three kunai glinted in the light and the female placed the first one between her teeth, flipping it up and catching it again.

This only served to make the boy twitch even further. He pulled out his own kunai and flipped one in the same fashion. This caused the other shinobi to join in as well.

"See, told you it changed quickly enough."

"They're going to kill themselves, Kakashi!" Iruka was halfway off the couch, clutching his re-filled cup tightly.

Kakashi grabbed the back of the Chuunin's vest and yanked him back. "Calm down. They do this every Saturday."

This did not have the effect Kakashi had wished for. "Yasuo-kun! Yasuo-kun, put the kunai AWAY!"

The boy blinked, hardly registering Iruka's threatening words. He grinned and flipped the kunai up and caught it again.

"Now do two, Yasuo-kun!"

"I've never done two before…" He murmured.

One moment Iruka was on the couch, the next, he was gone. Kakashi could see a brown and green blur surge through the crowd. He was next seen dragging Yasuo across the floor. The assembled shinobi were mildly annoyed their primary source of entertainment was being carted away.

"Iruka-sensei stole Yasuo!"

Asuma laughed. "Well, anyone want to take his place?"

Hands shot in the air and more ridiculous bets were placed.

"Oi! OI!" The teenager stumbled as he was thrown onto the couch. He crossed his arms and began picking at his black sleeves. "I graduated. I don't need you to pull me out of trouble any more."

"My students are still mine even after graduation. You should know that." Iruka fixed him with an all too familiar stern glare.

He scratched at his pink cheek, looking over at Kakashi once and then back at Iruka.

Kakashi shrugged. "Your problem, not mine."

Yasuo stood up and wobbled to the side once. "Mrrf. I'm gunna go-"

"Home." Iruka supplied, pointing toward the door. "You're going to go home."

Several ninja heard this and groaned.

A sake cup was suddenly thrust into Iruka's free hand.

Yasuo sidestepped Iruka and walked back into the game that had suddenly escalated into Shinobi truth or dare. Some idiot was attempting to balance on high heels now.

"I can't believe this idiocy," Iruka muttered, staring after his student who was now daring a Jounin to steal Asuma's wallet without the man noticing.

"Relax," Kakashi let out the word with a soft sigh. "It's just fun. Think of it as a departure from the real idiocy in the world." He gestured towards the cup still in Iruka's hand, forgotten in anxiousness.

The chuunin stared down at his reflection, rippling over the liquid's surface. A chorus of excited cheers roared up around him, bursting into disorganized laughter like the lingering effects of a firecracker. Gaze switched over to Kakashi, who smiled at him, and eventually, he let go of a resigned sigh. "Alright. But just for a bit."