It had been over a year ago and she and Nariko had just gotten back home from another frustrating day at work.

Slouching into their shared room that they rented cheap from their great aunt, Kaori flopped back on her bed and reflected on her crappy assed day.

"Oiiii", Nariko moaned, "If I have to deal with one more bastard at that damn store I'm going to pound them!"

Knowing how she felt, though not so vocal Kaori sighed and wondered what she ever did to deserve this. It's not as if she wanted to fail as a ninja, "I didn't fail!" Her mind screamed as she remembered the day she quit. "I just didn't have it in me, I can't be a mindless drone, just following orders and never thinking about right and wrong." That realization ended her career. Looking at her sister fuming as she threw kunai at a poster of their boss with deadly accuracy she felt a familiar pang of guilt. Though her sister had never admitted to it, saying that she quit due to differences of politics with the hierarchy, she was always afraid that Nariko had quit because she had. Double or nothing, they always did everything together.

The two of them came from a ninja family. Generations of them all living and dying under the rule of a feudal lord who cared little for the welfare of his people. If he desired peace, they had peace, but if he desired war, then they had war. Altogether it was a detestable way of life.

Finally speaking out loud as Nariko speared their "boss" right between the eyes Kaori said, "Maybe it is time to leave."

"Huh", Nariko stopped and stared before smiling in a decidedly pleased/wicked manner. "So you've finally decided?"

Nariko had brought up the idea many times, but she always had a fear of the unknown and she could never make up her mind. But there was no way they could live like this forever, bagging groceries and doting on former comrades who seemed to take sick pleasure in having members of an illustrious ninja family wait on them.

"Yeah! let's do it!" The two of them had begun to plan...

It hadn't been easy to become established here and she blushed to think of the stunts they'd both done to attract business. Such as the now infamous fan dance she performed while wearing a kimono decorated with an ice cream cone design. She'd attracted quite a lot of children as well as adult shinobi. She remembered one in particular, an older man with white hair and red streaks down his cheeks. He'd been quite randy, asking her if she wanted to go out on a date, until she'd finally convinced him she was too busy.

Oh well, she grinned reminiscently, it HAD attracted a lot of repeat customers.

Nariko sighed as she watched Shino practice his bug jitsu in the little backyard of the shop. At first she'd been distressed by his abilities, picturing little black bugs in the ice cream, but then she found out how obedient they were and Shino never called them while actually in the shop.

She thought about Kaori's reaction to that man, Iruka. There were a heck of a lot of attractive men in this village, she sighed, but she'd never had much luck in landing a man back home and she didn't expect to start having better luck now. Kaori had always been a very inquisitive and curious person, wanting to know everything about everyone, while she was more aloof.

She wondered if she would ever find somebody who would make her want to grab him, and make him hers before anyone else. She doubted it.

"Seriously Kakashi-sensei, you have to try this place!"

"I'm not really into sweets," he said while walking home from the training grounds with his three students.

"It really is good Sensei," Sakura added, while Sasuke grunted in agreement, "and they have the most amazing flavors like peach and cherry blossom and persimmon!"

"Cherry blossom?"

"Yeah that's my favorite," Sakura grinned.

I bet, he thought, and then stopped as he heard the faint notes of a flute being played.

"I bet that's Nariko nee-chan," Naruto cried out, running on ahead. Sakura and Sasuke followed while Kakashi followed more slowly still holding his favorite Icha Icha book in front of his face, but not really reading the words. Rather he savored the music of the flute as it played a sweet yet haunting melody.

As he caught up with the youngsters he saw them gathered around a young woman sitting on a bench in front of a cheerily decorated shop. She was still playing the flute her eyes smiling at the children as she moved on to a sprightlier tune. She was young, maybe a few years younger than him and pretty too, with silky black hair and a graceful figure that was apparent even under the work yukata and white apron she was wearing.

Now where did that come from? He wondered, hiding his face behind his book as he approached the woman.

Nariko watched the man approach her as she finished the last notes of her song and put down her flute.

She smiled at the children when Naruto and Sakura praised her, while Sasuke merely looked on. The man himself said nothing and merely kept reading the book he was holding.

She cocked her head and waited for someone to introduce him, which Naruto did.

"This is Kakashi-sensei," he said, "we're taking him out for ice cream today."

"Really?" She said giving the strange man a side-glance, "how nice of you."

Suddenly and inexplicably, all of the children got determined looks on their faces. "Today will be the day," Naruto affirmed with clenched fists.

"What day?" Kakashi asked, snapping shut his book.

"Uh, nothing Sensei," Sakura blushed, pushing them all into the shop.

What a strange man, Nariko thought, putting the flute back up to her lips. That mask he wore, why would he want to cover up so much of his face? And just reading his book like that, it was rather rude.

Oh well, she shrugged and continued playing.

Kaori POV

Humming in tune as she listened to Nariko's playing, Kaori put away the clean glasses and dishes from the dishwasher (i.e. Shino-kun). Feeling that familiar "ping", she wasn't at all surprised to hear Hinata gasp. Nor was she surprised to find the girl ducked underneath the counter when she turned around to greet Naruto-kun.

Sakura and Sasuke weren't new arrivals to the shop, but the man with them was. He was unusual with his spiky silver hair and a mask that covered up most of his face, while his headband obscured his left eye. Then she noticed him holding a copy of "Icha Icha paradise" in his hands and forgot about everything else.

Is that the latest volume? Oh my God! She resisted an incredible urge to ask the man where he got that copy, remembering that she was in the presence of children.

"Naruto-kun! How are you?!"

Naruto smiled that adorable smile of his and said, "I'm great! And I brought another sensei to try your ice cream."

"Oh, is this the Kakashi-sensei you've mentioned?" She had always been a natural at gathering intelligence as she was a bit of a gossip. Since she was new to this village it was to her advantage to learn as much as possible. She enjoyed chatting with the various customers, especially the young genin because they are all so damn cute. That being the case she'd heard many stories about the various instructors. And while Gai-sensei was undoubtedly the most amusing, Kakashi was the most mysterious.

What she'd learned was that he had a penchant for always being late and a nose that was almost always stuck in a perverted *cough*romance*cough* novel. She also heard that he was incredibly talented and probably the strongest jounin in the village. She instinctively felt her feelers reach out and come up with just the right questions to get just the right answers.

However, the customer always comes first. "So what can I get you?"

Naruto ordered watermelon sherbet, Sakura her usual cherry blossom, and Sasuke to her shock moved from his usual chocolate to peach. Hmmmm…good to see that boy stretch his horizons a little.

"Sensei?"

He put away his book, and asked, "Is there anything I can eat with a straw?" Her feelers took in the kids' crestfallen looks and answered, "Well we can make a milkshake or a smoothie out of any of our flavors."

He looked at the case and said in a bored tone, "I'll have a strawberry milkshake".

She smiled and said, "Coming right up! I'll give out the cones now, but why don't you take a seat Sensei and I'll bring the shake over when it's ready." Nodding the man picked a table. She furiously tried to reign in her feelers as she turned away from Hinata scooping out the cones. Preparing the blender she thought to herself, "Must NOT snoop on a Jounin!"

Nariko sat and played another few songs before returning to the shop. When she came in she was surprised to see Naruto and his friends looking a little disappointed as they sat with their sensei.

"What's wrong with them?" She asked Kaori as she joined her back behind the counter, "They look so dejected."

"I don't know," her sister said, "but when that man said he wanted anything that could be eaten with a straw they all deflated."

"Hmmm," Nariko pondered before it dawned on her. She turned to her sister with a quiet laugh, "they must want to see underneath his mask!"

Kaori nodded, with a quirk of the lips, "that makes sense, and it makes him look so strange doesn't it? Not like Iruka," she sighed, blushing a little.

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered as her sister's eyes took on a dreamy look. Iruka often stopped by nowadays, mostly to chat a little with her sister or watch when she took her turn outside dancing to draw in customers. Nariko wondered when he would finally ask her sister out on a real date.

Turning away from those thoughts, Nariko got back to work. When Naruto and his friends were done eating, she went over to say good-bye.

"I hope you enjoyed it," she said smiling at the departing group. She got the expected responses, Naruto and Sakura affirmed their satisfaction, Sasuke grunted and their teacher, Kakashi-sensei nodded as he put his book back in front of his face. She caught a glimpse of the title.

"Make Out Paradise," I wonder if it's any good?