Chapter 5: Green with Envy

In which Genma becomes acutely aware of his jealousy.

Yuna was uncomfortable. Dresses were not her forte, and the forest green number she was wearing felt tight in all the wrong places. Her shape had changed, and her arms no longer had mobility in this outfit. Her shoulders and back had broadened with the work and muscle growth that came with forging weapons, and the dress now felt constricting through the chest and the shoulders. But, her father requested that she wear something nice to the Hokage's event, and she complied, rummaging through her closet to find whatever she had before the war started.

Kakashi's formal inauguration occurred well over a year ago, but this private reception was supposed to be helpful in marking the official transition of power from Lady Tsunade. Only shinobi families and officials were invited, and Yuna once again felt completely out of place. She was likely the only civilian in attendance. Why her name had been included on the invitation, she would never know. But as a member of the Namiashi clan, and as next in line to take over the weapons shop, her place was by the side of her father.

When they arrived, her father quickly struck up a conversation with someone from the Aburame family, so Yuna wandered the room, picking up a glass of water and pretending to watch people. Her mind was not present. She was mentally back in the shop, thinking about the two new swords she was in the process of making. Her previous attempts at billeting and welding different types of steel had not created the strength she wanted in a blade, so instead she tried melting different metals down in a crucible with carbon. Two of the ingots she created were covered in dendrites, tiny crystals of some new and unknown substance. These were the two she decided to turn into blades, but the ingots would not comply with traditional methods of hammering. Instead, she had to fold the steel over and over again to coax it into a sharp edge. She was only partly done with one sword, but already this method promised to result in a very unique look.

Yuna was itching to see what Raido and Genma thought when they returned from their missions. Already a little over a month had passed since they left, and she had yet to hear from them, but that was not unusual for their line of work. Raido's longest mission had taken over six months, while Genma's personal record was nine. They were lucky; some shinobi disappeared for years at a time.

She took a sip from her glass. Tsunade and Kakashi were standing by the podium, talking to the village elders. She cocked her head, surveying Kakashi for a moment and recalling her dream. Hokage's robes suited him, but he looked like he didn't want to be here.

Same, Kakashi, same…

She scanned the room. So many of the village's elite ninja were present, all segregating into familiar groups. The Hyuga family made their way towards Kakashi, greeting him with smiling white eyes. Nearby, a few of the younger ninja were conversing animatedly. Lee and Tenten were standing by Guy, who was loudly proclaiming the importance of training in maintaining a long season of youth. Only the youthful at heart could withstand the position of Hokage, he said, and he wasn't surprised that his 'eternal rival' had achieved becoming the village leader.

Tenten looked annoyed, like she'd heard the lecture a million times, but even so, Yuna was overcome with envy. She admired Team Guy greatly. Lee, who couldn't so much as use ninjutsu or genjutsu, had become a formidable ninja and proved everyone's expectations wrong. And Tenten's prowess over weapons was impressive. If Yuna could summon an arsenal of blades at will like Tenten could, maybe she wouldn't feel so out of place. She thought back to what she'd seen in the Infinite Tsukuyomi and considered that Tenten didn't get nearly as much recognition in real life as Yuna thought she deserved.

Across the room, she heard a shout, and saw Ebisu giving his own team a lecture. Konohamaru had apparently said something rather rude about one of the Fire Daimyo's younger relatives. If the girl hadn't heard the insult when Konohamaru made the remark, she certainly heard it repeated when Ebisu reprimanded his student.

Yuna smiled, remembering that Genma used to get so annoyed with how loud Guy and Ebisu were back in their own genin days. The trio had come far though. She wondered if Genma would ever take on genin of his own. Raido, too. He used to complain about third-wheeling his own team, Sarutobi Asuma and Yuuhi Kurenai, but he'd been devastated when Asuma died.

Yuna saw Shizune speaking with Kurenai, both entertaining Kurenai's daughter, Mirai. Raido loved that baby, too, affectionately taking on the beloved role of 'uncle.' Mirai's giggle made Yuna smile, but before she could make her way to the women, two shinobi called her name.

"Kotetsu, Izumo," she greeted. Both regularly came to the shop, and she had spent hours with Kotetsu figuring out the best ways to clean bodily fluids off of his giant mace. The shell structure had a texture that caught all kinds of things in its crevices, and it was one of Yuna's least favorite weapons to maintain.

Both sets of their eyes drifted towards her chest, and she crossed her arms self-consciously. She was aware that the tight fitting dress gave her a bit more décolletage than usual. In hindsight, she should have purchased a new outfit for this reception, but she'd been so distracted by her work that she kept putting it off until there was no time left for shopping.

"Raido-senpai told us that you might be taking over the weapons shop," Kotetsu began.

Yuna glanced at her father. He had made his way over to the Hokage and was now conversing with Kakashi. "It seems like it," she said. "Dad hasn't officially retired yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if he made the move soon."

She was confident her father would settle down within the year. Since the war, he'd been less involved in the operation of the shop and spent more of his time in 'extracurriculars,' as he liked to put it. He meant dating.

Dating life apparently thrived for the older generation, given that her father had gone on more dates than she had in the past month. Her father was a good-looking older man, still in excellent shape, and he had the charisma necessary to woo any woman. He was also extremely intelligent, but he hid all of it underneath a cool exterior.

Actually, now that he was standing next to Kakashi, she realized how similar the two men were, and she shuddered. Kakashi wasn't old, but his silver hair made him look ageless, like he could be anywhere between his 20s and his 50s. Her father was the same. He often got mistaken for being much younger than his 60 years.

"Hey," she said to Kotetsu and Izumo, switching the subject. "Have either of you gotten any reports from Raido?"

The two men exchanged a look. "There was an update from Aoba the other day, said they're delayed in their return."

"You don't know where they went, do you?"

"Yuna-chan, you know that's classified," Kotetsu said with a wink. "But if we've had a couple drinks…" His voice was rather suggestive.

"He doesn't know anything," Izumo butted in. "I'm the one that read the report."

Kotetsu conveniently stepped on Izumo's foot, and Izumo elbowed him in the ribs. Both tried but failed to hold in their exclamations of pain.

Is this their way of…flirting?

Had this been before the war, she would have found this behavior rather alluring. She would have jumped at the opportunity to date a shinobi, even if she wasn't necessarily attracted to either man, simply to piss her brother off. Raido was way too protective of her when it came to dating ninja. Even now, she could think of at least five responses that would ensure she'd get to leave with one shinobi on each arm. But tonight, she wasn't enjoying the attention.

Yuna saw her father waving her over and silently thanked his timing. She excused herself and went to see what he needed.

"Yuna," he called, bringing her in front of Kakashi and Tsunade. "The Hokage is asking about the status of our shop. I told him about your little experiments, and he's curious."

"Hokage-sama," she said, bobbing. Normally, she'd bow, but she was terrified of accidentally exposing something to the two individuals in front of her. At least Tsunade would understand…the woman was perhaps the most well-endowed in the village, but Yuna definitely didn't want to accidentally flash Kakashi. Especially now. Seeing him and her father side-by-side…well…now she couldn't get the idea out of her head that she'd essentially had a crush on her father, and it unnerved her.

She told the two Kage about her experiments with steel, the idea that creating new alloys and folding the metal back on itself would create additional strength. "My hope is to create something stronger than Namiashi steel," she said. "We'll need it, if our weapons are coming back damaged."

"Yes," Kakashi said, "your brother told me about the chip in his blade. You fixed it before his most recent mission."

Yuna nodded. "I've been taking over much of the work in the shop, all but the chakra steel. I still need Dad's help for that."

"It's quite an achievement, to keep to the standards of the Namiashi blacksmiths as a civilian," Kakashi told her. "However, your father has expressed worry about the future of the shop. Tell me, are you concerned about your ability to keep up with Konoha's demands?"

This question caught Yuna off guard. She turned towards her father in disbelief, hardly able to fathom that he would actually voice his lack of faith in her to the Hokage. Her father's face only held indifference, and she noticed for the first time that it was the same expression Kakashi usually wore. "No," she said, more confidently than she felt. "I don't think the key to making strong weapons is the ability to mold chakra. The key is feeling the steel. Like generations of Namiashi before me, I know when it sings. Everything else? I'll find a way."

"Good," Kakashi said, "because I'm sure your assistance will be needed in the coming years." He turned to her father. "I'm pleased the shop will be passing to good hands."

"Time will tell if that's true," her father replied, making Yuna's heart sink. She averted eye contact as they left, letting Kakashi and Tsunade greet other people, and she and her father parted ways.

Growing up, her father had been a hard teacher, especially for her. His encouragement was hard won, if he gave it at all, and Yuna often felt like she was constantly failing his expectations. Up until now, the idea that the shop would inevitably pass to her was paired with inevitable disappointment to her father. He always hoped that Raido would pick up forging steel with as much vigor as Yuna.

As the evening wore on, Yuna listened to short speeches from Tsunade and other village officials. They talked about the future of the village and the changes that were already occurring, but Yuna's mind wandered back to the future of the shop, and whether she would really be able to make the village proud. She did not feel deserving of the Hokage's compliments…instead she was uncertain about her own abilities. Who was she kidding? She had not yet made a blade stronger than what shinobi before her had achieved. How could she, without chakra to mold?

The minutes ticked past, and she grew anxious for the event to be over. She felt hot and stuffy. At a break in the talks, she stepped outside onto the terrace that circled the reception room, desiring fresh air. She leaned over the railing, taking in the view of the village at night. A cool breeze coming from the north drifted across her skin, raising goosebumps on her arms. Fall would be upon them soon, and the cooler wind felt refreshing compared to the stagnant air inside the room.

Alone, she took a deep breath, feeling her cleavage straining against her dress. She wished she could just rip it off. The longer she wore it, the more constricting it felt, and all she wanted to do was breathe. She glanced around. No one else was nearby, so she reached behind her and unzipped the back ever so slightly, feeling immense relief as the pressure around her torso decreased.

"Hey, pipsqueak."

Yuna jumped, yelping, and the zipper burst. She clutched herself with her arms, quickly making sure that all her delicate places were still intact and covered.

She heard a soft chuckle behind her. "Don't be so excited to see me," he said. "You're practically jumping out of your clothes."

She felt her face color. "Oh shut up, Genma. Can you help me?"

He stepped closer, and she could feel his hands at her back, pulling the fabric together and gently easing the zipper back up. He was close enough that she could see his senbon out of the corner of her eye and feel heat radiating off his body. Genma's warm fingers traveled up her spine, and goosebumps raised across her body again, this time for an entirely different reason. When he was done, she turned around and said a quiet thank you.

He looked impassive. "I don't mean to be rude, Yuna, but don't you think this dress is a little low-cut?"

That was Genma, blunt as always. "Does it look that bad?" she asked, nervous.

Genma's gaze didn't waver from her face. "Not at all," he told her, "but you're going to attract the wrong attention."

She rolled her eyes. "You sound like Raido."

"Someone has to look after you when he's not around."

"It almost sounds like you care," she shot back.

"I care more than you think, pipsqueak."

"How was the mission?" she asked, ignoring this statement and the leap of her stomach that came with it.

He let out a deep breath and leaned over the railing. "Fine. Intel gathering in the Land of Earth. I have to report to Kakashi." They both looked inside. Kakashi was at the podium. "Looks like I've got some time, though. Raido back yet?"

"No. They're delayed." She relayed what Kotetsu said.

"I'll find out more," Genma said. "So, why are you out here instead of listening to what our Lord Hokage has to say?"

She thought about all the ways she felt inferior to everyone else inside of that room. She didn't belong. "I just needed some air," she lied.

They watched Kakashi through the window for a little while. He looked slightly uncomfortable in front of such a large group of people. Her father hated public speaking, too, and once again Yuna was struck by how similar the two men were. "You want to hear something funny?" she asked after a little while. "I dated Kakashi in the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Tonight though—"

Genma cut her off. "How is that funny?"

Yuna was thrown off by Genma's tone. She was going to tell him the anecdote about how Kakashi now reminded her of her father, and how she couldn't believe she'd had a crush on him, but Genma continued, his voice cutting.

"Oh I see…that's why you dressed like this. Trying to seduce the Hokage."

"Genma!" Yuna's smile fell. It would have been fine had he said it like a typical joke, but instead, his voice was condescending. His whole attitude had suddenly gone cold, and Yuna didn't know what she'd said. "None of my clothes are fitting the same," she mumbled, hurt by his insinuation.

"You don't have to make excuses," he told her lightly, at the same time applause came from inside the room. "The Hokage is an attractive man. Single. Although you should know, he's been around women wearing less and has shown no interest."

Before she could say anything else, Genma was gone. In his absence, embarrassment and anger settled around her, and Yuna gripped the cold metal railing until her knuckles went white. Genma could be such an asshole sometimes, but tonight she was particularly upset by his reaction. She wasn't sure how she had offended him. Before the war, they talked about their dating lives all the time. A year or so ago, he wouldn't have cared whether she was trying to get with Kakashi, or Kotetsu, or anyone else, for that matter. He would have laughed at her if she chose this particular way to do it, would have said that anyone who fell for it wouldn't have been worth her time.

But to wrongly suggest that she was being coquettish and provocative, and then judge her for it? Oh, it made her boil inside. She suddenly couldn't stand to be at this event anymore, and without another thought, she decided it was time to leave.

Yuna stomped all the way home, where she ripped off the dress and put on a pair of thick work jeans and a tank top instead. She stalked back into the shop and stoked the furnace. When the fire was raging, she threw the green dress into it, watching the fabric catch and burn. She reveled in the heat. Then, ignoring the fact that her eyes were wet, she started working.

Genma paced the hall outside the Hokage's office. The event was nearing an end, and Kakashi would be back soon. Genma would be able to give his report, go home, and crash. He was sleep-deprived, and frankly, it was hard to think straight. Five weeks was a long time to be gathering intel, and he'd been alone nearly the entire time. Three weeks in, he rendezvoused with Raido, Aoba, and Iwashi and exchanged information. Then, he was on his own again.

Genma was also extremely frustrated and annoyed. He snapped at Yuna, and he knew he was in the wrong. Still, when he saw her in that dress…it had been hard to keep his eyes off of her, and he knew lesser men would be undressing her in their minds. It was a good thing Raido wasn't here to see what she'd chosen to wear.

Raido was perhaps a bit too overprotective of Yuna. Any shinobi who so but mentioned her name outside the context of purchasing or maintaining their weapons had the fear of God put in them. It was probably overkill, but Genma knew why Raido was so careful. Civilian men were one thing, and Yuna could take care of herself with them. But shinobi held so much latent physical power, and it would be too easy for them to take advantage of her. It happened all too frequently. Most shinobi, at least in the Leaf, treated civilians with equality, but lust was also a powerful force that brought down one too many men whom Genma used to respect. Yuna was lucky that she grew up around good men…not every woman in the village was so fortunate. His own mother certainly hadn't been.

Genma rubbed the spot between his eyebrows, trying to relieve built up tension there and keep himself awake. He supposed that he might be a little overprotective of Yuna, too. He was fond of his best friend's younger sister. But sometimes he felt something more than fondness. Like tonight, when Yuna said Kakashi's name. She said that she dated Kakashi in the Infinite Tsukuyomi. That meant that Yuna desired Kakashi. Perhaps as much as Genma desired and loved his son inside of his own dream. And that sparked an intense jealousy deep inside of him that he hadn't known was there.

He sighed, letting guilt quell his bubbling feelings of envy. Regardless of his own emotions, he shouldn't have snapped at her. If only he had fourteen hours of sleep and a second chance at that conversation.

He heard footsteps coming down the hall. Kakashi, Shizune, and Tsunade rounded the corner.

"Genma, you're back," Shizune greeted, and the four streamed into the Hokage's large office.

Kakashi took off his Hokage's hat and set it on the desk. He didn't take a seat, but rather stared out the window. Genma noticed that there were more electric-powered lights outside…the new power plant must have gone up in his absence. That meant that the steel shipment came through. The first part of Raido's mission had been successful.

"Hokage-sama," he started.

"Please, Genma," the silver-haired shinobi said, turning towards him. "I'm still Kakashi. That doesn't change with the title."

Genma nodded. He appreciated this. He and Kakashi had taken very different paths as jonin, but their duties brought them into one another's circles fairly often, and he considered Kakashi a friend. He chewed his senbon. Kakashi was one of those respectful shinobi. Despite his preferred reading material, Kakashi did not take advantage of women, whether they were civilians or not. Genma shook the thought from his head. He was here to deliver his report, not ruminate about Yuna.

"Steel production is getting diverted," he said. "It's lucky the shipment came through for the power plant. What's created in the Land of Iron is heading towards the intended villages, but there's a group ambushing supply trains in the Land of Earth and taking the shipments further west."

"How far?" Kakashi asked.

"Raido, Aoba, and Iwashi told me they took out one of the teams near the border of the Land of Volcanoes."

"What is Iwagakure doing about this?" Tsunade asked.

"I had an audience with officials in the village. They are recovering from the war but sustained great loss, and their recovery is slower than ours. The city is not yet completely rebuilt, and they are unable to provide more forces than they already have. Patrols are kept close to the city. The Tsuchikage doesn't seem to think that raided steel is a pressing issue."

"He doesn't know about the damage to Raido's sword. Did you come across any other chakra blades?" Kakashi asked.

"No, but Aoba was tracking a group that had prototypes."

"We'll wait to learn more, then. In the meantime, I'll set up a meeting with the Tsuchikage. Shizune?"

"I'll send out a messenger hawk," Shizune replied, and she exited the room.

Genma closed his eyes. All he could picture was his pillow and his bed. He was about to excuse himself when Kakashi spoke again. "There's another matter I'd like to speak with you about," he started. "You're close with Raido's sister, the Namiashi girl?"

Genma stiffened and merely nodded.

"How close?"

"Why do you need to know?" he demanded.

Kakashi and Tsunade both turned to him, and in hindsight he realized how defensive he sounded.

"Close then…" Tsunade surmised, raising her eyebrows and giving him a look.

Genma tried to relax. Or feign relaxation. "I keep an eye on her when Raido can't," he explained.

Kakashi nodded, buying this. "She's forging experimental weapons that she thinks will be stronger than Namiashi steel. Her father doesn't believe in her."

"Forgive me, Kakashi, but her father's an idiot." These words, too, sounded harsher than he meant them.

Tsunade laughed. "He was a top shinobi in his day. Intelligence Division. He's not an idiot."

Genma shook his head. He was privy to the Namiashi clan's drama and had his own thoughts about their family dynamic. "He married his first wife out of duty. He married his second wife out of love. Old man Namiashi has been angry ever since his second wife died during the Third Shinobi War. He does a good job of suppressing it, but he can't see Yuna as anything other than a visible reminder of someone he'll never be able to have back." It was unfortunate that war tore families apart both physically and emotionally.

"She needs encouragement. She's capable, but she doubts herself," Kakashi told him.

"No," Genma disagreed. "Yuna's the most confident person I know." It was true. She hardly ever showed self-doubt.

"She's not confident."

"How would you know?" he accused. Genma didn't like how sure of himself Kakashi was. Genma was the one who'd grown up with her, after all. He would know his best friend's younger sister better than Kakashi. He suddenly wondered if anything happened between them while he was out on his mission, and the great beast of jealousy rose up inside of him once more.

Kakashi stared straight into Genma's eyes, but the look was sincere, and Genma immediately felt guilty for his internal assumptions. "Because," Kakashi said simply, "she's alone."

"She's not–" he began to retort, but then he stopped. He understood. Yuna had told him this herself the last time they'd seen each other…how shinobi saw her one way, civilians another, and no one understood who she truly was. "I see."

Kakashi eyed him carefully. "You understand?"

Genma shifted his senbon across his mouth and nodded.

Tsunade spoke up. "If she can find a way to combat these new chakra weapons, it would be a great asset. But she needs someone to encourage her."

"And you think that's me?"

"You and Raido. You're probably the only two who see the position she's in." Kakashi turned back to the window. "Consider it a mission while you're home," he continued. "I'm pulling together another team to protect a supply train coming through the Land of Fire. Both the Land of Waves and Kirigakure are waiting on steel, too. I'll call on you to assist with that mission when the time comes."

"Yes, sir." He turned to leave.

"One more thing, Genma."

Genma ground his teeth and turned around, wishing Kakashi would just let him go.

"Get some sleep, will you? You're bitter when you're tired."

A couple hours later, Genma lay in his bed, unable to do the one thing he wanted to do: sleep. There was nothing worse than being bone-tired and not being able to slip into sweet unconsciousness.

He was ruminating over Kakashi's second line of questioning and his own error in assuming the worst about his friend. There was a reason why the man had been chosen as the next Hokage. He saw situations clearly, and he wanted to invest in the next generation of both shinobi and villagers, Yuna included. Kakashi was a good leader, and from personal experience, Genma knew that he was also a good man. He'd be lucky to have Yuna, and Yuna would be lucky to have him. He hated admitting that.

Even though he was exhausted, he was still annoyed, now just mostly at himself and for his own behavior earlier that evening. If Yuna liked Kakashi, he had no right to stand in her way, and he knew he owed her an apology. He wondered if she was still awake. He stood up, grabbed his flak jacket and slipped it on.

A few minutes later, Genma stepped up to the blacksmith shop. A faint glowing red light was coming from the lower story, which meant Yuna was still awake and working. He walked down the side steps towards the location of the furnace. The large garage door was open, and he heard a repetitive 'clunk' as Yuna hammered some piece of metal.

She didn't hear him when he came in. She was pounding at the steel, her shoulders and arms glistening with sweat from the heat and the hard work. He watched her, realizing that her body had changed. Her arm and back muscles were much more defined, and her shoulders looked strong. She was no longer the little girl who could barely lift their weapons, no longer the little pipsqueak who begged to climb on his back and fly around the village. She had come into her own.

She stopped what she was doing, looking at the piece of metal in front of her. He cleared his throat, and she whipped around.

"What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep," he said. "I thought you might still be up."

She shoved the piece back into the fire. "Are you here to reprimand me for working so late?" She was obviously still angry.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and took a few steps forward. "No…I'm here to apologize." He looked towards the fire and saw a scrap of green fabric sticking out from the pile of wood. It was the same color as the dress she'd worn that evening.

"What for?" she asked expectantly, and he grimaced. She was going to make him work.

He chewed his lip. "For insulting you. For leaving without letting you talk. For being a general asshole."

"How about for jumping to conclusions?" she asked sharply.

Goddamn it. He turned his head away, crossing his arms. "Kakashi's a good man," he said, hating the words as they came out. "I shouldn't judge you for pursuing him, especially if you saw him in the Infinite Tsukuyomi." He shook his head, pouting just a little bit. "I didn't know you had such strong feelings for him."

Yuna just stared. "You're such an idiot," she said. And then she started laughing. She unloaded everything about her evening, about being the only civilian in attendance, about feeling out of place, about Kotetsu and Izumo, and her realizations about her father and Kakashi. She couldn't imagine dating a man just like her father.

Genma felt such immense relief, but he was still confused as to how she could let go of her dream in the Infinite Tsukuyomi so easily, and he asked her as much.

"I told you before…it's not so much what I had as the way it made me feel. My mind projected so many different things onto Kakashi, but in real life he's not the culmination of my desires. To me, he's just a good-looking blank slate for my mind to work with."

God, he was an idiot. An envious idiot who couldn't even process his own desires. He could learn a thing or two from Yuna, but he sure as hell wasn't about to tell her how different from her father Kakashi actually was. Genma looked back at the green corner of fabric in the furnace. "Did you burn your dress because of me?"

"No. I burned it because it doesn't fit."

Oh, but it looked so good on her. And now Genma considered that he might be a lesser man.

Yuna closed the door of the furnace to let the fire burn down. She wiped her hands on a towel nearby. "If you can't sleep, do you want to tell me about your mission?"

He watched her wipe sweat from her face and neck, wondering how she'd grown up so fast. Somehow, he'd completely missed it. "Sure."

They moved to the roof, and he told her the details of the mission that weren't considered classified. She would want to know anything related to the chakra steel that damaged Kokuto.

While she listened, she threw shuriken at a target across the roof. The "thwack" of metal piercing wood was methodical, and Genma watched her with interest. She was hitting the bullseye repeatedly, and her form was proper.

"When did you get so good at that?"

She grinned. "When no one was looking."

"It takes a lot of practice to do what you're doing."

Her smile faded. "No one has been looking for a long time." Her next throw was a little harder than the others, and the shuriken buried deep into the board with a "thunk."

Genma built up some chakra in his mouth and sent his senbon at the target. It intersected the center of the shuriken and stuck in the board, creating a X-like pattern.

"How do you do that?" Yuna asked, shaking her head.

"Chakra. And practice. As a kid, I practiced a lot when no one was looking, too." He got up from his seat and stood next to her, letting his arm brush up against hers. They stared at the target together. "In time, people noticed." He looked down at her. "They'll notice you, too. And if they don't, they're idiots."

She met his eyes, and he sensed her heartbeat start to pick up again. He often had this effect on women, but it had been a long time since Yuna's heart gave away her attraction. Not since she was a teenager. This was now the third time in about a month, but he was too tired to acknowledge it just yet.

"Pipsqueak, I gotta sleep. I can hardly keep my eyes open."

"Oh, that explains it." The smirk on her face was all knowing. "You're always extra grumpy when you're tired."

He blinked at her. "Huh." Kakashi had used the word 'bitter.' "So…you're saying I'm not always an asshole?"

"That is most definitely NOT what I'm saying."

He grinned, enjoying the feeling of friendly banter with her again. It was familiar. Normal. "You want to train next weekend?"

She nodded happily. "Maybe Raido will be back by then, too."

Maybe. Genma was also anxious for Raido's return. If they could get their hands on one of those chakra blades, maybe Yuna could use it to forge something better. He walked to the target and collected his senbon.

"Genma?"

He turned at the sound of his name.

"I'm glad you're back."

He placed the metal stick back into his mouth. "Me, too."

And then, she surprised him. In a few quick strides, she was next to him, wrapping her arms around him and laying her head on his shoulder. He didn't quite know how to respond, so he just placed a gentle hand on her back. He was caught by the scent of something sweet, like jasmine, mixed with smoldering pine. Her perfume mixed with the smoke from the forge. It wasn't an unpleasant combination.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"For what?" He wasn't sure he'd done anything that deserved her thanks…at least not with his behavior tonight.

When she looked at him, the glitter of tears in her eyes magnified their green and gold, as if he was staring into a kaleidoscope. "For seeing me."

Damn it, he thought. Those green eyes might just be the end of him.

He sighed and wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her close. She hadn't embraced him like this since she was a child, and it evoked a sense of nostalgic protectiveness. This time, however, it felt deeply personal.

He held her until she was ready to let go, and then he said goodbye and walked the short route home.

Only later, lying in bed once again and ruminating on the color green, did he realize that maybe his own heart had picked up its pace, too.