Fishstick

"Why does he do things like this to me?" Tenzou muttered as they walked towards the ramen stand the chunin was so fond of. "I swear he gets some kind of perverse pleasure from it."

Iruka nodded, keeping step with him despite his slow pace. "Trust me, he does. Of course, I think he gets perverse pleasure out of irritating just about everyone, Kurenai included, so don't take it too personally."

Tenzou sighed. "It's hard not to when he does it deliberately."

"Kakashi's not that bad. I think it's his somewhat unique attempt at showing affection."

"Where do you get that idea?" He'd always thought so, but he'd decided a long time ago it was just him hoping that was the reason the silver-haired shinobi did the things he did. It was almost weird to hear somebody else say it.

"Well..." Iruka started, biting his lip and staring at the road and his feet thoughtfully. "I guess it's from the way he treated Team 7 all those years. I mean, he was hard on them, and, yes, he thought giving them ridiculous tasks was entertaining, but he usually had a good reason for it." The chunin turned and smiled at him. "I'm not even sure he's aware of it himself. He doesn't like to admit he cares so much about people."

He stared at the man beside him, surprised by the insight.

"He does care. I think Tsunade-sama saw that better than any of us when she appointed him to replace her. She wouldn't have appointed somebody who didn't care deeply for the people of Konoha. After all, a hokage has to be willing to die for the village."

"So do shinobi." Honestly, he agreed with the point but still.

"Not exactly. A shinobi has to be willing to live and fight for Konoha above even dying for her. In some ways, that is harder, until you consider that the Hokage has to be willing to stand back and sacrifice those they would truly sooner die to protect than send on missions they know often mean death."

Tenzou decided that Iruka-san must have thought about this a lot. Probably when he was angry with Kakashi-senpai for not doing his work.

"Sorry," Iruka said smiling at him. "I'm rambling."

"I don't mind," he said, realizing that he really didn't. Iruka was nice. Nice? Tenzou wondered when the last time was that he'd described a shinobi as nice was and actually have it be a compliment. Usually, he thought they were interesting, different, skilled, talented, even irritating in that special charming way Kakashi-senpai was. But rarely nice. That's usually something he ascribed to civilians. His land lady was nice. The grocer was nice. Heck, the lady who cleaned his apartment was nice.

It took him a moment to realize that Iruka was still talking to him, and that he had asked him a question. "Hm?"

"So, why do you like Kakashi?"

"Well..." It had taken him forever to figure it out himself. "Because Kakashi doesn't see anyone except me when he looks at me."

Iruka stared at him, confusion displayed in his eyes.

"Usually, when people realize what my abilities are, they look at me differently. First, they're impressed. Then, they're confused as to why I have my abilities. And, then, depending on the person, they either look at me with sympathy because of how I got them, fear because of the person responsible for that, or, what has to be the worst, awe. Like they're seeing the First and not me anymore." He paused, studying the other man's face. The expression seemed contemplative. "Kakashi-senpai was the first person to not do any of that. He just... blinked. I think he was actually surprised. But, after that, nothing. He looked at me like he did before, and I never got the feeling it was an act."

"I see..." The chunin said, looking as though something had clicked into place for him. "Ah, here we are. What kind of ramen do you want?"

"Miso, please." Yamato sat down on one of the stools. It surprised him to find they were the only ones there.

-----

They followed from a safe distance, surely their sensei wouldn't notice them from all the way back here. After all, beyond the trail he was leaving, Aoimaru couldn't even smell him from this distance.

"Can you hear what they're saying?" Aki asked, turning to look at the girl beside her as she brushed the purple and brown strands out of her face.

"I can't make out the words. I think I heard them say something about the Rokudaime. We could get a little closer..."

"They'll catch us," Asuma said in a hushed voice.

"Nah, Tenzou-sensei is too busy talking to Iruka-sensei. Besides, how are we supposed to know if he knows if we don't get closer. What if Iruka-sensei already knows and is going to tell him?" Kawa sounded nervous.

"Iruka-sensei doesn't know. They were talking to Kakashi the whole time I was doing the genjutsu, right, Aki-chan?"

"Right, but still he's talking to Iruka-sensei, and you know how he always just kind of knew when we'd done something... Maybe we should just get a little closer so we can, you know, keep an ear open just in case." The three kids looked at each other and then edged over until they were within hearing distance, only one stand away.

---------

Tenzou knew they were following him, he knew they'd been up to something, and he knew eventually he'd find out what. For now, he just had to figure out what to do about whatever they'd done.

"So, Iruka-san, what made you give up teaching pre-genin and deal with Kakashi-senpai." He'd been wondering for awhile, but he and Iruka didn't really spend a lot of time around each other, and it was always when they were busy dealing with the Rokudaime.

"You really think getting Kakashi to do his paperwork is all that different from getting a ten-year-old to do his homework?" Iruka asked, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Tenzou laughed and shook his head. "I suppose not."

"What can I say, I like a challenge." Iruka winked at him before taking another bite of his ramen. "Besides, I couldn't leave poor Asuma-kun to deal with him. Kurenai would have been pulling her hair out, and Asuma would never learn how important it is to actually be on time. And, let's not go into Kakashi's choices for bedtime reading."

"Just don't tell me that he subconsciously chose you so that he'd get work done. I'm not sure what he was thinking, but I doubt that it was anything along those lines," Tenzou said, laughing.

"Actually, it was at Kurenai's request. Kakashi's a genius. He knows better than to piss her off. At least, that's what he claims." It made Tenzou wonder if that was the real reason, sometimes his senpai surprised him.

"So, you got to babysit two kids instead of fifteen to twenty?"

"Actually, four, if you count Aki and Kawa, too. Those kids have been attached at the hips for years. Although, Kakashi is almost worse than the other three, and now, with the two little ones, it's starting to feel like I'm back at the academy." Iruka handed his now empty bowl to Ayame.

"Can I get you anything else, Umino-san?" The girl asked, smiling.

"Just some tea."

"How did you manage? They're worse than Naruto."

"You just have to know their weaknesses and their secrets," Iruka said, smirking.

"Secrets?" Tenzou asked, beyond curious.

Iruka nodded. "Like the fact that Asuma-kun wet the bed until he was eight. He'd make up the silliest reasons not to have a sleep-over with the girls just so they wouldn't find out. Kawa-chan is still scared of the dark. Used to scare herself senseless with ghost stories when they finally did start having sleep overs, all so the other two would be so scared they'd leave a light on. And our dear sweet Aki-chan won't sleep without her baby blanket. She hides it in her pillow case."

"You're evil, Iruka-san," Tenzou said, chuckling softly.

----

"I did not!" Asuma protested weakly, his face turning an impressive shade of red.

"He's lying!" Kawa shouted, before covering her mouth with her hands.

"No, he's not." The blush on Aki's face rivaled the one on Asuma's. "But, I think we'd better keep Iruka-sensei from giving away any more of our secrets. Especially to Tenzou-sensei." She stood up from where she was crouched on the roof. "Let's go."

The three genin and Aoimaru jumped down and headed to the ramen stand. "Iruka-Sensei!" Aki said, throwing her arms around him. "Buy us ramen, please, please, please?"

Iruka raised an eyebrow at her. "Nice imitation of Naruto, but given what you've been up to. Not today."

"We haven't been up to anything, Iruka-sensei." The three genin, and even Aoimaru, put on their innocent faces.

Iruka laughed and shook his head. "Tenzou-sensei already told me what you did this morning."

"Aw, come on please?" They whined.

"Maybe later, if you're good."

-----

He studied the three genin, trying to decide what they were up to.

"Tenzou-sensei, are we going to do anymore training today?" Aki asked, seemingly innocently.

"After lunch," he said, as he secretly thought, 'And, after I've figured out a way to punish you three.'

The kids ordered tea and whispered amongst themselves, occasionally looking in Tenzou and Iruka's direction. Tenzou tried to pretend he couldn't hear the hushed "You think he knows?", and instead tried to focus on his and Iruka's conversation, which had shifted to politics.

"There they are! And, how convenient that their sensei is with them!" An angry voice growled from down the street. He cringed inwardly. Why did Kakashi have to assign him to /this/ team?

"May I help you ladies?" He asked politely, as the five rather irate women walked up to him.

"Those kids of yours should be kept on a leash! That dog of theirs is better behaved than they are," the oldest of the women, a gray-haired, wrinkled hag said as she jabbed a finger in the direction of his team. "Honestly, if they're supposed to be the next generation of shinobi, I hope I'm dead before they make chunin!"

Tenzou was grateful for his ANBU training. Otherwise, he would have burst out laughing at the statement. As it was, it took all his self-restraint not to pat her on the shoulder and tell her she had nothing to worry about then.

"May I ask, what exactly it is my team has done to upset you so much?"

"Frogs!" This was a slightly younger woman, the gray just barely beginning to show in her red hair.

"Frogs?" Okay, they definitely had his attention.

"Yes. Frogs." The older woman said again, sending a glare at the genin. Tenzou looked at his team, who were doing their best innocent act. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Those heathens!" The woman was nearing the incoherent point of rage. "They set frogs loose in the women's bath house!"

"Hundreds," said the twenty-something brunette from her position behind the redhead.

"Ah," Tenzou said, nodding. "Well, I assure you I will find an appropriate way to deal with the situation. I apologize for their inexcusable behavior, and I assure you that it will /never/ happen again." He shot a look at his team.

"You had better, or I swear we'll take this to the Hokage himself."

"No need for that. It will be taken care of," he assured them.

After several more assurances that he would punish them, harshly, the women left.

"Well, so much for my lunch." Sighing, Tenzou pushed the rest of his ramen away. "Now, what to do with you three... Maybe I should hand you over to Iruka-san and let him deal with you, since you obviously listen to him a bit better than me." He was exasperated, and only half serious.

Three sets of eyes went wide. "Please, no! We'll be good! We swear!" The three chorused.

"Instead of just handing them over to me, why don't I help you so you can learn exactly how to deal with them when they don't behave," Iruka said, grinning brightly and patting him on the shoulder.

"No, no, no, please, Tenzou-sensei?" The three kids were practically hiding behind him as they begged.

"I would greatly appreciate the help Iruka-san," he said completely ignoring the pleading.

"Well then, give me an hour to arrange my schedule, and I'll meet you guys at the hot springs." Iruka dropped some money on the counter before waving and heading off in the direction of the hokage's office.

"Sensei, you're so mean!" Aki whined. "Iruka-sensei is evil! I swear he never lets us have any fun."

Tenzou shook his head and asked Ayame for his ticket.

"Umino-san took care of it."

"Fine, give me the kids' then."

"He took care of that, too." She smiled at him brightly as she cleared the counter.

"Oh... okay."

---

Author's note: In case you couldn't guess, Asuma is a bit shy, Kawa is a loud mouth - kind of like her uncle, and Aki is the one able to keep her cool which is why she's the unofficial leader.