Fishstick

Author's note: Athame is the only one who managed to guess the theme song so far. She guessed it quick too.

This chapter is a bit shorter but it just kind of turned out that way. Not sure why. Well hope you guys like it anyways.

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Iruka smiled to himself as he headed back to the office. It was nice to have somebody around willing to actually listen to his advice. Kakashi would ask his opinion, nod like he understood, and then ignore it. Honestly, at times it seemed the man asked simply so he could confirm that it was exactly NOT what he wanted to do. Oh well, for today the great, all-knowing, pain in the ass could ask Kurenai for advice he had no intention of following. Iruka intended to spend the rest of his day having some fun.

He pushed the door open to the mission room and smiled. "Hey Kotetsu, Izumo."

"Hey, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be cracking the whip over the Hokage?" the spikey-haired chunin asked grinning up at him.

"I'm taking the afternoon off to help a friend." He walked up to the desk and leaned on it. "I need to see a list of your D-rank missions."

"Izumo, I think he's finally lost it."

"It's not exactly for me. I told you, I'm helping a friend. He just happens to have a genin team." Iruka took the list from Kotetsu and scanned it. "Hmm... Give me numbers 4, 6, and 10." After tucking the scrolls in his pack, he wrote a quick note and gave it to Izumo. "Give this to Kakashi for me." He waved to his two old friends as he headed out the door.

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Iruka was leaning against the wall next to the entrance of the hotsprings, with his arms crossed over his chest, when Tenzou and the kids showed up. He smirked and pulled out the scrolls.

Asuma whined the minute he saw them. "Do we have to Iruka-sensei? It was just a genjutsu. It's not like I hurt anyone..."

Iruka frowned at him. "And, if one them had run, slipped, and broken something?" He asked, an eyebrow raised giving his face a look that said he knew all to well the consequences of pulling pranks without thinking.

The three genin had the sense not to protest when he handed each of them a scroll.

"Baby-sitting at the orphanage? Sensei, you have an evil streak." Kawa turned to her teammates, peering at their own scrolls. "What'd you two get?" She asked curiously as the other girl unrolled hers.

"Reading to Takahashi-san." Aki got a rather defeated look on her face as she stared at the scroll. "I bet she makes me read all those letters from her grandson and then..." The girls shoulders slumped forward as the thought filled her head. "And then, she's going to try and convince me I should date him. The last time I saw her, Anko-kun wouldn't stop teasing me for a week. She even said she would invite him over for tea next time he was in town if 'I wanted her to.' Like I would ever want that."

Asuma chuckled at his friend's horror until Aki turned and glared at him. However, he was still grinning as he unrolled his own scroll. Then the words on the page filtered through the amusement and his face fell.

"What is it Asuma-kun?" Aki asked curiously. Kawa leaned on her shoulder ever bright and cheerful despite the impending torture.

"Nara-san is requesting assistance helping with an afternoon field trip that he's taking the academy students on."

"Haha! That's what you get for laughing at me. Yours is so much worse than mine!"

Asuma turned to the older shinobi. "Iruka-sensei, what does any of this have to do with what we did? And, why are we at the hotsprings if we're not going to be cleaning it or something?"

"Well, first of all, the only connection between what you did and your punishment is that if you guys aren't together you won't get into so much mischief." He smiled softly at each of them before continuing.

"As for why we're here... just because you three are in trouble doesn't mean Tenzou-sensei or myself should have to suffer through the punishment, too." Iruka smiled briefly at the other man before turning another stern look on the kids. "And, don't think you can get away with anything because Tenzou-sensei will be watching you very carefully with kage bushin."

Three sets of eyes darted from him to their sensei and back again. It took a great deal of self restraint not to laugh when the three fishmouthed simultaneously. He did however allow a smirk to sneak across his features.

A puff of air drew his attention to Tenzou, who now stood beside the bushin. "You three had better get started, or you won't get done in time to eat dinner at a decent hour," Tenzou said, giving them his ghoul eyes. For once getting a reaction out of them as all three of them shuddered before heading off to their tasks.

"Now, why did it work that time?" The man seemed genuinely confused.

"They were probably more horrified by the whole situation than the look," he said patting Tenzou on the shoulder, who slumped slightly at the comment.

"You're probably right."

"That or they're finally beginning to realize you have an evil streak of your own. You really were being too nice to them." Gently, he pushed his new friend towards the door.

"I guess I got used to not having to use more severe tactics. ANBU follow orders as they're supposed to."

"Naruto doesn't."

"The ghoul eyes work on him, and, if all else fails, I just threaten to tell his precious Iruka-sensei on him. That works even better than the ghoul eyes." Tenzou smiled lightly at him.

Iruka laughed and shook his head. "I can't believe the threat of no ramen still works on him. He could just buy his own now."

"Hmm... I don't quite think that's why it works." Tenzou smirked, and Iruka felt a blush spread across his cheeks. "I think he would be devestated if he ever disappointed you."

The blush deepened at the compliment. "They've been lucky to have you for their captain." Iruka gave the old woman at the front desk two bath tokens and thanked her for the baskets she gave him in return.

"I'm not as good with them as Kakashi-san." He accepted the basket Iruka offered him with a smile.

"Kakashi doesn't seem to agree. After all, he appointed you their leader when he became hokage."

Iruka decided not to mention the way Kakashi sulked when they all left the village on a mission, leaving him behind. As amusing as it might be, he decided Tenzou might take it to mean Kakashi didn't trust him. The copy-nin worried about his former teammates, but him moping about wasn't caused by that, so much as his desire to be out there with them.

They headed for the showers and the conversation shifted from the team to the latest gossip. Iruka knew more of the comings and goings than most. Although, his information came mostly from Kurenai and Anko, who were two of the worst gossips Iruka knew of. They always had been, though. Knowing there was little he could do to quell their nosy behavior, he used it to his advantage. As a result, he knew all the interesting little details of his comrades, both in and out of the field.

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Iruka smiled softly as he headed home. It had been nice spending time with Tenzou, and, when they'd parted ways, it had been with an invitation to dinner as a thank you for his help. He was surprised at the warm feeling it caused. For the second time that day, he thought of how nice it was to have somebody around who took him seriously.