Categories > Anime/Manga > Naruto > Ain't Misbehavin'
Chapter 6: Moonlight and Juniper
Kakashi silently climbed to the top of the rise and paused by a large tree. Below him he could see the road that separated this section of the woods and the Hyuuga home. The moon was full, bathing everything in a pale light. He crouched down in the shadows of some juniper bushes, all his senses on edge, focusing on every sound, analyzing and mentally eliminating anything he heard that didn't pose a threat. He reached behind him and pulled a kunai from his pack, holding it lightly in his fingers. He ignored a startled woodcock that flew past him, concentrating only on any human-created noises, however faint.
The human-created noises weren't particularly faint at all, at this point. With all the rustling and muttering they were doing, Kakashi could tell who was approaching well before they came into view. He shook his head and slipped the kunai back into his pack.
The first figure to appear was Jiraiya. Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Hair of the dog, I guess. The Sannin stood near the base of the tree, only a few feet from where Kakashi was hiding, and looked around, inspecting his surroundings. A few moments later, Iruka burst into the little clearing. Jiraiya turned to him, clearly annoyed.
"Geez, you're a pest!" he remarked testily.
"Let's just say I'm providing objectivity for your /research/!" Iruka hissed back.
"Don't you have to go help an old lady cross the street somewhere?"
"No, but I think I need to help an old man to not cross the boundaries of propriety!"
Jiraiya's mouth hung open for a moment, then twisted into a smirk. "Oh, you did not just say that!"
"Yeah, actually, I did!"
"You wanna know what I think?" Jiraiya stepped towards the young chunin.
"I think you guys sound like an old married couple."
The two men standing in the clearing both gave a startled jump, Iruka immediately going for his kunai. When he saw Kakashi rise from the bushes, he dropped his hand and straightened up.
Jiraiya waved a trembling finger at the jonin. "That was not cool! I'm in a fragile state right now."
Kakashi contemplated the two for a few moments, an amused smile playing under his mask. "So, should I bother asking why you two should happen to be out here together?"
"Well," Jiraiya pointed to Iruka. "He's here 'cause I couldn't shake him."
Iruka jabbed an angry finger in the Sannin's direction. "He's trying to spy on Naruto and Hinata!" He glared at him with contempt. "He says he's researching a book!"
Jiraiya snickered and leaned towards Kakashi. "I told him I was gonna call it Icha Icha Puberty!" He nudged the jonin in the ribs. "You should've seen the look on his face!"
Kakashi shook his head. "He's not really going to do that, Iruka," he explained with weary patience. He thought for a moment then turned to Jiraiya. "You're not, really?"
Jiraiya looked up at a large tree branch about thirty or forty feet above them. "Maybe."
Iruka folded his arms and smoldered. "I didn't actually believe him," he muttered.
"Sure you didn't." Jiraiya bent his knees slightly and sprang into the air, coming to a landing on the tree branch.
Swearing under his breath, Iruka started to crouch, focusing his chakra in the soles of his feet.
"I'm not unsympathetic to how you feel, Iruka," Kakashi said. Iruka paused. "But even with having his system totally saturated with alcohol, he could still roll you up in a ball and knock you out of the park."
"Whatever!" Iruka snapped irritably. "What does that old fart think he's doing?"
Kakashi shrugged. "Taking an interest in his former pupil?"
"Well, he's my former pupil, too! I just-" Iruka shook his head. "This is something that's really important to those kids. How would you feel if someone was spying on you and your girlfriend?"
/You have no idea/! Kakashi thought. "So are you here to keep Jiraiya from immortalizing their first kiss in literature?"
"I said I didn't believe that!" Iruka hissed angrily. He suddenly looked at Kakashi curiously. "Why are you here?"
Kakashi shrugged. "I was taking a walk. Listen, Iruka. Naruto's my student, too. I'm just as concerned with looking out for him as you are, and actually, so is Jiraiya. His interest in Naruto is just as-well-paternal as ours. Besides," he added with a slight grin, "aren't you a little curious yourself about how well Naruto's going to make out? Figuratively speaking?"
"You'll get a great view from here!" they heard Jiraiya say from up above them.
Iruka glared up at him for a moment, then looked back at Kakashi, hesitating. "Okay. But I'm doing this to keep an eye on him, too!" He stabbed a finger up at Jiraiya.
"Of course." They both vaulted into the air. Kakashi landed where the branch joined with the trunk and stood leaning back. Iruka settled further out on the broad tree limb close to Jiraiya, who sat with his legs dangling in the air. For several minutes the three men quietly watched the road below them. Or rather, two of them watched the road. The one standing with his back to the tree watched them.
"Well, isn't this cozy?" Jiraiya finally remarked.
"Hmm!" was all Iruka would say.
Several more minutes passed in silence. Then Jiraiya said quietly, "He's a good kid."
Iruka glanced at him and, after a moment, he nodded. "He is."
"Despite being a bit of a dork," Kakashi added.
"Aww, that's what makes him so lovable!" Jiraiya replied. He swung his legs, shaking the branch. Iruka grabbed it to keep his balance. "Isn't this nice, the three of us here, waiting to watch the fruits of our labor."
"This wasn't exactly part of Academy curricula," Iruka commented.
"Oh, you know what I mean!" Jiraiya said impatiently. "We've all had a hand in raising this kid. Yes, I realize this has absolutely nothing to do with shinobi training, but it's-" He suddenly grabbed Iruka's arm.
"What?" Iruka tensed, startled.
"They're coming!" Jiraiya whispered excitedly. He pointed down to the road below them.
Walking slowly up the road towards the Hyuuga home were Naruto and Hinata. They were holding hands, and Naruto had his head lowered a little, saying something close to Hinata's ear. The three men in the tree could see the girl scrunch up her shoulders as though she were being tickled.
Jiraiya ground his fists into his cheeks. "Ooh! That's so cute!!"
"Shhh!" the other two warned.
Naruto looked up the road. They were now a few yards away from the gate to Hinata's house. The two stopped and turned to face each other, both of them smiling shyly.
"Umm-well-I had a really nice time," Naruto said.
Hinata nodded. "I did, too."
Naruto cast about for something else to say before he had to say good bye. "How about that tempura ice cream Ichiraku made? Wasn't that great?"
"Yes! He's a nice man."
"Yeah, he's the best!" Naruto shifted his feet nervously. Their conversation before had started to flow so easily, and now it seemed to have ground to a halt.
"I should probably go in," Hinata said quietly. "I don't want my father to get angry."
"Oh, yeah, I guess not."
"Get the hell on with it!" Jiraiya muttered between clenched teeth.
"Well, I guess I'll see you around, y'know, tomorrow," Naruto mumbled.
Hinata smiled at him in reply. She could hear Ino's voice echoing in her mind. /You might need to make the first move. This is Naruto we're talking about/! At the time, Hinata didn't think she could manage that, but now she was starting to feel a little more venturesome. She closed her eyes and tilted her face up.
"Ooh, you little minx!" Jiraiya remarked approvingly.
It took Naruto a few seconds to realize what was going on, but, bless his little heart, it finally clicked in his mind. He took a deep breath and lowered his head a little. He kept his eyes opened just slightly, not being exactly sure where to put his nose, and briefly touched his lips to Hinata's.
The slumbering Kuuybi opened a startled eye. /What the hell/...
Naruto took it for granted that Hinata's lips would be soft, but he wasn't quite prepared for just how soft. It almost startled him and he drew his head back, gazing at the girl's face. Her eyes blinked open to look at him.
"Come on, Naruto, you can do better than that!" Iruka whispered, then glanced at Jiraiya guiltily. The older man grinned back at him and gave his a friendly punch on the arm.
/They're kind of like...flower petals/! Naruto thought, his eyes traveling over the soft curves of the girl's mouth. Bending his head down again, this time not particularly concerned about his nose, he gave her another light kiss.
The Kyuubi rolled its eyes disdainfully. Idiot boy! it rumbled. /Like THIS/!
Naruto gave a sudden, sharp intake of breath. He gazed intently into Hinata's eyes for a moment, his blond brows furrowed slightly over his nose. He then grasped her by the waist, and drawing her close to him, covered her mouth with his. Hinata gave a little gasp, surprised by the masterful yet gentle pressure on her lips. She raised her arms and wound them around his neck, pulling herself closer.
Kakashi raised his eyebrows in approval. "Damn!" he said quietly.
"Is anybody timing this?" Iruka asked.
"Wow!" Jiraiya snickered.
/There. That girl's gonna stay kissed/, the Kyuubi growled, curling its tail around itself and going back to sleep.
The young couple's lips slowly parted. Their eyes opened, but Hinata just missed seeing Naruto's eyes turn from red back to blue. They continued to stand with their arms around each other, their foreheads touching lightly, smiles playing on their lips.
A loud, moist crack echoed through the woods. Startled, the three men in the tree looked at each other. The branch they were on started to dip lower, and with a sharp groaning noise, it separated itself completely from the tree.
Quickly raising his arms, Kakashi grasped a branch just above his head and hung there, watching the limb he was standing on fall away before he let himself drop, cat-like, to the ground.
Iruka began his descent face down, watching the look of wide-eyed shock on Jiraiya's face just below him. Iruka arched himself backwards, kicked his legs up and over, and with a slight stumble, landed on his feet. Jiraiya crashed into the waiting arms of a large juniper bush.
Naruto and Hinata both jumped, startled. They stared off into the woods across the road.
"/Hinata/!" Hiashi's stern voice rang out from within the family compound. "/What the hell is going on out there/!"
"Oh!" Hinata glanced quickly towards her house, then back at Naruto, stepping away from him. "I have to go!"
Naruto grasped her hand. "I want to see you tomorrow!"
"You will!" Hinata hesitated for a moment, then gave him a light kiss before slipping through the gate and into her house.
Naruto stared after her for a few moments, a contended smile on his face. He then looked over his shoulder to the woods behind him, and smelling a good fight, he turned and bounded across the road and up the rise.
Crashing through a thick hedge of bushes, he came to a small clearing below a large tree. A thick branch lay on the ground. Standing near it, leaning on each other and crowing helplessly with laughter, were Kakashi and Iruka. Sticking out of a large, slightly damaged looking juniper bush were what looked like Jiraiya's legs. One of his getas were missing, and the other was dangling by a strap off of his pinkie toe.
Naruto stared at the group, mystified. "Ero-Sennin!" he cried. "What are you doing in that bush?"
"Oooh," a groan emanated from within the fronds of juniper. "My...left...testicle..."
Kakashi's and Iruka's laughter renewed its intensity. Naruto glared at them with the irritation people have when not let in on a joke. "Somebody want to tell me what's going on?"
Kakashi finally gasped for air and wiped his eye. "Oh, man, that was stupid funny!"
"What happened!" Naruto demanded between clenched teeth.
Iruka dragged his sleeve across his eyes. "It's kind of hard to explain."
Naruto shook his head and stepped over to the bush, peering down into it. Jiraiya waved weakly at him and gave him a shaky thumbs up. "Solid work!" he wheezed. "Ten out of ten!"
"Huh?" Naruto stared at him puzzled. Then he suddenly drew himself up in indignation. "Hey! Were you spying on us, Ero-Sennin?" He spun around to glare accusingly at the other two. "Was that what you were all doing?"
Iruka held up his hands, still chuckling. "It's not like-" he started to say, then Kakashi gave him a shove.
"Hey, don't you have to be somewhere?" the silver-haired jonin asked him.
Iruka stared back at him, and the mirth died on his lips. His eyes widened. "Oh, shit!" He leapt up into a nearby tree and bounded away through the branches.
Naruto crossed his arms and glared resentfully at Kakashi. "I can't believe you guys were all in on this."
"No, Jiraiya was the only one spying on you," Kakashi explained. "Iruka was watching him, and I was keeping an eye on them so they didn't kill each other."
"Hmm," Naruto conceded grudgingly.
Kakashi smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. "I have to go take care of something. Can you get Jiraiya home?"
Naruto shrugged and grinned. The feeling of exhilarated pleasure he was still glowing with crowded out any leftover resentment. "Sure."
"Thanks. And, Naruto..."
"Yeah?"
"Nicely done," Kakashi said, and vanished into the shadows.
---------------------------------
Iruka caromed off walls and roofs with a speed and agility borne of desperation on his way back to the ramen stand. Landing at a run, he pounded up the street. Nearing the stand, he slowed, his eyes searching desperately. Standing near the lantern outside was Ayame. She had changed out of her working clothes and was wearing a silky light blue camisole top and a soft, dark skirt. Her dark hair, free of its scarf, flowed loosely over her bare shoulders. She stood with a slightly worried look on her face, looking down the other end of the street. Turning the other way, she saw Iruka approaching, and she smiled.
Iruka paused, momentarily transfixed. He could not remember seeing anyone or anything as beautiful as she did at that moment. He strode up to her and she started to open her mouth to speak. Before she could say anything, he gathered her up in his arms and kissed her passionately.
An elderly couple walked by, and the wife's gaze lingered on the younger couple locked in each other's arms, completely oblivious to the rest of the world. She gave her husband a sock in the arm.
"How come you never kiss me like that anymore?" she grumbled.
The old man rolled his eyes. This again! "I don't have any teeth," he grumbled back.
--------------------------------------
Epilogue
They had made a long circuit of the roads through the woods, not going in any particular direction, just strolling comfortably along. She had her arm wrapped around his waist. His arm was draped over her shoulders, her fingers entwined between his. The bright, full moon washed the road with its mellow light. Their steps slowed and stopped. They turned to each other and he drew her close to him. Their lips met and they kissed, slowly and deeply.
From the woods somewhere off to the right, they heard a curious sound. They looked at each other, puzzled, straining their ears to listen.
"What is that?" Ayame whispered. "It sounds like someone singing."
Iruka listened for another moment. "You're right!" he whispered back. He could just make out a man's voice.
When I'm takin' sips
From your tasty lips
Seems the honey fairly drips.
You're confection, goodness knows!
Honeysuckle rose!
They thought they could hear a faint giggle.
"I wonder who it is," Ayame said, intrigued.
"I don't know." Iruka peered into the shadows beyond the trees. "I-"
"What?"
"Um-nothing." Iruka shook his head. He turned back to her, smiling. "I think whoever it is, they probably want to be alone."
Ayame wound her arms around his waist. "I'll bet they do."
Oh, mercy!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
AN: Well, there it is. These pairings will be continued in "Pink and Blue Blues," part three of what has turned into a trilogy, Kakashi and Sakura being foremost, if you're into that.
Kakashi silently climbed to the top of the rise and paused by a large tree. Below him he could see the road that separated this section of the woods and the Hyuuga home. The moon was full, bathing everything in a pale light. He crouched down in the shadows of some juniper bushes, all his senses on edge, focusing on every sound, analyzing and mentally eliminating anything he heard that didn't pose a threat. He reached behind him and pulled a kunai from his pack, holding it lightly in his fingers. He ignored a startled woodcock that flew past him, concentrating only on any human-created noises, however faint.
The human-created noises weren't particularly faint at all, at this point. With all the rustling and muttering they were doing, Kakashi could tell who was approaching well before they came into view. He shook his head and slipped the kunai back into his pack.
The first figure to appear was Jiraiya. Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Hair of the dog, I guess. The Sannin stood near the base of the tree, only a few feet from where Kakashi was hiding, and looked around, inspecting his surroundings. A few moments later, Iruka burst into the little clearing. Jiraiya turned to him, clearly annoyed.
"Geez, you're a pest!" he remarked testily.
"Let's just say I'm providing objectivity for your /research/!" Iruka hissed back.
"Don't you have to go help an old lady cross the street somewhere?"
"No, but I think I need to help an old man to not cross the boundaries of propriety!"
Jiraiya's mouth hung open for a moment, then twisted into a smirk. "Oh, you did not just say that!"
"Yeah, actually, I did!"
"You wanna know what I think?" Jiraiya stepped towards the young chunin.
"I think you guys sound like an old married couple."
The two men standing in the clearing both gave a startled jump, Iruka immediately going for his kunai. When he saw Kakashi rise from the bushes, he dropped his hand and straightened up.
Jiraiya waved a trembling finger at the jonin. "That was not cool! I'm in a fragile state right now."
Kakashi contemplated the two for a few moments, an amused smile playing under his mask. "So, should I bother asking why you two should happen to be out here together?"
"Well," Jiraiya pointed to Iruka. "He's here 'cause I couldn't shake him."
Iruka jabbed an angry finger in the Sannin's direction. "He's trying to spy on Naruto and Hinata!" He glared at him with contempt. "He says he's researching a book!"
Jiraiya snickered and leaned towards Kakashi. "I told him I was gonna call it Icha Icha Puberty!" He nudged the jonin in the ribs. "You should've seen the look on his face!"
Kakashi shook his head. "He's not really going to do that, Iruka," he explained with weary patience. He thought for a moment then turned to Jiraiya. "You're not, really?"
Jiraiya looked up at a large tree branch about thirty or forty feet above them. "Maybe."
Iruka folded his arms and smoldered. "I didn't actually believe him," he muttered.
"Sure you didn't." Jiraiya bent his knees slightly and sprang into the air, coming to a landing on the tree branch.
Swearing under his breath, Iruka started to crouch, focusing his chakra in the soles of his feet.
"I'm not unsympathetic to how you feel, Iruka," Kakashi said. Iruka paused. "But even with having his system totally saturated with alcohol, he could still roll you up in a ball and knock you out of the park."
"Whatever!" Iruka snapped irritably. "What does that old fart think he's doing?"
Kakashi shrugged. "Taking an interest in his former pupil?"
"Well, he's my former pupil, too! I just-" Iruka shook his head. "This is something that's really important to those kids. How would you feel if someone was spying on you and your girlfriend?"
/You have no idea/! Kakashi thought. "So are you here to keep Jiraiya from immortalizing their first kiss in literature?"
"I said I didn't believe that!" Iruka hissed angrily. He suddenly looked at Kakashi curiously. "Why are you here?"
Kakashi shrugged. "I was taking a walk. Listen, Iruka. Naruto's my student, too. I'm just as concerned with looking out for him as you are, and actually, so is Jiraiya. His interest in Naruto is just as-well-paternal as ours. Besides," he added with a slight grin, "aren't you a little curious yourself about how well Naruto's going to make out? Figuratively speaking?"
"You'll get a great view from here!" they heard Jiraiya say from up above them.
Iruka glared up at him for a moment, then looked back at Kakashi, hesitating. "Okay. But I'm doing this to keep an eye on him, too!" He stabbed a finger up at Jiraiya.
"Of course." They both vaulted into the air. Kakashi landed where the branch joined with the trunk and stood leaning back. Iruka settled further out on the broad tree limb close to Jiraiya, who sat with his legs dangling in the air. For several minutes the three men quietly watched the road below them. Or rather, two of them watched the road. The one standing with his back to the tree watched them.
"Well, isn't this cozy?" Jiraiya finally remarked.
"Hmm!" was all Iruka would say.
Several more minutes passed in silence. Then Jiraiya said quietly, "He's a good kid."
Iruka glanced at him and, after a moment, he nodded. "He is."
"Despite being a bit of a dork," Kakashi added.
"Aww, that's what makes him so lovable!" Jiraiya replied. He swung his legs, shaking the branch. Iruka grabbed it to keep his balance. "Isn't this nice, the three of us here, waiting to watch the fruits of our labor."
"This wasn't exactly part of Academy curricula," Iruka commented.
"Oh, you know what I mean!" Jiraiya said impatiently. "We've all had a hand in raising this kid. Yes, I realize this has absolutely nothing to do with shinobi training, but it's-" He suddenly grabbed Iruka's arm.
"What?" Iruka tensed, startled.
"They're coming!" Jiraiya whispered excitedly. He pointed down to the road below them.
Walking slowly up the road towards the Hyuuga home were Naruto and Hinata. They were holding hands, and Naruto had his head lowered a little, saying something close to Hinata's ear. The three men in the tree could see the girl scrunch up her shoulders as though she were being tickled.
Jiraiya ground his fists into his cheeks. "Ooh! That's so cute!!"
"Shhh!" the other two warned.
Naruto looked up the road. They were now a few yards away from the gate to Hinata's house. The two stopped and turned to face each other, both of them smiling shyly.
"Umm-well-I had a really nice time," Naruto said.
Hinata nodded. "I did, too."
Naruto cast about for something else to say before he had to say good bye. "How about that tempura ice cream Ichiraku made? Wasn't that great?"
"Yes! He's a nice man."
"Yeah, he's the best!" Naruto shifted his feet nervously. Their conversation before had started to flow so easily, and now it seemed to have ground to a halt.
"I should probably go in," Hinata said quietly. "I don't want my father to get angry."
"Oh, yeah, I guess not."
"Get the hell on with it!" Jiraiya muttered between clenched teeth.
"Well, I guess I'll see you around, y'know, tomorrow," Naruto mumbled.
Hinata smiled at him in reply. She could hear Ino's voice echoing in her mind. /You might need to make the first move. This is Naruto we're talking about/! At the time, Hinata didn't think she could manage that, but now she was starting to feel a little more venturesome. She closed her eyes and tilted her face up.
"Ooh, you little minx!" Jiraiya remarked approvingly.
It took Naruto a few seconds to realize what was going on, but, bless his little heart, it finally clicked in his mind. He took a deep breath and lowered his head a little. He kept his eyes opened just slightly, not being exactly sure where to put his nose, and briefly touched his lips to Hinata's.
The slumbering Kuuybi opened a startled eye. /What the hell/...
Naruto took it for granted that Hinata's lips would be soft, but he wasn't quite prepared for just how soft. It almost startled him and he drew his head back, gazing at the girl's face. Her eyes blinked open to look at him.
"Come on, Naruto, you can do better than that!" Iruka whispered, then glanced at Jiraiya guiltily. The older man grinned back at him and gave his a friendly punch on the arm.
/They're kind of like...flower petals/! Naruto thought, his eyes traveling over the soft curves of the girl's mouth. Bending his head down again, this time not particularly concerned about his nose, he gave her another light kiss.
The Kyuubi rolled its eyes disdainfully. Idiot boy! it rumbled. /Like THIS/!
Naruto gave a sudden, sharp intake of breath. He gazed intently into Hinata's eyes for a moment, his blond brows furrowed slightly over his nose. He then grasped her by the waist, and drawing her close to him, covered her mouth with his. Hinata gave a little gasp, surprised by the masterful yet gentle pressure on her lips. She raised her arms and wound them around his neck, pulling herself closer.
Kakashi raised his eyebrows in approval. "Damn!" he said quietly.
"Is anybody timing this?" Iruka asked.
"Wow!" Jiraiya snickered.
/There. That girl's gonna stay kissed/, the Kyuubi growled, curling its tail around itself and going back to sleep.
The young couple's lips slowly parted. Their eyes opened, but Hinata just missed seeing Naruto's eyes turn from red back to blue. They continued to stand with their arms around each other, their foreheads touching lightly, smiles playing on their lips.
A loud, moist crack echoed through the woods. Startled, the three men in the tree looked at each other. The branch they were on started to dip lower, and with a sharp groaning noise, it separated itself completely from the tree.
Quickly raising his arms, Kakashi grasped a branch just above his head and hung there, watching the limb he was standing on fall away before he let himself drop, cat-like, to the ground.
Iruka began his descent face down, watching the look of wide-eyed shock on Jiraiya's face just below him. Iruka arched himself backwards, kicked his legs up and over, and with a slight stumble, landed on his feet. Jiraiya crashed into the waiting arms of a large juniper bush.
Naruto and Hinata both jumped, startled. They stared off into the woods across the road.
"/Hinata/!" Hiashi's stern voice rang out from within the family compound. "/What the hell is going on out there/!"
"Oh!" Hinata glanced quickly towards her house, then back at Naruto, stepping away from him. "I have to go!"
Naruto grasped her hand. "I want to see you tomorrow!"
"You will!" Hinata hesitated for a moment, then gave him a light kiss before slipping through the gate and into her house.
Naruto stared after her for a few moments, a contended smile on his face. He then looked over his shoulder to the woods behind him, and smelling a good fight, he turned and bounded across the road and up the rise.
Crashing through a thick hedge of bushes, he came to a small clearing below a large tree. A thick branch lay on the ground. Standing near it, leaning on each other and crowing helplessly with laughter, were Kakashi and Iruka. Sticking out of a large, slightly damaged looking juniper bush were what looked like Jiraiya's legs. One of his getas were missing, and the other was dangling by a strap off of his pinkie toe.
Naruto stared at the group, mystified. "Ero-Sennin!" he cried. "What are you doing in that bush?"
"Oooh," a groan emanated from within the fronds of juniper. "My...left...testicle..."
Kakashi's and Iruka's laughter renewed its intensity. Naruto glared at them with the irritation people have when not let in on a joke. "Somebody want to tell me what's going on?"
Kakashi finally gasped for air and wiped his eye. "Oh, man, that was stupid funny!"
"What happened!" Naruto demanded between clenched teeth.
Iruka dragged his sleeve across his eyes. "It's kind of hard to explain."
Naruto shook his head and stepped over to the bush, peering down into it. Jiraiya waved weakly at him and gave him a shaky thumbs up. "Solid work!" he wheezed. "Ten out of ten!"
"Huh?" Naruto stared at him puzzled. Then he suddenly drew himself up in indignation. "Hey! Were you spying on us, Ero-Sennin?" He spun around to glare accusingly at the other two. "Was that what you were all doing?"
Iruka held up his hands, still chuckling. "It's not like-" he started to say, then Kakashi gave him a shove.
"Hey, don't you have to be somewhere?" the silver-haired jonin asked him.
Iruka stared back at him, and the mirth died on his lips. His eyes widened. "Oh, shit!" He leapt up into a nearby tree and bounded away through the branches.
Naruto crossed his arms and glared resentfully at Kakashi. "I can't believe you guys were all in on this."
"No, Jiraiya was the only one spying on you," Kakashi explained. "Iruka was watching him, and I was keeping an eye on them so they didn't kill each other."
"Hmm," Naruto conceded grudgingly.
Kakashi smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. "I have to go take care of something. Can you get Jiraiya home?"
Naruto shrugged and grinned. The feeling of exhilarated pleasure he was still glowing with crowded out any leftover resentment. "Sure."
"Thanks. And, Naruto..."
"Yeah?"
"Nicely done," Kakashi said, and vanished into the shadows.
---------------------------------
Iruka caromed off walls and roofs with a speed and agility borne of desperation on his way back to the ramen stand. Landing at a run, he pounded up the street. Nearing the stand, he slowed, his eyes searching desperately. Standing near the lantern outside was Ayame. She had changed out of her working clothes and was wearing a silky light blue camisole top and a soft, dark skirt. Her dark hair, free of its scarf, flowed loosely over her bare shoulders. She stood with a slightly worried look on her face, looking down the other end of the street. Turning the other way, she saw Iruka approaching, and she smiled.
Iruka paused, momentarily transfixed. He could not remember seeing anyone or anything as beautiful as she did at that moment. He strode up to her and she started to open her mouth to speak. Before she could say anything, he gathered her up in his arms and kissed her passionately.
An elderly couple walked by, and the wife's gaze lingered on the younger couple locked in each other's arms, completely oblivious to the rest of the world. She gave her husband a sock in the arm.
"How come you never kiss me like that anymore?" she grumbled.
The old man rolled his eyes. This again! "I don't have any teeth," he grumbled back.
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Epilogue
They had made a long circuit of the roads through the woods, not going in any particular direction, just strolling comfortably along. She had her arm wrapped around his waist. His arm was draped over her shoulders, her fingers entwined between his. The bright, full moon washed the road with its mellow light. Their steps slowed and stopped. They turned to each other and he drew her close to him. Their lips met and they kissed, slowly and deeply.
From the woods somewhere off to the right, they heard a curious sound. They looked at each other, puzzled, straining their ears to listen.
"What is that?" Ayame whispered. "It sounds like someone singing."
Iruka listened for another moment. "You're right!" he whispered back. He could just make out a man's voice.
When I'm takin' sips
From your tasty lips
Seems the honey fairly drips.
You're confection, goodness knows!
Honeysuckle rose!
They thought they could hear a faint giggle.
"I wonder who it is," Ayame said, intrigued.
"I don't know." Iruka peered into the shadows beyond the trees. "I-"
"What?"
"Um-nothing." Iruka shook his head. He turned back to her, smiling. "I think whoever it is, they probably want to be alone."
Ayame wound her arms around his waist. "I'll bet they do."
Oh, mercy!
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AN: Well, there it is. These pairings will be continued in "Pink and Blue Blues," part three of what has turned into a trilogy, Kakashi and Sakura being foremost, if you're into that.
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