"Are you serious?" Iruka asked. the clock on the wall ticked loudly in the quiet of the Hokage's office.
"As a heart attack." Kakashi leaned forward onto his hands and smiled in what Iruka was beginning to think of as a threatening manner.
Iruka shut his open mouth with a click, his blood pressure rising.
"You're giving me the shovel talk. You called me into your office, during school hours, to give me the shovel talk."
"I just want to make sure we are on the same page regarding my precious Kohai"
"Hokage-sama, "
"Kakashi"
"Hokage-sama," Iruka stressed, "Yamato-san and I have not even picked a day for our first date. All that has been established is that we want to go on one. Is there anything else you need from me or can I get back to my classes?"
“You are dismissed. But I’ll be watching you.”
“Yeah, well. I’d watch your back as well then.” Iruka smiled and slammed the door behind him. Kakashi, upon taking the hat from Tsunade, had been made aware of Iruka's sizable personnel file. Most of its contents are pranks that Iruka successfully pulled off on trained ANBU members. So by now, if Kakashi knew what was good for him, he should be starting to get at least a little paranoid. Not that Iruka was planning anything. He was too busy for that.
Iruka decided to cut through some training fields to return to school before the day ended. Maybe he could regain some semblance of the day and his lesson plan if he hurried.
He was distracted by his thoughts when he saw an all too familiar blur of yellow and orange digging around in a bush.
“Naruto… what are you doing?”
Naruto tensed then turned around with his hands on the back of his head in an all too familiar way. Iruka was immediately suspicious.
"Nothing Iruka-sensei,"
"Nothing? You weren't looking for someone by chance?”
"What? Nooo. Can't a guy just admire his village?"
"Mmm." Iruka tapped his foot and waited. He could see Naruto sweating. Iruka heard the distant school bells ring and sighed. So much for that.
"Well, look at the time! Bye, Sensei! see you later!"
Iruka watched Narutos retreating back with a faint smile.
"Is he gone?"
A voice asked seemingly from nowhere.
"He's gone." Iruka sighed as he turned to see Yamato pull himself out of the nearby tree.
"You'd think he would remember you can do that."
"Probably didn't occur to him that I would hide from him."
"Was he giving you the shovel talk?"
"The shovel talk?”
“Yeah, you know. Hurt my precious person and I will bury you six feet under or make it so no one knows what happened to you."
"Ah. the shovel talk. Yes. He was threatening me."
"That boy. I'm going to have to talk to him again.'
"It's not a bad thing."
"I bet Kakashi put him up to it."
"Senpai? Why?"
"Because he just gave me the shovel talk."
"He did?"
"Don't look so pleased."
Yamato chuckled. "At this rate, we aren’t going to have a moment of peace until we have that first date.”
"Then let's have our date. I don't have the mission desk this evening. You I believe are off duty at the moment?"
"I am. Okay. Let's do it. Dinner at my place?"
"Sure. Do you need to get any groceries?"
“A few, shall we?” Yamato held his elbow out for Iruka to grab with a laugh.
_______
The market was full of the working class on their way home. Grabbing ready-to-eat food items or the last few ingredients to toss into whatever they were making. Iruka and Yamato walked stall to stall at a leisurely pace. They laughed and talked about this and that the whole time. Iruka was debating buying some rice that was on sale when Yamato sidled up beside him.
“Don’t look now but I think we are being followed.”
“Oh? Mine or yours.”
“Mine.”
“Hmm.
Yamato paid the merchant for the small bag of rice.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to.”
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure. I think I have everything if you’d like to head back now?”
Iruka looked down at the numerous bags that Yamato was carrying.
“Why do you have so much?”
“Ah. Force of habit I think. The produce woman knows me so she always gives me extra. And I’m usually cooking for others when I have time.”
“I didn’t know that about you.”
“It's nothing.” Yamato stammered blushing.
“Let me carry something.”
“Oh, sure.” Bags exchanged the two of them started making their way back.
About halfway they were stopped when someone called out to them.
“Yamato-senpai!”
“Sai-san, how are you.”
“I am doing well. Hello Umino-san.” Sai bowed politely.
“Hello.”
“I was wondering if you had a moment to go over some of the notes I had on the project we were working on?”
“Ah, well,” Yamato started to say, looking over at Iruka but Sai merely smiled and continued.
“I think,” Sai started and then went off. It didn’t take much for Yamato to get sucked into the conversation. Iruka listened fascinated by their conversation and only having the vaugest of ideas on what it was about. But he was finding that he liked seeing Yamato at work.
When they reached the house Sai followed them inside and started to help unpack the groceries. Iruka watched amused as Yamato continued to talk to the younger nin and started cooking. Sai seemed at home and the two of them fell into a routine.
Iruka smiled and rolled up his sleeves, “Can I help?” Yamato jumped and blushed, Iruka had clearly taken him off guard.
“Sure! Here you can cut these while I prep the fish.”
Iruka was washing the cutting board off when there was a loud bang at the door. Yamato and Sai were both busy so Iruka dried his hands and answered it.
Naruto stood there with his hands on his hips as if ready to reprimand someone. Upon seeing Iruka’s face go from surprise to unimpressed he once again rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
“Hi Iruka-senesi. Is Yamato-sensei home?”
“Sure. He’s in the kitchen with Sai. Can I ask what this is about?”
“Oh. Nothing. I just want to have a conversation with him.” Naruto tried to slide by Iruka in the doorframe. Iruka sighed and let him go. It didn’t take long for there to be shouting from the kitchen as Sai offended Naruto. Iruka smiled and shook his head.
He had taken about three steps away from the front door when there was another knock. Going back and opening it up revealed Kakashi without the Hokage robes and Gai in his wheelchair.
“We were in the neighborhood and smelled something good, sooo,” Kakashi leaned nonchalantly on Gai’s chair.
“What my dear rival here means to say, is can we come in?”
Iruka laughed, “Sure. Everyone else already has.”
When it came time to set the table it was loud and chaotic. Yamato took a seat next to Iruka while Iruka watched everyone around them settle into their meals.
Yamato leaned into Iruka’s shoulder to get his attention before speaking lowly, “Sorry this isn’t much of a first date.”
“No, but it’s alright. With lives like ours, we have to take every chance we can to spend time with our families. And beside. I actually really enjoyed it. It’s been nice seeing you at work and your passion for others.” Iruka wove his fingers between Yamatos beneath the table.
“Well. I want to take you out for real next time. No one else crashing.”
Iruka smiled, “Okay.”