Chapter 1
Iruka stopped by Kakashi’s office frequently enough to know when the man himself will not be there. Which was why he wasn’t surprised to find the Hokage's desk empty as he approached, papers bundled in his arms.
“Are those for Kakashi?”, Shizune asked, barely glancing up from her own paperwork as he entered the room. Her fingers flitted deftly from page to page, signing and casting sheets aside at a rapid pace that Iruka himself, for all of the marking tests he did, did not think he could match.
“Yes.”
“He’s meeting with some of the clan heads. Leave them on the desk and I’ll let him know you were here.”
“Thanks.” Iruka smiled at her and was rewarded with a sunny look in return.
To tell the truth, he had picked this moment to go in precisely because he knew Kakashi wouldn’t be there. He had been bogged down by work and didn’t think he could take Kakashi’s frustratingly mysterious comments over his reports on the students who were coming up to graduate. Iruka’s scribbled recommendations on teams had been met last year with passive disdain and, when the finalized list of teams was released, he was surprised to discover his suggestions had been heeded. But he was simply too tired to go through that kind of cross-examination again.
“Iruka?”, Shizune asked, and he realized he was standing slump-shouldered in the entrance to the Hokage’s office. “Are you alright?”
He hastened to straighten himself. That turned out to be a bad idea when the room grew clouded and began to spin, and he steadied himself against the edge of Shizune’s desk.
“Perfectly fine. I’ll be off now. There are just a few more things I need to prepare for class-“
“Iruka, I think you’re working too much.”
Well, there it was. And from perhaps the last person he would have expected to come out with it so bluntly. Then again, he supposed, she was Tsunade’s student and a medical expert. Although it wasn’t exactly difficult to spot the dark circles under his eyes, the product of too many late nights and early rises. It seemed everyone had those same dark circles, to some degree, since the end of the war over two years ago. After the celebrations ended, they had to cope with the reality of having lost multiple shinobi. Trying to fill the gaps that had been left behind was… hard. Impossible, even.
“I’m…” There was no use lying to her. “It’s been tough. But I’ve been interviewing some new potential teachers, and once they’ve completed their training we should be almost back to being fully staffed.”
That was another thing he’d been hoping to talk to Kakashi about: He had hoped to offer Shino a permanent position at the school and wanted to make sure Kakashi hadn’t had another post in mind for him. He was a talented shinobi, sure, yet after seeing him drop in and spend some time helping out at the school over the past couple of months Iruka had a hunch that teaching could be something he’d both enjoy and excel in. Or, at the very least, manage. It was probably best to check with Kakashi first, though.
Shizune finally shifted her paperwork to one side and turned her full attention towards him, eyes round with sympathy. “It has been tough. You are taking care of yourself though, right?”
“Of course.” Iruka gave a small chuckle and scratched at the back of his neck. He’d been trying.
“Good.” She laughed a little as well. “You do know that your class isn’t graduating for half a year yet, and those recommendations are extremely early, yes?”
Iruka rubbed the back of his neck a little more. “… I know.” He wandered back over to the main desk, in front of the windows overlooking the village, and deposited them there. “I just wanted to make sure Kakashi knew who to watch out for. Get my impressions in early.”
Shizune sighed and, when Iruka turned back to her, she had pulled the next stack of paperwork in front of her. “Get it out of the way. I get that.”
She brightened up all of a sudden. “Oh, I want to invite you- I’m not sure if I should because- well, it’s a work event, but it’s not really a strict one, and you know most of the people who will be there, so I’m sure it’s not a problem. If anyone has an issue, encourage them to take it up with me.”
“Invite me where?”, Iruka asked cautiously yet optimistically. He needed some time out. But with all the work still to be done…
“Some of us that work in the office here decided to organize a night out at New Years. Since that’s the only time we’re probably going to be free.” She leaned forward conspiratorially. “Kakashi isn’t coming. He said he’s going somewhere with Gai. Something about a challenge. I didn’t ask.”
Iruka considered. Winter was already digging its claws into the village, but New Year was still over a month away. And he didn’t have any plans. New Year might be the only chance he got to go out and have fun. He thought of some of the others he often saw in the office with Kakashi; obviously Shizune, sometimes Genma or Raidou or Kurenai, occasionally Izumo and Kotetsu… He got along well with all of them. Then he remembered that Naruto, Sakura and Shikamaru were often also hanging about the office, and grimaced.
“Who else is going?”
“Who else is going where?”
Both Iruka and Shizune jumped as Kakashi appeared in the doorway.
“Kakashi! You need to stop doing that!” Shizune yelped, crossing her arms across her chest in mock-anger as Kakashi snickered to himself.
“Hello, Iruka”, the Hokage continued blithely as he made his way around to his desk. Once he was seated, he folded his hands together on the gleaming- and conspicuously empty, asides from Iruka's report- wooden surface and blinked between the two; “Really, though, who else is going where?”
“Oh, New Year”, Shizune waved a hand.
Kakashi grunted and averted his eyes to his desk, apparently losing interest. Only to perk up again a moment later.
“Iruka, is this about your recommendations for teams next year?”
“Erm…” Iruka shuffled his feet and shrugged in his coat. “Yes.”
“You’re early. Why don’t you go through it with me now? Tell me your thoughts.”
Iruka was sure Kakashi didn’t intend it as a challenge, but that was how it hit him. “I… Have to go home now. Sorry.”
Kakashi nodded sagely. “Get some rest. You look awful.”
“Will do, Lord Sixth. And bye, Shizune.”
He’d made it a few steps out the office before it occurred to him to turn back and call; “And I’ll be there! For New Year’s, I mean!”
Shizune simply grinned in reply, waving one hand as she moved to close the office door. Iruka's last glimpse inside was of Kakashi leaning back in his chair and putting his feet up on top of his report.
*
The bar they ended up in was small and, thankfully, quiet. Iruka met up with Shizune beforehand, just down the street, finding her speaking with Izumo and Kotetsu. He was happy about that; he knew them both well enough. Although they were jonin- Iruka tried not to pay that much attention to rank, but it was undeniable that, in their society, rank mattered- they had all been chunin together. From the huge hug Izumo gave him, it seemed that they had already begun the festivities. From the stare Kotetsu was giving him, it seemed that Izumo had gotten into the worst state. It was usually the other way around.
“Hey, hey, Iruka! Long time no see. Where have you been hiding?” Izumo didn’t let go of him as he spoke, keeping one arm slung about Iruka's shoulders. Iruka tried to shuffle back a step, only to relent and press back against the man’s side as Izumo began to sway slightly.
“Oh, you know how it is”, Iruka replied, ignoring the increasingly agitated looks Kotetsu was throwing at him, “Work has been busy.”
Izumo nodded sagely, head swinging up and down slowly. It reminded Iruka of the way a large dog moved its head. “You need to get out more. It’s been forever! We’ve missed you, haven’t we, Kotetsu?”
Kotetsu met Iruka’s gaze for a long moment. “Yeah.”
Iruka shrank back into his coat and tried not to make it obvious that his face was burning with the cold. He glanced at Shizune for help, only she was staring absentmindedly in the other direction, watching the street Iruka had just come from swirling with snow. What were they waiting for?
The answer arrived in the form of Tsunade.
One moment the street was bare, the next the former Hokage was striding towards them at full speed, her long cloak flapping open as always, regardless of the icy conditions. She had lost none of her commanding presence in the years since she stepped down from her office.
Iruka was surprised to see her, although not particularly shocked. It was well-known throughout the village that Tsunade liked to go for a drink or ten now and then. And with Shizune here, it should have been a given that her old mentor would surely show up.
Beaming, Tsunade took in the small group huddled in the cold, hands on her hips, and then eyed Iruka and Izumo.
The teacher found himself shrinking even further inside of his jacket momentarily, and then he realized that he may seem rude. He couldn’t give Tsunade a bad impression of him like that. Quickly straightening his back, he gave her a hasty smile.
She raised an eyebrow at him before turning to Shizune.
“What are you all doing standing out here? I hope you weren’t waiting for me?”
“Oh, no, Lady Tsunade, not at all. We-”
“We were”, Kotetsu cut across her. Iruka caught Shizune throwing an annoyed glance at him, but Kotetsu didn’t seem to care.
“Right.” Tsunade shook her head minutely and then, mercifully, suggested; “Why don’t we head inside? If anyone else is coming I’m sure they can make their own way here.”
Iruka let Izumo continue to lean against his shoulder as they followed Tsunade and Shizune inside, Kotetsu bringing up the rear. It was much warmer in the building and he felt his face flushing pink, the tips of his ears stinging.
He quickly scanned the bar for somewhere quiet to sit down and deposit Izumo, so that he could get both his coat and Kotetsu off of his back.
Waiting for them at a dimly lit corner table were Genma and Raidou, each one nursing a tall glass between their fingers. They both introduced themselves, despite Iruka having had multiple conversations with each of them before, and Iruka discretely rolled his eyes. Jonin.
A drink was pressed into his hand by a gently smiling Shizune. He took a sip as he sat down on the cushioned bench set back against one wall and winced at the cold trickling down his throat. It was a few minutes before the muggy heat of the bar really reached him and he shrugged out of his jacket.
Chatter and laughter danced about Iruka but didn’t touch him. It was hardly surprising that he didn’t fall into the patter as easily as the others, he supposed, since he didn’t know them as well.
Izumo leaned back on his shoulder. He seemed to be getting pretty comfortable there. Iruka spotted, over the top of his friend's head, that Kotetsu was already nearing the end of his first glass.
“Aren’t you usually the one getting embarrassingly drunk?”, Iruka asked, nodding to Izumo. He was sure he could remember a few occasions when they were all chunin together.
The Kotetsu that began drinking that glass may have glared at the light teasing, but now he seemed to have simmered down. Instead he snickered.
“Hey, I wasn’t the only one. I remember you doing some dumb stuff after a few drinks. You always had to be the center of attention back then.” He shook his head, spiky hair sticking out all over the place. “A lot’s changed.”
Iruka smiled gently, good-naturedly. The condensation on his glass rolled over his fingers. “It has.”
It was a couple of drinks later when the dark figure appeared standing beside them, looming over their group.
Iruka squinted; he didn’t recognize the man standing by their table. He tensed. How could he have let himself be so carefree? Yes, the war was over, but there were still dangers out there. And he was with Tsunade, a former Hokage, and Shizune, the Hokage’s assistant. Genma and Raidou, too. High profile targets. Frantically attempting to reel his brain in to assess the situation, Iruka steeled himself and let his fingers tighten around his glass, lifting it from the table, ready to strike if need be.
Until Tsunade, a few more drinks in than the rest of them, yelled; “Yamato!”
The man gave a steady smile, breaking his dark aura, and Iruka recognized him now: Kakashi’s friend. One of Naruto’s former team leaders. They had spoken a few times before, most likely, although Iruka couldn’t quite recall when.
Tsunade tottered over to greet Yamato, her green cloak swinging out behind her and blocking Iruka’s view. When she moved away again Yamato’s hair was sticking out all over the place and he was protesting somewhat demurely, smoothing the brown locks back into place as she turned towards the rest of the group.
She paused next to Iruka.
“More sake?”, she asked, as she lifted a bottle of sake and proceeded to top up his glass.
Iruka realized he was still holding the cup aloft and set it down on the table, relaxing his grip. She continued past him.
Yamato was saying something to Shizune. Iruka leaned in to listen, glad that Izumo had now awoken and was no longer draped on him, and instead was deep in conversation with Kotetsu and an uncomfortable-looking Raidou.
“I was just finishing up the last of the mission reports”, said Yamato.
Shizune pulled up a chair next to her and the man slumped into it, shrugging out of his jacket. She rolled her eyes and nudged his arm. “You should have just left them. Kakashi doesn’t care as long as they get done, and it’s not like the village will collapse in one night. We could have gone through them together tomorrow afternoon.”
Yamato chuckled. His fingers twisted together on the table. “At least I saved us some work. Besides, depending on how tonight goes, we might not be capable of looking over reports tomorrow.”
“Here’s hoping.” Shizune raised her glass to him. She noticed Iruka watching. “Iruka, you’ve met Yamato before, right?”
Iruka nodded. “A few times.”
Yamato met his eyes and Iruka racked his brain trying to work out what it was about him that seemed different. They weren’t exactly close. Iruka's knowledge of Yamato was limited solely to some brief interactions over the past few years. Yet there was something off tonight. Something that wasn’t in line with his memories of Yamato.
“You were Naruto and Sakura’s teacher, right?”, asked Yamato. Iruka had the feeling that he was trying to break the silence, and shook himself, wondering if his staring had been rude.
“Yes.”
“How were they as students?”
“You mean, were they the same as when you taught them.”
Yamato smiled, letting his hands fall into his lap. “Something like that.” He waited. “Were they?”
“Hmm.” Iruka pretended to think about it. “Yeah.”
Which was when Tsunade reappeared and slammed a drink down in front of Yamato, who lifted it to his face and sniffed at the liquid. He didn’t look nearly as suspicious as he should, Iruka thought.
“What is it?”
“A drink.” Tsunade barked a laugh. Well, at least she was enjoying herself. Iruka was glad about that.
Until she turned to Izumo, Kotetsu, and Raidou.
"Now, who wants to do shots with me?"
Kotetsu and Izumo immediately hollered a yes. Raidou paled.
“Oh no”, Shizune whispered. Iruka couldn’t remember her shifting closer to his side but there she was. “I’d better get in there”.
She hopped out of her seat and raced to her mentor's side, speaking in a low voice with a frantic look on her face.
Turning away from the farcical scene playing out in front of him, Iruka scanned the rest of the bar. It was slightly quieter than when they first arrived.
Gen, two seats down, looked half asleep. The senbon in his mouth occasionally bouncing was the only thing that gave away that he was in fact still awake. Although, Iruka thought, he chewed those things so much he surely could have carried on while sleeping. Whatever the case, he didn’t believe Genma would appreciate being woken.
He turned back to the others, and it suddenly came to him. What it was that was different about Yamato. Whenever he had seen the man before he had been in uniform, with his khaki jacket and a headplate emblazoned with the insignia of their village. Only now he wore loose black clothing. His face went unframed and appeared broader because of it. A few tufts of brown hair were still apart from the rest, settled against his forehead.
Yamato stared back mutely as Iruka came to his realization. It was somewhat eerie. His large dark eyes bored into Iruka. He’d always figured Yamato was a little odd, but he had never said anything.
Eventually, feeling the need to break the silence, Iruka said; ‘It’s weird that we haven’t spoken more. Since we have a lot of mutual friends.’
“We do.” Yamato nodded slowly. “I mean, there’s Kakashi.”
“Our esteemed Lord Sixth.”
Yamato snickered at that, and the creepy aura was broken again. “Do you know where he is tonight?”
Iruka scrunched up his nose. “Shizune said something about Gai and a challenge.”
“That figures.”
Another little silence settled around them, a more companionable one. Iruka felt as though a warm blanket had been draped about his shoulders. That may have been the alcohol finally working its magic, though.
“So, are you still working with Kakashi, then?”, Iruka asked eventually. He was actually curious. He had seen very little of Yamati since the end of the war; not that he was a common sight about the village prior to it.
The other man shrugged. “In a way. He’s the Hokage, don’t we all work for him, now?”
“Huh. I guess so. It’s a weird thought, isn’t it? Forgive me if this is a little treasonous, but I never really saw him as being a great leader.”
“Well, he was a good leader during the war.” Iruka thought Yamato’s tone was slightly tinged with defensiveness. He had never been sure exactly how close Yamato and Kakashi were, or how they knew each other, but from what he had gathered from Naruto, Yamato was loyal to his former co-captain. And there it was, the one unavoidable topic: The recent war.
Iruka remembered that Kakashi commanded their forces. “You were there too, weren’t you?”
It seemed like a dumb question: Of course Yamato was there. But Iruka asked because he wanted to hear Yamato tell it.
It worked. Yamato sat up a little straighter and took a long sip of his drink before answering: “I was right there, besides Kakashi. Although I was also indisposed for a while. But I did see Madara and some of the Akatsuki.”
“You did?”
“I did.” Yamato looked more than a little proud. He’d earned it, Iruka figured.
“Woah.”
“Yeah.” There was a short pause. The conversation had been punctuated with them, the hallmark of an exchange between acquaintances, but this time the silence seemed to deepen, radiating out from where they sat. Iruka saw that the patrons of the bar had thinned even more around them; asides from their small group, there were merely a few others clinging to the bar itself or murmuring in the corners.
“You know”, Yamato began, and then stopped, struggling with his words. Iruka waited politely for him to finish. “It’s just, since the war, things haven’t quite felt the same. I’ve felt… Lost.” He brightened a bit. “That’s why I’m glad I have Kakashi and the team. Naruto and Sakura help, you know. That's what I wanted to say. You should be proud of them.”
Iruka stared at his hands for a long moment.
‘I know I said before that, Nauto and Sakura were the same when I was teaching them, but… It’s not true. Not really. They’ve grown. Both of them. And I’m sure you had something to do with that. So, thank you.’
When he finally looked up, Yamato was sitting back in his seat, eyes growing even wider, impossibly wide. His jaw worked and then his mouth opened slightly.
Whatever he was about to say never came out. Shizune slumped into the chair beside them with one arm under Tsunade’s shoulder, pulling her back down into her own seat.
From under the weight of her old mentor, Shizune huffed; “I think we’re going to get something to eat.” She blinked around expectantly. “Does anyone else want to come?”
“Maybe see if that ramen place is open”, muttered Tsunade. She slumped in towards the table, leaning her face on one hand and sighing. “I used to go there with Jiraiya sometimes.”
Shizune nudged her. “Sure, we can go there.”
Genma, rising out of seemingly nowhere, sat up and pulled his bandana back from where it had slipped down his forehead. “Food? I’m up for it.”
“I’ll be there”, Raidou agreed.
Iruka knew the place. His stomach rumbled at the thought of it. “I’ll join you guys, if that’s okay.”
“Of course.” Tsunade reached over to punch his shoulder and Iruka tried not to wince.
Shizune turned to the others. “Yamato?”
Again, before the man could speak, someone else cut in.
“I think Izumo and I might stick around and have a few more drinks”, Kotetsu yawned as he spoke. Iruka marvelled at how he could seemingly go from sober to drunk and back again so quickly.
Yamato nodded slowly and folded his hands on the table. “I might stay with you then. I wasn’t planning to stay out late, so I think I’ll finish this and then go home.” The skin about his large eyes crinkled slightly as he smiled, in a way that oddly reminded Iruka of Kakashi. “Thank you for this, by the way, Tsunade.”
Iruka heard Genma laugh to his right and mumble; “Good luck with that.”
He shot Genma a questioning look.
“Yamato’s a bit of a lightweight. Perhaps even more than Tsunade”, the jonin explained in an aside
Yamato fixed him with a stony glare, and that was the Yamato Iruka remembered. “I’m not that bad.”
“Give it a few minutes, he’ll be on the karaoke. Then again, Izumo and Kotetsu probably will be, too.”
Iruka laughed; he knew Izumo and Kotetsu would be, but he certainly didn’t expect Yamato to be that type of guy.
“You’re welcome to stick around and watch”, Yamato told Genma wryly.
“I’m good. Ramen is calling me.” Genma held his hands up for assistance in getting to his feet. Tsunade stood before anybody else could and grabbed his wrists, yanking him up forcibly.
Iruka and Shizune exchanged a look and swiftly stood before Tsunade could help them.
Raidou joined them as their small group began to move towards the door, Tsunade moving to lean against the tall serious man’s arm while they walked.
Iruka paused by the doorway to wave back at those still seated. Kotetsu was shuffling up to sit by Yamato, Izumo moving with him. Yamato was the only one watching them leave, and he waved a hand in farewell. Iruka echoed his gesture as their group rounded the corner into the biting cold.
The chill that gnawed through to Iruka's bones made him wish he had decided to stay in the warm low-lit bar, talking in low voices with Yamato about the war and watching Izumo and Kotetsu’s drunken antics. But he had already made his decision.
So instead he fell into step with Shizune and they walked together in the moonlight towards the bright yellow beams striking the snow from the window of Ichiraku’s in the distance.