University of Konoha (Modern Naruto Various)

Chapter 21

I was hanging out in the PAL's office, trying to finish an essay I was working on. I had been working on it for the past hour now and I reached a point where I was out of ideas. The words on the page swam before my eyes. 'Sigh'. I'm not getting anywhere. My forehead fell on the table in frustration. A moment passed when I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. "It looks like you need a break." I looked up to see Iruka smiling gently at me. "Why don't you take a moment and get some lunch with me. I know this great place that serves amazing ramen."

I smiled tiredly and said, "That sounds great." I packed my stuff away and followed Iruka to this ramen place.

We soon arrived at a stand that said 'Ichiraku's'. I was curious at this point and the scents coming out of the place was divine. We slipped through the entrance and was greeted by an older gentleman and a young woman. "Iruka! It's nice to see you again. You haven't been by in a while. And who's this pretty young lady with you?" Iruka smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Hey Teuchi, it's nice to see you too. This is my friend Asami. She's a new addition to the PAL's." Iruka gestured towards the two and spoke to me, "This is Teuchi. He's the owner of this stand. And this is Ayame, she's Teuchi's daughter and waitress." I shook hands with the both of them. Iruka and I sat down at the bar.

"What can we get for you two today?" Teuchi asked. I looked at the menu, contemplating my options.

"You should try the miso chasu pork ramen," Iruka suggested.

"That's Naruto's favorite. He likes it with fish cake topping and extra pork," Ayame told me.

"Naruto eats here?" I asked.

"Yeah all the time. Ramen is his favorite food. He's one of my best customers," Teuchi chuckled.

"Well then, I'll try that one."

"Make that two," Iruka told them.

"Alright, coming right up!" Teuchi called. Iruka and I laughed. We sat there in silence for a minute as we watched them work. I realized I didn't really know much about Iruka. I turned to him.

"Do you like working with kids Iruka?" It seemed to me that the majority of Iruka's volunteering involved kids. He gave a small laugh and blushed slightly.

"Yeah, actually I do. I'm studying to become a teacher in fact."

"Oh really? I didn't know that. What grade levels did you want to teach?"

"I want to work with young kids. I think they're filled with so much potential and energy and could use the most guidance." He perked up a little as he seemed to remember something. "Speaking of kids, I heard about the library reading you did with Kakashi. The kids have been asking me when you're going to come back."

I laughed. "Those kids were really great. I can see why you like working with them so much."

"Food's ready." Two bowls of steaming hot ramen were set down in front of us.

"Wow, it smells delicious!"

"Wait until you taste it," Iruka teased.

Ayame's POV

When Iruka and Asami finished their food and left the shop, I turned to Father. "Did you see those two? They're totally cute! I definitely ship them."

"Now now, Ayame. Don't be getting any ideas..." Ayame was too lost in her thoughts to hear her father's words. Those two would be perfect together! Now if only I could make them see that....

Asami's POV

Iruka and I were walking through town when we spotted a familiar face. I waved and called, "Yamato!" Said person turned and looked at us with surprise. He waved and walked over to where we were standing.

"Hey Iruka and Asami. What are you guys up too?"

"Asami was having trouble with an essay so I decided to treat her to some lunch."

"That was nice of you Iruka."

Iruka blushed again. "It was no big deal." Suddenly, there was a loud crash. We looked over to see three kids cackling as they were chased out of the store by a shopkeeper. "Hey, I know those kids. I'll see you guys later. Apparently I need to teach some kids a lesson." Iruka chased after the kids. Yamato chuckled and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"I guess I'll walk you the rest of the way back then."

"Thank you but I can handle myself if there's somewhere you need to be."

"Nah it's alright. I was planning on heading back to campus anyways. If you follow me, I know this shortcut through a park."

"Alright, lead the way."

The sky started to get partly cloudy and a breeze was picking up. I shivered as the temperature dropped.

"Here." Yamato shrugged out of his jacket and slung it over my shoulders.

"Thank you." I pulled the jacket tight around me and got a whiff of Yamato's scent. It reminded me of a forest after a rainy day. Reminded me a little of Hashirama's scent. My reminiscing must of showed on my face since Yamato asked me what I was thinking about. "Just the past." I didn't feel like going into specifics. He studied my face for a minute.

"Do you ever regret going to Konoha?" Shock overcame my face for a minute before I vehemently shook my head.

"No, not at all. While I am sad about some things in the past, I don't doubt my decision to move here one bit."

He smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."

We stayed silent for a minute when I noticed a small building in the distance. I pointed at it and asked, "Is that a cafe?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that place. I think they serve hot chocolate. Would you like some?" I nodded. He pointed to a bench a couple feet away. "Why don't you sit there while I go get us some?"

"Sure." I watched as he walked into the cafe and went over and sat down on the bench. I closed my eyes and let my head fall back as I let out a sigh. I didn't mean to make Yamato think that I regret being here. While there was still a part of me that hadn't moved on over Hashirama, I was telling Yamato the truth. I really need to let go of the past. I felt a presence sit down next to me. Expecting Yamato, I sat up and opened my eyes.

"Hey baby cheeks, what are you sitting out here in the cold by yourself for?"

The blonde man was a complete stranger to me but I immediately disliked him. He gave off an oily aura that sickened me by just being near him. "I'm waiting for a friend. He's just inside the cafe," I said brusquely, hoping he would get the hint.

"Well that's not a very good friend, leaving you out in the cold like that. What's your name sweet thing?"

Deciding to be blunt I said, "Look, I'm sorry but I'm not interested. Please leave me alone."

I noticed a dangerous glint to the man's eyes and I went on guard. "Aww come on, don't be like that baby. I promise I'll treat you really well."

The man started to lean towards me when his eyes flicked to something behind me.

"I believe she asked you to leave her alone."

There was a not too subtle threat in the deep voice. I looked back to see Yamato with a scary face that would make most people nervous. However, this guy seemed to be particularly dense and reached out towards me. Before Yamato could react, I snapped my hand out and grabbed the man's hand. I twisted it at an intense angle and watched as his face morphed into pain. "With one flick of my hand, I can break your wrist. So I suggest you leave before things escalate."

The man's face went pale and he nodded. I let him go and he ran off. Yamato raised an eyebrow as he handed me my hot chocolate. "You weren't kidding when you said you could handle yourself."

"Well a girl can't always rely on a guy to come to her rescue."

He laughed. "Too bad, I would've liked to be your knight in shining armor."