Beneath the Sun

Chapter 8

It's a little silly to volunteer for patrolling duty when Tenzou normally wouldn't.

No one would.

Tenzou also knows if his old team had been around, he'd be made fun of for months for openly volunteering.

Patrolling within the village during a festival is lazy work. Tenzou knows that there are jounin and chuunin with their family and friends already on ground. He also knows that ANBU members would rather dress down and walk amongst the crowd rather than stand on guard in their uniform.

In ANBU, patrolling is usually forced upon newcomers or as a form of disciplinary action, mostly a blow to the ego or a slap on the wrist rather than anything else. The team assigned to him is not his own, but individuals he had worked with before. Currently on the ground and assigned at different points on timed rotation, are Badger, who is about thirty meters to his east, and Monkey, thirty meters to his west. Beyond them, stands Crane and Mantis. Tenzou knows that towards the North West, Viper and Boar's team is assigned with guarding the incomplete wall.

The festival is in full swing by the time four o'clock comes around, and Tenzou finds a nice perch on a shadowed rooftop of a bookstore, overlooking the village square and the river and forest beyond it. He remains crouched on the ledge, new uniform on without the arm guards, dark cloak and hood tugged on and mask raised up slightly to free his mouth. He orients himself with spotting the jounin and chuunin guards while snacking on a stick of toumorokoshi. He then moves on to carefully watching Konoha's citizens as they bustle about, young and old, married and single, families and friends, all dressed in either their uniforms or colorful yukata and kimono.

The entire square is decorated in white, rose, and yellow lanterns. From beyond the square, the canopy of sakura trees lining the river are in full bloom, numerous picnic mats set up and the distant sound of music hanging in the cool spring breeze. Numerous food stalls are already serving children and teenagers, the smell of takoyaki, yakisoba, karaage, and the smoke from the yakitori and ikayaki stands growing thicker. Children are already crowding around the mask stand, harping at the vendor excitedly, while others are already lining up at the numerous game booths.

It's always a relief to see the village in good spirits — a reminder of exactly what Tenzou would lay his life down to protect.

The sound of a familiar voice makes Tenzou shift from his perch. Tugging his mask down, he finds the perfect vantage point on a tree, and from his position crouched on a branch, he spots Iruka herding a line of children with costume hats and holding props towards the small stage. Iruka crouches in front of his youngest class, giving them a pep talk before he ushers them up onto the stage.

As the children line up on stage and hold up their banners,proud parents, family, and friends gather to watch them recite their play and sing two musical numbers that regale the Shodaime and Nidaime's great achievements. Iruka stands on the side stage, watching them proudly with a smile lingering at the corners of his lips. He isn't in his uniform, save for the forehead protector, dressed instead in a dark royal blue yukata with a red obi around his waist, and a splash of patterned shapes on his sleeves and the bottom hem. His ponytail is also absent — instead, Iruka had chosen to gather his hair up into a hasty bun.

Everything around Tenzou slows down to a halt, except for Iruka.

Iruka is a sight to behold. Tenzou finds his breath taken away as he remains frozen in place in the shadows, unable to tear his gaze away — he doubts that he can, even if he tries.

Tenzou doesn't think he's seen anyone so beautiful up until that moment. He's seen Iruka in his uniform, seen him out of it too, but there's something about how he looks now — loose strands of hair dancing with the soft breeze;there's something about that dimpled smile, and the soft, fond look in his eyes as he makes encouraging gestures to his class whenever they get nervous and stutter their lines. Something kind and achingly gentle sits over Iruka like a halo, and amongst everyone else standing gathered, even some of the more nobler clans, Tenzou doesn't think anyone can hold a candle to Iruka.