Maybe it's been a while.

"Eh? Itsuki's back on active duty?" Minato's very surprised to hear that. It was only a few days ago that he finally got water-walking down again. He's always been talented at chakra control, so everyone knew that was only a matter of time.

"Only for D-ranks, though," Kakashi says. "And only within Konoha."

"Ah, so that's why."

All eyes turn to Obito. Nevermind that he's late for training again today, Rin asks, "that's why what?"

"Well I was helping an old lady with her groceries and I think I saw Itsuki chasing after Tora," Obito says. "I was wondering why he was doing that. I thought for sure Genma's team were harassing him again or something, since they just came back."

"...wait, what'd you mean, you think?" Kakashi grimaces. "How could chasing Tora look anything other than a mad scramble for dignity?"

"Well he could have also been doing a delivery mission."

Minato however, has priorities. "Hold on, what do you mean, again?"

"Oh don't worry about that."

"I'm worrying!"

-

Team Chouza had just returned from a C-rank mission to Suna, so they had a day off to catch up with all that's happened with their friends.

Genma was surprised, of course, to hear about Itsuki.

It was hard to keep track of Academy years with the rapid-graduations amped by the war, but it was hard to forget two kids graduating the Academy before they even hit double digits one year after the other. Anko would've continued the record if she graduated before her birthday, but alas.

Genma hadn't talked much to Itsuki after he graduated and was scooped right up by Orochimaru— and even before that, his family was kind of scary, so Genma avoided him. He was much more approachable after his mother died, though.

But as a courtesy of being top two in their grade, maybe he should at least drop by with some manju.

So there Genma was, innocently buying manju when Itsuki lunged over the phone line and clotheslined himself over the roof, dramatically flopping like a fallen weasel when he fails to grasp anything, cantankerously cluttering from the wall to the table until he was facefirst on the ground beside the bench.

Back to the current,

"...Itsuki, what are you doing?"

Itsuki jerks right back up at the voice, head swirling around vapidly, a blindfold wrapped over his eyes— he does manage to settle into Genma's general direction, though.

And then there's silence as Itsuki seems utterly bewildered by his surroundings—

Just as Genma wants to break the awkward tension, Itsuki exclaims, "oh! Genma!"

Genma denies the befuddled yelp when Itsuki jumps up, arms reaching out vaguely before settling around Genma's arm to pull himself up.

Huh. He's much touchier now. It makes sense, but anyone else would've thought that was impolite. As it is, though, Genma lets Itsuki cling on as he regains his bearings. He's still clinging as he finds his feet, but now he's sniffing in Genma's direction.

Well, Hatake Kakashi is worse. there's that bet among the Genin about him probably being some Inuzuka or something.

"Smells like honey and rice powder," Itsuki deems. "This is the dango shop two streets from Ichiraku's."

"Good job," Genma declares, since this little clingy bugger wants to be a dog, he'll be treated like one. He shakes the paper bag of his purchase gently to make a shakashaka noise, "if you can identify the flavour of manju in my hand you can have it."

Itsuki immediately lurches for it, "chestnut, anko, matcha!"

Genma relinquished possession of the bag in pure exasperation, "all three? Damn, that was way too easy for you."

Itsuki wolfs down the manju so quickly, it's as if he'd been starved all morning.

"So what were you doing, flying across Kohoha skylines blindfolded like some kinda daytime bat?" Genma brings up.

He still can't get the sight of Itsuki gutting himself in the corner of a sunroof out of his head. It was magnificent. He's going to share this story three hundred times in tomorrow's after-training dinner with his team.

"A'as sending a letter to d'Hokage To'a." Itsuki says through a mouthful of food. "Owochimaru-sensei told me I could only go on any surface except the ground or I'll have to start all over from Training Grounds 21," he turns up forlornly to the sky then, carefully prodding about the walls until he found the sunroof that he almost got skewered upon, "ah Obaa-san, sorry about this, did I break it?"

The grandma that works the store chuckles, "it's fine, dear, it's an old thing anyways, I have a new one in the back. Careful next time, alright?"

Genma recalls the trajectory Itsuki was jumping and realized that if the sunroof hadn't been there, he would've landed rather cleanly on the bench instead. Darn, occupational hazards for a blind man.

"Isn't that training rough for someone who just got put back into D-ranks?"

Was Orochimaru expecting Itsuki to memorize the entire town down to its every stone? And somehow manage to adapt to daily shifting too? Sounds like an utter annoyance.

Usually he does all his D-ranks alone, since Anko's still in the Academy. So Team Chouza usually came across him while he was struggling. They would rather die than help though, so it usually amounted to them walking beside him while Itsuki carried loads all on his own. Obito called it harassment.

Maybe making fun of him for fumbling his jobs now would be insensitive?

"You're headed back to Training Grounds 21 now, right?" Genma turns to him as he swallows the last manju, licking his fingers before departing.

"Yeah?"

"That's the wrong way."

"What??"

"Need me to lead you there?"

"Wha– no!"

"Suuuuure." Genma doesn't trust him at all. "Shall I recount every detail of your magnificent descent upon the Dango Store's sunroof before you go!"

"Absolutely NOT! Don't follow me!" Itsuki insists, hotly, marching away. Three steps later he whirls around, "you just took a step toward me, didn't you?"

Sensitive as usual. Okay, maybe harassment is still okay. His reactions are hilarious.

-

Orochimaru had been sipping tea in the Command Office when Itsuki quite literally tumbled in, crashing into three jounin along the way, scattering a tablefull of papers, and then gutted himself into the corner of the reception desk with the mission report in hand— Dan gave the child this wildly pitiful look of exasperation— before lunging for the sofas, thankfully hitting nothing else along that path.

"I finally-" he chokes, hard of breath, "made it–!"

Orochimaru reaches for the teapot, pouring out a second cup before putting it in Itsuki's hand. He takes a grateful chug.

Slipping out of Itsuki's sleeve, Banba, one of the youngest snakes, hisses in tired relief, coming to Oroshimaru's side. "You would not believe the amount of poles he knocked himself out on. If the Kyubi was in his stomach the demon fox would destroy Konoha for today's blight."

Wow. A jinchuuriki-metaphor complaint. That's incredible, no one's driven the snakes to that level of frustration before. Not even Anko.

"I stopped counting after thirty," says Shiranui Genma from behind Itsuki, and Itsuki lets out a blood-curdling scream that sends Orochimaru's hairs rising with alarm.

"WHY ARE YOU STILL FOLLOWING ME?" Itsuki howls indignantly.

"Oh you didn't notice?" Genma doesn't say it jeeringly, "Gai made it a race to head here in your exact path, crashes and all. I didn't include the crashes in my route so he owes me dinner later at Ichiraku's. Wanna come?"

Orochimaru and the entire Command Office is treated to the sight of Might Gai flamboyantly floundering through the doors— through, yes— and true to his name, he mightily skid across a quarter of the front path to the reception desk fully on his face across the floor.

He then youthfully greeted Dan with a "good day Dan-san!" and was promptly directed toward Genma, to Itsuki's behest.

Dan looked torn between scheduling an appointment with Tsunade or Inoichi. Orochimaru mildly wondered if it would be for himself or for Gai.

"Good day to you, Orochimaru-dono! It was definitely some splendid training young Itsuki went through today! I would like to thank you for the opportunity!" Gai cheerfully reveals.

Orochimaru nods sagely. He'll have to teach Itsuki how to ditch annoyances for the sake of his sanity soon.

He settles on patting Itsuki on the head as he slumps onto the headrest, whimpering in exhaustion and defeat.

"I see you've played with him today. You have my thanks."

Itsuki immediately erupts with a splendidly cry-laced, "they're bullying me sensei!"

Genma cackles. Gai beams brightly.

Well, Orochimaru honestly can't be angry. Itsuki's been struggling with training after falling behind his peers, and Orochimaru had been worried he was pushing himself too hard. He hadn't been too happy about his progress, but here his friends were, treating him just the same as they used to.

(It was nice. There's been a rift in the Sannin ever since Nawaki died, and ever since Jiraiya left. He was just happy to know Itsuki would probably be fine.)

Orochimaru sighs fondly. "Well, I suppose I must avenge you then," he indulges. Turning to the little snake now coiled around his arm, "Banba, have you eaten yet?"

"OROCHIMARU, NO!" Dan screeches, finally rising from the table.

Genma and Gai have taken off on a sprint, but Itsuki barks out a full-bellied laugh, so Orochimaru considers the upcoming lecture from Tsunade worth it.