Love Beyond This Life

@ momentai.
(it's... an okay response haha. are neji and the team going to just listen in?)

Haruta's lips melted into a nostalgic smile as she looked at the other side of the table, "Do you remember when Haru almost got away with drinking Atsushi-sensei's sake?" She let a soft laugh bubble from within her at the memory. "I remember it was wintertime because after Atsushi-sensei came back from the bathroom to find his cup empty Haru left out the window into the snow." The laughs grew a little louder and small tears came to her eyes has she tried to suppress the loudness of her laughter. "And then you tried to say it was me but Atsushi-sensei there was no way I would drink it, but by that time Haru was already out of here?" She let the laughter grow, letting go of her manners and wiping the tears that came with the joyous memory. "That's one of my favorite memories," she said once her laughter finally died down. She put one hand on the table where their deceased teammate would sit and took Iruka's hand with her other. "The three of us," she whispered with that same smile as she tightened her grip on Iruka's hand and made a fist with the one that held the ghost of Haru's hand. "We were best friends in the academy. Add in graduation and Atsushi-sensei and the four of us became our own little family." She turned her eyes to look into Iruka's, "I miss it every day and coming here only makes me wish for it back, but we're still here. And they live on in us."

Iruka couldn't help the laugh that escaped him when he heard the story and he nodded with a grin. "Those were good times," he said honestly. The memories they had of their fallen sensei and friend made it a little easier to deal with their deaths. But, then, the memories also made it all the more painful. In reality, though, he wouldn't trade those memories for anything. "They'll always live on in us. It's a good thing, I'm glad we're around to make sure their memories live on." It seemed like it was the usual thing for shinobi, though, to have their fallen comrades' memories live on through them - it was an honor, really.

---

Aki wasn't really paying much attention to what was going on in the small restaurant. Her hand still tingled with the feeling from earlier and she was still trying to understand it. It wasn't something that she was particularly used to, not being able to understand simple things like why the brush of Neji's hand against hers caused such an intense sensation, and she began wondering if maybe she felt the sensation just because she hadn't expected it. Maybe there wasn't really a point in thinking into the tingle too much, but she couldn't help it at this point, for some reason.

@ momentai.

Neji had his attention divided three ways, part of him was focused on his sister and Iruka, part of him was focused on hitting the back of Ryo's head every time he opened his mouth to ask a dumb question even though they were close enough for the couple to hear them, and part of him wondered about the reaction he felt when he'd touched Aki. The first part grabbed most of his attention when he heard his sister begin to talk about the war, whatever she was going to say the kids didn't need to hear, they didn't need to get scared when the war was still only a looming force. He was about to turn to usher them away but stopped when she mentioned them specifically.

---

Haruta released his hand and withdrew her other hand from Haru's place setting. "Me too, I just hope we do them justice with everything that's going on... With the war coming." She sighed and ran a hand through her bangs, it was in this day and those to come that being a sensei weighed the most on her. She knew there was no way her team would be sent out in the field like she knew she would be, but that was both a comfort and an extreme stress on her. If Haruta was in the main battle field, wherever that may be, and her team wasn't that meant they were with another or worse, alone. She couldn't be there to protect them, and she wasn't ready to deal with those emotions yet. "I'm worried about my team. They're the closest thing I have to children of my own... I'm not ready to send them into a war, and they're not ready for one. I'd lay down my life for those idiots, but I can't do that if I'm not with them... Sorry, I'm so back and forth with my emotions today aren't I?" She sighed and shook her head, she shouldn't be thinking so grimly when she hadn't seen Iruka in so long.

"No, it's understandable," Iruka assured gently as he eyed her for a long moment. After gathering a bit of courage, he leaned over, placing a hand over hers in hopes of comforting her, even just a little. "It's natural to worry about your team. I'm worried about every student I've ever taught. I'm especially worried about you." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, then, and waited a few moments before he pulled his hand back. "I'm sure your team will be okay. Really. They're strong and they have each other, even if you have to go somewhere else."

---

Aki was surprised to hear the conversation take such a serious turn. The looming war was no secret, but she hadn't expected it to be a topic of conversation for the two senseis. She doubted that the group wouldn't have to get involved if the war did happen, since they would need every ninja that could be put to use. But she was also well aware that not very many of them were prepared for a war. Still, she tried not to focus on that thought and tried to concentrate on the pair inside.

@ momentai.
(Do you want to have the war begin soon or wait?)

When Iruka took hold of her hand, Haruta didn't want to let him go. She felt herself relax at his touch, it was a feeling she never wanted to go away. When he let go she felt cold everywhere and couldn't hide her frown when he completely withdrew his hand away. Haruta nodded at his comment, "You're right." She sighed, sat herself up in her chair and looked Iruka in the eye. "But I need you to promise me something, while we're on the topic." She looked at him with a steady feeling of deep seriousness, something she never did unless absolutely needed. "If we get stationed at different places... And you get stationed here, swear to me you'll look after them."

She then lowered her eyes to the table but kept her tone, "And if you hear that something has happened to me, swear to me on their lives that you won't do anything stupid. If something happens to me, I need to be able to count on you to protect them." She lifted her eyes again, they glimmered with passion, sadness and hidden love. "You and Neji are the only people I can trust to raise them to be good and honest shinobi. And Iruka...." As a solitary tear escaped Haruta smiled, "Promise me I won't lose you, okay?"

---

As soon as Haruta began to talk about promises Neji knew it was time to get the kids out of there. Nothing good would be said that they would hear, "Come on we're finished here." Even though Ryo tried to protest Neji wouldn't have it and gave him the signature look of You'd Better Get Moving. When he was sure they were far enough he sighed and ran a hand through his bangs, this wasn't exactly how he'd imagined the night of espionage would go. Though, he wasn't sure what he was expecting now that he'd really thought about it. "Everyone, it's time to go home. My sister will find you tomorrow, I'm sure, to discuss training and any missions she may be considering taking up."

(It'd probably be best to have it soon, so that we don't drag everything out. Sorry if this is short as well; I'm on my phone and it's being a little spazzy.)

Iruka couldn't believe what he was hearing at this point. How could Haruto expect him to be okay with everything that she was saying? "Nothing like that will happen, Haruta," he told her firmly as he stared at her, his gaze never wavering. "Even if we get stationed at different areas, nothing is going to happen to you or them. You have to believe in yourself and in your students. You understand that, don't you?" With a quiet sigh, he shook his head. "I can promise that, if you get stationed somewhere and I'm here, I'll look after them. But I refuse to even contemplate your death."

---

Aki wasn't happy with the fact that Neji had made them leave. She waited until they were far enough away to speak her mind, though. "We're not children, Neji," she told him firmly as she stopped walking, a frown forming on her features. "We're, what, a year younger than you? We're not so ignorant that we don't know a war's coming. People will die, lives will change, we know that. You can't protect us from it and making us stop listening to a conversation about it won't make it any easier."