It wasn't as though Iruka hadn't seen it coming, but that didn't make it any easier.

He had paused in the middle of chopping up an eggplant when Kakashi delivered the news in his casual, blunt sort of way. Iruka resumed, slicing the eggplant into long, thin strips that were all exactly the same size, down to the millimeter.

"When do you think he'll be back?" Iruka asked Kakashi, matching his casual tone, still focusing on the task in front of him.

Kakashi made an indistinct noise, the sort that revised Iruka's estimate of a number of months up to a number of years.

Iruka put down his knife. "I see," he said, bracing his hands on the kitchen counter. "Well. It's not as though he hasn't gone training with Jiraiya before. I'm sure he'll be fine."

Kakashi made something of a production, at least in ninja terms, of getting up from his seat at the kitchen table and coming to stand behind Iruka, his hands settling on Iruka's waist. "It's not safe here," Kakashi murmured, his mask-covered lips brushing against Iruka's ear. "You know that. He's much better hidden if he's on the move, and who better than Jiraiya to make sure he stays in one piece?"

Iruka sighed softly, and leaned back just a bit against Kakashi's chest. He thought about a room that would remain empty for who knew how long, and knew that Kakashi was thinking much the same, if his arms leaving Iruka's hips to circle around his waist were any indication.

"He'll be older when he comes back," Iruka said after a moment.

"Hopefully taller, too," Kakashi agreed.

Iruka rolled his eyes. "Let's just hope he doesn't become as perverted in the process as some people I could mention."

Kakashi hooked a finger under his mask and slid it down, muttering, "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Iruka turned his head for a kiss, a lingering one that gave lie to their casual-sounding conversation.

It might have turned into something more if Naruto hadn't taken that moment to come clattering in the front door. Kakashi moved away but stayed close, although the wrinkling of Naruto's nose clearly indicated that he wasn't the least bit fooled.

"Iruka-sensei, I have to tell you something," Naruto said, the smile on his face oddly flat.

"Ah, I think the laundry's ready to come in," Kakashi said to no one in particular, and ambled out the back to the clotheslines.

"What is it?" Iruka said, as though he didn't already know.

Naruto drew himself up. "I'm going to train more with the perverted hermit."

"Don't call him that," Iruka said automatically.

Naruto huffed. "Me and Jiraiya-sama are going away."

Iruka nodded mutely, and watched the bravado drain out of Naruto's eyes.

"Probably for a long time," Naruto said quietly.

"I know," Iruka said, and felt something like a lump in his throat as Naruto shuffled forward and wrapped his arms tightly around Iruka's waist.

"Iruka-sensei," Naruto said from somewhere in the vicinity of Iruka's chest. "You'll be careful, right?"

Iruka made a light scoffing noise. "Aren't I always?" he said, hearing the slight rasp in his voice. Of course he worried about Naruto going away, but it never quite occurred to him that Naruto might be worried that Iruka wouldn't be there for him to come back to.

"Kakashi-sensei, you'll make sure he's okay, right?" Naruto demanded, turning his head to look at Kakashi, who was leaning against the doorframe with a laundry basket perched on one hip.

Kakashi didn't bother with the usual disclaimers - that life is uncertain, that no one knows what the future will bring. He just nodded, and Iruka felt Naruto relax a little.

Iruka took the opportunity to rub his knuckles against Naruto's head. "And what's with asking Kakashi to look after me, huh? I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve, you know. You've got a long way to go before you can talk so high and mighty."

When Naruto pulled away, his smile was back on his face. "I'm going to learn a lot of super powerful things," he said. "You'll see, Iruka-sensei!"

"We'll be waiting," Iruka said, smiling back, and let Naruto take over dinner preparations.