forty-seven, What is Love?
GROWING UP HAD MANY EFFECTS ON THE REMAINING MEMBERS OF TEAM KUSHINA. The time for them to meet up and do things together, similar to the many sleepovers they had with or without their sensei at their respective homes, had become sparse all of a sudden, not all of them available to a given point of time. To arrange something had become more difficult than it used to be, something similar to a chore even.
That was how all three of them found themselves sitting at the Akimichi clan's restaurant, catching up on what had happened in their lives over the time they hadn't met up.
The first topic that had been brought up was the relationship between Sen and Chihiro, to which Izumi joked that she was now the third wheel next to them (not that she minded, she was just glad that her friends were happy with one another).
Izumi rested her chin onto her hand, leaning closer to the couple sitting opposite her. Then, she let out a sigh of delight. "I'm just so happy for the two of you! I remember when Chiro started crushing on you years ago, that was so adorable!"
Immediately, Chihiro's face turned beet red as his girlfriend elbowed him teasingly.
"You had a crush on me already, then?" Sen teased with an upward quirk of her lips.
"I- uh yes." Chihiro squealed out, burning up even more with each word.
"Don't tease him like that, Sen! You did the same as he did, I know you did. I literally saw you always looking out for him," Izumi reminded the black-haired. "That was also adorable, if you must know."
Sen let out a gasp. "You betrayed me!"
Izumi shook her head with a small smile. "Call it revenge for me having to watch the two of you being all lovey-dovey for years."
"I could say the same thing about you and Kakashi," Sen said with a raised brow. "I'm pretty sure you've been crushing on him for an eternity by now."
"No-no, I haven't." She denied with a rising flush on her face.
Chihiro nodded in agreement with his girlfriend. "Yes, you have. It is, like, really obvious sometimes. No offense."
Izumi cleared her throat. "And so what if it is? What about it?"
With a hint of playful annoyance, Sen rubbed her forehead. "One day, you really have to confess. I worry otherwise you will explode from your feelings."
At the sight of the worry growing on the brunette's face, Chihiro added: "Metaphorically, of course."
"What I mean, Izumi is that you need to confess. Like now. End of discussion."
Her mouth stood agape. "Years ago, you said you wouldn't force me!"
Sen rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and that like years ago. That doesn't matter now."
With a pout, Izumi crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes, it still matters."
"Izumi, don't."
The look she gave Sen could only be described as defiant. "Izumi, yes."
Between the bickering of his girlfriend and his sister, Chihiro was beginning to grow anxious. His hands felt sweatier than they did moments before and his stomach was beginning to churn, his uneasiness growing with each word the two of them exchanged. While he knew neither of them would force the other to do something they were uncomfortable with, he also knew that both of them would go beyond the appropriate methods to force the other, ironically enough.
To put a stop to their discussion, he blurted out, "Has Sen told you yet that she got promoted?"
"Sen!" Izumi exclaimed, evidently shocked. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"It just happened yesterday. I was going to tell her myself, Chiro," Sen shot a look at her boyfriend, before then focusing on her friend again. "Anyway, as Chiro just mentioned, I got promoted to regular staff and no longer am an apprentice."
Izumi's face lit up into a wide smile. "Oh, I'm so proud of you, Sen!" Hadn't it been for the table separating them, she would have pulled the girl into an immediate embrace. "I knew you could do it!"
"You say that with everything, 'Zumi." Sen pointed out with a slight roll of her eyes.
"But that's only because I'm just so excited for you!" Izumi retorted. "And how could I not be? My best friend is getting the recognition she deserves, I couldn't not be happy about that if I tried!"
"Well then," Sen began with a small smirk tugging at her lips. Her gaze flickered over to her boyfriend for a mere moment, before a glint began sparkling in her eyes. "You've got another thing to be excited about, because Chiro is getting promoted to one of the regular cooks soon."
Neither of them had thought of it possible, but somehow, Izumi managed to light up even more, now grinning so much so that the muscles of her cheeks must hurt by now. "You are?!" If it weren't for her manners, she would have slammed her hands on the table from all the excitement pending up within her.
"I was going to tell her, Sen!" Chiro pouted.
Sen let out a scoff and crossed her arms over her chest. "Tough luck, buddy. Revenge is sometimes just too sweet to pass out on."
How Izumi had missed those moments between them, where they could simply be who they have been since the day their team was created in the academy. With Sen's teasing and faux mean remarks, Chihiro's undeniable kindness and happy remarks stemming from herself, Izumi could only wish for the moment to last forever, to never stop. Back in the old days, a fourth member always accompanied them, sitting at the spot they proclaimed to be the head of the table.
She just wished Kushina-sensei could see this.
"Kushina-sensei would be so proud of both of you." Izumi couldn't help but comment with a bittersweet smile. If the woman could only see how far they've come, she would shine with delight, for sure.
Chihiro's lips tugged into a frown. "I miss her so much. I just wish she could see us now."
Sen nodded in agreement. "She cheered us on so much, and now she is the one to not see our progress," She let out a scoff that sounded more sad than anything, "It is kind of ironic."
"I miss her advice," Izumi added. "She always knew best what to do."
There was just something so grueling about having lost the woman whom all three of them looked up to, saw as a source of guidance. To them, Kushina had been more than just their sensei, more than just the woman who influenced a huge part of their lives. She had been the one to help them stand up when they had fallen down and felt like they couldn't get up.
And just like that, she was gone. It was something that took them long to grasp, the urge to simply get up and visit the woman too strong to simply forget.
They just missed her too much.
"Seeing her and Minato-nii's grave just feels so surreal," Izumi added. "Like a fever dream of sorts."
Sen leaned back against her chair with a sigh pushing past her lips. "There are too many things both of them missed, it's ... unfair."
Izumi smiled sadly. "I'm sure they would have been ecstatic to find out about the two of you."
She could already imagine how they would have reacted to the news. The first one to visibly react would have been Kushina, without a doubt. A large smile would have spread across her stunning features, to the point where her muscles may have hurt from smiling that much. Next, she would have gone ahead and pulled the duo into a hug, holding as close as she would be physically able to, promising to never let go of them.
Afterward, Minato would react too. In contrast to his spouse, he would be the one to speak congratulatory words, telling them how proud he was and wishing the best for the new couple. Then, he would also be pulled into the hug and would pull Izumi in alongside him by the sleeve of her top. He would also be the one to laugh the loudest, his voice booming in the room.
It was difficult not to miss the cheerful duo.
"They would have been." Chihiro agreed.
Losing their sensei had taken an obvious toll on all three of the now trio. It was like someone was missing in their dynamic, leaving behind a gaping hole nobody but the missing person could fill.
Izumi smiled solemnly. "But at least we can make them proud by living on, being happy."
That meant that they could live their lives to the fullest, just like their sensei wanted them to.
"That means you have to ask out Kakashi." Sen commented with a slight cackle underlying her words.
Now that Izumi was thinking about it, her best friend wasn't that wrong. If anything, Kushina-sensei had always wanted the best for all three of her students, including romantic success. While Izumi had shied away from that for some time, at the same time she knew very well that running away from her feelings would not be possible forever. At some point of time, she would have to face them.
And there was no better moment of time than now.
The brunette raised her chin high and nodded with somewhat determination. "You know what? Maybe I will."
Easier said than done ...