"Hold your positions! Target shifting west!" Natsu whispered excitedly as she spotted Kushina and Kakashi entering the traditional market district.
But the excitement lasted only five seconds.
Plung!
The sound of splashing water broke the tension.
Izumo vanished behind the railing of a small bridge, followed by a not-so-ninja-like splash.
"IZUMO!" Kotetsu and Natsu hissed in unison.
Seconds later, Izumo's head popped out of the koi pond under the bridge, drenched from head to toe, with a tiny fish stuck to his hair.
"Don't look at me! Continue the mission!" he hissed, embarrassment written all over his face.
Kotetsu quickly pulled a spare cloth scroll from his bag and tossed it down.
"Get up here, quick! They could turn this way any second!"
Izumo struggled to climb out but slipped again with a "blup!" before finally managing to pull himself out—now trailing a distinct fishy smell.
A few minutes after the pond incident, it was Natsu and Kotetsu's turn for misfortune.
While attempting to jump behind a stack of empty market barrels, they miscalculated the spacing and—thud!—got stuck together in a single large barrel.
"I told you not to push from behind!" Kotetsu hissed, voice muffled.
"I didn't push! You stopped all of a sudden!" Natsu snapped back, her face flushed from the cramped and awkward position.
"Quiet! They're right in front of this barrel!" Izumo whispered from outside, now wearing a backup outfit from his emergency scroll.
Natsu and Kotetsu froze like two rice balls in a bento box—cramped, but holding steady.
Through a crack in the barrel, they could see Kushina and Kakashi's feet walking by.
But the chaos wasn't over yet.
Kakashi paused briefly at a dango stall, and the elderly vendor, who clearly knew him well, beamed.
"Ah, Kakashi-kun! Back again? My, Miss Uzumaki, you're lucky! This handsome man only shows up here when he's in love~"
Kushina chuckled brightly, glancing at Kakashi who just scratched his head sheepishly.
Inside the barrel—
"Hhkk!" Natsu bit her sleeve to hold back laughter.
But…
"Pffft—HAHAHA!!" the laugh finally burst out.
Kakashi instantly turned toward the barrel.
Thinking fast, Izumo knocked over a vendor's fruit basket. Watermelons rolled everywhere, causing a commotion as everyone scrambled after them.
Kushina glanced at the barrel, catching a glimpse of wide eyes before the lid slammed shut. She simply smiled and patted Kakashi on the shoulder.
"Let's call it an impromptu stealth exercise for them."
Kakashi gave a small nod—whether agreeing or surrendering to fate was unclear.
Once the coast was clear, the three genin regrouped behind a storage shed behind the market.
They sat cross-legged on the ground, breathing heavily, clothes in disarray.
"I... I didn't expect sensei to be that pretty when she laughs..." Izumo muttered, staring up at the sky as if awakening to life's truths.
"And Kakashi-senpai... He looks cool when he's serious, but that old lady teasing him? Priceless," Kotetsu grinned.
Natsu propped her chin in her hands and sighed dreamily.
"Is this... an unspoken first love? A hidden romance blossoming amidst the battlefield?"
Kotetsu gave her a blank stare.
"What kind of books have you been reading?"
"Kunoichi Love at Dusk, Volume 3..." Natsu said proudly.
Izumo and Kotetsu exchanged a glance, but didn't argue.
Because strangely... it really did feel like a slow-blooming love story unfolding before their eyes.
-------------------------------------------------
As the Konoha sky turned golden, the trio finally returned to their training grounds—breathless, dusty, and battle-worn from their "secret mission."
In the rest lounge, Kotetsu collapsed onto a mat with dramatic flair. "Ugh... this was more exhausting than that document escort mission to Udon Village last week."
Izumo sat down cross-legged, wringing water from his still-damp hair. "But totally worth it. I feel like we just read a secret chapter in the book of Kushina-sensei's life."
Unlike the others, Natsu unrolled a scroll and began scribbling furiously.
At the top of the scroll, bold characters read:
Secret Mission Report: Operation Spy on Kushina-sensei's Date!
"What are you writing now?" Kotetsu peeked over.
"Documentation. One day, this might be useful... for matters of the heart," Natsu replied with sage-like calm as she dipped her brush.
Izumo added, "Seriously though… You guys felt that weird vibe too, right? I mean, they weren't even holding hands, but... the atmosphere…"
"Like… hot tea on a snowy night," Natsu said dreamily, staring out the window.
"…Are you serious?" Kotetsu gave her a deadpan look.
"Yes. That's from Kunoichi Love at Dusk, Volume 4."
Snickers erupted.
Eventually, the trio sat in a loose circle like some secret club. Izumo took a solemn tone.
"If they really become a couple… What should we do?"
"Support them, of course!" Natsu said excitedly. "Imagine, a happy sensei means better training morale. And Kakashi-senpai is... perfect."
Kotetsu nodded. "But we have to keep it secret. If rumors spread, it might blow up."
"Agreed," Izumo and Natsu said in unison.
And so, an unspoken oath was made: to guard this secret until their sensei chose to reveal it herself.
But just before they disbanded, Kotetsu added with a sly grin:
"But if they do get married, I'm gonna be the first to tell Naruto to start calling Kakashi 'Dad.'"
Laughter echoed through the training room, carried on the golden afternoon breeze.