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The children rushed out of the classroom in an excited mob. Iruka sighed as he hopped out the window so to beat the students to the training field. It was generally held that when the entire population of the Academy was to be in one place, it helped to have Iruka-sensei there first to prevent the worst excesses of excited children. The other teachers were willing to follow after his class, but they didn't want to have to meet them without Iruka's presence. That, or they'd had a meeting and decided that he got to be the bad guy in these situations, and Iruka wasn't willing to bet against the latter option. At least he wasn't responsible for any of the after school activities today -- he had another commitment to honor before the eclipse ended.
They've never talked about that first eclipse, a solar one, like today, though only a partial one that time. Iruka's parents had taken him out to view the eclipse, and the Yellow Flash had brought his team, including a very young jounin. Iruka had been fascinated by the older kids and had ended up watching the eclipse with them. They don't talk about the second one, either, a total lunar eclipse after the death of the Yondaime and Iurka's parents. That one was watched from the Academy roof, Iruka having climbed up to watch the moon, apparently unaware of the ANBU following him. Actually, they don't talk about the eclipses much at all, even now, beyond agreeing on where to meet.
The eclipse wind was still blowing and the moon still masked the sun when he arrived at the little grove. The jounin dropped behind him from the branches before he'd taken more than a few steps into the clearing. Iruka didn't fight the hands that twirled him around the face the other man, a bright smile gracing his face. "How'd it go?"
"I think the old man's going to insist I take a team," the other said in disgust.
"Oh, poor baby! You'll do fine."
The jounin snorted. "Enough about brats -- they've already cut into our eclipse-watching time," and he pulled Iruka down to lie in the grass at the center of the grove.