So, story ideas are roiling around in my brain. It's all pretty exciting. On to the next chapter!

XXxxxXX

Maruha and Deidara had been walking for a couple days, now. They stopped at the occasional village, but never for very long. Maruha had sold the house that once belonged to her and her late husband, using the funds to get some travelling supplies for herself and her estranged student. Her life had changed so quickly in a year. It seemed like it had been so much longer. A/N: Huh. Wonder why…

"Hey, Sensei? Is it gonna be just like in the old days?" Maruha smiled and ruffled his hair.

"You mean like when we stole Training-Sensei's glasses?"

"Or that time we tripped a fish?"

"Or when we caught some spiky haired guy and hid his bandages?" They both started laughing.

"Oh, Dei. I could use some time like those, again." Deidara hugged her.

"It'll be just like them," he promised. "We'll have to find someone to bug, though." He looked up at Maruha as she suddenly stopped.

"Speak of the devil," she muttered. Deidara looked to where she was looking. He saw a gray-haired guy on crutches, a girl with short, pink hair, a weird, emo-looking dude with a stiff collar, and a guy in a neon orange jumpsuit that hurt Deidara's eye.

"Bleah," he said. "I nominated orangey-pants, over there."

"Kakashi?" Maruha asked. Maruha saw Kakashi's mouth move, but she was too far away to hear him. She started walking again.

"Hey, Sensei? Do you know those guys?" She nodded, quickening her pace a little bit.

"They were from my last village! The- the only village that never kicked me out." She was running flat out, now. Deidara kept up easily.

"MaruhYARG!" Maruha slammed into Kakashi, knocking him off of his feet, on to the dirt, then several feet further back.

"Somehow, I thought it would be a quieter reunion," Naruto whispered to Sakura and Sasuke. Deidara shook his head.

"Never is with Sensei," Deidara said. The three looked at the thin, blonde boy.

"Sensei?!" they all yelled.

"Kakashi! I'm so, so, sosososo sorry. You were right all along. I- I don't know what came over me! I just got so- so mad!" Kakashi patted her on the back, his eyes large from the impact. Not to mention the spine-replacement surgery that the pain in his back surely suggested. Kakashi muttered something.

"What?"

"Groffme."

"What?!"

"GET OFF ME!" Maruha leapt up off of the ninja. He wheezed loudly, not unlike another gray-haired man we all know.

The Hokage sneezed in his office.

Deidara beamed as he skipped up next to Maruha. Kakashi stood up slowly, with a bit of help from Maruha, then righted himself on his crutches. Kakashi looked at the blonde boy.

"Who's this? Your newborn son?" he asked.

"Who's this? Your boyfriend?" Deidara asked. Maruha and Kakashi both got red cheeks.

"No. No, he's just a good friend that I should have listened to," Maruha said. She shifted from foot to foot awkwardly. "Kakashi, this is my long lost student, Deidara."

"STUDENT?!" the three, apparently forgotten other students bellowed. Naruto ran over to Maruha, holding his hands out in both a confused and pleading gesture.

"But, Maruha-sensei, I thought we were your students?" Naruto said. Maruha grinned, then pulled him into a noogie. He squawked.

"You're ALL my students!" Naruto writhed until he pulled himself free. He then vainly tried to redo his hair. He glowered at Maruha.

"Hrmph," Naruto said. Deidara hugged Maruha around her middle, then stuck his tongue out at Naruto and the other two.

"She was my Sensei, first," Deidara said. Naruto's head started erupting little bolts of lightning as his eyes grew into flaming balls of fury. Deidara grinned, then ran away from him, cackling madly as Naruto chased after him. Sakura and Sasuke soon followed. That left two awkward adults, feeling especially awkward because they still had red cheeks.

"I married Yamanosanaka, Kakashi." Kakashi looked at Maruha.

"Well, I'm happy for you two," Kakashi said.

"I kinda had to kill him, though."

"Oh. I'm sorry for your loss."

"He tried to kill me, first."

"Bastard," Kakashi said. Maruha giggled.

"We were only married for a few months. But I had just fallen so head over heels for him. He seemed like such a good- a good-"

"A good murderer?" Kakashi asked, eyebrows raised. Maruha sighed.

"You were right, Kakashi. I knew you were."

"I know you did." Kakashi and Maruha stood in silence, which was only interrupted by cackling and Naruto's angry screams.

"We never did anything, either," Maruha said, face regaining a pink flush.

"Not even-?" Kakashi began.

"No. He slit my throat before we even got that far." Maruha paused. "Do you think things can go back to the way they were, Kakashi?" He shrugged.

"You're still a pretty cute red-head."

Maruha grinned.

XXxxxXX

So, right now I'm trying to decide if I want to wrap this story up, or if I want to keep working on it. Right now, I'm just tying the pieces back together. As I get more familiar with the characters, who knows! Maybe I can start up some more ninja crazies!

I know it's a little early to be asking again, but if you could review, I would absolutely love it. I might even give you a virtual cookie. ;)