Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters contained therein, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto who is kind enough to let fans write fiction. I make no profit from this nor do I intend to.
A/N: Another one-shot snagged from The KakaSaku Archives. :-) I thought I'd post it as it's kinda a Christmas one and 'tis the season!
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Extra Credit
Kakashi watched Sakura struggle with well concealed amusement. The needles she was using were clutched awkwardly in her hands and every few moments she would have to pause to count and either curse and pull the yarn to undo what she had just done or continue to awkwardly manipulate the needles and yarn. He could guess she was making herself a scarf, to judge by the red fluffy product that was growing and shrinking in fits and starts from the needles.
After a few moments of his amused observation she seemed to sense his eyes on her and she glanced up to shoot him a death glare. "Something I can help you with Sensei?"
Since he had been clearly caught he didn't bother to deny that he had been watching her struggle with her homework for one of her kunoichi classes. "No, no… Just thinking is all." Casually he lifted his orange book back up to his line of sight and pretended to read – watching as the pink haired girl resumed her troubled knitting.
Unbidden his mind reverted to simpler times of his own youth when his female teammate had been given the same assignment. He would not be surprised when his female student presented her two male teammates scarves at Christmas time. Though, judging from her labored efforts over her own scarf he figured she had a long way to go before perfecting the domestic art.
He caught her mumbling darkly under her breath and suppressed a chuckle; it would definitely be a labor of love on her part to make the three scarves necessary to pass the class.
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Several months later he watched with mild amusement as Sakura shyly gave Naruto and Sasuke their scarves. From what he could tell they were both very well made, blue for Naruto and black for Sasuke. Silently he had to congratulate her on her persistence in sticking with knitting long enough to become proficient.
As he watched the young trio headed off in the direction of Ichiraku he was surprised to see her stop and gesture for them to continue on and she would catch up.
Curiously he wondered what she could possibly have feigned to have forgotten as he knew that she had forgotten nothing. Sakura approached him slowly, waiting for the two boys to leave her sight, he wisely guessed.
The pink haired girl paused when she reached him, smiling shyly. "I almost forgot."
He suppressed a chuckle, knowing that she had certainly done no such thing.
Carefully she pulled a third tissue wrapped parcel and handed it to him with a faint flush.
Curiously he accepted the package and removed the wrappings to find a thick wooly scarf of a nice charcoal color. Surprised he glanced back down at her.
"Thank you very much Sakura, it's beautifully made," he said with true sincerity. "I thought you only needed to make three to pass the class?"
Her blush deepened and she mumbled, "Extra credit." Before quickly waving and hurrying back in the direction her two friends had gone.