Disclaimer: The day I own Naruto is the day that the American voice actors will be changed D:
Over the years, Kakashi thought he had exhibited pride over his treasured students.
Pride when Naruto and Sasuke advanced to jounin… after Sakura did.
Pride when Sasuke had put Itachi so far behind him that he could actually crack a joke.
Pride when Naruto made Rokudaime at such a young age.
And even more, pride that they still trained together, like a pack of wolves, relying on each other.
But up until now, he realized he had never really felt it.
It was like an epiphany, watching his former students, now matured into adults. Observing Sakura and Sasuke talk quietly, hiding from the hot summer sun under the shade of a tree, watching Naruto go on even after they had to break.
Oh, yeah, he had thought that he prided over Naruto's stupefying high stamina, too.
He could hear what they were talking about, sitting in the tree they were resting under, but he wasn't really paying attention. He casually looked down when Sakura took a long drink from her water bottle (well, it wasn't really hers; she snatched it from Kakashi at the bridge. He let her get away with it because she was so sneaky about it), the words uttered from the Uchiha caught his attention, "Honestly, I don't understand him at all. We're so different, but not, I don't know where to start."
And what really aroused his interest is the funny look the rosette-haired girl gave him back, mouth slightly open, contemplating what she was going to say.
Kakashi could tell when she decided on what to say, it was made obvious by a little smile gracing her face. She stood, screwing the cap back on the bottle, before holding it out for Sasuke to examine.
"Tell me, what is this?"
Kakashi's eyebrows rose in time with Sasuke's.
The quiet man stood as well, looking at the bottle,
"It is a un-labeled, half-empty water bottle." He said in that voice in his, like what he said was law.
Sakura just smiled and nodded, before turning to Naruto, who was lazily jogging their way, sweaty and shirt-less.
"Hey Naruto, what is this?" And she threw the bottle at the blonde hokage, who caught it before it made contact with his forehead.
Naruto just blinked at the bottle, then looked up to Sakura, eyes questioning her sanity, because his mouth finally learned better. He looked at Sasuke for support.
And when the Uchiha nodded, Naurto answered, "It's a half-filled water bottle."
Then Kakashi got it. Pride welled up like a bad case of diarrhea.
"Exactly." Sakura just smiled and began to walk off, her training done for the day, leaving both males dumbfounded, only one really trying to figure it out, the other long since given up on trying to understand metaphors and similes and the like.
But more pride came from Sakura at Naruto's next statement,
"Oi! She's beginning to sound like Kakashi!"
It was then Kakashi began to wonder if he could exchange all this pride for courage so he could finally ask his favorite student out.