I don't own anything Naruto.
…
Konoha was alive with the warm glow of soft lights and bustling civilians. Not long ago, it was unthinkable for anyone to leave their homes at night as war had suffocated the spirit of the city. However, amity had seeped its way into the tiny cracks of their collected apprehension and the Hidden Leaf was finally able to breathe. The gentle din of nightlife wafted throughout the streets as a steady heartbeat, encouraging peace of mind even from those who remembered the hard times that came before.
"I know my own limitations," Kakashi was stating wisely. "The last thing I can wish to teach you is to recognize yours. In many ways, you have surpassed me."
"HA!" Gai guffawed, slamming down his sake bottle with his normal exuberance. "You giving up, Kakashi? Has our rivalry finally procured a victor!?"
The copy nin opened his one good eye, keeping the legendary one hidden, to look at the collection of empty carafes and long forgotten glasses. This night's competition had started innocently enough, but their boyish game quickly escalated when his longest friend upped the ante.
Sighing, he fought the swimming sensation in his head. "Oh no, I just have no desire to leave you here after you pass out."
If Gai did not know Kakashi so well, he would not have taken his remark as bait. The large hand smacked his silver-haired friend's shoulder, effectively throwing him back into the waters of inebriation, and ordered two more.
"Prepare for your demise, my greatest opponent!"
The two ninjas regarded each other, the perfect picture of opposing enthusiasms, and raised their hands.
"JA-KEN-PO…"
.
The streets were dusty and dark when they finally left, begrudgingly. Gai's strong laugh betrayed the sturdiness of his legs and if it weren't for each other, both men would be in the dirt.
He wasn't sure they were even heading in the right direction and honestly didn't care that much. The night was warm and he had gotten out of paying the tab. They ignored a weary shout from a nearby apartment before Kakashi suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
The path ahead descended down a slight hill, allowing the lowering moon to glow in a stark white orb on the horizon. There was a small group silhouetted against the celestial light, but one seemed to shine. Her small frame was standing strong and straight as she gave farewells to the others. Kakashi could just make out the swell of her hips and the hint of a giggle. He could not see her well, but her presence demanded attention.
"Oooohh," Gai teased. "A fair nymph has caught your eye."
He quickly shook himself out of it. "I don't have one to spare."
"For someone who sees so much, you keep yourself blind."
Properly chided, he turned to move in the opposite direction.
"Oh no, Kakashi, I challenge you!"
It was perhaps the alcohol that kept him intrigued. "…With?"
"That." His thick finger pointed towards the slowly distancing woman. "Bring that home with you tonight, and I will allow you victory."
He shrugged. "I won, anyways."
"And if you take this challenge," his blackmailing wing-man said, "that is exactly what I will tell everyone."
Kakashi considered him, and then looked back towards his new goal. The feminine bounce that accompanied each step was a bit alluring. He slid his crinkled grey eye back to Gai before moving forward with all the confidence and lackadaisical mannerisms of a man going to take a stroll or assassinate a criminal, not attempt to pick up a random woman.
His steps were uneasy, but his drunken state kept him cheerful. Approaching the prey, Kakashi silenced his movements, misjudged the distance, and in a puff of smoke appeared directly in front of the woman, their noses almost touching.
"Yo," he smiled, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "I-"
He stopped, and despite feeling like he had been dunked in ice water he could sense the alcohol sizzle out of his system. A breath caught in his throat when his limbs went numb and he froze in place, his age suddenly weighing him down.
"Uh, Kakashi-sensei?"
He didn't move. He couldn't move. He tried to blink and erase the image of the night-casted, exasperated gaze of this woman with the bubbly pink cherub he had known years ago, but his body was not responding… and his mind was betraying him as well.
At the height of his embarrassment, Gai shouted towards them. "The man is legend in more ways than one, pretty girl!"
Sakura was obviously confused, but thankfully never took the green-clad ninja seriously. She looked back to her ex-teacher, unable to make out much more than a sake-scented dark outline, and tried again. "You okay, Kaka-sensei?"
When he still didn't move, Sakura lit up her hand with chakra to get a better look at his face, and froze as well when the last piece of the puzzle fell into place.
He was wide-eyed, scared, and his blush had crept over the top of his mask. She only had a second to be humiliated herself, because in a blur he was gone.
…
A/N: SHAMELESS KAKASAKU! SHAMELESS KAKASAKU ALL DAY!