Kakashi's Hamster

Iruka was walking along the street when he noticed Kakashi running into a pet shop. He looked excited about something, and he left the store almost as quickly as he had entered. Kakashi noticed Iruka and waved for him to come over. "Hey Iruka, come see this! It's so cool!"

Shrugging, Iruka decided he'd go see what Kakashi was so happy about. He walked over and saw a small wire cage with a furry animal inside. "Umm…"

Kakashi smiled proudly. "It's a hamster!" He announced."

"I… I see."

"I'm going to name him Gerald!"

"But, that's a western name, you imbecile."

"Oh." Kakashi thought about the name for a moment. "Then I guess I can call him Geraldmaru! C'mon, Geraldmaru! Daddy is going to take you home! Yes he is! Yesss he isss!" He started to giggle and squirm, and this creeped Iruka out to no end. He realized that, he didn't really need to keep going that direction, so Iruka turned around and went home instead.

The next day, Kakashi was a wreck.

"IRUKA! IRUKA! COME QUICK!"

"Oh boy." Iruka sighed. He had been trying to practice a new Jutsu he learned, but that would probably have to wait now. "What is it Kakashi?"

Kakashi's eyes were brimming with tears. "It's Geraldmaru! He's gone!" Kakashi started to cry. "WHY? WHY DID HE LEAVE ME? GERALDMAAARUUU!"

Iruka rolled his eyes. "I'm sure he's just hiding under your bed or something. Just relax." Kakashi sniffed, and nodded.

"Okay… I guess that's possible."

"Good. Now please, let me finish this technique before class starts." Iruka turned back to the scroll he had been reading directions from, and Kakashi slipped off, probably worrying for his new pet.

Iruka placed his hands together, about to try a shadow clone, when Gai interrupted him. "Hey there, Iruka!"

Iruka's eye twitched. At this rate, he would probably only go as far as Chunin. "Hello, Gai."

Gai looked slightly concerned. "Iruka, I've just noticed, but… why is Kakashi acting so sulky?"

"Well, he got a hamster yesterday, and now it's run away from him."

"That's all?"

"Pretty much."

"… That lucky son of a-"

The rest of Gai's sentence was blocked out by the academy's bell, so we'll never, ever know what he was going to say next.

Iruka blinked.

Gai looked down at the confused, younger student. "I've always wanted a hamster! And now my eternal rival has one, and was even careless enough to lose it?" Iruka shook his head, and they both went to find their classes.

It had been three weeks since Geraldmaru went missing. Kakashi was still franticly searching for the lost hamster, but he had no luck. He had even been later to class than usual, and Iruka and Gai were starting to become worried.

It was time for an intervention.

"Kakashi," Gai said, "Maybe, maybe Geraldmaru is… on a farm."

Kakashi looked up into Gai's face when he said that. "A… a farm?"

"Yeah!" Iruka added. "He's on a special, uh, hamster farm! Where there are spiny wheels and water bottles everywhere! And he plays with other hamsters!"

This cheered Kakashi up a little. "Are there food pellets there?"

"All you can eat!" Reassured Iruka.

Kakashi smiled. "Thanks, guys. Now I don't have to feel upset."

Gai nodded. "Yeah, you don't need to worry about Geraldmaru. But I'd feel bad for that dead rat on your head."

Iruka glared angrily at Gai. Kakashi's eyes widened with fear, and he pulled out a hamster skeleton from his large, poofy mess of hair. "NOOO! GERALDMARU! SPEAK TO ME, GERALDMARU! SPEAK TO DADDY!"

"Good going, Gai. Now he's going to be even more depressed."

"That's Geraldmaru? So… did he just get lost in Kakashi's hair… all this time… and Kakashi didn't notice?"

Iruka watched as Kakashi continued to shake the little Geraldmaru skeleton. "Wow… I guess so. Should we try to snap him out of… this?"

Gai thought it over. "Nah, at least he hasn't found out about the puppy in his hair yet."

Next Chapter Summary: Gai learns that newest, hippest thing around is… Pokemon! So what does the trio do? They become addicted to the games, of course! Reviewers get muffins. But I warn you, Kakashi made them last week.