[A/N] I miss genin Sasuke so much. WUT HAS HE BECOME LATELY ;_; Well, there's still hope, I guess.
Antics and a Water Bottle
It was a hot day, and Kakashi had just managed to convince Sasuke to slow down (his exact words were "Chill the angst for just a few minutes, Sasuke") and let his teammates take a rest. The jounin perched himself on a high tree branch and cracked open the Infamous Orange Book, but he wasn't really focusing on the masterpiece full of clever innuendo.
Yes, surprisingly, to the Copy-Cat ninja there was something even more entertaining than his favorite Icha Icha Paradise, and that was observing his three adorably annoying midgets.
The three genin were passing around a water bottle that Sakura had brought along for the trip. Sasuke tried to pretend like he didn't need it, but Sakura pushed it onto him and he made quite a show of reluctantly accepting it. After the Uchiha thirstily took a few gulps of it and replaced the lid, he tossed it at Naruto in a manner very much suitable for throwing a shuriken. It made a dull, satisfying clang as it smacked into the back of the unsuspecting blond's head.
"Oi!" came the angry shout. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?!"
"Do you even need to ask for such an obvious answer?"
"What did you say, you bastard?!"
"Hey, Naruto, we're supposed to rest! Calm down!"
"Sakura-chan, he threw a water bottle at me! How am I supposed to calm down?!"
"A ninja with any talent would have been able to dodge that, dead-last."
"A ninja who valued teamwork wouldn't pitch a water bottle at his teammate's skull in the first place, asshole!"
Kakashi wondered if he should jump down from his perch and step in. The three genin voices were getting louder and angrier, but it was really hot, and he was really quite content on this tree branch. He'd just found the perfect position where he could comfortably lean back his head into a hollow of the tree trunk. Besides, violent though their fights often became, this was simply how the three showed their affection for each other.
But as their jounin sensei, he supposed he did hold responsibility in case one of them killed each other...
"Guys, stop fighting!"
Hm, seemed like Sakura was in control, though. And they hadn't brandished any kunai yet (though the water bottle might count as a weapon), so he figured that sufficiently meant all was well, and there was no need for him to break it up. A little bit of rivalry never hurt anyone. Kakashi took a moment to peer down through the foliage at his three students, just to check there had been no blood spilt.
Nope, all was indeed well: The boys were trying to glare each other into oblivion, while their pink-haired teammate was pressing a hand into each of their shoulders as they continued their verbal barrage.
"That know-it-all deserves a smack in the head for chucking one at me, don't you think?!"
"You should be thankful. Maybe the bottle's impact lodged your measly brain into place."
"Stop, both of you, seriously! Teamwork means getting along, you're wasting your energy arguing on such a hot day, and I'm getting tired just listening to you two fight all the time." Sakura dropped her hands slowly, and after ascertaining that her two boys wouldn't go clawing at each other, she reached for the water bottle. It had ricocheted off Naruto's head and landed a few inches from her foot. With a flourish, she screwed off its lid. "Naruto, your turn: Drink," she ordered maliciously, as she jammed the opened bottle into Naruto's mouth.
The blond sputtered for a few moments until Sakura pulled back with a satisfied, evil little smile.
"How could you, Sakura-chan?!" he cried, after he'd swallowed or gushed out all the water forced into his mouth. The boy raised his tracksuit sleeve (how he wore a tracksuit in this weather was quite beyond Kakashi's logical understanding) and wiped at his chin and then his lips ferociously, looking tremendously ill.
Sakura scowled. "What? I just hydrated you, out of the kindness of my heart. Was there something wrong with my water?"
"You just had to make me kiss the bastard for a second time!"
Sakura blinked, and fell quiet for a moment as she grasped her teammate's words. Then her green gaze blew wide as it gazed at the water bottle in her hands. She immediately dropped it into the grass like it was an sinful, horrific thing burning her fingers, her jaw following it to the ground soon after. Sasuke's expression similarly morphed into an interesting case study of revulsion, as he was also unpleasantly hit with the realization that his lips and the dobe's lips had, in fact, met in the same place.
Their sensei (rather unquietly and none too kindly) snickered from above.
"Oh my god, I just missed out on an indirect kiss with Sasuke-kun! I should have drunk from the water bottle!" Sakura's hands flew to her hair and she pulled at the pink strands in aggravation. Seconds later, a murderous green gaze was suddenly directed at the blond sitting next to her.
Ah, Kakashi thought with a nod, misplaced anger. Classic.
"NAAAARUUUUUTOOOOOOO, YOU'RE SO GONNA GET IT!"
The blond edged away quickly, but he ended up with his back to the very tree on which perched Kakashi. The poor boy shivered as his predator approached with narrowed emerald eyes, unaware of a crinkled eye watching their antics and a smile forming behind a dark mask out of amusement and affection. D'aw, his kids were so cute.
"B-b-but Sakura-chan, you're the one who—"
The jounin turned back to his novel, smiling peacefully as chaos erupted below him. Kakashi made a mental note to offer Naruto some bandages and ointment later. All in all, it was just another day for Team 7, and he hoped nothing would ever change.