"KAKASHI-SENSEI!"
Kakashi jumped up from his bed, kunai in hand.
Naruto laughed as he sat on the window sill, "Good morning, Sensei. I see you're awake."
Kakashi stared angrily at the grinning 12-year-old blond, "Now I am, yes."
"Well, you've woken me up with so many of your surprise visits." Naruto said, "I thought I'd return the favor."
Kakashi groaned. It was his day off. He wanted to sleep in, wake up late and eat breakfast while re-reading Icha Icha – for the thirty-fifth time.
He did not want to be woken up – jarringly – by Naruto.
"Yea… well…" Kakashi tried to think of something witty to say, 'It's too early for wit.'
"It's too early for wit."
Naruto raised his left eyebrow, "Oookay… that… didn't make sense, Sensei, but whatever."
"Yea… well…" It really was too early for wit.
"You sleep with your mask on, Kakashi-sensei? That's pretty freakin' weird." Naruto sighed. He'd hoped that by surprising Kakashi while he slept, he'd see Kakashi's mysterious face.
No luck.
Kakashi lifted his hand to his face and realized that yes, indeed, he was wearing his mask.
Actually, Kakashi preferred not to sleep with his mask on but he wore it so much during waking hours, he often went to bed forgetting it was still on.
"Besides merely to annoy me, Naruto." Kakashi said, sitting back on his bed, "Why are you here?"
"Like I said, returning the favor." Naruto grinned.
"Well, when I visit you in the mornings, I bring you food. Did you bring me food?"
"No."
"Then go away." Kakashi flopped onto his bed, "I'm sleeping."
"At least I don't think you can eat it. I really don't know."
Kakashi opened his eye, "What?"
"Here." Naruto was holding out a potted plant to him.
It was cute and bright green with shiny leaves.
Kakashi looked at it, looked at Naruto and then back at the plant.
"Thanks…?" Kakashi said, taking the little potted plant.
Naruto shrugged, looking bored, "I don't know what kind of plant it is. I was walking past that flower shop that Ino's parents own and they were just about to throw it and a couple of other plants out 'cause they didn't seem to be growing well so I took them."
Kakashi looked down at the plant. It was so cute.
"Anyway, the other ones were giving me some trouble to revive but a little water and a some diluted plant food and this one perked right up. Just keep it in the sun, water it every couple of days and give it some food once a week and it shouldn't give you any trouble." Naruto said, pulling a small package out of his pocket, "Here ya' go, Kakashi-sensei. Enjoy." He said, tossing the package.
Kakashi caught it, "Yea… thanks, Naruto."
Naruto nodded and jumped out the window.
Kakashi set the little plant down on his nightstand. It sat there. Looking cute.
Kakashi couldn't help but stare at it. It wasn't going to do anything, he knew.
It wasn't going to stand up and do a little dance.
It was just going to sit there and, if Kakashi took care of it correctly, grow.
Kakashi opened the little package Naruto had given him.
Inside was a little spray bottle, a little bottle of plant food and a little pair of scissors. There was also a note:
Take care of it, Kakashi-sensei. I mean it.
Remember: water every couple of days, plant food, once a week and the scissors are to cut off any dead pieces, should they appear.
Have fun! –Naruto
Kakashi scoffed. Imagine the nerve of Naruto, telling him to be careful!
Kakashi set the little plant on the window sill at the head of his bed, behind his pictures.
He stared at it again and then flopped back into bed.
--
It would be two months before Kakashi mustered the courage to go to Naruto.
He knocked on his door one afternoon.
Naruto opened the apartment door, "Coming to the door? Knocking? Usually, you come in through the window, Kakashi-sensei, without being invited. What's up?"
"It's Mr. Ukki…"
Naruto looked confused, "Who is Mr. Ukki?"
Kakashi revealed the plant he was hiding behind him, "I think I'm killing him!"
Naruto frowned and pulled the potted plant from Kakashi's hands, "Kakashi-sensei, this is not how you treat a gift!"
"I'm trying!"
"Ne…" Naruto examined the plant, lifting its wilting stalks gently. He prodded the dirt and frowned.
"Here's your problem, Kakashi-sensei. You're over watering it."
"Him."
"Him. I told you to water every couple of days. A plant like this doesn't need water all the time – it's sitting in a pot, Kakashi-sensei. Over-watering the plant won't allow it to receive the oxygen it needs in the dirt. Let up on the watering and air out the dirt. I suggest you take out most of that wet dirt and refill it with some drier dirt. Then, just be wary about how much you water, okay?"
"Are you sure?" Kakashi asked, taking the plant back from Naruto, "Mr. Ukki's not going to die, is he?"
"Shouldn't."
"Okay…" Kakashi shuffled away, gently prodding the slightly wilted leaves. Mr. Ukki had seen better days.
--
A few days after returning from his three-year journey with Jiraiya, Naruto was visited by Kakashi holding a familiar-looking plant. It was big and bright green.
"What's with the plant?" Naruto asked.
"It's Mr. Ukki." Kakashi said, holding it up proudly, "He looks great, doesn't he?"
Naruto had to smile.
When he'd given his sensei the plant, Kakashi looked as if he could care less.
He wondered what happened to make his sensei care so much about it.
Not that Kakashi would ever tell Naruto, but he'd long since realized that the plant reminded Kakashi of easier days and simpler times.
Like Naruto had said, once Kakashi knew how, the plant was easy to care for.
Just as his students had once been, easy to care for and cute.
And Mr. Ukki was definitely cute.
Just a quick story of one of my favorite characters - Mr. Ukki.
I love the fact that Kakashi has a plant named Mr. Ukki that Naruto gave him.
I love that Naruto likes plants because I'm a landscaper so I like plants, too.
I hope the story made sense.
I just "scribbled" it down for fun.
-4ng3legg