Water

Sakura is surprised when Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-sensei request they go to a bath house for a week. She wonders if it'll be awkward between her and the four males and decides to ask if she can drag along some other females. She is even more surprised when they let her.

Naruto is jubilant to hear that Hinata, his girlfriend of three months, will be coming along on their trip. He becomes even more excited when he learns that all of Rookie 9 and Gai's team are going to be coming on their Bath House trip.

Sasuke doesn't know what to think of this, instead he frowns, wondering why they want to do this. When he asks Naruto, it is clear the boy has spent too much time with perverts.

"Why do you want to go on this trip?"

"Well," The blonde grinned, eyes shining, "I get to see Hinata-chan and Sakura-chan in bathing suits!"

Kakashi thinks that this will be a good bonding experience for all of them. He thinks that maybe if they can handle being around each other, that they can get closer and get along better.

Sai thinks that the trip is pointless and that it is a waste of time, but he doesn't say that. Instead he flashes them all a fake smile and bears it. He still thinks that getting wet is unnecessary.

Yamato doesn't have an opinion on the trip. Instead, he just agrees so everyone can relax. He thinks that if everyone can relax, then maybe he can too.

Sakura sighs as the bath house comes into view. She's excited for a day off, but upset that she can't understand why they're going. Once she climbs into a Jacuzzi with Kiba, Sasuke, Ino, Tenten, Neji and Shikamaru, she decides she doesn't care. The hot water is bringing them together. But she is also scared. She can't help but to quickly glance at Sasuke.

Naruto reflects that water is round. Maybe not as a whole, but in individual drops. Like rain drops and tear drops. He thinks of the water balloons he used to learn the three steps of Rasengan. He thinks that if water rotated all the time and never stopped, maybe it would keep the world rotating at a better pace. Maybe everyone would get along and mix together. Maybe if they all blended together, they'd be a powerful force.

Sasuke doesn't understand why Sakura keeps looking at him with such pain in her eyes. He doesn't understand that everyday of his absence, the felt like she was drowning, she felt like the water of her own tears were choking her. Sasuke doesn't understand that she's afraid.

Kakashi wishes that his students were better equipped to deal with life. He thinks that maybe he could use a water jutsu he copied and trap them between four walls of it. Maybe they could work out their problems. But he also thinks that maybe someone would get hurt. Maybe someone would be so desperate to escape that they'd hurt themselves to get away. He wonders why people say hot water is soothing. As he sits in it idly surrounded by the other jounin teachers, he feels uncomfortable. Maybe it's because no one in the room knows what he's going through. Asuma and Kurenai have each other to fall back on if something happens with their teams. Yamato is there, but he never has much of an opinion. Gai is just loud.

Sai decides he won't tolerate the water unless he has to. Instead he sits idly on the edge, his legs crossed Indian style and watches the people in the Jacuzzi. He frowns as Naruto joins them, getting into the water sloppily. Water ruins art. Naruto has splashed some onto his sketch pad and ruined the picture of Sakura he'd been drawing. Blankly and loudly, he rips the paper from the pad and all eyes turn to him. Without much thought on the subject, he notices that everyone is too close in the water. He knows that the water is hot, there is steam coming from it. He know that they can't be cold.

Yamato thinks that everyone would be better on their own, perhaps out in the ocean. That way no one would be around to bug one another, and you would never have to worry about breaking up any fights. No one would be crying because of departures or returns because there would be no one coming or leaving. Yamato thinks this is brilliant. He wonders if he can pull it off but decides it's too annoying to bother with. And when Yamato looks over to the other tubs, he notices the closeness between the students. Momentarily, he wonders if it was a bad idea to go to the bath house.

Apparently water does strange things to people.

That one was dedicated to Dream-Toxin for making me smile. Thank you, lots.

Return to Top