The Jōnins and Chūnin around Kurenai obviously didn't know what to do in this situation. 'well then.' Kakashi thought. Casually, hands in his pockets he walked up to the weeping woman. Stopped. Considered her for a moment, then he slapped her.

Chock was the general consensus in the room. Anko was the first to break the tense quiet.

"Oi! Hatake, what the he-"

"The fu-"

"Kakashi-sensei! You can't-" The noise would have lifted a roof. Calmly Kakashi raised his hand to slap the woman again, only this time she moved out of the path of his hand and brought a hand to her kunai-holster-free tight as if to grab a weapon she hadn't equipped for days.

"Why?" Kurenai ground out. Kakashi lifted an eyebrow.

"Done wallowing?"

"Hatake. You are one sick fuck, you know that? She just lost-" Kakashi didn't let the Jōnin finish.

"She has a name. It's Kurenai, in case you've missed it. Kurenai lost her boyfriend six days ago. I know. Kurenai is also a Jōnin, an elite of this village who is supposed to be capable of leading troops during war. Kurenai has three students who need her attention. Kurenai needs to get. The. Fuck. Up." He glared around the room, eye assessing and finding the shinobi in the room wanting.

"Normally, three days is considered normal, more as excessive. I lost my father, my teammates and my sensei and took two days at the most to return to duty each time. I don't hold the rest of you to my standards," and that was an insult even if only half the room realized it, that half included the team ten and team eight to Kakashi's hidden delight. "but I will hold you to the general rule of three days." Kakashi returned his eye to Kurenai.

"Yes, there is pressure because the kid will be a grandkid of the third. Yes, it might very well be a clan heir. That is no excuse I will accept. Get up. Act your age and if you can't do that" Kakashi nearly spat the word. "act you rank." With that Kakashi turned on a heel and walked away, uncaring of the eyes staring at his back in anger and disbelief. At the threshold he paused and spoke one more sentence, soft as poisoned mist. "I expected more from you Kurenai."

Kurenai who hadn't moved since reaching for a kunai that wasn't there looked down on herself. In surprise, Anko would say, thought she didn't think anyone else could spot it.

"Get up, huh?"

"Kurenai-san! He's wrong you know! You don't have to… I mean you can take the time to…"

"You do know that, right? It's perfectly alright to take the time you need to get over the death of someone you love."

"Yeah. The brats are right. Don't let that man push you down."

"Right, right! Just…" Anko watched curiously as Kurenai slowly began listening less to what people were saying and more and more to their body language. Then the anger began creeping in.

"Sorry." The red-eyed woman cut someone off. "I need to do some thinking." Then she shunshined the fuck out of there before anyone else got a word in. Anko grinned in delight. Seems Kurenai got out of her funk at last! A glance at the suspiciously quiet brat-packs made her grin widen. Seems Kurenai wasn't the only one hit by Kakashi's words.

This might be fun. Then Anko followed Kurenai, if the woman was back to business she'd be at a training-ground right now. She might even need someone to spar with.

An: 'nother old one, March this one is from (excuse my Yoda). Just, Kurenai is supposed to be a Jonin and she ends up doing what exactly? A rank she's fought her whole life for and something only a percentage of any village will ever reach? No, she would probably not just give it up.

Anyone willing to expand on this one is welcome to, I probably won't.