I'm back! I'll try not to stay away to long in the future.
It was high time the monsters packed their bags and left his home. Ever since Sakura had turned back into a child she had spent every night crawling into his bed at some point in the night. It was very annoying especially as she wriggled in her sleep, often kicking him in the chest. Also her feet were like two mini ice cubes. However when he tried to convince her to go back to her own bed, the monsters would rear their ugly heads and Sakura would scream until he relented and let her sleep next to him.
Kakashi had never been afraid of monsters as a child; in fact he'd never even believed they existed when other children his age did. Because of this he had no idea how one went about the task of convincing a four and a half year old that nothing was waiting under her bed or in the dark to eat her. All he knew was that when she returned to normal he was going to tease her mercilessly. The women who could bring down mountains with her fist alone couldn't stand up to make believe creatures.
It really didn't help that Halloween was fast approaching and Naruto took great delight in telling her horror stories that, while she enjoyed at the time, at bedtime would have her refusing to sleep and forcing him to check under the bed and in the cupboards for anything threatening. He had also been forced to purchase a night lamp. Somehow he didn't think that Naruto's previous punishment had taught him all that much. Maybe he'd have to think of something else.
Sasuke was at least being exceptionally well behaved. He babysat whenever Kakashi told him to without complaint and Sakura no longer picked up bad words from him. He didn't even complain when Sakura made him a crown at a crafts workshop for young kids that the village had held. He wore it for the rest of the day, even in the restaurant, until Sakura had gone to bed. Kakashi knew for a fact the boy hadn't thrown it away in case Sakura ever asked for proof that he still had the sparkly monstrosity. Kakashi's punishment concerning Sasuke seemed to have worked extremely well.
Kakashi still had no idea what Sakura was dressing up as for Halloween and it was beginning to worry him. If anyone had asked him, before the de-aging incident, what he thought young Sakura might have dressed up as for Halloween then Kakashi would have bet money that she'd be a fairy or an angel or something else cute and adorable. Now he wasn't so sure. The sadistic side that he always expected Sakura of possessing occasionally shone through as little Sakura was a little less subtle at trying to get what she wanted than adult Sakura. Little Sakura could be downright terrifying. Tears would form and threats to tell the Hokage that they were all 'meanies' were made. Now if asked what Sakura might be for Halloween all Kakashi could do was pray it wasn't going to somehow get him in trouble.
He found himself ordered out his own apartment at five in the evening on Halloween by Naruto, Ino and Sakura. He was too tired to argue and even promised Sakura to be at the Hokage tower in half an hour and to not be late on pain of a crying Sakura (a most effective punishment he was quickly finding).
Neji strolled past him on his way to the tower and stopped to have a brief conversation. The only thing Kakashi had in common with Neji was that they both knew Gai better than either wished to and Sakura. Sakura being the more pleasant topic the conversation naturally turned towards her.
"Will you be escorting her around the houses tonight?" Neji asked.
Kakashi shrugged, not really knowing what the plan was. He'd been purposefully excluded by an unusually secretive and crafty Naruto and Sakura.
"Ino and Tenten have insisted that as many of Sakura's acquaintances as possible be at home," Neji informed him. "They have insisted we dress up." The young man looked as uncomfortable as a Hyuuga could.
"Well, good luck. I will probably see you in the next hour or so." With that Kakashi left with a little wave. He really didn't want to think of what Neji might dress up as.
He was five minutes early to the Hokage tower. Tsunade nearly ordered him back home, convinced he was somehow ill. Ten minutes later Naruto and Ino appeared with Sakura. Naruto was, unsurprisingly, dressed up as Hokage and Ino chose to be a black cat (she'd even dyed her hair for the part). Sakura was… well Sakura was something.
She looked like she was supposed to be a mini-Tsunade, but something seemed to have gone wrong somewhere. She had on a miniature version of Tsunade's outfit, but she had a jounin vest on top and her headband crossed over one eye. He looked at Naruto and Ino for help and found them both grinning.
"She wasn't sure which one of you she wanted to be, so she's both!" Naruto grinned at him like a loon as he ruffled Sakura's pigtails.
Kakashi was not entirely sure how to feel about this honour. None of his students had professed any desire to be like him before and now he could help wonder why? Was he really a better nanny than he was a teacher? Well he was certainly more of a pushover that was for sure.
"Shouldn't she have a mask?" he asked as Tsunade cooed over her cute apprentice.
"Don't be silly Kakashi," Tsunade scolded as she and Sakura compared their pigtails. "She can't eat candy with a mask on." A rather large amount of said substance was deposited in Sakura's bag before Tsunade gave Sakura a hug. Kakashi prayed that Tsunade didn't see the orange book poking out of Sakura's pocket. He glared at Naruto for putting his book in such a dangerous position.
"Well we have rounds to make," he said far too cheerfully, wondering if he could quickly snatch his book before Tsunade spotted and confiscated it. Grabbing Sakura's hand he quickly set off. It took him about a minute to realise that he didn't know where he was supposed to go. He stopped and waited for Naruto and Ino to catch up.
"Sasuke's first!" Naruto grinned. "Can't wait to see what that bast… I mean friend thought up."
It turned out Sasuke surprised them all, apart from perhaps Sakura. Determined to stay in hers and therefore Kakashi's and Tsunade's good books, Sasuke had dressed as a prince with the crown Sakura had made him. It would probably take a week to wash all the glitter out of his hair.
"Sasuke-kun!" Two female voices screeched. One was in giddy excitement, the other was shrill and adoring.
"Aww… Will you be my prince Sasuke-kun?" Ino batted her lashes.
"No," Sasuke poured a bowl of chocolate into Sakura's bag and shut the door in their faces. Naruto was put out that he hadn't got a word in (he'd been too busy laughing), Ino was indignant and Sakura was perfectly happy seeing as she got candy.
Kakashi just sighed and followed them to the next house. Two hours later they finally reached their last destination: the Hyuuga mansion. The only good thing was that by the time they got back to his apartment Sakura might be so tired that she'd fall asleep instantly without worrying about monsters.
"Ino?" Kakashi had a brainwave. "How does one go convincing a little girl that there are no monsters under the bed?"
Ino stared at him for a minute before laughing. "So she's in the monster stage still?"
"Yeah, explaining that they don't exist doesn't seem to be working."
"Of course not, it was her parents that first convinced her that they were there."
That bit of news had his head reeling. Why would any parent try and convince their child that they were in danger of being eaten? Ino obviously managed to interpret his confused silence.
"It was just one of their ways of getting her to do what she's told. You know, like when parents tell kids not to suck their thumbs or the Scissor Man will cut them off. Only they didn't like Sakura's interest in becoming a ninja so they tried to use the monsters to change her mind. She believed in them till she was seven."
"What happened when she was seven?" Kakashi couldn't help but wonder what made the monsters disappear. He really wished he was able to give Sakura's parents an earful. Their monsters not only tried to discourage his student from becoming a ninja, but were also causing him to lose his precious bed space.
Ino giggled, "She learnt how to throw a kunai and felt that she could now handle any monster that came her way."
So maybe he would just have to share his bed for a little longer.
For all Neji's talk of dressing up, all he'd done was put in a pair of fangs and put his hair in a ponytail. Sakura was busy telling him off while an amused Hinata watched dressed as a Japanese princess.
"You look very pretty Hinata-chan!" Naruto bellowed while offering her some of his candy. Hinata turned bright red and promptly fainted.
"Hinata-chan!" Sakura stopped mid-lecture and rushed towards the fallen girl. Kakashi had got Team Kurenai to babysit Sakura the day before and Sakura was instantly taken with the pretty girl who had the same eyes as Neji (although not as nice hair she told Kakashi later).
Naruto was on the ground next to Hinata, trying to figure out what he'd done, as Neji pushed him aside.
"I'm afraid it's time for you to leave," Neji informed them as he scooped up Hinata and carried her back to her room.
As they left Ino turned slyly to Naruto. "You know," she began innocently. "You take Hinata out for some ramen and make sure she feels better tomorrow."
"You think?"
"I know."
Kakashi wanted to gag and block his ears. Luckily Sakura didn't know what they were on about. She was beginning to wilt after the long day. She'd given Ino her bag of sweets and crawled into Kakashi's arms, wiping her chocolate covered mouth all over his vest.
Ino and Naruto left them when they reached Kakashi's building, discussing whether Naruto should take Hinata to the ramen or dango stand.
"Kaka-kun," Sakura whined plaintively as they entered his apartment.
"Yes Sakura?"
"I feel sick."
She proceeded to demonstrate her point.
AN Is it just me, or am I way to obsessed with Neji's hair?
