"Aaa-choo!"
The sneeze is loud in his sensitive ears and far too wet for his liking.
Kakashi sniffles in annoyance before turning to lay on his side listlessly, fever addled brain not caring in the slightest if said action causes his arms and legs to flop precariously close to the edge of the couch. He questions, again, why children have such delicate immune systems.
He visibly pouts, thinking back to when Sakura had all but bullied him into parking his butt onto her secondhand couch, rightfully assuming he would refuse to stay at the hospital for such a minor illness and claiming he couldn't be trusted alone in his current state. Naruto had offered his couch as well but was turned down on account of the less than orderly state of his apartment. "That's not an appropriate environment for a sick kid," Sakura had scolded.
Honestly, he wants to be offended over the whole ordeal, but he supposes he can't entirely blame his team for being just a tad overprotective considering how he currently looks like a ten-year-old thanks to a harrowing encounter with an unknown enemy ninja and Naruto's latest untested sealing experiment in the middle of a peacekeeping mission in Cloud. Then, to make matters worse, he'd picked up a nasty bug on the way home. Apparently getting himself physically shrunk down to child size in the middle of the mountains was a bad recipe for over exposure to the harsh climate.
Kakashi admits to having been on the small side as a kid and thanks to a recent growth spurt Naruto is not any smaller than him as an adult now. So, of course, nothing had fit. He'd been forced to bundle up in his very oversized shirt and make do. Then, when the coughing started up, Naruto had more or less panicked, scooping him up and taking off on a mad dash the rest of the way back to Konoha, ignoring his protests of being carried the whole way. Which is more or less how he ended up buried under a nest of blankets on his student's couch.
Tsunade looked into his situation. He'd briefly worried she'd pummel both Naruto and himself for pulling something like this so close to her retirement but it turns out being this tiny and pathetic looking does have its perks. Tsunade deflated pretty quickly under his sad puppy dog eyes. Naruto had no such defense but at least Kurama is probably nice enough to heal the bruising. Kakashi winces in sympathy, remembering the lashing the blond had gotten for experimenting in middle of a fight before they finally moved on to working out a solution.
The good news is the seal that did this to him should wear off in a few days' time. The bad news, he's going to be smothered in the meantime whether he likes it or not.
It could be worse, Kakashi knows. He's still himself, even if compressed down into a miniaturized package that has his students cooing whenever he momentarily forgets just how short he is now. Since learning this he's done everything in his power to avoid any action that could possibly misconstrued as "cute" with only varying levels of success. It's mortifying, but the longer he stays bundled up on Sakura's couch the more he finds himself distracted by how generally awful he's feeling.
As if summoned by the thought alone, another series of throat-tearing coughs hits before he can think to try and stop it. Like this each expulsion of air seems almost bigger than he is, jerking all the breath from his lungs and leaving him lightheaded and aching. After the fit finally tappers off Kakashi curls in on himself, momentarily forgetting he's taking up space in Sakura's quaint living room instead of sprawled out in the seclusion of his own home.
Said medic chooses this moment to swing open her apartment door, arms laden with grocery bags, and light from the outside world invades the small living space. Despite wanting to dive further under his borrowed blankets, Kakashi cracks open his eyes and watches as Sakura loudly calls for Naruto to help her put away the food. The blond never answers her.
It's a testament to Kakashi's unusual drowsiness that it takes him several more moments to recall Naruto getting bored some five minutes after Sakura left this morning and heading off to pick up a few things, most likely for his own entertainment. The man turned kid sighs pathetically before pushing himself up from the semi-comfort of the couch onto too wobbly legs to inform Sakura of this—and maybe help put away the groceries. He's feeling magnanimous like that.
Except Sakura squawks at the sight of him, nearly dropping her eggs, before guiding him back to the couch as if he really is a small child. He's still feeling slightly indignant about the whole thing as she checks his temperature with the back of her hand. "Boys, honestly…" she mutters darkly, a look of concentration etched on her face. "Hmm, looks like your fever went up. Let me get you something for that."
With that she swans off back to her kitchen and Kakashi realizes he must have nodded off because the next thing he knows Sakura is gently shaking him awake to swallow some red liquid she holds out to him in a small measuring cup that ends up tasting something like artificial cherry and shoe polish. Ugh, why is children medication so terrible? Can't they just swallow pills like adults?
He knows better than to complain, tugging his mask back into place before Sakura loses patience in allowing him the barest amount of privacy.
He should consider himself lucky that he never got around to throwing out his old childhood belongings. The old shirt mask combo Pakkun had managed to dig up for him is certainly worn but fits well enough and keeps his face securely hidden. The only reason Naruto hasn't already caught a peak from before he was able to fashion a hasty replacement out of some ripped cloth was likely because of how worried he'd been. Which is still something Kakashi isn't sure he'll ever be fully comfortable with.
But his team obviously cares for him, even if a part of why they're sticking so close does have to do with getting to see him so small and unlike his usual self.
Sakura's back the next moment, collecting the empty measuring cup and all but ordering him to lie back down as she contemplates to herself about trying her hand at making soup before Naruto shows up trying to force feeding him ramen. He expertly hides his shudder at the thought of any of his students' cooking. It's a skill sadly none of them seem to have picked up over the years, with possibly the exception of Sasuke, though Kakashi keenly doubts it.
The sudden image of Orochimaru decked out in a frilly pink apron stir-frying vegetables and meat of unknown origin over a stove top is regrettably in his head now.
He suspects the medication Sakura gave him of being more than a fever reducer when his eyes lids start to go heavy, though to be fair he has been experiencing that a lot lately. There's a part of him that's even just the tiniest bit grateful that for whatever reason sleep is coming easier now than it usually does. And, really, the best escape from being treated like a child and his own overactive imagination is likely to simply not to be conscious for it.
The next time Kakashi wakes up it's to Naruto's snores. His student has pulled one of Sakura's dining room chairs up to the couch and is slumped over in a decidedly uncomfortable looking position. Kakashi does not envy what that's going to do to the poor boy's back.
Feeling more alert, he glances over to the tiny window hanging over the kitchen sink and judges the time to be around late afternoon. Sitting up doesn't bother him nearly as much as when he was first brought to the team medic's apartment somewhat against his will. Encouraged, he tries to clear his throat and frowns at its scratchiness.
Naruto startles and all but falls to the floor when Kakashi is assaulted by another coughing fit. He's hovering over the couch by the time Kakashi can get himself back under control. "Hey, Kakashi Sensei, you feelin' alright?"
Kakashi nods, not really trusting his own voice but forcing the words out anyway, "I'm fine. How long have you been here?"
Naruto cringes at how hoarse Kakashi sounds. "A few hours. Sakura had to stop by the hospital, but she'll be back soon. Anyway, you should eat something while you're up."
Kakashi shrinks at the suggestion of food as Naruto disappears into the kitchen, returning shortly with a warm bowl of soup. He notes with some relief the soup looks to be takeout. Sakura's culinary experiment must not have panned out after all. Still, the queasy feeling in his gut hasn't completely gone away. "Ah thanks, but I'm not really hungry…"
"Please, sensei!" Naruto wheedles, looking just a tad desperate and more stressed than Kakashi is used to seeing in his normally carefree student. Well, omitting a certain harrowing trip from Cloud all the way back to the Hidden Leaf that is. "Sakura promised there would be pain if you didn't eat something."
Kakashi briefly considers refusing but thinks better of it. He doesn't actually want to be a brat when his students are just trying to look out for him, even if it rankles in an overbearing sort of way. "Fine, but only so you don't get your lights punched out."
"I knew you cared, sensei!" Naruto practically beams, eagerly passing over the soup.
It takes a moment before Naruto is sufficiently distracted to risk taking a sip, but once his student's back is turned and hot steam is wafting up into his face from what turns out to be mostly broth, Kakashi can admit it's nicer than expected. Still, he downs only enough to hopefully appease Sakura.
He goes to place the bowl on the side table closest to the couch only to realize it's become a bit crowded. There's a second container of takeout with a note along with a stuffed toy of all things, one that bares a suspicious resemblance to one of Sia's living ink animals. On closer inspection he finds the sticky note has a brief get well message neatly scrawled in what he recognizes as Tenzou's precise handwriting. Huh, looks like the whole team has been by.
Kakashi doesn't dwell on the warm feeling bubbling up in his chest and with a little finagling he finds a place for the bowl beside the other takeout. It's once he's sat back that he addresses Naruto who's staring at him almost expectantly, "What?"
"I still can't believe you got turned into a kid all we get to do is watch you sleep." Naruto all but pouts.
"Ah, sorry it's not turning out to be more entertaining for you." He's really, really not.
"It's not just that," Naruto complains. "It sucks you can't have any fun with this too, you know! It has to of been forever since you were a kid. I bet you don't even remember what it's like to have fun anymore."
Some would say Naruto's overestimating his age a bit there. But the sentiment is strangely sincere, if a bit misguided. Kakashi's sure Naruto would never have approved of his child self's opinions on "fun". No, he'd squashed that part of himself early on, much too preoccupied with absorbing every scrap of knowledge he could come by and appearing as grown up as possible.
Instead of getting into any of that though he pokes at the side of his forehead. "I'm not actually a kid up here, remember?"
True to form, Naruto doesn't let up. "I know that! But, come on, there has to be something you miss from being little. Like, what about sugary foods you used to eat or didn't anyone ever carry you up high on their shoulders or maybe give you a piggyback ride?"
Kakashi blanches. Between Naruto's more recent overprotectiveness and Gai's competitive tendencies on that one mission to rescue Gaara he's had more than enough of being manhandled to last multiple lifetimes.
"Hey, Kakashi Sensei, you're looking kinda pale all of a sudden. Should I take you to Sakura?"
"Ah, no…" Kakashi waves away both the concern and the question. "Really, I don't think I liked being carried around that much when I was a kid." Naruto doesn't look quite convinced though so Kakashi flounders for a distraction, pointing out the satchel he notices laying on the floor by the couch. "By the way, what's in the bag?"
Naruto eyes him suspiciously a moment longer, as if that's all it would take to see through Kakashi's deception if he really wasn't fine or possibly secretly desired to be carted around like a sack of potatoes. But it doesn't take too long before his student is shyly pulling several books from the satchel, and Kakashi is somewhat relieved to note they're not children's books. He stares at his student, curious. Surely watching him read is no better than watching him sleep.
Face turning a bit red, Naruto doesn't quite meet his eyes. "So, I figured, even if you didn't get read to a lot as a kid maybe you'd still like it now?"
It's an unexpected offer. He knows Naruto himself isn't much for reading. But he also knows Naruto probably never had the experience for himself as a child. There's an old guilt there, one Kakashi can never quite shake despite having been so young and barely shy of suicidal and all the adults that could've offered Minato Sensei's son something so much better.
Determinedly not going down that particular rabbit hole, he looks back to Naruto who has obviously put some thought into this. Reading is a well-known hobby of Kakashi's after all. Really, of all the child-friendly activities Naruto could have selected this is probably the most painless.
"Okay," Kakashi says, surprising both Naruto and himself.
"There's no Icha Icha," Naruto warns, uncompromising. And, honestly, that's not a story he wants to hear from one of his students anyway.
"Then what have you brought?" Kakashi leans over the edge of the couch, trying to get a better look at the books Naruto has stacked on his lap.
Naruto rattles off a list of adventures novels Kakashi is largely unfamiliar with and thus doesn't have a preference for where they begin. Without too much thought Naruto simply opens up the largest book with flourish and clears his throat dramatically. Kakashi cocks his head to the side as Naruto begins reading aloud. The story is not too bad, if a little predicable at points, but his student is putting such effort into making this a theatric reading that Kakashi can't help but relax as the tale goes on and assist Naruto whenever he comes across a word that's unfamiliar to him.
Eventually, Naruto moves over to the couch where Kakashi can better see where his student struggles and view the occasional illustration. It's not like he's taking up much space on it as a ten-year-old anyway.
And if Sakura were to come home sometime later to Naruto passed out on her couch with Kakashi slumped over against his side and a book propped between them, well, Kakashi has his ways of making any resulting evidence disappear.
This is actually a modified scene from a long chapter fic I never finished from forever ago. Recently the Naruto fandom bug has struck and I've found myself wanting to revive this moment from the story. Anyway, I hope it's as fun to read as it was to reminisce over!