Disclaimer: This was a crappy chapter. Naruto doesn't belong to me.
Breathing Memory Part II
It had been four years, though Kakashi swore it had been longer. As he reclined on his leather swivel chair, he took a quick break from paperwork to reminise. After all, hadn't he worked a good thirty minutes already? Very stressful, holding attention for longer than ten minutes. He couldn't help looking with one lazy eye at the picture framed in dark wood on top of his mahogany desk. A picture of two grumpy boys, one smiling girl, and a lax teacher. Oh the memories...Kakashi had to smirk.
What were his former students doing? The last time Naruto came to visit him was a month ago, and the visit had been brief. Naruto had told him that he was now the Rokukage, but had no time to celebrate due to a Grass/Mist country border dispute he had to mediate. Naruto would do fine as the Hokage (and he still smelled of ramen). Konoha hadn't enjoyed so much energy since Gai's pathetic attempt at street miming. But unlike Gai's miming, Naruto's rule over Konoha would be successful.
Sasuke had visited two months ago. He was off learning jutsus in different countries, cataloging them using his Sharingin while continuing his search for strength. He had been contemplating returning to Konoha to take up Naruto's invitation to lead ANBU, but maybe in a year. Maybe never. Sasuke was hopeless, but always fun to get drunk. No alcohol tolerance. The copy-cat ninja chuckled at the thought of a sake-soaked Sasuke, who smelled of alcohol and crackers. EW.
Lastly, Kakashi's eye rested on the image of his last student, the pink-haired kunoichi. He hadn't seen her in four years. What was she doing? Did she complete medic nin training? What was she doing? What did she think /he/ was doing? Of the rumors he had heard, some thought that Kakashi was living the married life (him? Please.). Others said he was atoning for his sins by becoming a solitary monk in the mountains (He couldn't believe people would believe that). But the truth was the last rumor: that he was managing Jiraiya's bathhouses until Naruto had time or was legally allowed to take charge of them. How could he refuse?
Babes.
Up-standing business.
Good pay.
Babes.
Relaxation.
Babes.
Simple desk job.
Did he mention babes?
But he was bored now. Managing two bathhouses was a chore, but after a while, life gets dull.
He wondered...since he hadn't seen Sakura in all this time...
And since she led such a boring life (she was too normal, thought Kakashi)...
Maybe he should shake up her life a little...
But wait a minute...did Sakura even care about her grumpy old teacher anymore? Kakashi had to wonder, especially due to the fact that she was always the one criticizing his corniness, lastness, pervertedness, every -ness that came along. What was he thinking? She was probably working happily and peacefully as a medical nin and certainly did not want to be reminded of the past.
But the past, as Kakashi knew, was never really gone.
After finishing five more minutes of paperwork, he decided to figure out a way to get her attention. Send her a picture? Then she would think someone had kidnapped him, which would be bad. How about sending her Icha Icha Paradise with a map on the first page? No, she would burn it the moment she saw the infamous orange book. A lock of hair? Ewww...what was he thinking? He needed all that he could get in case he ever became bald! What to do, what to do...
The Copy Ninja was still ruminating on this conundrum well into the night. As he sat outside, a gentle breeze rustled the branches of a nearby tree. The sweet smell of sakura petals passed briefly through the air and subsided with the zephyr. The scent suddenly reminded him of his former student's pink hair.
Epiphany.
Kakashi hastily summoned Pakkun. The small brown dog stared grumpily at the jounin and muttered, "Hey, I was sleeping! What--"
"Look, could you do something for me?" Kakashi asked quickly, before the idea could leave his mind. "Listen carefully..."
(Break)
Ino was sure she was hung over. She must be drunk. She had to be. Or else what could explain a dog placing an order for flowers on a Sunday morning? Yes, drunk, that must be it.
"So you got that?"
"Huh? Sorry, come again?"
"Did you hear the order I placed?"
"Umm...right, right. Hey, are you sure you're not a--"
"Mirage?"
"Yeah, one of those."
Pakkun pulled out an wad of money from the envelope he had been carrying in his mouth.
"Does this convince you I'm real?"
Ino knew enough to know that money is /always/ real.
"Ohhhh...of course, of course! I was kidding about the mirage thing, you know!" she said, going into shopkeeper mode.
"Right, could you hurry up and get it in by the afternoon?"
"Sure! Would you like it in a vase or a pot?"
"Uhhh...whatever's cheapest."
"Any sort of arrangement style that you would prefer?"
"Yeah. Make it as ugly as possible."
Ino paused when she heard this. Ugly? Yamanaka Ino didn't /do/ ugly. But hey, the little dog was pulling out more money, and she was sure that she could always try something new! Of course! Ugly!
"Nooo problem!" she chirped, quickly grabbing the money from the pug's paw. "I promise your order will be sent to the hospital by 11:00 AM! And I hope your mother gets better!"
Ino was too busy counting the money to notice that the dog disappeared in a puff of smoke. Okay, bergamot, bamboo, and a few other things and an ugly pot, Ino thought to herself, and think ugly. Like Kiba after a month without a shower ugly. This was going to be easy.
(Break)
Michiro wasn't very knowledgable about flower-arranging, but she was sure that was the most hideous bundle of plants she had ever seen. But she didn't like flowers very much anyway, so who was she to judge? Though it did smell very nice. All she knew was that she was suppose to give it to her boss, Haruno Sakura, and that was enough.
End...for now...
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