遅くなってすみません〜

5 - ch-ch-ch-cliché!

Kakashi had just reported back from a mission, and wasn't in the best of moods. Tsunade had been making none too subtle overtures about Kakashi becoming Hokage prior to Naruto inevitably taking the hat. The problem was that he didn't see why Tsunade couldn't wait until Naruto was ready, but Tsunade just threw a paperweight as his head, saying "I might be an old woman but I'm still your military dictator so shut the fuck up and listen." Wait—Kakashi could technically order Tsunade around if he became Hokage…but on second thought he didn't actually have a death wish (anymore—we don't talk about it.) He made his way down a hall in the Hokage Tower, when he spotted a certain blonde-haired orange-wearing over-enthusiastic bundle of energy.

Who ran right into him.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto looked surprised and a little out of breath, face tinted pink from exertion. It was a good look on her, Kakashi mused. And then paused, assessing that thought. Nope, moving on.

"Why hello to you too, Naruto. What exactly are you doing?"

"I managed to piss Sasuke off the other day, and I just saw him so now I'm running away." Naruto looked slightly frantic. "I think he's actually really mad, he even activated his Sharingan!"

Ahh, his cute little genin. Good to see they were still the same as always, even as Kage-level monsters of the shinobi world.

"Crap, I think he's coming closer!" Naruto was looking increasingly panicked. "Kakashi-sensei, help!"

Well, he had nothing better to do. Kakashi put his hand on Naruto's shoulder and performed a quick kawarimi with a broom in a nearby supplies closet. (He knew all the best hiding spots in Konoha—had to, to get away from Gai as often as he did.)

Naruto gave a sigh of relief. "Thanks sensei."

Kakashi, on the other hand, had forgotten how small this particular closet was. Having never shared the space with someone else before, he was taken aback by how...very very close Naruto was. Too close. Way too close.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto looked up at him curiously. "You all right?"

He was not all right, he needed his personal space and was finding it increasingly hard to breathe in there. Just as he was about to perform another substitution jutsu to get the hell out, Naruto clamped both hands over his mask in the general vicinity of his mouth.

"Shit, I think that's him," Naruto hissed. "Keep quiet, will you?"

The idiot, he hadn't even been speaking.

They stayed there for a couple more moments until the fast, angry-sounding footsteps faded away. Naruto's took her hands away, looking sheepish.

"Sorry about that. Sasuke's scary when he's mad."

Kakashi opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the violent opening of the door.

"NARUTO!" Sasuke raged, eyes blazing. "Never again are you leaving me alone with ten hours worth of paperwork, do you hear me?" He hissed.

"Eep!" Naruto put her hands up in defense. "I'm sorry, I won't do it again!"

"See that—Kakashi? What are you doing here?"

"Maa, well." Time to go!

Poof. In his place was the original broom, with a little post-it on which he had written "no permanent injuries, okay? :)"

Naruto's eye twitched. Thanks, sensei.

Sasuke smirked. "I think I can do that."

"Sasuke, c'mon, it wasn't on purpose! Aren't you overreacting?"

"TELL THAT TO MY WRIST!"

"Eek!"

Good thing Sasuke showed up when he did. Kakashi whistled as he walked away leisurely, hearing Naruto's panicked cries in the distance. Well, she's a big girl. She can take care of herself.

A particularly loud shriek reached his ears.

Probably.

notes: welp sorry this is a day late but here's the next chapter!

in response to two reviews: from the beginning this fic has always been drabble-length (which, to me, means whatever length I end up writing for that scene, tending to range anywhere from 300 words to a rare 2000ish words), and while all the drabbles are connected in the sense that they're within the same timeline, they're not necessarily chronological. if you read some of my old notes on my tumblr, I explain it in more detail. So far the only ones that have not been in chronological order are the second and fourth chapter (or, as I numbered them, 0.5 and θ.1 - there's actually a reason for the numbers in the title!). I hope you all enjoy anyway, and please leave a review! (also if you have any prompt requests, please feel free to let me know :D)

on a slightly random side note, I spent the day in Nara and my sadly slow brain finally made the connection between Nara... which has a park full of sacred deer running around free, and Nara Shikamaru. "shika" means deer, for those who didn't know. I...felt a little dumb when I finally realized that haha. (also Mitarashi Anko. damn you Kishimoto and your puns.)