Chapter 5: Bath time!
Here's another chapter. Enjoy!
"Hmmm Kakashi where are you, nya?" Whined Sasuke as he lay on the bunshin-Kakashi's arms. He better not be spying or doing anything perverted or else. He let his head fall as he let out an upset groan as he waited for his senseito return. Sasuke's ears twitched as he heard someone approach him and perked up curiously as he lifted his gaze.
"Yo." Sasuke lifted his head to look at Kakashi with an annoyed stare. He made a small irritated pout as he relaxed into his captor's arms and letting his ears fall back down "You're late, as always, nya." The genin muttered as he looked away with a bored expression on his pale features.
"Mah, I was lost in the way of life." Was Kakashi's lame and overused excuse.
"Liar, nya!" Hissed Sasuke. Kakashi felt as if a huge boulder had fallen on his head. But he never complains T^T...
"Anyways, let's go already." Kakashi started walking and the bunshin followed with Sasuke on his arms. The raven then decided to relax, as he could not escape the fake jounin's hold and enjoyed the natural scenery around him. He looked at the calm trees and watched dreamily as the leaves swayed while a soft breeze caressed his face, ruffling his black locks and sending a cool feeling through his hot body. The summer in Konoha no Gakure was surely hot, the scorching sun burned all day and the atmosphere became stuffy and dry, except for the occasional rain that poured in the cooler evenings, showering over the hot earth below. Sasuke kept looking at the cloudless heavens as he watched a couple of birds fly up to the blue and next to the blazing star, making him cringe and shut his eyes as he looked at it directly. Kakashi remained deep in thought. He had taken his book out and pretended to be reading, but couldn't really focus on it then. He jumped through the trees and rooftops swiftly- yet not as fast as earlier that morning- as he observed his student occasionally turning to watch where he was going. He didn't focus on the raven either. His mind had wandered off as he tried to guess who could have turned his student into such a peculiar being. All he could think of was a certain snake that had had his eyes on the young Uchiha for a long time. It actually made sense as the sannin was also known for his bizarre experiments on his pupils and this new condition left Sasuke practically defenseless against Orochimaru, though he didn't understand why the man would to that if Sasuke couldn't do much against him in his normal state anyway.
When they arrived home Kakashi took his shoes off and dismissed his clone as he took hold of Sasuke. He carried the boy upstairs and told the boy to take a bath. He was still sticky from the earlier accident in the kitchen, and Kakashi figured Sasuke didn't like feeling dirty at all. He showed him the way to the bathroom and was about to leave when he realized Sasuke couldn't get a hold on the tap. The jounin helped him and was about to leave again when he heard a yowl. Sasuke had his ears prickled and his tail bristled, and a weird expression he didn't know how to describe. Sasuke looked nervous, scared; his eyes were wide and his teeth clenched in a panicky fashion as he crouched near the tub with his wet right paw extended over the water. Then it hit Kakashi.
The older shinobi tried then opening the hot water tap a little more to make the water in the tub warmer, and encouraged Sasuke to try again.
Sasuke still looked confused. He sat next to the tub as his tail wagged indecisively from side to side. He really wanted to take a bath, he felt filthy and clammy and he definitely did not like that, but the feeling of water in his paw had been really unpleasant. It had been freezing to him, his paw still felt tremendously cold and he didn't like that either.
Kakashi carried Sasuke over his shoulder snapping him out of his thoughts; he scratched his sensei's back and yowled again. He called his sensei a sick pervert repeatedly as Kakashi took Sasuke's clothes off.
Sasuke felt a shiver going down his back and scratched the silver-haired man for the thousand time, Kakashi didn't let go and Sasuke trashed and fought against his grip in a desperate attempt to get out of the water, but gave in around half the bath making Kakashi's job a whole lot easier. It actually wasn't so bad; he was getting used to the weird feeling and could enjoy the bath. The jounin wasn't so pleased though; several scratches and bright red claw marks covered his now soaking body.
When finished, Kakashi gave Sasuke a towel while he went for his clothes, and left telling Sasuke not to go out or run away while he was out.
Sasuke still couldn't believe what was happening. This just had to be a really weird and scary nightmare. It would be the oddest and creepiest nightmare he'd ever had though. It just had to! There was no other logic or realistic explanation to what was happening to him. Or was there? How could he explain becoming an half-cat looking younger version of himself all of a sudden?
The last events still played in his mind as he stood in the bathroom his hair dripping in the room's already wet floor and- wait a second… why had he actually obeyed Kakashi like a stupid good pet? It was the perfect opportunity to run away. He could now be FREE! He could just forget all of this and find a cure on his own, he could avoid being seen (not that anyone besides Tsunade and Kakashi had seen him) and… wait he was NOT a coward he wouldn't just run away like a scaredy cat!
Great, just the perfect time for a stupid pun, nya.¬¬'
He snapped out of his thoughts everything went dark and a weird cloth covered his face.
Wait! When did Kakashi come back? Huh? What is this, nya? Sasuke grabbed the clothes with his paws and looked at them with an irritated pout over his pale features. His ears perked up and he blushed a bit as he realized that he was still half naked. He quickly closed the door and dressed himself, and finally came out of the bathroom in his clean old outfit.
"Good boy, I did really expect you to run away. Perhaps it was just part of your new personality? Well I like it better this way." Alleged Kakashi with a smile beneath his black mask.
"So you don't trust me, nya?" Oh no, not again. T^T. Why do I keep saying it! It's annoying!
"No, that's not what I mean. It's just that you always run away. You're not one to do what you're told and always reject my help."
"Well, that's because I don't need it, nya." Sasuke retorted as he send Kakashi what was supposed to be a nasty glare, as it came up as a very cute pout, yet again.
"There's a great difference between 'want' and 'need', Sasuke."
"I said I didn't need it," Sasuke raised his voice a little (yet didn't shout) trying to look more intimidating as his new appearance didn't faze Kakashi at all. Now I can't yell at him either? "but that doesn't mean that I don't need it now, nya." Sasuke muttered finally giving up. He felt a little tired and sleepy all of a sudden
"So you're now even listening to me? Can this get even better?" Joked Kakashi as he glomped Sasuke.
"AHH! ...Can't… breathe… air, I need air! NYAAAARGH!" Sasuke frantically begged as he futilely tried to push the man away.
"Sorry." Kakashi apologized as he let go off Sasuke who coughed a little and then replied. "Whatever, nya" said Sasuke as he gasped for the air his lungs screamed for.
When he calmed down, an awkward silence took place. They just stood there glancing at each other, waiting to see what happened next. At last Sasuke gave in, or actually his stomach did. It started growling, like scolding him for not giving it any food. This made Sasuke blink and blush while hugging his belly and then look away. Well, now that he thought so, Sasuke hadn't had breakfast yet.
"You're hungry, huh?" Asked Kakashi in a mocking tone just exposing the obvious.
"You must be psychic or something..."growled Sasuke in a sarcastic tone, as he rolled his eyes, obviously annoyed, as he tried to hide his embarrassment. This made Kakashi chuckle. He couldn't help it though; Sasuke was so cute like this.
"You want me to cook something for you? 'Cuz you didn't look like you were doing a good job when I found you in the kitchen." Mocked Kakashi. Sasuke glared daggers at the jounin (which came as a pout again) before sighing and answering, his ears laying flat on his head.
"Whatever, nya."
Kakashi chuckled once again. He patted Sasuke's head and went downstairs to start looking for something to give to Sasuke. He'll love this^^
Sasuke just stood there looking with his big onyx eyes as Kakashi happily walked downstairs, obviously amused to win in an argument against Sasuke, which never happened. Sasuke was really sharp at retorting and hiding weak spots, and besides he could always turn away and leave or change the subject to Kakashi's perverted mind and books, which undoubtedly annoyed Kakashi even though he acted like he didn't care.
The raven still stood in the same spot when something started to smell really good. Wait… was it …fish? Nyan? Sasuke's ears perked up andhe started sniffing the air; his eyes widened and his mouth opened as he savored the aromas on the air, and his tail was in a vertical position, except for the tip which was slightly curved.
His feline instincts guided him to the kitchen, but he did not notice till he reached the counter where Kakashi was confidently standing with a medium-sized grilled fish and some milk, a pleased expression on his face.
"Is this some kind of joke or something, nya? " Asked Sasuke glaring at him with his ears swiveled sideways, his tail wagging frantically, his left brow twitching, and a vein popping on his forehead.
This really frustrated him. Kakashi had found his newweak spot. He didn't know if he was actually drooling at the delicious sight and smell, but he really wanted that torturing dish. He wouldn't show it though; he had to keep his 'cool guy' look, and the dignity he had left.
Kakashi held the fish proudly as he looked at Sasuke with his most famous smile -with his only visible eye closed in an obvious smile even though his mouth was covered.
"Ready for breakfast?" Teased the teacher enjoying every part of his little joke.
"Didn't my stomach answer you a while ago, nya?" Hissed the student.
"Ok." Replied Kakashi while he randomly took a rice bowl out of nowhere, and at an incredible speed he rushed to the table and put both dishes across each other sitting in the fish and the milk's place. Sasuke was left dumbfounded with his tail bristled and straight and his ears perked up.
"Wha-?" Was all Sasuke managed to say, after Kakashi sat down.
"There you go. That's your breakfast." Answered Kakashi in his still proud tone as he pointed to the rice bowl.
"But, I thought you'd give me the fish and the milk. Because…you know…I'm half cat remember, nya?" Muttered Sasuke still astonished by the sudden change of plans. He regretted showing his weakness just after the words left his mouth, but he didn't give them much thought as he eyed hungrily the delicious-looking fish.
"Awww, so little Sasu-chan do has feline instincts now and wants a fishie?" Mocked Kakashi in a playful tone, like he was talking to a baby or a kitten.
"No, stop talking like that, you're annoying, nya!" Sasuke let out a hiss as he looked at the ground trying to hide the new blush on his visage. "And I'm getting tired of saying nya, nya! Aaaaargh! Nyaaah!" Yelled the Uchiha completely frustrated, as his face turned even redder.
"Hey, easy, calm down. It was just a joke, ok?" Kakashi stood up and walked slowly at Sasuke with his hands in a defending/blocking position. "There's no need to kill your sensei." Said the jounin reassuringly while patting Sasuke on the head.
"Hmp, nya." Was all Sasuke replied, as he looked away.
"The fish and the milk were indeed for you, I was just joking, 'k? I'll eat the rice and some more fish; I cooked enough for both."
"Nya." Meowed the Uchiha grumpily.
Kakashi and Sasuke sat down and ate in silence and when they were done, the jounin did the dishes. Sasuke had wanted to offer to help, but since he'd got paws instead of hands he waited in silence, instead. He was upset then. As he got more time to think his mind wandered of to the morning's events. Kakashi noticed his student's ears flopping down sadly and pitied the kid. He had to accept he'd been really selfish, actually enjoying the raven's condition when the kid was so upset. He started talking then, distracting Sasuke from his thoughts with his random chat. The boy didn't answer; he just listened quietly to Kakashi's senseless blabbering. When the man was done he dried his wet hands and patted Sasuke's head, gently caressing one of his cat ears. Sasuke looked at him thankfully and leaned a little into his touch. The boy however then perked his ears as if waking up from a daze and backed away from his sensei with a small (almost imperceptible) pout, ashamed by the weakness he'd just showed. Again.
This is it. I hope you liked this; it took me a lot of time to do it. I'm still not sure. I don't quite like how it ended, but I decided to leave it like that as not to make you guys wait any longer. Please tell me what you think.
I don't own Naruto.