25 Days of Christmas-Day 8
After the trauma of that morning, (never want to see Gai that undressed ever again) Kakashi found that dealing with the horde of children wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. He had returned to the classroom to help Iruka herd the excited children to the largest of the indoor training courts, which had been converted into a tinsel-covered atrocity, meant to inspire Christmas cheer in all viewers.
In Kakashi’s opinion, it failed miserably.
The children were already hyped up and eager and the copy-nin winced as he took in the table covered with many sugar-coated sweets and a large bowl filled with punch that looked to consist of food coloring and sugar.
Iruka caught his dubious look and grinned cheerfully. “Look at it this way,” he said, as the group of pre-genin squealed and headed for the table at a dead run, intent on their assault on the shrine to sugar. “We only have to cope with them for the next hour and a half. Then we get to send their little over-sugared butts back home for their parents to deal with. A sweet revenge for all those endless parent-teacher meetings.”
The slightly sadistic look he wore concerned Kakashi a bit. Iruka merely smiled as he waded through the crowd and fetched two cups of the punch. He made his way back and handed one to Kakashi, who looked at it very uncertainly. Iruka grinned at him and pulled a very small flask out of one of the pockets of his flack vest. He tipped a tiny measure into both of their cups. “We have to stay in command of our faculties, but it doesn’t hurt to have a little medicine for the headache.” His sweeping arm motion took in the whole room. He grinned at Kakashi. “Just be glad we’re not on the clean-up committee, this time around.”
Kakashi was a little surprised by the chuunin-sensei. The man had been startling and confusing him at every turn, it seemed. Naruto had been right when he had described Iruka all that time ago. He was a bundle of conflictions and contradictions wrapped in tan skin and a welcoming smile.
They and the other teachers corralled into chaperoning the party ran herd on the pre-genin until, with a very loud and youthfully exuberant “HO HO HO!” Gai appeared in full costume.
There were two elves with him, one looking like she’d rather be anywhere (up to and including being tortured by enemy nins) but here, and one perched on the shoulder of ‘Santa,’ flashing exuberant smiles and cheerful thumbs up. Kakashi would have smiled at poor Tenten, but Gai and Lee were just too damn disturbing.
“You know,” he said in an undertone to Iruka. “It scares me that none of these kids seem to realize that it’s him.”
Iruka snorted. “Gai makes a very good Santa. He’s been doing it for at least three years.”
“And that is somehow even more disturbing.”
The children swirled around ‘Santa’ as he passed out his bag of gifts. As wrapping paper flew and over-sugared children squealed, Gai made what had to be one of his most discreet exits ever. Kakashi stared after him in wonder. Not one Manly Tear or ‘Springtime of our Youth.’
That was just plain weird.
Finally, Iruka and the others began shooing the children out wishing them a happy holiday and with promises to see them after the new year. Kakashi looked down at a timid tug on his pants leg. The same girl who had been making calf eyes at him before held out a hand and dropped something. Instinctively, Kakashi caught it. She let go and hurried off, giggling.
Iruka rejoined him as he opened his hand to look at the neatly-folded origami kunai resting in his palm. Iruka glanced at it and his smile widened. “It seems like Etsuko put a lot of effort into making that just right. Her skills at origami aren’t the best.” He grinned mischievously up at Kakashi. “Looks like you have a fan, Kakashi-san.”
Kakashi blinked down at the little paper ornament.
Iruka took it from him, smiling. “Since you’re coming to spend the holidays with Naruto and I, I think it’s only fair that this go on the tree.” He took Kakashi’s arm. “We still have a couple of hours to kill till the Teacher’s party. What say we get some lunch?”
In Kakashi’s opinion, it failed miserably.
The children were already hyped up and eager and the copy-nin winced as he took in the table covered with many sugar-coated sweets and a large bowl filled with punch that looked to consist of food coloring and sugar.
Iruka caught his dubious look and grinned cheerfully. “Look at it this way,” he said, as the group of pre-genin squealed and headed for the table at a dead run, intent on their assault on the shrine to sugar. “We only have to cope with them for the next hour and a half. Then we get to send their little over-sugared butts back home for their parents to deal with. A sweet revenge for all those endless parent-teacher meetings.”
The slightly sadistic look he wore concerned Kakashi a bit. Iruka merely smiled as he waded through the crowd and fetched two cups of the punch. He made his way back and handed one to Kakashi, who looked at it very uncertainly. Iruka grinned at him and pulled a very small flask out of one of the pockets of his flack vest. He tipped a tiny measure into both of their cups. “We have to stay in command of our faculties, but it doesn’t hurt to have a little medicine for the headache.” His sweeping arm motion took in the whole room. He grinned at Kakashi. “Just be glad we’re not on the clean-up committee, this time around.”
Kakashi was a little surprised by the chuunin-sensei. The man had been startling and confusing him at every turn, it seemed. Naruto had been right when he had described Iruka all that time ago. He was a bundle of conflictions and contradictions wrapped in tan skin and a welcoming smile.
They and the other teachers corralled into chaperoning the party ran herd on the pre-genin until, with a very loud and youthfully exuberant “HO HO HO!” Gai appeared in full costume.
There were two elves with him, one looking like she’d rather be anywhere (up to and including being tortured by enemy nins) but here, and one perched on the shoulder of ‘Santa,’ flashing exuberant smiles and cheerful thumbs up. Kakashi would have smiled at poor Tenten, but Gai and Lee were just too damn disturbing.
“You know,” he said in an undertone to Iruka. “It scares me that none of these kids seem to realize that it’s him.”
Iruka snorted. “Gai makes a very good Santa. He’s been doing it for at least three years.”
“And that is somehow even more disturbing.”
The children swirled around ‘Santa’ as he passed out his bag of gifts. As wrapping paper flew and over-sugared children squealed, Gai made what had to be one of his most discreet exits ever. Kakashi stared after him in wonder. Not one Manly Tear or ‘Springtime of our Youth.’
That was just plain weird.
Finally, Iruka and the others began shooing the children out wishing them a happy holiday and with promises to see them after the new year. Kakashi looked down at a timid tug on his pants leg. The same girl who had been making calf eyes at him before held out a hand and dropped something. Instinctively, Kakashi caught it. She let go and hurried off, giggling.
Iruka rejoined him as he opened his hand to look at the neatly-folded origami kunai resting in his palm. Iruka glanced at it and his smile widened. “It seems like Etsuko put a lot of effort into making that just right. Her skills at origami aren’t the best.” He grinned mischievously up at Kakashi. “Looks like you have a fan, Kakashi-san.”
Kakashi blinked down at the little paper ornament.
Iruka took it from him, smiling. “Since you’re coming to spend the holidays with Naruto and I, I think it’s only fair that this go on the tree.” He took Kakashi’s arm. “We still have a couple of hours to kill till the Teacher’s party. What say we get some lunch?”