Panda Feud

“Look, look, Kaka-sensei, it's a panda!”

The pinkette girl got on her toes and grabbed the cage bars, leaning forward and making small barking sounds. She turned her head to the side, animatedly waving her hand at the silver haired man. “Kaka-sensei, look! It's yawning!” She looked back at the bi-colored bear. She puffed up her cheeks and poked her nose upwards like a small pig, trying to gain it's attention. Kakashi silently stood besides her, languidly watching the panda curl up and stay still. It was a pretty boring panda.

“No fun,” the girl pouted, dropping to her heels dramatically and pulling down her knee-length skirt. “Panda-chan is just like you Kaka-sensei. Always boring and sleepy.” She looked up and innocently clutched his pants, a small childish smile tugging her lips. “I know! I'll call him Kakashi-kun!” She dashed to the cage bars and started to hop animatedly. Kakashi simply smiled and scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. He wasn't that boring, was he?

“Sakura, I don't think you should-”

“Kakashi-kun! Kakashi-kuuuuun!” She squealed and grinned at the unmoving panda, putting her hands behind her head as make-shift ears. She stopped screaming at the fluffed bear when a hand grabbed her forearm. “Ne, Kaka-sensei?” She looked up at him with big round eyes. She was confused.

Kakashi smiled and ruffled her short pink hair. “Let's go see the flamencos. I heard they were pink, like you.” Sakura blinked.

“But I don't like pink. I like panda-kun.” She emphasized her point by glancing at the sleeping bear. “I like Kakashi-kun.” She extended a small hand towards the cage. Kakashi smiled warmly and picked her up, ignoring her squeals of protest and small balled fists. Her face was a deep shade of red. She was painfully quiet while he accommodated her in his arms. He smiled again.

“Let's go see the tigers.”

She huffed. “I don't want to see tigers.”

“What about lions?”

“No.”

He sighed. “Then what do you want to see? Except pandas.”

“His name is not pan-das. It's Ka-ka-shi-kun.” She pouted and grasped his shoulder with unusual strength. “Get it right, Kaka-sensei.” She was, sometimes, adorably exasperating.

“But it's getting late. And we already saw the foxes. Besides, if we're not going to see any more animals, we should go back to Tsunade Baa-chan.”

“But I want to see Kakashi-kun.” Sakura stared up at him with helpless eyes, her watery green irises reflecting the late afternoon's sun. He felt a twinge of guilt pull his heart. It only got worse when she tried to look away and hide the moisture in them. She was on the verge of tears, he knew and that was the worst part.

“We can go buy you a panda plushie. How does that sound, Sakura?”

Sakura ignored him and curled up, pressing her forehead against his shoulder and clutching his shirt with feeble strength. “You're mean.” She started to mumble about other stuff; stuff that reminded him of a typical 5-year old girl crying over a melted ice cream. He couldn't help it – he smiled. Humming softly, he placed a hand on her hair. She looked up with irritation.

“What about if I get you some ice cream?” The girl simply huddled closer to his shoulder. She huffed. “Mah... don't be that way, Sakura-chan.”

“You don't be that way.” She tried to peek over his shoulder. “Bai bai, Kakashi-kun.”

Kakashi stared at her funny. “What do you mean? I'm right- oh.”

Sakura plopped back down into his arms, pouting. “Y'know, Sakura,” she looked up annoyed, “I know this great place that sells balloons.” He didn't, not really. But it was easier to walk around looking for balloons that carrying a brooding five year old. He would know.

“Can I have a kawaii panda balloon?” Sakura suddenly had her face right in front of his, her eyes searching for any indication of a lie. Kakashi smiled for all it was worth.

“Of course.” She squinted and leaned closer, clapping her hands on both his cheeks, pinching and pulling the skin before huffing and dropping back into his willing arms. She glanced up at him with an aggravated look.

“I better.”

Somehow, it sounded more like a threat than a statement.

“See? There's the souvenir shop. I'm sure we can find a stuffed panda in there.”

“I don't want a stuffed panda. I want a kawaii panda balloon.” She crossed her arms and looked away, her rosy cheeks puffed out with indignation. “You told me I could get one...”

“Mah, Sakura, you're just as troublesome as Tsunade-sama.” He stopped walking and placed her gingerly on the ground. “Here, take my hand.” She pouted but did as told, slipping her small hand into his larger one. She started to walk, and soon, Kakashi found himself being dragged by the overly energetic pinkette.

He grabbed a plush animal and smiled at it. “Look, Sakura, it's a monkey.” The girl blinked twice and scowled.

“Kaka-sensei. That's a lemur.”

“Oh.”

He placed the stuffed animal down and walked towards the next. It was a shark. He glanced back at Sakura, who was too preoccupied with gluing her nose against the fish tank and doing fish lips to the goldfish. She liked water animals, but maybe a shark was taking it too far. Ah. There. He reached forward and plucked a stuffed animal from the sea of artificial fur. When he looked back at Sakura, he already found her staring up at a balloon. He grinned.

“I want,” she aimed her small index finger at the bobbing balloon. “That one.”

“Hmm, alright. Grab it and take it to...” She was already running towards the cash register. Kakashi slowly followed behind, noticing with amusement how Sakura kept getting on her toes and glancing at him and his feet.

“Hurry. Up!”

“Going.” He finally stopped in front of the cashier, who gave him a pleasant smile. He paid for both the balloon and the plushie, thanking the cashier for the bag and grabbing Sakura's hand before leaving the shop. She was happily pulling along her panda balloon, which she eagerly named Kakashi. Because it floated (and Kaka-sensei kind of walks like that), it was always dragging behind her, and it was very silent.

“Oh, Sakura, I almost forgot.” He stopped walking and looked down at the pinkette. She met his gaze with childish curiosity, her eagerness causing her to rush forward and grab his pants. She stared up at him with big round eyes.

“Ne?”

He smiled and pulled out the stuffed animal. “This is for you. It's a fox.”

Sakura blinked and grabbed the small plush, a heartwarming smile splitting her face in two. “Baka Kaka-sensei. This is a red panda.”

He chuckled and grabbed her hand.

“All the better.”