sunshineverse | [Closed] Operation Picnic Basket.

Obito had managed to lift a hand in a vague wave before Kakashi grabbed him, and the fact that the guy asked only after he started to haul him along? Well, that made it a bit difficult to really give a proper answer.

"I was, yeah, but I get this impression if I argue about going back you're going to haul me over your shoulder or something."

He glanced back toward his desk, then sighed, relieved he'd at least managed to get that last thing put away before Kakashi decided to do whatever this was supposed to be.

"Mmmmhm," he confirmed in a sing-song tone, his crescent eye visible as he smiled in Obito's direction. "You know me so well."

His arm tightened just slightly as he pulled the other along, only slackening once they were out of the Hokage Tower; almost as if he were afraid of someone collaring Obito or the man himself finding an opportunity to escape. He'd been prepared to tussle to get Obito compliant, and wasn't sure if the lack of fight in the other man was worrying or not.

"Yeaaah, kind of comes with the whole best friend territory thing." He was too tired to tussle Kakashi. He was ready to rip out his hair over, well, pretty much everything ever so he wasn't too eager to tear up his office and make more work for himself.

Maybe once they got where they were going.

Maybe. "Besides, you seem pretty determined today."

Kakashi chuckled quietly, wondering if that last part was a jab at his work ethic.

"Perhaps I am," He shrugged nonchalantly as the bustle of the inner village died down to a quiet rumble at their backs. "I'm confident my mission for the day will be a success, at least.." he said, patting Obito's arm with a light hand.

He meandered his companion through the streets unhindered, heading in the direction of a quiet spot he and Gai had scouted out earlier in the week.

"And where exactly are you taking me anyway? I'm guessing it's less urgent and more 'do right now' so..." He looked sideways at him, easily keeping pace.

"Is 'you'll see when we get there' a good enough answer?" he asked rhetorically, because it was the only answer Obito would get out of him.

He pulled the man this way and that, down paths, around corners, through numerous shortcuts he'd memorised; till the street before them spread out into a large open space. There were no houses, no stores, just large trees surrounding a comfortable lawn. And the best part? It was quiet.

Edited 2014-08-16 12:32 (UTC)

"I guess it'll have to be." He didn't press any further than that, just soaking in the path as they went, curious about where exactly they were going. It didn't look to be any kind of training area, which surprised him, but he wasn't complaining.

Gai had arranged, and rearranged the picnic space a few times now, moving it to better keep them in the shade of the trees, to better avoid ants, to have a better view (both for safety and for pleasantness). He had even picked some wild flowers to dress it up. Gai dusted off the blanket again and wondered how late his two perpetually late friends were now.

Geez, Kakashi!

And then he spotted them. It was a relief to see Obito out of his office again, especially for an extended amount of time (and Gai knew he and Kakashi would extend that time as long as humanly possible) for this nice mini-vacation. And it was so nice to see Kakashi around the village more, too. It seemed he was always away on missions, and probably would be next month as well. They needed to squeeze in a challenge later.

He waved as they approached and bounded up to meet them both with an almost bulldozing hug. "Obito! I am glad you could join us!" He grinned at Kakashi and flashed a thumbs up. Good job, Rival! Mission successful!

Kakashi took the hug in his stride, barely wincing at the dull strain on his ribs; apparently they'd gotten used to Gai's hugs somewhere down the long line of their friendship.

Once he was released, he unhooked his arm from Obito's and gave him a shifty little push to the small of the back, propelling him forward in the direction of the blanket. He trusted the man not to run away, but kept his eyes trained on him just in case.

"I managed to drag him from his busy schedule without too much hassle," Kakashi muttered, his voice laced with the tells of a concealed smile. "Did you remember the handcuffs just in case?" he teased.

"Eh?!" He didn't mind the hug, or even the firm nudge, but what was this about bondage implements?! "Hold up, I don't need to be chained to anything you guys."

He held up his hands in placating fashion, but was eying them both up now. "I'll be a good prisoner, yeesh. So... my prison time involves food right? That's what the picnic setup means?"

Gai chuckled and patted his vest, as if to imply the cuffs were stored in the breast pocket there. "You will not need to be chained unless you try to escape," he teased. "But yes! We have food. And we promise to be good and gracious jailers. Right, Kakashi?"

He knelt down at the basket, opening it up with a dramatic flair. The basket was packed full with thermoses of drinks for each of them, some inarizushi and other kinds of sushi, some dango, fruit, and a few other sweet things Gai spotted around the market when shopping for their picnic. He patted a spot on the blanket. "Come, relax! Consider this a much-deserved vacation!"

Kakashi shrugged at the question, slipping his hands idly into his pockets as he wandered towards the blanket.

"I can't promise, but I assure you I'll try my best."

He found a spot at the corner of the blanket that was shaded perfectly by a particularly large tree with a gracious overhang, and sprawled himself down there. Then he peered to the side, eye skimming the contents of the picnic basket curiously, wondering in what form Gai might have added his little dramatic flair to his part of the operation.

"Looks good," he complimented, coupled with a rare nod of approval as his eyes took the food in and his stomach gave an expectant growl. "Good job, Gai."

Obviously just standing there wouldn't get him fed, so he slid over, folding himself down in a sunny patch of the blanket and drooping over sideways. "Okay you got me, I'm trapped in your vacation. So... what do I get? Something good right? Not curry?"

"Thank you!" It was not ever day Kakashi acknowledged aloud, and with an audience, that he approved of something Gai did. He looked a little proud, like a puffed up bird. Though Kakashi sat much too far away. Hmph.

"Hey! Curry is good!" Gai grumbled, but he reached in a produced a box of sushi for Obito. "But your jailers took into consideration your tastes. And..." He handed over some dango. "We have sneaked in some treats as well."

Kakashi waved the gratitude on with a flapping 'it's nothing' motion of his hand and another crescent eye smile. It really was something and nothing, but the way Gai puffed up with pride was still endearing nonetheless.

He used the space he'd acquired by sitting in the corner to stretch his legs out before him, the joints giving small but satisfying cracks as he did. He sat back like a loyal dog, waiting to eat last out of respectful understanding.

It had been a while since he'd been able to relax, and even longer since he'd spent any kind of free time with his friends, so this was a welcome break and he wanted to savour as much as he could of it. Not to mention the tension already seemed to be seeping out of Obito's frame, so their plan was obviously working.

Tha stretch put Kakashi's feet in poking distance, and he didn't even try to refrain from reaching out and playing with his big toe. "Curry is okay. Sometimes. When I really feel like something spicy. But..."

He leaned over to take the Dango with his other hand and grinned. "But this works. I can definitely take this as a yes." He nibbled on one, eying the box of sushi with keen interest.

A well-fed Obito was a happy Obito, Gai noted with a grin and pushed some sushi onto Kakashi's lap without even waiting for his over-polite, ever-patient, and somewhat lazy rival to finally get around to it himself. He also tossed Kakashi a thermos and just expected Kakashi to either catch it, or take it in the face.

"I am glad this works!" Obito, on the other hand, was handed his drink.

"Ah, and..." Gai rummaged into the basket and pulled out his own food, plus an extra, though smaller, dish of sushi and a dumpling or two, which he held up towards Obito's silent and stoic ANBU guard. "A little something for--" a pause "--our guest." Gai offered it pleasantly but stubbornly and very pointedly. The ANBU in question should be very familiar with that expression: 'No' would not be accepted; Gai was going to make him take the food.

Kakashi could have easily resisted Obito's touch - moved his foot or tossed a kunai at his hand - and typically would have. The only reason the thought didn't even cross his mind was because this was Obito, one of the few people who could get away with it. In fact Kakashi played along, wiggling his foot around like a game of cat and mouse.

Kakashi caught the thermos with a hand, showing off a little with his relatively plain expression and complete lack of surprise and set about quietly pouring himself a drink first. He spared the ANBU guard a quick, almost pitying glance before focusing on the task at hand.

"You might as well come get it or he won't let anyone have any peace. It's okay if they get a better look at you for a minute."

In other words it was okay if they actually saw him properly, but then again, he trusted these two not to do anything bad with it. He opened the thermos to take a drink after setting down his dango skewer, then moved to better snag Kakashi's toes. He saw what he was doing there.

Neji shifted in his branch above the picnic, the only indication that he was paying attention. He'd been following the group since Kakashi entered Obito's office, gave the man a quick once-over through the Byakugan to assure he was the genuine article before Kakashi hauled the Hokage away from his work. If Obito had struggled, Neji would've intervened, but the Uchiha had given no indication that the hold was unwelcome, and so he'd followed them sedately to this picnic, picking up on Gai's chakra signature long before they actually made it there. From there, he'd settled in the tree Kakashi elected to rest under, and maintained a silent vigil while quietly wondering if he shouldn't try to make time for a picnic for his own team.

He didn't expect to be called out of his perch, and glanced thoughtfully at the small dish his mentor was offering. He wondered if Gai knew it would be him, or if he was just so incredibly considerate that he'd make a dish specifically for even a nameless ANBU guard.

He might've refused, because eating meant removing his mask, but Obito's assurance lured him down from the tree and Neji dropped to the ground to join them. Another quick survey of the immediate area to assure no casual passersby, the Hyuuga lifted his mask to the side of his head and let his bloodline fade, accepted the dish from Gai with a quiet thanks.

Though the man was his mentor, he knew he was intruding here, and it was his job to stay alert. So instead of settling on the ground, he took up an unobtrusive position against the tree trunk and let white eyes roam over the area.

One could not have a picnic without feeding the birds. Gai's pride in his student was evident in his smile as the ANBU took the food from him and returned to his roost like a good guard, a mere shadow. They were safe with Neji on duty, that much Gai was certain of. It was hard, though, not adressing his student directly. It was tempting to comment on how good of an ANBU Neji was, because Gai liked to encourage and praise his students, but he also wanted to keep 'Hokage' business out of this vacation. Right now, Obito should be Obito, their friend, not the Hokage. That, unfortunately meant a great deal of basic 'how are you? what have you been doing lately?' chit chat was out of the question, as all roads inevitably led back to missions and duty.

He watched Neji go before turning his attention back to Kakashi and Obito, chuckling at their antics, and settled down with his own sushi, which he wasted no time dousing in as much wasabi as he could. "I was afraid we were not going to be able to keep him entertained, but it seems you have party-games covered, Rival! Perhaps we should pin a tail on you later!"

Somewhere during the bustle of the ANBU guard touching down and Obito acquiring a drink, Kakashi had managed to clear his serving of sushi and finished a cup from his thermos, all entirely unnoticed. Now with his mask back up, he unzipped his flak jacket and shed the thing in order to better rub his belly with a satisfied "Aaaahh..".

The foot he was quirking to keep Obito at bay was getting a decent work out; getting trapped a few times in his distraction, and even grabbing Obito's fingers between his toes now and again. The Uchiha was like some overgrown hairless kitten, distracted by anything that moved quick enough and played the game. Nevertheless, their antics were endearing in their silliness, and it only made Kakashi realise how much he missed this Obito; the one who didn't constantly look like he was about to fall over or kill someone, or both.

At Gai's joke, he laughed quietly, that little chuckle and shake of his shoulders that had become his equivalent of a roar of mirth.

"We'd have to shake the game up a little with an added chase element. There's no way you're pinning a tail on me that easily."

He flashed his ANBU a little grin before turning his attention back to his nibbling between fussing at Kakashi. He hadn't thought he looked that bad. In fact, he'd thought that he was looking pretty good considering his stress. Clearly he wasn't carrying the recent problems as well as he thought he was if Kakashi thought he looked like he was going to stab an idiot any day now.

Tempting as that might be, he knew it wouldn't solve any of his issues.

"Oh come on Kakashi, you know you'd like it! But hey, maybe that's a little too advanced for him. What do you think Gai, maybe he just wants to play hard to get mmm? He's good at that."

He shifted over some, then snagged Kakashi's other foot instead. Victory was his.

Obito really did look 'that bad,' not that Gai planned to say so to his friend's face, but was one of the reasons they were here now--because Obito looked like he really needed a break from everything. Maybe they all did. It had been much too long since any of them had taken a day for rejuvenating their spirits!

"He is indeed!" Gai grinned, setting aside his food as he scooted closer to Kakashi, taking advantage of Obito's capture of Kakashi's feet in order to quickly close the distance remaining and attempt to pin his Rival to the picnic blanket in a friendly competition.

"But run if you would like, Kakashi! I am more persistent than you are evasive! You cannot escape me forever!"

Kakashi was about to quip back, and rescue his captured foot by bopping Obito on the head with the one he abandoned, when Gai made his attempt to pin him. It wasn't as successful as it could have been, Kakashi managing to give Gai a gentle but poised blocking elbow to the ribs, good eye twinkling with the challenge despite his weariness.

It was unfair, really, to gang up on him two against one; especially when that one had just returned from a mission (albeit a simple one), and also when the one happened to be satisfyingly full of food... However, the flare in his eye was all the permission he gave, and most likely all the permission his friends needed, to let this spiral a little out of what was fair or otherwise.

"How unfair," he simpered. "Giving me the offer of an escape while you have me handicapped." He wriggled his foot in Obito's hold, giving them both 'warning' looks in return, but the crease in the corner of his eye - barely noticeable unless you were looking for it - was a telltale sign of the smile hidden under his mask.

Obito shifted, then put his leg over Kakashi's ankle to keep it there. That was him 'helping', and he used both hands to dig into his sushi, a smirk on his lips as he looked at the two, shaking his head.

"And to think when I was a kid I got jealous when you two pulled this. I think I'll be over here, enjoying my food. Hey Gai, make sure he doesn't run for it before I'm done okay? He can't cry foul if I'm just as full as him."

"I shall do my best!" Gai promised, giving Kakashi a playful little roughing up in the spirit of 'pinning' him in place. Any elbows to his chest, face, or otherwise were taken in stride and met with the same foolishly happy grin Gai always had while challenging his Rival to the more lighthearted of their games. "Come now, Rival! Do not complain of unfairness! Surely a genius such as yourself can work with a little bit of a handicap!"

He was watching them both with such a dopey smile. A full Kakashi and a soon-to-be well-fed Obito. This was happiness. This is what they needed--to be spoiled a little, to escape, to just be themselves. Seeing them like this was what refreshed Gai's spirit.

"Perhaps Obito would enjoy a friendly match to watch while he eats!"

"I'm sure he would, but not half as much as you'd enjoy the match itself." he teased, somehow nostalgic in the face of Gai's vigor. It had been some time since Gai had wrangled him into a challenge, particularly a physical one, due to Kakashi's seemingly constant absences and his lack of sleep related evasive maneuvers. This time, however, he found himself almost craving the fight. It was always good to let off steam after a dose of monotony, he supposed.

Kakashi was glad now that he'd taken his flak vest off, as the absence of it gave him a little more mobility to defend against Gai's attempts to pin him. He sacrificed the arm propping up his upper body in favor of laying down, enabling him to use both hands to make a grab at Gai's wrists.

Despite his efforts and his handicap, Kakashi's demeanor remained unphased; his lidded eye and lazy movement almost purposefully irritating in his dramatized ease. It would be unfair to say he was doing it on purpose, but it wouldn't technically be incorrect...

Obito huffed a soft laugh and then leaned over, moving all dishes away from them to make sure that nothing was going to get trashed in their tussling. "Yeah, sure, because you totally needed an excuse. Ha!"

Obito shook his head at them and then made himself comfortable, quickly picking over the sushi and stacking all the used dishes off to the side. Instead of jumping in he stretched out to watch the pair though, just soaking in the soft atmosphere.

It was good. Honest, straightforward, he hadn't even realized he was craving a few minutes of that lately. "I dunno though Gai he doesn't look impressed."

"Ha!" Okay, maybe he didn't need an excuse, but he would gladly take one when it was so readily available. "Why do you always have such a hip attitude?! Admit it, Kakashi, you can feel the blood pumping hot in your veins! You are just as invigorated and excited by the prospect of a match as I am!"

It was a very good thing Obito had the foresight to move the food out of the way, because Gai wasn't even thinking about that. He did his best to thwart Kakashi's attempts to grab his wrists, though some of his tactics--like smacking Kakashi's hands--were a bit too playfully silly for a true fight. Still! HMPH! Gai was certainly not going to go so easy on his Rival as to let him get away with pinning Gai instead! Especially not in front of his own student! He used his position on top to his advantage, pushing Kakashi down into the grass and blanket to keep him from escaping.

Kakashi shook his head, his expression not slipping a fraction despite his rather juvenile excitement.
"Perhaps," he mused casually, being purposefully vague. "This is hardly a match, though. Shouldn't the playing field for a challenge always be smooth? If you won against me now it would hardly be a win at all, what with my handicap." he shrugged. If it hadn't been for his mask a silver tongue would most likely be visible, glinting in the sunshine.

Despite his big talk, however, Gai's upper body strength remained unmatched, and most importantly it topped Kakashi's. He was definitely pinned to the blanket, buy his hands were raised to put that same amount of force on Gai's shoulders. He kept them an arms length apart, not giving in despite being in the losers position.

It struck him then, reminded by the memory of a huffed laugh, that the focus of their meeting here had been Obito - yet there he was, taking a back seat and getting away with it. Kakashi feigned ignorance, eyes focused on Gai's determined grin, while his free foot quickly darted upwards to complete his previous intention. He doofed Obito on the head and ruffled his hair playfully, but forcefully enough to make the black locks frizz up and stand on end.

The abrupt action made Obito yelp, caught off guard enough that he didn't fully dodge the move. "Kakashi! You don't stick your foot in a person's hair. Uuuugh."

In retaliation he moved one of his feet and prodded at Kakashi's side in a deliberately tickling maneuver. "Gaaaaai you're supposed to keep him from doing that!"

Gai's eyes narrowed at Kakashi's words (he even knew Kakashi's wily ways and that he was playing right into Kakashi's hands and he still frowned and snorted and grudgingly admitted to himself that damnit, Kakashi was right! It was not a fair match!). Still, perhaps given the circumstances, fair might be overrated. Gai was sure Kakashi could forgive him this instance of a unbalanced challenge if Gai didn't count it to their tally.

"My apologies, Obito! I was focused on preventing his escape!" Noting Obito's tactic, however, Gai did his best to make Kakashi's side as exposed to the prodding and tickling as possible. "Come! I will hold him in place for your counterattack!"

The groan in Obito's voice had made everything worth while. It was so childish, so bratty and so very Obito that Kakashi had to double take a glance at his friend, swearing for a moment that he'd seen a thirteen year old boy; goggles perched on his head and a pout so intense it could move mountains.

The poke to his side brought him out of his nostalgic reverie like a slap to the face and he immediately squirmed away from the touch. In retrospect, perhaps taking his flak off hadn't been such a good idea after all, because now there was absolutely nothing but his thick sweater protecting his sides from his friends' foul play.

"Two against one is hardly fair!" he called, his voice perhaps a pitch higher than he'd initially intended, rolling this way and that to try to get away from the torturous onslaught.
Kakashi's laugh was a rare noise. Oh sure, he chuckled often enough, and sometimes he even giggled - but the rare kind of choked guffawing laughter was incredibly rare; saved for special occasions and when jokes caught him by surprise. Now, his shoulders shook in silent laughter, a mixture of exhilarated panic and mirth, while his one visible eyebrow and eye scrunched up tight.

He attempted to jab an elbow out to dislodge the attack, but Gai's speed and disarming skill had him covered, not to mention the fact that his laughter had turned him frail. There was nothing he could do but wheeze.

"Since when have I been invested in being fair?" Obito scoffed, pressing his tickle attack, pleased that he took off his sandal to be able to be more effective about it, and using the hand he wasn't leaning on to pick up his thermos to drink, smirking.

"You have the wrong guy for that one Kakashi. You need to direct that to the guy practically sitting on you."

The guy practically sitting on Kakashi smirked and didn't even look guilty for his part in this. "Kakashi, if you had the chance to team up against one of us, you would! I think this is fair!"

He laughed and leaned more heavily onto Kakashi, before sending a quick glance back at Obito over his shoulder. "Of course, Rival, if you want to persuade me to help you team up against Obito, I am open to suggestions!"

Kakashi retracted one of the arms at Gai's shoulders to put a wedge between himself and Obito's attacking foot, allowing himself the mental break to actually be able to listen to what Gai was saying.

"I'm game," he nodded, and then with his defensive hand he grabbed Obito's foot by the ankle, giving it a good tug to secure the hold.

Obito's eyes went wide, and he capped his drink, shoving it and his plate out of the way as he tried to wiggle his foot loose. "Hey, hold up now. That isn't where this was going at all. Kakashi was the one we were teaming up against here, remember?"

Gai released Kakashi, easing off him and turning his attention to Obito, contemplating his opening for pouncing. He knew the Uchiha could dodge if he really wanted to--just phase right through both Gai and Kakashi's attacks. Didn't matter. The fun was in the chase anyway.

"Come on! You have to be more flexible! The game is changing! And now, you are It!" He lunged for Obito's sides, ready to tickle.

Kakashi rolled as he was released, freeing himself from Gai's hold entirely and switching to offensive at the side of his rival. Like this, on his knees, it was easy for him to wrestle both of Obito's ankles into his hold while Gai went for his sides. It was almost unnerving how well they worked as a team.

"Call it my payback," Kakashi shrugged idly from behind Gai's back. "Or a change of pace. Either way, it's your turn."

"Ahh! C'mon guys, weren't you the one preaching for fair?" He immediately wiggled sideways, attempting to squirm his way right around Kakashi. If he'd really wanted out, he could have, but he didn't mind playing around a bit. "If we're talking payback I should so kick you in the head."

He grabbed for Gai's hands. Sure he might not be stronger but he had a damn good grip.

Obito managed to snag Gai's wrists before he could get to effective tickling. Still, Gai laughed and continued to try valiantly to get at Obito's sides, trying for different angles of attack. He was sure with Kakashi distracting Obito, too, one of them would get through!

"It is fair that you get attention too!"

"Aah," he deflected with a waft of his free hand. "You couldn't kick me in the head if you tried. Besides, what kind of fair retribution is that?" His tease went coupled with one of his smiles, the kind that would annoy Obito best.

He pushed his arms out to make it harder to tickle him, scowling from one to the other, but it was playful, not actually upset. "Well maybe I wouldn't do it hard." Kicking his feet was getting him absolutely nowhere either, Yeesh.

"But hey, I was getting plenty of attention you know..."

Laughing at that scowl, Gai tried to tackle him, completely willing to take a hand or elbow to the face in the process. He tried to break free of Obito's blocks to get one hand in there.

"Not enough! I would think you would enjoy being the center of attention!"

Kakashi's hand tightened, grabbing both of Obito's ankles in a firm hold. With his free hand he assaulted a the man's feet with tickles, keeping his own body weight against his knees to avoid any sudden jerking movements that might have dislodged Gai.

"And this meeting is all about you, after all..." Kakashi teased.

"I didn't volunteer to be here!" He almost squeaked the last word, the tickling making him flail instead of effectively warding Gai away from him. Cheaters, they were both dirty filthy cheaters that weren't fait at all!

He didn't say as much though, instead managing to keep from letting the tickling sensation get to him. "I liked the other just fiiiine!"

[Closed] Operation Picnic Basket.

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i don't have a good icon for this. need Gai's face from that part of the save Gaara arc

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