naruto examines the water can handed to him by iruka. narrowing his eyes, he looks up. "...so you're sayin' i just gotta water all these plants as punishment?" so weird, really weird. probably the least harsh consequences he's ever been given. honestly...how is this punishment? he ain't gunna say no, because he can totally finish this quickly and go do some training!
"i'll be done before ya can blink!" he declares with a wild grin. hugging the water can to his chest, naruto walks over to the closest tap to begin filling it. not thinking to stay to hear if there's more to this chore.
❛ no, wait — ! ❜ but the boy's already off, and whatever iruka has meant to say transfers itself into a large breath of sigh.
in all honesty, iruka knows that there might be objection about letting naruto water the small garden the academy is growing — not that there are any proper educational value to the garden that it should be earning any wrath from any member of the academy faculty considering it's more decorative than anything. which only further supports iruka's future argument that keeping naruto busy with watering the wild flowers and some poorly-maintained vegetation wouldn't be an issue at all.
as much of headache that would surely bring him, iruka lets the thought slides and re-focuses instead on the kid. naruto is... as enthusiastic as ever, although iruka wonders whether the prospect of a lighter punishment is what's driving that eagerness or is it the very fact that an adult has finally properly paid attention to him that does it. the thought alone shakes iruka enough that whatever anger he's held from the blonde's latest prank ebbs away.
or maybe, like mizuku'd always say, that's just iruka being easy. these days, tired enough, iruka barely has any energy to discern it.
whatever it is, he knows in truth he couldn't fully be mad at naruto long. he's— he's just a kid, after all. a little clumsy and a whole lot of trouble, sure, but he's... he's just lonely, isn't he ? and iruka had told the third before that that might lie the true issue, although all the third had responded iruka with was a long, thoughtful hum. so? he'd asked iruka then. what will you do, iruka-kun?
what will he do, iruka thinks, clenching his firsts by his side and clenching his jaw from the building frustration, before he concludes, in a voice suspiciously similar to his mother's, and determines: what he can.
so iruka marches forward – and this time it's not to yell. he bends forward instead, catches the watering pot naruto's been tilting over to let the water run over a particular flower, and as the blonde looks up, the academy sensei gives the boy a small, disarming smile. he continues, ❛ i'm pretty sure we can't over-water this one, naruto. this one, though, ❜ he points to a pot nearby, ❛ i think it'll be okay with extra. you think you can remember if i start showing you which plants need more water and which doesn't ? we can make a game out of it. if you win, i'll treat you to snacks on top of teuchi-san's ramen. ❜
jana sending in soft things ♡