Kakashi's pants are still soaking wet and muddy- his vest is unzipped, and in no better state, hanging off his thin shoulders in a way that makes it look a little too big for him, like he's a child playing dress up instead of a grown man. He turns his baleful look on his genin, like it's somehow their fault that not only is he soaking wet (true), but now Kotetsu is acting crazy instead of letting them into the village as the sun starts to set (he's sure he can make the link as soon as his last remaining brain cell isn't dying of heat exhaustion).
The three of them turn wide, guileless eyes up at him. Well- Naruto does, because he's going to be chewing on the metaphor all night as long as he doesn't get distracted. Sakura's brows are furrowed, like she's taking him seriously and not sure whether such a thing is allowed, and Sasuke is opening his mouth to say something. Probably something the boy envisions as cutting, aloof, and cool, something that'll actually just make him sound like a fucking brat.
Kakashi snags Kotetsu's cigarette and takes a drag through the mask, just to watch all of the children's heads whip towards him in the hope he'll lower his mask. They wilt a little when they don't get a glimpse of his face.
"It's a nice thought, Kotetsu," he starts casually. "Like if our souls are made of glass, no matter how shattered and crushed they become, we might be able to temper the colorful dust that's left back into those pretty, bright panes with enough heat and pressure."
Sasuke's brows are drawn together now, too. Naruto shifts his weight, lifts a hand, and without waiting for either of the older men to call on him he asks: "Uhm, Sensei.... is this some more 'Will of Fire' lesson?"
"No, you idiot," Sakura snaps at him. "He's saying that the only way to become a window is to face trials by fire, to compress the sands of our soul into panes of glass-"
"Sakuraaaaaaaaa- that's literally just like the Will of Fire-"
Kakashi takes an extra long drag of Kotetsu's cigarette before he hands it back, and turns that baleful gaze on the chuunin, as if to say, 'this argument is your fault', or perhaps, 'never become a teacher, because everyone takes what you say way too seriously, and you'll never know peace again'. Hard to believe that message gets across when he only has a single eye visible, but in this moment it's a very expressive eye indeed.
"Slow day?" Kakashi asks. He just needs to talk to someone that isn't thirteen. Maybe that'll fix him.
