Naruto 1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I know I should be working on my other chapters to my other fics, but, this idea popped into my head yesterday and so far i'm really proud of how it came out. **

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**Chapter 1 **

The short breeze ruffled her hair, and she inwardly cursed the elements. One wrong move, a single sound, and her position would be given away immediately. Taijutsu was not an option against this opponent, actually, just being in his sights alone would render her useless, and she would lose. She could not afford to even have the wind as her foe, no. His enhanced senses would surely prove useful in the possibility that her sent would be carried to him.

As if on cue, he moved, and looked right at her. She stayed, for the kunoichi was unsure of whether or not he actually saw her. Her fears were confirmed when his eyes narrowed and he brought his speedy hands to his chest, already in the midst of his third hand-sign by the time she moved. Her training had paid off, for her genjutsu was faster than his attack, and she hid within her illusion, behind the jounin. Silent and deadly she was as she held the kunai to his throat.

Before he even hit the ground, a log was in his place. She stared with disbelieving eyes; she was sure she had him. Then a gasp fell through her dainty lips as she was caught by her ankles and pulled into the cold ground, blackness engulfing her completely.

The kunoichi awoke with blurry eyes, and she blinked until she was able to focus again. She sighed and sat up, realizing that he had pulled her out of the ground when she had blacked out. A sound made her ear twitch, and she caught a glimpse of orange to her left. An annoyed scowl replaced her blank expression and he flipped another page, not bothering to look back to her.

"You're going to have to do better than that if you want to beat me, Sakura," she loved the sound of the jounin's voice, it was like satin, and it caressed her ears as if it were his lips, instead of the words that came out of them. Suppressing a smile was not an easy task, so she looked to the ground instead, her pink tresses forming a curtain around her face.

"Hmm, I wonder where I want to go to lunch today…" his voice was thoughtful, but his gaze remained locked on the pages of his precious, smutty novel. Sakura grimaced. She and Kakashi had been training together one-on-one for a few weeks now. Winner of the sparring session was treated to lunch by the other. Of course, being under Lady Tsunade's wing for almost five years had made her cocky, so she accepted his bet, not realizing the stupidity of it. There was no way she could ever beat the copy ninja.

"But sensei….." she begged, dreading looking into her near empty money pouch. He finally looked at her and gave his famous eye crinkling smile.

"We're equals now, Sakura," god, she loved it when he said her name. "Call me Kakashi." He closed his book and stood up, stuffing it in his weapon pouch where it had always gone when he was done with his brief reading times.

For once, she did not follow his lead, but instead continued to sit on the hard ground. Too worn from the day's vigorous training session to even want to move at all, let alone walk him to yet another restaurant somewhere in Konohagakure. So she laid back and looked up at the sky, suddenly feeling as if Shikamaru should be here alongside her as she watched the clouds. She grinned at the thought.

"Are you coming?" the jounin asked, eyebrows raised, and still standing where he was a moment ago. She exhaled and gazed at a bird as it glided through the sunny skies.

"I'm too tired," she said simply, though she knew he would find some excuse to get her up and to their next meal. Kakashi sighed loudly, trying to sound forlorn.

"Alright," he began to walk away slowly. "And I was going to buy you lunch at the Aoi Toriniku…Oh well," her ears pricked. The Blue Chicken, her favorite place to eat, well, when she could afford it. Quickly, she jumped to her feet and skipped to the jounin's side, a cute smile plastered on her face, excitement in her bright green eyes.

"What's this about the Aoi Toriniku?"

He smiled at her response.

"Just a treat for all of your hard work," he said it as if she had really accomplished something, where in her mindset, she had not, especially nothing grand enough to earn a lunch from her former sensei at the most expensive restaurant in the Leaf. Though she did not argue, she'd be damned if she would pass up an offer as fine as this.

"Well, thank you sen- I mean, Kakashi," she could feel herself blushing. Ever since the first day they began training together, since the first words spoken between them in these few weeks, she had fallen for him. And she had fallen hard.

Of course, she knew that any relationship- no matter what ages they may be- beyond teacher and student was strictly taboo. In his head, she was sure; he viewed them as good friends. She knew he did not return her feelings, but the more they trained, the more he looked at her, the closer he would come to her, the farther down his hand would go from her shoulder, to her back, then her slim waist. Though they were only momentary touches, his rough fingers would only barely even brush against her clothed skin. But still, it was something.

"Sakura," he said her name thoughtfully, and her heart fluttered.

"Yes, sensei,"

He ignored the formal title. "Isn't your birthday today?" she was surprised that he had remembered, for he had never paid very much attention to _anyone's _birthday, let alone hers. She flushed crimson for having forgotten herself and wondered if this was the true reason he was taking her to lunch.

"Y-yeah, actually…" she smiled and he chuckled at her unusual stutter.

"Well then, today is your day, we can do whatever you want," he gave her an eye crinkling smile and put a light hand on her shoulder. She smiled back at him, though in her head she knew he really didn't mean _anything. _She could only pretend. But then an idea struck her.

"Anything?" she asked him with skepticism. She looked to him and he shrugged.

"Sure," he was trapped for sure now.

"Well, then show me what's under your mask," she teased. He hesitated then smiled.

"I'll think about it," her heart skipped a beat, even though she was sure the jounin was just getting her hopes up. But she couldn't help but wonder if he was serious.

As they walked in a comfortable silence down the crowded streets of the village, she tugged on her ponytail and let loose her long pink locks. Kakashi stole a sideways glance at her and grinned; he had always thought her to be beautiful, especially when her hair was down, it framed her face nicely. The two jounin rounded a corner and headed into the Aoi Toriniku.

There were many shinobi and villagers enjoying their meals and talking quietly. Among them, she spotted Sasuke (who had returned to the village 3 years ago after finally killing his brother and Orochimaru), and a familiar white and red hokage hat. They told the hostess they were here meeting friends and walked over to their table.

Sasuke looked up and nodded at them. "Kakashi," he then looked to the girl. "Sakura,"

"Hey, Sakura!" Naruto yelled a little too loudly and she looked around, noticing several pairs of eyes on them as they sat down. But the jounin smiled at her friend, and realized that the two boys must be here in celebration of Naruto's one month of being hokage since the blonde was proudly wearing his uniform, which he seldom did while he was out and about.

Naruto, after having passed the jounin exam with flying colors, had joined ANBU. About 3 months later, Tsunade had graciously relieved herself of the title of Hokage and the village had chosen Naruto to be their Rokudaime. And though he still had his moments, she had to admit that her teammate had grown into a very mature and handsome man of 20. Though of course, she could say the same for Sasuke, who still lit that burning desire inside of her every time she caught his eye.

"Oh, I was going to go by your apartment later to give you your present, but since you're here now, well, here it is!" he grinned his familiar grin and Sakura looked at him as if he had two heads.

"_You_….remembered….my birthday?" she asked through a thick layer of skepticism. Naruto's face dropped and he lowered the white boxed present slightly.

"Why wouldn't I Sakura-chan?" he sounded hurt, and the kunoichi felt a bit of guilt, and hoped to lighten the mood.

"Well, I forgot it was my birthday until Kakashi-kun reminded me, so, I guess I really didn't expect anyone else to remember," she said with a light shrug and a smile as her mind went ballistic while she realized her mistake; Kakashi-_kun? _When had she ever addressed her former sensei as Kakashi-_kun?_

"Oh," the blonde chuckled. "Well, here, take it," he handed her the present and she gave him a genuine smile and a kiss on the cheek. He blushed. Sakura undid the delicate blue-ribbon bow and took the lid off of the white box. She nearly dropped her present when she saw the dazzling, sparkling, shimmering, sterling silver emerald and diamond bracelet. Being Hokage must've pulled in more cash than she first thought.

"Oh, wow….Naruto," she was at a loss for words. "Thank you, it's incredible!" she stared in awe for a moment, then looked to her right, where Kakashi was supposed to be. "Kakashi, look-," but he wasn't there, and neither was Sasuke.

"Sasuke said he needed to talk to Kakashi-sensei when you guys got here, you didn't hear them leave?" Naruto still used the old term for their former teacher. She flushed with chagrin as she realized that her senses should be keener than they were.

"No, I guess not…." She trailed off, wondering what Sasuke could need to talk to Kakashi about in private. "Here, put it on me," she held out her wrist to Naruto and smiled.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I think you should stop training Sakura, Kakashi," Sasuke said, a bored but firm tone in his voice as he watched the passing civilians.

"Oh," the copy nin raised an eyebrow and looked to his former student who was now nearly as tall as himself. The jounin was surprised that Sasuke would even show an interest in the fact that he was training Sakura, let alone be ballsy enough to tell him to stop.

"She is a friend I now hold close, and I will not let you break her heart like I did." His voice was still cold; his eyes still distant. The only thing that had really changed about the Uchiha was his attitude towards his friends. He put his hands in his pockets and pushed himself off of the building wall and began to walk into the bustling village, but stopped and tossed something to the jounin who caught it with ease. "Give this to her, will you?" he stalked off in his usual slouch and disappeared into the crowd.

Kakashi stood against the wall of the restaurant for a moment and then sauntered back inside, grabbing the chair across from Sakura and sat in it. She and Naruto were chatting, catching up on life, for they did not see each other often unless it was business matter. The kunoichi looked to Kakashi with a smile a moment after he sat down, and put her wrist up to eye level

"Look what Naruto got me, Kakashi!" he smiled and eyed the bracelet, knowing that Naruto must've spent nearly all of his pay to get her that. Her smile faded a moment later when she scanned the room. "Where's Sasuke?"

"He had to go get ready for a mission," the jounin fibbed and Sakura pouted, obviously upset that he didn't even say goodbye. "But he told me to give you this," her brows knit together in confusion; since when did Sasuke give her anything?

He handed her the little folded note and she opened it suspiciously, as if a snake were going to pop out and bite her. She scanned it quickly and gave it a quizzical look.

"What does it say, Sakura-chan?" nosy Naruto. She folded it back and stuffed it in her pocket.

"It just says 'Happy Birthday'," she smiled and Naruto just said, 'oh', as if he were expecting more. But she didn't fool the copy nin.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lunch had been fantastic, and the kunoichi had been enjoying her day so far. But that little note was still forefront in her mind, as if it were a glittering gem in a bed of dusty rocks. He had written down an address in his unusually neat scrawl, and a time; 21:00. She guessed he had meant tonight, he would've given her a date if he didn't. The kunoichi was anxious to see what this was all about, but she was also a little scared.

Kakashi was at her side, and she had asked him to be in her company for the rest of the day, and had also requested a second favor.

"I really don't see why you're so interested," he said after a moment. "You're a little young, aren't you?" Sakura rolled her eyes.

"I _am _an adult Kakashi-kun," he hated to admit that he was getting used to her call him that. "And besides, over the years I've become curious as to how smutty those books of yours really are," he sighed, not really liking the idea of his former _female _student reading _his_ porn. He was starting to wish he hadn't told her they could do anything she wanted to today, though he was truly considering showing her what was under his mask.

_'And maybe you could show her what's under all those clothes of yours too,' _he slammed that thought into a forgotten part of his mind and locked it with a key. He should most definitely _not_ be thinking those things about Sakura, especially since they were on their way to his apartment to dig out the first couple volumes of _Icha Icha. _

'_He did say _anything,_ so……maybe I should ask for a kiss….' _No. Absolutely not. The kunoichi sighed and looked down to her bracelet and bit her lip. '_It wouldn't hurt to ask….we are both adults, and that is completely acceptable,' _No, no, NO! She groaned and hoped that Kakashi wouldn't ask her what was wrong.

"Something the matter, Sakura?" She tried to smile at him, and it didn't work, it came out as a grimace instead.

"I just can't figure out what I should buy for my birthday, that's all," she hated lying to him, because she wasn't very good at it. She knew he knew she was lying, but he didn't say anything more until they were inside his apartment, which was a nice, cool relief from the hot summer air.

"Is there something you'd like to ask me?" she stopped in the doorway and just stared at him mutely. '_Damn over-perceptive Kakashi,' _she thought with agitation as she continued to look at him.

"No," she said simply as she moved her eyes to her shoes while she removed them from her feet.

"You're terrible at lying," he pointed out, still eyeing her with suspicion.

"And you read porn in public," she retorted, still not making eye contact with the other jounin. The kunoichi's eyes remained on the floor even though her shoes were now off her feet.

"Sakura," he said her name soothingly, but with an edge as if to say 'stop lying and tell me'. She edged her eyes slowly to meet his gaze. He had taken a step closer to her while she had been looking at the floor, but she didn't seem to notice.

It didn't feel right being in his apartment. When she had been here before, it was with Sasuke and Naruto, and she didn't feel the same way about Kakashi as she did now. The kunoichi bit her lip again and internally debated on whether she wanted to be stubborn or just tell him the truth. Or at least, one of the truths she wanted to tell him.

Tell you what," he said as he smiled. "I'll let you borrow my _Icha Icha _books if you tell me the truth, okay?" His hand twitched as if he wanted to put it on her shoulder, but he refrained. "And if you don't, I won't so much as open another of those books in front of you," he was still smiling, but he was teasing her now. She grinned at his word though she was slightly annoyed, and once she thought of exactly what it was that she wanted to tell him, her smile vanished.

"I don't want to…_ask_ you something...so much as I want to _tell _you," she bit her lip again and Kakashi's breath hitched in his throat at Sakura's words. He had thought this was about Sasuke, but he knew now exactly where this was going. "But, I don't think I can tell you," she seemed to be arguing with herself until she looked up at him suddenly. "I should go," she grabbed her shoes and began pulling them on.

"Sakura," his voice was a purr, but he seemed to be pleading. He was battling himself for the right words. "Stay….please?" she stopped what she was doing and looked up at him, an incredulous expression plastered on her pretty face. This was way out of context for him. She put her shoe down slowly and stood up straight.

"Okay," she wasn't sure if that was the appropriate answer, but she didn't _want _to leave. Nerves had simply gotten the better of her. She took a step further into the room, bringing herself a little closer to him. Of course, during their sparring sessions they had been closer, but just three being only three feet from him made her heart accelerate. '_This is wrong,' _she thought, but didn't care, this was what she wanted. And it was her birthday dammit.

They stood in awkward silence, both wishing the other would break the silence. Finally, it was Kakashi who did.

"Still want to see what's under my mask?" this time it felt like Sakura's heart stopped completely, and after a few seconds, she forgot how to breathe. So she stared stupidly at him, wondering if he was playing a joke on her.

"Yes," she breathed, taking another unconscious step in his direction. Ne nodded toward the couch and after a moment of hesitation, she walked cautiously over to where he beckoned her and sat down on the edge of the cushion. The jounin sat next to her a moment later and didn't protest when he fingers moved slowly to his face. She stopped when her fingers were lightly on the rim of the stretchy fabric. He waited patiently for her to continue. Sakura took a moment to regain her breath, and she slowly, oh so agonizingly slowly, pulled the fabric down until his entire face was revealed.

Her breath caught, but not at the sight of the large scar that ran down the left side of his face, just below his sharingan eye and to his chin, but how it accentuated his handsome jaw line, and perfect lips. She ran her fingers lightly down his face, surprised by how smooth it was. The kunoichi bit her lip and pulled her hand back gradually, and expected the copy nin to just place the mask right back where it was. But he didn't.

When all of her thoughts were back in order she gave him a half smile.

"Thank you," her eyes glimmered. "Kakashi," he smiled back at her, and when he did, she instinctively leaned forward a little more than necessary, but backed up when she realized she was probably too close. He gave her a more familiar grin then and ruffled her hair like he used to do when she was still a genin.

"So, I've granted your two wishes, now what will be your third?" his tone was light and joking, which made her feel more at ease with the beautiful stranger she knew to be Kakashi.

"Do you want truth, or dare?" she tried to mimic his tone, and it sounded authentic enough, though she was sure he could also hear her heart beating erratically in her chest.

"Hmm," he pretended to think about it. "I think I want truth," his eye crinkled when she cringed.

Sakura took a deep breath, but her voice was shaky.

"Do you love me?" he knew he should've picked dare. Actually, at this moment, he would rather be risking his life for the sake of the village.

"Sakura," his voice was pained. "I can't-,"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," she stood and turned around to hide the tears that were suddenly filling her eyes.

'_Don't break her heart like I did…' _Sasuke's voice rang in his ears and he knew that no matter what he said, she would be hurt. But he figured that she deserved the truth, though it was obviously going to be the choice that would hurt her more.

"Yes," he whispered and put his face in his hands.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I'm sorry this took so long, but here it is. And I can't let you read it without thanking my most awesome Beta, Airenko!!!! *hugs*

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Sakura choked out a sob and looked to him, disbelief clouding her features. She honestly didn't know what she thought about his answer. The kunoichi had expected a 'no', but hoped so longingly for a 'yes', and now she wasn't sure what to make of it.

"You deserve the truth," he said, looking at her through relieved eyes. She fell to her knees in front of him and he longed to bring her into his arms, to comfort her as she cried.

A few minutes passed and her sobs ceased. She looked to him with puffy eyes.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, then smiled. "Do I get a dare now?"

She laughed through the last falling tears and nodded.

"Only if you'd like…" she said in a quiet voice. Kakashi patted the space next to him and she resumed her position by his side.

"Can I ask you a question instead?" his voice was soft, comforting, and she scooted a bit closer to him and nodded. Her heart accelerated at the thought of what his question would be and she returned her emerald gaze to the light russet carpet. "Why are you crying?"

"Because I'm so happy you said yes," she choked out and hid her face in her hands as more tears streamed down her face; her candy colored locks shielded her face as she hunched over. He found no more reason to ask the next question he now knew the answer to. Without hesitation he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer so that she was cradled to his chest.

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The rest of the afternoon had gone by in a blur, and before she knew it, it was eight thirty and they were silent as they drank their warm tea. Kakashi had kept his mask down, and she had touched his smooth skin every chance she got. Sakura sighed when she realized she needed to go if she was going to meet Sasuke on time, and she suddenly wished that she had lost her small but intense desire for him after he left the village. But she was burning to know what he wanted.

"I should go," she half grinned at the jounin and he smiled back.

"Happy birthday, Sakura," he said as she stood up.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" she asked him with a hint of desperation in her voice. He nodded and he watched her until she was out the door.

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The air was warm, perfect for a tee shirt and shorts- which was exactly what she had on- and walk around the town. And she would be doing just that until she found the address that Sasuke had given her.

Finally she came across the right place. It was an old abandoned building on the border of the village, and she wondered why Sasuke would ever want to meet her at a place like this. She shuddered at a possible answer to that question and silently convinced herself that Sasuke was not that kind of person.

As she got closer to the building, she noticed him standing in the shadow.

"I'm surprised you came." There was a hint of amusement in his voice, but nothing seemed to be otherwise odd.

"Well," Sakura said, exasperated. "I'm here aren't I?"

He shrugged as he pushed himself from the wall and put his hands in his pocket.

"I want to show you something."

He turned and walked into the old building and she was suddenly wondering if she should follow him or not. After a quick moment of internal debate, she jogged in after him and found him waiting at the far end of a dark hallway. He turned into a dusty doorway that looked as if the door had been torn from its hinges by a chainsaw and then ducked into a small opening in the back of a closet.

She followed quickly so as not to get lost in the musty building, for she feared it would come crashing down on her at any minute. She couldn't see anything as they practically crawled through the dark hole, and hoped that he was leading her somewhere safe and wouldn't keep her in the building for much longer.

As if her thoughts had been spoken aloud, she saw that the shadow of Sasuke was now standing upright and she realized that the ceiling of the hole was higher now. She followed his lead and was surprised that after a moment, she was stepping on soft grass instead of rubble and rocks. The air was crisp and warm. After taking a backwards glance, she noticed that they were outside of the village walls. Her teammate then veered off to the left into an opening of trees that led to a small path.

She was so busy studying her surroundings as she went that she ran into Sasuke, who had stopped and was looking to the sky that was all but clear with the exception of a few dark clouds. Following his gaze, she saw the full moon above them in a large break in the trees. Upon looking down, she saw a beautiful pond that shimmered with the reflections of the bright stars and silver moon. She put her hand to her mouth but couldn't fight the gasp that was heard through her daintily parted lips.

"I used to come here when I was little," he said, his voice normal, but he was still looking to the stars. She looked at him and he flicked a small box her way. She caught it but wasn't exactly sure what to do with it.

"Er…thanks…" she managed to say, for she was sure it wasn't a present, it couldn't be. Not from Sasuke.

"Open it." He never looked at her, but she stared at him, bewildered. Slowly she turned her eyes toward the box and lifted it open. Inside was a breathtaking silver heart shaped locket that was adorned with a small but intricately designed cherry blossom, and the name 'Sakura' engraved in fine cursive.

A small tear landed on the inside of the box and she wiped her eyes so that he wouldn't see, but when she looked up, he was gazing at her, analyzing her reaction. A ghost of a smile appeared on his face, and then he walked a couple steps forward and sat on the bank by the still pond. She hesitated so that she could look at her sparkling present again, and then joined him at the water's edge.

For awhile they sat silently, enjoying the relaxing sound of the croaking frogs and whispering of the grass in the cool breeze. As if she were alone, she quietly began singing, something the kunoichi hadn't done in a long time.

"_Ikutsu namida o nagashitara  
Every Heart sunao ni nareru darou  
Dare ni omoi wo tsutaetara  
Every Heart kokoro mitasareru no darou." _

Sasuke closed his eyes as she sang.

"_Nagai nagai yoru ni obieteita  
Tooi hoshi ni inotteta_she stopped and blushed a crimson red, realizing that Sasuke was listening to her.

Meguru meguru toki no naka de  
Bokutachi wa ai o sagashiteiru  
Tsuyoku tsuyoku naritai kara  
Kyou mo takai sora miageteiru,"

"I haven't heard you sing since our last mission together." Why he was not looking at her hardly at all tonight she didn't know, but she found she was blushing now over his words than the fact that he had been listening.

They had grown silent again, and this time Sasuke was the first to speak.

"Do you like the locket?"

This time he stared into her emerald eyes. She blushed and looked down as she realized that she had forgotten to thank him for it.

"Gomen, Sasuke-kun, I forgot my manners." She bowed in apology. "I really, really love it. Arigatou gozaimasu."

Another tear dribbled down her face and landed on the grass beneath her.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

Her head snapped up to look at him in utter bewilderment.

"For everything." Had _this _been what Sasuke had been trying to do, apologize?

The kunoichi looked to the pond and traced circles in the grass. "Don't apologize, Sasuke-kun." Her eyes stayed transfixed on the water and how it shimmered in the moonlight. "The past doesn't matter anymore." It was quiet again except for the occasional song of a cricket or two.

"Open the locket."

She looked over to him and eyed him quizzically. After a moment's hesitation, she opened her box, and then her little silver locket. With the same intricate cursive as her name on the outside, read 'Happy Birthday' on the inside. She spluttered and found that she was crying again, as she had done in Kakashi's living room.

"Thank you, Sasuke!" she flung her arms around his neck and was a tad more than shocked when he didn't push her away like usual. Not wanting to ruin the moment, she pulled away and smiled at him. He stood and stretched.

"It's late, I should take you home."

He started back through the trees and she stood on shaky legs.

"Wait." He stopped and looked at her; she was blushing and looking down while holding the locket box in one hand. She held it up. "Will….will you put this on for me?"

He stepped back to her and grabbed the box, taking the delicate locket in his large hands. He did not fumble with the clasp, and he had it on her in only a second. She let her hair down; for she was holding it up for him, and smiled. "How does it look?"

"Hn."

She sighed; a little annoyed that after everything, all he could manage to say to her was 'hn'. But then as they walked she realized that this must have been very hard for him, and she was grateful that he had done even this.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Since the kunoichi had walked from Kakashi's apartment, she hadn't known that her house was much closer to the old building than she had thought; it had only taken them a mere ten minutes to get there.

She stood by her doorway longer than necessary and finally went to open the door.

"Goodnight, Sasuke," she said quietly. "And thank you." Her smile was breathtaking and he nodded and walked into the darkness without a backwards glance. She entered her small home and sat down on the floor with her head in her hands. So much was going through her mind; it was hard to process it all.

Sakura's legs grew numb as she sat still as stone for God knows how long. As she began to move, her ears starting picking up other sounds than the thick silence; the first thing she noticed was the continuous _tink_s as several raindrops hit her window. Then she looked to the clock, 11:27.

On impulse, with her shoes still on, she ran out the door and into the freezing rain. Once she had reached the middle of the quiet village, she slowed to a stop. Her pink locks were dripping and her teeth were chattering, but she was torn: Sasuke had finally shown her kindness, and she didn't know if he was willing to bring that relationship up any further. And then there was Kakashi, who had pledged his love for her, knowing it was strictly taboo. But she supposed she was comparing apples and oranges here, one being delicious but hard to bite into, the other with defenses that needed to be peeled away before devouring. With a snap decision, she bounded through the town in the direction of the orange's house.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There was a quiet but quick rap on the door, and he instantly knew it was Sakura, for (Maybe change this a little so it's not as long.) he had sensed her chakra before she was even to the stairs.

He got up from his spot on the couch and opened the door.

"It's s-s-still my b-b-birthday," she stammered with arms across her chest and goose bumps on her bare arms. He then noticed that her long pink tresses were matted and dripping and her lips were also tinted blue. He stood aside for her to come in so that she wouldn't be forced to stay in the cold for any longer.

He looked to the clock as he shut his apartment door, 11:56, then raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her and wondered why she had come back at this hour, and why she had gone tromping through the heavy rain while wearing a white tee-shirt. He could see her bra and fair skin as clearly as if she wasn't wearing any top at all as it clung heavily to her. He tried not to stare. She was shivering violently, her new bracelet clinking against itself, and there was already a puddle of water at her feet. The kunoichi shot him an apologetic smile through her chattering teeth and then clutched herself tighter.

"Sakura," he said warily. "Are you alright?"

She nodded shakily. "Just a l-l-l-little c-cold, t-that's a-a-a-all." She noted that his mask was back in place, and wondered if he would ever be willing to take it off for her again.

'_Maybe that's not all you can get him to take off….' _Her eyes widened as her thoughts got the best of her, and she pushed the idea away, no matter how tempting it was.

The kunoichi stayed where she was as the jounin went to get her a towel. As he gave a quick backwards glance, he thought he saw something silver glimmer on her neck.

"T-t-thanks," she stammered as she began to dry her hair and arms. After a moment she stopped and closed her eyes, then took a deep breath through her nose. Her shaking got worse and she dropped the towel, putting both hands to her stomach.

"Sakura?"

He took a small step toward her and she shook her head slowly as she opened her eyes and sprinted to the bathroom. The sounds he heard from her direction were not comforting and he walked to where she was, but saw that she had closed the door. He knocked quietly. "Are you okay?"

"Go away." Her voice was dry and raspy. "You don't need to see this."

She gagged and he opened the door anyway, truly concerned for her health, and found her leaning over the toilet. Sakura's face was now an unusual shade of white, but her lips were still blue. He walked right past her and started the water in the tub on a low warm.

"Are you going to be sick again?" He eyed her and she shook her head slowly; there was probably nothing left in her stomach to bring back up. He noticed that her shaking had gone down, and it seemed that she was only shivering slightly now. She stood up at a leisurely pace and flushed the toilet, then looked warily at the tub.

"I d-d-don't n-need a b-bath." She hugged herself again and he could see that her teeth were still chattering. He took a small step closer to her.

"You know, Sakura," he started. "For a medical ninja you don't seem too concerned for your health."

She shot him an icy look.

"Get in the tub, I'll go get you some dry clothes." He shut off the water, leaving it lukewarm and ready for the kunoichi, and walked out, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Her body ached to get into the warm water, to ease herself out of the freezing state her delicate body was in, but then, she also wanted to stay right where she was, to see if she could just thaw out on her own.

'_Stubborn mule,' _she thought and slid her black spandex shorts and wet panties to the tile floor of the bathroom with shaking hands. Her top was a bit more difficult, but she finally managed to get that onto the ground as well. She put her arms back around her shivering frame and her hardened nipples brushed against them as she lowered herself into the warm water. Once she was situated, she closed the curtains and almost immediately after she did, Kakashi reentered and she heard him put some dry clothes by the sink.

Through her chattering teeth she almost thought she heard him leave again, and then upon trying to calm her tremors, found that he had. She was almost disappointed, but then, she shouldn't even be here in the first place, and he was just making things easier for them both.

'_But is this really easier?' _her thoughts echoed in her mind. Sakura knew now that he loved her, and it was a relief, yes, but to have him _show_ her he loved her would mean so much more. The kunoichi put her head on her knees. Oh to have him say he wanted her, to take her right then and fondle and kiss her until the sun came up. '_Forbidden'_. But then, that's what made him so desirable, what made her ache for him so much more than she already did; he was the forbidden fruit. But she wasn't so sure that she wanted to deal with the punishment if she were to taste him.

"Is it warm enough?" she hadn't heard him come in, and her head snapped up too quickly, making her dizzy. She put a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes.

"Um…." She really hadn't paid much attention to the temperature of the water, but now that she thought of it, it seemed to be making her colder. "N-n-no," she mumbled. Almost instantaneously, he reached in behind the curtains and turned the water on, making it a little hotter than before. She gasped at his sudden movement.

"Don't worry, I won't look," he said through the curtain.

'_But I want you to look…' _she sighed as the water filled higher. She wanted him to peer in and see her, sweep her into his arms and take her to places she's never been to before. She wanted to stroke the contours of his body as it lay underneath her, and wanted to watch him sigh and gasp her name while her hair tickled his face as he filled her with bliss.

The sound of the water shutting off pulled her from her daydream and the kunoichi noticed that the water was a much nicer temperature now. A few moments passed and her teeth stopped chattering, and she wasn't shivering much anymore. She sank down lower into the water and allowed it to thaw her. In the silence that followed, she heard Kakashi flip a page in what was probably one of his _Icha Icha_ books.

"Kakashi," she said slowly. Another page turned.

"Hm?"

"You never did let me see any of those smutty books of yours…" She tried to sound like she was pouting, but her voice just came off as bored instead. There was no reply.

"Are you warming up?"

His attempts at distraction were futile, but he had good reasoning for not wanting his former student to read his precious books. For he was reading the latest volume, and he wasn't about to let Sakura get too attached to his collection to ever get to read it.

"Please?" she pled. "Kakashi-kun."

His ears pricked, but he ignored it and looked back to his book, letting out a sigh.

"You can read one when you're thawed out." The water _swish_ed as she moved forward and pulled the plug, the warm liquid flooding down the drain with a gurgling noise.

"Okay," she chirped. "I'm warm!"

He sighed audibly and went to go get her towel, knowing that arguing with her was useless at this point.

With towel in hand, he was about to walk back in to set it down when he realized he had left the bathroom door slightly ajar and he peered in, unable to stop himself. Sakura was looking into the mirror, stark naked. Her breasts were round and plump, pink nipples taut, and her toned legs went on for miles. Kakashi licked his suddenly dry lips and she paused.

"It's impolite to stare," she said with a small smile, face still to the mirror. He turned his head and held the towel out for her and she giggled. He heard her take a step closer to him and she took the towel. "It's okay," she said softly, almost incomprehensively. "I don't mind if you look." She was looking to the ground, fidgeting with the towel that was still hanging between her fingers.

"Sakura," he sighed and closed his eyes.

"But..." She bit her lips and warily looked up to him, a deep blush painted on her pretty face. "I _want _you to look at me,"

He growled and punched the wall with the side of his fist, she flinched. "Don't do this to me!" he snarled but still didn't look at her. Her eyebrows knit together and she leaned back automatically.

"W-what?"

"_This is wrong," _he said, his temper finally dying down. A tear dribbled down her cheek and she wiped it away quickly, ashamed that she hadn't been able to fully outgrow her crying stage.

"I love you, Kakashi," the kunoichi said, looking to the wall and finally wrapping the towel around her damp body.

"I know." He stalked off in the direction of the living room. Sakura's tears started again and she tried to pull herself together as she dried herself off. He slumped onto the soft couch and ran his hands through his hair. He wanted her. And he wanted her bad. But he had his morals in order, and taking his former student was taboo, love or not.

And then she was there, in the living room, clad in just his oversized t-shirt; it looked like she had forgone the sweats. And that wasn't helping. Then he saw it again, that glint of silver on her neck. Before she could blink, he had one hand on her shoulder, the other softly fondling the locket, his revealed eye scrutinizing this.

"You weren't wearing this earlier," he noted, finally looking to her eyes. She bit her lip, oh so sexily, and blushed.

"It was a gift." She met his gaze shyly, and he raised his eyebrows when she didn't continue. "…from Sasuke." He looked to the locket again and suddenly found that he wanted to rip it from her neck and smash it. Kakashi let the chain drop from his fingers to help suppress the urge to break the little trinket, though he was more surprised at his sudden flare of jealousy.

An unpleasant silence engulfed them.

"Um….Can I….can I read one of your _Icha Icha_ books now?"

He looked to his bookshelf, then back to her. He debated for a moment and then decided that she could read one, as long as they didn't pique her interest too much. The jounin looked back to the kunoichi and nodded to the bookshelf. She smiled and sauntered over, eyeing them until she found the first volume. Sakura found a seat on the couch and he joined her, wondering what he was going to do until she was done reading. He figured that he would just sit there and analyze her reaction, there was bound to be some laughs.

The kunoichi flipped to the first page and found that she was already engulfed in the words; it was very well written, and seemed to have an advanced plotline. It wasn't until the 24th page that she remembered she was reading porn, her cheeks were soon painted a crimson, and she found that the illustrations were giving her imagination more fuel than it needed. He chuckled.

It was then he smelled her. He had not expected the book to be arousing to the kunoichi, and her scent was beginning to arouse _him. _

"Alright, I think that's enough."

He took the book from her hands with a forced smile and put it back on its shelf. When he turned back to look at her, Sakura's expression was a mixture of disappointment and surprise. Once her mouth morphed into a full blown pout, he had to hold back a laugh.

The kunoichi got up and wrapped her arms around the jounin's waist, he stiffened.

"Please let me keep reading, Kakashi-sensei?" she pled, but then her voice took on a new, seductive tone. "Or I might be tempted to finish the scene I was reading with you as my book."

His mind went hazy. With every word she spoke, he thought of a consequence to their actions, and now, all of those consequences were gone. All he could think of was how much he wanted to have her in his arms, lying seductively underneath him with her eyes clouded with lust and her forehead dewed with sweat as he took her as his own. He wanted her, and he was going to have her.


	3. Chapter 3

"Take me, Kakashi," she whispered, her hot breath fanning over his neck, dulling his other senses further. "Please." She needed him, and she was sure that no matter if he complied or not, he needed her too.

He gazed into her eyes, and though they were clouded with lust, there hinted longing, and more than that, a desperation for him. Then suddenly she was looking to the floor, an appealing crimson flushed over her cheeks. And his eyes widened in surprise as she quickly stood on her toes and weaved her fingers through his hair and molded her lips against his.

She felt his hands travel to her hips, and then she was lying on the couch, Kakashi standing in front of her, hands in his pockets, unfazed. Disappointment began to consume her.

"Now now, Sakura," from the way his eye moved, she could tell that he was smirking. "I haven't taken off my mask yet." And then he was on top of her, his hands positioned on either side of her head so that he could hold himself up.

Tentatively, the kunoichi brought her hands to his hair and untied his headband, revealing his sharingan eye as it fell to the floor. He moved his face closer. Sakura's breathing became shallow, her cheeks flushed as her fingers crept down his face and to the edge of his mask. She edged it down until his face was revealed completely. Though she had seen his face earlier that day, she couldn't help but be mesmerized by his handsome features.

Her eyes slipped shut as he inched his face closer, finally bringing his lips to hers. His lips were so sweet, oh so sweet. He ran one hand through her hair, and began moving his mouth roughly against hers, savoring the flavor of her full lips, and imprinting to memory the feel of her tongue winding with his.

The jounin pulled away and took into himself the image of her underneath him; eyes half-lidded, a blush painting her delicate cheeks, and lips parted. It was a magnificent sight. He leaned back in and placed chaste kisses along her jaw line, down her neck, and to her collarbone.

Becoming irritated with the lack of space on his couch, Kakashi moved his hands to her waist and rolled them onto the floor, landing on his back with the kunoichi on top. Swiftly, he flipped them again and brought his lips fiercely back to hers, using one hand to hold himself above her, and the other to run down her side to the edge of her cotton top, and push it up over her belly-button. Slipping his tongue into her mouth, his hand trailed to her hip and he noted that she wasn't wearing any underwear.

"Kakashi!" he jumped as Kotetsu's voice sounded from outside and he began pounding on the door. But it was Izumo who opened it.

"Naruto needs your immediate-," Kakashi looked over his shoulder in time to see the two standing in his doorway, eyes filled with envy and disbelief. Izumo whistled.

"Wait till the boys hear about this." Kotetsu chuckled and elbowed Izumo playfully. Kakashi growled and shot them an icy look, just now recalling that his mask was not in place.

"_Out._" He ordered. Kotetsu flinched then cleared his throat; Izumo's expression became serous again.

"Naruto needs you in his office immediately."

"I'm busy." He turned to resume kissing the kunoichi, but was stopped when Izumo interrupted.

"I'll tell you what, Kakashi," he started, crossing his arms as a sneer formed on his face. "You go see him now and buy us a round of drinks whenever you get back from the mission he assigns you, and we won't say a word," he paused, and Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "_Or, _you stay here, and we go tell Ino what we just witnessed." If Ino found out about this, the entire village would know about it by the end of the week.

He growled and got to his knees. "Fine."

"I knew you'd see reason." Kotetsu chuckled as they walked out the door.

He immediately pulled up his mask and stood up before going into his bedroom to put on the remainder of his jounin attire. Sakura sat up and looked to the ground, her pink locks shielding her face from his scrutinizing expression.

"You can stay here tonight." he said as he walked to the door. He turned and smiled at her and then vanished into the darkness.

Tears swelled in her eyes and she buried her face in her hands and let her sobs take over.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sakura stirred as morning light hit her eyelids. She sighed and turned over, but her eyes fluttered open as she discovered that she was no longer on Kakashi's living room floor, where she last remembered being. Instead, she was in his bed.

A familiar but unexpected chakra caught her attention and she sat up and looked across the room. Sasuke was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, and looking at her with his usual bored expression.

They stared at each other for a moment, and then he broke the silence.

"What are you doing here, Sakura?" she looked at him in bewilderment.

"Why am _I _here?" she asked, her voice growing angry. "What the hell are _you _doing here?"

"I stayed around your apartment last night," his tone made her cringe, as if he were angry with her. "I saw you leave and followed you here. And then when you didn't come back after Kakashi left, I came and checked on you, found you on the floor." He nodded towards the living room and she blushed with anger and fought to keep her temper down.

"You still didn't answer my question." He said and took a step closer to her.

She automatically leaned back slightly. "It's none of your business!" she spat. He took two quick strides over to her and yanked down the sheets, revealing her fully clad in just Kakashi's tee shirt.

"He's going to hurt you, Sakura!" he snarled and motioned to what she was wearing. "And you don't think that's my business?!" A look of disgust took over her features.

"Since when do you care?!" she sat up higher so that her face was level with his. "Last time I checked, I was pleading my love to you and begging to help you, but no! You had to turn around and leave me with my heart crushed! Why should I believe that you care _now?!_" she didn't notice the tears falling down her cheeks, but she did see the unusual anger glinting in his eyes and tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Sobs took over her body but she kept her gaze with him. "I-I still love you." she cried. His expression faded back to normal and he sat next to her on the bed.

"Sakura…" he sighed and wiped away a stray tear with his thumb. She shook her head and leaned away from his touch.

"Nandemo, Sasuke-kun," she looked into his eyes. "You already broke my heart once." The kunoichi got off the bed and walked into the bathroom where her clothes were hanging.

He gazed after her for a moment, thinking things that he hadn't thought about in a long time. And then he silently, lithely, leapt out of Kakashi's open window.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sakura fondled her dry clothes as she chewed on her lip, deep in thought. What had gotten into Sasuke; following her, giving her presents…._apologizing? _She didn't know what to make of it all. And then she had gone and told him that she still loved him.

Again, she was torn; Kakashi, whom she couldn't seem to get out of her head, and Sasuke, the Uchiha heir that she had been fantasizing about for seven long and miserable years. To make things worse, both of them were spoiling her, giving her the attention from them that she wanted but didn't deserve. One of them was going to get hurt; and _she_ was going to have to choose.

The kunoichi was broken from her reverie once she tasted blood, and figured that she wasn't ready to make that decision yet anyway.

After taking a deep breath, she removed Kakashi's oversized tee shirt and pulled on her clothes, ready to go home and change into some clean attire to prepare for the day.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After she had finally gotten to her apartment, she ate a small breakfast (courtesy of her near empty cabinets) and showered, hoping to wash away the thoughts that were clouding her mind. Though she found that while she was strolling around the village, her thoughts had strayed from her tug-of-war situation and had moved onto her confrontation with Sasuke that morning.

She put her hands in her pockets and kicked a rock.

'_Why me?' _

"Oi! Sakura-chan!" she looked up and saw Naruto grinning and waving animatedly. She couldn't help but smile. He was just leaving the ramen shop, and since he was full clad in his uniform, it looked like he was heading back to his office.

"Konnichi wa, Hokage-sama!" the kunoichi jogged over to him and bowed. "You seem to be out and about a lot lately, ne?" he chuckled and snaked his arm around her waist.

"Easy, no more paperwork, hehe!" he gave her another toothy grin. "And why so formal Sakura-chan?" he pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. A few moments of silence passed as they walked down the streets towards the hokage's office, and Sakura's smile faded. Naruto picked up her mood quickly.

"Something wrong, Sakura-chan?"

Her eyes stayed glued to the ground, and she stopped.

"Can I ask you something?"

He leaned down to better read the emotion in her face as she asked this.

"Sure, go ahead…" he grabbed her hand and began to pull her along again, slower this time, trying to make her more comfortable.

"What would you do….if you had to choose?" she glanced to him and he was eyeing her quizzically. "Between two people I mean…If you had to choose between someone you loved, but they had crushed you once before, and someone who you hold so close and dear, that shares mutual feelings…but….taboo….?" she said the last word quietly and sighed.

"Well," he chuckled and a distant look glazed over his eyes. "Sasuke probably has a longer life span than Kakashi-sensei, and you've probably never really seen the way he looks at you…" she felt a hot blush burn up her neck and cheeks; she hadn't expected Naruto to know who she was talking about.

"N-nani?!" she stared at him incredulously and he chuckled again, swinging their intertwined hands as they sauntered up the stairs to his office.

"It's kind of obvious, Sakura-chan," he looked to her and smiled. "I mean, you talk about him in your sleep quite a bit, hehe." Then he stopped and grinned apologetically. "Oops…" the blonde rubbed the back of his neck while Sakura was thinking over his words. She gasped.

"Naruto no baka!" the kunoichi hit him over the head, finding herself in the midst of a flashback from her genin days. She took a deep breath and calmed herself while the Rokudaime recovered from her less-than-serious blow. "And how long have you been watching me sleep, pervert?!"

"Hear me out before you hit me again, okay Sakura-chan?" he puckered his lips. She huffed and crossed her arms. Her jade eyes narrowed.

"You have 45 seconds before I punch you out of that window." She motioned to the 4th story window that they stood next to. Naruto took a couple steps away from it.

"It started when we were genin, I wanted to confront you about how I felt, but when I got to your window, I saw that you were asleep. You're really pretty when you sleep… and I was mesmerized," he had caught her attention, so his words slowed. "I started staying longer after Sasuke had left. You were so torn up, and it felt like it was all I could do to just be there. The habit stuck," he shrugged nonchalantly. "Then you started talking about Kakashi-sensei more and more, it was hard not to guess how you felt."

She hadn't noticed that they had reached his office until he took off his hat.

"Demo…" she began, confused. "Kakashi is forbidden to me, why aren't you angry?" he burst out laughing, and Sakura felt as if she had missed the joke.

"You're my best friend, Sakura-chan…Why would I take him away from you if he makes you happy?" he wore the same expression that he had the past day, when she had wondered aloud that she was surprised he had remembered her birthday.

She bowed low and long.

"Arigatou, Naruto-kun." she stood up straight and smiled, relieved to know that to the newest hokage didn't think of her relationship with Kakashi as taboo. But it was clear that he was rooting for her to choose Sasuke. And then out of nowhere, his face brightened like a child's at Christmas.

"Oh, oh, oh! Sakura-chan, I forgot to tell you!" she giggled as the old Naruto made an appearance. "Hinata's pregnant!" her smile widened and she embraced him tightly.

"Congratulations, Naru-," she was cut off when Kotetsu barged in. He bowed quickly in apology.

"I apologize for the intrusion, Hokage-sama, but you have an urgent message from the Kazekage."

He sighed and gave the girl a lopsided grin.

"I'll catch you later, Sakura-chan!" he ran out of the office with Kotetsu on his heels, and once again, she was left alone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sakura had found herself standing in the middle of the clearing where team seven used to train, her thoughts running through every memory that she held of those days. She thought back to how she used to fawn over Sasuke, and how it was ironic that now _she _was the one ignoring _him. _

'_I should go apologize.' _The thought kept repeating itself as it had been for the past few hours, and though she had made her decision awhile ago, she couldn't seem to leave the spot that she was in. She looked up slowly and saw a red flower in the distant part of the field, and giggled as it reminded her of Sasuke's favorite food.

Finally, she sprinted off in the direction of the nearest market in search of some ripe tomatoes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The kunoichi had found a nice basket to put the red fruits in, and walked leisurely to Sasuke's home.

She didn't bother knocking when she reached the door; she knew he probably wasn't home anyway. And left the basket on his doorstep with a small note on top that read, 'I'm sorry…Sparring session later?'

When she was being honest with herself, she knew that she had no idea how to actually apologize to Sasuke, and hoped that this would be good enough. Relieved, she turned to go back to the clearing, prepared to train, when she heard a voice behind her.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke's voice rang from behind her. She peeked over her shoulder and saw him standing in the doorway, looking irritated. She blushed.

"I-I…" she stuttered, beginning to feel a bit like Hinata.

"Come inside, it's getting dark."

Sakura hadn't noticed the remarkable pink and orange sunset fading as the sun sank deeper behind the horizon. She looked back to the door, noting that Sasuke had left it open for her, but was no longer standing in view. Quickly, she grabbed the basket of tomatoes and stuffed the note in her pocket, then shut the door lightly behind her. She stood in the doorway awkwardly; she had never been in his house before.

"I-I uh…Gomen, Sasuke-kun," she bowed. "Ano…I brought you a present." she added with a forced smile, holding it out to the shadow that was standing in the dim light of what looked like the kitchen.

"Hn."

Silence engulfed them. Sakura looked to the floor, but she could feel Sasuke's gaze burning into her. She counted off the seconds, hoping that he would break the silence; nothing. For 27 minutes they stood there, waiting.

"Why?" though she whispered, she knew he could hear. "Why, Sasuke?" he took a small step closer to her. "Why do you care _now?_"

She gasped and looked up as Sasuke's fingers suddenly brushed softly against her cheek and quickly grabbed the basket from her. Tingles went down her spine and she went numb with bliss as he pressed his lips to her ear.

"Sakura," he breathed. "Thank you." Before she could regain her bearings from the ghost of the knife wrenching in her heart at the memory of his last words to her so many years ago, he was already back in the kitchen, slicing up one of the many tomatoes from the basket. With a smile, she noted that his hands were lithe and graceful with the knife, and she found herself pondering about what else he could do be doing with those hands. A blush painted her cheeks, complimenting her long locks, and she looked to the floor nervously.

"Are you going to come in, or not?" he asked after a moment. She gazed up at him, and he was looking at her with one of his eyebrows raised, and she blushed again. Once she heard the knife continue slicing, she bent down and slid off her shoes, then ambled into the kitchen next to Sasuke.

Suddenly he stopped, and then sighed. She had never seen him sigh.

"Itachi would have killed you."

"Nani?" she had no idea what he was talking about.

"If I had formed any bonds," his teeth ground together and his hand tightened into a fist. "He would've severed them, and I would be left with no one….all over again," Sasuke closed his eyes. "And now he's gone."

"Oh." She had not expected him to finally answer her question. And now that she knew the reason, she felt another spark of hope ignite her desires.

'_Maybe Sasuke has liked me all along…' _

"Have you eaten?" he asked as he put the tomato slices in a bowl. Her stomach growled audibly before she could answer. "I'll make you something."

"Actually, Sasuke-kun, it's late, I should be getting home…" she bit her lip and looked over to a near window, where darkness was slowly engulfing the last bit of light in the day. The kunoichi turned to him and smiled apologetically. "Sparring session tomorrow at 9?" she asked hopefully.

"Hn."

Sakura walked to the door, slid on her shoes, and then paused while her hand was on the exit. Then she felt his gaze on her back and remembered something that Naruto had said earlier; _'And you've never really seen the way he looks at you.'_

"Oyasuminasai, Sasuke-kun." She whispered quietly, bowed, and then disappeared into the darkness. _  
_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The cool summer air was a relief from the day's earlier heat, and the previous night's freezing rain. But she found her apartment to be less comforting than usual; suddenly aching for the small confines of her sensei's home, or to be back in Sasuke's kitchen. At least then she wouldn't feel so alone.

Sakura sighed and kicked her shoes off, then wandered into her own kitchen, the fluorescent light humming on as she flicked the switch. Upon opening her fridge, she found a half gallon of milk that was long past its expiration date, and a small can of soda. Her cabinets were musty, but she managed to find an unopened package of ramen that had surely been sitting there since the last time Naruto had been over. Figuring it was better than old milk; the kunoichi rinsed out a dusty pan and started to boil some water.

She ended up undercooking her ramen and longed for the homemade lunches that Kakashi usually put together for their training sessions. The kunoichi dumped the contents of her bowl into the trash and her stomach growled as she opened her wallet to find only 50 yen. Payday wasn't for three more days, and she desperately needed something to eat.

The kunoichi sighed and went to go sit on her couch, but was startled when she got into the living room.

"If you're anything like the dobe, you have no food here," Sasuke said tonelessly as he leaned against her wall, staring her down. "C'mon, let's go eat." He promptly turned around and left the apartment while Sakura stood lamely, wondering if she should follow him or not. Her stomach growled loudly and she was soon on his heels.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Damn it hurt…Though he was used to pain, this seemed more than he had ever bargained for; it was excruciating. Kakashi gripped at the searing wound above his heart, it had almost been a fatal blow. Luckily his reflexes were far from failing him, so he was able to move even slightly to divert the hit. He rested against a tree and took a painful deep breath, wishing for once that Sakura were here to help. Though his pride was starting to kick in; _I'm fine, _he thought. _I don't need any help. _

He stiffened and his ears pricked; they were close. With a bit more than minimal effort, he pushed himself from the trunk of the tree and sprinted off towards Konoha.

At least he had completed his mission is almost half the time that he and Naruto had estimated. The mission had been easy, well, at least until yesterday. His goal had been to find the source of some illegal drug smuggler who had taken on the identity of the Kazekage. Though who could've fallen for this the jounin didn't know; the dealings had taken place so far away from Suna that the news of this took months to reach the _real _Kazekage, and will take even longer for him to regain his respect from the many villages that this traitor dealt in.

"Ungh!" Kakashi halted and groaned, clutching his wound. The messenger from his team should be back soon with medics, that is, if he didn't make it to the village before they got there. He had sent Chouji back during the first chase, before the fight even began. And he almost regretted it now, for he was lucky to be alive.

It was then that his mind flashed for him a memory of Sakura, smiling as her hair blew gently in the cool breeze. And then it went black.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Why do you always pop up somewhere near me nowadays?" she asked after swallowing a large mouthful of ramen. Sasuke was staring at her from across the booth, no emotion glinting in his eyes, and no expression on his face save boredom. He hadn't even touched his food; she was beginning to believe he was like Kakashi, only eating alone, never in front of others.

"Hn," he turned his head to stare out of one of the large restaurant windows that they happened to be sitting by. Darkness had crept over the village, the lamp above the table reflected off of the glass, and she was sure that he was only able to see his reflection and nothing past the plate glass in this light.

"Seriously," Sakura said. "You seem to be around me all the time now, at least, from what I can see. Do you watch me when I can't see or sense you too? Or are you just good at popping up at convenient times?" she tried not to sound sarcastic, because she was being completely serious. It had seemed almost as if Sasuke had become her personal stalker….not that she had a problem with that.

"Are you done?" he asked, looking back to her and then motioning to her near empty plate. She pursed her lips.

"Answer my question, will you? _Please?" _she leaned across the table so that their faces were nearly touching, Sasuke stayed motionless. At least five silent minutes passed before the kunoichi sighed and stood up. "Thanks for dinner." She said coldly as she turned her back and began to march out of the small diner.

With an inward victorious smile, she stopped and feigned impatience when he suddenly appeared in front of her once she was outside.

"Walk with me." he said, nodding his head toward the direction of the old training grounds. Again she hesitated, but finally gave in and followed him through the darkened streets.

"So…" she began after a moment. "Are you planning on answering my questions, or will you continue to remain silent?" he looked at her and then back to the path in front of him.

"This is…hard for me," He said, avoiding eye contact with the kunoichi. "I've never done this before." He was slouching, like usual, his hands in his pockets and his walk slow.

"What? Talking to me?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "If memory serves me right, you _have _talked to me before. Never quite this frequently, but yes, we've talked." She teased, though there was a hard edge to her voice; this time she didn't have to pretend as if she were impatient. He looked at her with mild surprise and irritation.

Sasuke was silent again for a bit, but this time she let him be.

"I've never…tried…to build up a relationship." He said shyly with his cheeks painted a light pink, and his lips pursed. She paused for a second and then started walking again.

The old training grounds came into view and they stopped, and then stood in silence.

"What kind…of relationship?" she asked skeptically. He gave her a quick sideways glance, and she caught his expression, then bit her lip and they both looked away awkwardly. "Oh."

A cool breeze swept through the grass and rustled the leaves of the trees. And then there was silence, and stars. So many stars. She suddenly wondered if Sasuke took her with him on nights like this so he could woo her, and possibly try to put her in a better mood than she usually was so that the kunoichi might not be so irate with him.

"Like I said," he began, his normal cold and emotionless voice back. "If I had tried before, Itachi would have…killed you." Sasuke was gazing up at the sky, probably just as awed with all the amazing glinting stars as she was.

And like a slap to the face, Sakura winced as the guilt hit her. Sasuke finally wanted to be with her, Kakashi had pledged his love to her, and she had fallen so hard for them both. It was agonizing. She didn't know when she had gotten like this; 5 years ago, all she would have wanted was Sasuke, and Kakashi would just have been her sensei. The kunoichi sighed and fought back tears; this was just not her day.

"SAKURA!" her head jerked to the source of the sound, and saw Chouji running at full speed toward her from the direction of the hospital. When he was finally standing in front of her, he was panting and panicking. "S-Sakura, you have to come with me, Tsunade said they were too short handed to let anyone else go, we need to hurry; I've wasted enough time already!"

"Whoa, Chouji, slow down. What happened?" she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder as he was bent over trying to regain his breath.

"It's Kakashi." He said after a moment. Her heart sank, and then her pulse skyrocketed.

"_What?!" _Sakura looked over to Sasuke and then back towards the village gates. She bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Sasuke, I have to….I have to go." She grabbed Chouji and ran off, praying that she would get there in time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Everything was fuzzy. The murmurs would get louder, and then stop, and he would see a few colors here and there, but it wasn't until he heard an impatient sigh that he regained consciousness. He blinked and took a deep breath, finding that the pain had dimmed considerably.

"No, we can't take him back to the village yet; he'll be alright, but only if I treat him _now." _The whispering voice was hauntingly familiar, but he couldn't yet place it. "Now hand me that white box over there."

He attempted to sit up, but a firm hand pushed him back to the ground. The image in front of him was getting less blurry, and he was near blinded by the bright pink that seemed to be looming over him.

"You shouldn't move yet, hell, with how much morphine I just gave you, you should still be out," The girl said with a chuckle. "But I guess that's just like you, Kakashi."

Now he knew he was dead. His eyes had finally adjusted and Sakura was straddling his lap, her hair tied back and a bead of sweat rolling down her face in the dim light of dawn, or was it sundown again? He had passed out too long ago, it was too late. Heaven was nicer than he thought. Unwillingly, he decided to look around, and Chouji was sitting next to him, his eyes half-lidded as if he were nearly asleep, and Sasuke stood behind Sakura. Nope, not heaven; definitely hell.

Sakura yawned and wiped a blood covered hand across her forehead, leaving a small streak of blood across her face, and then looked back down to the injured jounin.

"I just have to stitch you up and then we can see about getting you back home. And if you're good, you won't have to take a single step into the hospital," She smiled brilliantly and then looked behind her to Sasuke. "Will you hand me that needle please?"

Sakura shifted slightly as she grabbed the needle, and Kakashi's body acted on its own against his will. Sakura drew in a deep breath and her cheeks flamed red, but her glare was icy.

"Dammit Kakashi!" she yelled and brought her fist up, ready to strike a blow, and then slowly lowered it. "You are _so _lucky I don't have enough chakra to heal a broken jaw right now. Keep it in check; you're getting stitches not a lap dance." Chouji chuckled and she huffed and began to close the wound on his chest, her cheeks still on fire.

He winced through the seemingly rough tugs and pulls from the needle in Sakura's usually lithe and gentle hands. This was probably punishment from his untimely erection.

"There." She growled and stood up, giving him another glare. He sat up successfully this time, and then slowly stood. Once again he looked around, his eyes finally more focused now, but he slapped a hand to his face when he spotted his shirt and vest on the ground, but was relieved when he found his mask to still be in place. At least she played fair.

"Sasuke, will you go help Chouji wash his clothes in the river?" she asked and they were gone before she could finish. "So…" she started after a minute, finally looking back to Kakashi. "I have a date tonight; Sasuke invited me over for dinner," She bit her lip and looked to the ground, her nervous habit. "And I'm excited, but…I feel so horrible."

The sun was starting to peek out from the east; definitely dawn.

"Why do you feel bad?" Kakashi asked, taking a step closer to her. When she looked back up, her face was streaming with tears.

"B-because eventually…I'll have to choose…" she cried and buried her face in the nape of his neck, but was careful not to touch his wound. He wrapped his arms around her in response and set his chin on the top of her head.

"Sakura," Sasuke said as he approached them. "It's time to head back." His eyes were cold, but his face showed nothing else. She pulled herself from Kakashi and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Right." She nodded and turned on her heel toward the village. Once she was out of earshot, Sasuke turned to the jounin.

"I'm not the only one hurting her, Kakashi." Was Sasuke's parting statement.


End file.
