Naruto 1. Maturity

Affinity

Pairing: Kakashi x Sakura

Summary: Unrelated oneshots centered around the dynamic relationship between the lazy, laid back, porn-reading Copy-nin and an emotional pink-haired med-nin that can destroy mountains with her dainty fists.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. NARUTO and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

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Chapter 1: Maturity

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Life of a shinobi is often times hard, sometimes lonely, but mostly exhausting. Definitely exhausting. The legendary Copy-nin can feel it from the tips of his ever buoyant silver hair to the tips of the sandals covering his feet. He is _tired_. After having used every shinobi trick, jutsu, and even his Sharingan (that was no more), he feels lucky to not have succumbed to overexertion. But like all good shinobi, Hatake Kakashi brutally shrugs off the fatigue and instead focuses on Sakura's figure racing towards the area where the large explosion of chakra came from. Focusing on her petal hair and lithe frame, he follows. He tries to ignore the pain of worry that runs through him at the thought of what they might find.

_Don't make me bury anymore of my teammates, please._

Kakashi didn't beg often, but there were exceptions. This was one of them.

His heart constricts when he hears her sharp intake of breath, but can't discern whether or not if it was from happiness or grief. Not a nanosecond later, however, she darts forward almost frantically. From his perch, he can see tears collect at the corners of her eyes, but is comforted at the stubbornness of her set chin. Her face was tinged with worry and heartache, but her actions – as she came to kneel between the two young men – held the precision of a medic that knew what they needed to do.

Charcoal eyes gazed at his three students and felt a wave of crushing relief to see them _all_ alive…even if not whole.

The grime and blood covering and surrounding them was worrisome. It was pure luck that they hadn't died from blood loss. A soft, green light entered the clearing as Sakura focused on her blonde teammate.

"S-Sakura-chan," Naruto whispered happily. His blue gaze became worried, "I'm so –"

"Shut up and let me heal you," she cut him off abruptly, voice rough. It came apparent that she had enough of excuses, of the constant fighting, blood, and death. Her tone was vastly low-key compared to her past furious shrieks, but it served to make Naruto's mouth snap shut impressively fast.

Kakashi tensed when she eventually moved to Sasuke's damaged arm. His eyes narrowed. Sasuke had always taken advantage of Sakura's feelings, taking it as an opening to strike. What difference would this make?

The air was tense as the minutes slowly passed. An eyebrow rose in mild curiosity when seeing Sasuke's features shift into something resembling unease…and guilt? Dare he hope? Sasuke's lips parted. Thanks to the echo quality of the place, Kakashi was able to hear him. His shoulders sagged in relief.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

_That's an understatement of the century._

If he was honest, a part of him almost wanted Sakura to say, "You had your chances." They had begged, pleaded, cried, fought, and bled for him and multiple times he had ignored them in order to fulfill his selfish wants. There were plenty of things that still angered Kakashi that his ex-protégé had done. However, at the same time, he wanted Sakura to accept his apology so that they can all move forward together, as a team. This was the moment where everything can finally be put to ease after nearly four years of discord and pain.

He just hoped she didn't let everything that she had worked hard for disappear in order to be the next Uchiha Matriarch. He had felt – through personal intuition and close observation – that her feelings for the Uchiha have changed. She cared deeply for him and always would; he was her first love. However, after years of rejection and heartache, he could tell that they had shifted to something that wasn't romantic.

But love and delusion mixed together can be a powerful, terrible thing. And from the past, Sakura hadn't done well in rising above it to see reason.

If it reverted back to the old Team 7 days, Kakashi didn't think he could handle the disappointment.

He had quite liked this new Sakura who stood up for herself, fought hard, and made a name for herself.

His ears perked up slightly when hearing her hiccup. Her voice trembled from the tears, "About time, you jerk."

He waited for the other shoe to drop. He waited for Sakura to jump at Sasuke and lay her head on his chest, sobbing, "Sasuke-kun!" or something else that was equally melodramatic. Or even confess again that she loved him.

She did neither. Instead, she turned and looked to him and smiled through her tears.

"Kaka-sensei," she called out. "Get down here!"

Warmth squeezed his battle-worn heart. Smiling, he swiftly made his way to them.

It wasn't long before she forcefully sat him down – without chakra. He tried to ignore the feeling of emasculation _that_ brought him. (He comforted himself with the fact that he pretty much had little chakra left…and that he didn't have Sakura's Byakugō no Jutsu.)

"Let me look at you." Her tone brooked no argument and he didn't really have any to give.

He sighed through his mask in relief at the calming sensation of Sakura's chakra smoothing its way efficiently through his system, checking for internal bleeding. He took a moment to admire the professional, analytical hardness of her jade eyes as she focused on her task. The peaceful smile that curled her lips wasn't too bad either.

"Nothing fatal," she murmured in relief. "However, your chakra levels are dangerously low and you're on the verge of dehydration. The moment we make it back to everyone else, I'm ordering bed rest for you."

"Mah," Kakashi sighed in acknowledgment. Rubbing his nose absentmindedly, his eyes squeezed into his trademark smile. "Does this count as a yearly physical, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura huffed in amusement, ignoring Naruto's and Sasuke's curious gaze. "I don't think so, but nice try, sensei."

Kakashi stiffened in surprise, letting out a small "oof!" when she suddenly tackled him the moment her green chakra disappeared from her hands. He slowly relaxed and returned the hug, squeezing her gently. He couldn't help the smile when she sighed happily into his chest.

"My boys," she whispered. "Now if Yamato-taichō and Sai were here, this moment would be perfect."

"What!?" Naruto whined. "We don't need that pale-face bastard! We don't even need this one either!" He jerked his head angrily in Sasuke's general direction, causing the Uchiha to narrow his eyes in irritation.

"What was that about 'not leaving me alone in the darkness,' dobe?"

Naruto did the mature thing and blew him a raspberry, loud and obnoxious. Sasuke practically hissed when he felt spittle hit his cheek.

"Why you little -!"

"Bring it on, teme! I don't know about you, but I'm ready for another round!"

Kakashi began to sweat bullets when feeling Sakura's fingers clutch angrily into his jōnin flak jacket. _Hurt them, not me, please._ Kakashi always did have a sense of preservation.

"It's a good thing I held back on you then, baka." Sasuke shifted his battered body gently to get onto his elbows at the same time Naruto moved.

However, to their surprise, they didn't get far.

Kakashi really wished he had a camera on him as he stared at the scene before him.

Upon releasing Kakashi, Sakura had swung around on her knees to return to her spot between the quarreling pair. She placed a single, and slightly glowing, finger on their sternum. Her brows twitched in irritation as their insults turned essentially to whining as they struggled. Due to their injuries gained from several fights (Madara, Kaguya, each other), chakra exhaustion, and blood loss, they were practically harmless. The little ounce of chakra she split between them was more for insurance than necessity.

One could never know with these two. They _had_ always defied the laws of chakra.

"Sakura-chan, come _on_," Naruto struggled fruitlessly beneath her one glowing finger pressed gently against his chest. It was like having a heavy boulder sitting on it. "You heard him, he's asking for it!"

Sasuke gritted his teeth as he too struggled against her, "Step aside, Sakura! The idiot _wants_ to die."

"You two are so annoying," she grumbled, cheeks puffed out and eyebrow twitching. "Even almost on the verge of death, you guys can't stop fighting. Can you?"

Unbeknownst to them, Kakashi smiled fondly at the three.

His students. They had all matured so much over these few short years. He couldn't be prouder of them. He was surprised to find himself looking forward to what the future had in store for him and his team.

Humming under his breath, he undid the clasps of his front pocket and took out Icha Icha. It was a good day, everything considering.

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Not so much KakaSaku in this chapter, but there's always promise for the others. I liked this.

In my mind, something similar to _this_ should have happened after the final confrontation.

I never agreed with Kishimoto's epilogue (I'm sorry to you canon-shippers, but I felt that it was a little too pandering; like he was basically saying, "Never mind! I don't want my characters to mature and evolve. Go NaruHina and SasuSaku forever! Go fans!" - **_BLEUGH!_**), so as you readers can guess from this first chapter, the following ones are not - in any way - going to follow it or even lead to it. This story will be a collection of (random) oneshots centering around Kakashi and Sakura, some friendship, but _mostly romantic._

So people who do not like this pairing, I respect your opinion. In return, I ask that you respect mine and leave if this is not your cup of tea.

I don't particularly like Sasuke and I think a lot of it stems from the fact that he never learned to trust and rely on Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi. He treated them like they were a burden when they had practically become his second family. And I'm sorry, the brooding, angst-filled avenger characterization gets tiring after awhile. I also hated his treatment of Sakura. Yeah, sure he and Naruto fight a lot, but they're boys. Its what they _do_. But I'm sorry, I think Kishimoto is wrong in thinking that a girl just falls deeper in love when a guy puts her into a genjutsu that makes her experience him _literally_ piercing her heart. How screwed up is that? - With THAT said, I do think that Sasuke could actually be an okay guy (you know...once he gets his head out of his butt), so I was honestly surprised when my fingers continued typing and there was more Team 7 interaction than I anticipated...and I oddly found that I enjoyed it. I definitely thought it wouldn't be as easy as it was.

Sorry for the rant! (I usually don't write obscenely long author notes.)

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and got the warm fuzzies like I did while writing it. I wouldn't mind prompt-ideas if there is something that you guys would like to see happen. :)

Please tell me what you think. I accept _constructive_ criticism. ;)

-Miss Artemis


	2. May You Find Some Comfort Here

Affinity

Pairing: Kakashi x Sakura

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything. NARUTO and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

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Chapter 2: May You Find Some Comfort Here

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It had taken a week or so before the Shinobi Alliance disbanded, each group heading back to their hidden villages. Since the war had ended in their favor, the encampment had been a mixture of joy and sorrow as people healed and groups of shinobi were sent out to spread across the battlefield, recovering the dead. It was an odd feeling to continually feel both happiness for the friends who rejoiced upon seeing each other again and sympathy when others would tearfully find their missing comrades amongst the rubble of the wasteland brought upon by the Juubi.

Unfortunately, it wasn't possible to find everyone that was missing. The destruction wrought upon by not only the Juubi, but the fight of the Endo Tensai Hokages and Madara, meant days – maybe weeks – of excavation. Due to some of the powerful blasts unleashed, it was possible that those hit by them had completely been blown to pieces or reduced to ash. Tsunade gruffly assigned a small group of shinobi to stay behind and search for another week, after making sure that each was properly healed and had enough provisions to last them that time. And now, the Konoha shinobi finally made it back to their beloved home.

Or what was left of it.

Despite winning the war, the Hokage and her troops felt their hearts fall down into their stomachs, throats tightening with anger and hurt at seeing Konoha brought to her proverbial knees and hands. It was heart wrenching to witness the complete annihilation of buildings. One of the blasts by the Juubi had completely decimated the shinobi academy, the playground, and part of the surrounding buildings. The civilians were much in the same boat as themselves, angered at what had been brought upon them, but ecstatic and overjoyed to see their Hokage and remaining military force safe, for the most part. The shinobi that had stayed behind to protect the civilians quickly rushed to them, faces etched in concern and eyes gazing frantically at the faces, searching for familiar ones.

Questions rained from every direction:

"What do we do now?" demanded a merchant.

"The hospital is still in terrible condition, where do we take the injured?" asked a harried nurse.

"What about the dead?"

A man hollered from further away, "Where are the homeless expected to go?"

One of the shinobi noticed a distinct person with black features and pale skin. Kunai flashed from hidden pockets into fists before being clenching tightly, "Why is the Uchiha traitor here and alive!?"

The questions continued to pile up at an alarming rate till it reached the point that voices began to blur and become indistinct. Some were panicking, some were red in the face with anger and shouting obscenities at a stoic-faced Sasuke. Team Kakashi stiffened, wary and alert for action. The Godaime decided to end it before it got out of control. Plus, after finally being home and escaping a narrow death, all that the Senju daughter wanted was to chug down a jug of expensive sake, take a shower, collapse on her bed, and sleep at least two weeks away.

"ENOUGH!" Tsunade roared, a vein pulsing just above her left eyebrow. For measure, she clicked her heal against the ground, causing a high-pitched _crack_. People gasped and dodged the tiny fissure that resulted from it, the ground groaning as it split jaggedly.

The silence was deafening. The Senju gazed upon the somber, anxious, and confused faces of her people and squared her shoulders, her face stiffening with purpose and confidence. Konoha and her people need their Hokage now more than ever and she would deliver.

"The war has ended. Uchiha Madara has been defeated and is now dead. The Infinite Tsukiyomi is no longer a threat to the Five Nations," she smiled briefly at the looks of relief exchanged and the amount of cheers at the news. Her features hardened once again upon seeing the faces that did not alter upon the joyous news. They were more concerned about the here and now. "The Five Kages spoke and came to an agreement before leaving our respective villages: Missions are on hold for three weeks to provide a mourning period for the dead as well as provide immediate aid to our villages and citizens. There will be one week of mourning, two weeks of repairs and healing."

"But us shinobi need missions to support ourselves!"

"Can the village survive without missions for that long, what with the damage?"

Tsunade frowned, "There is _no_ negotiation! We just ended a war and we need to _heal_."

She swept her arms wide open, "Look around you! We are a village – a family. During this time of crisis, we must depend on each other to move forward. While it is true that shinobi make a living off of missions, we have to take this time to give and take. Shinobi will use their skill sets," she looked backward pointedly at Yamato, whom nodded with determination, "to further advance repairs. All med-nin will split and dedicate their time to the civilian and shinobi injuries with the most serious cases brought forward first. Civilians – if you are able to open your stores for business, do so. If we can still trade and do business with contacts outside of the village, do so. If anyone can provide additional food, shelter, or supplies, _do so_. Several of us have lost homes and everything we own – we need to support each other through these troubled times."

Tsunade paused to allow this to sink in. A lot of the faces slowly eased from panicked to something more tangible – hopeful. Understandably, some were still not assuaged by the commands given even as their tense body language slowly relaxed. Civilians and shinobi had a tenuous relationship, despite the different ways they supported each other. Shinobi offered security, protection, and services as long as they were paid to do so. Civilians offered economical support via inter- and intra-trade business. There was an equal trade off in how they aided each other and provided for the village. However, their worlds and what was expected of them were very different. There was a level of understanding that was difficult to grasp. Shinobi sometimes felt that the civilians were too sheltered to the point of coddling – sometimes a nuisance. Civilians sometimes felt that the shinobi were unfeeling and harsh, almost unethical and immoral. That level of misunderstanding has created a tension that could become a wildfire if provoked in the right way.

At the same time, it can be quenched with this chance. It can force them to work together.

They would have to, Tsunade decided firmly, if they wanted to retain the reputation and glory of Konohagakure no Sato – to vilify that the Will of Fire still existed after everything that happened. They needed to make a statement to the world: they were strong and will move forward with fire burning in their hearts.

"But what about _him_?" a voice pierced her thoughts.

She followed several angry and resentful gazes to a slightly weary, but ultimately confident Uchiha.

Ah, the pain in her ass.

Honey orbs observed how not only Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi hovered around the Uchiha protectively, but Sai and Yamato as well. _Team Kakashi, huh?_ She withheld a small smirk. It had taken years, but the stubborn brat was back in the village and looked…very, very subtly happy. The circumstances could definitely be better, but if she thought about it, maybe Konoha being destroyed and Sasuke coming back was symbolic in its own way. Just as Konoha will need to be rebuilt, so will this new team (that she doesn't doubt will fight tooth and nail to have _all_ members stay on as permanent members, kami damn it all) need to reassemble and grow together.

_You always were better at being poetic than me, Jiraiya. _

"The Uchiha helped to turn the tide of the war in our favor," she announced loudly. The blonde turned back to the mixture of confused and outraged faces – several people were really in denial. To be honest, Tsunade couldn't blame them. The Uchiha had done much in his years away from the village – and hardly any of it good. And if it was, it was because it suited his purposes, not because it was the right thing to do. However, for the best of everyone, it was time to bury the past and move forward. That was what had caused this mess in the first place – the inability to let go of past hurt.

She gestured to the group of shinobi behind her, "Every person here and in the other four shinobi villages can testify that the Uchiha changed sides and fought alongside Team Kakashi in ridding the world of Madara and his Infinite Tsukiyomi plan. We are indebted to his service to our cause. _However_," she ground out as others loudly began protesting, "that does not mean that all is forgiven. As of now, the Uchiha is under a six-month probationary period, in which that time he will be forbidden to use his Sharingan until further notice. The only reason he will have access to his chakra channels is due to part of his punishment."

_Yeah, that's right._ Tsunade smirked at the slowly growing look of resentment that formed on said Uchiha's face.

"He will take part in repairing the village. To make sure that he doesn't get into mischief, he will always be accompanied by a member of his new team. He knows exactly who they are."

Tsunade walked forward to Naruto, whom watched her with a suspicious gaze. Sakura and Kakashi subtly moved away, just in case. Both Naruto and Sasuke withheld a humiliating squawk of surprise when she suddenly clapped a hand on each of their shoulders, almost making them buckle forward underneath her monstrous strength.

They blanched at her cheerful smile.

"Say 'hello' to your new roommate!"

A skip of a heart beat later:

"_WHAT!?_"

Ignoring their combined protesting, Tsunade turned back to the rest of the group before her.

Needless to say, they weren't really sure how to take all of this as they watched their savior childishly fight with the Uchiha traitor. Sweatdrops accumulated as the ex-ROOT member somehow seamlessly joined in with his patented smile, their Hokage's apprentice trying to separate them with a familiar demon face that she inherited from her master. They turned to see Kakashi's nose buried in his trusted smut and Yamato sighing almost hopelessly, rubbing the back of his head.

Tsunade clapped her hands together, gathering their attention.

"Alright then! Back to what you were doing, because come tomorrow," the sudden serious expression on her face and the tone of her voice stopped the fighting and kicked the levity right out the door, "the week of mourning begins."

Everyone nodded somberly. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

Back in charge – just how she liked it.

-.-

Sakura waved goodbye as her boys wandered off to see if Naruto's and Sai's apartments survived the Juubi's blasts. Normally, she probably would have gone with them – if not only for support, but to start the new team bonding as soon as possible. It would be nice to reconnect with Sasuke-kun as actual comrades again rather than enemies. However, the moment her feet crossed the threshold into Konoha, her mind had gone to the faces she had not seen in the crowd: her parents. Her parents weren't the most well-known of shinobi, but they were known within their _district_, which comprised of mostly civilians and a few shinobi. In a way, that was more helpful than a shinobi of higher caliber that couldn't understand the mindset of their citizens. Her parents would definitely be able to keep everyone calm, organized, and give a sense of direction despite the destruction going on around them.

It worried her that she did not see them within the central of everything. Her mother was certainly bossy enough to be so, even if not her laid back father.

After telling her boys that she would meet up with them later, she tried to smile without any anxiety and took off down the street. There were so many buildings wrecked that it was considered unsafe to travel via rooftop. Sakura fluidly moved her way through the wreckage and the civilians flittering about, all the while helping out with her strength and medical skills where she could.

"Thank you so much, Sakura-chan," the elderly woman bowed as Sakura lifted a boulder that had crashed into her district-renowned sushi shop. It thankfully hadn't made its way into the kitchen and destroyed the equipment inside, but the front of the shop would definitely need a makeover.

"It's no problem, Sasaki-san," Sakura smiled as she easily hefted the boulder above her head and walked it outside of the hole it came from.

"Next time you stop by, my dear, sushi will be on the house," Sasaki beamed. "Your parents must be so proud of how accomplished you've become."

Sakura laughed lightly, a light blush on her cheeks, "I certainly hope so! Thank you for your praise, Sasaki-san. It's very kind of you." Sakura lowered it outside of the building, away from the doorway and almost toward the alleyway nearby. Clapping her hands together to get rid of the dirt, she turned to look at the bustling neighborhood of people milling about, cleaning. She asked distractedly, "Speaking of my parents, have you seen them? Do you know where they are?"

Due to her back being turned away, she didn't see the woman's eyebrows rise in surprise.

"I don't know, Sakura-chan. I remember seeing them help direct us to the safety houses further into the village and helping carry the injured to the hospital, but that was during the attack…I…I haven't seen them since then. Gomen nasai."

"It's alright," Sakura reassured her despite the sinking feeling in her stomach. "I'll check at home to see if they stopped by or not. Thank you, Sasaki-san. Did you need help with anything else?"

"Iie, Sakura-chan. Thank you very much for your help. Are you sure there isn't anything I can do to help?"

Her heart went out to the stricken, pale look that overtook the pinkette's features, despite how hard she tried to look indifferent. In many ways, Sakura had become a granddaughter of her heart. She had watched and been a part of the little girl's life since she was a babe and her mother would stop by her shop to buy lunch with an adorable pink-haired baby wrapped in a shawl, slung close to her chest.

"No, it's alright. But if you need any help – let me know." Bowing to the elderly woman, Sakura took off to find her home, hope and dread battling in her heart.

When she did arrive, she felt numb as she gazed at the wreckage that was once her home for the past seventeen years. The building next to it had been hit by something – possibly fallen debris – and had collapsed into her home. The crowded buildings resembled a giant mixture of concrete, wood, and metal. Heart pumping loudly enough that it reached her ears, she nimbly walked amongst the rubble and gazed into the homes that had been partially destroyed. They had been cleared out and judging by the state of affairs, had been abandoned for several days. The air was stale of settled dust and a subtle hint of decay. She almost wanted to wretch at the thought of why it smelled so.

Sakura paused when feeling a light chakra presence – a barrier. Someone had been here, and judging by the signature she found, it didn't belong to her parents. She raised a hand and released a pulse of chakra to bring the barrier down. The barrier had been a warning to other shinobi to stay away, to keep away thieves. It was a comforting thought that no one ransacked their home.

_Thank you, Takahashi-san_, Sakura thought as her mind went to her shinobi neighbor. She ducked underneath a fallen pole to enter her home. The door was heavily damaged, but had obviously been opened. Her brow furrowed at that fact, hesitantly pushing it open. It creaked ominously forward before hitting the wall, bringing forth stiffening silence as she wandered in and took stock of what she saw.

Everything was still the way it was – nothing had been salvaged or taken out. Some of the finer things, such as the fine chinaware that her mother was so proud of, were shattered during the attack. Fear and panic gripped her as she made her way into the living room. She saw the photo albums still sitting on the mantle, the small shrine that housed her grandparents' picture frames and favorite mementos, and the stupid, clumsily-made origami flower bouquet she had made for her parents when she first started at the academy.

Unshed tears slowly edged into her gaze, blurring her vision as she stared at the flowers.

Her mother would never have left these things behind. And by the state of things, no one had inhabited the place for days.

Swallowing against the lump that formed in her throat, Sakura veered off down the hallway towards the bedrooms. Her room was a wreck. The ceiling had caved in onto her bed, destroying the comforter and mattress. Her dresser had collapsed forward, knocking little knick knacks onto the floor – some of them fragile and now reduced to pieces. Dust and plaster covered everything in a fine layer.

Turning away from it, she looked into her parents' room and cautiously walked inside.

Not surprisingly, it resembled her own. Walking further in, she noticed the lack of her parents' combined scent. She could no longer smell her mother's jasmine perfume or her father's aftershave. With trembling hands, she opened their closet that had been knocked into a tilted angle, leaning against the wall.

All of their clothes were inside – particularly the two garbs of clothing she was looking for.

Sakura choked back a sob as she stared at the wedding garb, tears gently rolling down her cheeks. Still in pristine condition were her father's black hakama and kosode and her mother's beautiful white kimono, cranes and flowers sewn in silver.

"**I want to wear your kimono when I get married, kaa-chan!"**

**Her mother laughed delightedly at her daughter's wide, awed gaze, "And I can't wait for that day, sweetie."**

Her mother cherished these clothes. They represented one of the best days of her life. Along with the other mementos in the living room, she would never leave these behind. They were special.

_Kaa-san…Tou-san…_

She clenched her eyes tightly, shook her head, and closed the door resignedly.

Quickly wiping her tears away with the back of her hand, Sakura made her way out of the home. As she turned to enter into the entryway, she paused and slowly turned back to the kitchen, noticing something for the first time. Overcome with shock and fear, she had overlooked a certain black box positioned in the center of the kitchen table that had been put upright. Gulping, she walked inside and took in its appearance. It was a beautifully polished black box and she felt a terrible jolt go throughout her body.

"No," she whispered tearfully. "It can't be…"

When shinobi died in the line of action, next of kin or close friends were given a black box containing either one of two items. If the shinobi's body couldn't be found, there would be a totem of black obsidian with the shinobi's name engraved in it. If the body could be found, they would be sealed and preserved into a scroll and placed inside.

Sakura clumsily sat down in the chair and tearfully stared at the box for a long time, unable to move her limbs to open the box and peer inside at its contents. Her mind repeatedly said that she needed to, but her heart screamed, "NO!" She stared at it so long that she didn't notice daylight fading into night, the shadows growing from the corners of the room before encompassing her completely. Being a shinobi, she wasn't all that surprised when she felt better in the darkness than the light.

The pinkette didn't acknowledge the sound of footsteps in her entryway. Despite the debris, any good shinobi worth their salt would have been able to come in silently. No, the chakra signature that quickly made itself known wanted her to recognize him.

_Kakashi-sensei…_she vaguely noted the tall, obscure figure in the doorway to the little kitchen.

The man must have come over when she had failed to reconvene with Naruto and the others. Her idiots, they must be worried about her. Why they hadn't tried to find her escaped her. The only one plausible reason would be that Naruto somehow forgot where she lived and if he did, she lost a little bit of faith in his dream of being Hokage.

However, she couldn't muster an ounce of strength to care at the moment. The tears continued to silently trail down her cheeks. For hours her face had maintained a placid and blank expression as she struggled not to fall apart. The only hint of distress, other than the tears, was the slight furrow of her eyebrows. She didn't say anything as he cautiously made his way to her side.

Within the stifling silence of her destroyed childhood home, she heard his muffled exhale as he took note of the innocent looking box on her kitchen table.

"Oh, Sakura," he whispered compassionately. No pity, no scorn – just sincere sympathy. Her heart quivered violently, forcing her to bite her lower lip to hold back a sob.

A large, warm hand wrapped itself around her pale, tightly clenched one. She was startled to find that she had clenched them so tightly that bloodied fingernail marks adorned her palms. Kakashi grabbed one of the tipped over chairs and brought it over to sit on it.

"Have you…?"

She shook her head slightly.

"When did you find it?"

It took several tries before she whispered, "After we split up."

Kakashi paused to calculate the difference and squeezed her hand. His voice held a lightly chiding tone, "That was nearly seven hours ago, Sakura."

Concern grew within the Copy-nin when she did not respond, but continue staring despondently at the box. His heart squeezed painfully at the lost look on her face and the tears that continued to calmly fall down. So much has happened in such a short period of time that it worried him. Much like the Third Shinobi War, the Fourth did not allow a lot of luxury time to process everything: physical, mental, and emotional. In some ways, this war was worse than the last. While the Third Shinobi War had its fair share of bloodshed and heartache, it did not have the pressure of complete annihilation that this one did. It did not have the Juubi destroying hundreds upon hundreds of acres of land, destroy large sections of their home – that was still reeling from Pein's attack – and the goddess of chakra herself trying to take control of their world.

Everyone has had more than their fair share of fighting in the war, but probably no more so than his teammates. They had been the ones to stand alone together with Obito to fight Madara and Kaguya. Naruto and Sasuke made it even worse on their own by fighting each other.

He wasn't surprised that one of them had finally succumbed to the trauma of surviving such a terrible war. And he didn't blame Sakura nor felt ashamed that she was the first – her trigger was logical and more than reasonable. The closest people she had other than her teammates were gone. The people that could have helped to soothe all of the aches and wounds the war left on her were dead. She was now as much as an orphan as all of the male members of her squad.

He was sorry that it happened now, when there should be a celebration for victory. She came home expecting warm embraces and proud words…but came home to this.

Kakashi didn't know what to do for her. With Naruto, Sasuke, and possibly Sai, he could just sit there beside them and tell them how it was – that while the people they cherished were gone, it did not mean they could stop living. He would allow them to grieve, tell them that he was there for them if needed, and that would be it. He had never had to comfort a female teammate in this aspect. He had failed miserably with Rin when Obito had 'died.' He had been too consumed in his own grief and guilt to really reach out to his heartbroken teammate to really learn from the experience. Minato-sensei had been too consumed with his duties as the Yondaime, the upcoming birth of his child, and the ongoing war to really do anything for either of them. That was just how war was – it left little to no time to process and accept death.

With the exception of helping to repair the village, Sakura didn't have anything but time. He wondered, vaguely, if it was worse. With time, she would have nothing but to stew over what had been and what could've been. Much like he had for several years once Rin had died as well, by his own hand.

"Would you like the others here?"

Her grip on his hand became painful to the point he feared that she might have fractured some of the bones.

_That's a no._

He could understand that. Despite everything she had done as a kunoichi to improve herself, Sakura still had plenty of insecurities. She hated being reminded of her less than stellar beginnings when she was coddled and protected. It had unfortunately set a precedent with Naruto and even Sasuke to treat her like glass when she was a little vulnerable. Not to be unfair to his teammates, he occasionally behaved the same way to her in the past.

But not now – not when she had done so much, _proven_ so much.

Right now, she didn't need socially awkward teammates trying to make her feel better when all it would do was make her feel bad. Naruto would be too suffocating in his eagerness to cheer her up. Sasuke was too cold to offer any comfort. Sai would probably make her furious due to his lack of common sense in social cues. Tenzou could probably be there, but he was off busy in helping construct temporary structures for people to live in while repairs were being made.

As for himself? He was probably too jaded to give her the comfort she needed. He didn't trust himself to say or do the right things to make her feel better. To be honest, was there really a chance of that happening anytime soon?

"Would you like me to leave?"

For several moments, there was silence. He wasn't too hurt at that. When he began to stand up, he faltered from her iron-clad grip on his hand. Charcoal eyes searched despondent jade.

She surprised him with a wobbly, "No."

Her voice was wispy and soft, making him strain his ears to hear her. Her fingers interlaced with his and squeezed desperately.

Quickly making a decision, Kakashi summoned his ninken. When the smoke disappeared, Pakku jumped onto the table. His already melancholy expression drooped even further upon seeing the box. He kept a respectful distance.

"Yo, Kakashi," Pakku grumbled in his familiar raspy voice.

"Pakkun," Kakashi nodded back. He was thankful for his thoughtful ninken when they took in the somber mood, analyzed the situation, and immediately surrounded the young girl that sat rather dejectedly in the dusty, beat up chair.

All of them found ways to offer comfort and be in contact with her. Her hand subconsciously drifted to Bull's head, which was propped against her quad. She closed her eyes tightly, tears escaping the corners when feeling several heads rub reassuringly against her legs and arms. Bisuke jumped up to lay down across her lap. One or two of them began a low, purr-like growl that managed to ease her shoulders a little.

"Go tell Naruto and the others that I found her and that she's fine. Tell them what happened, but not to come over; we will meet them later tomorrow. And if he's unhappy about it, tell him its an order."

"Hai, Kakashi."

With a quick look at Sakura, Pakkun took off of the table and out the rickety door.

For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of low, soothing growls. A moment later, Sakura hiccupped and let out a sob when she felt his hand grasp hers back: solid, comforting, secure, and stable. He was like the lighthouse in a dark, chaotic storm at sea: directing her to safe shores.

"Take your time," he whispered. "I am here if you need anything."

Charcoal eyes softened at the strangled sob that escaped clenched teeth, her head bobbing in acknowledgment.

She gritted out, "I…I'm sor –"

"Don't you dare be sorry," he cut her off softly. "You open that box when you're ready and not another moment sooner. There is nowhere else I want to be right now. Understand?"

Sakura nodded again, her eyes parting enough to look at him through her tears. "A-Arigato…"

He nodded at her and laid his other hand over the clasped ones, blanketing her hand in warmth.

"I may not have been the greatest teacher, but I hope you and the others have learned one thing from me: that's what teammates are for, Sakura. We stand by each other through the good…and the bad. For as long as we can, we promise to be there for you."

_Thank you, Kaka-sensei. This is enough. More than enough._

She wished she had the strength to voice her appreciation and her love for this simple, but powerful act of being there for her, yet still found herself unable to say or do anything but cling to the strength he lent her. Hours, maybe days later, she would ridicule herself for this weakness…but for now, she would accept the strength of her team leader and lean on him.

Pakkun eventually came back, his little blue vest slightly askew and torn. He held a little paw up at Kakashi's curious gaze.

"Don't ask." He grumbled. "Just know that the pups won't come over."

"Ah, arigato."

Pakkun made his way to the pinkette and jumped up into her lap, nudging a sleeping Bisuke aside to cuddle close to Sakura's stomach.

Despite how tired he was, Kakashi remained awake and attentive. He had a brief meeting with Tsunade scheduled tomorrow, but due to traveling and the stress of the upcoming weeks and months of repair, he doubted that even Tsunade would be too upset if he was later than his usual standard four hours late. By the time the crickets began to cease their music and the dew began to collect on the blades of grass, the midnight skies gradually lightened with the appearance of dawn.

All those hours, Kakashi had yet to release Sakura's hand. It held onto his firmly in return.

When the first rays of light began to peer through the holes in the walls and the cracked windowpane, Sakura finally moved. After hours of complacency, her movements were stiff and rough. Kakashi allowed her hand to slip through his as she leaned forward to gently grasp the edges of the black polished box.

Red-rimmed jade eyes closed tiredly. The tears had stopped hours ago, leaving behind an ache in her heart that would not be soothed for years to come.

She opened the box and gazed upon a scroll set upon a black satin cushion.

Her face crumpled upon seeing the reality. For some reason, a part of her had hoped for several hours that it was a misunderstanding or a dream. That the box was not really meant for her. She could not refute the symbols and strokes that made up her parents' names.

A familiar, warm hand made itself known by grasping her hand and threading its fingers with hers.

Sakura held onto that hand for several more hours, crying for the parents she had lost...

...and eternally grateful for the family and the man beside her that was still there.

* * *

Hello! Definitely more angst-filled than I expected when I started writing this chapter, but I am ultimately happy with it. I don't know if this is a custom of notifying family that their loved one is dead (most probably not), but I would like to think that they would have some subtle way of letting people know. As for why I had Sakura react the way that she did, I would think that after everything that happened, it would just be too much to process and handle.

Anyways, they are back in Konoha! Time for mourning, repairs, and moving forward.

Side note - I am afraid that my last author's note may have seemed very derogatory to Kishimoto and his work. I cannot stress this enough: I am grateful for NARUTO and everything that Kishimoto has given us. I just strongly disagree with some of the decisions that he made and I want to play around with the possibilities. :)

I hope you have enjoyed reading my story so far. I accept constructive criticism and any prompt ideas.

Sincerely,

Miss Artemis


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Naruto, Romance