Double Edged

AUTHOR’S GREETINGS: Happy Whatever Holiday You Celebrate to all! I think this chapter is on time… cold be a little late. I sort of lost track of my schedule. Anyway, quick thanks and shout out to whoeverIamloves- for reading through the beginning stages of this chapter and for the AMAZINGLY detailed advice on the fic I’m writing for a competition. Words can’t express what a pleasure it’s been working with you. Also, a VERY big thanks to redbrunja for the AWESOME music. This wasn't the song I'd initially had for the chapter... but it was too good not to use.

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Song Reference: Bad, Bad World

Artist: Firewater

Lyrics: I'm a bad, bad girl/Everybody says it's true/I'm a bad, bad boy/But I ain't even started to be bad yet/Take me, take me/It's alright, you won't break me/Could it be like, ecstasy like/It never was before/We're going down/'Cause it's a bad, bad world.


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“You know you want to, Ino.”

“I soooo don’t, Chouji.”

“Come on. I know you do. How long has it been?”

“… I don’t know. A while, I guess.”

“I promise I won’t tell.”

Ino sighed and flicked the loose hair out of her face with an irritably wave of her fingers. “Fine,” she grumbled, caving in under Chouji’s insistence. “But only a little one, okay?”

Grinning widely at his success in wearing her down, Chouji turned toward her… and handed her an ice cream cone. “I kinda figured you’d wanna small one.”

The blonde eyed the scoop of strawberry in its waffle casing with an arched brow and pursed lips. “That’s small?” she asked dryly.

Chouji shrugged and swiped his tongue along his double scoop of chocolate as it began to drip down the side of the cone. “The sign said that’s the kiddie size,” he defended.

She shook her head, not believing him for one minute that he’d ordered her a kid’s scoop, and sucked a bit of the pale pink treat into her mouth. Mm, ice cream… and full fat at that. It’d been forever since she’d had the real deal. Oblivious to the fact that Chouji was watching her as she continued to nibble and suck her ice cream like it was the most fascinating thing he’d ever seen, Ino drawled, “So… tell me more about Shikamaru and Temari. Are they officially dating or is that Sand slut just after what’s in his pants?”

“Uh… I-I think it’s neither,” Chouji stammered back, sweat slipping down the side of his face as Ino swirled her tongue across her dessert. Maybe ice cream wasn’t such a good idea after all. He snapped out of his daze when something cold and sticky plopped onto his hand, alerting him to the fact that his own dessert was becoming a chocolate mess.

“Neither? What’s that supposed to mean?” she pressed sharply, slanting a hard glare at her teammate. Ino bit her lip to keep from laughing as Chouji hastily tried to stop his cone from dripping all over. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a miniature pack of tissues and held it out for him. “Here, take one. It’s not a napkin but it’ll do.”

A grateful smile spread across his round cheeks as he pulled a tissue free and used it to wipe the mess off his hand. “Thanks. What I mean is that I don’t think they’re dating and I don’t think Temari’s just trying to, uh… get in his pants. I just think maybe they might, you know… go out together when they’re in the same place.”

Rolling her eyes, Ino made a scoffing sound and shook her head once again. “That’s something else that I don’t like about it; it’s long distance. Seriously, why Shikamaru can’t just find a nice girl from Konoha is beyond me. The girls here are prettier looking anyway and he could literally have his pick of them.”

“Well, if he’s happy, what’s the problem?” he reasoned, licking his lips free of the sticky chocolate.

Apparently, that was the wrong answer because Ino whipped around so fast her ponytail very nearly got caught in his ice cream. “The problem is,” she practically hissed in his face. “That girl’s got bad news written all over her! Trust me, Chouji, I know her type. She’s gonna brow beat and bully Shikamaru into a relationship and then insist that he move to Suna, just to knock her up and make little Sand babies. And that means the end of Team Ten. I don’t know about you, but that’s totally uncool in my book!”

Chouji swallowed hard, not at all thrilled at the idea of his closest friend leaving the village permanently. Would Shikamaru seriously move to Suna if Temari pushed hard enough? He didn’t really think so… but love could make a guy do some really stupid things.

Like eat at a vegetarian restaurant that charged way too much for such small portions.

He shook his head, forcing those depressing thoughts back. Shikamaru was many things, but he wasn’t stupid and he certainly wasn’t disloyal. There wasn’t a chance in the world that he would jump ship for Suna and abandon his friends. Chouji glanced at Ino out of the corner of his eye, watching as she picked at the wrapper around her cone almost angrily. There was a hard pinch to her brow and she was frowning so hard he thought she might never smile again.

That was when it clicked with him what was really going on here. Ino wasn’t mad at Shikamaru for possibly dating Temari. She was scared that he was going to leave Team Ten if he was serious about the Sand kunoichi.

The sudden urge to cheer her up overwhelmed him, giving him the courage to do something he probably wouldn’t have were she not upset; he reached out and took her hand. Ino’s head whipped toward him again, only this time it was out of pure shock. Her blue eyes were incredibly wide and full of confusion as she regarded him. “Chouji… what are you—,”

Chouji smiled despite the fact that his stomach was an absolute wreck (seriously… did she have to have such soft hands?) and said, “Don’t worry. You may not believe it, but Shikamaru can put his foot down when he wants to. Not even you could bully him into leaving Team Ten.”

The soft, warm smile that tentatively touched her lips made his heart pulse hard in his chest. Ino laughed softly before swirling her tongue around her melting ice cream. “You’re gonna have one seriously spoiled girlfriend, you know,” she joked, but she gave his hand a grateful squeeze before releasing it completely. “Dinner, dessert, walking me home... It’s almost like a date!”

He forced a laugh to match hers while inside the pleasant feeling that had been growing since she’d agreed to hang out with him that evening deflated miserably. Who was he kidding, thinking Ino would ever go for him? She liked the pretty guys, the ones who were all that and a couple bags of chips. There was no way he could compete with any of them.

Still, even if she never did look at him like she did the other guys… he was happy to be her friend. He’d rather have some part in her life than none at all. And who knew? Maybe by constantly being there for her, she’d finally, finally, see him as more than a friend.

“Speaking of significant others… I need to find one,” Ino announced as they rounded a corner onto the street where she lived.

Chouji choked on his next bite of ice cream, coughing as the cold substance slid down the wrong pipe. “W-What?” he wheezed as tiny prickles of tears stung his eyes.

Ino gave him a long, slow look, as if she were trying to decide whether he was completely stupid or just having a hard time hearing. “A boyfriend,” she repeated, over enunciating her words sarcastically. “As in, someone of the opposite sex to take out and that you could potentially sleep with. I know people go through dating droughts and all that but come on… three months? That’s way too long!”

Chouji gulped hard and a dark blush crept across his cheeks. If she knew how he and Shikamaru were mostly responsible for her ‘drought’ she’d probably kill them both. It was totally his fault that Shikamaru was involved with the plot, too. He’d dragged his friend in because he didn’t like any of the guys Ino was trying to attract, and he wasn’t just saying that because he liked her either. She may claim that she knew what was in a guy’s head better than any girl in the village… but he had the insight of being a guy himself.

The boys Ino went for, while nice to look at, were the ones that would be mean to her. Not physically or anything, because Ino would own whoever hit her in a heartbeat. But emotionally? Yes. Even Shikamaru agreed that Ino had a good eye for heartbreakers. His friend agreed to help screen Ino’s picks because he said it’d be too much of a pain to deal with her crying all the time. But Chouji was doing it because, as her friend and teammate, he knew she deserved better than what those guys were offering. Even if it wasn’t him.

“Well… here we are,” Ino’s cheerful voice cut in, jarring him out of his inner musings sharply. “Thanks a lot, Chouji. It was fun just hanging out with you for a change.”

Chouji blinked as he looked around and noticed they were indeed outside her apartment building. Oh… His evening with Ino was over. This was the part where he could make his move, tell her everything—show her how he felt. He swallowed hard as he tried to force his suddenly blank brain into action. “I-Ino,” he began, his voice rasping a little through the tightness of his throat.

Ino gave him an expectant look, a little smile still lingering on her lips.

“I, uh… I really… hope you find someone special.” Inwardly, Chouji was screaming at his stupid mouth for saying that. This was the perfect moment, one Shikamaru had provided for him, and he blew it by saying that?! Heat burned across his cheeks and he couldn’t keep the wince from crossing his face if he’d tried. Taking a deep breath, he tried once again to express his feelings. “What I mean is, I really—“

But he never got a chance to finish. Because that was when Ino leaned in and kissed him. On the cheek. For just the quickest, briefest moment, he felt the soft press of her lips on his skin, but it was enough to make his heart skip several beats. Chouji very nearly swayed on the spot as she stepped back with a wide, appreciative grin.

“Believe me, I intend to,” she declared. “Once this stupid drought is over with, that is. And once I find myself a man, we’re gonna find you a lucky girl to spoil.” Yawning, Ino turned and began walking up the steps of her apartment. She flicked an idle wave over her shoulder to Chouji, who was still paralyzed from the shock of having Ino kiss him. “G’night, Chouji! And no midnight snacking tonight, got it? We’re training tomorrow and I am not gonna tolerate you burping up corn chips all day!”

Chouji continued to stand there even after she’d unlocked the front door of the apartment and gone inside. Slowly, he rubbed his fingers over the cheek she’d kissed, marveling at the fact that he could still feel her lips. It was exactly what he’d been hoping would happen for the last year… but instead of being the ultimate of awesome like he’d imagined, it made his heart drop into his stomach. Sighing dismally, Chouji turned about and began making the long walk back to his home.


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“Forehead, I’m home,” Ino called as she opened the door of their apartment, reaching around to flick on the living room light. Immediately, the smell of burned food hit her nose, making her gag as she waved a hand in front of her face. “God, what the hell did you kill this time?”

When no response came, Ino frowned and looked around the apartment curiously. One of her romance novels was on the coffee table, next to a boring crime drama that Sakura preferred. Strange… she wasn’t reading that book currently, and even if she had been she would have been reading it in her bedroom. Ino shook her head, dismissing the misplaced book, and entered the kitchen to see just how bad the damage was this time.

“You know, I don’t get why you even bother,” she called, uncaring that the pink haired girl might actually be asleep. It was incredibly lame to be asleep by ten on a Friday night, and Ino refused to let her roommate be lame. “You know you can’t cook. What’s the point of even trying when time and time again you botch it up?” She lifted the lid on the garbage can and promptly dropped it when the charred smell intensified horribly.

Ino was about to leave the kitchen to go and belly flop on a sleeping Sakura when she noticed something else that was odd; two dirty tea cups in the sink. While it wasn’t unusual for Sakura to have a cup or two in the evenings to relax, it was strange that she didn’t reuse the same glass. Unless one of the cups was from this morning. She couldn’t recall the tea pot going off while she’d been getting ready to leave, but then again she hadn’t exactly been listening for it.

Shrugging, Ino marched down the short hallway to Sakura’s room, intent to wake the other girl up for a talk whether she wanted to or not. She smirked as she saw the lumpy shape of Sakura on the bed, curled up in a tight ball over the covers. Carefully, she snuck across the room, being mindful of the squeaky floorboard in the middle. She damn near blew her cover when her foot snagged on a shirt that was strewn idly onto the floor. It was weird that her neat freak roommate had a messy floor, but it wasn’t an incredibly uncommon occurrence since both of them worked all day.

A wide, anticipatory grin spread across her cheeks as she waited for the slumbering girl to take a deep breath in, the soft rattling of a snore very nearly making her giggle out loud. And, just as that chest was exhaling… she pounced.

And promptly rolled off onto the floor with a startled scream when a dog yelped in surprise.

Fumbling for the light on the dresser, Ino managed to regain her feet and draw a kunai as the canine on the bed continued to whimper. Both she and the animal blinked in the sudden blinding glow of the halogen bulb, Ino with the kunai poised to attack and the white dog regarding her with the saddest, most put-upon face she had ever seen. “You’re not Sakura-chan,” the dog stated, its voice a mix of accusation and pouting as it eyed her with wary black eyes.

“And neither are you,” Ino snapped angrily. “Who the hell are you and what are you doing in Sakura’s bed?”

“I’m Jubei and I was lookin’ for Sakura-chan. You’re really loud.”

“I can get louder, believe me. What do you mean you were looking for Sakura?”

The dog, Jubei, stretched out on the bed once again, obviously deciding (despite the fact she was armed) that she wasn’t a threat to him. “It’d Friday. She said she’d give me a belly rub. Do you know where Sakura-chan is? ‘Cause I’d really like my belly rubbed now.”

Ino blinked at the dog in surprise, and not because it was talking either. It wasn’t at all uncommon for animals to talk in a ninja village. What surprised her was the fact that Sakura, an open advocate of cats, seemed to be on pretty good terms with a dog. The only reason Ino could think of for that was because… “Hey, you’re one of Kakashi-sensei’s dogs, aren’t you?” she asked.

Instantly, the white dog perked up, his ears folding back as a happy canine grin crossed his muzzle. “Yup! Kakashi’s my summoner and he introduced me to Sakura-chan. She’s really nice. She gave me mochi and she’s really good at rubbing my ears. Is she gonna be gone a long time?”

“Seeing as I have no idea where the hell Forehead went, I can’t answer that,” the blonde muttered.

“… I don’t know who Forehead is, but what about Sakura-chan?” Jubei pressed, quirking his head inquiringly at her.

She sighed heavily and relaxed, slipping the kunai back into its thigh sheath. He wasn’t a danger, not if he was one of Kakashi’s dogs, so there was no need to go pointing a sharpened weapon at him. “Forehead’s what I call Sakura,” she explained. “But I’m the only one who’s allowed to call her that, so don’t you start.”

“Kakashi calls her Cherry-chan. I don’t get it and I don’t get why you call her Forehead. Her name’s Sakura-chan,” the dog replied, shifting until he was stretched more fully across the absent girl’s bed.

Ino smiled and laughed under her breath as she watched the dog get comfortable again. She wasn’t much of an animal person… but he wasn’t so bad. Just so long as he wasn’t drooling or humping her leg, she didn’t mind him hanging out on her roommate’s bed. “Anyway,” she continued blithely and with a flick of her fingers. “I don’t know where Sakura is. I thought she was gonna be home. Guess I was wrong.”

“Well, maybe she and Kakashi left somewhere,” Jubei supplied helpfully. “I smelled him all over the kitchen.”

That made Ino’s eyes widen considerably. Kakashi had been in their apartment? Alone? With Sakura? Immediately, her face twisted into one of disgust as she regarded the bed the dog was laying on dubiously. “You, uh… don’t smell anything else… do you?”

Jubei rolled over onto his side and grunted, his nose sniffing the air. “Like what?” he asked, turning innocent black eyes on her.

Ino shook her head and muttered, “Forget about it.” If there had been sexing in that apartment, she would have noticed the signs already. Like hell freezing over or Ton Ton suddenly sprouting wings and doing laps around Tsunade’s head. There was no way Haruno Sakura was going to let her former teacher take her virginity, not over one of their mentor’s stupid bets.

Sighing as she ran her fingers through the loose section of hair that fell across her face, Ino began walking toward the door again. “Well, seeing as it’s after ten now and she’s got training tomorrow morning, I’d say she’ll probably be back in an hour or so. You can stay if you want, but I’m gonna watch TV.”

In response, Jubei curled himself up once again in the middle of Sakura’s bed. “I’ll wait for her right here,” Jubei announced. “Her bed’s way more comfy than Kakashi’s.”

The blonde smirked and shook her head as she left her roommate’s bedroom and returned to the living room to wait. Boy, was Sakura ever gonna get it when she came home. To get someone as hot as Kakashi up to their apartment and not take advantage of him in the physical sense? That was practically unforgivable!


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Omajinai was located back toward the main entrance of the Entertainment district. It was easily the biggest establishment in that area, consisting of one entire building rather than having other businesses located on the floors above. Sakura’s eyes were wide as she followed Shizune through the door, keeping one hand on the woman’s waist so as not to lose her in the packed crowd. The first floor was the bar area and it was so full of noisy, drunken people she was certain there were at least five different fire codes being broken. She was very aware as they wove their way back toward the stairs of Kakashi’s arm curved securely around her stomach and how close his chest was to her back. Normally, the proximity would have made her a little uneasy, but here in this crowded space… it was comforting to know her ass wasn’t going to receive an anonymous groping.

Originally, the plan had been for Shizune to be her ‘responsible party’, but Kakashi had pointed out that if Genma was planning to get as drunk as he claimed (which the brown haired man confirmed vehemently) then it would probably be best if he didn’t drink so that he could help carry the drunken man home. Shizune had argued a little by saying that it would cut into his own fun, but after Kakashi reassured her it was fine and that he didn’t drink much anyway she agreed.

And that was why Sakura and Kakashi now bore matching, underage stamps on their hands. So long as he was claiming responsibility for her, he wasn’t allowed near the bar. It was a little awkward to be sure, and that feeling was made worse by Genma’s constant teasing. She was very quickly learning that, despite the fact he served as a mediator, Shiranui Genma had a vengeful streak in him that stretched from Konoha to Suna and back again.

She squinted in the dim, smoky room as Shizune tried to shout something back to her over music that was too loud and the usual cacophony that came with fitting too many people in a small space. Whatever the dark haired woman was trying to say she couldn’t pick up, but apparently Kakashi had. She very nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt his masked lips brushing along her earlobe as he shouted, “They’re stopping to get drinks. Go straight back and up two flights of stairs.”

Sakura nodded back and began pushing and twisting her way through the masses with Kakashi right behind her. Not once did he let go of her, ensuring that they didn’t get separated in the crowd. The only other time she could recall seeing so many people in one place was during this blow out sale Ino had dragged her to. Even that couldn’t really compare to the tightly packed people jostling for better spots. Never in her life had she gotten so many elbows in her breasts or had to literally push at someone’s back just to get through. If this was what it was like to go out to a bar, then it was a guarantee she wouldn’t ever be doing it again.

They finally broke free of the crowd, Sakura very nearly stumbling as she collided with the first step. Kakashi’s arm tightened around her waist to keep her on her feet and she nodded quickly when he shouted if she was okay. She climbed the narrow stairs quickly, eager to get out of the chaos below and up to where she could already tell it was much quieter.

The second floor of Omajinai appeared to be reserved for card games and darts. The heavy bass and the shouts from below penetrated through still, but the sounds were muffled due to the thick floor. Sakura let out a relieved sigh and surreptitiously tried to straighten her hair as they walked across the room for the next flight of steps. “Is it always like that?” she asked, turning to glance over her shoulder at Kakashi.

He shrugged indifferently before reaching out to tuck back a random lock of hair behind her ear. “I don’t come here often enough to know,” he replied, gently ushering her out of the way when a group of giggling, drunken kunoichi stumbled by, heading for a table full of shinobi playing a round of cards. “At least it’s a little quieter up here.”

Sakura hummed in agreement, her eyes drifting over the occupants of this floor curiously just before she started up the steps. She was unashamed to admit that she was a bit of a people watcher, though she usually only did it when Ino was with her so they could dissect the person they were eying. And if she’d been insecure about her ‘dress’ before… a couple of the women up there made her look downright decent. What was the point of putting anything on when it covered less than a bathing suit would?

At the top of the second flight of steps was a room lit entirely by dim, warm lights. A bar area was off to the right with only a few people sitting at it, completely wrapped up in their own quiet conversations. Here, the noise from below was reduced to a dull rumble, one that was easily broken by the sharp staccato clatter of pool balls hitting each other. Sakura counted eight tables in the surprisingly large space, separated by a partition to offer the illusion of privacy. Each alcove had a low table and comfortable looking booth with it to provide a break from the game. Only three of the tables were currently in use, though one group looked more inclined to talk than shoot.

Kakashi’s hand pressed into her lower back lightly, urging her toward one of the back corner tables away from the other groups. “They’re probably going to be a little longer. Feel like getting in a quick round without them?” he asked, solicitously stepping back so that she could enter their chosen space first.

Sakura cringed a little, her fingers twisting nervously as she said, “I didn’t get a chance to say this earlier but… I’ve never played pool before.”

He turned slowly toward her, his hand still curled around one of the cue sticks, and gave her the sort of long, empty stare he’d used when he’d been her teacher. “Well, we’ll just have to fix that, won’t we?” he drawled, his open eye glinting mischievously.

Giving him a slow, teasing smile in response, Sakura asked coyly, “Does that mean I have to call you Kakashi-sensei again?”

His chuckle was low and made a delicious shiver run down her spine. “Only if you want to… Cherry-chan.” His eye crinkled happily as she swatted his shoulder and glowered back. He could be such a creep!

She took the cue stick he handed to her uncertainly, frowning at how oddly imbalanced it felt in her hands. It was an awkward thing to handle, that was for sure. She wasn’t even really sure how she was supposed to hold it. Sakura watched as Kakashi began digging pool balls from the pockets lining the table, rolling them gently into the center. He gave a nod to indicate the wall behind her and asked, “Mind passing the rack over?”

Sakura jumped and immediately turned to do as he asked. There was a long pole with what looked almost like brass knuckles on it… some odd little cubes… Ah! There it was. She pulled the triangular shaped item out from a small space between shelves and handed it over to him, watching curiously as he began dropping balls into place.

“There are rules for racking up the balls,” Kakashi began, spinning the balls in their holder so that the numbers were facing up. “The one ball is usually at the starting corner. Eight ball is always in the middle. The two outer corners have to be opposites of each other, one striped and one solid. You can put any of the other balls wherever you want so long as the follow the stripe-solid pattern.”

She nodded and stepped back as he aligned the balls with a spot on the table. Kakashi scooped up the only ball that had been left out, the solid white one, and went to the other end of the table. “When breaking, all you’re really trying to do is create an opportunity to shoot. If you happen to get something in during a break, lucky you. If not, it’s not a big deal. This is usually a throw away shot.”

He took one of the cubes from the nearby shelf and rubbed it over the narrow end of the cue stick. Sakura caught her lower lip between her teeth as he approached the table and leaned over. She paid attention to how he held the stick, her eyes narrow and attentive. The sharp crack of the balls smacking together made her jump. Colors scattered everywhere, bouncing off of the felt lined table edges and each other. She saw two balls go in, but as to which ones they were she had no idea.

Kakashi came around to her side of the table and leaned his stick against the wall behind her. “The only balls you don’t want going into the pockets are the black eight ball and the cue ball. If the eight goes in before you get the rest of your balls off the table, you lose. If the cue ball goes in, your turn is scratched and the next player gets to position the ball wherever they want on the opposite side of the scratch.”

Sakura nodded slowly as she surveyed the table with growing trepidation. “This sounds a lot more complicated than I thought,” she said, her fingers curling tighter around her own stick.

“Once the rules are down, it’s not all that hard,” he countered encouragingly. “Actually, I think pool might suit you nicely.”

The confidence in his voice made her warm all over. Kakashi was never the sort of teacher to flatter a student, so any time he did it was truly meant. “Really? Why’s that?” she questioned, shifting just a little closer to him.

“Pool requires planning and forethought. It’s all about physics; the angle of the ball, the amount of force behind each shot, predicting where each ball will finish when you’re done making your move. This sort of game plays very nicely with your particular strengths.”

Sakura felt her cheeks flare at the compliment and quickly glanced away, unable to keep eye contact with him any longer. A breathless little laugh escaped her as she eyed the table once again. “I don’t know about all that,” she murmured demurely. “Not even an elite genius can pick up a kunai for the first time and know exactly how to throw it.”

“True,” Kakashi conceded as he pried one of her hands free from around the cue stick and guided her toward the table. “But that doesn’t mean they won’t pick it up quickly.” Sakura fought the urge to stiffen when he moved behind her, his hands resting on her shoulder. “For this round, you’re solids. So… which ball do you want to go for?”

She surveyed the table thoughtfully, trying her best to keep in mind what he’d said about trajectory and impact of objects. Finally, she pointed to a solid purple ball and said, “That one.”

“And why that one?”

“Because if I can hit it off the side there, it’ll land in the pocket. Hopefully.”

She could feel his laugh vibrate through the closeness of his chest to her back, making her stomach tighten and that warm feeling surface again. “See? I told you you’d be a natural,” he commented before giving her a gentle push toward the table. “Stand facing the ball you want to hit. Make sure the position is comfortable and stable.”

“How do I hold the stick?” she asked, glancing at him over her shoulder as she bent slightly at the waist. She hadn’t thought about it before agreeing to a night of pool, but if she wasn’t careful her skirt might ride up way too high.

To her completely shock, Kakashi didn’t explain to her how to hold it—he showed her. Instantly, her body tensed up as he suddenly moved in close behind her, aligning his body to fit hers perfectly. It was far more intimate a demonstration than she’d been requesting, especially when his arms caged her on either side and she could feel his breath along her neck. She shivered, shifting restlessly against him… and inadvertently pushing her rear more snugly against his hips.

Once again, Sakura’s cheeks burned bright red as she hastily reclaimed that scant inch, wincing while she prayed desperately that perhaps he didn’t notice. If he did, he didn’t make any mention of it as he took first one of her hands and then the other and placed them on the cue stick.

“It’s entirely up to you what hand to use,” he explained, speaking softly into her ear. It reminded her too strongly of the lovers she’d see on the streets whispering dirty little secrets to each other. They weren’t lovers and his words weren’t dirty in the least… but for some reason it still made her breath catch. “But seeing as you picked this stance, you’re right hand should go about here-,” he squeezed the hand covering hers over the thicker end of the stick for emphasis, “and your left should be here.” Once again, his hand pressed firmly over hers.

Sakura swallowed hard and nodded slightly, her heart pounding hard and fast in her chest. She was very aware of how he shifted just a little against her, his hands guiding hers in drawing back the cue stick while the other helped in balancing the tipped end. When his shoulder jerked forward, hers followed. There was the briefest of seconds where his bicep grazed the side of her breast, but that was quickly forgotten when the cue ball connected with the purple one.

The chosen ball hit exactly where she’d expected it to, bouncing off the table and rolling neatly into the corner pocket. A triumphant grin broke across her face as both she and Kakashi straightened. “It worked,” she laughed, rocking onto the balls of her feet excitedly.

“Of course it did,” he said, smoothing his hands down her arms. “Now, since you made your shot you get to go again. You keep going until you miss.”

She nodded in understanding, her lips twisting thoughtfully as she searched the table for her next move. Sakura walked around to the other side of the table, eying the yellow ball that was directly next to the green striped. If she hit right between them, it would cause a split… but if she hit it too hard the stripe would go right in the corner pocket. Okay, so she would just have to control how much force she put behind the shot.

Positioning herself as she had before, Sakura maneuvered the cue awkwardly into place and sighted down the table. She could see Kakashi out of the corner of her eye, standing back to patiently watch… and that was when a bit of wickedness struck her.

While she wasn’t as experienced as most other women, Sakura knew that a big part of attraction rested on physical contact. From a psychological stand point, touch was actually more significant to a person than any of the other senses. It could be used to comfort, to threaten, to amuse… and most definitely to display mutual attraction. She knew this was an area she was struggling to be comfortable in with regards to Kakashi. But if she expected to relieve him of Icha Icha, it stood to reason that instigating a closer physical proximity was mandatory.

So with that goal in mind, Sakura smiled flirtatiously at him and asked, “Aren’t you going to help me with this shot, sensei?”

Kakashi was never one to display a lot of emotion, but apparently he could be shocked into doing just that. She very nearly giggled as his eye widened considerably at her bold request. The expression was there and gone again so quickly that if she hadn’t been looking specifically for it she more than likely would have missed it. Slowly, his eye on her the entire time, he rounded the table until once again he was at her back, his body fit snugly against her own.

Sakura’s breath caught as his hands slid down her arms, covering her own on the cue stick. A pleasant ripple ran down her spine at the feel of his breath along the back of her neck, the fabric covering his lips tickling at her earlobe. She heard him take a deep breath and glanced over her shoulder at him. “Did you just sniff me?” she demanded, surprise cutting through the haziness his presence created.

A mischievous, completely unrepentant gleam lit his dark grey eye. “Maybe,” he replied. “Your skin smells like chocolate.”

Flushing, Sakura used the excuse of focusing on her shot to duck her head away. “It’s my body wash,” she answered distractedly as she felt him nuzzle the base of her neck ever so slightly. “I-It’s, uh… It’s called whipped chocolate cream.”

“Since when did they start making soaps that smell like dessert?” he asked, still speaking with his mouth against her throat.

“Since… forever?” she ventured to guess, her knees threatening to give out at any moment. Damn it, what was wrong with her? If she didn’t know any better, she’d almost say she liked having him sniff at her. That was just plain stupid. Sniffing people was weird and gross and… perverted. To actually enjoy it would be worse than perverted, which she most definitely wasn’t.

As if he hadn’t just been scenting her skin, Kakashi adjusted her grip on the cue stick and slid right back into business mode. It was stunning to her how easily he could just switch gears like that when she was having a hard time remembering to breathe evenly. “Hold it like this. It’ll give you more control as you shoot,” he explained, either unaware or uncaring that she was still fighting to slow down her racing pulse. “Ready and…”

Just like before, his shoulder surged forward and took hers along with it… and once again she felt the softest brush of his upper arm along her breast. She choked back a surprised gasp as the balls clacked together loudly, the shot once again going as planned. He straightened and stepped away from her with an approving nod.

“As I thought, you have a good eye for angles,” he commented.

Sakura still had her back to him, but she knew he was staring at her. She took a slow deep breath and tried to steady the hard pulsing of her heart. Even with the cool air of the room circulating around her, she could still feel the heat from his body. The plan to instigate more physical contact between them had worked. She just hadn’t expected the affect on her as well.

A shudder worked its way down her spine when she felt his palm smooth over her lower back, following the slight curve of her hip. “Want to try one more time, just to make sure you’ve got it?” Kakashi suggested with an edge of teasing in his voice. It was obvious by his tone that concern for her shooting technique was the last thing on his mind.

If this were anyone else making the unsubtle attempt to get their hands on her, Sakura would have laid the pervert out flat on their back. Yet, for some reason the urge to do just that didn’t rise like she was expecting it to. Instead, a strange sensation tightened in her stomach, one that felt a little like the anticipation that came before a battle only more… nice. Slowly, she turned to peek at him over her shoulder, her lips parted to allow for the shallow breaths that stuttered in and out of her.

Sakura gave a quick, barely noticeable nod… and Kakashi’s hand on her hip tugged her more securely against him. Instantly, that fluttery feeling returned to her stomach again, making her lightheaded. As casually as she could, she placed her hands on the pool table ledge and took a deep, slow breath to encourage more oxygen into her system.

“How about we try something a little trickier,” Kakashi murmured, the barest bit of a self-satisfied laugh creeping into his low tone.

Shrugging and trying to play it cool despite the way his breath on her neck sent goose bumps marching down her arms, Sakura said, “Sure. What do you have in mind?”

Without relinquishing his hold on her waist, Kakashi guided her around to the narrow end of the table and pointed down a ways to the shot he wanted her to make. “We’re going to hit the fifteen on the left side. That should make the fifteen connect with the six—“

“—And that’ll put the six into the side pocket,” she finished, tilting her head back to smile up at him.

She saw the lift of his cheek under his mask shortly before the corner of his eye crinkled and knew he was smiling back at her. The hand on her stomach tightened briefly, his thumb rubbing small circles just alongside her belly button. It took some real effort to remember why breathing was so important. “Exactly,” he replied, taking a step back so that she could get into position. “This shot’s going to be a bit of a stretch… but you should be able to do it.”

Yeah… a bit of a stretch was right. Sakura glared at him over her shoulder as she bent forward across the table. “You’re just trying to sneak a look at my panties, you pervert,” she accused.

Kakashi’s eye creased happily as he chuckled, “Do you honestly think I’d sink so low as to get you to bend over a pool table just to see under your skirt?”

“Yes.”

“Ah. If your skirt were maybe half an inch shorter, then your accusation would be well founded. But from the position I’m standing in, as well as that half inch of fabric, there’s no way I can see your panties. Not without x-ray vision, that is.”

“Who says you haven’t trained the Sharingan to do just that?” she muttered while setting up for the shot.

“I actually hadn’t considered using it for that purpose, but thanks for the tip.”

Sakura shook her head and relaxed her grip on the cue as she laughed quietly. “The Sharingan can’t do that,” she giggled as she glanced back at him.

Arching a brow in challenge, Kakashi murmured, “And just how do you know it can’t?”

Forgetting all about the game, Sakura spun around to face him, leaning back against the table with her arms bracing her. Kakashi’s hands remained on her hips as he took a step closer, forcing her to tilt her head back in order to maintain eye contact. “Because,” Sakura explained while trying to ignore the way her heart leapt wildly in her chest. “The Sharingan can only copy and analyze a ninjutsu, taijutsu or genjutsu in order to replicate it perfectly. Since a jutsu for x-ray vision doesn’t exist, there’s no way the Sharingan can be used for peeking under skirts.”

“Hmm… True enough. But it can memorize the movement of fabric, which at least will tell me what kind of underwear you’re wearing,” he countered. His hands smoothed around her waist, his fingers pressing firmly into her flesh before stopping at the base of her spine.

Sakura squirmed a little at having his hands so close to her ass and used the excuse of settling a hand on his chest to push him back a little. Laughing nervously, she said in a voice that was a little higher than usual, “Well, um… th-that’s a good point. But you still wouldn’t know if everything matches.”

There was a quick flare of emotion through his eye, one she didn’t quite recognize. It was dark and intense and it made her feel warm all over… Was this what lust looked like? The minute that question crossed her thoughts a wave of embarrassment flooded her. God… she hadn’t thought about that happening! Having her former teach lusting after her was just so… wrong.

But if it was wrong, then why did it send that pleasant, anticipatory thrill through her?

She was still trying to puzzle out these conflicting emotions when Kakashi released her hips in favor of settling his hands on the table’s edge, effectively pinning her in place with his arms. The movement made her palm slide up his chest, causing her breath to catch at the feel of solid muscle shifting beneath her fingers. Holy… crap. It made sense that Kakashi was well muscled, seeing as he was a ninja, but it was still surprising that someone with his relatively narrow build was that ripped!

“Knowing how particular you can be over details, Sakura,” he said, speaking in a low, rich tone that made her fingers inadvertently curl into his shirt a little. “I’d venture to guess that everything matches.”

The way he stressed the last part made her think he was referring to something other than her underwear, but she couldn’t for the life of her figure out what. All she knew was that he was sorely mistaken in thinking her panties and bra matched tonight, though usually she was a bit more careful in that regard. She managed to lift her gaze from where her hand was on his chest to his face… and promptly lost her train of thought when she noticed he was staring at her mouth like it was mesmerizing.

For a moment, she could have sworn he was leaning closer to her and without thinking, almost as if it were a reflexive action, she tilted her head slightly in anticipation for his kiss…

“Could that bar be any more crowded? Had I known they’d put one up here, I wouldn’t have bothered fighting my way to the one below.”

Sakura jumped at the sound of Genma’s voice and quickly pulled her hand away from Kakashi’s chest. He in turn groaned under his breath and shot a rather surly glare at the brown haired man.

Genma, seemingly unaware that he’d interrupted them (again), set a large glass full of dark amber liquid down on the table before taking Shizune’s drink from her and doing the same. “And what cheap patrons, too! I seriously just witnessed a guy who ordered ten drinks and didn’t tip the bartenders,” he continued bitterly. He shook his head in disbelief before his gaze fell on the table. A grin made the toothpick between his teeth dip lower as he motioned to the scattered balls. “Sneaking a round in on us, huh?”

“Actually, Kakashi was showing me how to play pool,” Sakura replied after clearing her throat. She nervously tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as she motioned with her head for Kakashi to step away. He did so, though she was pleased to note it was with an obvious bit of reluctance.

“Oh-ho, a newbie, eh? Well, don’t worry. We won’t fleece you too badly,” the senbon user joked with a wink.

“It really is rather easy, Sakura-chan,” Shizune replied reassuringly as she took a sip of her wine. “It’s just basic geometry, with trajectory and thrust thrown into the equation.”

“Yeah, that’s what Kakashi had said,” Sakura answered, her fingernails digging at the wood around the table awkwardly.

Genma smiled at his lover and pulled the toothpick out of his mouth long enough to plant a kiss on her cheek. “You being smart is such a turn on,” he murmured, causing Shizune to grin and blush.

“Genma, please,” the dark haired woman muttered back, pushing him away from her.

“What? It’s true. Even when you’re going off on that nonsense that oysters aren’t aphrodisiacs—,”

“That’s because they aren’t. I’ve told you four times now that there’s no scientific proof of it,” she insisted stubbornly.

“And all four times you’ve said it have been massively sexy,” Genma countered, chuckling as Shizune rolled her eyes and went over to collect a cue stick.

Sakura giggled, which caused Kakashi to give her a long suffering look. “Please don’t encourage him,” he begged. “He’s like a stray cat; feed him once, he’ll keep coming back for more.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m a cat person,” she teased, her grin widening as he groaned and rubbed his eyes.

“I knew there was a reason I liked you, Sakura-chan,” Genma called from across the space, lifting his glass in a toast to her. “Kakashi, you have my permission to keep dating this one.”

“Gee, thanks,” Kakashi said sarcastically. “I didn’t know my dates had to get your approval.”

“After that hyena you were dating last time? Hell, yeah they do!” Genma shuddered visibly and downed half his drink in one gulp. “I don’t normally make it a habit of mentioning exes in front of new women—,”

“Then why start now?” the copy ninja interjected sharply.

Ignoring him, the senbon user continued, “—But that woman was just awful.”

Shizune nodded solemnly toward Sakura and added, “I hate to say it, but she really was.”

“So, to see you out with someone as adorable and charming as Sakura-chan is so relieving,” Genma continued, much to Kakashi’s embarrassment. Sakura couldn’t help snickering under her breath at his discomfort. It wasn’t often she got to see Kakashi squirm… but it was awfully amusing!

Groaning as he pinned a very unhappy glare on the senbon user, Kakashi demanded, “I thought we were here to play pool, not dissect my personal life.”

Holding up his hands defensively, Genma drawled, “Fine, fine! Rack ‘em up then. Ladies versus gentlemen?”

“Oh, so you want Shizune-san and I to find some other guys to play with then?” Sakura inquired with mock innocence. Shizune very nearly spluttered her wine as she laughed, while Genma’s eyebrows rose in surprise. All she could see of Kakashi’s expression was the creasing near his eye, but it was good he was smiling again. As if sensing that she was watching him, he met her gaze and winked while gathering the balls to start the game over.

“Woooow… Who would have thought a sharp tongue resided in such a pretty face?” Genma commented, his dark brown eyes glittering playfully. “This is gonna be a fun evening.”

Shizune placed a restraining hand on her lover’s arm, and though she was probably aiming for a stern expression it was ruined by the fact that she was still smiling. “Genma, please remember that Sakura’s sixteen and my subordinate. I really don’t want her impression of me tarnished too badly,” she admonished.

Genma wrinkled his nose distastefully but gave a consenting sigh as he patted her hand. “Anything for you,” he reluctantly replied. As a token of her thanks, Shizune kissed his cheek before walking over to join Sakura near the pool table.

“Shizune-san?” Sakura began softly as Genma went to join his teammate. “I’m going to apologize in advance if I let you down. I’ll do my best though.”

The older woman smiled brightly at her and shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. It’s just a game, so relax and have fun.”

Smiling thankfully at the other woman for her patience and understanding, both of them turned their attention back to their dates as the sharp crack of pool balls being broken alerted them that the game was officially on. Sakura took a deep, calming breath and rotated her neck to relax herself, watching as the balls went skittering all across the table’s surface.

The goals for the evening were simple; try not to look like a complete idiot while playing pool, keep her skirt down and modesty in tact and somehow manage to initiate more intimate physical contact with Kakashi without getting distracted herself. Yeah… this was going to be a real snap.


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Ino huffed angrily as she turned the television off and dropped the remote onto the couch with more strength than was really needed. It bounced across the cushion before falling over the side and onto the floor. The resulting thud made the dog still asleep in Sakura’s bed jerk awake. She heard Jubei groan and the mattress shift as he got comfortable once again, having determined the sound wasn’t threatening.

With a bitter, annoyed scowl scrunching her lips, Ino once again glanced at the clock on the corner table. Her fingers began tapping a sharp, irritated beat on the sofa arm when she saw that it was now twelve-thirty in the morning. Where the hell was Sakura? It wasn’t like her roommate to stay out so late when she had training or work in the morning. Even on the nights she could stay out late, she was always in by midnight anyway. They weren’t living at home and yet that girl still felt the need to adhere to her parents’ curfew.

So, where the hell had that goody-goody gone then? Ino seriously doubted that Sakura was in any sort of trouble, and not only because she was out with Kakashi. Her roommate was more than capable of taking care of herself in a pinch. It was more that Ino was pissed off that she, the resident party girl, was at home on a Friday night while her more reserved (re: boring) friend was out for a night on the town… and with an older man, no less!

Still seething bitterly over this awful twist in fate, Ino stood up and stomped into the kitchen. It still smelled like burned whatever, even after she’d nearly emptied an entire can of air freshener into the room. She yanked the tea pot off the stove and filled it with water before returning it and turning the burner on. While it heated, she dug through the cupboard over head until she found the small container of instant coffee that Sakura used for her baking projects. An evil little grin twisted her lips as she scooped two level spoonfuls into a cup. She was gonna need some serious caffeine if she expected to stay awake until Sakura got home.


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“Aaaaand… Hell, yeah! He sank it!”

Shizune suppressed an irritable sigh as Genma continued to celebrate what was shaping up to be Team Testosterone’s third straight win in a row. She knew it was only a game… but if there was one trait she and Tsunade had in common, it was an extreme dislike for losing. It certainly didn’t do much to sooth her irritation that Genma felt the need to celebrate every shot he and his partner got in. Besides, it was a bit premature to start celebrating another victory when they still had three balls left on the table.

Not that she doubted for one minute that Kakashi would successfully pocket them all. He’d yet to miss all evening.

She glanced over when she heard Sakura’s disappointed sigh and saw the younger girl was staring dismally at the table. “I’m really, really sorry, Shizune-san,” she moaned. “I thought I’d had it just right on that last one to keep it from scratching.”

A tight smile crossed Shizune’s lips as she patted her subordinate consolingly on the shoulder. It really wasn’t Sakura’s fault. Considering she’d never played pool before tonight, she was doing very well and had even managed to almost win the last game. “It’s alright, Sakura-chan,” she reassured the pink haired girl gently. “You did your best, which is all that was expected of you.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about a game,” Genma laughed as he came over and planted a whiskey soaked kiss to Shizune’s cheek. “For a newbie, you’re not half bad. ‘Course… this does make it three times now that we’ve won.” He winced when Shizune gave his side a good, hard pinch and jerked her head in Sakura’s direction. The girl was looking more and more dejected by the minute.

“The game isn’t over yet,” she warned her mildly buzzed lover sternly. “There’s still a chance Kakashi-san will miss.” Even as she said it, she knew it was a highly unlikely scenario. The only time she ever recalled seeing Kakashi miss a shot was when a drunken Asuma had shoved an equally drunken Gai into the table just as he’d been taking his turn. In all fairness though, she supposed that one time shouldn’t be counted since there was an extraneous circumstance involved.

Genma arched a brow and surveyed the pool table just as Kakashi sent another ball into one of the side pockets. “I hate to tell you this, honey, but the count is two solids to four stripes, excluding the eight ball for both sides. And Kakashi’s got our last few shots lined up perfectly. Nothing short of another Gai Incident is gonna make him miss. So… Team Awesome wins again.”

They both whipped around with wide, surprised eyes at the sound of wood snapping to find Sakura smiling tightly as she casually leaned the broken pieces of her cue stick against the wall. Shizune heard Genma swallow and mutter a shocked expletive under his breath at the girl’s unbelievable feat of strength and couldn’t help smiling as she patted his stomach soothingly. It was always so humorous to see the looks on people’s faces when Sakura demonstrated an amount of physical prowess that would normally be beyond someone as petite as she was.

The pink haired girl laughed edgily, her eyes scrunching closed to form black smudges against her cheeks. “There’s no way at all he’s going to miss, is there?” Sakura ground out between her smiling teeth.

“Um… I think I said something to that effect, yes,” Genma responded warily, shifting into a position where he could dodge an attack if it was coming.

Fortunately for him, it seemed beating him to a pulp was the last thing on the girl’s mind. Nodding once with that forced smile still plastered on her face, Sakura said with mocking innocence, “Oops, our table is a mess! It looks like someone sloshed booze all over it. Better clean that up before it ruins the finish.”

Shizune and Genma watched her stroll casually over to the table, both of them curious as to what exactly she was up to. Keeping her back to the pool table, Sakura bent over to begin cleaning up the mess she’d had the spontaneous urge to take care of.

Not even ten seconds later, a solid white ball went flying over the edge of the table and rolling under the cushioned bench against the wall.


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Kakashi eyed the table thoughtfully while the other three continued to talk nearby. He could hear what they were saying, but he wasn’t really paying attention. Only three balls were left, all of which were set up just right to secure another win for the guys. He felt a little bad every time he glanced over and noticed Sakura was staring glumly at the floor, but he’d never been one to pull punches. Oh, he wouldn’t use any more force than was necessary to win… but he wasn’t going to hold back either. In his opinion, to not give it his all was insulting to the other person.

Finding his next shot, Kakashi went to the far end of the table and sighted down the felt. An outside strike to the four ball would put it neatly into the corner pocket. It was an easy shot to make and would also open up an alley for the two. He noted Sakura moving for the bench out of the corner of his eye but didn’t pay her any mind as he bent over with his stick leveled at the cue ball. He drew back, eye narrowed speculatively, and—

He was seeing stars. Bright, silvery stars.

It only took him a fraction of a second longer to realize that the reason he was seeing stars was because he had a clear view right up Sakura’s skirt. Holy shit!

Kakashi very nearly went nose first into the pool table with shock and the movement threw his aim off completely. He managed to connect with the cue ball but with far too much force and straight on. The ball smacked into the edge of the table and went over, bouncing on the floor a couple of times before disappearing underneath the bench.

“You have got to be kidding me! You fucking scratched?!” Genma shouted as Kakashi very subtly checked to see if his nose was bleeding. Not that he expected much blood to still be in his head anyway. Most of it had migrated south at the sight of silver printed stars on black cotton.

Sakura disappeared completely from view for a moment, and it wasn’t until she reemerged with the white ball in hand that he realized she’d gotten onto her hands and knees to dig it out. Oh, god… He pressed the heels of his palms against both eyes until spots flickered behind his eyelids as some really wrong imagery tried to fix itself in his brain. Things about her on her knees and balls and…

He pulled his hands away when he heard someone clear their throat and groaned again when a smugly smiling Sakura placed the cue ball on the table. “Something wrong?” she purred, her eyes glittering wickedly in the dim light.

It was then that he came to the stunning realization that she, Haruno Sakura, had purposely given him a glance at her panties just to make him miss the shot. And for the first time in longer than he could remember… he had no words to describe just how flabbergasted he actually was. All he could do was gape at her while she continued to laugh silently at him.

To further rub it in, Sakura’s grin widened as she stood up on tiptoe and pressed a quick, friendly kiss to his cheek. “It’s okay, Kakashi. Maybe you’ll get lucky and Shizune-san will miss.”

Kakashi blinked slowly, his gaze inadvertently following that pink haired tease as she sauntered back over to the bench and sat down, crossing her ankles as primly as if she hadn’t just given him an eyeful of her panties. The smugness never left her face as she purposely smoothed her hands down her skirt. Kakashi arched a brow at her antics. She thought she’d won, did she? Well… She was about to find out there was a big difference between winning the battle and winning the war.

Normally, Kakashi had a personal policy in regards to public displays of affection; absolutely not. Holding hands was permissible under certain conditions. An arm around the shoulders or waist was also allowable. With the exception of an occasional romp in the bathroom of a bar or a closet in the jounin facility, anything more than some casual touching wasn’t done. To him, something like that was far too private an exchange to do in public. No kissing, no nuzzling, no labels… none of that flew in a normal relationship with him.

However…this wasn’t exactly a normal relationship and that meant the usual rules didn’t apply.

In a way, what they were doing here was like an erotic pissing match; set the bar high and see if the other will either beat/match the mark or admit defeat. And though he’d so far been fairly successful in beating the mark she’d set, there was a huge difference between what they’d been doing before and what she’d just done now. She had, once again, raised the bar and he couldn’t quite get over the fact that a sixteen-year-old girl kept putting him into a defensive position over and over again. He had to at least do something to equal a panty flash. He had the feeling though that if he tried anything his useless imagination was suggesting (it was still stuck on her and balls) he was going to find himself eating drywall.

“Excuse me, Kakashi-san, but you’re blocking the table. Would you please step aside?”

Kakashi shook his head lightly and glanced to where Shizune was patiently waiting for him to move, the mischievous glint in her dark eyes saying she knew exactly why he’d missed his last shot. Clearing his throat lightly, he nodded and mumbled, “Sure. Sorry.”

The dark haired woman laughed lightly as she scooped up the cue ball and positioned it perfectly to knock the ten in a side pocket. “Please don’t apologize. Perhaps you and Genma can go grab a drink while I finish this game out.”

He held up his hand to show her the underage stamp on it. “A drink would be welcomed, but most likely not forthcoming,” he replied dryly.

Shizune winked at him and murmured, “Somehow, I doubt the bartenders will think you’re under eighteen.”

Ouch. He was getting it from all sides tonight, it seemed. Kakashi sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck. This was definitely going down as one of the most bizarre nights of his life. With a shrug, he looked over to where Genma was still gaping at him in shock and asked, “Wanna go grab a round?”

Nodding numbly, Genma muttered, “Yeah, a drink sounds good. You ladies behave yourselves until we get back, okay?”

The two of them wandered off to the bar just as Sakura’s laughter rang brightly from their playing area. Kakashi groaned under his breath and jammed his hands into his pockets. He could already tell Genma was gearing up to give him a once over for missing such an obvious shot. Maybe a drink wasn’t such a good idea after all.

They each took a barstool and, true to Shizune’s words, the bartender didn’t once question the bright teal stamp on his hand as Genma ordered two whiskeys over ice. The dark amber brew was delivered and the bartender wandered to the other end of the bar and the scantily clad girls sitting there.

After a moment of silence where neither of them did anything bit sip their drinks, Genma raked his fingers through his hair and said, “So… you missed.”

Kakashi nodded, twirling his tumbler idly. “Yep.”

“I don’t think I need to ask if it was a good view. You fucking missed.”

“That’s been established already.”

Laughing softly, Genma shook his head and raised his glass for a toast. “You’ve gotta raise a glass to the girl who flashes a guy just to win a game of pool.”

There was absolutely no arguing that, so Kakashi clinked his glass with Genma’s and took a healthy swig. He was willing to admit when he’d been had… and he most definitely had been just a few minutes ago. Seeing her underwear was near the bottom of the list for things to expect from Haruno Sakura. Now the question was this: had it been an act of desperation or was she more unpredictable than he’d thought? There was certainly enough evidence to support either scenario, though admittedly he would have preferred the first.

His concentration on the pink haired girl’s motives was broken as Genma nudged his side and muttered, “So, what’s the progress on the mission anyway?”

Kakashi shrugged, scratching his hand through his hair idly. “Not much,” he admitted in an equally quiet tone. He swirled the whiskey coated ice cubes in his glass slowly, watching the light reflect off of them in rich yellow hues.

Genma arched a brow and nodded slowly, the toothpick twirling between his teeth as he considered the brief response. “Still no idea what she’s after then, huh? It appears your little cherry’s a bit harder to pick than you thought.”

“That was a really bad pun, by the way.”

“Oh, right, like you’re one to complain about bad puns. That’s real rich! And stop changing the subject.”

“Commenting on the fact that your pun was particularly awful this time is not changing the subject,” Kakashi stated tersely before eying the man next to him from head to toe. “Do you happen to have a spare ryo on you?”

Genma’s eyes narrowed suspiciously as he too gave Kakashi a once-over. “Maybe. Why?” he hedged.

“Can I borrow it for a quick second?”

“Hell, no!”

“I’ll give it right back, I promise.”

Snorting derisively, the brown haired man shook his head and pulled the toothpick from his mouth to point at Kakashi threateningly. Even if it wasn’t the usual senbon, Shiranui Genma had the talent for making anything thin and slightly pointy into a dangerous weapon. “The last time I gave you a damn coin you pocketed it and pretended you’d dropped it on the street. I am not that gullible, you thieving son of a bitch.”

Kakashi sighed, his lips twisting in aggravation at the other man’s paranoia. That had been a one time thing… and Genma was carrying on like he did it all the time. Giving the other man an appraising look, he said in a low, confidential tone, “I’ll let you borrow the most recent edition of Kama Kunoichi.”

Genma’s eyes widened considerably at the offer. “Are you serious?” he breathed out in awe.

He nodded once, waiting to see what the other man would decide to do.

A ryo was slapped onto the bar top and Kakashi collected it with a pleased smirk. “Swing by tomorrow morning, okay? And don’t even think about earmarking the pages this time.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it,” Genma retorted with an irritable flick of his fingers. “So, what’d you want the ryo for anyway?”

Without answering, Kakashi flipped the coin neatly into air and said, “Call it.”

“Tails.”

Kakashi caught the coin and pressed it down on the counter once again. Genma was leaning in far too close as he pulled his palm from the circular disc, just as eager to find out what the result was. When it was revealed, Kakashi nodded and muttered, “Okay,” before he handed the ryo back to Genma.

Genma pocketed the money once again, a confused crease forming between his brows. “What did you just flip for?”

Chuckling to himself, Kakashi raised his glass to his lips and said, “That’s for me to know.” He emptied his glass in one swallow and stood, clapping a hand to Genma’s shoulder. “Thanks for the drink.”

He headed back over to the waiting women, ignoring Genma’s outraged calls for him to get back there and settle up the tab. It would be hard to settle a bar tab when he only had about half of what the whiskey cost anyway.


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Sakura had no idea what time it was when they finally left Omajinai, but she did know that it was really late (or really early, depending on how one chose to look at it) and Genma was drunk. As in stumbling aimlessly, mumbling snatches of songs that made no sense and laughing every time Shizune told him he was being absurd. His toothpick had disappeared long ago and his eyes were so glassed over it was a miracle he was even conscious still. At one point, after they’d all decided that they’d had enough pool for the evening, Genma had demanded loudly that they play darts… to which Kakashi then quickly suggested they get him home instead.

And that was where they were now headed; to Genma and Shizune’s apartment. The drunken man was practically being dragged between his lover and Kakashi, with Sakura bringing up the rear just in case either of them started losing their grip. A soft misting of rain fell from the sky, just barely dampening her hair, but the heavy dark clouds she could see against the grayish sky threatened to turn it into a downpour any minute. Sakura sighed wistfully and made a vain wish for the bright red umbrella just inside her doorway.

“How far a walk is it?” she asked as they left the Entertainment District and headed deeper into the older section of Konoha.

“It’s about five blocks from here,” Shizune answered, her voice a little strained from having to keep Genma’s nearly dead weight up. “And then it’s up four flights of stairs.”

So… a little over a mile or so of walking in the rain with a barely conscious drunk man. Sakura made a mental note never to get drunk. It was too much of a hassle on her friends. As much as she wanted to try and bow out for her own bed, she knew she couldn’t do that. They would more than likely need her help getting him up the stairs, seeing as his feet had a tendency to get tangled together. She felt very sorry for his new students tomorrow. As if it wasn’t bad enough that they had to meet their new team leader on a Saturday, he was going to show up hung over and more than likely cranky.

By the time they reached the building Shizune and Genma lived in, the rain was now hard enough to soak her clothing and make her shiver at its coolness. Kakashi was saying meaningless, encouraging things to Genma in order to coax the other man into attempting the four short steps that led to the door of the building. Genma was mumbling something about leaving him outside, but neither of his supports were listening to him.

Sakura spared a glimpse at the building, curious to see how it compared with her own. The architecture as well as the worn façade certainly showed the age of the building, which was pressed so closely to the ones around it that privacy without heavy blinds and curtains was impossible. Overhead, there was a maze of laundry lines stretched between the buildings across the street and the one they were now entering, devoid of all clothing. An intercom was to the left of the scarred, worn door with names printed on white strips by the buttons. It was too dark out to read off the names of the residents, not that she really needed to anyway. The only people she knew here were Shizune and Genma.

A row of metal mail boxes covered in scuffs, dings and dents was to the right as they entered the dimly lit lobby area. Sakura’s eyes dropped to study the tiled floor, noting that the lotus blossom pattern was marred by chipped and missing ceramic squares. The stairs were narrow, made of wood that squeaked with each step and seemed to extend higher than she knew it actually went. As the trudged upward with the still singing drunk man, she observed that several spindles had been broken out from the stair railing, most likely from people doing exactly what they were now.

It was eerily quiet as they walked by the closed doors of the apartments, Kakashi shushing Genma whenever the man’s voice carried a little louder than was polite for whatever time it was. The only things to be heard were the gentle, electric buzz of the overhead lights and the occasional murmur of a television that had been left on. A baby was crying on the floor below them, the sound carrying through the thin walls as easily as if it were in the hallway.

She wouldn’t go so far as to say the building was a dump, seeing as it was about a hundred times nicer than Naruto’s place, but it wasn’t exactly pristine either. Sakura stepped forward to hold Genma up as Shizune fished a key from the barely conscious man’s pocket.

“Got him?” Kakashi asked as he adjusted his grip to accommodate for the difference in their height.

“Yeah,” Sakura replied, fueling just a bit of chakra into her arms and shoulders to brace her muscles under the added weight of Genma.

“Sakura-chan is a lot stronger than she looks, Kakashi-san,” Shizune said as she hurried to unlock the door for them. She grunted as she used the handle to lift the door and slide it back along metal tracks. The resulting screech made Sakura wince quickly before she and Kakashi were moving through the door with a leaden Genma between them.

Shizune flicked on a light, illuminating an apartment that didn’t match its exterior in the least. Sakura was still gaping in awe when the older woman came and relieved her of Genma’s extra weight. “I can take him from here, Kakashi-san,” she said as she braced her legs. “You’ve already done too much and I don’t want to keep you and Sakura-chan any longer than is necessary.”

“It’s no trouble,” Kakashi insisted, still keeping his hold on the lolling man. “Are we dumping him on the bed or in the bathroom?”

Genma mumbled something that sounded vaguely like ‘asshole’ as Shizune laughingly replied, “The bed, if you don’t mind. He’s going to have a rough day as it is without falling asleep curled up in the bath tub.”

Kakashi chuckled and hefted more of Genma’s weight against his side. “Straight back and to the left, right?”

“Yes, thank you. Sakura-chan, please make yourself at home. I won’t keep Kakashi-san much longer, I promise.”

“Okay,” Sakura replied distractedly as she peered curiously around the place. The other two headed across the room and down a short, dark hallway, dragging Genma between them and talking softly.

Sakura wandered a little further into the place, her heels clicking a lightly on the pale yellow hardwood that covered every inch of the floor for as far as she could see. The living room was easily much larger than hers and though it was sparsely furnished every piece that was in it screamed fine quality. A large, L shaped sofa took up a good portion of the space. Another sectional piece and a chair were on the other side, effectively forming a square of seating in front of the entertainment unit. With the exception of the vermillion chair, everything in the room was a rich cream color with silver and black accents. Obviously they weren’t planning to have children any time soon.

The kitchen was off to her right, a rectangular hole having been cut into the wall that separated it from the rest of the living room to let her peek in. From what she could tell of the stools lined up at the counter the wall window supported, the color scheme of deep red, cream and silver continued through that room as well.

She wandered curiously into the living room, eyes scanning over the entertainment unit that took up an entire wall. It was made entirely of glass with highly polished stainless steel beams and thicker, black lacquered shelves to support the heavier pieces inside it. There was no question it had been custom made for the space. Sakura’s eyes widened as she noticed the rows upon rows of CDs located just underneath a very expensive looking sound system. Whoa… The only time she’d ever seen this much music in one place was when she went to a music store.

She had just crouched down to check out what sort of music the couple had when Kakashi emerged from further back in the apartment. “Ready to go?” he asked as he wandered over to her.

Nodding, Sakura straightened and motioned toward the enormous collection of albums with an embarrassed little smile. “I was just looking at their CDs,” she explained as she followed him toward the door. “I didn’t know Shizune-san liked music that much.”

“Actually, I’d say that’s more Genma than Shizune,” Kakashi replied, pausing outside the entryway to jerk the door sharply closed. Once again, that horrible screeching sound filled the air and Sakura cringed in sympathy for any neighbors woken up by it. “He’s a little obsessed, if you ask me.”

“This coming from the man who carries a pornographic book with him everywhere,” she countered wryly, taking the hand he held out to her without any hesitation.

Kakashi chuckled and squeezed her hand. “That’s different. Besides, I don’t have Icha Icha on me tonight.”

Feigning a horrified gasp, Sakura covered her mouth with her free hand as they walked down the stairs together. “No! The world must be coming to an end!”

“So not only am I deadly dull and completely unremarkable but now I’m a sign of the apocalypse?”

Sakura laughed at his joke and released his hand in favor of giving him a one armed hug around the waist. “You should take it as a compliment,” she teased back. “Bringing about the end of the world is a pretty godlike ability.”

“Then what you’re really saying is that I’m godlike.” Kakashi nodded, his eyebrows raised in pleasant surprise. “Now I know why I keep asking you out.”

Her laughter over his response died the minute he opened the door that led outside and she saw that the heavens had indeed unleashed their fury on Konoha. It wasn’t the heaviest downpour she’d ever seen… but she was going to be absolutely drenched by the time she got back to her place. And poor Kakashi was going to be worse than soaked once he walked her to her place before going to his. She didn’t really know where he lived, but she did know it wasn’t anywhere near her apartment.

Not wanting to put him through that, Sakura turned to him and pressed a hand to his chest. “Listen, why don’t I just walk myself home tonight?” she offered, trying to ignore the feel of his muscles shifting beneath her palm. “I don’t think the perverts will be out tonight and I’d hate for you to catch a cold just for seeing me home.”

“I have a better idea.” With those words and a pleasant twinkle in his eye, Kakashi pulled from behind his back… a lime green umbrella. “You’d be surprised at how relentless some perverts can be.”

Laughing as he snapped the umbrella open neatly and held it over the both of them, Sakura asked, “How did you get that?”

“Well, it was a very dangerous and complicated procedure. The details would only bore you,” he replied merrily, his arm slipping around her shoulders and tucking her closer to his side in order to keep them both under the umbrella.

“… You stole it from Genma and Shizune, didn’t you?”

“There’s a good possibility some theft was involved, yes.”

“Some?” she repeated with an incredulous snicker. “Try the entire operation was nothing but theft!”

Shrugging, Kakashi removed his arm from around her and reached as if to close the contraption. “I’ll just return this then, seeing as it’s offensive to your morals.”

Sakura grabbed his wrist and heaved his arm over her shoulder once again, grinning at the raised brow he directed back. “I’m not that opposed to you being a clepto.”

“Oh, good. I really didn’t relish the idea of walking without it.”

She snuggled closer to him as her skin prickled in response to the cold rain. How it was possible for him to maintain body heat in this weather was beyond her, but she was going to exploit it for all it was worth. Kakashi’s arm tightened around her as they walked, his hand rubbing down her arm briskly to try and stimulate some warmth back into her chilled skin. “Picked a hell of an evening to wear this dress, huh?” she commented wryly as they sidestepped a large puddle in the middle of the street.

“You won’t ever hear me complain about you wearing it,” Kakashi answered. “It’s a very nice dress.”

Craning her neck so that she could flash a triumphant grin at him, Sakura said, “Yeah, I noticed how much you liked it back at Omajinai.”

“That, by the way, gave a whole new definition to the phrase ‘dirty pool’. Although… I am a bit disappointed.”

… What. Sakura regarded him with a steady, unamused glare. “Why?” she drawled while trying to decide how best to make him cry. How dare he say he was disappointed in her underwear. She didn’t go flashing it around to just anyone!

“Mm-hmm,” he affirmed, nodding slightly. “Stars and stripes don’t really match, do they?”

It took her a moment before she understood what he was saying, but when she did she slapped her freehand over her eyes and groaned as heat flared across her cheeks. Somehow during the night, the bastard had not only seen her panties but had snuck a peek down her bodice, too. “This is the last time I ever wear something like this for you,” she swore vehemently. “It’s high necked, baggy shirts and sweatpants from now on.”

“I’m fine with that. There’s this one scene in Icha Icha Tactics where the girl is wandering around her room in sweatpants and-,”

“Stop. Just… stop. I don’t want to know anymore.”

“But I haven’t even told you about how she–,”

“If you ever expect me to go out with you again, you won’t finish that.”

Kakashi didn’t so much as make a peep, which both amused her and made her feel very proud at the same time. She hadn’t been serious about not seeing him again if he continued with his story (because of Tsunade’s bet, of course) but it was nice that he’d done as she’d asked regardless. It was a silent admission that he really did want to see her again, which also meant her plan was working. That was right up there with his awesome pool scratch as far as ‘best date moments’ went.

“You know,” she said slowly, leaning her head against his upper chest. She could just make out the steady, even rhythm of his heart from this angle and smiled. “In a way, I’m kinda glad I killed the chicken a second time.”

“Oh?” His hand had stopped rubbing her arm in favor of combing through her hair gently, his fingers brushing along the side of her neck in the process and making her shiver.

She nodded, her cheek rubbing on the thick, ribbed texture of his shirt as she adjusted her arm around his waist. “It was a lot of fun, and not just because you missed such an easy shot either.”

“In my defense, I was a little… distracted,” he replied dryly, tugging a lock of her hair in retaliation.

Sakura giggled, grabbing his wrist to prevent him from pulling on her hair any further. “A little? Kakashi, I had to go digging underneath those nasty benches just to get the ball back!”

“Like I said, a little distracted.”

Snorting, she rolled her eyes at him and fired back, “If that’s a little distracted, I’d hate to see what happens when you’re completely distracted.”

“If that ever happened… all hell would break loose,” he supplied, his eyes creasing happily when she laughed.

She nudged his hip with her own, almost causing him to walk right through a puddle. “That godlike comment was a joke, you know. You shouldn’t let it go to your head.”

He gave a heavy, sad sigh, his shoulder slumping further. “There goes the sorely needed boost to my confidence,” he muttered.

Instead of feeling sorry for him though, Sakura laughed once again while shoving his chest playfully. “You do not need a boost to your confidence,” she exclaimed. “You’re probably one of the most self-assured people I know.”

Kakashi laughed softly under his breath at the compliment and hugged her. “There is one thing though that I regret about our evening,” he said, his words ruffling through her hair.

Sakura arched away from him, her brow furrowed with worry. “What’s that?” she asked, her stomach clenching a little. Crap… he hadn’t been amused by her making him miss, had he? Damn it, she’d thought Kakashi was the sort of man to let things like that go! Ino had always said she needed to let the guys win…

“I was really looking forward to those homemade cookies you said were in your freezer.”

She blinked in surprise, totally unprepared for that response as well as the accompanying eye creasing. A shy smile touched the corners of her lips as she offered quietly, “They’re still in the freezer… if you… wanna come up.” The little voice in her head nearly fainted from shock that she’d actually suggested he go back up to her apartment for a second time. If he didn’t think she was looking to get him in bed before, he surely had to think so now.

And then, of course, there was the fact that her roommate was probably home already. That was when she began to panic that he actually might take her up on the offer.

To her relief, all Kakashi did was tuck her hair behind her ear tenderly and say, “As much as I’d like to, it’s a little late for cookies.”

“Oh, right,” she blurted out quickly, shifting her gaze to watch their feet as they walked. “I forgot that you’ve just gotten home. You’re probably beyond exhausted now.”

“Not beyond it, but pretty much on the edge. If it weren’t raining, I’d probably find a nice tree to camp out in right now,” he replied.

“Why settle for a tree when there’s a park bench just over there?” she teased, pointing across his body to the make-shift bed in question.

“No, I did that once. Got woken up way too early by morning joggers.”

She laughed lightly and nodded in understanding. “I can see how morning joggers would be counterproductive to sleeping on a park bench.”

Kakashi shuddered, the visible half of his face scrunching painfully as if recalling some awful, long forgotten memory. “It was the most horrible thing in the world,” he deadpanned. “Stick thin legs, shorts that were slowly being eaten by their ass… terrible.”

“Aw, you poor, poor man,” Sakura crooned while rubbing her hand soothingly across his chest and stomach. “Now I’ll have to make you cookies just to counter the psychological trauma.”

“Cookies are what my therapist said I needed,” Kakashi continued solemnly as he came to a stop.

Sakura picked her head up from where it was resting on him to see why he’d stopped walking and her heart sank a little when she realized they were now outside her apartment building. Clearing her throat, Sakura let go of him and shifted awkwardly, her fingers fidgeting with her damp dress as she looked anywhere but at him. “So… I guess this is goodbye then,” she mumbled.

“Goodbye has a very permanent ring to it,” he answered, his free hand catching one of hers to play with her fingers.

Smiling softly, she glanced at him through loose pieces of her hair and said, “But it’s too late for good night.”

“I’ll settle for a good morning.”

Her smile widened a little as she reclaimed the distance between them. “Good morning,” she whispered, rising onto her tiptoes in order to kiss him.

Kakashi stopped her by placing a finger on her lips. “Hold on a moment,” he said, his voice soft and deliciously low. “I need you to do me a favor.”

Knowing that this favor probably had everything to do with getting a kiss off of him, Sakura sank back onto her heels and tilted her head expectantly. When he took her hand and put the umbrella into it, she blinked in confusion. This feeling intensified when he ordered, “Put your other hand behind your back.”

“Like this?” she questioned as she pressed the back of her free hand to the base of her spine, holding the umbrella awkwardly over the both of them.

“Yes, that’s perfect.” Then, before she could even think to ask why she was doing this, he bent lower and kissed her.

Sakura’s heart stopped for a brief moment in shock, but it made up for the missed beats by pounding more quickly in her chest. A soft sound came from her, almost like a moan but not quite, as she felt his cloth covered lips moving firmly against her mouth, making her insides feel like they were melting in a pleasant glow. Slowly, the hand she had behind her back began to creep forward, inching up along his stomach to his chest in an attempt to curl behind his neck.

She gasped in surprise against his mouth when he suddenly grabbed her wrist in one hand and returned it behind her back, effectively pressing her tightly to his chest. “Uh-uh,” he chided, the words murmuring across the corner of her mouth. The feel of his lips moving on hers while he spoke made her gasp again, this time because of the way her stomach clenched hard. “This time, you’re keeping your hands to yourself.”

“Pervert,” she grumbled, even as a thrill of excitement wound its way through her over the firm pressure of his hand around her wrist. She squirmed, unsure whether she wanted to mold herself even tighter to his front or try and push away from him. Her actions stopped when his fingers flexed against her arm in silent warning.

She felt movement beneath his mask and could tell from it that he was smiling. It was an interesting sensation, to say the least, feeling his smile rather than seeing it. “You like it,” he countered, causing her breath to catch as his lips brushed over hers lightly.

“Do not,” she whispered automatically, shuddering as a sharp pang stabbed through her. It was hard to describe what exactly it felt like. In a way, it reminded her of the time she’d wished for nothing more than to be on the same team as Sasuke. It was a sort of intense yearning, one that made her feel lightheaded and wonderful at the same time.

Kakashi drew back and she very nearly followed him in order to maintain the kiss. Her breath was thin and shuddering as his mouth traced her jaw until he reached the area just underneath her ear. A gasp tore from her when he nuzzled her neck, his breath hot as it stroked over her chilled skin. “Then why’s your heart beating so fast?” he whispered.

This time, she most definitely did groan, a sound she tried to smother against his shoulder. Very quickly, the voice that was reminding her to keep her head and not get distracted was being beaten into a fuzzy, subconscious pulp as her body demanded she get closer, focus only on his mouth as it returned to hers. She was barely aware of her uttering his name, the sound of her voice breathless and almost unrecognizable to her own ears.

His mouth was shifting against hers again, trying to get her to do something without the use of words. Hesitantly, Sakura parted her lips… and nearly had her knees buckle out from under her when she felt his mouth close over her lower lip to suck it lightly through the dark cotton of his mask.

Oh…. dear… god… It was too much. The need to touch him was overwhelming, almost as much as what he’d just done to her. She felt hot all over, her skin practically itching for more contact. Sakura felt the warmth begin to settle in her lower stomach, centering in… certain areas.

It was then that she realized what this emotion was; desire. He was, to put it bluntly, turning her on.

That was the sort of shock she needed to snap herself out of the Kakashi-induced trance she’d gone into. Sakura tore her mouth away from his with a startled gasp, breathing hard as she turned wide, amazed eyes up at him.

Almost immediately at her reaction, Kakashi released her wrist and put a little distance between them. A muddled flare of emotions flickered so quickly through his eye she couldn’t even begin to decipher what was there. Neither of them said anything as the rain continued to pour around them, Sakura vainly trying to control both her breathing and her shaking body.

Finally, it was Kakashi who broke the fragile tension with a sigh as he rubbed a hand across his face wearily. “I better get going,” he said, sticking his hands in his pockets as he glanced toward the rapidly lightening sky. “I’m sorry.”

“D-Don’t be,” she stammered, forcing herself to smile and laugh. “It was…”

“A little too intense?” he offered, an understanding look on his face.

Sakura was about to agree with his assessment but stopped and instead replied, “No, that’s not it. It was… I liked it. Really.”

Her admission seemed to catch him off guard, judging by the way his eyebrows shot up. “I see,” he drawled thoughtfully. Sakura’s eyes fluttered closed as he cupped a palm to her cheek, carefully brushing back a few stray hairs as he once again kissed her. It was softer this time and very brief, and the contrast between this kiss and the one before it had her curling her hands into fists to keep from grabbing the front of his shirt.

Sakura’s eyes opened as he withdrew again, giving her cheek one final caress before he turned and waved over his shoulder. “Good morning, Sakura,” he called back before rounding the corner of her street and disappearing from sight.

She remained standing in the predawn light with the rain falling on her for a few minutes, her fingers rubbing her lower lip without her being conscious of the action. Sighing, Sakura turned and entered her apartment building, her mind still reeling from everything that had just happened. There was no way she was going to tell Ino about that kiss. Her roommate would have a field day over her being turned on by the man she was targeting to seduce.