Stripped Bare

Hey guys. I bring you chapter 2.

As always, this fic is rated M and I don’t own the characters in it.

Thanks a ton to Cynchick, Serenanna and RainbowMoonGoddess. I feel like I have my own support group!

XXXXX

Stripped Bare-Chapter 2

Just as Sakura predicted, the alarm went off far too early the next day. The sun was just beginning to peek over the hills and when she looked out her window, she was greeted with a beautiful expanse of blue-gray sky, the fluffy white clouds painted vibrant pink in the morning light.

She would have enjoyed the view a lot more if the rising sun didn’t signify possibly the most dreaded mission she had ever had. She dragged her feet as she gathered everything she would need into her pack, forgoing her red hitai-ate since she would be acting as a civilian on this mission. She tossed in her hairbrush after running it through her pink locks, knowing that a full day of travel would mean a tangled mess before she would have the chance to comb it out again.

She had let her hair grow long over the past year or so and it now reached the middle of her back. It didn’t get in the way so much, now that she spent more time sitting at a patient’s side and healing them with chakra than fighting enemies in hand to hand combat. If she had known she would be taking a mission that required long periods of travel, she might have thought about cutting it again but there was no time for that now. She settled for plaiting it into a single long braid before going to her closet and trying to find something that didn’t scream she was a shinobi.

She settled on light brown pants and a gray wrap-around top that looked like a shortened version of a yukata. She had a few full length ones but didn’t wear them often because they restricted her movement. Even if she was going to be a civilian, she didn’t want to have to take tiny steps all the way to Fujin Machi.

She knew she should probably eat but her frayed nerves manifesting themselves as butterflies in her stomach made food sound unappealing. She opted to grab an extra granola bar on her way out the door, figuring she would eat it while waiting around for Kakashi. Despite Tsunade’s warning, he was bound to be ridiculously late anyway.

XXXXX

When she saw her mission partner’s slender form leaning casually against the bridge’s red railing, she was surprised to say the least. She hadn’t expected her sensei to be on time, let alone be early.

‘So much for eating’, she thought, as she walked towards him, dragging her feet just a little.

The fact that he had beat her to the meeting spot not only meant she wouldn’t be eating breakfast, but also that she wouldn’t have time to prepare what she was going to say to him. Even though she had been around this man for years, training with him and trusting him with her life completely, she suddenly felt awkward and uneasy in his presence and even though she knew it was wholly attributed to her own nerves concerning the trip they were about to depart on, she couldn’t banish her trepidation.

“Good morning Kakashi-senpai,” she said as she approached, noting that he didn’t have his nose buried in one of his disgusting books. Perhaps he had a lot on his mind as well.

“Morning, Sakura-chan,” he replied, giving her a wave and an eye crease.

What was usually a simple greeting already had Sakura’s mind racing with what her mission would entail. The sight of his hands encased in fingerless gloves made her wonder how many pairs of large, grubby hands would be on her naked skin, and that single dark eye of his would be resting on her practically nude form once they got to the club. The thought made her heart beat hard enough she wondered if his acute hearing might pick it up.

She shook her head to clear the images and tried to get a grip. If she was this jittery while still in Konoha, she had already failed if she couldn’t get herself under control.

“Ready to go?” he asked and she nodded silently, afraid her voice might betray the panic she felt.

“Alright, let’s go,” Kakashi said, turning and walking towards the village gates with Sakura following behind.

“While in Fire Country, we’ll travel as shinobi since the risk of encountering enemies is low and we’ll make better time,” he instructed as Sakura adjusted her pack on her back. “Once we get to the edge of Fire territory, we’ll assume the guise of civilians for the rest of the trip and you will under no circumstances do anything that betrays your identity. Understood?”

Sakura sighed, a small pout forming on her lips. Of course she understood. It’s not like she had never pretended to be a civilian before. She was to act like any other helpless female which meant no fighting, no jutsu and no healing. She would hate it, but she would do it.

“Yes, I understand,” she said, exasperation taking the place of dread in her voice and Kakashi chuckled at her annoyance.

“Ok. Then let’s push as hard as we can while we travel through the trees since the rest of the journey we will be forced to move slowly.”

The kunoichi didn’t argue as they passed through the giant green gates and into the lush forest that encompassed their village. When he took to the treetops, she was right behind him, summoning chakra to her legs to boost her powerful jump and sending her into the leafy heights after her sensei.

XXXXX

Kakashi knew broaching the topic of her training would not be an easy one, but they had been traveling for nearly half an hour and she hadn’t uttered a word since they left the village. A thick and uncomfortable silence had settled around them, broken only by the wind rushing past their ears and their sandaled feet making contact with tree branches. He had expected the vibe between the two of them to be different than when they had been on missions together in the past with Naruto and Sasuke, but he hadn’t expected her to clam up completely. It was becoming apparent that she wasn’t about to initiate conversation about anything and so he would have to make the first move.

He slowed up slightly so she could catch up and travel with him side by side and even in his peripheral vision, he could see her mouth was set in a grim line and her eyes carefully focused on the trees ahead, avoiding him at all costs.

“Sakura,” he began, dropping the affectionate surname he usually had for her. “I think it’s time we start your training for this mission.”

She wanted to groan in frustration. They hadn’t even been traveling for an hour and he was already prepared to humiliate her. Then again, she supposed she shouldn’t have been all that surprised. He had always been something of a hardass instructor.

“Kakashi, we’re traveling at full speed,” she said irritably. “I don’t think that’s exactly ideal conditions for me taking my clothes off.”

Well, that was a great way to start the mission. She was already on the defensive and they hadn’t even begun.

“I wasn’t going to ask that of you,” he said patiently, keeping his eyes ahead as well so as not to miss the next branch. “I simply want to talk with you and get you mentally prepared for what you will face. Please understand that I don’t want to embarrass you but it is my duty to prepare you for future challenges. Even if it’s difficult, I expect a positive attitude from you otherwise this will be much harder than it needs to be. Got it?” he said in a stern tone he hadn’t had to use on her for years.

His lecture seemed to take some of the fight out of her and her voice was slightly less harsh when she answered.

“Yeah, I got it.”

“Good. Now, when you are dancing, chances are, several men will offer you large amounts of money to take them into the back and give them some…er…private attention,” he said, trying to find the least graphic way to put it. “In these situations, it is essential you maintain control, otherwise they will almost certainly attempt to take advantage of you.”

Sakura nodded impatiently as she sprung into the air from a moss covered branch.

“I know that, but I can keep them in line.”

Kakashi fought to keep from sighing. Sakura was acting every part of the typical stubborn teenager but he would have to get this information through her thick head somehow.

“That’s just the thing Sakura. You can’t you use brute force to get them to behave. You will have to use sensuality and cunning to control them because not only do you want them to keep their hands to themselves, but this will also be the best opportunity to get information from anyone we deem suspicious.”

“Ok, so I just have to be sexy while I ask the questions,” she said flatly, making it apparent she was only having this conversation because it was required and wasn’t enjoying it one bit.

“No, there’s more to it,” he said. “You can’t just throw out random questions and expect to get what you need. While some men will be brainless thugs, others will be smart and keep their guard up even when alone with you. You’ll have to make small talk with them and lull them into a false sense of security, asking trivial questions while sneaking in ones that matter.”

He glanced over at the pink haired woman to make sure she was listening, and while her eyes were still fixed on the trees in front of her, she was nodding in response to what he was saying. Apparently she had dropped the defensive act for a bit.

“However,” he continued, “the most important thing is to be completely confident in yourself, both while dancing on stage and in the back rooms. Men are like animals and can tell when you’re scared or insecure and you must not let yourself be intimidated.”

That was something Sakura had learned long ago in battle and it made sense that it would apply here as well. But asking her to be fearless while so utterly exposed wouldn’t be so simple.

“That will be easier said than done,” she said sourly. “I would like to see you put on a G-string and act like you’re perfectly comfortable.”

Kakashi frowned, trying to dispel from his head both the frightening image of himself in a throng and the strangely foreign one of Sakura in similar attire.

“Being an exotic dancer means you have to be completely comfortable in your own skin,” he continued, “I don’t care what it takes for you to achieve that but it’s something you have to do. Modesty is something you can’t afford to have while you’re working and the men you seduce will pounce on you if you show signs of weakness in front of them.”

Sakura nodded, her trepidation heightened by his speech rather than eased. She seldom looked at herself naked in the mirror unless it was purely for assessment. She had never been one to dance around her room alone, exploring her own sensuality as Ino had claimed once to do. She was started to wish she had even though she knew she would feel utterly foolish doing so.

“You also need to be in touch with your own sensuality and sexuality. These will be your too greatest weapons and they need to be sharply honed.”

Kakashi never thought he would be having this conversation with a former student, especially a female and the conversation was growing increasingly awkward. What had once been purely a teacher to student relationship was being thrown out of whack since he was now obligated to teach her about the much more mature subject of sex, a task he had never asked for and did not desire. Yet here he was, wracking his brain for the right words to say to enlighten Sakura in the least graphic way.

The kunoichi scoffed at his previous remark and he could hear the slight bitterness that crept into her voice.

“That might be a little hard for me. I don’t have any sensuality.”

Kakashi chuckled softly as he watched her lips form a pout.

“Sure you do. Every woman has the potential to be sensual, they just have to find it, though each is wholly unique,” he said, remembering quite vividly certain encounters he’d had when women carrying several extra pounds or having faces that were less than beautiful had still managed to ooze appeal, attracting men by how they moved and spoke. If a pretty thing like Sakura could master her own way of drawing men to her, it could be quite possible that she could have her pick of any man she wanted to bring into that back room, which was exactly what they wanted for this mission to run smoothly.

“Well…even if that’s true, I certainly don’t have any of the second one,” Sakura said softly enough that the rushing wind almost carried her words away. “I haven’t even had...”

Sakura trailed off but the Jounin was pretty sure he already knew the rest of the sentence.

“Haven’t had sex?” he finished, and one glance over at her beet red face confirmed it. “Yes, I thought that might be the case.”

“That makes me a freak doesn’t it?” she said, almost sadly and Kakashi could imagine how hard this must be for her. It was no secret that she had been patiently holding out in all things sexual, hoping the last Uchiha would finally come around and be the one to relieve her of her innocence in a tender and passionate night of love. However, Sasuke was anything but tender and passionate and certainly hadn’t shown any more attraction to her than he had when he was twelve, and the kunoichi spent so much time working that any knight in shining armor that might have come along would have had to scale hospital walls before sweeping her off her feet. It was sad really. Sakura was extremely bright and had such a loving heart. She really did deserve someone to give her the fairytale she dreamed of but it was common knowledge that shinobi didn’t get happy endings.

“You’re not a freak,” Kakashi said sincerely, “although it is unusual for a kunoichi your age to still have her virginity. I suppose we’ll have to make the most of it and work on your acting skills.”

Even as the cool wind whipped over her face, Sakura could feel her cheeks burning hotly. How could he be so casual about the topic? His voice was so calm that he could be talking about what he had for lunch yesterday, although she supposed that most shinobi were quite a bit more casual when it came to sex, having so many partners that they eventually lost count.

She shifted her eyes over to her teacher as she bounded from another branch and wondered just how many women Kakashi had been with in his time. Ten? Twenty? He seemed to know a lot about the art of stripping and she wondered if that was because of all the books he read or if he had frequented that many clubs. Or perhaps he had finally unraveled the mystery that was the female persona and knew how to get into their heads and explain their ways of thinking. If that was the case, then Kakashi was certainly a man to be reckoned with and no girl he pursued would even have a chance of resistance.

The second she realized she was wondering about her sensei’s sex life, her blush immediately flared. She tried to push all those thoughts away and lock them deep in her mind so they couldn’t resurface. Just what the hell was wrong with her anyways? She couldn’t think about Kakashi like that. It was just too weird.

A few more minutes of silence passed between them and just when Sakura had hoped he would finally leave her in peace, he spoke again.

“So, you haven’t had sex,” he said, sounding at first like he was almost talking to himself before he asked, “If you don’t mind me asking Sakura, what exactly have you done?”

Oh gods, was he really asking her this? This couldn’t be happening. This could not be happening. This—oh shit.

So unnerved was she by his question that she had lost her footing on the branch she had just landed on, her sandaled feet slipping on the mossy bark and she toppled forwards towards the forest floor below.

She tried to twist her body around so she would land on her feet but she had become slightly disoriented, not quite knowing which was up and was well on her way to falling flat on her back. She would have been in for a nasty spill if two strong arms hadn’t caught her effortlessly.

Emerald eyes blinked in surprise as she found herself safely cradled against Kakashi’s chest, one arm supporting her behind her bent knees and the other around her shoulders. She couldn’t remember him having to save her like this since she was a mere Genin and she chalked it up as one more thing to be embarrassed about.

“Are you all right?” he asked with genuine concern, knowing Sakura was far too skilled to be making such a trivial mistake. They had hardly been traveling more than an hour so her chakra reserves should be near full.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she huffed, purposely avoiding looking into his single dark eye that was currently looking at her critically. “The moss was just slippery, that’s all.”

Kakashi didn’t buy her excuse for a second but let it slide as he gently set her down on her own two feet.

“Do you need a break?” he asked, not caring that such a question would probably wound her pride a little. They should have been able to go at least a couple more hours at top speed before needing to rest.

Sakura was just about to open her mouth in an angry retort, telling him that she was perfectly fine and to quit asking already when her stomach let out a noisy gurgle that sounded painfully loud in the quiet forest.

She went rigid, just as startled as her partner who was looking at her quizzically. She could feel the blood rush to her face and wondered if her skin would ever be its normal color again.

“Let me eat something real quick and then we can get back on the road,” she muttered as she took off her pack and searched through one of the pockets for the granola bar she had stuffed inside earlier.

“You have five minutes,” Kakashi said calmly as he leaned against the nearest tree and pulled out his trusty book.

He was thankful his mask covered the amused twist of his lips because he knew that if she could see it, it would only make her angrier, but her couldn’t help but chuckle at her attempt to act tough, only to have it foiled by an empty belly.

Sakura bit into the crunchy bar savagely, taking out some of her frustrations on the innocent snack. Why couldn’t one thing, just one little thing, go right for her? She was at a disadvantage on this mission from the start and things just seemed to keep stacking up against her. However, she supposed that some good had come from her less than graceful fall out of the trees. In the chaos, she had never actually answered his question regarding just how experienced she was in the sexual realm. As she munched thoughtfully, she sincerely hoped she would never have to.

XXXXX

After their unscheduled break, they had continued to run full tilt through the dense forests of Fire Country for another five hours until Sakura’s calves and quads burned and her feet were sore.

She had no intention of complaining however because she felt she had to make up for her careless mistake earlier that morning. Conversation had been quite a bit lighter after they had resumed their journey, saving their breath instead to lengthen endurance as they both pushed their bodies hard. Sakura had secretly been ecstatic about that particular part.

When Kakashi had finally called for a break, the sun had already passed overhead and Sakura guessed it to be about one or two in the afternoon. She had been more than ready to rest her shaking muscles and get some food into her system and figured Kakashi was hungry as well.

As they ate, he further discussed interrogation tactics with her, explaining how in some situations in was best to ask questions casually, sometimes even flippantly while other times would require firmer, but in her case, still flirtatious approaches.

Much of what he said was review from other general training she had undergone but she was more than happy to listen and ask the occasional question. After all, this was far less personal than their earlier conversation and she was especially grateful for it. She knew she was by no means through with discussing the more intimate topics with Kakashi but she was hoping to delay it as long as possible. After all, it had been some time, years in fact, since this man had been her teacher and once she had started training as Tsunade’s apprentice, she saw him next to never, considering he abhorred hospitals and that was where she always was. It was odd to have the occasional mission together and then not see each other for months and then suddenly be flung together into such a compromising situation. Kakashi hadn’t really changed since he was her teacher, but she had changed a lot, and that made it a little difficult to sort out what their new relationship exactly was.

He was in charge of this mission, clearly making her his subordinate, and yet she would have the biggest role in the operation. He wasn’t really her teacher anymore, but on this mission he was, instructing her in activities far more mature than tree climbing. It was all very confusing, and Sakura Haruno didn’t like being confused and that only added to the long list of things that seemingly were conspiring against her to make certain she would return to Konoha a failure.

After lunch and their brief discussion, they were on the move again, flying through the trees at top speed. Kakashi didn’t attempt to ask her anymore embarrassing questions and Sakura didn’t fall out of any more trees.

She kept her eyes focused on the next branch, scanning the surrounding area with her chakra for any possible threats as she jumped from tree to tree until the sun went down and she lost all track of time.

Her body was starting to throb with the exertion of their travels and she realized that working inside the hospital had perhaps taken the edge off her once razor sharp combat skills and excessive stamina. Practicing in the training fields a couple times a week wasn’t enough to keep herself in shape because she could feel herself becoming weaker with every bound to another branch. Expert medic or not, she simply hadn’t been out of Konoha on a mission in too damn long.

Kakashi could tell she was reaching her limits as he sensed her chakra signature wavering as she began to draw from the last of her reserves. They had at least another day and a half of travel before they would reach Fire Country’s borders and he didn’t want to completely exhaust her the first day.

At the next clearing he saw, he jumped down from the tree tops and landed in a silent crouch on the forest floor. They would make camp here for the night and continue in the morning.

He heard Sakura’s sigh of relief as she landed behind him, obviously glad to be calling it a day. A small smile tugged at his lips as he remembered how she had made the same sounds after traveling a quarter of the distance they had covered today back when team seven was in its infancy. Times certainly had changed.

“How’s your body?” he asked as he moved past her to search for dry branches he could use to start a fire.

The question was completely innocent and as a medic, she should have recognized the question for what it was: an inquiry about the condition her muscles and chakra after traveling at a grueling pace all day. However, that wasn’t the first thing that popped into her head and she found herself blushing again at the thought of Kakashi asking that same question with quite a different connotation, even though she knew that’s not what he meant.

Frowning at her own immaturity, she brushed the dirty thoughts aside and answered him with a surprisingly steady voice.

“I’m fine. I’ll probably be sore tomorrow though.”

Kakashi nodded as he picked a dead branch out of the underbrush.

“Stretch well tonight. We’ll be moving just as fast tomorrow.”

Sakura couldn’t help but smile a little at his words as she braced her hands against the tree she was facing and moved her left leg back to produce a welcome stretch in her calf. He was still a hardass instructor. No doubt about it.

In minutes, Kakashi had gathered enough wood to pile in the center of the clearing and with a simple jutsu, had a fire burning in no time. Sakura sat down near the blaze, basking in the warmth it radiated. It felt good to relax in front of the fire but it didn’t beat a hot shower. After running hard all day, she was covered in a thin sheet of sweat and grime that she probably wouldn’t get to remove for another few days; something else she had grown unaccustomed to while being spoiled behind hospital walls with indoor plumbing.

As she stretched her legs straight out in front of her and pressed her nose to her knees while touching her toes, Kakashi sat down across from her, watching her stretch out her hamstrings through the crackling fire.

He hadn’t talked with her about her mission nearly as much as he had wanted to but there was only so much conversing one could do while running top speed. He was also looking forward to their upcoming conversations about as much as she was, which was not at all.

It was so awkward to talk with a girl who had just recently entered the stage of womanhood about such adult things, especially when that girl was still inherently innocent and a former pupil.

He would have to do it sooner or later though and the sooner he got it over with, the sooner he could stop worrying about it. As much as he wanted to get it out of the way, he knew it was already late and now was not an ideal time. However, there was just one thing he wanted to know now.

“Sakura, you never answered the question I asked you earlier today,” he said as he fished a bag of dried and salted meat out of his pack.

He saw her tense before hesitantly lifting her head and disrupting her stretch.

“And what question would that be?”

She knew what it was. He knew she knew what it was. And she knew he knew she knew what it was, but he humored her anyway.

“You’ve informed me you’re a virgin,” he said, meeting her eyes through the dancing flames of the fire. “But that doesn’t mean you haven’t done…other things.”

Kakashi didn’t really want to describe what “other things” exactly entailed and he figured that if she didn’t already know, that would answer his question anyways. He prayed she already knew.

Well, shit. She thought she had escaped this question but it figured she wouldn’t be off the hook that easily. There would be no distractions like falling out of a tree this time. It was time for more embarrassing conversation. Oh goody.

“Well…” she said, tucking her legs underneath her and placing her hands in her lap, her eyes dropping down and apparently finding her upturned palms incredibly interesting as she refused to meet his glance. “I’ve kissed and stuff.”

‘And stuff’ unfortunately wasn’t going to cut it.

“Could you be a little more specific?” Kakashi inquired, wondering if the rosy glow she had acquired was because of the firelight or from a very prominent blush.

Sakura bit her lip nervously. If he was worried about the mission before, he was really going to sweat when he heard this. Sakura closed her eyes as she spoke the next words.

“You know…hugging…and…handholding.”

For a moment there was no sound except the chirping of the insects in the woods and the crackling of the fire. Sakura cracked open an eye to see if her sensei had abandoned all hope and fled into the woods but he was just sitting their silently, looking at her with an expression she couldn’t decipher thanks to his mask.

“I see,” he said after another painfully silent moment, his voice betraying nothing about how he felt, much to Sakura’s chagrin.

They continued to stare at each other through the curtain of flames, neither moving even when a piece of wood deep within the pile popped and sent a shower of orange sparks into the air.

“So, you’ve never…touched a man anywhere that would be considered…intimate?”

Sakura hung her head, suddenly more ashamed of her chastity than proud of it.

“No.”

“And no man has ever touched you like that?”

‘Like any man would ever want to,’ she thought bitterly before answering a simple “No.”

“And you have never undressed in front of a man in a sensual manner?”

Sakura rolled her eyes. Did he want to know her blood type while he was at it?

“Kakashi, what do you think?” she said, her words carrying a biting edge as she looked up to meet his one-eyed gaze.

“Just humor me.”

“No. I haven’t.”

He could see anger in those green eyes and perhaps a little sadness as well. Sadness at living nineteen years and never knowing a man’s touch, or sadness that when a man finally did touch her, it wouldn’t be a loving caress but the rough grab of a dirty stranger’s hand? He didn’t know for sure and didn’t think he wanted to. All he knew was that she had confirmed this mission would indeed be just as difficult as he had anticipated. He would have to start at the very bottom of things and he wanted some time to sort out his thoughts a little.

“Thank you for being honest with me Sakura,” he said softly as he picked himself off the ground to stand tall…well, as tall as his slouch would allow. “I understand these are not easy questions for you to answer.”

He resisted the urge to reach over and ruffle her hair like he used to, the pink strands looking more orange in the glow of the fire. She was not a child anymore and the sooner he stopped thinking of her like one, the better, especially considering what was waiting for her at the club.

Sakura nodded silently and propped her chin on a knee that was drawn up to her chest. She was staring into the fire silently, her green eyes reflecting the crackling flames and for a moment, he could imagine a similar fire burning deep within her, the flame he had witnessed as a tiny spark when she had first been his student. It had grown under his tutelage and it had raged into a mighty flame as she continued training with Tsunade. That flame was her burning desire to be strong and capable as a kunoichi and later a medic and above all, a person. And that blaze was too willful, too passionate to be the ambition of a girl, but was that of a woman. Perhaps Sakura was more grown up than he thought, and he smiled beneath his mask as he watched her stare unseeing into the fire.

“Get some rest Sakura,” he said calmly, slipping his hands into his pockets. “I’m going to go check the perimeter and then settle down as well. I don’t think we’ll have to worry about many threats this close to home.”

Her eyes flicked from the fire to his lanky form and she gave an almost imperceptible nod.

“Ok, Kakashi-sensei,”

She hadn’t even realized she had slipped back into the habit of calling him her teacher but it didn’t go by the Jounin unnoticed. He turned and walked away to the edge of the clearly, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

When Naruto called him “sensei”, Kakashi felt quite a bit older than his thirty-five years of age, but for some reason, when Sakura had done the same thing just now, he felt a small amount of pride stir in his chest that yes, she was in fact his student. It was true the majority of her improvement had come from Tsunade’s one-on-one tutelage but he had been her first teacher after the academy and she had turned into quite a capable kunoichi…well…capable in some areas anyways. As awkward as it may be, he hoped he could coach her into being proficient in other areas as well, for as her teacher, her successes were his successes and her failures were his to share as well. The entirety of this mission rested on his ability to teach and her ability to apply. In reality, it was quite a lot of pressure, but nothing the former ANBU couldn’t handle. He just hoped she was up for the challenge as well.

XXXXX

Sakura watched Kakashi’s back as he disappeared into the trees beyond the clearing, sighing to herself gently. He was probably going off to curse Tsunade and whatever god had saddled him with the impossible task of teaching her to be a seductress. She couldn’t even remember the last time she even felt sexy, let alone acted it.

She pulled the hair tie from the bottom of her braid and ran her fingers through it until it was falling around face her in waves. She pulled the brush from her pack and began to run it through the long strands while she thought back over the day’s events.

She had never really been that open with anyone before, not with Ino and perhaps not even with herself. She didn’t like to dwell on the fact that she didn’t have the experience that many kunoichi her age did, and while she knew that choosing the path of a ninja meant sacrificing many things, she still held stubbornly onto that storybook ideal that she would find love some day. She had never really pictured a future with that man, and knew she would never have children or a white picket fence. However, she had always imagined that when she at last let a man claim her body, it would be because he already had her heart. This mission was a rude awakening to the realities of being a kunoichi, and how there was no place in her profession for something as whimsical as true love.

Sakura coiled her hair into a tight bun before wrapping the tie around it to make it secure. She pulled out the heavy shawl she was planning to wear once they got into neutral territory and pulled it over herself, tucking the thick material around her shoulders as she curled up next to the fire.

Once again her thoughts turned to Sasuke, the dancing flames reminding her of his fire based attacks. She wanted so badly for him to be the answer to her happy ending. She thought he was everything she wanted in a man, handsome, proud, an elite shinobi…but there was so much darkness in him. Even after he had returned to Konoha with his vengeance complete, there was just something about him that sometimes made her nervous. He had spent too much time in the company of demons and it had changed him in a way that could perhaps never be repaired. She wanted to be the one to heal him, but even after all the medical jutsu she had perfected, there were none that could heal a wound of the heart.

Sakura felt her eyelids growing heavy and allowed herself to succumb to sleep. Sleep seemed like a blissful alternative to reality and her deep and dreamless slumber offered her the refuge she sought, even if only for a little while.

XXXXX

Kakashi finished a wide, circular walk around their makeshift camp and had found nothing unusual. The biggest threat to them at the moment was a small pack of wolves many miles off but he was fairly certain the animals would leave them undisturbed.

Walking around gave him time to think and he had a lot of thoughts to process.

Sakura was a virgin in every sense of the word. She had done nothing but kiss and even then he didn’t imagine it ever got hot and heavy. That would make it not only conceptually more difficult for him to teach her but morally as well. He hated the idea of practically throwing her clean and untouched body to the ravenous beasts lurking in the Fuzen Machi clubs but that was the way it had to be. He would have to make sure she knew how to both subdue and appease them and that was something a little girl most certainly could not do.

Sakura would need every ounce of woman she had in her to make it back from this mission alive.

By now his footsteps had brought him back to the clearing and he could see that Sakura had fallen asleep by the fire.

Quietly, he made his way back over to her smaller form and piled a few more branches onto the flames before taking a seat beside her. In the flickering firelight, he was able to study her carefully now that she was unaware of him doing so.

Her face was still youthful and bright, unmarred by the hard lines that would come with too many frowns. Her skin seemed to glow in the luminous orange light and she certainly looked as innocent as she claimed; a fairytale princess waiting for her prince’s kiss. Kakashi knew better of course, for this particular flower was anything but delicate and packed a punch harder than a fistful of exploding tags.

But even so, could someone like her really pull this off? He couldn’t imagine her adopting the persona of a hardened and jaded club dancer, willing to do anything that gave men their kicks as long as they were willing to pay upfront for it.

Could those big green eyes turn sultry and those feminine fingers beckon for a drooling thug to give her some green and try his luck? Kakashi certainly hoped so because he would be the one instructing her how.

As he watched her sides steadily rise and fall with every breath his eyes were, for some reason, drawn to her lips; lips that were full and pink and looked rather soft, lips that were slightly parted and looked absolutely delectable, like they were soundlessly calling to be kissed.

A woman’s lips.

The thought was gone as soon as it had come, leaving Kakashi incredibly perplexed to where the hell that had come from in the first place, but also gave him a spark of hope. If she had been able to unconsciously light even the tiniest spark of desire in him, maybe there was a chance for her after all. But then he would be left with the conundrum of desiring what he couldn’t have and shouldn’t want in the first place.

It was all very confusing and Kakashi had had enough of sorting out his thoughts for the night. Deciding that even Icha Icha couldn’t soothe him, he lay down on his side and allowed himself to fall into a light slumber, leaving the fire to burn itself into ashes in the night.

XXXXX

The shinobi pair was up with the sun and on the move only minutes later, after destroying all evidence of their camp.

Judging by the breakneck speed that Kakashi had set for them, he wasn’t planning on having a conversation that elaborated on last nights awkward exchange. That was just fine with Sakura, although she couldn’t help but wonder what he thought about all of it. Between his mask and his ability to keep his emotions hidden, it was impossible to guess his opinions on the issue or speculate what he intended to do about it.

She was curious alright, but not quite curious enough to ask him about it, so she stayed silent and followed him closely through the thick forest, trying to ignore that despite ample stretching last night, her sore muscles were already protesting.

One hour became two, and then four, and then six, and just when Sakura didn’t think she could go anymore, Kakashi called for a break.

Even during their short meal Kakashi didn’t try to strike up a conversation, mission related or otherwise and she wondered if perhaps what she had told him last night had upset him or made him angry, although she didn’t think she had told him anything he hadn’t already expected. She didn’t care to ask either because she was too busy trying to get some food into her system as well as use minimal chakra to try and drain the soreness from her muscles without depleting her reserves.

As soon as they had eaten, they were back on the road again.

They continued on like this for several more hours, the silence between them stretching from comfortable into slightly awkward, at least from Sakura’s perspective and she finally couldn’t take it anymore. Even though she wasn’t particularly looking forward to her training, she knew it was something she needed to do, for showing up to the club unprepared would be even worse than discussing perverse things with her teacher.

“Hey Kakashi-senpai,” she said, lengthening the distance of her next bound so she was side by side with him. “When are you going to train me? You’ve hardly said a word to me all day.”

Kakashi give her a quizzical glance and Sakura thought she saw his lips form a smile beneath his mask.

“Why, are you eager for a lesson?” he asked, his voice clearly holding a teasing tone.

Sakura rolled her eyes and bounded from another branch.

“No, but I mean, it’s your job isn’t it? I don’t want to show up to Fuzen Machi clueless.”

Kakashi chuckled softly.

“Well, like you said, running at top speed through the trees makes it a little difficult to train right? We’re making excellent time and if we keep it up, we should make it to a small town at Fire Country’s border soon. We won’t have to sleep outside and I can train you then. Deal?”

“Deal,” she said, both excited at the prospect of sleeping in a bed and nervous about being shut in a private room with Kakashi where he could make her do whatever he deemed necessary as part of her training.

“Good, in the meantime, think over what I told you yesterday. The part about confidence and being in control of the situation will come in to play.”

Sakura nodded before letting herself drop back behind him and even though she was moving quickly, Kakashi could see she was nervous. If she was hoping for more talk, she was going to be disappointed because there was only so much he could say before she would have to put his theories to the test and actually apply them.

Making her do just that was one more thing he mentally added to the long list of things he really didn’t want to do on this mission, but dwelling on it would solve nothing, and so he cleared his mind and focused on traveling in the direction that would bring him to their next destination: Fire Country’s border.

XXXXX

Kakashi hadn’t been kidding when he said the town was small. It only had one main road that wasn’t even paved. There was one general store and a handful of homes and nobody seemed to be out and about, but perhaps that was because the sun had set several hours ago and it was starting to get late. Sakura was surprised they had an inn at all considering few visitors ever passed through this place.

She wasn’t about to complain though because the fare was cheap and as they were led to their room, she noted the establishment seemed to be clean and above all, they had a shower, something you couldn’t always count on at the mangy fleabag inns she had often stayed at.

Upon entering, she noticed that the room was small with a single bed, but that was fine; she had had to share beds with the men on her team before, although Naruto usually hogged all the covers and Sasuke slept at the very edge as if he were trying to sleep as far away from her as possible. She had even shared a bed with Kakashi on a few occasions but they were all very uneventful. He had remained perfectly still in his sleep and had kept his hands to himself, unlike Naruto who had made the mistake of spooning up against her once in the middle of a dream. The fact that he had no idea what he was doing was no excuse in Sakura’s book and the poor blond had found himself sporting a nasty bump on his head where her fist had connected with his skull and a sore butt from being tossed onto the floor, his pillow and a spare blanket following after him.

Sakura plopped on the bed and pulled off her sandals, wiggling her toes and trying to ease her tired feet.

“You can take a shower first,” Kakashi said as he stripped off his pack and set it on the lone chair in the room. “I’ll go get us something to eat before everything is closed.”

Sakura didn’t have to be told twice and she immediately grabbed her bag and hopped off the bed. The bathroom was small as well, hardly having enough room for the door to open inward. There was a toilet, a sink and possibly the smallest shower she had ever seen, but as long as the water was hot, she didn’t give a damn.

She cranked on the water and within minutes, the room was filled with steam. She stripped off her clothes but figured she might as well rinse them out in the shower while she was at it for they were dirty and sweaty and she seriously doubted this place had laundry facilities.

After pulling the tie from her hair, she stepped into the shower, sighing in bliss as the hot droplets immediately pelted her weary body and washed away the remaining soreness in her shoulders, back and legs.

She hoped Kakashi wasn’t going to return with their food for a while, because she currently felt like this tiny steam filled box was a little slice of heaven, and she wasn’t planning on getting out any time soon.

XXXXX

When Kakashi returned to the room with two large sandwiches, he wasn’t surprised that Sakura was still in the shower. She wasn’t the first female he had met that could spend all day in there and he honestly didn’t understand why. What did they do in there that took them forty-five minutes? The only time he was in the shower that long was when there was a woman in there with him and he knew that was hardly the case with Sakura. Sure she had a lot of hair to wash and legs to shave, but that shouldn’t take that long should it?

Kakashi sat in the lone chair and decided not to even try and figure out female logic. It was true he had known this particular girl a long time, but that didn’t make her any easier to figure out.

He had nearly finished his sandwich by the time he heard her turn off the water and was licking mustard from his fingers when she finally emerged, dressed in an oversized T-shirt and tight black shorts that looked a lot like the ones she always wore under her pink skirt. Her long hair was down and Kakashi found he actually kind of liked it, although he could see why she would always put it up for practical reasons.

“Took you long enough,” he teased. “I thought you drowned in there and I would have to go in after you.”

Sakura stuck out her tongue at him as he handed her a sandwich and stood from his chair. For some reason, his good natured comment brought forth a ridiculous image of her slipping and hitting her head on the shower wall, only to have Kakashi rush in and save her, carrying her wet…and naked body in his arms. Oh hell, where had that come from? Sakura was glad his back was turned to her because she had a feeling her face was flushing again. All their perverted talk from yesterday was corrupting her brain.

“There’s also a cookie in the paper bag for you,” Kakashi said as he pulled clean clothes out of his pack.

“A cookie?” she answered incredulously. What was she, five?

“Yeah, women love chocolate don’t they? The shop had one left and I thought of you,” he said, giving her a jovial eye crease before shutting the bathroom door.

Sakura sighed at his antics as she heard the water turn on. She wasn’t sure if he was being a smartass or if he was just being nice. Maybe, he had managed to be a little of both.

She unwrapped the foil to discover a very meaty roast beef sandwich, piled high with every vegetable she could ever want. There was probably a farming community near by if this tiny town had all of these things available to them. She took a bite and practically moaned in pleasure. This was so much better than beef jerky and granola bars.

She sat on the edge of the bed and ate quietly, not realizing how hungry she had been until now. Despite the generous portion size, she finished it all. She went to go pull a napkin out of the paper bag and saw the cookie Kakashi had been talking about: a chocolate cookie with chocolate chips, no…chocolate chunks was more like it, and as much as she hated to admit it, she did happen to love chocolate and that cookie was looking absolutely divine.

She had nearly finished it when Kakashi walked though the door, dressed in a pair of dark pants and of course the form fitting black tank with attached mask. Sakura couldn’t remember seeing him without his long sleeved shirt before. Even on blazing hot days he kept it on and the few times they had gone to hot springs or bath houses on missions, the facilities were never co-ed, which was just fine with her. She didn’t need to be naked in a hot spring with her teacher, thank you very much. But even on just his bare arms, she could see pale scars of battles past, some minor and some massive and on his left bicep was the slightly faded tattoo that all ANBU members bore. She noticed that despite his lean appearance, his arms were nothing but tight, corded muscle, but she should have known that considering she had already seen demonstrations of his massive strength. If his arms looked like that, what did the rest of his body look like?

“How’s the cookie?” he asked with a chuckle, breaking Sakura out of her thoughts.

She realized he was looking at her hands where only a bite remained and she could tell from his voice that he was smiling under the mask. Suddenly, she had an idea.

“It’s amazing,” she smiled. “Do you want the last bite?”

“No thanks,” he said as he walked over to the chair, propping a foot on the seat to roll up the cuffs of his pants since he didn’t have the usual bandages around his ankles.

“All right, but you’re missing ouuuut,” she said in a sing song voice.

Kakashi finished rolling his second cuff and fixed her with his gaze, which was a bit more intense considering his Sharingan was uncovered.

He slowly straightened and walked over to her and Sakura’s smile melted off her face as he took her wrist of the hand holding the last bite of cookie in his long fingered grasp. She watched as he leaned down until he his mouth was practically brushing her fingers and Sakura fought the urge to swallow hard.

Suddenly, his free hand yanked down his mask over his lips and he snatched the cookie from her finger with his mouth. By the time Sakura had realized what had happened, his mask was back in place and he had released her wrist.

She stared at him wide eyed as he chewed thoughtfully.

“Hmm, that is a good cookie. Thank you, Sakura.”

For a moment, she just stared at him with her mouth agape before she finally summoned her wits…well, a few of them anyways, to point an accusing finger at her smug looking sensei.

“Y-you cheated!”

Kakashi chuckled at her flabbergasted face, knowing full well her plan was to try and see his uncovered face all along.

“How did I cheat? I don’t recall there being any rules to eating a cookie, Sakura.”

“But…you were so sneaky!” she pouted.

“Um…ninja,” he said, pointing to himself as if to remind her that being sneaky was part of his job.

Well, she couldn’t argue with him there.

“And speaking of ninja,” Kakashi continued I think we should continue with your training before turning in for the night.”

Sakura’s pout instantly disappeared and her back slumped a bit into a slouch that resembled her teacher’s quite a bit.

“Just now when I got close you seemed quite nervous and I can tell you don’t like your personal space being invaded. That little test has given some insight to what we need to do.”

Sakura inwardly grumbled. Damn Kakashi and his secret ulterior motives. That was the last time she ever offered him a cookie!

“We need to get you over that fear,” he said seriously. “You need to be completely comfortable in extremely close proximity with men, especially in a sensual atmosphere.”

Sakura didn’t like where this was going at all.

She watched as Kakashi went back to the chair and turned it around so it was facing her. He sat down in it and looked at her steadily. He didn’t like this next part any more than she did. It would be awkward and strange but the best way to give her some hands on experience…quite literally.

He took a deep breath and said, “Sakura, you are going to give me a lap dance.”

XXXXX

Alright, that’s all for now. Please don’t hate me for the cliffhanger.

J-Pop