Double Edged

Dear Anonymous Reader Who Left A Link At My LJ: Hello again and thank you SO MUCH for the fan art. For anyone who’s curious, it’s of the make out scene in the last chapter. You can find the link under my LJ post titled “I Don’t Feel Like Dancing, No Sir, No Dancing Today”. Again, anon, it was really lovely and brightened my day considerably.

Also, a huge, huge, HUGE thanks to goldengrimoire for talking out this chapter with me. Somehow, and I don’t know how, she managed to reign in my psychotic muse. If it weren’t for her, this chapter wouldn’t have been up tonight. Worship her.


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Song Reference:Super Massive Black Hole

Artist:Muse

Lyrics: Oh, baby don’t you know I suffer?/Oh, baby can you hear me moan?/You caught me under false pretenses/How long before you let me go?/Oh, you set my soul alight


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“Morning, Forehead!” Ino called cheerfully from where she was rinsing her cereal bowl out in the sink.

Sakura grunted drowsily in reply, rubbing her eyes as she stumbled over to the cabinet to pull out a bowl. Yawning widely, she flopped down into one of the chairs at the kitchen table and grabbed the open box of cereal still sitting on it, dumping it into her bowl absently. A gallon of milk magically appeared next to her elbow, courtesy of Ino, and she made another grunting sound of thanks as she poured it on top of the crunchy flakes. She hated waking up. She especially hated waking up after a night of very little sleep. If she saw Kakashi today, she was going to kill him for invading her dreams.

“So,” Ino said cheerfully as she took a seat across from her barely conscious roommate, her hands curled around a mug of tea. “You missed out on a lotta fun last night.”

“Tha’ suckths,” Sakura mumbled around a large bite of cereal. She really wasn’t interested in hearing about how fun Ino’s night had been. What she wanted more than anything at that moment was to crawl back into bed and catch at least four hours of uninterrupted sleep. Unfortunately, that wasn’t gonna happen. Tsunade had assigned her to give a tour of their hospital to the visiting Suna healers so that they could build up their medical program. Sleep would have to wait until that evening.

“I was really surprised Kiba didn’t blow himself up,” the blonde continued, unaware that her audience was barely listening. “Especially when he broke out this staff, lit the ends on fire and started twirling it around. Apparently, his sister took up fire spinning not too long ago as a hobby and he thought it looked cool, so he— oh, my god is that a hickey on your neck?!”

Sakura’s spoon clattered violently in her bowl of cereal, splashing milk and soggy flakes all over the tabletop as she quickly pressed a hand to her neck. “What?” she croaked, her throat suddenly tight and dry.

“What do you mean what?” Ino demanded. “You, Haruno Sakura, have a hickey on your neck!”

“Don’t be stupid, Pig! It’s just a bruise!” She kept her hand pressed to her throat as she stood up from the table, affecting an angry front as she hurried for the bathroom. Oh, crap… she was gonna kill Kakashi dead if he’d marked her neck!

Ino was up and following her in a hot minute, eyes wide in shock as she all but walked on Sakura’s heels. “Oh, my god… Sakura!”

“Stop it, Ino,” she snapped as she stepped into the bathroom, not bothering to try and close the door on her friend. Her breath was caught in her throat as she slowly lowered her hand… and groaned at the sight of a bright red spot on her neck. “Oh, shit… it is a hickey!”

“Wooow… that’s a pretty good one too, Forehead,” the blonde mused, peering at the reflection over Sakura’s shoulder. Sakura scowled and slapped the other girl’s hand sharply when she reached out to poke it with a finger. Ino glowered back but withdrew her hand. Letting out an annoyed huff, she took a seat on the closed toilet seat, her nails tapping across her thighs as her brow pinched in thought. “So, is that why you didn’t wanna come out last night?”

“What? No! I had no idea he was coming over. He was sitting on the front step when I got home, reading a book.” Sakura sighed and covered the hickey up again, channeling chakra into her palm to repair the minor skin damage. There was no way she was walking out of there with a hickey on her neck. “It’s a good thing we cleaned the place earlier because— what? Why are you staring at me like that?”

Ino’s lower lip was caught between her teeth as she tried to fight back a dreamy smile. Her blue eyes were practically glowing and there was a slight pink tinting to her cheeks. “Sakura… do you have any idea of cute that is?” she breathed excitedly as the wide grin finally made its way across her lips. “He walked from wherever he lives all the way over here and sat outside in the rain, just because he wanted to see you so badly. That is the sweetest thing ever!”

Sakura’s lips twisted and her nose scrunched as she gave a reluctant shrug. “I guess so,” she admitted, opening the mirrored door of the small cupboard above the sink to pull out her toothbrush. She took a deep breath and hesitated before adding, “Ino… I like him. A lot.”

The blonde’s eyes widened further and her lips parted in shock at the confession. Sakura swallowed hard as a fluttery, uncertain feeling came to her stomach. Admitting that to herself was one thing. Saying it out loud and to someone else made it more real and it scared her a little to do so, even if it was to her closest friend. She heard Ino sigh heavily before her hand was covered where it rested on the sink. “You are such a mess, Forehead,” Ino muttered, squeezing her hand consolingly. “You really like those impossible ones, huh?”

She smiled wryly and shrugged. “The same could be said for you, Pig. And he’s not impossible. Just… complicated and with strings attached.”

“So what are you gonna do? Quit the mission?”

“No, I can’t,” she replied, shaking her head as she freed her hand from Ino’s. “I thought about it, but if this is one of Tsunade’s tests and I back down… I’ll not only be disappointing her but myself.”

Ino nodded slowly and tapped her lower lip as a thoughtful crease came to her brow. “That’s a good point, I suppose. And it makes sense, too. I mean, if Tsunade really wanted someone to seduce Kakashi-sensei then she would have tapped a kunoichi with more experience and fewer personal ties to him. She wouldn’t wanna screw up team dynamics just for some bet.”

“Ehs-atly,” Sakura concurred, speaking around the toothbrush in her mouth.

“I wonder what the real test is then. The objective is to get his books within six months. That’s an awful long timeline for two books, isn’t it?”

“Mm-hm.” She spit the water from her mouth and reached for the hand towel hanging next to her. “I thought so too, but then again this is Copy Ninja Kakashi we’re talking about here. He guards those books like his life depends on them.”

“True,” Ino agreed, shrugging in allowance of that point. “Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter what the real mission is. You can’t quit, no matter how you slice it. So I guess what we should really be focusing on is how to get the books and keep the man… right?”

Sakura took a deep breath and released it slowly, pressing a hand to her stomach as the butterflies started up again. Was that what she wanted? As much as she liked Kakashi, did she really want to make it more permanent? She’d never had a relationship before and it was a little scary thinking about having one with him. It was something that would affect more than just them. She had to consider their teammates (even if they were missing) and the fact that not everyone in the village would be accepting of their relationship. Some of the animosity had simmered down, but she still caught people giving them disapproving looks every so often.

But despite the fact that people didn’t approve and it could be detrimental to their team… the idea of saying goodbye to him wasn’t one she wanted to even think about.

She turned and met Ino’s questioning look steadily. “Yeah, that’s right,” she said quietly.

A slow, delighted smile curved Ino’s lips as she nodded and stood up. “Okay then. I’m working at the shop today until six and then Shikamaru, Chouji and I are gonna go to the festival together. But tomorrow I’m completely free after morning training, so we can spend all afternoon plotting. And we can invite Tenten and Hinata over tomorrow evening, seeing as they’re in the loop on it anyway. It never hurts to have a couple extra heads, right?”

Sakura couldn’t help smiling at Ino’s enthusiastic support and leaned in to give her friend a grateful hug. “Thanks, Ino.”

Ino squeezed her back before heading for the door. “Hey, no problem! This is as much for me as it is for you, you know. One less girl I’ve gotta compete with for a man.”

“I should have guessed it was something like that,” Sakura laughed, shutting the door after the blonde in order to finish getting ready.

By the time she was done showering, drying her hair and dressing in her usual attire, Ino was already gone. Sakura stopped by the kitchen to grab a couple apples and an energy bar for quick snacks at work, stuffing them into the bag slung across her body. She tucked her training gloves into her belt pouch and was just getting ready to grab her keys when she spotted something on the coffee table that made her pause. Kakashi’s book… and right next to it was the one she’d loaned to him. He’d left last night without taking it.

Sakura picked up both books and added them to her bag, a little smile playing on her lips as she left the apartment.


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Genma put a hand to Asuma's chest, stopping him just as they were about to enter the jounin break room and corner their target. “Remember the plan,” he murmured, making sure to keep his voice down so Kakashi’s freakishly good ears couldn’t hear him. “Follow my lead, watch his body language and, for the love of god, don’t overact like you always do.”

Asuma pinned him with an unamused glare. “Do I look like one of your genin?” he asked sarcastically.

He shuddered at the very mention of those evil creatures. “No, thankfully you don’t.”

“Then stop treating me like I am. And I do not overact!”

That was a total bullshit lie… but for the sake of having an accomplice in this, Genma refrained from pointing out that Asuma’s poker face was about as successful as getting Gai to wear looser clothing. Normally, he would never resort to pulling such an asshole-ish stunt, especially to Kakashi, but Asuma said he needed proof and this was the only way to get it.

He nodded and patted the broader man’s chest apologetically. “Okay, let’s do this.” The two of them entered the room and bee lined right for the beaten chair sporting a mop of silver-white hair over the back of it.

Kakashi glanced up curiously as Genma took a chair on one side and Asuma flopped himself into the one on the other side. “Yes?” he drawled suspiciously as his gaze flickered from one to the other.

Genma had to fight a smirk when he saw that the book Kakashi was read had an Icha Icha Violence cover on it, which was impossible seeing as he had the real book in his vest pocket. Apparently, he was trying to keep it quiet that the book had been stolen, and the reason more than likely had to do with a certain pink haired kunoichi trying to get her hands on it. “You… missed one helluva party last night,” he remarked as he slung a leg over one of the chair arms, his foot bumping into Kakashi’s knee slightly.

The copy ninja’s eye twitched a little in annoyance at having his personal space invaded. “I thought you said it was going to suck,” he murmured, lifting his book just a fraction higher to obscure his features. It was his less than subtle attempt at trying to end the conversation before it started… which probably meant a nerve had been struck. Genma had to fight back the devious smile he could feel tugging at the corners of his lips.

Waving off the comment dismissively, he continued, “Yeah, I know that’s what I said. But for once they had some pretty fantastic food and there was just the right sort of gossip to keep things interesting. Wouldn’t you agree, Asuma?”

“Yeah, it really wasn’t that bad,” the other man concurred as he stretched his legs out in front of him comfortably. “Kurenai enjoyed it quite a bit. Which reminds me… I’ve got a bone to pick with you.”

Genma staged a heavy, annoyed groan and interrupted, “Asuma, I already told you… it’s not like that.”

“What’s not like what?” Kakashi demanded, his brow pinching a little as he looked up from his book.

Carefully hiding the fact he was elated over the silver haired man taking the bait, Genma rolled his eyes and plucked the senbon from between his lips to point it in Asuma’s direction. “He was saying earlier he was pissed off that you let Sakura go to this thing alone. Said it wasn’t fair that he and I had to run interference every time some guy with a twitching cock and no brain started eying her up. I kept telling him it wasn’t any of our business, but you know how he gets about that sort of thing.”

“Well, it wasn’t fair,” Asuma insisted, playing along perfectly with the good ninja/bad ninja routine. “I mean, what were you thinking letting her go alone? She’s young, she’s attractive and she’s got direct ties to the Hokage. You know just as well as I do how ruthless some of those people can be. You owe me and Genma for watching your girlfriend’s back all night!”

“Geeze, you’re acting like she was gonna be carried off and defiled or something,” Genma argued, noting the way Kakashi squirmed between them as well as the slight hardening in his gaze. “Sakura was taking care of herself.”

“And that’s why Shizune had to step in to keep that one guy from copping a feel?” the bearded man countered with just the right amount of heat to his voice to make Kakashi lower his book completely.

“What did you just say?” the copy ninja demanded in disbelief.

Genma shook his head and muttered, “It wasn’t like that, you idiot. The guy’s hand just happened to be a little close to her breast while he was handing her a—,”

“What?!” Kakashi’s wide eyed stare swung around to Genma, who was having a hard time trying to keep the laughter in. It wasn’t often he got the opportunity to fuck with Kakashi’s head, and he was going to relish it for as long as he could.

Asuma rolled his eyes and scowled irritably at Genma. “Whatever, I know what I saw. And if it were my girlfriend, there isn’t a chance in hell I— what? What’s the matter?”

Both of them sat up in concern as Kakashi continued drumming his fingers against the chair arm, his dark grey eye narrowed and speculative. “She never mentioned any of this last night,” he murmured, almost as if speaking to himself.

Genma snorted and said, “Probably because it wasn’t as bad as what Asuma was saying.” Then, his eyes widened as he realized what Kakashi had said and he bolted upright in his chair. “Wait… you saw her last night?’

Immediately, Kakashi shot him a suspicious glare before retreating away from the conversation by picking up his book again. He was avoiding the question, which proved that he had gone to see Sakura last night— and that there was something about the visit that he didn’t want to talk about. Well, well… this was turning out to be more interesting than he’d thought.

Digging his shoe idly at a gouge in the floor, Asuma remarked in a softer tone, “She probably just didn’t want to upset you, Kakashi. She seems like that kinda girl from what I know of her. It’s nice to have someone care about you like that, isn’t it?”

“Whoa, hold up a second! It’s not like that between them!” Genma exclaimed while Kakashi slouched even further in his chair and lifted his book over his face to hide the slightly pink tint that was just barely visible over his mask. Wow… they’d actually made the man blush! This was a day for the record books.

“But you told me she said she was attracted to him,” the bearded man protested, causing Kakashi to once again drop his book to his chest and shoot them both a bewildered look.

“What?!” he asked for the third time that conversation, his voice sharp and more than a little surprised. When he swung around toward Genma for confirmation of Asuma’s statement, the senbon user shook his head and pinned his coconspirator with the best I’m-gonna-kill-you glare he could fake.

Asuma shifted uneasily under the glare, just like he normally would have, and muttered, “Well, you did say it.”

“Genma.” The way Kakashi said his name was more like an order for information rather than an inquiry. Oh, yes… they’d definitely punched a couple nerves here.

He sighed heavily and swiveled the senbon to the other side of his mouth while carefully looking anywhere but at Kakashi. Not only was he aiming for a slightly reluctant expression but he didn’t want the other man noticing that he was damn near ready to piss himself laughing. “Fine, you want the truth? The thing is… I went over and started talking with her to keep some pasty faced moron from doing the same and figured I might as well do a little recon while I was at it. So, I casually brought your name up and she, after some careful questioning, admitted that she had a thing for you.”

The look on Kakashi’s face was that of a man who’d just received a knee to the groin.

“But, that’s good… right?” he added quickly, playing up his role as the only one who knew what the true motives were. “I mean, you want her to fall for you after all.”

“Of course he does,” Asuma scoffed. “Why else would he be dating her?”

Genma met Kakashi’s sharp, questioning look and very subtly shook his head to let him know he hadn’t said anything about the mission. He had very carefully left out anything concerning Kakashi’s real objective when informing his partner in crime about their plan. Had Asuma known that the copy ninja was dating his student for less than honorable reasons, he would have stormed over here to kick some ass rather than help a friend realize what a good thing he had. Letting out an annoyed breath, Kakashi muttered, “It’s a bit complicated, Asuma, and I’d appreciate you not getting involved in it.”

Asuma held his hands up as if letting go of the topic and said, “Fine, fine. I understand you don’t want people poking around at your private life.”

“Thank you.”

“But you’re a complete idiot if you let this one go,” the other man ploughed on, ignoring the way Kakashi’s head dropped back against the chair in exasperation. “I haven’t seen you this happy in a while, and to let something this good slip by just because you’re afraid to— where are you going?”

Kakashi was already halfway toward the exit as he called over his shoulder, “Off to find someplace with a little more oxygen.”

“Aw, come on, Kakashi,” Genma shouted as he pushed hastily to his feet with Asuma and hurried toward the entrance. “You know Asuma meant well!” Kakashi didn’t even bother to look back as he exited the jounin headquarters at record walking pace.

Genma waited until he could no longer see the mess of silver hair before breaking out into a wide grin as he gave his accomplice a nudge in the ribs. “See? I was right, wasn’t I?”

“Oh, yeah,” Asuma chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Kakashi’s fallen for her pretty hard.”

“So, you’re on board with the plan then?”

“Hell, yeah! Let’s take his ass off the market.”

Satisfied that everything had worked out perfectly, Genma pulled Icha Icha Violence from his vest and slapped it into Asuma’s chest. The man took it out of reflex and his dark eyes widened when he realized what exactly he was holding. “Keep your Saturday free. Shizune and I are having a couple’s only dinner party and you better be there!”

“Hey, wait a second, Genma!” Asuma called as the mastermind behind the scheme hurried off to meet with his genin for training. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

“Oh, that?” Genma called as he stuck his hands in his pockets and looked back over his shoulder. “Stash it somewhere safe for me, will you? I’ll give you further instructions in the near future. Thanks, man!” He shouldered his way through one of the doors, a wide grin on his face as Asuma continued to try and call him back for an explanation as to why he had one of Kakashi’s books.


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As soon Kakashi left the jounin facility, he headed immediately in the direction of the bakery to use its rooftop for a quiet afternoon of reading. No one really went up there on nice days since the heat coming from the tiles could be a bit much, but he didn’t mind. The smells from the ventilation shafts were divine and it wasn’t one of his usual reading spots so nosey friends wouldn’t seek him out. It was the perfect place to hide until the busybodies settled down.

He wasn’t sure whether Genma was putting on an act with the way he was trying to derail Asuma, but either way it didn’t make him happy that the two were discussing his personal life to begin with. They had their own love lives to worry about. Was it really necessary for them to focus on his? He understood that Asuma had nothing but good intentions, but the man was crossing the line by…

He groaned low under his breath as his mind flashed back on the night before and his own line crossing, recalling everything that had transpired between Sakura and him and then afterward alone in his apartment. He remembered the way she’d kissed him, her lips soft and her tongue slipping tentatively into his mouth. The way she’d moaned for him when he’d touched her, the feel of her breasts rubbing against him, how she’d arched her neck and buried her fingers in his hair to encourage his wandering lips.

Damn it… what was he going to do? This was not how he’d foreseen things panning out. He wanted Sakura to be attracted to him, yes. He just never thought the feeling would be mutual. And while reciprocated attraction normally wasn’t a big deal, there were several things making this particular instance incredibly complicated.

The idea of simply dropping the mission had definitely come to mind. Oh, he’d still defend his remaining Icha Icha book with every fiber of his being, but as for the other part of the lesson… he would simply let it go. But doing that would mean he’d be failing her as a team leader. This was the perfect opportunity for her to learn about a potentially dangerous situation out in the field while still within the safety of her home. He would be doing her a great disservice if he didn’t suck it up and see it through to the end. But at the same time… he was going to hurt her. It was inevitable that she would feel betrayed, and rightly so. Even if he ignored his attraction to her, Sakura was still a friend. Was it really worth losing a friendship over a lesson she might not ever have to use in real life?

Kakashi was snapped from his thoughts by a familiar peal of bright laughter. He froze mid step and his eye widened a touch as he turned slowly in the direction of that voice. Sure enough, sitting in the small café directly across the street from him— the same one he’d seen her at a couple days ago, he noted— was Sakura. Just like the last time, she had a stack of books and neatly organized papers sitting on the chair next to her as she sipped an icy beverage through a straw. The waiter, a young civilian boy with blond hair that stuck out all over the place, grinned and said something to her that Kakashi couldn’t quite catch but it made her laugh again. It was the sight of her bright green eyes glittering with delight that had him walking over there before he realized he was moving. It had nothing to do with the fact that he really wasn’t keen on how the boy had his hand planted on the table and was leaning down toward her.

He walked up behind her and planted his hand on top of her head, causing her to crane her neck back quickly to see who was messing up her hair. The minute she saw him, Sakura’s lips spread in a warm, delighted smile— one he liked a whole lot better than the ones she’d been giving the waiter. “Hi!” she said brightly, her green eyes sparkling just for him now. “This is a surprise!”

“Pleasant or otherwise?” he joked, ignoring the way the waiter glanced between the two of them uncertainly. At least his hand was off the table and he’d moved back to a more respectful distance.

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him and he had to suppress the urge to bend down and kiss her. “That depends entirely on you. Are you busy? I’ve only got an hour for break, but if you wanna join me—,”

Kakashi was already sliding into the chair next to her, the one that put his back to the street and him between her and the very confused (and very cock blocked) waiter. “I can’t think of anywhere more important to be,” he replied, smiling when she caught the double meaning behind his words and blushed. Then, glancing over his shoulder as if he’d just noticed the waiter standing there, he added, “Can we get a couple menus, please?”

The waiter’s cheeks flared a little but he nodded quickly and mumbled, “Right away, sir.” He was gone in a flash of white apron and red cheeks.

When he turned back to Sakura, it was to find her studying him with an arched brow and a disbelieving look on her face. “What?”

“Jealous much?” she asked dryly as she took another sip from her drink.

He watched her lips close over the straw and her cheeks hollow as she sucked. Straws… were horrible things. Whoever invented them needed only to see the way she used it to understand why they were horrible. “I’m not jealous.”

“You ran off our waiter!”

“No, I didn’t. I just asked for menus.”

Sakura rolled her eyes and slouched back against her seat, crossing one leg over the other so that he had a very nice view of her legs. “So, other than being jealous and living in denial, what are you up to today?” she asked, changing the subject while simultaneously getting one last barb in.

Kakashi shrugged indifferently and lounged back in his chair, stretching his legs out so that they brushed against hers the barest amount. “Nothing much. You?”

“I was at the hospital all morning,” she said, smiling at the waiter when he came back with their menus. Kakashi was very pleased to note that he didn’t stick around longer than necessary to do the task. “The Kazekage’s trying to build up their training program for medics, so I was showing the representatives around and explaining how we do things here. And this afternoon, I get to scrub in and observe Tsunade-shishou perform a surgery.”

“Really?” His knowledge of the human body was limited to what would kill or disable someone the fastest, so it was interesting to hear her talk about fixing the damage he knew how to cause. Plus… the way her face lit up when she started talking about her job was rather addicting.

An excited glitter came to her eyes as she smiled and nodded eagerly. “It’s a total leg reconstruction and it’s extensive. Second and third degree burns, fractured bones, muscle and ligament damage… we’re gonna be in there all afternoon!”

“You know, it’d creep out most people to hear you talk about extensive injuries with a smile on your face,” he commented lightly. He chuckled as a crestfallen look crossed her features and reached out to give her knee a reassuring squeeze. “But then again, I’m not like most people.”

“No, you’re not,” she huffed, nudging his thigh with her foot while trying to fight the urge to smile. “You’re meaner.”

“And by meaner, you actually mean charismatic and alluring, right?”

“I mean nasty and unappealing.”

Kakashi arched a brow as a slow smile curved his lips. “Really? Because I heard you find me quite attractive.”

Sakura’s cheeks flushed brightly as she pointedly turned away from him, assuming a haughty demeanor. “Whoever told you that is lying.”

“Mm… there’s a good probability of that. That’s too bad if they are though.”

Immediately, her attention snapped back on him, her eyes a touch wide and her lips parted in surprise. He could see the way her breath caught, her breasts drawing up under the simple red cotton of her shirt. “R-Really?” she asked softly. “Why’s that?”

He leaned forward, tracing a single finger along the bare skin exposed between her boots and shorts. The sound of her sucking in a breath was a sharp, hissing sound and he could feel her tremble at the slight touch. “Maybe,” he said slowly, very aware of the way her breathing had become a little shallow and how her eyes were locked on where his finger was now drawing random circles and swirls across her leg. “It’s just nice to have someone validate the fact that you’re irresistibly sexy?”

It took a moment for his words to sink in and when they did he was dodging the palm swiping for the side of his head with an amused laugh. “Oh… you are such an arrogant, perverted—,”

“Are you ready to order or do you need a few more minutes?” the waiter interrupted, flashing a sunshine bright smile at Sakura that made Kakashi arch a brow incredulously. Apparently, some people weren’t inclined to take a hint.

Sakura stopped in mid rant and quickly fumbled to open her untouched menu. “Oh, I’ll have the, um… Can I just get some miso soup and a side seaweed salad with tuna?”

“Excellent choice,” the blond boy praised as he took her menu and turned inquiringly toward Kakashi. “And for you, sir?”

“The same is fine, thanks,” he replied as he passed over his own menu without even looking at it.

The waiter’s smile became calculatingly tight as he said through clenched teeth, “How… original, sir. I’ll place your order immediately.”

Kakashi shot a glare at the retreating boy’s back and shook his head. “So much for a twenty-percent tip,” he muttered while tapping his fingertip irritably on the tabletop.

Sakura leaned forward with her elbows on the table and her chin propped on her laced fingers, a sweet smile gracing her face. “Oh, so you’re paying for lunch then?” she purred, her voice dripping with saccharine delight. “That’s so thoughtful of you!”

He shifted uncomfortably in his chair while quickly trying to tally up just how much money he had on him. If his math was right… he maybe had enough for a bowl of soup and her drink. Rubbing his neck sheepishly while giving her what he hoped was a suitably contrite smile, Kakashi said, “Well, the thing is…”

Laughing, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Normally, the small act of public intimacy would have made him squirm, but for some reason with her… it didn’t. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this one,” she assured him, her bottle green eyes twinkling mischievously. “But you’ve gotta make it up to me tonight.”

“And just how am I doing that?” he questioned, running a fingertip over her knuckles gently.

Sakura twined their fingers together on the tabletop and the smile on her lips was equal parts affectionate and teasing. “There’s a festival tonight down by the Shirakaba River. And I’d really like it if you went with me.”

A festival. Those were just as much his thing as formal banquets. They were noisy and crowded and insanely overpriced… none of those particular attributes appealed to him very much.

Some of his trepidation must have shown because Sakura very quickly added, “If you don’t want to or if you made plans already, that’s fine. I can go by myself or something. I just thought… it might be fun.”

Kakashi opened his mouth and was about to take her up on the offered rain check when his mind flashed back on what Asuma had told him about the banquet— most notably the many admirers Sakura had accrued. The words that came out of his mouth were not the polite refusal he’d been planning on. “Sure, what time?”

Sakura’s eyes widened in shock briefly before a delighted grin spread across her cheeks. Any lingering unease about his sudden change of mind was completely laid to rest when he saw how happy his acceptance made her. “Can you be at my place by five?”

“I can try.”

She leaned back in her chair as the waiter came back with their food, her eyes still glowing merrily. “Thank you,” she said softly, looking not at the waiter but at Kakashi.

The boy mistook her thanks and gave her another million-watt smile as he said, “Oh, it’s no trouble, miss. If there’s anything else you need, please let me know. Enjoy your lunch.”

She was still beaming as she uncrossed her legs and settled her napkin in her lap. “It really will be fun, I promise,” she gushed enthusiastically, picking up her chopsticks and pinching a bit of seaweed between them. “There’ll be fireworks right above the Hokage monument and takoyaki stands and music and…”

Kakashi paused with a bite of tuna halfway to his mouth when her voice trailed off. He glanced at her and lowered his chopsticks to peer over each of his shoulders, pretending to try and locate what had caught her attention. “Is something wrong?” he asked, his brow lifting a little.

Sakura’s mouth opened and closed a couple times but nothing came out. Shaking her head, she let her chopsticks fall to her plate as a deep, confused furrow pinched her brow and a rosy color stained her cheeks. “Sorry,” she said distractedly, her gaze fixated completely on him. “But… your mask…”

A slow, amused smirk twitched at his lips and immediately her gaze became riveted by the slight movement. “Yes, what about it?” he drawled, scratching his bare jaw line casually. The decision to show her his face was completely spontaneous, though it was probably influenced in part by the way their waiter was damn near shameless about trying to flirt with her while he was sitting right there.But her reaction— the way she was gaping slack jawed in total, bewildered shock— was completely worth it. Besides, he already knew she wasn’t after a picture of him. There was no reason, besides his own perverse delight in tormenting her, to keep his face hidden any longer.

To her credit, she didn’t pursue the subject any further. Sakura shook her head again and gave him a slow, warm smile in answer as she murmured, “Nothing. Forget I said anything.” The look on her face as she took a bite of seasoned seaweed was probably the most affectionate one he’d received from her to date. Her eyes remained on him the entire time as he picked up his tuna once again and popped it into his mouth.

His gaze flickered to hers when she stifled an elated giggle and a wide grin behind her hand. “Stop it,” he muttered around the fish in his mouth.

“Stop what?” she snickered, blowing across a spoonful of soup to cool it down.

“Stop watching me eat. It’s disturbing.”

Sakura nearly choked on her miso as she laughed, quickly covering her mouth with the napkin just in case. “I can’t help it,” she gasped, coughing lightly into the linen. “It’s just… you’re nothing like I imagined you to be.”

“And just how often to you imagine me, Sakura-chan?” he asked in a low, personal tone as he leaned closer to her.

Her breath hitched visibly and a light flush tinted her cheeks at their sudden proximity. She licked her lips and he tracked the dart of her tongue with interest. “N-Not often at all,” she breathed out, her eyes half-lidded and focused entirely on his mouth. “You’re beautiful.”

His eye narrowed irritably and he moved away from her, reaching down for his mask once again.

Her hand closed over his just as he began pulling the mask up over his chin, stopping his progress completely. Kakashi kept his eye open as she leaned forward and brushed a chaste kiss across his lips before sitting back again and favoring him with that sweet smile he was starting to get attached to. “You know, it’s okay for men to be beautiful, too,” she remarked, her eyes sweeping over his features as if to memorize them. “It’s not an attribute inherent to women only.”

“Well, we all have our insecurities,” he replied dryly, giving a pointed glance to her forehead.

Sakura scowled at him and quickly fluffed the hair framing her face as if to detract from her own source of low confidence. “Being attractive isn’t an insecurity.”

“It is when you’re a five-year-old boy getting ripped to pieces by his heartless classmates because one of the Academy instructors told you that you’re as pretty as his daughters,” he countered, stirring his soup idly. The story was true, but it wasn’t why he started wearing a mask. There were several reasons for it really, one of which was that being attractive drew a lot of unwanted attention. In a ninja village, there were so many people walking around with their faces covered to various degrees that wearing a mask wasn’t all that strange.

She winced at his admission and said quietly, “If it makes you feel any better, there’s no way anyone could confuse you for a girl now. You’re very manly.”

Kakashi gave her a small, grateful smile for her attempt at patching up his battered ego and, just like before, her eyes fell to watching his lips once again. “You’re forgiven, but if you don’t stop watching me eat you’re never going to see this again,” he warned, only half joking.

Assuming a very grave expression, Sakura said in a solemn tone, “I swear I’ll make every effort not to watch you eat your lunch. Did you know your smile is crooked?”

A chuckle escaped him and he could feel a bit of color coming to his own cheeks. He really wasn’t used to this sort of attention from anyone, even the partners who had seen his face on a regular basis. “It is?”

She nodded, her eyes sparking with humor. “The right side lifts up a little higher than the left. I like it.”

“Well, thank you. Glad to know all that practicing in the mirror has finally paid off.” She stuck her tongue out at his joke and began poking at her salad once again. He returned to his food as well and pretended he didn’t notice her shooting glances at him the entire time they had lunch.

Once they were done, the waiter cleared their dishes away and brought the check over. Sakura pulled out her wallet and paid while the blond boy gave Kakashi a disapproving glare for making his date pay. He almost wanted to tell the kid that he’d be paying for it later by letting her drag him around a festival all evening but refrained from doing so. Judging by the way his smile rivaled Gai’s in glow power, he was probably the sort that really enjoyed festivals anyway. The waiter thanked them and they rose to leave, Kakashi fixing his mask in place again as Sakura scooped up her books and papers.

“Oh, before I forget… you left this a my place last night,” Sakura said, carefully balancing her books and papers on one arm so that she could dig through her bag and pull out… yet another book.

Kakashi’s eyebrows rose when he realized it was the mystery novel she wanted him to read. He took it from her and pretended to thumb through it curiously while trying not to think about the reason why he’d forgotten to take it with him. “Thanks,” he said, tucking it in the pouch right alongside the how-to book currently disguised as Icha Icha Violence. He’d decided it was probably a wise idea to stop carrying his beloved books around now that it was confirmed someone— Sakura or an outside agent— was after them. They’d already gotten their hands on one; he didn’t think he could take it if the other went missing as well. Plus, Sakura would get suspicious if he only carried Icha Icha Paradise with him and might potentially forego her plans. That wouldn’t be good… for several reasons.

Sakura glanced at him shyly, a sweet, rosy color to her cheeks as she adjusted her hold on the books. “You know… you didn’t need to leave like that,” she ventured softly, a smile that was equal parts timid and flirtatious flittering across her lips.

Kakashi jammed his hands in his pockets and carefully avoid her gaze. “Yes, I did. We were both tired and things were getting a little too… intense.” That wasn’t the word he wanted to use, but telling her that it’d been sexy as hell and had turned him on so bad he’d gone home and jerked off while thinking about her seemed a bit inappropriate.

She sucked her lower lip between her teeth as she fought not to grin, her eyes sparking with mischief before being obscured by her thick lashes lowering coyly. “I didn’t mind. That kind of intensity was nice.”

Dear god… this was not the sort of thing his resolve needed right now! Kakashi tried to ignore the sudden stab of desire that shot straight down to his groin as he shifted his weight to one leg. Still though, he thought he deserved better praise than that it was nice. Taking a step closer to her, Kakashi said in a low, intimate tone that was for her ears alone, “Just nice? Judging by the way you reacted last night, I’d say it was a little more than that.”

Her cheeks colored prettily as she slowly lifted her gaze to meet his. An eager, hungry look flared through her eyes, kindling a similar feeling inside him that had his cock half hard and crowding the front of his pants a bit. “It was really nice,” she breathed, her eyes lowering to stare at his covered mouth. “As in, I wouldn’t be opposed if you… if you maybe wanted to…”

“There you are, Sakura-chan! Tsunade-sama’s been looking for you. You’re due in surgery in ten minutes!”

The sound of Shizune’s disapproving voice broke them apart quickly, Sakura actually taking a couple steps back as her entire face went red. Kakashi wasn’t much better, his own face feeling a bit warm at being caught having a rather private conversation by the Hokage’s assistant, and his embarrassment increased when Shizune leveled a stern frown in his direction. “And shouldn’t you be putting together a list of genin suitable for the exams, Kakashi-san?” the dark haired woman demanded, folding her arms across her chest. If and when the time came where Genma decided he wanted to have children… she was going to make a ferocious mother. She already had the mom tone down perfectly.

Kakashi let out a long, heavy sigh and met Sakura’s eyes just as she bit back a giggle. Lovely… she was laughing at him for being scolded like a two-year-old. “Don’t forget; five o’clock,” she chuckled, walking backward toward where Shizune was waiting impatiently to drag her back to work.

“Okay. See you tonight, Sakura.” His hand flicked an idle wave in her direction before he turned and headed off in the opposite direction with a semi-erect cock and a thoroughly thrashed ego.

Kakashi sighed heavily and tucked his hands in his pockets, being careful to avoid any contact with his crotch. Tonight was going to be long. His only consolation was that Sakura would probably be dressed up, which meant he’d at least have something pleasant to look at all night. But that in itself was going to be part of the problem; he still had no idea what he was going to do with her.

This was going to be one of the worst nights ever, he was sure of it.


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Sakura flopped ungracefully onto the couch and scowled at the ticking clock. Even when the time she told him was a whole hour earlier than what she meant, the bastard still managed to be late! Ino, Chouji and Shikamaru had all left nearly twenty minutes ago and were probably even now eating dango and staking out a spot to watch fireworks. And she was stuck waiting for her date to come pick her up. If Kakashi made himself so late they missed the festival, she was going to deck him and steal his books while he was too busy moaning in agony on the floor.

Sighing, Sakura leaned forward and picked up the book sitting on the coffee table. It was the one Kakashi had given her. She’d tried to start reading it on her break, but just one look at the cover brought up memories of the night before and… yeah. It wasn’t really a good idea to enter surgery distracted, even if she was only observing.

A shiver ran through her as her mind reflected back on their impromptu lunch date. She had no idea what had driven him into showing her his face, but whatever it was… she couldn’t thank it enough. There’d never been a doubt in her mind, despite all the theories concerning buck teeth and fish lips, that Kakashi was a handsome man. Just the reaction from Ayame that one time in Ichiraku Ramen was enough to confirm that. However, she’d never expected him to be quite that handsome.

She couldn’t believe that’s what he was hiding behind the mask. His face was an interesting mix of lines and curves, of hard angles and soft transitions. Kakashi’s features were such that if any one component were off in the slightest, the entire affect would be ruined completely. At the same time though, it wasn’t a perfect face. There was a small bump in the bridge of his nose from where it had been broken at least a couple times in his life without being treated by a medic nin. A thin, pale scar cut across his chin, starting just below the left corner of his mouth and curving down to the edge of his jaw. And of course there was his smile; a slightly lopsided camber of lips, the right side tweaking just a little higher than the left.

Sakura closed her eyes and replayed the image of seeing Kakashi smile for the first time once more in her head. It had been such a strange, thrilling thing to see his face animated like that. She’d caught impressions of him smiling through the fabric that normally covered his face, but to actually see his mouth move… to see the knowing smirk that said he was very aware of why she’d been staring… the slightly embarrassed lift of his lips when she’d told him he was beautiful… A warm, tingling feeling ran through her skin, causing her nipples to tighten as if the air were suddenly much cooler than it felt. Her cheeks flushed brightly as a burst of desire radiated through her— and all because she was thinking about his smile.

Shaking her head as if to clear it of that image, she regarded the book in her hands thoughtfully. Faint signs of wear and good use were all over the hard cover. The spine had a few cracks and some slight fraying where the pages were bound to it. There were tiny nicks across the surface, probably from being stashed in the same place as extra kunai and shuriken. She flipped it over and read the title curiously. The Observations of a Wandering Ninja… not exactly an attention grabbing title. Perhaps that was why Jiraiya’s earlier work didn’t sell very well.

Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she regarded the dark green exterior, running her fingers along the engraved characters and noting the speckles of green poking through the gold leafing. Glancing around as if expecting to be caught doing something she knew she shouldn’t, Sakura hesitantly opened the cover and flipped to the first page.

The sun was mercilessly hot as it glared down from a bleached out heaven. I could already feel the tight, uncomfortable pull of burned flesh across my shoulders. It was so sweltering that any sweat my body produced evaporated immediately. Apparently, the cracked and broken earth my feet were trekking still had some moisture deep beneath the surface; vapors wavered and rippled across the horizon, skewing the border between land and sky. My tongue was thick and dry, sticking to the roof of my mouth as the occasional grain of sand ground against my teeth. This was hell… and the only escape was either by miracle or death. At this moment, with my pulse throbbing across my scorched skin and my feet growing steadily heavier and harder to move, the latter seemed the more likely option for me.

Oh… wow. She couldn’t believe someone who made a living off of selling trashy erotica was capable of something so… visceral. Jiraiya was certainly living up to all of Kakashi’s praise! Sakura licked her lips as if they were as dry as the desert being described and eagerly flipped to the next page. She was only half way through the first paragraph when a soft knock came to the door, tearing her away from the vivid description of the wasteland environment.

She quickly dropped a strip of paper in the book to mark her spot and was on her feet in the next instant, hurrying to open the door. Kakashi was leaning against the door frame, his hands tucked in the pockets of his black slacks and the sleeves of his charcoal grey shirt pushed back to his elbows. It looked almost identical to what he wore everyday, save for the fact that his over shirt was grey rather than dark blue. She was a little disappointed he wasn’t wearing traditional attire too… but at the same time, she really liked how snug the grey shirt fit across his chest.

“Hi,” she greeted with a smile, a little breathless from her haste was well as the sight of him. Her heart was beating just a little faster and a fluttery, anticipatory sensation was coursing through her stomach

Kakashi didn’t say a word. His gaze swept her from head to toe and then… his face went ashen like he was about to be sick. Her smile faded and she noticed the slight bob in his throat as he ran a hand back through his hair in a very open display of discomfort. “Is that what you’re wearing?” he asked, his voice cracking just a little.

Frowning, Sakura looked down at her yukata critically. She hadn’t thought it looked bad when she pulled it out of her closet. The deep burgundy color she knew was a good match for her skin and hair tones and the bright pink cherry blossom design on the sleeves and lower hem gave it a bit of fun. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” she asked, smoothing her hands worriedly down her hips.

“Nothing,” Kakashi said quickly and when she looked up she noticed that his ears were a little pink. Was he… blushing? He sighed heavily, the sound bordering close to a groan, and swiped a hand down his face. “There’s nothing wrong with it but… is there anyway you could possibly change into something else?”

Sakura’s eyes narrowed and her back stiffened angrily at his request. “Are you kidding me?” she snapped, jabbing his chest sharply with one finger. “There is no way I’m gonna take a fashion critique from a man who believes grey is adding color to his wardrobe! And a yukata is completely appropriate to wear for festivals!” She scowled at him, crossing her arms over her chest as she shook her head in disbelief. What kind of man actually told a woman to change her clothing, especially after she’d spent the last half an hour getting ready for him?

Kakashi closed his eye and pinched the bridge of his nose, his shoulders slumping forward in defeat. “Just… forget I said anything. Please?”

His tone was so contrite that she found herself forgiving him even before she rolled her eyes and grumbled, “Oh, alright! I mean, I guess the pattern is a little childish anyway…”

“Trust me, it’s not the pattern.” When she gave him a questioning glance, he just shook his head and added, “Never mind. Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah, just let me get my shoes on.” She shuffled over to where her zori were waiting and slipped her feet into place, wiggling her toes to adjust the thong comfortably before snagging her keys off the hook. Kakashi waited to one side as she locked up the apartment, dropping the key into her wrist purse. Sakura smiled up at him and took his hand as they headed down the stairs and out onto the street.

There was still a sliver of light in the sky, just enough so that the glow from the paper lanterns strung all up and down her street couldn’t be seen. People were strolling down toward the river area, the women wearing brightly colored yukata while the men accompanying them were in more somber tones. Children were running excitedly ahead of their parents, their sandals slapping loudly on the pavement. This was the first big celebration Konoha had seen since Tsunade’s birthday party, and it would more than likely be the last one they had until spring since the weather was getting increasingly less friendly. Despite the fact that the forecast called for clear skies, there was the unmistakable grey of rainclouds moving in across the rust tinted forest surrounding the village.

Sakura took a deep breath and savored the smell of autumn in Konoha. The typical musky scent of the forest was tinged a little sweeter due to the maple trees being tapped for their sap. Maybe, if they were lucky, there would be people selling maple candy at the festival. She glanced up at the man walking silently next to her and gave his side a gentle nudge. Kakashi glanced at her, his brow lifting questioningly, and all she did was grin back.

“What?” he asked, rubbing his thumb in slow, massaging circles along her hand.

A small giggle broke out as she shook her head. “Nothing, it’s just… I’m really happy you decided to come.” It was the truth, too. Just being able to spend time with him, regardless of her objective, was enough to make her head feel light.

Kakashi blinked at her in surprise before his eyes creased cheerfully as he smiled. He squeezed her hand affectionately and she returned the pressure. “So, what do you want to do first when we get there?”

Sakura hummed thoughtfully and tapped a finger against her lower lip. “Mm… I’m actually kinda hungry. Wanna get something to eat and then just wander around?”

He shrugged, tucking his free hand into his pocket. “That’s fine. This is your date, so you’re in charge.”

A sly grin crossed her lips as she regarded him from the corner of her eye. “Really?” she questioned, her voice taking on a teasing tone as she turned to face him, walking backward. “So… I’m like the team leader then?”

“Don’t push it. I’d hate to suddenly come down with a cold and be forced to cut our date short.”

She burst out laughing and gave his arm a quick hug as they crossed over the wooden bridge spanning the Shirakaba River . The entire bridge was strung over in little white faerie lights and paper lanterns in various hues. At the other end an enormous archway had been constructed, one that had colorful paper strips hanging from it that fluttered in the light evening breeze. It opened directly onto the paved plaza area and the small park that spanned down in either direction of the wide, gently flowing river. As far as she knew, the land had belonged at one point in time to the First Hokage but it had been donated to the village to serve as a recreational park and celebration site.

Right now, the entire square and the flat stretch of grass that surrounded it for almost a half a mile to either side was filled with people; vendors selling food and goods, booths for games and fortune telling, parents running after their children, couples laughing as they held hands. The smell of cooking food and sweets filled the air, as did the slightly more acrid scent of cigarettes and alcohol. Sakura could just make out the adults only section that had been set up on the outskirts of the festival area, complete with a bar and tables for card and dice games. It was only about ten to seven and the bar area was already crowded with riotously laughing people deep into their cups.

They came to a stop just to one side of the entryway, Sakura standing on tiptoe to peer over heads and see what was around them. There was an artist drawing caricatures, a stall that wrote names on grains of rice, another selling expensive looking kimonos and hair accessories… Sakura’s eyes widened eagerly and she gave Kakashi’s hand a tug to get his attention. “Kakashi, look! Goldfish catching!”

“You want to catch a fish?” he asked wryly, letting her pull him through the crowd.

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him and said, “You’re telling me you don’t want to? Come on, it’ll be fun!”

Kakashi shook his head slightly, the look on his face saying he wasn’t convinced of that. She kept a hold of his hand as they made their way to the front of the crowd, smiling as the woman behind the large bin of fish handed her a small poi. Sakura wriggled her way to the front of the crowd and Kakashi followed right behind her, keeping one hand firmly on her hip. “Are you any good at this?” he asked, shaking his head when the girl behind the booth tried to give him a poi as well.

She shrugged nonchalantly and said, “Pretty good.” It was a total lie; not once had she ever caught a fish, despite her many efforts. She’d come close once, but stupid Naruto had knocked it out of her poi and into his. And then she’d knocked him upside the head for stealing her goldfish. But something told her this time it would be different, that this time she would be getting her much coveted goldfish.

About twenty minutes later, Sakura decided whatever that something had been could kindly burn in hell. She squeezed the sleeve of her yukata and scowled as water dripped out onto the flagstones. Kakashi stood slightly behind her, his hand still clamped on her shoulder as if to prevent her from running back there and pummeling someone. “It’s okay,” he said with a hesitant edge in his voice. “I’m sure there’s probably another fish stall you can try.”

“That’s not the point,” she grumbled, twisting about to glare at the people clamoring to catch a fish. “I had that one, anyone could see that! He purposely broke my poi and stole my fish!”

Kakashi sighed heavily and looked skyward as if asking for divine intervention. “Sakura… he’s a six-year-old boy. I doubt he was purposely strategizing how to steal your goldfish.”

Sakura was still glowering as he steered her away from the scene. She was half soaked and didn’t even have a goldfish to show for it! “Someone should say something to his parents at least.”

“Hey, didn’t you say you wanted something to eat? There’s an unagi stand just over there that smells really good,” he interjecting, purposely changing the subject while pointing a little further down the square to distract her from finding the boy’s parents.

Her eyes followed down to where he was indicating and her stomach roiled hungrily as the scent of grilled eel hit her nose. Well… maybe it wasn’t such a big deal after all. Like Kakashi said, there were more than likely other fish catching booths in the area. “Okay, sure. That sounds good, actually.”

Kakashi let out a relieved breath and looped an arm around her waist as they headed toward the unagi stand, staying close together as they navigated the crowd. People were shuffling through the narrow gauntlet formed by closely packed stalls, laughing and having a good time. Vendors were shouting for people to come see their merchandise; children were being scolded by their mothers for wiping their dango covered fingers across their clothing… It was a nice change from the every day, that was for sure.

They managed to reach the unagi stand just as two men were getting up to leave and quickly slid into place on the stools. The girl running the stand smiled as she flipped a skewered eel over on the grill and asked, “How many?”

“Two, please,” Sakura called, opening her purse for money. She looked up in surprise when Kakashi beat her to it, her jaw dropping open in surprise.

Kakashi looked at her and said, “I owe you for lunch, remember?”

“Well, yeah but… I didn’t really expect you to actually do it. You’ve never paid anyone back as far as I’m aware.”

“That’s because they don’t look as pretty as you do.”

She arched a brow and smiled teasingly. “Not even Naruto’s Sexy no Jutsu?”

Kakashi shuddered and a slightly repulsed look flickered through his eye. “Do you want my eel, because suddenly I’m not feeling very good.”

Sakura laughed and leaned into his side as the girl handed them two skewers of grilled eel apiece. “You’re telling me you don’t think he makes a pretty girl?” she joked, biting carefully into her hot food. Her eyes closed as she savored the taste of eel on her tongue and her stomach growled eagerly for more.

“Absolutely not,” he scoffed, pulling his mask down just enough to take a bite. Both of them looked up at the loud clatter from behind the stand.

The girl mumbled an apology and ducked down to pick up the tongs she’d dropped, her face burning red and her eyes slightly dazed. Sakura couldn’t blame her in the least. She was having a hard time not staring at him herself. “Why is that?” she pressed, sneaking glances at him while eating her food.

“The Sexy no Jutsu doesn’t change the fact that underneath those blonde pigtails and breasts, it’s still Naruto. And no offense to him, but he’s not exactly my type.”

She wrinkled her nose a little and nodded. “Mine neither.”

“Are you talking about Naruto or Naruto’s Sexy no Jutsu?”

“Both, you idiot,” she laughed, rolling her eyes at his joke.

Kakashi arched a brow and glanced at her from the corner of his eye as he sucked a bit of eel sauce from his thumb. There was an even louder clatter from behind the stand and this time the girl didn’t even bother hiding the fact that she was gaping at him. A stab of possessive jealousy burned through Sakura, prompting her to glower at the mesmerized female. Even if the unagi girl didn’t pose a real threat (not that there was anything to feel threatened about since Kakashi was not her boyfriend) Sakura had spent far too long competing with Ino for boys to simply let it slide.

Acting on impulse and without any warning to the man sitting beside her, Sakura grabbed hold of his wrist just as he was about to give his finger the same cleaning treatment. Both of Kakashi’s eyes snapped wide open in shock, the sharingan swirling slightly in response to being uncovered. He watched her intently as she drew the tip of his finger between her lips, her tongue flicking out to taste the rich sauce staining the pad. His grey eye glazed over and the sharingan’s pupil expanded to better memorize what it was seeing. Sakura smiled around his fingertip and slowly pulled away, very aware that more than one gaze was locked on her in disbelief.

“Not bad,” she commented, letting his hand drop limply to his lap. “Maybe just a little more salt, but otherwise it’s— mmph!”

Her words were cut off by the sudden press of his mouth to hers. For a moment, she was too stunned to respond to the slow, gentle slide of his tongue against hers but then instinct took over much like it did the night before and soon she was kissing him back, matching his unhurried rhythm easily. Her eyes closed and she moaned into his mouth while tilting her head slightly for a better angle.

He drew back and she made a protesting sound as she moved to follow him… but his mask was already back in place and he was pushing the money further across the counter toward the slack jawed girl on the other side. “You might want to flip those,” he commented lightly, nodding toward the smoking eels on the grill.

The girl blinked in confusion but as soon as the smell of charred meat reached her nose, she gasped in dismay and quickly did as he suggested.

Sakura was still sitting in a daze, her fingers brushing over her tingling lips absently, as he stood up and leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Jealous much?” He was throwing her accusation from earlier back at her, she realized that, and it should have annoyed her. It didn’t. Instead, the smooth, low timber of his voice sent a tremble down her spine and a quick pulse between her legs. Her eyes closed again as her breath left her in a shuddering puff. She heard him take a deep breath along the skin of her neck and swallowed hard.

Then, he was pulling away from her, catching her hand and tugging her numbly off her stool. She managed to keep herself from falling as her knees gave a little wobble. Kakashi glanced back at her and the mischievous twinkle in his eye told her he was aware of her near stumble. Blushing, Sakura fell into step as he took the lead, winding them through the crowd and around various stalls.

They roamed the festival site together, stopping on occasion whenever something happened to catch her eye. She ended up splurging on a set of barrettes that were shaped like tiny green leaves as well as two thin scarves that would match a couple outfits of hers. Kakashi seemed content just to tag along and let her explore, showing interest only once when they passed a vendor selling ukiyo-e prints. He’d barely gotten his hands on a picture of a woman with her kimono slipping down her body when Sakura had grabbed him by the back of his shirt and hauled him out of there, her cheeks stained a deep crimson color. Trust him to find porn at a village celebration! Although, if she was being honest with herself… the print she’d spotted near the entrance of two men embracing passionately was very nice.

At one point in the evening, they bumped into Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji leaving a Korean Barbeque stand and immediately the two girls began comparing their purchases, ignoring the men completely while they made plans to meet up later for the fireworks. Sakura didn’t realize Kakashi had left until she was waving goodbye to Ino. She turned around… and her smile slipped completely when she noticed Kakashi was holding a bagged goldfish.

Her eyes narrowed on the white and yellow splotched fish swimming lazily in its bag and a tiny bit of excitement sparked through her. “You went goldfish catching without me,” she observed while trying to maintain a mature, composed demeanor. Inside though, she had a very good idea of what he was up to and was busy squealing and jumping around giddily.

Kakashi glanced down at the fish as if just now noticing he was holding it and said, “Oh this? I mugged it off of some punk five-year-old.”

“Wow, that must have been an epic battle,” Sakura remarked, a smile tugging at her lips as he handed the bag over to her.

He sighed dramatically and rotated his right shoulder as if it were stiff. “You have no idea how brutal five-year-olds can be.”

Sakura snickered and poked at her fish through the water filled bag. “He’s really cute, isn’t he?”

“If you say so. I’m not a fish connoisseur so I can’t really say.”

“He’s cute,” she assured him as she looped her arm around his waist. “So, do you wanna go watch the fireworks now? Ino said they’ve got a spot already and that we can join them. If you want to, that is.”

Kakashi settled his arm across her shoulders, his fingers toying with the sleeve of her yukata absently. “Well… it’d be a shame to miss the main event, don’t you think?” he mused, his eyes creasing as she grinned excitedly up at him.

Sakura gave him a quick, grateful hug and led the way down to the viewing area that was situated right along the river’s edge. Kakashi stayed close to her the entire way, his body keeping her warm against the crispness that had crept into the night air. In a way, she almost didn’t want to join the others for the fireworks. One of her biggest romantic fantasies involved watching fireworks from a rooftop with someone she cared about. For the longest time, that someone had always been Uchiha Sasuke. Now though…

She glanced up at Kakashi’s profile and a soft smile came to her lips. Now, she couldn’t think of anyone she’d rather share that fantasy with than the man walking next to her. Sakura stopped in her tracks, causing Kakashi to lift a questioning brow. “Something wrong?” he asked, rubbing his hand down her arm reassuringly.

She shook her head, her eyes darting across the lawn to where she could just make out the small pavilion area Ino had told her to go toward. “No, nothing’s wrong,” she said, her fingers curling around his when he took her hand. “Just… can we maybe go somewhere else to watch the fireworks instead? Somewhere maybe… not so crowded?”

A flash of something dark and hot flickered in Kakashi’s grey eye, sending a shiver down her spine and butterflies fluttering in her stomach. “Somewhere a little more private,” he added, making it a statement rather than a question.

Pink tinted her cheeks and her heart sped up dramatically at the way he said that. Swallowing anxiously and unable to lift her gaze higher than his chest, Sakura gave the barest of nods. She almost swore she heard him sigh under his breath before his hand tightened more securely around hers. “I know a good spot, but it’ll require some climbing. Are you game?”

Sakura nodded once again. “I’m game,” she replied, her voice a little breathy sounding.

Kakashi took a deep breath in and released it slowly as he too looked out over the crowd of laughing, happy people. His face was carefully composed; it was the sort of expression people gave when they didn’t want you guessing at their thoughts. Sakura waited patiently while he deliberated, one hand still clutching her goldfish and the other clasped around his.

Finally, Kakashi came out of his thoughts and tilted his head back in the direction they’d just come from. “Let’s go.”

Sakura followed alongside him, jogging in order to keep pace, as he led her off the festival grounds completely and back over the Shirakaba Bridge. She had no idea where he was taking her and quite frankly it didn’t really matter. All she cared about right then was getting there and watching the fireworks with someone she cared about.

Oh, and trying to steal his book, of course.

In terms of bad ideas… this had to be in the top ten for worst ever. It didn’t require a genius level reasoning to know that it was really stupid to be alone with her only a day after having his hand up her shirt, especially when she was wearing a yukata and he, coincidentally enough, had a kimono fetish. This was the very sort of thing he would expect to read in a romantic comedy, except it wasn’t so funny when it concerned him.

Kakashi glanced at her from the corner of his eye and felt yet another excuse to get out of this die on his tongue when he saw the contented look on her face. Genma was right; Sakura had fallen for him. There was no way she could contrive that level of blissfulness without years and years of practice. Her expression was completely unguarded, allowing her thoughts and feelings to show as clearly as if she’d said the words.

This should have pleased him. After all, that was the whole point of him dating her; to teach her the perils of seducing someone for gain. Instead, it left him feeling a little sick and more than a bit confused. It shouldn’t have mattered that he was attracted to her. He shouldn’t have any trouble separating personal from professional, but that was exactly what was happening. He was letting whatever feelings he had for her get in the way of a life lesson.

It was almost embarrassing how weak his self-control was around her nowadays. She had him doing things he never did, not for anyone or anything. Going to festivals, actually paying for food… kissing in public. Granted, he’d been very careful about making sure Sakura and the unagi girl were the only witnesses to that, but he’d still kissed her full out (and with tongue, too) in the middle of a crowded festival. The last time he’d kissed someone so publically was when he was twenty-two and on a mission in Lightning Country… and it had been with Gai. Their target had a real soft spot for man love, so they’d exploited that for all it was worth.

Just thinking about that particular kiss made an unpleasant shudder run down his spine. They’d both agreed to exclude that part from the mission report and each of them swore an oath on their lives never to tell anyone about it. To this day, neither of them has broken that pact.

Kakashi let out a low breath, his thumb rubbing lightly against her hand. Perhaps he should just put an end to this now, before it got any more complicated than it already was. He could confront her about her plans, let her know that he’d been aware from the start and had gone along with it in order to teach her a lesson. She would undoubtedly be pissed and he’d probably have to stumble his way to the hospital once she was through with him, but maybe once things settled down a bit they could—

“Oh! The Hokage Monument is a perfect spot to watch the fireworks, Kakashi!” she said excitedly, tugging his hand to get him to speed up as she jogged quickly toward the long, steep steps carved into the towering hillside. “Hurry or we’ll miss the opening!”

“You know, it’d be quicker if we just walked up the side of the mountain,” he observed as he took the stairs two at a time, trying very hard to ignore the sight of her bare legs as she hiked her yukata up to follow noisily after him. Her zori slapping loudly against the stone steps sounded like a very awkward applause and she couldn’t use the handrail what with all the fabric she was holding up.

“Probably, but it’d be damn difficult to do in these shoes,” she retorted, scowling as one of her sandals slipped awkwardly under her foot.

Kakashi sighed heavily and dropped to one knee. “Climb on.”

“What?”

“Climb on. The launching pontoons are in position and you said you didn’t want to miss the opening.”

Sakura hesitated, her brow creasing uncertainly as she glanced between the stairs and his offered back. “But… are you sure?” she pressed.

“It’s fine. You’re not that heavy.” He grunted when she slapped the side of his head. It was open handed, thankfully, but it still made a few spots dance in front of his eye.

“I’m not heavy at all, you jerk!” she snapped while looping her arms around his neck.

Kakashi refrained from pointing out that some people would consider a one hundred pound girl rather heavy and instead reached back to get a good grip on her thighs. His eyes closed and he had to suppress a groan when his fingers met with bare skin; her yukata was still bunched up and pinned between her hips and his back. He stood and tried very hard to ignore not only the stirring in his pants but how incredibly soft her skin was. “Hang on,” he cautioned and immediately regretted doing so when she pressed herself tighter to his back so that he could now feel the gentle swell of breasts beneath her clothing.

He stood up, channeled chakra to his feet and pushed off the ground. Sakura yelped in surprise at the sudden burst of speed and tightened her arms a little further around his neck. It took maybe a minute at most for him to scale the Hokage monument, but it felt like an eternity when his senses were being drowned by her; the crisp, citrusy scent of her shampoo invaded his nose, her breaths were hot against his ear, he could feel the muscles in her thighs under such smooth, addictive skin. By the time they reached the top of the monument, Kakashi was hard and wishing like hell he hadn’t done that.

Sakura seemed completely oblivious to how affected he was as she scampered down his back and raced as fast as her slapping zori would allow through the small stand of trees out onto a wide, flat stretch of rock. The trees were actually part of the private garden running around the entire estate that served as housing for the Hokage. Kakashi could just make out the tiled rooftops of the outer buildings over the trees and the dim, yellow flicker of light shining through windows.

Originally, the Hokage’s estate had been down by the Shirakaba River, but during the Nidaime’s reign he decided to keep living in his own house at the top of the mountain due to the fact that it was more secure. And since the Hokage lived at the top of the mountain, it made sense then for the ANBU headquarters to be located there as well. One of the first tasks assigned to rookies in those ranks was guard duty around the perimeter of the property. It was boring as hell, which was why the senior members thrust it upon their subordinates.

He followed Sakura onto the outcropping that ran right to the edge of the craggy mountainside. The worn spikes that formed the Sandaime’s hair stabbed upward against the night sky and served as the only barrier between anyone admiring the view and a long drop downward. Wooden benches that had been there since before he was born were positioned a safe distance back from the precipice. They were worn and bore a few scars but the high polish catching faintly in the moonlight said that they had been well cared for over the years.

Sakura sat down on a bench that had a perfect view over the village and festival site, neatly crossing her ankles to one side and fussing with her yukata until it lay flat against her curves. She smiled over her shoulder at him when she noticed he wasn’t moving and patted the spot alongside her. “Hurry up, they’re about to start,” she encouraged, a trace of laughter creeping into her words. “And I could use someone to snuggle with. It’s freezing up here!”

Kakashi bit the inside of his cheek and suppressed a frustrated groan. Snuggling was about the last thing he needed right then… but she was giving him that hopeful, happy look again and soon enough he was sitting down next to her. Sakura’s smile widened in delight as she wriggled herself more comfortably into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. His breath caught a little when she placed a hand on his thigh, right above his knee, and squeezed.

They sat quietly together on top of the small mountain, looking out over a village that was nothing more than colored lights and the dark outlines of buildings. A breeze swept by, tugging at hair and clothing. She shivered and he pulled her in closer to him despite the fact that the smell of her shampoo was trying to destroy the last shreds of his self-control. Her cheek rubbed against his shoulder and his hand tightened hard around the arm of the bench to keep from turning the scant inch needed in order to kiss her.

“Ooooh… look!” Sakura exclaimed suddenly, pointing out over the village. A shrill whistle split the air, followed by the chest rattling crackle and boom of a rocket exploding. The entire village was bathed in red and green light and the excited cheers from the festival goers were so loud he could hear it all the way up here.

Kakashi smiled faintly and settled back to watch Sakura rather than the fireworks. She was leaning forward eagerly, excited little sounds coming from her with each new burst of light overhead. Her bright green eyes were round and glittering, reflecting back the colors that bathed her pale skin in various hues. With that overjoyed smile and the way the fireworks lit her against the backdrop of the night sky…

She looked beautiful.

It wasn’t exactly a stunning revelation. He’d noticed for a while now just how attractive she was. What actually had his breath catching was how much that natural, effortless beauty affected him. She wasn’t doing anything even remotely sexual and yet her open, honest joy was enough to make a smile cross his face and send a warm sensation through his chest.

“Did you see that one, Kakashi?” she asked, turning toward him with an ecstatic grin. “They made the Leaf insignia in the sky! Wasn’t that the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen?”

He almost wanted to tell her that it honestly wasn’t. The prettiest thing he’d seen in a while was sitting next to him and cooing happily over some fancy rockets. Kakashi smiled back, nodding his head toward the fireworks. “They certainly are something.”

Sakura’s smile was soft and there was no mistaking the gentle affection in her gaze as she scooted a little closer to him, drawing her knees up onto the bench while her fingers plucked at the simple cotton fabric of her yukata. Her lower lip caught between her teeth as she snuck glances at him from the corner of her eyes. “So… last night,” she began shyly, a brilliant burst of white light illuminating her face enough for him to see that her cheeks were a little pink.

He nodded slowly and repeated, “Last night.” He’d had a feeling she would want to talk about it, but he’d been hoping she would perhaps put it off until tomorrow… when she wasn’t wearing a yukata and he was a little more in control of himself than he was currently.

“I just wanna make sure you know everything’s okay. With us.”

Kakashi blinked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “Come again?”

Her cheeks darkened further and she quickly lowered her lashes, staring somewhere around the middle of his chest. “Well, what I mean is… you said earlier that things were maybe moving a bit fast. I… I wanted you to know I was okay with it. With last night, I mean.”

He smothered back a groan and scrunched his eye closed. Her words cut right through his resolve and brought back the memories of just how okay she’d been... of how she'd kissed him so eagerly, of the heat he'd felt as she'd straddled his lap and rubbed herself against his chest. Kakashi released his breath slowly, trying to maintain the thin thread of control he had left. He’d never had trouble before staying composed, whether it was on a mission or with a companion. But there was something about her that shattered him. She was like a sledgehammer to his senses; a sweet, hot-tempered, undeniably attractive sledgehammer who’d probably kill him for even thinking that about her.

Kakashi was snapped out of his thoughts when she shifted next to him. He leaned back when she moved as if to kiss him and said quietly, “You’ll miss the show if you do that.”

Sakura paused, her mouth temptingly close to his and replied just as softly, “There’ll be other fireworks.”

His breath was locked somewhere between his chest and throat as anticipation flooded through him. As long as he wasn’t the one making overtures, there wasn’t a problem. If it wasn’t him initiating the kissing, the touching— the intimacy— then he wasn’t breaking any rules. Sure. Right. A shiver ran through him as she ghosted her lips over his, so soft he barely felt it through the mask. Her eyes were still partially open, watching him for his reaction as she moved in to place another, more solid kiss to the corner of his mouth.

He groaned softly, the sound hardly audible to his own ears, as the feel of her pliant lips sent a surge of arousal straight to his groin. Only half aware of what he was doing, Kakashi brought his hand to her cheek, brushing his fingers along her jaw tenderly as their mouths met for a third time… a fourth time… and then she was twisting around for a better angle, her breasts brushing across his arm…

They jerked apart sharply at the sound of twigs snapping and soft, feminine giggling coming from just inside the tree line. Two figures emerged from the forest, both of them obviously female. They were completely oblivious to the fact that they had company, as they made plenty apparent when the taller of the two spun the other around for a very passionate kiss. It was full of groping hands, wet sounds and hungry moans, none of which were helping him keep his blood at a suitable elevation. All that came to mind right then was last night with Sakura and the way she’d moaned for him.

A round of fireworks went off overhead, causing the two women to part and turn toward the display with soft smiles… that instantly faded when they realized they weren’t alone up there. Sakura made a choked sound of recognition, covering her mouth with one hand and practically crawling behind him to avoid being seen.

The women vacated the scene with the sort of speed only ninja were capable of but it was too late. There was no denying that one of the females was a Konoha medic… and the other was Temari of Suna.

Several minutes passed in which they both sat in utter silence. Finally, Sakura let out a low, shaky breath and said, “Well… that was interesting.”

“Mm,” he replied noncommittally while trying to think of anything other than how soft her mouth was against his.

“Ino’s never gonna believe this.”

He glanced at her as she sucked on her lower lip. Kakashi very casually shifted so that his fly wasn’t digging so badly into his groin. “Oh?”

Sakura nodded slowly before turning to give him a wide, wicked grin. “She’s been complaining for a while now about Shikamaru dating Temari-san. I guess she doesn’t need to worry about that anymore.”

Kakashi smiled and gave a short, dry laugh as he raked a hand back through his hair. “So, you plan to tell Ino about all that?” he questioned, letting his head fall back against the bench. Even though his eyes were closed, he could still make out the pattern of lights erupting up above. Judging by the rapidity of the explosions and the wild cascade of colors, the fireworks display seemed to be reaching its finale.

His eye cracked open when Sakura fit herself in along his side, tentatively resting her head on his chest. When all he did was settle his arm around her, she relaxed fully into him, her fingers plucking idly at the fabric covering his knee. “No,” she replied, sighing contentedly into his shoulder. “It was pretty obvious Temari-san doesn’t want anyone finding out about her relationship. I trust Ino to keep her mouth shut if I tell her to, but that still doesn’t give me the right to share this kind of information.”

He nodded, combing his fingers lazily through the ends of her hair. “That’s probably for the best. I’m sure Temari would appreciate the courtesy.”

Sakura smiled faintly and smoothed her hand over a crease in his pants— one that was decidedly too far on the inside of his thigh to be completely innocent. “So… the fireworks are almost over,” she said, tipping her head back to better see him.

Kakashi took a deep breath in and released it, realizing belatedly what a mistake that was since it filled his nose with the sweet scent of her. Why did she have to smell so damn edible? “So it would seem,” he replied, keeping his voice carefully neutral while trying to ignore the way her fingers traced random patterns along the inside of his leg.

“Which I guess technically means the date’s coming to an end, too.”

He knew what she was driving at, but right at that moment… he really didn’t think he had the willpower to resist. Kakashi stood up and stretched, the series of pops that ran down his spine sending pleasant tingles through his back. “We should probably get going then.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” she replied, a thin trace of disappointment coloring through her words.

Kakashi tucked his hands in his pockets and waited as she straightened her yukata fussily, his eye following her hands eagerly as they slid over the simple cotton fabric. She seemed completely unaware of his interested gaze as she straightened and sighed in satisfaction. A slight frown came to her face as she picked up the bagged goldfish that had been sitting on the bench next to her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as she ran her hands across her obi searchingly.

“Nothing, I just want to have my hands free, that’s all.” Her tongue peeked out from the corner of her mouth as she tugged the sash up, revealing the slimmer ties underneath. Kakashi watched as she undid the belt just enough to slip the ends of the plastic bag between the folds, her brow furrowing as she tried to hold the bag in place while simultaneously knotting the fabric. Letting out an exasperated gasp, Sakura met his gaze and asked, “Can you help me, please?”

A bead of sweat slipped down the back of his neck. There had to be a higher authority working against him tonight, he was sure of it. If he refused to help do something as simple as secure a goldfish (one he really regretted catching now) to her belt, then she would be upset. If he did help her though… Kakashi took a deep, calming breath and steeled himself mentally as he knelt on the ground in front of her. He could do this and do it without losing his control or sanity. “What do you want me to do?” he asked with just the barest hint of huskiness to his voice.

“Either hold the fish or tie the knot, whatever one you want to do.”

Holding the bag would put his hand dangerously close to her hip— and other areas as well. He took the loose ends of her belt while she held the bag steady and worked quickly to tie it securely, making sure it was tight enough the first time around so that he didn’t have to do it again. The entire time his knuckles brushed across crisp cotton and smooth curves, he swore that damn fish was laughing at him. He was up on his feet again before she’d even finished tugging her obi down over the ties again.

Sakura arched a brow and commented dryly, “Gee, you were sure quick. I would have thought you’d want to get your hands on my clothing.”

If she had any idea how true that was right now, she wouldn’t have made that joke. Rather than tease her back like he normally would have, Kakashi cleared his throat and nodded toward the steps leading back down to the village. “Ready now?”

She nodded slowly, a questioning look flickering across her face briefly before she smiled and reached out to take his hand. “I don’t suppose I could get another ride down the stairs, could I?” she laughed.

“Ah, no. That was a one time only deal.”

Her laughter was light and pleasant and brought out an answering smile from him, one that died quickly when she hugged his arm briefly to her chest. “Alright, fine,” she relented, patting his forearm gently. “Going down is easier anyway.”

Kakashi actually had to bite his lower lip to keep from groaning. He knew her words were completely innocent, but hearing her talk about going down while wearing that damn yukata… naturally, his mind wandered to other places. Such as a clean, simple room with a couple of tatami mats and shoji doors where she would be kneeling and…

He very nearly missed the first step and had to catch himself on the handrail to keep from twisting his ankle. Sakura shot him a bemused look, her brow pinching slightly as she asked, “Are you okay?”

“Oh, fine. Never better,” he replied breezily while making certain to focus on his footing rather than the very tempting images his subconscious kept teasing him with.

She nodded, though it was obvious she didn’t quite believe him. Fortunately though, she didn’t press the issue. They headed back toward the village, her leaning contentedly against his arm and him trying very hard not to notice how supple her breasts felt. He couldn’t wait to get her home so that he could go back to his quiet little apartment and spend the night in a cold shower. And in the morning… he needed to talk out what exactly he was going to do about Sakura with someone else. Sadly though, the list of people who knew the full circumstances was limited to Gai and Genma.

How the hell was he supposed to choose between those two evils?


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Ino huffed impatiently, straining to see over the seated crowd around her. Overhead, the fireworks were entering their finale. Riotous bursts of light colored the upturned faces around her and illuminated the lawn on the river’s edge, giving her a clear view of their surroundings. There were lots of people she knew by sight… but no signs of Sakura or Kakashi.

Damn it, where were they? Sakura had said they would meet up and watch the fireworks together. Maybe Kakashi was making her late? Or maybe they were still trying to fight through the press of people to get there? Or maybe—

“They’re not coming, Ino.”

Ino whipped around and glowered so threateningly at Shikamaru that the dark haired boy actually cringed and carefully put a little distance between them. “You don’t know that! Kakashi-sensei’s always late.”

Shikamaru’s brows rose slowly as he glanced pointedly up at the brightly lit sky. “Yeah, he’s always late… but do you honestly think Sakura would let him be so late that they miss the entire show? Especially when she’s with him?”

She scowled and stubbornly returned to searching the crowd for a familiar pink head of hair. “Stop projecting on me,” she grumbled. “Just because your Sand girlfriend didn’t show up…”

“For the last time, Temari is not my girlfriend,” he groaned, scrubbing a hand roughly down his face. “We’re just working together for the annoying chuunin exams, that’s all.”

A sly smile quirked her lips as she regarded him mischievously. “Oh, really?” she purred. “You two were awfully friendly at the banquet last night.”

“Uh… yeah. We kinda had to be. It wouldn’t look good if the ambassador from Suna was arguing with one of the chuunin examiners, now would it?” His tone suggested this should have been a painfully obvious fact.

Ino sniffed and waved her hand dismissively. “Whatever, have it your way.” Shikamaru made a scoffing sound, but she didn’t pay it any mind as she continued looking around for her missing friend. It was more than likely just Kakashi making them incredibly late. Sakura wouldn’t stand her friends up without a good reason. Maybe she was in the middle of relieving him of his book? Oh, yeah, speaking of which… “Hey, Shikamaru, I need to ask you something.”

“No.”

“You don’t even know what I was gonna ask, dumb ass!”

“Yes I do and no, I won’t help,” he insisted stubbornly, casting a mild glare at Chouji when the boy gave his side a sharp elbow jab.

“At least hear her out,” Chouji requested, though with the way he was scowling at his friend it came out more as an order.

Sighing, Shikamaru shook his head and mumbled, “Alright, fine. What’s the status on Sakura and the Mission That Should Never Have Been Started in the First Place?”

Wow… he really did know what she was gonna ask! And here she thought he was just being a jackass. “Well,” Ino began, stretching out alongside him. “There’s been a change in the plan.”

“She’s gonna quit?” His snort of laughter quickly turned into a surprised yelp as Ino smacked the top of his head hard. “Damn it, woman… that hurt!”

“Of course it did! Now then, what’s happened is that Sakura’s gone and fallen for him.”

Shikamaru remained quiet, but judging by the look on his face he was all but bursting to make some kind of sarcastic comment to that. He very wisely kept his mouth shut though, a fact that put a satisfied smirk on Ino’s face. “Anyway,” the blonde continued, noting that Chouji was now listening intently as well. “The new objective is to try and steal the books without him realizing it was her so that she can keep dating him.”

There was a beat of silence that was broken by the excited murmurs and cries from the audience around them. Ino waited, eyes trained on Shikamaru, to hear what he had to offer in way of strategy. Finally, after letting out a long exhale, the dark haired boy muttered, “Gee, why doesn’t she add the damn moon to the list?” He yelped again as her open hand connected with the top of his head. “Y’know, hitting me isn’t exactly making me agreeable here!”

“You weren’t being very agreeable to begin with!” she snapped irritably. “Now then… back on the topic of Sakura and Kakashi; how can she get those books and keep him?”

Two sets of eyes watched the genius in their group closely as he rubbed his abused head, his lips twisting a little as he ran over different scenarios. “Alright,” he said slowly after a very long pause. “There’s no way she can just take the books off him. You’d have to be a topnotch jounin at the very least to steal something from him and get away with it. And I’m assuming, since you’re asking me again and you said she’d fallen for her target— which is, tangentially speaking, a really stupid thing to do— that she can’t just get close to him to try and attempt a pickpocket anyway, not without getting… distracted. So, that leaves only one real opportunity for acquiring the books.”

“Which is…?” Ino prompted, grinning excitedly at her teammate. Sakura was gonna love her for this!

“Which is… taking them when he’s got home advantage.”

Both Ino and Chouji blinked in confusion, the blonde pushing herself upright to frown down at him. “Wait… are you saying Sakura needs to go over to his house, stage a break in and grab them from there? What if he’s in there?”

Shikamaru groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, which seemed a little counterproductive since he was also thunking his head repeatedly against the ground. “I’m not talking about a break in, Ino. That’d fail miserably. What I’m saying is that she needs to get herself invited over to his place. Kakashi-sensei would never expect her to try and steal his books from right under his nose, especially in his own house. His guard will be lowered a bit. And to keep him from discovering the theft for a little while, she needs to leave a Henge no Jutsu’d book in its place so that he doesn’t become suspicious. Then she Henge no Jutsu’s Icha Icha to look like a book she would normally carry around and walks out the door with it. So long as she can keep him from reading Icha Icha for maybe… say, a week or two minimum, then there’s no evidence that she was the one to do it.”

Ino’s jaw hung slack in stunned silence at the simple brilliance of that plan. Why the hell hadn’t she thought of that?! She had to try twice before she managed to croak out, “That… could actually work.”

He rolled eyes and said, “I don’t know why she’s even bothering though. I mean, it’s obvious to anyone that he— Ow! Goddamn it, Ino, stop hitting me!”

“Then stop being so unpleasant! I know Forehead can do this.”

Shikamaru scowled at her but did nothing more than shake his head and mumble something under his breath. None of them said a word for quite a while; Ino and Shikamaru were busy ignoring each other and Chouji was looking from one to the other as if trying to decide whether he should side with his best friend or the girl he happened to have romantic feelings for.

Fortunately for him, he never had to make that choice. After a few minutes of seething silence, Ino reached across with her right hand and held it out wordlessly to Shikamaru. He took her hand and they shook once, quickly and firmly. “So… what do you wanna do now that the fireworks are done?” he asked, now that a truce had been made.

Ino shrugged and picked her head up to look at Chouji. “Any ideas?”

“I’m almost outta mochi,” he commented, rubbing his belly as it gurgled at the mention of the sweet treats. “Maybe if Okashigaiku’s still open we could…”

Shikamaru’s lips twitched at the corners as he slowly pushed himself to his feet. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. It’d be cheaper than buying it from here anyway,” he replied before breaking off into a wide yawn.

“And they’ve got that low fat green tea ice cream, too,” Ino added, smiling warmly when Chouji hurried to offer her a hand up. She missed the shrewd look their darker haired companion shot them as she hastily dusted off her yukata.

“Hey, either of you know what time it is?” Shikamaru asked as casually as possible as he stretched his back out.

Ino popped her head up and squinted up at the moon that was just beginning to arch down the other side of the sky. “Maybe… about ten?”

Shikamaru winced and cursed under his breath sharply. “Great… I’m late for my curfew. My mom wanted me back at the house by ten. She’s such a pain in the ass.”

“Oh, okay. Want us to pick something up for you?” the blonde suggested, ignorant of the grateful look Chouji was giving to his best friend.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. Maybe next time, though. See you guys tomorrow!”

Ino raised her hands to her mouth and hollered at his retreating back, “Don’t forget; seven in the morning by the south gate!” He waved back over his shoulder to acknowledge he’d heard her before disappearing in the crowd. She waited until he was no longer in sight before turning with a bright smile to Chouji. “So… looks like it’s just you and me. Seems to be happening a lot recently, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” he replied, his voice a slightly higher octave than he’d wanted. Shikamaru was the best friend a guy could ever hope for.

"You know, if we're not careful people might start to think we're dating," she laughed over her shoulder.

Chouji's shoulders slumped and his disappointed sigh went completely unnoticed as she led the way back into the village.


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Sakura paused outside the main entrance of her apartment building and turned to face Kakashi with a smile. The familiar lightheadedness that came when she knew she was about to kiss him flooded through her, leaving her feeling warm all over. She smoothed a hand down his chest, her eyes not quite able to meet his, and swallowed down her nervousness as she daringly hooked her fingers into his belt to draw him closer. The goldfish he’d won for her was still dangling from her hip and seemed content to keep swimming lazily for just a little longer.

Which was good, considering she was about to make an attempt at pickpocketing Kakashi.

He’d already demonstrated that he could be distracted by her. That scratching incident at Omajinai was proof of that. All she had to do was keep him occupied with her while she somehow (she wasn’t quite sure how yet) kept her wits about her to reach around his back to take the book. It wasn’t an ideal plan, but at least it was something. And if he happened to catch her, well… she’d think of something.

Kakashi’s hands came to rest on her hips briefly before sliding around to her back, his fingers just barely grazing the beginning curves of her rear. A quick, hot burst of pleasure went through her at that teasing brush, causing her to shift a little in an attempt to get more definite contact. He resisted, adjusting his hold on her to accommodate her movements. She realized he was still being mindful of how he handled her, just as he had been last night. While part of her was touched at how gentlemanly he was, the other part of her was frustrated to no end that he was still as in control as he was. It hardly seemed fair for him to be so cool when she felt like she was about to melt any minute.

“So, are we even now?” he asked, his fingers massaging her lower back gently.

If she weren’t a little dizzy already from his proximity, she definitely would have been now. Hatake Kakashi’s hands were good for more than just forming seals in seconds flat. She shook her head, a slight frown touching her lips. “Even for what?”

“For lunch today. You said I could make it up to you at the festival.”

Oh, right. She’d forgotten all about that. If anything, she probably owed him now, seeing as he’d not only bought her food but also endured goldfish catching at her expense. Still though... he had been late in meeting her. She supposed a little more retribution was in order. Sakura gave an indifferent shrug and traced a finger along his collarbone and up his neck until she could feel his pulse. She smiled softly when she felt that steady rhythm falter before taking up a quicker beat; apparently, he wasn't as in control as she’d thought.

"Mm... almost," she replied, her breath catching a little as he gently steered her back against the side of the apartment complex. The stone was cool enough to leach through the fabric of her yukata and her body arched away from it slightly, pressing closer to his front.

"Almost?" he repeated, his voice low and carrying that deliciously smooth tone that never failed to make her shiver. Her next exhale was stuttered and uneven as he bent closer to her, so close she could just make out the feel of cotton against her lips. It was hard to stay focused on anything when his mouth was so teasingly close to hers.

She closed her eyes, draping her arms with near boneless anticipation around his neck. "Yeah, almost," she breathed out moments before his mouth slanted against hers. She sucked in a deep breath through her nose, inhaling the scent of him into her lungs. Her arms tightened more securely around him as he moved closer, one hand bracing against the wall by her head. He was warm and fit so neatly to her that she could feel the firm muscles of his chest against her breasts, causing the material to rub across her nipples and send a sharp jolt of need through her.

The hand on her hip gripped more firmly, slipped around to give her bottom a tentative squeeze. She moaned and arched into the pressure of his palm, her hands sliding down to give his chest a rather blatant grope before coming to rest on his hips. Sakura pulled away from the kiss with a small gasp, her eyes opening just enough to see that he was watching her and probably had for the entire kiss. His gaze was a little hazy but still too alert for her to even think about making a grab for the book.

Rising up on tiptoe, she nipped carefully at the outline of his lower lip and whispered, “Take it off.”

The dark heat that flashed through his eye made her skin tingle all over. Her heart was hammering in her chest and the warm glow of desire settled deep in her lower stomach. She stopped breathing for a moment as he used his free hand to very slowly peel his mask down, letting the dark material fall around his neck limply.

She only had a moment in which to marvel at just how good-looking he was before his warm lips were crushing down on hers in a hard kiss. It was all Sakura could do to just follow his lead, one hand ruffling through his hair a little roughly while the other tugged at his shirt to bring him closer. Kakashi’s tongue darted between her lips, stroking against her hotly and making her knees go weak. She slumped back against the wall and he pressed himself closer to her, the hand on her hip sweeping upward across her ribs and around to her back.

Their kiss broke, but only long enough for her to suck in a quick breath before his mouth returned to hers hungrily. She was dizzy, unable to focus on anything but him swarming over her senses; the taste of him on her mouth, the feel of his body rubbing against hers, the small, muffled groans that were seemingly being dragged from his throat. She was gasping, panting into his mouth as she tried to remember what exactly it was she needed to be doing.

His mouth dipped lower, skimming along her jaw before slipping lower to start pressing kisses along her throat. Her eyes rolled back and her fingers curled tighter in his hair at the hot slide of his tongue and lips across her skin. She pressed her lips against his ear, rising on tiptoe to rub her breasts against his front. A soft, panting gasp broke from her lips at the friction across her tightened nipples, which soon turned into a deep groan as his teeth scraped across her neck. “No marks,” she murmured in his ear.

“Heal it later,” he mumbled back and, just because he was such a difficult jerk, he purposely placed a deep, suctioning kiss right over her pulse.

Sakura’s lips parted, but nothing escaped them; no sound, no breath… nothing. The arousal that burned through her was too overwhelming for her to do anything but hope like hell he didn’t stop. A dull, needing throb began between her legs, making her hips shift uneasily for something, anything, to make it better. He moved as if to kiss her again and she growled wordlessly, tugging on his hair to force his mouth back to her neck. Her back arched into him as he did just that, his soft laugh smothered as his lips closed around the skin just beneath her ear.

Her nails dug into his shoulders and back, his skin protected by his skirt, and the feel of those strong, corded muscles shifting against her palms was mesmerizing. One of her hands drifted downward, following the taut line of his spine lower until she reached his belt… and her fingers brushed against the canvas pouch at his back. Her eyes flew open wide as she suddenly remembered what she was supposed to be doing. Hoping he didn’t notice her split second pause, Sakura used her grip on his hair to drag his mouth back to hers, moaning hungrily at the wet slide of his tongue along hers. Very carefully, she hooked her fingers just under the flap of his pouch…

And all functioning thought stopped dead as she tore her mouth from his with a gasp of stunned pleasure when his hand cupped her breast boldly, his thumb circling across her nipple in such a deliberate massage that she had to make a quick grab for his shoulder or else fall to the ground. She shuddered, her eyes closing as she tipped her head back against the wall. Kakashi pressed his forehead to hers and she knew without looking that his gaze was trained steadily on where his palm met her breast. A quick, sharp hiss of breath was sucked through her teeth as he repeated the movement again.

Heat roared through her, exquisite and mind shattering and demanding all at once. Another flick of his thumb across the hardened peak made her hips jerk almost reflexively into him. She could feel the harsh, uneven heat of his breath across her lips, heard a choked little groan come from her lips as his thumb kept whisking across her nipple, becoming more insistent with each pass. Sakura shivered and the hand she had behind his back smoothed upward again, abandoning what it’d been about to do in favor of drawing him closer to her.

Kakashi brushed a few light kisses across her lips and suggested huskily, “Do you want to keep going?”

Her brow furrowed in confusion as she shook her head. Keep going? With what, him driving her mad with need? How much more was he thinking to do to her? She heard him sigh and it almost sounded like one of relief to her ears. He kissed her forehead gently and then… she had to struggle to keep her knees from collapsing as he stepped away from her. Sakura’s eyes flew open just in time to see him finish fixing his mask back over his face and had to try several times before she found enough breath and voice to ask, “You’re leaving?”

He gave a quiet laugh and shrugged. “Well… yes. It’s getting late and I’m sure you probably have a lot to do tomorrow since Suna is due to leave in a couple days.”

Sakura pushed a few pieces of hair away from her face and moved away from the wall toward him. She paused when he took a half step back and frowned. “I was just going to kiss you goodnight,” she explained, perplexed as to why he was still backing away from her slowly.

Kakashi moved as if to tuck his hands in his pockets and, seeming to think better of it, let them fall to his sides instead. “I know,” he replied, meeting her gaze steadily. The intensity in that single eye was enough to make her heart skip a beat. “But if you do that there’s a very good chance that we’ll end up kissing all night, which means we’ll both be exhausted and utterly useless tomorrow morning. And I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not have Tsunade breathing down my neck for falling asleep on the job.”

She snorted disdainfully and rolled her eyes. “Reading smut all day isn’t a job, Kakashi-sensei.”

“Which is why I read modern masterpieces of literary genius, Cherry-chan.”

“You know, for someone so concerned about keeping people up all night, you’re certainly taking your sweet time leaving,” she commented acerbically, raising her voice so that he could hear her across the street.

“And clearly you’re not concerned at all about that since you’re shouting at me from way over there,” he called back.

Growling under her breath, Sakura all but ripped her purse open to pull out her keys. “Goodnight, Kakashi!” she snapped irritably as she opened the outer door and jerked it open harshly, ignoring the baffled look the night guard shot her way as she stomped over to the stairs. She had no idea what she saw in him. He was an insufferable, perverted, annoying… incredibly sexy man…

Who still had his book.

“Damn it!” she shouted, stamping her foot hard enough to crack the flooring outside her apartment door. Yet another evening that concluded with him turning her on horribly and her leaving without her goal. The door slammed behind her, rattling the doorframe and more than likely waking their neighbor. Sakura didn’t pay the banging on the wall any mind as she flicked on the light and stormed off into her bedroom. Despite the fact that he’d left so she could catch some sleep, she doubted she’d be doing much of it tonight. She was pissed off about her failed attempt at stealing Icha Icha and her body was still itching for some sort of relief after what had transpired just outside the entrance.

Sighing as she began disrobing brusquely, Sakura caught sight of her reflection in the mirror… and the deep red mark on her neck, courtesy of one Hatake Kakashi. “Son of a bitch!”

The next time she saw him, she wasn’t going to bother trying to pick his pocket. She was going to kill him and then take his damn books!