It all started with that dream...

-I don't own Naruto-

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Chp 5: A date?

Thankfully, Naruto and Sasuke didn’t seem to be aware that anything had happened between her and Kakashi earlier on in Akagahara. Naruto was being his usual boisterous self, happily anticipating Hinata’s ramen welcome. Sasuke was being…well, Sasuke. He was as broody as ever that it was hard to tell if he had noticed anything but then again, that was the way he always was so chances were, he hadn’t. She hoped. She sighed, kicking a lone pebble that had dared cross paths with her sandaled foot. The four of them were walking back into town, back to their respective homes for the night. She knew that she, for one, wouldn’t be able to stop her mind assaulting her with thoughts of anything but Kakashi. Of the dream. Of what had happened between them back in Akagahara. Not that anything had really happened had it? She was probably reading too much into the situation. He had probably not felt that there was anything out of the ordinary. Again, she sighed. She seemed to be doing that a lot. That and blushing. She couldn’t help it really. Thoughts of Kakashi…They made her stomach flip in slow torturous circles in tandem with her heart, as if experiencing vertigo. They made her feel like her heart had leapt all the way to her throat, robbing her of all breath. Because he took her breath away, he really did...

Once she had accepted that she couldn’t stop thinking about him, thoughts of that nature had crept into her mind with increasing frequency and she couldn’t stop the barrage of feelings that had came with it. Love…Was that really what she felt? If it wasn’t, it sure seemed to be heading in that direction. She had never felt like this before with Sasuke. Her feelings for him seemed to be just a childish crush to her now. So much had changed and it was all because of a dream. And a moment that she was probably reading too much into. But he had seemed flustered too…Did she dare allow herself to think that? She could have sworn the look in his eyes as they lingered over her had been much much more than any look one could reserve for his ex-student. And he had seemed almost shy… 'No!,’ she thought sharply. It was one thing for her to indulge in her blossoming feelings but deluding herself into thinking he might return any of them was just asking for trouble.

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Kakashi walked in front of the three of them, easily tuning out Naruto’s cheerful monologue. He had chosen to do so on purpose. He needed to think and he didn’t think he could do it if he could see Sakura right in front of him. The sway of her hips. The allure of her beckoning tresses glinting in the fading sunlight. It was hard enough knowing she was just a few feet behind him. The four of them had wasted away the afternoon in Akagahara in an uncharacteristic show of carefree camaraderie. Forgetting about all ninja-related thoughts for one afternoon and just basking in the warmth of the sun. It had been a great day. He had, however, been unable to forget the way he had held Sakura in his arms earlier that afternoon. How it had felt so right for her to be there. He knew he should put up more effort, if for nothing else but to preserve the comforting relationship they already had, a bond he shared with an ex-student. But he had given up fighting the feelings that had taken over him too fast, too hard. He had given in. And to think it had all began with one less than innocent dream on a hot night. He sighed. He was in trouble.

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Sasuke trailed behind the three ninjas in front of him. His comrades. It may have been years since they were really Team 7 but Sasuke was a loyal guy and he would always consider these three the most important people in his life. Not that he would entertain those thoughts beyond the vicinity of his own mind. Sometimes, his thoughts were so uncharacteristic of his exterior self that it would probably surprise people to early senility. If they only knew. Not that he entertained such thoughts often. Since that dream, his mind had been filled with thoughts of Sakura. Of the Sakura he had grown to know over the last six years and of the writhing Sakura his body had known in the span of last night’s secret hours. His mind was a mass of Sakura-filled thoughts. He frowned as he replayed a memory of earlier on in the afternoon. Kakashi had saved Sakura from a remnant kunai from the aftermath of their ‘fight’ with the marionette warriors, bringing the both of them onto the ground. Both Naruto and himself had flopped down on the clovers, unconcerned, knowing that everyone was now safe. But as Naruto happily closed his eyes to the world, Sasuke had turned towards Sakura for a second and noticed her looking up at a less than protesting Kakashi. In fact, it had seemed that the both of them were weaving their own spell over each other in that moment. Oblivious to everything. He frowned. It had probably been a trick of the sunlight.

He looked ahead at the preoccupied female making her way back home along with the rest of them. She didn’t appear to be on her way to asking him out anytime in the next few moments. She seemed too distracted. Or maybe she just wasn’t interested anymore, a voice inside him whispered. His brow furrowed and his throat constricted unfamiliarly. He wasn’t sure he wanted that. Was prepared for that. Maybe all the thinking he had done, all the planning, had made him look forward to surprising her with a nod or a yes. But now he knew that he truly wanted to see what a date with her would really be like. Getting to know her in a different way. More than just…comrades. He wanted more. His mind jolted at the thought. ‘More?’ He wasn’t sure he was prepared for the direction his thoughts were heading towards but he also knew that he was interested enough to not want to give up on this without first giving it at least one try. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. Looks like any gestures he expected had to be made on his part. He cleared his throat again. What was that itch? He wasn’t used to this…He quickened his steps until he was striding alongside the object of his chaotic thoughts. He could see Naruto and Kakashi being quite a way ahead of them that it afforded him enough privacy to carry out his plan. His breath appeared to catch in his throat. God, he was nervous…

Sakura seemed oblivious to him. Still. It irked him somehow. It was probably his ego not used to Sakura blatantly…….well, blatantly ignoring him…He turned to look at her. She was still looking ahead with that glassy green-eyed stare, lazily kicking the pebbles that came in contact with her feet. He grabbed her hand impulsively, looking into her surprised eyes. She had turned to look at him, jolted out of whatever thoughts she had been having. She was now looking right at him. Now was his chance. “Sakura…,” he mumbled. She looked at him questioningly, her expression liberally peppered with obvious shock. Did he really not talk to her that much? He fought the urge to blush. He fought his embarrassment, continuing, “Sakura…would you…do you…” He swallowed. This was harder than he thought. It was a good thing Naruto and Kakashi were far along! Sakura continued to stare at him in obvious shock and curiosity…It was now or never. And he had placed himself in a situation that was far too embarrassing to settle for never. He had to finish it. “Sakura…,” he began, still holding on to her wrist, the both of them having stopped in their tracks, “do you want to go out with me for dinner tonight?” He looked into her green eyes with just the tiniest flicker of hope quickly quashed by his usual demeanor. “Just dinner of course, “ he added hastily, yet in his usual cool and unflappable way. He hoped that was possible.

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Kakashi turned to look at the stunning young couple a distance away. Sasuke held Sakura’s wrist in his. He looked serious, as was normal, but he also looked nervous? What was going on? Could it be that Sasuke had finally confessed to having feelings for her? Kakashi’s eyes narrowed. He couldn’t help his jealousy. He couldn’t turn his head away from the sight unfolding before his eyes either. He noted Sakura’s surprised look. She too didn’t seem to have expected the move. Kakashi didn’t know what to think….Sakura wasn’t his…And hadn’t she always been after Sasuke? He should be happy. Studying the scene before his eyes, the handsome young man holding on to ‘his’ beautiful young woman, Kakashi crushed his twisting heart, determinedly turning forwards. Sakura wasn’t his. He had to get a hold of that fact.

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Sakura continued to stare at Sasuke in shock. Should he begin initiating some damage control? He cleared his throat, preparing to retract his revealing offer. “Look…you don’t have to if you don’t want to, “ he mumbled, looking away, “I just didn’t feel like eating alone tonight, that’s all.” His face adopted his usual blank stare but his warm touch betrayed the cold façade he was trying to create. Sakura knew all this. And she knew that if she went straight home, the sound of silence would prod her thoughts so much so that she would be even more confused as to her burgeoning feelings for Kakashi. If that was possible. It was paradoxical but she knew it to be true. She needed the distraction of a friend and small talk. Which was why, after getting over the shock of his asking, she answered, “Sure.”