That's MY Book!

Disclaimer: Though I was born in an american base in japan, therefore making me a likely candidate, I still did not create Naruto.

A/N: The series ended while Sakura was 15 and Kakashi 29. So, right now she's 19 and he's... 34. Uhhh... yeeeaaah. -cough- Hey, whatever, more time for him to be more experienced and whatnot. In this storyline, Sasuke did NOT join Orochimaru. Though Tsunade is the reigning fifth hokage while the third hokage still died sealing Orochimaru's arms.

>-> all this info retrieved from that damn resourceful Wikipedia, since I never finished the series. Grrr.
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"Eh?! EH?!?" Sakura wailed out frantically, rummaging frantically through her room, "Where is it? WHERE in the world could that book BE?!"

She was supposed to destroy it. SHE was. It couldn't just walk off and destroy itself. For all she knew, maybe it didn't even destoy itself.

Suddenly the chuunin found herself pausing, 'Uh... am I suggesting that the book... is more than an inanimate object????'

"SLEEP." The pink haired girl suddenly found herself saying outloud, "That's what I need. Mmmm... yeah, that's it."

Her frantic search forgotten, the chuunin stumbled to her bed, her green orbs already drooping. It had been a LONG night, after all.

Dropping face first into the bed, messy due to the previous searching, she pulled the covers up in one lazy jerked motion. Snuggling closer to her pillow, she found a sudden thought popping randomly into her head.

'Mmm... wish I could smell the forest....' But she was too tired to follow that thought to what it implied.

::::A few hours later, more early morning::::

The pink haired chuunin found herself shivering. Her last night's attempt to cover herself with the blanket failed miserably. Though it did work great as a sleeve. For one arm. Since that was all it covered.

The shadowed figure that had appeared in her STILL open window shook his head slowly. It was an extremely chilly morning. How could she have been so careless...?

He shrugged, "Oh well, might as well help with that. I am here, after all."

::::Several hours later, well into the morning::::

'Hmm... may-be.... maybe this wasn't such a good idea.' Kakashi thought to himself, nodding a bit in slow agreement.

Currently, the jounin was lying down next to the chuunin, both covered by the blanket. Both FULLY clothed, mind you. He had meant well. Really he had. He had placed himself next to her in the bed in an attempt to give her warmth. It wasn't HIS fault that she had pulled closer. HE wasn't the one who wrapped her arms around his torso, or laid her head on his chest. Hell, half her body was on top of them.

'Then again... since I wasn't the one who did those things...' Kakashi began to grin, 'then that must mean the blame can't be placed on me'.

With that idiotic string of logic, the jounin relaxed more in his position, carefully placing his crossed arms beneath his head. Of course, he could never admit TRUTHFULLY that he wasn't enjoying himself by just being there. But then again, the Copy Ninja was never one to tell the truth ALL the time. That would be too troublesome, after all.

Sakura, in the meantime, was busy slowly waking up. She noticed the warmth immediately, but it just didn't register in her groggy mind what it could be. Remembering how cold it had been earlier, she snuggled closer to the warmth, her arms tightening its hold.

Kakashi's breath hitched at her movement, since it ended up pressing her body even CLOSER to him. He even felt the leg that was thrown over his ankle sort of... tangle up in his legs.

"Uh oh." He commented aloud, 'Deep breaths, Kakashi. DEEP breaths...'

But the tangling of her leg in his own pair drew more of her weight on top of the suddenly tensed jounin. Resulting in her thigh placing much pressure on... a certain spot.

'DEEPER,' the silver haired jounin found his thoughts suggesting hurriedly, 'definately need to breath DEEPER'.

Sakura breathed in deeply, smiling in her half-wakened stated, "...forest..."

Kakashi's brow raised at this mumbled word. What in the world was she talking about? The jounin realized she must have been more tired than he had realized. Poor girl, thinking that she had fallen asleep in the woods. Before the jounin could stop himself, he felt a chuckle escape.

The pink haired girl blinked at this, shifting her head a bit as she tried to focus on what was before her eyes. She thought she had heard... what. A laugh? Her fingers clutched involuntarily, grazing over a cloth surface that did NOT feel like her blanket or bedsheets. The made her blink more blearily.

"..what...?" She mumbled, trying to shake off the effects of sleep.

There was... a bush on her pillow? A silver bush. Sakura's brow creased in befuddlement. That did NOT make any sense.

"Whassa bush doin' in my bed...?" She mumbled, her words still a bit incoherent.

Kakashi couldn't help but laugh again. The look on her face was priceless. The logical part of him was saying that he should probably hightail it outta there if he wanted to save his hide. But her body on his was just too... magnetic. He just wanted to kick that logical part out when he was around her. Honestly, what good did it do?

Those green eyes blinked harder this time as she realized there was more than just a bush. The bush was connected to something. A... forehead protector? With the Konoha village symbol on it?? Sakura pushed herself up a bit, to get a better look. One hand was on his shoulder, the other on the bed right beneath his other arm.

Kakashi watched, moving only his eye, as she lifted her upper body slowly, leaning over him. A confused expression on her face still.

As her green orbs latched with his lazy black one, he smirked, knowing his was caught, "Hmm... not a morning person, are you?"

There was a few moments of silence. Not a breath was taken. Just two green eyes looking into one black one. Kakashi did not get a good feeling...

"EH?!?!" Luckily he had plugged his ears a moment before this. He really did not think it would be any advantage, being the ninja he was, if he had suddenly gone deaf.

Her face was busy deciding which shade of red to choose as she froze in shock.

"K-ka...ka...shi?"

"You DO remember who I am." The jounin replied with an idiotic grin on his face. Well, all she could see was the upwards curve of his visible eye. But she could tell nonetheless.

With a yelp, she lost her grip on his shoulder, slipping over the edge of the bed and taking the blanket with her. Of course, since Kakashi was currently entangled in that SAME blanket, he went over as well.

They landed with a soft plop on the wooden floor, thanks once again to the thick blankets. After a brief struggle, thrashing limbs involved, Sakura decidedly realized it wasn't helping her any in the current mess she was in. The sheets were tangled beyond all hope. A fact that Kakashi didn't seem to be expressing the same amount of frustration over.

That's what made Sakura snap. Her eye twitched dangerously.

"Kaka-SHI, what are you doing in my apartment...AGAIN?" She said slowly, her anger simmering.

Kakashi looked into those flashing green eyes almost nonchalantly. Placing his chin against a propped up arm, he faced down her growing anger with a slight grin, "Sakura," She had said his name first, so it was only polite to reply in the same way, "when do I get my book back?"

That froze her anger mid-boil. The color almost seemed to drain from her face as she realized something. She had... LOST the book. HIS book.

'It wasn't MY fault,' she could see herself explaining in her mind, 'the book walked off and destroyed ITSELF.'

Uh-huh, yeeeaaahh.... THAT was believable.

Suddenly, his face was leaning closer to hers, his eye opened slightly, "Sakura. You DO have my book, right?"

That snapped Sakura out of her non-vocal state, "O-of course, Kakashi." She laughed nervously, "Why wouldn't I?"

Not relinquishing any of the gained space, Kakashi tilted his head more into his open hand, sagging comfortably, "So when do I get it back?"

"Uh..." Her mind was racing. What to do. WHAT to do.

"It's the newest edition of Icha Icha Paradise," The jounin almost pouted. After all, a great shinobi like himself just could not pout, "I need it back. Soon."

"Of course," Sakura, in her somewhat calmer state, was able to detangle herself from the blanket. The incentive being that Kakashi just seemed to be getting closer and closer by the second, "I'll... uh, give it to you later. Yeah, that's it. Later."

Kakashi drooped considerably, though it wasn't noticeable until he too had detangled himself and stood next to the window.

Hands on the window sill, he looked back at her, "You know, I never took you for a... disorganized person."

Realizing the messy state her room was in, Sakura felt her face heating up from embarrasment, "It's not usually like this. Honest."

"Yeah, well..." Kakashi scratched his head, turning back to the window, "try remembering to close your window next time. It was cold this morning."

With a backwards wave, he leaped out the window, leaving a blushing chuunin behind him. Closing the window slowly, Sakura leaned her back against it, pondering. She remembered vaguely the chills in the night. Then the sudden warmth. It had been so... it had FELT so... good. Remembering how she had woken up, practically laying on top of the jounin, Sakura blushed even more. She had... and he had just... lain there.

Inner Sakura growled, 'Grrr, he'd better not have done anything PERVERTED!!'

Looking up with a start, the green orbs focused ahead of her, "I have to find that book."

That's when she noticed the note. The paper was folded neatly on the bedside table. Frowning in concern, she picked it up and unfolded it slowly.

Team 7's meeting up again at the bridge at noon since I missed the other 'reunion' a few days ago. Don't be late.
Copy nin Kakashi

Sakura darted a glance at the clock.

'GAH! I only have two hours to search today!!'

^-^

That was why Sakura could be seen rushing around, a frantic look on her face. Some of the villagers came to the conclusion that she had fallen into another 'mood thing' and tried to ignore her. Except for those unfortunate few who she accidently ran over every so often.

'Where is it. Where is it Where is it?'

The minutes ticked by. Sakura almost clawed her own hair off restraining herself from bursting into every house and apartment she came across. But she resorted to knocking and simply asking the occupants about the book.

Unfortunately, because of Icha Icha Paradise's notorious fame, she recieved much doors slamming in her face as well as leers from certain individuals too old for her to even consider. Not to mention the usual clueless face of the young before their mothers marched to the front door and pleasantly told Sakura never to talk to their child again. And more door slamming.

Needless to say, the chuunin was getting tired of it.

Not knowing where her feet were dragging her off to next, the pink haired girl looked up a moment too late. The bridge! She was heading towards the bridge. Oh no, it was near noon. She couldn't show up now! Maybe she could squeeze in a few more inquiries around before heading back. She couldn't give up. She had to find the book.

But the blond headed chuunin that spotted her had other plans.

"Heeeyyyy!! Sakura!!!" The little kitsune jumped up and down, waving frantically. He was still such a kid sometimes. No matter what age he was.

Sasuke was there as well. In all his cool slouching glory. His hands were stuck into his pockets and a smirk graced his features as he spotted the pink haired chuunin.

"Ahaha..." She laughed half-heartedly, scratching the back of her head, "Hey guys. How's it going?"

She was caught. But maybe she could still get out of it. Somehow.

"Great." Naruto grinned. Before his smirk fell slightly, "But I wonder how long we're gonna hafta wait for Kakashi-sensei. He IS the one who said to be here at noon, after all."

"I wonder what lame excuse he'll use this time." Sasuke put in.

'Yesss!!' the inner Sakura crowed, 'This is just what I needed!'

Grinning inwardly, it was an effort to put a slightly disappointed expression on her face, "Aw, darn. Well, if he doesn't show up at twelve, I'm afraid I'm just gonna have to leave. I mean, I'm not the idle, laid-back girl I was years ago. I have things to do, tasks to run-"

"Teammates to hang out with." A voice behind her cut her off.

Sakura blinked, turning around slowly. VERY slowly. So slowly, in fact, Naruto decided to help her and turned her all the way around for her.

"Yo." Kakashi grinned, finally seeing he had everyone's attention. Sluggish Sakura included.

Simultaneously, Sakura and Naruto pointed, "You're... er, EARLY?!"

Even Sasuke looked surprised.

Maybe Sakura couldn't get out of this after all.