When Cherry Blossoms Fall

 

I do not own Naruto, any of the associated characters and I have no rights to the material. I make no profit from these writings which are purely for entertainment

Nightmares came often to Kakashi, the memories of Obito’s words, the memory of the promise made to look after Rin. He had tried, he truly had. He’d tried to love her as deeply as Obito had and for a while she’d been content to dream and pretend.

Been content to lie beneath him as he made her moan and whimper even though she knew. Knew that he didn’t love her, didn’t want this. It was only because of a promise. To him.

And then. He’d killed her.

With Chidori.

The jutsu he’d developed to protect his team.

He’d been a failure. Once again. Unable to save a comrade.

He jerked awake. Covered in sweat, breathing hard.

It was cold.

Pain wracked his body and he tried to sit up.

“Lie still, you are badly injured.”

He ran a hand over his face, squeezing his eyes shut hard. Where was he?

He forced his eye to open and took in the star filled sky, there were small swirling flakes of snow, the scent of night and the cloying metallic tang of blood. What he’d thought was sweat had been blood, it covered his palm. His blood.

Movement against his left side drew his attention.

He turned his head weakly to the side to see a pink head bent to the task of healing him. Her chakra cooling as she carefully took inventory of his wounds. Sakura knelt in the snow, uncaring of the cold against her skin.

“Sa...kura”

Green eyes met his, misted with tears. “Shut up!” she snapped, her palms pressing in to the mess that had once been his midsection. “Let me work.” She said then, more softly.

Sakura bit her lip and shoved more chakra into him, trying to knit bone, muscle and organ as she went. She’d seen him in pretty bad shape before but never like this. She had always thought him invincible.

Now, she was terrified.

Terrified because she might lose him. Terrified because she loved him.

“Sakura, I don’t think he’s gonna…” a voice beside her said.

Sakura threw a chakra laden punch that split the ANBU mask in half. “Shut the fuck up! Don’t you say it, don’t even think it! Get your bleeding ass up and get Lady Tsunade. Now!”

Then she was back to him, she met his gaze fully and Kakashi couldn’t help but think how lovely she’d grown up to be. “You aren’t leaving me” she told him in a deadly voice, “I have plans for you.”

Plans? Kakashi blinked slowly, felt more life and more strength sapping from him, felt the flare of her chakra again. “Tell…”

She reached up to shove a long pink braid over her shoulder; a smear of his blood marred her cheeks from her soiled hands. “I’m patching you up” she said then, more focused on her task than her work, she rambled to him. Sometimes asking questions just to make sure he was still with her.

“You are going to show up at my door and ask me to dinner. You are going to take me for a long walk near the training grounds and tell me that you don’t see me as a child anymore. You are going to offer me sake and I’ll pretend I am just a little drunk and you’ll kiss me and I‘ll finally see your face.”

His gloved hand rose shakily between them and touched her face before dropping limply. He saw the stricken look on her face and blinked to let her know he was still living.

A fat tear rolled over her pale cheek to drip against his cloth covered mouth and Kakashi tasted the salt.

She wasn’t even aware of half of what she was saying anymore, her hands moved automatically. She was pouring sweat. Her flesh was growing paler with every passing moment. Her chakra was getting dangerously low and she knew it.

She just didn’t care.

Time ceased to exist for her. There was only him and the sickening scent of his blood all around her, covering her and she was so scared she would lose him.

She’d finally healed that lung, the pierced kidney and the bleeding was slowing. If she could just hold on and hurry, he could make it.

Her vision grew blurry and darkened. Her hands clutched him tightly and she forced her reserves to speed through his body.

He could… Her body slumped over him. She felt the blood soak into her clothing, become sticky against her cheek. Still that light pulsed from her palms and she willed him to live with all she had.

If she could just save him…

Tsunade arrived a moment later, brown eyes snapping wide at the sight before her. The clearing was black with blood, her sandals slipped and slid in it as she made her way to the bloodied heap of flesh. Sakura was draped across her friend and captain.

“My lady, she is so low on chakra!” Shizune cried out, and the Hokage knelt to lift Sakura away, gently handing her to Genma.

“Get to work on her Shizune. Or we could lose them both.”

She turned back to Kakashi, unconscious and pale on the ruined grass. Her hands sought his injuries and she smiled softly to sense Sakura’s chakra spiraling through him. Faint now. She’d done quite a bit of healing for the Jounin. So much that she could have died, wasn’t out of the woods yet.

Tsunade worked for several minutes and breathed a sigh of relief when Kakashi was stabilized. “Shizune?” she barked in question.

“Stabilized my Lady, just severely weakened. She will recover. Kakashi?”

“Sakura saved him. He too will recover. Let’s get them back. Sai, summon a bird to carry them.”

The ink user, unfurled his scroll to obey.

“She’s one tough kunoichi” Genma said softly, noting how chilled she felt and cuddled her closer to his chest.

Sakura was aware of warmth and a deep rumbling vibration near her. She forced her eyes open to the night.

“Gen…ma?” Sakura asked faintly, eyes cracking open to see the senbon user. He grinned down at her as he laid her on the back of the bird.

“Don’t you worry sweetheart. Kakashi will be just fine. You just rest.”

Her lashes fluttered and she passed into the dark of oblivion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour later both patients were settled in beds across from each other. Tsunade figured Sakura would want to see Kakashi when she woke up anyway. At least this way the damn hard headed girl would stay in bed and get some rest. She hoped.

She made a mental note to cuss Sakura out royally when she felt better. How dare she scare her master that way?

Sakura woke three days later, feeling like hell.

She blinked against the sunlight streaming in through the window.

“You’re awake!” Naruto cried from the bedside chair. He leapt to his feet and leaned over her. Same goofy grin in place but his eyes were sad, worried.

“Kakashi?” she asked hoarsely.

“Fine. Sleeping.”

There were dark circles under Naruto’s eyes and Sakura felt immense guilt. “I’m sorry Naruto. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

He wrapped his arms around her head under the pillow and pressed his cheek to her chest. “I was you know. Scared for you guys. Like piss my pants scared. Heart shattering scared. You’re my precious people.”

She softly stroked his hair and looked over at the bed beside her, smiling faintly to see Kakashi. He was sleeping and had IV’s hooked to him, but the chakra and vital monitors were smooth and steady. She let out a sigh of relief.

“Tsunade said your chakra levels are stabilizing and you might be able to go home tomorrow.”

Sakura felt better about that, she hated being a patient here. “When does he go home?”

Naruto blinked over at Kakashi and folded his hands behind his head, “Not sure. Granny Tsunade said he might be recovering for two weeks or more. Whoever it was really did a number on him. I don’t think I have ever seen him in such bad shape. Who the hell was it?”

Sakura shook her head, “Dunno” but she did. She’d seen him in the woods that night, passed him as she ran with her team to where the ambush had been radioed from.

Sasuke.

He’d leered at her in passing. He hadn’t stopped, even when she had. “Better hurry Sakura-chan. Kakashi might be dead even now. So much for the leaf’s finest.”

He wasn’t their Sasuke anymore. He was truly the enemy. She. Would. Kill. Him.

“Ow. Sakura” Naruto’s voice brought her back to the present, he’d laced their fingers together and she was nearly crushing them.

She released him, “Sorry. Just upset about all this.”

He leaned forward seeing her eyes flutter, “Get some sleep, I’ll be right here.”

She nodded and fell back to sleep. Oddly comforted knowing that the number one knuckle head ninja stood watch over them both.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two weeks went by and Sakura wasn’t allowed to work yet. She had spent the time cleaning and organizing her apartment and basking in the open window’s fresh air.

She also used the time to plan very carefully. Sasuke.

She was startled out of her dark reverie when there was a knock on her door. She rose and peered through the peek hole to see familiar silver hair.

She opened the door, “Kakashi! Should you be up yet?” She stepped aside and gestured him inside.

“Sakura I’m fine. Thank you very much.”

“What can I do for you?” She asked.

Kakashi stared at her ceiling for a moment before he said softly, “I want to take you to dinner. Are you free?”

Green eyes blinked.

“Sakura?”

“Oh! Yeah, yes I’m free.”

He smiled beneath his mask and that happy eye crinkle made her smile back, “Shall we go then?”

She nodded, rushed back to grab her small purse and slipped on her shoes. “Ready.”

There were several odd looks as they walked the streets of Konoha, passed the ramen stands and into the more expensive cafes and eateries. Sakura and Kakashi chatted amiably as he led her to the glass front of an elegant little Italian place.

“Kakashi?” She asked as he held the door open for her. This place wasn’t cheap.

“Do you not like Italian? Ino said it was your favorite.”

She blinked and smiled, stepping inside, “Yes. It is. Thank you.”

As they wandered inside, she felt his large hand settle at the small of her back and her stomach flopped in that non-queasy way.

They ordered and chatted more as they waited for the food to arrive. He asked her about the new medical jutsus she’d been working on and how she’d fared during recovery. She replied and asked her own questions. When he had been released? How was he feeling, really?

When the food arrived, they broke into companionable silence and ate slowly. No rush, no mission, they could take their time.  Kakashi had strategically pulled a vase close so that she had no way of seeing his unmasked face.

She was relaxed and laughing lightly when desert came. Kakashi wondered if she recalled telling him about her plans.

He did, he wasn’t about to let her off the hook.

When dinner was finished and he’d paid the bill they stepped outside in to the darkening sky. They wandered to the hilltop overlooking the training grounds. There was the large tree that she had often sat on as a child.

She was a little surprised when he reached beneath a snow covered bush and drew out a blanket and spread it over the fat fallen tree. He patted the thick wool, “Wanna watch the stars?”

She nodded and hopped up on the trunk. Kakashi withdrew another blanket and wrapped it around them, snuggling in next to her.  She said nothing as he leaned back against part of the unearthed root and his long legs moved to either side of her, caging her in his warmth.

Didn’t complain when his arms came around her drawing her back to him. She covered his hands that rested at her waist with her own.

“I love winter” she said softly, eyes on the stars, “Everything looks clean and pure covered in white.”

“I thought you would like spring” he said then, “Its warm and there are festivals.”

She laughed lightly, “Not much of a festival girl these days, the last we went to, Ino had too much to drink and threw up on my shoes. Kinda ruins the moment you know?”

He chuckled at the thought of high maintenance Ino in such a state.

Reaching into his calf pocket, he withdrew a small bottle and two shallow cups. He handed one to Sakura and uncorked the small cask. It was warm from his body and lightly steamed as he filled her cup. Sakura blinked at the clear liquid quizzically and drank it with a shrug.

She felt the heat of the sake roll through her. Watched him sip his own. Reaching over she refilled her cup and sipped lightly at it, rolling over her tongue. “So what is all this Kakashi?”

He set his cup aside, “Well, I recall that someone very important said that she had plans for me. Let’s see if I remember all of it… I was going to show up and ask you to dinner. Then I was going to take you for a walk near the training grounds”

He pointed to the three posts far below, “You were a child then. But you have grown Sakura. And it’s been many years since I have considered you a child. You were ten when I became your sensei, I was twenty three. The gap isn’t that big now.”

Sakura blushed to the roots of her hair, recalling now her ranting and babble at him.

I was going to offer you sake and...”

“I was going to pretend I was just a little drunk and … and.” She blurted out

Kakashi nodded, fingers stroking over her cheek before cupping it and turning her face towards him, “I’d kiss you...” Cloth covered lips skated over her chilled cheek, her forehead, and her nose.” He smirked at the little hitch in her breath. The way her heartbeat thundered in her ribcage like a bird in a cage.

“And I‘ll finally see your face.” She whispered.

Kakashi reached between them and pulled his mask down over his chin. He pulled back a breath and let Sakura see him.

Her breath caught in her throat, her eyes wide with wonder. If she had ever through that Sasuke or the fourth had been handsome, they paled now. Even with the scar that ran over one eye, eyes that flickered with two different colors. He was beyond breathtaking.

“Wo...” she breathed and then gasped as he closed the distance.

His lips brushed against hers lightly. A hint of a touch and then he drew back, eyes questioning.

Sakura turned in his arms, her hands rising to brace against his chest. And then she leaned closer to him, almost afraid that he would pull away.

Kakashi held still, letting her come to him this time. Her soft lips blooming the corner of his mouth, an innocent touch and he turned his mouth into hers, catching her lush lower lip between his teeth, before sucking on it.

She gasped again and pressed closer. Kakashi cradled her head in his palm as he angled their faces and fused their lips fully. His tongue tapping the softness of her lip before dipping inside. She tasted of sake and the chocolate mousse from her desert.

She whimpered against his mouth as his tongue tapped against her teeth and then curled against the roof of her mouth. Her hands slid to his shoulders and tightened there. He spent long minutes there, touching, tasting and teaching. Backing off for breath, he laid his forehead against hers as she panted for him.

Her eyes opened slowly, misty with passion and he swallowed. “Sakura…Tell me the rest of your plans.” His lips caught her once more. And this time when he released her she leaned back and smiled shyly.

“I didn’t make any… I was too scared.”

And he understood. His death, her failure, his rejection if he lived.

He rose with her, pulling his mask into place and headed back to the village, “Kakashi?”

She looked down where he had linked their fingers, “Do you mind if we play it by ear and I take over from here?”

She swallowed hard and shook her head.

They arrived at his apartment and he pushed the door wide and pushed her inside. They toed off their shoes in heated silence. Once the door was closed, he pounced.

Drawing her close to his body, hands roving over her. She tore at his clothing; they stumbled through the small space until they tumbled to the low bed. His mask was gone, her shirt in tatters in some corner behind them. His mouth was hot and wet against her throat, nipping, sucking and he knew as dipped lower to her lace framed breasts and sucked there, he’d leave a mark.

His fingers teased over the lacy cups, before one hand slid behind her arched back and popped the hook. He tugged the garment off with his teeth, making Sakura laugh. Then he robbed her of laughter, breath and thought. Kakashi shrugged out of his shirt.

“I have plans for you too” he growled to her.

She moaned when he rolled the pebbled peaks between his fingers. “First I will make you come with my hands” he told her, one hand sliding over her stomach, lower still to brush against the cropped pink curls there. He groaned to feel moisture clinging to them.”

He leaned up and peeled the wet scrap from her, pressing a kiss to her bent knee as his fingers found her again. One hand smoothed over her breasts while it’s twin stroked the wet flesh of her sex, clever fingers dancing over the pearl of her pleasure.

She arched against his hand, cried out when he slid two fingers into the heated heart of her. Kakashi pushed deeper watching her body flush, her toes curled against his bedclothes. Her hands fisted at her sides.

He stroked her and pumped her then. His fingers curling within her on each pass. Her thighs trembled against his arm and he let his free hand tweak her nipples in time with his thrusts before he leaned forward to catch one in his mouth.

Sakura groaned at the suction on her breast and the teasing hot caress of his fingers within her. When his thumb pressed her pearl again, she came off the bed with a shout. “Kakashi!”

He grinned against her throat as he felt the flutter of her inner walls and the hot rush of fluids. He pressed a kiss to her collarbone and then her stomach, “Then I will make you come with my mouth.” Her hands tugged at his silver hair and he looked up to meet uncertain eyes.

“Sakura… hasn’t anyone done this to you before?” he asked then.

She blushed a hot shade of red that had nothing to do with passion, “N…no.”

He wrapped his arms around her hips to hold her still and rested his cheek against her stomach. “Does it worry you?”

She bit her lower lip. She was but she didn’t want to say that. Ino had once told her that Shikamaru had done this to her and she’d lost all control.

He nipped little kisses on her stomach then, “Do you trust me Sakura?”

“Of course” she said at once wondering why he’d asked such a silly question.

Kakashi dropped his mouth to her soaking core and slithered his tongue from opening to apex. Her hands were back in his hair, this time her nails scratching against his scalp as her hips rocked against him. She tried to squirm away from such strong sensations but Kakashi merely tightened his hold and shrugged her thighs over his broad shoulders.

One hand slid between them to part her. Kakashi was a demanding lover but giving as well. More so with those he intended to keep for some time.

Kakashi spread her with his fingers, seeing the small opening of her body flex and contract. She was close again. He ran his tongue in circles over her nub and then sucked hard at it. She threw her head back against his pillows and her back bowed off the futon.

Her fingers were fisted in his silver hair and she pulled him closer. Kakashi loved when women were unbidden, he buried his mouth against her, lashing her hungrily with his tongue. Taking in the scent and taste that was hers alone.

Her thighs tightening on his head and she screamed his name. He ran his hands over her sides and squeezed her bottom as she released.

Kakashi thought he was hard enough to snap in two. He needed her. Desperately.

She was panting and flushed in his bed as he pulled away, wiping his mouth on the back of his arm. He quickly shoved his pants to the floor and stepped out of them.  Sakura looked up at him through heavy lidded eyes, he stood over the futon.

A god of hard muscled planes and when she saw him fist his own hardness and stoke himself she through she had died.

“You look so good there Sakura” he purred to her, “All hot and wet for me. Do you like when I touch you?”

She whispered a yes.

“I intend to touch you far more and often.”

Then he crawled over her, letting her feel every inch of his hot flesh. His kissed her again, slowly and with such heat that Sakura wondered if it were possible to set the bed on fire. She could taste herself on him. He pressed a kiss behind her ear and then lined himself up with her. “I will make you come with my body.”

Sakura’s body felt heavy and lethargic. She’d never actually come with someone else before. Only herself and for a while she’d thought she was broken. Clearly she wasn’t.

Kakashi gave her a deep tongue dueling kiss as he eased himself inside of her. When he reached halfway he pulled back and then slammed into her.

Sakura’s nails bit into his shoulders and she wailed in his ear. Her body was hot and tight and Kakashi groaned at the feeling of it. He took her hard and slow, each thrust bumping him against her clit. His mouth opened on her throat, her shoulders, returned to devour the sweetness of her mouth.  Her body was clenching around him, her release imminent.

Good thing too, he wasn’t sure he would be able to hold out much more. Didn’t know how long he could wait for her. The pressure was building in his lower back, he could feel his testicles draw closer and tighten near his body.

With a final swivel of his hips, she fragmented in his arms. Her voice was roughened from her cries throughout the night and he slammed his lips to hers as he breathed raggedly through his nose and slammed into her once, twice, three times and stiffened in her arms. He felt he blinding white wave of pleasure rise and up and overtake him.

He barely managed to catch himself on his arms to keep from crushing her, his whole body shook so hard was his release. Sakura slowly relaxed beneath him, feeling the wet slide of mingled essence. She lapped at the salt on his shoulder making him groan softly.

She supposed she would have to get up soon, maybe take a shower and head home. Everyone knew, women didn’t sleep at Kakashi’s.

When she opened her eyes long minutes later, it was to find him staring at her. Foreheads nearly touching. “Then I will lull you to sleep in my arms and love you again in the morning. And then I will do it again and again for as long as you want me, as long as you let me.”

She blinked, feeling moisture prick at her eyes.

He kissed her again, softly, “You are my Sakura blossom.”