Naruto 1. It's Been Awhile

_**Summary:**_ It wasn't supposed to happen. She made one simple mistake, and now he's a part of her world.

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**_Mistake_**

**_Chapter One: It's Been Awhile_**

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Sakura stacked her paperwork into one nice, neat pile on her work desk, placing her writing utensils back in the pencil holder. Sighing, she rose from her seat, leaving her little workplace after pondering for a couple of short moments. She rummaged through her dresser, searching for her usual ninja attire.

She encountered a white strapless dress that Ino had bought for her for her eighteenth birthday, which was not too long ago. The dress was beautiful, but it seemed a size too small for her. Ino would buy something like this for her. She was always trying to mix and match her up with the 'perfect man'. None of her arrangements, however, were a success. Sakura always either ended up punching the man in his jaw due to perverted actions or ruining her date. She knew she wasn't the smoothest talker out there, not that it mattered to her. She never really focused on her love life anyways. Working was the main priority at the moment.

Finally, she found the rightful clothing and quickly slipped into them. Standing in front of a mirror, she smoothed out the wrinkles on her black shorts, then tightened the medic waistband around her waist. Next, she pulled her hitai-ate over her head like a headband, then tied a knot to keep it in place.

She stared at the image standing before her. She could say that she hadn't exactly changed over the years. Perhaps she had grown a little, height-wise. Her hair grew longer as well, but she kept it shoulder-length. Ever since the Sasuke incident, she had been trying to avoid growing out her hair. It was too much of a painful reminder for her and she did not want to look back at those bittersweet memories.

After applying a light amount of mascara on her eyelashes, she stepped out of her apartment complex, locking the door behind her and stuffing her key into her pocket. When she exited the apartment building, the sunlight shined brightly in her eyes, nearly blinding her. She had not been able to relieve herself of signing paperwork for the past four hours, so the sudden change of her surroundings disoriented her a bit.

She leisurely strolled down the sidewalk, brushing past the huge crowds of Konoha civilians. She kept her gaze focused on the trail lying before her. She was recently notified by an ANBU official that Tsunade-sama wanted to speak to her about crucial things. Knowing that whatever she had to tell her was important, it most likely had to do something with a mission. Why else would Tsunade call her in? The only times she ever needed her was when she was on hospital duty or when she was being assigned a task.

Sakura released a deep breath, brushing her bangs away from her eyes. She had not been on a mission for a while now. She was anxious to finally get down to it. It was a bore to stay in Konoha for a while without doing anything exciting. Doing paperwork was already hellish enough.

It was ten more minutes before she reached her destination. She slowly climbed the stairs of the Hokage's tower, finding her way through the winding hallways. Just when she reached the main office and was about to open the door, she heard a familiar voice that sounded too good to be true.

Trembling slightly, she entered. Her emerald eyes immediately widened at the person standing in front of her.

He looked over his shoulder, then turned around completely to face her with an eye crinkle. "Why, hello Sakura. My, you have grown. How long has it been? Two years, about?"

Her heart raced as she stepped closer to the man. Shock completely consumed her, along with a mixture of indescribable emotions she had never felt in her entire life. "Kakashi-sensei…Y-You're back!" She wrapped him in an embrace when she reached him, her cheek nestling into his flak jacket. She felt him hesitatingly wrap his arms around her, his warmth welcoming and comforting her. She knew he was surprised and confused, but to hell with that! It was Kakashi, for crying out loud, and she hadn't seen him for a very long time.

Kakashi had been absent from Konoha for nearly two years now. He was assigned an S-ranked mission that was highly dangerous, and she hadn't seen him since. His absence left her heart feeling empty. It just wasn't the same without him here in the village. It was awfully calm and silent without him.

She released him from her grasp, then immediately averted her attention to Tsunade, who was watching with a somewhat amused smile. "Tsunade-sama, you never told me Kakashi arrived from his mission," she stated with a slight bow of her head, her heart still leaping across her chest. She had never in her life felt so happy to see someone again. Perhaps knowing the possibility that someone precious might die frightened her.

Tsunade gave a small chuckle, swaying her sake bottle in her hand. "Kakashi, here, arrived from his mission last week. I was going to tell you, but I didn't want to bother you. You were so cooped up in your apartment doing paperwork that I thought you'd go frantic if I pulled you away from your workstation."

Sakura raised a brow. "Are you kidding? I've been wanting to leave that damned place for days! But since I never had anything else interesting to do, I remained there," she harrumphed, folding her arms in front of her chest. "You should have told me about his arrival. His arrival is way more important than those shit paperwork."

Kakashi stared at her oddly. "And why is that, Sakura?"

She directed her attention to the Copy Ninja beside her with a small smile. She murmured, "Well, I was so worried about you. Naruto, Sai, and Yamato as well. We all knew that there was going to be a big possibility of…you know…"

He chuckled heartily, ruffling the top of her head. "Sakura? Worried about _me_? Well that's rare," he laughed, his lone onyx eye twinkling. "Thanks for the concern anyways, but I'll have you know that I'm old enough to take care of myself."

Sakura paused, remembering his habits of teasing her constantly. Her eyebrows bunched as she took hold of his wrist, pulling his hand away from her head. "You haven't changed at all," she commented. "Still the same old Kakashi-sensei."

"No need to use the honorific, Sakura. Tsunade told me that you progressed into being a jonin during my absence, so we're equals now," he stated, grinning slightly underneath his mask. "Congratulations."

"Oh, well…thank you." She smiled warmly, glad to finally be congratulated by her former sensei after so many years.

Silence shortly consumed the atmosphere before the pink-haired kunoichi redirected her gaze to Tsunade, who was patiently waiting for their little teacher-and-student reunion to end. She bowed her head, feeling slightly embarrassed. She had gotten so excited that she forgotten that she was in the presence of the Hokage, and usually the excitement never got the better of her. She had matured over the years and she developed a strong, calm composure, but after seeing the silver-haired man again, she couldn't help but to let her happiness leak out.

"I apologize, Tsunade-sama, for interrupting you so rudely," apologized the young girl, her cheeks reddening. "I was just so overjoyed with his arrival that I…" Her voice trailed off into a whisper, unable to collect the correct words.

"It's quite alright, Sakura," replied Tsunade amusingly. "I don't mind at all. It warms my heart to see old comrades reunite anyways." She popped the cap off the tip of her sake bottle, immediately sipping it afterward.

Rubbing the back of her neck embarrassingly, she mumbled, "So why did you summon me, Tsunade-sama?"

"Ah, yes." Tsunade folded her hands on her desk after drinking one final sip of her alcohol. "Well, as you know, you haven't been on a mission for quite a while now. I ran into one of the reports some of our finest ninja sent. They failed in capturing an all-time theft that happened to steal one of Konoha's sacred scrolls last week. They were injured along the way and they need back up medics immediately. I thought that you were the perfect one for this task, so this is why I summoned you."

"So my mission is to heal them and allow them to recover, then accompany them on the rest of their mission in case?"

"Exactly."

"Hai," said Sakura, nodding solemnly. She crossed her arms, eyeing the shinobi beside her. "But what about Kakashi? Why does he have to be present during this time?"

Tsunade pointed at him directly as he zoned into the conversation. "Kakashi will be your escort. If you were to get hurt on your journey to the Land of Lightning, no one would be able to save you, and he is our only option at the moment. All other highly-skilled elite jonin are occupied. I was going to assign Sai, but he was just sent off to the Hidden Sand to instruct ANBU training with their trainees."

"But isn't the Land of Lightning a two week trip from Konoha?" Sakura protested silently.

"Correct."

"Then the injured—"

"The squad is currently resting in an Inn in the Land of Lighting. They are unable to continue their search for the theft because their sensory-type ninja is the one that is injured. His leg is badly wounded and may be broken, so their mission is going to be delayed until you two arrive at their position."

"I see…"

Kakashi stepped into the conversation. "I understand our duties, Tsunade-sama, but when exactly are we going to leave the village and head to our destination?" He sounded a tad bit weary and drowsy.

"Three days from now, you two will be departing Konoha at seven a.m. sharp."

Kakashi sheepishly ran his fingers through his hair, taking a step forward. "Aha…but you see, Tsunade-sama…I just got back from a two-year mission last week and I think I'm still a little uncoordinated after so many restless nights…"

Tsunade slammed her hand flat onto her desk. "Kakashi, I understand what you are saying but this is an S-ranked mission. We cannot allow our objective to escape under any circumstances!"

Silence.

"Now, you may go, but I want you to discuss your mission plans and details together sometime today so that you are prepared in the future. I'm giving you three in a half days to prepare, rest, and do other crap," explained the blonde, sighing out of frustration. "And Kakashi, when I mean seven a.m. sharp, I _mean it_. So, do not leave your former student waiting for you for hours and give her a crappy excuse when you arrive!"

"Hai, Hokage-sama…"

"Good, now go! I have plenty of paperwork to do! Shizune would not be happy when she comes back and sees a whole stack of shit on my desk, so shoo you two. I can't get distracted!"

"Hai, Hokage-sama…"

Sakura exited the office first, followed by Kakashi. As they left the Hokage's tower, a trail of thoughts rampantly ran through Sakura's head. She knew it had been a long time she since she had left the village for a mission, but it also had been a long time since she had left the village for a mission _with_ Kakashi. In fact, she couldn't recall ever having a mission with only herself and him. It was usually always a Team Seven effort — her, Naruto, Sai, Yamato, and Kakashi altogether. Now, it was just her and him.

She looked down at her feet and released a harsh breath. She was going to be on a long-term mission. Alone. With Kakashi. Just thinking about it sent her stomach aflutter. She had to admit, she was nervous. This would be the first time ever doing a mission with just her former sensei. She was not highly intelligent about his tactics and fighting style. If she were to mess up, would he get angry at her?

"Watch out, Sakura."

She blinked confusingly as she was suddenly pulled to Kakashi's side, her shoulder bumping against his broad one. She shuddered as his grip around her wrist tightened, then paused to look up at him. He icily glared down at her, his lone eye piercing right through her.

"You almost ran into the street light," he began calmly, still staring at her with a hardened gaze. "Are you okay? You seem a little…nervous."

"I'm fine," she assured with a fake smile. "I'm sorry about my carelessness. I was just so focused about our mission."

He nodded at her response then continued to walk, reading his so-called romance novel at the same time. Though he had chosen to go along with her excuse, she was sure that he was unconvinced. Kakashi was not the type of man to just 'go with the flow'.

She gazed up at the clear blue sky, watching as a flock of birds soared over her and him. She smiled slightly, enjoying the breeze pouncing against her pale skin. Perhaps for the next few days, she would spend her time recollecting her thoughts, walking around Konoha, and hanging out with friends before she departed. It would be nice to relax outside of her dwelling. It would ease her stress she gained from constant hospital shifts and paperwork.

"It's been awhile, hm?"

Sakura looked at the middle-aged jonin beside her, puzzled from his sudden statement. "Since what?"

"Since we've seen each other," he started silently, "since we've talked…since we ever got close like this again."

He stopped walking, paused for a short second, then urged her to follow him along another path that was unfamiliar to her. He was quickly moving along and she tried her best to keep up with him. He usually did not act like this.

"Wait, I don't understand," she finally replied, falling in step with him.

"You know…I missed Konoha a lot when I was away," he murmured quietly, turning a page in his novel. "I especially missed seeing your little faces. Too bad you guys are all grown up now." He seized his steps in front of a small pond to look at his reflection. "I heard that you turned eighteen three days ago, am I correct?"

"Yeah," she answered in a hushed voice, observing him as he glared at his blurred reflection, his silver hair hanging in front of his forehead. "But I don't understand what your point is here."

Kakashi did not respond. He continued walking the path and she followed him, curious about his sudden change of attitude. It was five minutes before they arrived at a beautiful lake. By now, it was sunset, so the water glimmered brightly beneath the lilac-colored sky. He gently took her by the hand, shocking her, and tugged her along, bringing her in front of the lake. He seated himself on the soft green grass and she mimicked him.

"Why are we here?" she asked curiously when he finally released her from his grasp.

"I went here a lot as a child," he explained, placing his book onto his lap. "The image of the lake always soothed me and relieved me of my concerns."

"Why'd you bring me here then?"

His lone eye cringed, sending a warm feeling into her gut. "I think I deserve some time to spend with my former students after two years."

Her cheeks reddened slightly, and she looked down. "But…what was that whole little speech about earlier?"

"Oh, I almost forgot about that," he chuckled.

He reached into his pocket and pulled something out. She was unable to see what the item was, however, because he had his hand clenched tightly around it. He silently told her to open her hand and she did, then held his above her palm. He dropped a gorgeous necklace onto her palm. There was a jade jewel dangling from the small golden chains and it gleamed when she positioned it against the faint rays of the setting sun.

"It's…wonderful," she breathed. "Is this for me?"

He nodded with a small grin. "Happy belated birthday, Sakura."

A knot tightened in the pit of her stomach. Looking at him with soft eyes, she said, "But…why?"

"I wanted to give it to you for your birthday, but I was unable to because of some rivalry issues I had with Guy," he sighed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "When I was summoned and saw you walk through that door, I knew that it would be the perfect opportunity to give your gift."

She held the necklace in her hand, gazing at mysteriously. "You've never done this for anyone though. Why now?"

He leaned forward until their faces were merely inches apart. He looked down at her hand, observing the jade necklace as it shined faintly in the sunlight. He took hold of it and undid the hook. She stiffened as his arms snaked around her neck to hook the chains together, his lone eye never leaving her. When he finished, he pulled back a little, brushing her bangs away from her forehead.

"I know I left you feeling empty with my absence," he whispered. "I don't want that to happen to my favored student ever again. I want a part of me to be with you forever, so you don't feel lost and forgotten. Don't think I don't understand you, Sakura. I do. I know when you're feeling down and I know when you're feeling unhappy. I understand that you were worried about me, but you don't need to be worried anymore."

He pointed at her necklace resting on her collarbone and continued, "Because I will always be with you, okay?"

"Kakashi, I—"

"Don't protest," he interrupted. "Just…promise me you'll stop worrying about me and the rest of your comrades."

"…I promise."

Silence.

"Can you promise me one more thing?"

"And what is that, Kakashi?"

"Don't ever tell Naruto I gave you a gift. He would bother me like no tomorrow if he found out I didn't get him one."

Sakura laughed softly. "Of course."

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**_Reviews Are Appreciated_**


	2. Plans

A/N: As You can see, this is the first story I have published. I appreciate all of your reviews so far and I do hope to hear more from you. Thank you for reading!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own this wonderful world of Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

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_**Mistake**_

_**Chapter Two: Plans **_

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Sakura reluctantly stepped into Kakashi's apartment complex, watching him carefully as he flipped the light switch on. After leaving the lake, he invited her to his dwelling to discuss the mission terms and plans. She was exhausted after an adrenaline-filling day, but she accepted his invitation since Tsunade did want them to go over it by today. Aside that, her curiosity was peaked once he brought up the subject. It had been a while since she visited his little home, almost six years now.

She observed her surroundings with more or less interest. The place still seemed the same from back then. It appeared that he rearranged only a few furnishings, such as his bookcase were he keeps his most prized novels. She almost snorted when she spotted his Icha Icha collection sitting on one of the shelves.

"Do you want something to drink before we go over the mission details?"

She gazed up at Kakashi. He had removed his hitai-ate, so his silver hair lazily hung in front of his eyes. His flak jacket and gloves were gone as well.

She shook her head. "No, thank you. I'm fine."

"Very well," he sighed.

Kakashi strode toward her and urged for her to take a seat on the couch behind her. Once she seated herself, he took his place beside her, his broad shoulder lightly brushing against hers. He pulled out a map and set it out in front of them on the coffee table. He marked Konoha, then the Land of Lighting.

"Like you said earlier, our trip to the Land of Lighting would take approximately two weeks. The maximum time we should take to get there is three weeks, otherwise, the theft would be long gone." Kakashi pinpointed the given location of the hunting squad. "The squad should be located around here, said to be in an Inn nearby a small town."

The kunoichi nodded. "I see…so we have to keep our speed constant in order to get there on time."

"Exactly," he said sternly. "Since our journey is quite long, we have to think about what we have to bring with us. We should probably bring a couple of weapons, especially paper bombs. They would come in handy if we have an enemy tracking us down. We also need a good supply of food and medical supplies in case one of us happens to get hurt along the way."

"Then we should both bring a week supply of food," suggested Sakura with a shrug. "And I'll bring the medical supplies and some soldier pills."

Kakashi's brows furrowed at that. "Soldier pills?"

Sakura laughed, noticing his bitterness. "I know how much you hate soldier pills, but it's really helpful when it comes to the lack of energy. It would also help us stay up late at night if we need to keep traveling."

"Fine," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Now, how about we get to our battling tactics?"

"Mh-hmm," she hummed. "I know from experience that you are a close and long-range fighter since you specialize with many different techniques. You also have your Sharingan, which could most likely be a useful tool when seeking enemies out."

"Mm. And you're only a close-combat fighter," he added. "But you also specialize in medical ninjutsu, so you can apply some of those skills when fighting to increase strength and power in your attacks. I understand that Shizune taught you some fighting moves that involves using poison?"

"Correct," answered Sakura. She glanced at the map momentarily before continuing, "The only problem is that we don't exactly know how to fight _together_."

Kakashi scratched his masked chin, staring at the wall across from them. "Hm…maybe we should try to work that out on Wednesday, the day before we leave on our mission."

The pink-haired girl looked at him confusingly. "I'm sorry…I don't really understand."

"Okay," he began after running his fingers through his silver hair, "I'm saying that we should meet up at the old training field and fix our combat issues there. We can train together, spar each other, then see how we can use each other's skills for our own advantages." He suddenly smiled at her from beneath his mask. "It'll be like good old times, eh Sakura?"

She grinned back at him, eyes cringing happily and cheeks reddening slightly. "Y-Yeah! Good old times."

He chuckled, ruffling the top of her hair. "I can't wait to see how much you've improved. I bet I can still defeat you."

Her smile faltered and her lips twitched. "Don't get so cocky, Hatake. It's not even Wednesday yet."

He lowered his head and stared at her with mischievous lazy eyes. She could see a smirk forming underneath his dark blue mask. She knew he had nothing but a tease to say.

Kakashi stuck his thumb out and held it against his chest, a similar action that Naruto would perform. "But we all know who's the strongest, hm? After all, I am the Great Copy Ninja."

Sakura's temper snapped like a twig. She clenched her fist, then threw it straight at his arm. He was not able to react quickly enough and was hit hard. She towered over him victoriously as he slouched further back into the couch, rubbing his bruised arm with his hand. She almost snorted when she realized he was wincing painfully. He deserved it for pushing the limit. She was far pissed before any of this, but saying that just knocked her over the edge. Big time.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch…ow," he grunted, eyeing her with a slightly pained expression. He shuddered when he took a glimpse of her flaring emerald eyes. "Ah, perhaps I should lessen the teasing for now, eh Sakura-chan?"

She placed her hands on her hips and barked, "Lessen? Why not completely stop teasing me?"

He stopped rubbing his aching limb then rose to his feet to meet her eye to eye. He leaned forward slightly, holding his hand out in front of him to point at her. "Because that would be no fun," he replied with an eye cringe.

She folded her arms in front of her chest and turned her back on him. Looking over her shoulder, she saw him relax a little. He knew her awfully too well. He always seemed to take notice when her temper was at its peak or when it was at its lowest.

Sighing out of frustration, she mumbled, "Well, it's better than being teased constantly. Just keep your limits though!"

"Alright, alright," he breathed as he folded the map back up and stuffed it in his pocket.

Sakura glanced at the clock and her eyes widened at the time. It was nearly midnight. She did not realize how long she had been out up until now. She glared at her feet, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. Whenever she was with Kakashi, time flew by. She would always have so much fun that she'd forget about everything else but him.

"Oi, Sakura-chan. Are you okay?"

She looked back at Kakashi who was staring at her oddly with a puzzled expression.

"Are you…blushing?" he asked suddenly, noticing her heated skin.

She immediately flinched at his question and chewed on her lip, her face growing even more red than before. "A-Ah, no. Um, I have to go now, K-Kakashi. It's getting very late."

She turned to leave and just when she took hold of the door knob, he grabbed her hand and spun her around. She stared wide-eyed at the silver-haired jonin as he tightly held onto wrists. Her stomach was set aflutter when he took a small step closer to her. By now, she could feel the heat rise between them, and oh how it felt so nice.

"Are you sure you can go out by yourself at this time of the night?" he wondered silently, his gaze never leaving hers. "I mean…I don't want you getting hurt by some stupid bandits."

The pink-haired kunoichi managed to push herself away from her dirtying thoughts and shook herself free from his grasp. She opened the door behind her and backed away from him, but the more she stepped back, the more he came closer. He was persistent.

"I'll be fine, Kakashi. Don't worry about me," she smiled, hoping to assure him that she would be okay. Her back then hit the cold wall and her knees weakened when he came close once again. She inhaled deeply, her lungs being intoxicated by his strong, masculine scent. Looking down, she continued nervously, "I think I can manage. Besides, I don't live too far from here. It's only a five minute walk."

His pleasant scent suddenly disappeared and she gazed at the door, only to find him leaning casually against the door frame. Slowly, she felt her pleasure die out and disappointment filled her afterward. Though it was awkward to have him extremely near, he smelled quite pleasing. His scent reminded her of the densely wooded forests surrounding the large village.

"Hm, is that so?" He placed his thumb and index finger on his chin, rubbing his masked skin gently. "In that case, I suppose you are fine by yourself after all."

She nodded and managed to put on a happy grin. "O-Of course," she said sweetly yet quickly. "I should get going now. It's getting late and I need to rest. I'm so tired and exhausted from today." She rubbed her neck, laughing softly in embarrassment.

"Na, na. Go ahead. I have to rest myself as well. I need to sleep a lot in order to recover from my previous mission." He paused shortly, then held out his arm, rolling his sleeve up to his shoulder and revealing a dark purple bruise. "And to recover from your little ambush," he added, his tone slightly sour.

Starting off in the other direction, she called out, "I'm sure it will heal eventually! Don't be such a big baby!"

After turning on the corner, she heard him shut and lock the front door to his complex. Sakura released an exasperated breath as she strode down the flight of stairs, then out the apartment building. As she followed the sidewalk in the direction where her home was located, she pondered silently to herself.

She couldn't recall a time in her life where she ever became that jumpy and foolishly allowed others to see her nervousness. It was so embarrassing to have Kakashi see her in that kind of state. She promised herself to let that stupid, shy, and jittery side of her go after Sasuke's departure, but now it was all back. The weird, fluttery feelings were discomforting her again.

She glanced momentarily at the starry night sky.

The emotions were different than what she felt with Sasuke, however.

She shook her head and forced herself not to think about it. Frowning slightly, she continued her trudge to her apartment complex. Why, all of a sudden, was Kakashi making her act so unusual?

**_~ X x . . . x X ~_**

Kakashi woke up the following morning, groaning inaudibly as he propped himself up against the headboard. He squinted his eyes as a faint ray of sunlight peeked its way through his curtains and shined on him. He scratched his slightly unshaven chin and stretched his arms outward, yawning as he did so.

He lifted his legs and swung them over the side of his mattress. He removed himself from his bed and trudged to the bathroom, closing the door slightly behind him. He stopped in front of the sink, turned the faucet on, and bent over. He cupped his two hands, watching as it slowly filled with cold water. When the clear liquid started to lap over his thumbs, he splashed it onto his face, sending an electrifying wave throughout him. He turned the faucet off, grabbed a small white rag, then dried his moist face off.

He glared at his reflection after placing the rag back in its rightful place, making note of how dark his mismatched eyes appeared. He stared at the mirror, observing how his face looked without his mask. His chin was indeed slightly unshaven, but his facial hair could hardly be seen due to its small size. Another scar, similar to the one on his Sharingan eye, ran along his left cheekbone.

He left the bathroom shortly after stripping his tank top away to tend to his healing wound gained from his previous two-year mission. He searched his dresser, scouring for the traditional jonin attire. When he finally found them, he slipped into them quickly, pulling his mask into place afterward.

He strode slowly toward his workplace in the corner of his bedroom to grab his apartment keys. He discovered them beneath a pile of unattended paperwork, then shoved them into his pocket. Just when he was about to depart from his bedroom, an old picture frame caught his eye.

He picked it up, dusted it off, and observed it keenly. It was a picture taken of him, Naruto, Sai, Yamato, and Sakura a week before he had left the village for his mission. Naruto was sitting in front of everyone, legs crossed and head held high with a huge grin. Sai was standing off toward the left, next to Yamato, glaring at the camera with his usual blank expression. As for him, he was standing toward the right, his elbow propped up on Sakura's shoulder. Sakura seemed none to happy about that.

Kakashi chuckled softly to himself after settling the picture frame back onto his desk. Sakura had grown and matured so much over the time of his absence. It made him happy to see her stronger and more willing than before. Not only that, she was no longer a little girl who cried all the time. She was now a fully-grown, young woman who was capable of handling conflicts on her own.

He sighed silently, remembering how she had gazed at him from underneath her thick, dark lashes. If he could recall correctly, she had been blushing. He wondered why. He was sure he didn't do anything to embarrass her to the point when she'd blush. All he did was instigate her with a few, sour-like words.

Closing his eyes, he tried remembering why he grew so concerned about her. Of course, he knew that she lived not too far from him, but a part of him just wanted to go with her. It was so odd and unusual. He had never in his entire life allowed himself to get physically close to a female. Once he stepped forward to grab her by the wrist, her feminine scent attacked his nostrils. He never inhaled such a lovely…pleasing scent.

Shaking his head to rid himself of those thoughts, he exited his complex. As he stepped outside, he forced himself to think about something other than Sakura. Seeing her was already far too much for him to handle.

"Kakashi, my man! There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere, and I do mean everywhere!"

The silver-haired jonin paused and looked over his shoulder, only to find Genma trying to catch up with him. He turned around completely and rose his gloved hand in the air, greeting the brown-haired ninja with his usual blunt, "Yo."

"It's finally nice to see you after some time, eh?" laughed Genma, patting him on the back.

Kakashi grunted inwardly. Another thing he absolutely wanted to avoid today was Genma. Genma was always a troublemaker, especially when he tried setting him up with some unknown woman. He was a good guy, honestly, but whenever it came to his own love life, he grew nuts.

"I suppose it's good to see you too," said Kakashi, almost bitterly.

Genma smiled warmly after he positioned his senbon at the corner of his mouth. "So…how was that S-ranked mission Tsunade baa-chan assigned you? I bet it was a real killer, hm?"

"It wasn't exactly horrible," replied Kakashi, "but it did take a lot of energy out of me. I was awfully bored…and for once, I actually missed hearing your annoying voice."

The brown-haired jonin rose a brow. "Eh? I'm annoying? Oh, really?" He paused shortly to curse under his breath. "Well I guess I can take that as a compliment. After all, you did say that you missed me!"

"Whatever makes you happy," mumbled the Copy Ninja, slipping his hands into his pocket.

Silence consumed the atmosphere. Kakashi did not mind the silence at all. In fact, he found it peaceful and soothing. To his misfortune, moments after he ended their conversation, Genma started waving to female citizens as they passed them, flirting with them too if he received a chance.

"Na, na. Can't you ever take your mind off of women, Shiranui?" grumbled Kakashi, scratching the back of his head.

"You know me, Hatake." Genma placed his hand in front of him as if he was asking for something and winked. "I can't stop thinking about those females. They're a handful, especially when they start to—"

"No more. I don't want to hear any more sexual-related things from you," interrupted the jonin, sighing out of frustration.

"Hey, don't tell me to stop. C'mon. Before, you were a freaking fu—"

"Shut up."

"But it's true."

"So what? Just shut up."

Genma hooked his arm around Kakashi's arm and chuckled, "Heh, you gotta learn how to relax, Hatake. You're as stiff as a stick."

"I prefer to be that way," retorted Kakashi.

"That's bad for your health," teased Genma. "Here, how about we make a proposition? If you go to the bar with me tonight and fuck the first girl you see that walks through the front doors, I'll stop forcing you to go to the bar with me for three months. And I'll even add the new edition of Icha Icha in there."

As much as he wanted the new edition of Icha Icha, he declined. It could be too risky. "No thanks," murmured the silver-haired jonin. "It's too risky."

"What if I also add the special edition in the deal?" wondered Genma, smiling coyly.

"Eh…" Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed at the addition to the deal. He had to admit, the sound of the new and special edition of Icha Icha almost made him want to accept the proposition. Though he wanted those books, he knew it would be terribly wrong to take a random girl and senselessly make love to her.

Then again, he had not taken part of such activities for quite a while now. If he could remember correctly, during his previous mission, he had been so desperate that he shamefully had to take a break in middle of his task to handle his business . It felt horribly embarrassing, but he couldn't help but to do so. Perhaps…agreeing to Genma's conditions could not be that bad.

"C'mon Hatake…you know you want to—"

"I'll do it."

Genma suddenly stopped and Kakashi seized himself a couple steps in front of his chestnut-haired friend. Eyeing him lazily with his lone eye, he said, "Is something the matter?"

"Er, you just changed your mind all of a sudden," Genma pointed out. "What made you accept?"

Kakashi shrugged bluntly and lied flatly, "I suppose I just couldn't refuse the new and special edition of Icha Icha."

Genma laughed victoriously, "Now, that's the Copy Ninja I know!"

The silver-haired man sighed drastically. He knew that he was going to regret this.

**_~ X x . . . x X ~_**

Sakura stepped out into the balcony, gazing out over the harmonious village known as her beloved home. She rested her elbow on the railing, propping her chin up on her hand. She smiled as the gentle breeze blew her pink hair back, humming in delight while the birds suddenly began chirping musically.

It was a wonderful day and it just felt absolutely nice to stand outside and feel the heartwarming nature of Konoha. It sure felt better than sitting home all day, doing nothing but work.

All of a sudden, two familiar voices caught her ear and she stared down below her, only to find Genma and Kakashi slowly passing her apartment building. She observed the two men intently as Kakashi stopped in his footsteps to turn around and look at Genma. His expression seemed nonchalant, as always.

"Is something the matter?" she heard him say.

"Er, you just changed your mind all of a sudden! What made you accept?" Genma sounded extremely shocked.

"I suppose I just couldn't refuse the new and special edition of Icha Icha."

"Now, that's the Copy Ninja I know!"

Sakura almost snorted at their conversation. Kakashi and his so-called romance novels. Reading pornography was all he ever did. It was sure annoying whenever he pulled it out in the middle of Team Seven training, especially during an important reunion meeting. She remembered that he had told her it was near and dear to them.

Bullshit. That was all bullshit.

She continued to watch the two as they continued their little casual walk, grinning softly when Genma suddenly started whistling tunefully and Kakashi nudged him rudely. Not being able to hold it all back, she giggled. Those two jonin always seemed to amuse her.

Deciding to return to her bedroom, she left the balcony, sliding the glass door closed behind her. She sat on her bed, swaying her legs back and forth as if she were wading in the water. She tilted her head slightly to the right as a string of thoughts about Kakashi ran through her head.

She couldn't help but to think about last night. It was awfully awkward when Kakashi had came so close, yet thinking back to those moments sent warm feelings bubbling in her stomach. The tingling sensations he had given her were surprisingly pleasing, somewhat pleasurable.

"SAKURA! OPEN THE DOOR THIS INSTANT, OTHERWISE, I'LL TAKE MATTERS INTO MY OWN HANDS!"

The pink-haired kunoichi immediately frowned at the sound of her friend Ino yelling and pounding at her door. The blonde was a great and kind friend, but loud unnecessary yelling meant that she was up to no good. Knowing her, Ino probably only visited to drag her into some stupid plan of hers.

"SAKURA! OPEN THIS FUCKING DOOR RIGHT NOW! DON'T MAKE ME KICK IT DOWN!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Sakura called out in frustration. "Stop your bitching, Ino!"

She hopped off her bed and stormed over to the front door, infuriated by Ino's irritating shouting. She unlocked the door and yanked it open, revealing a very impatient-looking blonde. She was wearing her town clothing, an apron above all of them. It appeared that she just got out of working at her family's flower shop.

"My, you look angry, Forehead," noted Ino, clueless.

"Maybe that's because you had to come pounding at my door, screaming like an animal!" snapped Sakura, folding her arms in front of her chest.

Ino held her hands up defensively. "Jeez, it's not my fault. I just wanted so see if you're going to be free tonight."

Sakura calmed herself down and stared at her ignorant friend questioningly. "Yeah, I'm free. Why?"

The blue-eyed girl smiled coyly and firmly placed her hand on her shoulder.

Signs of coyness were never a good thing.

"I wanted to bring my little medic kunoichi down to the bar located around the corner of Ichiraku!" she chirped.

Sakura shook her head and pushed Ino away from her. "No thanks. I'd rather sit through Naruto's blabbering than waste myself at some pub."

"Forehead!" whined Ino. "Besides, I didn't say that you have to go and waste yourself! I just wanted to see you take a break from all that damn work Tsunade gave you! Relax a little, mm?"

The medic nin sighed disgracefully in response.

"And hey, why not down a couple of shots?" Her friend nudged her on the side teasingly. "You're finally old enough to drink anyways. Please Forehead? Please?"

"Fine! Alright, alright! I'll go!" Sakura groaned in defeat, pressing her face against the palms of her hands.

"About time you came to your senses, Forehead," grinned Ino. "Anyways, you're going to have to dress nice for tonight! I want you to wear that white dress I bought you for your birthday! It will look just great on you!"

"But…it shows too much and I've tried it on before! It rides up my ass if I bend over!" stammered Sakura.

"Exactly! It'll get all of those boys' attention. The minute you enter the bar, they'll be all over you." Ino winked playfully, humming in delight.

"B-But…Pig!" Sakura lost herself in her words. She didn't know what to say to defend herself from wearing that accusing dress Ino had bought her.

"You know you want the attention," teased the blonde.

"No I don't—"

"Come on, Forehead! I saw you drooling all over Genma and Kakashi as they passed your house when I was walking across the street! That means you must be hungering for passion!"

Sakura's face immediately turned rosy red. She stammered, "I was not drooling over Genma!"

"Ah…then you must have been drooling over _Kakashi_, hm?"

Her face grew even redder than before. "I-I wasn't drooling over him either!"

"Are you sure? I'm pretty sure I saw you staring at him with lust and uttermost desire—"

"J-Just shut your m-mouth, Pig!" growled Sakura, face flushed with embarrassment.

"Whatever," said Ino, shrugging her shoulders. She turned her back on Sakura and strode out of her complex. "Anyways, meet me at Ichiraku Ramen at eight o'clock sharp! And don't forget to wear that dress I bought you for your birthday!" She waved goodbye as she turned on the corner of the hallway.

"Baka, baka," muttered Sakura as she shut the door closed. "Sometimes I wonder why I'm even friends with that Pig."

* * *

**_Reviews Are Appreciated_**

A/N: Long chapter, hm? Yeah, they might get longer. Just for other notice, I will soon be publishing more stories involving other animes/mangas (Ex: Fairy Tail, Gintama)


	3. Liquid Courage

A/N: Again, thank you for all of your kind reviews and feedback. I would also like to thank you for subscribing me to your author's alert, story alert, and for adding this story to your favorites. It means a lot!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own this wonderful world of Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

**_Mistake_**

**_Chapter__ Three: Liquid Courage_**

* * *

Sakura stepped out of the shower, the heated steam following her in a dense cloud. Curling her wet hair around the tip of her index finger, she stared at her blurred reflection in the mirror. She wondered if accompanying Ino to the new bar that opened up nearby Ichiraku Ramen was a good idea. She knew the blonde would only drag her into another sexual situation, like always, but the idea of having a couple of drinks to take her mind off of work sounded good.

After patting herself dry with another spare towel, she allowed the one wrapped around her body to drop to the tiled floor with a small thud. The cold air immediately attacked her bare skin, nearly making her jump. Hurriedly, she rushed out into her bedroom and searched her dresser for the white dress that Ino wanted her to put on. When she found it, she quickly slipped into it, feeling relaxed when the warm fabric greeted her flesh.

Sighing, she seated herself on her bed, smoothing the dress out with the palms of her hands. She squeezed her thighs together, feeling slightly exposed by the clothing. It was too revealing. It was strapless, and that was one of the little details that did not matter to her, but the fact that it rode up her legs constantly bothered her completely. Also, she did not like the thought of having men drooling all over her, trying their best to get her attention. It would be like million's of Naruto's shadow clones fighting over her. Her nose scrunched up at that. One Naruto was already enough for her to handle. Any more than that and she would be throwing a terrible fit.

After thirty minutes of lying in her bed, repeatedly rolling from side to side, she finally decided to return to the bathroom to finalize the last of her appearance. She removed herself from the comfort of her bed and slowly strode back into the washroom. She applied thin layer of mascara onto her eyelashes, then a light amount of cherry-colored lipstick on her lips. She smoothed down her wavy pink locks, trying to remember when her hair had first started becoming naturally wavy and curly.

Moments later, she found herself hurrying to the living room, snatching her purse and other belongings along the way. She quickly glanced at the clock before flipping the lightswitches off, slipping into her heels, then exiting her apartment complex. She nearly stumbled in the hallway, cursing under her breath as she straightened herself. It was quarter to eight and it usually took her ten minutes to travel to Ichiraku Ramen, her and Ino's meeting point. Therefore, she decided that she would leave now. It would be better to arrive early than late.

All of a sudden, a door to the right of her swung open, catching her by surprise. She held her breath for a split second, shock overcoming her senses. It was then when a brown-headed man stepped out of the complex, shutting the door behind him. His dark eyes immediately met her emerald ones.

"S-Sakura. Uh. I didn't hit you with the door, did I?" he asked sheepishly, scratching his neck.

"You didn't, Yamato," she replied silently, fidgeting with her fingers nervously. She shifted the weight from one foot to another, growing uncomfortable as he felt his sharp stares pierce through her. To break the risen eerie silence, she murmured, "Gee, I almost forgot that you lived near me. I guess it's been awhile since we've seen each other, hm?" She smiled, redirecting her gaze to him.

"Yeah, it has," he sighed, fixing the metallic headgear strapped around his head. "Now, why are you all fancied up? I don't recall you telling me that you love wearing dresses, nor dressing up like a doll." He scratched his chin as he observed her outfit intently, oblivious to her discomfort. "What's the special occassion? Finally got a boyfriend?"

"N-No, it's not that, Yamato." She looked down, chewing on her lip. "Ino's making me go down to the new bar with her and she wanted me to wear this dress." She gestured at her clothing with a simple sway of her hand.

"I see," he said, folding his arms in front of his chest. Suddenly, a wry grin made way to his face. "So you agreed to go there so that you can hook up?"

"N-No!" she stammered, clenching her fists. "She just thought I needed a break from all the damn work Tsunade-sama gives me. It's even hard for me to believe, but I actually agreed with her for once."

"Aha, alright kiddo. No need to get all fiesty," chuckled Yamato, amused by her sudden flare of anger. "So Tsunade-sama has been dumping a whole bunch of tasks on you, hmm? Must be a pain in the ass."

"It is," she sighed, furrowing her eyebrows. "It's so frustrating!"

"I can see that," he smiled. "Anyways, I heard you finally got assigned to a mission after months of waiting for one."

"Yeah. Who told you?" she questioned curiously.

"Your mission partner, Kakashi."

She shook her head, smiling foolishly. "Of course."

"I ran into him quarter to midnight last night. He was walking from the weapon shop with a bag full of paper bombs," explained the jonin. "He told the whole situation to me."

"He actually went out to buy supplies already?" she gawked. "Huh, Kakashi must be really anxious."

Yamato nodded and leaned casually against the wall, shoving his hands into his pockets. He suddenly started staring at her chest, unaware that he was making her blush. When he took notice, he apologized quickly, "Oh, I didn't mean to discomfort you, Sakura…I just couldn't help but look at that nice necklace you have."

She flinched slightly, and laughing embarrassingly, she pointed at the jewel sitting on her collarbone. "This? Thanks, it's new and I thought I should wear it."

"I see," he replied. "It looks expensive. How much was it?"

"Er, I didn't really buy it." She rubbed her forearm, avoiding his gaze.

"Then someone gave it to you?"

"Yeah…"

"Who?"

She tucked a strand of her pink hair behind her ear. "K-Kakashi…"

"Kakashi?" he gasped, eyebrows skyrocketing. "You must be kidding."

"Actually, I'm not," she murmured silently. "He gave it to me yesterday as a belated birthday gift."

"That's odd," commented Yamato. "He's never done anything like that before…"

"I know. It surprised me too," she said quietly, smoothing down her white dress. She paused to think momentarily, and it was then when she remembered that she had to meet up with Ino. Her eyes widened in realization and she started off in the other direction. Waving behind her, she called out, "I'll see you later, Yamato! I have to hurry and meet Ino at Ichiraku Ramen!"

Not bothering to hear him respond, she hurried down the flight of stairs and practically sprinted out of the apartment building. She walked quickly along the sidewalk, ignoring the long stares she was receiving from male civilians. She cursed mentally. She was definitely going to murder Ino once this was all over. The outfit was already attracting attention, and to be honest, she found that quite irritating.

It was a few more minutes before she arrived at her destination. She spotted Ino waiting impatiently by the Ichiraku Ramen stand, tapping her feet to emphasize her impatience. Her baby blue eyes immediately locked with her emerald ones and Sakura knew that she was far beyond pissed.

She reluctantly neared the blonde, and once she reached her, she started snapping. The pink-haired girl rolled her eyes, not paying any attention to her friend. She was tired of her yapping. When it came to scolding, Ino would be a complete bitch.

"Are you even listening to me, Forehead? Jesus Christ, pay attention!" Ino folded her arms, her action slightly wrinkling the dark blue dress she was wearing. She expectantly glared at Sakura, waiting for her response.

Annoyed, Sakura muttered sarcastically, "Did you have a drink before you left home, Ino? You're already quite bitchy, and that never happens unless you've swallowed a couple of shots."

"Ugh, Forehead!" growled Ino. "Let's just go to the new bar already!"

"Fine, fine," sighed Sakura, walking alongside the blonde. "Just be glad I decided to show up."

"Damn right, I'm glad," she huffed. "I almost thought you weren't coming, Forehead. What was the hold up?"

The medic kunoichi shrugged bluntly as the two of them took a turn on the street. "Nothing big. I just ran into Yamato, my old Team Seven captain. We talked for a bit, until I remembered I was supposed to meet you."

"Yamato, hmm?" hummed Ino in a singsong tone. "You should have invited him. He would have made a great date for you, Forehead. I also heard he's quite the dog, if you know what I mean." She nudged her playfully, winking as she did so.

"Pig!" snapped Sakura, cheeks growing red. "Where on Earth did you hear that from?"

"A couple of ladies in the grocery store. They were talking about a brown-haired jonin who always wore an odd headgear, so I figured it was Yamato. They said something about him kissing so hard that he was practically swallowing—"

"Shut up, Ino-Pig!" hissed Sakura, clenching her fists. "You're talking too loud and people are staring!"

"Let them stare!" she retorted. "I'm just speaking the truth!"

For the rest of their trip to the bar, Sakura muted Ino from her thoughts. All she wanted was some peace and quite, and her loudmouth blabbering was not helping at all. To make it seem like she was actually listening, she would give a nod or shake her head every now and then. She thought the blonde would eventually figure out her little scheme, but she was never caught. She supposed it was pretty convincing after all.

A few moments later, the two young girls took their first step into the new bar. The strong scent of hard liquor immediately hit her nostrils, making her eyes water. Tsunade's alcohol-stained breath was already horrible, but this scent was far beyond disgusting. She forced herself to look pleased as if she was enjoying it, only to avoid one of Ino's long lectures about getting used to things. The thought of Ino made her eye her, and she watched as the girl flirtatiously smiled at the men seated beside the dance floor. Sakura almost frowned at the sight of couples' bodies swaying in every direction, grinding against each other and doing every single possible sexual movement. She only had one word to describe this place — terrible.

"My, my. Look at these two pretty ladies here. If you're lost, I can lead the way."

The pink-haired girl averted her gaze to the chestnut-headed man standing in front of her, a dark blue bandanna wrapped around his head. He had a sly, intimate smile spread across his face, and in between his lips he held a sharp senbon. His eyes were dark and mischievous, sending chills snaking throughout her body. He winked at her playfully and from that point she knew he was trying to hit on her, but knowing him, he was only playing a game to catch a certain person's attention.

"Genma, what a surprise," purred Ino, flickering her heavily lidded eyes at him. "I never expected to see you here."

And she caught the bait.

Sakura inwardly groaned. Ino always had a thing with Genma. In fact, it was more of a crush. She didn't mind that Ino was falling in love, but it annoyed her at some times. Whenever she would hang out with her and Genma happens to pop out of nowhere, Ino would completely focus on him and not on her. At other times, Ino would tell stories about those 'special' moments she shared with Genma, which Sakura did not find very interesting. Everything about the Yamanaka's love life bored her, even irritated her. Sometimes, she just wanted no part of that girl.

She shifted her weight from one foot to another uncomfortably, attempting to ignore the husky chuckles and seductive giggles. She sighed heavily and observed her surroundings. Suddenly, she caught a flash of silver by the bar stools. She focused her gaze at the area where she saw that familiar shade of silver, eventually catching sight of her former sensei sitting bluntly on one of the stools. She chewed on her lip, wondering if she should go to him and greet him. She took a quick glance of the two flirting people and immediately decided that they would be better off without her.

She made her way to the jonin, brushing past the heavily drunken crowd of men. Reluctantly, she claimed the empty stool behind him, her knee slightly brushing his thigh as she seated herself. She called the bartender over and ordered a small glass of sake. Sake was probably the only alcohol she would ever be comfortable drinking first. Besides, she was already used to its stench, so might as well give it a try.

When the bartender placed the glass in front of her, she took hold of it carefully and brought the rim of the cup close to her mouth. She licked her glossy lips nervously before sipping the alcohol delicately. She nearly gagged at the intense taste, but forced herself to down more to get used to it. When she finished the last of the sake, she placed the glass back on the bar counter and folded her hands on her lap, her fingers extending out to the end of her white dress.

She suddenly felt the man beside her shift. "I never thought I'd see a pure-heart girl wondering around in one of most the wildest places in Konoha."

"I never thought I'd see a lazy-ass man sulking in the corner of one of the most wildest places in Konoha," she commented softly, tracing the tip of her index finger along the rim of the glass cup.

He chuckled and turned to face her, his lone eye piercing right through her. "Well I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Genma."

"And I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Ino," she sighed, propping her chin up on her upturned palm.

"Ah, so we both have a little predicament on our hands," he smiled underneath his mask.

She returned the smile. "Indeed."

**_~ X x . . . x X ~_**

"How long do we have to keep this up? I'm tired of staring at the door. Only couples and desperate men have been walking through."

"Then just take the man's little lady. I'm sure a woman wouldn't mind cheating on her fiance with a guy like you."

"I am not crossing that boundary, Genma."

"Alright, alright. You go and sulk all you want. I'll keep an eye out on the door and see the first single, pretty lady for only you to have."

Kakashi, sighing out of relief and frustration, turned around in his seat. He folded his gloved hands on the bar counter and stared, muting the noisy sounds surrounding him. He and Genma had arrived at the bar nearly an hour ago, but there was no luck in finding a single girl for him to use to tie the end of the deal. Like he said before, there were only couples and desperate men who probably had no interesting lifestyle. Just looking at them wander around, searching for sexual enjoyment annoyed him. Their desperation was practically flaring in their aura.

He rose his hand lazily in the air and called the bartender over. Silently, he asked for a glass of sake. It was only a few moments before the drink was handed to him. He held the cup and brought it to his masked lips. He drank the alcohol, not caring if drinking through his mask was unsanitary. He decided that he would never remove his mask in public and he was not going to start now. He had built a reputation after hiding his face for so many years. He could recall the many times where people tried to pry it off of him. Even his former students had attempted such things, but goals were never accomplished.

Deciding that he would check on his accomplice, he eyed the chestnut-haired ninja. His expression illustrated shock and amusement. The corners of his eyes creased in a smirk and his lips quirked, the senbon nearly slipping out from his mouth. Raising a brow, the Copy Ninja questioned slowly, "Is something the matter, Genma?"

Genma released a breathy laugh and leaned back into the bar counter. Pointing at the entrance of the bar, he chuckled, "I think I spotted the perfect little girl."

Confused, he turned to look at the given direction. His lone eye immediately widened and his confusion was quickly replaced with fear. Clenching his fists, he croaked, "S-Sakura…"

He stared almost breathless at the sight of Sakura in a strapless dress, looking beautiful more than ever. He gulped as he felt a knot twist and tighten in the pit of his stomach. He allowed his gaze to roam her, making note of the littlest details. Her pink, curly locks fell gallantly to her shoulders. Her dress was absolutely amazing. It hung halfway down her thighs, perhaps a little less, and the clothing clearly showed her curves. He was sure her appearance would attract much attention. Hell, her beauty was even appealing to him!

He watched absentmindedly as her friend Ino stepped up from behind her, a seductive smile spreading across the blonde's face. Knowing Ino, it was probably her who dragged that poor pink-haired kunoichi to a delirious place like this. Sakura would never dump herself in a bar and indulge herself in alcohol. She was too warmhearted for any of those things.

The man beside him suddenly rose to his feet. Questioningly, he murmured, "Where are you going?"

"To fetch myself a pretty blonde," smirked Genma as he started to walk off in the other direction. Waving his hand behind him, he called out, "And don't remember to claim yours, Hatake! We made a deal."

Shit. The deal.

Groaning inwardly, he spun around on his stool and placed his face into the palm of his hands. He had forgotten about the deal once Sakura made her presence. He didn't realize that she was the one he had to have sex with until now.

He allowed his eyelid to slid closed and released a harsh breath. He couldn't just claim Sakura as his just like that. It was wrong, especially since she was his former student. She was too innocent and kind to do any kind of sexual intercourse. He knew that once he would start, he would not let it end until his heart reaches its desires. He would hurt her. He would definitely hurt her, and he most definitely did not want that.

He glanced back at the girl again and found her lone near the entrance of the bar. She was looking out toward the dance floor with wondering eyes. He followed her direction of attention and realized that she was watching Genma and Ino move wildly against each other, his hands grappling her swaying hips. Crinkling his nose, he averted his gaze back to the girl, only to find her staring right at him.

Knowing that their gazes did not lock yet, he took that chance to turn back around. He shook his head, trying to rid his head of the dirty thoughts that suddenly started to emerge. It was then when his mind started reeling with images of Sakura lying beneath him, enjoying the pleasure he was bringing her.

He grunted and clamped his hands onto his head. He cursed himself mentally for allowing himself to fantasize such explicit things. It was wrong, so terribly wrong.

He decided that he would try to ignore her presence. He would try to ignore her, forget her for the meantime, and avoid her. Screw the deal. He was not — repeat, not — going to fuck her into oblivion, no matter how big the temptation.

He removed his hands from his hair and placed them flat on the bar counter. He stared long and hard at his fingers as he fidgeted with them nervously. He needed to calm down, but in order to calm down he needed to stop thinking about Sakura.

He slouched his shoulders. First, he needed to keep his mind off of her. Then, he would avoid her for a day or two, just until he felt recollected enough to face her in person.

Suddenly, Kakashi froze. A sweet strawberry scent began to attack his nostrils, sending odd chills down his spine. That familiar scent could not be mistaken. It was her, and only her.

He stiffened when he felt her knee brush against his thigh as she claimed the empty stool beside him. He sat still, listening intently while she ordered a glass of sake. From the corner of his eye, he saw her lick her soft pink lips before sipping the sake. He swallowed hard when she folded her hands on her bare thighs, her fingers pricking at the end of her dress.

Kakashi knew she was waiting for him to speak up. He just knew. By taking a look at her nervous actions and unusual expression, she was waiting with discomfort.

He shifted in his seat, his elbow momentarily making contact with her side. He took in a deep breath before saying, "I never thought I'd see a pure-heart girl wandering around in one of the most wildest places in Konoha."

"I never thought I'd see a lazy-ass man sulking in the corner of one of the most wildest places in Konoha," she replied silently, playing with her glass cup.

Not being able to help himself, he chuckled and turned to face her. When he averted his attention to her face, he noticed her cheeks faintly reddening. He smiled underneath his mask, "Well I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Genma."

Sakura propped her chin on her upturned hand and sighed, "And I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Ino."

The corner of his eye creased into a grin. "Ah, so we both have a little predicament on our hands."

She smiled sweetly at him, murmuring, "Indeed."

Kakashi ran his fingers through his unruly wave of silver hair, sighing in the process. Afterward, he pointed at the empty glass she was holding. "I'm guessing that was your first drink of sake," he commented. "How is it?"

Sakura shrugged bluntly. "It's not that bad. The taste was strong at first, but I think I can handle it."

"Strong and willing as always," replied Kakashi, still slightly shaken from his personal conflicts. Suppressing his nervousness, he continued with a grin, "You never did change for the past two years I've been gone."

She rose a brow. "Is that bad, Kakashi?"

"No, not at all. I like the bad-tempered, strong-willed Sakura Haruno." He ruffled the top of her hair like how he did during their genin years.

She flinched at his action and softly smacked his hand away from her head. She started combing her curly locks with her fingers frantically. "It's not nice to mess up someone's hair, especially when it took them so long to look all fancied up."

He smiled softly at her reaction to his childish treatment. It was adorable to see her act like a child again, whining about the littlest thing. He whispered, "You're too cute, Sakura."

Kakashi chuckled inwardly when her face reddened into a tomato. She shifted uncomfortably on the stool, embarrassed as it seemed. She murmured, "Uh…well…"

"It's a compliment," he pointed out with a smirk, enjoying the sight of her blushing furiously.

She chewed on her lip, then snapped angrily, "W-Why do you have to be such a goof!"

He blinked confusingly. "Thank you could have made a great answer. You don't need to be shy, Sakura."

"Ugh," she breathed. "You are too complicated to figure out, Hatake."

"Why thank you. I like staying inside my shell."

"You bastard. Now you have to go and make things even more worse."

"What's so bad about it? Aren't you enjoying the fact that we are bonding?"

"No, you're annoying."

He held a hand to his heart. "Aw, I feel so hurt now."

"You deserve to be hurt."

"Hmm, you're mean to me, Sakura."

"Hmm, you're annoying me, Kakashi."

They continued to tease each other for the next ten minutes. During that time period, Kakashi forgot all about his nerves and the deal he made with Genma. He was having so much fun talking to his former student that she was all he could pay attention to.

Moments later, their teasing finally seized. Kakashi calmed himself, still feeling a bit tingly inside. Never in his life had he laughed so openly. It was odd to be talking so casually to Sakura. He could not recall doing that before. In fact, he didn't think he ever talked so casually to anyone.

Sakura suddenly lifted her hand in the air and called the bartender over. "One more sake, please."

"Give me a few seconds and I'll have it right out for ya," answered the bartender, nodding as he went to tend to the other customers' orders.

Kakashi gazed at Sakura, watching as she tapped her fingers impatiently on the bar counter. Sighing, he straightened himself and began, "Have you ever tried sex on the beach?"

The pink-haired kunoichi froze and stared at him wide-eyed, her cheeks reddening once again. "S-sex on the beach?"

He laughed, realizing what she was getting at. Shaking his head, he chuckled, "No, not actually _having_ sex on the beach. It's a drink. Alcohol. I thought you'd know some of these kind of things by now, Sakura."

"It's my first time drinking!" she stammered embarrassingly. "Do you expect me to know everything?"

His eye cringed happily and he hummed in delight. Raising his hand, he called, "Oyaji! Cancel the order of sake. We'll have sex on the beach instead!" He winked playfully at Sakura, amused to see her blushing.

The bartender eventually handed them their orders, muttering something under his breath. Kakashi ignored that in spite of it possibly being an insult toward him.

The silver-haired jonin took hold of the glass and carefully brought it up to his masked lips. He took a small sip before averting his attention to his former student. She was glaring at him oddly.

"Try it. It's good," he said, motioning at her drink with his hands.

Sakura nodded and she did as she was told. She crinkled her nose at first, but as she drank more, it appeared that she was beginning to enjoy the strong taste. She finished within the next few seconds, practically slamming her glass back onto the bar counter.

"How was it?" he questioned, smiling beneath his mask.

She giggled, her face flushing. It seemed that the alcohol was already taking affect. "It actually wasn't that bad," she grinned, twirling a strand of her pink hair around the tip of her index finger.

He stiffened when she placed her petite hand on his shoulder. He watched intently as her tongue ran over her bottom lip. He nearly trembled when she sent him another bright smile. No doubt about it. She was drunk already.

"How about we have more?" she suggested sweetly, her eyes fluttering directly at him.

He gulped, tugging nervously at his mask. He stared long at hard at her face, wondering if he should really take on her challenge. He knew that if he did, he could possibly end up having sex with her, which could fulfill the deal he made with Genma. If he didn't, he was going to leave this place feeling empty.

He ran his fingers through his hair and answered, "Why not?"

He was definitely going to regret this.

Oh well. He was just going to have to stay sober enough to avoid further trouble.

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**_Reviews Are Appreciated_**


	4. Temptations of a Forbidden Fruit

A/N: Hello there. It's been awhile since I've updated, hm? Well yesterday I went to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo with the whole 8th grade class. It was fun and I rode on a bunch of water rides. I was soaked down to the bone, haha. Tomorrow, I will be attending the graduation ceremony and I will also be going to a huge graduation party afterward with my friends. I'm a busy girl.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own this wonderful world of Naruto. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

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**_Mistake_**

**_Chapter Four: Temptations of a Forbidden Fruit_**

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"Two more rounds of sake, please!"

Kakashi watched with interest as his former student called the bartender over, ordering more sake for her and him. It had been nearly an hour since when they first encountered each other. They had been teasing each other and drinking nonstop, though he did keep a limit to his alcohol proportions. This next round would be his tenth and would be Sakura's twentieth.

He tapped his fingers on the bar counter as he watched the pink-haired girl sway in her seat, giggling and hiccuping uncontrollably. He could say that she was enjoying herself a little _too _much. He knew that she shouldn't be drinking too much alcohol in the first place and he did try stopping her, but she refused stubbornly. After that, he made a note to limit her rounds to eight.

The bartender finally brought them their drinks and handed to them carefully. The jonin began to play with the rim of his glass, observing the young girl as she downed the sake. After placing her glass back down, she licked her lips to retrieve the tiny drops that had escaped from her mouth.

He shuddered as her tongue ran back over her bottom lip, his insides churning and twisting uncomfortably. As much as he wanted to smash his lips against hers, he knew he couldn't allow any sexual tension to slip between them. It was wrong.

Hoping to push the dirty string of thoughts away from his head, he brought his glass of sake to his masked lips and sipped on it slowly. He needed to avoid any kind of mishap and stay sober. This would be his final round.

After pondering momentarily, he eyed the girl beside him. She was staring at him oddly. No. _Seductively._

He could practically see the fire blazing within her. She was glaring at him heavy-lidded, pressing her lips together in such a way that it made his cock twitch. There was no mistaking it. The look in her emerald eyes was dead serious. She wanted him. Badly.

Curses. He brought a hand to his forehead and sighed. He never thought the drunk side of Sakura would be this bad. Since she was usually calm and composed, he assumed that her system would be able to handle these large amounts of alcohol.

He was horribly wrong.

"Kakashi-_sensei_." He felt her petite hand settle on his shoulder, her fingers curling into the fabric of his flak vest. He shivered when she leaned forward to whisper into his ear. "Are you alright?"

Kakashi froze when her lips brushed against his ear lobe, her pink hair tickling his cheek. Her sweet cherry scent slipped into his nostrils, making him dizzy. He could feel his erection grow as her other hand firmly planted itself on his thigh, her thumb lingering near his crotch.

He heard her giggle silently, her laugh slightly slurred. "How about you and I drink some more sake?" she suggested in a whisper. "It will calm you down and make you feel better."

He finally managed to shake his head and he gently pushed her away. He ignored her surprised reaction, smoothing down the wrinkles on his clothing. He murmured, "I think you've had enough sake for tonight, Sakura."

"Well you're no fun, sensei," she smiled. She started to sway on her stool once again and she lost her balance. She ended up falling against his side, her head tucked onto his shoulder. Softly, she said, "Oops. My bad…" A hiccup escaped from her mouth and she brought a hand to her lips, laughing at her own foolishness.

Kakashi gazed at her for a long time, watching as she snuggled close to him absentmindedly. She was too cute and adorable. He had never experienced the playful little side of Sakura, and now here she was, being playful and all. It felt different to be around her when she was in this kind of a condition, almost dangerous. She was drunk and having a drunk girl by his side was never a good thing to start with.

That was it. This needed to end now.

"I think it's time to go, Sakura." He took Sakura by the arm and gently pulled her along, pushing their way through the large crowd of drunken men and women. It was a few more seconds before they finally escaped the heavy air of the bar. The atmosphere outside was refreshing and it felt good to take in a fresh breath of air.

He glanced back momentarily at the large flashing building behind them. He hoped Genma wouldn't mind that he left him there. He assumed that the chestnut-haired man would not care in the first place anyways. Knowing him, he was probably already out of there, making love to Ino in his apartment complex. It was either that, or he was fucking her mindlessly in the bar's supply closet.

Kakashi continued to tug his former student along and finally released her when they reached the calm part of the village. He decided that he would bring her to his apartment rather than walk her all the way back to her home. His was nearby and should not take too long to arrive at. Her house was approximately thirty minutes away from here.

It was another couple of moments before Sakura realized what was going on around her. "Where are you taking me, Kaka-sensei?" she asked silently, her speech slurred. She held onto her purse tightly and walked alongside with stiff limbs. It appeared that she was having a hard time keeping her balance.

He looked at her for only a second, then averted his attention back to the paved trail ahead of them. "I'm taking you to my complex. It's the closest and safest place I can bring you to. Plus, you look like you're about to collapse," he explained.

She folded her arms in front of her chest and pouted. "I am not about to collapse—" Before she could protest any further, she tripped on her own feet. Kakashi caught her quickly and helped her stand properly. She looked down with flushed cheeks. "O-Okay. So what if I am unable to keep my balance?" she mumbled, a hiccup following soon after.

Kakashi sighed and scratched the back of his head. He stopped walking and she seized her steps right beside him. He turned to face her and said, "Tomorrow, I want you to wake up unbroken and unharmed, not with a bunch of bruises and scrapes from tripping constantly."

Sakura blinked at him confusingly, having a hard time processing his statement. Shaking his head ungratefully, he held out his hand. "Here," he released a harsh breath. "Take my hand."

She rose a brow. Slurring slightly, she questioned, "You want me…to hold your hand?"

The silver-haired Copy Ninja nodded and reluctantly responded, "Just take my hand, Sakura. I won't bite."

That familiar smile made way back to her face, making him once again uncomfortable. She was doing this on purpose. He just had a feeling.

Sakura reached out to grab his hand and their fingers intertwined with each other, hers fitting into his with ease. She almost whistled gleefully as he started to pull her along again. There was no doubt about it. She was playing with him like a toy. She was toying with him on purpose.

And she continued to toy with him throughout the rest of their trip. She would purposely brush against him and she would purposely trip, only to have him bring her into his arms. It was getting irritating and he knew that his body was reacting to every single touch between them. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him, but it was wrong.

It was terribly wrong. He just needed to keep telling himself that, then maybe he would be able to get through the night without any more trouble.

It seemed like forever before they finally arrived at his apartment complex. He had to literally drag her up the stairs because with each step the girl took, it worsened her stumbling by a ton. When they reached the door, he released her from his grasp. The palm of his hand felt warm in spite of his gloves being in the way. It was warm…and sweaty.

After opening the door with his apartment keys, he led her into his bedroom where he then put her in his bed. He stared at her as she played with his bed sheets, her eyes constantly fluttering at him. His stomach churned and exited the bedroom immediately, announcing that he would go and fetch her some water to drink before she went to sleep.

As he poured the clear liquid into a glass cup, he thought about the pink-haired kunoichi lying in his bed, impatiently waiting for him to return. He shook his head and groaned inwardly. What was he thinking? He brought a trap right into his own home. How stupid of him!

Kakashi slowly traveled back to his bedroom, getting more nervous with each passing second. When he finally returned, he found Sakura sitting up, her back propped up against the headboard. Her emerald eyes were glued onto him, her hard glare piercing right through him.

He swallowed hard as he hesitantly sat on the bedside, handing her the glass of water. He watched intently as she drank the refreshment. When she finished, she placed the cup on the nightstand to her left and turned to face him. She licked her lips deviously, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Do you like what you see?" she breathed, bringing her index finger to her bottom lip to top off the whole innocent look.

He gulped, "P-Pardon?"

Smiling wryly, she crawled toward him and held onto his shoulder with her hands. He froze when her lips came close to his ear. He could feel her hot breath as she came closer, her breasts practically pressing against his arm. One hand slid down to his thigh and she gripped into it tightly, making him jerk slightly. "I know you want me, sensei," she hissed seductively.

Kakashi stiffened when her lips traveled to his cheek, brushing against it softly, her touch burning against his skin. "Sakura, you're drunk," he managed to sputter boldly, trying to keep his calm composure.

He felt Sakura's fingers caress his masked face gently, his breath freezing in his lungs. Her fingers eventually hooked into his mask, slowly peeling it away from his face. He wanted to stop her, but he was tempted to keep this action going at the same time. He held his breath when his mask pooled around his neck, the cold air attacking his porcelain skin. "Sakura," he warned as she brought her face in front of his.

She smiled wryly, leaning forward. She giggled, twirling her curly locks around her index finger. "Don't you want to play with me, sensei?" Her words were barely a whisper, yet he had heard them loud in his head.

He watched from the corner of his eye as she pressed her lips softly against the corner of his mouth. It then traveled to his own and he trembled tremendously when her tongue ran over his bottom lip. She was driving him crazy and he knew he was going to burst if he didn't stop this any sooner.

He needed to end her little game _now_, by any means necessary.

Prying her off of him, he murmured, "No, Sakura. I don't want to play your game." He forcefully put her back to bed, trying to be as gentle as possible. After minutes of resisting, she finally gave up and let him pull the bed sheets over her body. "Go to sleep," he continued quietly.

Sakura gazed at him with a small frown. "You're being un—_hiccup_—fair, Kaka…shi."

Kakashi reached out to brush her hair away from her forehead. She flinched at his sudden touch, but continued to watch him intently as he ran his thumb across her flushed cheek. He silently shushed her, urging for her to close her eyes and sleep. Minutes later, she fell into a deep slumber and he took this as a chance to leave.

He turned the lights off and carefully shut the bedroom door behind him as he left. Sighing frustratingly, he seated himself on the couch. Resting his elbows on the back of the couch, he lifted his chin to glare at the ceiling. The fan above him was circling slowly, bringing little air to his bare face.

He realized his mask was still off and he pulled it back to the bride of his nose. He groaned inwardly, feeling extremely guilty. Though it was Sakura who had brought this whole issue upon themselves, he blamed himself for allowing it to progress. He should have stopped it when he had the chance, but instead, he let her kiss him.

Kakashi cursed at himself mentally. Sakura was like a forbidden fruit. She was sweet and tempting, but she was off limits. He needed to remember that.

Sakura was off limits.

**_~ X x . . . x X ~_**

Tiny beams of light invaded the darkness, slowly growing brighter within each second. Soon, Sakura found herself wide awake, lying down on what appeared to be a bed. She spread her arms out, the tips of her fingers pricking at the bed sheets beneath her. She glared at the ceiling and her head began to throb. She tried to concentrate less on the items surrounding her to lessen the pain of her headache.

She inhaled deeply and was surprised to smell a strong, masculine scent. She rolled over and dug her face into the pillow resting underneath her neck. She inhaled once again, only to smell the scent much stronger this time. She squinted, then it hit her.

This wasn't her bed.

Shock consuming her, she immediately sat up. Her headache quickly worsened and she nearly groaned. Holding a hand to her forehead, she observed her surroundings. It was a plain, glum bedroom. Simple, she could say. There was nothing much that caught her interest. There was a bookshelf full of what appeared to be a collection of novels, then there were the rest of the other normal things that could be found in an everyday bedroom.

Sakura sighed and folded her hands on her lap. Where was she? She couldn't recall anything from last night, not one single bit, but judging from her severe headaches and stiff limbs, she could guess that she had a couple of drinks or so.

Oh, wait. Oh, yes. She almost forgot. That damn Ino brought her to that damn bar full of alcoholics.

She pinched the bridge of her nose when her head started to throb again. The pain was absolutely unbearable, and the most unfortunate thing was that she didn't know how to handle these kinds of predicaments. She had never drank up until last night so she wouldn't know how to handle these 'hangovers'. One thing was for sure and that was they were hell. Absolute hell.

Running her fingers through her curly pink locks, she resumed observing the unknown bedroom. Slowly, her senses came back to her and she eventually realized that she was in Kakashi's bedroom. She hadn't been in here for so long that she had nearly forgotten how it had looked like.

She pursed her lips together, remembering that it was the Copy Ninja who had kept her company in the bar. They joked around for an hour, drank mindlessly together, and had fun. It was an experience she never had before and it felt lively to let loose.

Sakura's eyes widened suddenly in realization. Panicking, she glanced down at her body. She released a deep breath in relief of finding that her clothes were still equipped.

Good. That meant nothing hasty happened last night between them, but what did exactly occur?

Her memories were hazy at the moment. Her constant headaches were preventing her from thinking too deeply and she was unable to concentrate well. Everything was vague to her. Even her eyesight was waning a little. Perhaps she had a little too much to drink last night…

The kunoichi slumped back against the headboard and redirected her gaze back to the ceiling above her. She chewed on her bottom lip as a string of thoughts of her and Kakashi ran straight through her. She tried imagining the many possibilities that could have happened. What if they had gotten too close? What if he touched her?

She hung her head and closed her eyes, feeling her cheeks heat up. She shouldn't be thinking about these kinds of scenarios, especially if her partner was her former sensei. It was horribly wrong. Then again, they were no longer teacher and student. They were now merely comrades with no boundary between them.

She mentally cursed at herself. No, it was wrong of her to think of that. There was a boundary between them and that was that.

"Er…um…your face is red."

The sound of his familiar voice shook her away from her thoughts and brought her attention to the man standing by the bedside. She felt her cheeks redden even further at the sight of his bedraggled appearance.

His silver hair was disheveled and messy in such a way that it made her insides melt. Apparently, he had changed out of his jonin attire and into his home wear, which she thought suited him much more better. His shirt tightly clung around his body, complimenting his nice tone. His sweat pants loosely clung around his waist and she was sure that she was seeing a small portion of his plaid boxers.

All of a sudden, he held his hand to her forehead, catching her by surprise. "Uh, you don't have a fever by any chance, do you?" he asked silently, almost concerned.

She shook her head and murmured, "No…"

"Good." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, then fixed the mask on his face to make it more proper. Shrugging bluntly, he said, "Well…I sort of made breakfast for us and it's ready now…" He seemed quite nervous, judging by his odd pattern of speech.

"Kakashi," protested Sakura, "you didn't need to do all of this—"

"Do you expect me to let you starve to death?" Kakashi interrupted, the concern still obvious in his tone. "Now come on, breakfast is on the table already."

She gave up, defeated. She carefully pulled herself away from the comfort of his bed, slowly getting up on her feet. She bit her lip when the headache came back. She felt weak in her knees and honestly thought she was going to collapse to the floor.

Much to her surprise, Kakashi was kind enough to escort her into the kitchen, placing his hand firmly against the small of her back. They both managed to get there in a matter of seconds and he even helped her get seated. She uncomfortably shifted in her chair, discomforted by the odd vibe he was giving off. It was then when she knew that something did happen between them last night.

The silver-haired man placed her meal in front of hers, accompanied with a fork, spoon, and napkin. He motioned with his hand for her to begin eating, so she did. The two ate in complete silence, or shall she say just herself, much to her displease. It was terribly awkward and she couldn't help to wonder about what she had done wrong to him.

"Kakashi," she called out quietly as she put her fork down onto her plate.

"Hmm?" he hummed in response, propping his chin onto the upturned palm of his hand. With the other, he pushed away his untouched food. She knew he didn't feel comfortable enough to eat in front of her, considering that he almost never pulled his mask down in front of them to chew down some snacks.

"Did something happen between us last night that I should know about?" she asked, quivering slightly from the sudden icy glare he shot her.

He sat still for a moment before murmuring, "We simply drank, then you ended up going overboard and I brought you to the nearest, safest place. My home." He took his glass of water and brought it to his masked lips. He sipped it slowly before setting it back down.

"Well," Sakura began, "did anything happen after that?"

Kakashi froze and she gazed at him quizzically. He regained his calm composure seconds later and he folded his hands on the tabletop. Through gritted teeth, he replied, "I just put you to bed. Nothing more."

She rose a brow, knowing something was amiss. He seemed too nervous and it was unlike him to be freaking out every so often. She was sure now that something did happen between them and she was determined to get to the bottom of this.

Boldly, she stated, "Kakashi, be honest with me."

He eyed her, his cold gaze chilling her. "There is nothing more to the story, Sakura. Nothing happened," he said silently.

"It hurts me that you don't trust me enough to tell the truth. Just stop lying," she sighed, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, "and tell me the truth."

The silver-haired man rose from his chair and moved toward the living room beside them. He was refusing to say anything, but she wasn't going to give up. Slightly irritated, she followed him despite the pain her headache was giving her and watched as he stood by the window, looking out into the open.

Her hands fell to her hips and she said, "Ignoring me won't help solve your problems, you know."

He continued to stay silent, and this only angered her even further.

"Kakashi!" she snapped angrily. "You're only making things worse! What was so bad that happened last night? Tell me!" She stormed over to him, jabbing her index finger into his back and causing him to flinch.

He still refused to talk and she was ready to burst. She rose her hand in the air, preparing to slap him straight across the back of his head to snap some sense into him. Just when she swung to strike him, he caught her by the wrist and turned around.

He towered over her, his dark shadow consuming her figure. She swallowed hard when he came close, his mismatched eyes piercing right through her. His familiar pinewood scent once again crept back into her nostrils, intoxicating her lungs. She felt her knees weaken when his grip around her tightened.

He released a deep breath onto her face, making her insides melt. Almost bitterly, he whispered, "Sakura…you kissed me."

Sakura's eyes went wide and her lips parted to say something, but nothing came out. She closed her mouth and looked down to avoid his glare, feeling almost guilty. A knot tightened in the pit of her stomach and she chewed on her lip nervously.

"You pulled down my masked and kissed me, Sakura."

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**_Reviews Are Appreciated_**


	5. Mistake

A/N: I know it has been quite a while. A few months, actually (I'm embarrassed now that I realized how long I've been absent). I've been busy with vacation plans and my aunt recently had a stroke, so I've been visiting her on a daily basis. She's getting much better now, so that's good... Another new year of school is also on its way. I'll be starting my first year at high school on August 28. Just keep in mind that I might not update my stories as quickly as you want me to. I promised myself that I would devote myself to school for these next four years.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Naruto. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

**_Mistake_**

**_Chapter Five: Mistake_**

* * *

She froze, swallowing hard when he came close, his coal and crimson eyes burning a hole right through her. His familiar pinewood scent once again slipped back into her nostrils, intoxicating her lungs and making her insides melt. Her knees weakened and felt like jello when his grip around her wrist tightened.

He released a deep breath onto her face, his glare hardening. Almost bitterly, he whispered, "Sakura…you kissed me."

Sakura felt her eyes go wide and she parted her lips to say something, but nothing came out. She closed her mouth and looked down to avoid his petrifying glare, feeling guilty. A knot tightened in the pit of her stomach and she chewed on her bottom lip nervously.

"You pulled down my mask and kissed me, Sakura."

His words were barely a whisper, yet she had heard them loud and clear in her head. The air suddenly grew heavy and it was extremely hard to breathe. He was still holding onto her tightly and his touch was only making her more uncomfortable. She kept her gaze low and away from his. She didn't want to look at him when when she was in this kind of a state. It was far too embarrassing for her to handle and the only solution she had was to hide.

She swallowed hard. She wondered what she could do to make this less awkward, but she had nothing in mind at the moment. She just couldn't believe that she kissed Kakashi. The thing that struck her the most was that she was the one who initiated it and that he allowed it to progress.

She paused. It took her a moment to realize what had just ran through her head and it was then when her eyes widened.

Trembling slightly, she glanced up at the man towering above her. "Kakashi…did you allow it to progress?" she questioned quietly.

Kakashi did not reply. Instead, he let her go and resumed staring out the fogged window. He seemed somewhat shaken and discomforted, yet she knew it could not be helped. Kakashi was a type of person to hold both bad and good moments close to him and never let them go. That was what made him so concealed and mysterious.

Sakura cleared her throat before speaking up, "Kakashi, did you allow it to progress?"

She heard him sigh deeply and she shuddered when he turned to look over his shoulder. His gaze was dark, but there was a part of it that gave her warm, fuzzy feelings down in her stomach. "It was a moment of weakness," he murmured almost bitterly, eyebrows creasing. "I just couldn't…stop you…" He glared at the floor, too afraid to look at her.

Confusion filled her along with more shock. To her, Kakashi was a strong jounin with no holes in the walls he put around him. He was always capable of hiding his emotions, feelings, and opinions. He was also best at keeping secrets and avoiding trouble, but seeing this part of him just surprised her.

She had known him since she was twelve, which was quite a while. Though they had been comrades, perhaps even friends, for a long time, she still did not know much about him. The only thing that was obvious about him was that he enjoyed indulging himself in pornography.

"Kakashi…" Her voice trailed into a whisper, unable to find the correct words to say.

"I was weak," he said absentmindedly, staring blankly out into the open. "I let my wants get the best of me…It was all a mistake."

She cringed at that word, mistake. She knew that this was indeed all a mistake, but she couldn't help the frown on her face. He had said it so sourly. It made her wonder why such an incident would be so important to her and why Kakashi's feelings about it affected her. It shouldn't make her feel that way. She knew she shouldn't be feeling neglected, but she was.

Sighing silently, she directed her gaze toward him. She noticed the unusual pale color of his skin and blunt look in his eyes. He was truly distraught. He believed that it was his fault that it all happened when she was the one who initiated the action. He was blaming himself and it hurt her to see him like this. She couldn't help feeling bad for him.

Reluctantly, Sakura held his hand, fitting her fingers in between his. He flinched at her touch, his eyes rising to meet hers. She tried her best to smile reassuringly at him in hopes of making him better. "It's not your fault, Kakashi. It's mine, so don't beat yourself down for something you didn't do."

Kakashi started to protest, but she cut him off with a small squeeze of his hand. "I made the mistake. It's my fault this happened and I'm sorry for being so careless," she interrupted quietly.

Mistake. No matter how many times she would hear or say that word, she knew that she would never get over that terrible, neglecting feeling down in the pit of her stomach. That word hurt her. Maybe it was because she hated being imperfect and that she was a perfectionist. Maybe it was because it was the way Kakashi had said it. Either way, that word hurt her.

She hated that word. So much.

"I made the mistake and it's my fault. Please don't blame yourself for this," she pleaded.

But she needed to take the fault this time. She couldn't bare to see him like this. It was alien.

Kakashi managed to escape her grasp, his hand slipping free from hers. He pushed it into his pocket and stepped back, chuckling uneasily. "You're too kind, Sakura," he murmured resentfully. "Too kind to shoulder a heavy burden like me…"

Sakura gazed at him softly and attempted to comfort him again, but he pulled away. "Kakashi, what you did wasn't that bad—"

"Do you know how serious this situation is?" he suddenly snapped, interrupting her from finishing her sentence. "We are crossing the teacher and student boundary. That is something that we cannot overlook!"

A small pause.

"But you are no longer my teacher," she noted with a slight frown, "and I am no longer your student. We are equals now. You were the one who told me this, weren't you?"

He stared blankly. "Are you…supporting this…Sakura?

His eyes were cold as he glared down at her and she couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine. It took her a moment to register what he had said and realize what he meant by it.

Was she supporting this? Was she supporting the new sprout in their relationship caused by an accidental kiss? She couldn't say…No, she didn't know what to say. She didn't even know how she even felt about the kiss they shared. It was an incident she could never be able to recall, no matter how hard the concentration.

"Never mind."

At the sound of his hoarse voice, she looked up at him. His expression held nothing but concern as he continued, "Don't answer that. I don't want you to."

Kakashi paced back and forth, rubbing his masked chin as he thought the current predicament through. Sakura merely observed him, having nothing else to do or say. In reality, she would try to comfort him and lessen his worries in any way possible. However, the things running through her mind were something that could not be ignored.

He truly seemed concerned about the turn in their friendship. She didn't think it was that big of a deal, considering she and Kakashi were no longer on teacher-student terms. On the other hand, Kakashi was terrified at that.

"Sakura."

Sakura averted her attention to the man standing by the doorway, back leaning against the wall. He continued, "I think it's time for you to go."

She stared at him momentarily before deciding that his statement was true. She had nothing more to add to their conversation and she knew that more attempts of comforting him would only worsen the conflict. There was no longer a purpose for her being here. Also, she knew very well that the two of them needed to think over this by themselves. At the moment, that appeared to be the only resolution to this problem.

Sighing, the pink-haired girl nodded and stiffly walked toward the door. Kakashi opened it for her and she stepped out of his apartment complex. She inhaled deeply and noticed that the air no longer smelled of his distinctive scent. She was going to be honest with herself, she was going to miss it.

Moments later, she took a step away from his humble abode. She found herself slowing as she furthered away from him, his presence slowly fading into the distance. It was truly odd, for she had never felt this lost before. Everything seemed alien without him by her side.

Was there a possibility that she had grown attached to him during those last two days?

Holding a hand to her chest, she realized how fast her heart was beating at the thought of that man. Images of his sheath of silver hair, nicely built jaw hidden by that hindrance of a mask, and mesmerizing eyes passed through her mental filter during the few seconds she took to seize her steps and pause.

She chewed on her lip and looked back at him. He was still watching her with his cold, dark, and consuming gaze. She desperately wanted to return to his reach and stay within his warmth, but she needed to go before this odd attachment to him grew any bigger.

It was a danger to both him and her.

At that thought, she pulled herself away from her daze and resumed her walk down the hallway. After exiting the apartment building, she started a mercifully long trudge back to her home.

It was torturous, she must admit. It was hard to not snap or give a deathly glare when people stared her down, wondering why she was in such a formal attire. She supposed her bitter, gloomy mood was evident on her face (in which she all but objected), for no one bothered to gather the courage to pursue her. In all honesty, she really wanted to knock a building down, but she needed to keep her emotions in control. Shishou would kick her ass if she were to do anything to harm anyone.

Sakura was glad when she finally arrived at the comfort of her home. The first thing she did was strip herself free from that dreaded dress, and once she was completely nude, she scurried to the bathroom. She started to run the bath water, watching with big, desirable eyes as the tub slowly was filled with hot, steaming liquid. She was anxious to hop in. A time to relax was all she really needed at the moment.

Unfortunately, she wasn't able to keep Kakashi out of her mind.

**_~ X x . . . x X ~_**

It was past noon, but he could still feel the warmth of her hand when she held his.

Kakashi slouched over his desk, dropping the pen onto the unfinished paperwork that Tsunade gave to him nearly a week ago (it was probably overdue). He clamped his hands onto his head and ground his teeth, frustrated. He could feel his face hot with anger and frustration, even through his mask.

Surely, this was all her fault. Consequently, he blamed the undying, fluttery feelings he got when he was near her or touched by her. However, she was the cause of these symptoms, so logically, he should blame her instead.

He groaned inwardly and tried to avert his concentration back to the paperwork. Hand shaking, he retrieved the writing utensil and forced himself to scratch down a couple of words before nearly snapping the pen in half, aggravation consuming him as more images of the pink-haired kunoichi slipped through his mind. It was obvious now that he wouldn't be able to work with a big distraction like this.

Never in his life had he been so distressed by one mere girl. He had made sure in the past that no one would ever be able to make him feel off balance. He had put up thick, hard walls around him, he had learned to avoid predicaments easily, and most importantly, he never spoke of his own personal life. When he found himself facing these conflicting feelings once again, he was frightened.

He wanted to hate her for damaging his outer shell. He wanted to despise her for bringing his emotions out into the open.

But he couldn't hate her.

He was already attracted to her.

* * *

**_Reviews Are Appreciated_**


	6. Talk

_**A/N:** _Hi guys! How are you? I'm good. Super uber great, actually! High school is fun, more fun that I imagined. The upper class men are beating our spirit in our rallies though, so I need to help the Freshmen step up their game! I'm a part of the Spirit Committee in Leadership, so it's a big part of my role to do these kind of things. Anyways, I'm back with another update! I hope you enjoy! I'm also learning more vocabulary in English class, so I'm anticipating that my chapters will get longer and more 'colorful' with wonderful words, hehe c:

Oh, I also edited the beginning a little. I just extended the preparation time for Sakura and Kakashi before they depart for their mission because I realized that there was a little screw up...Anyways, it won't change anything major! It was just a minor tweak.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, unfortunately. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

**_Mistake_**

**_Chapter Six: Talk_**

* * *

Sakura didn't want to get up. Never. Ever.

She stuffed her face into her pillow and inhaled slowly, a faint flowery scent slipping past her nostrils. Chills slithered down her spine and her eyes clasped closed. Sakura wished that she could just lay in her bed for the rest of the day. In fact, she wished that she didn't have to go on the mission. All she wanted to do was to avoid having to talk with Kakashi again.

A deep sigh escaped her lips as she turned onto her right side and stared at the open bathroom door. She bit her lip as the previous events clouded her mind. It was all too confusing, especially the way her former mentor had acted. Throughout her whole life, she had known him as a strong, unbreakable shinobi who shielded his emotions from others. When Sakura encountered his flowing emotions yesterday, she realized that she really did not know him at all.

All this time, Kakashi had only been a mere stranger when she thought she actually knew him.

For a long time, Sakura didn't do anything. She simply laid in her bed, breathing slightly unevenly, as she stared out into the distance.

She didn't know what to do anymore.

Growling silently to herself, she adjusted her position so that she would be looking up at the ceiling. Her emerald eyes followed the fan above as it circled round and round, bringing a very little breeze to her face. The kunoichi pondered for a moment, wondering about the different paths she could take to solve this predicament.

Normally, she would walk up to Kakashi and try to work things out or comfort him if necessary. However, the odd, bubbly feelings down in her gut killed her courage. In addition, it didn't seem like Kakashi wanted to see her at all. She hadn't spotted him at all yesterday and this morning too when she went outside for a short nature walk. It was obvious that he was trying to avoid her.

Another sigh.

How did it all come down to this? Maybe if she hadn't gone with Ino to the pub, maybe if she hadn't drank so much, she wouldn't have been in this mess. Kakashi and her would have been able to maintain a good friendship and it wouldn't have been awkward either.

Sakura wished that it would all go away, but wishing just wasn't going to solve anything. Wishing and hoping for things to get better wouldn't fish her out of that dark, troubling pool and bring her back to the bright path she followed everyday. They wouldn't bring back the normal, sweet friendship she and her sensei had and it wouldn't bring back their happiness either.

Her eyelids slid closed and she pressed her lips together.

They needed to talk.

Talk. It sounded simple and easy, yet in reality, it was much more difficult.

"Shit," breathed Sakura as she sat up, legs spread out in front of her, back slouched and shoulders pulled forward. She sat still for a second before lazily hopping off the bed. Her feet met the cold, soft padding of the carpet and she shuddered at the sudden feeling.

Yawning, she slowly walked into the bathroom, stretching her arms far apart to release the tension in her muscles. Afterward, she leaned over the sink and turned the faucet. The pink-haired kunoichi watched with blunt eyes as the water spurted out. Cupping her two hands together, she brought them under the faucet and waited until the liquid lapped over her thumb. As soon as it filled up, she splashed it onto her face, a jolt of energy spreading throughout her.

After drying her face with a small wash towel, Sakura reached for the drawstring of her shorts and loosened it. The article of clothing immediately dropped to the ground. Next, she removed her shirt, bra, and underwear, the cold morning air swirling around her bare body. Shivering slightly, she stepped out of the pool of clothes, picked them up, and threw them into the hamper.

She walked toward the shower and held onto the glass door, sliding it open. She turned the faucet and the water started to rain down, the pattering loud. The kunoichi patiently waited for it to heat up before stepping beneath the warm rain. A small breath escaped her lips as she squirted some shampoo onto the palm of her hand, running it through her pink hair soon afterward.

A few minutes passed and Sakura finally exited the bathroom, a damp towel clinging onto her body, her moist hair dangling down to her shoulders. She breathed in deeply, noticing that her pervasive natural scent was unusually strong in the air. Shaking her head a bit, Sakura pulled one of the drawers open and retrieved her ninja attire. Slowly, she dressed herself, and when she was done, she headed right out the door and into the wide open.

The sunlight nearly blinded her as she cautiously walked down the road and she held her hand up to her face to prevent further damage. It had been so long since she had left the humble comfort of her home. It was almost seven in the evening and she highly doubted that she would run into him, but it was always worth a try.

Sakura's destination was at the old Team Seven training field. Today was her and Kakashi's arranged spar session. They specifically agreed to have it at sunset since they both preferred training in cool weather, rather than sweating buckets during the day. It was close to sundown and she was just on time.

The young kunoichi stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the wired fence in front of her, a sign hanging above the entrance that read 'Training Facility'. When she was ready, she walked through the open gate, swiftly making her way toward the center of the grassy field. It was a couple more moments before she paused again.

She stood still, stiffly looking from her right to her left, observing her surroundings as the past memories of her team began swarming back to her. A faint smile crept onto her lips and she shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts. They were too painful to look back at.

Sakura sighed after one last glance at her surroundings. It was unusually silent and all was still. Only the breeze was active, making the tall grass and little flowers sway gently.

Looking down at her feet, she thought to herself. Maybe she shouldn't have come here after all. It was obvious that he wouldn't show up. After drawing in all of the details, it made sense enough. If she were in his shoes, she probably would have tried to avoid the conflict as well.

She lifted her head, prepared to make her exit. All of a sudden, a kunai whizzed directly past her cheek, barely leaving a scratch, and hit the base of a large tree trunk in front of her. With wide eyes, she turned to look over her shoulder and found the silver-haired jonin leaning against the wired gate, another kunai pinched in between his forefinger and thumb.

Sakura smiled the smallest of her smiles. "You're late."

Kakashi simply glared at her with his dark single eye, his hand reaching for his pouch to put away his weapon. Folding his arms in front of his chest, he said, "I didn't think you'd actually show up. I was going to stay home all day, but I ended up coming here in the end." He sounded regretful, and his tone surprisingly took affect on her.

Her smile faltered. "I did the same," she murmured, pausing shortly after to gather her thoughts. "But I didn't come to train."

"So what did you come for, then?" he immediately asked, straightening himself and taking a couple of steps toward her.

She swallowed. Hard. "We need to talk."

He stared at her nonchalantly. He was silent for a minute, and then he brought his hand up to his head to rake his silver hair back. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that," he admitted quietly.

Sakura took in a deep, long breath. Slowly, she neared him, her heart's pace quickening with every step she took. Once she reached him, she gazed up at him, quivering slightly, and opened her mouth. "I am fully aware that this is not going to be easy," she started, "but we need to talk. I…I…can't bear the weight of this conflict anymore."

He continued to stare at her expectantly, an outline of his frown forming on his mask.

"And…it also worries me that our friendship will fall apart."

She waited impatiently for his answer, biting her bottom lip in anticipation.

Kakashi shoved his hands into his pockets and raised his head to look at the lilac-colored sky. "Just how do you plan on fixing all of this?" he hummed.

She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "We just talk."

"About?"

Silence.

"How do you feel about the kiss?"

Kakashi breathed, "That, I do not know." He paused and turned to look at her, his gaze softer and friendlier. "How about you?"

"I don't know either," she confessed. Sakura locked her eyes with his and found his presence comforting. The air was less heavier than it had been before and she was sure that things were going to become less discomforting from this point on.

Callously, she asked, "Why have you been trying to avoid me, Kakashi?"

The jonin removed one hand from his pocket and scratched the side of his face, his single eye darting elsewhere. "I didn't want to ruin the relationship we have now," he said carefully. "I was afraid of facing you again."

"I've been hurting because of that."

"I realize that now," he sighed apologetically, "and I'm sorry."

A gentle breeze blew across the field, causing their hair to sway a little. The two shinobi stood still across each other, Sakura searching his eye to find any sign of emotion.

"I'm not asking for your forgiveness," he continued contritely. "I'm just hoping that we could be on better terms now."

"I was hoping for the same thing too," she replied, smiling bitterly, "but I don't think we can stand on the same kind of relationship anymore. It won't be the same."

Kakashi nodded. "I know."

Sakura gazed at him wonderingly, observing him intently as he looked elsewhere, his hand rising to scratch the back of his head. She almost laughed, feeling exceptionally glad that they were making up. She knew it was nothing to be overjoyed about, but to her, their friendship meant more than anything in the world. It was foolish, she knew.

She couldn't believe that she looked up to such an ignorant, odd man.

The kunoichi suddenly felt an odd, bubbly sensation down in her stomach, sending shudders running up and down her spine. Her eyes then started to sting uncomfortably and she bit on her lip. The next thing she knew, she was throwing her arms around Kakashi, burying her face deep into his flak vest, staining his clothes with her tears. She cried, her whimpers growing louder with every passing second, and she continued to let her sorrow rain down as his arms slowly enclosed around her fragile body.

As he settled his chin on top of her head and shushed her gently, she wondered why she had missed him so much.

**_~ X x . . . x X ~_**

By nightfall, her tears subsided.

Kakashi released a soft breath and watched the young kunoichi cradled in his arms, her body resting on his lap, her head tucked onto the padding of his shoulder. They were both sitting beneath the large canopy of a tree, his back propped up against the large base of the trunk. It was dark and they only had the dim light of the moon to guide them. Crickets were singing to them silently and the leaves rustled every now and then when the gentle wind flew by. At the moment, everything was at peace.

The silver-haired jonin hung his head, the tip of his nose nearly touching Sakura's. He looked at her with a gentle expression, listening to her almost inaudible snoring, watching as her closed eyes twitched every now and then. Her beauty was enrapturing and it definitely mesmerized him.

He sighed heavily and carefully brushed her pink hair away from her forehead. He caressed her cheek with his thumb, tracing down to her chin and back up. His eye slid shut. "No matter how hard I try to run away, I always end up back at square one," he whispered. "Sakura, I don't know how you manage to do this to me…but I think I'm attracted to you."

And he stared up at the full moon, praying that tomorrow would be a much more relaxing day.

* * *

**_Reviews Are Appreciated!_**


	7. A New Beginning

_**A/N:**_ Hey, what's up? I was eager to bounce on the next chapter, so yeah. Here it is. Sorry it's not very long, but I guarantee you the next chapter will be. Oh! Before I forget, I would like to let you know that there is a new poll set up on my profile! I would really appreciate it if you'd go check it out. Thanks!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own this wonderful world of Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

**_Mistake_**

**_Chapter Seven: A New Beginning_**

* * *

It was painfully quiet.

Sakura followed Kakashi closely behind as they skillfully leaped from one branch to another. They had left for their mission earlier this morning at seven sharp after consulting Tsunade. It had been a dreadful hour since then. Kakashi had been careful to keep his distance from her. He would speed up or slow down to avoid her and he refused to start any conversation of some sort. She knew from the start that they wouldn't be able to stand on the same relationship anymore, but this—this was just ridiculous.

Sucking in a deep breath, she focused most of her chakra toward her feet and boosted her pace. She was steadily catching up to him before he sped up once again, leaving her in the dust. Sighing, she continued to follow, feeling even worse than before.

Kakashi was perfectly (well, perhaps a little less than perfect) fine yesterday evening when they chatted. Or maybe it had been harder for him to talk to her than she had thought?

The pink-haired kunoichi shook her head and focused on her travels instead of her own predicaments. It was another half hour before they stopped at a small open field in the heavily wooded forest to take a short breather. Kakashi was rather silent as he claimed his seat on a fallen tree and began reading his Icha Icha Paradise. Sakura simply watched him, fidgeting with her fingers unnervingly.

She cleared her throat. "We should be able to make it past the border if we keep up the quick pace."

The jonin didn't comment or add anything. He only turned a page in his novel and stared at it, but she knew that he was listening.

A few minutes passed and the air was slowly becoming heavier. Swallowing nervously, she shifted her position so that she would be sitting cross-legged on the moist grass. Sakura tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and murmured, "We are on good terms…right?"

He turned another page. "Of course."

Lies.

Her eyebrows furrowed and she pressed her lips together. "Kakashi," she called out.

"…Yes?"

"Is there something I need to know that you didn't mention yesterday?"

It was a while before withdrew his book and gave her his complete attention. He stared nonchalantly, his single eye unreadable. Slowly, he answered, "We said all we needed to say, am I not correct?"

"I know I explained my feelings," started Sakura, "but what about you?"

"I have nothing to explain to you," he replied hoarsely.

Silence.

"Kakashi, have you forgiven me?" she suddenly asked.

Kakashi ran his fingers through his coarse silver hair, releasing a heavy breath. He slouched over, his back bending into a bridge, his elbows resting on his thighs. Scornfully, he said, "I don't need to forgive you. It wasn't your fault."

The reason behind this situation immediately dawned upon her.

"…Have you forgiven yourself?"

The nice feel of the atmosphere shifted uncomfortably, making her body tremble. Kakashi glared at her with such intensity that it nearly frightened her. Beneath his mask, she could see an outline of his frown forming. To be honest, she was slightly afraid. However, she chose to keep her stand, knowing that she had came way too far to go back.

"Why are you interrogating me like this, Sakura?" he questioned.

Sakura tugged at the collar of her shirt nervously. "You seem…troubled." She paused, then resumed with a more motivated tone, "I-I just want to help you, is all! Maybe if we talk it out a bit more, then we can have a better understand about our—"

"I don't need your pity, nor anyone else's," he interrupted rudely.

She could tell that the silver-headed man had no intention of telling her anything, but she wasn't going to stop this time. She was sick and tired of this distance between them. She missed the old 'them' and she missed the old him.

"Kakashi, please. I'm begging you," pleaded the kunoichi.

"Sakura…"

"Please," said Sakura. "Please."

He was silent for a minute, and then he lifted his head so that he would be able to stare at the bright blue sky. "I have never forgiven myself. Ever. I've been living a life of regret for the past thirty two years," he confessed gravely. "But that's not the issue. I _do_ want to be on good terms, but I'm afraid that there are some obstacles in the way."

"Then we'll overcome them," announced the girl, nervously. "I just want to have our regular friendship back. Our regular life. And if we keep this up, we will never get anything done. We need cooperation, Kakashi, and we are lacking that."

"I understand, but it's not as simple as you think."

"Well we can discuss it—"

"No. I can't…" His words trailed off into an inaudible mumble and it was obvious now that he was having a difficult time expressing how he felt.

Sakura gazed at him softly, then rose from the ground and walked toward him. She sat beside him, the rough bark of the fallen stump scratching the back of her legs. His side bumped into her as he shifted uncomortably, his hands moving down and settling on his thighs. His familiar pinewood scent crept back into her nostrils and she inhaled deeply, shuddering soon afterward. She truly missed that part of him.

Gently placing her petite hand on his shoulder, she said softly, "We need to talk things out."

A cool breeze swept across the small opening, stirring the action. The leaves that were once in a neat pile scattered in every direction, some flying elsewhere to find another place to settle down. The thin branches above shook restlessly, causing a small flock of birds to take off to the sky. For a moment, everything was full of life. Then all excitement died and the tension resumed spreading throughout the atmosphere.

The pink-haired girl watched her former mentor expectantly as he continued to look out their now lifeless surroundings. Just then, his head turned and his single eye met her emerald ones. She stiffened when he leaned closer to her and her hand recoiled. Slowly, his masked face inched forward until the tip of his nose was touching hers. Sakura held her breath, unsure of what to do.

Suddenly, his hand reached to grasp hers and he held the tip of her fingertips up to the edge of his mask. He hooked her fingers into the fabric, and carefully, he guided her hand down, the mask sluggishly peeling off. Trembling slightly, she stared at the bare face of Kakashi Hatake, her lips parting very little to release a short gasp. Her mind was beginning to swirl and his scent was so strong that it was dizzying.

His eye rose once again to meet hers, then fell to the bottom half of her face. She knew exactly what he was looking at, but before she could protest, Kakashi softly pressed his lips against the corner of her mouth. Sakura felt her cheeks burn when they traveled to her own and her eyelids clasped closed at the warm feeling pooling in between her thighs. Just when she thought it was all over, his tongue ran over her bottom lip and stars immediately started to burst in her vision. So much was occurring that it was overloading her senses, blurring her eyesight and making it harder for her to keep her own balance.

Kakashi finally withdrew, licking his lips to emphasize his satisfaction. He gazed at her differently, as if he was looking at her like she was a whole new person. She swallowed hard, trying her best to recollect her composure. However, she was unable to do so and her shock was evident when she had began talking.

"Kakashi…w-what's the meaning of this?" she stuttered, her hand squirming and breaking free from his. She pulled it back quickly, shaking uncomfortably.

He stared nonchalantly. "I'm attracted to you."

Her heart nearly stopped.

Sakura bit her lip and glared at the grassy ground. "Y-You…for how long?" she whispered hoarsely.

Kakashi frowned slightly and she eyed him wonderingly, fascinated by the facial expressions he was making. Silently, he replied, "Since that night."

"Oh."

The two didn't speak for the next few minutes, and oh, it was painfully quiet. Sakura simply just didn't know what to do. She was unsure of which step she should take. The recent happens were far beyond comprehension and she was still in shock from the sudden kiss she received from Kakashi. She never expected him to be so…intimate. Sure, he read a lot of porn and because of that, she knew that he was sexually involved. However, Sakura didn't think he would be _good_ at it (far more than good, in her honest opinion). He was skilled enough to arouse her with one kiss, for kami's sake!

Sakura gritted her teeth, feeling exceptionally embarrassed. Just then, Kakashi murmured, "I'm sorry."

She averted her attention to him, unaware of what he had just said. "Huh?"

"I didn't mean to make you feel so awkward," he continued apologetically, "I just had to."

The kunoichi rose a brow, almost out of disgust. "You _had_ to?" she repeated his words.

He nodded, giving her an odd side glance that nearly made her insides melt. "Only to see if it would affect you like how it affected me."

"Pardon?" she retorted dryly. "I don't know what you're trying to say, but I am not your toy—"

"I never said you were," said Kakashi. "I was only doing the same thing you had done to me two nights ago."

Sakura fell silent and her eyes widened. "I…you…" She paused, unable to find the correct words to say.

His hand rose to scratch the back of his head. "Yeah…"

The pink-haired girl sat still, a string of illicit thoughts running through her mind. She never expected that she would act so wild when drunk, nor thought that she would ever make a move so intimate, especially on Kakashi. Just thinking about it made her stomach churn and cheeks grow red.

Kakashi suddenly rose from the huge log and began dusting off his black linen pants. She observed him curiously as he adjusted the zipper on his flak vest and tightened the hitai-ate around his head, his fingers pulling the cloth further down to hide the scar on the other discarded eye. She surmised that he was finished with their conversation and wished to continue their mission. She, too, agreed and began readying herself.

As Sakura adjusted the pouch strapped around her waist, the silver-haired man turned to look over his shoulder, his mask still pooled around his neck. "You know," he started, his tone somewhat amused, "I'm surprised that you didn't do anything to stop me when I kissed you." His lips curled into a devilish smile, which she found quite pleasing.

She blushed deeply and she quickly swept her hand across her cheek, shocked to feel how scorching hot it was. Her mouth opened to say something in return, but he had already turned back around, his hand pulling the mask back to the bridge of his nose. Irritated by his comment, she muttered to herself, "I-It was a moment of weakness…"

And as they began jumping from branch to branch as they had before, she started to understand why Kakashi had acted so oddly.

Then it occurred to her that this mission was going to be mercifully long.

* * *

_**Reviews Are Appreciated!**_


	8. Unintentional Actions

**_A/N:_**Homecoming week is finally over! I've been busy for so long and I am absolutely exhausted and worn out! I used the last of my energy to write this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it all! I am literally going to fall asleep right here, right now.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

**_Mistake_**

**_Chapter Eight: Unintentional Actions_**

* * *

The night sky was painted dark blue with little sploshes of pink from the setting sun. The stars were already out and shining brightly, and the moon was the same, its luminous glow quite mesmerizing. It was growing warm and dense within the thick forest, nearly humid. A small campfire was lit up, giving visibility to a portion of an empty sector of the forest. In that area, there was Kakashi, sitting close to the fire with his book pressed against his face, and Sakura, who was standing not too far from him, making the last camp preparations before she settled down to rest.

Sakura quickly performed a few hand signs, then sealed the campsite with a genjutsu that would be able to hide them from any possible opponent. After making sure the barriers were set properly, she plopped onto the grass beside her former mentor. Her hand reached into her bag and pulled out two small bento boxes. She purposely tossed it to Kakashi recklessly in hopes of ridding his attention from his novel.

Fortunately, the jonin put it away, although he did not seem very pleased about it. Rolling her eyes, Sakura pried the box open, pulled out her chopsticks, then began eating. Kakashi hadn't made any move to touch his food for the first few moments. When a few minutes had passed, he finally opened it and began to handle his chopsticks in one hand, the other reaching up to the bridge of his nose to pull his mask down.

Though she had already seen his face earlier in the morning, she watched him intently from the corner of her eye. The mask pooled around his neck like it had before and his porcelain skin was revealed once again. The kunoichi stared wonderingly as he ate, wondering why he decided to hide his beauty with that dreaded mask. It amazed her to see that his face was nothing like what she had assumed back when she was a genin. If she could recall correctly, her, Naruto, and Sasuke had all thought of their own foolish ideas — blimp lips, horrible acne, buck teeth. They were all childish assumptions.

Sakura continued to stare, probing the leftovers of her meal with one chopstick. She noticed that his eating slowed and surmised that he was beginning to grow self-conscious. She would stop looking for the sake of his privacy, but at the moment that seemed impossible.

Kakashi finally set his dinner aside and turned his head slightly to look at her with a regretful expression. He sighed, "I'm starting to think that showing you my face was a big mistake."

The pinkette pursed her lips. "I'm sorry, I just can't help it! It's just so amazing and…" Her cheeks grew red and she glared at her lap to avoid his gaze. "Now I can see why you keep that mask on all the time, Kakashi."

He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Do me a favor and don't tell Sai, or Yamato about this new sprout in our relationship, especially Naruto. That twit would throw a fit if he found out," he muttered.

"Of course I wouldn't!" huffed Sakura. She sucked in a deep breath and calmed herself. With a much softer voice, she continued, "We are just going to have to keep this little secret between ourselves, alright?"

"Alright," agreed Kakashi, hesitantly. "But I can't guarantee that things will go smoothly…"

"And you think I don't know that?" she retorted silently, hugging her knees, bringing them close to her chin. "Like I said yesterday, things aren't going to be the same. We…we kissed, for Kami's sake. Twice."

"Mm," he hummed, drumming his fingers on his right knee.

After a short moment of silence, Kakashi resumed eating and finished it quickly. Sakura observed him as he stuffed the box into a plastic bag and stretched his arms outwards. Just then, something caught her eye and the following events occurred on instinct.

"You have something on the corner of your mouth."

"Huh?"

Sakura leaned closer and brought her hand up to his face, extending her thumb. Gently, she brushed the the small crumbs away, her expression concentrated. Kakashi stiffened at her sudden choice of action, yet he still managed to keep his cool composure. A couple of seconds passed and the kunoichi withdrew slowly, returning to her original position. Instead of apologizing for the invasion of his privacy, she stared at the stars above, irritating and forcing the jonin to make the next move.

"That was not necessary," he murmured arrogantly.

She eyed him shortly. "Okay."

"Why did you do it?"

"It was on instinct."

No one spoke for a while. Sakura simply sat still, continuing her stargazing. Meanwhile, Kakashi pondered to himself, watching her closely as he did so. Finally, he sighed and pulled out his Make-Out Paradise. Sakura's lips twitched when she realized this. She despised that book with all her heart. It was trash, in her opinion. She did not understand why it was so pleasing and enjoyable to read. Simply put, it was porn.

She pointed at the object, frowning. "_That _is unnecessary."

"Oh, this?" He paused his reading and held the novel up, his eyebrows skyrocketing to finish the last touch of his 'puzzlement'. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I pulled it out. I suppose it was just on…instinct?" His tone sounded innocent, but of course she knew it was all a childish act to rile her up.

Gritting her teeth, she ground out, "You're just doing this to annoy me, aren't you?"

His innocent pout slowly curled into a wry smile. "You know me too well, Sakura-chan."

Sakura managed to suppress her anger and held back her fists from swinging at him. She knew very well that if she did make any move to attack him, she would either end up breaking his bones or killing him. Both outcomes would sabotage the mission and Tsunade would not be very happy to find out that she had beaten the life out of her instructor.

Releasing a harsh breath, she rolled her eyes and said, "That is becoming a bad habit, Kakashi."

"What?" he asked, turning a page. "My teasing?"

She paused. "Okay, that and your obsession over porn," she answered.

"This is not porn," he disagreed. "It is simply a romance novel and nothing more."

"Just admit it, Kakashi! It's pure, dirty smut! The author is Jiraiya, for crying out loud!"

"Your point?"

"Ugh!" she growled, annoyed by his rude responses. "You know what? Give me that thing!"

"Why? So you can read it?" he teased, closing the book and waving it back and forth in the air.

Sakura shook her head, feeling her cheeks grow hot with anger. Her voice was a near shout when she snapped, "No! So I can toss that piece of shit into the fire!"

"Oh." Kakashi's smug smile was replaced with a devious one. "Then if that's case, I'll just keep the book to myself."

Almost immediately, her hand shot out to grab the item. Kakashi's reflexes were always excellent, and he was able to pull back his arm in time before she reached it. Her fury still reigning, she leaned forward once more to snatch it away. It was rather unfortunate that she missed again, but her anger was beginning to boil. Her need to get rid of the novel was far greater than it had been before.

With much more force, she practically launched herself toward her former sensei, catching him by surprise. However, the moment she landed on him she knew everything had gone wrong and she wished that she hadn't done anything in the first place.

Her eyes were wide, as well as Kakashi's, when she realized the position she was in. Her knee was tucked in between his legs, her hands planted on both sides of his head, and her lips were softly pressing against his. The heat grew to an unreasonable height and she felt a deep flush overcome her pale skin. Her gaze held his while she carefully withdrew, the distance between them still short.

Sakura's stomach churned at the shuddered intake of breath beneath her. She inhaled deeply in hopes of calming her nerves. Instead, his musky scent slipped past her nostrils, sending a warm feeling downwards in between her thighs. The girl swallowed hard and searched his eyes, but there was no indication that said he wished to ended this nonsense.

Suddenly, his glare became dark. His breaths were heavy against her skin, making her shift with slight discomfort. One hand moved to her wrist and slid up her arm, the other slowly sliding up her back and stopping at her neck. His eyes were painted with raw desire and almost instantly he pulled her in for another kiss, swallowing the moan that escaped her mouth.

His fingers wound themselves in her pink locks as his unoccupied arm surrounded her, pulling her in, giving her no room distance her body from him. Their focus was no longer on the silly argument they had started about Jiraiya's repulsive writing. Instead, they inserted every last bit of their energy into the heated situation they decided to start.

The pink-haired kunoichi mewled, the pool of heat in her stomach rapidly increasing. She broke the kiss for a short second to take in a breath of fresh air, but his mouth enclosed hers quickly. His tongue thrust in without her consent and she desperately tried to break free, but her knees had practically turned into jello and she was no longer capable of getting up — or even standing on her two feet, in this case.

The kiss didn't last very long. When their faces parted, her arms gave in and her head fell to his shoulder. Sakura made no movement to get off of him, and Kakashi did the same. Their breathing eventually synchronized and Kakashi's hand slid down to the small of her back. They held each other until the campfire died out and the sky became pitch-black.

"Sakura…" His whisper was barely above inaudible.

She shifted slightly in response, burying her face deeper into his chest. His grip on her tightened, but she knew he had no intention of hurting her. His actions had been gentle despite the amount of force he put into it.

"I think it's time we head into the tent and sleep," he cooed softly, combing her pink hair back with his fingers.

She released a deep breath, feeling a sudden urge to hold onto him. A rigid sigh escaped her lips and shaking her head, she suppressed her emotions and shakily disentangled her limbs from his. She sat on her knees, her clenched fists sitting on her lap, and watched as the silver-haired jonin propped himself up with his arms.

After a moment of silence, Sakura rose to her feet and strode over to the tent, not bothering to look back at him. She opened the flaps and entered without making a sound.

The first thing she did was spread out her sleeping bag next to Kakashi's, a reasonable distance placed between them. Slowly, she crawled into her sleeping bag, wrapping the thick sheets around her body and covering a small portion of her face. She stared blankly at the empty space in front of her, noticing the faint amount of moonlight bleeding through the tent's covers.

Her eyes grew weary and she rolled over to face Kakashi's side of the tent. She could see his tall, lean shadow from outside and it seemed like he wasn't going to budge for a very long time. When five minutes passed, the shadow finally moved and the tent's flaps began to rustle. Her eyelids quickly clasped closed and she pretended to softly snore as Kakashi trudged in.

It was completely silent. Just then, she felt his hand caress her cheek, his thumb tracing down to her jaw then back up. She held her breath, surprised by his gentleness. It was a few more seconds before his warmth disappeared. Sakura waited patiently for him to settle down. When she thought the time was right, she opened her eyes and found herself staring at the back of his head.

The girl relaxed and adjusted her position so that she would be lying on her back. For a while, she pondered to herself. She eventually came to a conclusion that she didn't know how she felt about all of this.

All she knew was that she wanted more.

**_~ X x . . . x X ~_**

The following morning was hectic.

Sakura had been extremely exhausted and overslept. Kakashi hadn't bothered to wake her up before preparing breakfast and eating his portion of the meal, which she found utterly crude. The worst part of it all was that she couldn't get by around Kakashi without blushing or slipping up like a klutz. She hadn't forgotten the previous night and the many thoughts she had before were still swimming in her head. She just couldn't understand how Kakashi was able to act as if nothing ever happened between them.

Groaning inwardly, she hurried from the inside of the tent and quickly scooped up the last of her belongings spread out around the remnants of their campfire. As her team instructor packed the tent, she made her final preparations, making sure that all of their weaponry and scrolls were in the correct spot. When she finished, she practically barked at the jonin, telling him to hurry up.

They were way behind schedule. She wanted to arrive at their designated destination early so that they would be able to track down their target easily. If they came late, it would be much harder to locate the ninja and she'd rather have less work on her hands than more.

Also, it would be better if they finished the mission early. Her female hormones had been acting up ever since Kakashi kissed her (or perhaps, devoured her). Whenever he came close or accidentally bumped into her, a rush would blow right through her and her face would flush into a deep shade of red. It was crazy, but she was feeling rather odd lately.

Sakura shook her head and tried to focus on her journey. However, her personal conflicts got the best of her and she nearly slipped off the branch. She grunted silently, deciding that her wants and needs were becoming a nuisance. Her lousy footwork was also ignominious, much to her displeasure.

"Sakura."

Her eyes snapped wide open at the call of her name and only grew wider when her face met the hard padding of Kakashi's flak vest. She toppled off the branch and tumbled down ten feet before managing to get a grip and land safely. Her landing wasn't clean, unfortunately, and she fell onto her bottom. The kunoichi muttered a string of curses as she rubbed her throbbing forehead.

"I think we should take a short break to recuperate," he suggested nonchalantly, jumping to the ground to meet her. "There should be a river right around the corner, according to the map, and it shouldn't take very long. Perhaps a minute or so until we get there."

"But we're behind schedule!" she complained. "And I'm perfectly fine, Kakashi!"

He rose an eyebrow, staring at her with his single blunt eye. Sakura glared back at him, but she already received the message. Of course he had seen her fall nearly twenty feet down to the ground. He most likely noticed her lack of concentration as well.

Knowing that she already lost the argument, she rose to her feet and brushed past him with an annoyed expression. She continued to walk forward and heard his light footsteps from behind. He was trailing closely, not that she didn't mind.

Like Kakashi had assumed, the river was approximately a minute away from where they had stopped. When she had stepped into the open clearing, she sucked in a deep breath of fresh air. It felt nice, far better than the dense humid atmosphere in the woods.

The pink-haired girl knelt by the clear running water. After deciding that it was clean enough, she cupped on hand and dipped it underneath. It was surprisingly cold, yet it was unbelievably refreshing. She suddenly felt parched, so she pulled her hand out of the water and brought it to her lips.

She finished recuperating seconds later and turned to look at her leader. He was waiting patiently by the edge of the river, arms crossed in front of his chest. His mask appeared to be slightly moist, as well as the rest of his face. She surmised that he had taken the liberty of washing the sweat away.

His lone eye met hers, bringing a sudden warmth to her stomach. She turned and started off in the other direction, her cheeks tinted pink.

Suddenly, his hand cuffed around her wrist, preventing her from walking any further. She glanced over her shoulder, wondering how he had gotten to her so quickly. The abilities of the Copy Ninja were truly a mystery, even to her and the rest of Team Seven.

"Sakura, I need to apologize."

Apologize? What for?

"I'm sorry…about…er…last night," he said contritely, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head with his other hand. "It wasn't supposed to happen. I just…lost myself in the moment…I'm sorry."

Sakura stared, a mixture of pity and embarrassment filling her. Why did he always have to take the fault for everything? Why did always have to make her feel this alien? Most importantly, why was she feeling horribly bad?

The words were already out of her mouth before she even considered saying it, "You don't need to apologize."

Once again, his eyebrow skyrocketed.

"It…it wasn't…bad," she mumbled shyly.

Kakashi released her from his grasp and gazed at her oddly. "Oh?"

His voice sounded amused, and she blushed at that. Sakura turned around, hoping to hide her reddening face, and said, "We should probably get going…"

"Whatever you say," he almost sang.

She bit onto her lip so hard that she was sure that it was bleeding.

Why must he always tease her?

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_**Reviews Are Appreciated!**_


	9. Sweet Attractions

_**A/N:** _As you can see, I'm getting by pretty fine. Life's more organized now, so hurrah! Oh, and I'd like to thank all of you for your kind reviews, follows, and favorites on my story! Big shout out to orginizationkhII, Kashi-Cookie-Monster, Inume-blue, and XxNarutoFanGurlxX for all of your amazing, encouraging reviews. I love you all!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, for it all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto (Kishimoto, you rock for creating Naruto)

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**_Mistake_**

**_Chapter Nine: Sweet Attractions_**

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"If we keep this pace up, we would be able to cover more distance, thus bringing us closer to our destination. Alright, Kakashi?" Kakashi watched Sakura as she hopped from one branch to another. She wanted to keep traveling through the night and rest at dawn, so he allowed her to take the lead for now to make amends for his lack of speed for the past two days. He just wanted to see her happy, but deep down inside, he knew that he wanted none of this.**_  
_**

Of course, Kakashi wasn't fatigued by their journey. He was the Great Copy Ninja, for Pete's sake! He had been feeling a little delirious however and simply wanted to put his body to rest (or to be more precise, his wild imagination).

For the past two hours, all he had been staring at were Sakura's bare legs and ass. He couldn't help it. No matter what he did to avert his gaze elsewhere, his eye always ended up back at square one. It was horrifying — no, _nightmarish — _to realize that he was fantasizing explicit images about her. He was beginning to think that his sexual necessities were becoming a nuisance.

Yes, Kakashi did find Sakura attractive. When he had arrived from Konoha and saw Sakura in Tsunade's office, he knew that he was right to consider her as a matured adult. She had grown from a fragile child to an exceedingly strong kunoichi. At some points, he succumbed to her beauty and did a few rash things. If he could recall correctly, he had kissed her two times after giving into temptation. The first one, simply put, was an experiment to see if she would react the same way he had when she kissed him that night after he had taken her to his home from the bar. The second time's reason of occurrence, he must admit, was a bit childish. Sakura and him were arguing over the content of what had been called porn (he was utterly offended by the girl's choice of words). The pinkette then chose to tackle him in order to get rid of the novel, but the position they got themselves into aroused him, watering his mouth and putting desire into his eyes.

Perhaps it had been a mistake to attack her like that — suddenly smashing his lips against hers.

The jonin did try to apologize back then, but she said that there was no need to apologize. Apparently, she didn't think it was all that bad. Her comment certainly surprised him, amused him even. He found it cute that she actually enjoyed it. Although, the kunoichi seemed to be a little jumpy lately, and because of that he was starting to feel a tad bit pitiful.

Guilt stabbed his stomach and he sucked in a deep breath, hoping to calm his nerves. "Kakashi?"

Blinking confusingly, he focused his attention to the front of him. Sakura was far ahead, looking back at him with a slightly concerned expression. He caught up to her, landing swiftly on the branch she was standing on. As he steadied himself, his mind was becoming clouded with the unanswered questions about how he had fallen behind.

"Are you okay?" she asked curiously.

His throat suddenly felt like sandpaper and he coughed silently. "Why? Do I seem to be troubled?"

"Well…yeah, you do."

Was it that obvious?

Chuckling uneasily, he answered, "Nothing's the matter, honestly. I suppose I'm just a little tired, is all."

"Oh." Sakura paused shortly. "Do you just want to rest now then?"

"No, no. I'm fine, really!" he assured, sheepishly scratching his head. Kakashi didn't want to be a heavy burden weighing on her shoulder anymore. Maybe he should just suck it up and try to forget all of it so that they would able to continue their travels. If they were to stop now, Sakura would surely be disappointed. "We should probably keep going."

She sounded hesitant when she replied, "Okay…"

The two ninja continued their trek across the forest until the sun peeked out from behind the hills, painting the dark sky with a mixture of yellow and pink. Kakashi was beginning to feel rather tired, but he still had a lot of stamina. He was more worried about Sakura than himself, however.

He gazed at the kunoichi in front, noticing that her skin was tinged pink and moist from the dense atmosphere and sweat. He moved towards the right just a little in order to see her clearly. It was certain that she was far past exhausted. There were dark circles forming beneath her eyes, which were now becoming pale of its color. She was constantly wetting her lips with her tongue, so he surmised that her thirst was extremely high.

Perhaps they should have stopped to rest earlier after all.

Concentrating more chakra into his feet, he boosted his speed and managed to leap ahead of Sakura. He stood still on the branch before her, forcing her to stop in her tracks. She furrowed her eyebrows and frowned out of annoyance, folding her arms in front of her chest. "What's the meaning of this, Hatake?" she questioned grouchily.

Kakashi glared at her. "You're way past your limit, Sakura."

Stubbornly, she retorted, "I am not! I can keep going!"

"You have bags underneath your eyes."

"That…that doesn't mean anything!"

He sighed and jumped to her side. He observed her keenly, noticing the sticky moisture on her tinted skin and sweat rolling down the sides of her faces. The hot atmosphere within the woods was probably affecting her. It had also been bothering him, giving him a harder time breathing and making him feel excessively tired.

Humming to himself, he continued to observe the state of her body.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Kakashi? Sakura's throat sounded extremely dry. "Hey, Kakashi—"

He removed the glove from his right hand and placed it on her forehead. A moment later, it trailed down to where her jaw and neck met and he gently pressed his knuckles against the area. Concern was instantly illustrated on his face. He murmured, "You have a slightly high temperature. I think it's time to take a rest, Sakura. We don't want you overdoing it now."

"But I'm fine!" she insisted.

"If we rest now," he continued abruptly, "then it is guaranteed that you will be better later and _not_ ill." He let his arm drop back to his side and scratched his masked chin softly. "And let's say that you do get sick. How are we ever going to be able to continue the mission?"

The pink-haired girl was silent for a second. Frowning, she leaped to the ground and he followed soon after. They set up their camp in another small opening. Kakashi told her to gather firewood since she was incapable of exerting too much energy into one activity. She was contentious, but after a little while she finally agreed to do so.

While she started the fire, he set the barriers around their camp and sealed the section with a genjutsu. He then prepared the tent and even took the liberty to roll out both his and Sakura's sleeping bags.

Kakashi eventually exited the tent. He saw Sakura lifelessly sitting in front of the fire with a somewhat drowsy expression. He approached her silently and lightly tapped her on the shoulder. She looked back at him with a blunt stare and he motioned at the tent behind him. She made no movement for a few seconds, then rose to her feet and tiredly trudged toward her designated destination.

Before he followed her into the tent, he quickly searched through his backpack and pulled out a small washcloth and his water bottle. He spilled a little onto the cloth to moisten it up. Once he entered the small like-pavilion, Sakura was already resting in her sleeping bag, the sheets pulled up halfway her face.

He seated himself beside her and carefully pulled the sheets down so that she would be able to breathe properly. He gazed at her for a long time, enraptured by her beauty in spite of her drab appearance. Soon enough, he found himself mesmerized and he shook his head to bring his consciousness back to reality.

He folded the washcloth and placed it on her forehead, brushing her tangled pink locks away to avoid interference. For a moment, her feminine scent intoxicated his lungs, but he quickly pulled away to avoid further trouble.

They could not afford another mishap. He knew that very well. If he managed to save himself from his own spiraling fantasies, then damn! That would be a miracle!

Groaning inwardly, he forcefully put his aching body to rest. His limbs were stiff against his sleeping bag and it was discomforting. He slipped his mask down, cursing silently to himself as the light of the fire from outside died out. He was going to go mad — no, _insane_, if he continues this mission with her. She was going to be his demise, his downfall, and if Tsunade found out about any of this, he definitely would be going to hell.

Another string of curses fell from his mouth and he brought his hand to his forehead, feeling the scorching temperature radiating off his skin. This heat was certainly not good for him.

That dawn, Kakashi fell asleep with a slight frown on his face.

**_~ X x . . . x X ~_**

Later that day, Sakura awoke to a warm presence close to her side.

Her eyes fluttered open and darted to the lean figure of her former sensei towards her right. His flak vest was tossed aside, as well as the traditional jonin sweater, leaving only his sleeveless shirt that clung tightly to his fit body. His back was turned to her, but the muscles were still clearly visible through the fabric and it amazed her that he appeared so young and youthful.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" His baritone voice rang in her ears and she noticed that he was looking at her over his shoulder, his crimson eye faintly glowing. She did not reply and he eventually adjusted his position so that he would be completely facing her. She hadn't noticed that his mask had been off the entire time and his face was exposed once again. As her stomach churned with slight discomfort, she knew that she would never be able to get used to seeing that part of him.

"How are you feeling?" he suddenly asked.

She shifted her arms a little and realized that they were a bit a stiff. No matter.

"I'm fine," she answered.

Kakashi was silent for a second. "Can you get up?"

Sakura tried and she was able to sit up, but like she had thought before, her body was stiff so it was hard for her to adjust to the desired position. She hadn't realized that there was a washcloth on her forehead and she watched as it fell to her lap with a small thump. Her lips parted to say something, but nothing came out. Instead, she glanced at her mission instructor questionably.

He shrugged bluntly. "I had to do something to prevent your fever from worsening."

"It wasn't even a fever in the first place," she muttered, tossing the small rag to Kakashi.

"It would have been if I hadn't done anything." He caught it without letting it hit him flat in the face and held it tightly in his hand. He continued to stare at the pink-haired kunoichi and she looked elsewhere in hopes of avoiding the awkwardness that would soon rise between them.

She nearly jumped when his cold hand pressed against her cheek. Her emerald eyes moved to meet his and she gazed at him, trying to decipher his expression. As always, it was unreadable.

"Your temperature has gone down, which is good," he noted quietly. He dragged his hand down to where her neck and jawbone met, pressing his knuckles gently against the area, making her heart skip a beat. He continued, "Just in case, we aren't going to pull off another all-nighter. I want you to be able to recover quickly."

Her heart's pace was quickening and her eyelids slowly clasped closed. "Your hands are cold," breathed Sakura.

Kakashi blinked twice and hesitantly pulled away, but she held onto his hand tightly, surprising him. His gaze was fixed on her as she brushed her thumb lightly over his paling skin. She looked at him in wonder, a string of thoughts running through her mind. She wondered, why was he so kind to her? In fact, why did he even trust her more than the others?

Sakura pressed her lips together. Certainly, she wasn't that special. She had never done anything to earn his trust, kindness, or affection, yet he continued to watch out for her with a keen eye. It was odd…he even confessed his attraction to her! She hadn't done anything to deserve this much care and attention. Why was he giving his all to protect her?

Her eyelids opened. "I suppose…the rumors are true," she started with a murmur, "If you have cold hands, you have a warm heart."

Kakashi stared at her, taken aback by her statement. For a moment, he said nothing. Then, a small smile spread across his face and pulled away to ruffle the top of her head. As he rose to his feet and took his exit from the tent, he whispered, "Compared to mine, your hands are freezing."

A deep flush overcame her entire body and she chewed on the inside of her cheek, surprised that one mere compliment from the Copy Ninja was enough to make her insides crumble. It was truly a mystery. Even how easily he was able to make her blush amazed her. He had said it so calmly with an unbroken composure, yet here she was now, feeling all gushy within, her heart pounding and skipping beats.

She brought her hands to her face and groaned inwardly. Why did she even say that anyways? Perhaps it was her who brought this onto herself? Had she not pried into his privacy and forced him to tell her the truth back in Konoha, would they still have the same normal relationship from before?

She pondered to herself for a while, the arriving of thoughts and theories becoming incessant. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she shook her head and forced her conscious back into reality. Sakura quickly rose to her feet and packed her belongings. Once she left the tent, she found her former mentor sitting on a hollow log by the pile of ashes from the campfire eating his meal somewhat slowly.

Hesitantly, the kunoichi seated herself next to him and started to eat her own food at the same pace. Neither spoke to each other as they ate, so it was completely silent. Truth be told, Sakura hated the silence. It was unbearable, but what was she supposed to say in the first place? After what had recently happened, she was too uncomfortable to talk to him, rather do anything at all!

Her eyebrows furrowed and she resumed eating, a light blush fanning over her cheeks. She really needed to get a hold of herself. What on Earth happened to the calm, confident side of her? It was as if 'inner-Sakura' (a part of her that was truly terrifying due to the mixed, bipolar emotions held within) was consuming her, ripping her insides apart, making her become what she was now. She actually _wanted_ him, for Kami's sake!

Sakura suppressed her growl and continued to eat at a much quicker pace than before, stuffing her mouth full and not chewing very well. She was going mad because of him. She wouldn't be surprised at all if she found herself feeling head-over-heels about Kakashi towards the end of the mission. No…she'd kill herself if that ever happened.

"Sakura?" Kakashi called her name softly with a hint of worry. He most likely noticed the change of her attitude.

She eyed him momentarily, only to have her cheeks redden even more. His face was truly fascinating, something that she would never be able to get over. Even the simplest expressions made her mind spiral.

Pressing her lips together and keeping her gaze low, she murmured, "I'm done." She rose to her feet, stuffing the leftover plastic bag into her knapsack, and quickly went to the perimeter of the campsite to begin undoing the jutsu and seals. From behind, she heard Kakashi's soft footsteps trailing toward the tent. She surmised that he was packing the tent up and resumed her task.

It was not long before the two Leaf shinobi continued their trek across the land, stopping every hour for a short water break. It wasn't until Sakura's lack of water supply that they had to stop along the way. The forest was clearing and the wide plains were now visible, but Kakashi silently explained that it would be nearly another three hours before they arrived at the borderline of the ocean where a small village(their destination) was located. He had finally decided, after minutes of lounging around, that he would give her the remainings of his water bottle, which was almost halfway full. She wanted to decline, but the serious look in his eye told her that she shouldn't.

Sakura found it a tad bit odd to be drinking from the same bottle her former sensei had. She had never, in her entire life, shared a refreshment with another person other than her own parents. She knew the consequences of sharing drinks with other people too often, but then again, Kakashi seemed to be in a perfect condition. Even his files said that he didn't have any wafting diseases within him.

Hesitantly, the kunoichi popped the cap open and took a small sip. It was refreshing indeed, but Kakashi was watching her with a very close eye, making her squirm beneath her skin. Shuddering slightly, she nodded in approval and they continued to travel. When the trees had died out, they went on foot, running with a somewhat fast pace. The long blades of grass tickled her ankles as they sped across the field. Although it felt nice, she was sure that she had a few stray marks on her skin.

Another two hours passed and the sun was beginning to set over the horizon, the sky darkening into a reddish tone. The pink-haired girl hoped that they were much more closer to their destination so that they would stop and rest. It was unusual for her to be so exhausted, but it was only become something else was on her mind. Those thoughts were a nuisance and they had been preventing her from exerting all of her skill and energy while they traveled. It was a distraction and she found it terribly ignominious that she was getting sidetracked constantly.

"Don't worry. We're almost there."

Sakura averted her gaze toward the silver-haired jonin sprinting in front of her and leading the way. She sighed drastically and hoped that she would be able to trust that statement.

Fortunately, Kakashi was correct after all. They had arrived at the village in under twenty minutes and Sakura was relieved to be back in civilization. It was a bore to be out in the middle of nowhere with a perverted ninja and was nowhere near entertaining. For the past few days, it had all been sexual chaos. However, she was sure that she wasn't the only one trying to fight back her desires.

She smiled as the cool ocean breeze swept against her and Kakashi while they casually strode down the path, wandering through the village and searching for an Inn to rest at. It was truly great. She hadn't been by the ocean for such a long time and it was nice to see it once again. The village itself wasn't as bad either. It was small, but had a welcoming, friendly atmosphere coated around it.

After a few moments of searching, the two ninja finally discovered an Inn right by the shoreline. Sakura followed her former mentor into the building and the two slowly walked towards the front desk. An old lady, perhaps around her late sixties, was stationed behind the desk. She gave them a warm smile as they approached her.

"Hello, hello," greeted the elder. She noticed their forehead protectors and remarked, "My, we don't get very much visitors from far away places, especially from the Great Hidden Villages. It is a pleasure to see fine and young shinobi like you two here."

"Thank you," thanked Sakura kindly. The jonin next to her simply bowed his head slightly in response.

"Now, how may I help you?"'

Kakashi propped his elbow up on the desk and indicated the number of bedrooms they needed with his fingers. "Two rooms, please," he said.

The old lady nodded and looked down at her list. It was a minute before an apologetic frown was displayed on her face. "Oh my," she started. "I'm afraid we only have one more left. All of the other rooms are taken."

"Oh." Kakashi seemed to be disappointed, but his emotions were not very visible.

The woman glanced at the silver-haired man, then at the pink-haired girl. Sakura rubbed the back of her neck nervously as the elder in front of her inspected her with a close eye.

"Hm! I am curious, why would a wonderful-looking couple need two rooms? I'm sure you two only need one, am I not correct?"

Sakura's eyes widened. Did she just call her and Kakashi a _couple_?

She turned to look at the Copy Ninja frantically, only to find him eyeing her oddly. She watched him as he sucked in a deep breath and his eye crinkled (usually, this meant that he was smiling beneath his mask). He sheepishly scratched his head and chuckled softly, "Ah, I think you are mistaken, Miss. We are not a couple. We are simply comrades on a mission together."

The kunoichi glared at him incredulously. How did he take that so _calmly_? Was it seriously that easy for him?

"Oh is that so?" murmured the old lady. "Well I am dearly sorry for the misunderstanding, and I'm afraid we only have one room available."

Kakashi hummed. "Well…I suppose we can work something out." He gave his former student another side glance before continuing, "How much for the room?"

The lady explained for the price and Kakashi paid. She gave them the key with the room number on a tag and they proceeded up the stairs. Before they disappeared from her sight, she told them sweetly, "You two will really make a lovely couple though."

Sakura was unable to stop thinking about those words as they traveled to their room. She chewed on her bottom lip as she shyly gazed at the back of Kakashi's head. Did they really appear to be that close? She shook her head and brought her hands to her heated cheeks, hoping that it was indeed just a mere assumption.

"What's the matter?" Kakashi suddenly stopped, forcing Sakura to seize in her tracks. He turned around and peered at her nonchalantly. She felt her face flush into a deeper shade of red as he observed her keenly. His single eye widened soon after and she knew that he realized what was wrong. His voice was calm, but was also on the edge of laughter. "Is the fact that she thought we were a couple bothering you?"

Embarrassment filled her. Looking down, Sakura mumbled, "Well…I don't see how we can be mistaken for a such a thing." She paused, then resumed with an irritated tone, "I don't understand how you pushed it away like it was nothing! Don't you find it embarrassing?"

He stared at her, swinging the key back and forth. "No," he answered with an eye crinkle. "I think you're overreacting, Sakura."

Her eyebrows furrowed and she elbowed him in the stomach before pushing past him, storming to their destination. Kakashi continuously winced as he followed her slowly, not that she cared. He deserved the pain.

It was not very long before they arrived. Kakashi fumbled with the key, lazily inserting it into the lock and twisting it. When he pushed the door open, Sakura quickly made her entrance.

It was a surprise that their room was quite big. It was spacious. The kitchenette was located in the far left corner and next to it was an open door which appeared to lead to the bathroom. A large window covered the back wall with nice velvet curtains hanging at its sides. There was a small arm chair nearby the kitchenette, along with a coffee table. Towards the right, there was a king-sized bed with an arrangement of pillows and a thick green bed sheet with a flowery design embedded into it.

Wait. There was only _one_ bed.

"Is something the matter, Sakura?"

The pink-haired girl directed her attention at the man taking his seat at the edge of the bed. She watched as he proceeded to remove his hitai-ate, then the traditional flak vest and gloves. His mask was the next to be removed. She felt her cheeks heat up as the mask pooled around his neck, revealing his face once again. Kakashi sucked in a deep breath and propped his elbows on his knees, his back bending over into a bridge. His sweater tightened around his body, complimenting his well built stomach and arms.

"Well?" he suddenly said, his mismatched eyes moving to meet her emerald ones.

At first, she was puzzled. It took her a few moments to recall his question. "Um," she finally began, "Hasn't it occurred to you that there is only one bed?"

He stared blankly at her. "So?"

"So?" she gawked. "Isn't the problem obvious here?" She waited for a reply, but he did not answer. Growling, she started to search the closets. "Ugh, there must be a futon around here somewhere…Fuck! Where's the futon—"

"We don't need a futon." A sinewy hand clasped around her wrist, forcing her to stop her actions. She turned around and found Kakashi standing behind her with a nonchalant expression. "We could just share the bed."

"W-What?" Her face grew red and her lips parted to release a gasp. "S-Share the bed? You…and…me?"

He shrugged. "Sure, why not? It's big enough for the two of us after all, so there's no point in getting a futon. I could take the left and you can take the right."

"But—"

His hand released her and suddenly settled on top of her head. He lowered himself slightly so that they would be eye-level and he came close. He whispered, "This is just as hard for me as it is for you, Sakura. We could always get a futon, but I just want to see where this goes. If nothing happens between us tonight, then it means that we both can move on with no hard feelings."

She swallowed. He seriously couldn't mean…?

Kakashi straightened himself and looked at the window. "Ah, but I can't guarantee that you will sleep soundly or be untouched by tomorrow."

Sakura's eyes focused on him as her breath was caught in her throat. "W-Wha…"

After a minute of silence, he turned to look at her. His serious frown abruptly curled into a soft smile. "Just kidding."

Her heart stopped and immediately, her cheeks became hot with anger. Clenching her fists, she snapped, "You don't joke about those kind of things, Kakashi!"

He laughed sheepishly. "Yeah. Sorry, sorry."

Rolling her eyes, she nudged him to the side and walked to the side of the bed where she had dropped her knapsack. She deposited her belongings into the drawers nearby the lamp shade, leaving a set of extra clothes to the side. When she had finished her task, she rose to her feet, picking up her folded clothing, and made her way toward the door.

Before leaving, she took a glance over her shoulder. Kakashi was sitting on the wooden stool in the kitchenette, sipping a cup of water and writing what appeared to be a mission progress report. Her gaze then drifted to the right where the bed was located.

She pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed. "Kakashi."

The jonin looked at her as she called his name.

Sakura blushed lightly as his sharp eyes pierced through her, her knees weakening slightly. Flustered, her eyes darted around the room and she mumbled, "I guess it would be okay…if we do share the bed."

He blinked confusingly, taken aback by her statement. "Huh?"

"We'll share the bed," she repeated quietly. "But…but there has to be a pillow between us."

Kakashi remained silent for a short moment. "Okay," he replied hesitantly, dropping his writing utensil and setting his work aside.

Nodding and forcing a smile, she began to turn the door knob.

"Where are you going?" he suddenly asked.

"I saw the hot springs as we went inside the Inn. It's in their back lot," she explained in a murmur. "I won't be long. I'll be back under thirty minutes."

With that having said, she exited and shut the door.

As she traveled to the springs, she thought about the many things that could go wrong tonight.

She would definitely be going to hell now.

* * *

**_Reviews Are Appreciated!_**

**_A/N:_** Yeah, I know there was no 'spicy action' this chapter. I seriously want to take their relationship step by step and not rush things. Besides, all of this build's suspense and tension (; I guarantee you that the next chapter will...contain mature content. Haha. _  
_


	10. Losing It

**_A/N: _**I'm going to try to update this story most often since you guys seem to want more updates. If not, please check the poll on my profile and select another choice to let me know what other stories you want me to update.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Warning: There will be mature content toward the end of this chapter. If you are underage or feel uncomfortable reading this kind of content, then please do not feel obligated to read this. Thank you.**

* * *

**_Mistake_**

**_Chapter Ten: Losing It_**

* * *

"Ouch."

Kakashi held his index finger up and stared at the narrow cut he got while washing the knife in the sink. Blood slowly began to ooze out and when he realized that the bleeding was becoming heavy, he searched through his belongings for a small band aid. He took his time as he tended to the tiny wound, not paying any attention to the excess blood slipping down his hand.

He sighed as he seated himself on the wooden stool in front of the counter, staring at the patch wrapped around his finger. He had been becoming more careless after Sakura's agreement to share the bed. He was simply joking around and teasing her for the fun of it, but he did not actually consider the outcome of her actually going along with it. In fact, he was almost sure that the possibility was ruled out!

Groaning inwardly, he ran his fingers through his tangled silver hair. Truth be told, he did not mind at all that they would be needing to share the bed later on tonight. The fact that he knew something terribly wrong was bound to occur was what bothered him and sent butterflies fluttering in his stomach. It was definite that he wouldn't be able to hold his composure that much longer. His body had been reacting to every small touch. Even brushing past him made his insides melt. Her feminine scent was also a component of his desire. Her scent was extremely strong and it pleased him to the point where he just wanted to devour every single inch of her.

She was too much.

The sound of the sink still running brought his consciousness back to reality. He rose to his feet and quickly rushed to the sink to turn the faucet off, then resumed his task. Grabbing the knife, he began slicing the vegetables into thin slices. As he cooked his and Sakura's dinner, he went over the various conflicts clouding his mind.

And he eventually came to a conclusion that he could no longer hold himself back.

"Ah," he murmured to himself as he dumped the vegetables into the pot from the cutting board, "Tsunade is going to kill me by the time we arrive from the mission."

**_~ X x . . . x X ~_**

"Oh…dear…Kami." Sakura nearly moaned as she sank deeper into the hot, steamy spring, her muscles relaxing as she propped herself against the stone ledge behind her. Sighing, she placed the dampened washcloth on her head and closed her eyes. It definitely felt great to just sit back and relax. After encountering all of those troubling incidents, she was sure that she was going to explode out of frustration and anger. She was just glad that she could get away from her problems for half an hour. Not only that, but the springs were absolutely deserted. She had the whole area to herself!

She lowered herself even more, her lips parting to gasp as the boiling water rose up to her chin, nearly lapping above her mouth. She sat there silently, humming a small portion of a lullaby her mother used to sing to her when she was an infant. A few minutes passed and Sakura found herself dozing off and almost immediately, she dunked her head underwater to keep herself awake. She emerged from the surface a moment later, her skin slightly tinted red.

Yawning, she propped her elbow up on the stone and rested her cheek on her upright hand. The kunoichi was extremely exhausted. Her limbs and bones were aching from the amount of exertion she used while she and Kakashi traveled. Also, she had a worsening headache from all of the sexual tension between her and the jonin. It was all frustrating and it annoyed her that those conflicts were never bothered to be resolved. Instead, they continued to grow and now she was certain that they would never come to a resolution.

Sakura shook her head, muttering a few illicit words that she was told to never use. She stared up at the darkening sky, watching as the gray clouds sluggishly floated by. Perhaps she was becoming a little immature about this whole situation? She had to admit, she was acting quite childish around Kakashi earlier and it made her cringe to remember her uncontrolled act. Her actions had been uncanny for the past few days, so she supposed that the entire predicament was somewhat her fault.

She shifted her position slightly and adjusted the small washcloth so that it would be covering her eyes, nearly groaning. She was more concerned about tonight when she and Kakashi would be sharing the same bed. It still surprised her that she actually agreed to the silly suggestion. She was unsure about her own feelings towards this, but there were a few theories. However, there was one thing was that was definite — something was bound to happen.

She knew very well that the both of them were struggling to fight off their own desires. It was obvious that either of them would soon succumb to their wants and needs. Truth be told, even she was anxious to get something started.

Sakura frowned. She couldn't believe that she was actually thinking about this!

"What is wrong with me?" she groaned tiredly, pressing a hand to her face.

It was not long before thirty minutes passed. The young kunoichi eased herself out of the hot spring, trembling as the cold air met her naked body. Rushing quickly over to the bathhouse, she snatched her towel from the small shelf and started to dry herself off. After pulling her underwear and bra on, she slipped into a pair of black shorts and a red tank top. She quickly threw the damp towel around her neck, the ends hanging off her shoulders, and took off.

The corridors in the hotel were somewhat silent and she rarely heard people talking within the rooms, let alone a single sign of movement. The silence was terribly discomforting and it gave Sakura the chills whenever the planks beneath her feet creaked. It all created an eerie, horrific atmosphere and she was not very fond of the genre horror. Then again, Sakura thought, it was quite late and it would be reasonable to start sleeping at this time.

Her and Kakashi's room soon came into sight and she quickly approached the door. Taking a hold of the knob, she twisted it and pushed the door open and closed it behind her. Almost immediately, a strong, mouthwatering aroma permeated her nostrils, making her stomach growl. Curiosity peaked, the girl slowly made her way towards the kitchenette. She found two big plates sitting on the counter, each containing one serving of steamed vegetables, pork chop slices, and rice. Her eyes moved farther to the right where she discovered Kakashi placing a tea kettle onto the stove.

Mouth agape, Sakura called, "Kakashi?"

"Oh, Sakura. You're…" Kakashi began to turn around, but paused midway when his gaze met her figure. She swallowed as his sole eye trailed down her figure, then back up. "Back," he finally finished, throat slightly dry.

Dismissing what should have been considered a sign of lust, she continued reluctantly, "What is all of this?"

It was a minute before he replied. "Dinner," he murmured.

"More like a feast," she muttered as she claimed her seat in front of the counter.

"I suppose I did make more than we could eat," he sighed, seating himself beside her.

Kakashi handed her chopsticks and she accepted them, whispering a quick thank you before directing her attention at her meal. From the corner of her eye, she already see Kakashi chowing down the food and her stomach began to grumble silently. Chewing the inside of her left cheek, she split her chopsticks into two and pinched a small slice of pork chop between the two ends. She opened her mouth and popped it in, chewing it slowly, feeling a mixture of delicious flavors erupting on her tongue.

Her emerald eyes widened slightly in shock. "It's…amazing," she remarked quietly, and immediately resumed eating her dinner.

It was not long before the two Leaf shinobi finished their meals. Sakura volunteered to wash the dishes and Kakashi let her do so without any complaints. She felt that it was unfair for him to have cooked such an amazing dinner without her help. It must have taken a lot of energy out of him and Sakura did not want him feeling obligated to doing every single house chore. It would make her feel terribly guilty.

After cleaning the dishes and wiping her hands dry, the pink-haired kunoichi turned from the kitchen and stalked off toward the bed, where she found Kakashi sitting upright against the headboard in only a sleeveless shirt with an attached mask and a clad pair of dark linen pants, reading his favorite Icha Icha novel. Rolling her eyes, she claimed her side of the bed and slid her legs under the blankets, propping her back up against the headboard and putting herself in a similar position as Kakashi's. Soon after, she placed a pillow in between them, dividing their territories and making her less tense.

Almost effortlessly, she reached into her knapsack sitting on the nightstand beside her and pulled out a favorite novel of her own. It was something that her mother used to read all the time when she was an infant. Her mother gave it to her when she turned eighteen and at first, she thought it would be a bore. As she read deeper into the book, however, she found herself becoming attached and started to read the story over and over again. It always interested her, even though she already knew the points of suspense and tragedies. It was a simple love story, one that contained more tragedies than jubilant events.

"What are you reading?"

A baritone voice rang in her left ear and it sounded much closer than it should have been. Adjusting her head toward the left a little, her gaze met the mismatched ones of her former mentor. Her cheeks reddened when she realized how close his face was to hers and trembled as a few strands of his silver hair tickled her forehead.

Frowning, she said, "There's a reason why the pillow is in the middle, Kakashi."

He glanced down momentarily, then backed away a couple of inches. "Sorry, sorry. I was only curious."

"Well if you must know, it is a romantic-tragedy novel," she explained, her attention returning to the page she left off on.

"Ah, so you like romance novels too?" he assumed, a small outline of his smirk forming on his mask.

Sakura stared. His barely visible smirk annoyed her since she was certain that he was implying some sort of inappropriateness. The fact that he still chose to hide his face in front of her also bothered her, for she had already seen it numerous times. Truth be told, a part of her did want to see his face. He was truly gorgeous and it was still a mystery as to why he kept such beauty hidden.

"I don't see why you have to keep that mask on. It bothers me that you still hide your face with that mask when I've already seen it a couple of times," began Sakura, a pout displaying on her features.

Kakashi returned the sharp glare. "Don't try to change the subject," he replied with a small eye crinkle, "and I'm sorry, but it has become a habit of mine."

"I'm not trying to change the subject. Just remove the mask and then we'll continue the discussion," she retorted.

He hesitated, but eventually complied. "Fine, fine," he sighed, pulling the mask down to his neck. "Now isn't someone a little too dazzled by my face?"

Her cheeks reddened once again, except into a deeper shade of red. "Do you want to continue this conversation or not?" she grumbled, irritated by his tease.

"I'm just kidding," he smiled. "Do continue."

Sakura paused for a moment, trying to remember where she had last left off. "Ah," she finally said. "Yeah, I do like romance novels. They're fun to read."

Kakashi rose a brow and drawled, "Oh? Isn't that_ interesting_?"

Her lips twitched. "Not the kind of romance novels you read, idiot!" she snapped, realizing the innuendo behind his words. "I do not read porn and I find them hideously repulsive. I don't understand how you read that kind of junk everyday."

"It's like any other romance novel you read, Sakura," denied Kakashi, closing his book. "And for your information, I don't read that 'kind of junk' every single day. Occasionally, I read novels with light romance in them."

The kunoichi almost snorted at his response. She just couldn't bring herself to believe those words. For the past six years she had known him, Sakura was almost sure that the only thing she had ever seen him read was Jiraiya's stupid porn. There was absolutely no way that Kakashi read something other than that. It was simply preposterous!

His hand suddenly extended toward her. "May I?" he asked politely.

For a second, she was confused about what he wanted. Then, she realized that he wanted to take a quick look at the book she was holding. She debated with herself about whether she should hand it over to him, but she did read the story over and over again a number of times — who knew how many? Eventually, she came to a conclusion that it did not necessarily matter.

"Knock yourself out," she answered, giving him the book, making sure that it was still open to the page where she had left off.

Sakura observed the silver-haired jonin skimmed through the first few sentences. "Your taste in novels are quite unique," he noted with a slight smile. "I've always thought teenagers like you would still go for those 'happily-ever-after' stories."

She giggled at his statement, her sudden outburst of laughter dragging his gaze to her. "I suppose some of us teenagers do, but I think those kind of stories are silly. They aren't realistic."

"You sound a bit too mature for your age," chuckled Kakashi.

"Ha, it's better than being an annoying twit like Naruto."

"Touché."

After a short pause, the two shinobi shared a quick laugh. Sakura was surprised at how foolish they sounded. Things haven't been this way for a long period of time and it warmed her heart to see such a beautiful grin. With the mask on, she had still been able to see the outline of his smiles, but without the piece of cloth, the image was stunning.

"Sakura?"

"Hm?" She turned to face her former sensei, still smiling.

"Would you mind if I read this for a little while?" he questioned, waving her book in the air.

Her smile only widened. "I'm assuming it caught your interest?"

Kakashi sheepishly scratched the back of his head, his eyes darting around. "Something like that…"

"Well, go ahead," she approved. "I'm going to go to sleep."

"Oh, would you like to turn the lamp off?"

"No, it's fine. It's not good to read in the dark anyways."

She heard him release a heavy breath as she pulled the sheets over her shoulder and rolled onto her side. "Very well then," he said.

The kunoichi felt the mattress beneath her shift as he adjusted his position, noticing that he was being careful to not make too much of a ruckus. Pressing her lips tightly together, she closed her eyes and dozed off into a deep sleep.

Later, she awoke to the sound of the bed creaking and rumbling. Her eyelids fluttered open and she glanced at the alarm clock sitting on the nightstand beside her, making note that it had only been an hour since she fell asleep. It did not feel like she had slept long, but instead, it felt like a very quick second. It was only a moment of complete relaxation and peace.

The bed creaked again and she felt a rush of hot air fan across her cheek. Sakura saw a hand reach over to the lamp on the nightstand and switch the light off. Almost immediately, she realized that Kakashi was reaching over her to turn it off.

She chewed on her bottom lip, shaking as his strong, musky scent permeated her nostrils. The warmth radiating off his body was somewhat comforting. A mixture of indescribable feelings stirred in her, and for once, she didn't want him to leave. But once he returned to his side of the bed, she found herself missing him terribly.

Sakura lay still, listening to his calm breathing, hoping that it would be able to lull her to sleep. Unfortunately, it didn't.

"Sakura. Are you still awake?"

She sighed, "I only woke up recently."

"…Oh. It's my fault then. I must have woken you up. I'm sorry."

Turning onto her other side, her soft gaze met his. Kakashi's head was propped up on his upright hand, his elbow resting on the pillow that divided their territories. His face was close, perhaps only eight inches away from hers. His eyes were blunt, but within them she saw something spark, making her mind spiral with curious thoughts.

"No need to apologize," she finally murmured, pulling her arms out of the sheets and letting them rest in front of her, her hands clasped together. "I'm a light sleeper anyways."

"Hm," he hummed softly, still observing her keenly.

"So," she began slowly, "how is the book so far?"

A small smile tugged at his lips. "I hate to admit it, but it is far more better than the books I am currently reading."

"That's because the stuff you read are po—"

"Ah, ah. They are romance novels just like yours," he interrupted, waggling one finger from side to side.

Sakura snorted, "Whatever you say, Kakashi."

Kakashi grinned at her and almost immediately, her face reddened. She rolled onto her back and stared at the barely illuminated ceiling, unaware that the jonin was gazing at her unusually. She wondered why his presence was so comforting and relaxing. If she could recall correctly, when she had been a genin, her, Naruto, and Sasuke were all intimidated by both his appearance and personality. They were always tense when he was around, nervous when he strut by to correct their fighting techniques during their training session. But now, Kakashi seemed less terrifying.

Perhaps it had just been the height difference between them — he practically towered over her when she was twelve years old. The possibilities were nebulous, but maybe it was because she had matured? She could now understand the reasoning behind his odd, vague personality and never questioned his unusual actions as often as she did before. Was she now seeing him in a new, different light?

Sakura glanced at the male figure beside her and noticed that Kakashi was no longer awaiting a continuation of their conversation. Instead, she discovered him resting on the pillow between them, his arm practically hugging it. She smiled at the scene before her, thinking that he appeared more adorable rather than intimidating.

Almost awed by the sight of her former sensei snuggling against the pillow, she reached over and gently brushed his silver hair away from his eyes, careful to not wake him. Her thumb softly caressed his pale skin, running it along the narrow scar that ran over his discarded eye and halfway down his cheek. Mesmerized, she continued to repeat this action, finding herself becoming more and more dazed by him. Sakura moved closer to him, interest peaked. Her thumb sluggishly trailed down to the corner of his mouth and it was that exact moment when the man finally awoke, his dark eyes darting to meet her emerald ones.

It was then when she was unable to pull her attention away from him.

His hand rose and cuffed around her wrist, but she made no movement to withdraw. "Sakura," she heard him warn in a deep voice.

Did she really want this?

Her gaze moved downward to his lips and remained there. She was so close to him. So _very _close. By now, his masculine scent had gotten even stronger, sending butterflies fluttering in her stomach. His breaths were now bouncing off her skin, tickling her and giving her a sensational feeling. It was far beyond pleasing and she didn't know if she was capable of letting it all go.

But did she really want this?

Once she made her move, all lines and boundaries would be crossed and blurred. There would be no stopping to whatever was bound to happen and no going back. But as she watched Kakashi lick his lips nervously, she realized that she could no longer resist her inner demon.

Sakura kissed him and felt the grip around her wrist tighten. She continued to kiss him softly, tenderly, her hand still cupping his cheek. Her mind was now reeling with thoughts and anticipation, and her heart was beating painfully fast against her chest. It was not long before Kakashi broke down and caught up in her feverish acts, pressing his lips against her forcefully yet passionately. Clutching onto his shirt, she pulled him closer. As if he sensed what she wanted, his hands slid down to her waist and he propped her on top of him, the distance between them gone.

Kakashi swallowed her moan as he thrust his tongue into her mouth. A fiery wave of pleasure hit the pit of her stomach and she could feel the spot in between her thighs pooling with heat. They broke their kiss for only a moment before returning back to it, each turn growing hotter and faster. It was absolute bliss and Sakura had never experienced anything as wonderful in her past. In fact, she was certain that only Kakashi would be able to make her feel this way.

Suddenly, the silver-haired jonin rolled over and hovered above her, his hands pinning her down, his fingers intertwined with hers. His head hung almost lifelessly above her, his onyx and crimson eyes glaring at her hungrily. She had never seen him in such an aroused state. It was astounding to see the other side of the Great Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake.

"Kakashi," breathed Sakura, still panting.

He gently pressed his lips against the nape of her neck, making her gasp silently. "Don't talk," he murmured against her skin, his breath hot and moist. "Just do."

She bit her lip hard as he trailed wet kisses down to her collarbone, his hands roaming down her sides and holding onto the hem of her tank top. He paused to look at her, his eyes begging for her permission. She nodded slowly and he hesitantly proceeded to remove the article of clothing. Inch by inch, the top was peeled off of her, and once it came over her head and was tossed to the side, the atmosphere became heavily tense.

Kakashi gently pulled her up onto his lap and kissed her once again, this time with more care. As they did this, he began to unclasp her bra, his fingers leaving a burning sensation on her back. Their faces parted and she elevated herself a bit, her chest still pressed against his, the bra still hanging loosely from her arms. With heavy-lidded eyes, she gazed down at him nervously. This would be the very first time allowing a man to take a glimpse of her nude body. This was also the first time having such a heated sexual activity, so she was inexperienced.

All of a sudden, Kakashi placed a hand on her bare shoulder. He came close to her ear and cooed reassuringly, "It will be okay."

Sakura tried to trust those words as she allowed her bra to fall to the side. His gaze instantly flickered to her breasts and she squirmed uncomfortably, not used to being inspected intently. His hand left her shoulder and ghosted over one breast. Her heart's pace immediately quickened in anticipation.

She suddenly released a small mewl as he softly flicked her now pert nipple. A deep flush overcame her body and she glared at her partner, flustered by what he had just done. She found him smirking at her reaction and her face only deepened into a darker shade of red. "K-Kakashi!" she stammered, her cheeks hot with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," he apologized with a small smile. "You're just too adorable."

The kunoichi gawked, but her infuriated growl was replaced with a moan as his mouth closed around her nipple. She felt his victorious grin against her chest as her back arched into the air, her lips parting to gasp. Kakashi began to suck at her hungrily, flicking at it with his tongue, worrying it with his teeth, and making her beg for more in disoriented moans. Her petite arms slipped around his neck, her hands moving up to grasp onto his disheveled silver hair. He eventually gave the neglected one the same treatment, then switched back to the first to repeat the same process to tease her all over again. Once he finished, her legs gave out and she collapsed onto his lap, only to meet his hardened arousal bulging out of his pants.

He groaned and pushed her back into the mattress, his mismatched eyes more hungrier than before. She swallowed hard as his sinewy hands found the drawstring of her shorts, shuddering tremendously as he dragged it down. The black garment was removed and forgotten on the side of the bed. His fingers found her thighs again and made their way upward, his movements agonizingly slow. Sakura let her head fall back and tightly gripped onto the bed sheets beneath her as his cold knuckles grazed the dampened spot on her panties.

Kakashi's lips abruptly pressed against what was assumed to be her clit. The pink-haired girl chewed on the inside of her cheek, her eyelids clasping closed. An electrifying surge of pleasure spread throughout her system. It felt unbelievably foreign, yet it was amazing all at the same time.

"Sakura…" His low voice hummed, making her squirm. "You're so wet…"

Her lips parted to protest but she gasped instead when he smiled against her undergarment. "Ka-Kaka…shi," she whimpered.

He hushed her and and began peeling away her pantie. Once it was completely gone, he tossed it to the other side of the room, not minding where it could have landed. Instead, he concentrated on the cleanly shaven mound sitting before him. She watched as he licked his lips hungrily and couldn't bare to watch when he lightly kissed her womanhood.

Sakura nearly squealed when his tongue ran up and down her entrance, her legs trembling tremendously. His thumb started circling around her clit and his tongue thrust in. She moaned loudly, her hands running down her sides and meeting the sheets underneath her to hold onto them. Her head jerked upward when he pushed one digit inside of her and replaced his thumb with his lips.

She continued to moan out in pleasure, her back arching like it had before. It was not long before she reached her very first climax. The world around her spun and the shock of her orgasm dizzied her. After a few minutes, her breathing slowed and she glanced down at Kakashi. He was looking at her strangely from between her thighs and when he rose, a thin strand of saliva stretched from her sex to the corner of his mouth. For some odd reason, she found him more attractive this way.

He adjusted himself so that he would be sitting on the other end of the mattress, facing the curtained windows. From behind, she could see that his cheeks were slightly tinted red, as if he was embarrassed. She carefully sat up, still shaking from her recent experience, and wrapped the bed sheets around her naked body to cover herself.

"I think it would be best if we stopped," he finally murmured dryly. "We need to get some rest for the mission as well."

The mission. She almost forgot.

She gazed at the alarm clock and was relieved that it was nearly midnight. They would still be able to get seven hours of sleep before taking off on another exceedingly long journey to their destination. But Tsunade would not be very glad to hear that they took some time off their schedule to mess around.

Sakura rose to her feet and took her time as she gathered a new set of clothing for her to wear. "I'm going to take a short shower," she whispered, walking sluggishly to the bathroom.

She locked the door behind her and sighed heavily. Her hands rose to her forehead and she rubbed her temples, feeling a huge headache stirring up. It was hard for her to believe that all of this really happened to her. She wouldn't be able to look at Kakashi normally anymore, let alone talk to him. Her mental state would break down faster than it ever had and she would be an absolute nervous wreck. What bothered her most was that she was the one who had initiated the action yet again. She had allowed herself to succumb to her desires and let it all overcome her. Her weaknesses truly sickened her.

The female medic ninja groaned inwardly and started running the shower. Once it was hot enough, she stepped in and began washing away all of the sweat and leftovers of her release. She eventually finished rinsing approximately ten to fifteen minutes later, turning the faucet off and swiping a towel off the rack. She patted herself dry, then blow-dried her hair after discovering a blow-dryer in one of the drawers.

After slipping into her clothes, she faced the door and hesitantly turned the knob, expecting the jonin to be fast asleep on his side of the bed; his territory. She was hoping that he would be sleeping. That way, they wouldn't be able to seriously discuss this matter of the situation. Truthfully, she just wanted to get some sleep and continue their mission like nothing had ever happened between them.

Unfortunately, when she emerged from the bathroom the man was not in deep slumber. He was still in the same position as when she had last left him.

Sucking in a deep breath, she calmed herself and started off toward him.

"I was hoping you'd be asleep already," said Sakura, silently, approaching the bedside. "You were, after all, the one who said that we need some rest."

It was silent for a moment, and then Kakashi turned to look over his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking."

"Can we just…forget anything happened?" she asked quietly, taking her place on her side.

"What if I don't want to forget?"

Sakura pulled the blankets over her shoulder and nestled her cheek deep into her pillow. "Then…let's not tell anyone about this."

She received no response, so she closed her eyes. She felt a hesitant touch around her hips and she bit her lip, wanting the touch to linger a little longer, but she already knew that she could not allow the sexual tension to escalate any further. Painfully, she ground out, "Please. Don't."

The warmth disappeared and her eyelids tightened, her heart aching terribly. She allowed his soft breathing to lull her to sleep, but she felt unusually empty that night.

* * *

**_A/N:_**I know, I'm cruel. Sorry, but one must come to learn that there aren't always happy endings. Not that this story is over or anything. Just the chapter. There will be more, trust me. I'd just like to put it out there that this chapter was extremely hard for me to write. I kept having brain farts, haha.

_**Reviews Are Appreciated!**_


	11. Lugubrious

**_A/N: _**I was cruel in the last chapter, I know. I would appreciate if you'd check the poll on my profile. I need some Naruto pairing ideas for future story plans. To see sneak peaks on the upcoming chapters, visit my profile and find the link to my LiveJournal. I occasionally dump pieces from future chapters there and write small original stories.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

**_Mistake_**

**_Chapter Eleven: Lugubrious_**

* * *

The silence was absolutely unbearable. Kakashi and Sakura had not talked to each other since last night and he doubted that a conversation would start any sooner. They both left the inn early this morning at eight sharp, bidding their short farewells to the kind, old lady and taking off. They were now walking steadily along the dirt path rather than running through the vast field. No words had needed to be spoken, but it was obvious that the kunoichi thought it was now unnecessary to sprint. After all, they were at a reasonable distance away from their destination. It wouldn't be long until they arrived and met the ninja in need of assistance at the rendezvous point.

Kakashi shoved his gloved hands deep into the pockets of his dark linen pants and watched the pinkette with his single eye. She was walking in front of him, calmly, swiftly, and silently. His gaze lingered for a few more seconds before rising up to see the morning sky. He truly did not know what was going on with him. He knew very well that his current attitude was different that what it usually was. His soft side was beginning to emerge and there were so many emotions that seemed foreign to him. It was difficult to find the words to explain the feelings swimming within.

He supposed remorse was the biggest one out of all of them. It was biting at him, chewing at his insides and tearing it all apart. The memories of that lustful night remained in his mind, making him unusually uneasy. He wanted to take it all back, erase all of the things he had done to himself and her and then start all over. Their desire-filled actions had tainted their relationship. The two of them were now standing on dangerous grounds and they were both on the border of breaking down, both physically and mentally.

The jonin took in a slow, deep breath and calmed himself. He needed to pull his act together.

The two shinobi continued to journey on with very few breaks. The daytime seemed short, for sundown came around very quickly. They both managed to make it to another small town where they lodged in an inn. Fortunately for them, there were not many people resting in the inn, so they each had their own room to make use of.

Once Kakashi parted ways with the girl and entered his room, he felt every inch of his body relax. He hadn't realized he had been extremely tense. Had he been so concentrated on his personal conflicts that he did not notice?

He groaned inwardly and tossed his backpack onto his bed. He discarded his flak vest, gloves, and forehead protector and threw it alongside the backpack. His arms extended outward for a short moment before retreating to the bathroom to wash his face. He ran the faucet, tugged his mask down to his collarbone, and splashed the freezing water onto his face, the coldness stinging his porcelain skin.

Sighing heavily, he retrieved a small towel to pat himself dry. His attention averted to the mirror sitting before him, his reflection clear as day. He appeared exhausted, worn out, and stressed. His mismatched eyes were dull and lifeless, his hair was disheveled and messy, and his lips were cracked and drying up. He decided that he would be needing a long, hot bath later. It would certainly rejuvenate him.

Kakashi left the bathroom with small, idle steps and approached the bedside. He searched his belongings for his water bottle, but there was no trace of the item. It eventually occurred to him that he had lent it to Sakura a while back when she had gone overboard and he cursed under his breath. He was extremely parched. This room was smaller than the last one they had slept in, too small to contain a kitchenette of some sort. Unfortunately, here was only a wooden closet, a bed, a nightstand, and the bathroom. At the moment, it seemed that his only option would be to eat at the petty diner downstairs next to the lobby.

There was a sudden knock at the door and he sluggishly strode toward it. His bare hand took a hold of the metallic knob and twisted it, pulling it open afterward. His eyes immediately met the emerald ones of his mission partner.

The silver-haired shinobi waited impatiently for her to explain her appearance. He observed her as she swallowed nervously, shifting her weight from one foot to another. He felt a tad bit better knowing that he wasn't the only one feeling uncomfortable.

"Can I come in?" she finally asked, nearly in a hushed whisper.

He didn't think before he responded. His body moved on its own as he stepped aside, allowing her inside and closing the door behind her. He mentally cursed at himself, knowing that her presence would not bring him any good. Attempting to keep a calm composure he leaned back against the door frame, his arms folding in front of his chest, and watched as the pink-haired kunoichi stood silently in front of him.

His gaze roamed up and down her figure, noticing that she had changed into casual attire. Kakashi shook his head shortly after to rid himself of the rousing thoughts that were soon to come. If he had the power or chance, he would beseech the gods to relieve him of this horrifying burden. No matter the effort, this distraction would always manage to weigh him down. He found it disgraceful that he was now unable to keep a serene mental state, especially after so many years of being able to do so.

Kakashi's attention returned to his guest and saw that she was holding something behind her back. Once she realized that he was staring, her cheeks grew red and she quickly held out the object to him. Stuttering slightly, she began, "I-I never had the chance to return your water bottle. I thought I'd might do it now since I figured I had time."

His hand reached out to retrieve his belonging and he observed it. It was full and seemed clean, so he assumed that she had washed it and filled it before they departed from the last inn they stayed at. He looked at the bottle for a second, then at Sakura. At that moment, he knew that he could no longer withstand the feel of her being around him. His chest was going to burst any minute.

"Is this your excuse for coming over here?" he questioned. "If it is, I would appreciate it if you would leave this instant."

"Actually," she started quietly, "no. I was wondering if we would be able to talk for a little while."

His stomach twisted painfully and he released a harsh breath. He made his way toward the bedside and claimed his seat, propping his elbows on his thighs and pressing his bare face against the palms of his hands. He could already feel his heart pounding fast and sweat becoming beads on his forehead. "I was hoping that you wouldn't say that," he mumbled truthfully, his voice muffled.

"It's difficult for me too," he heard her say. The mattress shifted slightly, the weight toward his right increasing. The scent of strawberries permeated his nostrils, causing him to shudder with discomfort.

His jaw and his fists clenched. Discussing openly about their opinions and feelings toward the predicament was perhaps the most impossible for him to do. From the beginning, he was never blessed with the ability of being able to talk freely about his past and personal emotions. Kakashi preferred to keep it all to himself, lock it up in a cage and leave it unattended deep in his heart.

"How do you feel?"

Kakashi looked at her through the opening between his fingers. "Sick and frustrated," he answered coldly.

There was a small pause. "Kakashi, I understand that you'd rather not talk, but I really just wanted to make something clear."

He rose a brow at her, uncovering his face and letting his hands drop to his knees. "And that would be?"

Sakura exhaled and let her eyelids shut. "There is no easy way for me to say this…but I just want to make it clear that there is nothing between us," she breathed.

The jonin shook at those words and a sudden feeling of hurt crossed his onyx and crimson eyes. He already knew that what they were doing was breaking a number of taboos, violating numerous rules, and just defying morals. What both he and her had done was illicit, yet the honesty tied with her words killed something within him, leaving him feeling utterly empty. Was this what people called a heartbreak?

His eyebrows furrowed and he remained silent, having no response to her statement. The kunoichi turned to glance at him shortly before allowing her gaze to trail elsewhere. "The things we have been doing are…terribly wrong. You were once my mentor and I was once your student. Although we are now equals, I still can't look at you like you're someone else. To me, you are still my sensei and friend," she explained. "But…I…it's us. We are wrong. I just wanted to make sure that you know that there was nothing between us to start with."

"I know," he said weakly.

"Good." Sakura took in a slow, easy breath, her eyes flickering open to meet his. They met for only a moment before he broke off and stared at his trembling hands sitting on his lap. Kakashi did not understand the emotions swimming throughout him. It was all a huge puzzle and it was frustrating to try to put all the pieces back together. Sakura was completely right with her reasoning, but why was his chest aching horribly?

His muscles immediately tensed and he stiffly adjusted his position, his back bending over into a bridge as his elbows reached down to his thighs. He listened to the soft breathing of his former student sitting beside him, the small _tap tap tap_ noises against the window glass from the beginnings of a drizzle, and the slight creaking of the fan circling above them. He wondered, maybe he shouldn't have allowed entry to the girl. Maybe then, he would have been feeling much better than now.

Kakashi tried his best not to groan. He thought back to the day when he hauled Sakura back to his apartment complex after watching her drink herself to a drunken stupor. It had all started out fine with a few simple teases and jokes every now and then. It was a normal, friendly conversation, but the tension eventually escalated and he found himself being seduced by her. It was still hard for him to believe that he let his guard down. He knew now that he just couldn't trust anyone anymore.

"Kakashi."

The silver-haired man eyed Sakura lifelessly, watching as she gave him a concerned side glance. "About last night," she wondered, "you said that you don't want to forget what had happened." His lips pressed together and he glared at the wall across the room, realizing the topic being brought up. "Is it true?" she continued hesitantly. "Do you really feel that way?"

He pondered for a long time, searching for the correct words to say. After deciding that he should be honest with her, he ran his fingers through his disheveled hair and murmured, "Yes…I do. I don't want to forget what happened last night, and the many nights before."

"…Please. Try to forget."

A severely sharp pang of pain shot straight through him, leaving him feeling absolutely hollow. Kakashi almost chuckled at himself, finding it foolish that he was becoming overwhelmed. It was despicable. He was a goddamn elite jonin, for kami's sake! He endured many harsh training and learned to keep his emotions locked up, yet how did a mere girl manage to destroy those barriers?

Kakashi sighed. His eyes began to sting and he winced as a tiny small droplet landed on his knuckles. His skin grew pale and his lips parted to gasp. The droplets continued to rain down, some streaming down the sides of his cheekbones. Was he _crying_?

"Kakashi?" Sakura's voice was much closer than it should have been. He reluctantly glanced to the side, only to discover her leaning toward him, her hand hesitantly reaching forward, her emerald specs filled with the slightest worry. Trembling, he whispered, "Leave."

Before she could protest, he gently held onto her wrist and pulled, bringing her to her feet. "Go," he insisted, more boldly and sternly.

"But Kakashi—"

"Sakura," croaked Kakashi, bringing his hands to wipe his eyes. "_Leave_."

The kunoichi finally obeyed and departed, closing the door silently behind her. It was strange, he thought, he had never cried this much.

**_~ X x . . . x X ~_**

Sakura sat stone still on the leather chair staring only at the untouched food sitting on the tabletop. She had gone down to the small diner next to the lobby to take a quick bite and hopefully astray her mind from the previous experience. Sadly, she was unable to do so.

Kakashi was a strong, passionate elite jonin who never failed to hide his emotions. He was stupendously vague and his background was more than hazy. His odd personality traits was what had helped him become a pert, dependable leader and teacher. He was also the Great Copy Ninja and his name was known far and wide across the vast nations. Yet, despite all of these astounding facts, she had seen him broken, crumbling into little tiny pieces.

It was the first time she had ever seen him shed a single tear.

Ever since Sakura was a genin, she had always thought he was one to never show his sorrow. In fact, she thought it was impossible for the man to cry. Seeing him like that had certainly shocked her, worrying her even. Although she wanted to keep a distance between them, she still cared deeply for him as a companion. There was no surprise that she wanted to comfort him, it was all natural instinct.

Leaning back into her seat, she recalled the recent images of her mission partner's facial expressions. They had been full of disappointment and he had oddly seemed pained. Had it been something she said that caused all of this? Or had it been the frustration building within him? Either way, she still felt horribly remorseful.

Sakura shook her head and finally began to eat her meal, slowly, sluggishly. It was quite a while before she finished her food. People had stared at her quizzically, wondering why she was taking her time. She didn't mind all of the attention. They were of no importance to her. Sakura pushed her now empty plate to the side and proceeded to drink her refreshment. Once she was done, she called the waiter over and ordered another set meal for to go.

After receiving her order, Sakura made her swift exit from the petty diner. Her journey back to her room was unusually long and the length of the corridors seemed incessant. The lights were dim, making it slightly hard for her to see which room was hers. She searched diligently and discovered it minutes later. Her petite hand reached into the pocket of her jacket to grab her keys, but she paused abruptly.

Her head turned to look back over her shoulder. She stared at the door to Kakashi's room across the hall and listened intently. There were no signs of movement whatsoever. Sucking in a slow breath, she crept to the door and tried the knob. It opened, much to her surprise, and she ventured in deeper. Her footsteps were quiet against the wooden paneling on the floor, the boards barely creaking. Carefully, she placed the packed food on the nightstand before turning to glance at the sleeping jonin.

The blankets were thrown messily over his body, a portion covering his naked face. His porcelain skin was pale under the faint moonlight, nearly white as if he had seen a ghost. His cheeks seemed moist and there were fresh drops of tears hanging from his lashes, meaning that he must have fallen into a deep slumber only recently. It appeared that he had been crying for a while and the pit of her stomach twisted painfully at that thought.

Sakura leaned forward, planting one hand on the edge of the mattress, the other gently settling on his broad shoulder. Her eyebrows scrunched up at the sight of his weary appearance. She was feeling extremely pitiful, regretful, and most of all guilty. She couldn't help but to think that this was all her fault. The reasons for his sorrow were unknown, but she was sure that she had been the one to make the matters worse. Had she hurt him somehow? There were many unanswered questions that she had in mind.

Her knuckle grazed the nape of his neck, tingling from the coldness of his flesh. Her eyes closed and she hung her head. She remained that way for the next few seconds before returning to the comfort of her room. She fell sound asleep, praying that the following day would be much better.

**_~ X x . . . x X ~_**

It was full moon tonight. The dark sky was barely illuminated with very little stars scattered about. The atmosphere was silent, soothing, almost peaceful. This night was certainly a beautiful one, yet also a sleepless one.

He lit his cigarette, then stuffed the lighter back into the pocket of his clad linen pants. The grey smoke rose, tainting the zephyr with a bittersweet scent. He took a few more drags before putting it out on the railing of the balcony and throwing it off into the distance. He watched as the orange-yellowish spark disappeared into the shadows beneath, then resumed gazing out into the distance.

The glass door behind him slid open and struggling footsteps were heard. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he mumbled, "I told you not to get out of bed. You're only going to injure yourself further, Neji."

Neji stiffly stepped to his side and rested his arms on the rusty railing. "Kiba's snoring is obnoxiously loud," murmured the Hyuga.

"That is no excuse."

"Speak for yourself. You're also hurt."

"Not as bad as you. You're wounded in various places and your leg was cut severely. I don't even know how you managed to get out here."

"Takes a lot of effort," sighed Neji, tapping his fingers rhythmically.

"Hell, it must have."

The brown-haired shinobi straightened himself and lifted his head to stare at the sky above. "Why are you up so late…Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru eyed his mission partner lazily. "Keeping watch."

Neji rose a brow. "The enemy's base is far from here. Besides, they couldn't have traced our location. We were precise when we retreated and we even used most of our smoke bombs."

"You can never be so certain," drawled Shikamaru. "Now go back into the room and rest before you reopen your wounds."

"Alright," obeyed Neji, returning inside. "Aren't you coming?"

"I'll be there in a second."

Once again, it was utterly silent. Shikamaru listened to the soft singing of the crickets, his eyelids sliding closed. "Shit," he breathed, "I hope the reinforcements will come sooner."

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**_Reviews Are Appreciated_**


	12. No Sense

_**A/N:**_ Hey all. Winter break recently ended and I am disappointed. I feel like a part of me died today, haha. Not only that, but in a few weeks are semester finals and I cannot bear the thought of that! Ugh. On the bright side, the last Naruto Shippuden filler will be this upcoming Thursday I think, so I'm excited. I don't know why, I prefer to watch the episodes rather than reading the manga. I read the manga if I only see something interesting occurring, but that rarely happens.

I would also like to thank all of you who took the time to review this story. I appreciate all of your kind feedback/comments. They really lift my spirits. What shocks me most is that I have 100+ reviews now. I'm surprised, really. Thank you so much!

I have been getting many questions recently about my age and such, so I will give answers toward the end of this chapter. I would much rather have you read the chapter before you scroll all the way down to see what I have in store for you, aha. If you ever have questions about me (as long as they are not too personal), feel free to ask me through your reviews/PM and I will answer them below. If you wish for it to be anonymous, please PM me instead and tell me so. Thank you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

**_Mistake_**

**_Chapter Twelve: No Sense_**

* * *

The next morning was rather silent. Sakura had awoken from her slumber around six and was not able to fall back asleep. After an hour of laying still in her bed, she finally rose to her feet to tidy up and pack her belongings. The shower had been cold and the goosebumps were clear as day on her skin. The freezing atmosphere only made it worse as she tried to quickly slip into her ninja attire. Even as she began packing, her limbs were still shaking violently from the cool breeze.

It was not long before Sakura left her room to patiently wait in the hallway for her mission partner. She was certain that the jonin was awake now that the sun had risen. Knowing the strength of the situation they were tied in, it was probable that he was not able to get much sleep, not that she slept well either.

Sighing, the kunoichi brought her hands to her forehead to rub her temples. She missed the normalcy of her life. She missed working side by side with Shizune and Tsunade at the hospital, working to heal the sickly and injured. She missed hearing the unnecessarily loud yapping of Naruto, the nonchalant stares of Sai, and the odd jump-scares Yamato gave her and the rest of the team. Above them all, she missed the old, simple relationship she and her former sensei had. It was a bit disappointing that he was no longer teasing her like how he had back then in those good old days.

Kakashi hardly knew her as a person even though they had been comrades for nearly six years, only aware of her common habits and combat skills. Whenever they were put together, they rarely spoke about themselves personally. In fact, when she had first met him as a genin, his introduction was insignificant. He spoke of his likes, dislikes, and hobbies, but did not exactly expand on the information.

Now that she thought about it more, she found it saddening that even after all of those years they had not gotten to know each other well. She was familiar with him quite well on an intimate level, but that was entirely different.

Shaking her head, Sakura brought her conscious back to reality. She stared blankly at the door to Kakashi's room in front of her, wondering whether her hunch about him being awake truly was true. Curiosity eventually got the best of her and she tried the knob. The door hinges creaked silently and padded into the bedroom, only to find it completely empty.

Her eyebrows knitted, realizing that she had been wasting time waiting for absolutely nothing. Observing the small room, she noticed that it was unusually clean. The bed sheets were spread out neatly and tucked in under the mattress, the pillows arranged in a simple order against the headboard. The curtains were drawn to the sides, allowing the warming sunlight to sink in. It must have been tedious tidying it all up.

A small note sitting on the nightstand caught her attention and once she got a closer look at it, she came to realize that it was Kakashi's. The chicken-scratch handwriting could not be mistaken. No one wrote as carelessly and sloppily as him. Picking up the paper, Sakura attempted to read the content of the note.

_Sakura, if you are reading this you must have already realized that I am absent. I left the inn early after dawn to shop for more food supply and equipment. Word got around that the prices here are really cheap and the ninja tools are unique. I decided that I would check it out for myself since I was not able to sleep well. In addition, I deeply apologize about last night. I don't know what came over me. I would just like to politely ask you to not concern yourself over me and I would rather not discuss it in the future. It would be greatly appreciated if you just kept silent about it and pretend that it never happened. Anyways, when you decide to head out, meet me at the outskirts of the village. There should be a small koi pond nearby if you go in the right direction._

_P.S. Thank you for the food. I will pay you back soon._

Sakura released a deep breath. She folded the note and stuffed it into her pocket before departing the Inn, bidding her short farewell to the owner as she stepped out the door.

The content of the note Kakashi had written for her was still replaying over and over in her mind. She could understand why he would want her to keep quite about her recent experiences, but to pretend that it never happened? That would mean completely ignoring the fact that he was hurting! Was he trying to worsen his current state?

The pink-haired girl bit back an inward groan as she continued to walk swiftly through the streets of the small village. She reached her destination soon enough and was relieved to know that she was indeed in the correct location, for the mentioned koi pond was present. Crouching by the pond, she watched the fish swim through the slightly shallow water, their tails wiggling from side to side rapidly. Their colorful scales shimmered every now and then when they moved underneath the rays of light, making the surface of the blue water shine with it. In spite of the simplicity of the view, it was still quite fascinating.

"Pretty, isn't it?"

Sakura jumped to her feet and spun around, her heart beating wildly against her chest as her viridian eyes met a dark, one-eyed glare. She relaxed once she saw that it was only Kakashi. He was sitting on a long, stable tree branch hanging above, his legs hanging and swaying. He was bending over to look down at her, his silver hair draping the front of his hitai-ate.

She stared back up at him, a bit puzzled. "Yeah," she finally answered.

They exchanged a few more glances before Kakashi proceeded to search his knapsack. He retrieved the desired item seconds later and turned to look at his former student once again. "Here," he called out, throwing down the object.

Sakura caught it easily and realized that it was three onigiri rice balls wrapped in one bundle. Kakashi landed on the ground next to her a moment later, his side gently bumping against hers. He crossed his arms behind his head and started off in the other direction, yawning as he did so. "Let's go," he said simply, his steps small and idle.

She blinked confusingly, surprised at his blunt statements. She caught up to him after recollecting her senses and began to eat her food as she walked alongside him. It shocked her that it was now him who was giving her the cold shoulder, but it couldn't be helped. The tension between them was strong, almost palpable. They were better off this way, she thought.

After all, she was the one who suggested that they both keep their distances. As much as it hurt her to see him suffering little by little, day by day, it was for the best.

The two Hidden Leaf ninja walked at a mild pace. Not once did their gazes cross and not once did they speak. It remained that way for the rest of the trip until they discovered the inn that was said to be holding the delayed squad.

Sakura left Kakashi to check out their rooms. She ventured deeper into the hallways of the inn, impressed by the exquisite Japanese theme. The walls were a dark hue of brown and the wooden floor was a lighter shade that provided a sharp contrast between the two objects. Floral paintings were hung up on the wall and vases of beautiful arrangement of flowers were found at each corner of an aisle.

The girl found herself growing to like the inn. It seemed comfortable and it had a peaceful, housewarming atmosphere. She would one day love to find a beautiful home similar to this; settle down with a wonderful husband and have a few children and pets to keep around the house. A dreary sigh escaped her lips and she fell back against the cold wall, knowing that achieving that dream would be far from now, perhaps even impossible.

Her arms folded in front of her chest and she closed her eyes. It made her wonder why the gods decided to burden her with such heavy conflicts. She would much rather accept any punishment at all to escape the horror she was currently tangled in. So many things had happened to her that it was hard to comprehend the real predicament behind all of the minor ones. Although she wished desperately for them to all dissipate, she knew that she was in no fairy tale where dreams always came true and everyone always had a happy ending. Sadly, reality was the complete opposite. Dreams ceased to exist and no matter how many joys you had in your life, there would always be a point where it all shattered and drifted away.

It was sure damn depressing.

"Sakura?"

Her eyes instantly flew open at the familiar monotone voice. Mouth slightly agape, she watched as Shikamaru casually strode to her, his shoulders slouched and hands pushed into his pockets. "What are you doing here?" he asked, an eyebrow rising.

"I can ask you the same thing," she sighed, slightly bewildered to find a comrade all the way in the Land of Lightning. The chances of that happening were rare, yet here she was, standing in front of one of the most lazy, yet intelligible ninja in her village. She smiled, a bit overjoyed to see an old friend, and continued, "Well Tsunade sent me and an escort here to assist a squad. Apparently, their sensory-type ninja is severely injured and needed immediate medical attention."

Shikamaru stood still, his eyes concentrated. Seconds later, he gave her an odd stare. "We weren't expecting you for another week."

Something suddenly clicked in her mind. Shocked, she exclaimed, "You mean to tell me that you're one of the squad members?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, Kiba and Neji are lounging around in our room. Kiba and I were wounded, but it is not as terrible as Neji's. He was cut in various places and his leg was the most damaged. He can barely walk, let alone sit properly," he explained briefly.

She processed the details carefully before continuing, "How did you treat his wounds?"

"We tried to clean it out and wrapped him with some bandages."

"Did you change the bandages on a daily basis?"

"…Is that necessary?"

"Idiot!" snapped Sakura, slapping Shikamaru across the arm. "Of course it is necessary! The wounds can get infected!"

"Well I'm no medic expert," muttered Shikamaru, rubbing his attacked limb continuously with a spec of betrayal crossing his eyes.

Rolling her eyes, she pulled off her combat gloves and shoved them into her knapsack. Flexing her fingers, she demanded, "Take me to him. I'm going."

"Not yet." The young shinobi turned to look to the side, only to discover Kakashi approaching them, his Make-Out Tactics novel in one hand and the other rising to greet Shikamaru. Kakashi gave a happy eye crinkle, though Sakura saw right through it and already knew the emotion was fake. "May I borrow her for a minute or two?" he questioned.

The dark haired boy stared before nodding and proceeding to move away from the area. "I'll be waiting further down the hallway for you two."

Once Shikamaru drifted away from their sight, Kakashi released a harsh breath and tugged his mask down to his collarbone for fresh air. She watched him curiously and his sole eye eventually met her gaze. His lips curled into a displeased frown and she assumed that the information he had in store for her was nowhere near good.

"They are booked," he started reluctantly. Those three words instantly hit her like a brick, leaving her utterly stupefied. He ran his fingers through his disheveled silver hair and continued, "I managed to book us one room with two separate beds, but…" He was at loss with words and sealed his lips. She observed him feeling somewhat pitiful. If she were in his shoes, it would have been hard for her to break the ice too.

She brought her hand to her forehead momentarily, feeling the sweat becoming beads on her pale skin. As much as she wanted to refuse what he had just told her, she was still on a mission that required immediate attention. If she continued to hesitate doing her tasks, there would be absolutely no progress. Neji's injury would also worsen and not only that, but she would receive a beating of a lifetime from Tsunade.

Tsunade's strength was monstrous. The training she had put up with that her was hellish and she was certain that she had never been so close to dying. Her temper was short and snapped easily like a twig. The alcohol made it even worse, acting as an enzyme for her strength and power. It was unbelievable and nothing would be more terrifying than being punished by a wasted, strong, and sturdy woman.

The thought of her shishou yelling made Sakura shudder with discomfort. Her eyes met his single one again and she felt the knot in the pit of her stomach tighten. "It's fine," she finally replied. "Whatever will do. Right now, our priority is healing the injured in the squad." Although she had said it so calmly and softly, the strain behind her words were still audible.

Kakashi pulled the mask back up to the bridge of his nose and nodded stiffly. "Very well."

"Do I need to give you a brief summary of my conversation with Shikamaru?"

"That will not be necessary. I've already heard."

Of course he did. Not only his sense of smell was impressive, but his hearing as well. The abilities of the Great Copy Ninja were truly fascinating and stretched far beyond anyone's reach. It was possible that he could have even overheard their conversation. After all, she was sure that checking in was not a long process.

Sakura and Kakashi began to stride down the hallway, soon meeting Shikamaru at the corner. Shikamaru led them, head hanging low and shoulders slumped. The older man beside her had resumed reading his so-called romance novel, ignoring both her's and Shikamaru's presence. As for her, she observed them both with uneasiness.

She had a feeling that Shikamaru already discovered the tension between her and Kakashi. The boy's intelligence amazed her. Once he realized something was off, he would not rest until he found out the truth. Since a young age, he was able to perceive any situation, big or small. He was the mirror image of his father, excluding those large scars on Shikaku's face. He inherited all of his father's unique abilities and had been improving them for a number of years. Even now, he was still growing as a strong individual.

The small group finally made it to their destination and Shikamaru allowed them entry. The bedroom was surprisingly roomy. There were two beds toward the right wall, a futon sitting in between them. The door to the bathroom was located to the left and a large closet stood tall beside it. There were small paintings of abstract shapes hanging on the creamy-colored walls. In the back of the room was a glass door with curtains pulled to its sides.

The two male ninja in front of her stepped in and she followed after them. He urged for her and her mission partner to settle in while he retrieved the two other squad members. When he came back, Kiba was standing by his side with Neji holding onto him, trying to hold himself steady.

"Sakura-chan! Kakashi-senpai!" Kiba almost sang, nearly losing his grip on the injured Hyuga. "I didn't expect our back-up to be you guys!"

The pink-haired kunoichi simply smiled at the boasting dog-like boy, Kakashi giving a quick eye crinkle. She quickly averted her attention to Neji, who seemed far beyond uncomfortable. Her medic instincts instantly kicked in and she commanded, "Kiba, can you please bring Neji over to the bed?"

Kiba obeyed and assisted him to the bedside. He flinched when her fingers ran over his clothed right knee and concern was illustrated on her face. "Neji, I would like you to remove your pants. Just for a moment." His opal eyes narrowed at her and he bit back an irritated groan. Rolling her eyes, she said, "Please, Neji. I need you to cooperate. If your leg is more horrible than you think, I'm not certain if you'd be able to continue your mission any longer."

He finally complied minutes later and slipped out of his pants, leaving him in only his plaid boxers. Her stare met the blood stained bandages wrapped around his knee. Her fingers callously pricked at the bandages, sluggishly unwrapping them and then disposing them. The wound was terrible, but not too severe to inhibit him from continuing the mission. The cut was deep enough that it exposed some of his raw flesh and bones, but to her, the injury was nothing compared to the other predicaments she handled back in the hospital.

Her hands began to glow green as they ghosted over the wound. The relief on Neji's face was obvious as she closed the last of the open skin and he silently thanked her afterward. Sighing, she asked, "Are there any other wounds?"

"On my chest and arms," he responded swiftly as he pulled his linen pants on.

She turned to look at the remaining two squad members and they stiffened. "What about you two?"

"My stomach," mumbled Shikamaru, lifting his traditional jonin sweatshirt to reveal a narrow wound running down his abdomen and a dark, purplish bruise near his waist line.

"My shoulder was displaced, but we managed to pop it back in. I also have a couple of scratches on my back, I think," stated Kiba, scratching his chin.

Petal-colored eyebrows knitted. They definitely needed to be more careful.

"Okay," she announced, releasing an exasperated breath, "You three. Strip off your tops. Your flak vests and sweatshirts, including any undergarment you may have on. Now."

It was a short while before they were all healed and it took quite some effort. Much to her surprise, Shikamaru was more rebellious than she thought Kiba would be. Shikamaru repeatedly resisted, shifting and squirming around constantly and driving her absolutely nuts. She thought her head was going to blow off by the time it was all over. Regardless, she was glad that they were safe.

Sakura rose to her feet and stretched her arms outward. "Ah, that was a bit tedious," she commented, momentarily eyeing the silver-haired jonin sitting on an arm chair in the corner. "You guys really need to take care of yourselves. I'm not going to be there all the time, you know."

"Yeah, we were careless," grunted Kiba, plopping onto one bed.

"I'm sorry that our injuries were so much work," apologized Neji.

"No, it's fine!" assured Sakura. "I'm just a bit shocked that you all managed to get hurt somehow."

"Well, we never knew our opponent would be tougher than he looked." Shikamaru leaned against the glass door, head slightly turned to look out at the bright blue sky. "We came close to getting the scroll back, but we were caught. He was one hell of a fighter. He's a dual wielder, you see. He has the ability of wielding two katanas and the speed was too much to handle. Not only that, but he had his own reinforcements. Two other men and one woman."

Sakura took in the information and analyzed it. No wonder the mission Tsunade gave her and Kakashi was S-ranked. Their enemy seemed respectably strong. The damage done to Shikamaru and his team provided further evidence to support that. If she was going to need to go up against these ninja, she would definitely have to be prepared.

"I was hoping that we would be able to set off and approach the enemy base once you and Kakashi are done preparing," began Shikamaru with a lazy drawl. "I already devised a plan that might just work if we don't slip up."

"I don't mind but…" She gave her former mentor a side glance and saw that he was giving her a strange gaze. His eye eventually moved elsewhere and he put away his book into his knapsack. For a moment, she thought she saw a flash of worry within the depths of his sole eye, but she dismissed the assumption.

Kakashi, at last, spoke. "I don't see why we shouldn't. It's part of the reason why we came here in the first place."

"That's good, then." The shadow user tightened his ponytail and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a lighter, a reminder of Asuma's death, and began to play with it. He flicked it on and off, watching as the flame ignited and died. He bit his bottom lip and allowed his eyelids to slide closed for only a few seconds. He then began to elaborate on his plan, "We will break off into two teams. It would be best if we remained in the squads we are in now since we are already familiar with our teammate's fighting techniques. Since you and Sakura have worked together for over a long period of time, I'd like you two to get our objective, the scroll. My team and I will watch your backs and fight off any opponent. If you are to encounter one, do not hesitate to kill them. After all, they are extremely dangerous."

"So how exactly are we going to infiltrate their base?" wondered Neji, crossing his arms.

"Sakura and Kakashi will have the honors of doing just that." The lighter was placed back into his pocket and his dark eyes met Sakura's and Kakashi's. "I haven't told Neji and Kiba yet, but I crept out everyday at this exact time to check on our enemies. I lied to them, telling them that I went out to buy some equipment instead." Neji and Kiba simultaneously reacted, Neji raising a brow and Kiba gasping. Shikamaru resumed, "If my hunch is correct, they are always absent during this time of the day for whatever reason they may have. If we leave soon, I am positive that we will be able to infiltrate their base easily. If not, we will simply have to lure them away just for enough time for Sakura and Kakashi to take the scroll."

"And what are our positions, Cap'n?" piped Kiba, gnawing on a small toothpick.

"Us three, Neji, Kiba, and I, will keep watch. Neji can use his byakugan to seek out the enemy's chakra and Kiba can use his excellent sense of smell as well. As for me, my shadow jutsu can restrain them for a while, so that can buy Sakura and Kakashi some time if they need it."

"But what makes you think they left the scroll at their base?"

"Last time we fought them, they did not have the scroll with them. I observed each opponent carefully. I'm sure of it."

Everyone fell silent. Sakura glanced at Kakashi again. It appeared that he was looking her way, his single eyed glare piercing right through her. She could not understand why he would look at her in such a way; sternly yet impassively. She finally, after numerous attempts, managed to direct her attention elsewhere. However, the images of him glaring at her continued to run through her mind, making her wonder curiously about what was going on within him.

Shikamaru broke the silence. "Alright, now that everybody understands, I'd like for us to start making preparations. Kakashi, Sakura, you can take your leave for now. Meet us by the cafe across the street in approximately an hour."

Kakashi was the one to stand up first. Sakura mimicked him, slightly intimidated by his darkened expression, and walked after him out the door. She followed him to their bedroom, for she was unknown about its whereabouts. The room was not far and they arrived in less than five minutes. Once they entered, she saw that he had already been here once before. Some of his belongings were already spread out on one bed's mattress, the sheets somewhat disheveled (she assumed he claimed it).

Excusing herself from the room, bringing her rucksack along with her, and locked herself in the bathroom. The first thing that she really needed was a hot, steamy bath. She ran the bathwater and began to undress herself, watching as her articles of clothing dropped to the tiled floor one by one. When she was completely nude, she turned to face the mirror.

Her body was slim, and after years of training vigorously, she had came to build quite a lot of muscle. Her pink locks fell gallantly to her shoulders, a portion of her bangs tucked behind her ear. Her skin was pale, but tanner than it had been when she was a genin. As she stared lifelessly at her own reflection, she realized that she had indeed grown and was now officially a woman.

Many people, including her friends, considered her stunning, graceful, gorgeous, and all of the other compliments females would die to hear. She, however, never thought so. In her own little mind, she was still an imperfect little girl who was waiting to grow up. She never understood why everyone looked at her as if she was a goddess. It still surprised her that even Kakashi found her attractive.

Kakashi was a young, handsome man, both with and without his mask. His bold, sturdy personality and experience was what all shinobi striven for. He was practically every woman's dream! Yet, despite all of these facts, he had somehow found himself attracted to her, never denying the fact that she was a beautiful being. He accepted all of her; her bipolar attitude, her frightening strength, and the small amount of friendship she offered him.

She shook her head. Nothing made sense anymore.

Sakura exhaled and strode to the bathtub's side. She eased herself into the pool of water before shutting the faucet off. Sinking further into the liquid, she closed her eyes and allowed the pleasure to take her aching body into complete bliss.

* * *

**_Some things you should know:_**

1) I was originally going to make this chapter longer, but it would have been...WAY too long. I want to keep these chapters somewhat long and somewhat short. I don't want to give too much away all in one chapter, so this will be it for now! The action will rise in the next chapter, trust me.

2) Since this chapter was originally going to be long, it was going to have spicy action in it that I had revealed a sneak peak about on my livejournal. I edited my LJ entry so that it would be for chapter 13, the next update.

_**Some things about me! (Since you are all so curious):**_

Yes, yes, yes. I am only 14 years old and I am only a freshman in high school. I understand that writing explicit content may seem a tad bit odd, especially since I'm still a little young, but why does it matter? If you must know, my mom is a nurse and last year she decided to tell me the process of sexual intercourse in detail and also warned me about not dating guys and such. Girls, you must know what I mean. I also learned about sexual intercourse in my science class last year. We spend a month or two on the subject.

That's about it for this segment. Again, if you want to ask me a question, don't hesitate! Just make sure it's not too personal.

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**_Reviews Are Appreciated_**


	13. Assailants

**_A/N: _**Hello all. I thought I should update before semester finals start. I'm nervous, to be honest.

At the end of the chapter, I will answer some questions you guys recently asked me. Again, if you are ever curious, ask me anything. Just make sure it's not too personal. I'd love to clarify any confusions you have with the chapters as well, but I will definitely not give away any hints about the future plots (; And again, thank you so much for all of your reviews. Really, it all means a lot to me!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto

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**_Mistake_**

**_Chapter Thirteen: Assailants_**

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The time Sakura had spent in the bath was unknown. She nearly dozed off into a sleep, but fortunately for her, the repetitive soft knocking on the bathroom door shook her wide awake. Quickly, she drained the tub of the soapy water and patted herself dry with a towel. She changed into her ninja attire once again, this time slipping her red sleeveless jacket on top of her black tank top. She smoothed out her denim shorts as she stared into the foggy mirror. Sighing, she snatched her knapsack, pushed the door open, and stepped outside.

Kakashi was sitting on his bed patiently, playing with his gloves that were still yet to be equipped. He glanced at her shortly before proceeding to put them on. She observed him while he prepared himself silently, his gaze never again meeting hers. Once she lost interest, she strode to the curtains to pull them together, shutting the sunlight out from the bedroom. She eventually made her way to the exit where her former sensei now stood, waiting for her to reach him.

The trip to the cafe across the street seemed incessant. With each step she took, the supposedly short journey felt longer and longer. Relief overcame her once they discovered the trio lounging around the outdoor dining area. Kiba and Neji were completely oblivious to the uneasiness between her and Kakashi. However, Shikamaru glared at the both of them intently, the depths of his eyes undecipherable and the corner of his lips turning into a puzzled frown. Nothing, and she did mean nothing, escaped the shadow user. He would start to pursue an objective and would not cease to stop his investigations until it was all solved. Although that fact about him was greatly praised, she despised it more than anyone. It caused her even more trouble.

The pinkette cleared her thoughts and put on a plastered smile. "Hey. Shall we go?"

Shikamaru gave her an odd look. "Yeah, let's," he murmured suspiciously, turning on his heel.

"Oi, Shikamaru! Weren't we going to do a rerun on the plan?" Kiba called out, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Don't need it. If you weren't listening, you should have paid attention."

The dog-like boy stood still, baffled by the dark-haired ninja's rude retort. Crossing his arms, he exclaimed, "Gee, what's his problem?"

Sakura rolled her eyes and began to follow Shikamaru. Kakashi fell in step with her and Kiba and Neji merely exchanged glances before running after them. Her pink eyebrows furrowed as she concentrated on the slouching figure walking in front of her. He was most likely frustrated that he had not been able to figure her and Kakashi out yet or that he was having one of those daily mood swings. She was hoping that her second theory was correct, but when he looked over his shoulder and stared right at her, her hopes burned, dissolving into tiny pieces of ash.

The knot in the pit of her stomach tightened when the darkness of his eyes deepened. She was breathless by the time he redirected his attention to the dirt path. She was finally able to recollect her composure before they began sprinting through the forest, leaping from branch to branch. Kakashi and the rest of the team steadily traveled in front of her and she stayed toward the back of the unit. She wanted to avoid Shikamaru for the time being. She knew that once he and her were alone, he would bombard her with an incessant amount of questions.

Ten minutes passed and they were nearly halfway to their destination. She focused her gaze up ahead and noticed that the silver-haired jonin was exerting less effort than he was before. Eventually, he slowed to her pace and the gap between them and the other three was quite large. Their shoulders brushed every now and then and his musky scent (which she truthfully missed) permeated her nostrils. She wondered why the man decided to stick with her for a bit, especially after all he had done to avoid her.

She heard him clear his throat. "Are you alright?" he asked. His face remained impassive, his lone eye set on the three figures in the distance.

It was the first time he directly addressed her in a while. It made her curious as to whether he was concerned about her or if he was simply making an effort to just go and have a casual conversation. Or perhaps it was just both? She couldn't tell. He hid his emotions very well and she had to admit, he was quite adept.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied. She looked to her right where the jonin was and caught him stealing a quick glance of her. His head turned away immediately and she gazed at him quizzically. Reluctantly, she returned the question, "And you?"

"I've been better."

"I see."

Sakura exerted more chakra to her feet and leaped ahead, Kakashi following soon after. They both were steadily nearing the rest of their teammates and it did not appear that they seemed to notice their short absence. Sakura pondered to herself, thinking back to what she and Kakashi momentarily spoke about. It was not a problem that she should be extremely worried over, but the how he had talked to her was something of interest. The strain behinds his words were clear in spite of how calmly he had said them.

It was unlike him. Maybe it was the memories of last night that were affecting him. It was the first time she had seen him break down into tears and she would have guessed that it was most likely that he hadn't shed tears like those in years. The new experience could have been mentally frustrating, especially for a man who rarely exposed any emotion of some sort. It was irrational to think that he was in perfect shape. Although on the outside he may seem audacious, passionate, and strong, she knew now after many surprising experiences that deep down within his heart, he was hurting from the many terrible accidents that had happened in his life. She was unsure of the exact details, but she was told before that he had been through tough, heart wrenching times. It shocked her that he was still standing tall after witnessing such gruesome events. She wouldn't have lasted a minute if she were in his shoes.

The young kunoichi found herself stopping in her own steps. She landed on a stable branch and managed to keep her balance as Kakashi took his place beside her. She glanced ahead where the three other shinobi were traveling farther and farther away from them, their figures growing tinier with each leap they took. Their absence was still going unnoticed, but she knew it would not be for long.

Kakashi was glaring at her, one silver-colored eyebrow rising questionably. She exhaled, quickly but carefully gathering the correct words. "What happened to you last night?"

His eye suddenly grew dark. "I thought I already made it clear that I never wanted to speak of it again."

"It was difficult trying to read your chicken scratch," she lied half-jokingly, pulling the note out from her pocket to wave it in front of his face. "But the important thing is that I'm concerned."

"I can take care of myself. I'm a fully grown adult who is aware of their responsibilities and duties," he retorted.

"Well from what I've seen," she began, sternly, "you can't."

Kakashi said nothing. He folded his arms in front of his chest as he leaned against the chipping tree trunk behind him, facing her. Sakura shuddered at the abrupt shift in the atmosphere, but decided that she would continue. He was giving her an opportunity to approach him and reason out whatever she had in mind. If not, he would have taken off the instant she mentioned the events of the previous night.

She spoke again, "I'm not going to force you to tell me the things you have been through. I know you've been experiencing painful things and I am fully aware that I am not one of your closest comrades and that I am not deserving of your trust. However, I am still here for you as a teammate and friend. I want to help you in any way I can if you're hurting…" Her tone was light and airy as she attempted a soft laugh, but the uneasiness was still obvious. "Naruto, Sai, Yamato, and the others may worry about you occasionally, but I'll be honest though. Even I worry about you sometimes, sensei…"

The last sentence slipped off her tongue without her consent and her heart was racing painfully fast against her rib cage. She had not used the honorific for a long period of time and it nearly felt foreign trying to say it. Kakashi, too, seemed to be caught a little off guard.

It was utterly silent and with each second passing, she felt as if her heart would give out any moment. It was harder to breathe and she started to regret approaching him in the first place. She was still trying to comprehend what she had just told him. The last few things she explained were unbidden, the words flowing right out of her mind and into thin air. She hated her inability to discuss matters fluently.

All of a sudden, a comforting warmth enveloped her body, sending shivers running up and down her spine. Her breath hitched when she felt cold fingers pricking at the nape of her neck, her eyes widening when a masked cheek gently brushed against her own. Her face was hot, flushing red as her former mentor stood tranquilly in front of her, his sturdy chest so close. His head drooped down further and she felt warm breaths against her ear.

She wanted to push him away with all her might and her hands shakily rose to grip the front of his flak vest, but they remained there, never making any movement to remove him from her. Sakura inhaled deeply, his pinewood scent so strong that it weakened her knees. She could already hear the loud pumping of blood coursing through her veins and she was certain that he was hearing it too. She bit her lip hard, so sure that she had punctured it. The familiar bitter taste of blood spread throughout her mouth.

"Kakashi." Her voice wavered with uncertainty.

"Sakura…" His voice was rasp, yet soothing at the same time. A hand cupped her cheek and his masked lips brushed across her neck, leaving a burning sensation behind. She held her breath when he did it once again, but his lips stayed in the exact same spot. Her eyelids clasped closed and she waited. His thumb traced down her chin, her skin tingling in response to his caress. He shifted slightly and she felt his hair tickle her forehead. "Thank you," he whispered.

Her eyes snapped open as the warmth instantly disappeared. Kakashi had taken off with a mighty jump, and as she watched him, a mixture of emotions swimming within her, she found herself growing farther away. She wondered if it had all only been an illusion, her brain playing dirty tricks on her. But it was much too real to be fake. Sighing, she resumed traveling as well, slightly disappointed at the absence of his presence.

They arrived at their designated location minutes later. There was a large cavern hidden by the bushy canopies of the trees. Sakura assumed that inside was the enemy's base. Kiba, Neji, and Shikamaru were standing off to the side, observing the both of them as they approached sluggishly. She tried her best to make it seem as if nothing had happened.

"You guys were gone for more than five minutes! Where were you?" complained Kiba, jumping to his feet and brushing the excess grass blades from his pants.

"Oh, I lost something on the way," Sakura smiled sheepishly and pointed at the man standing next to her, "and Kakashi decided to help me look for it."

It was a lame excuse, but Kiba was stupid enough to actually believe it. She already knew that Shikamaru knew something was amiss. As for Neji, she had a feeling that he was aware that her reasoning was false, but he chose to go along with it anyways for the sake of her privacy. She appreciated Neji. He was perhaps the most mature on his squad and thankfully, he was not one to prod at someone's secretive issues.

"Well, while you two were absent, Neji and Kiba scoped the outskirts out. It's just like I thought. The enemy is currently not here," began Shikamaru, ready to get down to business.

"So would you like us to go and retrieve the scroll?" asked Sakura.

"Please," answered the shadow user. He stepped forward and handed the pink-haired kunoichi a wrinkled, folded piece of paper. "That's the basic outline of their hideout," he explained silently. "My squad and I explored it enough to remember most details. I made the map this morning. The section marked with an X is where the scroll, our objective, is located. Be careful though. There aren't any traps, but try not to leave traces of intrusion behind. We don't want them to find out that we came back to reclaim what's ours. Understood?"

She nodded, as well as Kakashi.

"Good. Kiba, Neji, and I will be sure to keep watch." Shikamaru retrieved two mics from his pocket and held it out for them to take. "Use those mics to contact us if you encounter trouble. We'll contact you as soon as we see the enemy returns. I'll think of a plan for that as soon as I can and I'll brief you about it later. Alright, move out!"

The team immediately dispersed. Kakashi and Sakura sped into the cavern, swiftly and skillfully sprinting through the winding hallways. It was somewhat similar to Orochimaru's hideout, except it was much harder to see. The hallways were veiled with darkness and only a few torches were lit up at each turn. It was difficult reading the map Shikamaru had given her in the dim light, but she tried to make the best of it.

Her eyes eventually adjusted to the lack of lighting and she became capable of leading her and Kakashi to the correct area. Once they arrived at the storage room, they thoroughly searched each bookshelf and drawer, delicately handling each and every object they came in contact with. Neither spoke to each other as they worked, for they both knew that at this point of the mission, mistakes would not be tolerated.

It was imperative that they find the scroll. It was one of the sacred scrolls of the Hidden Leaf Village and contained many strong ninjitsu that might very well be an entire nation's demise. It was dangerous in the hands of shinobi, especially those who had corrupted minds. They could not afford to lose possession of an extremely important treasure.

Her hands frantically ran along the dusty shelves, her fingers pricking at the tips of the items resting on the wooden panel. Her eyes almost widened when they met a smooth paper texture. Carefully pulling it out, she held it in her hands and squinted. It was indeed the sacred scroll.

"Found it," she whispered. Kakashi turned to look at her and silently praised her with a quick thumbs-up.

Before she was able to put the scroll away, the mic began to crackle in her ear.

_"Sakura! Kakashi!"_

"Shikamaru?"

_"You need to get out of there as fast as you can. Our enemy came back sooner than I thought they would."_ There was a short pause and she swore she heard a string of curses in the background. _"Alright, do you have the scroll?"__  
_

"Yes," responded Kakashi.

_"Good. Now, I just need you two to sneak out of there without being caught. I'm sure you can handle that. With you, Kakashi, being someone of such high caliber, I'm sure you'll get it done. I suggest suppressing most of your chakra and if needed, use genjutsu to hide yourselves. Once you both get outside, my squad and I will take it from there."_

"Roger that."

Sakura placed the scroll into her medic pouch strapped around her waist. She glanced at Kakashi, waiting for permission to take off. Moments later, he motioned at her to get going and she immediately left the storage room. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that he was close behind, his sole eye focused upon her.

She turned back around to escape his captivating gaze. She could not lose concentration. Now was a terrible time to do so.

They continued to run through the darkness, the pace of their rapid breaths increasing each minute. It was not long before the light of the opening came into view. She was extremely excited to leave this damned place. She was exhausted, drowsy, and most of all, she missed Konoha. It was only natural to miss her hometown and she simply wanted to get back on her regular routine. Missions were exhilarating as always, but this one in particular was not something she wished to keep going.

Suddenly she was pulled away and the world around her disoriented. She felt her back collide into something hard and sturdy. Her lips parted to yell, but a gloved hand was placed on top of her mouth, preventing her from doing so. From the corner of her eye, she saw another hand perform a couple of signs and she recognized them as genjutsu signs. She was breathing hard, her lungs aching terribly. She was still trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"Sakura, shh." The low, calm voice next to her ear made her shudder. "Suppress your chakra, quick."

"But—"

"There is no time to explain. Just please, do it."

She obeyed and did as she was told. The grip around her body tightened as footsteps were heard in the near distance. Two men and one women soon came into view, turning on the corner and then walking straight ahead, right past them as they stood still against the concrete wall. It appeared that these three ninja were the ones Shikamaru spoke of.

"Fumio-san!" The yellow-haired woman groaned, throwing her hands onto her hips. "We should really light these hallways up a little more! Don't you think it's too dark to walk around in? I mean, come on! All three of us had already accidentally bumped into the walls. More than ten times!"

"Stop being a prick and shut up," came one hoarse voice. "Do you want our base to be any more visible? We already had those three brats barge in here and we can't afford more visitors."

Silence filled the atmosphere for only a moment before the pattering noises were heard once again. The figures were hazy in the dark and it was difficult watching them (she agreed with the stranger that more lighting was needed) as they strode by. Just then, there was a sudden tongue clicking and her back stiffened when the hand around her wrist fell to her waist. The footsteps stopped.

"My, my. We can't afford any more visitors, you say, Fumio-san?" A feminine laugh echoed in the hallway, making her body tremble ever so slightly.

There was a short pause and the piercing whistling of a kunai flying met her ears. She was immediately hurled to the floor, a strong body collapsing on top of her. Sakura stared wide-eyed into the two mismatched eyes of her former mentor, then moved to the approaching woman in the back.

The opponent smiled crookedly. "I suppose it's already too late, Fumio-san. We have two other guests."

"Shit," grunted Kakashi as he pulled her to her feet and dragged her away. He released the paper bombs and they burst behind them as they sprinted for the exit. The bright sunlight nearly blinded her and she struggled to regain her balance and fall into step with her partner. Kakashi was close by her, still holding onto her as they retreated back into the forest. She glanced back and saw another wave of kunai shooting at them.

"Kakashi!"

"Doton: Doryūheki!" The silver-haired ninja planted his hands onto the ground and a large stone wall emerged. From the other side, she could hear the clanging of the knives and thudding as they fell to the grass. Sakura took the short amount of time Kakashi had given her with this diversion to pull out a a few shuriken from her pouch.

Just then, the protective barrier shattered into pieces. As soon as the dust cleared, the three rogue ninja were visible. They stood above the rubble, their faces illustrated with a killer's intent. The man in the middle was equipped with two katanas and she instantly realized that he was the dual wielder. He had light blue hair, orange eyes, and had a wry smile spreading across his scarred face. The blonde was holding a sharp hair pin between her thumb and forefinger, her green eyes glowing mischievously, her red rouged lips pursed. The other man had a large scythe, one that reminded her of the past Akatsuki member Hidan. His dark red hair was pulled back into a ponytail and his forehead was wrapped in bandages. He was perhaps the most intimidating of them all and she couldn't bare to see his cold eyes boring into hers.

"Ah, did I hear the name Kakashi come out of that child's mouth?" wondered the woman, twirling a strand of her hair playfully. "If I am not mistaken, you, my dear, must be the Great Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake. And that girl must be?"

The blue-haired one pitched in. "Sakura Haruno, the treasured apprentice of Lady Tsunade, one of the famous Sannin. Pink hair, emerald eyes…fits the description perfectly."

Sakura frowned and took an uneasy step back. If they knew their names, it would only be reasonable that they were already aware of some of their capabilities. Her eyebrows furrowed. Because of this, their opponents surely would be challenging. It would be hard to counter their abilities. After seeing a few of their attacks, there was no doubt that this would be no ordinary battle.

"Oh, I apologize!" exclaimed the blonde. "We haven't introduced ourselves! My name is Hitomi Ueda. The katana user is Fumio Sato and the one at the other end is my beloved aniki, Hitoshi Ueda. I am sure you two will be worthy opponents…"

"As do I," replied Kakashi, falling into his battle stance. He shot the kunoichi a stern look and she nodded, knowing that he already had a plan up his sleeve. He quickly performed a grouping of hand signs before leaping into the air. Sakura mimicked him and released her shuriken at the enemy. Before the rogue ninja were able to deflect the shuriken, Kakashi yelled, "Daibakufu no Jutsu!" A large column of water was thrown forward, catching their opponents by surprise. Swiftly, he and Sakura retreated to the canopies of the trees to avoid the strong torrent.

Only the woman was captured within the waves and the pink-haired girl felt somewhat achieved, but disappointment swarmed into her once the figure dissipated into thin air. It had only been a clone.

Exerting as much speed as possible, she spun around and her glare met the one of the scythe user, Hitoshi. He swung the narrow blade at her, but she managed to dodge it and drove her chakra-powered fist into his sternum. He bit back a pained groan as he failed to save himself from his fall. She jumped a branch lower and took the chance to fling another wave of shuriken toward him. He repelled them with his scythe and proceeded to attack her again, this time with much more force. Instinctively, she pulled out her combat knife from the holster resting on her back to counter it.

Channeling her chakra to her feet, she roundhouse kicked him and leaped to the wet grass below. She frantically observed her surroundings, but there was no sign of Kakashi anywhere. Before she could retreat back to the trees, a knee collided into her back, sending her flying forward. A surge of pain coursed throughout her limbs and she shakily rose to her feet. Hitoshi was standing a few yards away from her, his face impassive as he put away his scythe and readied his fists. Perhaps it should have been flattering that he was dead serious about taking her on. But it wasn't, really.

Sakura clenched her hands, trembling as she sucked in a deep breath, and punched the moist ground. The earth beneath her crumbled from the impact, some large shards being pushed upward. The uneven terrain was an advantage to her. She found it much more easier to fight in such an environment and it would make it difficult for her opponent to hurt her.

Sensing an unknown chakra source behind her, she flipped backward. She avoided his incoming kick and launched her broad shoulder at him. She struck him hard and took the opportunity to push the blade of her knife deep into his abdomen. She grinned victoriously and looked up, hoping to see the painful expression on his face. However, her smile faltered once she saw him smirk deviously and the figure underneath her disappeared. She was only able to panic for a moment before she felt herself being picked up and slammed against a hollow tree trunk.

Her arms were twisted behind her back and she felt a large body press up against her from behind. The breaths were hot as they bounced off her neck, making her squirm with utter discomfort. She gritted her teeth when she felt a finger trace down her spine and her eyelids clasped closed.

"I have to admit," murmured her assailant with a low growl, "you are one tough little lady. I had fun, but…I am afraid that the games will have to end here, miss."

A shriek escaped her lips as Hitoshi sank his teeth into her skin. An odd, tingly sensation began to spread throughout her. Her knees were beginning to weaken and it was hard to stay conscious. She quickly came to realize that he specialized in poison and was inserting a toxin into her bloodstream. Attempting to escape his grasp, she elbowed him in the stomach and fortunately for her, he flinched and let her go. Holding onto her neck, she staggered away, hoping to get far enough so that she would be able to remove the poison from her system.

"Hitomi!"

All of a sudden, the blonde-haired kunoichi appeared in front of her. She chuckled softly as she undid her bun, pulling a needle from her hair that held it up. She pinched the item in between her thumb and index finger. "Hai, aniki."

She flicked the needle and it flew directly past her, leaving a narrow wound running along her cheek. Blood instantly began to ooze out and trickle down to her chin. Moments later, Hitomi vanished and Sakura sensed the same presence behind her. With all her might, she whirled to confront the woman, only to find a large hue of blue flashing in front of her.

"Chidori!" Her beryl eyes widened as she watched Kakashi plunge his sparking hand deep into the woman's chest, his fingers emerging from the other side. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally withdrew his arm, the mushing noise of her internal organs echoing in the small sector of the forest. The corpse fell to the ground with a thud, a dark reddish pool streaming out of the body. He shuddered and he turned to look back at her with soft tangible eyes. Her breath hitched, fear and anxiety filling her, but she was overall glad that he finally came to her rescue.

"Hitomi…" Hitoshi shakily rose to his feet, his face pale with shock. He slowly reached for his scythe and equipped it, his lips suddenly curling into a wicked grin. "My, such talent had gone to waste. Her sensory skills were, after all, the best. Feh, she was of no use anyways. Always complaining, talking, blabbering her mouth off…I must thank you for getting rid of her." He laughed hysterically and held his weapon out, the tip of the blade shining in the faint sunlight. "Now, it is your turn, you Konoha brats!"

The red-haired ninja sprinted toward them, his speed unusually fast. He prepared to swing his scythe, but he abruptly seized in his steps. He seemed perplexed as he looked from side to side and just then, his shadow shot up and pierced his legs. He cried out as they dug deeper into his flesh and wound around his arms. Sakura pondered shortly and came to a decision that Shikamaru and his squad were watching from a distance, knowing that the only shadow user here was the Nara.

Kakashi pulled out a kunai and proceeded to attack the trapped man, but another kunai deflected the jonin's. He jumped back as a wave of shuriken pierced the grass and planted his feet firmly onto the ground. "Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!" Kakashi countered the incoming attack with a large vortex of water that took form of a dragon. The roar was extremely loud and the jutsu sent drops of water flying everywhere as if it was raining.

The pain in her neck worsened and she bit back a cry. Her hand began to glow green and she held it up to the wounded spot. She concentrated her chakra in the section of her system with the most poison and began to extract the toxins. Her jaw clenched, for the procedure was exceedingly painful. However, she needed to remove the toxins, otherwise she would not be able to fight alongside her former mentor, let alone live. The length of the process was incessant, but she was relieved after she finished her task.

Placing her combat knife back into its holster, she stood up and channeled her chakra to her fists. She leaped and threw her fist at Kakashi's attacker and hit him directly on the spine. The figure was immediately replaced with a log and she cursed, disappointed that she had missed.

"Sakura, behind you!"

She heeded the Copy Ninja's warning and spun around, only to find Hitoshi breaking free from the shadow jutsu. He pulled his arm back, then hurled his scythe forward, throwing it differently so that it would rotate continuously. She glanced at Kakashi, who was still fighting off Fumio. Sakura found herself being unable to avoid it and braced herself.

"Hakke Rokujuuyonshou!" Neji suddenly appeared before her and deflected the scythe with his taijutsu. Shikamaru and Kiba followed soon after, Shikamaru assisting Neji and Kiba backing up Kakashi.

"Glad you guys could finally make it," breathed Sakura, running her fingers through her coarse pink hair.

"We were waiting for the right time to jump in," huffed Shikamaru.

She nodded and adjusted the gloves on her hands. She threw her fist on the ground, then shot a line of kunai in the dual wielder's direction. The terrain cracked and split, rocks flying in every direction. Recalling a poison jutsu passed down to her by Shizune, she performed a series of hand signs and swallowed a deep breath. Feeling the toxin wafting within her lungs, she released it all in one blow in the direction of her assailant. It successfully hit the target and he struggled to keep balance as his body began to grow numb.

Fumio's strength was stronger than she had thought, unfortunately, and he continued to fight. He charged at her with full speed, his eyes cold and furious. She froze, too frightened to move out of the way. He was coming at her, fully intent on ending on her life. It had been a long time since she had seen such a dark glare and it brought painful memories of the old Team Seven back.

Trying to get a hold of herself, she prepared to defend herself and crossed her arms in front of her face, focusing her chakra so that she could shield the attack properly. Her eyelids closed and waited. The sound of flesh being cut open rang in her eardrums and then all she could hear was the wild pumping of her adrenaline. For a moment she thought she was dead, but once she felt herself being cradled in someone's arms her eyes snapped open and discovered that her savior had been Kakashi.

It had all been sudden. Shikamaru released the smoke bombs and the entire sector was veiled by a thick, gray fog. They soon retreated and made their way back to the inn, inserting the remnants of their energy. She was at last released when they returned to the small town. She was thankful that the inn was nearly deserted. Too much attention would certainly bring more trouble.

Sakura offered to heal Shikamaru and his squad, but they insisted that they were not severely injured. After having a small quarrel, the pink-haired kunoichi finally agreed to part ways and go to her room with the Copy Ninja. It was a few minutes before they were sitting on the comfort of their beds. Her tense muscles immediately relaxed and she groaned, exhausted from the large battle she recently took part in. Next time, she thought, she would make note to not accept S-ranked missions as often.

Sighing, she glanced at Kakashi. He was hunched over on his bedside, his body twitching occasionally. Raising a brow, she said, "Kakashi?"

He looked up at her and his eyes crinkled. Dryly, he croaked, "I'm sorry, Sakura…I think I might be hurt."

Kakashi discarded his flak vest and let it drop to the floor. Her eyes widened when she saw that it was soaked with dark red sploshes of blood, the back of the vest cut in various places. The memory of him saving her from the dual wielder flashed in her mind and she gasped.

Hurriedly, she rushed to his aid and ordered him to remove his jonin sweatshirt. He obeyed and she helped him lift it over his head. A large 'X' was carved deep into his flesh, the wound still bleeding heavily. Her petite hands ghosted over his paling skin and they began to glow a greenish-teal color. She focused on stopping the blood from flowing out first before attempting to close the wound.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

Her lips curled into a slight frown. "Don't apologize. You didn't do anything."

He exhaled. "I failed to protect you."

"I'm not hurt, Kakashi. I'm fine."

"Don't think I didn't see that bite mark on your neck," he retorted coldly. "It was poison, wasn't it? I saw you extracting it while I fought."

She refused to respond and resumed her task.

"Sakura—"

There was a sudden knock at the door. Kakashi's hand quickly moved to cover the portion of his face that had always been hidden by his mask. Sakura continued to tend to his wound, pulling out a roll of bandages from her knapsack as the door silently creaked open.

It was Neji.

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" he questioned as he stepped in, eyeing the injured jonin.

"Of course not," she replied. "Is there something you need?"

"Well, Shikamaru told me to check up on you guys to see if you're alright." Neji's voice trailed off into an inaudible mumble and he scratched the side of his head sheepishly. "Kakashi-senpai is okay, right?"

"Are you doubting my medical skills?" she chuckled half-jokingly. "Yeah, he'll be completely patched soon enough. He probably won't be able to move as much for the rest of the day though."

"I see," came the Hyuga's short response. "Ah, Shikamaru announced that we would be heading back to the village tomorrow."

"Good. I'm getting a bit tired of all of the chaos anyways."

"I agree."

There was a small pause.

"By the way, did you retrieve the scroll?" he wondered.

She smiled as she motioned toward her medic pouch sitting on her bed. "Wouldn't leave without it."

"Great. I suggest you hold onto it in case we have more opponents. They would think that my squad and I have it since we were, after all, the initial pursuers of the scroll."

"I'll guard it with my life."

"Mm, I'll be taking my leave now. Oh, and before I go, Shikamaru wants us to meet at the cafe across the street tonight for dinner. I'll see you then?"

"I'll see you then."

Neji grinned and bid his farewell. "Goodbye, Sakura-chan, Kakashi-senpai."

He strolled out of the bedroom casually and the door closed shut after him. She inhaled deeply, disappointed that the conversation ended so quickly, then proceeded to wrap the bandages around her former mentor's body.

Her fingers brushed against his well sculpted muscles as she did so and she found it fascinating that a man his age was in such excellent state. She had seen him shirtless on numerous occasions (though he had always had his face hidden by the hospital mask or his hand) and he never failed to amaze her. Honestly, she could not get used to the sight of him shirtless no matter how many times she had seen him like that. She was well familiar with a male's body and it never bothered her unless the situation involved him. It was truly odd and she was never able to understand her own reactions toward him.

Sakura chewed the inside of her cheek as she came across the wound again. The bleeding had stopped long ago, which was good, but she was not capable of completely reattaching the skin. She had exhausted her chakra use and because of that, it was difficult healing him. Not only that, but the wound was far too deep. She would just have to let it take on its natural course and heal itself, for now.

"Kakashi, can you move to the floor and sit in between my legs? It would make it easier for me to patch you up," she asked silently, her hands falling to her lap. "And face me."

Kakashi stiffly did as he was told and positioned himself between her legs, sitting crossed-legged on the wooden paneling. His gaze never met hers as she continued to wrap the bandages around him. She finished minutes later, throwing the empty roll into the trashcan. He remained on the floor, his head hanging slightly. She stared at him curiously, noticing that his body was unusually tense.

It was then when she caught sight of a narrow cut running down the side of his face.

"Kakashi." She gently cupped his cheek and lifted his chin so that he would be looking directly at her. His eyes cringed as her hand began to glow green once again and she healed the small wound, watching as it closed little by little. "You need to be more careful," she warned quietly.

He gave no reply. He only gazed at her nonchalantly, his expression undecipherable.

She sighed and continued, "Why did you go through all of the trouble of protecting me?"

"I promised myself I would do anything to protect my comrades," he answered sullenly.

"But you could have lost your life," she pointed out.

He shook his head and she withdrew. She observed him as he raked his disheveled silver hair back, a look of frustration crossing his eyes. "I can't…" He rose to his feet and towered above her, his gaze growing dark. He propped his knee up on the bedside and she leaned backward, swallowing nervously. "I can't afford to lose you," he breathed.

He came close, his lips brushing gently over her ear lobe. She shuddered as his hand reached up to softly caress her chin, his thumb rubbing the corner of her mouth. His breaths were hot and moist against her skin and she couldn't help but to let her eyelids clasp closed. The world was spinning around her and she could barely comprehend what was happening. When he proceeded to kiss her cheek, she released a breathy gasp. His movements were so very languid, so achingly slow.

"Kakashi," she whispered, her hand rising to cuff around his wrist. She could hear her heart pounding against her chest and feel the sweat becoming beads on her face. Her breath hitching, she managed to say, "Please. Don't do this."

His arms suddenly snaked around her waist and his face buried itself under her neck, making her stiff with slight surprise. "Sakura," he murmured, "I missed you so much."

* * *

**_A/N:_**Ohohohohoho, I left you hanging, didn't I? Looks like you're going to have to wait for the next update!

_**Q&A Time!**_

DaniellaDBZ4ever asked: "Does Sakura feel something for Kakashi?"

Me: Ah-ah. I will not answer that question since you will soon find out in the next few chapters! Oh, the suspense!

Anonymous asked: "Is this story going to be long?"

Me: Hum, probably not. From the looks of it, this story will end in the next couple of chapters. The ending will for sure be exciting and dramatizing!

**_Some things you should know:_**

1) So like I stated in the Q&A, I am certain that this story will end soon. I will, however, make an epilogue. Is the ending happy or sad? That, my children, will be revealed later on (;

2) There were a couple of terms used in this chapter that some of you may or may not be familiar with. Here is a translation list:

Doton: Doryūheki - Earth Style: Mud Wall Jutsu

Daibakufu no Jutsu - Water Style: Water Vortex Jutsu

Chidori - One Thousand Birds

Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu - Water Dragon Bullet Technique

Hakke Rokujuuyonshou - Eight Trigrams Sixty Four Palms

3) The poison jutsu Sakura used against Fumio, the dual wielder, was one of Shizune's (and Hanzo the Salamander's) special ninjitsu. It is called "Poison Mist" and is usually recited as "Ninja Art: Poison Fog." In Japanese, it is recited as "Dokugiri."

**_Reviews Are Appreciated!_**


	14. Avowal

_**A/N: **_Finals are finally over, thank goodness. I aced all of those tests! Got A's on everything! My excessive studying thankfully paid off! Just glad that's all done and over with. Ahem, now that I've let that out of my system, allow me to get down to business.

I am terribly sorry about the long wait. I have been busy will school work and there is so much more to come. We are currently planning our Sophomore schedule and I am pretty sure that I will be much more busier next year. I plan on Advanced English, Honors Chemistry, Leadership (once again), and I think that's about it. I was going to take AP European History, but I figured that the stress would be too much. I don't know if Algebra 2 with Trig counts as one of those extremely hard, time consuming classes, but oh well. Anyhooo, that's my plan for next year and also let me add a few sports and community activities in there. I might as well become a hermit or die of exhaustion, but I want to make the best of my high school years. So, kids (not that I'm an adult or anything, I'm still fourteen)! Remember, make the best of school and keep doing your best!

Back to the subject (wow this is a long Author's Note), I will try to fit in new chapter installments maybe every month? I don't know if I'll be able to update every couple of weeks from this point, but let's see. _**And AGAIN, like I have stated many times before (unless you are one of those people that rarely bother to read the author's note), it is definite that this story will be ending soon in the next few chapters!** _

Now, I'd like to address a few people out there. Inume-blue, yes I understand what you are trying to say. Raikiri is Kakashi's signature move, but would it still be wrong for him to go back to chidori and use it every now and then? It was, after all, the initial technique he started out with. However, that's just me. Just wanted to put it out there. I'm not mad, do not fret.

Hum, to the guest reviewer, I appreciate you reading my story and enjoying it. I do clearly understand that woman becomes women when plural, but I went back and checked and I was sure there were no such errors. There were specifically two men, Hitoshi and Fumio, and one woman, Hitomi (There will be one more male enemy in the future, however). If I somehow missed an error, please do excuse it, I will surely go back to it for correction, and I apologize for it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

**_Mistake_**

**_Chapter Fourteen: Avowal_**

* * *

Sakura remained still, her arms reluctantly moving to embrace her former mentor. With heavy-lidded eyes, she stared out into the distance, feeling his grip around her waist tightening. He was holding onto her as if he was frightened — as if he was about to lose her. His body was shaking tremendously and in hopes of calming him, she stroked his arm gently, slowly, unsure of how to respond to this situation.

Kakashi was certainly under a lot of stress, both physical and mental, she surmised. Of course she would expect some havoc out of all of this, but this was one outcome that was thought to never occur. In all of her years spent as his comrade, she had learned that the jonin was a strong, composed shinobi that resided by all shinobi standards and rules, following each and every instruction perfectly, leaving not a single trace of emotion in his wake. Yet, despite these facts, why was he here sitting in her arms, crumbling into tiny little pieces? Why was he radiating such uncontrolled sorrow and anger?

She never did understand him. One minute he was avoiding her like the plague and then in the next he was persistently keeping at her.

Sighing, Sakura eased into the warmth his body provided her. She felt no tears, but the sadness and frustration he was expression was raw and tangible. His grip had loosened around her and she considered disentangling her limbs from his, but the comfort was far too good to abandon. Just then, he inhaled deeply, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand and giving her an unsettling feeling in her stomach.

"I can't lose any more comrades…any more loved ones," he said silently. "I've lost so many already. It's painful."

"I'm sorry," murmured Sakura pitifully, making note of the strain behinds his calm words.

They lapsed into another short period of silence before he withdrew and distanced himself from her. He unsteadily glanced in the other direction, his sole eye pale and lifeless. It hurt to see him this way. What she was seeing within him was pain, one that she could not recognize, one that she had never seen. His emotions were finally beginning to surface, and because of that, this was no longer the Kakashi Hatake she knew.

"I…" Sakura looked at her former mentor and saw that he was struggling to come forth with his statement. He continued dryly, "I don't think I could bear the thought of losing you either."

Her breath hitched and she tugged at the collar of her shirt nervously. "Ah, you don't have to worry about me, though!" she assured, attempting a small laugh. "You've seen me fight plenty of times before. We both know that I'm capable of protecting myself."

"I know that," he answered sullenly, "but I can't help but to worry about you all the time. I'm always panicking, afraid that you would somehow get severely hurt. My heart starts to beat faster and my chest starts to ache terribly…and then my hands start to shake. I just don't…want you to be taken away from me."

"Taken…away?" she echoed, raising a confused brow. "Kakashi, I don't understand."

Kakashi lifted his gaze to meet hers, the depth of his frustration unfathomable. She swallowed hard, unsure if she was able to withstand the intensity of his glare any longer.

Finally, he spoke. "Sakura, I think I'm in love with you."

Her beryl eyes widened and before she could pursue him any further, he disappeared from the bed, quietly excusing himself to the bathroom. Sakura turned to look over her shoulder as the bathroom door shut closed and the click of the lock sounded in the now heavy atmosphere.

She released a harsh breath and fell back on the mattress, noticing that the sheets were still ridden with the blood Kakashi's large wound had spilled. As she heard the bath water running, she thought about what Kakashi had left her with.

**_~ X x . . . x X ~_**

Kakashi had taken an excessively long bath. The sun was beginning to set and it was at that time when he at last emerged from the bathroom, dressed in a new pair of clothes, a damp towel hanging on top of his disheveled silver hair. He refused to talk to Sakura at all, let alone look at her. She let him be, glancing at him sympathetically, and escaped to the bathroom where she firmly closed and locked the door behind her.

He released a dreadful sigh after tossing the towel off to the side and to bit back an irritated groan. After all of the effort of roughly scrubbing himself down (so much that he had managed to reopen his wounds, the blood coloring the clear water), her sweet feminine scent still clung into him. It was a torturous and painful reminder of the unexpected confession that flew straight out of his mouth, unbidden and unwanted.

How could such a simple conversation lead to more complications? He was almost certain that he made everything worse. What he told her was absolutely, inevitably the truth and it was relieving to let some of his caged emotions out, yet he still felt strangely distant from the kunoichi. It would only be reasonable that she was now enduring a much heavier burden that his. A young, inexperienced girl like her would be unable to correctly handle a situation such as this. It wouldn't surprise him if she never wanted to speak to him again.

Kakashi groaned. It was far too painful to think about her.

Sometimes, he wished that he could go back in time; go back to the night when he ran into her at the bar and relive that moment, choosing the right things to do and not haul her back to his apartment. That way, their simplistic friendship could have remained the same. No boundaries would have been crossed. No lines would have been blurred.

Perhaps it was wrong of him to have fallen for her. Though it was somewhat his fault, he blamed her for being the perfect human she was; kind, sweet, and caring. Even her dangerously small temper pleased him. But, nevertheless, it was all wrong. He was fourteen years her senior, formerly her sensei, and it would only be normal if she still looked up to him as only a teacher.

How could he have allowed himself to fall for her? This kind of relationship would only be frowned upon by the entire village. He could already imagine all of the troublesome chaos it would bring. Villagers would whisper among themselves if either of them walked by crowds or even made any appearance in public. People would give them dirty, incredulous looks, ones of disgust and contempt. All of the attention would be too much for him to handle, and then it would be when he would really start to age and develop wrinkles and gray hairs out of frustration.

The door to the bathroom suddenly opened and the pink-haired kunoichi emerged, dressed in her casual ninja attire, the denim shorts replaced by a white frilly skirt and black leggings that ran down to her knees. When Kakashi found his gaze lingering on her figure, he shook his head and forced his attention elsewhere, cursing the girl for being so damn attractive.

He could see from the corner of her eye that she was struggling to approach him, her lips trembling as if she was hesitant about calling him out. Sighing heavily, he pulled his mask up to the bridge of his nose and rose from his seat. Kakashi brushed past her and stood by the exit of their bedroom, not caring if whether he left her bewildered or shocked.

His hand gripped onto the knob and turned it, but he did not open the door.

"Kakashi…" She started her sentence, but did not finish. Her frail voice trailed off into an inaudible whisper and silence consumed the following moments.

"I think it's time we head out to the cafe to meet with the others," he murmured.

There was no response so he pulled the door open and stepped outside. He waited for her to shut and lock their room before leading the way, Sakura distantly following from behind. Their journey to the cafe felt horrendously long. Every step felt like a mile and every second felt like an eternity. Kakashi could feel her stare burning a hole through the back of his head, and not once did she avert her gaze.

Kakashi was relieved once they arrived at their destination. It was not difficult spotting their other three comrades. Fortunately, Kiba was in a jolly, talkative mood. The young boy chatted up the entire table, blabbering nonstop about his foolish tall-tale stories. The silver-haired man lost track of what he was saying in the next few minutes, not that he cared. As long as it kept him from talking, he was perfectly fine.

The waitress brought their menus shortly after and they took turns deciding on what they wanted. The food arrived in a nick of time and as always, Kakashi was the first to finish. Kiba began to complain that he was not able to catch a glimpse of the Copy Ninja's face and tossed a few jokes about how ugly he was. Of course, Kakashi saw through his tactic and ignored all of the rude comments, refusing to fall for the Inuzuka's dirty tricks. Thankfully, Neji managed to stop him and they continued to feast.

"So you don't have buck teeth?" wondered Kiba, mouth still full.

Neji groaned. "I thought we went over this a couple of seconds ago. Just leave Kakashi-senpai alone."

"Ha! I know you're curious too!" accused the dog-like shinobi, giving a toothy grin.

Neji's face flushed in embarrassment. "I apologize for Kiba's rude behavior, senpai," he said sheepishly.

"It's fine," drawled the jonin absentmindedly. "It can't be helped."

Kiba laughed. "So, Sakura…how's Team Seven coming along? Is Naruto still the same old knucklehead?"

Kakashi zoned back into the conversation, making sure that it seemed as if he was concentrated on something else.

"Oh, as if you're not a knucklehead too," she snorted. "Well, Naruto's still a goof. His improvement is excellent, I must admit. I'm pretty sure Tsunade-sama is thinking about making him her successor."

"That's great to hear. And what about Sai and Yamato?"

"Sai's just a dickhead. Yamato is cool and all, but sometimes his jokes just get out of hand."

Neji chuckled. "Ah. How about you and Kakashi-senpai?"

The jonin practically bolted out of his seat, unsteadily standing by the table as he tried to avoid the odd glances his team were giving him. "Excuse me for a moment," he smiled forcefully beneath his mask. "I just need to step outside for some fresh air."

As he trudged his way toward the exit, he could hear Neji ask if he had said something wrong and Sakura assuring him that he didn't. For once, Kakashi was glad that Sakura was there, only because she was always able to cover up the evidence of their conflict. His muscles relaxed as soon as he stepped out of the building. After rolling his shoulders he propped his crossed arms on the rusty railing, his back bending over slightly. He gazed out into the starry sky, wishing that he could be a star and just sit in the calming night sky for an eternity.

A frown tugged at his lips. Avoiding Sakura was painful. He yearned to be by her side, embraced by her warmth, and lay underneath her comforting gaze. However, he was afraid of facing her. He was surely not afraid of hearing her answer, but only frightened to see her reaction. Was she disgusted by the fact that he had fallen for her? Did she now think lowly of him?

It had been such a long time since he experienced such intense emotions, not since his time with Rin. She was his first love. Rin was kind, caring, sweet, and a well-rounded individual. He cared about her deeply and she felt the same way. But Obito loved her far more than he did, and because of that, Kakashi never responded to Rin's attempts to get close to him. Kakashi knew that Rin was the world to Obito.

After Obito died, he kept his distance from her, no matter how much his heart ached, no matter how much pain was illustrated on her pale face. She belonged to Obito, and only Obito.

Kakashi's eye clasped closed and he chewed at the inside of his cheek. His past was truly bitter.

He was unaware of how much time had passed since he dismissed himself from the table. Seconds became minutes, and a couple of minutes became twenty. When he heard the door being pushed open behind him, the bells that signified a customer's entrance or leave jingling silently, it was then when he realized how long he had been absent.

"Kakashi?"

The mentioned man closed his sole eye. That was one voice he definitely did not want to hear at the moment.

"Finally not hesitant about approaching me?" he said softly, watching as the pinkette took her place beside him.

"No," she breathed.

He almost frowned. He really wished that she still was.

"Why are you here?" he implored.

"The others were wondering if you're okay."

He sighed. "Why are you _really_ here?"

There was a short pause.

"I've been thinking," she started slowly, "about a lot of things. There are so many questions that I want to ask, so many answers that I need to know."

"I'm not an open book, Sakura. You can't just flip through my pages and expect that I'm going to give what you inquire," he replied, mentally scolding himself for the cold tone. He knew he shouldn't be giving her attitude. She was only curious and had a right to hear out his explanations.

It appeared that she dismissed his rude retort anyways and continued quietly. "Do you feel comfortable talking?"

Kakashi winced at those words. "I…" Her beryl eyes were pools of worry and anguish, enough to make his body tremble. "I suppose," he finally finished, instantly regretting his decision.

"Well, when did you realize that you love me?"

"That's a difficult one," he admitted shamefully. He pondered to himself, trying to remember how he ended up in this mess in the first place. "I guess…it started after the incident at the bar. Although we were having difficulties conversing with one another at the beginning of our mission, I couldn't help but to feel that we were somehow even closer than before. I was attracted to you at the time, and I'll be completely honest, I lusted after you even."

Sakura's face reddened, but she did not respond.

He rubbed his chin as he fell into deep thought. "I began to notice some things about you; you've matured so much and were no longer the childish girl I used to teach. You've grown into an outstanding kunoichi."

"When did you realize that you love me?" she repeated the question, more pertly than before.

His gaze fell to the concrete ground. "As I watched Fumio charge at you with full speed, I saw that his eyes were dark with a killer's intent. I had never been so frightened in my life and I simply could not allow myself to stand by and watch. I had to protect you. I came to realize that these feelings were love once we arrived back in the village."

"But…why me?" she demanded quietly. "There are many other women out there, and I'm probably nowhere near as special as they could be."

Kakashi rose an eyebrow. It was obvious that she had no self-confidence.

"Sakura," he exhaled. "You're very beautiful and attractive. You're an amazing friend and you have one thing that no one else in the entire world has."

"And what would that be?" she murmured somewhat sourly.

"My complete trust."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"On the contrary." He caught her gaze, but looking at her reassuringly did not soothe her. "I have never trusted anyone, not until I met you, that is. You're different from the others. You've shown me that I can trust you to keep me safe. You are perhaps the only person that I can freely talk to without feeling awkward; you are the only person, I realized, that can truly comfort me."

Kakashi found himself placing his gloved hand on her shoulder, his action catching her by surprise. "I really do love you, Sakura," he confessed properly, unlike the time when he hurriedly spit it all out before rushing into the safety of the bathroom. "I understand that I am fourteen years your senior and that I was once your sensei. I know that I can very well be looked down upon by the entire village if this secret were to somehow get out, but nothing will ever stop me from feeling this way about you. It would be reasonable if you don't feel the same way, but I'd very much still like to remain friends, or at least try to."

"Kakashi…" She glanced elsewhere, swallowing nervously, and pulled away from his grasp.

"It's fine if you can't return the same affection, Sakura. I understand," he chuckled forcefully, the pain evident behind his tone.

"It's not that I don't feel the same way," she explained silently. "I just don't know what I'm feeling. There are just too much things beyond my comprehension. I don't have an answer for you yet. I'm sorry…"

He nodded, rubbing the cold spot behind his neck.

"But I agree. For now, we should just stay friends." Sakura smiled at him, the sincerity behind her faintly glowing eyes truthful.

He tried to return the smile, knowing that they would still be able to be friends for the time being.

But why was he still hurting?

There was a sudden tapping against the wall behind them. Kakashi stood still while Sakura spun around to confront their visitor.

"Shikamaru? How long have you been there?"

Kakashi turned to look over his shoulder at the mentioned name, greeting the dark-haired ninja with a small eye crinkle.

"I just arrived recently," said Shikamaru. "Kiba and Neji were wondering if you're alright? I thought you were only going to fetch Kakashi, not stay and hang out with him."

Her face flushed red with embarrassment and fury. "We were just catching up, gee! Can't two teammates bond every once in a while?"

She grunted as she brushed her way past the shadow user. She propped the door open and looked back at Kakashi. "You coming in?"

"I'll be there shortly," he waved her off lazily.

Nodding, she re-entered the cafe and strode her way toward the table. Kakashi released a harsh breath and leaned against the railing facing Shikamaru, observing him as he played with Asuma's old lighter.

"How long have you really been there, Shikamaru?" inquired the Copy Ninja.

"Didn't I just answer that question?" yawned the boy.

"You know exactly what I mean."

Shikamaru lifted his chin and crossed his arms. "Not long enough to hear your entire conversation, but long enough to hear your confession to Sakura."

"If you tell a single soul…" Kakashi's voice began to quiver and shake with uneasiness.

"I promise you, I'm not that kind of a person. Just be sure to keep an eye out for Ino, though. She'd blabber everything to the entire nation," mumbled Shikamaru. "I doubt Sakura would tell her, however. She seemed pretty serious about keeping this entire situation to herself, or so I've noticed for the past few days. I finally understand now why you two have been acting so strangely."

"You certainly have a keen eye. Just like your father."

The young shinobi hummed in response, giving Kakashi an odd stare. "Are you sure you're okay?"

The man blinked confusingly. "What do you mean?"

"It seems like you must really like Sakura. Are you okay with just being friends?" clarified Shikamaru.

Kakashi shrugged. "Of course. Besides, it wouldn't be right if we actually got together…"

"Kakashi," Shikamaru sighed, scratching his head, "I know I probably can't change your mind, but there is nothing wrong with falling in love, whether you're many years apart or not."

The silver-haired ninja did not reply. The young accomplice, shaking his head, returned back inside. Kakashi was left alone and he resumed gazing up at the night sky.

* * *

**_A/N:_** I showered you guys with sprinkles of sorrow, didn't I?

**_Some things you should know:_**

1) This chapter was perhaps, by far, the most difficult chapter I have ever written. With all of my homework and both mental and physical stress, including all of these brain farts and doubts, it was extremely hard to plot and type.

2) I wrote the chapter two times and rewrote them. This is the third time I've rewritten it.

3) It is probable that there might not be a lemon (or sex scene) in the next following chapters. My apologies to those who've been wanting one, but I don't know if I'll be able to fit one in due to the amount of distress and conflicts built up. If I did write one, it probably would have been really awkward.

4) There will approximately be 3-4 chapters left? Maybe 5? It depends on how long I want each chapter to be. I've already plotted out the next couple of scenes, but again, it might be another exceedingly long process.

_**Q&A Time!**_

animagirl asked: When are they going to sleep together?

My answer: Again, I am not one hundred percent sure, but probably not. We'll see.

Anonymous asked: Do you plan on creating more KakaSaku stories after this one?

My answer: Of course! KakaSaku is number one on my list! Expect a lot of KakaSaku one-shots and perhaps multi-fics from me in the future!

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**_Reviews Are Appreciated!_**


	15. Agonizing

_**A/N:**_ Finally managing to get back up on my feet after a couple of rough weeks. Things have been lightening up. Grades are getting better, life is going sweet, and my parents won't stop bothering me about an award I received for getting a 4.0 for the first semester. Ugh, haha. It's all good though. I do have STAR testing (also known as State Testing) in a few weeks, finals following soon after. Wish me luck!

Alright, now this chapter might be a bit…bittersweet? A few of you have been pleading for a lemon recently. Now, did I put one in this chapter? You shall find out. Read, my dear children. Read. *waves hands in a shooing motion* (:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto

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_**Mistake**_

_**Chapter Fifteen: Agonizing**_

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Sakura gently dragged the tip of her fork across the plate, pushing and stabbing at the untouched leftovers. She muted the conversation between Kiba and Neji and pondered about Kakashi's whereabouts. She had returned to the table nearly ten minutes ago, expecting to see the jonin following her soon after. Instead, he remained absent and of course, she became worried. Fortunately, Shikamaru had volunteered to seek him out and drag him back inside.

But it was taking him unusually long. Surely, it could not be that difficult to persuade that man to come back inside.

Sighing heavily, she gazed out the window beside her, watching as the summer fireflies drifted around in the humid atmosphere, their lights glowing faintly in the dark. Sakura thought back to the explanation Kakashi had recently given her. She could tell that he was telling the truth about his feelings. With him being an expert at creating excuses and diversions, he could have easily covered it up. Yet, despite that fact, he still chose to face her honestly. Did he truly feel that strongly about her?

Her fingers dug into the silky felt of her sleeveless jacket, just above the area where her heart sat, beating extremely fast. She was not being deceit with him; Sakura really did not know how she felt about this entire situation. Did she want to share those mutual feelings, or did she rather prefer to remain friends? The things that had happened between her and Kakashi would certainly be unforgettable; they were soft, tangible moments that she would forever cling onto. They both had gone through a barrage of emotionally frustrating conflicts, so much that she was not sure where she stood with him. They had become intimate a few times before, but managed to seize their actions before it got too far. Did this mean that they were still standing on friendly grounds, or were now dangerously toppling over the border line of passionate sexual desire?

The pink-haired kunoichi averted her gaze from the outdoor scenery to the entrance of the cafe. Shikamaru was approaching her steadily, but was not accompanied by the Copy Ninja.

Disappointment immediately washed over her and in an attempt to hide it, she smiled at the dark-haired ninja. "Where is Kakashi?" she asked, curiously.

"I tried telling him that it was getting quite lonesome without him around," mumbled Shikamaru, sliding into the seat beside her, "but he said that he wanted to take a walk around the village. Once the man makes up his mind, there is no stopping him."

Sakura frowned, knowing that what he said was inevitably true. Kakashi always had his way, no matter the conditions. Even if someone was to insist on him, he would flee with such agility that it made people question whether they were actually sharing a short conversation with him or were simply imagining it all.

"I see," she murmured distastefully. "Well there's no helping that."

Shikamaru took notice to her bitterness, but thankfully he dismissed it and refocused on the topic Kiba and Neji were discussing. Deciding that she would stop mulling over her predicaments, she also began to listen, hoping to drive her frustrations away for a little while.

Neji was frantically worrying about Hinata's safety and well-being, for she was currently dating Naruto. The Hyuga named many reasons why Naruto would be an inadequate spouse for her in the future if they were to become engaged, such as his sloppy behavior and lack of common sense. Kiba, on the other hand, tried to reassure Neji that Hinata would be fine and would teach Naruto to become better behaved instead of being affected by him. Sakura found this discussion quite foolish; it was far too early to be thinking about future husbands or wives. Judging by the bored, irritated expression on the shadow-user's face, he felt the same way.

A frown found its way back to her pink lips and she closed her eyes. She released a deep breath as her eyebrows knitted. It was no use. There was no possible way to get rid of her concerns. They would forever follow her like the plague, never leaving her mind, always tainting her memories with bittersweet sorrow.

Shaking her head, Sakura excused herself from the table once more. The summer breeze was fresh and cool against her skin as she exited the cafe. She leaned against the rusted railing, her head craning from one side to another while she scanned the barren dirt roads. It was dim outside and only the moon and faint light from the cafe illuminated the place from where she stood. It was unusually silent, but then again, they were lodging in a small village. Compared to the Hidden Leaf, the population here was well below one hundred.

Sakura took one last quick observation of her surroundings before burying her face into her hands.

There was still no sign of Kakashi. Was he not intending to return to the cafe?

Cursing silently under her breath, she lowered herself so that her chin would be resting on her crossed arms propped on the railing. There was a small clanging sound and she realized that her necklace was sitting on the banister, hanging loosely from her neck.

Blinking confusedly, she recalled that it had been a belated birthday gift given to her by Kakashi. It was a beautiful jade necklace, one that she would treasure forever. It was of great importance to her, but she did not know why. It was the very first real present Kakashi had ever granted and from time to time she wondered about the true purpose. It was unlike him to suddenly do such a thing. In fact, she couldn't even remember a moment where he had given anyone a gift, let alone treat them with something simple and nice.

Sakura glared at the necklace dangling beneath her, the memories of that day seeping right back into her. Something about Kakashi seemed different then. He was treating her with a delicacy she had never seen before. He could have given her the present then when they were in the presence of the Hokage, but instead he pulled her away from the large crowds. He could have simply told her, "Happy birthday, Sakura." Instead, he showered her with little sprinkles of his kindness and care.

_"I want a part of me to be with you forever, so you don't feel lost and forgotten. Don't think I don't understand you, Sakura. I do. I know when you're feeling down and I know when you're feeling unhappy. I understand that you were worried about me, but you don't need to be worried anymore."_

His words echoed in her ears, tunefully, continuously. They were soft, soothing; they were capable of lulling her to sleep. As her hand gently carefully onto the beryl jewel, she found herself being embraced by his comfort. But, although he had told her many times to not worry over him, she couldn't bring herself to trust that he was okay.

She_ knew_ that he was not okay and she _knew_ that he was hurting.

And she knew that, for some odd reason, she was hurting too.

"Sakura." A hand, too small to be a man's but too large to be a female's, firmly tugged at her shoulder. Sakura straightened herself and turned to confront Shikamaru, her emerald eyes trying to search his dark, ominous ones.

His gaze flickered at the necklace that was now visibly settled around her collarbone, but he made no remark about it. "Are you trying to leave us to pay the check?" he accused half-jokingly. The lazy smile plastered onto his face was fake. It was only an attempt to avoid her growing pain and concern, but Sakura greatly appreciated the effort.

"No," she smiled slightly. "Have I been out here for that long?"

"Nah," he assured, waving it off, "I paid for the meal. My treat."

Her mouth fell agape. "Shika—"

Shikamaru instantly shook his head. "My. Treat."

Before Sakura could protest any more, Kiba and Neji filed out of the cafe, their lips turning into satisfied smiles. Kiba greeted her with a rambunctious wave while Neji simply nodded at her, acknowledging her presence. After sharing a short conversation, they began their tread back to the inn. She was still feeling a tad bit guilty that Shikamaru took the liberty of paying for all of their meals, but whenever she tried to get the ninja's attention he would only roll his eyes and mutter a quick, "Troublesome." Sakura finally gave up within the following few minutes after coming to realize that he would not allow her to pay him back.

It was not long before they arrived at their destination. Kiba, Shikamaru, Neji, and Sakura parted ways once they reached the lobby, the three boys leaving to go to their rooms, the pinkette going to her own. It was deadly silent in the hallways and she assumed that it was getting late. The whereabouts of the mysterious Copy Ninja were still unknown and it made her wonder if he retreated back to their room to get an early rest.

Unfortunately, when she entered their room there was no sign of the jonin. His bed remained untouched, the sheets still smoothly laid out on top of the mattress, the pillows sitting in a perfect arrangement. A tad pinch of disappointment filled her, but she dismissed the feeling and trudged lazily to her bedside. She managed to find her knapsack in the darkness and her hand reached in to retrieve her pajamas; a blunt red T-shirt and gray spandex.

Sakura soon strode fleetingly into the bathroom. Despite the fact that she was all alone, she still felt like the privacy was necessary and she firmly locked the door. She started the shower and she stripped herself bare, not minding where the clothes landed. Eventually, Sakura stepped underneath the pouring hot water. Her muscles immediately relaxed and she let out a pleased groan, her eyelids fluttering closed.

She lost track of time and was unaware of how many minutes had passed before she exited the shower, but considering that her fingertips were beginning to prune, it must have been quite a while. After patting herself dry and dressing into her new pair of clothing, she stared into the mirror and observed her fogged reflection.

The last time Sakura looked at her reflection was before all of this madness occurred. She assumed that she had grown considerably, both mentally and physically. It was definite that her maturity was perhaps the strongest out of all of the people in the village, and many of her comrade's remarks about her personality only confirmed it. She had also developed an exquisite feminine figure. She couldn't remember the last time she had such remarkable curves, not to mention that she was well defined with muscles obtained from years' worth of training with the Hokage.

There was a momentary period of silence and then all of a sudden, a soft rapping echoed in the room, interrupting her train of thought.

Sakura immediately recognized the chakra signature and burst from the small washroom. She hurriedly rushed to the closed window where a lean shadow rested tiredly against the outside of the glass. The window was pried open in a matter of seconds and the man nearly fell through. Holding him up, the pink-haired girl looked pitifully at her drunk, former sensei.

"Sorry I'm late," he teased dryly, his lone eye capturing her gaze. "I ran into a couple of children who were utterly amazed by my excellent, demeaning appearance. I am positive that they all respected me."

A small smile found its way to her lips. "Sounds a lot like the old Team Seven, Kakashi."

The silver-haired ninja did not respond, but only grunted. She assisted him to his bed, helping him settle beneath the covers, propping his back against the wooden headboard. The scent of alcohol permeated her nostrils and sent a wave of tremors throughout her body. The strong odor reminded her of the time when she ran into him at the new bar and drank herself to a drunken stupor while he watched curiously. She wondered, how could such simple things bring back such painful memories?

She chewed onto her bottom lip and pushed the thoughts away. Her attention returned to Kakashi and she found that he was hacking continuously behind that dreaded mask that was surely stained with different kinds of liquor. Sighing, she made an effort to rummage through her medical supplies to find something that could possibly help him with his future hangover. She discovered a remedy in a nick of time and she handed it to him, along with her half-filled water bottle.

With sloppy, distorted movements, Kakashi pulled his mask down to his chin, inserted the pill into his mouth, and swallowed an unnecessarily huge gulp of water. He released a satisfied breathy gasp afterward and his head slowly fell backward. Kakashi looked absolutely terrible. His appearance was more shaggy than the last time she had seen him. His skin was pale white and his silver hair hung lifelessly in front of his forehead. His sole eye was struggling to stay open and it was hard to tell whether he was gazing at her.

Sakura wasn't sure if she had ever seen Kakashi this drunk. There were moments back then where he drank a couple of shots or downed a few glasses of tequila, but there was never anything more than that. Was he so distraught that he finally broke down?

She couldn't help but to feel guilty for all of this. She truly, sincerely did not know how she felt about him. She was unable to comprehend the feelings he gave her. A little bit was infatuation and perhaps even an attraction, but did she care for him as much as he did for her? Did she even love him?

Love. It was a wretched word that often tore her insides apart. She was afraid of loving someone, afraid of having her heart broken all over again. The pain was extreme and she wouldn't be able to bear another heartbreak.

"Sakura," came the slightly slurred voice of her mission partner. "You're thinking too hard."

Sakura blinked, then forced a small chuckle. "I suppose I am," she realized, tucking an errant strand of pink hair behind her ear.

"You need to relax," he replied, covering his mouth with the back of his hand as he hiccuped.

Her emerald eyes softened. "You shouldn't be talking. You told us you were just going to go for a walk, but instead you drank yourself silly."

"I am not drunk."

"Yes, Kakashi, you are."

"Not," protested Kakashi, groggily.

Her eyebrows knitted and she pondered for a moment, wondering how to appropriately approach this predicament. After taking a few minutes to decide, Sakura's petite hand found its way to his shoulder and she squeezed it comfortingly. "Kakashi, tell me…why did go out and do this to yourself?"

He looked elsewhere. "Do what?"

"You always drink responsibly. This is the very first time I've seen you completely wasted."

"I most certainly am…not wasted. I am still sober."

She frowned. "Barely."

Kakashi exhaled and he rubbed his temples frustratingly. "I just wanted to forget."

The pink-haired kunoichi gazed at him quizzically, not quite understanding his point. "Forget?" she echoed confusedly.

"I want to forget the pain and frustration…all of these odd emotions, to be exact," he confessed gravely. "I regret telling you how I feel about you. You probably think lowly of me. I even lusted after you, for Kami's sake. I'm a dirty, degrading man. I'm…I'm worthless."

It was his lack of self-control that was causing this sudden eruption of confessions, she assumed. But of course, there was no way that these could be lies. In even the worst state he told the absolute truth. Kakashi was a straightforward man and he accepted all of his own flaws with a warm embrace, but for some reason he kept his pain closer. He never let go of his past mistakes and he constantly looked back at them and ridiculed himself because of what happened before.

It was horrible. Sakura couldn't stand seeing him like this.

Almost immediately, she threw her arms around him and buried her face in the crook of his neck. His masculine scent, along with the eye-watering stench of alcohol, filled her lungs, intoxicating her and making it hard to breath. His body stiffened and he made no movement to return the comfort, but she remained still, one of her knees propping up on the bedside and sliding between his legs to keep herself stable. He felt cold and he radiated an emptiness that nearly sickened her.

"Kakashi," she attempted with a soft coo. "Please, I'm begging you, stop this nonsense."

The two Leaf shinobi lapsed into a period of silence, neither of them bothering to say anything nor budge from their position. Kakashi's arms eventually snaked around her waist, his hands linking on the other side. Sakura felt a sudden rush solace as she rested within the jonin's grasp. Tucking her head beneath his chin, she released a breathy sigh and closed her eyes. She wanted to retreat, but at the same time she wanted to stay and be embraced by this man.

"Sakura, I can't tell if you want to remain friends or progress in this relationship," came the muffled murmur of the Copy Ninja.

She did say that they should remain friends, didn't she?

Truth be told, she wasn't even sure if the decision she made earlier tonight was correct. She thought that it would be for the best, but now she was aware that there wouldn't be anything that could possibly stop the both of them from crossing and blurring those boundaries. It was impossible to seize their share of affection. She cared about him, really, but then the topic brought up the same question: Did she love him?

Chewing the inside of her cheek, she ignored his comment and recoiled. She adjusted herself so that she would be sitting properly on the edge of his mattress, her back turned toward him. Sakura inhaled slowly. "You need to go to sleep, Kakashi."

There was no response of some sort. Deciding that she would give him one final check up and tuck him into bed, she looked over her shoulder, only to be greeted by a soft pair of lips. Emerald eyes widened as he softly kissed her, his fingers gently lifting her chin, making her body tremble tremendously. By the time she finished registering what was happening, he broke the kiss and pressed his cheek against hers.

"I love you, Sakura."

Her heart nearly stopped at those words and she knew that she would never get used to hearing that. His head fell limp onto her shoulder and it became obvious that he was out cold. Carefully, she lowered him onto his bed and pulled the covers over his chest.

For the longest time she stared at him, the glow beneath her dark lashes dying out.

"Friends…or lovers," Sakura debated in a hushed whisper. "I don't know where we stand anymore, Hatake."

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**_Some Things You Should Know:_**

1) Yeah, as you can see, there is no lemon. I am absolutely sure that there will not be any lemons but that half lemon in (I think it was) Chapter 10. I tried, really, I did. I tried writing a lemon, but it was extremely difficult and with all of the current angst, there was no way I could have fit it in. I am terribly, terribly, terribly sorry. I really am. Sorry for the disappointment. ;_;

2) It took me such a long time to plot this chapter out. I also rewrote this chapter a couple of times as well. I just kept having continuous brain farts and with all of the upcoming testing, it will be even more hectic in the future.

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**_Reviews Are Appreciated_**

**_(Thank you to all of you readers out there!)_**


	16. No More Tears

_**A/N:** _ This story is soon coming to a closure. I'm guessing in perhaps about three chapters? Also, I'd very much appreciate it if you'd check out the poll on my profile page. It would certainly be interesting to see all of your opinions. _**What story would you like to see next? Check the poll out on my profile page!**_**_  
_**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto

**_Warning: There will be some minor mature content towards the end of this chapter. Just be aware!_**

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**_Mistake_**

**_Chapter Sixteen: No More Tears_**

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Panting heavily Sakura leaped from one tree limb to another, trailing closely behind Shikamaru, who was leading their squad through the humid, compact forest. They had made their departure from the small village early in the morning. Sakura had to triple check to see whether they gathered all of their belongings. It would have been clumsy of them to leave traces behind. More importantly, it would have served as a great lead to their whereabouts if their enemies were to search for them.

She most certainly did not want that.

Shikamaru abruptly dropped from the branch ahead of her and she mimicked his action. The dust from the trail below began to cloud around them as the rest of the squad joined them. The dark-haired ninja observed their surroundings before turning to face them with a nonchalant expression. Shrugging, he suggested, "It's been a couple of hours since we've been traveling. I'm sure you're all exhausted, considering how fast our pace had been. How about it, Kakashi? Should we take a break?"

Sakura glanced back at the said man to see a pair of stoic eyes staring out at the open sky. Their trip had been awfully silent and she never got the chance to converse with him since the night before. First thing in the morning, he was already up and ready to go, as if he never drank himself to a drunken stupor. Having a ton of preparations of her own in her hands left her no room to talk to him.

Jumping from tree to tree didn't leave much for her to do anything about it either, and the fact that her other teammates were nearby made it practically impossible to approach the jonin without having a nervous breakdown.

"Fifteen minutes is the maximum. We're already almost halfway to the Hidden Leaf. It's best if we exert all of our effort and get there quick," Kakashi stated dully, shrugging his knapsack off his shoulders and letting it drop to the ground beneath him. The rest of the members followed his movements, setting away their belongings so that they could rest properly. Kakashi, sighing, stuffed his gloved hands into his pockets and began trudging toward their adjacent wing.

Blinking, Sakura watched as he stepped over a small shrub. "Where are you going?"

"Nature calls," he said before disappearing behind a cluster of leaves.

Her gaze lingered on the spot where he disappeared a little longer before she sat within a hollow dent in the base of a large tree trunk. Weaving her fingers together, her beryl eyes fell to her lap. She wondered, just how much did he remember of the previous night?

Sakura silently huffed and retrieved her water bottle. She took small, slow sips as her mind trailed back to Kakashi. He loved her, but she did not know how she felt. When they arrived at the village, certainly life wouldn't resume its regular routine. It would be completely different. What if the distance between them grew? What would happen then?

Truthfully, she didn't want to grow distant. He was an important person and it would simply feel empty without him present. Although he ridiculed himself for not being their for her when she needed a shoulder to lean on, she was grateful. He wasn't a terrible sensei like he thought he was and he was a great influence. Not only that, but she actually enjoyed his odd perversion.

Without him…she would…have absolutely nothing.

Realizing what was reeling through her head, Sakura groaned loudly and slumped further back against the tree trunk.

Her friends gave her noticeably confused glances and she brought her hands over her face to shield her blooming red cheeks from sight.

"Sakura-chan?" started Neji.

"I'm sorry," she apologized quickly, her arms dropping back to her sides. "I'm just tired and I miss Konoha."

Shikamaru eyed her shortly before his attention returned to the half eaten onigiri rice ball resting in the palm of his hands. For a moment, she thought she saw a spark of suspicion within his barren eyes, but she assumed it was only her mind's trickery.

Kiba nodded in agreement. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, it has," she answered slowly.

The group of ninja lapsed into a period of silence. The atmosphere was filled with nothing but the sound leaves rustling from the light breeze and the running water in a stream nearby. Sakura found herself dozing off a bit and it was spontaneously amazing that she managed to keep her head up.

She was exhausted from the constant sprinting and this was their first break since the start of the trip. She was sure this would also be their last.

Normally, it would take a week to travel far distances like this. It took her and Kakashi approximately three to four days, which wasn't as bad. They did not consume a lot of energy and they were not hurrying away from dangerous rogue ninja. Unlike then, today they would be arriving at Konoha within the next few hours.

She was tired, as well as everyone else. She could speak for her entire team. They all just wanted to get on home and collapse on their beds.

All of a sudden, Shikamaru stood up. "Now where could Kakashi have run off to?"

Rubbing her eyes, she tipped her head slightly to the right. "Shikamaru, what on earth are you talking about?"

"It's been almost five minutes since he left to answer 'nature's call'. I'm sure taking care of his business doesn't take that long."

Her lips quirked into a frown. "Just what are you suggesting? That he's been ambushed?"

"Perhaps so?" shrugged Neji, joining the conversation. Kiba nodded reluctantly in agreement.

"Well if he went to do his business, he shouldn't have gone far," started Sakura, "so we would have heard the signs of an ambush."

"Then maybe he's struggling with his body." The pink-haired kunoichi looked at Shikamaru questioningly, unsure about what point he was trying to get through. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and clarified, "Injuries could have caused his delay. Is anyone aware about any wounds that he might have?"

Emerald eyes instantly widened. "His back."

"His…back?" The shadow-user echoed, glancing at her with a raised brow.

Scrambling to her feet, she pulled her knapsack over her shoulders. "His back…he attained a large X-shaped wound from the battle yesterday!" Worry overcoming her senses, Sakura hurriedly rushed to the grouping of leaves where Kakashi had disappeared behind, not bothering to listen to her comrades' calls.

Her pulse quickening, she frantically searched the area, double-checking each section to see whether or not he was there. Just then, she heard a soft crackling of twigs and a low, aggravated hiss. Carefully and precise, she made her way toward where the sound had emerged from. When a lean, masculine figure resting against a tree came into view, the girl sighed in relief.

Holding a hand to her hip, she said, "Kakashi Hatake."

The man's head snapped up and his one-eyed glare captured her. It was a couple of seconds before he gave a sheepish eye crinkle and a small wave. "Yo, Sakura. I was just finishing up my business."

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed. "It doesn't take five minutes for a man to take a piss, Kakashi."

He appeared taken aback by her bold statement, almost stupefied, in fact. Knowing that there was no escaping this, he unsteadily turned around and began stripping himself of his flak vest, then pulled the hem of his dark linen sweater over his head and left the clothing hanging on his arms. The large wound on his sculpted back was visible once again.

Apparently, he had disposed of the bandage without having her knowing. The wound was bleeding heavily and it would be no surprise if his sweater had been stained. It must have been icky to have been traveling in such conditions. With all of the sweat and blood, it must have been extremely sticky and gross. It made her skin crawl just thinking about it.

Fortunately for the both of them, it was not as worse as it was before. It would most likely take a few reattaching and another new bandage before he'd be in perfect shape.

"You know what to do, Doc," he cajoled, interrupting her train of thought.

Rolling her eyes, Sakura approached him and her hands began to glow green as they hovered above the torn flesh. "I prefer that you don't call me that."

He twitched uncomfortably. "Is it…infected?" There was an obvious tone of disgust behind his throaty voice.

"Thankfully, no. Just please don't remove the bandage again, unless you'd rather visit the hospital when we get back."

"Alright, alright."

"Promise me?"

"I'm not very good when it comes to keeping promises, but I'll try just for you."

At least he was going to make an effort.

Sakura finished reattaching the skin and began to wrap a new roll of bandages around his body. Kakashi was less tense, which signified that he was feeling far much better. Once she finished, he changed back into his clothes and turned to look back at her, his mask still pooled around his collarbone. She swallowed nervously and she found herself being captivated under his intensifying gaze. Had she not known that he was studying her, she would have retreated right away.

Finally, he spoke. "I apologize about last night."

She blinked, her mind slowly processing what he told her. "How much…do you remember?"

"To be quite honest, barely enough. I keep questioning myself whether it was all real or simply just a dream," he answered subtly.

Nodding, she turned toward the opposite direction, her back facing him. "Mm."

"I usually don't overwhelm myself with alcohol, but I got carried away. Again, I'm sorry for putting you through that." Although she wasn't looking at him, the guilt was evident within his shaky words.

"You…" Her voice trailed off and she tucked an errant strand of her pink hair behind her ear. Keeping her eyes glued to the dewy grass below, she continued softly, "You said that you wanted to forget. That you wanted to forget all of the pain and frustration…"

They fell into a period of silence and there was an awkward shuffling coming from behind her.

Sighing, she closed her eyes and pressed her lips together. All of the pain and distraught he was enduring — was it her fault? Had she been hurting him with her ignorance and her constant reassuring that it was okay when it really wasn't? Was she hurting him by trying to distance herself from him? Ever since they were put together to work on this mission, everything started going downhill from there. Kakashi's emotional state at last broke down and shattered into tiny pieces of debris. It was a tragic sight to behold, and it left her feeling very hollow.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Sakura—"

"No, no," she bit out. "I'm the one that should be sorry."

She could hear him taking a hesitant step forward. "Sakura."

"No, Kakashi. Stop denying it. I know that _I'm_ the one that has been hurting you. I've been paining you all this time, and I never even realized it because of how ignorant I am," Sakura croaked. "I was foolish, thinking that I could mend the wounds by doing a bunch of useless crap. I'm a horrible person."

Guilty tears stung her eyes and she began to furiously wipe them away. She didn't want him to see her cry. It was humiliating.

There was a momentary silence before footsteps were heard once again. A faint shadow hid her from the sun's warm rays and she daringly glanced up to see Kakashi staring down at her pitifully. His face neared and soon enough, the tips of their noses were touching. Sniffling quietly, she avoided his gaze as his thumb traced down her cheek, wiping away one of her frustrated tears. "Don't say that," he whispered almost too silently to hear. "Don't ever say that."

His lips were so very close and she was tempted to close the distance between them. Shuddering tremendously at the sudden intake of breath of her mission partner, her hand shakily rose to grasp onto his flak jacket to keep herself steady. She wanted to melt into his arms and be wrapped by his loving warmth. It was a comfort she had always sought for and it was simply indescribable. Every time she tried to keep herself away, she always found herself getting closer and closer to him.

He straightened himself and eased back a bit, placing a gentle hand on top of her head. His eyes were glazed with sadness that she simply couldn't bear to look at. Just then, Kakashi forced a plastered smile. His index finger hooked onto the edge of his mask and it brought it back up to the bridge of his nose, hiding all of his emotions from sight. He patted her head softly and began his trudge back to the squad's check point in his usual idle posture as if nothing had ever happened.

Blinking confusedly, Sakura tried to comprehend what was going on. Moments later she came to an understanding that he wished to avoid this topic for a while and politely granted his wish. It was something she did not rather feel comfortable talking about as well.

Following him, they wound around the large grouping of trees before finally emerging from the bushes. Kiba was the first to notice their presence and he waved them over barbarically. "Heyo! What took so long, Sakura-chan?" His nose suddenly cringed. "And do I smell blood?"

Neji and Shikamaru grew slightly alarmed. Swatting her hand in the air and shaking her head, Sakura replied, "Kakashi's injury somehow managed to reopen, like I had surmised."

"If Kakashi-senpai is injured, then should we slow down our traveling pace for his sake?" questioned Neji, worriedly.

"No, I'm perfectly fine," insisted Kakashi, shrugging his shoulders lazily.

Shikamaru hummed. "I think it's best if we trust the expert medic nin for this one. My apologies, Kakashi."

The said man simply repeated his previous action and eyed her, giving her the signal to get on with it. Scratching the side of her head, she explained, "Well, it was originally very deep, but the wound already started taking on its regular healing course. I was able to sow his skin back together so it shouldn't bleed again. As long as he does not involve himself with extremely vigorous activity, Kakashi should be, as he just said, perfectly fine."

"And there you have it," cut in the jonin. "Now, shall we take off?"

"Hai," mumbled Shikamaru, rolling his shoulders.

He immediately took off, followed by Neji, then Kiba. Kakashi glanced at Sakura shortly before leaping off into the distance. Sighing, she mimicked him. By the time she caught up to him, her heart was already beating fast and hard against her chest. She was still fatigued from their previous tread and she longed for longer break, but she knew that they needed to get back to the village as soon as they can.

Blowing her hair out of her face, she looked at the man speeding beside her. All this time, she had been hurting him and causing him more and more pain than he could ever handle. It was now well known that she was the root cause of all of these branching predicaments. If she just hadn't done that one thing that day, maybe, just maybe, none of this would have ever happened.

Raking in a deep breath, she forced all of the conflicting contents out of her mind and began to concentrate on the task at hand. Assuming that they were about halfway to their destination, it would take them approximately three to four hours if they continued to travel at this pace.

Sakura couldn't wait to get home. The first few things she would do once they arrived would be to stuff herself silly, take a long hot bat, and then sleep in until the following afternoon. It sounded like a pretty satisfying plan.

Before she could smile to herself in delight, Kakashi tackled her with full force, his strong arms weaving around her slender waist and bringing her closer to his chest. Blinking in surprise at the sudden collision, she stared wide-eyed at the explosion bursting above them as they fell to the ground with a harsh thud. The loud bursts were almost deafening and she could barely hear her partner breathing against the crook of her neck.

It was moments until Kakashi finally removed himself from her. He took a quick glance over his shoulder at the clouds of smoke, then redirected his attention at her. "You alright?" he asked, pulling a kunai from his holster.

Nodding slowly, she watched as he pulled himself to his feet. He helped her stand up and she observed her surroundings, noticing how much damage the trees had taken from the abrupt explosion. Shikamaru, Kiba, and Neji were nowhere to be seen, but she assumed they were okay.

Shakily, she retrieved her combat gloves from her pouch and put them on. It was obvious now that they were being ambushed.

"We need to find Shikamaru and the others," she started worriedly.

Kakashi shook his head. "I'm sure they're fine. Right now, we need to defend ourselves." He placed one foot back and bent his knees slightly, his neck craning as he scanned the area with haste. "One is coming from north, the other coming from your left flank," he informed, "I call north. If you need assistance, fall back. I won't be far."

The silver-haired ninja took off instantly, leaving her alone to confront one of the perpetrators. Clenching her fists, she waited patiently for the attack. Just then, a large scythe was launched at her from the grove of bushes. Focusing her chakra in her fists, she deflected the weapon and watched as an all-familiar figure leaped out to catch it.

Hitoshi seemed more different than the last time she had encountered him. He appeared more sinister, and the will to slaughter anything in his way was strong in his pale, lifeless eyes. This time, he was intent on killing her, and this time she knew he wouldn't let her go without a fight.

"We meet again," he murmured, stalking back and forth in front of her, swinging his scythe from side to side. "Sakura Haruno, is it?"

Her breath hitched at the sound of his hoarse voice. "How'd you track us down?"

"Oh, it was certainly difficult. We actually had to pay quite a few people back at the town a visit. Poor things," he sighed. "They could have lived a wonderful life if they only spoke the truth."

Sakura's lips twitched in anger and it took all of her strength to keep herself from foolishly throwing herself at him.

"How unfortunate," he continued with a drawl. "Surely, if you had only cooperated with us back then and gave us the scroll, then I assure you none of this would have ever happened. Hmm, how 'bout we negotiate for a bit?" His mouth curled into a wicked smile, his glare darkening.

He was playing with her, pushing her buttons and trying to make her temper snap like a twig. She was smart enough to know that letting all of her anger out at once would only be the cause of her downfall. Sucking in a deep breath, Sakura sped towards him and threw her fist at his cheek bone, focusing her energy so that it would create a chakra-like blade.

The tip of the blade skinned his cheek slightly as he successfully attempted to dodge the attack. His smile faltering, he took cover besides a large boulder. "I see you're serious about ending it once and for all," he sighed, running his fingers through his red silky hair. "Unfortunately for you, the same goes for me. I'm tired of looking at that pretty little face of yours."

And with that being said, he rushed at her, pulling his scythe back and flinging it at her with full force. She jumped over the flying weapon and made her way to his location, her fingers trembling with anticipation. All of a sudden, she felt a sharp, cold metallic blade lodge itself in her back. She screamed in agonizing pain as it dug deeper into her flesh, the tip barely scraping her spine. Gritting her teeth, Sakura stared at her opponent, noticing a very thin fishing line dangling in between his forefinger and thumb.

It had been a trick, one that anyone could have seen if they paid close attention.

Cursing beneath her breath, she set her arms back and took hold of the scythe, carefully and quickly pulling it out. Groaning as a painful jolt of electricity shot throughout her body, she threw the weapon back at Hitoshi, using it as a decoy so that she could heal a portion of her wound. It didn't give her enough time and she attempted to flee once she saw the rogue ninja coming at her again.

Landing on a thin branch just below the canopy of trees, she gripped onto the slim tree trunk. "Crap," she hissed, bringing her hand up only to see nothing but blood.

"Oh, where have you gone, Missus?" she heard the man call with a low growl. His voice and the footsteps were getting closer, making her shudder with utter discomfort. Deciding that she was no longer content with this game of cat and mouse, she silently leaped to the ground and wrapped her arms around the base of the tree. Lifting it with all her might, she spun it around and tossed it in the direction where his voice was heard.

There was an enormous tremor as the tree skidded across the dewy grass, a large dust cloud emerging. Breathing heavily, Sakura observed her surroundings, her pulse quickening at every single rustle in the forest. Never in her entire life had she been so anxious and frightened, and never had she attained such a deep, excruciating painful injury. It was her duty as a shinobi to handle these kinds of situations calmly and composed, but here she was now, freaking out like the little scrawny girl she used to be.

Biting her lip and furrowing her eyebrows, she took another quick glance of the sector. It was too silent. Had he gone elsewhere? Or had she gotten lucky and managed to hit him?

"There you are, my sweet."

Emerald eyes widened as she found herself being shoved to the ground. His hand gripped onto her hair and pushed her face down, one knee moving on top of her legs to keep her still from squirming. Her body twitched as she felt a finger trace around the wound on her back.

"My, oh my. I suppose I put a bit too much force into that attack, hmm?"

His face was close to her neck, his lips brushing against her paling skin. His breaths were hot and moist, and his voice was husky and rasp. Sakura tried to escape his grasp, but he only pinned her down like before.

"Well, it wouldn't be fun if I got rid of you here and now. How about…we play for a while?"

She felt his tongue trail up to her chin and she shook tremendously. She croaked, "You b-bastard…"

"Mm," he chuckled. "Don't complain. There's nothing you can do to stop me now."

His unoccupied hand slowly moved to the waistband of her shorts, his fingers wriggling its way beneath her underwear. Sakura's throat became dry as the tip of his index finger met her womanhood. Hitoshi immediately shoved two fingers inside of her and she shrieked, feeling violated and extremely disgusting. She pressed her lips together and tried to hold back her moans, knowing that she couldn't allow herself to satisfy him. But as he continued to finger her, the pace getting faster and faster, she realized that she was starting to gasp for air.

"S-Stop!" she begged, trying once again to free herself.

"Stop?" he echoed. "But I'm almost sure that you're enjoying it! I mean, after all, you do feel very, very wet and aroused."

His fingers pumped in and out of her, his thumb circling around her clit. Her eyelids clasped closed and she screamed as the hand on her head left to grope her breasts. "No, you fucking bastard!" she yelled, attempting to kick him.

"Settle down, Miss," he breathed, sucking at the skin on her shoulder. "We're almost done."

Sakura screamed, feeling the anger and frustration boiling in her chest and the tears welling in her eyes. She clenched her jaw, trying to think of a solution. Just then, his other hand planted firmly on the ground beside her head. Exhaling, she realized that her prayers were answered and she focused her chakra in her chest, feeling a heavy, gooey liquid forming in the back of her throat. Craning her neck slightly to the left, she bit onto his wrist and inserted all of the poison that she formed.

Hitoshi instantly yelped and staggered back, scrambling to his feet quickly. He stared at his trembling arm as it began to turn into a sickly greenish color. His lips parted to yell at her, but instead foam began to stream out. He hacked loudly, spatting blood out in various directions before collapsing to the ground, eyes wide and bloodshot, face pale white.

Sakura felt no regret as she slowly rose to her feet. There were a billion things that she wanted to do to punish him. He deserved more than hell, but knowing that it was no use holding a grudge against a dead person, she turned her back on the corpse and began to trudge deeper into the forest. All she wanted was to find Kakashi and the others and leave this damned place. She was sick and tired of this nonsense.

Shuddering, she wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. She was still shaking and she could barely keep her own balance. Pausing nearby a large tree, she held onto the trunk to keep herself steady. Sakura took in slow, deep breaths, hoping to calm herself. The last thing she wanted was to let her comrades see her like this.

She wasn't a little girl anymore. She wasn't a crybaby anymore. She needed to keep her act together.

No more crying. No more tears.

She was a strong and capable young woman, one that was praised by many. Even Kakashi told her so, and hearing that from a secluded, solitary man like him was practically a blessing.

Kakashi Hatake.

Why was she thinking about him at a time like this?

Exhaling, she fell back against the tree trunk. He was a good man, beneath all of those shells and barriers he put around himself. Of all the people she, he managed to get through her. Although he blames himself for the misfortunes brought to Team Seven, she appreciated him as both a mentor and a friend. He understood her more than anyone else did.

Shaking her head, she pushed herself from the tree and set off, feeling unusually eager to reunite with her team.

**_~ X x . . x X ~_**

When Kakashi finally defeated Fumio and found Sakura, he noticed that something was a bit off. He dismissed it at first and the both of them continued to search for Shikamaru, Kiba, and Neji. When they reunited with them, they were informed that they encountered the last and final member of the rogue ninja group. After exchanging information and making sure that the scroll was safely with them, they took off, ready to get back home.

Sakura's odd behavior began to noticeably become stronger as they traveled. Her pace was inconsistent; One moment she was speeding ahead and in the next she was falling behind. She winced every time someone accidentally brushed against her, jolted whenever someone tried to get her attention or patted her on the shoulder, and even distanced herself a little from him and the guys. There was also a distant look in her paling beryl eyes, one that not even he could decipher. Shikamaru and the others eventually became aware of her mysterious demeanor. Kiba made an attempt to question what was wrong, but she simply smiled and assured them everything was perfectly fine.

Sakura was never a good actor, nor liar. Everyone noticed, and Kakashi being her mentor for many years, it was especially easy for him to make note of it.

But knowing her, she wasn't going to stop putting up the act until she reached the high point of her limit.

Like Kakashi had surmised, approximately an hour later Sakura fell weak and stumbled from the branches above. Sighing, he made haste and caught her swiftly, careful with handling her as he landed on the field below them. The three other shinobi approached him soon after.

The young pink-haired kunoichi wobbled as he helped her get back onto her feet. He placed one hand on the small of her back to keep her steady. "Sakura, you don't look too well," he started silently, watching as her cold gaze flickered to him.

"I told you before, I'm fine." She paused shortly, her eyelids momentarily shutting. "I'm just tired and exhausted."

The jonin stared at her as she took an uneasy step away from him, her fingers moving upward to rub her temples. He shuddered, noticing that his hand felt sticky and moist. Glancing down, he saw that his glove was stained with sploshes of red. His eyebrows furrowed at the sight. "You're hurt," he pointed out.

She didn't bother to look at him as he took hold of her. Shikamaru, Kiba, and Neji came closer at the new observation, their faces illustrating concern and worry. "Sakura, how long have you had this?" Kakashi asked, raising a brow.

The kunoichi cleared her throat. "My chakra had been depleted so I couldn't do much to heal it."

"You're in that bad of a condition?" gawked Kiba, practically jumping.

"It's not that big of a deal," she denied tiredly.

"You obviously sound and look terrible," scolded Kakashi. "You should have told us sooner! Who knows how much blood you lost!"

"I am capable of taking care of myself!" retorted Sakura, spinning around to confront him.

"Well from what I've seen, you can't," he answered curtly, his lone eye narrowing.

They lapsed into a tense period of silence. The boys simply exchanged puzzled glances, tugging awkwardly at the collars of their sweaters. Kakashi glared at them before exhaling, running his hand through his disheveled silver mane. This was such a terrible time to argue.

"We've already had this conversation before," she said suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to go through it again."

His lips parted to say something, but nothing came out. Sighing, he looked over at their other teammates, making note of their awkward behavior, before shaking his head. Kakashi strode toward his former student and bent his knees slightly. "Get on."

"What?"

"I said get on."

"Kakashi, I can—"

"Please, don't protest anymore," he interrupted. "Just get on."

After a moment's hesitation, the girl complied. She linked her petite arms around his neck as his hands gripped onto her thighs to heave her further up his back. Taking in a deep breath, he motioned at Shikamaru to get going and followed the squad closely behind. Sakura pressed her cheek against the back of his neck, nuzzling her face deeper into the fabric of his flak vest.

"I'm sorry," he heard her murmur.

Kakashi cringed. "It's not your fault."

"Everything is always my fault and you know it."

The silver-haired Copy Ninja did not respond and focused on their journey. He didn't want to reply to that statement.

* * *

**_A/N:_**Well, sorry it's been a while! I apologize if Sakura being nearly raped was a bit crude, but it totally fitted the situation and I needed to add in another dramatic bit in for Kakashi and her to sort out themselves.

**_Again, please, please check the poll out on my profile! Thanks!_**

**_Reviews Are Appreciated!_**


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