{This fanfic takes place in the mysterious gap between Naruto Episode 135 and Naruto Shippuuden Episode 1 … ^.^ … I do not own Naruto in anyway… But if I did, you can be sure Kakashi and Sakura would be a couple}

Sakura had decided long ago that her life was a complete waste. She wasn't good for much, except smashing things. Her medical ninjustu training was going all right, but really, all the medical ninjustu in the world couldn't completely heal an injury during battle. Plus, it took so much chakra.

Sakura sighed and lay back, shutting her eyes. She was in her "thinking spot," the little clearing where Kakashi-sensei had first started Squad Seven's training. She smiled as she remembered the bells, Naruto's idiocy, and Sasuke's pure brilliance and obvious genius.

Her fists clenched.

Both of them had left her. Naruto, off doing some sort of perverted training with the ero-sennin. Sasuke… Well, she didn't want to think about Sasuke. Kakashi-sensei and she were all that were left of Squad Seven. And she didn't even get to see Kakashi-sensei very often, anyway! He was always off on some sort of A-rank mission that Sakura could only dream of.

Sakura stood from her grassy resting spot, and brushed off her clothes and legs. The grass always got all over her, and she didn't like it. In fact, now, she felt like she really didn't like anything. She was lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, and lonely. All she had keeping her in this world was her training.

She dug a foot in the soft earth. With one hand she took off her leaf headband, and threw it at the large generic tree that Naruto had found himself dangling from so many years ago. She gasped in surprise when a hand reached around from behind the trunk and caught it.

Kakashi-sensei stepped out from behind the tree.

"Hello, Sakura-chan." He brushed some hair out from in front of his un-sharingan eye.

Chan? Sakura thought. When did he start calling me Sakura-chan? They began walking towards each other. "Hi, Kakashi-sensei!" They faced each other in the middle of the field.

He frowned. Or at least, it appeared so. It's not like Sakura could really tell with that accursed cloth covering most of his face. "Sensei? Sakura, I'm not your sensei anymore. You can use –san, or, I don't know, -sama, if you want."

This made Sakura giggle inwardly. She tried to imagine sensei as a "sama…"

"Well, Kakashi-sama…" Sakura couldn't inwardly giggle at Kakashi-sensei's expression. His eyes widened, and Sakura could swear that he was blushing under his mask, if only it wasn't there. She decided she needed to get rid of that mask. She let out an outward laugh. "I'm only joking, Kakashi-sensei, you'll always be a sensei to me."

"Uh –all right, I was joking too." He looked sort of depressed. But still, there was that mask! What did he want to hide that was so important that he never removed his mask?

Then, Sakura noticed the silence. They weren't talking; they were sort of watching each other. And Sakura couldn't think of any other way to describe this silence than awkward. A gust of wind blew, and Sakura's hair swished around her face. She raised a hand to brush the hair from her eyes. She wasn't used to having to do that, because of her headband. But now her headband was in Kakashi-sensei's hands.

He thrust it towards her, the pink material clashing with his dark gloved hands. The wind messed up his hair so much that it wasn't sticking straight up anymore; it was sort of a wild mass of silver strands. Sakura liked his hair when it was messy.

"Thank you." Sakura said, finding that her cheeks were getting hot. She grabbed the headband and tied it in her hair again. The wind died down, but Sakura now noticed that dark clouds were gathered in the sky, and rain was beginning to fall –but only sprinkles.

"Rain," Kakashi-sensei noted.

"Rain," Sakura agreed.

"Rain… We should go somewhere so we don't get wet."

"We?"

"Yeah." Kakashi smoothed his hair down. Sakura let in a sharp intake of breath. His hair was really fabulous when wet, dark silver strands dripping.

"Where?" Sakura shifted uncomfortably. "I mean, where should we go?"

"Um, we could go to Ichiraku?"

"… Sensei?" That sounded suspiciously like a date.

"Or, um, if that's too weird I suppose I could just go." He raised a hand and was just waving goodbye when Sakura grabbed his shoulder.

"Okay! I'll go!" She half yelled, then dropped her hand and realized just how close the two were standing.

"Oh good." He looked down at her. "Nothing better than a bowl of hot ramen on a rainy day."

"Now you sound like Naruto." Kakashi's eyes narrowed (well, the visible one did at least.)

"I'm offended." The mask crinkled around his mouth though, so Sakura supposed he was smiling.

Another silence followed these words. But this silence was different, full of shared experience and the promise of something deep and forbidden.

**

They made their way to Ichiraku Ramen, which wasn't a very long walk, but just long enough for them to converse about the past year they hadn't seen each other. They walked close enough that sometimes a hand would brush a hip, or another hand, and Sakura was very aware of this. She wasn't sure if Kakashi-sensei was though. He seemed to be very pointedly fixed on the horizon ahead.

They got to Ichiraku, they ate at Ichiraku. Kakashi payed at Ichiraku. The whole time it was still drizzling, and Sakura was extremely cold –the whole time. She never told her sensei though, because then he might have insisted on doing something embarrassing like giving her his coat, or insisting that she come to his place to put on some dry clothes.

"You look freezing, Sakura. Do you want my coat? Or, no, you should come to my house and put on some dry clothes."

Sakura looked up from her empty ramen bowl in surprise. How did she know what he was going to say? Kakashi poked at his full bowl of ramen. He hadn't eaten a bite, and now pushed it in front of Sakura. "Here, or have some more hot ramen."

"No thanks, I'm stuffed." Sakura decided to ignore the fact that he had invited her over. Maybe if she didn't mention it neither would he…

"So, are you coming?"

He stood, put some money on Ichiraku's counter, and headed in the direction of his one room apartment. Sakura sighed and mentally gave herself a slap. He was just being teacher-ly, and he was worried about her –because he was her teacher. Her sensei. Her Kakashi-sensei…

They stopped walking in front of a first floor room in a small building. Room Five, it said. Sakura was reminded of the fact that she was fifteen. Never in all her life had she imagined she would live so long, just because of the idiotic dangers that were in a shinobi's life. But here she was. And speaking of age, she thought, Just how old is Kakashi-sensei anyways?

As he unlocked his apartment and opened the door, inviting her in with a gallant gesture, she muttered her question.

"What?" He closed the door behind him. The two removed their shoes.

Kakashi-sensei's room was medium sized, with hardwood floors and a bed in one corner, along with a dresser. The other half of the room was mostly blocked off by a marble counter, which separated the living space from the modern kitchen. A small door must have led to a bathroom. There was nowhere to sit, except –except the bed, Sakura realized. The bed looked inviting, actually. It was about up to Sakura's knee, and was covered in a lovely soft-looking cream-colored comforter.

So she sat there, wet clothes and all, and repeated her question.

"Just how old are you, anyways, Kakashi-sensei?"

He didn't answer right away. First he removed his headband, letting his damp hair lie in perfectly messy strands across his face. Then he removed his jacket, so his only clothing was his blue shirt/neck/most-of-face covering, and his pants. He then sat next to her on the bed. He seemed to have forgotten the original reason she came over –to get some dry clothes.

"I'm twenty-eight." He looked at her, sitting stiffly by his side. Sakura looked back. His eyes were really… Soulful. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you've never told us."

"Us?"

There was a silence.

"Sorry. I still feel like we're together, Squad Seven, I mean. And it comes out in my speech."

Kakashi-sensei remained silent. Then, he turned to Sakura and brought his lips to her hair. Sakura froze, not daring to breath, as she felt the soft fabric brush the top of her ear.

"At least we're together."

And then he, a totally new Kakashi, put an arm around Sakura, pushed her down on the bed, and kissed her –long and hard and passionately.

{There you go. My first ever fanfic! Hope you liked it. There is most definitely going to be more chapters, if I get some feedback. I love writing, but I don't want to publish if no ones gonna read! But if you do, luv you guys 3

My plans are to not only develop Sakura and Kakashi's new relationship, but to introduce many other relationships as well... I'm super excited to embarking upon this journey XD}