A/N: Hello! This piece was requested by Marisol-Caine. Thanks for the request, and for getting me started on the plot. This takes place after Sasuke leaves for Orochimaru, and Naruto leaves with Jiraiya. I hope you like it. :)
Endearingly yours,
Freyja Elizabeth
The rain drizzled lightly from the swollen grey clouds, falling freely down to the moisture-soaked earth below. The skies were overcast with a deep layer of clouds, which acted as a barrier of thick, colorless sorrow, separating Konohagakure from the loving warmth of the sun. Walking around, one would smell the fresh scent of the earth, cleansed from the constant downpour of tears from the heavens. Light footsteps treaded across the softened earth, occasionally splashing in shallow puddles of water that had collected on the ground in small pools.
Everyone in the village stayed indoors on days like this. These days were perfect for hot bowls of ramen, steaming cups of tea, warm baths, and cuddling. Children brought their toys inside from their yards, and invited their pets inside to become part of the heart-warming day of calm. Everyone was enjoying the peaceful rain, thinking about the new beginnings that rain so often brings. Almost everyone.
One shinobi in particular wasn't even inside. Standing before the memorial stone in the icy rain was a single ninja who had things better to do than cuddle inside with family. Or, rather, he chose not to stay home and think about the family that he didn't have. The family he had lost.
The raindrops continued diving from their palace in the sky, landing on the stone slab near the third training ground, and forming a liquid trail on the sleek rock. The drops would slide to the bottom of the monument, leaving their trail behind them. An onyx eye tracked a single droplet of rain as it drifted towards its destination, its legacy of a trail staying put until another droplet intersected with it. Sometimes, the raindrops would collide with the path of another, and follow the existing trail, until finally, it met the same fate as its predecessor, joining it at the base of the statue. Other times, though, the droplets would change the already present paths before them, making sure that the maze of droplets was never the same.
Flyaway silver hair was dampened by the precipitation, causing it to become heavy with the absorbed water. The hairs stuck together in strands that fell over the shinobi's exposed eye, joined by the rain, and leaking the cold liquid onto the khaki green vest of the grieving ninja.
He stood there, closed his eyes gently, and took a deep breath, before finally looking up again at the monument.
"Happy Birthday, Obito."
It was February 11, and his teammate's birthday. Kakashi came to the memorial stone on a regular basis, mostly to talk to Obito about his life, how things were going in the village, and how different things were from when they were kids together in Minato's cell.
"Naruto has been gone for a while now," the jonin started out, "He's training with Jiraiya, so I suppose it's all going well. And Sasuke…Well, I just hope he realizes what he had, before it's too late. And Sakura?" he sighed, "Where do I even begin?"
The copy ninja pulled some of the wet hair out of his face, coating his fingertips in a thin layer of rainwater.
"Sakura, she's…She's becoming so strong…" he continued, "She's been training with Lady Fifth, and honing her medical ninjutsu. She's grown so much since she graduated from the academy. You would like her, she's just like…Rin."
Kakashi went on, speaking about his pink-haired student. Yes, she was becoming stronger. Yes, she was training with Lady Tsunade. She'd also become more beautiful. Not only had her proportions evened out, leaving her forehead looking less prominent, but she also carried a good sense of right and wrong with her. She knew what was justice, and what was uncalled for. She was amazing. She was also fourteen years younger than him.
Kakashi struggled telling even Obito about the situation he found himself in. Naturally, it was hard for him to admit that he loved her at all, but eventually, he found the courage to tell his departed friend. After that, came accepting the fact that they could never be together.
Eventually, after sorting through his emotions by talking to Obito, the troubled sensei came to a decision. Even if he couldn't be anything more than Sakura's teacher, at least he could make sure that he was always there to protect her, no matter what.
"Still," he continued, "I wish it wasn't that way…"
The saddened man jumped at a sudden warmth around his waist. Arms encircled his body, and someone hugged him from behind. What had happened? Had he really let his guard down so much that someone could touch him without Kakashi sensing their presence?
"I wish it wasn't that way, too." said a feminine voice.
The arms released his waist, and he turned around. Standing in front of him, drenched from the rain, was a strawberry-haired genin in a red dress, gazing at him with her sparkling green eyes.
"S-Sakura?" Kakashi asked, astonished.
"Yeah," she said, "That's me. Listen…I heard most of what you said. And I just wanted you to know, that…Well…" she blushed furiously, "What I mean is…Ummm…"
She leaned in quickly, and kissed her sensei on the cheek, taking him by surprise.
"Sakura," Kakashi responded shyly, "I don't know what to say…"
"You don't have to say anything," she replied, "It's okay."
With that, she turned and left him alone by the memorial, and walked into town.
"Obito," Kakashi spoke again, after Sakura had left, "What just happened?"
xxx
Sakura strolled lightly into the almost empty Ichiraku Ramen stand, lifting up one of the flaps for the sign outside so as not to hit her head on the thing. She patted off her hair, trying to remove some of the moisture, and took a seat.
"Forehead!" said a high-pitched voice, "What the heck took you so long?"
"One, please," Sakura said to Teuchi, the ramen shop owner. Continuing her conversation with Ino, she answered with, "I didn't want to come see your ugly face, Ino-pig. I could only stall for so long!"
Ino stuck her tongue out at her best friend, who returned the look with a menacing fist being wavered.
"Seriously, though," Ino prodded further, "Where were you? My parents didn't want me to miss out on 'family fun night,'" she made a disgusted face, "I almost couldn't come here, and you're totally late."
"Sorry," the cherry blossom apologized, "I guess I just got caught up in my thoughts…"
Teuchi brought out Sakura's steaming bowl of miso ramen, and disappeared back into the kitchen.
Ino sighed, "You're starting to act like your sensei. It's weird."
At the mention of this, Sakura plunged a huge tangled mess of noodles into her mouth to avoid talking.
"I'm going to the bathroom," Ino commented, excusing herself temporarily from the ramen booth, "I'll be right back." She walked down the street to the nearby bathrooms.
Sakura swirled her noodles around in the broth with her chopsticks, looking at the way they moved in the liquid. She turned around at the sound of the flap being pushed up again. Change your mind, Ino-pig? she thought to herself. She ignored her friend, and continued eating her ramen, acting like she hadn't heard the flap at all. Until, that is, she heard the voice.
"Sakura," said the voice. Not the high-pitched, shrill voice of Ino, the deeper-pitched, calming voice of her teacher. He waited for her to finish chewing and swallowing her ramen, before he leaned into her ear. "Thank you," he whispered, and kissed her on the cheek.
"Kakashi-sensei…" Sakura responded, turning a deep shade of pink, "I…"
"It's okay," Kakashi started after she trailed off, "You don't have to say anything."
A/N: Sooo? Is it everything you dreamed it would be? I hope so. Let me know what you think in a review. :D
-Freyja