AN: Fair warning, this isn't Beta read. It's a thought that has been circling in my head, and had a break through to a full plot bunny tonight. There will be one more chapter. And yes, this will end in shameless KakaSaku #sorryNotsorry

To say that Kakashi was worked up would have been a misleading. He wasn't looking for a fight, he wasn't aiming to defend. No, he was simply pissed off. S-Ranked mission his ass. Tsunade had handed him a D-Ranked mission trussed up to look like something of interest. Escorting a nobleman's three younger daughters to his oldest daughter's upcoming wedding location.

The nobleman, wealthy, had enemies in high places. His younger daughters, thirteen to twenty-one in age, all spoiled princesses. That wasn't anything Kakashi couldn't have dealt with and shrugged off. Frequent stops, whining, and other snoody behaviors were nothing new.

No, the part that pissed him off was that the only threat he had encountered on the whole voyage came from the little princesses. All three of which seemed to be ready at the drop of a hat to oneup each other in an attempt to unmask and de-pant him.

Contrary to common belief, the flattery and won-ton sexual lust of pretty women was not something that appealed to him. It wasn't because he preferred books either, he just found such behavior and forwardness unsettling.

Kakashi had a deep seeded hunch this mission being a pathetic use of his skills wasn't accidental. Tsunade had been pushing for the last couple of months now that he start taking his duties as next in line as hokage seriously. He had been avoiding it, pushing himself to train and take missions when possible. Adjusting to life with normal vision, and without the chidori.

He was within minutes of the village walls now, his mind made up to wander the village until the sun rises, he figured that would be roughly four hours give or take a handful of minutes.

His return travels should have ensured that he missed the opening day of the first annual 'Hidden Leaf Renewal Festival', a nice way of saying 'One Year since the reconstruction of Pain's Destruction'. The people needed something to celebrate though.

His trip had been quiet, just the smells of surrounding woodland, a passing patrol - Gazeru's, and…. wait, his team -former team, and more. This made him slow, subtle he shifted his direction towards the gathering of sents.

His nose was soon met with that of burning wood, cautiously edging closer, careful to stay down wind and in the shadows, his ears were soon met by laughter. So they were celebrating, seeking solitude from the rest of the village.

He started to leave, let the young keep each other company. That was until he heard what they were up to..

"Sakura-chan's turn, that was two dares in a row so you have to take a truth!" Naruto exclaimed loud enough that all of Suna should have been able to hear him.

"Idiot, quit making up rules. No one ever said such a thing." Sakura's reply was a bit softer, but still loud.

"Come on Sakura, it's no fun if you don't ever drink, you'll be the only undrunk among us." the Inuzuka kid, who seemed to have already had more than his share of drink.

"Yeah, Forehead!"

"Shut it Pig. Fine, give me a shot. Don't forget, anything said ever leaves this clearing and I know how to end you with one finger." Kakashi was close enough that he could see the flicker of chakra radiate from her finger to drive the point home.

Savior or Death sentence, Tsunade had created an angel of vengeance in that one.

Sakura knocked back the shot.

"Goodie… " Naruto was rubbing his hands together in excitement, the firelight making him look demonic.

"Naruto sit down, it's my question to ask." Shikamaru's always bored voice entoned.

"Sakura, what was the last book you read?"

What a boring question, for the brilliant mind that Shikamaru had, he sure wasn't imaginative.

"Prolly some medical book. Why did you give her an easy one?" Naruto sighed, clearly thinking the same thing Kakashi had been.

However Sakura hesitated, for a moment Kakashi wondered if she couldn't remember, but after a moment it became clear that she was clamping her mouth shut. Like something was trying to force words from her mouth that she didn't want to share.

What he wouldn't have given for the sharingan right then. It didn't feel like someone was using a genjutsu, and Sakura was practically immune to those anyhow.

"Bawh!" her restraint gave out, or whatever was enacted won out. "Icha Icha Tactics" she looked mortified.

Naruto laughed.

"Such a hypocrite! Oh, wait till I tell Kakashi-sensei. All those times you called him pervert! And you're no better." Naruto danced and laughed, tripping over the log he had been sitting on.

"It doesn't leave this circle Naruto, you made the same promise." Shikamaru reminded him.

Naruto made a disappointed face, but placed his hands up in surrender.

Sakura huffed "Kiba"

"Truth" his voice was filled with over confidence bolstered by drunken confidence, which was added to by a shot that was knocked back easily.

"Is Kakashi Hatake related to the Inuzuka Clan?" Sakura asked, her words measured, as if she were carefully weighing them to prevent misdirection of the meaning of her words.

Kakashi became painfully aware of how quiet the circle went. He couldn't see Kiba's face as his back was to him, but he could see the tension in the younger man.

Kiba let out a bark of laughter, like a playing dog.

"No one has ever mentioned it to me if he is. Ability like his you think we would be trying to claim him if he was our bloodline."

Kiba moved around the fire next to Sakura, but Kakashi hadn't missed the hand sign of "yes".

So maybe this game was just a matter of shinobi skill after all.

"Why haven't you asked him if you wondered?" Kiba's face split wide with a grin.

"Kakashi, talk about himself. It'd be easier to get that damned mask off of him." she spit.

"Why the interest in Kakashi-sensei all of a sudden Sakura-chan?" Naruto chimed in.

"I'm not, you brought him up, I was having a hard time thinking of anything I'd wanna ask Kiba. Not like I wanna another retelling of his sexual exploits."

"Why not, you seem to be int- oufff!" Kiba's jibe was cut off by a sharp elbow.

Kakashi shook his head, the guy had to be wasted have moved within thrashing distance of Sakura.

"Eh, Ino"

"Truth." she responded, Sakura pulled a face and Kakashi couldn't help but muse that some things, like childhood rivalry, died hard.

"Are you still into Sasuke?" Naruto asked asked once the mandatory shot had been taken.

"Nope, haven't been since graduation, only acted the part to get a rise out of Forehead."

Kakashi expected a fight, and made to clear the area and leave the young adults to enjoy the revelry. However the reaction he expected never came.

Sakura didn't look shocked or scandalized. She looked amused at her comrades expressions.

"Old news guys, but now you know."

"You could have told me! I wasted a good question, for you!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I didn't ask you to. Not like the arguing between you and Sasuke is any different."

Save they had never cost each other a limb.

Sparks lit the night sky as Shikamaru tossed another log on.

Kakashi couldn't remember spending an evening like this, two wars in a lifetime makes for little peace time. To watch them relaxed, and simply enjoying each other's company, he could get use to this.

"Truth" Sakura responded, Naruto had completed a dare while Kakashi zoned out.

"Are you still in love with Sasuke?"

Silence enveloped the group again.

Sakura wasn't fighting this time, but she remained silent for long moments.

"You know it will make you tell the truth Sakura." Ino pointed out, watching her friend with baited breath.

"I know, but… I love him, I'm just. I'm not in love with him. Not anymore. I don't want him to feel like he is alone anymore." Her last words were weak, like she was trying to justify what she felt.

No one spoke for awhile.

Kakashi smiled. So her resolve had been true. Maybe not at the time, but seeing him return, and what it took to get through to him, she had realized how misguided her feeling were.

"Kiba" Sakura had a promising look of revenge in her eyes.

"Dare"

"I dare you to light a stink pellet on fire and stand in the smoke until it burns out."

Kiba blanched, even with the flickering fire light his dread was clear.

"You know that is pure torture. I'd rather let Ibiki rip off all my nails and pull my canines."

"Are you backing out?" Sakura asked, with an evil gleam in her eyes.

"Yes. That would take me off the active roster for a month if I did that. That isn't a fair request." Suddenly, Kiba wasn't seeming so drunk. If anything he seemed a bit angry at the unfairness of the request.

"Fine, I'll let you change it to a double truth." Sakura coincided with a small amount of sulk in her voice.

"Thanks." his smile was weak though, Sakura had managed a hard blow to the man's ego.

He knocked back the first shot

"Question number one?"

"What is the most embarrassing situation your nose has gotten you into?"

"Shit." Kiba exclaimed. He looked to Shikamaru for help, or maybe just to avoid the intent gaze Sakura had on him.

"Prolly the one that lead to the existence of Miria." Kiba coughed out.

Kakashi found himself biting his cheek to keep from chortling. He could relate. Smelling when others were in 'heat' as the Inuzuka clan often mislabeled it was not the most comfortable of situations. It took a little bit of time to learn how to look a person in the eye when you could smell what they had been recently doing and who they had been doing it with.

"You walked in on Asuma-sensei and Kurenai-sensei?" Ino blurted out.

"No, I passed by them shortly after they had done the deed. Really do I have to explain this? It's so personal and wrong! It isn't anyone else's business and I wish I didn't know." Kiba turned away from the group, glaring into the night. The moonlight reflected in his eyes, and Kakashi froze, it was like Kiba was glaring right at him.

"I'm sorry Kiba, I didn't realize the answer would be so upsetting to you." Sakura's voice was meek, regretful, but there was something more there. It was her thinking voice.

That voice usually lead to trouble.

"Wait, that was before your nose was more powerful than a nin-kin's. So does that mean that Kakashi? Oh no." the last part was moaned in mortification by Sakura.

Kiba had downed the second shot as she started speaking.

"Yup. Why do you think he wasn't there as you were growing from little girl into a woman. Our clan has procedures in place to handle such things, but for the Third to have given Kakashi a female on his team, well, Mom objected." Kiba shrugged.

Then he turned, looking straight at Kakashi and asked.

"You wanna explain it to her Hatake-sama?"

Kakashi did the only reasonable thing and vanished from the spot in a whirl of leaves and smoke.

End Notes: I have nothing to bribe for reviews with.