Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, or anything else like that. They all belong to Kishimoto-sama. I just like borrowing his characters, playing with them, and letting everybody see my strange mind for free.
A/N I know I don't ever really finish anything, but I can't keep up with my own brain. One idea gets started, and another one pushes its way in. This starts off as KakaSaku, switches to SakuSaku, and back and forth from there. Hopefully, I can figure out how to keep Sakura confused instead of maddly in-love with them both at the same time... and she doesn't start off that way with either one of them at all!
The rebuilding of Konohagakure no Sato was far from finished when the majority of the army left for war three years ago. With so many people gone to fight, very little headway was made by the time they returned home. After only two days' rest, every able bodied shinobi was back to work, this time at rebuilding their village. The civilians whom had built up as much as they could with so few capable people were finally able to have their couple of days' rest in return. Official ranks didn't matter to anyone at this point, only experience counted. Jonin ended up taking direction from Genin, and civilian contractors taught people of all professions, including office workers, the basics of construction and floor planning.
"Who knew Iruka-sensei knew so much about this kind of thing?" Kiba wondered out loud, running a tape measure down a board, Akamaru's paw holding the end down with a heavy paw.
"I dunno," Tenten answered, using a chalk line to mark the place he pointed to. "It's great that he gets to help design the new school, though."
"Wish I'd paid more attention to him back then," Kiba reminisced. "But we can still pick up some things now, too, eh?"
"Then pay attention this time, baka!" Sakura added, a smirk on her face as she tossed a couple of logs down beside them. "Think this'll be enough to finish that wall?"
"Probably, thanks," Kiba said gratefully. "You going to stay and help us get rid of the branches?"
"Sorry, I have to go get cleaned up," she answered, previous smirk turning into a frown.
"Is it your turn already?" Tenten asked, coming around the large board she and Kiba had been getting ready to cut to put a hand on Sakura's shoulder. Sakura nodded. "Do you know who it'll be?"
She nodded again, "There were a couple of guys that asked for me. Shino actually came straight up to me."
"So, we get to start calling you Aburame Sakura now?"
"Hatake, actually," Sakura groused. "The new council stepped in and said Kakashi-sensei needed a wife at least as strong as a Jonin, and since I've been recognized as surpassing Tsunade-shisho... They put aside the general taboos, promoted me without official testing, and told him he had to marry me or the Mizukage. She was actually asking to marry him, it seems."
"Better the devil you know," Kiba murmured, then spoke up, "It could be worse, you know!"
"What could be worse than being forced to marry the villages' number one pervert?" Sakura asked.
"You could be forced to marry Gaara-sama," he shrugged. "Sure he's not as apt to kill people as he used to be, but can you imagine what kind of lover he'd be? He probably has no idea his dick's useful for anything other than a piss pump. At least Kakashi-sensei will have previous experience and Jiraiya-sama's imagination to use."
Sakura and Tenten both blushed a bit and looked away from Kiba.
"Will they at least let you have your family there?" Tenten asked. "Or are they putting you in a mass wedding like they did with the first group?"
Sakura shook her head, "They're going to call everyone to the new Hokage Tower site in a couple hours. Since Kakashi is going to be Hokage, they want it public and just us. I told my family I was getting married, but they don't know who to yet. They're just so happy thinking I'm going to give them a grandchild and stop being a kunoichi that they'll support the wedding no matter who I marry."
"Oh shit," Kiba whispered, looking down the road a little. "Speaking of, your parents are here."
"Please tell me I'm not a pedophile for this," Kakashi begged the two men beside him. "Would Terumi-san have been a better decision?"
"No," Genma answered, "I don't think picking either of them is the best idea. You were given too short of a list. Kurenai would be better for you."
"Kurenai already has a kid," Yamato reminded. "Sakura may be scary, Kakashi, but Mei was our enemy until recently. Better to stick with someone shown their loyalty to you by saving your life many times over than someone who you know very little about."
"Kind words from one of the guys that wanted to snag up the youngest, strongest jonin kunoichi Konoha has to offer," Genma frowned. "This whole thing is dirty."
"At least you already had a wife before this mess," Kakashi snapped at him. "You don't have to worry about being sentenced to absolutely no sex for an undetermined amount of time after today. You're already used to living without it."
"Are you kidding?" Genma's eyes bulged a little. "Misaki and I did nothing but have sex the first couple of years. It took her getting pregnant to make her think I didn't want her anymore. Things have slowed down, sure, but we're still getting some at least once a week. With all the energy a young thing like Sakura-chan has, you'll be getting it almost as much, I'm sure!"
"I'm an old man, as far as she's concerned," Kakashi rolled his eyes. "I doubt she'll want to even sleep in the same bed. This marriage is a sham."
"Let her get horny and catch her when she's trying to get off on her own in the shower or something," Yamato suggested. "Or just get comfortable on the sofa and let her catch you jacking off a time or two... naked. If she likes what she sees, you'll have real sex again within a month."
"Have you tried that yourself?" Kakashi and Genma both asked.
Yamato blushed a little, "It's better than slipping her a drug. Besides, Sakura-chan's pretty much immune to drugs anyway."
Kakashi put a hand to his natural eye, "I will not do anything of the sort to her. She already knows what the goods look like, she's had her hands in some interesting places while keeping me from bleeding out before. When she's ready to loose her cherry she'll either come to me or find someone to have an affair with. It'll be up to her to keep it secret, though."
"You don't really care if she wants you at all?" Genma questioned. "Wait... did you just say she's still a virgin?"
"I think she is," Kakashi bemoaned.
"She's not," Yamato corrected.
The other two stared at him a moment, waiting for an elaboration.
"She and Nara Shikamaru got drunk and started crying about his dad and Yamanaka Inoichi, with Inoichi's daughter. Chouji picked up Ino when she passed out and put her to bed. Sakura slipped off with Shikamaru. She was kinda dreamy-eyed the whole next day despite the hang-over."
The door opened to the small room they were cloistered away in, an old man stuck his head in. "You have some sort of speech ready? Most of the people are here and so is the bride. It's time."
Carrying one's husband through the door after the wedding would normally be reserved for gay couples. In this case, however, it was due to the fact that Kakashi had broken his ankle walking down the stairs from the second level of the Hokage Tower, and Sakura thought it would be a fitting way to start their marriage considering the way their relationship had gone the past few years.
"Why couldn't you just heal it right there instead?" he whined as she dumped him into a chair.
"Why can't I embarrass you every now and then?" she asked, kneeling down to work on his ankle. "This way everyone will know that I wear the pants in this marriage."
"Ugh," he leaned his head back and just relaxed as much as possible while she re-set his joint and healed it back into place. "You hungry?"
"You buying this time?" she asked, getting up to sit across from him in another one of the chairs Yamato had made for the apartment.
"I was offering to cook," he corrected. "I don't want to go out and hear one more congratulations from anybody. I certainly don't want to run into Aburame Shino. I heard he proposed to you directly."
"I accepted his proposal," she answered, confirming what he'd been told. "Then they refused to marry us. I was then told that my only options were you, Gaara, or my ex-boyfriend."
"Would that be Shikamaru?" he asked raising a brow.
Her emerald green eyes darkened considerably, "You don't have the right to be upset about me not being a virgin. You haven't been one for over a decade at least."
"I'm not upset about that," he corrected. "I'm just sorry to hear it didn't work out with you two. That way you wouldn't be stuck with an old man."
The venom in her voice was gone now, and her eyes grew sad, "You're not old... I just didn't think you'd like being stuck with someone so young. Someone not as experienced. Someone who doesn't even know you that well."
"You know me better than most," he encouraged. "Genma, Yamato, Chouza, and Kurenai are the only people who could possibly know me better than you."
"Weren't you just offering to cook?" she asked, changing the subject again. This was getting to be too much talk for her right now. She had yet to have such a long conversation with him about anything important before this afternoon.
Point taken, he stood, testing her work. If anything, it felt like she helped his previously inured ankle to be stronger than the uninjured one. Favors like that were the closest thing to affection she had ever shown him.
"Thanks," he half bowed to her before making his way into the kitchen, leaving her alone with her frustrations. He figured cooking would actually allow him to work out a few of his own negative thoughts.
He was happy that these townhouse style apartments had been completed with shinobi in mind. The windows opened easily and allowed a person to crawl through without strain. There were at least two exits to every room, and the same to each apartment. What few belongings each of them were able to save from the wreckage of their previous homes had been brought here yesterday. Furniture was made on the spot by Yamato as his housewarming/wedding presents. Decorative paintings, and other touches were provided by Sai. Anything with ink on it was made to react with the chakra of any of the team mates should they have need of his creations in the future. Naruto bought them bed and bath sets and had them delivered that morning. Ino brought in everything they'd need for the kitchen, and small garden area out front. Chouji brought them all kinds of food and drink options.
The whole place had been prepared for them by their friends while they worked that morning.
Although it was a very sweet thing they did for them, it left Kakashi feeling like he had no control in this environment that was supposed to be his. He probably couldn't even find the extra toilet paper right now, let alone know which drawer held the cooking utensils. Calming down, he thought back to the occasional meals he'd shared with Chouza's and Inoichi's families. The two kitchens had been very similar in organization, and considering it was their children that had stocked and organized this kitchen, he believed he could find most of it as long as he kept focused.
"I'm going to shower," Sakura called into the kitchen before making her way upstairs.
Straight ahead of her at the top of the stairs was the bathroom, to the right was the linen closet. Directly to her right was the door to one bedroom, and if she faced it and looked back to her right again she'd be facing the smaller bedroom. It seemed like their friends had decided to give them some options, she thought, looking through both doors. The larger bedroom had two, single sized beds, and the slightly smaller one held a queen sized bed. Two packs sat between the bedroom doors. One contained all of her previous possessions not already integrated into the apartment, and the other contained Kakashi's. It seemed they understood that the two might or might not feel comfortable sharing a bedroom.
Sakura thought about it for a moment. If she put her pack into the room with two beds, Kakashi would think she was mad at him for all this. If she put her pack into the single bed room, and left his in the hall, it would be asking him to stay away, too. She could always put her pack in one room and his in the other, but she wasn't sure that was a good idea either.
He'd been having nightmares recently. She knew because he'd come to her in the middle of the night several times for sleeping drugs or just company to calm down around. Many times she'd woken up to find him making tea in her temporary housing unit for the both of them, looking like he hadn't slept at all.
Rethinking their positions, she put her pack in the room with the two beds and moved his to the doorway of the same room, not a suggestion, but an invitation. Going back through her things, she pulled out a pair of soft, black work-out shorts, a white sports bra, and a long, white t-shirt she'd stolen from Naruto years ago. It had a few holes in it around the collar and sleeves from use, one one from a shuriken in the shoulder, but it still carried Naruto's scent on it. Oddly, though she didn't like him in a romantic sense, his scent was still something that could lighten her mood during stressful times like this evening.
Heck, she had a t-shirt from every friend and previous team mate she could get. Depending on how she felt, she'd choose a t-shirt to remind her of a particular person's way of dealing with the situation she found herself in and started feeling better soon after. If it was communication or social anxieties, she chose Naruto. If she needed to just be calm and observant, she'd grab Sai. If she was stuck in an urban setting for too long, she'd grab Yamato. If she felt like the world was closing in around her, she'd dig out Kakashi. If she felt like she just wanted to be a kid again, or wanted to remember the simpler past, she'd pull out the tank-top she'd stolen from Sasuke.
Shikamaru had that tank top now. He'd thought it was his one morning when they were re-dressing. She couldn't bring herself to correct him at that time, and she didn't want to tell him now either. He'd probably feel like she wanted Sasuke to be the one making love to her instead. In all honesty, she had loved Shikamaru a lot, but she just couldn't see herself having his child. He was apathetic. His father was apathetic. Any child of his was likely to be the same, and she didn't want to be stuck doing all the housework herself.
Satisfied with her clothing decisions, she checked the bathroom to see if there were towels, soap, shampoo, conditioner, and razors already available. There were three sets, she found. A corner of the tub held her hair care products, the other side holding her soap and razor. Another bottle of soap sat at the back corner of the tub, and Sakura guessed it was Kakashi's. In a basket around the shower head, though, sat a new set of soaps, bubble bath, loofas and pumice stone. Whereas Sakura's scent choices ran in the more fruity range, the one example of Kakashi's seemed to be of a more watery tone. The new bath set offered a range of musks to choose from, some more masculine and others more feminine. A complementary range that would blend with their current choices and not let them clash when they went out into public together. Which ever one of their friends had chosen that was a godsend of understanding.
The blood red towels, black wash cloths, and navy blue hand towels were nice, too. They were plush, just like the black bath mat and toilet lid cover. No detail had been left behind. The shower curtain was black as well, with a leaf pattern in green outlined in red. The curtains were blue, and the tooth brush set was green. Everything matched and was simple despite it's make being luxurious.
The more she investigated, the more she wanted to cry. It was beautiful, simple, comfortable, not too girly, not to masculine. They had made sure she and Kakashi would be comfortable in every way thinkable. Even though so many people lived out of tents and temporary housing right now, their friends had worked hard to find these things for them to enjoy.
"Sakura-chan?"
She spun around quickly. She hadn't heard Kakashi approach, not even sensed it in the least.
"I thought you were going to take a shower."
"I am, it's just..." she gestured to the bathroom. "I was looking at all this. They really put a lot of thought and hard work into all this."
"I hoped you'd like it," he smiled at her.
"What? You already saw everything? When?"
"Well... I didn't see it done," he answered, scratching the back of his head. "They just showed me a few options to get a couple ideas. It does look good. I'm glad the bathroom isn't tiny, either."
"Me, too," she smiled. "How long on dinner?"
"About ten more minutes."
"I'll hurry."
Kakashi had a small dilemma when he saw the white, tapered candlesticks at one corner of the countertop. Beside them were two sets of holders. One set could be mounted to the walls, and the other was designed to be placed on tables. Knowing Sakura needed something more than a quick shower to let her relax for the night, he decided on the faster option of putting a few on the table. The last one was lit the moment he heard the bathroom door open.
With a sigh, he made one more risky decision.
He was going to enjoy this meal at a normal pace.
Pulling off his shirt, he squirmed out of his tank-top and attached mask, tossing them onto a chair in the living room and put on his outer dress shirt again, unbuttoned and untucked. He knew Sakura might think he was trying something, but in all honesty he just wanted to breathe freely. The humidity today was high, and it wasn't like she wouldn't be getting used to seeing his face more often anyway.
When she came down from the bathroom and walked through the living room into the kitchen, they both had to stop and take stock of what they were seeing.
Sakura actually took half a step back before coming closer to the candle-lit kitchen as she looked him over, not sure if she was supposed to be seeing him like this, or if his exposure was purely accidental. The confusion and curiosity on her face amused him a bit, pulling the corners of his lips slightly upward. He hoped she didn't see the light blush on his cheeks when he realized she wasn't just wearing a t-shirt to dinner. The way she moved caused the fabric of her shorts to catch on the long shirt, and the lack of bounce in her now b-cup breasts alerted him to the fact that she had on a tight bra instead of the bindings she usually used, and that she wasn't going to let a nipple point at him during a meal.
Not yet anyway.
Kakashi cursed himself for allowing his mind to go in that direction. That was not the kind of treatment Sakura needed from him right now.
With a little cough to break up the silence, he scratched a little at his rather defined stomach and pulled out a chair for her. "Hungry?"
"What?" she pulled her eyes away from the top of his hips where his dress pants rested and brought them back up to his face. "Oh, yes! Food. Thanks. Looks good."
He chuckled a little to himself before pointing to the chair, "Would you like to sit here or stand there?"
Embarrassment flooded her face as she took the three steps to the offered seat and allowed him to scoot her in to an already filled plate. He'd cooked them steaks, steamed broccoli, white rice, and dinner rolls. A glass of water and a flue of champaign each were ready to drink.
"There's ice cream if there's room for dessert," Kakashi mentioned, seating himself. "It's vanilla, but there are flavored syrups in the pantry."
"Probably Lee's idea to do it that way," Sakura said, remembering a time she saw Lee pouring all kinds of flavors into his dessert.
Well this certainly wasn't going to help her show him she didn't want him sexually.
Too much champaign made sure that they had to carry each other up the stairs. With his pack blocking the door to the room with two beds, they decided to just sleep in their clothes together on the queen bed instead. She had sweated a lot in the evening, and cooled off a lot during the night. He was the warmest object available, and she had remained plastered to him until waking.
The problem of all this was that he had a bit of a hard on, and her hand was clutching it through his pants. It didn't help much that he wasn't asleep, either. He was playing the part well, completely relaxed, deep even breaths, not a single muscle twitch. And there was the problem. If he were truly sleeping, his breath would be a little lighter, and he'd have an occasional twitch of his right pinky toe, one that had nerve damage she just couldn't seem to fix.
He probably knew that she was awake now, too. Suddenly holding her breath had to be a major tip off.
"Can I go pee now?" Kakashi asked.
"Only if you can do it without missing." she warned. "You clean it if you miss."
"Yes, ma'am," he replied, relieved the moment she let go.
He practically fled the bedroom. Once inside the bathroom, he turned on the shower for some white noise, waited a moment, then flushed the empty toilet. He might not have wanted her as his wife, but that didn't change the fact that a warm body pressed against his and feminine fingers laying against his swollen dick felt very good. He stripped down and jumped into the shower the moment the cold water was restored to the shower. This was the best way he knew to relieve his bladder without pissing all over the toilet right now.
The problem was that it wouldn't come out. This wasn't just a normal "pee-on" like he usually got in the morning. This was a genuine hard-on. The very feel of her against him, and the scent of the apple shampoo she'd used had him genuinely turned on for the first time in months. With a sigh, he knew what he had to do. Squirting a little of her conditioner into his palm, he went to work relieving himself.
He didn't skip a beat when the door bell rang. Sakura would take care of whatever they wanted.
Seconds after the door opened, however, the whole situation changed. Gai and Lee were downstairs harassing Sakura downstairs, and she hadn't even let them through the door yet. The shower just got quicker. He forgot jacking off and just washed, flashed to the bedroom to dress, and ran down the stairs. As he'd feared, Sakura was still in the clothes she'd put on the night before, and they noticed.
Lee looked like he wanted to kill Kakashi. Gai was holding him back with a smile.
"Good morning, my rival!" Gai greeted.
"It is not a good morning!" Lee said before Kakashi could respond. "He has taken the virtue of the most pure Sakura-chan!"
Kakashi started backing up the stairs again. "No, I didn't."
Both the big and the mini green beast paused, jaws dropped in disbelief.
"We had dinner and went to sleep," he explained. "Just like that."
"Kakashi," Sakura caught his attention, then pointed at her own face. "Your mask is still off."
He shoved his way between them and grabbed the masked shirt he'd discarded the night before from the chair and teleported back up into the bedroom completely embarrassed. Back downstairs, he could hear that Lee was back in tears again.
This was not going to be an easy day.