A/N: This is my first Sakura Haruno & Kakashi Hatake (Gaiden) fic

Pairings: Rin & Kakashi, Sakura & Kakashi (Mostly friendship, very slight romance)

Rating: T

Two For One

(Rin & Kakashi, Sakura & Kakashi)

(Gaiden)

One-Shot

Kakashi Hatake took the path to the Training Facility. He planned on training for perhaps a few hours before he set off to meet with his ANBU squad. He didn't mind at all that he would end up arriving late—being tardy has become his new lifestyle since his father, Sakumo Hatake, committed suicide. The consequences could be high for being late to his daily ANBU training but he would much rather train by himself than do it with his comrades. Working personally was how he ranked up to a jonin and he preferred that method ever since.

A sharp pang shot through his gut after abruptly sensing another presence—not a strong, overwhelming one but small and fragile. Sighing heavily, he shoved his gloved hands down his pockets and walked through the wired gate with practiced nonchalance. Eventually, the pale color in his undamaged eye grew into a flare of shocked emotions. He just didn't expect to encounter a civilian in a place entitled to ninja.

He stood still with his head slightly tilted to the side, his gaze concentrated on the small female in the middle of the field. She had pink hair that fell to the midpoint of her neck with a dark red ribbon tied on top. From a distance, he could see that her eyes were emerald, almost jade. She held a determined expression on her face, her eyebrows creasing and a frown tugging at her lips. She appeared to be too young to be a genin, yet the scene she was unknowingly playing for him told him that she was on her way to becoming one.

She was mercilessly punching a training dummy that was tied to an upright log. Every now and then, she would send a kick at the inanimate figure along with the words 'Cha!' and 'Take this!', which he found very unusual but amusing. Just when he thought she reached her limit, she displayed a familiar hand sign that nearly knocked the wind out of him. The girl was powering up her chakra, and civilians would usually learn to recharge their chakra during their three years in the academy. He found this sight absolutely amazing. If he were to be a child once again, even he wouldn't be able to build chakra.

All of a sudden, she sent her chakra-powered fist at the dummy and it was completely obliterated. The head had fallen to the ground and their was a big bruise on the area of what was believed to be the sternum. Enthralled, he observed her as she took long and uneasy breaths. Her hands were planted on her knees and she was slightly bent over. She whispered something silently to herself, but he was sure that he heard, "Finally…I'm not worthless anymore."

Deciding that he would leave her to mentally boast about her accomplishment, he took an eased step backward. But his decision turned against him when his foot met a dead leaf. With a mere sound of muffled crackling, her eyes were darting to meet his mismatched ones. When their gazes intertwined, she stiffened and he relaxed. Despite her growing monstrous strength, she seemed to be very kind and innocent.

She sucked in a deep breath and kept her composure at a cool level. "Mister, how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to see you destroy the dummy," he sighed bitterly, "and please, call me Kakashi. Kakashi Hatake."

She simply nodded at his response and knelt to gather the mess she had created. Slowly and carefully, she placed the shredded limbs of the figure in a medium-sized paper bag. She then started on the log, removing the rubber band that held the object to the wood. She settled her palms on the grass afterward and stared longingly at the ground, resuming her series of long breaths.

He took a half step closer and the sound of rustling brought her attention to him. She didn't reject his presence so he furthered. As he strode toward her, she keenly watched him. She made no movement to escape from the Training Grounds—he guessed that she accepted him—but she was definitely uncomfortable. What he saw in her big jade spectacles were fear, fright, and curiosity.

Fear. Fright. Curiosity. It reminded him of how he was when he was a young child. He could easily recall those times when he had foolishly screwed up whenever he tried spying on one of his friends. The countless times where he messed up were things that he would never forget. They were all memories of the past and he locked them deep in his heart where they would never flee and haunt him again.

The familiar heaviness began to slither its way into his chest, shortening his breath and causing his heart to skip a few beats. The haunting scenes of his childhood began playing in his mind, bringing a distinctive dark aura with them. The name of his father, Sakumo Hatake, flashed before his eyes and just like that, the moment his father died was played all over again. Unbidden, he imagined the katana being held against Sakumo's throat, the blade piercing his pale white skin. Then came the apology, and it was all gone. The gore and blood, they dissipated from sight and he was free from shame.

"Now," he breathed as his eyelids slid open, "May I have the courtesy of asking for you name?"

She gulped nervously and fidgeted with her fingers. "My name is…Sakura Haruno. Nice to meet you…"

His nose crinkled. Sakura specifically meaning 'cherry blossom'. What a coincidence. "Hm, tell me…Sakura-chan," he began, "How exactly did you learn to recharge and power up your chakra? I am only curious, I won't inform anyone about you. Although, you probably won't get in trouble either way. Anyways, you can trust me!" He cringed his eyes happily, stuck his thumb out, and held the tip close to his hitai-ate. "I'm a fellow shinobi of the Leaf, am I not?"

She rubbed her shoulder nervously. "Ah…well…"

His eyebrows skyrocketed. "Hey hey, don't go shy on me now."

Her cheeks reddened slightly and she murmured, "I've been interested in becoming a ninja ever since I was four. I know it looks painful and violent, but I don't really care. I want to be someone special, a person that people could look up to and admire." She glanced at him to find his onyx and red eyes softening. "And I'm tired of everybody treating me like I'm a worthless kid! Plus…I sort of like a certain boy, Sasuke Uchiha!"

Kakashi's jaw nearly dropped. Sasuke Uchiha, the only survivor of the Uchiha Massacre and brother to Itachi Uchiha, an Akatsuki member. He had heard many horrible and nightmarish things about the child. From the information he received through rumors, Sasuke vowed to kill Itachi and only strives for more power and strength. It was a sad, sad event for the boy. He was left all alone at such a young age…

"He looks so cool and strong!" she silently squealed. "I want people like him to admire me. But sometimes, Sasuke scares me. Whenever I'm around him, I feel a dark aura that makes me shiver. Anyways, my desperation to becoming a ninja eventually led to me observing others spar. I knew that I can't perform any ninjitsu if I don't know how to recharge my chakra, so I secretly studied it behind my parents back. Everyday, I would tell them I'm going out to play with my friends but I actually come out here to train. I finally mastered the chakra thing today!" She revealed a big bright smile that almost struck him with awe. "I just wish I knew jutsu that involves using chakra! But I know I'm not at that level yet. I might even have to wait until I learn that in the Academy, which could be a few more years!"

"Ah…and just how old are you?"

"I'm only eight years old, but I don't care if I'm too young to be doing this!"

Her hopes to becoming a successful ninja were high and mighty, he could tell. He could practically feel her Will of Fire flaring with intensity. This girl, Sakura Haruno, was definitely determined to become a Leaf shinobi.

Smiling underneath his mask, he settled his gloved hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair. "Well I don't think you have to you wait anymore, Sakura-chan."

Sakura questioningly gazed at him and asked, "Why?"

"Because I decided that I'll teach you the basic, clones!"

"Really?"

"Yup, and we'll get started as soon as you're ready!"

"Thank you, thank you!" She jumped into his arms and wrapped him in a big embrace, catching him by surprise. "I appreciate this so much, Kakashi-san! You're a really great person, you know that?"

"Heh," he chuckled, "and you're a unique kid, Sakura."

. . .

Tenzo crossed his arms behind his neck and frowned disgracefully. "Agh, I can't believe we have to search for that damned Kakashi! I was undergoing perfectly difficult ANBU training and I was just getting to the good part! Stupid Kakashi!"

Rin curled her hand into a ball and slammed it on top of his head. "Shut up, Tenzo! He's our teammate so he's our responsibility! You're a worthless jerk, you knucklehead!"

"Hey hey," he muttered, "I care about the gramps too, Rin! I'm just sick and tired of his tardiness! I hate it!"

"And you think I don't hate it too?" she grumbled. "But we can't blame him. He went through a lot of harsh events."

"Yeah, but he never thinks of his priorities. He's an official ANBU member now and he has to take life seriously."

"And that is exactly why we're searching for him, Tenzo. If he gets his ass kicked, then it's gonna be our fault for not watching out for him."

"Ne, I'd rather watch him get punished. He deserves it for bullying me when we were ten."

She slapped him right across the arm, leaving a very pink spot in its place. "You are a stupid worthless jerk!"

"Okay okay! I was just joking around! Troublesome women…"

. . .

Kakashi leaned further back into the hollow tree and relaxed, his mismatched eyes concentrated on the struggling female. He observed her as she recharged her chakra—she held a perplexed determination in her spectacles, a frown was wrenching itself onto her lips, her eyebrows were creasing, and her nose was wrinkling. He could tell that she was having a very difficult time with trying to create a few clones. But of course, he knew that she wasn't going to give up yet.

"Cha!" Her eyes squeezed shut as she put her remaining chakra into her clones. Suddenly, a foggy wisp of smoke filled the atmosphere, covering her location. It was a few seconds, perhaps ten, before the field was cleared. There she was, standing with two duplicates of herself. Her clones were amazingly perfect and solid, and they appeared to look exactly like her. No errors, no flaws.

Her clones disappeared a minute later and she fell to the ground, a smirk playing on her features. He took this time to stand up and stretch. Slowly, he rose to his feet and dusted the grim off his pants, and when he finished tidying himself up, he trudged over to Sakura with a somewhat proud expression spread across his masked face. When he reached her location, he pulled her up and happily patted her on the head.

"My my, what a splendid job you have done, Sakura-chan. You finally mastered the basic clone!" he remarked.

Sakura blushed and whispered, "Thank you for all your help, Kakashi-san. I already said this before, but I really appreciate your kind decision to train me. You could make an amazing sensei if you ever decide to become one!" She momentarily glared at the dark lilac-colored sky, her lips parting in realization. "Oh no, my parents are gonna kill me if I don't get back by eight! I have to go right this instant."

She gathered her belongings and prepared to sprint toward the wired gateway, but when she took her first step, he grabbed her by the wrist and gently yanked her back. She stumbled a little but managed to keep her composure. His hand was still cuffed around her arm when she stepped in front of him, but she didn't struggle to free herself from his grasp. In fact, it almost seemed as if she enjoyed it.

"Before you depart," he began as he knelt in front of her, "I would like to give you something that may come in handy when you become a genin." He took hold of her hand and pried her fingers open. He quickly snatched something from his pouch and delicately placed it on her palm, enclosing his own hand on hers. He gazed at her for only a few seconds, then released her. She only stared blankly at the item she received. "Now this is a very special kunai I got from my sensei. It may look ordinary but it meant a lot to me. I am entrusting this weapon to you because you're a very unique person. You're kind, intelligent, strong-willed, and you have a heart…" He suddenly felt something warm flare inside of his stomach, causing him to shudder with slight discomfort. "So please, take good care of this. This is something for you to remember me by."

"I promise to take care of it. You can count on me, Kakashi-san!"

"Perfect," he chuckled, "So I bid you farewell. I hope we meet again, Sakura-chan."

His masculine figure started to distort and within a minute, he was gone from sight. There was only a mere green leaf that lay in his place. And the girl was alone once again…

. . .

Tenzo stopped dead in front of the Training Facility entrance and sighed heavily. He glanced over his shoulder to find Rin nearing his position. She simply nodded and he averted his attention back to the wired gateway. "So do you really think that he'd be here? I sense a faint familiar chakra and an unfamiliar one, so there is a possibility that it might not be him."

"I'm positive," answered Rin, "Kakashi always comes to the Training Grounds when he wants to train alone." She aligned himself with the brown-haired ANBU and stared longingly at the sign that read, 'Training Ground 24'. "Besides, we searched all of the other common places he visits daily: his apartment, the bookstore, the Memorial Gardens, the springs…Well you get my point." She stuck her hands into her pockets and took a half step into the open field. Just then, Tenzo's arm shot out in front of her, preventing her from moving any further.

"Hold up, the unfamiliar chakra is growing unusually large." Tenzo closed his eyes momentarily. "We should observe from a different angle. I have an uneasy feeling that Kakashi isn't alone. I suggest we watch from a steady branch from above. It's the best cover that this area provides."

"Fine," was all she said.

The two ANBU agents hopped onto a nearby branch that seemed strong and big enough to hold the both of them. Keenly, the two shinobi searched the facility—the tree was quite tall so it gave them a view of three training grounds. Finally, they spotted the silver-haired jonin standing by an upright log with the company of a small pink-haired civilian. Kakashi was kneeling in front of the girl, his hand enclosed around hers. And apparently, the two were thoroughly enjoying the moment.

A sharp pang shot through Rin's heart as she saw the scene they were unknowingly playing for her and Tenzo. Her chest suddenly welled up with unusual emotions—envy, pain, and a pinch of hate. She blinked a couple of times to confirm whether or not she was hallucinating. She wasn't imagining. It was all real. And she disliked it very much.

She felt her comrade's hand settle upon her shoulder. "Are you jealous, Rin?" smirked Tenzo.

"Jealous?" she gawked. "Of course not! That girl is only a mere child! He would never fall for one who's about ten years younger than he is! What makes you think that I envy this little girl?" She nervously fidgeted with her fingers, her eyes growing pale of its bright color.

"Well for one thing, he's expressing more happiness in front of that 'mere child' than he does in front of you." He crossed his arms playfully and titled his head to the right. "Na na, Rin is envying a small little girl! This is the best thing that I've ever experienced—watching you being jealous!"

"Ah just shut up and get a life!" she snapped angrily. "Now shh! Something's happening!"

"Something juicy and that's for sure. I bet Hatake's gonna rape her and mindlessly make love to her!" he joked.

"She's only—what—nine years old, perhaps?" she barked.

He shrugged dumbly. "Your point?"

"Just shut the hell up!"

"Mm, whatever you say."

She arrogantly rolled her eyes at him and frowned unhappily. Deciding that she has had enough of his so-called jokes, she brought her attention back to the landscape, only to find Kakashi and the female exchanging awe-filled glares. Her hand clenched and rolled up into a fist as she watched the jonin smile at the girl. Two minutes later, almost three, he disappeared from sight, a grin still spread across his masked face.

His emotions were more sincere to that stranger than to her and Tenzo! Unbelievable!

"Unbelievable!" she repeated her thoughts aloud. "He's more sincere to that ignorant child than he is to us! I swear, I'm going to kill that stupid bastard when I see him again! He's going to get a pounding of a life time, along with a knuckle sandwich!" She shot an intense glare at Tenzo before he added anything to her brief horrific speech. "Ya hear that, Tenzo? You're gonna get that too if you don't keep your damn trap shut!"

"So you're gonna kill who, exactly?"

A familiar edged voice filled her ears. Oh shit.

"Kakashi!" she nervously chirped as she spun around. "Fancy seeing you here!"

"Yo," greeted Kakashi, his hand raising in the air, "now answer my question, please."

Tenzo filled him in immediately. "We were ordered to find you, Kakashi, because you weren't present in our ANBU training. So we searched everywhere and we finally found you here, but we didn't expect you to be with a small child. Unfortunately for you, we watched the whole departure. Fortunately, we didn't see anything other than that. And while you were bidding farewell to your…let's say, friend…Rin was becoming jealous."

Kakashi's eyebrows skyrocketed. "And why is that, Rin?"

Her face steamed red and she hung her head to avoid their gazes at all cost. She refused to give any answers, so Tenzo had to yet again 'save the day'.

"She thought you had a little crush on that nine-year old girl," informed the brown-haired one.

"For your information," began Kakashi, "she's eight years old. And another thing, I sort of helped her with her training. She's nothing more than a pupil to me, and I'll have you know she's a very intelligent one. I will assume that you thought of her as a mere little civilian, but she isn't. In fact, she is very strong-willed and she refuses to give up on becoming a kunoichi of the Hidden Leaf."

"So you admire her then?" wondered Rin.

The Copy Ninja scratched the tip of his chin embarrassingly. "Erhm…maybe."

"See!" she glowered. "This gives me every right to be jealous."

The End

A/N: If you were wondering where the 'very slight romance' part was, it's toward the end where Rin envies Sakura. If you read very carefully, you'll understand that Rin has a crush on Kakashi. Why else would she be jealous, hm?