Rating: M

Words: 5500

Pairing: Genma/Sakura (I think lol)

Warnings: Language, past mistakes, unplanned pregnancy, drinking, poorly controlled anger, angst

Author's Note: Since writing Muddy Water, I have such a soft spot for these two. This story is meant to follow that one loosely but it can definitely stand alone. I adore these two together and the situation. I don't want to ruin it so I won't talk to much. I hope you like this as much as I do. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

"Do I look like I want to talk about it?" Genma growled, spinning the beer bottle in a lazy circle between his hands.

Raido laughed and clapped his best friend on the back. "You never want to talk about things. Doesn't mean that you shouldn't."

The drone of ambiguous conversation filled the bar, sweeping around the two men to provide a modicum of privacy. Raido had yet to touch the bottle of beer in front of him. He contented himself with watching his friend drain his second. There wasn't anything specific about Genma that Raido could put his finger on, but something was different. The tokujo looked the same, except that his face was darker and hair lighter, both from hours in the sunlight. It was his eyes, Raido decided, something had changed in Genma's eyes.

"How was Suna?" That question seemed safe enough. Raido had plenty of other questions, but it was best not to overwhelm Genma. He'd been out of Konoha for a couple of months, so there had to be dozens of stories that he wanted to share. The last time Genma had gone to Suna for a week, he'd come back full of tales that the heat made it impossible for the women to dress decently. He claimed their skin tasted like sunshine. Raido was half afraid of the types of stories nearly three months had given the man.

Genma rolled his shoulders, a clear indicator of annoyance. "Hot."

Raido shook his head and finally lifted the drink to his lips. At this rate, he'd get through four or five before Genma said anything of interest. Instead of pushing, he drank his beer in silence while Genma knocked his bottle against the bar and raised his hand for another.

"It was hot, in the desert," Raido enunciated each word carefully. "Groundbreaking thoughts, Gen. I'm surprised they haven't tried to pull you into the Intelligence Division yet."

Genma grimaced. "Don't call me that," he groaned, then turned up his third drink in as many minutes.

Leaning one elbow against the bar, Raido turned to face Genma and really looked at him. All things considered, Raido was surprised that Genma hadn't drank himself under the table already. Today had been difficult to say the least. Genma had found out that his whole life had changed in the blink of an eye, then had to face the wrath of the Hokage. Kakashi had been furious when he'd found out about Genma, but Sakura had tempered his rage. Raido had bet Iwashi that Kakashi would punch the senbon chewing tokujo, but he'd lost that one. Now, he'd have to do all the late-night guard duty for the next month.

"I've always called you that," Raido complained. "What's gotten into you? I mean, I know today was tough, but come on, it's not like you to get this way over anything." He stopped just short of implying that Genma should have come to expect that this would happen sooner or later, considering how many women he'd slept with over the years.

It wasn't that Raido didn't care about Genma's problems, per se. It was just that Genma didn't usually care about them himself. For as long as they'd known each other, Raido had never seen his friend worry. He's always taken life as it came, reacting to whatever it threw at him without missing a step. Now, Genma looked like a man who couldn't remember how to stand up, much less walk. It was disconcerting. Genma rubbed a hand over his face and sighed, draining the remainder of his drink, then ordering a fourth.

"You should probably slow down," Raido said, moderating his voice from the earlier playfulness. "If your goal is to get so drunk that you can't remember today, why don't you let me buy you a bottle of something, and we'll go back to my place?" Genma didn't often drink to the point of losing control, but Raido suspected that he might do so tonight. The man would get even more belligerent once he was drunk, so it would be better to be at Raido's than in public when the alcohol loosened his tongue.

Genma shook his head, looking down at the bar top. Sensing that this was quite possibly a terrible idea that he was going to regret later, Raido called over the bar keep and ordered a bottle of sake. Two glasses later, and Genma was starting to look like himself again. Now that he wasn't absorbed in his problems, the man finally noticed the flirty smiles from the girl at the end of bar. She'd been making eyes at him since they sat down, less than an hour earlier.

To Raido's shock, Genma didn't saunter toward her, throw an arm around her shoulders, and lay on the charm. In fact, he didn't even return the smile. The normally flirty man glanced at her, inclined his head, then turned back to Raido. That's certainly new, Raido thought, wondering if he dare suggest that Genma needed to get laid far more than he needed alcohol. Even so, the sake had finally gotten the man talking about his months in Suna.

"So what were the girls like there?" Raido elbowed him with a playful grin. He hadn't drank as much as Genma, but it was still more than he should have. Already, the pleasant warmth suffused his body.

"Like girls anywhere else, I imagine." Genma lifted his third glass, then put it back down carefully on the counter. The man blinked a couple of times, and shook his head. Raido sighed. Whatever was wrong with Genma, was obviously going to take a while to sort out. With enough drinks and time, though, they'd get to the bottom of it.

Raido felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to look up at a woman with a heart-shaped face and deep green eyes. She smiled prettily at him while her friend, the blonde that had been staring at Genma earlier, leaned close to whisper something in his ear.

When Raido had invited Genma out for a drink earlier, he'd specifically selected a bar that wasn't frequented by shinobi. He didn't think his friend was ready to face the fallout of what had happened. Yes, he'd talked to Kakashi, which was a big step, but that still left Tsunade-sama. She'd been vocal about what she was going to do to his sorry ass once it got back to the village. Raido doubted that Genma had even thought about her yet. Best not to mention it now, especially since the night was finally looking up.

The woman with Genma ran her hand up his forearm, caressing his bicep while laughing at something he'd said. She pressed entirely against his side, and Raido saw a flicker of something pass over Genma's face when the woman leaned in again. Her lips were impossibly close to Genma's ear, undoubtedly inviting him home with her already, when all hell broke loose.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Fury made Sakura's voice tremble as she looked between the girl and Genma. "This was more important than coming to talk to me?"

Raido cringed as Genma turned in slow motion to look over his shoulder, seeing Sakura for the first time since getting back to the village. Emotions flashed across the man's face too quickly to read before his lips compressed into a thin line. The blonde rested her forearm on Genma's shoulder, long fingers brushing his collar bone. Genma seemed unaware of the action, staring at the girl before him; Sakura was not. Her hand balled into a fist so tight that it started to shake.

The woman with Genma obviously didn't recognize the pink-haired kunoichi standing beside them. Sakura wore simple black pants and a red shirt rather than normal shinobi attire, but only a fool could miss the danger radiating off her.

Raido realized that this was probably more than a little his fault. He'd brought Genma out to drink after all, thinking to take his mind off things. "It's my fault, I asked-"

"He's an adult-" Sakura interrupted.

Genma cut them both off. "You've known for months, and you're pissed that I didn't come to talk to you after knowing for a couple of hours?" Fury edged Genma's voice, but there was an undercurrent of something that sounded a lot like hurt to Raido.

The flush on Sakura's cheeks could be either anger or embarrassment, but there was no way to tell which. "You're already drunk?" She asked incredulously, ignoring the woman at Genma's side to focus on his face. "This is exactly why I didn't tell you. What difference would it have made? You run from everything that gets too tough."

"I deserved to know," he spat back, closing his hand around his glass of sake. The pale liquid sloshed over the rim from the force of his grip.

"Well now you do." Sakura's voice was ice, contrasting sharply with the fire in Genma's. The buzz of conversation in the bar had grown quieter as the pair's words grew louder. While this might not be a shinobi bar, Sakura was a familiar face in the village, and both Genma and Raido were in uniform. The argument was rapidly spiraling out of control.

Genma growled. "I found out from Kakashi. You fuc-" the man trembled, stopping mid-word to bring himself back under control. "You told him before you told me. Don't imply that I'm a coward when you took the easy way out too."

"You weren't here," Sakura started, but Genma slammed his hand on the bar hard enough to cut off her words.

"That's an excuse, and a pathetic one at that." The man drew a deep breath, trying and failing to control his anger, shuddering under the strain. Raido realized that Genma had definitely had too much to drink if he was losing control like this.

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest. "You know what? All of this was a mistake; enjoy your night, Gen."

Genma didn't turn to watch her leave, didn't see the tears forming in her eyes. Raido did, and it didn't take long to fit the pieces together. So, that's the way the wind is blowing then, is it? She'd called him Gen at the end. Things were beginning to make sense, though Raido wasn't sure if he believed them or not. Either way, it wasn't worth the risk. "You're going to regret it if you don't go-"

A single glance from the assassin's eyes stilled Raido's tongue. The girl beside him, however, wasn't quite as adept at reading Genma. She leaned closer and rolled her eyes. "No wonder you're out drinking if that's what you have to deal with at home."

Genma pushed the arm off his shoulder without looking at the woman, then finished his alcohol in in one gulp. He shook his head, undoubtedly trying to clear the instant haze from his mind, then cursed under his breath and pushed himself to his feet. "Fucking heroes," Genma grumbled and started toward the door.

When he stepped into the street, Genma was furious and more than a little tipsy. He knew where Sakura's apartment was, of course, and assumed that she would go after fleeing the bar. He needed to talk to her, face her accusations, and get some answers. They were both adults. They could work this out, then figure out the next course of action. We could have done that months ago, if she hadn't been so selfish, the alcohol suggested. The argument was logical enough that Genma turned in the opposite direction, toward his apartment, and started walking.

In the whirlwind of facing Kakashi, then Raido wanting to drink it better, Genma hadn't been home. As he pushed open the door, the overwhelming scent of dust accosted him. Hardly surprising after having been away for so long. The alcohol still buzzed in the back of Genma's mind as he crossed the room and fell into a chair. His pack was somewhere, probably still in the Hokage's office. Maybe Raido would bring it to him tomorrow. It wasn't like it really mattered anyway. There was nothing in there except a change of clothes, a few weapons, and some bandages.

Closing his eyes, Genma leaned against the cushion behind him and exhaled. The room was spinning, but he wasn't sure if it was from the alcohol or the news. Sakura is pregnant with your child. Kakashi said the words calmly, as if unaware that they'd sucked all of the air out of the room. The thought was so foreign that Genma didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He settled on breathing and not thinking about anything, though the latter wasn't quite as successful as the former.

Sakura had looked nearly identical to the last time Genma had seen her, standing in front of the hospital. She'd kissed him, wished him good luck on his mission report, then she was gone. They'd had three days together after a disastrous mission. In typical Genma fashion, he hadn't even told her goodbye when he left for Suna. He'd left that responsibility to Kakashi, or maybe Raido. Somehow, saying goodbye made everything that had happened between them that much more real. So, he'd run, like he always did. Sakura was right about that, at least; running was easier.

Genma hadn't lied to Kakashi after their mission, either. It had been true that he needed space to clear his head. There wasn't a question that what he and Sakura had shared wasn't love; it had never been about love. Those days had been desperation, loneliness, and physical desire. It was as simple as that. A smile curled on Genma's lips as he pressed a hand to his chest where his fractured ribs had only just stopped aching. There had been dozens of times over the past couple of months that the sharp pain had reminded him Sakura.

Sakura was hardly the first woman to discover that Genma enjoyed things a bit rougher than average, even among shinobi. But there was something about the way she'd discovered it, surprised, yet unafraid to use it to her advantage. He thought about the last time they'd been together, the night before they'd made it back to the village. She had reached toward the area she'd abused so often and seen him wince before she touched it. Her hand had stopped short, then she'd pressed soft kisses to his ribs instead.

That night, Sakura had been tender and gentle, still impatient to have him, but aware of Genma in a completely different way than either of the times before. When they'd nestled beneath his cloak after, Sakura had offered to heal him, still lightly caressing his injuries. Genma had pulled her close and kissed her into silence. She wouldn't understand his refusal any more than he did. All he'd known was that he wanted a reminder of their time together.

Genma stood and stumbled toward the bathroom to splash water on his face. The rage of alcohol was beginning to fade, as was the dizziness, but his chest ached and his head pounded. Raido officially had the worst ideas ever, drinking had only made this worse. Genma recalled Sakura's face when she'd seen him, surprised and hurt, with a good measure of anger thrown in. She'd fully expected him to come to her after he found out, after she hadn't even in had the courage to tell him herself. He didn't understand how she could be pregnant. Medical ninja were supposed to have ways around that.

After splashing more cold water in his face, Genma looked around the small bathroom. Sterile, clean, and untouched, like the rest of his apartment. Anyone could have lived here. If Genma died on the mission, they would hardly have to remove anything for the next tenant. That was the beauty in the life of a shinobi; they weren't permanent. Most died young, and few got to live the normal life that so many people took for granted. Genma had never wanted that. He was simple, taking pleasure where and when he could find it, letting everything else roll off him. Worry, uncertainty, and fears about the future were for people who had a future. Genma was an assassin, a guard, and a shinobi; he wasn't normal.

But I could be, he thought. Genma rubbed his eyes and tried to push the thought away. It refused to go. Sakura is pregnant. Whether he accepted it or not, Genma was going to be father. At least, he'd had a part in making the baby, but Sakura didn't have to include him in its life. His chest ached dully at the thought as he walked back into the living room. Sakura had come to him, wanting to talk, maybe apologize, and he'd treated her like it didn't matter. But it did, it mattered as much as anything ever had. The thought echoed so loudly in Genma's mind that he had to find a way to shut it off. He could only think of one.

On the walk to Sakura's apartment, Genma's courage started to waver. She was probably already asleep, considering the time. And if she wasn't, it was entirely possible that she wouldn't want to see him. He walked past her apartment building once, stopped, then walked back. There were a few people in the streets, but thankfully, none of them greeted him. Running over his words for the fifteenth time, Genma knocked.

It took a couple of minutes before he heard movement on the other side, then the door cracked open, and Sakura peered out, looking both surprised and suspicious. Her pink hair was tousled, green eyes rimmed with red. Though there were no tears now, Genma knew she'd been crying. The sight made Genma promptly forget what he'd planned to say. She wore a black t-shirt that looked two sizes too big, and soft grey pants that hung loosely off her body. Pajamas, his mind supplied belatedly.

"Did I wake you?" Genma asked stupidly.

"What do you want?" Sakura leaned a hip against the doorframe, gazing up at him. Genma thought he had grown used to the emerald intensity of her eyes, but they were brighter from crying. In the dim streetlights, they were reminiscent of sunlight on the leaves that gave the village its name. He'd missed that color, that reminder of life, while living in the desert.

Genma meant to apologize, he really did, but his mouth had other plans. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Sakura sighed, running a hand through her hair to clear the tangles. Pale strands fell around her cheeks, and Genma almost reached out to brush them behind her ears. "Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" Sakura challenged.

"Because I had no reason to," Genma answered honestly. "I convinced myself that it would be easier for everyone if I went to Suna while things blew over in the village."

"Was it easier?" Sakura focused on Genma's eyes, and he felt like he was freefalling. He really should have waited until he had sobered up completely to come here and talk to Sakura. This was a terrible idea. A haze clouded the back of his mind, blocking out the part that told him he should be careful.

Frustration bled into Genma's voice, and he was powerless to stop it. "No, it wasn't, but it should have been. I missed you." Genma hadn't meant to say that either. He hadn't even realized that he'd thought it until the words left his mouth. He should not have let Raido get him this drunk.

"I bet you say that to all the girls," Sakura murmured, glancing up at Genma through dark lashes.

The whirl of emotions that swelled inside him was indecipherable, so he didn't try to understand it. Instead, he said the first thing that came to mind. "There hasn't been anyone else besides you."

Genma couldn't complete the thought so he shook his head and leaned closer, resting his forearm above Sakura's head on the frame. His other hand came to her face, thumb tracing the softness of her cheek. Sakura exhaled, looking up at him again. The soft buzzing of the streetlight above them and the noise from the street seemed louder than they should have.

This is stupid, we're in full view of anyone passing by, the logical part of Genma's mind whispered. Then, Sakura's hands came to his chest, and she fisted the fabric, pulling him into a breath-stealing kiss. Warmth flooded through his chest, weakening his knees even as he wrapped his arm around her lower back. Sakura deepened the kiss, encouraging Genma's response. When she released his vest and pulled back, Genma was dizzier than he'd been all night. Sakura smiled shyly. "Do you want to come in?"

Despite everything screaming for him to say yes, Genma knew it would complicate the already tangled mess between them. When he didn't answer, Sakura grabbed his hand and pulled him through the open door. When she reached for the zipper on his flak vest, the movement decided Genma. He had just enough sense of mind left to kick the door shut behind them before surrendering to Sakura's hands and lips.

Tenzo held a hand against his busted lip, staunching the blood flow. He glanced down at his palm in surprise, then spit the coppery tang from his tongue. The pale skin glinted damply in the moonlight, and he shook his head, making an effort to stand. Kakashi offered a hand to pull Tenzo back on his feet.

"I'm sorry," Kakashi said, almost too softly to hear. "I didn't mean to hit you that hard."

Tenzo laughed, spat out another stream of pink fluid, and touched his lip again. "No, you meant to hit Genma a hell of a lot harder. But, I was closer, and stupid enough to spar with you tonight." He didn't need to see Kakashi's mouth to know that the man's lips pulled down into a frown. "Why did you recall him back to the village? You could have left him in Suna."

"Keep talking, and I won't apologize next time," Kakashi grumbled. He was joking, that was a good sign. At least, Tenzo thought he was joking.

Kakashi tipped Tenzo's head back to inspect the damage. Tenzo's lower lip swelled around the cut. He'd reacted too slowly to the onslaught of taijutsu attacks, and one had slipped past his defenses. It had been an innocent accident, something that had happened often during their time in Anbu together. Kakashi trained methodically, wringing the best out of his squads. That was one of the things Tenzo admired most about his senpai.

Tonight's spar had been different, however. It hadn't been about training for a mission or preparation for battle. As the Hokage, there was little chance that Kakashi would spend any time in the field or in hand-to-hand combat without his guards around to nullify any dangers. No, this bout had been purely to burn off aggression. Now that sweat and blood had been spilled, Kakashi would either want to talk about things, or blow it off completely.

"Genma had the right to know," Kakashi said finally. "She shouldn't have kept it from him in the first place."

This time, Tenzo held his tongue rather than saying the first thing that popped into his mind, which was undoubtedly a good idea. He suspected that Kakashi might harbor feelings for his former student, though he wasn't sure if it was friendship or more. Tenzo remembered the day that Kakashi had found out.

It had been an early afternoon, and he'd forcing Kakashi to focus on recommendations for shinobi to appoint to Anbu. Tenzo had been badgering the Hokage about this for nearly a month, but the man kept making excuses for other things that he needed to take care of. This time, however, Tenzo refused to allow Kakashi to get away with it. A lot of shinobi had been lost in the war; it had changed the face of the ninja world. There were different needs now, and the black ops had to adapt, which would require a new type of ninja in Anbu. Reconnaissance had become as important as battle prowess, and while they had a few that fit the description, there were half a dozen people that showed the additional skills that Tenzo had been looking for.

"I think this one has promise," Tenzo opened the top file, a young man with shaggy black hair and green eyes. "He did well at the academy, but with the war, he wasn't able to advance quickly. He has an excellent record on the type of missions that I'd need him for."

Three sharp raps on the door interrupted the rest of Tenzo's thoughts, and he glared at Raido when the man peeked inside. "Hokage-sama," the man bowed both to Kakashi and Tenzo. "Sakura wishes to speak with you, if you have a moment."

Tenzo almost said no, but Kakashi leaned back in his chair and shifted the papers in front of him to close the file of eligible shinobi. Tenzo knew it was a losing battle, so he held his tongue. It wasn't unusual for Sakura to stop by to talk to Kakashi. She would stay long enough to say whatever was on her mind, then return to the hospital. Since the war, Tenzo had noticed that Kakashi and Sakura's relationship had evolved from student-teacher to friends. By extension, she'd become friends with Tenzo as well.

Assuming their conversation would only last a few minutes, Tenzo faded back toward the wall behind Kakashi's right shoulder. Sakura barely flicked her eyes to him before they settled on the man behind the desk. The Hokage gave her the familiar eye smile that he seemed to wear more frequently when she was around.

"I want to be taken off the active mission roster indefinitely," Sakura blurted before Kakashi could greet her.

Tenzo felt the desire to furrow his brow, but remained impassive, face carefully neutral. This had nothing to do with him; it was between Kakashi and Sakura. The Hokage leaned back in chair and steepled his fingers in front of him without speaking. Using silence to encourage someone else to speak was a tactic that Kakashi excelled at. Sakura looked at him, meeting his gaze stubbornly.

Finally, Kakashi gave in. "You're one of the strongest medical nin that we have. That can be the difference between life and death in the field." Sakura nodded her understanding. She had parroted Tsunade's suggestion of always having a medical nin as part of a squad since the war, and had personally organized more training to help find those with the basic skills necessary.

Sakura shifted from foot to foot, then crossed her arms over her chest. "I know. I'll continue working at the hospital, of course, and help training the new medical-nin." Kakashi inclined his head, encouraging her to continue. "But, I need to be removed from the mission roster."

"Need or want?" Kakashi inquired. "Those are two different things, and you can't use them interchangeably."

Sakura huffed a sigh and rolled her eyes. "Both."

"Are you going to tell me why?" Kakashi laced his fingers together and placed his hands on the desk while looking at her, but Tenzo couldn't see his face from where he stood. It sounded like Kakashi might be amused by Sakura's attitude, rather than annoyed. It wasn't like her to be secretive.

"Does it matter why?" Sakura shook her head. "Can't you just trust me on this?"

To Tenzo's surprise, Kakashi stood and moved to the opposite side of his desk, leaning a hip against it to face her. "Yes," he responded. "I can."

"I'm requesting medical leave. I could have let Tsunade-sama send you a notice, but I wanted to tell you myself." Sakura ran her fingers through her hair.

"Tsunade has approved it? That means she's already examined you and found cause for a medical leave." Kakashi didn't seem to realize that he was thinking out loud.

Sakura's foot beat out a staccato against the floor, but she didn't have the glower she usually wore before she hit someone. Tenzo thought nervousness might have more to do with it than anger, fear as well, by the way she chewed on her lower lip. "Kakashi, I'm pregnant."

Tenzo's mouth fell open in slow motion as the rules of time altered around him. Sakura focused entirely on Kakashi, both either ignoring, or forgetting all about the Anbu, for which Tenzo was thankful. The silver-haired man hadn't moved since Sakura spoke. It might have been seconds or hours, Tenzo couldn't tell the difference anymore. Finally, Kakashi shifted, leaning more against the desk to half sit on the wooden surface, with one leg supporting some of his weight.

"Does Sasuke know?" Kakashi questioned, as if he'd been expecting the news.

Sakura's eyes grew round, and her face paled slightly. She clearly hadn't expected those to be the first words out of the Hokage's mouth. Kakashi waited in silence, letting the question sink in. It was a good question, a logical question.

Sakura stumbled over the words. "I'm-I-no, he doesn't know."

Kakashi nodded, reaching across his desk for a pen like he needed to make a note. As if he wouldn't remember that Sakura was pregnant. "I can speak to Shikamaru and have Sasuke recalled to the village. I believe he's still in the Land of Iron, but I can send someone after him. If that's what you-"

"It's not his." Sakura's words were soft but deadly, like a paper bomb that exploded just far enough away that you couldn't quite hear it, but you could see the devastation. Tenzo's mouth dropped open further than he thought possible as the pen slid out of Kakashi's hand. The man reached for it, but his reflexes weren't fast enough. It clattered to the desk, spilling black ink across the papers. No one looked at the mess.

Kakashi and Sakura stared at one another, neither moving nor speaking as the realization sank in. If Tenzo could have used shunshin to escape the office without drawing attention to himself, he would have. This was most definitely not something he wanted to be here for. He had suspected that there might be shared feelings between the pair, but the idea that they might be sleeping together had never crossed his mind. Much less that they would be sleeping together irresponsibly.

Sakura looked down at her feet and drew a breath. It was the most vulnerable that Tenzo had ever seen her look. He was reminded of the fact that she was still half a child herself, young enough to make stupid mistake, but old enough to face them squarely. Her next words were a whisper almost too soft for Tenzo to hear. It didn't matter, they weren't meant for him anyway. "I'm sorry, sensei."

"Sakura, I'm not-you don't-" Kakashi cut off when Sakura crossed the distance between them and threw herself against his chest with a sob. The man didn't act surprised about that either, just closed his arms around her and murmured that things would be fine.

Tenzo had given up caring if the pair remembered he was there, and used shunshin to flee into the hallway. Once there, he told Raido to turn away anyone else who needed the Hokage until Sakura left. The man nodded without asking any questions. Tenzo was thankful, as he had no idea how he would answer them. Instead, he let his feet carry him out of the building.

Hours later, Tenzo found Kakashi by the trail of destruction. Dozens of trees had holes blown through them from the chidori that he wasn't supposed to use without the Sharingan's aid. An equal number were charred from the effects of the purple lightning he'd developed to use in the chidori's place.

The Hokage cloak lay on the dew dampened ground next to the sweat soaked figure of the man himself, crouching and breathing hard. His right hand was covered in blood, but Tenzo didn't ask what happened. He stood just in the man's line of vision and waited. The panting stopped, and the sweat dried before Kakashi stood.

On their walk back to the village, Kakashi had finally revealed the name of the baby's father, hand clenched in anger, then told Tenzo he didn't want to talk about it.

They still didn't talk about it really, but Tenzo knew that Kakashi needed him. Whatever his feelings toward Sakura, he didn't seem willing to stand in her way of working things out with Genma. In fact, he'd controlled himself amazingly well when Genma appeared in his office earlier in the day. Tenzo didn't know if that was a good sign, or a bad one. Only time would tell.