Thank you for clicking on my humble fic.

I hope you enjoy, reviews would be great and yeah I should be working on something else (IE Homework, getting a life, my novel, more fanfiction...) , BUUTTTTTT, I couldn't resist this plotline.

DISC: I DO NOT OWN

The woman stood in the rain, her umbrella long forgotten.

Her jeans clung to her bare skin, her pink hair glued to her face.

The rain, stubborn, kept pouring down. And she still couldn't believe it.

Sakura was twenty, pretty some might say if you liked exotic beauties, and she had just lost her boyfriend and best friend.

Well, ex-boyfriend.

They broke up when she was nineteen, Sakura wanted to travel, to do things, and Kakashi wanted to stay and teach high school football.

In Europe, she gotten a call from Ino and taken the first flight home- still managing to miss the funeral. So, here she stood, tired and disheveled, staring at a gravestone. God, Sakura still couldn't believe it.

He had never even gone anywhere, just stayed in their small town, and coached football. But, he was so good at it. Kakashi could have gone pro.

"You stupid, stupid, man." She murmured quietly. "Why was I the only one who dreamed? Why couldn't you have gone with me?" He had dated someone else, an elementary school teacher or something, Rin?, Lin?, it didn't matter.

Kakashi would always be hers.

They kept writing, through the months, Sakura talking about what she was seeing, and Kakashi talked about football.

Sakura hadn't realized she was crying, until she touched her cheek and felt warmth that wasn't rain. She bowed her head and tried not to think about it. Kakashi had proposed, he had written her a letter and told her he couldn't live without her, and then he had-

Some drunk high school idiot had hit Kakashi, and he had died.

The phone rang, startling Sakura out of her mourning. She dug through her purse absentmindedly, pulling out her cell and answering. If it was work she was going to hang up-

"Sakura." Ino stated simply. "Did you get in alright?"

"Yeah." Sakura responded numbly. "Did you know he asked me to marry him? God, he asked me to-"

"You better not tell Rin that Sakura." There was something cold in Ino's voice. "She loved Kakashi too. She stayed with him. You left."

Sakura wasn't sure what to say to that.

"I only called you because Kakashi would have wanted it to be that way. He would have wanted you here. But I don't. You left Sakura. Don't come here and try to ruin everything again."

"I loved him. I know you don't think so, but I did."

"Not enough to stay. Just say your goodbyes and go back to Europe. Do whatever the hell you were doing before. Kakashi wouldn't- I won't- I don't want you here."

"Ino," Sakura tried. But the line was dead.

She sat in silence, and in rain, before she decided it was time to move. No point of dying from phenomena, after all, it would bother Ino to bury her in town.

Sakura stomped through the muddy grass, her boots sinking and her lips trembling. She was freezing, livid, and was so numb at the moment-

She crashed into something hard.

Sakura looked up, and noticed it wasn't a something, but a someone, who was grinning down at her sheepishly. He was about eighteen, short spiky blonde hair and liquid blue eyes. About six feet tall, she estimated, and built like a foot player.

Sakura could always tell.

"Sorry, sorry." His voice was loud and bright, a little too cheerful. "Let me help you up." He extended his hand, and Sakura brushed him off, standing on her own.

"I don't need your help thank you."

"Hey, that's not fair! I was just trying to be nice." He was practically pouting now. "My mother always taught me to be nice to strange pretty girls."

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"So, I'll start with a name. I'm Naruto."

"Sakura." Sakura replied stiffly, and Naruto laughed.

"It suits you."

"No duh." She motioned to her hair.

"Well, Sakura, if you don't mind me asking, why are you out in this storm without an umbrella?"

"I was visiting Kakashi."

The color from Naruto's face drained. "You know Hatake?" Naruto eyed her with disbelief. "How?"

"We-" Sakura paused. "Dated through high school."

"So it wasn't Rin he was complaining about? The one who played football like a man, was always beating up on the players, who made Kakashi show up on time? That was you?" Naruto looked down at the five foot six skin and bones wood sprite before him in doubt. "How is that even possible?"

Sakura decked him.

Naruto tumbled, hit the soggy ground with a squish, felt the mud ooze up his back and knew, as the bruise began to blossom on his face, that he had just found his savior.

"I am tired of everyone in this town assuming I'm something. Just because I left I'm a traitor! Just because I'm short I can't play ball! I hate small towns!" Sakura fumed, and was about to stomp off when Naruto stopped her.

"Damn you hit like my mom. And I think you might be the answer to my prayers."

XXX

Which was how Sakura found herself following Naruto home, as he offered her the place to stay the night. It was awfully suspicious, she knew he wanted something, she just wasn't sure what.

But Kakashi had coached this boy. Kakashi, who Naruto kept telling her, couldn't stop talking about this girl. And Sakura knew, that whatever the hell Naruto wanted, a kidney, a unicorn, whatever, she would say yes.

Because it was what she knew the lazy late bastard would have wanted her to do. It was why he asked her to marry him a too late, why he had died, because, Sakura knew, Kakashi just loved to piss her off.

She didn't think he loved her to see her cry.

They entered his house into the warm kitchen, where a very busy looking woman puttered around the kitchen in frustration.

"Old lady! Look what I brought home!" Naruto called happily, and the woman looked up.

"I am not old Naruto."

"Whatever, Tsunade."

Tsunade looked at Sakura with interest.

"So you're the girlfriend everyone in town keeps talking about?" Her words were sharp, and Sakura winced.

"Yeah. That's me." Sakura replied weakly, and when Tsunade stepped forward and gave her a hard hug, Sakura was completely taken off guard.

"God, you made him happy. And you came back. Are you going to-?"

"Ma!" Naruto interrupted loudly. "Sakura's probably starving. Let's eat!"

Tsunade reluctantly released Sakura, and began to serve up some-

"Ramen!" Naruto cheered loudly. "Best meal in the world!"

They settled in the kitchen, Naruto wolfing down more food than humanly possible, and Sakura barely eating.

Finally, she looked up at Tsunade. "He's not really yours, right?"

"Huh?" Tsunade replied, her eyes lighting up in curiosity.

"You're not that old. And your hair colors don't match. And you faces-"

"Alright, alright, you got me. Naruto's adopted."

"And damn proud of it!"

"What did I say about swearing at the table?" Tsunade raised her fist, and Naruto cowered. Sakura laughed.

"You're pretty observant though aren't you?" Sakura nodded and took a bite of ramen.

"Yeah. And I know you want something. You just haven't asked yet."

Naruto raised his hands in mock defeat. "Kakashi did say you were as sharp as a tack. The football team doesn't have a coach. And if we don't get one, we'll be taken down." Naruto looked at Sakura. "This season we're playing for Kakashi. We can't be taken down, because I haven't made the NFL yet, and this is my last year to impress the scout's, and Hatake."

"And you're asking me?"

"Yes." Naruto nodded solemnly. "I was sort of spying on you. And Sakura, you sat outside that grave, while it was raining for at least an hour and a half. You really loved Kakashi." Naruto paused. "And whenever he talked about you, he got the same light in his eyes, the same he got when he talked about football. I think you're the only person the team will accept."

"What about Rin?"

Naruto snorted. "I like Rin, don't get me wrong. But I don't think she ever got the whole football thing. She's better suited with toddlers and finger paints. Now, will you do it?"

Sakura looked at the hopeful Naruto, the grinning Tsunade and tried to protest.

"You must have heard the stuff some the town's been spreading around. That I was too stuck up, too city raised, too good for this place. They're not going to accept me."

"It isn't about the town accepting you Sakura," Naruto grinned deviously. "It's about the team."
And Sakura had mentally promised Naruto a kidney.

"I'll do it."

XXX

Sakura had retired early, Tsunade was offering her a room, while Naruto called the guys over.

They had team meetings at Itachi's and Sasuke's house, it was the largest and easiest to access. And, Mrs. Uchiha always made great cookies.

So, Naruto tromped off through the rain, and burst in from the backdoor. Everyone else had already arrived.

"Naruto." Sasuke told him irritably. "What took you so long?"

"Oh, don't be so grumpy Sasu-gay, I found us a coach."

Sasuke shut his mouth for a moment, but then it was Hidan's turn to speak up.

"Fuck yeah! Mother fucker, I take back all the time's I called you a bitch. Thank Jashin!"

"You just called me a mother fucker."

"It was an endearment."

Naruto rolled his eyes.

Itachi raised his hand.

"Yes?" Naruto demanded, "You autistic moron, what did I tell you about raising your hand?"

"I was trying to be polite." Itachi stated simply. "Who is our new coach?"

"Her name's Sakura. She's Kakashi's ex-girlfriend."

For once, there was silence. And then everyone was talking at once.

"Holy shit man! Holy shit!"

"A girl as a coach, un?"

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

And so on and so forth.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "God guys, chill. She's-" Naruto thought about the way she had cried, silently. He thought about the way she had punched him in the face, how she had smiled at him at the dinner table. "Amazing."

Kisame started to sing. "Naruto's got a crush, Naruto's got a crush!"

"Do not! Anyway, we're meeting her tomorrow, for practice. So, show up and be normal."

Itachi raised his hand. "Define normal?"

"Just don't act like yourselves." Naruto groaned and scooted out the door, but it was only Itachi who noted that his face was slightly red.

He wondered what Naruto's girlfriend, Hinata, would think about this.

XXX

Did you like it? Please review if you did. I'm not sure this is something I'm going to keep writing, but, it depends on if you, lovely reader, enjoyed it and want more.