While sitting on the roof of the hospital waiting for an airlifted patient I began thinking about the past couple of years. It had been well over 5 years since Sasuke left Kohona. When he first left I was crushed but after some time I realized that he had been nothing but a liar and a criminal. Doing whatever it took, even killing innocents to get to Itachi, all for nothing. Sasuke's life was ended by Itachi at the Uchiha hideout two years ago. I had tried to save his life when he was brought into the medical center but he was too hurt for even Tsunade to help. After his burial Naruto disappeared, after losing Jiraiya and Sasuke I guess Kohona was just too much of a reminder for him. He left me, broken and with no one. Of course Ino and Tsunade were still around but they were busy with their own lives. Naruto was my rock. I always counted on him to make a bad day better. When he left I got depressed, I didn't leave my apartment for weeks, and the only one I would talk to was Kakashi-sensei. To keep my mind busy he started training me in genjutsu, he always said I was a natural, so with his help I had it mastered in only a year. In all the time I spent with Kakashi he never spoke of Jiraiya or Naruto, it was just too painful for us both. So we weren't alone all the time I began cooking for us every Thursday, and when he went on solo missions I even packed him a bag so he wouldn't miss our day. I had grown fond of our dinners. He never took off that damn mask but I got used to looking away from him so he could eat comfortably. With him gone for the past two months I was beginning to get lonely. Ino was busy with Kiba and Tsunade with her students I was back to sitting on my couch crying myself to sleep. Sometimes I just wanted to jump right off the building, standing on the edge looking over; I wiped my tears and took a deep breath. Kohona always smelled good in the spring, ramen seemed to fill the streets, and I smiled at the thought of ramen with naruto. I missed my friends so much, what else was there for me? My parents were long dead, no other family. I was alone. The sound of the whirling helicopter brought me back from the edge. I ran over to assists with the patient. After working for 6 hours and draining all my chakra we managed to save the young ANBU Member. By the time I left the hospital I was exhausted. I could barely move I dreaded the walk all the way home. I stopped for a cup of coffee. When I reached into my bag to pay I felt eyes on me. I tried to shake it off, chalking it up to the cloud in my brain. The whole way back to my apartment I had that same feeling, someone was following me, I kept checking over my shoulder but nothing. I stopped with my keys in the door "I've had a long day; you don't want to fuck with me". Then nothing, the eyes were gone, I felt alone again. I shuttered and walked inside. I flicked on my lights and almost jumped out of my skin.
"Ino!" I screamed with my hand over my heart. "I almost killed you, you know"
"Breathe easy Sakura-Chan" she said laughing "I knew if I came after you got home you'd be moping around and wouldn't answer the door"
"You could have called" I rolled my eyes and put my bag down by the door "And you can go now"
"That's not very nice I wanted to talk to you, you've been so busy lately I can never get a good time to talk to my best friend" She said pouting. I smiled, as tired as I was she was still my best friend and I really couldn't turn her away.
"What's up Ino-Chan?" I grabbed two beers from the fridge and sat next to her. "How's everything with Kiba?"
"You know same old stuff. He just got back from a mission he was gone 3 whole weeks" She said gushing. "I almost lost my mind I missed him so much" I nodded and forced a smile. I knew how that was. "Well he's back and not hurt so I'm happy now. What about you Sakura-Chan?"
"Just work." She frowned at me.
"That's all you ever do, work, work, and work. It's going to make you a dull girl"
"I am dull" I shrugged. That's all I liked doing, other than sparing and eating with Kakashi.
"Do you ever even think about getting yourself a man?"
I shook my head "I have no time to worry about someone else" We both knew I was lying. "Don't you ever get tired of worrying about Kiba?"
She shook her head. "No I love him so much that worrying feels natural. I'd worry about him every second even if he was a garbage man." She laughed "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. You see Kiba feels the same way about me and we just thought it would just be right to…" I knew what was coming. "He proposed" She stuck out her left hand.
"That's a rock" I said shaking my head. She knew how I felt about ninja's marrying; one of them is bound to die. Why even fall in love if death is inevitable in our line of work.
"I want your blessing before we tell everyone."
"You got it" I stood up. "If you want to be stupid be my guest, I'll be there, but now I need sleep" I couldn't believe I let her stay for that bullshit. She stood up and hugged me.
"Thanks Sakura-Chan you know I couldn't marry him if you didn't approve"
I nodded and opened the door for her. "Good-night". After she left I turned off the lights and looked down at my empty bed. I wished I had someone of my own to come home to after a long day, just to hold me. Thank god I had the next day off; I knew I was in for another long night of tossing and turning. I lay down and stared through the darkness at my ceiling. The longer Kakashi was away the more I missed him. The way his eye crinkles when he smiles, the way he smelled when he came over for dinner. He taught me everything I knew, not just ninjutsu but life, men and love. Through him I learned not to get close to anyone anymore. Eventually we all die, some tragic and unexpected way and we leave behind those who love us to cry and miss us. I figured why bother, Kakashi was happy being alone I guessed I could learn to like it as well I mean it made sense. Turning over on my side I felt it again, the eyes. Someone was definitely watching me. I grabbed my kunai from under my pillow and slid to the floor. I peered over the windowsill slightly to see a shadowy figure in the tree. I took a deep breath and studied the figure more. It had long sleek body, dark body suit medium length hair that blew in the breeze. I saw him move to the left, he was waiting for the bathroom light to come on. 'He's watching my every move, who is this dude?' Now I really wished I had a man in the house. My heart was racing. 'What does he want' I don't know anything; I haven't been a single mission in two years. 'The ANBU we saved before? Could he have something to do with this?' suddenly there was a crash coming from the bathroom. Someone was coming, slowly walking down the hall. I could hear him breathing. He stopped in front of my door.
"Sakura-Chan" I heard a whisper, I knew that voice. I stood up walking slowly to the door making no noise I pressed my ear door and listened. Nothing, just slow steady breathing, I couldn't tell if it was mine or his. Suddenly I heard the door knob turning. I pushed by back up against the wall and held my breath, when the stranger poked his head into the room I brought my fist down as hard as I could on the back of his head and took off into the living room. I heard his groan and get up. "Sakura-Chan?"
'Kakashi?' I looked around the corner and saw the silver haired man grinning at me. "Kakashi! What the fuck!?" He was rubbing the back of his head.
"I saw someone following you home, I just wanted to make sure you were safe" He walked over and put his hand gently on my shoulder and looked into my eyes. His one eye soft and gleaming "When I didn't see you in your room anymore I thought something happened to you"
"Yeah you scared that shit out of me" I put my kunai into my waist strap and crossed my arm over my chest. "When did you get back?"
"Yesterday morning. I had to finish my reports and check on Sora" I had a pang of hurt that I hadn't been his first stop when he got back, but it only confirmed my thoughts about not getting too close. I stepped back from his touch that was suddenly burning through my shirt. He straightened up and his eye went back to formal. "Now that everything's okay" Poof, he was gone in his normal cloud of smoke. I sighed and walked back to my room. 'I hate when he does that' I thought laying down I took one back out into the trees, he was gone. I fell asleep with my shoulder still burning from his touch. I woke up the next morning to a knock at the door. I walked over and peered through the peep hole and saw Kakashi. I opened the door to let him in.
"It's early, what are you doing up?" I poured us both a cup of coffee. Handing him his I sat Indian style on the couch.
"I came to see if you were okay, you seemed shaken last night"
"I had good reason, you broke into my apartment" I spat. Trying to keep my feelings for under control around him was going to be hard. It had come out meaner than I had intended. I looked down at the cup in my hands. "Sorry Kakashi-sensei that was rude" I looked back up at him.
"I should have known it was nothing and that you'd be okay I just had to see for myself."
"I'm a big girl now Kakashi-Sensei." I smiled over my cup. "I don't need to be saved. I've learned to take care of myself. Mainly from you, so I'm good." Changing the subject I asked. "Shouldn't you be getting another round of students any day now?" He nodded looking into his coffee. "Good you can start worrying about them"
"Sakura, do you remember the first day we trained?"
"How could I forget? You came into the class room looked at us and said you hated us."
"No I mean when Naruto was tied up and I was in front of the hero's monument? About people who don't protect their friends are lower than trash?" I nodded and sipped my coffee. I didn't want to say anything for fear that he was going to stop talking. "I said that so you three would learn to bond with each other, protect each other, instead with you, I feel like I used the wrong words, you took it as never getting close to anyone other than your teammates would save you from ever feeling the pain of losing a love" I looked up at him to see that he was speaking from his heart and meant every word. "You're always alone except when you're with me, that's no way for a beautiful young girl like you to live."
I chuckled slightly to break the tension avoiding his eyes. "Kakashi-Sensei, I like being alone."
He put his fingers under my chin forcing me to look into his eye. "No one likes being alone Sakura" My heart leapt into my throat at his touch. I jumped up to get away from it.
"I do." I said defensively "I like coming home to no one nagging me about where I was or where I'm going. I don't have to worry about my man never coming home." I tried to steady the cracking in my voice. "They weren't even my lovers and I was heartbroken when they left." He stood up and walked over to me.
"Sakura-Chan, you need to let them go, their gone now." I looked up at him and before I knew it my hand came down hard across his cheek.
"Naruto is not dead! He's coming back as soon, as soon as" The tears came to my eyes but I refused to be weak in front of Kakashi. "He gets himself together." He came closer "Just because he's been gone for two years doesn't mean he's not coming back" He shook his head.
"You're right, but it's been two years... Have you gotten a single letter?" I shook my head slowly. "Wouldn't he write you if he had a chance?"
"I always thought he would but that doesn't mean he's dead. How dare you give up on him? He always said his way of the ninja was to never give up. And you, his sensei gives up" I shook my head. "What a man" I said rolling my eyes. I started to walk away but he grabbed my arm rather hard. I looked up to see his eyes were dark and serious.
"Don't judge me, I have lost more than enough people in my lifetime, I know when it's time to let go. I didn't give up on him, he gave up on himself, he left you Sakura, did he even say goodbye?" He searched my eyes for a response. "I didn't think so. He didn't even respect you enough to tell you face to face. He left in the middle of the night like a coward. Let him go. That's what he wanted." That was it. All I needed to hear to send me into a fit of tears. I collapsed against Kakashi's chest; he wrapped two strong arms around me and let me sob. He stroked my hair with every heave and gasp. "Let yourself be happy Sakura-Chan" I shook my head against him. "You don't deserve to be unhappy" I nodded. I pulled back from him and wiped my tears. I was letting him in, I couldn't do that.
"You have to go" I walked over to the door. He shook his head and stayed where he was.
"No, you can't get rid of me. Not without feeding me first. It's Thursday." I shook my head and opened the door. "I'm really not going until I get some food, I'm starving" He sat down putting his feet up on my coffee table. I sighed and walked into the kitchen. I wasn't getting rid of him yet and it pissed me off. 'Why does he want to stay here?' I cooked him a meal and placed it in front of him. "Thanks" He smiled. I walked back into the kitchen and stood at the sink staring out of the window. I just wanted to be alone. Just like always. 'Why can't he just leave me alone, I was fine until he showed back up?' "Sakura-Chan" I turned around and faced him. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and I let myself sink into his body. He felt so warm and comfortable. "Thanks" And with that he was gone. Leaving me feeling empty. 'I got to get out of this house' I grabbed my bag and kunai and ran out the door. I kept running until I hit the old training grounds. I stood there staring at the three poles; I walked to the middle one and bent down. I let my fingers trace the four names and words carved into the wood. 'Team 7 Hatake Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura.' Those days were long behind me. The four of us protecting each other, living for each other. Everything I learned on this field no longer applied to my life, I guess Kakashi was right, it was time to let go. Let go of everything, all the pain, and the broken promises. I sat there for a few more minutes thinking about what I was losing, then I kissed my two fingers and pressed it against the wood, I stood up and walked away. Walking through the town I watched the mother's shopping with their daughters, father's teaching the son's how to fish. 'Maybe I should listen to Kakashi, and let myself be happy with someone. I always thought I would end up with Naruto. I wanted to end up with him. He was so strong and funny. Everything I wanted. Maybe I should let Ino set me up with someone.'