"But the memories that hang heaviest are the easiest to recall. They hold in their creases the ability to change one's life, organically, forever. Even when you shake them out, they've left permanent wrinkles in the fabric of your soul." - Julie Gregory

Recently, she's caught herself at her office's window ledge, spending her late night shift's last few hours here. God knows what time it is, but the sun will soon appear above the horizon. Sitting here, enjoying her beautiful hometown's scenery; she has no idea when this place have become so breathtakingly mesmerizing. When Sakura was little, she spent most of my time searching for secret bunkers all around the village, but somehow it still did not get her eyes like the way it does nowadays.

It was the middle of April; the early, cold nights were said goodbye long before, and as weeks go by, the air keeps getting heavier and heavier. The chilly after-midnight breeze is heavenly this time around, especially when you're literally locked inside a freaking hospital.

You'd think that the night shifts are the most hateful things in a life of a doctor. Commuting between the patient rooms, changing the filled bedpans, mistakenly moved IVs, and emptied infusion bags, and „magically" disappearing catheters... It's a nightmare, really.

It is tiring to be always standby whatever happens, but thankfully, these problems usually stop around 3AM. Suddenly, silence occupies every room on every floor, all you can hear is the lumbering footsteps of the exhausted nurses.

If she wanted to be honest, she's not just sitting here enjoying the weather. As she was resting her head on the window frame, she bored into thought, that maybe, not so far away; they might do the same.

It's been five years. Five painfully long years. After Sasuke's getaway, soonly after Naruto waved goodbye to Konoha, too. Standing alone at the North's gate, with her eyes following his receding figure... She did not want to admit, but she's never felt so left behind like that day.

She was starring down her lap; examining her hands. They were not the hands of an average nineteen-year-old girl. Not even a full-time working doctor. Seeing her short nails, always-bruised knuckles and the callousity of her palm, she clenched her fists. No, it was the hands of a hard-working shinobi. She was not useless anymore.

For the past five years, she was the apprentice of the Fifth Hokage. She became one of the leading figure of the Medical Division. She was a freshy inducted Jounin of Konoha. And most of all, one of the advisors of her teacher, Tsunade Shishou. She got it all by herself. By her own strenght. By her own will. Still, she has never felt so weak.

She was left behind by all his loved ones.

She has lost his parents, her only relatives, in an outrage in the outskirts of the Fire Country almost a year ago. She felt like Life is playing some kind of sick joke with Team 7. They were no more than some bunch of orphaned brats who happened to be in a team, leaded by an orphaned man himself.

However, she did not have the right to be sorrowful. Yes, she was the last Haruno in Konoha, but that did not mean she was alone. Shishou took good care of her since then, giving her extra attention. There was Team 10, who was always at her side: Ino made sure she was occupied in her darker moments, Chouji considered his own task to make sure Sakura was in good shape, did not neglect eating; and there was Shikamaru, the other advisor beside her, who seemed to be a good company on a daily basis. He helped her grow up to the task to be a leading strategist as he is for the Hokage, got to know her strengths and weaknesses, and what she thanked the most: made her days more bearable.

She really appreciated it.

"Zoning out?" She almost fell out the window by the sudden voice. She looked behind, but no one was here. "Out here!" She hold onto the window frame, and looked up the roof. To her surprise, she found herself facing with his old sensei, who was smiling at her as he did back then. It made her smile unconsciously right away.

"Kakashi-sensei, what brings you here? It's really late." she said while tried climbing out. She got some helping hand with that. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome. You know that I'm not your sensei anymore, right? There's no need formalities." His smile was still there, and playfully ruffled the kunoichi's hair. Sakura laughed at the familiar gesture, she couldn't help it. Oh the nostalgy hit her right in the heart. Looks like there are things that never change. "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I would enjoy my book a little bit."

"Old habits never change, Sensei!" Sakura suspiciously glared at her ex-teacher. "May I ask, I don't want to horn in, but it's around 4AM, no lamppost nearby, how did you plan on reading?"

It looks like did not bother Kakashi, his kind face didn't vanish. He just sat down on the edge of the building and patted the place next to him. She sat beside him. "It's a peaceful night isn't it?"

Sakura looked around one more time in her beloved hometown. "It is." They remained in silence for a few minutes. He broke the silence.

"It's not the first time I saw you there sitting alone at night. Something's bother you perhaps?" She did not show it, but she was surprised. She felt like a child who was caught at something bad. She was thinking if she should share her thoughts with him. She realized, she has nothing to lose. She reached into her medical cape's inner pocket. She kept her most treasured memory here. "I think about them a lot." The copy-nin looked carefully at the hand of hers, to reveal a little bit wrinkled photo between her fingers. It was the picture of Team 7. He saw her tenderly touch each people on it. "You don't miss them?"

Kakashi reached for his kunai pouch, taking out two more photograph, placing one in her hands. She smiled genuinely. Looking at hers and his duplicate; both worn out, both cherished. She knew her teacher understood her pain. Looking at him she noticed he was pondering about another picture in his hands. She has never saw that other image before. "I know how you feel, Sakura. When I was younger, I've lost both my comrade one by one. I felt lost and out of space. Just like you." He showed the photo to her. "Obito and I were just like Naruto and Sasuke. "He pointed to a black haired man. "Always competing, constantly arguing. And there was Rin. Rin was the smarter one from all of us. She always made us make up with Obito. I always believed she was the strongest from all of us. She was just like you." Kakashi's smile was bitter but honest one. "She made us whole."

"I didn't know Sensei was trained by the Fourth Hokage." She just smiled at his compliments, but this sentence was really bugging here since she first glanced at the picture. Kakashi-sensei never mentioned this detail.

"Aa. He was a softie, if you ask me." Sakura couldn't help but laugh at his statement. The copy-nin laughed with her, while hugging her a little with one hand. Sakura found this gesture so calming. His father used to do the same when he was comforting. "Believe me when I say, I understand your feelings. Be thankful that both of your teammates still lives, even if somewhere else at the moment. Unfortunately, this gift is not given my mates nor sensei."

She felt so selfish. Sensei was right, it could've been worse. At least, they're safe and sound. Even, if one of them is still walking on a dark path.

"She was pretty."

"Hm?" He looked questionly. Sakura was pointing at the girl on the photo.

"Rin."

"Aa." He shook his head approvingly. "That was the only thing Obito and I agreed on."

She stared at Kakashi, puzzling out the truth behind his words. Was Sensei in love with her? Maybe... that's why he doesn't have anyone in his life...? But she didn't dare to ask. She just realized she was still staring. "Sorry."

"It's okay." He patted her shoulder. They remained in silence.

She was grateful. So grateful, she cannot even describe. Her melancholic mood was washed away by his ex-teacher's comforting words. That's all she needed: someone who understand her grief. She didn't realize how much resemblance she and Kakashi has. Both without parents, teammates, living in their own world of theirs. One in his books, the other in her office's window. She was happy, because she's not alone. She never were.

"I wasn't reading my book." His voice brought her back to the present. She looked at her questionly. "I had a hunch. Something is odd tonight. It's... too peaceful. I thought I would look around." His sudden serious voice made her stiffen. "I just finished when I saw you. I thought you might felt the same."

"I think I was too much in my little world to notice. Sorry." He chuckled for her sheepish response.

"Haha, don't be! I'm glad I had a chance to talk with you. I hope I could you a little bit." She gave him her biggest honest smile she hadn't had in a while. "Everything was perfectly fine, by the way. I think I was just too worried."

"Thank you, Sensei. I really needed this." She gave back his pieces of photos, and planted hers in her pocket while she stood up. "I think I should go back now. My shift is almost over, they might notice I left."

"Of course. I should go too, I'll have a meeting with Hokage-sama in about an hour. Take care of yourself, Sakura, alright?" His half eye smiley lovingly to her ex-student who sweetly returned the gesture.

"Alright. Take care, Sensei." Then he left in a poof. She jumped back to her office, and went for a last check-on before her shift ended.