Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Naruto or any other characters affiliated with the series.

Author's note: I was formerly known as ph34R tH3 CuT3 0N3s / FeR0Ci0US-FuNK. This is a total overhaul of a fic I started ages ago (and never got to a second chapter) by the title of "Sweetest Sin" and I'm much more pleased with it this time around.

Summary: Three years have passed and at sixteen, the pink haired kunoichi had realized a thing or two. If she wanted to become a Jounin she would have to work hard for it. The absence and return of Sasuke had shaken her to the core but things were different now and she guarded her bruised heart. Just what will it take for her to open up again?

Kakashi/Sakura Rated R for content in later chapters

Written In Your Name

Splashes of crimson pink and deep orange seemed to stretch endlessly as the sun was setting leisurely above the village of Konoha. Haruno Sakura, who was drenched in sweat let out a worn out sigh from her trembling lips, she was utterly exhausted from her rigorous training. The tree that had once stood in front of her was now nothing more that a heap of splintered pulp, the glimmer of countless shuriken's and kunai's were seen lodged in the sad excuse of bark as they reflected hints of the remaining sunlight. Flopping to the ground with a soft thud, her emerald eyes wandered up and peered at the beautiful sky above her, her arms and legs lay sprawled on the blades of luscious green grass, motionless. She was sore and extremely fatigued, her body ached from her immense chakra output but nevertheless, a tiny smile had played upon her lips. Sakura was content and pleased with her training today.

At 16, the pink haired kunoichi had realized a thing or two, and if she wanted to become a Jounin she would have to work hard for it. Sakura had focused her energy towards taijutsu and ninjutsu training, and even though her monstrous strength and genjutsu had become quite remarkable she still felt that there was room for improvement. She needed stamina. She would train at dusk even if she had sparred earlier in the day with her teammates and Kakashi, Sakura would come to the same clearing every night. Her entire being was poured into her training, her determination and strong will would shine through it all.

Tendrils of her soft, pink locks fanned out on the grass and framed her face like a glowing cotton candy halo. With a content sigh she closed her eyes and imagined herself in a Jounin's uniform, the telltale olive green vest and dark navy pants hugging her body in all the right places. She let out a genuine laugh as she considered ways of altering the uniform to make it unique and her own. Propping herself up with her hands, Sakura sat up gingerly doing her best to further avoid aggravating her cuts and bruises, using kage bunshin no jutsu to replicate a sparring partner for herself proved useful but painful.

With a wistful sigh she spoke "Ahhhh, time to go home" to nobody in particular "I need a shower."

Getting up with great effort, the young kunoichi dusted herself off and found her bearings as she balanced on uneasy legs. Stretching her slender arms above her head with yet another tired groan, Sakura sauntered towards home. Taking her time was a good idea; it was after all a beautiful evening. The sun had sunk below the horizon completely before the emerald eyed girl had even reached the outer gates of Konoha when suddenly; she was distracted by a single pink petal that had swung gracefully to the ground in front of her. Green eyes peered down intently at the supple petal that now lay at her feet.

"Hnnnn, so it seems that the cherry tree's are blooming" she said with a smile.

Sakura loved the orchards of cherry trees that stood tall row upon row, how their delicate branches would sway in the cool night's breeze, and how their sweet scent would intoxicate the air. It didn't matter how utterly drained her body was, Sakura found herself following the pleasant fragrance and she wasn't disappointed, she had wandered into a clearing surrounded by the ancient and stunningly beautiful trees. Thousands of Soft petals fluttered, serenading the cool earth with silky shades of crimson pink. She was completely taken aback by the sight in front of her and only one word had been delivered from her pink lips.

"Beautiful..."

The petals had almost appeared to be dancing in the moonlit night. Her eyes widened in amazement and a glowing smile had graced her soft features, she was soaking in every single moment of bliss. Right then and there, the young girl had felt an exhilarating sensation course through her being; she instantly knew that this moment was hers and hers alone. It seemed to catch her off guard but Sakura instantly knew that this wonderful stretch of land held a special place in her heart. The breeze had picked up, sending hundreds of tiny, pale petals flickering past her. She inhaled deeply and continued her way back home.

The next morning, Sakura had stirred from bed at a languid pace. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she let out a loud yawn before both arms were outstretched above her head and then came flopping back to her sides. Her jade eyes shifted towards her curtains and noted the amount of sunlight that was seeping through.

"Shit" she thought to herself "It must be noon already."

She had hoped to wake up sooner to avoid overcrowding at the public baths and steam rooms; unfortunately she had pushed a little too hard with training the previous night and was utterly exhausted. She quickly throttled the tempting thought of using some simple healing techniques to help soothe her muscles, she would have to reserve her all her chakra for training. Slightly annoyed, the kunoichi pushed aside her covers and finally hauled herself out of bed. She threw on her black shorts and noting that it was extremely hot outside she opted for her sleeveless red slip dress overtop. She didn't bother to wrap her torso with bandages since she was heading directly over to the bath house for a lovely soak in the mineral enriched waters of the hot springs. Kicking on her shoes, Sakura grabbed the hairbrush off of her vanity and wrapped it in a large, white terrycloth towel along with some other personal effects.

"Tchh" she sighed as she rolled her head back "my back is killing me!"

Scanning the room a final time, she made note of anything she was forgetting before she set out.

The streets of Konoha were anything but calm and quiet at this hour, the hustle and bustle of small markets and fruit stands that were littered along side of the street had a cheery air about them. It was a beautiful afternoon, the sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud to been seen in the vast cerulean sky. A small ramen shop nestled in between two larger buildings had just opened for its lunch service and already there was a short line forming. Sakura smiled inwardly as she walked and noted a young boy slurping up the hot noodles with such gusto, he instantly reminded her of her very own teammate. As she continued towards the bathhouse, her thoughts had dwelled upon Konoha's Jinchuuriki. Naruto had shown so much progression and improvement, both physically and emotionally through his years of training with Jiraiya. Amazingly, the boy had actually matured. Granted, he was still a Genin up until one year ago and he still had his moments but that didn't change the fact that he had really grown strong. Jade eyes traveled towards the clear heavens above her. A tiny smile had graced Sakura's soft lips; she strived to become even stronger just like him.

Sakura closed her eyes for just a moment and felt the warm sun kissing her face, when suddenly she had collided into somebody with a not so soft thud and tripped over her own feet, toppling down onto the cobblestone road.

"Ouch.." groaned Sakura while bringing her hand to the back of her neck, sitting up slowly. The girl let out a small wince of pain as she gingerly rubbed her knee before she opened her eyes and saw a flash of Silver hair.

"I'm terribly sorry!" she fumbled with her words "Are you alright?"

"Yo, Sakura" an all too familiar lackadaisical voice spoke.

"Kakashi Sensei?" Her emerald eyes traveled the ground in front of her towards a very striking orange book entitled Icha Icha Paradise. They shot up and were met by a pair of intense eyes, one coal black and the other sharingan red. Hatake Kakashi sat facing Sakura, one of his knees was pulled up towards him and his other leg laid outstretched over top the pink-haired girl's thigh. He propped himself up with his right hand whereas his left was fastidiously rubbing the back of his head. The Jounin then continued to fix his hitae back over his uncovered sharingan.

"I got lost on the road of life today, and then to my surprise I get knocked over by…" he had stopped mid sentence when had taken a good look at his student.

Sakura's cotton candy tresses were tousled and unruly, framing her blushing face with a wild radiance. Her pert breasts were pushed up against the thin cloth of her dress; the lack of bandage around her torso gave him an all too tantalizing peak at her flawless skin and collarbone. The strap on her right arm had slinked down and bared a smooth, slender shoulder. Against his better senses, Kakashi had also noticed Sakura's tight shorts had only come down to mid thigh, revealing her shapely legs. The copy-nin felt something tighten in his throat; he needed to remind himself that it's rude to stare with hungry eyes, especially at a girl who was merely sixteen years of age. Although Sakura was no longer the meek little girl he had become quite overprotective of, Kakashi had a feeling that their training would become a little difficult today.

Sakura wasn't sure what to make of her sensei's intense gaze, it's as if he was staring right through her and reading her soul. She suddenly felt slightly uncomfortable and spoke "Umm, Sensei…"

"Oi, Sakura. Be a little bit more careful next time, you can't always have your head up in the clouds" A slight crinkle appeared under his eye which indicated he was smiling underneath his mysterious mask.

"Oh? And I suppose you having your nose glued to that perverted novel of yours had nothing to do with this Sensei?" she retorted with a smirk.

"Ahh, Sakura as the old saying goes Knowledge is power"

"I'd hardly call that informative" she scoffed.

Carefully, the grey haired Jounin stood up and briskly brushed off his pants and vest before reaching his gloved hand out to an amused yet slightly addled Sakura. She placed her smaller hand on Kakashi's palm and was pulled to her feet by a strong and firm, yet gentle grip. Sakura bent over, dusting off her scarlet dress and hastily picked up the rest of her belongings when she felt the tingling sensation of a blush creeping up to her cheeks as she sensed Kakashi's gaze upon her again.

Choosing to ignore it, she straightened herself out and forced out a smile "Alright, good as new!" Kakashi's head cocked to the side ever so slightly as he peered down at Sakura, his eye held a playful glint. Her green eyes locked with his and it seemed as if an eternity had passed between them. Suddenly, she felt something briefly brush up against her right arm. Kakashi's fingertips trailed lazily up her arm, barely touching her skin has he brought the thick strap of her dress to its proper position on her shoulder. She blinked. "Good as new" he breathed out still keeping eye contact. "Well then, I'll see you later at training."

"H-hai" Sakura stammered. Honestly, of all people she had to bump into her Sensei. She was just grateful he hadn't noticed the little cotton panties that had fallen out of her tightly wrapped towel. At least she prayed to God he didn't.

"Sakura, is everything alright?" he asked.

"Of c-course! I'm fine!" she lied.

The tall, silver-haired jounin gave her a curt nod and a small pat on the head. He turned on his heels and began walking towards the general direction of team 7's meeting point at an all too leisurely pace. Stuffing his hand in his pocket, he reached in and grabbed his erotic book and dusted it off. Kakashi continued reading while he walked down the street, paying little to no attention where he was heading. Sakura stood in the middle of the road flustered as hell; her emerald orbs tracked her sensei's retreating body until it blended entirely with the crowds. The man was an enigma; a tall, perverted, insufferable and mischievous, yet caring enigma. The skin on her arm still tingled from the feather like caress his fingertips had traced. She brought her left hand up towards her right arm and gently touched it, her heart beat had quickened ever so slightly and she couldn't get the lingering thought of Kakashi and his intense eyes out of her head.

Shaking her head of the cob webs, Sakura continued onwards, her muscles all but screaming at her to quicken the pace and get into a nice relaxing hot spring. When she had finally arrived, she was thrilled to see that the public bath wasn't as busy as she had anticipated. Sakura smiled warmly at the attendant at the front and paid the small fee before entering into the ladies change room. Undressing deftly, she padded down to the showers and let the hot water cascaded down all over her being. Letting out a content sigh Sakura lathered in an array of soapy suds and used her apple blossom shampoo.

"Hah, Pakkun's favourite."

To this day she was incredibly perplexed as to why one of Konoha's elite ninja dogs needed to use human beauty products. Did it leave his coat soft and lustrous? Did his fur have split ends? Wouldn't fleas, ticks and gnats be even more attracted to its supple sweet scent? More inane questions flooded her mind. Perhaps some things were better left unanswered. After her quick shower she was finally ready for that well deserved muscle relaxing soak. Wrapping her towel around her drenched, naked body she turned the corner of the narrow hallway and stepped out into the outdoor enclosure containing the hot pools. A slight breeze elicited a shiver that ran down the kunoichi's back. Yes, she was definitely looking forward to this.

No more than forty five minutes had passed and Sakura had emerged from the bathhouse feeling instantly rejuvenated. Aching muscles had been reduced to a dull, bearable pain.

"Sakuraaaa!" a figure stood waving in the distance "Oi, Sakura-chaaaan!"

Naruto was energetic as ever, literally bursting at the seams with such enthusiasm for life. The blonde haired chuunin came jogging towards her, a dopey grin adorned his whiskered face. As much as she hated to admit it, Naruto had really grown on her. The fox boy had always seemed to make time for the pink haired girl, even though they had both been rigorously trained by two of Konoha's legendary Sannin. Both teammates had become inherently closer over the years, especially during Sasuke's absence. Sakura held on to these bonds dearly, at times it seemed that only Naruto had managed to keep her sane and grounded. He provided the comfort and solace she so desperately needed, promising with determined eyes that he would bring him back. Of course it would be years and countless failed attempts before they even had a lead on Sasuke's whereabouts. Over time, her fractured heart had slowly begun mending; delving herself head first into her studies and training under the tutelage of Tsunade the kunoichi began to smile again.

Her jade eyes flickered up and were met by warm electric blue orbs, lips curling up into a half smile she cocked her head to the side "My, isn't somebody in a good mood. Did you con Iruka-Senpai into treating you to Ramen again?"

The excitement in his eyes waned, if only for a split second before he replied "I haven't had much time to visit Ichiraku lately, Ero-Sennin has been helping me develop new techniques."

"I'm almost afraid to ask" she chortled as she shook her head.

A foxy smile played upon Naruto's face before he giggled almost maddeningly. "I've created the ultimate harem jutsu! I'm gonna test it out on Kakashi-sensei today!"

Sakura let out an exasperated sigh and brought her delicate hand to the bridge of her nose. She could feel the sudden angered twitch knitting at her eyebrow as she unknowingly started to grit her teeth. The blind leading the blind, or in this case, the extremely perverse leading (at times) a loud mouthed idiot. It was ironic that just moments ago Sakura had been in a deep contemplative state about Naruto's growth and maturation, which was apparently lacking in some departments...namely the one which wasn't thinking with his head.

"Is there anything that old man has coached you with that isn't completely laced with exploitation?"

"Ehhhhh come on Sakura-chan! It's all in good fun!" he pleaded.

"Good fun? He's worse than Kakashi-sensei! Tsunade tells me he is a notorious peeping tom!" she reprimanded.

"That's not true!" the fox boy retorted "Sometimes he just uses my harem jutsu for inspiration instead!"

Sakura stared at her teammate incredulously, mouth slightly agape and dry with frustration. Naruto appeared to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride swelling up in him as if he proved a point. That's not the only thing that'll be swelling inner Sakura piped up as she gritted her teeth. There was no point in further continuing the conversation; Naruto was just having one of those dumbfounded Naruto moments.

She exhaled a steady breath and eased her nerves.

"We should probably head down to the training grounds."

"Alright!" Naruto buzzed with fervor, "I can't wait to see the look on Kakashi-sensei's face!"

So off they went, walking side by side as old friends did. Naruto, quite the chatterbox as usual kept the conversation going, even if it was often one sided. Sakura would interject here and there with a short "Hnnn" and a slight nod to let him know she was still listening but she was once again lost in her thoughts. So many things had changed over the years. A slight pang of sadness struck through her, yes things had definitely changed. She could remember that day vividly, she could still smell the rain in the air; the day that Sasuke had come back.

The looming blackness of dark thunder clouds came rolling over the skies of Konoha. The air felt dense, heavy with heat and moisture. Sakura sat inside Tsunade-Sama's office, studying scrolls about advanced chakra control and medical-nin techniques. Her eyes peered beyond the large panes of glass and noted how ominous the sky had become. Focusing back at the task at hand she turned back to the scrolls, eyes straining for more knowledge. She pursed her lips and closed her eyes, the kunoichi had been at it for hours and she could feel the dull throbbing sensation of a headache mitigate her mind. With a sigh, she placed the scrolls down and rubbed her temples with gentle ministrations of her nimble fingers. Sakura pushed back the uncomfortable chair she had been sitting in with a single kick of her legs and stood up. Yes, she could definitely afford to go stretch her legs, sitting hunched over in that godforsaken chair for hours had really drained her. The kunoichi had walked through the door leading to the upstairs balcony on the Hokage Tower. She often went atop the balcony when she needed a moment to escape, usually from her studies.

Leaning forth against the railing casually, she stared at the dark canopy of clouds above her, ears perceptive to the distant clash of thunder. The humidity was almost stifling; Sakura was just waiting for the spark, the incendiary rumble of elements before the downpour. She could just feel the crackle of electricity in the air and with a booming roar the rain had finally come. Tiny droplets of water had careened out of the skies as the heavens openly wept upon Konoha, and she stood there calm and unfazed. Sakura loved the rain, its thick earthy scent and its purity. It was cleansing. She threw her head back and closed her eyes, drenched pink locks cascading over her sculpted shoulders as the unrelenting moisture spattered gently on the smooth skin of her face. For just a single moment, she hadn't a care in the world. No intrusive thoughts of chakra techniques, no worries of completing piles upon piles of paperwork, no grueling missions, nothing. It was just her and the rain. This beautiful rain.

She was suddenly snapped back to reality when she faintly felt a distinctive chakra signature, one which she hadn't felt in almost three years. Three horrendously long, gut wrenching years. Her emerald orbs frantically scanned the village below her. No, it couldn't be. This was her exhausted and mentally strained body playing tricks on her. Warily, the jade eyed girl brought her shaking hands to her face and pushed the stray, wet strands of hair out from her eyes. She felt "him' again. Her mind raced. He was back, Sasuke was back! Without a second to lose, the girl bolted from the balcony back down to Tsunade's office.

Practically kicking down the door she beckoned "Tsunade-shishou! Tsunade-shishou! He's Back! Sasu…" she froze instantly.

The smile that had adorned her lips slowly faded. Raw emotion sparkled through those beautiful green eyes of hers as small pools of water began to collect at her feet. She was like a deer in headlights, unsure of herself. Her body couldn't move even if it wanted to. Tsunade, who was sitting down behind her desk, craned her neck behind her and took a good look at her student, fierce hazel eyes somehow softened as they saw the state her pupil was in. A crackling bolt of lightening had struck somewhere near by, illuminating the office with a haunting glow. Haunting like those ebony eyes that stared back at Sakura. The air was laced with tension before the Hokage turned back to face those in front of her and finally spoke.

"Naruto, you will be reporting to Konoha intel and have Shizune accompanying you where you will be debriefed about this completed mission."

Naruto nodded, his compassionate eyes darting back to Sakura. He offered her a small smile of courage. He did it, he finally did it. Naruto had brought Sasuke back to Konoha. Tsunade's commanding voice continued to invade the air around them "Jiraiya, I expect a full report on my desk by tomorrow."

The white haired Sannin gave her a complacent nod as he leaned against the wall behind him, crossing his arms. The room grew silent for a moment and it felt as though all Sakura could hear was the loud "thump" of her ever increasing heartbeat. She suddenly realized how incredibly ridiculous she must look, standing completely sopping wet from rain without saying a word after bursting into the room. She couldn't find it in her to even squeak out "Excuse me" before she slowly made her way out of the room. It was only when the girl knew she was completely out of earshot that quiet sobs wracked her body and tears flowed freely. She felt foolish and weak. Sakura didn't know why she had reacted the way she did and she just couldn't shake the image of Sasuke's eyes. Cold and disassociated. He had changed greatly. Physically he still looked the same, although his looks had become more chiseled, refined and mature. But the Uchiha's aura was even darker and more brooding than Sakura could have ever imagined. She could sense his thick skin was laden with horrid memories of pain and blood. Revenge.

Sakura wiped her tears away with the back of her hand carelessly.
"Hah, what were you expecting?" she said to herself bitterly "That he would come back and everything would be back to normal? Team 7 would reunite and we would all live happily ever after?"

He was back and she was completely caught off guard by it. Her jade eyes stung slightly from the freshly shed tears, she could feel that familiar twinge of anguish grip at her rapidly beating heart. Sakura had come to accept the fact that her love for Sasuke would almost always be unrequited, but seeing him stand not ten feet in front of her had flooded her mind with old memories and her heart with old feelings. She sighed heavily, she had been praying for this moment for years and now that it had finally come she didn't know what to do. The slight click of a door being closed was heard and her body had immediately stiffened. Her mind was ablaze with thoughts of fleeting, but that would be foolish. Instead, the kunoichi stood there nervously awaiting another glimpse of Konoha's now returned nin. Her eyes had darted to her right and were met by the striking boy's features. She bit her lip in hopes that it would help prevent any fresh tears trickling down her cheek; she didn't want to be known as the weak, crybaby anymore. Time ticked away at an almost unbearable rate as Sasuke seemingly inched his way towards Sakura. It felt as if the hallway had been miles long and when he finally stood in front of her, Sakura found her eyes had been momentarily fixated upon her feet.

Sasukes' obsidian eyes focused upon the girl in front of him, intently scanning her body language as she so desperately tried to regain her composure. She had become rather striking, even in the emotional, sopping wet state she was in. She too had changed, she'd become stronger, and he could sense it. Her vivid, glistening emerald eyes had finally mustered the courage to meet his and with a shaky breath, the girl gave him a weak smile

"Welcome home Sasuke"

"It's been a while, Sakura" his smooth voice replied.

She forgot how much she missed the sound of his voice, and how it made her feel when her name would roll off his tongue. She felt overwhelmed with sensations; she wanted to pinch herself awake as though this was some sort of twisted dream. A moment of tension filled silence had slowly settled amongst them, neither knowing what should or shouldn't be said. Sakura began fidgeting inadvertently, Sasuke's piercing gaze sent shockwaves of nervousness through her. Sensing this, the raven haired boy set his sights elsewhere as he began slowly walking past her.

"I'll see you around."

She stared at his retrieving back until he became nothing more than a shadowy figure that was now getting smaller as he walked further down the hallway. Her heart immediately sank; there he was again, walking away. She had played out this very moment over and over in head many times, but it was never like this. Three horrendous years she had been missing him, yearning for him. They exchanged twelve words. Twelve. Part of her wanted to chase Sasuke down and cling to him dearly, if only for a moment, but her logical half suddenly kicked in and warned that it would be juvenile. She suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe, Sakura had finally made some progression in her life, her studies, her strengths, but the second she came in contact with Sasuke it's as if it all her hard work had come crashing down in a pathetic, crumpled heap around her feet. She felt helpless. She thought she had moved on and completely mentally prepared herself for this day but she was wrong. Her eyes began to burn as hot tears trickled down her face and she grimaced, angry with her behaviour.

The kunoichi found herself bolting down the hallway and jumping out a window, flying across the rooftops of Konoha as she was being pelted so hard with rain that it stung her supple skin. She didn't know where or why she was running; she just knew she needed to get out of the Hokage tower, away from the hallway that still lingered with the Uchiha's scent. Hot tears mixed with cold rain and flowed freely down her porcelain skin, her legs had begun to ache due to the intensity of her stride but it did nothing to stop her, if anything it only egged her on. Pushing through the rain she found herself in an open field, feet sinking ever so slightly into the muddy earth with every step before her knees finally buckled and she fell forward to the ground, tripping over herself. Sakura lay there on the ground immobile for a moment, pink locks splayed across the grass now covered with hunks of dirt. The rain wasn't letting up and she was soaked to the bone. As she squeezed her eyes shut her body shook with another sob. The baritone rumble of thunder was heard once more accentuating the bleak and dismal skies.

What Sakura hadn't expected was opening her eye's and seeing a certain silver haired jounin squatting down next to her clutching an umbrella in one hand and holding his other one out to her. Averting her eyes, the girl pushed herself up with her arms and sat up, her medic uniform was soaking wet and covered in various grass stains and brown splotches of mud.

"What are you doing out here in the pouring rain?" he asked calmly. He could tell she was crying, those emerald eyes of hers seemed to become even more vivid in color with every tear she shed.

"I should be asking you the same thing!" she spat back emotionally.

"Ahh. Well, if you must know I was just visiting some old friends" he pointed out behind him. It had then dawned on Sakura that she had run all the way to the Konoha memorial site. He could tell by the dazed look on the teens face that something was terribly amiss, not that her brash behavior hadn't already given that away. Kakashi studied the girl in front of him, she had resembled a pale shadow of the fierce kunoichi she had become and looked more like a lost kitten. He stayed there silently, carefully considering what he should say. The jounin wasn't very good when it came to sensitive situations where ones emotions were involved. He stood slowly, keeping his gaze locked on the girl in front of him. Reaching out a gloved hand one more time he motioned for her to accept it.

"Could you at least get out of the rain?" his monotone voice asked.

Sakura's placed her small hand into the much larger, warm palm of her sensei's and gripped it tightly as he helped pull her up in one sweeping motion. Even when she stood up straight facing him she had only come up on her Sensei about mid-chest. She stood there in close proximity to him almost motionless; her eyes were tracing the many pockets on his olive vest. There was a long moment of silence between them, nothing more could be heard but the patter of rain splashing atop the umbrella. Her fists balled up so tightly her knuckles had become white and she felt Kakashi's hand plant itself on her shoulder gently.

"Mou, Sakura." He began "Are you alright?"

Two jade eyes darted up to meet one exposed, coal orb peering down at her. She could read the concern written all over his face and she couldn't hold back any longer, the tears had come forth once again and she threw herself against him, wrapping her slender arms around his body. Slightly taken aback by the clinging girl now engulfed around him the Jounin silently exhaled a breath he didn't even know he was holding in.

"He's back.." her voice wavered into Kakashi's chest, muffled by her cries "Sasuke's back."

Another long pause, another deafening silence.

"Ahh."

He hadn't known what else to say. So there he stood with his student clutching him as if life depended on it, his one hand placed gently on her shoulder giving her a comforting squeeze while the other held the umbrella over their entwined frames. A blinding white flash illuminated the air around them and the rolling thunder continued its heavenly chorus. The unrelenting rain kept descending upon them as the two continued to stand together in the lonely open field of fallen comrades and memories.

That was one of the first and only times Sakura would encounter Sasuke after his return to Konoha, shortly after his arrival he had enlisted himself in ANBU. She could still vividly hear him saying her name.

"Sakura.."

"Sakura…Sakura! Sakuraaaaaaaa-chan!" a impatient voice shouted "Oi, are you even listening to me?!"

Naruto began waving one of his hands in front of Sakura's face.

"Huh?" she shook her head as she was snapped out of her reverie "Oh, I'm sorry Naruto, what was that?"

"What's up with you?" his inquisitive voice piped "you've been a million miles away lately"

She gave him a weak smile and cocked her head gently to the side "It's nothing, really. I'm just tired I guess."

Perplexed blue orbs eyed their female teammate scrutinously. Naruto knew something was off but chose not to probe any further for fear he would receive Sakura well known, chakra charged right hook if he pushed too much. Deciding that the matter at hand wasn't too serious, he dropped the subject and smiled.

"You've been working really hard, ne Sakura-chan?"

"No more than the usual Naruto" she replied "there's no reason to be fretting over me." She sighed inwardly, Naruto had NO idea.

"Fret? Me?" he pointed to himself "I'm just looking out for you" he replied as he stuck out his tongue at her.

Some things would never change.