OBS! This story will have a M rating on it but ONLY when Sakura reaches the age of eighteen! Before that there will be NO love acts.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!

PS. I am not a native English speaker so there WILL be spelling mistakes, English is not one of my best subjects, sadly.

Soulmates

This AU takes place in a world where people have soulmates and the whole purpose to live is to find your soulmate and live a peaceful life with that person. If you are wondering how a person knows who their soulmate is, it is pretty easy, it all comes down to the mark. A soulmark that everyone has on their body, or to be exact the mark that only appear when both are born, if one is born before the other their mark doesn't appear before the other is born. Therefor it can take a while for some to obtain their marks. The worst thing to happen to you is if your mark turns black, that means that your soulmate has passed away. Even if it is more common to be with your soulmate, there are still those who choose to be with someone else.

Chapter 1: Soulmark with blossoms

Hatake Kakashi was like many others born without any mark on his body and while he grew he couldn't stop thinking about it. Sometimes as he grew up he sat in front of the mirror before going to bed and gave his body a pep-talk to finally show a mark on him but every morning after there was still nothing on him. The most common places for a mark to appear is on the face or at the torso, these places were the parts that he checked daily. He didn't want to miss anything! But as the days went by he became more unsure of himself, maybe he wasn't meant to have a soulmate,,, maybe he would be without one? That thought had started to etch into his mind more often now when he grew older, it was stupid really to feel the lump of uncertainty grow in his chest every day when he stared back at himself through the mirror.

"So Hatake, how does your mark look like?" Kakashi turned to see that little snotty Uchiha kid look at him with a sneer. At the start of the academy somehow that Obito kid had decided to make Kakashi his one and only rival which was a bit fun, especially since he was so much better at all the ninja stuff than Obito. Apparently he thought that if he couldn't defeat Kakashi with being a better ninja he could insult his soulmark, which he still does not have… but why tell that snotty kid anything like that? No that was a secret only for his friends to hear. "I bet it is ugly, I mean it has to be otherwise you wouldn't need to cover it up with that damn mask."

Before Kakashi could say something in defence the Uchiha kid got smacked in the head by Rin. "How dare you talk to Kakashi-kun that way. Obito, you and I both know that it isn't nice to bully someone." Rin told her friend and then she turned to apologise. "You know that he didn't mean it Kakashi-kun and if he did, he will tell you that he is sorry." She turned back and gave her friend a stern look.

"Hm, you are right Rin-chan, it is not nice to bully someone but still I mean it must be ugly for him to hide behind his mask all the time." Obito muttered as Rin gave his arm a slight hug. "Okay, okay I am sorry Kakashi." It really didn't look like the dark-haired boy was sorry but Kakashi let it drop, he didn't want to upset their only female teammate. She could be so dramatic sometimes. "I bet yours are wonderful Rin." With this Kakashi had to roll his eyes, he knew as well as everyone else that Obito had a huge crush on Rin and would do anything to see her soulmark especially since she kept it hidden all the time. She had told them that she didn't want her soulmate to fall in love with her just because the mark but for who she was. Obito had his mark right over his heart, which Kakashi once had noticed when the highly energetic boy decided to bath in a freezing cold lake. A stupid idea! But nonetheless he had seen it, a rectangular mark with roses inside of it. It actually looked pretty romantic in some sort of way but Kakashi would NEVER tell his teammate that EVER!

Kakashi sighed as he heard the people in front of him talk about the soulmarks they had on them. It was a bit annoying to hear speculations to why he always kept his face hidden and to also hear about the marks that everyone seemed to have. He had girls showing him their marks every day. It felt stupid really for him to see them because he knew that neither of them would be connected to his. And it was especially hard to tell them that his didn't look like that and then have to stand there and try to escape from their interrogation. No, he would rather be hated and left alone. He hated it,, to have to answer questions he didn't even have an answer for. He hated it! He also wanted to have a mark, to be able to answer the fangirls with the truth instead of some lies.

"Son, you don't have to be upset. Your soulmate hasn't been born yet, it is as simple as that." His father said one time when they sat around their table and were enjoying a quiet meal of ramen. Kakashi raised his head a bit to look at his father, how was someone like his dad ever going to understand him? He had gotten his mark when he was just two years old and met Kakashi's mother when he was nine. No, it wasn't fair. Kakashi would soon be turning nine and he still hadn't received a mark.

"Dad, if my soulmate isn't born soon I will end up being a pervert." Kakashi muttered as he tried his best to twirl noodles on his chopsticks.

"Oh, and why is that son?" His father was clearly amused by his son's statement and waited patiently while Kakashi tried to push down a blush that had started to spread over his cheeks.

"We-well, you know,, I would be so much older than my soulmate and you know, what if,, she doesn't like me for being older than her?" Even if it hurt to finally tell his father the truth it still felt like a stone had lifted from Kakashi's chest. He felt a lighter at the knowledge that he had finally told someone his most inner fear. While his classmates were out finding their soulmates, he was still sitting there without a mark on his body. And he feared that it would continue like that for the rest of his life. One lesson they had at the academy had been about a woman who never received her soulmark and wound up being alone for the rest of her life. Maybe that would be his future, being alone forever.

But his father only laughed at his son's remark. "If that person is your soulmate I doubt that there would be any comments on your age. No, if she is meant for you she would only tell you how handsome you are." And with a slight blush spreading on his cheeks Kakashi continued to eat his food while listening to his father telling him stories about his youth and finding Kakashi's mother.

At the year of Kakashi's fourteen birthday he had almost given up at ever receiving a mark. He had joined the ANBU right after he was left alone, his father had died when he was small and both his teammates were dead. So, joining the ANBU had felt like a perfect choice. He was now on his way on improving every single attack he could think about. The death of Rin was still fresh in his mind as he fought every day for his survival. It felt nice being a member of the ANBU, be given orders and missions on a daily basis. His ninken had already gotten used to his newer teammates and was now a part of the ANBU just like the other ninjas. Pakkun often reprimanded him about working too hard and that he should take a break once in a while.

"I don't understand boss, why can't you just rest a day or two?" Pakkun asked as he strode on beside Kakashi towards the small apartment that Kakashi had started to rent when he turned twelve. He hated to be in his family home so he had taken the first chance he got to move out. The house was still owned by Kakashi and he just couldn't sell it off. Even if he should have done just that he couldn't. He loved his mother and father too much. No, that house had been their dream when they were young and he would be heartless to sell it. So, it now stood there untouched and would surely fall apart in a few years.

"Because criminals never rest a day or two." Kakashi answered the pug who snorted at him.

"Still I think you deserve it, plus think about the others. You always take the highest paying jobs. Can't you give someone else a chance?" Pakkun barked out. That was correct, he did take the highest paying jobs but not for the reasons other might think, no he wanted missions that were hard and took a long amount of time to finish just to have his mind on something. The worst thing for him was to let his mind wander, he would only remember the horrible things he had done. No, it was better to be focusing on a job than sitting alone with his mind.

But,,,,, maybe the pug was right, spring had just arrived in Konoha and he knew that the ninkens would be occupied with well,, erhm,, the call of nature. "I will see what I can do tomorrow, but I can't promise you anything." He muttered to the dog.

"It's all I ask for." Pakkun replied with a smile.

The streets were full of people that was on their way to watch the sakura tree blossoms, they had just started to bloom this morning. It was almost magical how it had happened when he thought about it. He had walked through the gates this morning, coming back from a mission and as he looked up at the trees they started to shimmer one by one in a pink glow. Why his heart had reacted to this was beyond him but still it had left him breathless for a long time. Just seeing the pink colour spread right above his head was mesmerizing. Wonderful!

"So, I will see you tomorrow to give you the news." Kakashi told the pug as he noticed the twitching little nose, probably that nature calling or something.

"Thnks boss!" Pakkun said and after just a second he was gone in a puff of smoke.

The apartment he lived in was just right for him and on the fourth floor which gave him the opportunity to walk around without his mask on without having to pull down his curtains. Well he still had the most of them down but that was just that he didn't like the sun peaking in at every moment of the day. Silently he walked around the apartment with a bottle of water in one of his hands and a book in the other. He had already planned the whole evening, he would cook a meal after he had read a chapter in his new book about ninjutsu and then he would read a bit more before going to bed. But his perfect plan was stopped as he walked pass the hallway mirror. If he hadn't been walking so slowly he would have missed it, but now he stood there staring at his neck. It was slightly masked by his silver hair that fell over it but still visible, a mark. A soulmark! He had finally received his soulmark! Kakashi dropped the book and bottle of water as he slowly went closer to the mirror on the wall. With a heart that was racing like a madman he stood with his hands on the flat surface. In the reflection, he could clearly see the mark on his neck that was positioned just below his ear and next to his jaw. It was so sweet, so perfect that he first thought he was dreaming. A perfect circle, filled with sakura blossoms and in the middle of it, there was something that resembled his clan mark. Fuck! It cannot be happening to me now! Not now! I have just started to feel comfortable in the ANBU! Plus my soulmate has just been born,, this day,,, a newborn,, and I am soon going to be FOURTEEN. Shit, I have never heard of anyone with that age gap between them! It is just sickening to think that my soulmate is probably lying on a small bed at the hospital getting weight and stuff,,,, no so wrong! But even if he felt it was wrong on so many levels he just couldn't take his eyes of it. So sweet, so perfect and yet so wrong. "What should I do now?" He whispered as he continued to look at his reflection in the mirror. Somehow, he now understood that there would never be a future for him and his soulmate. Even if his father had once told him that age doesn't matter he just couldn't believe it. Slowly he reached for the mark under his ear and felt its rough texture. It was just pure luck that he had gotten it at such a place where it could be hidden, this way his soulmate would never be able to understand that he was their soulmate. This way they could meet and talk but never engage in any kind of romance, WHEN his soulmate was at the right age to even be able to be in a relationship. Urgh this was just sick…

"I am so happy for you Kakashi!" Kushina said as she poured up a glass of water for him. This was one place that he actually enjoyed being in, to listen to Kushina and Minato-sensei talk about everyday stuff. This was the place he escaped to whenever he felt alone or scared,,, even if he would never confess that to anyone. But somehow Minato-sensei understood it and invited him to their life with opened arms.

"Yeah I know how long you have waited for that mark to appear." Minato-sensei said as he took a sip from the sake his wife had given him. "This have to be celebrated!"

Blushing hard Kakashi sank into the couch and wished that he never went to his sensei's place. Why had he thrown on a shirt and rushed here was a slight mystery,, or if he was super honest it really wasn't, he didn't want to be alone that evening. Especially since he would only think negative thoughts about his soulmate. No it felt good to be able to tell someone. "It isn't necessary sensei." Kakashi started to say but got interrupted by Kushina who stood in the door way with an ecstatic expression.

"Oh! I just figured one thing out! Your soulmate will be the same age as our baby!" Kushina said and started clap her hands with joy. "Maybe they will be friends!" She went on about how fantastic this was and didn't see how her little visitor turned more and more white. I never even thought about that! THIS IS SICK! I have been here and kept an eye on lady Kushina since the start of her pregnancy and well,,, this just made the whole thing more real. Shit!

"Eh, sweetheart I think you should stop, Kakashi will faint if you keep talking." Minato said after noticing the slight greyish colour that had started to spread over the visible parts of Kakashi's face. Kushina threw him a stern look but after noticing it too she took a place on the couch right next to Kakashi and put her hand on his knee.

"Ne, Kakashi you don't have to worry about anything. Your soulmate will love you! And forget about age, that is just a number!" Kushina smiled the most reassuring smile she could and after she was sure that Kakashi had gotten some colour on his cheek she stood up. "So since we are celebrating tonight, what do you think about broiled saury with salt and miso soup with eggplant?" Kakashi nodded without saying anything else, he was too embarrassed to speak.

"Well if you are going to make so much food, do you want some help in the kitchen?" Minato asked.

Kushina paused a second and turned over to her husband with a stern expression. "Oh you think that only because I am pregnant I can't cook?! Is that how it is?!" She growled out as she made her way to the kitchen.

Slowly Kakashi turned his head towards his sensei how was also looking a bit pale. "I think I will help her sensei." After seeing his sensei nod slightly Kakashi made his way to the kitchen. Even if he knew that Kushina could get angry with him he still liked to help with the cooking and this was something that his sensei's wife knew all too well so when he walked into the kitchen she handed him an apron without saying anything else. Smiling a bright smile for the first time that day (no one could tell because he still had his mask on him) Kakashi started to chop up some vegetables while listening to Kushina talk about how she managed to rip apart her knitting that day. It was a bit sad to hear that, Kakashi knew better anyone how hard she had been working on that thing. And he really meant a thing, because not even Kushina herself could tell what it was supposed to be, something to the baby. Minato walked into the kitchen and gave his wife a hug and patted Kakashi on his head. This was something that had started to occur more often and it really started to feel like being in a family.

Many years went by and Kakashi felt like he had finally gotten over the death of his sensei and his sensei's wife. It had been such hard time for him and the only thing that kept him going was the many, MANY missions with the ANBU. But all things had to come to an end, the third Hokage took him off duty and forced him to become a teacher at the academy instead. Even if he wanted nothing more than decline the order he couldn't he had pledged his loyalty to Konoha and if the Hokage wanted him to be a sensei,,,, well then he just had to get used to the idea. After the death of his sensei, Kakashi had started extremely slowly to open up, but only to people that deserved it and well that weren't many. Of all his "friends", he didn't even know if he wanted to call them,,, three people knew his secret, the secret about his soulmark. He had been so shocked when neither of the three had actually reacted to the age thing, every one of them had only patted him on his back and told him that it would all work out eventually. But maybe he shouldn't have been surprised, Asuma, Genma and Gai where pretty odd people. But he would protect them with his life either way. They had told him not to worry about anything other than finally meeting his soulmate, but it was difficult, neither of them had anything to relate to in his situation. Asuma had already found his soulmate, Kurenai and had already gotten married to her. It had been such a wonderful wedding, but she had been in the spotlight to the fangirl of Asuma for quite some time afterwards. Gai had received his mark when he turned five years old and while he still hadn't met his special someone it didn't make him sad. It only spurned him further on to search for her. Last there was Genma, the man-whore of Konoha. His soulmark was actually a bit of a secret, only a few was allowed to see it and not for the reasons Kakashi had, no Genma told his friends that if a beautiful woman noticed that their marks match he would be stuck with that same person his whole life and apparently, he wasn't that kind of a man. Still Kakashi was certain that when Genma finally meets his soulmate, that the playboy would drop the sleeping around thing and stay with that person forever. No, he was certainly alone to have such a younger soulmate, which was a good thing he supposed, he never wished for anyone else to feel his sadness and heartache he had felt all these years.

"Team seven, what do you think about them Kakashi?" Genma asked as he whirled the senbon around in his mouth. The only answer he received from his friend was a grunt as he continued to read Icha icha paradise. The folder laid across the table just like the other teams but that one with team seven's information was the most interesting. Everyone knew that Kakashi had gotten the most difficult group. But that wasn't the thing that made Genma reach for the folder. No, it was for the fact that he knew that one of those students had been born at the same time as Kakashi's mark had appeared, on the day of March 28. So, he was a bit interested to see the person that could be Kakashi's soulmate. Slowly as to not disturb his friend he opened up the folder and was meet with three photos and some paper containing information about these three young students. As the photo of a cute pink haired girl fell out he noticed Kakashi's form twitch. A smirk was visible on Genma's lips as he looked at the photo, apparently his super smart friend had already made the connection in the timeline and the soulmark. It was almost ridiculously easy to tell that this girl could be his friends soulmate, even if it was sickening in so many ways. Not only was her pink hair a dead giveaway but also her name, Sakura! He laughed as he saw the date, the exact same day Kakashi said his mark had appeared. "So, this is girl huh?"

"Don't even think about telling anyone, or I will end you!" Kakashi muttered as he flipped one page over and continued to read.

"So, am I correct in my assumption that you will never tell her the truth?" Genma watched with a careful eye to see any changes in his friend's posture, he knew his silver haired friend all too well and knew that he would never tell anyone anything he didn't want to. That and he had the best poker face ever so to watch his eye was just stupid.

After lowering the book in his hand Kakashi turned towards the senbon user. "No and I never will, not even when she reaches the age of fifty!"

"WHAT?" Genma dropped his senbo, that landed on the table. People around them looked up from what they had been doing and looked at them with interest. With a slight blush Genma turned to Kakashi who was now staring at him over the edge of the book. "Sorry." He whispered to Kakashi who tried his best to ignore the stupid man in front of him. After waiting a while for the others in the room to continue what they had been doing before Genma had yelled right out in the open, he turned to his friend again. "But why would you not tell her even when she a grown up?" He couldn't believe it. Well he would have understood if his friend was a player like himself but,, come one! Kakashi never dated and never hooked up with someone just for fun so why would he not tell his soulmate about him?

"Tell her what?" A voice asked right above their heads and to Genma's surprise Asuma stood there with a big grin on his lips. Apparently Kakashi had already noticed the other man's presence and didn't take much notice of him.

Signing for Asuma to sit down Genma leaned closer to the bearded man. "Kakashi has maybe found his soulmate! But he plans on never ever telling her even if it is his soulmate."

"WHAT?!" Now it was Asuma who yelled so high that everyone in the room turned their heads once again. After noticing the unwanted attention Asuma raised his hands and dismissed the whole thing. "Sorry it was nothing important, please go back to your work." And after he had made sure that every single head had turned around he leaned over towards Kakashi. "So you are saying that you will never ever tell her that you are her soulmate?"

The only answer he got from the silver haired man was a pictured of a girl pushed towards him. The picture was of a girl with light pink hair, big green eyes and over the picture stood the name Haruno Sakura in neat letters. She was cute alright but still only twelve years old. "I would never destroy her future by ever letting her see my mark." Kakashi said to the two men next to him.

"Well I understand why would not tell her now, I mean it would be a bit sick. She is still just a child but when she turns eighteen, then maybe…" Asuma started but got interrupted by Kakashi who slowly shook his head.

"No, I want her to be free to choose whoever she wants to with when she grows up, not being trapped by having an old man as her soulmate." Kakashi told them before he walked away with his nose buried in his book once again.

After he was out of the room Asuma and Genma turned towards the picture of the girl and then towards each other. "I think he is right, I mean she is just so much younger than he and if she ever figures it out it would still be odd. I mean he will be her sensei." Genma shook his head slightly as he leaned back into his chair.

"But maybe he can change the,," Asuma said but got interrupted by Genma who held up his hand for the other man to stop talking.

"He has already tried and even begged the Hokage to change the group but he still got a no." Genma muttered as he twirled around the senbon in his mouth.

"That's to bad." Asuma muttered as he leaned back and looked around the room. It was filled with ninjas that would all be meeting their students tomorrow.

Just to meet his team a bit earlier than the others Kakashi searched for them in the town and he was please when he found one of them. Naruto, Minato sensei's son was eating ramen like he never had seen anyone eat ramen before. He could clearly hear the blonde order another bowl after he was finished with the current one he was holding in his hands. Nodding slightly Kakashi headed away towards the academy where he hoped to find the other two. Ohhhh, he did but was not really certain that it was a good thing. Sasuke Uchiha was standing against a tree looking up at the sky and he didn't seem to notice Kakashi's presence as he sat down on the rooftop to the academy. Girls from everywhere was swarming around him, asking and begging to see his soulmark. It was pretty annoying so he understood perfectly well why the dark-haired boy didn't want to answer them. Memories when he was young flooded into his mind and he could see some resembles between himself and the Uchiha kid. Among all the girls was two who stood out, a pink haired girl and a blonde girl. They stood farther to the side and was talking about something that had them both giggling. Kakashi turned his head a bit and with his heightened hearing he could clearly hear what the two was talking about.

"Oh Sasuke-kun is so good looking! Don't you think so Sakura!" The blonde said and turned towards her friend that was tugging on her pink hair.

"Yeah he is so dreamy. I wonder what his mark looks like! What do you think Ino?" Sakura asked her friend and made dreamy eyes towards the boy who was now trying to look for away out of the swarm of fangirls.

Ino, the blonde girl looked like she was really concentrating on the speculations of the Uchiha's mark before she answered her friend. "I think it is a hexagon with a lot of different letters inside it." She said and smiled.

This however seemed to not sit well with Sakura who pouted. "That is just because you have that kind of a mark on your neck! And if Sasuke-kun really did have that one, don't you think he would have told you already? I mean everyone sees it daily!" she pointed towards a part on the neck of her friend with a smile.

"Ohh? So what do you think his mark looks like miss Sakura?" Ino asked with an edge on her tone that made Kakashi realize that when this girl grew up she would be a handful.

A heavy blush spread across Sakura's cheeks and she glanced over to Sasuke. "Well maybe a round mark with a lot of sakura blossoms in it and ,," Kakashi held his breath and he felt sweat drops beginning to form on his forehead when he heard the description, the only thing he had to do now was hear the final part and he would be absolutely certain that she was his soulmate. But that never came because just as she was about to say the last part the Uchiha kid walked away and left all the fangirls complaining. Sakura and her friend Ino was apparently not an exception. Fuck! So fucking close! But still it was scary how the description fit mine. No, no, no there is no chance,,, right? I mean, who in the world would be so unlucky to have their soulmate as a student?