I do not own Naruto.
Summary
Truly there are ways to get out of our personal struggles. But for a particular silver-haired man, he found only one.
Innocent Deal
As the rays of the sun beamed through the blinds of her window, she desperately held her pillow to her face as she tried to avoid the invading light in her eyes. She got a day off today and she figured that it was just right to catch up with her sleep due to the long hospital hours of her shift for the past week.
Haruno Sakura, the annoying pink-haired girl from team 7 when she was twelve is now a 19 year old kunoichi who is one of the most acknowledged medic nin in Konoha known for her quality show of work and skills, an exceptional ninja with extraordinary strength and perfect chakra control. Not to mention the apprentice of a certain Legendary Sannin who is currently still the Hokage. Regardless, this said kunoichi has grown up to be a woman.
As she lay her feet to the ground, palms rested on her sides to the bed, she just sat there for a while, contemplating on what to accomplish on her day off and of course to get her brain to process that it was time to get up. She looked at her wall clock to see that it was about 8:45 in the morning and finally got up, lazily carrying herself in her bathroom. She carefully washed her face then grabbed her toothbrush, sprinkled some toothpaste, stuck it inside her mouth and brushed her teeth.
Knock knock.
She stopped.
Then followed more persistently loud knocks.
"Sakura-chaaan!" A familiar voice screamed from outside her door.
Damn it, Naruto,she thought. As she walked out of the bathroom and headed to the main door, toothbrush still inside her mouth carefully opening the door to see his blonde bestfriend dressed in his usual orange pants, black and orange jacket and let it open to see a black shirt underneath. With him wearing also his usual grin, he looked at her very annoyed face.
"Sakura-chan you're still not dressed! We're suppose to catch up with our training today remember!" He said, not keeping his tone down.
She stared at him still with an irritated face and she turned her back from him leaving the door open, signaling that he could come in, ravage the fridge and make himself at home like usual. Even without signaling actually.
They have truly became the best of friends and went through a lot of things together, especially after the departure of their beloved teammate who they just got back just a year ago after he had fulfilled his ambition of murdering his brother. After of course his said punishment that he willingly accepted upon his return, the last Uchiha wasted no time after a panel of instructors including the Hokage herself, performed a series of tests and immediately promoted him to Jounin due to his outstanding skills and powers. Without wasting any time of course, just weeks later he had tried out for ANBU which he triumphantly passed.
As for Naruto, he preferred to settle to his current rank as a Jounin like Sakura, for he figured that he'd be busy as crap if he ever joined ANBU and thought that it really wasn't for him.
He entered her ever so warm apartment and instantly went to her kitchen, picking up a pitcher of juice from her fridge and pouring a good amount of it in one of the glasses in display that he got. Also getting some crackers from Sakura's food storage, he exited her kitchen and plopped himself comfortably in her cozy green sofa.
As Sakura continuously cursed Naruto inside her head for barging into her sleepy state of mind, she went to take a shower, put her usual training clothes on, brushed her long hair that grew back through the passing years and headed to her living room.
"Finally you're all dressed!" He pointed the obvious, still with a happy face. She nodded and smiled back at him as they went out and went straight to the training grounds.
They walked side by side through the streets of Konoha and Naruto had his hands clasped tucking them on the back of his head. He turned his head in his side to look at Sakura.
"Ne, Sakura-chan, what's new? We haven't seen each other for a while" He asked.
She glanced at him with a questioning look. "You just visited me two days ago at the hospital, remember? Same old stuff I guess" She answered with a shrug.
He nodded, understanding that having to spend long hours probably locked up in a hospital must be nerve wracking. "The Konoha Get Together Ball is in 2 days though; do you have any plans who you're taking with?" He asked in a teasing tone, grinning widely.
The said ball was a formal party that was proposed to the Hokage by the ninjas in the village for it is a chance for everyone to get together, thus the suckish name, and enjoy the company of their comrades and friends. It is an annual event that was approved by the blonde, thinking that this was another chance for her to leave office duties and get drunk.
Disappointment suddenly filled her face for two reasons, first, she had completely forgotten that it's in two days; second, she doesn't have a date.
As sad as it seems, her lack of love life was made possible by her eagerness to prove her self-worth and become one of the strongest kunoichi of her rank. After they have retrieved Sasuke from his near death encounter against his brother, Sakura had realized a couple of things as she had matured along with her foolish heart. When Sasuke got back, the three of them have renewed their bonds and simply came back to their old setting, closer somehow, but almost the same. Of course they are all they got as close to family, they only spend time together every once in a while because of their individual missions and responsibilities.
"Sakura-chan? You okay?" Naruto stood in front of her with a worried look. She looked at him dumbfounded and managed to give out a nervous laugh. "Sorry, I was just lost in my thoughts is all. And I don't exactly have someone.. err.. to take with" She said mumbling her last words.
"That's okay I guess! Hinata agreed when I asked her just after I got back from my mission last week. She's been pretty busy with her clan though but.. I'm happy that her family finally accepted me" He said with a heartwarming smile.
She looked at him with a genuine smile. A smile saying how happy she is for her best friend that finally, the Hyuugas have accepted the relationship between their Hinata and him. He grinned back at her and stopped to look at the training ground.
"Hey look it's Kakashi! Kakashi!" He blurted out waving at the unaffected Jounin who was leaning back at a tree reading his precious book, as always. He looked at them for a second with his exposed eye then went back reading.
Sakura looked at her former sensei who she has not seen in a while, probably because he doesn't want to be seen at all. He's quite mysterious like that. Always in hiding. Never letting anyone know his business.
"Eh? Kakashi I haven't seen you in a while how have you been!" Naruto shouted, storming of to where their silver-haired man sat peacefully. Sakura followed behind me, realizing she has some catching up to do with two of her favorite men in her life. Naruto now stood in front of their former teacher with Sakura behind him.
Not having the chance to escape, with a sigh, he closed his book and looked at his two former students, raising his right arm. "Yo" he said finally acknowledging them.
"Hah! Just in time I have a new technique to show you look look I'm gonna show it to you and Sakura-chan! Quickly turning away from the two, Naruto started doing his jutsus and Sakura decided to sit behind Kakashi and leaned her back in the same tree, resting her palms in the grass with her legs down.
"This is the first time I saw you in weeks, been busy?" She broke the silence but kept her eyes for their friend's show.
He looked to his side to see her pink-hair, inhaling her familiar cherry blossom scented shampoo and strawberry scented lotion. He was always fond of her scent and it was good that it wasn't the smell of bloodbath or poorly showered man that disturbed him on this quiet day. "Ah." He responded, "I just got back yesterday, tiring mission" He added.
She looked at him and met his gaze. "Any injuries?" She asked. He stared at her emerald eyes. Forgetting how vibrant they are. He smiled at her, evident with his one eye that formed a small crease from the side. "Just a hand burn, Sakura."
"Hmpf, take your gloves off." She repositioned herself and sat on her heels. He sighed again, knowing he wouldn't want to test her temper. He complied and removed his gloves. He held his hand out for her to see.
Sakura gently held his hand on top of hers, familiarizing with the contact while placing her other hand on top of his showing a green light. The warm touch of their hands and her healing chakra quickly relaxed his burns in his hand. Kakashi cast his eyes on her to see her composed face.
"What have you been doing on that mission of yours? Have you used your Raikiri too much?" She said, not losing her focus.
"I might have rubbed it too hard." He said coolly.
"Rubbed what to ha-" She cut herself as her face blushed a tomato red color knowing exactly what the it is. Kakashi just chuckled with her innocence. The look from her face was just plain priceless, reaching for her head to pat it lightly with his free hand.
"Pervert" Sakura muttered as she finished healing him. "Very funny, Kakashi." Her sarcastic tone visible as she return to meet his smiling face. "Thanks for that." He spoke examining his flawless hand. She let out a giggle thinking that she missed this man in front her. And yes, even the dirty jokes.
"Oi! Did you two see! Did you see it!" They looked at Naruto who exhaustedly lay in the grass.
They sat back again and Sakura watched Naruto perfect his jutsu while Kakashi opened his book to catch up with his reading after he was interrupted just a while ago.
"Kakashi, are you going on Sunday? You know.. that get together thingy.." Once again breaking the silence. She probably knows the answer to her question for Kakashi never really fancied going to formal parties. And as expected, he just shrugged.
On the back of his mind he wondered why she even bothered to ask him and suddenly took interest in the topic. He sat up straight and silently closed his book, let it rest to his thigh and looked at her with his exposed eye.
"Why? No date?" He asked but more like stated.
Her eyebrow twitched in response. She stood up and pointed an accusing finger on him. "If you must know I just can't choose who I should take with me thank you very much!" She retorted, defending her lack of interaction with the opposite sex.
"My my Sakura, you truly are the Hokage's apprentice." He commented as he looked up at her, still wearing a smile on his face while a vain started to appear in her forehead. "How about a deal?" He asked with sudden seriousness.
She narrowed her eyes and the frustration from his mockery was gone. "What deal?" She curiously asked back.
He sat up and leaned his back on the tree once more, hands in his pocket and legs crossed. "If you beat Naruto on your training today, I'll be your date on Sunday."
She eyed him suspiciously. "And if I lose?"
He thought about it for moment as he tucked his chin between his pointer and thumb. "You ask Gai's twin out." He decided.
The thought of going to the event with Lee gave her shivers down her spine. Although this agreement with her ex sensei was one she can't afford to pass up.
"Alright, deal. Watch carefully Kakashi." She said and turned her back on him, going over to where Naruto is, challenging him to duel.
As he watched her form carefully, he wondered if this was even a good idea but at the same found it rather amusing and has he hears the clash of kunais and the ground breaking in half, he finally took this time to move in a safe distance, enjoyed a good fight while finally reuniting himself from his latest copy of his Icha Icha in peace.
TBC.
A/N: Please leave a review. I'd gladly appreciate it! It's been about 3 years since the last time I wrote a story. Once I finished this, I will try to finish the other ones as well. Thank you! Have a good read :)