Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, nor is there money being made from this fic. This story was written purely for fun.
Hey readers! I hope you enjoy this short story. A plot came to me as a dream and just asking to be written. Any mistakes are my own as I don't have a beta. Thanks for reading and please review. :)
It had been a long time since I've been home. I had been away on a mission, helping out in Suna, updating the medics with the latest techniques I had learned from Tsunade-sama.
Walking through the gates of Konoha, I breathed in the fresh, early summer air. I was so glad to be home!
I truly missed my beloved Konoha. What I missed the most was all the green, which was the complete opposite of the dry heat and sand of Suna. Not to mention, what I missed above all else were the people I had come to love so much: my team mates.
As I walked towards the Hokage's Tower to turn in my mission report, I couldn't help but think about the last time I was in Konoha. Things between my mentor and I had left me a bit confused. For weeks before I left, we had playfully bantered as usual, trained and even hung out in comfortable silence from time to time. But towards the time of my departure, I felt like the lines of our friendship had started to become a little blurred.
It all started one afternoon in our usual training spot, me doing some strengthening exercises, he reading his favorite Icha Icha novel under his favorite shady tree. I had stopped to take a break and drink of water, slowly making my way to the cool shade for protection from the hot afternoon sun. I plopped down next to him with a sigh, my arm barely touching his. He made no move to look at me, so I took the opportunity to look at him.
His focus was on the well-loved pages of his beloved novel, smirking at a particularly funny, no doubt, smutty part of the story. I took the opportunity to take in his features, anything that was visible of course, and take in every detail. I observed the way his ever-present crinkle of his eye would seem to intensify when he would read a certain part of the plot that he would find amusing, the way his hair would catch the light of the sun and shine a beautiful shade of silver. The way his arm rested against his bent knee and how the muscles in his arm would flex when he went to turn the page. I couldn't help but admire how handsome and serene he looked in those moments.
I had only caught a glimpse of his face a time or two when I would heal some minor scrapes he acquired during our sparring. I had always been respectful and averted my gaze. But from what I had seen, I burned it to my memory. His skin had been flawless, apart from the scar on his eye. The skin just a tad lighter from always being hidden under his trademark mask. His jaw was strong and defined, with a slight gray peppering of stubble, his nose straight, and his lips...Well, I would say they were downright perfection.
He turned to me and smiled, his eye crinkle more pronounced. My cheeks burned with the blush I felt creeping up at the realization that I was checking out my former instructor.
Ever since then, I had always longed to see more than just a glimpse.
Once at the Hokage's Tower, I made my way over to Tsunade's office to leave my report on her desk. I knocked on the door, waiting for her reply to let me in.
"Come in!" Her voice sounded from the other side. I opened the door and peeked inside.
"Tsunade-sama, here is my mission report," I announced.
"Sakura! Come in, come in!" She beckoned me in with the wave of her hand.
I walked in and gently closed the door behind me. I walked up to her desk and placed the folder on top of a small stack of papers she was currently going through.
"I take it the mission went well?" She asked, reclining back into her chair.
"Yes. It was simple, really. All the medics were great and seemed to grasp all the information with no problems." I replied, not adding anything else in hopes of getting out as quickly as possible so I could go home and relax. A warm bath and a glass of wine was calling my name.
"Excellent! Now go home, Sakura. Get some rest. I'll see you in a few days." She waved me away with a shooing motion.
As I turned to leave, I noticed the slumped figure of Kakashi in the chair beside me.
"Yo." He raised his hand in acknowledgment.
"Ah! Kakashi, how are you?"
"Doing just fine, Sakura-chan. Handing in my mission report as well." He smiled.
That smile did funny things to my insides. I missed his company while I was away. Even if it wasn't that long of a mission, our training sessions and comfortable chit-chat was something I truly missed.
"See you later?" I asked, in hopes of catching up with him over dinner or a drink.
"Sure. Seven okay?"
"Sounds good." I replied with a smile, a blush making its way to my cheeks.
I made my way out, gently closing the door behind me and let out a relieved sigh.
I couldn't wait for seven o'clock to come.