In this fan-fic. the ages are a little different for the time period of this story…Sakura:19, Naruto: 19, Kakashi: 26
Also the italicized parts of this fan-fic. are the thoughts the of the individual characters…
Enjoy! Please comment!
Sakura was standing at the Konohagkure Hokage monument, staring at the four great Hokages. Surprisingly, Tsunade-sama had given her a day off from her training. So many things were on Sakura's mind. As she looked at the Hokages, she thought of Naruto…
"Naruto-kun… How he has changed…He may still be, kind of loud and annoying, but he has become stronger and even more determined than before…At least he tried to bring back…Sasuke… But I…I am still so weak…I couldn't…I couldn't do anything…I must become stronger! I must! I must find…Sasuke-kun!" she thought silently to herself.
"Sakura?" called a voice from behind her.
Still deep in her thoughts, Sakura was unaware of who had called her.
"SAKURA!" the voice called louder.
"Huh?…Oh! Kakashi-sensei?!"
"What are you doing here?" they both asked each other in unison.
"Oh! Uh…I was just thinking…that's all…heh! Tsunade-sama has given me a day off from my training. Wait, weren't you on a mission, Kakashi-sensei?" she answered quickly.
"Kakashi…"he replied.
"Huh…?"
"I'm not you're sensei anymore. You're a chunin, now. Tsunade-sama is your sensei. Just call me Kakashi, okay?" he said friendly.
"Uh…okay…Kakashi-sens-…Oh!… uh…sorry!" she said.
"It's alright. Yes, I was on a mission. I just returned from it, after reporting to Tsunade-sama. I can see why she gave you a day off. She seems to be buried under a lot of work. Especially, now, after the whole "Orochimaru incident." The village is still recovering from it. And lots of missions are coming in, so most of us are away on missions. I'm surprised that I wasn't assigned another mission, directly after returning. I guess I'll probably receive one by tomorrow, at the latest." he said ending with a sigh.
Sakura flinched at the mention of Orochimaru. Every time she heard that name…she thought of …Sasuke-kun…
"NO, it was too painful. It was too painful to think of that...Not now…Not in front of Kakashi-sensei…!" she thought frantically to herself.
"I know what you're thinking, Sakura." said Kakashi, breaking the long silence that ensued in the air.
"Wha-…What?!" she stammered.
"Sakura…, stop torturing yourself. Sasuke is not going to come back. He may never come back. But that doesn't matter now. It doesn't mean that you can't go on. I know how you feel…You've already become a chunin, and soon you will be taking the jounin exams. You have to go on living your life. Forget about Sasuke…"he said.
Kakashi's last words echoed in Sakura's mind, arousing all her painful emotions at once. Not knowing what to say next, Sakura tried to let go of her feelings…
Kakashi couldn't help but feel distressed by the way she looked…
"Kakashi-sens-…I did nothing… nothing at all…I'm a chunin…yet…still I feel so useless… I couldn't do anything…nothing…Nothing to help the one person that I…I feel so useless…Dammnit!
Do you know what it feels like to not be able to help the one person who means…"she broke off, not knowing how to fully express herself.
" Actually…, yes, I do… I do know what it feels like... One of my greatest and closest comrades…Obito…Uchiha Obito…was killed during my first mission as a jounin. I couldn't do a thing to help or save him…I know what it feels like…"
Sakura turned her head and stared at the shadowy expression on Kakashi's partly masked face, trying to tell what he was thinking of. But Kakashi turned away and stared on ahead at the faces of the Hokages. Sakura had never seen Kakashi so open, like this, before. It surprised her to hear him speak so freely, especially to her. Was this the same Kakashi who had been her former sensei as a genin?
"It seems like everyone has changed…everyone has matured and become stronger…even Naruto…everyone except for me…"she thought quietly.
"Kakashi…I'm sorry…I just don't know what to do. I know that a shinobi is never supposed to expose their emotions… but… how can I simply forget everything? I want to go on and become stronger…but part of me wants to become stronger… just so that I can find…him…I want to believe that I can save him…somehow…I can't stop thinking about it…" Sakura cried
Kakashi saw the emotion in her wide, tearful, emerald eyes and tried to comfort her…
"Just give yourself time, Sakura…You think that you aren't a strong or talented kunoichi…but you are. You're very smart that's why you are a great medic nin. You will become stronger…Just keep focused on your training, right now…You will prove yourself…" he assured her.
"Kakashi-sens-…I mean…thank you, Kakashi!"
She turned towards him and embraced him, burying her head into his jounin vest. He was surprised, at first, but returned her emotions by holding onto her tightly.
"Take it easy, Sakura…It's getting late…I should escort you back to your apartment now…"said Kakashi, trying to change the sudden sad and emotional mood.
The walk back to her apartment was a quiet one. Sakura and Kakashi were both too deep in thought, to speak to each other.
Sakura realized that Kakashi had lifted up the usual gloomy cloud over her. He seemed so understanding. She felt more confident about herself…she knew she had to become stronger…and the only way to do that was to train even harder than before…
"Thank You…" she whispered again. But she knew that he couldn't have heard her…(or did he…?)
Kakashi's eye darted to her and looked at her with a strange expression of concern and compassion…
"Is what I'm doing…right? Should I be the one to tell her these things…I wish I could tell her the way that I feel about…I mean would a relationship like that ever work out…?…First of all, does she even feel the same way about me… If Tsunade-sama ever found out…it would mean the worst for both her and me…" Kakashi thought to himself…
But what was this new feeling that stirred within Sakura? She felt different…like a new passion was brewing within herself…Was this right?
"Is this wrong…? What about Sasuke? Why am I feeling this way? Am I not meant to be with Sasuke? Why have I never noticed him before? But he was my sensei…He was my sensei…now he's a fellow jounin…But how can I…and him…ever be? Is this wrong…how can my feelings have changed so quickly?…I…wish I could tell him the way that I feel…" she thought…
Kakashi now debated over asking Sakura to Ichiraku's for a bowl of ramen, just before returning home. Little did he know, that Sakura was thinking of asking him the same thing…
As they approached Ichiraku's, on their way to Sakura's apartment,… they heard a loud, rowdy, yet highly familiar voice...
"Ayame-san! Gimme RAMEN!!! Hmmm…let's see…miso, pork, or chicken…? MISO-CHICKEN RAMEN!!!!" the loud-mouth yelled…
"Naruto?" uttered Sakura
"He's back?…Back from his mission, already?" Sakura added questioningly.
Both Sakura and Kakashi walked into Ichiraku's, without consulting each other, to confirm the return of Konoha's biggest, loud-mouthed ninja … Uzumaki Naruto…
"Naruto?"
"UhHMMMM?" he mumbled with mouthfuls of ramen in his mouth.
"SAKURA-CHAN!!!" Naruto exclaimed, swallowing down the ramen.
"Kakashi-sensei…?!!!" he said, as the tall masked man entered the little shop.
"Naruto! You're back from you're mission…and you're safe!" cried Sakura, who always worried about her comrades, especially since she lost Sasuke…
"Heheh…Yea! Sakura-Chan…were you worried about me?" asked Naruto, who was glad to be getting attention from Sakura…
"Uh…No!" she said quickly, trying to conceal her true thoughts…
"Oh!…You know…Sakura-Chan…I almost died…in the mission" he said hoping to draw more of the cute kunoichi's attention…
"So…did you actually manage to complete the mission?" asked Kakashi sarcastically…
"Yes…I did…"Naruto yelled, glaring at the laughing Kakashi…
"Well…it's good to see you again…Naruto…but I should be going now…I have to get up early tomorrow and continue my training with Tsunade-sama…"said Sakura…(who had suddenly lost her mood to have ramen after watching Naruto wolf down all those bowls of ramen…)
"Goodbye…Naruto…"
"Wait…Sakura-Chan…uh okay…well bye then!" hollered Naruto…
It was dark now…, Sakura and Kakashi walked slowly down the street and up the stairs that lead to her apartment…
"Well…thank you again for everything…Kakashi-sensei…Oh, right! Sorry…, Kakashi!…um…so maybe I'll see you around then…okay? Well…uh bye!" she said turning to him as they had reached the door that lead to her apartment…
"Uh okay…uh…bye then…" said Kakashi nervously, leaning up against the wall while running his hand through his messy silver hair…
"…bye…"…and he turned to walk away…
But just as she was about to shut her door closed…Kakashi turned around…
"…WAIT! Sakura!…"
"huh…?"… as she opened the door again…
"Sakura…I…I…have to tell you…something…because if I don't I know that I will regret it forever…Sakura……..I………I love you…"