Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. But if I did I would know how Kakashi looks without his mask...muhaha

A/N: I'm working under the assumption that Sakura now is 22 and that Sasuke hasn't returned by this time. You also should know that English is not my first language therefore corrections are more than welcome. Anything else you'd like to know concerning this fic you can look up in my profile. Well then: happy reading!

1. Confusion and Conclusion

Once again he caught his mind wandering. 'God…' It wasn't like he minded this specific thoughts at all, this was the disturbing part, though. Violently he clenched his fists, feeling his nails carving deep insde his skin, recognizing that they would probably leave a tiny trail of blood on his palm once he relaxed a bit, but knowing himself he also knew that he couldn't allow himself to for at least a little longer or it would happen again.

Fists still clenched he pushed his forehead protector aside to wipe away the bead of sweat. It was just too hard. He knew he was wrong. Dead wrong all along, in fact, but prohibiting made anything just worse, so he stuck with denying for the time being.

Taking some deep breaths he slowly made his way to his apartment door. There was still so much work to do.

But just as he made his way back out a blur of pink bumped into him.

'Hey easy there'.The crink of his lone eye gave his smile away.

The assaulting woman otherwise was pouting and clenching her petite fist in a quite troubling way, eybrow clearly twitching. Shocked he backed up if only a few inches.

'How dare you?'

'Er excuse me?' Clearly puzzled the jounin scratched his mask clad cheek.

'Oh don't screw around Kakashi!' He had to duck away from her obviously chakra enhanced punch.

'You do know!' Again he had to doge her.

'It's your fault!' He saw the next one coming.

'But I'll make you pay!' The wall cracked leaving a hole where her hand had been just a fraction of a second ago. 'Okay, okay…' he rose his hands in a calming manner, keeping his stoic exterior, despite feeling like a mouse facing a cat with shotgun.

'No matter what I did I'm sure I will feel sorry about it once you've actually told me. Come on in?' He tried to ruffle her hair.

'Sakura? God you can run. You do know you're supposed to stay with me at least til…' A young clearly confused and irritated man came running along the rooftops.

'No I don't!' Sakura finally managed to get hold of Kakashis collar pulling him down to her hight, making him face her, only to throw him right into the younger skinny man, leaving only a flush of silver and black sailing through the air and collapsing against the wall of a neighbouring building.

Sakura hopped down, of what seemed to be the third floor, lightly stamping towards the now slightly troubled men.

Feging a smile she knelt down besides Kakashi pressing her lips to his left ear.

'You better not keep up that habit of yours. I don't like you satisfying your perverted needs at my expense.'

Her voice was only a hiss. Loud enough for him to catch every single syllable and to low for the black haired guy to overhear, brushing off innocently the dust of his black pants and murmuring under his breath something about an ugly dog. After remaining six years on her team he knew that the nicknames he had tried to give her during his attempts to bond would never be accepted nevermind being tolerated.

He turned towards Kakashi, clearly hoping that the older man could help him.

'Kakashi-san, could you please vertify Sakura that I simply have to stay by her side?'

'Cut it out Sai you're a lousy stalker' Sakura rose, cracking her knuckles meanicingly. Today was simply not her day.

'Actually' , Kakashi stated, also rising, 'He is supposed to be your boyfriend'. 'Yeah I got that and I also happen to know that it was your weird idea! I wouldn't try to beat you Perv senseless for no reason, you know?!' She crossed her arms. Rage gone, curiosity taking its place instead.

Kakashi chuckled at her childish expression. 'Let's grab a drink.' ,the silver haired man suggested, 'I'll explain everything once we'll get there.'

'It's three pm.' she sounded wary.

'Well its my treat.' He really hoped she woud take his offer since once she got some Sake in her system her punches were far less precise.

'You usally don't drink in the afternoon and I have to run shifts at the hospital.'

'Yeah, well let's have some coffee then.'

'Still your treat?'

'Seems like there's no choice.', He grinned. 'Your coming too?'

Sai, who had watched their conversation like a tennis match, slowly shook his head. 'Well, no you two figure out what you want and tell me then. I don't fancy punishment for carrying out my orders.'

He sauntered towards the next building, for the one he just crashed against seemed now liable to collapse, and hopped onto the rooftop making his way back home.

'Well that leaves just the two of us right?' He crinked his eye.

'I wonder about that.' The pink haired kounichi pointed towards the end of the street where a flush of blond came running in their direction screaming all the way something like 'Sakura-chan' and 'Why didn't you tell'.

Once he had reached them Kakashi thought he would never be able to stop the rining in his ear caused by Narutos still too noisy voice.

'Sakura-chan why didn't you tell me?', the blonde shinobi whined. 'I thought we were friends. Everybody knows!' Emphasis on the word everybody.

'Er sorry?' Sakura couldn't think of what he was talking about.

'Oh come on you know that I'm talking about Sai! He, your boyfriend, really?' He rolled his eyes.

Sakura couldn't help but to smirk. He nearly sounded like Ino and given the time he had spend with her in order to get some tips about women it shouldn't be all too suprising that they became some kind of friends, in a twisted sex advice giving way.

Although Ino clearly became frustrated with her student since all he ever asked about concerned Hinata. Even though Ino really had no intrest in the noisy blonde it was hard for her to understand that some men weren't attracted by her.

'Let's go and get some caffeine in your system. Kakashi will explain…and pay.' Sakura said blithely.

Kakashi only looked at her while his two former students started walking, slightly surprised by her sudden mood swing. Sauntering nonchalantly behind them he mused whether giving Naruto something that made him even more active would be a good thing.

'Okay, now shoot!' Narut demanded while eagerly scruntinizing the menu.

'Naruto, you know that I treated you to a coffee or a tea but I never mentioned to pay for your food.' Kakashi pointed out.

'Aw come on Kakashi you never treat me to anything I have to take advantage of that.'

The silver haired man chuckled. 'Well okay I guess I could be more generous. But you know they don't sell Ramen here. You only get cookies and cake.'

'Oh, that's fine I'll just try everything before I settle for one thing.' The blonde sounded mischievous.

His former Sensei was just about to argue when Sakura interrupted him. 'Sorry guys, but I need to be at the hospital in about', she let the sentence hanging wanting to check her wristwatch only to remember that I had broken two weeks ago while sparring with Kakashi. 'Excuse me' She tipped a man in his mid-twenties lightly on the shoulder.

He turned around and her former Sensei saw his jaw dropping for a second.

The jounin didn't like the way the other man was sruntinizing her, letting his glance hover over her breasts just a fraction to long for his tatste.

Sakura however was oblivious of all the looks she was gathering since they had entered the small coffeeshop. His 22 years old former student had grown to be a beautiful young woman. Even he could see that, not that he hadn't tried not to perceive that and to lock up the thoughts of his icha icha corrupted mind about it.

'How can I help you?' Kakashi snorted in disgust. It was obvious that this civilian tried to sound chivalrous. Actually he had given up on being overprotective about his pink-haired student, when it came to boys or men, a long time ago. But know he couldn't help but to interrupt.

'We'd just like to know what time it is since we are supposed to meet her fiancé at four pm.' He sounded friendly but with a thread in his voice audible.

'Half past three.' The man replied, now less gallantly, while turning to face his cup again.

'Thank you' Sakura chimed. The man just nodded and didn't even bother to turn around.

'Kakashi what was that for?' Sakura muttered obviously irritated. Her eyebrow started twitching again.

'His intentions weren't right.' He shurgged. He couldn't explain it to himself, either.

'His intention was to give me the time.'

'I don't think so.'

'Oh okay so you suggest that he tried to blackmail me into sleeping with him because he had a watch and I hadn't?'

He simply had to laugh at her sarcastic comment and her adorable irritated expression.

'You're just having fun at my expense again, don't you?' Despite herself she had to smile.

'Pretty much.' Secretly he was thankful for her putting those words in his mouth, he just couldn't get behind this far to emotional action.

With that Sakura let it drop and he heaved a secret sigh. Noticing the suspicious looks the noisy blonde shot him surreptitiously.

'Well, I guess I should now explain before you head back to the hospital, you're shift starts at four pm right?' She nodded at her former senseis question. Her eyes widened with curiosity. Naruto squirmed on his seat in suspense. The audience was now all his.

'Okay, but first I have a request please don't punch me until the end', he looked at the pinkette meaningfully, 'and don't interrupt me.' he shot the younger man a warning look, using the intonation he used to have when training with his old team seven.

When both nodded he continued.

'We all know that Tsunade nearly died, that she reinstated my ANBU status and promoted me to senior ops and that she tries to prepare me for taking over the position of hokage as long as Naruto searches for Sasuke and isn't willing to be hokage instead so basically she lets me do all her paperwork and else forcing me into sitting in her office while she is off gambling somewhere. That's why I get to make some decisions.

And when somebody tried to kidnap you maybe a month ago and nearly succeeded even though it was near the hokage tower it got me thinking.

You became after Tsunade the most capable and valuable medic of all the five great nations. You even outshine Shizune.

Once Tsunade really dies you will inherit all her knowledge and combined with the knowledged you gained for yourself due to your several researches there will be no medic that could stand a chance against you. Your researches are also very promising and it seems that you're the only one capable of running them at the moment. Obviously there are many people who would like to profit from your skills, which puts you at stake. Most of them will sooner rather than later try to kidnap you.

That's why I wanted Sai to play your boyfriend. You need to be, and Tsunade-sama agrees, under permanent surveillance.

Of course we could just give you some escorts but problem is that would make you a) easier to find and b) kidnappers would figure out that we know and they would find a way around them.

You also benefit from that since we decided that when you're at work at the hospital or near your shishou or me there would be no need for escorts.

Because Sai can stay close to the compund since everybody would be thinking that he's just trying to be romantic and wants to surprise you at work. And when your with Tsunade and me you need nobody else to protect you.

So all he does is walking you around town and staying with you at night. That gives you a lot more privacy than some escorts sitting outside your room watching over your every step.

Now, how does this sound?' Kakashi took a deep breath after speaking ,by his standards, way too much.

'Well, I do see your point but why Sai? I mean he became a good friend but wouldn't Naruto seem to be more likely?'

'I just thought that wouldn't help his chances with Hinata.' Kakashi shrugged.

'But now I'm not getting chances with anyone!' Sakura complained.

'You could have a real try with Sai, you know.'

'Yeah right' she nudged Kakashi playfully. 'Okay guys I'm off'. She rose gracefully making her way through the crowd catching again every mans attention.

'Sakura wait!' Kakashi called behind her she hadn't told him whether she would accept or not.

Konwingly she glanced over her shoulder. 'I'll try it and it happens that he is already standing don't bother walking me to the hospital.'

Kakashi could see Sai leaning against the main window and nodded. Sakura waved at him and made her way out. When she stepped outside she flung her arms around his neck and whispered something in his ear that caused him to blush. The silver-haired man knew that she was just teasing him, but he thought that she was laying it on too thick.

Then he remembered Naruto, who was way to quiet for being his normal happy self.

'Something wrong?'

'No, I guess I was just thinking about…something…Nevermind.'

'Okay let's order then eating everything they sell here might cheer you up.'

Naruto grinned. 'I'd bet.'