Rating :: T (a couple of nasty words; fluffy)

Comments :: Written for the Anonymous challenge at the KakaSaku community at dreamwidth. My first attempt at KakaSaku, so hopefully it's not too awful.

Hatake Kakashi is stumped. This is unusual. He is clever, talented and innovative; few problems ever stood a chance against his devastating wit. However some aspects of life have the habit of baffling even the sharpest of minds. In this particular instance, it is the one aspect of life that haunts all males of the species (and probably most others): women.

To say this man is a hit with the ladies – at least initially – would be the understatement of the century. He has it all: mystery, danger, fame... and beneath that mask has got to be a face that matches the gorgeous body it sits on. Yes, there is the strange public viewing of porn thing, but that means he's good in bed, right? Hells yes, lets get me some of that.

Unfortunately for this fine male specimen, he does not appear to attract the sort of women a man - any man - would want to deal with. That is, those that are nice, caring, genuinely loving or at the very least mentally stable. No; it would seem that the only women who want a piece of his toned arse are, for want of a better phrase, completely and utterly batshit crazy.

For instance, take Charlotte. Absolutely stunning, sharp as a knife with a body to kill for. They'd dated for a happy two weeks before she ran off with his latest pay check and spent every single cent on a brand new wardrobe-full of shoes.

Then there was Melody. She'd seemed like a suitable change of pace – a civilian, compassionate, loving, and soft and warm in all the right places. Sure, she was a bit clingy, but she made him home cooked meals every day when he got home from work. She just really cared, right? Perhaps a little too much, he discovered, when he got back from a week-long B class mission and she was screaming in his face, demanding that he quit his job and marry her.

So the list goes on. Tessa, Suki, Cassandra... and he didn't even want to remember that one date he'd had with Anko.

But the others were all absolute darlings compared to Lisa. After 5 days of dating she had managed to track down and introduce herself to his mother, of all people, without his knowledge or encouragement. He hadn't heard the end of that one for months.

But now... now he's seeing this new girl. Not just any girl, either. His old student had grown into a beautiful young woman, and what was more, she seemed to want him. It took some persuasion on her part, but it was a token struggle – he was lost the moment she looked up at him with those sea-green eyes and told him she needed him. A relationship had formed despite his better judgment, and now... now he didn't know what to think.

She's nice (when she's not smacking him for pulling some perverted stunt on her). She's kind (as a ninja who crushes skulls with her bare fist can be). She's sane (or at least, a fair sight saner than he is). Maybe it's because she's known him since she was a kid, and his so called "alluring" aura of mystery is a bit of a joke to her. Maybe it's because she's at least as dangerous as he is, with her own fair share of fame and admiration. Maybe it's because, despite appearances, she knows he's just a lonely man who's lost many things he cares about and could lose many more. Whatever the case, he knows that she's different.

"Are you going to knock then, or are we just going to stand on the doorstep and freeze to death?"

She blows on her fingers, shuffling a bit from side to side to keep warm and suddenly he's aware of the chilly air around them. He gives himself a mental shake and then allows himself a small smile as she frowns at the doorknob, a nervous twist to her mouth.

"Sorry." he laughs, and leans over to kiss her forehead before he reaches forward to bash on the door.

He hopes this goes well. He's sure it will – after all, she's different: she's right (he thinks... he hopes). And if his mother will ever like any girl, it's Sakura.