(Evil cackles) Yes, this is it my dears! The side story to 'Sex Therapist', the Gai/Sakura story! (More evil cackling) Why, you may ask, would I write such a thing when so many were disgusted by the idea? Well, I happen to like Gai and think he needs some loving, too. And Sakura is really the only girl in the show I like enough to write. Or maybe I'm just slightly evil, your choice. Not sure how many chapters this will have. We'll just see where my muse takes me. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. This fic is made purely for entertainment purposes and not monetary gain.

Warning: This is 'M' for a reason, so if you're under legal age, scram! This is Gai/Sakura and has sexual situations. If either of those things bother you, it's best to leave now. You've been warned.

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Solace

Chapter 1

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Kakashi flinched as the door to the examination room slammed open and a tiny pink-headed dynamo stormed inside. "KAKASHI! WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!"

Deciding death was imminent anyway and he might as well deserve whatever was coming to him, he crinkled his visible eye. "Hello, Sakura-chan! Lovely day, isn't it?"

"'Lovely day'? You've been terrorizing my medics and you have the audacity to ask me about the weather?! You are a piece of work, you know that, Hatake?" She crossed her arms over her chest as she regarded her best friend. "Listen, you can cooperate with the medic assigned to do your pre-mission check up..." she let a sinister smirk cross her pretty features "...or I can send a little note to Tsunade-shishou telling her you've been skipping your yearly physicals. And you know what would happen if I did that, don't you?"

Kakashi's face paled slightly. Oh, he knew all right. When the Godaime first took over and noticed it had been a few years since his last complete physical, she had assigned the male medic with the largest hands to do Kakashi's exam. It was evil and cruel and Kakashi hadn't been able to walk properly for days. "I'll behave, Sakura-chan."

"Good. And I think you should apologize to poor Hayashi-san. For Heaven's sake, it's only his second day and it's a tiny check-up." After the Copy Ninja's murmured apology, Sakura made her way to the door. "I don't want to hear any more bad reports Kakashi or so help me..." her words trailed off as her fist shook menacingly and Kakashi held up his hands in surrender.

"No more problems. I promise!" With a nod, Sakura let the door close. Kakashi glanced at the trembling Hayashi and felt slightly guilty. The guy was just trying to do his job and he couldn't be much older than 13 or 14. "Ready when you are." He gave an eye crinkle and watched the new medic relax.

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Hayashi began to sweat as he jotted notes in Kakashi's chart and the jounin became confused. If things were fine, he would have let him know and Kakashi could have been half way home by now. Something must have been wrong. With the way Hayashi nervously glanced between the jounin and his writing, coupled with the sweating and trembling, something was seriously wrong. "Just tell me what it is, Hayashi-san."

The medic jumped at the sound of his name and glanced at the jounin quickly before averting his eyes. "Um...y-you have the f-flu c-coming on."

Eye narrowing, Kakashi asked. "And that means what?" He knew and he didn't want to hear it, but letting that tiny bit of uncertainty hang in the air was worse.

"I'm afraid I c-can't clear you for the m-mission, Hatake-san." Seeing the dark look the famous ninja sent him, he hurried to explain. "Haruno-sensei would have my head if she found out I cleared you!"

He couldn't help but deflate at that statement. It was true, after all. "So, what happens next?"

The young ninja's confidence was restored and he was able to answer without stuttering. "According to shinobi and hospital guidelines, all shinobi found to be ill or coming down with something are to be given an acceleration drug. It will shorten the life of the illness, but also cause the symptoms to be more severe for the first twelve hours."

Kakashi nodded. It made sense to speed up illnesses to keep the shinobi force's numbers as high as possible.

"I'll send the nurse in with the injection."

A few moments later, Kakashi watched a plump older woman enter, a box of injection paraphernalia under one arm. She smiled warmly at Kakashi. "Hello, sweetie. Let's get you doctored up."

As she put the injection together and pulled out the alcohol swabs and a bandage, Kakashi rolled up one sleeve. The nurse turned and gave a little giggle. "Oh, I'm sorry honey. It doesn't go there."

A cold feeling of dread filled Kakashi's gut. "Where does it go?" Was that really his voice? It was more a fearful whisper than anything else. Kakashi couldn't tell if his mind was playing tricks on him or if the nurse's smile actually turned fiendish.

"I'll need to you to bend over and drop the pants."

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Twenty minutes later, Kakashi sat in a chair in the room, slumped over and feeling immensely crappy. He weakly lifted his head when the door opened and watched a scowling nurse enter to check his vitals. 'Who pissed in her Cheerios?'

"You're free to go."

Kakashi wondered if she was serious. He couldn't even stand, how was he supposed to get home? The thought made him smile slightly. He could get back from any mission pumped full of poison, kunai and suffering severe blood loss, but give him the flu and he's helpless. "Could I speak to Haruno Sakura, please?"

The grumpy nurse rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath as she slammed the door to his room.

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Sakura poked her head through the door, a soft smile on her features. She came in and knelt down next to Kakashi and brushed a few stray hairs from his eye as she spoke. "You would have to get sick just before a mission with me."

Kakashi chuckled. "You could heal me."

Sakura smiled apologetically. "Sorry. No can do. We need to let natural illnesses run their course to keep the immune system healthy and prevent you from getting the same sickness later."

With a shrug, Kakashi sighed. "Had to try. Don't worry about the mission, though. Tsunade-sama will find a replacement."

"We were supposed to pose as newlyweds. Remember? It would have been awkward enough with my best friend, but anyone else and it's going to be completely tense." Sakura pouted at the injustice of it all.

Feeling worse by the second, Kakashi changed the subject. "I...uh...need help getting home." He rubbed at the back of his neck and Sakura could have sworn she saw a little pink above the mask's edge.

With a smile, she stood and helped him get up from the chair. "Can you summon enough chakra to teleport?"

At Kakashi's slight shake of the head, Sakura sighed and started to walk. "Let's go."

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The pair reached his apartment and after much pillow fluffing, blanket tucking, medicine gathering and general fussing over him, Sakura sat next to him on his bed. "Are you going to be alright?"

A gloved hand waved at her. "I'll be fine. I've got my medicine, my books and I'm sure by the time I feel like eating I'll have the strength to make it to the kitchen."

Sakura patted his knee. "I'll let you get some sleep then. Feel better, okay?" She leaned over to kiss him on the forehead and quietly made her way to the door.

His weak voice stopped her before she left. "Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"Be careful on the mission."

"I will. You get well and I'll see you when I get back!" The door closed and Kakashi was left to sleep.

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Sakura stood in front of the Hokage, lips set in a grim line. Her mentor hadn't blown a gasket yet, but that could either mean it wouldn't be too bad or she should head for shelter. It was hard to tell with the volatile woman. "So you're telling me, one of my best jounin, the one you felt most comfortable with for this mission, is sick?"

A nod. Sakura ventured to speak. "Shishou, would it be best to send another pair to the compound? A team that has the relationship Kakashi and I share? It would have been awkward to be affectionate with him, but I'm not sure I could pull it off with anyone else."

Tsunade sighed as she laced her hands together. "I don't have anyone to send. Or anyone I would want to send anyway. You're the best candidate for this job. The strength I taught you is necessary to disable and destroy the compound. I know you don't want to go with anyone else, but it's a job, you're a professional and I know you can cope with it."

Apprehension coiling in her gut, Sakura gulped. "Who would you send with me?" She was torn between wishing for a complete stranger she could avoid forever after the mission or someone she knew so hopefully they could avoid too much tension.

The Hokage pulled a few papers in front of her and began sorting through them. "Let's see. Who's available?"

As she ran down the list of names her frown deepened. She needed a jounin, but all those she could spare were out on missions already and she couldn't send anymore out without compromising Konoha's safety.

She sighed and closed her eyes in thought, Shizune growing worried behind her. "Tsunade-sama, we can't decline the mission. We've already accepted and the village portion of the pay is severely needed."

"But what else can I do? We just don't have the re-" Her speech was cut short as the door to her office flew open, a blur of green swirling into the room.

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!" Gai's spin slowed and he faced the three women in the room, good guy pose in full force and teeth sparkling. "I, the Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha, have fulfilled my mission requirements, ensuring the safety of my beloved village! My flames of youth burned brightly on my journey! My excursion...to...vanquish...the..." He trailed off as he realized no one was listening and had gone back to their previous conversations.

Sakura agreed with Shizune. "Shizune-san is right, Shishou. The village needs the pay from that mission. The hospital and Academy could really use some new equipment. Surely one more jounin out of the village won't weaken our defenses that much."

Tsunade shook her head. "No, we're stretched thinner than we should be already. No matter how badly the village needs that money, I can't risk the safety of our civilians."

Sensing they needed a hero, and he was sure he was one, Gai stepped into the conversation. "Hokage-sama, if I may, can I be of service?"

Sakura tensed. 'Oh hell no. In the name of all things holy, please do not let Shishou agree!'

Tsunade eyed the jounin in front of her. "You just returned from a mission, Gai. Are you sure you're up to another mission so soon?"

Gai gave another blinding grin. "I am always ready to serve my village! My last mission was not strenuous, so after a good night's sleep I shall be ready for anything!"

"Very well. Sakura needs a mission partner seeing as Kakashi has come down with the flu. Here are the mission requirements." The blonde Hokage pushed a scroll towards the spandex-clad man. "You two are to leave at dawn tomorrow."

He turned to Sakura with a nice guy pose. "Do not worry, Cherry Blossom! I will not fail you as my Eternal Rival has! We will persevere on our mission and bring great pride to our beloved home!" He saluted the three women and was gone just as quickly as he came.

All color drained from her face, Sakura turned to her mentor. "Shishou! Gai-sensei? Seriously?"

The woman answered with a smirk. "You said it yourself. The village needs that money."

"B-but...GAI-sensei?!"

Annoyed and feeling the need to protect one of her elites, she snapped at Sakura. "Listen, he is one of my best. Truthfully on par with Kakashi. He's loyal and trustworthy to a fault and will not let anything happen to you on this mission. He puts the lives of others before his own and when you take the time to get to know him he is a very nice man."

Sakura shrunk back a little, feeling bad for reacting that way to Gai's help. They were in a bind and despite just returning from a mission, he had volunteered his services. "I understand and I do appreciate his assistance, but the mission parameters...we have to pose as newlyweds. I wasn't sure I could do it with Kakashi and now I have to act that way with Gai-sensei. He kind of creeps me out, Shishou."

"You have no choice, Sakura." The Hokage's voice was soft. She understood, she really did. But there wasn't anything she could do. "He's well-suited to this mission and the cover is necessary. Please, for the sake of the village and the country that requested this mission, just try to bear it."

With a sigh and drag in her step, Sakura grabbed her own mission scroll and tried to straighten her back with determination before heading out of the office. "I will do what must be done, Shishou. I will not fail Konoha or the client."

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After showering and eating, Gai sat on his bed and opened the mission scroll. He began to frown as he read the requirements. 'No wonder Sakura paled when I offered my services. Idiot! If I had just kept my mouth shut.'

Gai knew most women in the village didn't find him attractive. He knew his choice of attire and hairstyle were off-putting to the opposite sex. But he was a shinobi. He had pledged his life to the service of his village and his clothes and hair were perfect for combat. Sure he was lonely and wanted to find love, most ninja felt the same way. But if he ever did find love, he wanted it to be someone who could accept him as he was, not someone who would try to change him to fit their idea of the perfect man.

He knew Sakura must be repulsed. She was beautiful and intelligent, soft-hearted and fierce. There was no doubt in his mind she would be kind enough to control her displeasure, but her skin would crawl every time they had to touch. He put his face in his hands and cursed his overly-enthusiastic demeanor again.

This mission would be tough on the taijutsu master. Sakura had grown well. At twenty she was a feared jounin and respected medic. She could have her pick of any man in the village. It would be difficult to play his part in the mission, knowing she hated every second of it. To complicate matters, his prized pupil, Lee, had attempted a relationship with the young woman and it had become intimate. Even though the relationship had ended on a friendly note, he knew his student still had some feelings for his longtime crush. He knew his pupil would understand it was a mission, but it would still hurt the young man to know the details of their cover.

With a sigh, Gai tried to clear his mind. There was no use fretting over it now. What's done is done and now they would just have to make the best of the situation, do their jobs and forget about it. He needed to sleep if he was going to be in top condition for the mission tomorrow, so he let his mind empty and drifted off.

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Sakura paced her floor again. She didn't know how many passes she had made in her tiny living room, but she did notice the carpet looked more matted than it had earlier. She didn't know what to do. Obviously she would have to go on the mission and do her damnedest to play her role perfectly. Could she do such a thing with Gai? She wasn't in love with anyone and her last relationship had ended a year ago. However, her last relationship had been with Lee and she didn't want to hurt his feelings. She knew Gai would feel the same.

She finally stopped her pacing and flopped down onto her couch with a huff. Grabbing the scroll and reading the contents again, she chewed her bottom lip. It didn't matter how many times she read it, she knew the words wouldn't change into something more manageable. No matter how much she wished for it.

With no choice but to accept the facts, Sakura gathered herself and headed to bed. Gai wasn't a bad person, she knew that much. But as for attractiveness, he was severely lacking and the affection would be the difficult part. Giving a sigh, she curled under her covers and let sleep claim her.

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A/N: Yes, I love Gai people. I can admit it. He's one of my favorite characters and I think he's unjustly overlooked in the romance fics. (Though I'm guilty myself.) Maybe one day I'll write another fic where Gai gets the girl without a mission forcing it. Someday. Hope you enjoyed and please leave a review! They motivate my lazy ass to get in gear and write. Hugs & Kisses!