A/N: Haha. I enjoyed reading all of the reviews.

In fact, I took the liberty of putting together the collective responses to Sasuke. According to you guys, Sasuke is: a complete teme, bastard and jack #$%! who thinks he's all that and a bag of cheese puffs. He's a complete jerk that should get his ass kicked by Kakashi.

It all looks pretty accurate to me - at least for this story. You guys are just too perceptive. ;)

Winner Takes All

Chapter 2 - Double Vision

All you have to do is look at me,

And you can see it all.

I can't stand the truth right now.

Oh, please, just let me go.

The next morning arrived without fail.

A faded light streamed through the bedroom window and crept along the floorboards, revealing the jungle of woodwork that made up the floor. It was an interlocking puzzle of stained and unstained wood – covered in marks and scratches, from years of pushing heavy furniture around, in an arrangement that never quite satisfied. Some days, these strange markings would take on mysterious shapes that formed hidden pictures and texts. They told the secret of life, and of the secret things that occurred in this household, and in this room. Sadly, no one could crack the code, and Sakura did not spend her time worrying over scratched floorboards. In fact, she spent little time worrying over the state of her home at all – although she was greatly attached to the humble living space. The bedroom was depressingly bare with no rugs or decorations. Scrape marks were visible just beneath the legs of the dresser in the farthest corner. A tall mirror stood beside it – reflecting the dark hallway and half-open door.

A double bed commanded the center of the room. A box-like shape with wooden, unpainted frames. It was covered in mussed up sheets that held the memories of many nights – both good and bad. A faded light slowly crept along the bed, revealing a young woman with pink hair. An interlocking puzzle of skin, and muscles, and bones. Her pale skin was covered in marks and bruises, and there were tear-stains down her cheeks – from many memories pushed around in an arrangement that did not quite satisfy. Sometimes, these strange markings would take on mysterious shapes that formed hidden pictures and texts. They told of the many secret things that occurred in this girl's life, and of the secret things that occurred in her household, and in her bedroom. Sadly, no one could crack the code, and Sakura did not look too deeply into these things. She was only aware of the dull, throbbing sound that filled her mind.

It was the beating of her heart.

She laid very still and listened to the slow and steady rhythm. Her head was pressed up against the pillow, and her face was covered by strands of pink hair, which served as a curtain from the world. Sakura could hear her heart beat through the thickness of the mattress, and feel it reverberate through her body. It was all the same sound. A loud pulse that filled her mind. Last night she imagined that someone had punched a hole through her chest, and ripped her heart out – but this morning it was all too clear that her heart still remained in her body. Each beat was a painful reminder that she was still alive. It was all a sweet sort of anguish.

This morning she woke up to a cold empty bed, but for once in her life she found this preferable to the alternative. A burning pain shot through Sakura's chest at the thought, and she forced herself to relax. Little by little, the gripping sensation faded away.

It would be time to get up soon. The birds were singing the dawn chorus, and Sakura was never one to sleep-in. Why should she start now? Yet, as Sakura lay there under the under the mussed up sheets, she found that she didn't have the motivation to get up. All of her limbs were heavy, and her mind was covered by a hazy fog. Her thoughts that were snapping so quickly back and forth the night before had become dull and sluggish from sleep. It had been a harsh night full of a lot of tears and crying. With sore eyes and a tight chest… it was a small relief when she finally gave way to exhaustion.

Sakura breathed in a deeply, then released a shuddering sigh as she opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry.

Looking through her hair, the world was tinged in pink. Sakura thought it was ironic, because not long ago she used to see the world through rose-tinted glasses. She tossed her hair back in an almost irritated manner and restored the world back to its natural order. The air hit her face like a cold slap of reality.

The silence stretched on in the empty room.

This was usually about the time she got up and fixed Sasuke breakfast. She would get up, smiling, and then quietly make her way to the kitchen where she would prepare a full, hot meal. Sasuke would eventually join her when all of the preparations were done – looking tired with his sleep-tussled hair. Sakura would admire his gorgeous appearance, and wonder at how they made for a perfect couple. Now this delusion was shattered, and Sakura could see all too clearly how she had been used. She gave Sasuke food and sex, and let him take over the house. He had used her for weeks… for months… for over a year. Despite knowing these loathsome facts, Sakura still sadly lacked the motivation to cook without someone to serve. It seemed like a waste when it was just her alone. But there was no use dwelling on these things now. It was time to go… it was time to move again. She pushed the sheets back and touched her feet to the ground, shivering from the cold hardwood floor. The bedroom window was open, and the cool morning air had taken over the room. Sakura made her way over and grappled with the window. The glass panel shuddered and halted before sliding back into place. Sometimes, it just took extra encouragement to make things work.

With that battle done, Sakura idly rested her hands on the window ledge. Her green eyes were sharp as she took in the gray expanse outside. Clouds had rolled in over the village sometime during the night, and now the whole sky was covered in a dull silver blanket. Different shades of light and shadow played across the cloudy layers, and the dark ground blended in with the gray sky. There was no sight of the sun today.

Suddenly, Sakura felt a prick of outrage as she looked down at her arms. Five dark fingertips marked each wrist. They were bruises from last night's struggle when Sasuke pinned her down. A remnant of heated anger coursed through her veins as she lightly trailed her hands over the bruises and healed them away. It was somewhat surprising that they didn't heal themselves last night with the outpouring of chakra she used as comfort, but that probably reflected how scattered her state-of-mind was at the time. It took focus and a special sort of mentality in order to heal. Reflecting back, she was completely unfocused last night, which was dangerous practice when handling chakra. Anything that was not used with stern control gave way to careless outpouring. Sakura could still see the green blaze that filled the room last night whenever she closed her eyes. It was a powerful memory. Deep and painful. She felt another clench in her heart.

No more.

Sakura once thought that Sasuke brought grace and worth to any object by his mere presence. When Sasuke touched Sakura – she turned to pure gold. It was like Midas Touch. She used to feel so worthy around him. She was addicted to this feeling. Needed it. But the price to pay in exchange was too high. Sakura was reminded of how she used to see the world under this rosy tint. She was so deluded for believing even for a moment, that Sasuke had loved her.

They used to be so intimate together, and lay entwined so closely that there was no distance between them. Sasuke used to hold her, stroke her hair, and whisper her name. There was tenderness in every touch and kiss. If this didn't speak of love… then what did? At this point, Sakura no longer knew, and did not have the answer for such questions. Her whole world had been shaken – turned upside down. She used to believe that love ran along very simple lines. She used to believe that only two people who cared and loved each other would naturally give way to the activities that Sasuke and Sakura displayed.

Would Sasuke ever touch Hinata in the same way?

It hurt to think about it. Sasuke may have denied that they ever had a relationship, but for Sakura some things were not so easy to forget. They had something special. They could have gone all the way. Sakura was willing to give everything. Sasuke was a terrible liar.

There it was again. That throb of heated anger, simmering just beneath the surface. It was all his fault that events had come to this point. Sakura slowly clenched and then unclenched her fists.

No more. Life moved on, and Sakura needed to move with it.

Even as Sakura told herself these things, it was still distressing to see her red, puffy eyes in the mirror, and the dry tear stains marked her face. How did she ever let things go this far? To the point where she would be sobbing and crying over Sasuke's betrayal? For a long time now, Sakura had suspected, and dreadfully feared that their relationship was about to collapse. There was just no way of knowing that it would turn into something like this… but life moved on. Sakura continued with her morning routines. After taking a shower and dressing into some clean clothes she felt marginally better, but not much. She still felt like a crippled warrior as she hobbled about – almost brutish and clumsy with every movement. She was lacking energy.

Although she loathed the thought of eating, her body was demanding food. A lesson that Kakashi instilled into her a long time ago was the importance of eating breakfast. In the old days of Team Seven whenever Sakura arrived on the training field without eating beforehand, Kakashi would immediately send her to get food. Anywhere. From back at home or in the market. It was truly remarkable how accurately he could identify the days she did or did not eat. All it would take was just one glance. Like some sort of strange sixth sense. Kakashi was deeply in tuned with each member of the team. It's important to nourish your body, he would often tell her, then send her away.

With this in mind, Sakura walked into the kitchen.

Then immediately walked back out.

Sasuke's presence was all over the room and assaulted her senses. In fact, there were traces of his presence all over the house. She could smell his scent and feel remnants of his chakra, which released a painful waves of memories upon each discovery. Sakura couldn't stand the thought of eating where Sasuke ate, or sitting where Sasuke once sat. She would have to give this place a thorough scrub down when she returned. There would be no more living in this house until Sakura completely purged it of Sasuke's presence. Until then, Sakura would just have to find her food elsewhere.

With that in mind, Sakura opened the front door and carefully edged her way out, so as to not knock over the pot of yellow weed-like flowers that shared the step. It was time to take better care of herself. Time to face the world and move on. She firmly shut the door to the house, locking it. Haruno Sakura was not a person to be fooled twice by love's deceptive guise. Even if she herself no longer understood what made for a loving relationship.

She once had all the passion in the world, and held the most passionate love in the world, but in the end… it all turned out to be fake. It was all fool's gold. Gilded and desperately wrong.

Nothing could ever move her heart so much again.

It was now warm and muggy outside.

The air was heavy with the scent of rain. Sakura was familiar with the smell – it was damp and musty, and clung to every surface. Just like the humidity that clung to her skin. The clouds stretched overhead far into the horizon and covered the earth. Silver and gray, and every shade of light and dark in between. The illustrious sky touched down with the darkened ground, and only the stretch of buildings and houses broke the monotony of the horizon. The sky was dark and oppressive, yet with each breeze it held the promise of an incoming storm. There would be a downpour tonight.

Sakura delighted in the thought of thunder storms and cleansing rain, but dreaded the long stretch of oppressive humidity and silence beforehand. It was only the stillness of the air that drove her mad. Sakura was a woman of action. Tonight she hoped that there would be a huge downpour of rain to wash out the unpaved streets, loud thunder to block out any other noise, and then lightning to light up the dark. Anything that would keep her distracted from the silence of her own home.

A small whisper of wind caressed her ears. Just a stir in the still air that held the promise of something more.

Without the ethereal glow of the sunset, the village took on its true appearance – shoddy, mismatched, patched up, and worn. This particular morning, the world was gray and it was easy to see the weeds that poked out here and there, and the cracks that marred the buildings. It was not the most aesthetically pleasing – but it was reality. Which was something Sakura could appreciate.

There was nothing in heaven or earth that could convince her to go near the Hyuuga district area, or the Uchiha district area today. In fact, there were certain people that she wanted to avoid all together. Which left a depressingly small amount of village left to walk around and explore. But Sakura was a determined individual, and she wouldn't let little details like that get in her way. Besides, she desperately needed a distraction. Anything to occupy her mind from the haze of depressing thoughts that threatened to take over.

It was decided. Sakura would go across the village, even if it meant taking the long way in order to avoid certain households.

It would take extra effort, but Sakura's didn't mind. Her heart simply could not take another hit at the moment. After the emotional upheaval of last night, Sakura was in a fragile state-of-mind. Seeing Sasuke walking out in the streets would undoubtedly cause a melt-down. Not a melt-down that would result in a lot of tears and crying, but rather, a melt-down that would result in Sakura exploding in anger and killing thebastard. Just thinking about him now made her jaws clench and her fists tighten. A cool sort of emotion covered up the pain and had slowly hardened her heart.

Never again would she make herself so vulnerable. Nothing could persuade her otherwise.

It was so strange. All Sakura needed was an objective and then she could cling to it with undying resolve. Taking the long way around the village just to avoid a few people may have sounded ridiculous, but to Sakura it made perfect sense. Others might have seen it as stubbornness, but Sakura saw it as determination. She was clinging on to her last bit of worth. With each steady step on the dirt road she saw her world open up to a new place. One twisting street led to another. Unfamiliar houses lined the unpaved roads, as well as buildings and vendors Sakura had never seen before. She often took the rooftops as a way to travel, and rarely explored the streets below. It was exciting and thrilling to see this whole new underworld that thrived just beneath her feet.

Shops and buildings filled her view. A broad sign over Miyako's Pawn shop beckoned travelers to enter through the open doors of the darkened building. Broad windows gave way to a bakery – each delectable pastry on display on top of tiered stands. The delicious smell wafted through the warm air, mixed in with the food of other vendors. A weapons shop, and a book store. Plants and other creeping vines had taken over the walls, twisting and cascading into wondrous displays. The murmur of voices and various chakra signatures buzzed through her mind. Then, quite suddenly…

A familiar presence brushed over the edge of her awareness.

Sakura halted, feeling her hardened shell crack. She turned around, just managing to catch a glimpse of a bright orange book and silver hair as he passed by.

"Kakashi-sensei…!" she called out. He didn't hear her… or he was just ignoring her. For some reason, this irked Sakura. She stretched out a hand and just managed to snatch his sleeve with slender fingers, giving a small tug. The action jerked him back.

"Sakura…" There was a note of surprise in his voice as he stopped mid-stride. The world came to jarring halt – pausing for a brief moment as these two met. Sakura was keenly aware of the hard earth beneath her feet, and the small stir of dust that arose from passerby's as they went around them. The murmur of other voices faded away into the background, and Sakura took notice of the gray sky moving behind Kakashi's face. It was silver and gray, and every shade of light and dark.

For a moment they said nothing and simply regarded each other. Kakashi had that same easy grace upon him that Sakura always found so comforting. The jounin always seemed completely at ease, at every moment of everyday. As if the only thing he did was stroll up and down the streets of Konoha, book in hand, and without a care in the world. But none of this was true, Sakura knew, because Kakashi had actually been on several high-ranked missions over the past few weeks. Sakura knew, because Tsunade told her everything in great detail during one of their long educational – gossipy – chats. I swear, Sakura, that man has nine lives. Tsunade said, as she haphazardly shuffled some papers in the wrong order. It's a good thing, too, or else we would be down one fine shinobi male specimen. That man has a great ass.

Sakura liked to block that last comment out of her memory.

Sakura let go of his sleeve and took advantage of the moment to examine Kakashi with her sharp green eyes. It had been weeks since she had last seen him. She carefully scanned over for any injuries she might have missed, but there was no need to worry, because it would appear that her former teacher had made it through the missions unscathed. She took in the dull, unmarked metal guards on the back of his fingerless gloves; the fresh dark blue uniform; and the sturdy, un-punctured dark green vest. There were no bandages, bruises, or scratches on any parts of his exposed skin. Sakura started with his sandals and slowly made her way up, running her eyes over the dark mask, slanted head-band, and messy silver hair – finally resting on his one dark eye. He just stood there, idly, regarding her, too. At this sudden eye-contact a strange feeling of awareness went through Sakura's system.

Which Sakura found oddly appealing. Her emotions had taken a major hit lately, and she needed something to puff up her self-esteem. She needed someone to compliment her, to make her feel worthy. Who better to give approval than her former team-leader?

Kakashi simply watched her with his one dark eye. For a moment, Sakura thought she saw a flicker of emotion cross his face, but was impossible to read with the mask. Sakura often needed to use body language and other verbal clues to discern his expressions, but at the moment he was being silent, and Sakura waited in anticipation for his words. A small flutter of nervousness started up in her belly as she waited for his passing judgment. Hopefully, some kind words would be involved.

"You haven't been eating, again," he said bluntly.

Well… that wasn't very nice. It was at this moment that Sakura realized that fishing compliments out of this man was like squeezing blood from a stone. But Sakura was still willing to try.

"I—" Sakura began.

Kakashi sighed.

"Your body needs nourishment," he said flatly. "If you don't eat then you lose strength, and your body won't function properly. You'll lose brain-cells, and trust me, you don't have much to lose."

Well… that wasn't very nice, either! Was he really going to lecture her? Kakashi's words were doing nothing for Sakura's self-esteem. In fact, it was only beginning to piss her off.

"Look, I – " Sakura tried again.

"I already told you that there's no need to starve yourself. You know all of those pictures in the magazines are fake, right?"

What was he implying? That she was some sort of idiot? A tick was developing just above her brow.

"Someday, you're going to lose strength and collapse somewhere," Kakashi continued. "Now, I'm not one to boast, but when that day comes I'll walk by your miserable body and say… I told you so."

Well, those were some of the rudest words Sakura had heard in a long while, sans the tirade the Uchiha gave her last night. Was one small kindness too much to ask for? How about a greeting or a friendly hello?

"Of course, I would take you to the hospital, too..." he added, as if that would make ammend for his words.

Sakura clenched her fists and felt the muscles in her jaws tighten. The heated thrum of anger was swelling in her chest. It was just like the night before. If Kakashi continued to make any more sniping remarks, then Sakura knew there would be an explosion. And, by god, she would welcome it. Suddenly, there seemed to be no thought more satisfying than making Kakashi eat his words. By force, if necessary.

"I see that someone is being a critical jack-ass, today." Sakura snapped.

At that moment, Kakashi lifted up a hand and lightly tapped Sakura on the head with the spine of his orange book. Sakura looked up, taken by surprise by Kakashi's amused look. With that one touch… all of her anger dispelled. His low laughter filled her ears like a cool breeze on a heated day. Just seeing the amusement on his face… Sakura's body slowly began to relax again. The heated anger washed out of her system. As if cleansed away by this easy-going attitude. Sakura unclenched her fists, suddenly feeling a little silly.

Kakashi was looking down at her, smiling pleasantly.

"Good morning, Sakura." He said.

Sakura looked up, suddenly entranced as Kakashi gave her one his warmest expressions. Even with his mask on, the friendliness in his voice was obvious and everything about his face spoke of pleasure and welcome at seeing her. All of his words before had been gentle taunting. Sakura had his encouragement. Sakura had his approval. That smile… was all that Sakura needed. Immediately, the small positive re-enforcement puffed up her low esteem. Her feeling of self-worth was burgeoning, but not in the same way as when Sasuke touched her to make her feel worthy. This was… different. Sakura suddenly felt a little stronger, and a little more capable of taking on the world then a few moments ago.

Her green eyes softened as she smiled back. Her pink hair swayed in the breeze as she took on a more relaxed stance.

"Good morning, Kakashi-sensei…" Sakura said almost shyly. She couldn't understand this sudden tightness in her throat.

He passed by, then. Kakashi's hand rested Sakura's head as he ruffled her pink hair. Sakura could feel the weight of his hand and the warmth of his palm. A light caress as he lifted his hand away… and then he was gone.

Sakura watched as he walked away. Suddenly, feeling very lonely as he disappeared through the crowd.

Sakura could feel the hard shell around her heart crack away. Just a little bit.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck uneasily.

Her bright green eyes and soft smile was now branded into his mind, and would probably now haunt him for the rest of the day. It had been weeks since he had seen Sakura. Yet, just from one glance – it was obvious that something had changed. When Kakashi first caught sight of Sakura he immediately took note of her sullen face and melancholy expression. He was aware of her presence long before Sakura aware of him. That pink hair and familiar chakra was unmistakable from a distance. He kept one eye on her from over the top of his orange book. Her usual smooth and graceful gait had turned into something far more ungainly and choppy, as if every step was weighed down by some heavy inner burden. For other on-lookers it wouldn't be obvious, but for Kakashi's critical eye even the slightest misstep was all too clear.

It was something he had been aware of for a long, long time.

As they approached on the crowded street, the small differences in Sakura's appearance became even more obvious. Her clothes were wrinkled and her complexion was slightly ashen, as if her body no longer contained the energy to keep up a healthy blush. She had over-shot her chakra use again, and was no longer taking close care of her body. When situations like these occurred on missions, Kakashi usually would take Sakura to the side and command her to rest, carefully watching to make sure she had proper food and water to sustain her body's energy output. She wasn't eating again… Kakashi had half a mind to pull her over in the middle of the street and tell her off when he saw something that made his heart stop and his blood go cold.

Tearstains.

A faint residue from her face that marked her cheeks. She had tried to wash them off, but it was impossible to erase all of the trails. If Sakura's red eyes and broken appearance weren't tale-tell enough, then Kakashi's keen senses picked up on the salty chemical that once marked her face. It was at that moment, as he was passed by, that another thought struck Kakashi's quick mind.

Sasuke.

Kakashi's chest burned as he felt the near explosion of anger and jealousy that scorched his soul whenever he thought of this conniving Uchiha. Suddenly, Kakashi knew. It was all too obvious about what had just occurred. Sasuke had done something to make Sakura cry. At that moment Kakashi felt a soft glow rise from his chest, a small feeling of hope, but it was only brief. He pushed this soft feeling back, not daring to let this take over. He may have appeared relaxed on the outside, but on the inside he was taught with tension, full of conflicting thoughts that were held down by stern self-control. Sakura stood not too far off now – looking downcast, face strained from the pressure of trying to appear normal. Now would be the time to stop her, to talk to Sakura and offer some comfort. He could take her somewhere to eat, they could sit together, and just be together for a brief while. Oh, how that option sounded so appealing. Yet, there was another part of him that pulled with equal persuasion, the clear objective side that forced him to bend down to the truth. He still wasn't certain what had happened, and there was the need to investigate. The thirst for knowledge. He would first go to the housing districts and scope out the situation. With this new mission in mind he continued to walk forward with quick determined steps.

That's when Sakura called to him and tugged at his sleeve.

How could he deny such pleading eyes? Kakashi stopped moving, and felt the whole world stop with him as he suddenly came face to face with Sakura. She didn't say anything, and Kakashi could feel her bold eyes rake up and down his form. Sakura's intelligent face nearly flushed with normal health as she switched into medic-mode, taking in his every detail. Kakashi stood still under this sudden and thorough examination, using his years of experience and cool-headed thinking on the battle field to hide his wavering emotions. There were so many things he wanted to do at that moment… things that involved Sakura and his sudden need to understand what was going on, but it was important that he stayed calm and completely at ease. He let Sakura continue her examination, and stood back idly, regarding her own form. As always, he thought she was completely stunning. There was nothing that this woman could do wrong.

And yet… he couldn't resist letting Sakura have a piece of his mind when it came to taking better care of herself. Perhaps some nourishments would restore the glow to her unhealthy complexion. Of course, there was no way he was going to let her have things easy. Kakashi teased her, watching as she slowly transform from a wilted flower to her usual lively self. For a moment, her eyes brightened and she straightened her stance in a way that said she was just rearing for a fight. She was restored to her usual temperament. It was not until Kakashi saw the murderous intent in her eyes that he decided to bring things to a halt and snap her out her growing rage with a tap on the head. When the murderous haze faded away, Sakura smiled at him with that wonderful smile, green eyes glowing with pleasure.

It would haunt him for the rest of the day.

Kakashi moved away from her quickly, taking time to ruffle her hair before he left. He let his hand touch her silky pink strands in a soft caress, and he beat back the soft feelings from before that threatened to arise again. He avoided looking back and successfully evaded any more delays for his new mission. Suddenly, Kakashi was on the prowl. He was on the hunt for knowledge that required skill and stealth that only the Copy Nin possessed. He perfectly fit, and he could feel the strength that worked through every smooth movement of his body. Book still in hand, he leapt on to the roof tops.

The tops of the buildings became his new ground. The whole world shifted up a level and turned into something that was closer to an open field. Suddenly, there were no more obstacles that appeared when walking in the streets, and only his own skill and agility were the limiting factors to his movements. Kakashi moved swiftly from mottled tiles of one roof top to another, feeling the strength in his legs with each leap. Different colors for different quality of tiles filled his vision. He was vaguely aware of each aged and discolored roof that made up his new ground, comparing the different qualities of each one. Soon, Kakashi was out of the marketplace and was treading on the much finer material that made up the housing districts.

The gray sky was open above him, and a wet drop landed on his face. Another drop, and then another drop fell, turning into a very gentle shower. Kakashi finally came to a halt, landing lightly on one of the taller buildings that overlooked the high-end districts. He crouched down, stuffed his book away, and shielded his eyes from the falling water. In the distance, he could just make out the faint outline of a couple.

But their forms were unmistakable.

Sasuke was carefully ushering Hinata forward, with one hand on the small of her back. His other hand he held up a black umbrella, protecting them from the light drizzle of rain. They made for a young, charming couple as they slowly strolled towards the entrance of the Hyuuga compound. They had their backs turned, and Kakashi could see their faces, but he took note of the careful distance that remained between the two. It may have been their polite characters or some deeper sense of propriety, but there was nothing in their body language to suggest any sort of closeness. All polite and formal, they entered through the tall gate with pristine white walls with black tiles. Soon, they were out of sight.

That was everything Kakashi needed to know.

It would appear that Sasuke had finally made his decision. Kakashi had suspected for a long time now about the Uchiha's compromising position, and his dangerous game of wooing both Sakura and the clans. The Copy Nin was far too keen on the events that surrounded the village – he had his fingers on the very pulse. Small snippets and random information would pass by, and Kakashi would manage to pick up these facts during his long walks in the morning. He would store the information away in his mind and then drag them out later when the time required for such recall. For far too long now, there had been hushed whispers about the Uchiha's ambitions for the Hyuuga heiress. Such rumors were very quiet, and Kakashi only managed to piece the information together after months of waiting… and watching.

For a long time now, he had fought back the hot surge that coursed through his veins whenever he saw Sakura and Sasuke together. He had a suspicion that Sasuke held hidden motives. Anger and jealousy would mix, and a strange urge would build up in this well-tempered jounin that made him want to strike the Uchiha down. He wanted to pull Sakura aside and shake her, and beg her to see the truth. She was being used in the worst way possible by the worst boy possible. But it wasn't in Kakashi's nature to display so much emotion, or be so forward about relationships. He always remained calm and elusive. If Kakashi were ever to tell her, he would look into her green eyes with a cool, steady look as he explained. Yet, Kakashi knew he alone could not make Sakura see the truth about Sasuke. And he had no right to approach her over such personal issues. Sakura had already painted a picture in her mind, and held the image of a perfect Sasuke in her head. Sasuke was the crush of her childhood days long before – virtually making him untouchable. If Kakashi made a move in that direction, then Sakura would have undoubtedly rejected him, and hated him for even suggesting such unbelievable lies. It would be a move in the wrong direction. Kakashi's clever mind struggled and worked around this problem. He considered sullying Sasuke's name to make him inapproachable for the clans, but this option presented its own set of problems. Mainly the fact that Sasuke would continue to stay with Sakura if he no longer had a reason to leave. As Kakashi understood the situation – life was very easy when being catered to by an enamored Sakura.

So, Kakashi continued to wait and watch.

It would have been easier to jump in and interfere had he seen Sakura actually looking miserable. But for the life of him, she only looked happy whenever Kakashi saw her. She was bright, vivid, and full of energy. She simply thrived under this relationship. Sakura was caught up in her own little world, trapped by the cunning Uchiha. Yet, for a time – even a small time – she was happy. Perfectly unsuspecting and content. It was strange how some of Sakura's happiest days had become some of Kakashi's worst days. It was strange how her pleasant smiles would twist his heart, like a sharp knife twisting into his chest. At times, Kakashi would pull his own feelings aside and examine his motives, perhaps thinking that his view were not objective. That perhaps, he was painting his own picture of the situation in his mind. He would struggle, fighting off his own inexplicable attraction for Sakura and his need to keep an unbiased view. The days passed by, and he continued to watch for any signs of discontent.

Then one day Kakashi was summoned and sent away for high-ranking missions. He disappeared weeks from the village, fighting for his life, and yet through it all, holding only one concern in his mind. Now on the dawn of his return the whole world had changed. Where Sakura once ignored his presence, she now called out to him, and tugged at his sleeve, and looked at him with pleading green eyes. She looked ashen, hungry, and completely miserable. Sasuke had abandoned her for Hinata. There were tearstains on her cheeks. She had been crying.

Kakashi should have sympathized with Sakura.

Yet the only thing he could feel was a strange mixture of happiness and relief – a small glow on the inside that held the promise of something more. He was glad that Sakura finally saw Sasuke's true nature, even if it led to her devastation.

Was it right to feel so much happiness over another person's pain and misery? Especially if it was the one person he wanted to see happy at all costs…?

The possibilities were wide open, and Kakashi was wary of what remained on the other side. He wasn't sure if life was beginning to turn in to his favor, of if he was about to have an even greater battle on his hands. Kakashi stood up, feeling the rain soak through the heavy material of his uniform. His clothes were weighted down and his mask clung uncomfortably to his face. For a moment, he looked off to the direction where he last saw Sakura, thinking, considering… then deciding against it.

There were some things that Kakashi needed to work out himself before he made any moves. He was on shaky ground, and one false step would destroy him.

A/N: Yes, indeed, you better watch out, Kakashi! The next chapter is called Golden Rays. I wonder what that could possibly imply?

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