A/N: GUYS, this is the fastest I've ever updated a story. I'm amazed at myself. Please continue with the kind words and reviews and such. ^_^ BTW, sorry about the quotation marks. I have no idea why they're all backwards, and I'm far too lazy to fix it... xD
1/2 page format always recommended.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Chapter Two: Confusion With a Side of Nausea
Sakura wasn't sure how exactly she had made it home after the apparently intense evening she had endured. Even so, having all of her vital organs and bones in the right places was reason enough not to question a thing. All of the previous night's mistakes manifested in the screeching headache she now felt. She scooted away from the blaring, bright sunshine that poured in through the window, seeking solace in the darkness between her pillows. "You have work to do," an annoying voice in the back of her mind spoke. If only she could punch that voice in the face. But no, this voice was a part of her, and so she acted accordingly.
Surprisingly enough, Sakura showed up to work in as timely a manner as ever. It was a Sunday, but a medic always had work to do. Tsunade had knocked this into her skull. And so she went on with her typical Sunday routine, despite the thunderous thumping in her head that begged her to lay in bed all day. She checked in on patients, patched up where she needed to, and occasionally corrected the mistakes of her trainees. Luckily, Sundays were short and so she was able to spend the remainder of her day as she pleased. Typically, she met Ino for lunch at their usual spot.
Sitting beneath the shade of a cafe umbrella, Ino was looking as perfect as ever. Her blonde hair blew ever so slightly in the wind, azure eyes scanning over a menu she'd read a hundred times. Sakura didn't hold a candle to the blonde, at least not today as she recovered from the hangover of a lifetime. Blue eyes drifted up to meet green, "Forehead! Didn't think you'd show after you up and disappeared on me last night."
Sakura furrowed her brow at the girl as she took her seat. She didn't really remember much from last night other than Ino's flirting, Naruto's drunkenness, and having a short drink with Kakashi. She had assumed it was Ino who had gotten her home. "Hmm," Sakura sounded, "I just found other things of interest, I guess." She really wasn't sure why she had dismissed it so easily. This could have easily accounted for the lapses in memory she had been experiencing.
"Oh whatever, Billboard Brow," Ino shrugged. The remainder of their meal consisted of mostly hospital gossip. Still, Sakura adamantly tried to think back to the previous night's events.
As the week inched along, thoughts of the party she could hardly remember drew themselves out into small remnants of curiosity. Soon enough, her mind made an insistent return to the work she had so devoutly devoted most of her life to. She was an adult, after all. One couldn't just shirk their duties in response to one confusing night. Her thoughts were back to broken femurs and molding young minds. That was until she received an unexpected visitor.
Sakura had just finished tending to a troop of ANBU as she headed back to her office. The scent of blood still lingered on her skin, but her patients had all made it out alright and so she took it with a grain of salt. Still, she couldn't help but notice the glances she received from those not accustomed to aforementioned scents. There was nothing that made Sakura question her comfort levels more than the discomfort of others. Humming lightly, she walked into her office, not noticing that her door had been open and the room- not vacant. It was understandable enough that she was startled by the sudden, "Yo."
Dropping the papers she held in her arms, she sighed, looking up at the masked man. "You should wear bells," she tried not to scowl.
Kakashi simply smiled, "Your obliviousness is far too entertaining."
Shuffling the papers back into their respective folders, she asked, "Is there something I can help you with?"
He was helping her with her scattered papers before she could even look up. "Not really," he said nonchalantly, his fingers brushed against hers, "but there might be."
Sakura hadn't noticed the flush that rose in her cheeks. "Go on," she managed an even tone as she rose and sat behind her desk; she shuffled the papers in front of her tediously.
"Are you busy tonight?" his words were the equivalent to Tonton flying in through the window. Sakura felt a jolt in her chest.
"Am I...busy?" she nearly whispered.
"Mhmm," he confirmed, lightly, "I'd like to treat you to dinner."
Sakura blinked rapidly, confused. Where was this coming from? "Why?"
Kakashi was clearly amused, but responded, nonetheless, "Because you're as hopelessly adorable drunk as you are sober," he rose from his seat, "now come on."
He held his hand out to her.
"Now?" the confusion had not left her tone as she obliged him, nor had the heat in her cheeks.
"In the mood for anything in particular?" he asked while helping her out of her lab coat. She shook her head.
"Wonderful," he said, ushering her out of the room.
Hatake Kakashi was much more charming than he had led on, Sakura soon discovered. Even though his eyes would linger in certain places that put the rosette at a loss for words. He was intelligent, that much she had known before. But apparently, his knowledge extended beyond that of a shinobi and even of pornographic literature. He was also very kind, judging by the genuine interest he had in her responses and opinions which she was reluctant to share. Not to mention the man had a voice so smooth he could soothe a bijuu into submission (though she had yet to confirm this.) Any girl would have been the luckiest, no doubt, to be in her position. She laughed, smiled, and joked with him accordingly throughout the evening; always containing overtly flirtatious remarks that could put her in an even more awkward situation. Nevertheless, she could not restrain her curiosity as it viciously ripped at her. "I mean," she often thought, "what am I doing here anyway?"
It finally became apparent to Kakashi as Sakura winced a bit as his hand grazed her thigh. Her slightly bewildered gaze met his, and quickly flickered away. The copy nin was quick to retract his wandering hand.
"Is something wrong, Sakura?" he asked once they left the restaurant.
"Well," Sakura considered this, still blushing a bit too much at the sound of him saying her name. "It's just," she bit her lip nervously, "I don't understand your sudden interest."
"Sudden?" he tilted his head, "Well, it has been a week since," he mused, "truthfully, I didn't want to seem too eager. But I wouldn't say my interest is all that sudden."
A week since what? She nearly smacked herself in the forehead as she realized. The party! What in Kami's name had happened? To be exact, what had she done with this man? Kakashi, little did she know, had assessed his date's expression by now. And of course, his assessment skills were preeminent.
"Sakura," he called, looking into the ground, "what do you actually remember about Saturday?"
Searching her mind for an answer, she began to ramble off, "Umm, I trained with my team, went to the party with Ino, and... went home?"
A bitter smile reached his masked lips and Kakashi's face fell to the ground, hands stuck in his pockets. "Ahh," he nodded, "I was afraid this had happened."
He shrugged and continued before she could respond, "My mistake, I suppose." Placing a friendly peck on her cheek as they reached her doorstep, he smiled at her, "I'll see you around."
Sakura noticed a glimmer of disappointment in his eye as he retracted and make his way down the road. A hand held gently over his kiss, Sakura stared in both confusion and regret after the man. She had done wrong somehow, and she could never make it right. The hopeless confusion would not subside.
The rest of her week went by as slowly as ever. No sign of the grey haired copy nin anywhere; something about this, oddly enough, deeply saddened Sakura. Endlessly, thoughts of their impromptu date reeled through her mind, each thought ending with the disappointment in his smile. Nothing felt right. She had spent most of the last few years distanced from the man, but things felt different now. Almost, empty?
Despite the problems she now faced in her personal life, Sakura still had to fulfill her duty as a teacher. One of these duties was accompanying them on C-rank missions. It was a deep-sigh worthy task, but she had to endure for her precious children. This mission in particular was to escort an aristocratic diplomat to the capital, better known as Fire country's most populated civilian village. It had been years since Sakura herself had visited, but not much seemed to have changed as the troop arrived there. The streets were still crowded with businessmen, city dwellers, and stray cattle. And of course, the people were as coarse as ever. As for the woman they were escorting, Sakura would have much rather swapped for one of the smelly cattle alongside the road. The woman hardly spoke to her shinobi escorts, and when she did it was in the form of impolite orders, as if this were some indentured servitude. It was incredibly bold of a woman needing their protection to be so relentless and demanding. Most of Sakura's day consisted of restraining Kimiko from mauling the woman, no matter how much she wanted to simply let the girl loose. The pink haired jounin instructed her genin to be as polite as possible. "We needn't sink to her level," she had explained to a fuming Kimiko.
While their snobbish aristocrat attended overly expensive luncheons, Sakura took her brooding bunch exploring through the gardens nearby. If there was anything to be enjoyed in the capital, it was their elaborate gardens. Sakura craved the fresh air after being cooped up in the dim-lit hotel all day. Lately, a nauseousness had come over her for reasons she couldn't quite place. Fortunately, her medical prowess was more than enough to treat the aforementioned sickness.
Sakura took in a fresh breath of air and absorbed the scenery. The four shinobi had taken a rest for lunch in the park.
"Feels nice to be out of that horrid place," Kimiko commented with a mouth full of rice.
"Agreed," Sakura nodded, frowning at the fishy flavor of her lunch that she usually enjoyed so much.
"Something wrong with your lunch, sensei?" Kyoya asked.
She simply shook her head with a kind smile. True, this boy was her favorite, but she sometimes cursed his insightful nature. The last thing these kids needed was a pointless mission and a sick sensei. Luckily, Kyoya was never one to pry, and the subject was dropped. Unlike others.
"Not like you to turn away food," Akira remarked, passive aggressively, not sparing a glance.
Flicking his ear, Sakura warned the slick boy, "Watch yourself, Aki-kun."
The tan boy winced at the suffix, making her swell with joy. She sent a light wink his way.
As they neared the entrance of the hotel, Sakura noted the three frowning faces lagging behind her. Ever since Sakura had first become a teacher, she understood what it was to really connect with her students. It was a connection like no other, seeing them so downtrodden tugged at her heartstrings. She stepped in front of them, "What's with you three?" Hands placed on her hips, she examined their averted gazes. The boys stirred quietly, and something about Kimiko's usually spunky demeanor was off. The blonde girl's chocolate eyes lifted to meet emerald.
"Those people," she began in an unusually quiet tone, eyes filled with sadness, "they look at us like...like..." She closed her angry eyes, turning her head.
"Like what?" Sakura tilted her head with concerned eyes, touching the girl's shoulder.
"Like they're better than us," Akira said, matter-of-factly. His golden eyes burned into the ground. Kyoya remained quiet, his chocolate hair falling over the lenses of his glasses. Kimiko lifted the tip of her nose, imitating a snob. Sakura had noticed over the years that the capital civilians often looked down on the shinobi. It was true that the warrior class was important, the strong legs necessary for a strong country. Even so, shinobi worked for everything they had, some viewed them as lesser because of this. Capital civilians held a sense of entitlement. Still, she hadn't considered that this was the first time her students had encountered such notions.
"Hmph," Sakura sounded with a bitter smile, carefully considering her word before she said, "To hell with them." Three hopeful pairs of eyes came up to meet her fiery gaze.
"We," she began, "are shinobi of the great Leaf Village. We wear these forehead protectors proudly so that they all know. And if they're as smart as they think they are, they'll quake in their overpriced shoes if they cross our paths. Don't let them look down on you." And with that, Sakura turned to enter the building, knowing her students would follow.
The following morning, the four Leaf shinobi set forth for their home of Konohagakure. It would be quite a walk, but at least they had been relieved of that awfully snobbish woman. Today, Sakura was feeling even worse than she had felt for the entire past week. Her students had questioned her sallow disposition more than a few times, still she shrugged it off. That was until the vomiting began. It was horrid, really. She didn't even have the energy to heal herself. Not to mention what a sight she must have been. She pitied her poor genin, having to care for their wreck of a sensei when they could just as easily be getting home. This could not be good for the rock hard persona she had tried to keep up around them. More than once, she wondered if Kakashi had ever tried to put on a brave face for the team. The thought of the charming masked man only made her feel more queazy, she was quick to expel the thought from her mind.
"Here's the medicine you gave me directions for, Sakura-sensei," Kyoya held a large leaf-full of an herbal remedy out to her as she propped herself up against a tree; waiting for the dry heaving to subside.
"Are you dying?" Kimiko asked, "We could always carry you."
"No," Sakura shot, not wanting to seem weak, "we're not far. This will get me home." Within the same breath, she downed the liquid Kyoya had whipped up, not wincing at it's extremely natural flavor. Although she did notice the disgusted expression on each of her students' faces.
"Let's go!"
Once more, they set off at top speed, zipping past figures they could only assume to be trees. The sickness was only settling further into her body as they approached Konoha vicinity. Sweat poured down the frame from every pore, it seemed. The mere thought of the herbal remedy she had forced down her esophagus was enough to make her gag. As they finally reached a familiar gateway, Sakura slumped down to the ground with a thud. Her legs were mere noodles beneath her weight, and her energy at this point was entirely exhausted. With that, she fainted.
A familiar pair of chuunin approached the unconscious kunoichi, immediately looking to the genin accompanying her. Kyoya stooped down to her level, lightly slapping her cheek, "Sensei," he called to her, "Sensei?"
"What happened to Sakura?" Kotetsu inquired, scratching his bandaged nose.
"Does it matter?!" Kimiko exclaimed, "get her to a hospital, you baka!"
Izumo sighed and flung Sakura's body over his shoulder, "I'm getting too old for this."
Late that afternoon, Sakura awoke to a familiar scene. Three genin sat quietly around her bed, calling to each other as she peeped an eye open. The more sensitive part of Sakura couldn't help but be touched at their devotion to their sensei, but the more rational part of her reasoned that it was simply the right thing to do; just as she had done for her sensei long ago.
"Feeling better?" Kimiko asked, uncharacteristic innocence gleaming in her dark eyes.
"Much," Sakura assured, stretching her arms above her head.
"Naruto-sensei was here earlier," Kyoya stated, "but I believe he had other arrangements this evening with Hinata-sama."
Sakura smiled as she thought of her favorite couple. Still, she couldn't resist wishing that her best friend were here now, if not just to talk to her.
"He was pretty worried about you, didn't want to leave," Kimiko added, munching on an apple from a basket someone had sent to Sakura, "but I made him."
Feeling proud of her fiesty student, she remarked, "That was good of you, Kimi-chan." Kimiko met her sensei's eyes with a pleased look on her shining young face. In so many ways, the blonde girl was much like Sakura had been; sans the delusion of non-mutual love. Thank Kami for that.
Sakura gazed at her lovely kiddies and sighed, "It's gotten quite late in the day. And I really am fine. You should all get home to your parents, I'd hate for them to worry."
"Are you sure?" Kyoya asked kindly. She simply gave a nod and gestured them out.
After her three students had filed out of the room, she plopped back down on the pillows. The nausea had subsided only to be replaced by one hell of a headache. She swore that she could feel her eardrums being thumped out of her skull. Still, she preferred this by a long shot to heaving over with an unbearable sickness. No doubt she would have quite a hard time building her tough as nails persona back up after this considerable stint of weakness. Perhaps she would just have to take them on another B-rank and do a great deal of rescuing, but nothing too risky; Akira could be quite a handful when he decided to take things into his own hands.
"Still overexerting ourselves, are we?" Kakashi spoke.
Sakura smiled at the soothing sound of his smooth tone. She opened her eyes. Kakashi hadn't looked up from his book, but she knew he was watching from his keen peripherals.
"Still being overly studious of pornographic reading material, are we?"
He clamped his book shut at her comment, "How crude of you, Sakura-chan."
Chuckling lightly, Sakura's mind quickly scanned over the past two weeks since their unusual date. Kakashi's presence had been quite absent, and she couldn't resist wondering why. It was probably her fault.
"Hey," she said in a softer voice than the one she had teased him with, "I'm sorry about-"
He hushed her with a rise of the hand, "Nothing to apologize for, everyone makes mistakes. I think we can put this behind us."
He was right, as always, but things felt different now as she gazed at him with concern. "Yes," she finally agreed, "but-"
Sakura was once again interrupted, this time by the click of a door. Shizune peeped her dark head into the room, "I'm sorry," she said, looking back and forth between the two, "I can come back?"
"Oh no," Kakashi replied before Sakura could accept Shizune's proposal. "We can continue this later," as he said it, it could have been meant as a general statement. But at last minute she caught his gaze, realizing he had addressed just her. "Ja ne," he waved congenially with a crinkled eye and disappeared out the window.
Sakura turned to her other guest, who was looking more apprehensive than usual. And that was saying quite a lot, considering this was the Godaime's right hand.
"What's up?" Sakura conversed lightly with her senpai, straightening out her bed sheets.
"Oh," Shizune intoned quietly, peering down at her chart. Sakura frowned.
"Is something wrong, senpai?" she asked the brunette.
"Well," Shizune shook her head, "no, but..."
Sakura stifled a sigh, she hated suspense, "But, what?"
Blinking rapidly, Shizune searched over the papers in her hand, something Sakura knew she did when she was nervous. Dear Kami, just get this over with.
"Sakura," Shizune said, serious eyes met confused jade, "when were you going to tell us you were pregnant?" And for about the tenth time that day, Sakura puked. This was just about the worst way to find out she was a black out drunk.
