As it turned out, Kakashi did not see Sakura all the time. In fact, nobody did.

Naturally, there was a honeymoon. Rumor had it that the couple retreated to the Village Hidden in the Clouds, but again, it was just a rumor. And it didn't really matter that much, at least to Kakashi. Either way, Sakura was gone. And she was passing her hours reclining in the arms of another man.

Two weeks passed that way. Giggled exchanges were shared amongst former teammates, wondering how the marriage was going so far and when evidence of the first new Uchiha heirs would surface. Kakashi turned a blind eye and continued about his duties, obstinately pushing thoughts of a certain pink-haired former student from his mind.

Eventually, of course, the couple had to return from Kumogakure. However, the only indication of that was the fact that Sasuke returned to meetings of the village council. Very little seemed to be different. He was no less quiet and enigmatic than ever before. No information about life for the Uchiha family was shared, even in casual banter.

One would have imagined that information would be available from Sakura – and it probably would have been – save for the fact that no one ever saw Sakura.

For anyone else in her position, that wouldn't be so weird. For at least one major reason.

The Uchiha clan was still ridiculously wealthy, by Kakashi's reasoning, and even more so because the entire fortune suddenly rested with the single living heir. There wouldn't really be any reason for the matriarch of the family to do the shopping; she'd have her pick of servants, no doubt.

But this was Sakura. She couldn't live without people to boss around and tease. The idea of the young woman becoming a recluse and withdrawing into the confines of her husband's mansion was rather ridiculous.

That being said, the months still passed without a single sign of Sakura.

Naruto was the first – and really the only – one with whom Kakashi discussed Sakura's disappearance. Several months following the wedding, they saw each other at Ichiraku Ramen Bar, where the team used to meet. It seemed more than just ironic that the brokenness of the team would be discussed at a place where they used to spend time together.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed upon entering the building.

Kakashi was suddenly glad that he had already finished and had been able to enjoy his dinner at his own pace. However, he wouldn't mind sitting around a few extra minutes and getting an update on the village news from his former student. Kakashi was almost certain that Sakura's name would come up. Though he idea of discussing her made him a little sick to his stomach, he also couldn't deny that it was the reason he stuck around to talk to Naruto at all.

"Hello, Naruto," he said casually. "I'm already finished, but feel free to take a seat."

"Don't mind if I do," Naruto replied, flopping down on the cushion across from his former sensei. "Is the tonkotsu good today?"

"Always," Kakshi replied. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, but Sakura's gone!"

The topic had come up even sooner than even Kakashi had feared it would.

"I've noticed," the older man replied evenly. "Heard any rumors?"

"A million," Naruto said through a mouthful of ramen – his usual had been delivered without even having to order. "Some people think she's pregnant, but I think that's dumb. She'd still come outside, even if that were true."

"Probably so," Kakashi replied, his fingernails digging into the palms of his gloves beneath the table, where Naruto couldn't see. "Do you think she left town?"

Naruto snorted.

"Hardly. We'd have all heard about that. Sasuke's secretive, but even he couldn't get away with being that secretive. One of the servants would have spread the news if his wife had walked out on him."

"I don't mean that, necessarily," Kakashi countered. "She could be on a mission."

Naruto shook his head, looking a little surprised.

"She swore off of those when she got married. You didn't hear about that?"

Kakashi couldn't catch himself in time to keep his eyes from widening.

"What?" he demanded, sloshing some of his tea out of the porcelain cup he held. Naruto nodded, clearly somewhat satisfied by Kakashi's reaction to the news.

"Yeah. No more missions, no more training. She promised Sasuke all that. She said that she was going to be a housewife and do what good housewives do – and not put herself in danger anymore."

"Sakura promised all that?" Kakashi demanded, still breathless.

"She did. Not that I think she came up with it on her own, of course. You know Sasuke pressured her about it. He wouldn't want a wife going out and fighting all over the place – he'd want her at home, cooking dinner and giving birth to his heirs."

"Well then why Sakura?" Kakashi pointed out. "He could have had anyone. Ino would have done that for him in a heartbeat. Happily, too."

"Beats me," Naruto replied. "Maybe Sakura did do it happily."

"There's no way she loved him enough to promise all those things," Kakashi insisted. "You've seen how gifted and passionate she is – was – about her work. Some part of the story is definitely missing."

Naruto shrugged.

"I don't know anything about whether or not it was an issue of love, but she would have promised him anything if it meant finally becoming his wife. You know how long she wanted that."

Kakashi paused.

Could it be possible that Sasuke really meant that much to Sakura? Enough for her to give up her work, her talent, her everything? Did she really care that much for her former teammate? Could anyone really care that much for anyone else?

"I know Sakura better than that," Kakashi said, still not willing to compromise – or allow himself to believe that she had been that devoted to Sasuke. "There's another element to this equation that you don't know – maybe nobody knows it. I have somewhere I need to be, Naruto. Enjoy your lunch."

Kakashi didn't have anywhere he needed to be, really. But he did need to be away from Naruto and the conversation they'd been having. There was too much to think about, and none of it was good. Sakura was either an excellent liar or a very different person than he thought she was. Either way, something was very wrong.

Tsunade.

When the idea finally struck Kakashi, he was almost back to his own apartment. However, that didn't stop him from turning right around and setting out for the Hokage's tower. The other medic nin – and Sakura's mentor – would no doubt have the answers he needed. Some of them, at the very least.

Kakashi tried to use the time it took to walk to the office to figure out how he was going to word everything, but the journey was far too short to make sense of something that jumbled. He supposed all he really needed to know was where Sakura had been all those months.

Everything else kind of paled in comparison, after all. And once he knew the answer to that one question, the rest would probably answer itself.

When Kakashi arrived at the Hokage's tower at last, he realized he didn't have time to waste making conversation with Shizune. It seemed silly even to him that after nearly six months he was suddenly so impatient, but he just had this feeling in his gut. Something was wrong. And the answers were right at hand, so that made time of the essence. Bidding Shizune a quick hello – as casual a hello as he could manage, under the circumstances – he took off the steps up to Tsunade's office.

The door was already open when he arrived.

"What's wrong, Kakashi?" Tsunade demanded, standing in front of her desk. "From the way you raced up here, I wondered if we were getting invaded again!"

"Nothing… like… that," Kakashi promised, trying to sound as calm as he could while catching his breath. "It's just… Sakura."

Crap.

Needless to say, that was not the way he had intended to present his concerns to the hokage.

"What about her?" Tsunade asked. "She's not hurt, is she?"

"I don't know," Kakashi replied honestly. "I haven't seen her in six months. That's what's wrong. I spoke to Naruto, and he hasn't either. She completely disappeared."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow and turned back around to desk, pouring herself a cup of tea. Evidently, her concern had already dissipated.

"Well, Kakashi, to be quite honest, I don't know if that's any of your business," she said loftily. "Uchiha Sakura is a married woman – she's no longer one of your genin. Whether or not she wants to make public appearances is up to her and her husband."

Kakashi swallowed, nodding slowly.

"But with all do respect, Lady Fifth," he said slowly, "I know Sakura better than that. She's not the type to become some kind of hermit. I want to know where she is and why I haven't seen her since the wedding."

Tsunade's look hardened.

"I suppose it's not a secret, Hatatake Kakashi, so I might as well bring it to your attention that she never left Konoha. I hope that satisfies you."

Never left Konoha…

Kakashi couldn't say right off whether or not that reassured him or concerned him all the more. On one hand, she was still close by, but on the other hand, it became evident that she never left her husband's house. That was not a healthy lifestyle, and definitely one that would have turned the stomach of the Sakura Kakashi knew. That was a life for invalids and overprotected children of aristocrats. Definitely not for a vibrant eighteen-year-old girl and promising kunoichi.

"I gave Uchiha Sakura an examination less than a month ago," Tsunade continued.

Kakashi's stomach tightened.

"If you examined her, then she's ill," he blurted out. Tsunade narrowed her eyes.

"A jounin of your caliber should know better than to jump to conclusions like that," she replied coolly. "I'll have you know that Uchiha-san is in good health. The examination was… routine."

It couldn't be coincidence that Tsunade continued to use Sakura's married surname in conversation. The hokage was undoubtedly reminding Kakashi in no uncertain terms that any claim he'd ever had to the girl simply from being her teacher or friend had long since ceased to carry any weight.

"Thank you," Kakashi said, bowing his head. "I suppose that's all I needed to ask you."

He turned, still not making eye contact, and headed back towards the door from whence he had come.

"Kakashi."

There was a pause. Kakshi turned back around and saw Tsunade sitting behind her desk again, her head rested on her fist.

"Be careful," she said finally. "I saw the way you were acting at the wedding, and I see right through your concern now. I'm telling you this not as hokage or as a medic nin, but as a friend. She's a married woman. You're treading dangerous waters. See that you don't get pulled under."

Kakashi was biting his lip so hard that he could taste blood.

"Arigato, hokage-sama," he replied after a moment or two. "I'll keep that in mind."