Chapter 1

Edited 25.8.2017

The way we bet

The first week flew by quickly.

The Elders insisted that she move to a more proper house, saying that her one bedroom apartment wasn't fit for a Hokage. By "more proper" they meant the giant estate that was located on top of the Hokage monument. She tried to tell them that it was way too big for one person, not to mention ridiculously huge for someone that was used to having so little space, but they were relentless.

By the time she finally said yes –more like gave up after she was fed up with their constant nagging- almost all of her stuff was already at the estate. Not that her meager possessions could even fill up a room from there.

Sakura never was someone for material goods, she never had the need for more than the necessary. Most of her time was spent at the hospital that she administered, now that Tsunade and Shizune were away. Or if she had the time, out on missions.

'I guess that will change now,' Sakura thought sourly. Even the sheer amount of different ceremonial robes she had to try on during the week was making her head spin.

'Ino would have loved to be there,' she thought with a shiver.

"Now, we should go over your speech once more, Sakura-Sama," Danzō said, making Sakura jump out of her thoughts as he pulled out another scroll.

'I wonder where he keeps them, he just keeps on pulling them out!' Sakura thought and squished the need to glare at the said scroll. She had seen enough of those things in the past week to make anyone irritated from the mere sight of one.

"Danzō-San, I appreciate your efforts, but I really need to get some rest once in a while," Sakura said, not even trying to sound friendly.

She was far too tired for friendly.

"Of course, Sakura-Sama, I shall escort you home," Danzō said, smirking, clearly amused from her temper and pocketed the scroll. The sight of it gone made her feel better already.

"You really don't have to, I can just warp to the estate," calling it home just didn't feel right.

"I insist, you still do not have your guards," Danzō said and offered his arm. Sakura sighed and lifted up her Hokage hat, setting it on her head. She took his arm, reluctantly and he led her out of her office and to the main streets of Konoha, where they took a sharp turn right to the smaller road that led to the monument.

"Now, how have you settled down in your new home?" he asked, trying to keep up the conversation.

"Fine, I guess, but I still think that it's way too huge for one person," Sakura grumbled.

"Hopefully there will be more than just you in the near future," Danzō said and glanced down at her stomach with hope in his eyes.

It was clear what the man was thinking of and the idea didn't please Sakura. Sakura knew that Danzō was not a bad person, he really did care for this village. But the lengths he would go to protect it frightened her. He would do anything to keep this village safe and see that it would prosper. And it made her kind of glad that it wasn't him that was named as the Hokage.

But still, she was way too young for a family, she just turned seventeen!

"I… will have to think about it."

'Not,' she thought with a grimace.

"We could arrange a marriage for you, I hear that the Kazekage is of marrying age," his voice sounded way too hopeful.

"That is kinda-"

"Or marry someone from the council."

Oh god, she really hoped he wasn't talking about himself. It was time to play her part as the Hokage before he got any more great ideas.

"Danzō-san, I am sure that I am able to find a husband for myself when I am in the need of one," she said in a firm voice, making Danzō chuckle.

"I am sure you will."

'No, you are not,' she thought and pulled her hat lower over her head to shield her eyes from the burning summer sun. Danzō was clearly done with the subject and he was leading her quietly towards her "home". She turned her eyes to the ground as the silence that stretched on was turning out to be awkward, painfully so.

"Forehead! Is that you?!"

'Ino! You are a life saver!' Sakura thought and lifted her eyes up from the ground. The sight of her childhood friend put her in a better mood immediately and there was a soft smile forming on her lips as the blond walked closer.

"Ino", she said with a grin and tried to pull away from Danzō.

His grip held tight on her arm.

Sakura started to frown and was just about to open her mouth to scold him, but he beat her to it.

"Yamanaka-San, I do not find it proper for you to call our new Hokage such derogatory names, please apologize," he said firmly and pulled Sakura even closer to his left side in protection, anchoring her arm there with his bicep. Danzō might seem calm and collected most of the time, but the glare Ino was receiving at that moment was downright frightening.

Ino gulped, knowing that it wasn't wise to get on the Elders bad side, her father would kill her if he knew!

"I… you are right Danzō-Sama. I apologize for my rudeness Rokudaime-Sama, please excuse me," and with a bow, her best friend was gone.

Sakura blinked, confused.

"Hmm, what a rude girl. Now, please come along Sakura-Sama," Danzō tsked and tried to pull her along. She wouldn't budge an inch.

"Sakura-Sama?" Danzō and looked down at her in question.

"You… you cannot just ignore my friends like that!" Sakura fumed and pulled her arm away forcedly. Danzō hardly batted an eye as he turned to face her fully.

"Sakura, you are the Hokage now. You need to earn your villages respect," Danzō said calmly.

"Now, take my arm and let me lead you home, girl."

"It is Sakura-Sama to you," she said firmly and turned around to march away, but an arm on her shoulder stopped her. She glared at said appendage and hoped that it would burst out in flames.

No such luck.

"Silly girl, it is not safe for the Hoka-"

"Yo, Sakura-Chan!" Kakashi greeted with a wave and walked closer to them. Danzō let his arm fall from her shoulder with a last warning squeeze to behave.

Sakura gave Kakashi a thankful look and turned around to face Danzō.

"Now that Kakashi is here, I am sure you agree that he is more than qualified to escort me to the estate," Sakura said and stepped next to Kakashi.

"I will see you tomorrow, Danzō-San," she took Kakashi's arm and pulled him away with her. When they were out of hearing distance, Sakura sighed and leaned on Kakashi's arm in gratitude. His familiar smell of the forest after thunder relaxing her frayed nerves almost immediately, as she took in a deep breath.

"Sooo, care to tell me why you kidnapped me?" Kakashi asked with an awkward chuckle as she continued to sniff him and pulled his arm from her grip to place it over her shoulders comfortingly. Sakura looked up at him with an innocent look and smiled.

"Whatever do you mean, Kaka-Kun?" Sakura asked sweetly and batted her long eyelashes cutely.

"…Never mind. So, I'm escorting you home now, am I?" Kakashi sighed, making Sakura giggle and nod.

They walked up the road in comfortable silence, going up the road that leads to the monuments. When the estate came in to view, Kakashi whistled, making Sakura roll her eyes.

"You live here?" Kakashi asked in bewilderment. Sakura smirked and pulled him through the stone walls surrounding her estate to the rock pathway leading to the main doors.

"Unfortunately," Sakura sighed and pushed the sliding door open when they reached it. They stepped inside and removed their shoes.

"You can wait there, make yourself at home. I need to get out of these clothes before they bake me," Sakura groaned and walked towards a room which Kakashi guessed was her own.

'Now I know what she meant when she said that this place is too big for one person,' Kakashi thought and took a seat at the comfortable looking couch. He looked around the giant living room in awe. The place was huge! At least now she had room for a family.

'Or two,' he thought.

But the thought of her with a man was not a comfortable one. He knew that she would start a family at some point, Sakura was one of those women that wanted a family, but he did not like the thought of sharing her with someone, least of all with another man.

He was not good at sharing.

After Naruto left and Tsunade disappeared –again-, Kakashi had Sakura all for himself and he was reluctant to give up their time together. He did enjoy her company, after all.

He would have to find a way to spend more time with her now that she had a village to lead.

"But how?" Kakashi murmured to himself and turned his head towards Sakura as she came back from her room.

The sight of her made him pause.

"Is… is that my shirt?" Kakashi asked, almost blushing at the sight she made and got up from the couch. She had on a huge black shirt with long sleeves, it almost came to her knees and black leggings underneath.

"Oh, yeah, kinda. I still haven't had the time to unpack most of my stuff," Sakura said, a guilty blush rising on her cheeks as Kakashi walked closer to her. He took a hold of the collar to find that yes, indeed, it was his shirt. The collar had a mask on it.

"It… suits you," indeed it did, he did like the sight she made while wearing his shirt. Sakura smiled at him and pulled on the mask.

"Look, we match!" Sakura said with a grin, making Kakashi chuckle.

"But do you know the difference between me and you?" Kakashi asked seriously.

"Well?" Sakura giggled.

"I make this look good," he said seriously and pointed at himself, making Sakura laugh at him.

"Sure, sure," she said and swatted at his shoulder playfully, as Kakashi reached up to pull her –his- mask down. Sakura noticed and with a laugh jumped away from him.

"Oh, no you don't! You still haven't shown me your face! I'm keeping this on until you do!" Sakura exclaimed and jumped away from his hand again.

Kakashi sweat dropped from her reasoning.

"Sakura… I just saw your face fifteen seconds ago," he said and tried to catch her once more.

'When did she become so fast?' Kakashi thought as she evaded him again.

"You'll forget how it looks like soon enough, age doesn't come alone you know," she said smartly and swatted his hand away. He could see her smirk underneath the mask.

Kakashi frowned.

"What is it with you and my age? I'm not even thirty yet!" Kakashi grumbled and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Grumpiness also comes with age. Are you sure you counted it right? You do have… some gray hair on you already," that earned a glare.

"It's a family trait," he protested with a huff.

"Keep telling yourself that," Sakura said with a smirk.

"I hate you," there was no force behind his words.

"Then why are you smiling?" Sakura's grin turned evil as she poked his cheek. Kakashi swatted her arm away and turned his face towards the ceiling to cover up the fact that he was indeed smiling quite widely.

"I am not smiling," his voice didn't convince even himself, as it was full of hidden laughter.

"Uh huh," Sakura teased and stepped closer to try and poke his cheek again. He tried to hold in his chuckles as he swatted her hand away again.

"Nah ah," he answered.

"Uh HUH!"

"Nah ah," this earned him another poke to the cheek.

"Uh, Hokage-Sama?"

They fell quiet and Sakura leaned closer to whisper at Kakashi, still not turning around.

"It's Anbu, isn't it?" Sakura asked quietly and Kakashi nodded, keeping a watchful eye on said person.

"What are my chances of slipping away unseen?" She asked and glanced back at the waiting Anbu.

"Small, but I can sacrifice myself so you can escape your duties," this made Sakura giggle and swat at his chest. She took in a calming breath and put on her "Hokage face".

She turned around to face the Anbu and nodded at him in greeting. The Anbu nodded back and took out a scroll –no surprise there- he had been sent to deliver. The scroll was big, so it couldn't be a simple mission scroll. Sakura had the hunch that it had something to do with her personal guard.

"What can I do for you, Anbu-San?" Sakura asked calmly.

"Danzō-Sama asked me to bring this scroll to you. In this scroll are the best candidates as your personal guard," the Anbu said and offered the scroll to her. She took it with a nod and told the Anbu to give Danzō her thanks.

"I will, Hokage-Sama," and with a bow, he was gone. There was an awkward silence.

"That was… kind of embarrassing," Sakura giggled and looked at the scroll in her hands. It had a seal that belonged to ROOT, not that it surprised her, Danzō really wanted her to choose one of his own men. Sakura knew they were strong, but she wanted someone she could trust, someone she could have conversations with.

"You know you can choose whoever you want, right? Danzō is just pushing you to choose a ROOT member to keep an eye on you at all times," Kakashi said and took the scroll from her. He looked at it critically and placed it on the table.

"I know, I know," Sakura sighed.

"Oh, and Sakura," Kakashi said, making Sakura look up at him in question.

"You still have the mask on," and his shirt, but that seemed to have slipped from her mind. Not that it bothered him, at all.

'Must be a male thing,' Kakashi thought.

"It stays!" Sakura protested.

"… I'll give you a week, you don't last any longer in it," Kakashi said with a smirk, fully knowing he was baiting her.

"Want to bet on it?" Sakura asked with a smirk, the scroll all but forgotten.

"Hmnn, depends on the stakes," no, it didn't, he would love to see as Sakura struggled with the mask. It could get itchy, not to mention hot.

"Winner gets to see the losers face?" Sakura asked hopefully. There was a gleam in her eyes, on that Kakashi didn't particularly like. But he guessed that he was lucky, she didn't know yet that she would see his face anyway at some point, she was the Hokage now. But at least he could make this interesting.

"You know what, make it a month and you're on," Kakashi said and smirked as he saw the shine of victory in her eyes.

"Dea-"

"But! I get to choose my own price, if I win," Kakashi said.

"That's-"

"Fair? Or are you scared?" Kakashi taunted again, fully knowing that it would be her undoing.

"Dream on! It's a deal!"

"Oh, and you might want to order your own set of those. A month is a long time to spend in only my shirt," oh yes, he just had to remind her that she had on nothing but his shirt and those flimsy leggings. Not to mention that the Anbu that just left saw her in those clothes. He was evil, he knew, but the blush that rose on her cheeks was more than worth it!

…

Lady Flick: Thank you for your amazing review! I absolutely love those that take the time out of their day to actually give some proper feedback. It takes a lot of my time to write these fics, so I appreciate the effort. I corrected those writing errors that you mentioned too! Thanks for pointing them out for me! *Grin*

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