Thank you to everyone for the warm comments! So, I decided to do a chapter with Kakashi's POV and then one more with Sakura's. Thank you bluefurcape (prettykid) for the idea! It kind of got away from me and the once one-shot is probably going to be 20k words. But I had fun and thanks to all the readers still interested!
The scenes aren't in order, but I tried to make it easy for the reader to understand when what happened. If you get confused just tell me and I'll help.
I hope ya'll enjoy! :)

There's always a moment; a certain time and place when you know. When you know that you are in love. Kakashi scoffed. There wasn't just a specific moment. You didn't just wake up and realize oh hey, I'm in love. Love was gradual, it was slow and you can feel yourself falling into it. It was agonizing and you can feel every minute of it, just hoping that maybe that other person will catch you before you hit the ground.

Kakashi hadn't really ever been in love before. Sure, he had loved before, but he had never been in love. But he wasn't ignorant. He knew what it was when it happened. He was a romantic after all, just ask his Icha Icha collection. He'd heard about it, read about it. It did take him some time to recognize it for what it was, though. The butterflies in his stomach, the strange nervousness he had never felt before, that all-consuming feeling. When he started to come to terms with it, he figured it was just a crush, that he could just shrug it off. But itdidn't and he never knew how terrifying love could be. And it was. It was powerful and occupied his entire being when he was with her. He had no control over his actions and lost all train of thought. It was an overwhelming feeling.

He didn't know exactly when it had all began, but did anyone really? During the war? After the war? Six months ago? A year? Sometimes he tried to pinpoint it, but it was useless. He couldn't remember when he didn't feel this way, just that he hadn't always. Of course, when she was just a genin and he was her sensei, he didn't. But how long after that? He eventually just accepted that he'd never know. It wasn't like it really mattered anyway.

Love really was terrifying, though. How it could feel like a ton of rocks had been piled on him, but feel so good at the same time was a mystery to him. It was strange. Sometimes, it made him feel so empty, so half full. Other times, it was wonderful. He was at peace andhappy. He couldn't get enough of the good parts of it and decided that whatever pain came with it was well worth it.

He had never even planned on doing anything about it. He was just going to live with it. Keep his lips shut and his feelings locked away in his chest for no one to ever open. He couldn't tell her. It was impossible. The only thing he'd do is cause people he loved pain and he couldn't live with himself if he did that. Especially to her.

Then, it happened. He could still remember it perfectly; he could never forget that day. He had been looking for Shikamaru to relay some business for the Hokage. Tsunade had been planning on retiring in a couple years and wanted to name Naruto as her successor. Suzane had already said that she had only acted as the Hokage's advisor because it had been Tsunade. So, they thought Shikamaru would be a good choice for Naruto. Kakashi had been dropping off a mission report when they decided to make use of his presence and make him play messenger.

The young Nara had been helping out at the Yamanaka Flower Shop. He had been manning the front of the shop, while Ino and her mother prepped flower arrangements in the back. Kakashi could tell that the jounin would much rather be laying in a field of grass, but he knew that Shikamaru didn't mind as much as he portrayed. Anyone could tell that he loved Ino. And it was more from the warm smiles he only gave her than the ring on her finger.

After Kakashi handed him the scroll, he strolled around the small shop while he waited for Shikamaru to finish reading and give his answer. And that was when he spotted them. Sunflowers. He smiled under his mask and stopped in his leisurely stroll to admire them.

"They're my favorite flowers, you know," Sakura grinned happily, holding out her hand to touch the long stems as they walked. They had been returning from a joint mission together, their first one after the war. It had also been their first one with just the two of them. Kakashi had known they'd work well together, but he hadn't expected to feel so content with her. Though she talked a lot like when she was young, it wasn't inane chatter and Kakashi found himself listening to her wholeheartedly. She was intelligent and had lost the innocence she once had, but had still somehow maintained her childlike wonder. It was comforting to say the least. And he was pretty sure he could listen to her go on for hours about how much she admired the stars or the feeling of her chakra healing someone. Her voice was warm and soothing and he'd never tire of it.

He raised an eyebrow at her, "Oh? Any reason or do you just think they're pretty?"

She shrugged and looked away from his gaze towards the field of sunflowers. She spoke softly, like she was embarrassed, "I don't know. They grow like trees, tall and over towering. And you'd think they were ridiculous, because they're only flowers. You'd think that they would look strange, trying to be something they're not. But they don't. No one ever thinks that of them. Their stalks are sturdy and confident and they reach for the sun without shame. They're beautiful. You can't help but feel happy just looking at them."

It had taken a moment for Kakashi to say anything, because he had been so thrown off guard. He hadn't been expecting such an eloquent response from such a simple question. But that was Sakura, always surprising him with her deep thoughts and opinions. Not just her physical strength, but the strength within her. Her witty humor. He didn't think she'd ever stop surprising him, and honestly, he didn't want her to.

He must have been quiet too long, because Sakura chuckled bashfully, "You must think I'm crazy, putting so much thought into silly flowers."

He shook his head, "Well, maybe if they were silly rocks or something, because that'd just be ridiculous. But flowers, no, and I'm sure Ino would agree."

Sakura laughed, nodding her head, "Yeah, she would."

They walked for a few more minutes in silence and then Kakashi spoke in a calm voice with his eyes on the road in front of them, "You know, Sakura, no one thinks you're ridiculous either. You're just as beautiful as this field of sunflowers." He didn't know what had made him say it, because apparently he had lost all control over his mouth.

But when he glanced at Sakura, she was blushing with an adorable pink that rivalled her hair. She mumbled a small, "Thank you, Kakashi," and didn't say anything else.

Kakashi wondered if he probably shouldn't have said anything, but Sakura was smiling differently from before and he decided he like it. He found it hard to stop stealing glances her way and felt his doubts slipped away.

Kakashi didn't know how long he had stared at the sunflowers before he more watched than felt his hand reach out for them. His hand stopped in midair. What was he doing? Did he think he could buy them for her? Of course, he couldn't. So, what was he doing? Then, it hit him.

What was he doing? Not just with standing dumbly in a flower shop, but with everything. With Sakura? He knew he loved her, he'd known for quite some time now. And yeah, it hurt, because she was married and not just to anyone, but to someone who he still considered a good friend. There wasn't any chance for them. He knew that. He wasn't hoping she'd fall in love with him and they'd elope together. She'd loved Sasuke all her life. He knew he didn't stand a chance. A part of him didn't even want to stand a chance. He didn't want to break up a marriage, especially one between two people he cared about.

It still hurt whenever he saw the two of them together, but he'd learned to ignore it the best he could. It had hurt when he heard they got engaged, even worse when they were officially married. It still hurt when he saw the diamond on her ring finger, but he'd learned to avoid looking at her left hand. It hurt when he went home to any empty apartment, knowing it'd probably always be just him. Because he was in love with a woman he could never have and it didn't seem like he was going to stop loving her any time soon. But he'd learned to just avoid his apartment as much as he could.

There in the flower shop, though, he didn't think he'd ever learn how to deal with the pain he felt at that moment. And it didn't make any sense. He'd already been through the worse of it, hadn't he? The engagement. The wedding he couldn't bear to go to. But no, apparently not. Because this pain was suffocating, it was stabbing and left him wondering if he'd ever be able to walk away from the spot his feet were currently cemented to. He'd always known that he'd never have her. This wasn't news. So, why did a bouquet of sunflowers suddenly make the thought seem so much more agonizing?

Because those moments that he'd always thought were complete bullshit did happen. He was in love with her, completely consumed by her and she wasn't even there. In that moment, he became certain that he'd never get over her, over this feeling. She made him feel like a madman. But he wasn't one, not really. He was just a fool. And she was married.

DIVIDER
*One year ago*

"So, they've finally set the date, haven't they?" Guy grinned around his cup of sake, glancing over his shoulder at the happy couple who were at the bar a few feet away.

"I guess so," Kakashi mumbled nonchalantly, taking a long drink of his own sake. He tried to stop looking their way, but his eyes kept wandering back to the long locks of pink that swayed whenever the door to the bar opened letting in the cool night breeze.

"Such a wonderful display of youth, young love and even a wedding in the fresh spring!" Guy chuckled enthusiastically.

Kakashi didn't offer a reply, pouring more sake into his cup, hoping that Guy would just drop it and change the topic. But of course, he didn't, because life was unfair. Guy's grin faded in its brilliance and went back to a simple drunken smile, "It's a shame I won't be able to make it to the wedding. I'm sure Lee would like to have the support as the person of his affections is given to another."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at that, "Why not?"

Guy shrugged, signaling the waitress for another bottle of sake, "Alas, our beautiful Hokage-sama has asked me to lead a team on a month long mission."

Kakashi's interest piqued, he asked as casual as he could manage with how intoxicated he wa, "Have you picked the team members yet?"

Even in Guy's drunken state, he noticed the shift in his esteemed rival. His eyebrows pushed together in confusion, "Why are you asking?"

Kakashi shrugged and tried to exhibit the same aloofness he usually had, not meeting Guy's gaze and refilled his sake cup with the new bottle that had been brought to them, "If you were having trouble finding shinobi to go, because everyone's wanting to attend the wedding, I wouldn't mind going."

He could feel Guy frowning at him and then hear it in his voice when he asked bemused, "You don't want to go to your former students' wedding?"

Kakashi sighed and took a swig from his sake cup through his mask, "I'm not much of a party person. You know that, Guy."

Guy didn't say anything for a moment and they drank in silence. Then, Guy said in the most serious voice he'd probably ever heard him use, "Kakashi."

Kakashi turned back to him, realizing his eyes had searched out for Sakura again. He raised an eyebrow at Guy in question and was surprised to see the intensity in his gaze. Guy looked over to where Sakura and Sasuke sat and then back to Kakashi, "Don't tell me…?"

Kakashi feigned ignorance and poured more sake into his cup. He saw Guy follow the movement out of the corner of his eye, probably trying to calculate how much Kakashi had really had to drink that night. Kakashi replied in a bored tone, "Tell you what?"

Though Guy ran around in a green jumpsuit and yelled about the wonders of youth whenever he could, the man was no idiot. Kakashi wasn't fooling him. The man had known him most of his life and saw through most of the wool Kakashi tried to pull over his eyes. But Kakashi also knew Guy wasn't going to push it and he was proven right when Guy answered in a resigned tone, "I'll let Hokage-sama know I chose you for the squad."

DIVIDER
Naruto and Hinata got married a year after Sakura and Sasuke's wedding. The wedding was big and loud, exactly how Naruto wanted it. Hinata looked a little overwhelmed from all of the attention, but in Kakashi's opinion she was handling it well. Though at times she looked like a nervous wreck because of all the people in attendance to their future Hokage's wedding, her entire being screamed happiness.

It was well into the night and the celebrations were still in full throttle, when Kakashi saw Sakura make her way over to him. Her dress was simple, a light green that brought out her eyes and stopped mid-thigh. She looked as beautiful as always and Kakashi found it hard to look away from her.

"Sakura, you look as beautiful as always," a kind voice told her when she finally reached the table. But it wasn't Kakashi's. It was from his left, where Iruka sat. He smiled sweetly at Sakura with the affection a sensei would always have for his students. In the back of Kakashi's mind he wished he could look at Sakura so simply. Things would be so much easier.

Sakura smiled back in response, "Thank you, Iruka-sensei." Then, she angled her body towards Kakashi and he saw a faint blush on her cheeks as she asked, "So, Kakashi, how about a dance with your old student?"

Kakashi grinned cheekily at her, though she couldn't even see it through his mask, "Oh, is Naruto asking for me again? I already told him I have two left feet and he'd just be better off with Hinata."

Sakura held back a laugh and shook her head, "No, he must've gave up on you."

"Ah, I thought I was worth the chase, but I guess not," Kakashi put on a dejected sigh.

Sakura laughed and pouted her lips, "Aw, poor Kakashi. I'm sure you'll get over it. You know what they say, there's plenty of ninja in the trees."

Kakashi chuckled and shrugged at her, "I guess so."

She put her hand on her hip and gestured with her hand behind her, "Well?"

"Well, what?" Kakashi feigned innocence just to torment her. Though it'd probably be the death of him someday, he loved her short temper and the little huff she always did when she started to get irritated.

As he expected, she huffed, "Are you going to make me ask you again?"

"Isn't the man supposed to ask the woman to dance?" Kakashi scrunched his eyebrows at her and had to hold back a chuckle at her expression.

"Kakashi," She warned in a tone Kakashi well recognized from watching Naruto and Sai both get thrown into walls from pissing her off.

He gave her a casual shrug and stood up, though his heart was beating just a little too fast in his chest. He held a hand out to her, "Well, if you insist, Sakura."

She bit her lip, hiding a smile as she took his hand and he led her to the dancefloor. She raised an eyebrow at him and teased, "You sure gave in quicker than I thought you would. I was sure I'd have to drag you out here to dance with me."

Now on the edge of the floor, Kakashi placed his other hand on Sakura's hip and began to move with her to the music. He looked at her confused, "What makes you say that?"

She rolled her eyes at him, "Kakashi, you hardly ever dance at parties."

He shrugged, "Naruto must've worn me down for you then."

She laughed and let him spin her around the dance floor. They continued like that throughout the rest of the song with Kakashi completely ignoring dance etiquette and just spinning Sakura around trying to make her laugh. When the song finally ended and a slower one started, she didn't let go of him like he expected and held on to him tighter. He wasn't about to let go of her either, so he began to sway her gently to the beat.

Kakashi was starting to get lost in her again and found himself staring rather openly at her. Before she could notice, he asked, "So, Sasuke didn't end up making it back in time after all, huh?"

Sakura's smile fell and Kakashi immediately regretted bringing Sasuke up. She shook her head, "No. But when he left he said even if he missed the ceremony he might make it back in time before everything ended."

Kakashi nodded and didn't say anything more. They danced without saying anything else for a minute and then, Sakura asked timidly without looking at him, "Kakashi, why didn't you come to my wedding? You came to Naruto's."

Kakashi felt a pang of regret at the hurt in her voice. He sometimes wondered if he made the right decision, skipping out on their wedding. He had been selfish and hadn't really considered how it might affect her and Sasuke by him not being there. He repeated what he had told her a year ago, "I had a mission, you know that. It couldn't be helped. Just like Sasuke has a mission right now."

Sakura was quiet for a moment and Kakashi faintly worried if she somehow knew he had volunteered for that mission. But then he felt her hand on his shoulder tug on his suit jacket. He looked down at her and she smiled up at him. She smoothed out the wrinkles in the fabric, "You look handsome all dressed up."

Kakashi did not blush. So, if someone were to tell him that the visible edges of his mask were turning a faint pink, he'd tell them to get their eyes checked. But Sakura didn't seem to notice him blushing, which he wasn't, as she was too preoccupied with fixing the handkerchief folded in his jacket pocket. He cleared his throat and mumbled a, "Thank you." She glanced up at him with a smile and he couldn't help but return it.

They continued to dance until a loud booming voice yelled, "Sasuke, you made it!"

Kakashi and Sakura both glanced towards the entrance, though they couldn't see the new arrival through the string of people. They looked back to each other and then down at how closely they were holding each other. Sakura's arms were looped around Kakashi's neck and his hands were on her waist. When had that happened? Sakura cheeks turned red and she stepped away from him at the same time he did.

She let out a nervous chuckle, "I should, uh, go save Sasuke from Naruto."

Kakashi put his hands firmly in his pockets to stop himself from reaching back out for her. He nodded, "Good idea. You should do that before Naruto starts begging him for a dance."

The tenseness left Sakura's shoulders and she laughed, "Yeah, I don't think anybody wants to see that. Them arguing over who should lead and then suddenly their dance turns into a friendly competition."

Kakashi chuckled and Sakura stepped away from him towards the entrance. Before she turned away she gave him a sweet smile that made him feel like he'd melt, "Thanks for the dance, Kakashi."

His voice was soft as he replied, "Of course, Sakura." She gave him one last smile, before she hurried into the throngs of moving bodies to find her husband. Kakashi felt cold without the heat of her small body pressed against him. He shuddered from the sudden chill as he watched the pink be swallowed in the crowd.

DIVIDER
It was the bridge where Team 7 had always met back in their genin days that he found her. She was sitting on the railing with her legs dangling in the air above the water and her hair dancing with the wind. She must have been sparing earlier, because she was in her black spandex and a red tank top. He slowed his walk as he saw her and stopped beside her, leaning against the railing. Before he knew what he was doing, he had reached out and caught a few free strands in between his fingers.

"Your hair's getting longer," He stated the obvious when she glanced at him curiously.

Sakura nodded, looking down at her hair like she was examining it, "I'm trying to grow it back out."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her and turned where she was facing to look across the small river, "Wasn't it you who always said that long hair just got in the way?"

Sakura shrugged and looked down at her feet, playfully kicking them in the air like a child, "I've been meaning to cut it, but I just got so busy at the hospital and hadn't got around to it. And then Sasuke mentioned the other day that he likes the way it looks long so I decided to keep it. It doesn't really matter to me either way."

Kakashi didn't say anything, feeling something off from Sakura's tone but not able to place it. She misread his silence and defended herself, "I know what you're thinking. That this is just like when I was a kid and kept my hair long because of a rumor Sasuke liked girls with long hair. But it's not like that. I'm not trying to impress Sasuke. Not anymore. I just…if it makes the person you love happy and it's not hurting anyone, then it can't be so bad, right?"

The way Sakura looked to him with desperate eyes begging him to agree with her made Kakashi feel like this had nothing to do with hair. He knew Sakura pretty well and how she had always had trouble keeping anything bottled up. She'd always explode at some point and ramble her thoughts away. Kakashi didn't know if she did that with everyone, but a part of him hoped that he was of a lucky few and an even smaller part of him foolishly hoped it was just him. Either way, Sakura didn't need much prompting once she got started and all it took was a simple, "Sakura, if you already feel the need to ask that, then there has to be something wrong."

Sakura sighed in annoyance, "I knew you'd say something like that. You couldn't just agree and lie so I'd feel better?"

Kakashi looked away from her and at the fish swimming below them, "Not if it's for a false happiness. And you don't need me to tell you that. I can see it in your eyes that even you don't believe whatever you're telling yourself."

Sakura was quiet for a few minutes and Kakashi was starting to wonder if she actually was just going to keep it to herself this time. It made him feel frustrated, because he wanted to ease whatever she was carrying, but he didn't want to pry where she didn't want him. So, he just climbed on to the railing and sat beside her. She looked at him with a small smile and he happily returned it with his signature eye crinkle.

It took a few more moments, before Sakura finally spoke in probably the softest tone he'd ever heard her use, "I'm scared of him." Her voice had been so quiet that if he didn't have canine like hearing, he wouldn't have heard her over the water below them.

Kakashi looked over to her in surprise, but she stubbornly kept her eyes on the water. She continued, "I know it's irrational, because Sasuke isn't like that anymore. He's not insane with revenge. But…"

There was a full range of emotions in the green of Sakura's eyes that reminded Kakashi that she wasn't just the woman he loved, but a great fellow shinobi who had fought in a war when she was just a child. A child soldier, a little older than he had been, but still a child. She had battle scars, surely emotionally just as much as physically. He'd do anything if it would take away the dark fog that was clouding her eyes. He'd seen that before, in himself. And he wanted more than anything for her to not end up like him.

He placed his hand on her knee without thinking and told her, "It's not irrational."

She looked at his hand and then up at him. She met his eyes with confusion, "How can you say that? Sasuke's turned himself around. He helped in the war and he did everything Tsunade ordered him to so he could lose his label of a traitor. He went to therapy, he joined ANBU, and helped out around the village wherever he could. He's different now. He's not that man anymore."

Kakashi stroked a thumb across her skin comfortingly, "That's true, Sakura. He's not. But that doesn't change what happened and nothing ever will. Forgiveness is one thing, but to forget is a whole other. Forgiveness is something we come to do, we work on it and eventually we can give it. But you can't choose to forget. That's not in our power and you shouldn't be upset with yourself that you can't."

Sakura was quiet, going over what he'd just said in her head. She sighed after a moment, "I thought after a while, it would get easier. But it's like time hasn't even moved. Like it hasn't actually been three years since we got married, just a few days and we're still trying to learn how to live with each other."

Kakashi didn't say anything, not really having any advice on the topic of marriage or even relationships in general. It wasn't like he had much experience. But Sakura didn't seem to mind his silence and she continued glancing at his hand on her knee again, "Sometimes, I still flinch when he reaches out for me even though I know he'd never hurt me. I thought it had been happening less, but really I had just gotten better at hiding it. I don't know if he's ever noticed. But even if he has, he's never said anything about it.

"I still have nightmares about him and they keep me up at night, hoping he won't try and hold me. It'd only make it worse. And isn't that horrible? To not want your husband to touch you? To be scared of the person you share a bed with? To have nightmares of them?"

"Sakura, you don't think you should talk to -"

She cut him off with a shake of her head, "No, it'd only hurt him if he knew and it's not like it would solve anything."

Kakashi didn't know what to really say, seeing as she was probably right. He didn't argue with her decision and asked, "Well, then what're you going to do?"

She sighed, "I…don't know."

Kakashi thought for a moment, trying to come up with anything that could make the situation more bearable, "Did you know the sharingan can put you to sleep? And it's like a dreamless sleep, too, no nightmares. You could tell Sasuke that you've been having nightmares from the war and ask him to?"

But Sakura just shook her head again, "I could never ask something so silly of him. I'll get through it, Kakashi."

I wouldn't have thought it was silly. But Kakashi didn't say it out loud and just raised a skeptical eyebrow at her, but she wasn't looking at him. She was watching two red fish swimming around each other as if they were in some sort of dance. The corners of her mouth quirked into a smile and she repeated, "I'll get through it. I need to. I love Sasuke. I always have. I need to figure this out."

Kakashi kept his mouth tightly shut and didn't say anything. He didn't tell her that this wasn't really something she could figure out. Nor did he tell her that her 'I love Sasuke. I always have.' sounded like a chant she had been saying to herself. He was being biased and selfish. He shouldn't be offering her any sort of advice on her marriage. He glanced at his hand on her knee and noticed her skin felt hot under his touch.

He patted her knee in the most casual way he could manage and told her, "I'm sure you'll figure something out, Sakura. And if you need me you know where to find me." He turned around and hopped down from the railing.

She remained sitting and chuckled, "On top of Hokage Mountain reading Icha Icha?"

He grinned at her, "You know me so well," and walked away from her with a two fingered goodbye.

DIVIDER
"Kakashi?" Sakura looked up at him in pleasant surprise. He was standing in the doorway to her office at the hospital with a smile. She stood up from her chair and grinned at him, "What're you doing here?"

"Just thought I'd stop by and come see my favorite pink haired kunoichi," He gave her a casual shrug, leaning off of the doorway.

She cocked an eyebrow at him, "Mmhmm, you never come to the hospital on your own." Her eyes wandered over his body and a small crease formed in between her eyebrows, "You're not hurt, are you?"

He shook his head and waved his hand, dismissing her worry, "No, Sakura. I just thought since Sasuke's away on a mission and not here to take you to lunch, I would."

Her eyes widened the slightest fraction and then she smiled at him, almost shy with a faint blush that he was happy to notice, "Sure, Kakashi. I'd love to."

Kakashi's shoulders relaxed, relieved she hadn't thought it was weird. Truth was that he had been wanting to spend more time with her, but didn't know exactly where it started being inappropriate. She took less missions now a days, wrapped up in her new position as the director at the hospital. So, he didn't get to have as many joint missions with her like they used to. Beside the group outings, the only time he was with her alone was in a hospital room. He knew his feelings for her were beginning to be more painful than anything else, but he still missed her, still wanted to see her.

Sakura draped her doctor's coat over her chair and followed him out of the hospital. As they were leaving she bumped his arm with hers, "You know, Kakashi, Sasuke doesn't have to be out of town for us to hang out or go to lunch together. Just because I'm married doesn't mean we're not the best friends we've always been."

The butterflies swarmed in his stomach and he was thankful for his mask, once again, because he was probably blushing. He looked down at her with a warm smile, "Is that so?"

She pressed her lips together and nodded, "Mmhmm."

DIVIDER
The first time Kakashi had seen her outside of the weekly lunches they had started having together, had been a day he would never forget.

He hadn't even been looking for her when he found her. He had just been strolling down the path near the training grounds reading his Icha Icha, when he more felt than heard the ground shake with a loud rumble. Curiously, just to make sure nothing was wrong, he changed direction towards the noise. Training Ground 4.

Now, Kakashi had seen Sakura upset before. He had seen her cry miserably with snot running down her face and mascara tainting her red cheeks. He had seen her shed a few tears and silently brush them away like they had never even been there. He had seen her pissed beyond all reason and throwing Naruto, or whoever was unlucky enough to cause her wrath, into a building hard enough to leave a dent in the wall. He had seen her annoyed and raising her fist warningly when Sai insulted her. He had seen Sakura have so many emotions. Almost seen her thought process of whether she wanted to hold them in or not. But he had never seen her like this.

Kakashi stepped into the small clearing just in time to see Sakura hurling a large tree at the opposite tree line. He flinched as he watched the tree take three more with it before they all crumbled to the ground. Sakura glared at the destruction and walked towards the trees ready to inflict more damage to the poor plant life. Kakashi's eyes followed her, now noticing the complete chaos of the training ground. The ground had suffered so much from Sakura's incredible strength and wrath, Kakashi started to pity whoever's job it was to fix up the training grounds. The earth was broken in a thousand places, parts of it risen and others sunken. As he looked around he saw that other trees had suffered the same fate as Sakura's latest victims. The training ground was a complete wreck and Kakashi was surprised that no one else had come by to investigate. On the other hand, maybe they had and after seeing the cause decided they liked being able to walk.

Kakashi looked on as Sakura yelled and destroyed the fallen trees to bits with her chakra infused fists. His heart broke at the sight. What had caused her to be so upset? To the point where tears were pouring freely down her face and she was angrily destroying whatever was close enough? She was in civilian clothes, a bright yellow long-sleeved blouse and black tights. Which meant, she hadn't come out here to test her chakra control to the limits and check that she could destroy a village if she wanted to.

Kakashi didn't even know if he should try and talk to her. Maybe she wanted to be alone. It wasn't like she came out here with the hope that the trees would listen to her sob and offer her comfort. But Kakashi found it hard to leave. His heart reached out to her and it was painful to even consider leaving her, when she was so obviously upset.

Hoping that she wouldn't decide to take her frustrations out on him, though he knew he would happily do it if it made her feel better, he tucked his book into his flask jacket and stepped cautiously towards her. She didn't pause in her rage, uprooting another tree to throw across the clearing. She either had known he was there the whole time or was so lost in her emotions she hadn't noticed his chakra.

But when he was just a few feet from her, she didn't look at him. She stayed still, panting from her exertion, and avoided his gaze, though he was sure she knew he was there now. She kept her eyes on the direction she had just thrown her tree, though her eyes looked distant like she was seeing something else, like she was somewhere else. Kakashi stopped in his tracks, just a couple feet from her.

When her breathing had calmed back down to a normal pace, she spoke in a casual voice that when matched with her tears made her look crazy, "So, I took a pregnancy test today."

Kakashi felt his breath catch in his throat. Pregnant? That's why she was upset? Kakashi felt the words shake him harshly from his shock. Of course, Sakura would get pregnant eventually. She was married. It was only a matter of time. Kakashi tried to ignore how a new stabbing pain in his chest and focused on Sakura.

He didn't dare say anything, not knowing what kind of response she wanted, if she even wanted one. So, he waited for her to elaborate and she did after a couple of minutes. Her eyes fell to the beaten ground, "I had thought I was pregnant for a couple of weeks now and when I finally had the time to go in for a doctor's appointment…It was negative."

Ah, that was why she was upset. Kakashi stepped towards her, "Sakura, I'm sor –"

Her head turned towards him in a quick movement and her glare made him stop in his tracks. She shook her head as more fresh tears poured down her face, "You don't understand, Kakashi. Don't say you're sorry."

A voice in the back of his mind warned him he was probably about to get hit, but he ignored it and stepped towards her again. When he reached an arm out for her and placed his hand on her shoulder, she turned her head away from him and he saw her bite her lip.

"Sakura," he said her name in a soft and consoling tone.

She closed her eyes at his voice and her shoulders slumped in defeat. She let out a shaky breath and when she spoke her voice was broken and quiet. She turned to him with a bitter smile, "I was happy."

Something stabbed at Kakashi's chest and he grabbed her left arm with his other hand, turning her to face him completely. Sakura should never have to smile like that. He leaned down and met her eyes with his, "Sakura, don't feel bad about that. It's okay to feel that way. You're in your early twenties and you're focused on your medical career. It's understandable that –"

She shook her head again, interrupting him, "No, Kakashi, that's not why."

He waited for her to explain and his eyes didn't leave hers. Her emerald eyes were pink and puffy from crying, her eyelashes wet. Her eyes flickered between his as if she was searching for something and it made Kakashi nervous, but he didn't look away from her gaze.

Finally, she stepped out of his arms and looked down at the broken earth. She kicked it without any real force and told him, "I was relieved when the medic told me. Like a burden had been lifted off of my shoulders. Those two weeks that I had thought I was pregnant had been horrible. I hadn't been excited, I had been on edge. I was worried, but I don't know what about. And then after the news, my first thought was There's still a chance."

Her kicking had started to have some strength behind it and she looked back to him, angrily, "And what the hell is that supposed to mean? A chance? A chance for what? What was I thinking, Kakashi? Why was I so relieved?" She turned back to the risen piece of earth she had been abusing and kicked it hard, causing a gaping hole and then it crumbled. She glared at it, unhappy it wasn't there for her to taken her anger out on anymore. She spun on her heel and stomped towards the tree line again.

Kakashi ran after her and grabbed her arm, spinning her around. Her rage dissipated under his touch and she collapsed into his arms, hitting his chest with her fists as she cried, "What is wrong with me? Why am I thinking things like this? This isn't how it's supposed to be! I'm supposed to want children. Sasuke wants to revive the Uchiha clan and I'm supposed to help him. I'm his wife! I have to help him. But what kind of mother would I be if I didn't even want them? I'm supposed to be the Uchiha matriarch, but I don't even know if I can! I don't even know if I want to!"

Her hands stopped and she fell against him, burying her face in his chest. He held on to her as he brought them both gently to the ground. He leaned his back against a tree and held her. She continued to sob as he did his best to soothe her, stroking her hair and rubbing her back. After a few minutes, Sakura calmed back down. She looked up at him with the expression of a lost child, "Kakashi, what do I do?"

He didn't answer her at first, trying to word his response carefully in his head first. He looked down at her, wiping away her tears with his thumb, "I think you need to stop thinking about what you're supposed to do and start thinking about what you want to do, Sakura. Don't just think about what Sasuke wants, think about what you want. And then, tell him and work this out together. You're not in this by yourself."

Sakura stared at him and started to frown at his answer. She was quiet for a moment and then, she smiled, but it wasn't like her usual one and it wasn't like the crazed one from earlier. Kakashi couldn't put his finger on why she looked so different and then he realized, it didn't reach her eyes. She nodded at him and extracted herself from his arms. She stood up, brushing her pants off. They were caked in dirt and she wasn't making them look any better. She looked to him still leaning against the tree, "Thanks, Kakashi. It really means a lot to me that you're always there for me." She paused and looked away from him, taking a deep breath, "I'll talk to Sasuke when he gets home."

She walked away from him, saying goodbye with his signature two fingered wave. Kakashi stared after her, trying to pinpoint what exactly had caused her to shift into such a painfully obvious fake happiness. But he came up with nothing. He started to feel that certain coldness he only felt when he had had finally known her touch for it to only be taken away from him shortly after.

He sighed as his eyes skimmed over the wreckage that was Training Ground 4. He knew one thing for certain. Sakura wasn't going to talk to Sasuke. Not today and probably not ever.

The rest of the timeline (the divorce and afterwards) will be in the next chapter in Sakura's POV.
Thank you for reading! :)