Hello there lovely readers,

Please read obnoxiously long author note if you are reading the chapter and have questions about a certain character and where exactly this story Is AU.

SO the next installment of my Kakasaku fic! It was a little more difficult to write and I am not as pleased with it but I digress. There were some issues that needed to be sorted that I originally planned to get to over the next few chapters but to diminish confusion I decided to add it to this one.

This confusion is namely Kabuto; both seemingly the evil of my story and the destroyer of its flow. This story is AU(ish) meaning it does not follow things that have happened in the original story. That being said Kabuto of this fic did have his little epiphany in Itach's Izanami, though it has been pointed out that this isn't clear so far in this tale.

BUT fear not this chapter will spell it out. For you see it is not Konoha that holds issue with Kabuto but Sakura herself (end of the last chapter was from her perspective thus biased by her). Also look underneath the underneath and all that jazz.

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

NEW (secretly old story) IS UP!


Chapter 3- So it Continues

Sakura was in the med tent seeing to those injured. Naruto and Sasuke may have broken the genjutsu and the war may be over but there was still work to be done and injured to attend to including the two idiots that had the audacity to fight to the almost death with one another.

Sakura heaves a great sigh; the battle ended a day or two ago; she was having trouble remembering as the days were melding together in the hectic stream of patients. Shizune shoots Sakura a look informing her that if she did not take a break she would be forcibly removed from the tent. Sakura adhering to the silent threats decides it would be best to get some air and possibly food.

After Sakura had eaten she decides that the noise of the camp was too much; celebrations were still going on and she was not in the mood to join. She walks up the nearby hill to get a moment's reprieve. Sakura sits on the edge of a rock overlooking the valley lost in thought; that is when she senses another's approach.

"What a nice night it is." His voice was low and melodic. Sakura turns to see Kabuto coming up the hill several feet behind her. She seizes with terror, her mind racing to the many options and plans of attack.

But she doesn't move; Sasuke had told her, so had Kakashi about his apparent personality change and outlook brought on by Itach's Izanami. That Kabuto now has a desire to protect Konoha. Even with both of them telling her this, Sakura can't bring herself to trust Kabuto or believe in his transformation. To Sakura, Kabuto will always be Orochimaru's puppet, a crazed lost man.

That being said she waits to see what he does before making her move, she needs to trust in her comrades, or at least try to. Kabuto moves closer, noticing her tense.

"What do you want?" Sakura asks as if a scathing remark.

"Merely a chat with a fellow medic-nin. I happen to have been keeping an eye on your progress and can I say, you have surpassed my expectations." He retorted calmly disregarding her tone.\

"Thank you for the compliment, now if you wouldn't mind I would like to be alone. I have had a long past few days." More like months. She dismissed him; her voice heavy with exhaustion.

"Well now I will make it quick then."

Sakura tenses; Why is he here? I need to get away, something is not right.

As she readies herself to move it is too late he is right behind her restraining her.

"I thought I would leave you with a gift for all your hard work and devotion." Kabuto whispers into her ear. She could feel his cold hand on the back of her head.

Sakura jumped her vision blurry, her heart racing. Where was she? What was happening?

After taking in her surroundings of a dark damp room her memory came back to her. Sakura was in a hotel room in Ame with Kakashi on a mission to locate two rouges; Ran and Ryuu, in hopes to find out more about a new threat to the peace. It was the morning of their 3rd day there if the clock flashing 3 am gave her any clue.

In her tired mind she felt the cold on the back of her skull.

It was that dream again. She thought.

Sakura had dreamed of her meeting with Kabuto often since the night it happened but since his name passed the lips of those Rouges in Iwa it was every night.

According to Sasuke, Kakashi, and Naruto and by extension Konoha, Kabuto was no longer thought of as a threat to them. He was free after the war and had not since then made himself known. Sakura felt differently from them; to her Kabuto would always be a threat. It maybe from the years of chasing Sasuke and only encountering his malice that made her weary of him but her opinion of Kabuto was steadfast. Sakura Haruno was not sold on Kabuto's miraculous change of heart.

Which made what the Rouges said about him fit; Kabuto was back to his old ways. The rest of team Kakashi was not sold.

Flashback: IWA: Moments before the Team Kakashi Split up. Kakashi and Sakura to Ame. Yamato, Sai, and Naruto with prisoners back to Konoha.

"Plus if I am going against Kabuto I would like a knowledgeable medic" Kakashi added offhandedly

"Do you really think it is him?" Yamato asked cautiously, " I mean Konoha has unofficially cleared him and he did come out of Itach's Izanami a changed man."

"I agree with the sentiment Yamato" Kakashi offered "but I am not willing to take any chances. We all were relieved when the war finally ended; all looking to make amends; all willing to hand out second chances. I hope he took his but if he hasn't then we are here to make sure he is stopped."

"Oh come on, teme was certain he was changed; swore by it even." Naruto interjected.

"That may be true micro penis but an individuals is always changing" Sai responded, "here have this book, it explains it." He handed the book over to Naruto.

Naruto looked down reading over the cover of the book Sai has handed him entitled Your body and you: Changes from Puberty & Onward. His eyes bulge in irritation

"What the fuck Sai!" Naruto screams, "Why would I need this?" he throws the book back at Sai who catches it with grace.

"It seemed necessary; I believe you may finally reach puberty soon." Sai responds smoothly a smile gracing his face.

Before the minor fight got any further Kakashi interjected, "Boys, you will have time to go over that book more closely on your way back to Konoha."

Kakashi lets out a long sigh, "You have been quiet, Sakura?"

Sakura was broken out of her deep thought to look up at the one-eyed team captain, "You know my feelings about Kabuto, I don't need to repeat myself, do I?"

"Well let's put this discussion on the shelf till we have more information. " Kakashi mused, "For now we work under the assumption that Kabuto is a part of this nefarious organization. For even if it is not him there is someone else working under his name; which begs the question why?"

Kakashi turned to Sakura "We both have our work cut out for us; for now let's focus on finding Ryuu and Ran."

Thus with everyone finally in agreeance; Sai, Yamato, and Naruto headed to Konoha with the prisoners and Kakashi and Sakura headed to Ame.

End Flashback

Sakura turned and looked at the clock 4:10 am; had she really been stuck in her thoughts for that long? It would be a few more days before they would hear from Konoha and they still had no leads in Ame even when they had caught the Rouges' trail here.

Kakashi had picked up the trail again outside Ame it had gone cold once in the city, like it had in Iwa, indicating they were probably in some sort of a barrier preventing them to be found. Ame was notoriously already a maze and thus trying to sense the barrier was near impossible; leaving Kakashi and Sakura to have to do some old fashioned investigating and snooping.

Sakura tuned over to her other side; she had a long day ahead of her, she needed the sleep. Today she and Kakashi were back to tracking down more leads and pressing old contacts for information.

Just go back to sleep! She willed and eventually she did find it.


Ame- 3rd day (same day) 13:00

"Kakashi, we have nothing. They were in Ame but it's like they are ghosts; I can't find a trace of them anywhere and it has already been 2 day." Sakura complained.

"Patience; we will find something. Did you check your contact at the hospital?" Kakashi retorts back flipping a page in his orange book.

"Yes, I have been through all my contacts and then some. I have tried the black market and four weapons dealers I know." She takes a bite of food. They met up for lunch to talk strategy as they both had been running around the last 2 days trying to find leads.

"hmm… well I may have something." He stated apathetically

"And you speak up now?! You should have opened with that. Kami, Kakashi sometimes I just want to pummel you. " She set down her chop sticks, eyes trained on the engrossed silver-headed ninja across from her.

"Did you run into anything about the Sunset House down in the 3rd ward by the pier?" Kakashi queries; still invested in his book in front of him.

"You mean the pleasure house? Not really; just a passing mention so it is lower on my list of places to check out."

"I think one of our targets, Ryuu, is a regular there when he is in town. I have a name of his usual girl." He turns the page, only looking half focused on what he is saying; Sakura knows better though.

"Brilliant! How do you want to handle this?" Sakura scratched her chin in contemplation. "Best way is to send me in as a new girl. I can get friendly; get her to spill all she knows without her even realizing it. You know how those girls gossip to each other in those places. Plus we don't want dumb and dumber (Ryuu and Ran) to know we're on their trail, since they think they lost us in Iwa."

Kakashi shuts his book; a little too fast and loud that it makes Sakura look over. His mind is reeling; He does not want to send Sakura in as a brothel worker.

No! His mind and body reverberated. I can't do that to her. I can't risk her being put in a situation where she has to service clients! It would kill me to put her in that position; for her to have to expose herself for a mission…. I can't.

She is an adult Kunoichi she can handle herself, have more faith. Said another part of his brain. She has had to do this before she can handle herself. Plus you don't control her so stop being possessive of her, she decided to go of her own volition.

Kakashi was at odds with himself. Distraught at the thought of her being put into a compromising position mixed with the knowledge that he respected her and her skill.

He realized she was staring at him; that he needed to say something.

"That idea has merit Sakura but I think I should go in as a client." Kakashi offered trying to escape the ragging war in his mind.

A look crossed Sakura's face, "You don't think I can do it? Kakashi, I am a Kunoichi!"

"Sakura it is not that; I have faith in your abilities. I would just rather avoid putting you in that situation if it can be avoided." Kakashi responded in a defensive tone.

"Kakashi remove your head from your ass and keep your patriarchal bullshit to yourself. Stop thinking you need to save some virture or protect me. I wouldn't offer if I wasn't okay with being in that position plus I have enough genjutsus to cover if I need to take clients."

Now Kakashi was in a fix; he knew she was right, knew she would get more information out of the working girl her way but he just couldn't bring himself to let her. It had nothing to do with her virtue, he just didn't want another man or woman to look at her like that.

You are an idiot. His brain chided. You have no claim to her and even if you did you know you would never treat her like a possession; like she is was "yours" or something to lay claim to. That isn't what love is; it is mutual respect, growth, and comfort. Then why can't you just let her do this?

Kakashi sighed, "look Sakura, I know you can handle yourself and I am not so presumptions to think like that. I just would rather avoid taking that route until we have to. BUT if you want to, then fine we can send you in."

Sakura looked concerned and she spoke with less fire then before, "No its fine; it's not like I enjoy that part of the job. It's just I get a little sensitive when I think people think I can't do something. Kami I can be bull headed ."

Kakashi nodded and made a sound of agreeance. "You can be too; you hypocritical lazy ass." She shot back playfully but it fell on deaf ears as Kakashi was still working through the mess in his mind.

I need to stop doing this; being so.. so.. stupid. For an apparent genius, I am a fool. Sakura is a capable individual. I respect her, I need to stop thinking I have to protect her. Kami knows she isn't weak and she can take care of herself. I just worry that one day this life will take away the fire in her eyes and the kindness in her heart. I can't bear to think of the woman I love turning into someone lifeless and riddled with guilt like me… Wait, what did I just say? Love…?


Sakura was chatting away about a plan of attack when she saw Kakashi's face distort into a mixture of surprise and terror; his one eye usual droopy was open wide, as if for the first time in decades.

What's wrong with him know? He has been acting strange this whole mission.

Kakashi closed orange book began to drop from his right hand in his shock. Before it could fall to the ground his left caught it. This was something Sakura had never seen and she was a bit perturbed by it, if not a little shocked herself.

Staring at him still she saw him slowly regain composure only to make eye contact with her and lose it again. Sakura was now very confused.

Something isn't right; hasn't been right since we left. I am going to need to get to the bottom of this. CHA! Sakura on the case. Oh Kami… did I just channel my inner… oh man that's both nostalgic and embarrassing.

She decided to give him a few moments to collect himself since something was really distressing him. During that time her mind began to wander.

Kakashi isn't the only one that's been acting strange, I have just been.. off lately too. Like when we are in the room at night, I just feel so conscience of where he is. It's not like this is the first time we had to share a room. There have even been a few times when we had to share a bed. Ughh why am I acting this way. I need to focus on this mission.

Sakura looked over to see a composed Kakashi looking back at a now opened orange book. Taking a deep breath in Sakura decides to approach planning this mission, "So Kakashi now that you have recollected all the marbles you monetarily lost we can start planning your information gathering."

He just merely nods. The planning begins; Kakashi will enter the Sunset House at 22:00 tonight and ask for a girl suiting his type; which will be Megu. After getting Megu alone he will start casually questioning her about her life; purposely leading Megu to discuss the rouges. All under the guise that Kakashi is just trying to get comfortable as he does not frequent brothels and wants to put himself at ease. After attaining the information he will cast a sleep jutsu and leave.

They both head over to Sunset House to begin recon and make any changes to the plan if necessary. Now came the wait till they enact the plan.

During the many hours they both toiled together before 22:00, Sakura noticed the shift in Kakashi. When he happened to touch her it lingered then he would retract his hand as if burned. Despite this unusual behavior his face stayed stoic as ever. Making Sakura vow to get to the bottom of this strange behavior before it affected the partnership; though some small part of her was a little scared to.


Ame 4th morning

Kakashi lay in bed pretending to sleep or more like hoping to fall back asleep; last night had been long. Sakura and himself finally got a break in tracking down Ryuu and Ran and after a long day and night of information collecting at the Sunset House they had stayed up coming up with a plan of attack.

Kakashi rolled over to look at the clock on the wall that read 7am. He could still sleep for another hour but his body wouldn't let him. Letting out a long sigh he looked down from the clock onto the sleeping Kunoichi.

She looks so peaceful, I can never understand how she can look so serene when she sleeps and yet be such a tyrant when she wakes. These last few nights in Ame have been… difficult, I can't keep doing this to myself. Kakashi berated himself.

The last few days, no scratch that, the whole mission had been causing Kakashi some hardship. He could no longer deny his feelings for his pink haired teammate and dare he say friend. He could tell he was starting to slip up; that she was starting to notice. The worst part was that some small part of him wished she did; did notice and reciprocated.

Like that will ever happen. He berated more harshly. It can't ever happen… she is close enough; to close already. I can't let this go any further, I am already crossing a line by going this far, by letting her this close and by wanting more.

Kakashi was racked with guilt and frustration towards himself. Guilt from years past; over Obito and Rin, over his father, over the 4th. Guilt for wanting more than he deserved; for wanting her when she was 14 years younger and his ex-student. Frustrated that he felt guilty, frustrated that he couldn't reason himself completely out of wanting her. Frustrated that he was weak and undeserving of her kindness.

Kakashi was a man of great self-restraint and composure but he was slipping. Thinking back on it, he just seems to be always at odds with himself around her and because of that, feelings kept slipping through his well-worn shield. Though sometimes he did it purposely, just to get a rise out of her, like paying for their meal the other day.

He laughed to himself at the memory of her face when he went to pay; he saw it through his peripheral. Her jaw had snapped open and had hung for a few seconds in complete shock before she had the control to school her expression; it was priceless.

Little jokes and teasing was all well and fine but Kakashi knew he needed to admit that he did these things for more than just his entertainment; he did it in hopes she would notice.

Tsunade used to joke that I had the emotional maturity level of a preteen and I starting to think she is right.

Kakashi needed to get control over himself again. Yesterday he almost lost it completely, almost revealed himself to her; it was too damn close. He could not even begin to think about what he admitted to himself. He had made sure to shut that train of thought down before it could be expanded upon.


7:45 am

Sakura regained conscience a moment too soon, she decided. The alarm was set at 8 since they had a late night and she wanted every moment of rest. The dreams and thoughts of the night had made her lose too much sleep, and Sakura needed her sleep. Some would say she was not a morning person.

She knew he was awake. She could hear him in the shower.

Probably taking up all the hot water. I thought I loved long showers until I met Kakashi and realized how little I cared for them as compared to him.

Her thoughts turned to the night before. Kakashi had went to Sunset House and found the girl, Megu. He had chattered her up and was able to get a little information about her client, Ryuu. She had started to clam up after a while making Kakashi unable to get more without arising suspicion.

During that time Sakura set up a wire in the woman's congregation room henged as Megu. The wire gave them squat only that Megu had a child Beni.

Sakura figured the next day she would have to join the Sunset house as a new employee when Kakashi had thought of another angle to get Megu talking, namely her kid. Sakura had known Kakashi did not mean to kidnap the child or something crass, just to use him as an entry point. Thus after the late night at Sunset House they spent the rest of the night planning and now come noon they would enact it.

Sakura just needed to will herself to exit her bed. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep till noon. The shower was turning off and the alarm started buzzing, she could not put it off any longer, she needed to get up.

The door to the bathroom opened revealing a fully dressed copy-nin. Sakura was a little disappointed and a little freaked that she was. Sure she had seen Kakashi shirtless, hell even pantsless; all for healing. She still held her genin wish of seeing him maskless but now it wasn't that big of an issues. Part of her almost wished to never see his face, as it would surely ruin all of her genin hopes and fail to live up to the expectations of a weird mole or buck teeth.

But she still watched him as he exited wondering if he shaved or if he did have fish lips or if he was just plain gorgeous. She let out a little laugh alerting the slouched Kakashi that she was awake and functioning.

"And what do you find so humorous this morning? Usually you are quite humorless in the morning." He spoke lightly.

"Your hair is sticking in the wrong direction; it usually leans to the left." Sakura points from under her blankets at his hair.

Kakashi walked over to the mirror by the small table looking at his hair and moving to fix it. "That it does." He quickly shuffles it into the other direction.

Sakura begins to laugh uncontrollably. Kakashi frowns as only discerned by the slight lines seen through his mask and the added droopiness to his eye.

"well it can't still be the hair since I just fixed it, so what is it Sakura?

"I never" uncontrollable laughter "I never… *laughs.. Knew you actually *laughs chose to make *laughs your hair to look that way." She finished amongst another fit.

"I am quite offended Sakura, my hair is very unruly unless I deal with it." He stated with his standard eye crinkle.

Sakura entered another fit of laughter, taking her a good five minutes to calm down enough to get up and enter the shower. During that time Kakashi realized he very much liked the sound of her laughter even if it is directed towards him.

Sakura turned the shower on, feeling the warm spray fall down her back. She needed that laugh; the tension between them was getting too heavy. The lingering touches and looks they both seemed to be falling into were making her on edge. She felt like she lost control of the situation, of her own feelings and she did not like it; she felt so powerless.

Like last night when he was alone with Megu in the Sunset House, she felt off. Jealous would be the right word for the emotion but she was not ready to admit that yet. The thought of him alone with another woman in the sense of staying the night did not sit well with her.

Sakura trusted Kakashi, she knew he was there to get info from Megu and that's it but it did not make her feel any less comfortable with the situation. It bugged Sakura that she was feeling this way, Kakashi was his own man, she had no right to tell him what to do or who with, especially when it came to making a mission successful.

Maybe, she thought, he was acting strange because he could sense that she was craving to be close to him, that she did not want him to pull away. Sakura was unsure, it wasn't adding up; he was acting closer then usual but then at times he was extremely cold. Sakura, herself was unsure how she was feeling.

She wanted to be close to him; he made her relax, laugh, and happy, but did not know what kind of relationship she wanted. This closeness she craved was it merely platonic? That thought made her heart freeze. She couldn't and wouldn't let it be more than that. Kakashi was her close friend and captain and that is all he would ever be. She repeated this mantra a few times.

Sakura showered through these thoughts and before long she realized she was done and probably should get out. But she couldn't or wouldn't until she collected these traitorous thoughts and locked them away; hopefully forever or at least till this mission was done. If Kakashi ever found out about them he would surely recoil from her and her feelings of intense attachment. She needed to pretend that she was not feeling more attached to him than a friend would.

Deciding that this was as good as it was going to get she jumped out of the shower and quickly finished her morning routine. This morning was slightly different; instead of her usual ninja gear of her sleeveless red qipao dress she donned a long blue dress and civilian sandals. Today Sakura was becoming a mother.


Okay okay.. sorry if the chapter was a little choppy, you see it was originally written without its current intro and in a slightly different order and now a quarter of it has been moved to the next chapter (sorrynotsorry). Not my best work, I will admit but it's up and to me that is a minor win!

Reviews would be amazing: I would love feedback. Do you want more fluff and building of tension ? Or do you want me to be plot heavy and go into some awesome fighting I have set for the nextish chapter?