Hi, sorry for making you wait so long. This is a little bit longer then the previous ones and I hope next chapter will not take me as much time. :)

Sakura woke from quiet rustling noise. Kakashi was still next to her on the bed with five different scrolls in front of him. He went through them one by one, examining the writing. Sakura tried to rise up on her elbows, but felt back down remembering she still had an injury that needed to be fixed.

"Morning" Kakashi sad over his shoulder. He did not say "good morning" because he could not see anything good about it.

Sakura growled back and pulled up her red vest to find ugly violet-blue flesh where the fractured ribs where. Kakashi took a look and Sakura could have sworn that she saw him wrinkle his nose under the mask, but he did not say anything, just gave a questioning look to the woman beside him.

She knew he have seen uglier injuries then this, so it was just out of caring for her or to know if she would not slow them down again. Sakura still could not get over that: "It is nothing compared to previous one, these are little bit fractured, but not completely broken, so it won't take as much time and chakra to heal."

And so she did just that and as the healing chakra did its magic Sakura saw that the sun was already high up in the sky. It meant that she had slept all night and a half of the day. Great - more slowing them down.

"I'm sorry I slept so long, you could have just woke me up"

"It's ok, we both needed the rest and whit our money reserves almost gone this will be the last bed we will see in a while," he watched how Sakura finished healing herself. She lay flat on the bed eyes closed concentrating on her work. The green light vanished leaving a nice, firm, cream-colored stomach, which she smoothed gently with her own fingertips. The edge of the vest had slid a little higher than necessary showing a small part of pattern thread that he had seen on her black silky laced bra. Her fingers unconsciously went over the smooth surface of her skin stopping near the black material of her garment and then continuing her way back down. The women was enjoying that the motion did not hurt, but she could not have known that it would focus attention of two mismatched eyes.

Kakashi could not stop imagining that those were his fingers that slid so gently leaving goosebumps on the way. He just wanted to reach out for her and feel every inch of her body, uncover more of unexposed skin and see if her cute little bra had a matching pair of panties…

Kakashi rolled the scrolls together putting them in his backpack and stood up: "I'll go gather us some food supplies… you will probably want to take a shower first and then we can meet on the North-west road that lead out of the town."

Sakura rose a little, opened her mouth to say something but Kakashi was half way out of the door. What got in to him? Was it something in the scrolls or was he angry at her? Only now she noticed that she had shifted in her sleep and now was in the middle of the bed probably occupying part of Kakashis pillow as well. Was that his problem, did she made him hug the bed side and he didn't get enough sleep? Whatever the case is she will have to ask him later.

Later.

Kakashi sat in a tree next to the meeting point and read his favorite "romance" novel. Now he was on the page 53 but the words did not stick, he went over it the fifth time but his mind kept wondering away to a place where pink strands of hair laid on his pillow and a very tired kunoichi murmured his name in her sleep.

The room had bin cold and her body seek warmth whit out her permission. The man had wanted nothing more just to reach out and pull her in close, but that would make a whole lot of problems in the morning so he had shifted further away knowing that the sun will rise soon and he had to keep his hands for himself just for a little while longer. Now that the woman wasn't close to him he swore to himself that he will erase all inappropriate thoughts of his former student and act completely professional. And furthermore there was nothing that would have promoted ideas that something had started between them, where did this come from? Sakura just teased him for the sake of their cover and he doubted that she really saw something in him. He just was a pervert and a sad old man to think that way.

By the way where was she? Sakura does not take so much time showering and is never late, but now he had been sitting in this tree over an hour and there was no sight of the pink hared woman.

As he made that thought he felt that the branch he sat on bend a little from an extra wait. She has become that good. But there was no smug expression on her face, no trace of proudness. She looked disturbed and tensed and Kakashi felt every muscle in his own body stiffened.

Sakura motioned to the woods and they jumped of the tree and moved as fast as they could to the cover of the forest.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked not stopping.

"I'm not sure" she said looking over her shoulder, "they followed me, but did not attack in public even when I attacked one of them and broke his arm, he backed away but did not attack back".

"Hunter-nin?" Kakashi asked.

"No they did not have the forms."

"How many?"

"I'm not sure…" Sakura could not finish because both of them felt a presence ahead.

Suddenly a man appeared in front of them half hidden in the shadows of the woods. He was wearing a trench coat - civilian clothing, but from the speed and heavy chakra surrounding him - both leaf ninjas could tell he meant business.

Kakashi and Sakura stopped and soon felt more presence appear, surrounding them. They showed up one by one making a group of 8 people. Sakura could see that the last one had his arm pulled close to his chest, knowing quite well that she was the cause of it.

None of them stood out. There was one woman between them, but she too looked as a civilian to match with the crowd and disappear within it.

Both parties stood still observing the others, ready to fight if necessary till the man in front of them sad:

"Kakashi Hatake and Sakura Haruno I presume," the man's voice sounded too loud for the stillness of the forest.

"And why would you think that?" Kakashi asked not giving a straight answer.

The man started to laugh and others joined him. He laughed so loud as if Kakashi had told the funniest story he had ever heard.

"You don't know, do you?" the man choked through his laughter that gave leaf ninjas the chills.

"Know what?" Sakura was feeling her bad temper surface and felt the urge to stop that awful sound herself.

The man slowly started to ease down his laughing and the rest of his company fell silent as well.

"Then let me explain. You two are our way to an early retirement, Danzo has proffered a fee worth quarter of Konoha if you are brought in alive and a little less if dead, " he announced proudly, "so, wanna' come peacefully?"

In response Kakashi draw two kunai.

"I guess that is a no" the man said before yelling loudly, "NOW!"

It had started. All the ninjas performed hand signs for a trapping jutsu. They had to be taken out or it would end badly. Next events happened so fast, every move went on instincts. Kakashi didn't even have time to make a counter attack when he saw Sakura launch a chakra-fist in to the ground. He felt the earth shake and saw deep cracks as from a spiders web. Small cracks started under him and spread to their encounters growing wider and deeper - making the enemy stop their jutsu and take cover from the debts below and falling trees above.

The circle had been broken, one of the adversaries had fallen in the crack and the others gathered in two groups to attack the leaf ninjas separately. They made a big mistake dividing in to 2 against Sakura and 5 against Kakashi, even after she demolished 50 yards in diameter around them. The second mistake was to get to close to her. As a man half her size attacked her with a sword she blocked his stroke with a kunai and kicked him so hard he flow to the nearest tree making a loud cracking sound and lost consciousness on the spot. Others jumped away not allowing Sakura to engage in close proximity combat and now she had to defend shuriken, needles and kunai thrown at her. It did not help that seeing her take out "the big guy" more finally turned their attention to her and came to accept the challenge removing the pink little girl from the fight.

Kakashi also had his hands full. A lucky strike took out one of the man, but in return Kakashi got a nasty punched from their leader. He was relieved that Sakura took some of the attackers away because the Weird-laugh- trench-coat guy seemed to have a personal vendetta with him and even with the Sharingan it was hard to defend himself from the man's movements. He was fast.

"What's the mater Copy-ninja have you got too old?" he started to laugh again, "I remember 5 years ago you were a lot quicker on your feet, or maybe I was smaller and everything seemed faster then."

Kakashi took a good look of the guy. He really was quite young, but the dark circles around his eyes and heaviness that his face carried made him look older. He couldn't have been a lot older then Sakura in his early twenties.

"I somehow don't remember you, what did I do, kill your cat or something?"

"My father, if we want to be precise."

Great. He had, something against him, and it was a little more than a dead pussycat. "I guess 'sorry' won't cut it, will it?" Kakashi asked dodging a big tree branch that came from Sakura's side and hit another man down that tried to get to his blind side. Apparently she had started to attack using pine-trees.

"He wasn't such a nice guy, but it's my duty to revenge his death, you know the boring stuff"

"And you found the perfect timing when you can earn good money from it."

"Indeed, I'm glad that we are on the same page here," the man sad and with a fast movement stabbed a kunai deep in Kakashi's chest.

No! Sakura saw the attack and tried to run to her team mate's side, but a wall of fire divided them. The woman Sakura had a glimpse before, could manipulate fire. Whit another hand sign a fire ball was formed and sent in Sakura's direction. She took a massive tree trunk that had fallen from her previous attacks as if it was light as a feather and throw it in the other woman's direction. The canopy caught the majority of the flames but Sakura still covered her face as she felt the heat erupting. A small little guy had used the distraction to sneak behind her. And the next thing Sakura felt was sharp pain from a cut on her lower back. It would have been probably worse, if Kakashi hadn't pulled him away and used his chidori to stop the killer for good.

It happened so fast that Sakura still could see the puff of smoke in front of the Weird-laugh- trench-coat guy where Kakashi's shadow-clone had been. He was a second next to her and gone the next. She wanted to hug Kakashi but hopped that there would be a time for that later - if they both survived.

Now that Sakura was injured bounty hunter's leader came at her. However Sakura wasn't an easy target, she fought for her life with all she got.

Fireball in hand the enemy kunoichi launched at her as well, but the second she herd the shrill sound of lightning and wind behind her back she know she would die. One last movement left. She spun around and with still burning flames in her hand aimed for Kakashi's head. Although Kakashi was faster embedding the chidori fist through her hart the the woman still had enough strength to impact a nasty hit to the right side of his neck and lower jaw.

Kakashi let out an agonizing cry as he felt the fabric of the mask melting together with his own skin. Whit a trembling hand he put out the flickering sparks on his cheek feeling the raw skin and the smell of burning flesh. He felt to one knee next to the woman hopping that he will not pass out from the pain.

His partner was still fighting hard, but Kakashi saw that she was getting tired. Her abilities where strength and healing, she could be almost as fast as Kakashi but it took more out of her as it would take ten times more out of him to put chakra in that kind of strength that she hold so easy.

Whit few deep breaths The Copy-nin stood and sent another wave of chakra to his hand that produced his lightning ability. His own vision was blurry from the pain and smoke so he trusted completely on his Sharingan hopping it would guide his attack.

Sakura felt that she was getting sloppy earning some shallow cuts here and there. If she just could get one successful punch it would all end, but the Weird-laugh- trench-coat guy was too damned fast. She desperately wanted to wipe of that sadistic smirk of his face.

She got her chance when Kakashi launched his deadly hit to the man's side, catching enough flesh to make him flinch and Sakura used the distraction to punch him in the chest. She know how humans body work and he had coupe of heartbeats left.

"I'm sorry you didn't have your revenge" Kakashi said through griped teeth as the man fell to his hands and knees.

"At least it was a good fight," he answered and with a final laugh passed away.

Kakashi swayed wanting to feel the firmness of the ground as the adrenalin started to fade but Sakura steadied him with her own body. The man fell to his knees and rested his good side of his face to Sakura's chest. The darkness started to rise but it did not came, as a warm hand stroked his head slowly going through his hair and with the green cool healing chakra stopped upon his burns.

"I can't heal you right now, there is too much damage done, we have to get away from here. One of them is missing, he probably ran in the middle of the fight and who knows maybe there are reinforcements coming. Ill numb your right side that it won't hurt so much, but I can't promise that you won't feel any pain at all and it won't last long, okay?" Kakashi gave a small nod of understanding still pressed close to her.

Half minute later she was done and as her healing energy faded he still could feel the burn marks and blisters on his neck and face, but it was not so severe that he wanted to pass out. He put an arm around her and just stayed like that for a moment.

At first she froze, but did not push him a way and soon he felt her hand on his head again stroking it and playing with his hair. It felt so right staying like that but he knew that they have to go. Sooner they left - sooner they would find a place to take cower from the night.

He murmured "thank you" and stood up. Taking a look around Kakashi was amazed how much damage they had made. There was a clearing in the woods where there wasn't previous one. The trees had fallen and some branches where still burning, dead or unconscious bounty hunters where lying on the ground. He hopped that they were far enough from the city that the sounds would not have attracted unwanted viewers.

When finally Kakashi turned his gaze to Sakura, he's eyes where dark. She did not know was it from anger, from fear for one's life, from victory, from the physical pain or pain you usually get when taking a life, but she know – what she was seeing in his eyes was the same that was reflected in her own. He didn't have to say anything she just know what he felt and what was needed to be done.

They turned and left, running through the forest without a sound.