Kakashi cursed at himself all the way to the edge of the Land of Fire. After his little misadventure with Sakura, he'd slunk back to his own rooms to sleep. It hadn't gone well. Turns out it's impossible to sleep when you are fixated on your student like an old pervert.

Pervert, Kakashi told himself as he raced through the forest, having left the castle before dawn to get a head start on his mission. The rising sunlight filtered through the misty woods. His feet tapped tree branches lightly as he used his chakra to propel himself forward.

What kind of teacher fantasized about his student? True, he'd been pretty young himself when Midara asked him to train the young princess. Despite his youth, though, he'd already been a ninja for over a decade. He'd gone on his first mission at seven. He'd killed his first man at twelve, and many more since then in service to his kingdom. He had seen torture, imprisonment, and hardship.

Sakura knew none of it, though. She was as sweet and delicate as a flower. Although her chakra control was the most impressive he'd ever seen, she'd never had a reason to unleash it fully. Kakashi trained her to defend herself, to think on her feet, to trust her own judgment. But he never imagined she would need those skills...not if he had to say anything about it. He didn't want her to know the kind of heartache he'd learned to live with, the kind of nascent pain that eased only when he was in her presence.

They were best friends, he knew that much. She'd relied on him when she was younger, but as she grew, he had begun to rely on her. He needed her gentle teasing, her quick laughter, even her impressive temper.

God, Kakashi thought grimly to himself. Was he in love with her? He thought back to the women he'd been with before, to the girl he'd loved as a boy, but he couldn't find anything to compare with how he felt about Sakura. She was wholly different. She was his partner. His confidant. The person he knew best in the world. Maybe that's all it was. Maybe it had been too long since he'd been laid. Maybe that was the only reason he couldn't stop thinking about that lace thing he'd seen in her room. Was it some kind of nightgown? Undergarment? He just liked a woman in lace. It was only natural that kept picturing Sakura in it, since he'd seen it in her room. It didn't mean anything.

But then he remembered her blush, and a thrill went through him. Kakashi forced the feeling down and locked it away in the box in his mind reserved for thoughts he didn't have the time to think. This box was particularly full on missions, and it always seemed to be full of Sakura.

Once his warm and slightly perverted thoughts were carefully filed away, Kakashi was free to achieve his first objective: finding Tenzou.

Of course, he realized later, Tenzou might have liked more warning before Kakashi barrelled out of the forest into his house, but how was that Kakashi's fault? The wood-style user erected a new home every few weeks as a way to keep his skills sharp and they were always in slightly different positions than Kakashi remembered….

Kakashi waited patiently in the rubble for his old friend to stop swearing and help him up. Tenzou's house was nestled near a small rocky outcropping in the woods, so it wasn't easy to see in the dappled sunlight.

Well it had been nestled near a rocky outcropping. Currently, parts of the house were drifting down a small stream. Other parts were splintering in Kakashi's butt. He groaned as he stood and pulled some of the larger offenders out.

"-of all the moronic, shit-eating-" Tenzou was saying, brushing sawdust off of his dark clothing.

"Morning Tenzou," Kakashi said affably, once he'd freed his butt from splinters.

"I told you my name is Yamato now and I don't work for you anymore. I won't work for you anymore!" Tenzou said nervously. "Whatever you're here for, you can forget it."

"That's a shame," Kakashi said evenly. "Got any tea around? I wouldn't say no to something fruity."

Tenzou looked nonplussed, but he searched around in the debris for his supplies anyway, muttering under his breath.

"Ninja of your caliber dives into a house, must've meant to….I'll show you…"

"Hmm?" Kakashi asked.

"Forget it," Tenzou sighed. "It'd be in one ear and out the other."

"Ah." Kakashi managed to settle himself while Tenzou lit a small fire in what used to be his hearth and set a chipped pan heating over it. The men sat in silence as the watched the pot over the fire. Kakashi's silence was easy and comfortable; Tenzou's silence managed somehow to be stressed. Kakashi fought the urge to grin underneath his mask. He'd known Tenzou since they were children. They'd run hundreds of missions together. He and Tenzou had both worked for Anbu, the secret division of ninja protecting the kingdom. Not long after Kakashi left to train Sakura, Tenzou had also retired and moved to the edge of the Land of Fire for some peace and quiet. Kakashi knew that for a ninja, the concept of peace and quiet was a mixed blessing. So he made a point to turn up with a mission every so often. He could usually bully Tenzou into going with him. It was a good arrangement in Kakashi's mind. Tenzou got out, got to see some action, got to remind himself why he retired...and Kakashi had the company of his oldest friend and a partner he could trust on his missions.

Well, he could trust Sakura as a partner but he didn't want her to put herself at risk alongside him.

No. Stop, Kakashi reminded himself as he sealed the thought of the pink-haired princess away.

"FINE! Fine I'll go with you!" Tenzou burst out, spilling the water he was pouring into a cup. Kakashi looked up with a start, having forgotten why he was there for a moment. He crinkled his visible eye at Tenzou, who was rubbing his forehead like he'd just signed his life away.

"Great!" Kakashi said brightly. "I knew you'd come around with some persuading."

"Just tell me what the mission is," Tenzou said, handing Kakashi a cup of hot water, having forgotten to add tea. Kakashi politely sipped the hot water through his mask.

"Akatsuki," He said at last. Tenzou groaned. "They've been more active, recruiting members, tapping at our defenses."

"They're after something," Tenzou guessed.

"They're after Naruto, and the want to use him to get the kingdom. Or destroy it."

Tenzou nodded. He'd abandoned his cup and was searching through a busted dresser for his green vest. Kakashi pulled a small scroll from a pocket in his own vest. He opened it and scanned the contents out of habit. He had nearly memorized it. "I've got some names here, some information," He told Tenzou, "About the base of the enemy. Looks like the leader may be hiding out in the Village Hidden in the Rain."

"Jesus," Tenzou said, slipping on his headband.

"Yeah. There are reports that the Akatsuki were behind the war there."

"The mission?"

"Mostly infiltration. We need some rumors confirmed."

"Makes sense. I've been hearing the rumors myself."

"Yes, well I've got to find her something fast. I don't want to be gone long, and I don't want to return empty handed." Kakashi said grimly, balling his gloved hand into a fist. Tenzou cocked his head at his old friend.

"You alright?" He asked. Kakashi calmed himself and took another sip of his water.

"Fine."

"You look angry."

"Shut up."

"Fine." Tenzou tugged on his boots. Kakashi watched dispassionately. "Is it Sakura?" Tenzou asked, without looking at Kakashi. The older ninja frowned. Was he that obvious? He downed his water, wishing it were something stronger.

"The Queen, she wants Sakura to marry."

"Huh."

"Some moron from one of the surrounding nations. To protect her borders."

"Well, yeah." Tenzou said carefully, pulling on his other boot. "But Sakura, you know...she'd be fine."

"She'd be fine?"

"Hasn't she been trained her whole life for that kind of thing? She is a princess…"

"I trained her," Kakashi replied heatedly. "And I did not train her for that. She's better than any of those dipshits."

"So?" Tenzou asked. "I'm pretty sure the queen didn't ask your opinion on the matter so…"

"She did ask, and I told her. If I can get some intel on Akatsuki, something that we can use against them effectively, then maybe she won't have to do it. Sakura could stay."

"Kakashi, man, she can't stay with you forever. She's a grown woman now." Tenzou said slowly.

"I know that," Kakashi said darkly. Tenzou's eyebrows went up.

"Ah…" He said uncertainly. "...do you?"

"Calm down Tenzou," Kakashi said, sighing. "It's not what you think."

"And what do I think?"

"I haven't done anything." Kakashi murmured. There was a slight pause.

"But you want to." Tenzou supplied. Kakashi shrugged noncommittally.

"Ugh," Tenzou said, sitting and burying his face in his hands. "You are going to be executed."

"Hey," Kakashi said, a little hurt.

"Son of a bitch...she's going to slice you into little pieces. You know what she did to those Council members who tried to have Sakura killed?"

"Hey, don't write me off yet," Kakashi said, thoroughly offended. "I'm not planning on doing anything. I mean, there was one thought I had…"

"Don't tell me." Tenzou said quickly. Kakashi ignored him.

"If Midara needs someone strong to be Sakura's partner, someone who won't try to take control of the kingdom after they're married, someone she can rely on...who knows the politics, who knows the kingdom…" He trailed off.

"Shit. YOU? You are going to suggest to the Queen that YOU be the one to marry her daughter?"

"No," Kakashi said sadly. "I said it was a thought. I didn't say it was a good one."

Although Kakashi secretly thought it was a very good one. Fuck lands and titles and borders. He could keep Sakura safe just by never leaving her side.

"Look Kakashi," Tenzou said sternly. "Don't you act on this. Don't do anything to get yourself killed, which would be bad for me, or exiled, which would be infinitely worse since I know you'd just show up here and expect me to take care of you in your old age and I'm NOT doing it."

"I'm hurt," Kakashi said. "I'm not that old."

"Twenty-nine is ancient for a ninja like you." Tenzou supplied. Kakashi rubbed his masked chin thoughtfully.

"Twenty-nine…is that how old I am?"

"YES!" Tenzou said in irritation. "You know how I know? TWENTY years of birthday presents. And you never wrote me one thank you note. Or, you know, remembered my birthday."

"I did like the signed copy of the new Icha Icha-"

"That was SAKURA you moron! You don't even remember? Why am I your friend?"

"Hmm, I'm not entirely sure. Because of my charm and rakish good looks?"

Tenzou sighed and checked his pouches for weapons.

"Let's get going," He said. "It'll be a long way to the Rain Village. Maybe we can catch the train."

Kakashi stood and stretched. He felt unaccountably better. It was good to talk to someone. Together Kakashi and his oldest friend set out through the woods.

"Hey Tenzou?"

"Yeah?"

"Repeat any of that conversation to anyone and you die."

"...right."