Too Close for Comfort
A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating, my family and I just moved house, and my dad has finally got the computer up and running. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed and added to their story alerts. Special thanks to omi-hime-san, who gave me an idea that I'm now going to use
Okay, this fic is rated M for adult themes. No lemon. Please don't flame, I will only flame back.
Disclaimer: Just to be on the safe side, I don't own Naruto or any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. There we go, fourth chapter coming right up.
Chapter Four
"Floor, Genma."
"But I -"
"I don't care. You are sleeping on the floor like Kakashi-sensei. Got it?" Sakura glowered, hands on her hips. Kakashi wondered if the arrogant senbon-chewer just enjoyed annoying the young kunoichi.
"Got it." Genma said sullenly, like a reprimanded toddler. Sakura smiled. "Only, there isn't too much room on the floor – okay, I'll just put up with it." Sakura smiled once more, and replaced the shuriken she had withdrawn from the holster attached to her leg.
Sakura produced a pink book from her suitcase.
"These jutsu scrolls just get weirder." Genma muttered, and received a snort from Sakura.
"It is a diary, dimwit." Genma perked up. Kakashi knew what was going through his friend's mind, and had a feeling it wouldn't end well.
"Can I read?" Genma teased, knowing the answer. Kakashi shook his head and went back to Icha Icha, not particularly interested in Sakura's diary. It was doubtlessly rants about Sasuke, if she had kept it from a younger age, and the kunoichi's previous obsession had been sad enough to witness, let alone read about.
"No. It says, 'keep out on pain of death' for a reason. So don't get any ideas." Genma swallowed, and tried to act innocent. Genma and innocent really didn't mix, Kakashi mused.
"Ideas? I don't know what you mean, Sakura-chan."
"You don't fool me, Shiranui." Sakura sniffed, before hunting around in her suitcase, bringing out a biro. She started scribbling furiously in the little diary. Genma watched her teasingly. Kakashi stared at his book, but he wasn't really concentrating. Why read when he could be staring spellbound at the kunoichi's fast-moving hand? He wondered what she was writing. Maybe about what bad company he and Genma were. It was likely.
After about twenty minutes or so, Sakura put the little book under her pillow, not exactly trusting Genma. She switched her light off, and the room was plunged into twilight. It wasn't that late, approaching ten o' clock, but the mission was being started properly tomorrow, and Sakura had insisted they all go to bed early. Genma had protested, but Kakashi had saved his breath.
The two shinobi who were supposed to be on the mission had briefed him: they were to find an old brooch that Lord Hoshi had bought for his wife, not knowing it had been stolen from the daimyo of the land hidden in the mist. The client wanted it back, but when he had contacted Lord Hoshi and told him of the problem, the lord had gone into a decline, screaming about his wife and what she would do if she found out.
The client had resorted to employing shinobi from Konoha to stay with the Hoshi couple, and get the brooch back. Tsunade had given Genma and Sakura the mission, and sent Kakashi along to keep an eye on proceedings. Privately, Kakashi thought she had sent him to keep Sakura from seriously injuring Genma, but he had wisely refrained from giving his opinion.
Kakashi put away Icha Icha, and sighed. Who knew what surprises tomorrow would bring?
THE NEXT MORNING
"Come with me, Sensei, and we can explore the building." Sakura glanced at Genma, chewing impassively on his senbon. "You can make plans here." Genma nodded. Kakashi wondered if his friend had finally decided it was easier to just agree without question or comment.
"Yes, boss." Kakashi shook his head as Genma proved it was not in his genes to remember life lessons. Kakashi waited patiently until Sakura had finished beating Genma around the head with her fists.
"You have a good time." Genma remarked sourly, rubbing his pounded skull.
"We will." Sakura assured him. "See you later." And with that, she flounced out, pulling Kakashi along with her.
Genma sank back onto the bed. She was hot; no doubt about that, but that temper was enough to make any man run for the hills. But they didn't, basically because Sakura exuded a sort of endearing innocence which, combined with her looks, made her an irresistible catch. Kakashi had to be the only man who could read Icha Icha and not be visibly affected by the girl.
"Ow!" Genma exclaimed out loud, as something dug into his back. He reached under the pillow, and brought out…Sakura's diary.
No. I can't read it. She'll kill me. Contrary to popular opinion, Genma did have a conscience. It just didn't bother him all that often. And it usually lost to his twisted reasoning. There'll be things in there that I don't need to read about. It's safer if I don't…
So Shiranui Genma, full of good (ish) intentions, reached over to put the diary on a table. But fate was against his conscience that day. The diary fell open, and Genma couldn't help but notice that the handwriting on the page was a lot more scrawled than he remembered her usual writing. He wondered what had distressed her, and decided as he was probably going to burn in Hell anyway, he might as well find out more about the workings of her mind.
"2nd November – I had to go to Ichiraku today to find Sasuke for Tsunade-shishou. Kakashi-sensei was there, and I talked to him for a minute or so. I realised I'd almost forgotten about Sasuke-kun."Genma flipped the page.
"18th December – I had a weird dream today. We (Team 7) were in the forest, and suddenly Naruto and Sasuke disappeared, and it was just me and Kakashi-sensei. Then I woke up. I don't know what that dream meant. I'm okay, though. It wasn't like it was a nightmare, but I just can't forget it.
"We had a training session today. We still train, even though Kakashi-sensei isn't our sensei anymore. It was fun. I beat Naruto-baka! Cha!" Genma couldn't help but chuckle at that.
"27th February -" Genma noted she only seemed to write in her diary when something important to her happened. This was the scribbled entry that the diary had fallen open on. "- Oh Kami-sama, what do I do? I have to be going crazy. I had this dream – the same one as I had in December – but this time, I didn't wake up when Naruto and Sasuke disappeared, and…well, I can't describe it. But the thing that scares me the most about this is that I don't consider it a nightmare. Oh Kami, I can't – I won't – let myself have a crush on my sensei!"
"It isn't easy to stop a crush, Sakura." He muttered to himself. She should know she couldn't control her feelings like that! She had gone after Sasuke for years, before realising she deserved better. He looked to the last entry, the one she had written just last night.
"7th May – SHE'S DONE IT AGAIN! Tsunade-shishou just can't seem to accept that I can handle myself just fine." Genma rubbed the back of his head, musing that Sakura could certainly handle herself. "I felt so mad to think poor Kakashi -" Genma noted the absence of the 'sensei' suffix. "- was made to follow us both. I know Genma well enough to know that all he's capable of doing is being suggestive. He wouldn't dare go further. He's annoying, but he's not stupid.
"But I can't say it was a bad thing Kakashi came. I'm glad of some relatively sane company. And – I don't want to admit it, even to myself, but lately…I've started to think of him differently. I thought it was a crush I could control, but it's more. I've fallen in love with Hatake Kakashi, and I can't do anything about it."
Ooh, a cliff-hanger! What will Genma do? Any ideas are appreciated, as I don't have a set plan yet…(yes, I am hinting that a review wouldn't go amiss )