TEN

LEFTOVERS

Kakashi hesitated before adding another cup of rice into the cooker. Shizune secured quarters for the both of them, and they would be situated by the next evening. For tonight, they were staying in the guest quarters in an adjacent building. Kakashi had invited them over for dinner. Sakura had appeared like clockwork on Saturday's evenings for the last two months and he didn't see why tonight would be any different.

Kakashi was embarrassed to admit it, but he didn't remember if he had ever cooked for four guests at one time before. Tsunade and Shizune arrived just as removed the fish from the heat so it wouldn't dry out. A few minutes later, they were sitting at the table.

Tsunade smiled as she gave the fish a jab with her chopsticks. "Aren't you a perfect host, Kakashi?"

"Thank you," Shizune added. "You didn't have to do this for us."

"I was making dinner anyway. What's another couple of fish?" Kakashi replied easily. He pushed another bottle of sake in her direction.

"I could get used to this, Shizune. He's such a dutiful housewife."

Kakashi frowned at Tsunade's bizarre statement. "What's wrong with being a housewife?"

Tsunade chuckled. "Oh, there is nothing wrong with being a housewife. It's simply because it's you, Kakashi. This is terribly domestic for the stoic Anbu agent who at my side during my tenure as Hokage." She raised her chopsticks to her mouth to take a slow bite. "It looks like my apprentice has softened you up nicely. Although" —she gave a lascivious smile—"I would think that Sakura wouldn't want you soft."

Kakashi discreetly coughed in his hand to dislodge the food that had stuck in his throat. Shizune choked on her drink, and then glared at Tsunade.

Tsunade scowled. "Don't give me that look, Shizune." The smile on Tsunade's face became absolutely dreadful. "You should have seen the two of them this morning."

Shizune's head snapped in Kakashi's direction, her mouth open. Kakashi felt the heat rise to his fac. "There's nothing going on between the two of us."

"Kakashi-sama, you..?" Shizune hesitated, torn between being polite and asking more questions. She settled with shoving a giant piece of fish in her mouth. Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the spread on his table. He has such ungrateful guests. Still, he wasn't about to argue with anyone who could be fine after being cut in half for hours.

Deciding he didn't want to talk about it further, Kakashi changed the conversation. "You never did mention what brought you back to Konoha early." He looked toward the window, noting a passing ninja who was crossing the rooftops.

Tsunade's good mood vanished. "I heard that Uchiha Sasuke was coming back into town." She raised the cup to her lips, drained it and then slammed it back on the table. "I thought it would be wisest to come back here for the sake of village moral. He may have reformed, but it doesn't mean the entire village is comfortable with his presence."

Kakashi remained impassive. It was the first he had heard of the news, but then again, he has spent most of the day fishing. "And when will he arrive?"

"He's probably already here. He was ahead of us and we decided to follow."

"I see." Kakashi looked at his empty plate. "It would have been nice if he checked in."

Tsunade snorted. "So says the man who was presumed dead for an entire year."

Kakashi didn't respond. There had been enough debriefings after his return from Suna that Tsuande knew it was impossible without giving himself away.

"Thank you for the food." Shizune rose from the table to clear up the plates. Kakashi removed them from her hands. "I'll take care of it."

"Are you certain? I can help."

Kakashi nodded and Shizune went to pick up Tonton from the couch. Tsunade was already at the entryway, slipping on her sandals.

Kakashi shut the door behind when they left, and walked over to the window to peer outside. It was starting to get dark outside, but he didn't see a head of pink hair headed his direction. Returning to the kitchen to wash up, he placed the leftovers in one of Sakura's empty bentos.

Sakura hadn't arrived home even after Kakashi finished washing up. He went to the bathroom, and then froze with his hand on the light switch as the thought replayed in his head.

Home?

WHAT?

How had Sakura become such an important part of his world in such a short period of time?

Kakashi scanned the bathroom: Sakura's shampoo, Sakura's bathrobe, her toothbrush, and her hairbrush. He back out into the hallway and returned to the kitchen. Sakura's mug, more of her bento containers, umeboshi, and a box of dog treats he never bought his ninken. There were a couple of fuzzy pillows on the sofa; she liked to run her fingers through when she watched TV. Her slippers were by the table, one shoe stained with ink that had spilled during their morning tussle.

Kakashi sank on the couch, not bothering to go into the bedroom for more evidence. Her scent had begun to impress itself on the walls, and he already had labeled the largest pillow on his bed as hers. He leaned down to rest his face on his hands.

How did this happen?

Yamato.

Kakashi scrambled from the couch to the doorway where an Anbu agent waited on the other side. Panther stood at attention as soon as Kakashi opened the door. "I need to speak to Yamato. It's an emergency."

When Yamato knocked on his door less than five minutes later, Kakashi pulled him in the room by his vest.

"How did you know?" Kakashi pointed towards the table where he had gathered all of Sakura's belongings. Yamato gave a knowing smile in Kakashi's direction, heading towards the cabinet with the alcohol.

Kakashi woke the next day on the floor, his right hand clutching one of Sakura's heels like it was a Raikiri. Yamato had already left; he had stayed sober while Kakashi drank himself into oblivion.

The resulting hangover made Kakashi feel like garbage, but had had at least gained some clarity. Well, maybe not clarity, his memory was a little fuzzy toward the end of the night. But Kakashi had never gotten drunk over a woman before. Yamato had also explained more about his matchmaking decision. It was enough to convince Kakashi that there was something between he and Sakura. There was only two choices left, Kakashi could either do something about it. Or he could be completely miserable when she rolled over to his side of the bed in the middle of the night.

The thought made him ill.

Or maybe it was the hangover.

After his shower, Kakashi went out to the training grounds to get some much needed air. The repetitive nature of training helped clear his mind, and when he returned to his home a few hours later he felt better.

Kakashi opened the door to his apartment to find Sakura inside, standing at the table where he had gathered her things. He panicked for a moment, trying to figure out an explanation that was reasonable. Then he noticed she had lain out several scrolls, and was in the process of sealing everything away.

"Good afternoon, Sakura." Kakashi watched as all her clothing disappeared into a scroll.

"Hi, Kakashi! I'm so glad you're here!" Sakura spun around to face him, her face alight with happiness. It left Kakashi unbalanced, to see someone so happy around him, because of him. He swallowed, his heart beating in his chest.

Kakashi didn't want to keep this feeling to himself.

Sakura waved at the table. "I take it you heard the news? It's so exciting! I didn't think that this would happen. I hoped it would, of course. But to have Sasuke-kun return after a few months…." She raised her hands to touch her cheeks, a pretty blush rising on her cheeks. "Shishou said she would stay to run the hospital so at least you're not out of a head medic while I'm gone."

Gone?

What?

"Do you have any idea how long that will be?" Kakashi kept his voice impassive even though he felt like someone punched him in the gut.

Sakura frowned. "I don't know. Sasuke-kun finds it hard to stay in the village, but I'm glad he came here, that he asked me, to travel with him. He wants to leave by tomorrow morning, so I have a lot of people to see and packing left to do!" She beamed at him once more as she sealed away the last of her belongings. "You're a really good friend to make it easier for me. It thought you might be a little upset since I'm leaving on such short notice."

Friend.

Ah.

Kakashi smiled back at her, hoping that she fail to recognize something was amiss. "Anything for you."

Sakura shoved all the scrolls in the tote bag at her feet, and then pulled it over her shoulder. "I think that's everything!" She came forward to give Kakashi a hug, her arms wrapping tightly around his middle.

Kakashi closed his eyes to savor the physical contact, relishing how she fit against his side and the smell of her shampoo. He gave her light pat atop her head, his other hand fisted tightly at his side to keep it from betraying him. Sakura withdrew and the moment was over.

Sakura was blinking rapidly. "I'm going to miss you. You're a good friend and a great Hokage. I can't wait to come back to see what else you have done for the village." She bowed. "Thank you for your support, Kakashi-sama."

Tongue heavy in his mouth, Kakashi settled for nodding. Sakura then left, he could hear her voice as she said goodbye to the Anbu agents in the hallway. Kakashi started at the space where she had stood as a hollow, familiar feeling rose inside of him. Once again, he was too late. He couldn't indulge in those feelings of self-loathing anymore; he had a village to run. He walked to the refrigerator for some milk; there was a bitter taste in his mouth he wanted to erase.

Returning the milk to the fridge, Kakashi's eye caught sight of Sakura's bento box where he placed the previous night's leftovers. The flowery pattern stood out amid his plain containers.

Feeling foolish, Kakashi tossed the bento into the trash.

A/N: The chapter is called 'Leftovers' because Kakashi is one. :3 *ducks the chair thrown in her direction*