Jeez, I'm actually gaining the favourable response I used to have :D

Yeah I've made a comeback!
Great, thanks to all reviewers especially to my old faithful ones who never fails to review every single chapter and give the moral courage and support I need to continue this story!

By the way, I am going to hold a competition. A simple, but an honourable competition, in which you faithful readers can have a chance to create your own chapter, only to have it published in this story!

Well not that it's super great, but it is an opportunity to have how you want this story to envelope to!
Details will be out by the end of this chapter.

'Why is this happening to me.'

"Kakashi?"

'Why? Surely she knew I wouldn't even bother about him. He was of no threat to our relationship, I woudln't let that happen.'

"Kakashi!"

'Damn! Is it because Fate likes to play around with me, Destiny laughs at my own downfall!'

"KAKASHI DAMMIT ANSWER ME!" Tsunade's voice finally broke through Kakashi's skunky, clouded head. Kakashi drifted his eye to her ever-so-slowly.

"I'd wish you answered me earlier. I'm in a big, bad mood now. Quit being so doomed. Your undesirable face is being photographed by those slutty nurses who are unfortunately, useful. Do me a favour and get a grip over yourself will you! I don't know what happened, but between you and me, I would simply forget everything!"

The words 'forget everything' seemed to resonate in his mind, and it just couldn't stop. It kept on echoeing, and echoeing, and echoeing...

"Why?" He said quietly, but loud enough for Tsunade to hear.

"Why what?" She answered him softly, she already knew what happened. Apparently her regret for saying those last two words were useless. It had gotten into his foggy brain.

"Why me?" He said, before slumping on his bed. Staring into oblivion, Tsunade knew better than to bug him and she left swiftly. But her last words were forever etched in his mind.

"Kakashi, you have delt with this before and I can't see why you can't get over this. You knew this would happen. Yet you risked your life and hers just to be together. I don't know when you'll ever learn but this is not the way to do this at all." She somehow half rolled her eyes and half twitched the side of her mouth before leaving him to his own thoughts. 'This is not the way to do this at all', he couldn't get it somehow. Same words, over and over and over again. Always from somebody. He just couldn't get it, his tired head could not simply process the bitter pain of everything, and he fell into the blissfulness of sleep.

2 months later...

"Tsunade-sama, I heard you called for me?"

"Kakashi, I am sending you for a S-class mission. You will need to go to Orochimaru's lair and free one of our ANBU members. According to the list of ninjas I'm afraid the following ninjas that I am going to assign to you right now might not make you very happy. But I beg for your uttermost understanding. Because this is a classified S-class mission, I will have to send Shikamaru, Naruto and Sakura." Inside Kakashi's mind, he felt his heart suddenly drop. He felt his insides suddenly tightened up. 'She?!' was all he could think. Tsunade just sighed, seeing the obvious emotion displayed on his eyes.

"Go, you will set out at sunset. I have already informed the others of the mission, but they do not know you are the one leading the mission. I expect a neat one from this." Was all Tsunade sayed, before swaying her chair to face the glorious view of Konoha. Kakashi drooped his head, put his hands on his pocket and left Tsunade's office. Although his mind was in a turmoil, he was clearly distressed. 'Why did she have to go'. It wasn't like sunset was a long way, he had to meet the group in thirty minutes. 'So, we're saving someone this time. Why did Tsunade send her, when obviously it was too dangerous.' Kakashi kept on walking at a slow pace. When he finally reached the meeting place, he saw Naruto, Shikamaru, and her. As soon as Naruto shouted "Kakashi's our captain!", Sakura's head turned around so quick it looked like a blur. Horror, shock, hurt flashed across her eyes. But not before she managed to turn around and acted as if nothing happened.

"Yes I'm your captain, I assume Tsunade-sama has briefed you on the mission objective?" All three nodded.

"Right, straight to weapon-checking." After checking the various weapons each had carried and discussing various strategies with the help of the ingenious Shikamaru, the group set off towards Orochimaru's lair, aware of the danger ahead. Throughout the journey, the only sounds heard from the occasional footsteps of the stealthy ninjas and Naruto's yacking. Sakura kept sighing, her heart was pumping hard. Nobody told her that her captain was going to be him. The past 2 months were no better for Sakura, she spent most of her time in solitary confinement at home, shutting out the world. It was only on the second month someone started putting her favorite dango's at her doorstep, she couldn't bother really but she already had an idea who had been putting the gifts at her door. Forgetting him was one of the hardest things in life she ever did.

"Thanks," she muttered while she was next to him.

"For what?" He replied.

"Dangos," after saying that, she jumped next to Naruto, not giving Kakashi a chance to reply. Confusion spread across his face.

"I didn't put dangos at your doorstep, it was the cat I put," was all he said. Sakura shot him a death glare.

"If you didn't put the dangos, did you know what happened to the cat? It got shredded in pieces. Yeah, shredded. You forgot Mr Yang who lives next to me has a German Shepherd? I bet you did. I can't believe you are so! So...!"

"It was only a toy cat Sakura." Kakashi tried to avoid the conversation but seeing that this was almost leading to an argument he decided to shut up.

"Only a toy cat? That was not the only thing you put at my doorstep. Don't lie Hatake Kakashi, you've been putting the bloody dangos!" Sakura nearly shrieked, she was losing her composure fast. Shikamaru saw what was happening and merely shook his head. "Love is so complicated," he told Naruto quietly. Apparently Sakura and Kakashi heard that and both shot their heads behind at Shikamaru.

"Fine, I've been putting dangos at your doorstep. Do you even realise how thin you've become? You hardly eat, and you're in your room most of the time. Look how pale you've gotten! I'm only doing it as a friend!" He emphasised so much on the word friend, his own bloody beginning to boil in anger.

"As a friend? You're the only one in the whole of Konoha who bothered to give me gifts as a friend. My situation is not to worry for, you're over exaggerating!" Sakura was nearly in fits, her hands were flailing all over in an attempt to get her words into that foggy brained captain. Kakashi merely ignored her, or looked like he did, and continued jumping across tree to tree. The sun had nearly begun to set when they spotted Orochimaru's hideout. Following careful directions that were ordered, they quickly dropped to cover. Kakashi took out a map and was soon tapping his foot all over the place until he finally heard a hollow sound. He kept the map and cleared the leaves, under the leaves was a hidden Konoha sign with a slash across it. He found the handle and pulled it, a heavy musky smell filled the air. Sakura handed the others special leather masks to block out any poison fumes or harmful bacteria in the air. They moved silently and quickly, according to the map Kakashi had, they were already directly under Orochimaru's hideout. They could hear occasional echoes of the footsteps above. They followed the map that led to another trapdoor and this time, it was situated in an unused room. Kakashi opened the trapdoor carefully before climbing out and helping the others out. Everyone took deep breaths, apparently the air in underground tunnel was too stuffy.

"From now on, it is going to be extremely dangerous. We are not going to split up-"

"No, we have to." Sakura cut Kakashi's words quietly.

"Shikamaru, what's your say?" Kakashi asked.

"I'd say we split up two on two. Me and Naruto will go together because blockhead here will cause a lot of trouble. Sakura and Kakashi, both of you can go together." It looked as if Sakura and Kakashi's jaws were dropping. They had not expected to be grouped together.

"No, I will go with Naruto!" Sakura panicked.

"Sakura you have to listen, Naruto will get you in trouble, I've been assigned to this mission because I am Konoha's strategist. I'd say you go with Kakashi, I'll stick to Naruto" Sakura tried to mouth her arguement but failed miserably. She silently nodded. Kakashi handed each of the members a walkie talkie to attach to the ears.

"Talk when absolutely necessary," was all Kakashi said, before he pulled Sakura out of the unused room and went their way.

"Woah, that was fast" Naruto commented. Shikamaru shook his head and went the opposite direction with Naruto.

Hope you enjoyed.
Competition details!
Simply email me

Attach or write in your email to me your version of the next chapter.

This competition is only available until 15th June 2008. All submissions after that date will not be entertained.

The chapter can be according to how you want it to go, but most definitely do not stray Kakashi and Sakura away from each other.
There should be an included fight with Orochimaru.
No suggestive adult themes, (kissing allowed), but other than that no explicit scenes to be described.

There is no 100 guarantee that your story will be uploaded as you have written it, it will be edited by me but if I find the content suitable enough, I will leave it as it is.

The winner will be notified via email, and will be announced in the next chapter.

Any enquiries will be answered by sending me an email.

"You never know unless you try!"