A/N: Might I suggest two songs: Shirotsumekusa and Decision from Naruto. I had that playing back to back as I wrote the first half.

Just until you read the word "hi" and you can listen to whatever you please afterward. :)

Chapter warnings: sexual content. Skip if need be.

This chapter is dedicated to the kakasaku discord chat group.

Book II

Chapter 11: Her Second Chance

"They slipped briskly into an intimacy from which they never recovered." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

"Chidori."

Three seconds. She had precisely three seconds to figure out how to survive this.

'Watch his hand, Sakura.' she told herself repeatedly. Ten out of twelve times, she could catch it. When she had her strength. But despite the fact, she believed in herself. Watch his hand.

One.

A high-pitched howling wind came from her right. No... Instead of that damned hand, she watched with wide eyes as a silver blur came barreling towards her. No!

Two.

Horrified, he stood to her front. He didn't have enough chakra in him left to deflect it! What the hell was he thinking!? She couldn't let him do this!

Three.

On instinct, she stepped to his left and spun herself in front of him. False blue met onyx. And before she could do anything else, she felt her body rip apart. She couldn't scream. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't speak. Her nerves burned violently, but despite this, she willed herself to be strong. Through her will of fire, she forced her eyes to stay in his.

'I'll be okay.' she wanted to say, but the words weren't forming. The unbearable, piercing pain in her chest was absolutely blinding and she wanted nothing more than to just give in and close her eyes, but she knew she couldn't. Giving up was not an option. Unable to do anything else, she managed to place a hand on his chest and gave him a heartened smile as she painfully watched the parade of emotions flash behind his despondent, dark eyes.

"Ka...kashi." I'll protect you this time. Close your eyes.

She knew what he was seeing. And how she wished she could help him un-see this. How she wished she could shield him from the pain of their flawed and tragic world. His full lips parted in shock, pit-fall eyes that she had the pleasure of drowning in time and time again, were now looking at her in a way she'd never thought she'd see. He was breaking. She could see him breaking.

The clone melted away, the effects of his damaged nervous system catching up to him, and she felt gravity pull her downward. No, she needed to stand! He needed to see her strong. That she'd be okay. That they'd be okay! Unwillingly, she collapsed and found herself in his arms. With her head pillowed in his lap, she felt his shaking hands straining to heal her. She was so disappointed in herself. She needed to keep standing.

He called out her name and the desperation in his voice shattered her inside. Reddened obsidian were now focused on the gaping hole in her chest as he diligently fought to keep her alive. Desperately, she pleaded silently for him to look into her eyes instead.

"Kakashi." It'll be okay. We'll be okay. I'll fix this.

Sakura fruitlessly tried to unleash her seal and instead she found herself in a fit of coughs from the exertion. Shit, there were only two organs that couldn't be fully healed - the brain and heart. She guessed that her heart was probably a mangled piece of tissue at this point if she couldn't self-heal. How she still alive, she had no idea. Except she did know. Her reason for living was determinedly hovering over her tirelessly trying to save her life.

This beautiful, wonderful man who wanted to be hers. From the apples of his cheeks she was so well acquainted with, the straight of his nose, his soft, full lips, his determined eyes that made her believe in things she never could've fathomed - she burned his every feature to memory, hoping it would leave a lasting imprint on her soul.

"... Kakashi." with the last of her strength, she cupped his cheek. I won't leave you.

Blinding spots obscured her vision as she fought to stay conscious. She struggled to keep him in her line of sight, but soon blackness invaded her. Let me look into his eyes one last time.

Then she was falling.

Falling.

Falling.

Please, give us more time. Gods, please give us time.

Please... please, don't let this break him.

She found herself submerged in soothing, clear water as a warm, white haze shined above her. Comforting, inviting, safe. Jōdo. The Pure Land. She was at the precipice of heaven and there was no more pain. There was no chaos or destruction. There was so much... peace. And the promise of her soul at peace was overwhelming.

But down below in the dark blue depths of the calm sea washing over her, she could feel him. As if their souls were intertwined, she could feel his soul pull at her. But it was more than that. More than sadness. What she felt from him was pure sorrow.

And in turn, she felt her spirit ache with longing. Like a bird without wings. Like the moon without the sun. Like a woman living without the chance to love, she was incomplete.

And despite the wonderful absolution that filled her as she gazed up at the warm hue from up above, she felt complete when she was with him. He was her perfection amidst a broken reality.

I want to be where ever he is.

Suddenly, she found herself tumbling through pure color – the exact celestial shades of the sun, the sea, cherry blossoms in the spring, the orange hues of twilight that shined on her homeland, the dark obsidian of his eyes - all were blending and intermixing as if on canvas. She fell through the artistry painted by the gods, and soon, she found herself sitting on her knees before a familiar strong back that was currently slouched over... something. It was him.

How... was this possible?

She gasped, but air didn't fill her lungs. Hesitantly, she reached out a hand out to his back, but she felt nothing. Peering over his shoulder, she watched in horror as his frantic hands tried to revive her lifeless body. Sakura felt sickened as she stared at her corpse – her skin was ghostly pale, the wound on her chest was overflowing with red, murky liquid and he was covered in it. His hands were drenched in her blood.

With a sense of urgency, her corporeal form floated to his front, and what she saw broke her spirit. His lips were set in a hard line, the corners of his eyes were crimson and the onset of tears brimmed his lower lid threatening to fall. He looked manic. Crazed. As if he were hanging on his last thread of sanity.

'I'm right here!' she tried to say, but there was no sound. She was right here, and he couldn't see her! He needed her and he couldn't see her! She had to get back into her body now. How cruel was it to send her back to simply watch him suffer. It was excruciating to not be able to wrap her arms around him and take the hurt away. To reassure him that she was right next to him and that she wasn't going to leave. She had to fix this!

But what could she do? What could she do?

Sakura was left with no other option.

With the heaviness of her yearning soul, she desperately began to pray. She prayed to ease his pain. She prayed for a better life for him. She prayed for a second chance to give that to him. If only she had a second chance, she'd make it right. She'd do right this time.

And in response, the weeping, white-bark tree began to illuminate. Like a song that only she could hear, the melody of its electric energy lulled her close, her soul transfixed on its vibrant green glow. Green. The color was familiar, inviting, healing. It struck her. Healing. It was the exact glowing tint of healing chakra.

Quickly, she bridged the gap between him and the mystical tree, and like a conduit, she pressed her transparent hand to it with the other on his back. She continued to pray while allowing the energies to pass through her and into him.

'Please, let this work.' she pleaded to the unknown behind the veil.

She was an idiot. To think, the strong woman she became who blindly thought she was in charge of her every emotion, was actually living in complete denial. It was madness to think she just started developing feelings for him two weeks ago.

She spent her nights in his comfort. She worried about him till it made her sick and it compulsively brought her pounding at his door step time and time again. She wore his clothing because she missed his smell. He was the first person she wanted to see, to talk to, to share her accomplishments with. And he was the first person she wanted to curl up to after a trying day. He'd listen, unwind with her, make her laugh and she'd easily make him laugh without any real effort on her part. She tried to reason that it was because he was just one of her precious people. And he was precious to her, but at some point, she began to need him.

Everyone was right. Ino, her patients, Pakkun, her Shishou and even he tried to tell her.

This had started way before the mission was even assigned. She was so blind. So very blind.

To her amazement, a miracle happened. Their bodies began to glow in tandem with the tree. She could feel the chakra she was feeding him circulate throughout his body, spreading to his now glowing fingertips. To her astonishment, the gaping hole in the middle of her still body began to close. She watched in faith as her cells regenerated and her skin mended without the slightest trace of a blemish. The middle of her soul started to spark with warmth, and with a grateful heart, she closed her eyes. There was hope. She had hope.

She had no idea when it began, but if she had a guess, it would be somewhere around the time when it didn't matter if it was his apartment or hers. If they were in the village, or out on some dangerous, ridiculous mission. He became her home. Her bed was where he laid. It took going to the gates of heaven to realize he was her greatest gift in life.

The diamond seal on her forehead activated, but not because of her wounds. It was due to the overflowing power unbalancing and renewing her system. Black markings danced across her skin, down her face, arms and chest. She watched as her dyed, raven hair transformed back to soft, wavy pink. Her body began to flush again with life.

Like the worn and tattered pages of a used book, he read her story, graced his fingertips on every line of her spirit and embraced the words that comprised of her soul.

He didn't just know her. He experienced her. He stood by her side, took her in at her worst, and in turn, she gave him her best. He made her better. She use to think that falling in love was like completing the other half of her soul, but little did she know, real love wasn't like that. He reminded her, time and time again, that she was already whole to begin with. And he embraced all that made her, her.

If the gods gave her this second chance, she wouldn't waste their favor. She would live it. Embrace it. She would fight tooth and nail to keep it. He was her blessing in their world of sin. He was her faith because he gave her a reason to believe.

She loved him.

Sakura opened her emerald eyes. "Hi."

With trembling breath, he gently gazed down at her. Blood-coated hands stroked her flushed cheek featherlight with absolute care, afraid if he did anything more, she'd disappear.

"Hi." his voice was raspy and coarse as he greeted her, a broken smile in his eyes.

And in perfect silence, they both caressed one another, memorizing their features with renewed appreciation. Silent, grateful tears filled her eyes. She could touch him. She could feel him. This was her second chance.

Sakura dragged a padded thumb across the bottom of his lip before hooking a hand behind his neck. She looked searchingly into his eyes, and with a soul that now understood how it felt to be truly thankful, she gently pulled him into a kiss. And it was absolutely awe-inspiring. There was a definite purity in the way her lips graced his. Without any lingering doubt. Without question. She simply kissed him the way he deserved. After how much the gods had taken from him, and how he chose to stay on the path of righteousness when so many others had fallen to the dark, he deserved so much. He deserved to be loved. So she kissed him with the love that filled her soul for him with the every hope that he could feel it. She needed him to feel it.

Her soft tongue traced his lower lip, silently asking permission for entrance and he uninhibitedly opened to her. Their tongues were ravenous, stroking and tasting one another as if it were their first and last time. And he tasted like divinity. Her fingers found the hem of his damp shirt and she pulled it upward as she sat up, momentarily breaking contact to slip the tunic over his head. She moved forward to kiss him again, and he moved his head back and looked at her. He really looked at her. His deep onyx began to flash with emotions she couldn't pin point, and she began to feel apprehensive. Was he shutting down? Was he going to push her away? Was it her turn to convince him that she was the right decision for him?

Silently answering her questions, he began to undress her. Slowly and with careful precision. There was no mistaking it now. He was looking at her as if he were starving. With hunger in his eyes, he slipped her dress off. Then her bra. Steady fingers removed her shorts and panties. And his eyes never left hers. They bore into her, penetrated, and stroked her love with insatiable care. As she slipped her shoes off, he took the time to remove the last of his clothing. And there they stood in front of one another naked, dirtied, bloodied, and simply human.

The eternal black fire continued to burn in the background, the humid heat of the jungle coated over their sweat slicked skin, but the fire burning between their naked bodies was so palpable, it was almost unbearable. He stood with his cock erect as he continued to stare at her with possessed, feral eyes. Slowly, he approached and enveloped her little body with his large one, holding her in his fierce, tight grasp. She released a pleasured moan as he began to kiss her salty, sweet skin starting from her shoulder, across her collar bone, up the line of her long neck and finally, with a deep inhale, he brutally pressed his lips to hers as he breathed her in. It was powerful, the majesty of his deep kiss and it filled her to the brim. His velvety tongue plunged into her mouth and she let him in without resistance. He vigorously licked her. Sucked. Consumed.

Her body was so tightly wound, nails began to claw at his back, urging him to take her. The wet desperation pooling between her thighs was agonizing. She needed him now. He growled in the back of his throat when she finally broke his skin with her fervent fingers. Without warning, he hands gripped the plump flesh of her ass and hoisted her up, urging her to wrap her thick, muscular thighs around his waist. Her soaking, hot slit blanketed over his hard shaft and he began to grind against her, coating his cock with her heavenly juices.

She mewed and writhed with impatience as his warm mushroom tip slowly rubbed against her sensitive clit. The unbearable ache spread throughout her body to her toes and she tried to express her need for him through her kiss. She didn't want to be teased. She didn't want to be taken slow or gentle. She wanted him to brutally ride her body until she was completely spent. She bit his bottom lip and pulled, dragging her teeth across his skin when he slammed her against the white-bark tree. Gasping against his lips upon impact, she realized that there would be no foreplay and that he was going to give her body exactly what she craved.

Breaking contact with her lips, they both looked downward as he positioned his throbbing cock at her sopping, inviting entrance. The tip of his shaft tormented her outer lips before he savagely thrust into her. But it was slow and not by his choice. He inhaled with a hiss as he forced himself into her impossibly tight, hot channel. With bated breath, they watched as he disappeared inside her, inch by glorious inch, until he was fully sheathed to the hilt. They both groaned in sheer bliss and he pressed his forehead to hers. Shit, the sting of him stretching and filling her felt exquisite.

Without giving her body the chance to fully accommodate the invasion of his thick girth, he pulled out and thrust back into her with such force her small body jerked upward. Sakura moaned, the bark of the tree bit into the flesh of her back, but she didn't care. Not when her whole body felt like it was burning.

And again, he pulled out to the tip and slammed back into her. Kakashi continued to violently pound into her tight pussy in primal abandon. His lips crashed onto hers, dominating and taking whatever he could from her willing body. She dragged her nails down his back, his strong, defined muscles flexing and twitching under her touch. Their sounds of bodies viciously slapping echoed as he impaled his cock into her sex over and over and over again. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.

She let out a low, long moan as she felt a painful intensity build up inside. She felt helpless. Dangling dangerously at the highest peak of never-ending, agonizing pleasure. Her body demanded release. She was so fucking close.

With an animalistic low growl, he roughly grabbed her fervently bouncing breast and brought the nipple into his searing hot mouth as he feasted on her. Her back arched as he swirled his warm tongue around her pink areola before biting the soft globe with blunt teeth. Her every nerve was on fire, begging for completion. The coiling in her stomach was demanding, insistent, pushing her to the brink of insanity, and she couldn't do fucking anything to relieve herself from this ceaseless plateau. She was trembling, her body tethering between death and glorious life, and with a violent deep thrust, she cried out his name as she came hard. Like flood gates opening, she came all over his cock.

He intently watched her beautiful face in pure rapture with focused eyes. Her pulsating walls convulsed fiercely and her whole body shuddered uncontrollably against him. But he didn't stop. He drove into her harder and harder. Faster and faster. She was forced ride the wave of her orgasm through his unforgiving pace.

"More." he demanded in a coarse voice.

He curved his delicious hips low to stretch her deep, ensuring that his pulsating rod slid across her g-spot with each ruthless stroke. Over and over and over again. She kissed the sides of his face, his neck, his shoulder, every inch of skin she could taste. His calloused fingers dug into her bottom while the other teased and tweaked her rigid nipples. His stiff manhood was relentless. Insatiable. He mercilessly pounded into her as if he wanted to ensure that she knew that it was his hard cock that brought her to ecstasy. Again and again and again. She couldn't even pause to think, let alone count how any times she came. Each wave of euphoria fed off one another, overwhelming her without violation. She was finished, her body stinging and shivering with intense pleasure. She didn't know how much more she could take. He began to grunt with each harsh thrust. His ravenous, hot thickness was about to send her into another climax when she felt him pump into her in frenzied, uneven abandon. He was close. But she was closer.

She screamed out his name as bliss washed throughout her body in giant waves. Her walls fluttered around his cock and he thrust into her once. Twice. Three times, before groaning as he violently came in her, viciously filling her up with his hot seed. He was breathing hard into her neck, slowly stroking into her till his very last drop was spent. Sakura wrapped her arms around him to hold him close as her whole body quivered against him.

This was her definition of romance. Their naked bodies covered in dirt, blood and sweat. The adrenaline coursing through their veins from diligently trying to protect one another. And in her arms, alive and safe, was the strong shinobi she loved. The two ways she dreamed of pledging the rest of her life to another; a proposal in front of her precious people, which he already provided, or bloodied on the battlefield. Because this was their truth – the harsh reality of their occupation, but there was beauty. There was no greater beauty than devoting one's life to protecting something they loved and surviving together. And the man shaking against her was her truth. He was her beauty. He was someone she wanted to protect most of all.

After several days of night, the sun began to peak over the horizon. As the warm light softly touched the desolate land, the everlasting fire faded away, smoke began to rise high into the clouds and the burned wildlife began to renew with life. But none of this mattered, because she could feel him trace the pattern of her seals on her arm.

In the sunlight, she kissed the side of his damp temple, before taking two fingers and lifting his strong chin to meet her eyes, and she saw what she didn't expect.

Onyx bled into emerald. His brows furrowed. She could see the quiet pain in his eyes. And she understood him on a spiritual level. The primal desire to replace her lifeless, injured body with her expression in complete rapture was what he wanted. To see her alive and in pleasure because of him, instead of the broken image of her at death's threshold... She understood.

And she would give him what he wanted for as long as he would let her. The perfection of him amidst a broken reality. Between her shinobi and absolution, she would choose him time and time again. Leaning down, she placed her lips on his in a gentle kiss - comforting and consoling his tattered soul with her light. She tried to take his pain, anguish and his broken pieces and mend it with her warmth. And he kissed her with the profound honesty of a vulnerable man.

Still seated deep inside her womanhood, she felt him stretch her once more. The exhaustion from her body was replaced by her all-consuming desire for him. He moved her from the tree and laid her gently atop a soft, small pile of blue, violet and thistle leaves on the ground. She opened her legs wide to fit his large body to hers as he laid on top of her small, lithe frame. Looking deeply into her emerald eyes, he slowly took his time and made love to her.

With each languid stroke, he poured himself into her. His fear. His consuming need. His every silent prayer that tortured his wrecked mind. Dark obsidian pierced her eyes as he thrust into her with such tenderness it made her ache inside. He affectionately caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, ghosted his fingertips across her brow, down the bridge of her nose, and lightly over her lips. With unspoken promises in his eyes, he leaned down and kissed her. Soft. Gentle.

He touched her with unhurried hands. Everywhere. And like his meticulous nature, he was learning her. The erogenous spot on her neck that made her bite her lip and clench tight around his cock. How she arched her back and moaned ravenously when he palmed and kneaded her sensitive breasts. How she mewed when he sucked her skin, but cried out in pleasure when he used his teeth.

And in turn, she learned that he shuddered when she chewed on the soft lobe of his ear. He groaned each time she laced her fingers in his silvery hair and pulled. And when she used her tongue to lick the salty skin of his neck and sucked, he would thrust into her deeper.

A coiling in the pits of her belly burned as she felt herself being brought closer and closer to ecstasy. Her small hands gripped the swell of his ass, urging him to increase the pace of his slow thrusting. But with a deep growl, he determinedly penetrated her with languid strokes and she couldn't take it. She was at the threshold of release and she needed to feel more of him. In an instant, she trapped him within her strong thighs and flipped him onto his back. With hands on his defined, taut chest, she lazily sat on his dick and they both groaned in pleasure. And slowly, she lifted herself up and the intense pleasure he brought her forced her to bite her lip hard from crying out as she came back down on him. He penetrated her so deliciously deep from this angle, she needed to feel more. Sakura began to mercilessly ride him.

He smirked, thrusting upward as she bounced on his cock, "Impatient, are we?"

And she smirked at him right back. Her hands laced into his as she pulled him to sit up against her chest.

"I missed you." she confessed as she sensually rolled and twisted her hips.

With warmth and profound appreciation in his eyes, he touched his forehead to hers, "I missed you."

They continued to look into each other's eyes as she rode him. His hands cupped her bottom, helping to quicken her pace as he eagerly drove up into her. Hooking her arms behind his neck, she could feel herself being pushed to the edge, and again, she felt the build up inside her rise and rise and fucking rise. He groaned her name as powerful rapture shook her entire body so fiercely, she felt resurrected. Floating on the euphoric high his body gave hers, she was sure there wasn't anything in this world or the next that could feel this perfect.

His whole body tensed, sweat beaded down his forehead and she knew that he was at the brink. She ruthlessly clenched her muscles that surrounded him, and with a roar, he spilled deep into her womanhood. She continued to ride him until she felt his strained muscles finally relax.

And finally, they were complete. Breathing deeply, they held onto one another in the sunlight at the base of the enchanted tree, and nothing, save for the softness and warmth of his skin, mattered to her.

This was faith. Her beautiful shinobi trembling in her arms.

Laying in the glowing aftermath of post-coital bliss, he sighed as her calloused fingers took up her habit of tracing soft circles above his heart. A simple gesture she had done probably over a hundred times in the last year, but today, it had new meaning for him. And despite the fact that he had just made love to his kunoichi for the first time, he couldn't shake this... worry ebbing his thoughts.

Certainly, all the events that led up to this point were unexpected. He was a precise person by nature, and naturally he thought of every consequence. It was the reason why he was able to remain calm in almost every situation. He knew what steps he needed to take and what possible deviations may arise. And the magic surrounding them was not what was... worrying him. Not really. Not when he experienced something that truly shook his world.

Chidori. He created this technique with one sole purpose; to make himself strong enough to protect. And he was left helpless to watch as his own power threatened to tear her away from him. He was taken completely by surprise because that consequence, losing her, was never a possibility. And he didn't understand why when it was obvious. Shinobi physically put themselves on the line. But why couldn't recognize the fact that he could one day lose-

He couldn't even finish the thought.

Because he didn't want to. He couldn't even begin to fathom it. Because he believed that she could take care of herself, and on the rare occasion his help was required, he believed that he could protect her. And then he didn't. He couldn't protect her and it shocked him. The moment her eyes closed and she stopped breathing, he realized one thing – what he felt for her was very dangerous. To the point that it clouded up his usual rational mind.

The cold crept inside the deepest depths of his mind and it had a name. Fear. Kakashi was afraid. It was the type of fear that lingered. That would deprive one of sleep and popped up during random parts of the day when there was simply a pause.

He wasn't sure if this was real or not, her laying next to him safe and sound, but he was positive about one thing. He was afraid to lose her. And he didn't think he could... choose to survive this time if he had. Realistically, it wasn't possible. He saw the gaping hole in her chest where her heart should've been, and he certainly did not have enough chakra to do the impossible, but here she was unscathed and now kissing the side of his neck, mewing like cat in need of attention.

He forced himself out of his thoughts and smiled down at her. With a mischievous smirk, she climbed on top of his large body, laid down on his length and pillowed her head with her forearms as she looked at him with playful eyes.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Caressing the satin skin of her back with his fingertips, he gave her a lazy smile, "No need to use your wealth on me."

She rolled her eyes, "Says the person who let me buy almost every meal the last decade."

"Ah, let me emphasize, you did say almost."

There was a pause. And then she leaned forward and bit chin.

And for him, there was no pause. Kakashi pinched her ass in retaliation.

He chuckled as she squealed, her soft body squirming on top of him. He never would've guessed what she did next in a million years. In revenge, Sakura straddled him around his middle and brushed the back of her hand tentatively against his side as if experimenting. Unwillingly, his body shuddered, but it was very slight. Hardly noticeable to anyone, but she wasn't just anyone. Suddenly, she unleashed her fingers and began to relentlessly tickle him.

Kakashi laughed in complete surprise. This, he also did not expect.

"You can.." pant, "stop..." grunt, "now." he tried to squirm out of her solid grasp on him.

"Do you surrender?"

Overcome with laughter, he held up his hands in defeat and she stopped her attack to hear his answer, "To you? Never."

Those were apparently the wrong words to say. She brought her hands to his neck and he began to convulse. "Sakura, this is really unnecessary." he managed to croak out in the middle of his giggling fit.

"Really? I find it completely necessary." she grinned down at the pile of goo that use to be Hatake Kakashi, "Surrender!" she demanded.

He had enough. In one fluid movement, he flipped her onto her back and kissed her deeply in the hopes of taming her fiery spirit for just a moment so he could catch his breath. But then she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, and again, he was caught breathless by her.

She pulled away and the vixen gazed up at him in mischief as she stroked the side of his cheek with her thumb.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he tried to sound amused, but there was a lingering hesitancy in his voice.

"No more tickling. I promise."

"Well, that's a relief."

"For now."

He dipped his head down and affectionately began to leave open mouthed kisses to her shoulder, "I'll take it."

"As long as you talk to me."

He brought his head back and gave her perplexed expression. Weren't they talking already?

"Fine. I'll talk." she conceded with a feigning, dramatic sigh, "It isn't your fault." she said the heartfelt words she always wanted to say to him.

He cleared his throat uncomfortably, "What isn't my fault?"

"If you have to ask now, you'll eventually understand one day."

That made him smile, "I always knew you'd eventually share my fondness for riddles."

Of course, he knew what she meant. He wasn't that socially inept. But he didn't think it was the right time to talk about it.

"There's no better time than the present." she replied to his thoughts as she twirled a lock of his silvery hair with her finger.

He frowned. No, that wasn't correct. He had other things on his mind he could better spend his time on. Like her lips, or the watching the gentle heave of her exposed breasts and so many other little, ingenious things he wanted to do with her body. After all, she was indeed lying naked underneath him.

He didn't want to talk about his worries or things he came to terms with a long time ago.

"Did you, really?" she questioned in an omniscient tone.

And Kakashi was beginning to feel annoyed, now completely understanding how she felt when he used his natural intuition against her. With a deep, profound sigh, he laid on his back and pulled her to his strong chest.

"Let's talk." he surrendered to her.

"I'm not going to bring up your past," she declared, "but I want you to understand that, without you, I wouldn't be here."

"You stepped in front of me."

"You stepped in front of me first."

He couldn't help but think that she should've left it as that. She shouldn't have tried to protect him.

"Oh, that's rich coming from you."

"I didn't say anything." he cocked his head curiously. She was getting rather good at this.

"But you thought it. I know you did! Of course, I'd try to protect you. And I'd do it over again if I have-"

"It's my jo-"

"No. It isn't your job to sa-"

"I understand that you don't need saving, Sakura, but you have to understand that if the situation arises, I need you to liv-"

"I need you to live, too! If you think I can just go on witho-"

"But I'm here. You're here. And that's all that matters."

Grinning like she just won a prize, Sakura inched her way upward and placed an small kiss to his cheek before snuggling into his chest, "Exactly."

What... just happened?

The little minx. She was truly learning how to best him at his own game.

"You're impossible." he said the words she so often repeated to him.

"I aim to please." she wrapped an arm around his middle and she held him tight, "I just wanted to make sure you understand that. This, what we have right now, it's all that matters."

… there was nothing in her statement he could deny. The beautiful, selfless kunoichi cuddled to his side – this was real. Their easy, comfortable of banter. Their special intimacy of knowing exactly what the other was thinking. The emotional growth they each learned from one another throughout the years. The precise way her little body molded to his as if she were made for him. And he had a feeling she just very well may be - this was what mattered.

He turned to his side and kissed her deeply, pouring into her lips his newfound worries as she inspired him. He vowed in silence to take his weakness, his fear, and use them the only way he knew how – he would better himself. He would not fail her. He would become stronger. Lifting her leg and placing her knee high on his narrow hip, he slipped his hard shaft into her soft, silken folds in attempts to show her how much this mattered to him. To prove himself to her. And to surround himself by her delicious comfort. He groaned into her mouth, enjoying how her hot, sweet pussy fit him like a glove and insatiably sucked him back inside her with each long stroke. He never felt anything more marvelous than being inside her.

She began to suck his tongue, moving her head back and forth as if her lips were wrapped around his cock and he continued to vow to himself that he'd spend the rest of his lifetime learning her body – fucking her pussy, her modest full tits, her mouth. He couldn't wait to spend hours feasting on her sex with his tongue. Kakashi began to pump his manhood into her in earnest, his low hanging sack slapping against her cheeks with each thrust.

When she moaned, his current fragile frame of mind was soothed piece by piece. When she writhed in his arms, he could feel his body physically strengthen. And when she called out his name in pure rapture – the image of her brows furrowed, mouth agape in a perfect 'o' shape, the way her whole body tensed and how her drenched walls engulfing him fluttered tight trying to milk his cock - he realized he had a new obsession. Kakashi vowed to become stronger to ensure he'd spend the rest of his days bringing his kunoichi, his woman to ecstasy.

Sakura closed her eyes as she restored her seal, but something felt distinctly... off. She knew the buzz of her energy like the back of her hand, and the energy circulating through her wasn't the same. It felt lighter. Open. Pure. Then again, healing chakra always felt like that when coursing through her hands, but not when she wasn't using it. Could Kakashi feel it, too? Observing his mannerisms, to the naked eye he looked quite normal, but she could see his eyes dart a little more frequently to his hands.

Perhaps she needed to tell him – what happened when she was between their worlds. But not right now. She couldn't worry him quite yet. At least, not until they reached their destination.

Sakura reached out her hand and he gave her a quizzical smile before taking it in his. Dressed in their spare clothing, the pair held hands as they walked away from the enchanted tree, following a path of sand down the mountain side.

"You dropped this sometime during the fight." Sakura handed him his glasses from her satchel.

"I was looking for those." he gave her an appreciative smile as he put them on.

"Were you, really?"

"Not entirely. No."

"Let's hope no one recognizes me. I'm pretty sure there isn't a stream around here for me to dye my hair."

"That's good news to hear."

She glared at him, "Hey, I didn't look too bad as a brunette."

"I agree. Bad isn't exactly the right description I'd use." she squeezed his hand a little tighter, but he didn't take heed to her warning, "Strange, or perhaps unusual-"

She arched her free hand back to hit him, but he suddenly stopped in his tracks midway down the mountain, causing her to stop. She watched as he turned his head to the side and sniffed the air.

Strange and unusual was right. There was an unmistakeable scent in the air. Salty. Clear. He could smell sand different from the Kazekage's. And he could hear the repetitive sounds of waves in the distance.

Nearing the bottom, Kakashi practically pulled her to where his nose was guided him until they stood in a thicket of tall coconut trees in front of a large beach. The sand was almost stark white and looked soft to touch. The water was clear for what seemed like miles and the cerulean of its color shined brightly against the sun.

"An ocean." she spoke in awe as she unbelievingly observed the waves softly crash in the distance.

They steadily approached the beach with caution. It was almost desolate, save for a little blur of something in the distance.

"Sakura-san!" a monotonous voice called out to her from behind.

They quickly turned around to see Gaara emerging from the trees. The Kazekage looked a bit... different was the word. He was in a white, loose tunic and matching... shorts. And he was barefooted. But he still managed to make his simple casual wear look rather sophisticated.

"You made it."

"Gaara-sama" she greeted as she gave him a false smile before trying to kick him in the shin. "You could have warned us!" she yelled.

Not purposely, his sand appeared from a miniature gourd around his waist and immediately blocked her foot, "I take it your travel didn't go as planned?"

"Not exactly." Kakashi confessed with wry grin, "But we're here."

"Barely!"

The Kazekage gave them an awkward smile before reaching out a hand, "I'm not sure we've met. I'm Gaara, Kazekage of Suna."

The white-haired man looked pleased with himself as he shook the outstretched hand. "I think I've heard of you before."

"You've got to be kidding me." Sakura scoffed, "White hair? Scar on the eye?"

"What scar?"

Kakashi grinned as he straightened his glasses for show. "I don't plan on making it a habit of saying 'I told you so', but I think I just might have to-"

"It's Kakashi." she glared, emerald slits darting between the two idiots.

Gaara's sea green orbs opened wide in realization. Without his mask, he looked like an entirely different person! The white hair was familiar... and the glasses seemed to conceal the man's most noticeable features. It was a very well thought out disguise. Sakura, on the other hand, looked exactly the same, "Apologies, Kakashi-san. Your disguise is very convincing."

Kakashi gave one last satisfied smile Sakura's way before turning his attention back to the redhead, "No worries, I get that quite often."

"It's a good thing you don't need a disguise here, Sakura." Gaara commented to the seething woman. "The people of this village have no knowledge of our side of the world."

"Our side of the world?" Kakashi reiterated.

"I'll explain further once we get you settled in."

"So the villagers don't know about the war." she stated in airy surprise.

The redhead shook his head in affirmation.

"Great news. That means you don't have to dye your hair." Kakashi exclaimed with even more amusement than he intended.

Before she could bite her reply, a deep, heavy bark distracted their attentions. To their left in the far distance was a massive black dog larger than Akamaru. No, not a dog. Its chubby features, smushed snout and clumsy movements marked him as a puppy. A giant puppy, with floppy ears, long pointed tail and huge, bear-like paws. And it seemed to be a chasing a tiny speck of a thing.

"Perfect timing. Before I show you to where you'll be staying, I'd like to introduce you to someone." the Kazekage smiled genuinely, "Hiruko-chan!" he called out.

The tiny speck came into clear vision as a small, slightly chubby boy, probably no taller than Kakashi's knee came tottering over. He wore blue corduroy overalls and a white undershirt that was covered in sand. An oversized orange beanie swallowed the top of his head with a wavy mop of snow white hair peaking out at the sides. And his large, almond eyes were the exact shade of deep emerald that glittered with a bit of color. Kakashi could see the flushed skin on his full, cherub cheeks and button nose were starting to burn from the intense sun shining down on them. Kakashi frowned.

"Hiruko-chan, meet Sakura-san and Kakashi-san. They'll be your protectors for the next couple months."

Shyly, the little boy offered them a sheepish smile as he waved a pudgy hand, "Hi." he greeted in a gravely, rasped voice.

The size of the boy was a little concerning. Was he two? Three? There was a question bothering his throat and Kakashi thought it was better to ask now than to wait for later, "Is he potty-trained?"

The little boy's face instantly scrunched up in a sour expression as if this was a touchy subject to talk about. He began to mutter under his breath as he played with his fingers, and with bitterness in his bright green eyes, he kicked at the ground a few times.

"What?" Gaara asked unsure if that was really the question he heard.

But it was. And it was a valid question. Kakashi repeated, "Is he potty-trained?"

Finally, the little white-haired boy abandoned his grumbling to point a chubby, indignant finger towards the white-haired man, "Are YOU potty-trained?!"

The left of his eyebrow began to twitch and he could hear Sakura stifling a laugh. Oh, no. There was another one. Another little Naruto.

A/N:

:) And scene.

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