Note!- I promised naked Kakashi and muffins, then realized they weren't for a couple more chapters- so I gave you guys an Omake! (gah it was fun to write XD) so please, if you've already read this feel free to skip down to the bottom and enjoy Kakashi... and the muffins!
-If you like(d) the Omake please Review to let me know, and I'll start adding them (quite fun hehe)
Soo... I wasn't going to write another chapter for a whole week, but I felt like I owed you guys so here you go! Oh, and it was going to be longer but it was just the perfect spot to leave you hanging (go Cliffies!)
Enjoy, R&R~
Soon enough after his arrival, Duke Orochimaru had all of the pages and squires summoned to have their Chakra levels tested. It was said that even those who tried to conceal their chakra couldn't hide it from him, and that he always found out whatever he wanted from them. Sakura didn't know how people could be so calm about such an invasion of privacy, but she let it go. She only hoped and prayed to the Gods that if this were true, he wouldn't find out that she was a girl.
She was, luckily, one of the last to be called upon for testing. Wiping a sweaty brow she entered the Dukes office and couldn't help but be slightly amazed at the sight before her. Rows upon rows of books pertaining to magic and spells lined the shelves, as well as books on the fighting arts and war strategy. Beautiful tapestries hung from one wall to her left, and in the very center was a magnificent dark mahogany stained desk weathered from age. Behind that desk sat Orochimaru, reading a scroll seemingly oblivious to his surroundings. His assistant, Kabuto, was nowhere to be seen, and that alone took the edge off of Sakura's anxiety.
Before she said anything, she took a minute to study the man that everyone was so entranced by. His skin was unearthly pale and it seemed to glow from beneath the light amber tunic her wore, with its darker brown sleeveless over robe. While he wasn't sickly looking, it was more like skin that the sun hadn't dared to touch, out of either fear or respect. His jaw was chiseled and squared in a handsome way that framed thin lips and high cheekbones. The most stunning thing, Sakura concluded, or almost frightening, was his eyes. They were light amber and matched his tunic, and they seemed to go deep into his soul and it off put her slightly.
Those alone would have been beautiful but for some reason, as she studied him, she realized that his pupils were slits like that of a cat, or any other predatory animal. She knew from her own studies that people of great power that had mastered their chakra and expanded beyond the realm of believable and could have their eyes altered on them, as it tended to reflect the kind of person that wielded such a deadly force. As Sakura took in those snake like eyes, she shivered at what that could possibly be reflecting about him.
He looked up to her then, and she brushed aside the thoughts she shouldn't be having as she took her seat in front of him. She folded her hands in her lap demurely, every one of her nerves on end. The action was just that, though, an action. Secretly she was holding her hands tight and giving them something to do so she didn't fidget. She hadn't come this far in her work to be caught and sent home.
"I understand that you used your chakra to heal my cousin Naruto of the sickness." He started lightly, testing her waters.
"Sir Asuma and Shikamaru helped guide me, your Grace." He seemed to twitch slightly at the formal reply, but went on.
"It must have taken an ample amount of chakra from you, not to mention the responsibility. You took a great risk."
"My village healing woman, Shizune, had trained me in everything that she knew. I did what I could, and I did sleep for three whole days afterwards. It really drained me." She studied his expressions, finding them hard to read. She could at least make out that he truly did believe that Shikamaru, with his father's influence, and Sir Asuma, with his years of experience, had guided her in her path to healing the young prince. For that she could only be eternally grateful to her friend for not saying anything. She had the feeling she wouldn't like it if the Duke came across the truth of what had happened.
"Well at least I don't have to ask you any useless questions." His chuckle came out in wheezes reminiscent of a hissing snake. "We already know you have the gift, and in quite the abundance. So you learned from your village healing woman?"
"Yes, she taught me and my good friend Gaara although my father didn't know about it. He was… adverse to the idea of us learning magic. I don't think he'd like it if he found I was learning it here."
"Then we won't tell him. So what about your friend Gaara then? I don't think I've heard the name." Sakura shifted uncomfortably. She was extremely protective of her friend-like brother, and she really didn't want to tell this creep anything about him.
"Not much to say, your Grace. He was raised in my village, and when I came here to become a knight he went off to the Fire Temple cloisters to train his own gift. He likes peace and healing, I like fighting." She rubbed her head absentmindedly. As she had been speaking, an ache had started in her temples that was only getting worse. She tried not to let it affect her temper.
Why was he staring at her like that? It was almost bewitching in a sense, and she found she really didn't like it.
"Naruto speaks highly of you, Sakura of Haruno." The duke looked at the jeweled rod in his hands and rolled it back and forth as he spoke. Her headache was turning into a throb and inside her mind it felt like someone was trying to get in. Her anger spiked and she drove her fury-fuelled energy at the invasion.
"We're friends, your Grace." She smiled but it came out tight lipped and she hoped he didn't notice.
"Mn, Itachi also speaks highly of you. It seems you are well liked by many people." Inside Sakura cringed. She didn't know that her training master thought that way, but she couldn't take any comfort in it because if they knew the truth about her, they wouldn't have anything good to say about her at all. A rosy blush covered her cheeks in shame, and she let the duke assume it was from the praise. "Your Grace is very kind." She replied.
Oh god, the pain was unbearable. Get out! She screamed in her head subconsciously as she herself didn't even know the internal battle against the invisible force was taking place.
Suddenly Sakura blinked as the pain abated, and she realized she could look away from his eyes. She didn't even know when the duke had captured her attention, but he had and a cold sweat broke out on her back. "I'm not often kind, Sakura." Orochimaru said after settling his attention on a sheaf of papers. "Well, I suppose I learned what I needed to know. You are dismissed, and make sure to be to class on time." With that his charming demeanor was back in place as if nothing had disconcerted him only moments ago.
With shaking legs she rose as swiftly as she could, bowed, and retreated from the room telling herself that she was not running from the duke. There was something off about him, that was for sure, but did she really have anything to be afraid about? Yamato was waiting for her outside, having heard the rumors about the duke. He was even more worried than she that the sorcerer would find out the young girl's secret.
Sakura wasn't expecting him, and she didn't ask how he knew to be there, but she was thankful in her own way as she leaned against him for comfort. Over the last two years she had learned that it was almost impossible to keep anything from the palace servants.
"Maybe I'm losing my mind, but it felt like a lot more went on in there than a conversation" she said as she rubbed her head again, still feeling the ache from the earlier bombardment.
Yamato looked around and then pulled her into an empty side room. "Because maybe it did. I heard that Orochimaru can hold your will and make it his own, along with a slew of other wonderful things like that." He whispered, worry showing in his eyes. "They say that he can reach into your mind and make you say what he wants to hear, unless you're defended. Not even the strongest of minds can keep him out without help, unless there's a wall he can't reach over."
The pain had awoken her temper and she snapped at him. "I don't know of any such magic, but he didn't learn anything out of me that I didn't want him to. Of that, I am positive."
"Well, that only leaves two options. Your chakra is stronger than his," he paused. "Or you're protected by the Gods." He shut up quickly as she whirled to face him head on.
It was just too much for her, and she erupted into a fit of giggles. Gods, and her? Protected? Or even better yet, her stronger than the most powerful mage? Sakura slapped the older man on the back as her eyes water and she tried to contain herself. "Have you been drinking again? Oh you really can spin a good one sometimes."
He just looked at her, no trace of amusement in his features. "Laugh all you want, my Lady I'm just an ignorant old man at arms. But if it's so funny, why do you look as if you've been pulled through the ringer?"
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
A letter came, early in the fall and Sakura hastily opened the note which held no return address.You've been looking for a horse I hear, was written, and I happen to have come across quite a beauty. Come meet me in the city the first chance you get- Kakashi
Sakura couldn't think for a moment. A real horse! She tried desperately to contain her glee. Her poor pony had suffered the abuse of her now too large body for two years now, and she had really needed a proper mount for a while. But, as she thought about her current financial state, her mood dropped lower. She went over to the small case that held her savings, and counted out her coins. If she was frugal for the next season, and stopped eating sweets and buying trinkets when she went out, she would have just enough to buy a horse, if it was the right horse. Her mood perked back up and she couldn't help contain the smile that now creased her face.
As she sat down to work out the details of when she could go into the city, she came across something else that worried her. She knew next to nothing about buying horses and she didn't want to end up with a bad match, not that she thought that Kakashi would saddle her with a bad horse. She would have taken Yamato, but he had guard duty and something told her that her old friend and mentor wouldn't approve of her choice in friends. Normally, she would have had Shikamaru tag along as he and the rogue had gotten to be good friends, but her palace friend was restricted behind the gates until midwinter for neglecting to show up to a class because he was on the other side of the building, and it had been 'too troubling'. Still… who could she introduce to the king of thieves?
She smirked to herself as she thought of the perfect person for her escapade, and the insanity that might ensue.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Kakashi's one visible eye stared in disbelief as he nearly dropped his tankard of ale into his lap. Sakura beamed her bright jade eyes at him, playing him for all she was worth and then dissolved into a fit of giggles. Apparently Aoba hadn't sent a carrier pigeon ahead, not wanting to ruin the surprise, and for that Sakura was glad.
Naruto looked suspiciously at Sakura, who stood a head shorter next to him. "I take it that he is your, er, relative in the city?"
"Eh, well I had to tell the duke something to get out of classes this morning." She winked at him but didn't feel all that guilty. She hadn't seen Kakashi in quite some time and she missed him something fierce.
Kakashi looked to the older boy and then back to the pink haired squirt, and tried to figure out what reaction he should go for. Finally he settled for subtle amusement. "Your Highness I'm, um, honored." He gave Sakura a sideways glance and she giggled again. " It seems I won't be underestimating you a third time, punk." With that he raised himself up and gave a polite bow that went now lower than necessary.
"Oh come on, Kakashi. I only brought him along for fun. I'm sure you already know Shika's restricted to the palace for being so utterly lazy." The thief nodded, understanding their friend's terrible habit.
"Hey, Sakura? What's going on?" Oops, she had momentarily forgotten him.
"Prince Naruto, this is my friend Kakashi, the one who has the mount to show me." A very lame attempt to skirt around the elephant in the room, she thought dryly.
"What he's not telling you is that I'm not always working on the better side of the law." Kakashi stated simply. "But that's something else. Come see the beauty."
Together they followed him out and down a second staircase. "It's always good to have as many exits as you can," Kakashi said as he pointed to a third door and even a shuttered window on the roof of his rooms with a ladder reaching up to it. "Easy access, easy exit."
"Aren't you worried about thieves?" Naruto piped in innocently, and Sakura and Kakashi burst into laughter unable to hold it in.
"So, I hear Sasuke kissed Lady Kumo?" asked Kakashi, redirecting the conversation.
"Yep, although no one thought he would kiss someone that ugly. He did throw up afterwards"
"Even for ten gold nobles, I would have kissed a prettier woman. I wonder which way that boy swings sometimes." Kakashi really did know how to make her laugh.
"How'd you know about the bet?" Naruto asked, suddenly on guard. "It was a secret."
"Ah, little can be kept secret from your servants, Highness. And I have friends at the palace." Kakashi replied amiably.
A pout crossed Naruto that had Sakura dissolved in another fit of laughter. "Oh, come now Naruto. Princes shouldn't pout." That just caused his brows to knit together in frustration.
As they walked and Naruto though his idea through, Sakura and Kakashi talked about Anko and her other friends at Ichiraku's.
Finally they reached the stable yard where the horses were kept, and immediately Sakura was drawn to a beautiful mare with a shiny golden coat and a silver mane. She stroked the horse's nose and muttered words of comfort to the creature as she eyed it over. Suddenly she realized that his might not be the creature meant for her, and she look anxiously back to Kakashi.
"Kakashi, this- this was the mare you wanted me to see?" He nodded, smiling at how quickly she had run over to the horse. "Oh Kakashi, she's beautiful."
Naruto stepped into the stall and expertly ran his hands over the horse's mane and flanks, then checked its hooves and teeth. "She's in perfect condition- she must be stolen" he accused.
Dismay flooded her senses. She wouldn't take a stolen horse, as much as she loved this one. Kakashi wouldn't do that do her, right?
"No, I would never sell Sakura or his friend's stolen goods. Here, I have the papers of sale, stamped and all official looking." The prince walked over and then examined the papers nodding his head. "Well, I'll be damned. It's official."
When Sakura asked how much, Kakashi carefully thought about it and asked Sakura, "Eight gold for the mare, and two for the tack. Ten gold nobles and you may have her." Sakura hurried to count out her precious money while his tone dared Naruto to question him about it. Naruto didn't take the bait and left it alone, knowing though that the mare would cost much, much more than that.
Sakura handed the money over and gave her friend a gruff hug. "Thank you Kakashi, I don't know what I would do without you. You can have my life, I swear." He just crinkled his eye, showing her that he felt the same, and handed her the bit and saddle. She ran exuberantly to begin taking care of her new horse. "What will you name her?" he asked.
Sakura thought for a moment, and then smiled at older friend. "I think I'll call her Hime, like the princess that she is. Although, she will most certainly be a warrior princess." The two men left her to be with her new mare and stepped off to talk.
"That's not a third of what you paid for that mare." Naruto accused, and Kakashi just shrugged.
"That good for nothing father of his will never get the boy a mount, so call it an early birthday gift if you want. I'd give her to the sprout if he'd take him, but I know he wouldn't."
Naruto grimaced. He knew what it was like to have to contest with Sakura's pride. "I can't let you take a loss of almost twenty gold nobles. Besides, I owe Sakura my life." His tone quieted. "But I suppose you know that too."
"I may" Kakashi admitted.
Naruto withdrew an emerald ring from his finger, and he handed it to the man. "That should more than cover the costs of the mare."
"Yes, I suppose it does." Kakashi's mind whirled fast and his decision was made. "It would also cover something else. Would you be interested in looking at a stallion for yourself? I know that you have several horses, but that you have no lead mount, to bring you into battle." Kakashi opened the door to another stall, and inside was a beautiful white stallion who glowed like the moon and whose muscles rippled with every movement. "Put your eye to this, my prince. I don't like charity."
Naruto gave him a knowing glance, and then went to inspect the beast. From the stall he called out, "I hope you're not trying to buy me off, King of thieves."
Kakashi grinned mischievously. "Sakura didn't tell you, so how did you guess?"
Naruto have him a wry look. "Besides all of the wanted posters over the city for a young, partially masked man with silver hair and an eye patch? It would probably be because I sit on my father's council. You know, the king's?"
"Touché." They both chuckled at the understatement.
"Well, I have no reason to buy your silence. Sakura trusts you, therefore I do. I value my friendship with the young squirt, he's one of my favorites. As for this, it is a sale, right and out. This horse was in the same string as the mare, and didn't belong with the filthy old hag from Suna. I figured I would by them both, and keep the stallion for myself if I couldn't sell him."
"You have an eye for horseflesh, Kakashi, and for friends." Naruto said truthfully as they both turned to look at Sakura, who struggled to get the massive saddle on the back of the large horse. She grunted and snorted as she worked, and eventually got it on and then smiled wide with triumph. It was like watching a kid open a Midwinter gift.
"Thank you, Kakashi. A good horse can mean a man's life."
Kakashi held out a lazy hand, his eye crinkled at the prince, while searching for hidden motives. "You honor my tastes, highness."
"Oh please, call me Naruto. I think princes and kings should be friends, would you agree?"
Kakashi laughed again, liking the younger boy. "I agree, Naruto. And do not worry about our friendship. My game is with the lord provost and the provost alone."
"I should hope, or else Sakura, Shikamaru and I are in a lot of trouble." There was a nervous chuckle but Naruto then broke out into an honest grin.
Sakura had made her way over, and there was moisture in her eyes as she looked towards Kakashi. "Why?" she asked. "Why go so far for me?"
Kakashi studied the pink haired shorty for a moment and formed his words carefully. "Is it so hard to think people would want to do you well? That's how friendship works, squirt." He said it softly, and ruffled her hair. She squawked in protest but wasn't really angry at him. If anything, she held a slight blush on her cheeks.
She was still slightly baffled. "But I haven't done anything for you?"
He clucked at her folly. "That's not how it works," then smiled to show her he really, truly cared.
Sakura was confused, but she decided to stop thinking about it. Instead, she turned around and threw her arms up and gave him a giant hug that caught him off guard. Her brute strength knocked them over, and Naruto laughed so hard that he fell over as well, while Sakura worked to get up, feeling much better.
Kakashi just sat on the ground dazed, wondering if he had hit his head. Did… did he just feel breasts when he hugged his young friend?
He shook the thought aside and took them out to catch some lunch before they had to return to the palace.
-Omake-
Kakashi, the King of Thieves couldn't be happier at the moment. Earlier he had stolen a bag of gold nobles from a tax collector and killed the IRS hunter who travelled with him. Really, he had been itching to do that for a long time.
After that he met the prince of the kingdom who was surprisingly dimwitted, along with his favorite noble pink haired shorty. He had managed to sell off his two favorite horses for quite a large sum, or rather quite a lovely crown jewel.
They feasted on a lavish lunch, provided by Kakashi who was in a generous mood, and now he reclined in his favorite chair with one well-worn orange paperback novel on his chest. It was only a matter of time before Genma and Anko found him; he had told them that he was meeting them an hour ago to talk about the new trading route through Inuzaka, but his beloved book had called out the minute he stepped out of the shower.
Grabbing one of the muffins he had obtained in the market after lunch (perhaps he paid, perhaps not) he bit into the scrumptious morsel. He hadn't put his scarf back on after his shower, in anticipation of this.
Crumbs fell lightly onto his well-toned and pale abs as he moaned in sheer pleasure, and then he brushed them aside. With his other hand he rustled his wet silver locks that were drooping in an unruly mess over his left eye. Picking up his book, he began to enjoy the best combination ever invented. Muffins and porn.
All too soon, though, he whipped the scarf on as Anko came crashing up the stairs and into his room. "What the hell, Kakashi! We were supposed to-" and then she stopped to just stare.
He knew she would pause, which is why he hadn't gotten dressed yet. No woman in her right mind would deny that his body was just as delicious as that muffin. And then he remembered Anko's other side.
The woman let out a feral purr, and sulked her way over to him, swaying her large hips and leaning forward so Kakashi could peek down her corset, with a predatory look in her eye. He gulped. Whoops.
A second crashing was heard; the tell-tale signs of Genma acting as second sweep backup. This was not good. At all. Genma and Anko had a thing, and the last thing he needed was to get in-between the two of them when a fight broke out.
With a wave of the hand, and a very weak "Yo," Kakashi was up and out of his roof exit and three houses over; book in one hand, muffin in the other, and scarf in place. Too bad he forgotten his clothes.
Omake- Extra
Hime- Princess
