Let me start off by first saying how incredibly sorry I am for such a late update.

Real life pretty much just gave me a giant kick up the ass, had some personal issues going on and a lot of stress. I'm starting to get myself sorted out again, but it took me a while to get my inspiration back to write this chapter. I just hope none of you think I was abandoning this story, because that will never, ever happen. The support you have all given me is phenomenal, and once again, I thank you.

In response to a comment left by joys on the last chapter, I spell colour like so because I'm Australian and therefore was taught how to write the English way - Americans omit the 'u' in a lot of words, such as humor (humour) and favorite (favourite). My spelling isn't incorrect, it just differs from the way you were most likely taught. And I'm not having a go and saying that Americans misspell, so please don't think that. Just trying to clear that up.

Keep those follows, favourites and reviews coming! They help me in so many ways and I always love to hear your thoughts on each chapter as the story progresses. It lets me know that I'm doing a good job (thus far) and that you guys are enjoying reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Which I do. A lot. Even when I have a case of writer's block.

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Please enjoy, and remember, reviews are very much loved. :)

CHAPTER TWELVE

Sakura couldn't remember the last time she'd slept so badly.

Woken up by an already dressed and prepared Kakashi at the crack of dawn, Sakura had begrudgingly dragged herself out of bed. Looking at herself in the bathroom mirror, she looked just as awful as she felt. There was no time for a proper clean, only a chance to wash her face, brush her hair, get herself dressed and packed so they could leave.

They had a large breakfast to make up for the lack of dinner the evening before, the scenario playing over and over again in Sakura's mind. In all the awkwardness and tension, they'd forgotten to eat. It was rather idiotic of both of them, rest alone couldn't fully replenish someone's chakra. Sustenance was incredibly important. Instead they both filled themselves up as much as they could before continuing on their way.

Sakura was already in a bad mood that morning from her lack of proper sleep. She guessed that Kakashi could tell, as he was consciously keeping away from her, and saying nothing that could make it worse. Except, his constant quietness just caused the pinkette to become further irritated. Some kind of social interaction was needed for her to get through the day.

"Have you got an issue with me?" she finally spoke up around late morning, glancing over at her masked companion.

He kept his eyes forward. "No." he answered curtly.

She frowned and folded her arms across her chest.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

"Then why have you said barely two words to me today?"

Now Kakashi looked over to her, his sole eye meeting her viridian ones which were full of curiosity.

"I haven't had anything to talk to you about."

Sakura couldn't help but pout at him, finding his lame excuse incredibly pathetic. Whenever they had run into each other before, there had been at least a few sentences exchanged. And the night when she had run into Sasuke and his family, Kakashi had opened up to her. Since then, it seemed like getting two words out of him was an effort and a half.

And Sakura was exhausted.

"I recall you saying that you wanted to 'figure me out'. This is your chance to get to know me." she exclaimed, turning her eyes away from his form.

Yesterday, she'd maintained her silence in fear that her words would arouse his suspicion further, that she would accidentally let something slip about her true identity. But the quietness was beginning to bother her, incredibly so. She needed some kind of distraction to get through this mission, not only from her boredom but also from her wandering, lustful thoughts about the man walking beside her.

"What are your parents like?"

The question came swiftly, surprising Sakura with it's content. She'd been expecting a simple inquiry, such as her favourite colours or foods, or simple silence. Still, she would indulge him with the truth, at least, as much as she could without giving too much information away.

"They're good people. I mean, really good people. Simple and content with their lives. They run a small jewellery stall together, nothing extravagant, and yet they're so happy. My mother can be a bit stern sometimes, but so can most. And my father loves puns, especially terrible ones. They love each other so much, even after all the years they've been together. Sometimes I wonder if I even deserve to be their daughter, and then I realize just how lucky I am." she answered, ignoring the fact that speaking about her mother and father made her miss them intensely at that moment.

"I thought one of your parents was a medic?"

Sakura froze momentarily, shaking it off before Kakashi noticed.

"My grandmother is the chief medic of the entire village. She's the one who taught me." came the quick lie to cover her mistake.

"What kind of woman is she?"

Sakura bit her lip. Both of her grandmothers had died when she was young, she hadn't had much of a chance to know them. Instead, she improvised.

"Bossy. No matter what the circumstance, she usually projects a tough demeanour, and her temper is quick and monstrous. She also likes criticising others, even when she has her own flaws. She also has a serious gambling problem and a not-so-secret addiction to sake."

Kakashi paused in his steps and looked at Sakura, and she could see bewilderment in his visible features. She simply smiled sweetly at him before continuing.

"She's got a heart of gold though, and is by far the most caring woman I know. She always puts others before herself, and her first priority is always making sure that everyone is happy and well."

"She sounds like a remarkable woman." the silver-haired Jōnin continued as he continued on once more, Sakura following.

"She is." the pinkette agreed, finding herself wondering just how her mentor was doing, if she knew Sakura had disappeared at all, and if so, what she was doing about it.

"What about your parents?" she inquired, looking over at Kakashi, who did not return the gesture.

"As I recall, this was all about getting to know you, not me." he replied smoothly.

"I figured it could be a back and forth, you ask something about me, then it's my turn to ask something about you." Sakura protested, crossing her arms once more.

"Maybe another day."

Damn. She'd been so excited at the prospect of finally learning about Kakashi, only to be shot down. Sakura knew he was an incredibly private person, but he'd shared personal stories with her before and she wanted to hear more. Unfortunately for her, that didn't seem like it would happen anytime soon.

"Have you ever been in love?"

Now that query caught Sakura off-guard. She threw a shocked look in Kakashi's direction, but he didn't seem to notice, choosing instead to continue strolling along the road casually.

"Yes." she admitted, her eyes trailing to the ground.

She'd promised to herself that she would be honest with Kakashi, save for any minor details that could shine light on her true situation. It was an odd question and one she'd never thought would fall from Kakashi's masked lips. She remembered when Rin had asked her the same thing, and then gone on to proclaim her love for her team-mate, who Sakura knew now to be the same silver-haired man.

"Who was he?" came his next inquiry.

"I'd known him since we were children, always admired him from afar. He was so quiet, almost broody. He'd lost his family at a young age, and you could tell that he was broken. I always thought I could be the one to fix him, but then again, so did every other girl my age. It was just a crush at first, but as we grew older and I got to know him a little better, it blossomed into love. He never reciprocated my feelings, but I always thought that there was something there, that he wasn't allowing himself to give in and be happy."

"What happened?"

Sakura's mind was flooded by memories of bloody crimson eyes, eyes that showed no sign of the boy she had once loved, the boy she had cried over every night for years.

"He tried to kill me." she murmured, her voice low.

Kakashi stopped abruptly, turning to stand directly in front of Sakura and placing his hands on her shoulders.

"He tried to kill you?" he repeated incredulously.

Well, technically she had tried to kill him first.

The difference was that it had been her mission, that it would help not only her village but also her friends, give both herself and Naruto a chance to move on.

The difference was that where she couldn't bring herself to do so, whereas he seemed only happy to take away her life, for no other reason except that he simply could.

"I was saved before he could do anything, and I haven't seen him since." Sakura added quickly, suddenly feeling slightly uncomfortable.

Kakashi had been the one to save her the first time she'd tried to strike Sasuke, coming out of nowhere to scoop her into his arms and out of harms way. She couldn't remember if she'd ever actually thanked him for that. That day had been emotionally exhausting, and one she'd desperately tried to block from her memories on many occasions, always to no avail.

The silver-haired Jōnin dropped his hands back to his sides, Sakura taking this opportunity to resume walking. She heard as he came up alongside her, wondering what his next question would be.

However, it never came. Kakashi had returned to his silence, leaving Sakura with her overwhelming floods of thoughts that continued to pour into her already exhausted mind.


A few hours later they came across a teahouse, the perfect place for a well-needed break and rest. Sakura's belly was rumbling with hunger, she needed some kind of sustenance before she continued travelling. Kakashi however seemed indifferent, and she could tell that he just wanted to keep going and get to their destination as soon as possible.

Surely half an hour wouldn't hurt.

The entered the teahouse, Kakashi moving to sit at one of the tables by the window, Sakura sitting up at the counter. A friendly elderly woman came to take her order, which was a cup of sakurayu and small plate of wagashi, her favourites. She heard Kakashi order from behind her, but couldn't hear his exact words.

She felt drained, not only from the constant walking which was a great deal slower and more tedious then her usual travelling by tree tops, but also by the tensions between her and her silver-haired companion. Since speaking about Sasuke, Kakashi hadn't said another word to her, and she couldn't fathom why.

Admittedly, Sakura shouldn't have told him that Sasuke had attempted to kill her. It wasn't something one would discuss in usual conversation. But he'd asked, and she'd answered truthfully. There was just something about Kakashi that made the pinkette want him to know everything possible about her. Of course, that was impossible, not to mention forbidden.

"Hey there doll."

Sakura turned her head to see two guys leaning against the counter beside her, one of either side. They looked to be about her age, with giant grins and perfectly styled hair. The one on her left, who had spoken first, had sandy-blonde locks that reached just below his ears, his companion with dark brown hair that was almost black and cut very short atop his head.

"Can I help you?" she asked them as the waitress served up her tea and sweets.

"Just wondering if you've got a name that's as pretty as you." came the reply from her left once more.

Sakura spun around to see if Kakashi was taking any notice of the two boys who were clearly making moves on her, but he didn't seem to even be aware of her predicament. His masked nose was currently buried in a newspaper, causing Sakura to narrow her eyes at him despite the fact that he couldn't actually see this gesture.

Irritated, the pinkette decided that it was time to teach the Jōnin a lesson.

She turned back to the boys, smiling her sweetest at each of them. "My name is Sakura, you know, like the cherry blossoms? My mother always said it was because of the colour of my hair."

Inwardly, she was beginning to hate herself for saying such things. It was almost like the kind of garbage she'd spurted at Sasuke during those early years.

The boy on the right's eyes widened. "That's your natural colour?"

Sakura giggled and winked at him. "You betcha!"

The two boys disappeared from either side of her, Sakura thankful for their absences. She sipped on her tea calmly and nibbled on the wagashi when suddenly her ears picked up a hushed conversation that she was pretty certain she shouldn't have heard.

"I wonder if the carpet matches the drapes."

Her cheeks flushed, both with embarrassment and fury.

She said nothing and continued to drink her tea.

"I call dibs."

"You called dibs on the last decent looking girl who breezed through here! It's been months for me man, come on!"

"This girl is one of a kind. When have you ever seen such a girl with such pink hair before? Better luck next time."

The hushed words stopped, and Sakura heard footsteps rapidly approaching her from behind.

However, before either of the boys could approach her, Kakashi appeared next to her, leaning against the counter. He was incredibly close to her, his leg brushing up against her bent knee as she froze on the stool.

"I think it's best that we leave." he told her, his voice low, sending those unwanted shivers down her spine.

She nodded in compliance, making her way off the chair and then to the door, but found herself blocked off by the blonde boy.

"Where are you going doll? I haven't even had a chance to tell you my name!"

Before Sakura could reply, Kakashi stood in front of her, a good foot taller than the blonde, who backed away slightly. He said nothing, choosing to make his point by just glaring down at the guy with his one obsidian orb before suddenly grabbing Sakura's hand tightly and leading her out of the teahouse.

It was a good few miles before he finally released his tight grasp around her hand, pausing to look at her with such intense frustration in his visible features.

"We are on a mission, Sakura. We don't have time for you to flirt with strangers." he scolded her, causing her to narrow her own green orbs at him.

"It was harmless! Nothing was going to happen anyway, and it was a nice chance from your constant moodiness!" she bit back at him, her voice rising in anger.

"I'm not the moody one!" he argued, moving to stand directly in front of her.

"Oh yes you are! One minute you're not even speaking to me, the next you're pulling me out of a teahouse as if I'm a child!"

"You were acting like one, I thought it appropriate!"

"What are you, my father?"

The more heated words they flung at one another, the closer they became, Sakura could almost feel Kakashi's chest pressing up against her own. His gaze was so intensely focused on her own, and for a moment she couldn't read just what lay behind the obsidian depths of his visible eye. It appeared to be a plethora of emotions, each one flashing for a miniscule second before she had a chance to figure out what it was.

He was so close to her now, all he had to do was lean his head down slightly, and his lips would meet hers. Not that she wanted that to happen, she was too furious with him at that moment and kisses would not help in that situation. Although she could feel herself craving it, to the point where she found herself about to pull his head down so their lips could crush against each other.

That's when she sensed that they were not alone.

Sakura turned her head to glance at their surroundings, Kakashi mirroring her at the exact same time.

There were at least thirty chakra signatures surrounding them, and closing it in a quick pace.

"Ambush." Kakashi muttered under his breath.

They'd gotten so carried away with their pathetic argument that neither had sensed the oncoming attack. Sakura cursed at herself inwardly, usually she'd never let herself become so distracted that she would fail to notice an ambush. Also that fact that they had been yelling at one another at the tops of their lungs most likely did not help.

Gritting her teeth, Sakura crouched slightly, preparing herself for the oncoming attack out of habit. However, she was taken off guard when Kakashi suddenly looped an arm around her waist and jumped up into a nearby tree, travelling from branch to branch at such a speed that Sakura couldn't see properly, her surroundings blurred before her eyes.

A few moments later they landed on the ground once more, Kakashi setting the pinkette on her feet before pushing her up against the base of a large tree.

"Stay here. Don't make any kind of noise." he told her, staring down at her with such intensity in his sole obsidian eye.

"But surely I can help? There's too many of them!" Sakura protested.

He quirked an eyebrow up at her, but didn't address her last comment.

"You're just a simple civilian. Just leave it to me."

"Kaka-" she pushed back, but his gloved hand appeared over her mouth, breaking off her words.

"I'll come back for you."

Kakashi's eye crinkled with what she knew was supposed to be a reassuring smile behind the dark material that hid his face, but she didn't feel so reassured. He stepped back and performed hand seals, ones she recognized to be for gen-jutsu. He was effectively hiding her in plain sight.

Once the gen-jutsu was complete, Sakura watched helplessly as Kakashi disappeared from view, jumping up high into the tree tops. Seconds later came the clanging sounds of kunai striking against one another, words of attack cried with unfamiliar voices laced with malice and cries of anguish from those who were meeting their ends at the hands of one silver-haired Jōnin.

Sakura's faith in Kakashi had never wavered, she'd seen him in battle countless times and even after years of knowing him, still found his abilities and skills to be beyond impressive. But this incarnation was much younger, he was missing fourteen years of progression and training.

All she could do was wait patiently and hope that he would be okay.

"What's this?"

Sakura froze at the voice as it steadily approached her, two men coming into her view, one quite tall and lanky, with dark purple tufts of hair on either side of his head, the other shorter and much more bulky, with no hair at all save for a thick beard of bright red. Neither wore any kind of symbol of a village, obviously rouge-nins, much to her dismay. They obviously couldn't see her, but it was evident that they had realized that something was amiss.

"Gen-jutsu." the shorter one sneered, looking around. "Wonder what he's got to hide?"

"Let's find out, shall we?" his companion sniggered, raising a hand before him.

"Kai."

Feeling the gen-jutsu dissipate around her, Sakura once again crouched down low. There was no way she could stay put and just let herself meet an early end, and she would try her best not to engage in battle. The two men suddenly noticed her, their eyes gleaming with bad intentions, the identical smirks on their faces making her skin crawl.

"Well look what we have here, Ijiwaru." leered the taller man, glancing over at his friend before his eyes returned to Sakura.

"What a little beauty." replied the man named Ijiwaru, who cocked his head to the side as he observed her. "Got a name, pretty thing?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed at him.

"Even if I do, I'm not telling you." she spat at him.

Ijiwaru chuckled heartily. "She's a fiery one. I bet the boss would love to meet you. What do you think, Akui?"

The taller man grinned, his mouth full of yellowing and broken teeth that made Sakura feel slightly ill.

"Grab her."

"You are not to engage in any kind of fighting whatsoever, unless it means the difference between life and death."

Well, it didn't seem as if they were going to kill her, and Sakura couldn't risk any more of them noticing her fighting and coming after her. So her only choice was to run.

As Ijiwaru lunged at her, the pinkette ducked quickly and rolled under his outstretched arms. Once back on her feet, she sprinted as fast as she could, in no particular direction. In her rush, her sensing of others had dropped, and before she knew it, she'd run straight into the main battle area.

Bodies littered the ground, blood gushing from most of them, lifeless eyes staring blankly up at the sky. In the near distance, Sakura could see Kakashi still fighting, currently against a very large, burly man. He didn't seem to notice her presence thankfully, too immersed with dodging the fists that kept flying in his direction.

"Gotcha!"

Thick, muscled arms wrapped themselves around her, trapping her arms and holding tightly. She tried to get out of Ijiwaru's hold, but to no avail. His pungent stench assaulted her nostrils, causing bile to rise in her throat as she continued to squirm, kicking her legs back in an attempt to knock his legs.

"She's a fighter." Ijiware remarked as Akui appeared beside him.

"Let's get her back to the hideout." the lanky ninja replied, looking over to where Kakashi and the burly man were now dodging each other's elemental attacks.

"Better wrap it up soon, Hiretsu!" he called out, causing both men to turn at the sound of his voice.

Sakura's eyes met with Kakashi's lone one, which widened in what she knew was a mixture of surprise and panic. She was stunned to see that his hitai-ate had not been lifted to reveal his Sharingan, which was usually his aid in battles like this, but there was no time for her to question him about it.

"Sakura!"

He went to run to her, to save her, when his opponent used the distraction to attack, slashing Kakashi's back deeply with his kunai, causing the silver-haired ANBU to scream out in agonising pain before he fell to the ground. The man named Hiretsu looked at the fallen man with a gleeful grin, before turning his eyes on the captured Sakura.

The pinkette's eyes widened with horror.

"KAKASHI!"

Suddenly something hard collided with the back of Sakura's neck, and everything went black.


Here's three things you should know;

1. Oh cliffhangers. How I adore you. I know it's a shorter chapter, but bear with me. This was so difficult for me to write. And thirteen will make up for it, I swear.

2. I know a lot of you will be wondering why Sakura didn't just lay a well-placed punch in the faces of her enemies. She honestly thought she could get away, but got distracted. Her ninja skills are rusty. Very much so. But the next chapter will be awesome and we will get to see some bad-assery coming from our favourite pinkette.

3. I'll try and get the next chapter up on time. I can't promise anything, at the moment all my efforts are currently going to cleaning my house for an upcoming inspection (joy) but I will try to find time.

Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated! :)