25 Candles
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The day seemed dull to her. Nothing in particular clung to her.
Not the way the leaves swayed in the crisp Konoha breeze. Nor the way the sky was cleared of any clouds, leaving the sun to shine in all its glory.
Paint was still drying and the grass was still growing.
She felt like a shell, her insides slowly withering into nothing.
Kakashi's presence was sparse these days, and when he was there it felt like he wasn't.
Woe to the days he was open and spoke of everything. He kept things to himself now, didn't divulge much about his missions; they were "confidential" as he said.
No matter with that.
When she asked about his injuries he was crabby and vague.
He was hiding something from her.
The reason as to why this was the case drove her crazy from sunrise to sunset.
She was like an old maid in this village, and for what it's worth, it didn't make any sense anymore to be one.
In the midst of that morning, she woke up to a vacated bed. She sighed and worked the sores in her back one satisfying crack at a time.
Shikaku and Gai had giving her a run for money with extensive training sessions. It had been a simple request on her part. They had been all at a bar one evening, and Sakura was worse for wear.
She looked at her old teammates and shook her head; "I don't know what I'm doing with my life anymore. Everyone is doing their own thing now, and it feels like I'm left at the wake of all this. I'm practically a civilian now. I don't go on missions and I babysit children all day at the academy. Everyone I know is busy. Heck even Itachi is?! He's 11 and he's in ANBU now, he doesn't even give me the light of day. And my god Kakashi isn't any better."
At the mention of Kakashi the two men looked at the poor woman guiltily. Sakura overlooked their pained expressions.
Gai coaxed her to join him during his morning workouts, to let off some steam, get some of those dormant endorphins running.
Shikaku mentioned he could pull a few strings and get her out in the field again.
The very thing that Sakura didn't want to be again was the only thing that seemed like that would give her resolve.
And so she followed suit.
She started honing her skills again and then in a month she started doing regular missions outside the village.
The times when Sakura was away would coincidently overlap when Kakashi would be back home.
It wasn't until about six months or so ago that they finally saw each other again.
At that point she had been completing S rank missions like a hobby.
They both had changed and it pained her.
As if knowing what he had done, Kakashi was quick to apologize and reconcile his love for the woman.
But the woman looked him deeply in his tired graying eyes and shook her head.
"It doesn't work like that" Sakura whispered to him.
Kakashi only shook his head and looked at the woman, "I leave tomorrow."
Sakura only nodded as she made her way out of their apartment only to be stopped by his gentle hand on his arm.
"Won't you ask when I come back?" Kakashi said quietly.
Sakura turned her head to him with a sad smile, "Won't you ask how I've been?"
Kakashi's mouth stood open and he looked at the hurt young woman. He took in her thinning body with defined muscles of a seasoned ninja. Her skin was tattooed with various tan lines; she had spent nearly the whole summer in Suna playing nanny for a few diplomats at a summit. Gone was her smile that always seemed to be on her face and her dimples lay deflated on her slimming cheeks.
Her eyes looked at him and she shook her arm out of his grasp, "We were both stupid. We've both lost so much of what we loved. And we both drown in our work."
She turned her body fully to him, "We rushed this Kakashi. We should have waited it out a bit. We are still young but we are acting years older."
She placed her hand on his cheek; "I can't keep waiting around for you until you die."
Kakashi placed his had over hers almost desperately, "But I love you"
"I love you too you idiot" She spoke back, "But I can't be waiting around forever Kakashi. I can't be waiting around for nothing to happen."
She then moved her body away from his and gripped the doorknob behind her, "I can't keep sitting around and watching people around me go on with their lives Kakashi. I don't have a life you know?! All I have is you, but you're never around anymore, and when you are you never give me the time of day."
Sakura opened the door before Kakashi could say another word, "All I want is simple things Kakashi."
"I'm done" She said shakily, "Have a nice life Kakashi."
Kakashi looked at her in confusion and anger, but as he moved to grab her and talk some sense into her, she evaporated in a puff of smoke.
Damn him for teaching her that old trick.
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Later that night he found himself in the company of Genma and Raido, both were angry beyond reason.
"I would have done a number on you if I were her." Genma drawled whilst he hit Kakashi upside the head, "She's too soft on you."
"Fucking moron." Raido grumbled, "You gotta bloody tell her some time soon, we can't keep lying to her. You know how much it hurts to do that?"
Kakashi grumbled as he slugged back a can of warm beer, before throwing the then empty can at Raido's head.
"She'll have a field day once she realizes you got that little Uchiha bastard in on it too. We'll ALL be damned to hell for covering up your ass." Raido threw the can back at Kakashi.
They sat in a booth together at a small restaurant. Genma and Kakashi sat next to eachother while Raido sat across from them.
Kakashi crossed his arms, "Not yet" he spoke to them.
Genma nearly lost his cool, dangerously handling the senbon that was once in his mouth in his fingers, "She thinks that your committing infidelity."
Kakashi's eyes widened, "But I would never-"
Anko walked in just then sitting next to Raido, "We know moron, but she doesn't."
She signaled a waitress over for a cup of tea much to everybody's surprise. "Oh yeah I've completely stopped drinking" she said nonchalantly, "princess cut me off cold turkey. My temper has been slightly more subdued as of late because of that."
The mood seemed to lighten upon hearing the good news. Once the waitress returned with Anko's tea it returned to it previous state, "Last week she was waiting by the gates waiting for you to come back, apparently you told her you had a mission with the three of us. We had to lie to her and tell her that you had to tie up some lose ends before returning." She eyed Kakashi dangerously as she took a sip of her hot tea.
"You're slipping. I don't want to have to keep lying to her, the longer you wait this out the worse the blow will be." Genma sighed as he then followed Anko's suit and ordered a cup of tea.
"It'll be over soon though" Kakashi seemed to reason.
"Whether or not it'll be over soon doesn't make a difference. If you think you'll get away with this unscathed you're wrong. One day she'll find out and it won't just be your ass on the line it'll be all our asses." Raido murmured as he kneaded his temples.
"If she found out it would crush her." Kakashi said bluntly.
"TELL HER" Anko bit her tongue, "She would be even more crushed if she found out herself. Seriously if anything Sakura is one of the most understanding people out there."
"Fine" Kakashi spoke moments after.
Genma stood from the booth to allow Kakashi through, "She's at the memorial, if not she's at the Uchiha manor with Mikoto" Anko said quietly as Kakashi made his way out.
Kakashi nodded and pulled out loose change from his pocket to cover his tab. Leaving three of his friends in his wake.
"Princess sure knows how to pick em'" Anko muttered, "Oh who am I kidding."
She looked around for the waitress and hollered her over, "Get me three beers here on the double!" She called.
The petite waitress scurried to get what the hotheaded woman ordered.
Genma snorted, "Should I not tell Sakura that you've been drinking behind her back."
Anko eyed him for good measure, "Don't you dare start."
"We sure are some shitty friends aren't we?" Raido supplied as he took one of the beers Anko ordered.
"I'll drink to that" Genma grumbled.
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He had managed to coax her back to the apartment when he found her walking back from the Uchiha manor.
"Fine"
When they got the apartment he asked her if she wanted him to run a bath for her and she looked at him for good measure and burst into tears.
"Stop doing this to me" she moaned as she crouched on the ground helplessly.
Kakashi's heart ached looking at the woman, "I'm sorry"
Sakura looked up at him through watery lashes and shook her head, "No you're not"
She moved to stand up but felt a wave of nausea come over her, so she stayed settled on the ground.
Kakashi moved to help her up, she shook her head, "Just get me an aspirin" She grumbled.
Kakashi moved to the kitchen to grab the woman an aspirin.
Sakura cursed and then called back to the man, "Forget the aspirin. Just get me a glass of water." After a moment she added, "Please"
Kakashi reappeared a moment later with a cold glass of water. Once again he attempted to assist the woman up before handing her the glass, this time she obliged.
Her hands were clammy Kakashi noticed.
She muttered a quiet thank you when she took the glass from his calloused hands.
When she had drank half of the glass, she looked up at Kakashi who still wore his mask, "Are you honestly sorry" she whispered.
"I am" Kakashi continued.
"Prove it" she beckoned as she played with the condensation on the now empty glass.
Quickly he pulled down his mask and kissed her. Clumsily they found themselves under their bed covers fumbling at each other.
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She woke up the next morning and for once he was still asleep.
Their naked bodies tangled within on another. Her fingers traced the contours of his face and then his left eye slowly opened to stare at hers.
He pulled her closer.
But she moved away from him after a while, "You have a mission remember."
Kakashi didn't move for another ten minutes, he wanted to savor this solitude that they had so painstakingly forgotten.
When Kakashi moved to get ready, Sakura prepped his pack for him. She quietly rewrapped cleaned gauze on his wounds from his previous mission before he put his jounin uniform on.
She slipped on a silk robe as they left the room and made their way to the front door.
"I promise when I come back things will be different" , Kakashi whispered to her as she pulled him close.
"Stay safe" was all she said.
She gave him a peck on the cheek before leaving her alone in the apartment.
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"Did you tell her?"
"No"
"Bastard"
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Things did seem to get better when Kakashi came back. His demeanor completely changed, almost too drastically.
But Sakura couldn't question it for she was too happy to have her relationship with Kakashi rekindled.
She continued taking missions outside the village. She found that doing so actually allowed her to speak to Kakashi more, as she had some common ground with him.
They trained together again, and they started teaching each other new jutsus they had picked up on their recent missions.
All was well again. Even better than it was before.
A little too well.
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"That's wonderful news Sakura!" Mikoto burst as she hugged the woman tightly.
Sasuke sat in the corner sticking his tongue out at Sakura, "Annoying" he grumbled.
Sakura could only laugh.
"When are you going to tell Kakashi?" Mikoto beamed.
"On my birthday"
"Ah perfect!"
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Then there she was today. Waking up to the smell of smoke in the kitchen.
She quickly dashed out of bed to find Kakashi sheepishly fanning the kitchen out, "Ah the birthday girl is finally up"
Sakura sighed and then smiled, "How many times have I told you not to get near the kitchen. This happens all the time."
"I swear it hates me. Specifically the stove. I mean honestly I was just melting butter and this happened!" Kakashi defended.
He pulled the woman close and kissed the crown of her head, "Happy Birthday you old hag."
Sakura jabbed him hard in the abdomen, "Thanks Jii-san" she stuck her tongue her tongue out at him before pinching his cheeks and giving them a light peck.
Looking at the after math of what was supposed to be a late lunch of takoyaki, Sakura shook her head, "You up for Ichiraku's?"
"Say no more." Kakashi replied as he tugged the woman to the living area that had clean laundry folded on the sofa. He pulled a clean shirt and pants onto the woman's frame. Only to laugh to see the shirt was his and swallowed her whole. She obviously didn't mind as she smiled at him.
Today he would tell her.
He blinked, "Hurry we're burning daylight" Kakashi said as he pushed the girl to the doorway.
Sakura laughed as she moved to slip on her sandals.
When they opened the door they found an ANBU ninja waiting at their door.
Kakashi stiffened.
Sakura looked at Kakashi with worry as her eyes moved to the ninja.
"The hokage requests you presence Haruno-san immediately"
"Uh sure" Sakura nodded to the ninja who then disappeared.
She peered at Kakashi who visibly relaxed and then looked down at her and gave her a small smile underneath his mask.
"I'll catch up with you later ok?" Sakura pecked at Kakashi's masked cheek.
"Don't have too much fun without me" He humored.
"Ugh knowing the hokage it's probably a misprint on my mission report." Sakura waved her hand in front of her face.
Kakashi chuckled, "You better hurry you silly woman, he isn't a patient man these days."
"Aye Aye!" Sakura quickly jumped over the balcony and hopped onto the rooftop and made her way quickly to the hokage tower.
Kakashi let out a breath at that moment.
That was too close.
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Later on that day as the sun began to set Sakura made her way through the village.
Her vision was blurring and her ears were ringing.
The Hokage's words ringing in her ears,
"Kakashi never told you?"
"I'm sorry that I had to be the one that told you."
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"Meet me at Hiro's bar tonight, I got a surprise for you."
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The bell atop of the bar door rang as Sakura entered the bar. This caused a few familiar faces to look up.
Her heart sank as she began walking through the bar, one by one they stood up smiling at her.
Kakashi walked to the center of the bar with a cake donning twenty-five candles on it.
She felt like her lungs were about to collapse.
She looked around the room her eyes watering, as they all began singing happy birthday.
They all knew.
Her lower lip wobbled. The colour on her face was draining.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you,"
Sakura walked slowly towards Kakashi, her blood slowly beginning to simmer.
To anyone else the emotions she was displaying could only be reasoned by her surprise of the birthday entourage.
Oh how they were all wrong.
"Happy birthday dear Sakuraaaaaa!"
Now she stood a meter from Kakashi, she looked into his eyes that held a chummy disposition.
She felt like she was going to throw up.
Why could you lie to me!?
"Happy birthday to youuuuuuu" Everyone sang
Sakura couldn't bare it anymore and in that moment she slapped Kakashi right across the face.
The bar went silent, as the slap echoed. The atmosphere became so heavy in that instant.
Kakashi's hand moved to where his cheek stung underneath his mask. Looking to Sakura in utter shock, she looked so hurt.
The twenty-five candles still burned on the cake; melted wax littering the icing of the cake.
Sakura was at a loss for words as she shook her head.
Kakashi was too in shock to register what happened.
Anko moved quickly to check on Sakura, "Hey princess are you ok?", but she stopped when Sakura looked harshly at her.
Never had she seen this hostility from Sakura.
"YOU KNEW" Sakura spoke loudly, and Anko's arm hung in mid reach.
Sakura turned around and looked to the rest of the room, "You ALL knew." She said shrilly.
She laughed at herself and clapped as she looked at Kakashi, "Are you happy now Kakashi? Did it honestly have to be a SECRET?"
Kakashi stood frozen. His stillness caused her to burst into tears.
Defend yourself you idiot! Say you're sorry! Let me forgive you!
The tears wouldn't stop. Gripping her stomach tightly she moved to leave the bar.
She heard a few people move towards her, but she turned around and shook her and looked at all them, "I can't be around anyone right now, please leave me be." She begged pitifully.
Don't follow me
The bell atop of the bar door rang, when the woman closed the door. Kakashi was left in the wake of the mess.
Everyone looking at him grimly.
The candles on the cake had all been burnt out completely. Encasing the whole of the cake in red wax.
Oh what a bloody mess Kakashi had caused.
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No one could get in touch with Sakura the week proceeding her birthday.
They all got worried to the point that they thought she had left the village, but the Hokage assured them that Sakura had spoken to him the day before and she wanted to be left alone.
Where exactly nobody knew.
Even Mikoto couldn't find her. Mikoto like Sakura had been kept in the dark about the whole ordeal, and in her own way felt betrayed by Itachi.
"You would have told her" Itachi reasoned as to why he didn't tell his mother.
His mother shook her head, "After all that she's done for you, this?"
He'd never seen his mother so upset.
Sasuke sat in his in his mother lap gently wiping at her tears and looking at his brother, "Bad 'tachi" he admonished.
Their mother shook in sadness, as she knew what Sakura had been going through.
On her birthday Sakura was going to tell Kakashi some good news. But she never got the chance to.
Mikoto looked at her son teary eyed, "Don't come back until you find her!"
Itachi left the manor in search of the woman.
Reality stinging deep in his heart.
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He slept at the park that night, too ashamed to return home empty handed.
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The next day Itachi, Kakashi and three other ninja waited at the gate.
All stood quiet.
Another ninja walked towards them.
"Ah good morning. I'm Subaru, I will be your captain during this mission." The man introduced himself, he coughed and the continued, "Unfortunately Tenzo couldn't make it for this mission he's still roped up completing another one, so we had to get somebody else. I can see that their not –" Subaru was cut off by a familiar voice.
"Ah sorry for the delay captain, I just got finished being briefed."
Itachi and Kakashi stood in horror.
"Ah welcome back to ANBU Kisōsha-san it truly has been a while" Subaru smiled as he patted Sakura on the shoulder.
Sakura smiled, "Yes it has" she said as she looked to Kakashi and Itachi.
The two stood dumbstruck. Where had she been for the passed eight days?
When did she get assigned this mission?
And then it clicked for Kakashi, on her birthday.
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"Sakura I was hoping you could take this mission, it's ANBU you see." The Hokage spoke.
"I thought I told you ANBU is behind me." Sakura replied
"Ah true" The hokage responded sheepishly, "But Kakashi and Itachi would be on this mission so I thought you wouldn't mind."
Sakura laughed, "That's impossible, Kakashi quit ANBU years ago."
The hokage's face fell, and after a moment at looking at the poor woman "Why am I always the bearer of bad news child"
Sakura's eye widened, "What do you mean?!"
The hokage looked her straight in the eye, "Kakashi never quit ANBU, and quite frankly I was never aware that you never knew."
"Kakashi would never lie to me…"
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She walked passed Itachi and Kakashi without a word and migrated to the rest of the group, the three other ninja seemed to recognize her and greet her.
"I thought you were done with ANBU" one of the medics spoke.
"Ah things change, a needed a little more action in my life." Sakura replied.
"Good. Good, you always kept us on our toes Kisōsha-san." A female ninja cajoled
Sakura laughed, "It's good to be back."
The third ninja placed a hand on her shoulder, "Tenzo ripped a new one for Subaru last mission by the way. So he requested that Tenzo wouldn't be on the mission with us, I'm glad he did."
Sakura snorted, "Kami I've missed out on all the fun."
"Not all of it" The female ninja winked.
"Ah ok kids, catch up time is over, Hoakage wants this done by next week. Let's move out." Subaru grumbled upon hearing Tenzo's name in the mix.
"Yes captain" They all saluted as they walked out the gates placing on their masks.
Itachi and Kakashi walked behind her.
She never looked back at either of them.
Happy Birthday dearest Sakura.
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Ew or ok ?
Please Review homies
Shit is going to go down, just sayin'
Much love
OXZA