Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
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Sakura was forced to keep a distance from Kakashi, but they walked a distance from her parents. Iruka was walking in the middle ground between the two groups. He really did believe that Sakura grew up. She did change a great deal, but how could her own two parents not see it, baffled him. He did though, however, feel uncomfortable with the fact that she and Kakashi were together. They seemed serious about it, but they were teacher and student. He was getting conflicting emotions.
Kakashi turned to Sakura. He was still determined but he was more worried.
"What do you think? Do you think we have a good chance?" He asked her.
She looked at him with her best smile, which she was trying hard to keep on. "We have to try." She made her worried, determined expression reappear as she looked forward. There was no use in worrying about chances now that they were already into this mess. She was going to dive in head first. It would be futile to attack it any other way. In the matters of the heart it is all or nothing.
She quickened her pace wanting to get this over with. Kakashi wondered where she got this fighting energy. He quickened his pace to match hers, and just watched her with her determined face.
They finally reached the door to Hokage's place once again today. This day was not looking as good as she had originally thought.
Sakura pushed the little intercom button and spoke into it.
"This is Sakura. I was with Kakashi before, like I am right now. Iruka, and my parents are also here. We need to talk to Hokage-sama, now."
"With Kakashi? Iruka?" The voice came over the intercom. It was the thin man from before.
Kakashi pushed the button and for the first time said something in front of her parents, "Yes, this is Kakashi."
"Okay" said the thin man through the small speaker. He unlatched the door for them and Sakura opened the door. She walked past the desk without acknowledging the thin man.
He could sense the tension between the group of five people. He noticed Sakura's and Kakashi's change from this morning.
"Wait!" He called out as Sakura just made her way down the hall. Iruka waved him off and indicated that he would handle it. The thin man sat back in his seat exasperated.
Sakura opened the door without knocking and walked in. Fortunately Hokage was in there alone. He was surprised to see that it was Sakura, again. Kakashi came through then, followed by Iruka and Sakura's parents.
"What is this?" He said to the group obviously ticked.
"Hokage-sama did you not put me under Kakashi's care even though you know that we cared for each other?" Sakura asked right way.
"What?!" Her father yelled in disbelief. He immediately looked at Hokage for answers.
"Everybody!" Hokage yelled. "I will not tolerate yelling in here. Now settle yourselves down enough until we can discuss this in a civil matter!" Everybody then immediately sat down and did not say a thing.
"Good" Hokage said as he too calmed down. He sat down and breathed a heavy sigh.
"Now what is troubling you?" he asked as he folded his hands.
"Why was my daughter placed in Kakashi's care instead of her own family's? And what is this I hear about you knew that they had these 'feelings' for each other?" Her father said with a threatening voice.
With another sigh but heavier, Hokage-sama gathered what he was going to say.
"I placed her under Kakashi-kun's care because he is one of my best jounins. She had not yet wanted you to see her in her change. I respected that wish. It is true I knew that they had taken a liking to each other. But they knew the great consequences I would bestow upon them if they did anything I disagreed with. Kakashi was the best for the job that is the simple fact. He had some idea what he was up against when it came to Tsubasa."
"Who is this Tsubasa? Sakura mentioned something about him before. But most of all why is my daughter all grown up?" her mother interrupted. Hokage rested his chin on his folded hands.
"Tsubasa is a Sound county's shinobi. I have been trying to get the Sound county's authority to let this go, but they said it is legitimate since we had taken a special item from their county. This item is a special seed that is inside of Sakura and we are in the process of figuring out on how to remove it..."
"But Why?..." her mother started to ask in the middle of his explanation.
"You ate an important seed from their county, Sakura?" Her father said as he looked at her disappointed and in disbelief. It was a look that could only convey 'how could you be so stupid?'
"Please listen, I'm not finished." Hokage started. He knew that her parents would be concerned but this was annoying.
"As I was saying. She did not eat anything important. She accidently stumbled across this seed and with all the circumstances absorbed it into her being. With this in her, laying dormant, it gives off an unusual side affect of maturing the body, that is why you see her the way she is."
Her parents processed the information for a second, letting the room fall silent. Sakura looked at Kakashi who gave her a nod although his expression was very serious. She looked at Iruka who also looked back at her. He seemed very troubled, even sad. As he looked at her, he seemed even more so. He didn't mean of this to happen, and Sakura understood this. Sakura although serious still softened her expression and gave an understanding nod, showing that she realized that he was sorry. How could have Iruka known? It wasn't his fault. She just faced her parents now instead of later.
Iruka watched her and thought about 'how had he let this happen?' But suddenly her expression changed. It was still determined but her eyes, there was something different. They were lighter, more calm than before. She then nodded slowly like she knew what he was thinking. He was surprised, but for some reason felt better. She then looked back to the front. He sat there baffled. When did she grow up like this?
"Laying dormant?" Her mother asked.
"Yes, although it was absorbed, it still can be corrected. All we have to do is keep her safe from Tsubasa, who is hidden in our own leaf village, and keep the seed from being activated, until we find out that process exactly."
"He's here?! Tsubasa is here?!" Her mother exclaimed.
"Yes he attacked them early this morning. That is how, if you didn't notice, Sakura's forearm was damaged." Iruka said for Hokage.
"This morning?! Why did you assign Kakashi-sensei if he let our daughter get hurt?!" her mother said. She was getting too worked up. Kakashi's clenched his teeth at that last statement. Sakura's mother or no, she did not know what she was talking about.
"Sakura and Kakashi both thought that they were safer inside the village. They were sleeping in separate rooms and in the middle of last night Tsubasa came, Sakura tried to defend herself and broke a window in the process. Kakashi, from my understanding, came in and protected your daughter. But regretfully Tsubasa had gotten away."
And with that last statement Kakashi grew even more angry, this time at himself.
"So how can we keep the seed from activating?" Her father asked. Sakura didn't want for them to hear Hokage's version of explaining so she answered herself vaguely.
"Tou-san,1 that is only something that I can do to prevent." She said to her father, hoping that would satisfy his curiosity.
"What could you do? How? Maybe we could help." he asked. Great. This was the perfect time that he really listened and maybe even cared.
"What she means she has to remain a virgin." Kakashi said still looking at the front of the room and with the same serious face. Everyone was shocked that out of all that was there, he answered that question.
"I have not touched her with the intent of that, ever." Kakashi not making eye contact with anyone but his voice was very serious.
"Then what is that!" Her father said as he pointed at Sakura's neck.
"What is what?"asked Hokage not seeing anything.
"This." her father said as he forcefully moved her head and showed the side of her neck.
"Don't you touch her like that!" Kakashi yelled. Sakura got her head free out of her father's grip and moved away from him, toward Kakashi.
Disappointment clearly showed on Hokage's face. Iruka wasn't sure what was happening. Yes, it was a hickey, but any couple gave each other hickeys whether the intention of sex was there or not. He believed Kakashi when he said that he never had any intention like that. It was the way he said it and all his previous transactions that led him to believe Kakashi would not have. And anyways he answered that question instead of staying silent.
"What do you wish me to do?" Hokage asked her father, showing that he had finally taken a side.
Sakura, Kakashi and even Iruka felt disappointed and felt this was unfair. Hopelessness started to fill the room for those three.
"I want him away from my daughter! And charged with pedofile!" Her father said pointing at Kakashi.
"No! You can't!" Sakura argued as she frantically looked between Hokage and her father.
"Yes, I can. You are twelve years old, Sakura. Or have you forgotten that?" Her father said with a snarl.
"I grew up! I'm an adult now! An adult can't be a minor! You can't force me to do anything."
"A twelve-year-old is a minor!" He argued his point again. "Hokage, tell her who is right."
This was actually not easy. True she was only twelve years old but she also was an adult at the same time.
"You said yourself that the seed matured my body, isn't that right, Hokage-sama?" Sakura asked very calmly.
"Yes." He answered
"Is the brain not a part of the body?" She asked.
"Well yes it is." He answered again. He wasn't sure where this was going.
"I am a more mature person, mentally also. That took place when this happened to my body." She said calmly. "I am no longer a child."
This gave something for Hokage to think about.
"Oh Comon!" Her father complained. "How do you know that? The law says that a twelve-year-old is a minor, no exceptions."
"I will have no more. Let me think for a moment." Hokage said strictly. This was a tough decision.
Iruka hoped it would end up in Sakura's favor. Her parents started off as nice people but he was finding to dislike them. They might have been good parents before this but they had major faults.
Silence had taken the room and it made it worse. Sakura grabbed Kakashi's hand and held tightly. Hokage looked between the two groups, with furrowed eyebrows. He rubbed his face and then took in a deep breath.
"Now no one interrupt me. This wasn't easy and so I have made my decision." He turned his head to Kakashi, making eye contact with him.
It was not a pleasing look.
"Kakashi, you are relieved from the protection of Sakura. You will have her belongings removed from your household. Sakura, you will go home with your parents, because it is true twelve year olds are minors. But because you are also technically an adult, there will be no charges of Pedofile. That is my decision."
"What?! No!" Sakura yelled. Her father came and grabbed Sakura and tried to drag her away. She held onto Kakashi's arm.
"No!" She said as she started to cry. She kicked and did her best to get free.
"Sakura!" Hokage yelled loudly as an angry warning. "I will not have this! Do you want further punishment for the both of you?!"
She stopped struggling but held onto Kakashi's arm. She was sobbing. Kakashi looked at her father with stern yet saddened eyes.
"Please let me do just one more thing before you go." he said. Her father eyed him suspiciously but not seeing any reason that he would pull anything, let go of Sakura. After a second of standing there sobbing she fell to the floor. She didn't even care to support her own weight.
Kakashi sat on his legs by her and pulled her close. She cried into his shoulder, holding him tight.
"Sakura, listen to me." Kakashi said softly.
"It's going to be alright." He lied. She shook her head and her crying became worse.
"They... won't... let... see...you..." Sakura said between staggered breaths, holding him tighter.
"It will be okay... because, I love you." Kakashi said, feeling hopeless. He let his head rest on hers.
"I love... you too..." Sakura said into his shoulder as she cried.
"Hurry it up." Sakura's father said. He could not hear what they were talking about, if he even bothered to listen. All he knew was he didn't like Sakura in Kakashi's arms.
"Sakura, look at me." Kakashi requested. She shook her head back and forth, refusing.
"Why?" Kakashi asked.
"Because that means I will have to leave." She said into his shoulder.
"But it will happen anyways. Please look at me." Kakashi requested. She looked up at him, with no hesitation unlike all the times before. He gently held her head and looked in the eyes. Her eyes were that saddened version that he swore that he would do everything so she wouldn't have to look at him, or anything, this way again. This was more than he could bare.
She saw that his eyes were a little reddened also. A stray tear rolled down his cheek. She wiped it from his cheek although her own was streaked with them.
Sakura suddenly was pulled from Kakashi's arms. She reached for him but he didn't reach back. She was being carried out of the room and was then out the door and out of sight. He kept eye contact until her face disappeared. Kakashi just sat there a moment staring at the doorway. Realizing that he was in an unwanted place, he got up with a wavy sense of balance. It had taken a bit for the command to move his feet. He then walked out the door. Iruka felt horrible, especially after watching Kakashi in this condition. He gave Hokage-sama a disappointed look then followed after Kakashi.
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Sakura was forced to keep a distance from Kakashi, but they walked a distance from her parents. Iruka was walking in the middle ground between the two groups. He really did believe that Sakura grew up. She did change a great deal, but how could her own two parents not see it, baffled him. He did though, however, feel uncomfortable with the fact that she and Kakashi were together. They seemed serious about it, but they were teacher and student. He was getting conflicting emotions.
Kakashi turned to Sakura. He was still determined but he was more worried.
"What do you think? Do you think we have a good chance?" He asked her.
She looked at him with her best smile, which she was trying hard to keep on. "We have to try." She made her worried, determined expression reappear as she looked forward. There was no use in worrying about chances now that they were already into this mess. She was going to dive in head first. It would be futile to attack it any other way. In the matters of the heart it is all or nothing.
She quickened her pace wanting to get this over with. Kakashi wondered where she got this fighting energy. He quickened his pace to match hers, and just watched her with her determined face.
They finally reached the door to Hokage's place once again today. This day was not looking as good as she had originally thought.
Sakura pushed the little intercom button and spoke into it.
"This is Sakura. I was with Kakashi before, like I am right now. Iruka, and my parents are also here. We need to talk to Hokage-sama, now."
"With Kakashi? Iruka?" The voice came over the intercom. It was the thin man from before.
Kakashi pushed the button and for the first time said something in front of her parents, "Yes, this is Kakashi."
"Okay" said the thin man through the small speaker. He unlatched the door for them and Sakura opened the door. She walked past the desk without acknowledging the thin man.
He could sense the tension between the group of five people. He noticed Sakura's and Kakashi's change from this morning.
"Wait!" He called out as Sakura just made her way down the hall. Iruka waved him off and indicated that he would handle it. The thin man sat back in his seat exasperated.
Sakura opened the door without knocking and walked in. Fortunately Hokage was in there alone. He was surprised to see that it was Sakura, again. Kakashi came through then, followed by Iruka and Sakura's parents.
"What is this?" He said to the group obviously ticked.
"Hokage-sama did you not put me under Kakashi's care even though you know that we cared for each other?" Sakura asked right way.
"What?!" Her father yelled in disbelief. He immediately looked at Hokage for answers.
"Everybody!" Hokage yelled. "I will not tolerate yelling in here. Now settle yourselves down enough until we can discuss this in a civil matter!" Everybody then immediately sat down and did not say a thing.
"Good" Hokage said as he too calmed down. He sat down and breathed a heavy sigh.
"Now what is troubling you?" he asked as he folded his hands.
"Why was my daughter placed in Kakashi's care instead of her own family's? And what is this I hear about you knew that they had these 'feelings' for each other?" Her father said with a threatening voice.
With another sigh but heavier, Hokage-sama gathered what he was going to say.
"I placed her under Kakashi-kun's care because he is one of my best jounins. She had not yet wanted you to see her in her change. I respected that wish. It is true I knew that they had taken a liking to each other. But they knew the great consequences I would bestow upon them if they did anything I disagreed with. Kakashi was the best for the job that is the simple fact. He had some idea what he was up against when it came to Tsubasa."
"Who is this Tsubasa? Sakura mentioned something about him before. But most of all why is my daughter all grown up?" her mother interrupted. Hokage rested his chin on his folded hands.
"Tsubasa is a Sound county's shinobi. I have been trying to get the Sound county's authority to let this go, but they said it is legitimate since we had taken a special item from their county. This item is a special seed that is inside of Sakura and we are in the process of figuring out on how to remove it..."
"But Why?..." her mother started to ask in the middle of his explanation.
"You ate an important seed from their county, Sakura?" Her father said as he looked at her disappointed and in disbelief. It was a look that could only convey 'how could you be so stupid?'
"Please listen, I'm not finished." Hokage started. He knew that her parents would be concerned but this was annoying.
"As I was saying. She did not eat anything important. She accidently stumbled across this seed and with all the circumstances absorbed it into her being. With this in her, laying dormant, it gives off an unusual side affect of maturing the body, that is why you see her the way she is."
Her parents processed the information for a second, letting the room fall silent. Sakura looked at Kakashi who gave her a nod although his expression was very serious. She looked at Iruka who also looked back at her. He seemed very troubled, even sad. As he looked at her, he seemed even more so. He didn't mean of this to happen, and Sakura understood this. Sakura although serious still softened her expression and gave an understanding nod, showing that she realized that he was sorry. How could have Iruka known? It wasn't his fault. She just faced her parents now instead of later.
Iruka watched her and thought about 'how had he let this happen?' But suddenly her expression changed. It was still determined but her eyes, there was something different. They were lighter, more calm than before. She then nodded slowly like she knew what he was thinking. He was surprised, but for some reason felt better. She then looked back to the front. He sat there baffled. When did she grow up like this?
"Laying dormant?" Her mother asked.
"Yes, although it was absorbed, it still can be corrected. All we have to do is keep her safe from Tsubasa, who is hidden in our own leaf village, and keep the seed from being activated, until we find out that process exactly."
"He's here?! Tsubasa is here?!" Her mother exclaimed.
"Yes he attacked them early this morning. That is how, if you didn't notice, Sakura's forearm was damaged." Iruka said for Hokage.
"This morning?! Why did you assign Kakashi-sensei if he let our daughter get hurt?!" her mother said. She was getting too worked up. Kakashi's clenched his teeth at that last statement. Sakura's mother or no, she did not know what she was talking about.
"Sakura and Kakashi both thought that they were safer inside the village. They were sleeping in separate rooms and in the middle of last night Tsubasa came, Sakura tried to defend herself and broke a window in the process. Kakashi, from my understanding, came in and protected your daughter. But regretfully Tsubasa had gotten away."
And with that last statement Kakashi grew even more angry, this time at himself.
"So how can we keep the seed from activating?" Her father asked. Sakura didn't want for them to hear Hokage's version of explaining so she answered herself vaguely.
"Tou-san,1 that is only something that I can do to prevent." She said to her father, hoping that would satisfy his curiosity.
"What could you do? How? Maybe we could help." he asked. Great. This was the perfect time that he really listened and maybe even cared.
"What she means she has to remain a virgin." Kakashi said still looking at the front of the room and with the same serious face. Everyone was shocked that out of all that was there, he answered that question.
"I have not touched her with the intent of that, ever." Kakashi not making eye contact with anyone but his voice was very serious.
"Then what is that!" Her father said as he pointed at Sakura's neck.
"What is what?"asked Hokage not seeing anything.
"This." her father said as he forcefully moved her head and showed the side of her neck.
"Don't you touch her like that!" Kakashi yelled. Sakura got her head free out of her father's grip and moved away from him, toward Kakashi.
Disappointment clearly showed on Hokage's face. Iruka wasn't sure what was happening. Yes, it was a hickey, but any couple gave each other hickeys whether the intention of sex was there or not. He believed Kakashi when he said that he never had any intention like that. It was the way he said it and all his previous transactions that led him to believe Kakashi would not have. And anyways he answered that question instead of staying silent.
"What do you wish me to do?" Hokage asked her father, showing that he had finally taken a side.
Sakura, Kakashi and even Iruka felt disappointed and felt this was unfair. Hopelessness started to fill the room for those three.
"I want him away from my daughter! And charged with pedofile!" Her father said pointing at Kakashi.
"No! You can't!" Sakura argued as she frantically looked between Hokage and her father.
"Yes, I can. You are twelve years old, Sakura. Or have you forgotten that?" Her father said with a snarl.
"I grew up! I'm an adult now! An adult can't be a minor! You can't force me to do anything."
"A twelve-year-old is a minor!" He argued his point again. "Hokage, tell her who is right."
This was actually not easy. True she was only twelve years old but she also was an adult at the same time.
"You said yourself that the seed matured my body, isn't that right, Hokage-sama?" Sakura asked very calmly.
"Yes." He answered
"Is the brain not a part of the body?" She asked.
"Well yes it is." He answered again. He wasn't sure where this was going.
"I am a more mature person, mentally also. That took place when this happened to my body." She said calmly. "I am no longer a child."
This gave something for Hokage to think about.
"Oh Comon!" Her father complained. "How do you know that? The law says that a twelve-year-old is a minor, no exceptions."
"I will have no more. Let me think for a moment." Hokage said strictly. This was a tough decision.
Iruka hoped it would end up in Sakura's favor. Her parents started off as nice people but he was finding to dislike them. They might have been good parents before this but they had major faults.
Silence had taken the room and it made it worse. Sakura grabbed Kakashi's hand and held tightly. Hokage looked between the two groups, with furrowed eyebrows. He rubbed his face and then took in a deep breath.
"Now no one interrupt me. This wasn't easy and so I have made my decision." He turned his head to Kakashi, making eye contact with him.
It was not a pleasing look.
"Kakashi, you are relieved from the protection of Sakura. You will have her belongings removed from your household. Sakura, you will go home with your parents, because it is true twelve year olds are minors. But because you are also technically an adult, there will be no charges of Pedofile. That is my decision."
"What?! No!" Sakura yelled. Her father came and grabbed Sakura and tried to drag her away. She held onto Kakashi's arm.
"No!" She said as she started to cry. She kicked and did her best to get free.
"Sakura!" Hokage yelled loudly as an angry warning. "I will not have this! Do you want further punishment for the both of you?!"
She stopped struggling but held onto Kakashi's arm. She was sobbing. Kakashi looked at her father with stern yet saddened eyes.
"Please let me do just one more thing before you go." he said. Her father eyed him suspiciously but not seeing any reason that he would pull anything, let go of Sakura. After a second of standing there sobbing she fell to the floor. She didn't even care to support her own weight.
Kakashi sat on his legs by her and pulled her close. She cried into his shoulder, holding him tight.
"Sakura, listen to me." Kakashi said softly.
"It's going to be alright." He lied. She shook her head and her crying became worse.
"They... won't... let... see...you..." Sakura said between staggered breaths, holding him tighter.
"It will be okay... because, I love you." Kakashi said, feeling hopeless. He let his head rest on hers.
"I love... you too..." Sakura said into his shoulder as she cried.
"Hurry it up." Sakura's father said. He could not hear what they were talking about, if he even bothered to listen. All he knew was he didn't like Sakura in Kakashi's arms.
"Sakura, look at me." Kakashi requested. She shook her head back and forth, refusing.
"Why?" Kakashi asked.
"Because that means I will have to leave." She said into his shoulder.
"But it will happen anyways. Please look at me." Kakashi requested. She looked up at him, with no hesitation unlike all the times before. He gently held her head and looked in the eyes. Her eyes were that saddened version that he swore that he would do everything so she wouldn't have to look at him, or anything, this way again. This was more than he could bare.
She saw that his eyes were a little reddened also. A stray tear rolled down his cheek. She wiped it from his cheek although her own was streaked with them.
Sakura suddenly was pulled from Kakashi's arms. She reached for him but he didn't reach back. She was being carried out of the room and was then out the door and out of sight. He kept eye contact until her face disappeared. Kakashi just sat there a moment staring at the doorway. Realizing that he was in an unwanted place, he got up with a wavy sense of balance. It had taken a bit for the command to move his feet. He then walked out the door. Iruka felt horrible, especially after watching Kakashi in this condition. He gave Hokage-sama a disappointed look then followed after Kakashi.