A/N: I was considering posting another chapter before this, but then I thought I made y'all wait long enough. Here it is - the chapter you've all been (probably) waiting for. I hope it doesn't disappoint.

Enjoy!

Slightly Inappropriate

Too bad she left her big girl panties in Suna along with her dignity Sakura thought as her heart began beating in her chest. A flash of silver white, light orange, and flak jacket green was all she saw before she hid behind Ms. Tanaka's fruit stand. Ms. Tanaka barely raised an eyebrow as she went on gossiping with the neighboring stall owner, an elderly man with a pretty cool mustache. Sakura idly wondered if there was a little something something going on between them even though the guy looked twenty years her senior. Nothing wrong with a little age gap if both were appropriate ages.

Wait. No more thinking about that.

Sakura rubbed her face with a groan. This was ridiculous. Why in the world had she been running? Big girl panties or not it was time to go find her friend and apologize or something for leaving him in that stupid town. Good thing she preferred going commando anyway. It was freeing just like she was about to be free of this stupid charade.

Jumping across well-known roofs Sakura honed in on her target. Per usual Kakashi had his nose stuck in a pervy book, but she knew with one hundred percent certainty that he'd sensed her. Hell, she bet he sensed her behind Ms. Tanaka's fruit stand. God, Sakura hoped he wouldn't bring it up. She'd have to make up a ridiculous lie. Luck was not on her side though since Kakashi was bastard supreme.

"Sakura," Kakashi greeted gaily as she jumped down, "how was Ms. Tanaka? Not the best place to hide, but you could have done worse I suppose."

Sakura felt her heart stop at his cheerful countenance which did little to hide the steel in his eyes. Shit. He was not pleased. Dammit, she was definitely going to have to make a sincere apology. Yet, as much as she wasn't looking forward to accidently setting off any explosive triggers in the mindscape of Hatake Kakashi, it was so good seeing his face and hearing his voice. She missed the jerk. When had that even happened? Sighing Sakura supposed that every ninken had its day and she would have to own up to being a shitty friend. Good thing she was a bad ass and that's just what they did…eventually did.

"I was busy rehearsing." Sakura hedged walking closer to him kicking up a bit of dirt. Kakashi looked disinterested, but he didn't turn away. Thank goodness for small favors. They were near the training fields but not so much of the village yet. There were few houses and business, but no one was really around at the moment to watch. That did discount Sai sneaking around the damn village trying to look for new things to gossip over, though.

"Oh," Kakashi hummed. Sakura wished she could just spit out everything like Naruto, but it was getting hard to say anything with the glacial energy Kakashi was giving off.

"Yeah," Sakura replied stopping to stand in front of him. He tilted his head at her. "Look. I mean listen. First, stop looking at me like I killed your stupid potted plants and burned all your hentai books."

"Romance," Kakashi corrected dryly.

"Romance, hentai, whatever, just stop. " She took a deep breath and placed her hands on his shoulders feeling muscles tense underneath his shirt. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked gazing upward thoughtfully. What a bastard.

"Stop interrupting me, Kakashi. I'll tell you when I'm done talking." Sakura squeezed his shoulders with a tiny amount of chakra backing her up. "Sorry for leaving the note on the toilet. It should have been on your bed," he gave her a deadpan look, "but really for leaving you without any warning in person. That was really shitty of me. I saw you with that lady and kind of freaked out, and since I was done with the fake mission I thought it best to leave."

Kakashi's hands rose to touch her own on his shoulders and his eyes changed in intensity. Sakura felt the warmth of his fingers press into her hands and butterflies erupted in her stomach. That wasn't her usual reaction. She probably ate something bad earlier and the stress of the situation was messing with her digestive juices.

"Did seeing Reiko with me bother you?"

Sakura's jaw ached with how hard she was biting down. No way in hell was she going to bring Kakashi into her absurd thoughts, but he deserved to know a bit.

"Yes, but not in the way you're thinking, old man!"

Kakashi held up his hands in mock surrender, his whole body and energy coming off lighter and much more playful in an instant.

"I'm only thinking you're secretly in love with me. Don't worry, Sakura, I didn't sleep with her."

"OH. MY. GOD. I don't care! It was just weird." Sakura shouted back her face heating up. She didn't want to admit that she was happy he didn't sleep with her so really focused on the next part.

"She is the sister of one of my old acquaintances and they wanted me to give her a belated birthday present. She was coming with me to the hotel because I forgot the summoning scroll the present was in there." Kakashi stopped and nodded thoughtfully. "She is a cute girl but eighteen little too young for my liking."

"GROSS!"

"Maa, maa, Sakura, don't be so hasty. Ms. Tanaka and the older gentleman next to her have a twenty year age gap between them, but they're still seeing each other." She fucking called it, Sakura thought smugly. "But they are older and both more experienced in life in general, so don't worry there is still time for our love to bloom."

"EVEN GROSSER! Don't sully our friendship with such lies, Kakashi."

Kakashi's laughter lingered in her memory a little too long after. In fact, Sakura remembered it for the rest of her life.

A/N: Yay for a bit of romantic development. Sakura's still got a long way to go, and poor Kakashi has to deal with her in the meantime. Please send positive thoughts to this poor man.