A/N: One more chapter after this, my lads :') I decided to post another because I skipped a day, I think.

LOL I got a comment about the soap opera Sakura watches and I forgot to mention that it's based off of an actual Hispanic novela. I can't remember exactly what it's called but I think it has the word Pasión in the title and actually features the two characters Ronaldo and Camilla. I don't think I've ever mentioned this, but I am Mexican and Spanish was my first language. I grew up watching telenovelas every day… I'm not sure if that was a good or bad thing.

Learn Me Right

We will be who we are,

And they'll heal our scars,

Sadness will be far away

A week later

There was a knock at the door as Sakura and were sharing an evening meal.

Sakura quirked an eyebrow at Kakashi, but he only shrugged: neither of them were expecting anyone.

He slipped his mask back on as Sakura went to open the door.

She was certainly not expecting her mother to be the one on the other side of it. Sakura hesitated for a flabbergasted moment, then noticed the stubborn set of her mother's mouth and she knew that this was not going to be an amiable visit.

Her mother frowned at her, preparing to speak before she did a small double-take when she noticed Kakashi. He had come to the door to investigate Sakura's lack of response.

"So, it's true," her mother fumed. "You're dating your teacher." She didn't ask, merely stated.

"Ex teacher, and yes, I am," Sakura said evenly.

"When your father told me, I didn't believe him—I thought: not my daughter, no matter what she's done to rebel against us, no, she wouldn't sink that low."

Sakura was acutely aware of Kakashi standing right behind her, listening to every hateful word. Her hands started trembling with rage.

"You have a lot of nerve to look down on him considering the pitiful excuse for a man that you married. Did you only come to insult us—?"

"I came to talk some sense into you! To tell you that your father was willing to give you a second chance to return home with your family, but after he became aware of your situation, he was so livid he could barely speak."

"An improvement, no doubt! If I never speak to father again, it will be too soon! And I thought I made it clear last time we spoke that I do not want anything you two have to offer."

"Do you do these things just to spite me?!"

"Don't think for one second that your opinions have any influence whatsoever on the decisions I make about my life."

Her mother was shaking with suppressed anger. "How disappointed and ashamed we are to have such a daughter—"

"Then forget you have a daughter!" Sakura shouted, body taut with tension. Her fingernails were digging almost painfully into her palms—she wouldn't be surprised if she made herself bleed. "Just tell everyone that I died during the war and be rid of me once and for all!" She barely registered Kakashi's hand grasped around her right elbow.

Her mother, who was about to say another bout of obscenities no doubt, had shut her mouth tight at Sakura's words. She breathed heavily with suppressed emotions and looked Sakura up and down, lips a thin line of anger.

"You have insulted me in every possible way," Sakura brokenly said. "Leave. Forget that you know the way to my home. Don't. Come. Back."

Her mother turned and left, never once stopping to look back.

The next thing she was dimly aware of was Kakashi leading her to sit on one of her kitchen chairs.

And then she instantly burst out crying.

She had thought that she was long over letting her parents get to her, but she was clearly mistaken. Her heart hurt. A great weight settled on it, stifling and unrelenting.

Kakashi crouched in front of her, stroking her hair back gently with a concerned expression.

Poor man, Sakura thought, she didn't even know how to deal with her emotions right then. His gentle touch was nice, though.

She cried some more.

She heard a rustling at the doorway before Naruto burst in through a door they hadn't bothered to close yet, followed by Sasuke. "Kakashi-Sensei, Sakura! Teme and I got a movie and I thought we could watch it together...Sakura-Chan, why are you crying?" Naruto slowly lowered the movie he had been brandishing in the air at the scene before him. He turned to Kakashi, a frighteningly stormy expression in his face. "What did you do?"

"Leave him alone, Naruto!" Sakura snapped, wiping furiously at the tears still coming from her eyes. "He didn't do anything."

"Then tell me what's going on."

Sakura only sniffed, concentrating on stopping the leakage.

Kakashi sighed, still looking up at Sakura worryingly. "Her mother was here."

"Oh."

Sasuke and Naruto looked pityingly at her.

Naruto came over and mimicked Kakashi's pose, crouching next to her. Sasuke walked over and stood next to Naruto. They formed a comforting barrier around her.

"Ugh!" Sakura suddenly said, throwing her hands up in surrender to her tears.. "I don't even know why I'm crying. I thought I had gotten used to this by now."

"I don't think it should have to get easier for a mother to talk to her daughter like that," Kakashi proffered softly.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "I mean, I don't know what she said to you, but forget her!" He patted her knee in a show of solidarity.

Sasuke placed a hand on her shoulder. She saw Kakashi snap his eyes to the place where he made contact with her shoulder. His eyes narrowed dangerously as if he wanted to imaple Sasuke's hand with a kunai.

Sakura sniffled again, a bit more under control. "You guys are right. I'm sorry." She pat Kakashi and Naruto affectionately on their cheeks. Sasuke's hand slipped off of her shoulder as she casually stood. "Right! So, where's that movie that you brought Naruto?"

She couldn't seem to pay attention to the movie. All she saw when she looked at the television screen was her mother's livid face.

Kakashi's hand covertly slipped into hers, sensing her turmoil. He squeezed her hand gently.

Four months later

Over the past year Sakura had come to realize that she and Kakashi prospered together. Sure, they had their bouts of shared arguments, but that was inconsequential to the balance of everything else about their relationship. He was her equal in every way that mattered.

Earlier in the day, Tsunade-shishou had summoned her into her office to ask if she would be willing to take the same mission to Shimoda again. Since Sakura already knew the specifics of the tea trade from last year, she thought there would be less hassle to send her on this mission again than to take the trouble to train someone else.

"Sure!" Sakura had agreed easily. She loved that place. "Can Kakashi come with me?" He had just come home from a grueling month-long mission yesterday and Sakura had missed him terribly. One week in Shimoda together would be lovely.

Tsunade paused for a moment, pondering Sakura's request. She shrugged, "Sure, I don't see why not. He's going to have to use vacation time, though—this is not a two person mission."

"Okay," Sakura had chirped happily.

They had arrived in Shimoda two days ago and were currently taking a leisurely promenade down Shimoda Main Street. Trade agreements had been finalized yesterday with the same friendly elderly couple she had met last year.

Sakura had linked her arm through Kakashi's as they passed various bakeries and clothes shops.

She was amused when they passed a small chapel decorated with blue sea stone and they both came to a stop—as if they had shared the same thought for a moment.

Kakashi turned to her and smiled. "Do you want to get married?" Shimoda was a very small town, unlike Konoha—they could obtain a marriage license and be married probably within the hour.

Sakura never wanted a big wedding. She grinned back at Kakashi. "Yes, I do."

The moment was private, personal—shared between two equal souls…

...And the officiant who blushed once Kakashi lowered his mask to kiss his newly ordained wife.

Sakura wouldn't have changed any detail in that moment for the world.

Dear Tsunade-shishou,

Kakashi and I are going to need another week here in Shimoda for our honeymoon. Yes, we got married!

We're sure the council will have no issue with us taking this PAID unexpected leave once they hear the news!

See you when we get back :)

Love,

Hatake Sakura.

"Hm," Tsunade half-heartedly groused and handed the note to a nosing Shizune behind her. She couldn't quite hide the joyous smile twitching into existence on her face.

"Oh, they eloped!" Shizune sighed wistfully. "How romantic!"

"This place is where I knew I loved you," she murmured later in the night, when she was laying in Kakashi's arms, listening to the waves crash against the shore.

His response was to wrap her tighter in his arms, the intention to not release her for the rest of the night clear in the gesture.

They arrived back in Konoha about two weeks later to an entourage of two loud-mouth blondes.

The moment they were spotted, Ino zeroed in on Sakura and narrowed her eyes accusingly, placing two fists on her hips in a "you're in deep shit" gesture. "You got married!" Ino reprimanded. "Without me?" She tapped her foot impatiently on the ground.

Sakura only laughed. Tsunade must have spread the news faster than a summertime Konoha wildfire!

Naruto wailed along with Ino, coming to clutch Sakura in the half-hearted desperation of someone who just wanted to cause a ruckus for attention. "My sweet, Sakura-Chan! I can't believe any man deserves you enough to call you wife! Especially not our old Kakashi-sensei!"

Sakura only rolled her eyes. "Well, believe it because now you're going to be calling me Hatake Sakura." Kakashi beamed at that—they'd never actually said her new name out loud yet.

"Noooo—"

Ino basically shoved him out of the way in order to be Sakura's main source of attention again. "How could you do this to me?"

Sakura sighed. "I'm sorry, Ino. Next time I have a major life event, I'll make sure to invite you."

"It's decided, then," Ino proclaimed with a decisive nod. "You'll have another, bigger wedding here with all of us. I'll provide the flowers and be maid of honor."

"I-what? How did you come to that conclusion from what I just said?!" Sakura spluttered. Sakura was sure that the reason Ino was so utterly indignant that Sakura had not had a wedding in Konoha was because she had robbed her of the role of maid of honor. She also dreaded how many people she meant by "all of us". She passively noticed Naruto childishly pouting at Kakashi.

Ino completely ignored her and kept babbling on about dresses and different types of fabric.

"Ino, no," Sakura said firmly. "We already had a wedding. I don't want another one."

Naruto joined in Ino's insane planning. "Yeah, I can't wait to go to your guys' wedding too! Hey, can we invite Gaara?"

Ino grabbed Sakura's hand and stroked it as she protested. "Oh, Sakura," she said cheerfully, "this is happening."

Sakura turned to Kakashi helplessly. He just shrugged at her and offered a smile as if to say "oh well".

Sakura sighed heavily and turned back to Ino. "Fine! But you're planning everything. You got it? I don't want to pick the food, the seating arrangement, the drinks, or the music or-or anything!"

Ino clapped her hands and hopped up and down in delight. "Yay! Okay, you've got a deal! Now let me see it!"

Sakura blinked, confused. "See what?"

"The ring, of course!"

"Ah." Sakura stuck out her hand to show Ino the unassuming golden band on her left ring finger. She and Kakashi had picked out two almost identical bands at a small jewelry shop in Shimoda. Sakura wasn't a person inclined towards huge, flashy diamonds and had told Kakashi that she wanted something that she could wear on missions and when she was working in the hospital. The only difference in Sakura's ring was that hers had a small blue sea glass stone inlaid on the golden surface.

Ino, eager to begin with, didn't try to hide the knee-jerk distasteful grimace when she studied the ring. "Oh, I guess it's, uh, nice."

Sakura yanked her hand out of Ino's, slightly affronted. "I picked it out. I think it's beautiful."

"I'm sure you did," Ino murmured under her breath.

"I like it," Naruto simply said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Of course you do, Naruto," Ino said derisively. "You have no taste." She turned her nose up at his orange ensemble very pointedly.

"Don't you two have something else to do?" Sakura asked, patience thinning under the realization that she had just given Ino the reins to her wedding. That was probably a very bad idea.

"Okay, okay! We'll go," Ino said. Then gleefully, "I do have a whole wedding to plan, actually."

She and Naruto walked off, bickering about centerpieces and Sakura and Kakashi were left alone again.

"Thanks for your help," Sakura pouted.

Kakashi just flicked her nose playfully. "Come on, you know that there was no way we were going to be able to escape that one with a no."

Sakura sighed, looking after Ino retreating back. "Yeah, you're right."

A few days later

Sakura brought up the subject of moving in together, now that they were, well, married. They had been basically sharing her apartment for the last year anyway, with one of them coming over to either place.

Kakashi knew that was only a matter of time before she would do so, but he was hoping that she would have held on for a bit longer. It wasn't quite ready yet…

Oh, well, he thought, might as well show her now.

"About that…" Kakashi trailed off, thinking of the best way to tell her. "Come, follow me. I have something to show you."

Understandably, Sakura looked quizzically at him, but followed him out the door, nonetheless.

He led her down the stairs and through Konoha's bustling streets, past the Hokage tower until the buildings started thinning out, large trees taking their place. They walked a few more minutes, in which time they came across no other house, until they reached a leaf-strewn walkway, leading off from their current path.

Kakashi turned down the path, still leading a curious Sakura.

"Kakashi, where are we going?"

"You'll see. We're almost there."

Sakura side-eyed him. "Is this the part where I find out that you only married me for my money and now you're taking me out here to do me in?"

"I've seen how much you have in your bank accounts, Sakura. Not something worth murdering someone over."

"Rude."

Kakashi grinned at her faked ire. They were almost there.

Finally, they reached a clearing where the trees gave way and revealed a slightly dilapidated minka house. The roof had fallen into disrepair, the sliding doors stuck, and the wooden engawa veranda needed a thorough polishing. The structure of the house, though, was still sound—he had made sure of it.

The house belonged to the Hatake family, and seeing as he was the sole surviving heir, the house was his, and now Sakura's too.

When Kakashi was younger, he couldn't bear to come and live in a big, empty house that would have no one to greet him once he entered the door. He didn't want the first thing to come to mind when he entered to be the thought of how his father had taken his life in that very house when he was only a child, leaving him alone in the world.

At the age of sixteen, Kakashi had come back to the house for that very reason and had promptly destroyed the genkan where he had found his father dead. He had rendered it to rubble and almost obsessively had built a new entrance hall more to the left of the minka—the house afterwards, did have a peculiar look about the structure, but he didn't really mind.

After that though, he hadn't returned until recently, when he had started to refurbish the house for the purpose of offering it to Sakura as their new family home. She probably already had an inkling about it's history, so Kakashi was a bit apprehensive about her reaction.

The task of bringing the house back to its former glory was going to be a long one, though, and he hadn't quite finished as he had hoped to do before bringing Sakura. He wanted to fill it with happy memories again, because he had once been happy here.

"This, if you accept it, is our new home," said Kakashi, sweeping an arm out to the frumpy house. He didn't know how she was going to react—would she wrinkle her nose in distaste?—so Kakashi kept on nervously talking. "It's, um, not much and does need a lot of work, but once it's done—"

Sakura abruptly flung her arms around his neck and gave him a sloppy kiss. She drew back and grinned at him, eyes bright. "I can't believe you're giving me a house! It's perfect."

Their weekend task, when they are not otherwise occupied working or on a mission, became working on the house together. Sometimes, Naruto or Yamato came to help and occasionally Sasuke and Sai. Ino visited often as well, but instead of helping she just ended up lazing on the veranda and shouting out orders about where she thought furnishings should go and asking Sakura's opinion on the color scheme for their wedding. He let his ninken loose one day while she was lying on the porch, commanding that Sakura place the kusari doi more to the right of the gutter. The ninken, starting with Bull, went forth in one big roiling mass, running past Ino and depositing her on the dirt floor.

He watched amusedly as Sakura bent over and clutched her stomach from the effort of laughing so much.

A few days later, Sakura started a garden a couple paces away from the house. The first thing she planted was Hairy, having now outgrown his pot, and Mr. Ukki as well.

...

One week later

"Hey, Naruto?" Sakura asked as he accompanied her to the market. She asked casually, as if she were just going to ask him how many oranges he wanted to buy. She didn't want to tip him off about the question she was about to ask.

"Hm?"

"Will you walk me down the aisle?"

Sakura hadn't noticed that he had stopped walking until she glanced next to her and didn't see him. Sakura turned about and spotted him a few paces back.

He looked at her with a trademark sunshine smile on his face. "Really."

"Yeah, who else would I ask to do it?" Sakura smiled, amused by his reaction.

Showing a sudden display of serenity, Naruto bowed solemnly and said, "I'd be honored."

A/N: One more chapter to go!