The Nearest Star

By: Powderblew

Prompt: "Part of me still believes you'll come back."

Summary: The quest for strength comes from the spirit or in this case, the soul.

jovian

"This is a terrible idea," Sakura hears Ino grumble from across the sidelines, she tightens the strap of her leather glove on her wrist and exhales slowly.

"What are you talking about Ino?" Naruto scowls and puts his hands on his hips, "Sakura-chan can pummel Kakashi-sensei straight into the ground."

"Her injuries, you idiot!"

"She healed them," Sasuke points out from a tree branch, "Before you did, all you had to do was deal with her exhaustion."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Sakura is perfectly capable of taking care of herself," Shikamaru cuts in smoothly and cocks his shoulder against hers, "And if our Hokage-sama thinks she needs to pick up training again, then it's up to her to say no, right?"

Ino frowns, "Traitor."

"I think that's reserved for the emo over here," Sai points out.

The bickering – even when she's the subject of the matter – is spoken around her, as if she's not even there and it should irritate her, but Minato interjects that they are only concerned for her well-being.

She gets it, she does, but—

"—I may not be looking at you lot, but I'm not deaf," Sakura calls out sharply from her stature on the field; she couldn't help that outburst, not even if she tried. Her tension from her last mission has run out, only acceptance is left, but that doesn't mean she wants her teammates, her friends, walking on eggshells around her.

She's not going to break; she hesitates with the strap at her boots, at least not in front of them.

What happened to your self-control? Minato almost chuckles when she shoots him a look of irritation.

You're one to talk, Sakura replies snippily.

Truthfully, Sakura doesn't know why she was so annoyed. She had always seen her temper as a weakness, one that led to impulse and irrational decisions, but it had suited her personality when it came down to her fighting style.

Brute strength and short-ranged fighting; each blow a deadly blast.

But she had mellowed out with time. She's a lot more level-headed, compared to her teammates at least, but she doesn't need brute strength to disable her opponent, though, it was more exhilarating when she did.

You can't equate temper with technique, Sakura, Minato interrupts her train of thought and he frowns at her own evaluation, it's similar yes, but think about it this way: tiny girl and inhuman strength.

I am not tiny,

Minato hesitates, Petite?

You are horrible with compliments, Sakura snorts internally and pulls her hair back into a high ponytail.

I wasn't trying to compliment you, he shoots back with a scowl – for a moment she's startled by his uncharacteristic short burst of anger – and crosses his arms over his chest.

He's still wearing his ANBU uniform, minus the armor and mask of course. She does miss his headband, the square brace makes him look even more dangerous and she's not sure why that makes the back of her neck heat up.

Sakura glances over at the wooden posts briefly.

Okay, she does know why, but that doesn't mean she's going to acknowledge it.

She looks back at him and raises a brow, then what are you trying to do?

Minato pins her a look of something she cannot define, blue eyes crackle with hurricanes and salt.

Sakura doesn't have to force herself to look away.

"Oh, we have an audience," Kakashi appears on the tree branch above her and suddenly, she's reminded why she's so irritated.

It was Kakashi.

Last night, was a little too much for Sakura to handle.

First of all, she did not expect to see Kakashi unmasked, ever. It was an unspoken rule: no one touches the mask. No one sees behind the mask. No one looks under the mask.

Second of all, she did not think that she would be seeing Kakashi half-naked, wet – physical examinations do not count! Those are strictly for medical and professional purposes only – and in only in a towel.

Third of all, she did not expect to be attracted to Kakashi of all people—she doesn't have the time to deal with this.

Yes, this is entirely Kakashi's fault.

Sakura is both ecstatic and grateful that the man decided to keep his face covered; the entire world depends on it.

Sometimes, she really hates her hormones.

Minato doesn't help that part of her makeup one bit.

"Sakura-chan, why are you scowling at that poor tree?" Kakashi wonders from above and she hears the fresh swipe of paper; his book.

"It's not the tree I'm frowning at," Sakura grumbles underneath her breath.

"Ah, it's sensei isn't it?" he makes a noise of interest and flips another page, "He wasn't the best with women."

Minato scowls.

"You aren't either, Hokage-sama," she snorts.

Kakashi leaps from the tree in front of her, the knowing look he gives her causes her breath to hitch and she almost takes a step back, "Are you sure?"

Sakura's eyes widen at that, but then he gives her a wink and uses shunshin to reach the middle of the field.

She stares at the space in front of her, I—

—flirting? Since when has he started flirting with you? Minato scowls in disbelief and his shoulder brushes the edge of her ear.

That was not flirting, Sakura rubs her face with exasperation and then pauses to look at him, was it?

Minato looks down at her, from her position and she has to crane her head up to level with him. His eyes crackle, like lightning, the blue of his iris shimmers and he walks towards her; closer. When he places his hand on the tree trunk beside her and leans down, she stumbles backward. Sakura's back hits the tree trunk, one arm caging her, and emerald orbs widen at their proximity.

Minato leans closer and Sakura couldn't help but laugh at the stereotypical manga-move. He loses his composure too, he ends up dropping his face into her neck and his laughter tickles the side of her throat.

"Kakashi was right," she snickers and presses her head back into the wood. Sakura looks at him with jade eyes, "You are terrible with women."

"That was before I got married," Minato agrees with that and pulls back. He gives her a once over and tilts his head in consideration, "I would like to think I picked up some skills."

"Husband skills?" Sakura stands up straighter and crosses her arm underneath her chest.

The look he gives her is of steel and heat, sapphire and silver. He gives her a half-smirk and insinuates, "Among other things."

Thoughtfully, she runs her tongue over the front of her teeth, the quick flash of pink flesh draws his eyes in, and she straightens her shoulders to give him another look; it's unreadable, but there is something.

Minato doesn't need to see it to feel it.

"Are you ready, Sakura-chan?" Kakashi calls out from the other side of the field and it pulls her away from her—their world. Minato doesn't leave though, he stands behind her, a hand rests on her lower back, and presses her forward.

Sakura heaves an exhale as his fingers slide up her spine and Minato drops his head down to whisper in her ear, "I'm right here."

I know.

"Are you going to put away your book, Hokage-sama?" Sakura quirks a brow and straightens her stance.

"For you?" Kakashi quirks a brow and pockets his book into his back pouch with a smile, "Anything."

"Kiss-up," Naruto mumbles next to Sasuke.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere, Kakashi-sensei," she scoffs and extends her left foot back.

"I wasn't trying to flatter you," his eyes crinkle at the sides.

Minato snorts and takes a seat on a nearby tree, Liar.

"Rules?" Sakura deflects the statement with an eye-roll.

"All-out,"

She blinks, "Are you sure? It's just a spar."

"Don't you want to get rid of some of that pent-up frustrations?"

Sakura stares at him for a moment, mouth agape and wide-eyed.

He smiles at her sweetly.

"What is he talking about?" Ino asks suspiciously.

Sakura scowls furiously, digs her foot into the ground, and attacks first.

Kakashi's expecting her, however, he ducks underneath her fist and grits his teeth when a chakra-infused knee is pressed into the palm of his hands in reflex. She anticipates him to toss her on the ground because of that, so she hooks her ankle against his knee, digs her fingers into the earth, and flings him upwards.

Sakura prefers wearing a skirt for full-motion attacks, but she can't help but adore these shinobi pants. Cotton they are, but resistant to kunai and they stick to her legs in a sleek pattern. Kakashi can't cut her with the metal of his fingerless gloves and has to result in grabbing a shuriken from his thigh holster.

He doesn't like using elemental jutsu with her because of the terrain they're in – even though it's one of her weak points – and Sakura can quite literally cause a national disaster with those fists of hers.

Kakashi regrets answering with an all-out spar.

Sakura slams a foot into the ground, which causes him to leap into the air to avoid the shards of earth, but she doesn't hesitate coming after him.

"You're so aggressive today," Kakashi comments lightly and dodges a blow, he swings his foot upwards and she twists to the left.

"You started it," Sakura exhales and leaps to a nearby tree.

He activates his sharingan.

"I guess I did," he laughs lightly and makes half a ram seal, "Water Style: Water Clone Jutsu."

Instead of the two water clones – the number she usually gets – Kakashi makes fifty, well almost fifty. Sakura's eyes widen at the amount of clones that scatter on the field and she frowns, "You're just showing off now."

"I can't let my cute students get better than me," he winks and with a wave of his fingers they shift into position, "I am the Hokage."

Sakura smiles and Kakashi sees the glint in her eyes and realizes with mild trepidation that he walked straight into a trap.

And Sakura flashes.

—

That's why you waited to use the hiraishin, Minato realizes with heated approval and he watches her flash from the side of the field, you wanted to perfect it.

No time like the present, Sakura huffs and flashes again, How's my form?

He throws his head back and laughs, Flawless.

She grins at that, slams a fist into a clone, kunai in her other hand she swipes and flashes again.

"She's so fast," Ino whispers to Shikamaru in shock, "Isn't that the Hiraishin?"

Shikamaru smirks, "Yeah. If her teammates happened to be descendants of Gods, I don't see why she can't pick up some more skills."

Kakashi can't track her with his sharingan. The hiraishin is essentially a time-space ninjutsu, there's no chakra to trace and it blindsides him when she takes out his clones without stopping to breathe.

I told you it was a good idea to up my training after Mist, Sakura prods back with a haughty exhale, Kakashi can't even see me.

Minato rolls his eyes, I wanted you to take a break—I didn't realize you get bored so easily.

I like having something to do, she replies and slams another clone into a tree. The tree snaps in half and litters the ground in large, wooden splinters.

The thing with water clones is that it holds more weight than say a shadow clone or a lightning clone, Kakashi's specialty. There's more power, chakra, and skill that translates to the clone from the original user, so when she slams a fist into its chest cavity, the weight of it registers in the back of her brain and settles there.

Sakura feels him setting a layer of genjutsu, but she dispels it with a quick twitch of the fingers. The movement is so quick, that Kakashi hasn't even noticed. She flashes again and kicks a clone into the river before slamming a fist near Kakashi's feet.

Kakashi hisses when a shard of earth cuts the side of his face, "You've been practicing."

"Obviously," Sakura exhales and activates her chakra scalpel. Jade orbs narrow, she jumps back onto a nearby tree branch – the one Minato is sitting on – and places a hand on her hip, "You do know, that I only need one hit to win, right?"

He grins, "Of course, but who says you're going to get that?"

She frowns.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet," Kakashi summons the water dragon with three half-seals – he burns his chakra pathways when he does this; his control isn't that great – and Sakura leaps into the air before it manages to form.

Sakura flashes in a dizzying pattern, Kakashi's sharingan can't keep up with the speed of her movements because she cuts her chakra before it makes its presence known, it's almost like a ghosting technique – there is a presence but not enough for it to solidify – and decides to circle himself in a defensive position with his dragon. That way he can look at all angles before attacking because he can't see Sakura and so he can't pin the location of the attack.

How the hell am I supposed to get close to him if I can't penetrate that water barrier? Sakura asks a rhetorical question, masks her presence with a low-level genjutsu and a B-rank camouflage illusion.

Minato's fingers grasp her ankle, the suede of her boot prickles his fingertips, and he thinks, Do you know any long-range attacks?

Barely, Sakura groans.

He racks his brain for a jutsu, you can use Lightning Fang.

Which is?

Minato's finger runs over the hidden bone and explains, Lightning Fang sends bolts of electricity in an attempt to electrocute their opponent. Think of it as a smaller version of the chidori, but with more control. It's a bolt of lightning, not a ball.

I don't have a lightning affinity, remember?

We've had this conversation before, Minato shakes his head, you can use different elemental techniques, you just have to practice it; we aren't born prodigies.

That's when I combined them with medical jutsu, Minato, Sakura replies with exasperation, I haven't tried it for just purely offense or without another method.

Just focus okay, he instructs soothingly, you need a blade to channel it—you're going to have to improvise. Pool your chakra into the kunai, transform it into lightning and neutralize the kickback. Once you have a foundation, fling it backward.

She stares at him with disbelief, I have no idea what you're saying.

Minato rolls his eyes, you'll be fine, he gives her ankle a squeeze and points back at Kakashi who is still looking for her, now, finish this.

Sakura sighs with exasperation, but it's the blue of his eyes that gives her hope.

No hand-seals?

He shakes his head, No hand-seals; strictly theoretical, he gives her an amused look, our specialty, remember?

She turns her head to hide her smile.

But Minato feels it all the same.

Sakura dismantles her genjutsu and flickers.

Kakashi feels her before he sees her.

Sakura is a flash of pink, petals that resemble sunsets and as calming as that may sound, it's just as dangerous. He can't but wonder, what on earth she's planning, using his sharingan – while efficient – wouldn't do any good if he can't narrow on her location, his Kamui needs to be worked on because his stamina for it is strained due to him not having a bloodline, and his Susanoo isn't the best option in a place like this.

He grits his teeth at the setbacks.

But then she flashes until she's a few hundred meters in front of him a kunai – she prefers using her fists – in front of him. He pools his chakra to his fingertips and is about to maneuver the dragon to slam into her form when—

"—Raiton: Raiga," Sakura shoves the ball of lightning from her kunai at him and it acts as a double-sided blade.

Kakashi ends up frying his own chakra pathways from the release.

She knows that she could've used an earth jutsu to neutralize the water, but using lightning would end up working in her favor because even though Kakashi has an affinity for lightning, that doesn't exclude him from immunity. Instead, it will force the Hokage to drop the dragon in favor of shaking off the electric shock and random jolts of lightning that flows through his limbs.

This gives Sakura exactly enough time to wrap an arm around his neck and place a hand flat against his chest, it's a mock embrace, one that forces her to dig her chin into his shoulder and has Minato stiffening at the intimacy. She demands, "Yield."

Kakashi drops his hands.

Naruto chokes.

—

"I see Minato-sensei is teaching you more than just the hiraishin," Kakashi groans when she pops his shoulder back into the socket.

"He likes to work on my speed," Sakura comments lightly and presses her chakra into the tendon to ease the sting, "I have learned a handful of random jutsus but I usually just make them up on the fly."

"That was the first time you activated the technique?"

She nods and moves her hand to knit back the skin at his ripped mask, "I don't have a medium to funnel my chakra to so I just used a kunai and hoped that it worked."

Kakashi sighs, "You always did work best with theory."

"It's the application that I had to worry about,"

"I think you did well," he praises her quietly.

Minato stands in between them.

"I can't believe you beat Kakashi-sensei," Naruto appears next to them with a scowl and crosses his arms underneath his chest.

"I can't believe you learned the Hiraishin in like what? A month?" Ino remarks in incredulity and places her hands on her hips, "That's insane."

"Probably," Sakura agrees and makes a move to stand up.

Sasuke steadies her on her feet – he doesn't miss the look Sai gives Shikamaru – and glances at her kunai, "Your lightning technique is quick work."

"It's the neutralization that's the most difficult part," she offers wearily.

"That comes with time," he nods.

"What the hell is happening?" Ino whispers to Shikamaru in an angry hush.

Sai stares at Sasuke for a minute and then looks at Sakura, "How did you manage to figure out the hiraishin anyway?"

"I had been working on it a few years ago, actually," Sakura raises her arms above her head and stretches, "I had to drop it once we went to war, but I picked it up again," she glances over at Minato who's hip brushes hers, "I guess I just I needed a bit more practice."

Minato almost chuckles.

Somewhere between a half-eaten bowl of ramen, a long shower, and three-quarters of a film – Natsume's Workshop the one Minato had been dying to see – Sakura arrives back in the Hokage's Towers.

The conference room to be precise.

With damp hair, a loose-fitting t-shirt, and her joggers – Sakura is the epitome of calm – that and she refused to stay in Kakashi's apartment after that night. Her hormones needed a good scolding and Minato's confusion – because she effectively shot up her wall when her thoughts took a turn towards the gritty and provocative side of her brain – towards her seemed almost overwhelming.

The fact is, even though Minato cannot hear Sakura's thoughts when she's effectively blocked them – she doesn't block them at least ninety percent of the time – he can still feel them.

It's mortifying to say at least, humiliating when she notices that Minato can actually feel her desire and rush of longing towards her old sensei when her brain decides to let that musing float around like a silk ribbon on a spindle.

She doesn't want to head down that conversation at all.

"Full debrief," Shikamaru announces and nods at Naruto to record, "Hokage-sama if you please."

Sakura looks over at Kakashi expectantly and Minato stands behind her, a silent pillar of strength.

Kakashi sighs so deeply, his muscles deflate and his shoulders droop until they nearly sit on top of his ribs, "As you know the Mizukage has been killed."

Sakura flinches and Minato's hand squeezes her shoulder.

"Before we go any further," Shikamaru decides to interject from across the room, "Sakura, can you confirm a mental link?"

"A mental link?" she furrows her brows at the question.

"Between Chojuro-san and Mei-sama?"

"Yes," Sakura answers immediately and thinks back, "They have a mental link, sort of like the one we developed in the war. Chojuro-san was allowed to relay Mei-sama's messages due to this link."

The Nara nods in comprehension.

They need to confirm their intelligence, Minato says absently and scrutinizes the documents on the table, We have to consider what this means in terms of war and tension with other countries.

Minato is telling her something—something that she can't seem to put together.

Then it clicks.

They can't suspect me, can they? Sakura thinks with shock, They can't think that I'm responsible for the Mizukage's death?

"Chojuro-san has been renamed the new Mizukage," Kakashi states suddenly, "Amid the disaster prior to the new kageship, he contacted Konoha and said that Mei had contacted him using their mental link. She called him in for reinforcement. A siege."

If Naruto notices the drop in honorific, he doesn't say anything, merely tightens his grip on his brush, and continues to dictate.

"That makes sense," Sakura agrees with that and frowns, "I didn't know where Chojuro-san had gone when I was captured," then she grimaces, "I didn't bother to find out even when I came back."

It's not your fault, Sakura, Minato's thumbs dig into the back of her neck, pressing against her vertebrae and muscle there.

"When we heard that you were captured," Shikamaru starts with a tight jaw, "There were a lot of theories, gossip, rumors, implications by the Elders – most of which was utter bullshit – and we've had tensions waver throughout our embassies. The world wasn't ready for another war."

"But we were prepared to go to war, for you, Sakura," Kakashi finishes his advisor's line of thought with a heavy stare.

Sakura swallows and Minato's hand tightens on her.

"It wouldn't have been the smartest response, but you are a former Hokage's apprentice, the current Hokage's student, the best medical ninja in the world, a highly-decorated diplomat, an ambassador, my deputy, " The Hokage continues with a wave of his hand, "The list is endless; we could not let this go unanswered if it came to that."

"This was a message," green eyes narrow.

"Perhaps," Shikamaru muses, and his fingers interlock with each other, "I'm still receiving intelligence reports."

It was a message, but what was the significance? Minato's anger crackles through her like thunder and her fingers vibrate against her lap.

"Chojuro was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He received that message using his mental link." Kakashi goes on, "To defend his Mizukage during what appeared to be a brutal battle or to defend an ally from a terrorist organization on home soil?"

"He chose his Kage," Sakura summarizes and then shakes her head, "I can't fault him for that."

Shikamaru nods, "The mainland comes before any ally."

"What happened to those who abandon their friends are even worse than trash?" Naruto quotes from the corner with a tense jaw.

Sakura can't look at him.

That's where things get messy.

This is what Kakashi had tried to prepare them for, warned him about. When the time comes, does he choose a friend who bleeds, sweats, and fights with him on the field, or does he choose his country? Does he choose mass population or one life? Civilians? Can he put a price on a life?

Shikamaru clears his throat, he chooses not to engage in an argument, just pure logic, and rationality, but even Sakura can see the way those earth-colored orbs are struggling to coil in his blatant exasperation.

"It was a bloodbath according to our hunter-nin reports," Kakashi says quietly, "They're calling it the Second Bloody Mist."

"The Bloody Mist only came to be because of the caste system," Sakura argues back, "Calling it the Second one makes no sense."

"It started with the caste system," Shikamaru corrects her and explains, "But it ended with the Fourth Mizukage, who was manipulated and forced into corruption, hence the multiple defections of Mist nin," he hands her a report from a week ago, "From the body count and counterintelligence, we confirmed that the entire ministry and councilmen were slaughtered. There were very few survivors, one of which, was Chojuro-san."

Sakura's eyebrows rose at the number of casualties and she hisses between clenched teeth.

This is making absolutely no sense, Minato points out with irritation, Why would—

She turns to look at him, Minato?

His blue eyes blaze with fire, Did anyone claim responsibility?

Sakura opens her mouth to voice his question—

"The Mizuchi," Shikamaru answers her unasked question, "They are claiming responsibility."

"I was an afterthought," Sakura's neurons are firing at such a rapid pace, her left eyelid begins to throb in thought, "They needed to split us up because they knew that if I went with Chojuro there wouldn't be a causality and the Mizukage might still be alive. The poison was supposed to be the easy way out, but they wanted to scare the civilians."

"For what purpose?" Shikamaru demands.

"Power? Fear? Fear controls people, what they know or understand will keep them at bay than force them to ask questions," she throws those ideas out and she scatters the puzzle pieces on the table.

That was the message, Minato points out.

"Chojuro contacted us after the death of his predecessor to tell us that he had to abandon you to fight the Mizuchi because he had to hold the fort down at the capital," Kakashi states bluntly, "We couldn't confirm if this was true or not, simply because we can't trust the fact that you were lost in that country; we sent ANBU headhunters. They came up with nothing."

"Nori has a woodland area, it's made from a chakra-suppressing metal," Sakura tells him, "You wouldn't have been able to find me even if you tried; that metal has been prohibited since the Second War."

"A war crime," Kakashi reviews.

"Yes,"

"We weren't sure what was going on Kiri, if it was a coup or something as far-fetched as a rebellion," Shikamaru adds in.

Sakura rubs her face and tries to summarize, "Okay. Let me see. Mei-sama and nearly all the political figures in the Mist were slaughtered by a terrorist organization. I was left to fend for myself because Chojuro had to teleport to his kage – don't look at me like that Naruto; all nins jurisdiction is to their kage – and defend against his oppressor. The poison was a tool. It was used to inspire fear in the civilians and nin to control their movements. I was caught in the crossfire, but—" she inhales slowly and Minato's fingers never leave her person, "But they wanted information."

Kakashi's eyes sharpen, "What kind of information?"

"I don't know," she leans into the back of her chair and sighs, "I kept fading in and out of consciousness.

Naruto exhales.

Did they specify what information, they wanted? Sakura asks Minato.

Minato slides his hands down her neck to cup her cheeks, pulling her until the back of her head rests against his navel. She can feel his anger, simmering deep in her blood, but she tightens her grip on his emotions with steel fists.

No, he answers tersely, They never stuck around long enough to speak.

"It might be about the poison," Shikamaru offers and glances at the paperwork, "It might be information in general."

"Konoha has no secrets," Naruto objects.

"That you know of, we know of," Kakashi mollifies him with a look, "They're playing a game."

"Mist got caught," Sakura's eyes sharpen and she grabs another set of reports, "The Mizuchi managed to bring a nation almost to its knees just by relocating the country's forces. Especially with the fact that Mist's military was leveled by the war. There's only a handful of shinobi left to defend the country."

"You think they were targeted," Shikamaru picks up on that line of thinking immediately, "That this was just the beginning."

"I'm thinking that they were the easiest choice," she stresses and glances at the list of injuries, "If they wanted to overrun a country, Mist would be the top choice. Mist is weak, not by infrastructure, resources, or by lack of agriculture, but because the nin they produce kept defecting. This proves the country's instability and now they have included Konoha in their list."

"They wanted to cause a rift," Kakashi sees it now.

"The strongest militaristic country at ends with the weakest country in the world?" Sakura scoffs and jots a number down on the sheet of paper, "They wouldn't think twice if they can get someone to do their dirty work for them. It's too bad for them that we have more allies than bad blood."

Naruto bites the inside of his cheek and his eyes widen at Sakura's pitch. He's never seen her so—intense before. There's a bit of schadenfreude that dances in her eyes, the power that she exudes in her gaze alone nearly roots him to the ground and the silver in her tongue is just as brutal as her fists.

"They wanted to exploit that," Sakura says, "Konoha would've been looked at as an autocrat rather than a peace-seeking village. It doesn't matter how many peace-talks we have or festivals that should invoke better relations; another war would just put all leaders on edge. It's a good thing you waited or we would've done what the Mizuchi wanted in the first place, a total invasion."

"It's a good thing you came home, Sakura," Kakashi acknowledges abruptly and his eyes flash with the sharingan for a brief second, "Or I wouldn't know what to do."

Shikamaru nods and clarifies the thought he built in his head, "You were the message. Chojuro had put a global message a week after Mei-sama's death. They had cleared your name and acknowledged you, Sakura, as their savior, all the while denouncing the organization. They want us to acknowledge the Mizuchi as a threat."

We don't have a choice, Minato retorts quietly, his thumb strokes her pulse point at the side of her neck, They've made an enemy with Konoha just by touching you. We need to find a way to solidify our union despite this mess, this will force the Mizuchi to rethink their plans.

You mean it will buy us some time, Sakura translates.

That, and give the world a better outlook on Konoha. If we're the ones pushing for peace, the rest will have to follow, he breathes into her ear.

"We need to figure out a way to tighten relations without giving the Mizuchi what they need; recognition," Sakura offers and straightens her shoulders, "If we recognize them, we give them power and that's just not possible."

—

"So why do the eggs need to be at room temperature?" Sakura separates the yolk from the white and places them in separate containers.

"Timing," Minato shrugs and sits at the countertop with his hands underneath his chin, "Kaa-chan used to say that if the egg is warmer, it takes less time to cook and it just mixes faster."

"I understand the timing part because logically it makes sense," she agrees with that, "But does it really matter how long the incorporation takes?"

He rolls ocean eyes, "Sakura, just follow my instructions."

"Yes, yes, Hokage-sama," Sakura scoffs and grabs her whisk.

"Now you have to whip the egg whites until they start looking like foam," Minato instructs and points the bowl of sugar, "Once that happens, slowly beat in the sugar until you get stiff peaks—that means the tip of the whip doesn't move."

"The tip of the whip," she repeats slowly with a half-amused smile, "Interesting set of words."

He huffs but his eyes twinkle with humor, "Just whip the eggs,"

When Sakura whips, she whips, and the bowl rattles even though she holds the rim of the glass bowl with strong fingers—Minato can practically hear the poor glass shrieking in distress.

He grabs the bowl which causes all action to cease abruptly; she looks up.

"What?"

"Sakura," Minato says slowly and grasps her wrist, "You're going to break the bowl."

"I'm whisking,"

"No," he denies with exasperation, "You're destroying."

Sakura glares at him.

Minato walks around the counter, his fingers slide up towards her wrist and he adjusts her grip until she's holding the whisk like a brush. The front of his clavicle brushes the back of her neck and leans down until his hair brushes her cheek, "The key is to whisk the eggs with a strong, but brisk hand. If you whisk too hard you end up making a mess."

"Speaking from experience?" she quips back and exhales slowly when he instructs her to whole the bowl and whisks the bowl with her.

"My kaa-chan wasn't very happy with my lack of skills," he huffs a chuckle next to her ear and his chest makes an imprint on her back, chin digging into her nape and when the eggs turn to a glossy white he steps back.

Sakura clears her throat and adds the sugar in, gradually.

"Does that trick usually work?"

Minato takes a seat on the counter, if he were a real person, he's sure his bottom would be covered in flour and cocks his head, "What trick?"

She licks her lips and focuses on pouring the honey mixture into the bowl, "You know, that thing that guys do. You walk behind a girl, help her with whatever she's struggling with, and you know," she's stumbling over her words and she has no idea why, "Um, do that back thing with the chest," and then she slams her whisk down in frustration. Green eyes pin him to the counter and blurts out, "Look, it's a flirting technique."

Unperturbed, he raises a blonde eyebrow, "Is that what you call flirting?"

Sakura's brain stutters, "Uh, yes?"

Minato furrows his brows and looks momentarily confused.

She hesitates, "Did you not…know?"

"It's a trust exercise, at least what I've been told, for male and female teammates when I was in ANBU," he explains and motions for her to mix in the flour, "ANBU didn't have a lot of females in the force and those who were in the force were sorely outnumbered by the men. They created different trust exercises to implement comradery and well, trust. Would you let someone at your back, your neck, unprotected and vulnerable?"

Sakura takes that in for a moment, for some reason, it does make sense, but the aspects of it, rather than it be logical, it seems entirely male-created. She can't dissect the direction without proper context, moreover, she has no experience to even think about the communication channels and what that would mean for ANBU.

Shinobi are different than civilians, after all.

They each have a set of their own morals.

"Well, it's considered a flirting technique, now, at least," Sakura shakes off that train of thought before her brain delves into something darker, more complicated, and less nice, "A bad one too. It's a cliché."

Minato snorts, "Sakura if you think that's flirting, then—"

"—then?" she asks abruptly and looks up at him after throwing in the remains of her flour. Emerald orbs catch ocean ones, she holds them there and quirks her eyebrow upwards; a silent dare.

He takes the bait – she wants him to, he knows this – and tugs her to him by the edge of her apron. Her feet slide across the white tile of her kitchen, her fingers go through his thighs and rest on the countertop while both his hands run through her hair in carnation knots.

Minato tilts her head upwards, so her cheek slides against his and pulls her closer into the open gap in between his legs. He continues in a deeper, but no less casual tone, "—then, what would you do if someone was really interested in you? I assure you it won't be as…juvenile, as you implied."

"I have had other people interested in me," Sakura attempts to brazen this entire thing out in a different direction, but Minato doesn't let her get away so easily.

"You have, but not in the way you deserve," he interrupts her, the skies of his eyes narrow into ocean-blue, "Not in the way you should have received."

"Like…courting?"

"In a way," Minato concedes, he tugs a strand of carnation-colored hair behind her ear, "I'm slightly disappointed that no one has ever bothered to romance you."

Sakura snorts, "Romance is overrated."

"Pessimist,"

"Optimist,"

"My point is," he tries again, "What would you really do if someone was flirting with you?"

"I would have to be interested in the person to reciprocate, don't you think?" she frowns.

"Would you recognize it?"

"Probably," Sakura shrugs and leans back, "But they would have to be pretty subtle about these things."

"Subtle,"

"Don't give me that look," she rolls forest-green eyes, "I'm not that oblivious."

"You just thought I was flirting with you because I was helping you, which shows that the standards of dating have really diminished since my reign," Minato scoffs, pulls her closer, and drops his forehead to hers, "Because if I was really flirting with you, you wouldn't just know it—you would feel it."

Well, well, well. When it comes to the bottom of the author's notes, I forget entirely what to say.

Note: I do not edit because I am tired, lmao. If by some miracle I decide to go through over 150k worth of plot and edit, I will delete this note.

Note 2: This is now a Minasaku fic because I have no self-control.

As always, please review.