Every Moment
"She seemed to have to think about it. There were years of moments that led to this one. 'I don't think there was one, singular moment in which I decided. It was all of it. It was every moment.'"
A/N: This is meant to be a series of significant moments, not a comprehensive story or serious plot, detailing the evolution of Team Seven into adulthood. Canon until Chapter 699 and then only inspired by the following Naruto works, with a few detours and timeline adjustments. For sake of ethics, the age gap between Kakashi and Sakura decreased to ten years.
Of course, I do not own or have rights to the Narutoverse or characters.
Every Moment
Prologue: Midnight Meetings
Exhausted and injured, they held each other up as they traveled toward the fateful valley. Both were tempted to speak, but neither of them could summon the right words. After years of hoping, fighting, and grieving through the many attempts to bring their estranged teammate home, it suddenly weighed on them that this was the end. It could end with death, or it could end with redemption, but it would only be one or the other. The latter felt like a distant dream, one that continued to sink further into oblivion. Maybe Sakura and Kakashi held each other because of their pitiful condition after the past few weeks of war, grueling hours of battle, and several near-death moments; or maybe they clung to each other because of that sunken dream.
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Kakashi Hatake thought the most incredible moment in his life had been to see his team coordinate a world-changing, humanity-saving attack together; Sasuke and Naruto struck the enemy from each side, both using power gifted by The Sage of Six Paths himself, and Sakura entered from the sky just in time, pure strength and determination. The three of them had moved in perfect sync.
As it would seem, Kakashi was quickly proven wrong.
The most incredible moment in his life thus far, perhaps it always would be, was seeing them weak and injured, apologetic, smiling through tears, laughing in spite of the blood, and connecting. Connected.
He thanked Kami for the two miracles in front of him. First, that the young men had developed equal strength, making it so neither could kill the other. Secondly, that their other teammate happened to be a talented healer who could save them, bringing them back from the brink of death. As much as he wanted to join them, for a long time he could only stare, counting his blessings, over and over again.
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He wondered if it would break her heart, and their team, all over again. Sasuke decided that restoration of his clan first needed to start with the restoration of himself, and what he sought required leaving Konoha again. It didn't seem to break her, though. The young Uchiha had left her with an affectionate tap to the forehead and the ambiguous promise that perhaps she would be invited next time. For the first few months, the universe had seemed to finally align, their teammate was returned, and their unit, their family, was complete again.
But then, after several more months, more years, he still wasn't home. Whenever he did come back, he left soon after again. He was returned, but not there. They were reunited, but not whole. Sure, everything had changed. But nothing was changed.
The heartbreak he feared came later.
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It was Sakura's eighteenth birthday and since everyone who loved her was invited to celebrate, almost everyone they knew was there for it. Streamers, balloons, confetti, and stringed lights decorated the plaza in front of the Hokage's office; she was surprised, grateful, and elated.
Naruto gifted her with an extensive set of heavy, antique weaponry she mentioned she hadn't been able to find, and she eagerly agreed not to try them out until he could be there to spar with her. Sai gave her a Beginner's Cookbook with 100 Simple Recipes, and didn't understand why she was offended. Kakashi presented her with special, first edition novels of her favorite poets, and she was pleasantly surprised. There was no way to know if and what Sasuke would have gifted to her. He wasn't there.
As the night came to an end and with only the partial Team Seven left, Sakura's quiet, solemn demeanor surfaced. Each of the men could figure out why, but she promised Naruto everything was fine, and didn't need to make the attempt with Sai. When it was only her and Kakashi, and he asked if she was alright, she was honest.
"He was here, and we weren't close. He left, which was so much worse. He's returned, but he's still not around. Then, when he is here, it's not enough." She looked to him, and it was impossible to tell whether it was grief or acceptance on her visage. "It will never be enough, will it?"
Though Kakashi wanted to offer her hope or a resolution, he knew that only she could make that choice for herself.
"Anyway," Sakura said, touching his arm, walking away, "Thank you for the books, Kaka-sensei. They're very special."
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When Kakashi was appointed Hokage, officially forfeiting his role as their sensei, his team members had to find new ways to spend time with him. On his first Friday morning in office, Sakura brought him hot, honey-sweetened tea and a fresh-baked pastry from the nearby market. Then, she did the same the following Friday, and the next. It became their new weekly ritual. It was on the fifth Friday that she admitted her selfish concern.
"I had been planning to ask you to train me on my elemental chakra nature, but now you're far too busy and important."
Kakashi didn't hesitate. "That's not true. If there is anything I have time for, it's my team."
Sensing his sincerity, Sakura perked up. "You mean that?"
"Of course." Kakashi had already reflected on the time he spent training his previous pupils. "When you were all younger, I felt as though I had to train with Sasuke to protect him from Orichamaru. Then, as though I needed to train with Naruto to protect him from the Akatsuki. You were always self-sufficient and sought initiative. I regret that I forfeited my time and attention from training with you for their sake, though."
Sakura waved this off. "Of course, that was far more important."
"Perhaps. But if you wanted to train together now, I would be glad to correct that mistake."
Kami knows he had enough regrets.
She bit her lip, at first nervous, but then an enormous smile emerged. "Okay. I would be very grateful. Thank you, Kaka-sensei."
But he shook his head. "You've proven yourself to be one of the new sannin, Sakura. I may have this title, but we are both jonin, and both seasoned from war. I'm no longer your sensei. When we train, it won't be me training you, but training with you."
His acknowledgement of her mattered more than he could know. But all she said was, "Well truthfully, it would feel odd to not call you by your name, to call you Lord Sixth or something."
He smiled under his mask. "Please do not call me Lord. It's just Kakashi now."
She laughed. "Okay. Kakashi."
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It was a beautiful day, partly cloudy with a gentle breeze, and the original Team Seven raced through the trees. New training grounds had been built at the outskirts of the village and they'd been given first dibs to test out the largest field. It sure did come in handy, having their former sensei as the Hokage.
Not knowing better, Sai had spilled the beans to Naruto that he'd overheard Sakura telling Ino about a date. With his fox-grin and mischievous eyes, Naruto insisted on pestering her about it.
"Oh no," Sakura groaned. "I ended that before it even began. I swear, young men are just grown children. It's like they expect a woman to be a mother and girlfriend. As if."
Naruto frowned. "Hey, I'm a young man."
Sakura glanced at Kakashi, who was equally amused, and then she smiled sardonically. "No comment, Naruto."
"Hey," he protested again. "Has Hinata-chan said that?"
"Probably," Sasuke answered for her.
"Lords, no," Sakura promised at the sight of Naruto's genuine concern. "Hinata would never say a sour word about you. You know that."
As soon as Naruto looked relieved, she added, "But it's probably safe to assume she thinks it."
Naruto was once again flustered. Kakashi laughed, and Sasuke looked as though he might, too.
As the insults, banter, and laughter continued between them, Kakashi listened with gratitude. Being assigned to Team Seven all of those years ago had been what gave him a new, sorely needed sense of purpose, but they had been younger, still children. Now, he had the gift of their friendship and camaraderie, as peers and as equals.
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Nothing ever stays the same for long, especially for their team. Naruto married, and he married into the large, important Hyuga family; he was often busy with them, or his studies to one day fulfill his dream. Ino finally found the courage to ask Sai out on a date, and though he was confused because in his books, it was the man who propositioned the woman, he said yes. The two of them had been inseparable in their infatuation thereafter. Sasuke was gone far more often than not; his missions and travels took him out for four to six months at a time, and he didn't plan to settle down soon. This left Kakashi and Sakura, both utterly absorbed in their work, prioritizing the people they were responsible in caring for over themselves, forfeiting their own personal and social agendas.
And so another ritual began. It was common for Kakashi to work late hours; he found it easier to concentrate once the commotion of the day, buzz of administrators, and inevitable interruptions had ended. Sakura, too, often worked late; if she was supposed to work until dusk, it was likely that she wouldn't actually leave for another few hours. Sometimes she went to the Hokage's office for ideas and improvements on the hospital procedures, and other times she went simply for his familiar company. They had easy, casual conversations. It helped her release the day's stress. It offered Kakashi a much-needed reprieve from formal affairs. Their midnight meetings became a favorite for them both.
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A/N: Thank you for reading! I know this won't be everyone's cup of tea, but if you're like me, when you do find a fic that is your preferred flavor, it's a sweet day indeed. My only hope is to make a few others happy to find this.
- H