AN I know I know. But I think that if I get all of the ideas out of my head, then maybe I can have more room for inspiration on what I'm already working on. This story has been brewing for awhile and I won't update too often unless it gains more attention haha. This is one of the three other plots that have been crowding up my thought space. I hope you like this! Sorry for the mistakes. I had to get this written and out before I exploded It's a short introduction! R&R xoxo!

Do With You - Ryan Lerman

I.

Sakura couldn't pinpoint the exact moment she fell in love with Hatake Kakashi. Despite her childish devotion to Sasuke, Sakura didn't believe love worked that way anymore. No, she couldn't pinpoint it, but she did recall a moment when something of that nature stirred inside her.

It was before the war, when she took it foolishly upon herself to kill Sasuke. Kakashi and Naruto had saved her, yet again, but this time she didn't feel the crippling fear of her inadequacies every other time they had to save her. Admonishment, a look that could only be seen upon close inspection, usually marred the visible portion of Kakashi's face during those instances. However, when he'd reached her, she saw nothing but relief, determination, and just a tad glimmer of sadness that peeked out from beneath his mask.

That wasn't the moment, though. It happened a few days later, just after arriving back to the makeshift village, the three of them still recuperating emotionally, and Kakashi in the hospital for the day. Sakura was going to check up on her former sensei as Naruto was just leaving and brushed passed her with a toothy grin that smelled of ramen, but turned quickly when he saw her bemused expression.

"I almost got to see his face!" He whispered, pulling her aside. "He's not wearing a mask!"

Sakura rolled her eyes and punched his arm playfully. "You're an idiot." She pulled away and walked inside, closing the door's on Naruto's whining.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei! Sorry you had to come in- oof!" Her body was slammed back into the wall, Kakashi standing over her, hands planted above her head and eyes as cold and clear as midnight. Sakura clenched her jaw and fought to keep her gaze near his hairline, not daring to peek at his nose or lips, not without his permission and not when he seemed about to kill her.

"Sakura." He said sternly, eye slanting into a glare. "You will never attempt something to foolish and selfish again as to go into enemy territory alone." The bridge of his nose was scrunched up and Sakura desperately wanted to see what his lips looked like when they formed his angry remarks. "You drugged and lied to comrades. Impressive, but could be considered treason."

"Yes, Kakashi- sensei. I understand." She managed.

"No, Sakura. I don't believe you do. We may be the most dysfunctional team, but we are a team. You will behave accordingly."

Whatever shame or guilt Sakura had been feeling disappeared in an instant. He must have seen the fire the sparked her viridian gaze to life because he tensed immediately and opened his sharingan in challenge, but Sakura couldn't let her feelings go left unsaid.

"We're a team? We? As in you and I? You're definitely not my teacher, I'll give you that. Team captain? Sure, Kakashi-taichou." She laughed, a quiet sad sound that surprised even herself. "But you're not always a team player. You'd rather take all of the burden than work together with us to find a new solution. Like at Mount Shumisen." Her voice broke finally, and a few tears escaped the corners of her eyes.

He sighed and took a step back, giving her enough time to compose herself before speaking. "I'll try harder."

Her head snapped up in surprise before quickly averting her eyes to the floor, carefully avoiding his face. "Do you promise?"

"I promise I'll try." There was a smile in his words, although she couldn't see it. She wanted to hug him, and thank him for all the things that went unspoken. Instead, she turned around and made her way back out the door.

"Go back to bed. You're not being released until tonight." Sakura called over her shoulder as she disappeared down the hallway. She had never breathed a word of the confrontation, too worried that if she told anyone, they would immediately be able to hear her heart rate accelerate, if not that then wonder why she blushed every time she thought of it.

Nothing changed after that, at least not for awhile. Then, after the war, in a dark corner of a crowded pub, Sakura spent the first few seconds of a new year pressed against a wall, being quietly kissed by Kakashi. It was blissful and surprising, lasting just long enough that it was all she could think about for days to come.

Then, there was the day she finally saw his face. They'd had a huge argument about the relationship that Kakashi swore was never going to happen, despite that he had sought her out as often as three times week for nearly six months.

She woke the next morning after the argument and took a shower, a please smiled on her facing knowing that she'd ultimately won the battle. The water began to run in the bathroom sink and Sakura pushed aside the curtain to see Kakashi brushing his teeth, his mask pooled at the base of his neck. He spit into the sink and gargled a glass of warm water before he turned and gave her a sly grin, the toothpaste sticking stubbornly to the corner of his mouth had made him more attractive.

That was last time Kakashi snagged one of her spare toothbrushes, because he had his own to leave there.

The months following had been blissful. Kakashi all but moved in, still keeping his apartment on the side. Everyone noticed the immediate shift between the two shinobi, although their opinions and questions had all been directed to one another, because Sakura and Kakashi pretended to have absolutely no idea what anyone was talking about. They fervently denied any romantic involvements, even going so far as to holding hands at the store as they shopped for groceries (a rare and cherished event considering neither had the drive to cook) that they clearly intended to share, and looking a friend dead in the eye saying that nothing was going on.

They were happy. So, one morning when Sakura awoke with Kakashi nowhere to be seen, she was worried. But, she vainly hoped that he was just spending some time training or reading, or maybe he had an urgent mission.

Sakura waited three days before she finally reported him missing. Chaos ensued. Kakashi was a genin instructor, how could he just up and leave? The three genin, Susoyo, Yashiko, and Shun had been so confused, so betrayed as they asked every single person they saw when was the last time they had seen or heard from Kakashi-sensei.

It was another three days before ANBU let her into his apartment. It had been picked clean of weapons, files, scrolls, and journals. The only things remaining were his clothes furniture, and four picture frames. Sakura smiled fondly at three of them, though empty as they were, she could still see the three genin teams. That's how she knew he was gone. Why else would he have taken his photographs?

The last frame, unlike the others, was not empty, which caused Sakura to feel simultaneously relieved and hurt. She opened the wooden casing and pulled out the photograph.

It was of them, taken by Sai for "research" purposes and later gifted to Kakashi for his thirty-fourth birthday. Kakashi was telling her an absolutely filthy joke, his eyes alight with mischief. Sakura's eyes were wide with surprise, a blush painting her cheeks and ears. Her hand was half-way to her mouth, but it was clear she had started laughing before she could even pretend to be demure. They were in traditional garb, and looked very natural when no one was looking. Sakura had cried when she first saw the picture because it was so perfect.

Turning it over in her hands, she saw something unexpected. Handwriting. The ink had been smudged, but she could still make out the pointed script as Kakashi's.

I'm sorry.

He'd written it before he left. He'd known he was going to leave before he did it. It wasn't a mistake, he wasn't in trouble or being held for ransom. He simply left.

But why?