CHAPTER 4: In Three Days We Shall...
Konoha was in the middle of a festive mood in preparation for the firefly viewing festival in a week's time.
Outside her apartment, Sakura could hear the merriment along the streets as foreign and local merchants gather and prepare their stalls for the week-long event.
Sakura looked at the small calendar on her work table, probably for the hundredth time that day to make sure that Kakashi would be able to come home for the festival.
'He'll have plenty of time...' She thought as she drew even more red circles on the firefly viewing date and placed a lot of sticker arrows surrounding it which rendered all the other dates useless.
She almost even burned a hole through it by using different colored highlighters until she finally released the poor calendar and leaned back on her thrift-store-bought swivel chair.
Relentlessly looking at all the calendars in her house wouldn't make the days go by faster. But even when it was only the first night of Kakashi's three-day mission, she knew she already hated it.
Okay, wait. She did not hate that he was on a mission. They were shinobi. Their lives were bound to missions. What she really did not like was how she was acting.
"I knew I'd get addicted to cuddles." Sakura lowly muttered as she spun herself around and stopped when her eyes fell on the center-piece on top of her coffee table in the living room.
With a long weary sigh as though she had already transcribed a lot of scrolls for the day—which in fact she failed to do, Sakura stood up from her chair and walked towards her peach sofa only to sit again as she adjusted the vase filled with random flowers and grabbed the note beside it.
Sakura then stretched herself along her sofa and stared at the small piece of paper she had in hand and like a heavy, wet rag, she was also filled with the weight of curiosity, embarrassment, and feelings that she could not understand.
She may have terrified the hell out of Kakashi the night before so she wasn't really expecting much when she woke up.
The last book she read even said that it was normal for men to just leave without a word in the morning after a night of passionate love making. Uhh…okay, the last bit still did not happen, but Sakura understood what it meant.
In fact, she even took a potent dose of her sleeping tea and deliberately slowed down the flow of her chakra so her body wouldn't immediately synthesize it so she could sleep through the ordeal of seeing Kakashi leave.
She did not want to burst into mortifying tears again. Having her ex-sensei wipe her tears down and help her blow her nose was embarrassing enough that she did not want any of that to happen before Kakashi left for his mission, and so she slept.
That's why it never even crossed her mind that something like an assortment of flowers hastily put together in a tall glass of water would greet her the moment she opened her eyes.
And like true Kakashi fashion, each stem was cleanly cut with a kunai, which made Sakura wonder which neighbor or neighbors he stole them from.
Just thinking about Kakashi waking up extra early and stealthily prowling from roof to roof to scout for flowers he could swipe brought giggles to her lips, and then there was the note…
"Oh gods! Noooooooo…" Sakura weakly groaned as she tried her best to swallow the rising bile of shame while being torn between the idea of wanting to rip the note to shreds or laminating it to be used as her bookmark.
'See you in three days.' It said with a doodle of Pakkun and a shower head pouring down droplets of water drawn on opposite corners of the small rectangular piece of paper.
It looked like an innocent scribble, really, if not for the fact that she may or may not have proposed to Kakashi to lose her virginity in the shower the night before OR it could simply mean that he'll be needing help with bathing his ninken once he gets back!
Sakura was groaning and mumbling gibberish words like a wounded animal as her memories of last night came crashing through her mind.
She had been trying her best to focus on her work during the day but now that her mind's idle, her memories hit her with such force she was thankful that she was already spread-eagled on her sofa or she could have exploded into multiple shrapnel of shame because of what she did.
She honestly had no idea where her 'shower proposal' came from and what Kakashi thought about it when she blurted it out.
It may have been a temporary slut moment out of desperation or confusion but one thing was for sure, she was in very deep trouble once Kakashi returns and no amount of reviewing her romance novels on how to save face could probably save her from her dishonorable conduct.
Then she remembered that everything he was doing was all part of a checklist because she could never picture Kakashi doing anything not mission-related. Maybe even flustering her to the point of spiking her blood pressure to the roof was part of the list.
If Sakura ever learned anything from her holy grail of paper-bound romance novels was that: the reason why the heroines were left rattled and confused was because it was always the male lead's way of making them beg for more.
Sakura's green eyes widened as though she had just reached an epiphany.
"Well, too bad for Kakashi because I'm not planning on doing any begging." Sakura muttered aloud as she pulled herself off her sofa and began pacing her living room.
'Maybe it's time to ask for an expert's advice.' She thought as she hastily slipped on her sandals.
She didn't even bother looking at the mirror before she went out. She just got out of her door and walked with determination towards the one place she knew she could ask for help.
Hopefully, she could get answers on her world's greatest questions—preferably without judgement—but she highly doubted that.
The door chimes of the Yamanaka flower shop jingled followed by the sound of heavy, stomping footsteps.
Ino didn't even need to look up from the magazine she was browsing to know who it was. Sometimes it made her genuinely wonder how her best friend of many, many years made it as a ninja because Sakura, in all honesty, had the footsteps of a Godzilla.
"What brought you here, Forehead? Shop's closed. Just forgot to lock up."
And it was indeed closed because it was already 9 in the evening. Ino just had the habit of staying in the shop until late at night just because she was too lazy to go home. After all, her apartment was situated just above it. It was both the benefit and disadvantage of owning the whole building.
Ino was patiently waiting for an answer to her earlier question, but when she had gone through half of the magazine and she had yet to receive an answer or hear any sound from Sakura, she was forced to snap the new issue of the Knockout Kunoichi closed and looked at her friend.
Ino almost laughed because Sakura looked like she had just finished a grueling 72-hour shift at the hospital but she knew that her friend was working from home.
"What?" She snapped.
"I think…I think I need an advice."
Sakura's voice was clear but she looked like she just watched a marathon of the LOST Shinobi or Keeping Up with the Kunoichis. Either way, both are shock-inducing TV programs. So, if she was here for therapy, Ino could totally understand.
"An advice? That's new. You never even ask me advice about fashion but here you are…"
"Inooooo…"
Ino's cerulean eyes squinted when Sakura began whining like a kid who failed to get the toy she wanted.
She was clearly in dire need of help considering how disheveled she looked, with her clothes askew and mismatched because for the love of all the Hokages, Ino couldn't comprehend how anyone could go wrong in sweatpants but Sakura made it possible. She wasn't even certain if her friend took a bath but since she wasn't smelling anything foul, maybe Sakura managed to.
"You know what? I think you really do need help." Ino finally said as she brought her feet down from the table so she could sit up straight.
"Why do you think I'm here, Pig?" Sakura asked dryly.
"Nope. Another kind of help. You need liquid courage, Sakura. Because you coming to me oh so suddenly like this, I'm pretty sure it's not something trivial."
"Won't the bar be crowded? Can't we do it here instead? I need all the comfort and privacy I can get."
'Comfort? Privacy?' Whatever it was that Sakura had for her, it was bound to be exciting and Ino knew of only one way to make her friend spill everything…
"It's not shinobi night tonight so you don't have anything to worry about. Privacy? We'll sit at a corner booth, and comfort? I'll make sure to get enough shots in your system to make you feel comfortable. So, what do you say?"
Ino watched as Sakura considered her proposal for a moment. She could practically hear the gears grinding inside her friend's mind, which made her internally beg for her approval considering how sort of a hermit Sakura was.
"Uhh, I guess it could work. I haven't really been out and about for the past few weeks really."
"Attagirl!" Ino exclaimed as she jumped from her seat and walked around the shop counter towards Sakura.
"We both definitely need to unwind! But first let's brush your hair, okay? And clothes."
Ino grabbed Sakura's shoulders and stirred her towards the stairs leading up to her studio apartment.
"Let's go up and get you changed, okay? You look like a used garbage bag. What have you been doing with your life? Sheesh."
Thankful that Sakura was compliant, Ino rushed to give both of them a quick makeover—one that would possibly get them free booze for the night.
The Secret Saloon indeed felt different when Ino and Sakura arrived. Unlike its usual rambunctious scene during shinobi nights, that night was much quieter as the patrons enjoyed their drinks and hushed conversations over the soft background music and clinking of glasses.
Ino was able to secure a distant corner booth and it did bring Sakura a little comfort because it felt cozy and the place wasn't crowded.
They began their night by ordering a few shots while talking about random 'kunoichi' stuff and Sakura took that opportunity to dunk shots one after the other to help her break free from her inhibitions.
Yes, Ino was right when she suggested that she needed liquid courage because the questions she wanted answers to were nowhere near her comfort zone; and so Ino made sure that the drinks kept coming.
It also seemed like putting her in a sparkly, tight-fitting, black mini-dress which showed a considerable amount of her toned, ivory legs had them receiving far more drinks than what they ordered—of course with the help of Ino's cleavage which was visible at all corners of the bar.
Unfortunately, there was a downside of being the Hokage's apprentice as well as the bearer of the Strength of a Hundred Seal—Sakura couldn't get completely drunk. Luckily though, Ino knew of her 'golden period.'
It was true that Sakura couldn't get intoxicated but that doesn't mean that alcohol does not completely affect her.
The golden period was the small window of time where Sakura's body was busy synthesizing the booze inside her system.
So, while her body was preoccupied at processing the huge amount of alcohol she had just consumed, Sakura was left in a mild intoxicated state—meaning, she could still definitely get tipsy and that was the perfect opportunity to broach the subject about why they were at the bar in the first place.
"So, Forehead...care to tell me what this is all about?" Ino finally asked as she pushed another shot glass in front of Sakura which her friend gladly took.
"Kakashi is…on a three-day mission." Sakura suddenly blurted.
"Yep, I know about that. So, is that the only reason why you're acting like this?"
"Nope…there is…there is zsomething…zomething… I need to know."
Sakura's green eyes were glazed and her cheeks were already a little flushed, she was also slurring her words a bit, but it was fine. Ino enjoyed seeing her friend like that, it made for a funny story later no matter how short-lived drunk Sakura was. But the next moment Sakura opened her lips, her eyes were already clear and there was an extremely serious look on her face.
"Sakura?" Ino asked. "You okay there?"
"How…" Sakura mumbled.
"Hm?"
"How do you know when…you're ready to have sex?"
The shot glass that was mid-way to Ino's lips stopped mid-air as her blue eyes focused on the flushed look of her friend's face.
Ino knew that Sakura's body was done synthesizing the alcohol. The golden period was that fast. And so there was only one reason why her friend was blushing all the way down the modest exposed portion of her chest.
Sakura was embarrassed but she was serious.
Ino calmly drank the contents of her shot glass before putting it down and lining it up with their other shot glasses. She then silently stood up, got out from her spot on the booth and squeezed herself beside Sakura.
The booth was fairly large for two people but Ino made sure that she was sitting super close beside her best friend as she made a grab for Sakura's arm and squeezed it. HARD.
"Ino? Wha—Ow! That hurts!"
"You. Have. No. Idea…howhappyIamtohearthosewordscomeoutofyoumouth FOREHEAD! Just imagine ALL THE THINGS I could teach youuuuuu!"
Ino's squeal was so loud that it made the other customers inside the bar turn their head to their direction. Sakura was even forced to clamp a hand over her friend's wide smiling face to force her to calm down because she was thrashing like a mad woman.
"Let go! Let go! Ptew! Ptew!" Ino spat as she forcibly shirked her face away from Sakura's palm. "You're ruining my lipstick!"
"So, are you going to answer my question and give me advice or are you going to complain about your lipstick which you could simply re-apply?"
"Of course, I will gladly answer your question. I knew Kakashi-sensei was a good influence to your vagina!" Ino happily exclaimed.
"INO! Are you going to answer my question or not?!"
"I am! But first I will have to teach you a lot of things."
"What things?" Sakura suspiciously asked.
Ino's lips broke out into a vicious smile and said, "Oh, you'll see."
"I don't like your smile and I definitely don't like where this is going…"
"But Kakashi-sensei will!" Ino said in a sing-song which only made Sakura's eyes roll upward.
[Somewhere in the middle of the forest…]
'It's not part of the checklist…not part of the checklist…'
This same sentence had been on repeat inside Kakashi's mind the moment his team left the gates of Konoha until they arrived at the designated clearing where they will be camping for the night.
Giving flowers would have been one of the most basic things included in the Boyfriend Experience but Kakashi had reviewed the checklist in his mind for the 82nd time that night and there was nothing that remotely said he had to give Sakura flowers for the duration of his 'S-rank mission' so he felt deeply disturbed about it.
It hadn't even crossed his mind to give Sakura flowers during those times they spent together in Konoha but when he woke up that morning and saw the back of her head under the dim light of Sakura's bedside lamp, he felt the sudden urge to give her lots of it that he had found himself scrambling to his feet to scour the neighborhood for an appropriate flower-bearing plant.
He really wasn't sure what kind to give her. He didn't even have an inkling on what Sakura liked so he just grabbed whatever flower he saw that suited his taste (if he ever had one), bunched them all together, and drowned them in a glass full of water.
Kakashi was positive that some of it didn't even smell that great. Some smelled like mosquito repellent. But since the buds looked vibrant to him, he guessed that it will have to do.
He'd just have to hope that Sakura would appreciate the thought more than the quality because he obviously failed at the latter.
He just didn't want to leave her crying because the gods knew that he had a bit of difficulty consoling her the night before.
Perhaps it was best if he purchases a bouquet from the Yamanaka flower shop before meeting up with her once he returns. He'll also have to take that chance to ask Ino about what flowers Sakura liked.
After all, it was best to be armed with a lot of information albeit useless instead of going in blind. Or maybe Genma and Asuma could help him choose.
'Maybe not Genma…wait…Genma might be the better choice because he usually upsets Shizune. Maybe he could give me tips on how to make a woman feel better…'
The more Kakashi entertained the idea, the more it made him frown because nothing good and 'appropriate' came to mind whenever he thought of Genma and the female population, not that he was any better but at least he was discreet.
Kakashi then bit the side of his cheek in order to focus. He reminded himself that he was in the middle of a mission and that even when it was only a simple scroll retrieval, it wouldn't do his team any good if he suddenly slipped and fell from a tree just because he was distracted by the imaginary life choices he was making in his mind.
A few more hours of travel along the thick forest of Konoha, Asuma eventually motioned for the group to stop as they reached the clearing point within the forest where they decided was best to set up camp.
It was already nighttime and the forest had transformed into a confluence of dark, tall trees and nightly merriment of creatures of the dark.
"I'm fully aware that you guys know about this already but this is where we'll part ways tomorrow and this will also be our meeting point after the retrieval. As for tonight, this is where we'll set up camp."
No tents or bed rolls had been put up as the three of them decided that they will be sleeping on the ground or their chosen trees for the night, but cooking tools had been brought via scrolls and are now assembled in the middle of the three of them as Genma began preparing their meal for the night.
Despite being Konoha's number one ladies' man, Genma makes a mean pot of his specialty mission stew.
'Wait. Maybe Gai has some surprise dinner date tips…or maybe not. I'm a little terrified of how extra he could get.
Anko would probably suggest a sparring night and Kurenai would probably have the same answer as Asuma.
Maybe Hayate and Raido would have better ideas.
Is it possible to ask the Jounin Commander to add this topic in the agenda for the weekly Jounin meeting?'
"Kakashi? Kakashi." Asuma called, taking him away from his reverie as sparks of fire danced in the middle of them, casting shadows on the faces of his friends.
Apparently, his mind was still very much elsewhere because he hadn't noticed that Asuma was already distributing their eating utensils.
"You've been spacing out since we set up camp." Asuma pointed out.
"He's already missing home." Genma teased.
Was he? Well, not really. But he does miss Sakura's bed and her kitchen. It'll be the first night where he won't be staying with her since she charmed him in her pastel palace. Was she still crying? He wouldn't know. He left her deeply asleep that morning.
"See, I'm pretty sure he's thinking of her right now." He heard Genma say followed by a question from Asuma.
"How's being in a relationship with the Hokage's apprentice?"
"Weirdly interesting." Kakashi blurted.
"Huh, that's new. Usually you'd tell us it's done or it's boring if it still isn't done." Genma said as he took Kakashi's bowl and poured his dinner share.
"Well, it's far from done and definitely not boring." Kakashi admitted out of the blue.
"Okay, now we really need details."
Kakashi expected the interrogation to come from Genma but apparently the topic of relationships also interested their team captain. This fact made him feel disgustingly teenage-like.
"Remind me again that we're in a mission because for a second I thought this was a genin slumber party."
"C'mon, Kakashi! There's nothing better to do around a bonfire." Genma quipped as he distributed their bowls filled with steaming hot stew.
Kakashi wanted to tell them that he could think of a lot of other things to do around a bonfire but they were not the right company for it. So, he just simply sat back and thoughtlessly pulled his mask down to begin eating.
However, Genma kept groaning like a five-year-old brat, which wasn't really a surprise but when Asuma directed his bearded puppy eyes look at him, he just had to relent because he heard a crack from within.
Kakashi was uncertain whether it was his sanity breaking or something else but Asuma reminded him of his ninken, Bull, and that thought will remain with him until death unless he wanted a duel with Asuma.
"Fine." Kakashi yielded after a deep breath. "I think that…Sakura has a weird take on relationships. Like when I do something remotely sweet, Sakura would have this surprised look on her face and she'd ask me if what I'm doing is normal."
This was probably far from the juicy subject they were expecting but hey, they asked.
Though Kakashi was anticipating for them to just drop the conversation from there, he was also expecting some sort of advice so maybe he'll have to elaborate for a bit and observe where their discussion will take them.
Of course, Asuma didn't disappoint on giving his brotherly observation on things.
"Well, you can't blame her. Remotely sweet isn't even you."
"Maybe, but…"
While they ate dinner, Kakashi went on to tell them a particular example when Sakura had asked him to pick up several boxes of gauze and syringes in the village pharmacy and he did, but then she said: Oh, you really did it. You picked it up. Why?
"Duh…because you asked her to?" Genma sassily remarked even though he was in the middle of chewing a huge chunk of potato.
"Exactly. But she said that she thought she'd be ignored and even went to the pharmacy herself to confirm. She also asks the same when I show her affection, gestures, light kisses over unsuspecting body parts. She would eventually smile but she'd look at me first with this terrified, bewildered gaze."
Kakashi vaguely wondered whether he had overshared and was talking too much but his teammates seemed to be genuinely engrossed on the topic of his relationship.
"That is weird. Maybe you give off a pervy vibe?"
"Don't lump me with the likes of you, Genma."
"But then again, like I said," Asuma interjected, "It's not in your nature to be that and she probably knows that more than anybody considering she was your student."
Genma was nodding his head but when he spoke, Kakashi was surprised because his friend was starting to make sense.
"That's true…but isn't this her first relationship? Shouldn't the Hokage's apprentice be overjoyed that her first boyfriend is showing her the basics of relationship? Why does it seem like she just came out of a really toxic relationship?"
"Wasn't she infatuated with the Uchiha?" Asuma asked.
"Infatuated but not in a relationship. Though maybe that's how she got treated before. Being ignored. Women do need both words and actions to feel assurance."
At that point, Kakashi couldn't help but scoff.
"That's surprising coming from you, considering you're all action towards Shizune." He commented dryly.
"Hey, the only words she needs from me are grunts and encouragements when we have sex. Besides, Shizune knows that I'm a man of few words."
Asuma picked up a stray twig beside him and flung it towards Genma.
"You? A man of few words? You only ever shut up when you're asleep and even then, you mumble while you snore."
"Poor Shizune for living in a world full of lies…" Kakashi quietly remarked, which earned him a glare from Genma.
"Oi, don't turn this on me. You're the one lying to Sakura about your mission."
"She knows."
"WHAT?!" Asuma and Genma blurted in unison.
Kakashi was deeply amazed at how their eyes remained intact inside their sockets with how bulging their stares were at him. But Kakashi just calmly placed his empty bowl down and adjusted his mask back over his face, and confessed.
"I told her. How do you think I was able to get her on board so fast?"
"And she agreed?" Asuma suspiciously asked.
"Yes. I'm giving her half of the money."
"What? She's doing it for the money? I didn't know Sakura was that kind of girl." Genma said, shocked.
"She's not. But I only think it's proper compensation for her participation and the potential damage she might uhh…suffer."
"Do you even have a plan on how you'll call things off?" Asuma asked and Kakashi felt the hint of worry in his voice.
"She knows it's gonna end in a month. I guess I'll just cross the bridge when I get there." Kakashi replied in all honesty but Genma's beaming face came into view.
"Don't you worry, Kakashi. We'll join you in wallowing on your sorrows in the pub."
"I don't pay for booze."
"What? But didn't you take the tab that one time when…"
"That was Gai." Asuma said.
"Was it really? Because I honestly thought it was you!"
"Nope. It was Gai." Kakashi affirmed. This made Genma put his bowl down with such force on the ground. Good thing it was stainless.
"Why?! Everyone in Konoha knows you're filthy rich!"
"I'm not filthy rich."
"Yes, you are! Have you seen your mission record at the tower?"
"I thought those were confidential information…"
Genma drew back for a bit because he just got caught red-handed but he immediately recovered.
"That still doesn't explain why you act so broke all the time! You should at least treat us to some good booze."
"It's because I act broke that's why I'm rich."
Kakashi heard the whistle of a senbon fly past his left ear but he didn't bother to move or tilt his head. If Genma really wanted to land a direct hit on him, he could've done so. But then again, Genma wouldn't be able to pester him for free booze if that were to happen.
When Genma got up to retrieve the senbon he sent flying, Kakashi rummaged inside his knapsack and brought out two paper bags.
He tossed one to Asuma who had just finished rounding up their kitchen utensils and another to Genma who was just about to sit back on his place.
"What's this?" Asuma asked. "Smells like chocolate."
"Ooooh. It's soft and firm. Like a perfect cup of feel of female brea—"
"Just eat the damn brownie, Shiranui."
Kakashi watched as his teammates both took a bite. He hadn't touched his share yet as he was adamant on enjoying his portion in silence. Instead, he opened his silver flask and drank the tea Sakura prepared the night before…the one that helps him sleep.
He was in the middle of a big gulp when both Asuma and Genma's faces hovered above his.
No, he didn't spit the tea out because that would be a waste. He would've wanted to just to teach his teammates a lesson not to hover their butt ugly faces while he was drinking, but the concoction went down the wrong pipe, which had Kakashi suffer another violent coughing fit but neither Asuma nor Genma bothered to help him with the spasms.
"Goddamit!" Kakashi hissed at the two when he finally got a hold of his breath.
He wouldn't have been surprised if not for the funny shadows the bonfire casted on his teammates' faces. But then he noticed that they were murmuring something. The view was even more disturbing with their extra loud chewing, which he knew they were intentionally doing.
"What?"
"Wife her, Kakashi." Asuma said under his breath.
"What?!"
"You gotta wife the Hokage's apprentice!"
Genma's face who was closest to Kakashi received a considerably hard flick on his nose which made the former back off with a groan.
When Kakashi stood up and faced Asuma, the bearded shinobi already had both of his hands covering the lower half of his face but Kakashi simply clasped him in the shoulder and announced that he'd be taking the last shift before escaping towards a nearby tree.
He was already perched atop a wide branch, wider even than the width of his body when he heard Genma's voice from down below.
It was a good thing that they were still within Konoha territory so being discreet didn't matter but it was supposed to be a given.
Trust Genma to break every shinobi protocol just because he's Genma.
"I'm just saying, Kakashi, these brownies gotta be shared every shinobi night at the pub until the end of time! We can't trust our girls to recreate these gems! Sakura's the only one who could do it! Why do you think we're always the ones doing all the cooking?"
Kakashi chuckled because he remembered Anko and Kurenai's attempt to cook ramen at the headquarters. It resulted in an unexpected renovation and a false-alarm terrorist attack.
"I'm the one who baked the brownies, Genma. Sakura taught me how to."
"Then, by gods! Marry me, Kakashi!" Genma shouted, which earned him a resounding smack from Asuma followed by an angry:
"He can't do that! He's already taken!"
"Didn't he say they'll be breaking up in a month?"
"But we don't know that."
"We do. He just said it."
"Shut up or I'll tell Shizune."
"Ugh. Fine. I surrender. Then I'll take the first shift."
"No! Me."
"No!"
Kakashi opened his flask and drank its still warm contents as he leaned his head back against the tree's rough bark.
With one foot dangling loose, he listened as his teammates bickered on who'd take what shift but that wasn't his problem anymore. At least now, he was finally left in peace with his thoughts without judgments or disturbances coming from them.
Over the past few years, sleeping had really been difficult for Kakashi because of his recurring nightmares. He barely got any sleep during most of his missions, but sometimes his refusal to get some shut eye was cured by heavy drinking while on the job at any time of the day.
Until now, he couldn't help but admit that he was still afraid to sleep.
The anxiety of having to endure another episode of his dreadful nightmare was still there and it really didn't go away despite his handful of peaceful nights with Sakura.
But maybe it was different now. After all, he had Sakura's tea with him which he proved to be highly effective.
Even while crying, Sakura still took the time to prepare his sleeping concoction and taught him the recipe so he could refill his flask once he arrives at the border.
Did she cry when she woke up? Was she still crying now? Kakashi hoped not because he just found out that he was weak against womanly tears—Sakura's in particular.
Closing his eyes, he could even hear her voice.
"I don't know w-why I'm crying." Sakura complained as she tried to control the hiccups. "Tsunade-shishou's unfair. She makes you be with me, then makes you leave, and gives me more work."
Obviously, Sakura had her reasons but she kept on complaining that the tears weren't supposed to fall.
"So, are you crying about me, leaving or are you crying about work?" He asked as he reached out to gently wipe her tear-stained cheeks.
"Both! And…and I'm still getting used to k-kissing! I-I need more p-practice!" Sakura sobbed as she held one of her throw pillows and whimpered.
Kakashi was able to successfully lead her back towards her sofa after their tear-filled baking session and simple dinner. Now, he had the rare chance of seeing Sakura like an angry, ruffled kitten, which reminded him so much of her genin days but somehow there was no urge of making her run fifty laps around the training ground.
Not when she was so busy being adorable.
'Dammit.' He internally cursed. Oh, how he had stooped so low.
He couldn't even remember the last time he had succumbed to anybody's womanly charms but he was definitely failing that night.
Then, Sakura spoke again. It made him realize that he had been silent for far longer than he intended.
"I'm sorry. You shouldn't have seen me like this. I'm an ugly crier." She apologized while roughly wiping away at her cheeks but Kakashi held her wrists and gently put them down her lap.
"You're not an ugly crier, Sakura." He said, as he brushed strands of her pink, damp hair and locked them behind her ears.
"Even though your hair's a mess, and you've got black tear stains on your cheeks, and your nose and the rims of your eyes are really red…you're not an ugly crier."
"You're not very convincing when you describe me like that, Kakashi." Sakura huffed but she was looking at his fingers and her palms and saw that there were indeed black streaks on them.
Kakashi simply smiled and tapped his lap. Unfortunately, his gesture did not elicit the response he expected because it made Sakura's eyes narrow in suspicion as she raised questioning emerald orbs towards his unsuspecting face.
"A-are you asking me to bend over so you could spank my butt as punishment?"
Most times, Kakashi was thankful for the mask covering his face because it prevented anyone from figuring out what his thoughts were, but for the split second that he heard what Sakura said and the amount of time it took to process her words, he was certain that the small exposed portion of his face showed her things he didn't intend anybody to see.
Shock. Horror. Surprise. Interest. Curiosity. Pity. Amusement. Even he wasn't sure. But when he saw that Sakura was dead serious, he knew he had to recover from his momentary shock and pray to all the gods for rationality, patience, and understanding because it was what he needed at the moment.
'1 million ryo.' He whispered to himself.
Eventually, Kakashi cleared his throat as though completely recovering from the temporary shut down of his synapses and watched Sakura's eyes shift form his masked face to his hand as he tapped his lap again.
"I wouldn't even dare ask what made you say that, but this… This means that I want you to get in here and sit on my lap so I could comfort you better if you permit me."
"So, it's not a punishment?"
"Definitely not a punishment, Sakura." He assured her and waited as Sakura shuffled along and sat sideways across his lap.
"D-don't get me wrong, okay? I—I had a happy childhood. B-but that didn't mean I was free from some really creative behavior-correcting punishment when I was a child." She explained which made Kakashi chuckle.
"Ssh. I know." Kakashi said as he held her to him while he gently tapped the side of her leg, which helped even out her breathing.
"Believe it or not, I had been an unwilling recipient of the Sandaime's sturdy hands when I was younger…" Kakashi sheepishly confessed. "And knowing that our Hokage grew up under his care, I'm positive that she wouldn't even think twice about beating my ass if there came a chance regardless of how old I am now. So, as much as I'd like to let you cry your heart out to help you feel better, please don't let the Hokage see you like this. She'll kill me."
Yep. He did remember the Hokage's idle threat…
"I'll protect you." Sakura said in a small yet determined voice, which elicited an invisible smirk from Kakashi if not for the crinkling of his eyes.
"And I'll protect you…and the whole of Konoha too."
He really did not want to add the last bit but maybe leaving it out would come as a little bit of shock to her but Sakura looked at him and rewarded him with a small smile.
"So, will you allow me to kiss your tears away?" He asked but Sakura shook her head and immediately kept it bowed and away from his face.
"I'll get snot on you."
"You can just wipe it on my mask."
Sakura then lifted her head and looked at him again. She now had that disgusted, grumpy cat expression on her face that always made Kakashi want to chuckle, and its cuteness level had just been magnified because of her disheveled hair and clumpy, tear-stained lashes.
"What?" Kakashi chuckled. "Didn't you say you needed more practice?"
"I did! But getting snot all over is disgusting! Let me get a tissue!" Sakura tried to scramble away from him but Kakashi tightened his hold around her hip, made a grab for her right hand and placed it over his shoulders then stood up.
The movement surprised Sakura but she remained quiet. However, her eyes were filled with questions when they made it to her abstract bathroom and Kakashi sat her down on her small sink counter top.
Then, Kakashi began rummaging inside one of the drawers and brought out a pack of tissues and makeup wipes.
He gave the dry one to hers which Sakura immediately grabbed to blow her nose while he took one of the wet ones.
"I've been informed that women shouldn't go to bed with their makeup on."
"Was the checklist the one that informed you?"
"…Yes."
Kakashi pulled out a wipe and brought it to her cheek and gently rubbed, wiping away whatever grime her tears and make-up made.
Then, Sakura suddenly blurted…
"Why do you still have your mask on when you're inside my house?"
"Force of habit…and also because you told me that you like peeling them off."
"I do! It's…it's addictive." She confessed as her fingers creeped over the edges of his mask.
"Peeling my mask off or kissing me?"
Kakashi watched as Sakura's face slowly flushed but she kept on inching the dark material down his face.
"D-don't get too full of yourself, Kakashi-sensei. We're only going to have to do this for a few more weeks."
"Hm. And you still need a lot of practice as what you said."
"Yes."
"Oh, and you called me sensei again."
"Well, you are teaching me."
"And what have you learned so far?" Kakashi teasingly asked as he brought his hand down beside her hips. His face now exposed and was only a few inches away from hers.
He watched as Sakura's eyes blinked a few times as though processing what he just said until the blush on her face grew darker, which made her bury her face on his shoulder.
"Please don't use that voice on me…" Sakura whimpered. "That's the voice you use when you're about to kill someone."
Looking at his face in the bathroom mirror with its wide, sheepish smirk as well as seeing the blush reach Sakura's nape, Kakashi realized that he was being a little too childish but he won't deny the fact that he was having fun teasing her.
"Oh? But you like it when I use this voice." He whispered and made his voice grumble even deeper.
Kakashi saw the hairs on the back of Sakura's neck stood on end and also noticed that her smooth, bare arms were peppered with goosebumps.
'Okay, that's enough. Time to retreat.' He chastised himself and was about to step back but Sakura surprised him when he felt her thumbs gently rubbing the sharp outline of his jaw.
Kakashi found out that he loved it when Sakura did that, but what he adored more was how her lashes flutter to look at him until he'd get himself hypnotized by those clear, green eyes.
He never noticed it before but he didn't expect to seek those eyes every time ever since their mission-related relationship began.
Looking at her eyes was like traveling through lush green forest under a cloudless blue sky and for some unknown reason, it calmed him…at least that should have been the case, but he was in a different situation now. Because now it felt more like coursing through turbulent waves with how determined she looked.
So, he figured that he'd just have to close his eyes so as not to be taken away by the current and simply bask on the soft sound of her voice.
"I learned…"
Ah, so they were still doing that… Kakashi smiled.
"That lips don't need to directly meet when kissing." She mumbled as she planted a soft kiss on the corner of his lips "…or that mouths need to be closed when doing it…" Then another to his chin, up to the other side of his cheek with her lips slightly parted.
"I also learned that doing this…" Sakura gently pressed her forehead above his, her lips hovering close enough for him to taste, "…felt just as good."
Sakura's fingertips were cold and there was a slight tremble in her voice but Kakashi allowed her to take charge because he was afraid that if he moved, something that still wasn't in his plan might happen…and he didn't want that.
Curse him for teasing her and getting himself in this dangerous game that he began reciting in his mind Konoha's origins and genealogy because chanting the Shinobi Rules was proving to be ineffective.
But his mind came to a screeching halt when she said:
"But this…this feels so much better." And felt Sakura's soft, warm lips over his.
Her mouth was slightly parted as she pressed it on his closed ones…once, twice, and on the third try, the tip of her tongue darted across his bottom lip, tasting him, and seeking entrance into his mouth.
Kakashi tried his hardest not to budge but his resolve crumbled when he felt Sakura's thumb brush the bottom of his lips and gently pried them open.
Her slightly parted lips pressed against his once more as her warm breath ghosted against his skin. Then her tongue sought entrance for the second time and traced the front edge of his maxillary, withdrawing it thereafter and gently biting his lower lip along the way.
Kakashi hissed as he closed the minute distance she placed between them and kissed her back. His hands circled her hips and pulled her flush against his as a spark of electricity, hot and tingling, ignited inside him.
Kakashi savored her lips ands swallowed the small little gasps that escaped her mouth as his hand traveled up and down the small of her back while she began fiddling with the zipper of his flak jacket, pulled it down and relieved him of it.
The sound of the material hitting the tiled floor wasn't enough to startle him to a stop because he even went as far as to lean Sakura backwards until her head met her sink mirror.
When Kakashi shifted from her lips, to her chin and down her throat, he felt Sakura's small hands grip his shoulder and nape and whispered…
"Can we… take a shower together?"
Kakashi stopped all movement and silence had suddenly befallen around them. After what seemed like a minute or so, he withdrew from his position, stood back, and pulled Sakura with him so that he had her at his eye-level.
Kakashi's right hand pulled away from Sakura as he uneasily scratched the back of his neck.
"I…don't think that's a good idea, Sakura."
"Too much?" she asked.
"Too much, too early and a little impulsive." He answered.
Sakura fell silent for a moment and it took every ounce of strength within him to stop himself from wiping that disappointed look on her face and just carry on.
Hell, he'd already gone without action for almost two weeks now and it would surely do him good to just go into a rut and relieve himself of all his suppressed sexual tension but he didn't want that for her.
Though he really couldn't blame her for suddenly wanting to do it considering they've been constantly exploring the edges of the forbidden territory for a few days now…
But he knew he was right because it felt like she just wanted to rush things now and he didn't want her to regret any reckless decision she'd make due to impulsivity.
So, he proposed an offer.
"Perhaps, when I come home after three days…" Kakashi began, completely disrupting her thoughts as Sakura attentively listened to what he had to say. "We can do that including all the other stuff you want to do. So, you have three days to think and decide whether you really want to do…things…with me. Enough time to contemplate on what you really want. Would that be okay?"
Sakura nodded and after a while she smiled.
When Kakashi bent down to kiss her again, Sakura's face suddenly shattered like a broken mirror and a black, spear-like figure shot out from the center of her broken image and stabbed his neck.
Kakashi gagged as he began choking at his blood while the rest of Sakura's image crumbled into nothing and darkness slowly seeped through his surroundings. Gone were the colorful, assorted tiles of Sakura's bathroom as each crack began oozing thick, black liquid, and pooled at his feet.
His arms and legs were gradually losing strength as the feeling of overwhelming force tried to pin him down while he fought and clawed at the unknown figure which was gradually expanding as though swallowing his body and wanting to combine with the black puddle of goo at his feet.
Everything was so painful and he couldn't breathe. He was slowly suffocating and going blind, but he couldn't die.
Then a thought struck him that he was in a dream and just needed to force himself to wake up.
'WAKE UP! WAKE UP! C'MON! GODDAMMIT!' Kakashi internally screamed but was only rewarded with a lot more blood spewing out of his mouth.
The next thing he knew, he already had a kunai poised around Asuma's neck while both him and Genma were struggling to pin him down as worried, terror-stricken looks covered their faces.
He was finally awake.
A/N: I'm sorry I failed to publish in February...Huhu