Exhausted was a fucking understatement.

While Sakura eventually dozed off on the flight, Kakashi didn't sleep a wink. The full 17-hour flight, he couldn't sleep; he couldn't even doze off. There was no way he was able to shut off his mind, not to mention he was on guard higher than he'd ever been before for multiple reasons. Though Sakura's mother's wreck could have been just a horrible accident, a part of him felt like it wasn't a coincidence. This far into the game, he knew better by now. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense to him, too. Sota has gone weeks now with no luck at snagging the target of his intentions—probably the longest it's taken him to capture someone. While they did their best to protect Sakura, Kakashi was sure that Sota got ahold of her information in some manner by now. He was sure this was an attack on Sota's part—an effort to really get Sakura in his hands. It was a shitty circumstance all around. The same man that the team had been assigned to target, was now the same man who wanted nothing more than to hurt Sakura—who was Kakashi's neighbor, who became the woman he loved. How all of this happened, how all of this got wrapped up Kakashi really didn't know—things like this just happened; call it fate or what you will. All he knew was that this needed to be handled as soon as possible because, Himari was right; Sakura could potentially carry this with her for the rest of her life. The way she was acting was proof enough of that.

If the woman had given him the cold shoulder before, she was really doing it now. She barely spoke a word to him, and when she did they practically dripped with venom. That steel gate was back down, and it was reinforced, too. Kakashi tried to really gage her, to read her and come to his own understanding on what he needed to do to help her—but he was falling short. The whole trip to the states wore him down even further, and by the end of it he was beyond irritable; angry, even. Angry that she was lashing out on him, angry that he mildly understood why, and angry that she wasn't talking to him about it. He knew she felt smothered, and while he gave her his space, he worried that she'd take a mile out of that inch; pushing him out forever. Because, if he was being honest, that's what it felt like to him. Sakura was pushing him out harder than she'd ever done before, and for the first time in a long time the man didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to approach her, as he'd never seen her this upset before; she had never behaved this way with him before. He felt like he was walking on eggshells, and that made him even angrier; which was so unlike him. With Sakura, and with anything really, Kakashi was always really understanding; handling whatever the situation was coolly. He was becoming unglued in a manner that reminded him of his time with Yua. Sakura's harshness as akin to Yua's, which made him even angrier because he knew Sakura was better than that. Had she simply given him the time to talk, this whole experience could have been different. At least, he thought so. A part of him wondered if talking would even do it, with the way she was acting.

Especially with her petty jab about the hotel receptionist.

Kakashi never pegged Sakura as the jealous type by any means, but he wondered what must have been going through her head for her to assume something like that. By that point, she was just finding reasons to further her being upset with him—which told him that maybe she didn't really have an idea as to why she was behaving that way she was. He knew her well enough by now to know that, while Sakura was pretty emotional, she was equally rational. Even in high stress, she'd always been able to be talked down and come to an understanding. For some reason, it was as though she didn't want to be not mad. She needed something to funnel everything through—the anxiety, the fear, the anger, the stress...And that funnel was directed straight at Kakashi. Which only made him angrier.

To top it all off, she was behaving as if she wasn't being hunted by an incredibly dangerous man. She was making decisions without talking to him, calling taxis to his house, and booking flights behind his back. If he were being honest, he felt betrayed to a degree. Sakura and Kakashi had come to a mutual understanding about her situation, and he thought that she knew this was all temporary until everything was taken care of—and now she was acting like he had her chained up in the basement. She was acting like he'd only ever meant to hurt her, and to some degree he wondered if maybe he was. On the flight, his argument with Himari rolled around in his head. The team had come to an agreement to keep all dealings with Sota to themselves as to not stress Sakura out—but now he was thinking that maybe it would have been better had some gotten some idea. She really didn't even know much about the jobs they went on, save for they can be dangerous; but Sakura's dangerous and the team's dangerous are two totally separate things. Additionally, he figured out there was a deep part of him that was honestly afraid Sakura would run if she had a real grasp on what was happening, what he does, and what it could entail. He owed it to her to be fully honest, and if he lost her in the process, maybe it wasn't meant to be.

He really hoped it wasn't the case.

The moment he stepped into the hotel room, Kakashi shot a text to Kiba that he was in the states and he'll call him later; following up with a long shower and trying his hardest to go to bed. He would be lying if he didn't say that lying in bed without Sakura wasn't lonely, but he was also feeling so angry that his pride told him to stay there. He tossed and he turned until he finally fell asleep around 2 in the morning.

When he woke up, it was to his phone ringing loudly. He rolled over, picking it up and rasping into it groggily, "Hello?"

"I have been trying to get ahold of you!" It was Ino.

Kakashi leaned back on his arm, turning his head to peer out the window into the bustling city, "Sorry, Ino. I was passed out."

Ino huffed, "I'm surprised, I thought you'd be up by now."

"Yeah," Kakashi yawned loudly. "I hadn't slept a wink since the night before Naruto got shot. I didn't sleep on the flight, and I didn't fall asleep until like two or whatever."

"Jesus Christ, that sounds rough."

"I've dealt with worse. What's up, did you need something?"

"Oh, yeah—well, I've been trying to get ahold of Sakura and she's not answering her phone. I've been trying to call you, but you weren't picking up, so I got worried," Ino tittered. "Once I found out about Sakura's mom, I got pretty worried about her. Sooo, to make a long story short I'm just following up to see how you two are doing. Is she still asleep, too?"

"I don't know, I haven't seen her since last night," Kakashi shook his head.

"What? What do you mean, you two got a hotel room, right?"

Kakashi sighed, "She wanted her own hotel room."

"Why?"

"Because she said she didn't want to be near me. I had to fight her just to make sure the rooms were side by side in case anything happened."

Ino gasped, "What is her deal? Why would she say that?"

"She's mad at me, I think. It all started when Himari told her about Naruto and the job. Choji and Lee said she was really standoffish to them the whole time after, and anything she said to me if she talked at all was pretty hateful. I tried to talk with her about it, but she said she doesn't want to," Kakashi explained tiredly, feelings of frustrating stirring in the pit of his stomach.

"Well," Ino sang. "Did you say anything to her to piss her off?"

Kakashi scoffed, "No. By the time I got home after everything happened, she had already booked a flight to the states—without telling me or anyone. She also called a taxi—had it come to the house, and used her real name. She just did all that with no regard to any of us, her safety—nothing. I tried to get her to change her mind and stay and talk; but you know how Sakura is."

Ino sighed, "Yeah, I know. She's stubborn as all get out. So, she's not talking to you or anything? If she's not with you, do you know where she's at?"

Kakashi bit the inside of his cheek, "I wouldn't doubt it if she took off to the hospital already, Ino."

There was a brief pause before Ino continued, "Shouldn't you be with her...?"

"I should. But anytime I try to do something, she snaps at me. She literally told me, 'are you my fucking dad.' I honestly don't know what to do. If I give her space, she'll push me out. If I keep an eye on her, she'll resent me. I try to talk to her, she snaps at me. I can't win and I'm at a loss."

"Wow," Ino breathed. "That's the most you've opened up to me in like...ever."

"Yeah, well...I don't know what to do. Not to mention, I have a hunch that the wreck Sakura's mom was in had something to do with Sota. Have they interrogated Hisato at all?"

"Mmh," Ino grunted with an exhale. "I don't know. We're short staffed at the hospital, so I've been having to pull full time hours. Between there, and other jobs I'm being assigned, I haven't had the time to pop in and ask—no one's said anything to me, either. You're better off calling Neji or Gaara for that one. Kiba probably knows something, too. We're all really worried here, so I'm glad I was able to get ahold of you...Also, Tsunade wanted me to ask you if you think we need to send a couple people over there with you? If Sota's men are there, you'll need back up in case anything happens."

Kakashi rubbed his stubbled jaw, "That would be ideal, but it's a bad idea at the same time. Not only would it piss Sakura off more, but I think that we need more people there in Tokyo right now. This is a good time to get the rest of his men, leaving the two brothers and just Sota. As soon as I'm back, we can finish off with the big jobs. If Sota gets smart and figures out the team, you'll need all the bodies there you can possibly have. I'll handle everything here."

"Do you really think Sota had something to do with the wreck?"

"I mean, I don't know. We can't rule anything out right now. Do me a favor, and relay over to Kiba to ask Hisato about that—see if he knows anything. I feel like things were going too smoothly for a while, and now shit is hitting the fan. I wouldn't be surprised if Neji or Shino got jumped by some grunts, since they were there at the job. Everyone needs to keep a really sharp eye out."

Ino clicked her tongue, "Roger that. I'll talk to Kiba as soon as this call is done...As far as Sakura goes, I honestly don't know what to tell you, Kakashi. She's going through a lot, so she's probably freaking out and she's lashing out on you. That's not an excuse, I'm just pointing out the obvious. Maybe once her mom gets better, she'll simmer down and you two can talk it out. If she still doesn't want to talk, make her sit and listen. I don't mean tie her up, but I mean she can handle a little abrasion. You don't have to treat her like this delicate little flower all the time- I understand why you do, but I'm saying that some instances call for a little force. Don't like, corner her or anything like that—but you know what I mean. Sometimes she can be so stubborn that you have to get mad and mean just for her to listen to you. No offense, but you've been sort of just really gentle and tender and soft with her—and I think this time around calls for her to see you mad. Maybe if she really saw and heard you, she'd come to understand she's being an asshat."

Kakashi rolled his eyes, "I don't think that would work, Ino. She'd sooner cut my dick off before she-"

"I'm just saying," Ino cut with a chuckle. "You of all people should know what women like. I think that after her attack at the diner, you sort of backed away from being the typical assertive Kakashi we've all come to know. Sakura is probably really scared, confused, and unsure of what is going on or what she's thinking. Showing some assertion would probably ground her, if we're being honest. Don't call her names or go fucking crazy, but—you know. Just approach her like you'd approach any one of us. If you get a little angry, let yourself be angry. You can't mask how you feel, or not do things, because it might upset her. Give her credit where credit is due—she can handle a lot more than you think she can."

"What if I lose her?" Kakashi immediately uttered.

Ino suspired, "Then you lose her. You did the best you could, and at least you know that. If she really cares about you, she'll accept the entire package. And that goes for you, too. If you really care for her, you care for all of her—good seasons and bad."

"I can't believe you're giving me advice that doesn't have to do with sex," Kakashi chortled lowly.

Ino laughed loudly, "It's rare, but it does happen. Shit, if you two talk it out then maybe you can have really hot make up sex."

"There she is," Kakashi deadpanned, monotone.

"Anyways, keep me updated. It's really late here, so I've got to go. Have Sakura call me if you can."

"Bye, Ino." Kakashi hung up the phone and set it down; letting out a huge, heavy sigh.

Ino had a point.

Seeing Sakura attacked the way she was, something clicked in his brain. He felt afraid to trigger her, and he didn't want her to associate him with the damage she took on—so he sort of was extra careful with her. Granted, Sakura was a woman who opened up more easily to tender things; but he had held back a lot just because he wanted to protect Sakura. Maybe he was tiptoeing when he needed to be upfront and real—and if she walked, she walked.

It hurt him, but really there was no other way.

Kakashi got out of the bed, opening the door to his room and going over to Sakura's room; knocking lightly. He waited for several beats before knocking again, still with no answer. He shook his head, turning to go back into his room where he got dressed quickly. He knew Sakura had to be at the hospital, and while he felt it was irresponsible of him to not be there; he didn't necessarily feel welcome. He grabbed his phone, finding Sakura's contact and staring at it for a solid minute; deliberating if he should call or text her. Chances are, if she wasn't answering Ino's calls, she wasn't getting service inside the hospital. Plus, she'd most likely ignore him—especially if today is the first day seeing her parents.

With a sigh he pocketed the phone, exiting the hotel room and making his way down the hall to the elevator. He decided that he was going to get a good scope of the area, remembering joints where the Yakuza would frequent. He knew they had people in the US, all over the place; New York happened to be a hot spot for them, too. He figured if he knew what was around him, he'd know what to keep an eye out for or make sure Sakura would avoid. He figured he'd rather be doing something productive, instead of sitting around a hotel room all day.

Besides, if he were being honest, there was the smallest, pettiest part of him that didn't want Sakura to think he was just sitting around waiting for her. Granted, he loved her and he'd do anything for her, but it was still a thought that flashed through his mind.

He hated it, but it was there. He hated that he was angry when he had nothing but love for her, but he was done stifling how he felt. He was allowed to feel what he was feeling, and he was justified in feeling it. He only hoped he was going to be able to voice it before it really got to him.

The last thing he wanted to do was blow up.

The day passed rather uneventfully for Kakashi. He'd been to New York several other times before on jobs, so he wasn't totally unfamiliar with his surroundings. He did well to scope out several blocks, around both the hotel they were staying in and the hospital he assumed Sakura's parents were in considering the hotel was so close to it. He made mental notes of joints he'd ask Gaara about (Gaara came to New York all the time) to see if they had any hand in Yakuza work. The more he really understood the area around him, the better. And even though for the most part he was productive, he couldn't help the guilt he felt twist in his stomach.

Throughout the entire day, he was constantly worried about Sakura. He worried if she was doing okay, he worried if she was safe, and he worried about her mom. It had become a flip flop of emotions for him, going between feeling guilty and worried to angry and frustrated. He did his best to remain as calm about it as possible, but it was a feat he was finding to be incredibly hard. He even managed to step inside a couple clothing stores, grabbing himself some clothes and shoes he could use at the gym in the hotel. He figured as much Sakura wasn't going to give him the time of day, and he needed something to do before going to bed.

And that's exactly what he did.

It was around 6PM when he got back to the hotel, making his way back up to his room and changing into the new workout clothes he bought. He didn't even pause to check if Sakura was in her room as he went back down into the lobby, past the receptionist deck to the opposite hall where the gym sat. He began his workout immediately, happily letting the burn of his muscles distract the burning in his mind. He needed to clear his head, not just from Sakura but from everything else, too. He felt there was a bigger picture he was missing, and wondered when anyone from the team was going to call him about Hisato. He told himself he was going to call Shino to see where they were at, what information they've gathered, and where they can go from there. He wondered how long Sakura was planning on staying in New York for, and groaned internally at having to ask her about it. Chances are she'd take it personal, but there was so much at stake at the moment that he needed to know. This was the closest to Sota they've been in a long time, seeing as how the rat bastard always managed to slip out of their grasp at the last minute. This was their big catch, the last step in getting ahold of him and turning him in for good; shutting down that chapter just like the detectives wanted. Not only would everyone cash in pretty big, but this would be a load off of the team's shoulders. Handling Sota's case in lieu of other jobs has been a pain in the ass for everyone, not to mention the guilt they all felt hearing he kidnaped another woman.

This fucker had to be stopped, and they were without a doubt going to stop him.

Kakashi was two and a half hours into his workout when he finally stopped, covered in sweat and feeling every one of his muscles burn. He was thankful for the distraction, even if it was for a little bit. He made his way back to his hotel room, peeling off his clothes and taking a long hot shower as he mulled over what he was going to say to Sakura. He wasn't sure if he should talk to her about it today, considering all things. He thought maybe he'd catch her tomorrow when she came back, and just really let it all out on the table. He had to admit, he actually felt nervous at the notion of talking to her. He didn't want anything to get out of hand, considering Sakura was just spitting out whatever came to her mind. He wanted to be clear and deliberate with her, making sure there was no room for her to misconstrue anything. The conversation was going to be make or break for them, and he couldn't help the sinking feeling he felt at the thought of it. It had been so long since he'd let himself get attached to someone like this, and he remembered why. His life, his line of work, wasn't your nine to five desk job. The shinobi life was incredibly dangerous as it was equally rewarding—not something someone from the outside would ever really understand. For a second, he felt that Sakura had a handle on what he did, but thinking back on it now he understood she grasped it a little too easily. The details were spared, and that was his fault. Sakura was strong, he knew that. He just hoped she was strong enough to live a life beside him. He hoped she was strong enough to get over that anxiety and let him in, understand that he's only here to help her and support her. He hoped she understood they could be a team.

He hoped.
If all else failed, should she not, then he supposed it's as the old saying goes; it's better have loved and lost.

By the time Kakashi was done in the shower, the water was splattering ice cold droplets across his burning skin; sending goosebumps all over his body and causing him to jerk the knob shut. He got out, dressing in just sweats before plopping down on the bed and grabbing his phone; dialing up Shino's number. The line rang until it was forwarded to an automated voicemail, as Shino never recorded his voice for anything. The guy was as equally prepared as he was paranoid. Cursing under his breath, he found Neji's contact and dialed; warranting him the same automated voicemail he had gotten with Shino. He rolled his eyes, dialing up Kiba's contact next and breathing a sigh of relief when he picked up.

"Hey," Kiba answered, the sound of crunching echoing into the phone as though he were eating something.

"Yo," Kakashi replied evenly. "Where's Shino and Neji? I was just trying to get a hold of them."

"They're both on a job snagging the rest of those grunts you all left behind," Kiba chirped. "We wanted to get them out of the way before we did anything else."

"That's smart and all, but what's the deal with Hisato? Has anyone interrogated him yet?"

"Woah, someone's got attitude. What crawled up your ass? The king of cool, moody and rude? Has hell frozen over?"

Kakashi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "No. I'm sorry. Things have been sort of rough here, and it's just been getting to me."

"I heard," Kiba commented casually, voice muffled from food.

"Ino," Kakashi drawled lazily, unsurprised.

"Ino," Kiba echoed in the same manner. "I also heard that you want us to ask Hisato about Sakura's mom's wreck? Do you really think he'd go out of his way to have someone across the globe do his dirty work?"

"It's been done before," Kakashi remarked with a shrug of his shoulder. "If he's getting desperate, I wouldn't be surprised if he'd pull a trick like that. All of this seems really fishy, so we've really got to get the ball rolling here. We don't have any time to spare."

"That's the thing," Kiba began with another crunch. "We in the past two days have had an influx in jobs come in that we've all been assigned to do. Tsunade has made it clear these are high priority jobs we've got to complete before we take the time to interrogate Hisato."

Kakashi started, "Are you fucking kidding me? Has Sota not been the team's top job since all of this started? Why are we pushing something that's important like that back? What are you doing with him, just keeping him in the basement?"

"Don't bitch at me for something I already know," Kiba bit. "We don't like it any more than you do, but our hands are tied. These jobs are from other chapters, they're big deals, and we can't not do them right now. We've projected that we'll be done with them in five days, tops. In the meantime, yes—we've got him in the basement and we're starving him. We figured once we get to him, he'll really cave. You know, break him down before we actually break him down. As soon as these are done, we'll talk to him. Besides, you're across the fucking globe right now, what good are you to us here?"

"What good? How about the fact that Sota could have men here, just waiting to get their hands on Sakura. They could take her out—easy. It would be better to know what the guy's got planned so we can plan around that—if we need to fly back sooner or not. I don't want to stay here longer than we have to, with everything up in the air. We'd be making a big mistake not talking to him right now."

Kiba snorted, "Again, you're preaching to the fucking choir. But you told Ino that it's not a bright idea to send people over, and now we've all got jobs we've got to take care of. That's your mistake, is it not?"

"No one told me that there was an influx in jobs, all of a sudden," Kakashi ground out, standing to pace around the room.

"That's because Ino was at work when she called you, she didn't know, yet. Plus, if you're so worried about Sakura getting hurt—shouldn't you be with her?"

Kakashi shook his head, "It's not that easy, Kiba. She'll lose her shit with the way she's acting right now."

"Tch," Kiba scoffed. "Get over it. It's not like you two have even fucked, it's nothing to get so hung up over...oooorrrr have you?"

Kakashi snorted, irritated, "That's not what we're talking about right now, so don't even go there."

Kiba gasped loudly, "You have!"

"My fucking god," Kakashi lamented, rolling his eyes heavily. "I don't understand why you're acting so casual here, Kiba. I'm telling you; something is really off and we can't waste any more time."

"Because, unlike some people, I don't get my panties in a wad. Besides," Kiba's tone leveled, taking on a more serious note, "you know my hands are tied. Tsunade made it final, there's nothing any of us can do unless we want to usurper her. He's not going anywhere; we've got him locked up. The detective is aware that we are going to interrogate him, and then they'll take the fucker off of our hands and we can all cash in. I think that you're letting everything really get to your head, and over thinking it. Sakura's mom getting in a wreck at the same time Naruto gets shot is just a shitty coincidence and nothing else. Think about it, if Sota is already not under the good graces of the Yakuza boss—would he really be allowed to command other Yakuza groups that he had no jurisdiction over across the globe to do his bidding? No. They'll sooner cut his dick off for overstepping the boss. You know that."

Kakashi paused, blowing out a big breath of air and cursing the heavens. Tsunade, while she was a good head of the chapter, often pulled cards like this at random. Sometimes, it never made any common sense to Kakashi and he wondered from time to time if she was just honing in on big cash jobs with other chapters. She felt a duty to Ancient of Days as a whole, and always prioritized chapters over what the detectives would ask them to do. He couldn't blame her, but he hated it. The longer it took to talk to Hisato, the longer things were uncertain—something that can't happen. Not having at least an idea meant anything could happen.

"Kakashi," Kiba titled with a sigh of his own. "Try to relax, man. We've got this more handled than you realize. Sure, we've got a little hang up with these jobs and Tsunade; but it's not the first and it won't be the last. You know how it goes. In the meantime, stop being a baby back bitch and just take care of Sakura over there. She'll get over herself eventually."

"I guess you're right," Kakashi muttered, pausing in front of the big window of his hotel room to peer out.

"Geeze, get yourself together. You're supposed to be talking some sense into me, not the other way around," Kiba chuckled lightly, the sound of Akamaru's throaty woof in the background.

"You're right, you're right," Kakashi digressed. "Call me and keep me updated. Let me know the moment Hisato is interrogated. The sooner I know what he knows, the better I'll feel. How's Naruto doing?"

"Five days, tops," Kiba repeated. "And ah, you know how Naruto is. He's awake and as annoying as always. He won't shut the fuck up about not even feeling the pain of the bullet or some shit like that. He's talking everyone's ear off, even when he's supposed to be shutting the fuck up so his throat can heal. Himari had to drug him up some so he'll be quiet, but now he's just loopy. They said they'll discharge him in a couple days or so, and Hinata will take care of him from there. All in all, he's doing good—which we're all really happy about...So, you and Sakura fucked, hhmm? When did you find the time to do that? Honestly, I'm offended you didn't even tell me—as your friend, you're supposed to tell me these-"

Outside, Kakashi could hear the faint beep of Sakura's door opening. He muttered a quick bye to Kiba in the middle of him drawling on about friends don't keep secrets, tossing the phone on his bed and opening his door to step out. Sakura was halfway through her door, several red bags over her wrists rustling as she carried them in.

"Sakura."

She froze midstep, whipping her head to regard him, pink brows tightening, "Oh. You're still here."

Kakashi fought back the urge to roll his eyes, otherwise continuing to speak, "You went shopping?"

She raised the bags, her expression bitterly sarcastic, "It looks that way."

Kakashi cleared his throat, "I did some shopping today, too." Internally he wanted to slam his head against the wall. He'd never been so derailed before a day in his life. He felt like a fucking idiot.

"Wow," Sakura breathed fecklessly, eyes wide. "This conversation is thrilling, but I've got better things to do. If you don't mind, I'm going to bed."

"Wait," Kakashi blurted, taking a step closer to her.

Sakura took a step back, eyelids lowered midway incuriously, "What, Kakashi."

"How's your mom?"

Sakura paused, and he could tell she was deliberating telling him anything at all. Several beats passed before she plucked a shoulder, "She's bad, but not as bad as I thought it was going to be."

Kakashi tried to smile, making his tone influx as he spoke, "That's great to hear, I was worried. Is she still in a coma?"

Sakura nodded, adjusting her stance, "Yes, but the good news is the coma was induced by the doctors. Dad said that they're planning on waking her up in a couple days."

"That's really great news, Sakura. I'm really glad to hear it's not as bad as we anticipated."

Sakura's eyes narrowed, her tone icy as she spoke, "We? No—me. You didn't know shit until they told you something."

Kakashi sighed, "Were you even planning on telling me to begin with? Or just take off like I caught you doing? It doesn't mean I don't care."

She crossed her arms, left foot jutted out, "Do you though?"

Kakashi's brows twitched down in disbelief, head jerking as he gazed at her, "Are you kidding me? Why would you even say something like that."

"You know what, I'm not in the mood for this," she growled, raising a palm at him. "I'm really tired, I really want to go to bed."

Kakashi took another step forward, noting the brief second her eyes raked his form before flicking back up to glare at him. He had been wearing just his sweats, and for a small second it was a win for him. "We can't keep doing this, Sakura. We need to talk."

"I don't want to talk," She sneered, squinting at him. "I want to go to bed."

Kakashi deadpanned, mimicking Sakura's action and crossing his arms over his chest, "You're being a real asshole, you know that?"

Sakura gasped, jaw dropping, "I'm being an asshole?"

"Yes," Kakashi remarked coolly, chin raised. "You are."

Sakura's gaze burned angrily, "Fuck. You."

Kakashi started.
He didn't want it to happen like this. He planned to talk to her tomorrow, but tensions were high and the ball was in his court. Anger rose up like burning flames, smoldering deep in his chest. He was going to nip this in the bud for good.

"Fuck me," Kakashi echoed, his tone dark and edged in steel. He stepped closer, closing the distance between them as he spoke, "You really want to go there, Sakura? After everything I've done for you?"

Sakura scoffed, "Everything you've done for me? What have you done, besides lie to me?"

Kakashi scowled, silver brows drawn down deep, "When have I ever lied to you, Sakura?"

Sakura shook her head, "I'm not doing this with you."

"Oh, you're doing it with me. I'm not leaving until we get this all out on the table."

"No, I'm not," Sakura bit, turning on her heel and walking through her open door. She tossed the bags on the ground, swiveling to slam the door shut.

Kakashi pressed his palm flat against the door, pushing it back open and entering the room; letting the door swing shut behind him, "Don't shut me out."

Sakura's expression twisted, "Get out. I don't want you in here."

Kakashi shook his head, "That's too bad. Now, tell me: when have I ever lied to you?"

In an instant Sakura was charging at him, planting two small hands on his chest and shoving him back with each word, "GET. OUT."

Just as quickly, Kakashi's hands shot up; gripping her wrists, pulling her forward, and pinning them together behind her back. Her face was red, her eyes glared daggers at him, and her chest heaved against his slightly. She wiggled in his grasp, struggling to pull her wrists free from his hold.

"Fucking let me go," She ground out through gritted teeth. "Or I'll scream."

"I'm not letting you go until you answer me. When have I ever lied to you?"

Sakura reared her head back to head butt Kakashi in one swift moment, but he easily leaned back; avoiding the shot and nearly lifting her off the ground as he did. She arched back, wrenching her shoulders and bringing her knees up to hit him. Kakashi wheeled her around, keeping her wrists pinned behind her back and flattening her against his chest; free arm coming around to rest at the base of her neck in a light hold, keeping her from jutting forward or backwards.

She continued to struggle against his hold, cursing him under her breath furiously, "Fuck. You. Let me go. You can't do this to me."

"Sakura, I'm doing this to you because you're trying to assault me. All I want to do is talk and you keep running away from me for reasons I don't understand," Kakashi replied smoothly, trying to ignore the twitch in his cock every time her toned ass rubbed up against it.

"EVERYTHING," Sakura hissed through gritted teeth. "You lied to me about everything. You lied to me so you could use me, just like everyone else. You made me believe that I was safe, you told me that no one was going to get hurt, you made me feel like everything was fine when in fact it never was. You lied to me just so you could fuck me and throw me away. You never cared about me. You never loved me."

"Where the fuck are you even getting that?" Kakashi pressed angrily, the words like gravel in this throat. "Where did that thought even come from, Sakura? I have never lied to you. Not once."

"Whatever," Sakura growled, trying to jerk forward.

Kakashi tightened his hold on her, rumbling in her ear darkly, "Let me finish. I never lied to you. After you got attacked, Himari gave us clear instructions to keep you as stress-free as possible so you don't have another seizure. The team and I decided that, as far as jobs went with Sota, we'd simply keep it to ourselves that way we didn't stress you out. We never lied to you, we just never told you what was going on because we were trying to protect you."

"Yeah, and look how great that turned out," She snapped, turning her head to the side to talk to him as she jerked her wrists. "Do you know what hearing about Naruto getting shot did to me? In an instant it was like everything came crashing down. Nothing was as safe and careful as you made me feel like it was. I felt betrayed finding out you were there with him. I was fucking scared for you. And because of that, it's my fault that Naruto got shot. People are getting hurt because of me, and you fucking lied to me about it. All you were doing was making me feel good so you could get in bed with me. Just use me."

"Not even close," Kakashi ground out. "We were only trying to keep you stress free. I realize now that we should have told you what was going on, so you were made aware of how things work. These jobs we do can be very dangerous, Sakura—especially against men like Sota. That being said, we are all highly trained, that instances like Naruto's are rare. We had the job planned out to the T, and someone who works for Sota showed up and fucked it all up. In the middle of us trying to take this guy down, there was a grunt who had been standing at the very front of the gate that none of us saw—he shot Naruto. None of this is because of you, it is because these men are bad men and they do bad things. Furthermore, no one blames you. Before you came along, we were already tasked with the job of getting Sota and shutting his chapter down. It was the night at the club that you got caught in the crosshairs. We only ever wanted to protect you and make sure this man doesn't get his hands on you."

"Why wouldn't you just tell me that? Did you think I couldn't handle it? Did you really think I was that weak?" Sakura pressed, very nearly shouting; the bark of her voice echoing in the room.

"It's not that I didn't think you couldn't handle it, Sakura, it was that I simply wanted to protect you. I didn't want you to blame yourself, I didn't want you to be anxious all the time, or worry. I'm sorry that I hurt you more than I helped you, I'm sorry that you feel deceived by me. That was never my intention, and I see that now. Going forward, I'll not keep anything from you. If you want to hear it, you'll hear it. If you want to know all the details, we'll give you the details. But understand that this is what I do. These jobs can be bad, but you've got to trust me. Trust that we've got everything handled, even if shit hits the fan. Don't blame yourself for anything, when we all love you and we all want to make sure you're safe." Kakashi sighed, "Furthermore, I never, ever made you feel safe just to bed you. I wanted you to feel safe because I wanted you to feel safe. I wanted you to feel as normal as possible in the shitty situation. I never did it with the intentions of using you- I never have. If anything, I have only ever served you. I would do anything for you. Everything I've done, it's been for you."

"How can I possibly believe you? I feel lied to. I feel like some sheltered baby," Sakura huffed, trying to twist out of his arms.

"Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?" Kakashi began deeply. "I've done everything I've said I would do for you. I've been a man of my word, and I'll continue to be that man. I'm sorry I made you feel belittled, Sakura- I really am. I never meant for it to be that way, and it's turned out that way. I am very, sincerely sorry, and I hope you'll forgive me." Sakura maneuvered, jutting her hips back in the process and making her ass press tight against his cock; causing a dull-throb to hum through it. He hated that, given the situation, he was extremely turned on. The way he was holding her, with her body pressed tight against him, and her wiggling; it took his mind to dirtier places when he needed to focus.

"I...I guess not," Sakura enunciated, her tone sharp and frustrated.

"I'm also sorry if you felt coddled or suffocated—that was never my intention, either. I know you're a grown ass woman, you're independent and you do your own thing. That being said, because of the situation we're in, I can't risk you getting hurt. Until this is all over, you've got to be in someone's sights."

"When will this be all over," Sakura sniffed, shaking her head and pressing it back against his collar bone. "You keep saying that, but I feel like nothing has happened."

"Because we haven't been telling you anything," Kakashi answered evenly, honestly. "But we are really close. We've got one of his main men that work for him. Once the team interrogates him, it'll lead us straight to Sota and this will really be all over. I'm sorry you felt strung along."

There was a heavy pause, the air thick around them as Sakura's jerking slowed by a little. Minutes passed before her head dipped; her raspy voice breaking the silence. "I hate that you're so good at making sense," Sakura spat out, scowling deeply.

"Is that why you didn't want to talk to me, Sakura? You wanted to take it out on me for awhile?"

Sakura huffed, "I was not taking it out on you, I was just...mad. I was mad."

"Could have fooled me," Kakashi hummed, squeezing her wrists tenderly as he did. "You said some pretty hurtful things, did some pretty hurtful things, assumed some pretty hurtful things...all because, what?"

"I..." Sakura sighed, shoulders sagging as she stilled in his hold completely. "I don't know, okay. I don't know. All I know, is I hear that my mom got into a wreck, Naruto got shot and you were there, and it just...I don't know. It all hit me at once and I was just mad at you. Mad because I guess I trusted you that none of this would happen but..."

"None of that is in my control," Kakashi finished.

She shook her head, her tone still harsh as she spoke, "I know. I fucking know, okay? But like some fucking idiot, I just thought that...Everything was going to be fine. I really didn't understand the gravity of the situation, even after my attack... And...I'm sorry...I was just...scared. I was really scared and overwhelmed and I just reacted...I just wanted to run away. I wanted it all to stop because I felt so guilty."

"I understand."

"You always do," she grunted, flexing her elbows out as she straightened. "Can you let me go now?"

"Nope, not until you answer some of my questions," Kakashi enunciated slowly in her ear. "Why didn't you just stay to talk to me? Why did you book a flight behind my back, and then proceed to call a taxi to my house when we're trying to keep you away from any major attention?"

Sakura rolled her eyes, "I was just panicking, okay? I wasn't thinking straight, and I just...did it. Everything hit me at once and I couldn't handle seeing you, I felt so hurt."

"You know, you really hurt my feelings doing that. I sort of felt betrayed, Sakura. I felt like we had come so far and in an instant, you threw it out the window. It made me feel like I was doing something wrong if you couldn't even trust me to talk about it."

"I hurt your feelings?" She echoed softly, glancing back out of the corner of her eye.

Kakashi nodded, "Mmm-hmm. You did. Especially all the mean things you said to me, oh and let's not forget Sofia. That was the cherry on top."

Sakura suspired, "I'm...I'm sorry, okay. I really am sorry. I just got so worked up that...I don't know. I'm honestly sorry...I wasn't thinking straight...I didn't mean to be so ugly, I just...I was lashing out on you. I was being petty and ugly. I'm sorry." Her tone was mild, now, and he could hear the sincerity in her voice. Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak, he could feel Sakura shudder softly in his arms, followed by faint crying.

Kakashi moved his hand up to wipe away a tear, murmuring gently in her ear, "Let's make a deal. I'll forgive you if you forgive me."

"Deal," Sakura managed to utter through her sniffling.

Carefully Kakashi released her wrists, removing his arm from around the front of her and stepping back as she stepped forward about six feet away from him. She turned, lower lip trembling as she wiped away her own tears. Kakashi wanted nothing more than to embrace her, but he still wasn't finished. He had one last thing to say.

"Sakura," Kakashi titled earnestly. "We've got to make something clear. I'll be upfront about everything with you for now on—there's no mistake about that. That being said, my job can be very dangerous. My lifestyle can be very dangerous. If you want to be apart of that, you've got to roll with the punches and you've got to trust me. Otherwise, this will never work. I need to know right now whether you want to move forward with us, or stop right now."

Sakura scowled slightly, her eyes widening, "I don't know if I can give you that..."

Kakashi closed his eyes and shook his head somberly, "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to. I can't take another day of not knowing whether or not you're mine. The longer it's up in the air, the more it's going to hurt the both of us. We need to either cut this now, and go our separate ways after all of this is said and done...or...we make this work."

This was it for him. It was the big make or break you so often heard about in relationships; what either killed them or made them stronger. Part of him was thankful it had happened so early—maybe they could salvage what part of themselves remained and moved on. Though, he doubted it. The love he had for Sakura was one he couldn't understand, but he couldn't deny. It was a pure magnetism that drew him in so deeply into her waters that he'd sooner drown there before wading out. He'd never let himself love like this again—it was too much of a risk, for both parties involved. He only hoped Sakura would be able to be happy after him, because—the way she dropped her eyes and held herself, unspeaking as she chewed on her lower lip and shook her head told him all he needed to know.

Kakashi smiled at her, a woeful grin that pulled at the corner of his mouth as he spoke softly, "I understand, Sakura." He wanted to say he loved her- just one last time; but he knew better. He knew it would only cut deeper, and she was going to need time to heal. Sakura was not a woman that let anyone in easily, and he knew her comeback from this would be a rough one because she did just that; she let him in. For that, he was eternally grateful.

"When we're done here, and fly back to Tokyo- I'll call one of the girls to see if you can stay with them until this is taken care of. You don't have to worry about anything being awkward, I'm very good at being friends," Kakashi smirked, doing his best to push down his sinking heart and be firm. "While we're here, I'll be close by you just to keep an eye out for anything. What time are you waking up tomorrow?"

Sakura blinked several times as though in a daze before croaking, "Um...eight."

Kakashi gave one solid nod, "Eight it is then. I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, he turned on his heel; leaving his heart behind forever as he exited the room.