Chapter 11
Moment of Awakening
It hurt to breathe. The arm Kakashi had around her was like an iron rod against Sakura's lungs and the negative flow of excess chakra back to her Yin seal made her lightheaded.
But when Kakashi relaxed his hold a moment later, Sakura's eyes caught on a tiny rip in his jacket, and a sharp spike of fear raced through her. She sprung back and faced him, eyes wide with horror as they skittered across his body.
"Did you get cut?" she asked frantically, quickly examining the rip before her hands trailed down his arms and ribs, feeling for injuries.
"No, no," Kakashi said, "Sakura, I'm fine, I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" Her fingertips didn't stop their investigation though, tingling with chakra and still searching for any sign of damage he might not have noticed.
"I am. I'm fine. I ripped the jacket on something earlier," Kakashi assured her. "I didn't get hit."
Sakura's hands stilled and she met his eyes, out of breath and near tears with relief. And just as suddenly as they had come, the waves of nausea and fear that had clenched her stomach were replaced by anger.
"Why did you do that?" she shouted, her eyes and throat stinging. "Why did you get in my way? I had it under control! You could have been poisoned!"
"You think I was going to let him get an inch closer to you?" Kakashi's voice was tight and low in contrast to hers but there was an answering anger in it that Sakura didn't miss, even as something in his eyes matched the same wild fear she had just felt.
"And what if that was my plan! I needed to draw him close to get his kunai, and if you had actually trusted me to take care of myself, we'd finally have an uncontaminated sample of the poison! Now what do we have?"
Kakashi's expression grew darker as Sakura yelled but it did nothing to dampen the anger bubbling in her gut. "I was at least ready for an injury–I already survived the poison once! You might not have been that lucky!" Sakura's voice broke on the words. "What if I couldn't save you?" she choked out.
With this though, the roiling anger went out of her and she sucked in a gasp of air, sagging in defeat. With one hand on her hip and the other across her eyes, Sakura fought the tears back. She needed to get herself under control.
The fleeting terror she had felt at the image of Kakashi in pain and dying, and there being nothing she could do to help him, had left her empty and wrung out. Her fingers clutched at the soft fabric of her sweater to stop the trembling. She had to find a way to get a sample of that poison and develop an antidote.
Sakura let determination swell her next breath and counted silently in her mind before exhaling slowly. Yago might be gone, but they still needed their guards up.
Letting her hand drop, she found Kakashi looking back at her, an unguarded mix of distress, relief, and hard resolve mirrored momentarily in his eyes. It brought a tired smile to her face, for everything they had been through together and everything they shared.
Without a word, Kakashi closed the few steps of distance between them and pulled Sakura into a hug. His arms surrounded her shoulders in warmth as hers came around his middle, and she buried her face against the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
"You're not the only one with thoughts like that," Kakashi said. "Cut me some slack."
Sakura laughed wetly against his shirt. "Not a chance."
It would be hours before Sakura saw the soft blankets of her bed that night. After she and Kakashi returned, their report sent the quiet palace into a frenzy of activity. General Mifune activated his samurai forces, and the town was put into a lockdown. But even after Sai returned with the disappointing report that Yago had escaped, and all other possible action that could be taken that night had been taken, Sakura didn't want to sleep.
Sinking into the cushions of a giant armchair in one of the palace drawing rooms, she sipped her hot tea and let its warmth lull her racing thoughts. Kakashi was sat in the plush chair across from her, struggling to keep his eyes open. In the gray civilian bomber jacket and black jeans he'd worn to the bar, his silver hair tousled and unruly without his headband, he seemed boyish and soft around the edges.
Sakura's eyes fell on the tear in his jacket sleeve. "I should fix that for you," she said. "I like that jacket."
He glanced down to where Sakura was looking and then back up to her. "Do you know how to sew?"
"Surgical stitches," she said with a shrug. "How different can it be?"
He hummed and settled his head against the high back of the chair again. "Have at it if you'd like," he said, finally letting his eyes close.
Sakura took another comforting drink of tea and let her gaze rest on him. It wasn't often that she got a chance to just look at Kakashi. At the way his hair lay in soft locks across his forehead, messy from the times he'd run his hands through it tonight. Or at the delicate skin beneath his eyes that revealed how much sleep he'd been sacrificing. Or at the strong lines of his jaw beneath his mask, the contours of a face strengthened by the mental fortitude that had been so unwavering in the years Sakura had known him.
"I'm sorry I got in your way back there," he said without opening his eyes.
"It's alright Kakashi."
"Still," he said. His chest rose and fell with his steady breathing, and his hands rested lightly on the arms of his chair. Even relaxed, the power in them was unmistakable. Those hands had been ready to kill this evening and yet they were the same hands that had held Sakura so gently as they danced above the Hokage monument.
Sakura's heart was suddenly too big for her chest. She wanted to reach out and link her fingers in his, fingers she knew were unexpectedly soft even though they could hold lightning.
"What was the jutsu you did back there?" she asked instead. "I've never seen it before."
"Shiden?" Kakashi said. "It's just something I've been working on since the war." The fatigue lacing his words was evident. "Nothing fancy. I'm trying to develop it into a long-range jutsu but it's not there yet."
"Is it derived from your lightning cutter jutsu?" she asked. She assumed it was, although the way the purple electricity had danced between Kakashi's fingers tonight wasn't like anything Sakura had seen him use before.
Kakashi didn't answer and after a while, she figured he had finally fallen asleep. It was late, and he would probably be a lot more comfortable in bed, but Sakura wouldn't wake him when she knew how little sleep he'd been getting. But just when she was wondering if she should curl up in her armchair and try to get some rest herself, Kakashi murmured, "No, it's new."
"Hmm?" Sakura hummed, forgetting what she had asked.
Kakashi rubbed his eyes, and after a few moments, leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "You asked if my new jutsu was derived from the lightning cutter. It's not. It's lightning release but it uses a different technique." Staring at his palms, he said, "I can't use the Chidori offensively anymore since losing the Sharingan."
Sakura frowned. "But I thought you invented the Chidori before you had the Sharingan."
He glanced up at her, his eyes tired. "I did, but when using it to strike, it's too fast for me to see an opponent's counterattack. I can still use it, but with the tunnel-vision it creates, it's too dangerous." He looked at his hands again. "It was the Sharingan that allowed me to overcome the visual deficiencies it created. I've lost the effective use of more than half the jutsus I had perfected with the Sharingan."
Sakura didn't know what to say. Was this why he felt he wasn't the right choice for Hokage?
She'd wondered what limitations he was struggling with after losing the Sharingan, but although she'd asked a few times, she never pushed after the inevitable deflection he always gave in response. Now she wished she had.
Sakura knew that Kakashi could lose ninety percent of the jutsus he'd perfected with the Sharingan and still be among the most capable shinobi in the world. But she also knew that didn't matter. It was still a loss. And it hurt to think he'd been dealing with this all alone.
"Well," Sakura finally said. "I wish I had known you were working on new things. I've been meaning to practice some new jutsus myself."
Kakashi glanced up. "I'm telling you now," he said softly, but Sakura didn't miss the hint of challenge in that voice, or the slow beginning of a smile.
Sakura smiled easily back.
The Iwa, Kiri, and Kumo delegations arrived the next day, and what Sakura had been looking forward to with excitement the day before now only added to the somber mood. Security had been heightened even more in the town, guard squads had increased at the borders, and all the social engagements that had been planned outside the palace for the week had been canceled.
Unfortunately, as the ball would be held inside the palace, and only with the palace household and the delegations in attendance, that was still going forward as scheduled. Of course it was.
"If we had to get ambushed in a bar and lose everything fun planned for the week, the least the General could have done is cancel the ball too," Sakura muttered in one of the early delegate meetings. Beside her, Kakashi chuckled.
But surprisingly, the week sped by. Dinners and meetings, with their arguments and concessions, blurred together. There was no progress made on the search for Yago or on what the appropriate response to his actions should be, but it was unanimous that the plans for the Shinobi Union would go forward despite his threats.
Lady Mei, the Fifth Mizukage, claimed she'd had no knowledge of the Itsuka before learning of the group in the same reports that had informed the other villages, but in the first delegation-wide meeting that took place after the incident, Kiri was at least able to provide new insight into the identity of its apparent leader.
Yago had grown up in Kirigakure with an older brother named Gengo, who had participated in the attempted rebellion against the Fourth Mizukage six years ago. Sakura drew in a sharp breath. "Could the 'demon' kanji on Yago's vest have something to do with the rebellion?" she asked. "Zabuza was called the Demon of the Hidden Mist. Maybe it's a sign of some kind of support? Or opposition to the Mist leadership?"
"It's possible," said Chōjūrō, who had been delivering the report. "Gengo fled when the coup failed and went into exile in the Land of Silence. Yago deserted two years later after the Fourth Mizukage died. From the few reports we've gathered over the years though, he didn't reunite with his brother. Apparently, he's been traveling through the smaller nations taking on missions for cheap rates."
There had been no indication before the war that Yago was part of any larger group, much less the leader of one, and the Mist intelligence believed the Itsuka's sudden appearance after the war was a clue that Yago had finally reunited with his brother—who out of the two of them had been the one with the leadership qualities for such an endeavor. Unfortunately, Gengo's exact whereabouts were unknown.
Perhaps more unfortunately, the information on the Blue Mountain Sora plant was even less complete. Kiri knew only a little more than what was in the textbook, and to Sakura's disappointment, Chōjūrō confirmed that the flower's growing season had come and gone the previous November and wouldn't return for another six years.
"If that is the main component of the poison," Sakura said, "then Yago or someone loyal to him would have had to be in the Land of Water just after the war. Is it possible someone could have entered the village and climbed to the top of the Blue Mountain without being detected?"
"It's likely Yago made a much shorter trip to get his hands on it," Shikamaru said.
Mei flashed him a glare before Chōjūrō could speak up and said, "Are you accusing the Hidden Mist of something?"
"Not at all," Shikamaru said placidly. "Only that it's clear from the Mist's knowledge of the plant that Kiri has likely been harvesting and processing it already. If Yago knew of this, he could have stolen it from the village greenhouses rather than the top of a mountain."
"Our greenhouses are under tight security and staffed twenty-four hours a day." Chōjūrō said. "It's not possible."
But where Shikamaru's expression had taken on a dark glower, Sakura's disappointment had salvaged a glimmer of hope. "The Mist has samples?" she asked. "How much of the antidote is in storage?"
"We have not developed an antidote," Chōjūrō said stiffly. "The village was in the early stages of studying the plant's properties."
Was? Sakura glanced briefly at Kakashi. He was observing Mei, not Chōjūrō, and Sakura caught the slightest narrowing of his eyes. "If that's the case," Sakura said, returning her attention to Chōjūrō, "the Mist can send over a cutting of the plant and I can get to work immediately."
"At this early stage, we believe it's prudent for our team to complete the research first," Chōjūrō answered, "but Kiri greatly appreciates the offer of assistance."
Before Sakura could argue, Shikamaru said in a measured tone, "But perhaps you don't know that Ms. Haruno is a leading medical ninjutsu practitioner and has developed antidotes to poisons that were thought impossible to crack. If your team is having trouble, she's the person you need."
Mei's eyes flashed but Shikamaru's expression barely strayed from boredom.
"I'm sure Ms. Haruno is more than capable," Chōjūrō said calmly.
"Then perhaps it would be more prudent—" and Shikamaru put a barely noticeable emphasis on the word, "—if we arrange a joint operation to develop an antidote."
Chōjūrō tilted his head slightly in an acknowledging nod and said, "The offer of assistance is received with the same generous intent with which it was given. But with such large distances between Kiri and Konoha, I'm sure you see the logistical problems. We are confident that our team's head start will result in an antidote soon and we wouldn't want Konoha to take on an unnecessary burden."
"It would be no trouble at all," Shikamaru countered, his tone conciliatory but his eyes sharp and hard. "I know Ms. Haruno would be more than happy to return with your delegation to Kiri and get to work. There would be no need for you to worry about transporting such a dangerous plant over the long distance to our little village."
Sakura would certainly not be happy to return to Kiri, but she assumed such a step would not be needed. She had a suspicion that was only growing as Shikamaru toyed with Chōjūrō.
Meanwhile, Chōjūrō was looking increasingly uncomfortable. "It is much appreciated, but I imagine all the Kage would agree that a joint operation at this time would be premature. In the spirit of openness, it would need to include delegates from each village, and Kiri's resources after the war are not of a nature to host such a meeting. Of course, we will happily reach out to Konoha and the other villages when the need arises."
"You are absolutely correct," Shikamaru said. "I agree it would be much more convenient for all if we merely picked up the sample from you. At the same time, we could take cuttings for the other three villages, and Konoha will fully undertake the expense of transport." He paused as though to wait for a response but before one came, he went on, "Unless you don't wish to share your country's resources with the Shinobi Union."
Chōjūrō's eyes didn't leave Shikamaru, but Sakura got the distinct impression he was hoping for a rescue. It came in the form of Mei's blazing eyes and sweet voice. "I'm not sure I appreciate Konoha's insinuations," she said. "I believe I've been the most forthcoming and open to the alliance of all the Kages here this week.
This time, Kakashi spoke up before Shikamaru could. "Lady Mei, I'm sure our young representative meant no disrespect." And then glancing at Shikamaru, he said, "I believe what the Mizukage's delegate has been attempting to convey is that they are no longer in possession of any plant samples. I imagine the two toxicology nins who disappeared at the end of November relieved Kiri of the burden of storing them."
Mei's silence was answer enough. Sakura would have laughed at Kakashi's evident impatience with Shikamaru's maneuvering if her own disappointment weren't so complete. And Shikamaru, well, Shikamaru looked more put out that he hadn't gotten Kiri to admit it themselves, than that the chance to develop an antidote was gone.
The rest of the Kages were not so quiet. Mei's revelation was the first convincing link between the Itsuka and the shinobi who had been going missing from the villages, and the meeting soon devolved into accusations of conspiracy from Kumo and calls for investigations by Iwa.
"Suna has also experienced the unexplained defection of a few low-ranked shinobi since the war, so I think it behooves us all to keep this in perspective and not resort to accusations," Gaara said. "If the shinobi disappearing from the villages is the result of Itsuka recruiting methods, I find it troubling that their presence hasn't been uncovered by any of us before this. There has been no indication of unrest in my village to explain the defection of shinobi to a terrorist organization. There must be more to this group. We are still not seeing the entire picture."
Ōnoki's large nose was flushed red and he looked ready to blow steam from his ears. "The entire picture is that the Mizukage is attempting to pacify all of you with unbelievable excuses. It's their nin and their poison being used by the Itsuka and yet they are claiming complete ignorance. Either things are being run incompetently there or Kiri is secretly funding this group."
Mei, whose smile had darkened only a touch, said, "Lord Tsuchikage, I assure you that we are no longer the Blood Mist Village. The Nightmare of the Fourth Mizukage is long over and I do not appreciate our village's reputation being impugned."
Ōnoki's face reddened to match his nose. But before he could escalate the confrontation, Naruto sprung from his seat and shouted over the growing number of muttering voices, "Stop this! We're all here to work out ways to cooperate. You were all saying you wouldn't let the Itsuka's threats stop the plans for the Shinobi Union and here you all are giving them what they want!"
Ōnoki scowled.
"Why don't I just put an end to all this and round up the Itsuka myself?" Naruto went on. "With my nine-tails chakra, I can heal from most poisons so I can go in there with my clones and take care of them."
"You're not immune to poisons, Naruto," Tsunade said, "and while you may be able to heal from them without intervention, there's no guarantee. I've worked with chakra-altering poisons before but this is the first chakra-suppressing poison I've heard of, and there's no way to know how it would affect your ability to access the nine-tails."
"Then I'll go with Sasuke," Naruto said. "Sasuke is immune to poisons."
The Raikage, who had been barely keeping his temper before this, stood from his chair and the roar of his voice commanded the room's attention. "A preemptive attack on the Itsuka is not without merit but I cannot support Konoha's use of a notorious criminal for such a mission!"
"Criminal!?" Naruto spluttered while Sakura's blood ran hot at the accusation. "Are you still on this? Sasuke isn't a criminal!"
The Raikage glowered at the empty sleeve where Naruto's right arm once was. "We have something in common. I too lost an arm in battle. Perhaps you recall."
Naruto's lips pursed tightly but he said nothing.
"Have the General's samurai been able to determine how the Itsuka infiltrated the Iron this week?" He addressed the room in a challenge. "I believe Sasuke and his own terrorist group were the only ones who'd managed such a feat before. With such a spy roaming the continent, it's not impossible to imagine where the Itsuka gained its information. I have found it unusual that Sasuke's reports on the Itsuka are the only detailed information discovered to date."
Sakura wanted to take up the cause of Sasuke's defense too but even as Naruto growled out, "Sasuke is loyal to Konoha," Tsunade laid a hand gently on his arm.
"I understand your concerns, Lord Raikage, but I don't find it unusual that one of Konoha's operatives is successful and competent," she said.
The Raikage slammed his fist on the table. "His crimes are so great it's a wonder Konoha didn't execute him. I've gone along with your decision though, and will do so as long as he stays far from the Cloud. But we won't support any official mission involving him."
Tsunade sighed. "There have been no plans for such a mission so your opposition is premature. We don't know how large the organization is, or even where its base of operations is. As such, I believe we can all agree that identifying the poison being used and developing an antidote is our first priority. If the smallest amount of their poison can shut down chakra and cardiac function within minutes, the only way to protect more shinobi from being killed is to arm them against the poison while we continue our reconnaissance."
She looked around the room for opposition. "No disagreements? Good."
"How is it possible that these meetings can be so long and yet so little gets accomplished?" Sakura griped later from where she sat on a low stone bench in one of the palace's private training grounds. Her breath fogged in the chill air. "I thought we'd be leaving here with an agreement on systematizing medical ninjutsu, but we haven't even settled on how the wireless network between the villages will be set up." At this rate, Yago would accomplish his demands without even trying.
"You're finally seeing the joys of decision-making by committee," Kakashi said, gathering lightning chakra and shaping it around his hand. "Everything takes five times as long."
Sakura grinned. "Bright side, if we have to spend more weeks in the lap of luxury, I won't complain."
"Says the girl who's been employing my dogs to carry reports back and forth to the Konoha hospital the last three days," Kakashi said, looking back toward the target at the far side of the snowy, gray courtyard. "At least I know how to relax."
"Right," Sakura said, deadpan, as Kakashi shot a crackling bolt of purple electricity toward the target. It landed just short, its final sparks melting the snow with a hiss of steam. "Looks like a lot of relaxing you're doing there."
Kakashi didn't respond as his hand glowed purple again. Sakura had been paying close attention to the shape transformation and the way it influenced the arc of his bolt, and some ideas were already coming to her.
"And anyway!" Sakura went on, indignant. "Pakkun insisted he was fine with it!"
Kakashi chuckled. "Calm down, Pakkun didn't say anything to me."
"I would hope not! The children's clinic is at a crucial stage right now. If I don't keep an eye on hospital management, they won't allocate the wing I've been arguing for."
Kakashi arced another pulse of lightning toward the target, but it dissipated as Sakura spoke. He frowned and asked, "Have the upper-ranks been giving you more trouble?"
"No more than expected I guess. They don't understand mental health, much less the treatment of it, so they can't get their minds around the need for a completely separate wing dedicated to it." Sakura sighed. "I swear, I don't understand them sometimes. The clinic is for kids. They've seen my data. They know how much Konoha's children have been affected by the war. I don't know why they're making things so difficult."
Kakashi sat down beside her and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his sleeve. "Their interests aren't completely aligned with yours, don't forget that. They have the hospital's bottom line to think about. I'm sure Lady Tsunade will keep supporting the clinic though. Hasn't she already approved the initial budget?"
"She has," Sakura said, "but I don't want to see this all fall apart because of some short-sighted bureaucrats who only care about money."
"I think you are severely underestimating your intimidation factor," Kakashi said.
Sakura glanced at him and the corner of her mouth twitched up in a smile. "I suppose I did learn from the best."
"You took the title from the best, more like it," Kakashi said. "At this point, I don't think Lady Tsunade has anything else to teach you."
Sakura's smile widened before dimming in thoughtfulness. "Maybe not, but I'm still nervous I won't be able to get the hospital upper-ranks on board."
"I'm not," Kakashi said simply. "Besides, I hear the next Hokage is disposed to be supportive of your endeavor too."
"I can already hear the accusations of bias you'll get from the council." Sakura grinned even though she knew better than anyone that Kakashi was the last person to support a project of hers if he thought it a bad idea.
"And I can already hear the sound of the door slamming in their faces if they try," Kakashi said. "Your research is unimpeachable. And if they question it, I'm more than ready to cite additional personal data to support the need for a children's therapy clinic."
Sakura's gaze went to his profile. "Personal data?"
Kakashi stood again and brushed some snow from his pants. "I understand how much of a burden mental scars like that can be," he said, his expression and voice as sedate as always. Before Sakura could respond in any way though, he glanced down at her. "Ready to head back?"
Sakura wished he wouldn't do that. Open a crack and let something real and raw come through before sealing it up again as if it had never happened, or hiding it behind some fake apathy. But she let the moment drop. "Yeah, of course," she replied.
They made their way back along the columned walkways toward the palace, and after a couple minutes, Sakura said slowly, "I've been thinking of ways I can get a specimen of poison from the Itsuka safely."
Kakashi turned curious eyes toward her. "I'm listening."
Since the night they'd been attacked at the bar, Sakura had been thinking about it every free moment she'd had in fact. "Well," she started, and her fingers went subconsciously to the empty place at her neck where her cherry blossom pendant used to lay. "Since my chakra scalpel works by forming chakra into a hardened blade, I…" She trailed off as insecurity gripped her. Sakura had never tried to develop an original jutsu before. Sure, she'd given her cherry blossom impact a name but that was only her strength magnified by her chakra—it required no chakra nature transformation and couldn't really be classified as a jutsu. She shouldn't have brought this up until she'd worked on it more. Gods, her idea was probably—
"Hey." Kakashi's voice broke through Sakura's spiral.
"Oh, sorry," she said, embarrassed and suddenly aware of how long she'd been silent, "my mind must have wandered."
Instead of commenting, he said, "Did I ever tell you how I developed the chidori?"
Sakura's brow furrowed. "No."
"I'd learned the rasengan from the Fourth Hokage," he said, hands in his pockets and as ever the picture of relaxation. "And I wanted to combine its change in form with a change in chakra nature to lightning. I failed at it, but ended up developing something different in the process."
Sakura, who had been staring distractedly at the ground as they walked, looked up. "I didn't know that." Kakashi glanced briefly back and shrugged, and warmth spread through Sakura's chest.
When the outer palace courtyard came in sight, Sakura finally said, "So… about what I was saying before…" She took a deep breath but pushed on. "I think it might be possible to apply a technique like the one used for the chakra scalpel to a larger area. I mean… basically, if I can change the form of a larger concentration of chakra and harden it around my entire body, I think it could repel physical attacks. Of course, if it's even possible, I'd still need to maintain a chakra stream for that while diverting another to offensive jutsu, but if I can do it, then I could get in close to an opponent without worrying about poisoned blades." Sakura chewed on her lip, but felt more relieved than nervous now that it was out.
"That's interesting," Kakashi said. "It would take a massive amount of chakra, not to mention chakra control, but those are two things you have. The theory is sound."
"Yeah?" she asked. "Do you think it's possible?"
"I think it's more than possible, with the chakra abilities you have."
Sakura wasn't sure what she was feeling. Relief, certainly, and that all-encompassing warmth from Kakashi's support. But also excitement, and a determination unlike any she'd experienced before—something fierce, and all hers, and she couldn't wait to get home to start working on it.
For almost as long as she had been teammates with Naruto and Sasuke, they'd been her goal. She'd had no higher aim than catching up to them, no better reason for wanting to be stronger than her desire to not be a burden on them, no motive for becoming their equal other than becoming someone Sasuke would value. It felt so different to want something without them at the end of it.
The ornate archways leading to the palace doors passed overhead. "You know, say what you want Kakashi, but you really are a good teacher," Sakura said with a smile.
"Nah," Kakashi said. "Just a believer."
The following day had been one of the busiest yet but it was finally, almost, over. Delegation meetings all day, followed by a final Kage meeting (that Sakura didn't need to attend, thankfully) before the ball would cap off the questionably successful summit.
Sakura stared at herself in the massive gilt-framed mirror in her bedroom. Her hair, which had grown longer over the past few months, was swept up into a loose bun, but a few wispy pink tendrils had pulled free to frame her face. She twisted to get a look at the back, and the twinkling light from the chandeliers glinted off the tiny petal-shaped crystals in her hair. She loved them; Ino had picked them out and their color matched Sakura's pink locks so closely that only the sparkle they reflected could be seen as she turned.
Ino had picked everything out, in fact, and Sakura was never more grateful for her friend's fashion sense than she was now, looking at the way the hem of her full-skirted gown kissed the floor as she twirled slowly before the mirror. The dress was a rich, creamy white, strapless and sculpted to her body until just past her hips, where it flared and cascaded to the floor. Delicate sprays of green blossoms were embroidered with iridescent thread along the white satin, and a wide sash of bold red, trimmed with green vines, wrapped around the bodice and swept loosely around the skirt in heavy, vibrant folds. She felt like an origami flower. She felt pretty.
A knock at her door sounded, and she inhaled a quivery breath. Restless and jittery, she took one last look at her reflection before hurrying to the door.
Naruto's grin greeted her when she opened it, but as he took her in, his eyes widened. "Damn, Sakura, is that you?"
"Yes it's me!" she said as she shoved him in the shoulder and frowned. "What do you mean 'is it me?'"
"Ow!" he said, rubbing his shoulder. "Nothing, nothing! Just that you look real pretty."
Sakura's frown deepened. "Which means you don't think I look pretty any other time?"
"No!" Naruto whined. "I mean yes! I mean… Sakura, you know I'm not good with words. I'm just trying to say you look pretty."
She sighed but decided to go easy on him, and smiled. "It's okay Naruto. Thank you. You look unusually handsome tonight too."
His mouth quirked with the beginnings of the grin that was never far from his face. "Awww, thanks Sakura… wait, hey!"
She giggled and bumped shoulders with him.
He smiled widely back. "So, are you ready?"
"Yeah, come on." She wrapped her arm in his and pulled the door shut behind her. Maybe faking confidence was the next best thing to feeling it.
As they walked down the wide staircase toward the first floor, though, Sakura's nerves increased. "Do you know if there'll be food at this thing?" Naruto asked. "I don't know why the stupid Kage meeting meant we couldn't have dinner."
"Yes, Naruto," Sakura said distractedly, not bothering to tease him and his bottomless stomach. The sound of distant voices and the tuning of instruments drifted toward them as they reached the wide sweep of the main hall, and Sakura's stomach twisted. "They made the schedule that way because a formal dinner will be served during the ball at ten."
"At ten! That's two hours away!"
But they were now passing along the wide, columned promenade that led to the ballroom, and Sakura's attention couldn't spare a response. Food was the last thing she wanted to think about. She held Naruto's elbow tighter to still her trembling.
Among the others making their way toward the grand doors were a few nins from the other delegations, but most were from the palace household, and Sakura didn't see anyone she knew by name. Everyone's attention seemed to be on her and Naruto though, and she felt a pleasant thrill of excitement and anticipation despite her nerves.
When they finally swept over the threshold and through the grand double-doors into the ballroom, Sakura was dazzled. Everything was incandescent. A vast expanse of gleaming marble tiles flecked with gold spread before them. White, carved columns and sweeping archways enclosed one side and a wall of glass windows that let in a view of the stars lined the other. Crystal chandeliers hung overhead and the light danced and glinted as if it had come from the night sky itself.
Another pair of golden doors stood open on the far side, where a stage was set up and musicians were beginning to play. Soft background music floated from their instruments.
More and more people were milling about and Sakura glanced wide-eyed around her, grinning at Naruto before searching beyond him for a head of familiar silver hair. "The Kage meeting is over, right?" she asked.
"Yeah, I heard the Raikage yelling about Mei on my way up to my room before coming to get you, but hid down a corridor till he passed." Naruto laughed. "Waiting for Gaara wasn't worth getting stuck in that conversation."
If that was the case, all the Kages should be arriving soon. Shortly after Sakura had the thought, a small commotion of voices sounded nearby, and the Raikage and his entourage soon entered. Sakura couldn't help being awed again by the larger than life leader of the Cloud village and his massive delegation. She suspected more than half of those nins were only present to pad the Cloud's numbers though, as she had only seen a couple of them in the meetings.
Not too far behind the Cloud delegation, Kurotsuchi was attempting to walk in on the arm of the Tsuchikage, who was grumbling about something. Probably about following the Raikage, Sakura assumed. With a distracted giggle, she watched Kurotsuchi pull her grandfather through the doorway, with the Stone delegation following. There couldn't be a bigger contrast between the towering Raikage and the tiny Tsuchikage, who barely reached the Raikage's waist.
Gaara and his siblings ambled in shortly after, with much less fanfare, and Naruto peeled away from Sakura's arm to join them.
Instead of following, Sakura craned her neck over the gathering crowd. People were entering, sweeping past her, but after the Kazekage and his family, no other Kage followed. Tsunade had already said she wouldn't be attending until dinner but the Mizukage and Kakashi should surely be here soon, Sakura thought.
"—hey, Earth to Sakura!" a voice broke through her reverie and a blond head blocked her view. Waving a hand in front of Sakura's face, Temari laughed. "I've been shouting at you, who are you looking for?"
Sakura blinked out of her daze and her eyes focused on Temari. "No one," she said, "just people watching… and oh my gods, you look stunning!"
Temari spun slowly around to show off her flowing black dress. "I clean up nice, huh?"
Sakura grinned. "You absolutely do."
Temari then looked Sakura up and down with an appraising eye. "But you're the gorgeous one, look at you!"
Sakura reddened. "Do you think so? After seeing you and everyone else here, I feel a bit out of place."
Temari raised an eyebrow. "You're silly." The music, which had been playing softly, suddenly swelled, and looking around, Temari said, "Have you seen Shikamaru? He promised me the first dance, and if he stands me up, I'm warning you now that he'll be murdered."
Sakura glanced toward the doors. "No, I haven't seen him. Is the dancing already starting?"
Before Temari could answer, a girl Sakura recognized as one of General Mifune's daughters spoke through a microphone over the crowd. In a lilting voice, she welcomed everyone to the dance, but Sakura tuned her out. Temari was tugging on her wrist. "I think I see Shikamaru over there with my brother. Are you coming?"
Sakura's eyes strayed from the doors to where Gaara stood with Naruto and Shikamaru across the room. "Um, sure," she said with only half her attention, and let Temari drag her over.
"...I'm not surprised the Mizukage isn't here yet either," Kankuro was saying. "Did you see the way she was hanging all over Kakashi at dinner yesterday? I'd bet she's giving him a private meeting on the advantages of an alliance between the Leaf and the Mist right now, if you know what I mean." His eyebrows wagged. Sakura frowned.
"Ew," Naruto said. "Don't make me think about that image."
Kankuro laughed. "Hey, I'm just reporting my observations."
"Shut up Kankuro," Temari said. "You're reporting gossip."
"Gossip based on actual events."
Temari rolled her eyes and dragged Shikamaru, who was surprisingly free of complaints, toward the center of the ballroom where couples were starting to gather. General Mifune stood on the stage beside his daughters.
At any other time, Sakura would have had her own eye-roll ready for Kankuro, but she couldn't muster one up around the sinking feeling in her stomach. She wondered if there was any truth to his words. Mei had walked with Kakashi in one of the gardens a couple days before. And looking back, Sakura supposed Mei had been touching Kakashi a lot this week. And it wasn't exactly a secret that Mei was searching for a husband.
Was there… was there really something going on between Kakashi and Mei? If there was, Sakura would surely know, right? Memories of Kakashi's conversation at their campsite floated back, of him answering Sakura's silly question and talking about past relationships… and past lovers. That evening was clear in her mind; Kakashi's eyes as he teased her, the shape of his mouth beneath his mask as he smirked at her embarrassment.
Sakura suddenly felt hot. She clutched the sides of her dress, and then clamped her hands together when she noticed she was crushing the delicate fabric.
Sure, Kakashi had promised Sakura the first dance, but could she blame him if he preferred to be with Mei? Mei was beautiful and powerful and graceful. Sakura was none of those things, and annoying to top it off—wasn't that what Sasuke had always said?
And why did it even bother her? Kakashi was free to be with whomever he wanted. But the confusing jumble swirling through Sakura's gut and spiking in her chest felt a little too close to jealousy.
She shook her head and tried to laugh at herself. Jealousy? Kakashi was her friend. He deserved to be happy. And if he was happy, Sakura would be happy too… even if it wasn't her making him happy.
But maybe she was jumping to unwarranted conclusions. Maybe it had nothing to do with Mei. Something might have come up, some last minute update or a message from Konoha, something urgent to keep him away.
The microphone crackled to life again, and the General's voice sounded over the crowd. With a disappointed smile, Sakura wiped the wetness from the corners of her eyes and turned her attention to the stage.
"Hello friends and fellow warriors," the General began. "You are honoring me and my family by joining us on this historic occasion, but I know we are truly honoring those who fought and died during the recent war so that we could have this opportunity. I'm reminded of a friend who is no longer with us, of something he said that I've never forgotten. He said, 'There may be a moment in your life when you will be called upon to do an impossible thing that has to be done, when you are the only one that can serve your country in that moment. Do it or you will forever taste ashes in your mouth.' Everyone in this room has faced a moment like that, but none of you have the taste of ashes in your mouths."
Sakura's heart swelled at the General's speech, despite her preoccupation and disappointment. She looked beside her for Naruto, but he and Kankuro had disappeared into the crowd.
"When I think about all the young people here, all of you who are so much smarter and more capable and more caring about the future than we, the older generation, were at your age, it makes me know that the future of the Shinobi world is in good hands. As long as all of us continue to understand the incredible power we possess when we work together, when we extend ourselves on behalf of a larger cause, peace cannot be stopped."
Sakura joined the rest of the crowd in applause, and the General went on, "But my daughter here is reminding me that I promised not to talk long. So as you all know, the next Shinobi Union Summit will be held in Sunagakure, and the Kazekage is doing me and my family great honor by leading this ball with my daughter, Princess Yu. Welcome everyone and may you have a lovely evening!"
The music swelled again, and before the stage, Gaara bowed to the Princess as she curtseyed. Sakura remembered Kakashi's words about Gaara's two left feet when it came to dancing and she sent him a silent wish for coordination. But then the first dance began, and the couples who filled the floor soon blocked Sakura's view, leaving her alone in the sea of people.
The other Kages had left the meeting more than half an hour ago, but Tsunade still sat hunched over a pile of scrolls, seemingly oblivious to the fact that her presence meant Kakashi was stuck there too.
"Is this going to go on much longer?" Kakashi asked.
Tsunade looked up from the papers and raised an eyebrow. "Do you have somewhere to be?"
"You do," he replied simply.
"The ball?" Tsunade scoffed. "I'll arrive at dinner and no earlier. Now look at this." She pointed to the scroll in her hands. "You're right that the figures in the cost analysis report didn't add up. Do you think this is where—"
Kakashi interrupted her, "—if it's all the same to you, I'd rather look over these later." He knew he had spoken in his normal bored drawl, but a surreptitious glance at his watch increased the impatience brewing under his skin.
"No, it's not all the same to me," Tsunade said, the words tight and her eyes flashing. "I want this sorted before we leave tomorrow."
"There's nothing in there that won't keep another day," Kakashi said, meeting her annoyed stare with one of perpetual calm.
Letting the scroll drop to the table, Tsunade interlaced her fingers and raised both eyebrows as she leaned her elbows on the table to scrutinize him. "Why are you so anxious to get out of here?"
Kakashi relaxed back in his chair, crossing an ankle over his knee. "I can't say I'm much in the mood to read another report. Don't tell me now that you're surprised the new Hokage is a bit lazy."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, examining his face. Finally, she said, "You can't fool me, Hatake. I know you're in no hurry to go to the ball, and if I remember correctly, you were the one insisting this evening that we finalize these numbers before the summit ends. So I'm not letting you out of this room until you tell me the real reason you need to leave. I still outrank you."
"I've got nothing to hide," Kakashi said easily. "Can you blame a man for wanting to take it easy the evening before a day of hard traveling? You know those figures won't make any more sense in the next few hours than they do now."
Tsunade's piercing stare didn't leave him, but she leaned back and crossed her arms. "No."
It was Kakashi's turn to raise an eyebrow. "No what?"
"No, you may not be excused," she said, a devious smirk teasing the corners of her mouth. "We have work to do."
He held her stare. Apparently, there was nothing for it. "Unfortunately," he said, "I have an appointment I'd prefer not to miss."
"An appointment?"
"Is that unusual?" he asked, not dropping his placid tone.
"And who might this appointment be with?"
"A friend."
Tsunade let her glare go on another few moments before she finally let out a hearty laugh. "Ah, I see. A friend. Is that what we're calling a certain village leader these days? I should have known."
Kakashi shrugged. "What can I say?" He had no idea what Tsunade was talking about, but she could think what she wanted as long as he got out of there.
"Go, go," Tsunade said, waving an arm at him. "Just stay out of trouble. And this better not lead to an international incident."
But Kakashi was already halfway out the door. "I don't think you have to worry about that."
The door closed behind him and Kakashi sprinted down the hall toward the second-floor staircase. Jogging up the stairs, he was already shucking off his jacket and vest and unclipping his weapons pouches. When he entered his room, he threw them on a nearby chair and immediately pulled his shirt off before starting on the buttons of his pants.
Trying to shove them down while reaching for the tailored slacks of his suit, he almost stumbled to the floor. That would serve him right, Kakashi thought with a grimace, to be knocked out by a self-inflicted blow to the head while half naked.
With another glance to this watch, though, he increased his speed, potential dressing injuries be damned. It was already twenty minutes past eight. He sent up a silent prayer to whatever might be listening that the dancing hadn't started yet.
A moment into the sweeping strings of the introductory waltz, Sakura's attention was pulled to the ballroom entrance. The Mist delegation had arrived.
There was no diminution to the music, but Sakura felt the almost collective hush in the room at the sight of the Mizukage. Her gown was as sheer and silver as starlight and her hair tumbled down her back in a rich auburn wave. Heads turned as she glided past with Chōjūrō in tow, the blue translucent jewels woven in her dress tinkling like tiny wind chimes. Kakashi was nowhere to be seen, though, and the part of Sakura's chest that had twisted at the thought of him with the Mizukage relaxed.
Reaching a hand to her hair, Sakura resisted the urge to tug on the short pink strands framing her face. She sighed, wondering how long each dance was. Five minutes? Probably not longer.
Off to her side, Sakura's attention was caught by Shī, one of the Third Raikage's medics and bodyguards, who was approaching her with a warm smile.
"Sakura," he said when he reached her. "You look beautiful."
Sakura glanced down at her dress with a self-conscious smile. "Thank you Shī. I don't even recognize myself." Looking back up at him, she said, "And you look great too. I've never seen Kumo formal wear before tonight. I love the colors."
"Pretty different from the medic uniforms you and I always wear these days, huh?" He spoke lightly but he held her gaze with a kind of fervor she'd not noticed in him before.
"Oh, definitely," Sakura said, glancing for a moment in the direction of the ballroom doors again, even though the crowd blocked most of her view. "This week went by fast, didn't it?" she rambled distractedly, looking back to him. "It's too bad we didn't get a chance to talk more. Your techniques for the Third Raikage's prosthetic sound interesting."
Shī took a step closer and Sakura resisted the urge to step back as he took one of her hands in his. In a lower voice, he said, "About that—"
When Kakashi reached the wide, carved doors to the ballroom, he knew he was late. He'd already heard the music from down the hall, but seeing the twirling gowns and light steps of dancing couples left no doubt. His stomach dropped at the realization that he'd let Sakura down.
He shouldn't have made such a promise; he should have known he'd be unable to come through for some reason or another. Sakura shouldn't be disappointed tonight. He didn't want to be the reason she ever felt disappointed.
He scanned the room, his eyes searching through the crowd of at least a hundred and fifty people, but he caught no flash of familiar pink hair.
But a moment later, he sensed someone approaching from behind. Kakashi was no sensor nin, and even if he had been, differentiating chakra signatures in this space would not be easy, so even before the soft touch to his arm, he was already turning with a smile.
"Kakashi," the Mizukage said sweetly when their eyes met, "I'm so glad you made it. Why don't you join me for some refreshments?"
"Lady Mei," Kakashi said, his face smoothing into the diplomatic expression he reserved for tedious international meetings. "It's a pleasure, as always, but I must defer until a later time. I have a prior engagement."
Mei laughed sweetly, her hand still resting lightly on his arm. "Still working, even in a ballroom, Kakashi? Your dedication is admirable but come now, there's no need for you to deny yourself the pleasures of relaxation. I'm sure whatever meeting you have can wait a few minutes."
Kakashi suppressed an internal groan. What had Tsunade been saying about international incidents? Letting his expression soften, he covered Mei's hand with his and bent his head slightly. "As usual, you are as perceptive as you are beautiful my lady. And another time, I would not hesitate to join you, but I care too much for your happiness to attempt to compete with your admirers." He glanced over her shoulder to where one of her bodyguards was eyeing them suspiciously. "Even now there are people jealous for your attention, and I am afraid my attempts to please you would not satisfy."
Kakashi straightened then, gently lifted Mei's hand from his arm, and bowed lightly over it without taking his eyes from hers. Before she could say a word, he made his escape.
Sakura's eyes widened as Shī's hand clasped hers. His eyes were intense as he continued, "—I was wondering if you'd like to take advantage of our last night here?"
"What?" she asked, confused. Had she missed something?
"I was thinking how unfortunate it was that we didn't get to spend more time together this week too, but there's no reason we can't make some of that time up now."
"Oh… how exactly?"
"We could dance, to start," he said, giving her hand a soft squeeze.
"Dance? I—"
"Or," he interrupted hurriedly, and his expression became a little unsure, "if you don't want to dance, we can just sit and talk. And maybe later, you'd like to see some of the designs I have for the Raikage's arm? I'd love to get your input."
Sakura bit her bottom lip. She didn't relish the idea of stumbling through first dance nerves with a practical stranger. But she couldn't turn him down and then proceed to dance with Naruto and her other friends. And at this point, she wondered if it was silly to assume Kakashi was just running a few minutes late. "I would love to," she said, an apology in her tone, "but I actually promised the first dance already. Maybe a little later though?"
Shī glanced briefly to the side, before his eyes came back to her. Still holding her hand, he smiled. "The first dance is almost over. Your partner's a bit neglectful, I think. It doesn't look like he's coming."
Shī was a nice guy. Sakura knew he wasn't trying to embarrass her and so she fought the urge to tilt her chin up and fire off the haughty, and probably rude, remark on the tip of her tongue.
And besides, what would it hurt to dance? "Well," she began, glancing briefly past his shoulder, still not sure what she would say.
But she would never know. In the next moment, all thoughts of Shī flew from her mind and a wide smile spread across her face.
Kakashi saw Sakura before she saw him. She was standing with that blond shinobi from Kumo whose name Kakashi couldn't remember, the one who looked more like a teen singing idol than someone trained to fight. He was blocking most of Sakura from view, but Kakashi would know that pink hair anywhere.
She'd probably gotten tired of waiting for him, Kakashi thought. He wasn't sure how many songs he'd missed but he couldn't blame her if she'd written him off for the night. It wasn't like he'd been the most reliable person in her life over the years.
But he'd only taken a few steps in Sakura's direction when she spotted him, and the smile that spread across her face and lit her eyes was one of pure, unpracticed happiness. Kakashi's smile in return was reflexive.
Sakura said something to her companion and pulled her hand away, and when she stepped around him, the light caught momentarily on the crystals woven in her hair and in the fine thread of her gown.
Kakashi was an objective man. He'd made sense of the world with skilled observation and cold analysis. Even in things he hadn't parsed out yet, he knew they would ultimately be broken down to facts and figures like everything else.
And so now, as Sakura approached with that bright smile, Kakashi could say with complete objectivity that she was more beautiful than anyone or anything he'd ever seen.
Sakura's heart, which had never quite slowed, beat harder at the sight of Kakashi. She knew she was grinning like a fool, but she didn't care. Kakashi was smiling too.
Pulling her hand gently away from Shī, she said apologetically, "I'm so sorry, but I can't." If he responded, Sakura didn't hear it. She was already walking toward Kakashi.
Her first thought as he approached was that he looked like a Hokage. From the deep navy of his tailored coat and vest with its gleaming silver buttons, to the immaculate collared shirt of deep gray, to the classic pants that accentuated every step he took. But it was more than that. It was his presence, the contained power in the way he moved, the intelligence in his eyes, the deep feelings he tried to hide from the world behind smutty novels, flippant deflections, and teasing levity.
Sakura had to admit he was good at it. At controlling what the world saw of him as much with his affected nonchalance as with his mask. At controlling what the world could take from him.
Kakashi was only a few steps away now, and the smile beneath his mask was clear and obvious in his eyes. He'd been smiling more in the past couple months than he'd ever done in the years before and Sakura wanted him to keep having reasons to smile.
And it was only then, with sudden, startling clarity, that she realized how much she wanted to be one of those reasons.
It barely had time to hit her before they reached each other. Sakura looked up into his eyes with a smile that hadn't dimmed but Kakashi's expression sobered. "I'm sorry I'm late," he said, and there was a look of deep apology and regret in his steady gaze. "I wanted to be here."
"You should be sorry," she said, teasing despite the flustered and fizzy way her insides were twisting. "Do I at least get one of the famous Kakashi excuses for my wait?"
Kakashi's answering laugh was quiet and warm and settled over her like an embrace. "I'm afraid you've heard all the good ones, and I have no justification this time."
Around them, the music of the first dance ended, and the melody of the next began. Kakashi glanced toward the couples at the center of the wide room and then back to Sakura, his eyes sparkling, looking for all the world like he actually wanted to be there.
"Shall we dance?" he asked, lifting his elbow for her to take.
Sakura smiled and wrapped her hand around his arm. "I would love to."
Kakashi led her to a spot near the outer edge of the other couples, where they wouldn't be swept up in the rush. Turning to her, he took one of her hands in his and the other came to rest against the bare skin of her shoulder blade. The heat beneath that gentle touch spread throughout her body and her fingers wrapped a little tighter around his upper arm and the rich fabric of his coat.
"Ready?" Kakashi asked, his head bent close and his voice low.
Sakura nodded, smiling, meeting those dark gray eyes that were so familiar to her as he led her into the first gentle turn. They were only one couple in the crowded, warm room. The trailing, gauzy edges of other women's dresses stirred the air as they passed with their partners. Music and laughter and a hundred mingled conversations filled the space. But as they danced, the world around Sakura faded to the edges. She felt light in the circle of Kakashi's arm, free and fearless, and like they could be dancing in a dewy summer field, or alone beneath the starry sky above their village.
In hindsight, Sakura supposed it should have been obvious. One of the earliest things Kakashi had ever told them was that a shinobi should seek for the hidden meanings within hidden meanings. It was a lesson Sakura clearly still needed to learn. She hadn't even noticed the meaning of her own feelings until they were rushing over her like water from a broken dam.
Feelings she still didn't fully understand. They were too new, even though she suspected they'd been coming along in the background for a while. And how could she be expected to go from realization to being in Kakashi's arms and figure anything out?
All Sakura knew was that she was falling for him. And yet, it was a lot less like falling and a lot more like landing.
For Kakashi. Who'd perfected passive aggression with sarcasm, and lateness, and apparent obliviousness to the feelings of others. But who got lost in memories for hours before the memorial stone and made sure Sakura knew she didn't need to cry alone. Kakashi, outwardly apathetic and detached. The same man who cared for his teammates above anything, who listened to her for as long as she wanted to talk, who spent hours puzzling out a problem for fun or practicing new jutsus until his hands were raw. The man who sometimes let her glimpse his pain, and who, on very rare occasions, even laughed. He'd convinced so many that he was lazy and didn't care about anything, but anyone who believed it was wrong. He cared so much that he couldn't sleep at night.
Kakashi, with a persona seemingly designed to ward off the possibility of a close relationship with anybody. And yet he had challenged her and teased her and annoyed her and supported her, had made her angry and had made her laugh. And had never made her cry. He knew everything about her and still wanted to dance with her.
"What are you thinking about so seriously?" Kakashi asked, and Sakura was shaken from her reverie, her eyes pulled away from the place on his shoulder she'd been unknowingly fixated on to meet his gaze.
"Oh. Nothing," she said with a self-conscious laugh. "Just thinking about where to put my feet."
"It's easier if you don't think about it," he said.
With the most carefree smile Sakura could muster, she said, "Yeah, maybe you're right."
She suddenly felt hopelessly silly. If there was anyone less likely than Sasuke to care for her in that way, it was Kakashi. She hoped at least that her own ignorance of her feelings before now meant that Kakashi was equally oblivious. Because she knew he wouldn't have ever thought of her in the same way, couldn't ever return her feelings, and if he knew how she felt, he would surely distance himself, pull away, give her space until she came to her right senses. She wanted to groan and hide her face.
Their song came to an end, and Sakura couldn't help but feel the loss even before Kakashi let her go. But instead of parting, he pulled her slightly closer, his hand warm and sure against her back, and said, "How about one more? We can show poor Gaara how it's done." Sakura looked quickly up at him and then to their right, where Gaara and his partner were parting, both looking equally pained.
Sakura giggled, but immediately stifled it in favor of a scolding frown up at Kakashi, whose eyes were very obviously laughing. She grinned despite herself. "I suppose I can spare one more."
The music had already started, its notes swelling around them, and this time she didn't let herself fall into thought. Tonight would soon be a memory, and whatever happened tomorrow, she didn't want to forget a second of it.
A/N:
Who wants to see Sakura's dress? (just delete all the spaces when you type it in your browser and put a 'com' after the imgur.): i. imgur. /BtRc9RK . jpg
The General's speech in this chapter is inspired from a few different speeches of former U.S. presidents-I'm definitely no speechwriter and I wanted it to have an inaugural tone and feel.
Songs:
1. Lift Me Up - Mree
2. Perfect - 2CELLOS
Thank you for the reviews—they mean the world to me
