Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Sasuke would grow up to be a
pimp and Kakashi would be my husband (and Orochimaru and Itachi would be my
ex's!)
* * *
"I have chosen... Kakashi-sensei." Sakura held her breath, waiting for the boys' reaction.
"No... way..." Naruto breathed slowly. Sasuke glared pins and needles at the pink-haired girl, and she gulped in anxiety.
"Sakura-chan, why?" Naruto asked softly, placing his hands on Sakura's shoulders, his eyes now filled with maturity and confusion instead of his usual loudness. "Why isn't it me?"
"Naruto," said Sakura softly. "I'm thinking of you right now. Do you know that someone's heart would have been broken had I chosen you?" Sakura looked Naruto straight in the eyes, and shrugged his hands away.
"What?" Naruto asked, confused.
"Hinata loves you more than I ever could," Sakura said with a smile. "She deserves you more."
"Shit, I never thought about that..." Naruto said, some of the brightness coming back into his eyes as he rubbed his chin. "Hell, I think I'll give that a try!" He dashed off on all fours, waving as he ran.
'Well, that was fast,' thought Sakura with a sweat-drop. She turned to Sasuke, but he was already walking away.
"Sa-" she began, but Kakashi placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
"Let him be. He wants to be alone right now. Your sympathy will only hurt him more," the jounin said calmly.
"But I feel so guilty!" Sakura cried, turning back to the silver- haired man. "I mean, I hated having to choose! I love you all so much!" she said, tears coming to her eyes. Kakashi saw this, and quickly lifted a hand to her cheeks to catch the tears.
"They will both be all right. I know them better than you do, and believe me- they will be okay." Kakashi ran his thumb up Sakura's face and to her hairline, pulling back some of the stray strands.
"Kakashi-sensei..." Sakura whispered, her eyes shining. She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist, her face buried in his vest.
"Sakura," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her comfortingly. He let her sob into his vest for a moment before slowly nudging her away. "Go inside now. It's cold, and you've had such a long night." Sakura nodded and unlocked her front door, but stopped as she entered the doorway. She turned back to Kakashi, who looked at her fondly (and with puppy eyes!!!)
"Fine, fine," Sakura grumbled in false anger. "Come on in."
"What's with the sudden generosity?" Kakashi chuckled as he helped Sakura with her coat and followed her upstairs to the kitchen.
"You were giving me 'the look', with the big pleading puppy eyes. How could I not let you inside?" Sakura replied, filling a pan with water and placing it on the stove. "Besides, my parents won't be home until tomorrow, and it's cold outside."
"Implying...?" Kakashi prodded.
"You can spend the night here," Sakura sighed. She caught the overly- enthused glint in Kakashi eyes, as well as the way he was wringing his hands. She could practically hear his mind screaming 'Score!!! Score!!! Hot baby!!!'
"But no funny business! One move too far and you're out the door!" Sakura yelled, and the little malicious glint in the jounin's eyes faded.
"But I'm sure we can still make the best of the evening."
* * *
Well, I ended that horribly. Ah well, COMING NEXT CHAPTER- ALTERNATE ENDING NUMBAH THREE!!!! Sasuke!!!!
* * *
"I have chosen... Kakashi-sensei." Sakura held her breath, waiting for the boys' reaction.
"No... way..." Naruto breathed slowly. Sasuke glared pins and needles at the pink-haired girl, and she gulped in anxiety.
"Sakura-chan, why?" Naruto asked softly, placing his hands on Sakura's shoulders, his eyes now filled with maturity and confusion instead of his usual loudness. "Why isn't it me?"
"Naruto," said Sakura softly. "I'm thinking of you right now. Do you know that someone's heart would have been broken had I chosen you?" Sakura looked Naruto straight in the eyes, and shrugged his hands away.
"What?" Naruto asked, confused.
"Hinata loves you more than I ever could," Sakura said with a smile. "She deserves you more."
"Shit, I never thought about that..." Naruto said, some of the brightness coming back into his eyes as he rubbed his chin. "Hell, I think I'll give that a try!" He dashed off on all fours, waving as he ran.
'Well, that was fast,' thought Sakura with a sweat-drop. She turned to Sasuke, but he was already walking away.
"Sa-" she began, but Kakashi placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
"Let him be. He wants to be alone right now. Your sympathy will only hurt him more," the jounin said calmly.
"But I feel so guilty!" Sakura cried, turning back to the silver- haired man. "I mean, I hated having to choose! I love you all so much!" she said, tears coming to her eyes. Kakashi saw this, and quickly lifted a hand to her cheeks to catch the tears.
"They will both be all right. I know them better than you do, and believe me- they will be okay." Kakashi ran his thumb up Sakura's face and to her hairline, pulling back some of the stray strands.
"Kakashi-sensei..." Sakura whispered, her eyes shining. She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist, her face buried in his vest.
"Sakura," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her comfortingly. He let her sob into his vest for a moment before slowly nudging her away. "Go inside now. It's cold, and you've had such a long night." Sakura nodded and unlocked her front door, but stopped as she entered the doorway. She turned back to Kakashi, who looked at her fondly (and with puppy eyes!!!)
"Fine, fine," Sakura grumbled in false anger. "Come on in."
"What's with the sudden generosity?" Kakashi chuckled as he helped Sakura with her coat and followed her upstairs to the kitchen.
"You were giving me 'the look', with the big pleading puppy eyes. How could I not let you inside?" Sakura replied, filling a pan with water and placing it on the stove. "Besides, my parents won't be home until tomorrow, and it's cold outside."
"Implying...?" Kakashi prodded.
"You can spend the night here," Sakura sighed. She caught the overly- enthused glint in Kakashi eyes, as well as the way he was wringing his hands. She could practically hear his mind screaming 'Score!!! Score!!! Hot baby!!!'
"But no funny business! One move too far and you're out the door!" Sakura yelled, and the little malicious glint in the jounin's eyes faded.
"But I'm sure we can still make the best of the evening."
* * *
Well, I ended that horribly. Ah well, COMING NEXT CHAPTER- ALTERNATE ENDING NUMBAH THREE!!!! Sasuke!!!!