Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
* * *
"Naruto!" what are you doing here?" Sakura asked, shocked.
"Yeah?" asked Kakashi, poking his head out of the doorway.
"Well, we heard that you two moved away and we just wanted to pop in to say hello," said Naruto, his tone slightly saddened. "We heard the whole thing between you and the Hokage, sensei," Naruto continued, definite hints of sorrow in his tone. Sakura suddenly spotted Sasuke lurking on the porch with something in his hands.
"Um... good morning Sasuke-kun," she said. The boy stepped out of the shadows and walked over to the door, staring Sakura straight in the eyes.
"Can we come in? We want to talk to you," he said in his usual flat tone. Sakura was slightly taken aback, but Kakashi covered for her.
"Come right on in, guys," he said, opening the door wide for them. The two boys walked in quietly. Kakashi guided them in the direction of the living room. The room was done up nicely in shades of golden yellow, and Naruto flopped down on the leather couch. Sasuke tapped Sakura on the shoulder, and she turned around. A basket of fruit was being shoved in her face.
"Um, thanks, Sasuke-kun," Sakura mumbled, running into the kitchen and placing the basket on the counter. She ran back and sat down on the love seat (like a mini couch!) next to Kakashi. Naruto was the first one to speak.
"Well, is it true?" the blond boy asked, twiddling his thumbs. Sakura and Kakashi shot a glance at each other.
"Is what true?" Sakura replied, crossing her legs daintily.
"Did your father really beat you up because you're pregnant?" Naruto asked. Kakashi stared down at Sakura. She shrugged.
"Well, my dad did beat me because I was with Kakashi, but I assure you- I am not pregnant!" she said.
"Well then, could you tell us exactly why you are living out here now? We have been forced to rely on secondhand information," Sasuke asked.
"We came out here to be left alone- no one liked us being together in the village," Kakashi answered, slightly angered. "We decided after Sakura's run-in with her father that it would be best if we left."
"Too bad," Naruto said sadly. "We've got a new sensei already. It's that Genma guy who ran the finals of the Chuunin exam. What a jerk."
"But he is strong and can teach you well," Sakura said, standing up.
"Yeah, but we miss you two! It isn't the same," Naruto argued. "I really miss you, Sakura-chan. You brightened up my days. Kakashi-sensei was really cool too, I guess," he added carefully.
"Listen up, Naruto! I don't care how strict or uptight this new teacher may be, but you have to learn to suck up to it! Kakashi-sensei and I can't come back- you know that! You have to learn to move on!" she yelled. "Learn to forget about us!" Sakura felt tears welling up in her eyes.
"Sakura-" Kakashi said, trying to pull her back down. She slapped his hand away.
"No, Kakashi!" she yelled sorrowfully. "You know what? I miss my home! I miss my mother! I miss Ino! I miss Lee! Hell, I even miss my abusive bastard of a father! But you know what? I'm learning to handle it! Naruto and Sasuke should be able to do that too!" The pink-haired girl was practically in hysterics, tears running down her cheeks.
"Sakura-" started Naruto in his special pleading tone reserved just for her, but Sakura glared at him.
"I know that you miss me, but get it through your head- I'm not going back there any time soon!" She ran out of the room, her face in her hands, sobbing. Kakashi stood up.
"Kakashi-sensei? Will she be okay?" Naruto asked, upset with himself.
"She'll be fine in a little bit. You two should be going now, however." Kakashi guided the two back to the door. "Feel free to visit, though!" He slammed the door behind his former pupils and ran up the stairs after Sakura. He quietly listened for the sound of crying, and pinpointed the location expertly- her bedroom.
He silently crept into her room and found her lying on the bed, curled up and crying. Her body shook with her heaving sobs. Kakashi sighed and lied down next to her, running one hand up and down her back soothingly. He gently massaged her back until her crying slowed, and then pulled her to him in a hug. Her pale, delicate hands clutched his as if he was the last thing she had left, and Kakashi's heart reached out to the girl.
And Kakashi let her fall asleep there, her body curled against his.
* * *
"Naruto!" what are you doing here?" Sakura asked, shocked.
"Yeah?" asked Kakashi, poking his head out of the doorway.
"Well, we heard that you two moved away and we just wanted to pop in to say hello," said Naruto, his tone slightly saddened. "We heard the whole thing between you and the Hokage, sensei," Naruto continued, definite hints of sorrow in his tone. Sakura suddenly spotted Sasuke lurking on the porch with something in his hands.
"Um... good morning Sasuke-kun," she said. The boy stepped out of the shadows and walked over to the door, staring Sakura straight in the eyes.
"Can we come in? We want to talk to you," he said in his usual flat tone. Sakura was slightly taken aback, but Kakashi covered for her.
"Come right on in, guys," he said, opening the door wide for them. The two boys walked in quietly. Kakashi guided them in the direction of the living room. The room was done up nicely in shades of golden yellow, and Naruto flopped down on the leather couch. Sasuke tapped Sakura on the shoulder, and she turned around. A basket of fruit was being shoved in her face.
"Um, thanks, Sasuke-kun," Sakura mumbled, running into the kitchen and placing the basket on the counter. She ran back and sat down on the love seat (like a mini couch!) next to Kakashi. Naruto was the first one to speak.
"Well, is it true?" the blond boy asked, twiddling his thumbs. Sakura and Kakashi shot a glance at each other.
"Is what true?" Sakura replied, crossing her legs daintily.
"Did your father really beat you up because you're pregnant?" Naruto asked. Kakashi stared down at Sakura. She shrugged.
"Well, my dad did beat me because I was with Kakashi, but I assure you- I am not pregnant!" she said.
"Well then, could you tell us exactly why you are living out here now? We have been forced to rely on secondhand information," Sasuke asked.
"We came out here to be left alone- no one liked us being together in the village," Kakashi answered, slightly angered. "We decided after Sakura's run-in with her father that it would be best if we left."
"Too bad," Naruto said sadly. "We've got a new sensei already. It's that Genma guy who ran the finals of the Chuunin exam. What a jerk."
"But he is strong and can teach you well," Sakura said, standing up.
"Yeah, but we miss you two! It isn't the same," Naruto argued. "I really miss you, Sakura-chan. You brightened up my days. Kakashi-sensei was really cool too, I guess," he added carefully.
"Listen up, Naruto! I don't care how strict or uptight this new teacher may be, but you have to learn to suck up to it! Kakashi-sensei and I can't come back- you know that! You have to learn to move on!" she yelled. "Learn to forget about us!" Sakura felt tears welling up in her eyes.
"Sakura-" Kakashi said, trying to pull her back down. She slapped his hand away.
"No, Kakashi!" she yelled sorrowfully. "You know what? I miss my home! I miss my mother! I miss Ino! I miss Lee! Hell, I even miss my abusive bastard of a father! But you know what? I'm learning to handle it! Naruto and Sasuke should be able to do that too!" The pink-haired girl was practically in hysterics, tears running down her cheeks.
"Sakura-" started Naruto in his special pleading tone reserved just for her, but Sakura glared at him.
"I know that you miss me, but get it through your head- I'm not going back there any time soon!" She ran out of the room, her face in her hands, sobbing. Kakashi stood up.
"Kakashi-sensei? Will she be okay?" Naruto asked, upset with himself.
"She'll be fine in a little bit. You two should be going now, however." Kakashi guided the two back to the door. "Feel free to visit, though!" He slammed the door behind his former pupils and ran up the stairs after Sakura. He quietly listened for the sound of crying, and pinpointed the location expertly- her bedroom.
He silently crept into her room and found her lying on the bed, curled up and crying. Her body shook with her heaving sobs. Kakashi sighed and lied down next to her, running one hand up and down her back soothingly. He gently massaged her back until her crying slowed, and then pulled her to him in a hug. Her pale, delicate hands clutched his as if he was the last thing she had left, and Kakashi's heart reached out to the girl.
And Kakashi let her fall asleep there, her body curled against his.