Author's Notes:

Did I say that I love my reviewers? You guys are the best, especially since your words of encouragement reminded me during this last while that there's more to life than my cubicle, caffeine, and notes. As usual, review responses are at the end. Enjoy this chapter you all!

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

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With a last sharp tug on the silver buckles, Sakura finished fastening the multiple ties of her metallic arm guards. While the durable plates would prove advantageous during close combat, the sensation of wearing gloves along with the heavy apparel still bothered the kunoichi. She preferred the liberating feel of having nothing covering or restricting the movements of her fingers. But that habit had changed after hearing a particular comment made by Kiba several years back.

"You know, you have all these really attractive women working as Chuunins and Jounins around the village, and you keep telling yourself how great it would be to date one of them. But then on your first meeting, I tell ya, nothing is more of a turn off than shaking the gal's hand and finding out that she's got more calluses than you do. A sure sign that the chick has seen some serious action, and wouldn't hesitate to knock ya one."

Ever since then, Sakura made sure that she always wore gloves during training and on missions. Not to mention that the inflamed blisters hurt like hell when punctured or torn.

Satisfied that she had properly donned her ANBU uniform, the young woman picked up her assigned mask and slipped it deftly over her face. She figured it to represent an osprey, or some other type of bird due to the prominent beak that was carved in front. She then headed towards the swords rack in the equipment room, secretly reveling in the fact that she had taken her time in preparing for the mission. A glance over at her companions, who had been ready two hours ago, told the kunoichi that taking her time had indeed been the right decision.

Heh, suckers.

Neji scowled at his teammate who was taking her dear sweet time in selecting a primary choice of blade. They were supposed to have been assembled and ready to go by 8 am. He had arrived at the equipment room at 7 am and was finished preparing by 7:30. Both Lee and Sakura had been punctual as well, but the Hyuga had been sorely tempted to throttle his coral-haired teammate when she wasn't even done dressing at ten minutes to the hour.

However, 'annoyed' didn't even begin to describe Neji's fuming disposition when he saw that it was half past eight and there was no sign of their squad leader. His dark glower was the first thing that greeted Sakura when she emerged from the female change room, dressed save for her arm guards and gloves.

"I'd sit down if I were you," was all she had said to him before sitting onto one of the benches, and unhurriedly began pulling on her remaining gear.

Now, hours later, he began to see why she had been so liberal with her time. Casting the kunoichi a somewhat suspicious glare, Neji moved indomitably to stand directly in front of her.

"You don't seem to be at all surprised by this," he noted acidly, "is there any specific reason why?"

Sakura looked at him briefly, but turned back to her task of testing out various blades. Hefting a medium-length black katana in her hands, she executed a few trial cuts, but decided that she didn't like the feel of it.

"Obviously you weren't listening to my little rant yesterday after Lee asked me what kind of leader Kakashi would be," she responded crisply, then added, "and if you're aiming for intimidation, I'd loose the mask. I'm two seconds away from busting my gut with laughter."

From his spot on the other side of the room, Lee lifted off his tiger mask while grinning broadly at the incensed look Neji's mask must have hid at the moment. The pale-eyed young man tore his own mask away harshly, revealing that he was indeed, less than happy.

"What…did you say?"

Narrowing his eyes into silver slits, Neji looked about two seconds away from killing Sakura if she didn't answer. She would have to take a crack at his facemask, which was already an exceptionally sore point for him. He had been affronted during the initiation ceremony when Tsunade had presented him with his assigned mask. Of all things, the Hokage would have to give him a façade that would prove to be the bane of his existence within the elite corps. In the words of his dearest cousin, it was "too cute for words".

He suddenly suspected the real reason behind Uchiha Itachi's slaughter of his entire clan all those years back.

Having gone through the room's assortment of blades, Sakura chose a deceptively slender-looking long sword instead of the customary katana, and strapped the weapon securely onto her back. She noticed the murderous expression Neji wore, and perhaps against better judgment, continued on by saying, "Did we ever figure out what your mask represented, Neji-kun? It looks like some sort of rodent to me."

"Chipmunk more like," Lee added helpfully.

"Squirrel?"

Neji felt a tick develop in the muscle of his left jaw.

"Nah, the nose is kinda pointed, like a ferret,"

"Rat then,"

One could only take so much taunting. With a thoroughly disgusted scowl, Neji pushed himself past Sakura's misleadingly innocent face, and marched tempestuously towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

Lee looked somewhat apologetic as he tried to keep the group together despite arising tensions. Neji shot him a corrosive look.

"Going to check with Tsunade-sama to see if it's too late to withdraw from this mission, and then dragging our squad leader here with my bare hands if I have to."

With that, he disappeared after slamming the door shut with a deafening *bang* that rattled its aged hinges. The remaining room occupants shared a helpless look, as Lee rose and walked over towards Sakura.

"I can understand how frustrated Neji feels," he sighed, "in fact, it would be a lie to say I wasn't upset with Kakashi-san myself."

"Make no mistake about it," Sakura told him through clenched teeth, "I'm mad at him too. I didn't expect him to carry that annoying habit of his over to such a crucial mission."

Just then the door opened, cuing the entrance of one sheepish looking, and undeniably tardy Jounin.

"Would have gotten here faster guys, but I pulled a muscle on my way and had to sit down to rest—"

He stopped abruptly as the shuriken whizzed by at eye-level, and came dangerously close to slicing before nailing itself onto the wall behind him. Kakashi absently brushed the side of his face where the object had been mere millimeters from cutting.

"Hm, you know," he remarked while rubbing his chin, "I think I preferred the trick with the chalkboard eraser…"

Sakura retrieved her shuriken from the wall, pulling the weapon out with more than a little exaggerated effort, and promptly turned towards the Jounin with a pasted smile.

"But Kakashi-sensei," she chirped with false sweetness, "I thought you liked people who could come at you with killer intent."

"Then he's going to love Neji," mumbled Lee, just in time to see the missing member of their group storm back into the room.

Silence ensued as the Hyuga focused a piercing glare on Kakashi, his normally pale eyes looking more disconcerting than usual since they fairly bulged from their sockets. Tense seconds ticked by while Sakura secretly wondered how she was going to restrain Neji, who looked a stone's throw away from launching his super tenketsu attack on her former sensei. Finally the young man appeared to rein in his fury, and only managed to ask:

"Watch...you don't have a watch, do you?"

The words sounded painfully strained, and Lee noticed how hard it must have been for Neji to control himself.

"Nope, never have and never will."

Kakashi's offhand reply seemed to set off the ANBU member, who looked on the threshold of lunging for him. Sakura sensibly intervened at this point, stepping boldly in between the two men before Byakugan and Sharingan were forced to clash and result in the first act of violence she witnessed as part of ANBU.

"We should get going you guys, we were supposed to have left the village two hours ago."

She watched carefully as Neji collected himself, and reluctantly backed off. As much as it would have been gratifying to pound their superior, he had to keep their mission objectives in mind. Showing up at the Sand Village minus one squad leader would not impress Tsunade. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief as she went to collect her backpack.

"What's in the extra bag?"

Neji pointed at Kakashi, who was shouldering two backpacks instead of the customary one.

"Important mission documents and equipment," the other replied, as Neji cast him a skeptical glance.

"I'll carry that,"

Kakashi looked ready to object, but then merely shrugged and passed off one of the packs to Neji, who almost staggered under its heavy weight. The bag had looked misleadingly light when Kakashi held it, but in truth, it must have weighed at least fifteen kilos. It was truly a credit to Neji's hardened instincts that he didn't even flinch when catching the hefty pack tossed at him.

"Let's go then, team. I need to fill you in on my expectations for you guys on the way."

Thankfully his back was turned to the trio, or else Kakashi might actually have dropped dead on spot under the barrage of skewering glares that were launched at his unsuspecting person.

***

On the third day of travel, during one of their routine hour-long breaks, Kakashi was leaning lazily against the trunk of a massive, conveniently located tree, and idly wondering if it looked like he was the only one enjoying himself so far.

Neji had apparently made up his mind to not speak with the Copy Ninja unless given a life/death situation, and Lee pretty much stayed out of his way as well. But his observant eye had quickly picked up on the subtle amount of doting attention the taijutsu specialist placed on Sakura. It vaguely annoyed him, while also serving as a daily reminder of his time with Team 7 when another individual had been less than discreet about her infatuation with a certain someone.

Ironically, Sakura appeared bent on avoiding him as well, though she often looked expectantly between him and Neji. When he did occasionally catch one of her glimpses, she would quickly redirect her gaze and pretend to be occupied with something else. He of course had no way of knowing that the young woman was vividly reminded of one particularly mortifying incident every time she looked at him.

The kunoichi was currently reposing under the gratifying shade of another tree, and secretly calculating how many days it would take to reach the Sand Village, where they would ultimately be forced to cooperate whether they liked it or not. She smiled gratefully at Lee, who reached down to hand her a canteen of water he had just filled at a running stream nearby.

"I think they're warming up to one another," he commented insightfully, after letting his gaze travel from Kakashi to Neji, who was standing stiffly to one side, though he would toss Kakashi a measuring glower every so often.

"Sure, whatever you want to call it," Sakura muttered with a roll of her eyes, "but I'm willing to settle for zero interaction between them."

Lee nodded his agreement, before laughing softly to himself.

"Neji needs to calm down and stop letting Kakashi irritate him so much."

"I would be fine if our illustrious leader would stop provoking me."

Said person had walked up to them in the middle of the conversation and was now frowning at Lee's remark

"He's done nothing to specifically provoke you," Sakura argued, "I mean, you were able to handle Gai's quirks! And now you decide that you can't tolerate Kakashi?"

"That was different. As part of ANBU, I expect our leaders to be competent. I refuse to deal with the nonsense that I had to endure as a Genin at this point in my career."

Faster than anyone could blink, Lee had shot up and was now glaring heatedly into the Hyuga's face while invading the other's personal space.

"Are you insulting Gai-sensei, Neji? After all he did for us, you'd better take that nonsense crap back right now."

Pushing his angry teammate away from him, Neji matched Lee glare for glare before letting out an exasperated curse.

"Grow up Lee, and recognize foolishness when you see it. That's probably why Tsunade insisted on having a Jounin baby-sit this mission in the first place. She doesn't think we're capable of handling it on our own."

"That's not true," Sakura wanted to point out, but before she could further her argument, she picked up on the figure of Kakashi approaching—

—while reading "Come Come Paradise". All commotion stopped instantly, since both Neji and Lee had temporarily abandoned their dispute in favor of staring in wide-eyed disbelief at the Jounin and his reading material.

Way to break up a quarrel, Sensei…

"Break's over everyone," Kakashi announced without looking up from his book, "time to head out."

Neji gave his two teammates a long look that clearly said I rest my case, and went off to fetch his two packs, all the while shaking his head. Sakura had been fully expecting him to lose it right then, but maybe he had finally realized how pointless it was to get upset by Kakashi's habits. There may be hope for teamwork yet.

The remainder of the day progressed without incident, and Sakura was honestly beginning to hope that Neji had decided to drop his grudge against Kakashi. That is, until evening rolled by and they prepared to set up camp for the night.

The squad members were setting up their individual tents, while Neji foraged the surrounding area for kindling to start a fire. There wasn't much to be found, and the task annoyed the young man who mentally protested about how they were given the delegate status with none of the perks. The campground was dark when he returned, and the shinobi realized with dismay that he had used up his supply of matches. Deciding to check and see if the extra pack had a lighter, Neji promptly went over and started to pull on the bag's ties.

The knots were done up tightly, but one decisive yank caused the pack to fly open, spilling its contents onto the forest floor. Only instead of the mission documents that he had been expecting, Neji found himself staring down at ten years' worth of "Come Come Paradise" volumes.

An inhuman cry of sheer agony tore through the forest grounds, frightening away a decent portion of the local wildlife.

The unforeseen outburst caused the rest of the squad to look over, and they were all rewarded with the revolutionary sight of Neji quaking in suppressed rage, while waving around a "Limited Edition: New Year's Special" copy of Come Come Paradise in his left hand.

"Important mission documents, he said!!! What the fuck is THIS?!"

After Kakashi had grasped the situation, his first priority was to get his valuables away from the hands of one dangerously volatile ANBU member. Only as he approached, Neji suddenly backed away a couple of steps, while a malicious sneer that caused Kakashi's hair to stand on end spread across his malevolent features.

"I suddenly remember that newsprint makes for excellent kindling material…"

The Jounin could only chuckle nervously.

"Now, now, Neji…you know you don't want waste a perfectly good backpack as timber…put it down..."

Meanwhile, only a few meters away, Lee was panicking and reverting to desperate pleading for an entirely different reason.

"Please Sakura-chan, you must stop bashing your head against that tree! Your delicate forehead was not made to withstand such abuse!"

***

She had spent the last few nights dozing away in her sleeping bag with one eye open, mostly for fear that Neji would resort to mutiny and try to murder Kakashi in his sleep. Hence every morning, Sakura sported the less than attractive bloodshot eyes and dark circles that conveyed her unrest. It also served to make the young woman abnormally cranky and high-strung. Her nerves were stretched more tautly than the average wind-up toy, making her an explosion note just waiting to be triggered. Wisely, none of her male teammates tried to provoke her, though teamwork was still as awkward and forced as ever.

Which was why the slightly more than fed up kunoichi was currently sitting beside the recently doused campfire, moping instead of making up valuable sleep. She didn't see why Kakashi and Neji were acting as though their sole priority was to piss the other one off. And Lee was not helping much in the way of pacifying feelings either, leaving her to have to play three-way referee more often than was sane.

Sakura huffed in irritation and glared balefully at the remains of their campfire, as though blaming the black ashes and cinder piles for her problems. Her head snapped up at the sound of an unzipping tent, only to see Neji emerge unexpectedly from his lodging. He approached quietly, and seconds later, had plunked down beside her. His face was unreadable under the starlit sky.

"I'm not going to kill him, if that's what you've been worried about."

His voice was characteristically impassive, but Sakura almost detected a trace of dry sarcasm that seemed to be Neji's only ever halfhearted attempt at humor. She stared at him long and hard before making some sound halfway between a snort and chortle.

"Ha, as if you could anyway…"

Her companion blinked, genuine surprise registering on his chiseled features.

"You don't think so?"

"Just face it Neji. You may be great in our circles, but I really think Kakashi's out of your league."

That may have been untrue, but Sakura couldn't resist the urge to rile up the offended-looking shinobi. And considering how miserable his stubbornness had made her these past few days, Neji deserved a little payback.

Their conversation however, was not lost on the individual who currently remained hidden amidst the shrouding cover of a neighboring clump of trees. Kakashi had been out on a little reconnaissance trip around the area, and had returned just in time to see Neji seat himself beside Sakura. Of course, seeing as how he couldn't return to his tent without detection, the Jounin had opted to stay where he was and prepared himself for what promised to be an interesting, if not divulging, conversation.

At Sakura's words, he couldn't help but beam ever so slightly while puffing his chest in evident pride. Truth be told, it wasn't as though he had it out for the young Hyuga. Kakashi only remembered too well what it was like to be young, overly confident, and readily dismissive of others. After dealing with the likes of Sasuke and Naruto, he knew enough to recognize a shinobi with an obviously elevated opinion of himself. It would do the arrogant young man some genuine good to be knocked down a couple of pegs.

"All he has on us is experience—"

Neji's voice came floating back to him, sounding rather miffed at Sakura's comparison.

"—and rightfully so. It'd be an embarrassment if someone his age hasn't collected a sizeable repertoire of encounters and battles to tell."

The statement caused Sakura to shuffle somewhat awkwardly in her spot, as she lowered her eyes to the sparse greenery on the ground.

"He may have been through more than us, but the way you say it, you make it sound like he's some wizened sage. Kakashi's not that much older than us…"

The eavesdropping Jounin noted with interest how she referred to him as simply 'Kakashi' with others, but continued to address him with the 'sensei' attached during their conversations. He'd have to convince her some time that the honorific really wasn't required, and in fact, he much preferred it if she would drop the damn thing completely.

Neji may have sighed, but then asked, "How old do you think he is?"

For some reason, Kakashi remained especially silent, paying extra care to not even breathe excessively as he waited for her answer. Sakura's response brought a smile to his face that probably would have made him appear ten years younger in reality.

"He doesn't even look over thirty," Sakura pointed out, picturing Kakashi toned physique in her mind.

Ack, where did that come from?!

"Are you kidding," Neji questioned, his eyebrows rising in obvious incredulity, "just because you can't see his face doesn't mean you can give him the benefit of your imagination. I personally haven't seen hair of his color on anyone under sixty."

Sakura's jaw dropped at this piece of information, while Kakashi's smile disappeared to be replaced by an expression more along the lines of mild annoyance.

"No way, you don't think Kakashi's that old…do you?"

Neji gave her a look that plainly stated he had less than high opinions of her after she managed to squeak out the last bit of her question.

"Maybe not sixty...but haven't you noticed that the man also tends to slouch? A clear indication of a weak back, and a sign that the strains of aging are beginning to show."

Kakashi silently vowed to himself that Neji would 'mysteriously' find his backpack to be two times heavier the next day.

"No," Sakura swallowed, letting Neji's words hit home, "I never thought…so you're saying he may be well into his forties?"

"I'm not sure," the Hyuga noted thoughtfully, "who's to say that he may not be into his fifties? Maybe mental degeneration is the cause of his questionable choice of literature."

That's it.

Kakashi resolutely pushed down on his mounting horror at the duo's estimation of his age. If this went on, they'd soon have him pegged as some senile, perverted old man. And he didn't particularly wish to rob Jiraiya of his reputation at this point.

"As much as it heartens me to hear you two stressing over my health, I have to say that I don't want to know the direction this conversation is going."

Sakura let out a startled gasp at the sudden intrusion, almost jumping into Neji in reaction to her shock. She glanced up almost guiltily at the laid-back looking Jounin, then mumbled a quick, "I'm going to sleep" before making her escape and diving for the safety of her tent.

As Neji headed for his own tent, he was suddenly pulled aside roughly by Kakashi, who looked him straight in the eye while tightening his hold considerably on the young man's arm.

"And Neji, just to let you know, there is absolutely nothing wrong with my back."

The Sharingan user released him, and walked off as though nothing had happened.

While watching Kakashi's casual retreat, Neji grinned to himself, only the brief expression quickly dissolved into his typical victory smirk reserved for strategic battles.

Gotcha…take that, you nosey red-eyed bastard.

***

Two weeks later, the group found themselves crossing the border between the Fire and Grass countries, and entering the busy town of Morioka. It was a good deal larger than the relatively quiet village of Konoha, and the reassuring signs of civilization immensely relieved all three ANBU members. They had been taking minor routes so far, and relying on wild terrains to provide them with campgrounds. Morioka would be the first settled establishment they passed, and that of course meant a real inn along with all the modern amenities.

The bustling town was fascinating to foreign visitors, and Sakura made plans with Lee to explore the local area after registering at the inn. Their plan fell through though, when Neji mentioned that Lee owed him a good sparring session since a week had gone by since he last practiced his techniques. Not one to be bested by his longtime rival, the taijutsu specialist had regretfully apologized since he would be unable to walk around with her.

After Lee took off to pursue his ritual training regime, Sakura found herself alone back within the plain wooden walls of her room, and decidedly hungry to boot.

No sense in starving myself if the guys want to fast in favor of fighting.

After showering and changing into her Chuunin uniform, the kunoichi grabbed her coin purse from a hidden pocket in her backpack and headed down the flight of inn stairs, only to nearly collide with Kakashi as she rounded the corner at the bottom.

Sakura had reflexively thrown her hands out as a means of bracing against the impending collision. What she didn't realize was that the action caused her to unthinkingly clutch the shirtfront of one perspiring Jounin.

Coincidentally, Kakashi had responded by automatically gripping Sakura by the shoulders in an attempt to lessen the impact. His firm hold was sufficient in foiling her efforts to jump back from their close proximity. The naturally heady scent of male musk assaulted her senses, causing the young woman to blush furiously as she stubbornly tried to back away.

"Wonder which genius' idea it was to have the stairs right beside a blind corner," she grumbled, conveying her embarrassment as Kakashi released her.

Keeping her eyes determinedly averted from catching his expression, Sakura smoothed out the front of her navy shirt. Heaven help her if he decided to wear that all-knowing look of his right now…

"And where are you off to," he asked, once there was breathing space between them again.

A telltale growl of protest from her traitorous stomach answered his question.

"Hmph, getting some dinner," she muttered, flushing at her body's disregard for her humility, "I don't plan on starving myself. Don't tell me you've all been practicing some hunger-suppressing jutsu I haven't heard of—"

Kakashi gazed fondly at the disgruntled figure of his former student. He hadn't realized it, but was now struck full force with how much he had missed Sakura's often incessant chattering. It was somewhat of a welcome change after several years of taxing and often solo missions dealing with other tight-lipped shinobi.

"Dinner, eh? That sounds about right, I'm up for it."

The Jounin stopped on his way out the inn doors when he noticed Sakura had made no move to follow him. Instead, she was regarding him with an expression torn between amusement and nausea.

"Um, Kakashi-sensei," she ventured weakly, "don't you at least want to change into some fresh clothes?"

Looking at her queasy, effort-consuming smile, Kakashi didn't know whether to be humored or insulted. As he smoothed away several unruly bangs from his face, the older shinobi decided that he'd acquiesce to her little sensibilities this time.

"Alright then," he nodded, "I'll be back down in a bit."

Once upstairs, Kakashi peeled off his sweat-drenched shirt, and then made for the bathroom where he filled the sink with cold water. Using a hand towel, he went on to give his upper body a refreshing wipe down, until he was left with the cooling sensation of water droplets evaporating off his heated skin. He pulled on a clean shirt, and finally donned his flak jacket before going back down.

Returning, he found Sakura conversing amicably with the innkeeper. Upon sighting him, she rewarded the Jounin with one of her brilliant smiles.

"Let's go already! And er, this does mean you're treating, right?"

Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle at her hopeful expression. He shrugged, and then smiled in spite of himself at the pout she resorted to wearing.

Once outside, the foreign sounds of a bustling town immediately enveloped the two shinobi, who took their time taking in the fascinating sights. Well, Kakashi mainly slowed his pace for Sakura's benefit, as it was her first time in Morioka. The young woman spent most her energy admiring the busy stalls and bazaars that stretched continuously along the impressively constructed streets.

Crowds of demanding customers mingled with the busy merchants, who displayed their mountainous array of goods with enthusiastic pride. The spiced smells of yakitori wafted from the carts of street vendors, making Sakura's mouth water upon catching the enticing odors. She began striding purposely towards one of the carts, when Kakashi arrested her advance with a firm hand on her shoulder. He could have sworn that a whimper of protest escaped her as she looked yearningly at the source of food.

"Not that," he almost coaxed, while squashing down his urge to give in to uproarious laughter, "the local specialty here is its gyoza. I know the best place for it too."

He led her another couple of blocks, to a homely looking food stand that reminded Sakura much of the Ichiraku back in Konoha. She eyed Kakashi dubiously, but didn't complain as he pulled her to a pair of stools in front of the clean wooden counter.

"A jumbo platter of gyoza, please," he told the middle-aged woman behind the counter, who smiled warmly at them before moving to fill the order, "I would order you a drink too, but…I'm sure you can understand why I'm less than inclined to."

That earned him another withering glare.

"So it was you then…um, thanks for making sure I got home,"

But it was strangely satisfying to see her rosy flush of embarrassment. Though he almost had to kick himself as a reminder that Sakura was a frequently emotional female, and that meant he'd better watch what he said in front of her if he planned on making it to the Sand Village intact.

"No problem, though I hope that was a one time thing?"

She said nothing in reply.

Moments later, a huge sizzling plate of the local delicacy was delivered to them, the heavenly aroma convincing Sakura that the slight delay was very much worth it. She immediately dug in, depositing morsel after morsel into her own individual bowl before devouring them. They were sumptuous, and it wasn't until she had polished off at least half the platter that she noticed the plate was empty.

In her haste, Sakura hadn't even noticed when Kakashi began eating, but it was obvious that he'd finished his share long before she did. She marveled at how he didn't seem to suffer from indigestion given his less than healthy eating habits. Before she could comment though, Kakashi had ordered another plate, and talk was out of the question until her stomach was appeased.

Smacking her lips in contentment, Sakura eyed the remainders of their latest platter of the pan-fried tidbits with interest. It was half unfinished, and she seriously doubted either she or Kakashi could manage to cram another bite of food down their throats.

"Excuse me," she spoke to the woman behind the counter, "could I order another jumbo-sized plate of your gyoza and two large takeout boxes?"

The request was quickly taken care of, and Sakura spoke her thanks when another steaming platter of food along with the requested items was set down in front of her.

Kakashi watched with interest, his small smile of amusement concealed by the ever-present facemask, as Sakura methodically divided the bite-size morsels into two equal portions and carefully transferred them into the pair of styrofoam containers. It was unexpected that she would like the local specialty that much, but it made him oddly pleased to see her enjoying herself. He was seriously considering dropping by the restaurant one last time tomorrow when they left town, just so that he could buy some more for the trip. Sakura's gleeful exclamation brought him out of his plans.

"There, now Lee and Neji can't blame us for running off to eat without them. Those two, they must be starving after their training, but they'd die before admitting their priorities need rearranging."

She stacked the two white containers one on top of another, then picked them up in preparation to leave. It wasn't until she got up from her stool that she noticed Kakashi hadn't budged, and appeared to be staring fixedly at the boxes she clutched in her arms.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

Whatever trance he was in, the Jounin seemed to snap out of it when he noticed Sakura reaching for the coin purse dangling at her waist. Shaking his head, Kakashi placed his larger hand gently over her searching one, and pulled the required amount from his own pocket.

"I thought you were intent on having me treat you,"

Sakura bit back a snort of disbelief, and instead stuck her tongue out impishly at her former sensei, whom she distinctly remembered as being a cheapskate of sorts.

"I was only kidding. But if this is some new resolution of yours, I'll be sure to tell Naruto next time I see him. I'm sure he'll only be too overjoyed."

While wondering how he could escape the prospect of forking his life earnings over to the Ichiraku owner, Kakashi grinned thoughtfully as he and Sakura left the restaurant. He turned his attention back to the young woman walking cheerfully at his side, his exposed eye taking in the comforting sight.

"You like to take care of others, don't you?"

Sakura looked up at the sudden question, her brows knitting together ever so slightly before releasing.

"Sensei, I think you're describing yourself," she shot back with a smile, before turning her head to gaze at the market stalls they passed, "Naruto still tells me about the horrible time when you popped up at his window uninvited with a month's supply of veggies."

"Well," Kakashi reasoned, "it doesn't take much to please Naruto now, does it? Cup ramen for every meal and he'll be happy as a clam. But the preservatives in those alone would kill him."

Sakura laughed aloud at that, only to chance a glimpse at her companion. He was walking with his usual relaxed gait, while the evening sunset cast a rich, golden hue over his serene features. The man seemed to take everything in stride; nothing phased or upset him since he was always able to dispatch even the greatest of tragedies with a lazy glance. He had not been emotional during the Sandaime's funeral, nor did he even blink when they told him about Sasuke's departure. But that also meant that Sakura had never seen him experience great joy or take pleasure in anything.

Studying his masked face now, the kunoichi wondered if emotional extremes were beyond him due to his shinobi training and experiences.

"Sensei," she suddenly inquired out of curiosity, "what makes you happy?"

Kakashi blinked, and started. He was soon coughing as a result of choking in the midst of his shock.

"What do you mean," he asked, somewhat confused, "I'm not usually unhappy, right?"

"I know…but just, when do you find yourself happiest?"

He pondered this, since one glance into Sakura's bright, earnest eyes told him that she was dead serious and expected an answer.

"Alright," he offered a little awkwardly, "being with my comrades. Like now, I'm perfectly happy."

"You could have fooled me," Sakura muttered under her breath, but the other caught it anyway.

"One doesn't always wear their emotions where others can see them, Sakura."

His tone was gentle, and when she caught his eye, he was obviously smiling at her. The idea that Kakashi purposely concealed his emotions was not new, but Sakura suddenly had the revelation that maybe Kakashi's nonchalant attitude was adopted for the benefit of others as well. In that regard he was very much like Sasuke, only Kakashi's method was more effective because it put those around him at ease.

Most people were ready to accept the fact that Kakashi was simply an unemotional man, and would leave it at that. That was what made his presence so comforting: he was the reliable base that you could always depend upon, because as unpredictable as his tactics and attacks were, Kakashi the man was a constant. Sakura realized then that there was so much she didn't know about him, he was perhaps one of the greatest enigmas she had ever encountered. And there was a strangely invisible, but ever powerful pulling factor that drew her to find out more about him.

This is at least an improvement from the guy who told us during introductions that his likes and dislikes were none of our business.

"Oh," the subject of her speculation interrupted unknowingly, "I wanted to talk to you about your obsession with tacking the sensei bit onto my name. In all honesty Sakura, your insistence in calling me 'sensei' makes me feel really old."

"But Sensei," she protested laughingly, "it's not good to be in denial about your age. You should accept and be proud of all the years you've amassed."

"Neji really brainwashed you good, didn't he," Kakashi sighed, "you know I'm really only a bit over thirty."

"Whatever Kakashi-sensei," Sakura snickered in reply, completely intent on teasing him now.

"Not to mention," he explained, looking slightly offended since she didn't seem to believe him, "that there should be more to us than just a simple student-teacher dimension. I would hope that we're at least friends. Teammates now too, correct?"

For some reason, the idea that she and Kakashi were not merely defined by their student-teacher relationship thrilled Sakura immensely.

"So not just 'sensei' then," she whispered to herself, and pronounced his name loud enough for him to hear, "Kakashi."

That sounded much more fitting to both parties.

"Why did you join ANBU," Kakashi asked after a moment of silence. It was something that had been bothering him for a while now. He had originally thought that someone with Sakura's disposition would be happiest teaching or assisting with another special department such as foreign relations or tactics.

"Because I could," she replied honestly, "I didn't really think much about it. The opportunity came up, so I took it."

Her reply earned her a disapproving frown from the Jounin.

"So you just plunged in without thinking. Did you realize what you would be getting yourself into?"

Sakura cowered slightly under the subtle admonishment that edged Kakashi's words. He seemed genuinely upset by her response. But who was he to be suddenly demanding reasons for her choices?

"I know what my duties and responsibilities are," she stated confidently, "and I understand I may have been a burden in the past. But let me assure you that I don't plan on being extra weight for anyone in the future."

Her gaze met his challengingly, as though daring him to contradict her. The emerald fire lighting her eyes took Kakashi back to the meeting tower where third round preliminaries for the Chuunin exam had taken place years ago. Sakura had held that same determined expression during her fight with Ino.

"Good then," he said simply, though his mind's voice felt obliged to say so much more. Maybe it was his protective instincts carrying over from the days of Team 7, but Kakashi knew instinctively that he would do everything in his power to look out for her.

To make up for my absence when she needed guidance, he justified to himself. He found it much easier to accept that way.

***

It wasn't hard to tell when they had left the Grass Country and ventured into the vast lands that would make up the Wind nation's territory. For one, the climate began to drastically change. There was none of the temperate humidity that came with frequent rain showers, characteristics of the Grass and Rain countries. Instead, all signs of vegetation began to thin out until they were eventually surrounded by nothing but miles upon miles of coarse yellow sand.

At first Sakura had been enthralled by the sight, especially since this was the farthest she had ever journeyed from Konoha. But pretty soon, she began to see the environment for what it was: a daunting habitat that sought to destroy life rather than nurture it. By the end of the day, each shinobi would wipe tiredly at their faces, finding themselves caked in a layer of sandy grit that covered every inch of exposed skin. The ANBU masks were almost immediately abandoned in favor of long, cloth scarves that they wrapped protectively about their heads.

The duststorms were the worst, and those seemed to occur more frequently the closer they traveled to the Sand Village. Sakura spent many a night awake and trembling in her little tent that seemed ridiculously flimsy and vulnerable as the night winds howled menacingly outside. She silently thanked the deities that Kakashi was with them, since he knew a number of tips about surviving in the harsh environment.

He instructed them to trench the ground around their campsite each evening, as it lessened the possibility of their tents being buried under the torrents of sand. He also showed them how to set up solar stills to collect precious amounts of water. Under the tough conditions, it seemed that Neji finally developed a grudging acceptance of Kakashi's leadership, since direct clashes between them soon disappeared altogether.

Ironically, the weather appeared to settle on the day they reached the East Gate entrance to the Sand Village. By then, each ANBU member wanted nothing more than to return to their own village, and secretly pitied the Sand shinobi for having to withstand such harsh conditions constantly. It was a remarkable feat that a country in such a disadvantaged location could harness its resources and become one of the Great Five shinobi nations.

The Sand shinboi serving as a sentry at the gate quirked an eyebrow at the ragged looking squad from the Leaf, and began snickering obviously at their expense.

"Hatake Kakashi," he drawled, "Kazekage-sama has been expecting your group. But with your reputation, we weren't counting on you showing up until the day after tomorrow. You're on time."

Kakashi only nodded in agreement, before presenting the passports of his squad.

"I hope this doesn't mean that we won't be able to meet with Kazekage-sama immediately," he intoned seriously.

"No, of course not," the other shinobi hastily remarked, "as I said before, you're expected."

As the Sand shinobi moved off to summon their escorts, Kakashi turned to the trio and smiled in a way that was surprisingly close to encouragement. Whatever it was, it accomplished the task of sparking new energy within their exhausted bodies.

"Be ready guys, cause from now on your ninja skills are worth zilch without the accompanying subtlety, observation, and pretense. But look at it this way...this is where the fun finally begins."

They believed him.

_____________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

So yes, with summer break underway, I get lots more time to work on this. And that means faster updates for sure. Thanks for being patient with me, and I'll only be working harder for you guys. A lot of people are wondering if Sasuke will be making an appearance in this fic. My answer to that is a complete and definite YES! How would everything be complete if our favorite loner didn't show up? ;) And of course, I welcome all reviews. It's always great to know what you guys think so far. See you all next update!

Review Responses:

QuasiAngel: Whew, I've got timing, don't I ;)? Hope this chapter was to your liking as well!

Nocterayne: I'm horrible, aren't I? Interfering with education…O.o But since I sometimes cut studying to write, I'd say we're even ^^. Let's just say that Sakura and her mysterious "tutor" have a pretty twisted relationship going on there.

katsuhito sage: Your reviews are amazing, it makes me so warm and fuzzy inside to see someone enjoying this fic as much as you are! Yay for spring break, right? I was actually debating whether to keep all the attacks in Japanese or to translate them, so I kind of decided on a weird 50/50 split. But I'll try Babelfish tho, thanx!

Demeter1: Yeah, KakaSaku is definitely a kink…but I will argue to the death that there are canon hints! Er right…You're right about the hair description bit, it was one of the most frustrating things coming up with synonyms for "pink". That's actually a very interesting point you noticed about the ANBU trio and the Naruto cult pairings. A coincidence, maybe? ^_~

Zsych: I nearly spit all over my keyboard with your comment about controlling Sasuke's sex drive ^^. Maybe it'd improve his personality, though maybe not. Dude, don't I wish I had Kishimoto's powers? Sasuke and Naruto's appearances will be imminent, and they promise to be…interesting. Hope you enjoy the coming chapters!

Mikazuki1: *sniffle* Your kind words touch me to the bottom of my Naruto-obsessed, um, heart! It's awesome knowing that you enjoy this fic that much. I hope the Neji/Lee/Saku/Kaka interaction was to your liking. There'll definitely be more, so I hope to see ya for future chapters!

Lady Light: Poor Sakura, there's just too much excitement in her life, eh? ;)

oOoshortayoOo: Thanks for the compliment! It's great to know that this thing reads like a novel ^^. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Jewel Song: Thank ye! Yes, Sasuke definitely be appearing, that's one encounter that just needs to happen. I hope you liked this chapter, and there'll be lots more coming!

Bronwen Stx: Oh no, the plan's been found out! I might have to abort the mission of converting Naruto fans into KakaSaku fans one by one ;) There are other great KakaSaku fics out there, I recommend "Another Wolf" and "Never Forgotten" as ones that I've read that are both on fanfic.net. Thank you muchly for the lovely review! Naruto will be appearing…if he can take time off his own training and random trips outside the village. Ouch, do you know how hard it is to clean blood from the keyboard? O.o *hands you bandages* Hope you enjoy the upcoming chapters!

EmptySanity: Hehe, I thought I was pretty obvious about the mysterious figure. But if everyone wants to keep guessing, I won't stop them ^^. I totally agree that Sakura would be different if Sasuke wasn't her focal point. Lol, I can sympathize with you, there are tons of people out there who don't like Sasuke!

bishonen_no_miko: Yeah, ch.212 was great, the appearance of the Sand siblings was completely unexpected. It doesn't really help with my plotline, but I taper off at ch.210 anyways, so we'll pretend that never happened ;) It's always a pleasure reading your encouraging reviews, and I'll try to keep the quality of my writing while producing chapters faster. Should happen…since I have more time now. And yes, I cannot wait for the movie!! Another step towards figuring out the enigma that is Kakashi, perhaps?

cuito: Thanks ever so much! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well, and there's more coming, hehehe.

Sailor Tiamat: Yeah, that would be a really cruel joke, wouldn't it? Hope you liked this chapter, and I'll see ya for the future ones!

Yukino: Wow, I'm stunned that I've managed to capture the attention of someone who usually hates Sakura fics. Tons of thanks, I hope you stick around for the future chapters!

Musquash: Let us elope! I'll bring the chocolate, and we can travel the world while spending our days in decadence ^^. You have no idea how encouraging your review is, makes my day/month/year. I'll be checking out more of your fics for sure, now that the agony known as school has released me from its sordid clutches!

ph34R tH3 CuT3 0N3s: Thanks for the wonderful vote of confidence! There needs to be more KakaSaku fics, *hint, hint*. Are you currently writing Naruto fics? I'll have to check 'em out then ^^! And oooh, KakaSaku fanart! Where can I find your drawings, since I'm such a huge sucker for Naruto artwork? Hope you liked the latest chapter!

Kenhime: Omg, your review kicks! I thoroughly enjoyed all your pet names for the red-eyed men of Konoha ;) It thrills me to know that you found the plot engaging, and worth coming back for more. Yeah, Mr. Akatsuki is going to be making interesting appearances that will hopefully be worth it. Thanks for all the hug-worthy encouragement, and I hope you enjoy the upcoming chapters!!

rogue solus: Thanx! Hope you like this latest chapter!

jane: I'm glad you found it funny ^^. They're an entertaining bunch, aren't they?

shigeru: Good to know that this thing is flowing alright! Thanks for the review!

shimmer: I'll be continuing this for sure! Yay for KakaSaku!

nefretrw: Thanks for the awesome compliment! I haven't tried reading any of the KakaSaku stories on the Japanese sites, but let it be known that there should be more KakaSaku fic! *nudge, nudge* I agree that stereotypes bite, and it's encouraging to know that I have a somewhat decent plot ^^. I just might be one of those people who can only work under pressure tho, might explain why I procrastinate o.O. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

uselessprincess: Yay, another KakaSaku fan! This warms my heart indeed. Thanks for the tasty compliments, and I hope you enjoy the escapades of our little ANBU group. Genma may very well be making future appearances too! I hope to see ya for the upcoming chapters!