For the first time in my life (I think) I experienced a writer's block. I couldn't write for the life of me. I had several magnificent ideas pop into my head, but when I tried to focus and write down one, they all would disappear. Therefore, I apologize for the long wait on this chapter. Seeing those wonderful reviews and the new hit counter was actually very motivating. Thanks to everyone still reading this story. I'm trying my best to get the next chapter out ASAP. Have a nice weekend!

"…Are you sure?… It's been nearly two days since…" Two days?

"Yeah. Don't worry… I'll stay…" What happened?

"Okay… I'll come by again… bye…" Sayo.

"…See ya…" Kakashi.

Sakura recognized the hushed voices breaking through the cloud of unconsciousness. She wondered why they sounded so calm and concerned all at once and why there was a throbbing pain gushing through her midsection that distracted her from pondering on the previous thought any further.

Her body stirred on its own as it tried to shake the vestiges of sleep from heavy limbs. As she stretched her toes a piercing twinge shot through her right ankle, and Sakura found herself suppressing the urge to cry out. A heavy breath that escaped through her nostrils was the only telltale sign of her ordeal.

A lamp flickered on somewhere close by. The shadow of someone moving through the dim glow fell across Sakura's pained face. Judging by the overall lack of lighting, Sakura determined that it must have been nighttime.

But that doesn't make sense. It was dark when I passed out under the trees. I passed out.

Her eyes set to the arduous task of blinking open, something that had not yet occurred to Sakura in all the time she'd been laying there. As the blurred surroundings eventually swirled into a defined existence, she was relieved to recognize the room as her own.

Kakashi lounged on the swivel chair beside her bed in a matching set of navy blue Jounin sweats, casually scanning the pages of his favorite orange book. He must have been well aware that Sakura was indeed awake as nothing escaped Kakashi's attention. However, he continued reading on, perhaps waiting to let Sakura regain her awareness.

Sakura decided to say nothing. Instead she lay still and surveyed what she could from her current position.

Judging from the flimsy material pressed directly against her skin she must have been wearing a hospital gown. Her eyes confirmed this with a quick glance down at the bit of her body that wasn't covered with a blanket.

Bandages and other medical supplies littered the bedside table on the left.

The black void outside the window behind it informed her that it was indeed night.

There was a sleeping bag rolled out on the floor along the opposite wall.

An IV had been set up on her right side.

Her emerald eyes followed the thin tube trailing down to her hand. She drummed her fingers once against the white sheets.

In all this time she had not realized that Kakashi had laid his book down carefully on the desk and now watched her with mismatched eyes. The black silk masked still remained, but the forehead protector was nowhere to be found.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"About two and a half days."

"Oh."

Sakura tried to maneuver herself into a sitting position, wincing from the addition of aches and pains her efforts brought her. Kakashi helped to lift her up and added some pillows behind her head for support.

She noted how his hands lingered on her sides and shoulders when contact was made. The very same hands that had been covered in the enemy's blood two days ago. Hands so gentle and warm now. She shivered at the thought.

Kakashi remained standing, his hands hidden in the pockets of his pants. Sakura looked down at the palms of her own hands that rested in her lap. Hands guilty of the same act now seemed so impossibly small and harmless. She tried not to dwell on it.

Sakura cleared her throat. "Um… So what happened after I, uh…"

"Well," Kakashi said, "I rushed you back here to the clinic." He scratched his head in thought. "There were no cots left, so we had to put you in your own bed. I hope you weren't too attached to those old sheets." She shrugged.

"Sayo stitched you up. I got to play nurse. Did you know that you have a mole in the most interesting place?"

If she had more energy and less pains in her body to worry about, Sakura might have found the motivation to blush at the thought of Kakashi seeing her naked. She'd glimpsed more than her fair share of bare ninja, but when the tables were turned she couldn't help but feel embarrassed. She folded her arms over her chest, causing the dress material to slip off her shoulder and exposing smooth skin. Oh well.

"I'm just kidding," Kakashi chuckled. "I actually heard that from Sayo. I left the room when she changed you into the gown."

"Just tell me one thing," Sakura groaned, rubbing her forehead, "Why is my ankle killing me? I don't remember getting that injury."

"It looks like you twisted it when you passed out. You sort of tripped forward, so I guess you sprained it." Up until now, Kakashi had shown a rather deadpan expression. "You, uh, you lost a lot of blood," he mentioned coolly, but his eyes betrayed his casual manner when Sakura glanced up at them. She tried to pinpoint the name of the emotion apparent in his gaze, failing to worry about it as a gentle hand reached up to tug her sleeve back up and caress her face.

Sakura was surprised to find it hard to breathe, not from physical injuries, rather that simple act of touch. Her frail body wanted to and would have shivered if there had been enough energy to do so. Finally, she managed to ask, "You were worried about me?" A stupid question when she already knew the answer.

"Sayo said you might not make it," Kakashi whispered, his hand never leaving her face.

"But I did," she murmured. "It's okay, because I did."

He shook his head. "I thought you might not make it." Fingertips traced their way up the length of her arm tenderly as Kakashi sat down on the bed.

Sakura closed her eyes. "Tell me you were worried."

"You know the answer," Kakashi said.

"I need to hear it."

The bed creaked with the added weight as his body shifted. His hands left her body. Sakura opened her eyes.

He sat before her, a mop of silver hair, Sharingan red contrasting with charcoal gray that were his eyes. High cheekbones, a smooth nose, lips that neither smiled nor frowned, the beginnings of laugh lines that betrayed the serious mouth.

A man with a face.

"I was worried," the face said, his voice identical to Kakashi's. Sakura wanted to reach up and touch him just to see if he was real. She hesitated, worried that the image would shatter in a million pieces if she dared to. The hands of the man with hair and eyes and the voice of Kakashi reached for her own and lifted them to his face. She wondered how he knew.

When the image didn't crack and splinter into oblivion, Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. She buried her face into the pool of silk cradled around Kakashi's neck, ignoring the pain in her side.

He even smelled like Kakashi.

His breath caught in her cherry blossom tangles, and she liked it. His arms snaked their way around her, trying to be gentle in their sudden need to feel her in his arms, and she loved it. His lips brushed her ear and kissed her cheek, and she wanted it. His kisses reached her mouth, so hungry and pressing, and she needed it.

Kisses that devoured her aches and pains and melted away her worries and fears. The kind that told her he couldn't live without her and had no intention of it. When was the last time someone, anyone, had kissed her like that?

But for the first time in her life, Sakura didn't have an answer.

It must have been quite a sight for the people of Konoha. Sakura was sure they'd never seen a silver-haired Jounin trudging through the first winter snow with a kunoichi resting on his back, pink curls dangling in the breeze. Her sprained ankle lay hidden beneath a layer of socks and wrapped securely in a floral scarf which people eyed curiously from the sidewalks before realization dawned on them.

Sakura smiled into the mess of Kakashi's hair before returning to gazing out at all the streets and people she hadn't seen in nearly two months. How was it that everything here could still look the same when, on the inside, Sakura had changed?

Only two additional days of fighting ensued at the fort after Sakura awoke. Konoha virtually crushed any and all opposition the Cloud sent before storming the closest enemy stronghold. It didn't take long for the official surrender.

Meanwhile, she had been forced to lie in bed, relying on various visitors to relay information to her. Kakashi refused to talk about it, instead taking time to keep her occupied with other activities.

When he wasn't on duty, the Copy Ninja could be found on the edge of Sakura's bed with a Go board in hand or an armful of origami. Nothing to suggest there was anything more than a close friendship to prying eyes.

Sakura's eyes wavered as they passed by headquarters. Despite the fact that he was practically living in her room, there had been no repeat of that first night when she came to. His mask was always in place. Sure, there were those moments when she was laughing and he was leaning a little too close. The laughter would subside, giving way to a simple smile.

It always caught her off guard when he looked at her that way. Maybe that was why he hadn't kissed her again. Maybe he mistook her surprise for fear or apprehension. So instead of kissing her, he'd wiped a bang away or brushed his hand against her face and sighed before returning to whatever they'd been doing prior.

She didn't push the issue.

Sayo was able to repair the skin broken by the kunai in Sakura's side, but the underlying tissue refused to be repaired with medicinal chakra. The same could be said for her ankle. She'd never encountered anything like it, wounds that rejected chakra healing properties.

Therefore, Sakura was forced to recover the old-fashioned way, with plenty of rest and time. Although inconvenient, there were a few perks. After all, Kakashi had carried her all the way back to Konoha. And now she had to take time off for recuperation; in other words, a paid vacation.

Ino was sitting outside on the porch step when Kakashi pulled to a stop before Sakura's house. A pair of crutches leaned against the railing.

"Sakuraaaa!" Ino's shrill call rang out through the moderate quiet of the street. She stood up and danced on the balls of her feet. When Sakura was firmly planted on the ground and in touching distance, the excited blonde nearly crushed her long lost friend in a haphazard embrace.

"Ino, stop it," Sakura gasped as she latched her arms right around Sakura's middle. She winced and nearly fell from the whooshing sound roaring in her ears. The grip loosened and Sakura fell back into Kakashi's arms.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Sakura mumbled, "Just got a little dizzy there."

"We should probably get you up to bed," Kakashi said, searching Sakura's face for signs of refutation. She was going to bed whether she liked it or not.

To his surprise, she agreed. "You're probably right," she replied rather breathlessly. Before she knew it, Sakura was swept up in Kakashi's arms, and he was carrying her up the stairs to her bedroom.

She glanced over his shoulder to watch Ino following not far behind, crutches in hand, a wicked grin on her face and mischief playing in her sapphire gaze. Sakura shook her head ever so slightly and widened her eyes. Do not say a word until he leaves.

"Something wrong?"

Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin. Kakashi was watching her, an eyebrow raised. She laughed nervously and shook her head. "N-no, nothing," she insisted, giving him her brightest smile as she directed him to her bedroom.

Ino raced forward to open the appropriate door, her eyes never leaving the two of them. Apparently Kakashi was pretending not to notice as he sat Sakura down on the edge of her bed. Everything still looks the same. He sat her pack down at the foot of the bed and turned back to Sakura.

"I'm heading down to headquarters. I have to file a report." A genuine sigh escaped from his lips. Did he want to stay? "Do you need anything else before I go?"

"Well I—"

"Sakura," Ino interrupted, "didn't you hear the man? He has work to do! She'll be fine Kakashi, I promise." Sakura just stared at Ino, mouth agape. It was a well-known fact that Ino had some nerve, but kicking her best friend's former teacher out of her house was definitely a first.

"Oh really?" Kakashi sounded doubtful.

"Of course," Ino assured him, "Didn't you hear? A medic at the fort put in an order for a nurse to stay with Sakura until she recovered. So … I volunteered!"

"How thoughtful of you, Ino," Sakura muttered. "Glad you took it upon yourself…"

"Believe me," Ino said, ushering Kakashi out the door. "She's in good hands. I even took a class for this." She glanced back at Sakura. "I'll be right back." Kakashi was only given the chance to do his signature wave before being pushed out the bedroom and ushered down the steps. Sakura collapsed backwards into her mattress, tugging a pillow to cover her face and sulk.

Once she had finally gotten Kakashi out of the house, Ino raced back up the steps to the bedroom. She was ready to question Sakura, who was currently hiding under a pillow. A funny sound was coming from beneath the azure cushion that sounded an awful lot like … Snoring?

Sure enough, when she removed the pillow, Ino found the roseate kunoichi fast asleep. She huffed and puffed, but in the end decided not to disturb Sakura. After all, she could always interrogate her when she woke up.

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