Welcome back for another helping :)

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto. This is written for fun and because my cousin, RabidPlotBunny, got ahold of me and made me write it. Characters may be OOC.

Since someone asked Sakura is about 19. This would make Kakashi about 33. 14 years age gap is not insurmountable. XD

And - at the top this time - Thanks to TransientShia for reading it first and giving me the encouragement to carry on and finish the story.

And what is it with the editing tool on here that keeps removing spaces from between words? I've checked through several times, but apologies if I missed any!

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Chapter 3

Kakashi poofed back into existence in the alley next to Sakura's apartment block. He leaned back against the wall and let out a breath that he hadn't been aware he was holding. What the hell had just happened there?

He was undecided as to whether the Yamanaka girl's interruption was a good or a bad thing, but he cursed the disturbance anyway.

As he stood there trying to gather himself he could not get the image of Sakura out of his mind. She glowed in the soft evening light, pink hair, long since grown out again, damply cascading down her back, a light blush on her flawless features, luminous green eyes sparkling with emotion… he could almost feel his internal barriers begin to crumble…

He shook his head in an effort to dispel the image. This was getting complicated already, and he hadn't even started to seriously make an effort with his "mission." He could do this, he told himself. He was the great Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi, who had come up against worse odds and made it through. All he had to do was get her to go out with him for a while and then let her down gently. Still, he could give it a couple of days before making contact with Sakura again. He did have a whole month to do this after all. There was no rush.

With that thought in mind, he sauntered off down the street in the general direction of Ichiraku Ramen. He wasn't sure why, but he had quite a craving for that particular dish this evening.

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As it happened it would be more than a week before he saw Sakura again. She had missed the weekly meeting of Team Seven because of an emergency in the medical centre and Kakashi found that he was strangely disappointed at the absence of the pink haired girl. The masked man was more distant than usual, which did not escape the notice of Naruto or Sasuke, and neither boy was surprised when he made his excuses to leave rather earlier than he normally would.

"Che, I wonder what's up with him?" Sasuke had wondered in a disinterested tone once he'd gone.

"Bah! Ero-Sensei is weird…" Naruto could not truly bring himself to care. His first priority at the moment was the steaming bowl of Ramen in front of him.

"Dobe," was the only reply Sasuke gave as Naruto dug in. How on earth did Hinata put up with the hyperactive young man?

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It was late afternoon a few days after the "meeting" and Kakashi was on his way back from a short mission he'd been sent on. He was heading, rather tardily, in the general direction of mission HQ when he saw something that made him stop.

Sakura was being accosted by Lee, who was down on his knees, spouting off. The girl looked both annoyed and embarrassed as the exchange continued, and despite her obvious feelings, Lee was being rather persistent.

Kakashi felt something unfamiliar rise in him as he watched the scene unfolding. As Sakura tried to walk away, Lee reached out and grabbed the pink haired girl.

Hatake Kakashi growled to himself. He was not going to stand for that!

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Sakura was on her way home from the medical center when she ground to a halt as she found her path blocked by a nauseating vision in green. "Hello Lee-San," she said letting a slight trace of annoyance leak into her words, "what can I do for you today?"

"Ah! Sakura-San!" Lee dropped to his knees, "The most beautiful blossom in all of Konoha, so delicate and so beautiful, a goddess descended from the heavens..."

Sakura grimaced as she listened to the Chuunin carrying on, he'd already managed to say beautiful twice in that sentence.

"I would date with you!" Lee finally finished seeming pretty proud of himself, the confidence that he would get a positive answer shining through.

"I am sorry Lee san, but as you well know I am interested in someone else…"

Lee stood up, "But Sasuke-kun isn't interested in you! You cannot pine after him forever! If you go out with me…"

"Lee-san!" Sakura interrupted wondering just when the idiot would get a clue, "I am sorry, but I am NOT interested. Now if you would please excuse me," she made to walk away when she felt a hand grab her arm.

"Sakura-san…" Lee said intensely.

"Let me go!" This was the first time he had dared to touch her and Sakura was half scared. She might be strong herself, but the tai-jutsu specialist had a grip of steel. She was about to attempt an escape when…

"Hey, Sakura," a familiar voice called. Lee let her go and she turned around to find the welcome sight of the masked Jounin casually sauntering towards them.

"Ah, Lee-San," Kakashi said with barely concealed contempt, pretending to notice the green idiot for the first time, "I do believe that Gai-Sensei was looking for you." He seemed to be very casual, but Sakura could see a steely glint in his eye. She was sure that if Lee hadn't let her go…

Lee bowed. If he was annoyed at the interruption he did not show it. "Thank you Kakashi-Sensei. I will go to find him now." He turned and left.

Kakashi turned his attention to the pink haired young woman. "Are you alright?" He let a small amount of worry seep into his voice.

Sakura, whilst grateful for the rescue, was still slightly annoyed at the interference. "I'm fine Kakashi-Sensei."

The unspoken "I can look after myself" was obvious, but Kakashi chose to ignore it. "I thought we'd agreed to drop the Sensei part," he said gently.

"H-hai. Sorry Kakashi." She looked away and hoped that he would not notice her tremble. She had replayed the scene from her apartment in her head over and over again since that evening. She was not sure what it meant, but the thought that he might come to like her as something more than a friend both excited and scared her.

He noticed a slight tremor go through her, but interpreted it wrongly. "Hey, you are all shaken up. Let me take you for coffee. It will help you feel better."

"But don't you have a mission report to give?" Sakura made a token protest, knowing that he had been away on a mission, and unsure as of yet whether he had reported in.

"It's ok," He waved a hand dismissively, "They are used to me being late. A little longer won't make any difference."

She considered sending him straight to hand his report in, but she really did not want to be alone right now. Decision made, she said, "In that case, yes, I would be glad to join you for coffee."

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"Gai-Sensei!" Rock Lee called out as he spotted his role model. After running a short errand he had been searching for his teacher on the word of Kakashi-Sensei

"LEE!" Gai enthused.

"Gai-Sensei!"

As was usual when these two got together, this went on for quite some time, until Gai asked, "Did you want something Lee?"

Lee looked confused. "Kakashi-Sensei said that you had been looking for me."

"He did?" Gai was surprised for a moment, but then remembered back to what Kakashi had asked him in the Bar. It seemed likely that he had caught Lee making a nuisance of himself with the Haruno girl. "Ah, yes. Lee, I need to speak with you on a matter of the gravest importance."

Lee listened carefully as Gai eloquently told him many, many things that essentially boiled down to the fact that he should back off Sakura and leave her alone.

He considered Gai's words in his own warped little world for a moment, then jumped to a conclusion. It was a test! A test to see if he could be worthy to win the beautiful flower that was Haruno Sakura! He resolved that he would pass their test and prove to everyone that he was more than worthy!

Haruno Sakura would be his!

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Kakashi and Sakura sat opposite each other at a table in the small café that he had chosen. They had sat quietly for quite a while, and there seemed to be an unusual tension in the air. Kakashi decided that it had gone on for long enough.

"Is there something wrong, Sakura?"

"No, there is nothing wrong."

"You know, if that boy is bothering you…" Kakashi tailed off. He still held quite some annoyance towards the boy that had been bothering Sakura.

"It's nothing Kakashi, I can handle it." Sakura refused to meet his gaze. He decided to let the subject of Lee drop. Although he knew it was a problem, which he resolved to keep a closer eye on, he thought that it was something else that was bothering the pink haired girl now.

"Have I done something to upset you?"

Her head shot up. "No, no, you haven't upset me." She smiled wanly at him, unconsciously showing the extent to which the incident with Lee had shaken her. She looked so vulnerable in that moment that he felt something inside him crack.

On impulse he reached out, grabbed her hand and caught her eye with his own. "Sakura," he began, but he was unable to finish…

"Kakashi! What are you doing in here? I've been waiting for your mission report."

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Umino Iruka grumbled to himself as he walked down the road. It had been reported that Kakashi had returned to Konoha several hours ago, but he was even later than usual as he was still to make an appearance to give in his mission report. Kakashi was the last ninja left to report that day and Iruka had drawn the short straw so he was stuck waiting for him until he finally decided to show.

Eventually, stomach grumbling, Iruka decided to leave the office for a few moments to grab something to eat. If his habitually late friend turned up whilst he was out then tough, he would have to wait for a change.

He waited at the counter of a small café as he ordered a sandwich to take out. As he looked around he spotted a familiar shock of silver hair. He made his way over.

"Kakashi! What are you doing in here? I've been waiting for your mission report."

"Iruka," Kakashi replied as he quickly let go of Sakura's hand. "I'm sorry I'm so late but I was helping a damsel in distress."

Iruka was skeptical. "Come on now, Kakashi, do you really expect me to believe that?"

"Actually Iruka-Sensei," Sakura started to speak. Iruka looked shocked as he had been so focused on his silver haired target that he had not noticed that anyone else was sitting there, "It's my fault that Kakashi is later than usual. Please accept my apologies."

Iruka was speechless.

"You see, I was telling the truth." Kakashi seemed amused. "I tell you what, just let me escort the young lady home and I'll come straight to give you my report."

"Ah, OK." Iruka had found his voice but he was still shocked that Kakashi had actually got a half-decent excuse for his excessive lateness this time He knew that Sakura would not back him up unless he was telling the truth. "Please don't be too long. I really would like to get home before midnight."

"Hai hai," Kakashi said in his usual off hand manner as he stood up. "I promise I won't be long."

"Goodbye, Iruka-Sensei," Sakura said politely as she left with the masked man.

"Goodbye Sakura-Chan. See you later Kakashi."

Iruka looked bemused as he walked back to the mission office in the early evening light with his order. He almost felt as if he had disturbed something between the green eyed young woman and the masked man. He shook his head. That was ridiculous… wasn't it?

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Kakashi pondered as he walked in companionable silence towards the home of his pink haired companion. He was thinking about the fact that he'd nearly said… something before Iruka had stopped him, and the possible implications.

Sakura broke the silence. "Ano… What was it you wanted to tell me before we were interrupted?"

"Ah, it was nothing important." He felt it was better to say nothing, at least for the moment.

"Oh." She sounded disappointed.

He looked up, "We're here," he said redundantly.

"Yes, would you like to come in for a moment?" she enquired. She looked up at him a little expectantly.

"Ah, I'm sorry, but I'd better go. If I don't get my mission report in soon, Iruka might actually try to kill me. Thank you for the backup though."

"That's OK. After all, you did help me out earlier, so now we are even for today." She smiled, "See you later, Kakashi."

"Hai, see you later." And with that he poofed out.

She smiled as she watched the smoke dissipate. That was a typical Kakashi exit, and one of the many things she liked about him. As she walked into her apartment block she wondered again what it was that he was going to say to her before they had been interrupted. It had been nice to feel his hand on hers and she held a warm feeling inside from the memory.

She was sure, he DID like her. Now how to get him to act on it?

As she reached her apartment, she noticed a box of chocolates and a bunch of flowers next to the door. She felt sick to her stomach as she picked them up and read the card with the flowers that professed Lee's undying love for her. She carefully made a show of taking them out to the trash in case he was watching, then quickly returned to her apartment and locked the door.

When would he give it up?

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Kakashi poofed into Mission HQ, almost scaring Iruka into a heart attack in the process

"Here you go, one mission report," the masked Jounin smirked as he gave his friend the papers.

Iruka looked annoyed and then quickly scanned through the documents. "Hmm, these seem to be in order. I'll have to read through them properly tomorrow though. I really do need toget going…" He looked up to find that Kakashi seemed to be deep in thought and didn't seem to have taken any note of what he'd just said.

Iruka called the Jounin's name several times and got no response. He sighed, got up and waved his hand in front of the copy-ninja's one visible eye. "Earth to Kakashi, is there anyone in there?"

Kakashi started. "Ah, sorry Iruka, I was miles away."

"I could tell." Iruka decided to play a hunch. "Could it have something to do with a certain pink haired young woman that I saw you with earlier?"

Kakashi was silent. Iruka decided to take that as a yes. "Have you asked her out yet?" He was rewarded with a slump of the shoulders. That was a no then. "Maybe you should."

"Should what?"

"Ask her out."

"But she might say no."

"She might say yes."

"I'm 14 years older than she is…"

"I don't think that is a problem."

"But she was my student..."

"Hatake Kakashi," Iruka began in his sternest school teacher's voice, "Stop making excuses, or is the famous Copy-Ninja of Konoha too scared to ask a girl out?"

"Maa, it's not that I'm scared, it's just…" he tailed off into silence.

"Hai hai, I understand, but we all have to move on sometime."

Kakashi looked up sharply, giving Iruka a warning glare. Iruka stood there, arms crossed, seemingly unintimidated.

"You aren't the only one to have lost people you know," the scarred Chuunin said more gently than Kakashi was expecting. Iruka knew that he was probably the only person that could get away with saying this to his masked friend, and even he was still afraid that he was pushing his luck.

He took a deep breath and pressed on. "There always comes a time to move on. Nobody expects you to forget what happened, but do you really think that they would want you to spend the rest of your time alone?"

Kakashi knew who Iruka meant by "they" and he felt annoyance rise, then subside. After all, the scarred Chuunin was only echoing the conclusions that Kakashi himself had slowly come to over the last few years. Watching his one-time students and the rest of the 'rookie nine' come through adversity, never giving up and then moving on to the future had changed something in the masked man. However, he knew that even considering getting involved with anyone would mean that he was finally ready to let go of the past and take a chance on the future himself. It was a big step to take.

Well, if he was totally honest with himself, becoming friends with Iruka had been the first step on that long road, but that was a different story and this was a whole new ball game.

He thought for a moment, then decided to raise another objection. "What if there is another war? I know Konoha is at peace for now, and there are currently no signs of hostilities, but one day I may be sent on a mission I might not come back from. What then?"

"Sakura is a ninja too, if I might remind you of that. She knows what is involved. Besides, if there is another war then SHE might get sent out and not come back. Medic-nins don't just sit in the hospital you know." Iruka looked satisfied as Kakashi looked up, shock visible on his face even through the mask, making it clear that he hadn't even given that a thought.

"You can't keep living your life on what-ifs that may never happen, and even you deserve some happiness. Do you really want to die alone, regretting that you had never even tried and wondering if it could have worked? As I said before, she knows the stakes."

Kakashi sat there deep in thought. What Iruka had said was true, but if they got involved and something happened to her, would he be able to face the pain of losing someone close to him again? Was it worth the risk? He was brought back to himself as Iruka spoke.

"You know what? We are really getting way ahead of ourselves here. Go see her and take it from there." Iruka had tried his hardest, now it was all down to Kakashi.

"Ah, maybe you are right," Kakashi waved nonchalantly as he got up and walked toward the door. At the very least Iruka had given him something to think about. "Thank you Iruka-Sensei."

"It was nothing Kakashi," Iruka smiled, "Let me know how it goes!"

He didn't get a response, but then, he hadn't really expected one.

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Authors Notes.

AznNarutoGrl-91 - I know Lee is bad - he's going to get worse (or as TDotShia put it, "Freaky") but there is a reason for it.

TDotShia - OMG - you DO haunt me :P and most of the changes on this chapter are in the "Iruka talks to Kakashi" part. A lot of the changes I've been making throughout are little things - add or remove a sentence here and there, substitute the odd word or change a phrase to try and make it flow better. Except for the end of chapter 9 - which I told you about on my blog :P and you'll have to wait to see how I changed it XD (evil) :P

'Me' - that link still didn't come out quite right - but that is the KxS LJ that I visit. I'll keep it in mind. :-)

Also thanks to Freakenout, Ruka-Kun, AllyLuv, Prissy and Hao'sAnjul

Next chapter : It would seem that Kakashi has forgotten that this was supposed to be about a bet and Lee gets more obsessive. What will happen? Find out in a few days.

Possibly a little more serious from here on in - I did say that it didn't want to be a humour fic XD

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