I can't believe I wrote this. I dislike these types of romances between Sakura and Kakashi. And now, here I am, writing one. Great. I think the only reason I'm tolerating it is because I can use this story as mostly metaphorical.

Well, just to let you know, I am not part of any LiveJournal groups, though this fic may point to a challenge found in one of them. The reason is, is because I read, like, three of those stories, and read the challenge from them. It intrigued me, so I thought "why not?" The challenge: Sakura/Kakashi involving the first snow in three years and either a scarf, or a blanket somewhere in here. (To the best of my knowledge, anyway)

So, without further ado,

Let It Snow
By Mistress DragonFlame

Sakura walked down the street, still a young 18, wrapped up in a long black coat with pink cherry blossoms dancing about it. A soft red scarf was wrapped around her neck, her having dug it out specifically for this event. Her grandmother had given it to her, before she passed away, so it was only on special occasions, like now, that she retrieved it from it's hiding spot.

After all, it had been three years since the last snowfall in Konoha.

Her breath formed a mist before her, condensing until visible to the naked eye. She smiled at the unusually silent street. Most sane people were safely tucked away in their beds, enjoying sleeping in on this brisk morning. Giggling softly, she imagined the young children to awake the parents with small shrieks of joy, dragging the adults into the fresh snow in nothing but sleeping gear.

Few people walked passed her, and nearly all of them were fellow ninja. Some, like her, were Chuunin, but there were a few Genin and about two Jounin, probably returning from some unknown mission. She recognized a few, having taken care of them as her career dictated as a medic-nin.

Crossing her arms to warm her self, her soft pink, leather-gloved hands rubbed the soft material of her coat. Chin length bubble gum pink locks swayed with her movement, most being held out of her face courtesy of her red ninja hitai-ate tied behind her ears. Her pale pink pants, along with the coat, were water-resistant; chosen for this so that the snow she was surly to walk through would not soak her legs. Her usual toeless ninja boots had been replaced by a civilian black boot, and she was glad she choose it because her feet would probably have gotten frost bitten if she did not.

She walked on, passed the some closed shops, and peaking in others, already starting to crowd with people wanting something nice and warm to drink to instill heat into their chilled bones. She passed on by, mentally making a note to herself to stop in later. But now, she just wanted to enjoy herself with this snowfall.

Last time it snowed in her hometown, she had been to busy wrapped up in a lost love to notice the frozen rain. But she was over that now, and her heart was free to love this rare event, having no other to compete with for it. She remembered as a child, visiting her parents' home village, one without ninja and the like. It snowed all the time there. She use to have so much fun, building snowmen and chucking snowballs at the boys and girls she interacted with. But, with her graduation into ninja hood, the boys and girls didn't liked to play with her anymore, saying that she was too good a aim, and ducked all their attacks. She metal shrugged at the idea. She had been angry then, hiding her hurt, but now it was just a memory.

Sakura turned, and headed out of the village. Taking an exit rarely used—also known as hopping over the barrier and getting away with it—she suddenly found herself in perfectly untouched scenery. The trees that made up the forest before here were slowly being blanketed in mounds of snow, yet still unable to stop all the soft flakes from piling on the ground below. A light breeze blew, chilling her flesh even more and she shuttered against it. She pulled the scarf tighter in retaliation, before plodding along through the mounds of snow. Her ears and nose, she reasoned, were probably of the same shade as the cloth that wove around her neck and fluttered in the wind.

Her feet were completely soaked and frozen, snow having wormed its way in through the top, but she didn't mind. Her breath was taken away as she continued through the big, old oak trees. Konoha was always a beautiful sight, but this was so rare it made it seem surreal. She turned, and then frowned at herself. She was leaving deep trenches that marked out like a neon pink sign where she had tread. She was marring this natural beauty. Quickly, she formed chakra at her feet and tenderly took a step out of the snow. Her foot floated atop the frozen flakes, and she no longer had a visible trail to follow. She liked it better this way; the perfect image of nature was unblemished again.

She walked aimlessly through the forest, occasionally seeing the tracks of animals, freshly made in the new snow. Subconsciously, she smothered her breathing so it was undetectable as to not give away her presents to the majestic beasts.

Sakura came to a small clearing, and her eyes scanned it. Perfectly untouched snow was lightly falling, as if the sky was crying flawless flakes, collecting in heaps over what appeared to be a rocky area. She almost missed it, but her eyes found something out of place, yet belonged. An Anbu, wrapped up in their black cloak, sat atop the highest rock on the almost opposite side of the clearing. They sat with their legs crossed, and their hands on their knees in a meditating pose. Forefinger touching thumb, they didn't seem to notice her approach, or the fact that a not-so-thin layer of snow was piling on their shoulders and back. She couldn't see their face, so she silently crept around, closer and more to the right. Thinking quickly, she released the chakra at her feet, and smothered it so she would not be sensed. She sunk down into the snow, her energy no longer keeping her a float, with a light crunching sound lost in a gust of wind and white flakes.

The pink haired Kunoichi didn't know why she did that, as her feet started to freeze once again buried in the snow and it flowing into her boot like sand would, as she had no reason to hide her presents, but for some reason, she wish to remain unnoticed, drinking in the image before her. His, for the body seemed as masculine as it could under the cloak, mask was an old, scratched mask, but by no means shabby. It appeared a wolf, and she could not see his eyes, so she did not know if he was looking at her and not caring if she was there, or was even looking at anything.

He didn't seem real; so calm and collected, with snow upon them as if he was some long-forgotten statue that only she appreciated enough to view it's beauty. She stared, her hands on the side of the tree as she peer over, her feet going numb from the cold. A crow cawed some where off in the distance, it's rasping call echoing off the silence, adding instead of taking away the dreamlike appeal of the area.

Suddenly the light wind shifted, blowing behind her towards the solemn figure, and he stirred slightly; just a twist of the hands inside their sleeves and a miniscule raise of the head. Most would not have noticed, but she realized he had grasped a weapon, hidden in his folds. The mask turned slightly, until it's holes seemed to pierce her very soul with their eyeless gaze.

"...Sakura?" Said a familiar voice, coming from the Anbu she had been so enraptured to stare at.

She blinked, her breathless broken. "Kakashi-sensei?" She breathed normally again, and let her chakra flow freely.

He shook himself off and stood up, the snow falling from his graceful figure. "What are you doing way out here?" He brushed off the remaining

"Oh, just wandering in the snow." She paused and leaned against the tree, her reviver broken by his movement a while ago. "Why are you wearing that? I thought you weren't in the Anbu anymore."

"Well," he drawled, as if deciding to tell her or not. He hopped from the rock and landed lightly in the snow before her, not bothering himself by taking off his mask or hood. "Once you join the Anbu, you never really leave it."

"So you were imitating a statue because...?"

She sensed him smile and she heard the light-hearted tone in his voice, "It's just a tradition for me for when it snows. I did it when I first joined the Anbu, and I will continue to do it." He shrugged, his mask a blockage of emotion.

"Oh..." She said, not really sure of what else to say. A small silence passed as neither said anything, merely looking at each other. She was the first to break the gaze that she couldn't even see, as her eyes fluttered to the snow, and a smile spread over her face. It had stopped snowing sometime when she stared, and the mounds were still untouched perfection. "I love the snow, you know? My grandparents lived in a place where it snows all the time."

"Is that so?" She turned and smiled at him again.

"Yup. When I was little, before I became a Genin, I went there all the time and played Snow Ball Wars with all the other kids." Her smile turned quirky. "I have to say I've never played a Snow Ball War with another ninja. Wanna have a go?"

Kakashi sighed and scratched he back of his head through the hood, and she could have sworn she saw the mask sweatdrop. "Thanks, but no, Sakura-chan. I'm too old for such things. Well," he said turning away. "I'm already late to report to my Jounin duties. Bye." He walked about five steps before something cold collided with his head. He turned and saw her already packing another ball of snow.

"You're not too old." She giggled. "Our age difference isn't that bad, Kakashi-sensei, and I can still play."

He frowned under the mask, but she couldn't see. "Sakura, you don't really play childish games with your teacher. It's not well looked upon, especially me who is the older." He turned again and ducked just in time to avoid another sloppy, wet collision with his head. Spinning back around, he didn't see the other balls of snow until it was too late, and he was hit three times with more balls of frozen flakes. Either he was getting too old, or she was getting too good, even if she was still a Chuunin. He decided it was the latter, and glared at her as she scooped up some more.

"Who cares what other's think?" She said mischievously, packing the ball tightly.

Suddenly throwing caution to the wind with that statement, he flashed out and appeared next to her, shoving a fist full of the powdery ice down her jacket, causing her to give a shriek of surprise.

He laughed at her as she danced about, trying to get the quickly melting snow out of her shirt. He pushed the hood down and slid the mask to the side of his head, reveling his hitai-ate and blue lower facial mask.

She glared with a wide grin on her face and dipped down to quickly form a ball and chucked it at him.

But, his ninja skillz were superior, he thought with a smirk, and he ducked, tossing a well aimed ball and hit her on the side of the face. She threw retaliation and he ducked again, it missing. But, it ended up hitting a branch instead and caught him in surprise of a sudden snowfall. He jumped out of the pile and looked to her, two balls already formed in each hand.

She was disappearing into the trees, and he smirked before taking off after her. They bounded through the woods, tossing ball of semi-packed snow at each other, ducking behind trees to hide from the barrage of snow. They play through, their laughter ringing through the still, silent air. Sometime her small shrieks could be heard, or his small yell, as either was hit with an icy sphere.

He rounded a corner and was briefly miffed when she completely disappeared. Not a trace of her was a round, from her distinct scent, or a disturbed snowflake in the billions on the ground, or a residue trail of Chakra. He breathed heavily, his one exposed eye searching, when a mass of snow fell right on top of him. He quickly shook it off and looked up, to see Sakura in a tree, smiling down at him, before disappearing into the shadows again.

But, he was not to loose her this time. Putting a spurt of speed, he crashed into her from behind when she landed on the ground, sending both down into a large mound of loose snow.

They lay there, laughing, catching their breaths in the human-shaped hole, completely covered in the snow. Her back was on the ground, and she squirmed under him, muttering through breaths of laughter, something about it being cold and wet.

He rolled over, taking her with him, so now his back was on the ground and her smaller frame was laying on him. His waterproof cloak came in handy, splayed out under him, keeping the melting water from penetrating to him. Idly, he subconsciously realizes that they'll be cooling down quickly, so he brought the edges of his cape around, wrapping them both up as if in a blanket.

Their laughter dies down, smug smiles still on their faces as their racing hearts started to calm. Her head lay on his chest, her hands lightly gripping his vest. One of his gloved hands was on her back, rubbing warmth into it, and the other lazily stroked her hair, freeing thousands of snowflakes that found their way into her tresses.

They didn't know how long they stayed like that, peaceful in each other's presences. They dozed, suddenly tired, and stared into the early afternoon sky.

"See?" Sakura said, finally breaking the silence. She squirmed lightly on him, as if attempting to dig her head further into his chest.

"Hm?" Kakashi glanced down at the young woman in his arms, not removing his hands from their locations.

"You're not too old."

He smirked. "I guess you're right. Who cares about what everyone else says, anyway."

And they continued to lay there for a while longer, before the cold drove them into a shop for something warm. Both couldn't keep smug grins from their faces, satisfied having solved two problems between them that snowy morning.

In case you're wondering, by the way, the reason this is titled "Let It Snow" like the song by ... Some dude, is because it was written about winter in the middle of summer, which is similar to this story as it is about winter in the middle of summer. The song, "Let It Snow", is actually not a Christmas song, but a winter one. Go head. Look at the lyrics. Not a single mention of Santa, Rudolph, or a Christmas tree.

Anyway, please review!