Disclaimer: I own nothing but my pitifully large collection of Naruto paraphernalia.

A/N: Wow. I have almost no idea where this came from. Almost. I think it's mostly from looking at too many pieces of Sakura fanart. It's been years since I've ventured into the world of fanfiction, and my first time writing Naruto, so please forgive me my rustiness.

Notes: Hmm… I'm thinking Sakura's a little older but not much, and while she sees Kakashi as a fairly close friend, no romantic feelings or the like yet.

Reviews are nice, but not demanded.

Mask

"Why do I wear it..." Kakashi mused, leaning back, eyes half closed. "Because it gives me a sense of anonymity."

Sakura snorted and shot an amused glance at her sensei. "You're one of the most well known ninjas in Konoha. Or at least one of the more easily recognizable," she added as an afterthought, glancing at his hair. "Between that mop of grey and your mask, most people know you on sight."

One eyebrow rose. "I'll have you know it's silver, not grey. I'm not an old man yet." He pat his hair protectively.

"Right. Silver." She shot him an amused look. Had he always been this sensitive about his hair color? She hadn't noticed. "You may not be old, but I feel old." She lay back with a soft groan. After several hours of hard training, all she really wanted to do was relax. "You do realize that your mask doesn't help with this youthful image you're trying to project, don't you? It makes people wonder if you're trying to hide your age."

"'Youthful image'? You sound like Gai." He laughed softly when she shot him an incredulous look. His expression turned thoughtful. "That's why I first started wearing a mask. To hide my age. People didn't trust such a young high level ninja, and most thought it was my father's influence, not my own skill." He shrugged, barely a lift of the shoulders. "But it's been years now, and it would be hard to stop wearing it now."

She fingered the dark material between her fingers, then sighed and put the mask down. It was silly. She had no reason to hide, so why bother?

But a part of her wanted to have a screen between her and the world, to be anonymous, just another ninja among many, not to be overshadowed by her infamous teammates when they saw her and thought of them. She wanted people to see her for her, and not to be a remainder of team 7, the loose end.

She also wanted to because it brought her closer to understanding herself, and to understanding him. The other loose end.

A split second of indecision, then she slipped it over her head and pulled it up over her mouth and nose.

She stared at herself in her small bedroom mirror, and her reflection stared back. She looked… different, but it was still her, the same green eyes, the same pink hair. She felt no different, but something clicked into place.

"Ah..." she whispered quietly. She could see the attraction now, why someone would spend years wearing one. The security it offered. The freedom. And at the same time, she realized it wasn't for her. Not really.

And suddenly she felt foolish for even wearing it. With a swift movement she pulled the mask off, and she looked at her reflection in the mirror again. Short pink hair sticking out at odd angles, head tilted to the side. She wrinkled her nose, glad to be able to breath without material in the way.

She allowed herself a small smile, somehow more at ease with herself than she had been a few moments before. Maybe Kakashi was right and there was something to this mask business.