Disclaimer: Ok. I wish I owned Naruto, because if I did, I'd be rich, and frankly, I am poor. So I'm just going to borrow the characters for a while... and play with them like they're my dollies. Although, I haven't played with dollies for a very long time. I miss them. So I'm using these.

Yearly, in the whole of Konoha, there was a festival. This festival was as popular as the cherry blossom festival, taking place in the evenings of the first week of summer. All shinobi, except for those underage, celebrated on the crowded streets. It could be called a Mardi Gras festival, if you will. Shinobi crowded into the pubs and restaurants. The mention of the pub is what brings us to one particular ninja...

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An inky eye scrutinized the room. The pub was too crowded for his taste tonight, but he would stay anyway, he felt oddly experimental tonight. He was thankful that the celebrations happened to fall upon this night, for it kept other's minds from remembering that he aged yet another year today.

Thirty-three.

Downing a glass of a particularly strong liquid, a burning sensation began in his throat as the substance began to take effect. As he replaced his mask, his former students came to mind.

It seemed like just yesterday, he was twenty-six, and he had had his own genin team.

The blonde, Naruto, was the current student of the hokage. However, she was not teaching him the art of medicine, but how to handle being the head of Konoha, the hokage. Many people were angered by the fact that she had chosen the kyuubi vessel to be her replacement, but her decision was a permanent one. He caught site of the blonde, talking rather loudly towards the Hyuuga heiress, who was blushing profusely.

Sakura, the intelligent, rosette kunoichi, was currently on a mission. She had left after retrieving Uchiha Sasuke when she'd been fifteen. She still hadn't returned, that last time he'd seen her had been five years ago. He had heard that she was abroad, studying new remedies for illnesses.

The third and final member of the team, Uchiha Sasuke, was bound to Konoha for another five years, in punishment for the betrayal of Konoha. He was at jounin status, but couldn't leave Konoha on missions. Kakashi wasn't sure if the boy would ever be trusted again, even after he was allowed out of Konoha, it would only be under the supervision of elite nin.

So much had changed since the days when they were genin.

"Kakashi!" A slurred voice called out, "Come sit with us! We actually managed to get a table." The copy-nin sighed resignedly as he shuffled over to his fellow jounin.

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A troubled kunoichi scowled as a shrill whistle was directed at her. Drunks. They were more annoying than... whining cats. She sighed as she scoped through the crowd, looking for an old friend. She was used to the streets of Suna, and the heat. Here, there was a breeze that felt as if it hit her bones. Although this was considered warm weather to the standard Konoha resident, this was rather chilly compared to the heat of the desert.

"Hey! Let me buy you a drink!" A sickeningly drunk man slurred as he stumbled towards her. She scowled as he leaned his weight on her, since he was obviously too drunk to stand without help.

"How old are you? Forty? I'm only eighteen you pig! Anyway, I'm taken." She said, pushing him off.

It was an unnecessary lie, so what.

She readjusted her headband around her waist, securing it so it wouldn't fall off in the turmoil. She pushed her way into a particularly crowded bar that, if she remembered correctly, her objective used to frequent quite often.

As she stepped inside, she spotted him immediately, his silver head of hair stood out among the blacks and browns.

Despite her efforts of pulling it into a ponytail, her hair still hung over her shoulders. Flipping it behind her, a plan began to form in her mind...

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"I don't care if it is my birthday Asuma, I'm not going to let you get me drunk." Kakashi argued.

"Come on Kakashi, it won't..." He paused and elbowed Kurenai. Their eyes were wide. Kakashi turned to look behind himself but he felt two hands on his cheeks, keeping his head forward.

"Hi Kakashi... long time, no see..." A feminine voice said into his ear. He felt her chin set on his shoulder.

"Forgive me, but who are you?" Kakashi asked, puzzled both by the woman's actions, and by the looks on his friends' faces.

"You don't recognize my voice?" The mysterious woman asked, sounding hurt. "Well, I guess it HAS been a while, so I'll forgive you..." She paused, and sighed into his ear. "I've got an idea..." She whispered into his ear, her warm breathe brushing against his skin. "I came here to wish you happy birthday... but since you don't know who I am, I think I'll remain anonymous for a while. Do you think you can play along with my little game?"

"It depends..." Who the hell was this! Her voice seemed somewhat familiar, but he couldn't think of a name to fit it. This woman was an intriguing change of scene though, so maybe he would play along for the moment. "What do I have to do?"

"Well, you have to let me blindfold you... You have to trust me... and you have to guess who I am."

"How do I know you're not an enemy?" He asked. It was a liable question, and he felt her lift her head off of his shoulder and speak over his head, to the two jounins sitting across from him.

"Am I an enemy?"

They shook their heads. Kakashi looked to them for a hint to the mysterious woman's identity but found no help what so ever, just amused smirks.

"Alright. I think I'll go along with this..." He agreed, his curiosity taking over.

"Okay." She said, sounding confident. He felt his headband being pulled over his other eye and saw nothing but darkness.

She took his hand and he stood, and allowed her to guide him through the crowd.

"I must look like an ass..." He mumbled.

"Have fun Kakashi..." Asuma said.

He followed the pull of her hand to where he guessed was towards the back of the building. His assumption was confirmed when she pulled him onto one of the sofas.

"I must say Kakashi... I wasn't sure if you'd go along with this, but I'm glad you did."

He felt extremely foolish. He'd never done anything like this, hell, he had never done anything without contemplating all the consequences first. It sent a strange rush of excitement through his veins, like in his younger days, yet he remained nonchalant as usual.

She moved close to him, leaning on his side. He felt a fingertip curling beneath the edge of his mask, and his hand flew to her wrist, but then, after reconsideration, he let her continue. The cloth peeled from his skin slowly, until it was beneath his chin. A soft gasp was heard from her, and seconds later her finger was running along the long scar spanning vertically along the skin of his right cheek.

"How did you get that...?" She asked softly.

"A fight. With my father actually..." He said resignedly. He hoped that if he allowed her to see his face, then she'd allow him to see hers as well.

"I like it. It's... distinguishing. So is that why you wear the mask?"

"No."

'I look too much like my father.'

"So let's talk..."

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They talked about their lives, about their friends, but she'd skipped over things that were too important, things that would reveal who she was.

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"Can I take this off now?" He said, pointing to his headband.

"Nope"

He sighed.

"Why do I have to wear this anyway?"

"Well" She began. "I actually find this easier when you're blind folded." She whispered, her voice getting softer by the moment.

"The truth is, you never used to open up to me, hell you never used to talk to me. I think you and I had a personal conversation maybe twice." She said, whispering.

"Well, we can talk now." He said sitting up. He felt her press into him and tensed slightly.

"Despite that, what I did know about you... well..., I find that I'm in love with you."

Kakashi sat up straight. "I'm taking this off..."

"No. Please don't. Just let me say one last thing. I'll be back... and when I do come back, I hope that you'll accept me." She knew that her friends, his friends had spotted them together, and someone would tell him. She'd have to stop by the table on her way out and make Asuma and Kurenai promise to keep their mouths shut for a while.

Kakashi furrowed his brow. This woman, a woman of whom he had no idea of her identity, was professing her love to him? He'd learned much about her, except for her name.

He felt her lips press against his softly, and as surprising as it was, he felt a heat spread throughout his body. "Good bye for now, Kakashi..."

Quickly, he reached up to push his headband up, but she was gone. He stood and looked around, but he didn't know what he was looking for. Touching his lips softly, he pulled his mask back up.

He pushed his way through the crowd, back to the table he'd been sitting at previously.

"Who was it?" He asked, breathing heavily.

"What?"

"Who was it!" He was at the point of craziness. He'd find out who it was, even if he had to go all the way to Suna and ask every person for the name of the kunoichi who fought with a katana.

"I can't tell you that Kakashi."

"Why the hell not!"

"She asked me not to."

"I don't care!" He growled. "Tell me"

"Asuma Sarutobi doesn't go back on his word... Although, I could advise you to look at your vest a bit closer." He smirked, pointing.

Kakashi looked down. What was he looking for?

"What?"

"Maybe you should try to look beyond the things that stand out, to the things, or people, that stand in the shadows..."

Kakashi furrowed his brow. What?

Then he saw something on his vest. A long strand of hair. He picked it up and examined it.

It was pink.

A/N- A one-shot. Yay. This was playing in my head for the longest time, and I had to get this out before I could write anything else. Maybe after I finish with my current fics I shall write a follow-up one-shot.

Another Kakasaku Surprise, surprise.

Anyway, I thought I do something different with Kakashi's face because a lot of the times you see his face in fics, of the ones I've read, It's always perfect, and handsome. Don't get me wrong, some of those fics are the best ones out there, I just thought I'd add something to his hawtness.

Hope you liketh.

Please comment, I live off of the little emails I get.

Thanks!