Unexpected Consequences

Disclaimer: I don't need to say it.

A/N: I find myself apologizing a lot. Makes me sad. Ohhh well, it least I didn't throw this fic away! Such a waste! Pshaa! My inspiration: Birdcage by Gackt and Forever Love by X Japan. I lufffff them. Yesss. Totally off topic of me, gomen gomen! I hope you guys aren't still mad at Kakashi XD he has his reasons… and I hope you're not mad at me, for I have MY reasons…

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Scroll 9- Good Mornings and Goodbyes

Sakura's POV:

Wouldn't it be nice to have no emotions? To be completely immune to those troublesome feelings like anger and sadness? To see someone die in front of you and pay little or no attention? Or have your heart ripped out and just stand there blankly staring at it?

Reminds me of a certain someone.

Sometimes I envy him.

But then again, when one can feel no emotion, they cannot feel the wonderful pleasures of life. The ones that words alone cannot describe, love for instance. Now love, love makes me laugh. I'm laughing so hard I'm crying, see?

Sometimes I hate him.

I wish I could say these tears are tears of joy. Maybe deep down they are. However, right now all I feel is utter darkness. Despair, loneliness, sorrow, whatever words you can use to express the worst of all emotions, I bet that's what I'm feeling right now. Although mostly I'm just pissed off.

I have every right to feel both, don't I?

Sometimes I could kill him.

I did bring it upon myself. Do I deserve this treatment for being so naïve? Inside, all I curse are two things: a bottle of sake, and my sensei; the man whom my heart lays in his palm, or on the ground in front of him. Pretty funny, eh? Too bad I have no one to tell this ridiculous story to. That's one of the downfalls of living alone. Your…well, alone. But I can cry as much as I wanted to and not a person would notice.

And that's where I am, sitting under my shower, letting the cold water fall on me, and I'm crying hysterically. Nothing much happened between us, yet I feel so distraught. I can't be in love with him. I mean, I am in love with Sasuke. I should be in love with Sasuke. Whenever I try to think about my childhood crush, I think of him. He's selfish and cold. He doesn't have a care in the world. He's completely arrogant! He's my perverted sensei and I hate him!

And sometimes… I love him.

I quickly got out of the shower, got into my 'cute little nightgown', as my mother said when she gave it to me, and got a bite to eat. I'm feeling better now. I think I am. Besides, I do have that date with Sasuke to look forward to, although I'm still a bit unsure about it all.

Man, Kakashi didn't help at all last night.

As I felt tears forming once again, I shook them away and crawled into bed.

"Tomorrow…" I said to myself. "will be a better day."

Okay, so maybe sleep didn't come for a while and I still couldn't stop crying. Even though I was feeling a lot better about the situation. I feel so… childish. All night I think I got one or two hours of sleep and more training was scheduled for the day.

I felt like screaming.

But I didn't. Purely for the fact that I had no energy left. I would if I could though! All I could do was roll away from the sun, which was blaring down on my head quite rudely. Stupid sun.

"Go away…" I mumbled to that annoying ball of flames, hoping it would hear me and disappear.

"Why?"

I instantly froze as a rather familiar masculine voice responded beside me. I was afraid to turn and look, never mind replying, so I just pretended to be asleep.

"Sakura, you do know it's almost noon."

I immediately sat up, my eyes trailing to the form right of me. I blinked a few times, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the bright sun behind him. It took me a while but I knew it was him. He was here.

"Yo." He said, reaching up his hand so that he could block the sun's rays from blinding me further more.

"Ka…ka…ka…" I sat there dumbly for a moment. Then, like I was slapped across the face, came fully to my senses.

"Kakashi!" I sprang backwards, falling off my bed. I stood up abruptly, stumbling over my own feet.

"What are you doing here!"

"Like I said, it's almost noon." Noticing his eyes drop down my form, I remembered that my nightgown didn't exactly cover much. I quickly grabbed one of my pillows and covered my slightly exposed chest.

"Pervert!"

He let out a chuckle while scratching his head. "I apologize for barging in. Speaking of which, you left the door unlocked…"

I rubbed my eyes and sighed. "Yeah, I know. Some pervert might barge in and watch me sleep."

"hmm… Sakura." Kakashi pulled that 'pop up out of no where' trick and stood in front of me, closing the distance between us. He reached up and softly brushed a finger over my eye. "You've been crying."

Crying? Why yes I have. Nice of you to notice. But I won't be giving you the satisfaction of knowing I was.

"I haven't." I swatted his hand away brusquely. "I'm just tired."

Silenced edged on as I found my sensei staring at me. What he's thinking I'd like to know. Either the fact that I was lying and he was waiting for me to tell him the truth, or me being in my pajamas was something new to him, he was probably just laughing inwardly at my idiocy. What a silly, foolish girl.

"Sorry for sleeping in and making you come over here and all…" I said stolidly while looking at my feet. Might as well get this over with. He is my sensei. Instead of replying, instead of saying 'Just don't do it again', he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a tight embrace. All I could do was stand there.

"Making you cry was the last thing I ever wanted to do." Whispering in my ear, he hugged me tighter, like he was never going to let go.

I wouldn't mind if he didn't.

My reaction was not something I wanted to do. I was mentally beating myself along the way. Don't do it. Don't do it. He's just playing you, controlling you just like a little doll. But him being there, just when I needed him, was not some coincidence. Just like that night, when my feelings decided to show themselves, when they decided to bloom into something I could no longer stand. That was no coincidence.

So I dropped my fluffy pillow, placed my hands gingerly on Kakashi's back, and returned the gesture. He responded by releasing a long sigh and leaning his head lazily on my shoulder. Being like this was so perfect, yet so unreal. It's like one of those experiences that feel like the weightlessness of a dream. You could get lost in it forever. That's when I bowed my head into his chest and silently sobbed whatever tears I had left. I mean, who wouldn't? Feeling like this towards a particular person even though its considered wrong, disgusting?

I'm so tired…so tired of this all.

Why can't you leave me in this dream?

And it was… all just a dream.

Well, that's what I thought.

I woke up in my dim bedroom, the sun almost completely hidden below the horizon. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, relaxing at the site of the well-known setting around me. The first thought that ran across my mind: was it really all a dream? Just a hallucination of my desires? The logical answer would be yes. But answers don't always have to be practical. As I gazed to look at the clock placed on my nightstand, I noticed a folded up piece of paper lying down beside it. I picked up the peculiar note and opened it gradually. It read:

Sakura,
You get the day off.
Feel better.
Don't worry; Sasuke is coming at 7pm.
-Kakashi

Just like Kakashi. Straight to the point, no strings attached. It wasn't the note that stunned me, but the concept that Kakashi was here did. That meant that my 'dream' was not a dream at all. I must have fallen asleep in his arms. It was pretty comforting, knowing that his intensions weren't to hurt me.

I gazed out the window at the sky. Judging by the position of the sun and the goldish tinge outside, I would guess it was after six. I checked my clock; 6:28pm. I looked at the note again.

Then at the clock.

The note.

And the clock again.

"Holy shit!"

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Kakashi's POV:

Live life to its fullest. Never be afraid. Never be blind. Never question fate's plans.

Once again that quote played over in my head, teasing me, laughing at my struggle to grasp the significance and meaning of it all. Live life to its fullest: I must be doing so. I am a high elite ninja. Never be afraid: I have rarely been frightened in my whole entire life. It least I try to block out things that would. Never be blind: I see everything and further.

So far, good. But then this is what perplexes me so: Never question fate's plans. Question its plans? What has 'fate' ever done to me but take the lives of my loved ones, make me care for my own pupil…

That's why I don't believe in fate.

When I watched her walk away, I began to loose hope, loose hope in ever finding happiness. When I was in her presence, I forgot about the past and didn't care what the future held, it was all about the present. The way she came to me, the way she smiled… she trusted me. And what did I give her in return?

When I finally went home, I concentrated fully on reading. I forced myself to wander off into some fictional paradise until I drifted off into my own fictional dreams.

I woke with the smell of flowers clouding my senses and a small rock that flew in, crashing into the wall across from the window.

"Naruto you idiot, the window was open!"

"I didn't know that! It looked closed to me!"

"You're so fucking stupid…"

"I'm not stupid, you are!"

"Great comeback…"

"Oh ya, well…"

I shuffled towards the window to look down upon my two wonderful students, battling it out. "You want to keep it down? Some people are trying to sleep."

They concluded their yelling at each other and Naruto easily turned it at me.

"Kakashi-sensei, it's almost noon! We've been waiting for hours!"

Sasuke grunted in reply as Naruto shook his fist furiously. The first thing I observed was that the kunoichi of the group was missing. I was about to casually ask when the blonde spoke up again.

"Sakura hasn't shown up either. Is she sick or something?"

I shrugged in reply.

"We were going to go to her house but we weren't sure if you knew or not. Since you're her sensei and all…"

"No need. I'll go." I said and left for her house, which was coincidentally, a few blocks down. I was about to knock on her front door when I noticed it was slightly open. I cautiously pushed it open and glanced around before entering. I have been to Sakura's place before, but never have I seen it this clean. The only object out of place was a half eaten apple sitting on the counter. From what I'm guessing, she most likely forgot to set her alarm and still is in bed. As I was positioned right at her bedroom door, I hesitated wondering if this was such a good idea. I shrugged it off and went in anyways.

The room was spectacularly bright because the window faced almost exactly where the sun was present. Walking over to her bed, I gazed over Sakura's sleeping form. There was sweat drops placed all over her face, and noticeably large bags under her eyes. Yet, the light fell down on her perfectly, and soft strawberry hair flowed around her. Just like a dying angel. After laughing at myself for being so dramatic, I remembered why I was here and concentrated on waking up sleeping beauty.

Almost instantly, she started shifting around and muttering words like 'fish' and 'dancing', and soon those words turned into sentences such as 'I hate you, you monster.' Or 'Would you like fries with that?' I stood there watching her with amusement as I try not to laugh out loud. But there was this one thing she said, one that she faintly sobbed, one that made me stop smiling altogether.

"Wait…please, Kakashi… please don't go… I love you…"

It's just a dream right? She's just talking in her sleep. I shouldn't pay any attention to what she manages to spit out. No matter how many times I attempt to clear my mind, the memories of yesterday still remain, and I do question my actions and theoretical solution to this all. Is this really what I want? What she wants?

So irritating.

Sakura's eyes flashed open only to close again. She rolled on to her stomach and moaned into her pillow.

"Go away."

Aware of her regained senses, I replied ensuing in her 'frozen' technique. She would have pulled it off, pretending to be asleep, except that she forgot to breathe. Hence I continued, casually shoving my hands in my pant's pockets. "Sakura, you do know it's almost noon."

She sat up at once, wobbling slightly in a dazed state. Emerald orbs fixed on my form, but were soon closed again due to the sun behind me. I raised my hand in a gesture of greeting, while blocking the light blinding her.

"Ka…ka…Kakashi!" This wasn't the first time I surprised her, so I wasn't surprised of her actions consisting of muttering, falling over, and yelling; which is essentially what she did.

"What are you doing here!"

I shrugged. "Like I said, it's almost noon." Then I noticed what she was wearing.

Sakura has grown in more ways than others.

"Pervert!"

I mentally slapped myself for making her take shelter from my 'wondering' eye. Changing the topic… "I apologize for barging in. Speaking of which, you left the door unlocked…" I felt a pain in my stomach. Worry, perhaps fear, washed over me. Something so careless could lead to… bad results. If anything happened to her, to any of my students, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. Although for her, it would be different. Slightly or entirely?

The kunoichi stretched and yawned. "Yeah, I know. Some pervert might barge in and watch me sleep." She seems comfortable enough, like nothing happened. I am relieved, yet saddened…

It was never really important to her. I was never important.

Whilst rubbing her eyes, I noticed that they were puffy, red, and sore, like she had been crying. I am getting old; maybe my sight is playing with me. I approached her, just to convince myself of course, brushing my finger tips just below those bright green eyes. She didn't flinch. "You've been crying." She flinched.

"I haven't. I'm just tired." Pushing away my hand and clutching the white pillow tighter, she stared at the ground in silence.

So much for seeming comfortable.

Judging by her reaction, I knew she was lying and I knew why. It was because of me. I started it and I ended it, well, tried to end it. With or without me, she's still bring torn. I blame myself for that.

"Sorry for sleeping in and making you come over here and all…" She spoke while nervously shuffling her feet. Somehow I snapped. Hearing her apologize when I had done so much to her? So I hugged her. I hugged her and said, "Making you cry was the last thing I ever wanted to do." Simple and it spoke the truth. I felt her arms wrap around me, and she started shaking with her sobs. All I could do was hold her, even if I shouldn't. After a few moments she fell asleep and I put her back in bed. This is where it all ends. Everything will go back to what it was and we will move on with our lives. I got out a piece of scrape paper and a pen.

Starting with this.

I wrote a note saying that she had the rest of the day off, she needed her sleep. Then I wrote that Sasuke would be here at 7pm and he will, since I will tell him so. This date will bring Sakura closer to him and farther away from me. It's what's necessary; it's what has to be done.

Placing the note on the bedside table and standing up, I bent over and kissed her on the forehead one last time.

"Goodbye, Sakura."

dumm dumm dummmm!
wasn't that great?
great ending, I think.
Way to wrap-up the story, eh?
...
I'm just foolin' ya! 1 or 2 more chappies to go, plus I might do an epilogue!
whoohooo! if your wondering it is late...and I have been drinking grape juice for the past 2 hours.
yaa I cant really move..
so eh, please review. I like reviews. I want lots so that I have more than that amazing fic.
HAH ya right. Maybe if I actually put a lot of work into my fic, and kept it in line with the anime/manga.
then maybe. meebee. maaiibey.
fiine ill shut up now.