Note: changed a part in the beginning, so now they haven't seen his face yet. Also, I've decided to keep this story going here and there…but here you get the edited version. (You still get the plot and everything just minus the gratuitous smut.)

2 Days later

"Why do we always get stuck with him?" Naruto asked with clipped tones.

Sakura merely shrugged, uninterested, "I don't know. Just ignore him, that's what I do."

Kakashi found himself nodding his head in agreement. With crossed arms he added his own comment, "Yes, indeed."

The man in question just rolled his eyes, senbon flipping up and down in his mouth. Genma wasn't too thrilled to be on this mission either. He had other plans arranged for this afternoon, with a few kunoichi to be more precise. They weren't the only one's not looking foreword to pulling guard duty for some simpering Lord, he was just glad there wasn't much thought involved in doing so. It kept him free to keep his mind preoccupied with other things.

Genma's eyes strayed to the rear end of the woman a few feet in front of him. Sakura was just bending over to pick up her pack; they had just finished resting on their way to their client's place of residence. Kakashi had taken notice of his friend's lecherous gaze, but remained silent. He wasn't spewing any thought provoking nonsense and that was all that mattered to Kakashi. Besides, who was he to stop him? He had no claims on the girl. Not that he wanted any either, at least, not that he was aware of.

Sure, he had lecherous thoughts that ran along the same lines as his perverted friend, but that didn't necessarily mean he wanted anything more than…to throw her up against the wall and take his sexual frustration out on her. Kakashi was a smart man, he knew what lust was and he was pretty sure it had absolutely nothing to do with love. Although, that was oneemotion he had never felt before, still he was relatively sure in his thinking.

In two minutes flat they were off and traveling again.

5 hours later

"Why do we always get the boring missions?" Naruto whined for the hundredth time that day.

This time Sakura wasn't so blasé, she was getting tired of listening to her friend complaining into her earpiece. She too, thought that standing in the corner of the party room, not being able to gorge herself on the buffet was tedious and boring as hell. But you didn't hear her complaining. Actually, she didn't know what was worse, hearing Naruto complain or…

"Guys, guys, three o'clock by the plastic tree plant, mm. Oh, look at the body on that one…," a male voice leered into her ear, making her scowl.

Genma had taken it upon himself to point out the entire female populous in the room, having gotten tired of remaining silent and vigilant. Sakura was wondering why Kakashi hadn't tried to silence the man. She was ready to break out of her little corner to strangle the lecherous fool.

"Yum, look at the hindquarters on that little filly." Kakashi wasn't amused. He was only thankful that Genma had turned his attentions to feminine bodies other than the one he found himself flicking his dark gaze to, every now and then.

"Hey, hey! Look at the hot blonde by the window!"

'Besides…' Kakashi thought, with a mental shrug. 'At least, he's gotten Naruto to stop complaining.'

"Idiot, that's a man." Sakura couldn't help but giggle over that one.

Even Kakashi didn't like the fact that they weren't really doing the business of a bodyguard, per say. Their duties here were more like bouncers. There were no enemies out to get the lord. He had hired them to clear out the drunkards that always seem to appear towards the end of the night.

'Really, people hire ninja for the strangest reasons.' Then again, Kakashi thought this over. 'It's easy money and recognition for Konoha...'

1 hour later

Sakura had been suppressing the urge to run off to the 'little kunoichi's room' for the past forty-five minutes. If she held it anymore, she felt she might burst. Still, she hesitated to ask, because she knew how her leader was about teammates leaving their positions. It just didn't happen.

He had left her standing there doing the 'rain dance' before, when she was younger. And the last mission they had been on, Sakura remembered Kakashi leaving Naruto standing in the shadows, eyes swimming and trembling legs crossed. Unfortunately, they had been on guard duty then, as well.

Inner Sakura fumed. 'At least, that time it was actual guard duty.'

Outer Sakura was still standing in the corner sweating, hoping against hope that she'd be able to make it until the end…which was still 4 hours away.

"Sakura." It was Kakashi's voice. She just hoped he wouldn't make her walk a patrol of the room. She didn't think she'd be able to take twenty steps without leaving a puddle behind her. "Go."

Sakura didn't pause to give him thanks or ponder exactly how he knew or why he was letting her go. He was letting her go, that's all that to her. In a blink of an eye, she was gone from her post, already halfway down the hall toward the ladies room.

"Hm, she's gotten faster." Genma quipped from his position by the window.

"Where did Sakura-chan go?" Naruto had seen the distressed kunoichi pass by him in his position by the door.

Kakashi spoke one word, "Bathroom." That he knew would start the younger shinobi arguing.

And Naruto didn't disappoint. "What! That's not fair! You made me wait for three whole hour's last mission! I almost wet my pants!"

Genma couldn't help himself. "Wouldn't be the first time, I 'm sure."

Naruto yelled back, "Shut up you!"

Kakashi remained quite. He knew there was no point replying. Naruto undoubtedly wouldn't listen to a single word he said and truthfully he couldn't explain his actions. He had left her standing there before in such a state…so why had he cracked now? He couldn't explain it.

Apparently, Gemna decided to try. In a teasing tone the man replied, "Ah, It can't be helped Naruto. You don't have what it takes to soften Kakashi's resolve…or should I say harden?"

Naruto answered with a confused, "Huh?"

Kakashi's anger was quickly being ignited. Genma's words may be lost on the clueless blonde, but if Sakura hadn't turned her earpiece off (which he was sure she hadn't, because she wasn't suppose to) she'd catch on to Genma's underlying meaning. And he couldn't have that.

"Genma, one more word out of you..."

Kakashi didn't explain any further. He was sure the womanizer was bright enough to figure it out and by his new found silence, Kakashi was sure.

"Neh, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi sighed thinking, 'Sure, now Kami decides to grant him with a little bit of wisdom.'

With false calm he answered, "What is it Naruto?"

"Can… I go when Sakura-chan gets back?"

'Maybe not,' Kakashi sweated-dropped.

He thought, dejectedly, 'What have I done?'

6 hours later

Their duty was over as was the mission. They had traveled so far for just that one simple event. They were scheduled to leave the next day, along side the sunrise. For now, they were told to stay, relax and enjoy their night.

It was just a few minutes past midnight now. The lord of the manor was no doubt, in his chambers sleeping off the drink. The servants were sleeping, resting up for another grueling day of tedious chores, and the four hired shinobi were supposed to be sleeping in their beds; 'supposed to' being the key words.

Kakashi had gone to the baths to have a soak. With the absence of the stoic Copy ninja, Genma had taken to entertaining one of the pretty young servant girls in their appointed room. This left an irate Naruto to find shelter and food in the kitchens. Sakura had just returned from the baths as Genma locked the door, leaving her to seek shelter outdoors on the roof, thankfully fully clothed.

Sakura had been as infuriated as Naruto, but unlike her best friend, she was well aware that their wait wouldn't be too long. At least, if anything Anko had said about the man's stamina was true. She had happened to be privy to one of the woman's loud descriptions of her many conquests, the last time she had visited the community baths. Sakura didn't know who was worse sometimes, Anko or Genma. Really, she wasn't surprised that the two had spent a night together.

But what Sakura had found surprising was Genma's earlier comment.

'Ah, It can't be helped Naruto. You don't have what it takes to soften Kakashi's resolve…or should I say harden?'

She didn't know exactly what he had meant by those words. Was he implying that Kakashi might have a soft spot for her like a father would a daughter? She didn't think that was so. For one, in all actuality Kakashi wasn't that old. Two, he's never treated her as such.

Or was Genma trying to imply something more sexual as was his usual nature.

Sakura shook her head, that possibility was almost as farfetched as her initial thought. Although, like she had stated in her argument for the first, she had to admit that Kakashi wasn't that old. She was sure he had to be around the same age as Genma and that never stopped him from trying to get into her pants. Then again, she knew Genma had no scruples, at least when it came to women.

'But if it were true…' Sakura pushed that thought away. That was foreign territory she didn't even want to step foot in. For one, she wouldn't know how to handle it, especially since Kakashi just so happens to be her team leader, a man she had known since she was twelve, and a man that she is forced to go on mission after mission with. Things would just be too…weird if she let her self think on that subject. She'd rather keep her sweet ignorance.

'Besides, he'd never…' Sakura shook her head. 'Naw, no way.'

The water was so warm and relaxing, Kakashi felt his tension melting away with every minute he sat in the calm waters of the steamy bath. It had been so long since he had done so. Usually it was just a quick shower in the morning. The Copy ninja was apt to shy away from places where masks were tended to be frowned upon.

It was late; he wasn't worried about being caught unawares. He had seen Genma flirting with that servant girl from earlier, he had no doubt the other two would be locked out for awhile, so he was in no rush to get out. Genma was a grown man, they were off duty and as long as he was finished by the time he got out, Kakashi didn't really care. He was sure Naruto had found his way down to the kitchens by now and Sakura…

Kakashi tried not to think about his female teammate, but just like the last few weeks, he couldn't get her out of his head. And just like the last few days, thoughts of her tended to lead to…things that Kakashi usually didn't do. Like feel himself up in someone else's home, in someone else's bath, but…Kakashi wasn't acting like his normal self. Not when thoughts of a certain kunoichi kept plaguing his mind.

Kakashi hadn't even been aware that his hand had traveled down his hardened stomach to places beyond until it was too late. He was starting to feel he had an addiction, one that he had no idea how to kick.

So like a good little addict he simply closed the other eye as well and gave in to sweet, sweet bliss.

As he laid there on the tiled floor on his back, legs dangling in the water, hand wiping the sweat from his brow, Kakashi couldn't help but think how real it had felt. It was so real, it was almost like he could still hear her calling his name.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

The hand wiping his brow swiftly moved to press into his eye.

'This is bad, even afterwards I'm hearing her..'

"K-Kakashi-sensei, are you in there?"

That's when it hit him, here voice was real. She was speaking to him from inside the changing room, through the shoji door. He continued to lay exposed where he was, quite confident in the fact that the woman on the other side wouldn't come any further. Kakashi knew the real Sakura wasn't anything like the one in his fantasies.

Kakashi abruptly set about getting himself up from the floor. It hit him, Sakura had never gone so far as to tract him down while he was in the bath, he knew something must be terribly wrong to cause her to go through such drastic measures.

Quickly cleaning off and wrapping himself in a towel, in a flash he entered the changing room intent to find out who what exactly was going on.

Brows furrowed in determination, he asked, "What's the situation?"

He was met with stuttering and a brilliant full body blush as bright as the sun itself.

Sakura finally stammered out a reply after several first attempts. "G-genma, I-its G-genma," As she began to speak her ire came back upon thinking of the reason why she was there in the first place. This time however she was adamantly staring at the floor, with her arms crossed. "T-that…p-pervert managed to sneak in two more women while I wasn't looking." Her arms fell limply at her sides and she finally looked at him, actually managing to look him in the eye this time. Exhaustedly she said, "Kakashi-sensei, it's late, I'm tired and you're the only one he'll listen to."

Kakashi crossed his arms over his bare chest, feeling relatively sure the tie on his hip would hold. Here he had thought that there had been some kind of attack on the manor.

He shook his head and then found himself asking, "Why didn't Naruto come in your stead?"

He watched the girl scowl and look away, "You know how he is. He won't budge when he's eating…." Then, she cast pleading eyes upon him again. "Will you kick those bimbo's out of our room now? Please?" She was almost bouncing on her heels.

Kakashi found himself smiling at the girl's act of utter desperation. And then raised a questioning eyebrow, after she stopped her theatrics to smile along with him; Sakura's eyes seemed glued to his smiling mouth and that's when it hit him.

With a hand raised, finger pointed toward the door he said briskly, "Out!"

Kakashi couldn't believe in his rush to see what was going on he had inadvertently let her see his face.

Wide smile still in place, moving toward the door, she said, "So, are you going to kick them out?"

Kakashi moved to his stack of clothing, and replied with a huff, "After I get dressed."

Sakura slid the door open, but paused at the door. With their backs to each other she said thoughtfully, "You know, I don't see why you wear that thing."

Pulling on his shirt, he replied unconcernedly, knowing she meant his mask "Oh?"

A couple seconds before stepping out, before sliding the door shut, she replied softly, "It's not like you have anything to hide."

And then she was gone. (On her way to snatch Naruto from gorging himself to death.)

Kakashi sighed thinking, 'If you only knew…'

I didn't go into detail about his face or…body from her pov…that's next chapter!

Again, if you wish to read the smutty version please visit my profile and click on my lemon works section. It will take you to adultfanfiction with a list of my works. Click on my story "His Fault" and there you go.

Ok, Thanks for reading!