Note: I started this story as my humorous smutty outlet. So…yeah. Not to be taken too seriously. XD

Self-control

2 Weeks Later

More and more, Hatake Kakashi found himself sitting in the local bar drowning his sorrows on the nights Team Kakashi remained mission-less. It was the only way he found to curb his insatiable hunger for pink haired kunoichi. Then again, his friends kept warning him that if he kept up the new habit, it would just become another addiction. He knew drinking was part of the five deadly shinobi sins, but then…what the hell did they know?

They were sitting right next to him guzzling down their own drinks…hypocrites.

Besides, they didn't understand. Kurenai never had sex-crazed fantasies about any of her former students before. (That he was aware of anyway.) Yes, he knew that Asuma had noticed that Ino was now of age and quite the looker, but…besides her new found relationships with a new guy every week, her vain attitude and screechy voice was enough cold water to throw on any –sane- man's libido. Raidou was too wrapped up in that new purple haired ANBU woman of his that kept calling Kakashi 'senpai' to notice anyone else around him. Anko didn't suffer his problems because, like Genma, the woman had no morals. And Gai…Well, the taijutsu master was too wrapped up in his favorite student to notice anyone one else, much less any –insane- female with a mild interest.

Kakashi shivered seeing the similarities between his situation and his so called rival's.

The only individual who could possibly sympathize with his plight was…Naruto. But there was no way in hell Kakashi would discuss such...disturbing things with the Hokage-wanna-be. For one, it would be highly awkward and for another…Naruto could now and would turn him into refried jounin. (It was a fact that secretly pissed him off.)

Kakashi didn't care what Gai kept spewing. Damn youth!

To make matters worse, during the week long mission they had just returned from that day –delivering a scroll to Suna- he had been pondering upon something Genma had said. It was something that didn't bode well with Kakashi. It didn't bode well at all.

Four shinobi sat around a small camp fire, trying to feel full after a relatively small dinner. Two Konoha ninja sat relatively comfortable next to each other leaning against the same large tree trunk. The other two teammates sat across from each other over the small dwindling fire, having a 'discussion' that the other two wished they didn't.

"You take that back!"

"No. Why should I?"

"Because it's not true!"

"Yes, it is."

"No it's not!"

"Yes, Naruto… it is."

An irritated female whispered to the man, who she just so happened to decide to sit next to, "Why don't you ever try to stop them?"

She received an uncaring, "They're grown men," from a man who was having problems with her close proximity. He continued in the same tone after a turn of a page. "I'm not a babysitter."

Sakura huffed as the heated argument continued in front of them, enjoying the company next to her, even if his leadership methods irked her. "No, but you're our leader."

Kakashi gave her a slight shoulder shrug, keeping his eyes on his pages and an emotionless, "Abuse of power and all that."

There was an irritated, grumbled, "more like lazy," that was marred by the small smile gracing her lips as the heated exchanges became more animated across from them.

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is."

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

"I think I do."

"How can you say that everyone thinks something when it's just you're opinion!"

"Granted it's my opinion, but it's still an opinion shared by…many."

"It's still not everyone, Hinata doesn't think so!"

"I'm sure at times she thinks so as well. She's only human."

"She doesn't think so!"

"Yes…she does."

"No! She doesn't!"

"I think she does."

"I think she doesn't!"

Apparently, Sakura was human as well. And being human, she could only take so much of her two teammate's arguing without wanting to snap them in two. Having spoken confirmation from before that Kakashi wasn't going to do anything to stop them, Sakura stood from her position. "Gah! That's it!" She stomped over to her pack and started taking out her bath-thing, needing to put some space between them and her self lest she really did snap them in two. She rounded on her two stunned teammates.

One arm cradling her things and the other, towel in hand, jabbing in the startled blonde's directions "Naruto, you are annoying and yes at times Hinata no doubt thinks so too!" Feeling guilty at his downcast eyes and pout she continued, "but you shouldn't feel too bad because-" She jabbed the towel in Genma's direction, incensed once again. "-everyone thinks he is too!"

Genma just gave her a 'yeah, already knew that thanks' look as she jerkily turned away.

But she wasn't finished yet. This time she turned to the man innocently still reading his book. "And you!" A dark droopy eye slowly came to rest on the image of the red faced kunoichi glaring angrily at him. "You just continue to sit there and read!"

She received a salute of sorts in a curt nod.

Chest heaving, red in the face, Sakura stomped to the small trail leading to the small river near by, but stopped when she came to the first tree. She turned back and tried to calm her frazzled nerves and continued in a somewhat calmer voice. "I'm going to go wash up now and get a little peace and quiet. You two better shapeup while I'm gone or so help me…"

A vein popped in her forehead, the hand with the towel dangling from it tightened into a fist, leaving the unspoken threat of bodily harm. Kakashi had to give her credit. She hadn't tried to pound either of the men into the ground like usual. He guessed Shizune's constant reminder of the great art of self restraint was finally paying off. (He just thought it was too bad Shizune's reminders were lost on the Hokage.)

Crickets chirped, silence reigning as the kunoichi turned and started down the little winding trail. Before disappearing into the tree line, she turned back around and said with the utmost seriousness, "And if anyone one of you-" Emerald eyes roamed over the two men trying to look innocent. She didn't look over to Kakashi, feeling safe that at least he wouldn't pull such a vile stunt. "-get it in your thick heads that spying on me is a good idea-" This time she didn't leave things unspoken. She wanted them to know she meant business. "-Kakashi-sensei will have to label you K.I.A in the mission report. Got it?"

Naruto gulped, face a nice shade of pale. Genma just sucked his teeth, senbon bobbing.

As soon as the angry kunoichi was out of earshot, the two previously quarreling shinobi turned to each other.

Genma jutted his chin at the now smiling younger ninja. "Nice job. Come on. If we go downwind she won't notice us. I shouldn't have to tell you to keep your chakra suppressed."

Naruto nodded smirking, "Nope. I'm right behind you."

A dark eye zero'd in on the two brothers in mischief, book lowering. "Hold it right there."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." The brown haired man waved the Copy-nin over. "Come on, let's go."

Kakashi stood from his previous sitting position calming wiping grass from his rear. "No one is going to go anywhere. Sit down. Both of you."

Genma wasn't thwarted just yet. Trying to appeal to his friend, he began to argue, Naruto watching the show beside him. "Where's that pervert-in-arms I used to know huh? Where's the guy who happened to be 'reading in a tree' while I happened to be 'sleeping in a bush' while Yuuhi Kurenai just happened to be bathing just a few feet away? Huh? Remember, on that Grass mission last year?"

A calm, "I don't know what you're talking about," was his answer as he sat back down in his reading position.

Naruto, who knew nothing of the other side of the elite jounin said in wondrous tones. "Kakashi-sensei, you're a peeping tom too? Wow. Who knew?"

Genma crossed his arms smugly. "My ass, you don't. I'm sure you couldn't forget the shit hitting the fan when we got back and old Asuma trying to kill us!" A grumbled, "He wouldn't talk to us for weeks after that…" followed under his breath.

Naruto looked between the two men, seemingly lost. Naïvely he asked, "I thought Kurenai-sensei was you guys' friend."

Genma shook his head pitieously at the –not so- innocent blonde, thinking the kid still had a ways to go in becoming a reputable skilled pervert. "Sakura's your friend too right, even though you have the Hyuuga. But, I don't see you getting all uppity about spying on her."

Naruto turned sheepish and looked to the side.

Genma answered with an eyeroll. "Exactly."

The senbon user turned his attention back to their leader. "Yeah, So I'm asking. What's the problem?"

"There's no problem."

Genma smirked, "There's the man I know," and turned to continue their little covert op.

They began to move off, and got a few feet away until they were halted yet again, this time by a slightly resigned voice, but firm all the same. "Get back here."

Genma shook his head doing as his so called friend stated because he was their leader after all and the man had already shown earlier that he himself was no match for Kakashi. Then laughter filled the air. As if just catching on to something highly amusing, Genma looked to the man slouching in his trademark stance and said, "I can't believe it. Who would have thought?" When he reached Kakashi's side, he chuffed Kakashi's shoulder saying, "Come on man, you could have just told me."

Naruto dejectedly trudging behind the senbon user, looked from either man asking confusedly, "Believe what? Thought what? Told what?"

Kakashi, aggravated, turned away and said, "Nothing. You should bed down for the night. We still have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

Kakashi took a swig of his strong drink, the usual six sitting and talking around him, at the usual table in the corner circular booth in the back.

He had, had half a mind that night to let Genma and Naruto go ahead and have their little fun after the senbon user's cryptic comment. Just so he could prove to his friend -and himself- that there was nothing to that little statement.

But he hadn't…

…because for some reason -he had no idea why- he couldn't.

A feminine concerned voice from his right side imparted a few words of wisdom as he stared around the bar seemingly bored. "She's a grown woman Kakashi."

Kakashi looked out of the corner of his dark eye at the genjutsu master beside him. "Pardon?"

Leaning into Asuma's side, she replied, "Genma told us before you got here."

Kakashi sent the man across and to his right an open glare.

The slightly tipsy ruby eyed kunoichi continued to turn into the dally lama on the man who just whipped out his trusty 'I don't see or hear you' book. "This isn't like you Hatake. If you want her, go get her. You're not her teacher anymore and she's not your little soldier either. She's a jounin, your equal."

Eye still trained on his book, he took a sip of his drink and replied evenly, "I'm her leader."

Anko, sitting across from them, who had been previously laughing at a joke Raidou had said, turned to them and butted in. "No, Hatake. You're a man and she's a woman." She drunkenly snickered behind her drink. "Tight-ass, you gotta learn to let the work shit go. Do us all a favor. Go find her and get laid." High-pitched slightly crazed laughter filled the air then. A petite hand smacked the damp table's surface. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! You need it!"

Kakashi, too used to such things coming out of the snake using woman's mouth, merely rolled his eye.

Then it seemed Anko's outburst caught the rest of the table's attention. Kakashi sighed inwardly. He knew his friends quite well. He was in for a rough night of hazing.

Kakashi put his book away, intent to leave and possibly find a nice spot above the Hokage Mountain. His beloved village was a sight to behold with the wash of the moonlight from above. Maybe he would even possibly visit the monument and have a word with Obito, ask him what he should do. Because no matter what his friends said, he had no idea.

But a flash of pink coming through the bar's entrance doors stilled his movements.

Kakashi felt he should have known. The familiar blonde kunoichi he had watched enter a few minutes ago wasn't known to frequent a bar by herself. Not even when scouting for a new man.

He felt he should leave. He really did.

But for some reason, his body just wouldn't move.

But there was a part of his body that seemed to have a mind of its own… his eye. It stayed train on the woman that his mind refused to believe he felt anything for…at least, anything other than lust.

2 minutes later at another table…

Eyes scanning the bar, obviously looking for a new victim, Ino said rather bored, "So, what's this all about Sakura? Why'd you want to meet here?" After waving to her former sensei and his group of friends she said smugly, "Thought you had some more medical journals to read or something."

Trying to nonchalantly wave to the same group of people, effectively ignoring her friend's jib, Sakura jumped right in. "Ino, say there was this guy-."

That got Ino's attention alright. Sakura found blue painted eyes locked on hers. "What's he look like?"

Slightly irritated, Sakura rolled her eyes. "Can I finish please?"

Ino pursed her lips, not liking her friends tone, but relenting regardless. "Alright…"

Trying to be vague, so that her so called friend wouldn't catch on to exactly who she was having the problem with, Sakura began her explanation. "Ok, so say there was this guy you knew." Sakura desperately tried to keep her eyes from lingering to the object of their conversation. "Well, let's say you knew him for years, and you always subconsciously thought he wasn't necessarily repulsive, because as a shinobi, he's forced to keep his body in tiptop condition and as being a medic-nin you were privy to seeing parts of said body…. But then one day you receive…extreme confirmation that your assumption was correct. He really is quite handsome-"

Skeptical Ino interrupted. "Wait, wait, wait. I've known him for years, but I only just figure out he's hot?" "What? Has he been wearing a bag over his head or something? I mean, come on! There is no way I wouldn't-"

A pink eyebrow twitched. "Again, can I finish?"

Ino slumped in her seat sipping at her drink. "Yeah, yeah, go ahead."

Sakura took a sip of her drink, the side of hair hanging over face, subconsciously shielding her next words from the man across the room. "Ok, so, you find out this guys good looking…really good looking. I mean sure he's got some scars, but what ninja doesn't right? And ok, so maybe he need's to get out in the sun a little more, but you know the jounin uniform leaves a lot to the imagination. Which is a good thing because if I'd have known before-"

Straw encased between glimmering teeth, Ino interrupted blandly. "Forehead, you're rambling."

Sakura came out of her longwinded daze and blinked at her friend a few times. "What? Oh, sorry. Where was I?"

White and red straw bouncing with her speech, Ino recounted, "A hot jounin that has some scars and needs a tan you need advice on."

With a nod and a sigh Sakura continued. "Right. See, although he's…hot, there are all kinds of problems-"

With a smirk and crossed arms, Ino interrupted yet again. "Well, I figured that much or else you wouldn't have asked me to meet you here."

Sakura was aggravated to no end. "Damn it Pig! Can I finish please?"

Ino deflated, rolling her eyes. "Spit it out then forehead. Geez…"

The kunoichi determinedly pressed on. "Look, the problem is he's older and-." Sakura went slightly pink thinking back to the noise she had heard coming from inside a certain bathhouse. "-obviously more experienced." She sighed dejectedly "But that's not all." Taking a good swig from the drink Ino had ordered for her prior to her arrival, she continued in an adamant voice. "I shouldn't even be attracted to him! I mean, I know it's not forbidden or anything anymore since our positions have changed and well I'm older now, but it's just… I don't know." Then her self esteem plummeted, making her scowl. "I don't know why I'm even bothering to worry about this. I mean, I don't even know what I'm feeling." A grumbled, "Not like he'd ever see me like that anyway…" ended her soapbox tirade.

Ino took a sip of her drink, too used to her friend's lack of womanly confidence and sighed. "Ok. First, forget all that other stuff. Just answer me this. Do you like him?"

A feminine hand smacked the table. "See, that's just it! I don't know. Does finding myself constantly thinking about a certain image of him these past few weeks mean that I actually like him? I just don't' know."

Not to be deterred Ino asked, "Well, would you go out on a date with this guy if he asked?"

Sakura laughed out loud at that question. She felt that was almost as likely as Lee plucking his eyebrows. After an uncontrollable bout of unladylike snorts she replied, "That would be highly- but… I might. It would be odd mind you, but I guess I would If only to try and find out more about him."

A blonde eyebrow rose intrigued. "So, you're saying you're interested in learning more about him?"

Sakura nodded her head slowly in the affirmative. "Yeah, suppose. I mean we are friends…sort of."

With an almost devious smile Ino inquired. "Would you kiss him?"

Sakura looked scandalized. "What! He would never-"

A manicured hand waved her off. "Hypothetically speaking of course, if he tried to, would you let him? Or would you be the prude that you are and bash his face in like you did to Kiba that one time?"

Sakura rebuked her friend with a heated, "That Inuzuka jerk had it coming damn it! That date was a disaster that lasted too long for my liking, he was a smelly dog with tentacles for hands! And if I recall correctly that so called date was your idea."

Pursing her lips in thought, Ino replied lightly, "Oh right." Then she quickly pressed on. "Anyway, just answer the question."

Sakura stirred her drink with a finger, thinking the question through –effectively stalling for time. Would she? Sakura tried to put it in another context that was more plausible to her mind. If some lucky, devious, root actually managed to trip the surefooted Copy-nin and he just so happened to not right himself and fell…onto her lips would she… a) let it go, and vehemently pretend it didn't happen, else go insane. b) Kiss him back and make sure it was so good that he never forgot about it since it was probably the only one she'd ever get out of him or c) rip his lips off and feed them to one of his summons…preferably not Pakkun who she'd have to lie to if he asked what they were?

If the situation did happen, which she would bet her next commission that it wouldn't, she would have to go with the first one, but she would make some amendments. She'd let it go and vehemently pretend to him and anyone else unfortunate enough to notice that it didn't happen. Although, she wouldn't forget about it; she'd bring said memory up when she was alone…thus making things worse.

Sakura sighed and told the truth, albeit highly mournful. "Yes, I'd kiss him."

"Ok, then." Ino slammed a hand to the table, smiling proudly. "We've established that you like him!"

Sakura parroted her friend in a sort of awe, realization leaking into her supposedly intelligent brain. "…I like him."

A small smile formed on her face. As the feeling and information completely sunk in that small smile slowly blossomed into a wide pleased beam. This time there was nothing but clear optimism in her voice. "I like him."

Then, it sunk in exactly who it was she liked, eyes traveling over to the 'forbidden zone' A.K.A Kakashi land, she deflated, saying mournfully, "I like him."

Ino, missing her friend's quiet whisper and her lingering gaze, still eyeing a handsome specimen coming through the door, asked, "So are you finally going to tell me who this guy is?"

Wide forehead sinking to the table, Sakura answered sullenly, "No."

….back at the other table

Sadly, the man, two people down from Kakashi, shook his bowl-cut head. "It is a sad day indeed when my eternal rival lacks the courage to fan the flames of passion…"

The others, along with Kakashi, rolled their eyes, knowing a longwinded speech about youth and spirit would follow. And Matio Gai didn't disappoint. In somber tones Gai began. "It is unfortunately true my friend that you, like the rest of us, may not be in the springtime of your youth anymore." A shaking fist rose, along with his voice. "But take heart Kakashi! Embrace your feelings! Open that small, shriveled, hardly beating heart inside that feeble little chest of yours and embrace what you know to be true!" Kakashi raised a brow as Anko smacked a hand to her face, groaning as the man's brown eyes began to water. "Go to her! Go to her and take her in your arms Kakashi!" The watering eyes suddenly became a steady flowing river of tears, much like the free flowing youthfullness the man always boasted about. With a lip trembling, voice clogged and hoarse with emotion, Gai choked out, "…Never let her go Kakashi."

Raidou awkwardly patted the sobbing man's shoulder consolingly. Wiping his eyes with the back of a green clad arm he chocked out again. "Never let her go…"

And Kakashi had thought Anko's 'You need to get laid' statement had been bad….

Either way, he had enough. It seemed even his body was willing to finally comply this time. (Probably just to get as far away from the sobbing man down the table as he could.)

Laying some money down for his tab, Kakashi got up to leave.

Ashing his cigarette, casually prodding Kurenai to slide down –trying to move away from the emotional man at his side- Asuma asked, "So, you finally gonna be a man and do what you should've done from the beginning?"

He gave them all a side glance, knowing they were all waiting for his answer, even the puffy eyed taijutsu master had looked up. He gave them an answer alright, the only thing he was sure of. "I'm a ninja first, a man second."

Kakashi calmly walked away toward the exit with the –not so whispered words, "I'm telling you, Mr. Tight-ass just needs to pull the stick out and take pinky over there and just-"

Loud feminine growling filtered to his ears as he slipped out into the night.

It was a good thing he didn't look back. If he had, he would have seen the animated body movements depicting exactly what Mitarashi Anko thought Kakashi should do to Sakura. Poor, poor Genma…. It was never a good thing to be used as a prop.

Out in the street….

Kakashi, hands in his pockets, slightly swaying, made his way slowly down the seemingly empty main street. In his blood warmed state, he knew teleportation seals were out of the question and besides, he had lots of things to think about on his way to the Hokage Mountain.

Suddenly his thought filled solitude was shattered.

A hesitant female voice called from behind him. "Uh, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi didn't stop, but he did look over his shoulder. His already sluggish pace turned to a crawl, as he faced forward again. It was his way of letting Sakura know that her company was desired without actually saying so. He had wanted to be alone, but he found himself unable to deny her company.

Sakura, noticing his hurried exit from the bar and feeling uncharacteristically concerned, quickly caught up with her team leader and matched his lethargic pace at his left side.

After a few seconds of silence she asked, truly wanting to know, "Are you alright Kakashi-sensei?"

She received a slight lift of his head and a "Mm."

Turning to give her quiet team leader a once over, noticing his glazed eye and slight sway asked with pursed lips and a raised eyebrow, "You look like you've had a lot to drink Kakashi-sensei. You sure you're alright?"

The tall man walking beside her, hands in his pockets, looked over and down upon her. After a few seconds he gave her a tired, "I'm fine Sakura. This old body can still handle a little sake."

Sakura, acknowledging the fact that he was probably capable of holding his liquid after so many years simply nodded, sighing.

A few more steps were taken before she asked, noticing that this was not the direction to his apartment, "So, you're not going home then?"

Kakashi smiled behind his mask, rolling his eyes at her oh so brilliant deduction skills. "No. Not at the moment."

Sakura kicked a rock, stuffing her hands in her pockets, mimicking the man beside her. "So…where ya headed?"

Kakashi looked at the young woman beside him out of the corner of his eye and smirked, "Where are you headed?"

Sakura's step faltered, but she hastily disguised it as a trip on a rock. Faking nonchalance she said, "Pesky rock strewn road… Sorry did you say something?" stalling for time.

Kakashi inwardly shook his head, too smart to be fooled by her amateurish acting skills. Her behavior was seemingly odd since he knew for a fact that she could put most stage people to shame when it was prudent for a mission.

Sakura hurriedly searched for an answer, before he repeated his question.

She had promptly excused herself from the table with an excuse of…nothing really. She had thrown down some money and quickly scrambled out from her seat with a quick goodbye to her startled and surprised friend.

Sakura had exited with an angered shout of, "Where the hell are you going!" ringing in her ears and strangely enough, a familiar female voice screeching, "Why is it always the woman who has to make the first move?" which was answered by another familiar female voice answering, "Because men are stupid."

She was concerned, but she hadn't actually known what to say to him, if anything at all. She just felt the tremendous need to simply be in his presence. So, she had no idea where she was headed, just wanting to go wherever Kakashi did. ….but she couldn't tell him that now could she?

He repeated his question. "Where are you headed?"

And her savior appeared in the image of an intersection, the turn off that lead to her residential area.

"Oh, I wanted to turn in for the night. Tired and all that…" She punctuated her sentence with a yawn.

As they reached the middle of the intersection, Sakura turned away and winced. Her little white lie meant her nice little midnight stroll with Kakashi had come to an end. Trying and failing to keep the disappointment in her voice from showing, she said, "This is me I guess." With a forced smile and even falser cheerfulness she gave a little wave of goodbye to the man who had stopped beside her. "Well, goodnight then."

Kakashi took a hand out of his pocket and gave a simple wave of goodbye and an eye-crease, wondering about that hint of disappointment he had heard in her voice.

Sakura turned and slowly, dejectedly walked away.

Kakashi turned away, now gazing upon the image of the Hokage Mountain. He tried to fight down the twinge in his chest and make his sandaled feet move…but like most times these days when faced with leaving the kunoichi's presence, he found that …he couldn't.

Knowing he shouldn't, but feeling an undeniable compulsion to, Kakashi spoke up cryptically, loud enough for the woman walking away to hear. "The view from the Hokage Mountain at night is supposed to be therapeutic for both the mind and body," Hands shoved deeper into dark blue pockets, a dark eye cast to the starlit sky. "Or so it's said."

Sakura immediately stopped. She knew this was his casual way of inviting her along. She forced down the wide smile that over came her features before turning around with her face forcefully blank and her lips pressed tightly together.

Brows raised, chewing on the side of her cheek thoughtfully, she replied interested, "Is it? I've been there hundreds of times before but-" lying yet again, turning to gaze at the shadowed stone faces, Sakura continued. "-I've never seen it at night."

Kakashi's response was to continue slowly walking on, but not before giving the kunoichi, who was trying not to smile, a happy little eye crease. Sakura nonchalantly took up her position next to him again and they continued on in relative silence –more like nervousness on her side. Never in her entire time of knowing Kakashi had the man ever purposely desired nor –in his own way- asked for her company.

Was he just lonely, reaching out for a little companionship? Or was it specifically her company he sought? Sakura didn't know, but she was just glad to be able to continue being in his presence.

Hatake Kakashi was in a rare mood indeed. She felt maybe it had a little something to do with all the drinks he obviously had. She hoped that maybe if she got lucky, like Tsunade, maybe the drink would make him nostalgic and loosen his clamped lips. Maybe she would hear about the people in the photograph she had seen above the bed -the few times she and Naruto had visited him when he was on bed-rest. Maybe she would hear about a past mission, maybe they would talk about one of their own past missions, maybe he would ask about herself, or…

Sakura stopped her inner ramblings. She didn't know who she was kidding. She knew once they got there, it was more likely that they'd just sit there quietly. She could see Kakashi eventually getting fed up by her awkward presence and finally whipping out his trusty book to stem the boredom. Or leave questioning why he had subjected himself with her peculiar company in the first place.

Sakura was brought out of her self-loathing by a pondering tone coming from the usually tightlipped man to her side.

Hands in his pockets, eye cast to the star strewn sky, Kakashi said wisely as they took the first stair leading to their destination "I was once told by the third that each stair traversed eases the worry from the mind and the stress from the body."

"More like burns the muscles in the legs…" Sakura winced as her little joke sounded childish and silly, no doubt reminding the man, she just figured out she was attracted to that she was so much younger than himself. Sakura cast her eyes to the floor and off to the side. She unconsciously mimicked Kakashi's posture by slouching and stuffing her hands into the pockets of her own jounin uniform again.

She was surprised to hear not a sigh or a groan of 'what the hell did I bring her along for' but a chuckle, a single laugh. It effectively made her frown turn upside down.

An amused, "I never gave much stock in that saying myself," and a friendly shoulder bump, from a man who normally didn't allow physical contact, made her smile widen. She laughed, her nervousness almost disappearing…almost.

A comfortable silence reigned as they made their way to the top of the mountain.

By the time they made it to the summit, Sakura was ever so thankful that someone had come up with the brilliant idea to put a few park benches along the peak to sit down on. She was just glad she hadn't been one of the two who were forced to haul said benches up to such a high and leg burning spot. Poor Kotetsu and Izumo, she really felt for those guys.

Sakura watched Kakashi walk over to the first bench he came to. She also watched him slide onto the farthest left side of the wooden seat, comfortably putting an arm on the back of the bench. She quickly calculated in her mind. If she took the farthest right side of the bench, his gloved hand would rest just behind her left shoulder.

She casually took her seat on the opposite end of the bench.

Sakura felt nervous again. But it wasn't like she had never pulled up a piece of grass next to the man before. After sparing practice, she was known to flop exhaustedly on the ground, not giving two shits about who was sitting beside her. Plus, during the last mission she'd found herself sitting next to Kakashi more often than not. But then again, that had been before Sakura realized she actually liked him in 'that way'.

Head lifted, gazing at the moon, Kakashi surprised her by starting an actual conversation.

Sagely, looking over the twinkling lights, he said, "There are many things that we, as ninja, consciously or even subconsciously want and desire, but because of either duty or a deep ingrained sense of honor we generally fail to attain them." A serious dark eye turned toward her. "Do you agree with that statement Sakura?"

'Wow, what a depressing statement.' Sakura thought. She quickly mulled it over. "Well…our work is dangerous after all. Most die at a young age I suppose." She smiled at the moon. "But, I guess that's why lots of us choose to live by that old saying 'seize the day', right?"

Kakashi nodded his head to the side thoughtfully, considering her words. "Mm… Yes."

Sakura sensed something off about Kakashi's reaction. It was almost as if something was bothering him from the way she watched his brow knit out of the corner of her eye. Unfortunately, she wasn't about to just up and ask. She had never had a real exchange with this man before. And she found herself wanting this discussion to continue, even if the subject was slightly disheartening. It was a nice change of pace between them. She figured it was best just to let him lead the discussion as he saw fit so as not to scare him off so to speak.

Silence stretched as she did so, the sound of crickets growing louder around them during the long pause.

Finally, a second before Sakura felt she might just go insane, Kakashi spoke. "Seize the day…" Kakashi began drumming his fingers on top of the bench behind her. Sakura almost jumped from the sound and feel, having forgotten that it had been there in the first place. Not looking at the woman beside him, Kakashi asked offhandedly, "Do you live by that particular philosophy Sakura?"

Trying not to slide off the bench away from the hand still drumming behind her, Sakura replied with a nervous laugh, "Ha, well not like Naruto-" A slight scowl formed on her lips. "-and definitely not like that lecherous womanizer Genma obviously-" The scowl was traded for a small smile. "But I would like to think so." Sakura bit her lip and asked, "Do you?"

Kakashi turned to the young woman beside him. He regarded her with a silent stare, unnerving the poor girl to no end. The hand drumming behind Sakura stopped as Kakashi replied with something foreign lacing his voice, "Apparently not."

Sakura's fingers unconsciously toyed with a pocket on the lower right hand side of her vest. She desperately looked anywhere, but at the man still silently staring at her. Flustered, she started rambling. "Y-You know, I-I can't see you being afraid of doing anything Kakashi-sensei. I mean- I mean what could possibly scare you-"

Kakashi cut her off, obviously sensing her discomfiture, finally prying his eye from her image. "Oh, but there are things that even I am afraid of unfortunately…"

Hearing those words coming from the man beside her was enough to calm her frazzled nerves. Highly interested she turned to him and asked, "Like what?" Adding a hesitant, "…if you don't mind me asking," for good measure.

The hand behind her began to drum again. With slight amusement Kakashi said, "I'll tell you one if you promise me something."

A pink brow rose, intrigued…but fearful. The only things Kakashi had ever asked from her were harder efforts during sparing and she didn't feel she could give any more than she already was. Sucking in a breath she asked, "Well…what do I have to promise?"

Kakashi smirked behind his mask at the girl's hesitancy. In reassuring tones he consoled her. "Nothing horrible I assure you." Continuing with a slight shrug of the shoulder, "I just thought we could dispense with the use of 'sensei' from now on."

Sakura let out a held breath and laughed. "Ha! That, I can do-" She turned to him with a bright smile. "-Kakashi."

She received an eye-crease. "Good." Nodding and looking away he continued sucking his teeth, "Oh right, pass that on to Naruto as well. I think it's about time, makes me feel old, what with the two of you being jounin now."

"But you're not old Kakashi-." She struggled not to add the honorific here. "Kakashi."

"I'm 35 Sakura, a far cry from 21."

Sakura wasn't to be deterred. "Yes, but you're not old. I mean, I've seen you-" A red face ended that sentence abruptly.

He knew what she was going to say. He remembered the incident in the bathhouse. He was still cursing himself for his slip.

A blank, "Leeches," filled the air between them.

No longer red faced Sakura turned to Kakashi confused, thinking what the hell slimy slug thingies had to do with a hot half naked Copy-nin. "Leeches?"

"Leeches. I had a bad experience as a child playing in a lake once. They seem to cling to the damnedest of places…"

Sakura desperately tried not to break into a fit of girlish giggles, seeing as how she was supposed to be reminding him that she was no longer that little girl. "Um, Kakashi?" But her efforts weren't working apparently. "That's… a little more than I wanted to know."

A silver head nodded once. "Ah…." A chuckled, "My apologies," followed later.

Sakura couldn't help it and snickered behind her hand. "Hehe."

Another pause of silence engulfed them, this time longer than the last. Almost 5 minutes into the drawn out nothingness, Kakashi, still looking out over the twinkling lights of the village, said in a tone letting her know what he said was true, "You know Sakura, if you're tired, don't feel as if you have to stay and keep this old man company. I'll understand."

Sakura raised a playful eyebrow. "Are you trying to get rid of me Kakashi?" Crossing her arms, she role-played an irritated facade. "You could have just told me you wanted to be alone you know."

A warning, "…Sakura," made her smirk fall.

"You're no fun." In a sure voice she replied, "No, I'm fine really. I don't mind."

Another silent minute ticked by…then she felt what was the unmistakable sensation of fingers playing in the bottom strands of her hair. Sakura froze. Looking to her left out of the corner of her eye, she could see a gloved hand lazily twirling a few strands of her pink tresses. Kakashi was playing with her hair! Inner Sakura almost fainted, thinking, 'What the hell!'

This was beyond strange Kakashi behavior…

Sure he had ruffled her hair when she was a kid –sometimes even now when he wanted to piss her off- but he had never done this! It was almost as if he were…

No... No well in hell! Inner Sakura was coming up with excuses for this bit of close personal contact. Right now 'infinite boredom' was her top choice, right next to 'morbid curiosity'.

Sakura herself was curious all right. This was not Kakashi behavior, at least none that she had ever encountered before. She had half a mind to pull out a kunai and demand to know who the hell this imposter was.

Dark eye trained on the moon above, Kakashi asked flatly, "Does this make you uncomfortable?"

In a way it did, but not in an altogether bad way. Truthfully if he stopped, then she'd just have to kill him. So she timidly whispered out a simple 'No' as a response… fidgeting with a loose thread on the bottom of her vest.

Kakashi's reply was a normal every day simple, "Good." But coupled with a piercing stare that made gooseflesh appear all over her body and her heartbeat to race, not to mention the hand still in her hair...

This was definitely not normal Kakashi behavior and Sakura knew it.

Kakashi continued to stare at her; silently waging an inner war that had been going on since the moment he had asked her to accompany him at that intersection earlier.

The hand in her hair smoothly slid to the back of her neck, seemingly of its own accord, bringing his inner diatribe to a close, drawing the woman near. It seemed his body had already determined an answer, one that he obviously couldn't deny. Being subjected to her close proximity, alone, and for so long had obviously been his undoing. He had tried to fight it off for as long as he could, but all he heard was Anko and Gai's earlier words mixed with the philosophy of 'seize the day' in his ear.

Sakura found herself staring across the small space between them into a heavy lidded dark eye that was filled with something even her naïve mind could recognize. It was pretty evident in the adamant way that particular eye continued to gaze transfixed down at her substantially parted lips.

Hatake Kakashi, her team leader, former teacher, and currently the man she found herself extremely attracted to…was seriously debating whether or not to kiss her. And needless to say, Haruno Sakura went deaf and mute. But thankfully not blind as the hand -not gently massaging the back of her neck- slowly pulled down the ever present dark mask, eye still riveted to her mouth.

The moment the mask pooled underneath Kakashi's chin, Sakura's eyes went wide. She had seen the sight before that time in the bathhouse and so many times in her mind recently, but a memory was nothing compared to the real thing. And here was the real thing slowly traversing that space between them, with his hand smoothly sliding up from the nape of her neck to gently cradle the back of her head.

Kakashi turned his head slightly to the side, so close that she could feel his breath fan across her cheek, hand not in her hair going to grip her hip. In a deep voice, dark gaze still set, Kakashi slowly closed the last remaining distance between them whispering ever so quietly, "Good… because I hope this doesn't either," before capturing her bottom lip between his own.

At first Sakura didn't respond to the man lightly tugging on her lip, too shocked at the entire situation to do anything but sit there and stare wide eyed. But as it slowly began to sink in what was happening and exactly who it was attacked to her mouth…

Sakura responded, feeling as if she had died and gone to heaven. Her eyes shut, her hands went to his vest covered chest and her own lips began to move against Kakashi's clumsily trying to match his delicate movement and gentle touch. The hand tangled in her hair pressed her lips firmly to him, the other hand moving her zipper down, undoing her similar green vest.

Hearing the sounds of sliding metal, their lips parting and then pressing firmly back together, and the electric touch of the soft lips pressed so tightly to his own, it all quickly started to drive Kakashi to a point of no return. All sense of willpower had crumbled and turned to ash the moment his hand had touched the creamy skin of the young woman's neck. He had desperately wanted this for months and here he was intimately touching and kissing the very woman he had been fantasying about for so long…and she hadn't pushed him away. She was actually kissing him back with equal fever!

This young beautiful woman wanted him just like he wanted her. That knowledge alone was enough to make his blood boil, his hands start roaming, and his arousal to harden. This was like a fantastical fantasy come true. Things were moving too slow for him then, extremely too slow for his liking. Kakashi wanted Sakura and he wanted her now.

Sakura felt the change in the atmosphere around them immediately.

The moment she felt Kakashi's tongue forcefully slip past her lips and sweep the roof of her mouth, she felt a tingle go all the way to the core of her body. His hand's felt like a whirlwind assaulting her nerve endings. They were everywhere, making her skin tingle, stroking the flaming fire erupting in her belly. Kakashi's hand in her hair left to aid his other to push her vest from her shoulders. With her help it ended up lying forgotten on the bench behind her.

Each time she thought the kiss was going to break, he just pulled back slightly, turned his head to the other side and then plunged right back in for another deep kiss. But she wasn't complaining.

No one had ever kissed her like this.

(The only people she had ever kissed was a dying former teammate turned evil and a (now) nameless, faceless 'village boy' that she had a single meaningless unfortunate, drunken curiosity filled night with –that hadn't finished with sex because she surprisingly still had half a mind to stop).

No one had ever had her feeling like a struck match before. The flames of desiring burned at the apex of her body with the feeling of such an intimate exchange…a hot, profound, 'I want to eat you alive' type of kiss.

The next thing she knew, she felt both of Kakashi's hands tightly grip her hips and in one swift fluid motion, lips still attached, she felt herself being lifted… and repositioned on his lap. She was straddling Kakashi, his arms wrapped securely around her, her chest pressed tightly to the front of his vest.

Kakashi came up for air finally, panting for breath. Instead of looking at her, or trying to explain, his mouth simply slipped from her lips and dove straight down to latch onto the flesh of her throat. His left hand slipped back into her hair, gently tugging her head to the side to give him more access to the succulent skin of her neck. His other hand was hooked under her arm and over her shoulder stretching the collar of her long-sleeved undershirt as far as it would go, hot open mouth now trailing each exposed inch revealed.

Kakashi's extreme close proximity, his frantic pace, his labored breathing, his heated growls, his rugged grunts, and his delicious relentless sucking on the flesh of her neck and shoulders was driving her insane…but at the same time frightening her to no end. Haruno Sakura at the ripe age of 21 was still a virgin. A (semi) untouched woman that had only just a few hours ago figured out that she was actually harboring an attraction for the man that had been her sensei. She thought him to be a man that had absolutely no interest in her whatsoever as a woman until just a few short seconds ago.

Ninety percent of her was ecstatic to know that Kakashi was equally attracted to her and wanted to do things…to her, but there was still that ten percent left unaccounted for. There was still that rationale part of her that was sending off the same alarm bells that stopped her virginity from being taken the last time.

The bells only seemed to go off even louder the moment she heard a rasped heated, "I have to have you," near her ear, heavy emphasis on the word 'have'. This was in turn followed up by the hand on her shoulder sliding down to roughly grab her right buttock. Said filled hand forcefully pressed her lower body against his own as his hips thrust harshly up and rolled against her. Showing her exactly how much he wanted her indeed, which, by the large rigid hardness sliding against her lightly cloth covered center, happened to be a whole hell of a lot.

This both turned her on and frightened her even more.

It was a clear indication that Kakashi wanted more from her than she had ever given to any one in her entire life…and she'd be lying if she said it didn't scare the shit out of her. Just earlier Ino had questioned her on the act of kissing Kakashi and she had hesitated. Now, here she was mimicking the act of hot steamy sex on a bench overlooking the village with him!

There was that rational part of her, yelling in her ear that this wasn't right. She had no idea where she stood with him, if anywhere. Did he even care about her? Could he ever love her? Was this just a one time deal to him? Was sex all he wanted from her? What would happen after?

This was all new to her. She, herself had no idea what she was feeling for him. She just knew there was an attraction, a strong magnetic pull of sorts. She hardly knew anything about him, much less what he may be thinking at the moment. This was a man who she had thought possessed little to no emotions other than boredom and anger before this all started. But right now, he was showing her quite a few and it slightly bothered her that the one emotion being screamed the loudest was…lust.

But unfortunately, the sudden friction between her legs, the hot mouth sucking on her flesh and the warm hands finding their way underneath the hem of her shirt felt too good to ponder such things at the moment. Lust was a good word to describe what she felt as well. She was lost in the torrent of sensations being wrought on her hypersensitive body. Lust described exactly what she was feeling as she unconsciously ground away on her team leader's lap, hands fisted in Kakashi's hair at the back of his silvery head.

All thought, questions, doubts…anything really was quickly swiped from her brain like an eraser wiping clean a chalkboard as she felt her shirt being lifted. His roaming hands massaged the lean muscles of her stomach and then quickly moved upward. She didn't want to do anything but just…feel.

Both sets of hips rocking in tandem, grunts and moans filtering in the air, Sakura took in a huge deep sharp breath as two large hands shakily ran under and over both her bound breasts simultaneously, roughly squeezing as they went. The moment she had sucked in that breath from the sensation of his hands, Kakashi growled into her neck, "Do that again for me Sakura," accompanied by a hard upward thrust of his arousal harshly rubbing against her moistened center.

She complied, easily doing as he asked from the sensations driving her insane between her legs and the hands squeezing, pinching, and rolling her pink fleshy peaks through the white linen between them. All sorts of sounds were coming from her throat; most that she had no idea what they were and rightfully didn't care at the moment.

But Kakashi did.

Every moan that came from her mouth, every incoherent word sighed or whispered was music to his ears, adding to his erratically beating heart, the fire in his veins, the aching throb in his loins.

Incensed he roughly forced her shirt to her throat and removed his mouth from her shoulder with a loud wet suctioned release. Shirt pushed to her collarbone, Sakura's back arched as Kakashi's mouth crudely latched on to her right breast, over her binding, like a babe hungrily suckling for milk. Her entire body shuddered from the extreme new sensations adding to the fire between her legs. The noise, feel, and sight of the constant suction on her thinly covered breast coupled with the almost erratic thrashing between her legs was just too much for her. In her still relatively untouched state it was more than she could bear.

A drawn-out shaky strangled cry ripped from her throat as a profuse amount of wetness pooled beneath her, soaking through her clothes and lightly dampening Kakashi's.

The moment Kakashi heard her strangled cry of release, he pried his mouth from around her pink fleshy nipple like a bolt of lighting had hit him. Sakura's shirt fell back into place, his headband covered forehead pressed to her hammering chest immediately afterward. His hands quickly went to her waist trying to still her –and his own- motions.

Forehead dejectedly rubbing side to side, much like a stamp trying to be coated in ink, below the hollow of her throat, Kakashi miserably whispered through his panting. He tried to calm his breathing and his –vile, in his eyes- arousal saying simply the word, "Fuck…."

As Sakura slowly started coming down from her over stimulated high, the man who had been so ready to rip her clothes off and have his way with her…had found his conscious and it had come ironically with the sound of her climax. At that moment all he heard in his head was:

'What the fuck is wrong with you Hatake? She's not some sleazy tramp you can just toss aside in the morning! This is little Sakura, the young girl who you used to teach, the same young woman who is still your goddamn teammate! For Christ's sake she used to look up to you! What the hell's wrong with you! You had better be fucking glad things stopped when they did! She's still a fucking virgin you sorry bastard!'

Headband covered eye still pressed to the young woman's raggedly breathing chest, Kakashi tried to continue, a haze of emotions clogging his throat and preventing the use of complete sentences. Most of the emotions shining through being shame, guilt, and remorse as he choked out "…my fault …never should have …fuck. …so sorry."

Hearing and feeling the girl in his arms reach that peak so early in the game had loudly reminded him that this wasn't some sex-crazed fantasy version of Haruno Sakura. This was Haruno Sakura in the flesh, a sweet innocent young woman. Kakashi felt like a complete and utter total bastard sitting there with his sated young teammate on his lap.

Kakashi knew enough about Sakura to know that this was not what she wanted. Even if she happened to tell him that right now, he knew it wasn't true. He had spent enough time around the young woman to figure out that Sakura was one of the few who still believed in love.

What they were doing had nothing to do with love at all. It was just a means to quench an insatiable desire…at least he was sure of that on his part.

And there was no way he would let things continue as is because Kakashi wouldn't take away the only innocence the girl had left. He had no right. He wouldn't let her first time be with a former sensei/team leader who couldn't keep it in his pants. She deserved a whole hell of a lot better.

Besides even if she weren't a virgin, he wouldn't continue. He was well aware that sex was synonymous with the word love in her naïve green eyes.

And Kakashi felt relatively sure that he could certainly give one…but definitely not the other.

Again, she deserved better…far better than he could ever give her… that was for damn sure.

As for Sakura, the moment she had reached that euphoric bliss that she had never experienced before, she had also come crashing back to reality. Kakashi's uncharacteristic emotional shame and guilt ridden words of apology had been nothing short of…a slap in the face to her.

TBC