I really appreciate all your reviews and questions - thank you so much for reading and following my stories! BTW, I went back and "fixed" a few earlier chapters. I apologize for that mess: it really teaches me not to rapidly update stories just because I'm ill and not working again!
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Thinking
Biju, etc. speaking
Biju, etc. thinking
Emphasis
Where in the world is that idiot?
Ino Yamanaka had shown up late in the afternoon yesterday, trying to pass herself off as one of the new nurses on duty. She hadn't suppressed her chakra completely, although she'd compressed it enough that Sakura didn't immediately recognize her long-time best friend. When the Yamanaka heiress had waltzed into her office henged as the young woman who'd just been hired, Sakura was already exhausted as usual these days, on guard at the imposter's arrival, and nearly let Inner Sakura take over to pound the snot out of the imbecile who was trying to trick her. Ino, though, of all people, was quite familiar with Sakura's other personality, "Inner Sakura," so she quickly dropped her henge and dove into Sakura's mind with her clan's jutsu. The beast inside Sakura properly subdued, the two women spent the evening reminiscing and discussing nearly everything that had happened over the past several months.
"It'll be alright, Ino-chan. He misses you just as much as you miss him," Sakura assured her friend who was chewing her nails. She grabbed Ino's hand and pulled it away from her mouth, scolding her the way Ino used to continually scold her for the same bad habit when they were little girls. Sakura smiled at the memory. She wondered, however, where in the world her old teammate was, though: she could've sworn she'd recognized Sai's chakra entering the hospital seal, but then it immediately vanished hours ago. Especially as an ANBU now, Sai could obviously do such a thing easily, but why?
Finally, a knock was heard on her closed office door. She patted Ino's hand and moved toward the door, only giving the blonde a glare as Ino ducked into her back room - the one for patients, (or for when she really wanted to sleep recently.) "You made it," she said after opening the door to see her old teammate.
Why is he smiling like that? That grin was supposed to be genuine, she figured but wasn't natural in any way. Damn it: This is what Ino's departure had done to him. Surely he would forgive Ino: they had been very much in love, she was sure. Sakura took a deep breath and invited him in. He looked around warily before flashing an almost amused grin that faded into his creepy-normal. "What did you do, Sai?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Ugly-san. I am here at your summons," he stated plainly - although there was a wee bit of light in his eyes she hadn't seen in some time. Seeing the scary woman shudder, Sai determined he should say more - but only a little more. "This morning has been very profitable."
"Oh, Kami, who'd you get now?" Sai only tilted his head at Sakura's irritating question in that infuriating way of his. She groaned and shook her head. "I'm assuming you drew or painted something no one in their right mind wanted to see?" Sai's face was frozen, so she knew she was right. "What did you do? You know that no one wants…"
"I had many bidders once again, Ugly-san," Sai replied, feeling what could be anger. Yet, at the same time, he reminded himself that it was Sakura and her summons that had made him nearly four times his monthly ANBU pay this morning for only hours of work, so he flashed her a winning smile - or what he thought was one.
Sakura looked at that smile, gagged, and ran into the washroom. After spitting up bile, she refused to allow the exasperating man's weird smiling/snarling face to remain in her consciousness. Inner Sakura would remember, but she was really pissed off about having to do so. The med nin threw water on her face and brushed her teeth a bit, hoping that Ino would finally reveal herself from… Kami, Ino was under the bed Sakura had on hand for examining patients, suppressing her chakra. All of my friends are total idiots. She walked out to see that expression still frozen on Sai's face and turned away, inwardly cursing. "Got a surprise for you, Sai," she smirked. "GET UP & OVER HERE NOW!"
Nothing happened: no Ino, no nothing. Incensed, Sakura grabbed her old teammate by the hand and dragged him into the attached room, ignoring his use of chakra to attempt to hold himself in place. "Pull her out; I can't get down there like this," Sakura waved a hand dismissively at her quite large belly, and saw what she thought was impossible: the too-pale man she was speaking to further blanched into an icy whiteness.
Sai bent down to look under the bed shakily. He closed his eyes: it can't be, can it? Opening his ebony eyes, he saw only the tiled floor. It was a joke? He swallowed heavily, attempting to control his temper that rose; he hadn't felt it or many feelings in so long. Just as he looked above the bed as he decided exactly what crimes to commit against Ugly-san while saving what was in his mind, her no-doubt ugly baby, he saw her. Pale blonde hair, down from her normal ponytail and out of her beautiful eyes - just like he preferred.
"Ano… How are you, Sai-kun?" Sai stood still in shock. "Sai?" Ino watched him warily, hearing Sakura close the door behind her as she left the office. "Sai, are you alright? It's - it's me, Ino, umm…" She was cut off by a furious kiss that left her breathless. "Oh, Sai - I've missed you so, so much!"
"I love my job," the Rokudaime said for at least the tenth time - and it was just midday!
Having handed out all presently available missions to his shinobi regular forces, and even listening to the apology that finally came from Iruka-kun regarding how he'd treated his blonde fiance - not that he told Iruka about his engagement - Kakashi felt things just couldn't get any better. He all but skipped down the street, back to the Tower, passing the wobbling pregnant Sakura with a jaunty wave.
The citizens of Konoha, at least all who'd witnessed the morning actions and attitude of their Copy Nin Hokage, were frankly alarmed.
Opening his office door stealthily, he looked toward the big couch in the back of the room. Yes, she was still there, asleep, looking like she hadn't even moved a muscle since he placed her there hours ago. Sweet woman: I really tired her out. It had been hours, though, and he really wanted to use his desk again. Thank you, Shodaime! He turned and gave a serious salute to the older Senju brother's picture: he had made the thing, after all. Turns out, it was the perfect height - and width - and even length for their previous activities. He couldn't help but let out a chuckle after considering that he probably wasn't the only Hokage who'd had an Uzumaki on such a magnificent piece of furniture. He approached Naru and woke her up with kisses.
Naru was exhausted. She'd been having dreams involving trying to stop someone from peeping on a hot spring filled with ramen with various scantily-dressed or undressed narutomaki - and really didn't want to wake up. I - I gotta get to that ramen, so stop it, Perv! Tension filled her body as she began to curse whoever was keeping her from the exquisite, haze-inducing food. Slowly opening her eyes, she found the other wild-haired culprit. "Kakashi," she said darkly.
The silver-haired pervert was saying something and trying to make her wake up. She would have told him to fuck off, but the last time she'd told him that, he had considered that permission to put her back on that damn desk again. No more!
"Go away! I don't wanna!"
"I got you pillows, baby! Look," Kakashi made sure she was still awake before bouncing over to his empty-looking desk, (all his papers were stacked on the floor.) He opened two bags and pulled out fluffy pillows.
Naru held her hand out to him: she wanted one! But only to sleep on! She watched as he denied her request - she thought she must've gotten her point across, but no. Kakashi was showing her how if she was turned this way - or that way, or against that damn desk another way or started on the floor - he described it all like a damn professor, while even at one point climbing on top of it like the completely perverted lunatic he was to prove his point. Have you lost your mind?! Naru pulled the throw over her head and turned away from the sex maniac, who began to whine at her, almost like a child. "No! I can't even walk properly!"
"I'll carry you," Kakashi offered genuinely.
"No, you pervert! I can't! You're like an old man, so you probably have experience - I don't want to know!" Naru almost yelled the last part, but her voice was hoarse. "I'm new to this stuff!"
"Maa, you don't have to do anything but lay there; I'll do all the work."
Naru turned back toward him in frustration. "Oh, and doesn't that sound fun?" Her fiance - Gods, what was I thinking when I said yes - bobbed his head eagerly, his mouth open in a little smile, looking disarmingly like one of his dogs. "And, I'm - I'm SORE, you masked fucker!"
Kakashi frowned for a minute before bringing his mask up from his neck to cover half his face. "Well if that's how you want it... I'm guessing it's the mysterious thing?" He asked, trying to look innocent. Looking at her now open, gaping mouth gave him even more ideas.
Naru saw that gleaming, dark look in his eyes clearly, and moved back toward the corner of the couch. She shook her head quickly and was fortunately saved when Kakashi's office door opened. The silver-haired man flopped down in the seat behind his desk, feeling a bit frustrated. Sakura began talking and he looked back at his desk, lovingly smoothing his hands over the wood.
"Sensei?" Sakura again greeted the man, not seeing her other blonde friend.
"Sakura-chan: you saved me!" Naru said with a mopey voice from the rear of the room. She snuggled back down into the couch, moaning when she had to partially pick one of her own legs up off the floor.
"Oh, hey, Naru-chan! You alright?" Sakura greeted with a frown on her face. Naru shook her head and puffed her cheeks out, looking like a kitten. Sakura snickered, which made the blonde pout even more. "What's wrong, Naru-chan?" She looked at her friend seriously, and then back at her sensei, who was acting weird and distracted - staring at Naru. Sakura felt that somehow, though, the tension that had been between the two seemed to have abated. Her blonde friend was obviously ticked at Kakashi, but anyone could feel that way about her sensei. The man had a marvelous ability to say and do the wrong things at any time of day or night purposely, after all. He reveled in it, in fact.
"He's crazy, and that desk is evil," Naru answered, her face completely red. Feeling that blush consume her, she hid behind the throw.
Sakura didn't understand. Well, she didn't until she watched her sensei pull out two white bed pillows, revealing their intended uses as if he was a pillow salesman. Without speaking, he placed one in the middle of his desk, near the edge, opposite of where he sat, and patted it. Looking at him with an incredulous expression, she watched him then place the other one at the end of his desk and patted it as well, while leering at his girlfriend - er, fiance. Oh gods, yeah: she got it. Freaking pervert! Just as she moved to punch him out the window, he spoke.
"We're engaged! Right Hime?!"
Sakura's mouth fell open. Kaka-sensei had been wanting this for so long but hadn't asked Naru-chan as far as she knew. Then they'd recently had all that stuff come between them, not to mention Naru's toad encounter. She hadn't even had a chance to ask Naru about that, yet... This engagement has been so obviously coming, though. But did her achingly unmanageable sensei really ask? She looked at Naru, who looked between the two of them, face half-hidden behind her blanket. Finally, she nodded. Sakura began squealing in delight. Both - well, future-Hatakes covered their ears at the sound and she quickly apologized while still bouncing on her toes. She gave her sensei a big hug, before trying to do the same with Naru-chan.
Sakura couldn't get down that low and get back up easily: it was one of the many trials of her advanced pregnancy. Naru tried to reach up to hug her but winced. Alarmed, Sakura bunglingly knelt down and asked her what was wrong. Naru finally whispered shyly into her ear. The med nin turned and gave a scathing glare to her sensei. "Fucking pervert," she muttered. "Literally! I thought you were mainly a paper pervert, but noooo!" Turning back to Naru, she shook her head and winked at her embarrassed friend before the green-colored iryo-ninjutsu covered her hands. She observed her patient and shook her head, before using chakra to ease her pains.
Seeing the Hokage rubbing his hands together like an evil anime megalomaniac, the pink-haired woman glared at him again and told him to knock it off. He made an aggrieved sound and finally got his perverted ass up to help her get up from her position on the floor. Sitting next to Naru, she patted her blonde friend on the knee and took a deep breath. "Okay sensei, what if I were to tell you that someone desperately wants to rejoin the Leaf?"
"Rejoin? As, in…" Kakashi paled considerably behind his mask and looked around as if someone would suddenly teleport into his office: something only his deceased sensei had managed, as far as he could remember. Holding his vest over his heart, he grimaced at the innocent look on his fiance's face. His fiance, who was… He gulped. "Please tell me it's not Tsunade-sama. I would welcome her back, but considering," he gave Naru a pained expression, "everything with Naru, here, well…"
"Yeah, if I were talking about Tsunade-shishou, she'd kick your ass to hell and back, ne sensei?" Kakashi let out an audible breath, learning his former student wasn't referring to his easily angered and overly-protective predecessor's return. "I mean, I think she would eventually be okay with it, but I'd definitely have to put some of your bones back together: I'm sure shishou wouldn't do it for you," Sakura offered him a genuine smile, which he felt was just disturbing.
"Well, she doesn't know right?" Kakashi asked as Naru began falling asleep again. The expression on Sakura's face was pained, although her green eyes twinkled. "Sakura," he glared at the woman, not wanting to have to deal with Tsunade anytime soon. The pinkette finally shrugged. "Oh, for… What did you do?"
"I need her!" Sakura's eyes teared up and she began crying. Stupid hormones! "She's the one I trust most to deliver my baby!" Kakashi's visible eye softened, but it still didn't help her emotional outburst. "I didn't ~tell her, tell her~ I just… I let Katsuya-sama know to look out for her…"
"And?" The Hokage had walked around to lean against his desk and now had his arms crossed.
"And - I may have mentioned that someone - just someone, that's it… was back. Ano, I may have told Lady Katsuya it was someone she loved." She grimaced at the idea of her sensei's future pounding, courtesy of Tsunade's fists of doom if she did come back. Her sensei walked back and fell back into his seat, looking up at the ceiling for a while before putting his head on his new pillow on his desk. Sakura finally dried her eyes and looked back and forth between her worried leader and his sleepy blonde fiance.
Naru had her eyes closed but was in deep concentration, trying to ignore the various voices in her head, including her own. Tsunade… She knew that name: she knew it well. Tsunade's face was so close to coming into her mind. Pigtails and violence: for now, that was all that she was coming up with as she began to again drift off to sleep. The only reason she was still awake was because of Sakura-chan's nearby voice.
"Anyway, as you can probably guess, sensei," Sakura waited for the man to turn his head toward her again, "Ino-chan's back and wants to be reinstated - or at least be able to legally stay."
Once the words "Ino-chan" came up, Naru didn't hear anything else Sakura said. She felt like her head was exploding. Realizing that she must have made a noise, she felt Kakashi's large hands trying to pull her hands away from her ears, but she couldn't even see. She had no idea of how long the pain lasted, but when she finally opened her eyes it was to Sakura's green healing chakra. She was shaking all over but jumped away from her as she looked at the wall in front of her.
Something had made her avoid looking directly at that wall - and there they were: those pictures... Unsure of exactly who most of those faces belonged to, she felt she might know all of them. It made her feel nauseous. But at least two of them she KNEW: there was no doubt in her mind! "Baa-chan," she managed to whisper before falling into unconsciousness. What she couldn't get out was absolutely clear in Naru's mind: Dad!
