"WHAT? How can you even say that?" Sakura yelled at Ino across the table.
"I'm just saying that you could have at least listened to what he had to say, Sakura."
"And why would I do that after what he did?" Sakura asked defensively.
Sakura and Ino were sitting at their usual table at the small tea house. When Ino arrived, Sakura was already there waiting. As soon as Ino sat down, Sakura went into full blabble mode, telling Ino everything about her mission with Kakashi to finding out that he had actually been Sukea the whole time.
"Because maybe he actually did have a good explanation, but you were too busy freaking out on him to listen." Ino was only trying to reason with Sakura. She knew that Sakura and Kakashi were right for each other, and Sakura was just afraid of the situation.
Sakura snorted. "Yeah, like he's a pervert and gets off on playing mind games with the women he sleeps with."
Ino frowned. She knew Sakura was just speaking out of hurt and anger, but still. "Kakashi, commander of the four division during the war, the man that has saved your life multiple times, who has put his life on the line for people he hardly knows. Do you really think that he is the kind of person to do something like that?"
Sakura knew he wasn't; he was honestly one of the best men she has ever known. But that didn't excuse what he did to her. Sakura sighed, "No, I know that he wasn't doing this out of some sick fedish. But still, whatever his reason is, what he did is not okay."
"You can't stay hung up on that forever, Sakura. You lied too."
"I lied about my real name, and I didn't even know it was Kakashi. He knew it was me on Friday night. More importantly, I wasn't pretending to have feelings for him, Ino. I really did love Sukea."
"I know you did, but Sukea is Kakashi, just with a different face," Ino argued.
"No he isn't. Kakashi is nothing like Sukea, and if he wasn't pretending, then why didn't he say anything the other night? Why didn't he tell me he loved me if he truly felt that way?"
Deep in her heart, she really wanted to believe that Ino was right. That Kakashi really was like her Sukea, and that he really did love her as much as she did him. But the gnawing fear that it was all just a game to him kept her from admitting it. It would be easier just to lose him if that were the case.
"Maybe he didn't confess his love for you because you were too busy freaking out at him and kicking him out of your house, Sakura!"
"You know what, Ino, I really don't need this right now," Sakura was practically shouting at Ino.
"I thought that as my best friend you would be on my side in all of this. Even if he does love me - which he doesn't - still doesn't excuse him lying to me, and it especially doesn't excuse him sleeping with me knowing who I was without telling me who he was."
Sakura stood up and promptly left the tea house, not even bothering to look back.
Ino slumped back in her chair. The conversation didn't go nearly as well as she had wanted it to. "Hopefully Genma is having better luck talking with Kakashi." Ino thought as she watched as Sakura left the tea house. She realized their little outburst had gathered a bit of attention—the man sitting at the next table over was putting money down and preparing to leave himself.
She gave him an apologetic smile, "Sorry about that sir," she said, though he said nothing as he too made his way out the door.
Kakashi was sitting under a large tree just outside of the village gates. He was staring at his open book, but his thoughts were in a completely different place.
"There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you, man," Genma announced as he approached Kakashi and took a seat beside him.
"I haven't been in the mood to deal with people today," Kakashi explained.
"When are you ever?" Genma asked, knowing full well that Saki had everything to do with Kakashi's down mood.
Kakashi shut his book and laid it beside him in the grass, he looked off in the distance as if contemplating something. He took a deep breath and said, "I screwed things up with her. I screwed up bad, Genma. I'm not sure I can fix what has happened, either."
"Is that so?"
Kakashi didn't say anything.
"Well, are you going to tell me what happened or what?" Genma asked, as he nudged Kakashi's side. Getting Kakashi to talk about anything was harder than pulling teeth.
Kakashi sighed again. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt." So Kakashi told Genma about his mission with Sakura, everything that had happened between them when he was poisoned, then about waking up in the hospital and following the clues to finding out Saki was actually Sakura in a henge.
He explained that he had intended to tell Sakura the truth about everything but had gotten carried away and had let it slip at the worst time imaginable. He admitted to Genma that he wanted to be with Sakura regardless of the henge situation. He didn't care about what she looked like or her name; he had fallen in love with her as a person.
"So, now what?" Genma asked.
"I don't know. Sakura hates me. She won't see or talk to me," Kakashi told him.
"So, what? You're just giving up then? You're going to just let her go?"
"Of course not, but how can I fix something if Sakura won't give me the chance to?"
"You have to be honest and open with her. I know it sounds all mushy, but seriously. Women like to know that their man cares about them. Try it just once, tell her how you really feel about her and see what happens," Genma advised.
He hoped that Sakura had reached deep enough into Kakashi's heart for him to open up to her the way she needed him to. She just needed to hear him say it, even if it was just once. He chuckled to himself at that thought; he should take his own advice and apply it to his relationship with Ino.
Kakashi thought about what Genma had told him. Could it be that simple? If she hears him say how much he loves her, will everything be fine? Even if that were the case, Kakashi wasn't sure he could express himself like that.
He had never been the type of man to express his feelings. That was why being Sukea was different for him. As Sukea he could be himself, woth no walls, no boundaries, and no need to hide his inner self. That was who Sakura had fallen in love with, he realized. She was the first and only person to get to know the man under the mask.
He was truly himself with her; he expressed his feelings for her physically and verbally without fear. He never had to hide anything when it was just them. He could only assume that Sakura was the same. She was being the real Sakura, not in the sense that she was fake around her friends or anything, but that she was able to relax and be herself around him when she didn't know it was him.
His mind made up, he stood up and pushed off the tree. He wasn't ready to throw away what he and Sakura had; he was going to find her to straighten all of this out. He started walking back towards the gate without another word, with only one thing on his mind. He needed to find Sakura.
Sakura was walking through the village heading towards the hospital when she felt like she was being followed. She turned around, but nobody stood out to her as odd. She turned back around and ran into what felt like a brick wall. She stumbled back a couple of steps before strong hands grabbed her shoulders to steady her. She looked up to come face to face with none other than Kakashi. She frowned at him and pulled away slightly. He released her immediately and let his hands drop to his sides.
She instantly missed his touch when he let go, but she wouldn't tell him that.
"What do you want, Kakashi?" she asked as she crossed her arms.
"To talk," he answered.
"There is nothing to talk about."
"I think there is. Hear me out, Sakura." The pleading look in his eyes actually had her considering it.
"I can't right now. I'm on my way to the hospital. It's important, so I can't be late," she told him.
"I understand. Tonight, maybe? I can meet you at your place."
Oh no, he was NOT coming to her place. She knew that they would likely end up in bed together, and that wasn't a good idea. "No, not my place," was all she said.
"Alright, our usual spot on the bridge then?" he asked her softly.
Sakura was fighting the urge to give in to him.
Kakashi could see her internal struggle. He wanted to talk about things, but he also didn't want to push her too hard. "6:00 at the Kintai Bridge. I'll be there. If you show up, we can talk about what's happened, and I'll tell you anything that you want to know."
"I'll think about it."
At least it wasn't a hard no, he thought. Now hopefully she shows up.
"I have to go."
He nodded and she walked off. He watched her until she was out of sight. Neither of them noticed the two men that had been listening in on their conversation, they gave each other a silent nod just before taking off, one following Sakura to the hospital and the other following a very distracted Kakashi.
Ino walked through Genma's front door without knocking and threw herself next to him on the couch. "Tell me you have good news about your talk with Kakashi."
She really was too cute. "Well, he still wants to be with her after everything that's happened. He doesn't care about the henge. Whether her real name is Saki or Sakura, he's in love with her."
"That's a point in our favor at least," Ino huffed.
"I take it Sakura wasn't as easy to deal with?" Genma asked.
Ino gave him a pointed look. "She is in complete denial. She's trying to make it out like they were both just faking it as their henges, like none of the attachment is real because they were in disguise. But I can read her like a book; she loves him, and she wants this. She's just…" Ino trailed off.
"Afraid," Genma finished for her.
Ino nodded. "Yeah."
"I know. Kakashi is too—he isn't ready to really open up to her, and it's hard for him to care about people much less talk to them about it. A life of pain will do that to a man."
"Not just to men," Ino mumbled, Genma was pretty sure she hadn't even meant to say it at all.
Genma knew he was being a hypocrite earlier when he told Kakashi to just tell Sakura the truth; he had fallen hard for the blond bombshell that was currently tucked into his side. But he had yet to express that to her. Well, she won't know unless I tell her.
"Ino," Genma said softly.
She looked up and met his eyes expectantly.
"Move in with me?"
"What the hell are you talking about, Genma?" Ino squealed.
"I want you to move in with me. I don't want to half ass date anymore, I want us to actually date! I've fallen for you harder than I thought that I could, and I don't want to take the chance of some other guy coming into your life and stealing you away from me."
Ino just stared at him for a long moment while she processed what he had told her. Is that what she wanted? Did she want an actual relationship with Genma? She enjoyed their time together; they were very comfortable with each other and they got along well. She spent most nights at his place already, and she hadn't given another guy a single look in months.
Why hadn't she given any other guys a chance since she started seeing Genma? Well, because Genma gave her everything that she needed from a partner, and she had no reason to seek out other partners to fill her needs. He was sweet, fun, took her on dates, listened to her babble on about anything that she wanted, and he was great in bed.
Ino suddenly realized that Genma had somehow turned out to be her perfect guy. Huh, who would have thought. But moving in together was a little fast for her since she had only just realized that she wanted a real relationship with the man.
"I'm not going to move in with you."
Genma frowned.
"Yet." He instantly perked up at that word.
"I think that we need time in a real relationship together before moving in together officially. I'm not saying no, just that I want more time."
Genma was just happy that she didn't laugh at him, "Okay, you'll still come stay the night, right?"
"Of course." She smiled. "I have to work at the flower shop today, but I'll be back tonight.
"Sounds good. Some of the guys are going out for drinks later. I think I'll go sit in for a couple rounds until you get off."
"Okay, I'll just meet you there then," she told him.
Sakura walked out of the hospital rubbing at her temples. It had been a long grueling shift and she had been thinking about Kakashi's request all day. It was now 5:00, so she had an hour to be there if she was going. She still hadn't made up her mind yet.
She knew it was unfair to not give him the opportunity to tell his side of the story, but she was terrified of what he might say. She was afraid that he would tell her it had all been some big mistake that he regretted. She was equally terrified that he would have some illusion of being in love with her, that he would want to be with her just to hold onto some piece of Saki.
Neither were anything that she wanted to face.
She was walking down the street lost in her own thoughts when she heard a familiar voice laughing a few feet away, Genma.
If there was anyone who could help her figure out Kakashi, it would be Genma. She strolled up the fence that surrounded the outdoor tables where Genma and some other shinobi were sitting.
"Hey, there Pinky," one of the men spoke up. "Did you come to join us?"
"Back off Ketz, she's a woman that's spoken for."
"Actually, Genma. I wanted to talk to you about that," she explained in a hushed voice. It didn't stop the other men at the table from snickering about it, though.
"Yeah, sure. Over this way," he said as he gestured to a small area where no one was sitting.
"So, what can I help you with?" Genma asked her as soon as they were out of earshot.
Sakura turned to face him, "You're Kakashi's best friend."
Genma nodded.
"Why did he do it?" she asked. "And don't play dumb, I know you know what's going on. You have been around Sukea multiple times, you know he's Kakashi's henge. Between Kakashi and Ino, I'm willing to bet you know just about everything there is to know about our situation."
She had him there, he did indeed know just about every detail. "You want to know why he was being Sukea, why he was dating you, or why he almost slept with you after he knew who you were?" Genma asked.
"All of it! Why? Why did he do any of this?"
"Why are you here asking me instead of asking him yourself?"
"Because Kakashi isn't going to tell me anything. He just isn't like that."
Genma realized that Ino had been right; the girl in front of him was on the verge of being desperate.
"Look, he's had a hard life. But just because he doesn't say it verbally doesn't mean that he doesn't feel it. He shows you with his actions more than anything."
"Well, the only thing that Kakashi has ever shown me with his actions is that he hates me."
"I don't think that's bullshit and I also think that you know it," he told her bluntly. "He's done plenty for you as Kakashi and even more for Saki as Sukea. Regardless of what you looked like or what you called yourself, your actions got you where you are today, and tomorrow you'll be where your actions today take you."
Sakura was speechless; she didn't need Genma to tell her that her own actions and decisions were the reason she was in this situation. In the back of her mind, she knew he was right. Maybe she really did just need to suck it up and talk to Kakashi herself, but her stubbornness and her fears were keeping her from doing that.
"A lot of help you are," she scowled before walking off. Seriously, what was with Genma and Ino being on Kakashi's side? He was wrong too.
Sakura reached the path that split off towards the bridge. Straight led her home, and right led to the bridge where Kakashi was waiting for her. It was about a ten minute walk either way.
Sakura wasn't sure how long she stood there lost in her own thoughts.
Someone calling her name broke her thoughts. Looking around she saw a young man approaching her and calling out her name. She didn't recognise him, but he obviously knew her.
He finally reached her, panting and out of breath as he said, "Thank goodness I found you, we have an emergency."
An emergency? Who was this man? "I'm sorry, who are you, and what are you talking about?"
"It's Kakashi-sama, he's been gravely injured in an attack. He sent me to find you, he said that only you could save him."
Sakura's heart jumped to her throat. Kakashi was hurt somewhere? How? Who? How was this man involved?
"How do you know this?" Sakura asked him hesitantly.
"Kakashi-sama was waiting on the bridge when a group of missing-nin attacked. I was on guard duty and attempted to assist him, but they injured him greatly before I could get there. They fled the scene when I showed up. He sent me to find you, and he said he would die without you!"
Sakura went into full panic mode. "Take me to him," she demanded.
The man nodded. "This way!" he shouted as he took off.
The entire way, Sakura kept darting her eyes around looking for Kakashi. She was trying her best not to panic but she was beyond worried about him. How badly is he hurt, why did these people attack him? She vaguely realized that they were not heading in the direction of the bridge where Kakashi had been waiting for her, but she was too busy worrying about Kakashi to think too much about it.
A few minutes later they were in a deserted area of the village. There was very little light and virtually no noise. Something feels wrong about this, Sakura thought to herself just before something hard made contact with the side of her head. She saw four men standing over her talking about getting the word out to Kakashi just before everything went black.
Kakashi was waiting at the bridge for Sakura. It was now 8:00. He sighed and hung his head in defeat; she didn't show. She didn't want to talk to him, and she didn't want to work things out. Kakashi was more hurt by this than he had imagined that he would be, though he supposed he couldn't blame her. He had screwed things up with her pretty bad. He decided a strong drink was needed to get him through the night.
He walked to the nearest bar and took a seat. He ordered a drink and downed it immediately, then ordered another. A woman approached and took the seat beside him, her long black hair brushing against his arm as she leaned against the bar.
She smiled at him and ordered a drink for herself. "Are you here alone or are you waiting for someone?" she asked him.
"I was waiting for someone, but it doesn't look like she's going to show," he said as he downed his second drink and ordered another.
"I can keep you company if you want," she told him with obvious 'I want you' eyes.
He had just been dumped and a beautiful woman was offering herself to him on a platter, and yet he had absolutely no interest in accepting her offer. He wanted Sakura and only Sakura. Taking another woman home wasn't going to change that or fill the void her absence had created.
"I appreciate the offer, but I'm going to have to decline," he told her.
"Are you sure?"
He chuckled at her. "I'm sure."
"If you say so. I hope she's worth it though," she said as she grabbed her drink and slid down from the chair.
"She is," was all he said.
