Author's note:

Excited to be sharing my first fanfic with you. This story is fully written and saved on my computer, and will be released in chapters weekly. If you're an enthusiastic beta'er, I'd love to get your eyes on it.

Please leave me your thoughts in reviews, promise I'll read it.

Overview of the AU (skip if you want to get it through the story)

Sakura is 23 at the start of the story, Kakashi is 26.

Sakura still leaves with Tsunade, she has no history with team seven.

Sakura has a younger brother.

Rin is alive, Obito and Minato are dead.

Kakashi is an anbu captain.

Hijinks ensue.

She bent over the dimly lit desk. The documents piled up to past her shoulders, a few scattered directly in front of her. One hand traced the text as she read to herself under her breath, the other hand tugged with vigor through her hair, streaking it with traces of blue ink. Deep in focus, she chewed on her bottom lip as her eyes darted from line to line.

"Sakura Haruno." A cup of takeaway coffee was dropped down carelessly on a pile. Sakura's attention snapped up, and followed the coffee to a hand, arm, a face, and a shock of silver hair.

She leaned back in her chair, recognizing the man. "Hello, Hatake-san."

"We've never met," He stated blandly, standing over her.

"No," Sakura replied slowly. "We haven't."

"What are you up to?"

She thought it must have been relatively clear what she was doing. He found her in the records room. People came here for only two reasons, reading and writing reports. "I'm looking up a medical phenomenon my team encountered on our last mission."

He stared.

She waved at the piles, including the one he was resting his coffee on. "Seems like something new, I haven't found anything that's matched yet." The man seemed unimpressed. In fact, she wasn't even sure if he was truly listening.

"Who's the captain of the team? Where was the mission?"

Another tick of annoyance. Sakura was confident her work was meticulous but still didn't welcome inquisitions like this. She calmly stood so she could speak to the man on more even footing. "I'm the captain. Water."

He made a noise at her answer, no longer looking at her as he absently picked up file after file, throwing them wayward once done. Her stacks of documents, once meticulous, were becoming precarious.

"Hatake-san—" She said, preparing to ask him to leave. The conversation was unredeeming to begin with, but now crossed into disruptive.

"Haruno-san. My anbu team has been without a medic for a year now. Tsunade was going to ground me if I kept going. She recommended you for the position."

Sakura's mouth clipped shut.

He turned to face her, dark eyes, one red, trained on her in scrutiny. Nothing about his tone felt like an invitation. If anything, it sounded more like an indifferent statement about the weather or the rotation of the earth.

He swiped his coffee off her table and within a few steps was halfway out the door. Over his shoulder, the silver haired man called, "If you're interested, training ground fifteen. Saturday at one."

"Kyuta! I'm going," Sakura shouted into the house as she pulled the door shut and jingled her keys. She double checked her person for everything she needed. The mid-day sun blazed unforgivingly above, already feeling hot on the back of her neck.

"Okaaay," a long call from inside the house stretched into a yawn. Sakura turned to leave but quirked her brow in irritation at what came next, "Don't get disowned from your new team, nee-chan."

Sakura's anger mixed with the nervousness in her stomach, sloshing around as she started, "Why you!"

Breaking a glance at the clock, it told her she needed to hurry unless she wanted to be late to their first meeting. She leapt off the third floor railing and moved with speed across the neighboring rooftops.

Sakura mulled over what she knew about the prospective team as she ran. Sakura knew most of them in some capacity, especially from her time working in the hospital.

Kakashi Hatake. A few years older than her in the academy, and had quickly moved into anbu. Promoted three years prior in a fanfare that struck the village. The anbu captain was a rare sight in any kind of medical establishment, and notorious for playing hooky when it came to his annual exams. Sakura knew little about him personally and their first meeting left her feeling cautious about the next.

She knew there was Tenzo, an affable man with a special wood-release affinity. Tenzo had been the same year as Kakashi at the academy, from what Sakura could remember from his medical charts about his age. Sakura found Tenzo pleasant in conversation, and he seemed diligent about keeping up his health—a commendable quality to a medic.

Then, Ko Hyuuga. Like Yugao, also a peripheral member when needed. The Hyuuga clan had private medics and Sakura only saw him in passing at events, but she had always liked how he carried himself. Ko was a rotational member, to be tapped in depending on the mission.

And of course, one of the shining stars of Sakura's world, Yugao. They had been fast friends since the Academy, then placed on a rare double-female genin team together. Yugao was more combative, in many ways, and had reached anbu a few years ago. To Sakura's worry, Yugao had quickly split out and gotten herself assigned to multiple teams, like Ko. Sakura knew that was her preference—Yugao didn't like being tied down.

Forming deep bonds had been what Sakura loved best about her own genin team, before she left with Tsunade those years ago. But as the opportunity to join this anbu team as a permanent member came up, Sakura found herself torn if she actually wanted to try out. To come was to indicate interest, yet something about the first encounter with this team's captain had already made her feel unwelcome. Sakura hadn't even gotten a chance to confer with Tsunade, although she had a feeling she knew what her shishou, ambitious and strict, would have said about the chance for promotion.

Sakura landed at training ground fifteen. She readjusted the tightness of her gloves, and smoothed down her skirt. It looked like she was the first one there, just slightly past the hour. She was surprised to see nobody around, not even the captain and Tenzo. When it was several minutes past the meeting time, she began to wonder if she'd remembered the training ground number wrong.

As Sakura was returning from scouting the adjacent grounds fourteen and sixteen, she felt Tenzo's signature enter the vicinity.

"Hey," Tenzo greeted, puffing from exertion. He rested a hand on his knee. "Sorry, I should have gotten here earlier. I meant to tell you—rule one of working with Kakashi is that he's always at least fifteen late."

Sakura didn't say anything, but Tenzo read her expression.

"I know, I've been trying to get him to change since we started working together." He rubbed at the back of his head with a grimace, "I even reminded him that today's your first day."

Sakura laughed lightly. "What's there to do on a Saturday at mid-afternoon anyways?"

Tenzo gave her a look, a little bit of a knowing smile. "Well, plenty of things. Especially for that dog—"

Sakura was going to pursue what Tenzo had meant by dog when a smooth voice rang out into the open field.

"Who's a dog?"

Kakashi strolled into view. His half lidded eye lazily surveyed the two of them, a hint of a challenge there for Tenzo, who tossed his hands up innocently. Kakashi was casually dressed, in a standard-issue black long sleeve sans vest. His hair was wild, twisting slightly in the breeze.

He glanced with half a modicum of interest at Sakura.

"Captain," Sakura greeted evenly. Internally, she cringed at having been caught gossiping about her potential commander.

"I've tolerated much disrespect from Tenzo, but I won't have it from our prospective medic too," Kakashi warned in a low tone.

Sakura shook her hands quickly, eager to ameliorate the rising tension.

"Hey!" Yugao's bright voice rang out in the clearing. "You're not late, Hatake. What gives? Now I look bad."

She skidded to a stop in front of Sakura, clasping her on the shoulder. Sakura reached up to squeeze her hand in greeting. The ruse was up as Tenzo started chuckling too and Kakashi sighed low and mussed his hair.

"You all make me look bad," he fixed Yugao and Tenzo evenly, earning him some snorts as they fell into a neat line.

Kakashi cleared his throat. With one hand, he hit his fist against a wooden training pole with speed. "Alright slackers, here's the deal."

"Sakura Haruno," he finally looked straight at her. "Team Ro is the most established team in anbu. You have tenuous membership until you prove yourself worthy of the high honors. Usually for a combat member, we'd do a sparring test. Seeing as you're not, I have something else in mind."

Kakashi reached into his pocket and tossed a light item at Sakura. She caught it in cupped palms. It was a tiny brass bell, with a string.

"On this team," Kakashi mused, "Medics need to operate with discretion, and to be strong supports when needed."

A sound of irritation came from Yugao, but Kakashi ignored her.

His tone pitched to be serious and low. He addressed the medic directly. "Haruno, protect that bell with your life. We have thirty minutes to get it from you. If you still have it by the end, we'll keep you."

Sakura tilted her head in question but slowly shifted the bell to inside the chest pocket of her jounin vest.

"I'm sorry," Yugao apologized with a huff to Sakura under her breath, "Kakashi is…"

"Go!"

Tenzo and Kakashi launched into action. Kakashi went for the direct approach and hurtled at her with speed. As Sakura instinctively ducked to the side, she saw Tenzo making the first seals for a wood jutsu. She instantly leapt into the nearby tree cover and cupped a hand over the bell before moving to create a clone, which she sent in an opposite direction.

Kakashi swiftly followed and wasn't distracted by the clone. He leapt up at her from ground level but Sakura escaped the branch that she was on and darted up to higher ground. She felt her clone get dismissed, it might have been Yugao who got it, and recognized that the trees were moving with intention in her direction. Bad news.

Kakashi was gaining speed. Trailing one second behind meant he could optimize for the fastest route after observing her intended path. Plus, he was just naturally faster. Like a predator, he'd pulled a kunai out from his pocket and had it at the ready. Sakura eyed it for only a split second before being forced to fall to the side, letting go of the branch altogether in order to duck it.

A whip-sharp tendril wrapped around her ankle as she fell. Fuck, Sakura cursed. With an intentionally released senbon, she splintered the thin vine and released herself, but the distance she'd fallen meant she had to return to the ground. As she twisted to land on her feet, a large scroll was unrolled below her.

Sakura had enough combat experience with Yugao to recognize the technique sucking her towards the face of the scroll. Reacting to the combination of nin and genjutsu, Sakura threw a burst of chakra to her hands and repelled the incoming scroll with force, breaking the seal Yugao had on it. The characters on the surface of the scroll moved, Sakura spotted Yugao with a grin from behind a tree, and she couldn't help but sigh with exasperation as the effect reversed and an explosive energy issued out of the scroll instead.

Tons of murky water burst violently from the scroll, roiling like some kind of diseased ocean that smelled terrible.

"Fuck, Yugao!" Sakura shouted in annoyance at her friend as she twisted backwards to avoid the flood. The woman's bright laughs punctuated above the rush of the water as Sakura anchored herself to a nearby trunk. Everyone around gagged at the terrible smell.

Sakura checked the bell. Not five minutes had passed but she didn't have the stamina to stay on the defensive against all three of them. Kakashi was speeding at her from the side again, fist at the ready.

Barely dodging her face to the side to avoid a nose-shattering hit, Sakura made up her mind. His defense was left open with that latest lurch. Sakura grounded her feet and swung her own shoulder back. Shooting chakra to her balled fist, she carried through with a fierce uppercut to the captain's abdomen.

The body she connected with puffed into air. From behind her, she felt a stir of motion. Sakura reared around and brought her leg up as she moved for a wide and sweeping kick. Kakashi grabbed her ankle and she twisted her body with the momentum to heavily catch his face with her other foot. He skidded a few feet, with one hand clutched to the affected cheek.

She had only a split second to meet his eyes before Yugao launched at her with a katana, but Sakura saw something like mirth in his expression.

The battle ended as abruptly as it started. Sakura was thrown onto her back, almost in the dead center of the clearing. Firm roots had shot from the ground and wrapped around her legs, up to her thighs, tugging Sakura feet first in one direction. She dug her fingers into the dirt in a futile attempt to fight it, but had to abandon that quickly as a flash of silver came straight at her from above, blocking out the sun.

Sakura pulled in her arms to defend, but Kakashi easily snaked past her limbs. He landed with grace on all fours and sat heavily on her hips. One sharp elbow slammed down her left shoulder. The flat of a kunai was hovered at her throat.

Sakura summoned chakra to her free hand. A split second and the kunai would find register with her skin, but until then she still had a chance to—Yugao stepped on her hand.

Sakura let out a strangled cry, half angry and half frustrated. Her friend grinned with exhaustion from above.

Kakashi, keeping unbroken eye contact, lifted one hand and slowly reached into her chest pocket for the coveted bell. As he pulled it out, Sakura let her body release from the tension of the fight and she sunk into the ground with a low breath.

She turned her head to the side away from Yugao and Kakashi. Frustration stung at her eyes. The foot eased off of her free hand and Sakura pressed herself up. For a moment, there was only the sound of heavy breathing and the soft tinkling of the retrieved bell.

"I guess," she started, not wanting to hear somebody else say it first. "This means I don't stay."

Kakashi eased off of her, thankfully without her having to ask him. Sakura felt Yugao's hands hook around her elbow and pull her up to standing. Still, she couldn't meet their eyes. From her periphery, Tenzo also emerged from the tree line.

Sakura smoothed down her skirt and took in a deep, ragged breath. Her breath was still uneven from the heavy work they'd just done. Reigning in her disappointed expression, she made an even line with her mouth and met Kakashi's eyes. She dipped into a low bow.

"Captain, thank you for letting me try out."

He shrugged. "Fair's fair."

"Indeed," Sakura bit out. "I'll leave you to training now—"

Kakashi cocked his head and held out his hand in pause. The bell was pinched between his thumb and forefinger.

"Tenzo!" He shouted to the man without breaking her gaze. There was something strange in his expression. A little bit of humor. Was he going to make fun of her now? This whole tryout had been unorthodox—trying out for a position she hadn't wanted and that didn't want her.

"Yeah, cap?"

"What was the time on that?"

Sakura swore she heard a laugh. "That was fifty five minutes, sir."

Yugao clapped her on the back, which sent Sakura careening forward on her wobbly knees. As she recovered her balance, Sakura found Kakashi regarding her.

"You gave us a run for our money, Haruno."

Tenzo whistled from the side as he strolled to meet them.

Sakura felt so overwhelmed that she reached for Yugao. She let out a massive breath and let her head fall backwards, before snapping to and eyeing them with resent, starting with her friend.

"Why did nobody stop at thirty minutes?" She demanded, lacking the energy to be genuinely mad.

"Well," Yugao started.

"We tried, but—" Tenzo shrugged.

"You managed to land a pretty punch to my side right around time," Kakashi intoned, nursing his ribs. Sakura remembered the satisfaction of that particular hit. "So I figured we might as well keep going and see what you had." His lips showed just the smallest hint of a tick. "Plus it let me return the favor."

Sakura gave a scowl but couldn't hold it for long before she broke out into a laugh. A sharp pain jumped from when Kakashi had round housed her side.

"Aha ow," she cried and dropped unceremoniously on the ground, already bringing chakra to the bruise forming under her vest. Sakura looked scornfully up at the three of them, although she couldn't help but keep her grin.

"So," Yugao started slowly, "Can you heal us?"

Sakura licked her lips. "Well, that depends. Am I on the team?"

Tenzo bellowed a laugh.

They insisted to the men that they clean up after the exhaustive spar. Kakashi looked happy to break into a sake bar, but he acquiesced given that Sakura didn't have enough chakra to heal everything on everyone. With their bruises and bumps, and Yugao's horrible murk water release, they looked and smelled like a sorry bunch of brawlers that surely would be turned away from any respectable establishment.

Later that evening when Sakura's hair was freshly showered and she had changed into a simple sleeveless shell and spandex shorts, she found Kakashi in front of the agreed-upon bar, wearing something close, if not identical, to what he had on earlier. He gave her a perfunctory greeting.

Yugao came after in a little black number, and Tenzo waved at them from down the street, with his arms around a man with neatly shorn black hair and Hyuuga eyes.

"This is Ko," Tenzo shouted from some distance.

Sakura recognized him and sent a wave. "Nice to meet you."

The man inclined his head and gave a small smile.

"Shall we?" Yugao ushered them into the sake bar. As it was still early evening, they sat near one of the windows and had much of the place to themselves. Orange sunset light filtered in through the window. Yugao settled into one corner of the booth and Sakura followed her friend. Tenzo next to Sakura, and Kakashi and Ko on the other side.

Kakashi and Tenzo set upon ordering drinks with parched desperation.

"I'm sorry I missed your challenge this morning, Sakura-san." Ko told her.

Sakura waved his apology off, "I'm not sure I would have passed with one more against me."

Kakashi shrugged, "I would have lowered the time." His eyes stayed fixed on the menu but he looked smug, pleased with his own generosity.

Sakura bit back an audible chuckle but couldn't help but tease amicably, "But you would have still let me exhaust myself."

Kakashi didn't say anything more, but Tenzo chimed in, "Maybe we should have let Ko come. I'm exhausted after that hour with Sakura-san."

"I told you guys," Yugao sulked, before turning to Sakura. "I told them. But Kakashi insisted on his fucking test."

"Yugao," he gave her a grin. "Doesn't the test give you confidence that Haruno can hold off any three shinobi of our level, for at least fifty five minutes?"

Yugao growled in frustration at Kakashi, who balefully smiled back. "I already knew she could."

"I think the best part was when you went on the offensive," Tenzo offered.

Sakura dipped her head in a smile.

"Agreed. Against orders but it gave me a good sense of your abilities." Kakashi said over his sake. He took a drink and continued. "Definitely against orders."

"I agree," Sakura began slowly and thoughtfully. Since he first described the test and his expectations for a medic, Sakura had wanted to talk to him about that. She was through and through not a support role and wanted it to be known as much. Still, Sakura wasn't sure how serious Kakashi was being, if at all, and she didn't want to risk offending her new captain on their first day.

She held out her cup and Kakashi poured for her. "But Tsunade is also a fighting medic. If it doesn't impede my ability to heal our team, then I'd like to keep my current style."

They met eyes over the table. Kakashi's gray eye looked even, but she could also see something turning underneath. He was mulling over her request.

"You trained under Tsunade-sama, right?" Ko asked. "I thought I'd heard about a young medic returning with the Sannin."

"Mm, I did. We spent two years on the road, and then we came back a year ago. I spent some time working in the hospital as a medic, then was leading a jounin team when Hatake-san found me."

"Big mistake, should have run." Yugao barked with a laugh as she stole the bottle. "Was this morning bad enough to make you think about jumping ship?"

"Yugao, have I ever told you I'm glad you're not on the regular rotation?" A lazy drawl.

"Thanks, Hatake."

They split ways after the sake bar. Tenzo looked like he was ready to retire, and Kakashi had goaded Ko into one more drink at a much skeazier spot that Sakura knew to be on the outskirts of town.

"First you miss morning training, now you won't even look at me? Ko-kun, you'd think you're avoiding me."

Yugao quickly sequestered Sakura.

"Maniac," Yugao said with a flippant roll of her eyes as Sakura glanced back over their shoulders to see Kakashi shoving a dignified but worn-down Ko down the street.

"This team is," Sakura picked her words choicely, "interesting."

"No kidding. I'm surprised you agreed. I thought you liked your jounin team?"

They strolled leisurely through the streets with linked arms. Sakura noted with mirth the number of glances, some discrete and others obvious, that Yugao was receiving for her figure.

"I do. They were good. But you know," she said lightly.

"Yeah, their old captain passed away. You were a—"

"Replacement," they finished together.

A comfortable quiet came over, each thinking about the concept. Sakura was the one to pick the conversation back up again as they came to a stop in front of a small jewelry storefront, eyes flitting through the products.

"Plus, this is a promotion for me. It'll be a good challenge. And I like the team." Sakura paused to look at something on tiptoe. "Tenzo and Ko, they seem kind. The captain is... talented."

Yugao snorted.

"I mean it's not how I would do things," Sakura said with intention.

"If anything it's the opposite."

"Maybe," she gave in. Sakura tightened her grasp on Yugao's arm and pulled her in to press their cheeks together for a hug, "But then at least I have you, Yu-chan!" Summer sweat made their faces adhere together. Yugao made a face.

They burst into raucous laughter and tore away from the expensive display.

"Sakura, you know our last medic left over a year ago?"

"I've heard."

"Rin Nohara. She was good, but she left to go train under some poisons master in Suna."

Sakura waited for Yugao to continue as they kept strolling, now passing the academy, where kids were still tumbling and play fighting on the grounds in the hot night. Her fingers pressed comfortingly against Yugao's warm arms.

"Kakashi seemed really affected when she left. It was pretty clear he didn't want her to go."

"How could you tell?"

"We had this one last mission. It was awful," Yugao shuddered, "Kakashi was a huge asshole the whole time, to everyone, and would barely look at her."

Sakura intoned empathetically, "There must have been strong feelings, they've been on the same team since they were kids." Theirs was a prominent genin team that stayed together as much as possible, although had lost members through the years. For them to both make it to anbu was impressive, to stay together on Team Ro was even more impressive.

"Yeah, exactly. And then he didn't want to replace her. So I had to get my ragged ass dragged around the five hidden nations and beyond without a medic."

They stopped at Sakura's doorstep. Sakura could see the lights on inside, hopefully Kyuta was studying and not entertaining his friends.

"My point in telling you this is to say," Yugao gave her a look and took her shoulders in her hands, "I'm glad you're with the team. I want you to feel welcome."

Sakura covered Yugao's hands with hers and returned the look with a smile, "I feel welcomed so far. I'm sure the captain will warm up. Thank you, Yu-chan."

Yugao nodded in absolution, and pecked her quickly on the cheek. Turning to leave, she threw back, "Tell Kyuta-kun I said hello!"

"I won't," Sakura shot back, watching her friend sway with sultry intent without even knowing it. "He'd hyperventilate."

"Ja ne!"

A sharp knock on his door woke him up.

"Captain." A respectful voice called from outside. The copy nin kept his eyes squeezed tightly shut, hoping that whoever was outside the door would leave. Knowing the voice though, he had doubts that this would work.

"Kakashi."

"Ko," he groaned from bed. "Listen, about last night—"

A snort. "Captain, you're about to be late. You told Haruno-san we'd find her a mask today."

Kakashi sat up. "Shit."

He grabbed his shirt from beside him and pulled it on. From his bed in the corner of the studio, Kakashi stood up and tripped over some icha icha books stacked nearby. He fell over to the kitchen sink, and turned on the faucet, letting the water run over his hand. With a wet hand, he smoothed down his hair before dipping his head for a drink. Kakashi checked his reflection in the glass of the kitchen cabinets.

Clearing his throat, Kakashi finally pulled the door open to see Ko, standing with his arms crossed, leaning against the railing. Definitely unimpressed. Kakashi gave him a grin.

"Ko-kun. Am I pleased to see you."

"Save it," the Hyuuga intoned. He looked at his watch. "If we run, we'll make it to headquarters before Haruno-san does."

Kakashi blanched a little as he pulled up his mask. "I don't know if I can do running, right now."

Ko sighed.

Kakashi was due to help her find a mask today. Ko had also volunteered when the topic came up at the bar, and Sakura was grateful for it. She still wasn't sure what to make of their captain, and while she felt certain that she could win him over with time, their first icy interaction left an impression on her.

He seemed kind enough when the rest of the team was around, Sakura reminded herself, stepping into the imposing building. A few anbu teams roved around the headquarters, some of them recognizing Sakura from exams or hospital visits. She was quietly chatting with another team when she spotted Ko from the corner of her eye, and behind him, Kakashi.

"Haruno-san," Ko greeted.

Kakashi nodded to her, and acknowledged the team she was talking to. "Hey."

Sakura said goodbye and made her way over with a smile.

Ko looked fresh. His short cropped hair was damp, and he was dressed in neatly pressed linens with the Hyuuga seal.

Kakashi looked a little rough around the corners. To date, Sakura had been unable to tell if his hair naturally looked like that, or he was always just… unkempt. He might have been wearing the same shirt from last night. Sakura didn't care to get close enough to confirm it by smell.

"Alright," Kakashi cleared his throat. He entered a small room off to the side of the hall. Ko held the door open for Sakura to enter first.

Kakashi motioned for them to wait and he set about rifling through the filing cabinets in the room. Finally, he found the drawer he was looking for, and tugged it out of the cabinet altogether. Depositing it unceremoniously on the table in the middle of the room, he gestured.

"Have at it, Haruno. The world is your oyster."

She quirked a brow at him. Approaching the drawer, she murmured with a smile, "I doubt I'd find any pearls in there."

Sakura peered in and started pulling out the masks inside. One by one, delicate porcelain masks were painted and carved into animal features. The color of the paint on these was vibrant, unlike some of the ones worn by the rest of her team. It was clear that these were new.

Ko and Kakashi watched her silently as she considered each one, turning it around in her fingers.

A lion… A snake… she shook her head imperceptibly, not identifying with any of them. From her experience, Sakura knew that most anbu opted for something fierce and carnivorous. It was something about the testosterone of the men, but Sakura also figured it was a protective mechanism. Who wanted to fuck with a lion?

She kept looking. A hyena, even an octopus, and… a ram.

Sakura looked at the last one in her hand with intention. It looked gentle, almost sweet. Neutral and mature. The horns of the ram were tightly coiled around the side of the mask and swept further back—functional. It would protect the sides of her head. The eyes of the ram were large and sweeping.

Holding on to it, Sakura looked up to consult her teammates.

"That one, Haruno-san?"

She nodded, "I think so."

Kakashi stared at the mask without saying anything.

"What was your last medic's mask?" Sakura asked as she put the others back in the drawer.

Kakashi had started to leave, apparently he'd completed this obligation. He stopped in the doorway at her question. It felt like the first time he'd approached her.

"A doe."

Author's note:

What did you think? Leave me your thoughts and I promise I'll read it. I'm here to improve my writing and share this story with you.

I've always loved Kakashi as a character and wondered how he turned out the way he did, when so many others with just as much tragedy broke and became cruel. While he shows up in the canon as someone who is composed and talented, albeit tardy and cool at times, he really seems to have it all together.

I'd like to think that before Rin died, he allowed himself to have a little bit of a breather. What was Kakashi like when he was younger, greener around the edges, and had more to prove? What did he believe in, and how did he treat his friends? Invariably, I think such a Kakashi is one that's easier to read, more raw, and definitely more imperfect.

See you on next week's chapter!

- Maudlim

(And a disclaimer, I definitely own none of these characters or this world.)