Sakura quietly stepped into the records room. It smelled of paper and lightly of cigarettes. Around the room, there were a few desks with table lamps and writing supplies. Nin could choose to come here after missions to fill out their mission reports. It was a no-smoking room, but who would tell them otherwise?

"Hello Hideo-san," she greeted the clerk.

Bespectacled, with a friendly face, the older man greeted Sakura happily. She was a friendly face and much kinder than the other shinobi who would frequent his purview.

"I'm looking for a mission file for a recent trip to Kasugai-mura. Maybe two weeks ago." She thought about what other details she could provide. "Team Ro."

Hideo startled a little. "Of course," he said nervously. Sakura wondered what was wrong.

"Well, Hatake-san actually has the entire file. I'm sure you can ask him for it."

He gestured towards the furtherest corner of the room. Kakashi's brush of hair could be seen above the piles.

Kakashi must have heard them speaking but chose not to look up until she was standing right in front of him. The situation reminded her all too much of when they had first met. Sakura stepped from foot to foot, and gave him a small smile.

"Hey, captain. Looks like you're here for the same thing."

He nodded and made room for her at the desk. Kakashi pulled the specific document he was reading but pushed the rest towards her.

"Yeah. There's something about the Kasugai-mura that doesn't sit well with me," he murmured, rubbing his head. "Any word from Tsunade about that biopsy? Or the source of the cyanide?"

"No," Sakura intoned, picking up Kakashi's personal mission report. They fell into silence as they focused. Sakura slowly relived the details of the trip from his perspective. She shivered at the parts about the attack.

Although she hadn't let on, especially not when she was stitching his throat together under her fingertips, Sakura was deeply shaken by the attack. Kakashi, one of the village's top shinobi, had been laid flat in seconds.

Her eyes took in what Kakashi had written.

I lay on the ground while Haruno disabled the last attacking hostile. I had trouble breathing due to the cuts to my neck, and was in danger of losing consciousness. I was unable to assist her but Haruno succeeded and came back. I had pulled some of the threads out of my wound, but she successfully removed the rest of them.

Haruno was very effective. Despite her chakra levels spiking, I assume in anxiety, her hands stayed calm and the healing chakra I felt was even. She also actively surveilled the environment, anticipating another attack.

Sakura sighed a little. Kakashi looked up from what he was reading and gave her a curious look.

"So you noticed," she smiled, pointing at the line about her anxiety.

He nodded. "Hard not to, you were chalk white. It was like you were the one who got—"

"No more, just talking about it makes me nervous."

He studied her quietly. Sakura felt compelled to explain herself. It was also true that this had been on her mind for a while, and she wanted someone to talk to. She just didn't expect it to be Kakashi.

"Captain, it's that—I don't know how the two of us didn't notice the second hostile. And the way he took you down instantly," she ran a hand through her hair. "I see plenty of anbu come through the hospital, but are all missions just near misses with death?"

Kakashi paused. He was surprised at how revealing her question was. From her nervous body language, and the content of her question, Sakura seemed afraid. And she was asking him about it. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had admitted fear to him. There seemed to be things kept from him as he became a more and more respected captain.

He also found that he didn't have a straight answer. Not all of missions were, but a mistake or ambush could cost anybody their life. It was unfortunate that one of her first missions was one where she had to witness her captain get his feet swept out from under him.

Kakashi had been frustrated enough with himself after that mission, and this was his third time reading through the files for an answer. He eagerly awaited the biopsy results from Tsunade.

He couldn't give her an answer but at least he could figure out what was bothering her.

"What are you afraid of, Haruno?" He frowned. "Dying, danger?"

Sakura had a look on her face. "For myself? Sure." She admitted easily. "But also for you, Yugao, Tenzo and Ko-san. Death is hard on everyone around the deceased. There are so many great nin injured not by their own bodies but from the trauma of their loved ones dying."

Kakashi wondered if she was talking about him. Or herself.

"If I can be honest," Sakura continued. "You, as our captain, are a representation of any of us. The best of us. And seeing you on the ground—" She gestured in the air, but didn't finish the thought.

He understood now.

Kakashi considered what he was going to say, picking his words carefully. "Not all anbu missions are death sentences. Those that are, are clearly marked. But all anbu missions are dangerous. And with any danger, there is a possibility that someone gets hurt."

He tried to convey to her that it was an unusual occurrence for him to get dragged to death's door, and that it was unlikely to happen again in the peacetimes they were having. But Kakashi felt it would be deeply unfair if he promised such a thing.

She pressed on, "And with that possibility—does that scare you? The thought of your friends and loved ones…"

In her heart of hearts, Sakura didn't know if she could stomach being in anbu. She knew that she would have left if Kakashi had died. The last time her teammates had passed from a mission, Sakura left Konoha for two years, unable to cope with the idea of getting a new team and just moving on. The people were gone, how could you move on?

She knew Yugao, her soul's sister, had coped in the opposite way. Yugao became fleeting to everyone who didn't already know her. She was unavailable for friendships or love. She joined multiple anbu teams, put herself in the most dangerous, not tethered to anyone.

But Sakura couldn't do that. She always grew roots wherever she was. It was what made life, missions, anything—rewarding for her.

Kakashi's mouth felt dry.

Sakura was looking deeply at him. Kakashi would have usually looked away, at the blinding light of a stare so intense and searching. But he felt a sense of duty to answer all of her questions. He was her first anbu captain

Somebody would have to tell her the truth, like his first captain had done for him and demonstrated to him. For someone so exceptionally skilled, she was green to the realities of being a shinobi. Or—for someone so exceptionally skilled, she was shockingly still of a tender, porous heart.

"A good team is what determines survival," Kakashi began.

"In the forest that day, without you, I would have died. With you, because of your care, I didn't."

He leveled her a look, calm and honest.

"It's these relationships that make survival possible. It's the same relationships that make surviving painful."

They shared an understanding.

Sakura smiled, swiping away a small tear. "Thank you."

"Captain!" Sakura greeted from afar. They'd spotted each other while out Sunday shopping. Kakashi had told the squad that their next mission wasn't until Wednesday, enough time to have at least a few home cooked meals.

Kakashi turned to the sound of his name. Seeing Sakura, he made his way through the crowd, "Hey."

"Getting a few things?" she asked, gesturing to the slim bag that hung loosely off his wrist. His other hand was shoved in his pocket, holding a fistful of loose bills.

"Yeah. You too?"

Sakura smiled, bashful at the number of bags she had with her. The width of her person was easily doubled by the mass of shopping she'd done. "I love cooking at home when I can find the time. It's healthier, cheaper, tons of things."

Kakashi nodded along, although had trouble sympathizing. His thankfully opaque bag held the latest version of the Icha Icha series, although he would be the last to tell the cute new member of his anbu team as much. It was unbecoming of him as a captain.

"Headed in this direction?" Sakura inclined her head, and he nodded.

"That's a lot of food for just you."

"It's not just for me," she smiled at him.

"Oh?" Kakashi shot her a casual glance. He paused, then smoothly continued, "Who's all that for then?"

Sakura stopped for half a step, wondering if that was meant to sound as suspicious as it did. The question came out stilted and weird, a little warbled at the end. Was he trying to find out if she was involved with Ko-san again?

"My younger brother, his name is Kyuta. His appetite is unparalleled. And honestly I have to cook because if I had to treat him to eat out every time, I'd have joined anbu a long time ago."

Some dark, withered part of Kakashi's terrible soul had a flutter of life. The anbu captain chewed enthusiastically on this new information. He only let on through a small smile. "Maa, he must be a teenager."

"He just turned 17 this year—chunnin." Sakura seemed especially pleased telling him this. He noticed her chest puffing out, her smile lifting.

Kakashi seemed to think about this for a bit, before quietly asking, "Would you want him to advance soon?"

She shook her head again. "No, of course not. What kind of an onee-san would I be if I did?" Sakura paused for a bit before adding, "But he worries about me in the same way that I worry about him. Joining anbu especially, he put up a huge fight."

Kakashi smiled a little at the thought. "Maybe I'll have to meet him to convince him of your placement."

She laughed, "Please don't. You'll only rile him up."

"What kind of world do we live in," Kakashi mused, "if an anbu captain is afraid of a chunin?"

"The right world—it's more to protect him from you," she said in amusement.

She was surprised at how her captain was having this conversation with her, but also thankful for it. It must be hard for him to feel like he was replacing a friend, but Sakura was determined to earn her way.

"This is me," she announced. Sakura hauled some of the bags to balance up on her hip, while fishing around in my pockets for keys. "I'd invite you in for tea but it's a mess. Kyuta just threw a party—" she shook her head, as if that was all there was to say.

Kakashi nodded. "Good luck with that boy. Better keep him away from me." The last bit was said as a joke, and he gave a small grin to go with it before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Sakura looked at the spot he'd disappeared from and smiled to herself.

"I'm home!" Sakura shouted into the house, closing the front door with her foot. She juggled the various bags and weaved around the misplaced furniture before she got to the kitchen.

"Kyuta," she called.

Like any good sister, Sakura felt it pertinent that she knew where her younger brother was at all times. Thankfully, he was a patient boy and was good about the things his sister was neurotic about.

He popped out of his bedroom, spry and gangly as he stumbled bleary-eyed into the kitchen. Sakura surveyed him with a careful glance. His spiky brown hair was mussed every which way, and his bright green eyes were crusted over with sleep, rimmed with dark circles. They must have stayed up late.

"Nee-chan," he greeted with a yawn.

The teen gave her a dopey grin and immediately turned his attention to the bags on the counter. Sakura laughed at how much he resembled a very tall, long raccoon.

"Who were you talking to outside?" He asked with another yawn.

"That was Kakashi, my captain. You heard him talking?"

Kyuta nodded, stuffing half an onigiri into his mouth.

Sakura shook her head at him. Appetite like a bear, docile like a lamb. She squeezed his hand quickly before moving to put the rest of the groceries away. "How was the party?"

She sensed some excitement from him. "It was great!" Kyuta nodded enthusiastically. "Tons of people showed up—"

She glanced at him.

"I mean not too many. And we had just a liiiittle bit of sake." He pinched his fingers together and smiled at her guiltily.

Sakura laughed and hung her head in defeat. She could smell the faint hint of alcohol on his breath anyways. "I don't believe you. Why'd it have to be in our house anyways?"

"Well," Kyuta intoned like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "How is it supposed to be a surprise for Moegi-chan if it's at her house?"

Their fourth mission came too soon.

Snow billowed around them, the wind strong enough to sway Sakura on her feet. She sent chakra to the ground, anchoring her to the icy sleet that covered the road as they trudged forward. A balmy fall in fire country had turned into the beginning of winter in Snow.

Sakura was dressed in knee high boots, a thick lycra long sleeve under her anbu vest, and a heavy winter cloak that she clipped all the way shut. Her mask thankfully kept much of the ice and hale off of her face, but her breath kept freezing and encasing the inside of the mask with snow. It was misery.

Kakashi trudged in front of the group. On either side of Sakura walked Ko and Tenzou. Where they would usually use umbrellas, the wind was too strong for that. They endured the punishing weather in silence.

Up ahead, in the mist of snow, Sakura could see a magnificent western-style mansion. They passed through an iron-wrought gate first, then a garden of rose bushes, in suspended animation in the freezing weather. Finally the reached the entrance of the home itself.

A resilient flame glowed by the entryway, lighting the door. There was a generous entry area, which the anbu team quickly huddled into for warmth.

Kakashi, brave as he was, was the one to ring the doorbell.

A butler, dressed in full formal wear and to the nines, opened the door in less than a minute. Kakashi, in his fiercely painted dog mask, regarded the man warily. The butler, bald and proper, gave him a look of equal ire.

"You must be the hired guards."

Sakura could see Kakashi stiffen under all the layers. His ears quirked a bit.

The butler stuck his head out into the cold and eyed the rest of them, huddled on the corner of the porch.

"Please come in," he gestured inwards with a deep bow that was unflappably meant for polite company. The followed him inwards to a lavish study, of fine velvet upholstery and a live fireplace.

"The mistress will be with you in a second."

The four nin regarded each other from behind their masks. The heat of the room was glorious, almost too much for how much they had on. One by one, they peeled off their cloaks and stood uncomfortably as the ice started to melt off of their bodies, dripping onto the richly colored carpet.

A separate door opened. They all stood to attention.

"Well," a laugh rang out. The mistress slinked into the room. Sakura studied the woman from behind her mask. She was in her early thirties, with coal black hair and eyes. A smudge of makeup from the day hovered around her cheeks, and a shock of red lipstick. She wore an expensive looking red dress.

It wasn't what Sakura would have chosen for house-wear.

The woman perched herself on one of the arms of the couch. She faced them. They stood impassively in a tall line.

She cocked her head and laughed. "Hello. Welcome. My name is Futaha Miyamizu."

Kakashi greeted her politely. The rest of them bowed slightly.

She gave him a smile, and regarded him with narrowed eyes.

"Welcome to Snow. Since you'll be escorting me for the next week, we may as well get to know each other. Now that you know my name, I should know yours."

Kakashi didn't move. The other three watched him from the corner of his eye for a decision. Finally, after a long period of deliberation, Kakashi reached up and pulled down his mask. In a line, Tenzo, Sakura and Ko did the same. Sakura was glad that she had pulled on henge before entering. Her hair was disguised to an uneventful brown.

Futaha delighted, smiling at each of them in turn and looking them over. There were notes of judgement as she looked at them.

"Names?"

"We can't share that with you."

She quirked a sharp smile. "Of course not." Her eyes flickered from Kakashi to Ko, and then regarded Sakura for only a second. Sakura thought she could see a hint of interest in her eyes when looking at the men, and something akin to judgement at seeing Sakura.

She shrugged. "Well, as it's late tonight, please be my guest. We'll head out tomorrow morning."

The next morning, they met Futaha at the break of dawn. Their masks were already in place when she appeared from the same doorway. Following her outside, Sakura forced her body to stay still as the chill instantly seized around her limbs.

Futaha quickly stepped into a small carriage that was waiting for her. She gave the team a small, knowing smile before shutting the door.

Sakura finally allowed herself to shudder once the woman was no longer watching them.

Kakashi glanced at the rest of them. "Diamond formation. I'll go in front. Ko in the back."

The chill was tough to fight against. Sakura felt herself fatigue quickly into the day, the sun barely in the sky before she started to feel a drag of exhaustion. It was the combination of the blinding snow and the impossible ice underfoot that made this a harder journey than she would ever admit. Not to mention they were keeping pace against a small team of horses that pulled the carriage along.

Up ahead, Kakashi looked unperturbed. He moved with all of his usual grace, a speckle of gray against the otherwise fully white landscape. Sakura couldn't see Tenzo on the other side of the carriage body, but she could feel Ko's eyes on her back on occasion.

They were lucky to have a strong team with two long distance scouts. As much as she wanted to deny it, was a well balanced team, and the role of Yugao and Ko as auxiliary members made it possible to personalize the staffing for any scenario.

A tapping noise drew Sakura's attention. Futaha's wide, beautiful face peered back at her through the clear glass of the carriage.

Sakura raised an eyebrow behind her mask as Futaha rolled the window down.

"Hello," she breathed. "How are you?"

Sakura couldn't figure out what the point of this conversation was, but also couldn't think of anything polite to say in order to end it. From the corner of her eye, she saw Kakashi sending glances back. She raised a low hand below Futaha's sight to signal that it was alright.

"It's cold," Sakura stated simply. Polite to a fault, she couldn't help but add on, "How are you?"

Futaha delighted at the small talk. She purred. "I'm well. I'm wondering, where is your friend with the white eyes?"

Ko. Sakura's eyebrows went up even higher. She wondered if the Hyuuga could hear their conversation from his position in the back.

"He's trailing the carriage."

"That so?" she drawled, tapping a long fingernail on the side of the carriage as she leaned out of it calmly. She paused as she thought.

"Well, can he come up here?"

Sakura chose her words carefully. "He can go up to the front of the carriage instead."

"What about the gray haired one?"

"They could switch spots."

The woman snorted in amusement.

"The brown haired one is on the other side of the carriage," Sakura offered, unable to keep the slight sound of irritation out of her voice. She hoped Futaha would rather speak to Tenzo. The woman's judging gaze and sharp red lips unnerved her.

Futaha shrugged, waving her hand as if to say, not my type. They continued to travel. The woman from Snow seemed to be unaffected by the cold temperatures, and stayed leaning out of her window. Sakura was stressed by the level of exposure that Futaha had, but wasn't convinced that she'd be able to coax the woman back in.

Futaha cycled from looking at the landscape, to trying to catch a peek of Ko in the back, to studying her nails, to finally staring at Sakura. The kunoichi tried to keep her express still, even under the anonymity of her mask.

"Do you…" Futaha began, drawing out her words. "Enjoy being on a team with these men?"

"What does that mean?"

"As in, do you feel sexy being the only woman on a team of all men?"

Sakura felt acutely aware of several pairs of eyes on her. Apparently, they were all able to hear them. A deep blush threatened to crawl up her neck but Sakura forced it down.

"That's not what I value about myself, Miyamizu-san."

The heiress considered that answer. With a small hmph, she fell back into the carriage and shut the glass window. Sakura let out a breath of relief.

By the end of the day, Sakura felt like her legs were made of lead. She now understood why anbu were needed for this mission—the heiress' insistence on traveling by carriage meant they had to keep an insane speed, running alongside her in the unforgiving landscape.

Futaha checked them into a hotel in a small village. She must have planned the stop ahead of time, for it was much nicer than any regular inn. Though small in size, it was clear the hotel catered to a high class clientele. Kakashi and Tenzo would take the first watches, then Ko and finally Sakura.

Trudging to the room she shared with the Hyuuga, Sakura was grateful for the last watch, arguably the most desirable one. It allowed her to get a several hours of uninterrupted sleep before getting up slightly earlier than everyone else to take watch.

"How are you feeling, Sakura-san?" Ko asked her as they went in.

Sakura smiled at him and fell onto one of the beds, splayed eagle. "I feel like a solid block of ice, Ko-san." She sat up on her elbows. "Or like an uncouth peasant, next to Futaha Miyamizu."

He laughed, clipping his cloak off. "I heard her question."

Sakura tilted her head back in embarrassment.

"Your answer was diplomatic."

"How would you have answered?" She challenged him, her smile evident in her voice.

Ko sat on the bed across from hers. His elbows rested on his knees as he smiled amiably at her. "Well," he considered thoughtfully. "Being on a team with just one woman like you makes me feel something. I can't imagine if I was the only male on a team of all women like you."

Sakura's eyes went wide, her smile dropped. She quickly rolled onto her side and stared at Ko with saucer eyes. Did he just—?

He looked worried at her reaction. "Was that too forward?"

She quickly waved her hand, shaking her head at the same time. A deep blush had crept up her neck, dispelling the chill that was previously there. "No, I'm sorry. Just surprised."

He smiled warmly at her and left for the shower.

When the door closed, Sakura collapsed back onto her bed. Her face felt pleasantly warm.

When Sakura woke up the next morning, it was well past the time for her watch. She startled up in bed, quickly searching the room for Ko. His mask and gear were nowhere to be seen, presumably worn, but his travel pack was still in the corner.

Sakura quickly got ready and headed for Miyamizu's suite on the next floor. There was nobody posted outside, where they had agreed to keep watch. There should have been somebody posted there.

Sakura instantly pulled out her kunai. She skirted down the long hallway, nerves standing on end as she prepared to engage—

And then the door opened. Ko, in his mask, stepped out, gesturing to Sakura.

She sighed in relief. He slowly closed the door and met her in the middle of the hall.

"I apologize. I meant to wake you for your shift but Miyamizu-san…" He paused, searching for words, "was very attached to my being here, and I figured I'd let you sleep in."

Sakura shook her head at the ridiculousness of it. Still, she had to give Futaha credit. The woman was determined.

"Debrief?"

They headed for Kakashi and Tenzo's room.

"Captain, the client is ready for travel," Ko announced as they entered the room.

Kakashi acknowledged with a nod as he slipped his anbu vest over his head. Tenzo was tightening the final straps on his pack.

"Did she give you any trouble, Hyuuga?"

Ko paused. "Define trouble, captain."

Kakashi's mask was on his bed. His expression was clear as he made eye contact with Ko, bone dry and unamused. "She cried and threatened all types of antics to try to get me to extend my watch shift."

Tenzo snorted from his side of the room, Sakura couldn't help but also break into a grin.

"She did do that—yes."

Kakashi made a noise to himself and clipped on his mask. He swept his eyes around the room one more time. He moved towards them but paused.

"Wait, don't tell me you gave in?"

"Well, I took over Sakura-san's shift," Ko answered evenly.

Tenzo had a smirk on his face. "A kindness Kakashi wouldn't do for me, despite all of Miyamizu's wheedling."

Kakashi glared back at Tenzo, heat evident even through the mask. Sakura shook her head.

Author's note:

What's going on with Sakura and Kakashi? I have to admit I have a soft spot for serious, rise to the occasion, heeds his duty, captain Hatake. I love the idea that he's a drifter in life but very serious about his anbu team and taking care of them. And with Sakura, there's this conflict because he doesn't want to warm up to her but he has to give something because she's his subordinate.

I also don't really know what I'm going to do with Sakura's brother in this fic! I thought I had an idea for the ending and then ended up scrapping it. He might just be hanging out (and obviously you can tell some timelines are a little AU, since Moegi is here), but bear with me.

Hope you enjoy this week's chap! Thanks as always for all of the favorites, comments and likes! Let me know if you've been reading anything good recently, or what you think is going to happen next.