The mission was successful in the sense they managed to pin down the syndicate responsible for the attack. They never managed to get to the bottom of why the Raikage had been targeted although Kakashi knew their employers knew the reason behind it. They received their payments and Sakura also received a job offer to head up their hospital, which she politely declined.
It wasn't until their journey home that the team actually started to get to know one another. Well, until Karasu was officially introduced to Sakura anyway. They set aside 3 days for their journey home without expensive transport scrolls.
Their first night was camping outside in the forests on their village border. Sakura set about finding some food whilst Yamato provided the wood for a fire. Kakashi lit it lazily with a jutsu. Karasu kept watch, feeling like more of an outsider than ever in his own team as they set about their routine.
He braved the conversation first as they gathered around the fire. "So, it's pretty evident that you guys all know one another?" He asked.
Yamato and Sakura waited for Kakashi to answer, more to see if their captain approved them having personal conversations out in the open.
"You could say that yeah, although I can't remember the last time we went on a mission together, can you Sakura-chan?" Kakashi asked her.
"Oh gosh, maybe not since the Akatsuki in sand?" Sakura suggested.
"I'm pretty sure that was me," Yamato chidded in.
"Oh, or was it that escort to snow? Well, this was nice anyway. It's a shame Naruto is still goofing about, it would be nice to get the old team 7 back together. And I haven't heard from Sai in months."
"Sai is back on loan to the new and improved root division last I heard, so that might be difficult and now you're Jonin I very much doubt Naruto will be allowed to join us. Unless he's been promoted?" Kakashi asked.
Sakura shook her head and laughed. "Nope, he's still a Genin. Maybe I take it back, you were a shitty teacher!"
They shared some stories without too much detail into the night. Karasu attempted to flirt with Sakura which didn't go unnoticed by their teammates but they said nothing.
Morning came and they headed out again. Careful not to leave any traces behind.
Kakashi still insisted on protecting Sakura by surrounding her in a guarded formation. Despite her protests. They stopped for a break by a river a few miles outside the nearest town.
"Sakura," Kakashi chastised for breaking formation again as they stopped. The other two tried to give them some privacy.
"Yes, Inu-taichou?" She replied curtly.
"You do realise that my orders aren't just a suggestion? Break formation on purpose again and I will be forced to report you for insubordination."
She said nothing but glared back at her former sensei. "You know I'm part of this team right? Technically second in command and that I'm not the client needing to be guarded?"
"You could have fooled me." He replied back to her very uncharacteristic of his ANBU persona.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She challenged. If Tsunade had taught her anything it was bow to no-one unless necessary.
"Just humour me, please. It's been years since we worked together, as we agreed last night. I don't know what you're capable of and you know I don't take risks when it comes to the lives of my comrades."
"Fine." She begrudgingly agreed.
"Fine." He matched her tone. He wasn't sure why, but she brought out the worst in him.
Kakashi wouldn't allow them to waste money on a room in the town so they continued through and again set up camp. The conversation was less than the previous night. Kakashi agreed to take the first watch.
Sakura couldn't sleep. She climbed the tree above their camp to join him.
"Hey," she whispered, smiling quietly.
"I have a few hours on my watch yet," he told her. His eyes didn't stray from his watch.
"I know, but I couldn't sleep."
She sat next to him in complete silence. There was something about her closeness that calmed him. It was familiar.
After a short while Kakashi finally broke the silence. "What's on your mind?"
"Do you really not trust me, sensei?"
Kakashi sighed and finally met her gaze. She was beautiful in the light. Her soft features illuminated by the moonlight. Despite her feminine looks he couldn't help but notice how the slight strain around her eyes from the stress of her occupation.
"Sakura-chan, of course I trust you."
"You still see me as that idiotic 12 year old, don't you?" He opened his mouth to protest but she stopped him. "You know it's been years since I've had to prove myself to anyone. It's upsetting that you of all people don't believe in me."
"Sakura, I-," he paused. "Sorry?" he shrugged. He didn't want to lie to her.
"Did you ever like us?" she asked, trying to make light of the mood but still trying to probe their deeper conversation. She sensed his confusion at her question. "It's just all the other rookies still have a relationship with their sensei."
"Sure I did. You guys pulled me from a dark place you know? I will be forever grateful for that. I'm not one for personal relationships, Sakura. Don't take it.. personally.."
She put her hand on the area of exposed flesh on his arm in response to him, almost as if to comfort him.
Her warmth was unusually reassuring to him, but it felt wrong. Taboo. He flexed slightly and moved from his crouch. She pulled her hand back, worried she'd crossed the line.
"I'll let you finish this watch. Wake Yamato if you need to be relieved." He landed silently from jumping out of the tree. "Good night, Sakura," he whispered as to not come across too cold.
"Good night, sensei." She mumbled back.
Their final stretch home was silent until they walked through the gates of their village and by sheer coincidence, they bumped into their favourite orange idiot.
"Sakura-chan? Is that you?" He waved over enthusiastically as he signed back in at the desk. He must have only just been ahead of them.
"Naruto, hi." She greeted back.
Naruto eyed up his other former teammates, "hey, since when did you guys all take missions together?" He complained.
"Sakura was promoted to Jonin. Maybe if you stopped slacking off, you could join us to."
Sakura scowled at Kakashi for telling him her news.
"You did? That's awesome Sakura-chan!" He swooped her up into an embrace. "Let's go and celebrate tonight? Dinner at Ichiraku and drinks afterwards."
"We have to debrief." Kakashi stated bluntly.
"Well come afterwards then, I know where you live. Both of you." He pointed to then both back and forth. "Ask baa-chan to get a message to Sai whilst you're there. No excuses Kakashi-sensei. Bring your new teammate."
Kakashi shook his head at Narutos ignorance to the ANBU rules. Sakura scribbled her name on the scroll by the gate. Her comrades didn't have to sign in or out, perks of being ANBU.
"Come on, let's get this over with." Kakashi instructed his team.
"See you later!" Naruto called as he wandered off towards his home.
Kakashi took the lead on starting their verbal report, quickly taken over by Sakura as he realised Tsunade was only interested in the medical aspects.
"I'm pleased you had such a favourable outcome. I want the written report in the next 48 hours. That's you directed at you both Inu and Sakura. I don't want any excuses. I am mandating 48 hours R&R before you're back on the active roster. Dismissed."
They walked out as a team.
"You don't have to come tonight, I won't be offended," Sakura told them cheerfully.
"Nonsense," Yamato said. "We will all be there. You heard Hokage-sama, we have time off. Inu-senpai has some favours to cash in for Sai's whereabouts. We'll see you in a few hours."
It turned out word travelled fast and Sakura was much more popular than she thought. She was midway through her shower when she heard Ino let herself in.
"Forehead, where are you?"
"In here!" Sakura replied. Pausing midway through her second shampoo lather.
"Do you want tea?" Ino shouted.
"Please!" Sakura dunked her head back under the warm water and closed her eyes, allowing the warmth to relax her tight shoulder muscles. Her calves needed ice after the run home, but she knew enough physio stretches to see to them in the morning if she needed to.
Sakura took her time cleaning and shaving her body. She needed the time to be alone with her thoughts.
When she couldn't avoid Ino any longer, she turned off the shower and reached for a towel for her hair through the steam. She shrugged on a towelling robe and went to find her friend.
"So?" Ino demanded when she finally appeared.
"So what?" Sakura queried.
"Naruto said he saw you and Kakashi-sensei returning from a mission and that you made Jonin."
Sakura sighed. "Yeah, Tsunade-shishou told me before we left. It was a rushed field promotion, pre-mission."
"That's fantastic. Does that mean you're finally getting out of that hospital and getting a life?"
"What do you mean getting a life?"
Ino batted her hand towards her friend. "You know what I mean. You basically live there. You work 72 hour shifts in operating rooms. It's not healthy. You need to meet a man."
"Oh not this again," Sakura rolled her eyes, sipping the tea her friend had made her.
"Yes, this. Now hurry up and put something nice on so we can eat and get drunk."
Sakura let Ino fix up her hair and makeup before she stepped into a dress that her mother had bought her for her birthday.
Sakura had to admit, she hadn't looked this nice for a long time. It was quite liberating.
She met Naruto, Hinata, Shikamaru and Yamato at Ichiraku's. They ate their food and drank a few beers each before moving on to one of the ninja bars down the street. She was pleasantly surprised to see so many familiar faces all waiting for her.
She scanned the room and saw some of the other rookies and their sensei's, Iruka, Genma, Shizune, finally her eyes rested on a table in the far corner. Kakashi was sitting with Sai seemingly deep in conversation.
Her heart fluttered a little.
"Oh you guys," she turned to Naruto, teary eyed. "Thank you, Naruto."
"Drink for Doctor Jonin please!" he ordered her a celebratory champagne and toasted to his closest friend. "I'm so proud of you Sakura-chan." He grinned.
She found herself drunk enough to pluck up the courage to speak to Kakashi. He hadn't moved from his spot. She plonked herself in front of him, already flushed in the face.
"Congratulations again. What are they calling you? Doctor Jonin?"
She rolled her eyes and took a swig of her drink. "That's the one. I'm glad you came Kakashi-sensei, I'm sorry I let you down on our last mission." She pouted, "I wanted to impress you when we finally got to work together again."
"Sakura, what are you talking about? You didn't let me down. You were the only person in an entire country that could save one of their leaders. I'm in awe of you Sakura."
"Really?" Her eyes opened wide. Making her look more and more childlike.
He nodded. "Really."
They were interrupted by the 4th member of Team Inu.
"Karasu," she slurred.
"Hakkuki," he reintroduced himself.
"Hakk-hic-uki-san. Would you like a drink? Kakashi-sensei is buying, for a job well done."
"Kakashi-sensei is not buying. Kakashi-sensei is leaving." He stood smoothly and finished his drink. "Sakura-chan should think about slowing down on the alcohol."
"Don't you Sakura-chan me," she pouted.
"My apologies Doctor Haruno." He joked sarcastically.
She smiled and told the ANBU to meet her at the bar so she good say a proper goodbye to Kakashi.
She followed him out the front door and caught Shikamaru smoking. "Kakashi wait."
He stopped and turned to her. The fresh air was quite sobering.
She'd forgotten what she wanted to say. They looked into one another's eyes before she stuttered. "Thank you. For coming. It was good to see you."
She waited for his response.
"Let's not leave it so long next time, 'kay?"
"I won't if you don't." She smiled and waved him off before heading back inside.
Sakura introduced Hakkuki to some of her friends. The night continued and before she realised it Sakura was accepting a walk home from the ANBU. Which had been greatly encouraged by Ino.
She stopped nervously outside her front door. "Would you like to come in for a drink?" She offered. Had he been slightly more sober, he would have declined. His better judgement was somewhere in the bar between shot 4 and 5 having been coaxed into a drinking game with Naruto.
She wished she'd cleaned up her mission gear more. Her packs had been repacked but her scrolls and headband were strewn across her dining room table. Her living room had a coffee table which was littered with medical journals. Her hallway was lined with commendations of all kinds.
"I don't have much." She admitted. "Sake or coffee."
"I'll take one of each."
She made one of each for herself as well and scooped up some of the medical journals from her coffee table. Apologizing for the mess.
He stood near to her admiring the weaponry. "So, I still never fully got to the bottom of how you know Inu-taichou and Yamato-san."
"Kakashi-sesnei was my squad leader as a genin, team 7. With Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. You're ANBU so you must know his story?" She asked but didn't wait for his response. "Kakashi-sesnei went off and did more ANBU assignments again whilst the 3 of us trained with a Sabin each. Then Yamato took over the team a few years back and Sai joined. That's it really." She shrugged. She wasn't sure why she was being this open with him but it wasn't exactly a secret.
"You trained under Tsunade-sama?"
She nodded.
They continued to talk about nothing in particular but the conversation flowed, washed down with more Sake. Then before she consciously realised what was happening she was kissing him. It was a messy uncontrolled kiss from both parties. Fueled by the passion of alcohol.
As their kiss grew, he found himself feeling up her thighs and under her dress and pushing himself against her.
"Sakura-chan," he moaned.
"No, no Sakura-chan," she complained. It didn't feel like an endearing term, it made her feel like a child. In this moment she wanted to feel like a woman.
"Sakura-hakase," he tried again. She giggled at this. He continued his venture up her thighs and hesitated before braving to go near her underwear.
"Do you want to?" he asked nervously.
"Yes," she replied. She wasn't sure she did want him but she knew she wanted the release.
Their encounter was over fairly quickly compared to their build up. It wasn't bad sex but it wasn't anything to brag about. Probably due to the amount of alcohol consumed. They were both semi satisfied and lay back on her couch. Their conversation seemed to dry up. She offered him a bed on her couch for the night which he politely declined and instead headed for home.