Here is Chapter 7! Sorry for the wait, with school it will be harder to upload chapters, but I will continue!

Also my story will have OCC, sorry for not saying it sooner =(

And i dont own Naturo =(

Sakura's days off were filled with sleeping, cleaning and sitting on her couch with yoghurt on her hands while watching TV. She assumed that today would include the same routine, but how wrong she was.

Awoken by loud knocks on her door, she got up, angered at the person who had taken her sleep away. Her steps which were usually silent, stomped all the way to the door showing the early bird that she wasn't happy at all. She opened the door furiously and at that time didn't care if she would have to replace it.

While other people would have backed away from the pink females temper the man in front of her did no such thing. Smiling at her with his crescent eye he waved hello with two fingers. Sakura should have known that it could only be him who would wake her up so early in the morning.

"What do you want Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura said putting her arms over each other in pure irritation.

"Wouldn't it be polite to invite me in?" Kakashi said innocently.

"It would, but it would also be polite to let people sleep!"

He gave her a were-you-still-sleeping look, which only made Sakura's temper rise. "You shouldn't sleep so late."

"It's not late it's..."

"About to be one in the afternoon." He finished.

Sakura's fume seemed to disappear as he heard his words. She was positive that it was still early morning. The last time she checked her clock said four. Noticing her incredulous look Kakashi showed her his watch, which only seemed to baffle her more.

"I was posi..I mean I just...I" Kakashi didn't wait for her to clear up her mind before sliding inside her apartment and sitting on her red couch.

She seemed to be still in a daze as she stayed near the entrance with the door fully opened. "Sakura," He said, getting her attention, "I think you should close the door."

Her eyes darted from him to the door showing that she hadn't noticed when he had invited himself in. Slowly closing the door she turned towards him with one of her many glares that gave her annoyed composure. "And who let you in?"

"Well I assumed you would, but since that didn't turned out as planned, I decided to be the polite one."

Rising her right arm up to her head she massaged the migraine that she had. She wanted to be alone sleeping more than anything at this moment. But getting the great Copy-nin to leave was surly up to impossible. Without saying anything else to her lousy sensei she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and look somewhat presentable.

Kakashi waited silently for her to finish cleaning up. He eyed his surroundings with precaution as if it was enemy territory and with Sakura it could be. Although she had moved from her parents' house many years ago he had only been there twice. One being after their first get together in the cafe and the second time today.

Her apartment was small, but it was well organized. Her kitchen and living room were attached and while cooking, Kakashi was sure that she entertained herself with some TV. There were only three doors he could see from the living room. The entrance door, the bathroom door and the third being her room.

He didn't think that she would have a grand house, but he thought that with all the overtime work she was doing it would be slightly bigger. Of course asking the pink haired girl why she had such a small house wouldn't be such a great idea with her already morning temper.

The apartment, no matter how small, was a nice place to live. It was so unlike his. Her living room held a shelf full of books and pictures from her family, friends, and team 7. The last picture was the same one he had hidden inside one of his bedroom drawers. Ever since the team drifted apart, he hid it from his view. It reminded him of the many failures that had happened and him being able to do nothing about it.

"Do you want tea or coffee?" Sakura asked walking out of her bathroom.

"Coffee."

She walked to the kitchen taking out a small pot to boil water. Grabbing two red cups from her cabinet she set them down on the counter adding coffee and sugar in them.

"So what brings you here?"

"Can't your former teacher come and see you for a while without being questioned?"

"Nope." She replied bluntly waiting for the real answer.

Kakashi sighed at her short answer. She must still be upset from her deprived sleep he thought. "I came to make sure that you didn't lock yourself up on your day off."

"Since when do you tell me how to spend my days off?"

"Since you became anti-social." He answered.

Sakura gave him an annoyed sighed as she poured the hot water in the cups. She handed him his cup of coffee and sat beside him. "Whatever I become is none of your business."

It was true. To her it must seem strange for him to come and greet her at her house, take her out to eat, or have any contact with her unless it was necessary. He knew he shouldn't be budding in her life, but he couldn't help himself. He blamed himself for being useless when team 7 broke apart, for not being able to prevent Saskue from going to Orochimaru, and for the little attention he paid to his pink haired pupil in the old days and now. He had no right to say or do anything. But this time he wanted to be there for her.

Sakura hadn't meant for those words to come out harsh or for them to provoke such a silence from Kakashi. "I was just kidding." She said in an attempt to end the awkward silence. "It's just that you've never..."

"I know I've never been with you when you needed it and I'm sorry for that, but now I want to help you." It was as if he was pleading to her.

"Help me with what?" Sakura gave him a look over; she had no idea where he was going with this.

Instead of answering he asked another question. "You can't tell me that everything's fine with you?"

She knew that nothing was fine anymore and knew others had noticed as well, but maybe with denying it over and over again it would become fine. Off course getting Shizune off her back would be hard, but she would manage. What she hadn't expected was for Kakashi to get in the picture. She knew that him being the great Copy nin and all he would surely notice, but he would have let her be, as it's always been. Why was he being so persistent on doing anything now? "I am fine. I just need to get used to my new way of living with work and missions and myself."

Sakura was a stubborn child, Kakashi knew this well, but he had hoped she would, for once, accept that she needed helps. "I do not believe your 'I'm fine' words. I know your lying so don't even try it. Whether you like it or not I'm going to help you, even if that means checking up on you every day and making you have a life other than this house and the hospital!"

Now Sakura was at a lost. She was positive this was not her sensei. The man she knew wouldn't talk like he just did or begin acting like her mother. "I don't need any help, I'm fine."

"I said I didn't want to hear it." The tone was an order like the ones he would give to team 7. She knew he was serious.

She let out a sigh and holding her irritation from her sensei was about to protest, but was stopped. "I'm not up for a disagreement. My decision is final and you can't change it."

Sakura was not one to like being ordered around and sensei or not she wouldn't allow it. "It's my life and I do what I want with it!"

With her outburst she knew she had put him in his place but she was wrong. Something had triggered in Kakashi and soon he was smiling at her, a malice smile that held its own type of anger. "I am sure that if I talked to the Hokage about this she will have a different opinion."

Sakura was agape by his response. "Y-you wouldn't! She can't do anything it's my-"

"Remember that a Hokage's word is law."

Angered Sakura stood up from the sofa and went to the kitchen slamming her hand on the wall. He was right, she knew. She wasn't sure If Tsunade would agree with him, but she didn't want to take a chance. "Why are you here?" She asked evening her tone.

Kakashi smiled. He had won. "I was going to tell you that Ino is also worried about you. With Naruto out on a mission she comes to me about you. To make her lay off my back I told her you would be meeting with her today."

"What-why!? I can't...not now, I mean."

"Sorry but it has been arranged and you wouldn't want your sensei to look bad would you?"

Kakashi didn't need to hear her answer; he could easily bet that she was cursing at him inside her head. "What time?"

"At three." Sakura looked at the clock hanging from the wall of her living room. It was about to be two.

"Where?"

"She said to meet at her flower shop."

With that Sakura walked out of the kitchen to the main entrance door. She opened it and signaled him to leave. Kakashi slowly stood up and walked out.

"I'm doing this cause I care about you." Was all he said before disappearing out of Sakura's sight.

The Yamanaka flower shop was a beautiful store. It looked like a normal house decorated with flowers on the outside. When you passed the shop it looked like any house, but when inside it was like a live enchanted garden. When Sakura was young she would come with Ino to the store and pretend to be a princess or a fairy. She loved those times. They would laugh and play without a care. Those times were so long ago for Sakura.

Just by walking in the store Ino was already calling her name. She must have had already noticed her presence. "About time forehead! Now let me grab my bag and then well go out and meet the others."

"Meet the others?" Sakura yelled as Ino was behind the back door of the counter.

"Yes. Tenten and Hinata." Walking out Ino grabbed Sakura hands leading her out the door of the flower shop and to their meeting place with the others.

"Took you long enough! What happened at being here at 3 o'clock sharp." Exclaimed an agitated Tenten.

Hinata greeted both girls with her shy hello, but was barley heard with Ino's loud response toward Tenten. "It wasn't my fault this time, it was Sakura's!"

"Always blaming it on other people." Tenten grumbled.

Both girls took a seat on the table. Ino grabbed one of the untouched menus and began looking for her meal. Sakura did the same. Everything on the menu dealt with fish and to Sakura it was utterly distasteful. She preferred anything that didn't involve sea food.

"Decided to come out and play." Tenten said. Being a straight to the point girl, like Ino, she said what was in her mind without mercy. A characteristic that was both pleasant and detestable, especially now.

"Yeah, it's been so long since I've seen you."

"That's because you stay home or are at work all the time." This came from Ino. With both together Sakura knew she would be given hell. She thanked that Hinata was different from the two.

"Well with work and all, it's hard to have time for myself or anyone else."

"Not even for us! What is Tsunade breaking you to the bone, because if she is I'll go talk to her and tell her a thing or two!"

"No Ino, it's not that it's just that..my work requires all of my time."

"I think you're lying! If you don't want to hang out with us just say so forehead!" Tenten nodded at the blonds words and Hinata gave such sad eyes at her.

"No,no, I wouldn't do such a thing, it's just complicated. That's all."

"Well then no matter how complicated your life is you should have time for us, especially one in particular." The serious interrogation seemed to have past as all three girls boomed with glee. Whatever Ino talked about must have been important.

Their seconds of silence seemed to drag on to hours. Sakura was becoming impatient with the news and decided to end the wait. "What is it!? Tell me!"

Ino and Tenten laughed at her impatience. Tenten was the one to answer, " Ino is getting married to Shikamaru!"

This stunned the rosette. She had never known that they were so close, she had always assumed that Shikamaru saw Ino as a "drag" (as he would put it). And Ino, who had considered him a lazy nobody, now is going to marry him! This seemed so unreal to her. When had things changed?

"Yo-you should s-see them. They are ve-ry happy tog-ether!" A stuttered Hinata exclaimed.

"Yes we are!" Ino sang.

Tenten noticed Sakura's surprise and added, "I was amazed as well. I honestly didn't think their relationship would develop into marriage, but what do you know!"

"Thanks for doubting us." Ino said sarcastically then turned to Sakura. "I've been wanting to see you to tell you, but it's hard to communicate with you. Anyway, I also wanted to tell you to attend the wedding. We are going to have a small party at Shikamaru's place. His parents have a beautiful resort where their clans festive are done and have allowed our wedding to be there as a gift!"

"Wow, that's big news." This was all Sakura could manage to say. What else could she say? Being the girl's best friend and being (most probably) the last one to know was quite ironic. How negligent had she been to the outside the world.

"Yeah I know and wait," Ino didn't finish as she rummaged through her bag looking for something. She soon took out a white envelope with a beautiful hand script of her name. "I've been giving them out personally. It has the date and everything so don't be late! Better yet take the day off, I need you early at my house to help me prepare."

Arguing with Ino would have been stressful, so Sakura took the easy way out. Taking the envelop she nodded and promised to be there.

With that came the waiter taking their orders.

Sakura barely spoke as their time passed. She seemed to be more surprised at the girl's conversations that even the timid Hinata was in. Their talks would have been so trivial to everyone else, but to Sakura they weren't. Everything sounded new to her from Tenten being Neji's girlfriend to Kurenai's child going to the academy to Hinata taking the head of the Hyuuga clan. Things had certainly changed. She hadn't even known that Genma and Shizune were going out, someone who she saw every day!

After their long talk the girls slowly departed. First starting with Hinata, who said she was needed back at the Hyuuga estate. Then Tenten who had no reason at all, leading behind Sakura and Ino. Sakura was about to say her goodbye and leave as well, but Ino's grip on her arm stopped her.

Ino's once joyous voice of the previous talks were long gone as she gave Sakura a deadpan stare. Frozen the pink girl stared at her friend awaiting her next words.

She had thought Ino would start, as always, critiquing her life style, complaining about how she should change, but none came. As the blond began to speak her eyes turned in the saddest blues she had ever seen. "Sakura what's wrong?"

Her throat felt clogged at her question. This wasn't the time for her emotional state to take over, she knew, it was time to show strength. And she would. Giving her best fake smile she answered, "Nothing is wrong."

Ino's lips fell. She eyed Sakura as if she could see her soul. A soul that was dying inside. "Aren't we friends?"

"Yes we're the best of friends. We will always be friends."

"Then why are you lying to me."

Those words broke Sakura. She didn't mean to lie, but what had happened would forever be her secret and hers alone. "I am not lying to you. I am fine, I just am having trouble, but its small and tedious, nothing you should worry about. What you should be thinking about is your wedding. It isn't right that the bride be so sad on such an important occasion."

Ino continued her long deep stare waiting for the truth. A wait that wouldn't end today.

Sakura thanked the gods when she gave her usual smile. "Yeah, I'm pretty happy about that." Ino slowly got up from her chair. Once up she grabbed her bag and said, "Remember be at my house early for the wedding, or else I'll kill you," as a goodbye and left.

The pink konichi watched her friend's back until she was too far to see anymore. Sakura stayed there, thinking. Thinking of everything that she had missed, of everything that she had learned, but most of all of everything that had changed, changed in her. How long could she continue running away from everyone?

Hope you guys like! Review please!

-Zero =D