This chapter has been completed yay ^.^. Sorry for the long wait, but I don't think I have any excuses.
Any who, here's the latest chapter. Oh and member, I don't have and will never have the rights to the characters in the story. If I did Sakura would be shipped with everyone else, at least once. What a hoe she would be .!
The sky was clear making the stars shine brightly. They seemed to be scattered around without any meaning behind them, but for someone who had been looking at them for a while, would see patterns forming. Kakashi was not one to lay back and stare at the heavens for hours on end. But now as he had he could, for the first time, see these oddly shaped things formed by the stars. It felt relaxing. He was beginning to understand why a certain ninja did it so often.
The relaxation was calming and could have taken all of his thoughts away. For a while it did just that. He had, at one point, closed his eyes, still seeing the constellation of stars. He envisioned a small leaf falling. Somehow it looked like it was rising to the sky. He watched it, waiting for it to land on him, but it didn't. It, as he had presumed before, was rising up, touching the sky and causing a disturbance, a ripple, in the constellation.
The wave spread and presented a picture. Once the ripple cleared he saw a stunning Sakura smiling at him. He lifted his arms to reach it, but he caused another ripple. This time, however, it didn't show another picture, but darkness.
Kakashi, remembering he had closed his eyes, opened them. He now looked at the real stars. He held out his hands to make sure it wasn't another dream. His small test had passed, but he could not help but feel disappointed that he had not seen her face again.
"Tell me, have you fallen for someone?" Gai's voice repeated the same question in his head. He had answered no, but Gai had shaken his head at his answer.
His next words had made Kakashi lost all his reason behind. "Love is a strong word and is described as many ways. But its to whom it is describes too that explains the type of love your giving. For example, you father, you loved him for what he had done, for all the sacrifices he had done, for being your father. This love cannot be compared to the one you had toward Rin and Obito or toward Naruto and Sasuke."
"And the love you feel for them can't be compared to the one you have towards Sakura."
"Gai what are you getting at? What other love is their?"
"Stop being so naive. You know what love it is. You had figured it out a long time ago, you just didn't want to admit it."
Kakashi stiffened at Gai's serious tone. He tried to relax himself knowing that having emotions would be his downfall.
In a mocking tone he asked, "Are you saying I have fallen for my student? That's ridiculous."
"Call it what you want, but that doesn't mean its not there." Gai spoke matter-of-factly.
"She is more than ten years my junior and a student no less."
"Doesn't change the fact that you don't see her as your student anymore."
He thought about that. Had he not continued to see Sakura as his student? Could he have fallen in love with her?
"Why do you keep doubting? You even said it yourself, you can't stand Yamato and Sakura being together. I can even say that you dislike the idea of her getting near any man."
"The only reason why I don't want to see them together is because of what he did."
"Can you stop lying to yourself! Maybe, at first, that was your reason, but now its not. I can assure you that if any other man were to get near her you would be territorial towards her."
Kakashi snickered at the comment thinking it was preposterous.
"Take it your way," Gai said and added, "but you can't run away from it forever." He took his leave, happy that he could help his rival open his eyes, even if he wouldn't see it just yet. But he didn't worry, sooner or later the Copy nin would comply with his feeling.
The idea of having any particular feelings towards his students roamed around his head non-stop. He didn't want to agree with Gai's words. He couldn't do that, especially to Sakura.
Kakashi continued laying on the grass and searched the sky for answers. But no matter how long he waited there was no response.
It was boring waking up to do nothing. Since his last mission the Hokage had not given him any other. He had predicted that it was her way of payment for the last one. He was grateful for the consideration, but his job was not meant to wait around at home and do nothing.
Still having in mind that he was going to have a special guest over he got out of bed. He had to do plenty of things before she arrived, one being buying groceries and cleaning his apartment.
When he was alone, Yamato graved to be out of his house. With her arrival, he couldn't wait to return from his errands. This was the perks of having off, he had thought happily.
Yamato finished getting ready fifteen minutes later. He walked out his door heading towards the small supermarket six blocks away from his house. Not long from his departure he heard someone call his name. He turned to look at the green suited man standing before him.
"Hello Gai." He said pleased with the encounter.
"Hey Yamato! I haven't seen you in a long time. Must be from all your missions, right!?" Gai said enthusiastically, like always.
"Not exactly. I haven't had a mission in a while."
"That's strange, you're usually one of the first to be called for missions."
"The Hokage seems to be giving me a small break."
"Hah, I see, even the youthful ones must rest. What a caring Hokage we have!" Gai's words held all the respect to the Hokage.
Yamato always respected Tsunade. Her statues being one; her being one of the legendary sannin and having a strength beyond imaginable also contributed to his respect towards her. He had always wondered how an excellent medic like her, could cause mass destruction in another persons body.
Sakura's image also lit up in his head when he thought this.
"Where are you heading?" Gai asked already having a clue at his response.
"I'm heading to buy groceries."
He gave a slight frown at not being right. He quickly shrugged it off and said, "Keeping healthy, I see. Best for the youth to eat fresh than go out to have a bite. Would it be fine if I joined you."
Yamato wanted to say no. He didn't want Gai in the house when Sakura arrived. But saying no to a friend was not his behavior.
"It's fine if you don't want me to go, just say so!" Gai said laughing.
Yamato gave him a nervous smile, showings his shame at being able to be so transparent.
"It must be a girl your having over. That explains it. I would be a big disturbance to the both of you." The green suit man replied lifting his brows up and down.
Yamato waved his hands up in indignation. "It's just Sakura."
Gai "Mmm" at his response hiding a smile. "You seem to be closer to Sakura now."
Gai quickly noted Yamato's change of color. Unlike his white haired friend, Yamato didn't have the impulse to hide his feelings right away.. "Does it look that way?"
Gai wanted to laugh at his shaky answer. Who would have known youthful love was so entertaining. "By the sound of it. I think I've heard people say that you guys have gotten closer than usual."
Yamato guarded himself. He had been taken by surprise before, but he wouldn't make the same mistake again. "We are a team. Its normal for us to get along."
"I guess your right. You guys do complement each other."
"Complement each other?" Yamato repeated not understanding what he meant.
"Yeah, you guys remind people of a brother and a sister."
"Brother?" The word came out as if someone had insulted him, gravely.
Gai loved Yamato's silence after wards. He knew it was bothering him. To be called a brother to the girl he liked must have been a blow to the poor man.
"I never thought about it like that."
"It must have been someone's misunderstanding. When I heard it I thought that it didn't fit; you and Sakura siblings! Maybe something else, but siblings!" When he had added the "something else" he could not help but bore his eyes on the man next to him. The expression in itself was priceless.
Yamato showed many expressions when unguarded. When he hid them there could be barley anything to see but an emotionless statue. His control showed one of the reasons why he was considered one of the greatest ninja in the village.
But guarding his facial expression did not stop the small glimmer in his eye.
"Something else? What do you mean?" His curiosity was undeniable to Gai. He couldn't help but chuckle in the inside.
"I don't know how to explain it and I'd honestly rather not say."
"Why not?" Yamato asked worried.
"I don't want to make false assumptions, so I'd rather keep quiet. Anyway, I have to go." With a wave Gai ran at full speed in front of Yamato.
He had planted his seed, now all he had to do was watch it grow.
The past weeks had not been thrilling for Sakura. Without any missions and her long, very long break from work (which Tsunade abruptly gave) she had nothing to do. But just because the days seemed a bore, they weren't unpleasant. Yamato, also with nothing much to do, arrived almost every day to her house to keep her company. They stayed talking for days on end about everything that popped in their heads.
Today was one of those days, except that it was her visiting him this time.
She was sitting on his old couch. It was much smaller than hers, but maybe a bit more comfortable. In her hand she held the glass of lemonade he had given her. She had thanked him for the drink and his response was a graceful caring smile.
Sakura loved that smile. Sometimes, when she saw the smile, she imagined the idea of never seeing it again. She felt a sharp pain in her chest at the thought. Quickly she would throw the thought away realizing that it would never happen.
"Doesn't it look like its going to rain?" Yamato said looking at the sky through the window.
Sakura turned to it and saw how dark clouds headed closer to them. "Yeah, I think so." She replied. "Are you asking me to leave now?"
"Why do you ask?" Yamato raised his left eye brow questionably.
"I thought that your comment on the weather was my cue to head out."
Yamato gave a teasing smirk, "That was not the idea at all, but maybe its not me, but you. Do you want to leave?"
"Maybe I do." She said giving him a playful smirk.
"Am I that boring?" Yamato fake pouted at her.
"Not at all."
Yamato sighed a fake relief. "And here I thought I was being a bad host."
"Shows how foolish Yamato is." Sakura replied with a grin on her face.
"I don't think Yamato is foolish at all."
"Oh no? Then what do you think of Yamato?"
"I can't tell you his qualities. You have to see them to believe them."
Sakura raised one of her eyebrows. "I've been with Yamato for a while and he does have many qualities. For example, making a face that terrifies everyone who sees it."
"Good qualities." He remarked.
Sakura pondered her mind, looking like she was searching for something but with no hint of finding it. "I can't seem to think of any." She replied a moment later.
"I'm sure you're mistaken. People who know him tell about his kindness, intelligence, elegance, and ravishing good looks."
Sakura burst out laughing. Who would have known Yamato could be so conceited.
Yamato gave a pout at her laugh. "I don't see what's funny."
"Yamato is funny." She answered.
At that Yamato smiled at her and said, "That is also another of his charming qualities."
"I agree with that one."
They both continued their conversation throwing antics at each other. Neither of them paid any attention to the large storm forming outside.
When first seen, the clouds conveyed only a sprinkle of water falling from the heavens. A couple of minutes in and the rain no longer was a sprinkle but a drizzle. It did nothing to interrupt the citizens of Konoha from their daily business. After an hour, however, lightning was seen from far away with a small gust of wind. Still nothing big to worry about.
The upcoming storm was left unnoticed by the two as they spoke. Their nice conversation was stopped when a loud thunder was heard near the apartment. Sakura gave a jump at the sound, surprised at its loudness. Yamato, who hadn't made any movement when the thunder stroke walked toward the window seeing a fire begin to ignite on the ground. Hurriedly four ninjas arrived telling everyone to go home and stopping the fire.
Sakura saw the scene and the medic in her kicked in. "I should go see if every things fine." Yamato stopped her as she headed to the door. He saw that no one was injured and that the ninjas that had arrived had already taken care of everything.
He was right, the fire was gone and no one was hurt. She wasn't needed.
Sakura sat back on the couch and Yamato did the same. They stayed silent for a moment not knowing what to say next. The moment of the lightning strike had made them forget what their previous discussion was about.
Yamato could think of absolutely nothing to say. The joking around had stopped and it felt awkward to restart it again. Sakura, on the other hand, had a certain topic in mind. A new one.
"Yamato," her voice was casual, but somehow that tone betrayed her, "I've been wondering lately about you."
Her voice sounding soothing to the browned haired man and her words made his heart skip a beat. "What do you mean?"
His heart kept skipping beat over and beat. He prayed Sakura couldn't hear it.
"How do you feel being with me after..., you know." She didn't say it. Not between the two.
Yamato wasn't expecting that. He had anticipated something else, something that was..., now that he thought about it, something ridiculous.
"I've been asking myself the same thing about you." He didn't know how to answer her question, so he diverted it. His response, however, was true.
She looked inside the empty glass of lemonade she was holding. She fiddled with her fingers, a sign that she was nervous. "I-I..." She halted in her words. Could she say, would she say the truth? Maybe it was time. It is believed that the truth set people free, even if partially true.
Sakura looked up, but not towards Yamato's eyes. She stared at the far wall behind him. "There was a time when I...I couldn't look at you."
Her voice sounded as if it were apologizing. Which, to Yamato, sounded unfair. She shouldn't have had that sorry tone. It was him who should have been on his knees begging to be forgiven.
"I can't blame you. I should have thought my plan fully. My intention was never to hurt you. I just wanted to protect you and I failed." His voiced had lowered with a dejected tone.
Sakura could no longer avert her eyes away from his. "I never thought that you failed to protect me. It had all been my decision. You had asked me many times if I wanted to continue and I said yes. If anything, I'm the one to blame for not realizing what the impact would be."
His hands were closed on each other with a tightened grip. "You say that, but is it true?"
She gave him a smile, not one of her best, but one that would hopefully reassure him.
His hands didn't loosen against each other.
With dry lips he asked, "Do you regret it?"
I feel like this is a cliffhanger, but then I feel that its not. Well if it is stick around for the next chapter and if its not...stick around for the next chapter?
Thanks for reading and give me any input on this chapter (Like, dislike, improve?) OH, and one question, what do you guys think bout Yamato?I've met people who don't find him interesting/attractive. Why?
-Zero =D