Gee, it's been awhile huh? So sorry! Work has been really tiring and I've got to deal with real life stuff sometime. I am so happy that people seem to like my story I have put a lot of thought into the overall plot and it has changed a bit "organically" as I have gone along, nothing major just some detail stuff like Sakura's mask which I have kind of taken a liking to. I am so interested as to how this story is developing it's like I'm not writing it, it writes itself. Anyway enough blathering! If it writes itself how come I'm not done already right? And why am I still putting down these stupid comments, and. . .

ON WITH THE STORY!

Chapter 10: Sakura's Mask

Kakashi woke to a loud and annoying pounding in his head. As he woke up a little more he realized that it was actually a loud and annoying pounding on his door accompanied by the VERY loud and annoying voice of his former student and current blond headed team member.

"KAKA-SENSEI! OPEN THE DOOR NOW! I WAITED FOR SEVEN HOURS!" Naruto screamed through the door in between pounding. "DAMN IT OPEN UP!"

"Right," though Kakashi slowly, "Training today. Seven hours huh? Must be about 2:30 in the afternoon then."

"DAMN IT!" Naruto yelled through the door! "I SENSE YOUR CHAKRA I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!"

"Maybe I should get that," Kakashi thought as his poor door gave a warning creak at the constant pounding.

Sitting up and stretching he was a little sore from sleeping on his couch and he walked unconcernedly over to the door thinking, "Ok, lie, lie, I need a lie by the time I open this-"

"Hi Naruto, finally made it huh?" Kakashi said cheerfully opening the door just as Naruto was about to pound on it again causing the poor ninja to stumble into Kakashi's apartment and almost land on the floor.

"KAKA SENSEI!" Naruto whined.

"Took you long enough to get here, Sakura figured out the clues first thing this morning if I knew your intelligence gathering skills were so rusty I might not have accepted being put on the same team as you again," Kakashi said smoothly.

"My wha-? Clues? This morning? HEY!"Naruto stammered.

"Um yeah, I figured out your stupid clues they were just so obvious I thought I'd mistaken them for something else." Naruto continued looking around back and forth quickly trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

"Well I guess 2:30 isn't that bad for you, Sakura is a lot smarter then you after all. Well since you're here before 4:00 you get to have the rest of the day off and since it's the weekend after that we'll rest Saturday and Sunday as well because Monday I expect us to be assigned a real mission," Kakashi said in a bland voice thinking quickly how to get rid of Naruto before Sakura decided to come walking out of his bedroom. That would be a lot harder to explain away as training.

"Here Naruto," Kakashi said handing him some money from his wallet, "Go get some ramen and have some fun."

"You're not getting rid of me that easy," Naruto said pouting making Kakashi sweat under his mask. "I need to talk with you. I want to know if your think there really could be a chance that Sasuke's ok."

"Do you want me to tell you the truth Naruto?" Kakashi asked still nervous about Sakura suddenly walking out of his bedroom and into the middle of this conversation. Images of Sakura wearing his clothes and sauntering out in front of Naruto haunting his thoughts.

"Yes, the truth," Naruto said flatly.

"No, if the third couldn't beat him there's no way Sasuke could even with Sharingen," Kakashi answered.

"That's what I figured you'd say," Naruto said dejectedly. "I think you're probably right but I still have this feeling that he's out there. I made a life long promise to Sakura that I'd get Sasuke back Kakashi sensei. I've never broken one of my promises. I almost feel like if I break this one I might break the one I made to someday become Hokage. My promise to Sakura was almost that important."

"Naruto, the two are not connected. You've got to realize that. You made yourself responsible for Sasuke but that was never really in your power. If it was in anyone's it was mine. Naruto, we've all had these conversations before, we've gone through all the doubts and fears. We knew that this was likely to happen. After all even Sasuke knew that Orochimaru wanted to make him his vessel." Kakashi said placing a comforting hand on the young blonde's shoulders.

"I guess. Do you think I'm a fool for holding out hope," Naruto asked afraid to look into his former sensei's eye.

"Truthfully?" Kakashi asked in a very stern tone.

"Please," Naruto replied quietly.

"Of course not baka! That's one of your best qualities, one I've never really had. You always look for the best out of things and even expect it. Most of the time you even get it, even if you are the one to turn the situation around. You'll make a wonderful Hokage someday Naruto, you'll be an inspiration to everyone. You already are to me, and I know you are to Sakura too," Kakashi said spiritedly.

"THANKS KAKA-SENSEI!" Naruto said smiling widely eyes tightly closed. "Well if I'm going to become Hokage I better get some nourishment after waiting arou- I mean searching out your clues all day! Thanks for the three-day weekend! Hinata will be so excited!"

With that Naruto shoved the money Kakashi gave him in his pocket and ran out the door to the Ichiraku spirits raised immeasurably.

"Phew!" said Kakashi, relieved that he was so used to coming up with excuses for himself being late. It made it easier to lie convincingly when the need arouse.

One thing was bothering Kakashi though. Naruto had sensed his chakra in the apartment but not Sakura's and as he let his consciousness search for her he couldn't sense her either. Suddenly worried, Kakashi poofed straight into his bedroom, not even bothering to walk the few steps that were necessary from the living room to the bedroom.

"Sakura!?" he called looking around.

"AHH! You could have just knocked!" Sakura growled from his bed pulling the bed sheet up to her chin in surprise. "I could have been naked."

"Are you shielding your chakra?" Kakashi asked looking at her puzzled.

"Yes, I've been up for an hour now and I sensed Naruto coming so I figured it would be best to hide the fact that I'm in my former teachers bedroom," Sakura replied testily.

"Sakura . . . I know I said that you were welcome to anything in my house, and-you-are! But. . . why are you wearing one of my masks," Kakashi asked genuinely puzzled.

"I've decided to pick up the habit," Sakura said quietly sitting up a bit straighter and lowering the blanket fixing Kakashi with a stare that just screamed 'and what are you gonna do about it?'

"Is this about what happened last night?" Kakashi asked realizing even as the words spilled from his mouth how stupid they were.

Sakura's eyebrow arched about an inch above the other, as she replied flatly, "No I decided your excuse for wearing a mask to cover up the constant smell of ramen emanating from Naruto was valid."

"Sakura, you don't need to-" Kakashi began sheepishly.

"No, Kakashi. Don't start. I'm not being silly here. I've given this a lot of thought," Sakura said calmly, " I admit at first I was just wanting to hide from what happened behind a mask, but it's more than that now. I began really thinking about what it is to be a ninja and how to cope and get over inadequacies. I always wear my emotions on my sleeve. I just don't have a face that can hide what I'm thinking. To be a really excellent ninja I have to disguise my emotions. I can do that behind a mask. It's not like it's uncommon, a lot of shinobi cover their faces, and besides whatever other reasons they have I'm sure that's one of them. You're more a mystery with a mask on. It can even be intimidating to some people. And besides that as a medic I have to cover my mouth and nose often during procedures. How much quicker if I am already wearing a mask."

"Those are all valid reasons Sakura I may even agree with them. But I have a feeling that the one you're really using is hiding from what happened. If that's it I would prefer you didn't wear it," Kakashi said quietly. "I've been wearing a mask for a long time Sakura. A really long time. I know countless shinobi who cover their faces for just the reasons you mentioned. Wearing a mask is a blessing and a curse. It keeps you apart from the world in a way that can't be described in words. It's very hard to ever let someone become truly close to you because once you put it on. It tells people you don't want them to get to close just by glancing at you, and in order for it to be effective it has to stay on. It's a life altering decision. I don't want you to make it without the proper thought."

"Are you showing me you don't want to be close to me by wearing your mask?" Sakura said quietly looking into Kakashi's eye.

"Yes" Kakashi thought instantly. "I don't want to let myself get too close to you Sakura. I don't want to lose what we have and spoil it by going too far."

"No," said Kakashi, "I feel closer to you then any other person living Sakura."

"Me too," replied Sakura, "Don't worry Kakashi. I have thought about this a lot. I want to wear it. It makes sense anyway, I am your student too, not just Tsunade's. I want to pay homage to you."

"Besides," Sakura said pulling down her mask, "I can choose who I open up to. I'm going to use this experience to my advantage Kakashi. I'm not a genin and I haven't been for a long time. I've grown and I need to show it on the outside too."

"Sakura," Kakashi started quietly looking into her eyes. Even though he had seen her face for the past four years there was something so intimate about her revealing it to him even if she had only been wearing the mask for less then a day.

"Kakashi," Sakura said softly looking back at him. Suddenly she flung herself into his arms and began to cry.

"I think I still need some help to get over last night," Sakura said between sobs. " I feel so dirty Kakashi. I feel so guilty. I feel like I led him on. We came close to having sex a couple of times when I was in Suna but I wasn't ready. I just wasn't sure about him. We'd come so close and then I'd just pull away and I thought he understood but I guess he thought I was just toying with him. I feel like a, a, I don't even know what!"

Kakashi held Sakura close as she cried into his shoulder pouring her heart out. He let her spill out her feelings onto his shirt and the more she spoke the stronger the feeling was that he had done the right thing last night. And the stronger his feelings got for her. What feelings he wasn't quite sure yet. He wasn't good at the whole "feeling" thing. He felt like he wanted to protect her, but he could also feel her strength and it thrilled him. He felt like he wanted to hold her like this forever, to save her. To save him. He felt afraid at what he was feeling. And he felt like it was too late to stop it.

He held her until there were no words, and kept holding her until there were no more tears as well. He felt her weaken and picked her up in his strong arms and carried her to the couch sitting her beside him and she settled with her head on his shoulder and grabbed his gloved hand tightly in hers.

"Sakura, there is no excuse for what that baka did to you. You did nothing wrong. There are two people in a relationship and if one says no to sex for whatever reason that has to be respected. You know that in your head but it might take some time to make it to your heart. You always have me to talk to until that happens," Kakashi said quietly staring at the wall in from of him and trying to ignore how good she felt against him.

"I know," Sakura answered in a quiet voice rough from crying. "Kakashi, please promise me that you won't ever tell anyone what happened. I don't want anyone but you to know. Ever."

"Of course," Kakashi replied.

"Can I stay here with you again tonight? I don't want to be alone," Sakura asked embarrassed.

"No problem," Kakashi answered. "You stay as long as you need to."

OK! Was that chapter OK? Let me know with REVIEWS please! It probably won't take me that long to get the next chapter out. Sorry again for the wait!