Title: A Reason To Love You
Summary: Sakura's in denial over her feelings for her ex-sensei, and when he leaves on a mission, she's left to ponder quietly on her problems. But when Kakashi comes back with a surprise, Sakura may just have a chance….
Kaka/Saku
(PS: I messed up on the ages for the first chapter. Please Ignore The Ages at the First Chapter)
Ages:
Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura: 18
Kakashi: 32
Note: Ehh, since one of my friends (who doesn't go on remarked on the lack of Kakashi scenes. I'll say that he'll appear…hmm…in a very unique way. No, Winnie, I didn't kill him off. XD
And also, a fellow reader pointed out to me, " anyways" isn't a word. Well, I'm not really sure if English is considered my main language, since I lived in the States for most of my childhood. I currently reside on a smallish island on the east coast of Mainland China, by the name, Taiwan. Ha.
Chapter 3: Friday Night
Friday night, aka: Pub Night. It's always like that in Konoha. All the well-known pubs are packed to their limits as villagers and ninjas alike succumb to beer, wine, sake and hangovers.
As for Sakura, she didn't understand why people like to torture themselves with all the hangovers they get the next morning. Basically, she avoided the pubs completely, but that's when Ino isn't in the picture.
If you're Ino's drinking buddy, well, you're in for it. Sakura had to admit, Ino is more of a party girl instead of a stoic, unemotional shinobi. With Ino, you'll drink at least over a good dozen bottles of sake.
" SAKURA, LET'S GET GOING!" Ino hollered outside Sakura's apartment. Said girl poked her head out of her third floor window, " I'm coming, and don't shout! You know how the landlord is!"
" HARUNO! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY?" A deep roar emitted from two stories above.
Sakura let out a frustrated sigh, " See?" Ino rolled her eyes. Sakura went back into her living room, trying to smooth out the wrinkles on her white and red tank top. She was wearing the clothes Ino had picked out on her shopping spree yesterday, which consisted of white and red tank top, white skirt (Which Sakura kept complaining of the shortness.), dark red shoes, and silver and red bangles on her left wrist.
Sakura bolted out of her apartment, ran down the stairs to meet with her friend. Ino was wearing a dark blue skirt, a blue and purple top and gold bracelets. Her light blonde hair was tied up in a high ponytail.
" Let's goo!" She said in a singsongy voice and dragged Sakura all the way to the Hidden Spirits.
They made it to the pub in five minutes, which was rather fast, considering it was a fifteen-minute walk from Sakura's apartment. Ino had skipped the whole way and when they reached the pub, she was grinning widely while Sakura looked beat. She nearly ran into a wall if not for her fast reflexes.
At the entrance, both women saw Shikamaru, probably waiting for Ino. She saw him, and let go of Sakura who nearly collapsed.
" SHIKA!"
" Eh, how troublesome…"
The three walked into the pub, they found the huge round table at the far end of the corner of the pub. Familiar faces greeted to the three. Naruto was grinning as if someone had treated him a whole month of ramen, he was patting the shoulder of a familiar black haired man.
" Sasuke?" Sakura stared agape at the Uchiha sitting beside Naruto; he had a dry smile on his features.
" Hm. Just got back from my mission," Sasuke replied. Sakura glared daggers at Naruto and him.
" Why wasn't I informed of this!" Sakura growled, Naruto chuckled nervously, " Umm…we wanted it to be surprise!" Sasuke nodded.
Sakura's glare soften, " Oh, alright!" She sat down with a content look, much to Naruto and Sasuke's relief.
Most of the people invited had all arrived, and Iruka stood up, probably to make a toast.
" Ahem." Everyone ignored him. " AHEM!" Same response.
" SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP!" Iruka roared, twitching wildly. He only got pissed off when he was ignored. (A/N: I'm not really sure xD)
Silence.
" So, I'll make the toast! To Sakura, who passed the Jounin exam with flying colors!" He held up his sake cup.
" TO SAKURA!"
Sakura chuckled softly.
" And to Naruto, who passed the ANBU exam!"
" TO NARUTO!"
Naruto grinned toothily.
" Let the party begin!" A few cheers were heard, and the music blared to life.
Sakura laughed at Ino's attempts to get Shikamaru to dance with her. The laugh abruptly ceased when she noticed her ex-sensei wasn't here.
Kakashi….
" Kakashi-sensei isn't here." It was Sasuke. Sakura looked at her male friend, " Yeah…"
" Hey, how was your mission? Did you find…..your brother?" Sakura asked softly. Sasuke's eye hardened.
" Yes I did, the mission was successful." He folded his hands under his chin, " I killed him"
Sakura winced inwardly when she saw a small glint shine in the Uchiha's obsidian eyes.
" Hmm…" Sakura looked up and saw Ino dancing with Shikamaru, who had an annoyed look, but the content glint in his eyes stood out. Naruto was dancing with Hinata, who was blushing ten shades of red. Kiba dancing with a girl she didn't recognize and a few familiar faces.
" Want to dance?" Sasuke asked, while looking away. Sakura blinked, " Aren't you tired? You just got back from your mission."
Sasuke shrugged, " I'm fine." Sakura smiled slightly, " I guess, sure.."
Both of them got up and headed to the dance floor.
I should be happy! I should be dancing around! I'm dancing with Sasuke!
But I'm not.
A familiar masked shinobi came to her mind.
Kakashi….
Meanwhile…
Ino sat at the bar, downing a small sake cup. Shikamaru was conversing with Chouji. Downing her second cup, Ino glanced at the dance floor. She saw a very familiar face.
Asuma-sensei?
Indeed, it was he. Asuma had accompanied Kakashi on his mission.
" This means Kakashi-sensei is also back! Wait till I tell Sak-" Ino's soft rambling trailed off when she noticed the lack of silver beside Asuma.
" EH? Oh, never mind. SAKURRRRRRRRRAAAA!" the girl shrieked and headed off to find her pink haired friend.
Asuma and his shorter masked companion were heading towards their usual table, far off in the corner. Anko, Genma, Ibiki, Maito Gai, Kurenai, and to their surprise, Shizune were playing poker.
" Hey, Asuma," Genma greeted, he had a bandage on his cheek, a punch he received during his match with Sakura.
Asuma raised an eyebrow, staring at his friend's bandaged cheek. Genma grunted, and Ibiki decided to answer for him.
" Sakura was Genma's opponent in her Jounin exam."
" Ah." A chuckle was heard from Asuma's masked companion.
Maito Gai stared at the masked person, " Asuma, who is your companion?"
Asuma had a restrained grin on his face, as the masked person took off his mask. A series of shocked looks met the two men.
Anko choked on her sake, Genma's senbon needle fell out of his mouth, Ibiki's cards fell out of his hands, Gai's jaw dropped to the floor, Kurenai stared in shock and Shizune twitched.
" EH?"
" Yo,"
Sakura and Sasuke danced to the beat, the pink haired kunoichi was laughing at Naruto's antics. Then, Ino suddenly appeared from nowhere, looking rather distraught.
" Ino, what's wrong?" Hinata asked her blonde friend. Ino looked at the four with wide eyes.
" Sakura! Asuma-sensei is back!"
Sakura raised an eyebrow at her, " So?"
Ino gave a frustrated sigh, " Asuma-sensei and Kakashi-sensei are partners on their mission!"
Sakura twitched, while Naruto's jaw dropped ever so slightly.
" That means………"
" Kaka-sensei is here!" Naruto finished off Sakura's sentence, much to her annoyance.
Ino nodded, " But I didn't see Kakashi-sensei anywhere."
Sasuke stared, " Are you sure?"
She scowled, " Of course I'm sure!"
Sakura shrugged, " Well, he could be back at home, you know how Kakashi rarely shows up at the pub." Ino nodded, " True."
Perking up, the blonde dragged Hinata and her pink haired friend off to find a table.
Naruto looked at his rival/friend, " Did Sakura just call sensei by his name?"
" Hm" Sasuke nodded. Something's fishy...
Far off, the Jounin's had on their poker faces. Each staring at the prize sitting on the center of the wooden table.
" I win," Shizune said, throwing down her cards. Royal Flush.
Groans were heard, mutterings of " Spawn of Poker God," was heard from Genma. Chuckling, Shizune collected the money.
" Since when are you so good at poker, Shizune?" Kurenai inquired.
The said girl shrugged, " I often accompany Tsunade-sama on her nightly gambling's. She taught me a few tricks. Sakura's rather good too."
Genma snorted into his sake, " A few tricks my ass."
" Good thing Haruno isn't here," Ibiki grumbled.
At this time, Maito Gai was unusually quiet; he kept on stealing glances at the person who had taken off his mask.
The person raised a silver eyebrow, " What are you staring at, Gai?"
Gai twitched, " It's just, my eternal rival….is…..is…."
" GAI-SENSEI!" It was Lee. He bounced over to his bowl cut sensei, and saluted.
" LEE!"
" GAI-SENSEI!"
" LEE!"
Both of them embraced and turned into a blundering teary mess on the ground.
Genma stared at the two green clad bowl-cut shinobis, with a very disturbed look on his face. " I think this scene will forever haunt me."
" Join the club" Ibiki growled, glaring at the two shinobis crying a river.
An hour had come and gone, many shinobis had passed out near the bar, sake bottles littered around their bodies.
Sakura, Ino, Hinata had their drinks and were sitting together around a small round table.
" So, how is the relationship with Naruto coming along, Hinata?" Sakura asked her Hyuuga friend. She blushed and twiddled her fingers, " Rather well, I suppose."
Her stuttering was still there, but barely, it only gets worse only when Hinata talked to Naruto. To others, she could hold lengthy conversations without stuttering.
" Heh, both of you make a nice pair," Ino remarked. This comment alone made Hinata blush another shade of red. Sakura patted her friend's back.
Shikamaru happened to walk pass the three, being his girlfriend, and sometimes a bit possessive, Ino grabbed Shikamaru and yanked him onto a seat beside her. Needless to say, he wasn't very happy.
During their conversations however, Sakura managed to be extremely idiotic and accidentally mistaken Shikamaru's drink for her own. The lazy ass can be quite the drinker, and the drink was heavy enough to send Sakura down to pits of 'major hangovers'. Good thing she could hold on well enough, even though she wouldn't admit it.
" Eeeeee," Sakura giggled, and hiccupped, making her friends sweatdrop nervously.
" How much DID you drink, Sakura?" Ino asked the drunken pink haired woman.
Shikamaru shook his head, " She downed half of mine in a gulp. That's enough to succumb to the hangovers in a minute."
Ino stared at her boyfriend, " You drink to much, Shika."
" You too."
Hinata twiddled her fingers, " Sakura-san, I really think you should head back."
Sakura grinned, " Alrrrright, Hinata! Have fun with Naruuuuto!" She got up and nearly fell over. Hinata blushed.
Ino stared at her friend, " Do you want me to come with you, Sakura?"
" NAH! I'm fineeee! I'll be going now! Tooddles!" With that, Sakura teetered off, much to Ino and Hinata's horror.
" I win," The silver haired jounin said as he placed down his cards, receiving weak death glares from most of jounins sitting around him. Genma was coddling the drunken woman he picked out from the crowd, Gai was sitting in the corner, brooding. Since when did he brood?
The rest of them didn't look well enough; Shizune had problems trying to sit on her chair.
The lone, sober jounin decided he should leave now, and got up. Asuma looked up questionably.
" Just going home," Asuma nodded and continued to play with Kurenai's hair.
Slipping his left hand into his pockets, the jounin, Kakashi headed out. On his way, he passed a drunk Naruto, who was hugging a blushing madly Hinata. Kakashi raised an eyebrow when he found out that Naruto's head reached his shoulders. Now it wasn't Naruto catching up to his height so fast...
Chuckling to himself, he headed out.
A drunk Haruno Sakura was not something to mess with. Even drunk, she could dish out K.O ing punches.
Singing off-key to a tune, Sakura plundered on, towards her very far apartment.
A pain shot to her head, and grumbling to herself, Sakura started to teeter back and forth, before she crumbled to the ground.
A familiar shock of silver hair came into her hazy view, even though she was drunk, she could still think clearly and make out who her rescuer is.
Mumbling so softly, only the person and herself could hear, before she succumbed to the darkness.
" Kakashi?"
A/N: Hm, that was long. Eight pages, a new record. Really. XD
Review Replies:
1kenshinlover: The clock saved me loads of times, I was never late for school. XD
The rainy: Thanks for the review! I'm all-warm and fuzzy inside, so happy that someone thinks my work is awesome. (wipes away imaginary tear)
Furuido: Thanks for pointing it out for me. And to think most of my childhood, I've been running around screaming, " ANYWAYS!" Bah. I'm not into those extremely long epics, even though I like reading them, I can't write them though, it's too much for my simple mind.
Atika: I found Genma's scene better too. Koichi's made me snort with laughter. He's actually based off one of my close male friends. But he isn't a snob, that's for sure.
Diamondprincess: Glad you loved it!
SetoKaibaWheeler: I'm on a roll here, so expect story alerts very soon!
No name:D
The Assassin of the Night: You read my mind. I was wondering about the lack of reviews of, " Hey, where's Kakashi?". When I was writing this chapter, I kept on snorting at the hints and stuff. Anyway, all is revealed in the next chapter.
I (heart) reviews. They make my day. xD