A/N: I'm sorry about taking so ridiculously long to update! I'm not too happy with this chapter (not ever too happy with anything XD) but I feel I've put it off enough. I'm hoping someone will be able to offer some good feedback rather than me just sitting here and beating myself up over it.

Rewrite

VS Kakashi

The Past

The unexpectedness of Kakashi's move caught Sakura off guard and left her staring at him dumbly, wondering what the hell had happened to the older jonin's usual lethargy. The kunoichi was undeniably aware of her former teacher's capabilities, but to see him use so much speed in such a trivial situation was disorienting to say the least. She could understand the irritation, but the Kakashi she was familiar with would have settled for a harmless glare.

Seeing she was in no hurry to loosen herself from his grip, Kakashi let her go. Sakura continued to stare at him, unsure of her next move. There had to be something she could say to make him understand! The pink-haired kunoichi searched his eyes for the answer, but all they said was that she was wasting her time.

"Go home." he said mercilessly.

She opened her mouth as if to speak but no words came out. His brusque words made her angry. She didn't want to have to deal with him.

"Fine, then," she snapped at him. "I'll find my own way back! But just remember where you can shove all that helping your teammates crap!"

No response.

Sakura would not waste any more of her precious time begging this indifferent jerk for his assistance. She turned and took a few brisk steps away before abruptly stopping and turning back to look at him. His lack of care for her predicament infuriated her.

"I don't see what's so hard to believe about time-travel," she hissed at him, "when you can rip open holes to new dimensions with nothing but your eye," she kicked the innocent ground and continued to walk away. "Thank you very much for your help, Kakashi-sensei!"

Sakura promptly turned back around and found herself almost smashing straight into Kakashi's chest. She gave an indignant squeal and tried pushing him away, only to have him roughly grip her wrists to keep her in place. He had ruined her impressive exit.

It seemed she wouldn't be leaving with her dignity tonight.

Kakashi said nothing for a moment, unsure of whether or not to ask his next question. Then his eyes narrowed at her dangerously.

"What?" she demanded. The situation was getting frustrating.

"How do you know about the mangekyou?" he questioned roughly. Kakashi looked intimidating.

Sakura was unfazed.

"What's it to you? You said it yourself," she snapped at him. "Any information about you can be found by simply asking around!" She pulled her wrist free from his grasp and tried to leave again, but Kakashi blocked her path. In retrospect it would have been wise to take advantage of his sudden attentiveness, but she'd had enough of trying to force him to cooperate.

"That information has not been disclosed to anyone outside a select few in ANBU," he pressed. No need to let her know the black ops had nothing to do with this. "There's no way you would have access to that information, not without unauthorized means."

Sakura stared at him for a second.

"What?" He was kidding, right? "Are you saying I snuck my way into ANBU's files?"

No need to let her know there were no files on it, either.

"Trying to steal the villages secrets, am I?" Sakura was getting ready to knock him back into the future.

Yes, that was esentially what he had been trying to insinuate, to put her under pressure and see how she'd react. Kakashi knew he sounded ridiculous. If he really believed the crap that was spouting out of his mouth this girl would have gone to the dogs a long time ago. But he was stalling. He needed a moment to think. His progress with the mangekyou was still in its early stages. Only two others happened to know about it, and only because they had been helping him with the technique. The work he was doing with the sharingan was not necessarily a secret, but it was still not something anyone outside of his comrades knew. It was highly probable that once he perfected the technique in a few years knowledge of this new stage of the sharingan would become common information, but for now he wasn't even sure what the doujutsu was doing. It was Tenzou who had recently come up with the theory of accessing other dimensions after seeing the technique begin to take action. And for her to already know...

The girl's awareness of the mangekyou and its abilities was definitely something to think about, but he would not let it buy his trust so easily. He needed time to figure out who she was, and whether or not to accept the possibility that her story was true.

"I suppose I'm a threat to Konoha now!" Sakura continued. "While you decide how to dispose of me, if you'd so kindly step aside and get the hell out of my way?" She tried shoving him again, but once again, Kakashi stopped her. Sakura was not feeling particularly patient at the moment, and began kicking and shouting profanities at the silver-haired man.

Ignoring her struggles, he let out an irritated sigh and sucked up his pride. He'd decide what to do with her once he better understood what he was after.

"How far back?" Kakashi asked.

Sakura stopped her struggling. How far back should he step aside to get the hell out of her way?

"How far back what?"

"How far back did you come?" he repeated, not all too happily. He didn't believe her. Of course he didn't. But he needed to see where her story would lead.

It took Sakura a lot longer than it should have to understand that she was getting through.

"I... don't know," she said, her anger suddenly dispelled. "I came straight to you."

Seeing her calm down he let go of her wrists.

"You expect me to believe your story when you can't even get the details straight?" he said aggravated.

"I couldn't just wander around the village asking for the date!" Sakura pointed out to him. "What if someone recognized me?"

"As a shinobi you should understand that gathering information is critical to getting through a mission alive," he admonished.

"This isn't a mission, and unless you're planning on killing me this isn't about survival either!" Sakura snapped. "And as a shinobi you should also understand the importance of keeping a low profile!"

Kakashi did not like to be lectured on shinobi basics. That was his job. He had half a mind to lock himself back in his apartment, but he suspected she wouldn't let him do so that easily.

"Some kunoichi you must be if you can't even snatch a newspaper." He rubbed his hand over his face, already regretting having let himself get involved. He felt like an idiot, and soon enough Genma would come out from behind the corner and laugh in his face for taking such a fabricated story into consideration.

Was a little peace and quiet too much to ask for?

"For your information time-travel can be a very traumatizing experience!" she informed him. "I haven't had the time to worry about trivial things like checking the date!"

Kakashi looked at her warily. He'd seen stranger things than time travel in this twisted world. Time travel didn't seem completely implausible. But even if she were truly from the future, was she really worth helping out if she couldn't take the initiative to gather some basic information? He would pardon her lack of proper action for the moment, if only just to avoid more trouble.

"It's been roughly twelve years since the Kyuubi's attack," he told her tiredly. And if she couldn't figure it out from there, he was going to bed, and she to hell.

It took Sakura a split second to do the calculations.

"That's about six years, then," she said.

Six years wasn't so bad. But she had hoped it would be less after having seen Kakashi. He did look noticeably younger, but it was hard to get a good estimate of his age when the man had no face.

"Where would your present time counterpart normally be around now?"

"Does that mean you'll help me?" Sakura asked, feeling a great load lift off her shoulders.

"No. Answer the question."

Kakashi had already managed to somehow cut his thumb without her noticing, and was now making the seals for his summons. Sakura took that to mean his no was a yes, and she could feel relief wash all over her. With Kakashi on her side she knew she'd be going back.

"At home," she answered, watching as he kneeled down to flatten his hand against the ground. Pakkun and Bisuke appeared in a puff of smoke.

"It's south of the Academy, if you want to go check," she spoke excitedly. "They should have to problem finding it," she said, referring to the dogs.

Sakura stared curiously at Pakkun. His face looked no less wrinkly than usual. She would have thought he'd look a little younger. She was about to make a comment before Kakashi gave his ninken instructions.

"Bisuke, get her scent and come with me. Pakkun, keep an eye on her. Stay inside. Don't touch anything."

That last part was directed at Sakura. Of course, the dog would probably be allowed to do whatever he wanted.

Kakashi took off across the rooftops with Bisuke by his side without directing another word at Sakura. At least she had finally received permission to go inside. But whether that was a sign of trust or a test to see if she'd do anything in his absence was a mystery.

Sakura had spent the past 20 minutes staring out the window waiting for Kakashi's return. Chances were he would arrive from another direction, but looking out there was better than having to face the tiny pug beside her. Pakkun had been staring at her the whole time, probably just waiting for her to breathe the wrong way before running off to tell his master.

The kunoichi threw him a glance. He was still staring back. It unnerved her. Pakkun was her favorite of Kakashi's dogs. She would feed him table scraps when Kakashi wasn't looking, and would even give him the occasional belly rub. She wasn't used to having him look at her like an enemy.

But Pakkun looked quite at ease from his position on Kakashi's couch. She was probably just being paranoid.

Maybe if she talked to him?

"Your hair."

Sakura jumped, the sound of Pakkun's sudden voice startling her. He had beaten her to it.

"It smells like Flora-"

"Stuff it!" she cut him off. She didn't need to be reminded she bathed like a dog.

Pakkun blinked at her and cocked his head. What was her problem?

They were both quiet for a moment. Sakura turned back to stare out the window.

"If I were you I'd reexamine my choice of bathing products," she told him. "You smell like a girl."

He blinked at her again. Could she smell it on him, too? It had been a while since he last washed.

Sakura heard Pakkun hit the ground as he jumped off the couch and landed on four paws.

"How did it go?" she heard him ask.

"How did what-" she inhaled sharply at seeing Kakashi had suddenly appeared in the room. Where the hell had he come from?

"Don't do that!" she squealed. She might have punched him on any other given day, but this stranger Kakashi was probably not going to appreciate it.

"Well?" she prompted.

Kakashi said nothing. He only eyed her suspiciously.

"Did you find me or not?"

Still quiet. Sakura began to get nervous. She had probably not been at home. Maybe her presence here had caused her younger self to disappear. Or what if today was the day Iruka-sensei had had them spend the night at the training grounds to practice their camping skills? Or maybe she was staying at Ino's?

Kakashi's silence was not helping. Sakura felt the urge to say something.

"I can explain!" she began, though in truth she really couldn't. Before she could even try, Kakashi vanished.

And reappeared right by her side.

Sakura felt him grab her wrist with one hand, and use the other to swiftly snatch her kunai holster from her side. Was he planning on fighting her?

Sakura tensed and prepared to defend herself. He vanished again, instantly reappearing by the table. Kakashi's posture was relaxed, and Pakkun was scratching a spot behind his ear. Not the slightest bit of tension.

What was going on?

"Bisuke was able to track your scent." he said, placing her holster next to where he'd left his own. "Same exact chakra signature, same hair. Roughly six years younger, as well."

Sakura felt a sense of relief. She wouldn't have to go one on one against her teacher. And speaking of which...

"Then why the hell would you attack me?" she yelled. "If you see I'm telling the truth then what need is there to confiscate my weapons?"

"The only thing I learned from finding that child is that you seem to be the same person. There's no guarantee that time-travel is involved in any way."

"Well, I'd love to hear what other explanation you may have for it then, oh Wise One!"

Kakashi tried to come up with an answer. A clone? A genjutsu finally strong enough to fool him? An Orochimaru experiment? As much as he hated to admit it, time-travel seemed a lot more likely. Pakkun was showing no signs of mistrust, looking rather comfortable stretched out on the couch, so at the very least the girl wasn't out for his blood. She didn't seem all that suspicious anyway. She obviously felt comfortable enough around him, having no qualms about shouting at him or destroying his property.

"You say you time-traveled?" Pakkun spoke up, directing bored eyes at the pink-haired kunoichi.

Sakura stopped glaring at Kakashi for a second to turn towards the pug.

"I've heard a thing or two about that," he said. Pakkun had meant for it to be an offhand comment, but the two shinobi's curious looks prompted him to keep going. He sighed.

"Sometimes it seems like you humans know nothing about your own history," he grumbled.

Kakashi darted him a look, which Pakkun sensibly ignored.

"When shinobi first started becoming more aware of kekkei genkai, people would make all sorts of claims to attract attention to their clans," he began. "Ya know how that works. They're still doin' whatever they can ta make themselves look better. They'd insist to have everything from mind-reading abilities to special eye powers. If you could prove ta have a bloodline limit, you were automatically promoted to elite status. But if you were found to be lyin', you were usually killed," Pakkun paused a moment to yawn. "Time-travel was a popular one, but those who were said to manifest disappeared, rarely ever seen again. Some said it was because they were off time-travellin', but most think they just went off into hiding to avoid being killed."

"But that was ages ago," Sakura said. "Haven't there been any more recent cases?"

Pakkun shrugged. "Not that I've heard of."

Sakura felt discouraged. If what Pakkun said was true, she would need to find someone with this particular bloodline limit if she ever hoped to make it back. That's if they were even around anymore.

Kakashi now felt even more unsure of his next step. With even Pakkun acknowledging the possibility of time-travel, Kakashi had nothing left to disprove the girl's story.

Thoughts still on the pugs brief lesson, Sakura stared off into space looking troubled. Kakashi had no idea what that girl expected him to do for her, but she didn't seem to be a threat with the way she was worrying her lip and completely ignoring him.

Kakashi picked up the weapons from the table and made his way to his room. Sakura snapped out of her thoughts and watched him.

"We're going to the Hokage first thing tomorrow, like you should have done in the first place."

Sakura looked overjoyed. They were making progress here.

"Try anything funny and I won't waste my breath keeping you alive for interrogation."

"Thanks," she whispered under her breath, disregarding the death threat.

She heard Kakashi walk into his room and place the confiscated weapons on a hard surface, then sensed him move across the room. She heard him rustling around before his arm shot out through the door frame and sent a small bundle flying straight at her. The blanket hadn't even made it to her before she heard the door to his room slam shut.

Sakura stared dumbly at the door, blanket in hand. She was sleeping on the couch?

Well, compared to the ground in the forest, this was a vast improvement. What had she been expecting from Kakashi, anyway? And now that he had seemingly agreed to help her, she felt all the fatigue she'd been keeping at bay crash down on her like a boulder. It didn't matter that the thing looked awfully lumpy. She made her way to the couch were Pakkun was laying, ready to sink into it and drop dead. There was no time to worry about her friends, Kakashi being an asshole, or anything else for that matter.

"I'm assumin' I'm expected ta stay for the night," came Pakkun's voice. "Can't have you tryin' ta kill him in the middle of the night."

"Hmm." she hummed in reply.

Sakura picked him up off the couch and held him as she lay herself down. The small dog was surprised when she placed him by her side, rather than sending him off to the floor. Pakkun turned his head to look at her questioningly, but Sakura was already gone, mouth hanging slightly open.

"She didn't even use the blanket," Pakkun sighed, snuggling in closer to the newcomer.