A/N: Ok I lied, this isn't exactly lovey-dovey, but this is one of my favorite combos! Getting in Kakashi's mind is fun and I had to explain how Sakura laid the smack down on Kabuto from before.

Enjoy, BN (yes, yes, the title is cheesy)

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

Chapter 9 - Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Kakashi felt he had been squeezed like an orange by the time he left Tsunade's office later that afternoon. She had wanted to know every tiny detail of his trip. He silently congratulated himself on his self- restraint. He had been very tempted to include telling her when and where he went to the bathroom too... just so she got the full picture.

"She doesn't have the sense of humor for details like that right now," he thought. The side trip to Tanza comment was a joke, but it had taken ten minutes to convince her of that.

Just because Tanza was a nearby resort famous for its casinos and red light district did not mean Hatake Kakashi had no self-control. He had some, which he used sparingly for special occasions. Besides, those types of things bored him quickly.

"If I knew I was going to get grilled like that though I would have actually made the visit," he mused.

Kakashi really missed Sandaime at times like these. The third's easy-going manner and fatherly presence made him feel that no matter how bad things got it would all turn out alright somehow. Tsunade was a smart woman, descended from Yondaime, a brilliant, powerful ninja in her own right, but where Sarutobi seemed settled, more able to take it, she seemed less sure of herself, almost brittle.

"The Hokage has her reasons. . . I guess we all do," Kakashi reflected, but such thoughts got him down and depressed; he didn't like that.

He laughed at himself. "This is what happens when I don't have my book for four days."

Since he was tired, hungry, bored and without read material the scarecrow- nin decided now was a perfect time to do some intensive training.

He moved at top speed along the rooftops of Konoha making good time towards the Hokage monument where his favorite pick of training spots was hidden.

Near the top of the mountain's carved face was small cave well hidden from the view looking up. It led to a tunnel going straight through the mountain under the observation fort at the summit, the other side of which led into a deep bowl-like arena. It was said that it had been in existence since the founding of the village, if not even earlier than that.

This was a place different from the public stadium used for village meetings and the chuunin exhibitions. In fact, no more that a dozen shinobi would ever have need to be in here at any one time. That time being one of the most important, vital events that occurred in Konoha, the Jounin exam.

In certain ways the Jounin trials were the exact opposite of the chuunin. The Chuunin exam showed the village's strength to world, the vital, young talent it possessed, but the Jounin exam was a secret affair where a village's elite ninja would quietly induct another into their ranks.

Many things other than strength were tested there and it was only by being sponsored by a Jounin that one could even be considered for the promotion. Like Chuunin, death was rare, but not unheard of in this set of trials as well.

When Kakashi arrived he was very surprised to find the testing ground already had an occupant.

Looking down at the center he immediately recognized a former pupil of his. Haruno Sakura was there moving through a form of a taijutsu style he quickly realized he hadn't seen before. The strikes and kicks seem standard, but other movements looked soft-handed and weak. They would almost be a wasted effort in a real fight.

He jumped down to the arena floor and Sakura noting his arrival abruptly ended her practice. She greeted him looking very self-conscious.

"Kakashi-sensei! What are you doing here?" she asked nervously.

Kakashi put his hands in his pockets and strolled over to her. "Konichwa, Sakura. Last time I checked this was a Jounin training area."

Sakura pushed her hands behind her back and blinked a few times in faked shock. "Really sensei! I had no idea, komennasai!" she said.

Kakashi had to smile, even all grown up Sakura was still one of the worst liars he'd ever met. She would only be here because what she was practicing was either dangerous or something she didn't want others to see. It piqued his curiosity.

"Iie, no worries, I was coming up to do some training myself," he told her gently. "You were working on taijutsu, right? Did you need as sparring partner?"

Sakura's surprised look became genuine. She said hastily, "Ahh, no, arigatou, sensei. What I was working on isn't ready yet for that... ". Sakura paused, looking away she finished, "and it wouldn't work well against a Sharingan user."

Kakashi studied her briefly. No longer a child, this Sakura still had a heart that was as clear and delicate as glass.

"Why do you still torture yourself with thoughts of him Sakura," he wondered to himself.

It had seemed like a simple crush to him at first, but he soon realized how much Sakura had loved Sasuke. It was a sentiment she had kept for so long and with so little in return.

Kakashi wasn't sure whether he was lucky or ill fated, but he had never pursued someone's love so desperately the way she had. Although, he reminded himself, a much younger, much more foolish scarecrow had once, like Sasuke, been on the receiving end of that same tragic sort of love.

He took his hands out of his pockets and adjusted his stance to a more ready position. "Come on, I won't use my eye. Just remember to take it easy on me, ok?"

Kakashi's supportive gesture gave her confidence and Sakura perked up.

"Ok! You asked for it! Iku yo!" she yelled. Sakura sprung back a pace and her hands flew through a bunch of seals in an adept motion.

Kakashi watched closely. "She's using other jutsu with the fighting technique," he thought.

Her seals started in succession for bushin-no-jutsu, but she had added three more seals at the end of it including a 'hitsuji' or sheep seal. Many advanced genjutsu ended with that sign, his excitement rose as he anticipated seeing something new. Given he was the infamous 'copy ninja', that didn't happen too often.

Two identical images of Sakura appeared to either side of her and then moved to together overlapping her true form. With normal eyes she appeared to have done nothing special to herself. Kakashi's hands itched to push his forehead protector up to see more.

Sakura charged forward and started throwing attacks at the Jounin.

He dodged her easily, watching the moves. "Sakura's speed has improved greatly, still nothing I can't handle though," he thought. Kakashi was almost disappointed. The Jounin knew there was more to it.

Sakura, however was visibly enjoying herself, her emerald eyes flashed with excitement. It was at that moment he realized how beautiful a woman Sakura had become.

Watching the fiery kunoichi spar him, a rare flash of memories enter his mind. In almost another lifetime, he had practiced with another woman with that same, dazzling expression.

"Her eyes were blue." he recalled.

Kakashi decided to counter her finally. Blocking a spinning fist, he went to wrap his hand around her arrested forearm when it seemed to melt through the flesh.

"Genjutsu! but how.."

A leg appeared as the illusion faded to reveal a powerful attack coming from a real Sakura. The Jounin took a solid kick to the chest and felt himself flying backwards in the air.

He didn't bother to correct his fall as he felt the ground rise up to meet him. It was softer than he remembered. His mind was elsewhere, still wrestling with the uninvited images that had surfaced.

Kakashi was sure he'd buried these feelings years ago, but he knew that was just a fool's blindness. The human mind didn't work that way and avoiding human contact could only suppress so much pain.

He could still recall the sound of her voice. It was funny; she'd always seemed to be screaming at him.

"Get up Kakashi!" her words echoing in his memory, "or that idiot Obito will get the bells from sensei first. We need to stick together! Don't worry now, I have a plan..."

It hurt to remember that he'd forgotten it all. Fortunately, another woman's voice dragged him back to the present.

"Kakashi-sensei, daijobu?" asked Sakura above him with concern. The silver- haired Jounin sighed and pulled himself to a sitting position.

"Maa, maa, I'm fine," he said, holding out a hand to his former pupil so she could help him up.

Dusting himself off a little he asked, "Can I see how you did it now?"

Sakura nodded hesitantly and while he adjusted his forehead protector, she remolded her chakra into the jutsu. Sharingan Kakashi watched the chakra flow of the bushins overlap Sakura's true form and as he moved quickly to strike at her again he observed something very surprising.

The bushin moved making it appear Sakura used a standard forearm block to guard the attack, but the through his spinning eye he saw the reality of the counter. Sakura's real hand, hidden by illusion,. twisted upward and with an open palm she met his fist with only two fingers. Both Kakashi eyes' widened in astonishment at what happened next. A small release of chakra came from her fingers, interrupting his attack like a solid wall. She moved with lightning speed to recoil and punch at him, this time he caught her true blow with his other hand.

They stopped. Releasing each other quickly, Sakura examined her feet while Kakashi stood in stunned silence.

"That was a Jyuuken move wasn't it?" he said finally.

Sakura keep looking at her feet, but bobbed her head in affirmation. "I can only using the hand blocking technique," she said softly. "The internal attacks require the ability to see chakra holes, but the basic blocks only need you to express chakra from you fingertips."

A mix of emotions flooded through the elder ninja. He knew Sakura's control was exceptional at a young age, but this was still genius on her part. Pride gave way to quickly to concern. Blocking with with chakra expressed from the fingers was not something the Hyuga clan could do alone. The Hokage and other high level ninja could perform simliar techniques as well, but style of Sakura's block was clearly Hyuga, which meant forbidden to non-clan members. More questions had to be asked and her need to hide the training led him to the answers.

"Sakura," Kakashi began carefully. "this is a wonderful technique, I'm very proud of you, but Hinata-san could get in trouble for this you understand?"

"Iie, sensei," she said slowly looking up. "It wasn't Hinata. Neji helped me learn the Jyuuken defense."

Kakashi exhaled loudly through his mask. He never expected that one.

Neji had been a challenging student for Gai and while he'd developed into a strong chuunin for the village, he still had a reputation as a bit of a hardass. Hiashi's adoption last year didn't help matters any from what he understood.

"Neji's not as tough as everyone thinks he is," Sakura said in an oddly defensive tone. "He can be really. . . sweet and he cares a lot about being honest and honorable. He's very passionate under that shell of his."

Her serious mood faded like a turning breeze and she gazed up at him with an affectionate smile, "We all have something we keep hidden in our hearts, don't we Kakashi-sensei?"

The older nin, put a hand to the back of his head and laughed awkwardly in response, "Yeah, I guess you're right, Sakura."

Their abashed moment was brought to a close by a new visitor. Hyuga Hinata appeared in a puff of nin-smoke next to them. She was a portrait of anxiety as she looked at them both.

"Sakura!" she said, "Naruto's team got back from their mission early this morning, but Neji had to be rushed to the hospital. Kiba said he's injured badly and that only. . . that only the Hokage can help him."

The pink-haired nin's face paled.

"Why don't you go see him now, Sakura." said Kakashi "We were finished here anyway."

Sakura turned to him and with a quick nod, disappeared followed by Hinata.

Kakashi sighed, that was not the stress-relieving physical exertion he'd been planning.

"Guess I'll do the next best thing and go have a drink," he decided as he readied to leave, "at least that's uncomplicated."

TO BE CONTINUED