Chapter 2: Idle Hands

Kakashi woke up with a yawn as he adjusted his hia-ate and opened his onyx eye. As he slowly got up from his comfy position on the couch, he stretched his muscles causing a series of cracking noises and a rush of sensation throughout his muscular network.

The Copy Nin walked down the hall to check on Sakura. After hearing nothing coming from the room, he opened the door slowly as to not wake her up. To his surprise she wasn't in her bed. His eye widened in shock then gave a soft gaze as he realized where she was.

"Hi mom. Hi dad," Sakura slowly greeted "how are you guys?" She was at the memorial for fallen ninja. Her parents' names were newly carved in on the list. Tsunade had ordered the names to be carved on the stone the previous night. "I brought you some flowers." She said as she held up a bouquet of white roses. As she placed them down, a she let a tear escape her emerald eyes. "I really miss you guys," she choked out "but I promise that I will try to go on with my life just as you would have wished of me."

Kakashi was perched on an oak branch just above her. He gazed down upon her slender body, watching as she hugged her arms and lowered her head in respect. He thought about jumping down to console her, but thought it best to make her feel that she was in solitude with her parents. Sakura turned around and walked slowly out of the memorial site. Kakashi jumped down from the branch and dug his hands into his pockets. His gaze fell upon the names of his two fallen comrades on the stone. He reached out with his right hand and grazed Rin and Obito's names with his thumb. "Not a day goes by that I don't miss you guys," Kakashi sighed "I only wish you could see what Konoha is today thanks to you two." He bowed in respect and walked towards the entrance. Before he reached the gates Pop! He poofed away.

Kakashi reappeared in a tree at team 7's old training ground. He let his eyes rest on the three wooden pillars in the middle of the field. So nostalgic, he thought to himself. To think it was five years ago, it feels like yesterday.

"The test is to take these two bells from me before lunch," Kakashi said lazily to his three new students "whoever does not get a bell fails the test."

"Bring it on," Naruto screamed, pumping a fist in the air "i'll get both bells no problem!" He charged forward kunai ready. Suddenly, he found himself held in place from behind him.

"Easy now," came Kakashi's voice "I didn't even say 'go' yet."

Kakashi smiled as he remembered that day.

"C'mon let me have some!!!" A tied up Naruto whined. Kakashi was in a bush watching off in the distance.

"Here," Sakura reluctantly said "you can eat mine, just stop your whining." She realized then that Naruto couldn't eat tied up. She picked up a piece of sushi and was about to feed him when an angry Kakashi came out of the bushes.

"She showed true teamwork that day," Kakashi breathed, "that is why she is truly the greatest member of the team. My favorite ex-student, Haruno Sakura. Hn?" Something caught Kakashi's attention from the western half of the training grounds. He hopped from branch to branch towards the sound.

"KIYAA!!" Sakura screamed as she split an oak tree in half with a single punch. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and turned to a nearby boulder. She focused her chakra in her arms and grabbed both sides of the boulder. "grrrrrrAHHHHH!" She screamed as she hoisted the boulder over her head. She spun twice and launched it towards the Eastern trees. Sakura picked up her things and began to leave when she heard a strange noise. Instead of a loud thud and a small quake, she heard the boulder…explode? She turned around and saw a cloud of dust from the shattered boulder and saw a figure emerging from the dusty fog.

"Maybe I should try and bond with Sakura," Kakashi thought to himself as he tree hopped, "after all, she is my responsibility now. Sort of a younger sister of sorts." The idea seemed foreign to Kakashi since he had no siblings. "Maybe i'll treat her to some ice cream. Hmm, maybe avoiding taking the mask off will-" He was cut short as a boulder the size of the mole on the memorial of the Third on mount-hokage. Kakashi's body moved on its own. His chakra formed into a sphere in the palm of his right hand. Kakashi looked down at his had in surprise. Rasengan? Minato sensei's jutsu. Without hesitating further his hand collided with the boulder that instantaneously smashed into a thousand pieces. He jumped through the haze and landed on the ground. Kakashi stared at his hand. Of all the moves why that? He thought to himself, I've never used it before. I only remember watching Minato sensei using it. Kakashi shuddered and began to walk forward. He was surprised to find Sakura standing about 10 yards away.

"Kakashi sensei!" She gasped "Oh my God I'm so sorry!" She ran towards him readying her healing chakra just in case he needed it.

Kakshi put a hand behind his head and smiled sheepishly. "Well Sakura," he said, "Now I know never to get you angry." He chuckled. Sakura inspected him to make sure everything was okay. She held his right bicep…maybe a bit too long for Kakashi's comfort. It wasn't her fault, she was lost in his rippling muscular physique. "Umm, Sakura?"

Sakura snapped back to reality. "Oh!" she exclaimed, pulling her hand away, "sorry." She blushed and turned her head away. "So umm what are you doing here?"

"Oh, just stopping by to umm," He reached into his back pocket, "Catch up on my reading." Sakura sighed.

"Why do you read that smut sensei?"

"Hey, it's not all smut," he said mock hurt, "There's some really good story lines. Only Jiraiya-sama could've produced something this great." The thought of the perverted sannin writing these books while peeping in on women's baths made Sakura shudder. "Anyway, I was wondering if you umm," he tried to ask but his mind suddenly halted, "umm…you know...err…"

Sakura just stared blankly. "You want to what?" Kakashi blushed furiously. What's the matter with you? He thought she's just your 'little-sister'. He took a deep breath.

"I just wanted to know if you wanted to get some ice cream!" He practically screamed it to her face. Sakura flinched at the volume of his voice. "hehe sorry." He said sheepishly.

Sakura's face brightened and she smiled at him "I'd love to sensei!" She was glad that Kakashi was there. It was better than training and waiting till Naruto and Ino came home. Now she actually had someone to talk to. She felt as if Kakashi was like a big-brother to her. It made her feel relaxed and happy since she didn't have any siblings. She felt less alone.

Kakashi gave a sigh of relief as they turned to walk back to town. Whatever happened back there he thought to himself its best to ask Jiraiya-sama about. He'll know what happened.

As they both walked to the ice cream parlor, Sakura hook her arm around Kakashi's making the Copy Nin blush 7 shades of red. Luckily most of his face was hidden by his mask and Hia-ate. Why does the parlor seem like it's getting farther away?