Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.
Nearly five days had passed since Sakura's proposal to the Hokage. She had spent the majority of her time waiting anxiously while working at the hospital, or pacing the wooden floors of her apartment. The medic-nin had been trying not to put too much hope into her plan. It didn't matter though, her heart was set on succeeding. If it went through, then Sakura's entire life would change.. For the better.
Sighing, the pink-haired woman decided that fidgeting alone in her apartment wouldn't speed up the process. She got up and went over to her very extensive book collection, skimming her cherry colored nails over the spines of them. A thin, bright orange book tucked away in the back caught Sakura's eye. A wave of embarrassment washed over her as the kunoichi picked it up. She had purchased it a few days ago, after constantly catching the familiar sight of a wild-white haired shinobi. It seemed every-time the medic-nin turned to see if he was really there, the space was gone. 'Just admit you have always wanted to see what that pervert was into all these years.' Inner Sakura sneered.
Secretly wishing she could mute her inner self, Sakura settled into her favorite arm chair with the book. Opening to the first page, the doubtful kunoichi's interest grew. Before long she was engrossed in the cheesy plot of a vixen entrancing a strong alpha male with her alluring looks and body in order to distract from his mission.
Wondering if Kakashi would fall for such obvious moves as this, Sakura's imaginative mind replaced the main characters with herself and the masked man. Imagining what it would be like to straddle his lap with all of his attention fixated on her, Sakura's body temperature began to rise. Turning the page, she read on. Picturing the copy-nin's dark eye focused with lust and intensity, Sakura imagined teasing Kakashi's mask down, revealing what Team 7 had always longed to see. A streak of heat filled her core, as the lust-filled woman visualized his lips capturing hers in a hungry kiss.
"Indulging in some smut?" The last person she wanted to see right now asked, a mocking grin on his whiskered face.
Sakura squeaked in surprise, a hot blush betraying her as she hastily sat on the book.
"Just because you're Hokage doesn't mean you can just appear in people's homes!" She yelled, trying to compose herself.
The blond barked a laugh, rubbing his spiky hair. "Actually, that's what saves me from getting smacked the majority of the time." His tired eyes stood out to her, as Naruto continued, "I did knock this time - there was no answer. I was just going to leave this here."
Sakura's eyes noticed the scroll held in his hand.
"It's just a formality," the Hokage told her, placing the sealed scroll on her organized counter-top. "A copy of my approval for your plan. All that's left to do is for you to coordinate the details."
With a rush, Sakura leapt off her chair and hugged Naruto fiercely, all previous embarrassment forgotten. The taller man returned the embrace and remarked, "You did good on this. The old grandma would be proud of you."
She released him and smiled, her trademark green eyes watery with emotion. "Thank you Naruto - I don't know what to say."
"There's nothing to say. It started out as a good idea, and you made it better," Her former teammate replied, "Now you have to implement it. I'd like to hear how you'll organize it in a week or so."
Ideas bounced around Sakura's head almost immediately, making her want to sit the Hokage down and discuss them all. Instead she nodded, knowing the time would be needed to make sense of it all.
"Anyway, with the official business out of the way," Naruto waved his hand in a dismissive motion, "Go out and celebrate! It's Friday, you can take a load off. Besides, you may just see Hinata and I at The Hideout." He finished, his eyes twinkling in anticipation.
Sakura smiled, knowing how long it had been since the new parents had been out. "Who'd you stick with babysitting duty?" She asked curiously.
"Neji and Tenten. Let's just say they owe us."
"Hmmm." Sakura hummed, moving to the kitchen to set out a teapot. The least she could do for Naruto was make him a nice cup of tea, especially since he had taken the time to deliver the good news personally. As much as they joked about it, the Hokage had much more on his plate than it seemed. Pouring them both a cup, she slid his across the counter. He caught it easily and smiled his thanks.
Taking a small sip of tea, Sakura asked, "How did the family portraits go?"
"They went easily enough. Kichirou loves the camera, and Hinata looks beautiful even after stepping off a battlefield." Naruto said proudly. "She didn't even notice that I was late. Her usual meet up with Kurenai took longer than normal."
Knowing the bond between sensei and student, whether former or current, Sakura nodded absently. Her thoughts were beginning to stray towards their former sensei. The normally observant kunoichi almost didn't catch Naruto's last comment.
"The strange part came after. Hinata insisted that I go to Kakashi's and plan a spar with him for the next day. She wouldn't even let me eat first!" The blue-eyed man whined. "Then when I was leaving to the training grounds, she made me stay home and help out with Kichirou and Nobuyuki." He said, mentioning Neji and Tenten's toddler. "I don't understand you women."
So Kakashi had been at the training grounds that morning, Sakura hadn't imagined it. Which meant that maybe her imagination hadn't been tricking her all week long. 'Cha! He's finally noticed you!' Inner Sakura crowed triumphantly.
Naruto slurped the rest of his tea down, setting his cup on the counter. "I know that if I'm late tonight though, Hinata will notice. Congratulations again Sakura!" He said, patting the distracted woman's shoulder before exiting.
Once again alone in her empty home, Sakura mechanically grabbed the cups and teapot, washing them. Chewing her bottom lip, the green-eyed woman walked to her bedroom, stopping to stare at herself in the mirror. With renewed feeling, a wide smile blossomed on her face. Sakura was going to be able to leave not only her own, but Tsunade's mark on the Leaf Village. She was going to be a part of something to contribute to her community, her home and nothing could dampen that feeling. Tonight was her night.
Sakura approached the area where Ino and her usually met up, feeling more confident with every step she took. Tonight the medic-nin had applied all the knowledge bestowed on the kunoichi with her appearance. Spotting the familiar platinum-blonde hair of her best friend, Sakura noticed that Ino wasn't alone. So much for a girl's night. Still, the pink-haired woman mused, perhaps with Ino occupied the match-making would be kept to a minimum.
"Hey." Sakura said, catching her friend's attention. The couple's backs were to her, focused on something inside the bar.
Ino turned, ready to yell at the pink-haired woman for keeping them waiting for so long. Instead her expression was stunned, her glossed lips forming an 'o'. Shikamaru merely shook his head at his tiny girlfriend before returning Sakura's greeting. "Hey Sakura. Ino was ready to come and dig you out of your apartment."
Sakura was about to reply when Ino cut her off. "What's the occasion forehead girl? Are you finally going to end your single status?"
Sakura rolled her eyes at the comment. She knew it would be coming the moment Ino saw her. Instead of her typical black dress with flats, paired with no makeup and her long hair tied into elegant knots, the emerald-eyed ninja had gone all out. The silky tresses had been pressed into soft curls cascading down her back. Her black-rimmed eyes sparkled, and the smoky purple eyeshadow made the emerald coloring stand out even more than normal. In place of her black dress, Sakura had opted for a crimson one, given to her by Ino years ago. The material clung to her curves, showing off an hourglass figure that had only been improved by all of her training. Not only was it tight, but on each side there were three cut-outs, revealing taut porcelain skin underneath. For once, Sakura had left her breasts unbound, and the result was a bosom that would rival Tsunade's. Straps supported her chest, making the outfit classy yet revealing instead of all out trashy. The straps were adorned with tiny white diamonds that continued to outline the top of the dress and then dipped in between the beauty's breasts. Sakura's long toned legs were left bare, as the hip-hugging dress ended right above her knees. Black strappy stilettos completed the look, embellished with a single tear shaped diamond in the middle of the shoe.
"You even put makeup on!" Ino squealed, nearly dancing in excitement. Something had to be up, as it had been almost a year since Sakura had made an effort in her appearance.
A small smile stole over Sakura's glossed lips. She held back the urge to straighten or smooth her dress under the intense scrutiny of Ino. "Yes I did." She replied simply, resisting any sarcastic responses. "We have something to celebrate."
Shikamaru stirred uneasily beside the plotting Ino. Her lovely pixie face had a very familiar expression, one he knew to mean the blonde was up to something.
Without hesitation, Ino grabbed Sakura's small hand and pulled her towards the entrance. "Why are we wasting time outside when you look like that, let's get you in there!"
Shaking his head at the endless energy his girlfriend possessed, Shikamaru followed the pair inside.
The night had begun with plenty of cheers, toasts, and congratulations from her peers. The Hideout was bustling with activity tonight, yet Sakura still sat alone at the bar. As soon as the first flask of sake had been drunk, Ino had dragged a reluctant Shikamaru onto the dance floor. They hadn't left it, despite the protests of how troublesome dancing was from the lazy shinobi.
In honor of Tsunade's memory, as she was the origin of this idea, Sakura was spending the night by celebrating with sake. Although her tolerance was high, after the second flask of the spirit Sakura was beginning to feel the effects.
"Congratulations Sakura!" A soft voice said, and the pink-haired woman turned her head to see Hinata and Naruto standing beside the bar. Hinata's dark blue hair gleamed in the lights, and the medic-nin could see that her figure had rebounded nicely from pregnancy and child birth.
"Hinata, Naruto!" The already tipsy kunoichi greeted them cheerfully with warm embraces. "It's so good to see you out of the house."
The whiskered man nodded his agreement, holding his wife's tiny frame against him. Hinata smiled and told her in a lowered voice, "I never thought I would say it, but it's good to be out of the house." A small blush stole over her pale cheeks, "Just to get some alone time."
"Hehe, guess that means I'm getting lucky!" Naruto grinned mischievously.
'Who cares if his wife is there, smack him!' Inner Sakura growled. Instead her eyes moved over to Hinata, and she could have sworn that the dark-haired beauty pinched his butt. Shaking her head, Sakura thought to herself that the sake must have had more of an effect than she thought.
"We're going to head to the dance floor - enjoy your night Sakura!" Hinata told her, gently tugging her husband's hand. The kunoichi leaned back against the bar, watching as they joined the dance floor. It was packed tonight, nearly double the usual Friday amount.
Sakura sipped another cup, emptying its contents. She was unaware of the man watching her from the shadows in the back of the bar. That's why, when he appeared at her side soundlessly, the startled woman nearly dropped the empty cup she was holding.
"Ah! Kakashi!" She exclaimed, suddenly nervous. The taller man was leaning casually next to her, his eye trained on that all-too familiar book. Sakura set the cup on the bar, fighting to remain calm. 'Finally this is getting interesting!' Inner Sakura beamed.
"Mind if I join you?" Kakashi asked, turning a page of his book.
Remembering the contents of that particular volume and what she had been fantasizing about earlier, Sakura began to feel a little flustered. "Not at all," she replied, then asked him in return, "Where's your usual group?"
"Kurenai threated cutting off Asuma's habit if he didn't join her on the dance floor," the copy-nin replied, closing his book and storing it back in his vest. "I believe Genma and Anko are utilizing the alleyway behind here."
Finally the wild-haired man looked at Sakura with an unreadable gaze. "It seems I'm alone tonight."
"You have me." Sakura said, her reply coming out much more serious than intended. Her eyes met his, and they spent a long moment like that. The silence seemed thick with something as the moment stretched on after her words.
Kakashi broke the eye contact first, closing the space between them. He seemed about to say something when -
"Sakura! I can't believe you haven't joined us on the dance floor yet!" Ino shouted, perspiration on her brow. She swooped in, grabbing Sakura's arm. "Let's go! Don't waste that dress on just sitting there!"
Sakura glanced back over her shoulder at her former sensei. His eye followed her as he remained leaning against the bar, alone. She wondered what he would have said to her, what had been filling the silence between them. She could still feel the effect of his gaze on her, and having the entire attention of Kakashi made Sakura feel.. Powerful.
The thrum of a new song vibrated through the bodies of all those on the dance floor. The heat of all their bodies warmed Sakura even further, as her blood began to pulse in time with the music. The confidence and pride that she had been imbued with earlier merely grew with the sake Sakura had consumed.
Watching Ino all these years had to be good for something, the kunoichi reasoned as she began to move her body in time with the music. Sakura's emerald eyes sought out Kakashi's. Never breaking eye contact, she began to sway her hips sensuously. Cherry-red fingernails skimmed up and down her sides while she moved, slowly moving her arms up to run fingers through the long locks of hair.
A victorious feeling floated through her hazy mind as her observant eyes watched the masked-nin swallow. Continuing her slow movements, she moved her lithe body into small figure eights. Sakura wanted to get more of a reaction out of the guarded shinobi. Her nails whispered across her chest, dipping lower to her thighs and caressing the covered skin.
Another couple moved in front of the dancing kunoichi, blocking Sakura's view of the man she was seducing. Impatient to get him back in sight, Sakura cut through the crowd and struggled to the front of the dance floor. By the time she got there, Kakashi was nowhere in sight.