Touch Me Not

When it first started, she thought she was being paranoid. She would be training with her old team, or perusing vegetables at the market, or out drinking with her girlfriends—and she would sense it.

She was being watched.

She could never figure out by who, however. Discreetly looking around showed nothing out of the ordinary, and she started to dismiss it as her instincts being out of whack.

But one night, while she and her friends sipped on fruity beverages at their favorite bar, Ino elbowed her sharply in the ribs.

"Ow!" she snarled, glaring at the blonde. "What the hell was that for, Pig?!"

Ino merely smirked, leaning over so she could be heard above the music. "Kakashi-sensei is checking out your ass," she breathed into her ear.

Sakura was befuddled. But when Tenten waggled her eyebrows at her, she knew that Ino wasn't lying. The weapons mistress had seen it too.

Still, she couldn't believe it. Kakashi-sensei? The man was a known pervert, but in all the years she had known him, he had never acted inappropriately towards her. He never touched her beyond affectionately ruffling her hair or correcting her stance in training. While obviously a little eccentric, he never spoke to her in a sexual manner, or even mentioned sex at all. All he ever did to live up to his pervert name was read those neon-jacketed books in her presence.

But that didn't really make her special. He read those books in everyone's presence. Even now, as she scanned the crowded bar, she found him sitting in a booth alone, reading Icha Icha Tactics and nursing a beer. It just didn't make any sense!

Sensing her looking at him, Kakashi met her gaze. Sakura felt her face getting warm, but his visible eye merely smiled at her in greeting before returning back to his book.

He didn't look very interested to her!

"You're both seeing things," Sakura said, shaking her head. "And I think I need another drink."

But after that, Sakura started to pay more attention when she got that creepy feeling, and she quickly realized that Kakashi was always nearby. Obviously, he was there when they trained together. But when she was walking home from the hospital, he would be lounging on the grass across the way, reading. When she contemplated which melon to buy, he was buying new kunai a few stalls over. And every time she and her friends frequented their favorite bar, there he would be, sitting alone and reading his book. It was all starting to make more and less sense at the same time.

Finally, she decided—she was going to catch him staring once and for all.

"Why are we here again?" Tenten moped, stirring her drink idly.

"Because we always go to the same place," Sakura answered. It wasn't exactly a lie. "And you need a little variety in your life."

Temari looked at her skeptically. She was in town for a few days, and always liked to go out with the girls when she got the chance. "Who is it?" she asked bluntly.

The roseate-haired girl crossed and uncrossed her legs nervously. "Who is what?"

However, the Sunan princess was not one to accept bullshit, especially from her friends. She rolled her eyes. "The guy we're at this rando bar for."

Ino perked up in interest. "Guy? What guy?"

Sakura took a sip of her appletini. It wasn't as good as the one their usual bar made. "There is no guy."

"Really," Temari deadpanned. "Then why are you wearing a 'fuck me' dress?"

She pulled at the hem of her dress self-consciously, her face reddening. "Your dress is shorter than mine!"

Ino waved her hand dismissively. "Yeah, but Tema always dresses like she wants someone to jump her." Temari scowled, but Ino paid her no attention. "And you don't. What the hell is going on, Forehead? Who are you trying to get to bone you?"

"Fine!" Sakura hissed. "Just keep your voice down, okay?"

The three girls nodded, leaning in expectedly.

"I'm trying to see if Kakashi-sensei…really is staring at me all the time."

"And you're going to judge this by wearing that dress?" Tenten looked at her blankly. "Girl, I'm looking at you. Your ass looks fab."

"Your target is your sensei?" Temari looked impressed.

Her face had to be as pink as her hair by now. "I am not targeting him," she huffed. "I've just been feeling like someone's been watching me for a while, and then Ino and Tenten told me it was Kakashi-sensei."

"He definitely was getting a good looksie," Ino confirmed.

"And I started noticing that he was always around. But I've never caught him looking at me, so I really can't be sure," Sakura continued. "So, since I know he likes to go toour usual bar, I figured we could try out this one and see if he shows up."

Temari nodded slowly. "That sounds like a sound plan. I wish you would have just said this ten minutes ago, though. Because he's totally here."

Sakura nearly dropped her cocktail. "What?"

Tenten grinned coyly, inclining her head discreetly to Sakura's left."And he's totallylooking!"

Sakura's head whipped around so fast, it was a wonder it was still attached to her neck. There, seated at the bar with what looked like a glass of whiskey on ice, was Kakashi, his attention seemingly on the book in his hand.

But, from the way the hairs on her arms raised, Sakura knew this wasn't the case.

His attention was fully on her.

She gave him a long look. Then, she turned away, downing her drink in a few gulps. "I have to pee," she announced, sliding out of her chair. "Get me another drink, will you?"

Ino waggled her eyebrows. "Sure, sexy lady."

Ignoring her, Sakura scurried to the ladies' room, gripping one of the sinks tightly and staring at the porcelain as if it would somehow give her answers. What was going on? Was her former teacher actually interested in her? Was she just being ridiculous? Maybe he had just gotten another strange rash, and wanted her to look at it.

Willing herself not to jump to conclusions, Sakura sighed, glancing at herself in the mirror.

He was behind her.

She didn't startle, though she hadn't heard him enter. She had expected him to follow her—had maybe even hoped for it.

For a few moments, neither of them spoke. Their eyes locked, and she was frozen. Her heart raced, and she knew he could hear it.

Finally, inhaling audibly, she turned and faced him. "What is this?"

He didn't answer, just continued to look at her. His visible eye was dark with something she wasn't completely comfortable identifying.

"What is this?" she repeated slowly. "Look, but don't touch?"

He was walking towards her then, and she reflexively stumbled backwards until her back hit the sink. The hairs on the back of her neck rose in anticipation.

He was close, closer than he had ever been to her. She could feel the heat coming off of him, could feel his breath mist over her forehead as he breathed, could smell grass and sandalwood and a little bit of sweat. And when he spoke, the baritone echoing off of the tiles, she couldn't help but shudder. "I don't touch without permission."

He was watching her intently, looking for something. Sakura wasn't sure what that was, but she knew what he saw—her, flustered and red-faced and defiantly refusing to break eye contact because while a small part of her was telling her to run, most of her wanted what his stare seemed to be offering.

He leaned into her ear, and, as casually as one would inquire about the weather, he asked softly, "Do you want me to touch you, Sakura?"

Her mouth dropped open a little and her blood was rushing through her veins and her mind went completely blank.

But then he straightened, and the dangerous look in his eye was gone, replaced by the smile she was used to. "Maybe some other time then." There was suddenly a decent amount of space between them, and he gave her a little wave. "Nice dress, by the way."

And then he was gone in a poof of smoke.

For a few moments, Sakura stared at the spot he previously stood, trying to catch her breath. Then the bathroom door opened, and there was Tenten, hands on her hips. "There you are! I was beginning to think you had gotten lost. I'm pretty sure Kakashi-sensei went home already!"

Sakura blinked at her owlishly. "I was just fixing my makeup," she murmured. "Did you guys order me that drink?"

She was definitely going to need it.