Inseparable Companion
Thanks to all who have reviewed. Here's a smiley: :D
I really do read them.
And a special thanks to Terrified of Logic for pointing out a mistake in the previous chapter. Cheers! (I went back and corrected it... )
Chapter 7
A week went by.
It was un-eventful, except now the pressure on the ninja had doubled since Itachi had still not been found.
Any thoughts of Itachi had bad effects on Sakura. She would get nervous and panic, and then the overwhelming guilt would follow.
So she did her best to ignore it, and hoped to redeem her indiscretion by joining in the hunt. Today she sat waiting outside the Hokage's office, ready to convince Tsunade of her ability to work again.
"Sakura-chan," She looked up into Shizune's face. "Tsunade sama will see you now."
She took a calming breath and then transformed her expression into what she hoped was a pleasant and confident look.
"Tsundade-shishou." She bowed respectively.
Tsunade looked up from her tall piles of mission reports and un-signed mission scrolls and eyed Sakura.
Her smile was beginning to hurt, but Sakura was managing to keep her eyes bright.
"Get over here and give me a hand with this pile!"
Sakura beamed at the order. "Yes ma'am!"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the two shinobi who stood before her. She sighed heavily. It was late and right now she could be enjoying a steaming mug of Sake over a poker table right now, but it would have to wait just a little longer.
"When Shizune said you had arrived back, I was surprised. I didn't receive any alerts about an early arrival home. Where are Naruto and Sai?"
Kakashi answered, his slouch only straightening slightly as he addressed the Hokage. "Turns out our lead was a dud. The town's people were ignorant and there was no trace of the fugitive ever being in that location. There was not much point of us hanging around any longer."
"And the other half of the mission?"
Neji spoke up, his white eyes frowning slightly in thought. "They had no hassle crossing the border into Stone. Naruto feels he may be on to something that will show results. They've found a group of civilians who may have been in contact. He also speculates he may need more time, perhaps a few more weeks. They've organized to move out and see if they can look at some of his hiding places they have been hearing about."
Tsunade hmmd thoughtfully, "I won't call them back if that's the case. If their lead is a success they may need back up, the fugitive, Sen Toujo is not to be under-estimated. We need this under control. "
She looked back up at Kakashi and Neji's faces.
"Neji-kun"
"Hai!"
"I'll give this one to you. Assemble a three-man team and report back in an hour. Dismissed!"
Neji bowed before stepping out leaving Kakashi still in the office.
He was surprised it was not him who was asked to go back and was about to voice it when Tsunade spoke up again.
"Kakashi-kun. There is another matter I want to you to focus on."
He only raised a brow.
"Finding Itachi-kun!"
As he sauntered out from the Hokage's office he stopped to greet Iruka. It was not his style to be out this late, but noticing the direction he came from, Kakashi could see he'd stayed back late again at the school, no doubt working overtime.
"Kakashi-kun! You're back early? I thought you were away for at least another 3 weeks."
Iruka came over and they fell into step. Kakashi looked at Iruka's smiling face and wondered how someone could devote so much of his or her free time to doing more than what was necessary of work. He then thought of Sakura and the hours she spends at the hospital and doing research, helping people and healing the sick. He could only imagine dedicating his free time to icha icha.
Kakashi slipped one hand from his pocket and scratched the back of his head, "Well it turned out to be a divided mission, and only half really a help…"
Iruka waved his hands apologetically, "Ah! Of course. I don't need the details, I know it's confidential."
Kakashi chuckled. And Iruka steered the topic away from top-secret missions.
"It's good of you to give Genma-san a place to stay while his apartment is being patched up."
"Please… that leech," Kakashi scoffed, before muttering under his breath, "he better have not laid his hands on my icha icha..."
Iruka yawned before politely excusing himself, "Well I'm going to go and get some rest. I have an early class to teach tomorrow. I'll see you around Kakashi-kun"
"Yeah." He waved goodbye before deciding to head straight to the bar, hours of drinking lay before him before stopping at the memorial. Home can wait; it also seemed especially un-appealing with his current houseguest at the moment.
It was easy to get back into the routine around the hospital Sakura found, but although work went by quick she found the nights intolerable. Tsunade refused to let her join any hunting parties, insisting of her talents being more valuable around the hospital.
After work Sakura would walk by the Uchiha residence on her way home, even though it was out of her way.
But it was always dark and empty.
Then returning home she would lie in her bed anticipating some sort of intrusion but it never came.
Her sleeps had returned to being restless and hot. Alabaster skin and black hair plagued her dreams and most night she awoke sweating, the sheets wrapped around her legs. This was one of those nights again. A frustrated moan spilled out of her mouth.
"Damn you Itachi-kun! Are you really not coming back…?"
It had been 7 nights and 8 days, but it felt like months since she had seen Itachi, or Naruto for that matter. What had she been doing this last few months. she felt out of touch with whome she used to be.
Sakura sighed, knowing she would get no more sleep and wished desperately for the weight of a warm body above her.
She lowered her heated face in her arms feeling dirty and ashamed and did her best not to cry.
Then a terrible thought struck her and she looked over at her analogue clock glaring brightly from her bedside table.
2:07
It was late. But she wondered if she dared, just this once go get some comfort…
She hoped this was the right house and she hoped he was still staying here. But it was too late now. Here she stood in her pyjamas, a long jacket hanging over her shoulders and her pink fluffy slippers keeping her toes warm, because standing outside Kakashi-sensei's apartment at half past two in the morning was freezing!
Then another thought struck her, what if Genma wasn't alone!?! What if had some woman keeping him company tonight. This was a bad idea. A very bad idea.
But her feet wouldn't move. She was caught in indecision after making her way here, and now unsure if it was really a wise idea. She kept walking up to the door and then walking back down the stairs, then back up to the door. She was terrified to knock. Eventually she started to feel foolish and crouched down, leaning her back against the front door.
When it opened.
She fell into the opening flat onto her back. Genma stood in loose fitting pants and a singlet. He stared down at her in surprise and Sakura's face turned beat red.
"Sakura-chan..!"
He invited her in and she gratefully accepted getting out of the cold night. But now, sitting across from each other at the kitchen table she wondered if the awkward silence was even more unbearable.
Genma looked more relaxed on the other hand and stood up with his mug in his long fingers. "You want another refill?"
Sakura jumped, then, mentally kicked herself at her skittish behaviour. "Ah, n-no thanks."
He moved into the kitchen and Sakura stood up.
"You're leaving?"
She turned to face Genma who had placed his mug on the sink and had come to stand before her.
Sakura lowered her pink face in embarrassment and smiled apologetically.
"I'm so sorry Genma-san, I know I disturbed you and it's really late…"
Genma smiled wide and brought a hand up to rest on her shoulder, "Sakura-chan, you still haven't told me why you're here. Is something the matter?"
Sakura swallowed, unsure of what to say. Didn't he remember that offer he made to her, but it was Genma, he probably said that to everyone.
Genma sighed at her silence. "Look, it's really late. Just stay here tonight."
Sakura looked up quickly, "No! I can't do that!"
"Why not!" he replied grinning, "It's already this late, and you should have considered things such as matters of decency before you came here at 3am in the first place."
Genma refused to listen to her protest and had already started laying out a spare futon and blankets on the lounge room floor.
He also showed her the bathroom and towels for a shower in the morning. Sakura felt embarrassed at suddenly becoming aware of the intimate details she was learning about Kakashi-sensei's house.
"Now I promise you I won't peak in the morning when you have a shower."
Genma winked and swooping for a kiss on the cheek, bid her goodnight and disappeared into the main bedroom.
Sakura lowered her head in defeat and let out a long drawn sigh.
She sauntered over to her bed and sat for 15 minutes before getting back up and tip toeing over to the bedroom door. She entered silently and peered down at Genma's silent form.
In the night's light, his hair looked black and it secretly pleased Sakura. She leaned over to touch his face but her hand got caught in a firm grip.
She gasped at the speed of his movement as Genma was very much awake and watching Sakura. He pulled her down onto the bed and she lay awkwardly on top of him, her face pressing awkwardly into his chest. She could feel his steady heartbeat and hoped he could not feel her's beating erratically in response.
"Want to tell me what you were planning on doing Sakura-chan..?"
She raised herself up on her arms and looked down into his face.
Genma released his firm grip on her wrist and brushed the bangs from her forehead.
"You know Sakura-chan, in the moonlight your hair looks so pale, almost white…"
"Funny, I was thinking how dark yours looked…"
He studied her face in the darkened room; her features looked softer and even more alluring.
"Genma-san, I never got to kiss the guy I like goodbye. We actually never even kissed once." Her voice sounded pitiful, and tight of emotion. She was always obvious to read, her emotions flickering over her face all the time.
Genma's fingers tugged at her hair bringing her in closer and lightly touched her lips.
When she didn't pull away he nipped at her lips testing her tenderness before pushing harder and gaining entrance into her mouth.
Genma was pleased at her response, letting his fingers explore through her hair and pull her deeper into his mouth.
"Nn-"
They pulled apart for air. Both sounding ragged.
"Sakura-chan! Are you sure you want to do this?"
Instead of answering she trailed her hand down over his collarbone and further until it rested on his hip. She then lightly touched the bottom of his singlet and slowly pushed it up, revealing a lightly tanned lithe body. But when she squeezed her eyes shut, it turned to someone else's.
Genma could no longer stand being the one on his back and leaning forward he brought Sakura into his embrace and pressing close turned them around, forcing her back into the mattress.
Genma's movements took on speed and picked up in aggression and Sakura found herself becoming aroused.
He finished stripping his self of the singlet and bent to undoing Sakura's buttons. She rested her arms to the side and closed her eyes giving into the sensation of his fingers playing over her chest, then warm material being removed and the cold air touching her exposed chest.
She shivered slightly which didn't go un-noticed by Genma who responded by placing his lips on her skin.
But when the cold air came back she opened her eyes in confusion to see what he was doing.
A gloved hand was clamped over his mouth and his arms had been twisted painfully behind him. Although the room was heavy in shadow, Sakura could see the silver hair flashing, and in between his long bangs a black eye glared dangerously at her.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura was mortified. She never even considered his early arrival. Or the fact that they were in his house or he would even find out.
He released Genma, who had the decency to look slightly ashamed. He picked up a shirt and started dressing. "Kakashi…It's not like you think it is…"
Kakashi's voice was low and cold, and his expression murderous. "Get out Genma. I don't want to hear your excuses right now..!"
He new he'd have to deal with Kakashi's anger another time. Genma glanced at Sakura briefly, something registering in his eyes before reaching deep into his pocket for a senbon and exiting. When they heard the front door shut a suffocating silence fell and when Kakashi looked at Sakura and she burst into tears.
He advanced toward her.
"What the hell was that, Sakura!?!"
End Ch 7.
I discovered that I've become fond of Italics!
Next Chapter: Will Naruto find out about Sakura's behaviour!?! well...probably not next chapter, but Itachi might make an appearance. :P
rXr - i assume that means read and review?
