Chapter 9
Chapter 9 Avoidance and Confrontation
Sakura sat on a stool in an exam room reading the medical chart in her hands. A twelve-year-old redhead girl sat on the exam table cradling her broken right arm. The girl's eyes were fixed on a spot on the floor since the well-known kunoichi had walked in.
"Mai, right?" Sakura asked sweetly.
The girl nodded without looking up. Sakura had experienced this from young kunoichis before. Sakura had become a role model for the younger generation of female ninjas. She was the star pupil of the Godaime and an original member of the famous Team 7.
"Mai means dance." Sakura knelt in front of the genin. "You know, I broke my arm too."
Mai's eyes looked up at Sakura for the first time. "Really?" She asked hopefully. It was obvious that Mai felt ashamed of her injury since it had prevented her from fulfilling her duty on her team's mission. The older kuniochi knew that feeling better than anyone.
"Yes, it was actually really stupid." Sakura said chuckling remembering. She began to mend the broken arm with her chakra. "I was dancing and I tripped over my dress. I landed hard on top of arm and it broke."
Mai put her hand to her mouth trying to suppress the laughter.
"It's okay. You can laugh. It was really funny." Sakura laughed. "You shouldn't be embarrassed about your broken arm. It is a mark of your dedication to the village." The arm was completely mended since it had been a clean break. "Ok you are all done," she said patting her gently on the shoulder.
"Thank you, Sakura-chan." Mai smiled brightly and ran off.
She loved seeing young genins. Their faces were fresh and filled with eagerness. She made a mental note to go to the academy for a visit.
She closed the door of the exam room after exiting and as she turned to walk down the hall a glimpse of a familiar silver hair froze her to the spot.
Kakashi had just come out of another exam room followed by Shizune. It had been a week since he had stayed over her apartment. This was the first she had seen him after that night. Kakashi and Shizune exchanged a few words then he disappeared into the elevator.
Shizune walked over to the nurses' station writing notes in Kakashi's chart. Sakura came over and leaned on the counter.
"I saw that Kakashi was just here," she said as casually as possible.
"Yep," replied Shizune handing the chart to the nurse to file away. "It was his last check up. I cleared him to go back to training." She faced Sakura. "You really did a great job in healing him. It's like he never injured his leg."
"Thanks." Sakura said her mind not taking in the compliment. Why hadn't he come to have Sakura exam him? It was usual for an injured ninja to see the same medic that first treated you if it is possible.
As if Shizune sensed what she was thinking, she said, "I'm sure he thought you were busy so he asked to see me."
"Oh, right," Sakura said startled by Shizune's accurate assessment of her thoughts. "I was swamped. Thanks for taking care of him." She decided it best to end the conversation there and walk away before Shizune picked up on more of her thoughts.
Sakura's mind swam with tons of theories on why he hadn't sought her out for his check up and why she hadn't seen him in a week even though they lived only a few doors apart. She didn't really buy the excuse of her being busy since she wasn't especially not busier than the Hokage's right hand assistant. Was Kakashi avoiding her? Maybe she had guilt tripped him into staying with her that night. He was a chivalrous man and would have never said no to woman in need even if he didn't want to stay. Of course he didn't want to stay. He probably had plans with that brunette she had seen him with.
She smacked her forehead. She should have realized but she had felt so good in his company and didn't want to let that go. Now he was staying away from her as if she carried the plague.
Kakashi stepped out from the hospital's double glass doors onto the breezy afternoon. He had sensed Sakura upstairs and decided that a quick exit was better than an awkward confrontation. He had thought it best to keep his distance from the dangerously beautiful kunoichi after seeing Sasuke bring her flowers. There were so many reasons for why she was off limits to him. Being in close proximity of her would surely soften his resolve. However, physical distance didn't help keep the jade-eyed beauty out of his mind. She seemed to creep into his dreams on a nightly basis, which vividly brought the sound of her songbird voice and her sweet scent of vanilla.
The copy ninja walked down the sidewalk, hands in his pocket and lost in thoughts of a certain pinked haired young lady. He didn't see another young lady walking in his direction.
"Hi Kakashi." Keiko hailed him since he was about to pass right by her.
His exposed eye focused on the brunette smiling warmly up at him. "Oh hello, Keiko."
"You haven't come around to see me in awhile." She pouted, hooking her finger on his vest.
"Sorry, been busy." He ran his hand through his hair. He disliked this type of conversations.
"Well, you can make it up to me by taking me out tonight." She used the finger hooked on his vest to pull herself up on her the tips of toes, her face barely an inch from his mask.
Going out with Keiko wasn't exactly what he was in the mood for but it might help him forget Sakura. Alone in his bachelor's apartment feet away from her apartment would only lead his mind to situations that were impossible.
"Ok. I'll pick you up later tonight." He said unhooking her finger from his vest. "Leaf bar good with you?"
"Yes!" the brunette respond excited with the prospect of spending the evening and maybe the night with the famous copy ninja.
There was soft knock on Sakura's door. Opening the door she was greeted by three smiling girls.
"Come on, you are coming out with us on a girls' night out." The blonde of the group proclaimed.
"Am I now?" asked Sakura. "I'm not even dressed for a night out on the town." She motioned to her jeans and black tank top.
"Sakura, you are coming even if we have to drag you." Ino pointed her finger at the green-eyed woman menacingly.
"You look very pretty." Hinata piped up from the back of the trio.
"Yea, it's only the Leaf Bar anyways." Tenten added.
Ino grabbed her friend by the arm pulling out into the hall. "Hurry up. I want to get there before all the attractive men are taken."
The Tenten and Hinata raised their eyebrows in a 'Is that all you think about' way. Sakura knew her friend all too well to be surprised by Ino's boy craziness.
"Don't give that look. You two have your men." She pointed to Tenten and Hinata. "I'm just trying to find mine." The blonde crossed her arms in mock offensive.
"What happened to your soul mate from last week?" Sakura teased as she locked her door.
"It turned out we weren't soul mates after all." Ino turned and walked down the hall.
"And the blue eyed guy the week before that?" Tenten asked laughing.
"We weren't meant to be either." She replied without looking back at them or slowing her pace. "A girl has to kiss at lot of frogs before she finds her prince charming."
"She does more than kiss them." Tenten whispered to the other two. Sakura laughed knowing Ino that was probably true. Hinata turned a bright shade a red.
The Leaf Bar was a completely different establishment than the Sake Lounge. It was a much more casual and warmer hang out spot frequented by mostly ninjas. The bar was shaped to look like a giant leaf on top of a tree trunk. Along the walls were red vinyl booths and the walls themselves were covered with photos of famous shinobi who visited.
Kakashi sat at the bar nursing a cold Sapporo. Keiko was chatting away about how boring her latest mission.
"First of all, I was undercover as a maid." She put emphasis on the word maid as if was beneath her to even utter the ugly word. She mistook the look of disgust on Kakashi as if he was in full agreement of how much she tolerates for Konoha. "I know right? Me as a maid, please. That isn't even the worst part."
The copy ninja took a large swig of his beer finishing it off. He called the bartender over by gesturing with his gloved hand. He would need something stronger if he were going to get through the night with the chatty brunette.
"Scarecrow!" Came a familiar female voice. Kakashi glanced over his shoulder to Anko's petite figure cut through the crowd with ease. Kotetsu who was a whole foot taller struggled to keep up her, not having her talent of moving people out of the way.
"Thank God. Other people." The words escaped Kakashi's lips before he could stop them. "Hi, guys. Here sit." He moved down leaving two stools empty between him and the chatterbox. Anko sat next to Kakashi leaving poor Kotetsu to sit next to Keiko. 'The guy can't catch a break' thought the silver haired jounin.
The petite spitfire nudged him with her elbow and lean close to him so their dates wouldn't hear. "I thought you were a man of taste, now I have to rethink that assumption, Scarecrow."
Kakashi looked at Anko questioning. "Trading in the cherry blossom for this…" she indicated to the brunette looking disappointed in the change of audience but still talking Kotetsu's ear off. "umm stimulating conversationalist."
"I didn't trade anyone in for anyone else." Kakashi rolled his visible eye, despite the fact that he wished to be with Sakura instead.
"Here comes your chance to switch back." Anko said ignoring his statement. She tilted her head in the direction of the front door.
Four identifiable kunoichi walked in, laughing. One of them stood out of the group like a shining pink star. All were attractive but, next to Sakura, the others paled in comparison in Kakashi's eyes. His gaze lingered on the pink haired woman as she strolled through the crowd. This didn't go unnoticed by Keiko. The amber-eyed talker ambled over to her date.
The kunoichi foursome choose a booth that had an unobstructed view of both the bar and front door. Perfect for scouting as Ino put it. Hinata went to go the first around of drinks. Tenten pointed a group of young male jounins sitting a few booths down. Though Tenten was with Neji, she had been Ino's partner in crime and still liked to live vicariously through Ino.
Sakura glanced around taking in the crowd, seeing a few familiar faces. Her eyes stopped abruptly at group at the bar. The silver hair, mask-wearing ninja sat on a stool thighs spread apart giving room for the sexy brunette. He had his hands on her hips and she had her arms dangling over his shoulders. For the second time since their return to the village, a savage rage roared inside the pink haired jounin at the sight of the pair. 'Only one chakra infused punch right in the middle of those brilliant amber eyes would do it,' Inner Sakura snarled.
Hinata returned to the table carrying a tray with four drinks. "Sakura, is something wrong?" the soft-spoken woman asked, noticing the fury behind the jade eyes.
Hinata soft questioning silenced Inner Sakura's call for the immediate disfigurement of the voluptuous brunette. "Uh, no, nothing is wrong." Sakura tore her eyes from what she deemed a disgusting display of public affection. She grabbed her drink of the tray and took a substantial swig. The cold beer cooled the angry though only slightly. "Who is that with Kakashi? This is the second time I see them together."
The other three looked to where Sakura pointed rather forcefully. Ino noted that her friend had become upset since seeing her former sensei with the brunette.
"Her name is Keiko. She is in ANBU." Tenten supplied informatively. "She has had her eye on Kakashi ever since he was in ANBU."
"Really?" Sakura was intrigued. She had known that there were plenty of women interested in the Copy Ninja, but she never thought he even gave them the time of day.
"Yea," continued Tenten happy to dish out some gossip, "they hook up from time to time. She wants more but you know Kakashi, he is a strictly no strings attached type of guy."
"So it's nothing serious? I mean between them." Sakura inquired a bit too enthusiastically for someone who is just curious.
"And what has made you so interested in his love life, eh?" Ino put her elbows on the table leaning over look at the nosy medic, raising her eyebrows.
Sakura pointed to herself, "Me? I…well…I only…" she sputter. However, she was saved from trying to think up an excuse as to her sudden interest in the masked jounin's amorous escapades by two male voices.
"Look, Lee, this must be lucky night." Kiba's voice came from behind the booth followed by his head appearing above it.
Lee's head soon accompanied the canine aficionado's. "Four lovely ladies." He took Hinata's hand and kissed it, making her blush scarlet. "We are in your utter service, my ladies."
"Hands off!" If Naruto catches you doing that there will be one less green wearing busy brow shinobi in the world" Ino warned, grabbing Lee's hand and swinging back at him. She turned her full attention to faced tattooed young man and in much softer tone she said, "Hi, Kiba. How are you doing?"
Sakura smiled at how easily Ino went from hands off to one guy to hands on with the other. Kiba took the underlying meaning in the blonde's tone and question and the two were soon busy flirting. Lee, being left with the two spoken for girls and one who had enough men on her mind, began discussing Gai-sensei's amazing battle (in Lee's opinion at any rate) with some rogue ninja on their last mission.
Sakura let her eyes roam over to her former sensei. To her surprise his dark eye was staring back at her.
After getting over the initial annoyance of having Keiko invade his personal space, realizing he was partially to blame given their history and she was technically his date, he smoothly navigated her to the seat next to him. He sighed with relief. "Now that's better,' he thought. Unfortunately, or fortunately, he couldn't decide which; he had an unobstructed view of the woman who had recently begun to plague his thoughts. 'Kami curse me,' he swore to himself. He had gone out with big mouth over there to get Sakura out of his system but, of course, as fate would have it she would show up at the bar as well.
Hours later, Sakura stumbled through her front door of her flat, her arm flung over the shoulders of an equally stumbling Ino.
"Pig," she slurred, "every time I go out with you I end up intoxicated. Have you realized that?"
Ino chuckled as she dumped her rose haired friend onto the futon. "Than you should thank your lucky stars, you have me as your friend, Forehead." She poked her in the forehead with her manicured index finger. "You would live an extremely boring life otherwise." The blonde slumped next to her, putting her feet up on Sakura's legs and putting her hands behind her head.
"Hey, hey!" Sakura protested pushing off Ino's feet. "What do I look like? Your personal pillow?"
Ino didn't respond with her usual smartass comeback instead her eyes had lost the glassiness and were fixated on the dinette set. Sakura turned her head to see what she was looking at. The wilting tulips that Sasuke had given her were still there.
"Oh, I know they are dying," began Sakura misinterpreting Ino's stare, "but before you start lecturing me on the proper care of flowers, they have been there for…"
"A week." Ino finished her sentence for her.
"Yea. How did you…oh right," comprehension dawning on Sakura. There was only one place in Konoha that Sasuke could have gotten the flowers. Of course there was the slim chance that Ino may not have been working that day. Though lately, Ino was the one in charge of the flower shop.
"Ok, Sakura, spill it." Ino sat up straight her buzz wearing off in preparation for the serious girl talk ahead. "What is going on? You show up to Kakashi's welcome home party with Sasuke," she counted the events with her fingers, "then the two of you disappeared to the garden, then he shows up to buy tulips that turn out to be for you." Throwing her hands up to emphasize her final statement. "But tonight you couldn't keep your eyes off Kakashi and you were pretty damn displeased that he was at the bar with a woman." Her eyebrows rose and shrugged in a 'what the fuck' meaning.
Sakura let out a long breath and began to tell Ino all that had transpired from the moment that they found a wounded Kakashi, about Sasuke revelation of his love for her, what had caused him to buy the white tulips and finally of her new and unexpected feelings for her ex-sensei.
The information was oblivious big since it was one of the rare moments when the blonde was left speechless. "Wow." Ino digested it all and now composing herself, "And it took you this freaking long to tell me! Here I was thinking that without me you would be some dull nerd cooped up in her medical lab" She mocked being deeply hurt. "I have to refashion my image of you now, Forehead. Geek to vixen."
Sakura couldn't help but giggle. Leave it up to Ino to lighten the terrible weight of her current situation. "Seriously though, I need some trustworthy advice right about now."
Ino placed her finger on her chin and pondered carefully her words. Though she joked around a lot this was important. "Sakura," she used her friend's name instead of the endearing nickname, a sign that she meant her following words. "The only thing I can tell you is to go with what you heart is telling you." She put her hands on Sakura's shoulders. "Who makes you happy?"
Sakura nodded. She knew the answer to that question. Somehow, she had always known it.
The bespectacled young man walked down the dark and damp corridor, carrying a silver tray with a vial and a large syringe. He wasn't looking forward to administering the meds since the patient wasn't the most compliant. Lord Orochimaru is not an amicable master when he was healthy; when his body was giving out he was hell.
"What do you want, Kabuto?" came the silky voice as Kabuto opened the door to the darken room.
"It's time for you medicine, my lord," he answered calmly. Ignoring the 'umph' he continued, "There is also news about Sasuke-kun."
The snake wielding sannin perked up at the sound of the Uchiha's name. "Tell me"
Filling the syringe with the liquid in the vial Kabuto retold what the Sound spy had gathered. "Konoha sent him, along with others, after Itachi and Kisame."
"That is not good news." Orochimaru reverted to his grumpy manner. "If he succeeds in killing Itachi, he'll never come back seeking power."
"There is something else, my lord." Kabuto smiled. "It seems our little Sasuke-kun has developed feelings for the lovely Sakura-chan."
Again Orochimaru attention was stirred. "Now that is something to our advantage."
Both men grinned.
AN: FYI: Sapporo is a brand of Japanese beer. Kami is the Japanese word for the spirits within objects in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity,"
Thanks for reading. Please review:D