Chapter 7

At exactly ten to six, there was a small knock on his door. When he opened the door, surprisingly, his teammates and his former sensei were standing there…quarrelling.

"You told me to meet here at ten to four!"

"So? You're usually late anyway!"

"But I was early!"

"So? You should learn to be early!"

"But Sakura…"

By now the two have noticed Sasuke there and started moving towards the party venue while Naruto and Sasuke followed behind.

"They always argue. It's so obvious." Naruto noted.

"What's obvious?" Sasuke asked, obviously he was oblivious to what have been happening for the months.

The party was at a small bar where everyone in rookie nine and Gai's team gathered for a small celebration of Naruto finally finishing his Hokage training. Everyone was chatting about and Sasuke could not help but enjoy himself, having conversations with people he never considered talking to. He felt free for the first time in his entire life.

"As a peace offering for making you wait on us, I will buy you one soda drink." Sakura stated after getting tired of bickering nonstop with Kakashi for the past hour.

"And as a peace offering for making you not wait on me, I shall offer you a dance." His right eye curved up again. Sakura could not help but whisper a small yes as he led her to the dance floor just when a slow song started playing.

"So…to continue one of your unfinished sentences…" Kakashi breathed huskily.

"You have to be more specific than that." Sakura pondered on what unfinished sentence that will make Kakashi so desperate as to asking her to dance.

"Let me refresh your memory…'You're not old! You're young and energetic and…'" he quoted, "So, what's else was in that sentence?"

"Are you trying to flirt with me, sensei?"

"Why would you think that? I am merely intrigued by that sentence and curious." He put on an innocent face, but just not good enough.

"Well, I'll trade. I tell you and you take off your mask and show me your full face…no second masks this time."

Kakashi did not expect this, but he agreed nonetheless. He pulled her to the back of the bar in a dark secluded corner.

"Ladies first."

"Well…You're young and energetic and Kakashi. What else? Now your go."

"Oh come on, Sakura. You can do better than that." She just realised that he has been watching her with his sharingan; lying was definitely not an option.

"Kakashi-sensei…Will you hate me if I said those words? Will it come between us, destroying our friendship? Will it…"

"I promise you it won't…" He reached out for her hand and place it on his cheek, bending her fingers, he pulled down his mask with her hand, revealing a face that can attract crowds.

All Sakura could do was gasp as she saw her former sensei's mask peel off his face. Sheepishly, she studied his face. He has a strong jaw line, a straight nose, perfect lips, no traces of fish lips, buckteeth or pointy mouth; he was perfect. She swallowed the lump in her throat and began to speak.

"Sensei, you are not old, you are young, energetic, handsome, brave and…a man like no other." She blurted the words out like a tube of toothpaste squeezed too hard.

"Why thank you!" He smiled a genuine smile while his eye curved upwards. "But I'm not your sensei anymore…"

"Old habits die hard." She smiled back as he moved his mask back to its usual position, leading her back to the dance floor again.

When the party ended, Naruto thanked everyone for coming. He saw out of the corner of his eyes, a silver haired man and a pink haired woman take off to the direction of Kakashi's apartment. He also noticed how both of them seem to be carrying a small orange rectangular object with a small a 'R' at the back. He shuddered at the thought but dismissed it immediately as he walked off towards his home.

"Would you like to come in for tea?" He offered.

"Sure, why not?" She shrugged as she followed her former sensei into his apartment. She felt a bit nervous around the man who she just blurted out compliments that would come under the basis of flirting.

They sipped their tea in silence as Kakashi place himself closer to the kunoichi. He noticed how she neither flinches nor back away as he wrapped his arm around her small waist, instead she leaned against him. Had this been a few weeks ago, she would be nervous and would look around every second to check for the presence of her fearsome 'husband'. Hm, husband no more…Kakashi thought. He then caught the few small tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Why do I always have such back luck in love?" She whispered in his ear.

"I will show you good luck." He whispered back as he reached to remove his mask for the second time that night.

Sakura studied his perfect face again. She placed her hand on his cheek, feeling for reality, trying to snap out of this apparent dream. But it was not a dream, in fact, Kakashi had started to lean towards her, is forehead rested on hers, his dead straight nose just touching hers. The corners of his lips curved up to form a smile, while Sakura's lips curved into a solemn smile.

"You smell like Pakkun." He teased.

"And you smell like…Kakashi." She honestly could not think of anything else to describe Kakashi's scent.

Just then she felt a soft pair of lips press on her own. She didn't hold back all those emotions she once locked inside herself, and unleashed them all onto this man that showed how what good luck is; she kissed him back. After a while of a show of pure passion, the two pulled away for a quick breath of air and resumed.

One thing led to another that night and in the morning the older jonin did not find himself to be alone on his big empty bed as he did every morning. Instead, he found himself wrapped around a woman who showed him the light to his dark tunnel of his emotionless self. She groaned softly when the sun's rays danced softly on her face and snuggled deeper into Kakashi's bare chest. He chuckled to himself as he closed the curtains, sealing off anymore troublesome rays. It has taken him a long time, but he has finally found the perfect excuse why he is always late to team 7 meetings.