Warnings: Sexual Content. Masturbation, mildly dubious consent.

I'm not sure whether to leave the story as is or continue one more part, so any feedback/thoughts are welcome.

It was three months since they had signed the divorce papers during one of Sasuke's returns to Konoha, and it felt like that was enough time. The separation was mutual and amicable, the public was aware and still supportive of all three of them, and Sarada would be off with her team on a mission that would have her gone for two weeks. In Sakura's mind, it was time to break the agonizingly long dry spell she had lived in since Sarada's conception and step back into Konoha as a single woman.

She had some apprehension at about the process at first. After all, she was a bit rusty when it came to navigating flirtation in public as she really only had eyes for Sasuke in her younger years. There was also the fact that at this particular point in her life, she was looking for an attachment that was casual and sexually-liberating instead of seeking a life-long partner. She was the mother of an emotional teen and the head of an entire medical division: although she hadn't gotten to play the more traditional daily role of wife while married to Sasuke, she wasn't interested in being someone else's wife—yet.

In short, she wanted to have some well-deserved fun and have her needs met. And that's exactly what Tenten, the other single woman in her 30s from their friend group, was offering to show her how to find.

"These guys will be eating out of your hand in no time," Tenten had promised when Sakura approached her about spots in Konoha where singles met.

"Her hand isn't the goal," Ino snarked from across the table. Although Ino was happily married, there was no way she was sitting out out planning Sakura's reintroduction into Konoha nightlife. She demanded nothing short of a well-organized evening, from the date, to what the plan was for each woman if one guy became a problem (though the latter wasn't too much of a concern, as both Sakura and Tenten could beat the hell out of most of the village's male population.)

Soon enough, the date and destinations were settled on with Ino's approval, and the three women were able to enjoy their drinks for the evening, each looking forward to Sakura's success in three days' time.

"What do you think of these shoes?" Sakura asked her daughter as both of them surveyed the clothing items strewn across the living room.

Sarada glanced up from packing her travel pack. "I like the heel on those. What are you wearing with them?"

Sakura held out a red dress.

"Mama, no." Sarada shook her head. "No red and not a Cheongsam. Nothing that would be associated with your usual outfit or being an Uchiha."

Sakura pushed out her lip in a slight pout; red had always been her statement color. But she understood her daughter's point. "All right," she relented.

Sarada smiled in encouragement. "Good. Now," the genin held out two outfits to her mother for consideration, "which will be better for travel once we get into Earth Country?"

Sakura gave the two choices only a moment's consideration. "The long sleeve. The nights can get cool there, and some of the plant life in that area are poisonous. You'll want the extra coverage."

She watched as Sarada folded and packed the outfit she had chosen, and called her attention back only when the teen seemed finished choosing her clothes. Sakura held up another dress for Sarada's scrutiny. "Pink?"

"You're not five." Sarada stepped away from her pack and surveyed the different dresses her mother had laid out with a critical eye. After two minutes of looking between the options and her mother, she pointed at a black dress. "That one, but you have to put your hair up."

Sakura offered her daughter a soft smile. She was so grateful that despite how much she adored her father, Sarada had been nothing but supportive of her decision to 're-enter the dating scene.'

"I will. Thank you, Sarada."

Sarada pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and huffed. "Don't get all emotional, Mama."

Sakura sighed and shook her head as she collected her dresses into a pile to return them to her closet. It seemed the bonding moment was over.

Sarada left with her team for their mission the following morning, and Sakura's work kept her running and her mind occupied for the day. As evening settled along the horizon, Sakura left the hospital and headed home, the early stirrings of anticipation making her quicken her pace on the busy streets.

Once she was showered, shaved, and her hair was pinned up, she put on the dress Sarada had chosen for her and applied a light cover of make up. She gave her seal a moment's consideration when she had her concealer in hand, but dismissed the thought: Most in Konoha, even civilians, knew who she was and what she was capable of in terms of power. There would be no point in hiding something that was as much a part of her as her limbs.

She tucked some money within her sleeve and put on her heels, and then she was out the door and on her way to meet up with Tenten. They had chosen a bar that had plenty of seating and an active nightlife even on a weekday to increase their odds of success and maintain safety. There was even the chance that some of their friends would be in attendance after-mission, but both were hoping that wouldn't be the case: a group of friends wasn't optimal for catching someone's eye.

As Sakura neared the place, she could see Tenten waiting for her near the doorway, her cute red dress with a white dotted print making Sakura glad she had opted out on her tried and true color.

"Oh, you look fantastic," Tenten gushed, and Sakura blushed but also turned to show off the decorated cut on the back

"You, too." She pressed imaginary wrinkles out of her dress-skirt—a nervous gesture—and nodded toward the door. "Ready to show me the ropes?"

"You bet." The two women grinned at each other, and then entered the bar.

The night wasn't going quite to plan, but Sakura wasn't ready to give up—yet.

Within ten minutes of their arrival, an attractive man had approached them—dark eyes, sandy hair, a shy smile—and introduced himself as someone who had been chatting with Tenten the week prior. Sakura could see from Tenten's tells she didn't remember his name, but she didn't look any less delighted by his attention and desire to gain her approval.

He sat down with them after Tenten extended the invite, and pure gentleman that he was, he had bought them drinks as they talked. Still, his eyes were only for Tenten. As the bartender came to see if they wanted another round, Sakura rewarded the man's kindness for her drink and encouraged the two of them to sit at one of the tables to get to know each other better. She knew she had made the right decision when his face lit up. As he went to get a table for the two of them, Tenten lingered behind and turned to Sakura.

"Are you sure you'll be okay? I can give him my number and meet with him another night," Tenten asked, a slight frown crossing her features. For some reason it hadn't occurred to either woman that Tenten would be the first to find a partner for the evening.

"Of course, you go ahead," Sakura urged, waving her away with a reassuring smile. "I'll chat up the bartender and maybe she can give me intel on some of the single men here. I'm not above making the first move, you know."

Tenten didn't look completely convinced, but eventually Sakura was able to send her off with the sandy-haired man to their own table toward the back of the establishment. Both women still had a visual on each other, but Sakura made sure to follow through with her promise of talking with the bartender, and eventually she could hear Tenten's easy laughter carrying throughout the room.

While her friend focused on her admirer of the evening, Sakura settled in and asked Kari, the bartender, to bring out some good saké. As Kari poured the first offering in a sakazuki for her, Sakura took a discreet peek around the room to take in the clientele again. She recognized some faces, but it was difficult to recall from where in many cases. She had an endless reel of people she came in contact with everyday as Medical Director: patients, contractors, street and store vendors, other medical professionals (though she was happy to see none of her friends or staff were present.) She recognized both men and women she knew to be married or dating, but the vast majority of the other patrons were a question mark for her. Would anyone approach her now that she was alone?

As Sakura's second serving of saké turned into her fifth, her sixth, she couldn't help the disappointment creeping into her thoughts as the stools on either side of her remained empty. She knew realistically that she was a nice-looking woman who had grown into her features as she had matured. Motherhood hadn't permanently taken her figure either. Kari and her continued to chat sporadically in quieter moments at the bar, but as the evening wore on, Sakura noted that Tenten and her admirer had left at some point; meanwhile, not one man had decided to approach her. Despite her earlier assurance, Sakura didn't feel confident enough in this new territory to approach a stranger herself.

"Maybe I should have worn the red," she muttered half-heartedly. She knew the dress wasn't the problem. But what was? She wasn't quite sure, but as the saké bottle Kari put in front of her steadily emptied, she began to theorize. The people of the village knew her, or at least of her: there weren't any other pink-haired women with a seal on their forehead in Konoha.
Maybe she was too old to be considered sexually appealing.
Maybe being a mother was a turn off.
Maybe her strength was intimidating.
Maybe others were afraid of Sasuke retaliating.
Maybe everyone in Konoha actually hated her and it wasn't apparent until this very moment…

"I think I better cut myself off," she murmured, pushing the saké bottle and what little was left of its contents out of her direct line of sight. Kari, ever attentive, noted the motion and came over to see if she needed anything else.

"You can close me out, Kari. Thank you. You were wonderful company," Sakura told her, hoping her smile was more convincing than it felt.

"It was a pleasure, Sakura-san. I hope you'll come again. Despite appearances, new blood is always a welcome sight here."

Sakura hummed unconvincingly in response and pulled her payment out from inside her sleeve. When she looked up, Kari was looking just past her, but refocused her gaze and took the money before wishing her a good evening.

She didn't feel all that unsteady as she took her first steps, thankfully, but everything seemed more fluid, sharper—a sign she had made the right decision not to finish the bottle. She didn't want to make a fool out of herself in public. She had learned to hold her alcohol in large thanks to her master, but she would never gain Tsunade's skill for tempering the strong effects of saké.

As she made her way to the door, movement just to her right caught her attention. Before she could process her surprise, Kakashi was in step with her and also heading toward the door.

She frowned. She hadn't noticed him at all. "When did you get here?"

"Awhile ago. I was seated behind you, so you didn't see me," he explained, all nonchalance despite suddenly accompanying her without reason. "Come, I'll walk you home. You've had quite a bit to drink this evening."

She huffed, turning her face toward the street as they exited the establishment and into the warm summer air. "I'm a grown woman, Kakashi."

"I know you can handle yourself," he assured her. "However, you gained a lot of attention while in there, and I would feel better seeing you home."

She startled. "What? Nobody paid attention to me the entire time."

"Sakura," Kakashi began, his tone irritating her. It was the one he adopted when he was explaining something simple or obvious to someone; it was usually directed at Naruto. "Every eye in that place was on you, whether it should have been or not. They weren't sure whether you wanted company."

"Oh." She glanced back and considered heading back inside. Suddenly, the idea of walking up to a few of the clientele and being flirtatious didn't seem like a terrible idea. "I didn't realize I had to give a signal. I should try again."

"Now, now. You can attempt flirting again when you're sober," he tried to reason with her. Despite feeling a bit warm, she leaned against his arm to maintain her balance. Her feet were beginning to hurt in the higher heels she wore, and she thought about taking them off and walking barefoot the rest of the way.

"I want to flirt now though." She glanced at the ground as they turned another corner and frowned in dismay. "I thought nobody found me desirable."

Beside her, Kakashi scoffed. "Pick a target, catch their gaze, and smile. It will work like a charm," he assured her, then made an amendment, "next time."

She paused in her steps, and he followed suit, glancing down at her. "Are you going to be sick?" he asked, brow creased in either concern or disgust. It was hard to tell under the dim lights on the walkway.

"Shut up. Tsunade would disown me if I wasted good saké like that." Still, she took a few breaths to calm the rising heat in her stomach before starting to walk again. She would not throw up in front of Kakashi. The night was disappointing enough without adding mortification to the mix.

She was determined not to make this evening worse.

When Sakura's residence eventually came into view, her frustration began to boil over. There she was, dressed in a beautiful, easily accessible dress, bravely putting herself out there after years of a lonely marriage, and not one of those stupid people had taken a chance to talk to her. It was maddening.

Screwing her face in anger so the frustrated tears that threatened wouldn't spill over, Sakura made clumsy work of taking off her wretched heels and tossing them aside as she marched toward the entrance. She made quick work of the seals on her door, impressing herself in the process even as she struggled with the small tie on the back of her dress. 'There,' she thought in triumph: she was sober enough to enter her home without issue. The back of her dress folded open to her waist, and she let out a small sigh at the feeling of the cooler air of her apartment against her exposed back.

"Are you all right?" She turned, surprised to see Kakashi leaning against her open door frame, his face pinched in concern and her abandoned heels dangling from his hooked fingertips. She figured he would leave once she was safely inside.

She stared at him, and her emotions boiled over. "I just—Sarada is gone on a mission and it was the perfect time and I'm ready, and I'm so mad nobody bothered to even talk to me."

"You can go back tomorrow." He sounded as though he was trying to soothe her pride or comfort her, but it felt so unconvincing while he stood in the doorway as though he wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"That's not the point! It's been so long—I haven't had sex in years, and I just want this to be easy but I don't know how to do this, " she ranted, her anger making the warmth she had been feeling flare again. In one swift motion, she grabbed the hem of her dress and lifted it up and off her figure, leaving her standing in a set of black undergarments. "And I wore this stupid dress for nothing—and I even avoided wearing red for them. Those assholes."

Some small, distant part of her brain was trying to tell her that she was unraveling in front of her former Hokage in a spectacular display of inebriated insanity, but instead she took his muffled cough and averting of his gaze from her exposed body as another rejection of the evening.

She tossed the dressed to the floor and pointed an accusatory finger at him. "You said everyone was looking at me, but here you are looking away."

"You don't want me to look."

"Don't tell me what I want!" The tears finally spilled over, and Sakura began to wipe at the moisture in embarrassment. Somehow, this was worse than puking.

"Don't cry, Sakura." She heard the sound of her front door closing, then her wrists were gently enclosed in Kakashi's gloved hands and he was pulling them away from her face. Their eyes locked and though his face was still blurry from her tears, in that moment Sakura could see restrained desire clouding his expression. He released his grip on her and looked as though he was going to step back again, but she pressed her hands to his clothed chest and he stilled. In that moment, it was crystal clear to both of them what she was about to attempt.

"Kakashi," she murmured, then let one of her palms travel down his chest and dip purposefully toward the hem of his pants. He snatched her hand away as though she had burned him and glared at her.

"No."

She titled her head and pouted. "What happened to 'pick a target, catch their gaze, and smile'?" she questioned, throwing his earlier advice back at him.

"I'm not going to engage in something you're going to regret tomorrow," he insisted, his grip on her hand firm as he pulled it away from him.

"Then stay until tomorrow and let me show you I won't regret it,"she challenged as she swiped at the leftover moisture clinging to her lashes.

They stood there for several moments, Sakura wondering simultaneously if he was going to take her up on the offer and if she had accidentally smeared her eyeliner across her face. His expression was impossible to read, especially with his mask in place.

"You should go to bed, Sakura," he finally said. His voice sounded strained and gruff, and the new tone gave her a strange confidence. She kept her hands in his view and above his waist, but reached for his mask. She expected resistance considering how disagreeable he was being to everything else she was doing, but she was able to curl her fingers under the edge of the fabric and pull it down.

He was frowning at her, and she pouted again in response. He always looked better when he was grinning.

"I don't like when you frown at me," she told him before lifting her heels to close the distance between them. She pressed her lips against his, hoping it would encourage him to touch her.

He began to back away, but her lips chased his and with a groan he finally reciprocated. Relief and excitement began to overwhelm her at the turn of events, and she sucked on his lower lip in earnest as she pressed him toward her couch. He obliged, but the feeling of the cushions under him seemed to jar him back to reality, and he pulled away with a grimace.

"This is not a good idea," he murmured.

"I want this. Don't you?" She tried to convince him by taking hold of his hand, but he snatched it back and placed it on the cushion and away from her body. Undeterred, she settled onto his thighs, leaning forward to trace her fingertip along his jawline. "If you won't touch me, then I'll just have to settle for touching myself."

She fully expected Kakashi to shove her off him and make a quick escape out her doorway, but he seemed oddly frozen in place as though she had somehow immobilized him. Intrigued by his lack of flight, she raised a brow in curiosity and then traced her hand down her exposed stomach. His hooded gaze followed its journey past her belly button and under the hem of her panties.

She let out an audible exhale as she slid two fingers past her folds and teased her clit and entrance with familiarity, and it wasn't long before they could both hear the wetness collecting against her fingers as the friction and Kakashi's presence turned her on.

"Sakura, maybe we should talk about—"

"I don't want to talk." Without thought or warning, she pulled out her fingers and pressed the slick fingertips to his open mouth in an attempt to silence him. Instead, they slid past his lower lip and met his tongue. Her mouth fell open in surprise as she saw his pupils blow wide. He took a tentative swipe along one digit with his tongue before enclosing his mouth around them and sucking them clean.

They continued to watch each other, their breathing increasing as he released her fingers and she pulled them away, only to press them to her folds again and circle her clit with more urgency. Her breath hitched as the small waves of pleasure began to build and she finally closed her eyes, breaking the trance between them. She could feel his fingers—finally—against her lower back to prevent her from leaning too far back and tumbling off his lap, but otherwise his touch remained infuriatingly chaste.

"Kakashi," she moaned, the hand not in her underwear clutching his shirt to ground her. "I'm going to come, Kakashi. Are you watching?"

She heard him growl then, a desperate sound caught in his throat, and she felt his fingers digging hard enough into her lower back to leave marks. She managed to lift her eyelids just enough to catch his wild expression as he panted in time with her, his attention hyper focused on her face, and then she was crying out as she came.

Sakura pulled her hand out once she came down from her release, and she was tempted to press her soaked fingers against Kakashi's mouth again. Instead, she let out a sigh of disappointment and wiped them against her hip. Kakashi looked positively wrecked as he sat beneath her, eyelids hooded and the proof of his desire sitting at painful attention between them. That he wanted her despite his resistance was undeniable.

She hadn't felt this powerful in years.

Taking her clean hand, she tipped his chin up with a single finger so they were only a hair's breath apart, her breath fanning against his open mouth. Since he was making her wait tonight, she was going to make him wait tomorrow.

"I'm going to show up at that bar tomorrow evening, and I want you to approach and buy me a drink. Then I want you to bring me back here and fuck me properly." Her challenge given, she unfolded her legs and pulled herself off his lap. Knowing he would see himself out, she stood on slightly shaking legs and walked to her bedroom without a glance back.

..The end? To be continued?