Half an hour passed at an agonizing pace as he attempted to find a more or less comfortable position to sit, and failed every time. When he'd phoned Hob, he had also asked for him to call over to the bar and have one of their delivery boys send over a take-out box of their best dumplings along with a cup of their strongest sake. He would need something to help him get through the night, though he probably should have called for caffeinated tea instead.

The delivery boy had been there in ten minutes and Kakashi was able to distract himself for another twenty, savoring each dumpling and sip of sake. Now that he was done, with nothing else to hold his attention, he was growing uneasy.

He'd told Hob to send up the most attractive woman he could find within a five-mile radius. Kakashi hadn't realized before, but call girls were pretty easy to find – then again, before the war he hadn't ever paid any mind to such things.

His tapping grew anxious until a sharp knock vibrated through the door.

"Sir?" It was Hob's voice.

"Enter," Kakashi said in a bored tone, though his nerves had buzzed. Hob would call if there had been any issues, not come serve the problems personally to Kakashi, so it meant that he had the girl essentially in hand.

Hob passed around the door, alone. Kakashi frowned.

Hob sent him a wavering smile.

"I found one, sir, but she had one request."

Oh no, you haven't found some kinky freak for me, have you, Hob? I haven't got any time for that. I just need plain and simple.

"Oh?" Kakashi replied, an eyebrow raised.

"She requests that you be blindfolded for the entire ordeal."

Blindfolded. Hm. Curious. Kinky or practical?

"She insists it's due to keeping her identity as anonymous as possible. She's not exactly proud of what she does, and she doesn't want everyone knowing," Hob explained on her behalf.

It made sense to Kakashi. The village was only so big and information got around like the flu. If her reasons were true, it was a valid request. If Hob was trying to pull his leg and play a sick joke on a tired old man, there would be hell to pay.

But Kakashi wouldn't play anyone's games so easily. He crossed his arms as Hob set the blindfold in front of him on the tabletop.

"Very well. But if I'm to be blindfolded, so is she."

Hob seemed to sway in place, his mouth half open in a reply, when he slipped back around the door to discuss the new development with the woman.

Kakashi appreciated the businesslike manner in which Hob dealt with Kakashi's requests. It wouldn't do for him to feel awkward.

After a few seconds, Hob returned and smiled at him.

"She agrees. Just don't try anything funny, she says."

Kakashi could have snorted. She knew she was in the CEO's office of a large corporation, not some sleazy motel room – what did she think could happen?

"Once you put on your blindfold, I'll send her in," Hob told him.

Kakashi uncrossed his arms, removed his hitae-ai, and wrapped the cloth over his eyes, tying it securely at the back of his head. He wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but for both of them to be blind would make things interesting without a doubt. He would have to rely on other senses more heavily.

He heard shuffling and then the unmistakable click-clack of stilettos as Hob led the woman into his office. They stopped at Kakashi's side and her hand fell onto his shoulder, placed by Hob.

"And here he is, the man himself. You two have fun. I'm leaving for the evening if that's all right, sir?" Hob inquired as he backed away.

Kakashi nodded.

"I have no more work for you. Thank you."

"G'night, sir."

The door thudded shut.

When the woman finally spoke, it was light and breathy, as if she were awestruck.

"Hi," she said, her hand sliding down his arm to find his fingers. She grasped them in an odd handshake.

"Hello," he replied.

"It's nice to meet you," she said.

"Likewise. My name-"

"Shh," she said quickly, placing her other finger over his mouth with a tiny bit of trouble. "I don't do names. Anonymity, remember? It goes both ways, in this case."

"Right," he replied, his brow furrowing.

He had definitely heard the voice before, but not for some time, and definitely not like this. He couldn't place it and wondered if it would hit him a few days from now, after he'd thoroughly fucked and paid her. He wondered if he would feel guilty. He hadn't recognized any of the other girls, so this was a new feeling to him.

"Shall we get started then?" she purred, removing her hand from his. She groped around and came to stand behind him, her fingers digging into his shoulders. She began to work her hands into the tissue and muscles of his back, giving him a relaxing massage.

Oh…this is new.

All of the other girls he'd called in usually got right down to business – he practically just unzipped his pants and told them to have at it, do what they would, just make sure he's satisfied.

But this, this was sensual – this was nice. He hadn't had a massage in ages, not since the last time he set foot in a bathhouse and was feeling particularly carefree with his wallet. Normally he would have simply redirected her to the main reason she was here, but he let her unknot the aches in his shoulders and back. She knew exactly what she was doing and where the worst spots were; her massage was obviously not one of an amateur. Absently he wondered what sort of work she'd done before she became a call girl when her lips jolted him out of his thoughts.

She latched them onto his neck just above his collar, her nose brushing over his pulse, which quickened at her touch.

"You poor, stressed businessman. So tense," she purred into his ear as she licked and sucked at it. He felt a shiver run through him in pleasant surprise. His erection throbbed against the trappings of his pants and boxers. "No wonder you need some company, some distraction."

She spun his chair around so that she could straddle his knees, scooting up on his lap as far as the arms would allow. With searching, quick fingers, she began to unbutton his white dress shirt. Her hands smoothed over the taut, scarred skin that lay beneath, feeling the hard-earned, rippling muscles to show for a long, difficult life living as a ninja.

She pulled herself off his lap and for a second he wasn't sure what she was going to do when her hot breath trailed from his collarbone to the waistband of his pants. She had repositioned herself so that she was kneeling between his legs, he realized, as her hands came down on his thighs, gripping lightly.

She dropped sweet kisses all over his torso, sucking and biting at some places, and simply licking others. Kakashi found he was really enjoying himself and had to keep from gasping at what she was doing due to the surprise of shifting from one thing to another. Since he was focusing so heavily on his sense of feel and not sight, everything she did to him was heightened in the most delicious way. He wondered why he hadn't ever thought to try such a thing before, when he actually had a sex life outside of his office.

Oh, but that was a very long time ago, wasn't it?

Her hands found his zipper and she deftly undid his pants, dragging down the waistband of his boxers so that his erection leapt free of its confines.

"Oh," she cooed in mild surprise, her fingers wrapping around his girth and gripping. A gasp slipped between his lips and there was no doubt in his mind that she was grinning slyly. He had been so good not to make much of a sound, but that one he couldn't hold back.

She kissed the tip playfully and he twitched hard in her hand, biting back a groan. In one quick movement, she pressed her tongue firmly against him, licking from base to tip, and he shivered again. Without wasting any time, she sealed her lips on him, pressing his length deep into her hot, wet mouth. She began a rhythm, up and down, up and down, holding her tongue against the underside of him as she went. Her other hand splayed out on his chest, her nails scratching him lightly, and he found the pain pleasurable.

It only took a few minutes and she had him panting. He put a fist in her hair and one on her cheek, saying, "enough of that. Now on the desk."

She complied, sliding her lips off him with a pop and clacked over to the edge of his desk.

"I would hate to ruin all your hard work," she mewled. "So many important papers."

"Doesn't matter," he ground out, standing and shoving his pants further down his legs. "What are you wearing?"

"A skirt."

Mm, of course.

"Take off your panties," he ordered.

"Mmm, I think you'll find you can do that just as easily by yourself," she hummed, grabbing his hand and placing his fingers at the junction of her thighs. It was very warm, and very wet. And very, very inviting.

He hooked his fingers into the waistband and rolled them down her long legs, letting the article drop to the floor. Unable to resist, he ran his palms up the sides of her legs to her thighs, but he didn't stop. The roaming continued, over the fabric of her skirt, to her tapered waist and full bust, to her neck and luscious hair, stopping at her strong chin. He rubbed a rough thumb over her cheek before gripping her ass in his hands and lifting her onto the edge of the desk.

"My, my…strong, too," she said, her voice full of the smile on her face.

He grunted in response, shoving the skirt up her body to reveal her fully to him, and though he couldn't see her, he could smell the heady scent wafting from her, a tantalizing invitation.

Her hand suddenly appeared on his shaft, grasping him gently but firmly, tugging, and he nearly fell out with his need. The throbbing, the anticipation was painful.

Her hands fisted into the divided halves of his shirt, yanking him closer.

"Are you gonna fuck me or not?" she murmured with a husky urgency.

His hand dug into the soft flesh of her hip as the other guided him to her slippery entrance. Once positioned, he sank right in, disappearing completely inside of her. Both hands pressed her thighs around him as he groaned and she mewled in satisfaction.

"Tight," he said between gritted teeth.

"Long," she replied breathily. "A good pair, I think."

He grunted and immediately began driving into her, setting the hard, fast rhythm from the beginning. She bounced against him, her hips meeting his at every delicious collision. Their heartbeats raced, matching their pace, and at every gasp and moan of hers, Kakashi was sent closer to his end. It had been a while since he'd been able to partake in such an act, but it had been even longer since it had been this satisfying.

"Incredible," he moaned, his fingers digging deeper.

The only thing that would make this even better was if he could take a peek to see who was so adept at pleasing him. It was nearly killing him not knowing, but that was part of the fun, wasn't it?

"Come on, baby, I know you're close," she purred. "Sit back in your chair."

He did as he was told, hoisting her up and falling back into the seat. As soon as she came back down on top of him, he exploded. The angle was marvelously perfect as his hands clamped down on her beautifully round ass. He ejaculated violently and it seemed to last forever as she slowly milked him, bouncing gently up and down until finally coming to a rest.

Panting and attempting to fill his lungs, he couldn't resist the simple desire. He reached up and ripped off his blindfold in order to get a good proper look at the woman his hands had been roaming all over.

He nearly died at the sight.

Pink hair overwhelmed his vision and his stomach plummeted. He tore off her blindfold and green eyes blinked at him, ignited with an instant anger before being doused by her own realization. Her mouth fell open as she scrambled off his lap and around to the opposite side of his desk, scooping up her panties as she went.

"Kakashi?!" she screamed.

"Sakura?!" he replied in kind.

Kakashi spun away from her, yanking up his drawers to fasten everything back in place, hurriedly buttoning his shirt together, shakily putting the buttons in wrong holes. He strapped on his hitae-ai and faced her again with a grand sense of dread weighing down his entire body. He leaned forward with his hands pressing hard into the tabletop.

"Sakura, please explain yourself," he demanded breathlessly, though it was difficult to meet her eyes.

"Times have been hard after the war," she blurted, her arms crossed as if to cover more of herself from him. "There aren't enough missions to keep all the nin fed, so I resorted to other means."

Kakashi's brow rumpled in disapproval.

"What was I supposed to do?" she exclaimed, reading his expression. "I've got to eat somehow, and the cooks at Ichiraku are only so merciful. What's your excuse, Mr. Big-Time-C-E-O?"

His frown deepened as he regarded her question carefully. His reasons weren't exactly out of desperation, at least not in the way hers were. She needed to eat, while he was just a lonely, tired, busy man who sometimes craved a woman's touch, but didn't have the time (or state of mind, really) to invest in a legitimate relationship.

Instead of answering her inquiry, he rerouted the conversation.

"How could you not have known who you were coming to see?"

She eyed him distastefully, not fooled by his lack of an answer, but she decided to humor him anyway. She had probably already figured out his reasons, although perhaps on a very basic, very crude level.

"I don't know who's the boss of what these days. Your boy Hob never mentioned a name, which I figure was for respect and security related reasons. He just said where, when, and how much, and I took the job. Besides, I've never seen you once since the war ended. You could have been dead for all I knew."

Kakashi finally met her eyes. He could hear the pain in the inflections of her voice and could now see it plainly in her large, luminous green irises. She was genuinely hurt by his lack of presence in her life.

"The war changed everybody, Kakashi. It changed a lot of things. We had looked out for each other on the battlefield. I just thought, maybe…maybe it had brought us closer. But I guess I was wrong. You never checked in to see how I was holding up. I was your pupil, Kakashi; all things aside, it's kind of your job to do that sort of thing for your student. To look out for them."

"If I had known that's what you wanted, I would have tried," he replied softly, his gaze on the floor at her stiletto-ed feet.

Her eyes searched his face for any hint of a lie, but found nothing.

Her own face fell, resigned, and her mouth became a bitter line.

"I'm probably never going to see you again, so what does it matter?" she said more to herself than him. "I've wanted this for a long time, Kakashi. I've wanted you. But not like this. Not as your whore."

"Sakura," he murmured, half in surprise, half in comfort, as he made to go around the desk and console her somehow. She twisted in her spot, facing the wall instead of him, wrapping her arms tighter about herself. Kakashi stopped his approach.

"It's okay, I know what you'll say. You're a damaged man; you couldn't ever love even if you tried, right? But, Kakashi, that's the thing…you'll never know until you do try. And I would have taken that chance with you. But – well…."

Her shoulders shrugged and she sighed, still not even looking in his general direction.

"Just make sure Hob sends me the money this week. I'm running low," she said and began walking away.

"Sakura," Kakashi called after her, but her steps didn't falter. The door opened and slammed shut behind her.

Kakashi collapsed into his chair with a miserable sigh on his lips. He couldn't chase after her – she'd only continue to ignore him. She was stubborn that way.

Attempting to think about the situation was like trying to stop a hurtling car that didn't have any breaks – it just kept going.