Title: Laws of Love
Genre: Romance/Humor
Rating: T
Pairing: Kakashi/Sakura
Note: Kakashi is about 3 to 4 years younger than in the manga/anime. (Putting him at about 25-26 years old, instead of early 30's)
Summary: A new law comes into effect on Sakura's birthday. On that day, all suitors must ask for her hand and she must answer that same day. Sakura doesn't think that she will have any suitors – so she doesn't leave the house – until she's forced to. But what she doesn't know is that she does have suitors. Question is: will she fall for one of them? (KakaSaku)
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Laws of Love
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Sakura just stared.
... And stared.
And stared.
"N... Naruto...?" The pink-haired kunoichi spoke up meagerly, "d... did you really just propose to me... in public?"
The blond nodded eagerly.
Sakura then proceeded to pound her head furiously on the table in front of her.
'Why, dear Kami-sama, why?' was the only thought running through her mind, knowing fully that she could heal any injury inflicted upon herself.
"Sakura-san," a deep voice murmured from in front of her — 'Kakashi' —, "please stop that and answer Naruto-san. He deserves some form of answer," and then, closer to a whisper, he spoke, "even if you decide to decline."
Wide, emerald eyes looked up, catching the gaze of her former sensei. "H... how...?"
He just smirked, or at least, Sakura assumed he did. He was smug when he talked.
"It wasn't as if you showed him much interest the past couple of years, Sakura-san. Just let him down easy. Besides," Kakashi leaned back, "I do believe Hinata-san has a sixteenth birthday coming up, does she not?"
Sakura could not believe her ears. So surprised she was, she just nodded to her sensei.
"So does that mean yes?" An over-enthusiastic Naruto nearly yelled to Sakura. The med-nin winced at the volume, holding up her hand.
"I'm sorry, Naruto, but I can't. I just..." Sakura sighed, "I'll love you always, Naruto, but only as the little brother that I never had. Please forgive me, Naruto-chan."
The blond's smile wavered. "It... it's okay, Sakura-chan. I understand. You'll find someone and he'll make you happy, right?" Sakura nodded – it was breaking her heart to see him like this – "Well, just make sure you introduce him to me so I can interrogate him and make sure he's good for you! Got it, Sakura-chan?"
Chuckling lightly, the strawberry-blonde kunoichi just nodded. "I will, Naruto. You'll be the first person I tell, okay?"
Naruto smiled, a genuine smile. "Good. I wouldn't have it any other way!" Before marching out of the sushi bar.
'He may be upset about me turning him down, but he knows that he holds a special place in my heart – and that's good enough for him.' Sakura smiled, looking toward the door that he had went through, then back at Kakashi.
"Well, I've officially had my first proposal of the day. I feel a bit more loved," she laughed, "even if I expected it a bit."
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"So, Sakura-san, do you have any other plans to get away from your horrid suitors?" Kakashi asked his former student as the walked away from the restaurant in light spirits — well, mostly. Kakashi still hadn't gotten the bet, dare, whatever, out of Sakura and he was determined to do so by the end of the day — before she was engaged. Though why that should bother him, he did not know.
Shaking her head, Sakura just gazed upward toward the sky. "No clue. Though I do believe I should find somewhere soon. Lee will be trying to find me — "
" – No, he won't."
Sakura looked at her former sensei with curiosity. What did he mean 'no, he won't'?
Kakashi chuckled. "He's on a mission to Sand. He left three days ago and won't be returning for another two weeks. "
"Oh." The green-eyed kunoichi didn't know what to say. Lee wasn't going to be able to propose to her? Although she knew she wouldn't say yes, in the back of her mind, she still wonders how he would've went about proposing.
Sakura giggled. A brief scenario of Lee getting on top of Hokage Mountain and yelling to the whole village (hoping that Sakura would hear), and asking for her hand in marriage. It would be so eccentric — and so like Lee.
Kakashi heard Sakura laugh – a light sound that filled the air, almost like bells – and it made him curious. Why was she laughing? Did he do something funny, say something funny to make her laugh like so?
"Sakura-san?" Green gems snapped over to where he was.
"Yes, Kakashi-san?"
He gulped. "Ano... what were you thinking about to make you laugh? I do no remember saying anything, nor doing anything to make you laugh."
A large smile crossed her lips. "I was imagining how Lee would propose. Even though I would say no, it would be fun to see him ask me. He's a fun guy to be around, but like Naruto," she sighed, "he is nothing more than a brother to me."
"I see," Kakashi pondered over this, "Sakura-san, you do know what happens if you don't find a suitor willing to marry you before tomorrow, don't you?"
Tilting her head slightly, she shook her head, emerald eyes showing innocence and curiosity.
"The Elders, along with Tsunade-sama, choose you a suitor. Basically, they betroth you to a complete stranger," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets as the passed over the Naruto bridge.
Sakura grabbed his arm. "Say it again. Say that to my face. I don't believe you." Her voice was so serious, but her eyes —
'... she looks like she's about to cry.'
Taking both hands out of his pockets, Kakashi gently grasped Sakura's shoulders, making her face him as they stood in the middle of the bridge.
"Listen to me, Sakura. You may not like it, I may not like it, but if you don't find a suitor before midnight tonight — Tsunade and the Elders have total say in whom you are to marry, whether it should be a stranger or not or someone your age or not. It does not matter. They would have total control. I'm sorry."
Sakura shook her head, willing the tears away. "It... it's not your fault. It's the damned law's fault. Why did they place it in effect?" The young kunoichi tilted her head back, laughing forlornly, "Oh yeah, because of that baka Orochimaru," she spat his name out, her eyes vicious, "decided to make Konoha his playground, and so in the end we're at the lowest population point we've been in years — in both people and ninja!"
Sakura growled lowly, clenching her fists. "I don't know whether I want to kill the Elders and Tsunade or Orochimaru."
Kakashi blinked, his hands still gripping loosely on Sakura's shoulders. 'Ah, the life a kunoichi. I wish there was some...' Kakashi's eyes widened at a sudden realization.
"Sakura, you do realize there is a way around the rules, right?" Kakashi stated, his one eye twinkling mischievously – his voice matching.
Shrugging off his hands, she leaned against the railing of the bridge, looking at him with inquiry. "What do you mean 'a way around the rules'? In Konoha, there is no — "
Chuckling, the black-eyed jounin just held up his hand, effectively silencing the young kunoichi, "Ah, but there is. There is no rule saying that you cannot ask a male yourself; that you cannot be the suitor on your birthday. Just that on your sixteenth birthday you must be asked, betrothed – so to speak – and then tell the Elders of your choice."
Sakura's eyes went wide. "That... that's... wow, Sensei. That's crazy. Although," a glint slowly began in the med-nin's eyes, growing into a smirk, "I like the way you think," — Kakashi chuckled — "So, Kakashi-kun, wanna marry me?"
Kakashi was floored. Literally. His ass met the ground.
"Wh... what?"
Sakura chuckled, walking over to her former sensei, leaning down to meet his current eye-level.
"Simple. Do. You. Want. To. Marry. Me?" She was smirking — where she had learned that, Kakashi had no idea.
"You can't be serious, Sakura. I mean... what would people — "
Her eyes hardened into a glare. "I don't give a damn what people think of me. If I did, do you think I would've chased Sasuke for as long as I did, doing the things I did around him? Do you think I would've risked my friendship with Ino for him? Do you think I would show my emotions even though I'm a shinobi; do you think that I would train under Tsunade, the only female sannin, our current Hokage to become a med-nin, to prove myself? Do you think I care what people say about me, what they think about me after doing all of that?"
Kakashi was speechless. "I... I... iie."
"Exactly. I don't. People talk. But it's what the people you care about say about you that matters. Nothing else."
A soft smile reached his lips, though he knew Sakura could not see it. "You're right, Sakura. But can I ask..." Kakashi stood up, "why me?"
The pink-haired kunoichi blinked. "I... I don't know. I actually did think about all of the people whom I could ask. Neji: too Sasuke-like; Shino: I dislike bugs; Kankuro: what's with the face paint; Gaara: he tried to kill me; Kiba: he reminds me of Naruto, and you saw what I said to — "
"I get the point Sakura."
Sakura blinked, then chuckled, catching his one eye. "You didn't let me finish, Kakashi-kun."
"There was more?" he cocked his head to the side slightly, interested in what she had to say.
"Yes," she began smugly, "there is. I was going to say that although I may not like any of them that well, I could have chosen at least one or two of them, or even Iruka-san," Kakashi's eyes widened as she said this, "but I did not, do you want to know why?"
The elite ninja nodded slightly, not wanting to show his eager interest in her reasoning.
"The bet. Ino's dare. That night, she had said that if you were under ten years my senior that I was to seduce you."
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Author's Note:
I'm so proud of myself!
I got another chapter out AND it was longer than the last one!
I have a plot-line!
YAY!
Also, I want to thank everyone who reviewed and/or added me to story alert!
You are what urged me to updating faster!!!
SO...
A big thank you to:
Rangerette
Mystic Spirit Angel
the rose has thorns
Ness
Just to let you all know, I've already got the third chapter outlined -- and started! It should be up within a week or so! Keep reviewing!
Until Then!
Always,
Kandra
Reviews, Flames, and Commentary are Appreciated!
