Sakura stifled a yawn. They had arrived at Stone near nightfall, and she was hungry. Not to say also very tired. Kakashi had noticed her expression and, with a chuckle, steered her to a shop to buy some bread and cheese, picking up some fruit on the way.

Kakashi rented a room at an inn and they both settled in, Sakura picking at the food impatiently. "Just a little longer, Sakura," he said. "Well, ladies first." He gestured at the bathroom.

"Thank you." She sauntered in and shut the door firmly. He found himself staring at it, his gaze following the contours of the wood.

With a sigh, he sat on the bed and fell back onto the worn but clean covers. Looking around, he considered the room he had rented. It was small and cozy, with a bathroom, fireplace and a wardrobe. Flipping over onto his front abruptly, he realized with a mixture of dismay and anticipation that the bed was a double bed.

With a soft groan he leaned his head into the softness of the cloth. Nearby, the sound of water pattering on the bathroom floor taunted his ears, and he found himself imagining Sakura inside before he could push away the dirty thought.

He smacked his forehead repeatedly. Damn, why did he have to get himself a weakness? He had no doubt that he would regret it in the future. The memory of her soft, delicate lips was hard to get rid of…

A little later, Sakura exited the bathroom, wearing a large white towel. The sight of her damp, mussed up hair reminded him of their previous night together. As he passed her to enter the bathroom, her shoulder brushed against his arm.

Tingles ran up Sakura's spine. Turning around, she saw the bathroom door closing as Kakashi went inside. Touching her shoulder absently, she remembered the night they had kissed. It was a night to remember.

As she got dressed, her mind was filled with images of Kakashi's face. Who would have thought he was so handsome? Her heart did a back flip as she remembered his perfect lips. Naruto was going to be very jealous.

Looking at the bed, she suddenly came to the same conclusion as he had minutes ago. Oh, dear. A double bed.

But soon, the scent of bread and cheese became too much to bear and Sakura rummaged about in the paper bag filled with food. When Kakashi finished his shower, he came out to find her chewing on a piece of bread. She was dressed in a loose white nightgown that looked attractive on her.

He flung his towel with surprising accuracy over the back of a chair and sat down beside her. After the last night, he felt that his relationship with Sakura had advanced to a whole new level, and he felt comfortable just wearing a pair of long drawstring pants. Paying no attention to Sakura's wide eyes, he plunged his hand into the bag and pulled out an orange.

Sakura was astonished as his openness with her. No shirt and no mask. She must have won his trust some way. She watched his fingers as they fumbled with the orange, peeling the skin off. Then her eyes followed his fingers as he raised it to his mouth.

"What?" Kakashi had noticed her staring. With a blush, she lowered her eyes again, to be greeted by his muscular torso. She felt like yelling at herself. Why was every part of him so damn attractive?

"Oops." He accidentally dropped a slice of orange. Before it could even hit the floor, she had already snatched it out of the air. Lifting her eyes to his, she moved the slice towards his mouth. Kakashi reached up and grasped her wrist.

There was a long pause as their eyes remained locked together. Then, very slowly, he moved her hand back, guiding the fruit to her lips. Sakura hesitated, and then bit down on it. Droplets of juice landed on his fingers as the fragile skin of the orange burst.

She slipped the other half of the slice into her mouth. Kakashi released her and brought his fingers to his lips, sucking on them to get the rest of the juice. Sakura blushed at the intimacy of their actions.

Half an hour later, full and tired, she clambered into the bed, followed by Kakashi. They both lay down at the sides of the bed, with their backs to each other, trying to put as much distance from each other as possible.

xxxxxx

Kakashi opened his eyes sleepily, having been awoken by a ray of sunlight shining on his face. His eyes moved around as he took in his surroundings.

As his various senses reported for duty, he became aware that there was something warm and soft in his arms. Glancing down, he was horrified to see Sakura in his arms, with her back to him and his arm hooked around her waist, a mass of pink curls framing her face. The loose white nightgown she wore was hiked up, revealing most of her slender legs.

As he contemplated what to do, she murmured something incomprehensible and turned over, burying her face in the crook of his neck in the process. A warm feeling rose in his chest, and he pulled her slightly closer to him.

What was this feeling? He wondered. It felt like tenderness and protectiveness rolled into one. Was this what it felt like to love someone?

He looked at her face, so delicate and beautiful. He ran a finger along her jaw, feeling the softness of her young skin.

Sakura's eyes opened hazily. The bright emeralds, dimmed by sleep, gazed up at him. She could practically feel his breath on her face. She blinked at him, and Kakashi felt his will melting. He leaned forward.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. One moment he was gazing at her, the next his lips were crushed to hers in a passionate kiss. She closed her eyes, savoring the feeling. A few moments later, they broke apart, breathing heavily.

Kakashi took a deep breath to calm himself. He had just lost control for the second time in less than forty-eight hours. He knew he shouldn't, but damn, she kissed like an angel.

"We should get going," he said, looking away pointedly as Sakura got up and straightened her clothing. They took turns to change, and left the room.

They had breakfast at a small café, and started for their client's home, following the directions in the scroll Tsunade gave them. Soon, they arrived at a huge mansion that was very different from the simple houses in the village.

Kakashi pushed the exquisite doorbell. A soft tinkling sound came from inside, and the two shinobi waited patiently. Soon, the door opened to reveal a plump middle-aged maid.

"Yes, what is it?" she said, before catching sight of their garb. "You're the medics, eh?" she asked. The pair nodded.

"Show me the scroll," she demanded, suspicion in her eyes. Obediently, Sakura handed her the scroll. As she was reading it, a richly dressed man pushed her aside and beckoned frantically for them to come in.

"You're the medics from Konoha, yes? Hurry, my daughter is worsening." He hurried through the corridors and led them into a grand room. His daughter lay on a four-poster bed, mumbling incoherently.

Sakura dropped her backpack on the ground near the bed and scooted near the girl. The little seven-year-old was writhing in pain, and Sakura immediately recognized the symptoms for the more serious case of yellow fever.

She fished out a sedative from her bag and gave it to the girl. "Drink up," she said gently, helping her sit up. "It will relieve the pain." Te little girl obediently took the tiny bottle and drank the contents. Sakura helped her to lie down again, and placed her hands on the girl's stomach.

"What symptoms has she been showing?" she asked, still focused on the girl, green chakra glowing around her hands.

"She had headaches, loss of appetite and a high fever," the worried father replied. "Recently, she's been vomiting quite often, and I've found traces of blood in it."

Sakura nodded. "This is a more serious case of yellow fever. Her livers are also damaged by the disease."

"She'll live, right?" the father asked hopefully.

"I can't tell at this stage," she said solemnly. "Kakashi, get me the blue bottle from inside my bag, will you?"

Kakashi jumped at her call, then hurried towards her bag and rummaged in it. A few moments later, he held up a small light blue bottle.

"This is a painkiller," she said as Kakashi handed their client the bottle. "Give her one to two of this a day, it'll lessen the pain."

Finishing, Sakura sat back on the bed and breathed out. Standing up, she picked up her bag and headed for the door. Before leaving, she turned to the father.

"I'll be back tomorrow. She needs some rest before we continue," she said. He bowed to her gratefully. "Thank you. My name is Ashino Motsuki, by the way. You are?"

"Sakura Haruno." She shook his proffered hand and turned to leave.

"Please, do join us for breakfast tomorrow," Ashino offered. Sakura nodded curtly and strode out, followed by a rather humbled Kakashi. To see Sakura such a capable healer, he felt that she had bypassed him in many ways. She dealt with the matter so efficiently that his presence was not even required.

"Why don't we go to the lake?" he suggested. "I find it quite nice, and not many people visit it at this time of the day."

Catching the underlying suggestion in his innocent words, she grinned and nodded.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N:

Lol to quarterdark on your review for chapter 4. I'll never look at a blender the same way again. And my apologies to misfitgirl92. That's the way it just has to be.

The action starts in the next chapter. Meanwhile, enjoy.