It was a quiet day at the Konoha hospital. The atmosphere was tranquil, sleepy even, activity at a minimum. Not many people were hospitalized, and of those that were, none were in critical condition.

The pair of receptionist nurses stationed at the foyer was reading magazines when the main doors of the hospital were pushed open roughly. Dragging footsteps and heavy breaths reached their ears.

Leaping to their feet, one hurried towards the sound to give assistance, while the other went for help.

Sakura, having accomplished her mission, felt the last of her strength drain away. Her eyes were a little unfocused, her knees trembled and she was smeared in blood from the silver haired nin on her back. Kakashi's feet dragged along the polished tiles as she staggered the last few steps forward. Fatigue quickly overwhelmed the surge of strength brought by adrenaline, and her chakra-disabled body began to shut down.

Exhausted to the limit, she fell forward, first onto her knees then onto her face. Her hair spread out around her head as the dead weight that was Kakashi pinned her down.

"Kakashi…help Kakashi…" she whispered as hands reached out for her.

Her vision dimmed, and the last thing she saw before passing out was the man she loved being moved onto a stretcher.

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Kakashi opened his eyes blearily. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was Sakura's face above his.

He blinked, and a spot below his eyes twinged in pain.

Wait, where was his mask? The cotton feel of his mask was replaced by the silken folds of linen.

As his alertness gradually increased, his gaze flitted all around him. Everything was white, and the first thing that came to his mind was 'hospital'. Funny how he had come to associate white with hospitals, green with Gai, and pink with Sakura…

There was a familiar chakra signature next to him. He rolled his eyes to the sight and saw pink. Sakura was sitting on a stool next to his bed, gazing off into space.

"Sakura…," he mumbled, the bed sheet covering his face muffling his words. His elbows slid closer to his torso as he tried to lever himself up into a sitting position. The sheet slipped off his face and pooled around his waist, but at the moment he didn't care.

"Kakashi! You okay?" Her hand grabbed his upper arm, assisting him as he struggled to sit up.

"Yeah. No. I don't know." He was dressed in nothing more than a pair of long pants and bandages. He prodded his side gingerly and winced. "Yeah, I guess."

Kakashi ruffled his hair absently. "What about you?"

Sakura poked his forehead, giving him a halfhearted smile. "Shut up. You're the one that was doing all the fighting."

"Felt more like getting pounded to me," he mumbled.

Her expression softened as she moved to sit beside him on the bed. "I was just a little tired, nothing a couple hours of sleep couldn't fix." She cupped his face gently. "It sucks having a chakra blocking drug injected into your bloodstream."

"How long have I been out?" he asked, a hand moving up to hold Sakura's hand in place on his cheek as she started to remove it.

"About two days." Her fingers moved a little under his, her thumb caressing the skin of his face.

"Kakashi…" she murmured, dropping her eyes and tracing figure eights on his chest. "Why did you come and save me alone even though you knew it was a trap?"

The fingers of his other hand wove into her hair, teasing the strands. "'Cause I wouldn't be a man if I didn't," he said softly. Leaning forward, he kissed her.

He pulled away, a bandaged hand brushing away a few strands of hair before returning to hook under her chin. Their breaths mingled, and Sakura could feel the warmth he radiated.

"I love you, Sakura."

He kissed her again, and what was at first a tender action turned hot and passionate as their tongues met each other in an intricate dance. Her other hand slid to the back of his neck, pulling him even closer so she could crush her lips hard to his.

"I love you too, Kakashi," she murmured, his lips firm and hot with passion. She grabbed his silver hair as she felt his hands roaming south.

They were in a hospital. But to hell with that.

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"Room 107. Here," Sai said softly to himself. "This room, Naruto. I wonder how Kakashi-sensei's doing." He beckoned to the blonde jinchuriiki beside him.

"He should be fine." Naruto trotted towards the door, and the two peered in through the small glass screen.

Their eyes twitched.

Sakura was sitting on a maskless Kakashi's lap, their lips locked together and their hands roaming places that were positively indecent.

"AAH! MY EYES! THEY BURN! MAKE IT STOP!" Naruto screamed, falling backwards and clawing at his eyes dramatically. Sai staggered back and leaned against the wall, panting and eyes wide as if he just saw an abominable monster.

"THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT IS COMING TO AN END! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES-"

An almighty whack across the back of his head made him shut up.

"What on earth are you yelling about?" A certain pink-haired kunoichi that he just caught in a certain act glared at him.

Both he and Sai swallowed. To them in the know, Sakura's face seemed a little flushed, but they pretended not to notice for the sake of their well-being. She could really pack a punch under the right circumstances.

"N-Nothing, Sakura-chan," answered Naruto nervously, rubbing his head gingerly.

She seemed to have second thoughts about his answer, but to the two boys' relief she decided to leave them be.

"That was close," muttered Sai.

Going into the hospital ward Sakura had just exited, they saw Kakashi sitting on the bed like nothing had happened.

Blasted faker, thought Naruto, giving him a knowing look. You just snogged a pink-haired kunoichi approximately seventy-four seconds ago.

"Hey boys," the Copy Nin greeted, his voice clearer than usual with the absence of his mask.

All of a sudden, Kakashi's maskless appearance registered in their minds and they gaped at him. No way. He was in his thirties, and yet his face had the sex appeal of some movie stars. *insert nosebleed here*

The silver haired ninja, catching their expressions, laughed heartily.

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One week later

"Kakashi, you have disobeyed a direct order. You have not only endangered your own life but the lives of the people in this village had the secrets of the Sharingan been revealed. Those people, according to you and your students' descriptions, were two ninjas who had defected from their village." The Hokage brandished the bingo book.

She glared at him sternly, and Kakashi ducked his head in shame. True, he had made it out alive, but it was close. "As rightful punishment, you shall be stripped of your rank and your status as a ninja."

In reply to that sentence, he raised his eyes and gazed at the Hokage evenly. He would accept that punishment without protest as a price for Sakura's well-being. The sannin's eyes softened.

"But you will be relieved of that punishment. As I have been told, this breaking of the rules was because of certain special circumstances." Her eyes twinkled. "I understand completely. You may leave now. Dismissed."

Kakashi shot her a look of pure gratitude as he excused himself. Tsunade smiled. Love, so simple and pure. She would have done the same for her beloved Dan. May he rest in peace.

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Four months later

"Kakashi, I'm back," Sakura called as she stepped into his apartment, slipping off her shoes. She heard the kettle whistling, and she moved to his kitchen.

Since two months ago, the two had become so attached to each other that they had taken turns staying over at each other's homes. As of now, they were staying at Kakashi's more often, Sakura having felt that his bachelor home needed more order and less dirt.

Kakashi was making tea and he offered her some. She leaned on the kitchen counter and sipped her drink quietly, looking around at the familiar interior of her boyfriend's residence.

"Did I tell you how much I like your cozy home?" she asked, glancing at him.

"Then stay." He smiled at her. "Move in with me."

Sakura's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "What? You mean…?"

"Yep." He got down on one knee, and pulled out a small, delicate ring. "Haruno Sakura, will you marry me?"

The pink-haired kunoichi stared at him for a moment before bending over and kissing him on the forehead.

"What do you think?" she asked playfully.

"I don't know?"

"Yes, silly. I'd definitely say yes."

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A/N: Official end of the story, but I'm going to throw in an epilogue. Bet you guys'll enjoy it.

I have a question. How do you post links on your profile? I'll need it for my upcoming ItaSaku fic – Dance with the Devil. Anyway, luv you all for reading and reviewing. :)