Thanks for the reviews and the many readers.- ShadowHeart251

Sakura avoided Sai, believing he just wanted to ask another insulting favor of her, that would end up with her punching his lights out. Sai was absolutely clueless when faced up against feelings or social interactions and probably would always be. He usually always made fatal mistakes that had him severely injured after a good solid pummeling. And that was the end of that.

Green eyes carefully watching for some sign of the nuisance around, Sakura didn't see Kakashi-Sensei strolling up behind her with a shining light of curiosity in his eyes that spoke of questions unanswered.

"Good morning, Sakura," a warm calm voice spoke behind her.

Sakura jumped a few feet in the air and stared at Kakashi-Sensei and asked, "When did you get back?"

"A few minutes, I suppose," Kakashi pondered scratching the back of his head as if thinking hard about his answer. He nodded in confirmation and smiled beneath his mask, with his uncovered eye shaped into a curve. He waited a few moments to see if Sakura had anything to say and was about to open his mouth when, she did indeed speak up.

"Kakashi, why do you wear that mask?" Sakura asked not really noticing what she was asking, as she thought of all the things that had been going on. There had been the Temari and Shikamaru deal, and then the Ino and Kankuro one. What else could happen?

Seeing that his student had only asked the question out of habit, Kakashi failed to bring up his infamous unlikely reasons why. After all the truth was much more painful. But he watched his student, as she thought to herself and decided to shake her out of her own thoughts. After all it wasn't always such a good thing to be lost in such things.

"Sakura. . . Sakura," Kakashi repeated twice before he actually jarred her back to the real world. She jerked her head upright and looked toward Kakashi as he called her name, "Have you heard about Shikamaru and Temari's plot?"

"What plot?" Sakura shook her head, suddenly confused. When Kakashi chuckled, she glared at him, thinking that one of these days she would get her revenge, by finally taking off that wretched mask.

"Never mind. If you don't know about it, I don't want you to get involved," replied Kakashi with no definite answer, that simply made Sakura even more curious than she was before. She exactly wasn't delighted that Kakashi was hiding something. Pink hair flowing in the wind, she brushed her stands back into place and watched irritated as he left with a chuckling grin.

"Guess I got to be humble and ask Shikamaru and Temari. But it's not like it will be fun anymore without Ino's rivalry," Sakura brought up, as she talked out loud to herself. She had to just deal with the inevitable. There was no love match for her yet. But with her luck, she betted it would be when she was older. She glanced around and was glad there was still no sign of Sai as she walked off to find the couple.

But the first person she ran into next was Ino who was smiling and glowing with a type of happiness. Ino's eyes caught sight of her and rushed straight over and dragged Sakura away from the main street.

"Sakura! You wouldn't guess what happened to me!!" Ino enthused with a big grin and laughing blue eyes. Sakura smiled contently, allowing Ino to gradually build up the suspense inch by inch, "I fell in love. I mean- real love, not the crush love but this is it love!"

Ino smiled a bit sadly and added a dramatic pause before rapidly blurting out her feelings on the matter, " I love him so much that his happiness means everything to me. I haven't told him, because I'm so scared that he won't feel the same way."

Sakura was shaken to the core to see Ino like this. Shock filled Sakura's face as she wondered where this depressed Ino had come from. Ino had always been the cheery one, the girl who always had to cheer up Sakura when she was feeling down or insecure about herself. What had happened? Was this what love was? Or was this just worry and fear speaking?

"Sakura what do I do?" Ino asked desperately looking toward Sakura for answers. Sakura didn't know what to do. She had never been in real love, and had no true experience.

"I don't know what to tell you," Sakura admitted trying to figure out who in Konoha would be able to help. There was Hinata, but she still hadn't found the courage to tell Naruto about her own feelings. And there was no sense in asking any of the boys for help. So who would be the most likely answer to help out Ino? Narrowing her eyes, Sakura thought long and hard and suddenly she spotted Kurenai out walking with her young son.

"Let's go ask Kurenai-Sensei," Sakura squealed, pushing Ino in that direction. Red-eyed Kurenai was the perfect plan, unless she dwelled on negative thoughts. After all, she had lost Asuma. Seeing how down Ino was, Sakura hoped not.

Ino sighed a bit, trying to get back some of her perkiness but it wasn't happening. They walked over to Kurenai and started to explain.

"Don't be afraid to tell him. If he doesn't feel the same way, then just remember all the times you were together. If he does, then the future is pretty bright. Just go at your own pace and just enjoy life," Kurenai advised softly, picking up her small toddling son and holding him tightly against her.

"Mama!" he cried, struggling to get free. Kurenai smiled and put him down. He looked up at her, and sneakily grabbed her hand and held it.

"Thanks Kurenai-Sensei," Ino said slightly more brighter than she had been earlier, "And thanks Sakura, I needed this."

"What are friends and part-time rivals for?" Laughed Sakura as the two girls walked off, chatting about all that had happened.

Kurenai watched them and then looked up into the sky, and whispered softly, "You'd be proud of what these kids have grown into."