- Chapter Two -

Silent tears flowed heavily from the murky green pools that were Sakura's eyes as she stared off into the distance from the hill she stood upon. Her face was undoubtedly red and puffy, but she didn't have the mind to care. How she had ever placed appearances on her list of priorities above everything else, she did not know. Before training, before friendship, even before her family... Well, that last one doesn't matter anymore, she thought bitterly.

After years of shunning her parents, years of neglecting them, they had been killed on a mission. Average ninja they were, they could not fight off the multitude of Iwa ninja who had ambushed. When Tsunade had given her the grim news earlier that evening, Sakura had feigned acceptance but felt strangely numb. It wasn't until later that the gravity of the situation had hit her at full force; she would never see her silly, protective father again, nor her doting mother whom she had inherited her green eyes from. After all she put them through by being the terrible daughter she was, she would never have the opportunity to make it right.

Sakura bent her head shamefully and rested it in her hands, the short pink tresses of her hair sticking to her face, slick with perspiration. The dark night was dimly lit by an incandescent moon, chilling her to the point of gooseflesh. The only sounds to be heard were her tear filled gasps and sniffles, with the occasional hoots of a watchful owl in the distance.

Sakura felt a warm arm gently put upon her shoulders and she subconsciously leaned into the source of the heat, reveling in the familiar security of his chakra signature. The comfort made her feel better, yet worse at the same time. She felt unworthy of his consolation, yet she was too selfish to refuse.

Silence ensued, save for her attempts to stifle her cries, when he finally spoke.

"Let go, Sakura. It's okay... I'm here for you." The pink kunoichi needed no more convincing than that; she cried out into the reticent night, the sound echoing back through the distant trees. Sakura threw herself into his awaiting arms and gripped the front of Kakashi's flak jacket so tightly that her knuckles grew white from strain. He hesitated for a moment, uncertainty and conflict clear in his exposed eye, though thankfully she couldn't see it, before he settled his arms gingerly around her.

She's so cold, Kakashi thought. He instinctively drew her closer, pulling Sakura deep into his chest when he felt her shiver. He rested his chin atop her head gently, as if he handled her too roughly she would break in his grasp.

After what seemed like an eternity later Sakura's sobs turned into small hiccups, then nothing. She did not pull away; neither did he.

"T-they're gone... Forever..." Sakura whispered, as if convincing herself of the fact. Kakashi felt a stab of sympathy and pain for the pinkette young woman in his arms. When he had heard the news of the Haruno's deaths and saw her pensive behavior as she feigned acceptance, he knew she was faking it. Kakashi saw through her facade the instant he laid his eye on her, for he himself went through the same sort of misery. His heart went out to her as a fellow ninja, comrade, friend, and...

Kakashi closed his eyes in resignation, forcing back that dangerous thought. She was too young and innocent to be tainted by his old, jaded self. That, and she couldn't possibly return the feelings he held so dearly for her. He wouldn't put himself out there if it meant more pain for them both... But here she was, cradled in his arms, vulnerable and confiding in him. Oh, how fate loathed him.

Kakashi looked down at their position. When had her arms gone around his waist, holding him just as tightly as he held her? He could feel Sakura's hot, even breaths through the fabric of his vest and he shivered. As a result she pulled him closer, confusing him even further. He needed to stop this before it went any further, before he did something he'd later regret.

"Kakashi..." Sakura rasped, her voice hoarse from crying. His name on her lips was like music to his ears, especially since 'sensei' had been conveniently dropped in this moment. Time to go.

"It's getting late, Sakura." She was silent for a moment then simply nodded before pulling away a few inches. Sakura looked up at him through her damp lashes and gave a half-hearted smile when one last tear slipped out.

Kakashi felt his heart break for her and, before he could stop himself, he softly wiped the tear away with the pad of his thumb. His hand lingered on her face longer than intended and it did not go unnoticed by either of them. Sakura stared up at him with wide eyes still glistening from the previous moisture. There was something in her gaze... Kakashi searched her eyes in an attempt to decipher it.

Sakura's hands slid from his waist up to his chest, then up around his neck. Kakashi froze in place, shocked. She couldn't possibly...

"Sakura..." Kakashi warned, attempting to hide his nerves. He couldn't take advantage of her in this moment. In her current condition Sakura clearly wasn't thinking straight, Kakashi rationalized. But there was a tiny voice of hope in the furthest back corner of his mind, barely more than a whisper, that made his heart race sporadically. What if...?

Before Kakashi could move, think, or even blink, Sakura made her move. She slowly tipped her head forward, up on the tips of her toes, and gently pressed her lips against his cloth-covered ones. It was merely a brush of the lips that lasted a mere second, nothing more, but Kakashi knew in that moment that he could die a happy man, at the very least.

Kakashi laid his hands on her shoulders, pushing Sakura away from him firmly. Her gaze snapped back up at him, confused, as realization dawned on her. Sakura's face flushed crimson, embarrassed by her bold actions and humiliated by what she thought was rejection.

"I'm so sorry... I-I didn't know what I was thinking." Sakura stuttered nervously, looking down to notice her hands on his chest. Her arms dropped back down to her sides in resignation. Ever since Sasuke had left she had begun seen her former sensei in a new light, and she had found herself quickly and helplessly enamored with him. Sakura had shoved all thoughts of love in the darkest recesses of her mind after Sasuke's betrayal, swearing to never love again, but it was all in vain when she and Kakashi became more than former teacher and student. They had become friends and spent time together outside of missions and, more often than not, she found herself looking forward to the time they spent together.

When she happened to see him out and about and he dismissed whatever he was doing just to saunter over to her nonchalantly to say hello Sakura would get a strangely familiar feeling; her stomach would twist and her heart would start beating frantically in a way that was all too good with that signature eye crinkle smile he was famous for. Sakura had fallen for him before she even realized what was happening and now there was no going back.

"I know, Sakura." His voice snapped her out of the daze she was trapped in and she looked up at him in question. He... He knows? Sakura searched his face in question but found no visible reaction. She looked down at her feet, bleak realization sinking in, when he spoke again.

"It'll be okay." Kakashi whispered so quietly Sakura thought she had imagined it. When he pulled her close to him once more she realized she hadn't been imagining. His larger frame enveloped her in a warm embrace, immensely comforting. Sakura's eyes widened in surprise and her mouth opened and shut like a gaping fish. She couldn't find her voice, though she didn't know what she'd say if she somehow managed to find it.

He hadn't rejected her. No, that wasn't it... But there was something...

Kakashi inwardly debated what he was about to do, noting the possible consequences of his actions, but proceeded to do it anyway. He told her of his past, from when his mother had died giving birth to him to when he lost his own teammates. Though she was silent through the entire story, Sakura was tense in his arms. She was listening intently. Kakashi concluded with the fact that he could very well sympathize with her.

Something had changed right then and there. Something incredibly important. A certain dynamic of their relationship had been completely altered. It was, in fact, the very start of it all.

Sakura knew that she would never forgive herself for all the unresolved conflict between her and her parents, but at least she had someone who knew what she was going through and who would always be there for her with arms open wide. Sakura allowed herself to be comforted by him in her moment of vulnerability and snuggled closer, burying her face in the front of his flak jacket.

They stayed that way until Kakashi felt Sakura began to slip, losing consciousness from exhaustion while standing. He gently lifted her up in his arms (bridal style, he noted, briefly wondering why he was torturing himself) to take her home. Then, remembering she lived with her late parents, he reconsidered. He knew firsthand how it felt to wake up alone in a house that haunted you with memories. He didn't want to expose her to that- at least not tonight. Kakashi sighed quietly. It was a bad idea, and things would probably be awkward come morning, but he began the walk back to his own apartment anyway.

Once there, Kakashi gently set her down and tucked her into his small, twin sized bed. He pulled the covers up to her chin, noting how long she had been out in the cold, and left to sleep on the couch. Before he turned away he heard Sakura stir in her sleep.

"Kakashi..." Sakura murmured, much to his surprise. Kakashi gazed at the beautiful pinkette woman in his bed. How many times had he imagined her there? Under entirely different circumstances, but still. The sight struck a chord in him.

The last thing Sakura remembered that night was the feel of bare lips on her forehead, though she forgot when morning came.

Sakura awoke with a smile still on her face from the memory she had dreamed, when suddenly reality hit her at full force. The S-ranked mission in Iwa, Team 7's return after a grueling six months, Naruto's guilty demeanor, Sasuke's half mangled body and how she had saved his eyes...

Kakashi...! Sakura thought frantically. She jumped up and her eyes darted around the room in a desperate attempt to take in her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was healing Sasuke, then everything went black... A nurse walked into the door and was taken aback at Sakura's disheveled demeanor.

"Good morning, Haruno-san-"

"What happened?" Sakura cut the nurse off. She needed answers and needed them now.

"When Team 7 returned Hokage-sama summoned you to assist in their recovery. You used all your chakra to heal Uchiha Sasuke's eyes, then fainted. You slept for the remainder of the night. It was amazing... The other medics all unanimously concluded that Uchiha's sight was lost, but you managed to heal him. You're amazing, Haruno-san." The nurse went on. Sakura bit her tongue in an attempt to hide her temper. She needed to keep a level head- after all, it wasn't the nurse's fault.

"How are they?"

"Uzumaki Naruto is in average condition, besides the emotional turmoil. Uchiha Sasuke awoke this morning and was frantic when he couldn't see, but it was explained to him that he would regain his sight soon. He calmed down and is in a stable condition." Sakura let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. They're safe... Except... She hesitated, then asked the question that had been plaguing her mind since she woke up.

"And Hatake Kakashi?" The nurse averted her eyes the moment his name was said and focused on the ground, which suddenly held her in rapt attention. Dread filled Sakura and she felt like she was about to vomit. She took calming breaths to control herself, though she was only a second away from sheer panic.

"Hokage-sama has asked to see you when you woke up. She is waiting for you in room 140." The nurse replied quickly, then she left without another word or glance. Sakura was frozen in place, feeling strangely numb. A flash of déjà vu overtook her and she thought about the last time, besides the previous night, that her shishou had summoned her officially. It was the time her parents had died... But not Kakashi. He can't be dead. It just wasn't possible.

Sakura climbed out of bed and padded over to the bag that held her clothes. She was surprised to see that they were washed and dried, yet poorly folded... Sakura pulled her red shirt out of the bag and brought it up to her face to smell it and instantly recognized the scent of none other than Naruto. Hinata probably washed and dried them, and Naruto folded them... Or at least tried to, Sakura mused, a shadow of a smile creeping up over her features.

Sakura dressed quickly and, with a jerk, knotted her hitai-ate on her head in its usual spot. She took a deep breath to ready herself for whatever would come next and walked out the door with a confident stride and made her way to room 140. Sakura hesitated at the door and panic gripped her heart in an icy fist. He's not dead, he's not dead, he's not dead... She bit her bottom lip nervously and blinked back tears, swallowed tightly, and took a deep breath. Then she turned the handle and pushed the door open for whatever waited inside...

A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto; all rights belong to Kishimoto Masashi.

Sorry for the cliff hanger! I know that not much happened in this chapter, but it'll all be explained next time. ;)