Hey, guys! Sorry about the wait. I've been busy with classes and uni life! I got a particularly nasty review calling me a "pathetic fat virgin" which is like ok because I am none of those things. Not that there's anything wrong in being any of those things. Anyways I had a good chuckle at the troll and left the review up if you guys wanna take a look. Hope y'all enjoy this chapter.

Kakashi groaned, his arm tightening around the soft body at his side. He turned into the warmth eagerly. The wide expanse of his chest brushed against soft skin, a wisp of hair dusting his face. Shaking his head to free himself from the ticklish sensation, he pressed his lips against the tender neck nuzzled into his side. One hand lazily followed the curve of a spine, his hips angling towards the other's. As he gently sucked, a loud, deep groan filled the air.

Kakashi paused in horror at the thought that it most certainly was not him. Throwing himself out of bed, he looked down at the occupant left in the safety of his sheets. Growling, he sent the sleepy man onto the floor with a swift kick.

"Genma, you fucking idiot," he growled, eyes narrowed. Now fully awake, Genma leapt to his defense.

"Hey, what the fuck, man?" He groaned, rubbing his head gingerly. "I'm trying to fucking sleep!"

Kakashi jumped onto the bed, landing in a crouch, his hand closing around the younger man's neck. "I am going to strangle you." Kakashi spoke matter-of-factly, his single eye meeting Genma's wide gaze. Flailing wildly, Genma's body contorted agilely as he managed to twist to the point where he could get a leg around Kakashi's neck, flinging him off the bed. Kakashi landed on the hardwood, rolling a couple times before jumping to his feet. He ducked just in time to avoid a leg coming at his face with full force. Staying low, he moved closer to the man, straightening in a flash as he landed a punch to the man's face.

"You do not lay in my bed with me. You are an absolute idiot," he growled, the embarrassment of almost giving Genma a hickey revealing in his anger.

Flipping backwards with the impact of the punch, Genma wiped the blood off the side of his mouth, eyes narrowing. "You're fucking psycho, man!"

Trading blows in Kakashi's room, the two nearly naked men added numerous bruises to their bodies. Kakashi landed a particularly brutal kick to the man's back, sending him into the floor roughly. He picked up the man, getting ready to throw him once more when a shadow standing in the doorway caused him to pause. He locked eyes with Itachi, a boyish shame leading to the dropping of his teammate. Itachi managed to make the older man feel as if he was younger. Kakashi liked to think that he was rather mature and in control of himself but Itachi made him feel like Naruto in comparison. He had Kakashi's respect.

"What are you two doing?" Itachi asked solemnly, a single eyebrow raised almost as if he was mocking them.

"H-he started it!" Genma protested, causing Kakashi to roll his eyes.

The smallest hint of a smile ghosted Itachi's lips. "And it seems that he was about to finish it as well," he murmured. "Looks like you need to work on your taijutsu, Genma. I know what to do with our new recruit in our first training session now."

Smirking, Kakashi watched as Genma sent him a scathing glare.

"Nonetheless, I am here on the grounds of a summoning order to ANBU headquarters. Please get dressed and meet me there. It appears that team assignments have been decided." At this, he turned and left them.

"I hate you so much," Genma groaned, rubbing at some particularly bad bruises.

Chuckling, Kakashi patted him on one of the bruises along his back. "Oh, the feeling is mutual."

Genma took his hand, letting the older man drag him to his feet. He sent one last glare before exiting the room to get ready. Sighing, Kakashi sat on his bed heavily. He shouldn't have had anything last night. He was feeling the effects of too much shochu. He grabbed his uniform from his closet, putting on each piece of equipment slowly. With a sharp heel kick into one of the floorboards, the opposite end popped up. He grabbed his mask from the hidden space and pulled it over his face. Forming the necessary hand signs, he disappeared.

Sakura groaned loudly. Her head was killing her. There was a horde of monsters in her head banging on everything in their path, she just knew it. Raising a hand to her head, she soothed her aching brain. Grabbing a glass of water, she drank it greedily. She made her way to her fridge, knowing that she had an electrolyte drink somewhere inside. She cheered in satisfaction as she found it, downing it just as quickly. Satisfied that her fluids would be fine, she made herself a plain bowl of oatmeal. When the pain in her head returned, she used her chakra to soothe it once more.

Satisfied that she would be relatively fine, she made her way to her shower. Scrubbing away the scent of alcohol and sweat, she sang softly. Humming, she got out of the shower. Reaching for a towel, she turned towards the door. Sakura shrieked at the sight of a man standing in the doorway. Covering up, she got ready to send the man flying. He held up his hands in what seemed to be peace, one hand pointing at his mask. She growled at ANBU agent Rabbit, still ready to beat him to a pulp.

"Haruno Sakura," she could just hear the amusement in his voice, "I am here to tell you that there is a meeting to announce squad placements at ANBU headquarters."

She swallowed her anger and bit back some choice words. "Thank you for telling me," she ground out, her eyes still narrowed and her face red.

He nodded once, turning to leave. Stopping, his head turned back to add one last thought. "I recommend wearing something a little less… revealing."

He was lucky that he had been forming the hand signs to leave before he'd said it. She screamed in frustration as he disappeared before her fist could make contact with his face.

Now in a thoroughly horrible mood, Sakura got ready for the meeting. Pulling on her crisp new ANBU uniform, she smiled softly. Her anger was easily washed away at the thought of her recent success. Gently toying with the mask in her lap, she brushed her hands over the smooth porcelain surface. Her fingers traced each red stripe, following the edge of the mask up to the curved ears. She slid it over her face greedily, inspecting herself in the mirror. In a way, she looked intimidating and yet also like a child.

She was small and thin, something that not even a scary mask could change. She felt like a little girl playing dress up. Frowning, she finishing wrapping her legs and did the signs Kakashi had shown them, feeling a weird pulling sensation in her gut as she appeared in ANBU headquarters.

Looking around, she adjusted her uniform nervously. The awkward feeling in her stomach hadn't quite left. She was hit with the realization that she likely would be put on a team with brand new people that she'd never met before. Sakura felt nauseous at this. She spotted the masks of her boys on the other side of the room, making her way through the crowd.

"Sakura—I mean Tiger!" Naruto called, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm surprised that you weren't the first one here."

Laughing, she shook her head. "Ah, I ran into some trouble with my shower," she replied, her voice strained. Looking around suspiciously, she saw that Rabbit was indeed there, standing on the opposite side of the room. She smirked. He knew that he should be concerned about his own safety. This made her feel better.

She looked at her friends, sizing them up in their uniforms. Naruto and Sasuke looked spectacular. Intimidating and muscular, they filled out the uniforms in just the right ways. They looked natural with the dragon and lion masks on. They were in their element. Sai, too, looked natural in the uniform. He was much lankier and paler than the other two boys, however. He still looked scary in his owl mask. The hooked beak glinted in the dim light as he stood, silent. The cold appearance of ANBU suited his disposition.

She watched silently as the other recruits filed into the room. Within ten minutes, the whole of Konoha's ANBU forces were assembled in the large chamber. Ibiki entered from one of the four hallways and took his place in front of the crowd. Everyone straightened and slipped into neat rows. The hardened soldiers stared at the man, waiting for him to speak.

Clearing his throat, he gazed at the gathered black ops agents. "We have decided on team placements. There were two new teams created. I will start with these new teams. First, we have ANBU squad number four, led by Rabbit. The other members are Ram, Bear, and Crow." Pausing to let it sink in, he continued. "Next we have team number nine. Led by Cat, it will be comprised of Dragon," Sasuke stiffened, "Lion," Naruto bounced on his heels, giddy, "and Owl."

Sakura felt her blood run cold. It was just as she'd feared. She would be the one left out. She looked at her friends out of the corner of her eyes, watching Naruto's stiff shoulders. He was obviously upset.

Blinking away the tears she could feel forming, she focused back on Ibiki.

"Next, several teams will be getting one or two new additions. Team Five, led by Oni, will be receiving one new recruit. The other members are as follows: Hawk, Panda, and Fox." Sakura smiled. Ino, who was Fox, and Shikamaru, who was Hawk, would be on the same team. This did nothing to stop her anxiety. This just meant she was one step closer to being on a team with no members that she knew.

"Team Eighteen will be receiving one recruit, Mouse. This team is led by Ox. The other two members are Horse and Dog." Pausing, he moved on. "Team Twenty, led by Snake, will consist of Rat and two new recruits, Wolverine and Badger."

Ibiki's gaze found hers, but she could not discern any emotion as he relayed her fate. "The last addition, Tiger, will be to Team Thirteen. Led by Weasel, the team also consists of Wolf and Monkey. Each team with new additions will have the week to train together before new missions are assigned."

Sakura nearly cried at the news that she would be on Kakashi's team. She wasn't well acquainted with Genma or Itachi but had met them before so she wasn't super worried. She felt the breath she'd been holding leave her, a sigh of relief. She wasn't going to be on her own. Even with the series of odd interactions she'd been having with Kakashi the past month, she was just overwhelmingly happy to have a friend.

Kakashi stood with his team, watching the new recruits appear. He was bored out of his mind. He was hoping that he would receive one of his students on his team or none at all. Being the unlucky Team Thirteen, they had trouble keeping their last counterpart so they often were not assigned new recruits. Itachi had commented that he personally wanted one of the new recruits assigned to their team but did not specify which one. Kakashi assumed it was Sasuke. He did love to order his little brother around.

"I wonder who we'll get," Genma grinned, elbowing Kakashi in the ribs. Genma knew that Kakashi would not retaliate after this morning. Or, at least he wouldn't do it while Itachi was watching.

"Anyone's an improvement from you," Kakashi drawled, smirking as Genma's eyes narrowed.

Itachi simply ignored them, scanning the crowd. Kakashi noted that the man's gaze stopped at the group of students he'd spent a good chunk of his life teaching. Interesting.

Genma continued to ramble on about the potential additions. "I guess they could pull someone from a different team and put a newbie in their place… But I really wouldn't mind having Haruno Sakura on the team. The things I would do to that girl…" Genma purred, his voice both silky and sensual.

Kakashi stomped on the man's foot so hard that he cried out. "Don't talk about her like that," he warned from beneath his mask, expression unreadable.

Kakashi couldn't explain the deep anger he felt at Genma's words. He chalked it up to Sakura's position as his only female student. He was just being protective of her. The age of consent was sixteen and she was far from being barely legal, but he still felt like she shouldn't be subjected to men in that way. Genma gave him a strange look but didn't seem to make much of his reaction. After Genma's comment, he was hoping that she wouldn't be selected for their team.

He listened half-heartedly as the team assignments were called out. When he heard his team mentioned, his whole body tensed. Kakashi's fists clenched and the unclenched. Tiger… that was Sakura's codename. He wasn't sure whether he should breathe a sigh of relief or if he should be worried. His dynamic with Sakura had shifted slightly in the last month. He wasn't quite sure where they were and she confused him. It didn't help that Genma's comment had reminded him of the very dirty book he'd read the previous night. He felt his face heat up at the thought of the things Jiraiya had written about in the novel. There was one particularly steamy scene in the hospital…

He shook his head, clearing it of the dirty thoughts that had managed to grab a hold of his consciousness. Genma was a bad influence, he decided. He wondered why he had decided to let them stay in his apartment. Or why he'd gotten an apartment big enough to accommodate them either.

He was happy that their newest member wasn't one of the weaker recruits. Sakura could hold her own and, moreover, as a medical shinobi, she was able to heal their injuries as well. With their sharingan, Itachi and Kakashi could do very simple fixes that were mostly crude and unreliable. Sakura was at the forefront of her field. She was incredibly accomplished.

He watched as she timidly made her way through the ranks of ANBU agents, her path getting easier as the majority of members dispersed. When she finally reached them, he found himself wondering what expression was hiding underneath the fearsome mask she wore.

"It is a pleasure to meet you formally, Tiger," Itachi spoke, his aristocracy evident in each carefully pronounced word. Sakura bowed before them deeply, wanting to make a good impression.

"I am honoured to serve on Squad Thirteen, Weasel-taichou."

Chuckling, Genma held out a hand casually. "No need to be so formal," he lifted his mask and sent her a smile. "We've met before, but I'll introduce myself again. Shiranui Genma, at your service." Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"It's good to have you, Sakura," Kakashi said as he patted her on the back, lifting his mask up as well.

"I was hoping that you wouldn't be wearing another mask under that one," Sakura said, laughing. "Who does that?"

Kakashi's eye closed as he chuckled. "I have poor circulation and as a result I get very cold, I'll have you know," he said as he pouted mockingly.

Itachi, too, slid the mask off, letting it hang around his neck. "I would like to begin training later today." At a lack of protest, he continued. "I have a loose plan to follow. Is there a time that is more convenient for anyone?"

He was met with silence.

"Ah, then I will book our training field for two o'clock. Please show Haruno-san to the field later, Kakashi." He turned to Sakura, bowing briefly. "Thank you for filling your position on the team. I look forward to working with you."

At this, he formed seals and disappeared.

"Erm, ok," she laughed nervously.

Genma laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Don't worry, he's kind of always like this."

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "Don't worry about it."

Nodding back, she responded with a chuckle. "Oh, I know. Try growing up with Uchiha Sasuke as your best friend. I've met the whole family. Having a stick stuck up their butts is hereditary, I think," she said, hiding her grin beneath the mask.

Laughing, Genma replaced the mask over his face. "You're pretty funny, Haruno."

"Ah, Sakura is fine."

He nodded. "Sakura-chan it is." He waved over his shoulder before turning down one of the large hallways out of the chamber.

Kakashi stared down at his pupil, wondering what she was thinking. "I'll take you to the storeroom, I guess."

She started and had to jog for a moment to catch up to him as he turned into the hall next to them. "Why?" She asked him curiously, cocking her head to the side.

"You need one of these," he said, tapping the katana on his back. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she slid the mask up off of her face, her mouth forming a small 'o' in surprise.

"I have no training with a katana!" She protested quietly, her eyes frantic as she searched for reassurance.

He laughed.

"Most people don't, Sakura, and you will have time to practice. It's not a requirement to be an expert in kenjutsu." She seemed to deflate after hearing this, the newfound tension in her body gone.

He was glad that she wasn't getting too worked up over everything. It was in her nature to want everything to be perfect. In ANBU, it was especially important that you executed everything perfectly, and her strict adherence to performing in the best way possible was a major reason why she was suited to being in the black ops forces. She could be trusted to carry out her task with efficiency and dedication which was something that not all ninja were good at. Shikamaru, for instance, was not the greatest at being both efficient and dedicated. An easier solution to a difficult problem would always be a priority to him.

They reached the storeroom quickly. Kakashi let out a low whistle at the line that had formed in front of the counter.

"It seems like everyone used the meeting as an excuse to finally replace missing gear from their kits," he said, taking a resigned step forward to stand in line.

Sakura groaned. "You don't have to stay, Kakashi. I can manage from here. I think."

Shaking his head, he sighed. "That's alright, Sakura. I need to show you where our training grounds are. So I'll stay here with you, if I'm not too boring as company."

She laughed at this, playfully punching his arm. "You're not exactly the most boring guy to spend time with—and you know it."

Giving her a quizzical look, he responded carefully. "I'm not sure what you mean, Sakura. I'm not exactly the most talkative guy around."

Standing on her toes to see the front of the line, she smiled softly, brushing the stray hairs that had fallen out of her face. "Yes, I suppose, but you talk to me, don't you? I guess you might seem boring to a lot of people, but to me, you're like a puzzle. I can never figure out what makes you tick. I like talking to you, it makes me feel like I'm one step closer to understanding you." She fiddled with her mask. "If that's not too weird."

Kakashi couldn't place the odd feeling in his gut. He couldn't understand her. Sakura was too good for this world, he decided. He didn't know what he'd done to deserve a girl like her in his life. He couldn't even remember the last time that someone had told him that they enjoyed talking to him. It was surreal.

"I'm flattered," he said, ruffling her hair affectionately. "But you're not exactly easy to figure out either. Frankly, your anger issues lead me to believe that you may be bipolar—" Sakura stomped on his foot angrily, unimpressed.

"Fuck you, Kakashi," she muttered, crossing her arms.

"Sorry, you'll have to buy me dinner first," he smiled, ducking a fist aimed for his face. She rolled her eyes, finally settling down. Sakura looked forward and nearly shrieked in happiness when she saw that they were at the front of the line.

"Go on," he said, pushing her forward. "I'll wait over there."

Nodding, she stepped forward. "Agent Tiger. I'm, uh, in need of a katana?" Her face coloured in embarrassment at her obvious lack of experience.

Luckily the man behind the counter was kind. "Ah, another new recruit. Do you know your ANBU ID number yet?"

Shaking her head, she said, "No, I'm afraid I haven't been told mine yet."

Nodding, he shrugged. "That's fine. I'll let you off the hook this time, huh? I'll sign it out under your real name instead."

"My name is—"

"I know, I know, Haruno-san. The pink hair really gives it away. You might want to consider changing it. Recognizable attributes in this field don't exactly fly with the job description."

Feeling her face flush, she nodded rapidly. "I'll be sure to do something about it!" She took the new katana from him eagerly, sliding it into place on her back. "Thank you so much! Erm, what was your name?"

"Jiro-san is fine with me," he smiled warmly, his aging skin brightening with the gesture.

"Thank you, Jiro-san!"

"See you next time, Haruno-san!"

Sakura turned, taking a few strides towards the back wall where Kakashi was waiting, an old copy of Icha Icha occupying his eyes. She stopped in her tracks when she came face to face with a rabbit mask.

"Hello, Sakura-chan," he purred, taking a step towards her.

"Fuck off, Arakido."

"Aw, Sakura-chan, call me Natsuo. You couldn't possibly call me by something so distant after this morning," he slid his mask up, revealing cocky green eyes and a catlike smile. His hair was a dirty, sandy blonde, his skin radiant and clear. He was an overwhelmingly attractive man. Sakura, however, could not look past his glaringly atrocious personality.

"Don't talk to me," she growled, her eyes narrowing. "I don't want anything to do with you."

Undeterred, he slid a hand around her waist, moving in closer. He leaned forward, whispering softly in her ear. "That's not what I heard. See, I read an interesting little book last week. Seems like you showed your perky little breasts to your superiors on a regular basis, hmm? Is that what you like, Sakura-chan? Do you like being fucked by older men? I bet you let your sensei over there into your tight little pussy all the time."

His mocking ceased abruptly as a hand shot out, clamping down on the man's arm. "She said that she didn't want you to talk to her, Arakido-san," Kakashi growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Letting her go, Natsuo backed off, holding his hands up in peace. "Ne, ne, alright. I'll talk to you later, Sakura-chan," he said, sending her a look as if to say "I told you so."

As soon as he was gone, Kakashi took off, storming down the corridor leading out of the storeroom.

He was absolutely livid. Why would Sakura sleep with that creep? He was notoriously a skirt chaser that had no qualms with harassing women. He'd always thought that Sakura had better judgement than that.

Jogging to catch up, she wheeled around in front of him.

"What the fuck is up with you, Kakashi?"

"Nothing." His face was a blank slate, not that she would see much of it anyways. His eyes were bored, dull.

"Nothing? I can handle myself, you know." Her eyes narrowed, sure that he was hiding something.

Scoffing, he rolled his single visible eye. "Yeah, well how was that working out for you? You were standing there like a terrified deer! I don't think you would've done anything at all. You were completely at his mercy." His eye quickly began to show his anger.

Her brows furrowed, eyes swelling with unshed tears. "Why are you mad at me about this?"

Laughing once, a quick chirp, he began to pace. "You know, it's really none of my business, but why would you sleep with him, of all people?"

Eyes widening in shock, she stared at him, silent. Her eyes quickly revealed her anger as she bit her lip, hard.

"You know, you're right. It is none of your business." She was cold, giving him a long, dark look.

"No 'thank you' at all? I guess you didn't really want to get away from him."

This time, the tears returned and didn't go away. "You're a fucking idiot."

"Oh, I am, am I? Pray tell, why am I the fucking idiot in this situation?"

She turned away, stomping down the corridor. She was sick of his judgement.

"Because I'm a fucking virgin, you idiot!"

Kakashi had royally fucked up.

Well, hope you guys enjoyed! I didn't really get to proofread it, so please point out any glaringly obvious mistakes. Thanks!