omg I am so sorry for not uploading. this chapter was like 80% done for like six months. I know I shouldn't make excuses but like I suffer from severe depression which also means that I regularly experience negative motivation for writing. I have been so busy with school and everything that I haven't written a word in months. I wrote a thousand tonight to finish it up. I added an extra bit at the end some kakasaku stuff just as a reward for waiting and being so patient with me!

I appreciate your reviews so much! I hope you enjoy!

Sakura was visibly ticked off when she arrived to their specified training ground. She had specifically looked for Genma to ask where it was, not wanting any contact with her ex-sensei. It seemed that the more they interacted, the more they fought. Sakura wasn't sure if their personalities just clashed too much or if it was their history. She resented him sometimes for brushing her off as a young genin. She knew it was mostly her fault: she'd spent more time trying to be a little girl than a kunoichi. But she couldn't help but wonder how much more she could have become at an earlier age if he'd just tried.

So maybe there was some resentment there, too.

Genma just seemed glad that her anger wasn't directed at him. He'd heard horror stories of her tantrums and was not inclined to put himself in the way of one. She was noticeably restraining her anger in front of them for the sake of the training session. She greeted everyone curtly, closing her eyes briefly and took one gigantic breath to steady her emotions.

If Itachi noticed, he didn't mention it. He simply greeted her cordially and began to stretch, his lithe form contorting as he warmed up each muscle methodically. Sakura's gaze followed him, impressed with the extent to which he took care of his body. He always looked very tired so she had assumed that he didn't take very good care of himself. Now she knew that this was not the case.

Sakura sat herself on the hard ground gingerly, her legs stretched out in front of her. She purposefully ignored Kakashi's pitiful glances her way and began to do similar poses to that of Itachi's. She sighed contently as she slid into a particularly difficult pose, feeling her muscles pull at the strain. She stretched for several minutes, holding each pose for thirty seconds. She was glad that she hadn't donned her ANBU uniform and had instead opted for a pair of the standard jounin pants and a baby doll t-shirt. Her hair was tied into a high pony-tail on the top of her head and she was determined to make a good impression on her teammates.

Itachi seemed to eye each of them up before he halted his extensive stretching. "Kakashi-san has notified me that you are inexperienced with kenjutsu, Haruno-san," he said, his grey eyes meeting hers.

"Ah, hai, Uchiha-taichou," she murmured, her cheeks faintly pink.

A small smile graced his lips before he continued. "Do not worry about it. I had expected this beforehand. Most recruits are not familiar with weapons other than standard issue kunai, shuriken, and senbon."

Nodding, Sakura was reassured further when Genma gave her an encouraging smile.

"We will not begin kenjutsu until tomorrow morning. I have booked this field for six o'clock until noon, and then again from two until eight," he continued, his hands reaching behind his head to secure his long, dark tresses in an elastic. "For today, I would like each of us to spend time sparring with Haruno-san for the first hour. Then we will split into teams to spar, and I will switch the partnerships up frequently. I would like to get a feel for your individual skill, Haruno-san, as well as how you fit into the group. From there, we will be training twelve hours daily until our first mission is assigned. It will likely be an uneventful mission to test the waters, so to speak, but I want us to move as a cohesive unit."

"Hai, Taichou," she nodded, gulping. She regularly worked sixteen hour days when she had been training with Tsunade, and she was sure that there wasn't a single person that could push her harder than the Fifth Hokage. Sakura sometimes had nightmares of the week she'd learned how to repair bones. Tsunade had given her a small warning ("Now, Sakura, the best way to learn how to do this is to do it on yourself.") before she'd broken her shin bones with one kick. Despite the rough training she'd already survived, Sakura was still nervous about what was to come.

"Aa… please spar with Kakashi-san first," Itachi instructed.

Sakura turned to face the silver-haired man to hide her dissatisfaction from Itachi. Kakashi gave her a guilty look, his gaze downcast. This only served to annoy her further. She just wanted to forget about it. It was bad enough being one of the only virgins she knew, but to have to admit it to Kakashi? She was just so incredibly angry and embarrassed. She kept feeling like she was taking one step forward with him and then taking two steps back. They were starting to become closer lately, yet there was always something between them.

Sakura didn't wait for him to ready himself when she struck at him. In a flash, she was behind him. Her leg came down towards him like an axe, her hands forming seals. He was gone before her leg could contact his back, her foot sending a crack through the ground as she planted it firmly. She pivoted, her hands finishing the long string of seals in a blur. As he came at her with a kunai, she parried with a single senbon needle. She looked him in the eye, her eyes brightening as she saw his confusion. He dropped the kunai, drawing his hand back with a hiss. He looked down to find six more senbon in his hand, hitting enough pressure points to disable its usage.

She smirked, sending another kick at him. He bent over backwards to dodge, realizing that she had cast a genjutsu on the six senbon to make them appear as just one. While she had parried the kunai, she had sent the remaining senbon into the hand to disable it. It was smart thinking, but he expected nothing less. He reached up to reveal his sharingan, knowing that he would need it.

She pressed, keeping him on his toes. He spent most of his time avoiding her blows, only managing to sneak in a few to match. It was starting to frustrate him. Kakashi needed to get himself on the offensive instead of spending his time avoiding her blows. He was proud that her speed rivalled his at this point, but it made him feel old.

Sakura smiled triumphantly as she jumped above him, entwining her legs around his head. She bent backwards, stretching her arms out to touch the ground. She adhered her hands with chakra to provide leverage and finished her backflip by smashing him into the ground. Kakashi wasn't so easily beaten, however. He'd used a substitution jutsu and was now behind her. Sakura had to leap away to avoid her ex-sensei's barrage of quick jabs with a kunai. He was clearly avoiding the use of his damaged hand, but with most shinobi being ambidextrous, it wasn't stopping him.

They locked eyes as they traded blows, Kakashi's speed increasing as they fought for dominance. The cacophony of steel on steel resounded throughout the clearing. As they fought, the world around them seemed to slip away, the noise of battle disappearing until the sound of their harsh breathing was the only thing permeating their trance. There were many that believed that the truest way to speak to another was through the exchanging of blows on the battlefield. In this moment, Sakura could believe it. She knew that he was sorry, that he was trying to protect her. His eyes seemed to beg her for forgiveness.

Kakashi tried to ignore the hurt that was radiating off Sakura as he struggled to get the upper hand. She was clearly still a little upset at his actions earlier that day. He couldn't really blame her. But as time crept onwards, he felt the anger dissipate, and he saw her eyes soften. There was something she was trying to convey in her gaze as she attempted to bury a kunai in his gut. All he wanted was to stop upsetting her all the time. It had felt like they were becoming closer. But he kept screwing it up.

Sakura's kunai went flying, landing quite far away from her. Before she could react, Kakashi had swept her feet out from under her. He pinned her to the ground, a kunai at her throat. He watched her heaving chest as she took in ragged breaths. His own lungs were struggling to take in the desperately needed oxygen, sweat beading down what little skin was visible.

"Good match, Sakura," he croaked, flipping onto his back to lay beside her.

She laughed, her voice ringing as clear as he remembered. "I haven't had a spar that good in a long time," she conceded, smiling. Kakashi found himself smiling back.

Sitting up, Sakura wiped the sweat from her brow and looked at Itachi. He hadn't been sparring himself, so he was sitting on the ground a distance away with Genma, watching. She dragged herself to her feet and made her way over, her face flush with the physical exertion.

Itachi nodded at her. "I am impressed with your taijutsu, Haruno-san," he said, his voice calm and steady. "It is nothing less than I expected."

Sakura found herself beaming with the praise. "Thank you, Taichou," she said.

"I know that it is your specialty, along with medical ninjutsu," he smiled softly as he spoke. "And I understand that your ninjutsu is of adequate level as well, although you prefer not to use it due to your chakra stores being of average size."

"Hai. My chakra is better conserved for healing."

"For now, we will split up into partners to attack. Your familiarity with Kakashi-san is an asset to our team. I would like to see how well you work with each member of the team and how you perform in group oriented battles. From there, I will determine your position in our formations and attack patterns."

Sakura nodded. It made perfect sense. Each member of the team was clearly talented in all aspects of being a ninja, and they were well equipped to make changes to their strategies to suit their newest teammate.

"Please join Genma-san for the first round," Itachi said, nodding to Sakura.

Genma sent Sakura a cheeky grin. "Oh, we are going to crush them," he said, laughing.

Sakura laughed in response, bumping fists with the man.

"You know it."

Sakura was exhausted by the time they finished the last spar. Itachi dismissed them at six o'clock, reminding them to come back for six in the morning the next day. All she wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep, but she needed to shower and pick up something to eat, and the hospital was closer than her house. Kakashi joined her as she began walking back, his footsteps matching her slower than usual pace. He was quiet, sending her small glances every now and then, but ultimately keeping to himself.

"I'm sorry, you know," he murmured, looking up through the canopy of trees to the dying daylight.

"I know."

"Mhm."

Sakura was content to keep walking in silence. She couldn't stay mad at the man. She knew that she was quick to anger, but her fire was also quick to burn out, and she was never one to hold a grudge.

Sakura glanced at his silhouette as he walked slightly in front of her, her gaze focusing in on the hand she'd disabled. As their training session progressed, he had been able to start using it in a limited manner and she had forgotten to heal it. It was twitching and having small spasms as he walked. His body was attempting to bypass the pressure point blockages.

"Give me your hand, Kakashi," she said, her own hand outstretched.

He started, his eyes betraying his confusion. "What?"

Rolling her eyes, she repeated the request. "Your hand, Kakashi. I need to fix what I did to it."

His body softened in realization and he put his hand on top of hers, watching as the green glow of her chakra enveloped both her hands and his. The uncomfortable, painful tightness in his hand began to melt away as his attempts to move his digits proved more and more successful. Sakura let the soft glow of her chakra fade away and gave him a small smile.

"Sorry about that. I just figured that I had to disable one of your hands to win. I needed some sort of advantage." Sakura grinned, pulling her hands away.

Kakashi tested his hand out with a few stretches of his fingers before responding to her apology. "I thought it was really clever, Sakura. Did you think of that genjutsu yourself?"

Sakura shook her head. "Ah, no, I adapted it from someone I fought last year on a mission. He was good at incorporating it in different ways. I almost lost to him, actually. He disabled most of my body's pressure points and it was only my medical ninjutsu that saved me. I couldn't use my arms and I had to unblock points by guiding the chakra to each spot from within my body. The technique is incredibly hard to fight against especially when you consider how educated he was on pressure points."

Kakashi nodded, continuing their trek once more. "Maa, you make it look so easy, Sakura. I don't know how you do it."

Sakura burst out laughing, giving him an incredulous look. "You of all people should not be saying that! God, Kakashi, everything you do looks effortless! I can't remember the last time it looked like you were struggling," she said, a cheeky grin plastered on her face.

Kakashi chuckled, his deep baritone rumbling. "Aa, I guess you're right. Trust me, Sakura, I do struggle now and again."

"Sure, sure…"

At this, they fell into a comfortable silence. Their footsteps created no noise as they padded towards the village, the breeze whispering in their ears.

When they reached the edge of civilization, Sakura turned towards the main road that led to the hospital. "I'll see you tomorrow, sensei," she said, smiling softly.

"Ah," he waved, eye crinkling in a smile. "See you tomorrow."

Turning, she made her way through the bustling streets of Konoha, housewives buzzing in and out of shops to grab ingredients for dinner. She took deep breaths in through her nose, basking in the scents wafting through the network of streets. She could smell the distinct aromas from each shop, the mouth-watering umeboshi attracting her attention as she continued towards the hospital. It wasn't long before her stomach began to growl increasingly louder as she walked.

She quickly arrived at the hospital and made her way into her office. She was relieved that she still had the spare set of clothes tucked away in the closet that she kept there for emergencies. There was an attached bathroom to her office with a tiny shower that she was thankful for every day. Once she was clean, she pulled on the yellow, flowery blouse and the denim skirt that she had left there. Running a hand through her damp hair, she sighed. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to drop like a stone. Humming to keep herself awake, she exited her office and locked up. She was startled to find Hikaru waiting outside of her office with a sheepish grin.

"I noticed that the lights were on," he admitted, watching her closely.

"It's really nice to see you, Hikaru-kun," she said. Sakura returned his smile and noticed that he, too, was dressed in civilian garb.

Nodding, he ran a hand through his hair. "Listen," he started. "I really, really like you, Sakura-chan." There was a pause where he let out an embarrassed cough, a pink tone on his cheeks. "Would you like to have dinner with me?"

Sakura's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't been expecting this. She did, however, notice the odd giddy feeling in her stomach at the thought of being asked out on a date. She'd never been on a date before. Sakura couldn't help but flush in response to his obvious affection. "I-I would love to, Hikaru-kun," she smiled softly, pushing away her exhaustion.

He seemed relieved, his eyes lighting up in excitement. "Are you ready to go then? I can wait if you need me to, of course."

Sakura shook her head, stepping in closer. She took him by the arm and gestured for him to lead the way, her eyes never leaving his face. He was a good-looking man. His features were soft, slightly feminine, and his eyes were bright. He was taller than her, but not by much, and he had a bubbly, happy aura whenever she saw him. She wasn't sure what he had seen in her but she was intensely glad that he'd seen something. She could imagine herself falling in love with such a nice man, letting him be the first to touch her. He shared the same interests as her, and he was intelligent as well.

Hikaru noticed her staring and scrunched his face in confusion. "Is there something on my face?" His voice revealed his concern, a hand already travelling up to wipe off the imaginary dirt.

Sakura laughed, shaking her head. "No, no," she said, eyes filled with mirth. "I was just admiring you. You're a handsome man, you know that, right?"

The tips of his ears turned pink with embarrassment. "It's been a while since I've heard that, I'll admit."

Sakura finally let her gaze drift away, the lazy smile still etched onto her face. "This is my first date."

Hikaru tried very hard to hide his shock, but it poured out of him in waves nonetheless. "I can't believe that, Sakura-chan. You're such a catch!" She laughed as he shook his head in amazement.

It felt good to talk so freely with someone. She was curious about him and wanted to learn more.

"Have you had a girlfriend before, then?" She asked, admiring the bustling crowds of people swarming through the village.

He nodded solemnly. "Ah, yes. We were together for two years before she broke things off with me," he frowned, brows pulled downwards as he frowned.

She immediately felt guilty for bringing it up. "Ah, I shouldn't have asked, sorry!"

Hikaru simply shook his head, smiling softly at the sky. "I've gotten over it, I think. She told me that she didn't think that I was the one, and I was so angry and hurt when she ended things, but I think I understand now. She wasn't the one for me either, and I can't blame her for realizing it before I did."

"That's very mature of you, Hikaru-kun," she murmured, slipping her hand into his gingerly. He seemed glad to have the affection and returned it with a little squeeze. She felt a little tingle of excitement in her stomach as she talked with him.

He was something so intensely new that she could feel herself falling under his spell. She had a crush. She bit her lip in nervousness as he watched her, his face so incredibly dynamic as he spoke. He told her about his three older siblings, how his parents were simple chunin that worked at the Academy, and how he'd had a little crush on her for quite a while. It pulled at her heartstrings to listen to such happy memories of a perfect family, but she genuinely enjoyed listening to him talk. When he'd mentioned his crush, her cheeks had flushed and she'd whispered a nervous "I like you, too," back to him.

He seemed to be much more comfortable around her after having interacted with her so much recently. He was bolder, more confident in himself. She figured that he would have had to have gone on plenty of dinner dates if he'd dated a woman for two years. Sakura's gut twisted as she thought of it. He was much more experienced just by dating standards. She couldn't imagine that they wouldn't have done anything else in that time, too.

She murmured her approval as they entered a simple but nice restaurant. She wasn't underdressed, but he hadn't just taken her out for barbecue either. The waitress sauntered over, her hips swaying in figure eights as she smiled widely at the two. She briefly eyed Hikaru up, her eyes glancing up and down in mild approval before she spoke. "Welcome! Just the two of you tonight?" She was wearing heavy makeup with lips painted a dark red. Her clothes were tight and a dip in her shirt revealed already ample cleavage straining to escape a push-up bra. Her skirt left her legs almost completely bare and her honey blonde hair curled down her back in soft ringlets.

"Yes, please," Hikaru smiled warmly, his eyes purposefully looking away from her voluptuous body.

She nodded, the large smile still plastered on her face as she gestured for them to follow her. Seating them at a booth near the window, she took their orders for drinks and left them to peruse the menu. Sakura's insistence on only water earned her an odd look, but after the exercise she'd been through, she needed it.

Hikaru asked her about her day, and didn't pry when the subject of her family came up. She'd told him briefly of her mother and brother, and that her dad was no longer alive. Sakura admitted that she hadn't seen her mother and brother in a long time as they lived out of town, but it didn't seem to faze him. Sakura enjoyed being able to talk to someone that she hadn't known since she was eight. She found herself hanging onto every word he said and was fascinated by his research in the hospital. They discussed their jobs in the hospital at great length and the time seemed to disappear.

Sakura soon realized that it was getting late and she needed to get home.

Yawning, Sakura asked if he was ready to leave. Hikaru insisted on walking her home, his hand slipping into hers as they made their way across the village. Sakura felt the familiar butterflies in her stomach and was absolutely giddy with happiness. As they arrived at her place, Sakura turned to look at him.

"I had such a good time tonight, Hikaru-kun," she murmured, suddenly shy about her affection for the man.

He smiled softly at her, a blush staining his cheeks. He seemed to steel himself before speaking. "Listen, Sakura-chan. Like I said earlier, I really, really like you. Tonight hasn't changed anything. I want you to know that, if anything, tonight's made me like you even more. I know this is a little fast, and I might be reaching for something you're not interested in, but…" He cleared his throat once before continuing. "Well, I—uh, will you be my girlfriend, Sakura?"

Surprised, Sakura was speechless for a moment. She really liked him, too. She hadn't felt this good about herself in such a long time that she couldn't see any reason not to say yes. Realising that she was about to have her first boyfriend sent shivers down her spine. A blush crowded her features and she nodded quickly, giving him a small, shy smile.

His face glowed with happiness as he pressed her against him in a hug. She was reminded briefly of her encounter with Kakashi at the hospital, but this hug felt different. It was warm, full of happiness. Not the desperate, comfort-filled hug she'd been given at such a low point. As he pulled back, his arms slid down to her lower back. He made eye contact with her, the smile still lighting his face up. He leaned his head in towards hers and pressed his lips delicately upon her own. She found her arms wrapping themselves around his neck as they deepened the kiss. Her stomach fluttered in excitement and she marvelled at the intense feelings he brought up from within her.

It felt like they were there forever and like it was over too quickly at the same time. He pulled away for air, slowly releasing her from his embrace. He smiled at her surprised appearance, squeezing her hand softly before stepping away. "Good night, Sakura."

"G-good night," she whispered, still stunned.

She watched him leave, her eyes following him as he slowly disappeared. She quickly opened the door and escaped within, rushing into her apartment. She couldn't stop the influx of emotions bubbling from within her stomach. She felt the familiar tug of fear but it was pushed down with the overwhelming flow of excitement and happiness. She was incredibly exhausted, however, and found herself crawling into bed. It took her more time than usual to settle into a relaxed state. Sakura's limbs would not stop squirming with the excitement of the day. She soon found herself slipping into sleep, her body's intense exertion finally catching up with her.

She did not dream that night.

The next day was so physically exhausting that Sakura began to seriously regret her career path. She felt like she was going through Tsunade's boot-camp all over again. She admitted to herself that she was out of shape to a certain extent, but she was not prepared for the relentless training that Itachi had planned for them. He spent the entire morning focusing on her and he had dedicated it to teaching her kenjutsu. Once she had the basics down, he had instructed her on the various formations and ways to incorporate the kenjutsu into them and they had practiced them repeatedly for her benefit. Sakura appreciated the extent to which he had gone for her and the methodology he had used. It was a lot easier for her to learn when he placed her in practical situations where the kenjutsu would actually come into play. Occasionally, she heard him reprimanding Kakashi or Genma for their laziness with the katana and how they were due for this practice as well.

After their short break for lunch, they resumed with their formation and battle tactics. Itachi would quiz her periodically and was pleased with her rapid grasp of their strategies. By eight o'clock, they were completely decimated, their eyes droopy and their movements lax. Sakura groaned from her place on the ground, an arm coming up to wipe the thick layer of sweat from her brow.

Itachi had just dismissed them and was already gone. Sakura wondered if her boys were just finishing up training, too. She looked up as a shadow fell over her to find Genma grinning down at her. He handed her the water bottle that she had brought and she greedily drained it. "Thank you," she groaned, smiling gratefully at him.

"Yeah, yeah, I thought you needed some." He looked at the rapidly disappearing form of Kakashi and began to turn away. Pausing, he looked back down at her. "Listen, we're getting takeout at Kakashi's later… I think you should come. You're a part of the team now, and you should be included in what the team does." He smiled down at her sheepishly. "Ah, Kakashi lives in the fancy apartments near that new café. Unit three-eleven, I think. Come around nine, if you want," he said, waving over his shoulder as he turned to leave.

Sakura sat up, grateful that he was putting some effort into their friendship. "I'll be there! Thanks!" she called, a sudden newfound motivation igniting her to stand up.

Once again, it was quicker to shower at the hospital. Sakura made her way to her office quickly. She was disappointed to find only a pair of cut-off yoga pants that stopped just below the knee and a black tank top with spaghetti straps. She relented that at least she had one more outfit in her office and was glad to find something other than her sweat-soaked clothing to wear. She pulled her hair into a messy bun on top of her head and was slightly disappointed when Hikaru wasn't waiting outside of her office.

She sighed and left, realizing that it was almost nine. She formed the seals that were, at this point, second nature to her and teleported to the café, appearing in a cloud of smoke and leaves. Across from the café was a beautiful apartment building that she had briefly entertained the thought of renting from before her logic won out. The units were far too big for her to justify. She was by herself and single, and the units themselves were pricey. Sakura would have been lying if she'd said she wasn't surprised to find that Kakashi lived here. The last unit he had had was even smaller than hers. He had lived in a single room with the kitchen built on one wall and a miniscule bathroom crammed into a room the size of a closet, and she was incredibly confused that he had upgraded to such a luxurious place. She decided to enter the apartment in the civilian manner, having never been there before.

Sakura climbed the three flights of stairs, admiring the crisp white walls and the silver trim and mouldings. At last she arrived at the unit that Genma had supplied, nervously checking that it did say 'three-eleven' before she knocked on the door.

The door opened only for her to come face to face with an entirely naked chest. She blinked once. An incredibly broad, muscular chest. Her eyes roved downwards, following his impeccably sculpted pectorals down to a six-pack framed by impressive oblique muscles. Her gaze fell to the deep 'V' line running into the waistband of his pants. He was in a pair of simple grey joggers and his feet were bare. She jumped as a cough brought her out of her daydreaming, her face immediately flushing. She looked up to find the most attractive face she had ever laid eyes on staring at her with the smallest smile.

His jaw was long, masculine, and sharp. He had the smallest beauty mark along his jaw on the left side of his face. A long vertical scar ran along his left eye and was the only imperfection on the smooth skin of his face. His long, silver hair was droopy with moisture and she heard herself suck in a breath. She felt herself drool a little and quickly wiped her mouth, remembering to close it in the process.

"I-I'm sorry, I think I have the wrong place," she stammered, turning away with embarrassment.

She froze as an arm shot out and grasped her gently at the elbow. "Sakura," he said, a trace of amusement in his voice. "Where are you going?"

Sakura turned back, slowly. It can't be… She was both horrified and outraged to find that it was Kakashi staring back at her. "Kakashi?!" she squeaked.

He laughed, pulling her into his apartment.

"Aa, the one and only."

I love you guys so much and once again I am so sorry for the wait! I can't promise more frequent updates but I will really try! Next chapter will continue where we left off! ;)