A/N: Enjoy! The end's a little bland and rough, but I'm just edging past the necessary parts before I get to the good stuff. :P
Read and review to let me know how it was. :D Also, if anyone has anymore suggestions for the plot or little ideas they want to throw in, that'd be awesome and you will be credited for whatever you throw in.
THIS JUST IN: HIGHSCHOOL SUCKS.
Rhymes of An Hour
Chapter 5:
One Transition
When Sakura awoke the next morning, it was a very slow process. After promising herself that she wasn't crazy for thinking that the bed she was laying on wasn't actually hers, she peered around, curious like a newborn. She was entangled in a mass of sheets, and she was quite distinctly naked. What was worse, the sheets had this odor, more like a fragrance, that was unmistakable. She was in Hatake Kakashi's bed, naked, rolled up in his sheets.
She tried to lift her leg, only to be greeted by a dull pain. She let her leg fall back against the bed, groaning. Now she remembered what had happened, but there was one thing missing. Where was Kakashi?
After a few achy attempts, Sakura managed to push herself up into a sitting position, clutching the sheets over her intimate areas and looking around. So this is what his bedroom looked like in broad daylight.
His curtains were heavy, and a deep navy blue, but were parted just enough to let in a healthy dose of morning sunshine. For the most part, his room looked normal, like what she had expected it to look like. Bare, cream-painted walls, a dark oak armoir, a nightstand next to the bed, and a desk covered with crumbled mission scrolls. She leaned over and picked one up with her thumb and forefinger experimentally, not too surprised to see that the date scrawled on the scroll was from over 3 years before. She gave an amused snort, and continued her visual investigation.
Ah, there it was. This didn't surprise her either; the infamous picture of Team 7 shortly after they had been assigned as a team. She looked somewhat grotesque, positioned in the center of the photo, hands under her chin and looking as though she was dying of happiness to be in the same shot next to Sasuke, who looked like he was less than amused with the prospect. Naruto was glowering at his fellow male team mate, and Kakashi stood over them all, one hand on Naruto and one on Sasuke. Sakura tilted her head, a slight frown line appearing between her brow.
It was true, their sensei had never really paid too much attention to her during their team-hood. She didn't quite blame him either, her talents and his didn't exactly align the same way. She was intelligent, quick-witted, and had excellent chakra control but was free of any really unique physical talents. He was a prodigy, a sharingan user, and focused on Naruto and Sasuke, both of whom had distinctly unique characteristics. Compared to everyone else in the village, Sakura had been nothing short of an Average Jane.
Still, it had been lonely. She remembered storming home after team practice one day, wiping furiously at her eyes and cursing her sensei and team-mates under her breath for excluding her. She had felt like she never belonged, like any other girl would have filled that spot and she belonged on an average, uneventful team. Of course, after she did her individual training with Tsunade, her low opinion of herself faded, replaced by the pride of knowing how useful she could be. She also began to see where she had fit into the puzzle of everything, her own key part that no one else could have possibly replaced.
But it still hadn't changed the fact that Kakashi didn't ever seem like he desired to spend more time with her. In fact, even now she still had a tiny sore spot, even if she understood his reasons. He couldn't have easily related to a boycrazy 12 year old girl with raging hormones. Hell, she'd probably have trouble relating to one, too, nowadays.
All this thinking didn't make up for her ponderings of Kakashi's location, until a few moments later his bedroom doorknob twitched and turned slowly, and a dripping copynin entered the room. He had a towel draped around his neck and was wearing a simple pair of black boxers, and his normally perky and gravity-defying silver hair was drooping with all the moisture from his shower. She found herself eyeing the droplets of water that clung to his chest, and she swallowed, feeling some sort of glowing warmth settle over her groin.
"Ah, you're awake," Kakashi said, grabbing the end of the towel around his neck and rubbing it into his hair. "I was wondering when you'd wake up."
"Ahh, well..." Sakura blushed and traced circles into his comforter. "I guess I was really tired."
"Hn." It was a noise of acknowledgment, but with after a response like that from him, Sakura wasn't sure what else to say. Should she stand up and get dressed?... But he was standing right there!
Kakashi wandered around his room, collecting his jonin garb from a closet near the door and setting it on the bed in front of her. Sakura hugged her knees, barely able to see the garments over the crest of them.
"So now what?" Sakura asked timidly.
"Good question," Kakashi responded. He yanked the towel off of him and discarded it on the bed, grabbing his long-sleeved navy shirt and pulling it over his head. "I was hoping that you already had an idea of what happened next."
She swallowed, her eyes hovering over the bulge protruding from his groin, covered by black cloth. "What does happen next?"
"Well, if we're going to make this like any of my other trysts, it involves me possibly making you coffee and you getting dressed, drinking the coffee, and leaving. And then, of course, after you left we would never mention this situation again." He sat on the bed, putting on his pants.
Something about that struck her, right in the chest. Perhaps it was the stark coldness of it all, and how he could say all of that so casually.
"So then, we'd pretend this never happened?" Sakura spoke unsurely.
"Bingo." Kakashi slipped on his vest, patting the pockets and then reaching into the nightstand beside her and taking out a volume of that wretched Icha Icha series. He slid it into his pocket, snatched a mask from the same drawer in the nightstand, and started to go about putting it on. "By the way," he said, shooting her a glance. "I forgot to ask if you were protected last night."
Sakura's eyebrows raised and a blush etched across her cheeks. "Yeah, of course. I can just use a medical jutsu when I get home, sort of like a Plan B pill."
"Hn. That's convenient."
A few more moments passed.
"So you don't mind that I saw your face?"
"Obviously not," He replied, picking up his towel and leaving the room momentarily to throw it into a hamper. He returned, ruffling his hair.
"...So when do I get that coffee?" She asked.
"Unfortunately, I can't do the coffee today," Kakashi said, adjusting his mask and looking in the mirror. "I've got to run, I'm already dreadfully late for a meeting at the Hokage tower."
"Oh..." Sakura's heart sank. Suddenly she just felt like a big, stupid lump of a burden, sitting in his bed naked like that. "Then I guess I have to get dressed..."
"Don't worry. I'll leave the room." With that, Kakashi stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Sakura rose awkwardly, feeling all of her limbs contract as if they'd never been used before. She stopped to look at herself in his mirror. She saw a young girl, naked and trembling, hugging her chest to cover her bosom, while her lower half remained entirely bare. So this is what a deflowered young woman looked like. Something pricked at the corner of her eye, but she blinked it away and bent over to collect her garments, one by one, and then put them on.
After putting them on, she looked back into the mirror and smoothed her hair, then left the room.
It was all too confusing. Why had he slept with her?
She saw him fixing something quick in the kitchen, and paused to look at him. For a moment, she parted her lips, ready to ask him herself. But she couldn't think of the right way to word it, and she wasn't sure she wanted to hear his real response. She closed her mouth firmly, watching him.
"I'm sorry I'm in such a rush," he said, back turned towards her as he hovered over the counter.
"Nah, it's nothing really," she said quietly, rubbing her upper arm. She figured he knew that it really wasn't just nothing.
"I'll make it up to you," he said, turning around and setting a peanut butter and jelly sandwich inside a plastic bag, which he placed on the edge of the island counter.
"How?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Maybe I'll treat you to ramen," He answered, giving her that familiar pleasant smile.
She couldn't help but smile back, but she shook her head. "That's all right. I better be going."
"Hn. Be careful," he warned absently, smoothing his plastic sandwich bag.
"Will do," she muttered, and quickly walked to the door, opened it, stepped out, closed it and went on her way.
The sun was too bright, the air was too warm, and it was obviously very late morning, if not early afternoon. She groaned. She hated waking up this late, and it seemed 10 times worse waking up this late in the bed of a man who didn't really care for you.
Sakura wandered the streets aimlessly, before it struck her that she was heading in the opposite direction of home. She corrected herself and on her way back found herself passing the Yamanaka flower shop. She paused, chewing her lip, and wondered if she shouldn't stop in to tell Ino. She froze.
She hadn't even showered after wards! Didn't that mean... She glanced down at herself. ...That she still had his man gunk somewhere inside of her? Of course, she didn't really know how that worked... And didn't she have blood down there? She hadn't really been paying attention when she was getting dressed, she had sort of been in a daze.
She immediately started walking, this time more swiftly. After her shower, then she'd come back and tell Ino. But she'd have to find a creative way to tell her without revealing any names.
Standing underneath the hot stream of water in the shower, Sakura raised her hand and let it hover over her lower abdomen. A faint green glow emanated from her fingertips, and she held her hand in place until she was sure that what needed to be done had been done. She let her arm fall slack against her side, and she pressed her back against the shower wall. There, at least now she wouldn't have to worry about any baby-related repercussions.
Was it stupid of her? Was she just some desperate girl? She groaned and reached out to pour some shampoo into her palm, then slowly worked it into her hair, frowning.
She had been so desperate... to sleep with the man she used to call 'sensei'? An even louder groan came from her lips, and she violently smashed her head against the wall.
She'd never felt stupider in her whole life. Or more complete. It was strange, despite feeling reckless and irresponsible, she couldn't deny the liberating feeling she got from having slept with him. At that point, it wasn't even about the prospect of the ladynin missions, it was a personal status thing. She wouldn't have to feel like a lowly, innocent virgin around guys anymore. If asked, she could say, 'Yeah, I fucked a guy.' Not that she would especially want to say that, but just having the option was... a relief.
Sakura turned the shower off and stepped out onto the bathmat, reaching for a towel and dabbing at her skin. She looked at herself in the mirror, doe-eyed and dewy and chewed her lip.
"You did WHAT last night!" was Ino's initial reaction.
The tips of Sakura's ears burned as she tried to shush her vocal friend, glancing around shyly at the new found attention she was receiving. So maybe it had been a bad idea to bring Ino to the Dango stand to tell her her news.
Sakura face-palmed, and poked at the squishy snack-on-a-stick while Ino tried to (and failed to) discreetly stuff her face.
"Ino, could you please try and keep it down?" Sakura pleaded, gritting her teeth.
Ino swallowed the large mass in her mouth and chased it down with a splash of green tea, and sighed. She looked as though she were calmly considering Sakura's request, until after a few moments she shouted again, "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID IT LAST NIGHT!"
Sakura began to pack up her things and stood up, but Ino yelped and tried to gesture for her to sit again. "No, no, don't go. Please, I want details on this."
"I'll give you details if you stay quiet," Sakura ground out, reclaiming her seat.
Ino nodded. "Fine, fine, that's fair."
The lunch rush was ending, and people were clearing out from the stand to head back to whatever previous commitments they had, leaving Sakura and Ino to their bench outside the stand, and themselves.
Sakura heaved a sigh and fingered the chipped paint of the bench, eyes cast downward. How could she tell her this without mentioning the controversial identities involved? She chewed her lip, weighed her options, and then told her.
"I kinda ran into this cute guy at a bar last night, and uhm, he offered to let me go back to his place...and I figured he wasn't bad-looking or anything, and it was a good chance...so I did it."
A lie had never tasted so bitter coming from her lips. She thought it sounded completely bogus, but Ino seemed to believe it, and clapped her hand over her mouth while letting out a muffled squeal.
"That's so risque!" she cried. "Oh my gosh, Sakura... You really are grown up!"
Sakura wasn't sure what part of that was supposed to underline her age, but she just nodded and gave a tolerating smile.
"So... did you use a condom?"
That was the phrase she knew had been on its way. She shook her head in response, and took a bite of her dango before answering.
"One of the perks of being a medicnin. There are special jutsu you can learn to prevent pregnancy. Sort of like taking a Plan B pill."
Ino propped her chin up on her hands, sighing wistfully. "That must be so convenient... I should learn that one. I sure could use it."
Sakura scoffed. "That doesn't say much to disprove the rumors going around."
"Hmph." Ino stuck her tongue out. "Rumors are caused by jealous and bitter people. And I have a lot for people to be jealous and bitter about, wouldn't you say?" She gestured towards her breasts, which almost seemed to jiggle on cue.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "That lifestyle's going to catch up with you. I thought your dad's been cracking down on you to get married or something."
"Oh yeah. That." Ino slumped, and tapped her chin, obviously in thought. "I could always trick the guy into getting me pregnant, if he's attractive and wealthy enough. Then he's bound to me for life, you know? My dad, and Shikamaru and Chouji's dad, would murder him if he left me then."
"That's just..." Sakura slapped her forehead.
Ino chuckled. "Don't worry, Sakura. I'm not that much of an awful person." She sipped the tea that accompanied her meal, and her eyes glazed over, another crazy thought brewing in her head.
"What now?" Sakura asked. "I see that look. You're serious about that idea, aren't you?"
"No... That's not it." Ino twirled her finger over the circumference of the teacup. "But, wouldn't that be kind of romantic? In a tragic, social life-ending sort of way."
The idea only made Sakura dig up the memories of the night previous. What if she hadn't used that jutsu as a Plan B? What if she could have become... Her breath hitched... Pregnant, with Hatake Kakashi's child?
Ino became aware at once of her train of thought, and giggled. "I guess you have some fond memories of last night, huh? Vir-gin."
Sakura glowered at her. "Shut up... It's not like that."
"So I think you're hiding it from me. Was it someone you knew?"
"No."
"I see that blush! IT WAS NARUTO WASN'T IT!"
"Hell no!"
"Neji?"
"No..."
"Chouji?"
"..."
"He's still nice you know, Sakura."
Sakura scowled. "Ino. I just want to forget about it. I can finally find a way out of this damned and cursed paper work hell, and get back out there."
"'The Demure Haruno Sakura, Out to Explore Her Deadly Sexuality'. Something like that?"
Sakura's cheeks burned. Ino had a way of pinning everything as a racy romance manga.
"Sure, whatever," she muttered.
"But hey, won't Tsunade be suspicious? I mean, if I were her, I'd feel bad if you came in like a few days later and was all, 'I'm virginity free, shishou!' or something. I'd feel guilty, like I forced you into it."
Ino had a point. Sakura chewed her lip. And knowing Tsunade, she was too smart to not wonder about it.
"I'll just say it was coincidence. Coincidences happen, right?"
"Well, sure, but they're not THAT common--"
"Either way. I'm going to tell her."
"This soon?"
"No. Yes. No..." Sakura ran her fingers through her high and sighed. "Maybe early next week."
Ino shrugged, and Sakura stood up, carrying her trash to the trash can and discarding it, brushing her apron off.
"I better return, or it'll be Shizune's head."
Ino nodded. "All right. Just... Sakura..."
Sakura turned and met her gaze.
"Are you sure you did it for the right reasons? I mean, I know I'm not exactly the poster child for meaningful sex," Ino chuckled half-heartedly. "But I mean, for most people that first time is supposed to be with the right person... And it's a big deal, and I just don't want you to end up regretting it. You know?"
Sakura's gaze softened, and she nodded with a small smile. "Un. I understand. Thanks, Ino-chan."
"'Ino-chan'? No 'Ino-buta' or 'Ino-baka'?" Ino's eyebrow rose and a smirk spread across her cheeks.
"Nope. Not today, not yet at least. See ya." Sakura flounced off quickly.
Truth be told, Tsunade had noticed something slightly different about her apprentice. There was a slight pained expression every time she sat down, or every time she took a stride. It had dragged on for a couple days, and when Sakura refused to call attention to it, she knew her suspicions were potentially confirmed. However, when Sakura stepped into her office 15 minutes early the next week, looking bashful as all get out, she knew her suspicions were 100 percent confirmed.
"Shishou, I--"
"Don't even start." Tsunade gave the pink-haired girl a knowing, coy smile. "I know what you're going to say."
Sakura's eyes widened, and her gaze fell to her feet.
"And yes, it was that obvious."
Sakura looked visibly uncomfortable.
"You're looking to discuss a raise, aren't you?"
Sakura's head snapped up. "What?"
"Well, aren't you?"
"...No..."
"Oh. Good. Then, go on."
Sakura pulled up a chair, and sat across from her, wringing her hands in her lap. "Shishou, I want to look into ladynin missions again."
"Again?" Tsunade's brow knit. "Sakura, you know the conditions for those..."
"I know. And I know that there's nothing really holding me back, at this point."
"...."
Sakura looked away.
"I knew it. So, when did it happen?"
"Last week," Sakura mumbled. "It was a coincidence, really. It didn't have anything to do with you wanting me to do the missions...you know?"
Tsunade's eyes softened. "If you insist... Well then, I guess I wouldn't have any reason to hold back then, would I?"
Sakura's heart leaped, and she nodded eagerly.
"So tell me, who was the lucky guy?"
"...eh!"
Tsunade smirked. "I want to know who the lucky guy was. What was his name? Surely you knew."
Sakura laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, uh..."
"....Is it that hard?"
She thought quick, and blurted out her answer. "Kashino Hotaka."
Sure it wasn't a real name, sure it was a sort of play on the real man's name. Hell, she didn't even know if the surname was a real one or not.
But Tsunade seemed satisfied with her answer. "Hm..? I don't think I know them." She waved her hand. "Ah, well. If I don't know their name, they're probably not that cool anyway. So it was just a one night thing, right?"
Sakura nodded.
"Hn. Good." Tsunade swiveled around in her chair, facing the broad window and the landscape below.
"So, then... Does that mean, that I--"
"Yes. You can start your training."
Sakura was grinning ear-to-ear, and couldn't help but giggle and punch the air with a fist. "Yes!"
Tsunade glanced at her over her shoulder. "Aren't you even the least bit frightened? I mean, you know the implications of everything."
She shook her head. "I know all of them, but... It's kind of exciting, you know?"
The blonde gave her a warm smile. "That's the Sakura I know. I'll get everything in order then. Report back to me tomorrow morning, okay?"
Sakura nodded and bowed quickly before darting out of the room. Perhaps it hadn't been a mistake after all.
Though it almost could have been considered one, when it came to her actual training. She could have died of surprise and embarrassment, upon finding out who her 'senpai' was to be.
Mitarashi Anko pushed through the doors of the hokage office, a coy smile on her lips. "So, who am I trainin'?" she inquired, leaning against the doorway.
Tsunade pointed to Sakura, and Anko's jaw promptly dropped. All Sakura could do was try to offer a tiny smile.
"....H-Her?" Anko cried. "But she's... She's..." She tried all sorts of hand gestures, before Tsunade gave a single nod.
"Sakura here is my best apprentice. I told her it was in her best opportunity to give it a try, given her talents. And I knew that you're one of the best, so I was hoping you'd be able to... instruct her."
Anko scoffed. "'Instruct her'? I'm more afraid of corrupting her! Has she even... you know..."
"Yes," Sakura answered for herself. "I've had sex before."
Tsunade guffawed, rising from her chair. "Don't worry, Anko. Sakura's a quick and easy learner."
Anko still looked uneasy about the idea, rocking back and forth on her heels. "If you say so, Hokage-sama..."
"Go over the basics with her, and then I'll give you the rest of the mission details. Savvy?" Tsunade strode over and rested a hand on Anko and Sakura's shoulders.
Both girls nodded, and Tsunade took a step back, waving a hand in dismissal. Anko turned to Sakura, and gave her a weak smile.
"Well, then. I guess that's our cue to start."
They filed out of the office, out of the tower, and towards the edge of the town. Anko glanced over her shoulder at Sakura, and sighed.
"So they're trying to find new meat, huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well. It seems all the other ladynin are either dropping out due to age, pregnancy... marriage... That whole deal. I figured they'd be starting to look for some fresher girls, but I had no idea that you'd be one of them." Anko let out a chuckle, and the tips of Sakura's ears burned.
"Yeah, me too."
As they passed by Ichiraku on the edge of town, Sakura's breath hitched as she caught sight of him. There he was, Hatake Kakashi. The man who had singlehandedly determined her fate the previous night. He was standing near the stand with Shiranui Genma, who was chattering away endlessly, his senbon bouncing up and down animatedly between his lips.
Anko seemed to have caught sight of them as well, and smirked. "Hey, isn't that your sensei?"
Oh, dear. Sakura hadn't anticipated this reaction. Her stomach literally churned, it felt as though it had done a complete 360. She swallowed, and forced a nod. "Yeah, that's him." If you could even call him that, after what they had done that last night...
Anko took that as initiative to stride over, leading poor Sakura to waddle after her, feeling as though she was dying with each step. She expected there would be a few awkward glances exchanged between them, maybe a knowing smile or a wink or two.
"Hey! Hatake, Shiranui!" Anko waved to them.
Genma lifted his head, eyebrows raising. "Anko... What are you doing here?" His gaze fell on Sakura. "And what are you doing here with her?"
Anko waved it off. "Oh, nothing. Sakura's helping me look for some herbs and stuff." She cleared her throat, and smirked. "You know... a girl thing."
Immediately, Genma looked away, a blush crossing his cheeks. "Ewww, you don't have to tell me about that stuff."
Anko shrugged. "Hey, you asked." She glanced over at Kakashi. "How are you holding up? You never talk to me anymore, I wonder if you're not just avoiding me."
Kakashi turned towards both of them, smiling as if he had never experienced a situation so natural. "Ah, I apologize, Anko-san. You see, lately there's been a rise in lost cats, and, being the kindred soul that I am, I can never pass up a poor elderly woman who needs someone to go after her's."
"Yeah, yeah. You and your usual bullshit." Anko rolled her eyes.
Kakashi shifted towards Sakura. "Ah, Sakura-chan. Fancy seeing you here." His eye crinkled, just the way it always had. No discreet hint or anything out of the ordinary. Just good old Kakashi and his usual mannerisms.
Sakura gulped. "Uh, you too."
"Well, you have a fine time with Anko here." He waved, and headed off in the opposite direction, the top of his trademark orange book cresting his back pocket.
Genma shrugged. "I guess I'll head out, too. Uh..." He looked from Anko to Sakura awkwardly. "Have fun with your, uh... womanly herb thing."
Anko grinned sweetly. "Why, of course. I'll give you all the details when I see you again."
He visibly twitched and swallowed stiffly. "Uh... huh...sure."
She twirled around and winked at Sakura. "Ready to go?"
Sakura gave a nod and the two of them continued on their way, throwing slight waves at Genma as they walked past.
"So what exactly are we going to go over?" Sakura asked, smoothing her apron as they reached their destination - a clearing just outside the gate, not too far from the fated spot where she had had that conversation with Kakashi.
Anko brushed off her top and plopped down on a shady spot of grass. "Just basic tips, maneuvers, that stuff. I figure the actual actions of the job are pretty needless to say." She wiggled her eyebrows at Sakura.
Sakura knelt beside her and laughed nervously. "You're right..."
"So. First thing's first. You arrive at the mission, you prep for whatever you have to do, as circumstances can vary. As for prepping the guy, you have to be sure to flatter him." Anko made a lot of gestures with her hands to try and emphasize as she went. "And any of those cheesy, success-proof flirting methods? Use them. These are dirtbags, who are only after one thing from women, and any glimmer of hope you give them will only score you more points."
Sakura nodded. "Okay."
"Be sure to be discreet though, pull him aside... and when you're going to do the final act, make sure no one's around who could overhear any signs of struggle. Basic shinobi rules, stuff you already know. Try not to leave any sign that could point towards your identity - blatant DNA evidence, clothing, weapons, nothing." Anko sprawled on her back and sighed. "So essentially, it's just the stuff you already know. Except that you have to put it towards sex, which is hard at first because you can't detach yourself from the situation without practice."
She turned over and gave a reassuring smile. "But the pay's good, and it does get easier."
But would she ever get used to sleeping with creepy criminals just to get a shot at killing them during their post-coital bliss, or to get a few snippets of forbidden information?
Sakura smiled back weakly. "Thanks, Anko."
"No problem. It's the least I can do." She stretched. "So apparently I'll be accompanying you on your first mission. You nervous?"
"A little.."
"Don't worry. I'll mostly just demonstrate for you, and let you pick up from observation. Sound good?"
She nodded.
"But seriously. Nothing extreme ever happens the first mission."
A/N: So, the next chapter's going to be the extra action-packed mission chapter! oooooh such mystique! :P
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I've been so busy and stressed lately over school and graduating, that I've been limiting the time I have to write, which in turn has made me more stressed. :/
I know this chapter is kind of bland, but I promise - next chapter will be epic! And epic is something I'm usually not too good at.
Please review!