A/N: This might not be important toward those who are not Gintama fans, but I'm just going to make a quick announcement...Gintama is coming back up on October 4 and it will be shown on Thursdays instead of Mondays! Fuck yeah, I'm psyched! I've been waiting too long for this!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own this amazing world of Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Tales of Love

Chapter Two: In Denial (AU)

Rated: T

Day One

Sakura truly hated herself.

Her eyebrows knitted as Naruto's shoulder gently bumped into hers as they walked down the dirt path. The entire class of second years at the Leaf Academy had a three-day field trip to the beach. Arrangements were made so that they could all stay at a nice, big hotel ten minutes away from the beach. Each room would hold at least eight students, boys separated from the girls. In this case, some of them were required to bring futons. As for the teachers who chose to supervise, each would receive their own suite.

This trip was supposed to be more along the lines of a "getaway paradise." She had to be honest, everything seemed nice so far. Despite the long walk from the bus stop to their destination, the scenery was quite fascinating, not to mention the beautiful, colorful arrangements of flowers. Sakura, however, did not exactly want to attend. She would rather stay hidden in the comfort of her bedroom than tag along.

Unfortunately, both her parents and friends forced her to come. They all said that she was being too uptight and stiff, but they did not know the true explanation of her attitude.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto wailed her name loudly as he once again bumped into her. "Are we there yet?"

Sakura gave him a deathly glare and resumed staring at the dirt path in front of her. Naruto's fear was easily noticeable and he redirected his question at the silver-headed man leading the group of young students.

"Kakashi-sensei! Are we there yet?" he asked, not nearly as loud as he had said before.

Kakashi paused, causing the whole train of students to stop in their tracks. He turned around slowly to face the blonde-haired boy and looked at him with his mismatched eyes. Humming a little, he ordered, "I wish to lecture Naruto for a short while, so the rest of you can go on ahead and trail after Iruka, alright?"

"Hai!" chanted everyone, marching on.

Sakura sighed deeply and took one step. Suddenly, one hand lurched forward and yanked her back, making her stumble. With wide eyes, she looked over her shoulder at Naruto, realizing that she hadn't been the only one to be pulled back. He had also held back Sasuke.

"Stay with me, please!" pleaded Naruto, his tone childish. "I don't want to be alone when I'm given permission to walk again!"

"Naruto," began Kakashi, scratching the back of his head, "I don't think it's right to keep your friends from—"

"It's fine, really." Sakura swatted Naruto's hand away and folded her arms in front of her chest, staring with dull eyes at her mentor. "Sasuke and I are used to it. We don't mind if we sit through your lecture for Naruto."

The pink-haired girl shortly glanced at Sasuke, who nodded at her in agreement.

"Is that so?" wondered Kakashi, rubbing his chin. He stared blankly at the sky before giving her a sudden warm gaze. "I suppose it's okay. I'll make it quick in this case."

Sakura felt a burning sensation down at the pit of her stomach and immediately averted her attention elsewhere. She could feel her cheeks hot and red as she quickly swept her hand across it. She chewed her lip nervously and pretended that she did not care.

Kakashi was the reason why she never wanted to attend the trip.

His very presence just bothered her.

She didn't know why he bothered her. It was simply uncomfortable, especially the way he looked at her. It was as if he was treating her with more delicacy than any other student he had, or perhaps it was only her mind fooling her. Either way, she still didn't like it. She wanted to hate him, despise him more than anyone else, for making her feel these odd emotions, but there was something about him that prevented her from doing so.

"I have to be more mature?" Naruto suddenly gaped, throwing his arms into the air wildly. "Aren't I already mature enough?"

Naruto's loud outburst dragged her away from her thoughts, bringing her focus onto his conversation with Kakashi.

"Well, mature people don't complain and whine every minute," noted Kakashi with a slight frown.

Naruto pouted and turned to face Sasuke. "Sasuke-teme! You think I'm mature, right?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Out of all of the people I know, I think you're the most childish."

"How rude!"

"Maybe you should learn how to act more like an adult."

"This is an outrage!"

"Hn."

"Alright, alright," sighed Kakashi, waving his hands in front of him as if he was swatting the air. "No need to argue. Besides, we need to catch up with the rest of the class. We've fallen behind."

After a moment of calming down, the group of four continued to follow the dirt path. It would be only five to ten more minutes before they would arrive at their destination. Sakura longed to rest in her bed, to lay back and simply relax for the day. The field trip was worsening by the second. With Naruto and Sasuke barking at her side and Kakashi giving her side glances, she would be ready to burst.

"Boys, calm down," grumbled Kakashi, slouching his shoulders and pushing his hands deeper into the pockets of his trousers.

Naruto and Sasuke ignored the teacher's comment and continued to argue back and forth, their voices rising each turn, as they emerged into a small opening where the cliff side was visible.

"Shut up!" growled Sasuke, nudging Naruto toward the left.

"Why don't you?" retorted Naruto. He returned the push, but it was even stronger.

"Oi! What makes you think you can shove me?"

"Well you shoved me, teme!"

"It was a small nudge! I didn't have any intention of hurting you!"

"Oh, really?" snorted Naruto, balling his fists and baring his teeth at the Uchiha.

"Well, I do now!" shouted Sasuke, his hands shooting to grab Naruto by the collar of his shirt.

Naruto, refusing to be defeated, struggled to avoid his opponents attack. He stumbled back, being unable to balance himself as Sasuke forced his hand onto his neck.

"Would you two stop fighting?" snapped Sakura, stopping in her steps to take a deep breath in. "You are seriously getting on my nerve—"

Before she could say any more, Naruto bumped against her, causing her to trip and fall toward the cliff side. Eyes widening and mouth agape, she stared in fear as she slowly fell off the edge. She thought that this would be the end of her. She would die a tragic death in the narrow creek down below, drown or hit her head off to the side.

All of a sudden, Sakura felt a strong, sinewy hand take hold of her small, petite one. She found herself being pulled toward a tall, muscular figure and her cheek immediately made contact with his chest, the impact so strong that it dizzied her. Absentmindedly, her hands crawled up to grip tightly onto his jacket. Her vision began to haze and all she could hear was the loud pumping of her adrenaline.

Everything seemed blurry and out of place. It took her a while to process what had just happened. In the background, she could hear the faint worrying and arguing of Naruto and Sasuke. She tried to turn to look around, but her body was extremely stiff and did not allow her to budge. The only comfort she had was the warmth this person provided for her.

Something gently squeezed her shoulder. "Sakura."

The pink-haired student shuddered and lifted her face, only to find a pair of onyx and red eyes looking directly at her. Her lips parted to say something, but nothing came out. Her grip on him tightened and she closed her mouth. It was obvious now that she was too shocked to say anything.

"Sakura," whispered Kakashi, silently. "Are you alright?"

It took a moment for Sakura to regain her composure. She released him and stepped back, uneasy. Stuttering, she murmured, "Y-Yeah. I'm fine."

Kakashi simply stared at her, unconvinced that she was truly okay. Before he questioned her any further, Naruto squeezed himself in between them and held onto Sakura by her shoulders, shaking her wildly. "Sakura-chan! Thank goodness you're alive! I thought you were going to die and then I would have to punish myself! If I lost you, I don't know what I'd do! I'd be a terrible person for—"

"Dope! Shut up! You're not making her feel any better, you know?" sighed Sasuke, shaking his head in frustration.

Sakura smiled forcefully. "I'm fine, really! You don't have to worry about me," she reassured, "And Naruto, it's not your fault. It's my fault for being so clumsy."

"But Saku—" The blonde stopped in the middle of his sentence when Kakashi gave him a sharp glance.

"You two, Naruto and Sasuke, go on ahead. Be careful as you catch up with the rest of the group. I don't want you guys getting lost, hmm?" said Kakashi.

"Hai," they mumbled as they started to trudge.

"Now, Sakura." He turned his head slightly to look at her with soft, tangible eyes. "Tell me the truth. Are you alright?"

She fidgeted with her fingers nervously. "Like I said, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me."

"I do need to worry about you," he replied firmly. "You gave me a scare there, Sakura. You might not think it's much of a big deal, but it is for me. I could lose my job if anyone finds out about this incident…and I'd lose a very lovely, intelligent pupil." He smiled at her softly, his eyes creasing.

Her cheeks heated up and she stared at her feet to avoid his gaze. "I-I'm perfectly fine," she murmured stubbornly.

She heard him sigh heavily. For a few minutes, no one spoke. Then, when the time came, he readied himself. "If you ever start to feel uneasy or uncomfortable, come find me and I'll be there to help you," he finally said, quietly.

She swallowed hard.

"Thank you," whispered Sakura.

Kakashi did not reply. She only heard the soft singing of crickets hidden in the bushes by the trees.

At that, she began striding down the dirt path once again, not bothering to take a small glance back over her shoulder. She could hear his silent footsteps as he followed her, a reasonable distance placed between them. She knew that he was watching her with a very close eye. She knew he was worrying over her, not only because she had nearly fallen off the cliff, but also because he noticed that she was acting unusual. It was obvious that he wouldn't leave her alone now.

Sakura closed her eyes momentarily. She really, really wanted to hate him.

~ X x . . . x X ~

It was impossible for her to fall asleep.

Growling silently, Sakura rolled over in her futon and faced the open window, watching the curtains sway as the wind gently flowed into the bedroom. Everything surrounding her was absolutely quiet, all but the soft snoring of her fellow classmates. It was absolutely peaceful and it was a perfectly relaxing atmosphere. Sakura wondered why it was so hard to just close her eyes and go to sleep.

Pressing her lips together, she watched as the pale clouds slowly floated across the dark blue night sky. The beach didn't appear to be too far away from the hotel, for she could hear the gentle waves crash onto shore and smell the pleasing ocean scent. The pink-haired girl listened intently to the waves to occupy herself for the time being. Eventually, she pulled herself into a cross-legged position after giving up and quietly rose to her feet.

Carefully, she made her way past her sleeping classmates, practically stepping on her tiptoes. She grabbed her jacket, slipped into her flip flops, then made her way toward the exit. When she reached the door she reached for the knob and turned it slowly. She allowed herself out of the bedroom after looking both ways to make sure that the area was clear of the supervisors, then quickly strode down the hallway.

The lobby of the hotel was dimly lit and no one was currently at the reception desk. It was practically deserted. Sakura walked across the tiled floor and pushed the glass doors open. The hinges squeaked slightly as she closed them, but she paid no attention to them. She took in a deep breath, noticing the air outside was much more fresher and less stuffier. Smiling a bit, she continued her journey to the sandy beach that lay not too far off into the distance.

It was a few short minutes before she found herself stepping on the soft white sand. She stared at it with wondering eyes, then kicked her flip flops off. She dug her toes into the sand, enjoying the warm feeling it brought her. After a moment of reminiscing, she bent over to retrieve her footwear, then resumed her stroll, barefoot.

Sakura had been absent from the hotel room for nearly thirty minutes now, not that she cared. She really couldn't sleep and this was the only thing in mind. Besides, she enjoyed the comfort of the beach. It was nice and pleasant, and it definitely got rid of her troubling thoughts.

The young student paused and faced the great blue ocean, watching as the waves swallowed the shore then sunk back to its place. Hesitantly, she dipped her feet into the shallow part of the shore, the sudden coldness making her jump. She managed to suppress her squeal and stood still as the water splashed around her ankles. Sakura quickly glanced at her shorts to see how short they were. After a quick thought, she attempted to move further into the sea.

"I don't think that's a very good idea."

Sakura's lips parted to gasp and her eyes widened. She partly turned around and saw that Kakashi was standing a couple of feet behind her. He was wearing khakis that clung loosely around his waist, a blue tank top that was partially covered by his dark jacket, and black sandals. He was glaring at her intently with his usual undecipherable expression.

"You might catch a cold," he continued quietly. "I suggest you return to the hotel."

Her face set and her body steadied. "How did you know I was here?"

Kakashi scratched the side of his head and explained, "I managed to catch you as you were turning at the corner of the hallway. I followed you all the way out here and I was surprised that you didn't notice."

"I don't have time to pay attention to those little details," she murmured grouchily, folding her arms in front of her chest.

The silver-haired man hummed silently in response and stared off into the distance with wondering eyes. Sakura watched him closely, hoping to read what was currently on his mind. However, due to his odd personality, she was unable to find his emotions.

She sighed drastically and trudged out of the shallow water, the bottom of her feet soon meeting the soft, dry sand of the beach. It was hard to understand why that man would go through so much trouble just to keep an eye out on her. She knew that she was nothing special, yet he always chose to stick by her side. Kakashi had done so much for her, but she gave nothing in return. Wasn't he tired of her already?

Frowning, Sakura fell back and sat on the ground, hugging her knees and pulling them close to her chin. She stared bluntly at the full moon, noticing its white luminous glow. From behind, she heard the silent noise of his footsteps and immediately knew that he was standing close beside her, but she chose not to look at him.

Kakashi released a heavy breath. "Why are you up so late?" he asked.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Can't sleep."

"Hmm." The teacher seated himself next to her, his knee slightly brushing against her thigh. "Is something bothering you?"

"I don't know…" Her voice trailed off into an inaudible whisper. She truly didn't know what was bugging her. It was a mystery, even to her.

"You don't know?" he repeated, a bit puzzled at her answer.

Sakura remained silent. She did not want to talk to him at all. She wished that he would just disappear along with the rest of her troubles. They were all beginning to get on her nerve and it was absolutely irritating. Sakura despised how people tried to help her, as if they knew and understood her emotions. No one could help her. Not even herself could find a resolution.

"I came here a lot when I was in high school," Kakashi suddenly said, quietly.

The pink-haired girl directed her gaze toward her mentor, turning her head slightly. His face was concentrated and there was a pained look in his eyes.

He continued, "When I was your age, I had trouble making friends. I was so full of myself…Damn, I even had trouble before I started high school." He paused and chuckled to himself momentarily, reminiscing in his past. "Despite my cold attitude toward others, everyone still tried to befriend me. They were all persistent. Guy, Genma, Kurenai…I thought they were all foolish."

Sakura listened intently, watching him closely. She noticed that his barriers were beginning to tumble down and it was much more easier to read his expression than before.

"There were two particular people that were the most foolish," he explained, "and they ended being my closest friends. We came here a lot during our spare time, along with our sensei, Minato."

"Naruto's father?" she said aloud, absentmindedly.

Kakashi nodded once. "It was a sweet, yet extremely short period of happiness…but then one day my father died. He committed suicide."

Sakura felt her heart stop at those words and pity immediately began to fill her.

"I couldn't believe what had happened. I was so terrified when I saw him lying dead on the floor when I came home from school," he murmured, slouching over, bringing his elbows down to his thighs. "I remember…I was angry. I couldn't control myself and my friends, Obito and Rin, died soon after as well, trying to protect me from this so-called hatred. I was running away and as I crossed the street, a car was driving by quickly and I was too infuriated to notice. Obito took his own life to save me. He pushed me out of the way and died when the car hit him head-on. The next day, I went deep into the forest, hoping to escape all of the madness. Rin tried to followed me, and it was raining heavily. She slipped on the mud, fell off the ledge, and into the deep creek below. She hit her head on a large rock and she was discovered unconscious an hour later. I blamed myself for not knowing that she would do such a thing and I was too afraid to face her. I never visited her in the hospital. She passed away a week later. I never got a chance to say goodbye…"

She gritted her teeth and balled her fists. Why was he telling her this? Why was he entrusting her with his personal experiences? What did he see in her that convinced him that he could trust her? Her eyelids clasped closed, her eyebrows burrowing. She really, really wanted to hate him. She really, really wanted to push him away.

"Sometimes I wish I would just…disappear." He laughed with a pained tone. "I'm a horrible person, aren't I?"

But she couldn't hate him now.

Sakura swallowed. "You aren't a horrible person."

"Huh?" Kakashi glanced at her, surprised at her response.

"You're a good guy," she began slowly, gathering the correct words to say. "A person with great humor, amazing intelligence, and excellent leadership skills. Everyone looks up to you…including me." She paused, then said with a more motivated tone, "You…you don't need to disappear! Y-You're important to us!"

Kakashi's hand rose to wipe his watering eyes and she stared at him, amazed that he was nearly about to break into tears. He hung his head, his silver hair falling in front of his forehead. All of a sudden, he began to laugh softly, the palm of his hand pressed onto his discarded eye.

"W-What's so funny?" she demanded, nervously.

"Nothing," he answered with a small smile. "I'm just glad that there are people out there in the world like you."

He ruffled the top of her head, his grin growing wider, his eyes creasing happily. Her stomach churned uncomfortably as she glared at his smile.

She really wanted to hate him, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

~ X x . . . x X ~

Day Two

All Sakura wanted was to be alone.

The gentle breeze blew over the horizon, pushing the small mounds of sand further back. Her hand reached up to hold onto her sun hat to inhibit its escape into the sky. She dug her toes deeper into the sand, feeling the warmth slowly embrace her. She was isolated, sitting by a slightly large cliff that nearly extended over the ocean.

Sakura was well hidden, she knew that very well. Though she could see her classmates clearly, watching them as they waded through the ocean's blue water, she knew that they could not see her. The dark smooth stones surrounding her were partly the reason why she was so invisible. Besides, after many years the pink-haired girl came to realize that she was rarely noticeable due to her silent personality.

But why was it so easy for him to find her?

She eyed the lean figure of her sensei to the right, observing as he stretched his arms outwards then planted his hands on both sides, the muscles on his stomach and arms flexing, giving her a warm feeling down in her stomach. Shaking her head, she redirected her attention back to the calming ocean. It was hard for her to understand how he had found her in the first place.

It didn't make sense. She made sure that she was alone and far away from the rest of the crowd. She was always extremely adept when it came to sneaking away and it always had been successful. There had never been anyone who was able to discover her location without any trouble. Had she lost her touch?

Her eyes closed shut. The arriving of problems were simply incessant. It killed her jubilant mood.

"Why do you like being isolated from the rest, Sakura?" Kakashi's baritone voice rang in her ears and she hummed softly to the rhythm.

"It's better that way," she breathed. She lifted her chin to stare up at the seagulls as they tore across the bright blue sky, singing gleefully. In spite of the joyful mood in the atmosphere, bitterness filled her, making her nose crinkle and eyebrows bunch. "I've come to learn that the world we live in doesn't deserve a heavy burden. I'm only weighing everyone else down with my own conflicts, so I am of no use."

"That is not true."

She glanced at him momentarily. She awaited his continuation.

The silver-haired man took in a slow, deep breath. "I've noticed that you stand out, Sakura. Not because of your appearance, but because of your personality. After a year of having you in my class, I realized that you're one of those very few people that help bring everyone close together. You teach people the true meaning of friendship. Even I learned a couple of things from you."

"You make me sound like I'm some sort of a perfect goddess," she muttered, turning to look elsewhere.

"In my eyes, you are perfect." His sudden comment immediately brought her attention back to him. "Howver, even the perfect have their own little predicaments," he murmured, "Which is why your classmates and I surround you with care. We're all here for a reason, Sakura…"

An odd feeling began to bubble in her chest and she felt small tears springing to her eyes. She felt the urge to smile, but she resisted and hugged her knees, bringing her chin close to her kneecaps. She shivered and released an uneasy breath. Why did she suddenly feel comforted and reassured? Most importantly, why was she feeling…happy?

The sand beside her shifted and a dark shadow abruptly loomed over her, hiding the shining sun away from sight. Sakura peeked upward, only to find Kakashi standing tall before her, extending a hand toward her. She swallowed hard when she saw that his eyes were smiling despite the serious expression on his face. For a moment, she hesitated, but eventually, she reached out to hold onto his hand and he pulled her up to her feet.

He continued to tug her gently along, bringing her to another place farther away from her classmates. They walked hand-in-hand, side-by-side, down the shallow shore of the beach. She chewed the inside of her cheek as his grip around her hand tightened.

Why did I take his hand?

They kept walking until he was sure that they were far away from publicity. His grip loosened, but he did not let go. He ushered her into the cold, refreshing shore and the freezing water stung her pale skin. Sakura nervously followed him deeper into the ocean until both of their bottom halfs of their body was covered. Because the liquid was crystal clear, she was able to see that he was close to her side, his trunks brushing against her bare thighs.

Why can't I run away?

Finally, he released her and she nearly lost her balance as the gentle waves swayed her around. Kakashi softly laughed at her clumsiness. Irritated, she frowned and splashed a great amount of water onto him. The man found himself completely soaked, his drenched silver hair hanging lifelessly in front of his forehead. He stared at her with a slightly surprised expression, and then it was Sakura's turn to laugh.

Smirking deviously, he chased after her, trying to get a hold of her as they both waded through the troublesome ocean. Her legs eventually grew tired and she paused shortly. She realized that it was a mistake to stop and rest when his strong arms snaked around her waist, bringing her back into his lean chest. By now, she was giggling uncontrollably at their foolishness, her hands rising to hold onto his wrists.

Why am I enjoying his company?

His face came close and he pressed his nose against the back of her neck and smiled against her porcelain skin. Though the crashing of the waves were unbearably loud, she was still somehow capable of hearing his hushed whisper, "I told you…you make everyone around you happy."

Sakura only held onto him tighter, having nothing else to say in response. The two remained like that for the next five minutes before returning to the comfort of their hotel rooms.

Why does he always make me feel better about myself?

~ X x . . . x X ~

Day 3

Sakura stayed indoors within the hotel room she shared with a few other classmates. It had been nearly three hours since the class left without her. They all planned a grand picnic out by the tropical forest and as much fun as it sounded, she refused to go. To avoid attending the event, she simply lied to the ones that had tried getting her out of bed, Ino and Tenten, saying that she wasn't feeling very well. She assumed that they told the others about her illness and hoped that they were all convinced.

Sighing, she rolled onto her side and pulled the blankets further up and covered her nose. She slowly reached for her cell lying next to her futon and unlocked it. It was past noon and the feast was supposed to start soon. They would just need to finish cooking preparations and then it would all be ready to go.

She tossed her phone aside and covered her eyes with her hands. It was hard for her to believe that she pretended to be sick in order to prevent the others from dragging her along. This occasion was the reason why she went on the field trip in the first place, yet something deep down in her gut told her not to. She didn't want to admit it, but she already knew the cause of her fickle mood.

Her lips curled into a bitter frown and she tried to erase the thoughts of her problems away from her mind. She turned onto her back, pulled her pillow from beneath her head, and slapped it straight onto her face. "Fuck my life," she growled frustratingly, burying her face deep into the cotton, "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Her hands clenched and she stiffly held them by her sides, trying her best to keep herself from punching a hole into the floor.

After what seemed like an eternity, her breathing finally calmed and she lazily brought the pillow down to her stomach, hugging it tightly. Her eyes slid closed and she shuddered at the sound of the automatic air conditioner switching on.

It was terribly silent for the next few minutes and she was beginning to find the silence unbearable. Perhaps she should have gone to the picnic after all?

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of her phone vibrating next to her. She eyed the item, noticing that the message icon was blinking on and off. Deciding that it would be a nuisance to reach over and take a look, she remained still. Messages, much to her misfortune, continued to be received and she was starting to think that she'd just go and throw her cell out the window.

Just when she thought she had enough, her phone started to ring.

Rolling her eyes, she finally answered it. "Hello?"

"Sakura?"

It was Kiba.

"Kiba? What do you want? Didn't the others tell you I'm not feeling good?" wondered Sakura, forcing a rasp voice to make her illness sound convincing.

"No, it's not that! It's…it's…"

"I don't have all day! What do you want?" Sakura demanded more firmly.

"It's Kakashi-sensei."

Shock consumed her, as well as worry. The way Kiba had spoken her teacher's name definitely concerned her. He had said it so silently, in such a frightened, hushed whisper. Hands shaking, she croaked, "What about him?"

"It's not good. I don't know if he's alright. It just happened—"

"What happened?" she interrupted, her voice full of unease.

"Kakashi-sensei…he fell."

Her lips parted slightly.

Sakura's memories flashed before her and she quickly recalled the large cliff that she had nearly fallen off of before they came to the hotel. Her heart nearly stopped and breathing suddenly was hard for her. A mixture of emotions swelled up in her chest and she sat up, gasping for air, her phone dropping in the process.

It was then when Sakura realized the true situation this cruel world decided to bind her in.

"Sakura? Hello? Sakura! You there?"

There was no response, for the pink-haired girl had already rushed out of the room.

TBC

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