AN: Ho ho ho! Santa brings an update :D

And guys, please don't hate Kakashi too much- he has issues dammit! Thanks for reading and to the three reviewers- see don't worry I didn't leave you hanging too long did I? I just had some family stuff to do over Christmas. Aaaan I am so close to finishing this now! Watch out for more updates soon!

Chapter 22

Kakashi almost fell off the sofa when he heard his student's words. 'It's about Gai-sensei.' But how, how did she know? Shit, if she knew, did anyone else? He couldn't face his feelings himself, let alone explain them to a teenager, his student nonetheless.

Kakashi sighed. There was no getting out of this now. Despite his initial impressions of Sakura all that time ago, she wasn't stupid; far from it. She knew he was in here and that he was trying to hide like a coward, so the least he could do now was face her after the trouble he had caused.

Mournfully he approached the door and unlocked it to reveal the pink haired girl, arms folded reproachfully across her chest. It was her turn to sigh now. "Oh sensei," she said.

Had he not felt so ashamed and embarrassed, he would have raised an eyebrow mockingly. But he just didn't have the heart for their usual banter now.

"I suppose you had best come in," he managed to say, his voice not far off a mumble. "After all, I'd rather the neighbours didn't hear any more than they already have."

Here he paused and threw a glance at old Aina-san's window. Sure enough the curtain rumbled as the old woman practically dove away. She must have had all her prayer's answered at once, for she loved nothing more than watching a domestic scandal unfold, and Kakashi rarely ever had one- not one involving his love life anyway- and with a man no less! The loudest and craziest man of them all in her opinion, the ever booming green beast of Konoha.

Sakura entered the house and followed Kakashi to the sofa.

"So, I take it you are going to berate me for my most recent behaviour?" Kakashi began as he found her something to drink.

"Do you really need to be told what an ass you were?"

Kakashi merely turned to face her. The girl had a temper but she had never been so direct with him before, to the point of calling what she saw. He would never admit it, but he kind of liked this side of her.

"Right, let's get this over with then: yes, I know Gai-sensei is in love with you, we helped him realise it; yes, his odd behaviour has been his attempts to 'woo' you; and yes, I know he confessed to you and came here today only to find that the gate-chuunin was here. I also saw him leave."

"Who is this 'we' you speak of?"

"Me, Ino, Hinata and Tenten. We were talking about, err," oh no she couldn't tell Kakashi about her frequent analyse of the boys they knew, particularly a surely Uchiha! "well, that doesn't matter, what matters is we accidentally discovered Gai's most cherished feelings for you and decided to help him."

"Tenten?" Kakashi couldn't help but groan as he let his head drop into his hands. Oh great, he could only imagine the look of daggers she would reserve for him.

It was at this point Sakura glanced around confused. "But where is the cactus?"

"You know about that?" Kakashi went to grab it from its place in his bedroom beside Mr Ukki. "It came with a note from my 'secret admirer'. At the time I had assumed it was Kotetsu."

"Him!?" Sakura flared. "Why on earth would you think someone like him could get you such a thoughtful gift?!"

"Thoughtful?" The confusion showed on Kakashi's face. He had thought it a bit random in all honesty. But he supposed it suited his prickly personality more so than any red roses or the like.

"Yes," Sakura leaned forward in her seat and gazed at Kakashi with a look that was so intense it took him by surprise. "Didn't you know: the cactus is a gift of unconditional, lasting love that always endures. It symbolises warmth, bravery and affection. Gai-sensei was expressing a devotion of the deepest kind when he gave this to you."

Kakashi, for once, was stunned into silence.

They sat still, both staring at the cactus on the coffee table.

It was Kakashi who was the first to speak, albeit incoherently.

"Gai… Gai gave… unconditional lo… Gai?"

"It's OK, Kakashi-sensei, I know this must have come as a shock. But it isn't too late. You can dump the gate guy and-"

"I was never with Kotetsu in the first place; that was all a misunderstanding. He errr, came to be injured somehow last night, and I patched him up and allowed him to stay over. Nothing happened."

Kakashi shivered, creeped out at having to explain his sex life- or lack of it- to his student. It was made even more embarrassing as the memories of her falling in on his little bit of alone time filled his mind. Thank kami he wore a mask so she couldn't see just how red his face was burning. It was one thing for her to assume him a port-reading pervert, but all the recent events involving his personal life was quite another indeed.

"Well that's perfect!" Sakura beamed as she jumped up from the sofa. "You can just go and explain that to Gai-sensei and then you two can be together and-"

"No!" Kakashi yelled, much louder and sterner than he intended. His steely voice surprised even himself. "No Sakura, real life doesn't work like that. This isn't some story out of a book or girly magazine. This is my life Sakura, and I want to live it alone."

The pink haired girl visably deflated. "What… but after everything, after hearing about Gai's true feelings, the meaning of the cactus… you won't even try to make it work?"

"Look," Kakashi began, getting more and more distressed by the second. "I am flattered and appreciative of Gai's feelings for me. If this had all happened when we were much younger, when I was different then maybe it could have worked out. But it is too late for me now to have a relationship, with anyone, even Gai."

"I… I don't understand." She looked close to tears herself.

Kakashi looked like he might hyperventilate. He took a few calming breaths. "The truth is, I'm scared Sakura. Scared that I will mess it up. I'm not really boyfriend material. I don't know how to be. And Gai is such a good, honest man. And I don't deserve him."

"But why?"

"I promised myself long ago that I wouldn't allow myself to love or have a family. It is hard for you to understand, but I need to focus on being strong and protecting my friends. I don't have time for-"

"Oh don't give me that rubbish!" Sakura was almost seething. "You are hiding things from me still. People don't just close themselves off like that for no reason! And I honestly can't see what could be so terrible that you won't even give Gai-sensei a chance. He loves you so much. And you could love him to if you would just open up and let yourself. I know what I saw sensei, you were moved by Gai's confession at dinner, by the cactus. You like him more than you let on! You're just scared. A coward."

And with that she rose and headed to the door.

"Sakura, wait! It's not like that. I'm doing this for Gai's sake as well, he deserves someone better than me."

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself, I can't believe-"

Suddenly there was banging at the door.

"Sakura, Kakashi-sensei!" The other three girls screamed.

"Oi, let us in!" Ino called.

"Kakashi-sensei, you need to see this!"