Chapter 7!

Title:"Kunais and Questions"

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

….

I tried to free my hand from Kakashi-sensei's grip. He was acting so strange.

We lost sight of Sai so long ago, where were we going, now?

I tried to speak up, the sound of the rustling leaves and creaking branches around us muffled my still weak voice.

I saw a clearing up ahead, and before I knew it, we halted to a stop.

I looked over to Kakashi-sensei, who was still gripping my hand harshly. He only squeezed harder, looking straight ahead of him with a fierce expression.

I followed the line of his eyesight, trying to see what he could be glaring at so intensely.

Sai.

He was standing in the middle of the clearing, his hand on his hip, staring at us with a bemused expression.

"I was told that Kakashi the Copy Ninja was one to look out for." Sai spoke. "I'm impressed. You didn't even need your Sharingan to see through me."

Everything suddenly made sense. Why Kakashi-sensei was so tense, why Sai was acting a little strange.

I immediately felt like an idiot for not realizing it sooner.

"Then again… your Sharingan didn't work so well last night, did it?" Sai's eyes slid between Kakashi and me ruthlessly. I could feel Kakashi's hand slightly tighten, and then loosen.

He let go.

My hand suddenly felt really cold.

"What do you want?" Kakashi asked through his teeth. It almost sounded like a growl.

Was he always this easily angered?

Of course not….

"Well, you Konoha ninjas are in the way of my mission, so of course I have to get rid of you… but I just felt like playing with you first." Sai's voice was so sickly playful. I had definitely never heard him talk that way before.

"Sakura…" Kakashi's voice was soft again. "You need to stay back this time."

"But I can-"

"I can't risk it… If you interfere, it'll slow me down." His voice was a little harsh...

I wanted to say something… anything.

I hated those words, I hated that Kakashi-sensei was the one to say them. He wasn't ever this blunt before… why was he so eager to keep me out of the fight? I wasn't completely powerless here!

But if he really thought I was going to get in the way… I couldn't just force my help on him.

I had to trust him.

I heard his voice again.

"I'm sorry… but please wait for me." Then he was gone.

He was already running towards the fake Sai with a kunai in hand, and I didn't even get to say anything back to him.

The assassin was just as prepared for battle, already holding a custom-shaped kunai and charging towards Kakashi. The assassin used Sai's face to smile a wide, dangerous grin that sent chills down my spine.

The kunai clashed and they both backed off, then clashed again, then backed away again. The assassin ran off into the trees, Kakashi threw his kunai, but it only hit a tree.

Then Kakashi was gone, running after the fake Sai.

I was alone for a few seconds.

I felt so useless, just standing there, waiting for someone to win.

Then they were in sight again, making their way to the clearing.

Kakashi was chasing after the assassin, who stopped on the ground, spun around on his heel with speed I've never seen before, grabbing a kunai from his pouch.

Kakashi was already in the processing of dodging the kunai before the assassin leapt off the ground with the same amazing speed, colliding his fist with Kakashi's stomach.

Kakashi fell to the ground for a moment, writhing to stand up, but paused for a second, laying on the ground a little breathless.

I instinctually ran a few steps toward him.

I really didn't want to just stand there, but he told me to stay back.

I reached into my kunai pouch, just in case.

Kakashi staggered to his feet. I immediately checked the assassin, who's had plenty of time to attack.

He was stumbling backward a little. A kunai was deep inside his chest. It was so strange to see Sai's body like that, I had to control an impulse of fear.

Did Kakashi do that right before he was punched?

He was always steps ahead of his opponent somehow…

And then, in only an instant, Sai's body was gone in a puff of smoke.

After only a second of processing the moment, I quickly ran over to Kakashi-sensei.

He was dragging his feet a little, clutching his chest.

"Anything broken?" Was my immediate question… I knew too well that the assassin's punch was powerful.

"No…" He grunted a little. "He must've held back." I only wondered why the assassin wouldn't go for the kill for a second before I was within an arms length of him, his reached out his hand. He grabbed my shoulder.

"I need to lean against something." His words were coarse.

"Ok." I took a hold of his shoulder, his arm slid around my back, holding onto me a little tightly.

My heart skipped a little.

I wasn't used to his touch.

We wobbled over to a tree. I let go of him, but he still kept his hand on my shoulder as he swung around to lean up against the bark. He sighed.

"You sure you're ok?" I asked. He usually didn't get hurt this easily…or let it affect him this much. He'd usually ignore the pain and resume authority over a situation, like team captains were supposed to.
It was a little strange for him to show his pain like this.

"Yes." He said shortly.

A moment of quiet passed as we stood there, he caught his breath, I was still so aware of his hand on my shoulder, but I didn't say anything. I was okay with it there… it was just… new. Usually he wouldn't touch me unless it was necessary, my mind flashed to the ordeal of his contact-healing.

"Hey, Sakura." His voice was smooth but it still shook me a little from those thoughts. I felt a little weird for thinking about his touch for so long.

I looked up to him. He had a strange expression.

"You really are cute." He chuckled a little. His voice kind and casual.

Eh?

"You were really worried about me, weren't you?" He asked softly.

"… of course." I said a little quietly, staring at my feet. Why is he talking like this?

I felt his hand slide from my shoulder to the side of my neck, his thumb was rubbing along my jaw. I twitched a little... I really wasn't used to Kakashi touching me… and just now, that wasn't normal, was it?

"Do you have feelings for me, Sakura?"

My head whipped up.
He was staring at me as if he had asked the most natural question in the world. As if he just asked what time it was or how the weather was.
But he really just asked that question.
Kakashi-sensei... the man that trained me, taught me, treated me like a little kid even after I started growing up, was asking me if I… if I…

What?

I couldn't say anything, I couldn't think anything…

… I…

I can't, right?…

I can't have feelings for him. That's just…
That's just too weird… how could I think about Kakashi-sensei like that? He's… Kakashi.

But why is my heart beating this hard after he asked that? Why isn't easy for me to simply stop thinking right now and say 'Ew, no.' or 'You're my teacher, I don't think of you like that.' like a girl my age should? How come if I said those things I'd feel like I was lying?

Did I really?…. Was I really?...

Even though I kept questioning it, I knew… somewhere… the answer to all my questions. But I couldn't admit it so clearly just yet. I needed to process this…. I can't just accept the fact that I might have these feelings for a teacher, a man, I've known since I was a kid.

It was too much.

Way too much.

My brain was doing summersaults.

Besides… even if I did have feelings for him.

He would never return them.

He doesn't think of me like that.

I'm just a kid to him.

Just Sakura.

He wouldn't take it seriously.

He'll probably treat me like a little girl who has a childish crush on him…

He can't like me the way I…

As I reached the end of that thought, it felt as if my mind felt empty and overcrowded at the same time. I barely noticed, but was all too aware, of his thumb brushing along my chin, lifting my face up. My heart was betraying my denial when I was forced to look into his eye.
Why is this happening? Why do I feel like this?

I've looked at him millions of times before… why now, after being bombarded with that question, am I unable to look at his face without feeling my heart and stomach both bubble with that familiar, addicting, form of anxiety.
He's always just been 'Kakashi-sensei'.
Always.
Why was it different now? Why couldn't I just look at him and think, like I always used to, that he was simply a teacher, just a person I knew? Why did he mean so much more to me now? Why was he so much more important to me now? Why did my skin seem to burn under his hand? Why did I have such a hard time looking at him now?

"I…." I couldn't say anything despite the amount of words passing through my mind.

I didn't have an answer. I was only questions right now.

"Don't worry…" His voice was so smooth… it was little strange actually.

His thumb reached up to my lips. I froze.

"It's only natural…." His thumb pressed down, barely entering my mouth.

This was really too much. My heart, my stomach, my throat, everything was acting so strange… I wasn't sure if I was nervous, happy, scared, worried, or confused… I didn't move. I couldn't move. The amount of confusion and realization seemed to shock all of my motor functions out of commission.

His other hand found my arm, he tugged a little forcefully.

I fell forward, while he moved gracefully out of the way, pulling me at just the right moment that I turned around to face him as my back hit the tree.

In a blurry moment of motion, we had switched spots… now I was the one leaning against the tree as he was leaning towards me.

He was so close. Too close. This was getting stranger by the moment…

He was only inches away, looming over me; his left forearm was anchored against the tree above my head.

Even though I couldn't see exactly what his face was expressing, I could see the smile behind the thin cloth.

It wasn't his usual smile, this one was… dangerous.

His eye had a predatorial glint.

This was actually a little uncomfortable… him watching me so intently.

I managed to try to slide out from underneath him, but his hand was still gripping my arm tightly.

I tried to move again, he only tugged me back harder.

"Kakashi-sensei…" My voice sounded a little scared, unintentionally… I didn't like it.

"Don't sound that way… " Kakashi leaned in really close, his covered mouth to my ear. "It's a little exciting..." His warm breath washed over my neck. I cringed, my shoulder shrugging closer to my neck in reaction.
A nervous eruption of stomach acid made me feel light-headed.

Exciting?

I had never really thought about that side of Kakashi-sensei, the side of him that only those mature, faceless women got to know. Thinking about it was so strange, but here he was, talking like this….
And right after I kind of sort out these feelings… for him…
I felt like such a little kid now. I hated it.

But, something is definitely wrong!

This couldn't be him.

He wouldn't act like this.

Even if he's an adult and probably has sides of him I've never seen, he wouldn't secretly be like this, would he?

Is this a copy?

No… it couldn't be, otherwise, I would've seen two Kakashi's at one point. But there was only one…

So that means something's wrong with Kakashi?

My thoughts halted when I felt his knee slide between my legs.

I shuddered.

I felt like falling to the ground.

"This isn't Kakashi…" I almost stuttered, but I managed some strength in my tone.

"How do you know that for sure?" His voice was so teasing and warm in my ear. "Do you really know your 'sensei'… do you know how he thinks… what he's capable of?" Kakashi's voice had never sounded so strange. "Maybe this is actually who he is... And I'm just helping him express himself." He pressed even closer, I was already flat against the tree.

I never noticed just how much taller and bigger he was, but now that his body was so close to mine, it was hard not to notice.

I could feel my heart in my throat… My hand curled into a fist as I fought the urge to punch this… thing…

It wasn't Kakashi, but it was his body… it had to be, I hadn't seen any copies… If I punched him to save myself right now, I'll be hurting Kakashi, too.
I settled for words instead of violence. I swallowed nervously, trying to find some more edge for my voice.

"I trust him…" Those were the only words in my mind. I trust him…

"But maybe the 'him' you trust so much, was only an act…" I felt the rumble of his chuckling laughter.

I could feel the body heat rise between us… I felt like I should be sweating, but the outside air was so cold.

I didn't say anything.

"This is your 'sensei''s true nature."

I felt his masked face rub against my neck back and forth. His warm breath made me shiver. The scent of forests and water was too much. I hated how I could smell Kakashi when it wasn't him right now.

"No, it isn't…" I leaned away. He leaned away too, creating some much needed distance, but he was looking at me like I was child. I hated seeing that look from Kakashi. "He's responsible, and kind, and he wouldn't ever hurt any of his team members… and he probably wouldn't ever even think of doing this." That hurt a little… but it was the truth, right?

"Don't be so sur-" Kakashi's face made a sudden change. He no longer looked so dangerous, but was cringing in pain, looking down.

I looked down, too.

Blood was dripping from a gash in his leg. Kakashi was holding the bloody kunai in his own hand.

He stumbled a little, falling to one of his knees.

"Kakashi-sensei!" I crouched down to him, a little hesitantly, glad to be free from that tree but still wary of who this was.

"He's gone…." He panted a little. "I figured it out…" He stood up, not showing much pain over the stab wound. "Used an old genjutsu trick." He explained the reason behind his self-inflicted injury.

"Good…" I whispered with relief, still recovering from the stress my body was under just a moment ago.

This was really him. If it was anything like it was for me when my identity was stolen, maybe he doesn't know what that imposter made him say yet. Maybe I could just lie and say nothing really happened.
But before I could entertain that ideal thought any further I heard Kakashi's voice speak up, his voice normal, but serious.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."I looked up at him, already feeling awkward, but trying not to show it. "That he used me to…"

He looked away.

I would've probably blushed or something if I wasn't so nervous that he would be disgusted by being forced to treat me like that...
I'm just a kid to him. Just a little girl. A student. A subordinate. Somebody who always gets in the way. He'd never…. He'd want someone stronger, prettier… older. Someone who was more like him. Who could keep up with him.

I took a breath trying to get rid of those increasingly painful thoughts and put on a normal act.

"It's okay… I knew he was wrong about you, you wouldn't have ever done something like that…" I tried to smile… but I couldn't quite manage that much… I settled for a small twitch at the corner of my mouth.

He didn't say anything for a second, his eyes only looked towards the forest… not like he was looking for anything, though. More like he didn't want to look at me.

I guess he really is upset about it.
He'll probably avoid me now for a while.
I found myself definitely not looking forward to losing the small amount of closeness we've managed to make over the past day.

But I didn't have a lot of time to cope with all these strange feelings and disappointments until he started talking again.

"He deals with chakra extraction and infusion." Kakashi started to explain… I didn't like the way he just ignored the previous topic so easily while I was still a little caught up with it. "He can take chakra from a person to create a Shadow Clone of their form, but keep his own consciousness…" His voice was as cold as the air."But the chakra's owner will also get the memories of the clone, just as they normally would with their own Shadow Clone." My inner-shinobi came back to life with that, drowning out my personal feelings a little.

"So how did he… with you?" I summarized, still trying to think about the mission, and not about how much my hands were shaking from the memory of Kakashi-sensei's touch.

"That punch… he infused his own chakra with mine, confusing my chakra flow and taking over my body… It's almost like a form of genjutsu."

So that's how he figured it out. I reasoned to myself, trying to keep an objective mind… it wasn't working.

We didn't say anything for a long moment… he still wouldn't look at me. Every second seemed more painful than the last.

"What do we do now?" I asked, breaking the silence, feeling useless.

"I'm going to go after him. He should still be around here…" He took a few steps passed me, towards the forest

"But you're injured!" I argued, the medic-nin in me coming out a little.

"It won't affect my fighting style that much." He answered calmly. He was right. Kakashi had always been a guerilla type of fighter. He wouldn't keep to one spot and would rarely attack outright, he'd usually wait for the enemy to expose a weakness.
But that wasn't enough excuse for him to just go back out there without help.

"Then I'll go wit-" I began with determination

"No, Sakura… we've already seen what he can do to you. We can't risk it happening again." He was so emotionless in that moment…

"What about you?" I pointed out, feeling a little put-off. But he was right.

"I'm a quick learner… " he smiled… it was fake. I could tell right away.

…

I didn't say anything. I stared at the dewy grass, clenching my fists to my sides.

"Sakura…" He started walking away. "Don't let your guard down for anyone… not even me…" He warned me with a solemn voice that didn't house much worry.

And then he was gone…

It started raining.

…