Chapter 12 – Teachers who inspire

Sakura sighed happily. She honestly believed Gaara was now her favourite person in the world. Apparently not many outsiders were privy to Suna's best kept secret and Sakura finally understood why the people who called this intense, blast-furnace of a village home didn't go stark-crazy in the heat. Konoha had hot springs – the village hidden in the sand had an oasis.

Propping herself up on her elbows, Sakura smiled as she gazed around. It wasn't the biggest lake she had ever seen. To be honest, it would probably only take her about a minute to swim from one side to the other. A collection of rocks about ten or so feet high on one end created a small waterfall and the perfect jumping platform for some of the older kids running around. By some miracle she didn't understand, the whole area felt cooler than anywhere she had been in Wind country and although the grass she had thrown her towel over was paler and felt more coarse than grass of her home, it was preferably to the sand and grit that permeated the rest of the village.

When herself, Shizune, Genma and yes, even Kakashi had first wandered into the hidden valley, they had received some confused looks from a lot of the locals, but when it became apparent they were with the Kazekage, everyone had just accepted their presence. Gaara was lazily swirling sand around as he sat perched against a palm tree, much to the delight of several young children nearby. He had realised pretty quickly that his guests were suffering in the heat and invited them to spend the morning in this little slice of paradise. Temari was lying next to Sakura in the shade with her eyes closed. Unsure of whether she was asleep or not, Sakura decided not to say anything, even though her gratitude was threatening to burst forth once more. She had no idea how many times she had thanked them both since arriving but it would never be enough.

To her growing amusement, Shizune had been spending a strange amount of time with Genma that morning. He had asked her to join him early upon arriving for a swim and the two of them had barely left the lake. Sakura raised an eyebrow, grinning, as she watched Genma lift a laughing Shizune out of the clear water to throw her back in again.

Finally, her eyes flickered to a spot roughly twenty-five feet away, as it had countless times that morning. Unsurprisingly, the flint coloured eye glanced up and met hers as if he knew every single time she looked over. He smiled, then returned to his book. Kakashi had bee-lined for the hammock the second he saw it, kicking some teenager out in the process. He hadn't moved for the several hours they had been there, much to Sakura's surprise. Surely he would have wanted to go for a swim and cool off? Sakura had revelled in the feeling of cool water swirling over her exposed skin; it had been heavenly. She would definitely be jumping in again before leaving. Perhaps she could convince Kakashi to join her? She shook herself mentally before that train of thought could leave the station. Better to just leave him be for now, surely? He had said they were ok but she didn't want to push her luck.

Another shriek of laughter from Shizune pulled her attention away from her sensei and back to the pair frolicking in the crystal waters. Sakura noted appreciatively how Genma's arms flexed as he hoisted Shizune up again. Both men had borrowed shorts from someone, but whereas Kakashi had kept his vest - and thus mask - on, the slightly older shinobi was showing off his rather well-defined chest and abs. Hey, Sakura was a woman after all, there was no harm in admiring a nicely toned man.

"I'm a little jealous," came an admission from beside her. Sakura glanced over to see Tamari had sat up. "He's pretty gorgeous, even if he can be a bit…" She trailed off with a wave of her hand.

"Genma-esq?" Sakura suggested with a chuckle.

"Precisely," Temari grinned.

Sakura found herself glancing in Kakashi's direction before she could stop herself. Naturally he looked up again, but this time he waved.

"Seriously," Temari groaned, "what is wrong with him?"

Sakura turned back to her friend, slightly puzzled. "What?"

Temari squinted over at her sensei then shook her head. "Does he think the unveiling of his face is that big of a deal? He could take the shirt off and go for a swim, no one here is really going to care."

"Oh," Sakura picked absent-mindedly at the string holding her bikini briefs in place. "It's just who he is, I guess," she said with a shrug. She was no longer sure about her choice of swimwear. Temari had presented her with a few options and in a strange twist of personality, rather than choosing a much more practical two-piece with sturdy, thick straps and a cute wrap around skirt to match, Sakura had chosen a dark red number that literally had to be tied in a knot either side of her hips. One quick tug from some jerk running by and the whole thing would be undone. It hadn't dawned on her what had possessed her to make such a choice until she ran into Kakashi. His dilated pupil and the thrill that coursed through her was all the confirmation she needed and immediately she had silently rebuked herself for acting like a petty teenager. Well, she was paying for her choice with discomfort now.

"It's not going to come undone," Temari sighed with a roll of her eyes. She had said the same thing several times throughout the morning and though Sakura assumed the woman who owned it would know better than she did, it was still making her feel awkward. Realising the only time it hadn't really bothered her had been when she was in the water, Sakura stood up with a stretch.

"Heading back in?" Temari asked with a grin.

"Yep," Sakura replied.

"Remember, you can lose your footing quite easily in there. Perfect excuse to cop a feel of that one," she nodded her head over at Genma and Sakura snorted with mirth.

Kakashi shuffled again and instantly regretted it as the hammock wobbled dangerously. How civilians managed to stay balanced in these things he would never know. Perhaps everyone had the tiniest amount of chakra that was awoken when using these ridiculous canvases of death. Or maybe he was just trying to distract himself from the fact that the incredibly long-legged kunoichi he had been watching out of the corner of his eye all morning had stood up and was stretching those toned arms high over her head, rocking up onto her toes in the process as if languidly displaying every inch of her skin was her only purpose in life. Kakashi had long given up on reading. Any tiny hope he had about her perhaps not being as attractive as he thought under her clothes had been belted from his mind that morning. He always knew the majority of her height came from her legs but seeing them completely bare had turned him into a dribbling mess. Her lower legs and arms were slightly more tanned than the rest of her, but that was to be expected really. Her stomach held the evidence of a usually intense fitness regime, but amusingly, there was the tiniest little belly poking out. Barely there, really, but enough to let him know she was probably enjoying her food and alcohol more than her exercise lately. He grinned. There was nothing wrong with that at all, actually, it made her seem more feminine and he thought it suited her. He admired it more than the clear muscle definition of Gaara's sister who was lying next to her. Not that she wasn't attractive either, she just wasn't Sakura.

Kakashi sat up suddenly. Far too quickly than anyone should move in a hammock. Before he could steady himself, the hammock unmercifully twisted and dumped him in a heap on the ground. Several nearby chuckles were cut off immediately when Kakashi glared in the direction of the sound.

What did he mean, she wasn't Sakura? Of course she wasn't, nobody was, but why did he have the horrible feeling that innocent thought had held more implication than he cared to review. To make matters worse, why the hell was he turning into a clumsy idiot as of late? He scowled at the hammock, deciding it obviously wasn't his fault. Dragging himself to his feet and brushing over the borrowed shorts, he knelt to pick up his book, only to find himself staring at two reasonably sized mounds of flesh threatening to spill out of their tight, red confines.

Apparently, Sakura had decided to be a gem and pick his book up for him. Realising standing their frozen was hardly appropriate, he drew his gaze upwards and looked into those familiar green eyes instead.

"Sakura-san," he said evenly, commending himself on his casualness.

"I, uh…" She blinked and stood up, holding his book out to him. He took it and flicked it open instantly. Staring at the pages seemed like the less dangerous option.

"Did you really just fall out of a hammock?" He could hear the smirk that would no doubt be evident on her lips.

"There was a bee," he said without pause.

"So..?"

He sighed and snapped the book shut.

"Did you come over here to laugh at me?" He asked her grinning face. She shook her head, but the smile never faded.

"Actually I came to see if you were alright and if you were going to actually get in and enjoy the water?"

Kakashi spared a moment to watch Genma and Shizune. He could admit that a small part of him thought it did look fun. But Kakashi rarely did fun. To be honest he had run and hid in the hammock all morning to avoid the water. If Sakura was in there the same time he was, water droplets glistening on that smooth skin of hers, he would probably lose wat little self-control he had left.

He looked down at Sakura, who had followed his stare and was gazing at the couple thoughtfully. Did she expect that of him? He sort of hoped not. As far as he knew, he had gotten further with Sakura than Genma had with Shizune and he thought the two were going a little overboard with their public display of merriment.

He shrugged. "I'd rather just dip my feet in, I suppose." It did look nice and he was getting pretty hot now that he had been dumped from his shady spot.

She smiled up at him and beckoned him forward, turning to march off in the direction of the waterfall. He glanced around helplessly, half hoping someone would run up to him with an emergency summons or something, but no. It wasn't that he didn't want her company, he just wasn't sure he could handle her wearing so little. He knew the moment Gaara had suggested swimming that he was going to see her in less than he was accustomed to, but this was just unfair. The swimsuit she had borrowed gave no permeable as to what would happen if he was to just reach out and pull on one of those strings that swung tauntingly back and forth as she walked. Worse still, the colour was… perfect.

He gave a tiny groan and followed her like a man condemned.

She actually led him under an overhang of rock that the water spilled over and though he could still hear children laughing and shouting and would be splashed occasionally by one jumping into the lake, it was secluded enough that he felt equal parts comfort and terror.

Kami-sama knows what he would do if left alone with this woman for too long while she was wearing something that could so easily be ripped right off her perky little body.

Hmm, he wondered when he had stopped referring to her as a girl…

Drinking in the sight of her hips as she sashayed along the rock to make room for him, there was no mistaking her for a child anymore.

"There you go," she said happily, swinging her legs off the end and letting her feet trail in the water.

Kakashi followed suit and did the same, sighing happily as the cool water enveloped his toes.

"Perfect," he smiled.

Sakura stood outside the restaurant, dumbfounded.

The afternoon had been ridiculously pleasant and relaxing. She had sat with Kakashi for over an hour, chatting lightly about others in the village. After he asked how Shikamaru and Ino were doing, it dawned on her that he was just as big a gossip as she was. Admittedly he hid it a lot better. Maybe gossip wasn't the right word as she doubted very much he was going to talk to anyone else about it. To say he was nosey was probably more accurate. It kind of amused her. He had this reputation of being closed off and withdrawn; one that he most definitely accentuated, yet he was interested in people even if he outwardly pretended otherwise.

Early in the afternoon, Gaara organised a small picnic for them, including various flavours of ice cream. Sakura had moaned happily as she tasted each one. There was a slightly embarrassing moment when Kakashi offered her a taste of his, placing the spoon within inches of her lips and leaving no doubt she wasn't expected to take the spoon from him. For reasons she couldn't explain, she had to avert her eyes as she accepted it, unable to look at him, she caught a questioning look from Shizune. Shrugging, Sakura had let it slide from her mind. Besides, given how close her older friend had been sitting next to Genma, if anyone should be asking questions Sakura felt it was her. She had no idea what was going on there.

The afternoon had worn on lazily and eventually Kakashi had lain down with his book open again. Sakura had taken the hint and left him be, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. Lying down next to him had been quite peaceful. She still couldn't quite shake that kiss though. Neither of them had mentioned it and things didn't seem awkward between them, but every now and then, Sakura found her thoughts drifting back to it. Frighteningly, she was no longer feeling disturbed by the memory, but more… captivated. She was almost annoyed that her interest had been piqued by that one simple touch of his lips. Surely she wasn't that desperate for male attention? The way it had felt though… Sakura couldn't shake the feeling that it was the miniscule tip of an indescribably huge iceberg just lying dormant beneath the glassy surface.

And that was a dangerous thought to be having.

The idea that it was on the table being offered, that if she pushed, she could have the chance to drag that damn iceberg all the way out of the ocean, was so tempting…

But no, surely something that serious could never really happen between them. Kakashi may be into flings but she sure wasn't. Well, she hadn't thought she was. It was impossible to think straight. She thought she knew what she wanted but in reality, did she really know what having it meant? Her thoughts had continued to chase themselves around her head until she fell blissfully asleep in the warm summer air.

Upon waking, she found herself alone with Kakashi who had also succumbed to the tranquil atmosphere and dozed off with his book over his face. As she stretched out her muscles and noticed the sun sinking fast in the sky, Sakura had realised she probably slept for far longer than she had needed, but given they had decided to travel home at night due to the heat, it wasn't that much of an issue. When she had removed Kakashi's book with the idea of waking him, she had found herself staring at his visible eyelid. His expression was slack and his breathing slow. For some reason, she had expected him to wake instantly as he was always on alert, but he had allowed himself to truly relax. He looked so soft and vulnerable, Sakura had to bite back the smile. She brushed an unruly silver strand away from his face before gently shaking him awake.

"Hey, Sensei," she said softly, watching him blink blearily up at her. She noticed the moment he realised who he was looking at as his eye creased merrily up at her.

After sitting together quietly for another fifteen minutes, Kakashi had suggested dinner. Eager to try a new restaurant Shizune had told her about, Sakura had agreed to meet him there after a quick shower and change of clothes. Knowing that they would be leaving shortly afterwards, she had donned her usually shorts and shirt and spent the following forty minutes standing outside waiting for him. She watched a few couples and families enter, noting she was probably underdressed but not really caring. It wasn't like she was on a date and Kakashi certainly wouldn't notice even if she did have something else to wear.

She had been surprised he had shown up in under an hour and they had an amazing meal. She would have to praise Shizune on letting her know about this little gem. The food was incredible and as Sakura had brought a bit of extra money with her, she didn't feel guilty on splurging. She even had the foresight to bring extra to cover Kakashi. Unbelievingly, however, when she had asked the waiter for the cheque, he had stared at her confused for several seconds before explaining to her that it had already been covered. She had stared at Kakashi until he grinned, got up and walked out.

Sakura wasn't sure how she had managed to convince herself to get up and follow, which was one of the many reasons she was now standing on the dusty, sun beaten road staring perplexed after the head of the older jonin.

Hatake Kakashi had just paid for a meal. If that wasn't ridiculously inconceivable, he had also paid for hers! What the hell was going on?

Kakashi glanced back at his bewildered teammate and chuckled. To say she looked adorable when confused would be an understatement. If he was honest, he wasn't one hundred percent sure why he had done it. Hadn't he decided a while ago that paying for her meal would just be downright suspicious? Then again, he had kissed her, so the majority of pretence was gone now. Sort of. He assumed it had more to do with the day. Once he had realised he could act relatively normal as long as he wasn't looking at her to closely, he had actually enjoyed himself. It had been a long time since he had felt so at ease and this was definitely going to be one of his favourite memories to visit when she no longer spoke to him…

He shook himself and refused to feel down. He didn't want to ruin the mood. Instead he stuffed his hands in his pockets and grinned, waiting for her to catch up.

"Di-did you… Did you just…" She seemed to be having difficulty forming a sentence and Kakashi couldn't help the quiet laugh that escaped him.

"Come on, let's go and say our goodbyes."

He led her to the Kazekage's room without word, and after they had both thanked him and bid him farewell, he sauntered off towards the gate, Sakura following, still apparently in a state of shock.

On arriving, Kakashi hailed Genma who quickly explained that he was leaving with them. He looked slightly panicked and Kakashi was instantly suspicious.

Sakura decided to choose that moment to get over her confusion and turned her attention to his flustered friend.

"What happened to you?"

Genma's eyes darted towards her and then over to the gate.

"Nothing," he said quickly, "let's get going, shall we?" He turned his most award-winning smile on and much to Kakashi's pleasure, Sakura folded her arms and stared him down, clearly unimpressed. Genma's smile faltered and Kakashi cleared his throat quietly.

Sakura gave him a quizzical look, but took the hint.

"Fine," she sighed, "I'm going to go and say a quick goodbye to Shizune."

She spun on her heel and started off back up the street. Kakashi couldn't help himself.

"Don't be late," he called after her.

The look he received was downright murderous.

With a little guffaw, he turned back to Genma, who had removed his headband and was scratching at his hair. His friend's eyes caught his and Kakashi simply raised an eyebrow in question. With a sigh that quickly turned into a frustrated moan, Genma sank to the dirty floor, head in his hands.

"Fucked up, huh?" Kakashi asked jovially. It wasn't exactly a kind comment, but given Kakashi had actually had a carefree day, he was almost relieved someone else was miserable for once.

"You don't have to sound so bloody happy about it," Genma muttered, pulling out his senbon from somewhere and sticking it between his teeth.

"Come now," Kakashi sat himself next to his friend, "tell Kakashi-sensei all about it."

Genma glared at him for a few seconds before his shoulders slumped and he dropped his arms to his sides, looking utterly defeated.

"We had an amazing day," he raged suddenly, "we splashed about in the water, ate great food, had dinner, drank… it seemed like the perfect way to end it…"

Kakashi gawked at him. Had he really..?

"She was so pissed off just now and I don't get it."

"….What did you do?"

Genma threw him a disgusted look. "Why do you assume this is my fault?"

Kakashi thought it wise not to answer, so just continued to stare into the brown eyes of his friend. When Genma frowned, tiny lines appeared in the corners, which worried Kakashi immensely. He was only a few years younger. He prayed to Kami-sama that his wrinkles were still ages away. He wasn't quite ready to admit to being that old just yet.

Eventually Genma sighed. "She caved. We had sex. It was fucking amazing."

Kakashi shifted, slightly uncomfortable with the dewy-eyed look Genma had suddenly adopted.

"So, why is she pissed? Could you not last, or..?"

Genma's fist connected with Kakashi's bicep. In truth, it would have been easy enough to deflect but he had sort of deserved it. There really was no need to kick the guy while he was down, however amusing it might be.

"Sorry," Kakashi mumbled, rubbing his arm.

"She got really mad about the bloody roses. Seems a stupid thing to get that upset about, really."

Ah… Kakashi wondered whether it would be worth teaching his comrade a thing or two about the language of flowers, but really, that couldn't have been the only reason. They sat together in silence for a while, until that familiar chakra prickled over his senses and he glanced up to see an obviously irate Sakura.

She was glaring down at Genma, who appeared hopeful. Perhaps he thought Sakura was going to share some insider information that Shizune had told her to help him gain some insight. Obviously Genma knew very little about this woman.

"Baka," she spat at him, before turning around and marching from the village.

Genma turned his miserable head to Kakashi. "Your girlfriend is mean," he moaned, before dragging himself to his feet and following her out.

"Yep," Kakashi agreed with a smile.

They flew across the sandy dunes and it was exhilarating. Yes, the heat was still horrid, but Kakashi could cope for now. They were racing for the border as if enemies were snapping at their heals, but in reality, they all wanted the shelter of the forest before the sun rose.

They stopped a few times but for barely more than fifteen minutes and mostly so that Genma could catch his breath. The third time they stopped, Sakura had tutted loudly and glared at him, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Seriously," he groaned, "are you two mechanical?"

"Some ninja you are," Sakura scoffed.

"Forgive me for being a human being," he retorted.

Kakashi just rolled his eyes.

"How long are we going to rest for this time, seeeennnpai?" He deliberately dragged it out, knowing it would infuriate Genma.

"Right, fine – let's go." Genma got up and stretched out his calf muscle. "I swear though, you will be listening to me whinge the whole way because you're both getting on my nerves."

"We're getting on your nerves?!" Sakura was outraged.

Kakashi placed his hand gently on her shoulder as a small reminder that it would be much harder to carry their unconscious comrade through this nightmare of a desert. He could feel her vibrating with annoyance and he had to disguise the small chortling sound that escaped with a cough. Sakura's glance towards him told him clearly she was well aware he was finding the whole situation highly humorous and that she wasn't impressed.

Her eyes suddenly widened and a devilish grin formed. Kakashi removed his hand, suddenly concerned for the wellbeing of himself and his male teammate. That expression meant nothing good, surely…

"Genma-san," she sang sweetly, and even Genma looked worried.

"Yeah..?"

"How about we make a little deal." She sidled up to him and Kakashi couldn't help but noticed a little extra sway to her step than usual. His eyes narrowed. What exactly was she up to? His eyes flicked to Genma and he could tell the man appreciated the view. Kakashi folded his arms across his chest and watched the scene in front of him play out, unsure of whether he should get involved.

"If you promise not to utter a single word of complaint between now and when we make camp near the border of Fire country, I will not only make sure to sleep in my undershirt, but I'll let you put your bed roll right next to mine…"

Genma, who had been spluttering and protesting that they were travelling all the way to the Fire border before making camp, suddenly fell silent, gaping at her. If Kakashi hadn't been wearing a mask, the world would have seen his mouth hanging open too. What on earth was she playing at all of a sudden?

"I, um…" Genma scratched his head, clearly unsure what the safest answer was. "Ok…" he said slowly. Upon glancing over towards Kakashi, a malicious grin graced his features and The Copy Nin narrowed his eyes in response. He knew what was coming.

Genma threw an arm around Sakura and began walking her in Kakashi's direction.

"Well, Pinky, if you are so keen to be close to me, you know we can just skip the preliminaries…"

Sakura deftly danced out of his reach, twirling slightly and flashing him a smile.

"I've given you the terms, now let's see if you can cope."

She turned away from both men and tied her hair up in a spiky ponytail. She stretched her arms out to the sides, rotating her wrists slowly. With a content sigh, she raced across the sand, leaving the men staring after her.

"Guess she's more into me than you after all," Genma quipped.

"She was furious at you several hours ago," Kakashi pointed out.

The older man just shrugged with that damn grin still plastered on his face.

"What can I say? The ladies love me."

He clapped Kakashi on the shoulder before running after Sakura. He watched the two of them for a moment before following. He had no idea why, but he was determined to make sure that Genma failed. Thankfully, he knew it wouldn't be long before the man had the urge to complain again. Kakashi decided to help him along.

With a spurt of speed aided by chakra, he easily overtook Genma and fell in step beside Sakura.

"Well, considering you wanted to make camp at the border, you're moving awfully slow," he noted, before speeding past.

"What?" She hissed, upping her pace to match his. As soon as she was beside him again, he sped up slightly. He realised over the course of the night he would start to flag at this pace. Fortunately though, he would outlast Genma and that's all he needed.

He only had to wait an hour before the man's voice echoed across the night.

"Uh, moving kind of fast, aren't we?"

"Why Genma-san," Sakura called back sweetly, "are you complaining?"

"No, no," Genma shouted quickly, "just an observation."

Kakashi smirked beneath the tight material. That man was getting his bed nowhere near Sakura. He honestly wasn't sure why it was bothering him this much. It's not like anything would really happen between them. Sakura knew about Shizune and he knew the kunoichi well enough to know she wasn't trying to start anything serious. He assumed Sakura knew Genma would crack before they made camp but was just trying to prolong the inevitable in exchange for a few hours peace. It didn't matter, Kakashi was going to guarantee Genma's failure because as clever as Sakura thought she was being, she was obviously underestimating the older shinobi's ability to be a lecherous debaucher.

To Kakashi's surprise, Genma lasted longer than he had expected. Given the smirk he shot Kakashi whenever he glanced back, he felt that the bastard only wanted to go through with this just to piss him off. Unsurprising, really.

As trees began to sprout up into forests around them, Kakashi began to worry. They definitely weren't far now. Time to take matters into his own hands.

He leapt gracefully into the trees and much to his delight, Genma followed suit. After a few seconds, Sakura raced up the nearest trunk and took off again, determined to stay in the lead. Kakashi wasn't phased if she beat him to the border, he had bigger fish to fry.

He began taking the easiest path through the trees, ensuring the branches he landed on were free and clear. Naturally, Genma followed him step for step. A smug smile curved Kakashi's lips and upon pushing off from the next branch, he made sure to send a back surge of powerful chakra from his foot into the wood. There was a small snap, but Genma had already left his previous branch and was unable to change direction in mid-air.

The second his foot connected with the branch, a cacophonous crack split the night air. Shinobi and tree branch fell to the forest floor with a dull thud.

The buzzing of the insects that had been droning relentlessly since they hit the trees stopped instantly. Which was ok, because it made the beautiful sound of Genma's voice all the clearer.

"Fuck! What the hell happened? Stupid trees, seriously if we had just camped like two hours ago this would never have fucking happened. Shit this hurts… You two are ridiculous why the hell are you moving so bloody fast anyway?!"

Kakashi dropped from the tree's to land gracefully beside his friend. Genma looked at him briefly before turning attention back to his injured arm. It was barely a scratch, Kakashi was fairly confident the baby would survive. Obviously, something about the look on his face had given him away, because Genma did a double take and glared into his eye. Kakashi was a master of the blank face, but given the suspicious look his friend was sporting, it wasn't enough.

"You bastard," Genma whispered as Sakura dropped down beside them.

"I do believe, Genma-san, that those were your dulcet tones complaining loud enough to wake the dead."

Genma swore loudly and used the fallen tree branch to push himself back to his feet. He was still clutching his arm.
"Sakura, do you mind helping me out?" He held it out to her piteously.

She barely spared it a glance and just turned and walked away.

"It's a scratch. If two year olds can handle it, so can you."

"Ouch," Kakashi remarked nonchalantly, following the pink head as it bobbed through the trees.

"This isn't over," Genma whispered threateningly.

Kakashi didn't even bother turning around, choosing instead to give his friend a short wave over his shoulder.

When he caught up to Sakura, she had flipped out her bed roll and was rummaging through her pack. Genma stumbled upon the camp a few seconds later and slumped to the floor with a sigh.

"Finally," he groaned.

Kakashi took out his own bed and unfurled it a little closer to Sakura's than he normally would have. She either didn't notice or chose not to remark, instead handing him some food she had packed that evening. She tossed some over to Genma, who looked absolutely gleeful and began wolfing it down instantly.

Kakashi settled back against the trunk of a tree and watched Sakura out of the corner of his eye. While eating, she pulled the Icha Icha draft out of her pack and lay it out beside her on the bed. She had grabbed a pencil from somewhere and had apparently decided to do a little editing before going to sleep. He watched her as he slowly ate his food. He wasn't worried about either of them seeing his face as they were both too engrossed in their food. She had scratched out at least two paragraphs by the time he finished eating and he was growing curious.

He glanced up at the slowly lightening sky and wondered how she could possibly see enough to read and write yet. Not having his trusty book in his hands all night had dampened the joy of the journey somewhat and he was looking forward to seeing the sun rise.

Until that happened, however, maybe he would just have to be content with an update of the latest Icha story. He pulled his mask back up and rummaged in his pack until he found a pen then tapped Sakura's shoulder lightly. Pointing to the draft in answer to her questioning look, she sighed as she handed it over. He noticed the way her eyes drifted to his empty bowl and grinned as they rolled skywards.

As he shifted against the tree to make himself more comfortable he noticed that Sakura appeared to be extra fidgety. He glanced over and saw her staring at the pages in his hand, gently biting her bottom lip. She was obviously concerned about whatever she had written but Kakashi had found himself quite interested all of a sudden.

After a quick scan, he soon realised that this was more of a collection of ideas and possible plot devices which quickly turned to Sakura having a disjointed conversation with herself.

Someone should screw up at some point. There needs to be some kind of tension for the characters to overcome to keep it more interesting. Should it be a big screw up of just some stupid offside comment like that idiot Genma? If I want some drama it should be something big. Maybe she should trust him with something and he breaks it somehow. It wouldn't be uncommon for a man to break a woman's trust really, would it? – Kakashi sighed heavily – So, he does something stupid. Should it be before or after they have sex? Probably after, I mean, Genma was a dumbass but if I'm honest Shizune is probably overreacting slightly because they had just done it…

Ok, so after is worse, but after what exactly? I don't know whether I'm happy she calmed down enough to share a few of the finer details or just more horrified – Kakashi shot her a look and noticed she was blushing slightly, but his curiosity was definitely kindled now – I mean, it sounds intriguing enough but surely it would just be really awkward to have some guys head between your legs, especially if you had his dick in your m- Kakashi choked.

Apparently his mouth had gone incredibly dry and trying to swallow had induced a small coughing fit. He dropped the pages and reached for his water bottle. Genma had shot him a curious look from across their little camp but Kakashi found he couldn't look his friend in the eye. He had just learnt far too much about Genma's sex life and if that wasn't enough Sakura thought it sounded… intriguing…

He calmed himself down and risked a glance at the pink-haired kunoichi sitting next to him. Her legs were drawn up to her chest and she was hugging them tightly, resting her forehead on her knees. Kakashi noticed the unmistakable blush creeping up her neck.

When he was sure he was composed enough, he stretched his legs out casually and picked the papers up again. He had decided he was done reading through the author's notes and flipped the page over to scribble on the back.

They had drawn a metaphorical line in the sand since that kiss and thus far, each had respectfully stayed on their sides, however, Kakashi was about to go barrelling over it. His logical side agreed that for the sake of the mission, he had no choice but to push things along. He knew better than to lie to himself though. He wanted to push. He wanted to push that pretty pink head down to his belt and have her tear it off with her teeth…

Instead, he settled for taunting the hell out of her for his amusement.

She watched with growing trepidation as he scribbled something enthusiastically. The moment he turned to give it her and their eyes locked, Sakura knew she wasn't going to be able to handle whatever poetry he had wrote down. There was an edge of… something to the humour swimming through his dark eye and she took the paper with a slight tremble to her hand.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, she took the plunge and glanced at his gracefully curved handwriting.

Well, if you need some help writing such a delightful scene, I will be more than happy to provide you with some inspiration.

Sakura's heart stopped.

She couldn't bring herself to be mortified at the words of the pervert, or scrunch the paper into a ball and throw it at his head, because upon reading it, a very strange reaction had curled itself through lower parts of her body.

Her tongue darted out over her lips of its own accord and Sakura hit the pause button on her life. She needed to react to this. Technically, she needed to be disgusted with his blasé innuendo, but she couldn't do it. Her sensei was hitting on her and she wanted flirt back. Surely that was depraved?

Ex-sensei… Inner-Sakura whispered.

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and tried to think straight. This couldn't be real. Honestly, if that kiss the other day hadn't have happened, if he hadn't bizarrely paid for her meal earlier, she wouldn't have thought she had accrued enough luck in her lifetime for a man like Kakashi to find her attractive.

Apparently there was interest though. She hadn't really needed this 'offer' of help from him to realise it though. She had been spending much of her time convincing herself that her attraction to the much older man was one sided, even after he had kissed her she kept trying to find a reason for it other than he maybe wanted her too.

The big question now was how to reply…

"Uh, you ok there, Pinky?"

Sakura's eyes snapped open and she stared intently at Genma. He was looking at her with a mixture of confusion and concern.

"Yes," she muttered, "just thinking."

Finally, she made her decision. If Kakashi was game, she wasn't backing down. Though she still wasn't able to turn and look at him.

Really? If that kiss was something to go by I don't know if I'd want your tongue in other places.

She was of course, lying, but he didn't have to know that.

Interesting, given that you were an aroused mess without me actually using my tongue.

Apparently he knew anyway.

It's probably been so long for you that you don't know what an aroused woman is supposed to look like anymore. That's ok, I forgive you.

She smirked slightly as she watched his eyebrow raise as he read her response. He seemed to consider her words for half a minute before scribbling something else down and passing it back to her.

Strange coming from the virgin – have you ever actually seen an aroused male?

She bit back the indignant cry that threatened to spill from her mouth and scribbled furiously. She realised Kakashi had moved closer to her at some point and as his thigh bumped against hers, she accidently jolted her pencil, leaving a small line cascading up through her words. Deciding it wasn't worth finding an eraser and starting again, she shoved it into his hand.

Yes actually! Being a virgin doesn't mean I don't know a thing or two about getting a man erect, asshole!

His response was lightning fast. She barely saw the pen touch the paper before it was thrust back into her waiting hands.

Such as?

She paused. Perhaps this was getting out of hand… Genma had been staring between the pair of them for the past few minutes, eyes narrowed suspiciously. She didn't doubt that he might spring up and try to steal the paper at some point. Plus, she really didn't feel like explaining her few sexual exploits to the man that had basically babysat her through her Sasuke obsession. The heat passing from his leg into hers was almost too much. It made the rest of her body seem cold in comparison which seemed ridiculous given how the heat of the day was beginning to rise with the steadily ascending sun.

She turned to eloquently tell him where he could get off, but the look in his eye… He was challenging her to reply…

Her hand shook slightly as she wrote and she could feel her cheeks burning under his gaze, but her nerve was holding so far.

Being a medic has its advantages. For example, being aware of nerve clusters and such helps me know exactly where to touch a man.

To her dismay, he just scoffed and jotted something down before tossing it back at her, a bored expression on his face.

Too vague, any woman can figure that out.

Sakura sighed. She supposed she should have known someone whose favourite past time was reading porn would want something a little more detailed. She was losing. Her eyes narrowed determinedly. She'd show him.

She spent just under a minute writing down a paragraph and realised when she finished that she could probably use some of it as inspiration for the story. Cringing slightly, she held it out to him. He snatched it away so quickly she was surprised she still had her fingers.

She watched his face hungrily for some indicator of his reaction. She saw the moment his eye widened and judging by the way the material of his mask shifted, his mouth had opened too. Gods how she wished she could see those parted lips…

His head turned slowly and he regarded her with an emotion that was too heavy for Sakura to bare. She had a feeling she knew what it was, but no man, not even the one she had been describing in her short story for him, had ever looked at her quite like that. It was terrifying and tantalising…

"Ok, what the hell is going on?" Genma's question snapped the two of them out of whatever was happening and they both fixed the shinobi with what they hoped were unreadable stares.

"Nothing," Kakashi's voices sounded deeper and more gruff than usual and Sakura had to swallow in an attempt to rehydrate her throat enough to form words.

"Nothing," she squeaked, sounding about an octave higher. She winced slightly and attempted to quietly clear her throat.

"Riiiight," came Genma's scathing reply and he snickered wickedly. "Shall I wander off on a patrol for a little while so you two can spend some time together?"

That was it for Sakura, her daring attitude broke and she promptly snatched the paper back from Kakashi, stuffed it in her pack then rolled onto her side, eyes shut.

"Night," she grumbled. Why the hell had she decided to enlighten him about one of her more oral exploits she had no idea. Unfortunately, the thought of doing it to him would not leave her head and she had to seriously concentrate to get rid of the pleasant sensation that was building inside of her as she imagined it.

She felt Kakashi moving beside her and realised too late that she should have moved her bed roll further from his. It was too late now though. Instead she just pretended he didn't exist, praying to whoever would listen that she didn't have another dream.

A/N - Sorry that took a while guys! I got distracted with Mind over Matter and some other projects but I hope you enjoyed this! Sorry if its mostly fluffing around at the moment; the shit, as they say, is about to hit the fan next chapter so stay tuned lol. It'll probably be a little while bfore the next one is up due to Christmas and what not sorry but I'll keep everyone up to date via my facbook page (just search The Silver Scarecrow) As always, any thoughts will be most welcome :)
Have a magical Christmas everyone!
TSS