Kakashi watched Sakura's sleeping form in the visitor's chair. After she drank the water that Ino offered, her eyes started to dropped and then she slumped in the chair. He was concerned at first, but Ino's reassuring voice, stopped him.
"It's fine, Kakashi-sensei," Ino muttered, arranging Sakura on the chair so that she'll be comfortable. "I just added something to her drink, she's panicking, and she need to stop it or else she'll just collapse."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow at Ino's statement. She just drugged her friend but chose not to press further. He appreciated the care she showed for Sakura. As Sakura slept, Kakashi couldn't shake off the weight of guilt. He knew that he overused the Mangekyu Sharingan that resulted to his condition, but he didn't expect that Sakura will be the one to pay the price for his negligence.
Ino, sensing Kakashi's inner turmoil, spoke softly, "Don't blame yourself too much, Kakashi-sensei."
He nodded, but he kept his eye on Sakura. He watched her toss and turn and then she murmured something in her disturbed sleep. Its so low that he can't make it out, but a few minutes later, her voice started to get loud. The fear in her voice is palpable.
"Kakashi."
Sakura muttered his name multiple times, her fear saturated the room. Concern etched across Kakashi's face as he listened to Sakura calling out his name in distress. Ino, too, noticed Sakura's unease and moved closer, her expression mirroring Kakashi's worry.
"It's just a side effect of the remedy I gave her," Ino explained, her voice low. "It makes dreams more vivid, and sometimes it can bring out repressed fears or anxieties."
Kakashi nodded, though he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. He knew Sakura was strong, physically and emotionally, but it seemed that the toll of the mission he just came back from had affected her more deeply than he anticipated.
Sakura's voice grew more desperate, and she seemed to be caught in the grip of a nightmare. Kakashi couldn't stand idly by. He reached out and gently shook her awake.
"Sakura, it's okay. You're safe," he murmured, his voice a soothing presence in the darkness of the room.
"Kakashi-sensei," she whispered, her voice still laced with unease. "You're safe." Relief flooded Sakura's heart. And she cannot contain it. She wrapped her arms around Kakashi's neck, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "You were dying in my dream." she cried out. "I can't do anything. I was so scared. So scared of losing you, Kakashi."
Kakashi, understanding the depth of Sakura's distress, wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace. He felt the wetness of her tears against his skin as she clung to him, her trembling form expressing the fear and helplessness she experienced in her nightmare.
"Sakura," Kakashi whispered softly, his voice a calming presence. "I'm here. I'm safe, and I'm not going anywhere. You did everything you could for me, and I'm grateful for that."
Ino, who had been observing from a respectful distance, approached quietly. She could see the emotional toll the mission had taken on Sakura. As the Kunoichi's bestfriend she knew that Sakura harbored feelings for her former sensei. But she dismissed it as trivial, after all Sakura had been chasing after Sasuke for such a long time, that she cannot imagine her friend falling for another.
But this, seeing Sakura's distress in Kakashi's arms made her rethink her judgment. Recognizing the complexity of emotions at play, she stopped in her approach and decided to give Sakura and Kakashi some space. She quietly moved away, giving them a moment to share their vulnerabilities without the weight of an audience. As she stepped back, she pondered on the dynamics she had observed.
Kakashi continued to hold Sakura gently, his touch a source of reassurance. He felt the tremors in Sakura's body begin to subside as she clung to him. Sakura, in turn, found solace in Kakashi's embrace, her tears gradually giving way to a sense of security.
"You're safe, Sakura. I'm here," Kakashi repeated softly, his words a steady anchor in the storm of her emotions.
Sakura, still clinging to him, finally found the strength to pull back slightly. She looked into Kakashi's eyes, her own reflecting a mix of gratitude and lingering fear.
"Kakashi, I'm not scared for myself! Why would I? I am here surrounded by others but you were out there, and I cannot do anything for you. When I saw slumped in Neji's arms, I thought I'll lose you." Sakura's eyes flashed, her voice a fragile whisper.
"Sakura," Kakashi said softly, his hand gently cupping her cheek. "I appreciate your concern, more than you know. But you didn't lose me." He said, then added, "Your old man is still here."
He has to add that. He is trudging dangerous waters, he can feel his heart beating hard against his chest. He's falling for her, and he can't. Not just because she will never reciprocate, but also because she's his former student and he is fourteen years older than her. If he acted, he will be a cradle snatcher.
"You're not that old." Sakura protested.
"I am." he said. Then, he let himself just one more vulnerability in her arms, he placed a kiss in her hair. And detangled himself from her grasp. "Rest, Sakura."