Instead of going home, like she was dying to do, Sakura had instead tapped on the window that separated her from her driver, Tenzo, and instructed him to return her to Senju Entertainment. Tenzo was another hire of Tsunade's. Supposedly he was a professional in defensive and offensive driving. Whatever the hell that meant.
As she and both guards, Genma having reappeared behind her, entered the building, Sakura sent her parents a text.
I'm getting married in eleven days. If you want to come. She then turned off her screen as they rose to the top floor for the second time that day.
They passed the door to one of Tsunade's assistant's offices and Sakura snapped her fingers in the door and pointed to Tsunde's office. She knew the young woman would follow immediately.
Sakura paused outside Tsunade's door and knocked. She didn't have an appointment, and Tsunade, if no one else, had earned her deference. At least, some.
Her voice came through the door to tell her to enter, so Sakura breezed in, her small entourage behind her. Fortunately, Tsunade's office had been designed to hold a host of people, so Sakura, Kakashi, Genma, and the assistant, Moegi, fit comfortably.
Tsunade was now drinking from a gigantic water bottle, and she frowned at Sakura's reappearance in her office.
"What can I do for you?" she asked, setting her bottle down. Sakura rarely appeared if not summoned- unless she wanted something.
Sakura waved Moegi forward, so that she stood by the side of Tsunade's desk.
"I'm getting married," Sakura announced, as she draped herself into the chair she had been in that morning. Tsunade's eyes sharpened and narrowed.
"Oh?"
"Yep. Sunday after Halloween. And I need you-" Sakura looked at the assistant, "to get everything together. It's going to be small and intimate, but you need to leak it to the press. Without, of course, telling them my beau's name." Sakura gave her a sly smile. "We'll need a temple, and a reception hall. Music, of course, and food and alcohol." Sakura paused to consider. "A lot of alcohol." Since she was getting married to essentially a stranger. But she had already technically trusted him with her life for years, so being near strangers didn't seem so big of a deal. "I want Chiyo sent to me, to make a dress. I'll put together a guest list for you." She paused, unsure what else went in to a wedding.
"And your groom, Sakura?" Tsunade asked, resting her chin on her laced fingers. Sakura recognized the position. She was strategizing. Oh, Tsunade saw right through her. She knew Sakura was up to something, but she said nothing. She was undoubtedly thinking through all the ways this benefitted Sakura- and by extension, her- the same way Sakura had earlier.
Sakura held a hand out behind her, waiting. A few seconds passed before she felt Kakashi's gloved hand slip into hers, and she pulled him forward so that he stood beside where she was lounging.
"Only the best, Tsunade." Sakura beamed at her boss. Moegi, who had been tapping furiously on her tablet, dropped it. She heard Genma choke on air.
Moegi bent down and swiftly retrieved the tablet from where it had fallen harmlessly on the area rug, her face flustered and red.
Tsunade frowned. "Oh?"
"And he'll be living with me, so we only need to station the extra security outside. You know, to give the new couple privacy." For the second time that day, Sakura looked up at Kakashi and batted her eyelashes. His face remained impassive, but she could've sworn she heard him swallow. "Now seems like a good time for us to come clean," This time she batted her eyelashes at Tsunade, who snorted. Sakura was playing the game of life like chess, and she was used to out maneuvering anything in her path. Or changing the game entirely.
"Um, decorations, Miss Haruno?" Moegi asked. "Colors?"
Sakura met Kakashi's eyes again from where he towered over her. "What do you think, darling?" she asked sweetly. The truth was, Sakura didn't care. Sure, as a little girl she'd dreamed of her wedding, but the decorations had never been the important part. The love was. And that option was dead. Oh, well. That's just life, Sakura thought to herself cynically. She would do whatever it took to survive, as she always did. Plenty of people had marriages of convenience. Was a fake marriage for a green card illegal? Absolutely. But it would technically, kind of, maybe, be a 'real' marriage.
She'd done a precursory Google of immigration marriage laws on the way over, scanning the list of requirements she'd need to check. They'd have vows, live in the same house. Tick all the boxes.
"Hmm," Kakashi hummed. "It's fall, but…maybe greens and blues, my love?" He pondered aloud, rubbing his free hand over his sharp jaw. Hearing his deep voice call her my love sent a strange thrill through her, the hairs on her arm standing on end. His eyes flicked over her, noting the change. Sakura smiled, genuinely this time. He'd chosen their two favorite colors, and she found that that pleased her more than it should. An over the top idol she may have been, but she was also still just a 21 year old woman.
"And modern or traditional apparel?" Moegi asked again.
"I'd like.." Kakashi cleared his throat, uncomfortable. "Traditional, if that works. For the ceremony, at least. Then we can do modern for the photoshoot I'm sure you'll need." His voice was slightly tight at that idea. "Though if I can be in as few pictures as possible, that would be preferred."
She nodded her assent and looked back to Tsunade. "Yes…I think we can make this happen for you," Tsunade tipped her head in acquiescence.
Sakura released Kakashi's hand to clap her own together twice, a bit of true excitement rising in her. She could reclaim some of her precious freedom. No other guards in her space overnight, a new, exciting tale for the press. Not to mention, if she was taken maybe the fanboys would back off and fangirls would stop spewing vitriol. A girl could dream.
She could pay this price, her first wedding day, for that. Probably her only wedding day. Nonetheless, she was mitigating the control being wrested from her.
It was only 4pm when they rolled up to Sakura's home outside of the city, the sun still high over the trees, but beginning to arc down to the west. It was an unseasonably warm fall.
She'd been insistent on a property where she could see the stars, and her quiet house was just that. The driveway was long so that the structure was hidden from the road and surrounded by trees to block prying eyes. A gate had to be unlocked near the main road to allow cars access. The house was all light colored stone, and boasted a modest 2 bedrooms, two and a half baths, with a fully finished basement, which was rare in the Land of Fire, and a library. A separate garage housed her private vehicle, and mostly empty space.
She'd had the house built for her 18th birthday, a gift for her to finally get out of the dorms at Senju, where all the full-time, under-age idols stayed.
She stepped out into the air that had warmed significantly, and turned to wait for Kakashi, but he shook his head.
"If I'm…living here," He said in reply to her questioning look, "I need to go home to get my things. Hope you like dogs," He added nonchalantly, but there was a glint in his silver eyes.
Sakura pursed her lips. "I tolerate them." He only nodded and pulled the car door closed. The car pulled away.
Genma strode toward her up the sidewalk from the garage, his keys swinging around his deft fingers.
Sakura turned to go up the steps to the front entrance, and paused when she noticed the silhouettes of others around the borders of the house. She bristled.
Genma stepped past her, reaching for the door. "Your new detail," He explained, leading the way inside to do a sweep, to ensure no unwanted guests were hiding anywhere. This was standard, every day, but Sakura had always resented it. No one else had ever been allowed inside, except Tsunade, and the police last night. Very, very rarely Naruto and Sasuke. But Sakura didn't resist, as she was still a bit on edge from last night. It was due to these sweeps that Sakura had been able to hold off Tsunade's insistence for security cameras to watch her house. She knew that after last night, Tsunade had already ordered top of the line cameras, no longer willing to listen to Sakura's objections.
As Genma looked, he called to her, "Kakashi sent out the word while you were recording. These are his men. He trusts them with his life, so you can trust them with yours." Sakura wasn't so sure, but she said nothing. He disappeared into the master bathroom, to check behind the shower door and in the connected closet.
She swallowed her displeasure about him being in her house, about all of the guards outside. Keeping others out or caging her in? Her hands tightened into fists by her sides. The irritation and frustration she felt about having people in her home was such an overwhelming feeling, she often felt like a toddler throwing a fit when she defended her living arrangement. The idea of people in her space made her want to crawl out of her own skin and break things. She had the same uncontrollable reaction if anyone touched her instruments without permission.
Sakura waited for him to finish in the kitchen, leaning against the clean countertop with her arms crossed. Kakashi had been right about the midnight blue. Her cabinets were also painted that color, with bright gold hardware to give the feeling of the night sky. The house was quiet except for Genma moving from room to room.
Sakura kept no staff, not here, in her space. She cooked her own meals and did her own chores. She liked her solitude. If that had surprised her guards when they had started working for her, she had never heard about it.
Sakura drew a thick, black line between her private home and her public life. It hadn't bothered her in the beginning of her stardom, the constant surveillance, the lack of breathing room. It had been exciting, the life of an idol. It had been a part of everything she strove for. Eventually, though, Sakura had begun to feel like her skin was too tight, like the air was too thin. She loved all of her famousness and wealth, but her privacy had become her greatest luxury, the counterweight to her fame.
Everything in her life was out for the world to see. Every outfit she wore, every restaurant she went to, her relationship and breakup with Sasuke. People knew her blood type and her preferred order at Starbucks. But no one breached her house. Or no one previously had breached her house, until last night. Sakura couldn't fathom how the stalker had gotten her address. Very few people had it, and all of them she trusted implicitly. And now her solitude was being intruded on further, by her own maneuvering. She steeled her resolve, pushing down her regrets over things she could no longer have. She would survive it.
Genma gave her the all clear, and met her back in the kitchen. "I've just forwarded the pictures of your new detail. If you see anyone who doesn't match, call the police immediately." He waited to make sure that her phone received the message before leaving. His shift was over, and now these new guards were in charge of her safety. She wondered if Kakashi had really chosen well.
She opened the email and scrolled through the images of the four new guards, memorizing their faces. Izumo, Kotetsu, Asuma, Guy. Two of them appeared younger, and she guessed the other two to be around Kakashi's age, maybe a bit older. She assumed they must have known Kakashi prior, if he trusted them with her safety. She was a little awed by how fast he had hired them.
It was too early for dinner, or to go to bed, so Sakura decided to go for a swim. It was warm, and her pool would be drained on Friday, so she wanted to enjoy a last bit of fun. The pool was another thing she maintained alone. No pool boy, just her. It had taken her a while to learn all the things she needed to keep it nice, but now she had a strict routine over the summer when it was filled.
The pool was heated, and held salt water, not chlorine. The pool boasted a hot tub with a waterfall into the deep end, which helped to keep it warm. But even heated it couldn't withstand year-round weather without freezing. The salt itself was broken down by a generator, the process producing chlorine, though at much lower levels than a traditional chlorine pool. And the salt water was much gentler on the eyes, skin, and hair. All things Sakura cared about very much, even though she had cut her hair shorter after her breakup. It now fell just past her shoulders.
Sakura changed into her white bikini, the little triangle cups actually making her breasts look nice. She'd resigned herself long ago to never having large boobs like Ino, or their friend Hinata, but she had learned what complemented her modest bust the best. And Sakura loved to wear clothing that made her feel good. The bottoms were a thong, the kind that rose high on the hips to make her waist look smaller and her legs shapelier. She checked herself out in the mirror that took up an entire wall of her bedroom, very carefully arranging the bottoms over her hips, before grabbing her towel and heading out the back door. She kept a hanging bench on her back patio, and a few loungers for when she wanted to hang out in the sun or watch the stars at night. Off to one side of the patio, her small pool shed stood, holding all of her pool supplies and equipment, as well as her floaties and diving toys.
She'd quickly discovered that swimming by yourself was immensely boring, so she'd hopped online and ordered a big box of different pool toys. Diving sticks and rings, torpedoes, a boogie board, inflatables, goggles and flippers. Her deep end hit 12 feet, so diving for the toys gave her something to do other than float aimlessly. And it was more interesting exercise than swimming laps.
As she stepped up to the shed to collect an inner tube, as well as her goggles and a few torpedoes, Sakura noticed the shadow of one of the new guards, sitting on the roof of the building. She flicked the switch that retracted the pool cover, and then glanced up and took in the handsome young man with spiky black hair. He lifted a hand in greeting, but she frowned and ignored him, instead hauling her supplies to the pool. She tossed the tube into the shallow end, then threw the torpedoes in random spots, watching them shoot off into the blue water. Then she pulled on her goggles, and dove in.
Silence wrapped around her under the water and she began her hunt at the bottom for her torpedoes. Her ears popped as she dropped deeper, but her body was used to the change in pressure from regular diving.
She took the opportunity, hidden and alone, to ponder the man she was going to tie herself to. Kakashi had become her guard a little over three years ago at Tsunade's behest. A stalker, a different fanatic, had been following Sakura's car, and had caused an accident. A very bad one. Tsunade had begun hunting for security that day. The normal guards for Senju were no longer enough, she had told Sakura firmly.
Sakura pushed that memory aside as her hands grabbed the first toy, and she pushed off the bottom of the pool, shooting to the surface to grab air and throw it onto the pool deck.
Taking a deep breath, she dropped back below the surface to fetch another. This time, she drew up her memory of the day her guards had appeared. She hadn't met them at Senju, oh no, they had simply appeared one morning on the edges of her property. Before she could run back inside or call the police, a text had come in from Tsuande, explaining. Two during the day, Kakashi and Genma, and two other men at night from a different security company. They would cycle their days off to make sure she was covered. There was an hour-long phone shouting match with Tsunade that had followed the appearance of the men.
She remembered she'd been taken aback by how handsome and mysterious Kakashi was. She'd almost grinned at him when he introduced himself, until she realized he was as good as her jailer. She'd set the rule right then that none of them were allowed inside, except for their quick sweeps. Not in her space.
So Kakashi and the others had become her shadows. Always behind and in front of her. Quiet. They had quickly realized she didn't wish to converse, so they rarely tried.
She wondered what Kakashi was gaining from this arrangement.
Sakura grabbed another torpedo and shot to the air above her. There were three more, so she hunted them quickly, bubbles trailing behind her, so that she could spend some time sitting in the inner tube.
She continued her line of thinking as she sat there, eyes closed, head tipped back. She was covered from head to toe in sunscreen, so she wasn't worried about burning and wrinkles. Besides, she never burned, and she certainly never tanned. Her skin was so pale she sometimes thought she looked dead, but there was nothing to be done, short of using self tanner. And she refused to do that, afraid she'd turn orange.
Kakashi, despite her determination not to talk to her guards, occasionally cracked jokes under his breath, probably thinking she couldn't hear him. She could. And he was funny, but she'd never admit it. Over the years, she had grown…comfortable with the sound of his voice quietly in the background and with his shadow falling over hers. She often caught him reading his little books when he was bored, which was almost constantly.
Sakura really didn't know anything about him. She had never seen him without his mask. Or his full uniform, for that matter. He didn't even wear tuxes for special events he attended with her. Every day he wore a dark jacket over a dark shirt, which concealed the gun she knew he carried. His pants were a similar dark fabric to his jacket, kind of loose, with lots of pockets. He always wore black boots. In fact, Sakura realized she'd hardly seen any of him, except that silver hair and the scar on his eye. And she knew he'd seen plenty of her, though he tried to be respectful.
Sakura wasn't shy. She walked around her house nearly naked, and she was sure her guards occasionally saw her. She wore all kinds of fashion forward and scandalous outfits. Gowns without backs, skirts only long enough to keep her panties out of photos- or her lack of panties- deep cut v-necks, which she pulled off splendidly with her small bust. And anything he wanted to know about her, nearly anything, was on the internet and readily available.
Somehow, she doubted he spent any time googling her, though. He didn't need to, to be good at his job.
A few months ago, Kakashi had caught her as she had fallen. She'd been in the rock climbing gym, hauling herself higher and higher. She liked to pretend she could out climb, out run, out sing all of the rest of the world. Sakura was no novice climber, either. She put as much effort into her hobbies as she did into her career. But it didn't matter when the rope she'd set to belay had failed to catch when she slipped. Her eyes became the size of saucers as she dropped towards the mat. There had to be some kind of massive mistake for her ropes to fail her this way, falling loose around her through the air.
She resigned herself to serious injury, but when the sudden stop came, her bones didn't break, though they barked a bit at the impact. Her guard had stepped up under her, and had hit the ground for her, unable to take the force and remain standing, despite his significant strength. He hadn't made a single noise of complaint over being crushed. Sakura had been a little impressed by how quickly he'd reacted, how willing he'd been to take the brunt. The man was exceptional at his job. He took care of her in one of the only ways she couldn't take care of herself, if she was being generous.
She turned her attention to how she could get them in the news without letting Kakashi's identity out. She was certain she could pull it off, at least for a while. Someday, his name and face would come out, they both knew. She wondered if it would make any difference at all.
Sakura's thoughts drifted out of coherency as she tried to plan, the sun soothing her and making her sleepy. She had just about passed the cusp into dreaming when a shadow blocked out the sun.
Irritated, she cracked an eye open and looked up, but all she could see was a black outline, one she recognized by the hair sticking up and defying gravity. She frowned at him.
"That swimsuit leaves very little to the imagination," Kakashi said evenly.
Sakura smirked up at him. "Lucky you," She purred. He kicked her inner tube from where he stood on the edge of the pool, and she flipped over, splashing back into the water. Her head went under briefly, and she was wide awake again.
"Hey!" She stood up in the shallows, the water gently lapping just under her breasts. Her nipples hardened and became peaks under her bikini top. Kakashi looked away.
"Come on out." He said, then turned and walked back in the house through her sliding glass doors.
After putting her supplies away and wrapping herself in a plush towel, she followed him inside, grumbling under her breath.
She came to an abrupt halt on the threshold of her living room. Eight dogs of varying sizes and breeds all sat on the carpeted floor. Kakashi stood in the middle, surveying her living space.
He made her open concept feel small. He dwarfed her, and her black L-shaped couch, and her favorite recliner. It was easy to forget just how large he was when he was a shadow. Now they would be getting very close, and she didn't think she'd ever stop noticing.
"I am not taking care of all these dogs," She announced as she resumed her movement, making for the hall to her bedroom.
Kakashi laughed behind her. "Not to worry, princess. I've got it under control."
She shot a disbelieving look over her shoulder at him as she entered her room and curled her lip at the nickname. She noticed everything was exactly as she had left it as she went to change in the bathroom, so he hadn't moved into her room at least.
She peeled off the bits of bathing suit and then slung them over the top of her shower door to dry, then stepped in to rinse herself off. When she was done toweling herself off, she selected a pair of soft cotton panties, and tied her black robe around her. The robe was one of her best purchases. It was flowy and dramatic, silk, trimmed with fur. It made her feel like a burlesque dancer. She wiped away what was left of her makeup from this morning before returning to the living room, finding Kakashi back in the doorway to the pool, the dogs now outside, wandering the backyard.
"Aren't you worried they'll run away? Or that a hawk will get the little one?" She asked, sitting down on her couch and crossing her legs. She stretched one arm over the back, the picture of casual indifference. She was doing her best to hide how off-balance having him in her home made her feel.
Kakashi looked at her, and his eyes crinkled around the corners. "No." Was all he said, before turning his attention back outside. "I'm sure you've noticed Kotetsu." He jerked his chin in the direction of the new guard above her pool shed.
"Sure did." She drawled, dismissive. She glanced at the clock above her fireplace, and was bewildered to see that it was 5 o'clock already. The sun was beginning to set.
Kakashi suddenly gave a sharp, 2 tone whistle, and the dogs made their way back inside, single file. Unbelievable. Sakura was surprised she couldn't smell them. She thought all dogs had that smell, but all her nose detected was the faint lemon scented cleaner she used.
"Since I will be in here, I'll have everyone else remain outside. Only I will be invading your space." Sakura's expression darkened at his proclamation, despite the fact that it had technically been her idea.
"And your horde of dogs." She muttered. Kakashi walked past her after closing and locking the sliding door, going into the kitchen.
"They'll stay with me, in the guest room," He responded over his shoulder.
That meant he would be across the hall from her. Her house had only two bedrooms, both on one end of the house. Her library, which functioned part time as a music room, took up the entire other wing on the opposite end. It was her favorite room. Her house was only two levels, this main floor, and the basement, where she kept her work out equipment.
Sakura remained on the couch as she listened to this strange man move about her kitchen. "How do you feel about some chicken stir fry?" He called. Knowing he could see her, since the floor was open, Sakura waved a hand to say "whatever". She always cooked her own dinners, but she wasn't about to stop him. Her invisible line had already been crossed, so she may as well get a little break tonight. She knew that everything he needed was stocked, as she kept a wide variety of ingredients on hand at all times.
Sakura couldn't remember the last time someone had cooked for her. The sounds of someone in the kitchen, cooking…relaxed her. She hadn't expected the little noises to be so soothing. She lay all the way down on her sofa, curling her legs up and closed her eyes again. She was so, so tired today. It wasn't as if she had gotten much sleep last night.
A wet nose pushed its way into her palm, which was dangling off the edge of the couch. The smallest of Kakashi's dogs, a little brown pug, was sniffing her. She watched through barely cracked open eyes as he considered her. After a few seconds, he licked her fingers and then walked away, lying down by the fireplace. He seemed to have decided she was alright, as he promptly closed his eyes. She noticed all the other canines also relaxed, as though the pug's opinion was good enough for them.
After about 30 minutes, as the sun was truly sinking, Kakashi called for her. She stood on exhausted legs and padded into the kitchen to see what he'd done. Her robe swished softly behind her, shadows lengthening along the floors and walls.
Kakashi was standing by her dining table, jacket off, setting down two plates of steaming chicken and vegetables. Sakura had to hand it to him, it smelled good.
"Cook often? She asked. His eyes crinkled again, and he pulled out her chair for her before sitting on his own. Like a gentleman. She suspected it was easier to divine his expressions from his eyes than she'd originally believed.
"I've been cooking for myself for a very long time. There are a few dishes I've really mastered." He picked up his chopsticks.
"Me too." She mumbled. She grabbed her own chopsticks but kept her eyes on Kakashi's. His mask was still on. He picked up a piece of chicken. Sakura leaned forward in anticipation.
"The hell is that?" Kakashi gestured out the window to her left, and Sakura turned her head to look. All she saw was one of his men, Guy, leaning against a tree.
"I don't see-" She realized he had put the chicken in his mouth, and his mask was back in place. In fact, it looked like in the few seconds she had looked away, he had downed half of his plate. "You're ridiculous." She said dryly, and then picked up her own piece of chicken and dug in.
It was fantastic. Hot and savory, it tasted like her grandma's. She was astounded.
Kakashi noticed her face and winked at her. A blush crept up her neck, but she refused to acknowledge it.
"So.." She waved her chopsticks in a circle. "Tell me more about you." She said in a bored tone.
Kakashi set his chopsticks down and sat back in his chair. "Not much to tell. I'm private security. I was born and raised here. I graduated from the Academy young and was given a good position in the military. I did all kinds of missions. Now I'm retired." He said it all very casually, but Sakura noticed the tension in his sexy biceps, in his neck and around his eyes. She could see something fractured staring back at her. It was a look she'd seen on him a few times. She took several more bites, keeping her jade eyes on his gunmetal ones. He didn't add anything.
"Did you tell your parents that you're getting married?" If he wasn't tense before, he certainly was now.
"I don't have any family." He said it evenly, but a shadow passed his eyes.
Sakura tilted her head a little, assessing him.
"I texted my parents. Haven't heard back." She matched his even tone. He nodded, then picked up his plate and chopsticks, and walked over to her sink, his back to her. She watched his hand come up and pull down his mask, and he finished eating with his face out of her sight.
She finished her own meal in silence, and then went to help him clean up. They worked quietly and efficiently, side by side. It was perhaps the strangest thing Sakura had ever done.
When they were done, she led him back into the living room, and sat him down on the couch on the opposite end to her, so that he could tell her more of his likes and dislikes for the interview.
"Where did you learn to play music?" Kakashi asked, his torso leaned over his legs and arms propped on his knees. Clinical.
Sakura eyed him for a moment, collecting her thoughts into a neat, unfeeling place. "My grandmother taught me the piano when I was very little."
"Mom's mom or dad's mom?" He inclined his head in question.
"Dad's mom. Then when I got here, I learned my other instruments from Naruto or from the musicians on the corners," She shrugged.
"Dangerous place to learn music," Kakashi mused. She shrugged again. The musicians who played on corners and parks downtown weren't dangerous, just a little broken, like her. She hadn't been so different from them, once.
"Did you learn martial arts from the military?"
"Some. Some from my dad and some by myself,"
Before she knew it, hours had passed, and it was late. Her exhaustion hit her again like a brick wall.
"We should go to bed." She said, standing and stretching her arms above her head. Her robe had come loose, revealing a line of her flesh down her front. The area between her breasts, her stomach, and the front of her panties were revealed. Blushing a little, but unsure why, she wrapped it around herself more tightly.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
"Separately. We should go to bed separately." She clarified, and flipped her hair over her shoulder, exuding her usual air of indifference. He merely nodded.
They padded down the hall together, Kakashi a step behind her.
Sakura paused in her doorway and turned to the mysterious guard behind her. "Goodnight," she said quietly. She didn't wait to hear him echo the words before she closed the door.