Hope everyone is doing well and that you're not too upset over the delayed update ^.^' I may have gone back and redid the previous chapters, forgive me. Nevertheless I went through and uploaded those first, so if you're a returning reader... you might enjoy the changes I made in the previous chapters. I also added additional information that's important for the plot, so I suggest rereading them... Plus... since it's been a bit since I've posted... a little rereading might be beneficial... Again... forgive me!br /

Three songs inspired this chapter

all-american bitch (Olivia Rodrigo): The fight scene

Wish I Knew You (The Revivalists): This song inspired a good portion of the chapter but a big part deals with a certain point during Kakashi's POV (you'll know once you get there)br /

The Curse (Agnes Obel): The heated scene

(I'm going to leave notes for when the songs come into play)

As Always 3

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

'Inner-Sakura'

Actions and Narration

About 3-4 years ago:

The sun was starting to set. Its light seemed to enchant the atmosphere, creating waves of maroon pinks and oranges that crashed across the horizon and drifted into deep purplish blues. The clouds were sparse but the few that drifted along were soft and curled at the ends with fluffed tails.

It had taken a shit ton of effort, perhaps it would've taken less if she hadn't been so furious with the man—who was currently lounging lazily by her side on a tree branch. His laughter had flittered through the trees as she chased him. Feeding her rampaging spirit until she calmed enough to find him. Her inner winked at her then.

'Told you it would work.'

She grumbled to her inner bitterly,

'Perv.'

Her inner, naturally, smirked at her arrogantly—silently projecting: 'If I'm a perv then so are you.'

*Flashback*

Kakashi had managed to lose her somewhere along the chase, his laughter abruptly dropping off along with his Chakra signature—as if he had suddenly decided to turn the fiasco into a training session. Sakura's anger had calmed a little by then, but she was still flushing with lingering irritation. She had to close her eyes and take a deep breath to settle herself enough to properly search for him. She then concealed her Chakra signature, not wanting to give her movements away. Kakashi always hid his Chakra with excellent precision, but he seemed to have gone the extra mile this time around. She concluded that he was anticipating her to use this moment to practice the sensory system she created for herself a little while back.

'Makes sense considering I asked him to help me with it.'

She muttered to herself sarcastically. "Shouldn't be surprised about him doing this now either, impeccable timing…. as always."

She took another deep breath while shrinking towards the ground, a hand pressing into the dirt for balance as she exhaled through her nose and began orienting herself with her surroundings. After another leveled breath she calmly reached out with her Chakra, molding it across the ground and into the trees, opening herself to the symbiotic life throughout the forest.

There were some birds happily chirping the day away and a pair of deer grazing peacefully. She felt the swaying of the leaves as they danced in the breeze and sensed various flowers and foliage sprouting throughout the space along with some bugs and little critters wandering about. She pushed further, slowly allowing herself to become one with everything around her. Then, she found him, just a couple of hundred feet to her left, refreshing by a riverbank nearby. She stood up slowly, trying to formulate a plan to execute before jetting off towards him. That was when her inner conveniently supplied her with a rather skanky idea. One that involved her making a shadow clone to engage him, whispering a kunoichi's body could be used in more ways than one. Despite her previous reservations from earlier—when she was still bemoaning her actions in Iwa—the idea of getting the upper hand against Kakashi with the use of her body was thrilling.

One, it would be embarrassing for him to succumb to such an act. She briefly considered that it might not work because he more than likely had trained himself to resist bodily advances but then her inner allocated that she wouldn't necessarily be using her body in a traditional sense because the plan just involved her hand—so really it was the unexpected nature behind the action rather than bodily feminine persuasion. Sweet, innocent Sakura doing something that was in Icha-Icha Tactics, no one would ever expect it! Yes, she had read them but— for obvious reasons— would never admit it.

Two, if it did work, she would derive pleasure from seeing him suffer a little. She wasn't blind, she knew the gazes he had thrown her way while they playfully teased one another earlier were genuine. She also knew he would never act on those impulses. Kakashi may be a bit of a—somewhat—secluded perv, but he was a gentleman through and through. So, the thought of him suffering over something he'd never get to indulge in made her stomach flutter with vengeful glee. The fact that what she was about to do was outright audacious and a bit cliché didn't matter in the slightest. She would do it without batting an eye and it would work, or so she thought… If she had taken the time to ponder the possible implications behind her devious plan, she may have changed her mind.

As Sakura stealthily approached the riverbank, she was skeptical of the Kakashi she could see standing by the water. He looked like he was deep in thought, staring up at the sky, his presence emitting an essence of solitude. It was something she had grown to accept as a part of himself. Despite his more attentive behavior over the past year or so, she knew—understood—that there were things in his life that made him this way. Made him feel like no matter what others said or did he was alone in the world—that he was meant to stay that way. She didn't like it, but it was there. After almost losing him to that crazy lunatic who'd puppeteered him away, she and Naruto had decided they would try to change that for him together.

Now wasn't the time to think about all of that though. After studying the man for a bit longer, she was 99.9% sure the Kakashi she could see was a shadow clone. Kakashi's shadow clones always felt barer than the real him, at least they did for her. Naruto told her she was overanalyzing things like Shikamaru again when she told him. Nevertheless, with a shit-eating grin, she glanced over at her clone— whose smile was just as wild as her own before taming it into a coquettish simper— and jerked her head towards their target while silently projecting.

'Time to flush him out.'

(all-american bitch: Oliva Rodrigo)

In a flash her clone appeared a few feet away from Kakashi, it was obvious he had been waiting for her by the lazy way he regarded her. When he finally settled his gaze on her clone, she was sure he was smirking arrogantly— could tell from the way he spoke— as he spun out a kunai and sunk into a defensive yet simultaneously offensive stance.

"A flirtatious smile will hardly get you anywhere Sakura-chan, I thought I taught you better than that."

Her clone found his cocky response appealing. Sakura, however, did not. Felt like he was being a bit of a pompous ass considering he hardly trained her as a Genin. Though, she knew how he felt guilty about all of that, they already had multiple conversations about it… If they hadn't, she imagined they wouldn't have developed the form of friendship they had, let alone take missions alone together like this.

A tantalizing titter pressed fast between her clone's lips while staring at him unabashedly. She knew that look. It was the one she gave men who needed a little extra push to force them off the edge. The one that made them come home with her whenever she pleased. Kakashi simply chuckled huskily, the real Sakura did her best to ignore the flushing of her cheeks and fluttering of her stomach.

'Never heard him laugh like that before.'

His voice was harsher than usual as he continued his conjecture.

"Whatever you're planning won't work."

Her clone deviated from their plan then. Rather than rushing towards him— to execute the original crime— she unceremoniously dropped the kunai she held to the ground. Then mocked him by smiling at him in the way he always grins—with that crinkled eye— while feigning innocence.

"What plan?"

From her point of view, Sakura could see his hand tighten around his kunai. The rumble of his voice made her stomach clench restlessly.

"Don't be coy Sakura."

Her clone disregarded his warning and began unzipping her red qipao— steadily mocking him still. She then tilted her head ever so slightly—a sly grin playing at the corners of her lips—as she let her shirt join her kunai on the ground. The clone's grin grew when his breath halted for just a second. Kakashi had seen her in her chest bindings over a thousand times, but recent events were playing in her favor. Pleasurable insinuation dripped off her clone's tongue as she spoke,

"Are you sure? Because you seem to like it."

Her clone took a defensive stance— noticing his demeanor shifting into a more commanding posture— and silently egged him on to fight with Taijutsu only. The aura rolling off Kakashi was titillating, ravenous like a wolf stalking its prey.

"Yes, I'm sure."

Her clone's smile turned saccharine, though the expression in her eyes and tone of voice was far from sweet.

"Well then, I suppose I'll just have to apologize for disrespecting your wishes Kakashi-sensei."

That set him off, in less than a second, he lodged his kunai in a tree and darted towards her. Her clone's face was plastered with an elated grin, her trap had been set and his fate was sealed. Sakura was beaming, she had never gotten such a visceral reaction from him during a spar before.

They exchanged calculated blows. Kakashi struck a fist aimed at her head, but she smoothly evaded it by leaning to the side. He lunged low and swung a leg beneath hers to swipe her off her feet, but she swiftly twirled herself over him— using his back as a springboard with the palms of her hands. He turned rapidly, tried grabbing ahold of her ankles, and cursed under his breath, "Damn," when he scarcely missed them. Her clone's feet dug into the dirt as she landed, muscles tensing instinctively to thwart his upcoming assaults. They flashed across the riverbank, parrying blow after blow. Amidst their spar, Kakashi haughtily remarked,

"As you can see, your plan didn't work."

He landed a kick then, her clone grunted and unceremoniously skidded against the dirt before regaining her footing. As she repositioned herself, her smile twisted into a predatory grin. Her eyes glinted with a knowing gleam as she wiped a smudge of mud off her face. She leaped towards him fist raised high to continue the onslaught. Their fighting picked up even more momentum, but her clone still managed to reply to his previous remark.

"Oh, I think it did. You've never come at me this hard before."

Kakashi's masked face was in view now, no longer being turned away from the real Sakura in hiding. She worried about her plan then, despite the energy radiating off him he looked as calm as ever. Her worries were washed away as he ground out her name, his tone drenched with warning. Akin to how he talked while teaching but laced with something darker. Something unbidden.

"Sakura."

Her clone faltered for a moment, leaving an opening for him to round another kick into her side. The real Sakura bit her lip in anticipation. He was vulnerable, his leg just inches away from landing its blow. This was it, the moment for their original plan. She hoped her clone could hear her thoughts.

'Now, do it now!'

It all happened so fast. In one moment, he was about to land his kick, and in the next her clone expertly swiped his leg down with her forearm, slid herself forward— until their chests were pressed together— and cupped him. Kakashi froze in place, his attention snapping to her hand, his eye wide— shocked into pure bewilderment.

"You shouldn't say a woman's name like that when you're as hard as a rock Sensei."

In less than half a second Kakashi's clone poofed out of existence. Her clone stared at her hand—face beet red—before following suit. For a brief second Sakura questioned why her clone was blushing at the end. It wasn't as if she had never felt a dick before, but then her clone's memories fully melded with hers. She couldn't help but look down at her hand then, face as equally red as her clone's had been.

'Oh.'

'It's—'

'Don't you dare—'

'But its—'

'Shut up, all that matters is that the plan worked.'

'But its—'

Her attention was broken by the expulsion of a curse and the sound of tree branches breaking along with a loud thump from across the river. She immediately set off towards it, her inner started laughing, completely delighted.

'We got him good! I mean his clone's memories made him fall out of a tree! You got to admit that it was a great idea now huh?'

'I don't know… I kind of feel bad...or maybe a bit guilty…'

'You only feel bad because his co—'

'NO! We're not going to think about that.'

Sakura had to run deeper into the woods than she had expected, but she found him easily enough—twigs and leaves smushed underneath his backside as he held his head and groaned in exasperation. Rapidly feeling meeker by the second— which may be rather odd considering her actions— she started fiddling with the hem of her shirt. He noticed her standing there awkwardly. His lone eye regarded her with disbelief and a hint of frustration.

"Sakura, did you plan all of that or…?"

A brow lifted as he looked up at her expectantly, waiting for an answer, patience running thin.

"Well…um…you see…originally—"

Suddenly, she felt a hand wrap around her throat as one of her forearms was forcefully twisted into the swell of her back from behind. The Kakashi in front of her popped out of existence as the real one pressed her arm further into her backside. She shivered as she felt him lean forward just enough for his masked lips to be inches away from her ear. She could feel his hot breath fanning across her neck as he spoke, his voice raw and the clip of his tongue irate, leaving any desire to escape depart completely.

"You shouldn't grab a man's cock like that and not expect some retaliation Sakura-chan."

His hand around her throat tightened as he bit out,

"Now, I know that my behavior in Iwa was inappropriate… No, our behavior—"

While she understood what he was getting at, the close proximity of his body and the sound of his voice paired with the sensation of him squeezing her throat wasn't helping. In fact, she couldn't help but shudder with reckless need the moment his grip intensified. Her cheeks flushed as she felt him take a deep staggering breath— as if he could smell what his hold was doing to her sanity.

"… and that we've been playfully teasing one another, but this…"

His hand tightened even further… as if he was enjoying her reactions… as if he couldn't help himself… as if it was the only thing keeping him together. Making her head feel light and fuzzy like freshly picked cotton.

"…this cannot happen."

Anticipation warmed her body from head to toe as she keenly listened to the way he took another deep breath, but rather than removing his hold on her arm and pressing his hips forward to close the distance between them— as she had hoped— he began to slowly retreat. His voice was almost a whisper, contrite yet heavy with resolve as he finished speaking.

"Never… do that again."

Her body immediately felt cold from his absence, but she could feel his stare boring into her—demanding she accept his mind. She was torn, a bit confused despite being aware that his reaction was duly caused by her actions… The sudden shift of playful teasing from early to…this. Even her inner was stunned into silence. She felt repentant but not enough to douse the fire in her veins. She knew that he was right, knew these cravings shouldn't, couldn't be explored. But the ringing of her ears and hammering in her chest told her that resisting this was going to be a bitch.

She wanted to ask what he'd do to her if she did it again. She didn't. Nor would she apologize, so she simply avoided looking at him and nodded her head. Silence filled the air until she heard him sigh in resignation as if he were completely drained. Then he apologized.

"I'm sorry."

Her brows immediately knitted together, head lightly shaking no, as she tried to reassure him that she was fine.

"There's no reason to be sorry…"

She closed her eyes tightly, still facing away from him, feeling a bit ashamed of how breathless her voice sounded, of the state she was in.

Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose, the onslaught of opposing emotions currently plaguing him was beginning to form a headache. It took him practically three days to process Iwa and now. Well, now he had a whole new assortment of compiling and sorting he would need to do. He felt like he was on autopilot, not entirely sure what to do with himself but he continued speaking anyway—he had to ease the tension in the air somehow.

"No, I shouldn't have…I shouldn't have done that in the way that I did. So, I apologize.

In all his years…after all the countless hours of fantasizing about a woman taking a scene from an Icha-Icha book and using it against him… it comes true by the will of one of his students, and by Sakura no less. He would've suspected something like this from Naruto while using the sexy Jutsu, not Sakura.

"Please…don't… don't worry about it... Ok?"

Because this was Sakura— sweet… warm… care giving Sakura… The fact that she would even dare to do such a thing to him was an anomaly… Though he supposed that the Iwa incident was starting to cause a bit of a ripple effect. Plus, on top of it all she had liked his reaction… liked him choking her—because he could indeed smell her excitement—it was more than his mind could handle at the moment. His throat felt constricted, but his voice still managed to come out smoothly, like his typical bored drawl.

"Alright then."

He wasn't sure what made him feel worse, the fact that he reacted the way he had or her unexpected decision to use such a thing against him... Really what the hell was she thinking? He knew that he would be able to manage it after some time. Perhaps it would be a tedious and troublesome process— more like a hindrance to his sanity. He huffed inwardly,

'As if l ever had much of that anyway.'

But damn, he hadn't felt out of control like that since his Anbu days. Which was why he had been sure to make his point clear. Such things could not happen…. wouldn't happen…shouldn't happen any more than they already had.

He sighed again, his weight shifting to one leg as he slipped his hands into his pockets. He had wanted to go home after training some with her since they were now just about a shy 30-minute jog away from the village, but he knew that returning now would only make matters worse. They would have to talk about things.

"Let's just camp here for the night. We can delay our return for a day…. I'll go get some wood for a fire."

Rather than waiting for her to say anything he simply set off to look for timber, needing some time alone to think. At least until he heard her stomach rumble, making him stop briefly to try and regain some form of semblance.

"I'll fish for some food too."

*End of flashback*

(Wish I Knew You: The Revivalists)

After recalling everything that happened, not knowing Kakashi was thinking about it too, Sakura couldn't help but feel guilty… especially considering she was having a tough time not thinking about the way he felt or the way his voice had twisted her stomach into heated coiled knots—which she should not be doing. Kakashi had been clear and to the point with his actions and words, but a part of her really wanted to test him… wanted to know how good he'd make her feel. She was certain he'd coax out sensations she'd never felt before. All of her previous exploits were rather mediocre, she had been waiting for someone who could ignite her body with such ferocity.

Of course, she still held on strong to her love for Sasuke, determined as ever, but she didn't want to put her entire life on hold waiting for him. Sex was a great source of release, and it didn't have to mean anything, she knew that for a fact because she still loved Sasuke. Though, at times, she did question her undying devotion to him.

But worrying about it stressed her out even more. In the end, she wouldn't know for sure until he finally came back to them… so there wasn't any point in dwelling on it too much. Instead, she found joy in having a fun time with someone random, or sometimes people she knew, every now and then. One lasted for a few months, another just a few days, one lasted a few weeks, and then there was one that lasted for a year…. just casual flings dealt with care and respect. Helping her forget, helping her drown in pleasure.

They were still sitting next to one another on a branch but far enough away for adequate space, a fire roaring softly beneath them as it slowly cooked the fish Kakshi had caught as well as some rice that he insisted on having. At first, she was worried that they'd burn but he'd assured her, rather distantly, that they would be fine. She sighed and looked back up at the sky. It was stunning, enough to absorb the unwelcome feelings threatening to darken her day. Truth be told, Sakura couldn't remember the last time she had seen such a clear sky. As she continued gazing at its beauty, she spotted the moon and smiled warmly. Thinking of how seeing the sun sharing the sky with the moon was considered to be a good omen. She was pulled from her thoughts when Kakashi suddenly spoke.

"A journey of spiritual growth and transformation."

Her brows pinched in partial perplexment as she turned her head and looked at him. It almost sounded like he knew what she had been thinking about—having once read a poem that described seeing the sun and moon sharing the sky with those same words.

Kakashi fleetingly held her gaze with a lazy air then shifted it back to the sky. His back against the trunk of the tree, arm resting on his bent knee as his hand dangled a little with a turned-down copy of Icha-Icha.

"It's rude to stare, Sakura."

Quickly averting her gaze, she went back to admiring the sky…her voice soft as she expressed her thoughts.

"Sorry, I was just… I was wondering… well I was a bit surprised by what you said because I was thinking about the same thing. I can't remember where I read it but…"

She trailed off then, not sure how to complete her thoughts, partially taken back by how appealing the man looked just sitting there. The Iwa fiasco had really fucked up the way she saw him, or perhaps it simply brought deeply buried thoughts to light? To hell, if she knew… She thought she had figured it all out during their main journey back but obviously, that wasn't the case. But it made sense, a person's subconscious rearing its head tended to muddy things up… usually.

Kakashi couldn't help but grin, now that he'd had some time to cool off…he was ready to broach the topic of Sakura undeniably being a fan of Jiraiya's works. He still had no clue how to oversee things, but he'd do his best to not let anything ruin the dynamic they had built. A part of him would always feel bad about failing her as a Sensei even though she had assured him and accepted his apologies… it still didn't sit right with him.

Which was why he was trying to make up for it now, here and there, whenever he could. Such as the sensory technique she was developing with his assistance— not that he had to do much. Perhaps, if they could come to an understanding about their most recent revelations, and rein in this bizarre attraction they were feeling towards one another… He could help her produce some kind of personalized earth Jutsu before they went to sleep.

Not that he wouldn't enjoy having some fun with her, but their history, among other things, would just make things far too complicated. Of course, that's assuming that she would want to fuck him and that was why she did what she did—beyond trying to simply get the upper hand in a spar. He was fairly certain that, even if that was the case originally, she most likely wanted to fuck him now. Especially considering her reaction to being choked, Kami that was such a weird thought…

Nevertheless, he didn't need her to say anything to gather that she had most likely turned to sex as an outlet to deal with her feelings for Sasuke and it was most likely even harder on her now. Sasuke accomplished his goal of killing Itachi. It should've been the only thing keeping him from home, but the raven-haired shinobi was still out there somewhere lost in the shadows. Kakashi wasn't sure if any part of the Sasuke they knew was still there… if he'd ever come back.

He supposed that they would keep fighting for him and try to help him see the light as best they could. In his heart, Kakashi knew he owed them that much…especially Sasuke because he had failed him too. He was supposed to help him fight the darkness inside, understanding on some level why he felt the way he did… why he held so much hatred in his heart. Kakashi had been there, was still there— in that dark void— on his bad days… and yet nothing he said had helped… If anything, he felt like he had made things worse and simply pushed Sasuke into Orochimaru's arms… in his lust for power.

Mah, he had been lost in his thoughts long enough, it was time to call this feisty pink-haired kunoichi out and properly tease her. It was only right, considering how often she insulted him for his choice of literature and her actions from earlier. He was still rather salty about it, she should know better than to try crossing lines like that with him, even if they had crossed some already, even if he had the feeling that she would try to get him to cross more.

"It's from Icha-Icha Paradise."

Tresses of pink hair whipped around as she jerked her gaze his way, her eyes wide in shock like a deer caught in a light Jutsu before shifting into an expression of cold-hard denial. He almost snorted at the speed of shifting expressions.

"No way! I must've read it somewhere else."

He couldn't help but laugh then… Surely, she didn't think she was fooling him? No, she knew better, she just didn't want to admit it. Which was fine, he almost always enjoyed a challenge.

"Mah, try denying it all you want Sakura-chan. We both know you read it in Paradise."

She crossed her arms and huffed while turning away from him, banking on the assumption that he wouldn't mention her little cupping act.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Of course… this was Kakashi, so she should've known better. Then again, perhaps she simply enjoyed this form of playful banter with him… She managed to keep herself from blushing while musing that they were sort of flirting.

"Hmm, I'm sure you don't… Then again, your little act from earlier said it all since it was from Tactics. So… why not just drop the act and admit your love for Icha-Icha?"

'Of course, he'd have the balls to say it.'

"Fine… I won't deny reading them, but I, in absolutely no way whatsoever, love them. You have a weakness for them, so I decided to exploit it. Like that time Naruto and I tricked you into forfeiting during the bell test."

She had to bite her cheek as she watched the side of his mask-covered one lift, he was undoubtedly smiling smugly, and she hated how well he knew her— almost.

"Hmm... I suppose… I'll just have to take your word for it then... Even though we both know that there's a difference between attempting to ruin a man's beloved story by spoiling the plot and blatantly grabbing his cock."

Oooo he was asking for it, but something in his gaze stopped her from lashing out— from continuing their fit of banter. Something hidden underneath the swirls of mirth in his steel grey eye as he looked at her. Something akin to an analytical understanding of unspoken truths. She realized then what he was trying to do, attempting to lighten the mood. She also realized that he had apparently come to some sort of revelation about her while gathering wood and catching fish, that underneath all of that was a level of determination similar to Naruto's ideologies. It was easy to forget at times, because of his aloof tendencies, but it was there.

She had an idea about what it was too, what he had most likely concluded. She had a feeling— based on that hidden something within his gaze— that he had figured out what she had turned to in order to cope with her feelings for Sasuke. This was his way of telling her that he understood… that he didn't want things to change between them, that he wasn't judging her or questioning her choices. Well, perhaps the part where she wanted to fuck him— there was no point in denying it anymore— either way she appreciated it.

So, instead of lashing out or spewing more nonsense, Sakura simply smiled at him warmly, somewhat dejectedly, then turned her gaze back to the sky. It was darker now, the sun having departed fully, the moon full and reflecting its vibrant light as stars began shimmering amongst the vast deep purplish-blue atmosphere. It was breathtaking and broke Sakura's hardened shell, making her remorse from earlier return. The need to apologize finally sweeping its way in.

"I'm sorry…for…you know..." She made a cupping motion with her hand while blushing, "…doing that to you earlier. I only wanted to surprise you and get the upper hand…but it got a bit…um out of hand…I'm sorry."

He simply hummed and mumbled "Don't worry about it." then summoned a clone to check on the fish and rice before going back to reading his book. A bit taken by her sudden shift in mood and perceptibility.

Voicing the fact that it had made her partially confused feelings of desire for him solidify and shift into something no longer confusing but weighing… didn't need to be said. She was sure he was as aware of it as she was. No, now she was profoundly curious, debating on whether or not to try and convince him to indulge in this attraction just once. To get it out of their systems and go on as if nothing had changed. They could have a good bout of fun and still be professional and friendly afterward, right?

The yearlong tryst she had was with Shikamaru, and they remained close friends. Nothing weird happened between the two of them. They had simply taken comfort in one another's arms, then went their separate ways. However, she supposed that perhaps that only worked because they were both in love with someone else. Once he grew enough balls to finally ask Temari out… their fun had ended and that was that. No harm no foul.

She didn't know too much about Kakashi's love life, but she knew he was single. Sure, he had once been her Sensei and perhaps he was trying to take on that role with more finesse now, but in her heart— even if he had been the one to teach her the importance of teamwork and camaraderie, one of her most profound lessons— Tsunade would always be her true teacher. Which left Kakashi in some weird space between mentor and friend, even though she still called him Sensei.

Perhaps, if she simply called him by his name, he would warm up to the idea of having a bit of fun with her. It was certainly worth a try, even though a part of her found the idea of still using Sensei rather kinky… and it would play into the whole dominant/submissive thing she was searching for. Another part of her recognized that aspect of it was simply too real to play into, so it might be better to merely use it as a term of endearment or some twisted form of reprimand. Well, none of it mattered for the time being. For now, she would just have to concentrate on getting what she wanted.

'Alright inner me, got any ideas?'

'Oh… I have plenty…'

As usual, she started gnawing on her bottom lip as she began plotting.

The silent tether with his clone told Kakashi that their fish and rice were almost ready. He hadn't quite voiced all of his concerns yet, hoping to discuss things more openly after a full belly. Hunger tended to make people irritable and he didn't want to ruin the harmony they'd managed to build together the past couple of years, but wanting to do something and doing it were two completely different things.

His lone eye narrowed as he spotted Sakura chewing her lip, it usually meant one of two things. She was either nervous or she was up to something. He wasn't exactly sure which one it was yet but something in the air told him it was the latter, making him feel the need to intervene.

"The food will be done soon."

Hyper-focusing helped Sakura solve problems and come up with creative solutions for a lot of things, but it also tended to make her a bit oblivious to her surroundings… While she had heard Kakashi, she wasn't entirely sure what he'd said, too lost in her thoughts while listening to her inner's ideas. She'd produced a pretty good one too, so she decided to use it to her advantage. All she had to do was build up the courage to do it, which wasn't hard, and luckily the branch they were sitting on was rather thick. Otherwise, this would be more difficult than she'd like.

With precisive ease, Sakura turned towards him and placed both of her palms on the branch. Then leaned forward, gradually adding more of her weight to her arms and hands until she applied enough pressure to keep her steady as she lifted each leg, one at a time until they were both in place. She shifted a knee partially in front of the other as she tilted her head and gave him her full attention, slowly inching her way towards him with each passing word, adding fuel to the fire.

"I'm sorry… What did you say, Kakashi?"

The moment she started moving… she verified his intuition. She had most definitely been plotting, and boy did she paint a pretty picture. The moon's light captured her hair with a touch of lavender, making her skin glisten and her lips seem fuller. The crackling fire below emitted flickering shadows that hugged her curves fondly, which were out on full display with the way she had to perch on the branch as she crawled towards him, her hips swaying dangerously each time she shifted a knee forward.

Then there were her eyes… those damn captivating green eyes that seemed to dance along with the fire's rising embers, teasing him with heated promises he could never fully grasp. Heated promises he wouldn't allow himself to have, but it was enough to temporarily keep him from stopping her. To make the foot that had been holding his knee up slip, allowing her to crawl into his lap and straddle him as he admired her beauty. If only he was younger or she was older… or perhaps even born during his time… yes, he couldn't help but think, just briefly…

'I wish I knew you when I was young.'

(The Curse: Agnes Obel)

Instead of dwelling on it or giving in more than he already had, he stilled his breath and smothered his libido as she fully settled herself onto his lap. He was sure to keep his hands to himself by folding the hand tightly clutching Icha-Icha over his stomach and letting the other go limp. Was sure to keep his usual lazy stare and voice in check as she licked her lips, inviting his to crash against hers amongst the night sky.

"The food is almost ready."

The little minx smiled softly then as if she wasn't testing his resolve by running her hands over his chest sensually— he was incredibly grateful for his vest at that moment— as if she wasn't crossing lines by displaying a hunger unlike before… This was deliberate, calculated, not in the moment. This was unlike what had happened in Iwa, unlike what she'd done during their spar. This was a persistent choice, a stranglehold on his sanity, a curse.

"Mm good, I'm starving."

He had to bite his tongue to keep himself from dishing out some cheeky remark, causing the corners of her mouth to twitch downward momentarily, slightly put off by his lack of response. Until she regained her determination, shown by the way she started inching her lips closer to his masked ones.

"Sakura, I'll give you one minute to get off me."

He supposed he was also grateful for all the seduction training he had undergone in Anbu or else he'd slip up like earlier and little Kakashi would be hard again, nevertheless he was prepared for something like this now, mind taunt with a willpower he hasn't had to use in years. Which was a bit rusty.

"Or what, Ka-ka-shi?"

Which was why he was pliable to her advances. So, he couldn't help but let his unoccupied fingers slip through her hair to softly tilt her head back, making her lips part deliciously, making his grip on Icha-Icha tighten even further. His guarded gaze bored into hers, silently enjoying the painstaking yearning he could see swirling in the depths of her darkening green eyes. Making him subconsciously gravitate his masked lips towards hers, making his voice a bit gravelly and rough.

"I'll have to make sure you keep your hands to yourself."

Clearly, after everything he'd experienced these past few days, Sakura wasn't as innocent as he'd perceived her to be, no that was evident the moment she cupped him. Which made all of this more tempting, alluring, and hard to resist. Not being one for innocence. It also made her more predictable, now that he knew to expect this kind of behavior from her, but kami… he was tempted. Especially when his touch made her shiver and smile in a seductively sly way, telling him she knew exactly what she was doing to his sanity.

"I think I might like that."

Teasing him, luring out his most primal cravings, urging him to surrender, to teach her a lesson. Sakura was a spirited person, it was evident that she would be as equally passionate in bed. Even so, time was running out, and rather than sliding off him she simply pressed forward, laying her chest flush against his, making his grip on her hair tense as she gently nudged the crook of his neck before whispering in his ear.

"Actually, I think… I'd like that a lot."

Her breath ghosted across his masked lips as she turned her head back towards his mouth. It was almost irresistible, inviting, a trap, a stranglehold, absolute torment. His voice was now a hard rumble.

"Sakura."

Hers, a breathless hum.

"Kakashi."

A blessing, a curse. Two sides of the same coin.

"Times up."

Whooo this chapter ended up being 14 pages long and 6,725 words, I had a hard time with the fight scene, please tell me if it's ok or not (I could really use a Beta)

Sooo what are your thoughts? Do you think he's going to give in? What do you think he's going to do?

Let me know what your minds are conjuring up, the only hint I'm giving you is that, in a way, his reaction is kind of kinky. ;P

As always, Thank you for reading and for any kudos given!