"Hey, Forehead, when is Kakashi going to marry you?" Ino asked her one day.

Sakura looked at Ino over the rim of her teacup. They are currently in a tea shop because apparently, they need a girl's date.

"I really don't know, Pig." Sakura shrugged.

"You don't know?" Ino asked her. "You were living together for three years now, right?"

"We don't talk about it." Sakura simply said. "We're just... I don't know, like this."

Ino raised an eyebrow, looking at Sakura with a mix of disbelief and amusement. "Just 'like this'? Sakura, you're practically a married couple without the legal documents. Don't you want to take the next step?"

Sakura sighed, setting her teacup down. "It's not that I don't want to, Ino. It's just that we never really discussed it. He joked about it when we first started dating, but he didn't bring it up again. Kakashi is so busy. I don't even want to burden him with unimportant things."

Ino leaned forward, studying Sakura with a serious expression. "Sakura, marriage is not an unimportant thing. It's a commitment, a declaration of love. You deserve to have that conversation and know where your relationship stands."

"It's okay, Ino, at least I have him with me. Papers are not really that important." she explained somberly.

"Sakura, be honest with me." Ino demanded. "What is it that you want? Don't you want to get married?"

Sakura took a moment to reflect, her gaze fixed on the swirling patterns in her teacup. Ino's words echoed in her mind, urging her to confront her own desires and express them.

"To be honest, I don't want to before Kakashi. But now? Of course, I want to get married." Sakura admitted, her voice soft. "I want that commitment, that assurance that we're building a future together. But Kakashi is always so focused on his duties, and I don't want to add more to his plate."

"Did you already. I mean..." she looked at her up and down, then wiggle her brows. "You know what I mean, Sakura."

"What? Sex?" Sakura clarified.

Ino blushed, "Well, yeah. I mean, if you've already crossed that bridge, then talking about marriage shouldn't be that difficult, right?"

Sakura chuckled, "Ino, we've been living together for three years. We did cross that bridge over and over again."

Ino's eyes widened, "Seriously? And you still haven't talked about marriage?"

Sakura sighed, "It's not that simple, Ino. Kakashi has his own reasons for not discussing it, and I don't want to pressure him."

Ino leaned back in her chair, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Look, Sakura, I get that Kakashi is a busy man, but you deserve to have your desires heard. Maybe it's time to have that conversation with him."

"It's fine." Sakura assured her. "If he wants to talk about it, then we'll talk. If not, then no."

"And if you get pregnant?" Ino asked. "You just admitted that the two of you are sexually active, what if you get pregnant and he doesn't want anything to do about it? He can just leave because you two are not married."

"I'm careful." Sakura evaded her question. "I mean, I'm a medic, what a lousy medic I would make if I can't be careful about these things, right?"

Ino narrowed her eyes at Sakura, clearly not satisfied with the response. "Sakura, being careful is one thing, but avoiding important conversations is another. You can't just sweep important topics under the rug because you're afraid of the outcome. If you're in a committed relationship, these are discussions you need to have."

Sakura sighed, "We're happy now. Why would I disrupt it just for the sake of satiating my curiosity?" she asked her. "I mean we live under one roof, he comes home to me, he provides for me even though I don't need it, we have a great time in bed, and I have him. What more can I ask of him?"

Ino shook her head, her expression firm. "Sakura, it's not about disrupting your happiness. It's about building a future together, about understanding each other's expectations and desires. Marriage is a natural progression in a committed relationship, and you deserve to know where you stand."

Sakura sighed, feeling a mix of emotions. Ino's words resonated with her, but the fear of potentially rocking the boat with Kakashi held her back.

"I'll think about it, Ino," Sakura finally said, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "I just don't want to pressure him or make him feel obligated to do something he might not be ready for."

Ino nodded understandingly. "I get that, Sakura. Just remember, it's okay to have these conversations. You deserve to have your desires heard and respected. Don't be afraid to express what you want for your future."

As Sakura contemplated Ino's words, she couldn't help but acknowledge the truth in them. Marriage wasn't just a piece of paper; it represented a shared commitment and a future together. While she cherished the present happiness with Kakashi, a part of her yearned for that additional level of commitment.

Days turned into weeks, and Sakura found herself unable to shake off the thoughts about marriage. The idea of spending her life with Kakashi became increasingly appealing, and she realized that she wanted to know if he shared the same sentiment.

One evening, as they sat together in their living room, Sakura mustered the courage to bring up the topic.

"Kakashi?" she called his name to get his attention.

"Yes?"

"Uhm, you remember the ring that you gave me on my 20th birthday?" she asked.

Kakashi looked at Sakura, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. "Yeah, I remember. It was a special gift. Why do you bring it up?"

"Nothing, I just... I just think that I wasn't able to thank you enough for it." She lied, back pedaling.

Kakashi smiled, reaching over to gently squeeze her hand. "Sakura, you don't have to thank me for it. I wanted to give you something meaningful."

Sakura took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest. "Kakashi, that ring is special to me, and I've been thinking a lot about us and our future together."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, his curiosity evident. "Go on."

Sakura met his gaze, her eyes filled with determination. "I love you, Kakashi. We've been through so much, and I cherish every moment we've spent together. I was wondering... what do you think about us, you know, taking the next step?"

Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise, and he looked at her with a mixture of emotions. "The next step?"

"Yeah, like... marriage." Sakura blurted out, her cheeks flushing.

Kakashi remained silent for a moment, processing her words. Sakura couldn't read the expression on his face, and her nerves started to kick in. Just as she was about to apologize for bringing it up, Kakashi spoke.

"Sakura," he began, his voice gentle. "You know that I love you right?" She nodded at his question. "I love you so much, but I haven't thought about marriage for a long time."

Sakura's heart sank at his words, the weight of disappointment settling in. She forced a smile, trying to hide her feelings. "Oh, okay."

"Sakura..."

"No, it's okay." Sakura tried to reassure him. "I was just curious about it. You don't have to pressure yourself because of it."

"Sakura..."

Sakura stood up and collected her plates. "It's okay, Kakashi. Forget that I asked."

As Sakura began to tidy up the table, Kakashi reached out to gently grasp her hand, stopping her from moving away. "Sakura, don't walk away. We need to talk about this."

Sakura sighed, trying to maintain her composure. "There's nothing to talk about, Kakashi. I brought it up, and you're not ready. It's fine."

Kakashi tightened his grip on her hand, his expression serious. "Sakura, I know I asked you before but thinking back, it wasn't a good time to get married. And it's not about not being ready. It's about... well, I need to be honest with you."

Sakura turned to face him, her eyes searching his face for any clues. "Honesty is good, Kakashi. Please, go ahead."

Kakashi took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. "I've been married before."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't expected this revelation. "Married before? But you never mentioned that."

Kakashi nodded, his gaze dropping to the floor. "It was a long time ago, during my ANBU days. It didn't end well, and I thought I'd never want to go through that again. I didn't want to burden you with the details of my past."

"Oh..." Sakura let out, not sure if what to say. Then, she steeled her heart and smiled at him. "It's okay, Kakashi. We don't have to do it."

Kakashi looked at Sakura, his eyes reflecting a mix of gratitude and remorse. "Sakura, I never want to keep things from you. I should have been more open about my past, and I'm sorry for not sharing this with you sooner."

Sakura squeezed his hand, offering him a reassuring smile. "Kakashi, it's alright. We all have our pasts, and I appreciate you opening up to me now." She turned to the side to hide her tears. "Uhm, do you mind if I go to the Tower now? I remember Master telling me that she has something for me to do."

Kakashi nodded, understanding the need for some space. "Of course, Sakura. Take your time. We can talk more about this when you're ready."

Sakura gave him a grateful look, appreciating his understanding. "Thank you, Kakashi."

As she left their shared space, Kakashi couldn't help but feel a weight on his chest. He knew he had to address his past and the impact it had on their relationship. The thought of Sakura being hurt by his silence gnawed at him.