Konoha. The Village Hidden in the Leaf. The vast, temperate, beautiful nation of which Hatake Kakashi currently presides as Rokudaime Hokage. A position of honour, dignity, prestige, and oh would you like at that - paperwork… Had his slouch not always been so ingrained in his posture, he was sure we would've keeled over from the metaphorical weight on his shoulders.

Why Naruto even wanted this position was beyond him. Kakashi longed for the day he could streak through the forest on a high-class mission again; no ANBU babysitters mothering him over a stubbed toe, no inescapable political parties and board meetings where he would gladly take a poisoned kunai to the chest if it just meant getting out of there at a decent hour! No, just him and a mission. And his faithful Icha Icha, of course. A book he had hardly the time to read thanks to Shikamaru's crafty confiscation and not-so-subtle threat of a strike, lest he finish his 'damn duties as Hokage… troublesome.'

Kakashi's head collided several more times with his desk before he heard a knock at the door, peaking over the mounds of paper he allowed himself a small eye crinkle at the approaching chakra signature.

"I thought I heard you in here." Sakura edged her way through the office, offering her sensei a sympathetic smile. Ah, she always seemed to have plenty of those to spare him. How she always found spare smiles to give was a mystery to him. Even as she glided in dressed in well-worn scrubs and a frazzled ponytail, she still exuded a certain beauty and grace, not befitting a person who worked longer hours than him most nights. At a hospital, no less.

"Mah Sakura. A little late for you isn't it? Your shift finished hours ago." Kakashi mused lazily, rolling his shoulders to a more dignified position.

"Keeping tabs, are we?" Sakura teased as she made her way over to Kakashi's desk, piles of paper stacked precariously in her arms. Kakashi cringed at the sight.

"I'm the Hokage, Sakura. I know everything." He said dryly lifting his head to face his former pupil.

"Of course, Hokage-sama."

Kakashi winced, "Sakura, if you don't stop with the honorifics I will be forced to start adding 'chan' to your name again."

"Sorry Kakashi-sensei."

"That's not funny Sakura-chan."

"Point taken."

"Alright, what is all this and why can't it wait until tomorrow?" he propped his chin against palm.

"Well, I suppose it can. I just thought that since you're still here we could get it done tonight and then sleep soundly knowing that tomorrow there will be less paperwork!" she optimistically curled her hand into a fist and pumped the air.

Kakashi sighed wearily, "Oh Sakura, there is always more paperwork. Always." He shuddered at the mere thought.

"Well good thing I'm here to help. It's painless, just a collection of shinobi medical files I need you to sign off for clearance of active duty." She stated, leaning down to shuffle the papers, her long silky locks gliding from her shoulders and down to Kakashi's line of sight; his keen scent noting hints of jasmine and apples, his mind fondly drifting to a pup Pakkun.

"Kakashi?" he was brought out of his musings by a quirked eyebrow and a quizzical emerald eye.

"Maah Sakura, why are you trying to turn my hair grey?" Kakashi exclaimed, dramatically leaning back in his chair, feigning distress.

Sakura let out a huff and placed her hands on her hips smiling dryly, "If I was, I'd say I've done a pretty good job."

The pointed look he gave her was almost enough to make her giggle. "It's silver, I'll have you know."

"Whatever you say Sensei."

A comfortable quietness settled between them as they sorted through endless files, Sakura occasionally pointing out something noteworthy and Kakashi absently nodding as he scribbled his name tiredly.

It had become a common routine between the two of them, in the recent years, working closely on countless tasks stretching from the most menial of duties to the most high-ranked decisions. There was a deep-seated trust and respect between them that had only grown with the years. It helped that Sakura was one of the few in the village unafraid to give him a piece of her mind when called for. And for that, Kakashi was grateful.

Since Tsunade's retirement, Sakura had worked closely with Shizune to become one of the pillars of the village in both medical advancements and trusted correspondence of the Hokage. Kakashi dreaded to imagine how much harder his position would be without the hard work and iron medical fist of his most diligent former student. Although she could stand to take a day off. The term, overworked definitely came to mind when thinking of Sakura.

A fair few new adjectives were increasingly coming to mind when thinking of Sakura, in fact. Adjectives he shouldn't be using to describe his former student, and yet, nevertheless is unable to deny. Innocent touches between them had started to become a little more meaningful, stolen glances tended to linger, and the comfortable lulls of silence that sat between them in moments like these grew to hold an unnamed tension.

Perhaps his playful teasing now bore a more sinful edge, and perhaps her responding punches lacked their usual force, though who could be certain… It was a slow amalgamation of late nights spent in the Hokage office and taking turns reminding one another to eat something, or in Sakura's case, take a goddamned break!

It made sense that by now they had each other's favourite restaurants memorized, complete with preferred orders. Even when their jobs got the better part of them, somehow, they never managed to go more than a week without checking on one another.

Whether it be Sakura deigning to make an unnecessary trip to his office to drop off some not-so-urgent documents; or in a move that was not Kakashi's proudest moment, purposefully faking a stroke and getting the added benefit of missing a few hours of work and hiding away with his favourite medic.

Her office was nicer anyway. Well, it was smaller, but less busy, and it didn't have a couch like his did, or a massive window, but it smelt like her… Another thing that was drawing Kakashi's attention to her more than it should. But how could he stay away? Especially when she procured a rather comfortable chair in her office for him, which she unceremoniously dubbed as his 'slacker throne'.

It wasn't a spinny chair, but it did the job remarkably well. Perhaps a little too well, if Shikamaru's monotoned complaints were anything to go by. It almost became a game between the three of them. Whenever Kakashi felt overwhelmed, irritated or just plain bored, he'd sneak into Sakura's office (whether she was there or not) and catch up on some more palatable reading material, whilst simultaneously 'catching up on hospital matters'.

And, without fail, whenever Shikamaru came trudging to Sakura's office asking if he was there, Kakashi would supress his chakra and dive out her small window, and she'd give the most sinfully innocent smile imaginable and feign ignorance.

Kakashi always loved that part. Shikamaru would of course never believe her and Kakashi would later cop an earful of "troublesome this and troublesome that, and you're the Hokage for Kami's sake!".

But it would all be worth it for her adorable eye roll and disapproving purse of her lips when she'd mumble about the things she does for her sensei. And he would always reward her with an eye crinkle and a heartfelt pat on the head.

And if he dragged his hand through her silken locks just a little on the way out… well, that's merely conjecture.

A sudden chakra flare brought both Sakura and Kakashi to alerted positions, immediately taking defensive precautions at the unidentified signature. Sakura leapt over the desk and took a defensive stance protecting her Hokage, kunai at the ready. Kakashi was the first to relax, albeit only a little, moments before a shadowed figured appeared in his office.

"Well, this is unexpected." His tone a practiced calm, almost uninterested.

"Sa-sasuke-kun?" Sakura breathed.

The man in question stood before them, expressionless, his chakra presence heavy and electric, coating Sakura in thick waves of immobility. He looked on edge and yet effortless calm. Enigmatic to his core, Sasuke forever remained a symbolic question mark in Sakura's life.

And yet, here he stood, perfectly graceful and altogether foreboding in the company of his shocked former teammate and sensei.

Sakura could barely process the image before her, too overwhelmed with relief and curiosity and happiness to even think. He was back? For how long?

Kakashi's even tone snapped Sakura back to reality, and she quickly returned her kunai.

"Genma, you're fired." He called to the room at large, before returning his attention back to two-thirds of his old team. "Tell me Sasuke, if I look outside am I going to find a string of genjutsued shinobi littering my fine village?"

"Only the ones on watch. It was only temporary."

"Excellent." He replied dryly, pinching the bridge of his nose, more paperwork. "I assume there is a reason you've returned?"

"I've come to make a formal request." Sasuke's words were sharp and to the point as ever.

Kakashi's ear pricked at this, and he narrowed his eyes. The information traded between the two of them had always been confidential, and Sasuke knows this. What angle is he playing? "Sakura, could you excuse us. I do believe you've earned a good nights sleep."

Sakura was about to protest when Sasuke's cool tone cut her off.

"She can stay. It concerns her."

Sakura felt the hardwood of the desk against her lower-back, and she took a bewildered step back. What? Her mind fought to clear the fog that was clouding her ability to think, blinking rapidly as if to display her shock. Clenching her fist, she commanded her body to move and the fog to lift, and with a small flare of her own chakra, she stood to attention, and eyed him evenly. Hopefully, albeit cautiously.

"Oh?" Kakashi prompted. "And what have you deemed important enough to come here and share with all of us."

"The details are not important, only that I am requesting you assign Sakura to me for the duration of my operation."

A stunned silence ensued. If Sasuke's sudden reappearance wasn't enough to spin her head, his revelation was. Sakura couldn't help but feel completely lightheaded, and devastatingly curious.

"Sasuke, I needn't remind you that as Hokage, I do not send my ninja on blind missions. That's not how we do things here. There is a little something called accountability which I'm sure you should be familiar with by now." His voice took a sharper edge to it now.

"Sakura is more than capable."

Sakura almost choked on thin air. Never in her life had she heard Sasuke come to her defence as a capable kunoichi so immediately. She had to be dreaming; some misguided dream from her over-infatuated genin self. She would cringe if she wasn't so dumbfounded, and a little flattered.

"Unfortunately, it's not up to her. In fact, Sakura is quite in demand these days, there is a bit of a waiting list, I'll have you know. You came to make a formal request, and I will accept your request to be processed, assuming you provide me with adequate details of the intended mission."

Years by Kakashi's side meant Sakura was familiar with the subtle threat that laced Kakashi's otherwise bored tone. She felt Sasuke's chakra flare in response. A challenge to Kakashi's threat.

"I need an answer Kakashi." Sasuke's voice was deceptively calm, almost putting Sakura on edge. It was in such a great contrast to his suffocating chakra intent, and Kakashi's seemed to flare in response. What the hell was going on here? It was a wonder ANBU weren't jumping out of the shadows at the mere conflict of such powerful chakra signatures.

"Sakura, feel free to go home. It appears Sasuke and I have some details to discuss."

Part of her wanted to slam her fists down and demand both of them to stop treating her like she wasn't standing in the goddamned room with them. But against her better judgement, she practiced patience in the face of a delicate scenario. The last thing she wanted was to scare Sasuke off for another four years.

"I…Yes, Hokage-sama."

Sakura motioned a small nod towards Kakashi flashing him a questioning stare before excusing herself past Sasuke. A rough hand gripped hers and she was pulled back to come back to face with Sasuke, his dark orbs appearing focused and vast. She would've gasped if she wasn't already so tense. She could feel her pulse quicken and was sure Sasuke could too from where he held her hand between their faces like some show of connection.

"Sakura, you once asked if you could come with me on my journey. You were ready to leave the village to help me. Well now I'm asking you."

Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief with what she was hearing. What exactly was he asking of her? And why the hell now?

"Sasuke I – "

Sakura suddenly felt a warmth appear at her back, and a large hand slide up to her wrist, cradling it loosely as Kakashi stood behind her.

"That's enough Sasuke." His breath skimmed the top of Sakura's head and she could feel tension mount between them. Sasuke lifted his gaze to challenge Kakashi's.

"I need her." He ground out.

"Why?"

"None of your business." Sasuke clipped, losing his collected calm.

"Then she is none of yours."

Sakura opened her mouth to yell at both of them about their idiotic bravado when she felt a pain shoot up through her hand, bones crunching under Sasuke's increased tightening of his grip. Sakura stiffened but remained silent, her eyes growing in restrained shock and pain. Sasuke flickered his eyes over her, his gaze shocked, then self-reproachful, finally softening with a remorseful glance so quick, Sakura would've missed it had her eyes not been so firmly glued to the man before her.

Releasing his grip on her as if burned, Sasuke took a small step back before immediately vanishing in a twisted swirl of matter. The two remaining ninja remained still in his wake, with nothing but each other's breathing to tether them to the reality of what had just happened.

Kakashi noticed the small wrist which still rested in his hand and after inspecting it momentarily, brought it down in front of her.

"Sakura." The warm vibrations of his chest on her back did little to stir her. She was fixed in stillness.

"Sakura" he tried again, his voice soft.

"Mmm."

"Your hand. Are you alright?" he prompted slowly, turning her gently around to face him, his eyes studying her vacant expression.

She absently brushed her fingertips over her hand, illuminating the dark room in a light green glow. "Yes, I'm fine. Just a small fracture." She confirmed distractedly.

Kakashi tried not to let his agitation show and let out a fatigued breath, resting a hand on Sakura's head. "Come on, I'll walk you home."

A/N: Hey, so this is my first fic and in case you haven't guessed, it is set in the blank period, and will heavily diverge from cannon. I haven't decided on any concrete pairings, but this will be an adventure/friendship/romance story. I am open to any comment or ideas or corrections as I'm quite new at all this. Updates may vary (honestly depending on lockdown haha). Hope everyone stays safe out there!