By the time Kakashi and Sakura arrived back to the village gates, it was mid-afternoon and there were more people in the streets. They walked slowly, still not speaking as they made their way towards the apartment. They were just rounding the corner of his block when Sakura saw her father's distinctive hair sticking up and above the crowd further down the street. He looked to be waiting for her mother, who was no doubt stopping in the market for a few groceries to restock after their trip. Sakura was just starting to turn around on the ball of her heel when Kakashi gripped her shoulder firmly, discreetly shaking his head as her father noticed her at the same time.
"Daughter!" Haruno Hizashi called out to his only child, holding his hand in the air as though she didn't see him. She gave him a wave back and gritted her teeth in a smile, hoping it would convince her father that nothing was out of the ordinary.
"Hey, Dad! I didn't know you and Mom were coming home today," she told her father as she wrapped her arms around him. He held her shoulders and Sakura winced as they brushed over the bruises Kakashi had left on her. When he gave her a worried look, she shrugged him off. "Training," she explained simply.
"She even caught me yesterday, Hizashi-san. She's improving a lot," Kakashi added, backing his student up as cover. The older man beamed, grinning at his prodigy.
"Are you coming home for dinner tonight, Sakura?" Kizashi asked, although it sounded more like a gentle direction. He turned and smiled at Kakashi. "You should join us, Kakashi-sama."
Before either one of them could object, Hizashi's wife Mebuki came out of the small market, her arms loaded with bags. "Help me with these, Hizashi, will you?" She asked the man, thrusting an armful of bags at him before turning to smile widely at her daughter. "Sakura! I didn't think we'd run into you this quickly after arriving back in the village."
"Well, Kakashi-sensei decided we should have an off day after training so hard yesterday," Sakura explained to her mother. "We went swimming in the stream since it was such a nice day."
Her mother nodded, smiling up at the sun before turning her attention to Kakashi. "You must come over for dinner tonight, Kakashi-sama. Hizashi and I appreciate how hard you work to help our daughter."
It was a genuine thank you, and Kakashi just moved a hand to the back of his neck as he nodded, uncomfortable with the praise. She was a slight woman, but the silver-haired man knew Sakura had to have inherited her wrath from someone. He highly doubted the elder Haruno woman would appreciate what they'd done while swimming.
"Sure, Mom," Sakura spoke for both of them, relenting to her mother's wishes, reaching to grab the rest of the bags from her mother before she looked up at Kakashi. "Dinner is usually at six," she told him with an apologetic smile.
Her mother nodded, and Kakashi sighed in defeat. "I'll see you shortly before six, then," he told the Haruno family before they went their separate ways; the Haruno trio to their small flat above Mebuki's shop, and Kakashi to his apartment down the street.
It was half past four when Kakashi got back to his place. He smiled when he saw the towel Sakura had draped over the dining chair earlier that morning, and he picked it up to carry with him to the bedroom, where he plopped down onto the mattress after dropping it in the basket. He made a lazy hand seal, his eyes already closed as he mumbled to his summoned clone to set the alarm for five thirty before it vanished. He'd think about the morning's adventure later; right now, the silver-haired nin was already passed out from exhaustion.
Kakashi overslept his alarm for the first time since his Chūnin days. By the time he was dressed in his usual uniform and darting over the rooftops it was already five minutes after six, and he could just imagine a frustrated Mebuki tapping her foot, arms crossed as the popping vein her brilliant daughter had inherited throbbed in her forehead. He gulped and pushed chakra to his feet, willing himself to move faster.
Sakura was standing outside waiting for him when he arrived, though she didn't look angry or even annoyed. "Late as usual," she teased him before turning to walk up the flight of stairs that led to the loft. Kakashi's gaze lingered on the younger woman's rear; each cheek bouncing a little with each step she bounded up. He was still worried about all the ways this was going to be terrible for them, but there was no denying she looked good from behind.
The pink-haired kunoichi opened the front door to her home, and Kakashi stepped inside for the first time. He looked around the small entryway, smiling. Despite Mebuki's intimidating personality, she kept a beautiful home. The walls in this small room were covered in a pale pink and light green floral pattern, the wallpaper broken up into panels with rich, polished oak wood. The floors were gleaming maple, and the shinobi's feet made a satisfying clicking sound with every footfall as he was led into the next room.
The oak paneling and maple floors continued into what appeared to be the main living space of the small loft. The green paint on the walls reminded him of Sakura's bright green eyes, he thought to himself. He wondered if her mother had done that intentionally or not as he took in the rest of the room. There was a long sofa along the farthest wall of the room, giving whomever rested upon its cushions a great view of Konoha's shopping district. On the walls hung numerous photos of the Haruno family, from all eras of their existence since Sakura's inception seventeen years before, and on the floor were an array of several carefully chosen throw rugs. A tall paper lantern stood in each of the corners, no doubt offering a warm ambiance after sunset for the family to enjoy, and below the window was a long bookshelf, full of both books and scrolls along with the occasional knickknack. There were several houseplants and herbs planted in colorful pots sitting on top of the shelf, perfectly positioned to gather the best of the day's sunlight. It felt homey here, Kakashi smiled. Much homier than his own place.
Sakura cleared her throat and he turned to follow her into the hallway that led to the rest of the apartment. The dining room was small but big enough to comfortably accommodate four people for a meal. There was a traditional chabudai table centered in the small area, with four blue zabuton cushions. The places were already set, and Mebuki was just finishing preparing the meal as Sakura, her father, and Kakashi all took their places.
She had prepared donburi for them; a dish with plenty of rice and simmered beef, topped with a delicious runny egg. She had seasoned the dish with some garlic and spinach, and Kakashi's stomach growled in anticipation. The four said gratitudes and Kakashi made sure to thank the elder Haruno woman before taking his first bite, closing his eyes as he savored the rich flavors.
They ate in silence for a few moments before Hizashi cleared his throat, looking first at Kakashi before glancing at his daughter and then finally at his wife before he spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Lady Tsunade has asked me to come out of retirement."
A sudden tension filled the room, and Kakashi frowned underneath his mask as his grey eye became more serious. He had heard rumblings from other Jōnin that the Hokage had been considering calling back to duty several retired shinobi to replenish their ranks after the Konoha Crush. But Kizashi had never made it past Chūnin, and he'd never shown any spectacular promise on the field. Kakashi knew he'd retired sometime when Sakura had been young, and he thought he remembered something about an injury. Their ranks must really be suffering if she was recalling Kizashi, he thought grimly.
"But, Dad-" Sakura started before her father held a hand up to silence her. He kept his eyes on Kakashi's as he spoke his next words, knowing the silver-haired man understood completely.
"You know our duty, Sakura. The village needs every shinobi it can muster," her father explained. "She has asked that I accept a B-rank mission to the Land of Waves, and I plan to honor her request. "I leave on Saturday morning."
No one spoke throughout the rest of the meal. Kakashi was deep in thought, thinking of the last conversation he'd had with Tsunade that stormy morning. That had been the morning she'd asked him to "watch over" Sakura. He wondered if she'd known then what she would be asking of the Haruno family. He frowned under the mask, shaking his head slightly. Sakura was already so devastated right now. Despite the good day they'd had, he could tell she was exhausted. She was going to have to sleep tonight, and that meant she was going to have to endure another nightmare. Kakashi knew this troubling news wouldn't help that.
Sakura excused herself to her bedroom once they were finished eating, and Kakashi helped Mebuki clear the table before stepping into the living room while he waited for the pink-haired woman to finish grabbing a few fresh pairs of clothes and some toiletries. Sakura's mother joined him in the living room and exhaled with an exhaustion that sounded older than her years.
"The fool," she hissed through gritted teeth. "He's going to get himself killed. You all do," she shot him a vehement look, before her dark green eyes softened before she continued. "He's an honorable man; Hizashi. He says you're an honorable man."
Kakashi's back straightened, a chill going down his spine. He could feel a loaded question coming. Here was the wrathful woman Kakashi had feared lurked under the surface. Mebuki continued, her eyes never wavering from his as he shifted uncomfortably.
"She's all I'll have left, Kakashi. Do take care of her, please."
Her pleading tone caught Kakashi off guard, and his own eyes softened as he reached a hand out to her shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. "Kizashi is a capable shinobi, Mebuki-san. Lady Tsunade wouldn't send him on a suicide mission."
Before the conversation could continue, Sakura's clumsy footsteps coming down the hall sounded out, and the pink-haired woman came bounding around the corner with a full canvas bag.
"All done," she announced with a smile, oblivious to the heaviness sitting between her mother and Kakashi. "Are you ready?"
Kakashi ran a hand through his hair and nodded, taking the bag from her as she led him to the front door. Kizashi returned from the kitchen and along with his wife bid the pair goodnight and saw them to the end of the stairs before closing the door.
Sakura walked briskly ahead of Kakashi for a block and a half before she finally turned to face him, her green eyes swirling with anger and fear. He sighed as he reached for her hand, but she jerked it away as they stood there.
"Did you know?" She accused him, the words not coming out as a question.
"No," he answered her honestly. "Sakura, do you think I would have hid something like this from you? Especially," he lowered his voice. "Especially after this morning?"
Her anger faltered for a moment before the dam burst and she lashed out at the wall. Before her fist could collide, Kakashi caught it with his larger palm and pulled the kunoichi to his chest. Hot tears blinded her, and she whimpered softly as he held her.
Sakura felt like her world was crashing down. She wasn't naive; she knew her father wasn't in peak physical condition - and hadn't been in over a decade. He had a bum knee, and on cold mornings he walked with a cane. He had no special or significant skill with either taijutsu or ninjutsu, and though he'd been admirable with shurikenjutsu in his younger years, Hizashi now struggled with arthritis and weak wrists. There was no way he stood a chance in the event of combat.
"He's going to be okay, Sakura," Kakashi tried to reassure her, his hand splayed out on her upper back and rubbing up and down, his other holding her lower back in a hug that she'd never ask for, but that he knew she needed.
The pink-haired kunoichi let him hold her for a few moments longer before pulling away, not looking up at him as she turned to continue the short walk to his apartment. Kakashi sighed, tucking his hands into his pockets. He followed her slowly, his eyebrows furrowed in thought as he thought about everything he knew of the Land of Waves.
It had been a long time since he'd been there, he realized. The last time had been with Team 7 in its entirety at the beginning of their existence to help Tazuna. A dark shadow fell over his face as the memory of the vicious fight with Zabuza came to the forefront of his mind.
The small island nation had become prosperous in the years since Gatō had been killed. Kakashi knew there was no Hidden Village in the Land of Waves, but he could think of a town or two that might harbor criminals wanted by the Land of Fire. He had just started coming up with a list of those particular criminals when he realized he was back at the apartment already.
He walked, the line creased in his forehead becoming more pronounced with each step up the twenty-six stairs before making the thirty-two steps to his front door. He stopped just as he had before, pressing his forehead to the door's surface and saying a prayer to Kami that he hadn't just lied to Sakura and her mother.
The water was running in the bathroom when Kakashi finally walked back into his place. A quick check of the clock told him it was nine. He sighed heavily, tugging his hitae-ate over his head and tossing it onto the windowsill. He pulled the curtain shut to give himself some privacy as he tugged the tank over his head. He reached for a cloth mask out of habit before stopping himself, letting his hand drop without the scrap of fabric.
Sakura had already seen his face. He didn't need to hide from her anymore, he realized. It wasn't comfortable for him, but he had let that ship sail when he'd decided to pull it off in the lagoon earlier that morning. The silver-haired man reached into his closet and pulled the same pajama bottoms he'd worn the night before, but didn't bother putting a shirt on. The water turned off and he heard Sakura humming as she finished her nightly routine while he grabbed an old favorite book for the night.
He'd finished reading the first chapter by the time Sakura came out of the bathroom. She stopped in her tracks as she looked up at him, realizing that for the second time that day, she was seeing his maskless face. He fought the urge to hide his sudden vulnerability as she studied his features more closely this time.
The most prominent thing was the scar that she had already partially seen. It was long and straight, cutting crudely through his eyelid and cheek before coming to a stop an inch or so above the corner of his mouth. His Sharingan looked less intimidating to her now; softened, perhaps, by the dim glow coming off the bedside lamp. His grey eye searched her face for scrutiny, but she was still slowly taking him all in and appreciating everything she saw in a way she'd never appreciated someone of the opposite sex before.
Maybe that was because Kakashi was the first man she'd ever really looked at. Sure, there had been Sasuke. And he wasn't bad looking, in his pretty boy sort of way - but Kakashi was different. His muscles were honed with twenty years of hard work; his face rugged with a five o'clock shadow that was so pale and so fine that it reminded Sakura of diamond dust. His jaw was strongly squared, and though thin, his lips matched the rest of his features perfectly.
The pink-haired woman walked over to the bed and sat down next to where he was lying. She lifted her hand to the scar; letting her thumb trace it's entire coarse path, she let her fingers come to a rest on his chin. She didn't tell him how handsome he was or ask him why he insisted on hiding himself from the world. She didn't tease him, or point out the mole. She simply leaned down, her hair tickling her face as their lips met in a gentle kiss.
Kakashi kissed her back for a moment before sliding over on the tatami, patting the spot beside him. Getting the hint, Sakura pulled her legs up and slid underneath the sheet before she rolled over to face him.
"I want to try something tonight," she murmured, her hand reaching up and touching the bag under his tired grey eye. "Let's take shifts, like we do when we're on a mission. That way you can sleep."
It was a good idea, Kakashi thought to himself, and he nodded. Tsunade was taking it easy on him for the moment because he was still recovering from the assault on Konoha and the aftermath of it, but he knew that wouldn't last long. Kizashi was right; the village was in desperate need of every available shinobi right now. Kakashi knew it was only a matter of time - probably days - before he was assigned to a mission, too.
"I'll take first shift," he offered, wrapping an arm around the young kunoichi. Her eyes were already closed when he said the words, and Kakashi chuckled as he started the second chapter of his book.
-x-
A/N: Thank you all for the reviews and for following my story! I have a lot of ideas on where this is headed, and I hope you're all as excited as I am for it!