At 4.10, Sakura smiled knowingly because it was so typical for her former Sensei to be late, it was a bit like meeting an old friend.

At 4.20 she grew a little impatient, checking the tree outside the window every few seconds. Tik tok, that break of hers? It didn't last forever!

At 4.30 the uneasy feeling that he wasn't just late but wouldn't show up began to take root. That would really suck... She had prepared a document with options over lunch, in case he was truly interested in learning about his own mind. Her favorite one was, no surprise, the use of Genjutsu. Knowing her Sensei, he'd never willingly subject himself to that though - no Tsukuyomi survivor would. During her research trip on the Southeastern Continent, she had learned that they had a similar, less intrusive technique they called hypnosis. She thought Kakashi might be persuaded to try if he let her explain in detail.

The prospect of helping him gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling. He'd done so much for the village, he deserved to be happy and well and she was ready to do her utmost to make it so.

At 4.45 he still hadn't come. She refused to acknowledge that it might be the cause of her severe mood drop.

At 5pm, her break was done and so was she. It was just rude not to show up. Had he simply forgotten? Was she that unimportant to him? "Friends", huh! What a liar! All men were worthless, it was well known. High time she gave up on them completely.

She began to tackle the documents that needed her attention with aggressive ferocity.

"I'm leaving," Hiroki declared at 6pm sharp. He had given up knocking completely, she noticed moodily, as if she wasn't entitled to any privacy.

"Goodnight," she snapped. Her reply sounded as unfriendly as it had been intended to sound but instead of feeling dismissed, her aide lingered in the doorframe. His hair looked different. And had he put on cologne?!

"Yes?" It better not be another complaint about working conditions and tasks he didn't want to do. She'd had it up to here with him and his sensibilities.

"I am meeting with some friends over at the Hokage's Haven," he declared pompously. "They told me to bring you along."

Excusemewhatnow?! Hiroki's friends knew about her? Worse, talked about her? How old were Hiroki's friends? He was a couple of years younger than her. Did she look like she had an interest in dating babies?

"Why?"

"My one friend would love to get to know you better. He's a fan!"

Ah, now she got it. It was clearly some kind of dare. They were just pulling her leg, waiting for her to fall for the trap to then giggle and snicker about her stupidity.

"I'm not on the market," she managed an icy smile though her insides were boiling.

Oh," Hiroki's face fell. "Really? But we thought…"

"I'm going to forget this ever happened," Sakura interrupted him sharply. "See you tomorrow."

What the fudge.

"Really!" She exclaimed once the door had closed behind him. "The insults one needs to endure!"

This day was utter garbage so she might as well stay in her office and get a few things done, she decided. At least she was angry now, it was way better than maudlin because of being jilted by one's Sensei who… - Stop.

He was the village Hokage, who most certainly had better things to do than humor a former student who had fooled herself into believing her help was something he needed. Upon this realization, her day became even worse. The truth? It hurt. It always did.

I need to stop forcing myself into people's lives, it's the cause of all my problems. I have to accept that I'm not indispensable, I'm not even needed!

It was around 7.30 when her stomach began growling so frequently it seriously distracted her. She had forgotten to get something from the cafeteria earlier, now it was closed of course.

Well. Fitting end to a shitty day. She'd starve to death and be found a dried up mummy in the morning. With an extended groan, Sakura stretched, only now aware of the painful tension in her shoulders and neck. She had an important surgery later tomorrow, she had to make sure she was free of pains when it started and…

… she flinched violently and yelped when there was a knock on her window.

Now that is… Her brow furrowing angrily, she swiveled around. Unbelievable! There he perched, his silver hair shining faintly in the semi-dark. Three and a half hours late, lifting his hand lazily. And no, she wasn't going to be delighted to see him. She wasn't.

"You," she fumed upon opening the window, willing her pulse to settle down. It didn't comply.

"Sorry I'm late," Kakashi held a brown paper bag towards her from which a heavenly meaty smell emanated. "Can I come in?"

No, her mouth wanted to say out of spite but her treacherous stomach growled eagerly, giving away the sad state of her. He had already put one leg inside anyway, who was she to stop him?

"Where were you?" Nagging people came naturally to her. Not one of her most charming traits, as she had been told before.

He looked tired, she noticed, it was in the way he stood, as if his usual energy was missing. Even his hair was drooping.

"I had to attend to an emergency," he strode over to sit down on the chair in front of her desk, depositing the bag in front of him.

"Oh no," she trailed after him, nose in the air like a famished street dog. "Nothing bad, I hope?"

"Could have been," he rolled his shoulders with a sigh, rocking back on the chair a little. "But now it's not. Anyway, I wanted to make sure you didn't explode from anger. I'm relieved to find you in one piece."

"Yes," she almost laughed. "You know me well. I do hate it when people are late!"

"That's why I brought something to appease you," he gestured towards the bag. "Those are for you."

"Is it Nikuman?" she guessed, salivating.

"Ah, I see you possess a good nose," he smiled. "There's a new shop near the library. They packed their special sauce too."

Had her stingy Sensei really treated her to delicious food? Because of a guilty conscience? Awww, that was so sweet of him! She hadn't even been that angry. Only a little. A little angry and plenty disappointed - but now he was here. Time to forgive.

"It wasn't necessary," she said graciously, "you really didn't have to."

He blinked innocently.

"You didn't pay for this," she realized with a huff.

"Well," he squirmed, "I would have, but they insisted on giving it to me for free!"

"You're hopeless," she laughed, "but food is food and I guess I won't complain. Should we share?"

She grabbed the bag and opened it. Six pieces! What a feast!

"I'm not hungry," he declined. "But I wouldn't mind sitting up on the roof for a bit."

"Oh, great idea! Let me grab a jumper."

And that bottle I brought all the way from the Southeastern continent. It was Friday after all and while others were drinking at the Hokage's Haven, she would drink a small cup with the Hokage in person to start a nonexistent weekend. Ha!

###

It was completely dark by the time they stepped onto the roof, with only the faintest of afterglows in the West. The night was clear and the almost full moon shone its pale light onto the sprawling village around them. The air was cooling down quickly, there might even be a bit of frost in the morning. It smelled of the inevitability of spring though, of fresh leaves and cherry trees about to go into full bloom. Kakashi took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the sweet fragrance of Konoha in the spring. Maybe, he thought with a furtive glance at the pink head next to him, this bad day wasn't going to end badly after all.

"Aren't you cold?" Sakura asked. "Should I fetch a blanket or something?"

"As long as I breathe, I have chakra to control," he created a small but bright ball of light on his palm - he turned it a pretty shade of pink to match her hair - to illuminate their path to the rickety chairs. He should donate a pretty bench for her to sit on. And some protection against the sun, summer was coming fast and with it temperatures that would make sitting outside on a concrete roof with no shade unbearable.

Sakura began wolfing down the meat buns as soon as she sat down, it was utterly fascinating to watch her regular, white teeth rip them to little pieces. He hadn't realized it was this pleasing to watch someone eat a present. Maybe he should have brought more. Or something else, a dessert?

"I'm sorry," her smile was a little bashful upon noticing his rapt attention, "I'm too hungry to pretend to eat slowly and delicately."

"No need to pretend for me," he waved away her concern. "I've known you for a decade."

"They're heavenly," she sighed, picking up the second to last. "Are you sure you don't want a bite?"

"Alright," he conceded because he was a tiny bit hungry after all. But then he hesitated, out of habit really, his fingers curling around the edge of his mask.

"Don't worry, I'll close my eyes," she did so immediately, holding the dripping bun out for him.

Kakashi pulled down his mask, watching her face unabashed as he leaned over to take a careful bite. She was pressing her eyes shut so hard it looked like she was fighting against a tremendous urge to peek.

"You've already seen my face," he chuckled, "this isn't even necessary."

"Yes it is," she mumbled, blushing. Her face looked a dark shade of pink in the pink light, the seal on her forehead dark purple.

"Pah," he scoffed, taking another bite because it was very good indeed! "I don't mind."

Funny. He really didn't.

"But I do! Tell me when I can look again."

"You can look," he said, dutifully putting the mask back. "All bits are decently covered," he joked but she did not seem to think it was funny.

"Would you share a drink with me?" She took the last bun from the bag. "I brought it back with me from Sonnenfeld but didn't realize it has an expiration date that's coming up fast."

"I can't drink," Kakashi said reflexively. This night wasn't over, he had things to take care of. This, here, was a break, not after-work hours. His trip to see the librarians earlier in the day had revealed a veritable snake-pit of problems that needed his attention tonight.

"That's a shame," she sounded dejected, though smiled at him bravely. Her vulnerable expression made him remember her tears from the night before and for whatever strange reason, that made him feel lousy.

"I could take a very little?" His mouth blurted out. Great. You're an idiot.

"Are you sure?" Her forced smile transformed into a sweet expression. See, there. Easy.

"Yes, of course I'm sure." He eyed the bottle she took from her pocket with some apprehension. The lettering was foreign, the imagery strange. "So how was it over there? You still haven't told me anything."

Sakura paused for a second. "I was gone for almost an entire year, it would take too long to tell you everything. I'm almost done with the report I promised you, sorry it's delayed."

Huh. It sounded an awful lot like she wanted to avoid the subject altogether.

She handed him a small metal cup with engraved flowers and the head of an animal he didn't know.

"You could have come home early if you didn't like it," he said in passing, turning the cup between his fingers. Pretty.

"I guess," she murmured. "I'm not a quitter though. Kanpai!"

The drink was slightly sweet and spicy with a bitter, herbal finish. He could taste herbs, fruits, roots, and spices, including star anise, ginger, citrus peel, and other things he had no name for.

"Yuck," Sakura pulled a face.

"It's not that bad," he took another sip. It wasn't exactly good either. "What's that pine-like taste? It has a resinous aroma."

She smacked her lips. "Juniper, perhaps?"

"Juniper," he repeated the word. "What does it look like?"

"Uhm, I'm not sure," she emptied her cup and put in some more. "The taste comes from berries, I think the plant is a shrub with needles, which grows in the mountains. I never got to see it."

"Are there any plants like ours over there?"

"Sure, pine trees. There are pine trees all over the world. And they have cherry trees as well. Apples. That sort of thing. You want some more?"

Did he? Not really, but he held out his cup. "What kind of things do they eat? Anything I would recognize?"

She shrugged. "Not really. I mean, they eat meat and rice as well though not so much. The food was heavy, and my stomach was upset a lot. The woman I lived with cooked potatoes all the time, with cabbage. Her house smelled like wet diapers."

They laughed but actually, he didn' think it was funny. His earlier suspicion was confirmed. Poor Sakura, Kakashi thought. It doesn't sound like she had a good time. Why did Tsunade insist on sending her away?

"And their hospital? Was it much bigger than ours?"

"Oh yes," Sakura chuckled. "Ten times as big."

"Hm, it must take ten or more people to run it then."

She shrugged again. "It's about how you organize things. They had a director overseeing the overall management and operations of the hospital, including clinical services, financial performance, and strategic planning. He wasn't a doctor himself."

"I've been told you also reorganized quite a few things after you took over here."

"You've been told?" She lifted her eyebrows. "Do you have people who report to you about such things?"

"Of course," he chuckled. "Don't you know the Hokage has a secret network of spies at his disposal?"

"You do? What else do they say about me?" She lifted her chin challengingly.

"That you work too much. That you are much too selfless. That you should take up your Hokage's offer to take refuge in his apartment and get a good night's rest." He pulled out the keys to his apartment and held them out to her. "Here. You know where it is."

"Pushy," she remarked but she took them from his hand with a tiny, wistful sigh.

"Good girl," he smiled and barely stopped himself from reaching out his hand to ruffle her hair like she was twelve. Maybe that strange drink of hers was making him a little light-headed. Had he had three cups already? And almost nothing to eat.

"I might as well get drunk," she mumbled quietly. "If you tuck me in afterwards."

That won't happen, he thought, sorry. They would find him here soon and then he had to say goodbye.

"Don't get drunk," he told her, "you'll regret it tomorrow. I'm speaking from experience. The world won't wait for you and your headache."

"Yeah," she sighed. "It doesn't wait even without a headache. It feels like everyone has moved on without me. Marriage, babies, and what do I do? Work until I drop."

"Konoha is grateful," he echoed her words from the night before. "I am. I am grateful."

"You are?" Her smile was sweet and a little sad. Funny how he understood exactly how she felt. It was the reason he had no wise words to offer, why he only stared at her in the pink light, feeling the strange urge to apologize.

Before he could say or do something stupid, he luckily remembered he had brought something else for her.

"Ah," he cleared his throat and pulled out the slim volume with the tasteless cover from underneath his flak jacket. "This is for you."

He wasn't sure she would like it. But yesterday, he had declared them friends. And a friend would enlighten her about the reason for her strange fame.

"An icha icha?" She took the book from his hands with a puzzled look. "You know I don't read… WHAT IS THIS?!"

Oh boy. Upon reading the title, Sakura had jumped up in such agitation, her chair toppled backwards.

"What is this, Kakashi?" She yelled, pointing at him accusingly.

"The fourth volume of Sakura's Adventures in the Cherry Blossom Lands," he explained slowly, mindful of how strong she was. The danger was real. "I couldn't find volume one, it's sold out everywhere."

"Is it… is it…," her face lost all color. Was she about to faint? "Is it PORN?!"

"Uhm," he cleared his throat again. "I wouldn't exactly call it…"

"HAVE YOU READ IT?"

"No," he shook his head vehemently. "No, I swear, I haven't. I have no time to read, really I don't."

"Are you sure?" She held the book away from her as if it were poison.

"I flicked through it of course before purchasing it," he added, since he tried to be honest, always. "There might be a scene where Sakura takes her clothes off but..."

"I'm going to kill you."

He wasn't sure what was worse. Her yelling, or her dropping her voice to a cold, scary whisper.

"You might want to consider that I'm only the messenger," he thought it wise to get up too, just in case. "And anyway, the protagonist only carries your name. No need to worry. It's obviously not you."

Sakura began to read, leaning a little forward to catch the light. Not good.

"The protagonist has pink hair the color of cherry blossoms," she whispered, horrified. "And is working on her Strength of a Hundred Seal. Who…" She turned to the front page. "Who is Mikoto Kazehana?! If I'm going to find that person, I'm going to fucking kill them!"

She flicked the book over.

"Nine volumes? NINE?! I'm so going to kill them!"

"I was particularly curious about Sakura and the Guardian of the Blossom Grove," Kakashi tried to lighten the mood, but the real Sakura was not going to find this funny any time soon, was she.

"'Sakura had always heard stories about the magical Cherry Blossom Lands', she began to read out loud. "'As a young girl, she would gaze out at the pink and white blossoms that covered the trees in her own village, imagining what it would be like to see the fields of cherry blossoms that stretched out as far as the eye could see…'. I'm going to be sick, Kakashi. I'm sorry, this is too much."

"Harmless," he murmured, "come on."

Should he tell her about the Sensual Secrets of the Masked Sensei? Probably not.

"'Years passed, and Sakura grew into a powerful ninja, respected and admired by her peers. But her fascination with the Cherry Blossom Lands never waned, and one day she made a decision: she would set out on an adventure to explore these mysterious lands for herself'," she continued reading, her voice dripping with disgust.

"See? It's very positive," he remarked drily. "'Respected and admired by her peers'. How nice."

"This isn't funny," she hissed. "Not one bit. How can you make fun of this?"

"Come on," he chuckled, feeling a great urge to tease her. "It's a little bit funny. It's tear jerker nonsense that's badly written on top. Whoever this Mikoto Kazehana is, they cannot write."

"I'm really disappointed," she snapped at him.

"Why? If I wrote a story about you, it would be so much better!"

"Don't you fucking dare!" She yelled. "How can you even think about…"

"... you taking your clothes off? No time for such pleasant pastimes, I'm sorry," he interrupted her with true regret, watching her freeze with her mouth open. "I'm being fetched."

Plop-plop-plop, here they were, landing soft-footed on the roof. The Hokage Guard Platoon and three of his best Anbu members, their white animal masks shining in the moonlight.

"Rokudaime," Genma addressed him politely. "We need to go. I brought the uniform."

"Genma?" Sakura stepped closer eagerly, her anger apparently forgotten upon seeing the Captain of his guard, "I haven't seen you in ages!"

"Sakura?!" Genma almost dropped the senbon from his mouth. "Wow, look at you! You're beauti…"

"Uniform," Kakashi reminded him sharply and extinguished the light in his hand. Had Sakura ever smiled at him with such delight? How did her and Genma even know each other this well?

"Sorry," Genma pushed the garments into his hands before Kakashi had a chance to take off his current uniform. Not very helpful. But apparently, talking to Sakura was way more attractive than helping one's Hokage change uniforms.

"How long have you been back?" Genma asked, not in the least bothered by the lack of light.

"A few weeks," Sakura replied. "I've been super busy with work."

"Wanna go out for a drink sometime?"

"Sure!"

Kakashi almost dropped his Anbu mask.

"He's much too old for you," he grumbled, rolled up his standard uniform into a tight ball and placed it underneath the chair to pick up later.

"What are you doing?" Sakura lit her own light on the palm of her hand, staring at him like he was an apparition.

"Saving someone in the Cherry Blossom Lands," he retorted, tightening the straps of his ninjato. "The rest, I'm afraid, is classified."

"Please be careful," she said, "and thanks for…" she waved the book through the air.

"You're reading Sakura's Adventures in the Cherry Blossom Lands?" Genma exclaimed, delighted. "The fifth volume is my favorite!"

Maybe, Kakashi thought as they left the hospital roof to fight an evil crime syndicate that was brazen enough to extort money from librarians, she'll think twice about having a drink with him now.

The fifth volume, or so the excited bookseller had told him, was by far the steamiest.