"I can't believe you put yourself in danger like this," Yamato was almost hyperventilating and it looked like he was going to sprout tree branches soon out of sheer exasperation, the tips of his hair looked woodified, "and Genma in the hospital! It's reckless, foolhardy, irresponsible,..."

"All those words mean exactly the same," Kakashi cut him off. "I get what you want to say, you can stop."

By the gods, he was tired. His head felt like it was filled with water that sloshed pointlessly from side to side when he moved. Two meetings down. Thirteen to go - and why did the breaks in between get shorter and shorter, leaving him hardly any time to do paperwork during normal working hours?

"I do wonder why I have to put up with your yapping," Kakashi let himself fall into his chair, grabbing the cup of coffee before him with both hands like it was a lifeline. "You'd think a Hokage would be venerated by everyone instead of ceaselessly criticized. I don't remember you talking to Tsunade like this."

"Tsunade-sama was very scary," Yamato admitted. An honest answer but not a very smart one.

"And I'm not?"

"No. With you, I speak my mind."

That did it. There was a limit to the extent his buttons could be pressed with no consequences and that limit was reached. Especially when he was already irritated as hell because of a certain dog. "Then Iet me be more like her. You're fired, Tenzo."

Everyone standing in his office gasped in unison.

"I assume you mean well, Tenzo," Kakashi continued unfazed. "But I cannot tolerate that you make it sound like I'm some rash fool who acts without thinking. Not once in my entire life have I done that. Those who have no faith in me might as well go work elsewhere. Our economy is booming, you won't have an issue finding a new job."

"Senpai," Yamato made a few hasty steps forward, hands outstretched pleadingly, "please don't do this. I have nothing else."

"I can take over from him," Sai also took a step forward and bowed politely, "Senpai. It would be an honor."

Yamato looked at him aghast like he had dropped down from another star to declare war on the shinobi world.

"I need you in Anbu, Sai," Kakashi didn't like to say it, but it was the truth. "In fact, I will promote you to Commander."

Today was the day everyone gasped apparently. Let them. That position had been empty since the death of the previous Commander, now it was to be filled again. Sai was the one best suited, especially after acquiring some tentative human-like social skills. Kakashi would have to deal with Ino's wrath but he could manage that.

"Shikamaru will return soon," Kakashi emptied his coffee cup and set it down resolutely. "He doesn't bother to lecture me, which is exactly what I need. Let's put out a notice: I'm looking for one or two additional assistants."

"Hokage-sama," Shizune piped up, "if I may."

"I know what you want to say," Kakashi shook his head, "but my decision is final. Tenzo is no longer employed as the Hokage's advisor."

He got up.

"I'm going to see Ibiki now. I'll be back in time for the next meeting." Who was next on the list? Ah, some neighborhood association of the elderly who had a complaint about a new restaurant that opened late and was too noisy for them. "If not, give them our most expensive tea and chat with them until I am."

As expected, Yamato followed after him like a flustered, sad mother hen, almost tripping on the stairs in his haste to match his steps with Kakashi's. "Senpai, if you mistook my honest concern for disrespect, I am very, very sorry, but I…"

"Spare me," Kakahi grumbled, "it's not that."

The problem wasn't only that Yamato's overzealous hovering was stifling. The much bigger issue was that all the doomsday utterances about his mental health had made Kakashi doubt himself and he simply had no room for that at the moment. His instincts had served him well for all his life. He needed to be able to trust them a while longer.

And they told him that something was very wrong. Wrong enough for him to send a clear signal to anyone who was watching. Do not mess with Konoha. The Hokage won't let you.

The Anbu at the gate saluted him as he stepped onto the moderately busy street. A lovely spring day today, if only he weren't so damned tired. Birds tweeting merrily, flowers blooming odorously. Everything looked fresh and clean. Kakashi's heart swelled a little in pride at seeing Konoha in its splendor - not that he could take all the merit for it, but at the very least, his sustained effort wasn't in vain.

Konoha's remand center wasn't far away but as always, getting from A to B took a while. People on the street stood still when they saw him and greeted him with reverence. Some of the elderly inhabitants of Konoha always wanted to shake his hand. Apparently, he had learned, it was meant to bring luck and a long life. It seemed like the rumors hadn't spread yet. Wait until Yamato hears that people saw me dressed in an Anbu uniform, Kakashi thought drily. He'll blow his last fuse. For now, all the attention Kakashi got just made Yamato's eyes water, whether it was pride or regret or something in between was unclear.

"Have you confessed your feelings to Shizune yet?" Kakashi asked as they turned the last corner. After a sharp intake of breath, Yamato sputtered something incoherent about 'office rules' and 'just friends'.

"Don't come crying at my door when you find out it's too late," Kakashi shook his head. "You're not the only one who's interested in her. It's spring, man. Go for it."

Spring, huh. That was definitely to blame for his own predicament too. Two hastily mating pigeons in front of him had gotten the memo. Pakkun on the other hand, the little scumbag, had not. He still had a big scolding and perhaps a little ear-pulling coming. Of all possible moments to wake him up…? The next time he saw Sakura would be awkward. How to even talk to a woman that was so clearly out of bounds but appeared in your erotic dreams…? How long would it take him to get over the pink nightgown and the promise of what was underneath?

"Why are you going to see Ibiki?" Yamato suddenly asked. "Did you… Wait. A prisoner?"

"Yes, we took someone prisoner," Kakashi nodded. "Come see for yourself."

They had only managed to take one. Two others were dead, the rest of the gang had managed to flee.

The person in question was a female, a tall, muscular woman with raven black hair in a tight plait, hatred disfiguring her otherwise handsome, angular features. The chakra suppressing chains glowed in an angry, dark red when her eyes fell on them.

"Copy Ninja," she spat, "may you and yours rot in the depth of hell!"

"Your kind words really brighten my day," Kakashi responded sarcastically. "Thanks for the heartfelt sentiment."

"I couldn't get anything out of her," Ibiki had his hands in his pockets but the nonchalant demeanor couldn't quite mask his hurt pride. "Either she has had anti-torture training or someone took precautions and put a genjutsu barrier in her mind."

The woman began cursing them at high volume without even taking a breath in between her insults. Impressive dedication.

"Her accent would place her in the Land of Earth," Yamato, who possessed a keen ear for such things, remarked.

"I just spoke with the Tsuchikage the other day," Kakashi tilted his head to ponder the situation. If this group of criminals was from Iwagakure they had an additional problem: Either Kurotsuchi did not have enough situational awareness to know what was happening on her territory or she had held back such crucial information. Both options were bad.

"Who is she?" Yamato asked. "Is she the reason you…"

"Longish story," Kakashi interrupted, "next time, ask me before questioning my authority in front of everyone."

"Should I keep trying, Rokudaime?" Ibiki asked. "I can escalate further."

"Yes," Kakashi nodded. "I want to know who their leader is, and who is able to drop boulders out of thin air. It's not her, she shoots rock shrapnel out of her fingers. Also, ask about Sasuke."

He signaled to Yamato to follow him. Once they were out of earshot, he turned around. "You just got lucky: I have a top-secret S-Rank mission for you, Tenzo."

"Senpai!" Yamata made a hasty step forward and grabbed both of Kakashi's hands. "How can you be so cruel! I really thought you cast me away! I have nobody else but you!"

"That's pathetic," Kakashi grumbled, gently freeing himself. "Listen carefully. You were right about the threat to Konoha. Only that it's even bigger than what you reported. And I'm not sure it's just criminal."

He told Yamato about the exorbitant costs for the library renovations that had tipped him off that something was afoot, which had led to the discovery of an outrageous extortion scheme that was spreading throughout Konoha. Once they had confronted the criminals last night, however, it had quickly become clear that they were not just a bunch of amateurs.

"They've had military training," Kakashi explained. "And I have reason to believe they might be squatting in the Root chambers plotting who knows what. Infesting the underground, like rats."

"Root," Yamato echoed. "You're asking me to go down there?"

"You know the underground facilities best."

They looked at each other silently. Funny how certain things were never fully overcome. Root training was one such thing. It instilled a silent terror in your heart that was at best dormant and at worst a living nightmare. Was he asking too much?

"Damn," Yamato looked away. "Who do you suspect is behind it?"

Kakashi took a deep breath. Now for the cherry on top. "They claimed their leader to be Sasuke."

His whole body stiffening, Yamato pressed his lips together. I told you so, was probably what he wanted to say.

"I don't believe it," Kakashi added resolutely. "And I will not believe it until I have solid proof that Sasuke has joined another terrorist group that is plotting to destroy the village."

"I don't know where your faith in him comes from," Yamato's eyes flashed, "again and again. Is it because of Itachi?"

"Careful," Kakashi snapped.

"Sorry, I'm going to say it, Senpai," Yamato looked very determined, "even if you don't like it. Nothing that happened to the Uchihas is your fault. Nothing. You couldn't have done anything to change their fate. You gave your all to help Sasuke. Only that some people cannot be helped."

No, he didn't want to hear it. Worse, it triggered an anger in him that felt completely out of character. He couldn't tolerate it.

"Now I understand why you took matters into your own hands," Yamato continued with a deepening frown, "in Sasuke's absence, you thought you alone could stand in for the Uchihas and restore peace and order. With all due respect, Senpai: that's not what your role is. If Sasuke is not implicated, he will return soon."

"I guess you're right," Kakashi sighed. Why had Sasuke not reported last week like he should have? It could be anything, but it was definitely not good. In fact, the timing could not be worse. Kakashi was certain Sasuke would not betray the village again but if the word spread…

"I'll investigate carefully," Yamato saluted. "I won't disappoint you, Rokudaime. I will treat the matter with the necessary finesse."

Kakashi nodded. Finesse was good. Hopefully, it was enough.

###

Shortly after 4pm, "Visit the hospital to check on Genma" appeared at the top of Kakashi's task list. Very well. No need to get nervous about it, going to the hospital was no big deal. Should he hope or fret to meet Sakura or not? Did he know what to say to her? Sure, something like… Hey, sorry I slept on the same bed with you, but it's no big deal since we, you know, just slept, right?

Ugh. No.

By the time Kakashi got to the hospital, he was sweating. Every verbiage he managed to come up with sounded more awkward than the one before. A blushing receptionist told him to go straight up to Genma's room, which he did - but instead of entering, Kakashi stopped abruptly before the slightly ajar sliding door. Someone was already visiting. Sakura! His sensitive nose was hit by her sweet scent and it promptly started a flurry of butterflies in his stomach.

"...brought you a special tea that will help with bone growth," Sakura was saying inside.

"Ah, don't tell me this is the date you promised me?" Genma sighed dramatically. "I had something a little more stylish in mind."

"I agree to a drink, not a date," she laughed. "And yes, this is your promised drink."

"You are a cruel woman. Will you have another drink with me once I'm out of here?"

"Yes, of course," it sounded like she was smiling.

Kakashi opened the door with force.

"Rokudaime," Genma scrambled to sit up straighter. He looked unfamiliar without his bandana, was very pale, probably in pain… but clearly not in danger of dying if he could flirt with his doctor, right?

"Hey there," Sakura smiled at Kakashi, who promptly felt his face heat up.

"I came to see how you were doing," Kakashi croaked, working hard to ignore Sakura who… looked absolutely stunning. Genma tried to pretend he was completely fine, but it was clear after five minutes of light conversation that he wasn't.

"How is he really doing?" Kakashi asked Sakura after she had ushered him out of the room. He felt damn guilty for what had happened to Genma. That boulder had been meant for him. He never ever wanted to be the person who survived while others died for him again.

"He's going to be fine," she looked up at him with luminous eyes he wanted to sink into, "but you were right, he needs more than a few days of rest. It was a very complicated operation. Shattered bones are tricky to fix and take a while to fully mend."

"Thank you," Kakashi's butterflies started picking up speed because they were out of topics related to Genma. "Listen, I…"

"It's good you're here," Sakura said simultaneously, "we need to talk and I have an opening in my schedule."

"Ah. Yes, but surely we…"

"Come to my office," she pointed her finger down the corridor and he followed after her like an obedient dog on an invisible leash. His brain was emptying itself of coherent thought. He was meant to say something to her, wasn't he? Not meant to stare at her figure.

"One of your dogs was waiting when I woke up," she looked back at him over her shoulder, "with a plastic bag containing food in his snout. Very cute. The one was the glasses, is his name Akino?"

He nodded. "Yeah, that's Akino."

"So they live there? Your ninken?"

"Not really," he said. "They live outside but if the weather is really bad…"

"You were right, they don't have a green thumb," she grinned, unlocking the door to her office and pushing it open. "I think I was able to save your plants, but barely."

"Sakura, listen…"

"Thanks for letting me sleep, I really needed it!" She threw her keys onto her desk. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," he stammered.

That was it? She didn't think it was a big deal they had shared a bed and they didn't have to talk about it? All that worrying for nothing? His appreciation for her increased even further.

"Sit down," she indicated the treatment couch. "No more pain in your leg?"

He shook his head.

"Give me your hands," she said, "no gloves."

Remembering the painful discharge, he took extra care to tightly control his chakra this time. Her hands were warm and he felt energy flowing from her into his arms and through his body.

"You were poisoned."

"What?!"

Sakura stood right in front of him, so close he could see how her pupils dilated at his exclamation. Mhhhh, she smelled good.

"Yesterday, I found poison in your blood," she still held his hands, head tilted slightly to the side as she concentrated. "It seems I managed to remove it all before passing out. Any idea what happened? It looks like it was there for a while."

Poison? How?

"You are sure?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Please take off your shirt and lie down on your stomach, I need to check your Chakra Pathway System."

"You think the poison damaged it?"

"It's just a theory."

She waited patiently for him to undress, eyes averted. Kakashi suddenly felt monstrously stupid for thinking things between them would get awkward. Sakura was a professional, through and through. She had many patients, and she regularly saw them in all states of undress. He was just one of many. Of course she didn't think anything about sharing a bed with him. He had been a patient last night and was one today. End of story.

"Relax," she told him. "You shouldn't feel anything."

But he did feel. A gentle touch traveling down his spine slowly, vertebrae for vertebrae, sending waves of shuddering comfort through his body. Don't stop, never stop, this feels like heaven…

"You're tense," she whispered, "let me help."

The warmth intensified. He melted away. Such wonderful bliss…

###

This was the third time Kakashi fell asleep as her patient, Sakura thought, reluctantly removing her hands from his back after she was done with the examination. It had probably nothing to do with her. He was just that exhausted.

For a moment, she simply sat there, watching his back move slowly up and down, barely resisting the urge to smooth down his tousled hair. Everything was in order with his chakra and its pathway, she hadn't felt any obstructions, only the deep, quiet river of strong physical and spiritual energy flowing through his body.

It is beautiful.

Sakura didn't remember ever feeling anything like it echoing through her own body, like the vibration of life itself, even though it wasn't the first time she had used this technique to check someone's chakra flow. So how was Hatake Kakashi different from other patients?

Since she couldn't figure it out, she used this as an excuse to put both her hands back onto the small of his back. Kakashi sighed deeply and for a moment she feared to have woken him up, but his eyelids only fluttered once before his breathing became deep and regular again.

Purple. The deep, quiet river was dark purple and feeling its flow was so very soothing. Had she not recently dreamt of something like this? Last night perhaps?

Earlier today, she had been quite disoriented upon waking up, finding herself in a strange bed, doused in Kakashi's masculine, crisp scent. She remembered walking there with him, treating him - but she didn't remember falling asleep. Seeing how she was in her dirty, rumpled clothes with a stale taste in her mouth, sleep must have overcome her abruptly. When had Kakashi left in the morning? She hadn't slept this well in ages! Perhaps because of him? Nothing about two exhausted people passing out on the same bed was naughty, but it still made her heart beat faster, thinking about being this close to him. Cuddled up. That bed was small,

The door opened without a warning. "Miss Haruno, we need…"

"Oh, by Konoha's ancestors," Sakura hissed at Hiroki (who else) who appeared in the door, "do you always have to bust in when he's here? At least have the decency to knock!"

"Oh!" Hiroki squealed, opening his eyes wide to stare at the figure on the treatment couch, "I'm so sorry! I didn't know the Hokage was here. Was he on your schedule?"

"Out," Sakura ordered him angrily. "Don't come back!"

Too late, Kakashi was stirring awake. The chakra river flowed faster and she removed her hands quickly.

"Huh," he smiled up at her. "Why do you always put me to sleep?"

"I don't know," her face heated up precariously. "I think you're just that tired."

"You truly have the hands of a healer," he pushed himself upright. "And this time, Pakkun didn't have to come and bite me, isn't that something."

"Oh, did he wake you up this morning?" Sakura exclaimed. "What a bad dog, he should leave you alone."

"I agree," Kakashi mumbled and his ears turned flaming red. "Gotta go before he makes an appearance to fetch me, I'm running late."

"When will we meet again?" She blurted out.

He stilled and their eyes locked. She wasn't quite sure why he looked a little sad.

"Did you forget again that you should report to your Hokage?" He teased her then. "I see important people daily."

"Oh," she blushed again. "Okay. Yes, I will come to see you tomorrow then. What time?"

"Anytime," he smiled. "For you, I'll clear my schedule immediately."

###

It was only after Kakashi had left (properly through the door) and Sakura's heart had stopped beating like crazy that she remembered they had not finished speaking about the poison. He couldn't take this lightly. Unfortunately, she had not had the foresight to isolate it to do a proper examination later so that she couldn't say much about what type it had been or what it had done to his body exactly.

But she would see him tomorrow and they could talk then. She better finish that report about her stay abroad then.

Sakura had started working on it several times, but had ripped all the drafts to shreds. You didn't need to be a mental health specialist to understand why: She felt ashamed about not liking it there, worse… hating it towards the end. She had been so terribly homesick, so terribly lonely. But she knew what it cost the village to send her to study foreign medicine on another continent and she didn't want to come across as ungrateful or spoiled. So she agonized over the wording almost every day, failing to express herself properly or to make it a useful report.

In theory, it was simple. The Hokage just needed to know how they could profit from what she had learned. He had even told her to hand in a proposal if she needed something. Why was this so hard?

"Goddammit!" Sakura exclaimed and pushed her chair away from her desk.

Well, she needed a break and then a fresh start. Her hand went to the thin volume in the side pocket of her lab coat. Maybe that kind of break?

On her way back to the hospital from Kakashi's apartment, Sakura had walked past a bookstore with a friendly green shop window. Following a sudden impulse, she entered it. The bookseller, a young woman with shiny red hair and huge glasses that made her appear owlish, appeared from the back when she heard the shopkeeper's bell and welcomed Sakura exuberantly.

"You are our very first customer today!" She explained upon perceiving Sakura's puzzled face, "I am sorry for overwhelming you with my gratitude. Oh!"

"That's okay," Sakura said, cautiously looking around. Lots and lots of books on shelves and in piles on the floor. She didn't even remember when she had last bought a non-medical one. A lot of people read for fun only that she had no time for that.

"I know who you are!" The bookseller fidgeted with her glasses, suddenly shy.

Oh, great. Another Sakura's Adventures in the Cherry Blossom Lands reader!

"That woman in the books isn't at all like me," Sakura rectified possible impressions to the contrary. This was so embarrassing.

"Ah, of course not," the bookseller smiled apologetically. "You aren't the author by any chance?"

"No, I'm not!" Sakura exclaimed, horrified that people could think that.

"That's a shame," the bookseller sighed. "I'd love to meet her!"

"Her? You think it's a woman?"

"Oh, definitely," the bookseller busied herself with a pile of books. "It is clearly written from a woman's perspective."

Sakura must have looked doubtful, because the woman grabbed a colorful, slim volume from behind her. "If you take an icha icha to compare, you'll notice it immediately. Ah, or even better…," she disappeared for a second underneath the checkout counter, resurfacing with another slim volume in her hand, "…take one of her second book series. No man could write like this!"

And thus, Sakura had walked out of the bookstore not with volume 5 of Sakura's Adventures - it was sold out anyway - but with volume 6 of the Sensual Secrets of the Masked Sensei, another series written by the elusive Mikoto Kazehana.

Admittedly curious, Sakura opened the volume on a random page.

"Holy fuck," she breathed after skimming a few lines and hastily closed the book, her cheeks aflame. But that was just silly, she was alone in her office. What was there to be ashamed of? Sakura opened the book again to continue reading:

"… The scent of her arousal hit his nostrils and his mouth longed to taste it. There was no particular haste though, so he explored her hips, then the soft skin of her loins first and finally pulled down her panties with his teeth. Noticing a cute little swirly lock in her pubic hair, he moved his mouth over to her mound to nibble at the flesh, a place only amateurs neglected.

"Mmmmhmhmhmmh," she moaned even louder.

"Shhhh, my kitten," he chuckled. "Or do you want everyone in the village to hear us?"