Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ 14 Gifts ❯ Verses ( Chapter 6 )

February 6th - Verses

Kakashi flew through the tree boughs like a mad man; his goal was to reach Konoha as soon as humanly possible. He'd been gone a full 24 hours and had already missed one gift delivery. He would possibly miss a second if he didn't reach the village by sunset. That was something he couldn't afford to do.

Tsunade had read Kakashi the riot act, screamed at him for not coming to her first with his plans or for gaining permission before putting his plan into action. When she finally calmed down, the Hokage sent him on a quick document retrieval mission as punishment for not having requested permission to woo and court her apprentice.

Kakashi had taken it in stride and hoped that Sakura wouldn't be upset for missing a day. He knew she was intelligent and would have hopefully figured out that her 'mystery admirer' had been sent out on a mission.

With that in mind, the copy-nin increased his speed hoping to reach the village gates before the sun set.

oOo

Sakura went through the next day much like the days before, the routine having been established early in her career as a med nin. While she had been comfortable with the status quo, the last few days had given her a taste of something different. Variety.

Sure, her schedule had been basically the same, but the notes and gifts had started her thinking about her future a little more beyond just being a kunoichi and working at the hospital. While missions would give her a little spice to her life, the thought of having someone in her life to come home to, gave her a sense of contentment. To have someone else to depend on and someone to depend on her that weren't her teammates or patients made her feel a little giddy.

Okay, so it was a bit farfetched since she would most likely be partnered up with another shinobi who would, like her, be gone for days, weeks and even months at a time. There would never be a house with a picket fence with a husband that provided for her and any children they would have, come home after a hard day's work and expect a meal on the table. It just wasn't practical.

Yet she still yearned for the companionship and the desire to be needed on many levels other than as a healer. Her mystery admirer had opened her eye to a future she hadn't thought of since she was 12 and infatuated with the Uchiha.

Still, she didn't take to change too well and to say she wasn't terrified at whom she'd find at the end of the gifts and notes were a lie.

'What if it's Lee?' she thought to herself and cringed. While she loved the green spandex-wearing taijutsu master and apprentice to Maito Gai as a good friend and fellow shinobi, her feelings for him stopped there. He'd always declared that she was his 'blossom' on more occasions than one, but Sakura had made sure to let him down gently stating that she cared for him as a friend and only a friend. It didn't mean he stopped trying to win her over.

Kiba had tried to weasel his way into her heart… well, more like her shorts and a pummeling was all it took to teach the dog-boy that she wouldn't be treated like some common harlot. He was cute, but just too boisterous and not all that smart in her opinion. But one of the spoons had a dog on it.

'Or was it a wolf?' Either way, she wasn't sure it was Kiba. He didn't strike her as being a romantic either.

Neji? Not a chance. He was so involved in his clan and they had a tight hold on him.

'At least until Hinata becomes the head of the clan, that is.'

Sakura continued the debate within her mind as she walked home for the evening.

oOo

When she arrived home she discovered a bouquet of daisies (her favorite!) and a book of poems. She them into her home and after she'd taken off her shoes, her coat and started a pot of water for tea she then put the daisies in water and set them on her kitchen table. She loved daisies and how they just cheered up a room!

Once she got a good warm cup of tea, she was able to sit at the table and take the time to read her note that was sticking from out of the book.

'My dear Sakura:

I apologize for having missed sending you a gift yesterday. Unfortunately, as you know duty calls a shinobi away from time to time, and yesterday I was sent on a short but dangerous mission of great import. As you can guess, I have returned safely. It is my hope that I will be forgiven and be spared your anger at having left you without a word?

Please enjoy this book of poetry that I have found to be quite entertaining. There has been many a day that I have lost myself in the verses within. I hope that you will find them as entertaining as I.'

Sakura hadn't really been one to read poetry for pleasure, her preference had been murder/mystery, but decided that since the book had come as a gift and highly rated that she'd give it a chance. Besides, maybe it would give her insight into the identity of her admirer.

For hours she sat and read through the poems within the book, loosing herself in the words and the feelings being conveyed by the author. Some were romantic, some tragic. Some were even humorous while others were bawdy and made her blush. But overall, Sakura found the book to be a terrific read.

When she finally stopped for the night, she was still no closer to figuring out who the mystery man was.