Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Over Coming Me ❯ Simple Misunderstanding ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto! I just love to write about Kaka/Saku…

 

 

Chapter 1: Internal Retrospection

 

 

 

The life of a kunoichi was rather troublesome. If your name happened to be Haruno Sakura, your life was even more troublesome. Not only are you assigned to a team with a leader who was eternally late, you also had to deal with a cold moody Uchiha and then of course Konoha's loudest and most unpredictable ninja.

 

Now Sakura would be lying if she said she wasn't overjoyed that Team Kakashi, formally known as Team 7, was back together. Some how, for reasons beyond her, deep, deep, deep, deep down she loved all three. She would rather under go extensive interrogation and extreme torture than divulge this information to said individuals.

 

Gone were the days when she would uselessly pine over her Sasuke-kun. He was now labeled a cold fish in her book. Upon his rescue or as he calls it, their intrusion, he made it abundantly clear that he did have feelings for her. Unfortunately they would never go beyond that of a sisterly nature. She wasn't harboring any resentment, nope none what so ever. None at all, no really…

 

Sakura had become very close to the blonde male. Now these feelings she knew would never go beyond sisterly. As a matter of fact, if they ever did she would grab a kunai and commit seppuku in an instant… or at least attempt to.

 

As for their baka leader, well the man had no sense of time and had no sense of emotion. She could count the number of emotions that one exposed eye had ever betrayed on her one hand. On one hand people! Though she had to admit, she respected him. The one emotion he did betray loud and clear was anger and she never wanted to be on the receiving end…again.

 

Now the type of love she felt for their ex-baka-sensei was different from the type she felt for her boys. (Annoying, loud or cold as they were she still considered them this.) Kakashi was like…an older brother? Not quite. A father figure then? Definitely not! A close friend? Hm, she still hardly knew a thing about him. A plain friend then? Well, you couldn't exactly go to him with your personal problems now could you?

 

She knew that she felt him closer to her than just a plain team leader. The man had saved their lives more times than she could count, but then again isn't that just part of a team leaders' responsibility? Then a thought struck her and she wondered why it had never hit her before. She couldn't believe she was supposed to harness great intelligence but had missed this important tidbit of information for so long…

 

`We are just a responsibility; every thing he does is for the greater good of Konoha and the mission, nothing more. No wonder he never told us anything personal about himself. That would explain why we still haven't seen under that mask all these years…'

 

As a kunoichi, this enlightenment shouldn't have bothered her. He was one of Konoha's elite and most trusted ninja. He was the famous Copy Ninja Hatake Kakashi, who knew over a 1,000 jutsus, of course he would think that way! Even though Sakura couldn't flaw him for it, she couldn't help the slight twinge of hurt and betrayal that stung her chest.

 

`I guess I have my self to blame for my own stupid misconceptions. Kakashi never did try to be over friendly, even when he said we were no longer teacher and student, but equals.'

 

Sakura sighed as she turned further way from her two snoring teammates. The grass was her bed tonight and her blanket was the night's sky. She was glad it was mid summer. A ninja always traveled light for movement sake and a fire would only draw unwanted attention. Her traveling pack served as her pillow.

 

Her thoughts soon drifted back to the man sitting in the tree across from her. She could just imagine him trying to read by moonlight, squinting at his precious pages. Sakura did not see what was so great about them. Secretly she had purchased one out of curiosity. After being exposed to the silly things for eight years the level of curiosity would kill any cat.

 

Icha-Icha Violence Vol: III had been filled with page upon page of busty kunoichi engaging in semi-erotic fights, where clothes would be torn to shreds with in-depth detail of the female body. The heroine would then be stuck with a moral dilemma of either killing or loving her enemy.

 

`Not the best I've read, but I did finish it so I guess that's something. Still, I don't understand how he deems it appropriate to read that trash in public and while on missions no les…, and how is it beyond him to even try to be a friend to people he's none for years?!'

 

Sakura could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She knew sleep was not forthcoming. She slapped a palm to her forehead and pressed it into her skull. She could feel the headache creeping its way into existence. She grudgingly sat up and rummaged through her pack for some medication and her water bottle.

 

As she downed the pills and the rest of her water, nature called rather loudly. She pushed herself to her feet and answered the question she knew he was going to pose her. She decided not to wait for it; she was still irked that in some off way her situation was his fault.

 

“Little girl's room…within earshot…won't be long…”

 

He hadn't made a sound, but she knew he had heard her. Thirty minutes later she found herself looking up at the same old blanket of stars in frustration. She couldn't help the sigh that escaped as she rolled her eyes at those tiny twinkles of light.

 

“Are you feeling alright Sakura?”

 

She hadn't even heard him move. He was lying against the tree, on the lowest limb next to her. She hated the fact that he could still surprise her even though she was now a Jounin as well.

 

“I'm fine, just can't sleep.”

 

She heard him softly chuckle behind that damn mask of his.

 

“I should have given you first watch then.”

 

She looked up at him and the pale moonlight revealed his visible eye to be creased at the corner indicating a smile. The hidden smile dampened her mood even more.

 

“I'll start my share now if you like.”

 

If her frosty tones registered, he didn't show it. He moved back into the shadows before he answered her.

 

“No, it's quite alright. I'll have you swap Sasuke's watch if you're still unable to sleep when my shift ends.”

 

Sakura only grunted in response. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't get her thoughts to stop haunting her brain.

 

`I should just ask him; maybe I'm wrong. Then again, what if I'm not, do I really want to hear him lecture me on the responsibilities of a team leader and the definite invisible lines that are drawn?'

 

Sakura felt like pulling her hair out at this point. Her body was tired from the long trek but her mind wouldn't shut up and it didn't help that the cause of her frustration was awake and close by.

 

“Is something bothering you?”

 

`Does he seriously want to know? I bet he just wants to rid me of my insomnia so I'll be fresh for the trek tomorrow incase we encounter any obstacles. If I can see it so obviously now, then why the hell couldn't I before?!'

 

“No.”

 

She waited for a full minute and when it was clear he wasn't going to try to persuade her to talk she rolled over facing away from him. She tried counting sheep, counting stars, closing her eyes and listening to her steady breathing, but sleep simply evaded her.

 

Sakura, sleep deprived, started to bang her head against her pack until she hit the spot where she kept her water bottle.

 

“Ouch damn it!” Sakura rubbed the raw area underneath her short pink tresses.

 

“Sakura are you sure nothing is bothering you? You know, a wise old man once told me that inner turmoil can lead to further complications in the future.”

 

“Kakashi, it wasn't an old man. That was the Hokage and I'll be sure to tell her you just referred to her as such….” She heard his nervous laughter behind her and she could just imagine the scratching of the back of his silver head that would go along with it.

 

“Ha-ha-ha-ha, my mistake… but seriously Sakura…”

 

“Don't worry I won't tell her.”

 

“I was talking about if something was bothering you.”

 

`He does sound sincere. The hell with it, he's always had faith in us so it would be ultimately inexcusable if I couldn't do the same in return.'

 

“Ok, there is something bothering me. I want to ask you something, but I forewarn you I am not up for a lecture. A simple yes or no will suffice okay?”

 

“Sakura if this is about my mask the answer is no…”

 

“It's not.” She heard him let out a small breath at her answer.

 

“Okay, I suppose its safe then. Ask your question.”

 

He didn't sound so sure of his supposed safety. Silence reigned as Sakura thought of the words to voice her thoughts. She kept her back turned to him as she spoke. It made her less self conscious and she hoped would lessen the blow that was surely to come. Her positive side had not won out.

 

“Are we…do you consider us to be responsibilities?”

 

Whatever he had been expecting had not been this. The way she had asked troubled him, it was as if she was afraid of his answer. He still didn't understand how this could keep her from sleeping.

 

“Responsibilities? Sakura, I am the team leader and as the team leader your lives…”

 

“So that's a yes then. That's all I needed good night Kakashi.”

 

She held her breath and tried to force the disappointment from her body. Needless to say, it didn't work. Now the tone of her voice had definitely disturbed him. She sounded hurt and disappointed?

 

`But why? She's a Jounin; she knows the Team Leader's duties. Does she find it insulting that if her death occurred on my team that I would hold myself responsible? I don't understand…'

 

Although Kakashi found himself at a loss, he had never been the sort to delve into this sort of conversation. A woman's mind had always been a mystery to him and he had never taken the time to try to understand. His world revolved around putting the life that Obito sacrificed for to good use protecting the village they had both loved.

 

`If she is unwilling to speak further on the issue than I am more than willing to let this go…'

 

This had been his mindset for the past fifteen minutes, but watching and hearing the team's only female flop around on the forest floor was a tad bit maddening even for him. He could tell that whatever had been bothering her still festered. He knew that if they were going to make it home tomorrow without delay then something would have to be done to rectify her situation and now. He turned to her with a mental sigh.

 

“Please elaborate on your previous question.”

 

`Well at least she stopped tossing her self around like a wild animal.'

 

In fact Sakura was now still as a corpse. Her anger had bubbled up inside to a frothing raging river since the last time they had spoken. She knew that if she uttered one word, it would be venomous and lethal. One part of her agreed with his answer, but a larger part couldn't help feeling betrayed.

 

`If I even try to explain myself I'm going to end up looking stupid. I know he's not the type to laugh in my face but that stupid concerned façade of his will be even worse.'

 

“Sakura, I know you're still awake.” She heard him sigh softly.

 

“You started this conversation you know…”

 

Oh, she was quite aware of the fact and wholly wished she hadn't. Knowing the man's capacity for stubbornness, which rang along the same lines as her “boys”, she knew she'd have to open her mouth. Well, open her mouth she did…

 

…and stuck her foot right in it.

 

“I cannot believe you! I've never claimed to know exactly what goes on in that stupid silver head of yours, but I was more than convinced that we meant more to you than just a stupid duty, a damn responsibility…”

 

At this point in her whispered outburst, needless to say Kakashi was rendered speechless. He almost lost his balance on his tree limb, but being the great shinobi that he was, his grand reflexes kicked in.

 

“…Oh, but I guess I just fooled myself into thinking that all these years! I thought I had shed all my naivety after the whole Sasuke fiasco, but I guess I was wrong, just like I have been wrong about a whole lot of other things in my life apparently!”

 

At this stage Kakashi was in a weird part of denial. He just couldn't fathom that her rage was a byproduct of his inability to show emotions or share personal facts. He would not believe that his “closeness” meant that much to the young Kunoichi, surely there had to be something else bothering her. He figured he just had to look for the hidden meaning within the hidden meanings.

 

“Sakura is this about Naruto and Sasuke applying for ANBU?”

 

Her ranting stopped completely at hearing his question. Kakashi felt he hit the nail on the head and couldn't suppress the smirk under his mask.

 

“What? I….”

 

He watched her push herself up to a sitting position and sit there for a few seconds. Then she got up from the ground and he watched as she slowly made her way over to the tree he sat in.

 

`She probably doesn't want the other two to over hear. She should have just voiced her fears in the first place…women.'

 

He looked down into those shining emerald eyes of hers that were illuminated in the moonlight. Suprisingly, her features were blank. He had half expected to see tears in her eyes or at least a look of hurt, but still as she stood there looking up at him there was nothing. Then she lowered her head so that the shadows masked her features, but her voice held all the emotion he needed to tell that she was seriously…pissed.

 

“No, this wasn't about Naruto or Sasuke, but I guess I should thank you for saying so seeing as how they neglected to tell me…”

 

`Oh, shit.”

 

Kakashi felt the air around him suddenly change. Her chakra signature began to twist and turn in ways that he was oh so familiar with. The murderous intent poured from her in waves making the hairs on his skin stand up.

 

`This is bad. This is very bad.'

 

Knowing the young woman over a span of eight years, he had come to a few understandings. The first was that you never bad mouth her “boys” in her presence. The second was that she hated being coddled because she was a female. The last was, when she truly becomes pissed off she can become unpredictable and a wild force to be reckoned with. Apparently more than just skills had been rubbed off from the famous short tempered female Hokage.

 

He watched wide eyed as she reached into her tan apron's pocket to retrieve her black gloves. He quickly stood up from his lazy slouch as she slowly donned her hand coverings. He was already in a mid air flip when he heard her quaking voice and the ringing boom behind him.

 

“This was about you!”

 

Pieces of bark and dust covered his clothes and hair. The two young men sprang to their feet with kunai in hand; they too were covered in what could be considered saw dust. The tree that Kakashi had previously occupied was no more. It lay in pieces all over their camp site.

 

Kakashi let the enraged female with the monstrous strength walk away into the darkened forest. Normally, he wouldn't allow team members to off wander alone, he would insist that they stay together for safety sake, but right now he didn't believe there was a force on this earth that could harm her in her current state.

 

`I think we're out of harms reach as well with her out cooling off.'

 

“Kakashi-sensei, what the hell just happened?! Are we being attacked?! Why did Sakura just leave?!”

 

“Dobe, go back to sleep. I believe our team leader just had a taste of what you've been getting all these years.” Sasuke smirked at the older shinobi's back.

 

The two boys stowed their weapons and moved further away from the debris. Naruto was scratching his head while peering through the settling dust at the masked man who still stood staring off in the direction that Sakura had left. Naruto looked like the light bulb finally flickered on inside that head of his.

 

“Oh, you mean baka-sensei pissed her off?”

 

“Yes, now go back to sleep. I believe it's my turn to keep watch.”

 

 

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Fifteen minutes later the three men had moved far enough away to be able to rest comfortably. Sasuke sat cross-legged from his position next to Naruto's snoring form. Kakashi lay on his back with his legs crossed and his hand behind his head. He was lost in thought while staring up into the night's sky. Sakura still hadn't returned, but he wasn't worried. He knew she could take care of herself. He wasn't worried about her safety; he was more worried about what she had said.

 

`I can understand her anger at the boys for not telling her about their decision. I had no idea that they hadn't told her. I guess that was my mistake, but what was this other business with me?'

 

Kakashi's brow furrowed and he cracked his neck to relieve some of his tension. He just couldn't wrap his mind around it. Why did his supposed friendship matter so much to the green eyed woman? It wasn't like he was Sasuke or Naruto. True, he did make up one part of Team Kakashi, but he was their leader, he never imagined that she had thought of him as more than that.

 

`You shouldn't let her get to you.”

 

Kakashi never moved an inch as he answered the Uchiha.

 

`I'm not worried.” Kakashi didn't have to look over to know the younger ninja was smirking now. He could hear it in his voice.

 

“I didn't say anything about being worried.” Kakashi scowled under his mask and finally directed his one eyed gaze at his team mate.

 

“What happened?”

 

“What makes you so talkative all of a sudden?” Kakashi watched the dark haired boy shrug his shoulders.

 

“I'm on watch, you're awake, and I'm interested.” Kakashi tried to portray a suite-your-self look through his one eye and sighed.

 

“I told her you two were joining ANBU.” Sasuke glared at the older ninja through the darkness.

 

“So, her true source of anger is Naruto and I? Hmph.” Sasuke stabbed the kunai he had been unconsciously twirling into the ground next to him.

 

“Yes and no.” Sasuke raised an eyebrow and Kakashi's keen eyesight caught it.

 

“Well?”

 

Sasuke's interest was definitely peeked. Never had Sakura's ire toward their ex-sensei been shown in such a way. She had only ever yelled at him halfheartedly for being late or when he chose to ignore them for his trusty books. Sakura was never one to shy away from authority figures, but she was never over one to step her boundaries with them either. Sasuke was truly interested and his curiosity was the fuel behind his next prod.

 

“Well?”

 

Sasuke watched as Kakashi brought a gloved hand to rub in his one eye. Kakashi knew the boy wouldn't let it go.

 

For some reason he felt like he was giving a mission report to the Hokage. That feeling helped him relax if only a bit. Sasuke remained quiet and unmoving and Kakashi was grateful for this.

 

“She's upset because she feels that I consider you three responsibilities and not something more significant.” Sasuke stared blankly into his eyes, his face expressionless. There was a lengthy silence filled only by the sounds of the insects around them and Naruto's snores.

 

“Hmph, Sakura is a Jounin. She should know better.” With that said the Uchiha withdrew the kunai from the ground and began to twirl it in a bored manner. Kakashi had expected Sasuke's response but he hadn't expected the slight twinge it created in his chest.

 

It was true that as a Team Leader your responsibilities are to keep your team members informed, in line, and alive. The day he had been saddled with the three little devils he had not been happy at all. They were just another duty, another mission that he had to follow through and complete. He had every inclination that they would be like all the others and fail his test, but they hadn't.

 

Still, he had no intention of getting close to any of them. He fully intended to teach them what he could, help them find their own path and then send them down it and away from his own.

 

`If only life with these three had been that simple.' Kakashi wasn't even aware of the small smile hidden beneath his ever present mask.

 

His thoughts turned to the three year struggle to retrieve the young man that now sat a few yards away from him.

 

`Naruto and Sakura sacrificed so much for him. I don't think he's aware, even now, of how their faith in him never wavered. Hell, even my own…hmph, but he proved me wrong just as he has continued to prove half the village wrong these last three and a half years.'

 

Kakashi's dark eye roved over the loudly slumbering blonde. He watched as his orange and black covered chest rose and fell.

 

`To think I too once thought of that boy as just the Kyuubi's container. Oh, how he has opened my eyes, not to mention everyone he has ever come in contact with. You are strong Naruto and not just because of what is sealed inside of you.'

 

Kakashi's eye finally trailed back to the area of the woods where their fourth team mate had traveled. Truth be told, as her first sensei, he hadn't even tried. To him she had been a silly little girl infatuated with a crush who showed no acceleration in any area of skill, but genjutsu. The time he did focus on the team had been directed mostly toward the two boys, well mostly on the one boy who shared the same eye and silent characteristics.

 

She was just the third needed to help the other two to advance. He had been wrong, oh so wrong in that assumption.

 

`Just like the rest, in someone else's care, Sakura has flourished into a formidable opponent, a great asset to the team, and a lovely caring young woman who no longer pins over Sasuke and finally treats Naruto as an equal….'

 

`…and some one who apparently cares about my opinion of them… of her...'

 

Kami worked in mysterious ways and here he was eight years later; still with them, no longer sensei but team leader and this time a few things had changed. Their ages and skill levels were just the tip of the iceberg.

 

That's when it hit him. The twinge in his chest, his sudden worry over her words, and if he was being truthful his guilt; his new enlightenment forced him up from the ground.

 

`I need to go find her…”

 

If he was going to be truthful to himself and allow himself this opportunity to right a most heinous wrong, then he would start with the one who deserved it the most. Sasuke watched Kakashi silently disappear into the woods in the same direction Sakura had chosen earlier.

 

A voice carried on the slight breeze that blew.

 

“I've been such an idiot.”

 

 

 

 

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Author's Footnote:

I'm still continuing my other Kaka/Saku story Respect and Understanding. Actually I have half of the next chapter for that one done so yeah! I just had this plot bunny grab me and threaten me with Kakashi's “thousand years of pain” or “secret finger” jutsu so here it is.

 

Fortunately I have a drabble I started way earlier to use as the next chapter for this one so look for that soon too! Cha!

 

Like all my ideas for Kaka/Saku, the actual love will be in later chapters. I just love the build up, hope you don't mind. You know, Rome wasn't built in a day, and love isn't fortified in a night, no matter how good the… ok well never mind!

 

Thank You for reading! Please feel free to stop in again for the next installment!