Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Respect & Understanding ❯ A Decision Made! ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, I just have a crazy obsession for Kakasaku!

 

Summary: Sakura is 24 and Kakashi is 38, (no pedophilia here!) Sakura has to ask the two remaining members of Team 7 to recommend her for ANBU Testing. Will they both agree? Does she have a prayer of passing it? If so, who is going to be her new squad members or will she be stuck saving lives in the hospital?

 

Chapter Title: Reminisce and Gossip!

 

OoooooFlashbackoooooooooO

 

Tears silently rolled down her cheeks as bright greenish blue light glowed from her hands. Sakura concentrated extensively on trying to heal the gaping wound in the dark haired young mans belly. Her mind knew it was futile, but her heart forced her to try.

 

Naruto's resengan had ripped a hole in Sasuke's front and blew out through his back. She didn't blame Naruto, there was no way that she could. If Naruto had been two seconds later, the Uchiha's chidori would have ripped through her own flesh.

 

All this time, all this work, all this worry had boiled down to this final moment and this final understanding. You can't save someone who did not want to be saved.

 

Sakura's heart finally conceded to her mind as her chakra was depleted. She opened her eyes and moved to grasp the dying boys hand to her heart.

 

“The m-moment… you w-want…is the d-devil's work… in d-disguise…” Sasuke spit up more blood as he continued to voice his last thoughts. The wings retreated into his body as the cursed seal faded away. He no longer resembled the monster he was formally.

 

“O-once…it's o-over…y-you're…only l-left…with…n-nothing.” With the utterance of his last word, his breath expelled from his body never to return, Sasuke died.

 

She didn't know what had hurt more, his death or his last words. Somewhere in her childish twisted fantasies she had dreamed of returning home to Konoha side by side with her two favorite men.

 

In her nightmares she had dreamed of Sasuke's death, but even in those sequences he had uttered words of regret, guilt, and begging of forgiveness. Not once had her naïve mind conjured up this scenario.

 

`Even while dying he mocks us…'

 

There had been no doubt that Naruto had heard his former team mate's cold hearted words. Even though he had stood with his back to the scene a few yards away, it was evident in the almost primal howl he emitted to the nights sky.

 

`Everything we have done has been in vain…'

 

The tears that flowed were no longer produced by anguish over the recent death, but because of anger and frustration. This anger and frustration was aimed at herself for being so dimwitted and naïve.

 

The body slipped from her arms and through her fingers. Disgust welled in her chest, a miniscule amount aimed at the body in front of her but mostly at herself. A great pain formed in her gut and forced its way to her throat. Taking a page from Naruto, she threw back her head and expelled the pain from her body with a scream.

 

`All this time I've wasted. All this time I've spent loving the wrong person. I'm so sorry Naruto.'

 

At the thought of the blonde ninja she looked up to find him missing from his spot in the clearing. No doubt he had gone off to be alone. She couldn't imagine what he must be feeling right now, to have been the one to deliver the killing blow.

 

`Don't blame yourself Naruto. You don't deserve it.'

 

Even as she thought these words, her naïve heart couldn't help sending a message to her brain.

 

`Yeah, but maybe there was something you could have done. Maybe if your love had been stronger…if your own power had been mightier…'

 

Her heart was arguing a losing battle. She knew they had done everything within their power to try to change the outcome. Hell, Naruto had held back and only used three chakra tails while fighting Sasuke. Sakura had kept herself on the side lines yelling for the Uchiha to snap out of it and to come back with them, while she took care of an unconscious wounded Kakashi.

 

Naruto's punches had never held the intention to kill the entire fight, until the Uchiha had taunted Naruto with threats to her own life if the kyuubi container didn't take him seriously.

 

Naruto and herself had believed his threat to be idle until he came charging at her with his electrified hand while chirping noises filled their ears. She had almost tripped over Kakashi's unconscious form laying by her feet in her shock.

 

`Sensei…'

 

Their team leader had insisted on being the first to face his ex-pupil, saying it was his fault for teaching Sasuke his jutsu in the first place. Whether Kakashi had fought with the intent to kill had not been established for the fight did not last long once Sasuke had turned to “stage 2” of his cursed seal.

 

Kakashi had been thrown hard through a hand full of trees and then Naruto had stepped in to take his place. Sakura turned to the silver haired jounin with tears quietly streaming down her face. She crawled toward him through the grass and away from her fallen love.

 

She kneeled over him and a single tear hit his one exposed eye. That eye slowly opened in response. He looked up into the distraught face of the familiar Kunoichi and could guess the outcome of the battle. He slowly turned his head to look behind her and then closed his eye once again, this time not in slumber but out of his own anguish.

 

He slowly and painfully pushed himself up to a sitting position and sat there facing the scene with his shoulders slumped and his mind numbingly blank. How long he sat like that he had no idea.

 

Sakura continued to silently weep over the injustice of everything as she faced away from the scene. She was only too relieved that her ever stoic sensei was not lucid enough earlier to witness her louder and more woeful grieving. She suddenly felt weak and ashamed for breaking the shinobi code of not showing emotions yet again under his watchful gaze.

 

`Even now, he is the perfect example of a Konoha ninja…”

 

That's why she felt completely shell shocked when she felt arms gently wrap around her shoulders and her face pressed gently into a green vest. Once her sudden tenseness had relaxed somewhat, she chanced a blurry eyed glance up toward the man holding her.

 

Kakashi was kneeling in front of her with his head turned to the side. His exposed eye was out of her range of view. He may not have been crying but he was for once offering his comfort and she was more than willing to accept.

 

`This is probably for himself too. He's human after all…'

 

Ooooooooooooo End Flashback oooooooooooooooO

 

Sakura pushed her now cold tea away from her as she marveled at how fast the years had flown by since Team 7's tragic reunion. She had been sixteen then. She was now twenty four.

 

Life had continued on, as she knew it would. Each remaining member of Team 7 had taken their own amount of time to mourn the loss in their own way. Naruto's had been rather loud and destructive, Kakashi's had been silent and alone, and Sakura had wanted hers to be along the lines of Kakashi's but her mother and friends unfortunately wouldn't allow it.

 

`Mom…'

 

Sakura's Mother had died two months short of her daughter's nineteenth birthday.Sakura's last piece of family was taken from her during a surprise invasion of Konoha, this time by Rock and Sound nins. Team Kakashi had been away on a mission to speak with the Kazekage during this time. Her father died of a heart attack prior, but Sakura and her father had never really been that close.

 

Ino Yamanaka slid into the seat opposite of her and Sakura smiled at her blonde haired friend.

 

“Hey forehead girl, sorry I'm late. I had to track down the old ball and chain you know…” Sakura laughed as her friend rolled her eyes.

 

“So, how is Chouji these days?”

 

“Oh, forgetful as ever, I swear if I don't remind him every time, he'd never hand in his damn mission reports and then poor Iruka-san would be knocking on our door again!”

 

“Speaking of Iruka-san, did you hear he's finally snagged Ayame-chan, that nice Ichiraku lady?” These visits with Ino were mostly about catching up with just a bit of gossip mixed in. Ok, so it was more than just a bit, but even though she was a harden shinobi now; she was still a woman first.

 

“Really! Well, good for him I say. I bet Naruto is happy to hear that. How is Naruto anyway? I saw him last week, but you know how his life can be!”

 

Sakura shared in her friend's laughter. Naruto wasn't known as the world's loudest and most unpredictable ninja for nothing. It had seemed like only yesterday that the boy was the runt of the litter who vied for everyone's attention.

 

The blonde had grown into a very handsome man who was still loudmouthed and who still held the kyuubi inside him. Even though Tsunade-sama was still Hokage, over the years he garnered respect from more than half the village. He was well on his way to fulfilling his dream. Sakura knew for a fact that the only ninja who could best the boy was the Godaime herself.

 

Naruto seemed happy for the moment as Captain of his ANBU squad. He was also husband to Uzumaki Hinata and father of their son Ichigo. Sakura would be telling a bold face lie if she said she hadn't felt a pang of jealousy at his happiness, but it was a pang that she could quickly dismiss. She was happy for them even if their own attempts to be together had failed. They both knew the main reason why.

 

“Sasuke...” She quickly pushed that train of thought out of her mind.

 

“Naruto's doing great. He dropped by this morning to prove that he was back in one piece.”

 

“You're still forcing him to do that? He's been in ANBU for four years now, Forehead!”

 

“I know that Pig! I told him he didn't have to after his first few missions! You know Naruto, after he promises something…” Ino wasn't sure why but she felt the urge to quickly change the subject.

 

“I got a letter from Temari-chan the other day!”

 

“Really, how are Shikamaru-kun and her doing?”

 

Shikamaru had retired from Shinobo life rather early, two years ago to be exact. The cloud watching fanatic had decided to move to the Sand Country with the help of the Kazekage's sister. Temari had threatened to discontinue their three year long distance relationship after the miles between them had become too great.

 

Shikamaru had declared a breakup to be too troublesome and decided an early retirement would suit him. Temari had no qualms about being the breadwinner and the pants of the family. They had married just last year.

 

`Oh, Temari made a perfect scowling bride.”

 

“Pretty good, except for the usual verbal beatings of our favorite slacker!” Sakura shook her head.

 

`That woman must have more patience than Hinata.'

 

“Guess who I caught together at the lounge the other night.”

 

Sakura had taken Lee-san up on his offer for a drink the night before last. The two had become close friends after Lee had finally toned down his admissions of love for his “Sakura Blossom”. This happened right around the same time that TenTen professed her love to the fuzzy eye browed taijutsu master.

 

`I should probably buy TenTen a really nice Christmas present this year, as a thank you…'

 

“Come on forehead, you know I'm never good at the guessing games!” It was true; Ino may have her mind affecting jutsu's but that was about it.

 

“Gai-san and Anko-san! Gai-san was loudly professing his undying love for his “Death Berry”….although he looked to be extremely drunk...hm.”

 

Both girls' faces turned a slight tinge of green thinking of the image. Of course Asuma and Kurenai had been with them, but everyone knew about them already. Sakura sighed inwardly. It seemed everyone she knew had found love in someone, even if it was in the strangest of places. She shivered as she tried to remove the image of the Green Beast out of her head.

 

“So, Sakura-chan…” Sakura knew something was up. Ino only used her name like that when she was up to something.

 

“What is it, Ino-chan?”

 

“When was the last time you went out on a date and having a drink with Lee-san does not constitute as a date.”

 

`Great here we go again...'

 

Sakura's love life was a constant subject matter that Ino would not drop. It was like Ino wanted to live vicariously through her or something. Ino was always popping up with suggestions for the pink haired Kunoichi.

 

Last time Ino had set up a date for Sakura without her prior knowledge, it had been with the local Okonomiyaki vendor. The young man had been rather nice and handsome, but it hadn't gone beyond a couple of dates. He was just like all the other regular village men she had dated, none of them could get passed the absence and worry caused by shinobi duty.

 

Sakura did not like to date shinobi for those simple facts. She knew it was hypocritical, but she didn't want to have to worry about her mate dying on some mission gone wrong. She wanted her man to be a sanctuary for her when she returned from her missions.

 

Other than Naruto, she had only dated one other ninja and that had been Inuzuka Kiba. Hinata had a little hand in that one. It had lasted a good six months before they had both finally decided they were better off friends than lovers. Their constant absence from Konoha due to missions was probably a major reason why it had lasted so long in the first place.

 

“You know Ino-pig, I still can not understand how a shinobi can possibly have any sort of relationship with our life style. I just don't know how you, Naruto, and Shika do it…” Ino looked at her long time best friend with clouded eyes.

 

“I won't lie, it's hard sometimes. You know, not knowing what they're doing, how they're doing, if they're lying somewhere bleeding to death, but I will tell you one thing. The fear, the worry and all that is worth spending what ever time you have with the one you love.” Ino was being rather uncharacteristically serious and so Sakura took her friends words to heart.

 

“You think so?”

 

“I know so. The added bonus isn't just that we have someone to come home to or hold at night, it's that if one of us does happen to kick the bucket, at least I know I won't have any regrets.” Sakura knew those words sounded familiar, but she couldn't place where at the moment.

 

“Live a life of no regrets…”

 

“Yeah, you got it!” Then it came to her.

 

`No, actually Naruto has it; he's the one that told me that a very long time ago.'

 

“Anyway, I have something I wanted your opinion on.” Ino's eyes sparkled at the idea of her opinion meaning something of importance to her friend. Their bond of friendship had strengthen since Team Kakashi's return some eight years ago after Sasuke's death.

 

“You see, I was thinking of a slight career change. I heard from sources that ANBU is recruiting new medic members for their squads. It seems there are some slots open now.”

 

Sakura couldn't tell Ino that she had over heard her sensei, the Hokage, speaking with Shizune about a botched mission that had resulted in a few deaths. She had just been very relieved that Naruto had “checked in” with her upon his return that morning. She had hoped that his mission had not been the one they had spoken of.

 

“Wow, Sakura, that's more than a little slight career change you know! I'm not saying you can't do it or anything, kami knows you got guts girl, but are you sure? ANBU missions are constant A- class missions and strictly confidential. What caused you to decide to change careers in the first place?”

 

Honestly Sakura had grown tired of seeing all the ANBU members who were carried through the hospital doors. The hospital was relatively quiet except for these occasions. Sakura wanted to put her skills where it was needed most. She wasn't the third ranked healer in all of Konoha for nothing, Tsunade-sama and Shizune being the first and second.

 

“I just think my skills would be better used there, besides I might get to work with my favorite loudmouth as an added perk.” Ino smiled after she thought about it.

 

Truth be told, there was no guarantee that she would ever get to work with her male best friend. If she passed the exam she would then be placed wherever they needed her. Since Naruto was not obliged to talk about his work or his teammates, there was no guarantee that his team had an opening. Sakura rather hoped that there wasn't, since an opening meant death and the less death Naruto had to mourn the better.

 

“Well, if that's what you have decided forehead, then I'm all for it.” Sakura gave her friend a very warm smile in return.

 

“Have you told Naruto-kun yet?”

 

“No, not yet, but I'm suppose to meet him for ramen later. I was planning to ask him to submit my name for testing.”

 

“Submit your name?”

 

“Yeah, before you're even able to test, you have to have two current members of ANBU submit your name for recommendation. I wouldn't have known either if the Hokage hadn't told me.”

 

“Well, Naruto takes care of your first person, who are you planning to ask for your second?”

 

Sakura began to laugh.Last night when she had made her decision,she hadn't thought about the second person!

 

“Hm, I have no idea! I don't really know any other ANBU members except Naruto-kun and Kakashi-sensei. I guess I could ask Kakashi-sensei, but knowing him, he'll want to challenge me first to “gauge my progress” or something of that sort. I swear if the man pulls out those stupid bells I'll…”

 

Thoughts of dark places Sakura could shove those tinkling golden orbs came to her mind. Ino felt the murderous intent roll off the green eyed woman in waves.

 

“I'm sure Kakashi-san will have lost those bells by now…or at least one could hope.” Sakura looked at her friend with a raised eyebrow.

 

`She obviously does not know one thing about the warped mind of the famous Copy Ninja Hatake Kakashi.'

 

“Pig, he still reads the same volumes of Icha-Icha Paradise over and over again! Plus, the last time me and Naruto went to visit him at his small little closet of an apartment he still had Mr. Ukki…” (Mr. Ukki is a dead potted plant)

 

Ino raised both blonde eyebrows. Ino had heard all about them visiting their recovering old sensei and about his withered dead potted plant. Ino had to agree, the man probably didn't throw anything away…probably out of laziness no doubt.

 

“Regardless forehead, I'm sure he'll do it if you ask, besides if he does challenge you just hit him once in the jewels. You'll get a bell alright!” Sakura looked shocked at first and then laughed out loud.

 

`Yeah, if I do that Kakashi-sensei will lose the ability to procreate, let alone walk again!' Then a thought struck her.

 

“You know, it's kind of sad that Kakashi-sensei is still alone.” She said it more as a spoken thought than in conversation.

 

“Yeah, it is considering that he's pretty hot for an old man…” Sakura felt it her right to defend the great shinobi she had looked up to.

 

“He's not that old! I mean, it's not like he's old enough to be our father or something. Now Jiryia, that's an old man.” Ino looked deep in thought.

 

“Yeah, I guess your right, but still not even Ibiki-san's interrogation and torture techniques could get that man to open up. I mean, you and Naruto-kun were his students and you still haven't seen his face!”

 

Sakura could find no argument with that. They still had little to no clue about the lone sharingan user's personal information and their mission to see under the cloth had failed on many attempts.

 

`Not to mention the fact I had to bribe Genma with a date just so we could find out baka-sensei's stupid address!'

 

That had been after he had first rejoined ANBU and apparently had been forced to use his Mangekyo Sharingan during the mission. Sakura shivered, she could still feel Genma, the octopus's hands all over her. Naruto had owed her big for that one needless to say. Sakura looked at her watch.

 

“Well, Pig it was great catching up, but I'm supposed to meet Naruto-kun at Ichiraku in five minutes and you know how he is about his ramen.” Ino got up to hug her friend good-bye.

 

“Oh, I know alright, you just tell him I said hello and to stay out of trouble! I gotta get back to the flower shop as well, same time next week then?”

 

“As always!”

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

“Sakura-chaaan!” She slid onto the stool beside him with a smile and ordered herself a bowl as he noisily slurped up his noodles.

 

“How's life treating my favorite ninja?” She playfully ruffled his hair as he beamed happily at her.

 

His personality hadn't changed much over the twelve years since they were first paired up as team 7. The 24 year old man beside her still had that unruly shock of blonde hair and those innocent blue eyes, but he was taller now and more slim and toned than before. She would never consider Naruto Uzumaki to be gorgeous, but she had to admit that there was just something about him that made you want to pinch his cheeks till they turned black and blue.

 

“Aw, you know same old same old. Oh! I was teaching Ichigo-kun how to walk up a tree the other day! He only walked two steps; well I was holding him and all but it still counts in my book! Sometimes I think he might have it in him to surpass his old man one day!” Naruto looked rather proud as he puffed out his chest at her. Sakura's eyes were huge as saucers.

 

“Naruto, he's only three years old! You don't learn to walk up trees until you're at least twelve!” Naruto waved this bit of information off in between slurps.

 

“Yeah, I know, but you know how it goes, never to young to start training!” Sakura laughed at his eagerness.

 

`Poor kid's gonna have a `Gai-Sensei' type father figure…' Sakura shuddered.

 

“So, what about you Sakura-chan, anything new? Ino-chan hasn't tried to set you up again has she?”

 

“Not since last time thank Kami, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about. Oh Pig says 'hi' by the way.” One last slurp and his bowl was sparkling clean.

 

“Oi! Hai, Hai! Tell her I said 'hello'! Now, what did you want to talk to me about? No ones giving you any trouble are they? Baa-chan isn't being too strict on you is she? Hokage or not, I'll take her down a peg or two if you want me to!”

 

Naruto pumped his fist. Sakura laughed at his display and thought of what Tsunade-sama would do to her Hokage-wanna-be friend if he even tried.

 

“Don't worry Naruto if anyone was giving me any trouble, you'd be the first person I'd tell.” She received a kilowatt smile that time.

 

“Actually, I was hoping you could help me with something…”

 

“Sure thing Sakura-chan, anything for my second favorite Kunoichi!”

 

“I was hoping you could recommend my name for ANBU testing.”

 

Naruto's eyes went as wide as his rather oversized fishcakes. Sakura couldn't tell if he looked alarmed or happy. Those two emotions always looked one in the same to her.

 

“Are you sure this is what you want?” She didn't quite like the way he had said that. Her anger flared to a small flame as her eyes narrowed.

 

“Why do you ask Naruto?” She could hear him gulp audibly. His hands quickly came up and waved in front of him as he sweat dropped.

 

“I-It's not that I think you c-can't do it S-Sakura-chan! It's just that our missions are always high risk and…well…I'd worry…even-though-I-know-you-can-take-care-of-your-self-of-course! 221;

 

Naruto already had his hands and arms covering his head while waiting for the incoming pain. After about a minute or so he peaked behind his arm to see her smiling at him in that warm weird way she reserved only for him. She ruffled his hair when he finally came out of his defensive pose.

 

“That's sweet Naruto really, but don't you think that's a little unfair seeing as how I already worry about you?” Naruto looked down at his sandals guiltily.

 

“I guess your right… Why do you want to join anyway? Is it because you miss working with me Sakura-chan! You know, you could have just said so instead of beating around the bush like that…! ” Her inner flame rekindled and rose to a mighty fire. She bopped him on the side of his head.

 

“No you baka!” She saw the hurtful look on his face as he rubbed his new tender spot. She sighed.

 

“Yes, of course I do, but that isn't why I want to do this. I'm just so tired of seeing masked faces coming through those doors. I want to be out there with you guys keeping you all from having to make that trip in the first place.” Naruto gave her a big smile.

 

“No problem Sakura-chan. You can count on me!”

 

“Thank you so much Naruto!” She latched onto the blonde ninja in a bone crushing hug. Naruto gasped and squirmed under her grip.

 

“S-Sakura-chan, a-air!” She quickly came out of her happy daze and promptly let him go.

 

“Oh, sorry about that…” Naruto waited for his breathing to regulate and the purple to fade from his face before replying.

 

“So, are you gonna ask Kakashi to be your other sponsor?” Naruto was smirking devilishly at her now. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

 

“And if I was?”

 

“He-he-he! You know, I don't think he'd actually believe that you'd have read the last chapter in the Icha-Icha book that's out! I don't think your gonna get him to cover his ears and close his eyes this time. You're gonna have to find another way to get a bell from the old geezer!”

 

Sakura's left eye twitched and then her right. She didn't know what disturbed her more, Naruto's thinking that she'd be reduced to using tricks and not her skills, calling their ex-sensei a geezer, or that he thought her being subjected to Kakashi's “bell hell” was funny. Either way he failed to dodge her preemptive strike. Naruto was left sitting with more than one new bruise to say the least.

 

“Speaking of baka-sensei, do you know if he's wandering around the village?” Naruto rubbed his chin in thought. Naruto actually trying to think always looked adorable to her and that was something she would take to the grave.

 

“Not sure, really. I know his squad was supposed to be back sometime this week, but I can't say that I've seen him around. Sorry, Sakura-chan.” Sakura's shoulders slumped and her smile fell slightly. She wanted to hurry up and put her name in incase there were other applicants; she had been told that there were only so many slots left for medic ninjas.

 

“Eh, it's no big deal. I'll just drop by his closet, oh I mean apartment afterwards. Oh hey, Kiba invited me out to the lounge for a drink tonight. Actually, Shino, Lee-san, and TenTen are supposed to be there too. Did you wanna go? Hinata is invited too of course.”

 

“Oh sorry, no can do Sakura-chan. I was going to try to get Ichigo to activate his Byakugan, never too young…” Sakura finished for him with a smile.

 

“…to start training. Hai! Hai! I get it.” With that they both got up from their stools and hugged good-bye.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

The location of Kakashi-sensei's one bedroom (closet) apartment never ceased to amaze her. As she neared the familiar yellow complex she marveled at how she could look across the street and see not just the Jounin HQ but also the big white building that was the Hospital. How the mysterious Copy Ninja was always late and refused to go to the damn hospital was beyond her.

 

As she took the first flight of stairs to apartment number 113 she thought of how she was going to ask him her question. She felt rather awkward coming here without Naruto yapping away beside her. The only time she had visited over the years had been because the man had seriously injured himself and this rarely happened to the all mighty Hatake Kakashi who's name graced the pages of the infamous bingo book.

 

As most students do with their teachers, she developed a certain closeness with the silver haired shinobi. He was more than just an instructor to her, but not quite so much a friend.

 

`I know what all my friends' faces look like and I sure as hell know more about them then just their name and that they like reading porn in public!'

 

She also couldn't shake off the fact that the few times that he had exchanged conversation with his team, it had been more with Naruto and Sasuke then with her. Well, men bonded easier with their own kind she guessed.

 

She never held it against him though. He had been there each time she had made Chuunin and even Jounin, just like he had for Naruto. He even took it upon himself to visit her that one time she had been hospitalized due to flu. Granted, she had been asleep and the nurse had been the one to tell her, but he had dropped by just the same. She had been utterly suprised to find out that the single daisy that sat on her nightstand had not come from Lee like she had first thought.

 

`He even gave me a chest to cry on that one time too…'

 

She held high respect for their ex-sensei and old team leader.

 

`Just because I have high respect for the man, doesn't make having to talk to him one on one any easier.'

 

Sakura found her fingers doing that weird tapping thing that Hinata used to do when she was shy around Naruto. Needless to say, she forced herself to stop. She tried to think what the old saying about dogs had been.

 

`Oh yeah, never let them smell your fear…Kakashi-sensei has a keen sense of smell and well, he summons dogs…I'm so screwed!'

 

It wasn't that she was afraid of the man. It was actually quite the opposite. She had always felt safe under his leadership even during the toughest of missions. No, she was afraid of his answer, not the man.She greatly respected him and so his opinion meant alot to her. If he told her she was ready then she would be ecstatic, but if he happened to laugh in her face it would hurt more than just her pride.

 

`I'd rather face the dreaded bell test than have him laugh at me.'

 

Her heart began to pound in her chest and her palms began to sweat as she neared the yellow door with the black numbers signifying that this was indeed his apartment. She stopped in front of the door and first tried to simply listen for signs of life behind it. She heard none.

 

With a shaking hand she tentatively knocked on it's surface. She waited and received no answer in return.

 

`I can shatter boulders and crack the ground with my fists, but I can't even knock on a stupid door!'

 

This time she banged on the door with a little more force than was necessary, but still there was no answer.

 

`He could be sleeping already, maybe he's in the shower or maybe he feels my familiar chakra… and is choosing to ignore me!'

 

Inner Sakura raised a shaking fist at that thought and she knocked a little harder then the last. Her fist left a long spidery crack in the wood this time. She hoped like hell that it was still in relative working order.

 

`Well, if he didn't hear that, he must be deaf, but seeing how I know for a fact that the baka isn't….' She recalled each time he seemed to catch those whispered colorful names she'd given him during those times they had trained together as team 7.

 

“Great. What now?”

 

She felt somewhat ashamed at the damage she had left behind as she made her way down the stairs, but then again she was kind of happy that she didn't have to face him either.

 

`Oh well, guess I can try again tomorrow.'

 

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

 

Author's Foot Note:

 

You never fall in love over night and especially not so easily with those who know how to push your buttons. Kakashi will be in the next chapter I can promise you that and a little bit of Genma's “octopus hands” as well.

 

Thank You for reading or at least scanning over!