Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

This was it. This was her chance to show everyone who she was. All she had to do was collect the largest bounty she’d ever seen right in her own town, and they would have to make her sheriff. Sure, Sakura made a better living as a bounty hunter, but she wanted to make a change. And nothing needed changing more than the never ending line of Saratobi running their town. 

She dismounted Katsuyu, and hitched her to a nearby tree. She’d never run off before, but gunfire could spook the most reliable of horses. “I won’t be long girl,” she promised. 

It was a short hike over the hill that gave Sakura time to recall every interaction she’d had with Hatake. Granted there hadn’t been many, but she’d always found him infuriating in a completely charming way that left her in stitches.  She’d been shocked when she saw the wanted poster. Hatake had been living quietly in Konoha for a few years, and while he rarely left his farm, he was genuinely well liked by most everyone. 

She could just make him out as the sun came over the horizon, he was already up, making his way to the barn. It might have seemed odd to most that he still had his bandana in place when he was alone, but to Sakura it seemed right, like a mask designed to keep his emotions a secret. But, if you were looking, they were still there, dancing in the corner of his eyes.

She was so lost in her own thoughts she tripped over a pug running toward the river. 

“Miss Sakura, is that you?” So much for the element of surprise. 

“Mr. Hatake,” she replied in what she hoped was both a serious and aloof manner. She doubted it was either. 

He sauntered over, sunlight gleaming behind him, somewhere in the back of her mind she heard herself yelling Danger! It’s too perfect . “Sorry, I tripped over your dog, he’s a rambunctious little thing.” 

Kakashi stopped in his tracks. There was no trace of the slouchy posture she’d come to expect, his every sense was alert as he scanned the area around them. “I don’t have a dog,” he muttered more to himself than to her. When he turned back to her the slouch was back. “So what brings you here?” Almost as an afterthought he added, “And where is your horse?”

“Funny story, I was in town yesterday, and I saw a wanted poster… Um, your wanted poster actually, Friend Killer Kakashi.” 

Deep down she wanted him to be shocked, but he didn’t even pretend to be. Instead he stood straight again, this time she saw what she hadn’t before. She’d seen that same intensity in her father enough times to know he’d been a soldier in a previous life. It seems Kakashi has more secrets than she’d ever imagined. 

“Sakura, where is Katsuyu?” Somehow the fact he’d dropped the “miss” was more off putting than the change in demeanor. 

“I left her on the trail, not far. About a ten minute walk. What’s wrong Kakashi?”

There was an edge to his “The Uchiha won’t be far behind you. You need to go.”

“You think you can just send me away? I’m here for your bounty. Now come with me and turn yourself in. I’m sure this can be worked out.”

His eyebrow twitched in annoyance, then he turned around and stomped off toward his house. Sakura waited only a moment before she took off after him. 

“Don’t walk away from me!”

He didn’t reply, but Sakura wasn’t deterred. Not even when he slammed the door in her face. She simply crawled through an open window. 

“I didn’t lock it,” Kakashi said, as she tumbled to the floor. 

Fixing him with her best withering glare, she snapped. “Then why bother shutting it?”

“The Uchihas will be here soon. You need to go.”

“What does this have to do with Sasuke?”

“It’s not Sasuke I’m worried about. Madara has been blaming me for Obito’s death for ye… Shit! They’re here.” 

Sakura didn’t have time to process any of that, or ask any questions. Kakashi pulled up some floorboards and rushed her under the house. There was only enough room to crawl, but Sakura moved as far back as she could to make room for Kakashi, who replaced the boards behind them. 

“What the hell is going on?” She hissed. 

He only shushed her, Seething, and unable to speak, Sakura began making a list of questions he was going to answer when this was over. She was just about sure she had them all when the door slammed open. There was just enough of a gap between the floorboards that Sakura could clearly see Itachi, followed by Shisui and Sakuke. 

Seeing such familiar faces looking so dangerous was more than unsettling. This wasn’t just anger. For the first time there was a genuine joy in Sasuke’s smile. Her mouth dropped open in disbelief, but Kakashi must have thought she was about to say something. His hand covered her mouth, and he pulled her into his chest. 

Sakura didn’t know what was louder, the boots striking the wooden floor above her or the pounding of Kakashi’s heart. She could feel the steady rhythm all the way to her toes, and it left her strangely lightheaded. 

Somewhere in the back of her mind Sakura heard Shisui giving orders, and the three of them went back outside to check the barns. 

The silence left after their exit seemed to stretch on forever. When Kakashi finally loosened his grip and Sakura pulled away, it felt like something important was lost. The haze of sweat and musk that was Kakashi was gone and a part of her longed for it. 

“Sorry about that, Miss Sakura,” he said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

“Oh, no it’s fine...  I mean it’s not fine.” Sakura stumbled, trying to clear her thoughts. “What the hell is going on?” 

“I served with Obito near the end of the war. No one wanted him to join. He wasn’t good enough to make it into the Military Academy, and was only a sergeant. 

“I was overjoyed when he was assigned to my unit, we’d been friends as far back as I can’t remember, and it was good to see someone who still looked at me as Kakashi.” The regret seemed to ooze from his every word.

Feeling like she was seeing more than Kakashi really wanted to share, Sakura turned around and snuggled up beside him. It took all her self control not to inhale the oddly familiar scent. 

Finally, he continued, “It was our third mission together. Our medic, Rin, was taken, and Obito and I went back to rescue her… No, that’s not true. Obito defied my orders and went after her, and I went after them both too late. 

“I still remember his lecture about what it meant to be a team. ‘Never cruel or cowardly,’ he yelled as he stomped out. 

“I was too late to save Obito. Madara was a colonel then, and he tried to have me court martialed. Said I allowed Rin to be taken so Obito would fall into a trap. At first I thought it was just pain speaking, but truthfully, they never cared about Obito.”

It all seemed too contrived to be true, and too ridiculous to be a lie. The timing even made sense. Sakura herself had recently attended the party for Madara’s promotion to General. His influence would explain the size of the bounty 

“Where will you go?”

“I haven’t gotten that far. I’ll probably have to leave Fire Country, I have some friends in Suna,” 

“I hear Suna’s nice this time of year. I should go with you.” 

“Absolutely not.”

“But you will look less suspicious if you’re traveling with someone.” 

“I can’t ask you to do that, it’s not safe.” Kakashi protested. 

Sakura’s tone was louder, and snappier, “I offered!” Kakashi shushed her again, a sound that only served to stoke her anger. 

“I think they’re leaving.” He muttered, hoping to change the subject.

“It could be a trap.” 

“Hmm.” Kakashi agreed, still not moving. “We’ll wait until it’s dark, then we’ll head out.” 

The “we” part of that sentence sent Sakura’s heart racing. He was going to let her come with him. They passed the morning with mindless conversion that slowly evolved into something deeper.

By midday, Sakura’s stomach was growling, and there wasn’t much she could do about it. 

“You should get some sleep, we’re going to be riding all night.” Kakashi suggested, pulling her into his side to act as a makeshift pillow.

When Sakura woke, the sun was just beginning to set, and Kakashi was nowhere to be seen. Cursing at her own stupidity Sakura pulled herself back into the cabin and darted out the door, determined to track him.

“Sakura!”

She stopped in her tracks, turning to see Sasuke standing there with his gun drawn.

“Where’s Hatake?” Sasuke had always been moody, but Sakura had never heard such distance in his voice.

“What happened to Obito wasn’t his fault.”

“Sweet naïve Sakura, did you really think this was about Obito?”

There wasn’t time to ponder the question before Sasuke pulled the trigger. 

Chapter Text

“What am I doing here?” Kakashi grumbled as Gai opened the back door of the studio and let him inside.

His friend only smiled broadly. “A true stroke of fortune, Ka-ks-shi.” The enunciation put Kakashi on edge. “Bachelor number two came down with the flu, and the backup didn’t answer. I need you to fill in. And who knows, maybe you’ll find romance, our Bachelorette is a rare gem today.” 

Kakashi didn’t believe any of it. Not the flu, or the backup, and he certainly didn’t believe he’d find romance from a series of ill contrived questions and vague innuendo, but he also couldn’t turn down Gai. 

Kakashi was hurried off to makeup and wardrobe by a stuffy producer screaming into a headset about last minute changes. After half an hour of trying to tame his hair with gel and spray the stylist seemed to consider him a lost cause. Going so far as to suggest a fedora. 

Kakashi was ready to storm out when Gai suddenly appeared behind him. “Now Ino, Kakashi’s hair is a part of who he is. Taming it would be like taming the sea. I’m going to steal him for wardrobe. Our bachelorette is heading this way now.”

Kakashi followed Gai behind another curtain, but it didn’t block out the shrill voice yelling at Ino about being roped into this. He started to ask Gai how often two substitutes were needed at the last minute, but decided against it.  If he and Ino were plotting, and he absolutely knew they were plotting, then any disappointment that came when the plots didn’t work was brought on themselves.

Things moved relatively quickly from there. He was herded off to a green room, where the other “bachelors” were already waiting. 

“Oh, you must be Number Two!” The first one greeted, shaking his hand. His orange blazer was just bright enough to be alarming and left Kakashi wondering why Ino had the gall to complain about him. “I’m Naru— Number Three. Sorry we aren’t supposed to use our names, Really there are so many rules here, I couldn’t even read them all.” Kakashi blinked at that, it had only been a page and a half, plus Number Three was still shaking his hand vigorously. 

Wrenching it free, Kakashi turned his attention to the other contestant. He was sprawled across the entire loveseat, His are slung over the back  “And I guess that makes you Number One?” 

He nodded curtly, his dark hair not moving, but his eyes remained locked on Kakashi, clearly attempting to stare him down. Kakashi almost felt bad for anyone who would take this so seriously. 

There was a noise in the hall and Number Three runs over to the door and cracks it open. 

“He’s been trying to see the bachelorette.” Number One explained. 

“Well yeah,” Number Three said, closing the door. “That wasn’t her. But don’t you wanna know? What if she’s… you know?”

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, but Number One had no problem finishing the thought. “Ugly.”

“Well yeah, I mean. I don’t wanna be surprised. What if I already know her? That would be weird.” 

“That doesn’t seem likely.” Kakashi hummed, more to himself than Number Three. He was saved the trouble of elaborating when the door pushed open, bumping Number Three. A small brown dog pushed through, 

Kakashi crouched down and held his hand out for the pouch to smell. Then he gave it a good scratch behind the long floppy ears. “Who’s a good boy?” he cooed. 

A tech came running in and scooped him up. “Sorry about that, Bisuke got away from me.” Kakashi felt strangely possessive and wanted to object, but stopped himself, not understanding why. 

The tech left, telling Bisuke what a “bad boy” he was and leaving Kakashi’s blood boiling just a bit. Fortunately, someone else came in right behind him and ushered the three contestants to the set.

They were all equipped with microphones before taking seats. The plush chairs had too many heart shaped pillows to make them comfortable, but the whole stage had too many hearts to make Kakashi comfortable. Even the wall that divided them from the bachelorette was a giant pastel purple heart. 

Gai jogged out in his trademark green suit covered in white hearts in various sizes and smiled at the studio audience. Which was nothing more than about thirty people, all crammed into the middle to make it seem full. “Welcome! To! The Daaaaaaaating Game!” he yelled over the applause. ”Today we’re going to see if we can find a love connection for one of our three handsome bachelors, but first let’s meet our lovely bachelorette.” 

There was another round of applause and some wolf whistles that made Number Three sit up a little taller.

Gai disappeared to the other side of the heart, where he welcomed the mystery woman. “Now tell us a little about yourself.” 

“I’m a surgeon in the first year of my residency.” She continued on passionately talking about her hectic schedule and demanding workload. Kakashi was more curious than he’d expected to be. He assumed all the participants were silly girls more worried about being pretty than anything else. Maybe this would be interesting after all.

“Well now that we’ve learned a little about you, it’s time to learn more about your potential connection. Go head with your first question.”

There was a moment of hesitation before she started speaking again. “Bachelor Number One, what's your idea of the perfect date?” 

Number One cleared his throat and grinned confidently. “A tour of my family’s estate, followed by a sunset picnic prepared by our chef.”

“So you still live at home?” Kakashi stilled as he felt every eye turn to him. Shit, he hasn’t meant to say that out loud. 

Gai looked positively scandalized, but covered it with his usual bravado. “I know you’re eager Number Two, but you need to wait your turn to woo our lovely bachelorette.

“Bachelor Number One, please continue.” 

“I was done.” he said, not a trace of annoyance. 

“How original.” The mystery woman deadpanned on the other side of the wall. 

Her lack of interest sparked Kakashi’s curiosity. That combined with the fact she didn’t want to be here either left him actually wanting to win. Gai did this on purpose.

“Bachelor Number Two, it seems like you think you’re funny. What else do you think you’re good at?”

The audience all gasped, while moving closer to the edge of their seats. Clearly this was what they were here for. 

“I wouldn’t call myself funny. More observant. You should always look underneath the underneath.” The next moments were filled with a stunned silence. “See I told you I wasn’t funny,” he added somewhat pathetically. 

The silence that followed was deafening, until there was a soft giggle from the other side of the divider, then Gai’s boisterous laughter filled the room. Like the puppets they were, the audience followed him, but the air continued to feel a little uneasy.

At least until the bachelorette followed. “That seems like good advice, Number Two. I’m going to remember it.

“Bachelor Number Three, what do you do for fun?”

“Oh, um, well.” Kakashi tried not to laugh as Number Three squirmed uncomfortably. “I like to dress up for…um fashion shows.”

Fashion? No one in an orange jumpsuit on television could possibly care about fashion.

“That sounds really fun. Are you a model?’

“No, I’m drag queen,” Number Three replied without an ounce of shame. 

“Then you must have some great dresses. I might pick you just to get my hands on your closet.”

There was another round of laughter and Gai made an announcement about commercials that Kakaskhi didn’t pay attention to. Suddenly the crew was running about, making adjustments and screaming to one another. Several people were fussing over the sofas and Kakashi felt completely in the way. 

“Should I stay or should I go?” He asked, but no one answered. 

The same tech who'd pulled Bisuke from the green room was climbing the scaffolding as someone yelled about a light bulb needing replacing. He’d just reached the top when a sharp snap drew all eyes to him. Kakashi pushed the other contestants off the stage a moment before the lighting crushed him. Somewhere far away he thought he heard the Bachelorette yell, “Kakashi,” before everything faded to nothing. 

Chapter Text

Ninjacon had been Naruto’s idea. It didn’t matter that both Sakura and Sasuke had said no. Naruto bought the tickets. 

Then he bought their cosplays. It didn’t matter that Sakura adamantly refused to dress up and Sasuke still insisted he wasn’t going. Naruto did it anyway. He would look silly as the Legendary Toad Sage if the Slug Princess wasn’t with them. And obviously only Sasuke could be the Snake Ninja. Eventually he wore them down. 

It was all so absurd that Sakrua knew Naruto had made it all up. That was until they arrived. Sakura couldn’t go more than two steps without some weeb running up wanting to take her picture. At first she thought it was just the sexy costume, but Naruto was getting just as much attention, and no one could call his Toad ninja look sexy.

It made for a long day, and Sakura was ready for some quiet time. Naruto had finally dragged Sasuke off to the rave, both of them would end up completely covered in body glitter that was probably going to be all over the sheets and tub, resulting in extra charges on Sakura’s credit card, but none of that mattered. 

She was finally alone. She slipped between the soft hotel sheets. Her last worry before she drifted off to sleep was that Naruto would be drunk and loud when he returned. 

An hour later Naruto was the least of her worries. It had been hard enough not to scream at the obviously unsupervised children running in the hallway, but there was no ignoring the fire alarm someone set off. 

The second time the hotel had to be evacuated Sakura wasn’t rushing, and took the time to throw on a hoodie and some real shoes. It was a good decision, the fire department wasn’t at all pleased and seemed content to leave them outside all night. 

Eventually the need to escape the cold outweighed her growing disdain for all things ninja and she slinked back into the convention center. She checked the app to see if there was anywhere she could kill time, and was surprised just how much was actually happening this late.There was a panel or party in every space. Raves, stripshows, and tabletop gaming were out, and she didn’t understand what most of the other options were. But then one caught her eye. 

Meet the Author: Icha Icha Unraveled
3:00 AM-4:00 AM
Reading and Q&A
Special Guest: Jiraiya

Sakura had no idea what Icha Icah was, and had never heard of Jiraiya, but she loved books. The panel didn’t start for another twenty minutes, but the line had already begun to form. Sakura took her place at the back, and distracted herself by scrolling through her phone. 

“What’s your favorite novel?” The words seemed to whisper across her neck, and the deep voice that uttered them sent a shiver down her spine.

“Huh?” Huh, was that really the best she could come up with? 

It wasn’t her fault the man who towered over her ran all rational thought from her head. Beneath the head of silver that seemed to defy gravity the lower half of his face was covered with a mask. A black cloth hid one eye leaving only a quarter of his face visible, but it didn’t hide an indescribable intensity and excitement in his gray eye that was almost enough to distract Sakura from the rest of him. 

Sakura owed Naruto an apology. Ninja were amazing. Especially if it meant hot guys were running around in tight leather pants, mesh shirts covered only with a dark blue crop top that ended just below his pecks. The crisscrossing fabric only accentuated his abs leaving Sakura speechless. 

He screamed danger. 

Her messy ponytail and comfy hoodie suddenly left her feeling… well, frumpy. Thankfully the mysterious stranger didn’t seem to notice her crisis, and instead only repeated his question. 

“Oh, I haven’t read them,” she admitted, unable to meet his eyes. 

“Interesting,” he hummed. Sakura didn’t get a chance to respond. The line was beginning to move, and someone at the front of the line was yelling to have an ID ready. Odd that she hadn’t needed one earlier, but Sakura pulled it out anyway.

It was until she was seated in the middle of the room that Sakura noticed she was one of less than half a dozen women in attendance. Her new friend with the abs took the seat beside her, even though she’d spaced herself a few rows away from the rest of the group. 

He seemed content to sit in silence, and Sakura let him, instead watching the parade of costumed people still filling in the empty seats. The last few through the door were who caught Sakura’s attention. Eight men all dressed as dogs, but with blue vests and headbands. They took the seats directly in front of Sakura, and her view was blocked by a very large bulldog with a spiked collar. 

“Ninken,” her new friend muttered in that same low delicious tone he’d used only a few minutes before. 

“What are ninken?” Sakura asked. 

Any answer he may have given was cut off by sudden applause as the panel took their places at the table. 

Jiraiya apparently didn’t need an introduction. He simply pulled out a vivid red novel with a giant warning label and started reading.

Junko’s tools were more than just kunai. They had to be. Her specialities were so much more than the average kunoichi. 

That was until she met him. Her whole life, every moment of her training was how to disconnect. But as Sanji pulled her close, his gaze burning through her. Junko forgot everything she’d ever known. 

She’d never needed anyone like she needed him in this moment. She core ached as her fingers got lost in his silky blond locks. “Please,” The word slipped from her lips like a prayer a moment before Sanji’s lips slanted over hers. 

Junko melted against him, even as he pulled the senbon from her hair, and dropped it to the ground. Her violet hair tumbled around her shoulders tickling the back of her neck and Sanji frantically tugged at the intricately tied obi.

It was all taking too long. She burned for his touch, the feel of him inside her. She needed him to feel complete. She tried to show that with every stroke of her tongue against his. 

Sakura jumped as her new friend leaned close. “This is from the upcoming fourth novel in the series. Junko has been the clan's seduction expert, but this installment promises she will find love for herself, but the cost could be her own life… Or that's the fan theory anyway.” 

Sakura hung on every word, her own pulse loud in her ears as Sanji drove Junko to the height of pleasure over and over again. Occasionally her companion would whisper his own thoughts into her ear, his low baritone adding to the scene Jiraiya had created. 

Junko awoke, still wrapped securely in his arms. The new day brought a clarity, and a sense of guilt she hadn’t acknowledged when she was lost in passion and pleasure. 

“I can hear you thinking,” Sanji muttered against her neck.

Junko rolled over to face him, and immediately wished she hadn’t. How could she leave when he was looking at her like that. So many men had desired her over the years, but this felt so different. “They’re going to come for me.”

“Us,” he corrected. 

“I can’t ask you—” Junko was silenced by a finger over her plump lips.

“You didn’t ask, and you don’t have to. You have my sword.”

Sakura tried not to scoff at the cheesy final lines and Jiraya set his novel down and began to answer questions. 

“Wanna go somewhere we can talk?”

After all that, talking was the farthest thing from her mind, but Sakura nodded in agreement, and tried not to swoon when he wrapped his larger hand around hers and led her from the room.

They walked through the convention center, hand in hand, talking about everything and nothing. Sakura learned her new friend, Kakashi, was also a student at KU, and was working on his MBA. She learned he’d started reading Icha Icha in his first semester as a way to escape the pressures of adjusting to university life, and had fallen in love with it. 

The conversation flowed naturally right up to the moment the elevator doors closed leaving them truly alone for the first time. Sakura pressed the 12, and then the 17 for Kakashi, and stood there silently, not ready for the night to end. 

It took until they reached the 4th floor for Sakura to gather the courage to ask for his phone number. She turned to ask him, but fell silent at the sight of his bare face. She’d known he was handsome, but she wasn’t prepared for the lopsided grin or the beauty mark. 

Then he was kissing her. Some part of Sakura wanted to scream this was a bad idea, after all she barely knew him. That part was silenced by every other atom that was calling out for more. She lost herself in the gentle stroke of his tongue and feel of his mesh undershirt beneath her finger. She tugged it free from his pants ready to finally feel those delicious abs for herself when the door dinged open, causing them to break apart. 

“Um, this is me,” Sakura panted, still trying to catch her breath.

“Can I walk you to your room?”

Naruto and Sasuke would love that. 

“Maybe I could come up with you?” Sakura asked, chewing her bottom lip. Kakashi’s only response was to reach for the “door closed” button, but Sakua stopped him. ”Let me just run by my room and I’ll be right up.” 

“1722.”

Sakura stepped out feeling extremely proud of herself. She’d certainly never done anything like this before. The logical answer was Jiraiya’s story, combined with a six month dry spell, but that didn’t seem quite honest, somehow it felt like she’d known Kakashi all her life. 

She quickly cleaned up, stole a couple condoms from Sasuke, and grabbed a phone charge before almost jogging back to the elevator. 

She impatiently pressed “up” enough times she was walking away to take the stairs when it finally arrived. 

When it began to rise, it jerked several times, then came to a stop. 

And the floor fell out from under her.

Chapter Text

An Aes Sedai can never lie, but the truth she tells you may not be the truth you think you hear . 

Kakashi was never sure if it was his father’s ghost whispering those words in his ear, or just a haunted memory. 

Neither option brought him comfort. He’d allowed Sakura to bond him as her Warder decades ago. She was his Aes Sadai, and he would protect her with his life. 

“I can feel you thinking,” Sakura muttered, stilling atop a log at their campsite as if it were a throne. 

“They're still out there.” It wasn’t a lie. The hounds had been staying just close enough to sense them, but not see them for days. “They don’t feel like dark friends, but they haven’t shown themselves either.”

He watched as her ageless face scrunched up in thought. Standing up, she straightened her yellow dress, and serpent ring, reminding him who she was. She always has been dramatic. “Come. We’ll be at the White Tower by the end of the week, and if we get moving soon, we might even get to bathe today. 

The promise of hot water to ease the aches and pains of riding was more than enough to get Kakashi moving. At his insistence they stayed on foot, leading their horses over the trail to help them avoid the roots and rocks that had taken it over from years of neglect. All roads may lead to the White Tower, but this one had been lost to nature long before Kakashi had been born. Again he wondered how Sakura knew about it, and why she’d dragged him so close to the blight. 

The questions remained unasked, like so many before. She was as skilled at dodging them as any of her sisters, and pushing would only make her shut him out all together. 

The bath she promised him didn’t come with an inn, as he’d hoped, But it did come with a deep enough cave to keep the late autumn winds at bay, and a natural hot spring that formed a pool for both of them to soak in comfortably. 

Sakura was already submerged, with her pink hair tied up to keep it dry. Kakashi slipped into the water across from her, hissing at the sudden change in temperature. “How did you know about this place?” 

“Hinata Sadai told me.”

A direct answer, how unusual. Maybe she was in a sharing mood. “Odd things for a brown to know, seems like something you would have learned from Ino or Tenten. Greens are always out of The Tower, but browns don’t get farther than the library.”

“It’s not for me to question the ways of the other ajah.” 

More answers that only led to questions. It was the way of the Ais Sedai, but it didn’t make it any less annoying.  Kakashi was sure Hinata found the cave on a map or in some hidden text, Sakura could have easily confirmed that. Maybe she wanted him to look deeper.

“Why did you choose yellow?”

She actually smirked this time. “One could say yellow chose me.”

“And why did you choose me?”

Sakura huffed, obviously growing tired of the line of questioning. “We’re bonded by more than our choices. Fate brought us together, Kakashi. You can see that, right?”

Kakashi was saved from answering by the sudden entrance of two dogs, a greyhound, and a brown one about the same size with a wolf-like snout and dark circles around his eyes that reminded Kakashi of glasses. Their presence was somewhat calming against the tension that hung in the air. 

They made themselves comfortable a few steps from the hot spring, facing the opening of the cave. It was rather odd behavior for dogs, but everything about this trip had been odd.

When Kakashi turned back to Sakura, her green eyes seemed to cut through him, reminding him she was still waiting for an answer. “You didn’t leave the tower for thirty years, and in all that time you never bonded any of the warriors who passed through.”

“Fate brought me to your village.” Her face softened, leaving Kakashi longing to reach out for her. 

Instead he deflected, “Ino brought you to my village.”

Sakura stood, now only waste high in the water, Kakashi felt all his resolve draining from him. It wasn’t as if this was the first time he’d seen her, far from it. He still looked away. She placed two fingers on each of his temples pouring her own energy into him, reviving his body in a way the hot water never could.

“She could have asked anyone. The healing that was needed after the fire didn’t require my skills. It was fate that compelled me to leave the safety of the tower, to come to Konoha, and it was fate that led me to you. You were the most grievously injured, but you were the last to accept my healing. Why was that?”

“You know why.”  All his life he’d been warned against the witches from the White Tower, but that changed the moment Sakura walked into his life. “And after all this time, do you finally see me the way I’ve always seen you?”

“My feelings remain unchanged.”

The truth she tells you may not be the truth you think you hear.

Low growls from the entrance brought both of their attention back to the dogs, who were now standing at attention, ready to attack.

“Trollocs,” Kakashi warned, jumping from the water and grabbing his sword.

Trollocs. Monsters created by the Dark One himself, but none had been seen outside the blight since he’d been sealed away. “What are they doing this close to the Tower?”

Kakashi didn’t bother to answer, he just followed the hounds, charging toward the entrance. His Ais Sedai was in danger. This was not the time to be worried about his own feelings.

Chapter Text

“Hey Forehead, you seeing this?”

Sakura pointedly ignored her radio, instead focusing her attention on the shoreline in front of her. Spring break was her least favorite time of the year. Nothing like a bunch of twenty-somethings who couldn’t hold their liquor to ruin a literal day at the beach.

Although, if Sakura were being honest with herself, the beach volleyball game that was starting up on the court between her lifeguard stand and Ino’s was much more interesting, not that she would dare tell Ino that. 

“Forehead!” Ino’s voice hit a new decibel that was almost impossible to ignore. “They’re right in front of you. The one in the bandana, he got a ring?”

Sighing, Sakura picked her radio up. “He’s like twenty, Ino.”

“So?”

“You’re thir—.”

“You can stop right there.” 

Knowing her friend was glaring daggers at her from across the beach, Sakura took another look. “No, I don’t see a ring.” 

No ring, just long dark hair, very tan skin, and not an ounce of body fat. 

Now that Sakura was getting a closer look, all of them were in excellent shape. Bandana’s partner was far more interesting. His silver hair seemed to glisten in the sun. His pale torso was a combination of scars and lean muscle that made him look… edible. 

“Hey Ino,” Naruto called through the radio, “The guy on the other side, he looks just like you. Do you go to the same barbershop?”

“Naruto, you’re an idiot.” Ino replied calmly. 

“Would you all shut up and keep this channel clear for official business,” Sasuke said, always the voice of reason. “And women don’t go to barbers, idiot.” Okay maybe not the voice of reason, but at least he’d shut Ino up for a few minutes.

Sakura smiled to herself as her eyes scanned the coastline again. Just beyond the break in the waves something kept popping in and out of the surf, causing her to grab her binoculars. A small brown head was struggling to stay above the water, it was going to get sucked into the undertow. 

The binoculars dropped to the deck as Sakura took off running down the ramp. She snatched the rescue buoy off the railing just before her feet hit the hot sand. 

All her senses were on alert. Over the din of the summer afternoon, she still heard a clear oops followed by a much clearer heads up just before a stray volleyball crossed her path. She easily jumped over it without breaking her stride, her eyes never leaving the struggling figure still fighting to keep its head above the breaking waves. 

She was knee deep in the surf when she dove into the water and began to swim against the tide. Reaching her victim, she snatched the dog out of the water and pulled him close. The swim back to shore always felt shorter when she knew her victim was safe. She emerged from the water, holding the shivering dog close to her chest. 

Naruto was waiting on the four-wheeler with Ino beside him. She took the dog from Sakura, swapping him for a towel. 

“How did you even see him?” Ino asked. 

Sakura hadn’t really thought about that. She had acted primarily on instinct, but now that the adrenaline rush had passed… “I just did.” 

“He’s got a tag,” Ino said, still looking the dog over. “Guruko, but there’s no contact, but a diamond on the back. Shape not rock”

“Weird no one is looking for him,” Sakura mused, looking at the tag herself. Her thumb swept across the raised lines of the diamond, made up of nine smaller diamonds. She was sure she’d never seen it before, but it felt achingly familiar.

She glanced up at the crowd of gawkers. Not one of them had come forward to claim Guruko. “Maybe he has a chip? You guys take office, and call Kiba and see if he can swing by. I’ll catch up later.” 

Ino nodded in agreement, then jumped onto the four wheeler behind Naruto.

Sakura watched them speed away, and if he hadn’t been a dog, she would have sworn Guruko was staring at her. He peaked around Ino with his long ears flapping in the wind. It was hard to turn away from the puppy dog eyes.

Shrugging it off, Sakura turned and made her way back to the lifeguard stand. Any urge to turn back to Guruko was silenced by the sight of the silver haired volleyball player leaning against the railing at the end of the ramp. His friends were nowhere in sight, but Sakura suspected they weren’t far away, probably waiting to laugh while he pretended to hit on an old woman.

Despite any misgivings that this was some kind of setup, she sped up to a light jog. 

“Is the dog okay?” 

Sakura was taken aback at the concern in his eyes. “I think so. Ino was going to call her fu— friend. He’s a vet.” What was wrong with her, why couldn’t she say fuckbuddy? 

“That’s good. I’m Kakashi by the way.” 

“Sakura,” she said, reaching up to push her hair behind her ear. The wet strands were a sudden reminder that she was standing in front of a much younger man, in a wet bathing suit. The urge to wrap herself in a towel was overwhelming.

So what if his smile was kind of lopsided and cute. That was no reason for her to act like she was twenty again. 

“Sorry about the stray volleyball, Genma, my friend, is an idiot and he spiked it when everyone else turned to see why you were running.”

“No worries,” Sakura laughed, leaning back onto the opposite rail. Despite her earlier caution, she was quickly finding herself comfortable with him. “It happens more often than you’d think. Are you here for spring break?”

“Yes,” he admitted, a little shyly, “We’re heading back tomorrow morning.” 

Taking the hint Sakura excused herself and returned to work.

“Hey, Sakura,” her radio crackled.

“Yeah, Sasuke?” 

“Did he ask you out?”

“Oh my god. You’re getting as bad as Ino. And we broke up years ago. What business is it of yours?”

“You’re both hopeless.”

Sakura stared at the walkie in disbelief. What right did Sasuke have to judge her? She was just about to give him a piece of her mind when the sky pulled itself apart leaving an oval shaped opening that looked like a peek into another world. Mountains lined the horizon of what looked like a country village. Right where the beach had just been. 

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them again, nothing had changed. 

Then Sasuke jumped into the opening, and Sakura felt herself being pulled off her feet. 

Chapter Text

The dogs were here again; all of them today. They didn’t even move at the sounds of Kakashi’s footsteps crushing the autumn leaves. Not that he expected anything different. The pack has been protecting the sakura tree for centuries, one generation after the next, evolving from wolves to dogs, but always a group of eight. Eight hounds to protect the one thing Kakashi couldn’t. 

He took his usual seat, his back slipping into the well worn spot in the trunk of the tree whose blossoms never fell to the ground. It was getting harder to stay awake, with each new sunrise he felt a little weaker. Funny that the God of War had nothing left to give to fight for himself. 

Sleep overtook him, plunging him back into the world of dreams. It was no relief. The dreams were always the same, a night of passion and a lifetime of regret. Even in death Sakura haunted him. The memory of his lips on her skin, the salty tinge of her sweat on his tongue. He would never forget a moment of it. 

Even before that, Sakura haunted his dreams. She’d been the most beautiful woman in her village. Strong, smart, and defiant. Kakashi had wanted her the moment he’d heard her prayer. 

A plea to Tenzou, God of the Harvest, for medicinal herbs to grow in all the seasons. A plea to protect the people of her village. Kakashi had watched from afar as Tenzou agreed, and in return Sakura had promised to remain pure. 

Kakashi couldn’t resist her. He tried, but he longed to speak with her. He only knew how to take life, but she saved it. He had no business seeking her out. Nonetheless, he did.

They were drawn to each other from the moment they met. Sparks of desperate longing filled the air around them, and it became easier to rationalize. 

The more they resisted, the more he had to have her. Until the day they’d finally given into the passion they’d been hiding away. Her vows broke away to the desire she couldn’t suppress any longer. 

They crashed into one another like thunder clouds. Two storms destined to become one.

Sated, they’d fallen asleep. Sakura secure in his arms. 

The sun was high in the air when Kakashi awoke with a start. Sakura was gone, and in her place a small tree bloomed with petals the same pink as her hair. 

He cried out in rage, but Tenzou didn’t answer. The wolves did. They cried with him, howls of anguish as deep as his own. The pack came to protect her. 

Eight hounds. Eight hounds to protect the one thing Kakashi couldn’t. 

“The portal’s back!” Pakkun barked, rousing the pack. 

“It doesn’t look as big as before,” Uhei added.

“It probably won’t last long. Can you see where it leads?”

“Looks like Training Ground Three,” Uhei replied. 

Pakkun snorted. Damn kids and the training grounds. For being such an obstinate brat, he sure was sentimental. “Bull, grab boss. We gotta go.”

“What about Sakura?” Shiba asked.

That was something Pakkun didn’t have an answer for. How were they going to carry a tree away? “Break off a branch.”

“Think that will work?” Shiba replied, already jumping into the petals. 

“Make it a big branch.” 

They crashed through the portal, tumbling onto the lush grass of Konoha. Eight ninken and two very confused shinobi

“What the fuck was that?” Kakashi asked, sitting up and rubbing his temples. Memories flooded her like a wave of shadow clones dispersing. Holding Sakura, kissing her, making lo—stop right there.

“Sasuke,” Pakkun said.

“Why?” Sakura asked, her face full of panic. Kakashi couldn’t help but wonder if she was reliving the same moments. 

“How should I know? I’m just glad you can hear us again.” 

This was too much. Kakashi needed time to think; he had to get this all straight in his mind. And he needed to be as far from Sakura as possible while he did that. “You guys take off, we can debrief later.” 

With a chorus of grateful yips and pops, the ninken disappeared. And then Sakura was alone. 

With Kakashi. 

“I’m gonna go too,” she stammered, rising to her feet. 

She felt like there was something else she should say, something she needed to say, but words failed her. With an awkward wave, Sakura ran off.

She didn’t stop until she reached her front door. She pushed it open, her head spinning so much she didn’t even notice it was unlocked. 

“Hello, Sakura.” When she didn't answer he continued, "Happy to see me?"

She was going to kill him. "Not if you were the last person on earth."

Chapter Text

 "Not if you were the last person on earth."

Sakura slammed the door behind her. She had some things to say, and the neighbors didn’t need to hear it. Not bothering to kick her shoes off, she stomped over to where he was laid back in her favorite chair, clearly making himself at home. It only pissed her off more. “What the fuck was that?!”

Sasuke wasn’t cowed, in fact his only reaction was a slightly raised eyebrow. “Language.” 

“You shot me.” 

He had the gall to smirk at her. “That part was just for fun.” 

Sakura didn’t even realize she’d slapped him until the crack rang out. She needed to calm down. It had been a very long time since she let her emotions react before her mind could catch up, but Sasuke didn’t need to know that. “ That was just for fun.”

A slight wince was his only reaction, but Sakura was sure he wanted to rub his jaw. By the bruising already starting to show, she’d probably broken it. Sighing, she set to healing him, not that he deserved it.

“Naruto’s tired of watching the two of you be miserable.”

Sakura was too tired for this. She wasn’t even sure what day it was, or how long they’d been gone. Come to think of it, she probably should have checked in with Naruto. He probably had ANBU teams looking for them. “Fine, I’ll take it up with him.” 

Grabbing her arm to keep her from storming out, He clarified. “I didn’t say it was his idea. He just kept talking about how ‘you spend all your time with Kakashi’ and how “if he could see it, anyone could’.”

“Sasuke, I’m tired, I’m gross, and I want a shower. Please explain to me why abusing your rinnegan, and ripping reality apart is supposed to make me see anything.”

Kakashi heard the tell-tale pop of Pakkun’s appearance from his shower. His very cold shower. He was tempted to just stay hidden under the spray, but that had never stopped Pakkun before. Grudgingly, he accepted his fate, and went to join the pug who was already curled up in his favorite spot on the couch. 

Kakashi took his spot on the opposite end, relaxing back into the worn cushions. “Report.” Any attempt at authority or routine was lost to Kakashi absentmindedly scratching behind Pakkun’s ears. 

“The Uchiha brat showed up in the middle of our training exercise and used his eye to open a portal to another dimension. We dove through after you.”

“Why?” 

“To help you?” Pakkun deadpanned.

“No, why the portal? What was Sasuke thinking?”

Pakkun snorted, spreading drool and snot on Kakashi’s couch. “Don’t ask me to understand how you humans think. I’ve been trying to figure out how you pee since the world where I was turned human.”

This was quickly veering off track. “Is there a point to this visit?” 

“Yes.” Pakkun said, standing up on all fours to make eye contact with Kakashi. “I don’t know what the brat was thinking, but it didn’t seem like he was trying to hurt you.”

“We died! I was ripped apart by monsters.”

“Fine. He wasn’t trying to hurt you permanently. It seemed more like he was trying to show you something.”

The kunai flew from Sakura’s fingers before she was fully awake. “Damn it, Sasuke.”

“Were you expecting someone else?” 

As her eyes began to adjust to the low light, Kakashi came into focus. “What are you doing in my house?” While it sounded accusing, there was far less bite than when she thought it was Sasuke. 

After she’d thrown him out to tell Naruto where they’d all been, she’d taken a shower and laid down for a nap that had lasted well into the night, judging by the darkness outside her window. 

Kakashi hadn’t moved farther into her room, instead staying near the window, probably in case he needed to dodge more projectiles. “I wanted to check on you. That was…” 

“Weird?” Sakura offered as he trailed off, sitting up fully on her bed. 

“Yeah, weird.” He stumbled over the word, and Sakura was sure there was something else he needed to say, so she waited, letting the silence hang heavy between them. “It’s just, I don’t know.” 

Rising to her feet, Sakura encouraged him to continue. “Tell me.”

“The memories feel so real, and it’s hard to tell myself they didn’t really happen.” 

“I think they did,” She said, rising to her feet and approaching him. “We went on a dating game. We fought monsters.” She took his hand, intertwining their fingers together, never breaking eye contact. “And we fell for each other.”

The thumping of her heart seemed so loud in the silence that followed. She could see his mind racing behind eyes wide with shock. And just when she thought she’d said too much, his free hand reached up to cup her face. “I think we fell for each other a long time ago. I’ve just been too scared to admit it.”

“And now?”

“I’m fucking terrified, but now that I’ve seen just a glimpse of what it is like to be with you, I don’t want to go back.”

She didn’t even see him pull the mask down, it was just his lips on hers, Soft, firm lips, just begging to be nibbled on. As quickly as it started, he pulled away. 

“We should probably talk about this some more.” He said, motioning between them.

“We can talk in the morning,” she said, taking him by both hands and pulling him away from the window, and closer to her bed. “I’ve got something else in mind for tonight.”