#sakura and kakashi were asking normal questions and he was annoyed as shit

[faerociousbeast]

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[depressedkakashihatake-fics]

Fond Memories

Hatake Kakashi (No Ship)

1563 Words

For: @caffeinatedshinobi

Spending his night out with friends was a rare occurrence, one that was meant to be treasured and remembered fondly on a bad day, or during the last precious moments of life.

Instead, Kakashi was trying to get drunk, and fast.

“Whoa slow down,” Gai’s hand came down over his glass, preventing him from shooting back his third cup of sake. “What is the rush, Rival? We’re supposed to be relaxing.”

“I don’t think ‘relaxing’ is a word that exists in Kakashi’s vocabulary,” Glaring over at Asuma, he huffs when his friend simply responds with a playful smile. “You know it’s true. Your idea of ‘relaxing’ is reading that book of yours.”

“That is relaxing for me,” He grumbled, though it was sort of a lie. Most days he just read his book because it was easy to do. It didn’t involve a lot of energy, no emotional investment since he knew what was going to happen, and it kept his mind occupied. “Fine, let’s do something ‘relaxing’ then. What’s relaxing?”

He looks to Kurenai for an answer. There’s no way he trusts whatever idea comes out of Asuma’s mouth, and he’s pretty sure Gai doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘relaxing’. The only time he relaxes at all is when he has a stick of dango in his hand.

Taking the hint, Kurenai leaned back in her chair and took a moment to think about the request. After a few minutes a small smile started to pull at the corner of her lips, meaning she had come up with an idea.

“Let’s share memories,” she leaned forward, her smile so big it could almost rival Gai’s regular toothy grin. “Talk about our favorite memory with our team. How about it?”

That didn’t sound nearly as exciting as she made it seem.

“Does anyone even have a favorite memory?” He asked, relaxing into his chair and watching as everyone turned to look at him. “What?”

“Surely you have a favorite memory of the time you have spent with your team, Rival,” There’s a worried look on Gai’s face.”A time when you looked at your students and couldn’t help but smile, or feel like everything was perfect for just a few minutes.”

Bold of Gai to assume he liked his students.

“Even if you aren't particularly fond of your students,” Good old reliable Asuma. He always seemed to know what was on Kakashi’s mind in moments like this, and he held no judgement unlike a certain Taijutsu expert currently gasping in disbelief. “There must be one moment where you looked at them and thought ‘huh, they’re not so bad’”

Not so bad?

That was possible, though he’d have to think about it to remember such a scenario since most of his memories with Team Seven involved endless headaches. Naruto being a constant pain in his ass, Sasuke being...well, Sasuke. Sakura was in there somewhere too but she didn’t stick out as much.

It was a downfall of not being a complete monster, but he appreciated that there was at least one normal person on his team. It was also a result of being the smartest out of the three, so he didn’t have to worry so much about her doing incredibly stupid shit.

He’d have to think really hard to come up with a fond memory that didn’t involve contemplated murder.

“Oh no, he’s making the thinking face.” Asuma’s voice cut through his thoughts, followed by Kurenai’s laughter and the distant sound of Gai asking him if he was alright.

He ignored it all, determined to find just one fond memory with his team of gremlins.

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Ichiraku Ramen

Not his favorite place to eat out at, but these days it was the one he saw the inside of the most. All thanks to one orange clad genin currently in the middle of screaming about how he’s going to be Hokage one day.

Quite the dream to have, for a kid who can’t keep his trap shut on a mission.

“You don’t believe me?” Taking his chopsticks, Naruto poked Sasuke in the nose. “It’s true. I’m going to be Hokage and i’m going to prove to the whole village that i’m the strongest there is.” 

“You might want to focus on learning how to throw a kunai properly first,” Sasuke swatted the chopsticks away from his face. “besides, what are you going to even do as Hokage? Make it a law that everyone has to eat at Ichiraku Ramen every day?”

He didn’t need to hear Naruto’s enthusiastic ‘yes’ to feel sick to his stomach. He was already eating more Ramen than he could handle. How Naruto survived on the stuff every day was beyond him. 

“I think the most important thing you’re forgetting here is that a Hokage should be a good leader,” Sakura spoke up. “How can you be a good leader when you can’t even get along with your own teammates?”

Point for Sakura, again.

So far she was winning in his ‘who gets to be my favorite’ competition.

Not that it was hard with teammates like hers.

“I can learn,” Naruto protested. “Besides, we have the best Sensei out of all of them! We’ll be the strongest in the village, all three of us.”

He can’t tell if Naruto is just being nice, or if he actually believed what he’s saying. If it’s the second one he has to question Naruto’s logic in calling HIM the best sensei in the village.

That title clearly went to Gai, but it might help that his students were less determined to put him in an early grave.

and that he had actually wanted to be a Sensei, unlike Kakashi.

“You’re not wrong there,” Sakura beamed. “Kakashi-Sensei’s far from perfect…” rude. “but he’s an amazing Sensei. Don’t you agree Sasuke-kun?”

Ok, he could forgive the rudeness for that one.

Turning his eyes towards Sasuke, he waited for a response to Sakura’s question. A smile pulled at his lips when he saw the Uchiha glaring over at him.

“He’s not terrible,” Sasuke admitted in a hushed tone. “I’ve learned from worse.”

It wasn’t the best compliment, but he was willing to take it.

“Hey, Sensei,” Naruto nudged him in the side. “You like teaching us, right? Showing us how to be the best shinobi in the village.”

How had he ended up with Minato-sensei 2.0 staring up at him with bright blue eyes and a smile that could melt any heart

Well, any heart that wasn’t his.

His heart and soul thrived off of being the guy that showed affection through insults and jabs. Probably not the best trait to have when one is a Jonin-sensei.

“Of course i like teaching you,” he turned his attention to the bowl of still untouched Ramen sitting in front of him. “There’s no other students dumb enough to get hit with the ‘thousand years of death’ twice.” 

No, he was not going to let Naruto live it down after he had successfully used his father’s goofy old attack on the kid again during training today.

“S-sensei…” Naruto’s head hit the counter, his voice full of shame and defeat.

Good.

He was getting too comfortable. Too chummy.

“Best Sensei maybe,” Sasuke grumbled beside them “biggest ass hole for sure.”

Well, at least they were starting to understand him. They couldn’t fully appreciate his personality if they thought he was just socially awkward. They needed to accept that their sensei was a bully just as much as they were.

It’s what made them all a perfect team, even if he did want to murder them all most days.

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Smiling to himself, Kakashi turned his attention back over to Kurenai, who began to look very concerned as soon as he did.

“D-is everything ok?” She asked cautiously. “Did you come out of your thoughts in one piece.”

His friends were just as much ass holes as he was, and he loved them for it. 

“I thought of a fond memory,” he informed her, laughing to himself as he thought back to it once again. “I guess i do have one of those.”

Gai’s hand came down on his shoulder hard, shoving him forward suddenly and forcing him to reach out and grab hold of the table for support.

“That’s great, Rival!” Gai’s voice boomed in his ear. “Tell us! What is this fond memory of your team you found?”

“Mmmm, i don’t think I will,” there’s a sense of pride that bubbles up inside of him when all three of his friends slam their hands down on the table in protest. “It’s my memory to enjoy all on my own.” 

“You can’t just…” Asuma’s words devolve into a string of nonsense while Gai starts screaming about ‘youthful passion’ and ‘rivalry’. Meanwhile, Kurenai just leans back into her chair with a groan and closes her eyes, clearly done with the entire situation.

This.

This was relaxing for him.

Annoying all of his friends with little to no effort and watching them react with a variety of different emotions.

This is why he hung out with them.

Because they made his life interesting, and they never got so used to his trolling horrible ways (As Asuma liked to refer to it) that they stopped reacting.

This is what he loved about these three and he never wanted it to change.

[bloominroses101]

Forbidden

Kakashi x reader part 1

"Oy, f/n! " That all too familiar voice is calling you.... Again. It was Naruto. For weeks now he's been begging you for advice on how he could win Sakura from Sasuke. After all if anyone would know, it would be you. You've been Sakura's best friend since you were kids.

"Ya?" You reply "this game is starting to feel a little old" You think to yourself as Naruto runs up behind you. "Look if this is about Sakura again I've already told you everything I kno-"

"For once it's actually not about that. "

"Ok, go on."

" Well, I was wondering if after we get back if you could work with me on a new technique I'm trying to learn?"

"Sure." You reply with half a laugh. Sure he is annoying sometimes, but you actually never minded hanging out with Naruto. Contrary to popular opinion, you thought he was a pretty cool guy.

"Oy, listen up." Ordered Kakashi sensai as he stopped in the middle of the road. You and your squad were on your way back from a mission in a neighbouring village. You were all veryvery tired and just wanted to get home asap. You and the others were wondering what he could possibly have to talk about. If you did something wrong, he would tell you at home. "It's getting late and it's still half a day's walk to the village, so there's a place about a mile down the road where we'll stay tonight. Any questions? No?" He resumes walking. You almost wish you could have thought of a question just so he'd have to keep talking. You always loved listening to your sensai's voice, but he never talked to you much and when he did, you've always started the conversation (unless he had something to tell you to do). However, you were also glad he decided we'd stop for the night. As much as you wanted to get home, you were exhausted from the day's mission.

It's just barely after dark and you all have finally reached the inn. You, Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto run to get settled in the room while Kakashi checks in. There were no beds, only three, large blankets, so everyone laid theirmats down on the floor and divided the blankets. You were on the opposite side of the room from Sasuke and Sakura. Naruto was in the middle of the floor. You left quite a bit of space between you and him. Normally Sakura would sleep next to you, but you weren't surprised at all that this time was different. Who knows when she'd have another chance to sleep next to Sasuke. You chuckle at the thought of it. After you were all settled, Kakashi enters the room. You felt bad that he had last pick. You knew out of everyone he deserved first choice, but thankfully there was still plenty of space he could have to himself. To your great surprise, he lays his mat down between you and Naruto... right next to you. He sits downleaning against the wall, sets his lamp down next to him and pulls out his book. Trying to get comfortable(and also to hide the blush on your face) you turn on your side with your back to him. You could tell the others were already asleep, but Kakashi's lamp seamed very bright to you and was keeping you awake.

"Kakashi sensai, if you don't mind, could you dim your lamp a little?" You ask after a while. You knew he had a habit of reading for at least an hour before bed and you did not want to stay up that long. With relief, the light dims and you close your eyes. "Now, hopefully I'll fall asleep before he's finished." You think to yourself. However, after he dims the light, he puts his book down and crawls under the blanket. "Is he done already? It's only been about five minutes." You hold your breathe trying not to give away how you feel about him being five inches away from you. "Just go to sleep, just go to sleep." You tell yourself, but your mind is racing and you feel your blood begin to boil. You hope he can't tell what's going on inside you. Suddenly, you feel a firm hand grasp your arm. As Kakashi turns toward you, you feel him scoot close behind you. You freeze and your breath stops.

"What's going on? No. He can't possibly......." You think to yourself. Now his chin is over your shoulder.

"You know I want you, fn." He whispers. Your face turns bright red. "And I KNOW you want me." You can feel his hot breath on your neck and you know he has his mask off, but you don't dare move. "I also know you try to hide it, but you should know by now you can't hide anything from me." It was true. You have loved Kakashi since your first mission with him and your squad a year and a half ago. You have tried to hide it ever since. Not only did you think he'd never fall for someone like you, but even if he did, that kind of relationship is forbidden and if you were caught.....you would die and more importantly, he would die.

"Look at me." He orders. Somehow you manage to turn your head to obey. The moment you do, your lips are met with his. Your in shock. You never thought this possible. Then, reality sets in as he continues to kiss you. You open up to let him in. He gently pulls your arm so that you're now on your back, then reaches over to grasp your other arm. He pulls away briefly for breath as a single tear of joy makes it's way down your cheek. He smiles, rubs it away with his thumb, and begins to kiss your neck. You've never been kissed before, and he knows it. He continues to explore your neck. You never knew how pleasurable this would be. Then suddenly he hits a spot that triggers an enhanced feeling which makes you flinch a little due to the excitement. You feel him smile briefly. He digs a little deeper and you uncontrollably let out a little moan. You didn't know why, just that you liked it. He was clearly satisfied with the noise you made. You never knew how strongly this kind of thing would make you feel. He then began to move back up your jawline until he reconnects with your lips. You feel his hand move from your arm, under your shirt, to your waste.... caressing your side and back as he continues to kiss you. Your shirt lifts halfway up due to the movement. You turn to face him as he pulls you closer so that there's no longer any space left between you. With his other hand he reaches through to hold the back of your neck as he deepens his kiss. He pulls away and stares down at you. This is the first time you've actually seen his full face. "Oh my gosh" you think to yourself "I always imagined he was cute, but this man is..." Your thoughts are interrupted by another kiss. You could tell he simply wanted to know what you were thinking....and he got his answer from the look in your eyes. You know he knows what you were thinking. As he feels your back, he pulls you even tighter to him for a brief moment before he releases you. You gently role onto your back, but with his arm still around you. He stares at you intently in another attempt to read your thoughts, now that you have once again made eye contact. He smiles as you simply stare back at him with the same look of desire and love that he has. He gives you one last peck on the lips and puts his other arm around you as you scoot over to rest your head on his shoulder.

"Kakashi?"

"F/n" he replies. You pause for a moment.

"I love you....but ...how is this going to work? I mean....we could never actually be together in-"

"Sshhhhhh......" He whispers in your ear. "Who has to know?" Not content with his answer, but not willing to go on, you submit and decide to simply enjoy the moment..... enjoy the satisfaction that he at least likes you back...enjoy it just for tonight at least. You tilt your head up to kiss his chin as he caresses your arm. You sink in and allow yourself to rest in his embrace. You wish it would never end and the thought of tomorrow begins to haunt you. You knew it would come all to soon and then you would have no choice but to go back to hiding your feelings. However, he can sense you beginning to worry.

"Don't think about that. It'll be alright." He comforts. "Just live in the present." He kisses your forehead. "Tommorow will always have it's own sorrows...but it's own joys as well.....just like today." You close your eyes and let his words sink in.

"I love you." You whisper.

"I know. I love you too." He replies.

"Oy. F/n." A quiet voice arouses you from your sleep. "F/n." You wake in the same position you were while your sensei was reading last night. On your side, facing the wall. You begin to stir. "Was it all a dream?" You think to yourself.

"F/n!" You quickly sit up somewhat startled to see Kakashi standing by your feet, staring down at you.....mask on and already dressed. He looked somewhat annoyed that he had to wake you. Definitely not the kind of looks you thought he was giving you last night. You look around. It's only you and him in the room.

"Where are the others?" You ask.

"Outside checking their equipment as you should be doing." He said without a hint of affection.

"Aye sensei." You reply as you rise to your feet. He turns and walks away. "Maybe it was a dream after all." You think to yourself. "With no one else around, there would be no reason for him to be so cold to me." You get dressed and take a look in the mirror. "Well, at least there were no marks left, if last night was Indeed real."

"Oy! F/n! Are you ready yet?" Kakashi reappears in the room.

"Aye, sensai!" You reply. You can't take it. You must know if last night was real or just your imagination. You work up your courage and begin to reach towards him slightly.

"What do you think you're doing?" He demands. Shit. It was definitely a dream.

"Uh- nothing." You turn around towards the door and start walking.... completely embarrassed. You stop. Kakashi is leaning right behind you against your back.... His arms around you and his chin once more over your shoulder.

"Don't you know it's MY job to make the first move?" He pulls down his mask, kisses the side of your neck one last time, pulls his mask up, and walks to the door. You don't move.

"Are you coming?"

"Aye, sensai!" You reply with a smile on your face. You exit the room right after him and get back on the road......Kakashis up front as usual.

"Eh. F/n?"

"Ya, Naruto?"

"What took you and sensai so long back there?"

"Oh, heh! It was my fault I thought it would be the best time to check if it was ok about me helping you with that new technique. Don't want to get into trouble you know."

"Oh, ya, that makes sense. We are almost home and I want to start right away. But the FIRST thing I want to do is..... Get some RAMEN!!!"

"Haha! Of course!" You reply "He doesn't have a clue" You think to yourself. You let out a smile at the thought. Last night was by far the best night of your life.

[murdered-with-daisies]

Understanding The Small Things

A/N: I know I haven’t updated anything in awhile, I’m really sorry guys, I’ve been super busy and my computer took a shit in June and I haven’t been able to recover anything from it or get a new one. This is my first time on a laptop since June :o But here’s a KakaSaku one shot I wrote earlier today, hope you guys like it :)

Pairing: KakaSaku

Words: 1,615

Summary: There were alot of things Kakashi didn't understand after the war. His former students were just one of the many things on that list. 

My Fanfics      Ao3.net        FF.net    

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         Kakashi stood under the awning, the green tiles of the roof hard under his feet. The rain poured above him, the clouds opening up like heaven might fall through at any minute. If there even was a Heaven. He was unsure, he knew there was someplace else, but of Heaven he wasn't sure.

         Is that where Rin had gone? He'd like to think so. And Obito... He wasn't so sure. Obito had come back during the war, had worked along side him again. It was an odd feeling, having him back and now that he was gone again there was a ache in his chest, it had been there since the first time he had died. But where the ache was once a heavy memory, now it was all light and breezes and soft winds. He carried it with him still, of course he would, but it was different. He still went to their graves, he still left flowers and tears and memories and parts of himself there at the cold stones. They weren't there, he knew that too, but it helped to think they were, to fool himself into thinking they were listening to him.         Kakashi ran a hand through his silver hair, even in the rain it defied gravity, sticking every which way. He had gotten his hair from his father, he had gotten everything from his father, if he were being honest, and Kakashi was nothing but an honest man. Atleast to himself. He sighed as he stepped out into the downpour, it soaked him through in seconds and the clouds just seemed to get darker, sensing his fastly decaying mood.         He had a meeting, a very important meeting. Kakashi skipped the streets, keeping to the rooftops as he dashed towards the hospital. He was late, he knew that too. But she would be expecting that.         As he reached the hospital he jumped through a window, open for him solely, and landed swiftly in her office. And there she was, his former student, studious with her head above a stack of too many papers. She looked up, seeing he had finally arrived. She rolled her eyes- an hour late, she thought.        Her office- a small converted supply closet really- was dark, save for a single desk lamp she had shoved in the corner. It illuminated little, just enough for her to see the work she was doing. Kakashi watched as she stood up and smiled at him, switching the light off. Her smile was kind and pretty, not expectant though. She never asked for more than he was willing to give, and today she could tell a smile might not be one of them.         She removed her long doctor's coat to reveal a mint sweatshirt, heavy enough for the cold spurt they had been experiencing, and crisp white pants. She was effortlessly pretty, all spring and air and absolutely nothing like the weather Konoha was currently stuck with. "Come on, lets go meet the boys before Naruto starts yelling. We're already late enough," she teased him as she passed him, grabbing an umbrella from next to the door. "Looks like you could have used this more than I did!" His clothes were soggy still, but it didn't bother him much. They'd dry eventually, he shrugged at her as they made their way out of the building.         They walked quietly through the streets, dodging puddles as they went. It was an easy silence. It was always easy with Sakura, Kakashi thought. Her presence next to him eased the ache in him. He had failed her as a teacher, failed her as a comrade, dumped her on another teacher, but yet here she was. Still smiling and welcoming as always. He wondered if it bothered her, how inept he had been. It probably did, but she didn't voice it to him. They all had their secrets and maybe that was her's. Who was Kakashi to pry? It was one of the many things he didn't understand.          As they reached the ramen shop they could already hear Naruto, one fourth of their old team, yelling at what was probably the second member of their team. He was always loud and boisterous; a complete 180 switch from Sasuke, the moody brooding boy who had grown into a moody brooding man. Kakashi and Sakura entered, smiling at the boys. "Sakura! Kakashi! Finally you made it! I thought you died or something!" He excitedly waved at them.         Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Dobe over here already ate half the restaurant's ramen, if you had waited longer there wouldn't be anymore for anyone else." He crossed his arms in his stool. Sakura sat next to him, and kakashi next to her. Sometimes it baffled him how normal it seemed. How not even a year ago they were fighting eachother to the death, destroying the village and then saving it, and now of all things they were eating together. Sure they still fought but Sakura was the referee for their spats, one they learned quickly to accept or face her powerful fists.        Their dinner lasted longer than Kakashi had liked, he stayed silent for most of it, taking in the sheer realness of the situation. Sasuke was all black and white and red; his personality, his appearance, and his actions. He was bred on order, precision, and power; through the years he had still harbored those habbits. Naruto was yellows and orange, his whole being was open and he said everything he thought, sometimes to a fault. If Sasuke was Lightning, then Naruto was the thunder. And then there was Sakura, she was all pinks and greens, from her hair to her eyes, to her lips and her clothes. She was their Earth, kept them all grounded, quick thinking and powerful, like mother nature. And then there was Kakashi. He didn't know where he had fit into everything, even now. He knew he was important to them, but where he stood in their dynamic he wasn't sure. The three nin were a world of their own, one he wasn't sure he would ever penetrate. He wasn't sure if there was a person alive who could.          As if sensing his quietness, Sakura looked at him, her eyes looking at him with worry and understanding. She angled her head towards the exit, a movement so small he almost thought he missed it. But he didn't, he returned her unasked question with a nod. The two younger boys didn't even notice, being too involved in a spat at their end of the counter.          Sakura stood up and stretched, her arms above her head and yawned, "Well, its been fun, but I've got work in the morning, I really should be heading out." She told the boys then turned to the masked ninja, "Kakashi, walk me home? You're on the way, I'll share my umbrella with you." Kakashi nodded while Naruto began a protest. Sasuke just grunted and elbowed him, the two would be there long into the night most likely. As much as Naruto annoyed the boy, he still appreciated his company, and it prevented him from going back to his dark, old home, still in the Uchiha compound. For that he was thankful.           Kakashi was grateful for the diversion and the excuse. She was always doing that; making excuses for him. He wondered why, he did nothing to deserve her help. They walked under her pink umbrella. He held it above the two of them. It had grown quiet on the streets, rain still fell, but little by little it was slowing and the clouds were leaving to reveal a rich navy night. He was greatful. To the weather and to the girl walking next to him. His home wasn't on the way to her's. They all knew that, but no one had called her out on it, they simply let her lie.          They neared her home, her red door moved ever closer to the pair of ninja. Kakashi stopped as they arrived to her apartment. "Thank you." He didn't have to say for what, she already knew. She was good at that too.          She smiled softly at him, "Youre welcome, Kakashi-sensei." She still used that too.          "You make me feel like an old man, Sakura, I'm not your teacher anymore." He told her, one hand still holding her umbrella, the other in his pocket. He had perfected the art of aloofness long ago.          She shrugged, "I know, its just so fun to tease you though." She turned to unlock her door.           He sighed at her attitude. She turned back around and smiled, "Hey Kakashi, come her, I want to tell you a secret." Her emerald eyes sparkled, he leaned his ear closer, hunching his back to lean to her level; she was a full head shorter than he was. Instead of telling him a secret she lightly placed a kiss on his masked cheek and pulled back. "Goodnight, Kakashi." Before he could say anything, she was already in her home, closing the door behind her. He doesn't know how long he stood there, outside her door, holding that umbrella above himself, but he thinks it may have been a moment too long.          Under his mask he smiled, a real smile for the first time that rainy day, and suddenly, the world was just a little brighter. He was a little confounded by the sudden cheek kiss, but he didn't mind it in the least. It looks like he had one more thing to add to his list of things he didn't understand. Sakura was quickly rising on it though, if he were being honest.          And Kakashi was nothing if not an honest man.

A/N: Let me know what you guys think :) Hope you liked it :)

[loxoanimelover]

Market Meet Up

She thought it was going to be just one of those days where she just goes to work and get off when its time. Just one day she wanted a normal and calm day at work with everything running smoothly and her coworkers actually doing their job. But sometimes she forgets who she’s working for and who she’s working with. Oh, who was she kidding she could never forget who she was working with. They spend almost every waking hour with each other from school, to work and even on the weekends if he wasn’t out with his friends cause, you know, they are cousins.

But once, just for once, on a calm Wednesday afternoon in the small market she worked at, she wanted the hours to go by smoothly and quiet so she could be able to study and not be annoyed when a customer needed her help. But someone had another plan.

As soon as the music started she could feel her anger slowly rise at the familiar beat and tune of the song. She ignored the giggle beside her and the sound of fabric rubbing against each other of her cousin jacket as he did the stupid dance that went along with the song. But as soon as the first verse of the song began she felt the small twitch in her face and the on coming headache especially when her cousin started singing along with the song.

“Li'l Kodak they don’t like to see you winnin’ they wanna see you in the penitentiary.”

She sighed.

“I need me a li'l baby who gon’ listen girl I don’t wanna be the one you iggin’.”

“NARUTO! TURN THAT SHIT OFF!”

Startled by his cousin Naruto jumped to turn the music off only to accidentally change the music to something else.

“Oshiete yo shiete yo sono shikumi wo-”

Karin shook her head as she turned to look at her cousin who laughed with a sheepish smile apologizing. Sakura next to her holding her side as she leaned against the counter laughing as not only Naruto jumping to turn the music off but also knocking over a stack of magazines which fell in a bucket of old mop water that was left behind from the shift before them.

Kiba, probably.

“Sorry Karin.”

“It wouldn’t be a normal day without Naruto setting the mood. By the way, when will my new employee arrive?”

New employee?

“I’m surprised you hired anyone Naruto recommend after the Kiba and Lee incident, Kakashi.”

Karin found it pretty weird that their boss had no problem with them calling him by his first name. In fact when she was hired he insisted that she and the others call him by his first name but she made it a habit to call him by his last.

“Who did you get him to hire this time?” She asked the blond whose attention was already set on her and he was smiling.

“What?”

“Sasuke.”

“What??”

“Sasuke? He’s coming back? When?” Sakura asked surprised she haven’t heard that name in almost three years.

“Today. His first day he wanted the same shift as me. Since is strange y'know since I’m so-”

“Who’s Sasuke?” Karin asked interrupting Naruto sentence.

She only lives in Konoha for about four years and knew her cousin since they were babies but never heard of him talk about anyone nam- oh wait..

“Uchiha?” She asked and knew she was right when her cousin nodded with a bright smile like he was happy that she remembered. She was a little thrown off that she had forgotten since she only seen Naruto video chat with him once and he wasn’t exactly unattractive. If anything he was hot and she seen a picture of him with Naruto when they were twelve and even at that age he was cute.

…. Is that weird to say?

“Yeah! You remembered him.”

“Good. Which means you can all fill me in on what to know about our new employee.”

“If he’s still like he was before when we were in grade school he’s the opposite of Naruto.” Sakura smiled.

“He’s cursed I tell you. Cursed! Who do you know doesn’t like ramen but loves tomatoes? As their favorite food at that!”

“Anyone whose favorite color isn’t orange.” Karin mumbled knowing that her cousin heard her who frowned.

“Orange is a great color.”

“Its bright.”

“Like me.” Karin shook her head at Naruto but nonetheless agreed. He was as bright as the sun, his favorite color should be yellow.

As Naruto filled in their boss what it was like being around an Uchiha, Karin helped with few customers they had coming in and out time to time Sakura would come along if it was just one too many after listening to what Naruto had to say about their new coworker.

It was when she was putting up the new items the store had received last night that first shift avoided to put up when she felt a presence walk up behind her and clashed into someone chest when she turned to give them her full attention.

“Sorry.” She stated as she fixed her glasses that was almost knocked off her face. She didn’t know that the customer was so close by if she did she wouldn’t have knocked into them so hard.

“Can I help… you..”

Where do I know him from?

Coal eyes clashed with red ones as she stared at him trying to figure out where she know him from.

“Is Naruto here?” He asked, a small accent In his voice that she could identify.

That’s an Oto accent. Naruto know someone from- oh. Oh!

“Naruto? Naruto, right, Naruto. He wasn’t at the front waiting for you?”

With the way Sasuke looked down at her she took it as if he was uncertian about something but she really didn’t care. At this point she was trying to figure out where her idiot of a cousin disappeared off too and why?

“I’m taking it you know who I am?”

“Yeah. Are you surprised? I almost didn’t recognize you since we’ve only met once and that was through a screen.” She answered stepping around him to head to the front, hoping he took it to follow her, which he did.

“‘I’ve never would have imagine you to be tall. I thought you would have been Naruto height, y'know. Don’t take that as an insult.”

“You imagine about me?”

“No. Th-That’s not what I meant.”

“SASUKE.”

“There’s the idiot.” Karin watched as her cousin waved at them but more specifically to his friend who returned home. Shaking her head she spotted something on the shelf.. Not just something a box, something that belonged in the back with a note that stated ‘Put this back for me -Kiba’

“That damn dog. Go on ahead. Unlike him there are things to do.”

“Sasuke, your here, finally. What took you so long?” Naruto asked as he stood in front of his friend while she went over to finish Kiba work.

“You remember my cousin right. Karin she moved here soon after you left. It was her birthday when you seen her. She wore the short sho-”

“Naruto, chill.”

“Right, sorry.”

“Your cousin? Uzumaki?”

“What gave it away? The hair?”

“Sasuke always said my mom hair reminded him of a tomato. What do you think about Karin?”

“Don’t bring me up as a topic, Naruto.” Karin frowned turning to look at her cousin to tell him to get to work she caught sight of Sasuke scanning her over before he looked her in the eye. She raised an eyebrow in question but before she could ask he smirk.

“Not bad.”

What…the fuck.

“Right. Told you. Its in the genes.” Naruto spoke cockly as he threw an arm around his cousin shoulders.

“What a shame. It skipped you.” Sakura showed greeting Sasuke and patted Naruto on the head when he pouted at Sakura comment. Karin on the other hand stood watching Sasuke as he talked to both Naruto and Sakura.

Not bad?

——————————————————————– I got lazy and tired of writing. I wrote this overnight cause I was bored.

[frostmarris]

Cherry Bomb

Chapter Three - Meetings

[Previous]

Sakura awoke to the sound of soft snoring in her ear.

Rolling over towards the noise, she sleepily opened her eyes and found herself facing Kakashi, his body sprawled out on the bed and his mouth parted slightly as he snored. She shifted slightly, groaning at an uncomfortable pressure under her back, and realized she had been sleeping on his arm. Sitting up carefully, she rubbed the back of her hand over her mouth, making a face at the lingering drool. Despite the slightly sore spot in her upper back - thanks to the awkward position of Kakashi's arm under her - and the weirdly disorientating feeling that comes with waking up in a new place, she felt oddly nice.

For once she actually felt... rested.

Sending the older hero a fond smile, she slipped off the mattress and exited the bedroom, shuffling across the hall and into the bathroom. Washing her face in an attempt to wake up, Sakura paused and examined herself in the mirror.

There were still dark marks under her eyes and she wouldn't say she looked happy, but there was a lively flush to her face and a nice spark in her eyes that she hadn't seen in herself in months. Slumping against the counter, Sakura sighed softly and ran a hand through her short hair, making a face at the bedhead and a mental note to take a shower once she was done unpacking.

Eventually, she finished up her morning routine in the bathroom and moved down the hallway, stepping into the kitchen and beelining for the fridge. Unsurprisingly, she opened it to find it empty and, tapping her bare foot on the kitchen tile, she gave an annoyed pout.

"Right. Gotta go grocery shopping."

Huffing to herself, she grabbed one of the few glasses she had unpacked and filled it with tap water, chugging it down quickly before setting the cup aside. There were plenty more dishes she still needed to put away and she'd kill for some coffee, but, for now, she'd just have to make do with what she had on hand. Taking a moment to stretch, reaching down and leaning back and twisting from side to side, she turned to examine the living room, hands on her hips. There were several boxes sitting out of the way, a few opened with some stuff taken out, but, obviously, she still had a lot of unpacking to do.

The sound of footsteps met her ear and she glanced over her shoulder to see Kakashi emerging from the bedroom, running a hand through his bedhead as he yawned. Looking to her, he offered a sleepy smile, his mask still in place, and approached, ruffling her hair as well.

"Sleep well?" She asked, moving to sit down on the couch. Kakashi nodded, grabbing his cellphone off of the coffee table and stepping back to lean against the island counter.

"Like a rock. You?"

Sakura was almost hesitant to admit that she'd slept peacefully, still a little surprised herself. Nonetheless, Kakashi was pleased with her affirmative answer and plopped down next to her on the couch, scrolling through his emails. She relaxed into the cushions, sending him a glance when he sighed.

"I wish I could stay and help you unpack, but I have to head back to Shirogane soon."

Sakura held back her pout, simply nodding in understanding while Kakashi sent her a sympathetic smile. He had work to do back in his city, as expected, and, while she'd certainly miss him the moment he was gone, she wasn't about to make him stay and keep her company. She'd have to look into meeting new people here in Mabushii, maybe befriend some of her neighbors...

The two went ahead and got dressed, the pinkette making mental notes on what she'd put where and a list of groceries for later while Kakashi changed back into his clothes from yesterday, grumbling to himself about forgetting to bring a change of clothes for himself. Eventually, the two of them were saying their goodbyes downstairs, standing next to Kakashi's car and paying little attention to the morning pedestrians.

She gave him a quick hug, thanking the older hero for his help with getting her moved in and made a promise to keep in touch. Kakashi's hug was warm and relaxing and she instantly missed the embrace once they broke apart, smiling to herself as he climbed into his car.

"Ah! Before I forget," Kakashi twisted slightly in his seat suddenly, grabbing for a piece of paper and a pen as Sakura gave him a curious look. He turned back and scribbled something down on a strip of paper, handing it to her with a smile. Sakura glanced down at the note to find a phone number and looked back at Kakashi with a raised eyebrow.

"If you ever get into any trouble, just give that number a call. Tell him your name and mention me."

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed at the vague explanation but, having long since gotten used to Kakashi's occasionally cryptic mannerisms, she nodded and folded the paper in half, slipping it into the pocket of her red jacket.

"Thanks, sensei; I'll see you around. Drive safe, okay?"

He sent her another smile, nodding and reaching out to give her arm a comforting squeeze.

"Take it easy and try to have some fun. Meet some new people and check out the city. Give me a call if you ever need anything, alright?."

Once he drove away, Sakura felt a little lost. She knew very little about Mabushii and, without Kakashi, she didn't really have anyone to turn to for information. Gaze traveling over the streets and buildings around her, she sighed and headed back into her apartment complex, taking her time as she climbed the stairs up to the fifth floor. She'd only just exited the stairwell when a door down her hall opened and Akamaru raced out, running in circles outside the entrance to his owner's apartment before catching sight of the pinkette.

The large dog bounded up to her, tail wagging excitedly as he gave a low woof and butted her hand with his head, begging for pets. Giggling to herself, Sakura obliged and gave his ear a few scratches, crouching down to ruffle his furry face. It was going to be pretty lonely in her apartment - maybe she should look into getting a pet...

Akamaru gave another bark and Sakura glanced up at the sound of muffled noises coming from inside the apartment he'd just run out of. Kiba emerged shortly after, hopping slightly on one foot as he adjusted a shoe and called to his dog.

"Hang on, Akamaru! Ya gotta wait for me, you big goofball. I-" The brunette cut himself off when he glanced up and caught sight of Sakura kneeling next to his dog, a huge grin suddenly splitting his face. "S-sakura! Good morning!"

She bit the inside of her cheek and stood, giving Akamaru's head a pat. There was something... odd about Kiba, but vaguely familiar.

Now, Sakura might not be the best judge of character, but she could definitely tell that he didn't act quite himself around her - though, truthfully, she didn't really know the guy that well so she hadn't experienced his normal 'self' yet. But she could tell something was up. And, if she was serious about at least trying to befriend the guy, it would be a lot easier if he just relaxed (he seemed like a pretty relaxed guy and there was something kind of awkward about how he acted around her). She couldn't pass it off as something as simple as a crush since, c'mon, they'd only just met and-

He bounded up to her to very similarly to how Akamaru had greeted her, looking just as excited, though slightly nervous as well. Kiba looked like he was holding back slightly, like there was something he wanted to say but didn't quite know how to put it into words. So, he just grinned and greeted her again, looking practically exuberated at her reply. She held back a frown. The way he acted around her reminded her of...

Sakura's eyes narrowed slightly as a thought hit her.

It reminded her of how civilians would act around Cherry Bomb when they met her for the first time.

Regardless of whether this paranoid thought was correct - it had better not be - there still remained the fact that something was off and it was going to get really old, really quick.

"Alright, Kiba. What's the deal?"

His huge grin faltered for a moment and he gave a nervous laugh, looking as if he was going to brush her question off but, as she frowned at him and crossed her arms over her chest, he gave her a bashful smile.

"Sorry, I'm just... really excited, y'know? This is just so cool and-"

"What are you talking about?" She interrupted, her stomach doing a small flip for a moment.

Kiba glanced around almost nervously, leaning in and cupping his hand around his mouth as if he was going to share a secret with her.

"W-well, y'know. You're Cherry Bomb." Sakura had to hold back her groan, her lips pursing as he continued, that excited grin back, "And I'm just so freakin' pumped to meet you, like, holy shit, the Cherry Bomb is my new neighbor."

Suspicions confirmed, Sakura resisted the urge to rub her forehead and, instead, carefully gave Kiba a quizzical look. She'd spent many years fine-tuning the differences between her 'Haruno Sakura' and 'Cherry Blossom' personalities in an attempt to keep people from realizing that the sweet Sakura and the powerhouse heroine were one in the same. Of course, occasionally someone would become convinced that they'd figured it out - pink hair wasn't all that common, after all - but she always denied it, playing it off as a joke and acting slightly flattered. It was kind of the reason why she'd never had much of a life outside of being Cherry Bomb. Too many opportunities for someone to recognize her or pester her about secretly being a superhero and maybe she was guilty of having Ino casually wiping the thought from someone's mind in the past. But that had all been back in Shirogane, when being a hero had been a full-time job.

She hadn't considered the thought of someone figuring out she was Cherry Bomb in her new city.

"What do you mean?" She asked, playing the innocent card hard as she tilted her head and gave him a confused look. "The superhero?"

Kiba looked oddly proud of himself, scratching Akamaru's ears as the dog sat down at his side.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna tell anyone though. You're probably, like, undercover or something, right? Oh, man, this is so cool! I'd heard you hadn't been seen in action in months and then, boom! You show up in Mabushii of all places, moving in right next door to me." He was getting more excited by the moment, gesturing wildly with his hands as she resisted the urge to grit her teeth. "I'm such a huge fan and I can't believe how lucky I am, like, what are the cha-"

"Kiba," Sakura interrupted again, sending him a slightly pained smile as if he'd just told an awful joke. "Why on Earth would you think I'm Cherry Bomb? And don't you dare say it's because my hair is pink - anyone can dye their hair. I mean, I'm flattered that you'd mistake me for a superhero, but you're wrong."

Sakura had no qualms about lying, especially since she was retired and just looking to live peacefully in her new home. That knowing look in Kiba's eye was a little worrying though.

"Well, I mean, your hair is definitely shorter than I remember," Her gaze narrowed slightly here. Had she ever met Kiba before yesterday? He didn't notice her expression and simply continued, rubbing the back of his neck.

"But that's not how I know. Cherry Bomb - you came to Mabushii a couple years back and, let me tell you, it was so cool to see you in action, in person. You see, I'm a rookie hero." Sakura's eyes widened in surprise and she had the instantaneous urge to slap a hand over his mouth and tell him to shut up, but he just kept on talking, "My powers give me the ability to talk to animals and I have super keen senses. Like a dog!" He pauses and gives Akamaru's head an affectionate pat. "And you smell exactly like Cherry Bomb."

Right. Okay, he knew and there was no denying it. Still, Sakura took a step forward and poked his chest with a finger, shoulders raised as she hissed under her breath at him.

"First off, I'm not Cherry Bomb." Just because she couldn't really deny it, didn't mean she wasn't going to, "Secondly, even if I was, 'cause I'm not, you don't go around telling complete strangers that you're a Super! There's a reason, superheroes have secret identities."

Kiba looked a little embarrassed, pouting down at the floor as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Oops, yeah, gotta watch my mouth a little more..."

Sakura sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she urged herself to relax before finally looking back at him.

"Listen, Kiba," she began again, regarding him with a serious look, "I'm only going to say this one more time. I'm Haruno Sakura, not Cherry Bomb. Just Sakura. Just a normal person who's looking forward to living in a new city. Alright?"

Embarrassment gone, he looked a little disappointed now before he finally seemed to understand, his posture relaxing as his sheepish smile became more of a casual grin. With a nod, Kiba held out his hand, everything about him seeming to shift as he relaxed.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Sakura. I hope we can be, erhm... friends?"

Satisfied, she smiled, shaking his hand and nodding in return. "I hope so too, Kiba."

They were interrupted by a soft bark and Sakura glanced over, smiling down at Akamaru, who was watching the pair from his place at Kiba's side. Crouching down, she gave the hound a quick pet, her smile widening when Akamaru gave another happy woof.

"And I look forward to being friends with you too, Akamaru!"

Exchanging farewells, Kiba and Akamaru headed towards the stairwell and out for a morning walk, leaving Sakura to watch them leave before rubbing her forehead with a sigh. She was sure she had by no means convinced Kiba that she wasn't a superhero but, hopefully, this would be the last conversation concerning Cherry Bomb. Turning back to her apartment door, Sakura hurried inside and regarded her still-bare living room with a frown.

Hands on her hips, she glanced to the boxes waiting to be unpacked and gave them a dutiful nod. As she approached the waiting boxes, she cracked her knuckles, already making a mental map of what she'd put where.

It was time to properly unpack.

::

About three hours later, Sakura had finally unpacked the last box, almost all of her clothing hung up in her closet and her apartment looking much less bare than the day before. Combing her fingers through her hair, she dropped down on her couch and regarded her handiwork with a smile. She'd filled up most of the space on the bookshelves with photos, books, journals, and a few random knickknacks, put a small floral-printed rug underneath the coffee table, and tossed a few throw pillows onto the couch. The pinkette would have to go out to get some hooks for a few larger picture frames that she wanted to hang up on the walls and maybe look into getting a TV, but, so far, she was satisfied with her new home.

But a quick grumble from her stomach quickly reminded Sakura that she still needed to go grocery shopping. Patting her belly, she grabbed her phone off the coffee table and searched for nearby markets. She found a grocery store that was only two blocks away and committed the path on the map to memory before standing up and stretching for a moment. After a quick shower and dressing in a clean tank top - the bunnies scampering across the bottom of the pale blue tank looked much more chipper than she did - and some jeans, she grabbed a couple of reusable bags and shoved her keys, phone, and wallet into her pocket, heading out to do a little shopping.

It was nearing noon by now and the city was already bustling, cars passing by on the street and plenty of pedestrians making their way on foot. Sakura stepped out of the Akaihana Apartments' lobby and only briefly regarded the traffic before making her way in the direction of the grocery store. She walked leisurely, glancing around at her surroundings and already beginning to make her own mental map of the city.

She was only about halfway down the second block - the map on her phone had made everything seem much smaller but she wasn't really complaining; it wouldn't hurt to start working out again - when a building across the street caught her eye. Her attention zeroed-in on the words "Mabushii Public Library" on the large plaque next to a pair of large doors and she paused, her interest piqued. Glancing either way to make sure there weren't any cars coming, she hurried across the street and up the steps to the entrance to the library.

It wouldn't hurt to get a little sidetracked before she got groceries.

Sakura was quickly met with that familiar library smell and she tucked her bags under her arm, smiling to herself as she stepped inside, the quiet air of the library a welcome relief to the busy street outside. 'I should get a library card sometime.' She thought to herself as she looked around, taking in the large lobby and the rows up on rows of tall shelves before turning her attention to the front desk. Her heart nearly skipped a beat and her palms turned clammy at the sudden glimpse of red hair - not again - but she quickly settled her frazzled nerves when she realized it was just the librarian, a bored looking young woman who was scribbling something down on a clipboard as she leaned against the counter. The librarian looked up just in time to catch Sakura's eye, peering at the pinkette over the rim of her glasses.

Taking a moment to shift her weight from foot to foot, Sakura made her way towards the desk, flashing a quick smile at the librarian. The redhead regarded her with a frown and her smile faltered for a moment before the other woman snapped her fingers, shooting Sakura a knowing look.

"You just moved into the Akaihana Apartments' complex, right?"

The pinkette paused, blinking in surprise - what? - before slowly nodding, a little dumbfounded. "Uhm, yeah. How did you-?"

"Thought you looked familiar." The librarian interrupted, straightening up and flipping her red hair over her shoulder - it was styled asymmetrically, cut short and close to the scalp on one side while the rest of her hair was swept over the other side and cascaded down to her shoulder blades. "I passed by you yesterday in the hall but didn't introduce myself since you looked pretty busy."

Sakura regarded her with surprise, thinking back to the day before and remembering the incident outside her apartment before looking the redhead over a little more thoroughly. Geeze, did that mean that today was the second time she'd mistaken her for-

"Uzumaki Karin, welcome to Mabushii." She - Karin, apparently - was smiling at Sakura now, holding out her hand as she greeted her.

Something about her name sounded oddly familiar but Sakura pushed the thought to the back of her mind as she returned the smile, reaching out to shake her offered hand.

"Haruno Sakura. Thanks - it's nice to meet you, Karin. I guess we're neighbors?"

The pinkette swore Karin's smile faltered for a split-second when their hands touched but she played it off, the librarian nodding as she nudged her clipboard aside. Her crimson eyes dropped down to look at the bags under Sakura's arm and she quirked an eyebrow, placing an elbow on the counter as she rested her chin in her hand.

"Going out to do some shopping, Sakura? Or were you planning on filling those bags with books?"

Sakura laughed, adjusting her hold on the reusable bags before shaking her head, leaning against the desk as well. "Just getting some groceries - my fridge is ridiculously empty. I was on my way to a store when I saw the library and, well, I thought I might as well check it out and maybe look into getting a library card."

Karin's smile widened and she turned away, opening up a filing cabinet behind her.

"Well, I can totally get that started for you." After a moment she turned back with a form in hand, placing it in front of Sakura before grabbing a pen out of the cup on the counter-top. Handing it over, she paused before sending Sakura a wink. "And maybe I'll stop by some time with a pie or something and play up that cliche 'Friendly New Neighbor' card. Do you like apples?"

She giggled again, accepting the offered pen before glancing down at the form. "That sounds great but, please, don't feel obligated to make me anything."

Karin shrugged, stepping away to organize a stack of books as she waited for Sakura to fill out the form. "It's no problem. Besides, I make a mean apple pie."

Sliding the paper back over, Sakura sent her a grin and waited patiently as Karin opened a drawer on her side of the desk and pulled out a plastic card. The librarian scribbled something down on the form before handing over the card, turning to file away the paper.

"Well, thanks in advance, Karin. I'll see you around?"

Another smile and Karin waved in farewell, sending Sakura another quick wink.

"I'm 5-F, by the way. Feel free to stop by if you ever need anything."

Sending the redhead an appreciative nod, Sakura took a few minutes to browse the aisles of shelves before she made her way out of the library and back to the street, slipping her new library card into her wallet as she hurried back across the road. Inwardly, she was a little bewildered - what were the chances that she'd bump into another one of her new neighbors? - but Karin had been nice to talk to and she looked forward to befriending her further in the future. Heading towards that grocery store, Sakura returned to taking in her surroundings, inwardly wondering just what she would be doing with her free time now since she was going to have a lot of it.

A part-time job didn't sound too bad, but she'd look into that later. For now, Sakura just wanted to focus on filling her refrigerator.

::

Returning to her apartment with arms full of groceries, Sakura decided that she'd had a pretty productive morning and was looking forward to making a quick lunch before perhaps taking a short tour around the city. Once all the food was put away, she sat down on the couch, a sandwich in hand and her phone on her thigh. Browsing through search results for interesting places and things to do in Mabushii, Sakura relaxed and reclined back, feeling relatively peaceful for the first time in months. Everything still felt new and different and her mind kept wandering back to Ino, but she stubbornly reminded herself that Mind Jumper was in the best of hands and there was no harm in making herself relax.

Resting her head on the back cushion of the couch, Sakura let herself think about her plans. Not that she had many. All she really had in mind was spending as much time as possible distracting herself with the new city and all it had to offer before she actually felt comfortable with Mabushii. Sighing, she finished off her sandwich and took a few minutes to clean up before dropping back down onto the couch. She'd only meant to lay there for a little while, browsing the internet on her phone but, eventually she drifted off and fell asleep.

When she finally awoke, it was late in the evening. Rolling over from her sprawled out position on the couch, Sakura reached blindly for her phone to check the time, grimacing at the screen. Sitting up, she stretched and shuffled towards the kitchen area to fix herself a glass of water before plopping down at the island counter.

It had been a nice enough nap, sure, but memories of bad dreams haunted the back of her mind, putting her in a much more worse mood than before she had fallen asleep. Still, she hadn't realized how tired she'd been. Sighing, Sakura downed her water and wandered aimlessly around the apartment, straightening and reorganizing and putting up possessions she'd left aside, before making her way towards her bedroom.

Plopping down on her bed, she opened up her laptop and spent about half an hour searching for something to distract herself with before eventually laying back, sighing up at the ceiling.

She'd completely underestimated how boring civilian life could be.

After a while, she found herself pulling up some random, quick recipes that looked good and carrying her laptop into the kitchen. The rest of her evening went by in a blur and, after burning through a couple movies on her laptop, Sakura laid on her bed once more, staring up at the ceiling in the dark as she dreaded sleep. Burying her face in her hands, she rolled over to curl up, inwardly wondering just when the nightmares would stop. This had been the first full day in months that she hadn't seen Ino and she had to resist the urge to call the hospital and check with the blonde's nurse.

With a groan, Sakura burrowed under her covers and tried to rest and ignore her aching heart.

Sakura woke with a start a couple times during the night, hands shaking and mind reeling as she tried to push Kabuto's grin and Ino's sceam from her mind. Each time, she spent a while distracting herself with her phone before drifting off once more. At some point, she must have opened up a playlist to listen to because, when morning finally came, her phone was dead and her earbuds were still in place in her ears.

Grimacing to herself, Sakura sat up and shot a frown at the tangled cords, tossing the buds aside before plugging her phone in to charge. Shuffling into the bathroom, Sakura regarded her reflection, rubbing her face in an attempt to wake up before deciding to just hop into the shower. Clean and awake and changed into some fresh pajamas, the morning went by slowly and, inwardly, Sakura wished she hadn't unpacked everything so quickly. She was dying for something to do and briefly considered just spending the day baking and cooking but, fortunately, a distraction came in the form of a knock on her door.

Eyebrow quirked, she made her way over and spared a moment to look through her peephole - Kiba was on the other side, talking down at Akamaru - before opening the door.

"Kiba?" He grinned in reply, looking much more relaxed than yesterday, and Sakura sent him a small smile. "Can I help you?"

"Afternoon, Sakura!" Inwardly, she frowned - was it already past noon? "I was on my way to meet with some friends and I, uhm, was wondering if you wanted to tag along?" He paused, reaching up to rub the back of his head. "Since you just moved in and all, I figured you didn't really know many people in the city yet and we could show you some cool places in Mabushii. I'm meeting them at this place I think you'll like and, well... you in?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed minusculely - was this his attempt to hang out with Cherry Bomb or was he seriously just being friendly? - and nearly turned him down, but paused, glancing back at her quiet, empty apartment. There was no harm in spending some time with the rookie hero and, besides, she needed to be more sociable or she'd just end up holing up in her apartment for days on end.

"Oh, uh, yeah! Sure, Kiba. That sounds fun."

His grin was infectious and she shot him a quick smile, combing her fingers through her hair. "Give me about, uhm, ten minutes to get dressed? I'll be right out."

Kiba was quick to nod, moving to lean against the hallway wall as he waved her off, Akamaru sitting next to him. Turning away, Sakura quickly shut the door, pausing for only a moment before hurrying to her bedroom to grab some clothes - a plain, pale green V-neck shirt, some jeans, and a light jacket - before grabbing her mostly-charged phone. Shoving her wallet, keys, and phone into a purse, she checked her reflection - why did she look so nervous? - and headed back to the door.

The rookie hero was still leaning against the wall but quickly kicked off of it when she appeared, his hands shoved in the pockets of his leather jacket as he grinned and sent her a nod. Kiba turned and the pair headed down the hall, Akamaru running ahead as they traveled down the stairwell and made idle conversation.

"The place isn't that far away, but its a bit of a walk." He admitted, glancing over to her. "I let my buddies know you were coming along - they're all excited to meet you, Sakura."

She shot him a small frown, zipping up her jacket as she regarded him with a slightly suspicious look.

"Kiba, you didn't... tell them anything, did you? 'Cause I'm really not in the mood for a repeat of yesterday."

Laughing, he sent her a grin before shaking his head, taking the last flight of steps two at a time. "Nah, no worries. I promised I'd keep my mouth shut. Shino lives here at the apartments too so he's lookin' forward to meeting you. Hinata is just generally friendly, though she can be a little shy at first."

Relaxing a bit, Sakura repeated the unfamiliar names in her mind and followed after Kiba, giving Akamaru a pat when he bumped his head into her hand. Out on the street, it was another busy day and Kiba took a moment to take a deep breath in through his nose, grinning to himself before motioning for Sakura to follow him. They turned the corner of the apartment building and headed down the street, the brunet pointing out a few places of interest as they walked.

After crossing the street and moving two blocks down, Sakura heard a few excited gasps from the pedestrians they passed, both her and Kiba pausing as the sidewalk traffic stuttered to a stop. Glancing around, he seemed to realize what was going on, spotting something in the distance, and nudged Sakura before pointing up at a nearby building, grinning excitedly to himself.

"Here he comes!"

Gaze traveling to a distant rooftop, Sakura watched as the hero she'd seen on her first day in Mabushii raced across the tops of the buildings, heading in their general direction. He leaped gracefully over a gap in the rooftops caused by an alleyway, long brown hair streaming behind him, and Sakura could pick out a few finer details of his uniform, the sound of distant sirens registering in the back of her mind and making her tense on reflex.

His uniform was entirely white, the high collar of his jacket close to his neck and his mask - a solid visor of sorts that covered the entirety of the upper half of his face before arching down in a point over the top of his nose - hid most of his expression besides his stern frown. The Super was moving quickly and paid little attention to the clusters of watching pedestrians on the street below, his focus on his path over the rooftops.

He passed by within moments and disappeared around a corner, heading in the direction of the distant sirens and leaving the civilians to murmur to themselves. Sakura glanced over at the still-smiling Kiba, eyebrow quirked as she pushed aside the sudden nostalgic feeling in her chest.

"Who was that?"

"Nightingale." He quickly replied, crossing his arms behind his head as they continued down the street, Akamaru sticking close to his side. "One of Mabushii's main heroes. A pretty cool guy to see in action, but he's always so serious, so he's kind of a stick in the mud."

Sakura smiled to herself, hands clasped behind her back as she walked with Kiba - it kind of sounded like he knew this 'Nightingale' personally.

"How many heroes does the city have?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment, guiding her around a corner as they reached the end of the block.

"Three official, including Nightingale, but there's a couple unofficial heroes that show up occasionally, some that pass through every once in a while, and a few rookies." Kiba grinned to himself, sending Sakura a wink before nodding at something ahead of them and reaching down to give Akamaru a pat. Sakura glanced across the street to notice a brightly colored building with a couple small groups of people chatting outside the door. It looked like a coffee shop, what with the steaming cups several of the people were holding, but she could smell freshly cooked food from their place across the street.

"That's the place." Said Kiba, answering her unspoken question. "We hang out there a lot; it's pretty cool and they've got a good menu. Though I, ah," He paused, sending her a slightly embarrassed look, "I should warn you. It's themed and some of the people there are kinda... nerdy."

Sakura frowned, quirking an eyebrow his way before taking a closer look at the building as they drew near. She could make out the words "Hero Café" in bold, blocky letters on the sign above the door and she felt her stomach do a flip. She barely had time to send Kiba a suspicious look, eyes narrowed and lips turned down in an unamused frown, before they were crossing the street. The rookie hero held the door open for her with a sheepish grin that quickly turned mischievous at the look on her face and Sakura stepped inside the café.

The smell of food and coffee in the air was inviting but was quickly overpowered by the chatter of the patrons in the building, groups of young adults and teens (and even a few younger kids) seated at tables and booths. The walls were covered in posters and news headlines and photos and logos, all of superheroes known throughout the world. Sakura recognized several of the heroes and even spotted a few candid shots of Cherry Bomb, but, looking around the shop, she realized that the hero theme didn't stop at the walls. The waitstaff members were wearing shirts with various hero logos and donned simple masks and, glancing to the full menu written on the wall behind the register, almost all of the food and drink options were references to different Supers. Various cakes and treats designed after certain heroes rested in a glass display case next to the register and Sakura had a sinking suspicion that more than one of the treats were puns. Several of the customers were wearing hero memorabilia (a majority paid homage to Nightingale and a couple other Supers Sakura didn't recognized the names of but assumed were Mabushii's heroes) and a few were even decked out in full cosplay, bent over open laptops and chatting with their companions.

Incredibly overwhelmed, Sakura froze for a moment before she shot Kiba a deadpan look.

"You've got to be joking."

He let out a laugh, grinning as he took her wrist and led her towards the back of the café. They quickly approached a table and Kiba waved in greeting at the pair seated there before guiding her over. The girl, who Sakura assumed was Hinata, had long dark hair that had a purple sheen to it in the light and the oddest eyes she'd ever seen - pale lavender that looked almost ghostly but were definitely lovely and had kind, gentle feeling - and returned the wave before sending the pinkette a shy smile, fidgeting with the sleeves of her purple sweater. To her left was someone who looked rather familiar and it was after Sakura took in his sunglasses and scarf combo that she recognized him as the man she'd seen in the apartment lobby when she moved in. Akamaru quickly approached the girl, tail thumping happily as she scratched behind his ear, and Kiba turned to Sakura, gesturing to his friends.

"This is Shino and Hinata. Guys, this is Sakura."

Hinata fidgeted for a moment but continued to smile in greeting while Shino offered a nod, very reminiscent o their first meeting. Giving the pair a slight wave, Sakura inclined her head towards Shino as she and Kiba took a seat.

"We, ah, met briefly the other day, but its nice to formally meet you both."

Kiba looked surprised and was about to question them further but was interrupted by a waitress who hurried over the moment they sat down. After ordering, the group spent about twenty minutes chatting over their meal and Sakura began to feel less overwhelmed, answering their questions about herself and just generally getting to know her new acquaintances. The rest of the chatter in the café devolved into background noise and Sakura listened attentively as Hinata described a few interesting shops downtown, smiling at her suggestions. Shino, who had been mostly silent, had just started offering her a few tips in regards to the subway when the pinkette heard someone speak behind her, flinching in her seat at their words.

"Cherry Bomb! Right?"

She had to keep herself from jerking to look over her shoulder in surprise, and, instead, calmly turned in her seat, an eyebrow raised curiously. A young man with short, light brown hair was standing fairly close to the table, a knowing look in his eyes.

"Excuse me?"

He grinned, pointing to his head.

"Your hair. You must be a Cherry Bomb fan."

Sakura almost instantly relaxed.

Inwardly, she wondered if she should just pas it off as a misunderstanding - not everyone with pink hair was a Cherry Bomb fan - but ultimately decided to just play along, missing Kiba's grin as he watched.

"Ah, yeah, I am."

The newcomer smiled triumphantly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"The pink is difficult to get right, yeah? My kid sister is a huge Cherry Bomb fan and she begged our mom to let her dye her hair for her birthday. It didn't come out exactly right, but she still loved it."

Sakura found herself smiling, adjusting her seat slightly so the rest of the table didn't think she was ignoring them.

"The pastel shade is pretty tricky, yeah." Best to just pretend her hair was dyed, it'd probably draw too much attention if she told them it was her natural color.

Kiba was looking kind of excited, sitting back in his seat as he sipped his drink.

The guy laughed and introduced himself as Soma before continuing the conversation, nodding in greeting to the others but focusing mainly on Sakura. "Dye jobs usually fade out pretty quickly but, dang, your hair is preeetty close to the right shade."

Sakura felt a little insulted, eyes narrowing almost unnoticeably - it was the perfect shade, thank you very much - but let the feeling pass and sent him a weak smile.

"Are you a fan too?"

Grinning, Soma rubbed the back of his head and shifted his weight from foot to foot. "I'm a general hero enthusiast but, yeah, Cherry Bomb is pretty cool. I kept up pretty regularly with her going-on's 'cause of my sister. She's always reading articles to me and trying to borrow my comics."

The pinkette frowned slightly in confusion, glancing briefly at Shino and Hinata (who were listening patiently as they ate) before finally noticing Kiba's wide grin and looking back at Soma.

"Comics?"

The younger man nodded, rocking on his heels as he replied. "Yeah! I'm a big collector. Got a few Cherry Bomb issues, as well as a lot of other non-Mabushii Supers'."

Sakura looked thoughtful, eyebrows furrowed slightly - she knew that a lot of the more wold-famous heroes had merchandise and comics that circulated amongst fans, but she'd never thought there were ones for Cherry Bomb.

Should she have been receiving royalties for that?

Soma didn't seem to notice her expression and continued, patting the messenger bag slung over his shoulder.

"It's a shame that she retired, but the value of my comics are sure to shoot up now that there won't be any new content."

Kiba nearly spat out his drink, choking on his soda for a moment as everyone's attention tunred to him. Hinata reached out worriedly to pat his back and he took a moment to catch his breath, coughing into his fist before shooting Soma a shocked look and glancing between him and Sakura.

"What? She- Cherry Bomb retired? When?!"

Sakura shifted in her seat, a little uncomfortable, but Soma just looked slighlty surprised and replied.

"Yeah, it was, uh- Man, it was months ago that the news got out. There was an entire thread about it in the Shirogane hero forum." Kiba looked incredibly bewildered but Soma continued, missing the way the rookie hero glanced at Sakura. "I've got a cousin over there and, damn, my sister was bawling when he broke the news to her."

Looking away, Sakura examined one of the walls to distract herself, noticing a poster of Kakashi from when he was an active hero.

Kiba sat back, processing the news before finally speaking.

"What... Why did Cherry Bomb retire?"

The pinkette knew the question was directed at her, but she didn't reply, frowning at the wall until Soma replied, the brunet unaware of the look Kiba was giving her as he rocked on his heels and glanced to the ceiling as he thought.

"Well, no one really knows for sure, but there are a few theories..."

Her attention snapped back to him, a pink eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Theories?"

A few other people in the café were listening in on the conversation and there was a murmur of agreement from a few of the other tables. Soma rubbed the back of his head, looking thoughtful and only vaguely aware that people were eavesdropping.

"The biggest theory is that- Well, okay, so there was a lot of analysis over what led up to it, y'know? Fans can get pretty invested haha..." Expression slightly embarrassed, he cleared his throat and continued. "It was pretty soon after her fight with that Dr. Franken-creep-"

"Kabuto." Someone from a different table corrected indignantly.

Inwardly, Sakura was a little surprised - she hadn't thought Kabuto was that well-known outside of Shirogane.

Then again, these people were probably pretty intense fans in regards to Supers.

Soma grimaced and rolled his eyes. "Right. After her fight with Kabuto. Well, rumor has it that she killed him, so one of the main theories is that she got bored with being a hero. Both of her main villains were gone now, so she must have, y'know, decided her job was done and quietly retired."

Sakura turned her attention down to her glass of water, staring at the floating ice cubes as the memories flooded in, barely aware of the people speaking around her.

"Some people think Cherry Bomb died in the fight." Said one voice, invoking comments from several other people from around the café.

"Nah, that's bull. I have a friend in Shirogane and she saw her in action like a month after the fight."

"Apparently she looked pretty unenthusiastic though..."

"Maybe she's just taking a break?"

"It wasn't an official announcement but everyone's pretty sure she retired."

"No one's seen her in months."

Kiba was watching her with this strange look, slightly distracted by the conversations going on around them, but didn't miss the way she suddenly tensed at the next comment.

"What about her partner?"

"Mind Jumper?"

"Yeah, she disappeared after the fight too."

"Supposedly she was rushed to the hospital..."

"Some people say she's dead too."

Sakura flinched and turned to stare at the wall again, aware of Soma's voice replying.

"That's one of the explanations people have for why she supposedly killed Dr. Creepy-"

"Kabuto!"

"-Whatever," Soma, ran his hand through his hair before continuing, shooting the guy an irritated look. "Like, Cherry Bomb could be pretty vicious but she's not a killer. But I could totally see her taking someone out in a revenge strike if they killed Mind Jumper. Everyone knows how close those two were."

Another murmur of agreements and the pinkette was momentarily surprised, a bitter smile passing over her face as her eyes roved over the walls for something to distract herself with. Almost instantly, her gaze landed on a shot of Mind Jumper, the blonde posing for what was probably a photograph from a fan, and Sakura's body jerked as her heart began to ache once more, dropping her hands to her lap to clench her fists and squeezing her eyes shut. The conversation continued around her and she listened almost unwillingly, not noticing the worried look Kiba was sending her. Inwardly, she couldn't help but laugh. They were wrong, she'd only aided in Kabuto's death - she hadn't landed the killing blow.

"That's so depressing though. Maybe they both justretired."

"They made a kick-ass team."

"They were such a cute couple!"

Sakura glanced over slightly as she heard Hinata suddenly speak, the shy girl fidgeting with her fingers as she smiled to herself.

"I-I'm rather partial to the theory that they, uhm, both quietly retired and secretly eloped..."

Kiba shot Hinata a shocked look - obviously she'd been aware of Cherry Bomb's retirement while he hadn't.

Several people voiced their agreements, but there was a sudden scoff amongst the crowd, one younger man frowning as he pushed up his glasses.

"Cherry Bomb and Mind Jumper's relationship was strictly professional."

Sakura actually shot the guy an unimpressed look - she and Ino might never have actually put an official label on their relationship, but their feelings were never just platonic.

Almost instantly, there was a chorus of laughs and the guy shrank in his seat in embarrassment, frowning to himself as people just seemed to ignore his comment. It seemed to have broken the mood somewhat, however, and the crowd dispersed slightly, returning to their own tables and, inwardly, Sakura was thankful that the conversation had ended. Turning back to the table, she finally caught Kiba's eye and noticed the way he was watching her. She could guess the questions that were rolling around in his mind but she had no intention of answering them right now, so, instead, she looked at Soma, who was still standing close to their table and chatting with Hinata.

"You mentioned comics? What kind do you have?"

The brunet perked up, sending her a grin as he adjusted his messenger bag.

"Yeah! I actually have some with me; the café is a good place to make trades with other enthusiasts." Pausing, he turned and started shifting through his bag, muttering to himself. "I've actually got a couple Cherry Bomb issues with me, hang on- Aha! There it is."

Facing her once more, Soma pulled out a comic book, carefully removing it from its plastic sleeve as he showed it to her. "This is one of my favorite issues, to be honest."

Kiba, who had been frowning down at his drink, glanced up and caught a glimpse of the comic, sitting up a bit as he smiled.

"Oh, hey! I know that one. It's from when she was in Mabushii, right?"

Soma nodded enthusiastically and Sakura frowned down at the comic, accepting it from the brunet and examining the cover. So the comics were artistic renditions of actual battles Supers had? Her fingers trailed over the cover art of herself, listening to Kiba and Soma talk about a moment from her past that she remembered explicitly well.

"Cherry Bomb rarely left Shirogane and, man, I wish I could have seen her in person when she visited our city."

"That's when I met her! She was chasing down one of her villains, right?"

"The Scorpion was practically her archenemy, but yeah! I'd kill to have a eye-witness account of that fight, damn."

Heart pounding, Sakura opened the book and flipped through the pages, letting the memories flood in.

[meapistrash]

Misfortunate Sunday - SS Fanfic

[theuchihaoftheshadows]

The Thief: KakaIta

The first time Kakashi noticed how dark Uchiha Itachi's eyes were was when they boy was fourteen years old. Both of their ANBU units had joined together to infiltrate a gang member's hideout and steal their plans. As usual, their mission was a success and they had been on the move back to Konoha. It was raining heavily at the time and everyone had pulled the hoods of their cloaks up to protect themselves from he frigid water. Kakashi's sandaled foot and walked right through a deep puddle and the man was absolutely miserable. Water was squelching between his toes and he could hear his sandal squeaking with each step.

From the corner of his eye, Kakashi could see Itachi's slight frame moving forward. The hood of his cloak had long since soaked through and Itachi had pushed it aside, letting the rain water pelt at him. His hair was drenched and his eyes seemed large and dark against his pale skin. The boy had felt the eyes on him and turned to meet Kakashi's stare curiously.

"Captain?" He spoke up, his voice almost inaudible through the rain. Kakashi looked away quickly, mumbling something under his breath.

Getting distracted by a fourteen year old's pretty eyes was hardly something Kakashi wanted to think about. So he focused on other things. His missions and his friends and all those kinds of things. So naturally he ignored how attractive he found Itachi and instead went about his life as normal. Itachi eventually went from an attractive and delicate fourteen year old to a gorgeous eighteen year old. By this time, Kakashi was no longer in ANBU, having retired from that part of his life to become a sensei. It hadn't been something he expected to do with his life, but he found that he enjoyed it and even cared a great deal for Team Seven. Haruno Sakura was an oddity. So much potential mixed in with her lack of confidence. Kakashi could see her doing great things if she could let go of her infatuation with Sasuke and think for herself. Naruto...There was no doubt that Naruto was his father's son. He had been robbed of his family and had made a family of his own with the people around him. Kakashi would no doubt look after Naruto and guide him. Uchiha Sasuke was definitely Itachi's brother. Their personalities might have been quite different but their talent alone gave them away and Sasuke was constantly trying to prove himself to his father.

Kakashi was proud of his team and proud of the choices he had made in life. Except...except he couldn't find his damned keys. Kakashi turned in confusion, patting his pockets as he moved in quick circles. "I know I had them somewhere..." He muttered in frustration. This was the fifth time this month that he had lost his keys. He didn't doubt the landlord was getting very annoyed with him constantly coming into his office with the same excuse. The man cursed his luck and his shoulders slumped in defeat. It looked like he was going to have to go to the land lord once again.

Meanwhile, Itachi looked up as his crow called out. She circled overhead before hovering over him, something shiny clutched in her talons. She dropped the item into Itachi's outstretched hand and the Uchiha released a weary sigh.

"Another set of keys. Who on earth are you stealing these from?" He asked and the crow cawed, flapping her wings. Itachi placed the set of keys with the four previous. "You're going to get me in trouble." Itachi lightly tapped the crow's beak.

"They look like they are keys to the same place." Shisui stated later that day as they stared at the keys.

"I think they are." Itachi nodded and Shisui scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"What do you think it's to? The Hokage office, Danzo's old room...a dango shop." Shisui suggested and Itachi shook his head.

"It's not."

"Not what?" Shisui looked up from the keys.

"To the...dango shop...I checked." Itachi looked away and Shisui barked out a laugh.

Across the village, Kakashi was enjoying drinks with Genma and Yamato. He had been given another set of keys from the disgruntled landlord. As usual, while drinking with Genma, the man had felt the need to hash up some old gossip.

"I'm not attracted to Itachi." Kakashi argued for the third time that night. Genma and Yamato shared a long glance, neither looking convinced. Kakashi's visible eye moved between them.

"What?" He demanded and Genma lifted his hands defensively.

"Nothing, nothing...it's just...you're full of shit." He drawled and Yamato sniggered. Kakashi crossed his arms over his chest and fixed his friends with an unimpressed stare.

"He's eighteen years old. I'm twenty-six. I tend to go for people my own age." Kakashi's argument sounded weak in his own ears.

"And he's been crushing on you since he was thirteen. And c'mon Kakashi, you of all people should know that age means nothing to someone like Itachi." Genma replied with a leer as Yamato nodded in approval. Kakashi groaned and buried his face in his hands.

I'm just gonna head back to my place." He groused and Yamato called after him to keep an eye on his keys.

Kakashi had barely made it out the door when he heard a crow overhead.

"Yo." Kakashi waved at the crow circling his head. "You one of Itachi's?" He asked. He watched as a second crow swooped low down, handing on a branch over Kakashi's head, cocking it's head at the Copy nin. Kakashi waved awkwardly at it, not noticing as the first crow flew towards him until he felt a tug on the keys attached to his hips. "YOU!" Kakashi gasped, trying to slap the crow away. "You're the thief!" He tried to make a grab for the keys but the crows took off out of Kakashi's reach and into the air.

"Not again." Itachi breathed as crow flew overhead, a familiar pair of keys clutched in her talons. Itachi set down the bag he was carrying and allowed his crow to land on his outstretched arm."Kyoku, what am I going to do with you?" Itachi hummed, gently stroking Kyoku's neck. Kyoku dropped the keys into Itachi's hand and the Uchiha offered her a fond smile. Moments later he heard quick footsteps approach and turned to see Kakashi quickly making his way down the street.

"Kakashi-senpai." Itachi greeted. The elder smiled at the Uchiha before he eyes locked on Kyoku.

"Your crow...has my keys." He stated lamely, looking highly uncomfortable. Realization dawned on the Uchiha and he regarded his crow closely.

"So you're the one they've been stealing from." Itachi hummed and cast Kyoku a long disappointed stare. He held the keys out to the copy nin who hesitantly moved forward, reaching out the touch them. The man thanked him, still looking very awkward. Kyoku retreated from Itachi's shoulder and flew into the air, Kakashi and Itachi staring after her as she took behind a building.

"I have the rest of your keys put away, I can go grab them for you." Itachi offered and Kakashi shook his head.

"No, you can have them." He replied with a little shrug and Itachi blinked, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Why would I want keys to your apartment?" The Uchiha questioned and Kakashi rubbed the back of his head.

"Hmm, you never know. You might need them for something. If I'm ever not around and you need sugar. If it's raining or snowing outside and you can't get back to your place...if you ever want to drop in for dinner sometime..." The younger laughed lightly at this.

"Are you inviting me for dinner, Kakashi?" Itachi took a slow step forward, head cocking slightly. Kakashi did not look up from the keys in his hand.

" Maybe. Are you accepting my offer for dinner, kohai?" The copy nin also took a step closer to the Uchiha.

"Perhaps." Itachi nearly closed the distance between them now. "Will you be giving me a time?" He asked. Overhead, the branches of the sakura tree trembled in the wind, a lone pink petal drifted from the tree and floated in the air swirling around. Kakashi's eyes were caught by it and he watched as it gently floated down before gently landing on top of Itachi's dark hair. Kakashi stared at the Uchiha, utterly transfixed and didn't even realize his hand was moving until he was reaching out and gently touching the petal. It contrasted gorgeously against Itachi's dark hair.

"How about now?" He offered, voice a mere breath. Itachi's dark eyes remained fixed on the elder, lips poised to speak.

"Is sounds like you're asking me on a date, Senpai." Itachi murmured, feeling Kakashi's hands move through his hair. Kakashi was watching him with that usual aloof expression, but he was tense as he waited for Itachi to speak further. When Itachi failed to speak again, Kakashi's lips curved into a faint smile and his dark eye remained fixed on the Uchiha.

"Sounds like it." He finally relented and Itachi smiled. That smile. Kakashi's knees nearly shook at the sight of it and he plucked the petal from Itachi's dark hair. Itachi watched his movements, smiling faintly.

"I'll see you later tonight then?" Itachi prompted and Kakashi nodded weakly, releasing the petal and allowing the wind to pick it up and swirl it through the air.

"Yeah...around eight maybe?" He finally asked, trying to play it cool but feeling way too nervous.

"I will see you then." The Uchiha replied smoothly, obviously amused by Kakashi's reaction. Kakashi jostled the keys in his hand with a little nod. He rubbed the back of his head and sighed.

"I mean...only of you want to. I don't wa-"Itachi cut him off with a smile and pressed his lips against Kakashi's cheek.

"I will see you later, Kakashi." Itachi pulled away and turned his head. "Also, try to keep a better hold of your keys." He called over his shoulder as he walked off towards the bridge. Kakashi looked down at the keys in his hand and smiled fondly, heart still racing as if he were some awkward teenager and not a full grown man. Itachi's crow cawed as she flew past Kakashi and after the Uchiha.

Maybe Kakashi should start losing his things more often.

[faerociousbeast]

just finished 463. so yes naruto did the gay thing (this could refer to anything i am aware)