Chapter Three

Changes

“Okay, talk,” the former sensei of Team 7 demanded as he led the pink-haired kunoichi out of the ramen house—which had proved to be a very hard task indeed. For some odd reason, Sasuke seemed to be paying much more of attention to Sakura; he had even tried luring her into conversations she obviously had not wanted to be included in. Kakashi sensed something out of the ordinary from the kunoichi too, since instead of fawning over her long-time crush, she avoided as much eye contact with Sasuke as possible. How many times had she excused herself to go to the wash room with Hinata? Two or three times—maybe more since Kakashi lost count, being caught up in the overwhelming excitement of Sasuke’s return. It was incredibly odd to see Sasuke trying his best to gain her attention while she was the one who tries to retreat from his advances. Ever since Team 7 had been formed, he saw how much Sakura adored the young Uchiha. Heck, she had even confessed her feelings for the boy before he went off to follow Orochimaru. Something was wrong and he knew that as a former teacher and as a friend, he had every right to know what was going on.

Sakura didn’t look up at him, only sighed, debating whether to tell him or not. She knew Kakashi’s wasn’t the type of person who merely wanted to keep up with the latest gossip, but he was instead the type to genuinely worry about the people he cared for. And because she knew she was one of those people, Sakura realized she really had no excuse to refuse his request of telling him what her cold treatment towards Sasuke was about.

After all, ever since Sasuke left Konoha, Kakashi had been the only person who was there to give her company, since Naruto was mostly off training somewhere with Jiraiya. Of course, she had tons of other friends, like Ino-pig and Rock Lee (who was still on her heels). But Kakashi was the only one who actually listened. He was the only one who gave sensible advices.

“It’s Sasuke,” she started, unsurely.

Kakashi scratched the back of his neck and smiled, “Really? I couldn’t have guessed.”

Sakura sent him a glare but failed as the corner of her mouth involuntarily quirked into a smile, “I’m serious, Kakashi.”

“I know,” he dug both of his hands on his pocket. “So, care to elaborate?”

“He’s back,” Sakura said as if it was not the most obvious thing in the world.

An eyebrow arched, “He’s been gone for almost five years, you should be happy.”

“That’s the point.”

“Hmm… you lost me there.”

Sakura rolled her eyes and finally turned to glare at him, “What I’m saying is he’s here… for almost five years he came back again! And I…” her eyes dropped on the ground as they stopped walking, “I don’t know how to act around him anymore.”

“Sakura…”

“He’s always going off somewhere for a long period of time. He can’t expect me to happily chirp and welcome him home with a big hug.” Her brows furrowed at the thought, “Although I’m not very sure if he’d want that either.”

“Chirp?” Kakashi amusedly asked. There was an obvious grin beneath his mask.

Sakura scowled, “Kakashi…”

“Look, Sakura, just…what’s your point?”

“I am getting there if you would just stop interrupting,” she answered.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head again, “Sorry. Go on.” He noticed her walking again and fell into a step beside her.

Sakura was silent for a moment, thinking of how to explain it to him. Kakashi accepted her silence and waited until she was ready to talk again.

“I’m…confused.”

“About what?” he asked.

The pink-haired kunoichi pursed her lips and crossed her arms. “I’ve been in love with Sasuke; at least that’s what I thought ever since I was a kid. Ino and I were always competing because of him. I grew my hair for him since I heard that he liked women with long hair. I tried everything to impress him, but everything ended up left unnoticed. After that moment he thanked me before running off to Orochirmaru, I felt…empty. Somehow, I realized that I failed… I couldn’t get the person I loved. I was angry because I was not able to convince him to stay here… with me… us... I guess I was asking too much.” She laughed bitterly, “Naruto felt sorry for me. Every day he would promise me that he would find Sasuke. That he’d beat the pulp out of him if he didn’t come back. But every search mission failed and Naruto’d come visit me only to assure me that he’ll do much better next time. And then it dawned to me: how awful I must have been to Naruto for him to promise something like that. I didn’t own Sasuke, why should Naruto give promises like that? And so I decided to stop brooding and accept Tsunade-sama’s offer to train me as a medic-nin. I focused on learning new things. We were so glad back then, right Kakashi?”

Kakashi nodded attentively.

Sakura sighed and looked up, watching the cold, dark sky of winter night. “He was still the same Sasuke, alright. He still ignored me and he still fought with Naruto.” She snorted, “Even Naruto got more of his attention than I did. And then Sasuke joined ANBU and received longer, tougher missions. His last mission was an S-rank, and it took him five years to complete!”

“I still don’t see the problem here.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” she incredulously glared at him, knowing that he was only feigning innocence and simply wanted her to blurt it out. “I think I’m finally over him!” she exclaimed. “My infatuation for Uchiha Sasuke’s gone. I don’t feel anything for him anymore.”

“Are you sure?” he had been expecting this, of course. But it still sounded odd, hearing Sakura talk like this.

“Yeah,” Sakura replied thoughtfully. “But that doesn’t change the fact that Sasuke is still my friend, like Naruto. They’re my boys; I think it’ll be difficult for me to lose one of them.”

Kakashi grinned, “Am I one of your boys too?” He adorably pointed to himself, causing his companion to giggle.

“Of course you are!” she hooked an arm around his as they turned the corner towards Sakura’s home. They walked in a companionable silence until they reached the front of her parent’s house. The thought crossed her mind that she would have to move out soon. After her twentieth birthday, perhaps.

“Thanks for walking me home,” she said as she turned to face him.

He looked down at her and smiled, “I might have been doing it lately, but don’t get used to it.”

Sakura rolled her eyes, “Hai, sensei.”

“Good night,” he waved a hand at her and started walking off.

“Kakashi-sensei?” she timidly called. Kakashi stopped and slightly glanced over his shoulder. His eye lazily stared at her with mild curiosity. She wrung her hands together, lowered her head, slightly blushing as she muttered a soft, “Thank you…”

“For what?”

“For listening…”

A silent moment passed between them.

“You’re welcome.”

**

“C’mon, Fushy browsh, figsh shme!” Uzumaki Naruto tried to form the right words with few broken teeth, despite his new collection of terrible bruises, complete with puffed cheeks. Yes, training. Teasing Lee and his unusually thick eyebrows was just an extra perk.

Lee spat blood off of his mouth and answered in equal determination, “Shure, Narusho! Gesh I have shoo beash you again!”

“Shuudup!”

Sakura looked at the two and hopelessly sighed. If she had known their fight would come to this, she could have insisted on helping Naruto train herself. That would have been much less dangerous and less foolish than this. She was a medic-nin, for heaven’s sakes! And her medic instincts were screaming at her to stop them from hurting themselves further.

“Are they always like this?”

Sakura slightly jerked from where she was standing when she heard that familiar, smooth, nonchalant voice. She turned her head and saw the person she was expecting to fall into take a step next to her. “S-Sasuke?”

The young Uchiha stood tall next to the baffled cotton-candy haired kunoichi. She hadn’t been expecting him to come nor had she been expecting him to talk to her. Not only was it confusing, but incredibly surprising. She looked up at him and studied his face. His eyes were still watching Naruto and Lee beat each other up but then slowly turned towards her when he felt her gaze. Sakura’s eyes widened at first and then she pulled out a smile, “Yes. They’ve always been like this since…”

“Since I left,” he supplied, eyes still seeking hers.

“H-hai.” The intensity of Sasuke’s stare started to become unnerving and she turned away to watch Lee tackle down her poor blonde friend.

Sasuke was still staring at her as if memorizing the contours of her face. Last night had been fairly unsatisfying for the young Uchiha when Sakura left earlier than expected. He was planning on cornering her so he could talk about his plans of marrying her and his need for an heir. However, much to his displeasure, his plan had failed. Naruto had insisted on dragging him around, chatting to anyone who caught his eye and in doing so had completely separated him from where Sakura had sat the entire night. The moment he finally managed to escape Naruto, she was gone. He later learned from Ino that she had left with Kakashi. Sasuke started to wonder what kind of relationship they may have developed if Kakashi had actually offered to walk her home. Of course, he immediately dismissed the thought. Kakashi was just being a gentleman and offered a former student his company to walk her home. Nothing suspicious. Just an innocent display of friendship. Sasuke had been away from Konoha for almost five years, so he had no right to judge any changes that may have taken place.

Sakura could feel goosebumps running down her skin. The intensity of his stare felt terribly uncomfortable. She kept on shifting her legs and rubbing her arms as she hesitantly threw glances over the handsome Uchiha. Stop staring at me! She needed a distraction; or rather Sasuke needed some distraction to tear his eyes away from her.

As if on cue, Naruto started insulting Lee again, this brought Sakura’s initial reaction to berate him. “How many times do I have to tell you that his name is Lee and not Fuzzy Brows?” she yelled, watching and half praying that this distraction was working for Sasuke.

And it did! He was now looking over to the two boys who were practically rolling on the ground. “Naruto, Lee, cut it out!” she shouted. Unfortunately, neither one seemed to be in a listening mood. Right now, Sasuke stood there, watching them with mild amusement and interest.

“Uzumaki Naruto, do that again and I’ll tell Hinata to stop cooking ramen for you for the rest of the year!”

Thankfully, the threat actually worked. Naruto released Lee and turned towards Sakura, showing his ultimate Naruto pout, “Bush Shakurahh!!!!”

“Quit it! It’s not working!” With an ‘hmph’, Sakura crossed her arms and looked away.

“Shakkuuurrahhh!!! Pleash! I love Hinasha’sh cooking. Don’t shell Hinasha!”

“I can’t understand you, Naruto. Now, let-go-of-my-LEG!”

“Shakkkuurrahhh!!!!”

A deep chuckle escaped Sasuke’s throat as he watched the entertaining show before him. “I never thought you’d sink lower than a wimp, dobe.” He teased with a sly smirk on his lips.

“Shhuudddup!”

“What? Do you wanna fight me now?”

“I’ll beash you, you bashtard!”

“Feh, you can’t even talk straight.”

“Why you!”

“ENOUGH!”

Both boys stood there, looking at a very, very infuriated Sakura. Her cheeks were red in anger and slightly puffed. Lee chose that moment of silence to try to sneak away, knowing that he was about to encounter one of his Sakura’s frightening moods. But after his “Precious’” dark gaze fell on him, he was unable to move.

“You’re acting like a bunch of kids!” Sakura’s sense of superiority immediately reached Sasuke and Naruto’s ears. Since she was now officially over Sasuke, she found herself able to yell at him just as much as she did Naruto. This change in events obviously startled the young Uchiha. “Sasuke, I can’t believe you have the nerve to challenge Naruto, even in his weakened state—”

“Am nosh shweak—”

“And YOU!” Sakura pointed at Naruto who quickly leapt away to avoid her accusing finger. “Go and take Lee to the hospital! And do something with your teeth!”

Sasuke watched Sakura as she talked Naruto down like a ten-year old. A smile slowly etched his strained face. She’ll make a good mother someday… he thought, imagining her disciplining their own children. He made the right choice. Although he would have to deal with her usual habit of nagging too; Sakura would certainly be a handful.

“What’s going on?”

All eyes turned towards the languidly approaching copy-nin.

“Kakashi-sensei… about time!” Sakura sighed in relief and immediately ran onto his side. Sasuke watched them with narrowed eyes.

The white-haired jounin teasingly grinned, “Really? And here I thought I was late.”

Sakura frowned at first and then figured out what he was trying to say. “You are!” she half-heartedly slapped his arm and said, “I mean, about time you show up! You’re an hour and a half late! I had no choice but to watch these kids beat each other for no reason.”

Kakashi arched his brows, “Kids?”

Sakura shrugged her shoulders, “Well, they’re acting like it.”

Naruto was about to protest but found no strength to do so. He was tired and that made him realize Sakura’s instruction to go to the hospital would be applicable.

Kakashi looked at Naruto and Lee and then his gaze settled on Sasuke who seemed to be focusing his signature death glare on him and Sakura. “You too Sasuke?”

Sasuke only grunted a reply and looked away.

The white-haired jounin shook his head and then turned towards Sakura again, “Are you done with them yet?”

Sakura nodded, “Yeah, I think so.” She smirked triumphantly as she noticed Naruto slowly dozing off.

Then, as if the two had come to some unspoken decision, Sakura and Kakashi turned on their heels and waved goodbye as they disappeared back into the forest.

Sasuke’s eyes trail them while giving Naruto a hard nudge on the side.

“Wha-whash??” the blonde woke up, frantically looking around.

“Dobe, where are they going?” suspicion dripping in the ANBU captain’s voice.

Naruto frowned in half-confusion and half-annoyance from the said pet-name, “Who?”

“Kakashi and Sakura.”

“Ah, probabshly training,” he tiredly replied, moving towards Lee who had also fallen asleep as well.

Sasuke managed to translate what Naruto said and then asked, “Why?”

Naruto shrugged his shoulders as he draped one of Lee’s arms over them, “I dunno either.”

The young Uchiha suddenly felt troubled. Once again he looked towards the path where the two had disappeared.

And then he realized something.

Kakashi was a threat.

TBC