Cherry Blossom

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters and make no money from this.

Chapter Six:

How many drops does it take to fill the vase?

Kakashi knew the second he opened his door to a certain pink-haired kunoichi that the evening would be awkward, yet he couldn't bring himself to turn her down or just ignore her. He could have called the dinner off, but no, he still wanted to see her. Talk about shooting your own foot... On that note, she was quite lovely tonight. The setting sun cast an orange glow over the village, wrapping her in the soft light and enhancing every pretty feature she possessed. Her attire surprised him once more by being entirely different from the tomboyish outfits she had preferred even just a few months back. The three-inch white heels that were strapped to her feet screamed out at him the most. She had never wore such shoes before, because of how uncomfortable and impracticle they always were in her opinion. His eyes roamed up her smooth legs until they landed on a black ruffled skirt that ended once again at her mid-thighs. Was she developping a preference for that length now? A little higher he found a a loose-fitting, white lace shirt that gave only a small glimpse of cleavage, yet another thing she didn't usually show. Her attire was completely by a small red bolero that clung to her shoulders and arm as lightly as her shirt.

His examination of her appearance didn't take long enough for her to notice he had even checked her out, though the amount of time he stared in her brillant emerald eyes seemed to make her a bit uneasy. Why did she have to look so breathtakingly beautiful to his poor, old eyes lately? The older jonin stepped aside to let her inside, uttering a greeting as she bypassed him, which she returned politely. At least this time he had decent food in his fridge. The last mean had been quite dreadful.

"I'll get to cooking right away, if you don't mind." She let out almost shyly as she turned to face him once she was halfway to his kitchen. She stood with her head slightly cocked to the sight, slim fingers tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear before toying with it. It was unsual for her to ask any kind of permission when in his house. She really must've been embarrassed about what happened while their last training session.

"Suit yourself." He replied as casual as ever. The aloof and lazy façade wasn't about to crack and show the fact that he had no idea of how to deal with this situation. It wasn't one that being a ninja prepared you for, unless your answer was to flee and hide. He was quite fast and stealthy, maybe that was what he should do.

The actual dinner was mostly uneventful. Small chitchat, a profusion of blushing on Sakura's part, okay food... The only notable event was the loud noise of thunder ripping through the sky and landing far away from them before rain poured freely, pouding heavily on the windows and the ground. Both jonins stared at the sole window of his kitchen, a little wide-eyed. Thunder boomed again, flooding the appartment in a sudden flash of bright light. Kakashi's neck spun slowly until he was looking straight at his companion, a somewhat sour look on his face.

"...Do you think it'll let up soon?" Came her small, hesitant voice. A quick look at the sky in the distance showed him clouds that went on and on, not anywhere close to bypassing Konoha.à

"I don't think so." He answered honestly. Why didn't they have these meetings earlier? He never ate so late, or fo so long. It was all Sakura's fault. If she accomodated his schedule some more, he would be in his bed reading Icha Icha by now. But no, she had to be here, getting up to wash the dishes, hogging his house most likely for the night. Of course, he'd feel too guilty sending her home in such a weather without any kind of protection from the angry clouds.

"You can have the couch." He muttered in defeat after a while, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back in his chair.

"Really? You don't mind?" She pratically beamed at him as she twirled around to face him, eyes sparkling with relief and appreciation. If she didn't have such gorgeous eyes, maybe he would be able to kick her out, regardless of the weather.

"Make yourself at home." He threw back before his thoughts drifted to how he could survive the night without ripping his hair out in frustration.

The next couple of hours passed relatively quickly for the couple. Icha Icha kept Kakashi well occupied while Sakura was busy touring his home more in detail, browsing through his books and occasionally picking one up to skim through as she evaluated how interesting it could be. She'd settled on one after a while and made herself comfy on his small couch and read the rest of the time.

"I'm calling it a night." The male let out as he stood from the kitchen chair and made his way to his bedroom.

"Kakashi-sensei." His teammate called quickly when he grabbed the doorknob, causing him to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from imagining dirty scenarios.

"Yes?" He replied, turning his head to look at her, leaning over the top of the couch to be able to see him.

"I don't have any clothes to sleep in..." She said sheepishly, scratching her red-tinged cheek with a finger. So little was enough to make him want her, to go over there and just carry her to his bedroom or something. Maybe it was how sweet it felt to have her underneath him while he kissed her neck and caressed her inviting body...

He opened the door without hesitating and fumbled in his drawers for a clean short-sleeved shirt he wore for summer. Finding one that satisfied his criterias, he returned to the living room to hand it to her, feeling a small jolt of electricity course through his body when their fingers brushed.

"Thanks." She let out when she grabbed the shirt away from his hold. He offered a shrug of his shoulders as a reply before they wished each other a good night and he retreated to his bedroom. As soon as the door clicked closed behin him, he leaned his back against it and listened intently for any sound from the other side. It was barely a few seconds before the sound of clothes ruffling reached his ears and he knew Sakura was undressing. His body was pratically begging him to go back there and just take what he wanted so badly, but his mind disagreed and forced him to go lay in his bed and shut his eyes until sleep claimed him once he'd stripped down to his pants.


Chapter Seven: Click Here