Chapter 3 - Flustered Sakura, Flustered Kakashi

Sakura sat in the bath, mulling over what had happened not even an hour ago. Kakashi-sensei had seemed seriously concerned when Naruto said she wasn’t feeling well. Well, of course he’s concerned, he’s my teacher. But it had seemed more than that. His eyes – well, eye – had told her a different story. Her head jerked up, her eyes full of shock. But then she laughed bitterly and sighed. She had been attention-starved by Sasuke for so long that she had begun imagining things that couldn’t possibly be. I mean, he’s my SENSEI. Not only am I underage, relationships between teachers and students are forbidden. Kakashi-sensei is pretty straight-laced, and a well-respected member of the Leaf Village. There’s no way he’d risk his reputation for me. LOOK at me. Look at this forehead! Nobody could like this forehead.

“I’m pathetic,” she muttered as she pulled herself out of the bath. She grabbed her towel and began to dry her hair, not bothering to cover her naked body. She turned around, headed for her closet when she stopped dead, frozen in her tracks, staring in horror at the figure that darkened her window. Kakashi-sensei was looking back at her, utter shock totally evident in his expression. Fast as lightning, she moved her towel to cover her body as she let loose an ear-piercing scream that seemed to shake the whole room. Her face buried in the towel that covered her frame, she shook her head in a continual motion. Maybe I was hallucinating. Kakashi-sensei never stops by my house for random visits, and certainly not through the WINDOW! She slowly slid one eye open and dared to peek back at the window. Sure enough, there was nothing there.

Sakura quickly wrapped the towel more securely around herself and ran to the window, looking frantically outside for any trace at all of the man she just hallucinated. Nothing, not even a slight breeze. She shook her head sadly as she reached out and closed the window. I need to be more careful about how far I let my mind wander. I shouldn’t be imagining my sensei in my room, while I’m wearing nothing but a towel…! At this thought, Sakura’s cheeks flushed a bright pink, to match her hair. She collapsed on her bed with a weary sigh, throwing her arm over her face. “Kakashi-sensei…”

--
Kakashi flattened himself against the roof of Sakura’s house, willing his heart to slow down. He was frozen, shocked by what just took place. Sakura had left the training field in such a rush earlier, she left all her ninja gear behind. His heart leapt when he realized that he would be the one to return it to her. He would get to see her again. He lost no time in making his way back to the village, running in a full-out sprint until he reached the edge of the village, where someone might see. He had settled into his usual leisurely walk, making his way through the town, heading directly for Sakura’s house. He didn’t want to bother with talking to the parents, so Kakashi decided to just hop up through the window and return her belongings directly.

Only, when he reached the window-sill, he saw the last thing he ever expected to see. Sakura… naked. There were still droplets of water clinging to her bare skin, and he had a sudden impulse to jump through the window, throw her down on the bed, lick every drop of water off- and then she saw him. Their mutual shocked expressions would have been comical… if it had been anyone else. Anyone else. As soon as Sakura registered who it was, she let out the most horrendous scream he had heard in his life. As soon as her face was covered, he quickly made his escape to her roof, where he was now frozen in fear. Part of his fear was from his reaction to seeing her. The other part was her reaction to seeing him. It was an extreme ego-smasher. Many a woman would have sold her soul to trade places with Sakura. Well, I am her teacher. It would be traumatic for your teacher to see you… He closed his eyes and swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. What do I do now? I still have her ninja gear. “Sakura…”

--
About an hour later

After several walks around the block, Kakashi had finally recovered enough to accomplish what he came for. He strode purposefully straight up to the front door of Sakura’s house. He hesitated only for a moment before knocking distinctly.

“Hello? Who is it? Oh, Kakashi-sama! Come in, come in! This is rare. Not very many can say their doorstep was darkened by the great Kakashi Hatake. Is Sakura-chan in trouble?” Sakura’s mother bustled about, gushing endlessly, seemingly unable to stop. He smiled charmingly, and waved his hand in a “calm down” gesture.

“No, no, nothing like that. Sakura-san forgot something.” Kakashi raised Sakura’s pack in illustration. That explains a lot.

“Oh, I see, I see. Well, I’ll call her down. Sakura? You have a visitor! Come down here!” The woman called up the stairs, then quickly set about preparing tea, chattering away.

A few moments later, Kakashi heard footsteps on the staircase. His heartbeat accelerated slightly.

“Who is it, mom? I’ve got to go out later, so –“ Sakura came to a standstill at the foot of the stairs the moment her eyes set on Kakashi. His heart just about leapt through his chest, but he smiled that same smile, and gestured to her bag. Let’s see if I can play that off as just a… hallucination? Yeah, maybe she’ll buy it. Who knows what goes through teenagers’ minds these days.

“You forgot this when you left the field earlier this afternoon. I just thought I’d return it,” Kakashi said, his silky voice disarming her. Her face steadily grew pinker until it blended in with her hair. She coughed.

“Earlier, at my window… Were you…?” In her embarrassment, Sakura couldn’t even form a coherent sentence. He shook his head silently, his unshielded eye crinkling up, and she knew he was smiling. Again. “Ah… Well, thank you for returning it,” she managed to say, surprisingly formal. Kakashi blinked at her, surprised. He felt his cheeks begin to warm and he was glad, not for the first time and certainly not for the last, that he wore a mask. She was just so darn cute!

“I hope to see you tomorrow at training, Sakura. Bright and early! If… you’re feeling up to it, that is. Don’t push yourself.” Kakashi said gently as he strode out the door, leaving behind a flustered Sakura in his wake.

--

The moment he was out the door, Kakashi took to the rooftops. He needed to get as far away from Sakura – no, as far away from people as he could. He was extremely frustrated with himself. The more he tried to reign in his emotions, the more they seemed to fester. What exactly was going on here? Why were these feelings coming to light now? Why was Kakashi, a straight arrow who stuck to the book, attracted to someone over 10 years his junior? This wasn’t like him. This wasn’t like him at all. He pulled at the top of his mask, the fabric suddenly constricting. A flustered Kakashi? That’s something he hadn’t seen in a very, very long time.

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Chapter 4: http://www.fanart-central.net/chapter-100506.html

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