Chapter 20 - Rainy Day

Sakura washed the dishes while Kakashi went upstairs to get dressed. What just happened? She wasn’t sure what to make of it. On the plus side, she now knew for a fact that he was interested. There was no way she could miss that sizeable bulge as he pressed himself closer to her. Nobody reacted like that if they weren’t interested. On the downside, things just got really, really awkward between her and her teacher.

Kakashi walked down the stair slowly, and Sakura couldn’t help but smile when she saw he was buried in his usual Makeout Paradise novel.

“Ready to go?” she asked, and laughed when his eye shot up to her face, surprised. He’d been so engrossed in his novel that he forgot she was there.

“Uh… yeah.” Kakashi sighed inwardly, and she could feel the tension rolling off him in waves.

She popped open a large black umbrella as she stepped outside and waited for him to lock up. They walked side by side in silence until they reached the street, where he stopped in his tracks. She stopped a few step ahead of him, accidentally leaving him exposed to the rain. A look of question was evident in her expression when she turned around to meet his eyes.

“Sakura?” His voice was his usual deadpan, but his gaze fixated on her, intense.

“Yes, sensei?” Her voice was surprisingly clear- she had to ball her hand into a fist to stop her fingers from shaking.

“Thanks for breakfast.”

--

A single frigid raindrop fell on Hisako’s face, and she jerked awake. She looked up at the sky with a confused expression as another fell and landed on the tip of her nose. Then the downpour began. Hisako shrieked and scrambled to her feet, making a hasty line for the trees. She stood under the tree’s protection and watched wave after wave of raindrops attack the landscape in awe.

Today is a bad day to wear just a t-shirt and shorts, she thought dryly as a shudder wracked her whole body. She needed to get somewhere dry and warm before she caught a cold. With a heavy sigh, she headed back toward the village at a run.

--

Tenzo looked out his window at the deluge with a sour expression. He usually loved the rain, but when it was coming down like this and it was this cold outside, he doubted he’d get to see a certain gennin.

I hope she managed to get out of there before it started pouring.

He sighed as he glanced about his room. He’d passed on the mission he would have been assigned today, due to a “cold.” Truth was, he just wanted to see that girl again. Now that that was out of the question, Tenzo decided to do something productive- house cleaning.

With another disappointed sigh, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

--

A drenched Hisako finally made it home. She slid her window open and practically fell inside, eager to escape the cold rain. She dragged the curtains closed and peeled out of her soggy clothing, hanging them up to dry on the empty towel rack. She grabbed the towel that had been lying on the radiator and used it to dry herself off, reveling in the warmth.

She wrapped the towel around herself and walked over to her closet in search of dry clothes that were preferably more suited to this type of weather. She opted for a maroon flannel long-sleeved shirt and a pair of black pants that bunched around the ankle. Making sure the door was locked, she shed her towel and slipped into the dry clothes.

Hisako pulled the ribbon that was holding her hair up, and it came down in cascading waves to rest on her back. She shivered again and clambered into bed, burrowing under the covers and curling her knees to her chest.

If she was ever going to spend another night in that meadow, she was investing in a tent.

--

“So why did you come to check on me?”

Kakashi’s abrupt question snapped Sakura out of her trance.

“Hmm?” She replied, not following.

“I said, why did you come to check on me?” He repeated, then sighed.

“Well, you stood us up for training. Usually you send word if you can’t make it. And when you don’t, you’re either gravely injured or ill. Sasuke-kun and Naruto both volunteered me to check on you, and they went home.” She gave a small laugh at the memory.

“Mm,” he grunted.

“Say, I need to do some grocery shopping for my mom, and from the look of your fridge, you do, too. Would you mind accompanying me?”

Well, it wouldn’t hurt to ask, she thought. I like being around him.

“Hmm,” he grunted again, considering. He had no legitimate reason to turn her down, and he really did need groceries. Kakashi snuck a sideways glance at Sakura. She seemed unfazed by what happened earlier, so as long as he didn’t let his control slip like that again, it should be fine. Right? “Ah, why not?”

“Oh, really? That’s awesome!” She grinned at him, and he wondered why his presence made her so happy. As far as he was concerned, he was a grumpy old man. How could that appeal to a fifteen year old girl?

Sakura stumbled, and Kakashi’s hand grabbed her elbow, steadying her. The hand stayed on her arm a fraction too long, and the way it slid off her arm to fall back at his side was more like a caress. Her breathing became subtly heavier.

Kakashi glanced at her worriedly. This is how she reacts just to him touching her arm?

She’s not going to make this easy. Not at all.

--

Tenzo looked around, satisfied he’d made a sufficient dent in the housework for the day. He grabbed his umbrella and headed out into the storm; he had some shopping to do.

He walked down the street, glad he’d put on his boots- the dirt was now no more than a long stretch of mud. Tenzo walked past shop after shop, restaurant after restaurant. There seemed to be a gloomy cast about them all- not very many people were like him, willing to brave the storm to do errands. He stopped midstride when his eyes landed on Kakashi-senpai and his student Sakura Haruno walking together, sharing the same umbrella. In one of Sakura’s arms was a bag filled with what looked suspiciously like groceries. In her other hand was the umbrella handle, and Kakashi had to lean forward slightly to avoid getting bonked in the head. Tenzo’s interest was further piqued by the fact that Kakashi’s hand appeared to be on the small of her back. He rolled his eyes heavenward in wordless exasperation.

Subtle, senpai, subtle.

They were almost shoulder-to-shoulder now, and kakashi looked up to meet Tenzo’s inquisitive gaze. The skin around his eye tightened, but when he registered Tenzo’s non-condemning smile, his posture shifted subtly. He seemed less tense, more at peace. Tenzo frowned, thinking.

Looks like he’s feeling pretty guilty about the thing with Sakura. I wonder just what’s going on between them? He’d better watch his step.

Tenzo carried on with his shopping in a thoughtful mood, wondering whether or not to approach his senpai. After all, Kakashi looked like he needed someone to talk to.

--

Chapter 21: http://www.fanart-central.net/chapter-100839.html

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