Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Grounded	By : djserani Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 2818 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
- 14
After a quick breakfast, they broke camp and started down the river. They paused long enough for Neji and Hinata to search the area, but there was nothing besides some two-day old tracks that could have been anyone. They headed south along the same route the Leaf ninja were taking, so it was likely the rogue nin. But that meant they were still two days ahead of them.
As they took to the trees, Temari caught up to Sakura. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
Sakura glanced over at Kakashi and when he acknowledged it, she dropped back behind the others with Temari. “Is everything okay?”
“Oh, I’m fine. Didn’t mean to worry you. I—” she paused to gather her thoughts. “I wanted to apologize.”
Sakura looked puzzled. “Apologize? Why?”
“It’s none of my business who you choose to be with. But beyond that, it’s certainly not right for me to question it. If you and Kakashi are happy together, if he’s what makes you happy, then I’m happy for you. I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable.”
Sakura stared at her a minute, fighting to control the surge of tears that threatened. She’d stopped crying a long time ago. It was pissing her off that it seemed to be back with a vengeance. She sighed. “Thank you. You don’t need to apologize. I should have known we’d get questions. But I hadn’t really thought about what other people would think. I was just standing there the other night, too busy being relieved that he was willing to do it. You know?”
Temari smiled. “Not really, but I think I can imagine. But I do understand not thinking about other people at that moment.” She paused to look ahead at Shikamaru. “I’ve been denying my attraction to him for a long time. I told Shika last night that we don’t choose who we fall in love with and that’s true, to a point. We could avoid certain people that are bad for us or ones that might make our lives overly complicated. But who’s to say that’s not how it’s supposed to be? Maybe we’re meant to go through that stuff. And maybe the complications are worth it.” She shrugged.
Sakura was silent for a few moments, absorbing all of that. “Are you talking about me, or yourself?” She asked finally.
Temari laughed. “I’m not sure.”
Sakura laughed with her and her gaze went to Kakashi’s back. “I thought it was pity at first. Duty, honor, something like that.”
“You’re kidding?” Temari raised an eyebrow.
Sakura shook her head. “I couldn’t imagine how someone like him—you know, Kakashi, the Copy Ninja, one of the most famous in our lifetime, could want me. I still sometimes think of myself the way I was so long ago, before Tsunade took me on as an apprentice. Scared, whiny…” she laughed and shook her head again. “I know I’m not that girl anymore, but desirable? To a man like him?” She shrugged one shoulder.
“You have to know that’s not true.” When Sakura glanced over at her, she said, “I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He may only have one eye, but that one is expressive enough. Are you telling me, you’ve never seen him look at you with desire, ever?”
Sakura shook her head, but it gave her pause. She thought back over the missions and training they’d done together over the years. Had he ever looked at her like that?

Sakura stood up and pulled her headband off of her head, twisting her hair up off of her neck before retying it. It was hotter than she could ever remember in the Leaf and Kakashi wasn’t letting up. She downed half the bottle of water in front of her, poured the rest over herself and turned back.
She pulled her gloves tighter on her and loosened the zipper on her top a little, praying for a tiny little breeze. “Come on, the Akatsuki won’t wait for a cool day to attack!” He shouted from the other side of the field. Naruto had gone to see Jiraiya again to learn more about the toad summons and she and Kakashi had been left to train alone.
She sighed and took off at a run. As she got close, she channeled chakra into her fist and sent it into the ground. She opened a crater several feet wide, but Kakashi’s clone simply poofed. She growled in frustration and turned to look for him.
He waved in that annoyingly casual way he had when he knew he’d gotten the better of her, then settled into a tree to her right. He at least didn’t insult her anymore by having his book out while they trained.
She considered simply running over and ripping the tree out of the ground, but figured he’d already had a plan for that. So, instead, she simply sat down, stretched her legs out in front of her and leaned back on her hands.
She watched out of the corner of her eye as he raised an eyebrow. She smiled to herself and gave up on him for a few more minutes. She pulled the zipper a little lower and concentrated on trying to cool off.
A few seconds later, there was a shadow over her face. She looked up into Kakashi’s good eye. “Hello, Sensei.”
“I’ve told you I’m not your sensei anymore. You’ve passed me up in training.” He squatted over her, his arms resting on his knees. “Now, why did you give up?”
She snorted and sat up. “Right. Passed you up.” She sighed, but as she started to reply to his question, she realized he was staring at her. She felt the blush creep up over her face. She couldn’t have mistaken the look in his eye. She cleared her throat and squirmed under his scrutiny.
“You might want to zip your top up,” He said quietly and when she glanced down, she realized that the lace of her bra was peeking out. Her blush deepened, and she pulled the tab up quickly. She looked up at him and realized that he was only a few inches from her face.
She had no idea how long they sat like that. She couldn’t seem to breathe when he was that close and he didn’t seem inclined to move. She could feel his breath through the cotton of his mask and she itched to reach up and pull it down. It was only the realization of what she wanted to do after it was down that brought her back to her senses.
She cleared her throat. “Right, um…” She glanced away, having forgotten completely what he’d asked.
Kakashi cleared his throat, too. “I think we’ve done enough for today. Tomorrow, same time.”
She nodded and, unable to look at him, jumped to her feet and picked up her stuff quickly. On her way out of the training grounds, she looked over her shoulder and he was still standing where she she’d left him, watching her.

That had been more than two years ago. Sakura glanced over at Temari now and the blush on her face must have given her away. Temari grinned at her and they fell into a comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

* * *
In the front of the group, Kakashi was lost in his own memories. Another day just a few days after Sakura’s memory. This time, they’d gone on a simple escort mission and were on their way back.

He’d awakened early and sat up against a tree. She was stretched out on her mat on the other side of the fire, one arm flung up over her head, the other resting on her stomach. Her chest rose and fell with the even breathing of deep sleep and she had a small half-smile on her face. Whatever she was dreaming about was good.
He found himself wondering if he was in any of her dreams. Did he ever put the smile on her face? Was he the hero? Or something else entirely?
She stirred and rolled onto her side, facing him. She tucked her hands under her face and her eyebrows came together in a frown. The blanket slipped down and he watched as the goose bumps formed on her arms. It was still cool in the mornings, though by afternoon it would be horribly hot and miserable.
He knew it was a mistake to touch her, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. He rose and slipped around the fire until he was sitting next to her. He pulled the blanket up over her shoulder and tucked it around her. Despite his misgivings, he pulled his gloves off and smoothed his fingertips over her forehead. He watched in fascination as her frown smoothed out.
He couldn’t seem to look away from her. He ran his hand over the silky pink strands that had escaped her headband and lay spread across the mat. He had a moment to briefly wonder what it would feel like to run his hands through it, but then he reminded himself that someone like Sakura was not for someone like him.
She rolled again and this time, her arm came out and rested on his leg. She mumbled something that he couldn’t make out and, against his better judgment, he moved his headband aside and watched her with both eyes.
A moment later, he wasn’t disappointed and she mumbled again. This time, he could read her lips clearly. “Kakashi.”
She’d said his name? Why? He stared at her expression, not sure what he was expecting. But the smile, the slight blush wasn’t it. He couldn’t begin to imagine what she must be dreaming about, but try as he might, he was still a man. And his own imagination went a little crazy.
He couldn’t stop the reaction he felt. And he wasn’t sure if he wanted to. He just knew he couldn’t follow up on it.
He closed his eyes and tried to think of a way to move without disturbing her, but instead all he could see was the image of her as she’d been a few days prior, during their training. She’d been leaning back on her hands, her shirt unzipped part way, trying to deal with the heat. And try as he might, he couldn’t have missed the bit of her lacy black bra or the slight swell of her breasts that peeked over the edge of the zipper.
He’d nearly gone insane. And then she sat up and it took every bit of willpower he possessed to not kiss her silly then and there. Instead, he managed to end their training for the day. And he’d spent the rest of it in a cold shower, trying to forget what he’d seen. It had been futile. He’d never forgotten.
He sighed. He had to get out from under her arm before she woke up or he’d never be able to explain it. Very carefully, he lifted her arm and slipped his leg out from under it. She stirred and reached out, but when her hand didn’t find what she was looking for, she frowned again and her eyes opened.
He held his breath. How did he explain why he was hovering over her? What would he say?
“Hi.” That was all she said as she stared at him. “Is it time to get up?”
It was still too early for that, so he couldn’t even use that excuse. It wasn’t even fully daylight yet. “No, go back to sleep. I…just couldn’t.”
She continued to stare for another moment and he watched as her hand curled into a fist where it lay. She seemed to be having as much trouble breathing as he did, but he couldn’t seem to move.
“Why are you sitting there?” It seemed to have taken an immense effort for her to ask that.
And he knew that it wasn’t really the words she was trying to say. She wanted to know why he was so close. She wanted to know why he was looking at her the way he was. And he didn’t have an answer for her. “You kicked your blanket off. I was just covering you up.” Not a complete lie, but enough of one. He didn’t like it.
She accepted it, though, with only the barest hint of disappointment. She forced a smile onto her face and looked at him. “Thanks.” She pulled it tighter around herself and closed her eyes, giving him the escape he needed.
He settled back in his place on the other side of the fire and closed his eyes to try to get a little more rest, but the only thing he could see was a pair of large, expressive green eyes.

Kakashi brought himself back to the present forcibly. Two years he’d spent with moments like that, denying himself. Denying what he knew was happening. She’s always been too young, a former student… simply too good for someone like him. He was alone and he liked it that way. At least, that was what he told himself.
And the reactions of her friends had proved that some of that, at least, were reasons why this was a bad idea. He was much older than her. He was her former teacher and he thought again that it wasn’t fair to her to put her through all of that. It wasn’t fair to make her life harder just because of him. For what? So he could hold on to her? What was she getting out of it?
- 12
- 13
- 14
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