Author's Notes: 1000 word Drabble for Ookamiakai from deviantART

Christmas Gift for Ookamiakai

Sakura sat on a bench alone. On days like this she felt she was completely alone. Yeah she had her friends but they were all away on assignments. Besides working at the hospital, she barely had time for her friends or anything else for that matter. By the time she would get some time off, she spent it alone and it was beginning to get on her nerves about it. But what could she do?

For about the thousandth time, she gave a heavy sigh, wondering what to do. It was a warm summer day, nearly too warm to do anything. Being distracted on what to do, she never felt someone approach her with a very familiar chakra signature. His footfalls were heavy enough to probably be noticed but she didn't notice and her uninvited guest was quick to see that.

"A ninja should never drop their guard, even when in the safety of her own village," greeted a very familiar lazy sounding voice.

Sakura jumped, turning to the sound of the voice, hair whipping around her face. "Kakashi-Sensei!" she squeaked.

"Sakura it's been two years since the Fourth Shinobi War, we are comrades in arms. No longer am I your Sensei. We're partners."

She nodded, getting her nerves back under control. "I know," she answered. "And you weren't even our Sensei months leading up to the war either, but back then you were still higher rank than me."

"That maybe so but you're now a Jonin. We're on equal terms." Seeing there was an unoccupied space beside her, he took a seat beside her, leaning his arms on his knees. "So what seems to be troubling you? Judging by the look on your face and the way you were distracted something is bugging you."

She snorted. "How is it you can do that? You read those darn hentai books and yet seem to know everything in what's going on around you."

"You know I can't give you that answer. A shinobi…"

"Yes, I know…" she sighed. "Never gives away his secrets." She took a deep breath. "Life is so mundane lately."

"How is that? You take jobs don't you?"

"That's exactly my point," she replied. "I get up, go to the hospital work a shift there then go home. I'll sometimes get requested for a quest but the moment I get back it's back to work as usual. Lately all my friends are away on assignments and there's nothing for me to do after my shift at the hospital. Life has been rather peaceful since the defeat of Kabuto and Akatuski…"

"But?"

"Oh, I don't know. Perhaps I'm just getting bored of the single life. Naruto has Hinata. Ino has Sasuke, since he returned to the village and atoned for his crimes. Shikamaru's dating Temari. Everyone has lives outside of their ninja work."

"Being single can have its advantages," Kakashi tried to reason but he could see where she was going with this. He knew from the time he met when she was still a 'little girl' and didn't realize just how dangerous being a shinobi really was until her mission to the Land of Waves, she would not enjoy the single life forever. He was actually amazed she made it this far. She was now 19, legal age to marry and to be with whom ever she pleased. There were no restrictions on who she could date. Her range of men was wide open for the taking, but he often seen her turn down date after date and now she seemed to be regretting those rejections.

"Besides the fact, you're single?" she asked sarcastically. "Kakashi-Sensei you chose that life because you've taken on more deadly jobs than I can even imagine. You told me yourself you were Jonin at the age I graduated from the academy. I could never compare to you in that aspect."

"Not many can," he answered honestly. "Sakura, what do you want out of life besides continuing your life as a shinobi. I know you still want to fight."

"Yes I do but…" she paused to look over at the man who always wore a mask over his face. Never once did she see what was behind the mask. "I would like to go home and have someone to talk to about my day. To share meals with and who knows maybe start a family of my own to carry on the Haruno name or maybe the name of the man I would be with."

"Then perhaps you should stop rejecting dates people ask of you," he suggested.

"But none of them interest me," she huffed as she looked down at her feet. "I want someone who is strong, can fight on his own, won't treat me like a fragile piece of glass…" she then snorted, lifting her head to look at him. "I want someone with your type of calibre."

Kakashi blinked, surprised by this. Would it be even possible? She was of legal age, after all. But it would be weird as he knew her when was just a child, but that seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Well not you specifically," she rushed out, turning away, hair framing around her face, preventing him from seeing a blush form. "I'm just meaning…"

"Sakura…" he said in a hushed tone as his hand reached out, to take hers, surprising her, forcing her to look up. "I know what you're asking. I may be single and like to read 'hentai' books, but I'm not as absent minded as many may think."

Her green eyes stared into his uncovered onyx eye and saw something she wasn't sure she could tell what it was, but knew it wasn't his usual look. Faster than she thought was even possible, his face was right up against hers as bare lips were covering her own in a gentle, sweet kiss.

He soon moved away and stood. "Think about it." With that he then stood, leaving her stunned in his wake.