Sasuke groaned, feeling his head throbbing uncomfortably. He felt something warm wrapped around his waist. He looked down with a smile to see Naruto's arm casually holding him as he continued to snore. Sasuke chuckled at the sight of Naruto and himself laying on Sakura and Kakashi's inn floor. It was so typical of them- they finally got the nerve to get a room with a bed and they didn't even end up sleeping in that bed.

Sasuke gently patted Naruto's face in an attempt to wake the sleeping blonde. Naruto yawned loudly, and Sasuke felt his heart leap in his throat. He glanced over at the bed and saw that Kakashi and Sakura were still out like a light. "Phew," he muttered. "C'mon, let's get to our room before they wake up," Sasuke whispered. It was embarrassing enough to realize that they had fallen asleep on their floor in the first place. He didn't particularly want Sakura and Kakashi to find out that they had slept on their floor.

Naruto grumbled something unintelligible but got up and followed Sasuke out the door. They closed it gently and tiptoed back to their adjacent room.

Naruto immediately crawled back in the bed, snuggling up under the covers. "What are you doing dobe?" Sasuke asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Going back to sleep, what does it look like?" Naruto replied. He wasn't always a little ball of sunshine when he first awoke. Sasuke smirked.

"Fine. I still have a headache anyways," Sasuke said as he got in bed next to Naruto. Naruto immediately turned around and cuddled up against Sasuke's warm chest. Sasuke wrapped his arm around Naruto, rubbing his hand up and down his back gently.

They both fell back asleep in an instant, embracing the slumber to rid them of the fogginess in their heads from drinking too much sake.

/

Kakashi blinked a few times before looking at the clock on their wall, surprised by how late he and Sakura slept in. The empty bottle of sake laid on the floor, with four empty cups beside it. Kakashi was in no rush to wake his sleeping beauty. He brushed aside some pink strands from her face, watching her peaceful slumber.

She wiggled her nose at his light touch and slowly opened her green eyes. "Ka-kashi?" she yawned. "What time is it? Where's Naruto and Sasuke?"

"It's nearly 10. And I suspect those two went back to their room," Kakashi replied.

"Huh, I could've sworn I saw them fall asleep on the floor," Sakura said.

Kakashi laughed, "Yeah, they were so drunk they couldn't make it back to their room last night. I heard them get up around 7, but I pretended to be asleep still. We probably shouldn't mention it to them, I think we've all dealt with enough embarrassment for the time being."

"Agreed," Sakura said, stretching before she got out of bed.

…

Sakura didn't see Sasuke or Naruto over the next few days. By the time she and Kakashi checked out of their inn room, Sasuke and Naruto had already left. They reported in with Kakashi briefly about their mission back at the village, but did not speak to him about what had happened the night before. Sasuke said he would get back to his travels, and Naruto was busy doing some teaching at the Academy. He was asked to help with the new classes by giving speeches about the war and demonstrating some simple beginner techniques.

Sakura stared at her reflection in the mirror one more time. She was wearing her favorite green kimono, one that matched perfectly with her eyes. Her hair was tied up in a neat bun, with floral embellishments. She looked good, she had to admit. She was still nervous though. The day of the spring festival had finally arrived.

A loud knock on her door alerted her to Kakashi's presence. She opened to find the hokage there, dressed in his most formal attire with the hokage sama hat. His presence was domineering, to say the least.

"Wow," she breathed as she stared up at him.

His eyes crinkled upwards as he smiled, "You ready?" Sakura nodded and took his hand in hers. It was the first time they were walking hand in hand in public, and as they headed for the heart of the village, people were already beginning to turn heads.

The streets were filled with people and market stands all around. The sweet smells of sugar coated treats and delectable meats tinged the air, making Sakura sigh pleasantly. Bright colors swam before their eyes as various merchants showed off their products with glee. A small stage was set up in the center of it all, with a microphone set up and ready for the hokage to come and welcome the beginning of spring.

As they flowed through the crowd, Sakura saw familiar faces. It was only a matter of time before they ran into one of her friends, or Kakashi's.

"Kakashi!" it was Might Guy's firm voice that echoed above the crowd. He wheeled himself over in his chair, with a bright grin and a thumbs up. Rock Lee was in tow behind him.

"Hey Guy," Kakashi greeted. Guy had noticed Sakura's presence, and he was looking between the two of them, baffled. They were still holding hands.

"Oh, what is this?" Rock Lee cried in surprise as he caught up with his sensei.

"Hello Rock Lee," Kakashi said before clearing his throat, "I brought Sakura to the festival as my date."

Rock Lee and Guy's eyes both shined with something like admiration and astonishment. Sakura sighed, knowing that they were about to say something ridiculous. "Ah haha Kakashi! I see that youth has not left you yet! Here's another battle in which you have beaten me! The battle of young love!"

Kakashi groaned audibly. Guy made everything between them a competition.

"Sakura," Rock Lee said in a small voice. Sakura felt a pinch of guilt, she knew that Rock Lee had a crush on her when she was younger. She wondered if his feelings were still the same after all this time. He looked her up and down and smiled brightly, giving her a thumbs up. She was shocked by his gesture. "I was a little taken aback, but I can see that you are genuinely happy! And that makes me happy!"

Sakura's features softened and she smiled warmly, "Thanks Rock Lee," she said, meaning it.

She felt a tightness in her chest release as Kakashi and Guy engaged in conversation about other matters. Rock Lee spoke excitedly with Sakura about his new training regiment, and how he was aiming to become a jonin soon and have pupils of his own. Sakura was relieved that these two took the news of her and Kakashi dating surprisingly well. Perhaps there was nothing to worry about here.

"Oh Sakura," Rock Lee said before he left with Guy, "I thought I saw Naruto earlier, he and Sasuke were heading this direction, but they were in some kind of argument, so I didn't get a chance to say hello. If you see them, give them my greeting!"

"Oh, yeah, sure!" Sakura said, shocked to hear that Rock Lee had spotted the elusive duo. Perhaps they had given Kakashi's suggestion that they come out at the spring festival some thought and decided to come.

/

Sasuke trudged his feet as they walked slowly towards the festival. His one arm was hidden by his oversized black kimono. He kept his hand hidden so that Naruto couldn't hold it. He was still having mixed feelings about this whole matter.

"C'mon, it won't be so bad dattebayo. Besides, everyone is eager to see you after all this time," Naruto said, trying again to wriggle Sasuke's hand out from the large sleeve.

Sasuke pulled his hand away, and Naruto looked slightly hurt. "I still don't think this is the best idea. You're buying the food tonight."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Fine teme, we'll eat whatever you want. But can you at least act like we're dating? Are you really that scared to hold my hand?"

"I don't like public displays of affection. It's annoying," Sasuke murmured.

"Ugh, fine," Naruto said, feeling defeated.

"Why do you feel the need to hold my hand anyways?" Sasuke asked.

"Because I'm your boyfriend. Because I love you," Naruto said, immediately stopping in his tracks as he did so. It was the first time he ever admitted his true feelings for Sasuke. Those three words had sort of slipped out. He always imagined saying it to Sasuke under more romantic circumstances. He felt like kicking himself for saying it here and now like this.

Sasuke turned to look at Naruto with a soft expression. His scowl was gone, and admiration took its place. "Naruto," Sasuke said, "I love you too. That's why I'm doing this."

The smile Naruto gave him was one that Sasuke would treasure forever. He nodded and blushed, intending to keep walking when he saw a flash of something green. "Hey, is that Rock Lee?" he asked.

Sasuke turned around, but the green blur was gone. "Huh. I don't see anything," Sasuke said, shrugging. He turned around and began to walk. Then, ever so hesitantly, his hand emerged from the folds of his sleeve and he grabbed Naruto's hand, a little roughly. Naruto held back a squeal of delight and locked his fingers in Sasuke's hand, feeling like the happiest man on Earth.

/

Kakashi gave a great speech, welcoming spring and encouraging the people to enjoy the festivities. It was short and sweet, and everyone clapped for their hokage, praising him for all his hard work so far. Kakashi stepped off the stage and made a beeline for Sakura. Sakura beamed at him, clasping her hands around his.

"You did great," she said.

He sighed, "I somehow still get nervous when I have to talk in front of everyone. I'm glad it's over. Now we can relax and enjoy the festival."

Sakura smiled, ready to stand on her tiptoes to give him a light kiss over his mask. But her intentions were interrupted as she heard a delighted and surprised yelp.

"Sakura!" it was Ino, who was rushing over to hug her friend. She embraced her in a bone crushing hug, with Sai running up behind her. "So this is your secret date!? The hokage?!" Ino asked with disbelief. Sakura had told Ino a few days ago that she was bringing a date to the spring festival, and Ino was extremely curious as to who it was.

"Yes," Sakura said, feeling her cheeks warm. Sai looked at the scene, finally realizing what was going on.

"Oh," he said, "this is a little awkward, isn't it? Kakashi was your sensei, and now he's your lover. I think that's breaking some sort of social rule, isn't it?" Sai said, truly puzzled.

Ino extracted herself from Sakura in an attempt to shut up her clueless boyfriend. Sakura rolled her eyes, still flushed in the face. "Sai, I'm not a little kid anymore, it's okay."

"Yeah, Sakura is old enough to make these kinds of decisions," Kakashi agreed, wrapping an arm around Sakura's waist.

Sai smiled genuinely, "I had my suspicions."

"What?" Ino was shocked, "You knew they were dating and you didn't tell me?"

"I had suspicions, I wasn't sure. Now I am though." Sai stated simply.

Sakura eyed him closely, "How the hell did you know? We kept it a secret for a long time."

"You were both happier around each other. Sakura, you could never stop smiling when you were with him, or when you were called to go to the hokage's office. I know how to tell the difference between your real smile and your fake smile. You always had a real smile with Kakashi." Sai explained, as if it was a science experiment he had deduced.

Sakura blushed harder, not expecting his response. But it was true, she could recall always being happier when around Kakashi. Ino smiled at her friend and said, "I'm glad I finally know who your date is. I think it's a great match." Sakura smiled and then Ino suddenly looked at Kakashi with an intense stare, "But Kakashi, if you ever break her heart…I know you're the hokage, but I will definitely make you suffer."

"Ah Ino, no, you don't have to say such things!" Sakura said, waving her arms in front of her face, embarrassed.

"I'll keep that in mind," Kakashi said, not feeling threatened at all. He planned to protect Sakura's heart at all costs. He would never hurt her.

"Oh hey," Sai said all of a sudden, breaking the awkward tension, "It's Sasuke and Naruto." He pointed to a booth in the distance. Sakura and Kakashi turned to see Naruto and Sasuke eating dango. Naruto was trying to feed Sasuke, but it didn't look like Sasuke wanted any part of being fed to. Sakura giggled and Kakashi sighed knowingly.

The four of them walked over to the booth, where Sasuke had finally snatched the dango from Naruto's hand. "Hey! I was trying to be romantic dattebayo!"

"It wasn't working. Besides, I can feed myself," Sasuke snarled before taking a bite.

Both of them flinched when they noticed Kakashi, Sakura, Sai and Ino's presence. Sai and Ino were staring at Sasuke as though he was an alien. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, ready for the worst.

"Hello Sasuke," Sai greeted, "it's been a long time."

"Yeah," Ino said, "how are you?"

Sasuke swallowed his dango, not sure what to say. He wasn't very good at polite small talk. "I'm fine," he managed to say.

"How are you guys? Enjoying the festival?" Naruto asked with a smile. Sasuke stepped back a little, letting his boyfriend do all the chattering.

They engaged in small talk for a little while, catching up about various missions and matters in the village. Then, Ino cocked her head slightly to the side and asked Naruto bluntly, "I have to ask, when did you and Sasuke start dating?" It was too big a question for her to hold back. She had to know about the gossip, and her curiosity was killing her.

Naruto scratched the back of his head as a fierce blush dusted his whiskered cheeks, "Oh haha, so you figured that out dattebayo?"

"Eight months ago," Sasuke stated brusquely, daring Ino with his eyes to make some sort of homophobic remark. But Ino didn't say anything mean, or ask any stupid questions like he thought she would. She and Sai both wore a smile, with looks of understanding.

"That's great. I'm happy for you guys," Ino said. Sasuke's eyes widened with shock. He had been expecting everyone to sneer and look at them with disgust. He didn't expect anyone to accept their relationship.

Naruto nudged his side and whispered into his ear, "I told you so."

"Tch, stupid," Sasuke muttered. Naruto laughed at Sasuke's response and said his goodbyes to the four of them. They all went their separate ways to enjoy the festival with their dates.

Sasuke was surprised by every person they encountered, and how easily accepted their relationship was to others. Kiba and Shino laughed playfully, saying they knew all along that Naruto and Sasuke would end up together. Rock Lee gave them an enthusiastic thumbs up, saying that he himself needed to hurry up and find a date, so as not to lose the 'competition of love.' Tenten smiled happily for them, trying to calm her energetic best friend. Shikamaru shrugged, not seeming to care either way if Naruto and Sasuke were dating or not. But Naruto also saw a tiny smirk on Shikamaru's lips, evidence that Shikamaru was happy for his friends. All in all, the news of their relationship was received well by all members of the village.

Kakashi and Sakura were subjected to speaking to several officials and higher up members of the village for a little while, keeping up appearances. Sakura was a little nervous speaking to the elders of the village, fearful of their judgments. But, they seemed to enjoy Sakura and warmed up to her bright smiles and quirky sense of humor. She soon relaxed, realizing that she could be herself around them.

After finishing their rounds of hokage-duty appearances, Sakura and Kakashi were able to go around the booths and try new foods and play the silly games. Along the way, they met up with other friends, including Shikamaru and Temari, Kiba, Shino, Tenten, and Kurenai. All were receptive of the fact that they were dating, much to Kakashi and Sakura's relief. Things were going smoother than they had planned.

"I told you things would be alright," Sakura said to Kakashi. "People respect you as the hokage, and they respect your decisions."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Kakashi said as he and Sakura walked towards the next booth. "I'm actually really enjoying myself here, I wish the festival didn't have to end."

"Yeah, me too," Sakura said, grasping hold of his arm. "But you know, now that people know about us dating, we don't have to keep things a secret anymore."

"Yeah, I figured," Kakashi said in a 'duh of course' kind of way.

"What I mean is that you and I can see each other more often," Sakura said, explaining herself, "I can come over to your place more without watching behind my back and we can hold hands in public and-" her run-on sentence was cut short as Kakashi spoke up. He didn't normally interrupt her conversation, but he was too nervous about his next question.

"Well, why don't you move in with me then?" he asked in a hurried manner. Sakura's eyes grew wide, and she wasn't sure what to say at first. She wasn't expecting him to ask her that. It would mean moving their relationship to the next level. Sakura only needed to think about it for a few seconds before she made up her mind.

"Yes," she stammered.

Kakashi turned to her and placed both hands on her waist, staring at her with new found interest. "A-are you sure? You don't need to think it over? I know it's a big deal."

"I'm sure. I think I've known for a while now that I'd like to live with you, and take our relationship to the next stage. Maybe that's why I was so desperate to tell everyone that we're dating. With that out of the way, we can take things more seriously, and settle down," Sakura said as pink bloomed over her cheeks.

Kakashi hugged her, right in the middle of the street as people walked around them and stared or giggled. He didn't care. He was so happy that Sakura said 'yes' to his request. "I would like nothing more, Sakura," Kakashi whispered into her ear. She smiled into his warm hug, willing herself not to get too sappy and cry.

/

Sasuke tugged on Naruto's hand, trying to urge him away from his lengthy conversation with Konohamaru. Naruto got the hint and waved goodbye to his friend, saying "I'll catch up with you more later, see ya!" Konohamaru waved back and left.

"All this small talk is wearing me out. Are you ready to leave now? It's quite late." Sasuke stated.

"Yeah, I am pretty tired dattebayo," Naruto admitted. They headed back towards Naruto's home, both silent for a while. Then, Naruto mustered up the courage to ask, "do you want to sleep at my place tonight? I mean, you don't have to head out of the village just yet, do you?"

Sasuke smiled at him, "Sure. I'll stay over tonight. Now that people know about us, I guess it's alright."

"Yeah!" Naruto said excitedly. "My room is a little messy though, but I can tidy it up real fast before we sleep."

Sasuke laughed a little, "It's alright dobe. I'll only be here for one night. I need to get back to my journey tomorrow morning."

Naruto sighed, knowing that he would miss Sasuke once he left. But he was still grinning, thinking about sharing his bed with Sasuke. "You don't look too sad," Sasuke noted. "Usually you're put out when I tell you I have to leave."

"I'll miss you, of course. But I think I feel a little better now, knowing that you love me," Naruto said, squeezing Sasuke's hand.

Sasuke smiled at him, "I've always loved you, you were just too stupid to realize it." Naruto laughed, brushing off his insult, knowing that Sasuke really did care about him. It was the most heartwarming feeling in the world, to love and be loved in return.

….

Author's Note: Alright, I hope you guys enjoyed my fluffy story! Thanks for reading and reviewing, I appreciate it!