Melting like ice on a summer day

Hold me like you mean it, take me far away

Bodies movin' and temperature rising

Take me to the top then watch me fall in

Kakashi sipped from the half-full glass in front of him before turning a page in his book. He'd been surprised when he'd arrived and found Sakura wasn't there yet. He wondered if she was paying him back for the countless times she'd been left waiting for him, or if she was avoiding him, or just prolonging the inevitable.

It wasn't like him to lose control over his thoughts because of women or sex (although it wasn't just sex and Sakura wasn't just any woman). But he found his chest tight, that little voice prodding him and telling him that this was everything he deserved, and nothing that Sakura did. He was truly worried about his former student, worried that they, that he, had only made things worse for her. All because he had grown attached to the darling rosette, and couldn't find the strength to tell her so. Or to let her go.

Kakashi took a larger swig of his drink and turned the next page a bit more harshly. He should've been stronger. It didn't matter what he had felt for her before last night… it didn't, he kept repeating to himself, until he sighed-long and heavy as if he could expel the throbbing weakness he had for her along with the guilt. Was this a mistake? Fucking yes it is, his brain screamed. A mistake he'd made twice in one day? Or did it just count as one large mistake since it happened in a twenty four-hour period? Was waiting here a mistake, too? Kakashi wanted to tug his hair out. He was still entertaining the idea of them, or whatever it was they had going on. He should just get over it, tell her that it was wrong…

But it doesn't feel wrong.

Kakashi turned another page as his gaze wandered beyond the top edge of his book. Still no sign of her. When she'd left him in the sleepy afterglow that usually followed great sex, it had been so easy for him to believe he'd agree to whatever she wanted. But in the hours that passed he began to have doubts, regardless of how it had felt. And the icing on the cake? Even though he had given himself real time to process what happened, to look at their situation clearly, he still couldn't forget that light, warm feeling that enveloped him when she'd been there. He couldn't forget the comfort that pulled at his eyelids, her small body curled into his own. He couldn't forget that pull, that tingling sense of wonder he'd felt when she offered him more with that soft smile. That damn smile that he had wanted nothing more than to see just once, to let him know she was still in there.

Kakashi was the last person in the world with any right to berate her for her methods of coping, but thinking on that smile, he began to wonder if he should just end it before either of them got in over their heads. Or got hurt. And after seeing such grief in her eyes, after seeing how fragile that smile had been-the one he wanted to protect so badly-the last thing Kakashi wanted to do was hurt her in any way.

A hand waved in front of his face, breaking him from the deep end of his thoughts. "Hello? Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you waiting. How many times have you been able to hear that?" Sakura teased as she sat next to him at the end of the bar.

"I think this makes three?" he offered as he snapped his book close.

Sakura gestured to his drink. "You weren't waiting long were you?"

He gave an absent shake of his head. "At least I don't think so. It's hard to keep track of the time when I get lost in Jiraiya's masterfully created-"

She laughed. "Sure, sure. You're just as bad as Ino and her romance novels."

Tucking his book away, he offered her a happy eye crease. "Think she could recommend me a book or two?"

"You two should create a book club."

"I've never thought of that before, but now that you mention it… do you think she'd be up for it?"

She huffed out a laugh as she caught the bartender's attention and gestured to Kakashi's drink and signaled for two more. "T&I has been keeping her busy, but I'll gladly mention it to her when I see her next."

The lift of his cheeks let her know he was smiling, but she missed how his gaze flickered down to her arm hugging her middle. He picked up a laminated menu from in front of him and held it out for her to take. "Hope you're hungry."

Sakura stared at the menu, feeling his gaze on her. Her stomach was a bit sour still, and sometimes she could feel the rattle of the Iwa nin's lungs beneath her fingertips as her heart beat. She avoided his silent question as two glasses were set in front of them, and she quickly picked one up to drown away the taste of bile, to help her forget that room deep in the bowels of T&I.

Kakashi watched as she chugged down half of its contents, and then let out a deep sigh. She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth and turned to him with a smile. "That's good."

"Thirsty are we?"

She shrugged and then pushed the menu back over to Kakashi. "You pick something and we can share."

"Have you eaten today?"

Sakura thought back; she vaguely remembered eggs so she nodded. But Kakashi wasn't happy with her answer. "You pick something you want to eat and I'll buy it, how's that?"

She slowly turned to regard him, eyes wide, before setting her hand upon his forehead. "Are you sick?"

He swatted her hand away. "I mean it. You should have a proper meal."

"Okay, mom," she teased, but then realization of what she said sank in. Kakashi could physically see her deflate, even though she fought against it: her shoulders sagged, the corners of her lips turned down, and the happy creases of her eyes fell. She silently took her glass again and took another deep drink from it.

Warmth engulfed her knee and Sakura looked down to see Kakashi's hand there. She stared at his hand for a moment, feeling the friction of his thumb as he rubbed it across her skin, the flex of his fingers as he gave her a reassuring squeeze. The sound of his voice as he ordered some food pulled her attention back up.

"And for you miss?"

She stared at the bartender. What was he asking again? Kakashi quickly answered for her. "We're going to share."

The man nodded and then disappeared to put in their order, and Kakashi turned toward her. "You feeling okay? Did something happen this afternoon?"

Sakura curled her fingers in, to stop the rattling again. But she smiled her safe smile and it was like a switch had been flipped inside her. "Oh, I'm fine, I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night," she gibed, grateful that he had chosen to ignore her mom comment.

"Well, then maybe we should get this to go so I can take you home and put you to bed."

Even if he hadn't meant anything sexual by his statement, all that Sakura could think of was his weight atop of her, his heat sliding across her body with every thrust. She nodded, it certainly sounded like a good idea, but... "Just let me finish these first," she remarked as she turned up her nearly empty glass. She polished off the remainder and then started in on the second one.

"I thought that one was for me," he commented, deadpan.

Her smile was wide as she poked his arm. "But you're still nursing that one. I can't let this go to waste, especially if you're paying for it."

The take out bag crinkled in his grasp as they walked the evening streets toward her apartment. Sakura had always loved springtime in Konoha, the smell of earth and flowers as everything became rejuvenated. But for some reason she couldn't bring it in herself to enjoy it right now. The wind still held a chilly bite to it, as if winter refused to fully surrender, yet Sakura didn't shiver whenever a breeze fluttered around her.

Silence slipped between them, and for a moment Sakura was grateful for it-for him not filling the quiet with useless chatter, for her not having to fake another smile. Kakashi's skin was warm against her fingers as she wrapped them around his forearm, tugging him toward her apartment building. "Come on, let's hurry before it gets too cold."

Sakura's apartment had always felt cozy to Kakashi. Even now as they sat at the table together, Sakura drinking more than she was eating, listening more than she was talking, neither of them quite broaching the reason why he had initially come to see her.

Sakura's face was warm, the small heater working its wonders… or it might have been the alcohol, she wasn't really sure. At Kakashi's insistence she pushed a piece of the okonomiyaki past her lips, licking the sauce from her fingers, and noticing how he watched. His mask was pooled around his chin, and when he finally looked up to her eyes and found her watching him back, he only smirked. Her gaze slid to the flex of his jaw as he chewed, the bob in his throat as he swallowed, and the flick of his tongue to the corner of his mouth.

She picked up her cup and quickly sipped down what little was left in it. When she set it down, she lifted her eyes to his. "So, now that we've eaten, is it time to put me to bed?"

His smile faltered at the innuendo, but didn't vanish. "We should probably talk about that first."

She nodded. "Fair enough, I did tell you that we would. So... I want to keep sleeping with you."

If Kakashi had been taken aback by her boldness, he didn't show it, especially with the tenderness to his voice when he asked his first question. "Why?"

She scoffed, nearly rolling her eyes for show. "Am I the only one that thought the sex was good?"

"Of course not."

"Well then, generally when you have amazing sex with someone you want to keep having amazing sex with them."

For a brief moment, something sparkled in his gaze. "First it was good and now it's amazing. You keep changing your story, Sakura, I don't know which to believe."

A small smile broke out across her face as she got up from her seat and approached his. She slipped her leg over his lap, settling in it as he leaned back to give her room to straddle him. He sighed heavily and she could feel it-in his chest under her palms, in the breath expelled hard enough to ghost her collarbone. "You're worried," she commented.

"How can I not be when last night-"

She looked away as she interrupted him, as if she was back in his room in her mind. "Last night was a mess, yeah, and I'm sorry."

"Why did you come to me?" he asked.

She looked up at him, into him, and through him. Her gaze seemed to burn right through his head and to the wall behind him. "I had noone and nowhere else to go."

"That's not true, there are so many people that care about you and-"

"You don't have to try to convince me, Kakashi. All of my other friends are starting their lives and having families of their own. That's not exactly what I want to be around. I don't want empty condolences, or Naruto walking on eggshells, or hearing Hinata's whispered concerns behind my back. I don't want their damn looks of pity…" she spat the word as if it were too heavy, too hot on her tongue. She took a deep breath, reined back her emotions.

"Why did you come to me?" Kakashi pressed again, his hands sliding up her legs to rest at her waist.

"Because you're alone."

She waited to see if he would show any offense to her words, but his expression remained unreadable. "So you thought that in my loneliness, I would just give in?" His words weren't laced with accusation or disbelief. "I didn't fail you there at least."

But Sakura shook her head. "It's because you're alone… I knew you wouldn't let me be."

The air around him changed in that moment, and Sakura hadn't realized exactly how tense he had been until then. His fingers flexed against her as his thumbs curled under her shirt to graze her skin. "So then the sex…?"

Her hands clasped behind his neck and her shoulders shrugged. "I needed it."

"Sakura…"

"To feel human. With someone."

"And you think you want to keep doing this? With me?"

She nodded lightly, her smile echoing the gentleness of the action. "It was good wasn't it?"

"Amazing, if I remember correctly."

Her lips twitched at his reply. "It's just sex, Kakashi."

She could feel the apprehension in his inhale, and he seemed to contemplate her words. "It's never just sex." When she opened her mouth to reply, one of his hands lifted from her waist to press a finger over her lips. "But, if it's what you want then I can do it."

"I don't want to do this if you're just going along with it because I want it," she clarified. "What do you want?"

Weren't you just thinking about calling all this off earlier? That this was a mistake? his conscience reminded him. Kakashi looked up and met her gaze. Her eyes were glazed by lack of sleep and alcohol, but there was still a sharpness there that drilled into him, that searched his face for… something. To Sakura's credit, she didn't try any cheap tricks like rocking against him, or nibbling on his neck, or letting her hands wander. She was being absolutely serious and still in his lap, waiting patiently for him to reply.

She was giving him an out.

But what Kakashi really wanted, out of all of this, was to be there for her -in whatever way she needed him to be. He sat a little straighter, leaned a little closer to her. "I just don't want to hurt you," he replied honestly.

"I won't let you," she assured him before closing her hold around his neck, slipping even closer to him.

"Like I told you last night, we can't go back from this."

Her eyes travelled his face, seeing everything and nothing as her fingers curled into his hair. "And like I said last night, I know and I don't care. Just don't hate me."

Sakura leaned in, silencing him with the press of her mouth to his. His counter came out as a soft sigh against her lips as his hands slid down over the curve of her ass. He squeezed at her toned flesh, pulling her even closer, his tongue sweeping her bottom lip. Sakura moaned as her mouth parted for him, as his tongue teasingly caressed hers. Her grip in his hair loosened and smoothed down around his neck, her thumb grazing his jaw and popping his mask completely free from him. She cupped his face as she kissed him earnestly, growing more bold with the heat rising within her.

Kakashi's hand slipped into her shirt and up her back, his large warm palm resting flat against her to hold her steady as his other arm circled her waist. He broke the kiss as he pulled her flush against him, his mouth attaching to her neck. Her breath tickled his skin as she whispered his name. Her hips undulated against him, ever so gently as he kissed and sucked the tender juncture of her neck. Her fingers tugged at the bottom hem of his shirt until she could feel skin. And her touch was like electricity, sending a pleasant shock through Kakashi's body as her nails scraped against his sides. His teeth pressed to her flesh, growling low in his throat as she stuttered a curse.

Sakura could feel him growing harder with every roll of her hips and her touch slid higher, earning a light shudder as she ghosted up his stomach. Her fingertips teased ridges of muscle-higher and higher, over his nipples-her traveling hands exposing his abdomen. She subconsciously pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, her head falling back as his mouth crawled up along her throat. The heat pooling low in her belly overflowed and spilled between her legs. She wanted him so badly.

She ground her center against his erection, but the pleasure from the friction was dispelled as he gasped at the contact. His firm chest expanded rapidly beneath her hands and for a moment she thought she'd hurt him like she'd hurt that poor Iwa nin. She waited for the sick rattling feeling, the spittle, but it never came.

Kakashi's nose nudged her jaw as he whispered hot against her skin. "Are you okay?"

His grip loosened as she pushed away from him, leaning back to meet his gaze with a nod. Their heavy breaths mingled in the stillness, in one long pregnant pause, and then Sakura was kissing him again with renewed fervor. There was a brief lull as she pulled his shirt over his head, but then their lips were reconnected and his hands moved to eagerly map out her skin.

Kakashi moaned against her mouth, gripping the edges of her shirt as she unzipped the front of it, and pulled it off of her shoulders and down her arms. Her tongue lapped at his lips and she pulled back, smirking at how his mouth had parted in anticipation, how he chased after her before realizing she was moving ahead of him.

Her fingers worked the buttons on her skirt, eagerness building inside her as he watched on. "Take me right here."

His eyes darted up to hers, and for one tense moment neither moved or breathed, as if weighing the situation and all its consequences. They were really doing this. And then his hands were on her, lifting her onto the edge of the table. Her hips shifted as he pulled her skirt down her legs. Her lips pressed into a thin line, humming in delight as he leaned forward. The wet warmth of his mouth met her abdomen, trailing his kisses below her navel and along the top hem of her panties.

She leaned back, pushing his plate and the container of food aside, her other hand combing through his thick, fluffy locks. "Kakashi…"

His fingers curled into the sides of her panties, teasing them down ever so slowly as he continued to pay tribute to her. Suddenly he jerked her forward, his bottom lip dragging along her skin as he tilted his head back to look at her, all while sliding her panties down to pool at her feet.

Kakashi stood from the chair, not breaking eye contact with her as he stepped forward. Sakura didn't back down either as she reached for him, blindly undoing the button and zipper of his uniform pants. She jerked him closer by the parted waistband, smiling as she started to push them down his thighs.

His warm hand cupped the side of her face, fingers sinking into her hair as he brought her close for another kiss. He gasped as her hand curled around his length and began to stroke him. Sakura contained her smile, feeling quite smug as he moaned into her mouth with her movements. He was so hot and hard in her pumping grasp, smoothing up and down, over and over.

A surprised squeak fell from her as he pushed her down onto the table, and then he bent over her, lips trailing along her chest. Sakura closed her eyes, feeling his warmth envelop a nipple. He kissed and sucked, scraping the hardening bud with his teeth before teasing the other with similar tactics. She pushed on his shoulders as he descended her body, eager to feel even more of him.

"Kakashi… now… I want you now."

His kissed the inside of her thigh and then stood, looking at her laid out on the table as if she wanted him to devour her. He lifted his pants so he could reach into his pocket and retrieve a condom. He held the package between his teeth as he pushed his pants the rest of the way down to pool around his ankles.

She smirked as he tore it open. "Prepared for everything aren't you?"

He shrugged as he unrolled it over his length. "I wasn't sure exactly how this would go, but I figured… just in case, it wouldn't hurt."

In response she wrapped her legs around him, tucking her feet behind his thighs, and drawing him close. She reached down and took him in her hand as she held his gaze, and aligned him with her entrance. He rocked his hips forward, sinking into her slick heat. She let out a deep sigh, content as he stretched and filled her. He eased back and then forward again, going deeper bit by bit with each rock of his hips, until he was fully sheathed inside her.

"You feel so good," he groaned, his hands kneading her thighs.

Sakura licked her lips, inclined to agree, but as she opened her mouth his hips drove forward and she seemed to forget everything but the feeling of him wedged inside her. He leant over her, bracing himself on his forearms, and she grasped onto his shoulders, urging him to move. The heat of his body atop hers, the friction against her walls as he slid in and out of her, felt so damn good but she wanted more. Her hands explored his back, feeling his muscles flex and the smooth dips of scars, before settling below his waist. She pulled him against her with every thrust, angling her hips to meet his movements.

She closed her eyes, feeling his breaths wash against her neck and his soft grunts echo in her ear. His lips pressed over her collarbone in mindless wet kisses that only made her body burn hotter. A breathy moan split her lips as he glanced her clit, her grip tightening as every roll of his body continued to rub against it. "Oh gods… don't stop!"

Kakashi's brow furrowed in earnest concentration as he worked his body against hers. One of her hands slid up his back and into his hair and he hissed as she fisted his locks, the pain of her tug morphing into pleasure as it laced down his spine. He could feel her body trembling already and he thrust as deep inside her as he could given their position. He rocked against her with quick, short rolls of his body, ensuring he remained buried within her as his pelvis dragged against her clit. Her body was growing sticky with sweat under him as her encouraging mewls morphed into heady moans.

Another burning tingle of pleasure raced down his body and he put it into his hips, feeling quite content with himself as she uttered a curse. Her ragged breathing was so damn sexy, so needy, it was an aphrodisiac in itself. "Let go, Sakura. Come for me."

Her eyes screwed shut as the heat within her belly coiled in tight. She was already so close. Her legs quivered, squeezed around his body, and then her lips parted with an awed gasp as she hit release.

For a split moment she seemed to freeze in place, and then she melted around him. Her body shook as she called out his name, riding each wave of orgasm as his hips ground against her. She was vaguely aware of his teeth dragging along her jaw before pulling on her earlobe, but her body was so high it was hard to concentrate on anything else. At least, that was until he kissed her-it was hard and chaste-and then pulled away to stand upright. His hands wrapped around her thighs and jerked her closer, and the move was so primal and confident that Sakura found him even sexier in that moment. The flame of arousal licked at her again as she realized he was not finished.

Kakashi's hands kneaded her skin as he slowly worked his length in and out of her; the unhurried pace allowed him to feel how wet she'd become and to step back from the threshold of orgasm. He watched her as her eyes lifted to his, her face flush and beautiful-even more so when he snapped forward, pleasure twisting her features. This time his hips came forward, meeting her body hard and fast, over and over. Even without his sharingan he'd never be able to forget the way the force of their union jarred her body, her breasts rocked by each drive of his hips, or the way she bit her lower lip before losing the battle to keep the curses at bay. And fuck, the way her hand shot between her legs to rub her clit as he pounded into her was going to be all he could see for days whenever he closed his eyes.

Sakura's hand dipped lower, her fingers spreading to curve around his cock. She moaned, feeling how she had coated him. She was so incredibly wet, she couldn't remember any other time when she had been this turned on with another person. She lifted her fingers back to her clit, pressing desperate circles into the bundle of nerves. Her other hand clenched the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white in her effort to stay anchored.

"Kakashi! Ah… I'm… so close…"

And so was he. His arms quivered, his grip tightening on her thighs. If he could hold off for just another moment… He held his breath as he continued to thrust into her, his jaw clenching in determination, but it was of little use. Pressure built up low inside him and he was going to burst. "Fuck, Sakura… I'm gonna come. Come with me," he pleaded.

Release struck him like lightning, blooming through his back, his belly, up his shaft, and outward. His pace slowed, but he continued to thrust blindly into her. His world had been taken over by piercing white pleasure, the only sound his roaring blood echoing in his ears. And then just as quickly as he left, he came back down to earth, aware of her legs quaking in his hands and the bow of her back. Her lips were parted in a muted cry, and then her breath gushed out from her lungs as she collapsed back onto the table.

Her chest heaved with need for proper air and her eyes rolled behind closed lids. "Ohhh...shit… I can't feel my toes," she admitted with a giggle as her hand slipped from between her legs.

He smiled, lowering her legs as he leant down to her. He nudged her cheek with his nose before placing a soft kiss there. When he pulled back, he found her eyes trained on him and it stilled his movements. She looked so gorgeous, her eyes bright and reflecting how sated she was. Her fingers combed through his hair and a soft smile curved her lips.

"You're really good, you know."

He chuckled. "Thank you?"

"I needed that," she commented with a soft sigh.

Choosing not to reply, he kissed her neck instead and then slowly pulled out from her, their collective groans mingling between them. Kakashi stepped back and pulled his pants up, holding them loosely to his hips. Sakura pulled herself up into a sitting position and gestured down the hall. "Feel free to use my bathroom."

She hopped off the table, grinning as her knees lightly wobbled, and offered up a small kiss to his shoulder before turning to gather her clothes from the floor. She handed him his shirt and then Kakashi shuffled down the hall, turning to glance back at her as she bent over to pull her panties on. He took a deep breath and then went in to the bathroom to clean up.

Sakura quickly slipped her clothing back on and then turned toward the table. She was feeling much lighter now with the blissful thrum of orgasm pulsing through her veins, and she smiled to herself as she began to gather the trash from the take out. This didn't have to be awkward; this was really really good. She wanted him to feel this way, too. Kakashi emerged a few moments later, watching her silently as he came up behind her. "Let me help."

She waved him off as she set the dishes into the sink. "Don't worry about it."

"Sakura-" His hand circled her arm and gently pulled her to him. "Are you sure…"

She smiled at him. "One hundred percent. My door is always open, I don't want to feel like I'm the only one gaining anything from this. I don't want to have sex just whenever I want it. I hope you come to me, too."

He nodded as his hand fell away, unsure of what else to say, but he did have to make sure one point was made clear. "If at any point you change your mind, just tell me, okay?"

"Okay, same goes for you, too alright? Man, I was so tense before, but now all I wanna do is sleep."

He offered a small smile and then cupped her face. Surprised, she looked up at him, but all he did was pull her close and kiss the top of her head. "Get some rest then."

The gentleness of his touch, especially after feeling it pull at her so greedily, caught her slightly off guard. She stilled, feeling nothing but the warmth of his lips against her skin. A smile pulled at her as she felt him linger. "Trust me, after that, I will."

His hands fell away and he took a step back, chuckling as he worked the mask back up his face. "I'll see you next time."

This time she nodded, and as he reached her door, she spoke up, halting his movement as he reached for the handle. "Thank you… And I don't mean just for the sex. Thanks for not judging me, and just listening. I needed that, too."

"Any time," he replied before stepping out into the night.

It was the best night of sleep she'd had in a while, and when Sakura woke up in the morning she was rather refreshed. To wake naturally with no alarms or nightmares was a blessing. She lounged around in bed, debating whether to go back to sleep or get up and shower, when there was a knock at her door.

Well, that handled the decision for me.

She hadn't been expecting anyone, so with a mumble she forced herself out of bed. She shuffled out of her room and to the door as the knock came again. She combed her fingers through her hair, hoping she looked put-together enough, and then opened the door.

A ninja she didn't recognize stood before her; he offered a curt bow and then looked her dead in the eye with such disdain Sakura nearly apologized to him. His voice was flat and uninterested as he spoke. "Ibiki requests your presence at T&I. You are to come precisely at 9 a.m."

No sooner than Sakura had acknowledged him, did he vanish. She sighed as she shut the door; she wasn't sure if the summons was a good thing or not. Also, when he said that he'd be in touch she hadn't thought it'd be the very next day. She had less than an hour to be there, so she kicked herself into gear and quickly bathed and dressed.

Even though her stomach was already tightening in anxious anticipation, Sakura had little time to actually dwell on the feeling. She slipped into the morning foot traffic and headed straight for T&I.

Ibiki was waiting patiently for her in one of the interrogation rooms when she was pushed inside at 9:07 a.m. His eyes lifted from his wristwatch to her face. "You're late."

"I got here before nine, I got held up upstairs."

"You're still late," he retorted and then gestured to the empty chair in front of him.

She bit back the heavy sigh, but the annoyance she couldn't quite wipe from her face. "Well then I apologize for keeping you waiting. What did you want to see me for?"

Ibiki laced his fingers together as he looked her over. "It's about the suggestion you made yesterday."

Sakura already didn't like his tone, so she approached her question with caution. "What about it?"

"After your little show, I did consider it. However, I was under the impression that you had come under the orders of the Hokage." Oh no. Sakura's heart thudded painfully as he continued. "I was aware of your leave from the hospital, but I did not know you had been temporarily removed from the active roster. Lady Tsunade had put Shizune in charge of the medic rotation for T&I, including finding a resolution to our current problem. So it seems you've overstepped your boundaries, Haruno-chan."

Her eyes narrowed, and she knew that there wasn't much she could say in the situation, but she tried. "But... it's a good idea."

"It was a good idea that hadn't been given approval by the Hokage. So I am refusing your proposal-"

"Morino-san..."

"-although it was a creative solution to the problem. Perhaps next time you should go through the proper channels instead of clinging onto power that is not yours. Just because you are the Hokage's apprentice, and our future Hokage's friend, does not mean you also have the Hokage's authority."

She shook her head. "No, I never thought-"

Ibiki stood without a word, blocking out the light above her head as he looked down upon her. "The Hokage wishes to see you when we are done here."

"Shit," she muttered under her breath, her failure here aching its way into her bones. "Ibiki, if I can get her approval-"

"Don't bother," he interrupted. He motioned to the window and when he spoke again, it was clearly not directed at her. "We're done here now."

Sakura looked to the two-way as the lights in the room dropped. In the middle of the mirror, a face appeared first-flared nostrils, lips thin-pressed into a snarl, and hard eyes. A manicured nail jabbed against the mirror, shaking the whole surface of it, and Sakura gulped as she found herself rooted to the chair.

Tsunade's voice came through loud and clear. "You stay right there!"