Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

This was inspired by Chapter 407 of the "Naruto" manga. Like in the story, I'll be using the first lines to start each drabble. And yes, it'll be rated M eventually. And yes, I'm still working on "What the New Year Brings." This was just more fun to write.

Enjoy : )

Page 31-"Do You Really Love Me?"

"Do you really love me?"

Sakura turned around and was shocked to see Kakashi looking at her so crestfallen.

"How could you even ask me something like that?" she asked, unable to keep the edge from her voice. "After all we've been through, are you really that insecure about our relationship?"

"It's a valid question," Kakashi said tiredly. Everything from his slumped shoulders, slackened expression, and lethargic tone gave away the psychological ordeal he must have been going through for the past several weeks of their changed relationship. "I'm an old man, Sakura. It doesn't make any sense that you of all people should want to have anything to do with me. You have so many young men your own age falling all over themselves just to be with you, yet you chose me instead. Why?"

"You stupid, stupid old man! You'd think that after all the time we've spent together that you'd know why I chose you above all the others!"

When Kakashi continued to simply look at her wearily, Sakura let out an angry huff.

"How are you a genius?!" she asked exasperatedly. "You, baka, are my 'one.' In every possible sense, you compliment me perfectly. God knows I have a horrible temper and anyone else would've run off crying into the woods if I snapped at them for no reason the way I do with you sometimes. But you don't. For all my strength, you don't fear me. For all the shit I put you through, you put up with me. Because you know you're as strong as me and you know that if you wait long enough that eventually I'll cool off and we'll be alright again."

"So you chose me because I put up with you? Sakura, Naruto has enough bumps on his head to prove that he puts up with you, too."

"Kakashi, it's not just that you put up with me, it's that you have the maturity to do so. Yes I have guys my own age wanting to be with me, but have you noticed how immature they all are? Half my patience is lost just trying to put up with their nonsense! But with you, it's not like that. I can talk to you like an equal. I don't have to be the big sister always saying 'Don't say that! Don't act like that!' I can just hang out with you all day and have a perfectly pleasant day. When's the last time I said that about Naruto or anyone else for that matter?"

"If all you wanted was someone to talk to, Sakura, you could've talked to me but not gotten into a relationship with me."

Sakura eyed him suspiciously.

"What? Why are you giving me that look?" Kakashi asked as his one exposed eye widened and a drop of sweat ran down his temple.

"Are you really that oblivious?" Sakura said evenly, but the undertone of irritation in her voice was unmistakable.

"What are you talking about?" Kakashi asked. Despite what Sakura had said earlier, he was starting to fear her.

"Do you really want me to tell you how freakin' hot you are? Really? REALLY?!" Sakura asked hysterically while flailing her arms out so that Kakashi had to pull back to keep from getting knocked out. "Look at you, Kakashi! You're what every guy should look like! You're tall, you're lean, you're muscular, but not too muscular. When you smile, we don't even have to see your entire face. The crease of your eye alone is enough to make us fangirls squeal like an Ino pig! Yet no matter how good you look, you're not hung up about it. At all. Do you know how much hotter that makes you?!"

"You think I'm hot?" Kakashi asked, the smile beneath his mask evident in his voice.

"Duh!" Sakura said impatiently.

"So you just want me for my body?" Kakashi asked playfully, placing two hands on either side of Sakura's waist and pulling her towards him.

"Didn't I just tell you that you compliment me?" Sakura asked irritably, but her hands snaked up his chest and wrapped around the back of his neck.

"I kinda like to think you're just in this relationship for my body, you know, seeing how old I am. It kinda feels like a compliment." Kakashi half joked, slowly lowering himself down towards Sakura.

"So long as you're not in this relationship just for my body, you know, seeing how young I am." Sakura said seriously while lifting herself up on tiptoes to meet him.

"Not just your body, Sakura. Lifelong bachelors like me don't get into a relationship unless we're sure it'll last."

"Just making sure. It's not like you paid much attention to me before."

"You were just a kid back then, Sakura. It wouldn't have been exactly proper to pay attention to you the way I pay attention to you now."

"No, it wouldn't have been." Sakura agreed, bringing her hands up to Kakashi's face and slowly lowering his mask down.

"I mean, what would people think of me if I had gone after my student who wasn't even of legal age yet?"

"It would have been very inappropriate." Sakura concurred, looking up at him with half-hooded eyes as she softly traced his cleanly shaven jaw and the lone scar that ran down his left cheek with the pads of her fingertips.

"But now you're no longer my student." Kakashi murmured, the warmth of his breath blending with her own.

"And you're no longer my teacher." Sakura murmured back.

"And you're..."

Kakashi looked at Sakura and smirked mischievously down at her, who smirked right back up at him.

"Yup, that, too." Sakura smiled playfully up at him and then...

To be continued...