This story takes place exactly five years after Shippuden episode 79 (manga chapter 322-328). I've read all the manga released as well (up to 430 at this point) and I'm aware that several characters lives hang in the balance in this recent group of chapters. So if anyone dies or the plot changes dramatically in the next few chapters PRETEND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN! I don't want any complaints if a character mentioned kicks the bucket by the time you read this.

Anyway, this is rated M for alcohol consumption, language, smut, and maybe violence.

I don't own Naruto or its characters, nor do I make any money off them.

Chapter 1- Gotta Love Drunks

She slumped heavily into the corner booth at the Wandering Oni. It was a small hole-in-the-wall pub Sakura frequented when she had a rough day at work, which she did. There wasn't anything too serious at the hospital today. A broken arm here, concussion there, kids swallowing stuff they shouldn't, but there were a lot of them. "When it rains, it pours." She said to herself.

"Evening Sakura." Said the bartender. "What'll you be having this evening?"

"The usual please. Thank you Sano." When he retreated to get her order Sakura reached up and pulled out her hair tie, scratching her scalp where it pulled her hair tight. She had the next two days off and she was going to enjoy it. No training, no patients, no missions, no nothing. As much as she loved work, she really needed a break.

She sighed to herself and reached into her bag pulling out a writing pad and pencil. If she was going to enjoy her days off, she probably should get her daily report out of the way before she forgot anything. As she began to write Sano placed a bottle of sake, a cup, and a bow of friend noodle-chips on the table. "Domo arigato." She said not looking up from her pad.

"Don't work too hard." He said jokingly, and strolled back to the bar to take care of the other patrons.

A few small cups of sake, and two pages of report later she finally finished and stashed her notepad away, pulling out a book she had been reading. Ino had loaned her a cheesy romance novel she picked up in the hospital gift store. The character development wasn't very deep, but the story wasn't too bad and it took her mind away for a few hours here and there.

Somewhere in the background she heard the door open and close and the sound of a stool being pulled away from the end of the bar. She didn't bother to look up until she heard a familiar voice order a drink.

Looking up from her book she saw a shock of silver hair that could only belong to one man. Hatake Kakashi.

Closing her book, she put it away and picked up what was left of her drink before walking over and occupying the stool next to her former teacher. "Konbanwa Sensei."

He looked over to her with one, lazy eye. "Evening Sakura."

"I don't think I've ever seen you here before. Come here often?" She said taking another sip of sake. She had earned Tsunade's taste for the drink, but fortunately she hadn't acquired any of her other bad habits.

"Only on my way home from the cemetery." He said, pouring himself a drink.

Sakura's smile fell. "What were you doing there today?"

"I'm there more often than most. I've lost a lot of people I cared about." He said solemnly. "But today I had one person in particular to visit. Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, and Kurenai were there earlier with her son too."

Sakura inhaled sharply. "Azuma Sensei…today was the anniversary of…" Kakashi nodded. "I was so swamped at work, I forgot. How many years has it been?"

"Five"

"How's Kurenai?"

"She's a strong woman. She and her son are doing just fine. Shikamaru's been doing a good job getting the kid ready for academy. He'll be Jounin before you know it." He turned towards the wall with his cup and drank before turning back. Mask back in place.

All this talk was making him feel sorry for himself and far too sentimental for a shinobi. He missed his Father, Mother, Sensei, Obito, Rin, and any number of others he had lost. Tonight he just wanted to forget about them. Just for tonight.

Sakura smiled. "You're never going to let any of us see your face. Will you?"

He grinned under his mask. Something about Sakura always made him smile. "You have no idea what it takes to get it off." He changed the subject. "I have an excuse to be down tonight, what's yours?"

She leaned back in her stool. "It was a rough week at work. Tsunade gave me the next two days off. I'm not down, so much as tired." She took another drink, grimacing at the burn. "We haven't just sat and talked for…well ever. Everything in the past has been about training, lessons, missions…or your excuses why you're always late. I really don't know much about you outside of work."

Kakashi looked up from his drink. "Is that your way of asking about me?"

Rolling her eyes, Sakura poured another drink. "If I am, it's about time. I've known you what, eight years? And all I know about you is your fighting skills and your love of porn."

"True enough." He said, sneaking another drink. "So what do you want to know?"

For the next few hours they talked like friends more so than teacher and pupil. The topics ranged from work, to food interests, to deeper topics. "So, did you ever get yourself a boyfriend since I last taught you? If I recall you were still pining over Sasuke." Sakura's face fell. "I'm sorry. It was none of my business."

"No, it's alright." She took a deep breath. "I still miss the person he was, but I don't hold any expectations anymore." She took a sip of her drink. "As for your other question, yes I have had a boyfriend. He was training to be a lab tech at the hospital. We dated for a few months but we ended it mutually in the end."

"Oh is that so? What broke it off?" He poured another cup of sake.

"Officially we were both wrapped up too much in work. Unofficially, he was a bit cocky for my liking, and horrible in the sack."

Sakura nearly jumped out of her seat when Kakashi choked on his drink, just barely managing to pull his mask back up before coughing the sake out of his lungs.

"Are you alright?" She said patting his back.

"Ye- *cough* yeah, I'll be fine. *cough* I just wasn't expecting to hear…well."

Sakura smirked. "You weren't expecting to hear a former student talk about sex."

Kakashi had regained his composure by now, already pouring himself another drink. "To be honest, you caught me off guard more than anything. Don't get me wrong, you're a very beautiful and brilliant woman and an even more talented Kunochi. The fact that you've been intimate with someone doesn't surprise me." He coughed again. 'Actually I'm a bit turned on by it.' He thought to himself.

"Well what about you, oh famous ninja pervert. Without Ero-Sennin to write you more Icha Icha books, what have you been keeping yourself occupied with?" She asked, a slight blush forming across her face. Only half from the alcohol.

Kakashi sighed. "If we're being so open… I've had my fair share of bed warmers. Not for a while though. Been busy with missions and whatnot."

Sakura rose an eyebrow. "Is that so? Anyone I would know?" Inner Sakura wondered what color his sheets were. She stopped herself mid-thought. Damned Ino and her romance novel! She was giving that book back in the morning.

Kakashi finished off his sake flask and waved over another. "I doubt it, but I wouldn't kiss and tell anyway. I'm a gentleman like that." He stood up from his stool. "'Scuse me a moment, need to break the seal." He walked towards the men's room with a noticeable swagger in his step.

"Gentleman huh?" She said to herself, turning back toward the bar.

"Hey there beautiful." Said a strange, inebriated voice from behind her. "Can I buy you a drink?"

She turned to the man. He was her age, tall, dark, built, and completely wasted. "No thank you, I was leaving soon anyway."

He leaned ungracefully on the bar and placed a hand heavily on her leg. "Would you like to leave with me?"

"No thank you." Sakura knew he was drunk and even if she did put him through the wall, he wouldn't remember why by the time he regained consciousness.

"Aww, c'mon." He slurred.

Before she could turn him down a third time she felt strong arms wrap around her midsection from behind and a masked kiss on her cheek. "Is this a friend of yours, Baby?" Kakashi said in a sweet tone she had never heard him use before. If it wasn't for the mask resting against her neck and his charka signature she wouldn't know it was him.

Maintaining her composure like a true Kunochi she leaned back into him and rubbed the gloved hands around her stomach. "Just someone from work, but he was just leaving." She shot the drunk a look that any man would understand no matter how inebriated.

The man pulled his hand away from Sakura's leg as if it had burned him before turning and leaving without even a word of apology.

After he was gone, Kakashi didn't pull away. "Thank you Sensei…but he's gone now."

'Shame.' Kakashi thought to himself. 'I was enjoying this.' With an audible sigh he backed away.

Sakura missed his warmth as soon as it was gone. "Gotta love drunks." She said gesturing to the door. When she turned around Kakashi was polishing off the last of his sake without bothering to turn away. She was so shocked that his face wasn't covered she didn't have time to take in the sight before he had his mask back up. 'Damnit!' Inner Sakura cursed.

Putting the flask down he wavered a bit and leaned on the bar to balance himself. "Yeah, gotta love drunks." Reaching in his pocket he took out a few bills and lay them on the bar, under his cup. "My treat." He said before Sakura could even open her purse.

"But-"

"No but's! You can repay me by making sure I make it back to my apartment. After that last drink hits me I think I will be sufffficiently inebrrrriated."

Sakura bit her lip to keep from laughing. Did Kakashi Sensei just slur his speech? Sighing and throwing her purse over her shoulder and turned to the bartender. "We're heading out Sano, see you later. Thanks."

"Take it easy Sakura. You too Kakashi." He said waving.

'Did he just wink at us?' Sakura thought as they walked out the door and into the cool night.

In the distance thunder rumbled.

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End chapter one! More to come very soon. I'm on a role, and I'm wide awake.

R&R please! I love constructive criticism. Sorry for any grammar errors. Microsoft Word has killed my ability to spell.