A.N. Hello all. It's been a while since I wrote any KakaSaku, so here's a little (I lie, it's HUGE) AU smuttage for you all. This is my first attempt at anything AU based and I worked really hard on it so I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I have no first hand experiance in any of the roles portrayed in this story so I apologise in advance if I've fluffed up anywhere.

Special thanks to nimblnymph, who took on the task of being my beta for this story. Worship this woman!! And also to Omizu (Gentlewaterspirit) who's wonderful idea's and motivational skills compelled me to write this fic from the very beginning. I love you both, Saph.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the lyrics to the song portrayed in this fic. All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. All rights to the song belong to Milk Inc.

Warnings: Contains strong language and heavy sex. Over 18's only, please.

Hot Medicine

o0o

Most days were pretty uneventful with nothing better to do than just sit around and read the glossy girly magazines that were strewn about the office. Today was a prime example and Kakashi was finding it quite difficult to focus on anything in particular. He was starting to wonder why he'd bothered turning up at all.

"What's up with you, man?" The shrill cry came from the far end of the room.

Kakashi lifted his head absently and peered over the colourful pages he was currently holding. Genma, dressed in nothing but a dark green bath towel thrown around his hips, stood at the door way. Kakashi gave him a brief inspection with his lazy eyes before shaking the magazine out and focusing on the pictures of the scantily clad women within the fantasy realm of "Snap Shot Honeys".

"Put some clothes on, Genma. The towel does nothing for your modesty," Kakashi retorted, hearing the fellow fire-fighter snort at his comment.

"Hey! I've just got out of the shower! I only came in to see what you're doing tonight. But instead I see you drifting around the stratosphere," Genma drawled, displaying his thoughts with a snaking wave of his arm. Kakashi lifted his eyes to the semi-naked man and arched a brow at him before tossing the magazine back to the small table in front of him.

"I'm just bored. There hasn't been a fire for weeks. But I suppose that's a good thing," Kakashi grumbled while idly inspecting his fingernails. He watched Genma shrug apologetically at him as he wandered over to the kitchen area behind the large burgundy sofa's and began playing around with the kettle.

"You attended a pile up on the motorway yesterday, didn't you?" he queried as Kakashi slung his arm over the back of the sofa, swinging his legs onto the soft cushions.

"Yeah, but the Jaws of Life don't have the same rapport with me like the hose does."

"You're never happy unless you've got your hands wrapped around something thick and fleshy, are you, Kakashi?"

"Take your mind out of the gutter! You know what I meant."

Genma smirked at him before turning back towards the countertop and reaching into an overhead cupboard for a mug. Kakashi sprung to his feet, giving a loud groan as he stretched both arms above his head.

"I'm going to see if Tsunade will let me clock out a bit earlier. My shift doesn't end for another hour but if there's nothing to do…" he trailed off with a shrug as Genma tittered under his breath.

"Good luck with that. Tsunade's not in the greatest of moods," Genma mumbled, widening his eyes to signify that he had been on the sharp end of one of her latest outbursts.

It was true that the Station Chief was a force to be reckoned with. Kakashi had felt the sting of her vile temper in his rookie days, but he was fortunate enough to know how to deal with such people. Tsunade was a pussy cat beneath her tiger like exterior and Kakashi liked to use this side of her to his advantage. A little bit of flirting here, a nice complement there; it worked wonders. Well … most of the time anyway.

Flashing Genma a knowing smile, Kakashi turned towards the door of the sitting room.

"I think I can handle Tsunade," He deadpanned.

"Oh yeah! You're like the Station Pet, aren't ya?" Genma retorted giving Kakashi a dramatic roll of his eyes. Kakashi uttered a chuckle as he opened the door and crammed his free hand into his uniform pants pocket.

"I'll call you about tonight," Kakashi called as he stepped through the threshold.

"Look forward to it, lover," Genma purred back. As Kakashi turned his head to glower at his friend, Genma blew him a kiss and winked at him.

Kakashi merely shook his head as he closed the door behind him. Why Genma thought it was funny to call him such names like "lover" and "hot stuff" in front of their friends and potential girlfriends was beyond him. He knew it was all in jest but Kakashi never really found it all that funny.

Tsunade's mood hadn't been as bad as Genma had led him to believe. She had let him leave early on the premise that he pay back the hour when he changed onto the night shift the following week. Of course Kakashi had agreed with the intention of avoiding pay back at all costs. Chances were she would forget about it anyway before the week was out.

Kakashi sauntered out of the Konoha Fire Department and navigated his way through the masses of cars parked outside the expansive building. The heat was close, had been for the past few weeks, which made just sitting around in the offices even more frustrating and uncomfortable. The air conditioning in the building did little to ease the sweating and each time he moved he had to shift his legs awkwardly just to un-stick his balls from the sides of his legs. Not the most pleasant of sensations to say the very least.

As he approached his beloved vehicle - a dark blue Peugeot 207 so affectionately named Hime - Kakashi dug around in his pants pocket for the keys. Pulling them out, he absently fingered the soft rubber button on the fob. He watched Hime's lights flash momentarily and listened to the telltale bleeps that said she was ready to go.

Kakashi loved his car, more than he thought he could ever love a real woman. She was sleek and sexy, never spoke back, always did what he wanted her to do … well, apart from wash the dishes but that was a minor price to pay. She had her faults too, like only seeming to like gasoline from the expensive garage on the other side of town as opposed to the cheaper stuff they sold at the supermarket. Feeding her anything other than the former would make her growl and splutter like an angry cat and Kakashi didn't like the idea that Hime was in pain. Regardless of the fact that he knew that she was only a hunk of cleverly designed machinery, Kakashi's car was his pride and joy.

Opening the drivers' side door, he dropped himself into the car, relishing in the way she bounced around him and how the slight chill of her leather interior soaked through the fabric of his clothes. He had chosen a really good parking space that morning: under the heavy shade of a willow tree. Its vast plumage shielded the car from the sun and ensured that she would still be cool when he re-entered her at the end of the shift. There was nothing he hated more than getting into a hot car; the sensation of feeling suffocated was far worse than sweaty testicles.

Plunging the key into the ignition, he gave a swift flick of his wrist to hear her engine roar into life. While he allowed Hime to purr for a while - just to warm her up - Kakashi dove into the glove compartment to retrieve a carton of cigarettes; his secret shame. He knew he should quit, but the sensation the nicotine brought him after a long arduous day was almost better than sex. It was an addiction he found impossible to shake. Kakashi vowed that he would quit smoking one day, just… not yet. As a fire-fighter he was aware that he should know better. More deaths than a little were caused by smoking; mostly when people had accidentally set fire to things in their homes. He had attended many grim scenes when such a thing had happened. He had seen the lives that were lost so needlessly through such a reckless and harmful act, but still it wasn't enough to deter him from quitting his nasty little habit any time soon.

After retrieving a cigarette from the carton, he lit the tip and shoved the lighter into his shirt pocket while closing the car door. Once the car was set in reverse Kakashi slung his arm across the back of his leather seat and backed out of his parking spot; swinging the car out into the road. Pressing his foot down on the accelerator, he sped off into the sunlight towards the town centre.

Kakashi took a long puff on his cigarette, pinching the stick in the fingers of his free hand and removing it from his mouth. Squinting against the harsh light of the midsummer sun, he reached down between himself and the door, blindly searching for the window button. He opened the window fully, sticking his head out momentarily and blew out the smoke he was storing in his lungs. The faded blue plumes drifted and dissipated into the air. Flopping back into his seat he returned the cigarette to his mouth swapping his hands over on the steering wheel and reached for the radio.

The radio crackled and hissed while Kakashi fiddled with the dials until he found a station, not searching for any in particular, just something to drown out the sound of the road. Music blared into the car as Kakashi pulled his hand away, swapping it again with the one already controlling the wheel, and reached again for the little white stick in his mouth.

Pulling at the cigarette he blew the smoke towards the window and propped his arm against the rim of the door as he began to absently realise that he knew the words to the song playing on the radio.

"Can't believe what I feel, can't believe that this is real. Is it truth or is it fiction, truth or is it fiction?" He sang softly along with the singer on the radio, tapping at the steering wheel to the beat as he nodded his head, not fully aware of his actions. Pulling up at a set of traffic lights, he flicked the now stripped cigarette out of the window and proceeded with his private dance routine until he noticed another car in the lane next to him.

Kakashi shot his eyes at the gleaming bright green vehicle to see a very pretty face behind the wheel. The sun was too bright for his sensitive eyes to make out anything of importance like the colour of her eyes, or even her hair. But he felt he knew the young girl behind the wheel of that car. As he sat and studied the pretty female she turned towards him suddenly, her eyes wide and a little startled. They were almost the same colour as the paint on her car, perhaps a shade darker but they made her pretty face light up even in the bright sunlight of the afternoon. The girl stared at him for a while before she dropped her gaze momentarily and flashed him a coy smile. Kakashi found himself doing the same before he realised what he was doing just as she drove down the side street to their left. Such a pity, he was quite enjoying the sight too.

Chancing a quick glimpse at the traffic lights to see they were now glowing green, he drove straight on up the empty road trying with all his might to put a name to the face he just saw.

Walking through the door of his apartment, Kakashi was greeted instantly by the high pitched yapping of his beloved little companion.

"Hey there, Pakkun. Did you miss me?" Kakashi cooed at the small pug that was pawing at his feet. He crouched down and picked up the small dog, planting him firmly on his shoulder as he sauntered into the lounge, still trying to fathom out why he recognised the pretty young thing in the green car. The name of the girl eluded him entirely and Kakashi eventually shook his head dismissively when his brain failed to yield any answers. He knew for a fact that he had seen her before, but he simply couldn't remember where.

Stepping through the door of the kitchenette, Kakashi clasped Pakkun and lowered him slowly to the floor, watching him for a moment as he sniffed around the tiles. The little dog wandered over to the pantry at the far end where he seemed to know his leash was kept. Kakashi hummed a chuckle at him as he followed suit. The poor thing had been locked up in the apartment all day. It was only right that Kakashi put him first and took him for a stroll around the park before sitting down for something to eat.

Opening the pantry door, Kakashi took out the leash, crouched before his furry friend and attached it to his dark blue collar around his neck. Pakkun's curly tail began to wag relentlessly at that point, the force of which caused his backside to sway side to side with each swing. Getting to his feet and grabbing a rather battered and chewed up fluorescent pink frisbee from the pantry, Kakashi gave a gentle tug on the leash causing the little dog to look up at him with the sad brown eyes of his. Kakashi gazed back at him with a defeated sigh.

He had often found himself wishing that he could share little moments like these with someone else. He was a man in his early thirties and he still hadn't found that 'special someone' to walk the path of life with. Not that he was actually looking. He wasn't desperate for a relationship by any stretch of the imagination, but he had to admit that the thought of one was quite fruity.

He heard Pakkun emit an impatient whine, dragging him from the depths of his mind. Kakashi focused on the small pug as he hummed a chuckle at him and began to wander out of the kitchen.

"Come on then, walkies!"

The next morning, Kakashi pushed open the double glass doors to the fire department. He was instantly greeted with a strong blow to the left shoulder, knocking him off balance and causing him to fall into the pillar dividing the two doors behind him.

He grunted at the sharp pain shooting down his arm that followed before the numbness began to set in, and squinted up at the culprit that had almost sent him sprawling across the reception area. Genma stood before him, arms folded across his chest and glowering at him like he was the most disgusting thing he had ever seen. Kakashi blinked up at him momentarily before standing upright and gaining back a little of his composure.

"What was that for, asshole?" Kakashi growled, rubbing tenderly at his left shoulder as that telltale stabbing sensation began to tingle in the joint. He was going to have a dead arm for hours that was for certain. Genma scoffed at him, pulling his head back suddenly and deepening his already disgusted scowl.

"You know damn well what that was for! Where were you last night? You didn't even call me!" Genma squalled, jabbing an accusing finger at him as though he was scolding a small child.

Kakashi frowned at him, not feeling in the mood for playing Genma's little games. But Kakashi had to admit that he had a point. He was supposed to call the night previous. Had it not been for his couch seeming more appealing than a musty bar, he probably would have. He knew, however, that the toothpick chewer didn't want him there for social reasons.

"You only wanted me there so you didn't look like a loser drinking on your own!" Kakashi retorted as he began to stroll past his angry co-worker towards the large reception desk.

Behind the vast marble counter stood Hikaru, the pretty receptionist, who stood looking back at him with a very clear glimmer of fright in her eyes. She had seen many fire-fighters brawling at the reception doors and still she wasn't desensitised to it. It made her seem a little naïve, but a little bit cute at the same time. Kakashi sometimes made it a point to flirt with her when he had a few spare moments, just to see her squirm and blush in her seat; anything to make the day more pleasurable. She was a nice girl either way, if not a little on the young side for his tastes. But still there was nothing wrong with a bit of harmless flirting and it seemed that young Hikaru enjoyed it too.

As Kakashi sauntered past the counter he smiled and nodded towards the young blue eyed girl who blushed fiercely and bowed towards him.

"Good morning, Hikaru," Kakashi purred as he strolled past, that heavenly flush on her cheeks deepening in colour as she smiled timidly at him.

"Uhm … Good morning, Kakashi … Sir," She stuttered back. He could still hear Genma raving in the back ground but chose to ignore him as he pushed his way into the locker rooms of the faculty, preparing himself for another day of dreaded boredom.

After a few hours in the gym at the rear of the department, Kakashi had showered and changed back into his uniform: dark blue combat pants and a polo shirt of the same colour decorated with an embroidered spiralled leaf with the name of his faculty emblazoned beneath on the pocket.

The throbbing ache in his left arm was beginning to subside, which was a relief; lifting weights had been far more painful that it needed to be. Thankfully the hot shower had forced the injured muscles to relax, offering him a few moments of bliss while he washed away the sweat from his work out.

Kakashi meandered into the sitting room with the hopes of making himself a cup of coffee and a plan to spend the rest of his day pretty much how he had spent the previous: lying around on the couch, bored out of his mind while trying to read pornographic picture magazines to force the hours by.

His plans were dampened as soon as he realised that he wasn't the only one within the confines of the sitting-come-kitchen area. Both Genma and Anko were already there, taking up most of the room there was to sit down and relax.

Genma looked up from his read and grinned, a partially chewed toothpick hitching upwards between his lips with his sadistic smile. Kakashi chose not to dignify the smile with a response as he began to saunter towards the kitchen area.

"Well, well, look who it is. Mister I-Don't-Give-A-Crap!" Genma spat as the tall leader of the small troupe wandered past him. Anko looked up habitually before gazing back down into her drink with an irritable sigh. Kakashi rolled his eyes at the comment; it seemed that Genma was quite bothered by his absence the night previous.

Kakashi ignored him as he inspected the contents of the kettle. Having decided that there was just enough water to make himself a drink, he pushed the switch on the boiling device and collected a mug that was sat upside down on the draining board. He scrutinised the mug briefly before setting it down on the counter top and preparing his drink.

"You really let me down last night, man," Genma grumbled, obviously aware that he wouldn't gain a reaction from Kakashi with his off the cuff remarks and taunts.

"Genma! Are you going to drivel on about this all day? Get a life!" Anko spat at him. Kakashi chuckled under his breath as he heard Genma gasp at her. It was no surprise that she was beginning to lose her temper with him; she had a short fuse at the best of times and Kakashi wouldn't put it past Genma to have complained about it for the majority of the morning. He didn't bother to wait for the kettle to finish its job. He flicked it off when he heard the bubbles from within and saw steam pouring from the spout. Pouring the hot liquid into the mug he stirred it with a metal spoon.

Hooking his fingers around the handle of the freshly poured mug of strong coffee, Kakashi turned his back on the counter, rested his backside against it and crossed his legs.

"So. Any plans for today?" he drawled, hoping to change the subject.

"Not unless Mrs. Gamotchi's cat decides on another suicide attempt. This is the only part of this job I hate: the sitting and the waiting…," Anko finished with a sigh. Kakashi could agree with her on that; he had become a fire fighter in the hopes of seeing some action and although he had received it in buckets over the years there was still a lot of sitting around. But if there was nobody that needed helping, then there was nothing else they could do but wait.

"What about the pre-start checks? Have they been carried out yet?" Kakashi continued, raising the mug to his lips and turning his attention to the window to his left. The weather was glorious again and he could think of many things he could be doing with his time rather than being trapped here. The sun shone down on the outside world, making it seem heavenly and ethereal. It truly was a beautiful day as the birds twittered in the trees that decorated the borders of the complex. It was a day to be sunning one's self on a grassy bank, not stuck in a stuffy office.

"Yeah. Me and Ibisu did all that first thing this morning. All of the equipment checks out okay but we can't use Engine Four. There's something wrong with the hose. The threads on the shoulder connection have been worn away so it keeps leaking," Genma replied dully as he slumped back into his seat. Kakashi nodded absently, his visual attention still squared on the world that waited for him on the other side of the window. "You reported it right?"

"No. I just thought I'd leave it and wait for the next shift to get wet. Of course I reported it!"

"I was only making conversation."

Genma sighed at Kakashi's response as he tossed his magazine back to the table. It was understandable that the guys were becoming irritable. The weather was hot and sticky and there was nothing to do. All the paper work for past jobs had been filled out and filed. All they could do was sit … and wait.

A heavy silence settled into the room as they all seemed to ponder what to say next. Moments passed like hours as the large plastic clock nestled above the door clicked with each passing second. Kakashi groaned inwardly as he felt little pieces of himself dying on the inside; he wasn't sure if he could cope with another day like yesterday. He allowed his mind to wander , his thoughts quickly skipping over to the pretty girl he saw in the shiny green car the day previous. He had been thinking about her on and off since that very moment: what her name was, where he'd seen her before, why he found himself thinking about her at all. Even he thought that wasn't like him.

"Cards anyone?" Genma piped happily from the other side of the room. Kakashi turned his head suddenly to the sound of his unusually happy voice and blinked stupidly as his own train of thought crashed in his mind.

"Sure, anything that'll stop me thinking! My head's killing me," Anko sighed. "What're we playing, Poker?" She continued flatly, crossing her legs as she sat back on the sofa, resting her cup on her knee. Genma snorted at her suggestion and pointed a finger at Kakashi with a considerable amount of hostility. "No way, man! That bastard almost bankrupted me last time we played Poker!" He squealed painfully.

Kakashi felt himself grinning at the distant memory of fleecing Genma dry at a game he thought required skill. Kakashi had never really thought of himself as particularly lucky, but it seemed that Genma's luck was worse than his when it came to keeping a firm grip on his wallet.

"I know. How about Go Fish?" Genma chirped, chancing quick glances around the room.

"How old are you, five? What about Three's? It's a little more complex than Go Fish but not as taxing as Poker," Kakashi suggested, setting down his coffee mug and sauntering towards the centre of the room. Anko nodded enthusiastically while Genma slumped his shoulders in defeat.

"But… what's wrong with Go Fish?" He whined as both Kakashi and Anko began clearing the small table that housed the magazines.

"Oh, for crying out loud, Genma. You've been out voted two to one. Just get the cards will you?!" Anko ground out. If there was one thing Kakashi could count on Anko for, it was putting Genma in his place. It never ceased to amuse him.

"HA! I win again! Come on then, feather fingers. Pay up!" Anko squawked, slamming her last card down on the pile in the centre of the table and holding out her other hand to Genma who recoiled from her with a startled cry.

"What? But … but, Kakashi …" He stuttered, glancing over at Kakashi pleadingly. Kakashi shrugged at him as he folded his remaining cards into his hands and planted his elbows on the table. "You've got the most cards left out of the two of us. Pay the woman," He drawled flatly.

They had been playing for almost an hour and already they had gotten through four games of Three's. Genma had lost every single one. Kakashi couldn't help but pity the poor man, if only a little. Luck just wasn't on his side today.

Genma sighed heavily as he drove his hand into his back pocket and pulled out a few Ryo notes while grumbling under his breath. Anko's triumphant grin didn't fade once as he counted a few of them out into her open palm.

"There! Who's idea was it to play for money anyway?!" He groaned, pressing the last note into Anko's hand as hard as he could, before she curled her fingers over them and snatched them away from him.

"Yours," Kakashi stated matter-of-factly almost enjoying the scowl forming on his friends face. Anko sighed contently as she began counting the notes in her hand with the fingers of the other. "You know, it's a good job we're not playing The Game of Life," She chirped.

"What? You mean that board game?" Kakashi replied.

"The very same," she answered softly as she stuffed Genma's money into her shirt pocket.

"What? Game of Life? Why?" Genma piped from the other end of the table.

Anko giggled under her breath, resting her elbow on the table's edge as she leaned over towards him. "Well, you wouldn't stand a chance at it. Look at you! You suck at the real deal!"

Genma's eyes narrowed to slits as he began to sink down behind his part of the table. "Bitch," he muttered.

"What did you just call me?!" Anko squalled as she lunged across the table and twisted her hands violently into Genma's shirt.

Kakashi shot backwards, not wanting to get caught in the cross fire as Genma cried out whilst being pulled over the table. The cards spilled to the carpet in tiny crumpled sheets which made Kakashi groan inwardly. Those playing cards were provided by Tsunade for just this purpose of passing the time between call outs and Anko had just destroyed them. Kakashi knew, as the team captain, he was going to have a very sore backside when the Station Chief found out about this.

As Anko and Genma wrestled on the wooden table Kakashi made an attempt to get to his feet as the sound of the fire bell pounded into his ears. The other two froze and looked up at the flashing red beacon that was suspended above the door. All three of them sat dazed as its light rotated within it. It had been so long since any of them had heard the alarm bells that it took a few seconds for the instinct to kick in.

"I think that's us, ya know," Genma murmured, still trapped within the talons of Anko's vicious grip. Kakashi nodded, feeling just as wide eyed as they looked before gaining his bearings and bouncing to his feet. His team followed suit; composure greeted them quickly as they stood before their captain in a state of readiness and eager anticipation.

"Okay, team. Move out!"

The sirens were blaring, blinding streaks of red and blue erupting from the lights on the head of the truck as they shot through the streets of Konoha Town. Kakashi clung to the side of the truck, one hand wrapped around the support bar that jutted from the door-less frame while he allowed his body to lean outwards into the road, relishing in the wind sweeping through his hair. The feeling was glorious as was the knot of anticipation that twisted relentlessly in his gut. Other vehicles shot past him at frightening speeds which made the excitement that little bit more intense and the adrenaline shoot through him like a drug. There was enough room for him in the cabin, but he was quite happy hovering over the road.

The truck weaved through the traffic like a snake through the grass, which gave him a sizable hint that Anko was the one driving. She was relentless when it came to road abuse, but sometimes this way was the best way. When a fire was blazing there were always lives at stake and the quicker they could get to the scene the better.

Kakashi focused on the rooftops in the hopes that he would be able to see the house fire before they actually approached it, giving him time to plan his strategy. He knew there was at least one other fire crew out on patrol so there was a huge chance that the other team was already at the scene. He could see thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky in the near distance as well as the strong stench of burning wood and plastic. Taking a quick look about himself he judged that they were only a few moments away from turning into the street itself. The roads were jammed with traffic, despite Anko's skills at working the wheel of the truck. Leaning over a little he peered into the cab.

"Can you go any faster?" He shouted. Anko was hunched over the steering wheel as she glowered round at him and shot him a detestable look. "Sure, if you wanna die!!" She screamed back. Kakashi nodded briefly before resuming his leaning position at the side of the truck, watching the cars and people rush past him in a blur as they skidded around the corner.

The house was situated almost central to the street and Kakashi had been right in assuming that the other fire crew was already pelting the blazing building with water. Anko applied the brakes causing the truck to skid to a total stop. The street was littered with people watching the flames burst through the already shattered windows of the house as the water rained down on it, quenching the fire slowly. Had they not called for back up the fire would have spread to the neighboring houses in a matter of minutes. The two members of his small team exited the truck and instantly made a dash for the reel of hose at the rear of the truck.

Kakashi jumped down from his pedestal as two others from the other team drifted away from their own and towards Anko and Genma who were now attaching the hose to the main water supply in the ground at the side of the curb..

Kakashi didn't need to bark any orders at his team; they were well oiled enough to know how the job was done allowing him the time to assess the situation. There were a lot of people out in the street, merely gasping and pointing at the burning building as it smouldered. He noticed a small crowd of people on the other side of the road on the grass verge huddled together. Instinctively he reached into the cockpit of the truck and pulled a canvass blanket from beneath the seat as he inspected the crowd. His gut told him that one of the residents of the house was in the centre of this mob and instantly began to make his way over to them in the hopes of gaining vital information.

Managing to push his way through the rabble, Kakashi discovered a young man at its centre, simply sitting on the floor; his eyes looked dull and unfocused but he was shivering uncontrollably. Kakashi spread his arms out to either side of himself as he crouched before him to disperse the crowd that was rumbling incoherently. The young man was no older than sixteen and as he raised his head his dull brown eyes looking right through him. It was more than clear that the boy was in a severe state of shock. Kakashi swung the blanket out over the boys' shoulders and rubbed his arms in an attempt to bring him a little comfort and warmth. If there was one thing he knew about shock, it made one feel extremely cold.

"You alright?" Kakashi murmured, readjusting himself on the verge and watching the teenager hesitate before nodding his response.

"Is that your house?"

The boy nodded again shamefully. Kakashi hummed under his breath, taking another habitual look around the area before turning his attention back to the boy.

"Who else was in there?"

"No … no one. Just … just me. My mother is out at the mall."

"So, it's just you and your mom that live here?"

"Yeah…"

Kakashi nodded; that was a relief. At least now all the teams had to concentrate on was putting out the fire. Turning his body around, Kakashi looked towards his team just as Genma, who was now aiding Anko with the control of the pressure hose, turned to face him. Kakashi nodded as he raised his hand and gave them the thumbs up. Genma saluted as he turned his attention back to the fire and Kakashi turned back to the boy who was pulling the canvass blanket around himself.

"My mom's going to freak out when she gets back," he murmured miserably, the hints of tears hanging in his frightened eyes. Kakashi smiled a little as he placed a strong gloved hand on the boys' shoulder causing him to look up at him.

"To be honest, kid, I think she'll be more relieved that you're alive." He soothed just as the bleeping of sirens began to approach to their right. Kakashi habitually turned his head towards the noise as an ambulance screeched to a halt just behind the two fire trucks. The engine died, the double doors at the rear swinging open as one of the paramedics jumped out and began scanning the area. Kakashi raised his hand to her just as she looked towards him. She hesitated for a split second before bolting over to him and crouching down next to him.

The first thing Kakashi noticed about the young woman was her hair; a lovely shade of pink, it was a highly unusual hair colour but one he thought he recognised. Perhaps he had seen this girl at other fire scenes, he wasn't entirely sure.

"What's your name, kiddo?" she purred as she planted a hand on his forehead, accidentally brushing the fringes of dark hair into his eyes.

"Takuma… Fuudo Takuma…" The young boy replied shakily as he gazed through the girl that was trying to help him. The pink haired paramedic nodded as she took her hand away from his forehead and dove into the pocket of her reflective jacket. Wrenching out a small ledger and a pen, she scribbled frantically onto the open page before cramming it back into her pocket.

"Can you stand?" She asked softly. The boy skittered his eyes between her and Kakashi frantically before shaking his head sporadically. "I… I dunno…" He stuttered. The woman sighed a little before turning to look up at Kakashi. "Could you help me get him to the ambulance?" She asked, the sound of her voice suddenly being drowned out by the electrifying scream in Kakashi's head. Her eyes, like a pair of jade pebbles, knocked the wind out of him.

He sat gazing back at her as memories of the day before began to rush through his brain. He knew why he recognised her; she was the pretty girl in the green car. She was also part of the paramedic team that specialised in public casualties, although it seemed that it was just her and the driver of the ambulance that had been called out this time.

Of course he had seen her before; he had, in fact, seen her on numerous occasions, never with the opportunity to speak or even get close enough to notice her. But it was obvious that he had noticed her at some point.

"Hello? Sir?" She sang, waving a hand at him. Kakashi blinked hard as he clawed at his focus. She gazed up at him with those pretty eyes, arching a pink brow at him as he mentally recalled her request.

"Yeah, yeah sure. Let's go." He muttered feeling mildly embarrassed for letting himself drift away on a dream. Getting to his feet in unison with the girl, they both swung their arms around the youth before them. The boy was hoisted to his feet and it became apparent that, even though he had enough strength to stand, he was quite wobbly on his legs. Kakashi tried to take the majority of Takuma's weight but it seemed that the pink haired girl was more than happy to take most of the burden.

Fighting their way through the masses of people still gazing at the gradually dying flames, the trio finally made it to the small white vehicle. Kakashi helped the woman gently lower the boy to the step at the rear of the ambulance. Reaching into the van, the pink haired medic pulled out a bright orange soda can and popped the top before rubbing her free hand across the bridge of the boys' shoulders and handing him the carbonated drink.

"Here, take this. The sugar will help with your shakes. Don't guzzle it, just small sips, okay?" She soothed as Takuma reached up and took the drink from her. The girl looked up at Kakashi again and flashed him a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Mr … uhm …" She twisted her lips thoughtfully before smiling bashfully as she stood upright when Kakashi realised that he hadn't introduced himself to her.

"Oh, how rude of me. I'm Hatake Kakashi," He drawled, offering his hand to her. The girls' smile broadened on her lips as she took his hand in her own and shook it swiftly.

"Pleased to meet you, Kakashi. I'm Haruno Sakura."

"Sakura, eh? Goes well with the colour of your hair," Kakashi teased. Sakura chuckled a little, glancing down at her feet as she hooked a few stray strands of pink behind her ear with her free hand.

"I thought you looked familiar the other day when I saw you in the car. I've been trying to place your face ever since," she giggled. "Don't you just hate that, when you recognise someone but can't think why?"

Kakashi hummed a chuckle at her, releasing her hand and placing his own in the front pockets of his thick over trousers. He was quite astonished to hear that she had been in the same predicament as himself that day. It was nice to know that she recognised him just as much as he had her.

"So, is he going to be okay?" Kakashi droned, motioning his head towards the teenager who was still sipping at his canned drink and focusing on the ground at his feet. Sakura turned her head towards him and smiled fondly before turning her attention back to Kakashi.

"Yeah. He's in a bit of shock. But that's all. Nothing serious." She shrugged, when an almighty screech filled the air.

"Takuma!! My baby! Oh goodness me! Are you alright? Oh, my special little guy!!" A brash and rather plump woman, curly blonde hair bouncing around her shoulders came bursting through the packs of people and barged past Kakashi, knocking him a little to one side. The young boy lifted his head, his eyes filled with an astonished horror as the woman flung her arms around his neck and squeezed the life out of him. The can dropped from his hand and crashed to the road with a loud thunk, causing the fizzy liquid within to froth and erupt from the tiny opening.

"Muh… Mom!" The boy wailed frightfully, squeezing his eyes closed in the process. The woman began purring at him as she pulled away and started pawing at his face lovingly. Sakura turned her attention back to Kakashi and laughed nervously at the over bearing mothers' reaction.

Kakashi hummed a chuckle at her, pulling a hand out of his pocket and planting it firmly on Sakura's shoulder. She jumped a little, eyes widening dramatically at the sudden contact.

"Well, I should go and re-join my team. See you around, Sakura." He hummed just as she flashed him a small smile - the very same smile he had seen her use in the car the day before. The expression threw him off guard, if only for a split second, but enough to make him want to see that smile again. Perhaps on more sociable terms. Withdrawing his hand, he raised it in a gesture of farewell and began making his way over to the trucks that sat behind the ambulance.

The public had long lost interest in the blaze as the two teams fought to bring the fire under control. At long last the flames were doused and all that remained was a mere shell of what would have been the ground floor. The rest of the house had been totally destroyed with a combination of fire and pressurised water. Not that it could have been helped. The house was doomed before Kakashi and his team had arrived on the scene but he was more than certain that Tsunade would be biting their asses off about it tomorrow.

The flashing lights of an approaching vehicle dragged Kakashi from his thoughts as he turned towards it. He flicked his sights around the area in the hopes of catching a glimpse of Sakura again. But even though the ambulance she had turned up in was still there, the pretty pink haired medic had been replaced by a man that was nowhere near as pleasing to the eyes. Kakashi found himself sighing in mild disappointment that he hadn't notice her leave but there wasn't a lot he could do about that. The boy and his mother were still milling around the ambulance, obviously waiting for some sort of guidance for their next move, but the police would handle that side of things; that was just the way the system worked.

The police car pulled up in front of him and his small team as a member of the other truck came and tapped Kakashi on the shoulder. Uzumaki Naruto stood as bold as brass beside him eyeing over the white and chequered car.

"You okay dealing with this?" he asked brashly. Kakashi nodded grimly, knowing that he didn't have a lot of choice in the matter. The young man smiled broadly and slapped him on the back before bolting off in the opposite direction towards his own team while they reeled their hoses back in.

"Oh no. Not him." Anko whimpered as she slinked behind Genma, holding up her hands against him like a human shield.

"What's the matter with you?" Genma questioned, trying to release himself from Anko's forceful grip as she pressed herself against his back.

"You see that guy in the car?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I, uh… kinda slept with him a few weeks ago. It was just a bit of fun, ya know? But now he thinks I'm his girlfriend or something."

Kakashi felt his eyes widen a little as the man Anko was talking about stepped out of the police car and placed his uniformed hat over his noble head.

"You slept with Maito Gai? I seriously wouldn't have placed him as your type, Anko." He teased watching her dark eyes narrow angrily as she pressed herself further into Genma's back.

"Shut up! Don't let him know I'm here!" She hissed viciously as the tall police man approached them. Kakashi rolled his eyes at Anko before turning his attention to Gai who was now shaking his head at the rubble they had left behind.

"You know the Government isn't going to thank you for this." Gai bellowed as he flashed the silver haired fire-fighter one of his triumphant grins. Kakashi glowered at the man in the stuffed shirt. He was more than aware that the fire department would get blamed for the collapse of the house. But it was a mere shell when they had arrived. There was nothing they could have done to prevent it. The only objective they could hold at that point was to ensure the safety of the lives around them and that's exactly what they did.

"So! Gai? Had any girlfriends lately?" Genma sang as he leaned forward slightly, a manic grin plastered on his face. Gai blinked at him stupidly for a second before Genma opened his mouth once more. "Because a little birdie tells me that you're a demon in the sack!"

"Genma! Shut up!" Came a small squeal from behind him. Genma's smile deepened becoming more sinister as he reached behind himself and twisted his hand violently into the straps of Anko's over trousers. With one violent tug, he wrenched her to his side as she screamed. He slapped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her into a tight and awkward semi embrace.

"This little birdie, right here!" Genma chirped happily. Anko began to squirm in Genma's grip as Gai's eyes widened dramatically at the mere sight of her.

"You are so dead!" She hissed, pushing her face into Genma's. the toothpick wielding man chuckled as he did the same, causing Anko to gasp at him and pull away sharply.

"So what? It'll be worth it!" He snapped back.

"Anko! Anko, my Deadly Viper Orchid. Where did you go to after our night of burning passion?" Gai boomed, clasping his hands to his chest like his heart was about to burst from within. Kakashi arched a brow at him and stepped forward slightly not entirely sure why he was getting himself involved.

"Uh … Gai …?" he started as Gai held up a silencing hand to him.

"Not now, my eternal rival. The woman that has stolen my heart must speak!"

Kakashi held up his hands defensively as he stepped back. Why Maito Gai still referred to him as his "Eternal Rival" was a question Kakashi couldn't answer, nor had ever asked about. They had once been in competition back at Konoha High School, always trying to outdo each other with stupid little tests and challenges and it had always been neck and neck. But their career paths had determined their differences. Kakashi had chosen the life of a fire-fighter, always seeking adventure and new challenges, constantly prepared for the worst, where Gai had chosen the strict guidance of the law. The job suited him and he was good at it, if not a little flamboyant at times.

Anko continued to struggle against Genma's half assed bear hug, finally breaking free and stumbling towards Kakashi as she struggled with her balance. Straightening herself up she patted her self down while giving Genma a detestable look before focusing on Gai.

"Oh please. You're embarrassing yourself." She sniggered, thrusting her hands on her hips. Gai's face fell at that instance. He stepped forward, holding out a hand to her as she glanced down at it with an expression of utter disgust.

"You do not care for me? When you cried out my name in ecstasy… did that mean nothing, Anko?" He pleaded. Kakashi turned away from them at that point. He really didn't want to know about anyone crying Gai's name in ecstasy or in any kind of way for that matter. Focusing on the fire truck he stalked towards it with every intention of leaving the two "lovers" behind. He heard Genma follow him, his heavy boots crunching through the glass remnants of the house they had not long tried to save.

"Hey! Hey, Kakashi! Where're you going? You're missing the best bits! I think Anko's about to break!" He cried, the tooth pick in his mouth bobbing with each word he spoke.

"I'm not going anywhere. We can't leave until Gai says we can. But I really don't want to hear the ins and outs of Anko and Gai's rampant sex life." Kakashi grumbled as he hoisted himself into the fire truck. He would just wait here until they had finished their spat. He had an inkling of how it was going to end and Kakashi didn't fancy being the fifth wheel in a game of tonsil tennis.

"You incompetent fools! Do you realise how much money this operation has cost us?! You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" Tsunade screeched, slamming her hands down on the oversized mahogany table.

"The Government of Fire Country will not stand for this intolerable behaviour! Our funding only goes so far and if you keep destroying buildings with your slap dash approaches we won't receive any at all. Either buck your ideas up or find yourselves without jobs! Do I make myself clear?!" The buxom blonde squalled. The room rumbled with murmurs of agreement from the majority of those that attended. Tsunade growled under her breath lifting her clenched fists and smashing them back onto the surface of the already battered wood.

The entire room shook with the force and everyone jumped away from the table sharply- all apart from Kakashi who wasn't mentally within the confines of the board room.

With his feet on top of the table and his ankles crossed, Kakashi rolled a ballpoint pen between his fingers. As he ran his fingers along it, thoughts of milky flesh and slender thighs raced through his head – that was until a pair of hands slammed onto the desk in front of him, causing the pen to fly free. Kakashi grabbed at it frantically as it spun in midair before he managed to slap it to his chest.

"Hatake Kakashi!" Tsunade shouted, causing Kakashi to squint at the noise. He looked up at her to see her leering over the table. His two teammates were pushing themselves out of her way on the opposite side of the room.

"Take your feet from my table," she snarled.

Kakashi did as he was ordered, pulling his legs from the table top and planting his feet slowly on the carpeted floor. He didn't once take his eyes from hers.

"Now, tell me, Kakashi. Where were you when all this… this carnage was happening?" she questioned harshly, her gaze ripping through him like a drill. Kakashi opened his mouth to speak, to at least defend himself, but it seemed that his good friend Genma had other ideas.

"Ha! Kakashi was talkin' to that good lookin' bird from the Med's. He was totally into her … Gah!!" Genma punctuated his painful cry with a whining moan as he rested his forehead against the table.

Kakashi knew a precise shunt of his steel capped toe to the shin would shut him up before he really dropped him in at the deep end. Tsunade turned towards the injured man, who was now whimpering in his seat, as Kakashi began to speak.

"I was dealing with an occupant of the house that was in a state of severe shock, Chief. My team was left to deal with the fire, as was Naruto's team. The fire had already ravaged the building; no amount of feathered touches was going to stop it from collapsing," he droned flatly.

There was a moment of silence as Tsunade processed the information before she pushed herself up from the table and sauntered back to her original seat. "I want your reports on my desk by the end of the week. That gives you two days, people. Now get out of my sight, all of you." She flicked her hand in a swift dismissive gesture as the sound of scraping chair legs filled the room. Kakashi allowed the others to leave first, preferring not to be in the centre of the rabble.

"Oh, one more thing, Kakashi," Tsunade called.

Kakashi halted and turned to face her, his hand still on the edge of the door.

Plucking a tiny sake mug up from her desktop, Tsunade dangled it in front of her before darting her eyes at him. The expression froze him to the core. Kakashi wasn't scared of anything, but this woman terrified him from time to time. This was one such time. The expression on her face said it all; he was about to see a whole new world of pain.

"Show such ignorance in my presence again and you'll be out on the asphalt so fast your feet won't touch the ground. You are a team captain. Start acting like one," she bit out.

Kakashi glanced away momentarily before bowing his head at her. "Yes, ma'am," he muttered as he turned back towards the door and stepped through the threshold.

He sighed irritably as the door swung shut behind him. Even though he knew he deserved every word Tsunade had just growled at him, it didn't stop the embarrassing burn rolling around in his stomach. As he strolled down the hall, Genma was there to greet him half way, a grin pulling at each corner of his mouth.

Kakashi had every intention of ignoring him as he passed, but Genma again had other plans. Slapping a hand on his shoulder, the dark haired man spluttered a hearty laugh in Kakashi's face, causing him to draw his head back.

"You got rumbled, Kakashi, man!" he chortled.

"Yeah, thanks for defending me – not," Kakashi drawled flatly as he tried to focus on keeping his cool.

"Man, I heard the way Tsunade spoke to you! With that kind of whoopin', you should have an ass like a sleeping bag!"

Kakashi stopped in his tracks and turned towards his team mate, who was laughing so hard tears were pouring from his eyes. Every ounce of his being told him to smack his good friend square in the mouth, but it simply wasn't his style. Kakashi wasn't a violent man by nature; it would take a great deal more than Genma's taunts to drag that side of himself to the surface.

"You should be careful. One day, you're going to upset someone that won't take your obscure sense of humour with such good humility as I do." Kakashi warned.

Genma's laughter faded as his companion turned and continued navigating his way down the hall. "Hey, where're you going?" he called after him.

"Home."

"Ah, back to your pussy of a dog?"

"Yeah, well, my pussy of a dog is better company than you are."

The drive home wasn't shaping up to be as pleasurable as the past two days. Trademark cigarette in hand, Kakashi's focus lay purely on the road ahead of him. The sky was overcast, which allowed him to see clearly though it dampened his mood a little more. Glancing into the rearview mirror, he noticed his mismatched eyes were heavy and tired. Kakashi sighed as he recalled the events of the day. He wasn't at all surprised that Tsunade had dragged the two teams involved in the house fire into the board room, but it didn't mean he was taking the meeting particularly well.

Whenever something of this magnitude happened, the Government would always threaten to freeze the funding that went into the upkeep and stability of the fire department – regardless if they were at fault or not. It gave Konoha Fire Brigade a bad reputation amongst the masses when they insisted on publishing half true stories in the local circular that they were incompetent and took a high disregard for their duties. Kakashi liked to think that he was neither. He had worked long and hard to get where he was today and he was proud of his rank and team.

Kakashi had started his career the very moment he had graduated from Konoha High, starting off as a Detained Fire Fighter. The title sounded important but he had basically been an unpaid grease monkey.

It wasn't until the Chief at the time had found him worthy of undergoing the training to take his career to the next level that things changed. That period of his life had lasted four miserable years with no money and no real means of survival. But he had stuck at it, had taken the taunts of those higher than him until they could see that he was deadly serious about the role he wanted to play.

To be called incompetent was a stab in the back that angered him each and every time he read the local paper – hence the reason he stopped buying it. Still, the little talks they underwent whenever something didn't quite go to plan was just as irritating and damaging to his own morale.

Wrenching his extinguished cigarette from his mouth, he tossed it out of the window before glancing to his right as he pulled up at a junction in the road. There was no traffic on the move but he still looked both ways twice just to make sure.

That was when he spotted the little white ambulance parked outside the old Saratobi household across the road.

Just at that moment, the decorative wooden door of the mansion-esque building opened from within and a very familiar and pleasing sight came into view: a pink topped medic trotted out of the doorway. She looked back momentarily with a warm smile and held up her hand to whomever was inside before plodding gracefully down the huge stone steps. Kakashi felt a huge grin form on his mouth as he assessed the state of the road once more.

Jamming his foot down on the accelerator, he lurched forward and turned to the left before slamming on the brakes and shifting Hime into reverse. He had to get to the other side of the road before Sakura jumped into her van or he would miss his chance to speak with her again. Opportunities like this didn't come his way often so he had every intention of taking full advantage of it.

He switched Hime's gears again and shot forward, stamping on the brake and skidding to a halt mere inches from the rear of her ambulance. The screech of Hime's tires on the road caused Sakura to spin her head around and shoot his car a disgusted look, which was no surprise really. In all the excitement he did nearly careen right into the back of her ride.

Putting the car into park, Kakashi stuck his head out the open window, hooking his arm over the edge of the door as he watched Sakura's expression soften a little. "Yo!" he called to her with a salute.

Sakura glanced at her feet as she sauntered over to the side of the car. Kakashi noticed that she was wearing the same style uniform as she was the night previous, sans the reflective jacket. Only now he was starting to notice how nicely it hugged her trim figure.

The shirt she wore had the style of an extremely short button down dress that was open a little at the collar. The seams that ran on either side curved outwards a little, accentuating the slight swell of her breasts until they jutted inwards to embrace the toned stomach he was sure she was hiding beneath. The hem of the shirt hovered just below the upper thigh, which emphasised her shapely legs. She wore a pair of dark green leggings which acted like a second skin against her legs as opposed to the baggy slacks of the same colour most of the others preferred. Her uniform wasn't the traditional paramedic getup Kakashi was used to seeing in the field, but either way she looked good. Better than he recalled from the night before.

Sakura walked alongside Hime, her bright green eyes tracing the profile of the car until she eventually reached the window. Resting her forearm along the roof of the car, she looked down at him with the same shy smile she had flashed him three times now.

"Hi. Kakashi, isn't it?" she asked softly, pointing at him knowingly when she stated his name.

Kakashi hummed a chuckle at her and nodded his head. "It's good to know your memory is in top condition," he joked with a dry grin. He watched her blush, a heavenly flush of cerise prickling at the skin over the bridge of her nose, as she lowered her gaze to the ground and back again.

"You know, I almost thought I would be driving you and your car back to the hospital," she purred, arching a brow at him as she crossed her legs.

He found himself chuckling again. "Yeah, sorry about that. I'm not usually so reckless with Hime."

"Hime?"

"Oh, Hime. My car."

"You named your car? How cute."

Kakashi coughed at her response. He had been called many things over the years but "cute" was completely new. If he was totally honest, Kakashi wasn't entirely sure whether he liked it or not. He heard her giggle at his reaction, causing him to direct his attention back to her.

"So, you know the people that live here?" he asked curiously.

Sakura shrugged her shoulders at him. "No, not personally anyway. I'm not on call today, so I'm doing the rounds. I only do call outs twice a week."

Kakashi nodded before moving on to his next question. "So, when do you get a day off?"

"I have a couple of days at the weekend, why?"

"What a coincidence, so do I. Fancy getting a bite to eat at some point?"

"You mean like a date?"

"Sure, why not?"

Sakura screwed her lips together somewhat distastefully as she seemed to ponder her answer. "Hmm, I dunno. I don't really know you. You could be a real creep for all I know."

"Oh, thanks. You won't get a better creep than me, you know."

Sakura laughed at his immature comment as she leaned away from the car, allowing her arm to drop to her side. She began to back away from the car and towards the ambulance at a slow pace.

"I'll think about it!" she called, cupping her hands around her mouth.

Kakashi held up his hand in response as he watched her grin devilishly. She twirled around on her heel, her shoulder length locks swirling around her head as she all but skipped to her vehicle. He didn't wait for her to pull off as he reversed out of his own parking spot and spun Hime around to head in the opposite direction. He did watch, however, through the rear view mirror until the ambulance was completely out of sight. There was no doubt in his mind that he would see her again. He would just have to wait until then to drive himself further beneath her skin. She was interested and that was as good a starting point as any.

Scooting into his usual spot beneath the willow tree, Kakashi shut off Hime's engine and dropped her keys into his shirt pocket. He opened the door and stepped out into the day, taking a deep breath of the refreshing breeze that floated through the car park. The weather wasn't particularly great; it looked like it was going to rain at some point judging by the heavy dark clouds looming near the horizon. But still, he felt good. Nothing was going to ruin his mood today – nothing. He sauntered along the edge of the verge, passing other parked cars as he absently noticed the multicoloured tulips that were sprouting in the grass.

Kakashi couldn't help himself as he bent over and picked the first one that came to hand: deep blue in colour, the petals thick with life. He stuck it beneath his nose and inhaled its rich scent deeply, humming as he twirled its stalk in his fingers before wandering into the reception of the fire department. His heels clipped against the tiled floor as he continued to gaze at the tulip in his hand. Kakashi glanced up at the main desk to see Hikaru frantically rummaging through the pigeon holes behind her and sauntered over, placing his elbow on the marbled countertop.

"Lost something?" he asked, causing Hikaru to turn around sharply and press her back against the messy filing system.

"No … What makes you think that?!" she spluttered, the sheer panic in her eyes contradicting every word she spoke.

Kakashi shrugged at her, feeling a small, amused grin come to his mouth when the young girl slumped her shoulders in defeat.

"I had a letter for you. I saw you coming through the door and it reminded me … but now I can't find it," she sighed miserably.

He folded his arms across the counter top. "It's alright. It's bound to be around here somewhere. Can you remember what it looks like?" he soothed.

Hikaru gazed at him for a second as she seemed to search her memory banks. "Well, it was in a white envelope with red corners. There was pink writing on the front … handwritten."

"What did it say?"

"Just your name." Hikaru shrugged out another sigh as she shook her head. "The girl told me it was important too. I'm such a klutz!" She crouched down and began sifting through the files kept directly beneath the desk.

Kakashi propped himself up on the desk and peered over at the young girl, who was becoming quite agitated with herself. "Girl? Hikaru, what did she look like?"

"Uhm… I don't remember much about her face – I've been to bed since then – but she had lovely pink hair. Why?"

"Oh … no reason," he lied. Fancy that. The day prior, Sakura had called him a creep. Now, she was leaving letters for him with the receptionist at work. He had to admit he was quite pleased that she had indeed took his invite seriously, although a rather unpleasant thought drifted into his frontal lobes: perhaps she was sending him a letter to give him the brush off. Kakashi grimaced at the thought when Hikaru bounced up from behind the desk.

"Found it!" she sang as she thrust the little white envelope into his face.

Kakashi blinked at it momentarily before taking it from her and turning it over in his hand. The writing on the front was quite elegant. Kakashi considered that she was in the wrong profession. In his experience, anyone in the medical industry had terrible handwriting. Turning it over again, he ripped open the flap that concealed his note, slipped it out and unfolded it.

The amount of paper that was folded into the envelope had been mostly a waste for the amount of writing that was actually displayed on it in the same pink ink she'd used on the front:

As far as creeps go, you're alright.

Call me x

Beneath the small note she had scribbled a phone number. If she wasn't interested he doubted very much she would have bothered at all, so it came as a pleasant surprise that she wanted to talk to him. He chuckled at the note before folding it back up into the envelope and stuffing it into his back pocket.

"Here, for your troubles, pretty lady," Kakashi purred as he held out the deep blue tulip to Hikaru.

She gasped at him, her eyes flitting around the flower before she looked up at him and took it slowly. "Tha … thank you, Ka… Kakashi … Sir," she stuttered, her entire face going crimson as she clasped the flower to her chest.

Kakashi pushed himself up from the desk and began to make his way towards the locker rooms. Stopping in his tracks just as he reached the door, he looked back at the young girl and pointed a finger at the flower in her hands.

"Make sure you put that in some fresh water, or it'll wilt," he advised. She nodded briskly, her blonde pigtails bouncing around her shoulders. Kakashi could almost feel her joy radiating from the smile on her face. It felt good that he'd just made the teenager's day with a simple flowery gesture. He should probably do it more often.

In the parking bay, Kakashi crouched at the side of Engine Three, clipboard in hand, and inspected the threads on the shoulder connection for the hose. Rubbing his thumb along the steel connection ridges, he saw they were being worn away due to excessive use. Kakashi scowled distastefully at it as he placed the main hose on the floor next to his feet and flicked the pen over in his right hand. He recalled Genma stating a similar problem with the connections on another engine; perhaps it was about time the department started looking at it more seriously.

He was the only one on site when he had arrived that morning. All the other teams were probably milling about the town and city borders, and rather than spend another day in the offices upstairs he had decided to do the pre-start checks on his own.

Back when he used to be a Detained Fire Fighter, Kakashi had taken it upon himself to do the pre-start checks every single morning. It got him accustomed to the equipment they used and also to pointing out any faults. Kakashi could usually tell just by looking at the machinery and equipment if there was anything wrong with it.

This morning he had gone through pretty much everything; all protective gear was checked off as well as breathing apparatus kept in the back of the trucks. The only issues he had come across were two fire axes that needed sharpening and this reoccurring problem with the shoulder hose connections. The trucks were getting on in years, so perhaps it was about time they invested in some new hoses for them. It wouldn't be any good to waste more water than was needed due to faulty equipment. Kakashi tapped his pen on the paperwork as he scanned through each section, ensuring he hadn't missed anything before completing his form.

The metal door behind him shunted open as he was scribbling his notes on the sheet. He didn't bother to turn and inspect who his guest was; they would make themselves known soon enough.

"Hey! What's this about you giving Hikaru flowers?! I knew you were weird but I never put you down as a pervert!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes before going back to his paper work.

"Good morning to you too, Genma," he replied flatly.

"Have you seen her since? She's floating around like a love sick puppy!" Genma complained as Kakashi got to his feet and walked over to the brittle wooden desk on the far side of the bay.

"She's not love sick. She's just a kid. And maybe if you acknowledged her existence once in a while she might show you a little bit of affection too," he scolded, unclipping his form from the board and tossing it into the 'checks' tray.

"But flowers? Come on, Kakashi. Isn't that, like, sending the wrong kind of signals?"

"It was a tulip I happened to pick from the car park. You're just jealous because I didn't get you one."

Genma scowled at Kakashi's come back, folding his arms across his chest just as Anko walked into the room and flung her arms around him.

"So, how does it feel, knowing you're the only one not getting laid?" she cooed in his ear as he squirmed unsuccessfully in her arms.

"Whatever, Anko. You're dating Gai so…" Genma retorted.

Anko smiled devilishly at him, her dark eyes narrowing evilly as she pinched his cheek. "For your information, I only had four hours sleep last night. And he woke me up by…" At that point she cupped his ear and began whispering something to him. Kakashi was quite thankful for that, seeing as he wasn't really interested in his teammates' love lives (especially when it concerned an old school rival), but seeing Genma squirm was the highlight of his day. He watched the other man's mouth drop open suddenly, his chewed up toothpick falling to the floor as his eyes took on a horrified glimmer. Anko pulled away, loosening her grip on his shoulders as she gazed at him flirtatiously.

"That's disgusting! I'm going to have nightmares now!" Genma whimpered as he tried again to get away from Anko.

She chuckled at him, her dark eyes dropping a shade as she leaned towards him again. "You know, Gai does Tai-Kwon-Do. He can bend his body in ways I'd never dreamed!"

Kakashi didn't know what was more piercing: the mental images that Anko had just planted in his mind or the alarm that signalled there was work to do. Dropping a conversation that would no doubt have put both men in the bathroom regurgitating their last meals was the best thing that had happened all morning.

"Wow! Twice in one week? What are the odds, huh?" Genma exclaimed over the deafening echo that rang through the entire building as the trio raced to grab their rubbers and await orders.

Arriving in the city centre, Kakashi was able to see the vast clouds of smoke pouring into the sky. He had been able to see it as soon as they left the station; this fire was big, bigger than he'd originally thought.

How Anko managed to navigate the cumbersome fire truck through the heaving crowds that stood about the blaze was a complete mystery. Although it could have had something to do with her hanging out of the drivers' side cursing and screaming at the people to remove themselves from her path.

Skidding to a complete stop mere inches from the boundaries of the building, the team spilled out of the truck. Again, Naruto and his four man team were already there, blasting the area with their hoses, but there were two other trucks parked up and playing their part as well.

The building was in proportion with the many skyscrapers that littered the city and the fire had already reached the fourth floor of the ten story apartment block; the flames were licking their path through blown out windows. As Kakashi assessed the situation, Naruto raced to his side, his bright blue eyes anxious and frightened as he gasped for breath.

"Kakashi, the fire started on the second floor … we arrived too late, we have two teams 'round back trying to douse the flames but it just keeps climbing." Naruto stopped for air, droplets of sweat beading around his brow as he fought for words.

Kakashi planted a hand on his shoulder – be it for comfort or composure he wasn't really sure, but it seemed to work either way as Naruto focused himself.

"I have a suspicion the fire originated in the centre of the second floor; which would explain why we can't reach the core. We can't contain it for much longer and it's already starting to spread to the conjoined building," the younger man continued in a much calmer voice.

He nodded, patting Naruto on the shoulder as he turned to rejoin his team. Anko and Genma, as obedient as ever, were already getting the hose ready, attaching it to the main water supply as a large bay window erupted from the fifth floor. The masses of people screamed at the explosion as the fire crews dove to the floor, hands over their heads as glass rained down on them in thin shards. Naruto had been right in his assumptions; the fire was climbing the core of the first building and it was far worse than it looked. This was bad. Really bad.

After the faint chinking of glass falling to the ground ceased, Kakashi dared to turn around and study the building again, his extra sensitive eyes picking out flames within the darkened rooms. The fire was reaching the sixth floor at an alarming speed. If they didn't contain it soon it would reach the roof where all the gas cylinders were kept. And if that happened, the entire plaza was going to go up in smoke.

"Please! Please, let me talk to them. Please, I'm begging you!"

"Let them do their job, lady! Get back! I said get back… Hey!"

Kakashi absently noticed the ruckus going on behind him as he trotted over to his team, who were now spraying the building. Before he could reach them he was grabbed from behind, causing him to stop in his tracks. A pair of slender arms wrapped themselves around his midriff and pulled him back as the sound of sobbing filled his ears. He turned to see a young woman, pressing her face into his rubber jacket, her cries wracking every joint in her body. As he rotated himself to face her, her strength didn't hold out as she allowed her arms to fall to her sides limply. A member of the police force who had been standing on the borders trying to keep the crowd at bay ran towards them.

"I'm sorry, sir. She just ran straight past…" he started, falling silent when Kakashi gave him a stern look.

"Go back to your post. I'll deal with this one," he said. The policeman nodded once before bolting in the direction which he had just came. Focusing his attention back to the weeping woman, Kakashi placed a gloved hand on her arm. The contact startled her, causing her to look up at him with sorrowful eyes.

"My daughter. Please. She's trapped in there, I swear I thought she was behind me, please. Please, you need to help her!" The woman's pleas were bordering on being hysterical screams as she spoke. When Kakashi grabbed her arms in an attempt to calm her, she began to thrash in his grip.

"You need to calm down, or I can't help anyone. Your daughter, where did you see her last?" he demanded, speaking calmly.

The woman dropped to her knees, her face twisted in mental agony. Kakashi followed her to the ground.

"The eighth floor… I saw her on the eighth floor," she murmured weakly.

He didn't need to tell her to prepare herself for the worst, the woman was already coming to terms with the notion that her child was already dead.

Kakashi got to his feet, leaving the poor woman on the ground, and motioned with his hand at the cop that had originally tried to contain her. He came bolting over with expectant eyes, awaiting Kakashi's order.

"Take her back to the crowd. Make sure the paramedics see her first," he ordered. The young man nodded, crouching next to the woman and hooking an arm around her waist as Kakashi turned towards the fire truck.

Naruto stood directly in his path. The mean expression on his face told the captain that he had overheard his conversation with the woman. They both stood and regarded each other for a few seconds before the blonde nodded his head and raced towards his own team. Kakashi felt a little more at ease knowing that he wouldn't be entering that building alone – not that protocol would ever allow it anyway.

Flashes of past memories began to haunt him as he made his way over to his truck: the flames, the cries of agony, the blood. He had once tried to banish the nightmares, but now they were what drove him, what made him commit himself to his profession. If it meant he had to sacrifice his own life to save another, then so be it.

As he stopped on the driver's side of the truck, Kakashi jammed his hand into the back, pulling out the breathing apparatus he had checked off that morning and dropped it onto the seat. He pulled the zipper of his jacket right up to the collar before inspecting his gloves, intently readjusting the straps for a tighter fit.

"Kakashi … don't. Don't do this." Genma's voice buzzed in his ears but didn't distract him from the task at hand.

"I have to," he stated listlessly.

He heard his teammate scoff at the answer. "No, man. you don't! What if this girl is already dead?"

"What if she isn't?"

Genma hesitated and Kakashi shot a glance at him. He could see his lower lip twitch downwards as the other man struggled to find the words he needed. Kakashi looked away eventually, grasping the straps to the air tanks and swinging the entire thing around his body, hooking his arms into the loops.

"Don't throw your life away like this. Obito wouldn't want that."

Kakashi paused mid-stride at the mention of his dead friend's name. Obito was the very reason why he had chose this profession from the start; he'd died in a fire that could have been prevented, in the flames from which he could have been saved. But instead, he had been left to die.

Slowly, Kakashi turned to face Genma, who looked back at him solemnly. He regarded him for a few moments before lowering his gaze and shaking his head. "I can't run away, not knowing. My scar … every time I look in the mirror, it's a constant reminder that I could have done something … but didn't. I may be a lot of things, Genma, but I'm no coward. Not anymore."

Genma didn't answer, choosing to respond instead with a soft, defeated sigh. He knew his captain wasn't going to change his mind and he wasn't going to try and stop him.

"I would go in, if it were you," the silver haired captain continued softly, placing a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. It was nice to think that Genma, whom he'd known for as long as he could remember, didn't want him to venture into the heat trap. But Kakashi was bound by the honour of his craft. His job was to save lives, not take them.

Genma gave him a stern look, but it was quite clear he was losing control of his emotions. His dark eyes were what betrayed him. Pulling the toothpick between his lips into his mouth, he grinned as he planted his own hand on Kakashi's comforting arm.

"Then why do you keep turning down my dinner dates?" he teased.

Kakashi chuckled and slapped Genma on the arm playfully with his free hand. That was more like him.

"Orders, Captain?" Genma asked, biting down on his toothpick.

"Keep dousing the flames. Break out the foam if you have to. Also, if you can't contain it and it looks ready to blow… don't stick around. Get yourselves and the people as far away as possible. Don't wait for me, but don't think that you've gotten rid of me so easily."

Genma nodded his agreement with a dry yet knowing smile as the sound of rushing footsteps closed in on them.

"It's now or never, Kakashi. Let's go!" Naruto panted as he rushed past them both towards the burning apartment block. Kakashi nodded towards him before giving Genma another pat on the shoulder and joining his fellow captain in this race against time. He had every intention of leaving this site alive, but he left it up to the will of the Gods if he would ever see daylight again.

Using the rusted fire escape ladder to the far right of the building, both Kakashi and Naruto started their investigation of the apartment block from the sixth floor. The glow of the flames was the only thing Kakashi's sharp eyes were able to pick out through the heavy blanket of smoke that filled the building, his sense of touch being his only window into this dark world.

Both fire fighters knew their time was limited, the breathing apparatus on their backs only allowing them a fraction of the time that they would need to find the girl. Managing to make their way slowly to the stairwell, the radio within Kakashi's helmet crackled with incoming signals.

"Kakashi! Kakashi, you still there?" Naruto squealed in his ear.

"Yeah. Right behind you."

"So, the woman said this girl's on the eighth floor, right?"

" No. That was the last place she saw her. Chances are she's lower than that."

"Alright. Let's go!"

The pair raced up the stairs as fast as their heavy equipment would allow them. Kakashi could already feel the sweat coursing from him due to the intense heat. He didn't care what anyone said; no amount of training could ever prepare anyone for a situation like this.

The air began to clear a little as they reached the next floor, though not much. Naruto raced through one of the many open doors as Kakashi took a brief look around himself. The smoke was so thick there was no way someone could survive for long breathing in the toxic fumes, not to mention the heat. Even through the rubber that was meant to protect him, he could feel the flames beneath eating their way through the beams. They had to hurry. If they didn't find this girl soon, they were all dead.

Kakashi took a chance with an open door at the far end of the corridor. He bolted through it, the threshold opening up into a huge empty square room and darted his eyes about it. It so happened that luck was on his side today as he spied the silhouetted form of a small body lying limply in the far corner. Without a moment of hesitation, Kakashi raced over, skidding to a halt as he dropped to his knees before it.

The girl was younger than he had originally thought; she couldn't have been any older than four years of age. She was out cold but fortunately still breathing. Her face was peaceful, like a cherub, though blackened and smeared from the dirty smoke around them. Kakashi tapped the side of her face gently with the tips of his fingers, causing her to stir and whimper at the contact. Her eyes flickered softly as the static from the radio crackled in his ears.

"Yo! Get a move on, Kakashi! Where are you?"

"In the room at the far end of the corridor. I've found the girl but we need to move quickly. She's in a bad way."

"Let's get her out of here. We gotta move fast, man! The fire's bursting through the floor out here!"

"Right."

He grabbed the girl around the waist and pulled her into his arms placing a shielding hand over her head. Her long brown hair fell through his fingers as she clenched her tiny hands around his collar. She buried her face into his chest, tensing against him.

"Good girl," he whispered as he stomped his way out of the room and back towards the stairwell. The smoke was getting thicker and the whipping tongues of the flames were lapping at the staircase. It was hard to believe that they had actually started their search down there.

With each step he took, Kakashi could feel the floor slipping beneath his feet inside the carcass of the building. He could see Naruto through the smoke, waving his arm frantically at them as he got closer, just as a horrendous crunch echoed through the block. Kakashi stopped in his tracks, gripping the little girl tighter to his chest as the crunch quickly morphed into a rumble. The entire corridor began to shake around them.

At that moment, the landing along with the staircase fell away, its fate to be devoured by the flames beneath. The wood that held it together splintered and snapped as the metal girders within began to whine, warping in the unbearable heat.

Naruto stumbled away from the wreckage as it fell to the floor below, slamming his back into the wall behind him. A gaping hole in the floor was now what stood between them and the fire escape; they had to find an alternative route.

"Come on! We need to get to a window before this whole place collapses around us!" Kakashi shouted into his mouthpiece before turning on his heel and forcing himself through the smoke. There was no time to get to the floor above them; there was a risk that the fire would catch up with them and trap them within the shell of bricks and mortar. They needed to get out – fast.

Another open door offered them an opportunity to get away from the flames. A large double, paned window showed them a path to the outside world. Naruto took it upon himself to lead, unhooking the axe on his belt and raising it above his head as he pelted towards it with a desperate war cry.

He slammed the axe into the glass, but it merely cracked. The threads of white caused by the impact shot across the pane like bolts of lightning. Lifting his arm again, he smashed the axe back into it. The blade lodged into the glass. Naruto pulled and wrenched at the handle, jerking it free. The glass exploded inwards, the tiny jewelled shards chinking to the hard wood flooring as the blonde captain poked at the jagged remnants of glass that jutted from the window frame.

The smoke that had gathered in the room started to billow out of the broken window in thick plumes. The crackling of the flames eating its way through the floor was the only other noise aside from the rabble cries from the people outside.

Naruto smoothed the handle of the axe over the blackened wood, sending the glass spilling out onto the outside ledge before holding his hand out to Kakashi.

"Let me have the kid while you get yourself outside," his voice crackled into Kakashi's head set.

Nodding, Kakashi handed the young girl to Naruto, even as she tightened her grip on Kakashi's collar and dug her face deeper into his neck. He glanced down at her, knowing that time was wearing thin. Naruto grabbed the girl around her waist and wrenched her away from Kakashi. She didn't utter a sound, but the look on her face spoke volumes. Her terror soaked eyes tore through him as she reached for him. Kakashi stepped back, out of her reach and made his way to the open window. He hooked his right leg over the frame before holding out his hands to the young girl, who squirmed in Naruto's grip to get to him.

Taking the dark haired girl from him, Kakashi placed a hand on her head as she planted her face back onto his chest. Scooting through the window, with Naruto close behind, he noticed then how thick the smoke really was as it swirled into the air. The visibility outside was not much better than it was within the building but at least he could now see the ground. He stood back as Naruto took the lead. It was better that the man with no burden led the way; he could keep his attention squared on the escape.

The crowd screamed below them, causing Kakashi to look down as they shuffled along the thin strip of edging keeping them on the side of the building. The people were so small from up here. From the ground, ten stories didn't look so high, but when faced with the possibility of falling it was a lot higher than he particularly wanted to be. He could see the fire teams looking up at them, and the vast sea of people behind them waving their arms.

"Naruto, is there an escape ladder ahead?" Kakashi asked, hearing the static buzz in his head set. He saw Naruto nod his head to confirm. The conjoined buildings had a central fire ladder, so it was merely a matter of getting to that and making their way down to the ground. After that they were home free.

As they approached the ladder Kakashi manoeuvred the little girl onto his back as Naruto swung himself around the metal railing. Kakashi followed suite, taking more care due to his burden. They slowly descended down the ladder, making it past the seventh floor when the heat began to build. Kakashi glanced quickly to his right, seeing the flames lapping at the window frames, when he felt the ladder jolt to the left. Losing the ability to breath for that split second, he shot his eyes upwards as he pressed his body against the rungs. The ladder was coming away from the wall; the bolts that held it in place were so ancient and rusty it simply couldn't cope with the weight.

"Fuck…" he murmured as he heard the little girl on his back whimper, pulling her arms a little tighter around his neck. Chancing a glance downwards, he saw that Naruto had taken the quick route and was now sliding down the ladder. Kakashi couldn't chance such an action, not with the young girl on his shoulders. It was just too risky. He spun his head around again, looking up at the brackets that threatened to send them plummeting to the ground any second. Lifting a foot from the rung, he lowered himself slowly to the sound of straining metal due to the shift in weight.

Blindly finding the next rung while not once lifting his eyes from the brackets above him, he repeated the motion with his other foot, slowly shifting his way down. Just then, a window to the right blew out, causing the metallic structure to rattle in his grip. The sheer force of the explosion jolted him to one side. The mere threads keeping him upright snapped, sending the ladder buckling to the left. The metal screeched as its rusted form broke away from the wall, dragging the other bolts out of the wall brackets. Kakashi and the girl plummeted downwards until the tip of the ladder smashed through an over head window, lodging it in place.

He could hear the crowd screaming below as they came to an abrupt stop, flecks of glass bouncing from the helmet he wore. Due to the heat of his breaths and the sweat coupled with the slight coolness of the summer breeze, the clear plastic of the helmet was starting to steam over, making his already stunted visibility worse.

Chancing a quick glance around himself, Kakashi saw that he was hovering just above the fifth storey window of the opposing building. The fire was raging within its walls, several windows had already been blown through but luckily the floor he could see was somewhat unaffected. The little girl was still gripping to his neck as he maneuvered himself on the rickety ladder, allowing his legs to drop beneath him, Kakashi shifted his hands in order to face the window, his only barrier to some kind of safety.

With a quick kick of his left leg, Kakashi struck out at the window. He missed; his leg span from that distance was simply not enough to connect. He had to get closer. Lowering a hand, he swung it to the next rung followed closely by the other as he dangled almost seventy feet from the ground. There was simply no option to drop from that height. An awning several feet below would be the first thing to greet them on the way down, resulting in serious injury or, more than likely, death.

Death was not an option for either of them at this point.

Swinging himself on the rung, he kicked out again. This time the steel of his boot connected with the glass enough to scuff the shine off it. He swung his legs back to gain momentum and kicked again, this time cracking the glass on impact. One more should have the glass shattering inwards. Kakashi took in a deep breath, drawing his legs behind him as he prepared for the final blow when the ladder lurched downwards. It was obviously losing its very delicate grip on the surface above. He had a chance, right now, right at this moment to gain entrance to the building … and also the chance that they would fall to their deaths. There was no other alternative as he felt himself swinging back towards the window. He released the rung from his tight grip just as the ladder squealed and began to fall. Kakashi plummeted feet first through the window. The girls' hold didn't waver as they both landed in a heap in the smoky building.

Kakashi forced himself up from the hardwood to the sound of metal scraping brick as the ladder that was meant to lead him to safety crashed to the awning below. The girl, seemingly unhurt by the excursion raced over to him, planting her hands on his shoulders as if to offer him help. Her eyes were worried and water logged. There was a tiny cut on her cheek, possibly from falling onto some glass, but aside from that and the dirt she seemed okay. Kakashi grabbed her, pulling her into his arms as he bolted for a window on the opposite side of the expansive room that was rapidly filling with smoke from the fire below. He chanced quick glimpses around the room as he went, not taking in much detail – not that there was much to see. The room was abandoned with no furniture to speak of, just wooden floors, bare walls and the stench of burning timber.

Reaching the window, he placed the young girl on the floor as he fumbled with the clasp that held the window shut. It opened with ease and Kakashi commenced to push the frame upwards before motioning to the girl, who all but jumped up onto the windowsill. After helping her exit, both she and Kakashi stood on a ledge no wider than the length of his own feet. He gazed down at the world outside as the windows below began to blow, sending their deadly rain plummeting to earth. The fire was still climbing despite the fire teams' efforts. He could see the vapour spray flowing from each hose like elaborate fountains as other members of the teams raced across the ground. The heat was rising, causing him to sweat as he gasped for breath against the outer wall of the building. The young girl had her arms wrapped around his leg, her face pressed to his thigh.

Kakashi raised both arms, feverishly clawing at the rim of his helmet as he desperately tried to wrench it from his head. With several pulls and a growl of effort, it finally came free. He was exhausted. His legs gave way, causing him to lean back against the wall. He noticed the teams below unfolding the white crash mat, sealing his fate. The windows of the complex were blowing out so the ladder was out of the question; no point risking their own lives, too. The young girl, now with her hands on his knee chanced a look down herself as she noticed Kakashi doing the same.

"What's … your name, kiddo?" he huffed, causing her to spin her head back round and stare at him in bewilderment.

"Hime…" she squeaked eventually. Kakashi chuckled softly; figures that the girl he just saved happened to have the same name as his precious car. He was astonished that she wasn't coughing from all the smoke she had inhaled, but that meant very little. The internal damage it may well have done wasn't always visible.

"Hime…? That's a nice name," he choked out. Kakashi was struggling to breathe, his mouth was bone dry and he ached terribly. Each muscle seemed to have a mind of its own as he sat and shivered uncontrollably on the ledge. Hime nodded at him as she looked down at the ground again, before shifting her eyes back to his. She inspected him curiously before carefully treading around him, keeping her hands on his leg for balance. That was a good thing; Kakashi doubted he had it in him to catch her if she fell.

"You're shaking," she mumbled, patting his leg as if to bring him some comfort.

Kakashi gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm fine."

"We're gonna jump … aren't we?" she asked quietly.

The notion obviously terrified her, but Kakashi didn't see a point in lying. "'Fraid so, kid."

He saw her eyes brim with tears as she threw herself into him, clawing at the rubber of his jacket and shaking her head vigorously. Kakashi just sat there, unsure of how to react, as she sobbed against him. She looked up at him, her tears running clean streaks down her soot covered face.

"Please! Please, don't let go. Don't let go!" she begged, tugging at him frantically as her features scrunched tightly.

Kakashi chose not to answer as he wrapped his arms around her and forced his legs to make him stand. Every ounce of energy had disappeared since landing back outside. He had never felt so tired like he did right now. He held onto Hime as he glanced back down to the ground. The crash mat was now directly beneath them, ready for their fall. He could see the fire-fighters standing around, waving the signal that they were ready for their descent.

The girl continued to cry into Kakashi's shoulder as he took a quick look into the room behind him. The floorboards were beginning to glow through each crack. If he was going to jump, he had to do it now. Closing his eyes, Kakashi breathed in deeply as he planted a foot on the wall behind him and braced himself.

"I need you to promise me something, Hime," Kakashi said, causing her to gaze at him with her watery eyes.

"I need you to promise that you'll close your eyes. Don't open them until someone takes you from me. Got it?" he ordered softly. It was for the best that she didn't see the fall. The very action would scare her far more than it needed to. And if worst came to worst, if he died in her arms, she wouldn't have to see that. Though he didn't agree with shielding children from the cruelties of life, he drew the line at subjecting them to it if it could be avoided.

Hime's lips trembled as she nodded at him. "Please … don't let go," she pleaded again.

"I won't let go. Promise."

With that said, he grabbed the back of her head, pressing her to him as he lurched from the ledge head first. Kakashi could feel himself spinning in midair, almost like he was flying. The first few moments felt glorious, as if he could touch the boundaries of heaven with a single leap. And then came the sickening lurch in his stomach as he began to fall.

The air shot by as the ground raced towards him, his hair whipping around his head as he curled his body around his precious cargo. Hime clung on, her eyes squeezed closed as her long dark hair furled upwards in the rushing winds. His purpose today was to save her. He had done that. Now it was his job to protect her from the fall and the impact that would soon follow.

The screams of the crowd had faded to nothing. All he could hear was the sound of the wind rushing past him. The cold was inviting against the heat he'd felt earlier, yet he could feel himself fading fast. The sky began to get darker as the world around him closed in. He was going to die, he was sure of it. He could feel the icy talons of death reaching into him, taking him little by little as he was thrust into the darkness.

The sound of muffled voices stirred him from his dreamless sleep and the softness of cloth beneath his back was a sensation he hadn't been expecting as he opened his eyes. His vision was blurry and Kakashi focused on the only thing he could make out, that being an indistinct shape. After a moment, it thrust forward suddenly to reveal Genma's not so inviting face.

"Hey, hey, big man! How you feeling, buddy? We thought you were a gonna!" he shouted as another welcoming face came into view and punched Genma in the arm. The dark haired man recoiled with a squeal as he rubbed his assaulted arm tenderly, scowling at the offender.

"Don't get all up in his face, you idiot!" Anko scolded before turning towards her team captain with a much more pleasant expression on her face. "Seriously, how are you feeling? You took quite a tumble out there."

Kakashi thought about his answer as he propped himself up on the thin mattress and took a quick look around. Everything was white, making him think at first that he was in the hospital what with all the medical equipment strewn about his bed and the needle in his arm attached to a drip feed suspended above his head. That was until he noticed the breeze and the natural light streaming in from an open door at the foot of the room. He was in one of the little ambulances still on the scene. He could see the two buildings, still smoking in the near distance. Masses of people were still milling about the area, talking to other fire-fighters and police personnel. But other than the crowd it all looked quite peaceful.

"What happened?" Kakashi mumbled as he tried to gather his garbled thoughts. The last thing he could recall was the fall. There was no impact, no screams. Nothing. He didn't have the trademark headache that usually came with a blackout; a pleasant surprise to say the very least. He felt a lot better than he did while sitting on the ledge of the apartment block, that was for certain.

"You went into shock. The medics think that due to the excessive heat and the sudden cold of the fall, your body just … shut down." Anko stated it almost like a question, wincing as she gave a slight shrug before continuing. "You were out cold before you hit the mat."

Kakashi glanced away briefly before turning his attention back to the outside world. "You managed to put out the fire then?" he croaked, turning to look at his team mates.

Anko and Genma glanced at each other with knowing smiles before turning back to Kakashi.

"Yep! And all without demolishing the building. I don't think whatever's inside is up to much, but we managed to get it under control about thirty minutes after your heroic nose dive," Genma snorted, giving Kakashi an example of his jump through a thrusting downward motion of his hand.

"And Hime? Is she okay?"

Anko placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder and leaned over a little, her lips curving in a fond smile – a rarity coming from her.

"The kid's fine. She'd inhaled a lot of smoke and she was a little traumatised so she and her mother have been taken to the hospital. But she'll be fine. You did good," she soothed, patting Kakashi's shoulder as she sat back down. Kakashi hummed at her response. That was good to know; at least she was in good hands now.

"Alright, guys. I think the hero's had enough excitement for one day. Time for you two to leave so I can get my job done," a brash yet pleasantly familiar voice announced. Kakashi glanced towards the ambulance doors to see Sakura propped against the side of the frame, a sly smirk on her pretty face and a hand on her hip.

The others turned towards her before getting to their feet and wandering over to the rear of the van. Sakura stepped to one side as they bounced from the vehicle to the ground outside. Genma turned around, jutting a finger at Kakashi through the opening.

"You'd better be at work tomorrow. Tsunade might give us all a medal!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Whatever. We'll have to see what the little nurse thinks," he drawled, motioning his head towards the pink haired medic.

Sakura turned to face him at that point; her eyes burning with a hidden rage that made her look far more attractive than she was already. The girl had spunk, and if there was one think that Kakashi liked above all else it was a woman with fire in her belly.

Genma laughed as he turned and walked away from the ambulance, allowing Sakura to close the door behind her before strolling across to the gurney, folding the two chairs and shoving them to the other side of the ambulance as she went. She stopped in her tracks as she reached the head of the bed, swinging a clipboard from her side and tapped at it with a pen.

"So, injuries sustained during your little adventure in the burning building are a couple of minor cuts to the right knee and a severe blow to the head," she reported while scribbling on her clipboard.

"What? I banged my head?"

"No, but call me a 'little nurse' again and I'm sure I can arrange something," she bit out, lifting her shocking green eyes from the board and locking them with his. Ouch.

"Ah, dishing out the threats already?" he muttered with a smirk as he tried to sit up further. Sakura slammed her clipboard down on the shelf behind her before slapping a hand on his chest and forcing his body back to the bed. The force almost knocked the wind out of him as he lay with his hands on either side of his head. She glowered down at him, feathers of pink hair falling around her shoulders and framing her pretty face. Although the action knocked him completely off guard, it didn't take Kakashi long to gain back his composure. He actually found he quite liked a little rough hospitality.

"Ouch, baby. Be gentle with me," he teased, watching her stern expression soften. Her eyes became a little darker as they acquired that lustful edge he'd been hoping to see. Lifting her hand from his chest she traced a finger along his ribs and down to his stomach.

"I'll be a lot nicer when I find out if you're fit for purpose," she purred before slapping her hand back onto his chest and getting to her feet. Picking up her clipboard again, she pointed a finger at him, jerking it upwards. "Come on, then. Sit up."

Kakashi did as he was told with a dry smile, swinging his legs from the gurney and sitting on the edge of the bed expectantly as Sakura looked over her notes.

"Okay, I'm just going to test your reflexes first. Make sure your brain is as powerful as your mouth," she chirped, placing the clipboard back on the shelf and opening a drawer in one of the plastic medical cabinets to her left. She pulled out a thin black stick and pointed it towards him. Kakashi arched a silver brow at it before shifting his eyes to her face.

"What's that?" he asked as he watched her smile widen a little more.

"What? Oh, this?" she quipped, holding the black object up as if to display it to him. "It's a torture device I use only for special patients."

Kakashi blinked at her stupidly. He knew she was lying but the tone of her voice stirred something quite hot in the base of his gut. She chuckled after a moment of regarding his reaction as she stepped towards him.

"It's a torch. I need to check your eyes. May I?" she asked, holding out a questioning hand. Kakashi shrugged at her as she placed a cool palm on his forehead, threading her fingers through his hair. "Just relax, okay?"

She pulled open his right eyelid with her thumb, shining the torch into his eye. Kakashi squinted a little at the blinding light but her concentration didn't falter. "Now, look up … and down. Okay, to your left … and now to your right."

Kakashi followed every order. He never liked nurses, or doctors for that matter. They were always way too close and personal for his liking and his yearly medical examination was a time he had always dreaded, but he found he didn't mind so much if it was Sakura doing the examining.

Taking the light away from his right eye she moved over and repeated the method with his left. "Okay, there's nothing wrong – with your eyes, at least," she chuckled.

"Well, if there was you wouldn't look so ravishing in that uniform, Sakura."

He saw her hesitate as she went to replace the torch into the draw it had come from. A smattering of pink bled across her cheeks as she cleared her throat awkwardly. Kakashi's grin widened a little at her reaction. His compliment had hit a nerve, quite a pleasurable one at that. Sakura continued to rummage in the drawer as he leaned forward on the gurney. Reaching out he brushed his fingertips along the back of her knee, the fabric of her leggings catching a little on the calluses. He took great delight in her reaction when she flinched. Glancing up, he saw her mouth was parted slightly as she held what looked like a stethoscope close to her chest.

"I got your note, by the way. It's good to know that I'm alright … for a creep, that is. I would have called, but seeing as we're here I guess I don't really have to," he said suggestively as her blush deepened, the colour flaring on her cheeks and bleeding down her neck.

She turned towards him slowly as he sat himself back up on the mobile bed, her eyes darting about her feet. "I need to check your lungs," she mumbled, giving him that wondrously bashful smile of hers.

"Help yourself."

"I need you to lift up your shirt." Her smile was completely gone as she flicked her hair out of her face with a swift jerk of her head. But the blush remained. Kakashi tittered at her feeble attempt of professionalism, hooking his fingers around the hem of his polo shirt and wrenching it up to his neck. Settling his hands back on the mattress, Kakashi leaned back and allowed his legs to relax, parting them to invite her in. Sakura's eyes widened slowly at the movement before she shot her gaze back to him and sighed heavily.

Popping the stethoscope into her ears, she walked around his legs, approaching him on his left. Kakashi followed her with his eyes; he knew she would do that, but it was worth a shot either way. He watched her as she leaned over him, placing the cold metal chest piece over his left pectoral muscle. Her eyes flickered from side to side as she concentrated on the sounds in her ears.

"It must be fate, meeting like this," he drawled, as Sakura flicked her bright eyes up at him.

She rose slowly with a quivering sigh before reaching over him and placing the cool metal disk on the other side of his chest. "It's either that, or a serious case of bad luck. Do you treat all the medics like this?" she scolded, a hint of a frown pinching at her brow.

He chuckled at her as he lifted a hand from the bed and lightly fingered the ear piece that partially blocked her hearing. He felt her stiffen as he took the plug out of her ear and leaned himself in, allowing his nose to taste the sweet fragrances of her hair.

"Only the ones I really like," he whispered, stroking his fingers along the underside of her jaw. Her skin was angelically soft, a pleasure to the touch. Placing her hand on his chest, Sakura pushed herself up as she turned around and threw the stethoscope back into the drawer feverishly. Surely that wouldn't do her equipment any good, but Kakashi wasn't going to be the one to point that out to her.

"If you were anyone else I would have left long before now. I don't get paid enough to put up with patients like you," she grumbled under her breath. Kakashi had a feeling that she only meant half of her statement which gave him the ammunition he needed to respond.

"Now, now, Sakura. There's no need to be like that," he cooed.

"Well, you're hardly making this very easy for me. You do realise that I'm not supposed to have … relations with patients," she replied coolly, snatching at her clipboard and scribbling on the sheet.

Kakashi was more than aware of the rules regarding paramedics and their patients. Similar rules applied to fire-fighters regarding residents of burnt out households and such. He had wondered how long it would take her to play that card to her advantage. Her mouth may have being saying one thing but it was more than clear that her body was saying something entirely different. She huffed irritably as she turned towards him and began eyeing over the drip at his bedside. Kakashi lowered his gaze as she thrust the clipboard at him with one hand and held out the pen with the other.

"I need you to sign this, for the drip feed," she stated.

"No," he replied immediately, watching as her features fell. His refusal was obviously something she wasn't used to in her profession. Mostly, people did as they were told, but Kakashi was only obedient if he wanted to be.

"No? What do you mean, no? I need to take out the needle! I can't do it without your signature," she ground out. Her eyes became hotter when Kakashi shook his head.

"I want another medic. I'm refusing to be treated anymore by you," he insisted. Sakura swallowed hard as she let the information sink in.

"You know you can't just refuse treatment, Kakashi. I've worked alongside fire-fighters long enough to know how your policies work."

"I'm not refusing treatment. Just treatment from you. Get me another medic."

"There is no one else!"

"Looks like we're going to the hospital then, doesn't it?"

"Don't. Kakashi, please. This will make me look really bad."

"That's not my problem."

He saw her lips quiver, which made him pity her a little. Sakura hadn't done anything to deserve his sudden change in attitude, but if she wanted to play the policy game then he could give as good as he got. He was interested in her, as she was in him. There was a definite spark between them, had been since he had first noticed her in her shiny green car three days ago. But if she was stating that they couldn't take it any further because of the 'doctor-patient policy' then he didn't want to be her patient. It was just that simple. However this situation was quite different. Sakura was a paramedic, not a doctor. If this was a house call he could understand her reluctance to get involved, but it wasn't. This was what he called 'road side treatment.' The rules were grey and murky when it came to this area, but he was willing to wait and see how long it took for her to realise that.

An awkward silence filled the tiny area as Sakura seemed to struggle with herself, unsure of how to react towards him, before he saw that angry fire flare within the depths of her green eyes.

"You're toying with me," she hissed turning her head slightly to one side as she eyed him over suspiciously. Kakashi didn't need to give her an answer; he just smirked at her. She twisted her mouth in distaste as she thrust the clipboard at him again, leaned over and forced the pen into his hand.

"Sign the waiver," she ordered, her tone of hostility stirring that heated sensation within his body again. He didn't think it would take her long to catch on to his little mind game. She may be young but she was far from stupid.

Kakashi took the board out of her hand with a sharp snap of his wrist and closed his fingers around the pen before glancing down at the peach coloured slip of paper. Sakura had been so kind as to place an "X" in the box she wished him to sign giving her permission to remove the needle that was puncturing the crook of his elbow. He scrawled his mark on the sheet and handed her the board. She snatched it from him and all but threw it back upon the shelf before rummaging again in the plastic medical cabinet.

She pulled out what looked like a ball of cotton wool, a band-aid and a small packaged chemical wipe. Sakura strolled over and parked herself on the bed beside him, wrapping her fingers around his forearm and resting it across her lap. She reached up behind her, unhooking the drip feed bag from the stand and fiddled with the nozzle that attached it to the tubing flowing into Kakashi's arm. After placing the bag into a dish that sat on top of the plastic cabinet, she then did the same with the connection that ran into the needle, repeating the process of that of the bag.

"Okay," she soothed as she ripped open the tiny packet, revealing the chemical wipe within. "Just relax, this won't hurt a bit."

Kakashi didn't say anything. It seemed that the hushed voice was one she used with all her patients; it was soothing enough to make her likable, but with a confident tone showing that she knew what she was doing. Her touch was delicate on his skin yet forceful enough to do some damage if she wanted to. This girl knew exactly what she was doing. Self confidence radiated from her in was a refreshing change to the trainees and medical students he had sometimes found himself facing during his yearly screenings.

Sakura pulled the needle out of his arm swiftly, instantly replacing it with the cotton wool. She pressed down hard enough to stop any unnecessary blood flow as she leaned over again to drop the needle into the dish.

"You're good at your craft, aren't you, Sakura?" Kakashi hummed, causing her to glance at him and flash him a small smile.

Going back to busying herself with his arm he heard her laugh quietly. "Thanks, I like to think so. But then again … you're quite the professional when it comes to saving lives it seems. I saw what you did today…."

"I was only doing my job…."

"As I'm now doing mine. We have more in common than I first thought, I guess." She looked away from him as she tried suddenly to change the subject. "There you go. All done. You're free to go now." She shrugged as she got to her feet and sauntered over to the shelf to retrieve her clipboard once again.

Kakashi got to his feet, eyeing over the band-aid on his arm before flexing his elbow habitually. "What did you mean by I guess?" he asked flatly.

Sakura shrugged as she shook her head a little, not bothering to look up at him as she spoke. "Well, I haven't actually saved any lives. I suppose that's what I meant. I'm only here to deal with the fallout," she replied softly.

He took another step towards her, hoping to catch her attention but failing as she busied herself with her paperwork. "You saved mine," he remarked.

Sakura's eyes flared as she turned her head towards him. She huffed at him before shaking her head and returning her attention to the board in her hand. "Hardly. I just stuck a drip feed in your arm and plonked you in here."

"But the drip feed was there due to my dehydration, right?"

"What's your point?"

"Well, say I was left unattended, passed out on the crash mat. What would have happened?"

"I doubt very much you would have died, but you would have become very ill."

"Had you not acted so quickly. You shouldn't sell yourself short, Sakura."

Sakura shrugged, blowing out a sigh before placing the clip board into the cabinet.

"I guess so," she muttered, as Kakashi closed the gap between them. Sakura looked up at him with wide eyes as she came to realise just how close he was, though she made no efforts of escape. Placing a hand on the wall at the side of her head he leaned in a little, making her gasp softly at his movement as he watched her tense up.

"That reminds me; before I go I'd like you to take a look at something for me," he drawled softly.

Sakura's eyes darted about his face momentarily before she responded. "Like what?"

"I've been experiencing some … twinges for the past few days."

"Twinges? Where?"

"I can't really pinpoint. I was hoping you could tell me."

Sakura's eyes seemed to get wider as she swallowed hard, the realisation of Kakashi's little game finally sinking in. Dropping her eyes into the minute space between them she shook her head sporadically as her grin pulled at her pretty mouth. "I don't know if I can help you with that…."

"I'm sure you can."

"Well, you seemed a bit tense when I first met you at that house fire. Is it your shoulders?"

"Maybe."

Pulling her lips into her mouth, Sakura raised her arms slowly and placed her hands on his shoulders. She dug her fingers into the muscles and rotated her thumbs into the joints. Kakashi gazed down at her as she massaged him, somewhat needlessly, but it felt nice. He shifted slightly from one foot to the other as Sakura moved her hands towards his neck, causing her to falter and lock eyes with him.

"Did it hurt there?" she murmured.

Kakashi shook his head slowly, as he raised his free hand from his side and scooped it between her legs. A loud gasp erupted from her throat as her cheeks began to glow a pink that could almost rival the colour of her hair. Cupping her mound in his palm he stroked his middle finger along the concealed outline of her sex while his thumb sought out the distinctive bump of her clit. Sakura threw herself into the wall behind her, her mouth dropping open with a choked moan as her eyes clouded over. Kakashi leaned himself in, pressing his chest against her, continuing the sweet torture as he felt himself growing hard.

"Does that hurt, Sakura?" he whispered into her ear. He could feel her muscles flexing as she quivered in his grip. She began to grind her hips into his hand as he relentlessly forced his fingers into her through the fabric of her uniform.

"No," she gasped eventually, each breath she took causing her chest to heave, the swells of her breasts pushing up against him as intoxicating heat began to pour out of her. Kakashi could feel his cock forcing itself up against his boxers, twitching in its eager need for release. He slid his thigh between her legs forcing her to part them, still rubbing circles on that sensitive little bundle of nerves. It was amazing how such simple movements of such a small area could bring a woman so much pleasure.

"Tell me how it feels, Sakura," he groaned as he rocked his hips against her, crushing his hard member between her thigh and his stomach as the white hot pressure began to build in his groin. He wanted her, had wanted her since the day he had seen her in the car. It wasn't until now that he realised just how powerful the pull towards her was. And he liked it, a lot.

Sakura pushed her hands against his shoulders as she continued to moan and gasp, arching her back against the metallic wall of the ambulance, silently begging for him to go deeper, and yet again it was her mouth that contradicted what she really wanted.

"Stop, Kakashi … you … you shouldn't have the energy to…." she panted just as Kakashi glowered at her, pressing his thumb harder against her clit. Her mouth dropped open again as she choked out a groan of pleasure, her legs buckling as her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

"Never mind that, tell me how it feels when I touch you?" he growled, as he watched her slam the back of her head into the wall, her back arching and causing her to writhe along the metal.

"No! Stop! This ... Ah … it's wrong! Stop … please!" she begged, even as she still arched her back, forcing his fingers deeper into her hot depths as she struggled against the wall.

Kakashi forced himself up against her, feeling her weight on his thigh as her feet left the floor. "I'll stop if you really want me to. But tell me you don't want me and I'll call you a liar," he whispered. He drew back a touch to gauge her reaction as she threw her head back again with a lustful sigh.

"It feels good, doesn't it? I can feel your pussy twitching when I talk to you. I can feel you wanting to cum on my fingers," he breathed heavily, taking the lobe of her ear into his mouth and causing her to moan again as he forced his hand deeper into the valley of her legs.

"Yes! Oh, god, yes! It's good … so good … oh, God, don't stop," she moaned, jerking her hands from his shoulders to the back of his head and clumping his hair into her fists. She arched her back again, forcing herself into his hand as he pushed ever deeper. He could now feel the juices of her sex soaking through the fabric of both her panties and her tight pants, slicking the tips of his fingers as he ran them along the edges of her concealed folds.

Tilting his head, Kakashi hovered his mouth over hers, allowing his jaw to drop whenever Sakura's did, to mimic her pleasure as he brushed his lips over hers. He flicked his tongue into her mouth, lapping at her upper lip before she pulled his head closer, closing the space between them and locking her mouth onto his. She moaned loudly into his mouth as she plunged her tongue into his depths. She slicked her tongue over his, the hot muscles dancing in unison as his desperation began to grow and take over his good sense. His own breaths quickly morphed into moans of desire as he removed his hand from between Sakura's legs and began to snake his way over her hips and under her shirt.

Sakura parted her legs wider and wrapped them around his waist, pulling him closer as he hoisted her from the floor. She pulled relentlessly at his hair, almost to the point of ripping it from his scalp as their desperate kiss became a battle for dominance. Their teeth clashed as Kakashi forced his tongue deeper into her mouth, utterly addicted to her taste.

Snaking his hands ever upwards, Kakashi eventually found the clasp to her bra. With expert fingers, he unhooked the obstruction to those pert, luscious mounds she concealed beneath her shirt. At that point, Sakura wasted no time in removing her hands from Kakashi's hair and began to fumble blindly at the buttons of her shirt. She popped them open one by one, slowly revealing the creamy flesh that lay beneath. Reaching halfway down her shirt, Sakura pulled away, clamping her teeth down on Kakashi's lower lip. Drawing her head back against the wall, she lowered her legs back to the floor and released his lip from her teeth to suck on it tenderly, running her hot tongue on the sensitive flesh before releasing him completely. Kakashi stared back as he saw her mouth curve upwards in a devilish smile, her eyes smouldering with unsatisfied lust. Her heavy breaths caused her chest to heave upwards, her petite yet wondrously proud breasts barely concealed by the cloth of her shirt.

She shifted her hands back to his shoulders, pushing him back gently. Kakashi allowed himself to step away from her as she scooted past him, not once lifting her eyes from his. Grabbing his hands, she began leading him to the gurney on the other side of the pokey room. With each stride of her green lycra clad legs, Kakashi was given small glimpses of her delicious pink nipples as her shirt bounced with each step and her bra slipped further down her arms. As the backs of her legs collided with the metal frame of the tiny bed, she let herself fall back, dragging Kakashi with her.

He landed with his hands on the mattress on either side of Sakura's body as she quickly sought his mouth with her own with anxious moans, curling her arms around his neck. Kakashi folded his hands into her shirt, seeking out the hard peaks of her nipples as his fingertips pressed at the supple flesh of her breasts. As he curled his fingers around her mounds, Sakura threw her head back with a loud groan, clenching her teeth together as she pulled Kakashi further onto the bed.

Trapping the tender skin of her nipples in his fingers and hearing the loud groan explode from her mouth, Kakashi leaned himself over, lifting a hand out of her shirt and wrapped it around her mouth.

"Hush, baby. You want the people outside to hear us?" he cautioned, a slight smirk pulling at one corner of his mouth as she shook her head away from his silencing hand.

"I don't care!" she growled as she began to claw at the belt around his waist. "I just want to fuck you." Her tone quickly turned into a whisper, her back arching as she sat up and connected her mouth to his, plunging her hot, wet tongue between his lips.

He groaned into her mouth as he felt the waistband of his pants loosen suddenly and fall to his feet with a metallic thunk. Sakura's hands snaked beneath the hem of his boxers, smoothing their way over his hips and down to his ass. She squeezed the firm muscles hard, her fingers sinking into the flesh before dragging the nails of one hand upward, making her way to the front. She traced her fingers along the hem of his shorts again as she reached his lower stomach before plunging her hand behind the thin cloth and grasping the hard length of his cock.

Kakashi lurched forward at that point, grabbing at her hips and squeezing at them for composure. The heat in his groin flared to a point that was almost painful. Breaking their heated kiss, he pressed his forehead against hers, his mouth dropping open, as a high pitched whine escaped his throat. Sakura squeezed her hands around his shaft, causing him to gasp again as he opened his eyes and saw her smirking back at him.

"My, my. You are a big boy, aren't you?" she purred as she pulled the supple skin around his cock upwards and over the head. Kakashi squeezed his eyes closed, the euphoric tingling than ran through the tip making his legs tense as he felt himself about to buckle.

"Fuck…." he gasped as he felt her pull back down, allowing a finger to linger across the slit, massaging the bulbous head. Kakashi bit down on his lower lip, desperately trying to hold onto the loud cries he could feel bubbling in his gullet. Sakura continued to pump her hand around his dick, gradually getting faster, her long, slender fingers bumping over the veins that throbbed around his length as he instinctively began to thrust his hips.

Pulling her other hand out of his underwear, she slapped it on his chest, forcing him to stand upright with a sharp push. Her devilish smile widened, if only a little as she then reached for the elasticised edge of his boxer shorts. Stretching it out and hooking it beneath the hand that threatened to milk him dry, she glanced up at him one last time. Kakashi couldn't say or do anything. He merely stood and watched as Sakura scooped her legs onto the gurney and leaned towards him.

He felt his own eyes widen with boiling anticipation as she opened her mouth, sliding the soft flesh of his foreskin back to the base of his shaft. Tilting her head to one side, she stuck out her tongue and lapped at the head like it was made of candy. Kakashi felt tears in his eyes as she teased the tiny slit cut into the tip, clenching his teeth to stifle the cry that would usually follow such an act. She ran her tongue along the ridge of the head, her lips brushing the tip as he fought to gain control over the spasms that wracked his hips.

Flicking her tongue back into her mouth briefly she lifted his cock before lapping the hot muscle on the base just above his balls and slicking it along his length, digging the tip of her tongue into the crevice where the shaft met his swollen head. She grinned up at him almost spitefully before pursing her lips and sucking him into her mouth with a wet slurp. Kakashi growled as she took him between her hot lips almost to the hilt, feeling the wetness of her moist cheeks against his cock. Twisting his fingers into her hair he gently tugged at her head, willing her to continue, wanting so desperately to cum in her mouth yet wanting to fuck her hard in a bid to hear her scream.

Kakashi sighed heavily, glancing to one side as he noticed a full length mirror hanging from the closed door of the little ambulance. He could see everything, the way the skin around her mouth stretched and bulged each time he sank into her, the way her eyes flickered whenever he let out a low growl, the way her saliva dripped from her lower lip and splattered on the mattress below. Kakashi ran his fingers through her soft pink locks, scooping them out of the way of her face as he ran his tongue along his upper lip.

"You like that? You like sucking my cock, Sakura?" he panted . She moaned softly in response. Kakashi felt himself smile, gathering her hair in one hand and grasping it on top of her head, still watching the reflection of this beautiful goddess giving him head in the back of her ride. Suddenly an idea came to him, catching him off guard just as he felt his balls start to contract, signaling that it was time to move on. If she kept up this sweet torture for much longer she would soon be tasting his seed at the back of her throat.

There was far more he wanted out of her yet.

Kakashi stepped back, pulling himself out of Sakura's mouth as she leaned over a little to follow. His cock sprang back, hitting him on his stomach as Sakura looked up at him dolefully.

"Turn around and face the door," he demanded with a low growl, clasping his own shaft in his hand as he stepped out of his pants. Sakura hesitated as she sat back on the mattress, eyeing over his hand as he pumped himself gently.

"On your knees, Sakura," he hummed, arching a brow at her as she glanced up at him nervously. She looked quickly to her left, inspecting herself in the mirror, before slowly maneuvering herself on the mobile bed to face the door, sticking her lycra clad ass in the air.

"Good girl," he whispered, stepping on the bed behind her and clasping her tight ass in his hands as he curled his body over hers. He felt her stiffen up a little, surprising really after the amount of sexual confidence she had displayed mere moments ago. Lifting a hand from her firmly toned backside he planted it in front of them both for support as Sakura turned her head to face him. A smattering of cerise dusted the bridge of her nose as she seemed to struggle for air.

"Ka… Kakashi … I…." she started, only to be silenced by Kakashi slapping a hand on her shoulder and twisting his hands into the fabric of her shirt.

"Sshhh," he soothed, as he buried his face into her hair. "Just concentrate on the mirror." He watched her bright green eyes dart from him to the reflective glass as he dragged the sleeve of her shirt and a strap of her bra down her arm, encouraging her to lift it as he slid it over her hands. Kakashi repeated the motion with the other side and tossed the offensive pieces of clothing to the floor. He then used her to push himself up on the small bed and hooked his fingers behind the hem of her leggings, peeling the tight fabric away from her gorgeous, toned ass.

Kakashi wet his lip as the sweet fragrance of her arousal hit his nostrils while he folded her pants along with her underwear down to her knees. He felt his cock twitch at the sight of her sex, causing him to habitually thread his fingers around it and start pumping just to relieve himself of the unbearable pressure that was starting to build again in his groin. He loomed over her, feeling her body shiver beneath him as he grabbed her ass with one hand and squeezed the round of her hip with the other. Lowering his head, he traced his tongue along the curve of her spine, watching through the mirror as she squeezed her eyes closed and emitted a shaky whimper.

Kakashi flexed his hand on her ass as he smoothed it lower, his fingers descending between her thighs, and sank the tips into her glistening folds. Sakura jerked her head upwards, her expression the epitome of agony as she choked on her pleasured cry. Kakashi swiftly curled back over her, releasing her hip and cupping her chin in his hand. He forced her to face the mirror as he pressed his lips against her ear.

"Do you feel that? Does it feel good, Sakura?" he whispered darkly, his heavy breaths muffled against her hair.

"Yes…." she gasped as he drove his fingers deeper into her wet pussy, feeling slick flesh stretch around the digits as the muscles within convulsed in time with her moans of pleasure. He couldn't wait much longer as the white hot throb in his groin begged him for more. Withdrawing his fingers from her folds, Kakashi took hold of his cock, feeling it pulsate in his hand as he lifted it, shifting himself into position on the mattress and gliding it along her soaking sex. The sensation of her lips rubbing on the tip of his cock, wetting him through, was too much as he sought out her entrance. The desperation was getting the better of him as his heavy breaths morphed into growls when Sakura teased him with a slight sway of her hips.

He couldn't take any more. Releasing his member, Kakashi grasped her hips and plunged his cock into her core, driving himself inside her all the way to the hilt. He heard Sakura breathe in sharply as he felt his tip hit her inner wall, filling her completely. The sensation was indescribable as he struggled to contain his voice. He wanted to cry out, felt he needed to, but the sensation of euphoria seemed magnified the more he tried to choke it down.

He looked down at himself, flexing his hands on the curves of Sakura's hips as he pulled out slowly. She was so tight, so wet and so luscious; he wondered seriously how long he could hold on for.

"Oh … fuck…." he whined as he thrust his hips, feeling himself slipping back inside her. It felt so good, so much so that he could feel himself quivering as his mouth went completely dry. He repeated the motion, watching himself as his hard cock slipped in and out of her depths each time her moans got louder. He glanced into the mirror ahead. Sakura was laying face down on the mattress, which gave him the energy to move forward. Cupping her cheek in his hand, he forced her to look up. Her eyes flickered as they took focus on the mirror.

"Kakashi…." she whimpered as she readjusted herself on the bed, closing her eyes and gasping as he twitched inside her.

"I need you to look at the mirror."

"What? Why?"

Kakashi felt a smirk tug at the corner of his mouth as he withdrew from her a little and pounded his hips back into her, feeling the icy draft on his balls as they slapped against her mound. She lurched forward in his grip, her choked cries muffled by his quick hand over her mouth.

"Because I want you to watch me fuck you. I want you to see yourself cum for me," he whispered into her hair.

He watched her eyes widen and glisten in the artificial light of the ambulance as he withdrew again almost all the way, slowly, before sliding himself back in with a low groan. Sakura cried into his hand, her eyes clouded and heavy. He systematically repeated his movements before he relented to his body and began to speed up. She reached out in front of her, grasping the metal bars at the foot of the bed and pulled herself up, forcing Kakashi even deeper than before as she arched her back against him. Her pants came in time with each thrust as the sound of flesh slapping against flesh filled his ears.

He continued to watch her reflection in the mirror as he straightened himself, grabbing her hip again and pulling her towards him while he pounded into her, the pressure in his lower gut spreading down his thighs as he struggled to contain his cries. Sakura's tits bounced to the beat as her head rolled back on her shoulders, her heavy pants quickly morphing into moans as the pink flush on her cheeks suddenly deepened in colour and started to bleed down her neck. She shot her head forward suddenly, her expression changing dramatically from what looked like fright to a darker shade of concentration.

"Oh, god … oh … fuck …Kakashi… Ah… I'm gonna cum…." she groaned as her vulva began to contract around his cock, making her feel even tighter than before. Kakashi lurched forward and cupped both hands around her breasts, trapping the solid nubs of her nipples and grinding them between his knuckles. He lifted her up a little to gain more entrance to her as he hammered into her, feeling his own seed driving itself to the surface.

"Cum for me, Sakura. I want to feel you soak my cock," he hissed.

Sakura let go of the metal bars of the bed and grabbed his wrists as she sank herself on him one last time. He watched her eyes widen dramatically as her mouth dropped open. She threw her head back onto his shoulder and her entire body began to shake, her pussy twitching once before the walls within clamped down with such force it knocked him over the edge. His seed burst into her as the euphoric heat of orgasm washed over him. The force was so strong that everything within eyeshot blurred as they cried out in unison. He could feel his balls emptying as they contracted between his legs. He thrust into her twice more before blowing out a deep contented sigh as Sakura went limp against him, gasping for breath. Canoeing his legs around her, Kakashi lowered himself and his lover to the mattress before placing an arm over his eyes while crossing the other over Sakura's shoulders.

They lay there together as they gained their breath before Sakura made a move to get to her feet. She grunted as she flopped from the bed and crouched to the floor to retrieve her clothes. Kakashi lifted his arm from his face and eyed her over as she pulled her pants back over her rump. Picking up his pants, she inspected them briefly before turning round and holding them out to him with that delicious shy smile of hers.

"I believe these are yours," she purred.

Sakura opened the double doors of the ambulance, allowing them to swing from her grip as the waning sunlight poured in. Kakashi pulled his jacket around him as he stepped off the back and dropped to the ground. All the fire teams were still present at the scene. He spied Anko and Genma talking to a police official in the near distance and found himself grinning at the thought that he still had a ride back to the station. Better that than having to walk.

He turned back to Sakura, who was now propped up against the edge of the door frame, legs and arms crossed. She smiled meekly at him.

"Well, my ride's still here. I better get back to them and see what the crack is," he said as he went to turn away.

"Kakashi," Sakura called, causing him to focus on her again. She darted her eyes about before glancing back at him. She looked a little confused and worried, which caused Kakashi to frown at her.

"Will…?" She sighed, chewing on her lower lip before continuing. "I don't mean to sound clingy or anything, but…" She hesitated again as she rubbed at her arms, as if shielding herself from the cold.

Kakashi raised his hands questioningly. "But…?" he drawled, willing her to carry on.

"Will I see you again?" she asked quietly, wincing slightly at her own question.

Kakashi gave her an astonished chuckle. "Sure, you will. I've got your number. I'll call you."

"Hmm… No offence, but I've kinda heard that one before."

Kakashi watched her drop her eyes to the ground as she shifted herself awkwardly on the door frame and stepped towards her. Hooking a finger under her chin, he forced her to lift her head. Her green eyes twinkled in the fading sunlight as they flittered about his face.

"Sakura, I might be a lot of things … even a creep if that's what you think. But I'm not a jerk. I know a good thing when I see one," he replied. He saw her mouth curve into a smile and found himself smiling back. He leaned in towards her, gently placing his lips on hers. She responded instantly, pursing her mouth against his before he pulled away and eyed her face over again.

"You told me the other day you have a couple of days off this weekend?" She nodded. Kakashi's smile widened a little as he took his hand away and started backing himself towards the crowd in the distance. "Well think about where you wanna go and I'll be in touch. I'm already looking forward to another dosage of your hot medicine," he called as he broke into a backwards trot.

He saw her laugh as she cupped her hands around her mouth and called back, "You're right. I do think you're a creep, but I like you!"

Kakashi raised a hand in response before he turned around and started running back to his team. It was true, he was already looking forward to seeing her again. More than he thought he would. Maybe he could talk her into playing another game of 'doctor, doctor' on their next meeting.

Somehow, Kakashi didn't think she would need much convincing.

End.