I was as pure as a river

But now I think I'm possessed

You put a fever inside me

And I've been cold since you left

.

Chapter 1

.

.

.

Sakura couldn't tell if she loved or hated the slow days at the hospital. On one hand, the busier days kept her moving constantly and the end of the day came fast. She didn't even have time to eat meals on those days. But, with so little time between patients, between running from one floor to the next, the paper work piled up higher and higher on her desk until she could barely see over the stack.

Which was her current predicament.

The kunoichi sighed and signed her signature to the bottom parchment that had been added to the ever growing thickness of the patients chart in front of her. Most were confidentiality forms and medication profiles that all needed the signature of whatever nurse had administered the medicine to the patient. As she scribbled her signature through the countless pages, a sparkling glint caught her eye.

She still hadn't gotten used to the diamond that sat on a silver band on her ring finger. Her throat tightened as she twisted the ring, turning the diamond toward her. She wasn't a fan of rings. They felt heavy on her hand, foreign and obtrusive. But it was a sign of love from her fiance. Masashi Kyo had asked her to be his wife after only 5 months of dating. She had instantly said yes, and despite the growing trepidation over the wedding, Sakura was in love. There was no reason to say anything but yes.

She was 22 years old, head nurse at the hospital and had already accomplished so much in her life as a ninja. Wasn't it time to accomplish what every woman wanted? The marriage, the loving family...Sakura's throat clenched and she blinked, turning back to her paper work and pushing all thoughts of wedding's and families out of her head.

Flipping the chart closed, Sakura spun in her cracked, leather chair. Her office was the definition of compact. Her desk had been slipped between two filing cabinets and she had just enough room to slip into her chair and swivel around to each cabinet. She filed several charts and turned back to her stack of paperwork. She had barely put a dent in the tower, but she was thrilled to see a sudden distraction in the form of her best friend standing at the door of her office.

Ino leaned against the door frame, her arms folded over the leather jacket that was zipped halfway up the woman's ample chest. The poor device looked like it was on the verge of bursting open at an moment. The blonde scowled at the mess scattered around her best friend's office before blowing a stray strand of hair from her face. "I take it you won't be done by 4?"

Sakura glanced at the clock on the wall to her left. 3:45. Wincing, the nurse brought a chart to her forehead, smacking herself in the nose. "I'm so sorry."

"Sakura!" Ino whined as she plopped into the old discarded waiting room chair that Sakura had snatched up after the hospital's renovation last month. "This is the third birthday you've forgotten you know."

"I know. I know. I'm an awful friend." Sakura pushed the stack of charts to the corner of her desk and reached across the table to grab her friend's hand. "Will you forgive me? I promise to bake you a huge chocolate cake to make up for it!" She pouted, watching Ino's face fall from annoyance to a smirk.

The blonde leaned forward and winked one of her blue eyes. "Only if you come out with me tonight!"

"Tonight? Kyo's making dinner for the two of us. It's kind of an anniversa-"

Ino sighed, throwing her arms up in the air as she slumped against the chair. "Seriously? We've hung out twice in the past five months since you met Kyo. Twice! And one of those was your engagement announcement so it doesn't count." Ino's bottom lip poked out as she crossed her arms over her chest. She had the pout down pat. Sakura wondered if she had used it more on her or the boys she dated. Sighing, the kunoichi ran a hand through her pink hair, pulling her nurses cap off and tossing it to the table.

She could reschedule with Kyo. Gods knew he had done it to her countless times over the last few months. He was the director of the hospital and was always running out with emergencies or changing their plans last minute because a benefactor was having a dinner that they just had to attend. Pursing her lips, Sakura nodded. "You know what, you're right. He'll understand. Let me go home and shower and I will meet you at your house at 7!"

Grinning brightly, Ino leapt from her chair and snatched her best friend in a hug, as if she suspected any other response from Sakura. Squeezed into the front of Ino's leather jacket Sakura shouted, "But only drinks! No dancing!"

It was 5:30 before Sakura could leave the hospital after trying to hurry through the rest of her paperwork. The evening was cool enough that she could run all the way home and not be completely drenched when she got there. It was odd not turning to the south to make her way to her old apartment. She had moved in with Kyo last month. His apartment was grand and in the poshest part of Konoha. Anything she craved, there was a restaurant for it at any time of night.

His apartment was four floors above the office he rented out and they had the entire floor to themselves. The doorman greeted Sakura and she smiled sheepishly, having not committed his name to memory yet. A nagging thought in the back of her head told her that it was easier not to remember his name, easier to forget him if her relationship with Kyo wouldn't work out.

She scoffed at the thought and brushed it deep under the rug in her mind and hurried to the solid gold elevator. Her reflection stared back at her on each wall and she glanced to the right as she pressed the '4' button. Pink hair fell from the bun she had haphazardly threw up earlier in the day and she grimaced at the dark circles under her eyes. She instead focused on the panel of buttons with no reflective surfaces until the doors slid open and she could hurry out.

Sakura quietly opened the door to the apartment she now shared. There was a place for everything and everything was always in its place. White marble floors, deep, rich colored rugs, and solid white walls made the space seem larger than it was. Her tennis shoes squeaked on the floor and she winced as Kyo lifted his head from the sauce pan he had been stirring. "Oh, you're home." He smiled.

Sakura shrugged out of her nurses coat and hung it on the rack beside the door before pausing at the dining room table. She gripped the back of a chair and chewed her lower lip as her fiance went back to the meal he was preparing. After the incident with a noodle fire last month, Sakura was no longer allowed to cook. She was barely even allowed in the kitchen.

Watching her fiance, Sakura tried to muster the courage to tell them she had to cancel on their evening. He was still in his black slacks and white button up shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The white linen fabric did little to hide the curve of his muscles and though he had never been a ninja, he was still adamant about keeping his body toned. Sakura blinked her eyes away from his biceps and opened her mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off.

"I'm afraid I've got bad news." Kyo called over his shoulder as he pulled two plates from the cabinet. "I'll have to leave after dinner. There's some funds that got misplaced and we're going to pull an all nighter to figure it all out." He set the plates down and drew a hand through his thick, black hair. He looked tired and Sakura smiled sympathetically knowing he had been putting in long hours lately. Secretly though, she was glad she didn't have to be the one to cancel and would be able to go out with Ino.

She was actually looking forward to it.

Sakura walked to the fridge and pulled the chilled bottle of wine from the rack. Kyo was fond of the expensive kind but the generic, cheap stuff was good with her. Spinning the cap off, Sakura poured a tall glass for herself and shook the bottle gently at him. "Want some?"

Kyo wrinkled his nose. "You know that stuff is awful. I don't see how you drink it. I've got some nice vintage for us last week. Why don't you drink that?" He suggested as he set the table with plates and silverware.

Ignoring his suggestion, Sakura sat at the table with her cheap wine in her hand and let her fiance serve her dinner. They ate in silence; Kyo rushing through the meal and Sakura barely taking a bite. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and pushed his chair back. With a peck on the girl's temple, Kyo said his goodbye and was gone for the night. The apartment was suddenly silent and empty but for Sakura and she sat at the dinner table, listening to the clock on the wall tick, tick, tick as she downed the last bit of wine. It warmed her tummy and cheeks and she decided to have one more glass before putting the dishes away and heading to Ino's.

An hour later, Sakura had showered, dressed, and drank another glass before walking to her friend's apartment. The night had grown a bit warmer and the sultry air made Sakura's hair stick to the back of her neck, but she was tipsy and felt great. She could smell rain but none fell, thankfully. It had been so long since she had a night out, rain wasn't going to ruin it.

Ino swung the door open after only two knocks and Sakura blinked her green eyes in surprise. "You're quick." She stated, ducking past the taller blonde.

"Yeah, and you're slow. It's 7:30! You said you'd be here at 7..." Ino's eyes glanced down Sakura's front and she sighed with a shake of her head. "And you'll need something else to wear. C'mon, forehead. Let's get you changed." The door shut with a click and Sakura glanced down at herself. She had picked something she thought was appropriate for going out; black slacks and a red, silk tank top. She scowled at the back of Ino as she strolled down the hall and into the bedroom.

"What's wrong with this?"

Ino raised an arched brow and threw open her closet doors as her friend leaned against the door frame. Having her outfit scoffed at made the warm and tipsy feeling Sakura had enjoyed so much vanish. She watched from the door as clothes soared and sailed across the room, each piece judged harshly with a 'nope', 'no way', or 'ugh' until finally Ino emerged from the depths of her walk-in with a black dress draped across her arm. "Here. Wear this." Ino left to grab her makeup bag from the bathroom and to give the other kunoichi enough time to change.

Sakura pursed her lips but followed orders. She was at least drunk enough not to argue this time. The dress itself was surprisingly comfortable and fell to a few inches above her knees. The back was cut low but the neckline fell perfectly to where Sakura was comfortable. Not too revealing, but definitely not prudish. She felt surprisingly sexy as she spun and studied her reflection. Ino came in this time, her own electric blue romper showing more skin. Her legs looked miles long and her chest full with her blonde hair up high on the back of her head. She looked like one of the fashion models in the magazines.

Ino hurried through the makeup process, rimming Sakura's eyes with dark shadow and black kohl, leaving her lips pale pink. "There. You don't look 15 years older than you are now." She snapped the cap back on her lipstick and tossed it into the bag before turning to snatch something off the bed. Sakura stared through the mirror as Ino shook a half filled bottle of alcohol. "A couple of birthday shots?" She asked with a devious smirk across her dark painted lips.

A couple of shots turned into five and by the time they had made it out into the humid night, Sakura was back to feeling warm and loose again. She walked arm in arm with Ino as they giggled and caught up on the latest gossip. It wasn't long until they found their way into the nightlife. Neon pinks and blues of the club signs blurred into a bright rainbow of colors against the black sky.

Sakura glanced at her reflection in the window of a tea shop that had closed for the night. She looked a bit drunker than she had thought she was.

"Look! It's Iruka-sensei!" Ino pointed across the street and Sakura jumped as she turned to stare at a group of four men strolling through the crowd. And the tallest one in the back struck Sakura suddenly. Hatake Kakashi. She hadn't seen her sensei in months but he was exactly the same. He hung back a bit, shuffling his feet with his hands dug deep in his pockets. He never seemed to be the type to go out dancing or socializing on the weekends, yet here he was.

Ino was halfway across the street before Sakura had shaken herself from her memories. Blowing pink locks from her face, she followed her friend into the dusty streets. Despite the alcohol swimming happily through Sakura's system, she suddenly felt very nervous.

She had yet to tell her former sensei about getting engaged and wondered how he would take it. Would he congratulate her, or tell her she was being foolish, even laugh? Would he even say anything to her at all? She hadn't realized she had stopped walking until Ino was greeting the group of Jounin happily. They all told her happy birthday and as Sakura stood a few paces behind her, she caught the white haired ninja's attention.

Rather curiously, Kakashi leaned his head to the side to look around Ino's blonde head and smiled at the pink haired kunoichi. Sakura felt her cheeks flush and her stomach fluttered slightly. "Sakura-chan?"

Kakashi asked, folding his arms over his chest. Ino stepped aside and looked back at the girl. With one swift motion, Sakura put her hands behind her back and slipped the ring off of her finger and placed it into the small purse at her side before stepping up to the group. "Hello Kakashi-sensei! It's been forever it seems like."

"Not quite that long, but yes it has been too long. How've you been?"

"Good. Just busy at the hospital, working a lot." She purposefully ignored Ino's raised eyebrow and prayed that the girl didn't mention her engagement or the fact that she wasn't wearing her ring suddenly. Iruka nodded and jerked his thumb toward a building they were heading toward. "We were just about to go have a drink. You two want to join us?" Sakura could almost feel the excitement buzzing off of her friend. Ino nodded quickly, her hair bouncing around her face.

She knew the blonde had a thing for older guys, but didn't think Iruka was much of her type. The Jounin turned to Sakura and lifted his eyebrows. "You coming?" Ino turned to give her a look that screamed for her to say yes. She didn't want to admit that she wouldn't have said no anyway.

Biting her lip, Sakura shrugged lightly before turning to the white haired ninja to her left. "Are you coming, Kakashi-sensei?"

The group turned to the Copy Ninja who sighed and looked out over Sakura's head to the darkened streets of Konoha before his exposed eye creased in the corner and he shrugged. "For a former student, of course."

Sakura felt the corners of her lips tug but she didn't want to seem too excited. The group waltzed into the building in single file, bypassing the long line waiting to get in. A few of the waiting guys shouted and complained about equality and unfairness but one look from the Jounin and they fell silent in an instant. Sakura giggled behind her hand as she stepped into the door, dim light sweeping over her.

The group made their way into a dance club whose name Sakura hadn't paid any attention to. She didn't know why she had taken her ring off. It felt like a beacon deep inside her purse, shining out into the dark night that said "look at me! I mean something! Don't ignore me"! But that's exactly what she did. Sakura clutched the bag at her side and ducked into the darkened entrance of the club. The red exit sign was the only light and cast such a strange glow around her. She could see Ino in front of her, blonde head tipped back as she laughed airily at something Iruka said. Both of the other men grinned down at her.

It was so easy for her to fit right in. She was an ever changing puzzle piece that could click right into where ever she needed to fit. Sakura swallowed and glanced over her shoulder to the man behind her. His face was shadowed, with the ruby light pouring around him. Kakashi's hand found its place along the small of Sakura's back and she felt her insides scream. Her dress dipped low in the back and she could feel the cool of his fingertips right under her ribs, sending a thousand thoughts fluttering through her head. But all of them were utterly ridiculous.

Following the group in front of her, Sakura ducked under a thick, black curtain and blinked in the flashing neon that blazed from the dancing area. The bar stretched under a flight of dimly lit stairs to the left of the entrance. Ino's face lit up at the sight of people dancing but as her eyes searched for Sakura she was met with disappointment. Dancing was one of Sakura's least favorite activities. She had never felt less graceful than she did when she attempted to dance. Ino leaned in beside her ear. "Please?"

Sakura shook her head and wrinkled her nose.

"It's my birthday!" Ino shouted over the pounding bass of the music. Sakura scowled and leaned over to her friend. "You can't use that excuse all night!"

"Fine! Find us a table." Ino thrust her finger up to the loft area where a few tables were scattered. She spun, her blonde hair swirling as she lead two of the other nin to the dance floor. Once she was out of sight, Sakura turned to the bar to attempt to order a drink but was met by two beers held between Kakashi's fingers. He smiled behind his mask and nodded for her to follow him.

She only hesitated for a moment, feeling quite silly standing in this club, wearing her borrowed dress and feeling like a toddler who found her mothers makeup. She wondered if she could run to the bathroom to wash her face but the remaining alcohol in her body convinced her to just forget it and try to have a good time. But the space on her skin where Kakashi had touched was still tingling, she realized.

Sakura pursed her lips and followed her former sensei up the iron steps, confused when he skipped the first few free tables and opted for a more secluded booth in the back corner. The red leather seats were cracked and scraped the back of her thighs as she slid in to the circular bench. She stayed on the opposite side from Kakashi, trying to ignore the fact that she was almost afraid to sit closer. She hadn't talked to him in nearly 6 months. Did he know about Kyo? Was he wondering why she hid her ring? If so, he didn't mention it or even let on that he had an inkling.

Kakashi slid one of the bottles across the table and Sakura caught it between both hands. She spun it nervously in a circle, making a ring of moisture on the wood. "Something wrong?" He asked, leaning an elbow on the table as he took a sip through his mask.

"No. Just thinking." Sakura flashed a smile and brought the bottle to her lips, letting the cool liquid quell her dry mouth. To her surprise, falling into a conversation with Kakashi was as easy as it used to be and before she realized it, she had consumed 5 more bottles of beer.

As she downed the last of the 6th bottle, Sakura blinked in surprise as they toppled over and clinked loudly against the three Kakashi had consumed. She covered a giggle with her hand and straightened the bottles back to standing. "I think I'm going to cut you off for a while." Kakashi mused with a smile.

"Oh, hush! I'm fine," she swiped her hand at him before placing it palm up before him on the sticky table top. "Now, where were you?"

Kakashi tapped his chin. "Ah, yes", he took her hand in his and pointed to a line across the base of her palm. "I do believe this means you'll have 26 children and they'll all be under the age of 5." He leaned closer and squeezed his eyes shut. "You're going to have yourself a handful."

Sakura giggled and laid her head against the back of the booth. During the time it took to drink her 6 beer, she had managed to slip closer and closer around the circular bench until finally she and Kakashi had met in the middle. Modesty was hard to keep up with and she found herself constantly tugging at her skirt to keep it at a respectable length but now, it was bunched around her thighs as she twisted in the seat so he could study her palm.

As Kakashi concentrated on the skin across her hand, Sakura glanced up. His head was bent close to hers and the tips of his gray hair almost tickled her temple. Suddenly she was hyper aware of the way his right arm was draped across the back of the booth, his fingers curled so that the back of his knuckles barely rest on her bare shoulder. When had the strap of her dress fallen? She could feel air on so much of her damp skin, sending a shiver across her spine.

Kakashi looked up at her, fingers still curled around hers. "Cold?" He asked softly, barely audible over the music pounding from the dance floor below. She wasn't cold in the least. In fact she could feel beads of sweat roll down the small of her back.

Sakura shook her head and smiled, ducking her head to hide the blush that spread across her cheeks. Her hair fell in a curtain of pink across her face. Her entire body froze as Kakashi's finger tucked the strands behind her ear, lingering for just a moment on the flesh of her neck. Her eyes closed on their own as she leaned in to his touch. It had been a while since she had felt a touch like that and it sent a familiar heat spreading through her body. She licked her lips and let her hand fall below the table, her fingers finding Kakashi's thigh. His muscles tightened at her touch but he didn't stop her. She didn't know if it was the alcohol, the music, being near a handsome man, or a combination of all three but she found herself wanting nothing more than to kiss him.

Sakura lifted her head, her lips inches away from the mask covering his own. She slid closer to him, her hand snaking it's way higher up his thigh. still, he didn't move. She hesitated for a second and flashes of Kyo's face flooded her mind. She was engaged! What the hell was she thinking?

Wincing at her own stupidity, Sakura whipped her hand away from her former sensei's lap and covered her face with it. "I'm engaged!" She shouted into the palms of her hands, her words muffled and distorted behind them. From beside her Kakashi rubbed at the back of his neck. "What was that?"

She dropped her hands and fumbled for the purse that she had forgotten on the other side of the booth, the side where she should have stayed. Her skirt bunched around her thighs but at that moment she didn't care. She just needed to get out of there. "Sakura-" Kakashi started to reach for her, concern filling his exposed eye but the kunoichi was out of his reach.

She spun as she stood and her hip banged against the table, making her stumble and brace herself against the bench seat. She cursed under her breath and smoothed her skirt down. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I'm engaged, you're...you. It's wrong and I appologize."

"Sakura, wait."

She was already halfway to the stairs, her hand on her forehead as she weaved in and out of the dancers and flirting couples. Dozens of eyes caught sight of her and she wished she could be invisible. Had they seen her stupid display of drunken flirting? Had they seen her almost kiss one of the most powerful ninja in Konoha?

Sweat rolled down her temple as she ignored her name being called behind her. She emerged from the club like she was pulling herself from the depths of the ocean and finally she sucked in a deep breath. The neon lights all around her didn't seem so romantic and sparkling. Now they were washed out, the spell they had once held over her gone and replaced with the bitter taste of alcohol and vomit that threatened to spill from her stomach. She hurried through the streets, leaving the loud nightlife far behind her.

"Sakura!" She had heard that tone before, when she had made a mistake in her training, had missed the target with her kunai throws. He was her sensei once again. Sighing, Sakura stopped but didn't turn around. There was no way she could look in his eye now. "I just want to go home. Please don't follow me." She forced the words out as she glanced back over her shoulder. She avoided his face and once she was sure he would stand in the street, hands stuffed in his pockets and not follow her, she hurried on her way.

There was nothing more that she wanted than to crawl into bed, pull the covers over her head and pretend this was just a bad dream. She just hoped Kyo wasn't home yet..

AN: Hello. Thank you for giving Chapter 1 a chance. This is my first Naruto fic. I had posted it to another site a while back, but took it down to revise it and do some tweaking. This story isn't meant to be canon. I love Kakashi's character and I love Sakura, of course I put them together. It will be drama, action adventure, and some violence. I'll try to update my warnings as the chapters progress :) Thanks for reading!