A/N: I'm sorry for the delay in this chapter guys! I know that some of you have been waiting, but here it is finally and I'm positive you'll enjoy it.
Shout out to some loyal reviewers:
Goldregen
LittleFoxDemon
Snowdonia Hawkweed
Alexis160
Forbidden-Hanyou

Thank you for your support each chapter, it means a lot you guys like this story so much.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's affiliates.

M.

NSFW

The Henge

Chapter 9

Coquettish

Sakura stayed by Naruto's side religiously.

The Godaime' would enter the room routinely, checking on Naruto like a surrogate mother worrying for her child — and each day he would enter the ins and outs of consciousness. The first day he returned had been the worst of it — most of the wounds were superficial, but somehow he managed to contract a serious infection in his lungs that were severely damaged from what the kunoichi could only guess had been the residue of a chemical —

The tissue lining in his lungs were so eroded Sakura could only comparatively measure it to someone who had been smoking for twenty years.

Severe dehydration, a broken arm, and a head injury they were still monitoring had been the worst of it. — Sakura resumed her rounds once she could hear the steady beat of his heart monitor — whispers among the people in the tents notified them that the Jinchuriki had returned.

They weren't positive.

She had been re-wrapping the bandages of an older man the two days later when he completely ignored her friendly questions — when he ignored her the third time she snapped.

"Is there something wrong, sir?"

He snubbed her again.

She dropped his arm and walked away, mood completely foul and on the tail end of her exhaustion when she heard — "it's because of that boy this all happened — you should have kept him out of this village."

Sakura paused mid-step to berate the man on things he didn't know — but the broken faces of the other patients in the tents glanced warily at her. Sad, lost, exhausted eyes stared back at her — the faces of children, parents — everyone had lost someone during the bombing, and who was she to tell them otherwise?

"…It's not Naruto's fault," she said, jaw clenched — most of the people hung their heads and looked away, but a few remaining faces reflected the struggle of overcoming not one, but two attacks related to the Kyuubi — and that man had lived through both of them.

Sakura returned to Naruto's bedside and fell asleep waiting for him to wake up.

xox

The calming hum of the generator placated the sleeping bodies in the medical tents — the only sounds of life were the small whispers of parents trying to put their children to bed, and Sakura was taking this time to close her eyes and gather a few minutes of sleep by Naruto's cot.

According to Shizune, he had woken up earlier in the day and spoke for a few minutes — but she sedated him again so that he could get another's day rest before expelling himself to the multitude of questions that would be thrown at him. Sakura waited patiently for the moment his blue eyes flickered open and that normal, annoying grin presented itself.

She skipped visiting Sasuke during this time, afraid that anymore time spent with him would only confuse her further — as capable and intelligent as she was, she found herself completely helpless in regards to her childhood love.

He had been calm and reserved when she told him Naruto had returned, she didn't expect a wholesome reaction, but she did notice the slight ease in his shoulders — although Sakura had never truly understood her cold teammate — anything other than his small grunts of agreement were good, she supposed.

"Sakura-chan?" a croaky voice woke the dozing medic.

Almost crazily, she snapped forward and stood up to peer at her blond teammate.

"Naruto?" she moved to stand beside his bed and began checking him, he blinked away the remnants of sleep — he could barely focus on her but she could safely assume that it was the sedative edging through his system.

"How are you feeling?" she questioned, brows knit together in concentration.

His toothy grin lightened the air, "you look the same, Sakura-chan."

Her brow twitched, "what do you mean, I look the same?"

Naruto stretched his arms high above his head, staring dreamily at her, "it's like you haven't aged a day!" he blinked back the rest of his haze and scooted himself closer to her touch.

Her annoyance spiked.

With practiced control, it took everything in her not to bop him on the head for his blasphemous comment, "…so you're saying I don't look more womanly?"

Naruto pursed his lips and eyed her attentively, tilting his head to assess the question before shaking his head, "you definitely still look the same!"

A small yelp of pain emitted from the Kyuubi holder's room.

A couple minutes later, the sound of gentle laughter surrounded them, "…I can't believe the first thing you're going to say to me is that I still look like a little girl," Sakura scolded, rewrapping his arm with expert fingers.

Naruto offered her a sheepish grin, "I didn't know! You really didn't have to hit me so hard, Sakura-chan," he pouted — his voice was still raspy from being put under for so many days, but even through it Sakura could hear the difference in his voice — the high-pitched shrill quieted to a deeper tone.

Sakura shook her head and tied off the bandage, "I'm just glad you're safe, you idiot."

Naruto peered at her almost uncomfortably, and Sakura glanced away hesitantly, "what happened while I was away?" Naruto began, "I can't believe you're Obaachan's apprentice! Pervy Sage told me—"

He stopped mid-sentence, as if the weight of everything that happened came back to the forefront of his memories — Sakura watched his face transition from lively to sullen and dark, a silence settled itself between them, she didn't have to ask why the sudden change in his demeanor, she couldn't imagine losing her shishou so suddenly.

Naruto pursed his lips and put on his customary faux smile, "…He told me that you were training and becoming a really good medic, Sakura-chan."

Sakura couldn't offer much to calm him — she didn't want to tell him what happened to their village in the wake of the last few weeks, she didn't want to tell him that Sasuke was sitting in an underground prison waiting for his trial to start, she didn't want to tell him that half of the village was destroyed and their sensei was on a high-risk mission, she didn't want to tell him that she had slept with their sensei, losing any mask of purity that had remained before he left.

The secrets would suffocate her, but witnessing someone so bright undergo such sadness so soon would also kill her.

So she stayed quiet.

She handed him a few pain killers, "here take these, they'll help with the swelling and pain —"

More silence.

Between Naruto and Sasuke — silence held two different meanings. With Naruto, their silence usually followed a gap in their conversations or in between their laughter — words found them easily. With Sasuke, it felt like trudging through mud and attempting to create conversation on her end, usually only followed by simple remarks.

"…Where do you think Sasuke is right now?" he grabbed the pills and washed them down with the water by his bedside, his shoulders slightly slumped and together the one person that bound them dragged his presence to their concern.

Sakura gulped, she knew Naruto well enough to guess that he would demand to see their teammate and for his immediate release from prison— the kunoichi braced herself to begin retraining him if he refused to stay resting properly.

"Well, while you were away quite a bit has happened," she began slowly — explaining everything that happened in the past few weeks made her dizzy.

Naruto visibly perked, "what do you mean?"

Sakura sat back in her chair, "Sasuke-kun arrived a few weeks ago severely injured—"

Naruto inched himself closer.

"—Tsunade-shishou was able to heal him, but he tried to escape—"

He looked ready to burst.

"—He's in prison right now waiting for his trial."

xox

The village gates peaked over the horizon. They always served as a source of comfort for him — if not for the relativity of home, but a place that at least gave him and his father a sense of home among it's deeply rooted faults and secrets.

"Are we almost there, Kakashi-sensei?" Shikamaru struggled with a sleeping Yugao on his back, clearly annoyed he had to be the one to trek the woman all the way back home.

"I'm pretty sure you have eyes, don't you?" he responded, sarcasm latent in his voice.

Each of them were worse for wear after the mission that had taken two weeks longer than expected, and not only after he had to A) listening to Itachi and keep the brunt of that information on his shoulders, and B) while waiting for Yugao to heal in Amegakure — Shikaku and himself somehow weaseled their way into a brothel to get more information (truthfully, it had been an accident — why don't they make signs more clear?) and then C) fend off the unsuspecting women who were only doing their job.

Normally one to partake in the advantages of women that wouldn't remember his face in another village after a rough mission — he kept envisioning pink hair, a responsive body, and the reprimanding voice of his student.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, grateful he had been assigned to Asuma's team than the sarcastic Copy Ninja's.

"We'll have to give our reports to the Hokage immediately after dropping Yugao off at the medical tent — here," Kakashi took mercy on the younger Nara and dropped down to one knee so he could transfer Yugao onto his back. "I'll go ahead and take her there, meet me at the Hokage's office in an hour."

A nurse beamed at him after taking Yugao on a stretcher and running her vitals.

"Is there anything else we can do for you Kakashi-san?" the blond nurse nearly purred.

Kakashi crinkled one eye, "no, no — well, actually….I do have a sore shoulder, I may have popped it out of it's socket," for emphasis, he rolled his shoulder and grimaced beneath his mask.

"Oh! Be careful Kakashi-san!" she cooed, "—here, follow me. We'll take you to get that taken care of," she murmured huskily, the coy look on her face looked utterly perturbing when there were hundreds of other patients waiting in the tents.

Oh well.

"Ah, is there any chance Haruno Sakura is working right now?" he asked casually.

The nurse fell flat, "Dr. Haruno is finishing up her rounds…You don't want me to take care of it?" her hand moved to touch his shoulder enticingly, and he had to wonder if he was a special case or she acted this way with most Jonin.

He didn't budge from her touch, but he was sure he had felt Sakura's chakra signal here— "ah, well I'll just wait until she's finished up then."

The blond pouted childishly and was about to chastely drag her fingers across his chest when the pinkette arrived in her medical coat and a sour face, "I don't think you want to accost our patient under the watchful eye of Shizune-san, Airi."

If looks could kill, this woman would have been under Sakura's fist.

The nurse peered cautiously over Kakashi's shoulder and saw the intrusive eye of their superior watching the scene unfold and clucked her tongue before stepping back, "…Maybe we can hang out another time, Kakashi-san," she said happily — flashing him a daring smile before walking away.

Sakura remained invasive watching the retreating back of the nurse, "why are you here?" Sakura asked her sensei.

"Oh, my dear student I thought you might actually be happy to see that I'm alive," he bemoaned, by now most eyes in the tent were glancing at the duo making a spectacle out of themselves. Sakura shook her head and dragged him to a more private tent, away from inquisitive whispers and eyes.

He must have stepped in the room during a bad mood of hers, because the look of pure distaste in her eyes almost made the Copy Ninja believe he had wronged her while he was away.

"Are you injured?" she snapped quickly at him, ushering him to sit down on the cot, her habits as a medic peaked through her mood.

Kakashi grinned mischievously beneath his mask, "I know why you're acting like this."

Sakura stopped her administration and glared at him, "acting like what?"

"You're jealous," he kept his voice low enough — but the feral blush that covered her cheeks almost endeared her enough for him to ignore her attitude.

"Jealous? About what? An old man getting attention from a nurse?" she questioned, her fingers worked on his shoulder, attempting to find the socket, "that's probably some sick fetish you have, isn't it Sensei?"

Kakashi winced, "seems that way. Although I never would have pin pointed you as the jealous type."

Sakura looked similar to a cat that got it's tail pulled, but Kakashi found humor in even the most mundane things, and annoying his student was closely reaching to the top of his favorites, "…you don't seem that thrilled that I came back alive as promised," Kakashi pondered for a moment longer, "what was that nice nurse's name again? Aiya—Ai—"

The kunoichi popped his shoulder back into it's socket, earning her a guttural hiss of pain from Kakashi, "I'm not the jealous type," she defended, the gentle hum of her chakra laced itself into his ligaments, "—and I am happy you returned," she admitted, halfway exasperated after only being around the infuriating man for a few minutes, "I just can't make a scene in front of so many people."

He was always amazed how one woman could referee from harbored anger to gentle resilience, and he peered at the tired face of his student — slowly she was aging into a seasoned shinobi, the usual eyes that told too many stories was beginning to surface in her expressive eyes — he only hoped that her emerald orbs wouldn't lose the responsive and earnest depth in them.

Kakashi flexed his shoulder once she was done, impressed by her quick handiwork. "Did you get my letter?"

Sakura stopped completely, remembering the giddy happiness that morning when she snuck her way to the training grounds, "I did, but you know you could have gotten into a lot of trouble for sending a hawk like that."

He sighed, "you're sounding more like the Hokage everyday."

Sakura pinched him, earning her a satisfactory cry from the old man, "don't be a baby."

What he didn't expect was for his student to lose herself in his arms, her hard resolve broke and he circled her petite form in his arms, like a tidal wave that washed up onto the beach — Kakashi brought her closer to him, losing himself in the soft scent of lilac that could only ever work on Sakura. "There's my favorite student," he commented with a wry smile.

Such a tender and comfortable moment felt selfish for both of them — Sakura's mind was preoccupied by the man sitting in the prison cell, but every fiber of her being wanted nothing more than to relish in this feeling. Her conscience battled with the aforementioned thoughts, she wanted to free fall into the emotions that had captivated her before he left — a sadness sunk in her sternum.

Kakashe felt it before she pulled away.

"…What is it, Sakura?" his cool eyes that normally held an incredible amount of warmth were jaded with a sense of depravity.

She was too easy to read.

"I have to tell you something," she murmured, attempting to grasp a handle on her cycling thoughts.

"It's about Sasuke, isn't it?"

The medic stilled, she wanted to deny the accusation, but if it was that easy to guess than she had to tell him.

It wasn't fair to him.

Or her.

"While you were away I spent a lot of time with Sasuke-kun," she hated the sticky words that left her lips, they felt sinful, and watching the hardening reaction of the person that she had become quickly attached to made it worse, "and as much as I care for you, I can't lie to myself and say that my feelings for him are completely gone."

What had began as minor teasing and a mission gone awry that ended up with him taking her virginity had landed him somewhere else that he hadn't planned on. Usually a quick thinker, he hadn't expected her to fill the majority of his thoughts. Amongst the chaos of the coup his mind had been planted with worry for his female student, and he found that his priority had been saving her — and watching her body slowly lose itself to the poison had been painful to watch.

He couldn't stomach the thought of losing another precious person to him.

Kakashi didn't have wards of romantic inclinations towards the girl — which in itself was selfish of him since he could see the quick attachment she had grown towards him, one of the main reasons why he never slept with virgins.

Something akin to jealousy flamed within him.

"It's good that you're being honest," he finally spoke up in the dim room, "and I guess it's time for us to be honest with each other."

Sakura eyed him, the steady trepidation in her heart grew.

"You're a grown woman now, Sakura — I'm grateful that you're being honest with me, and I'm not sure where we're headed, but understand that I'm not holding you back," his guarded voice caused her brows to knit in confusion.

Kakashi understood happiness, he one day hoped to feel at ease, and the closest he had gotten was his time with team seven. Unfortunately, the Copy Ninja's life had been a battle of unpredictability and it wouldn't stop anytime soon.

"I'm not going to lie to you and say that I see us being together in the future," he stated simply, "—among obvious reasons, if Sasuke is going to make you happy in the end than helping him after his trial is where your focus should be."

The words stung, they felt like a bunch of ants crawling on her skin and slowly biting her until her skin itched, "…but what if he isn't my choice after all?" she asked him softly, her voice constricted, feeling ostracized with her overbearing emotions.

He could see the insecurity of her decisions, he noticed the gentle slope of her forehead, the delicate nose, soft lips, and wide cheeks. He easily memorized these aspects of her face and how they had grown, how she had grown. In her white lab coat, hair tied loosely at the base of her neck. Kakashi couldn't help but appreciate Sakura for who she had become, and he wasn't going to be selfish enough to take more from her than what he already had.

"I can't decide that for you," Kakashi said — suddenly aware that Shikamaru and Shikaku were already waiting for him to brief the Hokage about their mission.

He stood up to leave, "I should have taken you on that mission," he said finally — it had burdened him that he had sidelined her growth as a kunoichi by stopping her from joining his team when he had just been protecting her from anymore pain.

Truthfully, he had been selfish.

Sakura couldn't find the words that would entice him to stay, she couldn't do anything but grip the edges of her lab coat. How had this spiraled so quickly? His arrival should have been a happy occasion — but she somehow managed to ruin his homecoming, when for weeks now she had been craving his presence.

"Wait," she gripped his sleeve tightly, trying to formulate her thoughts concisely.

"—I still want to see you," she blurted out, "this whole time I've been waiting for you to get back and I feel stupid for getting attached after what happened — and I probably shouldn't have because I know it won't go anywhere, but I can't stomach the thought that this will change everything between us."

Her rambling softened him — it normally did.

Selfish.

He was a selfish, selfish man.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, his lips met hers in a fiery touch that felt like old souls had found one another in a new life. She melted in his arms, her arms slid their way around his neck and tangled themselves into his mop of grey hair — he drank the essence of her, his gloved fingers found their way to travel delicately beneath her shirt and ghost over the expanse of her stomach, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin.

It was incredibly dangerous, considering anybody could walk into the tent and see them.

This…This couldn't be described by words — she pressed herself closer to him, reminiscing in the feeling of his body causing hers to stir with excitement. He worked his hand to trace beneath her bra, his groin tightened — he found it incredibly frustrating she could do this to him without trying.

She bit his lip through the mask daringly, he stopped to see the mischievous look glimmering in her eye.

Nymph.

His thumb pushed under her bra and traced over her nipple, inciting a shallow gasp that sounded melodic to Kakashi. Like a frenzied lovers that hadn't seen each other for years — he felt himself slowly losing control in the presence of his student, she sat herself on the table — eyes hungry and glazed with a renewed lust.

"You know I could take you right here, don't you?" he leaned forward and whispered into her ear, the brazen blush that warmed her cheeks excited him.

In response she leaned forward and trailed her fingers over his swelling length.

Were they sick?

In such a public area while she was at work — but logic was slipping from them in place for their hormones.

"Sakura!" Shizune's voice rang from outside, startling the duo into fixing themselves, "—are you done healing Kakashi-san? I'm going to need you in surgery again," the woman announced before walking in.

Kakashi had taken his post back on the cot and flexed his shoulder as if she had just finished healing him.

"Yeah I just got done, Shizune-san."

Kakashi crinkled his eye and waved two fingers in greeting, "long time no see. Looks like the tents have cleared out a bit thanks to you guys."

Shizune sighed wearily and entirely unsuspecting of what had just transpired between them, "sure doesn't feel like it, but I guess that's expected."

Sakura smoothed the panels of her skirt, "so you need me in surgery?" she piped up.

Kakashi mulled over how obvious they looked and had to contain himself — "well I'll be taking my leave, always a pleasure seeing you Shizune-san — I have a Hokage to brief."

His disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Shizune glanced at the spot Kakashi had previously occupied, "weird. Why is he in such a good mood?"

Oh, god.

Sakura was going to die of embarrassment, her grave would be marked with an epitaph on her sudden removal from this planet blushing cherry red, "—he's just weird Kakashi-sensei as usual."

Somehow, her tactical sensei had managed to leave a note for her obscurely in her pocket that she found hours later —

I'll be at my apartment tonight.

xoxox

He wouldn't tell the Hokage.

Not yet.

Everything Itachi told him needed to be deciphered first.

So when he stood there with Shikamaru and Shikaku glaring vehemently at him — Tsunade glared at the prospective Rokudaime.

"You're late again, Hatake — you were supposed to come here first after your mission," she tore into him — obviously overjoyed with everything that was happening in the village currently. He had to admit that while they were away the village was steadily being rebuilt.

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before stuffing his hands in his pockets, "well you see, I had to visit a certain nurse—"

"I don't want to hear it, I swear sometimes those stupid books Jiraiya writes do more harm than good," she growled, but the sudden words made her reflect and glance down at her desk with a flicker of regret.

The three smart men in the room took note.

When none chose to say anything, Tsunade gathered her voice, "regardless. Were you able to locate the Akatsuki base?"

Kakashi decided to take the reigns of explanation, "we located Hidan and Kakuzu up north, we learned that the main base where they are extracting the Bijuus is in Amegakure. However, we were unable to locate the exact location once we were caught by Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi."

Tsunade's eyes lit up at the news, but not before a crossed look of disappointment reared itself, "the main component of a reconnaissance mission is to be undetected. I expected more from such a seasoned team of shinobi."

Shikamaru sighed, wanting nothing more than to leave the intensity of the Hokage's quarters and lay somewhere for the next week, "—it's my fault, Hokage-sama. I lit a cigarette without thinking of the repercussions. I take full responsibility for the mission's failure."

Her fists clenched, scaring the three men in the room.

"And Hatake — "

"Blame me, Hokage-sama. As captain I should have been more aware of the situation," he cut her off before she could rip his head off — which was actually becoming quite a common thread among the women he was affiliated with.

"Did anything come of this mission other than one of my best ANBU getting injured and rumors about a village that is allegedly the rendezvous point for the Akatsuki?" she bit out, equally annoyed with the shinobi she had trusted with this mission.

Kakashi could string the lie further, Shikamaru and Shikaku had thought he had ran away from his fight with the elder Uchiha. Worse for wear and exhausted once he returned to them - it took little for them to believe him when he said he barely lost Itachi. The heavy news that Sasuke was allegedly behind the Earth Daimyo's assassination still didn't make sense, and he would need to speak with Sasuke before relaying this information to the Hokage.

Did she knew about Itachi's affiliation to the village?

He tried to think of the massacre - he had been blindsided by the intricacies of being an ANBU captain - sure, the rumors had been there, and he had his own understanding of the people within the clan, but he never would have expected someone as loyal as Itachi to double cross his own family and village. The young boy that had been added to his team quickly changed until the night that left the village in peril, so it became confusing to try and see the transparencies of Uchiha Itachi.

The simple question of why Itachi had told him the location in Amegakure and the motive behind killing the Jinchuriki still didn't make sense.

It would be dangerous to withhold this information, but he had to trust his instincts before parading around such valuable information that could forfeit Sasuke's future to execution or a prison cell.

He did, however - need to speak with Sasuke as soon as possible.

Kakashi kept his eyes even with Tsunade who blanketed him with suspicion.

"There's nothing else, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade shook her head in aggravation and waved them off, "dismissed."

xoxox

Naruto stared at him as if he had grown two heads.

"Kaka-sensei!" the famously coined term rang through the proximity of Naruto's corner.

Kakashi wasn't much for being sentimental, and he had once looked at the rambunctious Uzumaki as a pure annoyance when the chalk eraser landed on his head during their first meeting — but his hatred for his team had morphed during their journey once he realized that each character opened up a new piece within him.

"You look like you've been better."

Naruto huffed, "—we don't have time to talk about me! What the hell is going on with Sasuke?"

Of course, his concern had always been the Uchiha — Naruto's concern was everyone but himself.

"I see that Sakura must have told you then," Kakashi sat on the chair besides Naruto's cot and drew out his Icha Icha — the incident earlier between him and Sakura had to be forcibly pushed to the more oppressive parts of his mind before it engulfed him.

Nothing that some light reading wouldn't take care of.

"Are you seriously reading that perverted book while Sasuke sits in a jail cell?!" Naruto's cries were hushed by the numerous people in the expanse of the tent shushing him. He backed down like a kicked puppy and glared at the offending people.

He's still the same.

The light that symbolized itself as Uzumaki Naruto would change the world. Kakashi could see it clearly, the same torch that Obito held had been passed down to his own student — talk about coming full circle.

"You haven't changed much, have you?" the elusive Copy Ninja didn't want to discuss his lost student right now. Among other reasons, after his meeting with the Hokage all the pressing information felt suffocating, what could he possibly tell Naruto that would suffice? He wished for the treasured words of Minato-sensei or Obito, they seemed to always have the answers. Sasuke had become unpredictable, and unpredictability never sat well with anyone.

If he was no longer looking for vengeance in a brother who was supposedly dead, what motives were driving him?

Naruto glared hautily at him, "of course not! How can you not want to do anything?"

Kakashi rested his book in his lap, "there's nothing we can do for Sasuke right now, Naruto. What do you expect us to do? Waltz down to the prison and demand his release?"

Naruto blinked at him a few times absently, obviously confused as to why that wasn't possible.

"Well why the hell not?" Naruto demanded, getting more and more frustrated with his sensei.

Kakashi closed his book, any attempt to explain to the loud-mouth would be pointless, "there's a reason that the Hokage has him there, I think you're forgetting that he did desert the village — there's repercussions for those actions and you know that."

Naruto fumed, gearing himself to get out of bed, "—well if you refuse to do anything about it, I'm going to talk to Obaachan right—"

"Sit down, you're not going anywhere," Kakashi flicked the IV tube — effectively causing Naruto to yelp in pain.

"What was that for?!"

Kakashi would never understand what he did in his past life to deserve dealing with the knuckle head in front of him — and here he thought that the time away training with Jiraiya would have matured him a bit.

He had been wrong before.

"Sasuke is fine. Sakura has been visiting him and talking with him while he's been down there nearly every day," his voice strained on the last couple of words, remembering her declaration earlier made his stomach flip disapprovingly. He didn't like this feeling, nor had he ever been accustomed to such trivial feelings.

"—Well have you?" Naruto asked him curiously.

He wanted to say yes, but unfortunately he had never been as reputable of a person that people made him out to be, "no I haven't — I just got back a few hours ago from a mission."

His answer sedated the Uzumaki who sat back in his cot, "…a lot has happened while I was away, huh."

It was a statement, not a question.

He has no idea.

"Just get some sleep, Naruto."

Slowly, the pieces of his team were coming together.

But why did they feel more broken than before?

xoxox

Towel wrapped loosely around his hips — Kakashi exited the shower and began to dry himself off.

Fortunately, his apartment had been saved from being demolished — the night that the bombs lit up the sky they had ransacked the apartment complex across from him, narrowly avoiding the Yamanaka household.

Funny how death was always around the corner — literally.

Half of his day had consisted on bating around the Hokage and suppressing a painful boner after seeing Sakura, the rest had been a muddled mess of confusion that he was finding no answers to. His visit with Naruto only reminded him of the fact that his team was still a dissolved mixture of people — one injured, one in prison, and two of them casting aside their duties for the sake of their libido.

As an adult, shinobi, and mentor he should know better — he should have known better.

He surveyed his apartment, drying himself off in the process — aware of an acute chakra in his living room.

He wrapped the towel deviously around his waste and entered the communal space — greeted by the red face of his favorite student.

"Ah, Sakura — pleasure to see you here," he greeted nonchalantly.

If there were ever a moment Sakura wanted to die — this would probably be it.

Her sensei, grey hair still wet, unmasked, a towel wrapped loosely around his hips, and smiling at her without any discretion to the fact that he was practically naked. Sure, she had let herself in and sat herself on his couch thinking she would surprise him — but half of her felt even more nervous for the events that would unfold than she had been the first time.

Emerald remained fixed on his torso — his chiseled physique put many of the other ninjas she healed to shame. This would be the first time she had seen him like this — when he had been under the henge his body was still devastatingly beautiful and younger, but this body and man was entirely drenched in raw masculinity.

Before, he had been closer to her height when she had last seen him undressed.

He towered over her now.

Her mouth felt dry, but she hid her embarrassment with a harsh glare, "do you really have to walk around naked?" she squeaked.

Kakashi tilted his head innocently, "what's wrong? I thought you would have been more appreciative to see me like this."

Sakura tuffed and crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly, "it's just sort of shocking, is all."

The Copy Ninja took a step closer to her, causing the towel dropped another inch — revealing the trail of hair leading to his groin.

The room felt incredibly hot.

"It's not like you haven't seen me shirtless before."

Another step, another inch.

Sakura gulped, "no…I haven't."

She may be right, he decided internally. He refused to go to the hospital in the past year after his missions, and she had only taken up medical ninjutsu during this time — it reminded him once again how he had subconsciously abandoned his singular female student.

"Well," he could see her nervousness, the small fold of her hands pressed into her lap — he would never be ungrateful for the pink tinge of her cheeks in response to him. "What do you want me to do, Sakura?" his thick voice caused something to stir in her stomach.

She was going to die of embarrassment.

"I thought…You would already know," she said hesitantly.

Kakashi had to wonder briefly where the confident girl he had slept with before had disappeared to. He pursed his lips and leaned himself on the chair beside her, eyeing her with such a penetrating gaze that she kept her eyes focused on the coffee table in front of her.

"Why are you so nervous?"

Sakura bit her lip, angry at herself for being so transparent and thoroughly embarrassed, "I'm not sure…I guess because I know what's going to happen?"

Kakashi hummed in contemplation, "I don't think that's what it is."

How does he do that?!

This time she stared at him evenly, the coil in her stomach was threatening to morph into annoyance, "then what is it?"

Kakashi sat himself on the opposite couch, holding her gaze, "I think it's because this time you're going to fuck the real me, and not someone closer to your age."

Sakura nearly choked on air, "—I already said I don't care what age you are—"

"Do you?" he baited, "because you look like I'm about to eat you."

He paused and winked, "well I mean I could…"

Sakura sputtered, "sensei!"

Kakashi shrugged, portraying his innocence, "Sakura — if you don't want to do this, we don't have to."

Sakura had debated about this internally for hours, what the outcome could be, what it would mean for the dynamic of their relationship, any sound and logical thinking had been caste aside when she thought about how free it felt to be with him — how good it felt, and how appreciated he made her feel.

But more than that, a comfort that she only ever felt in the throws of studying medical textbooks and training medical ninjutsu fostered around him…And she didn't want to lose that.

She bit her lip, "no, I want to be here," she said unvaryingly — raising herself to look him in the eye.

"Then come here."

Like a waterfall crashing into the basin, the world toppled over itself after that.

Sakura had never felt magnetism before with somebody else, something so soul captivating that once she reached him — he pulled her closer to straddle his lap. Everything began to fade around them, he toyed with a strand of her opalescent hair, relishing in how it wasn't as silky as it looked — but matched her temperament.

Forceful and brash, she defiled the rules of femininity while retaining a coyness and beauty that captivated others.

He kissed her, relishing in the feeling of her lips against his and the small gasp when she felt his erection press against her thigh. He ushered his tongue forward, fighting with hers that was slowly inching a frenzy into both of their bodies. The energy became static around them, a new heat laced itself into the air.

Kakashi gripped her ass, pulling her waist closer to him — he groaned softly, the past couple weeks had been heel trying to disillusion himself into thinking this was a bad idea. A soft moan left her in the middle of their kiss.

Sakura inched her hips forward — slowly opening herself to him. She twisted her hips timidly at first, but began to embolden herself and ground herself against his length, delighting in the feeling that — yes — he was bigger than before.

He tilted his head back to lean against the head of the couch, with his lips parted and lusted over smokey eyes, Sakura couldn't help but take a second to admire how sexy he looked like this. Confidence built, she tilted her hips to further grind against him through the towel.

With a small growl Kakashi unzipped her vest and helped her slink out of it.

Sakura traveled her fingers across his abdomen, slowly tracing over the dense cut of muscles and shivering in the way his stomach contracted, she traced the edge of his skin — slyly, she applied the sharpest hint of chakra to the tip of her finger, enough to send a gentle vibration and tickle his skin.

He held his breathe, realizing her tactful instruction.

A devious smile tilted her lips upward.

Her fingers traveled the length of his chest until she ran it down his bicep — stopping to outline his ANBU tattoo on top of the thick expanse of his defined arm.

The stamp of the Hokage's most trusted shinobi.
The understanding that your identity, your life, and morals were at the discretion of the village.

Such a simple mark, she eyed it for a second — trying to envision just who her sensei was and the path he lived to become one of the village's best warriors, not the man that showed up late and read porn in public.

He noticed her carefully studying his tattoo and he waited — waited for her to understand.

Understand the gravity of who he was.
Understand that he had lived alone for the majority of his life.
Understand that he had joined ANBU at the young age of thirteen.
Understand that they were making a painfully wrong mistake.

Instead, she leaned forward and kissed him.

Softly, tentatively.

The air felt light.

He kept his arms stiff at first, what had been a space defined by coveted lust felt unfamiliar for him. Kakash was an expert on lying — too good, but he couldn't deny how she looked at him with such full and earnest eyes that could only be conveyed his by student.

Most women he slept ignored his tattoo and what it signified, but Sakura understood and continued to use her chakra to stimulate his skin. He rubbed gentle circles on her hips with his right hand, using his free hand to grasp her hand, they pulled away from the kiss and he brought her palm to his lips and kissed the center softly - eliciting a gentle hum and rub of her hips.

Neither could wait anymore.

He lifted her up in one swift motion and she squeaked, wrapping toned legs around him — their lips connected in a renewed frenzy and fever that was slowly catapulting them into one another.

Sakura landed on the bed and watched as his towel dropped — revealing her teacher's completely engorged length, her eyes widened appreciatively. She had seen many penises due to her line of work, but his stood nearly perfect. With the dim lighting of his room she could actually see all of him this time, not the shadowy figure that had made love to her in the cave.

He crawled over her like a predator cornering it's kill, and she felt the slickness between her thighs becoming increasingly hot and uncomfortable.

Kakashi enveloped her petite form, he kissed his way down her jaw, leaving a gentle trail of kisses until he dipped his tongue into the base of her collarbone, she squirmed beneath him, her thighs rubbed together so she could get some friction.

He smirked.

Selfishly, he wanted to take her for himself.

Remind her that he touched a place in her that belonged to him.

And that no one would reach where he had stamped her.

His hand dipped to trail over her chest and thumbed the edge of her bra, Sakura worked to take off the constricting material and allowed her chest to spring free. Perky nipples stared back at Kakashi, he leaned forward and flicked his tongue over the hardened tip — the young kunoichi threw her head back, a hotness traveled directly between her legs.

She needed him.

With his other hand he held her down, his tongue worked her nipple until she was squirming incessantly beneath him.

"Sensei—!" she murmured, biting her lip to contain her moan.

Kakashi couldn't have that.

He brushed the pad of his thumb over her other nipple, inciting the medic to arch her back to his administrations. He ghosted his fingers down her stomach until they dipped into the hem of her spandex shorts — why his student was gifted with such a beautiful ass and she chose to wear spandex was beyond him, but he didn't miss the way other men appreciated it when she walked away from them.

In a hurry to take off the offending bottoms, he ushered her out of the tight material, revealing her muscled legs from training. He unlatched himself from her nipple and appreciated the view of his student in —

Sakura looked ready to burst from embarrassment, but her eyes were brazened with a fire once he realized she had decided to not wear anything beneath her spandex.

A shallow breathe escaped him, appreciating the toned physique that belonged to Sakura.

Hair spread hazardously over his bed sheets, deep eyes and plumped lips from kissing, roseate cheeks, her chest rose and fell, emphasizing her perky breasts. He ate up her body in the light, the young girl had disappeared before him, and now remained an eager woman that shyly began to open her legs for him.

"Sensei?" she asked hesitantly, the scrutiny of his smoldering gaze made her body heat up.

Any man would be a fool to caste her to the side.

With one hand she could break someone's body in two — and then heal them.

"You're beautiful, Sakura."

He meant it.

Kakashi never felt inclined to make unnecessary comments before sex, and he knew he was treading in dangerous waters — but his relationship with Sakura had kindled closely during the time of Team Seven.

And now she was willingly giving herself to him again.

She didn't say anything, but instead reached between them and ran her fingers over his cock.

He sucked in a breathe, about to speak, but she held a twinkle in her eye that he didn't entirely trust — until he felt the surge of gentle chakra kneed at the head of his length, causing his thighs to tighten and a guttural groan escape.

"Shi—"

She did it again, holding his unsteady gaze like a kitten ready to spring on it's first mouse.

Kakashi felt like he could finish then, in her hand, and he wouldn't be ashamed to see her stomach tainted with his cum.

He jerked himself away to the surprise of the devious medic. Before she could protest he flipped her onto her stomach and dragged her hips back until she was bent over his bed.

"Kaka-sensei!" she yelped, feeling entirely exposed for the man that pushed her legs further apart to reveal herself to him. She arched her back, and he had to admire the shape of her ass and thin waist.

Smooth, pale skin went under seige.

His hand connected with her skin, Sakura moaned at the sudden intrusion of pain on her butt that electrified the coils in her stomach, pooling dangerously in-between her legs. The red imprint of his hand satisfied him enough — one finger dipped into her wetness, causing Sakura to bite her lip and whimper.

He slid in the first digit, Sakura mewled and pressed her mouth into the nearest pillow.

"Fuck."

She was still so tight — and his girth was bigger than before.

A second finger added, stretching her enough — he worked his fingers expertly into her, reveling in the soft motion of her hips practically begging him for more, "Kakashi-sensei, please."

His cock twitched painfully.

Kakashi removed his fingers and ingrained the scene of him pushing his cock slowly into her, watching her soft cries of want as she spread herself further, allowing him to settle himself completely.

Sakura panted into the pillow, amazed that he stretched her completely, filling her until she felt his hips graze against her butt — "Sensei, you feel so good," she cooed softly.

A layer of sweat gathered on his forehead, how was she doing this to him?

He dragged his hips back until he snapped them forward again, he hissed his pleasure — she tightened around him, he could barely move but fuck she felt so good.

She twisted her hips against him, urging him to keep going.

Kakashi repeated the motion, a unified sound of their elated moans filtered into the air. He moved himself faster, she gripped onto his bed sheets and curled her fingers until the turned white, "ah — please!" she begged.

Faster, he thrust himself into her delighted core, mesmerized by the way she wrapped around him, he gripped her hips and dug his thumbs into the taut flesh of her ass. The sound of their skin slapping against one another lewdly in his apartment and the creak of his bed intermixed with their harmonious groans — Sakura slowly succumbed to the raw pleasure of him filling her.

He growled, his reserve was breaking — he would lose himself to her.

Kakashi gripped onto the back of her hair, twisting pale pink locks into his fingers and forcefully pulled on her hair until she arched back — Sakura cried out in pleasure, he dominated her — she felt herself spiraling into the intensity that could only belong to this man.

He took her, every inch, he bent down and wrapped his free arm around her, supporting her while he pummeled into her.

She couldn't breathe, her orgasm would reach her and send her over the edge — she couldn't focus, all she was and understood was the pleasure that coursed throughout her body until her toes curled. Her walls started to constrict - Sakura knew this feeling, she could feel her thighs tighten and the edges of her orgasm.

He slowed down.

Kakashi forced himself to.

Sakura gasped, a frustration with him perpetuated itself and she backed her hips into his, "sensei!" she groaned out, "please!"

Kakashi placed a chaste kiss on her spine, continuing with his slow draw out and inching himself back into her.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked her huskily.

She would kill him.

He would need to be healed and she would end him for teasing her like this. No one would know she had done it and she wouldn't be remorseful at his funeral.

"Make—"

He nearly left her, "no — not make love," he said hotly into her ear, "what do you want me to do?"

Sakura couldn't bring herself to say it, the vulgarity alone would kill her.

"Sen—"

"Sakura," he breathed into her, he thrust into her again and she cried out, a puddled mess of ravaged, withheld pleasure.

"Fuck me!" she cried.

He let go of her hair and she propped her self on her elbows — he claimed her, dominated her with the advantage of having years of pleasuring women to work with.

Kakashi gripped onto her hips and plunged himself into her repeatedly, his cock swelled dangerously — he worked himself into her, thrusting until he could feel her legs quake, she enveloped him, he was going to burst.

"Sakura," he ground out, he propelled them further to the edge — he lost himself.

"Ah-!" she cried, the coil in her stomach sprung. Her legs froze and her orgasm tore through her, her walls constricted around him, urging his own orgasm. The world spun dizzily, black spots danced across her vision — blurring her vision as the mind-numbing ecstasy overcame all consciousness.

Kakashi peaked, the weeks of teasing and depravity rocked his climax, he groaned throatily and poured himself into her, her walls clung to him and milked him for every spurt — his body stilled and he sucked in the pleasure that stuck onto every fiber of him.

They collapsed onto the bed — both of their bodies felt similar to jelly.

He held himself on top of her not to crush her and was overcame with exhaustion in the seconds post-orgasm.

Still inside of her heat, the seconds rolled by slowly.

He finally gathered enough energy and pulled himself out of her — Sakura whimpered at the loss of warmth, he laid on the bed and she habitually curled into his side like she had always belonged there.

Except this time — there was no henge.

Just two adults that heeded to the selfish craving of each other's bodies.

Sakura lazily kissed his cheek, he gently ran his fingers up and down her upper arm.

Unlike last time — he didn't regret the immediate decision.

"Sensei?" Sakura purred beside him.

"Hmm?"

"You've been alone for a long time, haven't you?" she murmured softly — noting the emptiness of his apartment that barely felt like it was lived in. Her eyes remained fixed beyond him on the picture of Team Seven on his dresser, and it pained her heart to think that he had been alone for so long.

Kakashi hummed, treading in that dangerous area once more, "—it's been quite a while."

Sakura — oh, Sakura.

His feverish little student that had held onto a childhood crush and gave herself to her mentor, the girl that longed to fix the broken, "I know we both don't know what this is, but you'll always have me," she smiled prettily and stared up at him.

Kakashi trained his eyes on her fingers dancing over his chest.

Sad, grey, dark eyes remained transfixed — he smiled at her and toyed with her hair to qualm her fears, "thank you, Sakura."

You're a kind girl.

Author's Note: Finally! Some fluff, some smut, some plot, a bit of everything.
I know it's been a few weeks since I updated, but I wasn't happy with how this story was progressing but I finally got the kinks worked out.

I've seriously been wanting to read a KakaSaku scene where she looks at his ANBU tattoo because I've seen sooo many fanarts and it's always so sexy and beautiful so I decided to write it myself since I think that people forget that underneath the funny and light exterior - poor Kakashi has some demons too.

Thank you to everyone that has reviewed and left such kind words, I really appreciate it.
If you enjoy this story, don't forget to leave a review or a follow/favorite - it's a huge inspiration!