Who remembers the drama class game: "Characters answer a question with a question"? I haven't been too strict about the answering part, but there sure are plenty of questions!

Coin-coin

or

Question and Answer

As Naruto and his teammates made for the door of Tsunade's office and began their traditional post-debriefing squabble over where to go for dinner, the Godaime Hokage motioned for their team leader to hang back. She waved an oversized bright green scroll at him across the wide and battered desk before her.

"I know it's been a while, but how would you like another one of these Special Greens, Kakashi?"

Kakashi's surprise was only apparent in the slight tensing of his eye muscles as he turned to her otherwise nonchalantly. Inside, he was groaning in annoyance and maybe even stomping his feet petulantly. He could hardly believe she'd whipped out a Special Green in front of the kids, though at eighteen and nineteen Naruto and Sakura certainly qualified for such missions. Still, with the soft spot Tsunade held for two of his three younger teammates, it was hard to imagine her explaining to them what a green scroll meant-he certainly hadn't ever felt the need-let alone ever ordering them to take one. Poor Sai she would assign in a heartbeat if only his lack of understanding of human emotion didn't make him uniquely ill-suited to the task.

"Thank you for thinking of me, esteemed Hokage-sama, but isn't there someone else you can give it to?"

Tsunade only arched a sardonic brow and questioned,

"Why would I do that when I have already stated my intention to give it to the man best qualified for the job: you?"

At this juncture Naruto came sailing through the room toward them, courtesy of his petite teammate's chakra-aided fist. He narrowly avoided a collision with a few chairs in front of the massive desk as Kakashi thoughtfully pulled him out of the air. The resilient jinchuurichi was up on his feet and rushing back to his teammates' side in no time.

"Sakura-chaaan," he whined, "If you're this mean every time someone asks you out on a date you're going to die a virgin."

The blond was again sent sailing toward the desk, where this time there was no hand to intercept his meeting with the furniture. He picked himself up and looked reproachfully at Kakashi who was pointedly inspecting his fingernails. Naruto leapt back up as he summoned some kage bunshin to set to work righting the chairs, end table, and potted plant that he had overturned.

"Well if you won't go out with me, there's no reason to get tempura. Ichiraku it is!" he said, as if this settled the matter.

Tsunade and Kakashi turned back to each other with a slight eye-roll and continued as if the interruption had never happened.

"And are you going to let me in on the reason why I, as your Hokage and the person saddled with coordinating all missions, should let you off the hook for this one?"

"Isn't it standard for personnel to be retired from SGS missions after a period of time?"

Kakashi knew that retirement protocols for ninja were always a bit of a tricky subject, since for all but a lucky few they never became an issue. Still, for a ninja, 32 was ancient-something like 86 in civilian years. And considering he'd been going on these things since he was sixteen that was more years of service than almost any other ninja had given in this arena. Of course, men were usually kept on a bit longer than kunoichi, but seducing targets for information quickly lost its charm no matter the specifics of the mission.

"Retired?" Tsunade barked a laugh that suggested her true age despite her youth jutsu. "Don't you think you're a little young to be suggesting that to me?"

"But aren't there extenuating circumstances in which a ninja would be passed over for a mission like this one?"

"Why would I think those apply to you?" she asked wryly. "Unless the Konoha gossip mill has seriously failed me, you don't qualify for an exemption."

A moment stretched between them, filled only with the continued squabbling of three young people by the door.

"What if it had failed you in this instance?" he asked vaguely.

"Kakashi, are you trying to tell me that after a lifetime of reading dirty books and standing up perfectly nice young women you of all people are in a committed relationship?"

"Is it so hard to believe?" he asked lightly.

"Do pigs fly?"

"Why can't you take my word for it?"

Tsunade let out a little "whuff" of amusement.

"If you are in fact telling the truth, then who is the lucky lady—or um-person?"

Kakashi scowled a little bit and ground out,

"Do you really need to ask that?"

"Since you're so good at avoiding the gossip mill, how would I know what type of people you date?"

She smiled at his discomfort, though it seemed unlikely that anyone who exclusively read porn by the world's most heterosexual pervert would really swing any other way than toward the ladies with arms outstretched. Still, Kakashi had not effectively slithered out of this mission yet. Until she had confirmed his story she was not going to go through the trouble of rewriting the mission scroll for another person. All paperwork was a bitch. Unnecessary paperwork was to be avoided at all costs.

She raised her brow impatiently. "Spit it out Hatake. Who are you seeing?"

Kakashi nervously cast his glance around the room, eyes alighting on his young kohai who currently had each hand fisted in the hair of one of her teammates.

"Um, Sakura?"

Now the delicately arched brows rose together in incredulity. Shit, the name spilled out of his mouth before he could stop to reflect that there was hardly a less likely person in the village for him to be in a "serious committed relationship" with. His shoulders slumped. This game couldn't go on.

"Did someone say my name?" asked the slight pink-haired kunoichi with the monstrous strength, looking over the top of the blond boy she had in a headlock.

Kakashi sighed and rubbed his forehead. This was clearly going to blow up in his face and he was going to be stuck rubbing the feet of some daimyo's unhappy wife for the next few days. Almost as bad as what he'd be doing was what he'd be doing without. Special Green Scroll missions for Kakashi always stipulated that he be bare-faced (and clean-shaven, after he'd given that loophole a try) for the duration. This wouldn't be so bad, except that a mission didn't officially terminate until he checked in at the Hokage tower. This meant that he ran too much of a risk of being seen by people he'd rather avoid.

Tsunade turned to her approaching student with an unbelieving laugh.

"Did you hear what complete and utter ridiculousness just came out of Kakashi's mouth?"

Sakura looked appraisingly at her teacher. Probably no one other that Shizune and herself would know the difference, but Tsunade had clearly been hitting the secret sake stash under the false floorboard by her desk. How many times had Sakura snuck in here at night to clear it out? And yet, it always seemed to be refilled the next time she checked.

"What did he say?"

"Kakashi, the famous copy ninja, your team leader, and Konoha's most reclusive bachelor, the man for whom no woman has ever been good enough, claims that the two of you are dating! As in you and him, together. Suddenly not only is he finally ready to be in a monogamous relationship, but he goes straight to rob the cradle for a chunin baby like yourself. Have you ever heard anything so ludicrous?"

Sakura bristled, clearly annoyed at being called out for being young and not having passed her jonin exam yet. Naruto had taken the exams last year, but the medic jonin exam was only offered every other year. There was nothing that she could do about it, dammit. It was just like Tsunade to rub it in thoughtlessly after she'd been drinking.

"Would that be so impossible to believe, shisho?" she asked, teeth gritted.

Kakashi glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She hadn't denied it flat out then. If he could somehow get her to play along, perhaps he really could weasel out of this mission after all. Of course, he'd be seriously in Sakura's debt, and he'd probably have to give in to whatever demands she made. Perjuring oneself in front of one's Kage was sort of a big deal, even if the woman in question was Sakura's teacher.

"Are you saying there's something to this pathetic attempt to get out of a mission?"

"Are you saying you can't believe that someone like him could be interested in me?"

Sakura was clearly taking this too personally, but Kakashi could not help but see an opening in this situation. It was time to get her on his side.

"Should we really be getting into all of this now, Sakura dear? We had plans..." he said vaguely, while lightly resting his hand on Sakura's shoulder and squeezing deliberately. With any luck she would take the hint and back him up on this.

Though Kakashi could feel her tense in response, and see her look at him questioningly out of the corner of her eye, Sakura quickly schooled her features and replied.

"Has there been a change of plans Kakashi? I've been looking forward to tonight all week. Isn't it hard to get reservations at Ten Ichi?"

Kakashi winced. And so it began. Not only was Ten Ichi Konoha's best, oldest, and most expensive tempura restaurant, they had a strict dress code. He could probably get away with wearing a mask of some sort, but his jonin uniform was definitely out. Still, this wasn't the worst she could ask of him. He'd just have to try to get them out of here before her demands got any more extravagant.

He looked at his watch.

"How long will it take you to change?"

Tsunade looked shocked, and then a little amused. Her little apprentice was so cute when she tried to pull one over on her. Kakashi really should work on his abysmal lies. Still, this situation was far more amusing than reviewing the annual budget report for the daimyo, so it couldn't hurt to play along for a while.

"Ten Ichi, eh? I know how you hate tempura Kakashi; are you already so whipped?"

"Is it so wrong that he wants to make me happy?" asked Sakura icily.

"I am shocked and appalled that you didn't feel like you could confide in me about this relationship Sakura. Especially since it's getting so serious that Kakashi is ready to give up missions for you. It must have taken some time for you two to forge this level of intimacy. How long have the two of you been together?"

Sakura glanced at Kakashi and came out with a completely serious sounding,

"Would you count from when we first hooked up, or when we first went out together officially?"

Kakashi choked a little, but quickly got it under control. It was actually a rather plausible scenario she was setting up. If the two of them had for some crazy reason gotten involved physically, it would take a lot of thought before entering into a real relationship. Neither of them was without emotional problems of their own, and then there was their age difference and team dynamics...no wonder he and Sakura weren't really dating.

"Was there a long time between the two?"

"How to say...we had a lot of issues to sort through before going public with it, but aren't there times when chemistry just can't be ignored?" Sakura said with a rather realistic blush.

"And you're telling me that the two of you have chemistry that can't be ignored?" Tsunade looked closely at the two of them. Kakashi was standing pretty near to Sakura, not too close but closer than would be normal between two teammates. When had he started standing so close? The expression on his face was hard to read with the mask on, of course, but a telltale pink tinge lit the small amount of his cheek visible. Come to think of it, a relationship between the two would be kind of hot in a kinky teacher-student kind of way. Sakura was more advanced intellectually than most of her peers, and needed someone with some experience to help her get past some of her nice-girl goody-two-shoes hang-ups. Kakashi had friends his age, but had too much history and too many losses shared with all the females of his group. The fresh perspective of someone with Sakura's youth and exuberance could only help his jaded outlook.

"Hokage-sama, with all due respect, do you think we could possibly hurry this up?" Kakashi was doing an excellent job of affecting his usual bored expression, but somehow she wasn't quite buying it.

"Sakura-chaaaaaan! I said ramen! Let's gooooo," cried Naruto, his scuffle with Sai at an end as a clone poofed out from under Sai's grip.

"Don't you boys have somewhere to be?" growled Tsunade.

Naruto glanced back and noticed for the first time that some sort of discussion was taking place between Baa-chan, Sakura, and Kakashi. All three of them glared at him in identical annoyance. For once Naruto decided discretion was the greater part of valor, or just wasn't that interested, and backed out of the room.

"Way to go, dickless," sighed Sai as they took off for Ichiraku.

"Shishou, do you have some kind of problem with this relationship?" Sakura said abruptly.

"Why would you say that, Sakura?"

"Why are you so insistent on making us miss our reservation? Do you disapprove of our age difference? Are you upset that I'm dating my team captain? Are you really that annoyed I didn't tell you about this before?" Sakura was speaking with increasing speed and volume, doing a pretty decent job of acting worked up.

"Look," Tsunade sighed, "I don't give a rat's ass if the two of you want to get hitched and make babies-in fact, as Hokage I have to say those are the kind of babies I'd like to see in the academy-but at the moment, I just want to know if I really have to rewrite this mission scroll. Can you prove to me that the two of you are together?"

"Erm, how would you suggest we do that?" asked Kakashi. He wasn't sure he liked where this was going. If she demanded some sort of public display of affection, Sakura might call it off.

"Nothing sordid, Kakashi," Tsunade smirked at him. "Just a simple test. Sakura, on a scale of one to ten, how does Hatake's face rate under the mask?"

Sakura looked at Kakashi sideways again with that cute little blush she'd been fighting this whole time. She pursed her lips and shrugged. Then she walked around to the other side of the sturdy desk and whispered in Tsunade's ear.

"Fine," Tsunade said after a long pause. "Enjoy your date."

And with that, she motioned for the two to get out of her office as she returned to her paperwork. They complied before she could change her mind. Sakura grabbed Kakashi's hand and tugged him across the room. As they reached the door, Tsunade called out, "If you see him, can you tell Genma I've got a mission for him?"

They stepped out into the hallway hand-in-hand. Kakashi wasn't sure whether or not Sakura realized that she hadn't let go of him yet, but he found himself reluctant to break away. For a few moments they walked along together through the bland waiting room and toward the stairwell.

"What did you say to her?" Kakashi whispered, unable to take it anymore.

Sakura just turned to her erstwhile genin instructor and grinned devilishly.

"If I tell you, would you do something for me first?"

He sighed heavily, glancing around the corridor to make sure they were truly alone. He was almost completely certain what was coming next, but it wouldn't hurt to make sure.

"I would say thanks for your help, but I'm worried about that look on your face. What do you want Sakura?"

She grinned fetchingly and his heart lightened as she slipped her delicate fingers under the edge of his mask.

"Do I have to ask?" she said.

Kakashi only rolled his eyes slightly before stilling, which she took as her answer. Her heart beat fast in anticipation. Sakura closed her eyes and licked her lips, fingers just barely touching the dark fabric. One, two, three... She brought them down and there he was, the whole of his familiar long-suffering expression revealed to her at last.

"Hmm, is that it then?" she said quietly as she pondered the face before her.

Kakashi huffed a little and ruffled her hair in a familiar gesture that somehow seemed more intimate now that she could see the fond quirk of his lips as he gazed down at her. He knew she was teasing him, but he couldn't help but feel a bit out of sorts. That was not the reaction he usually got to his face without a mask.

"Now, what did you say to her?" he persisted.

"Do I really have to say?" she hedged. He looked at her pointedly, reminding her that a deal was a deal.

"I said, 'Can I say eleven?'" she blushed as Kakashi smirked a bit.

"What will the boys say when they find out that not only was I first to see, but my theory was right?"

Kakashi groaned, but had to laugh at her excited expression. "Do I even want to know how you developed that theory?"

"Have you never noticed poor Ayame at the ramen shop?" Sakura teased.

"Is that her name?" Kakashi needed to get off this uncomfortable subject.

"Let's get out of here," he said, wanting more than anything to leave before Gai showed up. He grasped Sakura's upper arm and started leading her to the stairs.

"Don't you want your fancy tempura?" he asked.

Sakura smiled widely. "Yes, yes I do."

A/N: Thanks for reading! I seriously wanted to just go for it and post something, as I have many backed up chapters for other stories languishing in my documents folder. I would love to hear any feedback, criticism, or anything else you might want to say!

*edited to fix some grammar and usage*