When There's Nothing Left

A sigh escaped the lips of a pink-haired kunoichi, idly twirling a small slip of paper in her hands. Nuzzling herself further into her couch as she thought, her mind kept going back and forth about leaving Konoha for a medical position in the Land of Waves. With Tsunade's guidance, she had become of the best and brightest medic-nins in her field. For someone her age to be able to use such advanced techniques was an incredible feat. It took a lot of hard work and time on her part, but she knew if she set her mind to it there wasn't anything she couldn't do. Because of her formidable combat skills, as well as being a superb medic-nin, there were plenty of villages eager to put her knowledge to use and help guide other medics in her experience out in the field, especially those without a shinobi village such as the Land of Waves.

The Leaf had a strong medical team. It wasn't unheard of for medics to leave to pursue other job opportunities outside of their hometown. It was great experience and helped build ties between villages. Haruno Sakura never thought she would actually consider leaving the one place she had known most of her life.

There were so many memories here. Despite that Konoha had changed on the outside from Pain's destruction, her memories were still intact with the connections she had with everyone here. Glancing at her old Team Seven photo on the coffee table of her living room, she smiled for a moment. It was amazing how much had changed since that photo was taken. It was almost hard to believe she was completely in love with Sasuke back then. When Sasuke never returned after killing Orochimaru, her heart finally started to let go of him little by little. She knew he wasn't the same person anymore, and neither was she. For a long time she had been living in a fantasy of them being together when she was a child. No matter how hard she tried to gain his attention he had always pushed her away, again and again, slowly breaking her heart each time.

At the age of twenty-two, Sakura felt she was stronger and much wiser now when it came to not just life, but love. Love wasn't something you could force on someone like she tried to with Sasuke. Unexpectedly, her heart managed to fall for someone again, but this time she knew how pointless it was to chase after something you knew that couldn't be returned. She knew the moment she started to form feelings for her former sensei how absurd the idea of them being together was.

She and Hatake Kakashi had grown close as friends over the years. He was always there for her when she was having a rough day, and always seemed to know how to make her laugh. She wasn't sure when her admiration for him turned into something more, but as time went on her heart would skip at the mere mention of his name. When they happened to run into each other in the street, she almost couldn't help her beaming smile in delight when he would take a small time out of his day just to catch up. Sometimes he would stop by her apartment once in awhile and just hang out like she and Naruto would do sometimes. She always felt comfortable around him, but always had to fight her heart to not beat so fast when he was around.

Kakashi was a wonderful man in so many ways, but she knew they could never be anything more than just a former teacher and student. She figured he probably wouldn't want someone so much younger than he was; it wasn't completely unheard of, but was very rare to find couples who were more than three years apart. He also wasn't the type to look for love and never seemed to openly want such a thing in the first place. He'd always constantly tease whoever was dating her at the time, but whenever she asked about his love life, he wouldn't say too much about the subject. Maybe he was just a man who didn't want commitment in that way.

Admitting her feelings to him would only end up like how it did with Sasuke. He'd reject her and it would probably result in hurting the friendship they've held on to for all these years. She didn't want to break that. She would rather keep him as a friend than lose him forever. Sakura would miss so many people here if she left, but no matter how strongly she felt about Kakashi, she knew in time her feelings would fade away if she was gone, just like with Sasuke in how he left her life. She had hoped when she started to think of Kakashi as something more, she could just make herself stop feeling the way she did, but every time she saw him it only made her heart grow fonder. For the past month they hadn't been talking as much as usual. He seemed to be busy with missions, like most of her friends were. It made her feel empty inside, but on the days she would catch sight of him, it just reminded her all the more of how much she longed to be with him.

If seeing him less lately wasn't helping her feelings in one way or another, how else could she forget how she felt about him? Maybe going to the Land of Waves for a couple years was the answer for now. She just needed some time and perhaps a little distance.

Wasn't she just running away? She didn't want to think of it that way. It was an opportunity to lend her skills for the greater good, to meet new people, and see a different kind of life outside of Konoha. There was nothing wrong in wanting to leave and doing that, she reasoned.

Looking at the scroll, she slowly dragged a fingertip across the inked words. She had surprised her Shishou that she was seriously going to consider leaving, but she probably assumed her apprentice wasn't actually going to go through with it. There was no denying how much Sakura loved Konoha, but this was just something she had to do for a while. She would be back and most likely as an even stronger person.

Tossing the document on the coffee table, she rose up from her couch and took in a deep breath, glancing around her small apartment. Now was a good time as any to start packing. She would leave most of it behind, but certainly would have to take a few pictures and mementos with her besides her clothes. Her eyes lingered on Kakashi from their old photo together. For a moment, she wondered if she should really bring it. Feeling sadness creep up in her heart, maybe it was best if she didn't.

The next day, Sakura rose early to meet with Tsunade about accepting the job. Knocking softly on her office door, she heard a faint voice telling her to come in.

Tsunade looked rather disheveled this morning, most likely still a little hung over from the night before. Every other weekend, her Shishou hosted a game night at her house to just drink and have a good time gambling for fun. It always annoyed the elders every time she'd visit one of the many bars in Konoha, but gambling was something they outright restricted her from doing while she acted as Hokage, but they couldn't stop her in her own home.

"Morning, Sakura. Have a seat. Want any coffee? Shizune just made some not too long ago," Tsunade offered, taking a small sip from her coffee within her hands, leaving a faded red mark of her lipstick against the rim of her cup.

Sakura hummed and decided to take her up on the offer. "Sure, I'd like some. Been busy with paperwork already this morning?" she asked, curiously glancing over a few messy stacks.

"Thankfully for my headache, no. Most of the teams are out on missions and aren't due back for a couple of days."

"So, did you win last night, Shishou?" Sakura teased, walking over to the coffee pot to pour herself a cup.

"I lost even more this week," the blonde woman sighed. "I swear no matter what I'm going to beat Genma just to wipe that damn smug grin off his face."

Sakura chuckled, amused at how her mentor almost always said the exact same thing every week. Taking a seat in front of Tsunade's desk, she smiled sadly at how she'd miss spending time talking with her like this.

"I'm guessing you aren't here to check for any open missions, mm?" Tsunade asked, sipping from her cup once more.

"Afraid not," Sakura replied, her smile slowly fading as she sighed. Pulling a scroll from her pocket, she placed it on the desk. "I've decided to accept the job at the Land of Waves."

Her brow lifted as she examined the paper for a moment. "I see. Well, frankly I'm quite sad to see you leave us, Sakura. You'll be gone for quite some time and I finally have grown fond of your pink hair," Tsunade joked with a half smile.

She rolled her eyes and replied, "And I've finally gotten used to your usually grumpy moods in the morning, noon and evening…"

"Hey, hey, it's stressful being Hokage," she defended, shaking a manicured finger in protest. "And maybe if they'd let me drink more sake during the day, I'd be less grumpy."

Chuckling, Sakura sighed and placed her cup down on the desk. "Well, I guess I'll be leaving tomorrow then. I don't need to take much."

Looking surprised, Tsunade asked, "So soon? You won't be able to say goodbye to many people on such a short notice. I only have a couple of teams returning tomorrow. Don't you want to say goodbye to your friends?"

Lowering her eyes down from Tsunade's concerned look, she murmured, "I don't like goodbyes. It will just make me upset… and I want to leave on a happy note."

After a moment of silence, her Shishou sighed at her answer. "I'll let them know today that you'll be on your way then. The trip there shouldn't take you too long, but send me word once you arrive."

Nodding, Sakura replied, "I will first thing."

"Good. So, if you don't mind me asking… what made you decide to accept it? I've always figured you'd stay with us."

She shrugged, lowering her gaze down into her cup. "I don't know. I'm just at that point where I need a change of surroundings, I guess. I'll miss everyone, but… I just want to be on my own for once."

Tsunade hummed and shifted back in her leather seat. Tapping her red nails lightly on the desk, she stared at Sakura as she contemplated quietly to herself. "I've known you for long time, Sakura. Is that really it?"

Blushing faintly, Sakura replied with a sheepish smile, "Well, you know me too well, Shishou. Honestly, it's not that I've wanted to just be little more independent and live somewhere outside Konoha for awhile, but I've just… I've just been having some strong feelings lately for a former teammate, and I just think it would be best for me to finally let it fade once and for all."

"Ah, I see," she nodded firmly. "You've always had a strong heart, Sakura," Tsunade thoughtfully added. "I can understand your feelings towards Sasuke. Even though he's left Konoha for a long time now, I'm sure you still have lots of memories of him just being here. Seeing the same classmates you once knew together must make it difficult."

Sakura's eyes went wide as she let out an embarrassed laugh. "Oh, no, no. It's not Sasuke. My feelings changed once he left Konoha. He's just…" she sighed. "He isn't the same person anymore and I know that. A lot of people still think I love him, but I don't. If anything, he just feels like a lost teammate."

"Oh," she slowly replied in thought. "Then it's Naruto? I didn't think you'd ever return his feelings that he once had for you. You know, you and him remind me a lot of Jiraiya and myself," she admitted sadly. "Does Naruto being recently engaged to the Hyuuga make you feel a little upset?"

Further blushing, Sakura sunk into her seat. "It's not Naruto either."

Tsunade's mouth went agape. "Sai? I wouldn't have ever guess-"

"-No," she cut in flatly, starting to feel rather uncomfortable. Scratching at the collar around her neck, she wondered if she should she really admit her feelings about Kakashi. She had never told anyone before, not even Ino who knew practically everything about her since childhood.

"I have no idea who then," the blonde commented, picking up her coffee to take another sip.

"It's no big deal," Sakura said with a shrug.

"But, I'm really curious now. Who is it?" she asked with a raised brow.

Sighing, Sakura looked away from her mentor's questioning stare and took a drink of her coffee to fill in the silence. Settling her warm cup on her lap, she looked up with heated cheeks and faintly said, "Kakashi."

"Huh," Tsunade replied, not even looking surprised. She smiled and said, "You know, it was my first guess, but I thought I might offend you in some way if you didn't. You are both different in a lot of ways, but I could totally see you two together."

Feeling embarrassed, Sakura's cheeks turned a bright red as she averted her eyes back to her cup. "I've had a crush on him for a while now, but I know he only sees me as nothing more than a student. So, it would just be… too weird."

Tsunade scowled. "Did you ask him?"

"No! Of course not," she immediately replied. As if she would ever blatantly ask such a thing. Her heart would instantly be ripped to shreds. Nothing felt worse than being shot down…

Sakura sighed and added, "I wouldn't do that. I just know. Like you said yourself, we're different. He's quite older than I am and I really don't think he would ever see me in that way. If he did, he would have hinted it at some point."

"Maybe he's afraid to just like you are," Tsunade replied.

"No. It's completely one-sided, trust me. I know from experience," she said rather bitterly.

Her mentor sighed, but gave a hardened look with her honey-colored eyes. "Sakura, do me a favor and tell him before you leave. He won't be back until tomorrow evening. Just hold off one more day. There's no need to rush."

Sakura shook her head. "No, I'd rather leave things as they are between us. It would be less hard-"

"Sakura," Tsunade said sternly. "Do you know why Jiraiya and I never officially got together?"

She shook her head lightly. "No…"

"We were both foolish enough to never admit our feelings to one another. By the time we had any idea that our feelings were mutual… it was too late. Pain had…" She sighed, casting her eyes to the side before looking back up to Sakura. "Do you understand? Don't make the same mistake we did and just go off and say nothing. It's time wasted."

Feeling guilty at Tsunade's loss, she replied, "I'm sorry… I understand what you're saying, but I just can't make a fool out of myself again. The feeling isn't mutual, Shishou. I don't have to ask him to know. I'm not blinded by wishing that we were something more. I can see exactly what we are and who I am to him with my own eyes. We're friends and always will be. It's no different than me and Naruto. He thought he loved me, but he finally moved on. I'm going to do the same thing with Kakashi."

Standing up from her seat, she placed her coffee cup on Tsunade's desk and sighed at the sad look her mentor was giving her. "I'm leaving tomorrow, so I'll make it there by next morning. Please approve the contract, Shishou. I can't do anything to get started until they receive it."

And with that, she began to turn to leave the office, but paused to say, "I want you to know that I've really appreciated your guidance over the years. You've made me the medic-nin I am today. So… thank you, Tsunade-sama. Not just in being my teacher, but a friend, too. I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you, too, Sakura. You've been a wonderful student," Tsunade said warmly.

She made a small smile and left, softly closing the door behind her.

Tsunade sighed after Sakura departed, feeling rather disappointed at her student's decision. She knew, contrary to what her student adamantly told her, Kakashi must have felt something for Sakura as well. It wasn't just because how he would constantly ask about her when he didn't have the time between missions to see her. She could simply tell by the way he talked about her. There was an unmistakable look in his eyes; a look Tsunade had seen herself with Jiraiya. It was love.

Sighing once more, Tsunade leaned back into her chair. It was such a damn shame Sakura was so against sharing her feelings. A scorned heart wasn't easy to let go, but to ignore it completely without finding how he felt about her wasn't right. She knew from experience that you had to enjoy every moment of what you had left with someone. You never know when it's going to be your last.

"Let's camp here for tonight," Kakashi instructed, shrugging off his backpack to the ground with a thud. He watched his assigned team drop from the tree branches up above to do the same with their own belongings on the forest floor.

Hinata stretched for a moment after she placed her pack down, inhaling a deep breath of the cooling night air as darkness was beginning to settle around them. "I'm glad we'll be home tomorrow, but I'm a little sad the mission is over already. I miss working with you guys," she said in a quiet voice.

"You just want to see your fiancé," Kiba teased with a grin. Akamaru barked in agreement, making him snicker.

Blushing, Hinata averted her eyes to the grassy roots below and started to twiddle her fingers together out of habit. "I-I'm not!" she stammered in protest.

Kiba sighed before grinning with a slight glint of humor in his eyes. Slowly, he shifted his gaze to look behind her and suddenly pointed a finger out into the air. "Look, it's Naruto!"

Startled, she whipped her head around, swooshing her long hair behind her and let out an annoyed groan at Kiba's hearty laugh from behind. Turning back around, her cheeks appeared five shades pinker. "Don't do that!" she grumbled.

"You fall for it every time," he teased. "You're engaged to him and you still look like your going to faint at the mere mention of his name."

"N-no I don't!"

"You do," Shino suddenly spoke up, startling her even more as he appeared from the shadows beside her. Adjusting the base of his dark glasses, he sighed at her reaction.

"Ugh, I-I can't help it!" she mumbled, moving to kneel down next to her knapsack to start unpacking.

"I'm betting you'll faint at your wedding ten times," Kiba mused.

"How can you say that!" she retorted.

"Seven," Shino added.

Kakashi chuckled, snapping his book shut as he tossed it by his bag. "You're both wrong. Fifteen."

She sighed and shot them a glare. "You guys!"

"Just teasing, Hinata-chan. We don't mean it," Kakashi said, and then shook his head no when she looked away, making Shino and Kiba quietly laugh.

After everyone finished their individual tasks in setting up camp, Kakashi settled down against a tree after throwing a few branches into their makeshift campfire, appearing to be reading from his book as usual. In actuality, he hadn't read one word of it in days, which wasn't very like him. His mind kept drifting back towards Sakura.

When his mind wasn't on their mission, it was on her. For months he had been internally battling with himself whether or not he should finally admit his feelings to her. At first, he didn't want to admit it even to himself. When and how did he suddenly get feelings for his former student?

He wasn't sure. There were so many reasons why he shouldn't look at Sakura in a romantic way. He was fourteen years older than she was. He'd known her since she was twelve for crying out loud, and although those memories of her when she was young were faded, he knew that somewhere along the way when she had grown up, she had snagged his heart.

It wasn't just how beautiful she was in her own right. Any man would have to be blind not to see her for the woman that she was. It was the small things that made him drawn to her like a moth to a flame. There were just too many things that he couldn't explain in how she could make him feel without even trying.

Every time she would smile, he would secretly smile beneath his mask. Even when she simply talked to him about every day things, he couldn't help but get a good feeling stir within him from hearing her voice. He even loved the way she teased him for his reading habits, and he in turn enjoyed making her flustered when he started to read a few sentences out loud to just toy with her back. He wasn't sure how they slowly became more open around each other, but it just happened.

When they were to together, it was easier to forget about everything that was on his mind. For most of his life, he spent a great deal of his time thinking about the past and his regrets. The what-ifs of how things could have changed. He just couldn't help himself from replaying events in his mind. Burying himself in missions and books couldn't keep his thoughts from falling back to things he wished that were different.

But now when he visited the memorial stone, he didn't feel as numb anymore. Somehow the regret that had been buried deep within his chest eased the more he found himself spending time with Sakura. He finally had something to look forward to, even if it was something so small. Her friendship at first started as something he didn't pay too much attention to over the years. Until a few months ago, he had no idea how much she had affected him.

Now his heart would beat just a little faster when he was walking next to her. He had no idea what he was feeling at first. It was so different than how he used to feel towards her. He wasn't sure what to make of it. By the time he realized what he really felt, he was blindsided at the fact he had fallen in love with her.

It scared him beyond words once he figured that out. The fact that he might truly love her was almost downright unbelievable to him. He didn't know what to do about all these feelings that he had towards her. If he admitted how he felt, he was most certain he would only push her away. At his age and the type of person he's been towards her over the years, it would just seem outrageous for him to admit this strange crush he's had on her for a while, wouldn't it? The last thing he wanted was to lose was their friendship. He was supposed to be her mentor… and yet the way he felt towards her was something more than a mentor should ever feel towards their former student. He felt so wrong about it, but at the same time it felt right when he was with her.

Despite the initial inhibitions he felt about Sakura, it just wasn't something he could turn off. He couldn't stop himself from caring about her more than he should have. He couldn't stop how she made his pulse race when he would see her each time. He couldn't help himself from purposely seeking her out when he knew she was due back from a mission or a shift from the hospital.

But when they were together, he made sure to keep his feelings in check. He tried to act no different towards her than how he did a year ago. He always said enough to her to keep their friendship in tact, but not too much. He wanted to try and keep himself at that distance, but it was hard compared to how much he would battle himself to act aloof when she started to talk about her past relationships. Ever fiber in his body just wanted to tell her how much he could better care for her.

From the thoughts he had like that, he knew it was only a matter a time before he would slip up and go too far or say something wrong. So, he started to distance himself a little more by trying to appear to be really swamped with missions or busy with errands when he happened to run across her. Even with his small lies, he couldn't help but to laze on a rooftop sometimes out of sight just to catch a glimpse of her. He felt completely ridiculous.

He just didn't know what else to do. He knew he should just let whatever these feelings were go, but he couldn't. He'd been trying to ignore it for the past month and it obviously wasn't working. She was as much on his mind as ever.

Glancing at Hinata as she admired her engagement ring by the fire, he felt a small pang of envy of her and Naruto's happiness. It was a long time coming after how much she pined after Naruto, but she never gave up until he finally realized that she had loved him all this time.

If only everything was as simple as that, but what did he really know about love or relationships? It wasn't that he'd never been intimate with someone before, but never with anyone that was meaningful. Instead, he was content with being practically married to his work as a shinobi and inwardly made a conscious decision to never really look for love. Yet, it found him anyway when he least expected it.

Sometimes he wondered about what it would be like to be in some kind of relationship. When he looked at all the younger couples like Naruto and Hinata, he wondered if such a thing could ever really exist for him at his age.

"You haven't been reading this whole time," Hinata said, breaking his thoughts as he turned his visible eye up towards her.

Sitting at a comfortable distance from him on one of the tree's roots, she held her knees together as she offered him a knowing smile. "If you don't mind me asking… are you okay, Kakashi-sensei?"

He sighed, lowering the spine of his book to his chin. "I was hoping not to look too obvious," he replied with an eye-crinkle of a smile.

"You haven't turned a page since you sat down thirty minutes ago," she noted. "I know it's not my business, but if I can help in anyway, I'd be happy to. Naruto would do the same," she added with a soft smile.

"I'll be fine," he assured, adjusting his back against the bark of the tree as he looked up towards the speckled night sky. "Just have my mind on some things."

"Ah, I see. Well, I hope whatever it is, you'll feel better soon." Shifting her weight, she sighed and stretched her legs.

Looking like she was about to get up, he asked, "Could… I ask you something?"

"Oh, sure," she replied.

"What made you finally confess to Naruto?"

She blushed, but managed to keep a smile as she looked towards the ground. "W-Well, I was tired of waiting for him to notice me. Back then, I knew how much he liked Sakura-chan… and I figured I didn't have a chance to win his heart. I figured I'd give it a shot anyway," she shrugged. "I've learned there's no use being afraid all the time."

"That's very true," Kakashi replied with a hum.

"If you like someone… you should just go for it. Even if you think they'll reject you. At least you'll know for sure that way. Then you could move on."

"Even if it would possibly ruin a friendship?"

"Wouldn't it be worse living with the feelings you have just to hold on to what you have now?"

He chuckled, wondering if he was seriously getting dating advice from Hinata of all people. "You're very wise."

"I just talk from experience," she smiled. "Anyway, you should go for it. Whoever this person is you like."

"Oh… it's not me. A friend," he lied, picking up his book again to shuffle though the pages.

"Right," she smiled, not looking convinced in the slightest.

He watched her get up to break up something between Kiba and Shino as they seemed to be bickering over something over the campfire. Flipping through the worn pages of his book with his thumb, he thought as the inked words blurred by him.

Maybe she was right. Was it really worth all this agony he felt in trying to keep all these feelings inside? Avoiding Sakura wasn't the answer. It wasn't helping ease his heart any less. It was likely she wouldn't be able to see him as anything more than what they were now and he needed to accept that possibility, but he'd never know if he didn't confess.

He inwardly sighed and snapped his book shut at his decision. Tomorrow.

For the first time in years, Kakashi actually felt nervous once he stepped foot past the Konoha gates. He felt just fine until he was finally here. Reality was sinking into his mind of what he promised to do today. Suddenly, the resolve he had to seek out Sakura started to waiver in his mind. When was really the last time he had spoken with her? Wouldn't it be weird if he suddenly came up to her and confessed what's been brooding in his mind forever? Was their any casual way he could say it? Maybe he should pick another day. Or week. Or month…

No.

He needed to do this, but first he had to report to the Hokage. Sighing, he flipped a page of his book with a finger as the burning orange hues of the sun settled on its pages. He kept a leisurely pace behind his chattering team as they made their way towards the tower. He kept up appearances, looking to be reading and ever so indifferent to the rest of the world compared to what he was thinking.

But inside one of his pockets, he was nervously pressing his nails against the leather palm of his fingerless glove. He really needed to get a hold of himself. He was a grown man. How could the idea of expressing his feelings make him so nervous? He sighed.

Turning another page with his other hand, he looked up from his book as they finally approached Tsunade's office. After a brief knock, they entered and stood in a staggered line a few feet away from her desk.

"Team Eight, I trust you have good news from your mission?" Tsunade asked, patiently tapping her well manicured fingertips against her desk. She curiously glanced at the clock, and back to Kakashi.

Lowering his book to his side, Kakashi unsnapped his back pouched and pulled out a sealed scroll. Stepping forward, he lowered the document on her desk. "Yes, Hokage-sama. It went better than expected. They were pretty thorough in covering their trail, but we were able to locate the rogue ninja after a few days of searching. We retrieved the missing document."

"Survivors?" she asked.

"None. I've already notified the corresponding villages of their missing rogue-nin. They never had a chance to pass the stolen plans along, so I think we lucked out this time by finding them so quickly."

"As it seems," Tsunade nodded with a pleased smile, picking up the document, she handed it to Shizune, who in turned bowed and left the office.

Waving them towards the door, she said, "Very good work, all of you. It's getting late, so everyone go get some rest."

"Yes Hokage-sama," everyone responded with a small, polite bow.

"Except you, Hatake," Tsunade called out before he had a chance to take a step.

Kakashi sighed, already knowing that look in her brown eyes. "I promise I'll have a detailed report tomorrow, Tsunade-sama. I won't conveniently forget."

"You better, but it's not that," she replied. Looking towards the door after it snapped shut behind Shino, she looked back up towards him. "I figured you'd want to know."

"Sorry?" Kakashi asked, a little confused.

"Sakura just left earlier this morning."

His heart slightly jumped. At first he thought it was strange for her to tell him this, but he had been asking about Sakura recently when he returned from assignments.

Nonchalantly, he asked, "On a mission?"

"Afraid not. She decided to take a medical position over at the Land of Waves."

Surprised, after a moment of silence he asked, "For how long?"

"Three years and with an extension, possibly up to six."

Feeling his gut drop, he focused his eye to the floor as he idly bent the spine of his book between his hands. "This is rather sudden. If she's going to be away that long, why didn't she have a proper goodbye with everyone?" he asked, still trying hard not to look like he cared too much either way.

"She didn't want to make a fuss apparently, but it's hard to tell what that girl is thinking sometimes. Just like someone else I know," she said with a raised brow.

"Um, I see," he murmured.

Bowing, he turned to leave, his mind still reeling over the idea that Sakura had just abruptly disappeared from his life. Somehow, he just felt completely heartbroken. He had no idea she was thinking of leaving Konoha. Now he wasn't ever going to see her again unless by chance.

As his hand clutched the doorknob, Tsunade said, "It's not too late to go after her. She only left about midday."

Blinking in disbelief, he turned over his shoulder. "Why would I…"

"She happened to confess to liking a certain cold, silver-haired, porn enthusiast who hasn't given her the time of day lately. She doesn't seem to think there's anything left for her here."

Tongue-tied at hearing that, Kakashi only managed to reply, "Uh…"

"You didn't hear this from me," she smiled. "Anyway, like I said, it's not too late… nothing's set in stone just yet."

Brushing a few fingers into her blonde hair, she looked down at a certain paper on her desk with a growing smirk the longer Kakashi stared dumbly at her in silence. When he finally opened the door to leave, she let out sigh and mumbled just within earshot, "Don't be an idiot, Hatake."

After Kakashi closed the door shut, he walked down the hall in a daze. Sakura admitted to liking him? Really? He had no idea she would ever feel the same. It made him elated, but at the same time he was sad at the idea that she was really leaving because of him. Yet again, without knowing it, he was to blame for something else.

As he stepped outside into the fading twilight as darkness began to slowly merge itself along the horizon, he sighed at what he should do. Wouldn't it be crazy to go after her now? What on earth would he say once he got there?

With his heart beginning to hammer in his chest at the thought in his mind, he shook his head as he began to run towards the gates. "I must be really crazy."

Biting his thumb once he was on the main road towards where Sakura was headed, he summoned Pakkun to help speed things along in narrowing down her trail. As he leaped into the trees, he whispered, "Sakura."

Sakura breathed a heavy sigh as she slowly walked down the moonlit path, weaving past and nodding to other passing travelers as she neared closer towards the Land of Waves. Easing the pack at her shoulders, she took her time traveling since she really wasn't in a big hurry, despite leaving Konoha behind without another word to anyone besides Ino. Her friend was quite upset at first, but she promised to visit when she could.

Figuring she would spend the night at an inn tonight once she arrived on the island, she would get a feel for the town in the morning before showing up to her assigned location. She had no doubt the town must have grown so much since she was last there several years ago.

As she walked, her mind drifted to how Team Seven had once traveled this very same road together for their first real mission. It was amazing how a simple escort mission could turn so incredibly dangerous in a blink of an eye. Batting Zabuza and Haku was her first real experience of what being a shinobi was really about. A battle between life and death.

Glancing at the silhouette of the trees, she remembered how it was also here where Kakashi first taught them about chakra control. It was a funny memory now that made her softly chuckle, envisioning how astonished they all were as Kakashi wobbled up one of the trees with ease in crutches. At the time when she first climbed up the tree using chakra control for the first time, all she wanted to do was try to impress Sasuke. It was all she ever wanted with anything that she did. She was never really concerned about what anyone else thought at the time. She wondered… did Kakashi ever feel proud of her back then?

She sighed. It really didn't matter. That was in the past. Most of his attention was on Sasuke and Naruto for a good reason. She really didn't take being a shinobi seriously at first. How could you respect someone who was childish like that? But they all had their selfish reasons back then to why they wanted to become a ninja. At least now, she felt satisfied in knowing she had grown into someone she was proud to be.

Now she was traveling back along the same path her former self once took, except this time she was alone. It made her feel even prouder at her independence compared to the kind of girl she used to be. She felt painfully embarrassed at her former Genin self. At least now, she had something to contribute in another way compared to her former teammates.

She slowed her steps as she approached the massive bridge that would cross officially into the Land of Waves.

"The Great Naruto Bridge," she read aloud from the sign. It made her smile for a moment before she stepped onto the wooden planks.

The sight of the open waters under the moon was quite breathtaking as she walked, followed by the low horns and engines of the boats in the distance. There were quite a few traders crossing along the bridge, as well a few couples who were simply enjoying the late night view. Still keeping a small smile on her lips, she continued to walk down the bridge until she was about half way. Approaching the wooden railing, she took in a deep breath of the salted air, and leaned her arms against the bridge to look out into the distance.

A couple of hand-rowed boats floated lazily across the vast ocean, rippling the moon's surface on the water as they passed beneath the bridge. She really liked the idea of getting a view of the ocean every night like this. She hoped she wouldn't have to work too late in the hospital so she could enjoy small moments like this.

Casting her green eyes down into the dark waters below, she still wondered in the back of her mind if this was really what she wanted to do. It was an abrupt change in her life, but this was what she needed, a change.

"Sakura," an all too familiar voice called out.

Her eyes went wide as she fought back a gasp. Feeling her heart clench, she almost couldn't believe whose voice she knew it belonged to.

Slowly, she turned her head to find Kakashi standing just a few feet away in the middle of the bridge. His hands were in his pockets, and although she couldn't see his usual masked face from where he stood in the shadow of one the bridge's tall beams, somehow she could sense something was different about him.

As he stepped casually closer, she started to stutter as she stared at him in disbelief, "W-What are you doing here?"

"You left without saying goodbye," he replied softly.

Unsure of what to say, she said, "I… I didn't think it mattered."

"There are a lot of people who care about you who would have wanted to say goodbye, Sakura. It's not like you."

Her lips pursed at first to protest, but admitted, "I didn't want to get my mind changed. I knew I would miss everyone too much," she said with a shrug. Looking hesitantly back at Kakashi, she asked, "I don't understand why you're here…"

Keeping his eyes to hers, he took a long moment before saying, "I wanted to apologize. I've been… distant towards you lately. I have a feeling you're here because of me…"

"What? No, of course not," she said as she averted her eyes her awkwardly towards the water, starting to feel her heart pound. "And it's not your fault I haven't seen you as much lately. You've been busy with missions just like everyone else."

"No," he replied. "I really wasn't."

She turned towards him with a confused look. "Okay…"

He sighed, clenching his hands in his pockets as he hesitated. "I'm just going to be honest with you, Sakura. I was starting to get feelings towards you and thought I should just back off for awhile."

"W-What?" she asked, feeling her cheeks suddenly flush. "You can't mean that…"

"I've been fighting it all this time. I just didn't know if it would really be okay for me to feel this way towards you. Somewhere along the way over these past few months, I fell in love with you. That's something that's never happened to me before with anyone…"

Stunned, a breath escaped her lips that she didn't realize she was holding. She couldn't believe what he was telling her. Gripping her hands around the straps of her bag, she shook her head in disbelief. "No, this has to be a joke," she said as her voice began to tremble.

"Why would you ever think that? Do you really think I'd come out here after you to joke about something like that?" he asked.

"B-because," she stammered. "I've liked you for so long and for you to tell me this all of a sudden just seems too good to be true. I figured you'd never be interested someone like me… and just how we've known each other through the years."

"I had my reservations about it," he confessed. "Maybe it's considered unethical for us to be together, but that doesn't matter. That's just someone else's opinion. What does matter is how we feel about each other. I can't stop my feelings for you and I don't want to anymore. I don't know much about having a relationship with someone, and I never wanted to before, but with you, I want to give it a chance."

A small tear rolled down her cheek as she searched his face. He seemed so sincere in his words. She still couldn't get over how this wasn't a dream. Never had anyone she had feelings for ever liked her the same way. This just couldn't be possible. "I…"

"Will you give me the chance?" he asked, slowly bringing a gloved hand to brush her cheek. She stood frozen as his hands moved down her neck, slowly pulling her closer.

Her breath stilled once his forehead was lightly touching hers. She felt scared, but exhilarated at the same time. With her heart racing, her hands began to tremble as she slowly tucked her fingers at the edge of his mask, wondering if this was really alright. Was it really okay to touch him like this? Did he want her to?

She was so close to revealing his face, but he wasn't stopping her. The more she tugged down the small fabric around his face, the closer his mouth was nearing hers. It made her felt so paralyzed with fear of not knowing what to expect once his mouth fell unto hers, but at the same time she couldn't stop herself even if she wanted to.

After revealing half of his cheeks, she felt overwhelmed feeling the tip of his bare nose against hers. It was electrifying in every sense of the word. When she finally pulled his mask down beneath his chin, she didn't have any time to think once he pressed his lips to hers.

His lips were soft, yet demanding as he slowly kissed at her lips. Bracing her hands against his cheeks, she could feel the soft, but prickly stubble of his jaw at her fingertips. It made him feel so real. That he really was a man beneath it all, and no longer just her former sensei who always seemed just out of reach. She could actually feel him smile. As her chest was pressed up against his, she could feel how hard his heart was pounding just like hers. Never had she ever felt so close to him on such a completely different level.

Slipping her bag from around her shoulders with a thud against the wooden planks below, she kissed him back desperately as he strengthened his hold around her into an embrace. Ignoring the various people that walked passed them with curious stares, nothing else mattered than what she felt right here and right now, feeling his heart pouring into hers with each stroke and brush of his lips.

When their mouths broke apart, he whispered softly against her ear, "Come home, Sakura."

Her throat tightened as fresh tears made their way down her cheek. "I can't," she squeaked. "I already signed the contract and sent it. I'm… I'm so stupid."

He shook his head, bringing his hands gently to the side of her face. "They haven't received it yet. Even if they did, I'd go in there and tear it apart myself."

She laughed at imagining him doing that, completely scaring the poor hospital staff that probably haven't seen many ninja in their lifetime. Sniffling, he wiped her eyes as she pulled back to look at him. "Did Tsunade really not send it yet?"

"She didn't."

Starting to cry in relief, she tried to hide her face behind her wrist as she tried to get a hold of herself. "S-Sorry, I'm just so glad. I… I don't know what to say, Kakashi. I knew deep down I didn't want to come here. I'd miss everyone too much… I'd miss you too much."

"It's okay to cry," he whispered, pulling her hands away to bring her back towards his chest.

Gripping the cool fabric of his flak jacket, she felt embarrassed at her tears, but they were quickly disappearing as he held her firmly. Still, everything felt so surreal as she wrapped her arms around him. Never did she think she could be like this with him. It just felt so right.

When she calmed down, she smiled as she pulled away, glancing curiously towards his bare face. Brushing a thumb against his lips, she held back in wanting to ask why he wore his mask all the time. She had a feeling he'd tell why someday, but for now, she was happy to know how much he trusted her.

Kakashi kissed her one last time before pulling up his mask again. Reaching down for her backpack, he picked it up and suddenly dropped it back down with an astonished grumble. Looking at her bag, he didn't realize how large and overstuffed it looked.

"What the- are there bricks in here?" he asked.

She laughed and picked up her bag using only one chakra infused finger. "A year's worth of a clothes and ninja tools, silly."

"Bricks," he muttered, smiling as he offered a hand out to hers.

After settling her bag back on her shoulders, she unsurely intertwined her fingers with his. They began to walk back towards the entrance of the bridge.

"Are we really going to walk all the back to Konoha?" she asked, figuring they wouldn't make it back until late morning if they kept going.

"I was hoping we'd just camp somewhere for the night since it's late," he replied.

"I'd like that," she said, unable to stop herself from feeling her cheeks heat at the thought of them spending a night together alone.

Noting her silent unease, he squeezed her hand. "We'll take things slow… one step at a time."

She nodded, easing a breath knowing what he meant. Reaching land again beneath their feet, she couldn't help herself from grinning like an idiot. Never had she felt this happy before with someone. There was so much more to learn about him and she really just couldn't wait. She realized that without Kakashi at her side, she wouldn't have been any happier anywhere else. Home was wherever they were together.

The End.

[ Author Note: This is my last oneshot request fill by Temarilyn written as a prize.

She was very specific in her prompt (which I think is a cool challenge in itself), and I think I followed it pretty close. This is what she originally sent to me:

"Sakura becomes a medic nin under Tsunade. After a few years of being one, she accepts a medic position in The Land of Waves as she feels there's nothing left in Konohagakure for her. Kakashi is away with Team 8. Before Sakura departs she confides in Tsunade that she has stronger feelings for a former team member. Tsunade believes she's talking about Sasuke. Sakura admits that her feelings for Sasuke changed when he never returned after killing Orochimaru. The one that she has feelings is Kakashi, but she's afraid of feeling rejected again. Meanwhile Kakashi has erased all doubts and is ready to admit he has fallen for her unaware that she's leaving the next day."

Hope you enjoyed! Any comments are appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Beta: CelestialCircumference ]