Thanks to all who've kept reading.

"Sensei, you don't have to walk me home," Sakura commented to Kakashi as they walked down the streets of Konoha. It was evening, and Team 7 had just gotten back from their mission. After debriefing with the Hokage, Naruto and Sasuke left for their own homes, but Kakashi decided to accompany Sakura to hers.

"Well, I want to spend as much time I can with my favorite female student," he explained.

"I'm your only female student," Sakura deadpanned. Kakashi donned a look of confusion.

"Oh?" he asked. "Ah, you're right. I'm getting so old that my memory is failing."

"You're not that old," Sakura griped, and by then they had reached her family house. "You can go now," she told her teacher as she knocked on the door.

"It's been a while. Why don't I say hello to your parents?" he suggested. Sakura shrugged.

"Dad's out of town," she told him. "It's just Mom." Sure enough, a second later the door opened and revealed a stern-faced blond woman.

"Sakura, welcome home," Mebuki Haruno greeted. "And Kakashi, please come in!" She stepped back to allow them entrance. "How was the mission?"

"Fine," Sakura said quickly, resisting the urge to do something obvious like send Kakashi a pleading glance. But Mebuki was intuitive anyway and looked pointedly at Kakashi, who scratched his temple.

"There was a little incident, but as you can see, our Sakura is safe and sound," he said vaguely. Sakura's mother peered at her daughter, then her eyes widened.

"Then were did those come from?" she demanded, pointing at Sakura's neck. Kakashi looked and mentally grimaced. His student still had bruises around her neck from where that brute had grabbed her. They'd faded since then, but were nothing a mother wouldn't notice. "What happened?" Sakura squirmed uncomfortably, and Kakashi was tempted to do the same.

"I tried to fight someone stronger than me," the girl muttered. Mebuki whipped her head around to glare at Kakashi.

"And you let her?" she snapped. "What kind of a teacher are you? I know she's a ninja, but that doesn't mean you should just throw her into danger!"

"He didn't!" Sakura defended hotly before Kakashi could say anything. "He told me not to, but I did it anyway, and he had to help me!"

"What!" her mother screeched, in no way mollified. "Why didn't you listen to him?" With a speed that impressed even Kakashi, Mebuki yanked Sakura towards her, lifted up her dress and pulled down her leggings and then started spank her harshly. Kakashi looked away uncomfortably, but he couldn't block out the sound. "How dare you disobey your teacher!" Mebuki continued angrily over Sakura's tears. "Don't you know he's trying to keep you safe? What if the worst had happened?! What do you think it would have done to your father and me?!" She continued to spank her for several more seconds before releasing her. "Go to your room and stay there!"

Mebuki pointed upstairs, and the sobbing Sakura dashed off without a backwards glance at her mother or Kakashi, who was still in shock. Not of the punishment itself, for Kakashi had done the same – but never so… exposed, and never with so little regard to anyone watching. He felt a little annoyed with Mebuki, but when the woman turned to him, her face had nothing on it but anxiety.

"Thank you for protecting Sakura," she said. "She's everything to Kizashi and me. I got so scared just now. What if she'd really ended up killed?" Mebuki closed her eyes wearily, and Kakashi understood – her actions had been out of fear for her daughter's safety rather than anger and inconsideration. In retrospect, he'd been the same, but he had time to cool down first.

"Mrs. Haruno, hasn't my reputation preceded me?" Kakashi asked lightly. "I'd do anything to protect my students," he reassured her, and Mebuki smiled gratefully at him.

Kakashi left shortly after that – well, as far as Sakura's mother knew. After Mebuki saw him out, he doubled back when she closed the door and headed to the rear of the house. Then he nimbly leapt up a tree to tap at the window of what he knew was Sakura's room. The now pajama-clad girl opened it for him, teary-eyed and bewildered.

"Sensei? What are you doing?" she asked as he climbed in.

"Now, Sakura," he chided. "When have I ever been happy when my students aren't?" Sakura looked away in embarrassment when she thought about how her teacher seen her get punished. For some reason, he doing it himself was a lot different than him watching her mother do it – with her pants pulled down, no less.

"Why'd she have to do that in front of you?" Sakura mumbled. Technically, Kakashi switching her had hurt more and lasted longer, but somehow this was worse. Her eyes started to well up with fresh tears, but Kakashi put a hand on her head.

"Your mother was just worried." He pulled her into a hug. "Parents tend to panic and freak out when their kids are in danger." As do teachers, he mentally added.

"I didn't have to get in trouble twice."

"At least it'll help make sure the lesson sticks." Before Sakura could whine, Kakashi swept her up and carried her to her bed. "Now, no more talk about it. Tomorrow's a new day." Sakura grumbled but did as asked.

"Good night, sensei," she said drowsily. A full day of travel, mission debriefing, and dealing with her mother had taken more out of her than she thought. Kakashi gave her a brief kiss on the forehead before heading off to check on his other two students - who, hopefully, were having a less eventful night than their teammate.

Naruto was fast asleep back at his apartment, sprawled halfway over his kitchen table. A half-eaten cup of ramen was next to him. Kakashi sighed and tucked him into bed as well, feeling a little amused that Naruto didn't react to him at all, other than an attempt to snuggle closer. The blond boy hadn't been a ninja long enough to instantly rouse at disturbances, and Kakashi decided to leave him in his innocence without waking him up.

Sasuke was also back in his own apartment - in bed, but awake. He lay on his back and the look of deep thought like he was contemplating world domination told Kakashi he wasn't planning on falling asleep anytime soon. His bedroom window was already open when his jounin teacher dropped by, and Kakashi had a feeling he was expecting him.

"Yo," the silver-haired man greeted as he came in. Sasuke glanced at him before looking back up at the ceiling.

"We need to train harder," he said.

"Oh, you will. I intend to run you three into the ground tomorrow."

"I need to work on my speed," Sasuke continued. "You were able to get to Sakura a lot faster than I was." Kakashi arched his visible eyebrow.

"I have been doing this a lot longer," he reminded his student. Sasuke scowled.

"You're not always going to be there to protect us," he said. The fact created an unpleasant feeling in Kakashi's stomach that the man tried his best to ignore.

"And you're not always going to be there to protect Sakura and Naruto. As much as I'm glad that you care about them so much, their first line of defense needs to always be themselves. If you want to improve, do it for yourself- the benefits to other people will happen naturally." Sasuke humphed and rolled over onto his stomach, resting his head on top of his arms.

"Whatever," he said gruffly. "I'm going to sleep. Good night." Kakashi feigned a look of sadness.

"Oh? My stubborn student is still unhappy? I can't leave like this." Sasuke turned to glare at his teacher.

"I don't want to be happy," he said shortly. Kakashi tilted his head.

"I don't know, I think I know a way to get a smile out of you." Sasuke eyed him suspiciously for few seconds until he realized what Kakashi meant to do.

"Don't!" he warned and moved to shield himself, but Kakashi was too fast. He darted forward, and his hands found Sasuke's unprotected sides. "Let goooo!" The fingers against his ribs only wriggled faster, and Sasuke wished desperately as he flailed around that Kakashi had never found this particular weakness during a taijustu training session. And he hoped even more desperately that his teacher never revealed it to his teammates.

"You know how to get out of this," Kakashi said cheerfully over Sasuke's reluctant peals of laughter.

"Never!" the Uchiha boy insisted. "Get off me!" He managed to keep his pride for three more minutes before giving up. "Okay, okay! Kakashi-sensei is the best teacher ever and he's never late!" he howled. Kakashi released him, and Sasuke scrambled away and tried to reclaim as much dignity as he could.

"One day, I'm going to get you back for all this," he panted while wiping away the tears of mirth from his eyes. Kakashi just smiled at him through his mask.

"Guess you'll have to work on that speed training," he said casually, and then dashed out the window before he could get hit with a hurled pillow.

One day his students would surpass him, Kakashi thought fondly as he bounded across the Konoha roofs back to his own apartment. Until then, he'd make the most of every opportunity. Whether it be protecting them or annoying them.