Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in this story taken from the anime/manga Naruto. All characters taken from said anime/manga belong to their original creator Masashi Kishimoto.

Otachii: -Sigh.- Okay everyone I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant to write this fanfic. Its prequel just seemed to do so well and everyone seemed to like it so much and I was just afraid of disappointing you guys. But I promised I'd do it and you guys seemed to want it so here it is; the first chapter of the sequel to Happy Birthday Sakura, Gifts That Can't Be Returned.

WARNING: If you have not read this fics prequel Happy Birthday Sakura I'd advise you to do so before you read it to get a better understanding of what's going on.

Summary: He gave her the greatest gift she could ever hope to receive, now it seems he wants to take it back. But with good friends determined to see Sakura happy and Konoha's fiesty matchmaker standing behind her to pull and warp the red strings of fate in her favor, Hatake Kakashi is about to find out that some gifts just can't be returned. So with a new mission to guide a spirited young nobel, whose hands are just as loose as his lips, and his ill grandfather into the Lightening Country assigned, Kakashi's lesson is about to begin as boundries and bonds are put to the ultimate test. Can the red string of fate tied around Sakura's pinky reach out to find Kakashi's or will duty and morale get in the way?

Chapter 1

Sakura's Dilemma

Trust me my love, you live within me,

so I'll never say goodbye to you.

Surely that day the two of us touched love.

Heaven by Ayumi Hamasaki

It was the day after Sakura's birthday and though her head throbbed slightly thanks to a hangover given to her by all the sake she had drank the previous night, Sakura was still walking on clouds. The young rosette-haired woman was unusually pleasant that morning, noticeable to all that crossed her path that day. She'd smile and wave sweetly and comment on how wonderful the day was to all that she past whom she knew and even those she didn't know very well. She was exceedingly joyful and why shouldn't she be? She was in love after all.

It had only been a day since the ever-sweet moment she had shared with Kakashi on that bridge but she had known the minuet their lips parted that she was in love with the older man. He was everything she wanted; he was kind and gentle, true he was rather lazy and had an annoying habit for tardiness but even the flaws he possessed was what Sakura loved about him and what she loved most was the fact that despite all her own faults he loved her as well.

She had felt it in his kiss, felt the passionate desire and heated love the older man not-so-secretly harbored for her in the way his lips had touched her own. She could still taste him upon her lips every time her tongue ran across them and it seemed to be doing that a lot that morning. She wanted to remember the way it felt to have this taste upon her lips, his taste, wanted to lock it into her memory and seal it within her heart.

Sakura was so blissful that it didn't even bother her that that morning she had to give a lesson at the hospital to all the new nurses, a task that would normally annoy the short-tempered young woman. But nothing could annoy Sakura that day, not even the fact that she had to go to the book store and buy some medical books for the lesson with her own money.

Walking through the door of the book shop Sakura would offer the frail old woman behind the counter a heartfelt hello before moving to the back of the shop in search of the books she would need. It took her only minuets to find them and as Sakura walked back out to the front of the shop her heart skipped a beat and she nearly dropped the books she cradled against her chest.

Standing before the counter, looking stoic and casual as he always did was Hatake Kakashi.

"I didn't realize when I bought this book that I already had two copies at home and I'd like to return it." He told the old woman dully as he placed an older volume of Icha Icha Paradise upon the counter.

"No refunds." The fragile old woman stated in a blunt and surprisingly forceful tone that didn't match her delicate appearance at all.

"But…" Kakashi sighed deeply before retrieving the book from the counter and sliding it back into his pocket before turning to head out of the shop.

It was there that Sakura found her voice.

"Kakashi-sama!" She called out to him happily, the small heart-shaped jade pendant bouncing freely upon the fragile chain around her neck as she hurried up to him. She didn't notice the way Kakashi froze, or how rigid his body had become at the sound of her voice.

"Hello Sakura." He offered quietly as he turned to face the young kunoichi, giving a rather awkward smile beneath the shield of his mask, but Sakura seemed oblivious to the older man's indifferent behavior.

"How are you this morning?" Sakura questioned in a delighted little tone as she bit her lip almost flirtatiously.

"Fine." Was Kakashi's simple answer as his one uncovered eye quickly looked from Sakura toward the door.

"Good to hear." Sakura replied with a merry little laugh as she placed her books upon the counter, looking away from the man who continued to stand there awkwardly unbeknownst to Sakura. "I have to give a lesson to the new recruits at the hospital." She continued in a casual tone as she took some money from her side pouch and paid the old woman behind the counter.

"Mm." Kakashi grunted, obviously indifferent to Sakura's casual little chit-chatter but still the young woman seemed completely unaware.

Gathering up the books she had purchased Sakura would turn to face Kakashi, a bright smile upon her pretty face. For a moment Kakashi stared at her, for one brief moment she saw the look in his eye she had saw in it the previous night, but the moment was fleeting for Kakashi suddenly looked away. But Sakura didn't mind, he was shy and she knew that. 'He's so cute when he acts all awkward like that.'Sakura thought with a quiet little giggle. 'I guess I'll have to make the first move this time.'

"The lesson will eat up my whole morning but I should be finished at around lunch time and I was wondering if maybe you wanted to grab lunch with me today." Sakura offered in a casually sweet but still completely confident tone.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Uh, I'm sorry Sakura; I have things to do today."

"Oh…" Sakura's face fell but instantly lit up once more. "How about tomorrow?"

"Sorry." Kakashi shook his head. "I can't this is kind of a busy week for me. I'm sorry Sakura, I have to go"

"Oh okay, see you late-" But before she could utter his name he was out the door and gone.

Sakura stood there, feeling confused and a bit embarrassed under the gaze of the old woman behind the counter who appeared to have been eavesdropping on Kakashi and Sakura. Had he just flat-out rejected her? 'What was that all about?' Could she have been wrong about the way Kakashi felt about her?

'No.' She thought giving a vigorous shake of her head. 'He totally loves you!' Inner-Sakura offered firmly and Sakura nodded. 'Right, he's just busy.'She concluded with a nod of her head as she headed out of the book store.

She would try again later and next time he would definitely say yes and they would have a romantic little date. Then they'd have many more and eventually he would propose and they'd live happily ever after with two children… a girl and a boy, boy first to satisfy the manly pride that all men shared then a girl so there could be some sanity in the house other then Sakura. Yes, everything would work out fine.

Three weeks, exactly twenty-one days, precisely one thousand two hundred sixty hours; that was how long it had been since Sakura's birthday, since that moment she had shared with Kakashi on the very same bridge she was standing on. It had been that long since Sakura had realized she was in love with her former sensei and exactly twenty days since she had laid eyes upon the silver-haired jounin.

There were times when Sakura would be heading down the streets of the village and swear she saw a familiar flash of silver hair and a face partially hidden by a book and a mask in her peripheral vision, but whenever she would turn her head she would always be disappointed. It was never him, or at least he was never there long enough for her to get a good look.

At first Sakura didn't think much of it, Konoha was a large village, of course they wouldn't cross paths every day. It wasn't until the end of the first week Sakura had gone without seeing Kakashi that she realized something wasn't right and it wasn't until half way through the second week that she began to suspect the older man was avoiding her.

But why would he be doing that? Sakura just didn't understand it. She didn't imagine what she had felt in Kakashi's kiss, she knew that he held deep feelings for her as well; she had felt them in that kiss. But then why would he be going out of his way to stay away from her? Sakura just didn't understand and by the end of the second week it was beginning to depress her. By half way through the third week she was ready to cry herself a river and by the end of said week she wanted nothing more then to rip the lazy pervert's head off.

How dare he do this to her, how dare he! How could he? He had lifted her so high, had promised her so much happiness through that tender kiss and now he was pulling it all out from under her and sending her toppling back to earth. It wasn't fair, it wasn't right!

"Does the railing of the bridge owe you money or something?" Ino asked curiously, breaking Sakura out of her thoughts involving Kakashi, Inner Sakura and a heavy amount of violence.

Sakura blinked and shook her head as if to shake her thoughts from her mind, her jade green eyes locking with the piercing blue irises of Ino's whose face was twisted in a very inquisitive look. Sakura hadn't realized she had stopped dead in her tracks in the middle of the bridge, in the same exact place she had stood with Kakashi what seemed like so very long ago and proceeded to glare rather hatefully at the railing. She hadn't even realized that her hands had clenched tightly into fists or that her considerably short nails had begun to dig into the palms of her hands so hard they had nearly pierced the skin.

"Huh? Oh Sorry." Sakura shook her head once again before bowing it with a sigh. Ino frowned deeply, eyes surveying her friend, scanning her as if looking for something.

"So, are you ever going to tell me what's bothering you?" The blonde asked, crossing her arms impatiently over her chest. Sakura's eyebrows rose as she looked up to Ino, a look of question on her face. "Oh don't give me that look." Ino's frown deepened. "You've been so spacey lately and each time you look like you're either ready to cry or kill someone. Something's obviously bothering you so spit it out already!"

"It's nothing, really Ino." Sakura forced a small smile.

She hadn't told Ino about what had happened the night of her birthday because she knew that Ino would either do one of two things; get upset about the whole thing because of the significant age difference or, more likely, get over excited and all 'mistress of matchmaking' and try to force Sakura and Kakashi together. Sakura wasn't sure which was worse but neither looked very promising in her eyes.

Ino obviously wasn't convinced by Sakura's sad attempt at a carefree smile because she only continued to stand there and hold Sakura under the hard gaze of those deep blue eyes. But Sakura refused to budge; she just didn't want to talk about it.

"Fine whatever, forehead, don't tell me." Ino said in a rather huffy tone that made Sakura roll her eyes. "C'mon, we're late enough as it is and Chouji's probably having a hissy fit having to wait for me to get there before he eats." Sakura just couldn't help but chuckle softly, Ino had that boy on such a short leash and he seemed to just accept it. She sure knew how to handle her man. If only Sakura could be like that.

Once again Sakura sighed heavily as the depression set in, her feet dragging against the ground as they carried her toward the bar behind a still agitated Ino. Besides knowing how to keep her men in check, holding a grudge was something else that Ino was an expert at and if Sakura knew the blonde, and she knew her very well, she'd be snubbing Sakura for the rest of the night. But that was just fine with Sakura; at least she'd be able to sulk in her misery in peace without Ino breathing down her neck demanding to know what was wrong. For the time being anyway…

"Chouji!" Ino exclaimed angrily while offering a harsh slap to the back of the young man's head. "Save some for the rest of us."

"I'm sorry Ino." Chouji whined as he returned a few of the many pieces of barbeque he had snatched from the rack in the middle of the table. "But you two took so long to get here and you know I get hungry when I get antsy."

"You're always hungry." Ino pointed out in an annoyed tone while an on looking Shikamaru chuckled around the rim of his sake filled glass. Any other night Sakura would have found the bickering exchange between Ino and Chouji amusing, but on that night she was far too wrapped up in her self pity and misery to pay too much attention to the couple.

"I'm sorry Ino." Chouji pouted pitifully but the blond wasn't giving him an inch. She sat there with her arm crossed in that stubborn manner around her chest, chin held high and eyes staring off to the side at nothing in particular. "Please forgive me."

Chouji's pout deepened as he shifted closer to Ino and draped his arm around her shoulder and though she did not bluntly reject him, she kept her body rigid and her eyes off to the side as if ignoring him. His head fell onto her shoulder and he whispered something inaudible to Sakura and Shikamaru into Ino's ear which made the blond smile faintly and give a soft giggle.

"Oh, I can never stay mad at you my little dumpling." Ino finally caved in a mushy tone before offering Chouji a small peck on his chubby cheek.

Shikamaru looked revolted, turning his attention to the meat on his plate which suddenly didn't look at all appetizing while Sakura watched the sappy exchange between the couple blankly.

Jealousy burned inside her stomach, a hideous monster that roared in envious fury as inner Sakura proceeded to violently strangle a dummy that had an uncanny likeness to a certain silver-haired sharingan wielding shinobi. Why couldn't she have something like that? Why couldn't Kakashi be like that? Why the hell was he avoiding her? The stupid, no good lazy perv-

"Hey Sakura-chan." Suddenly pulled from her rage filled thoughts, Sakura's attention would snap to her side as standing before the booth she sat at were Kiba and Shino. Kiba was grinning from ear to ear, looking overzealous as always and Shino was standing slightly off to the side, looking aloof and cryptic as usual.

"Hey Kiba-kun, Shino-san." Sakura replied with a small nod and a forced smile but the two boys seemed unaware of Sakura's off-handish disposition.

"Hey you two." Ino chimed in brightly and Kiba offered the blond a smile while Shino gave a simple nod of recollection. "Did you just get back from your mission?" The two looked, for lack of a better word, beat. Kiba's cheeks were smudged with dirt and Shino's long jacket was disheveled. Their mission, the details of which were of course confidential to anyone who wasn't the Hokage, had been hell.

"Yeah." Kiba replied, turning his attention back to Sakura. "Sorry we missed you're birthday, we wanted to be there but you know how it is."

Sakura nodded slightly, her eyes downcast on the table before her. "In a shinobi's life work always comes first." Kiba laughed and nodded, still completely oblivious to Sakura's dark mood but Ino was now staring at her with a troubled expression.

"Yeah, anyway, even though we couldn't make it to celebrate with you we still wanted to get you a little something." Kiba started as he reached into his pocket and pulled out something wrapped in some sort of silky red cloth. "We saw this at a stand and it immediately reminded us of you." He said brightly as he handed the parcel over to Sakura who accepted it with a soft smile. "We both pitched in." He continued with a nod to Shino who was now looking at Sakura through the dark shades of his glasses.

"I picked out the cloth it's wrapped in." Shino commented in that dark tone and Sakura offered him that same soft smile.

Kiba nodded. "Yeah, he stood at the stand for a good half hour trying to pick out just the right one." Shino shot a glance at Kiba who gave an uncomfortable laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. "Anyway, it cost us a pretty penny so I hope you like it."

"You guys didn't have to." Sakura said softly as she began to unwrap her present.

Kiba was all smiles as Sakura's eyes widened at the sight of the gift they had brought her; it was a white moon shaped comb with a handle encrusted with dazzling light pink stones and a jade cherry blossom shaped stone at the very middle of the handle. It was very beautiful and looked quite expensive indeed.

"Oh wow, thank you." Sakura said with a wide smile as she looked up to Kiba who returned her smile then to Shino who simply nodded at her.

"Jeez." Ino commented with wide eyes. "All you guys got me for my birthday was a dog plushie and a butterfly hairclip." She continued in an envious tone as she glared up at Kiba who smiled nervously.

"Yeah but it was a nice hairclip wasn't it? And you said you loved that plushie." Kiba stated defensively.

"I picked the wrapping for that gift as well." Shino commented nonchalantly.

"It is a nice hairclip Ino." Chouji came to a grateful Kiba and Shino's defense.

Ino gave a smile and a girlish laugh. "I was just kidding; jeez you guys are so sensitive." Kiba laughed as Shino's attention drew to a fly fluttering around the windowsill across the restaurant down at the other end of the bar. Sakura was all smiles as she stared down at her gift, her mind, for the moment, completely free of depressing thoughts of Kakashi.

"Oh, hey Kakashi-san!" Sakura's spirits instantly fell as a violent flutter began in her stomach, her eyes drawing up toward the door where Kiba's attention was held, his hand raised in greeting. There in the doorway about to leave in and awful hurry was Kakashi.

The man was quick to turn, his one visible eye crinkling with a bright smile, as if he hadn't just tried to make a run for it out of the restaurant. Sakura knew what he had been up to and it made her body burn with rage, but as she looked toward the older silver-haired man, seething anger was not the only emotion bubbling in Sakura's body. She felt out of breath, as if she had just been through an intense day of training with Tsunade. She felt lightheaded, her limbs heavy as if she were ready to just up and faint right there and then. But he wasn't even looking at her, why wasn't he looking at her?

"Hello Kiba." Kakashi said casually with a nod of greeting and dismissal as he turned once again to head out the door.

"Wait!" Kiba called and Kakashi seemed to stiffen as he paused the outward motion of his foot. "Kurenai-sama wanted me to tell you something." Kiba continued as he waved Kakashi over whom, though rather obviously reluctant, turned and headed toward the table.

Each step he took caused Sakura's heart to clench tighter and tighter in her chest, her palms growing sweaty as her body became rigid, fingers instinctively reaching to toy with the jade heart pendant that dangled from the silver chain around her neck. She couldn't take her eyes off him, couldn't bare to look away just in case he did look up at her, she wanted to look into his eye, wanted to see if that look he had given her that night would still be there. But it was as if he hadn't even noticed her, as if she wasn't even there and every moment that passed that he wasn't acknowledging her was like torture to Sakura and it seemed to show for Ino was staring at her with a confused and worried look.

'Why won't you look at me?' She thought desperately, wanting to stand up and scream it at him. 'Please just look at me, please!' But no matter how loud she screamed in her mind he couldn't hear her, even if she screamed it aloud Sakura didn't think it would make a difference, he still wouldn't hear her, or rather he wouldn't acknowledge that he had.

"What did Kurenai want?" Kakashi questioned as he stopped in front of Kiba, his voice almost as stiff as his demeanor. But Kiba, ever-the-oblivious type, didn't seem to notice.

He frowned slightly. "Oh, um… what was it?" He paused to run his fingers through his spiky brown hair obviously deep in thought.

Kakashi stood there patiently while Kiba racked his brains trying to remember whatever it was Kurenai had been looking for Kakashi for, but the way he shifted his weight between his feet and clenched and unclenched his hands repeatedly inside his pockets made it clear to anyone watching close enough that Kakashi was quite anxious to get out of there. But Sakura was the only one watching Kakashi so closely and it made her desperately wish that she was just as ignorant as the others who stood and sat around them.

Maybe if she didn't know he was so desperate to stay away from her it wouldn't hurt so much. Maybe if she didn't know that he wanted nothing to do with her then this sick feeling in the pit of her stomach would go away. Maybe if he hadn't kissed her that night her heart wouldn't be breaking as she looked to his exposed eye and realized Kakashi would never again look at her the way he had that night.

As Shino leaned in and whispered something to Kiba, the young man's face would brighten. "Oh that's right! She wanted me to tell you that she can't make it tonight." Kiba nodded as if proud that he had recalled this information while Shino shook his head and looked away. "She would have told you herself but she had to go see Tsunade and she has um… previous engagements or something like that." The boy explained casually.

If Sakura wasn't sitting at that very moment she was sure her knees would have given out under her and she would have been sent to the ground with a hard crash. Once again she felt completely breathless but this time it was not blissful anxiety that knocked the wind from her lungs, this time it was a seething depression that followed a shocking revelation. Kakashi and Kurenai had "plans" what kind of plans?

It could have been anything really; a training session, a friendly little get together but those were not the possibilities that stood out in Sakura's mind. Those possibilities were hidden by an image of Kurenai standing in the very spot where Sakura dreamt of standing; in Kakashi's open arms. She would look to him with passion in her eyes and he would look to her, giving her that look Sakura had thought he had only saved for her as he pulled down his mask to smile at Kurenai the way he had smiled at Sakura and then their devotion would be sealed in a kiss that was so similar to the one Sakura and Kakashi had shared but different because this time it was true, this time it wasn't a lie.

Sakura felt sick and dumbfounded, as if her entire world had just crumbled around her and she was left in the darkness of complete and utter nothingness. It was a strange feeling; she felt numb yet at the same time she could feel the urge to cry out in agony swell in her throat as her eyes welled with tears she would not allow to fall past her eyelids. She could feel nothing, yet she could feel everything come crashing down on her in that moment leaving her with a feeling that wasn't there yet there at the exact same time. She felt used, cheated, heartbroken and yet she felt nothing at all as she stared off blankly, unaware that she was staring at a very shocked looking Ino who was staring right back at her.

But Sakura could not see the blond, she had no knowledge that anyone was around her. She didn't hear when Kakashi had thanked Kiba for giving him Kurenai's message, didn't see him turn to leave nor see the sad and longing look he had tossed her way as he headed out of the bar. She didn't hear Kiba laugh as he turned to continue to converse with a pleasant Chouji and a naturally indifferent Shikamaru. In that moment all that existed was Sakura and this empty heartbroken feeling welling in her gut.

She moved so suddenly that Kiba, Chouji, Ino and even Shikamaru and Shino gave a little jolt as Sakura shot up from her seat. They all looked at her with question in their eyes but Sakura could not see any of them, the only thing she could see was the haunting image of Kurenai in Kakashi's arms.

"I have to go to the bathroom." She choked in a blank tone before she shot from the table to the bathroom, moving so rapidly that she nearly knocked into a waitress on her way.

Sakura was barely conscious of her movements and only realized she had locked herself in a bathroom stall when she crumbled to the floor, scrunched between the toilet and the wall of the stall. The location wasn't ideal but at that moment Sakura could care less where she was as long as she was alone.

Arms would wrap around her legs and pull them forward; tucking her knees against her chest as Sakura rested her chin upon them and stared off blankly, only now allowing her tears to slip down her cheeks.

Kakashi was with Kurenai, he was not in love with Sakura. That night on the bridge, it was not love that Sakura saw in his eyes and felt in his kiss, it was sympathy. He did not adore her, he pitied her. He had only been trying to comfort his former student, a little girl he saw crying on a bridge. There were no harbored feelings of passion, just the obligation to condole. She had overreacted, had done what she always seemed to do; had fallen too hard too soon, assuming he would be there to catch her. But Kakashi wasn't there to catch her, his arms were occupied by another, someone who fit him better then Sakura ever could; a strong, independent and beautiful woman to stand by his side, not a weak, needy and homely little girl who would cling to the side of his vest.

A choked cry of anguish left Sakura's lips as her forehead fell to her knees, her body beginning to tremble with the force of the aching sobs that left her. 'How could I be so stupid?' She thought angrily to herself as she sat there upon the floor, pitiful and broken. 'How could I think he could ever feel such things for me?' She felt like such a fool, she was such a fool. Nothing but a silly little girl with silly little dreams of true love and devotion that had died years ago with the only man who could ever love her, the only many that had ever loved her; Uzumaki Naruto.

"Sakura?" Ino's voice from beyond the shelter of the door of the bathroom stall caused Sakura to jump slightly. "Sakura what's wrong?" The blond continued in a tone laced with curiosity and deep concern.

Sakura groaned inwardly; the last thing she needed was Ino offering words of comfort that hid the pity she would undoubtedly feel for Sakura in such a state. The girl was Sakura's best friend but Sakura couldn't take the thought of Ino pitying her.

"Nothing." Sakura grumbled in reply as she wiped fresh tears that refused to stop falling from her cheeks. "I'm fine."

"Bullshit." Ino blurted forcefully. "I know you Sakura; you've been acting so strangely for the last couple of weeks. Either you tell me what's going on willingly or I'll break down this door and beat it out of you."

Sakura couldn't help but smile. She knew that Ino only wanted to help, knew that this was her twisted way of reaching out to Sakura and lord knows Sakura needed a helping hand as well as a shoulder to cry on at the moment and so with a defeated sigh she rose from her crumbled position and moved to unlock the door of the stall.

She opened it to find Ino on the other side, standing firmly in place with a look of determination and worry upon her pretty face.

"Well?" The blonde pushed and once again Sakura sighed.

"I feel like such a fool." Sakura confessed before breaking out into a fit of choked cries as she fell against a shocked Ino and rambled out her tale in a blur of tear-choked sniffles and sobs.

She told the blonde everything; about what had happened on the night of her birthday with Kakashi upon the bridge. About how she was so sure he was in love with her until she noticed he was avoiding her in the weeks that followed and how awkward and distant he acted in her presence ever since. She confessed how the knowledge that it would not be her in Kakashi's arms hearing words of love and devotion and instead would be Kurenai tore her up inside and by the time Sakura was finished both her and Ino were upon the bathroom floor, Ino's arms wrapped securely around Sakura while the pink-haired kunoichi wept pathetically over a lost love she wasn't sure she had even had in the first place.

Ino was stunned to say the least, her blue eyes wide as she held onto a trembling and sniveling Sakura, knelt with her upon the floor of a bathroom in a bar/restaurant. She was at a loss for words as Sakura's story soaked into her and it was only when Sakura's crying dulled to a few occasional hiccups and sniffles that Ino spoke.

"My God." Was all Ino could say as she stared off as if in a daze before looking down to Sakura whose face was buried in her chest. "So you're in love with Kakashi?" Sakura pulled back from the blond, wiping her wet and flushed cheeks as she nodded. "Wow..." Was still all Ino could say.

"I feel so stupid Ino." Sakura hiccupped as she looked up to the other girl, eyes bloodshot from crying, hair disheveled and cheeks flushed. "I mean how could I think a man like Kakashi could love someone like me?" She bowed her head as if in shame. "I'm pathetic and he could have his pick of any woman in Konoha, why would he want me?"

Ino frowned deeply, her shock instantly leaving her as she crawled toward Sakura and reached out to grip her shoulders. "Because you're an amazing woman and not the least pit pathetic."

Sakura looked up at Ino, green eyes wide with shock. That determined look was once again upon Ino's face as she stared into Sakura's eyes.

"You're smart, caring and one hell of a shinobi." Ino continued as if trying to drill her words into Sakura's brain. "And despite your enormous forehead and barely there breasts you're beautiful and damn sexy." Ino added with a smirk, earning a soft, reluctant laugh from Sakura. "He'd have to be crazy to not love you or at the very least want to make sweet passionate love to you." Again Sakura laughed, though this time more heartfelt.

"Thank you Ino." She offered softly and Ino gave a warm smile and a shrug as she released Sakura's shoulders and stood up.

"Don't thank me yet, there's still the matter of getting you and Kakashi together to address." Sakura's eyes widened as she looked up at the other girl who offered a broad, devilish little smile.

"But… Kakashi's with Kurenai."

"Not for long." Ino stated determinedly as she offered a hand to Sakura who accepted and allowed the blond to help her to her feet. "We've got a devious plot to come up with to pull Kakashi out of Kurenai's arms and send him straight into yours, and I know just the woman to help us out." Ino's smile darkened and Sakura could feel herself growing frightened as she looked to her friend.

"Who?"

"You'll see." Ino smirked as she led Sakura out of the bathroom. "She's Konoha's own personal matchmaker, the one who shoved Hinata into Neji's arms, Lee into Tenten's and even me into Chouji's."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Oh God no."

"Oh God yes." Ino cackled as she offered a dismissive wave to Choujiand Shikamaru and Kiba and Shino who now sat at the table as well as she past it. Snatching up the present Sakura had abandonned on the table Ino would head for the door ignoring the inquisitive looks of the men as she led Sakura straight out of the bar.

"I don't know about this Ino…"

"Trust me." Ino offered with a smirk. "What could possibly go wrong?"

Otachii: What indeed? Who is this mysterious matchmaker? Can she really twist fate and bring Sakura and Kakashi together? And just what exactly is going on between our silver-haired jounin and Kurenai? Stay tuned to find out kiddies!

Hope y'all are enjoying this so far. -Evil smirk.- I know I am.

REVIEW PAH-LEASE! Tell me what you think! Are you itching for more? I really want to know 'cause I want this sequel to live up to the hype of Happy Birthday Sakura. I hope it does.

See Eli-chan, I told you I'd get it up within the week. x3