Author's Note: In the time since this story was begun, I have excelled in university only to drop out, been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, met my future husband, lost many loved ones, started a career totally different than all my previous aspirations, gotten married, had a baby, gone back to school for nursing, and I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant again.

In other words, the person who is completing this story is not at all the same person who began it, and I think it shows. The writer in me wants to tear this story apart and restructure it to correct mistakes, but I won't. I'll leave it as a testament to my growth and maturation right along with the characters.

The way I'm ending this now isn't what I envisioned when I first set out, and that's okay.

Anyone still reading deserves this resolution, such that it is, tardiness and all. Recent reviews inspired me to dust this off and put it to bed. I look forward to hearing from you all one last time.

Much love,

Amrun

Shizune's tongue poked out of her mouth in concentration as she finished up the final touches on Sakura's blood red nail polish. Her own fingertips shone with the same shade, but not with clinical neatness like the polish on Sakura's rough hands. Shizune was a surgeon in all aspects of life, which Sakura embraced in theory, but Sakura had come to realize that she herself left that sort of precision in the operating room most of the time. Her lines weren't clean, her edges blurred, so unlike the exactness that defined Shizune. But that was okay, too, Sakura thought now. If Tsunade had ever painted her own nails, they'd probably look much like Shizune's did now - just a slight ripple here and there, a bit of red on the cuticle, but okay enough to pass.

"I miss doing this for her," Shizune said, tight lipped with sadness.

"I used to be jealous of you for that, of that time you shared with her," Sakura said, the strange sense of nostalgia that gripped her drawing a smile to her face. "But I'm no good at it anyway."

"It's just practice," Shizune said. "You're perfectly steady with a scalpel. It's the same."

"Hmm," said Sakura. It wasn't the same for her like it was for Shizune. A nail brush wasn't a scalpel and a daily task wasn't like a surgery. But instead of feeling inadequate like she had so many times before, Sakura didn't mind so much. The smile lingered, playing about her lips.

Expectantly, Shizune turned around in her chair and waited for Sakura to smooth her hair back. Sakura complied, brushing Shizune's hair into tiny pigtails at either side of her nape. Shizune had already returned the favor, though Sakura's pigtails were finally long enough to brush her shoulder blades. With care, Shizune laced the back of Sakura's black dress, pulling it tight enough that no skin showed in the back, so as to cover her scars.

With no words, Sakura followed Shizune down the stairs to the waiting crowd. Kakashi stood there with his hands in his pockets, leaning on the door jamb ready to go, since he was just wearing his uniform. Riko was wrestling a squirming Shinichi's hair into submission with gel and a comb as he tried his best to wriggle out of her reach. Sakura's father Akio stood to the side in his formal dress, staring curiously at the young boy he'd yet to muster the courage to ask about.

"Ninja lady," Shinichi whined, pulling at the fabric of his new hakama and glaring at Kakashi, as usual. "Why does he get to wear that and I have to wear this?"

Sakura sighed. "Because he's a ninja."

Shinichi eyed her decidedly non-combat-ready dress suspiciously. "You're a ninja."

Shizune leaned down closer to Shinichi's height, smiling kindly. "Ninja have a choice between uniform blacks and civilian blacks, and kunoichi tend to choose the latter. It's more flattering, dresses especially."

The boy ignored that entirely, apparently uninterested in it, and trained his eyes on Sakura. "When can I do that?"

With a smile, Sakura tweaked the boy's nose. "When can you do what, wear a dress? I'll go get one for you now if you like."

Shinichi turned his head away violently, which might have made Sakura giggle on a different day, when the laughter didn't flop and die in her chest.

"You'll be a ninja soon enough," Sakura said flatly, trying not to let the dread in the pit of her stomach show on her face. She met Kakashi's eyes across the room, his frown palpable through his mask.

"Let's get this over with," Kakashi said sourly.

At his word, Riko, Shinichi, and even Akio moved towards the door. Shizune still fidgeted with the neckline of her dress, and Sakura waited patiently for her.

"Are you ready?" Sakura prompted gently when the moment stretched too long.

Shizune opened her mouth and her lips formed the word "yes," but no sound came out. Sakura understood. There was no way to be ready for this.

She reached out her hand and Shizune grasped it tightly with a sweaty palm. Together, they walked toward the funeral grounds, all silent, even Shinichi. The boy was no stranger to death. They were early, as they were required to be, though many officials including Naruto had beaten them there. He was subdued, sitting on the dais and staring off into space as he slowly ripped the petals from a daisy. Sakura stepped away from her small family and ascended the few stairs to take her place next to Naruto, rudely ignoring the Hokage, Raikage, Kazekage, and all other leaders and dignitaries gathered for the occasion, which had been planned to coincide with the final leg of the chuunin exam so that all could pay homage.

But Sakura didn't care about any of them paying homage. When Naruto turned to her, anguished eyes pooling with water, she knew he didn't either. With a sob but no words, he let the ruined daisy drop to the ground and buried his face in her neck.

"Tell me this isn't real," he begged, voice muffled against her, and the pain of his asking that almost made her lose her composure, curling her fingers into his hair too tightly. She'd had this moment in the hospital months ago, but seeing him have it was nearly too much.

But Naruto was asking her because he knew she would tell him the truth, even if it hurt. She had to stay strong for him.

"It's real, Naruto. It's real. She's gone."

Just hearing it seemed to ground him. His tears slowed and though he kept his face hidden, he reached for Shizune's hand on the other side of him, where she was making concerned noises in the back of her throat.

"I'm all right," he said finally, wiping his eyes and sitting up. "We'll just have to show her, yeah? Show her what we can do together. How the world can be."

Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat. "Of course, Naruto. You're right. She'd have liked that."

He nodded stiffly and took her hand too and they sat there linked, the three of them, as the grounds slowly filled with people, more than the eye could see, all of Konoha and the bulk of its visitors to the point of absurdity. Tsunade would have hated it unless they all brought her gifts, Sakura thought, and almost laughed. If she was here, she'd be drunk by now, and sneaking sake to Sakura, formal ceremony or no. They'd pretend to be straight laced together, trying not to laugh at Shizune's scandalized glares at the pair of them.

Eventually, the ceremony began. Sakura stood when she was supposed to, bowed when she was supposed to, but could still hardly tune in. Danzou began a long, dry recounting of Tsunade's accomplishments in life, her status as Sannin and her heritage.

Sakura didn't look into the crowd and least of all not down at the cenotaph in front of the dais, instead choosing to imagine Tsunade's reactions to such pomp, the places in her yukata she would ferret away sake in and the faces she would pull at such rote, obligatory praise.

More speakers rose, such as Gaara, talking about how Tsunade had managed to mend fences and repair generations of bad blood to forge alliances where everyone else had failed, and it was all nice enough but it washed over Sakura in a daze.

Naruto hung on every word and simply clung to their hands, finding some sort of solace in it, but Shizune was deteriorating. First tears began dripping down her face and then flowing freely, all of her normal poise totally absent. Naruto seemed somewhat alarmed, but it was natural as far as Sakura was concerned. Despite the fact that Shizune rarely cried, or even because of it, it was her turn in their trio. All they could do was weather it.

But as Gaara finished, Naruto and Sakura spotted the problem at the same time, sharing a look of panic. Shizune, who was practically crumpled in her chair, hiccoughing with sobs, was supposed to be speaking next.

"Naruto-kun," she pled. "You'll have to - to -"

As Shizune dissolved into tears again, she shoved Naruto out of his chair and he almost tripped. He caught himself on the podium, laughing nervously.

"Baa-chan would have laughed at that," he said awkwardly. "Er, Tsunade-sama, I mean. And that's the thing, isn't it? She was more than that to so many of us, but especially Shizune, Sakura, and me. She was a great lady, sure, but to us… She was just Tsunade. And to be honest, it's been pretty hard on us figuring out how to pick up the pieces and fill the holes she left in our hearts. So really, there's nothing for me to say except this: we'll do it, Baa-chan. We'll kick Akatsuki's asses. Nothing you've done will have been in vain."

As usual with Naruto's speeches, a rousing cheer raised in the crowd. "Still, I want to give Tsunade-sama the credit she deserves for all the hard work she did, and this speech is supposed to be about medical stuff." Naruto scratched behind the knot of his forehead protector in his classic sheepish gesture. "The problem is, I don't really understand any of that. So I'm going to let my best friend Haruno Sakura do that for me. Any of you visitors, if you haven't heard her name before, don't forget it. The Akatsuki fear it already, that's for sure. She was Tsunade's apprentice and she carries Tsunade's will into the next generation, as is the Leaf tradition."

Naruto craned his neck to give her a cheeky grin, despite his bloodshot eyes. Sakura sat on her uncomfortable chair, stiff as a board, and though she could feel her mouth hanging open, she seemed unable to close it. She managed to pull herself together enough to shake her head in panic, but Naruto ignored that and yanked her to her feet, shoving her forward. She just barely kept her balance as he pushed against her spine.

"Fuck off already, Naruto, I'm going," she hissed, intending for only him to hear, but it carried through the microphone. She could feel her face heat with embarrassment.

Naruto just laughed. "There you go, Sakura-chan, just be yourself and tell us about Tsunade. She'd get a kick out of it."

"Um…" Now that she was unexpectedly in front of the microphone, Sakura had no clue what to say. She'd helped Shizune write her speech, but it wasn't the same.

"I, uh - medical stuff, right?" She winced, but forced herself to go on. "Let's start this way then."

Sakura took a deep breath and steeled herself. "Those of you whom Tsunade died to directly resurrect, please raise your hands."

Shizune's trembling hand shot into the air, and then more, and a few stragglers, even Kakashi. For a second, Sakura couldn't go on, transfixed by his black glove hanging there. Contemplating what her life would be like if things had gone a different way was futile, so she tore her eyes away to scan the rest of the crowd.

"Good. Keep them raised. Now, those of you whose lives she directly saved with her own hands, put them up."

More hands went into the air, some with pumping fists. Not all of them were from Konoha. Lee waved his arm proudly, tears streaming down his face.

"How about those of you saved by me, eh? Because I'd be nothing without Tsunade-shishou."

Kankuro's hand shot up, Ryuu's, Tenten's, even Ino's, more hands than she had ever realized, many more than Sakura even recognized. Timidly, Sakura watched her mother slowly put her arm up. It was a strange feeling that threatened to make her throat close up, but Sakura was forced to go on. It wouldn't make sense to stop here.

"And we can't forget Shizune. Who remembers her chakra? It's almost like ice on a hot day, isn't it?"

More hands went up.

"But what would our hospital be like without Shizune, and every Konoha medic for that matter? Who of the Leaf would still be alive today if not for one of them?"

The hands kept shooting up, confidently now, eager to participate.

"Now, how about those of you who have had a loved one helped by Tsunade-shishou or any of her disciples, please raise your hands as well. Civilians, you too."

Every single Konoha hand was up now, and a large portion of the Sunagakure camp as well, and smatterings elsewhere.

"As much as Senju Tsunade means to Konoha, it doesn't stop there." Sakura's voice was strong now. "Every village has borrowed from her genius, small or great, enemy or ally. If there was ever a medic on your team rather than at some distant hospital who ever helped you in a pinch, that's Tsunade. If your medic ever survived a direct assault, that's probably her too. If your field hospital stayed organized during the fray - that's Tsunade."

Very few hands were at their owner's sides now. The corners of Sakura's eyes burned, but she swallowed the lump in her throat and gripped the edge of the podium until her knuckles turned white.

"Look around you. She touched all of our lives, even those of you who never met her. If that's not a legacy, I don't know what is. More importantly, it was never just for Konoha. 'Everyone deserves decent medical care,' she used to say. 'Even morons.'"

A smattering of laughter rose in the crowd and somehow that threatened to topple Sakura more than the sobs that still permeated the air.

Sakura cleared her throat. "She loved medicine, but her vision was grander than that. A whole world without division lines, no stupid wars, no more killing, no more meaningless death. She died for that dream, and Naruto can fob it off on me for being her apprentice all he wants, but it's Naruto who has inherited that vision. We know it, you know it, Tsunade knew it."

At the first cheer, Sakura startled, surprised. Tentatively, she kept going.

"We may have done a little backsliding lately, falling into old habits, but maybe with Tsunade-shishou's help, we can help show you what the future could be."

A large group began chanting "Ko-no-ha," but it was broken up by different types of cheers - different countries, different dialects. Finally, one emerged and took over.

"Na-ru-to! Na-ru-to! Na-ru-to!"

Sakura stared in wonder, and before anyone could rope her into saying another word, Sakura took her place by a completely dumbstruck Naruto.

"Naruto-kun," Shizune hissed, "go say something!"

Simpering sweetly, Sakura tipped Naruto out of his chair. He did fall this time, but got up quickly and stepped up to the microphone.

"I, uh, don't know how this happened, but… Leave it to Sakura-chan to know what to say, right? I usually do."

"Na-ru-to! Na-ru-to! Na-ru-to!"

"I know Tsunade would be pretty happy to see you all like this. She hated sad, boring stuff. So tonight, let's get drunk for her, all right?"

More cheers.

"And then we'll all be hungover at the Exam just like she would have been! And after that, we'll try to live up to the best future we can have. How about that?"

The roar was deafening now.

Sakura looked across the dais at Danzou. His face was frozen into an expression of rage mixed with defeat that Sakura would take to her grave.

For the first time that day, Sakura smiled.

…

Sakura lay on the couch, staring at the television blankly, pretending to follow along. The samurai danced on the screen and called it fighting, all grace and poise and none of the violence that Sakura knew. Her memory filled in the blanks, the smack of flesh pounding flesh, the give of her fist into what was once solid.

The samurai's leg snapped. Sakura laughed at the absurdity.

From her mother's chair, Akio looked at her and did not understand.

"That's not what breaking someone's femur sounds like," she tried to explain, attempting to get a handle on her giggles.

"You like this show?" her father said, sidestepping. "I know Miyamato Hana very well, actually."

Sakura finally stopped chuckling, baffled. "Um -"

Akio's brow wrinkled with a frown. "Miyamato Hana? She plays Keiko. She enjoys the Haruno Estate parties tremendously."

"Oh, right." Now that Sakura thought of it, she had seen the name in the credits. "Is she as stuck up as she seems?"

"I, ah -" He smiled carefully. "She's charming, of course."

Sakura snorted. "No she's not. Total bitch, right?"

Akio's smile became more wry and for a split second, Sakura shared a joke with her father for the first time. "Why don't you judge for yourself? You could visit."

There was an uncomfortable pause as Sakura's smile slowly slid from her face.

"I'd like that," Akio said, expression serious as well.

"Would you really?" Sakura wondered aloud. "Or just the idea of it?"

So she didn't have to face her father's stricken face, Sakura fled to the kitchen where Kakashi was sautéing vegetables. She wrapped her arms around his torso, cheek to back, and breathed deeply, nose filling with weapon polish and faint sweat and everything she expected. It was hard to imagine facing this day without that slight touch to her senses, olfactory or otherwise. He didn't say much, but he was there. That's all that mattered.

She had to be getting in his way, but he accommodated her wordlessly. He should have been mad at her for playing their hand today at the funeral without any planning whatsoever, but he didn't seem to be. Instead, he simply went about making her dinner, asking nothing of her, giving her the space she didn't even have to request.

"If I was wrong to say it," she whispered, "then I'm sorry. Naruto put me on the spot."

He shrugged, working around her to transfer the vegetables to the plates without dislodging her grip. "The timing wasn't terrible. And if anyone was to make an enemy of him, it might as well be you."

As usual, Sakura read between the lines. Kakashi wasn't thrilled that she'd pissed Danzou off even more, but it could be worse. They could work with it.

"What do you think Naruto expected you to do?" Kakashi asked. "Don't you trust him?"

Sakura relaxed against Kakashi and as he leaned over to pull the saury from the oven, she let him slip out of her arms.

She turned to begin setting the table and froze when she saw her father's eyes on them. But he said nothing.

Forcibly, Sakura reminded herself that he'd offered to stay elsewhere, eat elsewhere, and she'd been the one to tell him to stay. She quirked her lips into a smile.

"Dinner's ready."

…

After an awkward dinner that was powered through as quickly as possible, Sakura escaped with the excuse of meeting her friends out for the celebration Naruto promised. While she was upstairs getting ready, Kakashi patiently waited for her, leaning on the balcony door jam with one bent leg in his customary pose.

His amused smile as he watched her struggle with her makeup only irritated her.

"Excuse me for not wearing the same set of clothing for literally every occasion," she muttered, glaring at him.

He just chuckled and moved out of her way so she could exit onto the balcony.

She leaped up onto the balcony railing, but hesitated before launching off, looking back at Kakashi. They hadn't really discussed what would happen next.

"When I'm with them, we don't usually go to the Rusty Kunai, but you guys go there, yeah?"

Kakashi shrugged, clearly trying to keep the apprehension from his face. She could read him so well now.

"We can go wherever you want to go, Sakura-chan," he said bravely.

Poor Kakashi. He was really willing to go out with her girlfriends if she asked it of him. She wasn't that cruel.

"Don't be silly. You can do whatever you like. I'll meet you there later, okay?"

He smiled in relief. "I promise I'll drink in Tsunade-sama's honor."

"You better," she pretended to scold. "Proper drunk, you hear? Do her proud."

He gave a mock salute and they took off in separate directions.

When Sakura landed in front of Yakinuku Q, her crowd was just leaving.

They cheered loudly at the sight of her, some of them clearly half in their cups already.

"Sakura!" Naruto shouted.

"Perfect timing," Kiba said, one arm around Chouji and the around Shino. Even Shino's bugs seemed smashed, buzzing around his head in uneven zigzags.

"Where have you beeeen?" shouted Ino, doing a happy little dance that spilled some shochu from the can in her hand. "Kakashi wouldn't spring for a dinner out? He's loaded - we all know it."

Sakura blushed. It was true. She'd gone with Kakashi to end his lease and take care of some things, and the amount in his bank account was fairly ridiculous for a man that lived like a monk. She couldn't even imagine what it was like before the reconstruction. He had no concept of money at all, it soon became clear to Sakura; he'd nonchalantly handed her a stack of blank checks that she immediately put in the safe at home and had not touched. It was obvious why he never understood her struggles for money, in hindsight.

"My father's here," Sakura said defensively. "I wanted to eat at home. So what?"

Tenten and Ami took over, forcefully dragging her into the throng as they started moving to their next destination. "No one cares," Tenten announced with a wicked grin. "You're here now!"

They pushed her right into the middle of the group, along with Naruto. It was a little hard to be out in public with him with so many visitors in the city, but tonight, after her speech, just as many people craned their neck to get a good look at Sakura, too, pointing openly.

Temari and Shikamaru, whom she ended up next to, gave her an understanding look. "I'd have stayed home too," Temari said.

Shikamaru sighed. "What a drag."

It wasn't long before they found a bar to crowd into. There really wasn't room for them all but some Konoha ninja lifted their drinks in honor and left, clearing space for them.

Sakura quickly tried to make up for lost time, letting herself be drawn into the rowdiness. As time went on, she loosened up and had fun with her friends the way Tsunade would have wanted.

"So jealous," moaned Kiba as he brought Sakura another round, bought by random bar patrons as a sign of respect for their mourning. "You and Naruto haven't paid for a damn drink all night!"

Sakura smiled wickedly, taking the offered sake - not her usual high quality fare, but she was beyond caring. "You're just mad because Ami's drinking you under the table and you're footing the bill."

Kiba pouted, turning to look at his loquacious bride-to-be, who was currently engaged in a drinking contest with Sai. "She is not. She's killing Sai, though. 'Atta girl!" he shouted over with a catcall.

Ami blew a very sloppy kiss, cheeks flushed with liquor.

Sakura went back to sit down with Ino, Tenten, and Hinata in their little table that was only meant to seat three. Tenten was currently seated on Hinata's lap, crooning a horrid rendition of "The Warrior and the Flame."

Neji was conspicuously absent and Tenten was conspicuously wasted, so they all knew better than to pry. Hinata, sober as usual, just bore it quietly and did her best to keep Tenten upright, making her alternate with sips of water to stay hydrated.

Ino threw a friendly arm around Sakura's shoulders. "It's good to have the gang all together again, don'tcha think? Even Shika and Konohamaru are here. Lee's missing, but he's babysitting Masako so he doesn't feel left out." She hung out of the chair trying to flag someone down. "Hey, Moegi! Come have a drink with us, pipsqueak!"

Looking a little apprehensive, Moegi broke away from her trio, who had been catching up with Naruto. She approached, but there was no room to sit, so she shifted her weight awkwardly. She was de facto adopted into the fold via Naruto's friendship with Konohamaru, but even before she had been stationed at Grass for many months, she barely knew most of them. She'd only been recalled for extra security for the exam.

"On me!" Ino trilled happily and went up to the bar, leaving Moegi to slide into her seat.

"Are you happy to be home?" Sakura asked politely.

"It's nice to see my family," Moegi said with a shrug, "and it's been too quiet in Grass lately. I'm ready for action."

Sakura couldn't help but flicker her eyes to Moegi's scarred burn marks from her neck all the way down to her hand. She didn't bother hiding them, still in short sleeves. "You'd think you'd seen enough action for a lifetime," Sakura said dryly. "But I remember how it feels. Always raring to go."

Funny how Moegi reminded her of a younger version of herself, but from not that long ago. Sakura was only eighteen - she really shouldn't feel this old.

"It's more action than I've seen, Moegi-chan," Hinata said kindly, fanning Tenten's face, who was too out of it to participate. "The Pain battle is the biggest thing I've ever been a part of. At least you're with your team. Mine have moved on without me."

Her smile was sad now and she covered it by fussing over Tenten.

Moegi cleared her throat, unsure how to respond. "You have your clan and stuff though, right?"

Quickly, Hinata pasted on a bright smile. "Of course. I wasn't complaining. I heard you were quite heroic in the Grass battle, Moegi-chan!"

Moegi's already ruddy cheeks got even more pink. "I don't know about that. I almost lost my damn arm."

Ino finally returned with shots for all of them, plopping them on the table. "Bullshit! You saved Konohamaru's life even with your whole shit on fire. It was cool as hell, and don't forget it!"

"I'll drink to that," Sakura said, and downed her shot. The others followed suit, even Tenten, who was somehow still cognizant enough to grab the shot intended for Hinata, who probably would never drink it anyway.

"Thanks, senpai. And I'm glad you were there, or I might not be here. Really," Moegi said with a sincere smile to Ino, and left to return to her team.

Ino slid back into her seat and Sakura turned to her curiously. "You were in Grass battle? I didn't know that."

"Well, not at the beginning, but yeah…" Ino said sheepishly.

"You didn't say!" Sakura gasped, almost hurt to be left out of this detail.

Ino sighed and stole some of Tenten's water. "I helped heal at the tail end is all. I was… I kind of was the one to bring the intelligence on the attack in the beginning."

Tenten perked up a little bit. "That's fucking cool," she slurred, looking a little worse for the wear.

"Very impressive," Hinata said, a little distracted by Tenten's failing constitution. "I heard our position would have been very poor without that."

"Yeah, well, I did it on my back, so it didn't feel very impressive," Ino said glumly, looking into her empty shot glass.

Sakura sucked in her breath, unsure of how to respond, when Tenten interrupted by gagging, vomit clearly imminent.

"I've got this," Hinata said and hurried Tenten towards the lady's room.

"You know I can get you a job in my branch of Intelligence now," Sakura said finally. "I told you that before. It might not be ideal, but it'll be something. There's no shame to it."

Ino didn't meet her eye. "But then who would have warned us about Grass? Everyone has a calling, and this is mine, I guess."

"Ino…"

She shrugged, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder. "I think I've finally made peace with it. But it doesn't have to be the way it is now. Toriichi Keiko reached out to me. We've been talking… she has some interesting things to say. And she's going to sponsor our genjutsu for field testing. Like, legitimately, up front, above board, all of that."

"Huh…" Sakura turned this information over in her mind. "If you say so, Ino. But my offer will always stand."

Ino gave her a watery smile. "I know. And I love you for it."

Something suddenly struck Sakura. "Hey, you never told me who you completed your part of the genjutsu with."

Squirming, Ino turned beet red like Sakura had never seen her before. "Is that right," she said weakly, trying to force a little giggle.

"Yamanaka Ino!" Sakura said, standing up in excitement, sensing something juicy. "I showed you the most awkward, weird sex of my life with my teacher! If you don't tell me right this minute —!"

Ino hushed her. "Fine, fine," she muttered, and Sakura settled back down, taking another sip of her drink from before. "It was Yamato."

Sakura spit her sake in a fine mist over the table, almost choking on it. "It was — what? Yamato?"

"Shut up, Billboard Brow!" shrieked Ino loud enough to get people's attention even in the noisy bar. "Seriously," Ino hissed, quieter.

"But Ino," Sakura began again, more calmly this time but still bewildered, "Yamato is gay."

Cheeks still rosy, Ino groaned. "I know that, stupid. But Sakura… so am I, sort of. We kind of … bonded over it, or something. We each had stuff to figure out."

"When?" Sakura asked, taking a too big gulp of her drink. Suddenly she wished to be much more drunk than she actually was.

"When Genma was missing. They weren't really a thing yet. I mean, they were, but they were totally pretending not to be." Ino put her head in her hands, smiling sheepishly at Sakura through her fingers. "I thought you forgot about that. Damn."

Still shell shocked, Sakura sat back in her seat. "I did, for awhile. He hit on me too around that time, you know. It was so out of character."

Ino winced. "And you slapped him. He told me. He was kind of fucked up…. he's mostly better now. We still talk sometimes. He was actually in love with Kakashi for like, a decade. He was crazy jealous of you. He knew about you two somehow, way before I did."

Sakura just stared, jaw agape. "What the… A decade?"

With a shrug of her shoulders, Ino dismissed this revelation. "He's completely over it now, which is probably good since I'm pretty sure Kakashi wouldn't be able to figure it out if his life depended on it. Am I right?"

Sakura managed to summon a weak chuckle. "You're definitely right. So was this was like, an ongoing thing?"

Ino pulled a face and waved her hands in front of her face. "Not like that. We definitely both hated the sex anyway. Just awful. We were trying to prove we weren't gay but … we are."

Trying to mask her confusion, Sakura finished off her sake, dearly wishing for more. "You are?"

Hesitating, Ino started to speak and then stopped again. "At this point, mostly," she said finally.

Sakura furrowed her brow. "For obvious reasons, the thought occurred to me, but growing up, you never…"

"You deserve to know the truth," Ino said. "I like guys too. I just kind of associate them with missions now, but women, on the other hand… So, when we were little, I kept the other feelings to myself. I pretended they didn't exist because they were confusing. Truthfully, though, I always had a crush on you. I only pretended to like Sasuke because I was jealous."

"Ino…" Sakura frowned, at a loss for words.

Ino laughed, patting her on the hand. "You're like the least lesbian woman in the world, though. I'm over it. I promise."

"Was it hard for you?" Sakura asked, throat dry. "To watch me … watch me like that? In the memories?"

Ino shrugged. "It stung a little, but I'd made my peace with it by then. I was more bothered by the weird dysfunctional thing you had going on with Kakashi. It wasn't healthy."

"And what do you think now?" Sakura said carefully, nerves fluttering in her stomach for some reason.

"Look," Ino sighed. "You love him… duh. I knew that months before you figured it out, airhead. He loves you, plain as day. Did it come from a good place? Probably not, no. It's pretty messed up if you sit down and think about it. Is it really awkward when you two have to make it so obvious that you fuck like bunnies in heat? Totally. But it is what it is, right? You're so much happier now I can't pretend I don't support it."

Sakura frowned, and Ino did too, peering at her much more seriously than usual.

"I kinda worry you're gonna break his heart some day, though," Ino said. "I feel like I know him now, after everything. Is that wrong of me? You'd never mean to, I know that. He's not a baby bird with a broken wing or anything, but… you know how men are. They have these ideas. And I'm just not sure that's you."

"Ibiki said something similar. 'Good, loyal men want good, loyal wives' or something like that," Sakura said, inspecting her nails, noting it was already chipped after Shizune's careful manicure.

"You're good, and you're loyal," Ino said with a shrug. "I say just see how the cards fall. Maybe the war will actually end and we won't be so fucked up in the head anymore. Who knows."

"Yeah, who knows…" Sakura trailed off, lost in thoughts she didn't want to have.

Ino broke her out of her reverie by fetching her a can of shochu. "Chin up, Billboard Brow. The sex is good and he makes you smile. We could all die tomorrow. Forget the rest!"

With more fervor, Sakura returned to revelry. The rest of the night was a blur of friends and laughter, but she did successfully wheedle those still standing to follow her to The Rusty Kunai.

It was late, so the crowd had thinned and everyone left out was drunker than a skunk, so when they tumbled into her favorite bar, it was easy to spot who was on her mind, nestled away in the corner booth.

She could feel a smile spreading across her face at the sight of him, draped across the back of the booth like he owned it. Naruto noticed.

"Looks like we're losing Sakura-chan," he announced, and a couple of people just rolled their eyes as they herded the drunker ones to the only area large enough to seat them.

Soon their table was abuzz with new attention and well-wishing to Naruto, but she managed to slip away unnoticed. Momoe shooed a disgruntled cozy couple from their table in anticipation, so Sakura obliged by sitting down, nodding in appreciation.

She held up two fingers and tapped the table, not really in the mood for speech. Momoe didn't mind and went and fetched her a bottle of her sake and two bowls. Before Sakura could forget, she slipped Momoe a large bill for all her trouble. Momoe tucked it in her bra and winked conspiratorially at Sakura before slipping away to serve someone else.

While she waited, she poured herself a bowl of chilled sake and sipped it, savoring the flavor. True to form, it didn't take Kakashi long to notice her and abruptly make his way over, his table guffawing after him.

"I heard somewhere that it's rude to keep a lady waiting," Kakashi said with a smile as she poured him his own bowl.

She smiled back at him, looking at his more-mussed-than-usual hair and the lack of focus in his eye.

"You did get proper drunk after all. I didn't interrupt anything, did I? You can go back over if you want."

Emboldened by cheap booze, he ran a hand up the outside of her thigh. Under the table or no, his intention was unmistakable.

"And miss such interesting conversation?" he quipped, inching her tight skirt up to show more leg, but leaving it low enough to still be decent.

"Conversation," Sakura snorted. "Right."

With a mischievous smile, Kakashi finally put his hands back above the table, taking a sip of his genshu.

"And what of your friends?" he asked idly, quirking his head towards her gaggle of partygoers.

Sakura laughed. "Are you kidding? They're probably trying to eavesdrop." She tossed a quick glance over her shoulder to see a sobered-by-vomit Tenten and Ami peering keenly at them. "Yup."

Kakashi leaned a little too close to her face, his voice playful but already a bit husky with desire. "Then we'll just have to be quiet."

As usual, his lust ignited her own, and she stared at his lips, tempted, mask or no. He could tell, and his hand crept up her thigh again, but the inside, below her skirt line but teasing.

"You know, you never told me what you think of me. It's only fair," he said, trying to distract her, starting their old game.

"Hmm, let's see," Sakura said, fighting to keep her breaths even and measured. He was referring to that time after they'd euthanized Tsunade so she tried to play along.

His fingers traced a pattern just a fraction of a centimeter higher, but still not where she wanted. She struggled not to slide down into his touch.

"You're an excellent ninja."

"Mm." Kakashi propped one hand on his chin to keep up the image of propriety while the opposite hand wandered.

"You're frustrating," she said as innocently as possible, unable to keep the slightest tremble from her voice.

"And why is that?" Kakashi inched higher but stopped just short, deliberately ignoring the double entendre.

"Have you ever met yourself?" Sakura ground out, rolling her eyes. "But it's funny when you frustrate other people and not me."

Kakashi gave her his lopsided lazy grin, and that he could be as cool as a cucumber while driving her mad only incensed her. "It's more fun when it's you."

"That's why you're frustrating," she said, clamping her thighs shut on his hand, stopping him. "You're also a terrible patient, so try not to get hurt anymore."

"I'll keep that in mind." He wiggled his fingers in her grip, probing.

"You say you hate leadership, but you hate following orders even more. You're insensitive to other people's feelings, most of the time." Sakura leaned closer to him, her eyes still drawn to his lips. "But once you figure it out, you're selfless. You give all of yourself or nothing. And I want it all."

His hand had stopped moving now, limp between her thighs, and he was staring at her with a familiar burn in his eye. She wanted to stoke the flame higher, make him lose control.

"One more thing," she whispered, breath fanning across his ear. "You have a great ass."

"Is that right?" he said, so close to her now that their lips were almost brushing.

"That's right."

The fire in his eyes took on a softer edge as he stared down at her. "Have I told you recently that I love you?"

Sakura smiled. "You never have, actually. But that's all right. I knew it anyway."

"Good," he said firmly.

Sakura laid a hand in his cheek, toying with his mask.

"Would you still love me if I pulled down your mask and kissed you in front of all these people?"

He pulled it down himself and pulled her into a deep kiss, restarting the longing in her loins. She hardly registered the catcalls, so full of him were her senses, and before she knew it, he was hurrying her out of there and she scrambled to comply, glued to his side.

They leapt to the rooftops as usual, but it quickly became apparent that Kakashi's balance and chakra control were failing him in his inebriation when they almost fell off of a slanted, shingled civilian roof and she had to lunge to catch him.

He scowled at her as she steadied him, but she just laughed and said, "Let's run on the ground. It'll be quicker."

His pride didn't stop him from expedience and without words, they ran on the ground to reach their home. When they got there, though, Kakashi looked so overwhelmed by the prospect of getting up to the balcony that she laughed again and made the mistake of kissing him.

Once they started, they couldn't stop, so they stumbled backwards, still joined, and fumbled open the front door.

Sakura stubbed her toe and almost fell over as they crossed the threshold. Growling at the interruption, Kakashi yanked her up into his arms again, propping himself up against the wall as he slammed the door behind them. Sakura obliged by wrapping her legs around his waist and was quite ready to fuck him right there in the living room when someone startled her by clearing their voice.

"Oh my God, what are you doing?" whined Sakura at the sight of her father as she stumbled back to her own feet. In her alcohol-laden state, she had entirely forgotten his existence. "Did you wait up for me or something? Shit."

He stared at them impassively. "A father worries when his daughter is out late, doing who knows what."

"I can take care of myself. Mind your business," she snapped, took Kakashi's hand, and led him right past Akio and up the stairs.

Sakura flopped on the bed, put her pillow over her face and screamed. "He literally could not be more annoying," she said as she removed it. "He has no right."

Kakashi just hummed a noncommittal noise as he shed his weapons and clothing to slide into bed next to her. Without asking, he took off her shoes for her and she rolled into him, hiding her face in his neck.

"That was mortifying," she said, sound muffled against his body.

With no words, he rolled on top of her to trap her with his arms, pressing his erection into her core.

"Do you really care?" he said into her ear, not as heated as before but with the coals still burning.

She hooked her legs into his and grinned up at him. "I really don't give a shit, no. And you better finish what you started."

He wasted no time in doing just that, and she could think no more.

...

"Where do we sit? Where do we sit? Do we sit up front? Since you're an examiner, can I go on the field?"

"No," Kakashi said curtly, ignoring Shinichi's eager bouncing. "We will sit in section 3E."

"You can sit with your friends if you want, Shinichi-kun," Sakura said in exasperation, snagging the neck of his tee-shirt before he was lost in the crowd. "But if you need to find us, we'll be in 3E. We've been over this."

"But why?" Shinichi whined. "I saw the map. 3E is in the back!"

Kakashi sighed and caught Shinichi as he tried to run ahead again, scooping him up and putting him on his shoulders, a steadying hand on each of Shinichi's knees. That seemed to satisfy the boy for the moment, hands clutching fistfuls of Kakashi's hair like reins. His excited eyes scanned the crowd from his new vantage point, the streets filled with many foreign sites and sounds.

"You're a very active young man," Akio said in an almost accusatory tone, no doubt weary of having listened to the same conversation for the fifth time that morning. "Where is your mother? Didn't she teach you to respect your elders?"

"She's in River Country with my sister," Shinichi announced happily. "When my sister reached her name day, we named her Sakura."

Akio started, his eyes boring a hole into the back of Sakura's head. Her cheeks heated.

Shinichi leaned down to whisper in Kakashi's ear. "This old geezer is boring."

Kakashi laughed, and Sakura couldn't help it. She laughed too. Her father huffed, but didn't argue, his own cheeks somewhat rosy.

As soon as they neared the coliseum, Shinichi clamored to be let down before his friends could see him and scurried into the crowd.

"3E really is in the back," Akio said, mildly disgruntled. Sakura just rolled her eyes.

Before long, after a few brief speeches, the matches finally began. As usual, Konoha favored its own home turf with the most applicants. Akio wandered in and out, talking to other attending merchants and other people Sakura didn't care to know. He was a consummate wheeler and dealer, just as Sakura remembered him.

Kakashi and Sakura watched closely, exchanging mostly glances, no words necessary. Sakura would have to weigh in later on the judging and who would pass on to chuunin. Kakashi, having instructed some of the contestants, was considered biased, but Sakura paid attention to who impressed him.

"Hmm," Kakashi said, frowning as his eyes followed the rapid movement of a young Cloud girl.

"Yes," Sakura agreed, setting her chin on her palm as she smiled at him. "I knew you'd like her. You're so predictable - such a sucker for quick footwork."

Kakashi grunted, engrossed in the match between the young kunoichi and a burly Waterfall nin.

Akio scoffed. "You like her for the match? He's three times her size!"

"He'd have been dead twenty minutes ago if this were a battle," Sakura said, shaking her head. "He's flagging. Look."

Akio sighed. "It's a good thing I've already bet on him, then, isn't it? Why don't these ruddy matches have commentators?"

Sakura wrinkled her nose. "Why would a ninja need a commentator? Civilians couldn't follow along if they tried, so why bother?"

Akio pursed his lips but said nothing. Sakura sighed.

"I'll suggest it next time we host. I see your point, actually. As long as they don't make me do it."

Kakashi chuckled at that. "Now I'll suggest it."

"Who would be a better commentator than the great Hatake Kakashi himself, eh?" Sakura teased, knowing he could dish it out much better than he could take it.

And all of a sudden, the Waterfall nin took a knee, breathing hard. For a split second, the Cloud nin swung through her attack, stopping just short of the man's downturned neck. But stop she did, and laid the palm of her hand on his nape. She had won, and that was all that was necessary. Cloud and Waterfall had once been enemies, but that had ceased mattering.

Sakura smiled and leaned back into the hard metal bench, arms spreading out behind Kakashi and her father as she stared into the sky. The warm fall sun touched her cheeks, and she let it, eventually closing her eyes against the glare. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night and her head still pounded in her usual hangover. This match marked a break in the festivities for a short while, which she knew because she helped plan it, so she would take advantage of that time.

Her moment of relaxation was not to be. Kakashi's hand dropped heavily to her knee, fingers tightening. He was stiff next to her, coiled tightly, so she cracked an eye open to see what had gotten him worked up.

And then she promptly sat all the way up, jaw dropping open briefly.

"What are you doing here?"

Jino was in front of her, smiling softly in his opulent golden robes, wearing his two guards like accessories, as usual.

When she scowled, Jino's smile deepened the lines on his face. "That's no way to greet an old friend, now is it, Sakura-chan? It's only good business to keep up on the relations of the ninja villages."

Sakura stared blankly, still not comprehending. "Your entrance was authorized?"

Jino only chuckled, waving a dismissive hand, rings flashing in the sunlight. "Of course. The Hokage himself extended the use of a diplomatic suite for my use, as a gesture of gratitude for recent considerable investments in projects of interest to Konoha."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "How charitable of you."

"You sound surprised," Jino said with feigned hurt, belied by his smile. "You know what a philanthropist I am."

"Philanthropist indeed," Sakura snorted, giggling. "Not all of us can afford to buy our way out of treason charges."

Jino stopped smiling, expression suddenly quite serious, mouth in a straight line, his thin lips white from clenching them. "And you expect to be compensated for this."

Sakura's laughter died in her throat as well, and she studied Jino, contemplating. He recognized that he owed her a debt. A debt from such a man was a fine opportunity for many things. And yet, he had vouched for her in Nenzo after she had left him with only threats. Without that, her mission would surely have failed. Only one dead, out of the eight who had begun and the four more who had come chasing them. It could have been so much worse.

Jino shifted on his feet, looking uncomfortable as Sakura had never seen him. "I assumed you would be smart enough to exercise discretion in such matters."

He hadn't planned on Konoha ever learning of his offer, that was clear. So it had been genuine, and not just another move on the game board. Sakura had wondered that.

"You underestimate subordinates. You always have," Sakura said. It spoke volumes that he assumed she had absolute control over those around her, as he did. It was flattering, though entirely untrue. The hard spot in her stomach that she had been harboring for Jino since her trial softened a little.

Jino sighed. "Who was it, then?" Jino eyed Kakashi's hand on her knee, wry smile back on his lips as he met Kakashi's fiery gaze. "Not that one."

Sakura slipped her leg from under Kakashi's palm, crossing her knees as she waited. She gave Kakashi side eye in warning, and he glued his lips shut, eyes narrowing. Jino would never answer such a question outright - so why should she?

Jino was silent in thought, calculation behind his eyes. He had never expected her to answer.

"The guard. The one who spotted mine. He was clever."

Sakura smiled. "Clever, yes, and loyal."

"Not to you," Jino said, and someone else would have mistaken his voice for cold, but not Sakura. "I thought you would have known better than to have subordinates with mixed loyalties."

"In Konoha, we don't buy loyalty. We earn it." Sakura met Jino's challenge, staring right back at him.

For a split second, Jino's facade fell, and he was unsure, probing. "And have I earned yours?"

Jino didn't like to be wrong, or to be caught off guard. He had rarely been afflicted with such a problem. It had shaken him a little, Sakura saw now.

"I don't know," she said simply. "Have you?"

"I put you in a difficult position," Jino said, looking more like himself. "I see that now."

"I didn't forget what you did for me in Nenzo, you know," Sakura said with a sigh.

Jino's black eyes were hard like diamonds. "I wouldn't have, if I had known you were only there to slaughter them all. I gave you my name as backing. My name. You knew what you were asking."

Sakura winced. "Reputation is worth more than gold. I know."

"Yes, and you diminished mine." Even his voice had lost its smoothness now, hard and demanding as he stared down at her.

Sakura met his gaze calmly. "And you mine."

Neither of them said anything for a moment, evaluating the other. What was the point in being angry? It was impractical. Neither of them had intended the unfortunate outcome that had come to be. She waited for him to reach the same conclusion - and he did, smiling once more.

"You're lucky. Rock is taking credit for neutralizing the leader of Earth's biggest crime syndicate. If it had been attributed to Konoha, it wouldn't be hard to associate a gambling woman that leaves a trail of corpses to you, cover or no."

Sakura scoffed. "No one could have known anything for sure. There were no witnesses."

"You made sure of that, of course," Jino said, almost fondly. "All the same, I would avoid that alias from now on. A certain red haired woman might find that she has far more enemies than she had before."

"A certain red haired woman is dead," Sakura said, shaking her head with a smirk.

"Good. Keep it that way. I told you years ago to bury tales of Gatou, and if that is important, then this is paramount."

"Reputation is worth more than gold," Sakura said with the dullness of repetition. He used to lecture her about such things when she was younger - never become too comfortable, the empire can always crumble, reputation is worth more than gold, such adages that he lived by that he wanted to impress upon her. Truthfully, Sakura admitted to herself that he had been successful in that goal.

Jino's smile softened, and she could almost read his mind, thinking of the same thing she was. "If you only remember one thing I've ever said to you, let it be that."

A voice, magically amplified, floated through the air. "The next match will start in approximately five minutes."

"I'm sure you have better seats than this, and your wife is probably missing you."

Jino put a hand on his heart, pretending to be wounded. "My wife? Sakura-chan, it's cruel to mock a man so. You know very well that my dear Kimiko is recently late of an aggressive strain of stomach flu."

Sakura snorted again, stretching out to be more comfortable. "Stomach flu my ass. If I found out you killed her for me, I will –"

Jino sniffed, affronted. "How callous you must see me. My first two wives aren't dead, are they?"

"How lucky they are to be holed up in lonely estates, honor besmirched, with children you don't acknowledge as yours," Sakura said, blinking in saccharine innocence.

"Only one of them has a child I do not acknowledge, and yes, they are lucky," Jino said with a laugh deep in his belly. "Of course, neither of them tried to embezzle from me, either."

"Odd coincidence, that." Sakura shrugged.

"Isn't it?" Jino inspected his manicured nails in boredom.

"Still, I assumed you would be re-married by now," Sakura insisted. "You were single for about four days last time. I was at the wedding, remember?"

Frowning at a hangnail, Jino ignored her question. "I tire of trading nuptials as a commodity among businessmen. I was – am – looking for something different – a more satisfying arrangement."

Sakura's breath caught in her throat as she eyed him, wary. "No less a commodity."

Jino met her gaze steadily. "A much more valuable one, though. Both parties could profit equally."

Jino was speaking plainly now, and it ignited Sakura's ire once more. She would speak plainly as well. "Was I not clear last time? I'm not interested in marriage, Jino," she snapped.

"I see that." Jino was looking at Kakashi now, at his rigid posture and clamped jaw. His eyes flickered between Kakashi and Sakura as Sakura placed a hand on Kakashi's tense thigh, soothing him. "I simply wanted to clarify that should you become amenable, I am not opposed to modifying the terms. It is not entirely a bad thing to retain good relations with Konohagakure in such a way. Especially given the political climate you made so clear yesterday, little Sakura-chan. It is wise, it appears, to remain on your good side."

Sakura's nostrils flared but she refused to take the bait. "I won't be changing my mind."

Jino tilted his head congenially. "As you say. But I am a smart man and you are a smart woman. It seems to me that what you oppose is not my employ, but my hand in marriage. I was never particularly set on the latter. A means to an end, no more."

Sakura sighed, wiping a hand down her face. She could feel her father's eyes drilling into her. What she would give to have had this conversation in any other company.

"Not just that. Being on retainer means I agree to do your bidding before I know what it is, and I'll never consent to that."

"It's as I thought, then." Jino snapped his fingers and instantly, his guard procured a folder which was placed in his grip. "And on a contractual basis?"

He tried to hand Sakura the folder. She hesitated with her hand hovering above it, but his smile tempted her. It was a victory smile. He knew he had won - which meant that whatever was in that folder would interest her. She took it from him.

She flipped through it, quickly spotting what he knew would hook her. He wanted her to find the antidote to the most infamous scorpion in the world, the one whose poison supposedly was incurably fatal.

"This would require resources," Sakura said, voice businesslike.

Jino nodded. "Whatever you need, within reason."

Sakura kept reading, flipping to the next page. "I'm not hunting down a specimen. They're from the next continent."

"Of course not," Jino agreed pleasantly. "I'll have a few delivered. Alive or dead?"

Sakura weighed her options. "Dead, please. For starters."

Sakura paused when she found the more formal contractual agreement section with a large figure attached - quite a large figure.

Jino saw her staring at it. "I trust the terms are acceptable."

Sakura snapped the folder closed. "And if there truly is no antidote?"

Jino smiled once again, that wicked grin that told Sakura he was having fun just as he intended. "Have you ever disappointed me?"

Sakura raised a lazy shoulder. "You said it yourself. There's a first time for everything."

Jino was uninterested in what she had to say on that. "If I wanted to hear about what is impossible, I'd hire someone in a lab coat to bore me to death."

Sakura had stopped paying attention to him as well, already re-opening the folder, which contained all previously unsuccessful research on the subject. "I'll let you know after I study the sample," Sakura said absently, without looking back up at Jino.

The disembodied voice came once again to give a final warning that the match was about to begin.

"These seats are dreadful," Jino said disdainfully, looking around. "Can I invite you to my box? And your cohorts, of course," he added as an afterthought.

Akio jumped up, smoothing his clothing. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Shihito-san," he began nervously. "I am -"

"Haruno Akio, Sakura's father in name, at least," Jino finished, the same vaguely unpleasant expression on his face as when he was looking around at the crowded bleachers, as if he had bitten into a fruit past its prime. "If I was interested, I would have asked."

Akio sat again, face red with embarrassment.

Jino chuckled, amused once more. "You are an interesting girl who makes interesting choices," he said, gaze lingering on Kakashi. Of course he knew exactly who Kakashi was as well.

"I'll be staying here," Sakura said firmly, wishing for the conversation to end.

Jino took the hint, his lips quirking in dangerous amusement. "Of course you would not abandon your assigned black ops post for creature comforts alone." His eyes lingered on the now-permanent leaf tattoo displayed on her shoulder, shimmering where she gathered and infused chakra as described in her sensei's scrolls. "You must protect this seething mass of idiots, am I correct? Still, I thought it polite to offer."

"Hold your tongue, civilian," Kakashi snapped, speaking for the first time, his tone biting.

"Ah, should I pretend the world does not understand Hatake Kakashi's place in it?" Jino chuckled lightly, but it trapped something heavier underneath. "And now they begin to know Haruno Sakura's place as well. It is not the safe position I had hoped for."

Kakashi said nothing, only clenched his fists so hard they began to shake. His face was stoic, as usual, and yet demanding, daring Jino to go on.

"Perhaps you understand me all too well," Jino said, conceding as if it was nothing. "My apologies, then." To Sakura, Jino hesitated and then added, "Be careful. Even Konoha has more parasites than it once did."

Sakura smiled. "I told you. I enjoy squashing ticks."

Jino returned her smile, genuinely for once. "I see you have finally found what you want your name to mean. I am glad."

Suddenly overwhelmed by his piercing gaze, Sakura looked down at her lap, feeling heat to the tips of her ears.

The moment broken, Jino nodded, returning to business. "I'll be in touch."

"I'm sure you will," Sakura said, glad to see his back as Jino turned on his heel and walked away, silent guards in tow.

Unconcerned, Sakura glanced back down at the research folder. "Look at this compound. I think it's unique. Shizune will –"

Kakashi cut her off, turning his stony gaze on her now. "He almost got you killed and you agree to work for him again?"

Sakura huffed out a deep breath in exasperation, dreading Kakashi's inevitable displeasure. "It's just an antidote. That's it."

Akio, looking dazed, interrupted before either one of them could boil over. "Was that – do you know who that man is?"

"Do you?" Sakura said dumbly. Of course her father recognized Shihito Jino. "Sorry for not introducing you. That was rude of me."

Akio ignored that. "Do I – that's the richest man on the continent, Sakura. And he just proposed to you?"

Kakashi made a noise in the back of his throat, letting his irritation show on his face. He turned away to hide, but it was clear from his voice anyway. "For the second time."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "And I turned him down. For the second time."

Akio still stared at her as if he'd never seen her before. "You said no? That kind of wealth – prestige –"

Sakura sat up on the bench, spine straightening as she bristled. "You want me to marry Jino of all people, after what you said to Kakashi that time? Jino is much older than –"

"You don't understand," Akio said quietly, pointedly avoiding looking at Kakashi. "What that could mean for you, for the family –"

Sakura stared straight ahead. "They're not my family. But you know too little of me to say what I would or would not understand. I know what I want, and it's not that."

"And what is it, then?" cried Akio, trying to keep his voice down. "I don't understand you, it's true! Is what you want truly to be someone's mistress for all your life while he lives in your house? To raise someone else's child?"

"And what if it is?" Sakura said coldly, finally looking at him, feeling numb. "Do you think I care what kind of whore you think I am?"

"It's not that!" insisted Akio. "It's been normalized for you, but you deserve better! I'm just trying to help -"

"I'd ask you what I deserve, but then I'd have to give a shit," Sakura said, turning away again. "You know why I can't leave, so do me a favor. Go network. I know you really came for business anyway."

"If it bothers you that I conduct business," Akio said desperately, "I won't. It's tradition to make such handshake deals at events, but -"

"Then go shake hands," Sakura snapped, turning away.

"That's not why I came," Akio said as he stood. When she didn't respond, he walked away.

Sakura almost breathed a sigh of relief, but Kakashi, too, was so tense beside her that it rolled off of him in waves.

"You missed Yoshikazu's match," he said tersely, bringing her attention back to the arena.

"Shit," she swore when she realized he was right.

Yoshikazu was raising his hands in victory. Michio was on the field, helping dislodge another Konoha boy's hand from a tree, to which it was pinned with an excellently thrown shuriken.

"He's got his aim back," she said timidly, "Thanks to you."

Kakashi looked at her askance, but didn't respond.

The next opponents were already taking the field. Sakura heaved a sigh and turned her mind to the task at hand.

...

It was a fairly uneventful finals event. Like Konohamaru, the more experienced genin that might have participated had been plucked already for the war. That left mostly talented youngsters as participants rather than formidable monsters like those of her own first exam. Yoshikazu placed a respectable third, while the Cloud kunoichi won it all.

Tomorrow, Sakura would have to argue about who deserved the promotion, but not today.

She put two fingers to her lips and whistled loudly, startling the civilians around her and earning a few dirty looks. Her own father winced. Despite her harsh words, he had stayed away only briefly and then come back to her side, like a puppy.

Sakura cared not. If Shinichi was within hearing range, he would come to her whistle. He had gotten quite good at honing into sounds. Sakura enjoyed working with him. He hadn't yet begun to mold chakra in his studies, but there were skills that preceded that.

Sakura had grown up civilian. She remembered exactly which parts of her studies she struggled with compared to her peers from ninja heritage. There was no one at home to augment her education and practice with. That's how she had been led to books. It was one of the only ways she could learn as a solitary activity.

Next to her, Kakashi whistled again as they fought through the crowd. He never asked her what she was doing with the child, or why. He just went along with it, no explanation necessary. He was an intelligent man; he already guessed close enough not to care about the details.

And like clockwork, Shinichi and his friends shuffled through the crowd to swarm around her and Kakashi.

The little boy's eyes were bright with excitement, for once all of his bitterness shed.

"Didja see? Didja see?" Shinichi said, tugging on her shirt.

"See what?" Sakura said, smiling down at him. "But of course I did. I was judging. I saw everything."

Unable to contain his energy, Shinichi started scaling her like he usually did Kakashi, climbing her like a ladder.

"Well you're going to say Yoshikazu wins, right? He was so cool! That kunai, right through the hand!"

Sakura reached up to steady him as he settled onto her shoulders, laughing. "He already lost, technically, Shinichi-kun -"

"Whoa." One of the other boys interrupted, pointing straight at her, jaw hanging open. "What is that?"

Sakura looked down and felt her cheeks redden when she realized her shirt had ridden up as she held Shinichi, baring the knot of gnarled skin she had hidden for so long.

She couldn't let go, for Shinichi was bouncing on her shoulders, unfazed. "That's a scar from when she killed an Akatsuki!" he announced proudly as Sakura gripped him so he wouldn't fall.

Suddenly, the boys were crowding around her, eyes wide. They all spoke at once.

"How many Akatsuki did you kill?"

"Iruka-sensei told us you and Hatake-sama stopped an invasion all by yourselves just like Naruto-sama did before!"

"Miss, you're friends with Naruto-sama, right?"

"It's straight through to the other side!" one said, sounding impressed. "Miss, how come you lived?"

Sakura chuckled weakly, feeling the heat spread to her ears. "Who told you that, Shinichi?"

But Shinichi paid her no mind, chattering to his friends a mile a minute. It was clear from two seconds of the simplified story he was recounting that Kakashi was his source.

The culprit scratched behind the knot of his headband sheepishly. "What can I say, Sakura-chan? He asked me about it. I can't help it that you're cool."

Sakura rolled her eyes, but the tensed muscles in her belly unclenched a little. She was so used to thinking of her scar as a defect that it had taken her off guard to see Academy students in awe of it. But then again, at their age, she probably would have felt almost the same. Even then scars on a woman had meant some sort of diminished value, but scars on a man meant he was really a ninja. She'd never looked at her own scars that way. Suddenly, she didn't mind so much that they were showing.

Sakura grinned wickedly. "Come on, boys. I'll treat you to lunch and tell you stories about Kakashi-sama here. Did you know his master was Yondaime, the Yellow Flash?"

And suddenly Kakashi had a little boy hanging off each arm, scrambling for his attention.

"Why's he called the Copy Nin, huh?" the one on the right said. "Yasu from the upper class said Shinichi's dad was the Copy Nin and that he's in the textbook!"

"Hey, he's not my dad!" Shinichi protested. "My dad's name was Shin!"

Akio, who had stayed silent, finally spoke, eyebrows raised in surprise. "He's not? What is he then?"

Sakura hadn't bothered to explain that she was Shinichi's jounin sponsor to attend the Academy, because after his father's treason, he was treated like a foreign civilian since he wasn't born in Fire country. She didn't want to get into Shin's death. All her father saw was that a small boy had taken over what used to be her mother's room, and helped her mother out at the inn.

Shinichi shrugged, trying to steer Sakura to the left more to be closer to his friends, using her pigtails like reins. "My rival? I dunno. He lives at the ninja lady's house. She'll be my jounin sensei one day.

"Who cares?" the boy on Kakashi's left arm said. "Miss, why's he the Copy Nin? Is he Naruto-sama's dad?"

"No, stupid!" scolded Shinichi. "Yondaime is Naruto-sama's dad!"

Kakashi looked sorely tempted to shake the children off, but Sakura warned him against it with playful eyes.

He sighed, accepting his punishment gracefully. "All right, boys. Who wants ramen?"

Akio sat quietly through a spirited lunch, full of the boys yammering over one another in excitement over the stories and free advice they were getting from seasoned ninja. A couple of passersby had joined in with their own tales, Kurenai briefly telling a story about Asuma, along with others that knew the children.

Shinichi looked happier than Sakura had ever seen him, and Sakura ruffled his hair and bumped his shoulder, leaning over close to his ear so as not to interrupt Kakashi's story. "This is how Konoha honors its dead. One of the ways. You see?"

Shinichi grinned at her, mischief in his eyes. "I heard you guys honored the Rokudaime last night by getting super drunk. The inn was full of 'em, falling down, throwing up…"

"Well, that's another way. Some people can't hold their liquor," Sakura laughed, "but I'm glad it was busy. I'm sure Mom was pleased. Maybe not about the vomit, but about the business, at least."

"Did you throw up?" Shinichi asked with a snigger.

"I most certainly did not." Sakura sniffed, pretending haughtiness. "Tsunade-sama taught me better than that. Don't be a sloppy drunk, Shinichi-kun. And don't bury your feelings with it too often. It leads down a bad road. Many of us have teetered on the edge at some point, but we all know someone who's fallen off of it. Plus, it's bad for your liver. But still, when it's time for a proper send off, do it right."

Shinichi didn't say anything, taking a bite of ramen. He looked thoughtful. She was always careful of what she said to Shinichi. For all his feigned rebelliousness, he listened to her - maybe a little too much.

She stayed silent long enough that Shinichi went back to listen to Kakashi. Despite Sakura's promises, he hadn't spoken much on his own, leaving it to her. It was no less than she expected, and the boys were perfectly happy to hear silly stories about Naruto, so she didn't fuss. The children finally pressed him into a story, and he'd started one of Sandaime to placate them. It was one that Sakura had heard before from Naruto, and she found herself tuning out, playing with her ramen but not eating much.

"Do you like ramen?"

So lost in thought was she that Akio's words startled her. She forgot to reply to his question, just staring at him.

"There is an excellent ramen restaurant in the capital," he continued, undeterred. "I'd like to take you there sometime."

"I like this one," Sakura said without thinking, and then felt bad when the muscles around his eyes contracted in a hurt he tried not to show. "We have a lot of memories here, that's all. Mostly good ones, even, and that's so rare... I'm not actually crazy about ramen, usually. I prefer tempura, but there's not really a good place to get it around here. Well, Mom's place now, I guess. Are there any good tempura restaurants in Fire City?"

Akio beamed. His genuine smile was a little bit goofy, Sakura noted — it was lopsided in a way that pricked her chest in a way that told her she remembered it from long ago. It was the first time she'd seen it since then.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure we have something that can hold a candle to Riko's tempura. I remember it well," he said, taking a bite of ramen and looking happier than Sakura could ever remember seeing him. "But we can try a few and find out."

Sakura returned his smile. "Actually, Kakashi kind of hates tempura. Maybe we can try something I've never had before instead. Something they don't serve here at all."

At this, Akio faltered a bit, though he tried to hide it by taking another bite while he avoided her gaze.

Sakura saw that coming. "I know they won't like it. They won't understand me, and bringing a man along won't help. But honestly, I'm not sure I could endure meeting them without him there with me. He had a family like that once. He knows what it's like to have money, and servants, and rules, and… I just don't. I never had that."

Akio finally met her eyes, his features pained. "My fault. It is my fault you don't know such things. I have made many mistakes that I can't take back, Sakura. But I'm trying anyway."

Sakura shifted in her seat, restless. "I know," she said with a sigh. "I get it. I'm trying to go with it here. Kakashi helps me keep my temper and I just — I'd be more comfortable with him along, that's all. If I can manage to get us both out of Konoha at the same time, that is. I really have no idea when that might be, to be honest."

Gently, Akio set his chopsticks back in the bowl, face downturned. When he looked up, Sakura was alarmed to see tears in his eyes.

"It's just complicated," she yelped. "We're at war and we have many duties —"

Without warning, Akio pulled her into a hug. "I don't care about that. Come whenever you can, bring whomever you want — so long as you're willing to go. That's enough for me."

Spine stiff, she gave him some awkward pats on the back until he released her.

"I'll find the best restaurant in Fire City. I swear it," he promised, grinning his off-kilter grin.

Sakura waved her hand dismissively. "I don't need anything fancy. I don't regret it, you know — not growing up with the silver spoon. I don't think I'm exactly suited, do you?"

Akio chuckled. "I think you'll curl some of your cousins' hair with your foul language alone."

"Hmm." Sakura cocked her head, musing. "Now that does sound fun after all."

She finally ate her ramen, doing her best to ignore a still slightly leaking Akio next to her. She was spared from this by the children, who all of a sudden made loud noises of awe in concert. With renewed interest, Sakura keyed into Kakashi once more.

What she heard shocked her. He was talking about his master. More than that, he was talking about his teammates. It was just some innocuous story about a mission during the Rock war where Minato was able to impress his young team by looking cool, but she had never heard Kakashi casually discuss such a thing before. She had to fight to keep her jaw from dropping open.

Rin — finally confirmed to be the girl with tawny hair and red facial markings in the photograph. A healer, like Sakura.

Obito — the black haired boy in the photograph, no doubt. Sakura's eyes flickered to the headband pulled down to cover Kakashi's Sharingan. Uchiha Obito.

She hung on the tiny details of the story, quite sure she wouldn't get such an opportunity again. When it was over, she wanted to whine just as much as the boys were, but held in her pout as she pulled out some money to pay with.

With a wink, Akio pushed her money back at her and handed Teuchi his own, and extra, from the looks of it.

"Say thank you, boys," Sakura said with a tinge of command in her tone, which they responded to immediately despite how excited they were.

"Thank you, Haruno-san!" they chorused obediently before finally dispersing, off to their respective families.

Without the row of children between them, Sakura could finally see Kakashi's face properly. He looked calm, unperturbed, and somehow that's not what she expected. She longed to ask endless questions, but bit her tongue.

Kakashi stood up and stretched. "No one's meant to sit this long. No one."

"So spar with me then, old man," Sakura teased, doing her own stretches with the ease of routine.

"Yes!" shouted Shinichi, pumping his fist in the air. He loved to watch them spar, when they let him.

"Maybe later," Kakashi said, surprising her again. "There's something else I want to do first."

With that, he set off. Curious, Sakura scrambled after him, Shinichi and Akio in tow.

Kakashi stopped in front of the Yamanaka flower shop, bustling as everything was with the city bursting at its seams with visitors. Sakura tried to hide her bewilderment until he finally spoke.

"There's something else the ninja of Konohagakure do to honor their dead," Kakashi said simply. "Something important. It's about time we showed you, Shinichi."

Sakura finally understood. Typically, he'd been listening in on her conversations even when she hadn't been listening to his. She lightly touched Kakashi's shoulder. "I've got this part."

He nodded and she motioned for Shinichi to follow her inside. She gave him a brief overview of flower interpretation and which ones were appropriate for the occasion. Both Ino and Kurenai were at checkout, busy as it was. Sakura stood in Ino's line.

All of the customer service smiles Ino saved for the other customers shot out the window when she saw Sakura. She snatched Sakura's bouquet, eyeing it critically.

"Going to the cenotaph, eh?" After a final inspection, she handed it back to Sakura. "This'll do, then."

"How did she know?" demanded Shinichi, looking between them with his customary glare.

Sakura laughed, ruffling Shinichi's hair. "Because of the flowers. They tell a story, see?"

"That's right, Sakura," cooed Ino. "Teach 'em young. Now get to it while the day's still young. Next!"

"But Ino, I didn't pay yet —"

With a roll of her eyes, Ino twiddled her fingers at them in a mocking dismissal. "Your money's no good here, dummy. Byeeee!"

They exited the building and found Kakashi and Akio again, where they were waiting silently, but less awkwardly than she would have expected. Without words, Kakashi made his way to the memorial clearing. The dais from yesterday was already dismantled, but the cenotaph was still heavy with flowers. The air was pungent, the fragrances mingling in her nose as she added their offering.

For awhile, no one said anything. On such a busy day for the village, they were the only visitors, which suited Sakura just fine. Of all the names on the stone, her eyes kept coming back to one in particular.

"Senju Tsunade," Sakura said, swallowing a lump in her throat. "It's so strange to see it there."

"You get used to it," Kakashi said casually, shrugging. "You'll see."

Sakura brushed her hand against him as they stood side by side. She'd never had the urge to do anything as juvenile as hold his hand, but it struck her now. "I wish you didn't have to be so used to it," she said quietly.

He smiled with only a twinge of sadness, tugging one of her pigtails playfully. "All ninja get used to it eventually, Sakura-chan. It's only a matter of time."

From her other said, Shinichi grabbed her arm and she turned sharply to look at him. She could feel his hand trembling against her.

"My — my dad's name will never go here, will it." It was phrased like a question but didn't have the feel of one. His lip wobbled as he looked up at her, desperate for answers, tough guy act finally dropped. For once, he just looked like a sad little boy.

"No," Sakura said gently. "No, it won't."

A tear dropped down Shinichi's face, but he wasn't surprised. He'd known already.

"It's okay to cry, Shinichi-kun," Sakura said, dropping down to her knees in front of him to swipe his hair from his brow. "You don't have to be so strong all the time."

Shinichi threw his arms around her neck, muffling his sobs with her body. She bore it silently, rubbing small circles into his back.

Kakashi sat down beside them, politely looking ahead at the cenotaph instead of at Shinichi's grief.

"You know," Kakashi said hesitantly. "My father's name isn't here either. He died in disgrace, differently than your father did but no less dishonorably."

It seemed Kakashi was just full of surprises today, but Sakura made no comment as she continued to soothe Shinichi, who slowly stopped crying to look in wonder at Kakashi.

"R-really?" he hiccoughed, wiping his face with his sleeve.

"Really," confirmed Sakura, looking Shinichi in the eye. "But Kakashi loved him just the same. Just like you."

It was Kakashi's turn to get caught off guard as Shinichi hugged him around the neck too. "Thanks," he said.

Suddenly more himself, Shinichi ran up to the cenotaph, inspecting it more closely, tracing a few of the names he recognized from the day's stories. Trying to remain as unobtrusive as possible, Akio joined him.

"Hmm. Remarkable workmanship."

Sakura scooted closer to Kakashi and laid her head on his shoulder. He laid his head against hers too. Emboldened, Sakura hooked her pinky into Kakashi's and squeezed. He squeezed back.

They sat there like that, not moving even when Akio turned back around. He did not comment, just tried and failed to avert his eyes for a few minutes.

"Young man," he finally said, finding his voice. "How about you walk me back to the house for a lie down? I've had a long day. Too much sun for an old man like me."

Shinichi just stared at him like he was stupid. "You don't remember where it is?"

"I do," Akio said, darting his gaze at Sakura and Kakashi. "But it is not my house. It's proper that someone who lives there escort me."

"Okay, I guess," Shinichi grumbled, trudging off, disappointed to go.

Sakura smiled at her father, grateful to him for once. He understood what Shinichi was just too young to. Sakura and Kakashi wanted to be alone now.

Once they were alone, though, they still didn't speak for awhile, just enjoying the companionship. Eventually, Sakura entwined the rest of her fingers into his too.

"I have been holding on to certain things for so long," he finally said, their palms resting comfortably on one another, "that I don't know how to let go. But if I die that way, they'll die with me."

Sakura's breath caught in her throat, daring to hope.

And he told her. He told her of his first mission as jounin, how it had ended in the outcome that every ninja dreads most — when a teammate dies but the rest of them do not — how his remaining teammate had been unable to bear the burden of continuing life without Obito. It went unsaid, but in many ways, neither had Kakashi, at least for a very long time.

As he finished, Sakura did not say anything, just kept her head on his shoulder and his hand in hers as she absorbed the emotions that he finally felt safe enough to share with her. There were many more inside him, she could tell, but there would be time for them too, some day, at least if they were granted it.

If they lived long enough, Kakashi would ask Sakura to marry him. Not now, with the war upon them and the future so uncertain, but one day, he would ask. She'd been ignoring that thought rattling around her brain for awhile now.

It had been scaring her because she didn't know if she had it in her. All the years she had spent dreaming of being someone's wife when it meant something so empty to her had left a bad taste in her mouth. She couldn't picture doing that now, putting herself in that kind of box ever again.

But. But.

She had been wrong to doubt. If he asked — when he asked — Sakura would say yes. Whatever Ibiki thought, Kakashi did not diminish her. She never felt as strong or sure of herself as when they were together. Marriage, this one at least, would not be empty — could never be empty.

She squeezed his hand. "Want to spar, old man?"

He lumbered to his feet, offering her a hand up with his signature one-eyed smile. "Always."

Game Over.