Chapter Text
In the days that followed their acceptance into the missing-nin group Kemuri, Kakashi and Sakura fell into an uneasy routine. During the day they followed the leader Shou's instructions, spending most of their time training along with the rest of the team. True to their undercover roles, they acted the way new lovers did, with longing touches, flirty looks. But at night, when they went back to their shared room to compare notes and compose reports they would eventually send back to Konoha, Kakashi always made sure to keep things completely professional.
It didn't make things less complicated for Kakashi. The problem lay in how easy it was for him to fall into the role of Sukea, flirtatious partner of Sakura. When he'd first created Sukea's persona, he'd made him lighter, more teasing than his usual self, mostly because it made Sukea more distinct from his own personality and therefore a better cover. Adding a romantic angle to his story hadn't been difficult—except for the fact that it often resulted in him and Sakura flirting with each other to a degree that made Kakashi feel things that weren't appropriate for a mission.
Flipping the switch and returning to professionalism when they were alone was a lot more difficult for Kakashi than he let on. Being in such close quarters with Sakura was making it increasingly difficult to not think about touching her—and the skimpy little kunoichi outfits that Jiraiya had packed for her to wear were not helping.
That didn't even include the quiet, intimate talk they'd had about losing teammates that first night after the lights were off. Kakashi had told himself that he was just trying to understand his teammate better, to get her to talk about Uchiha Sasuke before they possibly encountered him. It was important that he, as captain, stay on top of anything that could cause Sakura to lose control. But underneath that, there was another, deeper reason for his questions.
He wanted to know her—enough that it terrified him. He wanted to know her just as much as he wanted to touch her, and he knew that letting himself completely fall into those feelings could result in one or both of them making a crucial mistake on the mission. That was how he found himself stuck in a situation where he was flirting with Sakura all day and then treating her like a subordinate at night.
It was torture.
Kakashi was trying not to think about it on their fourth day in Kemuri's compound. Shou had spent most of the morning drilling the full team on a strategy involving his smoke jutsu and had finally allowed for a rest around noon, when it became apparent that most of the team was in a sour mood thanks to the struggle to work together. That was when Shou approached Kakashi and Sakura.
"I want to see the two of you fight," he began with no preamble.
Kakashi raised his brows. "You've seen us fight."
Shou waved a hand lazily. "I mean, I want to see you fight using your swords. You're former ANBU, and you know more about swords then all of the rest of us combined. I think the squad could learn a lot from you." There was a glint in his dark eyes as he smiled. "Also, it'll be entertaining."
Sakura scoffed, crossing her arms. "Yeah, because entertaining all of you is exactly what I want to do."
Without thinking, Kakashi stepped a bit closer to her, letting his hand rest on the small of her back. "It could be fun," he suggested cajolingly. He told himself he only did it because of the good ninja/bad ninja dynamic they'd set up, but there was no excuse for the way he let his thumb make a slow circle over the mesh that covered her back.
Sakura softened as she looked up at him, giving him a smile as she relented. "Okay." Kakashi didn't even try to deny to himself how pleased that little smile made him.
"Ugh." Shou rolled his eyes and then turned to go take a seat on one of the benches that lined the training arena, where the rest of Kemuri was already relaxing. "Get on with it, then," he commanded as he made himself comfortable.
Sakura selected two likely-looking practice swords from the weapons racks that stood beside the benches, tossing one to Kakashi. Catching it, Kakashi gave a few test swings. It didn't have the perfect balance of his own sword, and was clearly not well taken care of, but it would do for a spar. He followed Sakura into the center of the ring.
As they both squared off against each other, Kakashi had only the briefest of moments to wonder which one of them would move first before Sakura darted toward him, her sword swinging through the air in front of his face as he reflexively dodged out of the way. She wasn't even approaching her full speed, so he had no trouble avoiding the blow.
Still, it had been a pretty cheap shot, and as they separated, eyes on each other, Kakashi let amusement enter his voice. "Is that how it's going to be?"
Sakura's eyes were lit with impish enjoyment. "Just making sure you're awake."
Kakashi smiled. At the same moment they flew at each other, both of them going much closer to their top speeds as they met in the center of the arena. Kakashi knew that the flurry of blows they exchanged was of a much higher level than anyone else in the arena could dream of attaining, and some part of his brain registered the intense stares coming from the benches.
Mostly, however, he focused on Sakura. She'd come so far in her swordsmanship since she'd first entered ANBU. She still hadn't come close to the skill she would need to beat him with his Sharingan uncovered, but she could at least present a challenge now. Kakashi was surprised by how much he was enjoying sparring with her—and even more surprised by how much it felt like flirting.
With her chakra-enhanced super strength, Sakura was much stronger than Kakashi, but he had her beat on speed and reach. At one point he got in around one of her attacks and had the perfect opportunity to land a slice to her leg, but at the last second he turned his blade and gave her bare thigh a light, taunting slap instead. There was a muffled snicker from the audience.
As he'd planned, she took that as a challenge, baring her teeth in a grin and bringing her foot down on the ground hard enough to crack the pressed earth beneath them, making Kakashi temporarily lose his footing. Before she could take advantage of it, Kakashi propelled himself backward through the air, flipping and landing nimbly on the balls of his feet.
Sakura pursued him, calling out, "What's wrong, Sukea? You're not afraid to get close, are you?"
Kakashi gave her a small, wicked grin in return and replied, "Never," just as she got close enough for them to engage each other again. He could hear Shou pointing out certain things about their fighting style to the other men, although he was too focused to really understand what was being said. Kakashi kept his eyes on Sakura, dodging a vicious kick and returning with his own attack, which Sakura summarily blocked.
The way she moved was beautiful, and Kakashi almost wished that he could just sit down and watch along with the rest of the team. Watching her move in that skirt with the little shorts underneath, the crop top and mesh armor—that was even harder to take his eyes off of. He had to admit that he especially liked the boots. The whistles he heard from the crowd when she executed a particularly high kick told him he wasn't the only one enjoying the show.
He would normally insist that he wasn't a jealous person, but the thought of the others ogling Sakura distracted him enough that she was able to get behind him. Before he could react, he felt the sting of her slapping the flat of her sword against the back of his thighs, and then she was snickering and darting away from him again.
Kakashi turned to face her, giving her a scowl he didn't entirely mean as he waited for the sting to fade. She just stuck her tongue out at him, her eyes holding challenge and something else—something that made his blood run faster than the fight itself did.
This time when they came together Kakashi fought harder, and Sakura looked intensely focused as she staved off his attack. When she finally got a chance to return fire, she attacked with a swing of her sword that he avoided, and then followed up with another medium-high kick at his side. Kakashi was glad she didn't augment her strength with too much chakra as he caught her leg in his off hand and yanked her toward him.
In a real fight, it would've been stupid to pull her closer to him, as it negated his reach advantage and made him more likely to be the victim of her tremendous strength or sword. But this fight had never been a real one to begin with, and it was turning into something different—something playful—the longer that they fought.
As he held her leg with his off hand, Kakashi managed a difficult maneuver, capturing her sword with his and disarming her. As he pulled her even closer, she fought against him, and he noted that she'd been learning a lot from grappling with Genma. But he still had years of experience on her, and after a few long seconds of struggling, he managed to turn her and get her into a hold, raising his sword to her throat.
There amused chatter from the benches as he murmured, "Do you yield?" into her ear, softer and lower than he'd intended, incredibly aware of the feel of her body pressed against his.
He felt her relax slightly in his arms and stop fighting his hold. Because everybody was now completely focused on what was happening, the room was still, and he could perfectly hear her as she turned her face toward his and coyly whispered, "Is that what you want, Kakashi?"
He was surprised to hear his real name come out of her mouth, and completely unprepared for the bolt of pure arousal that went through him at her husky tone. In that moment his arms slackened slightly, and she exploited the moment of weakness by grabbing his sword arm with both of her hands. Before he could recover, she yanked his sword away from her throat and then, ducking down, hurled him forward over her head.
Kakashi hit the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of him, his sword jarring loose from his hand. In an instant Sakura was on him, snatching his weapon before he could recover it. She straddled his waist, pressing the sword to his throat with just enough pressure for him to feel it. He knew he could probably break free if he really tried, but he didn't—all he could do was stare at her as he tried to catch his breath.
Sakura was looking at him with a grin that made her green eyes sparkle, color high in her cheeks as she tossed her hair out of her face. The sheen of sweat on her skin just seemed to make it glow, and she bit her lower lip in concentration. Entranced by the sight before him, Kakashi distractedly thought that he would have to remind her not to do that during a fight—she could hurt herself.
That last thought was his rational brain's last attempt to distract him from his subordinate's lush, pink lips, and it worked—though just barely. "I yield," Kakashi stated, clear and loud enough for everyone to hear him. This farce needed to end before he did something stupid—like grabbing her and making out with her on the floor of a missing-nin training ground. Lowering his voice so that only she could hear it, he said, "That was dirty."
"You deserved it," she shot back in the same quiet tone. At this point she was doing little more than straddling him, her legs still gripping him tightly even as she relaxed her grip on her sword. The part of him that demanded professionalism knew he needed to get space from her, but pushing her away wouldn't go with their romantic image—and the part of him that wanted to kiss her was absurdly glad of it. Kakashi had a moment to think that he was honestly, literally, going to lose his entire mind on this mission, when Shou spoke to their right.
"For fuck's sake, get a room." Shou was looking down at them with an amused sneer. "You're supposed to be demonstrating your sword skills. No wonder you got kicked out of ANBU."
Sakura finally pulled away from Kakashi and stood up, extending a hand to him, which he took. He had a feeling he looked as embarrassed as she did. Sakura recovered quicker than he did, sticking her nose in the air and saying, "Hey, you asked us to fight. That's how we fight."
Kakashi noticed that Shou let his eyes flicker over Sakura's body before he turned, smirking as he addressed them all, including the typically silent group of missing-nin who had stood and walked over from the benches. "Training is finished for the day. Everyone go eat." Turning back to Kakashi and Sakura, he had a glint in his eye that Kakashi found suspicious as he added, "And you two be ready. After we eat, the three of us are going on a special trip."
If Shou was expecting them to demand to know where they were going, he was disappointed, because Kakashi just lazily draped an arm over Sakura's shoulders and asked, "Ready to eat?"
With a small, sweet smile that Kakashi had only ever seen her give to him—and which he was, in spite of himself, growing increasingly fond of—Sakura said, "Let's go."
After they'd all cleaned up the training area, the whole of Kemuri made their way back to the barracks. Sakura stuck to Kakashi's side as they served themselves lunch. She was glad for his presence, not just because of her feelings for him, but for the way he kept the rest of the men at bay. She'd hadn't yet gotten to the point where she could ignore the silent leering of the men who made up the rest of their new team. They obviously didn't want to be friends; they'd refused to even give any of their names the one time Sakura had tried to talk to them. They'd just given her that same silent leer that made her feel like meat on a stick.
Sakura felt the touch of Kakashi's hand on her hip as he loosely put an arm around her, not even appearing to look up from his food, and she suppressed a smile. It would normally rankle her to feel like she needed to be protected by a man, but in this particular case, it was welcome—even if it was just part of their cover.
After all, she knew that part of Kakashi's job as 'Sukea' was to be her protective lover and make it clear to the others that she wasn't to be messed with. Granted, she probably wouldn't need his protection so much if Lord Jiraiya hadn't given her such a ridiculous outfit, but the results were hard to ignore. After all, the men weren't the only one whose eyes she'd caught straying below her face—she'd found 'Sukea's' grey eyes on her more than once. And when they'd fought, she knew she wasn't the only one who felt the very real tension between them.
It was distracting. She knew that they were supposed to be playing roles. She knew she needed to stay focused on that. She knew. But contacts, face markings, and a wig weren't enough to hide Kakashi's smile from her, and every time he turned it her way—every time he touched her—it felt like she was floating. She couldn't remember feeling this kind of excitement around someone since her childhood crush on Sasuke, but this was different even from that. She knew it was probably just the roles that they were playing, but it felt like they belonged together.
It felt like he was hers.
Like he knew what she was thinking, Kakashi chose that moment to lightly squeeze her hip. When Sakura turned her head to look at him, he gave her that smile.
"Let's check our weapons before we head out," he suggested before standing. There was a pointed look in his eyes that was meant for only her to see.
Right. They were supposed to be going somewhere with Shou—and he hadn't told them where. Kakashi probably wanted to use what little time they had to prepare themselves. Smiling back at him, Sakura stood as well. "Good idea."
As they walked toward their room, they were close enough for their arms to brush. One of the men behind them muttered something about wanting his weapon checked. Without a word, Kakashi let his hand rest on the small of her back as he opened the door, ushering her through.
Sakura turned to face him, the smile still on her face. But as the door swung shut, the switch flipped—the pleasant, even tender look on his face became one of utter seriousness, his eyes hardening as he stepped away from her. It was the transformation from Sukea to Captain, and it left her spinning every time.
Kakashi brushed past her with barely a look in her direction, and Sakura's heart fell. His words were hurried as he said, "I need to get a message to Genma and Tenzo before we leave."
Sakura straightened. He was right, and she needed to focus. They had no idea what they were about to be doing, and they needed backup. "Are you going to tell them to follow us?"
Kakashi had already pulled out a blank scroll, opened it, and was quickly writing on it in Konoha's ANBU code. Distractedly, he said, "I'm going to have them follow us at a distance. They won't show themselves unless I give the signal."
Sakura perched on the edge of the bed, watching him pensively, her thoughts finally fully focused on the trip they were about to go on. Shou had been very tightlipped thus far in telling them exactly what Kemuri did. There was no telling what he was about to ask them to do—it could be anything from a perimeter check to an assassination. Sakura felt stupid for having been so focused on Kakashi moments before when they were in such a precarious situation.
Kakashi finished what he was writing and rolled the scroll up. Crouching, he bit his thumb and executed a summoning jutsu. The dog he summoned was Uhei, with his long body and bandages—minus his usual Konoha gear—and Sakura smiled a little. Uhei was the dog that Kakashi sent to her apartment when he had a message for the team, and she had really grown to like him. She knew that now wasn't the time to pet him, but she still snuck in a quick pat to his head while Kakashi was turning to get the scroll.
Kakashi handed the scroll to Uhei, who took it in his mouth and then walked over to the room's single window. Sakura got up from the bed to open it. It was a good thing that the rest of Kemuri was currently inside eating—aside from a few scouts on the perimeter that a ninken would have no trouble avoiding. Uhei should be able to get to Genma and Tenzo without being seen.
"Find Genma," Kakashi said tersely, and Uhei jumped out the window and took off on silent paws.
As Kakashi was shutting the window, a loud knock came at the door. Sakura walked over to open it, finding Shou standing on the other side.
"Time to go," he announced.
Sakura looked back at Kakashi, but he only gave her the briefest of glances as he passed her to follow Shou. Before she fell into line behind him, Sakura took a moment to center herself—there was no telling what they were about to do. She had to be ready.
Once the three of them were out of the barracks, Shou set off at a lazy pace. He jumped first to the rooftops of the compound and then the trees beyond. Sakura was surprised he was so unhurried, but as she and Kakashi followed, she was glad for the fact that it would buy Uhei more time to find Genma. She hoped that meant he and Tenzo would be able to find them in time to provide back up if they needed it, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it now, so she put the thought from her mind.
After they'd gone about a mile, they struck a dirt road, and Shou dropped down to its hard, brown surface. He began a casual stroll, seemingly unmindful of the rain that was gently falling. Kakashi and Sakura exchanged a look as they dropped down behind him, automatically following him in a flanking position.
Shou glanced over his shoulder at them and barked out a laugh. "Once ANBU, always ANBU. Stop flanking me and just walk like normal people. I want to talk."
Kakashi shrugged lightly and fell into step beside him, and Sakura did the same on his other side. The three of them continued walking like they were just out for a nice walk, though the way the rain soaked through Sakura's clothing made it anything but pleasant.
"Now that I've had some time to really see your skills and how you interact with the rest of the group, I've decided I'm willing to use you," Shou began, speaking like he was bestowing them with a great honor. As he spoke, he unfastened the featureless black mask he kept on his hip. To Sakura's surprise, it turned out to actually be three masks stacked together, and Shou handed them each a mask with a certain amount of ceremony.
Sakura successfully fought the urge to roll her eyes, but she couldn't keep the sarcastic bite from her words as she took the offered mask and said, "How wonderful."
Shou blithely ignored her tone and continued on. "You're the strongest of all my men, so you're coming with me on a little job I have. You see, I'm not stupid—I know Kemuri isn't the strongest missing-nin group out there. Left to our own devices, we probably would have been taken down by Ame shinobi a long time ago. That's why we have a couple of 'friends'—powerful friends—that we can depend upon from time to time."
Sakura perked up, asking, "Friends?" Past Shou, she could see Kakashi narrow his eyes slightly.
"You'll meet them eventually. For now, just know that we pay them handsomely for their protection from any threats we can't handle. That keeps them funded, and it keeps us safe. 'But wait, dearest Shou,' you'll ask," he said, shifting to a high-pitched voice that Sakura assumed was supposed to be hers. "'Where are we getting the money from?'" He bared his teeth in a grin as he looked ahead, returning to his natural voice. "That's where today comes into play."
As they walked, Shou explained to them that Kemuri's territory covered most of the outskirts of Ame. From time to time, bandit groups would sweep through the area and attempt to raid the local villages. "Kemuri doesn't let that happen," he explained. "And since we do such a good job at keeping everyone safe, the villages 'reward' us—whether the bandits come or not."
"So, this is a protection racket," Sakura said disapprovingly. Luckily, Shou missed the stern look that Kakashi fired at her. Sakura pressed her lips together. She needed to be more careful—after all, she was supposed to be willingly signing up for this.
Shou, for his part, just laughed. "Pretty much. Hey, it's a living," he replied with a shrug, apparently not at all bothered by the judgement in Sakura's tone.
"So, today—?" Kakashi said leadingly.
"Today, we're going to a village that's been troublesome. They've apparently decided they don't need our protection anymore, and we're going to have a conversation with them about it." He paused, and then corrected himself. "Actually, I'm going to have a conversation with them about it."
"And what will we be doing?" Kakashi asked, although Sakura had an idea that they both already knew what they'd be doing.
"You're going to be destroying the shit out of everything in your path," Shou said cheerfully.
Sakura must not have hidden her distaste very well, because Shou threw her an amused look and said, "Now, now. You won't have to hurt anybody—not this time. I think if you destroy a field or two, they'll get the message clearly enough."
She didn't miss the "not this time" part, and for the first time, it really sank in that being undercover meant that she might be required to kill people she didn't want to kill. It was one thing to kill an enemy nin as an ANBU agent. It was another to kill an innocent civilian. As it was, she would probably be destroying someone's livelihood.
"Understood," Kakashi said simply, and taking her cue from him, Sakura nodded. It was too late to back out now, and anyway, she didn't really want to back out—not if this was what was required of her by the Hokage.
And especially not if this was the path that could bring her to Sasuke.
"Good," Shou said. "Masks on. Wait for my signal. Do a good job today, and there will be a bonus for you." And with that, he leapt back up into the trees and took off at a much faster pace than before.
Kakashi threw a glance in Sakura's direction as he lifted his featureless black Kemuri mask and slid it over his face. She just nodded at him, pulling her own mask on before she leaped up to follow Shou, hearing Kakashi close behind her.
The half hour it took them to get to the village in question passed by in a blur. As they arrived, Sakura looked around, and her heart sank. It was a very small village, one that probably could barely afford their 'protection' fee. She didn't feel good about what they were about to do, but she squared her shoulders and prepared to do it anyway. Keeping her cover was a big part of her orders from Lady Tsunade, and it was too late to question them now.
A large but soft-looking man came out of a small house at the center of the village, and the other villagers that were outside crept up behind him. Sakura presumed by the way the rest of them deferred to him that he was the leader of the village.
"You're late on your payment," Shou said bluntly.
The man frowned and blustered, "I told you, we don't have the money you want. Besides, we don't need your protection. There haven't been bandits here in years."
"Oh?" Shou asked softly. Tilting his head to the side, he said, "That's too bad." Turning slightly, he nodded to Sakura.
Sakura wordlessly turned and darted toward a nearby field whose crop was only beginning to sprout. Leaping up into the air, she came down with a chakra-filled stomp that sent deep fissures stretching the length of the field, uprooting much of the plant life and knocking the house beside it off kilter. Sakura was glad for the mask she wore; it kept her face from showing how much she hated what she was being asked to do.
There were cries from the villagers, all of whom were looking at her like she was a monster. She felt like one.
"Do you still feel like you don't need our protection?" Shou asked casually, inspecting the fingernails of his right hand. "Maybe you should meet my other friend, too," he added, nodding his head toward Kakashi.
On cue, Kakashi lifted his hands and formed a series of hand signs, after which a ball of lightning crackled hovered over his right hand. It was one of the many jutsu he knew that Sakura had never seen. He held still, waiting for a command, his black mask as impassive as Sakura's.
The leader of the village yelled "Wait!" with anguish on his face. There was a pregnant moment of silence while he clearly struggled with himself, and then he deflated as he continued, "We'll pay the protection money."
Shou nodded subtly to Kakashi and he let the lightning fizzle out, lowering his hand. Sakura had a feeling he was as relieved as she was that he didn't have to destroy anything else in the village.
Things went smoothly from there—for Kemuri, at least. Shou cheerfully waited while the protection money was produced, and then lazily counted it while the villagers lurked resentfully nearby. Many of them flashed angry looks that alternated with despair at Kakashi and Sakura as they stood, emotionless, nearby. But none of them were brave enough—or foolish enough—to say any of the insults that were no doubt running through their heads. Sakura was glad for that much. If things escalated, she knew it would not go well for the villagers.
In less than half an hour, they were back on the road and heading back to their compound. Shou was obviously in good spirits as he carried his new money pouch, whistling to himself and occasionally remarking how much more easily the payment had gone with Kakashi and Sakura there. He was clearly pleased with their performance, and the happier he got, the more Sakura rankled inside.
Apparently, she wasn't the only one. Once they'd finally taken off their masks, Kakashi finally spoke, his tone the same carefully even one he used when she'd pissed him off and he was trying to remain calm. "I expected Kemuri to be more than just a gang of petty bandits." He said it like it was an offhand observation, but Sakura knew how angry he had to be. He was a good man, used to doing things to support a good village. This had to weigh on him, perhaps even more than it weighed on Sakura.
Shou laughed, surprisingly unoffended. "There's more to it than this—this is just the chump change that keeps the villages in our territory in line. The big money comes from much bigger jobs, stealing from much richer people. We'll probably go on one of those soon."
Sakura was fighting to keep a scowl from her face, and she distracted herself from her growing hatred of Shou by asking a less-obvious question. "Why are you suddenly being so open with us?"
This time, Shou didn't answer right away, and when he did, his voice was thoughtful. "Because I think you're probably too good to stay in Kemuri for long. I think our bosses are either going to cut you loose, or ask you to join them." With this, he fixed her with a beady look. "And if you join them, I'm going to want you to have a favorable opinion of me."
Sakura snorted. Shou wanted them to respect him, so he made them destroy helpless villages? As if he could read her mind, Shou merely shrugged at her disbelieving expression and faced forward again. Sakura shifted her gaze to Kakashi and saw that he had a look of concentration in his eyes. His eyes flicked toward her, and he gave a slight nod.
Sakura nodded back. As much as she hated the situation, this was good—not only was their cover being believed, but there was a possibility they'd be moving up the ranks. They just had to be ready to make a good impression on Kemuri's leaders.
By the time they returned to the compound it was dinnertime, so Sakura and Kakashi joined the rest of the team in the common area to eat. Afterward, they drank with the men at Shou's insistence. It made Sakura homesick for Team Ro and their nights at the bar—but having Kakashi there in the form of 'Sukea' made it easier.
The more they drank, the more the men leered at Sakura, which of course prompted the ever-protective 'Sukea' to keep Sakura close to him. Even though she was using her medic abilities and control over her own digestive system to keep from getting truly drunk, there was a certain high she associated with being that close to him, and the more they touched, the more difficult it was for her to remember that this was supposed to be a performance.
By the time a couple of hours had passed, they had progressed to silently listening to one of the men tell what he thought was a funny story as Kakashi held her loosely in his arms. She was nestled between his legs and leaning back against his chest, and she didn't have the slightest idea what the story was about.
Sakura had just let the back of her head rest on Kakashi's shoulder and was thinking idly about how much she liked the way he smelled, when he squeezed her lightly to get her attention. Just loud enough for some of the nearby men to hear him, he suggested, "Let's go to our room."
Shou, who was one of the men within earshot, smirked and drawled, "Looks like the lovebirds need to be alone."
Deep down, Sakura knew they were on a mission—this was probably just Kakashi's way of finally excusing them from the group so they could discuss all of the intel they'd gathered that day and forward it on to Genma and Tenzo. But for that moment, she allowed herself to believe that this was the man that she wanted telling her he wanted to be alone with her—and like a lovesick fool, she blushed and murmured, "Okay."
A couple of the men tittered, and one of them remarked, "Not such a spitfire for him, is she?"
'Sukea' just gave her a knowing smile and stood with her, releasing her from his arms but letting one hand trail down until it grasped hers. Without acknowledging the drunk and highly amused men around them, he led her away and to their room.
When they got to their door, Kakashi opened it and then courteously ushered her through. Sakura stepped through, her heart in her throat as she turned to face him.
His back to her, Kakashi closed the door and locked it. When he turned to face her, Sakura could see that the flip had been switched again—his face was no longer smiling, but back to a slight, professional frown. The only thing she could see in his eyes was weariness as he reached up and pulled off his wig, releasing his natural wild silver strands. His voice was even and commanding as he said, "You should get some sleep. We're going to see the others tomorrow and I've got reports to write for Genma to take home."
And with that, like a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, Sakura's feelings were extinguished, and she just stood silently as he walked over to the desk and sat, pulling the storing scroll he kept on his person out to begin working. As he sat with his back to her, she watched him for only a moment before she began to strip down to her shorts and shirt for bed.
Sliding under the covers, Sakura lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. She'd thought that they could talk once they got back to the room—at the very least, they could discuss the things that Shou had told them that day. Or maybe he would open up to her once they were lying in the dark, like he had that first night. She'd had an inkling then that maybe it was easier for him to talk like that when there was no light and he could hide his emotions.
But it was obvious that Kakashi wasn't interested in talk of any kind.
The whole mission was so demoralizing. First, there was the reality of joining a group of bandits—no matter what Shou called them—and having to participate in shakedowns of innocent civilians. Then there was the constant back-and-forth of being romantic one minute and professional the next. And Kakashi was so good at it. It seemed like nothing for him to turn on the charm one minute and then turn it off the next. At first, it had seemed like his professional side was the performance and his actions as Sukea were closer to how he really felt—but it was getting hard for Sakura not to question that. Maybe Sukea really was just an act, and Kakashi just a very good actor.
Maybe he'd begun to regret their kiss.
Sakura turned onto her side, facing him. Not knowing what she was going to say before she said it, she whispered, "I hate this."
From the way his shoulders stiffened, Sakura knew he'd heard her. Pausing in his writing, he was silent for a long moment, and then she heard him release a quiet sigh. "So do I."
And then he was writing again, like it had never happened, and Sakura was left to wonder if it was the mission itself that he hated, or pretending to be her lover, or having to be professional when they were alone. Those questions were still in her mind when she finally drifted off to sleep, her last glimpse of him the sight of wig-matted silver hair and hunched, tense shoulders.
Kakashi really was going to lose his mind.
The next morning, he didn't feel any better about their situation. Being so close to Sakura, holding her—it was making him feel crazy. The more he pretended to be her lover as Sukea, the more natural it felt, and the more he hungered for her. Going into professional mode whenever they were alone had been difficult, but last night he'd felt like he was going to jump out of his skin. He'd had to bury himself in paperwork to try to get her out of his head. It hadn't helped at all when she'd whispered to him like that, her voice tortured as she told him that she hated this.
He hadn't meant to respond, but had been unable to stop himself, because of course he hated it too. Touching her like that had made him want to take her back to their room and kiss her until she was begging for more—and then he wanted to give her more, give her everything they both wanted. But he was trying to remain professional. It was what was required of a good black ops agent.
When he'd finally gotten up from the desk to go to sleep, he'd turned to see her curled up asleep in the bed, her hair splayed across the pillow. The urge to slide beneath the covers and curl around her had been nearly overwhelming. The desire to be near her, to feel her warmth, had become so strong that even a solid hour of writing reports hadn't been enough to quench it.
Instead, he'd gone to his usual spot on the floor, and predictably slept like shit. He was grateful when he woke up in the morning to find her already dressed—in that damn outfit, of course—and sitting cross-legged on the bed with her eyes closed. He'd watched her for a moment, and then when he began stirring himself, putting on his wig, contacts, and makeup, she finally stood and stretched. He was curious about what she'd been doing. She didn't really seem like the meditative type, after all. But at this point he was trying to avoid too much non-mission conversation with her. He didn't think he could trust himself.
They trained as usual that day, and Kakashi was relieved that Shou didn't ask them to spar together again. Instead, Kakashi spent most of the morning working with one group of men, while Sakura worked one-on-one with a weaker shinobi who'd apparently shown a possible knack for healing. He didn't even have to talk to her again until they broke for lunch, and then it was the usual flirtation while they ate. Once again, he told himself it was for the mission, and once again he knew he was lying as he was completely entranced by her—the way she warmed to him, leaned into his touch; the way she looked at him like he was the only person in the room.
It really was torture.
After they ate, Kakashi leaned in to whisper in Sakura's ear. "Follow my lead."
Before she could reply, he stood, walking toward Shou and asking, "Anything going on this afternoon?"
Shou smirked a little and said, "Why, did you have plans?"
"We thought we'd take a run, learn the surrounding area better," Kakashi replied, letting himself act slightly distracted by Sakura as he let a hand rest on her waist. Taking his cue, she leaned into his side, nodding at Shou.
Shou continued to smirk as he folded his arms, clearly not believing them. He probably thought it was just an excuse for them to be alone—which was exactly what Kakashi wanted him to think. That was much better than him knowing that they were actually going to meet with their fellow ANBU agents.
"Nah, we don't have anything planned," Shou finally said. "Don't be gone too long."
Kakashi and Sakura left the main building and headed out of the compound. Before they went any further, Kakashi caught her eye and murmured, "I don't see anyone following us, but we're going to take a few random turns to make sure."
Sakura nodded, and Kakashi took off into the trees with her following him. As stated, he took them on a circuitous route into the forest, occasionally taking them off in a wild direction before returning to the course. When he was sure that they weren't being followed and that their trail was suitably muddied, he came to a stop, and Sakura stopped beside him.
Crouching, he bit his thumb, smeared the blood across his palm, and then summoned Uhei. After the first time Kakashi had sent Uhei out to find Genma and Tenzo, they'd sent back a message letting him know that they'd settled into the safehouse that Jiraiya had told them about. While Kakashi had a general idea of where Genma and Tenzo were located, only they and Uhei knew the precise location.
"Who's a good boy?" Sakura crooned as she reached down to pet Uhei's head.
"He's a ninken, not a pet," Kakashi reminded her, even as he strove to suppress the warm feeling in his chest as he watched Uhei lean into her hand.
"That doesn't mean he's not a good boy," she replied in the same singsong tone, and Uhei made a soft 'oof' of agreement.
Letting out a huff that wasn't quite a laugh, Kakashi stood, and in a stern voice he didn't really feel, commanded, "Uhei. Take us to Genma."
With a short bark, Uhei bolted off at a speed that would put an ordinary dog to shame, and without another word, Kakashi and Sakura followed. Kakashi figured they had until dinnertime to return—any longer than that, and Shou would get suspicious.
The better part of an hour passed before Uhei finally slowed down and barked again, leading them through a copse of trees to a small, worn-looking building that was barely more than a large shed. Before they could approach it, Genma dropped down out of a tree in front of them, a senbon dangling from his smiling mouth. Behind him, Tenzo emerged from the safehouse, having apparently heard Uhei's bark.
Sakura grinned at Genma as Kakashi offered a wave. "Have you been enjoying being lazy out here while we do all the hard work?" Sakura teased.
Genma held his hand to his chest. "You wound me. I'll have you know this is very hard work."
Tenzo snorted as he approached them. "I couldn't even get him to hunt yesterday. He kept insisting this was his vacation."
"Listen, if I make it a vacation, then it's a vacation," Genma said.
Sakura giggled. "You sound like a married couple."
Genma's eyes lit up at this, his smile turning slightly more devious. "Speaking of couples, how's the little ruse going?"
Kakashi finally spoke up to say, "It's going fine. We have new information for you."
To Kakashi's somewhat affectionate irritation, Genma ignored the relevant part of what he'd said and latched onto the part he cared about. "Fine? Just fine? I want to hear everything about the ninja world’s greatest missing-nin couple!"
Tenzo must have been bored waiting for them to get in contact, because his eyes were keen, too, as he said, "I agree. We need details."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "I forgot how annoying you both are when you're bored."
Genma tried to pat her on the head, which she dodged, as he said, "You know you've missed us."
Watching all of this quietly, Kakashi held back a smile. He couldn't speak for Sakura, but he knew that he had missed this comfortable dynamic that they'd fallen into once they'd all gotten used to working with each other. He'd give almost anything to be back at the bar right now, pretending to ignore them all while he perused his book. In a voice that he meant to be sarcastic, but instead sounded more sincere than he was comfortable with, Kakashi said, "We have missed the team dynamic."
Genma's grin got even toothier as he replied, "Oh, 'we' have, have we? Look, Tenzo, they're a 'we' now. Sounds like they really have this couple thing down."
Kakashi actually felt his face start to get a little hot. For some reason, he could flirt with Sakura all day in front of strangers and not feel embarrassed, but having a good friend call him out on it just made him feel like… an idiot. He glanced at Sakura, who looked like she might be as flustered as he was.
Tenzo smiled. "Aww, look at how he looks at her for help," he said to Genma, and they both laughed.
Scowling slightly, despite knowing it would only egg them both on, Kakashi said, "Enough. We learned a lot today, and I'm going to need you to carry the information to Lady Tsunade."
Genma and Tenzo blessedly halted their teasing as Kakashi began to fill them in on what they'd learned that day—how Shou had mentioned a couple of bosses that they hadn't met yet, and the possibility that they might want to promote Kakashi and Sakura once they'd met. Sakura picked up the thread to tell them the part about shaking down the village, a frown on her face as she recalled the incident.
"We saw most of what happen from a distance, but we couldn't hear anything," Tenzo said. Looking at the frown on Sakura's face, he softened his tone a little as he continued. "After you left, we got closer and listened in to what the townspeople were saying. Don't worry—they said they'd still have a big enough harvest for the year. And Lady Tsunade will more than likely make sure some funds are sent to them once she learns what happened."
Genma, meanwhile, took the scroll that held all of the information Kakashi had just shared with them. He had a serious look on his face as he jerked his chin to indicate that he wanted Kakashi to walk a little further away from Tenzo and Sakura, who were still quietly discussing the town.
"I'll make the trip back to Konoha," Genma said once they'd gotten some distance. "I think Tenzo should stay to back you up in case those big bosses show." He flicked his eyes toward Tenzo and Sakura, who were still talking to each other, and said in a lower voice, "How are things really going?"
Kakashi wanted to brush off the question. That's what he would normally do—talking about his feelings wasn't exactly one of his strengths. But he'd been on edge for so long that the idea of confiding in someone he could trust was too appealing, and in the same hushed tone, he replied, "It's... becoming increasingly difficult to be professional."
Genma looked surprised that Kakashi had actually admitted it, and it took him a moment to recover before he gave Kakashi a crooked grin. Nudging him lightly with an elbow, he said, "Just go for it, man. It'll make things easier, and it'll just make your cover more believable."
"What will make our cover more believable?" Sakura asked from behind him. Kakashi hadn't even heard her and Tenzo approaching.
Genma cringed a little at Kakashi and then turned, smiling, and said, "None of your fucking business."
Sakura made a little sound of annoyance and seemed about to argue, but Kakashi held up a hand and said, "We don't have any more time. I don't want to make Shou more suspicious by being gone too long." Nodding to Genma, he added, "I'll send Uhei in a few days when you get back, in case Tsunade has any new orders. Be careful."
As Kakashi and Sakura turned to leave, Kakashi heard Genma turn to Tenzo and mutter, "He's so screwed." Kakashi glanced at Sakura, who gave him a questioning look, having obviously missed the comment.
Suddenly slightly irritated—but mostly embarrassed again—Kakashi's tone was clipped as he said, "Come on. Let's go."
Without waiting for her response, he took off in the direction of the compound. But no matter how fast he ran, he still wasn't able to escape his thoughts—or what seemed to be a vast conspiracy to make him completely lose his mind.