Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ 14 Gifts ❯ Noodles ( Chapter 12 )

February 12th - Noodles

Tuesdays were generally busy days in the grand village of Konoha. For some reason, the market seemed to be more alive on this day, filled with shoppers looking for wares or foodstuffs to refill their pantry. Civilian and shinobi alike could be found in the main streets, bartering and sometimes trading for items they needed.

Kakashi walked the crowded road and took the time to really look around him. In his past he walked with his mask in place and a volume of Icha Icha in hand. While he was completely aware of his surroundings he wasn't really paying attention to the little things.

Today he was able to notice the small details that he had taken for granted. This was the village he was born and raised in and he had never really known it the way he should. Since the rebuild from Pein's destruction much had changed in the village he loved. No longer were the buildings a little on the worn or shabby side covered with chipped and faded paint. Everything now held newness that the silver-haired Jounin hadn't ever recalled seeing in his 34 years.

As he stroll the road that led to his destination, he thought about the merry chase he had sent Sakura on. By now she should have an inkling as to who her secret admirer was. If the last gift didn't give him away, or the kiss for that matter, then Sakura wasn't as brilliant as he thought she was.

However, he felt that she had strong suspicions of his identity. If he knew her well, she would probably find some time to do a little digging on his clan to tie the loose ends, which was fine with him. He had nothing to hide anymore. She already knew about his father and that was the worst thing he could think of that dwelled in his clan's history.

He approached the hospital right around the appointed hour for Sakura's lunch break and he walked inside, up the stairs that would lead him to her office.

A knock sounded his arrival at her door and Sakura called for him to enter. She had been at her desk finishing some notes on patient charts.

"You're on time!" she told him with a smug grin after seeing who it was.

Kakashi looked wounded. "Why Sakura. I'm surprised you would think I would be late for our lunch date."

Sakura blushed lightly at the term 'date' and replied, "Well, you do have a history for being late..."

"Which I've been correcting for some time now, Sakura. You can't continue to hold that against me, you know."

"Yeah," she replied a little sheepishly. She had noticed he'd been on time for just about everything over the last year or so. She finished up her last note and closed the file before putting it aside for later. She got up from the chair and walked over to him looking him over as she approached him.

She noticed that his headband wasn't on, allowing his silver hair to fall around his head and face, and a simple black eye patch over the Sharingan. Again, she though he looked very dangerous when he went without his hitai-ate and very, very sexy.

She flushed at that last thought and smiled through it. "Ready?" she squeaked out almost comically.

Kakashi grinned at her response to her obvious perusal over his form and replied, "Yep. Let's go."

As they left the hospital Kakashi decided to tell Sakura his plans for lunch. "So how do you feel about Ichiraku?"

"What?" she questioned slightly astounded. "You actually want to go have ramen?" She couldn't help but be floored by his question. Hadn't he just told her recently that he bailed on paying his tab because he didn't really care for the dish?

"I know what I said before," Kakashi replied. "But I haven't had noodles in ages and thought this would be a nice change."

Sakura shrugged but then looked at him pointedly, "You had better not disappear and leave me with the bill."

Kakashi chuckled. "Now what kind of date would I be to leave you with the bill?" he asked causing the girl to turn pink again. He had to admit he liked the flush in her skin.

"Date?" she squeaked out, beryl eyes boring into his one charcoal one.

"Mmmhmm," Kakashi confirmed. By then they had arrived at their destination.

Stomachs filled and bill paid (by Kakashi, much to Sakura's contained surprise) the pair walked back in the direction of the hospital. They had enjoyed their meal and the conversation flowed comfortably as they spoke of many different things.

One of the subjects Kakashi had brought up was that he had opened up and had begun restoring the Hatake Family home that was located miles outside of the protective walls of Konoha. This had piqued Sakura's interest and she had many questions for him. Had he grown up there? Did he have any memories of it with his parents?

There hadn't been enough time to answer all of her questions. Eventually, he told her he would take her there some time in the near future so she could see it herself. Sakura beamed at him when he told her that.

When they arrived at the hospital, Sakura shuffled in her spot nervously, unsure whether Kakashi would kiss her again. Did she want him to? Absolutely. She felt so comfortable with him now and was truly starting to see him as something akin to, what? A boyfriend?

As Sakura's mind furiously worked at trying to put a name to this new relationship, Kakashi gently pulled the distracted kunoichi into his arms and kissed her. The change caused Sakura to gasp allowing Kakashi to deepen the kiss that much more, his tongue moving into her mouth and slowly, sensuously, stroking her own.

The warmth of his closeness and the heat of his mouth drew a pleased moan from Sakura, her arms wrapping around the male before her to pull him closer to her own body. The sparks of heat and desire that she had felt from the kiss the day before were even stronger today and Sakura felt like she would spontaneously combust.

Kakashi's tongue stroked hers gently as he taught her the art of kissing, pulling away to breathe before plundering her lips and mouth once again. By her innocent movements and whimpers he'd wondered if she'd ever been kissed this way before. Was he her first? He hoped so.

And if he had his way, he would be her first in everything and her last.

Finally the kiss had to end and Kakashi pulled away slowly, placing soft butterfly kisses at the corner of her mouth, her cheek and then lastly, her forehead.

"I won't be able to have lunch with you tomorrow, I'm afraid, but if you're not busy on Thursday would you join me for dinner? Meet me here after you get off of work?" Kakashi asked as he continued to hold Sakura in his arms.

"Ye-*ahem*" Sakura had to clear her throat. "Yes. That would be great," she said smiling a little dazedly. She tried to gain feeling back into her limbs because she knew at that moment the only reason she still stood was because Kakashi still held her. If he let go, she'd probably fall.

'How embarrassing would that be?' she thought to herself.

When he did finally begin to pull away Sakura managed to contain the desperate whine that wanted to come forth from being separated from his warmth. She also stood on her own, thankfully.

"Thank you for a lovely lunch, Sakura," Kakashi said and smiled warmly at the thoroughly kissed and dazed woman before him. "Until Thursday evening then?"

Sakura nodded, unable to trust her voice a second time.

And then he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Sakura blinked a few times before she finally got ahold of herself. Her brain was awash with so many thoughts and questions. Who knew a kiss could cause such a reaction in her? Who knew that it would be Kakashi that would make her feel these things?

Sakura slowly made her way back to her office completely unaware that everyone that saw her gave her knowing looks.

It was about time their Sakura found someone.

Sakura stared and practically glared at the item that sat on her kitchen table in front of her.

"A cup of instant ramen?" she muttered. "REALLY?"

This had to be the single most asinine gift out of all of the gifts she'd received to date. Okay, the ninety-nine roses had been overkill, but the message had been beautiful in the end.

But Cup-O-Noodles? Someone had either run out of money or out of ideas.

Thinking about the incredible kiss from earlier that day, she was bound to forgive the male she had fallen for. There was no use in denying it.

Thinking there had to be more to this gift than a cup of instant ramen, Sakura opened the small envelope that came with it and read.

'Sakura:

Did you know that there is an old wives tale regarding noodles? It is said that eating noodles on Valentine's Day could affect your future. In order to reward you with long life, you have to consume an entire strand without letting it break.

So I give you a cup of noodles for you to practice on.

Meet me at the front of the hospital at 5 pm on Thursday. I'll be the one holding a daisy.

Until Thursday.'

"Wait a minute," Sakura muttered. "Thursday?" She walked up to the calendar in her kitchen and looked at the date and her stomach sank.

"Ah shoot." Thursday was Valentine's Day. It was also the same day that she was having dinner with Kakashi. If she was incorrect in her assumptions that Kakashi was her mystery man, she potentially had a conflict.

She had some research to do, and fortunately, Kakashi gave her Wednesday to do so. She would prove that Kakashi was the one sending her the gifts and notes.

Sakura stared out her window watching the sun set in the distance, the view of Konoha being shrouded in the resulting dusk.

'It has to be Kakashi,' she thought to herself. 'It just has to be him.'