Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Snippets of KakaSaku ❯ Leading On ( Chapter 4 )

Leading On
Theme #23: Mistake
Word Count: 844

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He was lounging in his favorite tree, losing himself in the uncomplicated fictional reality of his book. He’d been able to avoid responsibilities all day and was just getting comfortable so he really should have been expecting something to come along and shatter the peace.

“Kakashi-sensei!” Sakura called as she jogged toward him.

Kakashi rolled his eyes, all thoughts of a relaxing afternoon gone. “What is it?”

She didn’t bother to hedge but stared up at him squarely, as if preparing to face off with him. “I was hoping I might be able to convince you to come over for dinner tonight.”

“Tonight?” he repeated, rubbing his chin. “I think I have a mission debriefing…”

Sakura glared at him for a brief second at his squirming to get out of an evening in her company but then her expression morphed into something almost saccharine sweet. “I just so happen to know there’s no such meeting. I checked the logs and noticed you’re free so you must’ve been mistaken about the day.” She ended off with a look of blank innocence and he knew she’d already planned ahead to attempt to outmaneuver him. After all, there were certainly perks to being the hokage’s apprentice…like access to such records as his schedule.

He sniffed. That was cheating in his opinion. Not that he was a sore loser or anything. “Must have mixed up my nights then. Tonight I must be meeting with Genma.”

She stepped up directly beneath the tree, her hand stroking the bark lightly. “You couldn’t possibly be trying to avoid me, could you? After all, you told me the last time you made up some lame excuse that the next time I asked you would definitely take me up on the offer. You wouldn’t break a promise now, would you?”

Kakashi did a double take. Was she batting her eyelashes at him? That couldn’t be right. Still, he realized she was right. As much as he’d prefer to have an entire day to himself, to seclude himself away, she had somehow guilted him into making that promise and, for all his other faults, he was honorable.

“Fine,” he conceded. The sooner he acquiesced the sooner she’d leave so that he could get back to his reading before he had to be at whatever event she was roping him into. “When and where?”

“My place, six o’clock. Don’t be late.” With a wink she spun and sauntered off and he swore there was more swagger to her hips than normal.

That was when it hit him. The coy glances, the body language – she’d been flirting with him. Not only that but she’d invited him to dine at her place, alone.

He gulped.

Sakura, his little Sakura was hitting on him. Was she intending the evening to be a date? The thought gave him pause. He admired her, sure, counted her as one of the few people he could actually stand allowing close enough to him to actually care about – a small, select group to be sure.

He was uncomfortable with the situation, at the very least, and wracked his brain for a way to put a stop to anything further along those lines without either bringing up old insecurities or risking her considerable anger. After all, just because he could dodge her punches didn’t mean he wanted to exert the effort on a day off.

So resolve made to let her down easily he made his way over to her apartment, arriving punctually at 7:30.

Sakura answered the door, surprise written across her face. “Kakashi-sensei! You’re early. I wasn’t expecting you to show up until about eight; that’s when I told everyone else to show up.”

That stopped him in his tracks. “Everyone else?”

“Yeah, Naruto, Sasuke, and even Sai’s coming along. That last was a bit of a gamble though considering how easily Sai sets Naruto off with his ‘dickless’ comments.” She sighed in exasperation. “I warned them all though that I won’t tolerate any damage to my apartment so if they start to rough house I hope you’re willing to step in and help me out. My landlord really is on his last nerve.”

She said all this offhandedly over her shoulder as she’d turned back to her preparations – namely pulling food items out of the store packaging and putting it in pots to heat and bowls to serve. “What?” she turned to ask when he’d been quiet too long. “You know I can’t cook but that doesn’t mean I can’t pretend. I’m sick of them razzing me about it and figure this will shut ‘em up for a while at least.”

Kakashi shook his head ruefully. It looked like he wouldn’t be needing the speech he’d prepared after all, which was a good thing really. He was absolutely horrid with speeches, speaking in general, or relationships at all, actually.

Honestly he was relieved…wasn’t he?

Then why couldn’t he explain the small hint of disappointment – tiny really, almost insignificant, he rushed to assure himself – that had managed to settle in his gut?