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Seijin Shiki
1 reviewWhoever said being an adult was easy? Conflicting emotions and confusing thoughts change one kunoichi's life forever, that of Haruno Sakura. When she begins seeing Kakashi in a new light, can she l...
1Exciting
Disclaimer: All rights, privileges, etc, etc belong to Misashi Kishimoto.
Seijin Shiki
Chapter 1
The steady rhythm of a monitor screen beeped in constant synchronization with the computer screen above the patient’s bed. The heavy scent of blood permeated the room, mixing with the harsh disinfectant used in hospitals.
A petite glove-covered hand reached forward. “Scalpel.”
The monitor next to the bed began to beep louder, the sound buzzing throughout the room. The metallic scent of blood thickened. “Give me that hemostatic clamp!”
Nurse’s moved throughout the room, their white uniforms blending with the whitewashed walls. “He’s going into hemorrhage shock. Where’s that damn clamp!”
“Here it is, Dr. Haruno.” The hemostat was handed to the medic-nin, its silver tip gleaming under the florescent light above. The hemostat was inserted next to the kidney. She brought her hands up to her chest, a green glow emitting from them. She lowered the glowing ball to the large incision on the man’s chest. Tissue began to mend, blood vessels regenerated as the blood began to flow normally.
The medical monitor began to regulate back to its normal setting. The patient beneath the doctor’s able hands unconsciously relaxed. The furrow between his brow's smoothing out.
Dr. Haruno Sakura moved from the surgical table as nurses began to move the patient onto a stretcher. Her heels clicked on the dotted white tiles as she shed her blood-covered gloves and surgical mask in the trashcan. She exited the room; the dimmer lights in the hallway making her pupils enlarge.
Nurses and doctors moved throughout the hallways, patients sometimes carting by. An ANBU mission had just ended, the heavily injured patients being taken for surgery or mere recuperation. Sakura looked up at the bland clock behind the front desk. It was nearing ten o’ clock and she still had another hour of her shift left.
She sighed as she entered the bathroom, rolling up the sleeves on her medic jacket before turning towards the sink. She smiled when she recognized the woman who was with her. “Shizune. Has your surgery finished already?”
Shizune turned the water off, reaching for a brown paper towel. “Yes, it was a success.” Her glossed lips turned down into a frown. “How about you? That’s your third one today.”
Sakura shrugged as she turned on the water, the warm liquid soothing her cramped hands. “I’m fine. I lost one in my second surgery. He was almost gone before they brought him in.” She picked up a green bar of soap, scrubbing the few blood splatters on her lower arms.
“There need to be more medics on the field. If the hospital wasn’t so low on staff I would be glad to be put on a team.”
Sakura nodded. “I know what you mean.” She turned off the water. “I’ve thought about asking Tsunade-shishou to assign me to a team. But I know she’ll decline. She say’s I’m too valuable here at the hospital,” she said as she turned towards the older woman before they both exited the bathroom.
Shizune gave Sakura a sympathetic smile. “That’s Tsunade-sama. She’s been working harder than I ever thought possible.”
Sakura laughed. “No kidding. She still gambles and drinks but she still keeps up her duties as the Hokage. Sometimes I envy her.”
“Haruno Sakura?”
Both medic-nin turned. A young man stood erect, his black uniform slightly rumpled from his run to the hospital. “Tsunade-sama requests your presence immediately.”
Shizune laid a hand on Sakura’s shoulder. “Go ahead. I’ll cover for you. You need a break anyway, no matter how short it is.”
Sakura smiled. “Thank you. I’ll be sure to return the favor.” She turned back towards the young man. “I’m coming. You can go now.”
The young man nodded, a small blush surfacing to his cheeks before disappearing a moment later. Shizune laughed as she turned away. “Boys just can’t seem to keep their eyes off of you these days.”
Sakura smirked. “They’re more a pain than anything. Goodnight Shizune.” She turned on her heel, striding through the building quickly. The cool night air washed over her. She breathed deep, her lungs filling to the capacity before she exhaled. Goosebumps rose on her flesh but she ignored them as she took to the rooftops, her lab coat flailing behind her.
The nights had started to warm, but the cold still lingered in the air. It had only snowed once in the winter months. No more was expected since Konoha mostly stayed dry throughout the year. Sakura’s stomach growled, distracting her from her thoughts on why Tsunade-sama wanted to see her. She hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. She wondered how she could have survived three surgeries without blacking out.
The Hokage Tower quickly came into view, it’s red domed roof lit by lanterns. She dropped onto the ground, tendrils of her pink hair escaping from her tight braid. She pushed open the doors, entering the softly lit interior. As she walked through hallways and up stairs she found it peaceful and quite, a rare feat since the Hokage Tower was almost always beaming with Shinobi.
As she neared the top floor and began walking down the short hallway she could hear voices coming from inside Tsunade-sama’s office. A smile highlighted her pale face when she recognized the two that were inside the room. She reached out with green painted fingers and turned the knob before entering on silent feet.
She turned to shut the door behind her before being faced with a joyous face and spiky blond locks. “Sakura-chan! Where have you been? Teme and me here hasn’t seen you in weeks!”
Sakura laughed as she pulled Naruto towards her, wrapping her arms around the taller shinobi’s shoulders. “Where do you think I’ve been? Hospitals can’t wait for talent you know.”
Naruto pulled back, his whiskered face split into a large grin. “Right as always Sakura-chan.”
Sakura released Naruto and turned towards the other young man in the room. “Hello Sasuke.” A small blush surfaced to her porcelain cheeks.
Sasuke returned the greeting with a sharp nod of his head. The arms that were crossed over his broad chest had come to rest at his sides as he turned to face the Hokage. “You wanted to see us, Hokage-sama.”
Sakura felt her heart plummet from Sasuke’s cold greeting before she stood beside her two favorite boys as she looked down at her shishou patiently.
Tsunade looked from one face to the other, wondering how three such shinobi as different as they were, get along so well. She straightened in her chair, folding her hands beneath her chin as she smiled. “I suppose you all are wondering why you were called here this late at night.”
Naruto nodded. “You’ve never asked us to come this late. What’s up baa-chan?”
Tsunade’s eye twitched. “Ungrateful brat.” She smirked as her hands reached forward to pour herself a cup of sake. “As you all know, the Seijin Shiki is coming up soon.”
Two confused and one impassive face met her words. Tsunade sighed before downing her sake in one gulp. “The Seijin Shiki, also known as the Coming-of-Age day is a celebration for those who will turn eighteen this year.”
Naruto interrupted, his hand hitting his palm. “Oh, I get it. Is that all you called us here for baa-chan?”
Tsunade growled. “Not quite. The Seijin Shiki is for young men and women to be accepted into the world of adults. I have already asked the other shinobi who are qualified to attend this festival and they have all agreed to attend. So what is it going to be, yes or no?”
Sakura shifted to her other foot, her bottom lip being worried between her teeth. “I don’t know Tsunade-shishou. Is it really necessary to attend?”
Tsunade looked at her apprentice with surprise, she would have thought that Sakura would have been the first to accept. “Not necessarily, but the ones that don’t attend as usually either hospitalized or away from Konoha. This is a rare opportunity. The passage into adulthood is something that all shinobi and civilians want. It won’t be held until the 15th. So you have two weeks until then.”
Naruto leaned back on the balls of his feet. “I’ll go, what about you Sasuke-teme?”
Sasuke nodded. “Hn.”
Tsunade smiled as she reached for her sake bottle again. “Then that settles it. You are dismissed. Sakura, I need to talk with you a moment.”
Sakura nodded before she turned to Naruto and Sasuke. “Goodbye. I’ll see you guys later, okay?”
Naruto waved, his other hand on the doorknob. “Bye Sakura-chan!”
Sakura met Sasuke’s eyes. He smirked before he followed Naruto out the door. Her heart skipped a beat before she turned towards Tsunade again. He confused her at the oddest moments. She couldn’t tell whether he really enjoyed her company or not.
A long silence ensued as Tsunade watched Sakura with curious eyes. “Why don’t you want to participate?”
Sakura blinked. “I never said that I wouldn’t. I just need some time to think about it.”
Tsunade sighed. “There’s nothing to think about. Everyone attends. Your duties will be postponed for a few days during the festivities. Why not enjoy the time with your friends?”
Sakura chewed on her lip as she thought. “I just…don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.” The idea of going to a celebration such as this both excited and scared Sakura at the same time. Being an adult was a big step from being an adolescent.
Tsunade nodded as she downed another cup of sake. “Very well. I’ll give you a day. Tomorrow, after your shift come and give me your answer.”
Sakura nodded before she turned towards the door. With a last wave at her sensei she left the room, closing the door softly behind her. She sighed once she was out of Tsunade’s presence. As she turned to go back down the hall she thought about her answer. From her parents and others who had gone to their Seijin Shiki she knew that it was a large celebration and one most everyone attended. It was a day where eighteen-year olds got the right to vote and drink. So what was the big deal anyway?
Sakura sighed as she left the Hokage Tower. She looked up at the darkened sky before she turned and headed home. Her heels clicked on the ground, the only sound on the quiet street. A gust of wind made Sakura shiver. She wrapped her arms around her body to retain what little body heat she had left. A few lights were still on in various homes, the sounds of talking coming out into the street.
As she neared her apartment complex a noise startled her, causing her to look up to find its source. What she saw surprised her into taking a step back. “Kakashi-sensei?”
A hand raised in the air. “Yo.” A smile crinkled his right eye before he jumped down from the roof. He landed silently, his sandaled feet resting gently on the ground. He pocketed his orange book before turning to face his former student. “You’re out late at night.” His uneven silver locks blew gently in the wind, catching Sakura’s attention as they shone in the moonlight.
Sakura smiled as she came to stand before him. “I’m always at the hospital this late. Surely you already knew that.” She took in his appearance. He was dressed in his normal Jounin attire. Years ago Sakura had stopped trying to see what was under Kakashi’s mask. She had come to the conclusion that if he wanted to show her his face then he would do so in his own time.
Kakashi chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ah.”
Sakura looked down at the ground as silence reigned. She was surprised when she heard Kakashi speak again. “Mind if I walk you home?”
Sakura looked up with a large smile on her rosy lips. “I would love that.” Sakura turned and began the way she had been going before being startled. She found it odd that she was in the presence of her former sensei. She hadn’t seen him in a couple of weeks and even before then they had only exchanged a few words.
As silence continued Sakura’s thoughts turned towards the upcoming festival. She didn’t know why she didn’t want to go. Perhaps it was because she had duties at the hospital, since she was the fourth ranked medic in Konoha. Tsunade-sama and Shizune were the top medics next to an older man who had been working at the hospital for over forty years. But the theory didn’t satisfy her.
Kakashi flicked his eye over to his former student. He watched curiously as she sighed, her head hung low as she stared at the ground. She had changed a lot in the years since she had been his student. The first time he had saw her after Sasuke’s return he had instantly saw the changes she had undergone. She had become less exuberant and more focused. She had remained calm, not shedding a tear as she had embraced the last Uchiha. Since that day Kakashi had come to realize that she had become more than he had ever saw in her.
Another sigh from Sakura brought the Copy-nin back to the present. “You seem troubled. Is everything all right?”
Sakura jerked her head up. Her jade eyes widened. She looked into Kakashi’s worried eye, calming immediately. “Oh, it’s nothing really.” She turned her head back towards the road. “The Seijin Shiki is coming up.”
Kakashi’s eye widened momentarily before he closed it in a smile. “Aa.”
Sakura looked up at him with her thin brows furrowed. She shrugged her shoulders. Typical Kakashi behavior. If he had something else to say then he would say it in his own time.
True to his character Kakashi stuck his hands deeper into his pockets before he turned his head slightly to see Sakura clearly. “The Seijin Shiki is a time to let go of your past and find out who you are now.”
Sakura nodded. She wondered why she hadn’t thought of that sooner. It would make sense that she didn’t want to let go of her past, but there were many reasons why she would want to. Sasuke’s betrayal to Konoha and his disappearance for five years were something that always left Sakura feeling sad and useless. After he had returned Team 7 had went through a time of uncomfortable conversations and different views on the others. Sakura had not cherished that time, many times during sleepless nights she had wanted to get rid of her past. Perhaps it was the scary possibility of the future not being better than her past that had her unsure.
Another thing that now had her stumped was Kakashi’s behavior. Never had he voluntarily given information freely. Mayhap she had misjudged Kakashi. But that was impossible since she had known him since she was thirteen. She turned her head back up to look at him. She was surprised to realize that he was about a foot taller than she was. Even when he was slouched he was still so much taller than she was. “Why?”
Kakashi knew what she was asking. He had been able to read this female since he had first met her. But the curious question and widened eyes caught him off guard, if only for a second. Why did he tell her? The question stumped him for a moment before the thought of Sakura in the traditional kimono for the celebration surfaced to his mind.
He turned his head to look down at her. He reached forward, laying his hand on her head like he used to so long ago. “Because…you would look beautiful in a furisode.” The sight of Sakura’s apartment came into view signaling his leave. With a smile and a ruffle of Sakura’s pink locks he disappeared in a whirl of brown leaves.
Sakura stood still, her mouth parted slightly. She shivered, whether it was from the cold or Kakashi’s words she couldn’t say. She shook her head before turning towards her apartment building. She unlocked the front door, her mind whirling around the Seijin Shiki but mostly Kakashi’s words. Why had he used her name with beautiful and furisode? It was a thought that never would have entered her mind until that moment.
As she shed her lab coat she wondered if going to the Seijin Shiki would be worth it. Kakashi’s compliment nearly had her accepting. She groaned when she realized she would probably be up all night with theories and idea running throughout her rampant mind. So much for getting a good night sleep.
After taking off her short heels Sakura turned towards her small kitchen. She began boiling water for tea, her arms crossed as she tapped her bare foot on her wood floor. Maybe Kakashi had only wanted her to stop worrying. But why would he do that when he had rarely taken the effort before? Sakura grit her teeth in frustration. Just one more thing to worry about.
Her teakettle began to whistle. She turned around, taking the kettle from the burner. She swiftly poured herself a cup of the herbal tea, dropping in two cubs of sugar before trudging to her bedroom. Kakashi’s words echoed throughout her mind. A smile pulled her rosy pink lips taunt, her eyes shimmering. Maybe Kakashi was just being a gentlemanly. The thought made her laugh, her melodious voice warming her lonely apartment.
With her new feeling of peace she slipped into her bed. She reached to her bedside table and lay her tea down before grabbing her book she had been reading for the past few nights. An hour later she lay her book aside, her eyes closing on their own accord as she succumbed to blissful sleep. Thoughts of Kakashi’s smiling eye and surprising words being replayed in her dreams.
0o0o0
Hello everyone. I’m very excited about this fic and I hope you are too. I’ve put a lot a thought into it and I hope to make every kakasaku fan out there will want to keep reading. First off I would like to think my good friend from deviantart.com, Zipper Rabbit. She gave me some great ideas and she’s my beta. I’m very appreciative of her help. Some of you are probably wondering about some of the words and equipment I used in this story.
I hardly know anything about hospitals since I’m terrified of needles but I did a little research. Sakura is operating on a man that had his kidney ruptured. You need only one to live but sometimes a rupturing can result in major blood hemorrhaging. I probably didn’t say that right but that’s the basic idea.
I put Shizune in there on a whim. I felt I needed some dialogue but not serious talk. I had the messenger Nin blush because Sakura had grown up to be a beautiful woman. I’m not going to focus much on Naruto and Sasuke because this is a KakaSaku fanfic, but they will be in here. And Sakura still loves Sasuke at the beginning, until some things start to change.
I had to put Kakashi in the first chapter because I felt I needed to bring him in as soon as I can. His coincidental appearance may be a bit much though. I tried to keep in mind how they reacted to each other when Kakashi was her teacher, but people do change as they become older. I didn’t want to jump straight to conclusions about them liking each other as more than former teacher/student because then it wouldn’t have made a long fic, now would it?
A furisode is a traditional kimono almost only used in the Seijin Shiki. It is made from brightly colored silk and costs ¥1,000,000, approximately 10,000 in us dollars. Most girls either rent the furisode or have it passed down from generation to generation. Now a little about the Seijin Shiki. I don’t want to give everything away since I’ll have that in the upcoming chapters but I can give you some things.
The Seijin Shiki in present day Japan is for those who will be turning 20 on the second Monday in January. They are admitted into adult hood, therefore being able to drink and vote.
Okay, that’s all for now. More KakaSaku goodness will be in the next chapter. But I will be trying to keep this moderately slow, but not so much that you get frustrated. Thank you for reading and please comment.
Seijin Shiki
Chapter 1
The steady rhythm of a monitor screen beeped in constant synchronization with the computer screen above the patient’s bed. The heavy scent of blood permeated the room, mixing with the harsh disinfectant used in hospitals.
A petite glove-covered hand reached forward. “Scalpel.”
The monitor next to the bed began to beep louder, the sound buzzing throughout the room. The metallic scent of blood thickened. “Give me that hemostatic clamp!”
Nurse’s moved throughout the room, their white uniforms blending with the whitewashed walls. “He’s going into hemorrhage shock. Where’s that damn clamp!”
“Here it is, Dr. Haruno.” The hemostat was handed to the medic-nin, its silver tip gleaming under the florescent light above. The hemostat was inserted next to the kidney. She brought her hands up to her chest, a green glow emitting from them. She lowered the glowing ball to the large incision on the man’s chest. Tissue began to mend, blood vessels regenerated as the blood began to flow normally.
The medical monitor began to regulate back to its normal setting. The patient beneath the doctor’s able hands unconsciously relaxed. The furrow between his brow's smoothing out.
Dr. Haruno Sakura moved from the surgical table as nurses began to move the patient onto a stretcher. Her heels clicked on the dotted white tiles as she shed her blood-covered gloves and surgical mask in the trashcan. She exited the room; the dimmer lights in the hallway making her pupils enlarge.
Nurses and doctors moved throughout the hallways, patients sometimes carting by. An ANBU mission had just ended, the heavily injured patients being taken for surgery or mere recuperation. Sakura looked up at the bland clock behind the front desk. It was nearing ten o’ clock and she still had another hour of her shift left.
She sighed as she entered the bathroom, rolling up the sleeves on her medic jacket before turning towards the sink. She smiled when she recognized the woman who was with her. “Shizune. Has your surgery finished already?”
Shizune turned the water off, reaching for a brown paper towel. “Yes, it was a success.” Her glossed lips turned down into a frown. “How about you? That’s your third one today.”
Sakura shrugged as she turned on the water, the warm liquid soothing her cramped hands. “I’m fine. I lost one in my second surgery. He was almost gone before they brought him in.” She picked up a green bar of soap, scrubbing the few blood splatters on her lower arms.
“There need to be more medics on the field. If the hospital wasn’t so low on staff I would be glad to be put on a team.”
Sakura nodded. “I know what you mean.” She turned off the water. “I’ve thought about asking Tsunade-shishou to assign me to a team. But I know she’ll decline. She say’s I’m too valuable here at the hospital,” she said as she turned towards the older woman before they both exited the bathroom.
Shizune gave Sakura a sympathetic smile. “That’s Tsunade-sama. She’s been working harder than I ever thought possible.”
Sakura laughed. “No kidding. She still gambles and drinks but she still keeps up her duties as the Hokage. Sometimes I envy her.”
“Haruno Sakura?”
Both medic-nin turned. A young man stood erect, his black uniform slightly rumpled from his run to the hospital. “Tsunade-sama requests your presence immediately.”
Shizune laid a hand on Sakura’s shoulder. “Go ahead. I’ll cover for you. You need a break anyway, no matter how short it is.”
Sakura smiled. “Thank you. I’ll be sure to return the favor.” She turned back towards the young man. “I’m coming. You can go now.”
The young man nodded, a small blush surfacing to his cheeks before disappearing a moment later. Shizune laughed as she turned away. “Boys just can’t seem to keep their eyes off of you these days.”
Sakura smirked. “They’re more a pain than anything. Goodnight Shizune.” She turned on her heel, striding through the building quickly. The cool night air washed over her. She breathed deep, her lungs filling to the capacity before she exhaled. Goosebumps rose on her flesh but she ignored them as she took to the rooftops, her lab coat flailing behind her.
The nights had started to warm, but the cold still lingered in the air. It had only snowed once in the winter months. No more was expected since Konoha mostly stayed dry throughout the year. Sakura’s stomach growled, distracting her from her thoughts on why Tsunade-sama wanted to see her. She hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. She wondered how she could have survived three surgeries without blacking out.
The Hokage Tower quickly came into view, it’s red domed roof lit by lanterns. She dropped onto the ground, tendrils of her pink hair escaping from her tight braid. She pushed open the doors, entering the softly lit interior. As she walked through hallways and up stairs she found it peaceful and quite, a rare feat since the Hokage Tower was almost always beaming with Shinobi.
As she neared the top floor and began walking down the short hallway she could hear voices coming from inside Tsunade-sama’s office. A smile highlighted her pale face when she recognized the two that were inside the room. She reached out with green painted fingers and turned the knob before entering on silent feet.
She turned to shut the door behind her before being faced with a joyous face and spiky blond locks. “Sakura-chan! Where have you been? Teme and me here hasn’t seen you in weeks!”
Sakura laughed as she pulled Naruto towards her, wrapping her arms around the taller shinobi’s shoulders. “Where do you think I’ve been? Hospitals can’t wait for talent you know.”
Naruto pulled back, his whiskered face split into a large grin. “Right as always Sakura-chan.”
Sakura released Naruto and turned towards the other young man in the room. “Hello Sasuke.” A small blush surfaced to her porcelain cheeks.
Sasuke returned the greeting with a sharp nod of his head. The arms that were crossed over his broad chest had come to rest at his sides as he turned to face the Hokage. “You wanted to see us, Hokage-sama.”
Sakura felt her heart plummet from Sasuke’s cold greeting before she stood beside her two favorite boys as she looked down at her shishou patiently.
Tsunade looked from one face to the other, wondering how three such shinobi as different as they were, get along so well. She straightened in her chair, folding her hands beneath her chin as she smiled. “I suppose you all are wondering why you were called here this late at night.”
Naruto nodded. “You’ve never asked us to come this late. What’s up baa-chan?”
Tsunade’s eye twitched. “Ungrateful brat.” She smirked as her hands reached forward to pour herself a cup of sake. “As you all know, the Seijin Shiki is coming up soon.”
Two confused and one impassive face met her words. Tsunade sighed before downing her sake in one gulp. “The Seijin Shiki, also known as the Coming-of-Age day is a celebration for those who will turn eighteen this year.”
Naruto interrupted, his hand hitting his palm. “Oh, I get it. Is that all you called us here for baa-chan?”
Tsunade growled. “Not quite. The Seijin Shiki is for young men and women to be accepted into the world of adults. I have already asked the other shinobi who are qualified to attend this festival and they have all agreed to attend. So what is it going to be, yes or no?”
Sakura shifted to her other foot, her bottom lip being worried between her teeth. “I don’t know Tsunade-shishou. Is it really necessary to attend?”
Tsunade looked at her apprentice with surprise, she would have thought that Sakura would have been the first to accept. “Not necessarily, but the ones that don’t attend as usually either hospitalized or away from Konoha. This is a rare opportunity. The passage into adulthood is something that all shinobi and civilians want. It won’t be held until the 15th. So you have two weeks until then.”
Naruto leaned back on the balls of his feet. “I’ll go, what about you Sasuke-teme?”
Sasuke nodded. “Hn.”
Tsunade smiled as she reached for her sake bottle again. “Then that settles it. You are dismissed. Sakura, I need to talk with you a moment.”
Sakura nodded before she turned to Naruto and Sasuke. “Goodbye. I’ll see you guys later, okay?”
Naruto waved, his other hand on the doorknob. “Bye Sakura-chan!”
Sakura met Sasuke’s eyes. He smirked before he followed Naruto out the door. Her heart skipped a beat before she turned towards Tsunade again. He confused her at the oddest moments. She couldn’t tell whether he really enjoyed her company or not.
A long silence ensued as Tsunade watched Sakura with curious eyes. “Why don’t you want to participate?”
Sakura blinked. “I never said that I wouldn’t. I just need some time to think about it.”
Tsunade sighed. “There’s nothing to think about. Everyone attends. Your duties will be postponed for a few days during the festivities. Why not enjoy the time with your friends?”
Sakura chewed on her lip as she thought. “I just…don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.” The idea of going to a celebration such as this both excited and scared Sakura at the same time. Being an adult was a big step from being an adolescent.
Tsunade nodded as she downed another cup of sake. “Very well. I’ll give you a day. Tomorrow, after your shift come and give me your answer.”
Sakura nodded before she turned towards the door. With a last wave at her sensei she left the room, closing the door softly behind her. She sighed once she was out of Tsunade’s presence. As she turned to go back down the hall she thought about her answer. From her parents and others who had gone to their Seijin Shiki she knew that it was a large celebration and one most everyone attended. It was a day where eighteen-year olds got the right to vote and drink. So what was the big deal anyway?
Sakura sighed as she left the Hokage Tower. She looked up at the darkened sky before she turned and headed home. Her heels clicked on the ground, the only sound on the quiet street. A gust of wind made Sakura shiver. She wrapped her arms around her body to retain what little body heat she had left. A few lights were still on in various homes, the sounds of talking coming out into the street.
As she neared her apartment complex a noise startled her, causing her to look up to find its source. What she saw surprised her into taking a step back. “Kakashi-sensei?”
A hand raised in the air. “Yo.” A smile crinkled his right eye before he jumped down from the roof. He landed silently, his sandaled feet resting gently on the ground. He pocketed his orange book before turning to face his former student. “You’re out late at night.” His uneven silver locks blew gently in the wind, catching Sakura’s attention as they shone in the moonlight.
Sakura smiled as she came to stand before him. “I’m always at the hospital this late. Surely you already knew that.” She took in his appearance. He was dressed in his normal Jounin attire. Years ago Sakura had stopped trying to see what was under Kakashi’s mask. She had come to the conclusion that if he wanted to show her his face then he would do so in his own time.
Kakashi chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ah.”
Sakura looked down at the ground as silence reigned. She was surprised when she heard Kakashi speak again. “Mind if I walk you home?”
Sakura looked up with a large smile on her rosy lips. “I would love that.” Sakura turned and began the way she had been going before being startled. She found it odd that she was in the presence of her former sensei. She hadn’t seen him in a couple of weeks and even before then they had only exchanged a few words.
As silence continued Sakura’s thoughts turned towards the upcoming festival. She didn’t know why she didn’t want to go. Perhaps it was because she had duties at the hospital, since she was the fourth ranked medic in Konoha. Tsunade-sama and Shizune were the top medics next to an older man who had been working at the hospital for over forty years. But the theory didn’t satisfy her.
Kakashi flicked his eye over to his former student. He watched curiously as she sighed, her head hung low as she stared at the ground. She had changed a lot in the years since she had been his student. The first time he had saw her after Sasuke’s return he had instantly saw the changes she had undergone. She had become less exuberant and more focused. She had remained calm, not shedding a tear as she had embraced the last Uchiha. Since that day Kakashi had come to realize that she had become more than he had ever saw in her.
Another sigh from Sakura brought the Copy-nin back to the present. “You seem troubled. Is everything all right?”
Sakura jerked her head up. Her jade eyes widened. She looked into Kakashi’s worried eye, calming immediately. “Oh, it’s nothing really.” She turned her head back towards the road. “The Seijin Shiki is coming up.”
Kakashi’s eye widened momentarily before he closed it in a smile. “Aa.”
Sakura looked up at him with her thin brows furrowed. She shrugged her shoulders. Typical Kakashi behavior. If he had something else to say then he would say it in his own time.
True to his character Kakashi stuck his hands deeper into his pockets before he turned his head slightly to see Sakura clearly. “The Seijin Shiki is a time to let go of your past and find out who you are now.”
Sakura nodded. She wondered why she hadn’t thought of that sooner. It would make sense that she didn’t want to let go of her past, but there were many reasons why she would want to. Sasuke’s betrayal to Konoha and his disappearance for five years were something that always left Sakura feeling sad and useless. After he had returned Team 7 had went through a time of uncomfortable conversations and different views on the others. Sakura had not cherished that time, many times during sleepless nights she had wanted to get rid of her past. Perhaps it was the scary possibility of the future not being better than her past that had her unsure.
Another thing that now had her stumped was Kakashi’s behavior. Never had he voluntarily given information freely. Mayhap she had misjudged Kakashi. But that was impossible since she had known him since she was thirteen. She turned her head back up to look at him. She was surprised to realize that he was about a foot taller than she was. Even when he was slouched he was still so much taller than she was. “Why?”
Kakashi knew what she was asking. He had been able to read this female since he had first met her. But the curious question and widened eyes caught him off guard, if only for a second. Why did he tell her? The question stumped him for a moment before the thought of Sakura in the traditional kimono for the celebration surfaced to his mind.
He turned his head to look down at her. He reached forward, laying his hand on her head like he used to so long ago. “Because…you would look beautiful in a furisode.” The sight of Sakura’s apartment came into view signaling his leave. With a smile and a ruffle of Sakura’s pink locks he disappeared in a whirl of brown leaves.
Sakura stood still, her mouth parted slightly. She shivered, whether it was from the cold or Kakashi’s words she couldn’t say. She shook her head before turning towards her apartment building. She unlocked the front door, her mind whirling around the Seijin Shiki but mostly Kakashi’s words. Why had he used her name with beautiful and furisode? It was a thought that never would have entered her mind until that moment.
As she shed her lab coat she wondered if going to the Seijin Shiki would be worth it. Kakashi’s compliment nearly had her accepting. She groaned when she realized she would probably be up all night with theories and idea running throughout her rampant mind. So much for getting a good night sleep.
After taking off her short heels Sakura turned towards her small kitchen. She began boiling water for tea, her arms crossed as she tapped her bare foot on her wood floor. Maybe Kakashi had only wanted her to stop worrying. But why would he do that when he had rarely taken the effort before? Sakura grit her teeth in frustration. Just one more thing to worry about.
Her teakettle began to whistle. She turned around, taking the kettle from the burner. She swiftly poured herself a cup of the herbal tea, dropping in two cubs of sugar before trudging to her bedroom. Kakashi’s words echoed throughout her mind. A smile pulled her rosy pink lips taunt, her eyes shimmering. Maybe Kakashi was just being a gentlemanly. The thought made her laugh, her melodious voice warming her lonely apartment.
With her new feeling of peace she slipped into her bed. She reached to her bedside table and lay her tea down before grabbing her book she had been reading for the past few nights. An hour later she lay her book aside, her eyes closing on their own accord as she succumbed to blissful sleep. Thoughts of Kakashi’s smiling eye and surprising words being replayed in her dreams.
0o0o0
Hello everyone. I’m very excited about this fic and I hope you are too. I’ve put a lot a thought into it and I hope to make every kakasaku fan out there will want to keep reading. First off I would like to think my good friend from deviantart.com, Zipper Rabbit. She gave me some great ideas and she’s my beta. I’m very appreciative of her help. Some of you are probably wondering about some of the words and equipment I used in this story.
I hardly know anything about hospitals since I’m terrified of needles but I did a little research. Sakura is operating on a man that had his kidney ruptured. You need only one to live but sometimes a rupturing can result in major blood hemorrhaging. I probably didn’t say that right but that’s the basic idea.
I put Shizune in there on a whim. I felt I needed some dialogue but not serious talk. I had the messenger Nin blush because Sakura had grown up to be a beautiful woman. I’m not going to focus much on Naruto and Sasuke because this is a KakaSaku fanfic, but they will be in here. And Sakura still loves Sasuke at the beginning, until some things start to change.
I had to put Kakashi in the first chapter because I felt I needed to bring him in as soon as I can. His coincidental appearance may be a bit much though. I tried to keep in mind how they reacted to each other when Kakashi was her teacher, but people do change as they become older. I didn’t want to jump straight to conclusions about them liking each other as more than former teacher/student because then it wouldn’t have made a long fic, now would it?
A furisode is a traditional kimono almost only used in the Seijin Shiki. It is made from brightly colored silk and costs ¥1,000,000, approximately 10,000 in us dollars. Most girls either rent the furisode or have it passed down from generation to generation. Now a little about the Seijin Shiki. I don’t want to give everything away since I’ll have that in the upcoming chapters but I can give you some things.
The Seijin Shiki in present day Japan is for those who will be turning 20 on the second Monday in January. They are admitted into adult hood, therefore being able to drink and vote.
Okay, that’s all for now. More KakaSaku goodness will be in the next chapter. But I will be trying to keep this moderately slow, but not so much that you get frustrated. Thank you for reading and please comment.
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