Konoha's Cherry Blossom {REWRITTEN}

Chapter 14

A lone grey eye took the shoulders slumped, a heavy burden of sorrow weighing her down, as though the weight of the world rested upon her fragile frame. He listened as she poured her heart out in front of him. Her voice quivered, each word a fragile whisper trembling with the weight of unspoken grief as if sadness had stolen the strength from her voice. While he gazed into those viridian eyes, lost in melancholic reverie, his eyes haunted by the ghosts of past sorrows that refused to fade.

He waited for her to quiet down before he cleared his throat, "When I said that you are my favourite student, I meant it, Sakura-chan. And to be honest, it was you who were too good for team 7. Do you know why?" He watched her mouth drop in disbelief as he continued, "Sasuke, Naruto, and I. We lacked emotional maturity. Yes. Even I. All of us had trauma that had ruined us for everything good in this world. It took us a long while to realise that. You are the good in Team 7. We know that. We are also too selfish to let that good go. Somewhere deep, we also knew that one day you'll realise that you're too good for us and leave. Never once did we blame you. We knew we must have done something to push you past the breaking point...." His voice cracked, emotions breaking through the façade of strength, as if misery had chipped away his armour, exposing the vulnerability beneath.

Sakura was no better, "I'm sorry. I let my insecurities get in my head..." Kakashi shook his head.

"No. Don't you dare feel guilty for something that wasn't your fault. The culprits have manipulated us in this. They had been doing it for years. Years of experience and power. We were powerless against them. Look at you. Look how you have blossomed in a fine shinobi. Not just a shinobi but also a fine human being. You never needed us. We needed you. We need you. You were so good to us. He's such a good girl." Kakashi stressed on his words, his gloved hand patting her head as he praised her.

Sakura felt heat crawling to her cheeks. Why does Kakashi still treat her like a little baby? And just why is she liking it so much. The way he comforted her, then wiped her nose. He even treated her and listened to her. If that wasn't enough, instead of getting butthurt, he praised her with that suave voice of his.

She looked down at the steam wafting from her teacup and said in a small voice, "It doesn't change the fact that I didn't have faith in you guys. All my life, you guys protected me."

"Look at me."

Kakashi's sterned tone made her raise her head slightly and peaked shyly through her lashes.

"There you go, good girl." Sakura gulped. Is he doing this internationally? She's trying to be bloody miserable, why she feels like she's being seduced.

The intensity in his stare when she met his eye is slowly making heart beating louder.

"We protected you because you are precious to us. Not because we think you're incapable of doing it yourself. We like taking care of you. I.. We want to take care of you." He held the eye contact before giving her his signature smile, "Now that is out of the way. Your lack of faith was a carefully planted idea by the elder. For their ulterior motive, am I clear?"

She nodded, and suddenly his eye sharpened with something similar to a sadistic glint, "Speaking of Ulterior motive. I'll make sure to make the rest of elders pay a hell to even thinking they could do that to you. And believe me when I say this, I won't be alone deliver the torment to them." He promised, "Now finish your tea. I know you probably have another shift in a hospital."

Sakura looked at him in surprise, "And how would you know that?"

Kakashi tilted his head as his mask scrunched, indicating his smirk at her question, "You really think I wasn’t keeping tabs on my cute, little student even if she supposedly left the team?"

Sakura deadpan, "Then why did this misunderstanding happen?"

She watched his smirk flatter, and he winced, "An error from my part. It won't happen again. Anyways, here, eat this." He took one of the dango and shoved it in her mouth, his finger grazing her tongue in the process.

Sakura, feeling bold for a moment, held his gaze as she innocently licked the tip of his index finger. Kakashi's eyes darkened at her antics.

"Behave." She held back a shudder at his tone and decided to misbehave a little bit more. She took a little more of his finger in her mouth and sucked.

And the way Kakashi growled, "Sakura."

"Yes, Sensei?" She asked, blinking innocently at him.

Kakashi just gave her a heated look, "When did you grow into such a minx?" He muttered under his breath.

Sakura smirked, "I thought you were keeping tabs on your cute little student..."

Kakashi looked unimpressed. "Keep that tone with me and we'll see where it'll lead you." He flicked her nose.

Sakura snorted slightly before sipping the rest of her tea. Once she was done, Kakashi stood up went to pay. He came back after few minutes, carrying a smaller paper bag in his hand that he raised towards her, "Snacks for your break. Hospital food is terrible."

Sakura took the paper bag and gave him a grateful smile, "Thank you, Kakashi."

"No sensei. Tsk tsk, Sakura-chan." His teasing made her grin slightly as she rolled her eyes.

"Don't be an ass, Sensei."

Kakashi chuckled at her words as he put a hand on her back, leading her out of the teashop and walked her to the hospital.