The One Night Henge

Chapter 15

"WHAT? How can you even say that?" Sakura yelled at Ino across the table.

"I'm just saying that you could have at least listened to what he had to say, Sakura."

"And why would I do that after what he did?" Sakura asked defensively.

Sakura and Ino were sitting at their usual table at the small tea house. When Ino arrived, Sakura was already there waiting. As soon as Ino sat down, Sakura went into full blabble mode, telling Ino everything about her mission with Kakashi to finding out that he had actually been Sukea the whole time.

"Because maybe he actually did have a good explanation, but you were too busy freaking out on him to listen." Ino was only trying to reason with Sakura. She knew that Sakura and Kakashi were right for each other, and Sakura was just afraid of the situation.

Sakura snorted. "Yeah, like he's a pervert and gets off on playing mind games with the women he sleeps with."

Ino frowned. She knew Sakura was just speaking out of hurt and anger, but still. "Kakashi, commander of the four division during the war, the man that has saved your life multiple times, who has put his life on the line for people he hardly knows. Do you really think that he is the kind of person to do something like that?"

Sakura knew he wasn't; he was honestly one of the best men she has ever known. But that didn't excuse what he did to her. Sakura sighed, "No, I know that he wasn't doing this out of some sick fedish. But still, whatever his reason is, what he did is not okay."

"You can't stay hung up on that forever, Sakura. You lied too."

"I lied about my real name, and I didn't even know it was Kakashi. He knew it was me on Friday night. More importantly, I wasn't pretending to have feelings for him, Ino. I really did love Sukea."

"I know you did, but Sukea is Kakashi, just with a different face," Ino argued.

"No he isn't. Kakashi is nothing like Sukea, and if he wasn't pretending, then why didn't he say anything the other night? Why didn't he tell me he loved me if he truly felt that way?"

Deep in her heart, she really wanted to believe that Ino was right. That Kakashi really was like her Sukea, and that he really did love her as much as she did him. But the gnawing fear that it was all just a game to him kept her from admitting it. It would be easier just to lose him if that were the case.

"Maybe he didn't confess his love for you because you were too busy freaking out at him and kicking him out of your house, Sakura!"

"You know what, Ino, I really don't need this right now," Sakura was practically shouting at Ino.

"I thought that as my best friend you would be on my side in all of this. Even if he does love me - which he doesn't - still doesn't excuse him lying to me, and it especially doesn't excuse him sleeping with me knowing who I was without telling me who he was."

Sakura stood up and promptly left the tea house, not even bothering to look back.

Ino slumped back in her chair. The conversation didn't go nearly as well as she had wanted it to. "Hopefully Genma is having better luck talking with Kakashi." Ino thought as she watched as Sakura left the tea house. She realized their little outburst had gathered a bit of attention—the man sitting at the next table over was putting money down and preparing to leave himself.

She gave him an apologetic smile, "Sorry about that sir," she said, though he said nothing as he too made his way out the door.

Kakashi was sitting under a large tree just outside of the village gates. He was staring at his open book, but his thoughts were in a completely different place.