Another Timeline (18+)

Chapter 2

Sorry it took me so long!

Enjoy!

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Sakura was used to following Kakashi's orders, so even now that she had a younger version of her sensei in front of her, she didn't oppose him. She followed him in silence as she walked down the path, shuffling a few yards behind him. She looked around, comparing landscapes so familiar to her and yet so strange. It's amazing how a dozen or so years of difference could affect the natural environment.

She tried not to look at Kakashi too often, so as not to accidentally meet his curious gaze, which had happened to them at least twice during this short walk. And then they looked away, too embarrassed by the earlier incident.

Thus, they reached the stream where they had stopped.

Kakashi jumped into the water, but she decided to perch on the shore from where she could observe her companion's actions. She watched as he laid the fly line and hooked a hook at the end of it to form a makeshift fishing rod so as to cast it later on. With the line still in his hand, he glanced at the pink-hair girl over his shoulder, and as soon as their eyes met, they both blushed and looked away in a flash.

Sakura even wanted to start a conversation somehow, she just didn't know how. She felt too intimidated by the earlier events. Plus, she felt strangely tired. Most likely, the technique Kakashi used had something to do with it, as well as the act of time travel itself.

Out of boredom, she began to play with her fingers, forming independent seals.

It was then that Kakashi breathed heavily, and Sakura already knew what was coming up and she inhaled with a hiss, preparing for the worst.

"Sakura..." he began, and then there was a long pause, so he started to play with the fly line in his fingers. "About what happened before..."

"I'm so sorry, Kakashi-sensei!" she blurted out, covering her eyes with her hands.

The young shinobi blinked quickly in surprise, then looked back at her. He was completely surprised by her reaction.

"Can we forget about?" He suggested after a moment.

Sakura stopped shaking and slowly, really slowly, she slipped her hands off her face, then responded to the gaze he was giving her. She was as shocked at his words as he was.

"Of course," she confirmed a little too vigorously, but when Kakashi nodded in response and then looked away, she felt much better.

She had the impression that her first meeting was a burden on her conscience. But now it was somehow easier for her. And she even beamed at him, thereby causing a flush on his masked cheeks, which made Kakashi concentrate on catching fish for tonight's dinner. These, however, didn't catch, but the silence between them really began to bother Sakura. Therefore, out of boredom, or perhaps sheer curiosity, she began to stare at him. She saw him check to see if he had caught something every now and then to pick out an empty hook and then cast it back. She watched how he did it and had to admit that Kakashi was pretty resourceful at a really young age. If she were in his place now, she would probably be sitting with her future apprentice and crying, but not her former sensei. He always seemed to be cool-headed.

"How do you do that, that you are so composed, Kakashi-sensei?" She blurted out so suddenly that she was surprised herself, and when she looked at her companion, she noticed him returning to her with his gaze.

"You mean?" He was surprised, but it wasn't completely visible, except for his raised eyebrow.

"You always..." Sakura began, but paused to consider further words, because she didn't know exactly what she wanted to say and when she took a deep breath, she added; "You are always ready for anything... I mean... gee, I don't know how to explain it to you, sensei."