Promises Remembered

Chapter 1

A/N I truly agonized over the timeline for this and when to post chapters. There is a Harry Potter time travel fic that I love that bounces back between the past and the present and it works so well. However, I felt that it would break the tension if I did it that way and while there are a few future scenes that might fit better slotted in the past narrative, I decided to keep the story in order that it happens with the exception of this chapter and the prologue. There WILL be lots of single dad Kakashi and stuff happening directly after the prologue so never fear. For now though, a MOSTLY Sakura centered Part 1.

Part 1

Chapter 1

Sakura

Three years after the war

"Damn." Sakura threw her white coat into her locker and snatched up her hairbrush. Looking in the small mirror attached to her locker door, she fixed herself as quickly as she could. Glancing at the tube of lipstick laying on its side, she dismissed it and slammed the door shut. It wasn't as if she had anyone to impress.

Kakashi-sensei's face floated through her mind, and she blushed.

No. He's not for you, Sakura.

Shaking her head, she grabbed her purse and left. Her morning shift had run over and she was almost late. As long as she didn't get held up on the way, she should be there when the new graduates let out.

"Oh, Sakura! Hang on, I need..."

"Sorry, Shizune." Sakura waved her off as she dashed towards the hospital exit. "It will have to wait. I have to get to the academy!"

"Oh, I forgot." Shizune laughed. "Tell Kazuki-chan I said congratulations!"

A wide smile splitting her face, Sakura shouted back over her shoulder she would as the doors slid shut behind her.

It had been a long shift and she was exhausted, but Sakura wouldn't miss the graduation ceremony for anything. She had promised she'd be there.

Kazuki-chan had been a constant in her life since she was eight years old. His mother, a cousin of her father's, had died when he was born. Upon meeting her baby cousin and subsequently falling head over heels in love with the infant whom everyone had always called her little twin, Sakura had adopted him as her baby brother.

Her parents had loved him just as much, and once his father had started working again, he had spent just as much time with them as he did at home. Kazuki was a part of their family in blood as well as heart. Maybe she doted on him too much, but even at twelve, he never seemed too embarrassed.

There was a crowd of proud parents standing outside the academy when she arrived. Looking around, she caught sight of her father's hair and rushed to meet them. "Hey! Am I late? Have I missed anything?"

Haruno Kizashi smiled down at her. "Right on time, sweetheart. They'll be out in just a moment."

"Sakura-chan," Kakashi-sensei acknowledged her presence, nodding once but not quite meeting her eyes. He had been doing that more and more lately. "I'm glad you could make it."

Only a little bothered by his strange recent behavior, she smiled anyway. "Of course, Sensei. I promised I'd be here for him."

Something flickered behind his dark eyes, but it was gone before she could identify it. She tried to think of what to say, but the academy doors opened and the excited shouts of brand new Genin took her full attention.