Promises Remembered

Chapter 5

A/N I am off any kind of schedule. I just felt like posting today. I hate life right now and I am struggling to care about anything. I have like tons written so this will pass and I will be writing again without much change here. I liked this chapter a lot so I hope you do. 

Chapter 5

Sakura

Fifty-one days into the past

The weeks wore on—weeks Sakura had already lived once. It was strange, if she thought about it too hard. Her first time around, six-year-old Sakura had been eager and excited to be the first in her family to attend the ninja academy.

This time, she was the sensei, rather than the student. Her days were spent teaching advanced chakra flesh regrowth techniques to the few with sufficient chakra control, and whatever else she could to everyone else. According to Asamida-sama, the future of the village was much improved thanks to her tutelage.

Her nights varied much more to the extremes.

Since she had been in the past for almost two months, Kakashi was no longer tasked with following her around. He'd gone back to his ANBU team and regular missions. Sakura had thought that would mean an end to their regular interaction. He had only been hanging around because he had to.

It had not.

At least twice a week, he would turn up wherever she happened to be having dinner out. On her first full day off, he had dropped by and suggested they head to the third training ground for another spar. She had played at being annoyed, but she hadn't any other plans and it ended up being rather fun.

Until he definitely let her get the better of him, ending up on his back with her on top of him. She was sure he had done it on purpose. He might have been wearing a mask, but she knew him well enough to recognize the smirk in his one uncovered eye.

She had only allowed herself to enjoy the sensation of lying on top of the man she had been so infatuated with for so long for a moment before remembering who she was.

He is not for you.

The half-hidden smirk had faded to something a little confused when she had practically flown off of him. He hid it almost immediately, though. At that moment, she'd been jealous of his mask. It made hiding your emotions so easy. Maybe that was why he wore it.

If her time off and evenings weren't taken up with Kakashi or the student who was fast becoming a friend, Aiko, Sakura grew increasingly homesick. She would sit in her apartment and try desperately to keep the promise she had made to herself.

No more tears.

She read medical textbooks. She cooked. She went to bed early when there was nothing else to occupy her mind.

On the worst nights, she thought about her parents and Kazuki. Her parents had seemed so sad the morning before she'd left. Could they possibly have known? What about Kazuki? He'd seemed like he was saying goodbye for much longer than a few days.

Imagining him realizing he'd lost her too, when she had promised she would always be there for him, nearly broke her. There would be no ramen together ever again. She'd never make him rakugan or wake up to his drool-covered sweet little face.

Maybe she should have bought the kashigata at the market, after all.

On this particular evening, she was seriously considering heading down to the market to buy them. Maybe making their favorite treat would make her feel better.