Kiss Me Goodnight

Chapter 26: Love or No Love?

"So, how did it go?" Ino asked, almost falling off her seat with all her uncomfortable hifting.

She was looking up at her pink-haired friend expectantly as the other young woman approached her table. They had agreed to meeting up in one of the local cafes as soon as Sakura was dismissed, so she could tell the blonde everything that had gone on behind the closed doors of the courtroom. The Elders had decided that it was better to keep the matter as quiet as possible until a final judgement was given. Nobody had access to the lawsuit, unless he or she was directly involved, and even then access was granted only for a limited amount of time. The only exception of this was Hatake Kakashi himself, of course, seeing as he was the defendant.

Sakura shrugged. Sighing, she allowed herself to fall into her seat, form slumped, almost defeated. Judging by her facial expression something had gone wrong, very wrong. She didn't look heartbroken, so obviously the decision had not been made yet. But her face was worried, and frightened as if she was expecting the worst. Her emerald eyes seemed dull, her bubble gum strands not quite so pink anymore. The young medic was biting her lip, uncertain. Afraid of something.

"What happened?"

"I've given my testimony- I was the last to do so- and-"

"Oh no, don't tell me they..."

"No... Not yet, anyway. They haven't decided yet, but the way they looked at me, looked at Kakashi... Oh, Ino, I think they're just looking for a reason to!" Sakura choked out, raising her hands to her face as tears started to well up. She didn't want to cry. She really didn't. Didn't want to be so weak anymore, but she couldn't help it. She loved Kakashi, and by the looks of it, the Elders wanted to destroy it all.

The way they had been scrutinizing her during hr evidence...

"Sssh, it's alright. Everything is going to be just fine," Ino said, trying to calm her friend. She moved closer to the crying woman, and hugged her tightly, rubbing her hands over her back comfortingly. But while soothing words fell from her mouth without much effort, inside the Yamanaka heiress raged a storm. There as this minor factor that she didn't really know if everything would turn out well for her friend. More than anything else, however, she felt the distinct need to wring the Council's necks.

'How can they do this to her? The bastards! They've tried to hook Kakashi-sens... sempai up for years!' she thought digustedly about what her father had told her mother once, while a younger Ino had been eavesdropping. 'And now that he actually found someone he cares for deeply, they want to separate them... Stuck-up jerks! Kakashi-sen... sempai doesn't deserve this. Sakura doesn't deserve this! Oh, if only I could get my hands on them! I'd make them see the light, if it's the last thing I'd do. Grrr!'

"Don't you worry, Sakura," she assured the trembling medic. "If they separate you, may the gods rest their souls, because I'll personally-"

"No, Ino!"

Surprised by the outburst, the blonde turned her head to her friend.

"Please, don't get into trouble with them!" Sakura pleaded with her. "I don't want you hurt, please."

Emerald orbs locked gazes with blue ones. Pleading with determined. Tearful with hard. The Flower Girl tightened her hold around the pink-haired Cherry Blossom, but didn't answer. Sakura pleaded with her a little longer, and finally Ino gave in, nodding. However, both knew that it wasn't a promise to count on. Sakura knew that Ino knew that Sakura knew that Ino would make good on her threat anyway. And judging by her personality she would probably not do it alone, thus endangering her other friends as well. And, let's be honest, those friends would gladly help her!

Konoha's Rookie Nine and Team Gai- except for Lee who was still in hospital, and didn't know anything about it yet- and Kakashi's jounin buddies had been nothing but supportive of the relationship between the young medic and the famous Copy Nin. Maybe they had found it a little awkward at first too when they were informed, but they had adapted rather quickly, and wished them happiness. Since then, their friends had helped them in any way they could, going as far as hunting down whoever said a bad word about them, and beating them to a bloody pulp.