[color=0072bc][b]“Could be worse.”[/b][/color] Kakashi remarked quietly once Sakura and himself entered their room. The essentials were all accounted for, leaving very little reason to complain. What he noticed soon after his initial assessment was that there was only one bed between them. Inwardly he sighed, but the trouble of asking for another room was too great. Stepping inside, Sakura had excused herself to wash up, leaving him to set his things down on one of the two chairs and then move towards the window. Parting the curtains that shielded the dying light from the room, the jonin took notice of children down below playing what appeared to be a basic game of kicking a rubber ball around. Looking at their beaming faces full of excitement caused his expression to harden. His thoughts momentarily traveled to Taro and Orochimaru, causing his right fist to ball tightly. 

When Sakura joined beside him he had remained silent, not even his eye traveled to her. Instead he listened to her voice, his agreement not verbal but nonetheless given. It had only been when Sakura declared that the return of those taken would be accomplished shortly did he abandon the sight of those children and look at her closely. Her mention of dinner didn’t sway his eye once, and after touching his back he eased himself. The tension that formed in his body had gone unnoticed until that point. If he intended to lead Sakura and accomplish the mission, he couldn’t allow the fear of what might happen if they were too late eat at him. That impulse was better handled by a certain hyperactive knucklehead ninja who was currently undergoing rigorous training elsewhere in the world. Once she turned around he released the last of the tension in his balled hand and shifted his body his body to completely face her. 

He couldn’t put into words what exactly he saw in her at that moment. She was still young and had her share of faults, but still, he was the exact same as her. The only difference was that it was up to him to turn Sakura into something greater than he could ever imagine, as was the duty of those that came before him. What it meant to fail this mission must have struck her, but instead she kept her head where it belonged: success. If they believed they could fail, failure seemed that much more likely for the both of them. 

Kakashi followed her out and allowed her to lead them to said place; it was as Sakura said: a strong aroma of delicious food was thick in the air, made even better by the fact the place was not currently busy. Once they were seated across each other, Kakashi refused a menu and instead said that he’d take whatever Sakura wanted, and once she ordered and the hostess took her menu away she had quickly settled into conversation with him. Reflecting on the days where his less-than-perfect attendance had been the bane of Team Seven’s early morning meetups made him rub the back of his neck and smile, emphasized by the closing of his eye. The idea of catching on to his methods had him curious, but once Sakura explained what that meant he was left to laugh with her. 

[color=0072bc][b]“Well, as a jonin I have to report to someone higher-up frequently. I figured I’d get you guys used to that, along with the possibility of someone being late – consider it practice in building patience.”[/b][/color] He explained. His eye opened and his hand lowered from the neck, settling down to his lap. The change in expression wouldn’t go unnoticed by her. Fortunately this was a good thing, something for her to carry with her at all times. [color=0072bc][b]“As for you, you came to me personally and asked for me to dedicate my time and energy to furthering you as a ninja, something I lacked the time to do previously. For that, I won’t be late unless there’s a good reason for it.” [/b][/color]

Sakura didn’t know how her mannerisms and methods would evolve once she entered a position of power. Judging him was an easy task now, but once she was skilled enough to instruct her own students he wondered just how long that attitude would last. Having control over what his squad was to learn and understand was a blessing he didn’t have for very long. Even so, he’d always look back fondly to Naruto and Sakura’s irritation at his delayed arrivals. While she sat there he imagined her having a conversation similar to this one several years from now – obviously she’d include the fact her teacher was frequently late, but what else would she have said?

[color=0072bc][b]“You’re my legacy. Did you think about that?”[/b][/color] he asked her, sinking into the booth slightly,[color=0072bc][b] “Some ninja believe that power is everything there is, that that’s how you’ll be immortalized in the world. I think it’s what we teach to the next generation that allows who we are to live on, long after we take our last breath. I believe in that.”[/b] [/color]
 
It may have come as some kind of surprise for Sakura, but Kakashi didn’t value the idea of copying every technique in existence. It was people like her who had to pass on the teachings of the previous generation – people like him – and then move forward to guide those who would be in her place one day. 

[color=0072bc][b]“You’ll be Tsunade’s in time too, I don’t mind sharing, but when the time comes where you’re asked about your first teacher, could you …go easy on him?”[/b] [/color]Kakashi requested with a playful tone, smile signaled by the close of his eye.

[color=f49ac2][b]“Excuse me,”[/b][/color]

Kakashi opened his eye turned to a middle-aged woman who approached their table: No taller than 5’7 with neatly-brushed long brown hair and soft green eyes, Kakashi could immediately believe the silver band that stood out on this woman’s finger – she was married, and whoever married her was a lucky one. With all the qualities of a matured woman from top to bottom, he was able to take note of the apron that had a few small stains here and there on it. Beautiful as she was, it appeared as if she was a part of this establishment, possibly one of the cooks. 

[color=f49ac2][b]“I couldn’t help but notice you two once you came in. Tonight’s been a little slow for us, so I’ve had more time to pay attention to who’s coming in—sorry, sorry, rambling,”[/b][/color] She cleared her throat with the cutest of pitches leaving her throat – how it was possible for throat-clearing to be cute, Kakashi couldn’t possibly know, but this woman was doing a fine job of being absolutely precious. [color=f49ac2][b]“Anyway, I just couldn’t stop looking at you two. Something really set you apart from the rest and it brought me back to my youth. The way you two look at each other is making my heart skip!” [/b][/color]

Kakashi’s eye widened, the pressure of this woman’s admiration for how he looked at Sakura – and Sakura looked at him, apparently – brought his attention back to her. He was remembering the earliest days of Team Seven and how Sakura would remember him were he to pass from the world. Kakashi held no memory of looking at Sakura so intensely, however he wasn’t aware of it enough to refuse the idea of his gaze being intense in the moment. He relaxed his eye and looked at Sakura a moment more before turning his head back to the woman.

Just before he could correct her on the situation, she continued again,[color=f49ac2] [b]“I don’t know if you knew this, but we’re currently having a special for lovers of all ages. It’s normally half off on any meal,”[/b][/color] she leaned in closely with her voice turning silent, [color=f49ac2][b]“but I’ve taken a liking to you two from afar. How would you like it to be seventy-five percent off? I’ll even throw in free dessert!”[/b][/color]

The temptation of a deal that great was colossal, which was precisely why he hesitated in correcting her. As things stood, this woman was making an assumption of how Kakashi and Sakura interacted with one another and believed them to be an item. While she was not entirely correct, Kakashi was a significant person to Sakura as her teacher, and Sakura was his precious student. His intensity when he looked at her, whether it was intentional or not, did not matter now. What mattered now was if they would go through with letting this woman believe that they were lovers. 

[color=0072bc][b]“Err, well…”[/b][/color] Kakashi mumbled with uncertainty. His face began to grow noticeably hot, even more when he looked back at Sakura again. There was a gap in age that may have been difficult to see, yet that woman didn’t seem to notice, or care. To her, what she saw in her eyes was telling her that there was more to the story they shared. It might have upset her if she discovered that a suspicion she had about them was false. To keep up a charade wouldn’t have hurt anyone in the process. Still, it was in Sakura’s hands now. He wouldn’t use her as a prop to receive an incredible discount for a meal and free dessert.

But she could always use him.

[color=0072bc][b]“What do you think?”[/b][/color] He asked her; the question related more to the way they were looking at each other than the charade they could act on, but the latter needed a more immediate answer.