[Fic] Crimson Fall, Chapter 2
Title: Crimson Fall
Anime: Naruto
Pairing: Kakashi x Sakura
Chapter: 2
Word Count: 2,519
Rating: T (This chapter)
Disclaimer: NARUTO © 1999 by MASASHI KISHIMOTO/SHUEISHA Inc and assorted corporations who bought various rights to it. Only the plot and OCs are mine.
A/N: For scaryrei in the KakaSaku LJ Holiday Anonymous Exchange. Please be advised that the intended pace is slow and steady. Pretend you're out taking a stroll and smelling all the roses along the way. This is unbeta'd so any mistakes are purely mine.
Previous Chapters: 1 |
________________________________________
After the brief pep talk in front of the gates, Sakura carefully continued on into the compound following the stone steps laid out in a meandering path. Funny that. It hasn’t rained but the steps are wet. They must have just cleaned it or something. Looking further ahead, Sakura saw that it led towards several building set off to the back. And wow, you wouldn’t be able to tell from the outside because of the wall, but this place is not only beautiful but big.
Leaving her irritation aside completely, she took in the well kept garden with its pleasing if asymmetrical arrangement of stately trees (some barren, some lush with greenery), shrubs, and natural stone. Even the crisp winter air smelled richer here: of freshly tended soil and wet stone, with the blooming camellia flowers and wintergreen things scenting minutely underneath. To her inexperienced eye, the position of the each plant and rock formation looked as nature intended. Logic told her differently however, and admiration for the gardener grew.
Passing by the miniature pond with its bamboo fountain, Sakura spied two koi swimming lazily within. If the fish were human, they might be Shikamaru or Kakashi. The former may not like the fact that the trees blocked his view of the sky for cloud watching but would not complain about free room and board with no need to work. The latter…Actually, she could easily envision fish Kakashi enjoying the lack of responsibility up to a certain point before going stir crazy without a certain set of books. Instead, the image of the human Kakashi lazing the day away next to the pond, orange bound novel in hand popped to mind. If he could do so uninterrupted, he would. After all these years, his familiar and unchanging habits wedged themselves within her as a source of comfort. Her lips turned up fondly.
Checking the slip of paper once more, she passed by one building before halting in front of a second. Hearing sounds within the cozy structure with its airy porch and open door, Sakura figured it to be the correct destination. She slipped her feet out of the zori and took one step up onto the small landing area. There, the kunoichi knelt careful at the edge to reach a hand down in order to turn her footwear around to face outward. Getting gingerly back into a standing position, she took another small step up onto the porch itself.
Walking to the open door, the white fabric of her tabi covered feet made an almost indiscernible sound against the polished wood. A little hesitant, more due to the unusual circumstance than anything else since they should be expecting her (what with the appointment and all), Sakura ventured softly, “Excuse me. May I come in?”
Almost immediately, a man appeared in the doorway. With a mop of brown hair and a charming smile, he looked to be in his late twenties, the men’s style kimono of deep grays he sported suiting him well. Making no real effort to hide his admiration for her appearance, he smiled broadly as if a gift-wrapped present just fell into his lap. “Hi there, I’m Toribe, Shun, but just call me Shun please. You must be the Haruno, Sakura that Endou-sensei spoke about.”
Flattered by the open regard shown to her by a man not even ten seconds into their acquaintance, Sakura felt herself blush. Hesitation over the unknown fading slightly, Sakura nodded in reply. “Yes I am. Please call me Sakura. It’s very nice to meet you, Shun-san.”
“Well then, Sakura-san, right this way.” He stepped back, gesturing for her to come into the pleasantly warm room so that he could close the door behind them. “We’ve almost finished setting up so don’t mind everyone milling about. Let me take your haori if you would like.” She nodded, sliding it off and handing the jacket to Shun who draped it over one arm. “I’ll put this in the back for you. Please have a seat here, and I’ll bring Endou-sensei out.”
At her acknowledging smile, the brown-haired man gave her another lingering look, bowed and turned around to walk towards a door set in the wall to the left. Sliding it open, he stepped through and disappeared within. Sakura would find out later that the room housed the area where the masters and students entered from the outside and also made preparations. She would grow fond of that room as well as the one she currently waited in, for varying reasons.
Sitting down in seiza - Sakura wondered how long she would be able to keep the kneeling position before her legs fell asleep if she used no chakra to help -she gave each of the other two females in the room a friendly smile and nod. Her hands absentmindedly stroked the tatami underneath her, the feeling and smell of the mat (woven with soft rush straw), somehow calming her further.
Sitting nearby, the two brunettes responded eagerly in kind but did not speak, though one could tell they were curious about the new visitor. Looking to be in their teens, the girls were similarly dressed like she in kimono. The observation melted away much of the kunoichi’s suspicion that Tsunade wanted to play a practical joke on her. Though unspoken, Sakura harbored that niggling suspicion in the back of her mind, not putting it past the blonde to do something like that. Boredom affected not just the Hokage but spilled over onto her staff. The put upon apprentice knew better than many, with Shizune the most experienced of all.
Less than a minute later, an older gentleman came in through the sliding door, Shun following behind him. The serene expression on the wrinkled face stood in contrast to the twinkle in the faded brown eyes. In a somber brown kimono, the elder strode surely across the 4.5 mat room, by passing the faintly steaming iron pot resting in the sunken hearth set off center from the middle. He headed straight to Sakura, who made to stand up to greet him.
“No need for that.” He waved her back down. “These old bones would like to sit anyway.”
She settled back and Shun moved forward to make the introductions while the older man took a seat across from her. “Sakura-san, this is Endou Hikaru-sensei. Endou-sensei, Sakura, Haruno-san.”
“Thank you, Shun. Please take the others to the back to finish the preparations for today.”
“Yes, Endou-sensei. If you’ll excuse me, Sakura-san.” Shun bowed again, gathered up the others and herded them into the back.
Once alone, the elderly teacher put forth, “So according to the missive from the Hokage, I understand that you wish to learn the tea ceremony.”
Sakura growled inwardly. Not that she wanted to learn, but that she received orders to learn. Reigning in her temper as he did not deserve to be on the end of it, she responded with a jerky nod, her gaze sliding to take in the fine view behind him as she replied, “Yes, Endou-sensei.”
A white eyebrow edged up and the twinkle reappeared in his wise eyes. “Loyalty to one’s master is commendable.”
A flush appeared high on Sakura’s cheeks as she looked back at him. He knew, but how?
“So is learning the tea ceremony. It is fortunate for me that the her apprentice wish to experience the art, though I am saddened that I never could get Tsunade-hime to do so. She came in her youth to partake but rarely, even if she savored those cups of tea. Said the taste invigorated her. It is unfortunate that her schedule does not allow much time for her to visit much anymore.” Then a wry expression twisted his thin lips. “Now if I could have taught her, maybe that infamous temper would have eased some.”
Sakura relaxed with each word he spoke (even as an idea of why she had been ordered here formed). At the last, she laughingly retorted, “It would have made my training easier.” Ha! I wish! People say I’m bad, but Shishou’s still ten times worse! And if what I suspicion is true, she’s just making me learn so that she could have an easy source for a cup of this special tea!
Face still peaceful but with an intentness missing before, Endou nodded. “’What ifs’ are good to think and reflect on. Regrets are left at the door however. Tea is not just tea. In this sphere, everything is about the here and now.” His eyes held hers. “Without Tsunade-hime’s request, we would not be speaking with each other. For that, I am happy for this opportunity to meet you.”
He bowed, an inclination of his head rather than his whole body and Sakura, knowing herself the student, bowed from the waist in response.
“So our first lesson is this: ichi-go, ichi-e. Its literal meaning is ‘one time, one meeting’. That is but one part of what I’ve devoted my life to both understand and impart, and my hope is that you find your meaning also.”
Sakura switched into learning mode, understanding that the man before her housed experiences and wisdom accumulated over the years. Ones that he willingly taught to those with an open mind to learn.
Endou laid out the course of instruction for her. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at this time, she was to observe the beginning class to learn the verbiage, tools and techniques. Then afterward, a private instructor who agreed to help out would take over the hands on learning aspect. At home, she would practice or read any given assignments in order to distill as much as possible within one month. The task daunted her as even a person like Endou-sensei, who earned the title decades back, felt he still had much to learn.
Leaning in towards Sakura as if to impart a great secret, the tea master lowered his voice to whisper, “Of course, he tends to run a little late now with all the things going on in his life, but I try to keep in mind his younger self when he was such a stickler for punctuality and rules. Usually I would need to punish the transgressor but it’s hard for me to do so with him. So please have a little patience, Sakura-san. Once you have a taste of his style of tea, it may help.”
Though Endou expounded futher, even apologizing for not being able to devote time specifically for her (to which she responded like an automaton to), only six words really registered with the pink-haired woman: ‘he’, ‘tends’, ‘to’, ‘run’, ‘a’, ‘little’, ‘late’.
Why, oh why did her lack of luck run in that direction? Did she not already pay her dues in that aspect of her life? Has she been such a bad person that even in this she must contend with a tardy teacher? Sakura mourned, revisiting the vast hours wasted and would soon waste in waiting.
Even now, that porn reading, excuse sprouting teacher-turned-every-so-often-team leader-and-more-constant-freeloader continued with his bad habits.
At some point in her life, not wishing to sprout white hairs before her time, Sakura accepted Kakashi for who he was. The fact that he could be relied upon when it came right down to it helped. The fact that he made a good conversationalist helped. The fact that he made a good listener when it mattered - though his always present, always vaguely disinterested air would not attest to it - helped. The fact that he came back to them (her, a distant little voice chimed in, one that she instantly squashed), whole and sound after Pain’s invasion helped.
It all helped a lot. It helped her not to think too closely about why she felt a niggling pain throb in her chest whenever she thought about the possibility of his name on the memorial stone.
So she diverted herself from any close examinations and drew his bad habits around her like a blanket. One old, fuzzy, covered in dog fur (but smelling of rain after a storm and conveying the sweetness of lightening splitting the open sky), blanket.
The light pattering of feet and swish of the door opening signaled the others coming back in. The tea master stood up slowly but gracefully, naming each of the female students to Sakura as they entered. Shina and Tae giggled in greeting and welcomed her before moving to their respective positions. Though younger than the medic, they would be a great source of help having had a three month head start in the class.
The two-and-a-half hours passed by in a blur as Sakura mentally raced to note things down. Names, hand positions, how to walk on tatami, choosing the correct tools to reflect a theme, seasonal nuances, etiquette…Her mind whirled. How could so much be involved in the simple - which she now realized was not so simple - act of making a cup of tea? How would she learn all she needed to in just a month? Who was her private instructor?
And how long would she wait to find out?
Taking a breather out in the garden after the beginning class ended to wait for the start of her next round of instruction, Sakura took shelter under a blooming camellia tree. Thankful for the ability to keep the blood flow moving in her legs while seated kneeling as she had been during that length of time, she had not lost feeling in her legs so did not experience the agonizing tingling sensations of them ‘waking up’. She felt a little stiff however and thought a quick stroll out into the peaceful oasis would perk her up.
In hindsight, she should have seen it coming.
Sensing a disturbance in the air behind her, Sakura twirled around as quickly as possible, guard up. Then her breath hitched and green eyes widen at seeing him. Her instructor. The kunoichi let her mouth drop, openly gaping in surprise (because let’s face it, who thought he included the study of tea amongst his hobbies of reading porn in public and stiffing his students with the tab?), and shock (because finally, finally, he wore something other than the regulation jounin uniform even though that damned mask was still there and…he…looked…he looked healthy - she hastily shoved that description in rather than the others; her blood was not heating up because really, she was cool and unaffected and perhaps she had a thing for men in kimono. That would really explain her reaction. Yes. It made perfect sense - and he should not be looking like he did, damn it, especially in her eyes because he was once her teacher and older and now again her teacher…)
Distracted by him moving closer, enough so that his body heat invaded hers, the nonverbal train wreck named Sakura came to a screeching halt when his ungloved hand rose up to her cheek, paused with the fleetingness of a single stroke of a hummingbird’s wings, only to continue rising past her peripheral vision.
Eye-crinkling down at her, Kakashi showed her the offending item, a fragment of a leaf. “You had a hitch hiker.”
~TBC~
________________________________________
Constructive criticisms and comments always welcomed. I continually edit so let me know if you find something I need to fix!
Anime: Naruto
Pairing: Kakashi x Sakura
Chapter: 2
Word Count: 2,519
Rating: T (This chapter)
Disclaimer: NARUTO © 1999 by MASASHI KISHIMOTO/SHUEISHA Inc and assorted corporations who bought various rights to it. Only the plot and OCs are mine.
A/N: For scaryrei in the KakaSaku LJ Holiday Anonymous Exchange. Please be advised that the intended pace is slow and steady. Pretend you're out taking a stroll and smelling all the roses along the way. This is unbeta'd so any mistakes are purely mine.
Previous Chapters: 1 |
________________________________________
After the brief pep talk in front of the gates, Sakura carefully continued on into the compound following the stone steps laid out in a meandering path. Funny that. It hasn’t rained but the steps are wet. They must have just cleaned it or something. Looking further ahead, Sakura saw that it led towards several building set off to the back. And wow, you wouldn’t be able to tell from the outside because of the wall, but this place is not only beautiful but big.
Leaving her irritation aside completely, she took in the well kept garden with its pleasing if asymmetrical arrangement of stately trees (some barren, some lush with greenery), shrubs, and natural stone. Even the crisp winter air smelled richer here: of freshly tended soil and wet stone, with the blooming camellia flowers and wintergreen things scenting minutely underneath. To her inexperienced eye, the position of the each plant and rock formation looked as nature intended. Logic told her differently however, and admiration for the gardener grew.
Passing by the miniature pond with its bamboo fountain, Sakura spied two koi swimming lazily within. If the fish were human, they might be Shikamaru or Kakashi. The former may not like the fact that the trees blocked his view of the sky for cloud watching but would not complain about free room and board with no need to work. The latter…Actually, she could easily envision fish Kakashi enjoying the lack of responsibility up to a certain point before going stir crazy without a certain set of books. Instead, the image of the human Kakashi lazing the day away next to the pond, orange bound novel in hand popped to mind. If he could do so uninterrupted, he would. After all these years, his familiar and unchanging habits wedged themselves within her as a source of comfort. Her lips turned up fondly.
Checking the slip of paper once more, she passed by one building before halting in front of a second. Hearing sounds within the cozy structure with its airy porch and open door, Sakura figured it to be the correct destination. She slipped her feet out of the zori and took one step up onto the small landing area. There, the kunoichi knelt careful at the edge to reach a hand down in order to turn her footwear around to face outward. Getting gingerly back into a standing position, she took another small step up onto the porch itself.
Walking to the open door, the white fabric of her tabi covered feet made an almost indiscernible sound against the polished wood. A little hesitant, more due to the unusual circumstance than anything else since they should be expecting her (what with the appointment and all), Sakura ventured softly, “Excuse me. May I come in?”
Almost immediately, a man appeared in the doorway. With a mop of brown hair and a charming smile, he looked to be in his late twenties, the men’s style kimono of deep grays he sported suiting him well. Making no real effort to hide his admiration for her appearance, he smiled broadly as if a gift-wrapped present just fell into his lap. “Hi there, I’m Toribe, Shun, but just call me Shun please. You must be the Haruno, Sakura that Endou-sensei spoke about.”
Flattered by the open regard shown to her by a man not even ten seconds into their acquaintance, Sakura felt herself blush. Hesitation over the unknown fading slightly, Sakura nodded in reply. “Yes I am. Please call me Sakura. It’s very nice to meet you, Shun-san.”
“Well then, Sakura-san, right this way.” He stepped back, gesturing for her to come into the pleasantly warm room so that he could close the door behind them. “We’ve almost finished setting up so don’t mind everyone milling about. Let me take your haori if you would like.” She nodded, sliding it off and handing the jacket to Shun who draped it over one arm. “I’ll put this in the back for you. Please have a seat here, and I’ll bring Endou-sensei out.”
At her acknowledging smile, the brown-haired man gave her another lingering look, bowed and turned around to walk towards a door set in the wall to the left. Sliding it open, he stepped through and disappeared within. Sakura would find out later that the room housed the area where the masters and students entered from the outside and also made preparations. She would grow fond of that room as well as the one she currently waited in, for varying reasons.
Sitting down in seiza - Sakura wondered how long she would be able to keep the kneeling position before her legs fell asleep if she used no chakra to help -she gave each of the other two females in the room a friendly smile and nod. Her hands absentmindedly stroked the tatami underneath her, the feeling and smell of the mat (woven with soft rush straw), somehow calming her further.
Sitting nearby, the two brunettes responded eagerly in kind but did not speak, though one could tell they were curious about the new visitor. Looking to be in their teens, the girls were similarly dressed like she in kimono. The observation melted away much of the kunoichi’s suspicion that Tsunade wanted to play a practical joke on her. Though unspoken, Sakura harbored that niggling suspicion in the back of her mind, not putting it past the blonde to do something like that. Boredom affected not just the Hokage but spilled over onto her staff. The put upon apprentice knew better than many, with Shizune the most experienced of all.
Less than a minute later, an older gentleman came in through the sliding door, Shun following behind him. The serene expression on the wrinkled face stood in contrast to the twinkle in the faded brown eyes. In a somber brown kimono, the elder strode surely across the 4.5 mat room, by passing the faintly steaming iron pot resting in the sunken hearth set off center from the middle. He headed straight to Sakura, who made to stand up to greet him.
“No need for that.” He waved her back down. “These old bones would like to sit anyway.”
She settled back and Shun moved forward to make the introductions while the older man took a seat across from her. “Sakura-san, this is Endou Hikaru-sensei. Endou-sensei, Sakura, Haruno-san.”
“Thank you, Shun. Please take the others to the back to finish the preparations for today.”
“Yes, Endou-sensei. If you’ll excuse me, Sakura-san.” Shun bowed again, gathered up the others and herded them into the back.
Once alone, the elderly teacher put forth, “So according to the missive from the Hokage, I understand that you wish to learn the tea ceremony.”
Sakura growled inwardly. Not that she wanted to learn, but that she received orders to learn. Reigning in her temper as he did not deserve to be on the end of it, she responded with a jerky nod, her gaze sliding to take in the fine view behind him as she replied, “Yes, Endou-sensei.”
A white eyebrow edged up and the twinkle reappeared in his wise eyes. “Loyalty to one’s master is commendable.”
A flush appeared high on Sakura’s cheeks as she looked back at him. He knew, but how?
“So is learning the tea ceremony. It is fortunate for me that the her apprentice wish to experience the art, though I am saddened that I never could get Tsunade-hime to do so. She came in her youth to partake but rarely, even if she savored those cups of tea. Said the taste invigorated her. It is unfortunate that her schedule does not allow much time for her to visit much anymore.” Then a wry expression twisted his thin lips. “Now if I could have taught her, maybe that infamous temper would have eased some.”
Sakura relaxed with each word he spoke (even as an idea of why she had been ordered here formed). At the last, she laughingly retorted, “It would have made my training easier.” Ha! I wish! People say I’m bad, but Shishou’s still ten times worse! And if what I suspicion is true, she’s just making me learn so that she could have an easy source for a cup of this special tea!
Face still peaceful but with an intentness missing before, Endou nodded. “’What ifs’ are good to think and reflect on. Regrets are left at the door however. Tea is not just tea. In this sphere, everything is about the here and now.” His eyes held hers. “Without Tsunade-hime’s request, we would not be speaking with each other. For that, I am happy for this opportunity to meet you.”
He bowed, an inclination of his head rather than his whole body and Sakura, knowing herself the student, bowed from the waist in response.
“So our first lesson is this: ichi-go, ichi-e. Its literal meaning is ‘one time, one meeting’. That is but one part of what I’ve devoted my life to both understand and impart, and my hope is that you find your meaning also.”
Sakura switched into learning mode, understanding that the man before her housed experiences and wisdom accumulated over the years. Ones that he willingly taught to those with an open mind to learn.
Endou laid out the course of instruction for her. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at this time, she was to observe the beginning class to learn the verbiage, tools and techniques. Then afterward, a private instructor who agreed to help out would take over the hands on learning aspect. At home, she would practice or read any given assignments in order to distill as much as possible within one month. The task daunted her as even a person like Endou-sensei, who earned the title decades back, felt he still had much to learn.
Leaning in towards Sakura as if to impart a great secret, the tea master lowered his voice to whisper, “Of course, he tends to run a little late now with all the things going on in his life, but I try to keep in mind his younger self when he was such a stickler for punctuality and rules. Usually I would need to punish the transgressor but it’s hard for me to do so with him. So please have a little patience, Sakura-san. Once you have a taste of his style of tea, it may help.”
Though Endou expounded futher, even apologizing for not being able to devote time specifically for her (to which she responded like an automaton to), only six words really registered with the pink-haired woman: ‘he’, ‘tends’, ‘to’, ‘run’, ‘a’, ‘little’, ‘late’.
Why, oh why did her lack of luck run in that direction? Did she not already pay her dues in that aspect of her life? Has she been such a bad person that even in this she must contend with a tardy teacher? Sakura mourned, revisiting the vast hours wasted and would soon waste in waiting.
Even now, that porn reading, excuse sprouting teacher-turned-every-so-often-team leader-and-more-constant-freeloader continued with his bad habits.
At some point in her life, not wishing to sprout white hairs before her time, Sakura accepted Kakashi for who he was. The fact that he could be relied upon when it came right down to it helped. The fact that he made a good conversationalist helped. The fact that he made a good listener when it mattered - though his always present, always vaguely disinterested air would not attest to it - helped. The fact that he came back to them (her, a distant little voice chimed in, one that she instantly squashed), whole and sound after Pain’s invasion helped.
It all helped a lot. It helped her not to think too closely about why she felt a niggling pain throb in her chest whenever she thought about the possibility of his name on the memorial stone.
So she diverted herself from any close examinations and drew his bad habits around her like a blanket. One old, fuzzy, covered in dog fur (but smelling of rain after a storm and conveying the sweetness of lightening splitting the open sky), blanket.
The light pattering of feet and swish of the door opening signaled the others coming back in. The tea master stood up slowly but gracefully, naming each of the female students to Sakura as they entered. Shina and Tae giggled in greeting and welcomed her before moving to their respective positions. Though younger than the medic, they would be a great source of help having had a three month head start in the class.
The two-and-a-half hours passed by in a blur as Sakura mentally raced to note things down. Names, hand positions, how to walk on tatami, choosing the correct tools to reflect a theme, seasonal nuances, etiquette…Her mind whirled. How could so much be involved in the simple - which she now realized was not so simple - act of making a cup of tea? How would she learn all she needed to in just a month? Who was her private instructor?
And how long would she wait to find out?
Taking a breather out in the garden after the beginning class ended to wait for the start of her next round of instruction, Sakura took shelter under a blooming camellia tree. Thankful for the ability to keep the blood flow moving in her legs while seated kneeling as she had been during that length of time, she had not lost feeling in her legs so did not experience the agonizing tingling sensations of them ‘waking up’. She felt a little stiff however and thought a quick stroll out into the peaceful oasis would perk her up.
In hindsight, she should have seen it coming.
Sensing a disturbance in the air behind her, Sakura twirled around as quickly as possible, guard up. Then her breath hitched and green eyes widen at seeing him. Her instructor. The kunoichi let her mouth drop, openly gaping in surprise (because let’s face it, who thought he included the study of tea amongst his hobbies of reading porn in public and stiffing his students with the tab?), and shock (because finally, finally, he wore something other than the regulation jounin uniform even though that damned mask was still there and…he…looked…he looked healthy - she hastily shoved that description in rather than the others; her blood was not heating up because really, she was cool and unaffected and perhaps she had a thing for men in kimono. That would really explain her reaction. Yes. It made perfect sense - and he should not be looking like he did, damn it, especially in her eyes because he was once her teacher and older and now again her teacher…)
Distracted by him moving closer, enough so that his body heat invaded hers, the nonverbal train wreck named Sakura came to a screeching halt when his ungloved hand rose up to her cheek, paused with the fleetingness of a single stroke of a hummingbird’s wings, only to continue rising past her peripheral vision.
Eye-crinkling down at her, Kakashi showed her the offending item, a fragment of a leaf. “You had a hitch hiker.”
~TBC~
________________________________________
Constructive criticisms and comments always welcomed. I continually edit so let me know if you find something I need to fix!