Kakashi watched from his window as Sakura walked away, her hands clenched in fists, her pace faster than usual. Maybe he should at least have said something? Something to comfort her, to apologise. Or, if words failed, just one simple gesture of compassion would have done, one hand on her shoulder, or – but Kakashi doubted that any further emotional involvement would make things any easier for Sakura. Or him.
He picked up the scrap of paper that lay on his desk, looked at the rows and collums of numbers. By now he had come the conclusion that, while it had been him who wrote this message, it must have been Madara who had added the encryption. It explained why Kakashi could not remember writing the note, and also why he was unable to decode it. Had he encrypted the message himself, he should easily be able to figure it out – all he'd have to do was think like himself, but as this did not work it seemed reasonable that it had been Madara, half in control of him, who had - for some reason - not wanted him to write down whatever he, that is Kakashi, had been about to record. With any luck that piece of paper would tell him, how to break his current connection with limbo permanently.
His eye drifted back to the window, back to Konoha's streets, where Sakura's pink hair was no longer to be seen. She probably had Kiba waitingfor her, somewhere... Kakashi shook his head.
He had chosen Kiba to accompany Sakura to the sand precicely for that reason – because he had believed that those two would be able understand, to comfort each other with their mutual losses. Yet it had surprised him, when Sakura wore Kiba's smell so dominantly this morning, that her own sweet and powedry scent was almost beyond dedectable.
His little idea had worked out way better, and faster, than he had expected it to. Which was a good thing, Kakashi reminded himself. Sakura needed – no, Sakura deserved someone by her side, someone who did not need her to attempt suicide to justify the display of affection. Someone who could, without reservation-
Much to Kakashi's relief there his thoughts got interrupted by a knock at the door and in came Sai, who politely nodded his head, before he told Kakashi that everyone was waiting for him.
Kakashi was about to ask why and who, when he remembered. He had called in a meeting for today, to discuss the disappearance of Uzuki Yugao, and what measures were to be taken in reaction to it.
"Your apparent lack of interest in the village's administration seems to have the Council doubt your suitability for your current position", Sai helpfully pointed out, as they were making their way to the meeting. Kakashi nodded. These news didn't really surprise him. The only surprising bit was, that it had really taken the elders over a year to start doubting his suitability for his current position. Far more surprising was that Sai did not seem to find the presense of Kakashi's eight ninken, who casually trailed behind them, in any way suspicious.