It shouldn't have surprised her, Sakura thought as she hurried through the Academy's gates, that Kakashi's alarm was delibaretly set one houre late. Still, she couldn't bring herself to be angry with him. Not after last night. She had asked him, before she left, if he wanted to take the day off, but of course he declined, told her he'd just need a couple of minutes on his own and no, she shouldn't wait.

Sakura went straight for the hawkery, where she was greeted by a few comments about how she would, one day, become the worst Hokage in history if she kept on accumulating her predecessors' bad habits.
"As if I'd ever be Hokage", Sakura shook her head, then took the box containing the letters and messages that had arrived over night to the office.
The first letter she opened came from the Raikage, who asked for number and nature of genin-teams Konoha was to send to the Chunin-Exams in two months.
"So they managed to rebuild their village in time", Sakura smiled. She hadn't seen it, but from all she had heard the destruction Madara had caused in Kumogakure had been far more devestating than Pain's impact on Konoha. Something that Sakura found hard to imagine.
Her thoughts were interupted by a knock at the door, and shortly afterwards Kurenai entered.
"Actually", she said when Sakura asked her what she needed "I wanted to talk to Kakashi."
Sakura pointed at the clock hanging on the wall.
"Then you shouldn't have bothered coming here this early", she said with a wry smile.
"Anything I can do for you?"
Kurenai was just about to answer, when suddenly the door burst open.

Before Sakura had the chance to say a single word, Kiba had pulled her out of her chair and pinned against the glassfront, ignoring his former teacher's attempts to call him off.
"You were with Kakashi", he snarled. The window handle pressed against Sakura's shoulder, his fingernails dug into her arms and made her winced. Sakura tried to focus, one touch, one well controled release of Chakra and she would be free. But guilt and fatigue made it hard for her to concentrate.
"I – I didn't...", she stammered.
"DON'T lie to me. I saw you leaving."
Sakura couldn't remember if she had ever seen him this angry. This hurt.
"I had to retrieve some documents from his study", she somehow managed to make it sound at least somehwat convincing.
"I said, don't lie to me!", Kiba yelled at her, pressing her faster against the window. He sounded as if he was on the verge of crying.
"His smell is all over you."
"Kiba...", this was Kurenai, who had placed both her hands on his shoulders.
"I'm sure there's a simple explana-"
"Of course there is!", he spun around, chanelling all his anger at Kurenai who jumped aside just in time. Kiba crashed into the next shelf, sending files and folders flying to the ground.
"You know, I get it now", he turned back to Sakura.
"It's him you wanted all along! You only settled with me, because you figured you'd never have him -"
"Kiba, I -"
"No, it's fine", his voice cracked with anger and tears.
"I hope you're happy, now that you're with someone – someone like him", and with that he stormed out of the office, door banging shut behind him.

It took Sakura a few seconds to process what just had happened. Then her fist landed crashing in Kakashi's desk, and just as the furniture broke in two, scattered scrolls and envelopes all over the floor, Sakura broke down to her knees and into tears.
"Hey", Kurenai squatted down beside her, "I'm sure it's going to be alright."
"How can you say that?", Sakura sobbed.
"Because I know Kiba. Just talk to him once he has calmed down."
Sakura sniffed, she nodded, then looked around and took in the state of the office. "How am I going to explain this to Kakashi?", she groaned.

"How are you going to explain what?" Sakura looked up. There he was, always late but still right on time, standing in the doorway, while his ninken were already inspecting the scene, sniffed at loose pages and splintered wood.
"Kakashi – I ..."
"You know, I really liked my office the way it was."
"I'm sorry", Sakura mumbled, scrambled back to her feet and weakly began collecting the scattered files. Kakashi watched her, seemingly oblivious of the tears streaming down her face.
"Aren't you going to tell me what happened?", he asked cooly.
Sakura shook her head, teeth clenched. She picked up a folder and slammed it back in its place, causing the shelf to crack under the impact.
"If you're going to further wreck this place, I think you'd better go", Kakashi didn't rebuke her, in fact – or at least in Sakura's perception – he did not seem to be interested in what she was doing at all, as long as she didn't do it here. With a huff she tossed the file she had just picked up in his direction and left.

Once Sakura was gone Kakashi turned to Kurenai, who stood behind his trashed desk, her arms folded.
"Did I do something wrong?", he asked.
For a second Kurenai considered to answer his question, but then decided against it. She had learned, over the years, that it was a waste of time to try and explain to Kakashi the art of tactfulness. Further more, if anything of what Kiba had claimed was true – which she found hard to believe but not entirely impossible – she didn't really know where to start.
"I need to talk to you", she simply stated.
"Aren't you still on leave?"
"You make it sound as if having a child was some kind of illness. It's about Shikamaru", Kurenai said before Kakashi could delve into the differences between sick- and maternity-leave.
She had his attention there, and, after learning that he had not yet spoken with Sai, recounted yesterday's events.
"I think", she concluded "Shikamaru knows things Madara didn't want him to communicate."
There was a pause. Both of them knew that, should this be the case, it wasn't without a reason that Shikamaru was still alive.
"If that is so", Kakashi eventually said, chosing his words carefully "we should reconsider the option of having his mind ... read."
"No!", Kurenai shook her head "I wont let that happen."
"If there is no chance of recovery-"
"We have no idea what kind of danger it might pose to him! Or to his interrogators!"
"We have no idea what kind of danger it might pose to everyone if we don't find out what he knows!", Kakashi replied, as far from his calm tone as one can get.
Kurenai took one step back. So far she had never witnessed Kakashi losing his temper. She wasn't too sure, if she wanted to.
But apparently the flare of anger was already gone. Kakashi sighed, returned to his usual slouch.
"I'll send a request for assistance to the other villages", he said. And after a moment added:
"I'm sorry – I should have done this long ago."