Sakura sat down infront of the Memorial, hands folded in her lap, she looked up at the shape of her two best friends, far above her head, illuminated by the setting sun and the flickering lights of a thousand flames held by a thousand dead shinobi.
"Five years...", she heard a soft voice behind her.
Five years had passed since the formation of Team Seven.
Sakura blinked back her tears, while, from the corner of her eyes, she watched Kakashi kneel down next to her.

When they returned to the village, night had fallen. They reached the junction, where their ways seperated, stood in the light of the streetlamps, he, his hands in his pockets, she, tucking her hair absentmindedly.
"Would you...", Sakura stopped herself right there.
"Hm?"
"N-nothing", she blushed, hoped he wouldn't notice, looked away.
"Well then – good night", he turned to leave, was already a few steps down the road when Sakura caught up with him.
"Wouldyoumindwalkingmehome?", she said, as fast as she could, closed her eyes and waited for him to say no, for this or that reason he could not, or just walk away. But instead:
"I guess I could."

For a while now Sakura had been living on her own. Somehow it felt wrong to be a war-veteran while having your mother do the laundry.
"I suppose I shouldn't invite you in...", she mumbled when they finally reached her doorstep.
"You could, though."
It took a few seconds for the sentence to unfold its meaning, but once Sakura understood she almost dropped her keys. Her hands shaking a little, she unlocked the door and let them both in.
It was a small room she rented, featuring not much more but than a bed, a sofa, a wardrobe. Infact, it did not differ much from the room she had had when she was still living with her mother, except for the kitchen and bathroom that came with it.
"I'm sorry, it's not really...", she tucked her hair, gestured toward the sofa where Kakashi had already seated himself, then, somehwat hesitantly, sat down next to him, where she remained and listened as the awkward silence between them grew.
Maybe I should have put on some music, she thought, but couldn't bring herself to get up and do so.
Instead, and in what felt like a moment of great bravery, she leaned her head against his (her former teacher, the current Hokage)'s shoulder, let it slide down a little untill it rested right bellow his collarbone.
He did not pull away, did not, not even gently, push her back, and when she was sure he wouldn't do so anytime near, she allowed herself to close her eyes, to feel how their breathing slowly and steadily synchronised. His heart was beating as fast as her own, Sakura noticed, if not, faster, and it surprised her. Eventually he rose one hand, lightly let his fingertips touch her shoulder, draw a line from there to her back, where they wandered up her spine to finally find hold in her hair.

The next morning Kakashi was gone. Sakura woke up alone in her bed - the only proof that last night had not been a dream were yesterdays clothes, she was still wearing.