Kissing a Cherry Blossom

Sakura sat on a bench, a look of sadness on her face.  No wonder Sasuke-kun doesn't like me, she thought.  I'm flat-chested and I have a huge forehead.  Why did I have to be CURSED with such a huge forehead.......?
She almost burst into tears.
She stared down at her lap, wishing that she could do something......ANYTHING.....to make Sasuke fall in love with her.
The only thing big about me is my forehead, she thought bitterly.
Inside her head, a scene unfolded......
"Sakura," said Sasuke's pleasant voice.  "Your forehead is so big and beautiful.  It makes me feel like kissing it."  "Go ahead," Sakura said, blushing furiously.  "That's what it's for."
Sakura surfaced reluctantly from her fantasy world.  Reality struck her like a bolt of merciless lightning.  Sasuke would never say that, she thought, looking down at her lap.  No one would ever say that.
"Your forehead is so big and beautiful," said a man's pleasant voice.  "It makes me feel like kissing it."
Sakura's head snapped up, a look of shock on her face.  "Sasuke?"  she cried.
It wasn't Sasuke.
It was a man.  His hair was grey and his headband was pulled down over his right eye.  The bottom half of his face was covered with a mask.
Sakura had never seen anyone like him.
Her heart pounded.  She had no idea what to say.
Was she dreaming?
The man smiled at her.
Sakura blushed.
If she WAS dreaming, she hoped it never ended.
She cleared her throat and managed to force words out.  Her voice sounded strange.
"Why did you say that?"  she asked.  The man shrugged.  "I was just trying to get your attention," he said.  "You're sitting here all alone, and you look so sad."
He sat down beside her.
Sakura wondered why her heart wouldn't stop pounding and why she kept blushing.  Well, he IS handsome, she thought.  He reminded her of the hero in a book she used to read when she was younger.
"My name's Sakura," she said, without thinking.  Suddenly she wanted to tell him everything.  EVERYTHING.  From her deepest desires to her sweetest dreams.  She wanted him to know everything about her.  And then she wanted to kiss him, forever and ever and ever......
No, that's not right, a voice in her head protested.  Sasuke's the one you want to kiss forever and ever and ever......
Sasuke who?  she wondered, staring dreamily at the handsome man.
"Pretty name," the man remarked.  Sakura hoped he would stop smiling at her in that adorable way, or she might be forced to throw herself into his arms and never let go.
"You look really sad," the man said, looking concerned.  "What's your story, cherry blossom?"
Sakura blushed.
"It's about a boy," she blurted out.  The man nodded, as if he knew all about it.  "At your age, it's usually about a boy," he commented.  "Let me guess:  You love him, but he treats you like you don't exist.  You feel so cut off from him.  And you want, more than anything, for him to return your feelings.  But he's trapped inside his own little world, unable to show affection for anything or anyone."
Sakura actually gasped.  Who WAS this man?  It was like he had read her mind!  This scared her a little (had he been stalking her or something?) but it also intrigued her (what else did he know?  How far did his intelligence stretch, if he could figure that out so quickly?).
Sakura nodded.
"Just give it time," the man advised her.  "If you're meant to be together, things will work out."  "But.....I want him to fall in love with me NOW!"  Sakura cried.  She immediately wished she hadn't said it.  She sounded so whiny and bratty, like she'd throw a tantrum if she didn't get her way.  She expected the man to leave right there and then, without a word.
Instead, he just shrugged.
"Of course," he said.  "I understand how impatient you must be, waiting for him to fall in love with you.  But these things take time.  And if it turns out that you two aren't meant to be together after all....."
He gently touched her cheek.
"There are plenty of other boys out there," he said.  "Plenty of boys who would kill to have a pretty girl like you.  Don't give up, cherry blossom."
Sakura liked him calling her "cherry blossom".  
"What's your name?"  she asked.  
The man hesitated before answering.
"Kakashi Hatake," he said finally.  "I'm very pleased to meet such an intelligent, beautiful young lady."  "How.....how do you know I'm intelligent?"  Sakura asked, confused.  "I can see it in your eyes," Kakashi explained.  
He leaned close.
"Look at me, cherry blossom," he said quietly.  "What do you see?"
Sakura blinked as her face grew hot.  She wished she could stop blushing.
"You're......very handsome," she managed to croak.
Kakashi smiled.
"Yes," he said.  "But do I appear broken?  Overburdened?"  Sakura didn't know how to answer.  What was he talking about.......?
"Um......no.......?"  she said, looking at him strangely.  Kakashi sighed.  "You have much to learn, cherry blossom," he said.  "Much."  It looked as if the conversation was fading, but Sakura didn't want him to leave.  She felt more comfortable with him than she thought possible, as if she'd known him for years instead of minutes.
Kakashi gently touched her cheek again.
"Pretty girls shouldn't keep secrets," he said.  "What's on your mind, cherry blossom?"  "I.....I feel so.....loved," Sakura said, blushing.  "I can't quite explain it.  I feel like I've known you forever.  But this is the first time we've met, isn't it?  I-I'm sorry, I'm not making any sense......."  "You're making perfect sense," Kakashi assured her.  "You feel like I'm the one person you can tell anything to.  The one person who will understand anything and everything that you confess."  "Isn't it that way with true love?"  Sakura pointed out.
She blushed.
"Er, sometimes," she added quickly.
"You're a nice girl, cherry blossom," Kakashi told her.  "And I can tell that you're going to go far."  "How far, exactly?"  asked Sakura excitedly.  "Far enough to make Sasuke-kun.....I mean, the boy.....I mean......"  
Kakashi laughed.  Sakura liked his laugh a lot.  It was warm and comfortable, like a hug in the midst of heartbreak.
"You'll go as far as you want to go," he told her.  "I believe in you."
With that, he stood up and started walking away.
Sakura stood up, a little alarmed.  "Wait!"  she called.
Kakashi stopped and turned around slowly.  "Yes, cherry blossom?"  he said.  "Um......I was wondering.....I mean.......," Sakura stammered.  "Wh-When will I see you ag-ag-again.....?"
The question embarrassed her, but she had to ask.  She couldn't let him just walk away.  She just COULDN'T.
"We'll be meeting again very soon, cherry blossom," Kakashi assured her.
Sakura watched him go, wondering what he meant.

"Naruto, that's SO immature," Sakura rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips.  She watched in disgust as the blonde-haired ninja boy carefully adjusted the eraser.  "He's not going to fall for that,"  Sakura insisted.  "Only YOU would fall for something so stupid."
To tell the truth, she thought it was actually a good trick.  After all, their sensei WAS late.  Shouldn't he be taught a lesson?
But an eraser.......?
Footsteps.
Three pairs of eyes watched the door, waiting.  What would happen?  What if their sensei got angry at them?  Or what if it wasn't their sensei at all......?
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion.
Sakura started to cry out a warning, but she was too late.  She watched as the eraser hit their sensei in the head, then fell to the floor with a dull THUD.
Are you serious?  Sasuke thought scornfully.  This guy's a JOUNIN?  He couldn't believe it.
"I'm sorry, sensei, I told him not to do it.......," Sakura began, then stopped.
She stared.
This was impossible.  More impossible than Sakura had ever imagined.
Or was it?
"We'll be meeting again very soon, cherry blossom."
Sakura swallowed hard.
"Kakashi?"  she said, her mind suddenly a brew of all different sorts of emotions.  She had an urge to run forward and throw herself into his arms, just like in the romance novels she sometimes read.  But she forced herself to remain still.
Kakashi picked up the eraser and looked at it.
Then he looked at Sakura.
Sakura's heart leaped.  He thinks I did it!  she thought.  Now he HATES me!  
But then Kakashi looked at Naruto, who was doing a little victory dance.  The boy froze when he saw Kakashi looking at him.
"How do I put this simply?"  Kakashi wondered out loud, still looking at the boy.
He smiled.
"You're an idiot," he told Naruto.
Naruto appeared to deflate like a burst balloon.
Sasuke snickered.
Still holding the eraser, Kakashi looked at Sakura.  Does he remember me?  Sakura wondered.  Maybe he forgot somehow.....
But Kakashi smiled.
"We meet again, cherry blossom," he said.
Sakura didn't reply.  She looked down at her feet, suddenly very shy.
Kakashi moved closer.
Closer.....closer.....
Soon he was standing right in front of her.
"I have something for you, Sakura," he told her, using her proper name for the first time.  
He kissed her forehead.
Naruto's mouth dropped open.  Even Sasuke looked a little surprised.
"I told you I wanted to kiss your forehead," Kakashi said with a grin.  "Don't tell me you didn't believe me?"