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Looking down from her perch on the musty green plush couch, Sakura cocked her head to gave her former sensei a critical look. She wondered if he'd talk this time if she asked a question. Last time he'd deftly changed the subject and they'd ended up talking about the relative merits of powder versus liquid laundry detergent.
Kakashi seemed oblivious to her scrutiny. He sat cross-legged on the creaking wood floor of her living room, halfway through the pile of edged weapons he'd come over to help her sharpen.
He still wasn't looking up, instead concentrating on the sword edge he was honing like he were in some sort of trance. Maybe he was, but she had a question on her tongue - prompted by the book on chakra theory she had been reading for the past fifteen minutes.
The repetitive scratching was calling her back. She couldn't extend her break much longer, though her hands hurt like hell from wielding a whetstone for several hours. If she'd just do this more regularly it wouldn't get so bad, but she had a habit of just picking up whatever weapons were ready to go when she left the house. Now, she had more than thirty kunai, eight knives, three swords and four axes that needed oiling and sharpening. And those were just the ones she had found laying about the apartment.
She glared at the axes leaning in the corner. Maybe she could pass over doing those for a few more weeks. They were the worst with all the weird curves and angles.
Chewing her lip she glanced over the passage in the book again. Well, he usually was up for shop talk. It wasn't like she was asking something deathly personal. "If there are so many things you can do with your elemental manipulation, why is it you're only known for raikiri?" she asked.
He stopped his hand and shrugged. "Uh, flash factor I guess - no pun intended. And of course it's one of the few things that only I can do - at least it was until I taught Sasuke." His exposed eye was smiling up at her, as if she'd said something humorous or endearing.
She rolled her eyes at him, "I wouldn't say that. You're always doing things no one else can do. Still, there seem to be a lot elemental manipulations that would be more practical for someone with your stamina level. I don't think I've ever seen you use any of them." She knew it would get under his skin to suggest his ego and desire to show off drove his battle plans.
"Mmhm. I'm aware of all the textbook techniques, any Jounin-level ninja has to be. I was learning how to short out security systems when I was four. Among other things. I've always been good with electricity." He hooked his finger into a kunai and let it dangle, a crisp white glow surrounding it. "This one has your name on it."
Her eyes widened, as she recalled some suspicious events she remembered him being present at. Then she looked more closely at the kunai - which did have her name enameled on it in pink. She closed her book and hunkered back down on the floor across from him, taking the kunai after he withrew his chakra. "So that's how you-"
Kakashi shook his head. "Not worth mentioning," he said, setting the sword aside in the 'done' pile.
"And my alarm clock, when we-"
"Accident," he said, cutting her off again.
"And - oh jeez - it was you! You ruined all the photographs at the Hyuuga wedding, with those random flashes of light. I bet it was because the elders made you take your mask off."
Her glare didn't cause him to look up from his work. "Ruined is such a strong word," he said.
Sakura shook her head. She'd always wondered who'd been responsible. "You know, you didn't have to go. You could have just taken the first C-class that came in that day and begged off."
He leaned forward, until his nose touched hers, giving her a small shock. "Yes, but then I wouldn't have gotten to see you in that lovely kimono." His eyelid was low, and she could practically see the perverted thoughts cropping up behind his eyes. "I can't apologize for making a bad situation work in my favor."
It was difficult to control her emotions enough to keep her face from going completely red. "Well, as long as you don't do it at my wedding," she grumbled leaning back, and then reddened more when she realized what she had said and who she was talking to.
He usually didn't flirt openly with her. Though little incidents like this seemed to be happening more and more frequently. And she had invited him over again, hadn't she?
Kakashi laughed in his throat. "I'm sure that it will be the very least of your problems."