Chapter Text
Seventh year was meant to be uneventful.
Boring, even.
The Dark Lord Orochimaru was imprisoned. After six years of near-death experiences and outwitting dark witches and wizards, Sakura was keen on a year of normalcy. One year of regularity for once in her seventeen years of life.
Her plan was simple.
Graduate with 7 Outstandings on her N.E.W.Ts. Apply for the Auror program. Accelerate through the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Become the youngest appointed department head in wizarding history. And most likely watch her best friends run against each other for Minister of Magic. Or compete to become appointed as captain of the national quidditch team. Or wherever they decided to extend their deep-rooted rivalry.
Make history, enjoy the show.
It was perfectly straightforward.
Well, there was a minor inconvenience. One that she worked tirelessly to overcompensate for since first stepping foot on the historic grounds of Hogwarts.
She was muggleborn.
Her parents made a modest living as merchants. They were bewildered that their only child had magical abilities yet were relieved that there was finally an explanation for Sakura’s… maladjustment. The playground fights and freak accidents. Her general detachment and disinterest. They were at worst indifferent and at best tolerant, depending on the snippets Sakura shared with them about this world and… well, her. She very quickly realized that their ignorance was truly bliss.
Sakura was ecstatic when she received her admission letter. Naively, she thought that things would start making sense. That she would finally belong. She quickly learned that her alienation persisted into the magical world. For all its’ wonders, the community was small, traditional, and rigid. Blood purity, nepotism, and exorbitant galleons where the three things that made the wizarding world run.
They were three things that she fundamentally lacked.
Muggleborn.
That was the polite term for her. Well, that was the only term anyone dared to speak aloud after her third year. Ami, a Slytherin two years above her, made it a habit of slamming her into walls, cornering her in the girl’s lavatory and flushing her books down the toilet, and hurling vile insults. Sakura was quick with her wand, both defensive spells and counter curses, therefore the torment defaulted into being physical and especially verbal.
‘Impure bitch.’
‘A stain on this institution.’
‘Filthy little mudblood.’
Sakura never engaged nor fought back.
She never told anyone about the mistreatment.
She was dismissive whenever Naruto and Sasuke got concerned.
However, one morning, a week after a rather brutal altercation that landed Sakura in the infirmary, Ami awoke to the consequences of her actions. Every time she uttered a word, lacerations emerged on her impish face, indelicately cutting into her flesh the word ‘bigot.’ It was incredibly advanced magic. A nasty piece of spell work. It took St. Mungo’s two weeks to sort it out, and even then, they couldn’t completely undo the scarring.
Accusations were levied against Sakura by distraught pureblood parents. With a wink (visible only to her), Headmaster Jiraiya insisted that ‘casting such an advanced jinx was well beyond the capabilities of a third year... let alone a muggleborn third year.’ Their own prejudices and hatred were turned against them, and with no proof, the matter was dropped entirely.
Ami ended up transferring.
Sakura was always coy and never, even years later, took credit for the clever reckoning. Not even to her best friends. Everyone suspected, but they didn’t know. And that alone was enough to secure her reputation as ‘the muggleborn not to be fucked with.’
So yes, she was muggleborn. That’s where this obsessive drive to be extraordinary stemmed from. That’s why she had the sheer nerve, according to the envious gossip that proliferated every year she ranked top of the class. And if she didn’t belong in the muggle world and if she didn’t belong in the wizarding world, she’d carve out a place all her own.
Nothing, and no one, would stand in her way.
“Sakura!”
Snapping out of her musings, her eyes locked on her friend, “Yes?”
“Who do you think will be our next D.A.D.A. professor?” Naruto chirped loudly.
Humming to herself for a beat, Sakura admitted, “No clue. But I hope we finally get a qualified instructor. I’m worried about our N.E.W.T.s.”
Grinning wildly at her, Naruto waved her off, “You’re already going to kick all our asses. If graduating early was a thing you’d have done it after fourth year—honestly, the pervy hermit should have hired you instead!”
Her eyes rolled at his hyperbole.
“It’s ‘Headmaster Jiraiya,’ Naruto. Just because he’s your godfather doesn’t mean you can be disrespectful,” she scolded.
Naruto Uzumaki was a pureblood descended from one of the most famous and oldest families known to magic. His father was currently Minister of Magic, and his mother was the most talented curse-breaker employed by Gringotts. He didn’t have the best relationship with his father. It was quite the scandal in their first year when he insisted on going by his mother’s family name. And throughout his time at Hogwarts, he consistently landed in the Daily Prophet due to various intentional, and unintentional, mishaps. She never pressed the triggering subject, but it seemed that the only time Naruto interacted with his father was when he was summoned for a scolding.
“Pfft, it’s fine," Naruto shrugged, "Though ever since granny caught him in the bathhouse last summer, he’s, err, mellowed out his pervy-ness?”
“Probably because she cursed him with impotency for eternity,” Sasuke snarked.
Sasuke Uchiha was considered the black sheep of his family. He was the first Uchiha to be sorted into Gryffindor in centuries. The progeny of a widely considered dark and highly influential pureblooded family that tied back to Madara Uchiha himself. Throughout history, the bloodline was considered cursed. Although incredibly powerful and naturally gifted, they almost always went mad. It was only Sasuke and his older brother now. Rumor had it that the ‘accidental’ fire that burned down their ancestral manor was intentionally caused by their father wielding fiendfyre, consequently incinerating the clan.
The first time the three interacted, they were given a first-year potions assignment and it was quite literally a recipe for disaster. Sakura was arrogant, Sasuke was cantankerous, and Naruto was reckless. After incessant bickering and an exploded cauldron that landed half their classmates in the infirmary, they were thrust into detention collecting replacement potions ingredients. All three found kindred spirits in each other that day, though it took them nearly dying after a run in with a manticore in the Forbidden Forest to solidify their bond.
Their first in many, many exploits.
“Hello children!” jovially boomed the headmaster, “Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts!”
Headmaster Jiraiya was always a bit… eccentric. However, his magical skill and prowess was unrivaled, except for the other two thirds of the legendary Sanin. One was the darkest wizard in recent history and the second was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Quite the divergent career paths.
“And I’d like to also welcome…” he said while turning to the empty seat at the High Table, “Wait, where is that brat anyway?!”
As if on cue, the grand doors to the Great Hall groaned loudly at the late arrival of a man dressed in black. Cloak billowing behind him, he seemed completely unapologetic for his disruption. Or at least that’s what she assumed, given most of his face was obscured by a mask. The hall immediately erupted with whispers, some instantly recognizing the aloof figure and others mindlessly gossiping about the possibilities of his identity.
“Kakashi,” thundered Jiraiya, “You’re late!”
“Ah, I just got lost on the path of life…”
“Holy shit,” exclaimed Naruto, completely ignoring their headmaster’s continued remarks, “That’s the auror that dueled Orochimaru and sent his ass to Azkaban.”
“Hn.”
“Oh, stop acting like you’re not impressed, even your dearest brother wasn’t able to do that,” Naruto antagonized.
“Shut the fuck up,” Sasuke flippantly replied.
“Hehehe did I strike nerve?”
In an icy tone, Sasuke hissed, “My brother played an integral part in taking down Orochimaru, without him—”
“AHA! I did!”
“Hush, both of you,” Sakura reprimanded.
“Sure thing, Head Girl,” Sasuke mocked.
“You’re just miffed that Shikamaru beat you for Head Boy,” she teased.
“He did me a favor, otherwise I’d have to spend even more time with you,” he parried with a smirk.
She stuck her tongue out at him before turning her focus back to the man.
Although appearing aloof, she noted how he methodically canvassed his surroundings, taking stock of what she presumed were potential threats. Which was ridiculous, as this was Hogwarts— on second thought, perhaps he had the right idea. The famed basilisk Manda petrifying muggleborns, attempted kidnappings of Naruto and Sasuke on two separate occasions, the Sound Four terror attack during the Triwizard Tournament… and that wasn’t even half of it.
He was terribly imposing, even from afar, as he unceremoniously took his seat at the High Table.
‘Why does he wear that mask?’
‘Is it for undercover missions?’
‘Maybe he’s horribly disfigured from fighting a dark wizard?’
“Mmm, he is fit,” a saucy voice added to the general commentary.
Whirling to her best girlfriend, Sakura hissed, “Ino!”
“What? Don’t tell me you didn’t notice.”
“You can’t even see his face,” Sakura mumbled.
“Uh, he’s tall, dark, and brooding—you know he must be smoking hot underneath that mask,” Ino speculated with a hungry look in her eyes.
“Unlikely,” Sakura said dryly before attempting to turn her attention back to the headmaster’s remarks and the commencement of the sorting ritual.
Yet as the ceremony droned on, she couldn’t help but continue analyzing the newcomer. Honestly, her curiosity was normal.
It couldn’t hurt to look, right?
The first thing that fascinated her were his hands—strong, large palms with long fingers and visible veins. Morbidly, she wondered how many criminals he had maimed or killed on behalf of the Ministry with those hands. And although he was enshrouded under layers of fabric, he was undeniably broad shouldered and just looked… solid. Physically capable, to put it politely. She continued dragging her eyes up his profile and registered that even a thick mask did little to hide his defined jawline. Landing on his unruly shock of grey hair that defied gravity, she was annoyed by how incredibly soft it looked.
Subconsciously in response, she ran a hand through her own long hair, tucking a stray strand behind her ear.
When she finally settled her inspection to the visible part of his face, her breath hitched when their gaze unexpectedly connected.
Shit.
Yet despite being caught ogling, she remained transfixed. A heat bloomed within her chest and the pit of her stomach. This was what mortification felt like, right? Drawn further in, she noted how his eyes were as dark as a starless night… or the utmost depths of the ocean. She could utterly drown in them. She wanted to—
“Naruto…” Sakura called out absentmindedly, “What was his name again?”
“Oh, Kakashi! His name is Kakashi Hatake.”
Finally turning away, still flushed, she had a sinking feeling that this year would not be as uneventful as she hoped.
...
“This is so unprofessional,” Sakura huffed, “Late to the first class of term?!”
“Aw don’t get so worked up Sakura,” Naruto chimed while biting into the pumpkin pasties that were smuggled from breakfast. The boy was insatiable. The castle elves actively avoided him lest they be accosted for endless servings of ramen.
“Maybe he died,” drawled Sasuke as he tilted his chair back, balancing himself on its hind legs out of sheer boredom.
“You would like that, so your dearest brother can finally be the top ranked auror," Naruto said in between massive bites.
“Fuck you,” Sasuke replied almost reflexively after nearly seven years of friendship, “We have a record of our D.A.D.A. professors meeting a grim fate. The last two didn’t even make it through the year.”
“Maybe he got lost?” Hinata, the pureblood Hyūga heiress with a heart of gold, chimed in. Sakura was immensely fond of the Hufflepuff.
“Didn’t he graduate from here?” Ino wondered.
“We’ve never had a class in this room before," Sakura contributed, "We’re always on the third floor.”
“Well, if he does show up, let’s see if he’s as badass as everyone says…” Whipping out his wand, Naruto conjured up a bucket before whispering, “Aguamenti.”
“Are you really going to pull a prank right now?” Sakura groaned.
“It’s all in good fun!” Naruto defended while levitating the bucket to float right above the doorway.
Students around them snickered. Even the Slytherins, who often harbored disdain over Naruto’s obnoxious antics, fought to control their faces.
“He’s an elite auror,” Sakura sighed, “Punctuality aside, don’t you think he would have the skills and situational awareness to evade a juvenile prank?”
“Ten galleons that your prank fails.”
Snapping her head to Sasuke, Sakura snipped, “Don’t encourage him!”
He gave her a small shrug.
“You’re on, bastard!”
The class instantly quieted as they heard incoming footsteps. They were unrushed. Steady and confident.
As he strolled into the room, the students waited with wide eyes and bated breath.
Sakura couldn’t help but marvel at how tall he was.
Upon passing through the threshold of the open doorway, the bucket of water crashed downward, completely drenching the man.
The metal vessel clattered loudly against the floor, echoing throughout the classroom and down the hallway.
No one dared to react… or breathe… except one.
“HAHAHA!” Naruto erupted in hysterics.
Sighing, Kakashi lazily waved a hand as he continued walking to the front of the room. Instantaneously, all water evaporated from both the floor and his person. The bucket then soared through the air, nailing the distracted Naruto in the forehead before settling down next to the chalkboard.
“OW THAT HURT!”
Sakura raised a brow. Non-verbal and wandless magic?
Stifling their snorts of laughter at Naruto’s misfortune, everyone sat up in their seats, waiting for the professor to address the class.
How would he react?
As the silence persisted, uneasy tension started to build.
He seemed unhurried and uninterested in the classroom full of students.
With deliberate dexterity, she was mesmerized by his hands as he removed his cloak and the jacket of his three-piece tweed suit. The fit of his attire was impeccable, highlighting just how fit, in every sense of the word, the man was. She could feel how Ino leered at their instructor as she mouthed to her ‘I told you so.’ Continuing to ignore everyone, he unbuttoned the sleeves of his crisp white button-down and rolled them up. Sakura looked away at the sight of his forearms and squashed an incredibly inappropriate thought.
“My first impression of you all…,” he began in a dulcet tone, “Is that I hate you.”
What the hell?
“Regardless, welcome to seventh year N.E.W.T.-level Defense Against the Dark Arts.”
Kakashi’s eyes were calculating. Leaning against a desk, he slouched horribly in a way that suggested he was already exhausted from being in a room with them. He seemed wholly unimpressed with the lot of them.
“Given the instability you’ve experienced from the rotating door of instructors across the past six years, it stands to reason that I’ll need to see first-hand where everyone’s abilities fall. Frankly, I’d be surprised if any of you can keep pace with N.E.W.T. work, although the headmaster was rather complimentary of this class.”
Sakura inwardly scoffed at his skepticism.
Bring it.
Flicking his hand again, a movement that Sakura tracked with intention, tiny slips of parchment began piling into a hat.
“I would like one of you to pick a scenario from this hat and for you all to demonstrate your skills.”
A chorus of harsh scrapes of wooden chairs against stone reverberated through the room. The air buzzed with nervous excitement – students never got to do magic on the first day of class.
Naturally, Naruto and Sasuke sparred to be at the front of the line. Sakura felt compelled to hang back at the end, keen on observing. And while she was confident in her abilities, this exercise felt too straight forward. Deep within her gut, she felt that something was off. He said ‘scenario,’ not ‘spell,’ meaning he wasn’t merely seeking a satisfactory incantation and wave of a wand.
There was more to this.
She was almost sure of it, given she immediately went to the library after the welcome feast to research their new faculty member. The Daily Prophet articles on him were substantial, filled with speculation and sensational creative liberties, she wagered. There was a persistent rumor that he had the uncanny ability to see a spell performed once and was able to immediately replicate it, which was absurd.
However, what seemed factual was that Kakashi was a prodigy who was renowned for his creativity, and near insanity, in the field.
So, things could not, would not, be simple with him.
“Step up please,” Kakashi instructed.
Sasuke stepped forward as Naruto visibly pouted while nursing the left side of his ribcage.
“Your name?”
“Sasuke Uchiha, sir.”
“Ah, you’re Itachi’s brother.”
“Yes,” Sasuke said with a hint of pride in his voice.
“Hmm. Well, let’s see what you all got.”
Sasuke confidently rummaged his hand inside the hat before pulling out his task.
He immediately frowned, and that’s when Sakura knew they were fucked.
“Please read it aloud to the class.”
There was a sadistic lit in the tone of his request.
Brows furrowed, Sasuke muttered out, “It says… ‘Repel incoming fireballs and non-verbally disarm the attacker.’
“Fun. Just so you are all aware, I won’t stop until you all stop me.”
Wait, what?
With a movement too fast for the eyes to track, Kakashi rained literal hell down on the entire classroom.
Everyone began screaming in panic.
Quickly, Sasuke used ‘aguamenti’ to create a wall of water in front of him as half of the class immediately ducked for cover behind wooden desks.
Idiots.
“Naruto,” Sakura yelled above the chaos, “Cast water with Sasuke to nullify the attacks!”
“Huh? But I thought—”
“Clearly this isn’t what any of us thought! Just do it, please!”
The blonde nodded as he jumped into the fray, right next to Sasuke, to combat fire with water.
“Isn’t your family supposed to be really good at fire manipulation?!” yelled Naruto after narrowly dodging a burst of flames.
“To an extent— I’m not fucking Madara!”
Whenever Sasuke and Naruto managed to work together, they were nearly unbeatable, with incredible offensive power and a peculiar knack for getting out of near-death situations. She hoped they could provide enough entertainment for their sadistic shit of a professor for a moment.
She needed time to think.
Most of the class was a liability as half of them were in shock. She was certain Hinata was going to have a panic attack and Ino, no matter how clever and capable she was, wasn’t going to risk scorching her hair. They, along with their peers, needed to be removed from potential harm first so they could fully turn their attention to their instructor.
Glancing downward at the floor, an idea sparked. Well, she hoped the headmaster wouldn’t be too peeved with some light redecorating done to the room. She transfigured a thick, stone wall that most of the class immediately sought refuge behind. The fireballs slammed mercilessly against the rock with loud explosions.
“Can you manage for a bit more?” she called out to the duo.
“OH FUCK— I mean, yeah sure Sakura! But also, can you hurry up with whatever clever idea you have?!”
“Hn, getting tired already?”
“The hell I am—"
Glancing frantically around, her eyes landed on the final piece to her newly formed strategy.
Shikamaru.
Her fellow Head had pretended to faint from shock. Making her way toward him, she gave a swift kick to his shin.
“Shit Sakura, that hurt,” Shikamaru grunted as he jolted from the sharp pain.
“Serves you right for pretending to be unconscious!” she hotly replied, “You could at least try applying your enormous intellect to help with this situation!”
“This situation is entirely too troublesome.”
“Well, pout later! I need your help. Do you still have that instant darkness powder you confiscated at breakfast?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll get the boys to do something to distract the professor. In that moment, use the powder to blind him. Got it?”
Sighing loudly, Shikamaru grumbled, “Obviously… though I’d much rather stay out of this.”
Rolling her eyes, Sakura yelled out, “Boys, on my signal, can you do something really obnoxious?”
“You got it!”
“Being obnoxious is your default, idiot.”
“You know what, I hope the next fireball that comes burns off your peacock-y hair!”
“That’s not even a real word—"
They continued to bicker, meaning time was running out on their effective collaboration. Peering over the makeshift wall, she balked at how blasé their assailant looked.
Kakashi looked bored as he continued with lazy flicks of his wrist.
Gritting her teeth, she gave a final nod to Shikamaru before casting a disillusionment charm on herself. Traversing through the classroom, she was irritated by her lack of appropriate footwear for such strenuous activity. Barely dodging a rather fast paced fireball, she managed to position herself mere meters behind Kakashi. For a split second, she swore his eyes were on her. But when he failed to make a move against her, she seized the opportunity for what it was.
Taking a deep breath, she screamed, “NOW!”
Sasuke and Naruto mirrored each other’s grin before simultaneously pointing their wands and yelling, “Bombarda maxima!”
“Oi,” mumbled Kakashi, who moved to contain the spell to ensure the least amount of property damage and loss of limb.
She made a mental note to scold them after – she said obnoxious, not lethal.
Shikamaru threw the powder in the air and encircled Kakashi with an advanced manipulation of ‘ventus.’
And the final blow came from Sakura, who non-verbally disarmed Kakashi and out of spite, threw in an extra binding jinx after she hurled his wand to the opposite side of the room.
The chaos stopped.
There was a loud crash of burnt desks collapsing due to being structurally compromised. Faintly she heard Shikamaru groan that he needed a smoke.
After a moment, a singular source of clapping could be heard.
The bastard was slow clapping – and he had wandlessly slipped out of her binding jinx like it was nothing.
“That was passable.”
Wheezing from exertion, Sakura spat out, “That was cruel.”
The entire classroom looked like a warzone. The only individuals who seemed unfazed were Naruto and Sasuke, who were debating in the background on who contributed the most.
Tilting his head at her, Kakashi asked, “And your name?”
“Sakura Haruno… sir.”
“You think it’s cruel to put your classmates in a highly controlled, and laughably easy, scenario where they have to apply what they should have learned over the past six years?”
“That was controlled?! You could have warned us—”
“Dark wizards and creatures won’t warn you ahead of time. You must be constantly vigilant and prepared for anything.”
Noticing the telling twitch in her left eyebrow, both Sasuke and Naruto rushed to her side. The blonde abruptly grabbed her wrist as she subconsciously took a step forward. Her infamous temper simmered as she failed to control the contempt that colored her face. Punching her professor, and arguably the savior of the wizarding world, would reflect poorly on her resume.
Not even a glowing recommendation from Headmaster Jiraiya could redeem her.
Turning to the rest of the class as his wand soared through the air and back into his grasp, “Now, can anyone tell me what the true lesson was today?”
Silence.
“Anyone?" Kakashi drawled.
Sakura wracked her brain.
Despite wanting to impulsively throw out that ‘the DMLE desperately needed to re-work their psychological competency exams,’ she instead worked back from the start of the class until now.
‘Let’s see what you all got.'
‘I would like one of you to pick a scenario from this hat and for you all to demonstrate your skills.’
‘Just so you are all aware, I won’t stop until you all stop me.’
You all.
Oh, what utterly convoluted bullshit.
Scowling, Sakura answered, “Teamwork. The lesson was teamwork.”
Kakashi immediately perked up, “Precisely!”
He was an absolute lunatic.
“If there’s nothing else that you take away from your time at Hogwarts, remember that teamwork is your most important asset when combating the dark arts. Those who abandon their friends and colleagues are worse than scum.”
To her surprise, some of her classmates nodded and several of them stared at him with something akin to reverence.
“Thirty points to Gryffindor. And ten points to Ravenclaw for the clever manipulation of the powder and inter-house collaboration.”
Thirty measly points for almost dying?!
“I highly encourage everyone to review your sixth-year curriculum before our next class.”
Brazenly turning back to her, Kakashi asked, “Is that enough warning for you, Miss Haruno?”
Her cheeks burned from his explicit attention on her. With embarrassment. And fury.
And something undefinable.
“Oh, and Naruto, was it?”
“Err, yeah?”
“One hundred points from Gryffindor for the stunt you pulled at the beginning of class,” Kakashi said with his eyes crinkling, “And detention with me for a month.”
“WHAT?!”
The Slytherins jeered loudly with delight.
Hinata was equally distraught on behalf of Naruto.
“Class dismissed.”
Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the collar, hauling him away before his antics were further penalized.
“Idiot,” Sasuke loudly berated, “How the hell did you get us in the negative on the first day of class?”
“I told you not to encourage him,” Sakura teased in a sing-song manner.
“Sakura, it’s too early in term for your ‘I told you so’—”
“But he didn’t even react! I thought he didn’t care!” the blonde sputtered out, “And you owe me ten galleons!”
Whirling back to Naruto, Sasuke said in a menacing tone, “And you owe our house 70 points. I don’t care how good of a chaser you are– I’m going to kill you in practice today.”
As everyone else scrambled to pack up and leave the classroom, she caught snippets of hushed conversations.
‘That was brilliant— he’s brilliant—'
‘I thought I was going to die! My father will be hearing about this—'
‘If the N.E.W.T.s are anything like today I’m going to fail—'
Sakura was certain that the headmaster would be bombarded with parent howlers and yet somehow student sentiment would rally in favor of the maniac.
“He’s an asshole,” she grumbled while hastily packing up her things.
“He’s hot,” Ino giggled, flipping her gorgeous blonde hair with zero evidence of what had occurred in class.
“He’s insane.”
“That makes him hotter.”
“Pig—”
“I know you think so too. I’ve seen it.”
“You tried breaking into my mind once and ended up in the hospital wing.”
“That’s because you’re fucking insane too. I’m from a long line of master legilimens and even my father would run away screaming from that hellish landscape you call a mind.”
Fighting back a smile, Sakura nudged her best friend with her shoulder, “We’re going to be late for Charms, let’s go.”
“Well, we must stop by the lavatory first. You have soot on your nose,” Ino curled her lips with disapproval, “I cannot be seen with you looking like you fell through a chimney.”
As she was dragged away, for a fleeting moment, her gaze landed back on their elusive and unconventional instructor. In the devastating wreckage of what was once their classroom, he seemed like Hades overlooking his realm.
He looked lonely.
...
“I finally got Itachi to write back,” Sasuke murmured.
A few weeks later, the trio sat in a tucked away study table deep within the stacks of the library. Sakura was insistent on starting to prepare for exams, much to her friend’s dismay. However, they were always good sports about her study habits.
“Ooh what did he say?!”
Sasuke sighed, “Nothing really illuminating or helpful, just that it’d be a privilege to learn from him.”
“Ugh, boring. Wait, didn’t they overlap at Hogwarts?”
Sasuke nodded, “He was four years above Itachi.”
Counting silently with his fingers, Naruto said slowly, “So that makes him… what the hell he’s only 26?!”
“Do you sense any bad blood between them?” Sakura inquired.
“None. If anything, there’s an enormous amount of respect. And I trust my brother’s judgement.”
“And you described in detail about what happened during our first class?” she grilled further.
Sasuke snorted, “Yes, and he said that perhaps ‘he had gone soft.’”
“…Your brother is pretty crazy.”
Sasuke had no grounds to disagree on.
“What I don’t understand is why is he here?” Sakura sniffed.
“How do you mean?”
“I mean what, he throws Orochimaru in a cell and there’s nothing else for him to do? He clearly isn’t suited to be a teacher. What was the headmaster thinking? Was there no one else qualified in the country— or even hemisphere?!”
“I mean, if we want to get badass at fighting the dark arts, doesn’t it make sense to learn from THE badass?” Naruto reasoned.
“But his methods are positively feudal—"
“I think that’s just with our class,” Sasuke interjected, “All the lower level-students worship the ground he walks on. I heard he’s patient with them. He probably expects more from us.”
“Honestly Sakura… maybe getting into those… spirited debates with him doesn’t help—
“You’re blaming me?!”
Throwing up his hands in surrender, Nartuo sputtered, “Eh, of course not!”
Sakura crossed her arms and puffed with annoyance.
Each class, everyone had come to expect at least a few verbal exchanges between the D.A.D.A. professor and Head Girl. ‘Spirited debates’ was a bit of an understatement. To the point a few professors, and even the headmaster, would make some poor excuse to pop their head into the classroom, eager to catch the spectacle. Among students, some were curious to see their typically proper and deferential classmate openly challenge a teacher. Many were eager to see her get knocked down a few pegs when she was bested – which was surprisingly often, according to Ino who had been keeping tabs and created a lucrative betting pool on the outcome of these intellectual matches.
The man was beyond infuriating.
Her points of contention and requests for additional clarification were reasonable. The frivolous gossip had morphed their conversations into complete absurdities. She was not ‘eager for his attention’ nor did she ‘think she was smarter than a full-fledged auror.’ She was here to wring every drop of knowledge from every professor at this institution. It just so happened she had a lot of wringing to do specifically from Professor Hatake… in between the moments where she wanted to violently wring his neck.
And she could have sworn there was an amused glint in his eyes whenever she challenged him.
Bastard.
Despite her prickly disposition toward him, he graded her assignments fairly and was even complimentary at times. This was from a man who charmed a parchment gnome to stalk and verbally hurl insults at Naruto each day he failed to turn in a paper on rare nocturnal creatures. She would never admit it, but every elegant scrawl of approval on her assignments from Kakashi gave her immense pride.
She craved it.
The clock chimed loudly, announcing the late hour.
Snapping back to attention, Sakura said, “You both should head back to the dormitory. I’ll stay behind and tidy up.”
“But what about you?”
Shaking her head, “I can always use the excuse I was doing final rounds.”
“And you know you’ll get us sidetracked,” sighed Sasuke, “And we’ll all be caught after curfew… again.”
“Hehehe I just like hanging out with you both, that’s all,” Naruto said sincerely.
Both Sasuke and Sakura rolled their eyes to mask their adoration for their idiot.
“Head straight back. You’ve been having an impressive run with getting points docked and spending more nights in detention that the previous six years combined.”
“It’s not my fault! I swear Kakashi has a six sense! He always shows up right when I’m about to get my mischief on,” Naruto whined.
“Stop whining like an infant – it’s uncouth,” Sasuke sneered.
“Stop speaking like you got an aristocratic broom up your ass.”
“Since when are you on a first name basis with Professor Hatake?” Sakura asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
Naruto shrugged, “I kinda annoyed him into it during all those detentions. He said it was more trouble having to correct me all the time and he was never one for hierarchy and rules to begin with.”
“You would annoy someone—”
“Okay, okay, both of you can bicker on your way back to the dorms—now, please,” Sakura said in an annoyed tone.
Both grumbling, they wished Sakura a good night before shuffling out of the library.
Letting out a loud sigh after they departed, Sakura stood to take a languid, yet thorough, stretch. Making quick work of the textbooks that proliferated the study table, she hurried through the stacks yet skidded to a halt as a particular section caught her eye.
The Restricted Section.
Biting her lip, she shook her head.
That wasn’t necessary anymore.
No more Dark Wizards.
Normalcy, normalcy, normalcy— she chanted to herself as she inched toward the temptation.
But… she couldn’t help it.
Just in case.
Upon exiting the library, she relished the quiet and solitude of Hogwarts during the late evening. The portraits snoozed contently as the muted flicker of lantern flames made shadows dance across her body. The book she nicked felt heavy in her grasp. It was foolish of her to take it, but something deep within cautioned her to. As if the fight wasn’t truly over. She would normally balk at such levels of paranoia, if only it hadn’t saved her ass so many times in the past.
Something wicked was coming, and she’d be damned if she didn’t prepare for it.
Engrossed in thought, she nearly collided with a tall, broad figure while turning a corner.
Letting out an inelegant yelp, an apology nearly escaped her lips.
“Miss Haruno.”
She immediately froze.
That voice.
Always ‘Miss Haruno,’ even though he was casual with the other students. It irked her. It was if he specifically erected a wall between the two.
“It’s after curfew.”
That infuriatingly delicious voice.
Finding her senses, Sakura said lightly, “I was on my way back to the dormitory. I just finished my rounds.”
She’d rather die than admit that gossiping about him had led to the late hour.
Glancing at what was in her grasp, Kakashi interrogated further, “And do you often carry a book with you while doing rounds?”
“Yes, if my rounds are particularly uneventful, I like to do some light reading.”
“Light reading,” he echoed, “from the restricted session.”
Shit.
“How—”
How did he know?
The book was tucked firmly under her arm, the title hidden from view and the cover was a nondescript, weathered burgundy.
“I am familiar with it.”
Interesting.
“And why is it in your possession?” Kakashi asked.
“I have special permission from my Head of House to access books from the restricted session for supplemental learning,” she parried.
Well, that was mostly true.
Kakashi sighed, “Asuma so easily grants access to restricted material?”
“Professor Sarutobi has always been supportive of my academic pursuits," Sakura explained primly.
“Mmm at best, he’s enabling.”
Eyes narrowing, she countered, “He’s enabling me to achieve my post-Hogwarts career goal.”
“Which is?”
“I’m going to be an auror,” she said with unfailingly conviction.
Tilting his head, Kakashi asked, “And what draws you to the profession?”
“I’ve been a great admirer of Tsunade Senju, and I wish to follow in her footsteps.”
“What a textbook perfect answer from you.”
Bristling, Sakura insisted,“It’s true—”
“No one becomes an auror because they simply admire someone. Aurors deal with unimaginable horrors. The absolute worst of humanity and magic. There’s always a reason, a compulsion, that drives people to pursue this insanity…”
Kakashi stepped an inch closer, “What is yours?”
Stiffly, Sakura answered, “As I said, I am inspired by Tsunade Senju.”
Neither of them believed her.
“And why this particular title for your… ‘supplemental learning’?”
“I like to be prepared.”
“For what precisely? The latest in a long line of dark wizards currently wastes away in Azkaban.”
“It’s as you said… ‘latest.’ There will always be another blood supremacist that wants to enslave or eradicate muggleborns. Or nihilist that wants to watch the world burn.”
She unconsciously inched closer to him.
“And my friends have a proclivity for attracting trouble,” she further explained.
“They attract trouble of such magnitude that it requires knowledge from a text called ‘Curses Most Sinister’?” Kakashi dryly asked.
After a beat, Sakura said softly, “You’d be surprised.”
“Frankly that doesn’t surprise me. They don’t surprise me.”
“What does surprise you?” she prodded.
Her own boldness took her off guard.
He didn’t answer.
After a moment, Kakashi said, “If you’re committed to becoming an auror, note that it’s a very difficult career path.”
“Duly noted.”
There was a flash of amusement in his eyes.
They were intelligent and all consuming and fucking perfect.
“It’s not just about getting top marks. The practical exams put you through scenarios specifically designed to break your mind, body, and spirit. The washout rate is astronomical.”
“I can do it,” Sakura said with confidence.
“I recognize that you have some decent instincts—"
“I can do it.”
He paused for a moment, scrutinizing her intently as if seeing her for the first time.
Kakashi continued slowly, “What they don’t like to admit is that being an auror is a filthy business. Barely anyone has the stomach for it.”
She suppressed a shudder at his enunciation. Not from fear, but from something more primal that stirred deep within her.
A hunger.
“But you do. Have the stomach for it,” she clarified.
“Yes.”
“Teach me,” she near demanded while further crowding his space.
Kakash let out an incredulous noise, "Why should I?”
“You’re a teacher—”
“No, I’m doing a favor—”
She pocketed that admission for another time.
“—and I’m an exceptionally busy individual.”
Sakura nearly rolled her eyes, “Busy doing what, exactly?”
Sometimes she wished she could smother her own impudence.
His eyes crinkled, “Nothing that concerns you.”
Impulsively, Sakura offered, “I’ll do whatever you want.”
The visible part of his face immediately became inscrutable.
“Don’t be so generous with an initial offer.”
“Noted. Teach me and I’ll stop asking so many questions in class.”
A chuckle reverberated from him.
The sound was thrilling.
“Hmm… quite tempting, but no.”
She nearly stomped her foot like a toddler out of sheer frustration.
“But sir—”
“Why do you want to become an auror?”
“I…,” she trailed off, unable to admit to him, let alone herself, her utterly selfish reason.
“Give me your real answer and I may reconsider. Now it’s late, and your duties this evening are long over,” he said while outstretching his hand expectantly.
She immediately understood his request.
“But—"
He merely raised a brow.
They both knew she could not deny him.
Tentatively, she handed over the restricted book, noting how his hand dwarfed hers. How their fingers were mere centimeters apart. How she wanted to overcome the distance.
After a moment, Kakashi swiftly tucked the book within his robes before pivoting away from her.
“Good night,” he said dismissively with a wave of two fingers, “Miss Haruno.”
She inhaled deeply as he walked away, his silhouette disappearing into the shadows of the night.
She desperately wanted to close the distance.
