Deceitful (A Naruto Fanfic)

Chapter 65: Sakura

Raising my brow, he took the cue to further explain.

"I can now see that you essentially did my reality check for me in your head just now. The fact that there wasn't much for me to add in terms of advice, really does reiterate how far you've come as my patient."

I looked up to see Yamanaka-san's eyes shining with a quiet pride as I blushed.

"But you made me think of good points and now I have doubts." I mumbled, as he shook his head with a gentle smile.

"Everyone does. That's normal. We all operate erring on the side of caution and predicting the worst in the name of self-preservation. My only concern was you maybe gaining a rose-tinted view of the situation because of Kakashi, hence the firm reminders of possible negative outcomes."

I snorted at the idea of having a soft spot for Kakashi. If anything, those feelings only made me hold him to an even higher standard. What those feelings were exactly however, was not something I wanted to unpack just yet.

"I think I'm right in having both trust and faith in our relationship." I exhaled, having a clearer perspective on things. It was nice having a sense of confidence in the mental mess that all of this was.

"You're also right in watching and waiting for what happens next. You don't have to prepare for the worst, but acknowledging it is wise."

I locked eyes with him immediately, searching his features with a slight frown.

Yamanaka-san would always take the place of the observer, staying both clinical and neutral. Throughout our sessions, he maintained a tone that was very similar to the doctor-patient boundary that I used. Disconnected but still involved.

My frown deepened as I noticed the slightest hardening of his expression.

Very rarely would he outright tell me what to do or offer his opinion in any form. That meant this mattered enough for him to break his own pre-set code of conduct.

I mattered enough.

He didn't approve of Kakashi. Not only that, but he was expecting the worst out of him and wanted me to do the same.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts, quickly realizing that if I relied on Yamanaka san's advice, it would probably result in me drop kicking Kakashi to the curb to avoid the potential hurt.

I didn't want that.

Though, we all know I couldn't do that even if I did want to. The lazy nin had snuck his way into my life and I didn't envision him leaving anytime soon.

My hands suddenly became more interesting to look at as I steadied my breathing.

"I know he's not ideal for me and that you would've wanted someone a little more stable for me to be spending the majority of my time with."

I paused, glancing at Yamanaka-san's blank expression before continuing.

"What if we stayed strictly professional?" I offered.

"Something tells me there's a caveat to that."

"I really don't want to fall into the trope of 'I can fix him' but I think with your help, I actually can. I'm the only one with inside access to that stubborn man."

Kakashi was a very private person, and even I didn't know everything about him. But what I did know was that he didn't have anyone else.

"You already know what I'm going to say--"

"It was my motivation before," I interjected.

He looked at me. Any frustration he had was masked by calm and expectant blue eyes. Finding momentum, I continued.