You made it back to the training ground and set Sakura down. Her legs had recovered enough and she walked over to the boys, who had come running over when they had seen you carrying her. "Sakura! Are you ok! You look like you've been crying! Was Uta-sensei's training really that tough?" Naruto's loud voice echoed around the clearing. Sakura tucked her hair behind her ear, "She just took me for a run and we had a bit of a talk... but thank you for worrying about me Naruto...And I'm sorry for being so rude to you. You aren't useless." She reached out and pulled Naruto into a hug. Naruto looked like he was about to pass out from happiness and you smiled.

You clapped your hands to get their attention, "Alright your three, I want you three to work on clones. Make as many as you can and hold them as long as possible. Go!" You sighed, feeling your tiredness coming again. You were considering heading back to the branch you'd been sitting on when two strong arms encircled your waist. You knew who it was instantly and relaxed, "Bout time you got back Kakashi. I missed you."

You felt his nose press against your neck and he breathed deeply before answering, "I missed you too." He turned his head to look at his team to see the three making clones and trying different jutsu's with them, currently making their clones look like each other, and they would laugh with each other whenever someone got it wrong. Naruto had made one of his clones look like Sasuke, but in a dress. Sasuke in turn had made his clone that looked like Naruto appear extremely fat. Sakura was laughing loudly as the boys' attempts to make hideous clones of each other. "I'm not entirely sure what you did, but it's clear that you're a miracle worker." You laughed tiredly and leaned back against him heavily. "Are you ok Uta?" You shook your head slightly then turned your head to speak into hear ear, "I'll tell you later, where it's a bit safer to talk."

Kakashi nodded and reacted as if you'd just said something intimate, making himself blush and chuckle lightly, "That'll have to wait until we get home I'm afraid." You smiled at his quick reaction and relaxed again, "Have you given your report to the Hokage?" He nodded and he snuggled his face into your neck, "He filled me in as much as he could, but I was given the impression that his office isn't exactly secure for talking." You nodded slightly.

"Ewwww Kakashi-sensei! Do you really need to do that in front of us?!" You looked up and finally noticed that the three students had stopped training and were now staring at the two of you. Kakashi straightened up and rubbed the back of his head, "Oh my...well then, how to explain this..." Sakura held up her hand, "Don't bother, we all know that you two are a couple, just control yourselves in front of us please." Your cheeks heated up instantly and you felt distinctly like you had just been scolded by a parent.

After that Kakashi informed them of the upcoming exams and Kakashi told them that he'd nominated them to take them. You then dismissed the team, after all, you and Kakashi both knew that Iruka would be checking to see if they would actually be allowed to go and take the first stage of the test tomorrow.

You and Kakashi walked back towards his apartment hand in hand. You still had the scroll from the archives on your person, not trusting to leave it anywhere. Once Kakashi let you into his apartment he turned to you. "Ok, so what-" You held up your hand and glanced around, dropping your voice to a whisper, "Can you do a quick check. Make sure no one will hear us? I...can't right now." Kakashi nodded and he made a thorough check of not only his apartments, but he used chakra to even check the surrounding apartments. After a few moments he nodded, "We're safe to talk." You nodded and walked over to his couch.

You filled him in on everything that had happened and at the end pulled the small scroll from inside your shirt. "I can't use chakra or this mark will react. The Hokage says that this seal will help. Now I wanted you to perform the seal, because I think that Orochimaru is targeting someone that you are close with and you might need to know how to do this... in case I'm not there to help."

"Why wouldn't you be there to help?" You sighed and pinched the bridge of your nose, "I don't know what is going to be happening. Either Orochimaru could do something to make it so I can't be near you. The Hokage also said that he might need to cast me in a bad light to allow for him to make orders without raising Orochimaru's suspicions of me. That could cause a situation that would take me away from you. There's countless scenarios that could make it so that I can't be near you when you need me." Kakashi nodded and looked at the scroll, "Well then, what do we need to do?"

You pulled out your glasses and began reading it out. Kakashi and you followed all of the steps, one by one, and before long you were half naked covered in strange writing. Kakashi paused after finishing the last line of writing, "This is...kinda erotic..." You head snapped up, "Kakashi! Now is not the time! Jeez...you'll regret having thought that if you have to do this seal on anyone else..."

Kakashi blushed a bit and rubbed the back of his neck, "Right...sorry." He placed one hand over your curse mark and made a hand-sign with his other. "I don't know what to expect once this starts." You nodded, "Don't stop once you start. No matter what." Kakashi leaned down and placed a light kiss on your lips, "You ready?"

"Yeah."

With that Kakashi focused his charka and began to seal you. Your body convulsed with the sudden onslaught of pain and you cried out. It felt like the writing that had been on your body was burrowing into the skin by your neck, the skin that surrounded the curse mark. As it went on it only got more intense and you had to fight your instinct to fight back. You grit your teeth, "Kakashi....Hurry...!"

The pain intensified and you could see black begin to cloud your vision. And as suddenly as it started the pain vanished and you were able to glance at Kakashi over your shoulder. You could see what looked like smoke rising from your skin. Kakashi wiped his brow, "It's done." You smiled slightly before the darkness completely obscured your vision and you slipped from consciousness.