I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does. This fic is not Beta'd.

R&R

Chapter One

Ino smiled as large arms wrapped around her waist and a clean shaven jaw nuzzled into her neck.

"This'll be just about ten more minutes," She smiled at him one hand reaching to squeeze his. His eyes softened and stayed fixedly watching hers as she returned to the food.

"Stay like this a minute."

He kissed her neck and, and then she felt a breeze of cool air as his body moved away from hers. He perched to the side of her, sketching in he stance quickly before moving onto her face. He could place in the finer details of her body later, but her expression would have to be captured at the time. His eyes flicked quickly her face to the drawing and back again, over nad over, scrutinising her in a way that never failed to make her blush, no matter how many times he drew her.

Once the features were put in place, and the drawing could be finished later, Jiraiya vanished from his perch and returned to holding his beautiful Ino, his hands trailing energetically over her full body in his efforts to distract her.

"Now," He murmured huskily, his breath tickling her ear as his hands cupped her bum. "How long is your roommate gone?"

888

"I don't think Ino'll mind if I stay out a little while longer," Sakura whispered breathlessly against Kakashi's addictive lips.

"She won't notice?" Whereas Kakashi was constantly overwhelmed with heat, passion and affection whenever his cherry blossom was concerned, it really wouldn't do to have a search party find them… like this. They were currently entangled together in the middle of the hallway, placed somewhere between his bedroom, bathroom and kitchen, covered by a fluffy blanket that had somehow made it's way over them in their heated scuffle. It was often like a training session, the way that they made love, although not because he had once been her teacher.

They moved almost strategically, the way they moved around each other, the way they near constantly changed positions and fought for control, the way their passion could sometimes equate to force. Sakura felt like gasoline, like Kakashi was the match, the way he never failed to make the heat rise inside her, the way the situation was quickly brought out of control. When it was over, what was left was not ashes once the fire had burned its course, nor a torn home or damaged building. Once the initial need had been sated, what they were left with was the love, care and adoration that they held for each other, shown by their tender kisses and gentle caresses.

Sakura smiled at him, her eyes flicking quickly from his eyes to his mouth, as she trailed her soft fingers down the length of his sweat drenched face.

"She seems to be trying exceptionally hard to keep me out of the apartment." Sakura's brow furrowed and her voice imitated mock shock and hurt. " Maybe she has a secret lover that she's not telling me about!"

Kakashi laughed and rolled her beneath him, smirking smugly. "You mean like you?" She looked at him in fake shock before hitting him lightly on the chest.

"I should bloody hope not!" She dodged Kakashi's lips and rolled out from underneath his body, keeping her face serious as she glared at him, dodging all of his advances.

"Quit moving woman!"

"No! First tell me that you are not cheating on me with my more attractive friend!"

"Huh?" He stated, looking at her entirely bewildered. "What-?"

She looked up at him innocently. "That would be inappropriate."

"Not as inappropriate as this," He replied, squeezing her hips as he finally caught on. "Why on Earth would I be interested in Ino anyway?"

"As I said, more attractive."

He gave her a withering look before stroking her face tenderly. "Not to me she isn't."

Sakura played a couple of minutes more, glaring at him suspiciously before she wound her arms around his neck. "Good."

"Besides, how could she be there hiding me, when I'm here hiding you?"

Sakura looked stumped for a moment. "Oh yeah."

"Believe me now?"

"I didn't doubt you to begin with."

"No, you just felt like playing with my old, fragile mind."

"Fragile maybe, but you're not old yet."

"Wanna bet? I can hear the arthritis setting in."

"That's due to laziness and not going to the hospital when you have a fracture, or pull a muscle. It has nothing to do with impending death."

"Are you speaking medically or just stubbornly?"

She smiled and rolled him onto his back before stroking his hair out of his eyes and placing a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"Maybe a little bit of both."

From here they descended once again into vigorous activity that proved that he was definitely not passed it. Even if he was, she wouldn't really care. Age has no effect on true beauty.

888

"Oh the glory of being in the springtime of youth!" Gai crowed from where he lay atop Tenten. "My dear it is glorious to e with you in the springtime of your youth! I have never seen such beauty!" His smile became almost permanent, his eyes began to water and his voice trembled. His dark haired companion rolled her eyes, but the small smile that lifted the corners of her mouth betrayed her amusement and adoration.

"Yeah, and you've got one foot in the grave you decrepit old fart."

"I'll try and do the youthful thing and use my years of experience to please you!" He flashed his white teeth again and gave her a thumbs up that she returned, grinning.

"And what are your years f expertise telling you to do now?"

"They're telling me to ravish you in the light of dawn!" Tenten smirked and playfully smacked his arse.

"Get going then Mister!"

"Anything for you, my sweet flower!"

And the room dissolved once again into a repetition of moans and grunts.

888

Meanwhile…

A bright orange novel laid on the desk of the Hokage about to meet it's fate. Multiple pages were bent back, drops of sake stained it's cover and sides at irregular intervals. Deep cracks ran across the middle emanating outwards, rather than spine, form where it had hit the desk with force. All in all, it was a rather beat-up book.

It's owner, or rather the woman currently possessing it, was obviously deep in thought, occasionally sipping from a sake cup that never left it's rest against her lips. The hand that wasn't clutching her sake was resting on the table and trembling. Fury radiated off of her in waves.

"Um, Tsunade, what would you like me to do about this?" Shizune's quiet, timid voice cut in to Tsunade's inner ramblings, with an offer of help. Tsunade honestly didn't know what she would do without the girl. She was familiar to her, in a way that allowed Tsunade to ditch formality. Shizune and Jiraiya were really the only escape that Tsunade received from being Hokage. She didn't have to be the all knowing problem solver, or a symbol of strength. She could be herself in the way that she really needed to keep her sane. She had been away from Konoha for a long time, and so few people knew her as anything other than the Hokage, or one of the legendary Sannin. Sakura, Ino and Kakashi also breached her indifference, but Naruto really brought something good out of her. She admired his goals, and his commitment and courage. Sakura reminded her of herself, and Ino the girl that she had always wanted to be. Kakashi irritated her, she remembered him from when he was a child, and over the years she had constantly received updates from Jiraiya. Sasuke was the member of team 7 that she wasn't quite as close to, having not spent as much time with him, and as the boy always tried to keep her at arms length, no matter how much she forced herself to play nice with him. The brat absolutely would not be mothered. She still carried on, determined that one day he would accept her care and help. He reminded her of Kakashi when he had been young. If her tough love had got through to Hatake, she would pull through with the damned Uchiha.

Tsunade took another sip of Sake. "Nothing for now, thank you Shizune. I can't deal with him in any way remotely public when we need to show an alliance. And it would greatly contribute to the Elders proclaiming that I am off my rocker and bringing in a replacement. I can't risk that."

"Surely they would be outraged by our Hokage being shown like that?"

Tsunade sighed and downed another cup in one swallow. "Look at the images Shizune." Shizune obediently picked up the novel and warily opened it.

"What do you want me to see?"

"Does it look like me?"

"Yes."

"Look again. What do you see?"

"Um… her eyes are blue? And she does in fact have a different figure to you. So what…?"

"Everyone thinks it's me."

"Even though there are differences, it does look like you, yes."

"But not enough for the Elders to justify my maiming him."

"Ah."

"Exactly."

"Isn't there anything we could do?"

Tsunade raised her head to meet Shizune directly in the eye. "No. I shall just have to show up when he least expects it, to remind him that I could if I wanted to…" She gestured punching him.

Shizune nodded. "Alright. Now, was there a message that you wished me to deliver to Ibiki?"

"Yes. Interrogation rooms have one way glass."

"Aha, shall do." Shizune turned bright red at the implication of the words as she left, trying to vanish images of what you might not wish to see Ibiki doing through one way glass.