Place your Bets
I have no right to Naruto.
Enjoy.
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"Put me down for ten."
"Twenty."
"They have to have. All that time during the war!"
"And do you remember at the end?"
"Kami, put me down for twenty too."
"Who else is…"
"Who isn't!"
"What's the bet?" a low hoarse voice barely managed to question.
"Where the hell have you been…" The group of ANBU turned in disbelief, sentence stopping midway at the sight of their Commander looking down at them, sickly pale and with his height looking like a tree about to topple as he swayed slightly.
"Sex."
Ibiki rolled his eyes, removing a bottle of painkillers from his coat and quickly opening it to swallow straight from the bottle. Chewing the chalky things he put the bottle back in his pocket as he rubbed his forehead, his headache threatening to become a migraine. "Between?"
"ANBU member and Chunnin."
"She's Joinin now." Corrected one of the ANBU.
The question was out before Ibiki even realised it, half wondering what the hell he was doing as he asked. "Perameters?"
He felt the shock coming off the team, a large hand rising to make a 'hurry up' motion as they exchanged glances before answering.
"No previous opportunities for contact, different fields. Became close during the war and have since been seen together on occasion. Acting very familiar with each other."
Not at lot to go on, but war makes strange bedfellows and his head was starting to go from pounding to exploding. "Their fucking." Ibiki growled, hands rising to rub pained eyes. "I'm heading home- wait what day is it?"
"Friday."
"I'm heading to the hospital. All reports to Mitarashi." Waving them off Ibiki turned and left the room, not noticing or caring that the ANBU behind him nearly collapsed in relief, never as grateful for their masks as they were at that very moment.
"They definitely have."
"I can't see it."
"Why else would he go to the hospital?"
"He has a migraine."
"It's Friday – Haruno's working."
-0-
.
Enough was enough. Eyebrow ticking Sakura stomped down the hall towards the giggling mass at the nurses' station, wisps of conversation greeting her on her way.
"Could you imagine?"
"Since the war….. definitely."
"No he's too.. too .. he's scary!"
"You didn't see them together, they are definitely!"
"What's the pot up to now?"
Slamming her reports on the desk Sakura took extreme satisfaction as the group of nurses and medics went pale in fear and squeaked, papers flying into the air to scatter all over the floor. "This is the start of a twelve hour shift. There are numerous files to be checked, patients who need care and attention and you idiots are gossiping like a bunch of loons!" Sakura seethed, eyes narrowing as she threatened. "If I see or hear any of you gossiping for the remainder of the shift I'll send you to the geriatric's ward for the next month and have you scrubbing out bedpans!"
"Haruno."
Twirling at her name, Sakura lost all her anger at the sight of the large man before her, hand clutching his head, stepping forward to catch his arm and lead him to down the hall. "Crap, another migraine Morino?"
As footsteps retreated and a door opened and closed, one brave nurse loudly muttered. "They so are."
"I am not joking about the bedpans!" The holler came from down the hall sending medics and nurses alike scrambling to do their jobs as a door slammed shut in satisfaction.
-0-
.
The shift has been long; long, tiresome and chakra exhausting. Collapsing in bed had been Sakura's happiest moment and now eight hours later, evening sun streaming in her window she was trying to arrange her notes back into order after they had fallen to the ground at the beginning of the shift. With a huff she removed another medic's notes from her own and put them to the side. No one had bothered to even pick them up in their hurry to get back to work leaving her with a bundle of irrelevant pages and books.
Picking up a slim notebook she flipped through it and instantly stilled, turned a few pages quickly scanning the information, chest heaving in and out, eyes wide she flicked to the front and stopped breathing as she read the two names at the top.
Within no time she was barging her way into ANBU Headquarters, barrelling down the hallway and simply back-handing those who got in her way until she reached the door she was looking for. Without knocking she entered and slammed it shut behind her, leaving a half terrified and half gleeful ANBU group behind her in the hall.
Ibiki was not commonly taken aback but when a 5'7 pink haired Joinin can just walk into his office with no warning even he wondered what the hell had happened to his ANBU, raising an eyebrow in question he swiftly caught the notebook she threw at him and flicked through it as she exploded.
"Read it!
What the hell. How! Why!
I can't believe it. Look at the names!"
Dumbfounded he did as he was told, quickly flicking from one page to the other muttering. "This goes back to the war." Growling under his breath Ibiki swore he was going to kill his ANBU.
"ANBU member and Chunnin."
"She's Joinin now." Corrected one of the ANBU.
"Where did they get this from! What gave them the idea?"
As Sakura spoke Ibiki remembered.
.
He approached the hunched figure; the candles giving the medical tent a warm glow, making pink hair turn yellow and red in the light. He could see the dark circles under green eyes, hair scraped back tightly and the deep exhaustion that many of the upper command held. But worse he could see the chakra exhaustion and actual tiredness pounding down on her, testament to the breathing bodies around her.
Slowly he laid a hand on her shoulder, gently rocking her until sleepy eyes blinked and peered up at him. "Morino-san?"
"I need your report on the Zetsu clone and the autopsy."
It took her a few seconds to connect what he actually said and as she stood nodding her head in agreement Ibiki was not surprised when he had to catch her. One arm around her shoulders he waved off an approaching medic bending to hook his other hand under her knees and lift her up.
He nodded at the incoming Shinobi who did a double take, looking from him to the sleeping Kunoichi in his arms and back again. Looking at how he held her, how he waited for them to hold open the tent flap for them and dismissed all help.
He took it all in but didn't care, crossing the camp street to her tent and shouldering his way in. Ignored how the Yamanaka girl came up behind her and watched him lower Haruno down on her cot, remove her boots and cover her with a blanket.
The blond Kunoichi took a step back as he came out, nodding dumbly at his instructions. "Let her sleep unless it's an emergency and tell her I need to see her when she's ready."
.
He looked through the names. ANBU, Chunnin, Joinin, even some Genin, Shinobi from other countries and even recognised a civilian or two. But when he landed on her team and friends, his colleagues he was actually impressed.
How the hell did so many of them manage to actually keep their mouths shut?
"There has to be over three hundred names, more." He stated softly, closing the book and tapping it off his chin in thought.
"How are you not pissed about this?"
Ibiki shrugged. "I'm kinda impressed. So many names and I didn't have a clue. Either that or I need to retire."
"Sign of the apocalypse." Sakura joked, moving to lean her hip on his desk as he stood up and joined her. "I wonder who started it, why?" She bit her lip looking up at him and remembered.
.
She leant back, taking a deep breath and sighed in relief. They were stable, both missing an arm but alive and well otherwise. Turning her head she saw Kakashi-sensei half kneeling on the ground just keeping himself up as chakra exhaustion and the battle, a battle she still couldn't believe happened caught up with him. Caught up with all of them.
She felt the signatures and wasn't surprised when a large hand landed on her shoulder, fingered the torn sleeve and efficiently ran down her arm checking the half healed burn. "You okay?"
Looking up at Morino Ibiki, Sakura gave a half smile taking the offered hand and began to rise off the ground only to stumble into Ibiki's waiting arms. A huff filled the air and Sakura found herself being pivoted and a large back offered to. "Climb on."
Less chakra exhaustion, less plain old battle exhaustion and maybe she would have argued or fainted. As it was she looped her arms around his neck and let him hike her knees up around his waist, his Jonin jacket offering a comfy pillow as she laid her cheek on it and watched her teammates get the same treatment. "Sleep Haruno, I got you."
Then she woke up, warm, comfortable and to the delicious smell of food. Slowly rising she checked her chakra levels and brought her chakra to her hand, the healing glow lighting up the tent as she noticed it was not hers, as she finished the flap was pulled back and Ibiki walked in with a water canteen and a plate of food that smelt so heavenly she barely allowed him to hand it over before snatching it from him.
She ignored the chuckle knowing damn well others were even worse than her when it came to eating after chakra exhaustion.
"Your tent was destroyed, bowl of water at the side to clean up and set of my clothes for you to change into, there's a belt and a kunai to fix the them whatever way suits. "Debriefing in an hour."
Looking up from his cot Sakura swallowed the last morsel of food and thanked him, flopping back down and snuggling into his blanket as he huffed. "I'll give you half an hour then I'll pull you from the cot myself."
When she left his tent an hour later, in a man's shirt way too big for her, and men's pants cut thigh length she paid no mind to the questioning looks and shocked whispers, after all, her team had just defeated a Goddess and saved the world, why wouldn't they look.
.
"How do you want to deal with it?" Sakura questioned Ibiki, looking up at the tall man and tilting her head as a questioning look appeared on his face.
"Morin-"
He kissed her. An oxymoron but he kissed her firmly and softly. Softly so that she could pull away if she wanted but firmly enough to show he meant it. And he tasted good.
He pulled away and she followed. Returning the kiss just as carefully, eyes widening as they stopped and looked at each other.
Ibiki watched the Kunoichi before him. Watched her eyes darken and turn thoughtful. He hadn't realised it and now looking back it was obvious neither had she, but somewhere in their subconscious they had known it.
Known enough to give the entire Allied Shinobi Forces and Konoha Shinobi fodder to fill that little book with over three hundred names.
A loud growl filled the air, ibiki licking his lips and smirking as Sakura's stomach growled in hunger a second time, causing her cheeks to flame red in embarrassment. Moving to the side he reached for the door. "Come on."
Outside Ibiki's office the ANBU group clustered together in anticipation.
"They so are!"
"Definitely"
"She was too angry, that is not sex."
"Angry sex is great sex!"
"Shush they stopped talking."
"I do not want to hear them have sex!"
"They are not."
"Yes they-"
The door opened, ANBU scrambling back and shrinking at the knowing look in Ibiki's eyes, the look that promised pain. Walking onwards he stopped and turned at the sight of a confused Sakura looking from the ANBU before her to him as she stood in the doorway of his office.
"Sakura."
Heart beats stopped, masked faces looking from one to another riveted on the drama.
Ibik raised his hand, gently speaking her name again.
A small hopeful smile lit up her face as she walked towards him and slowly placed her hand in his, breathing deeply as he squeezed it. "Barbeque?"
Nodding at his suggestion she followed him out, licking her lips as if trying to savour the taste of him and left a hallway full of stunned ANBU.
"Kuso!"
"No denying that."
"No that's totally di-"
Running footsteps and a cheery "One second", made them stop, the air getting heavy and malicious, Chakra pressing down on their hearts and souls as Sakura came back into view, hand on her hips and hissed.
"Right now we're hungry. But creating a betting pool on whether or not we had slept together – you can bet you asses we will get revenge! And that money you collected – it's ours now!"
A cherry smile and faint echo of Ibiki's voice had her quickly disappearing from view. ANBU quick to fill the silence.
"No that's not sex, that love!"
"Is that worse or better?"
"Looks like it just started."
"He was so freaking gentle!"
"No way -that has to have been going on for months."
"Twenty they get married in six months."
"Fifty says four."
"She'll be pregnant first."
"10 says it's a boy!"
"Twins!"
"We need a new betting pool!"
x-xx-x-
Dia Duit,
So I had a long car drive today and came up with what I hope is a nice, light, funny, happy Ibiki and Sakura fic. And even though I had it all in my head it was harder to write than the angst – make you cry ones!
Thanks for all the reviews for Strong. I really hope you like this too and as always let me know what you think!
Lots of love,
The Rose and the Dagger x x