Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi stood at the gate of the temple. They knew the bandits were coming. They could see them, a great, ragtag band. They were carrying weapons. Some of

them looked like they had been shinobi in happier days. Some were wearing the scratched headband of rogue ninja. Naruto grinned. This would be fun. The head monk stepped out.

"Leave this place and perhaps you shall spare your soul."

"We didn't come for a sermon." One of the bandits shot back.

With that the bandits lunged towards the temple. The old monk stood.

"Let's go!" Shouted Kakashi. They rushed out into the bandit's onslaught. Kakashi's rasengan knicked four or five of the bandits back while Naruto slammed a rasengan into one of the bandit's

stomach. The monks were evacuating in a rush. Sakura grabbed one of the bandits and slammed him into another one. She winced as an arrow scratched her shoulder. Wait, an arrow? She shouted

as she saw the rush of arrows came down. She looked back. Kakashi was running for cover. The old monk was dead, cut through with arrows. She saw Sasuke look around as he fled with

the other monks. She saw a look in his eyes she hadn't seen in years. Then his sharingan activated. She gasped as susanowo engulfed his body. She hadn't seen this form in years

and it still scared the hell out of her. He screamed in rage. The bandit's fled. Black fire engulfed them. They screamed and the air was filled with the smell of burning flesh. The arrows burned. Sakura

and Naruto ran towards the temple. Some of the bandits tried attacking Sasuke. They were engulfed in black fire. A few seconds passed and it was over. Ash was all that was left of the bandits.

Sakura approached the old monk and knelt. He was still breathing, just barely though. She touched him and let her healing chakra cover him. Sasuke was gasping for breath. Naruto

slapped him on the back. "That was awesome!"

Sasuke shook his head. "I thought...I thought that part of me was dead..."

"Once a shinobi, always a shinobi." Kakashi said as he approached him.

"The anger I just felt...Is he still alive?"

"He'll be fine." Said Sakura. She walked up to him and hugged him. He didn't hug back, but didn't push her away. 'Typical.' Thought Sakura. Then he pushed her away and walked off wordlessly.

She went to follow, but Kakashi stopped her.

"He needs space, Sakura so give him that."

Sasuke walked into the temple, then through the doors that led to the meditation room. The monks had all fled, they'd return in the morning. He sat down. He felt excited. He hadn't

felt this alive in years. He tried to calm his mind, cool the passion inside of him. He couldn't. He'd felt hatred, despair, rage...and he'd liked it. He thought he was past this. And that damned

Sakura...she just couldn't pass up any oppurtunity to touch him. He remembered that mission to the Land of Snow where he was wounded so she'd placed his head in her lap.

Sweet Buddha he had loved eating her pussy. It was something he tried not to think about. He was a monk and monks were supposed to be celibate. But back when he was a kid

they had snuck off together and "played." They'd never gone too far, but it'd gotten pretty kinky. Other than a drunken night with a certain naughty redhead that once worked

for Orochimaru she had been his only partner. And maybe he'd even loved her.

She walked into the meditation room. He opened his eyes. The moon peaking through the windows illuminated the tatami mats.

"Sakura please-"

"No." She said simply. "I want to meditate. I like doing that after a battle."

"Alright."

She knelt down next to him and softly began to chant. So, she belonged to a Tantric sect...it was the White Tara mantra. Sasuke returned to his silent meditation. Half an hour passed. He opened

his eyes. By then it was eleven o'clock.

"Sakura?"

"Yes?" She opened her eyes.

"I'm going to bed. Why don't you and the others go back to the inn you're staying at?"

"You don't like being around me do you?"

He almost told her how annoying she was. Why was he acting like a thirteen-year old?

"That's not it, Sakura. I'm just tired. You can stay all night if you want."

She stood up. "No, I'm leaving."

'Go after her, idiot. Go after her, hold her, tell her how much you love her, oh God, tell her how you regret every unkind thing you've ever said to her.' He thought. He didn't. She walked away. He

stood up.

"Sakura, wait. Please."

She turned around. "What?" She snapped. He walked up and kissed her. Her eyes went wide with shock then she returned the kiss and wrapped her arms around him.

"I love you so damned much, Sakura."

"I know, God, I've always known. Why couldn't you just say it?"

"I'm afraid, Sakura. So afraid of losing people I love."

"You don't have to be. We still have a chance. You can leave this temple."

He held her close so that she felt his manhood pressing into her womanhood. All those years of restraint. Damn. He was only human. He couldn't take much more of this

tension. She shivered.

"How long's it been since you've been with a man?" He asked.

"A year."

"Girl like you? Must've been torture." He put his hands down her panties pressing her throbbing vulva, then pulled down her skirt. God, he wanted her so freaking bad. And she wanted him.

"Yes. It was."

He slipped off her robes then gently pushed him to the floor. She straddled him while she she pulled off her shirt. She layed against him. He held her, pushed her down on him. They rolled

over on the floor, she scratched his back, he smacked her ass. He remembered that she liked that. She squealed. He spanked her again then held onto her ass while he thrusted into her.

He looked into her eyes. She was the Tantrist...they began to synch their breathing. He continued thrusting, but slowed down, held back the pleasure of release. She was moaning wildly

now. He traced her breasts with his tongue, gently nibbled on her nipples. She tasted like cherries. Then he could hold back no more. They cried out in sweet ecstasy as the seed of life

spilled into her gateway.

They laid next to each other.

"Sasuke?"

"Yes?"

"Be with me."

He didn't answer her.

"Please? Leave the temple behind, just...be with me. Forever."

He held her hand. She understood and smiled. She always was the one that could understand him.