A/N: Welcome to the smut chapter. For those sensitive to things of the sexual nature, proceed with caution.

Winner Takes All

Chapter Ten : Silver Lining

I've found that silver lining,

Here beside me all this time.

I never knew, I never imagined...

That you would be the one.

If there was only one moment Kakashi could take with him for the rest of eternity, it would be this one in the serene quiet of Sakura's bed. The wind blew so gently against the house that the aged frames hardly made a sound. It was whisper quiet, and only the shuffle of blankets filled the tranquil air as Sakura shifted around in her sleep. Every time one of her smooth legs brushed against his shins, Kakashi tightened his grip around her waist in surprise from the sheer novelty of the sensation.

Her firm back pressed against Kakashi's front in the most delicious way, and he could feel every dip and curve of her body. Sakura's slender frame fit perfectly in his arms. Which was something he marveled at through his haze of exhaustion. Her every heartbeat was a light flutter compared to his own. Watching her chest rise and fall with each breath somehow made it easier for him to breathe too. It was simply heaven being able to finally hold Sakura in his arms, and bask in the in the feeling of comfort and raw familiarity.

If someone had told Kakashi long ago that he would one day lay in Sakura's bed… and feel nothing but absolute bliss as he held her in a way that was beyond appropriate protocol for sensei and student, he would have thought that person criminally insane.

Now, however, Kakashi focused on that halo of pink before his vision. So close. Her scent overwhelmed his senses. He was lost in the wonderful smell. Sharp and sweet, with the underlying hint of sweat, and the fragrance of her shampoo. So strong that he could almost taste it on his tongue and in the back of throat. The rain water had long evaporated from their skin, but some dampness had remained and soaked from their clothes into the sheets, and a bits of caked mud crumbled away with every movement.

But having a bit of nature with them in the bed was not so different from actually sleeping outside on the forest ground. Except this time they had the luxury of a mattress, and the close proximity of each other to keep warm. With Sakura's quilted blanket wrapped tight around them, a delicious heat had built up between their bodies, erasing all other discomfort that came from their messy states. In this moment, the two ninjas only knew comfort and warmth.

Sakura stirred in her sleep again, rubbing an impossibly smooth leg against Kakashi's shins. The leg went up slowly creating a wonderful friction, paused, then slowly went back down. This time a small leap jolted through Kakashi's stomach and a pleasant buzz went through his head, but the faint ebb of arousal was short lived and faded away a moment after Sakura stopped. The more prominent feelings of exhaustion and soreness from muscle overuse returned.

"You're doing that on purpose," he said.

Sakura went completely still. Kakashi could just imagine the stunned and guilty expression on her face. The type a person gave whenever caught red-handed in doing what they once thought was a secret and devious act.

She rolled around, messy pink hair tumbling around her face, and placed a small distance between them… much to Kakashi's chagrin. But the moment her eyes flicked up to his, all thoughts of discontent blew away. Her eyes were green and lovely to Kakashi, with an underlying hint of intelligence. Exactly the type of eyes he could find himself waking up to every morning. Just the very idea filled him with a satisfaction he could not explain.

Sakura regarded him with a sleepy gaze. Kakashi knew he was already in love.

"Can you really blame me?" she asked. "For me this is all very unreal."

"So, rubbing yourself all over me makes it more real?" he teased.

A hot blush crept over the features of her face, and she rolled over to hide her embarrassment with a huff. Perhaps, she was in no mood for teasing. Which was strange, considering the fact that she had invited him into her home, into her bed, and had been the one to brush her smooth, smooth legs against his. The first two Kakashi could attribute to exhaustion – since they both felt ready to collapse after the events of the day, and the moment they fell into bed they became dead to the world. The last one, however, he could attribute nothing more than an act of pure indulgence.

"You're an idiot…" Sakura mumbled, voice drifting through the dark.

Kakashi's only response was to pull her close again, arms wrapping tight about her waist. When she stiffened in resistance he brought a hand to her hair, pulling her head back with a light tug so that he could place a tender kiss to her throat. Hot lips to sensitive skin.

Sakura shivered, then relaxed once more.

A sleepy silence filled the air. Then there was a long moment before her voice drifted past his ears. "Kakashi, how long have you wanted me?"

Kakashi let out a thoughtful hum, and a deft hand found its way to Sakura's exposed shoulder, and gently traced the layer of dirt on her skin there. With the smell of nature and sweat she held the scent of missions and forest floors. A light scent he found intoxicating.

"Impossible to say. Maybe a year." At least, that's how long he had known.

"A year…" Sakura did the logistics in her head. "I was just beginning to date Sasuke then."

"In all fairness. I think I've liked you longer than Sasuke."

"Yes, but you didn't say anything," Sakura shot back tetchily.

Well, he had his reasons. Sakura was enamored with Sasuke at that point, and Kakashi had been in strict denial over his feelings. His conviction would not have been nearly strong enough to pry Sakura away from the Uchiha, or provoke an ugly situation that would no doubt have blown up in his face. But that did not mean that Kakashi still didn't have his regrets. Perhaps, if he had just said something more. Acted something more. Maybe, if Sakura had paused for a moment to send a glance in his direction, then perhaps…

"I don't think you would have listened," Kakashi finally concluded. It was the painful truth.

Sakura was silent for a long time after that, as Kakashi continued to lightly stroke and trace patterns along her skin. Content with being able to finally to feel and touch the woman who had been out of his reach for so long. His every breath stirred past the shell of her ear. There was the memory of sand and warm beaches. The first time she began to recognize his chakra, and memorize the features of his face.

"No, I would have listened," Sakura said. Her voice was barely a whisper. "I still think you should have tried."

She confessed everything to Kakashi when she was younger, and Kakashi revealed things to her about himself to her that no other villager or person would ever have the privilege to know. They poured out their souls.

Kakashi always protected her form the dark things of the world, while encouraging her to become stronger. Sakura saved his life and spent time mending him more times than she could count.

They had become teammates. Partners. Close confidents.

If Kakashi had said something, especially something that had to do with relationships and emotions, she would have hung on to his every word. She would have cared. Oh, how she would have cared. Even if there was nothing but shock and confusion when she realized the feelings had to do with her; but the shock would have worn off, and the confusion would have smoothed away with the first kiss.

There lay the real painful truth. They had danced around what either of them really wanted. All that wasted time.

"I'm sorry," Kakashi murmured. He brushed his lips to her neck again, enjoying the feel of her pulse. "I should have said something sooner. Before you ever said yes to the Uchiha. Before you could even think about him."

"I'm the one who's sorry," Sakura said. This answer was always so obvious. No words should have been necessary.

Kakashi remained unimpressed. "There's no way you could have known how I felt."

"No… but…" She took a moment to stretch out, feeling the warmth of Kakashi's body in the bed, and the comfortable weight of his arm across her waist. Kakashi was not wearing his long-sleeve shirt. He lost that in the river. So, Sakura could see the faint scratches and bruises along his arms. Her mind caught on this small detail before jumping back to the conversation at hand. There had actually been a million ways of knowing. Sakura just couldn't articulate them all.

"Wait a minute…" Sakura said, after collecting her thoughts. "I've had a crush on Sasuke since the academy days. Are you saying you've had an eye out for me since I was twelve?"

Well, honestly no. That was ridiculous, but Kakashi couldn't resist teasing.

"I must be a pervert," Kakashi said.

Sakura's nose wrinkled in disgust, but then she took the time to roll back over and poke him in the chest. "Yes, but you're not that kind of pervert."

"Are there different types of perverts?" he mused.

"Yes. You're the type who likes getting into his student's pants," Sakura said, simply. The hand used to poke him was now trailing down his chest, and her eyes became fixed on the muscles that could be seen through the tight undershirt.

A low rumble emitted from Kakashi's throat. "Give me a few months and I'll find my way into Naruto and Sasuke's beds, too."

"Better not," Sakura muttered darkly. "You're mine now."

Kakashi felt a distinct pleasure at hearing that. Her mouth was turned into a frown he felt obligated to kiss away. Lips connected, dizzying desire. A heated exchange. Within moments his hands began to wander up and down her body as she melted beneath his touch.

"Good," he said, whispering softly against her ear.

And that's all either of them needed to know.

Kakashi woke up to the sounds of Sakura showering. The low dip in the bed next to him felt cold and empty. Bright daylight poured through the window, telling Kakashi it was sometime around the afternoon, and revealing the plain walls and wooden floors of Sakura's modest house. Everything had a comfortable, aged feel, Kakashi thought. Even down to the quilted blanket that covered the bed. He ran his hands over the patterned squares, the colors were so washed out that he wondered if Sakura had kept the blanket since childhood. Nothing went to waste, he noted, and every detail from the outfits and stacked scrolls in the closet, to the simple dresser and mirror in the corner somehow struck him as quintessentially Sakura.

As Kakashi propped himself up on his elbows, he noticed the dirt crumbling away from his pants. He wondered if he should sneak away to his apartment for a change of clothes and shower, or if he should let Sakura know he was leaving. The idea of giving her a goodbye kiss sounded very appealing. The water to the bathroom shut off, and Kakashi didn't have to wait long before the answer to his question appeared.

Sakura walked into the room, clad only in a towel.

For a moment Kakashi's mind went blank. Her hair was damp, and a few shades darker than the pink roseate he knew it to be. Drops of water dotted the skin of her shoulders, arms, and collarbones; and on the legs Kakashi had felt so intimately last night. The thin towel kept her covered, but left little to the imagination and Kakashi's eyes roamed freely back and forth as he took in the rare sight.

"The shower is free," Sakura said, thrusting a thumb over her shoulder.

Oh, no, no, no. Tempting. But no… that wouldn't be a good idea at all. Kakashi knew that if he stayed any longer things would no doubt find a way of escalating beyond his control. His mouth felt incredibly dry. To be honest, he was surprised he had the restraint not to rip her clothes off last night, considering how intimately they embraced. Perhaps exhaustion had something to do with that self-control.

However, now they were rested. But even if there were a thousand nameless things Kakashi wanted to do to her—like push her against the wall, whisper delicious things in her ear, or blindfold her with the forehead protector hanging in the closet—even he thought things were moving rather fast for having just confessed, and poured out all his feelings the night before.

There was no time for the situation to process. He took a deep breath.

"I'll go to my place," Kakashi said. "It'll be better if I leave."

"If you drop your pants and shirt outside the bathroom door, I'll take care of it," Sakura insisted. "There's no need for you to go."

Kakashi rubbed the stubble across his chin. "I need a shave…"

"There's an extra razor out there for you."

"I also need a towel."

"Kakashi… I have plenty of towels."

"You've probably used up all of the hot water."

"Now you're making up excuses."

"Sakura…"

"Please," she finally pleaded. "Stay."

And that's all she needed to say.

It was not often that Sakura asked him for something. As far as Kakashi could remember, she had always been the most self-reliant one. Well, there was that one time in Ame when she was out of cash and asked Kakashi to buy her dango. She was craving it, she said. Then another time a year ago when she wanted Kakashi to teach her the secrets of an earth-styled jutsu. If he recalled correctly, that incident had something to do with making tunnels and hiding from Tsunade on bad days.

She used similar tactics then, a simple direct question, appealing to Kakashi in the way the request showed no vulnerability, and she rarely asked for things. Even knowing this, Kakashi felt his will-power slowly slip away.

"Fine," he said, quietly. What could one shower hurt?

Sakura gave him a small smile. The corner of her lips turned up in the most beguiling way. Kakashi couldn't help but echo back her sentiments, even if his version was a much more reluctant shadowy quirk of his mouth.

In the bathroom, Kakashi ran a hand over the rough stubble of his cheek. The room was immaculately clean. As if it had been scrubbed for days on end. At seeing the shine white ceramic of the sink, he gingerly stepped in and wondered if Sakura had some hidden compulsive disorder he didn't know about, but the extra cleanliness seemed so uncharacteristic from the rest of the house he found that idea difficult to believe. Just another small mystery about Sakura he had discovered. Another intriguing aspect to string him along and drive him wild with curiosity in the many days to come.

Kakashi stripped off his pants and shirt, leaving them outside the door. The razor and extra towel were there as promised, but the handle to the razor was hot pink… undoubtedly one of Sakura's preferred brands. Steam and the fragrance of shampoo still lingered in the air, fogging up the mirror. Kakashi took his time cleaning up, while trying not to think too hard about the fact that Sakura's naked body stood in the exact same spot he stood just moments before, but it was losing battle, and difficult to keep his imagination from trailing down a dirty but familiar road.

There were strands of pink hair stuck on the shower tiles. A peculiar trait that struck Kakashi as so human it almost hurt. It boggled his mind to think that the basic scents that made up her unique signature could all be found here within the space of this small area. It was almost overwhelming, as Sakura's intoxicating scent seemed to permeate from the very walls. It did blissful and dizzying things to his mind.

Oh, yes. Very blissful things. Kakashi wondered if he stumbled into a strange, new sort of heaven. One that involved an endless array of soaps, shampoos, and conditioners. It was a far cry from the lonely bar of soap at his apartment.

A long time later after letting the water run cold, wrapping a towel about his waist, and shaving his face clean, Kakashi took a peek outside the doorway. Curious of what method Sakura may have pulled to clean off his mud-caked clothing in such record time. All he found instead was the bare floor of the hallway. It would appear that Sakura was either not finished, or had gone off and taken his clothes hostage.

Well, the little minx.

"Sakura," he called. There was no response. He glanced around the bedroom and living room, feeling the cool air on his chest.

To his credit, he did not jump when he found Sakura there waiting for him, perched on the armrest of the couch, looking very much like a cat waiting for her prey. Her eyes lingered for a long time on his form. Kakashi coolly regarded her back.

"You have cuts and bruises all over your body," she observed.

Kakashi didn't even bother to look down. "I got them yesterday during a small scuffle."

Sakura made a small sound of disbelief. "Is this the same scuffle that made lose your forehead protector, vest, long-sleeve shirt, and resulted you being covered head-to-toe in mud?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

A pause.

"I thought you were just mobbed by more rodents on the training ground."

"Not quite," Kakashi said. Then another pause. "I mean—yes. Yes that's exactly what happened."

Instead of explaining further, Kakashi waved it all away with a lazy hand. "You have a bruise on your cheek," he pointed out. His eyes lingered on the mark, ever vigilant and perceptive.

Remaining expressionless, Sakura healed the bruise away. She missed it in the shower. Neither were willing to bridge the gap, or drag out the question of what the other was doing the night before, all explanations could wait for a later time. After all, time was the most precious commodity they had.

She patted the seat next to her on the couch. "Let me heal you."

Kakashi leveled her with a stare. "Where are my pants?"

"I hid them," Sakura replied, with equal calm. "You can have them back after I heal you."

There were many, many reasons why this would have been a bad idea. As if Kakashi didn't feel exposed enough without his mask on. That combined with the fact Sakura was looking very pretty with her damp pink hair, and had that soapy fragrance that Kakashi would always blame for clouding his judgment. A towel wrapped about his waist was not going to stop him from jumping Sakura's bones. But it was a useless battle. Sakura was watching him with lowered green gaze, and he knew the quickest way out of this situation was to comply with her wishes.

Well, he supposed he could overturn the house to search for his clothes, going through every nook and cranny to outsmart his clever student, but who really wanted to do that now? His conscious was surprisingly quiet at the moment, and that soft feeling that usually tortured him at any other time became his guide and urged him on. He felt as if he was being pulled forward by an invisible string wrapped around his ribs. He approached the couch warily, walking over.

Sakura flicked him a small smile. Kakashi thought he might have seen something else there, but it passed too quickly to catch. This girl was determined, and alarm bells rang out in his head. Kakashi blithely ignored the warning signs.

"Let me see your arm."

Kakashi held out his right arm; the one with the most scratches and bruises. His sore muscles protested the action, but silenced the moment Sakura's soothing chakra worked through his body, wiping away even the smallest pain. Ever in control, even Kakashi could not help the small sigh that tore away from his lips at the wonderful sensation.

Sakura went through his hurts, one by one. Her brows furrowed as she took on the task with complete concentration. She let her hands hover, inches above the skin, to take care of the other dark bruises along his body as well. Then she stopped, and without further explanation, pulled Kakashi down to the couch and straddled his lap.

A few things became apparent to Kakashi in that moment.

One, Sakura had no intention of letting him escape over the next few hours. And two, Sakura was not wearing any bindings beneath her red shirt. Nor much of anything else for that matter. Taking a peek below, Kakashi caught a glimpse of Sakura's creamy thighs from underneath the skirt she wore over her black shorts. Except, she was not wearing her shorts, and her panties were gone at that moment too. He wasn't sure how he had missed those obvious details before.

He sat in mild shock at Sakura's boldness as she ran her slender hands over his chest. Each of his stomach muscles rippled and twitched beneath her touch. Fine coarse hairs dusted against her fingers as she gently explored his warm skin. Like an artist molding her clay.

Kakashi could already feel himself responding, and knew she could feel him too.

"Sakura…" he warned.

"Shh. I'm not done yet," Sakura said. She summoned chakra to her hands as she ran over the cuts and bruises of his torso. Kakashi was aware of how her thighs slid and brushed over his lap. Without shorts or underwear, there was nothing to catch or create friction. There was only Sakura's weight as she straddled his middle and moved to reach behind his neck.

His conscious, which left before, returned to make one final stand. "You realize that if we continue… there will be no going back. What happens, happens. Are you sure that's what you want?"

"I want this." Sakura reassured him, but said it so quietly that the words hardly registered as she murmured them against his ear.

Kakashi took a grip around her waist, resting his hands lightly on her hips. "There's no need to rush…" he began. He struggled to piece his thoughts together, but found he was only half-dedicated to coming up with an argument. As if on their own accord, his thumbs unconsciously began to rub small circles over her thighs.

"Believe me," Sakura said with conviction. "This is something that should have happened a long time ago, and if I could change everything, I would go back in time so we could share this sooner."

Kakashi slowly meditated on Sakura's words.

Her hands continued to roam, each brush sending a cascade of tingles along every inch she touched, along stomach and chest, but her hands were light and brief making each rush fade the moment she moved on to the next subject of her examination.

Kakashi could see the movement of her hands on his chest. Feel the slight rake of her nails as she sometimes traced down an interesting scar or an outline of muscle, or the warm pleasure that would shoot through his entire body as Sakura lazily brushed one stray thumb over an overly hard nipple.

The last action made Kakashi emit a low groan as the fading pleasure continued to spark and dance in his vision. His lower back tensed, and it became difficult to relax as something primal awoke through his veins. He was aware of how his thumbs stopped moving, and grip tightened around Sakura's thighs, as each stroke and marvelous touch of her hands sent him a little further along the edge.

Sakura, on the other hand, had a far off look on her face. One that was deep and thoughtful. He had caught her in a moment of quiet contemplation. She was a comfortable weight on his middle, still and unmoving as she observed his reactions.

A part of Kakashi knew that it would feel so much better if she were to shift her position forward, and settle her soft weight just a little bit closer.

Her fingers ran through his silvery hair now… phantom touches. Kakashi leaned in and accepted her kisses with a lazy slide and brush of his lips, then instantly pressed in harder, wanting something more corporeal. Something full and bodily that left no doubt in his mind that what he was feeling was real.

Then very slowly, he became aware of the tug about his waist as Sakura's hands drifted down to undo the towel. There was a pause as she pulled the edges away slowly as if unwrapping a gift. Her eyes were far off and hazy. An artist, caught up in her work.

Kakashi's mouth went dry, as Sakura regarded his erect member. Green eyes glazed over, then with a hesitant motion stroked a hand down to touch. She had gentle and intelligent hands. The type of hands that were skilled enough to perform technically advanced procedures, yet roughened from years of physical labor and training.

Unguarded, Kakashi's mouth fell open. He dug his fingers into the cushions of the couch, closing his eyes and arching his hips forward as Sakura continued the ministrations in slow, pleasurable strokes, rubbing her hand up and down. There was no more hesitation. No time to catch his breath. Each successive movement became more certain and bold, sending a warm cascade through his lower frame that flushed up his body and faded away to heat.

The brief pause in the motions was the only warning before the next sensation, completely overwhelming in its intensity.

Sakura scooted off his lap then slowly lowered her head to put her mouth on him. Taking more than he could give. Destroying him with hot little swirls of her tongue. Licking, swiping along the underside of his cock, and then sucking and working her way back up again. This time a low groan ripped away from his throat as he tensed up and bucked his hips forward. How could she be so good? Kakashi could barely breathe, barely move, barely understand the sensations burning through him. He only knew that he had a raging hard-on, and Sakura's mouth was so soft, and wet. One warm swipe of her tongue following another, like a heated strokes of fire moved up and down in the most intense pleasure.

It was impossible to think when everything felt so good. Impossible to stop. The fact that he was once her sensei, or that Sakura had trusted him in everything her entire life… or thoughts that he was taking advantage of her… or the fact that he was older, scarred and battle worn, whereas she was so young, fresh, and new…all fell away. His brain had short-circuited under this worst kind of torture. Sakura went soft and slow, then quick whenever she pleased. She leisured in her actions. It was as if she was the one taking away pleasure from the experience. He could not think. The synapses of his brain attempted to make the leap, but he could not think.

Kakashi only wanted to grab her pink hair and force her to take him in as deep as possible, just to feel that delicious rush that shot through his body whenever Sakura lowered her lips. But he didn't. Instead he continued to grip his hands into the cushions, knuckles white, eyes closed and head tilted back, as each sensation tore him away. Each brush, each slide of Sakura's wet pliant muscle, sent him soaring a little higher. His harsh breathing turned to ragged little pants.

Sakura let out a quiet moan, which Kakashi felt vibrate all the way up his cock. It was too much. Kakashi reached out and for the back of Sakura's head in surprise. Her wonderful little mouth was complete softness, warmth and heat. Every muscle of his body tightened.

Kakashi thought he would lose his mind in pleasure.

Then it happened so sudden. So suddenly. The bright light filled his vision, slamming into his body hard, and his knuckles went white around Sakura's hair as he rode out the intense wave of pleasure. Fire whipped clean through him, sizzling down to his fingers and toes, consuming his body whole. There was a loud roar that filled his ears, and in the back of his mind he was aware of Sakura's choked back noise of surprise as he came.

Kakashi knew he should have warned her… should have stopped or pulled back, but it was impossible to stop the spasmic jerking of his hips as he went careening through a high. Then his body tensed up for one more tremulous shiver, and he dropped his grip about Sakura's head. Sakura pulled back instantly, gasping in a breath. Sounds of coughing and sputters filled the air.

Sakura swallowed a few times, then wiped a hand across her mouth. The moment she was able to reorient herself, she fixed Kakashi with a fierce glare. Her gaze was steady.

Kakashi fell back to the couch with a low groan. It felt as if all of his power had been sapped away, and now his limbs could no longer hold up his weight. Faint eddies of pleasure swirled and sparked out through his body. He felt drained as he basked in the glow of orgasm. An orgasm more moving and intense than he had ever known in his life.

"That…" Sakura trailed off, not knowing what to say. She was torn between the two feelings of genuine surprise, and unabashed anger that Kakashi would grab the back of her head to force her down, then come into her mouth without any warning. Yet, there was another part of her that was feeling far, far too proud at being able to pleasure Kakashi so completely. The giddy feeling made a confusing mix with the irritation burning through her body.

Kakashi was stretched out on the cushions now like a cat. His silver hair fell forward over the clean lines of his face. As Sakura watched him a strange thought crossed her mind. She slowly approached the jounin, expression clearing away from the stormy look of anger, then blithely straddled his middle as she reclaimed her spot from before. His oversensitive stomach muscles twitched beneath her hands. The scent of his musk drifted up to her nose. She could still taste a hint of saltiness on her tongue.

"Kakashi."

"Mm?"

"You've…" she began. "You've never…"

He kept his eyes closed, voice slow and groggy. "Never what?"

"You've never had contact like this before," Sakura said bluntly. Perhaps it was a question. Perhaps it was a rebuke for not treating her with slightly more consideration. "You've never talked about past lovers before."

Then he stirred. There was a long pause as Kakashi regarded her through a half-lidded gaze. Those mismatched black and red eyes held her attention so completely. She had the distinct feeling that he was testing her somehow, holding back the answer, and forcing her to explain the subject in order to see how well she understood the matter at hand. It was a tactic he often used before when he was the sensei of Team Seven. For the most part Sakura had been correct in her guesses, though there were also a few times she had been very wrong. Despite the doubt she felt nagging at the back of her mind, she continued.

"You're either very secretive about them, or have none to talk about," Sakura concluded. She braced her hands on his chest and lowered her head, until his silver hair brush against her face.

The older man released a slow sigh. "Mm."

"I wish you would have told me sooner," she said. "I could have made things more interesting."

Kakashi stroked his hands down Sakura's thighs, then slowly caressed down her back. His voice was like gravel. "It's not the easiest thing to admit," he said finally. "I don't usually take women to bed like this."

There was a moment of shock, then Sakura could nearly feel her heart burst. "So then, are you saying you're a—"

Kakashi broke off her words before she could even finish, pulling her in for another kiss. Long and heated, and that almost made Sakura forget what she was about to say.

"Shall we start over then?" Kakashi asked. "I hope you're not mistaking inexperience with complete ignorance. I happen to be very adept at this subject, you know. A treasure-trove of knowledge."

"Whatever you say, sensei."

"It's true. I've just been a very selective lover. It's not that I hate sex or anything."

In fact, it was quite the opposite.

"Do you really think your years of reading Icha Icha can out-trump my experience?" Sakura asked. True, perhaps having the impassive Sasuke as a partner for a majority of her love-life didn't pass off much of a varied experience, but Sakura still felt confident enough in this arena. She slowly backed down and pressed against Kakashi, rolling her hips forward in a delicious grind. She was hot and wet, and still worked up from Kakashi's endless, teasing kisses. That, and the sight of the jounin giving himself away to abandon was enough to get any girl riled up. She wanted to find a way to force the same reaction out of him all over again.

"Sakura, I could have you coming in less than five minutes, easily, or tease you… and push you until you'll be begging for release. You'll come so hard that even the neighbors down the street will hear you screaming my name."

She weighed the validity of his offer.

"You seem to doubt me," Kakashi said. The rough pads of his fingers were tracing up her sides in the most distracting way. He dragged the zipper of her red vest down so it fell away in half. The pert breasts hidden from the material now lay open before his gaze.

"No one's first time is perfect," she said in a shaky voice. She couldn't help the way her voice trembled.

"I'm not claiming to be perfect. Just capable of giving you really, intense, pleasure." He began placing kisses along Sakura's neck and collarbone.

Sakura tilted her head to give him better access, indulging in every heated brush of his lips.

"Prove it."She said, closing her eyes.

"I will."

Quite suddenly, Sakura felt his teeth graze along her neck. A warm hand curved around her breast, then a rough thumb gently flicked across a rosy nipple – lightly first, then again with more pressure, brushing the thumb across. Her breasts tightened sweetly in response and sudden rush of tingles flooded through her system. Sakura let out a soft sigh as Kakashi's mouth latched on to the other breast with undivided attention.

His warm tongue and teeth simultaneously soothed and scraped across the hardened peak. The heat and pressure was enough to send a bolt of pleasure through her body, one that was even more intense than the one before. Subtle heat simmered to the surface of her skin. It was as if her nerve endings were on fire. Everything felt so good, and Sakura slowly became more delirious, and hungry with the mad desire for more. A familiar need lanced through her stomach as Kakashi continued to lathe his tongue around, then lightly dragged his teeth along another gentle rake. His hands anchored down her hips.

Sakura moaned then instinctively ground down, but it was not enough to satisfy the growing need she felt, if anything it only made matters worse. Kakashi pulled his mouth away, then methodically turned his attention to other parts of her body, with astounding and meticulous thoroughness. Brushing kisses along her ribcage as Sakura continued to resist against his hands, attempting to shift forward to ground, but he held her steady. He took his time, exploring every inch of her skin, skimming over ribs, sending a hot tongue into the dip of her bellybutton, then running over the two scars above.

Sakura's fingers gripped into Kakashi's silvery hair, having nothing else to grasp. She was floating away; a ship without anchor. It was dizzying, and slow, and deliciously maddening. The jounin gently pried her fingers from their grasp so that he could lift his head and place his mouth firmly over hers. Hot kisses brushed over Sakura's lips, so full and complete that they made her dizzy with pleasure with each wonderful slide. He approached her with efficiency, soft yet controlling. Soon, his tongue was in her mouth, and Sakura found her fingers gripping into his hair all over again, and found that soft moans left her lips in between each soft sigh.

His hands slowly trailed up and down her breasts, sides, and hips, as if memorizing her every dip and curve. Kakashi dropped his head to the side to suck gently at the sensitive spot beneath Sakura's ear. Sakura felt each pulse beat harder, louder, stronger in response—she thought perhaps she would forget how to breathe.

Then his hand slid beneath her skirt, and brushed between her legs. Skin against skin.

A shudder shook through Sakura in an uncontrollable tremor. She let out a groan and bucked against this sudden touch. A sharp jolt ricocheted through her body. Desire, hot and slow, ripped her into small little pieces, as pleasure cut through her again and again. Kakashi didn't have to move, simply hold his hand steady as the sudden shock from the contact sent Sakura's senses into overdrive. Sakura could only close her eyes, absorbing the way her wet and soft inner folds felt pressed against his roughened hand. Then heaven help her, Kakashi began to move—stroking his hand upwards, then methodically pressing and massaging her clit in tight circles.

Her mouth dropped in small oh's of astonishment.

Kakashi enjoyed the sight, and slowed the movement of his hands to prolong the pleasure, then sliding his fingers along her outer lips. He was getting hard all over again from watching Sakura move and shudder, and toss her head back… as if each pleasure she felt was his own.

Kakashi did not stop until her moistness completely soaked his fingers. The stickiness felt warm against his hand and he was tempted to slide his fingers into her opening, just to feel her hot inner muscles clench about him in a warm embrace—and he did. Pushing into that instant heat, he felt as she readily clenched around him in response. Sweat dotted Sakura's brows. Her arms quivered and legs trembled. The look of concentration from before was back, mixed with a sort of relentless hunger. Then her mouth fell open as he slowly felt her, stroking in and out with ease.

Sakura leaned forward, attempting to curl around his hand. She gasped hard, remembering how to breathe again. Then a quiet moan rose from her throat, stilted and broken. Then another sound. Another soft moan.

For a while, Kakashi became lost in her expressions. He marveled how one small movement of his hand could send her into a violent response. She grabbed his shoulders, desperate for a balance. Her grip became iron tight once more as he slowly destroyed her with slow little strokes. Her inner muscles fluttered and contracted around his fingers. She closed her eyes, tilting her head back, pushing more insistently to meet his touch. Sensing her need, he obliged, and plunged his fingers deeper, giving her fuller contact.

It was hot, dizzying madness. Then all at once, her back snapped upright and she gave a tremulous shudder, going still.

There was a pause. When she came to, those vibrant green eyes, were lowered and hooded. There was something dusky and wild in them. A hidden mystery in those twin depths, yet pleasure filled too. Kakashi withdrew his fingers and lifted them for Sakura to see. In response, Sakura obediently parted her lips to take them in. She sucked, cleaning his fingers off. A sharp jolt shot through Kakashi's from the point of contact and up his arm. Just the feeling and sight alone was enough to melt away the last of his resolve.

Kakashi slipped his fingers away and quickly flipped Sakura down to the couch in a desperate shuffle, covering her mouth with his. He aligned their hips up easily. She was just as hot and desperate as before, and Kakashi was already maddened, drunk from the slow build up of desire. He claimed earlier that he could tease Sakura endlessly and push off climax for a long, long time, but at the rate things were going Kakashi felt as if he wouldn't last another minute. He needed her. Now. Now.

A small noise was Sakura's only indication of surprise from his sudden change in attitude, but she did nothing to stop him. If anything, she seemed to welcome the contact, just as mad to be in touch with his skin. Kakashi ground against Sakura in delicious fervor, feeling her slick heat brush up wild spark through his body. Sakura, likewise, moaned in response. Her wild musky smell drifted past his nose. Sakura's fingers dug into his shoulders, wandered and scraped across his neck and back. The contact was satisfying, yet still not enough. Then without further prelude, Kakashi rolled his hips and entered her with one deft movement.

Sakura's back arched, revealing the toned muscles along her stomach. Her pale skin was like the glowing crescent of the moon. Kakashi's head dipped forward, also radiating that silver moon glow.

They both paused, momentarily winded by such complete penetration. Sakura was all heat and slickness. Hotter than he could even imagine. Hotter than what he thought he felt earlier. Kakashi could feel the ridges of her insides even as her muscles continued to flutter around to adjust to his size. Then Kakashi pulled back slightly, eliciting a gasp from them both. Once he pushed forward her muscles instantly clamped around him again.

A low groan tumbled out of the jounin's mouth.

Sakura's arms were trembling, heat flushing her skin in the most wonderful way.

"Don't… stop…" she said. It was the most coherent thought and sentence she could string together.

In response, Kakashi slowly pulled out again, relishing in the slick heat and the way Sakura's youthful body seemed to suck him in. Kakashi pushed forward, rolling his hips in a smooth motion. Sakura surged up to meet him. A lone, broken cry left her mouth. "Ah—"

They fell into sync. It was like the most intimate dance, the most delicious spar, close and tight. A desperate thing urged them forward… pushing them on to a nameless end. It was the desire to meet each other again and again in that close embrace. The need was all-consuming. The pleasure—intense, and spiraling ever onward to that elusive goal. It felt good to be in rhythm with another person so ready, strong, flexible, and fit. There was a sprite tension in Sakura's compact body that felt amazing. Just as Kakashi thought the last second was the most pleasurable of his existence, the next second would roll around, and the feelings would spike up all over again. Sakura turned her head to the side to muffle those soft moans.

She shivered and trembled beneath him in the most wonderful ways. Kakashi lowered a kiss to her mouth, then retreated back as another intense wave of pleasure rippled through his body. He could feel his muscles tensing up, and it was a with a great deal of will-power that he forced himself to slow down.

"What are you doing?" Sakura rasped, turning her head back. Dusky eyes fluttered open.

Kakashi took a shuddering breath, biting his lip to control himself. He couldn't respond. Just slowly roll his hips in and out to prolong that intense and delirious pleasure.

"Oh, god…" she pleaded. "Please Kakashi, don't do this. I need more…"

Kakashi let out a heated sigh, letting his mouth graze along her neck. For a moment he buried his face there in her silken pink locks, letting the lush scent of her shampoo and soft skin overwhelm him. He luxuriated in the feeling of her body and her curves, and the way she pressed against him. He could sense her heartbeat reverberate against the cage of her chest.

"Kakashi…" There was just a little too much emotion behind that one, and Kakashi thought perhaps Sakura wasn't in the same mood to marvel at miracle of their intimacy as he was. Perhaps Sakura didn't realize just how times Kakashi imagined being in this scenario, or knew how vividly he conjured up this dream, or understand why he marveled at the surprising accuracy. It always seemed so distant. It all seemed too unreal.

Sakura's hand reached up to paw and stroke at his hair—run along the contour of his face.

Complying, Kakashi strove for a compromise. He settled her languishing body with kisses, worshiping every part to her satisfaction, before picking up the pace and allowing them both to get lost in the sensations once more. She was warm and tight, and he filled her up in the most satisfying way.

The tension rose. Their muscles tensed. Fingers ran along skin, mingling with sweat. Then all at once Sakura gave in, moans slipping out as her back arched in the most beautiful way, finally striving for that elusive end. Every part of her body trembled and spasmed as her inner muscles clenched him tight, pulling him down with rhythmic contractions. For a moment, Kakashi was certain this would be the only way he wanted to die—filled with such complete and absolute pleasure.

He surrendered too, riding out the tremors in one long, final broken rhythm. Hot fire simmered through his veins, sizzling down to his fingers and toes, and washed out with the tides of euphoria that flooded through his system. True to word, Sakura's calls were loud as she twisted up and met his hips again and again. Her voice was the sound of pure bliss. Her words shaped around his name like a pleasurable caress. It took on a tone—a tone he never heard in her voice before.

Both filled with surprise and wonderment, she repeated Kakashi's name again in an endless mantra.

Meanwhile... in a training field far away.

Naruto landed on the hard ground, crouching for a moment to take in his surroundings then stood back up. Muddy puddles splashed up with his every movement. His bright orange figure made a great contrast against the cloudy sky, and the dark grass blades that swayed wildly in the breeze. There was a unusual warmth to the air that stirred his senses and made his blood simmer for battle. His body was tense and raring to go.

"Oi...!"

At this call, Sasuke turned around. He was standing across the field, and did not look amused. His expression was just as stormy as the skies, as he regarded the last person on earth he wanted to see at the moment.

Naruto wiped a hand beneath his nose, then spat at the ground.

"I've heard you've been hitting on my girl," Naruto said, swaggering out and pointing an accusing finger.

Sasuke only made a sound of disgust. "Which one, Sakura or Hinata?"

"Hinata, of course!"

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway. You can have both of them. I don't care anymore."

This ticked Naruto off. Of course, he came here for Hinata, but just hearing his bastard friend speak about their teammate like that too was enough to set him off completely. Insulting people was one thing, as the Uchiha was prone to do this without prejudice, hurling insults at whoever crossed his path. But to speak of his girlfriend and teammate like that? That's where Naruto drew the line. He cracked his knuckles and felt the Kyuubi's chakra break forth with an almighty fury.

The resulting battle destroyed the field, and the three connecting training grounds. All trees were wiped away, and the crashes from the explosive attacks could be heard from miles around. As in their past battles before - Naruto wasn't the one who got sent to the hospital.

A/N: Next time... The Winner. Maybe I should have told you sooner, but this next one will be the last.