A/N: Warning: Brief lime about midway through this chapter.

Sakura is fifteen when they can no longer keep it a secret. They call all the shinobi, twenty-five and under, to a main hall and tell them of the secret of the jinchuuriki.

Sakura stands with the other Chuunin and faces the blank wall which slides are being projected on.

"…have recently made a pact with every other country to track down these demon holders," a councilwoman is saying, "According to our spies, Akatsuki has gained control of the Sanbi, Rokubi, Yonbi, and Hachibi. The rest, however, have seemed to have teamed up for hopes of better survival. The pictures I am going to show you now you must memorize. If you see any of these jinchuuriki, you must kill them and bring their corpses back to Konoha so they can be properly disposed of. If Akatsuki gains all of the Jyuubi the consequences could be catastrophic! Here is the first slide."

Sakura leans forward interestedly. The whole concept of a human holding a demon inside them is intriguing. She wonders if she can see some notes on the process of the Sealing, now that it isn't classified anymore.

The first slide flickers into view. It is a bad picture of the profile of a boy even younger than Sakura. He has rust colored hair and dark circles around his eyes. He wears a t-shirt with the kanji for one on it. His expression is strange. Sakura wonders if this is part of being a jinchuuriki. Do they exhibit demonic traits? Are they in fact, possessed by the demon's spirit, but stuck in a human body? Maybe when they bring back one of the bodies Sakura can convince Tsunade-sama to let her look at it.

"Sabaku no Gaara," read the woman, "Red hair, green eyes, fourteen years of age. This picture is very recent, taken by a security camera in the Cloud. He was originally from the Sand, but left two and a half years ago after two other jinchuuriki found him. His powers include controlling huge amounts of sand and awakening the demon tanuki that resides inside him."

The next slide shows the picture of a young woman with long blonde hair and a pretty face. She is looking at the camera with great dislike and Sakura bets that she destroyed it seconds after the image was taken. Her shirt had the kanji for two on it. Sakura thinks this is unpractical.

"Nii Yugito, blonde hair, black eyes, 21 years old. This picture was taken three years ago, so keep that in mind. She has an enormous amount of control over the Two-Tailed cat, which inhabits her and is known for the destruction she wrecked on the Cloud's hidden village when she was a ninja there. She left four years ago with the help of another jinchuuriki."

The woman pauses, "We have no information of the holder of the Five Tailed Bear at the time. He is not among the rest of the jinchuuriki and we know that the Akatsuki have not captured him yet."

Another woman comes with the next slide. She has shoulder length brown hair and purple eyes with slits in them. She also appears to have claws and fangs. She isn't looking at the camera, but instead is focusing at something to its left. The kanji for seven is on her shirt.

"Asari Tsuyu," the woman quotes, "Blue eyes (in human form,) brown hair, age seventeen. This picture was taken fifteen months ago. She is the holder of the Seven Tailed Kestrel, and thus has the ability to fly. She left the Sound four and a half years ago and seemed to be the instigator of 'this jinchuuriki group.'

Sakura twists her neck until it cracks. She removes her forehead protector and begins polishing it with her sleeve. Only one more to go. She wonders what kind of-

Several people in the crowd gasp. She thinks she hears Kiba yell something out, but she can't be sure.

Uzumaki Naruto stands in the picture, taller and broader than she remembers. Unlike his compatriots, he is neither glaring at the camera or looking serious at all. Instead he is leaning down to look at it, sticking out his tongue and holding up his middle finger.

Sakura dropps the headband with a loud clanging noise, causing the entire hall to turn and look at her.

"As I'm sure most of you have realized," the councilwoman says, "The holder of the Nine Tailed Fox originally came from Konoha. This is Uzumaki Naruto. Blond hair, blue eyes, age fifteen. This picture was taken six months ago in the Sand. Little is known about Uzumaki's demon powers. He was initially sent away from Konoha two years ago when he showed signs of exhibiting them, but managed to escape his guard only weeks after. That is all."

The screen projector turns off and Naruto's face disappears. The shinobi leave slowly, muttering about the jinchuuriki between themselves. Sakura stands there, staring at the blank wall for a long time. Then, she kneels down to pick up her forehead protector, only to find that she doesn't want to.

"What am I doing here?" she whispers to herself.

"Sakura?"

She looks up to see Kakashi-sensei looking down at her. Suddenly, anger fills her and she wants nothing more than to break his nose.

"Why," she snarls and rises to her feet, clenching her fists, "didn't you tell me?"

"There was a law," he says softly and she hates it, "We were forbidden to speak-"

"BULLSHIT!" she screams and it echoes around the near empty hall. A few of the stranglers turn in alarm.

"It's the truth," he says in a resigned tone.

"And when," she is horrified to find her voice breaking, "have you ever paid attention to the rules, sensei?"

He freezes at this, but Sakura doesn't care enough to wonder why. She clutches the forehead protector hard in her hands and turns.

"Sakura," Kakashi calls after she walks a few steps, "I-"

"I don't want you to ever speak to me again," Sakura says calmly.

Kakashi does not reply.

She goes to an overgrown training ground and leans against a post, burying her head in her hands. She does not cry, but she stays like that for a long time. She doesn't know how long she sits there and it is twilight before she looks up.

"Sakura-san?" a gentle voice says, breaking her reverie.

She looks up to see Rock Lee standing there, looking worried.

Sakura closes her eyes again, "Please leave me alone."

"It's getting dark," he says, "Let me take you home."

He does and Sakura doesn't know why she lets him.

"Why did you come and look for me?" she asks bluntly, when they get to her door.

He looks confused, "You were upset."

"Oh," she says, as if she understands, "Thanks, I guess."

Lee-san smiles at her and bids her goodnight.

"Odd," Sakura thinks, "Odd."

Chapter Ten-

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto yells, pounding on the door and waking her up, "Open up!"

She sits up and runs to the door, tripping over the step that separates the tatami from the wooden floor.

"What?" she asks breathlessly searching his face for something wrong, "What is it?"

"Sasuke's sick," Naruto says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, "I think he has a fever."

She stares at him and opens her mouth to yell for scaring her into thinking that they were being attacked, but gives up at the last second.

"Just let me get my bag," she says and slides open one of the cabinet doors. She pulls her bag out and follows Naruto down the narrow hallway, adjusting the onsen's patterned yukata as she went.

Sakura steps into Naruto's and Sasuke's room, slides her slippers off and walks over to the futon. Sasuke appears to have wrapped himself in several blankets (though that might have been Naruto's doing.)

She places her hands of his forehead and his eyes snap open and he glares at her.

"Stop that," she says reprovingly, "Let me figure out what's wrong with you."

She checks his eyes, mouth and nose.

"It doesn't look like anything serious," she tells Naruto, "Just a bug, maybe a bit of flu. It should go away soon, but we'll have to stay here another day."

Naruto looks reluctant, "But what about that crowd? Anyone could have seen us. We're vulnerable if we stay here another day."

Sakura blinks. She hadn't even thought of that.

"That's a good point," she concedes, "But I don't think we should move him."

"I can carry him," Naruto offers, "I just…I just have a bad feeling."

Sakura nods and pulls out a fever reducer from her bag, "Have him take this with a glass of water," she says, holding out a bottle of murky green liquid, "Then try and get some sleep."

Naruto doesn't even notice when she leaves the room, still looking restlessly over at Sasuke.

She feels a little bad about how into Sasuke Naruto is. While he may have his own delusions, Sakura cannot help feel that this whole thing is going to end in shambles.

She goes back to her own room, but finds she cannot fall asleep. She mulls over the odd feeling she has. Something strange about Sasuke's sickness. What could it be? She saw no sign of anything it could be besides just a flu. So why…

Everything makes sense all of a sudden. Sakura closes her eyes and sighs. It is the anniversary of the Uchiha Massacre.

Just as she thinks that maybe she can get some sleep, Naruto knocks on the door again.

"He's acting weird," Naruto says when she lets him in, "Refused to take the medicine. I had to shove it down his stupid throat. Asshole."

"And you're telling me this why?" Sakura says in annoyance.

"I dunno, I was wondering if you, like, knew something."

Sakura sighs. Naruto is more perceptive than he looks, "On this day, twelve years ago, Sasuke's parents were killed."

Naruto's face falls, "Oh."

There is an awkward silence.

"D-Do you think I should-"

"Yes," Sakura says in exasperation.

"Right," Naruto mutters and leaves.

"Now can I go to sleep?" she says to the empty room.

"Go away," he tells Naruto when he tries to feed him breakfast.

"Sasuke," Naruto frowns, "Don't be an idiot. If you don't eat, you're not going to get better."

Sasuke turns his back on him. He is sick and tired of Naruto's mollycoddling. He just wants to be left alone.

"Eat," Naruto says, jabbing him with the chopsticks, "Now."

Sasuke closes his eyes and presses his face further into the pillow.

Naruto grabs him by the shoulder and pulls him onto his back.

"You-"

"Now," Naruto says, sitting on his stomach and holding the bowl of rice, "Open up."

Sasuke attempts to punch him, but Naruto grabs his wrist and takes the opening to shove the rice into his mouth.

Sasuke nearly chokes and is tempted to spit it back in his face.

"Was that so hard?" Naruto says exasperatedly.

"Yes," Sasuke says in a weak, but obstinate sort of voice.

He grabs the bowl of rice and pulls the tray next to the futon closer.

"Now will you go away?"

Naruto scowls at him and gets off him as he finishes his rice and starts on the miso soup.

"Asshole…" Naruto murmurs in an overly fond way, playing with Sasuke's bangs.

"Get out of it," Sasuke says tiredly, putting down his empty bowl and turning away again.

He closes his eyes, trying to sleep and trying to ignore the hurt look on Naruto's face.

"…ke…Sasuke!"

Sasuke groans and opens an eye, "What?" he says, his voice coming out scratchy.

"We have to go now," Naruto says, molding him into a seated position. He pulls a shoulder of his yukata down and Sasuke pushes his hands aside. He still has pride.

"I can dress myself," he mutters, but Naruto ends up having to do it anyway.

The feel of his warm hands on his body makes him shiver. He grabs Naruto's shoulders compulsively.

"C'mon," Naruto says, turning around, "Get on my back."

Sasuke complies and lays his head on Naruto's left shoulder.

He doesn't exactly remember how they leave the onsen; in fact, he spends most of his time in-between sleep and wakefulness. He hears Naruto's voice vibrating against his chest and every once in a while, Sakura's.

Nightmares come too, while he battles through another high fever. Bloody visages of his older brother over his dead parents torment his dreams, as they have for years, but other dreams come too. On the same day, years ago, Orochimaru's gleeful voice and creeping hands on his bare skin-

-dear, dear, Sasuke-kun, what do we have here?-

It is night again and he awakes in a cold sweat, delirious and shaking. Sakura peers down at him.

"You alright?"

Sasuke does not answer her, but rolls over, only to find himself face to face with Naruto, who's hand is curled around his waist. Sasuke scrunches his face up in disgust and wishes it all away.

-pooor child. Such a fever! I'll help, but don't move. Just let me-

When Sasuke wakes, sunlight is streaming through the clouds. They are situated under a rocky overhang on the side of a mountain. He removes Naruto's hands from his person and sits up, pushing the multiple blankets off. Sakura is sleeping against a rock near the dying fire and Sasuke walks stiffly out from under the overhang.

He climbs with difficulty down the mountain. The temperature is quite warm for winter and Sasuke follows the smell of water. He finds a small spring a while walks around the side of the mountain. Sasuke sits and rinses his hair, then leans back, enjoying the sun on his face.

Suddenly, he realizes how dirty and sweaty he is. Sasuke wrinkles his nose and pulls off his shirt and pants. The water is cold, but Sasuke doesn't particularly care. He scrubs himself with sand from the bottom until he's satisfied that he's clean.

"You know," Naruto says, walking out from behind a pile of stone, "Dunking yourself in cold water is not exactly the smartest thing to do after your recovering from a fucking fever!"

Something squeezes in his chest. Sasuke makes an indistinct noise in the back of his throat.

"And, fuck, are you skinny-dipping?" Naruto asks, still looking cross.

Sasuke frowns and pulls the pant of his underwear above the water to show him that he certainly is not.

Naruto snorts and flops down beside the water, "I'm not sure if that's worse or not. Prissy freak."

"And that, of course," Sasuke says, voice dripping with sarcasm, "is coming from the one who wears orange."

"Hey! I happen to like orange!"

Sasuke pulls himself out of the water and shakes the excess water off. He looks up to see Naruto blatantly staring at him. His mouth of halfway open and Sasuke smirks.

"You asshole! You did that on purpose!" he accuses, cheeks red.

"Not really."

"Like hell," Naruto sulks.

Sasuke grabs his shirt and pulls it over his head, "Don't you have anything better to-" he starts, but Naruto cuts him off. With his mouth.

He groans and grabs Naruto's shoulders. Naruto moans and slides his hands down his slides, filling him with a strange buzzing sensation. Sasuke grabs his hair harshly and meshes his mouth further with Naruto's. The demon holder paws at the shirt he put on mere seconds ago and Sasuke allows him to pull it off.

Naruto presses his teeth to his collarbone for a while and Sasuke moans in frustration, pushing his hip up in the effort to get some friction. Annoyed, Sasuke kicks Naruto's feet from under him.

"Hey!" Naruto yelps and lands on his back, "What the fuck was that mphhhh!"

All Sasuke has to do is suck on Naruto's lower lip and add a few bites to his neck, before the other man is utterly incoherent. Naruto whimpers and grinds his hips upward, panting droplets into Sasuke's neck. Sasuke removes Naruto's jacket with his teeth and all but rips the stupid nine t-shirt off.

"Slow," he snarls, working at his fly.

"Fuck you," Naruto moans, playing with Sasuke's nipples, which the other finds increasingly disturbing.

Without warning, Sasuke is on his back and Naruto's hand has somehow been shoved down the front of his pants.

"Argh!"

"Sensativeeee!" Naruto practically sings and Sasuke digs his nails further into his neck in annoyance.

Naruto grins brilliantly at him and begins kissing down his stomach, making noises that Sasuke is horrified to find vaguely attractive.

Sasuke squirms, trying to actually get anywhere, but the blond idiot of a fuck is being stupid as usual.

At this point, he seems content to kiss down his abdomen and…that's getting a little bit too close to his… Why the hell is he breathing like that over his…it's not that it doesn't feel nice, but-

"Naruto, what the hell do you think you're….Ah!"

"Were…you dropped on the head as a child?" is the first sentence Sasuke manages afterwards.

Naruto smirks and rinses his mouth from some water from the spring, "Maybe."

"I cannot believe you just did that. That is disgusting. Do you have some bizarre masochistic tendency to-"

Naruto rolls on top of him and kisses him soundly, "That's not what you were saying a minute ago."

"There is no way I'm kissing you after that," Sasuke says twisting his head away.

"Sasukeeee!" Naruto whines, pouting, "Whyyy?"

"Disgusting," Sasuke says, "Of all the unhygienic-"

"Wow, you've never heard of a blowjob before?" Naruto says tracing a rather prominent bruise of Sasuke's neck proudly.

"A what?"

Naruto stares at him, "Fuck, I was joking!"

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke says, narrowing his eyes.

"How do you not know what a blowjob is?"

"There's a term for what you just…" Sasuke trails off.

"Huh? What did I just do?" Naruto teases, mouthing the shell of his ear.

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about," Sasuke says stiffly.

"Hmmm?" he says, just to be annoying, and walks his fingers up Sasuke's bare arm.

Sasuke bats them off and starts messing with his clothes again.

"Aww, you're so cute and innocent, Sasuke-chan. I just want to-FUCK, MY ARM DOES NOT BEND THAT WAY!"

"I'm not going to ask," Sakura-chan says when they return hours later with mussed hair and clothing, "So please don't try to explain."

"Sure thing!" Naruto beams and his depressing friend/teammate with benefits just sulks.

Naruto is starting to get sick of mountains. They are everywhere and he wants a change of scenery. Fortunately, they are going to be crossing the Fire Country soon, where there are less of them. But other problems start occurring in place of the giant lumps of rock.

"Open up!"

Naruto wakes, unsure if he is dreaming of the night the ANBU came to take him away or if there are really people pounding on his door at two o'clock in the morning.

"Who is it?" Sasuke asks calmly, putting his boxers on.

"We 'eard," Naruto recognizes the voice as being drunk, "that there were a couple of faggots in this room! Open up or we'll break the fucking door down, you sick, twisted-"

Sasuke's eyes widen a centimeter, "Change into a girl," he mutters and slide out of bed, putting on a yukata.

"What? But Sasuke-"

"Do it!"

Naruto makes the hand signs and Sasuke throws open the door. Naruto's naked female version and the drunk men outside stare at each other for a few seconds.

"Get out," Sasuke says menacingly and they continue to stare.

"But-"

Naruto hears a crack and then Sasuke slam the door, wiping blood off his fist.

"Was that really necessary?" Naruto asks rolling her eyes.

"Yes," Sasuke says stoically, getting back into bed, "Change back."

She stretches, "I dunno, I kinda like this form."

Sasuke looks horrified and she giggles, leaning closer to him. He actually has the gall to flinch when her breast touches his arm.

Naruto pops back into his male form and laughs until tears roll down his cheeks.

"Trouble!" Sakura-chan says, barging into their room the next day, "We have to get out of here! Someone recognized me."

"What?" Sasuke says, startled, "You're wearing a mask!"

"They knew me! Someone told them!"

"Konoha?" Naruto asks, stuffing clothes into his backpack.

"Who else, dumbass?"

They make it halfway out of the village before the ninja catch up with them. There are twelve of them and Naruto gets a feeling that they knew they were coming. But how could they? Unless, someone really saw them in the Grass…

He and Sakura-chan take two out immediately, but the rest prove a challenge. They are all seasoned Jounin and have a knack of seeing through all the techniques Naruto tries to use.

They get separated somehow and Naruto is alone. He is completely surrounded.

"Shit!" Naruto growls, dodging a ball of fire, "Shitshitshitshit!"

After nearly ten minutes, Naruto starts to get desperate. He breaks two arms, knocks one unconscious and is just about to jump kick another when they all retreat. Then one gets him from the behind and there is a kunai between his shoulder blades.

Naruto screams and crushes the man's foot in an attempt to escape the pure agony in his spine. But the enemy ninja won't let go and suddenly there is a sickly smelling white smoke everywhere. Naruto tries not to breathe it in, but the enemy ninja is holding on with dear life and he can't escape, and everything goes dark.

"Sasuke," Sakura whispers as they stand over their fallen enemies, halfway through cleaning out the deep wound in her teammate's side, "Naruto's chakra is gone."

A/N: Yeah, I'm evil. I know.

Anywho, next two chapters are going to be awesome. I fucking guarantee it. (Shut up, it's 4 in the morning. I get a points for that…I think.)

Oh, also, sorry about the lime of doom. I wrote that about two hours ago, so give me some leeway. Please?

Please review!