A/N: Wow… So a few people have told me that they expect lemons soon… Well, I'm going to have to disappoint and say that you just have to read the chapter and wait till the ending A/N to find out if I plan a lemon or not. :D I know… I'm so mean… lol

But I will just say that you all are in for a surprise in this chapter! I had so much fun writing it…

So, I know this chapter is a little early, but I start my first bit of college classes tomorrow, and I'm excited! I'm going to try to keep up with Drowning Breath and Lost in the Rain as much as possible, so please bear with me! I love my readers and reviewers, and I am so happy you guys like my story!

I dare you to love: You know… amazing question… I meant to write a little something just stating that, and then I forgot. So yeah. But she was pretty much playing with other kids and hanging out at the hospital.

The 3rd Valkyrie: Well, I'm glad you liked it so much. And for being my 101th reviewer, here's an update for you! lol

Anyway, I really did like writing this chapter. I think it gets the ball rolling for many things. And thanks to arianawithlove for the wonderful editing of this chapter!


Chapter Eleven


She squinted through the liquid downpour, blinking as many times as she needed in order to clear the water from her searching eyes. They roved everywhere, analyzing every tree, every space that might look abnormal. So far, she couldn't see anything. Yet Sakura knew he was there. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, she would always be able to decipher Naruto's chakra.

With a gasp, she whirled, ninjato clashing together as she blocked Naruto's sneak attack. They were both completely drenched, but had agreed that training in the rain would be good for both of them. It would help to stimulate their finer senses, forcing them to feel chakra, as well as the fighting ground around them.

However, Sakura was getting tired. Naruto might be able to train all day, but she didn't have the amazing stamina that he did. How her teammate had that endless well of chakra, she didn't know. Maybe it was Kyuubi, but she knew Naruto didn't utilize the immense power hidden within him. But no matter. Sakura shoved her tired body forward, hand flashing out.

Naruto dodged just in time, but not before her fist grazed his shoulder. He flipped back, gritting his teeth as he landed on the wet ground. Even if her fist had just barely touched him, she somehow had managed to hurt him. She was getting good.

Sakura flipped back, bending her knees as she landed and keeping the ninjato vertically in front of her. The blade faced toward the ground, and she plunged it into the earth, channeling her chakra through the receptive steel. Naruto back flipped, but the ground crumpled underneath him, forcing him to take off for the trees. A surprised gasp flitted from his lips, and his eyes found Sakura through the rain.

Down below, she was panting, her sharp green eyes glaring at her teammate. She grunted, tugging the sword from the broken earth. Rain slipped through her hair and into her eyes, but she knew if she moved it, Naruto would take that moment to do something, and she would be out of luck. Besides, if she concentrated on the fight, everything else faded away.

It was time to try something. Sakura was running low on chakra, and she knew she wouldn't be able to last much longer. She had to end this quickly, or else Naruto would win. She grunted, hurtling her sword into the tree where Naruto stood as she forced as much chakra into the blade as it would hold. It sliced through the tree with a sickening crunch, but not before cracking the entire oak into pieces. When Naruto flipped back, Sakura moved.

Ox. Ram. Horse.

Sakura's fingers flipped through the signs. She searched for the chakra swirling in her belly, feeling it spread, pull, and contract as the image in her mind became reality. She breathed in deeply, holding on to the slight pull behind her bellybutton. Her eyes opened just as Naruto landed.

He stared at her, mouth closed, but no matter how hard the rain poured even Sakura could tell that Naruto was panting. The medic focused, letting her subtle genjutsu form as she powered toward her teammate. She thrust all of her remaining chakra into her fist and slammed it into Naruto's side. He gasped, doubling over, and Sakura smirked. Until…

Pop!

Shit.

The pink-haired girl looked around, eyes frantically searching through the rain. She should have known! She should have known it was a clone! Naruto was her teammate! She should have known!

Cold, wet metal pressed against her throat, and she sucked in a breath as she backed against something hard. The rain made shirts flimsy and useless, and the curves of her back could feel the planes of Naruto's chest. Her insides quivered, and her breath came faster.

Naruto panted, and winced slightly, letting out a strained wheeze as he fought to catch his breath. It didn't matter that Sakura had destroyed just a clone. He had felt the power of her fist almost as if his actual body had been hit. His left arm tightened around Sakura's heaving chest, and he felt his gut clench again. It had only been three days since her parents had left, but his control was already extremely close to breaking.

"Good… job," he whispered breathlessly. "Sakura."

"But… I lost…" she winced, her body searching into her chakra reserves to compensate for the loss of her accessible chakra as well as the lack of air.

"Doesn't matter. You were… still good. Improving." His voice trembled, alluding to the pain in his side. "You… You got me good, Sakura-chan…"

Her breath hitched at the familiar name. "But… it was just a… a clone," she protested, her senses suddenly springing to life. It didn't matter that they were completely drenched from the rain. Every nerve shuddered with electricity, and she was distinctly aware of the body behind her. His breath was warm on her neck, and she shivered.

"But… I still feel… everything that they do…" Naruto dropped his sword, and carefully turned Sakura around to face him. She gulped, slowly raising her eyes until they met sky blue. She sucked in a breath, her panting having nothing to do now with the lack of oxygen.

The blonde couldn't look away. Her searching emerald eyes held him captivated, and he fought to hold on to what little control he still possessed. He could smell her, the sweet scent of cherry and rain mixing to tickle his nose with pleasure. A low simmer brewed in the pit of his stomach, and he felt a soft growl slip from his throat. Sakura must have heard it, because her lips parted, and she gasped slightly.

Kyuubi raised his head, sniffing at the air, and smiled viciously. Her scent was intoxicating, and she smelled better than anything his nose had tested in a long time. He concentrated, sending a bit of his chakra into Naruto's limbs. The demon knew his host was too considerate of Sakura to take initiative, but the demon wasn't. He knew that Naruto could feel him.

Please… Kyuubi, I… I don't want to hurt her.

You won't, Twerp.

But… She… I… What if…?

My chakra won't hurt her. Even if a little slips in…

His hand rose a bit, pushing some of Sakura's bubblegum pink hair away from her face. The rain had lightened up, but both were still soaked. Naruto gulped, hoping and praying that the girl in front of him wouldn't shy away. His palm gently cupped her cheek, and he saw Sakura's entrancing gaze shudder.

But last time! Remember when—with Orochimaru—You know I—

I was angry. You were angry, Naruto.

So… when I'm not angry…?

There's nothing to worry about… Just take the step… She won't run away…

Naruto trembled. How… How do you know, Kyuubi? I… I'm afraid…

The demon chuckled. He remembered this exact feeling. Yes. Him. The awesome fox demon Kyuubi, lord of all bijuu, had been afraid to kiss a girl. He had been extremely nervous, and had almost missed, but he had simply grabbed her shoulders and crushed his lips to hers. She had definitely been a little more than ticked, and the fox knew that Sakura was very similar to that girl. This would require tact… and a bit of coaxing as well.

You'll be fine, Twerp. Trust me.

But I—

Trust me.

The jinchuuriki fought for a moment. All… All right.

Sakura could see the war in his head. She could see the fear in his eyes, and knew that he still was the Naruto that she had known all along. He was afraid to harm her, afraid to get close, afraid to let his true feelings show lest she reject him. But there was that slight glint in his ocean eyes, a glint that told her many other things as well.

The palm on her face was warm despite the chilly rain, and she welcomed the heat radiating from Naruto's skin. His eyes entranced her, but it looked as if he were petrified to try anything, like she might hit him or something. That, however, was the last thing Sakura wanted to do. Naruto's intense stare held her captivated, and the way his body was pressed against her made her ardor increase.

But he wouldn't… Right?

Naruto allowed Kyuubi this one time. If Kyuubi failed, Naruto was never speaking to the demon again. He just needed a small push, and Kyuubi was his drug for the moment. The demon pushed a bit of chakra through Naruto's other arm, but before the power had sifted through his muscles, Naruto moved the appendage of his own accord. It cupped the other side of Sakura's face, and Naruto could feel her breath stop altogether.

Lean forward, Twerp. But slowly…

All right…

The jinchuuriki obeyed, bending down to slowly press his lips against Sakura's. It was a whisper of a touch, and Naruto surprised himself by leaning closer. Her lips felt just as they looked. They were soft, and tasted better than he could have even imagined. Fear suddenly jolted through his body like an electric shock. She wasn't responding. He started to pull away, but two strong, pale hands shot out and fisted into his shirt.

Sakura pressed back, finally past her shock and disbelief in order to think clearly. Her nerves pulsed constantly, feeling everything about the taller man in front of her as she moved closer to him. A small, grunted moan sifted from Naruto's strangled throat, and Sakura suddenly felt daring, opening her mouth slightly before closing it again.

It had the effect she wanted. Naruto leaned in further, wrapping his large hands around the back of her head and pulling her closer. He slowly moved his lips, challenging, coaxing Sakura to follow him. She sighed, starting a bit when she felt his tongue over her skin. She could barely taste him, and her body suddenly quivered, wanting to fully experience it.

When Sakura opened her mouth, there were no amazing fireworks or sudden wants of passion like all the books said there would be. There was just a slow, heavy heat connecting from her mouth to the warm hands on the back of her neck—the same intense heat that trickled down her neck and spread leisurely through her limbs.

Her lips moved against Naruto's, and he tasted like rain and ramen. Her fingers grasped onto his hair, and she tugged him closer, trying to urge him to kiss her faster. But his hands held her still, and he kept kissing her at the same agonizingly slow pace.

Naruto let his hands drift down her shoulders to rest on her hips. Kyuubi's chakra was no longer carefully directing his movements; Naruto's body seemed to react on its own to the girl in front of him, and his blood simmered in the base of his belly. He knew he shouldn't be kissing her, but she was like a drug, like an undeniable taste of sin.

The air around them crackled.

Twerp… Careful…

The blonde fought the haze in his mind. W—What?

My chakra, Twerp. You're letting it out.

I… I didn't think… Naruto's eyes suddenly widened. He felt the sizzling air around him, and he could feel the heat radiating off of Sakura's body. I… I am!

Naruto suddenly backed away, leaving Sakura in stunned silence once their lips had disconnected. She had felt the Kyuubi's chakra slowly leaking out, but if anything, it had made her body clench in anticipation. She looked into Naruto's eyes, hoping she wouldn't see regret. She was thankful there wasn't any, but he looked petrified.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan! Kyuubi's chakra…" he began.

"Don't worry about it, Naruto," she answered softly, a bewildered expression slowly changing the features of her face.

A sudden clap of thunder rumbled overhead, and Sakura jumped, startled from her study of Naruto's eyes. Lightning flashed in the sky, bathing the dark grey clouds in an eerie glow. Naruto glanced up, blinking rapidly to keep the rain from his eyes.

"We should get inside," he murmured.

Sakura nodded, forcing the adrenaline pounding in her veins to stop as she sucked in a long, relaxing breath. Naruto suddenly leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her before making a quick sign with his hands. Sakura felt a tug on her body, a strange sensation of being dropped, and when she opened her eyes, she and Naruto were in their room. Her stomach churned.

"You all right?" Naruto's brows furrowed as he watched her double over and clutch her stomach. He wanted to reach out to his teammate, but he restrained himself.

"Yeah," Sakura mumbled, voice trembling a little as she quelled the queasy rolling of her stomach. "No wonder I couldn't teleport. The sensations were definitely off." She gave a wry, shaky laugh.

Naruto smiled and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah… It took me a while to get used to it. I threw up the first time."

A stronger laugh scratched from Sakura's throat, and she smiled at Naruto. "Well, I am the medic."

"True…"

"Oh, sorry."

"Huh? What are you sorry for?"

"Your clothes." The medic moved to her teammate, hands flashing through familiar signs before she placed her hand on Naruto's chest. Both blushed and looked away, Sakura starting to feel revived as the water was turned into extra chakra. She performed the jutsu on herself, then pointed to the bathroom.

"I'm going to change."

The blonde nodded, watching her as she stepped into the bathroom. His eyes stayed on her hips, mesmerized by the way they swung back and forth.

Somebody's whipped.

Wha—I—I am not!

No… Kyuubi argued. The demon smiled knowingly. No, I think you are.

Naruto growled, entering the area where Kyuubi was caged. He glared at the smirk twisting the fox's lips. I am not whipped.

Whatever, Twerp.

No, not whatever! Say I'm not whipped.

I can't do that, and that's cause you are whipped. Trust me on this.

Why would I trust you? Naruto grunted.

Because… I'd know. There was an ancient sadness in the demon's voice, and Kyuubi's eyes were drawn to the floor of his prison.

How?

Kyuubi's gaze snapped up. You don't need to know, he snarled. A low growl sifted through his vocal chords before he caught Naruto with an intense red stare. And I don't need to remember.

There was no mistaking the bitterness coating the demon's tone. Naruto didn't want to press it too much (even though Kyuubi was on the other side of the bars and couldn't hurt him), but maybe he could get by with a few innocent questions.

What was her name?

And angry roar filled the cage as Kyuubi rose to all fours, shoving his face near the gold bars of his prison. He clawed at the metal, trying to reach out and touch Naruto. No more questions, boy! I don't want to answer them!

The jinchuuriki shrugged and backed a step, raising his hands in a defensive and surrendering gesture. All right, all right. I just wanted to know her name.

A low grumble echoed in the empty spaces of the room, and Kyuubi shifted. The demon sat, hesitating a moment before resting his head on his paws. Minutes passed before Kyuubi heaved a sigh. Her name was Emiko.

Naruto glanced up. Emiko?

Yeah. The name suited her. She smiled a lot. I would have sworn it was permanently etched onto her face. Kyuubi's eyes were distant, a sure sign that he remembered something. Naruto knew that something big must have happened for Kyuubi to be this upset about such a simple thing. Or maybe… this wasn't so stupid. Not to Kyuubi at least.

Was she… you know… Naruto fidgeted slightly. A demon? Like you?

Kyuubi scoffed, pride flashing through his tone as he turned his nose toward the sky. A bemused chuckle cracked through the demon's lips. Like me? Twerp, there is nothing in this world like me.

Naruto chuckled. Yeah, Kyuubi. There really isn't anyone like you…

The demon sighed, closing his blood red eyes as he rested his head again on his paws. Enough questions, Twerp. I'm tired.

The blonde knew that Kyuubi was done. Naruto wouldn't get anymore information, but his mind still whirled the conversation at the forefront of his brain. Kyuubi hadn't said that Emiko was a demon, but his last comment had basically negated that fact. The fox had pretty much said that she wasn't a demon. Naruto sucked in a breath.

She was human.

Kyuubi, the powerful, nine-tailed demon fox that had terrorized a whole village had fallen in love with a human.

If Naruto didn't remember the sorrow in the demon's voice, the boy would have laughed at the irony of it all. Who would've thought that Kyuubi had been whipped by a mere human girl?

"Naruto?"

His eyes flew open, and the cage tunneled away, bathing him in momentary darkness before he seemed to open his eyes again. Sakura sat across from him on his bed, a concerned look on her face. She quickly pointed to her bed in which she used to sleep. Naruto followed her gaze.

"Kaori's sleeping."

And there the little girl was, sleeping soundly, her small frame tucked securely underneath the covers. "Oh," he murmured. He hadn't even seen the sleeping girl when he and Sakura had come inside.

"Were you talking to him?"

Naruto didn't need to ask to know to what his teammate was referring. "Yeah…"

"It's been almost an hour, you know. I was starting to get worried." The concern on her face was genuine, but she seemed shy, especially if the tone of her voice were any hint at all.

"Oh… sorry about that." He looked at Sakura, noticing that she was ready for bed. But he soon realized that if he stayed put, she'd have to sleep on the floor. Unless…

Do it.

I thought you were tired, Naruto scoffed.

Whatever, Twerp. Just do it.

The blonde looked down, then nervously held Sakura's gaze. "Well, er… you can… You can sleep with me… if you want," Naruto stuttered, his face heating in a violent blush. He was sure that Sakura could see, and he felt his blood pressure heighten.

Sakura looked away, but quickly looked back, unable to hide the slight quirk at the corner of her mouth. "Sure… Sure, Naruto."

Oh, God, I'm dreaming. There was no way in hell that Sakura would agree that easily to sleeping in the same bed with him. And yet here she was, smiling at him a bit and leaning forward so she could move.

Shut up and pay attention, Twerp.

Naruto lay down, watching with wide eyes and bated breath as Sakura crawled toward him. Adrenaline pounded through his veins as he remembered what her father had first insinuated. His eyes frantically moved over her face, then down to study her as she came closer.

Instead of her normal red plaid pants, she was wearing an old pair of grey sweats with a large grey T-shirt. In fact, the shirt was actually too big on her. The neckline slipped, exposing one creamy shoulder. Naruto gulped, his mind racing with possibilities as all his blood raced to his belly. Slowly, Sakura lay down, facing her teammate. Her cheeks flushed and she glanced away, her right hand twisting the T-shirt tightly.

Suddenly, Naruto's eyes widened, and he gasped. "That's… That's my shirt!"

A furious blush coated Sakura's cheeks, and he could feel the slight spike in her chakra—that scintillating, cool chakra that swirled and bunched around a wound when she healed him… The way it calmed his anger and made him shiver…

The blonde shuddered slightly, fighting against those thoughts in his mind that made his lower regions quiver to life.

"Well, you see, that was the only T-shirt I had, and I accidentally ripped it the other night when I had a bad dream…" Sakura explained.

"It's… It's fine," Naruto choked out, eyes roaming over her small frame inside his large shirt. If anything, it made her look even better. And he couldn't shake the excitement and satisfaction he felt that she was wearing his shirt, almost as if she belonged to him.

"Um… I'm going to go so sleep, Naruto…" Sakura saw her teammate nod, and she turned over, her back in Naruto's immediate line of sight. Within an hour, the blonde was sound asleep, but Sakura wasn't so lucky. Her body was vibrating with life, and the heightened hum would not die down. She had no idea why her body was reacting like this… She was only sleeping beside Naruto. She had done it many times. But this time, he had just kissed her…

She grunted and sat up, eyes blankly searching the darkness. Her teammate was stuck in her mind, and he wouldn't leave. It didn't help that he was right behind her, the small of his back touching the same part on her. What was wrong with her? She had never felt this way with anybody—not even when she had still had a crush on Sasuke.

Sakura's eyes finally rested on Naruto. As if he could feel the heat of her stare, he turned onto his back. The medic flushed when she saw that Naruto's shirt had ridden up as he slept, and the area from his pecs to the top of his sweat pants was bare. But there was something else…

The Kyuubi's seal was something that she had never seen before. Sakura had done her fair share of working with seals, especially since the medical field called for an adept knowledge in the jutsu. Her sharp green eyes barely saw the faded lines on Naruto's lower torso in the darkness, but she was drawn to them. She tentatively reached out, slowly and gently tracing the black lines of the swirl and the four other marks around it.

Suddenly, it hummed slightly, giving off a faint red glow. Sakura gasped and quickly drew her hand back, wondering if she had somehow activated something. She watched the glow brighten before fading to a soft, pulsing red. She knew quite a bit about seals, but this was a seal that was made by the Yondaime. No one (except the Sandaime and Jiraiya) had known how to perform the seals used on Naruto.

Yet the pulsing seal seemed to beckon her. She was mesmerized by the eerie red glow swirling slowly throughout each part of the seal, and she reached out slowly, wondering if the Kyuubi was planning to get out…

Well, if he were, she would stop him.

Her fingers brushed over Naruto's skin, and she felt a tingling in her fingertips that traveled to her arms and chest. Sakura leaned forward, the growing glow of the seal reflecting in her eyes. The medic gasped and cried out as she was thrust forward through a dark tunnel only to be deposited in a heap in a cold room. She grunted and stood, brows furrowing as she noticed the two inches of water covering the floor. Her head whipped around, eyes studying the elements of the room in awe.

The ceiling was so tall it was almost invisible. There was an eerie orange glow that lit the room, and the walls seemed to be made of metal, like some sort of plumbing facility with the pipes and leaking sewage. However, the liquid surrounding her feet didn't seem to be sewage. There was no smell, and it felt exactly like water. Sakura's eyes gazed before her, and widened in horror. No… It couldn't be…

Barred gates rose all the way to the ceiling, a small piece of paper with the word seal on it holding the metal together.

Kyuubi…

"Hello, girl."

The sound resonated throughout the room, and Sakura spun around, her eyes frantically searching the dark places for the owner of the voice. She wouldn't lie and say that she wasn't petrified. She was near the nine-tailed demon fox in his true form—something at which she had only glimpsed when Naruto had been turned into the raging animal.

Only blackness filled the cavern behind the bars, but Sakura could feel the chakra, recognizing it as distinctly Kyuubi's. She was frozen on the spot; her heart raced in anticipation at the sight of the demon, yet her fears were slowly being overridden by something else—intrigue? Kyuubi's chakra, though powerful and detrimental, seemed to pull her toward him.

"Oh?" Kyuubi chuckled darkly. "I smell your fear, girl, as well as something else…"

The medic finally regained control of herself. "What's that supposed to mean?" she growled dangerously.

For the first time, Sakura was able to stare the actual demon fox in the face. She gasped and backed a step, eyes widening in horror. She was the size of one of his teeth! The large canines showing through black-lined lips pulled back into a wicked smile. Though Kyuubi's shape was mostly outlined, his red chakra still waved about him, the red aura painting the room in a dark, bloody red. Sakura stared at the two blood-red eyes, knowing that this demon was as vicious and bloodthirsty as the rumors had said he was. But there was something else…

"Your body is quite attracted to my host…" Kyuubi smiled. Sakura's face flushed, and she gritted her teeth. "Shall I say more, girl? And that is my host's shirt, is it not?"

She was speechless. "Why—You—I—"

Bitterness. Sakura's speech stopped right when the word came to mind. She had learned how to read Naruto. This demon was different, and yet for a split second, something had sparked in those heartless eyes, and Sakura didn't need anything to tell her that something had happened to the demon. What, she wasn't sure. But she wasn't sure she needed to know. It was Kyuubi's secret, after all.

"So what if it's Naruto's shirt?" she growled.

"You lied…"

"I did not!" she snapped, fists clenching by her sides, eyes narrowed dangerously. It didn't matter that this was the most powerful bijuu on the planet. She would not be made out as some desperate girl trying to be a whore to get what she wanted. "I ripped my shirt because of a dream I had last night!"

"Oh, the one where poor Naruto dies?" Kyuubi chuckled darkly, head moving closer to the bars.

"W-What?" she gasped. "How did you know that?!"

Kyuubi laughed. "Girl, you are in my realm right now! I know everything."

"What about this?" Sakura challenged. Hey! Think something! she told her Inner.

Um… I'm going to kill that demon! Saying that I only got Naruto's shirt so I could smell him or seduce him… Ha! Her Inner continued her tirade, but Sakura didn't pay attention. She raised an eyebrow at the demon fox, waiting.

"You want to kill me."

"How—" Sakura started to yell, but Kyuubi cut her off.

"It's in your eyes, girl."

Sakura growled, lips curling up in a snarl. "I have a name."

"Oh?"

"Call me by my name, demon, or you'll regret it!"

"And if I don't?"

The medic tightened her fist, the action answer enough to what she would do. Kyuubi smiled wickedly, placing his paws near the bars, almost daring her to take initiative without the fact that he did something wrong. So far, she was holding her end of the deal.

"So… What happens if I don't call you by your name… girl?"

Just as promptly as he said it, Sakura gave a frustrated noise and rushed forward, powering her fist and slamming it into part of Kyuubi's exposed paw. The demon's leg tingled, feeling her chakra shutter through his system. Oh, it hurt… a little bit… but it was having a completely different effect on him. No wonder his host was taken by this little spitfire of a teammate.

"Haha!" Kyuubi chuckled. "You, my dear, have amazing chakra."

Sakura wasn't naïve enough not to know what Kyuubi was insinuating. "Hentai!" she screamed, furiously attacking the paw with both fists.

Suddenly, her fists were stopped, and it felt as if Kyuubi was grabbing the front of her shirt, even though it couldn't be possible since his paw was so huge. She gasped and stared into the blood red gaze, the demon's heavy chakra freezing her to the place where she stood.

It was strange the way Kyuubi's chakra agitated her, getting underneath her skin. It was a primal itch that scratched just beneath the surface; she wasn't quite sure what to do with it. Kyuubi seemed to realize it, and bent down to her level.

"You are not afraid of my chakra…"

"N-No…" Sakura whispered breathlessly. It was utterly ridiculous! One minute she was furious and attacking the perverted fox, and the next her body was quivering with excitement, something she had never quite felt before. It was infuriating the way the demon seemed to control her, but it was even worse when it was Naruto.

"You like my host." The way Kyuubi said it made it seem final.

"Um… I…"

"It's either yes or no!"

"Ah! Y-Yes!" This chakra was driving her body crazy. She could hardly think.

"Would you give my host everything? Everything you have? All of you?"

Sakura's face flushed. "W-Well, I… I don't know."

Naruto was sleeping. He wouldn't know the difference. Kyuubi pulled some of his jailer's chakra, mixing it into the air around the medic in front of him. The girl gasped as her body shuddered, and he could sense the warm heat pooling in her belly. This girl was nothing like others. She was so much like her… So much like her

Kyuubi wasn't sure what was really possessing him. Of course this girl would never be her, but his concern for his host? Unheard of! It was ridiculous that he was concerned for Naruto's safety, trying to make sure that no hearts were broken, especially not Naruto's. Only Kyuubi knew the extent to which this boy had suffered, and he didn't want Naruto to suffer. Not like he did.

"I know… I know you care about Naruto." Sakura's voice was soft, and it seemed as if she had finally controlled her quivering.

"What?" He let his chakra dissipate, freeing the poor girl from its influence. She breathed a sigh of relief and swallowed before turning her mint green eyes to his heated gaze. But the harshness of his gaze seemed to have worn off its surprise. She no longer shuddered when she stared. There was only a small shake, hardly anything at all.

"You care about Naruto. It's okay. I won't tell anyone. And you don't have to explain anything to me. I wouldn't hurt him. Not purposefully, anyway."

The demon nodded, tilting his head to stare curiously at the girl in front of him. She smiled slightly, the action lifting her entire face, and Kyuubi felt a small squeeze of regret in his stomach. If this girl turned out to be Naruto's mate, the boy would be in for the time of his life. He would also be one of the luckiest men alive. Girls like Sakura or Emiko—especially her—didn't come around every day.

"Sakura…"

Though surprised at the use of her actual name (and how he seemed to know it), the medic was tired now. "If it's all right, Kyuubi, I'd like to go to sleep."

The demon grunted, back to his old, scathing self. "Of course, princess. Whatever you want." This time, Sakura simply raised an eyebrow, mouth quirked and arms crossed over her chest. The demon chuckled, remembering how much she used to do that. Kyuubi raised his paw, and Sakura disappeared.

Kyuubi sighed, eyeing the spot where she had left. Naruto had better snatch that girl up, because if he didn't, Kyuubi would make him.

Sakura gasped when she was suddenly back in the room, sitting next to a sleeping Naruto. She glanced around, wondering if it all was real. But she saw the fading glow of the seal, and realized that everything had happened. She groaned and flopped onto the bed, quickly turning over and closing her eyes.

That was interesting…

Not now, Sakura groaned. Trying to sleep here.

Fine, fine, spoilsport. I'll shut up.

Sakura smiled gratefully.

Until tomorrow.

The medic growled. Fine! Just leave me alone! I want to sleep!

All right, all right! But Kyuubi is something else…

Yeah… A small, reminiscent smile quirked the corners of Sakura's lips. He's one of a kind, you know…

00000

It was dawn.

It was dawn, he was up, he was on time, and he was patrolling a forest without his wonderful orange book in his pouch, an all time first for a ninja well known for his obsession with Icha Icha Paradise and his habitual tardiness.

"Oi, oi…" The jounin sleepily scratched at his uncovered eye. "Remind me again why we're here exactly… this early in the morning… and you haven't allowed me my book?"

"I don't like being ignored, Hatake-san, and besides… I smell something."

The summon fox planted his nose near the ground, sniffing the leaves and blades of grass underneath them. Kakashi sighed heavily, dearly wishing that he had his beloved books with him. Still, he couldn't help but be slightly annoyed with it all. He really wanted his books back.

"Really? I can summon dogs… They can smell, too."

Chisoku glared at the jounin, but Kakashi shrugged and put his hands in his pockets, following the fox as he carefully sniffed around them. Chisoku stopped, sitting on his haunches and cocking his head in confusion. The scent was faint, but it wasn't anywhere around here. Where was it coming from, then?

"Where do you suppose it's coming from?" the fox mused.

Kakashi shrugged. "How should I know? I'm not the one with super smell."

"Would you shut up about that?!"

"Ano, ano… No need to get your fur ruffled. Life without my precious books just seems to become a bit… annoying."

The fox scratched an ear, a frustrated growl vibrating from his throat. "Whatever." Suddenly, Chisoku froze, pointing his nose in the air. His wet nose moved, the delicate sensor taking in the unexpected change in the air.

"This way!" Chisoku blurted, darting forward into an all-out run. Kakashi groaned before following, having to work to keep up with the fox. He really wasn't that rude. All he wanted was to read his books, but he never purposefully ignored something extremely important.

And yet he had been separated from that which he held most dear.

Chisoku slid to a stop, furiously sniffing more of the ground along the way. His brow furrowed, and he looked into the distance. Though Kakashi was quite lazy and generally indifferent toward problems, he knew that this had become something serious. It was no longer a matter of sleepiness or being without entertainment. Something was wrong, and that damn summon fox had been right, even though Kakashi hated to admit it.

"This isn't good," Chisoku muttered gravely.

"Hai…" Kakashi whispered, squinting his eyes at the sight before him. It wasn't that he had never seen dead bodies before. He had seen plenty. Even mangled bodies didn't bother him. But these…

The summon fox gulped, sitting down before his legs would give way. A few similar things had happened to his clan when they had been terrorized by Manda and his followers, but he had never seen anything this brutal before. It was straight from a horror story—one of which people told but never thought were true.

Two bodies were strewn—literally—across the narrow clearing. Skin was torn and hanging off of tree limbs and blades of grass, blood littered the ground in an erratic manner, limbs and organs had been ripped off or out, the heads were missing, and not one piece of the bodies were in its entirety.

Hands were scattered around to top off… well, something, and everything else was cut in segments. Well, more like severed, Kakashi thought with a wince. Arms were severed at the wrist and elbow. Legs were severed at the ankles, knees, and hips. It was nothing more than a bloody show of killing capability, and that was one reason why Kakashi felt more queasy than he thought possible.

The stench from the torn bodies was worse than normal. Kakashi glanced around, his sharp eye and senses finally catching up with him. He paused for a moment.

"Wait…" The jounin suddenly jumped into the trees, climbing higher until he found a branch suitable to his desire. He glanced down, eyebrow furrowing as he looked grimly upon the crime scene. "Chisoku… Come here."

In a few moments, the fox stood beside Kakashi, a gasp echoing in the silence around them. A glance was all they needed. Kakashi bit his thumb, hands flashing through a series of signs before Pakkun appeared in a puff of smoke.

"Pakkun. Get to Hokage-sama as fast as you can. This is a type A emergency. It requires her expertise in body identification. Do not stop for anything."

"Hai, Kakashi-san," Pakkun saluted before rushing away.

"I can't believe it," Chisoku muttered.

"Neither can I."

It didn't matter that their stomachs turned at the gruesome sight. Their eyes were drawn to the erratic splashes of blood as well as the placement of the body segments. It had been no mere accident. They were patterns, a message that spelled out the extermination of someone extremely unlucky.

And the message echoed in Kakashi's mind, over and over until he doubted the image would ever be gone.

She's next.

00000

"Wake up! Wake up! Sleepyheads, let's go!"

"N-No…" Sakura murmured sleepily, fisting her hands in the sheets and burying her head in her warm pillow. "To… tired…" Her mind wandered, taking her back near the edge of blissful sleep.

"Sakura-san! Naruto-san! Wake up!" Kaori continued to yell. The little girl had suddenly begun to jump on the bed.

The medic moaned and rolled over roughly, immediately slamming into something hard and warm. Her hands wandered around, finally grabbing onto a part of the sheet and pulling herself closer. Kaori's wake-up call faded as Sakura's tired mind tuned it out. Warm breath tickled her ear, but Sakura wasn't quite conscious enough to pay attention.

"Shutterup," a voice mumbled.

But somehow, Sakura understood. "Can't. Too energic…" A long arm plopped onto her side as a large hand rested in her hair, effectively pulling her closer. She moaned in protest. "S-stop m-moving…"

"S-Sakura…?"

"H-Hai…? N-Naruto?"

The two teammates promptly freaked out. Sakura threw the covers away and fell off of the bed as Naruto backed through the wall. Screams sounded from the room that he had just fallen into as bits of rubble collected at his feet. Naruto hurriedly crawled through the hole, shouting apologies as the two girls occupying the room had begun to throw various objects at his unprotected back. No sooner had Naruto gotten through the hole when the girls had thrust some earth into the opening. Iwa nins, he thought ruefully. He rubbed his head for a minute before cautiously peeking over the edge of the bed.

He stared at Sakura's wide-eyed expression. Her chest heaved up and down with the force of her breathing, and Naruto noticed that part of the neckline had slipped off of one shoulder, as well as the hem getting bunched up and exposing a bit of her creamy stomach and hip. The blonde gulped as his control wavered.

"Gomen, Sakura-chan!" he suddenly yelled.

Sakura could do nothing but stare. She was shocked.

"Gomen! Gomen! Gomen! Gomen!"

"N-Naruto…" she finally managed to start, even though her voice was so soft that Naruto probably hadn't heard her.

"Gomen! Gomen! Gomen!"

"Naruto," she said a bit louder.

"Gomen! Gomen, Sakura-chan! Gomen!"

"Naruto!"

"Gomen! Gom—"

"BAKA, SHUT UP!"

Thwack!

"Ow, ow, ow! Sakura-chan!"

"Bakanaro!" Sakura glanced at Naruto's face winced in pain, and sighed grudgingly. "It wasn't like anything happened, so stop apologizing."

Naruto nodded, but he felt a small pang of guilt settle in his gut. True, nothing had happened, but that still didn't take away the fact that he had dreamed about her. It hadn't been a nice fantasy (well, it had definitely been pleasurable for him), but his body had never been jolted like that. When her hand had accidentally grazed over his pants, it had felt like a chidori shock had bolted through his body. Naruto's mind wandered, and he could still remember the feeling.

I wonder…?

Mm… yeah… Do you think, Kyuubi?

Don't know, Twerp. One way to find out. You know…

But I—

Like this?

Like the perverted fox that Kyuubi truly was, the demon decided to torment Naruto, putting his paws around Naruto's thoughts so they only drifted in one direction: the way Sakura's hands would feel if she ever touched him. And, like the teenage boy that Naruto was, he responded.

His knees shook.

His eyes grew wide.

His heart stopped.

His blood boiled with lust.

And a shocked gasp turned into a low groan.

"Naruto?" Sakura's body was on high alert. This feeling… What was it?

The blonde was jolted from his daydream. Damn fox! Hentai!

"Naruto, what's the matter?"

"We… We have class today," he managed breathlessly, thanking his mind for coming up with the excuse so quickly. And it worked. Sakura bustled around the room, hurrying Kaori as she herself hurried to get ready on time. As for Naruto, he continued to stare into space, hoping his traitorous body would calm down.

You're a damn pervert, Kyuubi.

The fox grinned wickedly and simply shrugged. Well, at least it told you one thing.

Oh? What was that, fox?

You want her. Badly.

Naruto growled. The damn fox was right.

00000

Sakura could hardly stand it. The air between her and Naruto was tense and crackling as if it were a live wire, and it was frustrating the medic to no end. She had quickly told Kaori to have fun and play with a few of her friends that day, but no matter how hard Sakura tried to focus on the little girl as she and Naruto sat in class, the blonde would creep back into her mind.

It was the strange vibe radiating from his skin that had her body stiff and alert to every move that Naruto made. When he shifted in his chair, Sakura's body jumped in anticipation, every sense keyed to the teammate next to her. When his hand or head would move, the air would stir with his scent, and her nose would twitch.

Of course, being the medic Sakura was, she knew what was happening. However, that didn't make it any better. Naruto had to have done something to her, but the more she looked back and rewound the memories of their stay in Amegakure, the more Sakura was sure that Naruto hadn't done anything to her. Besides, she knew deep down that Naruto would never trick her like that.

She growled in frustration, and she didn't even have to look. She could feel Naruto's eyes on her, studying her, going over every curve and portion of her body. And of course, Sakura being Sakura, was not about to let Naruto know that she secretly liked the attention.

"What?" she whirled on him, voice snapping in a furious whisper.

The blonde jumped. "S-Sorry, Sakura-chan," he murmured, hurriedly averting his eyes and playing with a small chunk of wood on the desk.

The medic placed her forehead on her right hand. She wouldn't learn anything in class today. Naruto was way too much of a distraction, not to mention that even if she chose a seat away from him (she had tried that once, and the plan had actually backfired), it wouldn't help at all.

She groaned softly.

Naruto twitched and winced.

Sakura turned and glared. "Would you stop fidgeting, bakanaro?" she whispered angrily.

"Ah… Gome—"

"Sakura-san? Naruto-san?"

All eyes in the classroom turned to stare at them. Naruto gulped.

Tadashi Daichi still stood in front of the classroom, but his black eyes were trained on Naruto and Sakura. The medic gazed at Daichi, green eyes challenging his authority. It wasn't that Sakura had a death wish or a sudden bolt of rebellion. She just really did not like Daichi. His stringy red hair bugged her (for some reason or another), as did his know-it-all attitude.

"Do you have something to say, Sakura-san?" Daichi challenged her back, a small growl echoing after his words.

"No, sir."

"Then be quiet." Daichi enunciated each word, leaning forward slightly before standing back up. His right hand held a long stick, and he tapped against his other hand. "Class, what do I usually do to someone who is talking in class?"

Most of the Amegakure chuunins that knew Daichi gulped. Daichi held Naruto and Sakura's gaze, the look in eyes searching just a little bit too deep.

"Sakura-san, what jutsu were we just speaking of?"

If only she possessed Gaara's third eye. That would definitely come in handy, but thankfully, Daichi wasn't being especially smart at the moment. From the slight pattern of the signs of the blackboard behind him, Sakura was able to guess.

"It's a water jutsu."

The class sniggered. Daichi gave them a sharp look, and they quickly quieted.

"Yes, but what precise jutsu are we talking about, Sakura-san?" Daichi murmured through clenched teeth.

"The Water Wall."

"Incorrect!" Daichi shouted, and the entire class gasped.

Sakura stood from her chair, the force of her action knocking her seat onto the floor. Her hands viciously gripped the sides of the desk. "It is not! You just don't want me to be right!"

"Do not speak to me that way, Haruno-san! I am your superior—"

"And a biased one at that!" Sakura yelled. "The pattern: horse, rat, ox, dragon, snake… That's all a serious part, and the ending signs to the water wall!"

"But don't a lot of other jutsu end with these symbols?"

"Not the ones we've covered in class." Sakura crossed her arms over her chest. She should know. She had gone over the class' small textbook tons of times, and had even stayed up at night to get homework done early.

"That's not what I was asking."

Kill him, Sakura's Inner seethed. Just shut him up before I—

"That is completely irrelevant, Tadashi-sama."

"Are you mocking me, Haruno-san?"

"Am I?"

The class sniggered again.

"Shut up!" Daichi yelled, and the class hurriedly quieted.

"Don't bother," Sakura cut in, furiously gathering her books together. She stood tall, back stiff and teeth clenched from being so angry. "I'm leaving." Sakura walked to the door and was about to grab the door handle when Daichi stopped her.

"Haruno-san, I will not allow—"

"Tadashi-sama," the medic interrupted. "I will send money down to the office to pay for your broken door."

Daichi gave Sakura a stunned expression. "What door?"

A small quirk turned up the corners of Sakura's mouth as she looked down at the ground. "This one." With that, Sakura opened the door and slammed it shut, channeling her chakra through the hollows in the wood's surface. The door cracked and crumbled into pieces, while the wood and cement around the door splintered, yet didn't break. Sakura walked as fast as she could away from the classroom, sliding down a wall to breathe and think.

I'm dead. I am so dead.

Nonsense! He was being an asshole to us, and we put him in his place!

Sakura sighed. But I've never walked out on a class before. I've never disobeyed a teacher, much less challenged their credentials. I don't know why I suddenly had the urge to… to…

Well, we're getting smarter. And you know your textbooks! He just hates us… for some reason…

I don't know why. He doesn't normally treat Naruto with this much contempt even, and that's saying something.

No. Sakura's Inner paused for a long time. Remember? With Kaori and the meeting we snuck in to see? He showed his hatred for Naruto. He was simply making excuses when he said that he didn't hate our Naruto.

Yeah, I—Wait! Naruto is not "our Naruto."

Here we go again…

I'm serious! Just stop with the—

"Sakura?"

The medic jumped when she looked in front of her. Naruto was rocked back onto his heels, squatting down so his face was level with hers. She nodded and took Naruto's offered hand, brushing invisible dirt off of her clothes in order to soften her surprise at seeing him.

But before either teammate could speak a word, Kakashi popped in between them. Both were about to berate the jounin, but the look on his face told them it was no time for jokes. Sakura was the first to ask.

"Kaka-sensei… What's the matter?"

Suddenly, Naruto growled. "Sensei, what is that thing doing here?" Naruto wasn't about to let some random talking fox near him or Sakura, especially after that time in the woods…

Chisoku growled back, fur ruffled at the insult. "I could ask you the same thing, demon." Chisoku turned his nose up, the action clearly showing that he looked down on Naruto. The fox felt a pair of eyes and looked up, his gaze meeting surprised green.

The summon fox didn't have girl waiting for him in his clan. Not that he could ever have something with the pink haired medic in front of him, but he wasn't stupid. Chisoku knew a beautiful specimen when he saw one. He blinked his red eyes, almost wishing that she was a pretty, pale fox.

A low snarl, the pitch too deep and rough for the other ninja to hear, vibrated from Naruto's chest, and the blonde shifted, the action bringing him slightly in front of Sakura. The summon fox knew the gesture well, even if he refused to believe that the boy had already staked his claim on the medic.

She is so not, his eyes challenged back.

Mine, Naruto snarled. The deeper, double note in the growl took Chisoku aback. It was none other than the double note of a leader, of an alpha male claiming what was his right. And no doubt the other note came from…

Kyuubi…

Kakashi sighed and scratched his head. "Ne, ne… No need to get all testy about everything. Naruto, quit looking like you're going to kill the fox."

Chisoku let a deep rumble sift through his chest, clearly annoyed by the way that Kakashi seemed determined not to say his name.

Though Naruto didn't want to back down, he left the fox with a simple look, one that changed his blue eyes into a shimmering, demanding red. Kakashi sighed again, knowing now why Shikamaru used the word "troublesome" so often. "Demo… I think we should go outside."

Once there, Naruto put his hands in his pockets, knowing something was desperately wrong with Kakashi, no matter how well the jounin managed to hide it. It was starting to scare Naruto. If there was something that had seriously bothered Kakashi of all ninja, then something was definitely and horribly wrong.

Kakashi turned to Sakura, face grave. The medic gasped and leaned away, a sick feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. And of course, Kakashi being Kakashi, didn't hesitate to tell her the truth.

"Sakura… Your parents are dead."

00000

A/N: Well… whadda ya think of that?! Mwahahahaaaa! Well, I do kinda feel sorry for her parents cause in almost every single story her parents are either bad and abusive or they die… and unfortunately, it's no different for me.

Hmm… well, about that lemon, too… There will be a lemon, just much much later. Like chapter 30 later lol. Thanks for reading this next installment! Until next time:

- wolf's paradise