A/N: My offer for a short story on KakaSaku still stands. For this chapter. Keep the reviews coming in!!!!

Thank-you's: Rangerette, Alice001, DarkAngelXF, loverofallthingschocolate, Long-Live-The-Jessenator, In Search of Paradise, BlackDeath6 - for your lovely reviews! They really kept me up till late at night just to finish this piece!!!
Amarretto, In Search of Paradise, 0.Rain.0, Long-Live-The-Jessenator - for putting me and this story on alert!!!!!!!!

Disclaimer: Naruto and Co belong to Masashi Kishimoto. No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter 14: A Wild Animal

Their weeklong vacation was coming to an end – much to their disappointment. In fact, it was the last day of the most laid-back holiday they have ever spent without having to worry about their lives back in Konoha. They had already packed their provisions for the journey home and spent the extra time that they had to just have a good drink at the pub – together. They had agreed to leave by late afternoon and it was only just late morning, which left them plenty of time to sit back and have casual conversations. They chose to enter a less crowded pub, and proceeded to sit at their own respective tables and also at the bar instead of sitting together. Yes, their relationship as a team had grown stronger but they do have their own favorite drinking buddies. So Sakura joined Ino at the bar, leaving her former sensei with his brown-haired jounin friend seated at a table somewhere near them whereas Naruto, Sasuke and Sai huddled together in a corner further away from the rest of them. The seating arrangements did not last long, however, and Sakura soon repositioned herself next to Kakashi, who – in turn – strongly hinted to Genma that three was a crowd by means of a painful nudge in the ribs.

"Mind if I join you?" She glanced sideways, her cup of sake in hand as she sat at the bar. Genma looked at her expectantly, his face devoid of the usual leer. She did not hesitate, knowing the exact reason why he was desperate enough to join her. She nodded and turned to face the bottles of sake in front of her, still silent. She really did not know what to do with him, considering that some two or three weeks ago he had seemed rather attracted to her – and showed it. But it was only some sort of a one-time chance, and she never saw much of it again since then. He had been giving her the warm treatment and also sometimes acted distant with her throughout their week in close proximity. She did not know what to make of it, really, except to respond accordingly whenever he had the mood to be genial with her and basically ignored him when he did so to her.

He let out a heavy sigh after ordering his own cup of sake. He kept his silence and drank his sake quietly, when it arrived minutes later, without making any sort of conversation with the blonde woman next to him now. He was not very sure about her – she was sometimes amiable, sometimes very flirty and other times treated him coolly. It was confusing for him, to say the least. He had tried approaching her throughout the week, only to feel snubbed after a while. Was his company that lackluster for her – he would wonder every night for the week before drifting off to sleep. He could not recall any woman, even Sakura herself, having such innate ability to confuse all his senses and knowledge of women altogether. Whether this piece of information thrilled or terrified him – he really could not decide. Perhaps it was a mixture of both. He glanced sideways at his friend, a sudden thought barging into his mind as he turned back to Ino who also had turned to look at the duo.

"He's an animal in bed, did you know that?" He said offhandedly, sipping his sake slowly as he awaited her reply. He made the remark on the basis that he wanted to test her buttons. Was she attracted to Kakashi, at all?

Her head spun round as she fixed a sharp gaze at him, as though wondering whether he was joking with her or not. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. Back while you guys were still genin." He turned to her, a mischievous smile on his lips. Inwardly though, he was slowly disappointed with her reaction. She seemed interested.

"How'd you know that?" She peered at him curiously.

He waved his hand casually as he replied, "Oh, some of the most desirable women in Konoha could tell you that." He would have to be vague – considering that he did not have any names with him to casually mention to her.

She choked on her sake. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. They usually come crawling back for more, too." The bait was in. Would she take it in? He observed her closely, taking care not to look too interested in her response.

"What?" And she thought Sakura had hearing problems whenever Ino spoke against Kakashi.

"You heard me." He bit back his laughter. He had laughed out of relief – well, sort of. It was certainly a relief to know that at least there existed a female who was not in the least romantically attracted to his colleague – that was what he told himself. It was also a bonus fact that she was rather attractive too.

"No way." She shook her head vigorously, acting as though she wanted to get rid of the thought badly.

"Yes way." He might as well enjoy himself. She was just too cute to resist.

" I don't believe you," she replied vehemently. Was he for real?

"Yeah, well, you could always ask." He shrugged. "I'm sure they'll volunteer the information freely." He prayed to the heavens that Ino would not mention his name if she did take his word on it.

"Why would they do that?"

"Because he chooses them according to his particular taste." He lifted his eyebrows. "It'll sort of be like an honor kind of thing. You get me?" He found himself disgusted with that conclusion. Really, was his brain becoming mush?

"Ew. That's gross."

"Says you. They'd say otherwise." His brain is already mush.

Her lips curled in disgust as she rolled her eyes. Was he really that good as he said? Besides, why was he volunteering the information?

"Why are you telling me this?" She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

He shrugged and grinned. "I don't know. Maybe you could let this fragile piece of information slip to your pink-haired friend over there." He jerked his head subtly in Sakura's direction. He did not tell her that it was also for his own use. Well, her kunoichi friend could definitely benefit from the information after all. They too would be able to derive some sort of entertainment out of it.

Ino took a quick glance at her and then turned back to him. "Right," She said finally, after a moment's pause. "Give her some sort of an idea what a sex maniac he is?"

"No. Just being helpful with her imagination, that's all. I just thought we should get this done and over with." So he could get it on with her next. Oops, where had that thought come from? He could almost hear the alarms going off in his head, warning him the effects of such thoughts to his consciousness.

"What?"

"Huh?"

"What is the 'this' that you want done and over with?"

"Matching them up, making them realize that they want each other as badly as other people do." Well, he was always the one who could think when put on the spot. Unfortunately, this would not be a moment to boast to Kakashi or anyone else for that matter. It would just lead to more complicated things. Damn, he could almost believe himself too.

"Other people?" An amused smile crept up her lips. "You mean, you?"

"Sasuke. I'm just in it for the ride, okay?" He replied in mild annoyance – he could not help it. "He should put a stop to Gai's student's incessant pleas to get on a date with her. It grates our nerves once Gai brings it up and funnily enough, he doesn't even bother to stop the crap he's spouting out for that boy's sake."

"You're too harsh on Lee. He's just smitten, that's all." She giggled; he smiled. She was surprised to hear herself defending Lee like that, and was amused with herself. He thought she looked cute when she giggled.

"Right. For what, ten years?" He rolled his eyes. "He should take heed of the saying about more fish in the sea." He scoffed. As long as the fish was not Ino, he added – in his thoughts, of course. "Besides, it's like Kakashi's the only guy in her life… so why waste time?"

She nodded and maintained her silence. "How'd you know he's an animal?" She asked after a long deliberation.

He observed her for a while before replying. She seemed genuinely curious, and not out of romantic infatuation too. "You could see that from the way he acts on the outside, you know." He waggled his eyebrows as though he was challenging her.

"How?"

"What does a playful puppy like to do?" He paused, gauging her expression. Her expression was blank, clearly waiting for him to elaborate. "Watch for yourself – see any similarities of him and a playful pup. Then you'll know what he's capable of."

She took his word for it and shifted her seat so she could get a view of her friend and her former sensei, without being noticed by either of them. Her eyes widened.

"Kakashi! Stop nipping my fingers!" Sakura struggled to admonish him as he wrapped a large hand over her wrist and tried biting the strawberry off her fingers.

He growled, earning a playful jab to the tummy. His grip slackened, but still firmly locked around her wrist. His growls soon turned to throaty laughter as he attempted to wrestle the little fruit from her with just his mouth.

"No! Kakashi, no!" Her beryl eyes glinted with delight, though she tried to sound displeased. She smacked his free hand that was making its way to her tummy. "Bad boy!" She giggled, feeling silly for the moment that she was talking to him as though handling a naughty pup.

He did not attempt to make any intelligible talk, save for the occasional growling and some deep rumbling he managed to muster. He snarled, but the effect was useless on her – with his inscrutable eye gleaming in mischief and the corners of his mouth turned up into a flashy grin. He would have licked her, but that meant he would have to take off his mask, which was something he would rather not do in public. Instead, acting out his 'puppy' tendencies became his priority. As though to redeem himself, he nuzzled his nose just below her ear, making cute whining sounds as he did so.

She laughed, amused by her companion's bizarre acts and played along – by tousling his hair. His whining turned into a soft growl, and with almost inhuman speed caught Sakura's wrist in his mouth. Needless to say, she was caught off guard and her shock registered on her expressions. She quickly regained her sensibilities however and shook off her hand gently. When he finally could not hold onto her hand anymore and let go, he glanced at her with an injured look. Laughing, she stroked his cheek with her thumb as her free hand came to rest on his left cheek. She leaned closer to him.

He followed her example and inclined forward. They could feel each other's even breath on their faces now and both closed their eyes. The corners of her lips twitched as she maneuvered her head around to accommodate him. His hands were now on her waist, gently but firmly pulling her closer as he too tilted his head slightly to the side. They felt a soft pair of lips pressed against the spot very near their lips. The two pulled back at the same time, opening their eyes and met each other's gaze.

The pair sitting on the bar stools now felt their mouth had gone dry after watching, for a very brief while, the lively interaction between the two. Even Genma was shocked to silence, his senbon now in one hand because his mouth had been wide opened for too long. Ino tugged on his sleeve, signaling him to turn their backs on the two, not trusting herself to be conscious for the next time they put on the act. He complied and for a long time, neither said a word. Their lips were parched, but neither could stop their trembling hands that were holding their drinking glasses steady enough to be brought to their lips. Their breaths and erratic heartbeats soon evened, the tremors in their hands disappeared as they greedily drank in their respective drinks. Still not a word passed between them – both were still trying to gather their thoughts together.

Ino cleared her throat, directing Genma's gaze from his cup to her.

"What is it?" He asked her, his voice hoarse.

"Sakura…" She could not bring her voice any higher above a whisper.

"Why?" He cast her a puzzled look.

Her eyebrow furrowed as she broke the gaze and stared at her hands on her lap. After a brief silence of agonizing contemplation, she looked up. "Do you think she'll be great in bed too?"

He snorted. "She hasn't got any prior experience, has she?"

She shook her head and replied, "But if that's how Kakashi acts… then Sakura could be just as bad."

His eyebrows arched and he gaped a little. "You don't mean…"

She nodded.

As if on cue, they turned around again – momentarily forgetting the effect of their previous experience on their nerves – and were again stunned to silence.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, you want some ootoro?" He asked her in a goading tone. In his right hand, he dangled a piece of the said food. He chuckled as he watched her eyes glint at the sight of it and moved according to the sway of the piece of fish meat. She really looked greedy, though he really could not blame her for it – it was the last piece after all. He brought it nearer to his opened mouth, still keeping an eye – literally – on her.

The hungry twinkle in her eyes soon turned to one of righteous anger. She pounced at him, her fingers bent as though her nails had shot out of their sheaths, snarling like a cat as she did so. She threw all of her weight upon him, pinning him down on his back as she dug her sharp fingernails into his jounin vest. She swiped a hand to catch the food between his fingers.

A roguish smile crept up his lips as he pulled his arm away from her grasp.

She was now straddling him, both her hands holding on tightly to his arm that was attached to the hand holding the ootoro. She was not backing down without a good fight. She adjusted herself to move forward, her eyes still on the ootoro.

Taking advantage of her distracted thoughts, Kakashi put his hand on her hip rather casually, hoping not to warn her of his next move. She was still distracted. With his signature catlike agility and his natural strength that overpowered hers, he turned her around and was soon on top of her. He was the one straddling her now and his eye flitted over to her dazed expression.

"Sakura-chan's very naughty, ne?" His voice dripped with smugness.

She narrowed her eyes, baring her teeth as she hissed at him. "Ootoro!"

He let out a deep chuckle as he held the ootoro just above her ready mouth. "No, Sakura, I'll feed you," He chided gently when her head moved up to capture the meat in her mouth. She leaned back onto the couch. His other hand rested on her forehead, stroking her head gently as he gazed at her in pleasure. "Good girl." He lowered his hand and let her eat the ootoro out of his hand, his eye locked in fascinated gaze on her mouth as her tongue licked the remaining gravy on his fingers.

Both her arms wrapped around the back of his neck as she pulled him closer. He did not attempt to resist. They were now in the same position as before, with only a tiny distance separating them physically. She brought herself up to close the distance and nuzzled her nose against the crook of his neck, purring gently as she did so.

He sat back properly, his hands placing themselves on her back to support her. He pulled her closer. She broke away abruptly when he did that, catching a look of disappointment flitting across his face. To placate him, she licked the exposed part of his face, and leaned back to see the fabric of his mask creased up. He was smiling sweetly now, and awarded her with a quick peck on the tip of her nose. She purred again and leaned forward into his embrace – this time, to stay there until they were both satisfied.

Their two other companions turned slowly to face each other. Their minds reeled as they strove to gather their wits together, especially after witnessing such… questionable conduct on their conservative friends' behalf. Well, at least now they would have to tell the Hokage that they should, at the very least, change the notion that the two were conservative. They should now be labeled as "supposedly conservative" – to benefit the onlookers who could very well pass out from watching them without warning.

This time, Genma spoke first. "Um. You wanna write the report to Tsunade-hime?"

Ino kept her silence for another moment. "Together?" Her eyebrow arched, wondering if perhaps she could use their time together to her advantage as well. At least she could kill two birds with one stone.

He grinned, wondering vaguely if he was the only one thinking of using their quality time to the fullest. "Sure." He shrugged, trying to act casual, "You might need a fact-checker and all that."

She grinned too, her eyes briefly glancing at the pair on the couch who were still in their embrace. "Yeah, I could use some help." She was relieved that he seemed interested enough to spend time with her.

Needless to say, Tsunade-sama and Shizune had a few good rounds of celebratory sake the night they read the actual report of the 'mission'.

Hope you liked it, anyways... a few points to note:

NO - Kakashi and Sakura fooling around like a puppy and kitten are not any sort of sexual implications. I know a puppy is a domesticated animal, but heck, I have creative licence here.

Any other opinions, please feel free to press the blue button below at the lower left corner of this page. Or no Chapter 15 for you. ahahhahaha... -evil cackle- Just j/k tho. Really, I'd really like to know what you think about this chapter because to me, Kakashi's a bit OOC - don't you think so? Thanks in advance and 'see' y'all in a month's time!

Update: (27/10/07) - I'll remove this once the next chapter is up ... which will be up in December. Like I said, I have major exams coming up, and it ends on the 30th of November. So I need time to write Chapter 15 which will be up approximately within the first week of December. This is the last chapter until that time.