PLEASE! Be patient with me for this chapter. As I said in the beginning, this is my first fanfic, so right now I'm experimenting. I want to move the time of the story along, so I'm learning right now. I know it may seem choppy or rushed, but I do apologize ahead of time. There is a little something in here that you guys have been asking for. hehe i won't say now, but you'll see. I'm working on the next chapter as I type this, so it should be up in a day or so.
Don't own Naruto. or Bleach. or Fruits Basket. or Air Gear. or Inuyasha. or Samurai Champloo. or Ouran High School. (but if you haven't watched any of those you should be ashamed of your self.)
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX Time Passages.
Tsunade looked out the window. The clouds were moving slowly across the vast of blue. Her mind was over flowing with a variety of emotions. The sweat was running down her brow, but she pushed forward. As she did every day, she trained her body. The medic nin had not been on a mission as kunoichi for many years, but from the damage she inflicted on the dummy in the gym, no one would ever know. The odd chakra she felt outside the apartment a week or so ago forced her to pick up the intensity of her workouts. Being here in Konoha with both her children made her motherly instincts stronger. She felt the need to protect her young, yet she could not determine from what.
Seeing Naruto with Sakura made Tsunade's heart ache. While she was happy that the twins had found each other, she was still concerned that he was still alive. Tsunade knew the time would come when she would have to face both Orochimaru and Jiraiya. At this point she could not tell which one she would rather see. Both men posed a certain danger to the woman. Orochimaru threatened her family. Tsunade wondered if Jiraiya still felt love in his heart for her.
Speaking to Jiraiya would also mean explaining to Sakura and Naruto how their whole lives had been a lie. Another conversation she dreaded. The thought of hurt and anger in Sakura's eyes made Tsunade want to cry. On the other side of that was once Naruto found out, would he forgive her? Would he give her a chance to have a relationship with him? Sighing, she charged again at the training dummy.
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Kakashi stood in front of his team. Sakura had told Naruto about the confrontation with Zaku the previous day. Naruto in turn told Kakashi. Kakashi never had any trust for Zaku, especially after he read the report of his attack on Yamanaka Ino the year before. Kakashi had been on the team to investigate whether or not to allow Zaku to return to school. Kakashi's suggestion to expel Zaku was overturned by the hokage, and Zaku remained a student here. It was no coincidence that Zaku had been placed on the former ANBU black ops member's team. It was either Kakashi's team or Asuma, the hokage's son and former member of the Twelve Elite Guardians of the Fire Country Daimyou. Since Jiraiya had specifically requested Naruto and Sakura on Kakashi's team, Kakashi was also given Zaku. He placed the book in his pocket. His normal bored expression was apparent on his one visible eye. Clearing his throat he began, "I understand there are problems with the way you three get along outside of classes."
He looked at each of them for a moment. "That does not change the fact that you are a team. My team. What you each do or fail to do in this class reflects on what I have shown you as shinobi."
Naruto looked at his cousin with disinterest. Sakura stared at the bleacher in front of her, concentrating on the name that was carved into the wood. Zaku stared off into space. It was the first time he had ever really sounded mad at them.
"Zaku is a senior and will test for a position as a Leaf Village shinobi at the end of this school year. Whether or not any of you agree with that is not my concern. My concern is getting him prepared for that test. Your ability to work as a team is also being judged. In the life of a ninja you will not always have friends as teammates. As shinobi, you always have a responsibility to your village, hokage, and teammates to complete missions successfully without injury. I suggest whatever problems you each have with one another you leave outside these gym doors. I will not have you make me look bad as your jounin advisor. I expect even more hard work from each of you. Do I need to go on?"
The three students shook their head in acknowledgment. "Since we have a problem in working as a team, we are going to do a little exercise. Three miles, through the training ground, wearing these." Kakashi held up shackles and two blindfolds. "Each one of you will take turns being the guide and leading your teammates while your ankles are shackled together. Sounds like fun huh?"
A collective sigh was heard from the three. Kakashi proceeded to lock the shackles in place. "Sakura you take the first mile, you don't have to run, but we'll be here as long as it takes you three to complete the course." Kakashi smiled an evil grin and pulled out the latest copy of his favorite series. He walked behind the team.
Sakura and Naruto rode home on the train in silence. Each one was exhausted. The bonding exercise took an extra two hours at school. Sakura thought over the things she learned that day. Kakashi had them talk about themselves when it was their turn to lead. She found out a lot about her brother as well as Zaku. For Zaku, she learned he was an orphan. He was from the Rice Field Country until he was adopted by his now father. He had also lived in Suna for a brief while, and his older adopted brother still lived there. Zaku's adopted father was a Leaf citizen, eventually they settled back in Konoha. From what it sounded like, Zaku's parents either died or abandoned him. The soft part of Sakura's heart felt the tiniest bit sorry for him. She also felt a little guilty. Here she had been worrying about how to get her parents back together, when he didn't have any. Sakura pushed that thought out of her mind, as she remembered the resentment he had for her and her friends.
The twins exited the train, and Naruto automatically walked Sakura home. Naurto kissed her on her forehead as he said goodnight. Neither noticed the last member of their team following behind.
'Gotcha Sakura.' He thought to himself. Scanning the area he noticed a building across the street. He gave three chakra enhanced jumps and sat on the roof facing what he assumed was her room. He positioned himself from sight behind a billboard sign featuring the baseball superstar Mihoshi. The object of his stalking walked into her room. Zaku sat for another hour watching. Once dusk began to creep over the sky, he jumped from his perch and headed home. Satisfied with not only knowing where Sakura lived, but also a spot to watch her from, Zaku smiled to himself.
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If anyone were to peek in Sakura's journal, they would find note after note of everything cute, scary, loving, and down right weird about one Inuzuka Kiba. Peanut butter and eggs, not only weird, but gross. They would also find a good description of how close she and Naruto were becoming. The twins were together for a majority of the afternoon, then dinner. He also began walking Sakura to the hospital on the days she trained there.
The group of ten friends were tight, but even within the group there were smaller cliques. Naruto, Hinata, Neji, Tenten, Ino, and Chouji tended to hang with each other more. Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, and Sakura would also branch off into a smaller group. The only explanation Sakura could think of was because the other six were dating. Even if Tenten and Neji didn't admit it, him picking her up to go out was considered a date. Sakura thought that if she and Kiba began dating, nothing would change, and it would still be the four of them.
Time began to pass for the juniors. The air turned slightly cooler. The village began to settle into a change of seasons. Kototaru, the local teen hang out, was sponsoring a Halloween party. The group of teens attended like many others. Hinata was a cute fox, and Ino made a perfect butterfly. Tenten let her hair down into two ponytails, wearing the look of an Indian princess. Sakura played out the role of a midnight angel dressed in all black. The boys got into the spirit also. Neji was dressed as a smooth vampire. While Naruto sported a Batman costume, and some how convinced Shikamaru to go as Robin. Hinata said it was because Shikamaru was too lazy to go get a costume, he allowed Naruto to pick his out. Chouji dressed as a doctor, and Kiba was a pirate. Sakura and Tenten tired to convince Shino to go as a ladybug, but he decided to go as a knight instead. When Kyatha showed up dressed as a poodle, a more than tipsy Sakura yelled to Kiba, "Kiba, your bitch is here." That sent Ino, Hinata, and Tenten, who were just as drunk into a fit of giggles. Shino ended up walking Sakura home, as Kiba spent the rest of the evening in an argument with Kyatha.
As fall gave way to winter weather, the holiday spirit took over the village. The group got together and exchanged gifts. Sakura helped Naruto pick out the perfect gift for Hinata's birthday, and got him into a gorgeous kimono for her formal dinner. The future rookies celebrated the beginning of a new year on the the first day of the year, since each had obligations for New Year's Eve with their own families. Sakura and her mother counted down and toasted with a glass of champagne, with the television. This was the first year they spent entirely together, without Tsunade being called in for an emergency. Naurto, Kakashi, and Jiraiya followed their small family tradition by having a meal together as they watched the countdown on television.
With the new year a few days behind them, the stress was beginning to reach a new level. The joys of the new year faded as midterms started to become a reality. Kiba could not remember when he had seen Sakura without a book in front of her face. He too was studying, but not as intensely as Shino, Sakura, Neji, and even Shikamaru. The advance classes the four were taking required more attention. The jounin senseis were becoming harder on each of the teams, as the midterm for the ninja arts class was being observed by the hokage himself. The teams containing seniors were given nearly impossible training schedules. Sakura, Naruto, Tenten, and Neji were pushed to their limit since Zaku and Lee were both seniors.
The weekend before midterms came, and Kiba knew he would see very little of Sakura the following week. He went over to Shino's knowing the pink haired girl would be there buried in some sort of book.
"Hey guys, how long have you been at it?" Kiba asked as he entered Shino's room. Sakura and Shino looked at Kiba with a daze. The pair was sitting in the middle of the floor surrounded by books.
"How long what?" Shino asked slightly confused. Shaking his head, he focused back to reality. "About three hours."
"Then that's enough. You guys have been killing yourselves the last two weeks, if you don't know it by now forget it." Kiba said plopping down on Shino's bed. He ignored Shino's look of irritation.
"Kiba, if you cared about your grades you'd be right here beside us." Shino commented. "Have you even looked at the notes for Genma sensei's math exam?"
"I did, but it got boring. Let's go do something." Kiba pulled the pillow down under his head.
"We can't Kiba, our exam is Monday." Sakura barely looked up. Her brow wrinkled as she nibbled on a pencil. "You should be looking at Kakashi sensei's exam review. He was actually laughing as he made out the exam the other day. Not ha ha either, but an evil sensei laugh. Plus did you see the corrections I made on your last chemistry test for Asuma sensei?"
"That's it I don't want to hear about midterms again! Let's go! I'm going crazy, we haven't done anything in two weeks!!" Kiba stood up. "Come on, let's go eat, swim, or hell rob a bank."
Shino sighed knowing his best friend was too active to be ignored for so long. He felt just a little guilty about ignoring him the last two weeks, but Kiba wasn't the only one Shino had pushed to the side. His voice mail and text messages were unanswered also, but his marks were too important to worry about girls at the moment. The bug master ran his hand through his hair, "Fine, give us an hour and we'll go eat, then maybe a movie or something."
"Hell yes, finally you two mummies are coming back to life. We should go to that new place Ino was talking about." Kiba landed on the bed again. "I'll text Shikamaru and see if he wants to meet us there."
"Fine, but you have to keep it down." Shino turned back to his book. For the next forty minutes Kiba listened to them mumbling formulas, as he drifted in and out of sleep on Shino's bed.
"Shino, go over Aloha Laney's theory on gravitation." Sakura asked. Kiba was coming out of his small nap and smiled at Sakura. He liked the look of panic on her face. She had been in a state of stress for the last week. He thought she looked cute worrying over exams she was probably going to ace anyway. "Oh wait no, that's not gravitation, Rinny Zito is gravitation, never mind."
"If that's gravitation then what is Skopde's Principle." Shino countered. Kiba noticed also that his best friend who was normally very cool was a little panicked too. Kiba wondered if Kurenai sensei's exams were really that hard. Kiba remembered hearing that Kotestu and Izumo had also been over to study at the bug master's home.
"Are you guys almost done, I'm starving. If we don't hurry GiantFishSquid is going to be packed and it'll take forever to get a table there." Kiba asked. He held his stomach to add to his desperation.
"Ten more minutes." Shino answered. He was working through a problem he missed on the last chapter test.
"Fine." Kiba got up and went to his room to put on a cleaner shirt. He liked his room here at Shino's house. It bonded him even closer to Shino and his family. Shino had also made the same comment about having a room at Kiba's home. The amazing thing was no matter how hard he tried, both of his bedrooms were in complete chaos, while Shino's were both neat and tidy. Kiba liked to blame Yae san and Ermina san, Shino's housekeeper, as plotting to make him look bad.
Kiba was getting use to having to share Sakura. He didn't like it, but he was learning to do it. Her team was getting closer, which had improved their performances. On the opposite side of that Zaku felt the urge to rub it in how much closer he was getting to Sakura. Each day in the locker room he taunted Kiba about the small relationship he shared with Sakura. Kiba amazingly managed to keep his temper at bay. Neji took it upon Kiba's best interest to warn Zaku to back off.
Sakura was spending more time with Naruto. The two seemed to communicate with just a glance. Kiba wanted to believe it was because their teamwork was so close. His nose however was telling him something different. There was a sense of mixed emotions their scents gave off. It was definitely love, but not lust. At first he was beginning to get jealous of the jinchuuriki. He spoke to Shino about it. Shino also said his kikai felt something was weird between the two. They decided to dismiss it, since Kiba could still smell the Sakura's attraction to him. Soon however if he didn't speak to Kyatha he would end up totally Loveless.
To make things even more difficult, Kiba, was also feeling extremely horny. Since he had started having sex freshman year, he hadn't gone without it at least once or twice a week. Now it was if he had stopped cold turkey. It was driving him insane, or maybe the insanity was caused by the increase of masturbation he was doing. (his mother did always warn him he could either go crazy or blind) Being around Sakura daily was getting harder too. Her smell. Her smile. Her jokes. Her. The material around his crotch began to tighten, and he impulsively rubbed the fabric. He wondered if Shino really meant ten minutes or more like twenty, cause if it was the latter he had time to make a quick trip to the bathroom.
"Let's go Kiba." Shino called as if reading his mind and body. Kiba sighed as his pants began to fit normally.
"Dinner! Oh my God, why didn't you guys tell me!" Sakura screamed. Her hand ran through her hair, as she looked down at her clothing. The young woman had been so wrapped in her studies the mention of dinner did not register until now. She shoved both boys, "I can't go anywhere like this! I look horrible!"
"You look fine." Shino said rubbing his arm that Sakura had pushed. Shino couldn't understand why she felt that she looked bad. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a black tank top. Her hair was in a ponytail on top of her head.
"Shino honestly, I look like crap." Sakura pulled her hair down from her ponytail.
"No little one, you look great." Kiba smiled. He reached down and stroked her cheek. Sakura blushed. This was one of Kiba's greatest assets, he could make a person feel incredibly comfortable with very little effort. Sakura touched his hand and smiled. "Okay, let's go, but after can we go to Mrs. Cake's for dessert. I want some cheesecake."
The friends enjoyed an evening of slight relaxation, as Kiba banned talked of midterms during their time out. Monday morning Sakura woke up with a small knot in her stomach. She dressed and left her bedroom to grab something to eat. She was surprised to find Kiba leaning on the counter laughing with her mom.
"Kiba what are you doing here?" Sakura asked.
"You can't take you physics midterm on an empty stomach." Kiba moved his hand toward the kitchen table. He kicked the bag from Taikiko's resturant in the open cabinet. "I made breakfast for you."
"You made breakfast?" Sakura questioned. "You or Yae san?"
"Me." Kiba said with a serious expression.
"That can't be true, the food actually smells good and looks edible."
"Hey woman, keep it up and you won't get any." Kiba crossed the kitchen and guided Sakura to a chair. "Troublesome ass."
"Now you sound like Shika." Sakura giggled. She sat down as Kiba slide the chair out for her.
"I'm beginning to agree with him."
"Okay you two, it's time to for me to be off. Good luck both of you." Tsunade turned to leave picking up her Minniemouse travel mug.
"Thanks mom."
"Thanks Haruno san." Kiba turned his attention to Sakura and served her breakfast.
'God he looks so handsome.' Inner Sakura thought. 'I could just tackle him.'
'Quiet!' She blasted back.
'NO! You've kept me under wraps for how long now because you had to study. The boy of our dreams is right here, and we can just take him.' Inner Sakura countered.
'Get back in your box!' Sakura pushed her inner self toward her box. Inner Sakura pushed back.
'Let me out!' Inner Sakura screamed.
'No! We have to be focused today!' With a chakra push she shoved Inner Sakura inside the box and sat on it.
'You are so going to regret that!' Inner Sakura pounded on the box, almost knocking Sakura off.
"Sakura, are you okay?" Kiba asked. His nose was getting confused at the conflicting scents coming from her.
Embarrassed Sakura looked at Kiba, "Mhm, sure I'm fine. Thank you for breakfast."
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Exams ended, and the students as well as the senseis let out sighs of relief. The group gathered together for Shino's seventeenth birthday. A small dinner given to him by his parents befitting the Aburame clan. The class rankings for mid year were posted too. Shikamaru was once again ranked number one, with Sakura dead on his heels as second. Neji was placed fifth and Shino was ranked seventh. It gave Sakura a sense of pride to know that three of her closest friends were in the top ten of their year.
Kyatha ate lunch with them every day, much to the girls' dismay, Sakura never saw Kiba take her out. She noticed they had not been on a date together since Shikamaru's party in September.
'If he's not taking her out, why hasn't he asked me out?' Sakura asked herself. 'I'm pretty sure he still likes me.'
'Boys are just stupid.' Inner Sakura answered.
She also found herself spending many Saturday nights outside on the roof with him, under the bless full moon. When the weather had turned cold for the season, she began letting him in her room. Kiba at first felt this was dangerous considering his sexual frustration, but the mark on his back reminded him to control his urges. One night while there in early January, he found himself looking at the pictures on her wall again when Sakura went to get snacks from the kitchen. Many of the pictures of her and her friends from Suna had been replaced with pictures of her new group of friends.
There were some shots from Shikamaru's party and Ino's party. The girls in a mud fight at a spa. The group dressed in Halloween costumes. Her team at the training grounds. A picture of Sakura, Naurto, and Jiraiya together, which had 'Naruto and Sakura 4 Eva' in Naruto's scribbled writing across the bottom. Kiba and her exchanging gifts at Christmas. (he still couldn't believe he paid three hundred dollars for a pair of boots, but damn they looked hella good on her) He smiled as he looked over the memories they shared. He thought of the first time he was in here, looking at her memories. These were now their memories. A frown crossed his face when he saw there was still a photograph of her and Gaara embracing. 'Why would she still have that?' It made his heart drop as he also saw a card addressed to him. 'Is she still in love with him?' Sighing, he sat back down. Both jealousy and sadness playing with his heart. He knew he needed to talk to Kyatha about avoiding him. The young Inuzuka woman couldn't or wouldn't agree to a second date with Kiba. Pushing the feelings of jealousy and sadness to the back of his mind, he sat on Sakura's bed turning on the tv, the theme for the anime Ianuk, the Black Kat beginning.
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Kiba waited for Kyatha after school. Kyatha exited the school with a group of giggling girls. Kiba crossed the sidewalk to talk to her.
"Kiba kun, I'm surprised to see you leaving school on time." Kyatha said loudly. Her smile covering most of her face. "I am too cool right now, being seen with you. You are usually here late training."
"Yeah, well not today. So about Friday are you going or not? Otaku Freak is a club, but it allows people our age in, or we could just go see that new movie, Night Wish."
"Um I don't think I can. One of my friends is having a sleep over, and well you understand." Kyatha answered loudly. The group of friends giggled at hearing Kyatha turn down one of the school's hottest guys. Unbeknown to Kyatha most of her friends knew he was only asking her out due to some clan obligation, but no one let on.
"Why are you making this difficult?" Kiba stared at her. His fists shoved in his pockets.
"I don't know what you are talking about. I just have plans already." Kyatha tried to give an innocent smile.
"Look make up your mind, or I'm going to the elders. I'm the future clan leader, and I'm not going to chase you." Kiba answered gruffly and walked away. Kyatha stood in place shocked, hoping none of her friends heard that last comment.
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Sakura stepped out of the shower. It was the beginning of February, and every where she looked there was evidence of Valentine's Day approaching. Never had she been so disgusted by the color pink. She started wearing hats each day just to avoid looking at her own hair color. The past month had been a whirlwind of preparing for midterms she failed to pay attention to anything else around her. The young woman slipped into her pajamas and climbed into bed. Her dreams had been more and more realistic lately. They were plagued with snakes and a strange man she could not place. It almost made her hate going to sleep. These next two weeks was part of her mother's turn of nights at the hospital, plus it was a bad flu season and doubled her mom's work load. Sakura was home alone. To make matters a little worse, since the fight with Fuki and her friends, Sakura was having more trouble with her genjutsus.
The mid term in her ninja class made it even worse. Her team was paired against Neji's. By the end of the fight, her side was on fire and she could barely hold on to the genjutsu. It completely drained her. Kakashi noticed and was concerned that the curse seal was affecting her. Sakura naturally denied it, stating she was just tired. She wasn't quite sure if he believed her, but she noticed his gaze on him more often. The thoughts of genjutsu were starting to take over, as Sakura drifted off to sleep.
Once again her dreams turned to one of a frantic panic. Sakura turned in her sleep. He stood there watching her as he had done nights before. The object of his affection had been so wrapped up in her own world she never noticed him there. Behind her, watching her. He visited her room at least once a day. He found another spot to watch her from. He knew Kiba would be able to smell him, if he went to the rooftop they shared. This was the third night he watched her sleep. He wondered what she was dreaming. Her face twisted in pain and fear. His body moved on it's own before his mind could tell him to stop. A soft touch on her face with his left hand. He cupped her cheek and stroked her hair. She stirred in her sleep. Zaku tried to calm her, but she turned on her side. Her body jolted up, and she began to scream just has he managed to get out of the room.
Sakura touched her cheek. Her eyes wide with fear. She reached for her phone to call Naruto.
"Hey Sakura chan, what's up?" Her brother asked. His attention divided between her and the video game, Ianuk Foca, the Last Samurai, he was playing.
"Naruto kun, someone was in my room! I felt someone touch my cheek! Please get over here!" Sakura said in one breath. She tried to calm herself, but her hands were shaking wildly.
"Sakura chan, calm down. I'm on my way." Naruto closed the phone and jumped out of bed. He pulled on pants over his boxers and a shirt. He grabbed his bag and went into his bathroom to get his toothbrush and stuff. He walked out into the living room where his father was working.
"Hey old man, Sakura chan had a bad dream, I'm going over there tonight." Naruto said.
"What? Is she ok, where's her mother?" Jiraiya asked. He looked up from the paper his was writing on. "Do I need to come also?"
"No, she just watched some stupid movie that has her freaked out. This is her mom's two weeks on nights at the hospital, so she's home alone." Naruto started putting on his sandals. "See ya tomorrow."
Naruto arrived to find Sakura sitting on the bottom step to her apartment. She ran to him and embraced him.
"Are you ok?" Naruto asked, he looked over her as if she were hurt.
"I'm fine, just scared." Sakura began to feel better the moment she saw him.
"Let's go upstairs." Naruto looked around the neighborhood searching for the offender.
"Naruto kun, do you think we can keep this a secret. I mean especially since I'm having such a hard time with my genjutsus." Sakura asked as she started to prepare a make shift bed for Naruto on her bedroom floor.
"Yeah, we can. Do you think it was him?" Naruto asked. He began to pull off his shirt. "I mean if he's trying to come back, I think we need to tell someone."
Sakura sat on her bed holding the blanket. "I don't know. The last time this happened, my mom moved us."
"Sakura chan, this is serious, you could die! I can't have that, I've just gotten you back!" Naruto sat beside her. "I can't lose you."
"Maybe we could tell Kakashi niisan, but just not now." Sakura lifted her head to meet Naruto's eyes.
"Deal, but Sakura chan, I'm not leaving you alone again." Naruto put his hand on top of hers. "We are going to have to tell mom and dad that we know."
"Yeah. We are." Sakura stood again to finish the bed. "I love you Naruto futago no niisan."
"I love you too Sakura futago no imouto. Get to sleep." Naruto watched her climb into bed. He then laid down on her floor. His hands under his head as he waited to hear Sakura's breath even out before he closed his eyes.
Tsunade entered her home exhausted. She hated the night shift, but it was part of her duty. To her shock she opened Sakura's bedroom door to find both her children sleeping. Naruto on the floor, and Sakura in her bed. 'What happened to cause this?' She wondered but pulled the door closed. Over the last few months Naruto had been at their home more often. Having him there made her feel happy again. Smiling she thought maybe she should contact Jiraiya and talk to the kids. The idea of coming home to both of them gave her heart hope. If she were being truthful, she would admit she would also want to come home to Jiraiya as well.
For the next two weeks, Naruto stayed with Sakura. Hinata was slightly concerned, but never said a word. She trusted both Naruto and Sakura. Kiba was in the same boat. He was hurt that Sakura didn't ask him to protect her from the scary dreams. Shino pointed out to Kiba wouldn't last a two nights sleeping in the same room as Sakura. Laughing to himself, Kiba had to admit Shino was right. He and Sakura had an unspoken agreement about contact. Sakura would often sit on Shino's lap or Shikamaru's, but never Kiba's. Each day became more difficult for both of the teens. Sakura loved the way Kiba looked in his winter coat. The hoodie pulled over his head made him mysterious and sexy. For Kiba, seeing Sakura in the black tights instead of knee socks, drove him mad. He loved looking at how they outlined the curves of her legs.
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Shino and Kiba met Sakura at the hospital after her volunteer shift on Saturday. The trio walked from the hospital to Sakura's home. Sakura lagged behind as her mind drifted to the upcoming Valentine's Day. She wanted to do something nice for her friends and brothers, including Kakashi niisan. Naruto was easy. She could take him to ramen, and he would love her forever. 'What about dad...' Her mind drifted. Suddenly she was pushed. She reached for her kunai that was hidden in her pouch. Then she realized her attacker was being tackled by Kiba. Her head spinning, she looked around at the scene in front of her.
"Get up! What the hell are you guys doing?" Sakura screamed. Her faced scanned the two that had almost tackled her. "KANKURO?!? GAARA?!?"
so there it is, another chapter. like i said up there i hope it wasn't too bad, and you enjoyed it. i tried to work in everyone that review chapter 23 like i said i would, but if i left you out, i'm soooooo sorrrry. please don't flame me. i'm really nervous about this chapter and the next one. anyway, please review, if you want. and i'll try to have the next chapter up by wednesday, cause i know how bad cliff hangers suck.
terri.