SAKURA WHIMPERED AS Gaara's fingers trailed down her side, his thumb grazing over her nipple before passing over her ribs and the feminine swell of her hips. He frowned at his right hand, realizing that the cast on his hand would hamper his activity.

He paused his activities to viciously claw at the cast, much to Sakura's surprise. "Gaara! Stop it, you need that."

"No I don't," he growled, rolling over so that his weight trapped her to the bed. "I need to have sex with you, but this fucking confounded piece of-"

"Gaara. Calm yourself. There are more positions than one, you know..." Sakura pointed out. She was secretly wondering how someone so emaciated as he could have such a heavy mass. Part of her, in the back of her mind, was relieved that she was attracted to Gaara and not Sasori. She'd have been crushed, most likely.

Gaara's eyes narrowed and a wide smirk stretched across his mouth. "Hn. How many can you think of that don't require the use of my hands?"

"A few," she purred, pressing against his chest. He grinned lecherously as he allowed her to shove him onto his back. He had to admit, he liked the view. He wasn't in charge anymore, but he could definitely still command the show if he wanted to.

Sakura's fingers daintily scrabbled across his chest as she undid his buttons. Every so often she had to stop and bat his wandering hands away when they ventured too close to her breasts; she didn't want to get distracted.

"Gaara, I think tonight I'm getting a proper Christmas present, hmm? I even get to unwrap it..." She giggled when a rosy blush graced his cheeks. She teased him by deliberately touching anywhere and everywhere but his zippers. "You can't touch. I have to unwrap you by myself."

His eyes darkened with unhidden anger; he didn't like not being able to control the situation. His anger dissipated when she quickly undid his pants and tugged them off in an expert fashion. Sometimes she was so innocent he forgot she was a wildcat in bed...

She trailed her finger-tips lightly across his nipples and down his concave abdomen and over his jutting hip-bones to the hem of his boxer-briefs. However, she did not touch them; she enjoyed irritating him and teasing him. It was something she so rarely got to do. He gasped when she pressed a hand against his raging erection, only fleetingly.

"Sakura, would y-" Gaara's speech broke off into a masculine grunt of surprised approval when suddenly she yanked his underwear down and pressed a hand to his throbbing cock, encircling it with her dainty hand. She looked up at him with a dirty smirk as she tentatively flicked the tip of her tongue across the head of his shaft, eliciting a sharp hiss.

Sakura took him in her mouth, pulling him in until he was fully encompassed by her hot lips. She pressed her tongue against the base of his penis, flicking her tongue back and forth as she drew away, creating a pleasing suction. Gaara whined in a low, guttural moan, resisting the urge to grab her by the hair. How long had it been since they'd last had sex? He couldn't even remember. All he could think about was her mouth, the liquid heat of her lips and tongue, and the delicious feel of everything she was doing to him.

Gaara growled in frustration when she pulled away from him, leaving him wanting for more. She pressed her hands against his shoulders, leaning in close as she whispered, "You like to watch, don't you, Gaara?"

"If you don't-"

"Don't what, Gaara? What do you want me to do to you?" she whispered, her voice becoming low and sultry. "Is the legendary Gaara Sabaku begging me to suck him off?"

Gaara's glare darkened when she began to giggle mirthlessly. With a snarl of disgust he grabbed her by the hips, pushed her underwear aside, and positioned her over his waiting erection.

"Hey! I said you couldn't touch!"

"I didn't agree to that. I also didn't agree to you teasing me. You'll regret doing that."

Sakura had little time to retort before he thrust her body down onto him. He slammed his hips upwards, sheathing himself fully within her. Sakura cried out, pressing her hands against his chest in attempt to steady herself. Gaara's hands gripped her hips so tightly she knew there would be bruises in the morning.

His cast dug into her left hip so badly that she was afraid it might bleed, but that didn't stop him or the pleasure-filled sensation that was swirling within her. Sakura moaned as his thrusts grew more and more rhythmic, lulling her into a suspended state of pre-orgasmic bliss.

Gaara watched, transfixed, as his thrusts jarred her breasts into motion. Sakura whimpered when he tightened the grip of his cast-covered hand, not wanting to let her go. He noticed the discomforted tone and shifted his hand to relieve the unwarranted pain.

Sakura pressed her hands into his chest, leveraging herself as she began to lift herself up and down. She twisted her hips as she pulled upwards, then twisted them again as she slammed her hips back down upon him. Gaara gasped out loud as the sensation overrode his other senses. Sakura gleefully took over, raising her hips up and down as she rode him.

She could tell that he was getting close to cumming; his breathing was erratic and he had his eyes screwed shut in a pleasured grimace. She wanted to close her eyes, be still, as she enjoyed the road to release but she couldn't.

Gaara groaned in frustration when her movements became clumsy and frantic with the need to orgasm; he wasn't going to get anywhere this way. He grabbed her forcefully by the hips, flipped them over so that he could finish the job himself. Using his left arm to support his weight, he began to piston his hips back and forth, angling his hips to hit the sensitive spots within her that he had come to know very well. Sakura cried out, arching upwards at the contact. She panted heavily as she thrust relentlessly into her, never ceasing his animalistic motions. Gaara let out a strangled breath of relief when she finally tumbled over the cusp of reality and fell into brilliant oblivion.

He didn't bother to resist the urge to spill his seed within her; it was too much effort to withhold himself. He grunted and collapsed on top of her, his arm protesting from the strain of the undue burden it had been forced to hold.

Sakura mewled in pleasure as she traced lazy circles on the skin of his lower back, just near the base of his spine. "Do you have any more presents for me, Gaara?"

Gaara pulled back to give her a steady look. "Don't push your luck, woman."


[.-_-.]


SHIKAMARU, KIBA AND Sasori sat on the couch in awkward silence as they stared at the television, completely unable to focus on the movie they were watching.

"So a mollusk and a sea cucumber walk into the bar—"

"Oh yes! Right there, Sasuke!"

The three boys tore their focused glares away from the television screen to cast weary looks at the door to Sasuke and Naruto's room.

Kiba whined loudly, unable to contain his misery. "This is the worst Christmas ever..."

"It's not even Christmas yet..." commented Sasori, his face dark red. He was mortified.

Kiba could no longer contain his tears. He wailed loudly, grabbing a coach pillow to press his face into as the flood of tears began to flow. "This blows!"

Shikamaru sighed dejectedly as he watched the little clown fish swim in circles. 'Nemo! Don't you dare –' "I'm never gonna get laid!"

Kiba let out an even louder wail, which subsided to racking sobs. "I'd even take a touch! Why won't anyone just touch my dick!?"

"What about Fae? She seemed game enough," muttered Shikamaru sourly. "I couldn't get pussy if I tried."

"She—wait, where is she?" Kiba sniffed loudly as he looked around.

"Oh, Sasuke!"

Kiba's eyes narrowed when he heard Fae's passionate exclamation.

"Son of a mother fucker! She's having sex, too! What the fuck... He doesn't even like girls!"


[.-_-.]


"DO IT AGAIN!" demanded Naruto in a hushed voice, repressing the urge to chortle wildly. Fae grinned devilishly and manufactured another moan.

"O-oh! Right there, ohhhhh."

Sasuke had his hands clamped over his mouth in an attempt to remain quiet. All three of them were pressed up against Naruto's door, listening to the reactions of those in the living room.

"You'll touch the gay boy's dick but you won't touch mine?" they could hear Kiba howl in anger and frustration. "You fucking suck! Bitch, you don't get a thing from me for Christmas! Unless you wanna play with my thing! But other than that fuck you!"

Fae couldn't contain her guffaw of amusement at his words. They could practically hear him stomping back to his room before he slammed the door.

"You guys... that was priceless," hissed Sasuke, pressing his lips against Naruto's neck. "Kind of makes me actually want-"

"Woah. Hey now. Keep your trouser snake in your trousers, sir," commanded Fae with a laugh. "This is a pretend tryst!"

Their conversation was interrupted when something collided with the door. "Let me in! I'll do almost anything! Just touch it! Please!"

The three of them couldn't help but burst into laughter at Kiba's desperation. Poor guy...


[.-_-.]


THREE DAYS LATER, on Christmas Eve, Tsunade sat at her desk with her head in her hands. She was so nervous that she couldn't contain herself. Tomorrow she would be making the deal of a lifetime; she risked losing her entire career and even going to prison. Oddly enough, Jiraiya was on her side, though a part of her was sure he just wanted in her pants.

Tsunade toyed with the gifts she'd gotten for each of the members of South wing. No matter what, they'd always be her favorites...

For Gaara, she's gotten him a set of henna pigments and terpines so that he could create art with them. For Sakura, she'd gotten her a complete bath set along with some minimalistic make-up. The poor girl had seen some better days in regards to the quality of her hair. The less than stellar cuisine left something to be desired for hair-care health.

Naruto had gotten an art set as well, though it was one more akin to his style. For Sasuke she had selected an intriguing book series about a dark, fantastical world. Kiba's present was a new collar—she'd noticed that his old one had broken a few months ago—and a new set of clothing. Two new hoodies, of the most comfortable and stylish degree, awaited Kai. For Fae she'd had Jiraiya seek out a dirty romance series—Jiraiya had actually had quite the series hidden away in his attic.

Sasori's gift was a set of puzzles, a journal, and a black coat that would reach his knees. For Kankuro, she'd selected a set of body paints and a small-but-intricate marionette doll. For Shikamaru, she'd endeavored to get him hobbyist books on things such as sewing, crocheting, Sudoku, simple mechanics, astronomy, and even origami. She figured that he had to be bored with all the time that he now had on his hands.

These gifts were just a precursor, though. After she presented them with their presents, she had a small proposition planned for them. She could only hope that it went over as she anticipated...


[.-_-.]


"OH COME ON," snapped Kankuro, shoving Naruto's hand away from his face. "I'm not kissing him. I don't give a shit if you put a hundred mistletoe over our heads, it's not gonna happen!"

"Come on, Kankuro! He's desperate!" pleaded Naruto. "Kiba was practically screaming at us to-"

Naruto couldn't finish his sentence because Kiba had his hand clamped firmly over his mouth. "That was directed to Fae not you! I don't like the 'd'! I'm only down with the 'p!'"

"Yeah, p as in penis," smirked Sasuke. Kankuro laughed loudly, turning away from them to adjust the ugly stockings that they had all worked together to make.

Naruto wrestled free of Kiba's grip, grabbing onto Kankuro's arm. "Hey! You seem to be in a really good mood, eh? I hear you finally got laid!"

Kai reddened, glaring at Naruto in embarrassment .

"W-Well it's true!" he chuckled sheepishly. "I'm sorry... but damn! Where'd the time go! Can you believe it? Tomorrow's Christmas! I fucking love Christmas!"

Kankuro shrugged gruffly and ambled away from the stockings, seeing them as properly hung over the 'fireplace'. The fireplace was actually just a large picture of a poorly drawn fireplace that Naruto had endeavored to tape onto the wall.

"Ah, yeah, the big fat man bringing us presents we don't deserve... Too bad Santa isn't real. I could totally use some coal," mused Kankuro, chuckling darkly. "Maybe then we could have an actual fire."

"Oh shut up, you pessimistic son of a bitch," chided Naruto, pelting him with peanuts. "Wonder when Tsunade will get here to help us put out the cookies..."

"She's actually gonna come for that?" demanded Gaara, sitting up on the couch. Sakura tumbled off of his chest and onto the floor. She glared at him reproachfully. "That's weird... she's never done that before."

Naruto laughed and held up the mistletoe so he had an excuse to kiss Sasuke. "Yeah, well, she loves us, so we're special."

"No, Naruto, you're special. As in you need a helmet when you're not supervised!" jibed Fae, tickling him relentlessly. Kiba reddened angrily.

The sound of their door swinging open ended their brief spat as Tsunade and Jiraiya waddled into the room. Jiraiya was decked out in a Santa outfit that was obviously too large for him.

"Sorry we're so late, guys, I had to make all my rounds and some of the patients are just so clingy..." Jiraiya shivered at the thought of the fat woman who'd sat in his lap and refused to get up until he listened to her sing "Santa Baby."

"Yes, well, if you weren't such a pervert you wouldn't have let that slag sing to you in such a way!" Tsunade said with a scowl, hefting her plate of cookies a little bit higher. Jiraiya groaned in frustration.

"Oh come on! She was heavier than three of you! What was I supposed to do?"

Gaara leaned in, wide eyed , as he stared at Jiraiya's outfit. For a moment, Jiraiya was excited and expecting Gaara to praise him for dressing up. "Hn. I thought you'd be fatter..."

Jiraiya dead panned and gave Gaara a dirty look. "Oi. I still have time to bring you coal tomorrow you little shit." '

"Hey! Watch your mouth, you grungy old toad!" snapped Tsunade, playfully shoving Jiraiya. They were cut together, actually. They'd never admit that they were together, but it was charming. Jiraiya's prematurely white hair denied his age; he was only in his early forties. Tsunade was probably around the same age, though her looks didn't show it.

The cookies and tray were sat down on the floor. Jiraiya pulled out a rather large book which he intended to read to them. Gaara smiled when Tsunade offered him a cookie and took a timid bite before wolfing down the rest of the cookie in one bite.

Gaara and Sakura cuddled on the couch with Naruto and Sasuke huddling on the other end of the couch. Kankuro was on the floor with his back propped against the couch and Kai cradled in his lap. Fae was nestled up against Sasuke, for the soul purpose of pissing off Kiba, who sat on the floor next to Sasori and Shikamaru.

Jiraiya sat down on the floor before them, seeingly uncaring of the position that would be uncomfortable for most. Cross-legged, he sat as he waited for them to focus on him. He produced a large, well-made book from his Santa sack. Tsunade smiled at him reassuringly when he gave her a nervous look.

"Jiraiya here wrote up a story just especially for all of you! Pay close attention; it's unlike any Christmas story you've ever heard before!" Tsunade spoke with an alluring tone of voice that she knew would rope them in. They fell for it hook line and sinker.

"Ah... here we go," murmured Jiraiya, opening the book to the first page and hoisting it up for them to see. "There once was an elf who's work was top-shelf, though he could neither reach nor see it. This elf was glad, and rarely mad, to do his work without profit."

The page showed a small elf, who looked quite young, with red hair and a green hat. Next to him was one that looked exactly the same and the other was taller with darker hair. "His brothers were two and loved him more than he knew, not that he'd ever admit. A twin and one older, though age is in the eye of the beholder, as most of them were old spirits."

The next page showed the three brothers in somber positions as they made their toys. "These little boys always made their toys, even if at times they were scared of the fat man. Jolly and merry and oh so very hairy, yet the tightest sleigh he ran."

This page showed the trio, trapped by the lasso of a rope. They were being hauled away by dark, scary looking elves. "For no fault of their own, the darks of the world were they shown. In self defense they were forced to fight, though this was a match that shed some light."

The trio was in a cell, being poked and prodded by two characters that looked suspiciously like Jiraiya and Tsunade. "A woman of life and a man of strife had come together to mend their fragile souls. These were the jolly fat man's instruments of good, and they deserved to work as all elves should."

The next page showed them sitting at a table with other elves, all of them wearing dull gray uniforms. One was blonde, others had brown hair, and two had black hair. One even had bright pink hair, how odd. "With the others they were placed, those of broken mind and all one of a kind. Together they learned and together they grew until the two doctors knew..."

The elves were covered in red, smiles on their faces and paintings before their bodies. "They had learned to destroy but what they destructed was nary a toy, but a man instead. In fact his image was quite, quite red."

Santa was shown sleeping, surrounded by the elves. "Santa was relieved by their progress, knowing that he could leave them without feelings of duress. The doctors were proud of their delightful crowd."

Tsunade smiled slightly as she watched them all follow along with Jiraiya. The story was quite obviously written about them; she'd asked him to write it as a means to introduce the ideas tonight, allow them to stew on it for the next few hours before Christmas, and then she could act upon it the next day after she gave them their presents.

She was staking her entire career on them and could only hope that it wouldn't blow up in her face.

After a while, they began to drift off to sleep. She supposed it had been years since they'd actually been read to in that way, which was normal considering how old they were. What wasn't normal was the probability of a lack of such a simple gesture as a child.

Before leaving for the night, Tsunade and Jiraiya wandered around and collected blankets to cover them with. They also dragged in a fake Christmas tree so that they could put the presents underneath the tree. Or rather, Jiraiya dragged in the Christmas tree while Tsunade encouraged him and told him what a good job he was doing.

To her credit, she decorated it by herself. That was a task deemed too quiet for him and his loud mannerisms. After they finished with their holiday festivities, they meandered back to Jiraiya's office and collapsed onto his couch. Jiraiya must have been truly feeling the spirit of Christmas because he didn't try to feel her up—not once.


[.-_-.]


GAARA REPRESSED THE urge to stretch out his arms and stretch like a dinosaur. He liked it when Sakura did that; it was cute and the sound of her adorable little yawn made him want to crush her to death in a bear hug. However, this morning she was still asleep and their close proximity didn't permit him such a ranged motion.

Instead, he looked around him, appreciating the effort that Tsunade and Jiraiya—but mostly Jiraiya—had put into decorating their quarters. He'd naturally been unable to sleep with Jiraiya still in the room. He had an undeniable and unfaltering trust for the man, but that was just it—he was a man. He wasn't sure if his trust stemmed from the childhood traumas subjected to him by his pseudo=father, or if it was just the supremacy of breasts that put him at ease. He hoped for the latter, but knew it was probably the former.

Gaara now looked around for his companions, wondering whether or not they'd slept well. Jiraiya's story had irked him. The characters were unabashedly similar to he and his wing-mates, but he couldn't understand for what reason. In the end they'd helped Santa kill off the bad elves, but he wasn't sure what that meant. They hadn't been returned to the North Pole to work there, but instead they stayed where they were.

He evicted the troubling thoughts when he noticed Sasori, Shikamaru, and Kiba laying next to each other like soldiers. It was a little bit humorous, but not enough to smile. His gaze flicked over to where Naruto, Sasuke, and Fae lay sprawled out. Sasuke and Naruto were naturally embracing one another, but Fae, curiously enough, had an arm and leg flung over their torsos. Gaara wasn't sure what to make of that. He did smile slightly when he saw Kankuro and Kai curled up at the foot of the couch. Gaara was pleased that Kankuro finally had someone to make him happy, because even Gaara had to recognize that Kankuro did more for him than anyone else had his entire life. He just didn't know how to thank him.

There was a gentle knock on the door before Tsunade and Jiraiya trekked in, both wearing wrinkly-but-fresh clothing. Tsunade looked absolutely radiant while Jiraiya was incredibly less so. Unbeknownst to the South wing, Tsunade was a couch-hog and blanket stealer. They hadn't been able to spoon—as he would have preferred—which ended up with them both sleeping with one head per end of the couch and resulted in her taking up the majority of it.

Tsunade was smart in waking Naruto first—the ruckus he caused was enough to wake everyone simultaneously. Gaara winced when Sakura jerked awake, elbowing him in the ribs. She gave him an apologetic look and kissed him lightly on the lips; he couldn't complain after that.

Tsunade passed out gift, sitting down and waiting with baited breath to open them. Kankuro surprised her by jumped up and running to his room.

"Kankuro, what are you doing?" she inquired, standing up nervously.

"I gotta go give Temari her present! What time is it? Did she leave yet?" he demanded, his face and hands appearing on the door-frame as he got ready to fulfill his duty as a brother. Gaara looked into his lap guiltily, remembering that he hadn't gotten her anything. He surmised that just his physical contact and seeking out advice had been proof to her of his caring for her, so perhaps that wasn't a big deal to her.

Tsunade checked her watch. "Well it's only six-fifty-two, so I think she's still here, but—wait! Aren't going to open your present?"

"She leaves at seven! I'll be right back, I gotta go give her this and then I'll open my present! Promise!" he assured, rushing off at breakneck pace. Tsunade wilted and sat down again.

"So... do we wait for him to get back or do we just open them now?" inquired Naruto, staring longingly at his present.

"Wait," said Sasori , resolutely. Naruto reddened slightly, but nodded in compliance. Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged weary looks and then sighed. This wasn't going as planned.


[.-_-.]


"OI! TEMARI! WAIT, wait! Hang on," panted Kankuro, slowing down just in the nick of time before knocking the both of them on their asses. Temari looked up from the floor in surprise; she'd already ben packed up and heading out to her car.

She did as he requested, slowing to a halt as she took in his sweaty, disgruntled appearance. "What's up?"

"I had to run all the way from freaking South wing to get this to you..." he panted, only managing a few words between every breath. "I forgot how far of a distance that is, fuck..."

"Y-you got me a present!?"she shrieked, throwing her arms around him before he could admit that he had. She took the box in her hands, shyly, and gave him a tender smile before promptly sitting down on the floor to open it.

She pulled the lid of the large box off very carefully. What she found inside took her breath away. "Kankuro..."

"I remembered when we were little you always had one... I had Naruto make the clothes, so technically it's from him, too, but... I thought you needed a new one." Kankuro wished he could repress that damnable blush that had crept across his cheeks and neck, making his skin hot. He shifted uncomfortably when she didn't' say anything. Did she not like it. "I'm sorry if-"

"No, I love it! I just... how the hell did you make this?" she demanded, her eyes clearly showing disbelief.

"Well, I kind of technically have a carving knife that I'm not supposed to have but... I took apart a few things around the place so I could get the screws for the arms and legs and I mean... well the rest was easy. I knew you hadn't had a doll since... since we got here. I know you're technically too old for 'em, but... I didn't think it was fair you had to lose your childhood just cause we did, ya know?"

Kankuro pressed his lips together when he realized he was rambling. He pressed a hand against his neck to see if it was still hot to the touch. It was burning. Oh geez. Temari catapulted herself off the floor and hugged him so fiercely he almost fell over.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you, Kankuro. You guys didn't steal my childhood... you guys make me happy. Don't ever forget that."

Kankuro awkwardly wrapped his arms around her and pressed his face into her neck. "I love you, too, Temari. No matter how big of an asshole I may be."

"You're an asshole. But just a little one," she chuckled, giving him an extra squeeze before she pulled away. "Now go enjoy your Christmas!" she commanded, kissing him on the cheek as was customary for her to do. Kankuro smiled sheepishly and nodded, walking slowly back down the hallway.

That had been surprisingly fulfilling.


[.-_-.]


TSUNADE SIGHED IMPATIENTLY as everyone waited for Kankuro to return. It was projected that his brief visit with Temari would take up about a half an hour of the morning's time, due to the ridiculous amount of space between this wing and the reception desk. It was both a security and safety measure to keep them so far away from the front doors that remained unlocked during the day. There were always guards posted there, but with patients such as the ones in this building, one could never be too careful.

Jiraiya gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder and sat down in front of the television to find a suitable came to play. He was disappointed to see that the only game that wasn't completely mind-numbing was Just Dance. "Hey, princess, after you give them their presents maybe we should invest in some decent games, eh? These are boring enough to drive me insane..."

" Protocol-"

"Protocol can kiss my old, white ass," growled Jiraiya,, picking up the DVD box for Nemo. "This is what they watch? Kankuro's seventeen! He's old enough to watch rated-R movies... they can at least swing PG-13... I know they're not allowed too much violence but you can see me drama in kid's cartoons than this stuff..."

Tsunade frowned angrily. He was making her look like the enemy, when it wasn't really her decision what they did and didn't get to watch. They broke enough rules for them as it was; she couldn't afford to break them all. "Jiraiya, I can't just allow them to watch whatever they want. They could react negatively... at least that's what the Board says, but I can't go against the Board... I break enough rules already!"

Gaara sat up at the mention of rule breaking. That kind of excited him; it made him proud that she could break the rules as well. "You break rules?"

Tsunade blanched, realizing she'd said too much before she'd lulled them into a good mood with their presents. "Yeah... I'll explain later." Her look pleaded for understanding, which he obliged. He didn't say anything else, but she could see that he was intrigued.

Luckily for her, Kankuro burst through the door slightly read-faced. He'd gotten bored of walking and taken off running again, longing to see what he'd gotten for Christmas. He'd never actually gotten such a personal gift from the staff before; usually they were just picked at random out of a crate.

Tsunade beamed and handed him back his present. "All right everyone! Dig in! Tell me what you think..."

Gaara was overjoyed with his henna paints and terpines—she could see the mysterious glint in his eye and had to say that it frightened her a bit. Sakura almost vanished off to the bathroom to try her new bath set, but Tsunade was relieved when Gaara halted her, advising her to stick around.

Naruto admired his art set while Sasuke, Fae, and Shikamaru admired their new books. They were some of the few who could truly appreciate those kinds of gifts—especially Fae with her smutty romance novels.

Sasori and Kai both slipped into their attire, while Kankuro was half-tempted to strip himself down and paint weird patterns into his skin. For the sake of modesty, he instead opted to play with his new marionette, smiling idly as it listened to his commands. Kiba also donned his new collar and shamelessly stripped to change into his new clothing. No one missed the exasperated scowls from Naruto and Sasuke. Shikamaru couldn't be bothered to look up from his various hobbyist books.

Naruto had gotten an art set as well, though it was one more akin to his style. For Sasuke she had selected an intriguing book series about a dark, fantastical world. Kiba's present was a new collar—she'd noticed that his old one had broken a few months ago—and a new set of clothing. Two new hoodies, of the most comfortable yet stylish degree, awaited Kai. For Fae she'd had Jiraiya seek out a dirty romance series—Jiraiya had actually had quite the series hidden away in his attic.

Sasori's gift was a set of puzzles, a journal, and a black coat that would reach his knees. For Kankuro, she'd selected a set of body paints and a small-but-intricate marionette doll. For Shikamaru, she'd endeavored to get him hobbyist books on things such as sewing, crocheting, Sudoku, simple mechanics, astronomy, and even origami. She figured that he had to be bored with all the time that he now had on his hands.

"How do you guys like the new gifts?" asked Jiraiya, smiling widely. Everyone nodded and a few even murmured 'thank-you's.'

"Good... because I have an even more... pleasing offer for you," began Tsunade, her voice trembling nervously. Shikamaru and Sasori had already heard the whole speech, the complete way through at least five times so that she could get it down properly.

"What?" Gaara's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Jiraiya and I know what you've all—minus Sasori and Fae—have been doing. We aren't here to chastise you and tell you that it's morally wrong and we're separating you all for your... liberation front. We're here, rather, to tell you that we do approve. Because what you are doing is morally,well... it's something that we can support."

Gaara repressed the urge to laugh at her incredulously. This was ludicrous. "You're a terrible doctor if you actually support this... I am not looking to change your opinion for that would be unwise, but..."

"Wait a second! You mean you actually knew what we did to... to the people like Kisame?" demanded Naruto, rising to his feet. His new artist's set tumbled to the floor, forgotten.

"Yes, we did. I was the one who found Kisame. Startled me, to be honest. Why do you think you haven't been caught by now? I admit, you've gotten better at covering your tracks but it's still a bit obvious..." Tsunade smirked as she watched the wheels turn in their mind. Sasori and Shikamaru knew her plan, but they were remaining silent to allow the others a chance to let the information sink in.

"So... if you know all of that, then why are you here? I take it you're here for more than just warning us to cover our tracks?" surmised Kankuro, his eyes dark with mistrust.

"What? Then... why are you guys even here?" Kai pondered aloud. Kankuro nodded in agreement.

"Indeed," murmured Sasuke, his eyes narrowing as he stared at his books. "They're probably here to butter us up before the orderlies come in and take us all off to solitary for the rest of our short lives..."

"No, no," assured Jiraiya, his smile darkening. "You see, that's where we come in..."

"Get to the point! All of this word-play is making my head hurt..." growled Kiba, biting into his thumb with his canine.

Tsunade smiled gently and stood up so that she could walk over to him and rest a gentle hand on his head. "We are here to offer you all our help. We've already mentioned that we support your cause... however, we don't support your methods."

"What's wrong with our methods?" snapped Sakura, leaning forward angrily. "They get what they deserve! Kisame—that bastard hurt Naruto for no reason!"

"They all hurt for no reason," pointed our Jiraiya. "However, torturing them like that make it obvious that it was a purposeful killing. There are more effectively painful ways to kill than just by maiming the body... we are here to help you. Your job will be to kill who we say—if you agree with the reasoning behind it—and you'll get their file and we'll tell you how and when. This isn't going to be a method of killing to control or gain power."

"Right. We're in this for the same reasons as you—we value your reasoning. You're ridding the world of people that shouldn't ever be allowed to live. They committed crimes that are inexcusable. You all have committed... acts that prevent you from leaving this institution, but you can damned well serve society with this opportunity... You're saving lives, and for those who won't return to society, you're avenging them. So... what do you say?"

Sasori and Shikamaru both glanced to Gaara, trying to gauge his reaction. They weren't sure whether to be surprised or not when he, and everyone else, agreed to their caretakers' plans.

Author's Note; I think this might be a little bit anti-climatic for the ending of a story... Let me know what you think. Also, the continuation of this will be called "Phasmatis Bellum." I have to credit Destiney, AKA Storm Goddess of Siberia, with coining the name. :]

PLEASE REVIEW. It's been an honor to write for you all. I promise a better sequel. I hope tha it will meet your standards as well as my own—this story definitely did not. I've realized many things along the way. This story had no pre-determined plot. I'll fix that mistake in the next one. I had amary-sue piss poor character for a while- I gotta admit that. It did get pretty fucking shitty for a while. Sorry, guys. I didn't mean to bash TenTen and Ino—they are some of my favorite characters but they really had a part to fill.

In the sequel, there will be a good bit more humor but it will probably be just as dark. No hints, though. :] I cannot wait to begin writing. I know I said I'd focus on Hatake Naruto, but I'm still researching and I still need a beta. Apparently I suck at editing my own stories... LOL.

Well, much love! It's been super great. I love you all and I'll write more for you soon! :D

P.S. If anyone is interesting in beta-ing for me for either the sequel or for my other story, I'd LOVE it. Please let me know if you're interested!

Mellokai/Lauren.