Yes. I know. It's been forever. Read my profile if you want to know why or just read and find out how Sakura dealt with whiny Karin.

Sakura couldn't keep the irritation off her face as she thought of the red head that had been distantly related to Naruto.

Karin's constant advances on Sasuke and shrill screeching whenever Sakura, Naruto, Sai, Kakashi, or Suigetsu had said anything resembling an insult to him had made her feel deeply sorry for Sasuke for having to put up with her and Ino and a dozen other girls during their academy days.

If one ignored his surly attitude and bastard-ish tendencies, Sasuke had both the looks and the skills to earn well deserved admiration.

Admittedly, her fangirling was well over that line.

But she had toned it down a long time before Sasuke came home.

Karin, on the other hand, held fast to the belief that the last Uchiha was actually interested in her.

Sakura thought it might be because she had breasts she could flaunt. Or maybe because she had actually proved to be of use to Sasuke when he was still assholishly tracking down his wronged brother.

Whatever the reason, Karin refused to admit that Sasuke wanted nothing to do with her romantically and raised hell any time a member of Team Seven attempted to defend their avenger's honor.

One time, when she had gotten exasperated with the other woman's never ending monologue of how she and Sasuke would make the strongest babies ever seen, Sakura had soundly slapped the woman.

The pinkette had been very grateful for the two minutes of silence that followed.

Until Karin opened her mouth and screeched like a banshee.

"What was that for you little bitch?"

She had tried to rake her too manicured nails, which were sharp enough to be considered weapons in Sakura's opinion, across the medic's face, and Sakura had broken her wrist in retaliation.

"When well you learn that Sasuke doesn't love you?" She snapped at the red head. "He doesn't even like you. He put up with you because you could do something for him. But that was it. You're nothing to him."

"But he came for me. He fought Suna to get me out of prison." Karin protested.

Sakura was speechless. "What? No. Where the hell did you get that idea? Sasuke had no part in your release."

"You're lying! Sasuke would have never let Suna keep us."

"Sasuke had no choice. He may have been upset that Suna was holding you. But it wasn't because he loved you. And he certainly didn't demand that they let you go. As a former criminal, Sasuke had no power. You were released because of me. I stipulated that Suna had to let us take you because they had no right to hold you. And I only did that because Sasuke would never want his team to rot in prison for aiding him."

Sakura advanced on the shaking red head, oblivious to the dark haired man that had entered the kitchen behind her. Karin trembled violently as she stalked her like a tiger would hunt its prey.

"Let's make one thing perfectly clear, Karin. You are alive on my generosity. You are free on my good will. You have the opportunity to become an upstanding kunoichi because I am responsible for you."

With each word Sakura spoke, Karin paled, until she was so white that her hair looked like blood against her skin. "So if you ever, try to force yourself on my teammate again, if you ever call Sai a replacement that doesn't belong, if you ever insult Naruto again, I will kill you. I will make it look natural and no one will question your disappearance. Am I understood?"

Karin frantically nodded her head, scrabbling at the floor to get away from the medic. She ran from the room, and Sakura faintly heard her door slam upstairs.

It was only then, as she turned back to operation forms that needed her approval before they could move forward, that Sakura noticed Sasuke leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Welcome home, Sasuke." She smiled softly.

And it was home. Despite having to deal with a delusional Karin, this house had become a home for Sakura. Suigetsu was crass, but that was nothing she hadn't dealt with before, and she and Tsunade were working on a cure for Juugo. When he wasn't enraged, Juugo was very pleasant.

The rest of Team Seven had moved in without asking. Sakura didn't complain because it meant she had all of her boys under one roof where she could take care of them. And they deserved to have someone to look out for them and only them.

So Sakura didn't nag Naruto when he asked for ramen for every meal, instead stocking the cupboards so he could have his noodles whenever he pleased, and didn't say anything about picking up after him. She let Kakashi bring his porn into the house and packed him bentos for when he would go to the memorial. Sakura proudly displayed Sai's artwork, claiming that they made the house warmer and no longer flew off the handle when he suggested that she pose naked for him. She meticulously took care of chores like vacuuming, dusting, washing the dishes, doing the laundry and kept the living room in top condition for the ever organized Yamato who couldn't stand disorder and mess. And as much as it pained her and made her ears bleed, she ran interference for Sasuke, doing her best to keep Karin away from him, always made a dish containing tomatoes once a day, and slipped him C-rank assignments around Konoha.

Sakura would do anything for her boys. She was sure that all of them but Naruto knew what she was doing, but they never asked her to stop. A little well intended fussing never hurt anyone.

Sasuke pushed away from the countertop. In one quick movement he had tilted her head up and captured her lips. "Thank you."

The kiss had only lasted seconds, but he strolled away, leaving her behind, dazed.

That wasn't the last time she heard him say thank you. And it wasn't the last time that she had kissed Sasuke.

In front of her the girls burst into a cacophony of questions.

"What was it like?" and "Was that your first kiss?" and "Did Karin get mad at you for that?"

The boys, on the other hand, mimed throwing up, clutching at their stomachs and moaning and groaning, say how kissing was gross.

"Sasuke was a wonderful kisser. What he couldn't say with words, he let his actions speak for. With that one kiss he told me how much he appreciated everything I was doing for him."