DISCLAIMER: No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered...

Chapter Fifteen:
The Wager

I walk with shadows, you have to find a better way
I walk with shadows, the questions I will never say
Hiding from the gallows, they keep me safe and sound
So I walk in shadows, the ways of burning down this house
~Escape the Fate~

"Will you hurry up already; I don't want to be late."

"Relax Sakura, we still have half an hour. We will all be able to leave on time, I promise," yelled Ino above the sound of her hair dryer. She and Sai had a mission to a neighboring village to pick up some medical supplies so they were tagging along for a few miles for the company.

Sai, who had been patiently biding his time for the last fifteen minutes by alphabetizing the spices in the kitchen, came into the living room and sat in the chair across from the couch where she was sitting. "Does she always take so long to get ready?" he asked quizzically.

Sakura slumped back onto the couch and nodded ruefully. "Yeah, you should know Ino well enough by now. But she's right, we do have plenty of time yet. I guess I'm just anxious to leave."

Sai gave her a knowing look. "So… I assume that means things are still good between you and Naruto."

She and Sai had talked many times before, but as every conversation tended to get a little weird, she was hesitant to reply. Slowly, she said, "I guess. We've only had two dates. We've both been too busy to see each other since the last one because we had so many tasks that needed to be finished before we left for this mission. Well, that and we are taking things slow."

"I know that I have not known Naruto nearly as long as you have." His voice took a very serious tone as he leaned towards her. "He is very precious to me. I believe that my feelings towards him are what could be compared to what siblings feel; and that is why I can say what I am about to."

He paused for a brief moment. "I have seen Naruto do a lot of dumb things - as you have too. I have even bailed him out more times than I care to count, and I have watched him go through women as though they were disposable to him." Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but Sai lifted his hand to stop her.

"Please allow me to complete what I was going to say. He is not a bad guy, and most of the women he was with knew it would not go further than just one night. I know as well as you that Naruto has his reasons for the way he's lived his life up until this point, and they are valid. But no matter what his faults have been in the past, he has always been one of the most loyal people I've ever known. If it were not for him, I would have never found myself, and for that I will always be grateful."

"I know all that Sai. Why are you telling me this?"

"Because since he told me about his feelings for you a few weeks ago, I have never seen him happier. The change he has made astonish me and they were all for you. I didn't say this to upset you or sway you in any way. I guess I just felt like I needed to defend my comrade against his idiotic past and tell you he is not the same person he used to be."

Before Sakura could respond, Ino came into the room. "I'm ready, sorry it took so long. Perfection takes time!" She looked between the two of them and gave Sai a hard look. "Is everything okay? The idiot hasn't said anything stupid, has he?"

Sai gave her an unsure look and Sakura smiled reassuringly at him. "No. Everything's great, let's go." As they all headed toward the door, she reached out and touched his arm.

"Thank you for telling me all of that Sai, and I promise I won't say anything to Naruto about it." He gave her a slightly relieved look and a small smile that actually seemed real, but didn't say anything more; he didn't need to. Sai had confirmed what she was already starting to realize; no matter his past with the other women, Naruto was one of the good ones.

~o~O~o~

He was already there when they arrived. Because of his position as an emissary to Konohagakure, Naruto had to meet with the Hokage before they left to get last minute instructions. Even though this mission appeared to be easy and carefree, he was taking it seriously.

Sakura's heart skipped a beat as she saw him leaning casually against the gate guard's desk talking animatedly to one of the chunin on duty. She loved seeing him that way and worried that he might change when he became the Hokage. Maybe he would become too serious, maybe he would become too busy to be there for his family… if he had a family…

Immediately saddened by the thought, Sakura shook her head to clear the unwanted picture from her mind. "Not if I have anything to do with it," she thought with a determined glint in her eye. "Even if things don't work out between us and it's only as a friend."

He turned and their gazes caught. Her heart was still thudding in her throat.

She didn't want him to be just a friend. She wanted him to kiss her.

Somehow she felt she needed to break free from the mesmerizing spell he and his eyes had cast over her. Blinking, she realized her gaze had once more lowered to those disturbingly sensual lips. Jerking her eyes up, she discovered he seemed to have a similar fascination; his gaze had settled on her lips.

They throbbed. Instinctively, she licked them.

His eyes briefly closed, then opened and trapped hers. The look he gave her was intense - predatory.

"Back off you pasty-faced toothpick before I snap you in half!"

"Thank god for Ino," thought Sakura as her friend's angry voice broke the connection. For a moment, she feared she would make a spectacle of herself in public and throw herself at him or something...

"Is everyone ready to leave?" she asked with forced cheerfulness.

~o~O~o~

After many miles, the rising sun finally reached its zenith. Sai and Ino began to get into yet another one of their famous arguments. Naruto sniggered and stepped closer to Sakura. "We should ditch them," he whispered, "With a little bit of privacy, I figure they'll either kill each other or get naked."

"Sai doesn't like Ino," she whispered back. "Just last week he put bouillon cubes in her shower head. She still smells like chicken soup."

"Hey, I did some stupid stuff too when I was a kid to get your attention."

"Yeah, but Sai's not a kid."

Naruto gave her a pointed look to which Sakura snorted and rolled her eyes, commenting, "You know, maybe we should." A sudden mischievous look crossed her eyes as she glanced at the path ahead. She glanced over at Naruto and asked, "You want to race to the mouth of the valley?"

The blond looked ahead doubtfully. "That's five miles from here over some pretty rough ground. That really wouldn't be fair."

"I may not have your stamina, but I've really improved mine with the strength of a hundred seal. I bet I can beat you there. And besides," she pointed out in the direction they were headed and added, "Look at those storm clouds. It looks like it might rain soon. If we want to be dry tonight, we need to hurry."

Although the distance wasn't that far, it would require crossing some fairly rough terrain. She knew that it wouldn't be much of a challenge for Naruto because of his stamina, but for Sakura, it was considerably more taxing. Still, with all her training with Tsunade, and the fact that they would be camping there for the night, she thought she might have a chance.

Naruto glanced up at the rhombus on Sakura's forehead and grinned. "So what do I get if I win?"

Sakura gave him a teasing smile and coyly said, "I'll give you your shirt back."

"My shirt? What shirt?"

"The one with the ramen logos on it. You let me borrow when Hachiko got me all dirty after that mission. It's very comfy so I brought it to sleep in."

"You sleep in my shirt?" She stopped walking and winked at him before she placed her foot flat against a tree and pretended to stretch.

Images of Sakura wearing nothing but his shirt filled his mind, distracting him. "What are you doing?"

Sakura teased, "I wouldn't want to pull a muscle while you try to beat me. I could be running a while. You might want to try it too."

Naruto stared at Sakura for a second before a slow grin crossed his face. He shook his head sadly. "Oh Sakura, do you really think this is going to end well for you? I mean, I would hate for you to have to sleep naked on this mission."

"Would you really?"

"I think I like…" Naruto quickly lunged to capture her.

With a very girlish squeal, Sakura took off before he could say anything else. Her body became a blur of pink and red while Naruto stood there slack jawed for a moment. He snapped his mouth shut as it curved into an appreciative smile and then charged after her.

~o~O~o~

Ino could feel her frustration with Sai nearly reach the breaking point when she heard Sakura's squeal and saw them take off. She stared in disbelief before throwing her hands out and shouting, "They ditched us! They actually ditched us!" She glared at the pale shinobi and with a pointed finger, snarled, "This is all your fault."

"Actually, unlike you, I was perfectly aware of everything that was occurring around us. Sakura challenged Naruto to a race."

Ino bristled at his bland tone while he continued. "Perhaps you would like to reach an agreement with me as well."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, since there are two parties involved; you and I, we should agree that the one who makes the incorrect prediction about the uncertain outcome of the race between us shall forfeit something stipulated by the other."

Ino sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Are we even speaking the same language?" she asked resignedly.

Sai explained, "Well Beautiful, we too should race to the mouth of the valley and place a wager on the outcome."

Ino gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to smash his face with her fist. Honestly, sometimes she hated that Sakura told her about his annoying habit of making up nicknames that meant the opposite of what he felt. She took a deep breath and counted to ten.

"What kind of wager?"

"Whatever you desire."

"What I desire is for you to be dead."

"And what good would my corpse do you?" Sai asked quizzically.

Ino growled deep in her throat. "It would lie on the ground and not cause trouble."

"Really, Ino." Sai sighed. "You're always so eager to solve your problems with violence when diplomacy would serve you so much better."

Ino snapped, "When you kill your enemies, you don't need diplomacy."

Patiently, Sai explained, "I am not your enemy. I am a fellow Konoha shinobi."

"Tch, fine… I'll make the bet. If I win then you have to stop calling me beautiful."

"I agree. And if I win, then you have to engage in the act of pressing your lips against mine for a duration of no less than one minute."

Ino quivered with outrage. "Have you lost your mind? You want to kiss me? I should kill you!"

She turned to punch him, but he was gone. "Hey, that's cheating!" she shouted and then with a shriek of fury, Ino chased after the pale artist with murder in her eyes.

There was no way in hell she was going to kiss that jerk.

~o~O~o~

The weak, wintery sun peeking through the heavy clouds was lending its meager warmth as he made his way through the trees and pretty soon a sheen of sweat dotted his brow. His control slipped. A hint of red flashed in his eyes as he watched her lithe body race ahead of him. And sharp canines lengthened and emerged from his mouth from the heart-pounding thrill of the chase.

Thunder boomed; exciting him further, and the rain began to fall.

Leaping from bough to bough, Sakura gave a quick glance behind her to see the blond shinobi catching up to her much faster than she thought he would. Her intense training with Tsunade paid off though as each beat of her heart delivered a bigger burst of blood, energizing her body and thrilling her. She giggled and stuck her tongue out before running even faster.

He matched her speed and then some. She could hear his harsh breathing now, practically in her ear. Sakura leapt over a boulder and raced across an empty meadow. She was about to spare another quick glance over her shoulder when she felt hot breath on the back of her neck. A giggle died in her throat as rough hands grabbed her by the back of her shirt, yanking her to the ground.

She toppled into a pile of leaves, rolling over and over, and when she came around the last time, she put all her strength behind her arm and pushed him. "What the…?!" Sakura looked up in anger only to meet a very different Naruto.

Almost human. Naruto was almost human. Except that deep in his blue eyes, a red glow burned.

"Sakura." His voice sounder deeper, rougher. She hadn't seen him like this in a very long time and she admitted to herself that she felt the stirrings of fear in her belly.

Her heart pounded so hard the sound thundered in her ear. "Naruto?"

He growled as thunder rumbled across the sky and then straddled her body, his fangs bared.

As she fought for breath, her chest heaved, and Naruto's gaze wandered downward. "Caught you," he said roughly, "You're all mine now." Slowly his head dipped, and he ran his tongue from the base of her neck to her chin. Again. And again.

Sakura closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. "Naruto, this isn't like you. What's wrong?"

The rising wind buffeted their bodies. Lightning flashed and a heavy rain continued to fall. But the long stroke of his tongue felt almost… erotic, and unwillingly her pounding heart changed its rhythm. He nuzzled under her ear, a gentle touch that prepared her for the nip on her ear. She felt his breath over the artery in her neck, and tensed again, expecting… but he kissed the side of her mouth.

She was confused. She was splattered with mud, soaked to the skin. Her clothes were ruined, and the top showed everything - the shape of her breasts, the color of her nipples, that she was cold… and aroused. The black skirt was plastered to her thighs, and as she watched, Naruto placed his hand on her knee and slowly slid it up her thigh.

Her breath caught.

She was still afraid. How could she not be? But mixed with that unfamiliar emotion was another, newer emotion - she was aroused. She was needy. She was ready. And she was mad about it.

Sakura grabbed his wrists and twisted, trying to move him aside.

Dumb. He outweighed her by fifty well-muscled pounds. She couldn't budge him. But she couldn't bear to use her chakra enhanced strength against him, either. Even now, she couldn't hurt Naruto. He captured her hands with one of his and held them above her.

"Love me."

"What?" She almost didn't hear him. His muttered demand was so unexpected that she wasn't sure she heard him right.

He growled low and pressed his forehead to hers. "Love me, Sakura. Show me your passion."

He must have read her refusal in her face, for his other hand drifted further up her leg, under her skirt to her panties. He pressed hard, and his finger making a circle around the entrance to her body.

The pleasure was so sudden, so intense, she found herself flattened, her arms stretched out to her sides, grasping handfuls of last year's fallen leaves littering the muddy ground.

He lifted his head, the rain poured down, and water beaded on his face. "Touch me," he demanded harshly. "Touch your mate."

Lightning flashed and thunder blasted, reminding her - as if she could forget - where she was, and why. She struggled to push him off her again. He lowered his head and ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, and when she refused to open, he stroked her again in a rhythm that echoed the rumble of the thunder and her heartbeat.

She found her eye lids drooping. She tried to focus on his red, slitted eyes, desperately wishing they would return to their normal blue. But she couldn't focus her interest on his face, not when his tongue slipped so neatly between her lips and caressed the inside of her mouth, or when his finger caressed her ear lobes. When had he released her hands?

The tip of his tongue swirled around hers, and when she followed, he drew her into his mouth and let her explore. No longer intimidated, she wrapped her legs around his waist and her hands came up to the nape of his neck, gripping his hair and pulling him deeper into the kiss.

Naruto groaned and then broke his kiss with Sakura. She looked at him with pleading eyes and then surprise when she noticed that his red eyes had changed back to blue.

"Sakura-chan, I'm so sorry. I…"

They both looked up as Sai burst into the clearing with a triumphant look on his face.

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter!

Another story recommendation from Logan Locke: The Fox's Kit, by SuperNeos2. After Team 7 is passed, Naruto finds something that changes not only himself, but that of Sakura and the rest of Team 7. While I haven't finished reading it yet, I agree with Logan; It is funny, touching, and truly heart warming, and I hope you will love it too.

Ja Ne,

AZFAERYDUST