Well, I have another story out. It's about my sidestory so if you want to read my sidestory, look for the fanfiction Inside the Writer's Studio and no, it's nothing like Inside the Actor's Studio. School starts Monday so my writing will slow down a lot, but it gives me more time to think up new ideas. Thank you my reviewers!

Ch.18: Oh Shit.

It's been two weeks since the start of their vacation. Team 7 was currently walking down the block to the park. In a nearby window hidden from view was a person with a walkie-talkie. "They're coming down Tulip Road. Go." they said.

"Roger." was the reply. The person smiled and began to laugh. "I hope they have fun." The person left the window and disappeared.

"Hey guys, did you hear that?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah. What is it?" said Kakashi.

"I have a bad feeling about this," said Sasuke. Sakura was confused. "What are you guys talking about?" she said. Just then, a cloud of dust appeared on the horizon.

Sakura turned around. "Guys…"

"What, Sakura?" asked Naruto.

"FANS!!!!!" she screamed.

"Shit." said Sasuke.

"Quick, run!" yelled Kakashi.

"Kakashi?" Sakura said.

"What is it? WE have to move."

"We can't move!." muttered Sasuke.

"What?!"

"Sensei, look around."

Kakashi looked around. 'We're surrounded? How?'

'Never mind that. Move! Dammit!'

Kakashi looked to the rest of his team. They nodded and split up in groups of two. Sasuke was with Sakura and Naruto was with Kakashi. "Meet back in the restaurant at 6!" Kakashi yelled before the crowd separated and chased after them.

With Naruto and Kakashi…

"How the hell did they surround us?" Kakashi asked as they darted through the streets. "I don't know. I think it happened when we saw the dust cloud." replied Naruto.

"They used a distraction and surrounded us while we were off-guard."

"I don't get it though, sensei. Usually, they'd just rush after us and we'd split up, but they converged on our location. Maybe they started to work together."

"It would make sense. If they worked together, they'd have a greater chance of getting us and since they're after different people, they wouldn't have extra competition, but I still think something's wrong with this picture."

"Less talking, more running. They're catching up!"

"This is what happened to me last time. Ha! I told you I wasn't lying." Kakashi said smiling. He looked back at the fans. "Naruto, I think there's more this time. I counted at least 539."

"Shit, I hope Sakura and teme are having better luck than us."

'I hope so too, Naruto.'

With Sakura and Sasuke……

Sakura and Sasuke were running like hell. Sasuke looked back. "Shit." He turned to Sakura. "Don't these people have jobs?"

"Some. From the looks of it, most of your fans are teenagers."

"Just great. What about you?"

"Most of them look familiar and I think most of them are early to late-twenties."

Sasuke looked behind him. "Looks like there's about 600 there. Sakura, run faster."

"Huh?"

She looked behind her. They were closer. "Quick, push chakra to your feet."

Sasuke nodded. "Well, at least we get a workout." joked Sasuke. Sakura giggled and noticed something. "Hey Sasuke, look." He looked in the direction she was looking in when he saw it. "A forest. Nice work, Sakura-chan."

Sakura blushed at her new nickname from Sasuke. "Come on." She grabbed his hand and steered him towards the forest.

They were running past all the trees and roots, their fan clubs following them through the thick foliage. "Dammit! Oh well, at least they're farther from us now." said Sasuke. Sakura nodded at him and smiled. Sasuke smirked back. Suddenly Sakura was gone. Sasuke skidded to a halt. "Sakura?!" he yelled.

Sasuke looked around. 'Please be okay.'

"Sasuke!" He followed her voice until he found her a few meters behind him. She was resting against a tree, hand on her ankle. "Are you okay?"

He put his hand on her ankle. She hissed in pain. "Augh. I twisted my ankle."

"You also have a cut on your shin. Here, let me." Sasuke ripped the lower part of his shirt and bandaged her leg. "Thanks Sasuke."

Several screams were heard in the distance. "Shit, they're catching up."

"Come on, we have to run."

Sasuke folded his arms over his chest. "You're in no condition to walk, let alone run."

"Well, how will I move?"

"I'll carry you."

"Sasuke, you don't have to."

He looked at her eye-to-eye, their faces inches apart. "I want to." he whispered. Sakura was stunned. Sasuke smirked and picked her up bridal-style. He jumped up and started running in the trees.

The sound of screaming was becoming less and less audible. The only thing you could hear was the sound of air rushing past, twigs snapping, and shallow breathing. 'Breathing? It isn't me, so who?'

Sakura came out her stunned state and looked down. She shrieked and clutched his shirt tighter. 'Wait, his shirt?' Sakura looked up. "Sasuke?"

He looked down at her for a moment and continued running. They cleared the forest and were in a clearing. Sasuke laid Sakura in the grass below and sat next to her. She focused chakra to her hand and began healing her ankle. Sasuke looked at her as she healed herself. A breeze came and swirled the fallen leaves around them. Her hair whipped round making her seem almost inhumanly beautiful.

She sighed and released her chakra. "Sasuke?"

He blinked. "Huh?"

Sakura laughed. "You were staring at me." He blushed. "I guess I was."

Sakura stood up and brushed off the dead leaves from her pants. She looked up and gasped. "Wow! Sasuke, look!" He looked behind him to see a lake. It was even bigger than Lake Clarity. "I guess this is the other lake, huh?"

"Isn't it beautiful?" Sasuke looked at it, taking in the water that glimmered in the setting sun. It didn't look real. It seemed like a painting. He smiled softly and rested his chin on her head, her back to him. Wrapping his arms across her waist, he said "It is."

Sakura turned around in his arms. "Sasuke?" He smiled and lowered his lips to hers. Her eyes widened. 'He's kissing me again? Why?' He kissed her a little harder now and Sakura closed her eyes. They stayed like that in the sunset. She pulled away and looked him in the eye. "We should get back now, it's getting close to 6:00." He nodded and they ran to the restaurant.

When they got to the restaurant, they got glomped by Naruto. "Where were you guys?!"

"Naruto, you're choking them," Kakashi pointed out.

"Oh, heh heh." Naruto let go and Sasuke and Sakura gasped. "Well, we ran into a forest in the village. The fans chased us there and guess what?!"

"What Sakura-chan?"

"We found a lake! It's even bigger than the one we went last time. The sunset there is great!"

Kakashi thought for a minute. "Maybe we should go there next time for something?" he suggested.

"Hn. Whatever. Can we eat now?" Naruto blinked and smiled. "Sure, temes go first." "Hn."

They entered the restaurant. Sasuke first, followed by Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi. Keiko wasn't there so another waitress led them to their table. As she cleaned the table, Kakashi noticed something. "Sakura, why is your leg bandaged?"

She looked down in confusion. "Oh! Well, I tripped and twisted my ankle and cut my leg. Sasuke bandaged it and I healed the sprain near the lake. I guess I forgot the cut."

"Well, I'll ask for a first-aid kit as soon as we sit. We need to clean it."

She looked up at him and smiled. "Hai."

They were seated and after they ordered, the waitress came back with a first-aid kit. Sakura was about to grab it when Kakashi took it from the waitress. Sakura was about to protest when he said, "Sakura, let me. You healed my rib last time, so I should return the favor." The look in his eye told her she wouldn't be able to refuse.

She sighed and put her leg on his lap. He cleaned it and started to bandage it. Naruto leaned over and asked Sasuke, "Why can't she heal it herself?"

"Because she's not supposed to do ninja things in public."

"What about when you cut your hand?"

"That was an emergency."

"Fine."

Kakashi checked his work and gently put her leg down. "You can put your leg down now." She smiled and thanked him. He leaned over and whispered. "You can fix it at the inn later." Sakura shuddered, his breath on her ear playing with her nerves. She let out a shaky breath and nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment.

Sasuke clenched his fist under the table. 'Damn you, Kakashi.' he thought. They ate dinner and went back to the inn, unaware of the person following them.

"Ah. Hello everyone."

"Hello Kisa-san."

"Did Kakashi-san tell you, Sakura-san?"

She blinked and looked at him. "Tell me what?"

"I forgot to mention earlier that the festival has been rescheduled to the end of the month."

"Really? that's great!"

"Yes, it's wonderful news. Have you and your friends decided to go, Sakura-san?"

"Um, well.."

"We'd be happy to go." interjected Kakashi. Sakura's eyes widened like a little kid who got their first ice cream. "Really?"

Kakashi just smiled. "Yes." Kakashi looked behind him. "You guys don't mind, right?" They both shook their heads.

"That's good news. Come to me and Hiro a week before the festival and we'll see what we can give you to wear."

Sakura hugged Kisa. "Thank you so much Kisa-san."

Kisa's shocked face melted into a warm smile and she returned the gesture. "No dearie, thank you. You've made an old woman very happy." They let go of each other. Sakura turned around and launched herself at Kakashi sending him backwards. "Thank you, Kakashi! You have no idea how happy I am that you guys can come."

Kakashi was trying to not focus on how her soft body fit so perfectly with his. "I think I have a clue," he laughed, trying to keep his thoughts elsewhere.

Naruto laughed. "Sakura, I think you're squishing him." She looked down and blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry."

She pushed herself off him and he mentally cursed Naruto for saying anything. "Let's go back to our rooms, then go to the indoor bath, k?"

"Sure, Sakura."

"Aa."

"I'm going to skip out. I need to call Hinata. I told her that I'd let her know how the trip was going."

"Sure Naruto." They went upstairs. Kisa looked at their retreating figures. "She still doesn't know. I hope she can choose soon." she whispered to herself.

Kakashi and Sasuke had already left and were in the bath. Sakura was in her room with a towel in her arm. She was about finished healing her cut. 'Luckily, it isn't that deep.' She removed her clothes, wrapped herself in the towel, put her hair in a bun, and went down to the bath.

Sasuke and Kakashi were sitting in the water when they heard the door on the women's side slide open. "Is that you Sakura?" called Kakashi.

"Yeah, it's me. Are you both there?"

"Hn."

"Hi Sasuke." Sakura took of her towel and sat in the water. "Sasuke, is he still wearing his mask?"

"Aa."

"Wow, why don't you take it off, Kakashi?" Sakura asked.

"Because, I only do it on special occasions."

"And this is not one of them?"

"Precisely."

Sakura smiled to herself. 'He'll never change.' She started swirling her fingers in the water. "Why's the water murky, guys?"

"Kisa said they use a special mineral sometimes in the bath." explained Kakashi. Sakura sank comfortably into the water, her head out of the water and resting on the bath edge. A comfortable silence followed, each lost in their own thoughts.

Sasuke:

'Why did I kiss her again today and how come it felt different?'

'I don't know. Hey, how come you haven't asked her yet?'

'Shut it. I wonder how she fell.'

'She said she tripped. She's lucky.'

'Yeah, if I wasn't there, she would've been caught by her fan club. I can't believe how beautiful she looked at the lake.'

'Or how soft her skin is, but I'm glad she's alright.'

'Yeah, I wouldn't know what I'd do if she got hurt by those fan club freaks.'

'Something seems fishy.'

'Yeah, fangirls are never smart enough to organize an attack like that.'

'Although, these are a different breed. They seem more determined and crazier.'

'You might be right, but still.'

Kakashi:

'She was so happy when I told her we were going to the festival.'

'Yeah and then she caught you off-guard and hugged you.'

Kakashi blushed under his mask. 'Shut up.'

'I don't get it. You like her and she sort of likes you, so why not ask her to the festival?'

'Why?'

'She might like special company. You know, company just for her and you can get her to like you.'

'I'll ask her, but just because she might like the company.'

'Whatever works for you, but ask her soon. You only have a few weeks left to ask.'

'I'll ask when I think it'll be a good time.'

'Good luck.' Inner Kakashi disappeared to a remote part of Kakashi's brain after that.

Sakura:

'I wonder why Sasuke kissed me and why I didn't really feel anything?'

'Well, I can't answer the first one, but I can for the second one.'

'What is it?'

'You don't like Sasuke anymore.'

'I knew that.'

'Did you? Really? Because unless memory serves me right, You sort of enjoyed Sasuke's kiss last time.'

Sakura blushed. 'I guess you're right. So, if I don't like Sasuke, then why'd I let him kiss me?'

'You didn't want to hurt him.'

'So how do I feel?'

'You only like Sasuke as a friend. It's like you and Lee or Saita. You love them like family but that's it.'

'I guess you're right.'

'So answer my question, how do you feel about Kakashi?'

'I don't know.'

'…YOU ARE SO DENSE!'

Sakura winced. Damn, her inner could be loud. 'Oww…what was that for?'

'You are so stupid. Can't you figure out your own feelings for Kakashi?!'

'What feelings?'

'Yeah, "what feelings?" Hello! The sparks flying when you touch? The kissing? The feelings in your heart? Don't you get it?'

Sakura blushed. 'I don't like him like that!'

'Yeah, that's why you melted into his kisses THREE TIMES! That's why you felt really guilty for hurting Kakashi and you felt happy when he listens to you and when you have quiet moments together.'

'I do?'

'Yes!'

'I like him?' Sakura started to back float in the water, deep in thought. 'I like Kaka- Huh?'

A dripping noise snapped her out of her daydreaming. She returned to sit in the water, now with small red swirls dancing around. "Huh?" Sakura looked up. She shrieked. "AHHHHHH!!!" She ran out of the water.

Sasuke and Kakashi were in the hall walking past the women's entrance to the bath when they heard a scream. "SAKURA!" Kakashi burst through the door. "What's wrong?!" he yelled, when he saw her.

Sakura was standing outside of the bath naked, water dripping down her shocked figure. Kakashi brought his gaze over her body slowly, savoring every detail. Her long, creamy legs, her flat stomach, her rosy peaks, and her cute flustered face. He blushed at the realization of her being naked. His nose started to bleed, thoroughly soaking his mask. Sasuke looked over his shoulder. "What? Sakura. Are you okay?" He looked around Kakashi and instantly started to have a nose bleed.

Sakura turned to face them and looked at them funny. 'Why are their noses bleeding? Unless..'

She looked down. "AH!" She quickly grabbed her towel. Kakashi cupped his nose. "Sakura, what's wrong?"

"S-s-someone was watching me in the bath!"

Kakashi and Sasuke saw red. Their Sharingan began to spin slowly and they looked at the ceiling. Sasuke jumped to the ceiling vent and punched a hole through it, something falling out of the hole and into the water. Kakashi rushed in front of Sakura and said "Water Prison Jutsu!"

A person was inside the liquid sphere. "Sakura, do you recognize this person?" he asked.

"Hai, he's the one who was peeking on me."

Kakashi smirked, "Well, I guess this means that Jiraiya has an apprentice." He turned to glare at the man in the water. "Now, what to do with this lowlife?"

Just then, Kisa ran into the doorway. "What's wrong? I heard some noise and, oh my." She looked at the ceiling. "He'll pay for it." said Sasuke pointing to the man in the water sphere as he cleaned off the blood on his face.

"What happened and why are you in the women's bath?!"

"I'll explain," said Kakashi. "You see, we heard Sakura scream and we rushed in to help her. She was naked, explaining the extra blood, and we found this man in the ceiling vent, spying on Sakura."

"Oh my. Sakura-san, are you alright?" Sakura gripped her towel tighter and nodded. "I'll go call the authorities." Kisa rushed out of the room. A few minutes later, the police arrived and the man was taken away. Apparently, he followed them into the inn and sneaked into the bath to spy on Sakura.

"We plan on pressing charges. Who knows what he would've done to Sakura-san if her two friends hadn't saved her." said Hiro. After questioning everyone, they left. Kisa and Hiro closed the baths for repairs and they went back to their rooms.

With Naruto and Sasuke……..

Sasuke told Naruto what had happened downstairs and he wasn't taking it well. Naruto slammed his fist on the doorframe. "Rgh. Dammit! He didn't do anything to Sakura, did he? That fucking bastard! I'll kill him."

"Don't. He's already at the station and unless you want to be arrested for murder, don't go after him."

"Dammit teme! Don't you care about Sakura?!" he screamed.

Sasuke snapped and slammed Naruto against the door. "Don't you ever think that again, you hear me?! We can't do anything, he's a civilian! Do you realize how bad this makes me feel already?! I didn't protect her from that sleaze bag and it's all my fault."

Sasuke let go of Naruto and sat on the bed, face in his hands. Naruto walked over to him and put his arm around his friend's shoulder. "You have no idea how scared she looked. How violated she must. Dammit!"

Tears began leaking down his face. Naruto looked at his best friend. 'He must love Sakura a lot. Usually, he wouldn't feel this upset about something unless it was really important to him. Poor Sasuke.'

That night, Sasuke felt the guilt eating away at him inside. Tears stained his face until he fell asleep. His last thoughts before the night claimed him swimming through his head. 'I'm so sorry Sakura. Forgive me, please.'

With Kakashi and Sakura…….

Kakashi carried Sakura to their room. As soon as they were in the door, Sakura began to cry. Kakashi sat on the bed with her crying into his chest, rubbing circles into her back. "H-h-he was watching me. H-h-he could have raped me. I-I-I was s-so s-scared."

"Shhh…it's okay, Sakura."

She continued to sob. "N-n-no, i-i-it's not. W-what if he comes back? What if he's still watching me?"

Kakashi kissed her forehead. "It's alright. I'll protect you, Sakura. I'll make sure he and anyone else will never hurt you again."

She looked at him, what she saw made her smile. 'He's telling the truth.'

"Thank you." She kissed him softly and snuggled closer to him. He held her tighter and continued to rub circles into her back.

A few minutes passed. Sakura stopped crying and her breathing pattern was steadily becoming normal. He looked down at her. "Sakura, we need to get dressed."

Sakura nodded slowly and padded to the bathroom with a nightgown in her hands. Kakashi changed into some boxers. A few minutes later, Sakura came out. Kakashi walked over to her. "I'm going to wash my face and mask." She nodded. Kakashi walked into the bathroom and turned on the sink. He washed the blood of his face and put his mask in the sink to soak. He turned off the light and stepped out.

When he came out, Sakura was sitting with her knees up to her chest, arms wrapped around them. "Sakura, are you going to be alright?" She looked up at him and nodded slowly. She turned away and looked out the window at the night sky. "Would you like to watch the stars with me?" Sakura smiled and ran to the window. Kakashi smiled and followed behind her.

She watched the stars twinkle in the blue and ebony sky. She felt arms circle her waist and a chin resting on her head. She leaned into Kakashi's embrace. She turned around and leaned on his chest. She looked into his mismatched eyes. "Thank you, Kakashi." She tip toed and pressed her lips against his. "I really mean it."

She smiled warmly at him and he returned the gesture. He then cupped her chin and gently pressed his lips to hers. She kissed him back and wrapped her lips around his neck and he gently pushed her closer to him. He licked her lower lip. She opened her mouth and he entered, his tongue tasting her. She slowly returned the gesture. He groaned and they kissed each other passionately.

They pulled apart, panting. Their darkened eyes fogged with unnamed emotions. Kakashi knew what one of them was. 'I can't. I'd be taking advantage of her and I'd just hurt her even more.'

"Sakura, you need to get some rest." She nodded. She crawled into the bed and he crawled in beside her. "Kakashi, will you hold me?"

His eye widened. "Sakura, you were just violated and I don't think it'd be a good i-"

"Please?" He looked into her eyes and saw the fear in them. He nodded and wrapped her in his arms. He fell asleep, his face next to hers.

She looked at the man in front of her. An unconscious smile graced her features. 'I guess I do like him.' She snuggled closer to him and fell asleep, her troubles melting in his embrace.

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Well, ch.18 is done. There's more to come. After all, liking is not the same as loving. Who will get Sakura's heart and what will fate do to our favorite team?