I do not own Naruto
Thank you for all your reviews charmedbythedarkarts, shae, Jovianwolfgirl, jayanax, kaotic312, Logophobia, twiggy-shino, leanna, wickedone43, and devoid69. It feels great to hear from all you readers.
I try to update about seven to eight days, but if I run into writer's block, it might be a couple weeks. So I hope you guys can be patient with me.
Here's your new chap and enjoy!
Chapter Four
"Sarutobi-san," Shibi hissed out, "Your fingernails are digging into my ear."
Sakura and Shino watched the Aburame Clan Leader with pity as he was led down the street by the furious Kurenai.
Ever sympathetic, the young medic decided to give the man an alibi on a platter, "Kurenai-sensei, I have seen Jiraiya-sama go to kyabakura for intel all the time. Aburame-sama was probably getting information from a pliable resource. Right, Aburame-sama?"
Kurenai mulled the possibility in her head before letting go of Shibi, "Well?"
As he rubbed the blood back into his ear, the man felt hot under his tall collar as the brunette waited for his response, "Uh...um..."
"We're at your restaurant, father," helped Shino and pointed to the closest restaurant, distracting Kurenai from her third degree.
Shibi looked to see what eatery his son chose and blanched under his coat. It was The Palace, one of the most expensive restaurants in Tanzaku Gai, where it was easy to drop twenty-five thousand yen on one meal.
Kurenai looked over the elegant window dressings and professional signs displaying the various dishes available to anyone with vast amounts of money, "This will do!"
Shibi inwardly winced as he took the lead into the restaurant. He walked up to the maitre d' and gave him a nod.
"Welcome! Welcome to The Palace!" The Head Waiter jumped to and quickly ushered the four shinobi to a beautifully set table in a quiet corner where they could see outside the windows while still keeping some privacy.
Kurenai watched the maitre d' rush off to the kitchen and heard him say before returning to their table, "Aburame-sama is here with a real babe. Let's step it up this time!"
She snapped her menu closed and plopped it on the table, her lips pressed into a harsh frown.
Shibi remained cool as she leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms defiantly, "Come here often, Aburame-sama?"
He gave a little shrug, "You tip big one time and they all remember you."
The Chuunin looked over the menu and both paled when they noticed the prices for what seemed to be the simplest meals.
'Yikes,' winced Inner Sakura as they looked down the line, 'If that's how much it costs to fry up some slimy snails in a pan, hand me a shovel because these people are raking it in!'
Noticing Shino's apprehensiveness, the girl covered her face with her menu and leaned to his side.
"You go ahead and order for me, Shino-san," whispered Sakura and gently smiled at the young man, who sighed in relief.
Worried about his own predicament, Shibi quickly perused the familiar menu, "We'll have the steak dinner for two." The Aburame ignored how the brunette gave him a suspicious glare.
"Sirloin or filet mignon, sir?"
Kurenai tapped her fingers on one arm, "Kobe!"
The waiter nodded, "We do have a ready supply of kobe beef. Anything else, Aburame-sama?"
"Yes," sneered the woman as she glanced back at the sign through the window, "He'll have the fugu nigori."
Inner ran around inside Sakura's head in a panic, 'Get me some water! Get me some herbs! We're gonna have to pump this guy's stomach before the dessert gets here!'
Sakura's mouth gaped open, "Aren't you supposed to order that twenty-four hours in advance? If not properly prepared..."
Shino hid behind his menu and whispered to Sakura, "Not to worry, Sakura-san. With his Kikaichu, he'll either get a really nice buzz or he'll have paid fifteen thousand yen for a bad case of indigestion."
Shibi and the waiter exchanged worried looks then the waiter bowed low, "Tough lady tonight, Aburame-sama?"
Kurenai narrowed her eyes, "AND Aburame-sama will be picking up both checks."
"She'll have the toro sushi," Shino quickly ordered for Sakura.
His father lowered his shades with one hand and scowled at the freeloading boy.
Shino flinched under his high collar, "And I'll have the soup."
Kurenai frowned at Shibi's intimidation and gave the man a swift kick to the shin under the table.
Aside from the obvious table jostle, everyone was impressed how Shibi hid the pain with only a tightening fist, indicating the kunoichi hit on target.
"What kind of soup would you like, sir," asked the waiter.
Recognizing that Kurenai-sensei was giving him free-reign, Shino smirked at his irritated father, "Shark-fin."
The waiter nodded approvingly at the boy's audacity and took the menus away.
When Shibi gave the young man another scowl, Shino shrugged, "What's the point of being Clan Leader if you can't show off once in a while."
"Last I checked you weren't Clan Leader," he growled back.
As they waited for the food, Shino felt his father's glares, but noticed the man's anger soften when he saw Kurenai delight at the beautiful dinners set before them.
Shino watched Sakura's eyes light up at her plate full of delicious tuna and wondered if his father was just as wrapped around the brunette's finger as he was with Sakura.
Kurenai picked up one slice of the steak and looked up at the waiter, "Uh sir, is it normal for beef to have a slight blue tinge?"
"Ah, madame," said the waiter reassuringly, "This dish was made from a particularly rare Wa-gyu, but trust me, it tastes heavenly!"
The brunette shrugged and continued to eat the beautiful meal.
By the time everyone finished their dinners, Kurenai's attitude had lessened and Shibi was picking up more positive signals from the brunette, but he was still rather annoyed at Shino for taking advantage of his sensei's jealousy.
He narrowed his dark eyes behind his glasses and decided to nip this tactic in the bud. Shibi lifted a hand for the waiter, who walked up immediately.
"Allow me to order dessert," he glanced at the other shinobi who nodded happily then he curled a finger so he could whisper in the waiter's ear.
The three Leaf-nin watched him point from one person to the next with Shino being the last. The waiter glanced up at Shino when the Aburame gave an odd request, but he nodded and rushed away.
Soon a simple demitasse was set next to Shibi while the kunoichi cooed at the sight of delicate shu cream puffs presented in strawberry pink for Sakura and azuki red for Kurenai.
The Aburame lifted a finger and nodded to the waiter, "One more thing, Sarutobi-san."
The brunette was surprised to see the waiter pull out a small wine glass and fill it was an amber-colored liquor.
"It's a dessert wine that goes perfectly with the cream puff," he explained as he lifted his coffee, "Please eat, Sarutobi-san, Haruno-san."
The two women relished their treats, happily licking the sweet cream off their lips and fingertips.
Shino was wondering where his dessert was when a new waiter came out with a push cart and transfered a plate with two large dango dumplings on a stick.
The older Aburame chuckled and set his coffee down. He wanted to enjoy this.
Everyone else peered down at the strange dish while Shibi raised both elbows on the table and rested his chin on clasped hands.
With a grand flourish, the waiter poured brandy on the dessert then tapped the dango with a lit match.
Everyone at the table felt a flash of hot air as a small fireball rose from the plate, the skewered balls bursting into flame.
Shibi watched with a wicked smirk as Shino paled considerably, his eyes transfixed on the rapidly shriveling dumplings.
Now realizing what he did, the waiter gave the young man a pity pat on the shoulder, "Way harsh, man," and walked away.
Inner Sakura's eyes popped out and for once was too shocked to open her big mouth.
Remaining clueless, the real Sakura frowned slightly, "Gee, that's a strange dessert. I don't think I've ever seen that before... Kind of like baked alaska only with two dango balls."
She noticed that her fellow Chuunin was frozen in his seat and leaned in, "If you don't blow them out, they won't taste as good."
Sakura leaned over and blew out the flames, before reaching out, "May I?"
Then everyone watched in disbelief as the kunoichi daintily licked and nibbled on the crystallized layers of the sticky confection.
Inner Sakura squeaked like a mouse, before falling over in a dead faint.
Shino's eyes widened further as they honed in on girl's pink lips that were now sucking on the spongy treat. His hand, of it's own accord, lifted up and pinched his nose shut.
A shocked Kurenai looked over at the older Aburame with raised eyebrows, who lowered his shades, looked over at the brunette, and shrugged helplessly.
Shaking his head away from the strange sight, Shibi looked down then pointed to Kurenai's wine glass, "Please, Sarutobi-san, try the wine. I chose it especially for you."
Forgetting about her distressed student, Kurenai sniffed the wine then tipped the glass to her lips. Shibi watched in satisfaction as the brunette's crimson eyes lit up.
"Oh my goodness," she gushed, "It's so sweet, like nectar!"
Also new to the concept of dessert wines, Sakura put down the dango and turned to the other kunoichi, "Really? Could I have a sip?"
Kurenai handed over the glass before Shibi could say anything and the young medic nin took a quick gulp, consuming about a third of the wine.
"Wow," said Sakura as she handed the wine back to Kurenai, who finished it off in three swift gulps.
'Should I have mentioned ice wine is supposed to be sipped,' Shibi shrugged, 'Oh well. Too late now.'
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The four Leaf Nin walked along the ruins of what was formally the castle maze of Tanzaku Gai, leading up to the pile of rubble destroyed by one P.O.-ed Snake Senin.
"Oh look! Over there," Sakura pointed to where one wall had been smashed to pieces, "That must have been where Orochimaru first talked with Tsunade-shishou. That must mean we're getting close to the castle."
Sakura giggled as she and Shino rushed past the Jounins, knocking Kurenai into Shibi's arms. For some reason, Sakura felt a little light-headed, but not all together bad. In fact, she felt pretty good, like she was flying on her tip-toes.
Inner Sakura rolled her eyes, 'Maybe it's because you are!'
The medic looked down at her sandals for a second, 'Oh yeah,' and continued to push chakra into her feet.
Shino ran along side the medic nin, grinning under his coat at how she took such delight in the smallest things. They lightly jumped around the cracked boulders and broken walls, like antelopes rushing to find the highest peak.
"This is fun," giggled the buzzed girl as she jumped closer to Shino's side, "But do you know what would better?"
The boy looked at her, "What?"
Sakura smirked and quick as a wink, snatched his shades off his nose, "A new pair of glasses", and led Shino on a merry chase through the ruins.
The young Bug Master increased his speed, causing the wind to push his hood and collar back, exposing a handsome face with a rarely seen smile.
The two Jounins stilled as they listened to the Sakura's laughing echo through the ruins.
Kurenai felt like giggling too, but did her best to suppress the temptation by pressing her nose in a shoulder sleeve. Then she recognized the wonderful scent of sandalwood and cinnamon. The brunette looked up to see Shibi holding her up for balance.
"Oh, excuse me, Aburame-sama," she straightened up and stepped back a safe distance from the man, before they continued walking.
A brisk night breeze rushed around her, encouraging the kunoichi to rub her arms and stimulate her blood circulation. She looked up at the moon and stars, enjoying the view.
After a few minutes, the cold air helped her mind break from the alcoholic haze and her eyes narrowed in sobriety. Even though Kurenai still felt a little giddy, she began to realize that with just three quarters of the wine, she was drunk.
"Hey," she turned to the Bug Master beside her and gave him a shove, "What did you put in that wine? A mickey?"
Shibi calmly shrugged, "Ice wine can be tricky if you drink it too fast, but don't worry. It metabolizes fast."
Kurenai snarled at the man and pointed at his nose, "You got me drunk on purpose!"
He smiled under his collar, "I felt you needed to relax after the big deal you made about the kyabakura."
"Whatever," the woman snorted then turned on the man again, "But what if we had been attacked ! We would have been vulnerable!"
"I am more than capable of protecting you from enemy shinobi, Sarutobi-san," he reminded her.
"GIMME ALL YOUR MONEY!"
The Jounins turned around and Kurenai pointed to a man in dark clothing waving a rusty little knife at them.
"And what do you call that," she said nodding at the mugger who jumped out from behind a wall.
Shibi shrugged, "I said enemy shinobi, I don't pay attention to bakas like this."
The mugger looked at the remarkably calm marks and wondered why they were not shivering in fright like all the other tourists he had come across tonight.
He cleared his voice and tried again, "Gimme all your money or I'll cut up the lady's pretty face!"
Kurenai yawned then took a step forward, but Shibi grabbed her arm to pull her back.
"I'll take care of this, Sarutobi-san. You're drunk," The Bug Master began to raise one arm.
Frowning, Kurenai reached out and pushed Shibi's arm down, "I am NOT drunk! And even if I was falling on my ass, I could still handle this punk."
The mugger scratched his head as he watched the most confusing sight unfold before him.
Shibi crossed his arms and leaned into the kunoichi's face, "You can be such a stubborn woman, but fine. We can settle this in a civilized manner." Kurenai and the mugger watched the man in fascination as he pulled out a coin from a pocket.
"We'll flip for it," Shibi tossed the coin in the air, "I call heads."
Suspecting a trick, Kurenai narrowed her eyes and caught the coin before it hit the ground, "OI! This is a doubled-headed coin!"
The mugger peered at the arguing couple and finally caught the woman's leaf hitai-ate gleaming in the moonlight. Hissing at his stupidity, he backed away into the shadows, hoping the two shinobi didn't notice where he was heading.
"I think I'll try terrorizing those two kids I saw up ahead," mumbled the unlucky thug, "They look nice and innocent."
By the time Shibi won two out of three rounds of Rock, Paper, Scissors, they turned around to see the empty space previously occupied by a mugger.
Shibi frowned as he turned back to Kurenai, "Well, damn. Might have made the dinner money back."
Shaking her head, the brunette chuckled as she walked away, "Tightwad."
As Sakura ran through the ruins, she found herself twisting in mid-air with every push off her feet, just to see Shino's captivating smile. It wasn't long before the boy cornered Sakura at a crumbling partition at the top of the castle.
The girl sighed and shrugged, "Alright, alright! I concede to your speed and prowess, Shino-san."
She walked up to him and raised his glassed up, "Here let me," and gently put them back on. Her fingers slowly trailed behind Shino's ears and she lightly traced down his neck, sending shivers down the boy's spine.
Sakura rested her hands on his shoulders and looked up at his shrouded eyes. He had yet to move or say anything and the poor girl was at a loss on what to do next. Inner Sakura was still a drooling mess from Shino's captivating visage and was no help at all.
In truth, Sakura was used to getting only two kind of signals from the opposite sex. The first being, over-enthusiastic and suffocating, which she rejected like poison. The second was cold and distant, which she desperately accepted as perverse encouragement. It was no wonder she felt confused right now. Aside from the friendly rapport they developed lately, she had no way to tell what he was thinking.
'If I tried to kiss him, would he kiss me back? Or maybe, he'll tell me nicely that I'm only a friend... or even worse, avoid me like the plague.'
Shino's Kikai easily picked up her fear mixed with arousal and advised Shino that if anyone should make the first move, it should be him. The boy gulped and nodded.
Sakura could feel her heart beating fast as she watched Shino lean closer...
"GIMME ALL YOUR MONEY!"
The Chuunin slowly turned their heads to the left and saw a frantic man waving a rusty little knife at them. Annoyed at being interrupted from their romantic moment, Shino snarled as he lifted a hand to release the hissing Kikaichu at the mugger.
Sakura rushed in front of the young man and gave him a pat on the shoulder, "Don't worry about it Shino-san, I'll handle it."
The boy frowned, "But you got to handle things at the kyabakura, let me."
"That was just Jiraiya-sama," Sakura shook her head, "He didn't put up a real fight."
He sighed and lowered his arm, "Rock, Paper, Scissors?"
The poor man watched in disbelief as the two kids pounded their fists in the air and raised his arms to the heavens, "Why me?"
After a few ties, the pink-haired girl won the first round to which the bushy-hair boy quickly responded, "Two out of three?"
The mugger slumped over in defeat then took out all the money he had stolen that night and shoved it into Shino's hands. The surprised Chuunin watched the defeated man walk away grumbling something about joining a monastery.
With a great big grin, Sakura gave Shino a poke in the shoulder, "You mugged a mugger!"
"No, I didn't," he protested, "He GAVE me the money." He lifted the yen up for her to see.
"Under duress," teased Sakura and gave him a wink, "That counts."
Shino stuffed the money into a pocket and shook his head, "No, it doesn't and you were ready to beat the crap out of him as well."
They're arguing was interrupted by a familiar voice calling out to them, "Hey, you two! Have you seen an idiot thug around here?
"You mean the mugger turned monk," Sakura shouted down to the older kunoichi.
"Figures you two would get to him before we did," Shibi walked up behind Kurenai and looked up at his son, "Was there any monetary gain?"
Sakura and Shino shared a quick glance.
"No," they said together, "Not a thing."
As the shinobi returned to their hotels, Kurenai felt her mind returning to normal and gave Shibi the occasional glare. He responded by merely nodding at her with giving a slight glimpse of his handsome smile, always deflating her temper against her will.
Sakura leaned into Shino and smirked, "You owe me for not telling your father about the money."
The young man chuckled, "I see. What will I need to do work off that debt, Sakura-san?"
Inner grinned and started throwing out several images of a naked Shino kissing down her spine or giving her a erotic body massage by the moonlight.
Fighting off a nosebleed of her own, Sakura babbled until she managed to spit out, "Another dinner would do... J-just the two of us this time."
Shino smiled down at the girl, "I'll see what I can come up with."
The Leaf-nin arrived to the front of their hotels and Kurenai turned to Shibi, "Thank you for the dinner, Aburame-same. It was a most enjoyable night."
The Clan Leader smirked, "Really?"
Kurenai blushed as she stepped back, "A few surprises, I must say, but... yes. I had fun."
Shibi picked up the intoxicating arousal scent from Kurenai again and couldn't help himself as he took a step after her, "I'm glad, Kurenai."
The woman blinked as she realized how he addressed her, "Did you just-"
"SHIBI!" Both shinobi turned to see the Toad Senin happily bounding down the street.
"Excuse us, Kurenai-chan. We need to talk," Jiraiya grabbed him by the arm and dragged the Aburame Clan Leader around the corner.
"This better be good, Jiraiya", The Bug Master's eye twitched under his shades.
Jiraiya looked at the Aburame in all seriousness, "I've received a message from the Daimyo of The Bird Country and the Kamizuru Clan is starting to throw more money around in hiring diggers. They're taking less care in staying anonymous now, which means they're getting close. Your team better get a move on if you want to get that forbidden scroll."
"Understood, Jiraiya-sama," Shibi gave the Senin a short bow, "Thank you for the information and we'll take your advice. Now I would appreciate it if you step off my woman."
The clone snapped his fingers in frustration then disappeared with a puff of smoke.
The Aburame rounded the corner in time to see Kurenai waving a threatening fist at the escaping Senin, "I'll plant one on your kisser alright!"
Shibi walked up to the team, "There's been a change in plans. We'll have to get to the Bird Country in half the time we anticipated. Get a good night's sleep in a bed and enjoy a hot shower because you won't be getting any for a while. We leave at dawn."
The kunoichi straightened up at the Clan Leader's orders and nodded, "Hai, Aburame-sama!"
Sakura gave Shino a small smile then walked right behind Kurenai into their hotel.
Shibi sighed when the young man waited to see the young girl disappear up the stairs. He walked up behind his son and cleared his throat.
"Slipping into a woman's bed tonight would be a bad idea."
The young man scowled as he turned around and stalked into their hotel lobby, "Like you weren't thinking the same thing."
Shibi smirked under his collar, "And your point?"
It was past midnight when Kurenai woke up from her light sleep. She always got like this whenever the mission became more interesting. All it took was the tiniest surge in endorphins to keep her from getting any real sleep.
The brunette walked over to the window seat and reclined against the glass to look at the stars. After a moment, she got the distinct feeling of someone watching her and opened up the window to get a clear picture. She leaned over the edge, looking out and around.
Across the street, Shibi sat out on his balcony, also taking in the night air without his over-sized coat and gourd. Out of habit, he had his hands in the pockets of his black slacks while the matching mesh shirt flowed easily in the night breeze.
He noticed her the moment Kurenai had walked up to her window. His eyes traveled over the woman's black chemise that contrasted with her pale skin. When she opened the glass, her satin lingerie shimmered in the moonlight enticingly, much like his Kikai's elytra did in the sun. When Kurenai turned to look for his presence, he tensed in case she threw a kunai at him for leering at her, but was surprised when she nodded sleepily at him.
Lured by her response, Shibi flickered from sight and reappeared opposite Kurenai on the window sill, "You should be sleeping, Sarutobi-san," He knelt down to face her, "The traveling is going to be more strenuous from now on."
Kurenai looked up at him with a frown, "I'm a big girl, Aburame-sama. I've handled circumstances like this before."
He bowed his head and nervously scratched his dark hair, "I know. Please forgive me, I tend to get a little overprotective when it comes to-" Shibi stopped himself when the Kikaichu told him he was beginning to ramble.
Curious, the brunette leaned a little further out the window, "When it comes to what?"
"The safety of my team," he finished weakly.
The woman gave him a soft smile, "A commendable trait, Aburame-sama. There are some shinobi who would think otherwise. I'm glad you're not one of them." Kurenai looked up at the man resting on one knee on her window sill. He still had sunglasses on, but it was fascinating to see him without his usual trenchcoat barrier.
Kurenai wavered inside her mind whether or not if it was a good idea to pursue the Aburame, 'It's really not fair. He can easily detect my arousal, but I've been at a complete disadvantage the entire time. Does he think me a lonely woman desperate for attention or is he just as interested as I am?'
The moon glowed behind Shibi and highlighted his strong, lithe form in the black mesh, causing a shiver to course up and down her spine.
'Maybe just one kiss,' Kurenai took a deep breath as she made up her mind, 'One kiss and then we'll see what happens.' If there was anything the shinobi life had taught her, it was Carpe Diem. Even if he told her 'No', she could handle it.
Wondering why she had turned silent, Shibi watched the brunette rise up on her knees and lean over the window edge, slowly decreasing the space between them. Her unique scent of vanilla and orange blossom filled the man's head and he could feel his heart thunder in his chest.
Shibi fought to himself in check as his Kikai reacted to the beautiful woman drawing closer. He found his eyes focused on her mouth and saw Kurenai nervously chew on her bottom lip. When he got the guts to look up, his breath stopped to see desire burning in her crimson eyes.
Several meters away on the opposite roof, there was a puff of smoke and Jiraiya appeared with a red rose in his teeth, "KURENAI-CHAN, HAVE YOU RECONSIDERED THAT GOOD NIGHT KISS?"
Without breaking eye contact with Kurenai, the Aburame shot out a kunai which the Toad Senin caught with ease between his fingers.
"Hmmm?" Jiraiya held the kunai up in time to see the exploding tag rapidly burning away.
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A/N: Life is uncertain... Eat dessert first! ;-)