I do not own Naruto
Many thanks to benswife, Soubi Shoukyaku, Goatis, Angels Falls8, kaotic312, Shae, Tinkerbelltay14, Fairy of Anime, earthbender068, LoveShinoHateTemari, and SnowLion no Miko.
Sorry it's a bit late, but like promised, it's pretty long. Thank you so much for all the reviews, favoriting, and encouragement during this fun ride. And for those of you who don't mind OC stories, you can check out my upcoming projects: "Ain't Karma A Bitch" Chapter Three and, thanks to Logophobia's enthusiasm, it will be followed by "When I Grow Up".
Here's that lemon warning again! And a special thanks to Amysama on AFF for a fabulous idea!
Enjoy:-)
Chapter Thirteen
Once they got to suite forty-two, Shibi insisted that Kurenai take a shower right away.
The brunette pinched at her dress and sniffed, "I don't smell that sweaty, do I?"
"To wash off the poison," chuckled the Aburame as he threw off his coat then led the woman to the bathroom, "I expect Shino is telling the same thing to Sakura so don't feel bad. I'll start filling the hot tub so you can relax properly."
Kurenai was about to say that the hot tub might not be a good idea when she saw him automatically adjust the water temperature to be a bit cooler. Shrugging, the brunette proceeded to peel her dirty clothes off.
From behind his shades, Shibi enjoyed watching Kurenai undress then made himself comfortable on the tub edge as the brunette's silhouette moved along the light blue shower curtain. He perked up when Kurenai turned the water off and picked up a dry towel for her.
"Thank you," she noticed his still clad state and pouted, "Aren't you going to join me?"
He shook his head and lifted a loofah sponge, "I mean to pamper you tonight and I will." The Aburame smiled to see her glance down and blush prettily.
Sitting on the tub's edge, Shibi waited for Kurenai to twist her hair up in a bun before gently scrubbing her neck. Then he moved to her porcelain shoulders and along both arms. When he leaned in for arms, his lips trailed over the back of her neck with soft kisses.
Sighing in lust, the brunette turned so they could kiss properly and she drew him closer to deepen the lip lock.
Then to his surprise, she wound her arms around his neck to pull him into the tub with her, clothes and all. Kurenai laughed uncontrollably as she watched Shibi rush up to the surface and sputter for air.
"Looks like you joined me after all!"
Throwing his glasses off, he growled playfully and hit the water with one hand to splash in retaliation. Giggling, she splashed him back. He lunged across the tub to trap her between his arms and against the side, then proceeded to kiss along her neck once more.
Wrapping her arms around Shibi shoulders, Kurenai relished his attentions and didn't care when she felt him create a new hickey, "Maybe it's time to head for the bed."
"Good idea," he murmured then gave her another kiss, before she stepped out and grabbed towels for the both of them.
Kurenai giggled to see his clothes cling to his body then out right guffawed to see him waddle slightly from the soaked clothing. Smirking, the Aburame took his wet shirt off, twisted it rapidly between both hands, and snapped one end on her bare bottom.
She squeaked at the sting and quickly covered up with a towel before he could snap her again.
Taking the rest of his wet clothes along the way, Shibi chased a giggling Kurenai out the bathroom and into the bed. She jumped to the middle of the bed where he loomed over and pressed her to the bed.
"Oh," she gasped when Shibi slid down her body to wrap his tongue over a nipple then felt him crawl backwards to lift her a knee over his strong shoulders and lower his mouth to her folds.
The Aburame moved at an infuriating slow pace and every time he felt her body begin to tense around his fingers, he would break away for a kiss from her lips. Each time he did that, Kurenai wanted to scream at him to make up his mind, but then he would go back to tasting her to the edge of a climax.
After doing this several times, Shibi finally increased the pressure with more fingers and quickened the pace against her G-spot and clitoris. Kurenai cried out with abandon when her release crashed through her at powerful speed. As Shibi tasted her resulting flow, his Kikaichu registered that a fair amount of the toxins were leaving Kurenai's body through her arousal.
Shibi grinned as he watched Kurenai's bosom heave and her body shudder in ecstasy, 'What a perfect way to help her with detoxing!'
When she floated down from her high, she expected to see Shibi rise above to take her, but found him still lounging below, not bothering to take his fingers out. When he was sure she recovered fully, he started the process again.
Gently continuing on, he built on the previous climax to quickly bring her to another much longer and then a third that seemed to bleed into the next. After that, Shibi looked up to see Kurenai a blubbery mess and sweating, inadvertently rid herself from more of the toxins.
Desire finally taking over, Shibi climbed over Kurenai to plunge himself into her, relishing in the incredibly slick and over-heated walls pulsing around his length. Moaning at the wonderful feeling of moving inside the exhausted brunette, it didn't take Shibi long to lose his control and reach his peak.
Kurenai pulled Shibi close as his groans filled her ears then felt his length twitch a few times from within before he collapsed on top of her.
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The next morning during breakfast, Sakura passed her healing chakra over Kurenai's arms and back to help remove as much of toxins as possible then quirked her pink head to one side, "I know you didn't get hit with as much poison when we first encountered the Kamizuru, Sensei, but you don't have nearly the amount as I expected you to have."
Shibi grinned proudly into his tea while Kurenai merely blushed and continued to guzzle down a liter of water, attempting to replace all the fluids she lost the night before.
The young medic sighed as she did her best to neutralize the poisons still clinging to the inside of her body, "This stuff just does not want to go away and even though you don't have much left, Kurenai-sensei, we both still have trace amounts left in our blood system. Not enough to kill us, mind you, but it will take some time for it to leave our bodies entirely."
Shino frowned slightly as he picked at his breakfast, until his father motioned for him to lean in for a secret. Kurenai tried her best to ignore the quick glances thrown her way by the Aburames as they whispered back and forth.
Inner Sakura eyed the whispering shinobi and crossed her arms, 'Whenever they do that, it's either something really good or really bad. I hate being left in the dark!'
Feeling a little unsettled from the whispers and smirks thrown her way as well, Sakura muttered out one side of her mouth, "What's going on Sensei?"
"Ummm," Before Kurenai could say anything, Shino stood up from the table and grabbed Sakura by the hand.
"If you'll excuse us, we need to go 'Pack'," He eagerly pulled the baffled girl through the door, "We'll meet you in the lobby in a couple hours."
The Jounin bit back their snickers, when they heard Sakura's voice from the hallway, "But we already packed up our stuff, Shino!"
As the group traveled from Bird Country to the Sand outpost, the Aburames were still worried about the kunoichi, especially from the slower pace the women seem to be keeping. They would occasionally take breaks to make sure the kunoichi drank more fluids and eat the high fiber foods Sakura bought at the city market before they left, but it didn't seem to make a difference in their energy levels.
Luckily, word had gotten out about their previous encounter and the Rain nin patrolling the border wisely decided to stay on their side. So the team went on to the outpost without incident and arrived to see Sabaku Temari waiting for them at the gate.
"Aburame-sama. Sarutobi-sama," The kunoichi bowed and smirked at the two Chuunin, "Welcome back, Shino and Sakura. The last time you two came through here things got very interesting."
Walking up to the Sand kunoichi, Shino looked around, "Yes, it was. It will be again, if Kankuro pushes his luck."
"No need to worry, Bug Boy," Temari laughed out loud then put her hands on her hips, "My little brother finished his duties here and is back at Suna. This week is my turn, but it certainly helps to have visitors to relieve the boredom."
"Come along," She waved a hand and led them into the building, "I'm sure you all remember where everything is, along with your rooms."
They all followed Temari into the canteen and recognized the face behind the food counter.
The young Sand Genin was still there. She was wiping down the counter when she looked up and squeaked when she recognized Kurenai from before, "Sumenasai, Temari-sama, but I'm not feeling so well tonight."
Temari raised a blond eyebrow, "Oh, you look fine to me and you certainly survived drills this morning."
"Oh oh, right," the Sand Genin hopped on one foot, "A cramp! Oh horrible leg cramps. They sneak up on you, don't cha know."
Sakura was about to offer her assistance, when her inner self clamped her own mouth shut.
Everyone watched with amusement as the girl held her knee up and hopped on one foot out the canteen, "I'm sure you know where everything is Temari-sama. Please excuse me all and have a good night!" Then the Genin dropped her foot on the ground so she could run off as fast as possible.
"I think she remembers you," Shibi murmured to Kurenai, who was barely able to hold back her snickers.
After Temari scrounged up some ready made food from the pantry, the Leaf shinobi were given a hot meal then shown to their rooms.
The blond kunoichi smirked when she watched Shino follow Sakura into one room then Shibi with Kurenai into the other, "Heh heh, Kankuro is going to blow a gasket. I can't wait to tell him!"
Early the next morning, the Sand shinobi provided the team some escort just beyond their borders into River Country. Before it was time to say farewell, Temari walked along side Sakura, who was busy guzzling down an entire bottle of water, and quietly pulled her to the side.
"How did you do it," the blond asked Sakura who blinked in confusion at what exactly Temari was asking about, "From what I heard from Kankuro, Shino was moving too slow to properly court you, but now you two are practically inseparable."
"OH," Relieved, the young medic giggled behind one hand, "Actually, it was because of Kankuro-san that Shino decided to take our friendship further. Nothing like healthy competition to get a boy interested in what he might miss out on."
Temari sighed forlornly, "Ahhh, I see now. Too bad. I don't think anything could get lazy Shika off his ass and ask me out on a real date, instead of a 'Troublesome lunch' or 'Dinner with the Sand woman'. He barely pays me any attention when he is with me. I wonder if he really wants to be a part of this Sand-Leaf Exchange. It was all his idea, you know."
Inner Sakura shook her head, 'Isn't it just like Shika to let everyone else assume that Temari was doing the pushing.'
"Huh," Sakura crossed her arms, "That's funny from what I understood Shika was taking the Exchange seriously because of you."
The blond kunoichi's eyes perked up slightly, "Really?"
Sakura gave Temari a comforting pat on the shoulder, "Don't worry I'll give Shikamaru a little talk to straightened this out and if that doesn't work... I'll think of something. He just needs the right motivation."
'Heh, stick a doobie in front of him and he might think of standing up from his cloud watching,' sneered Inner Sakura.
"Okay," Temari gave Sakura one of her rare grins and gave her a small hug, "Thank you, Sakura. And have a safe journey!"
Once the Sand shinobi disappeared to return for their outpost, the Aburame decided they should take an easier route to Tanzaku Gai for the sake of the kunoichi. It wasn't long before they come across a strange little cafe with a sign that rang warning bells in the minds of three shinobi.
"It's the Curry of Life Shop that Naruto told us about," said Sakura eagerly.
Shino nodded, "Yes, I remember him going on about that place and how Lee loves the food. But Neji and Tenten couldn't handle the spicy dish."
"Pfft," Kurenai crossed her arms, "I'm not surprised. You know how Hinata sputters just from soda burning down her throat. I can only imagine Neji falling flat on his back from anything remotely seasoned beyond salt and pepper."
The Aburame chuckled as he led the way inside, "That sounds like a five-star rating to me. Shall we?"
"Welcome to the Curry of Life Shop," said a bright eyed twelve year old boy with soft purple hair, "My name is Ranmaru and it would my pleasure to serve you." He bowed then directed them to a nearby table and they sat themselves comfortably.
The boy bustled off to the kitchen portion of the cafe where a little old lady was bopping the cook with a spoon repeatedly.
"Too much sake, too much sake! Do it again, Karashi!"
Ranmaru gathered up the clean plates and spooned generous amounts of rice on each, "Sanshou-baasan, we have customers. Do we still have your curry ready?"
Sanshou crossed her arms proudly, "Of course, go ahead and serve them, Ranmaru-kun. But you!"
She pointed the wooden spoon at her grandson, "You will dump out that slop and do it again!"
"Hai, Obaa-san," Karashi groaned and pulled on his thick mitts to carry the heavy pot outside.
The twelve year old carefully balanced four plates along his arms and expertly placed them in front of each person then bowed once more, "Please enjoy. I will be bringing more rice and water right away."
Seeing the plates already half full of rice, Sakura leaned over to Shino, "Technically, that's not a good sign."
"If you wish, Shino and I will taste the curries to see they're suitable, but a word of warning. We have a naturally high tolerance for spicy food."
Kurenai and Sakura nodded in understanding then watched both men take up their spoons to eat the first bites. The kunoichi watched the men like hawks as the Aburames consumed the curries.
Shibi tilted his head in thought then cleared his throat, "Piquant," He said with a rough voice.
The kunoichi swung over to Shino whose shoulders shook from a cough, "Quite tangy."
Then the women noticed how both men bent down to take advantage of the rice and water. There was a sigh of relief from the Aburames when Ranmaru left another big plate of rice and refilled the Aburames' water.
"Oh big men you are," teased Kurenai as she shared a smile with Sakura, "I guess since we're paying for four plates, we should give it a try."
The young medic shrugged, "Alright then."
This time it was the Aburames turn to scrutinize the kunoichi who gingerly lifted curry ladened spoons to their lips.
Kurenai gave a few coughs and a slight flush crossed her cheeks, "Wow! That's... that's... Delicious!"
The Aburames stared at the brunette who dove into the dish with more gusto then turned to see Sakura also diving in.
"It's burning my taste buds like the dickens," The girl mumbled as she shoveled another mouthful, "But Kami! It tastes just fantastic!"
Inner Sakura was suffering just as badly as the real one,'Yo, when are you gonna hit that rice! Some water would nice too!'
Kurenai nodded with Sakura, "I know what you mean. I shouldn't like it, but for some reason, I can't stop eating it!"
Shino leaned a little closer to the girl and noticed that her pale skin was now aglow and a tiny bit of sweat beading on her forehead. His Kikaichu picked up that she was sweating out what toxins were left over in her body. He looked over at his father who noted the same with Kurenai.
"Is it me or has it gotten really hot in here," Kurenai fanned herself, but continued to eat her curry while ignoring the rice.
Taking another bite of her dish, Sakura shook her head, "I don't think it's you, Sensei. Spicy foods can raise a person's temperature, kind of like activating your body's natural air conditioner."
'Of course,' Shibi's eyes opened wide and lifted a hand up, "Ranmaru-kun, we need another order!"
"And two more orders to go," added Shino.
It wasn't long before the Aburames willingly gave up their plates to their ravenous other halves and happily watched them finish detoxing their bodies in no time.
As the team gathered outside of the cafe, the kunoichi gushed about the meal to an ecstatic restaurant crew while Shibi and Shino's shoulders slumped when they foresaw themselves making several trips out to the Shop just to satisfy the pregnancy cravings of the kunoichi.
"Come on, Lee! Put some more back into it," said a bellowing voice from the road.
All heads turned to see two dust clouds rising in the air. As the runners neared the shop, the restaurant crew recognized the green clad figures kicking up dirt from their race. The crew rushed inside to start a fresh batch right away for their best customers.
The whirlwind of dust spun around the team, causing all to cough uncontrollably to clear their lungs.
"Ah hah! I win again, my youthful student," yelled Gai and automatically went into his nice guy pose.
"Oh no," both Sakura's groaned out loud.
Forgetting about his sensei worship for once, Lee skidded to a halt in front of the young medic and grinned happily, "Sakura-san! I never would have imagined seeing you here!"
Gai turned around to see the other Leaf jounin staring at him, "Aburame-sama. What a surprise! And Kurenai-san!" He immediately rushed up to the kunoichi on his knees and held up one hand.
"Crimson Blossom of my heart, how would you like to join me on a vigorous run around Konoha tomorrow morning before we train with the students."
The kunoichi frowned at the impossibility, "We're four days away from Konohakagure, Gai."
"With the power of youth, we can do it, Kurenai-san," encouraged the clueless Jounin.
'Great,' growled the Aburame as he stepped in front of the paling woman, 'Got rid of the dirty old man and now I have to deal with the Dodo, but then...'
Shibi looked up at the shop sign then to Gai, 'Even he has to be good for something.'
He pulled the Taijutsu master up from his knees and dragged him a short distance off, "Gai, how often do you make these little trips out here?" The Aburame watched the spandex-ed man frown in thought.
Gai put a fist on his hip, "When I am not on a mission, my youthful student and I run out to the Curry of Life shop every month... Sometimes more if Lee asks."
"Is that so," Shibi grinned under his collar, "How would you feel about bringing some extra curry home for the next nine months?"
Gai raised his fuzzy eyebrows, "Why nine months?"
The Aburame lowered his voice and nodded towards Kurenai, "Apparently Kurenai-chan loves the curry and would like to have some during her pregnancy."
It took a moment for the news to settle into the Taijutsu Jounin's thick skull, but it did hit home, "Oh..." Then he recovered with a toothy grin.
"Yosh," Gai gave a big thumbs up to the curious kunoichi and yelled out loud, "I would be honored to deliver curries for you, Kurenai-san!"
While Shibi was busy redirecting Gai away from Kurenai, Shino was having a devil of a time keeping Lee's enthusiasm for his Cherry Blossom under control.
"Lee, I happen to recall about three years ago, that Tenten had quite the crush on you," Shino watched the boy's eyebrows rise up under his bowl-cut hair, "I'm surprised you haven't asked her out on a date yet."
The young shinobi sighed as a sad frown crossed his face, "That may have been three years ago, but Neji has already asked the beautiful Tenten out for dinner last week. I am afraid, I am too late in my endeavors of love from her, BUT there is always Sakura-san!"
While desperately trying to find some other kunoichi to fob the bozo onto, Shino quickly pushed Sakura to the side, intercepting the Taijutsu expert, 'Hinata? No, she has enough problems with Naruto and Kiba. Ino? No, spoken for by Chouji.'
Inner Sakura bounced up and down on her toes, 'I know who we could dump him on!'
"You know, Lee-san," piped up Sakura as she peeked out from behind Shino's back, "Temari is available and from what I remember from our first Chuunin Exam, she was very impressed when you nearly beat Gaara."
Both Lee and Shino blinked in astonishment. Never in their lives had they thought the tough-as-nails blond to be easily impressed.
"Excuse us a moment, Lee," Shino grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her a distance away to whisper in her ear, "Temari was impressed?"
"No, but the look of shock is close enough for me," she murmured back.
The young Aburame scratched at one side of his face, "But what about Shikamaru? I understood he was quite taken with Temari."
Sakura nodded, "He is, but you know how the genius needs a little motivation get off his ass. Besides I'm sure Temari would love to have someone shower her with springtime love and adoration for once... Well, that or she'll enjoy trying to kill him."
By the time the young couple came back, Lee had given the Sand kunoichi some serious thought, "Yosh! I have decided to pursue the vivacious Temari and show her that my youthful passion is worthy of such a powerful kunoichi! Thank you, Shino-san and Sakura-san!" He bowed swiftly before heading into his favorite eaterie.
The young couple gave him fake smiles and happy waves until the boy disappeared into the Curry of Life Shop.
"He is so dead," whispered Sakura as the Chuunin turned to join the others waiting back at the road.
"Oh yeah."
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The sun had already started to set on the following day when the four arrived in Tanzaku Gai and happily checked into a hotel that accepted both sexes. The kunoichi were still energized by last night's dinner of Curry and decided to head out for some shopping.
As Kurenai stopped in front of a store window showcasing maternity clothing, Sakura noticed a neon arrow pointing to a shop just around the corner and into a darkened alley.
"I wonder what's over there," asked the young Chuunin.
The brunette turned from her window shopping and looked down the alley. With a sly chuckle, she pressed a hand to Sakura's shoulder and pushed her down the street.
"That is a sex shop, Sakura-chan. They specialize in selling 'Marital Aids'."
Sakura raised her pink eyebrows, "Really? Maybe we should take a look?"
Laughing out loud, Kurenai shook her head, "For the most part, it's bogus. Trust me with a little imagination you can find all you need in a simple grocery store." She led the curious girl into the corner grocery store and fills the small shopping cart with interesting stuff Sakura never in her life would think to use in the bedroom.
"Hmmm," Kurenai looked over the items in the basket, "We're missing some stuff. Come on, I think they're in this aisle." The brunette grabbed a small bottle of sweet almond oil followed by a bottle of olive oil.
Kurenai pushed the cart until she found the stationary section, "And here is our last stop." She picked out a pink fluffy top pen and a simple deck of cards.
The check out lady looked over the various items then noticed the pink-haired girl picking up the pen, examining it very carefully, and looking rather baffled.
Kurenai smiled and gestured with a finger to the Chuunin scratching her head in confusion, "Passing on bedroom secrets to the next generation."
Sakura blushed when the check out lady smiled knowingly and gave her a wink.
When they walked out of the store, Kurenai pulled out the pack of cards from the bag, "You can have the rest Sakura-chan."
"That's all you want, Sensei?" She perused the various items in the bag.
Kurenai smirked, "That's all I need. It's amazing what one learns about someone when you play poker with them."
"Is that so," Sakura frowned in thought, "Then could I borrow the cards when you're done?"
Kurenai winced when she thought back to Team Eight's poker nights, "Um, depends. How good a poker player are you? 'Cause Shino's one hell of a card shark."
The young medic nin shrugged, "Show me the ropes and I'll pick it up."
"Then you're not ready yet," muttered the brunette, "Even if I show you all the tricks, he'll have you stripped naked in no time flat."
Sakura sneered as they walked across the street to their hotel, "And where is the downside to this?"
Shino perked up from watching the television when the room door opened and Sakura came through carrying a brown paper bag, "Welcome back. What have you got there?"
"Why don't you take a look and find out," she giggled and set the bag next to the complementary fridge. He picked himself off the couch and looked over the girl's shoulder to see her put in a small package of strawberries and some chocolate sauce. Then she placed two small bottles of oil, one almond and the other olive with the pink fluffy pen on the dresser.
Shino scratched his head in bewilderment, "Why did you buy a pen? The hotel provides free ones in the dresser over there."
The young medic murmured under her breath, "I'm still trying to figure that one out, but I thought you might like a back massage."
Shino grinned as he quickly threw his shirt off and flopped onto the bed, "You thought right."
Smiling at his reaction, Sakura picked up the last item in the bag and hid it on the other side of the bed, "Just relax, Shino-kun and let me do everything." She pulled his glasses from his eyes and carefully set them on the side table.
After straddling his waist, the pink-haired girl rubbed the spoonful of the almond oil in her hand, warming it up before pressing her palms onto his shoulders. The nutty aroma filled the air and Shino's body heat only increased the scent. Sakura lowered head to smell it better, taking a deep breath of the mixture of sweet and musky combination.
'Kurenai-sensei was right,' Sakura licked her lips and unbuttoned her top and unhitched her medic apron. Rubbing some more oil on her hands, she went back to massaging Shino's back. Rolling her thumbs into the young Aburame's muscles, her imagination began to fill her head with ideas.
Inner Sakura grinned when they came across one interesting idea, 'That one! We gotta do that!'
Getting off Shino, she unhooked her bra and removed the rest of her clothing. Curious as to what she was doing, the young Aburame looked over his shoulder to see Sakura completely naked and picking up the bottle of olive oil.
"Sakura-chan?" He quirked an eyebrow to see the pink kunoichi smirk as she rubbed the olive oil over her bosom and stomach.
"Lay back down, Shino-kun," she whispered and straddled his back once more.
Shino moaned as she bent forward and pressed her torso to his then spreading her hands along his arms, she slowly writhed on top of him, skin to skin. Getting just as excited as he was, Sakura had to hold herself back so she could try Kurenai-sensei's suggestion.
With his head still laying over his crossed arms, Shino frowned when he felt her body heat disappear again, "Sakura-chan, what are you doing now?" He saw her reach over the bedside to pick up what was left in the paper bag.
Taking the top off then vigorously shaking the can, she replied mischievously, "Oh I'm just opening a can of whip on your ass."
Snickering, he quickly flipped over so that the whipped cream landed his groin, causing Sakura to stick out her lower lip in a pout.
"I was going for that anyways," she lied and proceeded to cover him some more. She had to stop and brush her tongue along Shino's pelvis, before the cream melted off his hips.
Shino drew in a long breath as Sakura slowly consumed the whipped cream off his skin. Then he hissed when the girl engulfed his hardened member and sucked the cream off.
Sakura moaned when her taste buds savored the cream mixed with the scent of sweet almond oil and Shino's own musky flavor made it all the more delicious.
The young Aburame's voice shuddered with every vibration coursing from Sakura's mouth and onto his sensitive skin, "Oh Kami!"
"Mmmm," Sakura pulled up along his length then licked her lips, "I want more." Giggling, she sprayed more whipped cream.
He frowned when the warmth of Sakura's mouth was removed then a shiver of cold from the cream followed by more wet heat of her tongue circle the head of his member, causing a deep moan to rumble from Shino.
Unable to hold his lust back anymore, the young Aburame pushed Sakura off his length and rolled the girl onto her back then thrust inside her. Gasping at the sudden feeling of being filled so quickly, Sakura let Shino take over and rode the waves of pleasure until her orgasm had him moaning his own release.
Both Chuunin laid on the bed for a few minutes to recover then Sakura noticed the fluffy top pen, "Hmmm..." She reached out and picked it up. Turning over, she noticed that Shino's eyes were about to close for sleep. Sakura rapidly traced the fluffy tip up and down his torso.
"WHOAH!" Shino shot up from his hyper-sensitive skin getting tickled in a surprise attack.
Leaning on one elbow, Sakura grinned brightly, "So THAT'S what it's for!"
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Shibi looked down to see a pack of cards slapped on the table before him, "What's this?"
"What's it look like," Kurenai sat down across from him with a smirk on her face, "I thought we'd try playing some poker."
The Aburame leaned back in his chair with a laugh, "Are you serious? Shino told me about his team poker nights and how every night the kids cleaned you out!"
"And as a result, I've cleaned house every kunoichi poker game at the Hokage's," The brunette smirked, "I've gotten better since the last time I played with rest of Team Eight. So I should be able to give you a suitable challenge. Besides, this is just for fun."
Shaking his head, Shibi opened up the plastic wrapping and started to cut the cards, "Alright then. Just for fun."
Happy that he took the bait, the brunette wiggled her eyebrows. "And what fun would a game be without risk?"
"Oh? What kind," He eye-balled her warily from behind his shades.
She shrugged nonchalantly, "They don't call it Strip Poker for nothing."
"I'll deal first," With an eager smile, Shibi expertly shuffled the cards then sent them flying through the air from one hand into the other.
Kurenai lost the first hand, but she expected that and didn't put up a fuss when Shibi insisted that her shorts would be the first to go. In fact, she was counting on it.
When the Aburame finished dealing out the next hand, she lifted her legs onto the table and crossed one on top of the other, being sure that a good amount of bare thigh was presented before him.
Shibi glanced between his cards and Kurenai's legs. He occasionally licked his lips in anticipation, knowing that he was a few hands away from removing that bikini peeking out at him. Once that was out of the way, then it was time to screw the game then...
Kurenai gave him a questioning look then chuckled when she felt another stare undress her.
What Shibi didn't realize was that with every leer at the brunette's legs, his cards would move just enough so that the kunoichi could see the reflection in the window behind him.
Disappointment didn't fully express what he felt when Kurenai immediately folded, gave up her sandal, and took the cards so she could deal. Quite determined to win the next round, he sent a Kikai to covertly hover behind the woman's shoulder. When it returned he found out that Kurenai had jack diddily, but her coy fiddling with a bra strap indicated that she planned on bluffing her way to a win.
"So Shibi..."
The man looked up to see her curl a lock of hair around one finger, "Yes?"
"How about we make this hand a little more interesting," Kurenai bit down on her bottom lip, while her hands moved to below the table and away from his view.
"How so?"
She smirked at his confusion, "A new bet. Loser has to go streaking through the ruins of the Tanzaku Castle."
"You're on!" It was suspicious that she still was smiling from his quick acceptance, instead of folding. So he sent out another Kikai just to be on the safe side.
He threw a couple cards in the discard pile and looked over the two cards Kurenai delt him. Something was off. His Kikaichu from hummed within and alerted him that the woman had activated a genjutsu. Shibi shifted his eyes around the room to see what was out of place. It wasn't until his Kikai pointed out his hand's high card was now a deuce, that he realized what Kurenai had done.
"You little cheat," Shibi threw his cards on the table and pulled his sunglasses down to glare at her.
She gasped in mock indignation, "Who me? Cheat?" Trying to think of a way out of her bet, Kurenai anxiously ran a hand through her hair and imagine her surprise to find a beetle.
"And what do you call this?"
Shibi coughed in one hand when the brunette held out a little Kikaichu on her open palm. It gave him an embarrassed wave with it's antennae.
"Well, what kind of shinobi would we be, if we didn't cheat?"
"Good point," sighed Kurenai, "So who won?"
Shibi crossed his arms and shrugged, "We were both caught, so by shinobi standards, we both lost."
"Shit."
"Yup."
The mugger turned monk was taking a moonlight walk down the path he used to frequent as a wayward thief, "Ah... to think I lived such a turbulent and unpredictable life, but no longer! From now on, I shall be a part of a greater good." Secure in the knowledge that he was no longer susceptible to the sins of the flesh, the monk continued reminiscing happily until he saw two strange figures laughing and running through the ruins.
Kurenai was so busy giggling and Shibi leering at the nude woman before him that the extra presence didn't register with either one. It wasn't until they were nearly upon the guy when Shibi's Kikaichu screamed out their final warning.
The monk's eyes bugged out when he saw two shinobi from his past streak past him then stop in the middle of the road, only noticing him at the last minute.
"Ahem, good evening," said Shibi as a blushing Kurenai sidled behind him to cover herself, "You seem familiar..."
The two shinobi shuffled nervously when the mugger sputtered, "Y-y-you again!" Then he fell backwards, passed out in a gushing nosebleed.
Kurenai stood up on her tiptoes to peer over Shibi's shoulder, "Did he faint because of me or..."
Shibi quickly pointed a finger at her, "Don't go there."
The kunoichi chuckled as she wrapped her arms around his waist, "What? You're not a yaoi fan?"
"Obviously," grumbled Shibi.
"Aw come on," she pressed him closer and continued her teasing, "I've seen those looks you give Hyuuga Hiashi."
The Aburame glared at her, "You mean of loathing and hatred."
"Tch, there goes that fantasy," Kurenai snapped her fingers in disappointment. Seeing the look of horror on the man's face, she laughed out loud then yipped when Shibi growled loudly at her. She took off running as he chased her further into the ruins.
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The next day, as the team walked down the road leading from Tanzaku Gai to Konohakagure, the kunoichi shared a secret glance and nod that now would be a good time for their plan. Earlier that morning, they had a little tete-a-tete and decided a certain matter needed to be addressed before they finished the last leg of the trip.
Facing forward once more, Kurenai wrapped her arm around Shibi's, pulled him aside and quickened their pace until she was sure they were out of earshot.
"Shibi, you're not going to believe this, but I think Sakura-chan is pregnant. She's been getting these strange food cravings and mood swings for the past few days."
The man's eyes widened from behind his shades, "Is that so? What a surprise!"
Further behind the two Jounin, Sakura waited until the others were a good distance ahead then slipped her hand into Shino's to whisper his ear, "Shino-kun, when I checked Kurenai-sensei for her poison back at Bird Country. I found out that she's pregnant!"
"R-Really? Are you sure," Shino nervously looked away from Sakura to focus on a conveniently located blue sky.
"Quite sure," nodded the young medic, "I could hardly believe it myself when I found out. Can you imagine what she's going to do to your poor father, when she finds out? She's already a single mother. Imagine her with two babies to take care of!"
Up ahead, Kurenai leaned into Shibi, "How awful for that dear girl! She's only seventeen. Well by the time the baby comes she'll be eighteen, but still what will Shino-kun do when the Sakura-chan finds out? We all know she's got a mean right hook!"
"Kami," said the two kunoichi as the men found themselves sweating profusely under their overcoats, "I know I'd be pissed off as all hell, if I found myself in THAT situation."
Sakura shook her head with slight agitation in her voice, "I hope the baka proposes...
"Before she finds out she's pregnant," continued Kurenai as she patted Shibi's arm.
And to the men's horror, the kunoichi echoed ominously, "Or she'll feel trapped and hate him FOREVER!"
Realizing the need to circumvent a broken heart as well as broken bones, Shibi slowed to a stop in the middle of the road. Clearing his throat, he tugged off the wedding band on his left hand and got down on one knee.
"Kurenai-chan," he removed his sunglasses and looked into surprised crimson, "Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
"Shibi, why this is so sudden," the brunette blushed as Shibi held the ring up to her, "Yes! Yes! I will marry you."
Not sure how one goes about proposing, Shino looked up ahead the road and saw his father down on one knee and was extremely relieved for guidance.
He grasped Sakura by the hand, took her to one side, and knelt down, "Sakura-chan, forgive me if this is too fast for you, but would you marry me."
"Oh yes, Shino," Sakura gushed happily and leaned down to hug the young Aburame, "I would love to marry you!"
Further up the road, the Aburame let out that breath he had been holding and slipped the over-sized ring on the kunoichi's finger, "I hope you don't mind this as a substitute until we get back to Konoha."
"I don't mind at all, Shibi-kun," said Kurenai as she waited for him to stand back up then she gave the man a loving kiss. The Jounin pulled away from each other when they noticed the Chuunin walking towards them.
"Kurenai-sensei, guess what! Shino just proposed to me. We're getting married!"
The brunette flashed her hand as she met Sakura half-way, "Small world, Aburame-sama just proposed to me!" Both kunoichi gave the other covert winks while the two Aburames wondered what the hell just happened.
Sakura held Kurenai's hand up and raised her voice, "Why Kurenai-sensei, there's a RING on your finger! Wow, that RING looks so beautiful on you. Don't you think the RING looks wonderful on your future step-mother, Shino-kun."
Shibi looked over at his son and saw the boy fiddle with his sunglasses nervously.
"Y-yes, it does Sakura-chan," he began patting his coat down for some money to find his hands resting on the bundle from the Tanzaku mugger.
Kurenai whispered in Sakura's ear, "Working on getting that engagement ring?"
"Oh yeah," nodded the girl, "There's this one diamond solitaire that Ino's been harping about to Chouji. Do you think you could help me get something bigger?"
The brunette glanced at the Aburame men who were comparing notes, "We'll have to play that one by ear."
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The team strolled calmly through the streets of downtown Konohakagure, barely noticing the stares or whispers of how intimately the Aburames were walking with the two kunoichi. When they passed Ichiraku's, a curtain flap opened up and a familiar blond shinobi came trudging out.
"Yeah, well...There'll always be Sakura-chan," Naruto yelled back at a grinning Kiba, "As soon as she gets back, I'm asking her on a date," Then he noticed said kunoichi blinking curiously at him.
"SAKURA-CHAAAAAN!"
Shino quickly stepped in front of the girl and held out an arm to have Naruto's head slamming into the young Aburame's open palm.
"Oi, what gives," grumbled the blond shinobi as he rubbed his forehead, "I was just saying 'Hello' to my teammate!" He glanced around Shino and gave his pink-haired teammate a grin.
Shino crossed his arms and leaned into Naruto's ear, "That's fine, Uzumaki, but I would prefer you not to jump my future bride."
"Bride?" Naruto paled as he looked over at Sakura for confirmation and got a dazzling smile with a nod. The Kyuubi Vessel's bottom lip quivered as he saw his dream girl completely slip from his fingers.
Ignoring Naruto's saddened state, Shino pressed on, "For if you do touch her in an unseemly manner, I will have to call in a favor from your apartment building's cockroaches."
The blond boy gulped as he imagined every single roach in his building hording into his little one-room apartment, "R-r-right! Right! So uh, I think I'll see what...Ino or Tenten's doing tonight! Good to see you again, Sakura-chan!"
As they walked away, Sakura whispered to her fiance, "Do those roaches really owe you a favor?"
The young Aburame shook his head, "No, but it's fun to mess with Naruto's head."
The young medic nin giggled uncontrollably, "You most certainly did mess with it. He forgot that Ino's dating Chouji and Neji's finally noticed Tenten. The poor guy is in for a world of hurt."
"You can always point him to Temari," suggested Shino.
When Kurenai recognized her street, she pressed a hand to Shibi's shoulder, "I would like to go check on Asuma-kun before we report to the Hokage. Konohamaru would have brought him home from his pre-school by now."
"That's fine," The Aburame nodded in understanding, "Do you mind if I come along with you."
The brunette smiled and slipped her hand into his, "Of course not. The apartment is this way. We'll catch up with you two at the Tower."
As Shino and Sakura watched the Jounin walk away, the young medic nin realized that she had better do some introducing of her own.
"Shino-kun, would you like to meet my mother," She nervously clasped her hands behind her back, "It's alright if you want to wait. I know this is a big step... meeting the parents and all-"
"I would love to Sakura," The young man interrupted calmly, "Please lead the way."
The pink-haired girl smiled brightly and she gasped his hand to direct him to her humble home a few blocks away. It wasn't long before they came across a busy street filled with the delicious aroma of sweets and fresh baked bread.
Sakura took a deep breath before rushing through the crowd, "Come on, Shino! It smells like my mother's baking her Walnut Manju cakes and we don't want to miss the free samples."
A bell rang as they walked into the bustling sweets shop and Sakura waved an arm at the counter clerk, who thumbed them to the back. The pink-haired girl pulled Shino past the counter then pushed open the swinging kitchen door.
"Mom," Sakura spun around the huge kitchen, "I'm home! Are you upstairs?" Then they heard rushing feet from the floor above and a much older version of Sakura came bounding down the stairs to sweep her daughter in a huge embrace.
"Sakura-chan, you're home! Wonderful! You're just in time for my Walnut Manju. I've been tweaking the recipe for a week now and I really could use your opinion."
The girl smiled as she pulled away from the hug then backed up to reach for Shino, who had politely moved out of the way of the older woman rushing to greet her daughter, "Mother, I would like to meet Aburame Shino. Shino-kun, this is my mom, Haruno Satoyo."
Shino bowed respectfully to the impressed woman, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Haruno-sama."
Clasping her hand together in front of her, Satoyo could barely conceal the happy grin on her face, "Aburame, huh? So how well do you know the Clan Leader?"
Sakura rolled her eyes at her mother's pathetic attempt to gage the boy's social standing.
"Very well, since he is my father," Shino said with a small smile.
"Marvelous! Absolutely marvelous," The older woman clapped her hands excitedly, "Please sit down!" She directed them to a small table and chairs in a far corner of the room.
"You did say one day you'd bring home a Clan Heir," said Satoyo as she gave her daughter a secret nudge with an elbow, "I dare say this one's a better pick."
Shino chuckled as he sat down next to the blushing medic.
Sakura held a hand up to hide her face, "Mother! I was twelve years old. You can't hold me accountable for a stupid crush."
"I know sweetie, but I did warn you about the heartless Uchiha reputation," Then Satoyo leaned down to Shino, "She might be all super strong and know-it-all kunoichi now, but she'll always love with the fullest extent of her heart."
Sakura moaned into one hand, "Mom, you're embarrassing me!"
The older woman laughed as she walked past the groaning girl to grab her oven mitts, "Then I wouldn't be doing my job. Ah! They're ready!"
As Satoyo pulled out the pan with the tiny little cakes just puffing over the edge, she took a deep breath to take in the delicious smell, "Oh yes! I think I got a winning formula here. Just wait a few minutes more while I decorate them properly."
Slightly nervous at how to bring up the delicate subject, Shino cleared his throat and dove headlong, "Haruno-sama, the main reason why I wanted to meet you was because I wish to ask for Sakura's hand in marriage."
Sayoto stumbled on her way to the table and nearly dropped her plate of little sweet cakes on the table, "Excuse me? Did I hear you correctly?"
"Hai, Haruno-sama," said Shino.
The flustered woman looked over at Sakura, who nodded that she heard right. Wiping her suddenly sweaty hands on her apron, Satoyo sat down at the table so she could properly take in the shock.
"I heard that one minute a daughter will bring home a boyfriend and the next she'll be announcing her wedding, but I never took it seriously," Satoyo rubbed her temples in disbelief.
"Now try to calm down, Mom," said Sakura as she tried to soften the blow, "If I've been assigned to go on A-rank missions since I was fifteen, then marriage right now would be good thing... especially when it comes to grandchildren."
Satoyo paled significantly at the word she had been dreading for nearly twenty years, "Gr-grandchildren?" The older Haruno immediately started eating one little treat after another in an emotional bout without truly realizing what she was doing.
"Mom, you're eating out of stress," Sakura wagged a nagging finger.
"Am not," The woman quickly protested with her mouth full of sweets, looked at the treat in her hand in surprise, then set it down on the table, "Gomen. But can you blame me?"
Shino smiled in attempt to alleviate the older Haruno's fears, "I understand if you think is going quite fast for you, but your daughter and I have already known each other as friends for years. For these past two weeks, we have finally decided to take that friendship further."
Satoyo narrowed her green eyes at her daughter, "How much further?"
"Oh," Sakura fiddled with her medic apron, "I'd say pretty close to Having Children Further... Okay, more like Actually Having A Child Further."
Having his suspicions confirmed, Shino smirked at his fiance, "And when exactly did you find out that you were pregnant, Sakura-chan. Most pharmacy tests don't give an accurate reading until two weeks have passed. It's only been a week."
"Good question," added Satoyo.
Sakura sighed and confessed, "Suzumebachi told Kurenai-sensei and me while her larva were draining our chakra."
Sakura's mother paled until Sakura reassured her, "It's alright, mother! Shino-kun and his father came in time and the babies are quite safe."
The older Haruno squeaked, "Babies?"
Shino chuckled at the flustered woman, "Kurenai-sensei is having my father's child."
"The Aburame is going to have another child as well as a wedding," Satoyo whispered, "Has your father made any arrangements yet for the catering?"
The young Aburame smirked under his collar, "I don't think so, but I'm sure I can put in a good word for a certain bakery that's famous for it's Walnut Manju cakes.
Practically salivating at the large commissions the posh celebrations would bring in, the woman clapped her hands together happily, "Well, it looks like a wedding is in order A.S.A.P.!"
Sakura turned to the young Aburame and sighed in relief, "I hope Kurenai is also having an easy time explaining things to her family."
In the Sarutobi apartment, the two year old squirmed in Kurenai's lap as both adults carefully watched him. For a couple minutes, little Asuma-kun stared at the stranger across from him with wary eyes. Finally making up his mind, the boy hopped off his mother, grabbed his toy club, and hit Shibi over the head.
"NO! MY MOMMY!" Asuma screamed in The Aburame's face, then he rushed away to hide under his bed, before the stranger came after him.
Kurenai was about to apologize, but Shibi waved a hand, "It's alright. I expected this. We just need to give him some time."
The boy peeked out from his bedroom doorway, "MY MOMMY! MY MOMMY..."
Covering her ears, the brunette winced with each one of her son's piercing screams, "How's the next sixteen years sound?"
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It was about thirty nine weeks later, when the Aburame elders made their way down the halls of the Konohakagure Hospital.
"Excuse me, nurse," said one gentleman carrying a small engraved chest, "We're here to see The Aburame and his wife."
The nurse nodded eagerly, "Hai, Aburame-sama. Just down this hall and take two rights then a left. His son and Sakura-san already came through and should be in the waiting room."
One elder whispered to another as they followed the nurse's directions, "Interesting, did you bring extra Kikaichu, just in case."
"Of course!"
In the labor room, Shibi was massaging a sock filled with two tennis balls along Kurenai's back, but not entirely paying attention to his moaning wife. Some genius thought it would be a wonderful thing to have a television in the delivery room and the man was taking full advantage.
Kurenai groaned as she felt another wave of pain beginning to build, "Could you move a little lower." She breathed through another contraction then opened one eye when the massaging sock stayed in the same spot.
"Shibi, could you move the sock lower, please." The annoying rubbing stayed on the same place of her back.
The brunette looked over her shoulder to see Shibi watching an intense sumo match on the television, "Are you ignoring me again?"
With a growl erupting from her throat, she grabbed the sock from the surprised man. There was a crash of breaking glass as the sock burst through the hospital window to bounce off an unlucky pedestrian's head.
"OW," they heard a woman exclaim in the distance.
Turning away from the window and back to his wife, Shibi paled when Kurenai snarled at him with a demon's voice, "Next time, it won't be those balls!"
"Just put some ice on that for a few minutes, Shizune," Pushing the door open, Tsunade walked into the room with a muddy sock pinched between two fingers then handed it to the Aburame, "I believe this is yours, Shibi. Now lets check to see how far you're dilated, Kurenai."
Outside the room, an Aburame Elder who had been peeking through the door, walked down the hall to the full waiting room and sat down with the others, "This kid's gonna be one scary shinobi!"
Sakura and Shino were sitting in the waiting area, listening in on the gathered elders, mothers, and nurses trading birth stories to pass the time.
"Oh, I scheduled a C-section for my last one," said one mother, "I have such a low tolerance for pain."
With Shino rubbing his hand over her swollen tummy, Sakura nodded to herself, "Maybe I should go that route."
"If pains the problem, there's always the drugs," said another, "I did and boy, that epidural was magnificent! I just about kissed the doc."
"Maybe I'll do that," the young mother-to-be whispered to her husband.
"But that slows down the contractions," piped up Sakura's mother, who was supposed to babysit little Asuma and ended up staying for the gossip, "I remember Sakura came too fast for them to give me any pain relief. And I just popped her out as fast as an arrow!"
The young woman mused quietly, 'Hmmm, if Mom could do it, maybe I can?'
Sakura's mother shook her head and sighed, "Still hurt like hell the entire time."
"Hurt like hell?" The young medic chewed on her bottom lip.
A fourth woman waved a nonchalant hand, "It doesn't matter either way, they'll take the mother off the drugs before it's time to push out the baby and she'll still feel the agonizing pain."
"Agonizing," squeaked the eighteen year old girl.
"Oh, and then there's the Ring of Fire," Sakura's mother nodded at the other women, "When the baby's head cuts off all the nerves and for one blissful second you don't feel a thing, then... WHAM!"
When her mother slammed a fist into her hand, Sakura nearly jumped out of her seat and whimpered pitifully into Shino's shoulder.
"The pain hits you like a ton of bricks, twice as horrible as before!"
"Oyoyoyoyoyoy," affirmed the rest of the mothers.
Shino patted Sakura's soft hand, trying to comfort his poor wife, "Why don't we go for a walk, Sakura-chan." He led the shaking young woman out of the waiting room and they made their way toward the hospital gardens.
"I read the medical scrolls, watched the T.V. shows, even attended a few births, but I still don't think I'm ready for a marathon of pain," Sakura sighed then smiled when Shino gave her a kiss on the cheek.
They soon reached the gardens and found a sunny bench to sit on. Reminicing about the night they sat on another bench in the Bird Country, Shino and Sakura leaned into each other, wrapping their arms together while enjoying the beautiful sky.
"Ooh," Sakura straightened her back then bent forward slightly, closing her eyes in pain.
The young Aburame kept a close eye on his wife while the Kikaichu monitored her even closer. Heading back to the Labor and Delivery would be a good idea came a suggestion from the Kikai.
Sakura sighed in relief when the contraction finished, "Goodness, that was a bit sharper than yesterday's false labor."
"Is that so," said Shino calmly, "Why don't we check on Kurenai and my father? My baby brother or sister might be here already."
"Okay then," Sakura slowly stood up with Shino offering his arm. Then she felt a painful ache rip across her sides, "Ooowwwooo!"
Shino quickly reached out with both arms to support Sakura as she sunk to the ground.
When she looked up once more, Sakura squeaked, "Shino, I think my water just broke!"
"I know," said the young man as he moved her skirt out of the way, "I already sent out a Kikai to alert the others. A nurse will be here soon."
Sure enough a couple nurses rushed into the garden with a wheelchair. They picked up Sakura and whisked the young mother into the building.
Just as Shibi walked out into the hallway for a bathroom break, he found his distressed daughter-in-law being wheeled through the hall and into the next room. Smirking proudly, he held out a hand in time for Shino to slap it before the boy followed the medical staff into the delivery room.
Shibi whistled happily as he walked down the hall, 'I'm gonna be a Grandfather!'
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AN: Kurenai's labor story was taken from my cousin's experience and how she narrowly went berserk on her hubby for not massaging her back properly. And instead of the window, the poor TV was hit by the tennis balls. Word of advice, don't piss off a woman in labor. :-)