A/N: Hey well as you should no (if you read the previous Chapters) this is gonna be multiple chapters long, the odd chapters(1,3,5...) are gonna be the story of Shika/Ino and the even chapters(2,4,6...) are gonna be the story of Kanku/Saku! Enjoy and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE R+R! it would just really make my day if you did!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, as much as i wish i did :(

Chapter 8

Selfish Traitor

Kankuro got Sakura back to her house without waking her. After pushing her hand to the front door and forcing his own chakra through it, the door swung open and Kankuro walked in with Sakura in his arms. He put her down on top of the fluffy comforter that covered her bad, and started to remove her chakra gloves and then her sandals. After stripping her down to her chest wrappings and spandex shorts, he picked her up and swept down the comforter.

After setting her in bed and tucking her in, he chastely kissed her forehead before exiting the room to take a shower.

The warm water ran over his body as he thought about the woman who was lying in the room next to his, chakra drained after trying to save someone she loved, but failing. A tear fell from Kankuro's eye, mixing with the water from the shower, but he still knew it was there.

The woman he was in love with was probably in the most vulnerable state she had ever been. Kankuro was crying for her. He was crying for the loss she had just experienced. He was crying because he loved her.

Turning off the water, he wrapped himself in a fluffy towel and headed to his temporary room to get dressed. He pulled out a pair of blue boxers and an old t-shirt with the same symbol on it that was on his usual black jumpsuit-like shirt, and proceeded to get dressed, pulling on his boxers first.

As he was putting on his shirt, there was a small, tentative knock on the door and Sakura poked her little, pink head in. "Will you…spend the night with me?" she asked quietly and a little cautiously.

Walking up to her, Kankuro engulfed the petit girl in a giant hug and replied, "Whatever you want."

A faint smile graced her lips as Kankuro led the two of them back to her room. He climbed into the massive bed first and she followed, snuggling into his warm chest.

"Good night," he whispered.

"Thank you," she whispered back and he knew that it had two meanings. They both smiled and sank into a deep sleep, trying to forget about all that happened that day with a peaceful, dream-filled slumber.

Kankuro awoke to the smell of cooking bacon. He climbed out of Sakura's comfortable, warm bed and made his way toward the kitchen, where he found his pink-haired love standing in front of the stove.

He walked up behind her, and in a bold move, hugged her around the middle. She almost jumped, but, realizing it was only Kankuro, sank back into his embrace. They both closed their eyes to try and keep the affectionate mood, neither realizing that it meant so much to the other. After about two minutes like this, Kankuro whispered, "Your bacon's going to burn."

"Dammit!" she cursed, breaking the peaceful mood and scooping the bacon out of the frying pan just as the timer on the oven dinged. Kankuro grabbed a potholder and pulled the melty cinnamon rolls out of the oven, mouth already watering.

As the two set their different dishes out on the table, their hands brushed and their eyes met. It's like there was a spark between them.

Sakura was confused, yet excited. A new feeling had been growing inside of her since the dream and shower incident a couple days ago. But she was still depressed about her friend; the one who loved her for so long that she never gave a chance to; that had just died in her hands.

She looked away.

Kankuro was disappointed, but understood why nothing would happen now.

They both sat at the table and ate in silence. When Sakura had finished eating, Kankuro grabbed all the plates from the table and started doing the dishes.

"Thanks," Sakura and Kankuro said at the same time. They both blushed. Kankuro knew Sakura was thanking him for doing the dishes and Sakura knew that Kankuro was thanking her for making breakfast. But what they didn't know was that both "thank you's" had underlying meanings. Sakura: thank you for being here for me; Kankuro: thank you for opening up to me.

They smiled tentatively at each other, then Sakura stood up and walked to her bedroom.

Kankuro sighed. He knew that someone Sakura cared dearly for had just died, but he couldn't hold it in much longer. He had to tell her how he felt! It was killing him inside!

Sakura was standing in her room, leaning heavily against her dresser as she looked into the mirror. What was wrong with her? She was thinking about how much she would've liked to jump Kankuro right then when her friend had just died! He would want me to be happy, she reasoned with herself. And Kankuro makes me happy. I really like being with him. He's funny and caring and nice…and albeit perverted when I was staying with him in Suna, but…

While Sakura was thinking about Kankuro and absentmindedly rearranging the perfume bottles and flowers vases on her dresser, she heard a loud, banging knock on her bedroom door. "Yeah?" she called. The door opened and in barged…

There was a knock on the front door just as Kankuro was finishing the dishes. He went to answer it and a blonde-headed ninja toppled in on top of him.

"Naruto! Get the fuck off me!"

"Oh, sorry Kankuro! Where's Sakura?" Naruto was already giving him a migraine and it was only eight o'clock in the morning.

"In her room. Gosh…" grumbled Kankuro, picking himself up off the floor and dusting himself off as Naruto made a mad dash to Sakura's bedroom.

Naruto banged on Sakura's door, then hearing her call "yeah?" thrust it open, yelling "Sakura!" as he barged in.

"What?" she yelled, almost as loudly back at the knuckle-headed ninja, annoyed at his being here at such an early hour.

"SASUKE'S BACK!"

Sakura nearly dropped the crystal vase she had been holding. "He's …back?" she whispered. There was way too much happening this week: first Kankuro getting poisoned, then her parents' death anniversaries, Lee's death, and now this?

"Yes! He's in Tsunade's office right now with about seven ANBU holding him. Come on!"

Sakura didn't hesitate at that command. Not even bothering to change out of the tank top and shorts she had slept in last night, she rushed out of her bedroom, and then out the open front door, past a bewildered, yet somehow depressed looking Kankuro.

Naruto and Sakura ran down the dusty road to the Hokage Tower. Sakura could obviously run faster than Naruto, but she stayed at his pace, not wanting to see Sasuke without the third member of their old Team Seven.

When they reached the tower, Shizune was standing at the door waiting for them. Without saying a word, she led them quickly down the hall until they were in front of Tsunade's closed office door. Shizune knocked once and the low murmur that had been in the room previously stopped. Naruto and Sakura could hear Tsunade's high heels clicking across the floor, coming to them, on the other side of the door.

The door swung open, revealing a stressed looking Tsunade, and behind her, sitting in a straight-back chair, hands clamped to the armrests, was Sasuke.

All of the air that was in Sakura's lungs was released as she just stood there, staring. Tsunade put a hand on her shoulder and led the frozen girl inside the room with Naruto following protectively close behind his "sister."

When Tsunade stopped, so did Sakura, but it wasn't because she was still under Tsunade's guiding hand. No, it was out of rage. After standing there for a good twenty seconds, trying to calm down before she did something stupid, she marched right up to the arrogant bastard who had a smirk on his face, but fear in his eyes, and…punched him! So much for trying to calm down…

With all the inhuman strength she possessed, he was smashed into the back wall of the room, the chair that he had still been bound to, splintered beneath him. The ANBU didn't make a move to get him up, but let Sakura continue glaring and advancing toward him.

Naruto was snickering. "She got you good, Teme. Bet you didn't see that coming, did you? And she didn't even have her gloves on! Damn, you got lucky." Even Tsunade had a small smirk on her face, but she quickly wiped it off when she heard what Sakura said next.

In a menacing whisper that actually made Sasuke a little uneasy about the weak little girl he thought he used to know, Sakura began, "You selfish bastard. You don't belong here anymore, traitor. After Shishou is done questioning you, you'll probably be slaughtered. And if you're not, well, let's just say I'll personally make sure u never restore your clan, you filthy son of a bitch. You are dead to me."

And with that, she stood up straight and proud, and left the room without looking back at the ungrateful weasel who had broken her heart may years ago.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Tsunade all stood there speechless, unable to move.

Kankuro heard the door slam and then stomps and bangs coming from the living area. Worried and confused, he jumped up and walked quickly into the room where Sakura was beating her knuckles to a bloody pulp against the wall.

Not knowing what else to do, for fear that she would turn her rampage on him if he tried to talk to her, he slid up behind her, spun her around, clamped her arms down at her sides, and threw himself on top of her, onto the sofa.

Their faces were only an inch apart at the most, with both of their pairs of eyes darting down to the other's lips every other second.

Kankuro made the first move and slowly brought his lips down to hers. The kiss was no more than a long peck, but it meant so much to both of them. They separated and let their eyes drift open.

Not thinking before she spoke, Sakura blurted, "Sasuke's back," in explanation of her tantrum.

Kankuro's jaw dropped.

A/N: well...this was a funn chapter...i hope you liked it. i know it took longer to get out than i thought it would, but hey, tuff luck. school is my top priority right now. i havent even written ch. 9 yet so dont be expecting it within the next week...or two... cuz i gotta keep up with hw plus i gotta write the sequel to revenge and get my fic about ino moving... and omg hp7 part1 comes out in like a little over a week and im PUMPED! hp ftw! kk review!