A/N: Where the last was really long, this is a tad short. I accidentally broke my hand by having it slammed in the door, so my typing may suck a bit. As always, props to Kishimoto-san for such an awesome anime!!

CH. 17: Choji's Interference

Sai sat on Sakura's motorcycle, waiting for them come out. Hime purred as she lay nestled in the crook of his arm. Sai smiled and sighed, looking up at the school. He say someone walking out and to his surprise, and delight, it was Shino. The young bug collector walked over and stood by Sai, stealing glances at the artist.

"You started a line of threats in there Sai." Shino chuckled, listening through his bugs on what was going on. Sai looked up at him innocently and blinked.

"I was protecting my okaa-san…should I not have?" The dark haired artist didn't know if he had done something wrong or not.

"For someone who has the IQ of a genius you sure don't know a lot." Shino chuckled and put him hand on the top of the other boy's head. "You did the right thing Sai. We are all proud of you…especially Sakura and I." Shino pulled his mask down enough to smile, then bent forward and kissed the dark haired youth.

Sai's eyes went wide and he gasped, giving Shino access to his mouth. Shino kissed him until the bugs told him people were coming out. Sai's eyes were closed and he sat there as Shino pulled back. The bug container readjusted his clothes and chuckled at Sai, who still had his eyes closed.

"You can open your eyes now kochou. People will wonder what we are up to and that is just between us right now." Shino caressed the side of the painter's face. Sai opened his eyes and smiled widely.

"Hai, Shino-teishu." Sai was so happy that he couldn't contain it. He chuckled and looked down at Hime, petting her while remembering his first kiss.

Choji walked into the resident's office with Michi. The person he saw wasn't the person either of them were suspecting. "Choza-san?" Michi asked the large man raiding the fridge. Choji sweat dropped at the man's unending appetite.

The red headed man deemed Choza raised his head and looked at the two invading his temporary office. Hi eyes widened as he saw his own son, Choji, with the pretty little brunette nurse.

"Michi-san, how have you been? Ochi went out for lunch and asked me to act as temporary resident…what can I do for you and your young friend?" Choji smiled as his dad gave nothing away about their relationship.

"I'm leaving early to have dinner with Choji at Sakura-sama's home tonight." Michi looked back at Choji and smiled. Choji smiled at her, then looked up at his father.

"Do you know a man by the name d Matsuro?" he asked his dad, even though Michi was mouthing for him not to bring it up. Too late.

"What the hell does HE want?" his dad hissed. Choji arched a surprised brow and looked at Michi. Choza growled and looked at Michi.

"I thought I told you to tell me when that rat came around you Michi. Has he been pressing you to accept his proposal as payment for your brother's debt?" Choza looked like he was about to bust a vein. Choji looked just as upset.

Michi was about to deny it when Choji turned her to look at him. His face was frowning and he looked a lot like Choza to her. "Don't you dare deny it Michi. If you allow this to continue he may actually hurt you next time. And where would that leave your little brother? Where would that leave me?" he asked the last part quietly, looking away from her. She blushed and smiled up at him, hugging him tightly and burying her face in his chest.

"Thank you Choji-kun. Choza-san, I need you to have another talk with Matsuro…he just can't seem to understand that Choji and I are together now." Michi smiled at Choza as she leaned against Choji.

"Have fun at dinner dear, and be safe on your way home." Choza waved at her as she walked out and shut the door, going to hand in all her charts. Choji stayed behind to talk to his father.

"How is everyone at home dad?" He asked, wanting to know they were safe now that he was gone.

"Your mother would like a letter from you once in a while to know you are okay. I'm a security guard here now because it's less hazardous. You sister is just as beautiful as your mother. It would be nice if you visited." Choza looked his age at that moment.

"Dad…I refuse to put Cheela in the same danger I am in. She's too sweet. If The Center gets their hands on her she'll end up like the rest. I won't do that to her, or to you and mom. I have to go check on Michi, that Matsuro guy threatened her earlier and I don't like to leave her alone." Choji stood back up and smiled at his dad.

"Do me a favor pops?" he asked, opening the door and putting one foot out. Choza lifted his chin in acknowledgement. "Go pick up Michi's little brother and take him home to play with Cheela. I am buying them a new place to live where Gato and Matsuro wont find them." Choza smiled and agreed as Choji shut the door.

Choji made his way to the nurse's desk to see Michi standing behind the desk with two other women as Matsuro hissed at her. "Who the hell is he Michi? I know I've seen him somewhere…He may be dangerous. I forbid you to see him. You are mine Michi, I own you and your little brother, don't forget that." he reached to grab her arm, only to find he couldn't move it.

He looked back to see a very pissed off Choji. "If I remember correctly, the law that stated that the male in the family could sell off any female relatives was abolished long ago, before you were even the afterthought of several generations of afterthoughts. Seems to me you are harassing Michi-chan. Is there a problem ladies?" he smiled at the three ladies behind the desk. Michi smiled and giggled at him, while the older two women glared at Matsuro.

"Matsuro has been trying to force Michi to marry him for almost three years now. Each time she denies him he gets more physical with her. He grabs her hard enough to leave bruises and he's even slapped her a few times. We've reported him, but somehow he keeps his job." said the oldest of the three, a white haired woman with wrinkles around her eyes. Matsuro glared at her and she glared right back.

"I wish Sakura-sama were here. She'd set his ass straight in a heart beat." said the middle-aged woman closest to Michi. Michi nodded sadly and looked at Choji.

"He only pesters me when Sakura-sama is out of town." she looked at her feet and scuffed the floor. Matsuro sneered at Choji.

"Not that it's any of your business, jelly belly." Choji stiffened immediately. He glared down at Matsuro with cold eyes. His grip tightened and all three nurses heard bone crunching as Matsuro hissed again.

"I haven't been fat since I was twelve years old, lab rat. What you see here is body armor and pure muscle, something YOU will never have. And since you find amusement in making others feel stupid, try this on for size: I work directly under Sakura-sama. She has given me permission to hire or fire any doctors, nurses, or LAB TECHS that are rude to my squad. And guess what bookworm, you said the fucking magic words. Go pack up your locker, you're fired." Choji threw the sleazy lab tech through the revolving doors and into the locker room. The nurses gaped at him, amazed; even Michi.

"I didn't know Sakura-sama gave the squad that authority…" she said, looking him in the eyes. Choji shrugged and put his hands behind his head.

"After one of the 'I'm so good they can't afford to lose me' doctors refused to treat Sai for his depression, Sakura-sama got really pissed off and punched the man through the wall of Sai's twelfth floor room, saying that people weren't going to treat her boys like that." All three women just blinked.

Sakura still had her devious smile and was still singing 'Face Down' when she walked out the door. She saw Gaara with his back to her and decided to have a little fun. She took off across the street to the parking lot and jump on his back, chuckling as he grunted. She wrapped her legs round him and sat up on his back. She tunneled her hands in his hair pulled his head back.

"OH PANDA-CHAN!" she said in a sing songy voice. He looked at her with wide jade eyes. She bent down and kissed him lightly and the let go of his hair.

Gaara looked over his shoulder at her with his non eyebrow arched as if to say 'You want something?' She clicked her tongue between her teeth and started singing again. He listened to the words and smirked at her.

"You sang that for him, didn't you?" he asked, making the others look at them. She smiled and nodded in confirmation. He chuckled and swung her so that she was standing in front of him. He buried his face in her hair and it calmed him immensely.

"That was the perfect song for him, Sakura-chan. You are so smart!" Naruto smiled and gave her a thumb up. They were getting ready to leave when Sakura looked around, counting.

"Where are Lee and Choji?" She asked, looking around for them. Wind blew her necklace against her breast as a figure appeared before them.

"Here I am, Sakura-sama. I had to take Mizuki to HQ for lockdown. They've been closing the cells for The Center prisoners early lately. Seems someone is trying to break one of the scientists out." Lee stepped forward in his black two piece uniform and his grayish tan weights. Naruto stared at him.

"You look funny…what are those things around your arms, legs and waist?" everyone sweat dropped at the blonde's lack of tact.

"Not everyone's kekkei genkai revolves around chakra use Naruto. Lee's is his extraordinary abilities in taijutsu. His body can withstand the opening of seven of the eight chakra gates, even though he can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu. AND" she added with a conspiratorial wink "He has a natural disposition to Drunken Fist Boxing. He's really good at it too." Lee blushed and smiled at the praise, looked for his team. Spotting Shino, Lee smirked.

"Choji still romancing the little brunette nurse?" he asked Shino, who shrugged and looked to his left. Immediately there was a flash of lightening and Choji stood there, a short young woman gripping him tightly with her face buried in his chest.

"We're here Michi-chan." he said softly, smiling at the woman. Sakura chuckled at the way he was acting over the little brunette. Reminded her of how all the other did over their girls, and how Shino was with Sai. She looked at said boys and smiled.

Sakura walked up to Shino and whispered something in his ear. Everyone noticed the blush on his face and the bow he gave her while never looking up at her. And his hands were no longer in his packets, but together in front of his face.

"Thank you, Sakura-sama. I will do just that." He said and straightened up. Sakura smiled ad then turned around to Gaara.

"We all here now?" she asked, looking for everyone. When she finished the head count and found everyone was present, she took Hime from Sai and put the kitten in the pocket of her riding jacket. She then put the jacket on carefully and put her bag around her waist.

Gaara watched as she got on her bike and started it. He arched a non brow at her and looked at the seat behind her. She saw this and smirked through the open visor of her helmet. "Think you can handle it big boy?" She teased. He gave her a look that read 'You MUST be shitting me'. She laughed and revved the engine. Gaara stepped up on the bike behind her and leaned close to her ear.

"Next time…I'm driving and you will have to hold on to ME for dear life." she caught the innuendo he had put it the statement and chuckled, looking at her crew.

"You guys pile up in Temari's convertible. Sai, I know you don't like cars or bikes, so just follow on one of your birds overhead okay?" she looked at him as a mother would wanting her child to agree to what she was saying.

"Hai, okaa-san." he said in a rather childish manner that the others took as his first attempt at sarcasm. Only a few knew what he really meant.

Sakura looked over her shoulder at Gaara and smiled. "Hold on tight there Romeo." then flipped her visor down. Gaara just wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck where the helmet didn't cover. He heard her groan and take off at an alarming rate to get home.

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Typing went slowly what with my broke hand and all. So Ill make this short. REVIEW...lol

ch. glossary:

kochou--> butterfly

teishu--> master (but in Shino/Sai relationship he refers to him as teishu because he's the 'guy' of the male/male love)