Yeah personally I like Neji and Sakura pairings but I had to let him go last chapter. I'm sorry. Now for Sai I feel that I've been neglecting him and the others as of late. They haven't had any love so I plan to make up for it. I give up on trying to catch every typo my grammar and spell checkers are in an endless battle over which one will screw me over. Thank yous go to my beautiful, wonderful, awesome, and fantastic regular reviewers, my mysterious guest reviewers, and favoriters, and followers. As always reviews are not necessary but are inspiring.
Bang bang-bang... Bang bang-bang... BANG BANG BANG.
"FOREHEAD OPEN UP!" The door opened slowly for the Yamanaka girl but the person to answer was definitely not her pink haired friend. Instead a very groggy, extremely irritated Sai who was to tired to fake a smile or positivity for the blond in front of him. He was squinting to see past the glaring light of dawn. He was shirtless showing that his more feminine stomach had become a muscle toned six-pack complete with firm pectorals. His hair was tousled due to just rolling out of bed to answered the door. His shorts hung off his powerful hips. Why Sakura was friends with Ino was a mystery that still alluded him to this day, but he had no control over her friends.
"Ino if this isn't important I suggest you calm down. Unless you want to wake the more hostile... men within the house." Sai watched as Ino's face battled over paling and blushing. If he had been in the mood he would have pointed it out her blush was winning, but they had been up extremely late last night. Besides Sai didn't like the way she always made a point to call Sakura that Kami forsaken nickname. Sure he called her Ugly occasionally but she knew that he was actually calling her beautiful. Unlike the name forehead which pointed out an insecurity in Sakura.
"Just let me talk to forehead." Ino growled trying to move past Sakura's team-mate to find the pinkett. To her surprise Sai didn't move, but instead blocked her path even further with his body. "What the hell Sai let me in."
"Shut up Yamanaka-san and listen to me. If you come in you will be quiet, and wait for her in the sitting room. I feel I need to stress that you should do this quietly am I clear?" Sai narrowed his eyes waiting for an answer from the fuming girl. If she didn't agree she wasn't getting in. There was no reason to wake the men who were worn out from the attack last night. Some of the furniture had been damaged and took a while to replace. Sakura had caught a Kunai with her forearm. Itachi and Shisui had been poisoned and were recuperating. Shino had lost several of his Kikaichu and had scorch marks over his body. Kotaru, and Yahiko had bones healed. Currently Gaara was in the garden outside Sakura's room watching over her sleeping form wrapped around Akamaru for safety. Gaara and Sai's ink had been the combo that allowed Itachi and Shisui to break through the attacks and take out the cloaked clones. Kiba and Akamaru searched the surrounding area for hours only to come up empty-handed. After Sakura healed them, despite the concerned protest, everyone went to bed. Except Gaara who decided to guard Sakura.
"Fine now move Sai." Ino rolled her eyes as he shifted allowing her entrance. True to her word she sat in the sitting room at the kotatsu quietly. So as agreed upon Sai made his way to Sakura's room and smirked at Gaara's third eye which hovered in front of her door.
"Ino's here and she apparently needs to speak to Sakura. Could you entertain her while she waits?" Sai didn't feel out-of-place talking to the eye. He had spoken to stranger things in his life. The third eye blinked with a glint of mischief and shot down the hall. A few moments later a scream was heard followed by Gaara telling her to shut up and calling her annoying. Sai just chuckled and entered the room. Gaara and Sai had started a game to see who could torment Ino the best. So far Sai was in the lead but he had a feeling Gaara had pulled ahead. Akamaru raised his head with a light growl as Sai stepped into the dimly lit room, but once his scent was recognized the growling halted. Carefully getting up so as not to wake the pinkett the ninkin walked over to Sai waiting for an explanation. After repeating his explanation the Ninkin left to prevent the obnoxious woman from waking the entire house. This left Sai to wake up Sakura. Making his way to her bed as quietly as possible and sitting on the edge of her bed took a lot of courage. She looked peaceful and he really didn't want to disturb her. Casting aside his procrastination he set about the routine he developed for waking her without broken bones.
"Sakura-hime wake up." Sai spoke softly as he caressed the hair from her face.
"mm don't call me that." She wrinkled her nose curling into the covers.
"If you don't get up I'm going to kiss you Hime." Sai teased lightly adding a husky tint to his voice and leaning over her with a smile as he always did.
"Then do it and go away." She whined a bit causing Sai to freeze instantly. That was not her line. She was supposed to threaten him, and he would chuckle and promise her coffee. She would then relent and the two would make their way to the kitchen. She was completely screwing up his emotions and he wasn't sure how to deal with that. Women weren't his strong point. Especially women named Sakura Haruno. Still he had permission and it would be foolish to pass it up. Why was he trying to justify this? And then realization hit him like Sakura after Genma coped a feel.
"Shit." Was all he said as he leaned forward and captured her lips with his own. Sakura in her sleep induced stupor responded in the same kissing him back. His right hand slipped under her slender frame drawing her closer and his left cupped the side of her face all on their own causing her to moan gently and press her fingers into his bare muscles. His hormones dethrone reason and replaced it with something else. Something that felt primal, almost starved, and it ordered his body into action. He nipped her lips gently as he allowed his tongue to flick gently over the area he nipped before pulling away. "You realize that you still have to get up right?"
"Sai?" Her eyes met his as a blush tinted her cheeks she was confused and he found it adorable. His chuckle rumbled within his chest and into her hands. Her sleepiness was erased but it was also replaced with a haze that clouded her eyes. To his surprise he like it. Would he admit it? No, not unless she asked him personally. He watched as she took a deep breath and stretched within his arms causing his arms to pull her closer to his chest. He gathered her closer and stood.
"Should I carry you then Hime?" He teased which promptly snapped her back to reality.
"Put me down Sai." She growled causing him to laugh again.
"Aw come on ugly you know you want another kiss." Sai teased putting her down.
"Sssssaaaiii!" She yelled chasing him out of the room and down the hall.
"Calm down Sakura or you'll get wrinkles." He laughed and ducked into the sitting room hiding behind Gaara who had Ino significantly pissed of. She turned to look at Sakura and gasped.
"Forehead what happened to your hair!" And that's when Sai regretted ever allowing Ino into the house. The look on her face was the same as when Shisui was straightening it last night, but the look in her eyes told a different story. Her once flowing locks that ended at her bottom now rested at her shoulder blades. The assassins had been able to catch her hair with a fire-ball burning both her hair and her back. Shisui and Sai had tried their damnedest to fix it but when it was all said and done they were not hair dressers.
"It got in the way when I was attacked last night. I was planning to go to get it fixed today. Does it look bad?" Sakura asked biting her bottom lip.
"We'll both head down tomorrow Temari should be here by then. We can drag Shika, Choji, and one of your personal harem with us to go shopping." Ino attempted to comfort her friend. Gaara sighed and drug Sai out of the room at the mention of his sister.
"They're not my harem Ino. I wish you'd quit calling them that. Hey why don't we get Hinata and Ten Ten to come as well. I'll probably go alone since I don't have the right to drag any of the guys out with me. They need a break and it's not like they'd want to go." Sakura sighed as if it was obvious.
"Whatever forehead but remember that the winter festival is coming up and you have to be there WITH some eye candy." Ino pressed.
"No I only have to make an appearance with the guys. I know what Tsunade said don't go turning it into something it's not. Now go home I need some sleep." Sakura yawned to make her point.
"Just try to have fun forehead. You of all people deserve it the most." Ino requested as they walked to the door.
"Yeah I know now go home Ino." She smiled softly as she closed the door. Walking into the kitchen she found Shino, and Kiba groggily watching Shisui dice some onions with quick precision. His face set in deep concentration as he stuck the knife in the cutting board.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping Sakura?" He asked wiping his hands on a clean towel. Kiba lifted his head in hopes Sakura would take over.
"Not if your going to ruin my cutting boards." She scoffed bumping him out-of-the-way with her hip and pulling the knife from the wooden surface. Sitting Shisui on the stood next to Kiba she changed cutting boards and knives. "So what am I making?"
"Sakura that's not necessary." Shino tried to stop her but stopped when she pointed the knife at him.
"Shut up and answer the question." She teased which caused him to raise a brow hoping she could cook.
"Suprise us Sakura." Shisui laughed trying to break the tension.
"Go take a shower and get the others up I should be done by the time everyone is ready." She agreed pushing them out with a smile.
"Can there be bacon?" Kiba requested with a smirk not waiting for the answer. Each of them took a shower and changed rather quickly. Gaara, and Sai had to be interrupted from an argument which Kiba was so generously volunteered for. Itachi was roused by Shisui as pay back. Shino woke Kotaru and Yahiko which was harder than it sounded because they were heavy sleepers. Once Showers were taken and several were thrown from the kitchen after attempting to investigate the aromas wafting through the house., breakfast was ready and served in the never before used dinning room. Upon walking in the men were met with a spread that would make a husband proud. Sakura stood behind the table filled with pickled vegetables, daikon and tofu boiled in oden, okayu with umeboshi, yoghurt with raisins, bacon, Miso soup, rice, broiled fish, green tea, coffee, and a few oversized omelets. Each man, except Kiba, at that moment decided this was worth waking up for.
Kiba on the other hand was torn between jealousy, and something he couldn't name. This was the side of Sakura that previously belonged only to him. He regretted the disicion to ask her to cook. This was something that he didn't want her to share. Feeding your mate was one of the things an Inuzuka wife prided herself in and now she was doing it for her other suitors. He took his seat not looking at the woman he was afraid to lose and yet he felt that's exactly what he was doing. That is until she sat beside him and flashed that smile at him. The same smile she had given when she cooked for him. In that second every other man in the room had vanished and she was all he could see. That was all it took for him to draw her face closer and place a kiss to her lips. His fang pricking her lips and a blush panting her cheeks as he pulled away. With that he almost growled noticing the surrounding men staring with malicious glares. Just to drive the point home he smirked and said. "It looks delicious Sa-ku-ra."
"Uh... thanks I think." Sakura answered with a raised brow knowing that Kiba had just challenged the others.