EDIT (22/05/2006) - Just a note for you that would like to see the fanarts my friend Artis Lasair has drawn for this fanfiction. You can get the links in my profile. There is a new one, it's still fresh xD She postedlast Friday. And if you want to receive an alert everytime she draws a newfanart or colours de old ones, you can get the link for my Mailing List in my profile and I'll alert you guys. Thanks and sorry for this "fake update". Kisses!

Kiss Me

A story to Yami no Goddess

By Bella Lamounier

Another sunny afternoon settled upon Konoha, lighting the busy streets with the last sun rays of a nice spring day, where we find two tired friends coming from training and going in Ichiraku to eat their so deserved ramen.

From inside the restaurant, anybody could identify the voice of a famous medic-nin who, between portions of noodles, seemed to be complaining, frustrated with an old problem.

Concentrated in the menu previously learned by heart because of frequently visiting that place for years, Naruto pondered over an important question. Meat or chicken? Maybe both... First one, then the other... Yes, that's it.

"It's ridiculous, Naruto! I work so hard and Sasuke-kun doesn't even look at me!" The seventeen-year-old girl sighed while putting her chopsticks down and ordering another cup of tea.

Naruto sighed. He should be used to that already, since it was the same scene every end of training. Would that bullshit ever have an end?

"Forget Sasuke-teme... He's as boring as a grumpy old man." Naruto answered without giving much importance to the kunoichi's daily whines. He was starving... Oh, how he wanted a cup of ramen! No, no... Those two he had chosen just a while before... Or maybe some more... Brought on a golden platter... Brought by Hinata-chan... Oh, that reminded him... He had to visit Hinata for dinner.

As Naruto blushed while picturing the pearl-eyed kunoichi bringing him cups and cups of ramen, Sakura continued lost in her thoughts about the Uchiha avenger.

"Ohhh, someday I'll make him notice me! Then he'll see what he's missing out on!" Grawr! Go get him, tigress! Shouted Inner Sakura, excited.

Sakura's blabbering took the shinobi out of his thoughts. He scratched his head softly with a bitter expression, which was slowly substituted by an extremely mischievous one. Naruto smiled and narrowed his eyes, certain of having the perfect idea to solve Sakura and Sasuke's problem... And one that would surely spare his poor ears.

Laughing ironically, he was able to catch the attention of the young medic-nin, who stopped complaining when she heard her teammate's mocking.

"Please, Sakura... You're just talk and no actions, really. I doubt you could make a move!" He exclaimed, catching the attention of the kunoichi who until then ignored all of his comments.

"That's not true! I'll make you swallow your words, you baka!" She replied, still not believing her ears. She narrowed her deadly glare to the shinobi, who gulped.

Naruto was scared - when would he learn that provoking Sakura was bad for his health? When the beating seemed something inevitable, the hyperactive ninja had an idea that could save him the trip to the hospital and the Fifth's telling off.

"Oh, yeah? So, prove that you're capable of doing something... I dare you..." He paused mysteriously and Sakura, who was about to hit him, stopped herself. "I dare you... To steal a kiss from Sasuke-teme!"

"Naniii!" Sakura almost fell backwards, widening her eyes. Without realizing that the blonde's trick had worked as predicted, the girl's mind was taken by many questions: "What do you mean, stealing a kiss? Have you lost the little sense you had, Naruto-baka?" The only sure thought on her mind was that Sasuke would cut her throat before allowing their lips to touch.

But... A dare is always a dare, right? So, coming back from her daydreams, Sakura got her determination back and decided to accept her teammate's challenge.

"I accept! You'll learn to keep your mouth shut, Naruto!" She answered and started eating the ramen that had just arrived - and, in spite of feeling that she had made a big mistake, she was already thinking of what to do when she had the opportunity of fulfilling the dare.

By her side, the hyperactive ninja seemed satisfied: He had solved all the problems at once! And the best of it was that he had found the solution for everything without getting beaten up by Haruno.

Hehehe... My task is done. Now it's with them... Naruto thought, swallowing his ramen like a madman and calling the waiter for another one.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Konoha was gifted with a sunny morning and it seemed like Sakura had fate on her side: It was really early and the Hokage had already received some missions, separating some of them for team Seven.

The teenagers heard unwillingly the mission that was appointed to them: a not so pleasant D-category mission... Clean de ninja academy dojo.

As always, Kakashi scratched his head while he watched the blonde complain with Tsunade-hime about how disappointing that kind of mission was, Sasuke let out a "humph" and swallow a grumble and Sakura...

Wait... Sakura didn't even open her mouth, but was concentrated in a spot on the ground while she touched her lips lightly with her index finger.

Very strange, he thought as he picked Naruto by his collar and walked out of the Godaime's room with his team - before she shortened Team Seven by one.

OoOoOoOoOoO

From inside the dojo, half an hour before, it was possible to hear Naruto's shrill voice who, from time to time, complained about how much he hated that mission, followed by Sasuke's dry voice demanding that he shut up.

Oblivious to her teammates' kindness exchanges, Sakura held the broom thoughtfully, wondering how to get the chance of a first try.

It's not such a difficult task... Sweeping the floor absent-mindedly, the girl turned her eyes to her real mission: Kiss Sasuke, despite everything that could happen.

Still aware of his student's unusual behavior, Kakashi pretended to read the Icha Icha Paradise magazine, trying to find out what was happening there. Yes, because Sakura wasn't the only person acting strangely. Besides the girl showing excessive seriousness for such a boring mission, Naruto showed a mischievous smile on his face between an exchange of insults and another with Sasuke.

Knowing his students like only he knew, Kakashi could bet his book that Naruto knew exactly what was going on with the pink-haired kunoichi or had something to do with her strange behavior.

After a while trying to come up with a plan, Sakura had an idea and decided to act it immediately, searching for Sasuke with her eyes.

The boy wasn't too far away from her and, with a bored face, he cleaned the weapons hung on a nearby wall with a wet cloth.

Perfect.

Slowly, Sakura neared him, sweeping the floor as if her life depended on it, intentionally lifting as much dust as possible and starting coughing crazily in the next moment.

That, of course, attracted the team's attention. Kakashi still hide his curious gaze behind his erotic book and Naruto pretended to be interested in moping the floor, both watching the interaction that followed that scene.

Sasuke, annoyed by the sudden noise near him, directed his unfriendly gaze to the girl that whined about how something had gotten in her eye.

"Stop whining, Sakura. If you shut up, I'll blow that speck out of your eye." He said while he walked over to the girl. Letting out an upset sigh, he wondered what he had done to deserve that - as if that mission wasn't annoying enough to his taste.

And before they realized it, a small audience watched with attention as the raven-haired shinobi got closer to examine the emerald orb.

By then, Kakashi stared at the scene cheekily, lowering his book and directing all his attention to the couple to see where that would end. But actually, he already imagined where it would end, since that old trick of the dirt in the eye was very used in the Icha Icha Paradise magazines.

The jounin's doubt was, actually, another thing: What did Sakura intend to obtain by using that trick on Sasuke...? And if he was as smart as he usually bragged about, would he be able to escape such a known trick?

The kunoichi was oblivious to the interested audience and focused all her strength in her personal crusade. Patiently, she kept her face leaning down, waiting for Sasuke to come closer enough to act her plan.

The idea was that he was caught by surprise and, that way, had no time to react. Maybe, later, Sakura would be able to plead temporary insanity or something of the sort, but she was trying not to think about that or she would lose her courage. When the boy was close enough, the kunoichi felt her heart beating faster.

It's now or never, she thought, lifting her face suddenly with the intention of making their lips meet.

But not everything can be perfect and, unluckily, the kunoichi miscalculated the angle to be used, what made their foreheads meet painfully.

"Itai!" Sakura screamed, caressing her hurt forehead. Baka girl! Stupid girl! How could you lose such a chance? How? Inner Sakura exclaimed, indignant.

The kunoichi didn't have much time to think about the wasted opportunity or to whine over the pain that made her head throb in an unbearable way, because a few second later, a cold and familiar voice took her out of her daydreams.

"Sakura." With an unfriendly face, Sasuke watched the girl raise her face with wide green eyes and, concluding that she wouldn't say anything, he continued slowly, as if talking to a kid or a fool. "This deplorable incident has a plausible explanation or did you simply go crazy?"

"Noooo, Sasuke-kun! The thing is... You know..." Embarrassed, Sakura shook her hands nervously, while she tried to find a good excuse to get out of that critical situation. "The thing is... I saw a bug right there... Oh, it's already gone and..." She started blabbering, but shut herself up when he raised a hand.

"It doesn't matter... Just... Clean." Sasuke said, giving her the broom she had dropped and walking away to continue cleaning the weapons, grumbling while he caressed his pained forehead.

Damn... Plan 1 failed. She cursed mentally while she continued to sweep the floor of the dojo.

Meanwhile, Kakashi had dropped his Icha Icha Paradise and sweat dropped. Naruto, however, had to exit the dojo to laugh as if his life depended on it without arousing suspicion.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

The remaining of the week went by without great news nor opportunities for Sakura to put her plan in action - actually, the second chance only came up after a week or so, in a C-ranked mission: this time, they'd have to take a secret parchment to the Kazekage in the Sand Village.

The trip to the Wind Country occurred considerably normally. Kakashi read his book while listening to the team's boys' usual discussions, once again concentrated in the young Haruno who seemed to be taking a fuller bag than the usual.

Something tells me that this trip is going to be very interesting. He thought while turning his attention back to reading a very educational part of the book.

After a long walk, the sunset finally came and Kakashi chose a place where they could spend the night and rest.

Just as team Seven started to set up the camping, Sakura cheerfully volunteered to make dinner. Until then, nothing wrong, since she usually kindly made dinner to escape the ramen diet Naruto imposed to them when he was in charge of bringing the team's food.

Naruto was in charge of getting wood to make a fire, while Sasuke helped Kakashi set up the tents. Meanwhile, Sakura took some supplies out of her bag.

After Naruto gave her the wood, the teenager lit a small fire and started making the chosen dish... Curry. A creamy mix with vegetables and meat. Perfect for her plan.

The spicy smell of curry took the place and, once again, Sakura had to threaten Naruto physically to keep him away from the pan until dinner was ready.

After a while, the curry was finally ready and the shinobis reunited for dinner.

Helpful, Sakura started filling their bowl individually. Hungry, Naruto thanked her and took delight in the delicious food; only to find out how spicy it really was, drinking a full glass of water to refresh his mouth.

Kakashi thanked her and kept his eye on the kunoichi who had filled another bowl and walked over to Sasuke. But the Sensei was very surprised when he noticed that his student theatrically forged an unexpected accident.

Sakura tripped over a rock on purpose and, in a fast movement, she let go of the curry bowl which flipped in the air and landed... On Sasuke's lap.

"Itai! Hot! Hot!" The raven-haired boy yelled unconsciously and stood up quickly, making the bowl fall to the ground and break in many pieces. Sasuke was so concentrated in the pain of the burn that he didn't even notice Kakashi's arched eyebrow, Naruto's refrained laugh or Sakura's delicate hand that, holding a wet cloth she had taken out of her bag, was getting closer to him very fast.

Now this is going to work. The kunoichi thought, while Inner Sakura motivated her. You go, girl! Get him!

When Sasuke realized it, Sakura was already almost on top of him, using the cloth to touch him in a very sensitive part of the masculine body - especially for teenagers with raging hormones and full of energy like them.

"Easy there, Sasuke-kun! Let me clean it for you." With the most innocent face in the world, Sakura brought the cloth to Sasuke's inner thigh, getting her body closer to his. The shinobi's eyes widened five times their normal size when the delicate fingers touched him over his pants, so close to his sensitive parts, bringing sensations that were not recommended to feel about a team mate. The boy felt his face warm involuntarily and got away from her as soon as he could move. He couldn't believe that his teammate hadn't realized how much that proximity had affected him.

During the silence of a few seconds that seemed to have lasted an eternity, Kakashi and Naruto watched everything with a curry bowl in their hands and the expectation of someone who's watching the last chapter of a soap opera.

Sakura seemed disappointed when Sasuke denied her help and was opening her mouth to protest when the youngest of the Uchiha family decided to make a strategic escape.

"N-no need for that! There is a river somewhere around here. I'll clean myself." And with that he disappeared, leaving the others behind.

Sakura sighed bitterly while she watched the shinobi vanish in the darkness of the forest.

I failed again... What now? What do I do? The kunoichi wondered, not knowing what to do next. She had planned everything, from the food to prepare to the presence of the mysterious cloth in her bag and then trying to help. Why didn't it work?

Bitterly, she decided to clean the mess of Sasuke's dinner on the ground and fill a bowl to herself - after all that work, she needed to replace all the energy wasted. However, she had her task interrupted by Naruto's loud voice.

"I never saw Sasuke-teme stutter like that..." Naruto exclaimed while laughing, receiving a glare from Sakura and a curious look from Kakashi, who wisely knew better than to stay near his male student, because the kunoichi, feeling very irritated, grabbed the pan of steaming curry and threw it on the hyper ninja of Konoha.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Relief.

That was what the black-eyed shinobi felt when the icy cold water of the river touched his hot body - in many senses and for different reasons. Doing more than just relieving the burn caused by the hot curry, the cold bath had been good to calm his hormones, which seemed to have started boiling when Sakura's hand touched him.

Her soft hand... Her innocent smile... The cherry blossoms fragrance had been close enough to make him lose his mind. When he realized where his thoughts were going, Sasuke submerged completely, coming back to the surface with his dark hair drenched in cold water.

"Damn... I think I'm going crazy now. I can't feel these kinds of things for Sakura! It's suicide!" He reprimanded himself, turning his thoughts to his team mate's strange behavior from the last days. What could have gotten into her?

Sasuke sighed and decided to get out of the water; after all, he couldn't run away from the team forever. But just when he stood up, a cold breeze blew by, making him shiver.

Was that just a coincidence or a bad omen? To be safe, maybe he should pay attention to that annoying suspicion.

It doesn't matter what's gotten into her... Sasuke concluded. I have to be careful. Something tells me this is only going to get worse. And with that thought, he tried to keep his mind far away from the pink-haired kunoichi.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

The next day, the shinobis reached the Hidden Village of the Sand and accomplished their mission successfully. After talking to their friends and allies, the team filled up with supplies and started the long journey back to Konoha.

The trip back home was unusually silent, since all of them had their own charades to decipher.

More serious than usual, Sasuke came up with many theories about Sakura's strange behavior and discarded them just as quickly, not sure of what he would have to go through until deciphering that problem.

With a foxy smile on his face, Naruto imagined many incredible scenes where Sakura ended up embarrassing Sasuke in many different ways.

Meanwhile, completely oblivious to the world, Sakura held her bag and stared at some invisible spot on the ground while she and Inner Sakura planned new tactics of approach.

And a little far away from the group, a curious silver-haired jounin watched attentively the unusual behavior of each of his students, dedicating some special attention to the Haruno - something told him that the key to the mystery of the group was her.

In that exact moment, Kakashi watched as the girl fixed the bag on her shoulders suddenly, making a small book with a pink cover full of hearts fell to the ground.

Since Sasuke and Naruto were ahead of her, they didn't see the book fall, just as Sakura, who was too concentrated in her evil plans.

Discreetly, Kakashi continued walking as if nothing had happened and crouched slightly near the strange looking book to get it. Analyzing the object, he noticed it was actually a notebook, and in its first page was written "Approach Tactics of the Plan Kiss Sasuke-kun".

The only exposed eye checked if the students still walked while the shinobi skillfully took out his Icha Icha Paradise to cover his new interesting reading. He put the erotic content back and started reading the new acquisition.

First Tactic: 'The Dust in the Eyes' Trick. Failed.

Second Tactic: 'The Hot Food on the Pants' Trick. Failed.

Third Tactic: 'The Accidental Kiss in the Middle of Training' Trick. Waiting opportunity.

Surprised, he turned his eyes to the pink-haired student, then to the notebook, back to the student and finally back to the notebook. Who would say that the young Sakura would be so creative and organized to this kind of thing? He already knew that she was very clever, but didn't know that she would be so... Talented to this sort of ambush, too.

Would I get beaten up if I suggested that she could write an Icha Icha Paradise volume? He wondered with a hand supporting his chin. Oh well... If she wants opportunity, that's what I'm going to give her. The sinister smile on his lips certainly would arouse the three teenagers' suspicions if it wasn't for the mask covering the lower part of his face.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

After the mission in the Wind Country, Team Seven was rewarded with half-day to rest, and they were to meet after lunch at the Training Camp of the Academy.

As always, Kakashi was late and couldn't fool his students with another of his stupid excuses. After hearing their complaints, he decided to explain what they'd do that day.

"Let's see, let's see... What had I planned for you? I can't remember..." Kakashi said as he thought, a hand on his chin, making veins pop on their heads.

"What? You can't remember what you've planned for us? What kind of sensei are you?" Naruto complained, obviously irritated.

"Oh, I know!" Kakashi exclaimed, punching his right hand with his left fist. "Naruto, you need to train your chakra control. So you'll train with me today, a special training."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and scratched his head, not understanding anything; and, before he could catch his breath to complain, Kakashi continued.

"Sasuke and Sakura will train taijutsu because we have to improve two things here. Sakura has been letting her guard down and for that she'll have to learn not to be caught by surprise in a fight. Sasuke needs to improve his speed. Any doubts?"

But this is perfect! Inner Sakura shrieked, almost driving the kunoichi crazy. She was certain that could be her lucky day after all.

Naruto changed his irritated face to a disappointed half-smile, frustrated for not being able to see his rival being embarrassed by the kunoichi once again.

Just when this was getting interesting. He cursed mentally while calming himself down. He supported his hands behind his head, focusing his gaze on the jounin and waiting impatiently for the next step.

Unexplainably, nobody contested the decision, not even Naruto.

Very, very strange. Suspicious, the Uchiha turned his eyes from his restless teammate to the blank-faced sensei.

Kakashi comes up with such a ridiculous training and the dobe doesn't say anything about it? There is something very wrong here. The boy closed his eyes, trying to rethink the situation in a rational way. What if... What if this is related to Sakura's strange behavior? And what the hell does Kakashi mean with this weird training? My speed is perfect!

Sasuke thought about questioning the training division, but when he opened his eyes, he only had time to see Kakashi pulling Naruto to far away from them, leaving him alone with Sakura.

The shinobi couldn't do anything besides sighing loudly and shaking his head lightly. When he looked at his teammate, he noticed she had her gaze lost in some interesting point of the horizon.

"Are you staying there all day, Sakura?" The cold voice woke her up hastily, leaving her a little startled when she felt the intensity of that enigmatic gaze on her. "I don't have time to waste, let's start now."

Sakura gulped when she saw Sasuke's usual half-smile appear on his face. It seemed that he wouldn't go easy on her, so she'd be smart to prepare herself. At least it would be a good opportunity to act her last war strategy.

Scratch him and then kiss it better! Suggested Inner Sakura with a sinister smile, getting a sigh out of the kunoichi. It wasn't such a bad idea...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Kakashi walked in silence, listening to Naruto blabber about something in a half-complaining tone, walking right behind him. When the jounin decided that they were far enough to not cause suspicions, he stopped walking and turned to Naruto who, still concentrated in his talking, didn't notice the sensei had stopped.

Results? The genin ran into the silver-haired shinobi, losing his balance and falling to the hard ground.

It could be only impression, but the hyper ninja could swear he had heard a bird scream 'Aho! Aho!'. When his blue eyes opened, they found the masked sensei with a pink notebook full of hearts on the cover, confusing him.

Kakashi cleared his throat to get his attention and started talking in the most serious voice he could manage, giving the open notebook to Naruto.

"Very well, Naruto. How about you tell me exactly what you've got to do with this?" Kakashi crossed his arms over his chest and waited patiently while the Uzumaki read the precious content of the open pages. Blue eyes widened, startled, devouring anxiously the content of the notebook, laughing until he couldn't breath.

"I didn't know she would go so far..." He commented after calming down from his sudden laughing crisis.

"What did you do?" Kakashi asked, not angry, but curious.

"Oh, almost nothing..." Naruto smiled evilly and started telling all the details, since the first idea until the bet. At the end of the story, the older shinobi's mask hid a mysterious smile.

"Yare, Yare... I believe I ended up helping you with your plan, ne?" Kakashi said, amused, while he pulled Naruto to hide behind a bush, from where they could perfectly see the fight between Sasuke and Sakura. "Well, now be a good boy and stay silent."

Making himself comfortable beside Kakashi, the disbelieving Naruto scratched his head, gaping. "You mean... You planned all this, Kakashi, sensei?"

"Smart boy." Kakashi said, smiling, while he paid attention to his other two students not too far away from them.

When he saw the older man confirm his suspicions, Naruto laughed evilly and, rubbing his hands together in a sign of anxiety, he turned his attention to where the show would take place.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Oblivious to the audience that watched them, the young couple of ninjas were motionless, as if one was waiting for the other to start. As always, Sasuke got tired of waiting his partner to make the first move and in a sudden movement, he attacked.

You'll learn to keep your guard up even if I have to force you to. He thought with an evil smile on his face. I don't even need all my speed to defeat her, if Kakashi wanted to give me a speed challenge, he should have fought me himself. Sakura won't last two minutes.

Just like he predicted, his first hit threw the kunoichi to the other side of the place, making her roll on the ground and get up only to be hit again. For some minutes, the training was basically Sasuke attacking and Sakura trying to dodge, usually without success.

She seems distracted... She's not with body and mind in this fight. Sasuke concluded, annoyed with his partner's passivity. He knew that, in the past years, Sakura had considerably improved her attack and defense tactics, but in that specific training, she seemed to have gone back to that incapable little girl she used to be when Team Seven had been created.

If usually she would have problems to dodge my attacks, the way this is going... He shook his head, annoyed.

"Humph." With his arms crossed over his chest, the Uchiha looked disdainfully to the girl on the ground. "This is so boring. Why does Kakashi-sensei make me train with you? This could hardly be called training if you're the only one getting beaten up." He said cruelly, hoping that would make her fight with all her will.

A vein popped on her forehead and she lifted herself from the ground with angry emerald eyes. She definitely wouldn't let him humiliate her like this. And besides, she had to follow the plan.

Gahhh! Hit him! Break him! Twist his neck! And then... Then... Kiss him until he's breathless! Yelled Inner Sakura, indignant, but not knowing if she should kill Sasuke or kiss him senseless.

Finally this training is going to start. He thought when he saw the furious glint in those green eyes, smirking and going for another merciless attack.

With this new realization in mind, Sakura blocked his kick, grabbing his foot and throwing him to the other side. The shinobi landed graciously, surprised by her sudden change, but didn't have much time to admire her, for she didn't lose time and started attacking him.

The more determinedly Sakura attacked, the more Sasuke felt comfortable to fight for real. Unfortunately for the kunoichi, Uchiha was still faster and more capable than her and, for that, he was able to block all her blows.

His ironic smile was already annoying her and, for that, she was losing her concentration and letting her guard down again. Tired of that game, Sasuke decided to have some fun before ending the training. And why not? She's already angry, anyway. He thought, laughing internally.

In a fast movement, the shinobi vanished in a cloud of smoke and reappeared behind her, immobilizing her by her arms and pulling her closer to him.

"Ops... It seems that you're not in a good position right now, Sakura." He whispered ironically in her ear, knowing what his soft and teasing voice did to her, along with the excessive proximity.

Sakura shivered when she felt his body heat close to her and heard his whisper, first shuddering for having him so close, then angrily for having him play with her like that.

Show him that you're not going to leave him unharmed only because he has a sexy voice! React! Inner Sakura demanded, waking her up of her stupor.

Suddenly, she stepped on his foot with all the strength she could manage. He let go of her, surprised. Sakura hit him right after and, tripping him dexterously, she threw him to the ground.

"Neither are you, Sasuke-kun." Sakura replied, looking down on him with a victorious smile on her delicate face.

"Humph... It was time to take this training seriously." Sasuke grumbled while getting up, having lost all his sense of humor when she attacked him. Upset, he attacked her, but this time Sakura dodged perfectly and used his mistake to trip him again.

Her perfect blow was able to make the shinobi unsteady, but she didn't pay attention to what direction he would fall; the way he was inclined, Sasuke would fall exactly on her.

With my weight and in this speed, I'll end up hurting her if she is below me. Sasuke thought, trying not to get annoyed by her imprudence. If Sakura got hurt, Team Seven wouldn't go on missions until she was better; so, in a rare selfless act, the shinobi quickly grabbed her waist and turned their bodies, trying not to smash her.

POFT!

"Itai!" With closed eyes, Sakura felt a hot and soft body under hers, making her shiver with the perspective of facing him. When she finally found the guts to, she slowly opened her eyes, only to realize the interesting position they were in.

Sasuke was lying on his back with her on top, nestled on his chest. Their heads were too close and it was difficult to tell the real reason their faces were so red, besides the fact that they were breathless and their heartbeats were out of rhythm.

Was it just the training?

Or was it something more?

Anyway, for Sakura, it was the perfect opportunity.

For Sasuke, it was time for his strategic escape.

The couple was so involved in each other that they didn't hear the anxious gasp in a nearby bush.

What now? What now? Sakura thought, lost in Sasuke's intense gaze. Now it's all or nothing.

Not wanting to lose anymore time, Sakura decided to bet on 'all' and moved her face to Sasuke's.

But before she could touch his lips, Sasuke stood up abruptly, making her fall on her butt.

A little dazed with what had just happened, Sasuke watched his teammate on the floor. Am I going crazy or Sakura tried to kiss me?

"Itai..." She complained, rubbing her sore rear.

In that same bush, disappointed sighs and amused laughs almost could be heard.

"I think that's enough training for today." Sasuke said, glancing at the happy bush and walking away from Sakura.

Sigh.

"I was so close this time..." When she saw the boy walking away calmly with his hands on his pockets, the Haruno girl could do nothing but mourn her last failed plan, frustrated.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Sasuke walked to the road that would lead him to Konoha, thoughtful. His cold features didn't let out any emotion, but anyone who knew him well enough would know that the boy was planning something. When he passed the mentioned bush, the young Uchiha stopped and stretched his arms, narrowing his eyes.

Zum! Zum! Zum! Poft! With a fast movement, he took many shurikens out and threw them on the bush, from where Naruto emerged, screaming.

"Sasuke-teme, have you gone crazy? You killed Kakashi-sensei!" He exclaimed, but only got a cold stare in response.

All that the raven-haired boy was seeing were a hysteric dobe and, right behind him, a shuriken-pierced trunk.

"Naruto, you never remember of Kawarimi no Jutsu, do you?" Kakashi said behind him, making the blonde jump, startled. But before that dialogue could continue, Sasuke's dangerous voice closed the discussion.

"It seems that you both owe me some explanations." Sasuke said in a commanding tone and with his arms crossed over his chest.

Kakashi scratched his head and Naruto swallowed. In that moment, contradicting the Uchiha heir didn't really seem like a good idea.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Well. Now you're going to explain yourself." Those onyx eyes had never seemed so intimidating to Naruto, who, sweating like a pig, tried to find an excuse to get out of there as unharmed as possible.

After Kakashi's escape and Naruto's frustrated try of escape, Sasuke pushed the boy on the bench in the city's square and stood in front of him with crossed arms and an unfriendly face.

"So, dobe. What's wrong with Sakura? Why is she acting so strangely? And think twice before trying to trick me with your bullshit... I'm absolutely sure that you have something to do with this."

"I don't know anything." Naruto tried to save his own hide, but he swallowed when he saw Sasuke's eyes turn crimson and the raven-haired boy step forward, making him reconsider his position: it seemed that, if he swore on his own grave that he knew nothing, Sasuke would gladly give him a grave to swear on and would torture him a lot before, only to make his point.

"Really?" The boy arched an eyebrow, as if thinking of accepting the teammate's answer. "Then you're useless for me." Naruto sighed, relieved, but widened his eyes when Sasuke cracked his fingers and lifted his arm, preparing a punch.

"Easy there, easy there! No violence, okay?" He argued with a nervous smile on his face, thinking of an escape route.

"Then, spill it." The other said in a warning tone, narrowing his gaze dangerously.

"Well, it's like this..." Naruto decided to tell the truth... Or at least, a half-truth. "Sakura-chan decided she wanted to kiss you. Out of the blue, you know? I don't know how she got that stupid idea in her head and..."

So that was it? He didn't think wrong, then, the girl had actually tried to kiss him during their fight.

"Shut up!" Sasuke commanded. "How do I stop this ridiculous attitude of hers?" It's getting dangerous... The raven-haired boy concluded that Sakura's irresponsibility would end up creating a bigger problem than that small triviality alone.

Would he... Well, it's worth a try. An idea lit the mischievous Uzumaki's face, who decided to risk it.

"Well, you always could give her the kiss she wants, don't you think? That way she'll get tired and..." But he couldn't complete his reasoning, for Sasuke had already vanished a long time before. Hum... What is Sasuke-baka going to do? He thought, scratching his head.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Feeling down, Sakura walked home slowly with her mind lost on that day's events. The clear sky of Konoha had become dark before the time, showing that a storm would fall soon, but she didn't care. She only thought about how Sasuke had gone away quickly. Had he suspected her intentions?

"Right." She laughed sarcastically and grumbled bitterly. "As if he could not notice that my intention was to kiss him. What could he have thought? That I had some sudden vampirism crisis and was going to bite his neck?"

Then, a thick raindrop fell right between her eyes, waking her up to reality. One after another, the raindrops fell off the sky, starting to drench her pink hair and trickle over her pale skin.

Damn, that way my hair is going to be ruined! She turned to follow a shortcut and get home faster, but her intention was frustrated when she felt her body bump into another and then a hand grab her arm to stop her from falling.

Dazed, she felt the hand loosen the grip when she opened her eyes and focused Sasuke's strong chest in front of her.

She hesitantly lifted her eyes to meet his serious face. His wet raven hair was plastered to his pale forehead because of the rain. Hypnotized by the beautiful view in front of her, Sakura watched a playful raindrop slip over his forehead, between his eyes, over his nose... Until making itself comfortable on his lips. Dry the raindrop, DRY IT. Inner Sakura begged, excited, but the kunoichi shook her head. I think I'm disappointed enough for one day.

With a shy smile, she said her goodbyes and stepped to the right to keep walking, but he blocked her path. Confused, she tried to ignore that and stepped to the other side of him, but she was blocked again.

This time the girl's eyes met his, and never did his onyx gaze seem so intense to her... Maybe that could be a problem when coming from someone so determined as him. What did he intend to do?

The way he stared at her made her step back. Sakura widened her emerald eyes when she noticed that, to each step back, the shinobi stepped forward. And they kept like that until Sakura felt her back collide against the bridge rail. She wouldn't be able to escape now.

Sasuke showed his bold side and took one step more than she had, making their bodies almost touching one another, though he had yet to say a word.

Sakura could swear that anyone on the neighborhood would be able to hear her accelerated heartbeat. She lowered her eyes, blushing over the unexpected proximity.

"Sas... Sasuke-kun... I n-need to go home." The kunoichi mumbled nervously and with little determination.

"Later." He answered calmly, satisfied with her shyness. "I have a problem to solve first."

And that said, Sakura felt a light touch on her chin lifting her face to look at his and, again, she was caught by those pearls, as black as a starless night sky. One look had her hypnotized, devoured her, seemed to invade and read her should... One look that made her feel completely naked in front of him.

The unexpected approach gave her new sensations; a shiver that went up her spine, some kind of grip on her heart and a delicious feeling of butterflies in her stomach. And what to say of the feeling of his breath near her face, their noses touching?

And the feeling of having her lips over his in the next moment? Hot, intense, anxious for exploring each part of her mouth.

Sakura had never experienced such a feeling: Sasuke's lips played with hers in perfect harmony, as if it was a rehearsed dance. Captivating, intense, incomparable... Being the unique person Sasuke was, Sakura concluded that she couldn't expect less of his kiss.

The rain continued to drench them and slide to their joined lips, making the kiss even better. Now she knew why "kissing in the rain" was such a used cliché... If it wasn't so good, it certainly wouldn't be so famous. That even felt like a movie because of the surrealism of the moment.

She hugged his neck, slipping her slender fingers through his raven, soft hair while he rested a hand on her back and another on her waist, both bringing her closer to him. She decided that it would be wise to enjoy such a perfect moment before the dream was over.

But they had to stop for air soon. Sakura opened her eyes slowly, trying to catch her breath, and came across Sasuke's black orbs watching her.

Say something, you idiot. Inner Sakura screamed, excited because of the success of the mission.

But the words didn't come out. His half-smirk gave her a bad sensation, that didn't take too long to be confirmed.

"Did you get... What you wanted?" He asked, discreetly trying to catch his breath too. With the same calm expression on his face, he watched her green eyes glint with the tears that started to mix with the raindrops.

Finally, the dream was over as if she had fallen off her bed.

The wonderful feeling of not so long before turned into an enormous desire of vanishing. In a sudden movement, Sakura pushed him away and delivered a deserved slap to his face.

Sasuke did nothing but slowly turn his head to stare at the girl who, saddened, tried not to cry, but in vain.

"I hate you." She mumbled before turning his back to him and running to her house.

Her words had a strange effect on Sasuke. His pale face was red with the kunoichi's small hand's mark and it throbbed with the strength of the slap. Of course it was nothing compared to the mess it would be if she had used her chakra, but that didn't mean that it hadn't hurt.

And that wasn't the only thing hurting in him. Strangely, the slap was nothing compared to the thud pang he felt when she said she hated him. Instinctively, he lifted a hand to his chest, although he didn't want to accept the empty feeling that had taken his soul.

"So what if she hates me?" Shrugging, the raven-haired boy watched as the girl vanished from his sight.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Then this is it... He just wanted to get rid of me? This kiss was just a bitter but efficient remedy to get rid of some inconvenience?" As she ran, Sakura thought about millions of things at the same time - Naruto, the bet, Sasuke, herself... His lips exploring hers, his strong hands keeping her close... In that moment, it seemed that her head would soon explode.

She felt their roles changing in that moment. In that kiss, she felt all that Sasuke had felt as she tried to win the bet. The spell had turned against the witch.

The prey had become the predator.

Instead of stealing a kiss, Sakura had had a kiss stolen.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

After the great storm, a beautiful sunny day rose in the horizon without leaving many traces of the night before. It was possible to say that it had rained before sunrise only because the green grass was still wet and in many places it was possible to find birds having fun with their morning bath.

As always, Kakashi was late for their meeting and with a stupid excuse on his tongue, but he didn't get to use it, because he noticed something different: only Naruto and Sasuke were there. Scratching his head, the jounin looked at the surroundings, but didn't find the kunoichi anywhere. When he looked at Sasuke, his pale face slightly purple indicating that something must have happened the night before and, putting that together with Naruto's hostile expression, he saw that it could be nothing but problems.

"Where is Sakura today?" He asked, a little afraid of the answer.

"Ask Sasuke-teme... I bet he did something stupid last night. Nobody walks away from a conversation in that hurry, appears the next day with such a mark on his face and is innocent about everything!" Naruto exclaimed, narrowing his accusatory gaze to Sasuke and pointing his obvious wounded face.

"Humph! That's definitely none of your business, dobe." Sasuke answered blankly without even looking at Naruto.

But that was too much for the boy who, after screaming angrily, trying to tackle Sasuke, but he didn't make it there, because Kakashi grabbed him by his shirt collar and threw him on his butt.

"Naruto, you better control yourself, I don't think we need anymore problems now, do we?" He said in a good-humored tone. "Sasuke, you'll go check on Sakura. We can't let the only lady in our team be in trouble, can we?"

Both glared venomously at the sensei, each for their own motives. Kakashi only smiles mysteriously and grabbed his educative book and sat down to start reading.

Seeing that the raven-haired boy hadn't moved, he just said. "With no team work there is no training, Sasuke. If Sakura doesn't come back, we won't have missions for a long time."

Sasuke sighed and gave up, starting to walk in the direction of Sakura's house of his hands in his pockets.

"And you better bring her whole and unharmed, Sasuke-teme! If not, I'll teach you a lesson!" Naruto screamed, but was completely ignored.

Ridiculous. It was his only thought as he walked to the Haruno's.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Five minutes.

That was how long Sasuke had been standing in front of the Haruno's front door, but he still hadn't moved to announce his arrival.

"Why am I still standing here?" He stared at the impressive wooden door, adorned with a circle in the middle, the symbol of the Harunos. The time he stayed there admiring the symbol was enough to make him wonder if it was a good idea to knock. He didn't know if he would be welcome, or even invited in, after all, Sakura hadn't walked away from the bridge the day before as the happiest girl in the world... And the purple spot on his face was the biggest prove of that fact.

"Humph... Maybe I should do this later... Or try to convince Kakashi to do it himself." The shinobi analyzed his options, but before he could choose the most appealing one, the door opened suddenly and Sakura's mother appeared.

"Oh! Sasuke-kun. What a pleasant surprise." Haruno-san exclaimed with a smile on her face.

Sasuke blinked, embarrassed for being caught standing there. He greeted the smiling lady politely and noticed just how alike she and Sakura were.

The same cheerfulness.

The same smile.

What the hell am I thinking? I better focus on my real reason on coming here. He reprimanded himself and started talking.

"I came to talk to Sakura, Haruno-san. She didn't go to the training today and Kakashi-sensei asked me to check if something happened to her." He justified himself in a low and, in a way, embarrassed tone, especially since she stared impressed at the purple mark standing out on his pale face.

"You can tell Kakashi-san that everything is alright, Sasuke-kun, she only got a cold and is in bed because of it. Well, no one told her to play in the rain like a five-year-old, did they?" Haruno-san smiled even more and invited the boy in, remembering the day before, when her drenched daughter had arrived home. "Hum... Now that I think about it... She seemed a little depressed and distracted." The lady touched her chin lightly with her index finger while the raven-haired boy gulped nervously. "I don't think the cold is the only thing bothering her, do you know if something happened yesterday, Sasuke-kun?"

Embarrassed, Uchiha only shook his head and watched Haruno-san sigh disappointedly.

I don't think you'd be happy to hear the reason she was depressed when she got home yesterday. He thought, still silent.

"Anyway, I think your visit may cheer her up." She said, although he doubted that affirmation. "Would you be so kind as to take care of her until I get back? I need to do some shopping and would be more relieved if Sakura didn't stay home alone."

Once again, it was undeniable that Sakura had so much in common with her mother, because that puppy gaze on Haruno-san's face was the same the pink-haired kunoichi used when she wanted to make it impossible to deny her something without the victim walking away with an enormous sinking feeling in their heart.

"Of course, Haruno-san, don't worry about us. I'll take care of her until you get back from the market." Sasuke answered and Haruno-san immediately thanked him with a new smile on her face and made her way out of the house and to the market.

Sasuke heard the door closing behind him while he analyzed the place. According to Haruno-san, Sakura was in her room, upstairs.

If I've come to this point... I better go until the end. He concluded, going up the stairs that would take him to Sakura's room.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Annoyed by the fever, Sakura moved on the bed, trying to find a way of diminishing the uncomfortable feeling caused by the strong cold she had gotten. The strong cold feeling still hadn't gone away, no matter how much futons she had thrown over herself.

Toc toc toc...

When she heard the noise coming from the stairs, the teenager sat up abruptly, dizzy because of the high fever. When she felt even colder, the girl pulled the warm and comfortable covers to herself and wrapped up in them.

After she was really protected from the cold, she sleepily stared at the door. Was it her mom? "Funny... I have the impression that she just went out... If I'm not mistaken, she told me that she needed to go shopping. Was I delusional when I heard the door close?"

"This must be some kind of revenge because I didn't heal myself to escape training." She mumbled, shivering. "First this fever, then shuddering and now hallucinations... The Godaime will tell me I'm insane and put me in a mental hospital at any time now." She sighed, feeling down. When she remembered the reason she had caught that cold, she lay down on the bed again, not noticing the sliding door opening silently and leaving a small gap.

On the other side of the door, two black pearls watched intently the monologue of the girl, who seemed to confess her thoughts to some invisible childhood friend. From where Sasuke stood, it was possible to see the feminine face's redness and the impressive quantity of covers that were wrapped around her.

She is really sick. He thought while she continued her confessions.

"I'm such an idiot... If I hadn't let Naruto provoke me, none of this would've happened! But no, I had to be stupid enough to accept that damned bet! Naruto was probably only looking for some way to have fun over me and Sasuke-kun." She said, not knowing that somebody else was saving that precious information.

On Sasuke's forehead, a vein popped and a continuous scene of a fox being triturated passed went through his mind.

The boy let the frown vanish when he heard the kunoichi cough and cuddle further on the thick futons. Her sleepy expression, the red face, her pink hair sticking to her forehead because of sweating. Someway, that scene had caught him to the point of making him give up on burning the dobe alive. Or at least make him postpone the obvious revenge.

"Now Sasuke is going to hate me for the rest of our lives..." Her voice sounded almost like a whine.

With a dry noise, the door slid completely open, making Sakura widen her eyes when she met the owner of the black eyes staring at her seriously.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows?" The smooth voice sounded as if trying to fill the room with his presence. The girl discarded the possibility of another hallucination, confirming that Uchiha Sasuke was in her room, and that left her surprised and not knowing what to do.

"Sasuke-kun! What... What are you doing here?" She asked, dreading that unwanted meeting. He couldn't have appeared like this! I... I... I'm not ready to face him now! What if... What if he hates me? She thought while Inner Sakura tried to take those thoughts out of her head. Get real!

"I came to check on you. Kakashi and Naruto are worried about you." But I am too... "Your mother said you got a cold."

With his hands in his pockets, Sasuke stared at the kunoichi and his analytic mind registered each precious detail of the scene before him: the red feverish face, the short hair sticking to her face since she was sweating so much because of those big and hot futons. From the small part of her clothes that weren't covered by the futons, it was possible to see the cute animals' stamp. An adorable scene. Am I getting sick too? He smirked a little.

"Yes, it was the rain from yesterday." She said, glancing at him, suspicious. The scene from the day before started coming back to her mind as if a part of a movie, making her face even redder when she remembered the last happenings of the rainy night.

Sasuke noticed the new blush on the kunoichi's face, aware that the cold or the fever had nothing to do with it.

I believe it's time to get this over with. He thought, taking his hands out of his pockets and stepping forward and closer to Sakura's bed. When she noticed the guy approaching, she pulled the futon closer to herself and turned her head the other way, only watching him from the corner of her eye.

Sasuke frowned because of that reaction, but didn't stop, pretending not to notice it. He continued walking until he was beside the bed and sat next to her, noticing that she was trembling again. Worried that her fever might have gone up again, he tried to touch her face and verify the temperature, but in a sudden movement, Sakura shrugged and dodged his touch.

Sasuke had no reaction for a few seconds, which were very silent. Slowly, he brought his arm back and stared at the girl that had shrugged even more and pulled the futons over her head. She wasn't shuddering because of the cold... She was trembling because she was afraid of him? Had he gone so low as to cause fear on the girl that could trust her life to him?

That was definitely not good.

Huddling under the covers, Sakura wanted to disappear, imagining what the hell the Uchiha wanted after what had happened the night before. A million things went through her head, until she heard the upset sigh followed by that familiar voice.

"Sakura... Are you afraid of me?" He asked, surprisingly hesitant.

The shinobi's tone of voice was regretful and that made Sakura even more curious. She slowly uncovered her face, revealing the teary green eyes.

The boy was still motionless and stared at the floor. Sakura knew that, even without using the Sharingan, it was impossible from Sasuke not to notice that she was watching him. He was annoying her with his passivity.

Now that Sasuke was so close, even in the dark, Sakura could see the big purple spot her slap had left on his face. She could even see her five slender fingers marking his pale features.

It was the most deserved punishment and it seemed to bring back all the sadness of a loving and broken heart, broken by the one who she loved the most.

"Why did you come to my home?" She replied with another question, still holding the stubborn tears that tried to trickle down her face. "Wasn't it enough to break my heart? Did you need to come and stomp on it too? Or maybe you couldn't resist the temptation of coming and seeing personally the extent of the mess you did yesterday? Are you happy with what you see?" She completed, not noticing that she was slowly raising her voice.

Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes to his angry teammate.

"Sakura... That wasn't my intention at all." He started, but was interrupted in the middle of his excuse.

"Then what was your intention when you kissed me?" She yelled, making their eyes meet at last.

In that moment, many things seemed at least surrealistic. Sakura yelling at Sasuke, the boy apparently intimidated by the kunoichi, the tension that filled the room so thick that it could be cut with a knife.

Maybe Sakura had lost her common sense because of the high fever, or maybe being so close to her beloved had brought up the most basic instincts, like love, hate, courage, insanity... The fact was that so many emotions had turned the sweet medic-nin in an unpredictable creature that had Sasuke completely defenseless.

The boy continued to stare at the tempestuous sea of green eyes in silence, gaping, until her patience ran out again and she started questioning him once more.

"Tell me! I don't have all day to wait for you." She said, referring to the words he had used in the training on the day before.

"Wasn't that what you wanted, Sakura? When you made that bet with that dobe?" Gulping, Sasuke found his self-control and answered with the coldest voice he could manage.

"I didn't ask you that, damn it!" Sakura shouted angrily, but started coughing for having forced her sore throat.

Sasuke frowned and counted to ten - for someone that had gone over there to help, he wasn't doing very well. Maybe it would be better to calm her down, although he didn't know exactly how to accomplish that.

"Don't overdo it. You're still sick." Trying to be gentle, he touched her back carefully, noticing her thoughtful face.

"Since when, Sasuke-kun?" She asked without looking at him.

"Since when what, Sakura?" The boy replied with another question, relieved when he saw her calm down.

"Since when do you know about the bet?" Sakura mumbled so low that he almost didn't hear her voice. Of course he knew about the bet, what other reason would he have had to grab me, kiss me and be so cold the next moment? Maybe he's not the only one guilty in this. She thought bitterly. After all, she had been the one to accept the dobe's bet... She didn't even stop to think about what Sasuke would feel in the end.

Well, at least she is starting to open up now. He thought, seeing her sad expression.

"Humph... That's not important, Sakura." Sasuke said, watching a sad smile appear on her face. After hesitating a little, he took a deep breath and asked her what had been bothering him since the day before.

"Sakura... Why... Why did you run away from me?"

The shinobi watched her widen her green eyes and bite her rosy lips slightly, waiting patiently from the answer that was taking so long to come.

"I don't want you to kiss me only to get rid of me, Sasuke-kun. I felt... Used." She whispered, playing nervously with her hands, to which she had her eyes turned.

"That was never my intention, Sakura." He guaranteed and watched her laugh nervously and shrug.

"You get repetitive when you're nervous, Sasuke. I understood when you said it the first time." Sasuke was shocked by the absence of the treatment, which brought up the memory of something the kunoichi had said and had messed with his mind the night before.

I hate you. The simple memory of those words made the annoying feeling of the night before come back, but as if that ghost wasn't bothersome enough, the next thing she said took him out of his thoughts.

"It doesn't matter... Anyway, your kiss is horrible." Sakura joked, trying to break the tension. She didn't see Sasuke's shocked expression.

"What do you mean, my kiss is horrible?" Sasuke was surprised with that comment. And since when did Sakura have so much experience to judge his kiss?

Actually, he had never thought about the possibility of somebody else tasting those lips before him, and that bothered him.

Sakura looked at her teammate again and found those black pearls staring at her intensely. The girl swallowed when she remembered that the only time she had received such a deep stare from him had been on the night before, when they had kissed.

"Do you still hate me, Sakura?" Sasuke inquired, leaning towards her slightly.

"I..." Once again, she was caught in that intense stare and couldn't escape - But... Was it so bad to not be able to escape?

"And you really think my kiss is horrible?" He continued, so close that he could feel her fast heartbeat and be dazed by her pink-hair's wonderful cherry blossom scent.

"H-hai..." She answered with no conviction and her senses taken by his outstanding presence.

"Then I think I need to solve this misunderstanding, don't I?" And with that, he caressed her face gently, raising her chin and making her face redden even more.

And with that, neither of the two knew what they were doing from that moment on: Their lips met in a chaste kiss that was intensified quickly.

Sakura left the futons fall to the floor and embraced the boy, who skillfully pulled her out of the bed and placed her on his lap. For pride or for desire, he seemed determined to prove he kissed well enough: with one hand he supported the girl's neck, pulling her closer and losing himself in the softness of her pink hair. The other hand slid between her back and her waist, making her sigh.

Sakura thought she had died and gone to Heaven: feeling Sasuke's warmth so close made her completely lose her common sense and, in mere seconds, she didn't even remember what they had argued about. Screw the reason! Keep kissing! Inner commanded and Sakura obeyed without thinking twice.

Sakura didn't care when Sasuke deepened the kiss fervently, as if the world would end the next day. She kissed him back just as intensely and played with his raven hair.

It all seemed magic and perfect: the young couple in love, alone and enjoying such a romantic moment in a poorly illuminated room, the only source of light being the sunlight that could go between the thick curtains. If only Kami knew where that would end...

The happy couple was caught by surprise when suddenly the room was illuminated and the sound of something falling to the ground, stopping the kiss. When they turned to look at the direction of the noise, they found a gaping and shocked Haruno-san at the door, staring at them.

Sakura and Sasuke stood quickly, embarrassed for being caught in such a compromising position. They tried to find any excuse, but Sakura's mother was faster than them.

"May I book the day of the wedding?" Haruno-san asked after clearing her throat, smiling amusedly when she overcame the initial shock.

"MOM!" Sakura shouted, shaking her hands nervously. "It isn't..."

"I'll leave you lovebirds alone, but behave, okay?" Sakura's mom finished getting her groceries from the ground, winked suggestively at both of them and left the room, leaving them alone again.

"Oh, that was embarrassing..." Sakura fell on the bed and rubbed her face when her mom left the room, worried about what would've happened if it had been her father to enter the bedroom. She shivered when Sasuke sat beside her, pulled her back to his lap and embraced her.

His mocking smirk made her calm down a little, especially when he put a stubborn lock of pink hair behind her ear.

"Don't worry about that, Sakura..." He gently placed a chaste kiss on her lips and she was gifted with a sincere smile that was very rare on the Uchiha's face. "We'll talk to your dad later. Now, I have something better to get busy with."

Damn sexy smile! Inner said and Sakura felt obligated to agree.

"Since you're so weak for gambling, just like your sensei Tsunade, I have a challenge for you too..." He continued, watching her curious expression.

"Oh? And what would that be?" She played along, pretending not to understand and embracing the boy's neck as she waited for the challenge.

"I challenge you NOT to kiss me for a whole week." He teased, staring at her with the most mysterious and sexy eyes she had ever seen, making her laugh and stare at him with an adorable expression.

"Well, that's not even fair! Impossible! How could I accept a challenge in which my defeat is more than obvious?" And with that said, she kissed him, making herself comfortable in his arms...

...Which she never wanted to leave.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

A few hours later, a mysterious package was delivered at the Haruno's. Until then, nothing that would seem strange, if it wasn't for a curious detail: it was addressed to Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke.

The couple received the package from Sakura's mom, utterly confused. Who would send them a package to the kunoichi's house?

The mystery was revealed when they opened it and, while they read the note that accompanied what was inside the package, annoyed veins popped on Sasuke's forehead and Sakura was getting quickly redder.

My dear students,

It was about time for you to wake up and realize you were made for each other.

Sakura, congratulations! You finally have Sasuke in a leash. And I hope you present a better mood during missions from now on, Sasuke.

With this letter, I send my favorite Icha Icha Paradise volume, which, I believe, will be very useful as an inspiration to the new couple, although Sakura has proved herself very creative even without any sort of tips.

I'd like only to ask you to be as kind as to wait for Sakura's 18th birthday to use my present, would you? You know... It's bad for my reputation as a respectable and trustworthy sensei if I'm caught giving censured reading material to my underage students. Thanks for your comprehension.

My best wishes,

Hatake Kakashi

P.S.: Sasuke, tell me later if Sakura is even more creative with the book...

"Ohhhhhhhhhh, I'll kill that sensei!"

OoOoOoO Fim OoOoOoO

I'll start apologizing for any English mistakes. xD English is not my mother tongue, but I'll just risk publishing this anyway, since I liked writing this story so much. xD So, if you see any word that doesn't look like it should be there, it is because I have too much Portuguese in my mind. xD

The original version of this story is called O Beijo (The Kiss) and is one of my stories too, but I liked it enough to translate it. I hope you like it too. --

I had this idea while listening to a song called Kiss Me. I don't know who is the original singer, I just have the Avril Lavigne version and I don't really feel that she's the one who wrote it. xD

Just like the Portuguese version, this is dedicated to Yami no Goddess, a good friend that I adore - Yami, this is for you, as you already know. xD Love ya o Don't give up -

Thanks, Artis, for revising the Portuguese version and helping me with this one. xD What would I do without you, my favorite dragoness? xD

Kisses,

Bella