SURPRISE! This is the last chapter! :D *ducks thrown objects*

Haha, yeah. I'm thinking about doing a sequal. *throws hands up defensively* I don't know if I will or not, but I'm thinking about it. (Read: If you all kill me for not telling you that this is the last chapter, then you'll NEVER get a sequal. So, there.) :P

So, yes, anyways:

Please read and review! (And help me break 200 reviews!) :)

The instant Yahiko walked in the door, Nagato knew something was wrong. He, Konan, Pein, and Madara (why did he always have to come over and visit Pein?) looked up as they heard it bang open.

"Hey, Yahiko. How did it—"

He disappeared up the stairs, his bedroom door slamming behind him.

"…go…"

The two almost-siblings exchanged a faintly worried glance.

"What do you think happened?" Konan asked, frowning.

There came the sound of Yahiko beating his head against a wall, followed by groans of, "Fuck, I'm an idiot."

Nagato grimaced. That didn't sound good.

.

.

.

His suspicions grew as soon as Sakura appeared the next day at school. Her other friends had thrown everyone near the "Akatsuki" group from their seats so that they could sit near her. The annoying little brats.

Curiously enough, she made a point not to look at a certain orange-haired fellow in the desk behind her as she took her usual pot. Even more curious, he seemed to be doing the same. It wasn't so much "I-hate-you-go-get-run-over-by-a-bus" kind of avoidance, but instead more of "oh-god-don't-look-at-me-this-is-so-awkward".

Oh, yeah.

Something definitely happened.

.

.

.

"Psst. Hey. Sakura-chan."

She nearly jumped out of her skin as Naruto suddenly whispered that right beside her ear. She gasped, hands slapping down on her desk to keep herself from falling. They all immediately focused on her, surprised. Yahiko, though he would never admit it, was slightly pleased to find that she didn't blush at how close Naruto's face was to hers.

"Holy mother of— damn it, Naruto!" She smacked him upside the head. "Don't do that!"

He recoiled, gripping his wound with a frown. "Sakura-chan, why do you keep hitting me?" he whined.

"Because you're an idiot!" she hissed back. "You scared the hell out of me!"

"What happened to your 'awesome ninja powers'?" Sasuke retorted, quoting her from a few days previous.

"Shut up," she growled, glowering at him. "Excuse me for being a little out of it. Stupid aniki decided to wake me up at two in the morning to help him find his Black Sabbath t-shirt."

A few of them looked pointedly down at her shirt, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course I stole it," she scoffed, answering their unvoiced question. "He tried to kill me for it, too. That's why I walked to school today." She turned the full force of her glare upon a certain blond. "But that's not the point. What did you want, Naruto?"

He grinned. "You were spacing out," he said simply. "I just wanted to bring you back down to the real world."

Her eye twitched.

Stupid, cheeky brat.

.

.

.

"Hey, uh, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura paused, glancing over her shoulder uneasily. Yahiko stood behind her, rubbing the back of his head, not looking at her. She had opted out of joining the group (which apparently now included Naruto's posse) for an afternoon of hanging out and doing random crap in order to work on her stupid literature project for Jiraiya-sensei. Her eyes slid past him.

Where the hell had the others gone?

"Yeah?"

"I, uh…" He swallowed. "Sorry for…freaking out on you yesterday."

Her face burned.

.

For a moment, he was certain that he had just died. Because things like this didn't happen in real life.

And people like Haruno Sakura didn't kiss people like Reiame Yahiko.

He froze, cheeks bright red, eyes wide as she pulled back. She said nothing, head dipped slightly. Nervous.

"I — I —" he stammered out, hands shaking. "I have to go!"

He all but ran for the door, feeling as though he was having a heart attack.

Oh god. Oh god, I'm so stupid. was all he could think. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

.

"It's alright," she mumbled, turning her face away somewhat so he couldn't see how mortified she was.

"I—" He paused. "Could I…could I come over for a bit? S-so we can talk?"

Oh, Jiraiya, how we love thee. Thank you — thank you — for assigning a project so that she could escape from Yahiko for another day.

"Not tonight," she answered truthfully, trying not to show how relieved she was to have an excuse. "I have a Lit project to work on tonight." Her eyes flashed to his face for a moment before darting away. "Maybe…tomorrow?"

He nodded faintly, frowning down at the ground. "Yeah," he agreed lamely, poking at a rock with his foot. "Just, uh — don't take what I did yesterday the wrong way. Please."

She stilled, having begun to walk away.

What did that mean?

"Don't take it the wrong way"? Was he trying to tell her not to mistake his apology as a way of saying that he liked her? Oh, lord. That was embarrassing.

But, wait — what if he was saying not to get upset 'cause he bolted like a terrified rabbit? What if —

Kami. This was too much to think about.

Fuck the consequences. She was going to ask him.

"Don't take what the wrong way?" she inquired, sounding much more calm than she felt.

Him flushing was a good sign, right?

"That I, uh —" He coughed awkwardly into his fist. "That I kinda ran away…"

A pleasant warmth bloomed in her chest.

She should have done this in the beginning. Just coming out and asking him things instead of assuming (and coming up with the wrong answers) was a lot less stressful.

"…well, I don't think Jiraiya-sensei would be too mad if I didn't do my project…"

He glanced up in surprise. She was smiling nervously.

"But it's probably best if we don't go to my house." At his blank look, she elaborated. "My brother's home."

He paled.

Yep. Definitely not going there.

"Um…to…an…ice cream…place?"

She couldn't help but laugh, feeling herself relax already. "Sure."

.

.

.

"What the hell are you grinning about?"

The Akatsuki people (why the heck were they all at his house? Didn't they have homes to go to?) stared at Yahiko strangely as he walked through the living room, glowing like the sun. Nagato and Konan exchanged amused looks, while Pein just smirked. He abruptly scowled at his real and adopted siblings.

"What — you gonna arrest me for it?"

Unbeknownst to the others, he meant that as a question to both Kisame (who'd been the one to comment on his smile) and his family's "we-know-what-you-did" expressions.

"Geez, kid," the tallest man in the group muttered, frowning. "Kinda touchy, huh?"

The flame-haired junior stuck out his tongue and left in a huff, earning a few incredulous head-shakes.

"How mature."

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.

.

Yahiko may have refused to answer Kisame's inquiry regarding his stupid smile nearly three months previous, but that didn't mean the man didn't get his explanation. It just didn't come in the form he'd been expecting.

It had been a seemingly normal day at school. Naruto ran around and yelled, Sasuke growled, Hidan cursed, Shikamaru slept, Kakashi read, Sasori glared, and Deidara laughed. Just the usual occurrences each day at Konoha High.

Sakura left halfway through class to go to the bathroom, and they all thought nothing of it.

Until, forty-five minutes later, she had yet to return.

Frowning, Yahiko gathered her things as the bell rang and carried it out with his own backpack.

"Where is she?" Naruto asked no one particular, one hand shielding his eyes (from what?) as he looked in every direction.

"Never mind that," Suigetsu muttered, glancing around suspiciously. "Where the hell is Karin?" He received blank looks from the Akatsuki people and horrified shudders from his own friends. "She tackles you after this class every day," he continued to Sasuke. "So why not today?"

The Uchiha grimaced, a knowing look in his eye. Kiba understood that expression.

"Oh, shit."

.

.

.

Ah, yes. Remember our friend, Abumi Zaku?

He wasn't a happy camper.

He was still pissed off about the whole getting-his-butt-kicked-and-then-thrown-into-detention thing after his last encounter with Sakura. She was a girl, damn it. Guys just do not get beaten up by girls. Ever.

She was tiny and harmless-looking — and she had pink hair! Pink! Not to mention that stupid Sasuke and Suigetsu were freaking TRAITORS and had gotten all buddy-buddy with her.

NOT COOL.

Despite this, she was still hot.

And she had yet to submit to his charms.

He'd have to fix that.

So, after striking a bargain with Karin ("Karin, go kidnap that Sakura chick." "WHAT? Why? !" "Because I said so." "I'M NOT TOUCHING THAT DIRTY BITCH." "KIDNAP HER, NOW." "NO!" "I SAID NOW!" "NO!" "I'll give you Sasuke." "Deal.") he now had her in his clutches.

Somewhat.

"Abumi, why the hell did you send a group of psychotic girls to kidnap me?"

Zaku merely smirked down at her, arms crossed over his chest. She was sitting in a heap on the floor, legs curled up beside her and rope (holy fuck, these girls were serious) wrapped around her tightly. She scowled up at him, struggling to free her arms. They were in a classroom in the southern-most hall of the school — A.K.A., the abandoned wing.

"I just wanted to have a little chat," he said easily, eyes gleaming in a way that she most certainly didn't like. He crouched down beside her, reaching out to play with a strand of her hair but drawing his hand back with a frown when she attempted to bite him. "It's been a while since we last talked, and seeing as tomorrow is Valentine's Day…" His smirk returned. "You've obviously gotten hotter."

Insert death glare, trademark of one Haruno Sakura.

"And you're still ugly. Anything else to add while we're stating the obvious?"

His eye twitched, but he managed to keep his smug expression intact.

"I still haven't paid you back for fracturing my nose," he reminded her slyly, brushing his fingers against her jaw. Unfortunately, she couldn't twist her head around and bite him unless she somehow rearranged the bone structure of her neck and upper back. "Or for getting me into detention."

"In case you forgot, bastard," she hissed, "you dislocated my shoulder. And I got throw into detention, too."

"Not good enough," he said flatly, tipping her chin up. To her disgust, he looked like he was contemplating kissing her.

God, the horror.

"You know," he murmured, lips curling up, "I could just forget about getting revenge on you." His smirk widened. "If you'll be my girlfriend, of course."

She made a point of gagging in his face, earning a deep frown.

"I don't plan on throwing up today, so please keep your deranged thoughts to yourself."

She grimaced as his fingers dug into her chin with painful force. That was gonna bruise tomorrow.

"Be my girlfriend," he repeated evenly, "or submit yourself to my mercy for as long as I desire. Take your pick."

She abruptly spat in his face.

He glowered and then, after wiping off the spit, struck her across cheek like lightning. She bit down on the inside of her cheek to stifle the instinctual grunt that nearly escaped.

"Fine, then."

She was suddenly thrown to the ground as his hand clenched around her throat. He hovered over her, using his weight to pin her down.

"The hard way, it is."

He squeezed her neck with painful force, not quite cutting off her air but inflicting enough agony to cripple her. He wasn't planning on killing her, obviously; just enough to scare her into submitting to him. That was definitely gonna bruise. She grit her teeth, eyes closed tightly as she jerked her shoulders to release her arms from the rope. His jaw tensed when her chest slammed into his as she gasped for breath. His eyes darted around suspiciously.

Oh, fuck it. She was hot, he hadn't had sex in a while, and there was no one nearby. (Can anyone say "abandoned wing"?) And, sure, maybe she'd struggle, but she'd eventually give in.

Because, honestly, who wouldn't?

He was damn good-looking, and it was free sex.

Keeping one hand planting firmly on her throat to prevent her from screaming, he reached down and jerked up her shirt. Sadly, the rope didn't allowed him to raise her shirt farther than her abdomen. (The first time in her life that Sakura was actually glad to be tied up by a whole lot of rope.) She thrashed beneath him as his palm slid across her stomach, earning a groan when her hips scrapped against his. Growling lowly, she surged her chest up with as much power as she could, forcing him to considerably lessen his grip on her neck. Before he could even blink, she bit down on his hand.

He cursed loudly, ripping his injured limb away before backhanding her. The skin of her cheek split under his blow, throwing her face to the side.

"Get off me!" she shrieked, head-butting him.

He gave a startled yell, falling back and landing heavily on the floor as he clutched his forehead. Immediately, she snapped out her foot and kicked him. He snarled at the hit clipped his shoulder, scrambling to leap on her again.

But before he could, one Reiame Yahiko tackled him.

The two rolled across the floor, shouting curses and ducking punches. Startled, Sakura's head shot up. Nagato, Konan, and Naruto all grabbed her, dragging her to her feet.

"Wha—"

"Fuck!"

She was pretty certain Zaku would feel that in the morning.

"You okay?" Kiba asked breathlessly, looking as if he'd just run a marathon. Surprisingly (or not) Karin was attempting to hide by the door.

"I — yeah." She started to nod, instantly regretting it in the wake of a headache. "I'm fine."

"What the hell happened?" Suigetsu demanded. "We had to get Sasuke to interrogate this bitch" — he jabbed a thumb over his shoulder at Karin, who gave an indignant yell — "and she told us that she kidnapped you."

"She did," she agreed darkly, shooting Sasuke a dirty look. "Her and about half of your fan club jumped me in the bathroom."

"Why? !" Naruto shouted, rounding on Karin.

The red-hair turned her face away, sticking her nose up in the air.

"Karin," Sasuke growled.

She appeared to melt. "Zaku wanted her, so he promised me that he'd tie you up and give you to me if I brought her to him."

Many of them grimaced. Ew.

A loud crash from the fighting pair attracted their attention as they began to untie Sakura. Yahiko had Zaku in a headlock.

"What'd he do to you?" the junior growled. His captive started to spit out a retort, but a quick jerk of his chin silenced him.

"Oh, you know," Sakura said flatly. "Had me kidnapped. Smacked me around. Tried to seduce me. Nearly raped me. The usual bad guy stuff."

Zaku managed to wriggle free as Yahiko snarled angrily.

"What are you — her boyfriend?" he sneered, much like he had on the day he first met Sakura.

"As a matter of fact, I am." He decked the offender. "And you're not."

Many of them openly gaped at him as he immediately darted to the girl's side. His hands attacked the rope.

"You okay?" he asked worriedly, gray-green eyed wide.

"Besides being abducted and molested. Oh, yeah. Perfectly fine."

He frowned, taking out his frustration on the binds. He sent his friends a glare. "It'd be really nice if you could, I dunno, help me here." A few of them dropped to their knees and got to work. "I'm sorry," he apologized, quite obviously blaming himself for what had happened to her.

Sakura snorted, smiling encouragingly at him. "I'm the one that pissed him off. Fractured his nose, sent him to detention, enlightened him to the fact that he's an ugly bastard — remember?"

He stared at her for a moment before laughing, shaking his head in disbelief.

Good lord, this girl was a handful.

But, he mused as she kissed him — to his friends' shock — when he finally got the rope off, she was worth it.

He smiled blissfully against her lips, knowing he would never get over the lovely tickling of his insides no matter how many times he kissed her. (And he definitely knew. He'd tried it more times than he could count.)

Yes, he thought in amusement as he settled his mouth more fully against hers — to which many of their onlookers (what the hell were they watching for?) loudly complained that they "get a room". ("Well, she could always 'run into' him again and knock him to the floor…" "Oh, shit — that's dirty." "You know you want to see it." "Fuck yeah, I wanna see it!")

She was damn well worth it.