A.N.: I really have no clue here as to how to gear this story and where it will be going. Let alone, how to proceed in writing this one. This is a One-Shot, or will be, and it tells a story of an adventure Sakura goes on. The scene is to appear in the setting of Sakura in the local pub on her eighteenth birthday with her fellow shinobi friends before A Shift in Balance occurs. And as she runs into some very interesting men and women, she can't help but notice the wonderful bodies presented before her.

This is a short story of her adventure in tasting the likes of two gorgeous men of different caliber. This is:

--

Invitations

Sakura awoke that morning with a ferocious start. She scurried around her apartment gathering clothes and supplies. She washed her hair with such vigor she thought it might fall out. She followed her regular routine of washing her face, towel drying her hair, brushing her teeth and dressing in a hurried pace as she watched the clock out of the corner of her eye. She was going to be late and she knew her sensei was going to be furious.

Quickly, she strapped on her shinobi sandals and zipped up her red vest and flung herself out of the door, careful to shut it and lock it in her pace. She ran quickly with non-human speed as she pumped chakra into her feet toward the hospital. Oh, her sensei was going to crush her head in her mighty hands when she got there.

Seeing the large sign announcing Konoha's top hospital, she breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe, if her sensei was kind…

She trailed off wondering what the likely hood of Tsunade being in a good mood was and fought back a rise in frustration. Dammit, if Naruto hadn't destroyed her alarm clock she wouldn't be in this situation!

Sakura ran in the large building saying a brief 'hello' to the receptionist, grabbed her white overcoat and proceeded to rush down the hallway trying to get it on before Tsunade could see. She turned sharply and almost collided with a line of doctors who precariously stood straight and stiff. She huffed. As head medic next to Tsunade, she was responsible for her staff's actions and she paused and took a deep breath to tell them to get to work, when a slightly angered tone drowned her face of color.

"Sakura, what the hell are you doing?"

Sakura froze, her jacket barely on as she had one arm unceremoniously clinging to the fabric as the other was pushed through the jacket's arm, the other half of the jacket laid flat against her back and draped the floor. She moved her head slowly and peered around the doctor she was standing in front of.

"Tsunade-sama, I-I was about to check in." She stuttered under her mentor's hard gaze.

"I'll have you checked into the Mental Ward if you don't explain to me why you are here!" She bellowed, her large breasts bouncing and crossed her arms in front if her chest.

The doctors all visibly stiffened and some shook softly. All Sakura could do was stare at the busty blonde as she tried to think of a reasonable excuse for being late.

"Well, you see Tsunade-sama, I woke up late because Naruto destroyed my last-"

"Sakura!"

"Yes, sensei?" Sakura flinched and tried to straighten herself and the jacket.

"That won't be necessary," Tsunade grinned evilly and Sakura froze again, "Do you have any idea as to what day it is?"

Sakura's mind scrambled for an answer and when she could find none she tried her best to appease her sensei, "I assure you that Naruto utterly destroyed my calendar-"

Tsunade laughed outright, her breasts shaking absurdly and Sakura shivered. This never was a good sign.

"I suppose Naruto destroyed your brain cells in the process as well." Tsunade cocked her head to the side smiling.

"It is Naruto, and seeing as I spend too much time with Kakashi-san, please understand that-"

"Hush, Sakura. I'm tired of your excuses." Sakura lowered her gaze and dropped her arms to the side.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama, I understand." She said quietly embarrassed of her behavior.

"You of all people should know that under my new policy, I cannot offer overtime on your days off." Tsunade said with a gleam in her eyes.

Sakura's head shot up immediately and her eyes widened a fraction, "I apologize, Tsunade-sama, I forgot that new policy goes into effect today. Please understand that I was trying to help the new doctors we were to receive in their organization and introduce them to our methods."

Sakura smiled as her sensei placed her hands on her hips and laughed again. The doctors stood unaware of the transaction between the two. Sakura mentally shook her head and watched as the doctors began to shift unused to Tsunade's temperament.

"Now, Sakura, as you can see, these doctors don't need that much help seeing as they have me here personally. Now get out of my hospital right now, or else I'll have you taken off active duty immediately for the next three years!" Tsunade bellowed striking fear into the eyes and hearts of the doctors.

Sakura schooled her face carefully and mock saluted Tsunade and said a soft, but firm 'Hai, sensei', before whipping off her jacket and jogging down the hallway away from her sensei's dramatic mood changes.

After dropping off her white overcoat at her desk, she left the hospital in no sort of rush. She strolled down the sunlit streets and she began to wonder what ever did happen to her kitten calendar. No doubt Naruto had it or maybe Sai took it to examine an example of cuddly cuteness. While she strolled down back to her apartment, her inner mind began to pray to the Good Lord for His kindness and generosity.

Obviously lost in her mental conversation of how she would pray for weeks on end, she didn't realize an all too quick problem.

"Sakura-chan!"

She stopped and now disrupted from her concentration, frowned. She knew that voice and she knew it too well. Her temperament rose as anger and frustration of her mornings uprising flowed through her.

"Naruto!" She screamed.

The blonde slowed down in his tracks and his smile faded to a growing look of panic as the pink haired kunoichi ran at him at incredible speeds. He screeched, turned around and ran as fast as he could away from her awaiting fists of fury.

--

"Sakura-chan, you hit too hard. Can't you be a little bit nicer?" He wailed rubbing his sore head.

Sakura huffed and glared down the blonde enough to where he froze and ducked behind his hands waiting for another blow to his cranium. Satisfied with his terror, Sakura crossed her arms in front of her chest. She glanced around the forest and sent out her chakra to check for imposing dangers. Finding none, she gazed down at her comrade.

He had grown since his childhood days. His whiskers drawing attention to his cheek bones, his jaw purely masculine, his azure colored eyes bright, his blonde hair framing his face, and how his neck muscle drew down to his broad shoulders and his masculinity. She mentally traced his features and remembered when she first started to appreciate his friendship.

It was almost a shame he moved on to another, Hinata in other words, but she was content with his current happiness. She felt the pang of loneliness, but shoved it aside. Naruto had dealt with this feeling most of his life. She could bear to deal with days like this.

Noticing her close observation, Naruto took a chance to glance at her. She too had grown, perhaps just as much as he did. Her forehead was no longer huge in comparison to her face and her cheekbones were high. Her supple lips drew to her button nose, which in turn brought the most attention to her emerald eyes. They were what mesmerized him the most. They were bright and a beautiful comparison to her pink hair that framed her face and dropped down in layers to her shoulders. She was lean, and her skin stretched over her taunt muscles. Her breasts were larger now, but not annoyingly so.

He clenched his fist and clamped his jaw shut. There were days he still wished that instead of Sasuke she had crushed on, it had been him. But he knew she never would have loved him in the way he wanted her to, so he appreciated to love of the friendship she gave him.

"Naruto, what was it you were going to tell me?" Sakura broke his train of thought and he looked up rather surprised.

Quickly remembering his mission, he said, "Tonight Team 7 has a surprise for its only female member! We all have a surprise for you!"

Sakura looked down at him and shook her head. What is wrong with these people?

"What's the occasion?" She asked a bit frightened by the gleam in his eyes.

"Don't tell me you can't remember your own birthday!" He practically screeched with a smile.

She was about to punch him for his loud obnoxious behavior when she paused. So is that what Tsunade was referring to about today's date? Perhaps she would have to check in with Tsunade later and thank her. Sakura glanced at the blonde and really realized today's significance.

It was almost rare for a shinobi to be able to celebrate a rise in age and she knew no different that many appreciated being alive to reach their next birthday. Some didn't. So, Sakura paused and though about it. It had only been years ago when she fought Sasori of the Akatsuki and years before that when Sasuke left. She leaned away steadily and cocked her head to the side. How many times had she had to fight for her life? For her country? For her comrades? Too many, but she recalled every battle, every scar, every life she had to save and every life she couldn't.

She finally smiled down at the blonde with so much honest love, he flinched and he looked away.

"Eighteen years already. Kind of hard to believe, right?" she said as an after thought, looking up through the trees to the blue sky.

He nodded, and then realized she couldn't see the action and said 'Hai'.

"So what are we going to do then?" she asked glancing down at Naruto.

He smiled and then stood dusting off his pants.

"Nothing that you need to worry about, I already have everything planned out. Someone will come and get you today and I expect to see you there!"

She whipped her head at the blonde and was about to chew his ear off when he ran and waved good-bye. She sighed and watched his back. Somehow she always got the feeling that she was being left behind.

No use in staying here, she thought and left with the leaves crunching under her feet.

--

It had been hours since she last seen her overactive teammate and, quite frankly, she was bored. She was tired of just sitting around doing nothing. She already cleaned her entire apartment, washed and dried the dishes, she cleaned all the toilets and sinks, she wiped off and polished her weapons and now there was nothing to do.

Sakura sat on her couch and drummed her fingers on the couch arm.

Who the hell is coming to get me? I swear if this is some sort of joke…

Before she could finish her thought, there was a loud knock at her door. Purely out of boredom, she entertained the thought of ignoring the loud knock to fall asleep on her wondrous couch, but seeing as the knocking was getting louder and she still had energy to spend, she stood and walked over to the door yelling about how she'll be there in a minute.

God, she wished she never opened that door.

"Forehead, you look awful!"

Sakura sighed as Ino pushed her way into her house flipping her hair around and waving her hands in the air, a bag draped on her arm. Sakura closed the door with a soft huff and walked back to her couch and dropped herself on it.

Ino pranced over and began to examine poor Sakura. She grabbed Sakura's cheeks and began to pinch them causing Sakura to furrow her pink brows together. Why did Ino remind her of some old granny who found some poor adorable child so obnoxiously cute?

"Ino-Pig, it's great to see you too, but please refrain from destroying my face." Sakura spat out through clenched fists.

"Listen, Billboard Brow, you need some sort of work if you plan on attending tonight. But if you insist…" Ino trailed off pulling away leaning back on her heels in front of Sakura.

"Attend where?" Sakura straightened herself, leaned forward slightly inclining her head.

Ino's face seemed to light up and she smiled. Her eyes gleamed mischievously and she flipped her hair out of her face.

"Why, I couldn't tell you that without being in dire trouble," she said cocking her head to side in a cute sort of fashion, "Besides, it's supposed to be a surprise."

Sakura glared up at her friend and growled. Ino laughed and proceeded to drag Sakura by the hand to the bathroom. Sakura tried to protest, but Ino would hear none of it. Instead, she persisted that Sakura allow her to 'make her absolutely gorgeous' and all she could do was hiss and groan.

--

"I am for sure not wearing that!" Sakura all but yelled pointing at the offending item.

Ino huffed lowering the dress she picked out for Sakura to wear. As soon as she had pulled it out of the bag, Sakura threw a fit, yelling and screaming, and when she finally calmed down, she huffed and puffed and pledged to never wear it. Of course, Ino had other ideas seeing as it was a gift for Sakura from her lovely sources.

"Please, it was a lot of money and we'd love to see you in it! I bet you'd look stunning!" Ino cried clutching the material.

"Who is this 'we' you speak of?" Sakura raised an elegantly shaped eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest, seeing as they couldn't fit under.

"Well no one of course. But, please Sakura! I promise to cover your shift at the hospital next Friday!" Ino wiggled her eyebrows and held up the dress again.

Sakura frowned narrowing her eyes at the offending garment. The dress was black and slim fitting, or so she assumed. There was a slit from the bottom of the dress to the very top of her thigh. She wasn't going to like this at all, especially seeing as the dress had a halter like top and dived down rather low from what she could tell.

Sighing, she grabbed the dress from Ino's hands, who had giggled and clapped her hands, and pushed Ino out of the bathroom. This is going to be interesting, she thought sadly.

--

"No, no, no. Ino, this is-is…"Sakura turned around in the mirror and grimaced at her image. Ino stood to the side of her grinning like a mad-man.

"Oh come on Forehead! The dress is gorgeous!" Ino cried out happily.

"Yeah, the dress is. I don't. I look like a…"she paused not wanting to offend her dear friend.

The two had grown close since Team 7 split apart all those years ago. Yes, they did quarrel at times, but they were close, sharing secrets and gossiping like the older women at the tea shop down the street. They had kept to using their old nicknames, the ones they used in the Academy, and stuck with meeting at the cafeteria of the hospital whenever they had the free time on their breaks.

"You look like a what?" Ino inquired narrowing her eyes throwing her hands on her hips.

Sakura sweated a bit and smiled sheepishly, "A slut?"

She should have expected a disaster.

Ino seemed to explode on intact. She threw her hands in the air yelling and screaming about how gorgeous Sakura was and how she didn't appreciate anything. Ino pushed Sakura none-too gently and Sakura almost tripped over her feet and grabbed the sink to steady herself. Ino pressured Sakura into the corner and began her tirade once again. Ino was spitting evil when Sakura promised to wear the dress, if only to get Ino to calm down. Ino huffed and folded her arms.

"I'm not covering your shift anymore. You can work!" Ino huffed, straightened her clothes and looked up again smiling.

"Now for shoes, you can wear the black pair that you wore to Tsunade's conference with the Kazekage of Sand. You know the pair that strapped up the leg?" Ino said wandering out of the bathroom to look for such a pair.

Sakura watched her friend leave and sighed. It seemed that she was doing that a lot. Some friend Ino was. Sakura turned back to the mirror and looked at her image. Tugging at the dress, she wished that it could have covered her breasts just a bit more. Why does it have to dive so low?

Sakura's intuition about the dress being slim fitting and sleek wasn't at all wrong. The dress clung to her body like a second skin, but the slit really did add some sort of class to the dress so to distract the eye away from such a sight. Her long, creamy, right leg was a real distraction compared to the black material of the dress and she sighed again.

The dress was gorgeous. But could she pull it off? Of course, she thought, Ino would have a fit if I didn't. She then looked at her face. She really did look good. Ino worked her magic pretty well. Her hair fell around her shoulders in loose waves. She touched a strand, but didn't want to ruin the wave so let it go. She glanced at her eyes. There, Ino had put on black mascara and dusted a light pink eye shadow that shimmered in the light. She had put on some lip gloss that was a soft glide over her lips to bring attention to supple lips.

Ino should be a beautician.

"Here they are!" Ino waltzed back in holding up the shoes smiling.

And all Sakura could do was smile back generously.

--

"Ino don't you think going to a pub is kind of ridiculous in this get-up?" Sakura questioned a bit worriedly.

Ino shook her head and pulled Sakura forward toward the door. Sakura could hear soft music playing and a small murmur of voices. Quickly, she scanned for any sort of chakra signal, finding none she glanced back at Ino who grinned.

She couldn't help but notice how wonderful Ino looked in the moonlight. Her dress was strapless and a dark purple. The dress clung to her and, when it hit her waist, it dropped down loosely to her mid-thigh. Ino had worn her hair in the same fashion as always, but she wore different make-up. She had put dark eyeliner on and some black mascara.

"Aren't we supposed to be with Naruto?" Sakura asked when Ino frowned and shoved her forward through the door.

"Happy birthday, Sakura!"

Sakura lifted her head and studied the many faces before her. Her eyes widened seeing the banner saying 'Happy Birthday!' hanging across the ceiling and she smiled at the image before her. There, not too far away in the center of the crowd, was her old team. Naruto was laughing his arms around an uncomfortable looking Sai and a relaxed Kakashi. For once, her old sensei didn't have his Icha Icha Paradise book open.

With a small wave, she turned her head to the people in the crowd. She noticed that Team Guy, Team Eight, Team Ten, and the Sand siblings all stood around, some of which were laughing openly, others a bit shyer, and some, like Gaara, just utterly awkward looking. Sakura smiled and laughed.

She stepped toward her team, but paused. Turning around, she saw Ino smiling almost sadly. Quickly deciding, she grabbed her friend in a ferocious hug and said thank you. Ino patted her awkwardly and after a moment, shoved Sakura toward, as Ino said, 'her boys'.

Laughing, she stalked over to Naruto and pulled his head down and gave him a good noogie.

"I bet I know who's idea this was, you rascal!" Sakura said pressing Naruto's head harder.

"Ah, Sakura-chan! Why do you always blame me? You're hurting me!" and when Sakura pressed harder he began to squeal, "It was Hinata's idea! It was Hinata's!"

Sakura paused, glanced around for Hinata. She was standing off to the side a bit by her team, but closer to where Sai had been standing. Where had he gone off to? Sakura smiled at the shy girl, and she blushed, fiddling with her own dress.

Hinata choose to wear no make-up, not that she really needed it, and a dark blue dress. The dress was simple with large straps and flaring out at her waist down to her knees, where it ended. The dress was covered in light blue colored floral patterns. She wore a silver necklace, which she recognized as the one Naruto gave her for her birthday, and it glowed in the pub's lighting.

Releasing Naruto's head, she smiled, "Thank you, Hinata. This is really sweet of you."

Hinata said quietly, "It's nothing really compared to what you did."

Vaguely recalling Hinata's birthday, she smiled. I remember that party. Wild.

"Sakura, shouldn't you be thanking someone else by now?"

"I'm surprised, Kakashi, that you're even on time." Sakura turned around laughing her eyes glittering at her old sensei.

Everyone laughed pointedly at Kakashi, who rubbed his head claiming it was because he finished the latest Icha Icha Paradise book. She laughed harder and hugged him. She began to mingle with her teammates and traveled around the room thanking everyone. She exchanged soft 'hellos' to those who she was less acquainted with and hugs with those she was.

Sakura laughed when Kiba announced that the drinks are on Naruto's tab and she pointed out to Hinata how Naruto's face grew pale and he hurried over to shut Kiba up. Hinata giggled behind her hand and turned to Sakura.

"You don't have a date tonight, do you?" She asked softly hoping to not evoke the wrath of Sakura.

Sakura blinked rapidly, surprised by the action. Hinata rarely talked to her so openly or boldly before. Not that she could blame the poor girl. Not only had Naruto crushed on her, but she did take on Tsunade's temper.

"Well, no. I guess not. I mean, I came here with Ino..."she glanced around trying to locate the lively girl and, once seeing her at the bar, she excused herself.

Ino was alone drinking a glass of what Sakura could only hope was good sake. Sakura pulled out a stool and sat herself by the lonesome girl and ordered sake. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could tell that Ino had been sitting there for awhile when she was mingling. There had been a few glasses around Ino that the bartender taken with a surprised look and she could tell Ino was pretty shocked to find herself a drinking partner when Sakura ordered a drink.

"Ino, why aren't you dancing or something? You usually are the social butterfly." Sakura asked leaning over toward Ino.

Ino snorted and drank a bit more of the liquid in her glass, "That Wind Witch is here and she's all over you know who."

Sakura thanked the bartender when he put her glass in front of her full of cool sake. She swiveled around in her chair and glanced out into the crowd. Quickly finding Temari, she saw that her hands were draped over Shikamura. She thought they were cute couple, but then thought again. Ino used to date Shikamura and when he realized that he loved Temari, he left Ino. Ino had been a disaster and Sakura had been the girl to pick up the pieces.

"Every heard that song by Jimmy Soul?" Sakura asked glancing at Ino out of the corner of her eye.

Ino furrowed her brow and she looked to be thinking. After a moment of silence she asked what song.

"If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife. Get an ugly girl to marry you." Sakura said over the rim of her glass.

Ino choked on her sake and spit it out immediately across the bar. The bartender gave her a disgusted look and began to clean the mess. Sakura outright laughed and Ino turned surprised eyes to the pink haired kunoichi. She smacked Sakura's arm and Sakura almost choked on her sake laughing.

After awhile and the mess was cleaned, Ino turned to her grinning, "Thanks Forehead. I knew you would make my day."

Snorting, Sakura said, "Oh don't get me wrong, Temari is pretty. I just said it to make you laugh."

Ino, faking hurt, put her hand to her heart and opened her mouth to the shape of an 'O'. Sakura taking the chance said, "I'm sure the boys get that face a lot. Next thing you know, they'll be lining up."

Ino laughed, dropped her hands and put her new glass of sake on the bar and huffed, "I'm not some whore."

"Sure, Ino-Pig, sure."

The two laughed and pledged to go drinking more often.

Sakura let her eyes roam over the crowd. Many people were downing their drinks or grinding on the small dance floor to some Western styled music. Quickly, she turned her head to the opposite side, where she seen Naruto approaching her. She smiled, my has he grown.

Or maybe it's just the sake.

He grinned and waved his hand as if to tell her to come over. She put her glass down and turned to Ino, "I'll be right back. Bonehead wants me."

"I'm sure he does," Ino said slurring a little.

Sakura shook her head and got up slowly. Sure, she had enhanced the speed of her liver's processing of the alcohol, but she did drink a lot. She didn't want to have a spill on the floor, especially with a slit that high on her thigh.

She glided over to Naruto, who, through a bit blurry eyes, seemed to be watching her closely as if he was studying her. Maybe she had too much alcohol and she should lay off it for the rest of the night. She looked past him to the two men behind him. Neji was trying to calm a wild Lee who was holding a glass of spilling sake. Tenten had grabbed Lee and held him steady as Neji pushed his fingers into one of Lee's pressure points. The boy settled down immediately and turned slack in Tenten's arms. She mouthed something to Neji, who nodded, and dragged Lee off toward the exit.

Probably to take him home, she thought pushing her way through the crowd toward Naruto.

Finally reaching him, she smiled up at the blonde.

"Hey, Dobe. What's up?" she asked waving her hand in the air.

He shook his head slowly and then, after what she presumed clearing his mind, smiled down at her.

"It's your birthday and well…" he paused scanning the crowd.

She shook her head as to gesture him to continue on and when he didn't catch onto the idea, she said, "And well…?"

Naruto glanced down at the floor for a moment and decided to look back at her face. She furrowed her brow. She watched as he concentrated on her face and how his eyes seemed to darken. Some sort of emotion crossed his eyes, but it was too quick for her to catch. He studied her a bit, and after awhile, reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.

Her breath hitched. Oh no, no, no, no. Naruto don't do this to Hinata. Don't do it.

He let the box rest in his hand and he studied it for awhile. Then he smiled down at her. He grabbed her hand and put the black velvet box in her hand. He patted it awkwardly and smiled scanning the crowd again.

"This is your birthday gift, Sakura. Take good care of it." With that, he spun around and wandered into the crowd before she could stop him.

Standing there awkwardly, she didn't know what to do. She wanted to stop him and drag him back by his hair. But curiosity got the better of her as she opened the box. On the inside was silver heart shaped locket. She pulled it out and let the chain glide out before palming it.

She opened the locket slowly and she gasped. On the inside there were too small cut out pictures. On the left side, was the old Team 7 with Sasuke looking irritably at the camera and Kakashi behind them with a crinkled eye. Naruto smiled sheepishly and she looked so...so…naïve. On the right side was the new Team. Sai stood next to Sakura on the left and Naruto stood on the right side of her. Yamato was standing behind them looking rather strangely relaxed.

She smiled down at the locket. This had to be the best thing she ever received, well, besides her status as a Special Junín.

Steadily, she made her way back to her awaiting companion with a brief smile.

--

"You s-s-see h-here! Look at that…b-body!"

Sakura stared out into the growing crowd and tried to find the man Ino was talking about. Even though she had speed up her metabolism awhile ago, she felt the buzz of her alcoholic drink and found herself quite loosened up, so as she quickly followed Ino's gaze, she noted that Neji was in her sights. Over the rim of her glass, she let her eyes wander.

He wore his typical Junín uniform, with his forehead protector firmly in place. In his hands, she studied his half full, or half empty as some say, cup of alcohol. And from there things seemed to become more interesting for her. She studied the obviously awkward shinobi as he stood rigid in place on the dance floor next to some strange unknown girl who obviously was flirting horribly from what she could see.

And as Sakura pulled the glass from her face, she studied more than just the situation. She felt her body clench as she chiseled his lean, but firm looking body, the way his long brown tied back hair fell around his face, the way his lavender eyes watched precariously, how his tall frame made him an easy target for her eyes, straight into her mind.

The lights sure do make him…so delicious looking.

With that thought in mind, she placed her glass down on the bar and murmured a small excuse to her already plastered friend, edged of the seat of her chair, which she gripped to avoided toppling over, and pushed her body forward through the crowd. Oh, Sakura knew that Tenten was going to be in some jealous rage when she seen the way she had looked at this fine specimen, but she didn't care. The alcohol was flowing through her veins and this man couldn't look anymore sinful.

Sakura had pushed through a couple that had been going at it as if they were the last living people on some deserted island in the middle of a hot, steamy jungle and scowled as the blonde civilian, she presumed seeing as the girl has no sense of coordination or perhaps it was the way her body screamed lazy. The girl was fit, but not in the way all shinobi were with lean muscles that were firm and commending. This girl probably barely lifted a finger in her whole life.

"And, like, he was a total douche bag. Like, I can't believe-"

"Neji-kun, you look absolutely wonderful. I must say those missions Tsunade-sama had been putting you on were well suited for you." Sakura slowly blinked up at Neji.

For a moment, he looked almost startled and a bit surprised. His eyes widened briefly, but he calmed his facial expression. His senses had to have been dulled for him not to see her coming, perhaps from the alcohol he had had. He looked down and, with a small upturn of his lips, nodded his head.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama has been gracious with her choices of missions for me. But it seems that she is more favorable to you, Sakura-chan." Sakura dropped her gaze from his eyes to his lips, and watched as he pronounced even syllable almost slowly. She became mesmerized by the way his lips formed her name, at what she perceived as a slower rate, and suppressed a shudder of pleasure.

The blonde, feeling left out, shook her head and went to go put herself between Sakura and Neji, but Neji would have none of it. He turned his back away from the woman and, with his free arm, gently led Sakura through the crowd deeper into the throng of warm bodies. Sakura followed his gentle directions and found herself in the middle of the dance floor. Her lower back tingled where his large hand rested comfortably above her butt. Then, when he stopped moving, he turned her towards him and she found herself face to chest with the strikingly tall man.

Having to tilt her head, she gazed up through her eyelashes at his porcelain face. He appeared to be an angel of sorts with his hair framing his face, his lavender eyes gleaming down at her with such intent she thought he could see her soul. And in her mind, she knew that he probably could.

She looked on and kept her eyes locked on his. Neji took his glass of alcohol and shoved it out to the side, and from what she could tell out of her peripheral vision, a man intimidated by the sheer presence of Neji took the glass hesitantly almost scared by the shinobi. Once the glass was out of his way, Neji shifted his body toward hers as to give her his full undivided attention.

"I appreciate your generosity for she was not that of which I prefer." He said, his voice carrying softly over the music to her ears.

She shivered, something she didn't want to get used to, but she rather enjoyed the way his body heat sent warm pleasures down her into her lower abdomen.

"Tenten wouldn't be too happy if she came back to see that thing all over you." Sakura said with a small shrug, but when he drew closer leaning his head down to her ear, she suppressed a shudder. She swore he had felt it when he chuckled softly.

"I believe you had an alternative motive. Remember, we shinobi were taught to read the hidden meanings within the hidden meanings." Neji's hot breath caressed her ear and she shuddered, "Tell me, and were you happy to have her 'all over me'?"

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, anything, but when nothing came from her lips she took a shaky breath. He chuckled again and pulled away far enough to look down at her. He cocked his head to the side with a small upturn of his lips and using nimble fingers pushed her lower jaw back into a closed position. She felt heat rise to her cheeks and she rapidly blinked. This alcohol sure does strange things. His smile had to be the most amazingly gorgeous thing she's ever seen and she engraved the image in her drunken mind for safe keeping.

"At a loss of words, I see." Neji leaned forward, his eyes half closed and whispered his hot breath fanning across her own slightly parted lips, "Just the way I prefer to keep you."

With all else, she couldn't believe what happened. His soft lips carefully pressed into her supple ones. They were hot, gentle and seeking. She moaned softly into his lips and leaned her body into his. He pushed harder this time seeking to encompass her body into his much larger one. She shuddered. She felt suffocated in his warmth but loved it all in all as she wrapped her arms around his lean frame. She parted her lips in synch with his and cautiously probed his mouth. She swirled her tongue around his and she felt him shiver against her.

Feeling bolder, she ground her hips into his and moaned on contact. He ground back viciously. As all thoughts were being pushed aside, she thought one last sane thought. Dear God, someone save me, and she attacked back with such a force she felt his chest rumble with a groan of dire need.

"Sakura, I think it would be wise to stop before Naruto sees you eating Neji-san's face."

She jerked back from Neji and bit back a whimper. She twisted around in Neji's arms to stare at the infamous mask of her old sensei, Kakashi who was reading Icha Icha Paradise, the latest edition to the series. She snorted and turned her head up to stare at the blank face of Neji, who almost reluctantly released her.

I guess I got my wish. Damn you, Kakashi, it was starting to get fun!

"Sakura-san, I thank you for helping me. I shall find you later." And with that the man of the Hyuga clan left with a swirl of his clothes and sheer power.

Back to the formalities, she thought. Sakura watched with disdain and sighed. Turning back to her sensei, who peered at her over the addictive book he was reading, and sheepishly scratched his head. She narrowed her eyes dangerously at him, wishing that he would catch her hidden meaning of her potentially pummeling him to the ground, and clenched a fist.

"Now, now Sakura, trust me on this one. Naruto will be more than upset if he seen that display of affection." He waved his hand in front of him to demonstrate his good will and Sakura just sighed again.

"I know, I know. Thanks anyways. "Sakura turned her gaze away from him and went to spin on her heels to march back over to the bar for a good drink.

"Besides, you should take a hint from these inspirational books." Kakashi said waving his Make-Out Tactics book in the air.

She turned to him, eyes ablaze, with a closed fist and swung her arm out to strike him, but as her fist connected with his chin, he dispersed into a cloud of hazy smoke. She growled low. I must be more drunk than I think I am.

Sakura, mumbling low under her breath about how stupid and idiotic a porno addict is, had spun on her heel and stepped right into a solid wall. She felt her body falling and she reached out to grab whatever she could. When her hand couldn't grasp anything, she closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact of the floor and her back. When none such thing happened, she flung open her eyes and stared intently at Kiba's face.

"Whoa there, take it easy."

Kiba pulled her up and steadied her as she wobbled on her feet. She opened her mouth and, still feeling dizzy, closed it again. Kiba laughed abruptly and she narrowed her eyes at him. Prepared to give him a horrible tongue lashing, she stepped into him again; she hadn't paid enough attention to realize that he pulled her to him, and growled up at him.

"Listen here, dog breath, don't you dare laugh at me! You dirty son of a-"

Kiba put his hand in front of her mouth grinning like a fool. "I just saved your ass of making a fool out of yourself. Be nice and cool your temper. Here, let's go get a couple of drinks at the bar."

Sakura huffed and went to chew him out when he pulled his hand away, but he put his hand back up in warning, "Let's make it better, my treat."

She snarled and drew her arms up and crossed them. She tapped her foot and glared at him. His brown eyes gleamed from behind his brown shaggy hair, and swiftly he grabbed her hand and tugged her back through the crowd to the bar.

Arriving sooner than she thought, seeing as they had to wiggle through the gyrating crowd, she glanced around for her friend. Taking her silent hint, Kiba said, "Ino was taken home by Choji. He said he didn't want some diseased infested man taking advantage of her. Of course he says that after I tell him to."

Sakura smiled up at the dog boy. No, man. She never thought that he would ever give someone else advice on women being as he ran through them like a knife through butter. She shook her head, laughing silently at him. He looked down at her in surprise and shook her hand a bit to get her attention.

"What's so funny? Hey! Don't ignore me! Tell me, now!"

Sakura laughed harder at his desperation leaning against the bar. He snorted and moved to sit in the bar stool. Taking his note, she did the same settling down to a chuckle.

"Nothing really. I just didn't think you were that smooth with a girl enough to give some real advice." Sakura snickered again at Kiba's disgusted look, "Come on. It's so well known about your addiction to sex that it puts Kakashi's addiction to that perverted book to shame."

"Yeah, well what about Tsunade's addiction to sake?" He growled holding his hand up for the bartender.

"Please, at least hers is slightly healthier. She just speeds up her metabolism to keep the alcohol from really distracting her from her work. Plus, she doesn't have to worry about contracting an STD." Sakura spat growing red in the face from anger.

He waved his hand in the air as if dismissing her and said, "But I don't have to deal with two addicts. You probably learned from them!"

"I learned enough to know better!" Sakura hissed through clenched teeth.

"How can I help you two?"The bartender asked wiping out a cup with a clean rag.

"Two vodkas would be great. One of them on the rocks, and the other straight up." Kiba said sternly.

"Vodka? What the hell are you paying for?"Sakura huffed turning her body toward Kiba's.

"Some Westerners came up with some great tastes. It's better than that sake." He alleged grasping the glass the bartender filled up and sliding it over to her, "Don't tell me such a great, brave kunoichi like you can't be strong enough to handle a small drink."

She obliged angrily taking the drink and gulped it down and coughed a little as the liquid burned down her throat. He patted her back and her coughs settled down.

"I told you they had strong drinks!" He laughed staring pointedly at her.

She glared and wiped her chin where some liquid dribbled down, "You never said that! You said they had great tastes!"

His grin fell to a frown and he furrowed his brows. He cocked his head to the side and bit the inside of his cheek. The stripes on his cheeks dripped down to his chin and gleamed in the dim light. His hair fell to the side framing in face.

She gulped down some more of this so called vodka. Gosh, since when did I notice how hot he looks? Damn alcohol. As the vodka burned her throat, she began to take sneaky glances at the muscular body Kiba worked.

His black jacket was unzipped and parted revealing a chiseled chest that glimmered with a light sheen of sweat. As his muscles rippled when he straightened his posture, she noted how the parted jacket gave the allusion that he was confident. Of course, her thoughts trailed to how he probably was comfortable in his skin and how he wanted people, mostly the ladies, to notice. Then she thought of how all the girls practically swooned over him.

I have a lot of handsome men in my generation, then with a precise thought, And in the shinobi ranks. Look at Genma and Kakashi! Even Iruka!

Kiba suddenly grinned and moved closer, his whole body leaning toward her, "Well, it is still good."

Sakura pulled the cup back to her lips and leered at him over the rim. He blinked and, with a twitch of his keen nose, sniffed the air. He zeroed in on her and she pulled the glass away to lick her unexpectedly dry lips. She grew hot as she gaped at him and the obvious appreciation for her pink tongue. She smirked at him, happy that even if Neji left, she still had some nice entertainment for the night.

"A lot of things are good." She whispered huskily.

Hook, line and sinker, she thought as he leaned in further to listen to her. Kiba swept his gaze up her face and studied her eyes and as his darkened, she cocked her head up and to the side slightly. He parted his own lips and reached for her glass of vodka. She squeaked as his large hand covered hers and he slowly slipped the glass from her grasp, placing the cup of alcohol on the bar.

"And what else is good?"Kiba whispered drawing her glass further away from her.

She caught her breath staring at his dark brown eyes and thought, God damn, either this man is going to kill me or the alcohol is. Sakura did the next best thing to distract herself from his dark, enchanting, enticing- she ran her hand through her hair and pulled it out of her face thinking of an amazing come back.

"For example, the way the human body reacts to certain presences." She said feeling quite confident where the conversation was leading.

"And how does it react?" He whispered.

" If the human smells something good, it is curious as to what causes it and seeks to fulfill its hunger," Sakura let her hand drop slowly and blinked just as slow.

"If the human tastes something, they decide if they want more or less of the substance to sustain life," she leaned in further and ran her arms down her legs to her knees and leaned in more intently, "If the human hears something, it tends to quiet to focus on the source of the noise."

Gradually lowering her voice, she said, "If the human sees something it determines whether or not it is a challenge. If the human feels something…that goes in many directions."

Kiba grinned excitedly, "If the feeling is bad?"

"Then, it reacts to remove the source of pain or such." Sakura said gazing up at him through her lashes. I so got him.

"And if it's good?" He asked putting his arm on the side of the bar drawing himself to her.

Sakura whispered dangerously close to his lips, "Then, it seeks to further its excitement and pleasure."

She felt, rather than saw, Kiba thread his hand into her pink tresses and pull her in as his lips crashed on to hers. Unlike the kiss with Neji, where he was more challenging, Kiba was feral and all about dominance. He nipped her bottom lip with his canines and she moaned into his lips. Prepared to fight back, she clenched one fist in the jacket and the other found its way into his jacket. Her hand met warm skin and she traced his pectoral muscle with her finger tips. He continued to push his lips into hers and she fought back.

Abruptly, he pulled back a little and growled, the vibrations running up her fingers through her body into her chest and she groaned. He pulled her head to him once again and said into her lips, "Don't fight me."

Sakura panted heavily breathing in his scent of sandalwood and sweat. She gazed up into his eyes and tried to steady her breathing enough to think of a better comeback than 'yeah right and I'm not the apprentice to the Hokage'. Of course with her thoughts all jumbled like a mixed fruit salad, she couldn't think of much besides his large body pressed into her smaller one and his warm breath fanning across her face.

He smirked, or so she could tell from the way his cheeks pressed up into his eyes, and she hissed again low in her throat. His smirk fell and he growled with such a deep rumble she thought of a vibrator, guaranteed her body craved a very primal version of sex and her mind was hazy with the affects of alcohol.

But as her temper began to flare to life, she too tried to growl menacingly, "I'll do whatever the fuck I want. Even if it means beating the shit out of you or anyone else."

Kiba narrowed his eyes at her and he slightly tugged at her hair, "Is that a challenge?"

"You bet it is, dog breath." Sakura dug her nails daintily into his skin and his jacket until small trickles of blood swept down his chest.

He snarled and pulled her in for another mind rattling kiss. She responded with such force that he clung to her. Sakura gasped as his sharp canines bit down to harshly on her bottom lip and he took advantage of it. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and probed non-too-gently. She grew angry and she felt her blood turn boiling hot and she knew it wasn't from desire. She bit down harshly on his tongue enough to where she drew blood.

Squealing, Kiba drew back, his tongue practically dangling from his mouth, or so her drunken mind exaggerated. Her inner mind cheered on vaguely in the back on her mind and she relished the moment, but when he looked up at her dangerously, she felt her blood turn cold.

"Kiba! What the hell are you doing to her?" Naruto came running up to the pair and Sakura felt relief.

"Naruto, get this flea-bag away from me!" Sakura screeched trying desperately to get Kiba's hand out of her hair, where he continued to grip harshly.

Kiba's head shot up so fast, Sakura felt dizzy for a moment. And when she felt her hair being tugged, she shot her hands up onto his face and scratched with everything she had. Guaranteed that wasn't the brightest idea out there, she was drunk and so was he.

--

"Naruto, I promise you, I'm fine. I was drunk and so was he. It was all just a big accident and if you don't get the hell out of my bedroom, I will launch my new alarm clock at your pea sized brain!"

Naruto waved unceremoniously at Sakura and quickly left her room. Sakura huffed running her hand through her hair. It had only been days since her birthday and she sighed. Getting drunk with Ino, kissing Neji, and then kissing Kiba…it really just seemed like a dream. But she knew it wasn't. After Naruto finally got Kiba to release her, she had to go and make a bet with dog breath.

Kiba released her and she flung herself into Naruto. Naruto looked between the two at a loss of words. Sakura hissed and dug her nails into Naruto's orange and black jacket. Kiba sat there quietly raising his hands to his face. He touched the blood running down his face and drew his blood covered fingers into his mouth.

Sakura hissed again and in her drunken stupor said, "Stupid mutt, you couldn't handle a challenge if your life depended on it."

Kiba looked up and his eyes glinted in the pub's poor lighting. Naruto grabbed Sakura's hand and put used his other hand to hold her bleeding scalp. In her brief struggle with Kiba, his claws grew out and while she pulled away, he scraped her scalp.

"Want to bet on that?" Kiba said slowly.

"Oh, you bet I will." Sakura held onto Naruto's arm and flung the dirties look at the growing crowd of onlookers.

"And so let the audience be witness to our agreement. I bet that I can get you to have sex with me within the next three weeks, excluding mission time." Kiba said standing from the stool and turning to the group of shinobi around Sakura.

She felt her blood boil and she clenched her fists.

Naruto tried to stop her, but she had none of it and she had accepted. She healed her scalp, but due to her killer head ache she had down so rather poorly. Now here she was with a small infection and she had had chakra depletion. She carefully touched her scalp and ran cool fingertips over heated flesh. She hissed in pain and drew away.

Naruto had to have done the worse job of bandaging she's ever seen. A two year old could have done better! But he did try his best to take care of her and he had insisted that she didn't use all her chakra, even if she had recovered her chakra.

Naruto, thank you so much, she thought.

Pushing herself back down into the sheets of her bed, she unraveled the bandages and called her chakra forth into her hand. Carefully so, she ran her hand glowing green with her chakra over the wounds and they healed precisely.

She smiled up at her ceiling for a moment and thought of nothing better than that of tasting to different men of different caliber, and inviting them into a life she was still living.

--

A.N.: Well, this is the end of Invitations. But this also is a new beginning to A Shift in Balance. If you've carefully noted, Sakura is rather well off even though she's drunk. I, myself, don't feel that Sakura would be a messy drunk or that she even really is seen as a drinker. Though she does have Tsunade as a mentor…but that is just something that Sakura would learn from. This was purely just for fun and it was mentioned in chapter one of A Shift in Balance, so I thought this would be a great way to get popularity for that story.

I will be starting to write chapter 3 for that one soon, rather soon, and I hope you enjoyed this one-shot. If you want maybe, a continuation of sorts outside of my other story just let me know.

Now everyone knows how much I love reviews! Please, leave me some sort of information about your opinions or something else you wanted me to note.

Happy readings!