I do not own Naruto nor make any profit from it.

AN: Won't keep you waiting any longer. Enjoy!

Chapter Ten

"Sakura," Uzumaki Naruto barreled between tents and past people all the while yelling at the top of his lungs, "Sakura-chaaan! I know you're in there, Sakura." He stopped in front of the first aid tent and paced in front of the tent like a waiting tiger, occasionally looking around the sides to check for anyone sneaking through the shadows.

"Ah hell," said Shikamaru as he, Ino, and Chouji came running after Naruto's trail only to skid to a halt when they saw the idiot ranting and raving outside Sakura's tent.

Chouji slapped a hand on his forehead and groaned, "Oooh, he's pitching a major shit fit. This can't end good."

"I told you not to say anything to him. He doesn't need this kind of distraction," Shikamaru growled at Ino, who could only stand there and bite her nails to the nub.

"I didn't think he'd react like that," whined Ino.

Shino flickered from his guarding post and appeared next to Team Ten, "This would not be the best time for Naruto to see Sakura."

"Oi, Shino! Why is Uzumaki prowling and growling around that first aid station," To Team Ten's dismay, Kiba, Hinata, and Akamaru came strolling from between tents. Then Kiba stopped, lifted his nose and carefully sniffed the air. A nasty sneer grew on his face and nudged a confused Hinata with one elbow, "Looks like you don't have to worry about competition anymore."

"Someone has to stop him. He's attracting a crowd," muttered Ino. She looked at the circle of people gathering around them, "At least Lee isn't here. That last thing we want is two jealous lunatics creating a mess."

"No such luck, Yamanaka," said Neji as he, Tenten, and Rock Lee emerged from the crowd, "That loudmouth made a huge ruckus on his way through camp and he woke up a lot of people."

"Us included," Kakashi and Gai came limping to the group with a few curious nurses in tow.

Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi came running up to the tent while still in their pajamas.

Konohamaru rubbed his eyes twice with his fists to make sure he wasn't dreaming, "What? What happened? Hey, Naruto-niisan is here."

Udon sniffed and wiped his nose with one sleeve, "But why?"

Shikamaru threw his arms up in defeat, "And it has officially gotten worse! Thanks Ino."

Karin felt all the people gathering because of the shouting jinchurriki for the Nine-tails and more coming to their little tent. With a sweatdrop falling, the redhead warned Sakura, "We better get out there and shut his big mouth before any of more show up."

Sakura wanted to die. The embarrassment of all their friends witnessing this was horrendous. She twisted and turned the bottom of her red shirt as she tried to think a way out, "This was not exactly how I envisioned breaking the news to my friends."

"Doesn't look like we have a choice," Karin lifted the tent flap and waved her girlfriend through, "After you, sweetheart."

They emerged from the first aid tent with Karin wearing the blue shirt like a short tunic, but without her matching uniform pants. She pulled down on the front tails of the shirt to keep as much of her legs covered.

A sneering Kiba cupped a hand to his mouth and yelled, "Killer gams, Karin!"

The redhead frowned and glared in his direction, "Wanna test that theory?" That shut him up fast.

Naruto didn't bother with the redheaded medic. He only had eyes for Sakura as she stood before him and fiddled nervously, "So? Is it true?"

The two kunoichi glanced at one another and blathered randomly. "What's true? No idea what you're talking about. Can't believe every little bit of gossip out there."

Naruto held up a hand, "Don't give me that bullshit. My clone told me you have a new lover! Don't bother hiding it." He pounded a fist into an open palm, "What's his name? Who would dare touch my Sakura-chan? I'll beat his ass into the ground!"

Shocked that the idiot couldn't put two and two together, Karin lifted an eyebrow and put both hands on her hips, "His?" Several snickers started to drift among the onlookers.

"Gai-sensei," A very confused and innocent Rock Lee looked to his mentor for guidance. After Gai whispered an explanation to his student, Lee's mouth dropped to the ground then he bowled backwards in a flood of blood that spurted from his nose.

Further into the crowd, Kankuro's shoulders were shaking from laughter as Omoi shook his head in disbelief at how the great hero Uzumaki was that dense.

"Did your clone say anything about this," Sakura put up air quotes, "New lover of mine?"

Naruto crossed his arms and scratched one temple, "No, wouldn't tell me anything about him. Just kept laughing until he disappeared into my mind. I hate it when they do that to me. It was very uncool."

"Interesting," Kakashi rubbed his chin in amusement, "So on some level, he knows the truth."

"But blocking it at the same time," added Gai, "I guess there's just some things that Naruto must hold on to."

Shino muttered to the others, "This is a highly personal matter and might be very embarrassing for Haruno-san. Perhaps we should break up this gathering."

"Good point, Shino," Kakashi raised his voice and clapped his hands to catch everyone's attention, "Alright all, there's nothing to see here. Time to move on. Get some sleep, people." Team Ten and Eight also shooed away as many onlookers as possible. Those not from Konoha or unfamiliar with the people involved were easily dispersed, but Kankuro and a few others were unmovable.

The Sand puppet-master shook his head and sported a nasty grin, "Hell no, I'm not going anywhere. This is the best entertainment to hit the camp in forever."

"Hey look, everyone else is going to bed," Sakura cupped a hand to her mouth and whispered loudly, "It's awfully late, Naruto. Perhaps we can continue this conversation in the morning."

But he ignored her and continued to rant, "I'm too wound up to sleep. I need to know the truth. I had been hearing stuff through the grapevine then Yamanaka confirmed it..."

"Ino-chan," mumbled Sakura and she gave her best friend the evil eye. Ino smiled and tried to give Sakura a friendly hug, but was met with a threatening fist. The blond gulped then ran to hide behind Chouji.

"Now there's someone else besides Sasuke who I have to fight for Sakura's heart. Like I don't have enough bad guys to pummel. I'm on a tight schedule as is and now I have to deal with some jackass stepping on my territory. Tell the jerk to get his ass over here. I demand to see him," Naruto peered over Karin's head and shouted, "Alright, get out here already! Only a coward hides behind girls!"

Tired of being talked over and ignored, Karin threw both arms up and yelled, "It's me, you numbskull! I am the one dating Sakura."

All eyes turned on Sakura for confirmation. She let out a tired sigh, smiled, and shrugged. "It's true," She wrapped a loving arm around Karin's waist, "We're together."

There was a collective gasp from those not in the know then everyone stared at Uzumaki as his brain tried assimilating the information. For a minute, Naruto couldn't say a word. His left eye twitched as his finger swung back and forth from Karin to Sakura then returning to Karin.

Karin stepped into Naruto's personal space until she was nose to nose with him and made him rear back, "Is there a problem?" She held her ground and gave him her best evil eye that had most prisoners fearing for their lives.

He drew himself to his full height and frowned deeply, "I have only one thing to say!"

Sakura had an idea where that statement would lead and tried to warn Karin, "Don't..."

But Karin fell for the bait. She narrowed her red eyes and ventured, "And that would be?"

Naruto fell to his knees and begged, "Can I watch?"

Hinata squeaked in shock and despair. Then she ran away from her worst nightmare, sobbing her poor eyes out. Shino's head dropped forward and he sighed deeply from underneath his hood, "He just couldn't keep it to himself." Then Shino followed after his teammate to make sure she didn't do anything drastic.

"BAKAAA! You hurt Hinata-chan's feelings!" Pissed off yet again at her teammate's stupidity, Sakura grabbed Naruto by the collar then hit him with a sucker punch. He went flying backwards as blood and spit trickled after him.

"Karin," Sakura jerked her head towards Naruto.

Reading her girlfriend's mind, Karin flickered to the other side and caught him in the stomach with a power kick, sending Naruto back into Sakura's waiting fist which sent him flying again.

Kiba calmly scratched Akamaru behind the ear as he and everyone's heads followed Uzumaki's form flying back and forth through the air several times, "Ping Pong Naruto. I can get into this."

Sakura was the one who caught Naruto by the shirt collar and shook him like a rag doll as she always did when highly irritated with her teammate, "Had enough?"

"Hai," Naruto tried to nod through the pain.

She turned him around to face everyone else, "Now you've got a lot of apologizing to do. Starting with Karin-chan."

"I am very sorry if I offended you, Karin and you too, Sakura," Naruto mumbled through a fat lip. His eyes were still swollen shut so Naruto didn't notice Hinata's cautious return, "If you need any volunteers for sperm donors, I'd be happy to oblige."

Hinata burst into tears again then ran back for her tent. There was a collective groan from everyone as Shino tapped Kiba on the shoulder, "Tag."

"Yeah, yeah," Kiba slogged after Hinata with Akamaru in tow.

Sai picked up Naruto and slung the bruised shinobi over one shoulder, "I should go see if any of the medics have spare time for Naruto. But chances are, he'll be back to normal tomorrow. Rest well, everyone. Another day of war ahead of us." He lifted one hand in farewell as he walked away with his teammate.

"And on that note we will end the evening," Sakura nervously rocked back and forth on her toes as her comrades stood where they were, "I bid you a good night?"

Karin rolled her red eyes then stuck out her thumb, "Meaning show's over. Fuck Off already."

Tenten chuckled as she stood beside Neji, "She's forceful. I like her." That final demand got the rest of them to wish the kunoichi well and leave for the night.

Karin drew back the tent flap for Sakura, "Shall we?"

"Thank you," said Sakura cheerfully as she ducked into the first aid tent. They cleaned the tent properly and readied for bed. This time they were a lot less nervous about keeping their voices down, now that their relationship was no longer a secret.

With Sakura lying on her side and Karin behind her, the two kunoichi snuggled together on a single cot and they enjoyed the quiet until Sakura piped up.

"Can I ask you question?"

"Fire away."

Sakura turned over to face Karin, "Earlier, you called Naruto 'Sunshine'. Twice, I think. Why?"

Karin grinned at what should be the simplest thing anyone who ever met the guy should know, "It's his chakra. He has a warm and infectious feeling that gives off good vibes."

"Like sunshine," finished Sakura, "Okay, I get it now. I find it surprising that you would find his chakra in such a positive light."

Karin hummed then laid back on the pillow, "Oh I found the biijou chakra too. I had to dig deep down, but it's there. Nasty piece of work that Nine-Tails, but from what I understand about jinchurriki, they usually don't have a choice about the matter."

"No," Sakura looked down and murmured sadly, "Unfortunately, they don't."

"Hey, don't bother getting weepy over it," Karin lifted Sakura's chin with a finger, "He is a lucky guy to have you for a friend... despite you beating the crap out of him."

Sakura laughed and waved a hand, "Bah, happens all the time. He bounces back fast."

Karin chuckled with her, "I bet he does. You know the idiot did have a point earlier."

"A threesome with Naruto? Are you nuts?"

"Not that," said Karin then she blushed slightly, "I mean about a...sperm donor. If in the future, we might want some kids. So we'll need help in that department."

"Oh," Sakura slowly sat up, surprised at the very thought of starting a family with Karin, "OH! I never thought that far ahead really."

Karin nodded and rested her chin on one hand, "Yeah, same here. Life of a shinobi is usually short, but should we get to that phase, who would you suggest? Aside from...you know, him." They shared an unspoken understanding that while Sasuke would always be tops on their list, chances of his survival through the war was slim.

Sakura winced as alternates' names and faces scrolled through her mind.

Inner Sakura was already rolling out a long checklist, 'Hey, There's Neji. Nope, Tenten would freak. Kiba? He's unattached and plenty of energy to keep up with a kid. Shino? He's pretty patient. Sai? Er, forget I said Sai. Mind you, Haruno and Nara would come up with one wicked smart kid.'

Sakura ventured, "There's Shika or Chouji. They're both future heads of their clans and fairly nice guys. They would make great fathers."

Karin thought about it then shook her head, "Nah, clan heirs need clear cut marriages. We would complicate things."

"Well," Sakura tapped her bottom lip, "What about Rock Lee? He's nice, good with kids, lots of stamina, no clan to keep happy, and zero fangirls to scare off."

"You talkin' about the guy who nearly bled to death outside our tent."

Sakura giggled, "The one and same."

Karin squinted one red eye. She wasn't too sure about the bowl-cut, but hair is hair. It could be changed. She shrugged, "I dunno. He'll have to grow on me."

"He tends to do that," said Sakura happily.

…..

The sun had yet to peak over the mountains when Sakura woke up from only a few hours of rest. Tried as she might, she couldn't get back to sleep. There was a latent energy that made her feel excited for the new day. She decided to stop fighting it and listened in contentment to Karin sleep. The steady breaths and rhythmic rising of Karin's bosom fascinated Sakura as she lay next to the redhead.

On a whim, Sakura reached out to push the red strands from Karin's face. She followed the locks and continued to brush her fingers through the bright red hair splayed across the pillow.

Karin's red eyes cracked open, combed her own hand through Sakura's pink hair, then drew their lips together for a sweet morning kiss.

When they broke apart, Sakura grinned and pulled her girlfriend up from the cot, "Another beautiful day. We should get moving."

"Ugh," Karin grumbled as she shook the cobwebs from her head then sniffed the shirt she slept in, "How about we move in the direction of a shower?"

Sakura had already gathered towels and toiletries for each, "Already ahead of you. We need to hurry. The showers fill up fast."

When they reached the nearest set of showers, the two kunoichi peered down the makeshift hallway of curtained stalls and didn't see any available.

Sakura crossed her arms in a huff, "Damn. Only daybreak and still left in the dust." They heard a shower turn off and a towel disappear from a bar.

"You can go first," offered Sakura.

Karin sneered at her girlfriend's wasted chivalry, "You kidding?"

The curtain was drawn and an Iwa kunoichi stepped out. When she reached the end of the hall, she nodded an acknowledgment to the waiting girls and kept on walking. Karin grabbed Sakura by the wrist and dragged her into the only open stall. They stripped and stored their clothing in the bag along with their towels. Then they stashed the bag into the corner farthest from the shower head.

Sakura turned the spigot, quickly skipping out of the way from the freezing water, then stretching her hand in the stream until the temperature was tolerable. "That's as good as it'll get."

Sakura drew Karin with her into the stream of water, causing the red head to gasp from the cold droplets hitting bare skin.

"Why you little sneak," hissed Karin, but was shushed by Sakura as she pointed out the many people still occupying the stalls nearby.

They took turns dipping their heads into the shower and scrubbing the soap across their necks, then sliding the bubbling suds down the curves of their bodies. Facing the redhead, Sakura took the opportunity to run her hands along Karin's shoulders then down her ribs, soft hips, then up again to caress underneath Karin's bosom.

As her fingers trailed around and over Karin's breasts, Sakura watched Karin relish the feeling of her lover's touch and the excitement in her red eyes. Then she added the chakra to her fingertips which made Karin's lids grow heavy with lust. Sakura manipulated her chakra with more finesse and confidence than before. The last time they made love, Sakura noted the sensitive spots that made the redhead react and she decided to test every single one of them now... between her breasts, up and down the spine, the small of her back, even her bellybutton. As her nails scratched along Karin's skin, her other hand smoothed over the marks with soothing healing chakra. An amazing sensation that made Karin weak in the knees.

Then Sakura swung Karin around to make sure the redhead was in the water. She slowly kissed Karin's body all the way down until on one knee and slipped her fingers past Karin's vulva. Sakura opened the outter lips, slid her tongue between, and tickled the bundle of nerves that was already swollen.

The sensations of running water over her tingling nipples and Sakura's tongue swirling between her legs were pure deliciousness. When Sakura added a finger which prodded and curled against her walls, Karin had to bite on a finger to keep her voice from getting too loud. Luckily the showers were loud enough to cover her accidental moans. Spurred by Sakura's hand, mouth, and the excitement of being caught, Karin found herself having an intense orgasm underneath a shower of cold water.

Sakura caught the redhead before she collapsed to the floor, "Whoops, can't have you passed out around here. People will talk."

Karin replied, "Like I give a flying fuck."

"You mean a wet one," corrected Sakura. The two burst into snickers which caught the attention of whoever just passed by them.

They covered their mouths with both hands and held their breath. The kunoichi prayed that whoever heard them kept on walking. Instead, the person turned around.

The footsteps stopped in front of their stall and a stern voice from Sakura's past pierced the flimsy curtain, "Haruno Sakura?" It was her old Ikebana sensei from the academy days.

Sakura poked her head from behind the curtain and trilled, "Ohayo, Suzume-san." The woman hadn't changed a bit, straight-laced and serious.

"You know the rules, Haruno," Light glinted off Suzume's glasses as she glowered at Sakura, "There better not be someone in there with you."

Sakura felt a bead of sweat form on her brow, "No, ma'am. There's no guy in here with me."

Suzume narrowed her eyes at the girl, "Alright carry on, but hurry. This is war, not a resort. It's important to conserve our resources."

"Yes, ma'am." Sakura pulled her head back inside and they waited for the footsteps to fade away, "That was close."

"And fun. Let's see if we can tempt fate again," Licking her lips, Karin pulled her wet hair back and twisted it into an impromptu bun. Then she embraced the pink-haired kunoichi from behind and her hands began roaming over Sakura's body.

Closing her eyes in pleasure, Sakura felt her heartbeat thump faster as Karin's soft lips brush against the pulse points of her neck.

Karin reached around Sakura's mid-section. She began cupping and massaging Sakura's nipples, increasing the pressure each time until her ministrations bordered on pain, but the pink-haired kunoichi only whimpered for more.

The soft scent of soap was followed by the taste of fresh clean skin as her lips trailed along her lover's neck. Sakura leaned her head backwards on Karin's shoulder to kiss the redhead, who complied. Their hunger grew as their kiss became longer and stronger.

Karin's left hand fondled Sakura's breast while the other hand roamed between the pink-haired kunoichi's thighs, rubbing the sensitive clit. Adding her own chakra to her hands, Karin intensified the friction, circling the clitoris faster and twisting the pink nipple faster until she felt Sakura's body shudder in her arms. Karin held the limp Sakura until she was able to stand on her own. Satiated and happy, they made sure to rinse every part of their bodies once more before getting properly dressed.

"Wait," whispered Karin and blocked Sakura from leaving the stall, "Someone's coming."

Sakura carefully peered out the curtain then reared backwards when she recognized Kankuro walking down the hall. He looked around for a free stall then stepped into the shower across from them. She looked at Karin and slowly counted down the seconds. The sound of a squeaky water spigot told them that the Sand nin was preoccupied.

Sakura nodded that it was safe. They tiptoed past the stall, where they heard Kankuro humming and gurgling under the water, then took off running for freedom. That was where they slammed into someone also running at top speed for an early morning shower.

"OOF!"

Sakura reached down to help the person up. "Sorry Lee, we didn't mean to bump you."

"Good morning," Lee glanced between them then at the one free stall, "Uh, Sakura-san, Karin-san, were you two sharing a shower?"

Sakura blushed and stuttered at being caught, "M-maybe." The two kunoichi shared a glance then burst into a fit of giggles. While they continued laughing, Sakura wrapped an arm around Karin's elbow and pulled her away. She knew they had to get out of there before they got into more trouble.

As she was dragged away, Karin looked Lee in the eye and held a finger to her lips, "Shhhh."

Lee cocked his head to one side in confusion then shrugged it off. He walked inside the hall and was about to enter the free shower before the pervy side of his brain caught up. His eyes popped open and he fell in a fountain of blood just as Kankuro came out of his stall.

"The fuck, man?! I just got out of the shower!"

….

Sakura spent most of the day in the surgery tents, running from one patient to the next, from administering poison antidotes to rushing organs for a dying shinobi. She didn't even have time to sit down for a proper lunch or dinner which made Karin worry.

The redhead paced in front of the first aid tent, waiting for some sign of Sakura coming out of the biggest tent in camp.

Konohamaru watched the kunoichi "You did a good job today, Karin-san. You can go for a walk if you want. We can handle these for now."

"A walk? By myself," Karin gaped and laid a hand on her chest, "Are you saying that you trust me?"

Konohamaru blushed then shook a finger at her, "Course not, just don't be gone too long or bad things will happen."

Karin shook her head in laughter as she walked away from the genin.

Once the redhead was outside, Udon asked Konohamaru, "What bad things will happen if she doesn't come back?"

"Like Sakura-neesan getting mad then tearing the place apart looking for her girlfriend," said Konohamaru with a shudder, "And that's a really bad kind of bad."

Karin knew that the genin assumed that she would be looking for Sakura. That would have to be later. There was something more important to take care of. She turned to the opposite direction of the surgery tents and headed for the mountainside.

As she strolled through the trees, Karin searched for any chakra around her then headed right for her Taka teammates. Suigetsu was the first to slide out from underneath a bush and after checking that she was alone, he signaled toward a grouping of trees. Juugo came out of hiding and trudged through the brush to meet them.

Juugo's eyes looked over Karin's blue uniform and asked, "You ready to go?"

She glanced at the ground then cleared her throat, "No, not really."

"What's the matter? Couldn't convince your girlfriend to run away with you?" Suigetsu snickered at the scowl on the redhead's face.

Karin narrowed her red eyes and hissed, "Fuck you, Suigetsu."

He grinned wide for his sharpened teeth to glint then wiggled his eyebrows, "Maybe next time and be sure to bring that sweet pink chick."

Karin grabbed Suigetsu by his cloak and growled in his face, "Couldn't you be polite for once in your life, Suigetsu? I'm trying to be serious."

Juugo was reaching the limit of his patience with their constant bickering. He really missed Sasuke's calming presence. A hint of bloodthirst tainted his voice when Juugo snapped at his teammate, "Shut your mouth for one minute, Suigetsu." Juugo backed up. He squeezed his eyes shut and after a few seconds, regained control over the violent nature fighting to get out.

Suigetsu became quiet under the other two's scrutiny then he shrugged, "Fine."

Juugo looked at the redhead, "Go ahead, Karin."

She took a moment to think before properly explaining herself to the two dunderheads, "Do you remember when Sasuke personally came to recruit each of us?"

They nodded.

"We had no leader, no long standing orders, nothing to give us any direction to get ourselves out of the hellholes where we were forgotten."

They glanced at each other then around at the scenery so they wouldn't have to look Karin in the eye.

"Sasuke gave us a purpose and a will to survive." Karin glanced back at the encampment where Sakura was working hard to save her comrades, "I have a new purpose."

Suigetsu furrowed his brow and followed Karin's gaze. He wondered what was it about the damn Leaf that changed people. "You sure about that?"

Karin sneered and flipped her long red hair with one hand, "At least for now. It's not like I'm staying with these losers forever."

"Nice try, Karin." Juugo gave the kunoichi a sad smile and began walking away, "But you're still a terrible liar."

Suigetsu ruffled the kunoichi's hair despite her protests, "At least we'll know where to find you, if we need you."

Juugo and Suigetsu left Karin behind with her 'Watching' them until she was sure they were at a safe distance.

Sighing in relief, Karin walked to the front of a tree that stood along the cliff. She sat down and made herself comfortable at the base of the trunk, "You know, the view is better from here, Hatake-san."

Completely recovered and decked out in full uniform, Kakashi walked out from behind the tree and stood next a relaxed Karin. "You really are good. Did you mean everything you said?"

"I don't like having to repeat myself, but yes. Mission accomplished, Hatake-san. I'm not going anywhere. Konoha has got me hooked."

A sweat-drop appeared behind Kakashi's head as he smoothly lied, "What mission?"

Karin raised a knowing eyebrow then shrugged, "I suppose we're beyond that now." She looked down at the panoramic view of shinobi from the major five nations and the samurai to boot... all of them working together for the greater good.

Taking in the awesome view, she breathed, "It is a beautiful sight from here."

Kakashi and Karin watch the sunset in quiet companionable silence until they noticed a certain pink-haired kunoichi, duck out of a large surgery tent. She pulled off her surgical mask and took in a breath of fresh air. They watched as she turned and strolled down the path to the edge of camp. She stopped at the beginning of the worn path with a slight look of worry in her stance.

Karin smiled as she watched Sakura rock back and forth on her toes.

"Hey," Kakashi pointed at the redhead, "That has to be the first time I've seen you with a real smile."

Karin's cheeks tinted pink before she turned her head away, "I smile."

"Mmmm, actually you sneer, smirk, or any expression that does the 'Bad ass bitch' attitude, but that there was an honest and," Kakashi chuckled, "Dare I say, a very sunny smile."

She adjusted her glasses and grumbled, "You talk too much."

"Like I've never been accused of that before," he replied sarcastically, "Anyways, we should go. She's waiting for you."

They stood from the log and dusted off their clothes. The two shinobi wandered their way down from the wooded precipice and as they drew closer to Sakura, the world got to see Karin's rare sunny smile again.

….

AN: And here is where I'll let your imagination take over. This story was only meant to last three maybe four chaps so I'm genuinely surprised it grew twice as long. If you're interested, there's a little sum-somethin' for the end of chapter nine. Now it's time for me to switch to For The Pleasure of Her Company.