Final

Karin stretched her arms above her head, feeling all of her joints crack deliciously. She finished a sparring with an ever detestable Suigetsu but never admitting his victory. Anyone asks, I handed his ass to him. In a triumphant smirk, she crossed her at arms and neared a closing flower shop. Karin realized they must've sparred all afternoon. She looked up to a cloudless dreamy evening sky. Looking into the window, she focused finding a whipping tail of blonde near the back of the store.

"I need to buy tulips! You better not be closed or I'll force my way in here!" Karin knocked onto the window.

Ino's head shot back from the back area of her shop, narrowed her eyes and flipped Karin the bird. The blonde resumed fixing up her shop, Karin chuckled at Ino's reaction.

"Ino-san, hurry the hell up!" Karin proved her point banging on the window gingerly.

Ino returned glowering at the red-head and mouthed a curse word before popping down into her flowers.

Karin sighed, exaggerated. She shook her head comically.

While strangely having an unclear relationship with the pink-haired medic that saved her life from Sasuke, Karin managed to get close to Sakura's best friend. Nothing by any means could be better or more suited than Ino's and Sakura's sisterhood but Karin felt she acquainted with a brazen kunoichi like herself. The flaring tempers, overt flirtation, even ominous air of murder were so similar to one-another she and Ino could have easily been twins -save for the completely opposite hair colors. Ino warmed up to Karin fairly easily, once admitting Karin was more similar to Sakura. The red head didn't understand the comparison but neither vocally confirmed or rejected Ino's words.

After evening spars with the insufferable Suigestsu, Karin would make her way to the Yamanaka flower shop and end her night with a friendly face. Ino welcomed this new routine of Karin's, many times praying Karin and Sakura would get along as the three would be a sensational team. The blonde was not shy to bring up her hopes to one day become a trio going so far as to blurt, "InoSakuKa," out of the blue receiving a disgusted and slightly offended expression from Karin.

"Why would your name come first?!"

Ino finally finished closing up, allowing the final resounding click to fall upon the quiet night. She nodded to the red head and they made their way through the town. They gossiped back and forth but Karin absorbed rather than contributed, enthralled hearing about the young shinobi's latest dishes.

"Then, I heard Naruto kissed Hinata-chan's eye! What a riot!" Ino barked out a laugh.

"N-No way! G-good shit, Naruto-kun!"

Ino blinked. "Y'know, I never realized you gave Naruto that honorific. Hell, I'm surprised "-kun" of all things too. What's going on, moving on from the Uchiha?" The blue eyed gossip nudged Karin's shoulder with hers. Karin groaned at Ino's implications.

"With Naruto? Hell no!" Even if I would, that blasted Hyuuga family would maul me from interupting the union of the great Naruto with their precious Hinata. "And as for Sasuke-kun, it's..." Karin turned away voice quieting, "not like I had a choice otherwise."

Ino gasped very much interested. "What do you mean!? Sasuke-kun is still fair game!"

"What planet have you been living on?! He's crazy for your damn best friend!"

Ino blinked, leaning into Karin slyly, "and where did you hear this juicy tale?"

Karin raised her chin indignantly, "just from watching those two idiots! Makes me sick!"

Her stomach flopped and shrank at the sight of Sasuke looking at Sakura with such deep, silent emotion in his eyes. A deep passion she had never seen him express before. Karin would watch her crush observe Sakura in her down times, when she wasn't even trying to seduce him. One of her very rare excursions of team-bonding with team seven, Karin stood dumbfounded as Sakura's hair mussed in the wind, catching small leaves in her mane. He'd slip a rebellious hand into her locks, keeping his finger tips just above her scalp. Running it over soft bouncy waves of pink, he dislodged all of the stray leaves. Karin stared on with unconcealed jealousy as he'd continue the sweeping motion through her hair even after he got all the leaves out.

"Interesting." Ino mused tapping her chin with a dainty finger. "So, you've...accepted this?"

"I told you I have no choice." Karin grumbled lamely.

Ino breathed a gentle sigh through her nostrils. A contented smile fit her lips. I'm happy for Sakura.

"It's just," Karin began kicking a stone to the side of their path, "they're acting like little kids with crushes. Why can't they just be upfront about it and y'know, be together? I wouldn't even think twice to snuggle up to Sasuke-kun and be his girlfriend. That Sakura is playing coy for nothing!" She threw her hands up and whipped her head away from Ino as if speaking to Sakura, "you have him already you damn girl! Quit playing around and just snatch him up!" Karin huffed crossing her arms dramatically, sulking.

Ino regarded Karin sadly. It must be hard. Watching the guy you adored just be dangled in front of the girl he actually likes. I wonder if she thinks Forehead is doing this intentionally? "You've gotta cut the girl some slack. I'd be hesitant too if the man I deeply loved nearly murdered me in cold blood suddenly changes heart and wants to return my affections. People don't work that way."

Karin's lips tightened, head dropped, her lenses casting a light upon her eyes concealing emotion. "Sasuke-kun isn't people."

Both kunoichi continued their trek towards Karin's apartment silent the rest of the way. A loud clang rang in the night capturing their attention. Karin and Ino snapped their eyes to one-another and briskly sprinted towards the source of sound. Karin bit back a gasp sensing familiar chakra presences. The rejuvenating green danced with a wicked blue chakra. Beside her, Ino did not restrain her surprise. She shot up her hand and waved it wildly trying to catch the other nin's attention, before words could form Karin clapped her palm over Ino's mouth and dragged her behind a bush.

"Are you nuts? Shush!" Karin hissed, pressing a finger to her own lips slowly dropping her hand from the blonde's mouth.

"What's your problem? It's just Forehead and Sasuke-kun!"

"What were we just talking about?" The red head emphasized with her hands.

Light dawned on Ino and she snickered leaning into the bush. "Oh, well thank you for stopping me from interrupting this budding romance."

Ruby eyes rolled, "we need to leave."

"No, we don't." Ino spaced each word emphatically.

Karin grumbled, "they're not even doing anything! Nothing gossip-worthy."

Not wanting to admit defeat Ino finished for Karin, "not yet!"

The fiery red head dragged her hand along the bushes they watched the other two in a sweeping motion, "looks to me like they're just sparring."

"Sparring is just a ninja's way of releasing sexual tension."

Unintentionally, at Ino's statement, Karin's spar with Suigetsu sparked her thoughts. "What the-gross! Not even!" She turned towards the pair and nodded her head agreeing with herself, "look! Nothing erotic is even happening! Let's just leave."

"No way, Karin-san," Ino gasped interrupting her rebuttal, "he just touched her ass!"

"Don't be stupid! He was catching her thigh so he could throw her!" On cue, the silent night met the loud crash of a heavy object hitting a tree.

"What a cheap way to cop a feel."

"Ino-san..."

Another gasp, "oh-oh-! Look, look! He's helping her up."

"Tch, for all we know he could be taunting her." The sound of knuckles jamming into cheek sounded, followed by weight hitting into the training grounds.

"You're such a wet blanket! This is a ninja's foreplay!"

Karin fussed with her glasses, "I-idiot!"

That Sasuke-kun! Sakura panted pressing a hand to her back feeling for any splinters she received from being thrown into a tree. She has been thrown into one too many trees in her lifetime. As he had stalked up to her, with a hand out in a form of good sportsmanship, she took the opportunity to crack his jaw with a chakra infused fist. Her chakra was insufficient and only managed to knock him flat to the ground. Groaning she picked herself up, but her wobbly knees gave out and returned to her grounded position.

"Ah... Sasuke-kun..." She dragged out. "I give."

After a few pants he replied, "hn."

Sakura lay down flat on her back, wincing almost forgetting she had been knocked into a tree. Sighing, she wiggled her body adjusting to the dirt beneath her. She relaxed, her eyes absorbing the twinkling night sky. She heard boot shifting on the dirt sending a vibration to her form. Without warning, the night sky was blocked from her view and just as soon as she realized what happened, a weight pressed itself on her lips.

"Oh...! Oh...!"

"Ino-san! Cut it out! They'll hear your too-satisfied noises!"

"I can't help it! Oh my goooood..." Excitedly, Ino practically popping out of the bushes her butt swayed side to side. "This is so juicy! Can't wait to tell everyone!" She squealed.

"E-Eh?! Is it any of their business?!"

"Uh. Yes?"

"It's not!"

"C'mon Karin-san! The Sasuke-kun just quitted the un-requited love of Sakura. This is historical. I think I need to make a book out of this."

"N-now you're sounding crazy."

"Your insults are just feeding my genius. Let's go Karin-san, first person to know: their brother Naruto! Let's wake his ass up!" Like on the battlefield, Ino tugged Karin to move and dragged her through the village streets.

"Wake? It's barely eight-thirty. Knowing that guy he's probably-"

A blaring slurp interrupted Karin's statement. "Inshan? Karschan?" He spoke, muffled from the generous noodles falling out of his overstuffed mouth. One more slurp, a chew finished the job as he paused to take a hearty gulp clearing his mouth of any more interference. "What're you guys doin' here?"

"Naruto! Naruto! Great news! Sasuke and Sakura are together!" Ino squealed happily.

"No way!" He sputtered, bits of nori flew out of his mouth and onto Ino's cheek while Karin got a half chewed naruto propped just below her chin. Aghast, Karin could only peel the fish cake dreadfully off of her skin her face paling. If this guy wasn't so—so- such a good guy, I would've beat the hell out of him. She hesitantly looked to Ino who didn't seem to notice her newly planted skin care product.

"This is the single-greatest thing that's happened to Konoha. Well, after you and Hinata finding each other." Ino swooned. Naruto nodded enthusiastically, pink staining his cheeks as he returned to his bowl of half-finished ramen.

"Why does relationships matter, Ino-san? We're shinobi, remember?" Karin relay blandly disregarding any of her previous obsessions with a recently taken Uchiha.

"Well, Karin. This damn village has gone through too much turmoil, it's only natural for all of us to find our bearings and settle down! What better way to prove the world that we're all doing okay than to get started on the next generation of shinobi? Tell me something better than that!"

Karin felt at a loss. In some ways, Ino's words made sense. Many villages fell apart during that oblivion that was the fourth war. The best way to move on from the ache of post-war is to start focusing on the future. Karin remained silent, biting her bottom lip.

"I take your silence as surrender, Karin-san."

"What about you, Ino-san?" Naruto stopped in mid-slurp. Ears perked, curious to this new turn of events. "Do you have someone to help jump-start this next generation?" Karin's voice was leveled. Her words spoke bluntly yet not at all an attempt at rudeness.

"Why little ol' me? I don't think the next generation's ready for me to be a mom. I'm too fabulous." Ino flipped her ponytail behind her. She turned away, with her back straight. Or rather, I just don't know who I could start it with…

Karin smirked at Ino's answer. So confident. The red-head felt a bite of jealousy. After realization Sasuke was forever branded the pinkette's, Karin had to rework her future plans. Instead of procreating with the devilishly handsome avenger, another man had to replace that spot that would keep her more than satisfied.

A drop of water splashed on Karin's lenses and she cried out in disgust, "goddammit, Naruto! Hero or not that's gross, you slob!"

A year flashed through the youth of Konoha.

Naruto painstakingly studied for his chunnin exam with the guidance of Hinata at his side. She stood beside him looking over his notes. Her pearly eyes startled to find instead of diligently jotted down notes, were sloppily doodled pictures of himself as a Hokage. She wanted to punish him, her fists at dug into her hips. Being with him for so long allowed her some semblance of confidence. He taught her while they dated, that if he was wrong he would be more than happy to let her right him. This was one of those times.

His palm slid down his notes revealing a peculiar drawing. A crude doodle of a doe-eyed, what seemed to be girl, with dark long hair holding the hand of Hokage-Naruto. Hinata blushed and looked at her love who continued to study for his exams all over the page. She ran her pale fingers through his blonde locks, halting his drawing hand. She pressed a kiss to his forehead and his lips fell open in shock at her bold behavior. They met eyes for a long period. Her face still flushed a gentle red while he stared at her with clear blues. They shared a broad smile and he hugged her to him, his face buried deep in her bosom. She smiled, nevertheless.

Karin sent a punch to Suigetsu's smug face. This ritual never once ended since they first started. She missed like always and he swept her legs as usual. As the years went on, this spar appeared more of a dance rather than a fight. It became less of battle of skill but more of a battle of something. Her ruby gaze once lit with anger, frustration and heartache melt away through their spars with something akin to excitement and cheer. Once his shark-fangs made her shudder with fear now, they made her quiver with something else. They tangled with each other. They insulted one another. Their battle of somethings never had a name to it. But neither minded.

"You're a bitch."

"You're an asshole."

They grinned at one another, breathes puffing out in sync.

"Again?"

"I'd think you were the bitch if you didn't ask me." She smirked, rocketing towards him.

Suigetsu caught her elbow. It was the one blow she'd give him. Instead he caught her, caught her in mid-strike. Their faces were only inches apart. He could feel the slight rub of her thick-rimmed frames on his stark-white cheek. His amethyst eyes bore into her ruby. He could even make out the sheen of her lip gloss. It invited him. He wondered if she tasted as sweet as she smelled. His mouth fell open, eyes still trained to those lips. Eyebrows twitched realizing she mirrored his action. He felt those same glasses on his skin slid, her entire face tilted, approaching closer to his own. Her breath fell upon his flesh. And closer.

She tasted sweeter.

Uchiha Sasuke shifted his rucksack upon his back with a grunt turning to watch his partner behind him follow closely. Dark eyes roved over her slender form, and his body sent unconscious chills down his spine. Even exhausted, she looked exquisite.

Yet as he watched Haruno Sakura trail behind him, he felt something was amiss. Her face appeared pallid, yet somehow much rounder. They had just finished an ambassador mission in the Rock Village and he had the misfortune of meeting one of her admirers. Although the picture before him disturbed him further than any other man attempting to gain Sakura's affections ever could.

"Sakura." He dropped his pack and wrapped his arm around her mid-section.

"Sorry, I'm alright. I'm okay. Promise."

His gaze narrowed, unconvinced.

"I'm not going to drop dead on you this time!"

"Not funny."

"Okay, yes, that was tasteless. I won't do that again."

"Hn."

"But really, I'm fine. I've…just been feeling really tired lately."

"Was it the food back at Rock Village? I saw you. You threw up."

"O-oh…that's right. Nguh. I remember now, we had their eel. What did they prepare it with? Old socks?"

She leaned against him missing the upturn of the corners of his lips at her insult.

"I can definitely make it to this next village. I won't need to use the bathroom until then, I promise."

"Don't want to risk it." He said calmly. He pressed her body closer to his. He wished he could absorb her aches.

She pressed her lips together.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn?"

"This is…embarrassing…"

"What is it?"

"I'm…craving…."

He raised a brow at her sudden display of shyness.

"I'm craving a tomatoes dipped in chocolate with a potato glaze and wasabi sprinkled on top."

Dark eyes widened. In the orbs of onyx, mixtures of joy, shock, and fear ran rampant.

Blonde hair framing the gorgeously peach skin tickled the cherubic face of an infant. The woman with soft blonde hair held the small boy with equally blonde hair close to her breast cooing to him softly. Her bright blue eyes glittered looking out the window of her apartment wondering how much longer her best friend would take on this 'peace-keeping' mission.

"I guess the next generation was ready for me after all."

OMAKE?!

.

.

.

OMAKE:

..

"InoSakuKa!"

Ino shot to the front as she unleashed her jutsu upon the unsuspecting enemy.

Sakura rushed the same enemy, readying a chakra-infused fist targeting a very inviting cheek.

Sakura pummeled him, Karin-

"Goddammit, Ino! I told you! I need to be first!" Karin stomped her feet on the ground. "The hell am I supposed to do now, let him bite me so I can sense him and you guys do this all over again?"

"You're right." Ino dropped her hands as well as the seal. The enemy-nin dropped to the dirt in a slump, Sakura gripping his collar with chakra fading away from it. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing." Both girls answered quickly, staring wide-eyed at the pinkette who eyed them suspiciously.

Sakura blinked slowly.

A/N: Just to quell any curiosities, I left Ino's epilogue open-ended. When I first started reading the manga, I was an InoShika fan but as the series progressed... I don't know. With latest scenes from the manga, I feel my old feelings replenish but it's not enough, ya know? But she's such a lovable character, though! I imagine her calming down when she becomes a mommy. :)

There's the end of "It Shall Be." I thank you guys soo much for reading this and being so incredibly patient with me!

For all those waiting for "Spar," you're in luck! I've decided to make "Spar" a collection of erotic oneshots! Yep! Of course I can't ignore the title, they'll be themed with the pair, you guessed it, sparring. But what circumstances will find them in the tangles of... sheets? Read the future chapters to find out! I have so many different ideas for that theme it's...mind-bottling.

I'm really sorry for my terrible updates. I've had so many stories I've started on the backburner that I lose track of time. Keep an eye out for more of my random erotica that will soon only be found on AFF . net!

Other than that, stay tuned for my upcoming story that may or may not be muliti-chaptered, "Dream of the Future." I guess you can call it an indirect sequel to "It Shall Be." I honestly started writing it without thinking about ISB. Just...I don't know how to be inventive. Hehe.

Thanks again for everyone's support! Happy Reading!