Naruto 1. How Wolves Became Men

A/N: What can I say? When stories are inside me for too long they boil over and spill out.

Disclaimer: Do you even have to ask? NO!

Wolves in Men's Clothing

Chapter 1: How wolves became men

A man walked silently through the wolf preserve to find the wolves he was looking for. Just from his smooth, steady gait you could tell there was something rather inhuman about this man. He was far too quiet. It was the middle autumn and leaves should have been crunching beneath his feat, but instead there was a light rustling as if the wind was blowing. It could have been that were it not for the total stillness of the air as if it had frozen in fear of this man.

Indeed this was an inhuman creature. He wasn't a human, but nor was he beast. Eccentrics would call him an alien. Scientists called him an experiment. He called himself Orochimaru.

It was difficult to not belong in any category of creature. One day he's a simple serpent, and the next some human woman is pouring a tasteless as well as odorless liquid down his throat. He would have killed the woman with his venom. The problem was that she had suddenly become so beautiful to him. As time passed he realized two things.

The first thing was that when he took on human shape, something inside him changed as well. He had taken on human needs and ideals, such as finding a mate and keeping her for life. He could still feel the wild inside him even to this day; years after he was transformed, but his thoughts and feelings were far more advanced.

Secondly, the attraction to the woman became love. Unfortunately he was not alone in his love for her. Much to his dismay a toad – of all things – was transformed before him, and shared his feelings for the woman. Why his woman chose two coldblooded creatures to transform into humans he'll never know. Perhaps it was just a personal preference of hers.

Orochimaru shook his head in a very human like gesture to clear his thoughts. This next experiment wasn't about him or the woman he loved. It was about the adopted daughter of the three of them. Yes the three of them. The woman named Tsunade had never chosen between either of them for fear of heartbreak. Whether it was hers or theirs, the beast-men could never be sure.

However he was losing focus _again_. That was not acceptable. He needed to be sure of his choices for the potential mates of his daughter. He was choosing the alphas of four packs that much was certain. If his daughter was to choose a beast-man she would choose from the best. It worked because the alphas haven't chosen mates yet and were all young enough to remember there puppy days when Sakura helped to raise them.

Though they rarely saw her anymore, the girl was practically raised by beasts so the wild was in her as well and they sensed that. They allowed her to visit them on occasion and even run with them. She was also the one to feed them.

As for the reason he was choosing beast-men over humans for his daughter, it was because she was beautiful on the outside as well as inside. She only saw the best in people even when the best wasn't that good. This attracted all sorts of creeps. Her first relationship was with some idiot who broke her heart for another girl. The next was with some girlish wannabe gentleman who turned out to be a coldhearted playboy. Why people call Orochimaru coldblooded when there were humans like that in the world he would never know. The list goes on for miles but it was this last one that worried him.

Whenever that pierced freak of a human came over Orochimaru and even that toad, Jiraiya, sensed something dark about him. Yet even Orochimaru's hypersensitive ears could not detect a lie when he heard the guy confess to her. He was not spying! He was investigating! There is a _big_ difference.

Suddenly Orochimaru stopped. He smelled the wolf that he and Sakura had raised approach. Kimimaro would not hurt him so long as he did not enter his territory. The wolf came to him instead so he wouldn't have to choose between his pack and someone who had raised him. This wolf would become a fine man. He would be a man that Orochimaru could accept. He pets the wolf before moving to check the others.

His next target named Gaara was a very protective young wolf. He would bare his fangs at Orochimaru when he approached, but tonight he brought a peace offering. Sakura had raised him by herself. They didn't think he would survive but Sakura was determined. Because of this Gaara was attached to her even today. That was how Orochimaru would check him. He would gage Gaara's loyalty through the little stuffed toy Sakura used to sleep with. Sakura had been planning to give it to her tamed wolf Kiba, but Orochimaru felt that Gaara would appreciate it more since he rarely saw Sakura outside of feeding time.

That's when Orochimaru heard the growl well outside of Gaara's territory. It was Itachi his third candidate. Orochimaru had wandered into his territory since it was on his way to Gaara's. Orochimaru had planned a test for Itachi too. Orochimaru lashed out at the same time as Itachi. He hadn't fought in some time so his movements weren't as quick as they used to be but Itachi was still no match while Orochimaru retained human shape. Itachi still put up one hell of a fight. Were he still a snake he would be killed in an instant. He was impressed considering Jiraiya had helped Sakura raise this wolf.

Despite his upbringing Itachi would make a great man. He must take after Sakura. Orochimaru quickly dashed away the moment his test was over. Itachi would have given chase had he not been exhausted. He chose to rest and be able to protect his pact from future threats.

Itachi picking his battles was a great result Orochimaru did not expect. Sakura raised him well. Now he was just outside of Gaara's territory and he waited, still as a snake preparing to strike.

Eventually Gaara sought him out, just as expected. Gaara sniffed the air and growled at how close Orochimaru was to his territory. Orochimaru smirked and held out his peace offering. At Sakura's scent Gaara's tail started to wag, his snarl disappeared, and all his attention was on the strange thing that had her lovely natural fragrance. Orochimaru smiled and threw it towards Gaara who leaped into the air with all fours off the ground to snag it between his teeth. When he came down he didn't stumble or fall. He landed back on his feet as lightly as a cat and immediately trotted off to go snuggle the thing that smelled like his favorite human.

_That should do for Gaara. He's clearly very much attached to Sakura even now. I'm exhausted._ Orochimaru's internal observation continued as he looked at the last wolf on the list. Tsunade and Sakura had raised two wolf pups that were currently struggling for the alpha position. The name on the list had to be erased and rewritten over and over again. Basically Orochimaru couldn't read it. He sighed and decided he would just turn both into humans. It would be fine to not test them since Tsunade and Sakura together could raise any wolf to be great.

Besides more choices should make Sakura happy … shouldn't it?

-The next morning-

A beautiful pink haired 20 year old woman was brushing her hair in the mirror. It was almost that time. Her cheery apple green eyes shined at the thought. She ran off towards the attic to sit at the weirdest looking machine you can imagine.

Sakura was happy. It was one of the few times she could see the wolves in their habitat. It was feeding time. Before the wolves could awaken, huge slabs of meat that were tied to the contraption she sat at were placed in hard to reach areas of each territory. The machine she was on was like an exercise bike. It didn't move, but it did pull the meat so the wolves could feel like they truly were hunting. What's more Sakura was placed in the attic, by a huge window, to get a bird's eye view of the preserve and the hunting wolves.

When they would catch the meat, as they always did, they would look up towards where Sakura was and howl out what Sakura liked to think was a thank you. Sakura thought it was sweet. She loved those wolves so much.

Way back when Sakura's parents died in a plane crash, Sakura had become a recluse at only eight years old. She didn't talk to anyone, not even Tsunade. Then one day, she heard the wolves howling to each other. Many wolves always responded. Instead of finding it frightening, Sakura was enchanted by the sound. Somehow she knew that they were calling to one another. They were letting each wolf know they weren't alone. For the first time since her parents' death she was at peace. She soon found herself mimicking their calls.

Later she heard someone clearing their throat behind her. Sakura spun around to see Tsunade looking at her with a large smile on her face. Sakura's face reddened from embarrassment. That's when Tsunade showed her the machine they used to feed the wolves. Tsunade told her that it would be a huge help if Sakura could take care of helping the wolves hunt.

Immediately Sakura's mind flashed back to the howling. She agreed to help. Sakura's been feeding the wolves for twelve years now, but she was only allowed to help with the orphaned pups that came in for a few years.

In fact she had started with the current alphas of each pack. Gaara was a striking red wolf with black fur around his eyes, and he was the most affectionate towards her. He even treated her like she was a part of the pack. Kimimaro was a stunning white wolf with two red spots on his forehead and red fur beneath his eyes. Itachi was the most beautiful black wolf she had ever had the pleasure of seeing. His most distinctive physical features were his scars from his fight for the title of alpha. He had fought against a slightly older male and won. It was the only time he had ever been wounded by another wolf. Shikamaru and Neji were two gorgeous dark brown wolves. Their fur was such a rich shade and was the closest brown could be to black. The only thing she regretted with those two was them being so competitive.

Whenever Sakura thought about the wolves she was happy. They were her greatest joy in life. Pein made her happy of course, but sometimes it felt like he was hiding something very important from her. She supposed there were very few humans who could be as open with anybody as her family was, but still she wished he would confide in her.

The next thing she knew the wolves were howling over their catch. As always she felt joy coursing through her and couldn't help responding to those howls with her own. This brought the alphas joy as well.

Well that was that. _Now it's time to feed Kiba._ Sakura realized heading down the ladder. Kiba was waiting for her patiently. He was a magnificent beige wolf with red fang-like markings on his cheeks. She was the only person Kiba was ever patient with. Poor Kiba had a cold of some sort, so before she fed him she went to get his liquid meds from Oro-kun. She knew that Oro-kun went right back to sleep after he hid the meat this morning. She hated waking him so she just went into his room and looked for them herself. She found a bottle that looked like the one she was looking for on his nightstand.

As she made her way back to her room where she kept Kiba's bowl, with said wolf in tow, she heard Tsunade making breakfast. She considered going to say hi, but Kiba whined at her and she thought that he'd waited long enough.

When she entered her room she started talking to Kiba in a soothing voice. He never did like taking his medicine but he put up with for Sakura. Besides, she always fed him afterwards.

As Sakura took her syringe looked at Kiba whose ears were back and down. She felt bad having to do this so she gave him lots of affection beforehand. Once he relaxed slightly she opened his mouth and shot the liquid down his throat closing his mouth until he swallowed.

She was turning around to feed him when a blinding flash came from behind her. When she looked behind her to check on her wolf she dropped the meat in her hands. There standing in the middle of her room was a gorgeous young man right where her wolf should be. As if that wasn't bad enough he was completely naked aside from the collar around his throat and grinning from ear to ear.

-While Sakura was feeding Kiba-

Neji felt strange. His stomach was gurgling in a strange way he wasn't familiar with. He and Shikamaru had ripped a piece of the best meat in half and Neji had eaten it quickly, just to get on his bad side by eating before him. That's when he started feeling some very odd sensations. Light started emanating from his body and the delicious raw meat now looked disgusting.

Then he noticed the same thing happening to Shikamaru. _What's happening to us?_ He wondered rather nervous. The sensation was the strangest he had ever felt, but it wasn't painful so he waited for it to pass.

As soon as it did he stood in shock. There in front of him was a human with a scent similar to Shikamaru's yet it was also different. Neji looked down already predicting what he would see. There were hands and feet instead of paws and he now had opposable thumbs. They were _both_ human. The last thought that ran through his mind as their pack fled from them was about a girl that always called to them. _We're just like Sakura now._ With that Neji and Shikamaru both passed out.

-Back with Sakura-

Sakura had decided that when a naked man appeared in her room wearing her wolf's collar, it was best to just scream. When Jiraiya-kun, Tsunade, and Oro-kun kicked down the door they looked ready to kill. Kiba had misinterpreted the look and stood protectively in front of Sakura. He didn't seem to realize the look was for him.

In the blink of an eye Jiraiya attacked, but incredibly it was Oro-kun who took the blow. Oro-kun just brushed it off though he should have had a broken jaw from the strike. He then turned to Sakura and affectionately ruffled her hair.

"So Sakura-chan, do you happen to have that little bottle that was on my night stand?" Oro-kun inquired with a kind of creepy smile.

"What did you do Orochimaru?" Tsunade and Jiraiya roared at the same time.

-Later that morning-

Oro-kun was in the middle of explaining last night's while Kiba was being helped with dressing courtesy of Jiraiya when there was a banging on the door. Tsunade was opening it to yell at them for banging on her door, but she was completely ignored by the five insanely attractive naked men. They stalked into the room apparently looking for something or _someone._ Kimimaro paused and took in a deep breath through his nose.

Next he pointed towards the living room and then they were off. Itachi got there first and immediately attacked Orochimaru. It was Sakura who made them all stop in their tracks.

Although inwardly surprised at how difficult the fight was for Oro-kun, she knew what to do. She grabbed the naked man by a handful of his long hair and yanked hard. Immediately he was on her instead. She knew from watching the wolves that if she were to submit he would just continue doing whatever he pleased.

Instead she looked him in the eye with as much defiance as she could muster, but she did not struggle either for fear of enraging him further. As she was looking she noticed the two scars on his face. They were identical to Itachi's as were his eyes. His hair also had the texture of Itachi's fur. She didn't think it was possible but asked anyway.

"Is that you Itachi?" She questioned while slightly tilting her head to the side. The action was too adorable for Itachi who already felt guilty about pinning Sakura. He knew it was her. From the shape of her face to her attitude and most of all that hint of the wild he felt in her when she stared up at him with more courage that he had ever seen. That wasn't his dominant realization though. He knew she had been pretty for a human when he was a wolf, but now that he was the same species as her, she was glorious. From that moment he vowed to make her fiery heart burn for him and him alone.


	2. The Wild in the Wolfmen

A/N: This might be my last update for the rest of the month. I wanted to get this up because so many people immediately supported this story. It inspired me like nothing else. I'm not sure how good it is because I'm down with bronchitis, but I am ever hopeful that you will like it. Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: Do you even have to ask? NO!

Wolves in Men's Clothing

Chapter 2: The Wild in the Wolf-men

Kiba was getting pants on for the first time when he heard banging on the door. That's when he began to struggle. When he heard Sakura's voice he successfully wrested himself from the older man's surprisingly powerful headlock. Finally when he heard the sounds of a scuffle two seconds later, he flat out ran down the stairs, not bothering with a shirt, and made it to the bottom without tripping over a single one. He was far more graceful than he had ever been but he pushed that to the back of his mind for the moment. After all, Sakura's safety was in jeopardy.

As he ran into the living room, he saw something that made his chest swell with pride. Sakura had laid a long haired naked man flat-out on the ground with a well aimed punch. Wait, it was a _naked_ man. Meaning there was a naked man near Sakura, Kiba's mate. He had known he loved her since he first laid human eyes on her and there was _no chance in HELL_ he would let anyone take her away.

Before Kiba could yell profanities at the naked man and possibly kick him a few times, _another_ naked man let an inhuman growl rip through his chest. Looking as fiery as his hair, he brought his hand down hard on the fallen man's throat and let his loose grip slowly tighten. No one looked particularly inclined to help the fallen man other than Sakura. _Wait a minute. What's going on?_ Kiba wondered why his mate was looking ready to put up a fight for the man she had laid out. Poor Kiba was so confused.

Just because Sakura was mad at who she now knew to be Itachi, didn't mean she was willing to let him die. She loved her wolves no matter what they looked like or what they did. She had to help him.

Sakura had only punched him because he had gotten too close and was naked at the same time, but she was pretty sure Itachi had just been trying to nuzzle her neck. The gesture of affection was one he had been doing since he was a pup. Though this had seemed different somehow, she was suspecting that feeling was just a product of her imagination.

By this time Jiraiya had come down to get Kiba. Then he saw all the men without a shred of clothing near his little girl. _There will be hell to pay._ He swore internally.

Sakura quickly shuffled over to the redhead and tried to pry his wrist off Itachi. Surprisingly the moment her hand touched his, he simply let go. It happened so fast. Sakura was pulling his hand away from Itachi when he jumped her and hugged her tightly. On top of that, he was as naked as Itachi. This caused all hell to break lose in the form of five other wolf-men, two overprotective fathers, and one reappeared Tsunade armed with a cast-iron frying pan.

The red haired beast-man did not look like he was letting go anytime soon even with the unspoken threats around him. When Sakura leaned back to tell everyone to calm down she noticed the black rings on the redhead's eyes. She stretched her hand out to gently turn his face back towards her. It wasn't necessary though for the passionate man turned to look at her with green eyes she would know anywhere. Sakura tensed, so he leaned down to gently lick her cheek in an act of caring and devotion.

Every action has a reaction and this one wasn't pretty. Sakura was beginning to wonder how many naked men were in this house as another one grabbed the man she now knew to be Gaara and threw him across the room into the gang of rivals, fathers, and frying pan wielding terror.

Sakura knew this had gone on long enough and did the first thing that came naturally in the moment. She howled. Just like that, the males all stopped. Tsunade had disappeared after smelling something burning.

When the younger men in the room turned to look at Sakura she shivered slightly under the intense gazes. Each and every one of them had the wild shining in their eyes. Her howl was like a large, heavy stone thrown into a small pond. She was willing to bet that even Tsunade was feeling the ripples of the feral phenomenon that was Sakura's call to all untamed. Even the older men were not excluded from the sensation though they were never wolves.

"Every naked man in this house needs to go put some clothes on _right now_! When you come back we'll all listen to Oro-kun's explanation for all this." Sakura gestured to the men she suspected were all wolves at some point.

Some of the wolf-men looked a little defiant. They wanted to know what was going on, but all of them were also alpha males. They did not take kindly to being ordered around. In the end however Sakura came out on top with an adorable pout that had all the former wolves blushing and scurrying to please her.

Jiraiya handed Kiba a black button up shirt and led the rest of the males up to his room to get them dressed. Confused by the fabric fur coat, Kiba had to ask Sakura for help. Orochimaru let a deadly hiss escape his lips.

"Back off. You weren't one of the alphas. You're nothing more than a domesticated pet, no different from a dog. You are not worthy of _my_ daughter." Orochimaru whispered just loud enough for Kiba to hear. In addition to human form the switch from beast to man also gave the subject enhanced strength, agility, grace, reflexes, and senses sharper than anything a normal human could ever hope to have. In addition they kept the best qualities of their animal side such as Orochimaru's venom. Kiba retained his wolf hearing so he knew every word Orochimaru had said.

Though he let anger at Orochimaru flare in his eyes for a moment, he laughed instead of starting a fight. He laughed to Orochimaru's face. Though Sakura looked at him like he was a lunatic he couldn't help but laugh at the idea of this reptile even _attempting_ to control Sakura when she had just bent five alphas to her will. If an alpha wolf couldn't command Sakura, no one could.

"What the hell is so funny?" Orochimaru hissed. He had never liked Kiba.

Kiba smirked. "What makes you think that you could overpower Sakura in a battle of wills? I know this woman. She's not some ordinary meek little human girl. She may have been born human but she's got the spirit of an alpha wolf. No one will command her and I will personally destroy anyone who tries to break her. That is what mates do after all." Kiba declared his smirk turning into a grin when his eyes landed on Sakura.

Sakura choked on air. Did Kiba just call her his mate? Oh hell no.

"Kiba what do you mean by mate?" She questioned. If tones could kill Kiba would be dead. He either did not catch on or chose to ignore it.

"Come on Sakura. You know what a mate is. It's a relationship forged through love, trust, and devotion. It's a bond that is so powerful among wolves that it can't be broken. Wolves mate for life. I love and trust you more than anyone or anything in the world. There is _no one_ I am more devoted to. It's only natural that we become mates now that we're both human." Kiba murmured with a voice so soft and sincere it made Sakura's heart ache. He was looking at her like she was his everything and he would live and die for her.

A picture of Pein smiling tenderly at her flashed through her mind. She tried to push Kiba away, but he wouldn't budge. He wasn't even looking at her anymore. In fact he seemed to be snarling at the staircase.

"So should I kill you now and rid myself of the competition, or should I relish the opportunity to steal Sakura away from you right under your nose?" The tension in Kiba only heightened as the unfamiliar voice approached. Kiba set Sakura to the side and stood protectively in front of her ready for anything.

"Leave us alone Shikamaru!" Kiba bellowed as he crouched into a defensive stance.

Shikamaru was now dressed in a forest green shirt with faded jeans. He was ignoring Kiba and focusing on Sakura. He suddenly jumped over Kiba's head tucking in his knees so he could avoid the snarling male who was reaching up to attempt to grab at his ankle. While she was shaking off her shock he gingerly took her hand in his and raised it to his lips.

"Jiraiya gave us a lesson on human behaviors. He said that human's kiss each other by pressing their lips together. He also taught us about kissing the hand of a woman we respect. He apparently wants us to act as human as we can so what happened won't be discovered." Shikamaru explained.

"Shika, you probably should not take lessons on women from Jiraiya unless you want to get smacked by a girl." Sakura advised unconsciously using her nickname for him.

Shikamaru smiled at his nickname. He could tell it had just slipped out, but she wouldn't have done it without thought unless she regularly called him that. She must have only said his name like that when he wasn't around so he wouldn't get confused over what his name was. However, as a human he was much smarter than he had ever been before and he'd been very clever as a wolf. He was clever enough to not get seriously injured by Neji in their little tussles when Neji was the better fighter.

Kiba was furious. Sure Sakura talked about the wolves on the preserve a lot and some of the wolves had nicknames, but that was nothing to get cocky about. Kiba was the one who had been with Sakura every day for three years. He had been there through tears of sorrow and joy. He had cuddled with her to both give and take comfort. Most of all he had chosen her over the wild. He decided long ago that he didn't need a pack or a territory or even a mate as long as he had Sakura. Sakura was all he had and he would not let her be taken from him … not ever.

Neji narrowed his full-moon eyes at what he was seeing. Now dressed in a dark blue shirt and gray pants he had wondered how he would now look to Sakura. He noticed that his rival disappeared and had decided to see what Shikamaru was so eager about. It was obvious now that he had wanted to shamelessly flirt with Sakura. _He looks at Sakura as a potential mate as well._ Neji brooded trying to calm himself with cool logic about the situation. He tried to detach himself emotionally, but honestly, what chance does any guy stand of that happening while Sakura is around.

As he was looking for an opening to attack Shikamaru without hurting Sakura, the proverbial light bulb flashed over his head. He could deal a harsh blow to "Shika's" pride by getting Sakura to completely ignore him. If he could sweep her off her feet in the process it would be all the better.

After all, Neji had been old enough to mate for a while now. He'd never shown it, but he longed for a family of his own. The only reason he couldn't find a mate was because he had been searching for a wolf that was just like Sakura.

At the thought of starting a family with Sakura, a blissful sigh escaped his lips. Finally he could picture the face of his mate. All his dreams of young pups turned to dreams of tiny humans scurrying around his and Sakura's feet. He could see them now, so full of vitality and spunk just like her. It didn't matter if they were boys or girls (though he would like many of each) so long as they had her spirit and fire; he knew he wouldn't have to worry.

While Neji was off in his fantasy land, Kimimaro stalked straight down the stairs. He was not happy. He wanted to blame Orochimaru for transforming him in the first place, but he couldn't bring himself to hate the man who saved a sickly wolf pup from the clutches of death. Besides it was himself he was mad at. He had submitted so easily to Sakura even though he was the alpha of his pack._ No, I used to be the alpha, but now I'm human._ At the thought of never taking command of his pack again Kimimaro almost broke down.

Kimimaro looked at Sakura and for a moment their eyes met before he looked away. He couldn't blame her either because he loved her. Even just looking at her gave him peace. He knew she had run with all the wolf packs, but he also knew he held a special place in her heart for being one of the first wolves she helped to raise and for becoming an alpha despite being sick as a pup.

His whole heart was hers now that he was human. He remembered when he was a puppy, he was always cold. Sakura was always the one to share her body heat with him. She would hold him to her belly, cuddle, and pet him till he warmed up. He had been bonded to her ever since then. He had lived in the preserve because he knew that was what she had wanted for him.

"Kimimaro, are you alright?" Sakura inquired blushing slightly because DAMN he made one hot human. Don't get her wrong she knew the others were all sexy in their own individual way. That's why she had avoided looking at them. However in addition to looking amazing in his dark purple long-sleeve, button-up shirt and dark blue jeans he had a slightly tortured look on his handsome face. Sakura wanted to take away that pained look in his green eyes.

She was tentative as she lifted her hand towards his hair which she noticed was tied in sections. Kimimaro's attention was completely focused on that hand, but he did nothing to avoid it as she let it softly fall to his head and stroke his hair. He was stunned. Not because she was petting him, (though it was a pleasant surprise) but because it was the first time she had initiated nonaggressive contact with the transformed wolves.

Just like when he was a wolf a deep rumble sounded in his chest. Unlike when he was a wolf it had managed to escape his chest and come out as a soft moan of pure rapture. The bad news is that it alerted the other males to what was happening. The worse news is that Gaara and Itachi had just come down and saw their Sakura petting someone else. Let the games begin.


	3. Where's the Aspirin

A/N: This update is for all my reviewers. I really wasn't going to update for a month but your reviews made me so HAPPY! Reviews make the updates come faster and this is the proof.

Disclaimer: Do you even have to ask? NO!

Chapter 3: Where's the Aspirin

After a great deal of growling, threatening, and punching the former wolves now sat on the couch surrounding Sakura. Gaara sat to her right while Itachi sat to her left. Shikamaru and Neji stood behind her and both of them had one hand on either of her shoulders as they glared at each other. Kiba and Kimimaro sat at her feet. They sat at an angle to be as far from one another as possible while still keeping close to Sakura.

Sakura smiled at all of them. They were stubborn and would never admit it, but they were already beginning to form a pack of sorts. She was concerned over what each of them might do to become the alpha of that pack, but in the end she decided to deal with that when it happened.

Sakura was snapped out of her thoughts by the smell of food and her stomach growled, embarrassing her. She wished she had a silent stomach. As her adoptive parents came out Tsunade laughed.

"Come and get it!" She yelled. Half of the wolves were not willing to leave Sakura even at the prospect of food, but Itachi, Kimimaro, and Kiba all went to take the plates from their elders and present them to Sakura. When none of the other wolves protested, Sakura thought of something that was one of the first things she learned about alpha wolves.

_-Flashback-_

_Tsunade sat in her chair next to Sakura's. She was reading Sakura one of her favorite books on wolves. Sakura was attentive and taking notes._

"_This part is important Sakura. You need to feed the pups in a certain order, because it will affect the wolves' thoughts on who is the alpha in the future."_

"_Why is that Tsunade?" Sakura questioned full of curiosity about the animals she loved._

"_The expression of saving the best for last does not apply here. We need to observe the pups carefully and feed the most dominant wolf pup first because the alpha always eats before everyone else."_

_-End flashback-_

That's when she realized that in this makeshift pack of theirs they consider _her_ the alpha wolf. To say she was stunned would be the biggest understatement to ever be uttered. Sakura was freaking out. _Remain calm, and play it cool. They can't make you be the alpha, right?_ Sakura flipped out silently.

However, Gaara and Kiba were always attuned to her emotions and it seems the species alteration did not change that. They looked at her with confusion and concern for her well being. They both did their best to subtly soothe her. Gaara took her delicate hand in both of his and rubbed it gently. Kiba was at her feet again massaging them with a tender touch even though he was looking at her face to see the effect he was having.

Across the room, Orochimaru sat dumbfounded. Of course he had expected them to fall in love but he didn't expect it to happen so suddenly. He also didn't expect them to so openly display their affection right in front of him. This was happening much quicker than he had thought it would. He was starting to worry that this might all be too much at once for Sakura. Orochimaru decided to take a look at Tsunade to gage her reaction. He almost laughed at loud.

There Tsunade stood comparing wedding styles on paper that he had no idea she had. He didn't need to look at Jiraiya to gage his reaction. He could feel the glare, but at the same time he could here Jiraiya taking notes like crazy for the perverted books he writes. In that moment Orochimaru felt that everything would work out just fine.

The moment ended however when there came a great deal of knocking on the door. For the second time that morning Tsunade rushed to get the door. Kiba tensed and stopped kneading Sakura's feet as a vicious growl ripped through his chest. He even surprised the other wolf-men with the animosity pouring off of him along with the savage growls erupting from his throat. That was the moment when everyone realized that no matter how long he spent with humans, labeling Kiba as "tame" or "domesticated" would be an appalling as well as misleading categorization.

Sakura gasped as she remembered who was supposed to come today, but she remembered too late as Pein walked through the entryway. The moment he was in sight, Kiba launched himself at the man he hated even more than the beasts trying to steal his mate. Kiba may be aggressive with the others attempting to get close to Sakura but they were nothing compared to the man who had already wormed his way into her heart.

Kiba was nearly a blur yet Pein managed to sidestep him at the last minute. Though he had nearly been physically assaulted he kept his apathetic expression on as he surveyed the room. Orochimaru and Jiraiya were looking at him in what looked like anticipation, but he ignored them in favor of staring at the woman he loved. He was furious. Five men in addition to the one that attacked him were clinging to her. The last thing he wanted was for Sakura to get a glimpse of his violent side but the guys surrounding her made it very tempting to reveal it anyway.

As Pein turned to Sakura he was able to confirm that something was wrong. She looked like she was pleading for him to hear her out. He decided long ago that he would never take things at face value because there was almost always more to the story. Pein wanted to hear her explanation, but his pride would not let him go to her.

Instead he held out his hand for her to take. He admits that he was testing her to see if she really would come to him, but it was the best he could do under the circumstances. He smiled softly at her when she stood to come to him without the slightest hesitation, but it turned into a dark scowl when one of the men grabbed her hand in a plea for her to stay.

Sakura looked at Neji when he tried to prevent her from going and almost cried at the desperation in his gorgeous eyes that held a touch of purple. She was nearly swayed to stay when she thought of running with her wolves, but the image of Kiba attacking Pein was still fresh in her mind. She pulled away from him and before he or the others made a grab for her she ran to Pein and hugged him.

Pein grinned as he was nearly knocked down by Sakura jumping into his arms. Any doubts he may have held flew out the window as she attempted to burrow even further into his possessive embrace, resting her head in the crook of his neck. Besides that Sakura couldn't lie to save her life. If at any time in their relationship she tried to lie her face would turn the same shade as a ripe tomato and on top of that she would stutter with an audibly wavering voice. One of many reasons he loved her is that she had absolutely no guile.

In other words, if these men had been around for long he would have heard about it. They must have entered the picture since he saw her three days ago. He didn't know how they came to care for Sakura in that time; they were probably stalkers or something. Sakura was too honest to ever cheat in a relationship especially since she knew how it felt to be cheated on.

Sakura's arms tightened around his neck. Pein was once again reminded of how much he loved her. It made his assignment all the harder. He knew he had to tell her everything, because even if she hated him it would make his assignment successful and, more importantly, it would make it easier to keep her safe.

"Are you ready for out date, Sakura?" Pein asked quietly. Though he knew it wasn't a good sign, he relished the feeling of her breath on his neck when she sighed. He turned his head slightly to press a kiss into her hair. "What's wrong blossom?"

Pein realized he should have kept a better hold on Sakura when she was ripped from his grasp by a white haired male. When he looked up to find the male and get Sakura back he was met with six pairs of angry, feral, and_ glowing_ blue eyes.

All of the former wolves were extremely upset that Sakura had chosen this freak over them, but they were blaming Kiba for that one. When the creep was all smiley while hugging her they decided enough was enough. They had to get Sakura away from him so they could beat him into submission. Shikamaru came up with a plan and Itachi directed them. Sakura and Pein were so lost in their own thoughts that neither saw it coming. It was as easy as it gets.

Sakura looked at her wolves and saw their eyes glowing blue. Instinct told her that this was _not_ good. She reached out to pet Kimimaro in the same way she had earlier so that she could get his attention. He stopped her hand before it could reach him but looked at her anyway. Sakura almost flinched under the look he was giving her. His eyes were wild, angry, and hurt. He looked at her like she betrayed him yet despite that look he was still holding her like she was his most precious treasure and he wouldn't ever let her go.

Sakura looked around to see her other wolves slowly advancing on Pein who looked like he wanted to kill something or someone. She wasn't even sure whether the advancing pack was more intimidating or Pein who looked ready to take on a hundred men. She decided her best bet was to plead with Kimimaro.

"Please Kimimaro," She began with tears in her eyes. "You have to let me stop this. I'm truly sorry if I hurt you all, but it doesn't mean you can go ballistic on my boyfriend!" Sakura exclaimed her face turning into a pout so irresistible that Kimimaro had to look away before he became prostrate at her feet.

Poor Kimimaro didn't stand a chance against this woman. He released her with nothing more than a sigh and a leftover blush from seeing that adorable face. It was probably best that she remain unaware of this power she had over them. If she didn't and she asked for the world on a string then, by god, they would give it to her.

Kimimaro was snapped out of his thoughts by smacking sounds. Sakura had somehow acquired a rolled up newspaper and had proceeded to beat the other five wolf-men into submission with it. After the beating was over Sakura went to Orochimaru and made her demand.

"When I return, _you will explain everything._" Sakura left no room for argument. The men in the room couldn't help but take pride in the way she commanded the snake man. Tsunade merely placed a hand on a stunned Orochimaru's shoulder.

"Where are you going, Sakura?" Kiba whined as the lost little puppy once more. Everyone in the room now knew that he was tame only for Sakura.

"I'm going to look for some aspirin." She replied climbing up the stairs.

As she swept out of the room Orochimaru recovered from his shock only to come to a crippling realization. "Sakura-chan is _mad_ at me!" He cried as he threw himself to the floor and burst into tears simultaneously.


	4. Sakura's Pack

A/N: Hello! I'm back from a vacation where I did not have a computer for two weeks. The good news is I'm back now! The bad news is school has started again. I'm doing my best so please don't be angry if updates slow down. Thank you dear readers!

Disclaimer: Do you even have to ask? NO!

Chapter 4

Sakura's Pack

After Sakura had gotten medicine for her headache, Orochimaru decided he'd better get on with the explanation before she got mad at him again. If that happened he wasn't sure he could handle it. He sat on the couch and motioned for Sakura and the wolves to sit when he realized Pein was still there.

"Sakura-chan, why is he still here?" Orochimaru whined as if the roles of parent and child were reversed.

"Please Oro-kun, don't make this anymore difficult. Pein should hear this too." Sakura beseeched. The use of the affectionate nickname made him give in.

"Alright, he can stay. Don't get me wrong though. It's not for him. It's only because you asked nicely." Orochimaru grumbled as all the wolf-men let out a growl. He just looked at them sympathetically and began his tale.

"As I was telling you earlier I decided to turn the alpha wolves into humans with a medicine that Tsunade developed. It was easy really. All I had to do was coat the best part of the meat with the medicine and then the alphas would eat it because they always get the best meat first." Orochimaru explained simply.

"Why did you do it, Oro-kun?" Sakura asked in a shaky voice. She sounded like she was about to cry. "Why would you take them away from their habitats and pack's? You took _everything_ from them!"

"I did it for you." Orochimaru explained. "Believe me Sakura-chan. I didn't make this decision lightly. I worry about you because it is not enough to have contact with your parents and several packs of wolves alone. The only time you really get out is with _him_." He gestured to Pein. "I neither trust nor like this man, but if you choose to be with him regardless at least I know the alphas will be there to soften any emotional blow he may deal you."

Pein was used to this treatment. It was always the same with everyone except Sakura. People take one look at his piercings and label him a "punk" or a "freak." Sakura was the only person who hadn't taken him at face value. She made an effort to get to know him and he loved her for it. He hated himself for what he would have to do, but he had made a pact and he could not break it under any circumstances. His pact had to do with the medication Orochimaru had used which is why he accepted the story. Besides that, it sounded like something the old man would do.

"How can you just judge Pein like that, Oro-kun? You don't even know him! You never tried to." Sakura exclaimed in a broken tone that had Kiba pulling her into his lap before Pein could even snap out of his thoughts.

"Sakura it's alright. Pein doesn't seem to care so you shouldn't either. As for all of us, I've seen the way the others are with you and if we have any regrets, it's that there's so much competition. We are human now and we don't need a pack or a habitat in the wild anymore. All we need now is only you." Kiba murmured soothingly causing Sakura to blush. When he saw this he gave her a lopsided grin and nuzzled her a bit.

Pein narrowed his eyes at what he saw. _That's the man that attacked me. Judging from his behavior he has to be Kiba. That freaking mutt never did like me._ He ruminated. Though his apathetic mask was in place, fury burned in his gut at the way Kiba could so easily comfort Sakura. It was a power he retained in his human shape.

Gaara leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Though I hate agreeing with Kiba, what he says can't be denied. You are the only reason we need to stay human. Don't be upset because of us, Sakura." Gaara was not used to begging so the entreaty sounded more like a demand to everyone else but Sakura. She had always read Gaara easily when he was a wolf. It was strange now because his voice always came out harsher than he intended while his face was impassive but his body language and eyes gave him away. He was extremely protective towards and worried about her.

As Gaara whispered in her ear he couldn't resist a brief nibble on her lobe. The moment his teeth grazed her ear, Sakura's face turned the color of cherries. The next thing Gaara knew, he and Kiba were ripped away from the woman of their dreams. Apparently Pein couldn't take anymore. He immediately tossed them aside as if touching them burned and placed himself comfortably next to Sakura. He smiled tenderly when she buried her red face in his black jacket.

Itachi's blood was boiling. Now he knew why Kiba was driven crazy enough to attack this man who Sakura had called her "boyfriend." He was quite tempted to lash out himself. Sakura relied far too much on this human for his liking.

"I'll go see about getting you all some tea." Sakura stated looking at no one in particular. She stood and got three steps away from the couch when suddenly Shikamaru literally threw himself at her knocking them both to the floor. Instead of yelling at Shikamaru, Neji was heading towards the door with a snarl on his face. Orochimaru now had Tsunade pinned to the ground too. Jiraiya was yelling at him asking the question everyone was thinking.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jiraiya shouted just before a blast rocked the house from outside. For an instant everyone froze too stunned to move. Pein went pale as realization hit. When the wolves noticed this, hell broke loose for the umpteenth time that day. Kiba had Pein by the throat, Shikamaru was trying to hold onto a struggling Sakura, Neji was out the door with Itachi right behind him, Kimimaro ran out the back to see what in the world was going on, and finally Gaara was blockading the front and back doors once the others left and ordering Jiraiya to secure two escape routes that the enemy would not predict.

"What is _happening_ to my wolf preserve?" Tsunade shouted.

"What's going on Shikamaru? Where are the others going?" Sakura demanded still struggling in his nearly painful hold.

"_What did you do?_" Kiba roared at Pein.

"Kiba calm down!" Gaara ordered his natural alpha taking over. "We can't interrogate him if you choke him to death. Let him explain and then we decide what to do."

While this was going on Shikamaru quickly lapped up Sakura's tears. The others were too preoccupied to notice and Shikamaru was feeling tortured at seeing his woman so distraught. "The other guys have gone to find out who's messing with gunpowder. The wind changed and we caught the scent of a ton of it. It was more than a poacher would use. It was mixed with the scent of clay, but the gunpowder was overpowering. Judging from the small explosion, I'd say we have a bomber on our hands."

Orochimaru glared at Pein whose throat was released while Kiba still had him by the collar. Pein usually looked apathetic, but right now he looked like he was going to be sick. He kept looking everywhere except Sakura. Apparently he was too guilty to face her.

"Pein, please tell me they're wrong." Sakura begged ripping the pierced man's heart in half. All he could do was shake his head.

Sakura stilled as what everyone knew sank in. Pein had betrayed her. She walked straight up to him and gave him a smack that she hoped delivered at least of fraction of what she was feeling. She then squared her shoulders and took a deep breath as she turned to Shikamaru. She was the alpha. It was time she started acting like it.

"Shikamaru, I want you to go help our pack members outside. I'm going to help Kiba and Gaara with interrogation. _If_ we have to leave the house, for whatever reason, can you and the others follow our scents through the escape routes?" Sakura questioned. Her voice was strong and demanded an answer that Shikamaru was only too happy to provide. Kiba, Gaara, and Shikamaru felt giddy at hearing her accept that she was a vital part of this pack of theirs. Seeing her take command like this when she was still feeling the pain of betrayal spoke volumes for her character.

"It won't be a problem." Shikamaru affirmed as his heart swelled with pride for this woman he would make his own. If he had ever doubted he loved Sakura since becoming human, those doubts were wiped out by her own hand. He turned to Kiba and Gaara who had just reentered the room. "You two had better take care of _my_ mate while I'm away. I better not find out you took advantage of the situation later." He quietly snarled at the other beast-men knowing they would hear. With that he was gone leaving the two wolf-men still in the room fuming.

"The escape routes have officially been secured, and if you ask me we should go as soon as possible." Jiraiya declared.

"Thank you Jiraiya-kun. Let's move out." Sakura demanded, not even looking at Pein. He had never known an emotional blow could hurt this badly. Pein felt like he was being ripped to pieces slowly. He had thought he was prepared for this but he now knew he wasn't.

"Sakura" Pein let a broken whisper escape and it was nearly Sakura's undoing. Then she remembered what was happening to the preserve and her wolves. The pain of betrayal was still there but so was something else, unadulterated rage.

"You have a lot of nerve telling me you love me and then doing this to the place I love most!" She hissed in a lethal tone (something she picked up from Orochimaru.) "You know how precious this place is! It's my one sanctuary and your friend is _BLOWING IT UP!_" At this combination of fury and pain Sakura finally broke down and cried.

It was about ten seconds later that another blast rocked the house. Kiba grabbed Pein in a rough hold that would undoubtedly leave a mark or two at least and started along the escape route. Gaara was in emotional agony at seeing Sakura like this, but he knew it was nothing compared to what she was going through. He held off the anger and helplessness of the situation and scooped her up in his arms bridal style and set off down the path to safety. He silently vowed to himself to never let her go through this misery again.

Sakura buried her head in his shirt and tried to stop herself from sobbing, but as soon as Gaara noticed his extremely gentle hold got a little tight. "Don't hold back Sakura, not with me. If you want to cry, you should. All of us know how strong you are and we won't think any less of you." The redhead murmured in her ear.

Jiraiya looked back at his little girl and swore that the man who did this to her would pay. It had been so hard for Sakura to open up to anyone outside their little makeshift family. Pein was the first one she had _wanted_ to be completely open with and that _bastard_ decides to repay her with betrayal. _He will pay!_ The old toad-human deliberated.

Orochimaru was also contemplating Pein's demise when he heard them. There were extremely soft footfalls in the passage behind them. He wasn't sure of it at first until he saw that Kiba had stopped as well. "Who is following us?" Orochimaru demanded.

Kiba glared but answered anyway. "It's Itachi and Neji. Neji is bleeding and Itachi smells like he's been burned."

This time it was Sakura who spoke. "Are you sure?"

"It's definitely them, but we should keep going in case there being – Sakura wait!" Kiba cried when he saw her leap out of Gaara's arms and dash back towards the entrance of their escape. He immediately shoved Pein towards Orochimaru and ran after her.

Pein saw the opportunity presented to him when Kiba released him and before Orochimaru could grab him he regained his footing and sprinted after Sakura as well. He knew he wouldn't have long before they gave chase so he thought of nothing but Sakura being in danger and soon enough adrenaline was coursing through his veins at such an alarming rate he thought that his heart might give out. He didn't care. All he cared about at that moment was catching up to the woman he loved and protecting her from the mess he'd made.

Pein was as fit as a man could be, but he found that the best he could do was just keep up the same pace as Kiba. He was beginning to see why his boss wanted this medication Tsunade invented so badly. He knew that Kiba knew that he was right behind him so he was surprised when the wolf-man just kept on running. Before long they saw Sakura and all the men could think about was protecting her.

Sakura gasped as tears fell from her eyes at what she was seeing. One of her beautiful wolves was staggering down the tunnel Jiraiya had led them through while dragging another. Just as Kiba had said Neji was bleeding and Itachi had burn marks on his shoulders. Itachi's face was twisted with pain and exhaustion while Neji had lost consciousness. Somehow Itachi managed a small smile when he saw Sakura's face just before he collapsed.

When Sakura dashed as fast as she could to Itachi and Neji she noticed that the former's burn marks extended down his back. It was incredible that he'd made it this far, especially considering he had Neji in tow. _That's Itachi for you._ Sakura thought managing a small smile for him in return.

By this time Kiba, Pein, and Gaara had all caught up to Sakura. Kiba stood firmly between Pein and his mate so that no further emotional damage could be inflicted. However, Pein was done moping and the new priority was setting things right with him and Sakura. He dashed past Kiba and knelt by his precious woman's side.

"What do you need?" He inquired softly.

"I need something to keep Itachi from getting cold and I've got to staunch Neji's bleeding. We need water and some kind of makeshift bandage and blanket." Sakura mumbled past her sobs. If this were an hour ago Pein wouldn't have hesitated to pull her in his arms. He knew that if he tried the action now it would only make things worse so he pulled off his shirt and started on the bandages instead.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked on the wary side.

"I'm making us some bandages for the unconscious guy." Pein replied as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"That's not what I meant. You hate them so why are you helping them?"

Pein sighed and continued tearing at his shirt. "Don't misunderstand. I'm not such a good guy that I can go out of my way for people who mean nothing to me. However these creatures are important to you. If I can earn even the slightest hint at forgiveness by helping them then I would fight alongside them if I could do so without getting my siblings killed."

"What do you mean?" Sakura questioned, completely vulnerable. Gaara had gone to get water from Orochimaru while Kiba was putting his shirt over Itachi to keep him warm since Sakura had said that was what needed to be done. He still kept his ears perked.

"Sakura, there's something that I should have told you a long time ago."


	5. Pein's Pact

A/N: Personally I think I could've done more with this chapter. I like it but I don't love it. That doesn't stop me from hoping that you love it though. If you decide you do love it then please review so I feel like I'm writing something worthwhile and not wasting everybody's time. Thank you all for being patient with me and enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: Do you even have to ask? NO!

Chapter 5: Pein's Pact

"This is about why you betrayed me isn't it?" Sakura demanded despite knowing the answer.

"Yes it is. Like you, my parents died when I was still very young, but I have two siblings, a sister named Konan, and a brother named Nagato. They were all that kept me from complete desolation. However Konan was 18 when she was diagnosed with cancer. Nagato passed out not long after and we found out he also had the disease… and it was spreading. Doctors say that they won't survive to see 22. I became desperate. A year after the doctors told me this I stumbled across this gang called the Akatsuki. Their boss was a brilliant doctor who was actually Tsunade's apprentice at one point. His name is Kabuto Yakushi. He used a special medicine on my brother and sister that turned them into animals, but also got rid of their illness. The problem was that Kabuto couldn't turn them back. He told me that there is a way but it involves stealing. I refused at first and told him I will go to Tsunade herself and ask her to change my siblings back. Kabuto threatened to dissect my siblings, holding his scalpel to Nagato's throat. The longer I waited to answer the harder Kabuto pressed. The moment I saw the first drop of blood I agreed. I swore to my siblings and to that extortionist that I would not fail, no matter what I had to do. It was an oath of sorts, a pact even. This pleased that mad doctor and he said he would lend me the Akatsuki's aid. All I had to do was get you to tell me where the medicine was and get you and your family out of the house. The other Akatsuki members would sneak in while you were away and get the medicine that turned animals back into humans. No harm done. That was the way it would have happened if I had been faster, but after my last visit Kabuto told me I was taking too long and he was going to send the Akatsuki to raid the house. That's what's happening now. This is happening because I was a coward and couldn't tell you the truth. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Sakura." Pein's voice was pained and his eyes were squeezed tight in guilt and regret.

"From the sounds of it your siblings are like my wolves. We love each other but we both have something more important than our relationship. I'll help you and your brother and sister. I understand that you're sorry, but because your siblings are as important to you as my wolves are to me _you_ should understand why I can't forgive you right now. Someday if this damage is ever repaired then perhaps I can forget about how much you hurt me, but I highly doubt I'll forget about how your indecision hurt my wolves." Sakura stated matter-of-factly as she patched up Neji. She looked up to see Pein's eyes full of determination despite still holding a great deal of suffering as well.

"Then I apologize yet again because I will never stop trying to earn forgiveness. I swear I'll make it so you can trust me again, and even if it's one sided I will continue loving you. You misunderstood something Sakura. My siblings are important but you are just as important. I knew my siblings' lives hang in the balance while I believed you would be safe. Even then I still couldn't bring myself to hurt you emotionally until I had no other choice. That's how we got in this mess." At his declaration Itachi glared at Pein while Neji began to regain consciousness. Kiba was trying hard not to punch Pein, because further violence could easily upset Sakura.

As Sakura tied the makeshift bandages around a nasty head wound, Neji reached up to grab her hand and drag it down his cheek to his chest, stopping over his heart. She tried to pull her hand free but he held on just hard enough to keep her from pulling away. That's when Sakura noticed how his heart was hammering out an intense rhythm that just kept getting faster the longer her hand lingered.

"I can't even see you right now and you still manage to do this to me." Neji breathed with his eyes closed. He couldn't open his eyes without blood getting in them. He didn't mind though, as long as Sakura was near him. Unfortunately their moment ended far too soon from Neji's perspective. What was worse was the fact that it stopped because a strange scent was just beginning to invade the alphas' noses. It was the scent of sandalwood and poisons. Both Itachi and Neji recognized the scent from the preserve. It was an enemy.

Not long after the strange smell appeared, a figure became visible and drew closer. Gaara had come back with Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru in tow. The moment he saw the strange silhouette he stood protectively between him and his mate.

The stranger was much closer now. The smell of wood and poison could no longer mask his true scent. Itachi noticed it first.

"He's like us." Itachi warned everyone. The stranger smirked as all his adversaries looked at Tsunade momentarily giving him the chance to strike.

He moved with blinding speed. He dodged the burned wolf-human whose movements were impaired by his injuries, and grabbed the girl he knew to be Sakura. Everyone stilled. They may not have even been breathing when they saw he had a dagger to her throat.

"Are you really that stupid?" Sakura asked, shocking everyone in the process. The stranger was also stunned, but quickly covered it with a smirk.

"Are you really in a position to be saying that?" Said stranger murmured in her ear as he allowed the blade to press closer to her skin.

"Yes I am. You may think you have a bargaining chip but you don't. If anyone has a bargaining chip it's me. You kill me and you'll only get killed by the eight people remaining. Using me as a shield won't work either because the second I'm out of the way they will attack. I'm the only one standing between you and an untimely demise. The other option is to let me go and negotiate with us like a civilized person." Sakura stated calm as can be. They may as well have been talking about how their day has gone, instead of negotiating life and death.

Inside Sakura was a nervous wreck. The reason she could act calm was because she had forced herself to many times after her parents died. Since the dreadful day of the plane crash, she'd developed one hell of a poker face. She had to hold back the sigh of relief when he lowered his blade.

Gaara was on him in an instant grabbing the wrist that held the knife and twisting till he let go. He was about to do further damage when Sakura stopped him. He stilled when Sakura firmly grasped his shoulder.

"Don't Gaara. If I see any more violence I think I'll be sick. Let's just hear what he has to say."

While watching his opponents every move, Gaara released him. Itachi pulled Sakura to him. There was simply no way he would let this stranger get past him again. Kiba was holding Pein back in case he tried to help his friend or try to kill him. It had always been difficult to predict what Pein would do. Sakura turned to the red headed outsider.

"Shall we start with introductions then?" She began in an attempt to make things seem a little less awful. She failed miserably. "I'm Sakura. What do you go by?" She almost put her hand out for him to shake, but Itachi pinned her closer to his chest despite how it hurt.

"I don't know what kind of game you think this is but I'll play along for now. My name is Sasori. As the stupid wolf-man said I'm somewhat like them. My name says it all. I was a scorpion before the human called Kabuto turned me into a creature that resembles a human." Sasori stated applying his own poker face to hide how shocked he was that she was talking to him like he hadn't threatened her life only moments ago. She put up a brave front, and a convincing one, but he could see that's all it was now. A small trickle of blood went down her throat and he noticed her shudder slightly as she realized how close a call she'd been up against.

Sasori was suddenly slammed against the wall of the manmade cavern by none other than his supposed ally Pein. "If you are an animal turned human then why did Kabuto lie to me and say he doesn't have any? If you don't tell me this instant I swear I will kill you!" He roared at Sasori.

"Stop it Pein." Sakura commanded getting into her alpha role despite the fact that Pein wasn't one of her wolves. He turned to her as if to protest but the moment he looked in her eyes he was overcome with guilt all over again. He meekly released the redhead.

"Kabuto didn't lie. He foolishly squandered the medicine in the blink of an eye. If you transform more than one species of animal you'll find that different species require different amounts. For example, a scorpion requires just one drop while a shark needs a small bottle of it. Kabuto wasted what little of the medicine he had stolen on the shark." Sasori revealed. He was surprised to find himself becoming more and more interested in Sakura. At first he thought it was just a strange fascination due to the fact that he hadn't been around other human women before, but that wouldn't explain why green was suddenly his favorite color. Then there was his growing obsession with pink hair to consider.

She was just so unlike anyone he'd ever met. Kabuto was intelligent but if he had even a fraction of her bravery he wouldn't be trying to create soldiers from stolen medication to fight his battles for him. She was as beautiful as her namesake but also as unyielding as the trunk of the tree. Sasori gave himself a mental slap.

_Have I lost my mind? She's the enemy! _He told himself firmly. Yet he couldn't help but wonder if that was still true when she had saved him from the blood thirsty men around her _twice_. Would anyone else do that for him when he had held a dagger to their throat? Were all humans this strange or was it just her?

He just stood there leaning against the wall as he thought and he was getting stares from just about everyone except the man covered in blood. Just as he was realizing this he noticed the crimson covered man lean up and _lick_ small cut on Sakura's throat. She shuddered again, but this time he was fairly certain that it wasn't due to fear. Sasori surprised himself with the aggressive feelings that flowed through him, the most prominent being jealousy. To Sasori it was completely confirmed that he had lost his mind and somehow he didn't care one bit.

Neji could have moaned at the taste of Sakura's skin. He could feel the others attempting to glare him into submission, but with his eyes closed and everything, they could have been having a staring contest with a mirror for all he cared. As for Sakura herself, she was about to protest the almost painful swipe of his tongue over the small scratch when Neji moved his head lower to lap at the blood that trailed down the column of her throat. He moved his head up slowly and she just knew if he was in wolf form his ears would be up and forward listening for the slightest sound or even just a change in breathing, any sign at all that would communicate her reaction.

When his mouth hit a sensitive spot she only just managed to keep from gasping. Yet even with all the effort in the world, she couldn't have suppressed the telling shudder. With a sudden ferocity she was ripped from Itachi's arms and collided with Neji. He was on her with a passion she had never even once detected in the mellow moon-eyed man-beast. Her eyes widened when he pressed himself against her to the point where she could feel every part of him. He put his mouth to work, using lips, tongue, and even his slightly sharp teeth to pay ardent attention to that spot. It lasted for about ten seconds total when Sakura pushed away from him and he was instantly pummeled by his three remaining pack members and Pein. They had been waiting for the opportunity from the moment they realized what he was doing but he was dangerously close to Sakura. She was the last person who needed to get involved in these scuffles.

Sakura quickly realized she'd pushed away a little too hard. She was falling backwards but was caught just in time by none other than Sasori. It surprised her because she saw him lunge at her as if she was falling off a cliff instead just the short distance to the ground. He held her so gently for just a moment so she could regain her balance and before he backed away with a barely visible blush.

Sasori made his decision. He didn't care if it made him a traitor. The fact was that wanted to stay by this woman's side. She made him feel like he belonged. For someone or something that felt they didn't have a proper place in this world it caused a dizzying euphoria. Even though the majority of them still wanted to kill him he felt like he fit in and he wanted to keep feeling this way.

"Sakura if you'll allow me to stay with you and your family then not only will I offer up all the information I have on Kabuto, I will go and stop my partner as well and we will help you rebuild the preserve. All I ask is that when Kabuto sends men to kill us, you and your family help us fight them. I think it will benefit us all since Kabuto will send the remaining men of his gang after all of us one way or another. There's strength in numbers." As Sasori said this a light bulb went off in Jiraiya's head. Sasori was right that there was always strength in numbers and the old toad-man knew just where to get those numbers.

Sakura looked to Tsunade for a sign of approval and it came in the form of a resigned nod. She turned back to Sasori and nodded as well to show that she agreed to his deal. Sasori smiled a genuine smile and Sakura had to admit it was a beautiful sight. With the same speed he had used at the very beginning of their meeting, he moved in to give her a peck on the lips before winking at her and dashing back to the wolf preserve. The wolves were still too busy squabbling to notice but her adoptive parents did and they were not amused.


	6. The Beast Women

A/N: Thank you for being so patient and I hope you like the chapter!

Disclaimer: Do you even have to ask? NO!

Chapter 6: The Beast Women

-The wolf preserve-

Kimimaro and Shikamaru knew they had to be cautious. There was at least one more enemy who had collapsed a part of the house on top of Neji when they were distracted by the bombs. On top of that, Itachi had gotten burned covering for his heavily bleeding pack member. The two were forced to fall back when Neji lost consciousness.

It was only after that did they realize Itachi was moving slow enough to be followed and the enemy had not missed the opportunity. Kimimaro was about to run after them to prevent their more stealthy opponent from getting to Sakura when Shikamaru yelled at him to help take down the bomber first. After several attempts to corner him they finally captured the rather feminine male who turned out to be an animal made human just like them.

The anticlimactic ending was that the other adversary reappeared and told everybody that he and his partner were now allies with the Sakura obsessed wolves. Now Shikamaru and Kimimaro didn't believe a word of it and bashed both men over the head and tied them up with Tsunade's secret stash of duct tape. It was only when the object of their (stalker-like) affections returned unharmed and scolded them for their deed did they realize the creepers were telling the truth. The two once proud alphas sulked in their own separate corners of woe, not wanting to believe that Sakura had actually been angry with them.

-In the house one hour later-

Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Kiba, and Gaara were all interrogating the new comers and Pein in the basement because it gave off more of a good cop/bad cop feel. While this was going on Itachi was sleeping on Sakura's bed despite everyone thinking he was sleeping in the guest bedroom. He would have stayed there except it didn't smell anything like her. He was certain she wouldn't mind, since she would soon recognize him as her lifelong mate. Neji was in the master bedroom with the emergency IV set up to help him rehydrate. This left Sakura to deal with her two brooding wolf-men who were _still_ in their corners.

"Guys, how long are you going to stay in those corners?" Sakura inquired with exasperation. Kimimaro just sulked even more while Shikamaru remained silent. Sakura quietly looked them over noticing how beat up they were. Dirt and blood covered their clothes and she couldn't help but worry about how they wouldn't even let her put ointment on the multiple lacerations covering them. Sakura's eyes filled with determination. She was not going to let this go on any longer.

With those thoughts in mind she made her way over to Kimimaro and placed her hand on his back. He didn't shrug her off, but he didn't look at her either. Sakura realized it would take more than that to bring him out of this tantrum, so she did something that always made him feel better when he'd been a sick pup. Ever careful of his cuts, she wrapped her arms around Kimimaro and pulled him into a gentle hug. He resisted at first, but as soon as her body heat seeped into his skin he melted against her. In his eyes she was the epitome of irresistible. Her power over him was absolute and quite likely everlasting.

"I'm sorry Kimimaro. I shouldn't have yelled at you when you and everyone else did so much to protect our home. I overreacted because of all the blood and panic throughout the day. That's no excuse for taking it out on you though." Sakura murmured sounding quite sullen due to the fact she hated to admit being wrong. She cut through the thoughts of the silver haired beast man like a knife through warm butter. As for those thoughts there was only one correction to make. Her power over him was irrevocably everlasting.

When Sakura decided she'd apologized enough she moved to stand and make her way to Shikamaru. At least, that was what was supposed to happen. What really occurred was Kimimaro grabbing her wrist and pulling her on top of him. This made Sakura panic slightly. She was about to yell at him, but the look in his eye made her lose her voice. His eyes glowed with a blue light and looked at her with such passion and lust that it made her blush 50 shades of red in under a minute, but there was something else behind that gaze that made her catch her breath. He looked like a frightened little boy who could be crushed at just the idea of rejection from a loved one.

Kimimaro reversed their positions and pressed every plane of his body against Sakura's while being careful not to crush her beneath his weight. He trailed a line of kisses from her collar up to her ear and just breathed deeply for a few moments. He felt her begin to shiver and he caught the scent of fear. The last thing he wanted was to scare her, but he only had two options at the moment: indulge a little and scare her a bit or completely give into the emotions, desires, and instincts that sought everything he so desperately yearned for_, her love, her submission, her heart and future tightly bound to his,_ and terrify her beyond all reason. The small indulgence seemed the lesser of two evils. Kissing, licking, and nibbling his way back to her neck he couldn't resist a little love bite at the juncture of her neck and collarbone.

"Don't!" Sakura shouted. Shikamaru across the room immediately sprinted from his corner and all out tackled Kimimaro. As they beat the crap out of each other Sakura couldn't help but wonder what took the brunette so long. She got her answer when Shikamaru got the upper hand in the scuffle and began to yell at Kimimaro.

"Can't a guy take a freaking _nap_ without his mate being fucking _attacked?_" As Shikamaru's tirade became more and more graphic of how he would maim Kimimaro the other men folk charged in wondering what the hell was happening. They were not happy. Sakura's clothes and hair were disheveled and there on her neck was a trail of little hickeys leading up to one very faint bite mark. Sakura had never seen her dads so enraged. Orochimaru had turned a very violent shade of red while Jiraiya was practically purple in the face. Gaara, Pein, Itachi, (who smelled an awful lot like Sakura's room) and Kiba were all trying to get a piece of Kimimaro while the dads were punching at any male that moved.

Sasori tried to make his way over to Sakura to see if she was alright, but Tsunade beat him to it and began to pull Sakura away. Sasori turned to his partner (who looked very confused by all this chaos) and dragged him to follow the women in secret. They followed the women into the very basement they had just escaped from with Deidara protesting quietly the whole way. That didn't sit well with Sasori, seeing as how the idiot blonde was never quiet. They stopped halfway down the stairs and used their superior hearing to listen in.

-With Sakura and Tsunade-

"Sakura you and I have known each other since you were born. I think it's beyond time for me to tell you of our origins. To get to your story, we must first get through mine. Since the men are going to be otherwise occupied for a while I felt that now is as good a time as any. Are you ready for this?" Tsunade asked her pupil and daughter.

"Even if I'm not I still want to know. Please tell me." Sakura pleaded in return. She needed to know why the wolf-men were so attached to her or she wouldn't be able to look them in the eye. She had known for some time now that their attraction came on far too fast to be natural.

"My story starts with the man who first created the medication that turns animals into humans. His name was Hashirama Senju. The first animals he tested the medicine on were two bears, a male and a female. Once they were human they spent a few years with Hashirama and learned about human society." Tsunade paused for a moment. "During that time the two bear-humans fell in love, and not too long after they had a child. They named her… they named me Tsunade."

Tsunade waited for that to sink in before continuing. Sakura eventually nodded for her to continue. "For seven years we were all very happy living with Hashirama. Unfortunately due to the imperfect medicine, my parents' hearts gave out long before a healthy human heart would have. Old man Senju adopted me out of equal parts guilt and familial affection. I took over his research and discovered the problem that caused my parents to die. The transformation from animal to human begins in the blood. The heart is put under a great deal of strain in an effort to complete the transformation as quickly as possible. The one being transformed has to take in a great deal of oxygen which is both helpful and harmful. It makes the transformation relatively painless, but…"

"Oxygen can break down your body if you don't get enough antioxidants, and that was what happened to your parents." Sakura concluded. After a long pause Sakura asked the question driving her insane. "What will happen to my wolves, Tsunade?"

"Oh, don't worry. Just look at Orochimaru and Jiraiya. Those two are as healthy as men can be and they've lasted many years longer than my parents did. The revised medication can turn animals to humans and humans to animals and actually does a lot to prevent physical damage as well as illness. As a matter of fact the transformation process can actually cure most diseases, but now we're way off track so let's back up. You know my story now it's time for me to tell yours."

"Were my parents born as animals too?" Sakura teased only to have realization hit her when Tsunade stayed serious.

"Your parents were once wolves on this very preserve. After my parents died I realized there was no one even remotely similar to me left. When Hashirama died, there wasn't even anyone who knew about me. I decided to make a few people who I could relate to. First I turned Jiraiya and Orochimaru. When they started screaming "mate, mate" I decided to turn a wolf and his mate into humans so I could have a makeshift family of people like me. Those two wolves were your parents. Your mother and father were younger siblings to me. I was overjoyed to find out your mother was pregnant as I had found out I was incapable of having children." Tsunade explained.

"You can't have kids, Tsunade? What spurred you to get tested?" Sakura inquired. Tsunade gave her a comical shocked look.

"I honestly can't believe you're asking that after Neji and now Kimimaro attacked you. I had Jiraiya to deal with you know." The blonde laughed.

"You make a good point." Sakura chuckled along. She decided to ask one more question before they returned to their guys. "How do I explain all this to the guys?"

"I suggest you tell them all at once. It will be more entertaining that way." Tsunade said with a wink. They had a good laugh before they went back to their men.

-Sasori and Deidara-

_That was close._ Sasori thought to himself as he and Deidara had silently sprinted up the stairs the second they realized Sakura and her surrogate mother were coming back up. Sasori looked at his best friend and was startled by the contemplative look on his face. Deidara could actually contemplate something? _Who knew?_

"Hey snake bait, yeah,"

"What bird brain?" Sasori snapped.

"That conversation just now, is that why I feel really embarrassed when that Sakura girl looks at me, yeah?" Deidara asked flushing slightly at his own admission. Sasori contemplated punching his best friend for a moment before he sighed. If he had started seeing Deidara as a threat then he was either not thinking or letting his emotions override his logic. Neither was acceptable.

"That's probably the case." Sasori confirmed before going to find Sakura.

_I wonder if she likes flowers._ Deidara considered before he went outside in hopes of finding some that she would like.


End file.
