Naruto 1. Indecent Proposal

**Rating: **T (for this chapter)

**Genre: **Romance/Drama

**Summary: **The King demands that his son receive a thorough sex education to prevent ridicule from the nobles at court. Who else should help the young Prince but the Lady Haruno Sakura and his teacher Hatake Kakashi.

**Author's Notes: *EDIT NOV 2014* **Yes yes, this is a repost from my collection of one shots. This fic came from there but after writing the 3rd chapter (and starting the 4th), I realized it is going to be much longer than the initial 2 chapters I planned, hence why I am posting separately. SORRY TO THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY READ THIS. Tomorrow, I will post chapter 2; the day after that chapter 3 (new!). Hopefully, chapter 4 not long after that. Terribly sorry. I'll be deleting this from my one-shot collection, as it is not necessary to have there anymore.

*copy paste old A/N* Writing this fic was actually pretty funny, in a ridiculous way, because it starts out semi-serious but the actual plot is so NOT serious. When I re-read it, it was like... the first 1000 words is serious business/boring, then it suddenly performs a free fall into smut buildup 101. HAHA, yeah... Building up to smutsmutsmut. Happy reading!

As always, thank you dearly for the reviews!

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><p><strong>Part I: Indecent Proposals<strong>

**. . .**

The good King Uchiha had plenty to be thankful for. Not since the bloody and merciless civil war ten years past had his kingdom witnessed the upheavals of war. The balance of power between the Four Great Nations remained fixed and held firmly in place through a series of alliances that served as checks against any one nation from gaining too much influence. His kingdom was thriving, with increases in its trade and commercial networks, a growing population, several years of abundant harvest and a subservient nobility. Of equally great importance, the legacy of his rule remained secure by the birth of his two sons. Both were healthy, attractive, ambitious and intellectually gifted; they possessed all that was needed in order to be great and noble leaders. It was without exaggeration that Fugaku could proudly say that the two princes excelled in all areas princes ought to. All of this should have allowed the good King to rest peacefully at the end of the day, yet something troubled him greatly.

Despite all he had to be thankful for, there was an issue with one of his sons that increasingly nagged at him. His younger son, Prince Uchiha Sasuke, was stubborn, abrasive, and possessing a touch of hubris. None of these qualities, however, were the problem. If anything, such characteristics made him a strong and capable heir. Prince's that are weak and lacking in confidence do not have the strength needed to control the nobility or command the populace. As such, Fugaku found himself, at times, even promoting such characteristics to the chagrin of many noble families.

For most of his life, the young Prince was given a longer leash and more freedom than his older brother, Prince Uchiha Itachi. This was not because Fugaku liked him any less than his elder son, it was simply the nature of his birthright. As the second born son, Sasuke did not hold the same responsibilities as his brother, the heir apparent. Sasuke was destined for command in the military, where pride and arrogance thrived, creating the most honorable and noteworthy leaders.

Life changed dramatically for both, father and son, on the fateful day one year ago that his eldest son calmly announced that he would _not _ascend to the throne upon King Fugaku's passing. The King remembered that day quite well. Itachi left no room for argument, his words were very precise, _"I will abdicate upon my father's passing, allowing Prince Sasuke to ascend to the throne in my place." _

The shocking pronouncement left the good King with no other option: Sasuke would have to take Itachi's place as heir apparent. The once long leash he had been awarded was shortened considerably. Spies and carefully placed guards monitored the young Prince's every move, quietly observing and reporting to Fugaku any matters of concern.

It was not only Fugaku who had his spies in place, however. Other nobles also put their own loyal men and women in place to gather any information, which might serve useful for _influencing _the future king's decisions.

Fugaku sat uneasily in an elaborately carved wooden chair by the large hearth, located at one end of his room. He sighed deeply, and tapped his finger impatiently against the arm of the chair. After many months, his spies had gleaned one particular piece of information that worried the King: his son expressed absolutely no interest in females whatsoever. For some, this might seem a fortunate quality. Rather than distracting himself with wanton pleasures and scandalous acts, the Prince threw himself into study and training. Fugaku was indeed pleased, that he did not have to worry about his son accruing the wrath of nobles for deflowering their daughters or the scandals produced by the birth of bastard children. Yet, it was worrisome that his son did not express even the _slightest _interest in any Lady of the court.

As much as royal power depended on physical and proven strength, it also depended on symbolism and simple imagery. If a monarch demonstrates any form of weakness, it incites his nobles to start grumbling and to search for an opening. If the weakness persists for an extended period of time, the nobles start forming their secretive alliances, jostling for power and plotting to exert their influence over the weakened king in order to see their own wealth and power grow. If the king's weakness grows serious enough, the nobility start fighting amongst themselves over who is best fit to seize power. Nobles are a strong king's greatest alley, but a weak king's most dangerous and cunning enemy. A king is as much at war and in competition with his own nobility, as he is with neighboring kingdoms.

While the young Prince's lack of interest in women initially seemed only a minor concern, it grew over time as it revealed itself damaging to his imagery. The nobility and populace alike wanted to know that their future king was healthy and filled with a certain _vitality_ that promised a long and fruitful reign. Sexual exploits enhance a prince's reputation of physical prowess, it shows that he is capable of producing heirs and projects the image of a conqueror. For a prince to go through his entire teenage years without ever touching a female raised considerable suspicion. What sort of healthy teenaged boy did not want a woman? What was wrong with _him _that he would turn down every one of the most beautiful, eye-catching and wealthiest females in the entire kingdom? When the time came, would he be able to copulate with his future wife? The people always wanted their heirs, and when the future heir showed no ability or desire to produce such heirs, the line of succession becomes unstable, causing people to ask who would succeed to the throne if the future king sired no heirs? It was these sorts of questions that caused the nobility to start grumbling and spreading derogatory rumours.

The King rubbed the bridge of his nose, inhaling deeply as he waited for his ever-tardy General. How that man could show up late for a private meeting with his King never ceased to amaze him. No other person in the entire kingdom would make him wait nor would he allow it. His General was the only exception.

A light rapping at the door to his quarters informed him that the man had arrived.

"Enter," he commanded softly, but with the authority of a king.

Slowly, the heavy wooden doors pushed open and a lean man with gray hair walked in. He dismissed the guards standing in the corridor and delicately shut the doors behind him, before making his way to the King and kneeling lowly on one knee.

"Your Grace," the gray-haired man began with his head bowed, "I apologize for my tardiness. I was—"

"I don't need another one of your excuses Hatake Kakashi." Fugaku eyed his General sternly for several tense seconds before continuing, "You're lucky you're father was in such high standing with me, and that you've proven yourself a capable leader."

The General nodded deftly and looked up at his King with his coal coloured eye, "I understand you had something important to discuss with me, Excellency?"

"Please take a seat, Kakashi-san," the King gestured to the chair across from him, waiting for the man to sit before continuing.

When Kakashi leaned forward, with his forearms resting on the arms of the chair, Fugaku began. "It concerns the crowned Prince, my heir," he spoke calmly but a small trace of frustration entered his usually steady voice.

"Prince Sasuke?" the gray-haired man sought to clarify, and received a curt nod in response.

For a brief moment, Fugaku's gaze turned and lingered on the flickering flames of the fire, which cast dancing shadows across the length of the dimly lit room. His weary eyes closed in concentration and again, he released a long sigh to quell the anxiousness in his nerves.

"You mustn't utter a word of this conversation to anyone outside this room, is that understood," the King studied his General intensely.

"I swear on my life that I will hold your words in confidence. You have my complete loyalty and obedience, Your Grace." Kakashi's normally lazy, calm expression replaced itself with a fiery intensity that rarely ever reached the surface. It was enough to assure the King he meant it.

"Very well." Fugaku cleared his throat and began, "Tell me, what have you heard of my youngest son's sexual exploits?"

Kakashi thought about the question briefly but soon replied, "I'm afraid, Your Grace, that I have heard nothing of his time with the Ladies of the court. Your son, the Prince, is most secretive on... _personal _matters. "

"That is precisely the problem," Kakashi's head tilted to the side so the good King elaborated; "He is at an age where there should, at least, be a _few _rumours swirling on his conquests. Instead, there is absolutely nothing."

A pair of gray brows knit together, "There is still time yet, Excellency. Perhaps the prince is simply a..." Kakashi hesitated, wanting to tread lightly so as not to offend the King, but continued once he received a nod signalling for him to finish his line of thought. "Perhaps he is a late bloomer on this matter."

"That's unacceptable," Fugaku snapped, breaking his practiced calm exterior. "In six months he will turn eighteen, he is of marriageable age yet he has not courted a single woman. Even Itachi took himself a mistress when he was scarcely fourteen years of age." Itachi had always been the quieter and more distant son of the two, yet somehow it was the temperamental, more vocal son, who had him worrying over such an issue.

"Perhaps the young Prince's interests lay in the kinds of women found outside the court?" The General offered an explanation, though even as he said it, he knew there was no way the young Uchiha would possess such low standards.

Fugaku's finger stopped tapping as he asked with mild curiosity, "Do you think he would take a concubine?"

"Hm," Kakashi's forefinger rubbed his chin, "I should think not. He does seem to have rather high standards." In all honesty, the Prince had the attitude that only he and his immediate family members were worthy of living, everyone else essentially lived to serve them.

"No matter." The King replied sternly, "I will have my son take a mistress posthaste. I will not have him garner the reputation of being a eunuch _or worse_."

It was the _or worse _that signified to Kakashi the seriousness of the situation. After all, there were not many things worse for a man than to have the reputation of having no manhood. He had heard no rumours hinting at such an image for the young Prince, but the wise King Fugaku always did possess the uncanny ability to foresee the future turn of events.

"Surely, Your Grace, there have been no such rumours circulating at court," Kakashi asked slowly, cautiously.

"There have been none so bold to put it as harshly, but my spies have overheard whispers," his voice grew lower, though it was impossible for anyone to overhear the conversation from inside the King's quarters.

"What whispers?" The gray-haired man asked in interest. He was a nobleman and General of the kingdom's forces, yet he didn't participate in the power games of court. For him, court was merely a place to have his share of wine and women, not always in that order.

"Some have questioned why the Prince only accompanies himself with the presence of his fellow Lords, you know, the Uzumaki orphan and his fellow cohorts. Some have even gone so far as to postulate whether," Fugaku broke off shortly, as if saying the words aloud would somehow make them true, but he found it in him to finish, "Whether the Prince has any interest in women _at all_."

Poor Kakashi was not sure how to put the good King at ease. He was a tactician, a genius of his craft; his knowledge extended beyond the battlefield to nearly all matters of importance, yet he had never been asked to pose solutions for an ice-cold prince's sexual proclivities or lack thereof.

"If I may, Your Grace—"

"You may."

"So great are the young Prince's talents that he is used to excelling in all matters without having to exert much thought or effort. Perhaps, in this matter, the Prince merely lacks a certain... confidence or assurance in his abilities." Kakashi could picture so perfectly Sasuke throttling him for making such a remark, but it was possibly not far from the truth. People do tend to dislike that which they are not skilled at or have no experience in.

"Do you suppose then, that the Prince would benefit from some lessons on the subject?" Fugaku asked, with sudden inspiration striking his tone. Clearly, an idea was formulating in his wise mind.

"He can only benefit from expanding his skill set, but I do imagine he will be resistant to the idea, Excellency." Sasuke would do more than resist, he would object to the idea entirely.

"I do not care for his opinion on the matter. Prince Sasuke will obey his King, and father, or I will see to it that he sorely regrets it. This issue cannot be allowed to fester. The people, and his fellow nobility, need to know that their future king is healthy." Fugaku glanced back at the flames in the fireplace, "I will not always be here to guide him, and I can't take worry over my son's ability to produce heirs to the grave. He is still young, but he is stubborn and tends to get stuck in his ways."

Fugaku paused briefly before adding, "I will not have my son a blushing virgin on his wedding night." Slight distaste lingered in his mouth at the thought of his son being less practiced than some future wife of his. It was girls, who were supposed to preserve their virginity for marriage, though it was well known that most females in court lacked that particular quality. Boys and men were meant to hone their skills by competing for women and wooing the fair Ladies at court.

"I have no doubt the prince will master these lessons," Kakashi spoke confidently, despite feeling some anxiety building within him.

"I would expect nothing less of my heir. Now," Fugaku leaned forward slightly, "As for his teacher, we need someone who is loyal, sworn to secrecy and most skilled in the art of seduction."

"There are many at court with grand reputations in love-making, but I do not know all the intricacies of family dynamics and who will not use such a..." he searched for the right word, "_compromising _position for the prince against him in the future."

"My thoughts precisely. Kakashi-san," the King stared intently, a look that made the gray-haired man uneasy. "The only person who I trust enough to fulfill such a task is you."

"Me? My lord, I really—" Kakashi began, trying to backpedal himself out of this position. He really did not need to be on the receiving end of the Prince's ire.

"I have heard plenty of your reputation with the Ladies, and there is no other person I trust more. Not only that, but my son seems to hold you in higher regard than the other Lords at court. It must be you."

Kakashi hung his head in defeat and sighed. "It would be the greatest honour, Your Grace." The King had already made up his mind, and no one refuses the King.

"I will inform the prince of my decision in the morning. Tomorrow at court, have the Prince pick out a female to begin his lessons with. I will allow you to organize them however you see fit, just promise me you will see to it that he learns enough not to make a fool of himself." For all his bluntness and cold exterior, the King truly loved his sons and wanted to ensure a long and prosperous future for them.

Kakashi smoothly slipped off the edge of the chair and dropped down onto his knees, kneeling before the King once more and promising with the greatest sincerity, "I swear to teach him all that I know, Excellency."

With all the elegance and grace of the finest kings, Fugaku rose to his feet, signalling his humble General's dismissal. "I will not forget this, Kakashi-san. You are free to leave."

Slowly rising, Kakashi bowed his head and departed the room. Never once, in all his life, did he imagine he would be tasked with teaching the young Prince how to engage in sexual acts with women. It almost made him wish a war would breakout so that he didn't have to follow through.

A shaky sigh escaped the gray-haired man's lips as he ran his fingers through his hair. By tomorrow, he would surely feel the full weight of the prince's wrath for having to participate in such lessons.

Soon, Kakashi would be able to add teacher of sexual education to his repertoire of skills and occupations, what an uncomfortable thought.

. . .

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><p>Two men stood apart from the rest of the Lords and Ladies of the court in silent intensity. No one dared ask why the young Prince appeared to be brooding with his father's carefree General standing next to him. In fact, the sight of the brooding Prince was more standard than the sight of him relaxed or in quiet contentment.<p>

Kakashi rested his hand on the young prince's shoulder in a comforting manner, as he regarded the scene before them. In response to the touch, Sasuke released a bitter scowl and stepped away from the General's hand. To say he was in a foul mood would be an understatement.

One look at the group of chattering Ladies on the opposite side of the throne room was enough to cause the Prince's handsome, pale face to contort in a mixture of disgust and aggravation. He turned his body, preferring to glare at the stonewall with his arms crossed.

"Now, now, Sasuke," Kakashi tsk'd. Knowing the Prince all his life afforded him the unusual privilege of referring to him without the usual formal suffix added to his name. "It's not going to kill you," he took hold of the fuming male's shoulders from behind and returned his attention back to the task at hand.

"The king ordered you to pick one, so which will it be," as he spoke, he regarded the females himself, thinking of weighing in his decision. He automatically ignored the Ladies that were either too old or too young, knowing Sasuke well enough to assume he'd want a female within his age group.

"This is ridiculous," Sasuke hissed lowly. "I don't need a woman." Again, his onyx eyes shifted away from the group of Ladies.

"Perhaps, but how do you suppose you'll continue the Uchiha dynasty if you're too afraid to even look at a woman." Kakashi had long decided to tease the young Prince as much as possible while he still could, for one day, Sasuke would be king and he may no longer be afforded the luxury to do so.

At the General's goad, Sasuke snapped in response, "I'm not _afraid._" To prove his point, he returned his gaze to the Ladies of the court, though Kakashi could tell without being on the receiving end of it, that his glare held such intensity that it was akin to the way a warrior stares down an angry tiger before going on the attack.

"They're just... too clingy, and needy, and weak." His list of complaints could have gone on for half the afternoon, but he settled with, "They're annoying."

"They're not all annoying, Little Prince." Sasuke was about to interject to the contrary but Kakashi decided to get down to business. "What about the Hyuuga girl? She's soft-spoken and obedient."

Sasuke frowned and clipped out, "She's weird. And, her family is always striving to accrue greater influence."

The curt rejection saw Kakashi's eyes roll, "Very well. Then, why not Yamanaka Ino? Her family is more complacent and she possesses a desirable womanly figure."

"She talks far too much and," Sasuke glanced over his shoulder, "If you desire her figure so much, why don't you go to her and leave me be."

"You know I can't do that." He wanted to add that the last thing he wanted to be doing was helping the Prince find a Lady to bed, but he'd already promised the King to deal with this task respectfully.

Kakashi searched the group of females for another one close in age and attractive enough to appease the Prince. His eyes eventually fell on one with chocolate brown hair wrapped in twin buns. The girl laughed with the Lady's from the Yamanaka and Hyuuga clans, clearly enjoying something about their conversation. "Tenten has a sense of humour and a pleasant demeanor, how about her?" He calmly asked.

This time, Sasuke snorted in his typical, condescending fashion. "I don't even know her family name. I would never share a bed with someone of such low birth," the Prince scoffed at the indignity.

"Of course," was Kakashi's bland reply. Mentally, he scolded himself for somehow forgetting about Sasuke's pretentiousness when it came to mingling with others.

"You could go for that red headed girl, Karin, was it? If my memory serves correct, she is part of the Uzumaki clan, which is well respected." Kakashi did not know much about the woman but he was running out of suggestions. On paper, at least, the Karin girl seemed suitable.

"Don't be absurd," the raven-haired Prince bit out haughtily. "She's constantly chasing after me in the most unsightly of ways," as he finished speaking, he turned to face the older man with a look of annoyance. "You're not even trying. All of your recommendations are entirely unsuitable."

An exasperated sigh made its way through Kakashi's mask. Who knew picking a woman to fool around with would be such a difficult affair. It's not as though the King had asked Sasuke to pick out a wife. At the thought, Kakashi felt a shiver run down his spine. _That _would be an arduous process indeed.

Growing tired of the Prince's difficult attitude, Kakashi lazily replied, "If all my suggestions are unsuitable, then pick one for yourself or else we will have to seek out a concubine."

His statement had the desired effect, because as soon as the Prince heard the word 'concubine', his face shriveled up in revulsion. There was no way Sasuke would ever touch one of _those_. Turning on his heel, Sasuke searched the crowd of Lords and Ladies for several moments.

Silence passed between the two males, as Kakashi patiently waited for the Prince to make his choice. After a couple minutes, he had lost himself in absentminded thought, only to find himself startled by Sasuke's abrupt and terse voice.

"I will take her," Sasuke nodded in the direction of his choosing. Kakashi followed his unbreaking gaze and spotted a familiar, pink-haired female, smiling brightly and standing next to the blonde-haired Uzumaki male. She was soft on the eyes and appropriately dressed for a proper Lady. Kakashi knew her well, having spoken to her on many occasions.

To clarify, and make sure he had spotted correctly, Kakashi questioned, "The one with pink hair?"

"Yes," Sasuke paused briefly in seeming contemplation, "Haruno Sakura."

At last, the young prince shifted his attention back to his so-called teacher. His onyx orbs bore into Kakashi's coal eye with a determined intensity as he asked, "Now what?"

With a small smirk, Kakashi answered him, "Now you learn your first lesson."

"And what might that be," Sasuke's eyes narrowed impatiently. He really couldn't believe that of all the things his father had asked of him as his heir, having sex with a woman was on the list. Actually, it wasn't _just _sex, rather, his father wanted him to engage in some form of crude sexual lessons with the woman as if he were some kind of animal.

The gray-haired man turned the prince around once more and leaned against his back to whisper into his ear while they both eyed the Haruno girl. "You must ascertain Haruno's voluntary permission to partake in these lessons of yours. And, you must do so without using the excuse that you are her Prince, and future king, and she your loyal subject."

Sasuke frowned as he watched the pink haired female dancing with Naruto, "How am I supposed to do that?"

"I don't know, woo her, seduce her. Anything, really. Just make sure you acquire her consent or we will have another problem to deal with. The people of court must not learn of your lessons." With that, Kakashi gave the Prince a gentle shove to be on his way. He truly hoped for both their sakes that the Prince would succeed, though he didn't really doubt he would manage it one way or another.

"Good luck," he chimed happily to Sasuke's retreating back.

Scowling for what felt like the umpteenth time that day, the raven-haired Prince slowly approached the Haruno girl, affording his subjects the proper amount of time to bow their heads as he brushed passed them without sparing a glance at any of them. He paced himself perfectly to arrive at the girl precisely when the music struck its last note.

Upon his arrival, Naruto and Sakura stepped apart from each other, having finished their dance, and greeted him with a bow and curtsey.

"Sasuke." Naruto nodded, but the raven-haired male's gaze rested on the girl still low in her curtsey. It seemed to take her longer than necessary to realize his attention was on her.

"Sasuke-san, Your Highness." She spoke softly and evenly, though the visible gulp she took shattered her illusion of confidence.

"Lady Haruno," Sasuke acknowledged her but soon found himself unsure of how to proceed. Kakashi had said to woo her, but that task seemed entirely pathetic and unnecessary. Why should he, a prince and heir to the throne, have to woo a female? It should be the opposite, should it not?

He released an involuntary sigh. The things he had to do for the throne.

"I would like to speak to you, Haruno," she tilted her head innocently, waiting for him to continue, "In private."

At his gruff tone, her vibrant green eyes widened and a faint blush plastered itself across her cheeks. "Your Highness," she looked to the floor in insecurity and unsure of how to proceed.

The Prince, however, did not give her or the stunned Naruto much time to dwell on his uncharacteristic request. "Follow me," he commanded before turning and hastily marching to a small, side door behind the throne chairs that was used only by members of the royal family. Never once did he look over his shoulder to make sure she was following his brisk pace.

A guard opened the door for them, and Sasuke proceeded to lead the girl down a long stone hallway. The quick patter of her shoes against the floor informed him she was managing to keep up, which was a relief because he would have been most irritated if she fell behind and he had to send some guards to fetch her.

They walked in silence until he pushed open a finely carved wooden door on his right and led her into a medium-sized study room. Maps and etchings of military tactics decorated the walls, and in the centre of the room stood a large wooden table scattered with military texts. On one end, a large bay window lit the room, revealing the courtyard below.

After taking several steps into the room, Sasuke whirled around, surprising the out-of-breath female who held a hand to her chest as she worked to regain her composure.

"Your... Highness?" A deep breath interrupted Sakura's faint voice. It made Sasuke realize that his brisk pace had been more like running to her.

No matter. There was business to attend to.

"Haruno," he began sternly.

"Please," she interrupted, "Call my Sakura. My father is Haruno."

Sasuke gave a slight nod to acknowledge her request before starting anew. "Lady Sakura. My father, your King, has recently tasked me the most secretive of duties," he spoke in the blankest of tones and watched carefully as she listened to every word that came from his mouth.

"I am loathe to admit that I require aid from an individual of... your such nature." It was growing apparent that he was skirting around the main point of the conversation, but Sakura merely nodded and patiently waited to figure out what the Prince needed from her.

"I must have your word that you will speak of this to no one, not even your closest friends," his eyes narrowed as he waited for her reply.

"Your Highness," Sakura quickly threw herself at his feet in desperation, "I would keep your word at the cost of my life!" She didn't care if she looked ridiculous or if her pale green dress was dirtied, the prince's trust and approval was all she sought.

"Very well. You may stand." Sasuke took a step away from her form and started to pace as he contemplated how to continue. If he were Itachi, he would find a way to make the task of her sleeping with him sound noble and a service to her kingdom. But, Sasuke did not possess the same lightness of tact as his brother, so he endeavored to complete the task with the bluntness he knew best.

"My father has ordered me to engage in acts of a certain... sexual nature, under the tutelage of General Kakashi, in order to prove that I am willing and capable of producing heirs." His pacing stopped and he looked up at the bewildered pink-haired female with a look of partial contempt. "I require your participation to do so. Do you consent?"

"Sasuke-san," her mouth was agape in shock, but she quickly recovered. "Your Highness... Are you saying I must _sleep _with you? As a mistress?" She added shrilly.

"Eventually," he disliked how crudely she put it but he supposed it was not far from the truth. When she took a small step back, he quickly snapped at her, "You have a choice in the matter." Well, for the sake of _pretense_ she possessed the right to deny him. In reality, he already knew that he would not allow her to deny him because he'd already decided she would be the one.

"Then," her mouth drew shut in a straight line, "I refuse."

For a moment, Sasuke was taken aback, not used to being refused anything. "You refuse?" He spoke darkly.

"Yes. I cannot, Your Highness." It seemed for the first time since talking to him, she actually developed a real sense of confidence.

"You cannot..." He took a step toward her and finished lowly, "Or, you will not?"

Sakura tilted her chin up, "I will not. I am a proper Lady, Your Highness. My virginity belongs to my future husband, whoever that may be."

The Prince glowered at her response, "It's not uncommon for proper Ladies, such as yourself, to engage in indecent activities prior to marriage." He found it annoying that she was making things more difficult than necessary.

"Even so, there is only gain for you and risk for me. I do not wish to be a mistress nor to sire bastard children. A Lady only has her reputation, and I will not see mine tarnished over an affair that is meaningless to you." Internally she had to commend herself for sounding so composed. The Prince was unworldly handsome, and she always found herself shaking in the knees when he entered the room. She had fantasized many times being taken as one of his mistresses, but her father and mother raised her to hold more respect for herself.

"I assure you, Lady Sakura," was grit out from between Sasuke's tight jaw, "There will be no harm to your reputation and no birth of bastard children. We will take the necessary precautions."

"But, if people were to learn that I am your mistress, as the King surely endeavors to occur, I will still be made the Lady who could not keep herself for marriage." The last thing she wanted was a reputation for being loose.

"If they were to find out," the Prince circled her like prey, "It would benefit you since the other Lords and Ladies would think you hold some influence over me... That I _favour _you." In complete honesty, he was not lying. Affairs with any other noblemen might sour her reputation, but affairs with royalty were always held in higher regard. Some mistresses held even more influence over Kings than their own wives.

"Would you?" Sasuke's brows furrowed in partial confusion as he continued to circle her, so Sakura elaborated with some curiosity, "Favour me, I mean?"

He stilled behind her, "If you wish it."

At his stoic tone, she spun around to face him with a grin on her features, "You would grant me the permission of influencing your decisions?"

"If your advice is sound." He continued to regard her intently, but with little emotion betraying his thoughts.

"I see," she pondered and raised her finger to her chin, "And would you, perhaps, provide me with gifts?"

After a brief pause, he answered, "If it would please you." She smiled brightly and he could sense that he was closing in on victory. Her flirtations and warm behavior were cue enough for him to know that she no longer refused the proposal outright. If all it took were a few minor promises to appease her and gain her consent, then he would do it, for the remaining options available to him were far too unappealing.

His victory was not yet guaranteed, however, for she soon frowned and bit her lip, which lessened his conviction in her compliance.

"My father would be most displeased, Your Highness." While she eagerly wanted to please the Prince, she knew that she would never do anything against her father's wishes. Just as the Prince owed allegiance to his father, so too did she owe it to hers.

With a lingering look, he left her side, walking to the window to stare into the empty courtyard. A tense silence stretched, leaving Sakura to fiddle with her fingers in discomfort. After a couple minutes of nothing, she started contemplating whether or not she should ask to be dismissed, but it was customary for subjects to wait until members of the royal family dismissed them.

"Lady Sakura," her head snapped to the back of his form, "Your family, the Haruno's, were not on the right side of the civil war, were they?"

She nodded, though he didn't turn back for an answer and merely continued, "It is my understanding that your father incurred substantial debts, due to his losses once my father acquired his rightful place on the throne."

"He is paying them back, Your Highness," she mumbled quietly in defense. It was a little surprising that the Prince bothered to know such details about her family, but she supposed it was his job to know the history of all his nobles.

"Perhaps." Sasuke replied lowly, "But it will take many more years, and even then, he will hardly strum together a suitable dowry for you. Is it your wish to marry into obscurity?" He glanced over his shoulder, eyeing her with interest.

"I..." in embarrassment, her head dropped and her eyes lowered. Of course, she wanted to marry up, but she could never chastise her father for his past decisions. At the time, he thought he was doing the right thing. Many noble families had been caught on the wrong side of the war; her family was lucky enough to make it through _only_ with debts.

"Tell your father that in exchange for his permission, the Uchiha's will see his debts absolved," he watched as her eyes widened. "That is, if you, yourself, consent to it."

"Your Highness," she began breathlessly.

"Sasuke-san," the Prince corrected her. If she was going to become intimate with him, he figured she should at least call him by his given name.

"Sasuke-san... I don't know what to say."

"Notify me of your father's response before sundown tomorrow." Although he gave her an entire day to come to a decision, he already knew he had her. There was no doubt in his mind that her father would gladly lend his daughter to the Prince for the absolution of all his debts and, well, Sakura not knowing what to say spoke volumes for itself.

"You are dismissed." He waved his hand lazily, vaguely paying attention to the flustered pink-haired female who curtsied and hastily departed the study room, leaving the Prince alone with his thoughts.

Soon, his sexual education would begin. The nature of the lessons, he couldn't even imagine.

Somewhere in the kingdom, a gray-haired General chuckled. Things were about to get very interesting.

. . .

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><p><strong>AN's: **I'm not sure where I get these ideas. I like historical dramas and Sasuke as a prince is pretty hot. Of course, when you are a prince/heir, you don't have a private life *wink* I apologize if some find this chauvinistic; somewhat in keeping with the period, yes? Sakura will reveal herself to be a strong and bold young woman, however.


	2. It's Time to Start

**A/N: **Here's the repost for chapter two; made a few edits and added a small amount. Thank you for your reviews. As many already guessed, there are many awkward moments ahead, hehe. Have to edit chapter 3 a bit more to make sure I have my royal tongue working.

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><p><strong>Chapter II <strong>

**Lesson 0.5: Introduction **

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head in exasperation as he regarded the scene in front of him. He didn't exactly expect his pupils to be brimming with excitement for their first lesson in... Sex? Romance? Perhaps seduction? Unable to pick out a proper name for it, he bypassed semantics and returned to his previous train of thought. Eagerness to learn was not expected, but nor was his students' overwhelming looks of dread.

The fair Lady Sakura sat anxiously by the ledge under the window, gazing out into the courtyard below. She had her hair tied back in a tidy bun, with a look of desperation in her vibrant green eyes. Some loose strands of hair framed her young face, no doubt loosened from running her fingers through her hair numerous times. As if her pitiful expression were not enough to hint at her uneasy mental state, her finger tapped madly against the windowsill in a subconscious display of her inner turmoil. Were the window not closed, he humorously bet that she might actually have attempted to make a jump for it.

In the farthest corner, on the opposite side of the room, the brooding Prince stood leaning against the stone wall, with one of his leg's bent at the knee and foot resting flat against the wall behind. He had his hands shoved inside his pant pockets and, despite his relaxed pose, stared ominously at the floor. Most would mistake his composure for a deep sense of concentration, but the General knew better. This was about as close to a look of surrendering, as the Prince would ever have.

Predictably, the raven-haired male's attention snapped to the General, upon noticing his presence and he, quite possibly, delivered his coldest glare yet. It didn't take a mind reader to know precisely what the Prince was hoping for in that moment: that his _dear _sensei drop dead in a flaming heap on the cold, hard floor.

The room was not that spacious, but had enough space for a large bed to sit comfortably in the centre of the room, with drapes tied behind the four-posts. Near the entrance, stood a small desk and chair with a stash of paper and writing utensils. The King specifically chose this room because it lay deep inside the heart of the castle, a location where few passerbyers would ever wander.

Sighing, the poor General decided to initiate introductions and get this awkward first lesson underway. It would be short, as his student's did not look to be in the proper state to engage in many awkward touches. Perhaps, they simply needed an icebreaker, something to ignite the flames of passion in their young hearts... Something along those lines. He didn't pretend to know how the mind's of inexperienced teens worked, as he had never had an aversion to sex.

"Lady Sakura," he began lazily, noticing how she flinched upon hearing his voice. "Do you mind if I refer to you simply as Sakura from this point on?"

Her big eyes bulged as she deftly shook her head, swallowing nervously before answering, "N-no," her voice cracked. Then, realizing she failed to address the General properly, she quickly added in some horror, "Kakashi-sama! ... I mean... You may refer to me as you wish!" Dropping her tone back to its normal level, she finished by restating his name correctly, "Kakashi-sama." Then, giving a small squeak, she dropped her sights to her lap where she fidgeted with her fingers in discomfort. Her cheeks were now so red with embarrassment that one could almost see steam radiating off of her body.

"Please, you may refer to me merely as Kakashi or sensei," he pondered for a moment and added, "'Or Kakashi-sensei, if it suits you." Giving a nervous chuckle, he quietly wondered to himself if she'd really be able to follow through with this.

Shaking his head, he turned to Sasuke, who was now frowning and looking over at the innocent pink-haired female with a look of contempt. The Prince never did show much understanding for expressive people.

"Sasuke," said boy's shoulders stiffened, "Perhaps you could take Sakura's hand and lead her to the bed."

At the word 'bed', both teenagers' eyes bulged, a mutual look of dread donned their features, and Sakura's mouth dropped open in a silent gasp. Their appalled expressions momentarily bewildered the experienced general who considered it an innocent-enough request; it wasn't as if he had asked them to strip naked. Now _that_ would be a funny moment.

He waved his hands in front of himself apologetically, "You can relax, there will be no copulating today." Jokingly he added, "You will remain virgins until lesson three, at least." The general laughed to himself, thinking his light teasing was _a little _funny, though his efforts to alleviate the tension only drove the two further into their abysmal mental states. Sakura's cheeks seemed to grow redder, and the Prince stared blankly, akin to a soldier being sent into his final battle.

Apparently, these two did not take humor well.

Beginning anew, Kakashi cleared his throat. Engaging a new line of tact, he calmly bit out, "Sasuke. Collect yourself, you are the heir presumptive." If one thing held firm, it was that the Prince always responded swiftly to any type of statement that questioned his abilities.

"I know _that_," he hissed between grit teeth, snapping out of his despair and switching back to anger.

"Then," Kakashi nodded to Sakura, "take Sakura's hand and guide her to the bed, so that we may truly commence today's lesson."

"I'm not doing that," the raven-haired male seethed, crossing his arms over his chest and eloquently dubbing the activity of hand holding as, "an entirely ridiculous and a petty habit between mentally impaired fools." Without even glancing in the girl's direction, he curtly added, "She has two legs. She can walk on her own."

"Sasuke," Kakashi warned, "Handholding is important in demonstrating, publicly, one's attachment and ownership over another, while privately serving as a tender show of affection."

Sasuke's chin tilted still higher, as he clipped out, "I find its uses needless." After a short pause added, "Was not the purpose of this lesson to see me bed a woman? Why must I engage in such petty activities that I have no use for."

Although his aghast did not reflect on his carefully measured expression, the gray-haired male truly was surprised by the Prince's cool attitude. He was sure that the young Prince had been raised with more sensibilities than to behave quite so boorish in front of a Lady; one he hoped to bed, no less. When the General had learned of the large sum the Prince had promised the girl's father, he instinctively assumed their must've been _some_ level of feelings for her. Otherwise, why offer so much, when he could have any girl of his choosing.

Now the General wasn't too sure of Sasuke's feelings for her at all.

Taking a step forward, he was about to scold the young Prince for his poor attitude, only to be beaten to it by the young female herself.

Hastily standing from her seat, her face red with anger, Sakura motioned for the General not to intervene. "Please, Kakashi-sensei," her tone dripped with venom as she glared at the Prince, "I would not wish that you force His Highness into something he so _clearly _does not desire. It is plain to see that His Highness would much prefer to have his way with me, absent of all pleasantries, so that he may cast me aside the sooner he accomplishes his goal."

When she finished, she was breathing heavily with tears collected in the corner of her eyes and her hands bawled into fists at her sides, shaking in self-restraint.

The stark contrast to the meek and soft-spoken manner of which she spoke in only minutes ago, surprised Kakashi greatly. For several seconds, all he could do was stare, impressed by this Lady who dared to speak so bluntly with the Prince. Was this what the Prince had been drawn to?

Slowly, he shifted his attention from her to Sasuke, who by now had pushed off the wall and stood in a mirror image to her own, with his hands fisted at his sides and his brows narrowed.

"My Lady," was grit out lowly, "misunderstands. I was only arguing against—"

"His Highness need not explain himself." Sakura interrupted the Prince, bowing her head in a silent yet feigned apology for being so bold. Still, she continued, "I am all but his humble servant, so whatever my feelings are on the matter, they are of absolutely no importance. Please, just do whatever it is you wish with me, so that I may retire to a temple shrine with my reputation ruined all the sooner." When she finished, she glared down at the stone floor, not caring to see how the Prince would react.

Sasuke scowled, turning to glare daggers at one of the sidewalls for several seconds. Abruptly, he released a heavy sigh and started to march over to the window on a mission. He stopped directly in front of the pink-haired female, no more than a foot away, awkwardly eyeing her hand before gruffly reaching down to take it tightly in his own.

"You needn't take it personally," he huffed under his breath, yanking her hand toward him so that she was forced to take a small half step forward and brace her free hand on his chest in order to avoid colliding into his chest completely. After a brief hesitation, she removed her hand and kept it clenched at her side. Then, bizarrely, and whether they were aware of it themselves or not, Kakashi watched in bewilderment as their gazes turned in opposite directions, each with a faint tinge of pink adorning their cheeks. All the anger that had filled the room moments before seemingly dissipated as quickly as it had ignited.

Kakashi didn't really understand the mixed messages they were sending each other, only that Sakura had managed to bend the Prince to her will. He did, however, have the sneaking suspicion that he was witnessing some peculiar form of Uchiha courtship taking place, though he could not be entirely sure. Uchiha's did tend to operate in peculiar manners, particularly the young Prince.

Once again, Kakashi cleared his throat to remind his two students of the task at hand. Sasuke shot him a threatening look, silently warning him against ever speaking of what had just transpired. Then, he quickly turned on his heels, leading a stumbling Sakura to the bed, which he grudgingly seated himself on before releasing his tight grasp on her hand to settle his own at his sides.

"Very good, Sasuke," Kakashi sweat-dropped. The Prince's hand-holding skills would require much work indeed. "The first rule of class is that you will always guide Sakura to the bed before we commence."

Ignoring Sasuke's grumbling, the General continued, "We will begin by grading your performances from two days ago, which we will refer to as the first stage of your relationship."A good teacher always provides his students with feedback, and Kakashi always strived to perfect everything he did.

The young prince scoffed, "What is there to grade. We're both here, so obviously it was a success."

"You did succeed in acquiring a _date_, so to speak, yet your execution was poor." The gray-haired man internally delighted in Sasuke's sour expression. "For we can see from the terms of arrangement that you had to give up much more than would've been necessary, had you simply deferred to the age-old tactic of seduction, my dear Prince."

Ignoring Sasuke's grimace, Kakashi continued, "I did hear that your Father was not overly impressed by your cancellation of the Haruno's debts." The General's tone held a hint of curiosity, for he was genuinely interested in the meaning behind the Prince's actions. Did he have feelings for the girl, or did he simply panic and use the only thing he could think of to ensure her cooperation? In either case, Kakashi warned, "You will have to refrain from such grand gestures in the future."

Despite how vast the Royal Treasury was, the young Prince couldn't hope to rely on it for every girl he aspired to bed, though Kakashi did not seriously consider that a future problem. Perhaps, of greater importance, was the lack of respect for those who buy their women as opposed to genuinely winning their affections.

"Might I ask, young Prince, at what specific moment did the Lady's predisposition towards your proposal soften? Surely, you did not resort to bribery as your first strategy?" Kakashi eyed the two carefully, searching for unhidden clues in their body language, for he did not believe the Lady Sakura to be primarily concerned with money. It may have been an incentive, but from his prior interactions with her, he took her to be the type of girl that desired something _more_. The way she stared down at her lap, with a blush adorning her cheeks and fingers fiddling with her dress upon hearing the question, added to his belief that Sasuke had done _something _that, at least, remotely resembled seduction.

"I cannot recall the moment," the raven-haired male replied evenly, looking his teacher straight in the eye with a bored expression and arms crossed. It seemed to Kakashi that it was more of an attempt to mask the truth.

"Really?" The General asked in exaggerated surprise, his visible eye widening. "I would've thought, given your excellent memory and aptitude for stratagem, that you would've already gone over the conversation several times in order to deduce exactly when the tide of war, or in this case Sakura, shifted in your favour."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, clearly unimpressed with the goad. Lowly, he grit out, "I. Cannot. Recall."

"Hm," Kakashi rubbed his chin playfully, briefly considering to simply ask Sakura instead, since she was not very good at hiding her thoughts, but he decided it best not to turn the two against one another for something he would surely learn in time. Curtly, he concluded, "Very well, I will have to give you a failing grade since all I have to judge you on is your use of bribery."

Sasuke's mouth dropped open to launch a protest, though he shortly hesitated, and then decided against it. Instead, he settled for another one of his signature glares and straight-lined lips.

Unperturbed, Kakashi turned his attention to his other student. "Sakura," he started in a softer tone, knowing her to require a gentler tact in order to feel comfortable.

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei?" She spoke in a hurried tone, her posture straightening up as she looked up at him with an eagerness to hear what he had to say. No look of contempt, no grumbling; he decided she was his favourite student.

"By contrast to Sasuke, your performance should serve as an example to all members of your gender," she smiled brightly at the compliment, but it faded when she noticed the Prince frowning at her.

"You managed to secure yourself the best possible outcome. By resisting, you increased your desirability and, consequently, the reward. Yet, you did not overreach, which would've forced the Prince to give you up and pursue another. I will award you a perfect grade." Even if she did not do so intentionally, she had played her part perfectly, and her family was far better off because of it.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei," she smiled softly, unable to fully contain the elation she felt at her sensei's praise despite the Prince's continued displeasure beside her.

Turning slightly, the general grabbed a notepad and pen from the desk in the room and started to write down his remarks, and grade for each of his students. It was more a formality than necessity, in part a measure to provide the illusion that these lessons were a legitimate form of education.

Finishing his short notes, Kakashi added, "I will grade each of you on a scale from one to ten for each task you are confronted with. When these lessons are completed, the one with the greatest sum of points may request any one favour from me."

"Anything?" The prince questioned in a tone that Kakashi was certain betrayed more eagerness than intended.

"Anything," the older male confirmed. He winked as he added, "You can even ask me to eat dirt and I will do it. But," Kakashi held up his index finger, "You only win the request if you have the most points, and you, young Prince, have started very poorly." Above the desk was a small board to pin papers and notes to. Kakashi wrote numbers on two separate pages in the notebook, ripped them out and pinned them to the board, "Two points compared to Sakura's ten. I think you will find this challenge unlike any you've faced thus far."

The general paused so that his student's could absorb every piece of information he delivered, "You will be awarded points based on initiative, attentiveness and how well you perform each task I give you. You may not refuse a task."

Kakashi eyed Sasuke carefully, but it was to Sakura that he spoke to next, "Now that Sakura is a part of this, the King expects for these lessons to be completed; he will not follow through with the cancellation of the Haruno's debts unless all requirements are met. Is that understood?"

Both student's nodded deftly, briefly allowing a heavy silence to fill the small room.

Sasuke seemed to be lost in deep thought; his drawn together eyebrows were the only indication of his concern. Though minute, it was rare to see him betray any sense of worry whatsoever. When it came to fighting and the planning of war, the raven-haired male had always demanded to be taught new things, his eagerness to learn was second-to-none. How hard would it be for him to bed a woman? The thought immediately made him wonder how much harder it would be for Sakura, who seemed about ready to make a run for it not long ago.

Glancing at the poor girl, he was immediately stunned at the hard look she was giving him.

"Kakashi-sensei," he heard her address him in a tone that seemed entirely unlike her. Her steady, determined voice filled the room. In her lap, she fisted her hands with so much force that her knuckles turned white.

The general briefly wondered if something he'd said had made her angry, but he did not have to dwell on the thought for long, because she tilted her chin up and provided an unwavering proclamation.

"I, Haruno Sakura," she glanced at the prince before swallowing and rising to her feet, "I will definitely win."

Her unblinking green eyes bore into his grey eye. Kakashi couldn't help but smirk.

Lady Sakura had come to play. It seemed as though the young Prince had finally met his match.

"Until next time," the General nodded, leaving the room with a half-hearted nod.

.

.

.

_Sasuke – 2_

_Sakura – 10_

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><p><strong>AN:** Sasuke is failing ahhhh! The next chapter is, Lesson 1.0: It's Called A Kiss. It will be quite a bit longer, I think... Already 3k words and not at the climax.


	3. It's Called A Kiss

**A/N: **Really long, overdue chapter three. Who would've guessed it'd take so many words just to have a kiss (!) Not every chapter will be this length... It will take too long to update if that's the case;;;

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><p><strong>Chapter III<strong>

**Lesson 1.0: It's Called A Kiss**

A full week had passed since the commencement of their lessons, and despite her determined declaration of assured victory at the end of their first lesson; Sakura's confidence had started to wane. Perhaps it had been a heat of the moment kind of thing, maybe even the way Kakashi eyed her with skepticism and seemed to doubt her conviction. She never did like to be doubted, and on more than one occasion, her parent's had scolded her for her unladylike temper. Despite all her efforts to hide it, her rash outbursts sometimes got the better of her and led to some regrettable incidences.

More likely, however, it had to do with the fact that every time she and the Prince had crossed paths in Court during the week that followed, cursory as they were; he neglected to spare a single glance in her direction. Even now, as they sat on the bed, both minding their own business as the minutes passed by, the Prince was acting as though she did not exist. Were it not for the momentary glance he cast her upon entering the room, she might've ventured a guess that he didn't even know she was present, no less sitting a few feet away on the same bed. She had made a point of sitting further away from him then necessary, assuming he appreciated the gesture, though it would hardly matter soon enough.

It was possible, she ventured to think, that he simply did not know how to start a conversation with her. It was not as though they had much interaction prior to his proposal, only distant and fleeting glances through the crowds of people at court. The Prince could just be shy around females? She tried to excuse his lack of sociability since she thought it best not to find flaws with her future King and bedmate.

"Your Highness has been busy this week?" She asked gingerly, looking up from her lap and giving him a meek smile. When people have nothing better to say, they offer obvious observations in the form of questions.

"I'm always busy." He turned to regard her with a look of irritation that seemed to say '_You know that. Don't ask me stupid things._'

"Of course," she mumbled feebly, instantly deflated at the blunt dismissal.

As she brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she opted to return to staring at her lap and mentally chastising herself for getting into this mess. How she was supposed to lose her virginity to this man, she had no idea, particularly when they seemed incapable of even starting a conversation. Still, she glanced at his profile. He was very handsome, with his high cheekbones, chiseled aristocratic nose, and eyes that smoldered with an air of mystery and wonder that caused her stomach to flip.

Shaking her head of such thoughts, she resolved to try again. A Lady of the Court could not afford to accept rejection quite so quickly. Shutting her eyes to collect her strength, she prepared to start anew.

Upon opening her emerald eyes, she immediately turned to face the Prince, determination etched in her soft features. To her surprise, she immediately discovered herself under the spell of his dark eyes, which were unblinking and on her intently. Whatever sentence had been forming in her mind vanished in a haze of fog. All she could do was stare, first at the ebony hair that at once seemed both messy and perfectly placed. Did he style his hair that way or did it occur naturally? Her gaze then dropped to the smooth, pale skin of his neck. She had no idea why her eyes focused so keenly on his neck and not some other body part, only that she could not pull her attention away despite how shameless it was to gawk. He swallowed, she noted, as his Adam's apple bobbed, and she became aware that she should look away but the motion only brought her attention to the collar of his loose, but fitted, shirt. It seemed the Prince was full of contradictions.

"Sakura," she heard the low rumble of her name, only it sounded distant compared to the thumping of her heart. The oddest of sensations ran through her bloodstream, she felt both numb and tingly. Perhaps this was to be expected, regardless of the Prince's cool attitude toward her, she'd always admired him from afar and felt the heat when under his gaze.

"Sakura," he said her name more forcefully this time, and grabbed her shoulder with his hand. "Are you—"

The physical contact snapped her from her trance at the same time that their teacher walked into the room.

"Oh my," the General started in mock concern. "I didn't think that I would have to worry about my two favourite students getting started without me," he chuckled. He'd been held up in court... By a lady or two. After all, one doesn't come to be a teacher of sexual education without much experience on the matter.

Sasuke immediately straightened, withdrawing his hand from Sakura's shoulder though now considerably much closer than he had initially been seated. Ignoring the gray haired man's attempt to rile him, he remarked, "You're late."

"Aha, you see... In the interest of being the best teacher possible, I decided to practice today's lesson with—"

"I don't care." Kakashi seemed disappointed by the Prince's dismissal, who continued to passive-aggressively warn, "I won't be held up here longer than originally scheduled simply because you showed up late. I'm to go hunting this afternoon and won't miss it."

"Yes, yes. I'll make sure the young Prince doesn't miss his playdate," the General waved him off with a final jab on the matter, "I'm happy to see you brought your finest attitude for today's lesson." The General then switched to business before the Prince could respond, "Did you, by chance, remember to hold hands when you seated yourselves?"

Sakura's mouth dropped open, but her response never made it, for beside her the Prince smoothly clipped out, "Obviously." She turned to stare at him, stunned at the blatant lie and even more amazed at the way the raven-haired male didn't blink, didn't break a sweat or even spare a warning glance at her.

"Really," Kakashi's tone dropped, full of skepticism. Sakura sat, uncomfortably, while the two continued to hold each other's gaze, unmoving and unfazed by the other. The awkwardness of the situation mounted with each passing second, until it reached a level where her ears were buzzing from the heavy silence.

"Sakura," she flinched when Kakashi's stern tone tore through the air.

"Y-yes... ?" Her eyes briefly cast upward but as soon as she met his coal coloured eye, she set her sights to her hands, now bawled in her lap.

"Did, our dear Prince, take your hand upon your arrival?" The General had duly identified the weak link in the room, and sought fully to exploit it, much the poor Lady's discomfort.

With the intense stares of two, uncompromising male's on her, Sakura was finding it difficult to catch her breath, and continued to stare furiously at her lap. She could feel the beads of sweat starting to form on her forehead, to which the piercing glare Sasuke was sending beside her did little comfort.

"I..." her flustered voice quickly faded as she desperately wracked her mind for the most appropriate response. If she lied and Kakashi knew of or discovered her deceit, whatever view he held of her would probably go down and her guilt would definitely increase. On the other hand, if she spoke the truth, the Prince would almost certainly be angry with her for undermining him, though it wasn't _really_ her fault that her ability to deceive rested far below his.

Unable to identify the lesser of the two evils, she attempted a compromise. "I think we may have," she started tentatively, "but I can't fully remember." Finally, she looked up, having enacted her fail-safe of conveniently placed amnesia.

The General remained silent for a few seconds before his lips started to curl upwards, "Can't remember, you say?"

Unable to bring herself to respond, she merely chewed on her bottom lip, an unfortunate nervous habit she'd picked up as a child and to which her parents frequently chided her for.

"If you can't remember, then I think the Prince ought to make a point of reminding you." Kakshi leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, tilting his head as he remarked, "Wouldn't you say, Sasuke, the _unmemorable _Prince?"

Beside her, the raven-haired male let out a frustrated _tsk_. She half expected him to make some kind of objection only to find herself surprised when he abruptly stood and walked to the entrance of the room in several long strides. He did _not _like to have his person deemed forgettable. Taking a moment to compose himself, he stayed at the doorway with his back to the room for several seconds. His annoyance with the entire situation rolled off him in waves, which unfortunately, seemed to land squarely in Sakura's lap in the form of growing distress.

Not wanting to position herself in the centre of the Prince's standoffish attitude so early in the lesson, Sakura attempted to appease him, "Kakashi-sensei, to do such a thing... It's not really," she cast a glance to the side of the room to hide her disappointment in the Prince's apparent contempt to be near her, "necessar—"

"Come." The simple command left the Prince's lips before she could finish. Startled, she looked up to see him waiting for her with his arms crossed and eyes slanted in a partial cringe.

"Sasuke," Kakashi warned.

The two males silently waged a battle between themselves, shifting the atmosphere from awkward to downright unbearable. Sakura felt as though they were having an entire conversation in a language she was not privy to or well versed, though she had the strong sense that it somehow involved herself. The tension in the room seemed to go on for minutes with no sign of ending, and on more than one occasion she had to bite her tongue to stop herself from interjecting and, surely, making a fool of herself.

At last, the Prince broke eye contact, sighed, and looked back at the pink-haired female to mutter a low, "Come, _please_."

It was such a bizarre transpiring of events that the poor, and confused, Lady Sakura could not help but stare, wide-eyed at the Prince who, in his annoyance had switched to resting a hand on his hip and letting the other stay fisted at his side. Unimpressed with her hesitation and delayed response to the request, he soon followed up with an impatient, "_Well_?" It was no surprise to find his manners lacking.

Rushing up, Sakura stumbled for a few steps before collecting her wits and coming to a stop a few feet away from her dark-haired companion, providing ample breathing space. To be too close in the Prince's orbit was akin to flying too close to the sun; one never knew when he'd snap, scorching his loyal subjects with a scathing remark. To spare herself the awkwardness of eye-contact, she instead choose to dust off her dress, another anxious compulsion of hers that her mother fussed over. Really, there were many things her parents aspired to correct, and usually she had better control over her nervous habits, yet the Prince's presence seemed to reduce her rational thought to muddled confusion.

A disapproving grunt slipped passed the Prince's lips as he stepped forward to clutch her hand in his warm, larger one. "You could come a little closer," he grumbled.

"Sorry, Your Highness, I..." For a brief moment, Sakura looked up to find herself confronted with a frown. Voice fading and head cocked to the side, she tried to make sense of the peculiar expression. It was as though he were contemplating to reprimand her over something said or done, but she did not speak the same silent language as Kakashi or Sasuke, so the meaning behind his expression was lost on her.

Instead of elaborating, he breathed a low, "Whatever," and began guiding her to the bed with added haste to his steps.

"Wait," Kakashi motioned for them to stop upon their arrival at the foot of the bed. His lips tugged up in a smirk, and he leaned forward, "I do believe our Prince ought to apologize for being quite so forgettable."

Sasuke's brows instantly narrowed, his grasp on Sakura's hand tightening in the process. "I won't—" He began, prepared to argue against the ridiculous command, only to be interrupted; a tendency that seemed to be happening far too frequently during the course of these misguided lessons.

"Not with your words, Sasuke." The Prince's ability to apologize for wrongdoing seemed muted to all except his dear older brother, with whom he held in an impossibly high regard.

His lack of response told the General that the young Prince did not understand what he was implying, so he elaborated for the sake of making things easy, "I mean to say, apologize with a kiss."

The stunned silence as his student's gaped at him, forced the General to suppress a low chuckle. Their complexions turned as white as a sheet, and lips parted in disbelief. It was as though he'd asked them to sacrifice their first born.

"A _kiss_?!" Sakura gasped, unconsciously leaning in closer to Sasuke for support of her suddenly lax leg muscles.

At the same time, the younger male bit out a venomous, "Why would I do _that_."

Kakashi wondered if they even realized that they both seemed to draw closer to one another while simultaneously reacting to the request with clear dismay. To be so young and innocent, it certainly was a sight to see, for the two seemed entirely preoccupied with the end destination and decidedly less aware of the lead up.

"What did you think this lesson was about?" Was the curious question asked.

"Certainly not," Sasuke's nose flared with distaste, "About apologizing in such a crude manner."

The gray-haired male countered with a matter-of-fact, "As opposed to your usual manner of apology?" Which consisted of cold glares, minor grunts and the inevitable blame shifting that the Prince had come to perfect too early in his lifetime.

"I don't—"

"Precisely."

"Must you interrupt me," the raven-haired male seethed in a way that left Kakashi thinking, he was on the cusp of spitting out fire. What a sight that would make for. Yet, as entertaining and delightful as it was to aggravate his young pupil, the General knew when it was time to lay down his heavy hand of enforcement to ensure, at least, a semblance of grudging compliance.

"I would hold my tongue," he began, notably lacking in sincerity, "Only my Young Prince seems to forget that I am his advisor, and he is under orders from the King to heed my requests when it comes to matters of this nature." To let the Prince run these lessons, would be akin to picking a random peasant off the street and giving him charge of the King's entire army.

Sasuke withheld arguing, though the incoherent words muttered under his breath sounded strongly like a string of obscenities more suited for a low class tavern. Ignoring the young man's contempt, Kakashi merely grinned in nonchalance and lazily sauntered to the awkward couple. "A kiss, Sasuke, is more than a crude act, as you so delicately put it." The young male glared out the corner of his eyes, "It's more, a promise or..."

Kakashi pondered for a moment, with his finger on his chin in search for the correct wording. "It's a message, shared between two people. Like with all things, however, the message depends on the method of delivery so you ought to pay attention, less you seek to speak the language incorrectly."

"Kakashi," Sasuke began, lips twitching at the side, "Do you expect me to believe such a," he grimaced, "_flowery _explanation. A kiss is a kiss." The Prince had the unfortunate predisposition for lacking the sensibilities and refinement needed to understand the more complex aspects of human nature.

Sighing, the gray haired male looked to his female student for agreement, "You understand it, do you not, Sakura?"

Slowly, she nodded, "It's true, what you say, Kakashi-sensei. A kiss is a complex thing. It will be different among family than friends, and even more so with..." A tentative flash of green gazed up at the Prince, but instantly widened and looked down. The faint tinge of pink on her cheeks and quick intake of air made clear her internal thoughts.

"A lover." The General finished bluntly, noticing the slight jump Sakura gave in reaction and the stiffening of the Prince's spine.

"Now, now, you mustn't fall to pieces just yet," he gave the Prince a rough pat on the back and passed a reassuring smile to the pink haired female. Then, Kakashi reached down and raised their clasped hands, deciding, "You shall first kiss the Lady's hand, but remember," his expression turned stern, "Make sure you concentrate on the apology or your message will not reach her."

Muttering out a low, "This is ridiculous," Sasuke glared at the dainty hand in his grasp. He studied it with such intensity and apprehension that Kakashi imagined the reaction would be much the same had he asked him to kiss the floor. Meanwhile, poor Sakura stared off to the side, biting her lip and fidgeting with her dress, as if she thoroughly expected the Prince to bite her hand off at any moment.

"If you delay much longer, Sasuke" Kakashi crossed his arms impatiently, "I'll send what meagre amount of points you have into the negative."

The Prince only scowled, tightening his grasp on Sakura's hand and pulling it up to be level with his chin. He proceeded to frown, then grimace with notable eye twitches before quickly releasing a sigh, shutting his eyes and leaning in to connect his lips to the back of the Lady's soft hand. His lips remained on her for a second, and then two. A third second passed and Kakashi watched as the Prince's eyelids slowly slid open, and he looked up at Sakura through slits.

The moment had lasted a touch too long, Kakashi surmised, though it made things interesting nonetheless.

Abruptly, Sasuke pulled back and straightened his posture, apparently choosing the tact of acting as though nothing out of the ordinary had just transpired. His efforts to pull off a cool, disinterested expression failed; however, when upon turning to Kakashi, he was met with stunned silence. The act descended further when the General couldn't help but release a shaky laugh and rub the back of his head in some degree of awkwardness.

"What," Sasuke snapped harshly, not at all appreciating the seeming joke at his expense.

"You see, Sasuke..." Kakashi, again, snickered, "Were you thinking of an apology _at all_, just now?" The implication seemed only to make sense to the General himself.

When the young Prince's face shrivelled up, Kakashi explained, "The message you sent was certainly no apology."

With indignity, Sasuke replied, "I did what you asked."

"You followed through with the execution of the kiss, but you surely sent no apology. Instead, you made a promise. It's the way your lips..." Kakashi paused, searching for the most delicate of terms, "_lingered_." Had his lips not lingered for quite so long, and he not stared up at Sakura with such intensity, it may have passed as an apology. It was definitely the lingering. The lingering made it a promise for something _more_.

"My lips did not _linger_," came the defensive, and quite disgruntled reaction of the Prince.

"They did."

Sasuke scoffed, biting out a snide, "I pity my father for having a blind General to advise him. Remind me to dispose of you when I become King."

Undeterred, it was with great pleasure that Kakashi remarked, "Had you lips not lingered," his gray eye shone with mirth, "Sakura would not be blushing."

Both male's attention instantly fell on the lone female in the room; one with smug victory in his eye, and the other with eyes widened in concern, though it was not for the Lady's wellbeing that the concern was present.

Their attention had an immediate effect on Sakura, who released a started gasp and quickly searched for the appropriate thing to say. "It wasn't... I mean," Her free hand waved defensively in front of her, and she dearly wished she were more quick witted. It wasn't the kiss that had affected her; she had received such kisses on numerous occasions. It was the delay and way his dark eyes locked with hers that sent the heat rushing to her cheeks and stomach into her chest.

Of course, she couldn't _say _that.

Flustered, Sakura blurted out a sudden, "It was appropriately timed, Your Highness!" The poorly placed compliment mortified her, particularly so because rather than accept the timely defense, Sasuke glowered in disapproval.

"I do not need you to defend me." The Prince certainly did not care to be underestimated, and definitely did not need a woman to fight his battles.

"I beg your pardon?" Came Sakura's bewildered response, though beneath the shock was thinly veiled insult. To slap aside her offer of aid so abruptly was more than enough to stir her temper.

"Your defence," Sasuke clipped out, "It's entirely inappropriate. Do you think I lack the ability to defend myself?" It was a rhetorical question, of course, meant to inform her that he had more than enough mental capacity to form logical arguments without the aid of others. Yet, as it happens all too frequently, a point made harshly rarely lands softly on the ears of others.

"Very well, Your Highness," Sakura violently pulled her hand out of his grasp, only to jab it against his chest in an animated display of displeasure. "Then, I must say," She held her chin high, "I felt no apology from your actions, _and_, I find myself in agreement with Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi was sure the reason for the Prince's delayed response was due to his surprise at having been thrown off guard by the Lady's spite, as well as finding himself on the receiving end of a sudden shift of loyalties. For all his wit, the Prince was slow to read women, who often required a gentler approach.

The small 'tsk' let out was followed up with an exasperated, "You're overreacting."

_Definitely_, a gentler approach would have been beneficial, Kakashi determined.

"And you, my Lord, are uncooperative and, if you would forgive me for being so bold, but a bit of a brute." The entire Kingdom would have been shocked by her honesty with the Prince, but once her temper ignited, censorship over her words became an impossible task. Besides, the Prince seemed to forget that despite her willingness to join him, these lessons were not any easier for her than him. His poor attitude and sour disposition was hard not to take personally.

Reaching an impasse, the two resorted to electrifying the air with the tension from their heated stares. It wouldn't be the first time the Lady Haruno held her own against the Prince, and certainly not the last. It made things more interesting, but it was an odd form of courtship, if indeed it could be called that. Kakashi lacked the energy required to determine what it all meant, though he had his suspicions.

As the awkwardness grew, Kakashi hung his head and prepared to spark a truce so that he could hurry along and finish the lesson. A solid twenty minutes had already passed and they'd yet to reach the climax. "Alright, you two," The General began, with his hands held in an appeal to cooler heads. This assignment felt increasingly like the role of a governess. "Why don't you—"

Before he could finish, however, the raven-haired male abruptly snatched the hand still hovering over his chest, clenching it tightly while keeping his unbroken angry gaze on the Lady. Following a brief hesitation, he fluidly bowed his head and placed a short, gentle kiss on the back of Sakura's hand. There was no lingering, and no smoldering eye-contact. It simply was.

Standing, he released her hand and challenged through gritted teeth, "Does that _please_ you?"

With her temper seemingly dissipated by the action, Sakura blushed, and then gave a curt nod, "Very much so, Your Grace."

It seemed the Prince knew how to apologize after all.

"Ahem," Kakashi coughed to make his presence felt. "Carrying on. Today's lesson is about the ever tantalizing, and sometimes elusive, kiss. It may seem like a minor step, but as I stated before, a kiss is the prelude to something more. A promise if you will." The two adolescences hardly seemed to be listening, too preoccupied in their private thoughts, which were currently being directed at the floor and the wall.

"Sakura, do you know the different types of kisses?"

"Me?" She looked around the room, feeling silly, as she seemed to search for another person sharing the same name. Beside her, Sasuke shifted and returned to his seat on the bed, seemingly under the impression that if he slunk away in the midst of a question, his presence would go entirely unnoticed and the lesson on without him.

"Well," Sakura tilted her head in contemplation, some of her loose strands of hair swaying in the motion. "There is a kiss between mother and child, and—"

The General held up is hand, gesturing her to stop, "Don't tell me. Show me." It was amusing, to say the least, to see the Lady's mouth drop open and eyes widen in horror.

"You want me," Her flustered hand pointed shakily to her chest, "To show you," A point to the General, "With... The Prince? Now?" An unsure side-glance, welcomed by said male's suddenly pallid complexion and uptight expression, did little to quell the young woman's apprehension for the task.

"Don't worry, he's not going to bite." To do such a thing would require too much intimacy, the General thought with an internal laugh. "Sasuke, just sit there and," Kakashi smirked as he teased, "Try to keep the sex out of your eyes."

"I do _not _have se—

"Yes, yes, Young Prince. It is exactly as you say." With the casual dismissal, Kakashi turned to Sakura, and gave a slight nod as he pointed to the bed, "Let's get this underway, there's much to go over, and we mustn't keep the Prince from his hunt."

Taking a deep breath in an effort to ease the thundering pace of her heart, the pink-haired female cautiously stepped toward the Prince. In her head, she tried to picture him as a kitten, one that acted cool and independent but secretly craved attention. The image was shaken, however, when her mind deemed it more appropriate to regard him as a feral cat with its claws out, hairs held high and back against the wall.

Shaking her head, she came to rest with her legs pressed awkwardly against his knees at the foot of the bed. A slight frown was the only indication the young male noticed her proximity, for his attention held rapt interest with the bay window on the left side of the room.

Sakura's finger shook lightly with anticipation, and stomach erupted in a flurry of nerves, yet she endeavoured to perform the task as calmly as possible. She raised her right hand to brush aside the Prince's messy bangs, an effort to soothe herself and make the act of kissing the Prince resemble some semblance of normality. A kiss on the forehead, she told herself, should not be a challenge.

With her fingers a hair's breadth from his forehead, his hand snapped up to capture her wrist. It caused such a startle in her chest, she almost thought her legs would give out beneath her.

"Your Highness?" She asked, prepared to take a step back under the pretense that she'd done something wrong, only his hard stare remained stuck on her wrist. His frown deepened in what Sakura could only assume was bewilderment at the seemingly involuntarily reaction to her advance.

Releasing a barely audible sigh, Sasuke released her, setting down his hand with his fingers curled around the edge of the bed and choosing to resume his attention to the view outside the window.

_Very well_. She took his silence as a sign to continue and nervously proceeded to swipe his bangs from his forehead more times than was necessary. It surprised her to discover how soft the strands of inky, black hair were to the touch. She'd expected it to be coarse, like his personality. He sighed, again, though whether it was in response to the doting attention or irritation for her efforts, Sakura could not be sure. Slowly, she leaned in at first, until she were mere inches from his forehead where she paused to take in another shaky breath. She could feel the heat radiating off him, and wondered if all members of the royal house burned quite so hot.

In a fell swoop, she connected her lips to his skin in a tender yet brief kiss, though even as she pulled away, she could feel her lips tingling from the warmth of the momentary touch.

"Is that alright?" She turned to face the General, who'd moved to standing several feet to the side of them so that he could grade their progress.

"That's exactly it; a short and simple kiss for someone you are close with, yet lacking the romantic connotations you might find in other, similar intimacies." Kakashi proceeded to jot down something in his notebook. "Let's move onto the next. What's another type of kiss you might now, Sakura?"

"There's one between friends," she offered, purposely delaying the inevitable end to the lesson.

"Let's see it then," Kakashi tried to move things along, he was well adept at identifying tactics that sought to stall the progression of events.

Gulping, Sakura returned her attention to the unusually silent Young Prince, although she was thankful for his lack of objections. She cupped his cheek in her hand, noticed the slight furrowing of his brows, and quickly leaned in to peck his cheek with another fleeting kiss. This time, before she even had time to withdraw completely, Kakashi froze her in place with a haphazard, "Now, show me a chaste kiss on the lips."

"Pardon?" Her wide eyes looked at the General in shock. The shrill question was measure of her surprise at being caught off guard by the request, as opposed to her inability to hear instructions. To confront her with the reality of giving away her first mouth-to-mouth kiss so suddenly was no small thing to swallow.

With their faces so near to one another, Sasuke had no option but to exercise a heightened degree of caution when turning to glower at Kakashi, out of fear that their faces accidentally brush against another. "Is this truly necessary?" The Prince asked, with no small amount of suspicion in his voice.

"That you think it unimportant makes it all the more necessary to pursue," The General hummed, relishing the look of contempt he received from the younger male, "Also, try not to look quite so sullen... Er, your usual self. We wouldn't want young Sakura to remember her first kiss as one with someone quite so unpleasant." His jibe seemed only to darken the Prince's mood, but Kakashi had the strong belief that his willingness to cooperate would increase dramatically with each lesson.

"Proceed Sakura. A kiss, on the lips." The General tapped his masked lips in emphasis, "Short and sweet. The type that says, I admire you but expect nothing in return."

"R-right." Her hands came to brace themselves on Sasuke's shoulders, which instantly tensed in response. While her brain rattled itself to function properly, her eyes narrowed in on the Prince's straight-lined lips with an intensity not unlike the type a soldier possesses when facing off against an unworldly enemy. Unconsciously, her thumbs brushed back and forth over the fabric of Sasuke's shirt in an effort to comfort herself.

_It's only a kiss_, she repeated the phrase inside her head. It wasn't as though most of her friends hadn't already given there's up. Only, they had pursued such pastimes with their fellow Lords and she was here with the _prince, _and _heir to the throne_. Her future King! If she did poorly, he would surely remember it and hold it against her. Suddenly, a lot seemed to be riding on this kiss, and the heat rising to her cheeks was threatening to consume her.

Kakashi stood unmoving, entertained by the awkward scene. The two of them had their eyes pinned nervously to the others lips. The pinkish tinge to fair Sakura's cheeks made clear enough her insecurity in committing to the act. By contrast, Sasuke gave away little in his outward appearance except for the unremitting grasp he had on the edge of the mattress, which seemed to be the only thing he could do to keep himself from fleeing.

The two gulped, and with a shaky conviction, Sakura suddenly sealed her fate and closed the gap to press her lips to the Prince's in an all too short kiss.

"Again," Came the simple demand from their teacher. Despite the minor hesitation, Sakura complied and Sasuke's stiff posture remained resolute.

"Again." Another kiss, this time with more surety.

"Keep your lips together for longer this time. Sasuke, turn on those sex eyes of yours and send the promise of wanting more."

"I do **_not_** have—" This time it was Sakura who cut him off by sealing their lips together in yet another kiss, only this time keeping them in place. Her lips had collided with the corner of the Prince's mouth but he grudgingly turned to meet her full on. When his narrowed obsidian orbs bored into her wide viridian eyes, she couldn't tell if it was his annoyance of her or the force of his aristocratic lineage that cause her stomach to flip and nerves to spark with untamed excitement.

She withdrew with a small pant, her cheeks a dark shade of red and heart rate notably faster. Sakura hoped her half-lidded eyes didn't look as clouded over as her mind felt.

"Very well," Kakashi chimed, only to add, "Again."

An obedient student, Sakura complied, though she honestly didn't know how much more she could take. Sasuke's lips were soft and surprisingly warm. She was beginning to feel lightheaded, and although she was unsure if she would call the look in his eyes 'sex', they were definitely affecting her in a way she was unfamiliar with. It felt like the temperature in the room was rising, and her hands on his shoulders were leaning into him for added support. Pulling back for fifth time, she was markedly out of breath and dismayed to see the Prince in much the same condition as ever. Was she the only one affected by all this?

"And, Agai—"

"How many times must we do this?" The Prince snapped, at last, keeping the Lady at bay with a hand on her shoulder.

Kakashi smirked, head cocked to the side and slyly informed, "I wanted to see how many times you'd comply without complaint. I must say, Sasuke, you exceeded my expectations."

Appalled by the omission, Sasuke protested, "That's abuse of your position." The way it was said with such conviction and honesty almost had the good General laughing at the irony, for it was the Prince who had the tendency of using his position as a reason to decide who was worthy and who was unworthy of his presence.

A light giggle broke out, filling the room like music.

Sasuke, who was in the midst of staring down his teacher now redirected his disapproval at the pink-haired Lady still hovering over him with a red face. "Is there something you find humorous, _My Lady_," was grit out lowly in a measure of self-control.

Sakura had to raise a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter, though a stray tear still collected in the corner of her eye. "No, no," She tried to placate the Prince with a soft smile. "You should remember that," again she held back laughter, "When you are King and in search of mistresses."

"Who says I—" The Prince broke off abruptly, clamping his mouth shut, and decidedly against finishing his statement. He frowned, in what Kakashi could only read as a troubled expression without delving into it further. Sakura, who was far less adept at reading the Prince, tilted her head in partial curiosity with her smile remaining in place. She apparently didn't seem to notice the way her smile caused Sasuke's expression to soften in the slightest or the way he masked his faint blush with a purse of the lips.

The mood now considerably lightened, Kakashi decided to launch right into his final lesson for the class. He clapped his hands together and excitedly beamed, "It's time to add some tongue!"

. . .

Sakura gasped, Sasuke's hand dropped from her shoulder as if it burned and the two gaped at the General as if he'd grown a third eye.

The first to remember how to speak was Sasuke, "You _cannot_ be serious."

"On the contrary, Young Prince, I could not be more serious. Anyone will tell you that some tongue is necessary to seal the deal," a playful wink caused the Prince to scowl, clearly not swayed by the jest.

"I do _not_," he hissed, "Wish to engage in obscene affairs, such as yourself."

"I assure you, there is plenty more required before an affair borders on obscene. Have I ever told you of the time Jiraiya brought home three—"

"Kakashi." The young man's tone was so threatening that any other subject may have trembled at the warning. Kakashi, however, had known the Prince far too long to be intimidated by such threats. Instead, he shook it off and returned to business.

"A kiss with tongue is where passion is born. If done correctly, one can bring even the most powerful of individuals to their knees." The General held his finger up to emphasize his point, "Think of it less as a kiss per se, and instead as a challenge; a kind of duel that is a prelude the next stage of the fight. Your mouths are the battle lines and tongues are your weapon."

Upon finishing his explanation, Kakashi was remiss to discover that his efforts to ignite some form of enthusiasm in his students had backfired, especially for Sasuke who looked paler than he ought, while Sakura looked on the brink of collapsing.

The seconds ticked by, the room thick with a suffocating form of apprehension. Kakashi lamented over having to compel his students into action through some other means, but it was the flustered and unassuming Sakura who surprised him with a surge of determination. She eyed the Prince's lips like a hawk preparing to swoop in on its prey.

Sakura didn't know what it was that drove her, though she ventured to guess it had something to do with her desire to be something other than second-best. In all her life, she had never been the best in anything, except perhaps, her explosive personality, which hardly counted as a victory. Ino had developed the womanly features and personality any man would desire. Hinata, though shy and not always easy for the Lords to approach, had beauty and an abundance of wealth that Sakura could only ever dream of. Then there was Tenten, who did not come from wealth or a family of note, but she could hold her own in a fight with any man. Sakura simply felt out of place and unworthy of her circle of friends.

Yet, it was _she_ who the Prince had sought out. She was the one who he'd come to for help, albeit in a roundabout way; and it was she who would be _his _first, assuming everything went accordingly. Knowing all this, the young Haruno Sakura felt a driving force behind her actions and a need to follow through with her decision to, not simply participate, but prove herself through victory in these lessons.

Giving a final look at the sheet of paper hanging over the desk with her score written down, Sakura swallowed her fear and smacked her lips down on the Prince's mouth. Her eyes shut in concentration, and in an effort to block out the sheer humiliation felt by such a forward, indecent activity.

Sasuke's lips remained unresponsive as she hesitatingly prodded her tongue against his moist lips in seek of entry. When they remained shut and unwelcoming to her advance, terror rose anew in her chest that, perhaps, the Prince simply had no intention to comply with the task and would forever view her as a kind of harlot for taking it so seriously. She was starting to sweat, her fingers shaking on his shoulders and lips quivering in response to a very real sense of panic erupting in her chest.

Upon counting to three, Sakura prepared to pull back with her shame written clear across her face. The moment she shifted, however, the Prince's lips parted ever so slightly. Had she been less observant, she may not have noticed but with all her attention on performing the kiss, the smallest of movements from the raven-haired male were amplified and impossible to miss. She took the opportunity and slipped her tongue through the small opening to move tentatively inside his mouth.

It was stiff and awkward, not at all what she imagined her first kiss of this nature to be like. There was no passion, no heat and the thought that she was doing something wrong started ringing inside her head. Still, she tried her best, exploring his moist cavern and breath freezing whenever she brushed against his velvet tongue. She tried her best to coax him into action, but his responses were sluggish, and his lips barely moved against her own.

Slowly, she began to wonder if he found her appearance to be so unsightly that he could not, even for the sake of pretense, act affected by her efforts. Maybe she was wrong to think he had picked her for a reason. Maybe he picked her at random, thinking her to be an easy catch. The doubts were building, and her instincts were driving her to pull back. End this foolish kiss and these silly lessons. His cool detachment stung, hurting her more than any harsh words he could ever say.

The compulsion to gauge his reaction soon had her eyes drifting open. She needed to see if his eyes were as disinterested as his response to the kiss seemed to be.

She blinked, and was immediately started to find a pair of hot and angry obsidian orbs boring up at her. The severity of his gaze burned with such intensity that her heart jolted in her chest. _Had she done something to make him angry?!_ Her time to dwell on it was cut short when a large hand braced on the back of her head and pulled her in closer, his mouth suddenly melding to hers and moving with conviction.

A started gasp was all she had time for before his wet tongue started sliding against her own, fighting for dominance and reclaiming the space in his mouth as their flesh entwined. The battle moved into her own mouth, his fingers twining in her hair in a pleasant distraction. He was devouring her, filling her mouth with his taste and swallowing any sounds that escaped the back of her throat but it was his eyes, _his eyes_, that shook the core of her being. His gaze was fueled by fire, possessed and unyielding in its attention; it burned as hot as his personality.

Sakura felt herself growing weak from oxygen deprivation and the intensity that was the Prince. The tingling spread from her chest outward, travelling down her arms and legs to her fingers and toes. She clutched him more tightly, trying to remain upright and focused on the kiss but her legs were starting to shake. Blood was rushing to her red, inflamed cheeks and was making her dizzy. She didn't think it was possible to be so moved by a kiss.

One of her legs collapsed, bending at the knee to rest on the edge of the mattress and directly in between Sasuke's legs. His reaction was sudden and rough, breaking the kiss and hands grabbing either side of her waist to push her back and hold her at arm's length.

For a good while, the only sound in the room was their haggard breaths. Sasuke's shoulders were hunched, head bowed between his forearms and hair messily strewn across his face. The poor Lady Sakura had to fight to remain upright, her mind still buzzing and heart drumming in her ears.

_Now_, Sakura could say, the kiss had met and surpassed her greatest expectations.

When she recovered enough to speak, Sakura gave a small laugh, to which the Prince looked up with some confusion. "You're," She grinned, taking another large intake of air, "Out of breath." Nevermind that she was in much the same state. The comment came out in a combination of mirth and a swell of confidence, for she had managed to affect the young man far more than she had ever imagined.

Sasuke frowned, apparently disapproving of the challenge. He held onto her for a few more seconds before finally releasing his grip and leaning back on the bed to observe her. It was subtle, _his smirk_, but his chin tilted up and he remarked with no small amount of smug satisfaction, "And, _I_" his eyes flicked to her knee before meeting her green eyes, "brought you to your knees."

"D-don't get overconfident," Sakura scolded, aware once again of the heat rushing to her cheeks as she embarrassedly took sudden interest in the floor.

"Hn," The inaudible reply served as his answer, before he quickly returned to the brooding man he was infamous for. Sakura decided she would take the small victory with a smile.

"My, you two are starting to heat up," came Kakashi's sly remark, only to receive unenthused looks from his students.

"Kakashi-sensei, you need more sensitivity!" The Lady had her hands on her hips and cheeks puffed out like a squirrel. The sight was rather charming, and the General found himself nodding his head in a manner of apology.

"I suppose this is an appropriate place the end."

Immediately, the lone Uchiha started to stand in preparation to depart. "Sasuke," Said male paused in mid-step to glance out the corner of his eye, "You're improving slightly, but your points are still lagging." The insight was met with a scowl, which went ignored as Kakashi held up two pieces of paper with new scores.

"As you can see, Sakura continues to excel and you..." Kakashi sweat-dropped at the Prince's menacing aura, "Well, let's just say you have much to make up for, even if you turned it up near the end."

A few muffled curses followed as Sasuke edged closer to the exit, never one to accept defeat graciously. He was again held up by the older male, "I've decided, as a manner of leveling the field somewhat, to provide you with some homework. Think of it as an extracurricular activity to offer you a chance to boost your score."

Sakura turned her head, her rapt attention on the General as she waited with bated breath to hear what he had to say. At the door, Sasuke's eyes narrowed, yet he remained ever keen for the instructions to follow.

Kakashi cleared his throat, holding up his finger with authority, "If you can kiss the Lady Sakura prior to our next lesson, I will award you ten additional points, _but _it must be on the lips or it will not count."

Sasuke grimaced but nevertheless departed without complaint, Sakura stood in a mixture of anticipation and mortification, and Kakashi hummed in amusement as he tacked up their new scores, calling out loud enough for the distant Prince to hear, "Don't forget. Six days. On the mouth."

What a week that would follow.

.

.

.

_Sasuke – 17 _

_Sakura – 35_

* * *

><p><strong>AN's: **Sakura has increased her lead, but Sasuke makes up for it a little in the end. I am looking forward to add more of the Naruto cast, especially Itachi at some point (I don't think the next chapter... Maybe).

Your reviews are as entertaining and encouraging as ever. Thank you!

In reply to SASUSAKU canon: I will eventually start working on Date With Misery, but right now I want to finish up some existing fics because it takes me a while to update, and if I have a million different stories to work on, the update rate will be like... Once a year OTL


	4. It's Extracurricular

**A/N:** Decided to upload this chapter in two parts since it's rather long and I don't really want to set the standard of each chapter being 7000+ words. I hope the pacing is OK. I think I need some work on transition -_-; Will continue to edit in the days that follow so for the first people who read this chapter, I apologize for any mistakes. I have the second part of this chapter _mostly_ written out.

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><p><strong>Chapter IV (Part I)<br>**

Lesson 1.5: It's Extracurricular

The pink haired female chewed on her lip anxiously, with her hands folded over her stomach and back facing one of the many windows lining the flank of the dining hall. Although she did not usually mind Court, in the days that had passed since her latest private lesson with the Prince, Sakura had grown anxious and paranoid of every turn she took. It was to be expected, for she had it in her mind that the Sasuke might ambush her at any given moment in order to secure ten points for a kiss. She'd already made a fool of herself on two occasions. The first occurred in the day that followed their lesson, when she made a sharp turn exiting the dining hall and almost ran into the Prince when he was with his fellow Lords. She'd stammered, and eyes bulged, thoroughly making a fool of herself. Then, midway through her failed attempt to vocalize coherent words, she realized that she had forgotten to curtsey. In her haste to follow protocol, her foot caught against the stone floor and she stumbled, head first into Sasuke's solid chest. He was not amused, as he gripped her elbow to help her back to her feet. Behind them, a couple Lords snickered, but they were quick to bite their tongues when the Prince abruptly turned and strode off without a word spoken.

The second incident followed two days after the first, when the young Prince approached her in Court. That time, Sakura remembered to curtsey and retained greater composure, though it shattered when the first words she spoke to him were a hurried, _'My Lord, you cannot do __**that**__ in here.'_ She was referring to the kiss, which she assumed was the reasoning for his approach. What other motive would he have to engage conversation with her? When she recognized the appalled look on his face, she realized her mistake. _'I meant to say_', came his scathing reply, _'A button on the back of your dress is undone.' _He left her, mortified and shaken by her own inability to act rationally around the Prince.

Since recovering from the regrettable incidences, she took to eluding the Prince altogether by hiding herself at the back of Court and peering around corners cautiously whenever she rounded castle walls. It did not stop her from thinking about the upcoming kiss incessantly, however. What type of kiss would it be? Would he allow his lips to linger? Would he use his tongue? She instantly blushed and brought her hand to her mouth in embarrassment.

"Don't be silly," she mumbled. Of course the Prince would try to get it over with as quickly as possible. He'd probably pull her aside without warning, press his lips to hers and depart before she even had the wherewithal to realize what transpired. Still, she had a remarkable memory for the feel of his soft lips, so warm on her own.

Sakura slapped her hands to her cheeks in an effort to dispel the treacherous thoughts. It was entirely inappropriate for a proper Lady to be consumed by such musings. It did little to help that simply being in the same room as the Prince charged her nerves with electricity, and sent her heart into a frenzy.

"Sakura," a light and playful voice instantly caused her back to stiffen and eyes to widen in raw panic.

Giving a slight jump, she swung in the direction of the voice, and relaxed when she discovered the form of her dear friend. "Ino," She breathed in relief, but she soon turned to scolding the blonde female instead, "You should know better than to sneak up on someone, do you have any idea the amount of stress it puts on one's heart? Not to mention the increase in—"

"Yes, yes," Ino waved her off, not prepared to be on the receiving end of a lecture on the biological functions of the human body. "You know," the blonde began slyly, with her hand on her hip, "You've been acting peculiarly lately."

"Ehh?!" Sakura took a half-step back and avoided her friend's gaze; the weight of her secret with the Prince suddenly burying her in a thick blanket of worry. Ino was a smart and observant friend, keeping a secret from her would be a challenge. "I don't know what you mean," she began shakily, feigning innocence as best she could.

"For the past few days," her friend started, "You've been rather high-strung. It's as if you expect someone to jump you. Are you..." Ino's eyes narrowed in careful observation, before skeptically asking, "Are you seeing someone?"

The unnervingly pointed question all but knocked the air right out from Sakura's lungs. "You can't be serious," her shrill voice caught the attention of several nearby aristocrats. Being under the microscope of her friend this early in the day was the last thing the heavily stressed pink female needed. She sucked in a deep breath the quiet the tension in her chest and tried anew to cast off suspicions.

With her voice notably lower, Sakura proceeded to launch into her defence, "You're completely off base. There's no one. Who would I even be interested in?" She shook her head at her own question, acting as though the entire notion were a complete fantasy. "It's about my parents. I told you... There's a significant business deal they're working on that will see the cancellation of our debts." Her green eyes searched Ino's for signs of understanding, "I'm simply nervous because I want it to work out for them. It is a big deal, don't you agree?"

Ino remained silent for several seconds, carefully studying Sakura before finally relaxing her shoulders and releasing a small laugh. "I suppose that makes sense. It's not like you'd be able to hide suitors from me." The blonde winked, leaning in with her hand over one side of her mouth and added, "Naruto and Lee would make such a scene if they had yet another Lord to compete with."

"Ha," Sakura gave a casual hand flip while compulsively brushing loose strands of hair behind her ear. "I told you already, they're both just friends."

"Of course," Ino rolled her eyes. Then, she mused aloud, "I suppose they would not be _so_ bad for you. It's not often a woman gets to settle with someone she actually knows well in advance." Most marriage arrangements for the nobility were political manoeuvrings and efforts to elevate one's family standing in Court.

"Still, it would be nice to marry someone tall, dark and handsome, like the Prince." Ino's face beamed, and Sakura nearly choked.

"T-the Prince? You mean Prince _Sasuke_?" It was the last subject she wanted to find herself consumed in. Her thoughts of late had already revolved around said male too much.

"Of course! With his dark hair and eyes... Creamy skin, cool attitude. Everything about him screams crazy, hot sex, don't you think?" She asked eagerly, though it was hardly a question since her eye sparkled with images of scandalous sex acts.

Unfortunately, at the mention of crazy sex, Sakura's own mind started playing scenes of all matter of lewd acts with the temperamental young Prince, which did little to stem the tide of anxiety building inside her. "Ino!" She ground out the blonde's name, "You mustn't talk like that, the Prince—"

"Can you imagine, his hot breath beating down your neck," Ino ran her tongue over her lips, driving Sakura's thoughts into further consternation.

Sakura half wished she could mention that the Prince hardly seemed the type to engage in any manner of sex acts, let alone ones that bordered on the insane, yet the truth remained; she could imagine perfectly his breath on her, as with his lips and steamy eyes, which shone with such ferocity that a simple glance had her legs trembling.

Again, the poor Lady's thoughts were focusing on things she wished to cast out.

Desperately she looked around the room for an excuse to remove herself from Ino's company and the topic of Sasuke. She would never be able to face the Prince again if she engaged in such carnal topics behind his back.

On the far side of the room, Sakura managed to spot a tuft of blonde hair in the crowd that belonged to Naruto. Seizing the opportunity, she interrupted her friend just as her mouth dropped open to, undoubtedly, describe more heated images with the fiery Prince.

"Excuse me Ino!" She apologetically clasped her hands in front of her, "There is something I need to discuss with Naruto." With little more than a parting glance, Sakura eagerly rushed through the crowd toward Naruto, who was busy making disgruntled hand gestures at the uncensored and loose-lipped Sai.

"My Lords," She interrupted, giving a sloppy curtsey and wrapping herself around Naruto's left arm to lead him away from the crowded Court. Though Sai may have objected to the sudden intrusion, Sakura afforded him no time to respond.

"Walk with me," was muttered under her breath as she guided the dismayed, but happy to oblige, blonde out of the dining hall. She needed some air, and needed to be away from the observant eyes of Court. More than anything, she needed to be away from locations the Prince frequented and was a favoured topic of conversation among the Ladies.

"Oi, oi, Sakura-chan, is something the matter?" Naruto cast a worried look at Sakura, who merely shook her head and offered a weak, "I just need a break from Court."

In silence, she listened to the blonde chatter about his latest complaints on Sai's blatant homosexual references, and then the abject laziness of the Lord Shikamaru when it came to much of anything the blonde enjoyed pursuing in his pastime. Likewise, there were no kind words for Kiba and his apparent 'dog breath'. Throughout this, Sakura led him through the castle's hallways until they reached a wide double staircase. At the bottom of the stairs were several windowed doorways, which offered a stunning view of the castle's gardens.

There were acres of foliage to wander through. The Uchiha's had imported many plants and trees from neighbouring lands in a demonstration of their wealth and power. They had even diverted the flow of a nearby riverbed in order to fill a man-made lake on the property.

"Let's go to the gardens. Not many people visit them at this time," Sakura announced, leaning into her male companion for support as they made their way down the stairs; walking in heels was always easier on flat ground.

Beside her, Naruto snickered, "If it's privacy you want, we could try one of the spare rooms. God knows there's—"

"Naruto," She punched him in the arm for the insinuation.

"Ok, ok," He grumbled out in disappointment yet the grin hanging on his expression revealed his true jovial nature.

"Seriously though," he began asking, while holding the door open for her, "What has you in such need of an escape?"

"I..." She chewed on her lip lightly, unsure of how much information she could divulge without giving away the truth. Thinking it better to err on the side of caution, she settled for, "I'm simply stressed by recent events."

"You too?" The slight groan came as a surprise to Sakura, who blurted out a bewildered, "Pardon?"

"Sasuke," the blonde bemoaned, causing her stomach to drop, "Has had an even bigger stick up his ass this week than usual."

She ignored remarking on his crass language, and instead expressed a harsh, "Naruto!" The whole reason for departing Court had been to avoid the topic of the Prince, not that her friend knew as much.

"It's true!" Naruto was quick to defend his position. "He's been challenging everything. If anyone breathes the slightest hint of objection to something he says, he takes it as provocation and instantly snaps. Just yesterday, he forced me to duel with him for four hours. _Four_ hours, Sakura-chan!" For sympathy, he rubbed his sore shoulder.

"I have heard he is a rather... Uptight individual," She offered in some measure of comfort.

"I'm telling you, he's been _way _worse than usual. The only reason he let me off after four hours is because Itachi came and told him to give it a rest. Bastard probably lost to Itachi in some insignificant little challenge and is taking it out on the rest of us. He does that you know."

Nodding, Sakura recalled the number of times Sasuke had openly challenged Kakashi out of seeming spite, and replied with a heavy, "I have no doubt, Naruto."

It was an awkward conversation, for Sakura had to pretend she did not know the Prince in the slightest; though, she casually joked with herself that there wasn't much need for pretend. The Prince shared absolutely nothing personal with her during their lessons. The only thing she knew for sure was that he disliked anything intimate in nature and maintained a perpetual look of disdain for those in his presence. She did wonder, however, what had caused the young Prince to behave _worse _than usual. Was such a thing even possible?

With no small amount of genuine sentiment, she remarked, "I hope the Prince will be in a better mood soon." Specifically, before their next lesson in two days.

Rolling his eyes, Naruto agreed, "Tell me about it. I can't stand his constant brooding."

The two fell into a comfortable silence, both distracted by their own thoughts but comforted by each others company. They made their way across the large stone patio and down a second set of stairs, which faced a wide field of short, green grass. To the right lay the flower gardens and fountains, but the two instead continued straight, in the direction of a small apple orchard. The sun was high in the sky, and a subtle breeze kept the warm summer temperature from feeling unbearable. Across the field, several Lords and Ladies gathered for a friendly picnic, though the distance was such that Sakura could not make out their faces. It reminded her that she'd scarcely had more than a few bites for breakfast, since her nerves concerning the Prince were so great that it affected her ability to eat.

Naruto must have noticed the direction of her attention, because he leaned in and asked, "Are you hungry?"

"Oh no, I'm just—"

"I'll get you an apple then," he chirped happily, grabbing her hand and rushing her over to what appeared to be the tallest apple tree in the entire orchard. Pausing at the base of the tree, he turned and grinned with his hand up, "Wait here."

"What?" Her green eyes blinked in surprise when, rather of reaching for an apple easily within grasp, the blonde hoisted himself up the base of the trunk and began to climb.

"What are you doing?" She repeated with a mixture of concern and exasperation. Leave it to Naruto to make fetching an apple a grand venture.

"I'm going to get you one from the very top!"

"That's not necessary!" Sakura fumed over the blonde's carelessness for his safety, and reasoned, "They're all the same."

"The best ones are at the top, Sakura-chan." A wink was the last she saw of his face before he turned his back to her and reached for a branch overtop his head.

Giving a small kick to the trunk of the tree, Sakura crossed her arms and lectured Naruto's backside, "Don't think I'm running for help if you fall and hurt yourself," her chin tilted up in self-assurance, though they both knew her threat carried no real conviction.

"Don't worry, I'm being careful," the blonde reassured her while climbing still higher.

"You better," She grumbled under her breath and too softly for the other male to hear. The last thing she wanted was to have to explain to his parents how their son broke a bone or two while ascertaining an apple.

While Sakura waited, periodic curses and whines filtered down as Naruto fought to free his snagged jacket from more than one branch and then had to defend himself from an angry mother bird. Rolling her eyes, Sakura turned to gaze out across the meadow. From their positioning, she had a perfect view of the back of the castle, which appeared only more grand and intimidating from a distance.

Her attention was instantly captured by an approaching figure wearing all black except for a cream coloured dress shirt. At first, she believed it to be a vivid daydream, a manifestation of her anxieties. When the figure continued to draw closer, she realized it could not possibly be her imagination.

Sakura's eyes widened and mouth dropped open. "You Grace," was gasped out in stunned disbelief to encounter him there of all places.

The Prince came to a stop a few feet away from the Lady, crossing his arms as he looked up at the tree with disdain.

"How are you, My Lord?" Sakura smiled timidly, attempting to overlook the altogether sour disposition he appeared to be sporting.

Dark eyes slid to her own, sending a shiver down her spine, which she tried to hide by straightening her posture. After a stretched out pause, the Prince bluntly remarked, "You're with Naruto." It was a statement rather than a question, though his slight narrowing of the brows compelled Sakura to attempt an explanation.

(Kakashi would be thoroughly disappointed to see his male student still possessed little tact for greeting a Lady properly.)

"Hm? Oh... Yes, My Lord. He..."Her eyes grew with some panic as she recalled that the entire reason for their exploration was to escape the Prince himself, yet she could not say _that_ without causing him offense. So, she settled for, "He accompanied me on a walk, you see."

When, still, Sasuke did nothing, she felt the need to downplay his observation altogether with an offhanded and slightly defensive, "He walks with me often."

The admission did little to lighten the air. In fact, the poor Lady Sakura was remiss to see the Prince's straight-lined lips curve down into a small frown. As she twiddled with the folds of her dress, she tried desperately to hold eye contact in a show of resilience, but the longer his onyx orbs bore down on her own, the more quickly her thin confidence eroded.

After what felt like an eternity had passed, but could only have been a minute at most, her anxiousness triumphed and she looked off to the side at some birds in the distance.

"You should be more careful." The warning came out harsher than the dark haired male intended.

"Pardon?"

"If you're going to walk with someone, you should take a chaperone." It was not missed that by someone, he meant a _man_.

Sakura laughed, for she was certain the Prince was making some kind of joke. There was not a Lord or Lady in the entire Kingdom that would ever suggest there be some kind of illicit relationship between herself and Naruto. When Sasuke remained straight-faced as ever, Sakura jested in turn, "You can't be serious."

His answer was sharp, "It was _you_ who went on about the importance of modesty and maintaining a proper image."

The pink-haired female could hear the air of pretension in the young man's voice. Already her temperature was beginning to rise as she defensively began, "Naruto is my friend—"

Sasuke snorted, "He does not think of you as a _friend_."

Aghast, Sakura's mouth dropped open yet no words escaped. It all seemed rather outrageous that the Prince would talk about chaperones and modesty when _he_ had been the one to proposition _her_ for participation in his father's mandated sexual education lessons.

Deciding it best to withhold screaming insults at the Prince, Sakura replied with a passive-aggressive, "Is there something in specific that you wanted_? _Surely, _Your Highness_, you did not come all this way to lecture me on supposed relationships."

The way his title slipped past her lips like acid seemed to go unnoticed. At least, she thought it had until he abruptly stepped forward, inserting himself into her personal space with scarcely a few inches of separation.

"Your Grace?" Was uttered again, with urgency this time; his sudden proximity served a present reminder of the kiss Kakashi had tasked him with. Unprepared, and with Naruto still up in the tree and capable of reappearing at any moment, the timing seemed too great a risk. Sakura decided to take a small step back but the male opposite of her easily read her intention. Before she started the motion, his hand snapped up to grab hold of her elbow and root her firmly in place.

The contact elicited a sharp intake of air, followed by the erratic beating of her heart. The Prince's closeness was such that when the breeze blew, some strands of his hair tickled her forehead.

"I told you to call me Sasuke."

Sakura's brows lowered in confusion, and she fought with all her will power not to let her attention drop to his lips, though it was, regrettably, all her mind could think of. All Sasuke had to do was lean down a little closer and his lips would be locked on hers. It had been five days since they kissed, and already the occurrence was starting to feel more like a dream than reality.

"Sakura," it was the first time she heard a small whine in his voice. A hint of his impatience and a subtle admittance that he wanted the pink female to acknowledge his request.

"I can't," She uttered breathlessly and without thinking. Her effort to ignore his lips by staring into his dark eyes was proving just as great a hindrance to pure thoughts.

"Why?" There was displeasure in his tone now, and his grip on her elbow tightened. In his eyes, she saw a flash of something, but it vanished quicker than she could analyze it.

"I mean," Sakura blinked, redoubling her concentration so that she could form logical reasoning's, "I can't in public, Your Gra—" Quickly, she bit her lip to prevent herself from finishing the formal title. It was not an easy request by any means. All Lords and Lady's were taught since birth to address their peers with the appropriate title; to suddenly cast aside all her teachings and adopt a new habit, was akin to calling her parents by their given names instead of 'mother' or 'father.' The whole thing felt unnatural and counter to how she was raised. Still, a more pressing issue was that, "People will be suspicious if I suddenly start calling you by your name."

She could tell by the way the Prince's fingers clenched around her elbow that he found the reasoning unsatisfactory. To appease him, she affirmed, "I will try my best to do so in private," looking over her shoulder and finding Naruto still out of sight, she lowered her voice and breathed out a gentle, "Sasuke." As she said his name, she could feel her cheeks heating up in embarrassment and, unable to look at him directly, she stared at the embroidery on his shirt.

"Fine," he relinquished his hold on her arm. The partial compromise enough to sedate him for the time being.

It did not go unnoticed that the Prince remained rooted in place.

"Was there something else..." Sakura swallowed, chancing a glance upward but only making it to the Prince's throat before her focus remained stuck. Her unfinished sentence hung between them, weighted with a curious expectation.

Sakura noticed the slight bob in the Prince's Adam's apple as he swallowed in kind, leaning in just slightly. She was now certain he would kiss her, and subconsciously moistened her lips in preparation. All she would have to do is tilt her head upward and rise to her toes to close the gap.

"My father," his deep voice drawled out unexpectedly. "Has requested that you move into the castle for..." He struggled for the correct wording, "the time being."

"Oh?" Was the only syllable she was capable of mustering.

"To make your presence in the castle less suspicious, as you said." He inched a little closer. His bangs hung loosely against her forehead, and her green eyes glued to his lips, which parted slightly as he took in a deep breath.

"Your parents were informed."

She nodded, not really paying attention to what he had to say. There would be time enough to react afterwards.

"The pretense is that they're refurnishing the Haruno Manor and asked the King to be your charge until..." the Prince paused, "things are complete."

"I see," green eyes flashed up to show agreement, but Sakura discovered the Sasuke's attention was a bit _lower_ than her eyes. "Was there anything else?"

The dark haired male nodded slowly, his lips hovering a hair's breadth from her own. She could feel his breath on her skin as he spoke, "A servant will meet you to..." There was no mistaking the way the Prince wet his lips, "Show you to your quarters, and..."

The pause was too much and anticipation too great. Sakura's heart skipped a beat as she prodded, "And?"

"And..." He muttered, shifting slightly and preparing to seal their lips together in one fell swoop. It was the moment Sakura had waited, and imagined inside, her head for days, only this time, she felt no anxiety or nervousness for it to happen. All she felt was a yearning and desire to have him kiss her.

"Sakura-chan!"

The loud, obnoxious voice of her friend tore through the air. "Catch!" Was yelled, from some point high up in the tree that was not visible from the ground. She arched her neck back in time to see an apple flying directly for her. In a split second decision, her eyes squinted shut and arms rose to block the object from slamming into her face and leaving an questionable red mark on her skin. Her forehead bumped into Sasuke's torso as she ducked for cover.

When several seconds passed and still she felt no impact, Sakura peeked an eye open, looking up through her crossed arms to discover the Prince's arm outstretched over her own with the apple in his hand.

"Tha—" She began voicing her gratitude, but stopped upon noticing the Prince's homicidal glare for the tree.

"Idiot," Sasuke growled out.

"Sasuke?" Came Naruto's startled response, followed by strangled gasp and the cracking sound of several branches snapping. The motion caused several apples to dislodge from the tree's heavy branches and tumble to the ground.

Instinctively, Sasuke's arm wrapped around Sakura's back pulling her against himself to shield her from the falling fruit. While the action protected her from superficial harm, it created more problems than it solved, since she now had her face pressed against the Prince's shoulder and hands splayed on his chest. Their eyes widened and bodies, pressed firmly against one another, froze in place with the fear that the slightest movement might cause a regrettable reaction. She blushed when she inhaled his scent, which was a mixture of pine and campfire, from what she assumed had been a recent hunt.

They remained stuck in place until, once again, Naruto's voice rang out in warning, "Teme, you better not be upsetting Sakura-chan!"

More twigs snapped as he hastily scampered down the tree, eager to come to his Lady's aid and fight off unwanted competition for her affections.

Sasuke's strong hand grabbed hold of Sakura's arm and pushed her back to an appropriate distance. Then, without sparing her a glance, his arms dropped to his sides just as the blonde came out from a thicket of leafy branches.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Naruto grumbled, looking down at the Prince before hopping down with several apples tucked under his arm.

"Be more respectful, Naruto," Sakura chided, rubbing her arms to detract from the guilty pleasure she had received from the Prince's undivided attention.

The message was not received, since Naruto continued to be unimpressed with the dark haired male's presence, "Shouldn't you be studying Prince _stuff _or something?"

"I don't always study." The two males glared at each other, and Sakura laughed nervously to break the tension. Quelling the rivalries of two men was not something her parents ever taught her.

"Did you two have an argument?" She asked lightly. It was well known in the kingdom that the two possessed an intense desire to outdo the other in competitions, though she also knew from conversations with Naruto that they were close friends.

"No," they replied in unison, attention now shifting to her.

"Then," in the presence of two powerful males, the necessity for composure compounded itself, "Don't act disappointed to see one another. It's a nice day, is it not?" To accentuate her point, she walked out from under the shade of the large apple tree to stand in the sun.

Turning around, Sakura smiled brightly and remarked, "The three of us can walk together to the gardens." She tried to stimulate feelings of good-will between the two boys and foster a sense of purpose in their unity. To her amazement, _neither_ objected.

Naruto sent a fleeting glance to Sasuke, grinned and ran up beside her, eagerly coaxing her to pick one of the apples he had put so much effort into obtaining for her. "This one is the reddest," he pronounced, holding up a shiny red apple. "But this one is rounder, and this one was on a higher branch, and this one—"

"Naruto," Sakura giggled, tapping his shoulder to stop him from going on a long list of all the pros each apple had to offer. "I'll take..." Her eyes locked onto the red apple he initially pointed out, and hand reached for it when Sasuke's gruff voice interceded.

"Take this." Yet another apple was presented, this time offered by the Prince who held it out disinterestedly.

Sakura blinked in bewilderment at the unexpected gesture.

"Che," the blonde growled, "She doesn't want _your_ apple."

Sasuke evened with a snide, "How would you know? Keep your presumptions to yourself."

"_You_ didn't even pick that apple."

"And,_ You,_ would have hit her in the face with it, had I not intervened."

In horror, Sakura watched as the two young male's barred their teeth and looked about ready to discard the apples entirely to engage in an actual physical altercation. How it was possible to get in an argument over something so trivial was beyond her comprehension. They couldn't usually be like this, could they?

"Stop this," her hand connected with Naruto's arm in the hardest slap she could manage and a huff escaped her lips as she scowled at Sasuke. "You two are competing over nothing." At least, she assumed their competition over which apple she chose had something to do with their silly rivalry. Whatever it was, she did not want to be a part of it. Miffed, she murmured out, "Is this how you behave in front of a Lady?"

Her words did little to ease the grimace from each male's face, so she tried a lighter approach. Sighing, she reached for each apple simultaneously, not wanting to be accused of favouritism by taking one before the other. "I'll take both, so please, stop your arguing."

With two apples in hand, Sakura turned and started walking, content to think the matter settled. Indeed, with Naruto and Sasuke walking on either side of her, and the bickering silenced, things seemed rather serene for a brief few minutes. The birds chirped overhead, butterflies fluttered and grass hummed in the breeze.

It could have made for a perfect afternoon stroll.

Unfortunately, the beautiful weather did not extinguish the tension in the air. It crept in slowly at first, then it built with each step, thickening the blood in her veins. She tried to ignore it, staring intently at the destination across the field, but when her skin started to prickle it all started to become too much.

"Um, Sakura-chan..." Naruto was first to break the suspense. As he adjusting his shirt collar, he tentatively as asked, "Which apple do you think you'll eat first?"

Pausing abruptly, her green eyes looked from Naruto to Sasuke. Upon noticing the same rapt interest for her reply in both of them, Sakura shook her head in disbelief of their childish nature. It was one thing to expect this from Naruto, another thing entirely for the Prince to behave in much the same way.

Stomping her foot, and mouth dropping open, she bemoaned, "You two are unbelievable!" Then, hiking up her dress so that she could storm off with less of a hindrance, she muttered out a low _'stupid_' before departing.

She half had it in her mind to throw the apples on the ground and leave them there for the worms to pick at, except...

They were gifts, _of sorts_. And, the simple gesture by both males brought a small smile to her face even in the midst of her frustration with them.

.

.

.

_Sasuke – 17 _

_Sakura – 35_

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><p><strong>AN: **Score remains the same, for now!


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