Enjoy! In this chapter a lot of our favorite people in the Naruto universe will be showing up.

Forbidden...the Students

“Teme!”

Uchiha Sasuke let out a grunt at the loud yell from behind him. He didn’t even both to turn and look at the person. Instead, he kept walking, his backpack slung over his shoulder.

“Hey! Hey, teme will you—dammit will you stop for a second!?”

Sasuke merely turned to see the jovial blonde running towards him, waving his arms, a mischievous grin covering his face. Sasuke immediately became wary. Any time his best friend had that grin it meant something bad was going to happen. Something very bad.

Last time they’d almost gotten expelled—something his parents had NOT taken well. He couldn’t remember the details of the prank, only that it had something to do with Kakashi-sensei’s Icha Icha collection and the girls’ locker room.

The blonde finally caught up to him, still grinning as he threw his own backpack over his shoulder in one swift movement. “I thought you were going to leave without me! Then I would have had to walk home.” He made a face at the thought. “I never would have survived.”

Sasuke snorted. “Dobe. It’s your own fault you crashed your car. Besides, you only live four blocks from the school.”

“It was not my fault! The fire hydrant appeared out of nowhere. I SWEAR!” Naruto yelled out despairingly.

Sasuke ignored him, and the two settled into silence as they continued down the hallway, expertly traversing through the crowds of students with skill born from years of practice. Also something he had learned through experience was how to dodge the giggles and love-struck gazes of the majority of the female population.

As they went down another hallway towards their lockers, he realized that Naruto was talking to him.

“…and Neji-teme said hell no and Kiba’s mom won’t let us do it at their house again ‘cause of what happened LAST time and my apartment isn’t big enough and—”

“What are you talking about, dobe?”

“Eh?” Naruto blinked, before raising an eyebrow and giving a small grin. “You weren’t listening at all, were you?”

“Hn.”

“Ha!” Naruto laughed, “So much for being the ever-observant prodigy, huh? Glad to know you’re human just like the rest of us.”

Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes—that would have been very un-cool, so he settled for giving Naruto a level-headed glare. “Just tell me what you were talking about, dobe.” And that was when the mischievous grin reappeared on Naruto’s face and inwardly, Sasuke cringed. He shouldn’t have asked.

“The party! I mean, we HAVE to throw Hinata-chan a birthday party right? And besides, it’s homecoming week so we can have it Friday night and it’ll be AWESOME.”

“What does this have to do with houses?”

“Well no one else has a place we can use for the night and your parents are gonna be out of town that weekend so me and the others were thinking—”

“No.”

“Oh come ON teme!”

“No.”

“You’re no fun at all!” Naruto pouted as they stood in front of their lockers. He hurriedly did his combination, jerking the door open and pulling out a chemistry book before shoving another book inside, one that looked vaguely like their literature textbook. “I swear, you’re almost as much of a prick as Neji-teme and Sai-teme—and that’s saying something dude!”

Sasuke merely shrugged. “My mom and dad said no parties while they’re gone.”

“Ugh. You KNOW Itachi is going to throw one anyway. Why do you have to be the goody-two-shoes of the family? It’s not like they’ll ever know!”

“No.”

“Fine. I’ll ask your brother if we can go to his party.” Naruto said archly, inwardly grinning. He saw Sasuke stiffen, even as the dark-haired boy shoved a few books into his locker.

“Hn. Fine, we can have it at my house.”

Naruto pumped a fist into the air and cheered. “Yes!”

Sasuke merely grabbed the last book and folder he needed from his locker before stuffing them in his bag and slamming the locker door shut. Why did he feel like he’d just sold his soul to the devil?

“Hinata-chan is going to be so surprised! And she’ll probably do that cute blush thing when she gets inside and we all shout SURPRISE!”

“Dobe. She only blushes because you’re there.” Sasuke muttered.

“Hm? What did you say, teme?” Naruto asked, being drawn out of his train of thought by the Uchiha child.

“Nothing.” Sasuke grunted. “But everyone has to be out of the house by noon Saturday. I have to finish my homework before my parents get back Saturday night.”

“Ok, ok.” Naruto nodded. “But seriously, you have the whole weekend. Why do you have to get your homework done before they get back?”

Sasuke’s jaw merely tightened as he pushed roughly passed a group of people standing at their lockers. He didn’t bother to apologize, even as they grumbled curses under their breath at him. THE Uchiha Sasuke never apologized for ANYTHING after all.

Naruto watched his best friend worriedly. He knew that Sasuke’s parents expected a lot from him, and he wondered if it was finally getting to the youngest Uchiha. Itachi was a prodigy, and their parents seemed to expect Sasuke to follow in his footsteps. It really wasn’t fair though. Itachi was just…good at everything he did. Naruto knew how hard it was for Sasuke, how much he worked and studied to be as good as his brother. But it never seemed to be enough.

But that STILL did not give Sasuke the right to be such an asshole to everyone else, even his friends. If Naruto didn’t know him better he probably would have killed him already. He SERIOUSLY had some kind of anger-management problem.

There was a rustle of movement before someone barreled into Naruto, slamming him against the wall. “Eck! Bastard!” Naruto growled out, grabbing the offending attacker in a headlock.

“Hey! Watch the hair, man!” Kiba grunted, trying to dislodge himself from Naruto’s hold. “Dude! Do you EVER bathe? Your pits reek.”

Naruto merely punched Kiba in the arm. “Aw shut up.” Then he grinned, “Hey did you hear? Teme’s going to let us use his house!”

“YES!” Kiba sang out, even as Shino, Shikamaru, and Choji walked up to them as they neared the door to the school.

“What’s going on?” Choji asked curiously, as Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck, looking around boredly. Shino merely pushed his glasses back up his nose.

“We’re having Hinata’s surprise birthday party at Teme’s house!” Naruto yelled out.

“It isn’t much of a surprise if everyone in the whole school hears you, idiot.” Shikamaru muttered, earning a glare from the exuberant blonde.

“I could hear you all the way down the art hall, dickless.” Came a cheerful voice to their right. “So I guess we’re holding the party at Sasuke’s house?”

“Dammit, don’t call me dickless, you teme!”

Sai merely ignored him, before he blinked. “What’s going on up there?”

“Eh?” All of the boys turned to see students crowding around the front doors of the school, looking out.

“Ooooo look at them!”

“She’s so pretty! But seriously, have you ever seen that color of hair? It HAS to be dyed.”

“Damn, I’d kill for legs like that.”

“And HIM. He’s so…so…”

“DREAMY!”

“Oh god, who are they?”

After sharing a confused glance, the group headed towards the doors, where a few of their other friends were waiting. Hinata, Neji, Lee, and Tenten all turned as they neared.

“Hey guys!” Tenten greeted cheerfully, before craning her head, trying to look through the window. “Dammit! Why can’t these guys get out of the way and just open the frickin’ door!?”

“H-hi N-Naruto-kun.” Hinata whispered, smiling up at the blonde and blushing furiously.

“Hey Hinata-chan! What’s everyone doing?”

“Some people are outside. We can’t see from back here and no one’s moving.” Neji muttered. It was true, the large crowd around the doors was keeping anyone from entering or leaving the building.

“Well tell them to move.” Sasuke grunted. “I have to get home.” And he made to push one of the onlookers out of the way. He didn’t have to, however, as the entire crowd seemed to part as the doors opened and two people walked inside.

Sasuke could only stare.

The first person was a young man, around their age. He had white hair tied back with red bands, and a gentle face. There were red bags under his eyes, and two small red dots on his forehead. He wore their school uniform, although he was tugging at the collar uncomfortably, afraid to meet the gazes of all the giggling girls watching them. But he was not the person that was holding Sasuke’s attention.

No, it was the woman who walked in with him that held his gaze.

She seemed to be a few years older than them at the most, with long rosette locks tied back in two loose buns. She wore a cream colored chemise that ended below her knees with a wide black belt around the waist. She had a black choker with a cameo of the goddess Psyche around her slender neck. She seemed to notice his stare above the others for she turned to him as she and the young man began walking by.

Their eyes met.

He had never seen that shade of green before.

She smiled softly, and he noticed how naturally pink her full lips seemed to be. She stopped, and her companion did as well. The entire student body seemed to be crammed into the hallway, watching and waiting.

Finally, she spoke, “Do you know where the principal’s office is?”

----

A FEW HOURS EARLIER

Sakura shifted slightly in the large bed, eyes still closed. She felt someone tracing designs across her bare back, but didn’t open her eyes as she spoke.

“Gaara-kun, are Sasori-kun and Tomokazu-kun awake?”

“Sasori went on the errand you asked of him. He left your new outfit on the chair.”

“Mmmm.” Sakura agreed with a murmur, still not opening her eyes as Gaara continued to run his fingers along her pale skin.

“Tomokazu left a few moments ago to make sure all of your guests have left the premises.”

“I hope he was not too rough with them. While not high-ranking, a few of them are rather enjoyable to converse with. I would hate for them to feel slighted and decide not to come back.”

Gaara said nothing. He often wondered why his hime allowed the other vampires to stay in her home at all. It was true that most of them worked in her spy network, but since they did not have masters it was only natural that Gaara look down on them.

While most of the Elders detested master-less vampires, they often found good uses for them. Many of these vampires had formed their own small covens, gaining enough power to be considered ‘low-ranking nobility’ in the vampiric hierarchy. Also, some other Elders, like his hime, had created spy networks through these vampires. They did small jobs for the Elder that paid them, and in turn, they were protected from other Elders, for the most part.

Because while it seemed as if the Elders were all amiable towards one another, beneath the surface political unrest and greed brewed. The Elders were always seeking more power, and any show of weakness would result in another Elder seizing upon it to crush another. There had been more Elders long before, but it had been whittled down to this small group after several assassinations and power struggles.

Even now there was always that hidden tension during the Meetings. Some of the Elders truly did like one another—his own hime had a soft spot for Chiyo, who often treated Sakura like a daughter and who was the grandmother of Sasori, and Tsunade, who she held a close friendship with due to shared interests—and these Elders often formed small pacts or alliances. With these they shared information, aided the other in a time of need, or merely supported them during a Clan Meeting.

But what truly held the political war together was the network of lower level vampires that worked for each of the Elders. Sakura had a habit of allowing some of them to remain in her home after their ‘meetings’ in which they relayed all of their gathered information to her. Her servants disliked this habit, due to the fact that it meant more vampires around their hime, vying for her favor. It was widely-known that if you were one of Haruno Sakura’s spies, you were one of the best. That kind of boost in your reputation was sought after by many. Sakura did not allow any save the finest to work for her. She gave no room for mistakes. If you failed her you were dealt with. So, being one of her spies was a double-edged sword, but one that many accepted eagerly.

In fact, even as Gaara contented himself with running his fingers across her skin she had begun looking over a file of information that one of her spies had given her the night before. She made no move to slip out of the warm bed, or to cover her bare form as she sat up and continued going over the information.

Gaara placed his head in her lap, closing his eyes as she stroked his hair with one hand, holding the file in her other. He traced lazy patterns with his fingers on her bare thighs. He rarely got a chance to be with his hime alone, but fate seemed to be showing him favor at the moment. Having both Sasori and Tomokazu absent for at least several hours was a much looked forward to event.

“I suppose I must get ready soon…the school will be closing in a few hours and I want to get there before he leaves.” She felt Gaara stiffen in her lap and looked down at him, “What is it?”

“Why are you taking Him with you?”

“Because you are too noticeable.”

“He cannot protect you against a Hunter, and he is noticeable as well.” Gaara defended.

“I am not planning on being attacked at a mortal highschool. Besides, would it not be best to have a human with me if I were to confront a Hunter?”

Gaara said nothing more, merely rubbed his nose against her inner thigh, eyes still closed.

His hime continued nonchalantly, “Orochimaru kept him on a short leash. I doubt he has been outside for years. Doing so will be good for him.”

“Hm.”

Sakura flipped another page in her file and began reading it absently, not really paying attention to the information it held. “Konoha is too warm. I dislike it. Kumogakure is much more pleasant.”

“We should return there.” Gaara couldn’t help but also miss the large manor that Sakura owned there. Each Elder had at least one main home, which was usually a castle. This was where they lived the most, and was usually in the middle of their occupied lands. They also had smaller homes in the other lands they occupied or had won during small collapses in power among the council. That was the case with this manor in Konoha.

But his hime’s other home, her original one, was something to behold, truly. It was nestled deep in Kumogakure’s mountains, and its design was nothing short of an imperial palace. He missed the place, with its rice paper walls and tatami covered floors. But he supposed Konoha was alright, and the heat reminded him of his own homeland of Sunagakure. He missed the arid deserts, but not enough that he wanted to return without his hime. He had grown quite fond of Kumogakure’s chilly climate. After all, his hime had quickly found a way to heat him up when he’d first come to Kumogakure, and he rather enjoyed the experience.

“I believe it is time to take a bath, Gaara-kun.” Sakura murmured. “Then you can help me brush my hair.”

“Of course.”

-----

“…he will work very hard and will excel, I know it. He may be behind in his schoolwork but he will catch up quickly.”

Naruto pressed his ear against the door of the principal’s office, straining to hear everything that was going on. Sasuke stood beside him, but he did not lean against the doorway to listen—no matter how much he wanted to.

He was still in a slight daze over the sight of the entrancing pink-haired woman. He had numbly led her to the principal’s office, Naruto and the others trailing behind like a sort of comical procession. The principal had given them all a rather strange look before shutting the door to his office, cutting them off from view.

It was only when he wasn’t looking at the woman did he come back to his senses—and he felt rather embarrassed about the whole thing. He, Uchiha Sasuke, had acted like a love-struck teen! Never mind that he WAS a teenager, he had never EVER mooned over a girl.

“So…the guy with her is going to be going to our school?” Tenten frowned, “But what about the girl? Is she in college or something? She only seems a few years older.”

“Around I-Itachi-san’s a-age.” Hinata piped up. “And sh-shouldn’t we get going? It’s r-rude to listen in o-on a private conversation.” She began poking her fingers together, something she did when she was nervous.

“Aw come on Hinata-chan! Don’t you wanna find out more about the pretty lady and the white-haired guy?” Naruto asked excitedly.

“Hn. She’s right. Let’s go, dobe. We’re wasting our time.” Sasuke muttered, his cold reply seeming to shock the others out of their stupor as well.

“Uh, right! So, can you give me a ride, Uchiha?” Kiba asked as they began walking.

“I’m already driving Naruto home, and I’m late enough as it is.” Sasuke snapped.

“Thanks, I knew I could count on you.” Kiba grinned, eyes glinting. Sasuke merely frowned, heading towards the door, not looking back. As everyone began to leave, Hinata and Neji hung back. Hinata looked over at her older cousin worriedly. “Neji-niisan…” She swallowed, “Did you notice?”

He gave a curt nod. “I’ve seen that boy before. In a file somewhere. Let’s go home.”

“R-right.” Hinata murmured, before they took off in the direction the others had gone.

Inside of the office, Sakura couldn’t help but smile softly to herself as the principle continued to tell Kimimaro the school rules. She had, of course, heard everything the students outside had said. So, she had made an impression…and she would have to look into those two who had been acting suspiciously. What had the girl called the boy? Neji? Yes, she would have one of her spies look into them.

It wouldn’t do for a Hunter to get in the way of her game.

Especially when there was such a cute little Uchiha for the prize.

----

Hehehehe, of COURSE Sakura knew what was going on behind the door. She’s just that good. And it makes sense they'd recognize Kimimaro and not Sakura, since she's only been in the area for a few months. Ah Sasuke, he’s trying to act all cool and nonchalant and we all know he’s obsessed with her already. XD She’s going to have fun toying with him. And now Naruto and the others have arrived. I know what some of you are wondering: where’s Ino? Well, she is actually going to be a part of Sakura’s past, not the present, so you will learn about her later.

I’ve got a few more pairings to put into the story. This is really fun for me, if you guys didn’t know already. Experimenting with these pairings is a good writing exercise. It helps my writing skills develop, and I’m always looking for ways to improve my writing. And doing believable romances between a bunch of characters that I’ve never written about before always helps.

Pairings: (besides Sasori, Kimimaro, Tomokazu, and Gaara)
Itachi x Sakura x Sasuke
Sakura x Itachi
Sakura x Deidara
Sakura x Suigetsu
Juugo x Sakura
Tomokazu x Sakura x Hidan
Sakura x Kakashi
Sakura x Neji
Sakura x Sai
Ino x Genma
Sakura x Ino
Suigetsu x Karin
Sakura x Kiba
Sakura x Genma
Sakura x Shino
Sakura x Shikamaru
Sakura x Hinata

New Pairings:
Sakura x Kakuzu
Shizune x Sakura x Tsunade
Sakura x Pein
Sakura x Madara
Sakura x Tobi
Sakura x Hayate
Kiba x Sakura x Shino
Pein x Sakura x Madara
Tomokazu x Sakura x Orochimaru

One more thing...I'm going to try and explain which of the elders owns what area in the Naruto world, so bear with me. It gets sort of complicated.

Sakura’s main holding is Lightening Country. She owns all of it.

Chiyo and Ebizo own Wind Country

Danzou, Koharu, and Homura all own parts of Stone Country

Madara owns the Land of Water (Water country, etc)

Sarutobi owns the Fire Country, while Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade all own parts of it as well, since he had to give them part of his land when he freed them and made them Elders. Sarutobi gained his own land when the Senju brothers (1st and 2nd Hokages) freed him, Homura, and Koharu from their hold. The Senju brothers are both dead now.

However, as can be seen, Homura and Koharu did not stay in Fire Country. When one of the other Elders was destroyed during a political war between the Elders, Danzou, Koharu, and Homura seized that Elder’s land, Earth Country.

Many of the other Elders have done the same with the other lands that now deceased elders owned.

Orochimaru lives in Sound Country, which he took from another Elder.

Danzou also owns Waterfall and Grass

Tsunade and Jiraiya jointly own Tea Country

And Both Madara and Sakura jointly own Konohagakure, which is in the middle of Fire Country. It was the one piece of land the two seized after the death of the Senju brothers.

Madara also owns Wave Country

Chiyo and Ebizo also own Bird Country

The land of Rain is currently being fought over in the council, since it has always remained unclaimed since the death of its Elder.

There are also several other smaller holdings…but I don’t feel like getting into detail about minor land disputes. XD

(c) all Naruto characters belong to Kishimoto
(c) Forbidden storyline and artwork belong to Lady Hanaka

Forbidden...the Party [link]
Forbidden...the Students [You're here!]
Forbidden...the Hunter [link]