Stricken

Chapter Three


A smile graced Ino's lips as she heard the door chime to the flower shop. She stepped away from the Dahlia's that she had been fussing over and turned to greet her customer. "Welcome to--" Ino's voice cut off when she realized who it was she was speaking to. Unsuccessfully, she tried to stop the blush that threatened to stain her cheeks. It didn't matter that she was unable to because her visitor paid it no mind...if he had seen it in the first place.

"Ino--" Nara Shikamaru began. "have you seen Chouji?"

Ino stared at Shikamaru. It wasn't often that Shikamaru made himself come to her family flower shop. For some odd reason he didn't like it. Maybe because flowers reminded him of romance (which was a troublesome affair) and death (and no one wanted to focus on that.) So since he decided to come Ino decided that he could only be here for one thing.

Her.

Ino was mistaken, and now she felt a little foolish. Her heart started racing wildly. She wasn't sure if it was because of anticipation or a little fear, nevertheless, she had been sure her whole relationship with Shikamaru was about to change. Ino didn't know how she felt about that. At worst Shikamaru was an annoyance. At best he was an acquaintance. Their parents were close, they were teammates, and she was accustomed to having him around. All that didn't mean she wanted to share her body with him. Especially since he was so lazy with everything else the last thing she wanted was a lazy lover. Even if he was kind of cute. Again, her musings were for naught since he was obviously looking for their other teammate. Not her. And because of this Ino felt the insane urge to laugh. Ino gave in to the impulse. She laughed until tears flowed from her eyes. She collapsed on the ground and laughed harder when Shikamaru looked at her bewildered. How she wanted to tell him what was going on but she couldn't seem to control herself.

After a while Ino pulled herself together and stood up. "I'm sorry Shikamaru. That just wasn't what I expected you to say."

He didn't even look like he wanted to know what she thought he wanted and this comforted Ino. He was the same old Shikamaru.

"I haven't seen Chouji today. Maybe you should check at that barbecue place he loves so much." Shikamaru nodded and started to walk away, but he stumbled. Ino's brows shot upwards. Now she had seen shinobi trip before. Naruto was a prime example of that on the other hand Shikamaru was the epitome of grace. It was just plain old unusual for Shikamaru. Ino took a step forward to make sure her teammate was okay. "Shikamaru? Are you alright?" He didn't reply and Ino knew immediately something was wrong. She walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder and gently turned him to face her, but his head was bowed and he was doubled over as if her were in pain. "We're taking you to the hospital." Ino said softly wrapping her arm around his waist and putting his arm on her shoulder so that she could support him.

They had only taken two steps before Shikamaru stopped moving. He immediately straightened and turned and looked at her. His eyes were twin pools of liquid heat and it made Ino swallow harshly.

"Shikamaru?"

He didn't answer her. He only stared at her hard. Ino, unable to hold his stare, glanced downward only to find the answer to what was wrong with him. Her eyes darted upwards and her lips parted with surprise.

He spoke and his voice was not the voice that she had heard for the many years that she had known him. No, this was the voice of a stranger. A stranger that frightened her more than a little.

"Get on your knees, Ino."

^--^
* *
*

"Really, Sakura you could have put on more than a sheet when you rushed into my office. Hell, you could at least put a sheet on him. The last thing I want to see is Hatake Kakashi naked no matter how impressive of a specimen he is.

"I panicked. When someone collapses during the middle of sex you tend not to think straight." Sakura said sarcastically earning herself a hard look from her former teacher. Sakura immediately shut her mouth. The last thing she wanted was to be a victim of her Hokage's rage.

"Well, there's really nothing to worry about. This scenario has already played out with Shizune and Genma. Once Genma was sated he collapsed on Shizune and when he woke up he didn't remember a thing that happened.

"He didn't...." Sakura took about thirty seconds to ponder what Tsunade had just said. "Does that mean I could have put him in his bed and he never would have known he had slept with me? I could have played this off?!"

"'Could have' being the operative words but as it is he should be waking up right about--"

"Arrgh."

The two women looked at the body that was lying on the floor of the office. Sakura's face was filled with horror while Tsunade's face was full of amusement.

Kakashi sat up slowly. "What happened?" He muttered raising a hand to place in on his face and then froze. "Where's my mask?" Sakura's eyes narrowed. Normal people would wonder first where their clothes were but not her sensei. He immediately asks for his mask. "Where am I?" Kakashi then turned and looked around surveying the office and it's occupants. "Hokage-sama, what's going on?"

"That's a very interesting question. I'll let Sakura explain."

Sakura's eyes grew large. "Tsunade-sama!" But she only heard the woman chuckle and watched as she sat down behind her desk and looked at her expectantly. Internally, Sakura bemoaned the fact that her mentor was a sadistic bastard but outwardly she met Kakashi's gaze. He was staring at her wrapped in a sheet with something akin to horror in his eyes. She really didn't have to say much. It didn't take long for him to put two and two together. Kakashi stood up quickly and when he realized that this put certain parts of him on display quickly lowered his hands to cover said parts but was immediately torn between using his hands to cover his face and his crotch. Tsunade watched all this with thinly concealed amusement. Especially when Kakashi settled for using one hand to cover his face and the other to covers his other parts.

"You do realize that you are utterly ridiculous." Tsunade said once he had made his decision. Kakashi shrugged.

"Can someone please tell me why I'm naked and Sakura is wrapped in a sheet. And why the only thing I remember is being on a mission with Genma?"

Sakura looked at Tsunade pleadingly and although she wanted to tease her former apprentice for a while longer she decided not to.

"You're ill, Kakashi."

Kakashi just stared at her. She could tell he didn't believe her. Why should he when he wasn't exhibiting any of the classic symptoms of being sick? "Somewhere along your mission you and your partner contracted a disease. A disease that is running rampant through the five shinobi nations. This disease only affects our shinobi. Our kunoichi's and our civilians are fine."

"That doesn't explain--"

"You will let me finish." Tsunade sighed. "The attacks come and go leaving you no memory of what happened during the attack. The closest thing I can call the disease is satyriasis but even that's not accurate. Those who have satyriasis don't go around raping people if they can not find a willing partner--"

Kakashi's hand dropped to his side and stared at Sakura. "Sakura did I--?!"

"Of course not!" Tsunade snapped. "You'd be dead by now if you did that. Disease or no disease. I've ordered a S-class mission to all kunoichi to satisfy the desires of their teammates should they contract the disease." Sakura watched as a blush stained her former sensei's cheeks.

"What about a cure?" Kakashi asked with a tinge of desperation to his voice.

"We're working on it when we can with my two best medics trapped in the bed of their teammates it makes progress a little slow." If anything Kakashi's face grew redder. It was amazing how little and how much a hand could cover. "By the way Kakashi how is your libido?"

"Why would you need to know that?!"

"Because if I know how high your sexual drive is then I can start determining the lengths between your attacks. I can also determine how often I can have Sakura here helping me with researching a cure. So what is it?" Tsunade asked annoyed. "Low? High? Moderate? I know it's not nonexistent and I definitely know you're not batting for the other team as Sakura so aptly put it. Come on, Kakashi I don't have all day."

Sakura stifled a giggle because she knew Tsunade hadn't been giving him a chance to answer her questions. Kakashi tossed her a look that was less than amused and answered the Hokage's question. "High."

"How high?"

"If I had it my way I'd have sex at least twice a day."

Tsunade stared at the Copy Ninja and let out a whole hearted: "Shit!"


+ + +


"TENTEN, AT LAST WE HAVE FOUND--"


Gai and Lee looked at each other puzzled when their teammate took off running in the opposite direction. Taking this as a challenge in speed the two set off after her.

A/N: Um, Long time no see?