A/N: This story has spoilers up to Chapter 485 in Naruto. It will likely become AU after 486 is released. I'm leaving the outcome of the fight between Naruto and Sasuke somewhat vague because I don't know how it will end. My only guess is that it will be a draw and Madara is going to whisk Sasuke away at the last minute.

Antidote

He almost had him this time. Naruto almost got Sasuke. She watched Naruto's face as conflicting emotions ran across it: confusion, defeat and most importantly resolve. Naruto wasn't going to give up, not yet. Hopefully next time the Akatsuki member Tobi . . . no, Madara Uchiha wouldn't interfere. She couldn't believe that the ancient shinobi was still alive. Now that she heard the entire story from Kakashi, she understood why Naruto didn't want Sasuke to die. She understood, but didn't know what Naruto was going to do to help save him. She gave up on her wayward teammate not too long ago, something that Naruto hasn't and probably wouldn't do.

Guiltily, she looked at the cut still adorning his right cheek. It reminded her of what she had tried and failed to do. Putting her hand to his face, Naruto barely raised his head as she healed the superficial wound. Her fingers lingered searching for any trace amounts of poison that may have entered his system. Throughout the process Naruto never looked up at her. He was hurting inside with a different type of injury, one that she couldn't cure with her medical knowledge or chakra. It was all Sasuke's fault. She struggled to figure out someway to help him: to heal him. Her face grimaced as she detected the deadly chemicals she had personally concocted.

The only antidote was back in Konoha, too far away to be of any use. The poison had already spread quickly with the sole intent to kill. But Sakura never meant to kill Naruto; not Naruto, never him. She needed to think of another way to either create an antidote or neutralize the deadly toxins. An idea came to her suddenly with a flush. It was stupid, but it was better than doing nothing. She hesitated for a split second before clenching her fists in determination. She would not falter; not this time.

"Kakashi-Sensei, I need to take Naruto somewhere private to help remove the remaining poison in his body," Sakura stated.

Kakashi regarded his female student with a critical eye before nodding. "There should be a vacant outpost nearby. I'll take you there."

The team moved in silence as they reached the outpost. It only took a few minutes to get there, but it felt like hours to Sakura who tried to reason with herself if she should go through with her plan. Strangely enough, Naruto hadn't said a word the entire time. Stealing a glance at her blond-teammate was enough to convince her that she had to do this; not only for herself, but for him. He needed this too.

As they arrived at the abandoned outpost, Kakashi led them to a small dilapidated hut, "this was the medic's ward. It hasn't been used in years so there isn't much in terms of supplies, but it should suit your purposes. I'll release the seals over the door and you can take Naruto in to heal him. I'll make sure that you aren't disturbed."

Sakura nodded in understanding and dragged Naruto into the hut as soon as the seals were released. The interior was much more intact than the exterior. The room was sparse with empty cabinets and a dusty bed in the corner. She quickly went to work searching through the cabinets for any clean sheets to put on the bed. A part of her was thankful that Naruto automatically sat down on the bed as soon as she was done slipping the sheets on.

She pulled up a chair and sat down so she could see his face. He still hadn't looked up at her. His expression gave it away: he was still thinking about Sasuke. Sakura should have felt insulted, but she didn't. She couldn't. It was all the more reason to continue. She had hurt Naruto far enough. She placed her hand gently on his knee to get his attention. His eyes locked with hers and she felt her breath still.

He looked like he wanted to say a million things to her; he just didn't know where to start. Sakura wanted so much to talk to him, really talk to him. But she knew that words weren't going to be enough. That was why she was going to take action.

"Naruto, I need to help you extract the rest of the poison. What I'm going to ask you to do is going to sound unconventional, but it needs to be done," Sakura paused to steady herself. "We need to have sex."

Naruto's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"The poison is something I created. There are several neurotoxins that will attack the nerves in your brain if we don't flush them out. Your body will release a special type of chemical during orgasm that should nullify the neurotoxins."

"And sex is the only way? Shouldn't the Kyuubi's powers eliminate them?"

The Kyuubi's powers, something she hadn't considered. Scanning his system, she noticed that the poison had receded from when she first checked his body. At the rate he was going, she probably could let him be and the Kyuubi would eventually flush out the toxins. But even a trace amount was a danger to him. It was her fault that he was in this situation in the first place and she needed to rectify the problem. "I don't want to rely on the Kyuubi to destroy it all, especially since I know how deadly it will be if you don't get it treated. We need to do this."

She was filling his head with medical jargon to try and convince him that this was the best . . . no the only way. She hoped that he didn't question her motives. The idea was so spur-of-the-moment that she hadn't thought everything through. It was what her heart wanted though not just for Naruto, but for herself. She wanted to wash away all of her feelings for Sasuke, to drown out the inner fangirl who would always harbor a flame for the boy who no longer existed. She needed to feel loved.

"I could . . . you know," Naruto said with a blush as he gestured with his hands.

"Not enough neurons get released through masturbation and the type you need is only released through sexual intercourse. We have to do this Naruto. Please, let me cure you," Sakura tried to say as clinically as possible, but she couldn't suppress the raw emotion leaking out.

"So, this is strictly for healing? Nothing more?" Naruto asked without a hint of what was going through his mind.

Sakura paused unable to speak as Naruto watched her. She needed to answer cautiously otherwise everything would fall apart. Answering honestly, she poured her heart out. "This is whatever you want it to be Naruto. I won't lie to you and tell you that I'm not scared or even the least bit nervous. But I am telling the truth when I say that I want to do this . . . I need to do this for you."

Naruto stared at Sakura, really stared at her. She could swear that he was searching deep into her soul with the way his eyes locked onto hers. She couldn't tell what he was thinking. Her heart was thundering in her chest with a mixture of anticipation and hope. Hope that Naruto would agree and let her feel.

"What about, you know . . . protection?"

"All kunoichi get a standard shot to prevent ovulation. I'm covered."

It looked like Naruto was still thinking of all of the different reasons why they shouldn't go through with it, but eventually he caved and nodded his consent. "Alright Sakura-chan, I'm ready."

That was all Sakura needed to help strengthen her resolve. "I'll take care of everything."

Standing from her chair, she kept her eyes locked on Naruto as she slowly undid her vest. She stripped each and every article of clothing with a shy determination, but picked up the pace when she saw the anticipation etched on Naruto's face. She removed her headband last folding it neatly on top of the rest of her clothing. With a gentle trepidation, she helped Naruto out of his clothes. She couldn't help herself when she let her fingers linger over his tanned skin or when her lips brushed against his neck as she pulled off his jacket. The touches were small, yet passionate all the same.

Sakura removed his headband carefully before eyeing the last article of clothing: his boxers. She concentrated on removing it with a clinical ease, but faltered when she finally got to see first hand what her soft ministrations where doing to him. Sakura didn't even attempt to hide her blush or her unabashed attention to everything that was Naruto. It took enormous control to restrain herself from giving into her instincts: instincts that were telling her to dive in head first into the abyss. Images of what they could do flashed through her mind.

She wanted him to do many things to her: so many things. If she hadn't been concerned about nullifying the poison, she would have taken him into her mouth before letting him taste every last drop of her. She would have pushed his head to her bosom and reveled in the feeling of his explorations. But she had to act with a certain sense of urgency, so she was left rushing through it like a hormone-driven teenager.

Pushing Naruto onto his back like an obedient patient, she crawled onto the bed to straddle his hips. Sakura couldn't help but marvel at the intensity in his eyes. They were devouring every inch of her body. Uncertain of what to do with his hands, he kept them rigid at his sides. Seeing how awkward he felt, she grabbed his hands and placed them on her hips, hoping that the feel of her body would ground him. Without even thinking, Sakura dipped her body down and cupped his face as she gave-in to her needs and kissed him passionately. When she withdrew, Naruto shot her a confused look as if he wasn't sure if he was supposed to reciprocate.

"Just stay on your back and relax. I'll do all the work," Sakura whispered.

Letting him settle, Sakura took the initiative and sank down onto him. The initial feelings were a rush as they gasped in equal pleasure. She took a minute to let her body adjust to the sudden rush of euphoria. Placing her hands over his chest, she could feel his heart fluttering to the sounds and sight of her. It was almost too much, but her body craved more. So she moved.

And with that movement came the sensations, the tingles and the sheer intensity of it all. She watched in morbid fascination as Naruto reacted to her. His eyes widened before closing in blissful pleasure. He gasped and whispered her name. Unconsciously, Sakura reached for his mouth unable to quench her desire to kiss him again. Once her fingers touched his lips, something awoke in Naruto that expunged all sense of guilt for her actions.

He rose up to meet her lips and wrapped his arms around her lithe body. His hips met her rhythm and increased the tempo to maddening heights. She had told him to lay back and relax during the process but he could never remain stagnant. His movements were uncontrolled and primal in a way that far exceeded Sakura's expectations.

As their rhythm became more wild and frantic, Sakura abandoned all professionalism and let her emotions guide her as she rocked against Naruto with full-bodied passion. They rode higher and higher toward that mountainous peak. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck bringing her forehead to his. Their breaths mixed together like every other part of their bodies. Then Naruto slammed her down onto him in such quick succession, it became their undoing.

Naruto fell back bringing Sakura with him as they lay panting on the bed. She mustered enough energy to kiss him tenderly as she let her fingers caress his bare skin. Despite the sweat on her body she felt cleansed. It was as if the act had removed some unknown poison in her body as well. She could tell that it seemed to work for Naruto as well as his familiar warmth encompassed his body. The toxins were nullified: he was healed.

Sakura used a bit of chakra to check his body as a precaution. "It looks like the poison's all gone. It worked."

Naruto chuckled. "The poison would have left my body by the time we got to Konoha, wouldn't it?"

If it weren't for two strong arms keeping her taut against his body, Sakura would have jumped off of Naruto out of sheer embarrassment. She did struggle a bit, but he wouldn't have any of that so he did the next best thing, he kissed her until she gave up her struggles.

"So why did you have to trick me? Not that I'm complaining about what we did, that was wonderful. But why go after Sasuke yourself? You could have gotten yourself killed you know? I was so afraid," Naruto asked as he rubbed her back.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't tell you what I was going to do about Sasuke. I knew it would affect you and I didn't want you to get hurt anymore. Even with this, I was trying to keep you from feeling anymore pain, especially since it was my fault," Sakura frowned.

"It wasn't your fault Sakura-chan. You did what your heart was telling you to do. You didn't need to tell me, but I know you well enough that I could almost tell what you were thinking. I knew the moment you confessed to me that something else was going through your mind and it was about Sasuke. It was as if you were saying good-bye to him. It wasn't until Sai told me what you were going to do that confirmed my suspicions. And now with this, I know now without a doubt that you were telling the truth when you told me you loved me. I just never knew that you were beating yourself over this so much. Next time Sakura, let me know everything; what you're thinking, how you really feel, and I promise that I'll help you get through it. We're a team, remember?"

Sakura was amazed at how much Naruto seemed to understand her. She didn't deserve him, not nearly enough. "I'm selfish Naruto. How could you still love me after everything I did to you, everything I'm doing to you?"

"Maybe because I'm being selfish as well. I would let you poison me again if it meant you would have sex with me. But I'm warning you; now that I've had you, I'm never letting you go I'm probably going to want to do it all the time and maybe even on missions," Naruto leered.

Sakura hit him playfully on the shoulder for that last comment. "Naruto!"

"What? It's not like we haven't done it on a mission. I mean, we're on one right now."

Her face paled in mortification. "Oh god, you're right. I can't believe I let my emotions get the better of me this way. What was I thinking? I mean, I know it was to heal you, but this goes completely against any medical ethics. Especially since we're on a mission and after . . . and after we almost got Sasuke too," Sakura said that last part in almost a whisper.

Naruto cupped Sakura's face to get her attention. "Sakura-chan, I know you still love Sasuke. You wouldn't be my Sakura-chan if you didn't."

"But Naruto, I-" Sakura started to speak, but was silenced by Naruto's fingers.

"That doesn't matter to me. Because I'm the one in bed with you right now. If having sex with you is what it will take to make you think about me and only me, then I'd fuck you everyday if need be. I want your love for me to be bigger than anything you feel for Sasuke. And when that happens, then I can say that I won your heart."

Sakura was speechless after that. She gazed lovingly at the man who had always been there for her, through thick and thin. Naruto was right, a part of her did still love Sasuke. But he was also right that what she felt for him paled in comparison to what she ever felt for their wayward teammate. She never would have given herself so freely to Sasuke. She never would have risked her friendship and maybe even her love to help make him happy. Those were things she would only do for Naruto.

"Oh Naruto, I'm such an idiot."

"No you're not. You could never be."

"Yes I am. I mean, I didn't have to do this did I," Sakura asked as she sat-up and pointed to their joined bodies.

Naruto stared raptly at her chest as he answered. "Yes you did." That answer earned him a few more playful smacks. "Ow ow! Okay, okay! I get it. So if I didn't have any poison in my body and you didn't need to sex me up, would you still have done it?"

Sakura flushed as she answered. "Yes. I did it because I wanted to. How about you, why did you let me seduce you when you knew the poison wasn't a threat anymore?"

"I did it because I wanted to." Naruto said with a blush.

"Pervert."

"Not as much as you."

Sakura chuckled. "You got me there."

Her laugh sent shivers down Naruto's spine as he sat-up to wrap his arms around her. "I want to do it again," Naruto said as he nuzzled her neck.

Sakura sighed in bliss as she closed her eyes. "Mmm, that feels nice. I want to do it again too."

She had to take back her words immediately afterwards when Naruto started to let his hands roam her body. "Naruto! We shouldn't do now."

"Why not?" Naruto whined.

"Kakashi-Sensei is waiting for us."

Naruto smirked and kissed Sakura as he said, "he makes us wait all of the time. I think he can wait for us just this once. Besides, as the team medic don't you want to make sure that there isn't any residual poison?"

She could feel him harden inside her and it let another fire that only he could douse. It was impossible to say no to him when he was touching her and kissing her this way. "Okay," she sighed in a breathy whisper.

"Good, but I get to be on top this time," Naruto said with a lecherous grin.

Before she knew it, their positions had reversed and she was lying on her back as Naruto filled her with indescribable feelings. Sakura gave in with full-abandon as the lovers relished in their love-making. There were no barriers between them, no half-truths or hurt feelings to tip-toe around. It was only Sakura and Naruto. With their hands grasped together and bodies intertwined, they reached a utopia that only existed within the confines of their love for each other.

Leaning against the abandoned outpost's main watchtower, Kakashi flipped a page in his book as he waited for his two students. The door to the medic hut finally opened with a loud squeak as Naruto and Sakura walked out with listless smiles on their faces.

He closed the book loudly to get their attention. "I take it that you both are cured now?"

Sakura blushed as she answered, "Yes, he's cured." Trying not to acknowledge the exact words Kakashi used.

For his part, Naruto shyly looked away as he rubbed the back of his head. He refused to make any eye contact with Kakashi and it was probably for the best.

It was obvious that Kakashi knew what was going on. They had extreme difficulty silencing their activities and Sakura's throat was still raw from all of that screaming. Thankfully, he let the matter slide not even commenting on how they seemed to glow. He did crack a smile when on the trip back to Konoha, he noticed that Sakura and Naruto were holding hands. Even if the Sasuke was so far gone that they couldn't save him, Kakashi had faith in these two. He knew that together they would be an unstoppable force. Their bond was strong, fused together by love.