Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Obviously.

Authoress' Note: This fic is inspired by the many ItaSaku fanfics written by paws-bell, one of my favorite authors on the site. Much of their works are well-done romances, and I hope I can do justice in capturing the inspiration I've obtained from them fueled by my personal love for KabuSaku. Please enjoy!

Title Inspiration: Diamonds Are Forever (And Forever is a Mighty Long Time) by The Cab. Which is a great song to listen to, and I recommend it highly!

Spilled Words Were Meant To Stun You

Chapter 1

While there was plenty of things that annoyed Sakura Haruno, there was two things that really stood out: smug know-it-all attitudes, and manipulative assholes. While individually annoying, at least if someone was only one type she could deal with it with some tact and maybe a punch or two. But when combined together... oh, it was a recipe for disaster for her sanity.

Unfortunately, for the 20-year-old medic-nin, she was being forced to deal with a person that was a combination of both, not to mention being seven years her senior, the very idea of which will try and force her into dealing with the concoction out of necessary respect... a triple whammy of headaches.

Which is why she hesitated to knock on the office door of her newly assigned partner. She knew that it was going to test every bit of her patience not only for today, but for every day of the next month that they needed to complete the Hokage's assignment. Had it not been for her direct orders – she can't just disobey the orders of the Hokage, especially when the same Hokage was also her shishou – she would be trying to find anyone else to work on this paper with, but no... it HAD to be him. No one else, just him.

The rosette clicked her tongue in annoyance, then sighed and knocked on the door. She heard a very quiet "come in" from the other side of the door, allowing her to open it and enter. "Hello, Yakushi-san. My name is Sakura Haruno; I'm your partner for the Godaime's research assignment," she introduced herself, trying to place on the biggest smile she could.

"Yes, I've been expecting you. Albeit I expecting you here about 10 minutes ago," came the smug greeting, and it took much of the kunoichi's strength to keep her from walking right back out the door.

Sitting before her was one of the best doctors in Konoha, Kabuto Yakushi. His merits and abilities in medical ninjutsu rivaled that the Hokage Tsunade's own skills, allowing him to achieve much in his 27 years, including one of the head positions in the hospital as well as being one of the first people called upon for doing complex medical research. However, his talents also gave him his worst flaw, at least in Sakura's opinion: his massive ego. For several years now, through her internships, she had heard of his manipulative ways, using his words, style, and looks to practically get him anything and anywhere he wanted, and it nearly always succeeded. He has a sharp tongue, able to twist conversations to his own desires, usually leaving many people – especially the nursing staff – flustered and unable to counteract his attempts. She had especially heard of several not-so-safe-for-work stories from fellow nurses, how they fell for his sleek, tied-back silver hair, his bespectacled and chiseled features, and onyx eyes that "were as dark as the night sky on a moonless night". That in combination with his words led to some apparently amorous encounters that led to some in-fighting and firings among some of the staff... although none of it seemed to had gotten Kabuto into hot water.

Such things made her really dislike the man, despite herself never once meeting him, so when she was informed that the two of them were going to be working together – after all, what would be a better combination to work on a research assignment than one of Konoha's best and Tsunade's personal apprentice, a genius in her own right? - she was REALLY unhappy. Luckily for her, however, was that she has the knowledge of Kabuto's potential ways of conning and that knowledge, she hoped, would make it easy to avoid falling to the same traps that others had. The last thing the rosette would ever want is to be strung along and played with like a chump by the likes of this asshole. No, she knew she wouldn't fall into one of his mind games – she'd rail him in the gut if he even attempted it.

That vote of confidence in her brain, Sakura bowed out of respect, closing the door afterward and approaching the desk. "My apologies; I had to tend to a patient first," she stated, "It wasn't my intention to keep you waiting for so long."

Kabuto didn't reply, but he did stare. When he was told about this research assignment and how he was going to be paired with the Godaime's apprentice, he was not at all keen on the idea. He never liked working with anyone, his own knowledge being the only partner he ever needed, not to mention that he found the idea of working on dissertations and research papers to be one of the most boring things on the planet. On top of that, he had never met this woman, but from the whispers and rumors he had heard, Sakura was a no-nonsense kind of medic-nin – someone that wasn't so easy to charm into providing him with what he wanted – and being seven years his junior she ultimately lacked the experience he had. She may have the teachings of Tsunade on her side and her own personal level of talent and book smarts, but there was no way she could be his equal and, as a result, this assignment was potentially going to lag behind and take far longer than the time allotted for their work.

Although that annoyance wasn't the reason for his staring. This was the first time he had seen the young woman, and he had to admit... she was quite the looker. She wore the typical white coat for her job, but he could see the faint outlines of a fit curvature. Her skin was a pale peach, her face framed by shoulder-length, uniquely amaranth hair, and her emerald eyes were very vibrant despite some obvious signs of sleep depravity. While he's certainly had his share of attractive women fawning over him, he had to admit just by what he was seeing right now she'd have them beaten to a "T" in terms of looks. There was also her smile to consider; her lips were also a pale shade of pink with a small shine, likely thanks to a lip balm of some type, but while she was putting on a professional smile right now, he could tell there was a sense of force to it. Apparently she wasn't too happy about this assignment either.

He leaned forward on his desk, elbows on the surface and fingers threaded, resting his chin on the back of his hands, his stare still intent on the rosette. It started to make Sakura feel a bit nervous; she hated it when people just stared at her. Ever since she was a child, usually when someone stared at her it meant they were judging her, finding any sort of flaw to tease or berate her. As a child, it was usually about her large forehead – something that, as an adult, she had grown into beautifully – and as a young kunoichi it was about her lack of skills as a ninja in comparison to her teammates – the hyperactive jinchuriki Naruto Uzumaki and the stoic prodigy Sasuke Uchiha – and now as an adult, being gossiped and judged on the high standards that were seemingly set for her as Tsunade's apprentice. She could safely assume that Kabuto would no doubt do the same thing, especially given their differences in years and position, and being judged by this man was something she did not at all appreciate.

"Yes? Is there a reason why you're staring at me, Yakushi-san?" she questioned, the corner of her lip twitching in growing annoyance; she wasn't going to tolerate being judged by someone like him no matter what differences were between them, and if said one wrong word she wouldn't hesitate to let him know he had gone too far.

That twitch didn't go unnoticed, and surprisingly he found it to be very amusing. He pushed up his glasses up his nose, his lips turning into a cocky smirk; perhaps he might find a way to make this assignment more interesting after all...

"My apologies. I wasn't completely aware that the Godaime's apprentice was a young girl," he replied, his tone a mix of smug sarcasm and implied insultive intent.

Strike one. It took a lot of strength to not ball up her hands into fists in frustration; she will not let this man provoke her. She had to keep herself professional and polite; she wouldn't bring shame upon herself by letting him think he can get away with insulting her. "For the record, I am 20 years old, and have been under the tutelage of the Godaime since I was 13. I may be younger and lack some experience in comparison to you, but I am not just a wet-behind-the-ears Genin. I assure you that I will be proven a fierce asset to you and to our assignment," she replied curtly, keeping her composure.

Onyx eyes reflected a glint of curious joviality; the answer was what he expected to hear but the tone she spoke it in – firm, unwavering, yet there was a hint of irritation that echoed the opening lines out of reaction to his little joke – was something that he found entertaining. He could tell he was pushing at her buttons, and something about how she wasn't breaking down in light of it was proving to be quite... refreshing. His smirk widened a little bit more, pushing back a book that he was reading and leaning back in his chair, resting his hands on the desk's surface, "I would like to hope so. Please, sit down, Haruno-san. Let's discuss the subject at hand."

He motioned to the chair in front of the desk, his eyes following the rosette as she pulled it out a little bit more from the desk then sat down. She tried to brush out her clothes modestly, although he could see hints of a tan skirt beneath the white coat, crossing her ankles and resting her arms in her lap. He took the second to admire her legs: shapely and tone, accented with black, knee-high heeled sandals. No lie, he was someone that did enjoy the look and feel of beautiful legs, although he knew that these were a set that – if given the right provocation – could kick him into next week. Even by just a glance, Kabuto could tell that this was one woman not to be trifled with... although that just made this little "game" he was wanting to play more interesting.

"Have you been briefed on what exactly our assignment is?" he asked once he knew she was settled.

"Yes, I have been," Sakura replied, opening up her coat and pulling out the scroll given to her by Tsunade, rolling out on the desk in front of her, "Several years ago, shortly after Tsunade-shishou became the Hokage, she performed a very risky and highly experimental surgery on a young Genin that experienced heavy damage to his arm and leg muscles during the Chunin Exams."

Her fingers trailed down the scroll as she continued to speak, "At the time, the risk of failure and potential death was 50-50. Despite the risks, the patient chose to undergo the surgery and beat the odds, making a quick and full recovery. This surgery had only been attempted one other time since then, which unfortunately ended in patient death due to its complications, although the patient also had other contributing factors. However, given the advancements of medical ninjutsu since that time, it has been requested of us to research and set up data for potential experiments based on that research in how to improve the odds of survival, decreasing the risk of complications or failures, and ease in ability to be able to teach this to acting surgeons. If such research and experiments prove successful, then we are to compile a training regiment to pass onto neighboring lands and allies for their knowledge and use if such a surgery is necessary."

Kabuto listened intently, partly to find a way to further push his luck, but mostly impressed at her steady tone. Knowledgeable, precise, clear... she definitely had strong capabilities, he could tell, just by her ability to speak. He leaned forward again, staring down at the scroll. "Aspects of both surgeries had been reported and recorded into Konoha's medical library, as well as video archives," Kabuto added, "We had also received data from Kirigakure of a similar surgical technique, however this was reportedly done under extreme conditions, having been done on a patient with advanced heart issues. Ultimately it ended in success; part of our research should be also exploring the options for this type of surgery not only on muscle and bone structures, but potentially modified to be used on organ and heart operations as well."

"Which, to be honest, I'm not completely sure if such a thing can be done in the amount of time we've been given on this assignment," the rosette replied, pointing to the top of the scroll, "So Shishou did state that this is part of the assignment we can do if we have time; our priority is this objective written here. Further data in terms of progressing the surgical techniques beyond its current objectives can be compiled at a later date, after necessary aspects of this project is underway."

The bespectacled man smirked at the admission, "Why do you say that? Do you doubt your own knowledge?"

Sakura could feel a small vein wanting to pulse in her forehead, "Not at all. But why focus energy on something that can be done in bits over time when that focus should be on the main subject?"

"Just seems like you are trying to back out from doing the complete assignment. Although, I suppose you may not have the experience to be able to do all of it."

Strike two. "Not at all, Yakushi-san," the rosette replied curtly, "I know I can do the complete assignment; however, from a practical standpoint, the focus should be on the main objective."

She leaned back in the chair, her arms crossing over her chest, "It's actually plausible we could find the answer to the secondary mission while we're taking care of the primary assignment. Although, until we start our research and compile it, I am personally not comfortable splitting my time and energy across two missions when one is not a priority."

A sudden thought came to Sakura's mind and she inwardly smirked; if he wanted to be rude towards her, she could also play a bit of his game... "Are you sure that maybe you are the one that's unsure of your ability to complete the entire assignment? Perhaps you are reflecting your personal issues onto me? Are you the one having doubts instead?" she asked inquisitively, trying not to let her own slight enjoyment inflect in her voice.

Kabuto's onyx eyes flickered with amusement at her attempt to turn things around on him. She was clever, he had to give her that; it wasn't very often he would come up against someone with the ability to try and fight him word for word. It not only showed her strength, but her intellect as well. There was obviously more to this woman than what first appeared, and he couldn't deny his intrigue. Although, if she had thought that he would bow down to her quip...

"Oh, not at all. As you stated, I can also do the complete assignment. It's a matter of whether or not you would be able to keep up with me, given our differences in knowledge."

"That won't be a problem, I assure you. Should we get started on our research then?"

"Not quite yet. I actually want to know more about you, Haruno-san. If I'm to work with you, it's best to know at least a little bit about you. Wouldn't you agree?"

Sakura raised a thin brow, not quite sure where this was going to go. She did agree; if you are to work with someone for any length of time, especially on an assignment as extensive as this, knowing a bit about your partner and their work ethic would be helpful to the overall morale and quality of the work. Still, she didn't trust this man based on what she already knew, and his line of questioning could be varied from what she'd expect from a professional to what she's also expect as a lech... She'd have to approach this with caution.

"I'm in agreement of that," she replied, straightening up a bit more in her seat, crossing her legs while resting her hands folded on top of her knees, "Is there a specific question you wish to ask of me?"

Kabuto smirked again; oh, this should be a blast... "How did you becoming the Godaime's apprentice?" he asked, leaning his elbows on the handles of his chair, bringing his intertwined fingers underneath his chin.

"As I stated before, I was 13 years old. There was a mission that my team and I were sent on that became far more dangerous than we expected. There was almost a casualty, and I... I wasn't able to do as much for that mission that I needed to do. I was frustrated, defeated, hated myself for it... It was a turning point for me in regards to my career as a ninja and as a friend to my squad that loved and needed me," Sakura explain, keeping her voice steady despite its drifting tone, "My skills were nothing in terms of physical strength or speed. I thought instead that perhaps my skills could be in support, by becoming a medic-nin. So I made it my mission to ask Tsunade-shishou to take me on as an apprentice and teach me her ways so that way I could never be a burden on my team again."

Kabuto was silent at that; he expected there to be something within that story that he could potentially pull apart and tease, yet there was nothing. Actually, if anything, he grew another level of respect for the kunoichi for realizing her flaws and trying to correct them. Perhaps this woman wasn't the lesser partner that he thought she was... "My apologies," he responded, "Although I'm glad to hear that the story had a happy ending."

"Oh, it was far from happy, considering. My teammates spent a varied time in the hospital, from a few days to three weeks. As for myself, while Shishou was quick to take me on as her apprentice, it was a brutal level of training hell she endured onto me. But I suppose that, yes, given that they are now perfectly fine and I am at my current level, it would be considered a happy continuation," Sakura replied, a smile gracing her face... A very attractive feature, her onlooker internally commented.

Still, while he enjoyed that peaceful motion, he wanted to still see how far he could take his game before she finally showed that anger he knew was hiding under the surface. He had heard about the woman's fiery temper – a nurse once told him of a patient that made a pass at the young apprentice and his stupidity earned him a broken nose and a very bruised ego – and, while she was showing the utmost professionalism, she wasn't very good at hiding every trace of her irritation. Granted, he should make the effort to limit himself on what all to do to provoke her; there was still a month to go with this assignment, after all. If he played all his cards early, the game would be over, and what fun would there be in that?

"Outside of the hospital, what are your usual routines? If I recall, you are part of the infamous Team 7, correct? Led by Kakashi Hatake, alongside Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha," Kabuto continued his interview.

Sakura raised a thin brow, unsure what her life outside of her main work had to do with anything. She could see a playful flicker of light in his onyx eyes and she raised her guard. "That is true. While I don't go out in missions as often as before, I do still get assigned as part of our squad, as well as other squads," she answered.

"And outside of that?"

"What do you mean? Are you referring to hobbies or something similar?"

"Perhaps. I'm curious if there's anything in your routine that could potentially hinder our assignment."

Brows furrowed slightly as the rosette held back a growl. "Not at all. With this assignment, Shishou had assured me that I wouldn't be involved in any other work outside of my usual rounds or in cases of emergency. I will be dedicated to researching and writing this paper during my other waking hours," she replied, her clenched fingers gripping just a little bit tighter.

The whiteness of her tips didn't go unnoticed, and Kabuto smirked again. "Oh? What about personal time? Surely you have friends or your teammates that will want to see you and hang out. Or potentially... a boyfriend, as well?" he asked, his voice filled with playful curiosity.

"A-a boyfriend?" Sakura stuttered, taken aback by that line of questioning; why is he asking about such things!?

Clearing her throat, she straightened up again. "While I'm not sure what business it is of yours to make such inquiries, I'm currently uninvolved. As for my friends, I already have made it known to them that I will be on this assignment for the next month, so they aren't to disturb me," she replied cautiously, before shifting the tone of her voice to be more accusatory, "Although I should be questioning you about such things."

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

"I'm fully aware of your... amorous nature. Stories of your exploits are rather popular among the nursing staff."

"Heh... I see," he replied, chuckling as he stood up from his seat.

Sakura's gaze watched carefully as he began to move slowly from around his desk, inching towards her. "I can assure you that I will be very focused on our work, as well. In fact, I'm looking forward to working with you, Haruno-san," he spoke, emphasizing her name with a deeper tone.

She could feel a shiver go up her spine and she flinched slightly. She didn't like where this was going... he stepped to the right side of his desk, footsteps leading up to her side. "You see, I've heard stories about you as well. You're rather no-nonsense. You don't tolerate slacking or stupidity. You try to be perfect, so you expect perfection. There are many here that are both in awe and in fear of you. Of your intellect and work ethic, as well as your anger. And admittedly, to me, that's rather... fascinating," he continued, their eyes meeting for brief moments as he moved slowly past her side and behind her seat.

While she couldn't see him, her eyes moved to her left, knowing full well that was where he was moving to next. "Fascinating? How so?" she questioned, her apprehension noticeable.

"Many of my "exploits", as you have put it, are usually fluttery young ladies, excited about the prospects of an older, attractive, more successful man being interested in them. They may have some aspects of knowledge and maturity, but it's ultimately set aside as soon as the idea of romantic intent is brought into the mix. You, on the other hand, aren't one to easily fall for the charms of someone else, and that fascinates me. Being on a very similar level to my own in terms of ability and intelligence is also a benefit. I'm curious about your work on an academic level, but also in who, exactly, you are."

He moved to her left, and she turned her head to meet his gaze. He leaned over, hands resting on the arm rest, noses a few inches from touching each other. Sakura could feel her heartbeat racing; why the hell was he getting so close!? She didn't like this feeling; she hated when people got right up near her face. She didn't make a move to smack him away; how would it look on her if word got out that she smacked a superior? Well, if he were to tell... certainly he would, if he was wishing to be spiteful over rejection. Emerald eyes narrowed as she tried to hold back her discomfort, her mind running through different scenarios in her head of what her actions could be and how they may or may not backfire on her.

"When I place my focus on something, I devote myself to that. I don't allow myself to get distracted easily, not until everything is satisfied to my standards. Whether it's a patient or a woman, I give it my all. For this assignment, you can be assured that I will be devoting much of my time on making sure we complete our objective. As such, I will also be devoting myself to you as well," he remarked, the lazy smirk suddenly becoming more devious, his tone darkening with an sensual aspect.

"W-what? What are you-"

"While on this assignment, I have no intention on pursuing another woman. My dedication will be to you. I'm most curious about you. About how your efforts, about how you may approach this assignment," he remarked, his eyes closing slightly, "About how your mind will work. And how you will react to every circumstance..."

His fingers reached for her face, brushing back a wisp of hair that had fallen out of place, "I'm looking forward to every waking hour and long nights being able to work alongside you, Haruno-san."

Strike three. Every bit of the annoyance and anger Sakura had built up finally broke through. Quick as a flash, she stood up, the chair tipping over and crashing on the floor with a loud bash, her hand slapping his away as hard as possible, the force of everything sending Kabuto flying back onto his backside.

"If you believe I will fall for or tolerate your harassment, you are sorely mistaken! How dare you feel as though I will easily falter to your whims. I truly didn't want to completely believe the stories of your ways, but experiencing it first hand... it sickens me!"

Huffing, she snatched the scroll from the desk, rolling it up as she stormed off towards the door. With a groan, Kabuto sat up, eyes on her as she grabbed for the door handle. "If it weren't for Shishou's instance that you are the only other person that could handle this, I'd- I hope you are truthful in your dedication to the assignment. I will have a report on current findings in a few days for you, and I expect the same from you in return," she stated curtly, stopping for a moment as her hand gripped and turned the door handle.

She turned her head to the side, glaring at her "partner" with malice, "It's a disgrace that one of the greatest minds of our village, one of the best medic-nins in likely all of the Land of Fire, is such a lecherous, egotistical asshole."

With those final words said, she flung open the door, exiting and closing it with an echoing slam. Kabuto slowly got up off of the floor, reaching for the chair and setting it upright again. His eyes went towards the door again, bringing his slapped hand up to his face, pushing his frames up on his nose.

His lips formed a toothy grin, "This is going to be more fun than I thought."


"The nerve of that asshole! He really thinks it's okay to just go and... and get up into someone's face like that, and touching them with familiarity!"

"I dunno, Forehead... Personally, I wouldn't mind it if a handsome man decided to be suave like that and showed me such affection."

"... Are you forgetting that you're currently engaged to a handsome man?"

"That's my point."

Sakura sighed, knocking back the first of likely several shots of sake for that evening. It was early evening, and after spending hours grabbing materials needed to start her research, the call for food came ringing through and she decided to head to her favorite restaurant to grab a quick bite to eat. Sitting across from her was her best friend, Ino Yamanaka, who was coming off of her part-time shift at the hospital. Ino was fully aware of the assignment that Sakura was given – and knew of her assigned partner, although she hadn't personally met him herself – and was more than willing to be a confidant to her friend if necessary, although she wasn't fully expecting the raving, angry ranting about Sakura's first meeting with the highly respected man.

"I just... I hate that this is the man that has rose through the ranks, that's so respected among many of the different lands, is such a manipulative, egotistical, sex-charged asshole. I trust that he will do his work and will do it diligently, but I hate the idea of working with him in any capacity," Sakura stated, grabbing a bite of her food and chewing it before continuing, "I haven't felt so disrespected in quite a long time. I know many of the other nurses would be champing at the bit for the chance to work so closely with him, for all of the right and wrong reasons as well, but I downright loathe this."

"I get that, Sakura. But you said you have no choice, right? You're going to have to find a way to do this without playing his game," Ino replied, "As much as I want to help, I know I'm nowhere near the genius either of you are to actually be able to handle this. That, and someone has to help pick up the slack with you being taken off of most duties for the next month."

"I know. UGH! It's just so frustrating! I know I've gotten hit on quite a few times by patients, but usually a glare or a punch is enough to make them back down. But with it being someone like this... I feel like any move I could make could end up firing back in my face," Sakura continued, taking another bite of her food, "Granted, I know I could make Shishou and others listen to me, but even then I don't think it would be enough to warrant changes to the assignment."

She poured a bit more sake into her shot glass, taking a sip of it instead of shooting it back as she did before. "I'm sorry I keep going on about this, Ino. I know you're going to have it rough for awhile too, with needing to do extra shifts as well as helping to run the flower shop," she said softly and regretfully, "I'm just so angry at all of this. I was hoping that my partner would be professional and not quite like the stories were, but I have my doubts to all of that."

"Hey, don't worry about it, okay? I don't mind the extra shifts; it's extra money going towards the wedding. And I got my mom helping out more with the shop nowadays, so I'm sure that won't be a problem either. Just expect that after all of this is done, you're going to owe me a few drinks yourself," Ino replied, smiling and chuckling along the way.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever Ino-Pig," the rosette replied, laughing as she stuck out her tongue at her friend, "Thanks for listening. But you should probably finish up eating so you can get home. Pretty sure your fiance is going to be starving."

"Eh, he can fend for himself a little bit longer. But you're right, I should finish up. Mostly because I'm tired and I want to shower and do some reading before bed."

Taking the last few bites of her snack, she grabbed her napkin from her lap, placing it down on the table. "Thanks for the meal," she replied, "I'll see you later, Sakura. Good luck."

"Yeah, thanks. I know I'm going to need it," Sakura replied, a bit of sarcasm in her tone as she went back to eating.

The door opened, and the faint "excuse me" was heard as Ino exited, but the rosette didn't pay any care about it. She reached for her cup, sipping at it again, acknowledging briefly when a busboy came by to grab Ino's empty plates, her eyes focusing on her food as she began to drift away into her thoughts. She didn't notice at first when the shadow of a person came by her table, only breaking from her reverie when the person stopped and spoke.

"Taking a break, I should assume?"

That voice... Oh hell no, it couldn't be-?

She turned her head and standing before her was, in fact, the last person she wanted to see. "Yakushi-san," she replied bitingly, "Yes, that I am. I can't very well deprive myself of a good meal, can I?"

"And good drink, I see."

"Yes, that too. I figured a little bit wouldn't hurt. May I ask what you're doing at my table? Isn't there something else you could be doing?"

"I'm here, as you are, looking for a good bite and a good drink. But I would prefer to have it with some good company, if I'm allowed?"

Sakura weighed her options carefully. While she rather wished that he would disappear and leave her in peace, a small piece of her did want to give him a chance to show her the professional, intelligent side she knew that he had. And perhaps they could start going over what exactly they could do to approach the subject of their objective on both a solo and joint effort. With a sigh, she made the motion to him to sit in the seat across from her. As he bowed his head in thanks, she grabbed the flask of sake and the second cup brought to the table – left empty, as Ino rejected the idea of drinking alongside her – pouring it into the cup as well as topping of her own.

"Ah, thank you," Kabuto replied as he took the second cup from her, the two of them raising them and tapping them together in a short and quiet "cheers" before downing the liquid themselves.

"Ah... yes, that is a good drink. You have great tastes, Haruno-san," he responded, resting down his cup as Sakura filled it up again.

"Thank you. I don't drink very often, but when I do, this is a personal favorite."

He took a sip of the freshly poured drink before settling his cup back down again. Sakura watched as he relayed his order to the visiting waitress, turning her eyes away when he had turned back around towards her, focusing on her food. He watched her with a short, calculating smile, resting his elbows on the table with his chin resting on the back of his intertwined hands.

"Is there a reason why you're staring at me?" the rosette asked, the creeping feeling of knowing she was being stared at becoming more and more apparent.

"No reason. Just fascinated."

"Not this sh- Look, if you are going to keep doing this, I'm going to have to ask you to leave me alone. I told you, I'm not about to play your little game."

Kabuto chuckled, throwing his hands up in mock defeat, much to Sakura's continued dismay. "Alright, alright... Has anyone ever told you that you have a glare that could kill?" he asked jokingly.

Sakura growled lowly, stabbing into a piece of her meat with her chopsticks, biting down on it with ferocity. He chuckled again, his attention turning away for a moment as his food was brought over, grabbing at the skewer it came on. He took a bite for himself, making a small, appreciative noise, before placing it back down to take a sip of his sake.

"Actually, Haruno-san, I wish to apologize to you."

"Oh, really?"

"I understand your skepticism, and it's very much warranted. But surely, I wish to apologize. What I did was wrong, and I know I insulted you. I'm very much sorry for that."

Sakura raised a thin brow, "Wonder how many other people had heard the same words with the exact same intent."

"Not too many, to be frank. I'm not often in the apology giving ways, at least not like this," he stated bluntly with a casual smirk, both which frustrated and annoyed her.

"I'm serious this time, however. I acted the same way as I do with other women, simply out of my own personal desires and a lack of respect for their twittering ways. You are, quite frankly, far superior to many of them, and deserve to be treated with the respect and dignity you've rightfully earned. To be even more honest, besides the Godaime herself, you may be the only other person to be a match for me in terms of intellect, work ethic, and medical ability," he continued, his voice steady and stern, capturing Sakura's attention fully, watching as her eyes widened by tiny fractions of surprise, "I truly meant that when I mentioned it to you earlier. I'm truly fascinated with you because it's the first time in quite a long time where I feel like I may actually be challenged."

Sakura couldn't respond properly; this was the man she was hoping and expecting, but after what had happened earlier that afternoon, how believable could this be? He took her silence as a good sign, taking a long swig of his sake, emptying the cup. Sakura took the initiative to refill it again before taking a sip of her own, topping off afterwards.

"I swear, I will be very much focused on our assignment. However, I'm also truthful in stating that I am fascinated by you, and am very much looking forward to working with you. I would really like to see if my feelings about you as a truly equal partner is true. If you allow me, I wish to start over," Kabuto stated with finality, lifting up his cup, "My name is Kabuto Yakushi. It's my honor to be able to work with you, Sakura-san."

She blinked for a moment, apprehensive and confused. She wasn't completely sure on what exactly his intention was, but she weighed everything carefully... if he was being truthful, this was the best chance for the two of them to start to work together on the assignment, hopefully with the minimal amount of drama. And if he had attempted his flirtations further than what he had already done, she could surely put him in his place. Although that could lead to more situations that could potentially harm her position... Still, for the moment, she had to give him credit for being so forthcoming and seemingly sincere with her right now... While she wasn't entirely convinced of his truthfulness, she placed her worries to the back of her mind, replacing it with hopeful wishes for the sake of the assignment.

Her lips curled into a honest and relaxed smile, grabbing her cup and raising it up, making the motion to connect their cups together in another cheer, "Sakura Haruno... It's my honor to work with you as well, Kabuto-san."