Sakura cursed the need to be demure as yet another lord at this god-forsaken party grabbed her butt. Her Inner Sakura was spouting all sorts of nasty things to do to the man, while Sakura took a good look at herself.
Her outfit – a sheer suggestion of soft green material, more see-though than not formed loose pants and baggy sleeves. Underneath and scarcely larger than a bikini lay her underclothes in the same color as the see-though material, except – thankfully – solid. Coupled with the satin slippers – she thought she looked more like an Indian genie than a geisha; nonetheless it was the party's theme.
This was her first solo mission, and she was determined to carry it out perfectly, but did she HAVE to be so exposed!?! She didn't even have anywhere she could stow a single weapon.
She had been in this country for two nights and thus far could NOT see the reason it was thought the lord Schlage here was planning anything with Orochimaru… or anyone else for that matter.
To her, he appeared to be nothing more than a fat, drunken, thoughtless, spoiled, pervert! And this was exactly as his harem and council thought of him. In fact, the council did FAR more politically than the lord, and yet Sakura could find nothing amiss in their intentions either.
Sakura ran a hand through her temporally dark brown hair. She couldn't WAIT to release that jutsu. Dark hair really did make her complexion look awful. If only her natural hair color didn't make her stick out like a sore thumb... literally.
She resisted the urge to pout, as she rotated her hips in a motion similar to the other geisha in the room that were currently serving warm sake from huge jug-like flasks in the elaborate dining hall of the lord she had been sent to investigate.
The longer Sakura was in the lord Schlage's castle the less reason she saw any need to be here. She hadn't gotten ONE decent tidbit of information – and she had become adept at several mind manipulation techniques – thanks to Ino's assistance.
She was beginning to think she was here on bad information, but maintained her poise and expression – still probing the (higher) minds she was serving. She quickly turned a smirk at the ease their alcohol-addled thought process made her job, into a seductive smile as she served her next patron.
Unaware her guard was already down, as she began planning her route back through this country to Konoha. As such, she was completely ignorant of the fact that she was being watched.
From the adjacent corner of the ballroom, eyes roamed listlessly, until they passed over the form of Sakura and paused. Shadowed from his hooded cloak, dark obsidian eyes widened beneath his mop of dark hair.
Sakura turned, once again revealing her face to the tall, aloft stranger. A cold smile graced his usually stoic visage. Despite her darkened hair color, her green eyes shone with a nostalgic brilliance. With a snap of his cloak, he turned and exited the hall... an idea forming.
A few moments later, the double doors in the hall burst open. Thrown with such force, they impacted into the stone walls with two close and very loud thuds.
Everyone in the hall, guest and host alike, turned to the flustered messenger. Not pausing to catch his breath he gasped out.
"There's a ninja... a spy! In here - a female! Quick, by order of the Great Lord Schlage capture her or kill her! But... by order of death do NOT let her escape!"
Sakura's heart fell into her stomach and she looked around in sheer panic, expecting dozens of the men around her to start advancing. However, in her moment of panic she noticed all the other woman frantically scrambling away in fear. The captain was not known for his kindness when his security was compromised.
'Perfect cover' she realized, as she too sprinted to the nearest exit. Fortunately, that exit happened to be the closest to where she stashed her supplies. She NEEDED to get her med-kit and some weapons at the very least. One of her biggest peeves about this mission was her lack of adequate clothing needed to hide her essentials. She never knew she'd feel this naked without a strap of kunais fastened on her upper thigh.
Skidding on the slick floor as she exited the hall, she barely righted herself from falling on her ass. That served to remind her of one other thing she needed to pick up... her shoes. These dainty slippers were altogether ridiculous as foot wear. She'd have more traction barefoot.
The dark figure, expertly hidden in the shadows of the cathedral ceiling smiled as he watched Sakura's exit.
'This is sure to be fun.' He smiled, as his suspicions were confirmed. She had not tried to contact anyone and thus was most likely working alone. Waiting a few moments for the sheer fun of it, he gracefully landed on the polished floor and began walking in the direction she had run.
Sakura calmed slightly upon seeing that none of her traps around her stuff had been set off. Jumping the last few feet to the storeroom door, she turned the handle and threw herself in the room, reset a jutsu to tell her if someone came near. Kneeling and throwing open her pack, she yanked out her shoes first.
She needed them the most to run. And there was no question that running was her only option. She buckled her second boot and reached into her bag. Her fingertips brushed the tip of her kunai belt just as the light signifying the set off of her perimeter flashed.
Panicked she managed to clasp the belt after the third try – damn shaking hands – and was out the window, just as the door behind her flew open. Turning, as she jumped, she caught the silluette of the hooded figure that burst in the door.
Sakura hit the ground running... both of her, as before she turned to run for it – she created a kage-bushin. And then ten running steps later she created two more. Then two more, but she didn't create any more because she wanted to maintain a small measure of her chakra, in case her pursuer wasn't fooled.
The figure stood in the second story room, watching with cold eyes as the ninja made several bushins. On the whole, not a bad strategy; basic, but purpose-serving. Too bad for her – he could see right through them.
'What a waste of chakra.' He tsked as three black pinwheels formed in his now-red eyes and he started in the direction of the real ninja...
Sakura continued running until her legs were mush beneath her and her lungs were burning. She hadn't heard anyone in pursuit, but instead of soothing her – this thought panicked her even more. Surely, after they realized there was a ninja within the compound (BW?) they would have dispatched SOMEONE with the expertise to bring one down?!?
Needing desperately to catch her breath, she stopped on the branch of a sturdy oak. Forming the seals quickly she let loose with a jutsu that would tell her if there was anyone else in the surrounding area. She picked up on one person. Not far from her position and gaining.
A heavy weight settled into her stomach – this person was not the least bit distracted by her bushins running around. This person was a good tracker. Hating herself for the time lost, she set several traps and quickly continued her escape.
The dark figure, sensed something amiss. Throwing several stars – he sprung two traps which rained kunai and other sharp weapons at the position the chakra strings had been laid.
So, she had grown much in their years apart. Were it not for his shringan, he would be sporting several injuries at this time. He smiled coldly. That made this so much better.
Pushing aside the question of what he would do when he captured her, he continued his pursuit with new zealous.
Sakura was becoming desperate. Her chakra levels were very low. She had dropped her disguise jutsu, returning her hair to it's previous pink illustriousness. She had forfeited most of the weapons she'd managed to grab in the traps she left – and given the distance her pursuer had gained, the traps hadn't even given him pause.
She was frantically trying to decide if she had enough chakra for a gengetsu to hide her whereabouts when she realized she could no longer track the man following her. Panicked she turned behind her to look, as if he would materialize behind her.
Seeing no one she turned just in time to see the wires flying at her. She managed to cut two with a kunai that she whipped out before she had even thought about it. However the third she tried to jump caught her ankle and send her flying, upside down, into a tree.
Unable to cushion her landing with chakra – her head hit the tree with a solid thunk. Dazed, she struggled to maintain consciousness against the roaring pain that exploded in the back of her head.
Subsequently, she missed when another wire wrapped itself tightly against her neck, and circled her chest, waist and thighs. Her stomach dropped as she felt the weight controlling the wires wrap several times around her body and tighten painfully.
She was now secured, feet over head, to a tree: her left hand was trapped in the wire at her waist while her right hand – still clutching the kunai – remained her only appendage to be free.
Attempting to slice the wire with her free right hand only earned her a slice down her hip. It seemed that there was some jutsu on the wire now preventing it from being cut.
Determined not to show any weakness, Sakura hid the kunai behind her thigh and the tree and turned her face defiantly to meet her capturer.
The hooded figure stepped into the clearing before his restrained prey. He appeared to be completely calm. His breath came slow as if mocking Sakura's desperate pants for air – made even more difficult by the wire tight at her throat.
He looked up and down her figure appreciatively. She had filled out quite nicely. Even the blood now flowing from a gash in her hip created a primal feeling unlike any he'd felt before. He was surprised his first reaction was to lick it clean. Restraining himself, she continued to gaze coolly at Sakura's beauty.
"What do you want?!?" Sakura demanded when she could take no more of the silence.
What did he want?
The figure paused in the shadows. As much as he'd want to say he'd tracked her down to get information – he knew that she'd die before she forfeited any. And it wasn't like he could get much regarding his aim anyway.
"To see you." An all-too familar voice replied, before he could stop himself.
Sakura's eyes became wide as saucers, as the hooded figure slid back his hood to reveal...
"SSs-Sasuke-kun?"
"You don't sound happy to see me." He taunted her, slipping out of the shadows.
A single shaft of moonlight, in the otherwise rain-promising evening, illuminated his porcelain face for a moment before disappearing once more into the clouds.
His face was longer... older. His eyes covered by more of his hair looked, haunted somehow. But there was no mistaking the Uchida's features for anyone else.
Time stood still in the small clearing. Neither person appeared to be breathing until Sakura tried to take a deep breath and struggling against the wire began wheezing.
Sasuke took it in coldly for a moment. Finally, he stepped forward slowly and raised his hand.
Sakura caught the glint of metal in the moonlight before his hand arched towards her throat.
She couldn't help but close her eyes, although she did suppress the scream that wanted to tear itself from her throat.
In an instant she felt the wire on her neck loosen and fall.
Grateful, without opening her eyes, she greedily gulped air by the lungful.
As her eyes were closed, she missed the hurt expression that Sasuke let slip when he realized that she thought he meant to do her harm.
The sky as if mirroring his sorrow, opened and began pouring rain on the two.
Feeling the cold drops hit her face, made Sakura squirm. It was weird for the rain to fall up your face. After she regained her breath and reigned in her emotions, Sakura opened her eyes. Cold jade met Sasuke's eyes impassionedly.
"What do you want from me?" She asked coldly.
Sasuke was startled from his gazing. The rain was slowly soaking her outfit making it even more see-though and it was doing funny things to his head.
Unable to find an answer, Sasuke tore his face from her figure and leaned close to Sakura's face; searching her eyes.
Startled, her eyes were wide – roaming his face as if desperate to drink in his features.
Sasuke hesitated a moment, rain quickly soaking his hood and dripping down his hair. He wondered what he was doing just before he leaned down, his lips settling on hers.
Saukra was expecting a great many things... but Sasuke kissing her... was at the top of the 'never going to happen in a million years' list.
Still, she found herself opening her mouth to his eager tongue. She heard the crack of thunder distantly and was not surprised to hear the rain quicken to a downpour.
She had the chance to form one last coherent thought: the appropriateness of the rain as she kissed the man she loved. For their hopeless situation was not rectifiable.
As they both became soaked, Sasuke continued to kiss her. Sakura was hardly aware she was biting his lip until she felt his own kiss roughen. Sakura was warm, hotter than she'd ever felt – and she was already soaked from the rain. Her head spun, dizzy from more than just hanging upside down via many wires...
Suddenly, that thought cleared her head.
She was wired to the tree by Sasuke.
Sasuke was the apprentice of Orochimaru.
Orochimaru was the snake who killed the third Hokage; a mortal enemy of Konoha.
She had a job to do; to bring Sasuke back to repent his treacherous ways: duty before pleasure.
Continuing to kiss Sasuke, Sakura shifted a little to pull the kunai from behind her back.
If she could just impair him long enough to get free...
With a lighting-quick movement, she brought the kunai out. Swiping towards Sasuke she was shocked when the kunai connected – not with warm flesh – but with cold steel.
Opening her eyes – she saw the spinning blades of what she had learned from the Hokage and Kakashi was Mangenku Shringan.
Sasuke was smiling coldly – his lips red from their rough kissing.
"You've improved so much." He said to her; his voice a husky whisper. When her eyes made it past Sasuke's spinning orbs, Sakura could see that he had unsheathed his sword more quickly than she had brought down the kunai.
"Apparently not enough." She said dryly.
Suddenly, her world began to tip. The landscape seemed to blur together and spin.
The tree she was tied to began bending and rolling.
Sakura screamed, terrified. She had seen the horrible state Kakashi had been left in by Itachi with this techinique.
She watched the forest floor melt into a sold green color that was almost the color of her eyes...
The black and red of Sasuke's eyes grew and grew until it was the color of the strangest sky she'd ever seen.
She realized much later that she was no longer restrained and actually standing on her feet facing Sasuke. She also recognized, vaguely that she was no longer wet as she had been seconds ago.
The two them were the only things standing in a vast sea of green with a red and black sky.
Sasuke stood impassively, much like the Sasuke of old. Sakura couldn't help but ask.
"What are you doing?" The fear had left her voice, once she realized she was not hurt.
Sasuke smiled, this time it appeared almost gentle, but sly before it vanished.
"I realize that it goes against your code to give up trying to capture me." Sakura blushed – was she that easy to read? "But I wanted to see you – without the… annoyance of dodging your attempts to subdue me."
Sakura stepped forward. "Is this another dimension?"
Sasuke raised his eyebrow, as if to ask if she really expected him to tell her that easily.
"All you need to know is that what happens here – really happens. But there is nothing you can do to escape or force me to let you go until I'm willing." He gazed at her, his smile gone.
Sakura couldn't stop the shiver than ran up her spine. She had never seen Sasuke with the hungry expression he now wore.
Sakura knew that he wasn't lying about her being unable to escape. And in that instant her hopes crashed at bringing Sasuke back. Her form slumped, as if defeated. NO matter how hard she tried she could never surpass him... him or Naruto.
She'd never be able to beat any sense into them, even if she was smarter and stronger… they were just… too stubborn!
Tears brimmed in her eyes as her fists clenched in helplessness.
Sasuke, unable to see her so dejected, even as he cursed himself for being so easy to manipulate; stepped forward and embraced her awkwardly.
Sakura stood for a moment – disbelieving. Sasuke was actually... holding her? Tears fell down her cheeks in such quick succession it seemed a continuous flow.
Sasuke stepped back.
"I didn't bring you here to make you cry." He said weaving his fingers in her short now-pink hair. Seductively he pulled her face to his and began kissing the tears from her face.
Sakura's knees gave, and only by reaching around Sasuke's shoulders in a sloppy hug was she able to maintain her balance.
What was going on? Was this a dream?
Finally satisfied that her tears had stopped, Sasuke turned his lips on her own.
No – not a dream – Sakura thought as she tasted the salt of her tears still on Sasuke's lips.
Eagerly she accepted his tongue into her mouth, once more, and a heat flooded her. She, willingly, leaned back as Sasuke laid her on the soft ground.
Eagerly she held open her arms, welcoming the man who had left her behind.
Sasuke accepted gratefully and they shared a time which to them lasted ages, but in reality was only the blink of an eye.
Shaken, but satisfied, Sakura tried to keep her eyes from drooping. She was sprawled across Sasuke's body feeling more complete than she had in the longest time, but aching empty at the same time.
Sasuke, feeling a similar incompleteness, allowed his fingers to roam though her pink hair.
"We can't stay here forever." He said.
"I know." Sakura admitted. "It's just... I..."
"Shh..." Sasuke put his finger to her lips. "None of that."
Suddenly, Sakura got the same twisting feeling in her gut.
"NO!" She cried, but was helpless against the twisting of the landscape. Even Sasuke's body beneath her twisted out of existence.
She closed her eyes against it – tears escaping at the last second – and then she could hear the steady drops of rain, as her tears fell up her face – across her temples and over her forehead before jumping off.
Opening her eyes – she found nothing but the upside-down forest – was she still tied to this stupid tree?!? The cold settled into her body immediately causing her to shiver.
But where was... her eye's searched but found no trace of her former teammate. Not even a footprint in the dirt... now-mud in front of her.
Was it all an illusion?!? Trying to keep her wildly beating heart under control she struggled to regain feeling in her cold rain-soaked, barely clothed body and get away from this clearing.
The wire was real enough. Raising her free hand, she found she still had the kunai and set about cutting the wires.
As she tackled a wire at her thigh, sawing the kunai back and forth, she noticed a bite mark.
A human bite mark, she remembered recieving...
Smiling, she was grateful that the rain covered her tears, despite the fact that there was no one to witness them… or was there?
Overcoming her crushing emotions she was able to cut the last wire at her ankles and catch herself before she fell head-first to the muddy ground.
Taking a final look around, she spotted a dark cloak hanging on a tree branch as if for her.
Smiling, even though it was aa wet as she was – it was infinitely better than what she was wearing. Silently, she put it on and taking a last look around she sped off towards Konoha.
Her mission report would absolutely end with her escaping the castle unharmed. There was just NO WAY should could explain what just happened.
A dark cloak-less figure, watched the ninja until she was on her feet and running from the clearing. Then, with a strange pulling in his heart he thought he'd severed long ago, he turned to his own aims.
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed. Please feel free to leave me ANY comments – good or bad, but I DO ask that you keep in mind I'm very new at Naruto fanfiction and give your opinions accordingly. I know that I may have misspelled a name or two and for that I'm sorry. And – big shocker – I own nothing of Naruto or it's characters.
This IS a stand alone story… but, if you at-all-interested, AND ARE OPEN to three-way RELATIONSHIPS – this will eventually fit as a piece of a bigger story. The 'end' of that story is already posted as "Reunited At Last", with a better description as to HOW this crazy idea of mine came about. But please BE WARNED the bigger story WILL focus on the relationship of team 7 – and I don't mean 'friendship' relationship. :D
SuziKat