It was late in the evening when he had first spotted her across a tavern in rain country. With the intention of ordering a shot of alcohol to numb his thoughts and ease the ever growing burden on his shoulders, he entered the small bar on the outskirts of town.
This was something that he had rarely done and the current circumstance spoke volumes for what pressures he was under. He sat in the secluded corner of the bar, avoiding as much interaction as possible and keeping to the darkness. Something relatively easy to do when people spotted the red clouds on his cloak.
The place was dimly lit and the interior was typically worn from at least a century's worth of use. Traditional music hummed in the background whilst patrons, most of them shady-looking characters, argued amongst themselves due to their levels of intoxication.
The dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep were almost permanently marred on his otherwise perfect face. Exhaling in an almost inaudible sigh, he took his final shot for the night and was about to take his leave when he froze. Amongst the blur of people a pair of emerald eyes captivated his attention. It did not even take 2 seconds before he regained his logic and overcame his temporary mind slip. The first thought that had come to his mind after his lapse was how beautiful those eyes were, followed by a sense of familiarity.
The owner of the gem-like eyes was a young female, not older than 20 by his estimation, with a petite frame and short dark brown hair. She took a seat towards the front of the bar and motioned for a drink from the bartender. The men that were previously occupying the area shied away from her as soon as they had spotted her; some tripping over their own feet in their state of drunkenness as they made their attempt to scurry away.
Somewhat intrigued by the girl, he continued to watch her from the darkness. Unsure of whether it was the alcohol in his system or the girl who had gained his attention; his previous thoughts that had plagued him were pushed to the back of his mind.
After her eleventh glass of beer, he noticed the slight sway in her hunched form. As she got up from her stool, she dug her hand into the pouch at her hip and deposited her payment as well as a generous tip on the table. He followed her in exiting the premise, deciding to maintain a fair distance behind her.
It was the middle of summer and the humidity was at its worst. After having a bit to drink at the local bar she frequented when passing through rain country, she headed towards her accommodation. She had just finished a solo mission and decided that it was too late to start for home.
So here she was, slightly tipsy and alone...or so she thought. Her hostel was an old wooden structure that lacked in appeal and quality as its sole purpose was to house rooms for individuals in need of a short stay. She struggled to find her key in the hallway as she rummaged through her pouch. Once she had found the key and fiddled with the door, she finally entered and locked the door.
Whilst taking a deep breath and exhaling in an attempt to expel the nagging issues in her life, she began to remove the brunette wig from her head when she suddenly stopped and realised that something was amiss. Someone was in her room. With her back towards the door, she took her defensive stance and focused on her surroundings.
"Show yourself!" She managed to muster in an uneven voice.
The slightest movement shifted from her side and before she knew it she was being pinned with her back to the door.
With noses touching, her breath caught when she locked eyes with the most enamouring yet haunting pair of onyx orbs. He raised his fingers and held a few strands of her short pink tresses.
Quickly coming to realisation, she shook her head and struggled against him.
'What have you gotten yourself into now!? You're drunk and now cornered by an S-class criminal for goodness sake!' She thought.
'Hey, look on the bright side- at least he's hot!' Her inner exclaimed.
'Oh lord...r.i.p' Her thoughts continued.
"What do you want Uchiha?" Sakura stated firmly.