07.10.2018 (A/N:) I am in the process of correcting and improving all the chapters up till now. Also finally posting chapter 8 today. This first one underwent probably the most changes. I mainly added a lot in the beginning and adjusted the rest. It is also in the process of being looked over by my friend Nackmu who does a great job at beta-reading this monster of a story. I hope you all enjoy and thanks for reading!

This is obviously a work of FanFiction, I don't own the characters nor the universe.

Chapter 1: To Seal a Deal

The suspension had come completely unexpected. Sakura had been healing wounds, researching poisons and various other medication when she wasn't busy with saving lives and working overtime. As apprentice of the current leader of the city, the Godaime Hokage, Sakura had benefited from an excellent tutelage over the years. Her dedication to the job as a medicin ninja had seemed to pay off, everything had seemed just fine - until the day when she was given that 'new assignment'. Sakura knew pretty well what it actually was: An administrative suspension.

It had struck her by total surprise and left her confused. The mission scroll said to buy one slave of her choice and to get both of them situated in her home to live there from now onwards. Furthermore it clarified that the slave was there to support her, not to be freed. And to top it off, it even forbid her to return to her hospital job for the time being. And that was essentially all it said.

The fact that the so called assignment had been personally ordered and signed by the Hokage herself, didn't much help her to keep contenance. Suspension. It more felt like being expelled. Sakura knew she hadn't done anything wrong so it was no use to go for that question. It rather rose her curiosity what else her tutor might have in mind. She was also a bit disappointed to not have received further background information, about that purchase of a slave and moreover as to WHY. But she trusted her female leader and thus she took it just like any other mission. She had been at the receiving end of Tsunade's schemes before and knew the woman usually not only had good reason, but also a plan, potentially genius. As for now, Sakura could live with not knowing the full range of that mission. Tsunade wouldn't take 'no' for an answer anyway.

And so she found herself on a horse a few days later, heading towards the next city featuring a slave house. The road was framed by trees and quite abandoned for the time being, the area rather rural. The monotonous and unspectacular landscape eased her thoughts to wander, which ended up in her medical mind taking over. She started wondering if the selection in the slave house would allow her to pick a healthy human body to study for once instead of the disease ridden ones she was used to. She could also pick an interesting case of some rare kind of sickness and study that up closely. After her first doubts about that task, a smirk passed her face finally. She wondered if Tsunade had thought this through. Sakura might be suspended from the hospital, but not from her profession. She perfectly knew how she'd pass her newly gained freetime.

00000

The annoying sound of a guard's rod pulled along the bars was reaching his ears just as the vibrations reached his back directly through the metal. He'd been leaning against the stanchions in his usual corner. Were they already handing out meals or just patrolling the hallway? They'd probably skip him again, so why bothering about it? As if he'd ever cared for their disgusting slob.

There wasn't much of light carried to the end of the corridor where his cell was situated. He was used to the darkness, adjusted to the hard ground and cold steel bars that would dig into his body whenever he leaned against them. The lack of direct neighbors didn't bother him, as he wasn't of the social kind anyway and with his reputation, the guards rather wouldn't risk it. Still, a few doors down the hallway he could hear the other inmates conversing. There were no walls to hold back the noise and whatever wasn't drowned out by the suckish ventilation system, carried over through the air. His hearing was good, had even improved since he'd been captured, but he preferred still the somewhat quiet of the night. There was nothing of interest in the conversations he could listen to: They usually were all pretty much something along the lines of what he'd already heard and he couldn't care less.

It was one day like any other. Down in this shit hole time lost its meaning. Wandering thoughts, that was all he had and was nowadays. Like other detainees having the same conversations repeated, his mind walked the same frayed lines of thought. He was trapped in his memories. Like a tiger pacing circles in a cage, they returned him to the same shitty thoughts like an echo would. The overlapping sound of his thoughts would play games with him, send him chasing for figments of thought that had graced him without staying, leading back to more solid concepts after having been utterly lost. And so his thoughts returned to the same shitty things, over and over again... only that he had never voiced them.

Some were commemorated more than others, seemed more abiding. But to keep the variety up, even little details of fleeting memories had gained in importance. He sometimes visualized random scenes from his past life, back before they'd fled, back when he'd still called Konoha home and still had family. Like now, he recalled the unnamed boy on the swing in front of the academy grounds. He felt a connection to him and his misery. That boy had been alone, too. He hadn't understood that loneliness back then, but now he did, more than ever.

Absentmindedly he was weaving hand seals to pass the time. They were slick but only half-hearted gestures. They had banned his chakra with the wretched collar around his neck, thus all practice was mainly limited to his mind. Besides lacking space to properly move into fighting stances, he also often lacked the energy to exercise over a longer period of time nowadays. His body had started to show signs of starvation a while ago, which wasn't surprising by the minimal amount of food he was getting. But he knew why they did it.

His lack of cooperation for the simplest things was well known and had even earned him a title: 'Tatakai', The one who fights. So, limiting his source of energy limited the slave house's trouble. But that applied only to his Chakra and physics. He wasn't afraid to scare them, he only needed eye contact to do it after all. And they had never figured it out.

He was playing with his collar again. It had been a while since he'd been out. Even longer since he'd been able to move naturally, freely. His Chakra was building and ebbing, moving inside, a constant presence just below his skin, unable to use, to break free. The sheer existence of his source of power, though being locked, was a silently frustrating comfort.

He shouldn't think about that, too many times he'd gone there…They would never let him go. Somehow he'd lost that hope a while ago. Maybe it was because them being scared didn't spur them to do him a favour. Maybe they waited for a dirty deal to fetch a tidy extra sum with his good looks. Fact was, he wasn't free. He, after all, wasn't his genius brother, who should have found a way out by now.

Said brother had urged him to be careful and the silent strategy he had chosen, had worked perfectly well. It had indeed kept him safe, more or less. It had not gotten him freed though. Never even close. It was always the same: His new owners would bring him back to the slave house with complaints shortly after having bought him. The slave house would reassure them to recondition him. If the customers agreed that the recontitioning was an option at all, it would utterly fail, because he knew how things worked, whereas they didn't. In the end the slave house would be forced to take him back and they all would be back where they'd started. At least until the one day the slave house would finally refuse to take him back.

No one trusted him. And they were right to do so, too. His silence prevented any spoken agreements, any reassurance that he might not harm them, that he would do as they ordered. It didn't leave any room for possible negotiations to gain more leeway, to possibly gain freedom. That was the downside of his strategy. His chosen silence had protected him and his secrets well, though. It had kept them from possibly connecting dots and if that was the price, then so be it! He wasn't going to talk nor be social.

This, vegetating in a cell, only waiting to be sold and returned, reminded and resold, couldn't be called life. This was no life. Though, he wasn't so sure if he would have one, even if he was free. What meant freedom without having a place to call home; What meant freedom without family?

There was no real family to go back to. The only one left was his so called brother, the murderer who had killed everyone he'd ever loved. A killer, no longer a child but not yet adult. It was that man-boy who had raised him from then onwards. The disguised stranger had complied with his little brother's wish and trained him, taught him, taken care of him. Could someone like that still be considered a 'brother'? And besides, what was the purpose of all training and knowledge, when there's no one else left to protect. What did it matter, if he was alone in the end?... He found himself wanting more! He refused his life to be over yet. He was just stuck, but it wasn't over even if some answers were unattainable right now.

He didn't pay attention to his surroundings, or rather, he was ignoring them. He wasn't actively trying to get out nor did he care where he was for the moment. He'd be just as stuck outside of this place, even if the change of scenery might refresh his psyche a bit. His thoughts were spiralling more again lately. But being in the darkest corner of his cell also went with being overlooked easily, which was just fine with him. And if someone would still notice him by chance, because somebody always did at some point… then it'd be early enough to deal with it anew. But in the meantime, he had the illusion of momentary peace.

00000

Instead of the semi-pleasant atmosphere in the entrance, the hall Sakura had just entered was a hall full of despair. A stark stench of unwashed people and waste hung in the air. She would not want to ever be stuck in such a place, so she rather would finish up here quickly. She could not help all these people, so it was uncomfortable enough to pass through this place and see their misery.

"Is there anything in specific you are searching for, Miss?" The man in front of her asked again.

"Thank you, but for now I'd just like to have a look." Also, I'd like to know about the conditions the slaves live in here, she added in her mind.

"I'll let you browse them by yourself then, Miss. Just call me if you need any further assistance."

Sakura started off right away; She truly didn't want to stay here for too long. It was loud wherever she went. The unoccupied cages were open, doors slid aside. The guide had given her a lamp, since the whole complex was rather poorly lid.

Every slave was held in a separate cabin. The cell walls, or really cell bars, were shared though. There was no privacy. Better be buddies with your neighbors then, Sakura mused. She forced herself to get some glimpse into the cages. The people inside showed a wide variety of reactions: Some wailing, others pleading for mercy, stretching out their arms, out of their cages in an attempt to grab her. She dismissed all of them with a glance: They weren't what she was searching for. Then there were those who cursed at her and spew out other profanities; A few even tried to seduce her. She had passed the elderly ones already, now more in the back, the slaves were getting younger. The sheer count of cells to fill scared her, but her informant was right: She had a wide selection here.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable, she turned her attention to the construction of cages. They were solid. The catwalk she stood on elevated so that she could peer into the cells above each other. All doors were built to be accessed from the catwalk. The cages she could pear down into had the door lifted to meet the floor she was standing on, the upper ones had them just above, it must be a climbing act in both cases. The cages were high enough that an average person could stand upright, but they didn't have much play in height. Just a bit more than a square meter ground per cell, it was possible to sit down and curl into oneself while sleeping, but not to lay stretched out. The bars itself were spread far enough to let arms through, but no heads.

When she noticed that the lower cages had less occupants, she asked her escort about it. He informed her that those cells usually held the more rebellious slaves, as it was harder to get in and out, or to harm the guards. It caused her to pay more attention to the difference. Arriving in her age section, she started looking around more thoroughly again. Still she quickly dismissed many possible candidates.

Up till now she had written down two names so far, Suigetsu and Juugo, but none had really convinced her yet. Suigetsu seemed lively enough but reminded her a bit much of her teammate's chattiness. And that Juugo, he'd definitely be interesting from a medical point of view, but he himself was too afraid of his disease. Sakura didn't see herself as someone for psychological welcare, only for physical. Thus these candidates were likely out.

So she approached the last locked cell in this hallway and held her lamp to light up the cage. It was the grottiest cell she'd seen yet, it ran through her mind as she bent her knees to hunch down. Curiously she peered inside: There, in the darkest corner she could make out black, greasy hair and pale, bony shoulders. A back, partially exposed as his shirt hung loosely down on his elbows, littered with dirt or bruises, she couldn't quite tell. He showed no reaction to the light change, when she held her lamp over him. His hands absentmindedly fiddled around, which told her that he was indeed awake.

"Hey, you!" There was a brief lapse in activity, but then he continued ignoring them.

"Hey, you! Turn around." Sakura called out again. With agonizing slowness the slave got up. He pulled his shirt back over his shoulders and promptly took a step away from the catwalk to sink down in the corner at the opposite side of the cage. Irritatedly Sakura shook her head. Was he allowed to just ignore a customer?

As she didn't know how to react to that ignorance, she observed him closer. Now she had a slightly better view on him, but he expertly hid his features behind some strands of hair. He had started playing with his fingers again. If she had paid greater attention to his fiddling, she might have recognized the pattern to be hand signs, but her eyes were riveted on his face. She thought to have seen the trace of a smirk, but she wasn't sure. This slave acted unusual, he had totally caught her interest.

"Come here!… I know you can hear me… Come." She waited for a moment. The slave let one hand casually fall to the side, while his other went to twiddle with something around his neck. Sakura stared at the fragile looking hands, it seemed he had not been fed a lot lately.

"Miss? Is there a problem?" The escort approached in long strides. "Oh, you again!" He sounded angry.

The boy didn't look up when the guard inserted a staff with a hook at the end into the cell. Before it could reach him however, the slave had snached it away and pushed it back at the guard. He now was standing up and approaching the door slowly. The guard hissed a curse, holding his belly where he'd been hit, then straightened, clearly intent to hit the boy with his rod. Sakura quickly stopped him, showing her displeasure clearly as she took the stick out off his hand.

"Look up!" When he didn't, she held the staff gently below his chin and made him lift it. She saw him press his lips to a thin line. Then he lifted his eyes and his gaze caused a shiver to run down her back. The density of anger he conveyed was overwhelming. It would not have taken much for calling it 'hate' even. She stared into these onyx orbs, half hidden behind greasy strands of hair, which framed his face. His staring was too intense for a slave… It held her captive. Within this moment, as his eyes fiercely kept the connections to hers, she realized that he had understood perfectly well. He understood and chose to disobey.

Finally she managed to withdraw her eyes from his and concentrated on his physical state. It surprised her that he seemed quite fit for having lived without proper nutrition in such a small space. She ran her gaze over his limbs: they seemed just to be bone, skin and muscle; The kind of muscle that seemed slim but steel, durable, persevering. The taut skin was pale, almost sickly and showed his ribs clearly. She'd read about that sort of malnutrition before and found it approved in this place. Thinness was common amongst slaves, but his clearly was more on the side of starvation. The paleness suggested that he'd spend the last weeks rather in the inside of this bastille. It stood contradictory to the muscle that shined through his translucent skin.

What would she need a somewhat weak-looking slave for anyway? What tasks could he possibly do when getting home? Probably light work in the house to build up his body as he gained weight. She'd have time to think of it later.

She moved back to his face, focusing on his features that were still half hidden behind hair. Handsome. She wanted to see more of this face, so she stretched out a hand to push back his bangs when the guard pulled her back abruptly.

"Miss, please don't. He's unpredictable. And dangerous."

"Don't you worry, I'll take responsibility." Sakura said smirking. When she turned her head back to the cage she saw that its occupant had withdrawn a few steps. Just now she noticed the collar around his pale neck. It had rings woven into it and suddenly it made sense for the staff to have a hook at the end.

"Will you come over on your own or will I have to use this?" The slave only glared, but didn't move. Sakura shrugged and plunged the staff back through the bars. What she didn't expect, was him to suddenly move and expertly wind it out of her grasp. It fell behind him clattering. Suddenly the young captive was right in front of her: One hand holding her neck, the other forced her chin up uncomfortably with a rough thumb. She felt the slight pressure on her jugular and his gaze left no doubt that he knew perfectly well what he was doing. She held his gaze when, only for a moment, she meant to hear him in her head. The message was clear.

'Would you like it?'

His eyes grew colder and he let her go as swiftly as he had grabbed her.

"I wouldn't" She noticed his quick glare towards her escort and only then realized that the latter was seething.

"You little shit! No food for you tonight. Now return that stick or you'll regret it." The boy bent down to pick up the rod, then leaned against it. To Sakura, he provoked the guard in a more than obvious manner, but that one was just blind, or too stupid, to recognize it. So she decided better to distract them both.

"Got a name, slave?", she asked. The boy answered with a nod, then motioned to the guard, entirely too comfortable in such a situation.

"We call him Tatakai,… He never gave us a name… In fact, I've never heard him speak, though it is said he could. It's a shame, really. After all, he is a real looker as you can see. If he'd just cooperate." Sakura turned back to Tatakai, who was leaning against one side of the cage now, arms crossed, listening to the conversation. She stepped closer again. Thereby she stumbled over something on the ground: The staff.

She stared at it, then back at the slave. Their eyes met and he momentarily closed his eyes, as if nodding. Yes, he'd given it back. That was the moment Sakura knew he was the one she would take.

"So you are called: 'The one who fights'.", she addressed him. "I can see why... There's definitely more to you though. You are interesting, Tatakai. And you really don't talk?"

"Hn." He turned his back on her and returned to the corner, clearly dismissing Sakura. Bewildered at first, she had to smile. Challenge accepted.

She turned back to the guard, who had watched the scene with round eyes. "I'll take him."

"You can't be serious… He'll attack you as soon as you turn your back on him."

"Will he now?" She dropped the staff back to the guard who caught it gawky.

„Everyone who has taken him has brought him back not soon after. They profess they got threatened by ghosts and started hearing voices in his presence. They feared to be paralyzed. It even supposedly happened quite a few times that someone froze up or momentarily lost control over his body. Strange things happen around that boy, Miss. I don't wish that to you."

"Your concern is flattering, but I am a big girl. I'll be able to handle him. Please get everything ready for the transaction. Oh," She made a pause and added emphatically "and I wish no punishing nor damage to him."

00000

After the girl and the guard had left, the pale young man got back on his feet. He leaned back against the bars waiting, knowing the guard would return with backup soon. He wasn't sure whether he should be 'happy' to momentarily get out of this shit hole or simply be annoyed at the perspective of being owned by a bubble-gum-pink haired kid playing adult. She had noticed him, yeah right, she'd also try to play the boss. It wouldn't work though and he'd probably be back here soon enough. It was always like that. In the meanwhile, the change of scenery would keep his sanity rooted a little while longer, giving him a break to recuperate his mind from these endless circles. He knew the comfort of becoming detached from everything down here was dangerous, but it was a familiar foe. One that slowly snuck up on you, nibbling on your roots until you were afloat, drifting away. Temporary escapes did help to pull oneself together. He wondered how long he'd last outside this time. He wouldn't dare to manipulate her more than he usually did. He couldn't afford to get discovered.

There, he could already hear their steps, but didn't bother to look up as they approached, just waited near the door. He knew the procedure. Handcuffs were dropped into the cell and he put them on himself. He did so without much fuss. Cuffs were much preferable to the tranquilizers they'd used on him before, more comfortable, too. He heard a click and the door was pushed aside. When the guard's arm reached inside, he blocked the incoming hand with his forearms, knocking it away. The bulky man gave him an angry glare and he held the gaze. A flash of red.

'I'll get out myself!'

The guard stepped back so that the slave could lift himself out of the cage. He let himself be led to the showers. Reaching the door to the room, he grabbed the bar of soap he was presented and got inside. The cold water hit him with full force. He only froze though, when he felt a warm hand in his neck.

"Ah you really thought you'd get away from us, didn't you? Well, I got some news for you: You were wrong!"

00000

In the meantime, Sakura had been brought upstairs to a private section of the slave house. The room was in sharp contrast to the dirty hall where the slaves were held, filled with heavy wall carpets and pillows, clearly made for customers to feel comfortable in. She was offered to ensconce herself in an antique looking armchair where she received final details of the purchase agreement along with further warning about her purchase. Though they repeatedly mentioned that some of his past owners believed he might be protected by a red eyed demon, or angel, or whatever else. But Sakura had already made her decision and she wasn't going to reconsider. During the talk she had also gleaned that, while his exact age was unclear, they guessed him to be approximately 16 or 17.

"Well, we're glad he will be off our hands. He only left a crushed margin, was more work than worth, despite his good looks."

"What's the matter with him?" She wasn't interested in commercial lamentation. The man took the money she held out for him and carefully set it aside.

"He fought back whenever he could. Making everything difficult, for us and for him, if you know what I mean. He took punishments as if they were nothing. He scared my guards, too. But oh well, this doesn't concern us any longer. So, have fun with him."

They got interrupted by a noise of stumbling and labored breathing. The slave was brought in, held by two guards. His head was lowered and he seemed to be wet. She could tell it from his clothes: They were the same as before, only that they were now soaked and looked somewhat cleaner. His hair had been washed, but still was as messy before. Shivers ran through his body and when he lifted his head she could see his lips being all blue-ish and his skin red. His eyes were glazed over, like he wasn't fully here. She was shocked about the miserable state he was in; He looked as if he wasn't far from collapsing and a slight push against his back from one of the guards was enough to bring him ungently to his knees, accompanied by a suppressed moan. The way they treated him was truly disgusting. It put her on guard more than ever.

"So, all that is left to do is the application, the tracking seal and the slave seals adaptation. Are you ready, Haruno-san?" Though she couldn't quite take off her eyes from the slave on the ground next to her, she nodded at the merchant to proceed.

"As I said before, your seals will only be visible when you activate them. The slave seal will stay visible always on his skin, should you need to show claim, activation of yours will make his glow. But what is probably of more interest for you, young Miss, that seal will prevent him from any attack with the intention of harming you. Oh, and the tracking seal will only show when you activate it." A guard grabbed the slave's wide shirt and pulled it down so it hung loosely around his elbows. Sakura spotted a swirl on his upper arm: That must be the slave seal. The seller hadn't said that the slave would not be able to harm her, but only not be able to do so on purpose. She froze a little by the thought of letting a complete stranger into her house and the seal being the only barrier between her and a potential attack, but as the guard made a move in front of her, she banished that fear. The tall man grabbed the slave to hold him still; The latter winced, but didn't react otherwise. A paint brush danced between his bare shoulder blades and after the sealer was done with the slave, he turned to her.

Her counter seals would be applied a different way: They had them written on paper slits that just needed to be pressed on her neck and brushed over with water so the ink would stick to her skin. After that she was handed a Senbon to prick her thumb. As instructed, she applied a bit of blood to the swirl on his arm, then a bit onto his tracking seal on his back. Having done so, she took his hand to prick him as well. She let his blood drip onto the Senbon, applied it to the counter seals on her neck and felt the seals soak them in. Then she took her pricked thumb again and dragged it over her own seals to complete the sealing. All signets started glowing for a moment. She could feel an odd warmth radiating from them, before they slowly started to fade, disappearing into the skin. In the end the only one left visible was the swirl on his arm.

"The sealing is complete, payment is made. If you want you can try and activate the seals to see if they are working."

She nodded and raised her fingers to the seals on her neck. While keeping an eye on the slave, she pushed a little bit of Chakra into the ink. He stiffened as his seals responded with a weird glow. Satisfied, she stopped the Chakra flow and got up. She wanted to get out of this place as quickly as possible. Though when she grabbed his arm he stumbled, clearly off balance.

"Just what did you do to him in the meanwhile?" She asked steadying him at her side. Her voice was angry, the sound accusing.

The seller harrumphed at first but ended up in a soothing gesture. "Hm, by the looks of it they fed him some meds to keep him calm for the sealing. It's a normal procedure, Miss. They should wear off in a few hours."

She narrowed her eyes. She was clearly displeased and not afraid to show it. "Goodbye" She said somewhat coldly and grabbed the door handle.

"Goodbye. Was nice doing business with you, young Miss." He called after her as she left.

When she pulled him along, walking down the hallway, she noted the slave's hands being bound together by solid steel shackles. His shirt and skin were still uncomfortably cool and she could feel him shaking. When they stepped outside, she saw him squint his eyes, letting his bangs fall into his line of vision even more, taking a deep breath at the same time. She shouldn't be surprised: He was probably light sensitive after his durance in that dark cell unit.

Being just the two of them now, she quietly looked at him again. His hair, now drying into a fluffy mess, had a blue shine to it in the sunlight, very unlike the dull greasy black it had appeared to be in that dark cell.

She just noticed now that he must have pulled his shirt back over his shoulders; It was tugged into the thick cord, wrapped around his hips. It looked odd: like some kind of blanket over a pair of pants. Sakura also took note of his bare feet. She had seen a naturally lean, though still somewhat sturdy built, even though he hid his starved body below those clothes. He began to hesitantly bring up his bound hands to hold his head momentarily, before turning away as coughs shook his body. He hadn't lifted his head again yet and as much as she wanted to satisfy her curiosity, the coughs and wet clothing reminded her of the need to get home.

She led him towards the stables where she had racked up the horse she had brought to get them home. He waited outside as she got the horse and looking at him leaning against the stable, she wondered once more, just how much violence they had used to get him clean and obedient.

They were riding down the road back to Konoha for about half an hour already and instead of clutching the mane, the pale boy had been clutching his stomach, moaning quietly now and then. His condition was worsening. The atmosphere was calm otherwise and she only heard the birds whistle and the wind brushing through the leaves. When his groaning turned into whines and he started to curl up, Sakura ordered to descent. This was how they found themselves at the side of the road: He was throwing up and shaking like a leaf.

"You had meds on an empty stomach, didn't you?" He nodded, heaving the last drops of stomach liquid, breathing hard and down on all fours.

When he seemed stable she held a water bottle to his mouth ordering him to rinse. He did and she led him away from the mess he'd made, helping him lay down on a spot with a thick layer of moss. He weakly pushed her hand away before curling up once more. He obviously was exhausted and she had a hunch it wasn't just the meds. Just what had they done to him?

When she moved her hand to his forehead, he wanted to turn away, but she was in a better position and constitution than him and he soon gave up the resistance, just closing his eyes momentarily. His skin felt febrile, but with the still damp clothing he wore, it didn't surprise her. She pushed the sweat-soaked bangs out of his face to get him some refreshment, but also to have a better view of him.

Swung eyebrows, straight nose, a gentle but masculine chin - he was truly handsome, more so than she had thought. The aristocratic look went very well with this marble skin. The sunken cheeks however looked unnatural. Well, she better check out his general condition. When she opened his shirt to have direct access to the chest, he opened his eyes and feebly tried to push her away again, but she didn't relent and soon revealed a set of dark bruises at the front of his torso.

He winced at her touch and soon enough another groan of pain left his mouth. She probed further, starting to check each rib below the heavy colours. His breathing became even more shallow. He had at least two cracked ribs, luckily none were broken completely, some others were only bruised, but she knew it must still be painful enough. That he had managed to keep quiet about the pain for so long was quite surprising. His pain tolerance was comparable to one of a ninja.

She moved to heal at least some of the damage and easing his pain a bit. She felt him tensing at first, but after a while his breaths became deeper as the pain resided and he slowly relaxed. Probably out of exhaustion rather than comfort.

However, when she wanted to scan his throat he started to heavily resist again: Clawing at her hands, clearly unwilling, his eyes wide open. He let go finally only to try to push her away, grunting. She finally stilled because she could see all the hatred, now coming through the haze, the med's still kept him in. Good, he was coming back.

"I just want to check your throat!"

He simply turned away, even tried to get up.

"Don't ignore me!" But he indeed did just that and scrambled away a few steps until he finally turned around, still with that hateful glare.

"I won't choke you, I just want to check on your throat." She repeated, waiting until he calmed down a bit. Much to his surprise, she took out a Kunai and threw it so it got stuck in the ground in front of him. He looked startled.

"You may hold it against my throat while I do it, if that helps." She looked first at the weapon, then at him. "To make sure you're safe with me." When he took the Kunai reluctantly, she resumed her approach and raised her hands to his throat once more. The blade was quickly raised to her throat so she'd better do her probing at a decent pace.

Everything seemed to be okay. She couldn't make out any injuries from throwing up, no injuries of choking either. The trachea was fine, so she moved on to his voice box. And there, too: no anomaly. There was indeed no reason he shouldn't be able to speak. She let her hands sink and he in response lowered the Kunai, holding it out for her.

She took it and stored it back into her bag. "Please rest some now. We still have a few hours of travel before us."

00000

About ten additional minutes later she decided to move on and helped him back onto the horse.

Sakura wondered why she had taken someone she knew to be silent. The ride with him was almost awkward. Her medical education told her that he wouldn't have been up for conversation right now either way, but the thought still bothered her. Then again, she knew exactly why she had taken him. There was more to him than pure fight instincts and general unfriendliness. The fact that he had returned the staff and Kunai without any fuss was proof of that.

He clearly preferred to do things on his own. Those guards probably had just abused their power without looking underneath, as would have most owners. He sat right in front of her slumped on the horse, while she made sure he didn't lose balance. As long as he sat like that, she could see what was in front of them.

Again she wondered why he didn't speak, she wondered if he couldn't or if he chose not to. His eyes had clearly conveyed his intelligence, dark and captivating as they were. She'd already thought about possible reasons that could have impaired his faculty of speech. Yeah, so much for changing up routines and activities, didn't work out, Tsunade, did it? She thought smirking. Her thoughts wandered further, thinking as a few years ago she had been a total fangirl for good looking boys. She'd totally fallen for his looks back then. Yeah she had changed… a lot. Her career had shifted her focus on more serious matters. It had increased her natural awareness and during medical schooling she had been confronted with presented more than enough nude bodies, women and men. She had learned that the physical beauty of youth did not last… The thought still caused her to shudder.

Maybe, if this individual in front of her had used Chakra before and grasped the basics, she could even teach him some medical Jutsu, or simply have him help with all the reports… hmm. She was getting ahead of herself. She had wanted a challenge, sure. The attitude he'd shown so far would probably already cover that more than enough for a while. And anyway, she wasn't planning on keeping him around for forever. Or was she? Just what had Tsunade been concocting?

After another five hours of traveling and silent musing, the gates of Konoha came into view. Though the drugs had worn off about two hours ago, he hadn't gotten much livelier. She had wondered more than once what had happened between the selection and the final handover but there hadn't been any suitable moment to ask her new companion. So, when they passed the village gates, her question was still unanswered.

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When they arrived at her apartment complex and got off the horse, she let her eyes wander over him. He was leaning against the side of a wall, not casually like he had in the cell, but very much for support. He didn't look up. At least his clothing was dry at last. She discarded the idea about just telling him where he needed to go while she would bring back the horse because he really didn't look like he'd be able to follow any instructions at all right now.

Sighing, she got out her keys. "Come, follow me."

Arriving on her doorstep, she opened it. Just now remembering that they both hadn't eaten the whole journey back (only drunken some water), she spoke up: "Get in, get something to eat, there's food in the fridge… the kitchen is over there... and then wait for me. I'll cover the horse."

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When Sakura got back home she found him slumped against the wall in the corridor. She passed him very carefully, heading to the kitchen. Everything looked untouched in here, so he quite possibly hadn't made it that far, damn. Back in the hallway, she looked down at him: He'd probably passed out on the spot. He really had looked dead tired. There were things she had left out on the quick medical exam during the travel, so she might as well use his unconscious state now, to do it without any resistance. Just as she was to touch him however, his hand shot out to intercept her.

"I was just… Have you eaten anything?" She sputtered a quick excuse. Feeling the steel grip, her hand was caught with, it dawned to her that he might be more dangerous than she had assumed. Reactions this swift and precise, whether awake or asleep, were indeed Shinobi qualities.

He groaned, blinked against the bright light and then stared at the wrist he was holding, just now realizing what he was doing. The death grip loosened reluctantly, as if it was taking him conscious effort to let go.

Finally he let his hand sink, curling back into himself on the floor. She wondered if he had just dismissed her as no threat. Was he even awake? How exhausted had he really been? But the most concerning question was: What was he like when he wasn't… like that?

The Shinobi in her couldn't help but assess him as potential threat. Obviously he was no danger right now. She hadn't thought about that at all, when she had gone out to purchase a slave. She had never thought of the mere possibility of finding someone with ninja qualities, let alone to pick such a person exactly. Though in the end, it didn't surprise her that she instinctively picked out someone with special abilities.

Just then something else dawned on her, really came crashing down on her: She had just let a complete unknown into her home, her supposed safe place. He was a stranger, a mystery, that she knew literary nothing about. A shiver ran down her spine. His reaction just now proved that he was definitely more than a simple 'civilian slave'. While he might have been sleeping, his body was still aware and ready to fight.

Unsettled by her own thoughts, she felt the urge to have some distance. His injuries weren't life threatening, so the full medical exam could wait until later. Carefully she got up, walked back to the kitchen and finally got herself something to eat. The routine was carried out automatically, while her thoughts were running haywire again. She really needed to get to bed and get some sleep, this was getting her nowhere. Finally in the bathroom, she quickly locked the door before looking around: Nothing seemed to have been touched in here either, nothing was out of place. Good.

But… He'd need this room too, she realized. There would be someone else living in this place from now on, moving around. Very likely even while she was asleep, she added in her thoughts, just when she entered her bedroom. That would take some time getting used to. Ugh, what had she gotten herself into? The door was locked and would alert her, should he try to get in, she assured herself, just before she slipped into her bed. Seconds later she drifted off. It was an unsteady sleep, as exhaustion finally caught up with her.

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The flat was silent when she came around. The sun was up already when she looked at the clock: Time to get up. Unwillingly, Sakura rolled out of bed and picked out some clothes. Before turning the key in the lock, she harkened if there was any sound behind the door. Was he still where she'd left him, on the floor? There was no noise, so she peered outside.

Indeed… He was propped up against the wall, sitting on the same spot where he'd fallen asleep, but awake and staring at her: His gaze as unnerving and angry as the day before in that cell. She decided to ignore this ungracious behaviour for now and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

When she was done and got out of the bathroom, he was gone. She instinctively pushed herself against the wall, suppressing a silent curse as she wore no Kunai on her. Not in her own four walls. Something she would need to overthink... She quickly turned her head to check if the coast was clear, ears strained: Were those dishes rattling from the kitchen!?

She entered and was pleasantly surprised: He was standing at the stove, cooking. Never would she have guessed him to cook breakfast on his own accord, even him being a slave… Not with his reputation! She looked at her kitchen table and frowned: Just one deck of dishes. She eyed him and noticed the awkward way he handled the pan. Right, his hands were still bound by the manacles.

Her decision came as naturally as in the slave house. If he already was acting like a slave, she could at least make it easier for him. "Here, let me take these off."

He looked down at her as she produced the key and jammed it into the shackles restricting his movement. After two clicking sounds his hands were free of the weight. He let them follow gravity and fall to his side, staring at her, eyes widening a fraction. She glanced at his dark orbs for a moment. His glare seemed to have lessened. That must have been a 'Thank you', though she wasn't quite sure. Without another word, she left the room to put away the shackles. They weren't needed any longer and that way he could reign over the kitchen more easily.

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Strange woman, Sasuke thought. He wondered about the day before, some things were rather fuzzy in his memory. Annoying drugs. At least he knew from similar situations in the past, that he wasn't one to dislodge his secrets while under them. He remembered vaguely having to throw up, she had seemed quite calm, even trying to help him. No annoying questions yet either, though he guessed, they would come. He knew he was carrying being unsociable a bit far with refusing to talk, but he couldn't let his voice be his downfall. If anyone ever found out about his origins, he'd be in deep shit, and he simply wasn't sure how similar his thoughts sounded compared to his actual voice. Itachi had begged him to be careful and Itachi didn't beg…. It had scared Sasuke. These memories, as they had dragged Itachi away, his brother trying to keep eye contact as long as possible. The silence in his head afterward, it had been louder than ever before, and he hated Itachi for it.

Sasuke tried to get rid of the thoughts, shaking his head. The light feel of his wrists almost felt wrong and his whole body hurt from traveling the day before. He hated to admit it but his stamina had taken quite the blow being stuck in that small cell so long. He'd tried, but a square meter allowed only so much movement. And his behavior and pride had led to starving himself. Well, not really, most guards just hadn't liked him much. Anyway… Yesterday he'd hardly had the energy to eat much, he'd been so tired. He'd barely managed to eat a tomato before his body had decided to shut down.

He wondered why this girl, she seemed his age, had gone out to buy a slave. Her apartment wasn't much to take care of. Concluding she probably didn't have all too much money to spare either. If he was honest, it didn't look like she spent a lot of time here either.

The rice was done, so he turned off the stove and went to search for his new owner. He went to the door of her room, which was slightly ajar. He peered through the slit and saw her laying on her bed, reading a book. Her ridiculously coloured hair stood in sharp contrast to the else spartan furnishing. It truly confused him: The colour itself seemed so spoiled-civilian like, but the girl didn't really act that way at all. In fact, he thought he'd seen a few weapons besides Kunai concealed in her clothing, which would mean, she was probably a ninja, just like him. These contradictions just didn't make sense to him. But instead of losing his head on it, he decided to take action and knocked. Without checking if she had heard him, he returned to the kitchen. It didn't take her long to appear. She sat down in front of the bowl filled with rice, but didn't make any move to eat. Instead, she spoke up:

"If you think you can skip out of another meal you are mistaken. Grab a bowl and sit down!" He growled. The insinuation her statement brought let his temper flare up. His time as a slave had taught him to keep it in check mostly. It really helped that he usually didn't give people any clue to trigger him. He was used to jabs at his silence and as it was of his choosing, he had no trouble ignoring that, but this was different. He half expected a comment about having a voice after having used it, even if just for a growl, but she didn't take the opportunity. He glared at her for a few seconds, but then straightened to dump some rice into another bowl. He'd always tried to cook enough when being with civil owners, so he wouldn't have to worry about not having any leftovers. He however hadn't anticipated her to expect him to join her at the table, so he was careful to leave another serving in the pan, as to not displease her, in case she wanted more. He sat down on the opposite side, taking a bite while his stomach grumbled.

They sat both silently eating for some minutes, before she spoke up again: "So, welcome to my place, I should probably say… And thanks for cooking. That was thoughtful of you..." She looked at him for a moment, expression undefined.

"I thought about a few things you should know, so we are both on the same page. When I don't require your assistance, you're free to do as you please. There are a few rules though. I want to know where you are for one, so leave me a note if you go out. Second, I don't want any books of the series 'Icha Icha Paradise' in this house. Then, my friends are to be treated reasonably. I don't expect you to talk, since you obviously won't, but treat them with respect, please. And lastly: If you want to be treated well, treat me with respect, too. However, should you ever choose to talk, my name is Sakura. Refer to me as such!"

"Hn." Of course the pink-haired woman would be named after her hair colour, how original... That name hit the nail right on the head, literally.
Clueless about his musings, she took another bite and saw him mirror the action, his dark eyes still stuck on her.

"You'll be in charge of the fridge and cooking." she continued. "To not blow our budget, I'll provide you with some money so you can do the groceries. No Ramen please though, we'll go to Ichiraku's with Naruto for that. I'll also give you an allowance for you to spend for yourself." He paused eating. "I expect you to buy things you need, like clothing, shoes, a toothbrush and sleepwear. Do as you please with the leftovers."

She'd taken him by surprise with mentioning an allowance. None of his former owners had ever given him a choice in selecting his necessities. What exactly was that one planning for him?

"That brings me to another subject. I saw, you do have ninja-like reflexes… Have you been a ninja in past?" Sasuke's lips twitched, as he still stared at her unblinking. He hadn't BEEN a ninja, he still WAS one! He wouldn't tell her a thing though, a slave owner. Who knew what she would do with any information about his past? She seemed suspicious already, he didn't like it at all.

"Well, should you wish to train, you are welcome to join my team for it, when we aren't on a mission. I'll even teach you something, if you'd like."

Sakura was curious for his reaction. She wanted to get an idea of his skills. This would be an ideal way to observe and maybe even loosen him up a bit. Not that she expected him to show her everything he got. It might challenge him to do so though. After all, her team wasn't nothing.

His eyes widened, a clear sign of surprise, but his gaze had gotten guarded just a moment later.

"I guess that's all that comes to my mind right now. When you're finished I'll show you around a bit."

They continued eating in silence. Sasuke was wary, she didn't seem to have dislodged her true purpose for him to be here yet. This couldn't be all of it. At least he had it confirmed that she was a Kunoichi.

00000

When he had started to wash the dishes, she'd wordlessly gotten around to help and dry them, putting them away as she went. Soon after, he was equipped with a bag and an envelope holding the promised allowance. She scanned him over, eyes locking with his neck, or more exactly the collar around it.

"Let's take it off, alright?"

What, was she serious? No owner ever had ever considered taking it off. She really didn't act like a typical slave owner. It was irritating him to no end.

"Would you please come down a bit so I can reach it!?" Reluctantly he went down on his knee, bowing his head. Carefully she stroke his hair away to get to the lock. Unlocked, the braided cable and leather collar fell down, revealing bruised skin beneath. At some places the skin was scraped and dirt had been collected in the time of wearing it, even though he might have tried to wash it off…

"Oh, let's fix that." He froze when her hands touched his neck and waited until she was done. Instead of meeting his eyes, she grabbed a rag, which she handed him. While he was swiping his neck, she presented him a key on a chain.

"A key to this apartment. Don't lose it!" As she turned around and went out, he followed quietly.

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They walked next to each other. He'd walked behind her first, but she'd have none of it.

"Alright, over there is a general store." She pointed at a building. "You should go there for things like a toothbrush and such. Then over there" She pointed at another one. "You can find a library." She continued walking while he quickly memorized the layout.

"Here's the shop with Ninja gear. Should you want Ninja clothing, this is the place. Otherwise, down that street you can find a regular clothing shop." He took a look around. After a few more minutes they were standing in front of a weird tower-like building. He peered behind it and noticed faces carved into the rock. He froze when he understood: He was in Konoha! Shit!... The Uchihas might had been gone for a while now, but you never knew. After all, many had worked for the Hokage. Hopefully no one here would think of him looking like an Uchiha.

"… Hello!? Anyone home?… Ah… So as I said. This building holds the Hokage's office, it should help you with orientation here in this village. Oh and the Hokage monument should, too… Alright, let me just show you my team's usual training grounds, then I'll let you off."

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While they were passing a bridge, she explained that this was the usual meeting point of her team. By the end they had also visited about three training grounds. "If you don't get in anyone's way, no one should bother you. It might raise some questions though, as you don't wear a headband, but oh well. I'll think of something."

On their way back she pointed out a few more places, like the Ninja Academy and the street her teammate Naruto lived in. "Alright, the stores are that way. I'll go visit some friends now. You fine on your own?" Sasuke bowed his head a bit, then headed for the stores. He couldn't help but feel a bit of excitement. Allowance:The meaning of this word said that he could get his OWN things, ON his own. And she even gave him a choice at what he would get.

First he entered the general store, quickly got a toothbrush and shower gel. Then he counted his money and how much he'd left and entered the Ninja Gear store. He got himself three shirts and pants, a belt, a jacket and a pair of Ninja sandals. Of course he also bought a few socks and underwear. As he knew the remaining money wouldn't be sufficient for weapons, he skipped that section. Recounting how much he had left, he figured it ought to be enough to at least buy a pair of arm wraps.

He paid wordlessly and returned to the apartment. Sakura wasn't there yet. Deciding now was a good time to make use out of his momentary privacy and took a quiet, cleansing shower. The best thing for a long time and definitely overdue.

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When Sakura returned around noon, she was greeted by the nice smell of food. It made her smile, as it reminded her of when she still lived with her parents. She entered the kitchen just to find Tatakai in new clothes. He was still in full cooking mode and apparently had decided to get his clothing at the Ninja store, just how she'd recommended. Now he wore a dark blue shirt with a high but wide collar and dark pants. She recognized standard ninja boots, too and in a way, she felt satisfied, almost proud. She sat down on the table, watching him..

"Had a nice time out?"

"Hn." Well, at least he was acknowledging her and using his voice for it. When he was done, he brought the pan over. They both sat down, eating quietly for a while. The food wasn't outstanding but alright. He kept observing her, watching her every move. No wonder he was freaking out civilians.

"Like what you see?" She wanted to see his reaction, provoke him,but he simply huffed, looking down at his food. No soon after, went back to stare at her.

"So, you've gotten all you need for now? I'm curious: Have you bought anything for your entertainment or just the necessities I mentioned!?" Tatakai smirked, but didn't make any move to answer her question.

"Anyway, I'll show you where you can put your stuff."

She lead him to the guest room. "You can sleep on the bed, I have to warn you though: Naruto sometimes has the habit of crashing in here, so don't be surprised. It'll probably be whomever is in bed first then. He's not a calm enough sleeper to comfortably share... Here is a closet to put in your stuff." Sasuke seemed to have missed hearing the mention of Naruto and started stuffing his purchases into the closet. Sakura watched him attentively while he was doing it. It seemed to be just clothing, nothing personal. A little disappointed, she added:

"I guess, I should probably tell you a bit more about living here." He paused and looked at her.

"My room is off limits if I'm not around. Only come in if you are sure that I'm awake and decent. Otherwise you may go anywhere in this apartment at any time. This includes the use of the fridge. I'd rather have you eat. Otherwise: you make a mess… you clean it up. Yeah, … Anyway, I'll be training on training ground number four now, you're always welcome to join us." The wardrobe door slammed closed and he eyed her impassively. Shrugging her shoulders, she left the room.

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When she came back in the evening, he was gone. The dishes were done and there was a paper slip on the table.

Hokage Monument, back at sunset

(A/N:) Hi again

Since I started with the journey of writing this story (rather clueless as to where I wanted to go with it or what it would turn into) I started rewriting and improving the chapters as well as the story as a whole, correcting little inconsistencies along the way. I hope to improve the reading experience through that and make this read more enjoyable.

I also adjusted the summary to fit the story as it is... I know the initial summary suggested that he main focus of this story is the relationship between Sakura and Sasuke. Just saying, it isn't! It will get more layered as we move on, just as I tried to convey in the new summary.

It also isn't a "Sakura's ultimate goal is freeing Sasuke" story either. I hope the added parts of this chapter helped to clear that up already, but just in case... I am mentioning it here. This doesn't mean that Sasuke's fate in this story will be the forever-slave... It just means that the main focus isn't in undoing his slavery but that I will put focus on many aspects that the situation brings.

Please forgive me for this long A/N. If you read until here, I'm thanking you though

Comments, guesses and generally feedback of any kind is highly appreciated, even if it is an older chapter.