Disclaimer: I hold no claim to the characters and situations of Naruto.
Last Name
A dull, throbbing pain was all that consumed her waking thoughts as she reluctantly roused herself from the lethargic depths of slumber. The kunoichi slowly lifted her arm and ran her hand through her short locks. The tousled pink strands settled into disarray even as the woman rolled over and dragged herself into a sitting position, the onerous task causing her head to throb excruciatingly in protest. Cloudy green eyes stared uncomprehendingly at the unfamiliar surroundings as the blanket pooled around her waist. The fact that she was naked in a room that most certainly wasn't hers barely registered in her groggy mind as she glanced around the alien settings.
Finally her gaze settled on the futon where her illuminated left hand rested in the comforting darkness of the inn's room. The single ray of pale light had slipped through an opening in the window shudders and was reflecting off of the gold band on her ring finger. Slight wrinkles formed as she scrunched her forehead in confusion and focused her verdant eyes on the innocuous band even as her thoughts turned inward.
'How did that get there?'
xXxThe Evening BeforexXx
"We're never going to get Sasuke back at this rate," the normally exuberant blond complained as he trudged along in the semi-darkness with the rest of his group into the brightly-lit city. "Why is it so hard to find that damned Uchiha?!"
"Which one?" Kiba remarked dryly as he slumped down further as he glanced at the frustrated blond from his position on Akamaru's back.
"Gah, both of them!" Naruto groused. "It doesn't help that Baa-chan is having us return to Konoha. How are we supposed to find them if we aren't looking?"
"I'm sure Tsunade-sama has a good reason for recalling us," Kakashi said placatingly as the group approached a likely looking inn. "Don't worry, we'll be back out looking for them soon."
"Not soon enough," Naruto grumbled. "I still don't see why she sent for us when she knows how important our mission is."
"This inn looks promising," Yamato interrupted as they stopped before the lodgings next door to a dimly lit building from which raucous laughter and loud voices emanated into the still night air.
"Promising?" Sakura and Kiba echoed skeptically.
"How can a person sleep through that din?" Hinata wondered.
"We have a limited budget," Shino said quietly.
"It's either this or camping out in the woods again. I don't know about you, but I'd rather relax with some sake and sleep in a nice, warm bed for a change," Kakashi sighed. "Don't you agree?"
"Depends," Kiba said slyly. "Do we get to share some of that sake?"
"But we're underage!" Hinata gasped.
"That may be," Sai responded seriously, "but as shinobi we have been doing an adult's work for years now."
"For once I agree with him," Naruto muttered. "This mission has been frustrating as hell, and now we have to put it on hold. I think we deserve a drink."
"I agree with Naruto," Shino added in his unobtrusive voice, "and it's not like it would be the first time we have done so."
"Oh very well," Kakashi exhaled. "Since you've already made up your minds, far be it for me to deter you. Just remember that you are responsible for your own actions, so try not to overdo it, okay?"
"Don't worry Kakashi-sensei," Naruto grinned tiredly. "I don't think any of us are in any shape to be like Baa-chan and pass out at the bar."
"Somehow that's not very comforting," Kakashi murmured as he followed Yamato into the inn. The man at the counter grinned broadly at the group of eight shinobi and one dog who entered the small reception area.
"Ahh, welcome esteemed customers," the man proclaimed in overly honeyed tones. "What can this humble one do for you on this loveliest of evenings?"
"We need four rooms for the night," Kakashi said boredly as his single eye focused on the host's sagging jowls that were quivering with anticipation at the large sum of ryou he would doubtlessly be receiving soon.
"Of course, of course," the man assured them in suave tones. "Just sign your names in the book while I get you your keys."
"Right," Kakashi grasped the pen and scribbled down their names in the log book as the avaricious clerk delivered the quartet of room keys with a flourish. The shinobi split into pairs and proceeded to their designated quarters. Kakashi and Yamato claimed one key, while Shino and Sai took another. The women obtained the third, leaving Kiba and Naruto the remaining room assignment.
Sakura and Hinata entered the small room furnished with two beds and closed the door behind them. The petite kunoichi lazily pulled the red silk cloth of her hitai-ate from the pale locks with a quiet swish before fluffing the rose colored strands with her hands and rapidly replacing the band. She removed her medical supplies and kunai pouch, placing them carefully on the neatly folded coverlet. With a quiet yawn she strolled towards the entrance and paused.
"Are you coming, Hinata?" Sakura inquired of the pale-eyed Hyuuga heiress.
"I don't think I will. Please be careful," the muted warning came from the other side of the room.
"I won't. I know my limits, and I'm going to be monitoring the others to make sure they don't do anything foolish," Sakura smiled reassuringly as she entered the hallway and fell into step beside Naruto and Kiba.
"Don't worry Hinata," Kiba called out to the girl before the door closed. "We'll be fine."
"Stupid teme," Naruto groaned. "This is all his fault. If he hadn't left then we wouldn't be running around on a wild goose chase."
"Look on the bright side," Kiba grinned shamelessly. "If he hadn't left we wouldn't be given such an excellent opportunity to go and get drunk. I think we should thank him when we drag his ass back to Konoha."
"Such optimism," Sakura stated dryly as the three friends walked into the seedy establishment next door. "I'm sure Sasuke-kun will have been glad to assist you in such a noble pursuit."
"Alright," Naruto said in a more positive tone than his earlier disposition allowed as they found a table in the back and ordered a few bottles of sake. "Tonight's goal is to temporarily forget everything having to with both of the Uchiha brothers."
"And to finally see the mystery that lies under Kakashi-sensei's mask," Sakura proclaimed with a side glance at the unsuspecting masked shinobi several tables down.
"Now those are truly noble pursuits," Kiba concurred as the companions raised their glasses and began their foray into the uplifting oblivion of a drunken stupor.
An indeterminate amount of time passed as the three Konoha ninja reminisced and shared amusing anecdotes of their mutual friends and past missions, all the while growing steadily more inebriated. The already less than brightly lit room dimmed further as one of the overhead lights flickered and burned out. Somewhere someone put some music on and the steady beat pulsed throughout the crowded room. Kiba began tapping his foot and humming along with the song as Naruto rested his head on the brunette's shoulder with a complacent grin.
The compelling beat thrummed through the body of the kunoichi as she lazed beside her equally drunken friends. The pulsing rhythm pervaded the sake induced stupor and in the confusing haze she could feel herself rise from the table and sashay onto the dance floor. The hauntingly beguiling quality of the music held her body in thrall as she swayed along with the resounding pulsations in the stifling, sweltering atmosphere. A pair of masculine arms snaked around her waist and instead of denying the unknown entity, she only moved her body in tandem with his. The two pressed together and took up a seductive rhythm in the midst of the faceless crowd. Unfocused green eyes glanced back over her shoulders and caught a glimpse of a strikingly attractive face and dark hair as the mysterious hands gently tugged her through the crowd and towards the entrance. She allowed him to lead her where he would as smouldering ebony eyes caught her own and beguiled her senses.
xXx
Inconsistent flashes of her memories from when she left the bar with the handsome stranger surfaced as she wracked her aching brain for more information. Little was forthcoming. Vague and abstract impressions of a small, dilapidated shrine nestled amidst the plethora of buildings surfaced briefly before fading once more. She growled lowly with frustration at her inability to remember what had happened; however she no longer had any more time to ponder her predicament.
Almost inaudible footsteps gradually approached the diminutive room. The distinctly male tread was obviously that of a high-caliber shinobi who was skilled at avoiding detection. Luckily she was trained to notice even the most insignificant and minor details. The hung-over kunoichi rolled off of the futon and onto the cold, hard floor as she scrabbled about in the darkness for her scattered clothing and threw the various garments on haphazardly. The subtle rasp of a key in the lock had her heart pounding as she drew aside the slatted blinds and leapt out the window with the intrinsic feline grace ingrained into all shinobi.
Leaping lightly across the rooftops in the pre-dawn chill she quickly ascertained the location she was supposed to be staying the night in as the washed out gray light filled the atmosphere, anticipating the arrival of the sun. Panting quietly, she alit on the overhanging roof beneath the window of her shared room. Opening the window more softly than was humanly possible, she slipped into the dimly lit room and fell gratefully onto her bed as sweet oblivion took her once more.
xXx
"Sakura-san, wake up," a quiet voice said insistently as a hand lightly shook the sleeping woman's shoulder.
"Not now kaa-san," the Godaime's apprentice mumbled incoherently as she swatted at the offending appendage. "I don't want to get married right now."
The reserved heiress sported a confused expression as she looked down on her semi-conscious roommate. A devious expression crossed the normally demure face as pearly eyes glinted mischievously and she adopted a stern façade. "Sakura-san, Sasuke is back!"
"What!" the wild-eyed medic squeaked as she fell less-than-elegantly off of the bed. "Where?!"
Quiet giggling was all she heard as she slumped back onto the unforgiving wood floor for the second time that morning and glared half-heartedly at the woman whose shoulders were shaking with nearly silent mirth. Sakura sighed dejectedly as her arm flopped over her face. "I take it we're leaving soon."
"Yes," Hinata responded. "Although you might want to fix your clothes before you leave the room."
"Yeah, I guess so," Sakura agreed blandly as she began rearranging her hastily donned attire. She ran a brush through her candy colored locks before strapping on her weapons pouch and her kunai. She reached for her hitai-ate and grasped only air. Jade green eyes searched frantically for the engraved piece of metal mounted on raspberry silk.
"What's wrong?"
"I can't find my headband."
"Maybe it got misplaced sometime last night," the byakugan wielder suggested with a delicate shrug of her shoulders.
Sakura froze as a fleeting recollection of pale artist's hands loosing the tie from her hair and discarding it before continuing down her heated body. Panicking inwardly, the kunoichi shrugged nonchalantly. "That must be it. I'll just have to replace it when we get back home."
The two females gathered the remainder of their sparse belongings as they stepped out of the room and into the cramped hallway. The mismatched pair strolled down into the reception area where the rest of the motley fellowship was already waiting. A satisfied smirk crept onto Sakura's lips as she noticed that a few of her companions looked even worse for the wear than she herself did. Even the normally collected Kakashi seemed a bit more wan than usual.
The group stepped out into the crisp, bright light of early morning as they set off for Konoha once more. They were within a few hours hard travel from their village and eager to find out why they had been called back so that they could return to their priority mission. The remainder of the journey passed swiftly as adrenaline burned through the shinobi and refreshed their bodies and minds once more.
Kakashi sighed softly at the prospect of uninhibited rest where he didn't have to remain constantly on guard. A shiver of anticipation passed through his body as he looked forward to once more re-reading the small green book his student had gifted to him on his return a while back. The abnormal silence of his other student caused a slight thrill of worry to cross his mind as he looked on her with concern. A distracted air surrounded her as emerald orbs focused inwards instead of on her surroundings. It was troubling that she didn't pay any attention to Sai and Naruto as they got into an argument concerning their missing teammate and his lack of loyalty to his friends and village. She also didn't punch Sai as was her wont when he blatantly insulted Sasuke. Very troubling indeed.
A flash of gold caught his single eye as she swept an annoying lock of unbound hair behind her ear. He wondered what had happened to her hitai-ate and why she was wearing a ring, but dismissed it when the fiery tempered kunoichi realized what her friends were arguing about. Unfortunately for Sai, a rude and derogatory remark directed at the no-longer-absentminded kunoichi resulted in the artist being set upon by the rabid woman. Yamato jumped in to pull her off of the ANBU operative and Kakashi lost his train of thought when he had to help restrain her. Kiba and Naruto were of no help as they were cheering the hot-headed woman on. Shino and Hinata watched quietly from the background with the large, white hound.
xXx
"Tsunade-shishou," Sakura said with downcast eyes.
"Yes?" the busty blonde replied.
"I have something I need to tell you," Sakura continued hesitantly as she thought of how to present her newly discovered dilemma.
"Would this something by any chance have anything to do with why you've been acting strange since you returned from your mission?"
Sakura winced slightly and began fidgeting, her toe scuffing the floor like a child caught misbehaving. "Maybe…yes."
"I'm not going to get upset," the Hokage said dryly. "It can't be that bad."
The pink-haired woman muttered something inaudible as a light blush stained her cheeks.
"What? You'll need to speak a bit louder," Tsunade uttered before sipping her sake.
"I said I'm married," Sakura reiterated in a louder voice.
Tsunade choked on her drink at her student's announcement. Several deep breaths and a coughing fit later, she tried to wrap her mind around the unexpected statement.
"You're married?" she rasped out. "How? Better yet, to whom?"
Sakura's face burned with embarrassment as she actively avoided her mentor's penetrating gaze and answered lowly, "Sake, and I'm not sure."
"You're not sure?"
"No."
"So you have absolutely no idea who he is?" Tsunade raised her eyebrow. "It is a he, right?"
"Yes, I know that much at least," Sakura responded with a horrified expression. "The only thing I remember is that he had dark hair."
"That's not much to go on," Tsunade sighed. "We need to find out who he is. You really don't remember anything else?"
"Only that he was really handsome."
"This isn't good."
"I know," the dejected kunoichi agreed. "I don't even know my own last name!"
xXx
"All right, what's up Forehead?" Ino demanded as she walked up to her unnaturally reserved friend.
"Huh?"
"You're not acting like yourself," the blonde stated as she set her hand on her hip and glared down at the pink-haired girl resting against the tree and cradling her hand. "Even Naruto has noticed that something is off about you recently. I want to know why!"
"I'll tell you only if you promise not to tell anyone," Sakura said as she glanced furtively around the secluded area for anyone who could possibly be listening in, shinobi or otherwise.
"I swear it," Ino said as she sank down onto her knees beside her long-time friend. "Now what's bugging you?"
"You'd better not let Shino hear you say that."
"He won't. Stop avoiding the question."
"We were drinking at the bar next to the inn we were staying at last night when we were returning to Konoha from our mission. Kiba, Naruto, and I ended up getting pretty drunk," Sakura narrated. "I was dancing out on the floor and some guy started dancing with me before we left."
"What was he like?" the fascinated kunoichi interrupted, ignoring her friend and rival's glare.
"That's the problem," Sakura admitted. "All I remember was that he had dark hair and was really good-looking."
"You spent the night with a hot guy. How is that a problem?" Ino said with a flippant shrug.
"This is how that is a problem," Sakura hissed as she held her left hand up and revealed the innocent looking gold ring. "I'm married to the guy, and I don't know who he is!"
"Seriously?" Ino perked up with interest. "I mean, how terrible."
"Thank you so much for your sympathy," Sakura stated flatly.
"You need to find out who he is."
"I know that. Shishou said that she was going to send someone to investigate and see if they can find any trace as to his identity."
"You must be dying to know who he is," the blonde gushed as her teal eyes gleamed with curiosity. "I know I am."
"Well, I do want to know who he is," Sakura agreed tentatively, "but all the same I'm kind of worried about it at the same time. What if he's some kind of pervert or a murderer? You know the kinds of people who usually inhabit establishments like that."
"Who cares," Ino said dismissively. "As long as he's hot."
"I'm glad I have such a caring and concerned friend."
"Of course I'm concerned about you!" Ino claimed in an affronted tone. "You shouldn't worry so much though. Everything will turn out all right."
"Thanks Ino-pig," Sakura smiled. "You really are a good friend."
"No problem," Ino returned her smile. "I'm going to see if I can go on the mission to discover your mysterious beau."
"I wish you all the luck in the world."
"So he is supposedly good looking and he has dark hair," Ino reiterated. "Is there anything else you recall that could be useful in identifying him?"
"Only that he wasn't staying in the same inn as us," Sakura grimaced. "I was hung-over and in a panic when I snuck out of his room and ran back to my own room. I can't remember where he was staying."
"Was it an inn?"
"I think so. There weren't very many furnishings, but it was dark so I could be mistaken."
"Do you have the name of the inn you stayed at and the bar?"
"I left that information with Tsunade-shishou."
"Well, it's better than no information," Ino said positively. "If Shikamaru comes along also then we stand a pretty good chance of figuring out who he is. Do you plan on telling anyone else?"
"No, I don't think I really want very many people to know about this," Sakura murmured. "Particularly not Kakashi-sensei."
"Why not?"
"He more or less warned us to be careful," Sakura admitted. "It would be kind of embarrassing to tell him after that."
"Huh, that makes sense. If that's the case, then you probably shouldn't wear your ring openly," Ino said as she unclasped a fine silver chain from around her neck. "Here, put it on this and wear it under your shirt. No one should notice it that way."
"Thanks Ino," Sakura said appreciatively as she slipped the gold band onto the necklace and tucked it beneath her crimson shirt.
"Do you think he knows who you are?" Ino wondered as she stared off into the blue sky.
"I doubt it, but he should at least recognize that I'm a Konoha shinobi," the woman sighed. "I forgot to grab my headband when I left."
"Why didn't you stay to find out who he was?"
"He wasn't in the room when I woke up, and I panicked when I heard him returning."
"I can imagine it would have been pretty awkward for the two of you."
"Most likely," Sakura agreed. "I wonder what he thinks of everything that happened."
"Good question," Ino paused and the two friends slipped into a comfortable silence in the balmy afternoon weather. "You know what?"
"Hmm?"
"Even if we don't find him, I bet he'll find you. You're the only pink-haired kunoichi in Konoha after all."
"I guess you're right," Sakura said morosely.
"Well, I'd better go and ask Tsunade-sama before she decides who she's going to send on the mission."
"Good luck!"
xXx
"Come on Sakura-chan," Naruto whined. "Tell us what's wrong!"
"The only thing wrong is that you won't stop harassing me!" the harried looking kunoichi snapped as her temper finally got the best of her.
The blond teen continued pestering her, oblivious to his impending doom. Sai looked on curiously as a dark, foreboding look appeared in the young woman's smouldering emerald eyes. Kakashi warily glanced at his students as he opened his book and sidled away down a back alley rather than facing the outcome of the short-tempered girl's building rage.
"Naruto!"
"Ouch! What was that for?!" he demanded even as he cringed away from Sakura's raised fist with his blue eyes wide open.
"There is nothing wrong with me!" Sakura shrieked. "So stop asking!"
"Hmm, this must be a case of that PMS I read about," Sai commented before backing away slowly as the unnaturally silent pink-haired woman rounded on him with murder in her eyes.
"Ja ne," a fake smile appeared on the artists pale face as he raised one of his hands and vanished.
xXx
"How hard can it be to find one person?" Ino griped two days later as she slumped onto a bench beside her slouching teammate.
"This isn't a small town," Shikamaru explained for the umpteenth time, "and dark hair really isn't all that uncommon. He may not even be from here. He could simply have been passing through like Sakura was."
"I know, but still…"
"This is troublesome."
"Maybe we should split up," Ino suggested. "That way we can cover more ground."
"Yeah," the lazy genius agreed. "You check as many of the inns in the immediate area as you can. Remember to ask everyone you can if they remember seeing Sakura. We'll go back to the bar again later and ask the patrons if they saw anything. Maybe we'll get lucky and find something."
"I'm on it," Ino said as she strolled down the street.
xXx
Shikamaru sighed as he saw Ino coming up the darkening street with a glum expression on her face.
"No luck then?"
"No," she sighed.
"Well, let's go," Shikamaru said as he placed his hands into his pockets and ambled into the not-yet-overcrowded bar followed by his blonde teammate. They split up to ask their questions.
"Excuse me," Shikamaru inquired of a surly man throwing back shots of sake who was seated beside a wiry-looking man with a nervous tic in one eye.
"Yeah?" the man belched rudely and squinted at the smaller man in the green vest. "What do you want?"
"I was wondering if you were here three nights ago," Shikamaru said boredly.
"Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't," the man slurred suspiciously. "What's it to ya?"
"A friend of ours was here and we need to ask some questions to anyone who saw her," the shinobi stated patiently.
"We were here," the man's twitchy companion said. "What did she look like?"
"She's about this tall," Shikamaru gestured, "and she has green eyes and bright pink hair."
"Didn't see her," the drunkard grunted as he returned to his sake.
"Yes," the fidgety man agreed as he wrung his hands nervously and glanced around. "There were some really strange people in town that night, but I didn't see anyone with pink hair."
"Strange doesn't even begin to describe them," the drunk snorted. "Pink hair ain't that strange, at least compared to blue skin."
"Scary looking, that one," the scrawny man shuddered. "I don't know what was worse, his face or that giant sword he kept with him."
'Blue skin and a giant sword?' Shikamaru questioned thoughtfully. "Was this sword wrapped in bandages?"
"Yeah, he another friend of yours?" the red-faced man asked as his bleary eyes focused on the younger man in front of him.
"No," Shikamaru answered, "but can you describe him some more?"
"He was blue, carried a giant wrapped sword, and wore a black cloak with red clouds," the drunken man repeated as he knocked back another shot. "Just another passing weirdo. Nothing more to say."
"Thanks," Shikamaru said distastefully as he turned away and sought out his partner. "Any luck?"
"Nothing. What about you?"
"Not about Sakura, but I did find out something useful."
"What?"
"Akatsuki were in the area at the same time," Shikamaru responded. "Kakashi and his group were lucky they didn't have a run in with them."
"I wonder why they were here," Ino pondered.
"Not a clue, but we'll have to inform the Hokage about this when we get back. We'll continue with our search for a few more days before we head back. Hopefully we'll pick up some leads before then, both on Sakura's man and what Akatsuki could have been doing here."
"Yeah."
Author's Notes:
I really do find some of the most fascinating paraphernalia when I am doing research for a story.
One of the alternate names for the ring finger is the medical finger, or digitus medicinalis. Several variations of this name (in their respective languages) reflect the idea that the finger is associated with magic, healing powers in particular (Wikipedia, 2008).
It could just be me, but I find it interesting that the finger upon which a wedding band is often placed has such connotations, particularly considering Sakura is a medic-nin.
This story was inspired by the song "Last Name" by Carrie Underwood. The link to this song can be found on my profile for anyone who is interested in hearing it.
-Nephele