ANBU
Writted by pandaholic.
Chapter 1 - Welcome
Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. Storyline is loosely based on The Bund / Shanghai Bund.
"I promise to love you."
The words echoed in his ears as he the train halted to a stop. He stood up as the doors slid open, and quickly made his way out before the crowd within the vehicle could shove their way past him. He stopped when he was in the middle of the open platform, his dark eyes scanning the overcast sky. They gently closed, and opened once more when he sensed the rush of people coming near. The twenty-year-old young man moved to pull out a cigarette from his pocket, but his fingers stopped as they felt the cold tobacco.
"Why do you ruin your health? You cannot live long with those cancerous pleasures."
He sighed, and instead they moved for a packet of gum. It has been a hard battle for him to fight; he knew she hated it when he smoked, so he had tried hard to quit. Lately, he's been guilty of blowing through a packet a week, due to his large emotional stress. He popped a piece of gum in his mouth and let the wrapper fly through the wind. He could care less about littering.
He shuddered. It seemed his memories had opened up like a book, and he was reading them over and over again. Her voice would not cease to haunt him. He could not forget her delicate touch. It had only been a month since he had gotten out of college, and still she was on in his mind. Soon, years passed, two exactly, and she still found her spot in his mind.
He began to walk to his destination, his mind still in a clutter. He remembered the day that they had both graduated. Their years together were so long, and they knew they both wished them to never end, though they did. They began their love journey when they were mere little junior high schoolers, and miraculously lasted through their final days of college. However, they had lost touch, even though they promised each other they would keep in touch.
His mind was in such a clutter, however, that he did not realize he was walking straight into a girl one year younger than he; she, too, was too busy to realize. When they collided, her head banged against his firm chest, and she fell to the ground in shock. His eyes widened for a moment, only staring at her incomprehensible beauty.
"I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention..." She stopped speaking when she realized she was being stared at.
"Uh...sir? I'm...sorry. Could you...please stop staring at me?"
It took her all the year's work of having a number of suitors chase her to keep down her blush. She heard his grunt, and he held out a hand for her to take. She hesitantly did, and was instantly pulled up on her feet.
"Thank you."
The man merely nodded at her, and she fought back her urge to punch him. She noticed how his eyes looked distant, like he was staring off into space in his mind, and his body was just moving with no soul.
"Have you heard of Yamanaka Ino?"
She gazed at him, her eyes picking up a light glimmer behind his eyes. She closed her own precious orbs, and reopened them, only finding his eyes prying deeper into her. Perhaps he loved her.
"Oh, Ino-sama! I can take her to you if you like!"
He grunted once more, mentally teasing his love.
Ino-sama? What is she, some gang leader's consort?
"Uh...would you like me to take you to her? Though you may not be able to see her today – she's a busy woman, with Sai-sama and all..."
His eyes quickly darted back to the younger woman in front of him, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Who is Sai-sama?"
He noticed how she noticeably darkened, and her eyes that were once light and perky had turned dead.
"Ino-sama's husband. He's a dirty man... such a player, such a player. Though I doubt their marriage was one out of love. Well, mutual love, at least. Perhaps out of duty. Or perhaps she provides him..."
"Enough."
She was startled at his hard tone. She noticed how the light within his eyes had disappeared, and his face was noticeably tighter.
"Uh...I'm sorry for...offending you, sir. I'll take her to you now."
She bowed in respect, and began to heave her way through the crowd. He soon followed.
The man was stunned when she had taken him to a dark alleyway.
"Why are you taking me here?" He asked her, his tone menacing.
He has had enough of dark alleyways. She merely smiled at him, making his heart unexpectedly turn, and continued to walk.
"I'm a woman, I'm not one to rape people in dark alleyways, like some."
He grunted in reply.
The woman stopped and turned to the wall on her right hand side. The man, too, stopped, and stared at her, perplexed at her mysterious nature. She slightly turned her head to face him, and gave him another one of her smiles.
"I assume you can climb, ...?"
He could sense her urge to know his name, and he stared up at the wall and let a smirk play on his cold lips.
"Sasuke."
"Well, in that case, I'm Haruno Sakura. Pleasure to meet you. I assume you can climb?"
"Likewise. Yes, I can climb."
She smiled at him once more, and took to the wall.
"Then let's go."
She began to find her footing in the most convenient of places, and Sasuke mimicked her movements perfectly. He observed her body, noting her muscular arms and legs. Her whole was lean and tan, her arms and legs showing deep scars. He knew that she was not like the rest. He could assume, already, that his tease about Ino was correct.
She was a mob leader's consort.
And this Haruno Sakura girl must be one of their servants.
"Sakura?" He called out to the climbing woman.
"Yes?" She yelled back.
"What is it about Sai-sama that you hate about him?"
"I'll keep that question in mind. We're almost to the top."
After a few more minutes of climbing, they indeed reached the top of a building, and they sat on the building's edge, overlooking the bustling city beneath them. The sun was nearly beginning its daily journey to set, the sky beginning to bleed into a pink-orange pastel.
"You wanted to know why I hate Sai-sama?" She asked.
He silently nodded, his eyes not daring to read her face. Instead, he left his ears completely open; his dark orbs watching the sun begin to set.
"He stole away a precious item from me. Then betrayed me. And then, when I was in desperate need of his help, he merely married away to one of my good friends, stole away her precious item, and the list of who he's stolen from goes on and on."
"Item? What is this precious item?"
Sakura turned to him, forcing a small smile to grace her rosy lips.
"Virginity. He's a bastard. If Ino-sama didn't get pregnant from his dirty sperm, he'd be dead by my hand. I'd kill him, if Ino-sama..."
"Does she love him?"
"Yes."
"Take me to her. I must see her."
"Sai-sama will not like you if you love her, Sasuke-san."
Sasuke turned to face her this time, and again her beauty stunned him. She had feminine features, yes, but she was not unfit and graced with the natural skinny body type. He knew she worked for what she had. He knew she worked hard.
"I loved her first. I at least have that right."
His hand moved to his pocket, and his fingers once again felt the cold tobacco. This time, though, he fought off Ino's words, and pulled one out and began to light it.
"Finish that before we go in. Ino-sama doesn't like cigarettes."
"I know."
Sakura smiled at him and nodded.
"Good."
The sun was nearing its turn to sleep, the moon appearing into view. It was then, that Sasuke had finished his cigarette. Sakura waited patiently next to him, her eyes gently watching the dark sky, wishing she could see the stars through all the pollution and smog. When she had noticed him staring at her, she lightly blushed, and got up, waiting for him to follow. He soon did, and she began walking to the other side of the roof, abruptly stopping exactly 2 meters and 3 centimeters from the edge. There, she found a hole small enough to slide an index finger through, and slipped her finger down. Then she pulled up a heavy trap door up.
"HAKU. I have a guest for Ino-sama! Take another second to bring up a ladder, you'll be dead before you can blink!"
"Haku-sama! Ahh, Haku-sama's back from her trip! With a guest! Alert Ino-sama immediately!"
Sasuke was surprised when he heard the "-sama" added to Sakura's name, and smirked. This girl had power, and he knew it. She had much, much power. He heard the ladder hit the wall, and soon noticed Sakura had gone.
"Sasuke, hurry up! You're bringing in dirt!"
He complied, and climbed down the ladder, closing the door above him. When he reached the bottom, it seemed like he was in an extravagant king's house. Servants were running everywhere, most of them women. Sakura winked at him, sensing his uneasiness around so many women, many of whom where giving him lustful looks.
"You dare come near Ino-sama's guest you will die by my hand. I'm not Sai-sama's dirty servant for nothing! Off to work, all of you! Prepare the baths and tea! I expect everything done by the time I get back out here."
Sasuke smirked once more, loving how she exercised total power. He could hear the servants' whispers of disgust, and this made him smirk even more.
"Alright, Sasuke. If Sai-sama is in there, you will let me do all the speaking."
He nodded, and they entered a room more extravagant than the ones they had walked by. He saw a woman's face drowned in makeup, her lips painted a blood red, her long, blonde hair let loose. She wore a kimono that only reached her knees, showing off her long, lean legs. He fought to hide back his blush.
"Ah! Haku-chan! How was your journey to Shanghai?"
Sakura bowed, silently motioning for Sasuke to do so as well. The woman returned the bow, and they once again stood straight.
"Sai-sama's brother was successfully killed, along with the members of his gang. Though I cannot be completely sure the Black Dragons are completely eliminated, as it seems a few were dispatched before I had arrived."
"And, your guest?"
Sasuke stepped forward next to Sakura, and Sakura smiled at the guest and her master.
"Sasuke. He claims to have known you?"
The woman got up from her chair and slowly walked towards Sasuke. She stopped in front of him, and her delicate fingers touched every inch of his face, tracing a familiar portrait.
"Ahh, Sasuke..."
Sasuke closed his eyes, her gentle touch soothing him. He soon opened his eyes when he heard the door behind him open and slammed closed.
"What are you doing, Ino?"
Sakura immediately bowed low, and Sasuke immediately followed.
"Haku, you killed my brother, correct?"
"Yes, Sai-sama. I have already told Ino-sama of the mission report."
Sasuke noticed her hardened tone and serious face. There was no friendliness in their relationship, he noted.
"And you, Ino, you filthy woman, what were you doing touching this man?"
"He is an old friend, Sai. It has been long and I wished to see if things had changed," Ino gently said.
"You're lying, you filthy good-for-nothing! Get back on that chair!"
Ino grit her teeth, and began to walk back to her seat, before Sakura's voice stopped her.
"You dare speak to Ino-sama that way? You dare, Sai-sama! You may be the head man, but I possess more skill than you ever can! Ino-sama commands her own life, not you, you bastard!"
Sasuke widened his eyes at Sakura's outburst. Ino, too, seemed frightened. But Ino's eyes widened when she realized her husband back down, fear silently present in his eyes.
"You cannot even deny my power, Sai! You will not abuse Ino-sama, or you will be murdered in your sleep. If it was not for her love for you, you would be burning in hell by now."
Sai let off a fit of hysterical laughter, and unsheathed his hidden dagger, pointing it close to Ino's neck. Ino inwardly gasped and nearly fainted.
"What if I brought Ino with me?"
He was surprised when he felt cold metal against his throat, the sharp end lightly cutting the skin.
"You dare kill Ino, you will die before you can beg for the pathetic excuse of the man you are! Hold down your dagger, you bastard," Sasuke said, malice extremely strong in his voice.
Ino calmed down when her husband's dagger dropped to the cold floor; fear clearly shown on his face. Sakura smirked and picked the dagger up. Sasuke removed the cold blade from Sai's throat and smirked.
"What's your name?" Sai coarsely whispered, his voice still overcoming from the shock.
"Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke."
"Haku, meet your new partner, Sasuke. Welcome to ANBU."
Sasuke and Haku smirked at their victory. Sasuke's eyes wandered to Ino, who met his gaze. She looked away, and Sasuke's heart stopped.
Liar, he thought to himself.
Sakura stared at her new partner, and smiled at him, pity and sympathy emitted from her smile. He caught this, and shook his head.
It's okay, he said to her.
She nodded.
It will be. Welcome to ANBU. I hope you like blood. I certainly do. I'll explain tomorrow. For now, I think you need a bath.
Sasuke nodded to her.
I'd like that.
A/N: Another story! This one's kind of shady and all dark and mob/gang/assassination-y! It's seriously not my type, but there WILL be some romance mixed in there, you can count on it! Also, the storyline is loosely based on The Bund / Shanghai Bund. So if there are any similarities, that's where it'll come from! My apologies on making this first chapter uber long, and for making Sakura...OOC? Well, not really. But there's probably going to be a lot of OOC.