This multi-chapter is a work in progress but I wanted to see if it was worth going ahead with it anyway. I don't know how long it will go for, but I do know how it will end. It's the getting there that is the fuzzy part.
This is AU but not OOC. At least, not on purpose. It also has heavy influence from Japanese law enforcement, considering Sakura is a part of it.
Disclaimer: This is going to be the only one. It goes without saying that no-one on this site really owns anything.
Dangerous Temptations
.:. -/ \- .:..
Escort Duty
She wasn't crying over the grave; the pinkette was alone, kneeling in front of the stone monument erected above the crypt that held the remains of her family; her withdrawn eyes glazing instead over the silent graveyard instead however. Sakura Haruno had lost everyone dear to her by the time she'd turned eight years old, and had moved from foster home to foster home for the next ten years after that. No-one had wanted her, no-one cared; she was a wild, disobedient blob of pink in a sea of smiling, lovable children, complete with happy smiles.
She was never happy growing up.
But Sakura Haruno's difference to other kids didn't end there. She was a medical genius. By the time she was ready for university she had already commenced her medical studies and was at the top of her class. Yet as much as she enjoyed it, it never gave her that sense of satisfaction she'd always dreamed of, during those lonely years growing up; the child who'd spent hours analysing everything and everyone around her had lost her will to care about people.
And, it was after she became an adult that Sakura finally found the family she could love. A best friend, a father figure, a sister, a brother and surrogate mother; they were her world. Naruto Uzumaki, her best friend, had cunningly enticed her into trying out for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. She was tougher than most girls her age, growing up, and now as an adult, she kept that gruff exterior up.
'Don't cry, don't cry; please don't let me cry,' she thought, furious at the weakness of her resolve.
Sakura didn't want to look at the stone monument, knowing the meticulously carved names of her parents would be staring back at her and she wouldn't be able to stop the tears from falling. She had strong memories of them, even after the last fourteen years since their deaths. Taro and Hanako Haruno had owned a chain of flower shops that once belonged to drug dealers before all the dealers were sent away for consecutive life sentences for murder.
It had nothing to do with the deaths of Sakura's parents, funnily enough. They had died in a car crash; she remembered the screeching of the tyres, the screaming in her head, but nothing more. At least she remembered her parents happy.
Sakura let her eyes stray to the flowers, incense, and water displayed at the foot of the stone monument. Every week, her friend, Ino Yamanaka, who was more like a sister, brought this all here. She knew that Sakura didn't frequent the grave of her parents, and it would otherwise go neglected. The pinkette thought dimly that there was supposed to be some kind of groundskeeper or something (she wasn't sure what they were called) that was supposed to do this, so the blond was wasting her time.
But this time was different. It was the anniversary; the only time the pinkette came here.
'Don't cry, don't cry; please don't let me cry.'
Sakura's eyes flickered over the engraved stone before she could stop herself, and she fought back a sob. It had been fourteen years, and she was twenty-two now, but still couldn't stop herself from crying. Naruto called her a basket case when he'd finally managed to wrangle the truth out of her, though she was pretty sure he meant it in an affectionate way. She ignored the gripping pain in her chest and climbed to her feet. She was late for work, and her boss was supposed to be doing personnel evaluations today. The last thing she needed right now was to piss off another shamelessly pervy old man.
.:. -/ \- .:.
The room was dimly lit, the curtains drawn across the window and heavy. The only light came from the cracks between where the dark drapes didn't quite make it to the window frame. The apartment was large, a penthouse and the only one on this level. That was what it meant to be an Uchiha; Sasuke had his own penthouse, a maid, a cook and lived here rent free.
That wasn't to say that he just took his father's money and did nothing all day. He had obligations, despite his normally rambunctious behaviour. Fugaku Uchiha didn't let him live here free, even though he never paid a single yen. He worked in his father's company; Uchiha Industries. It sounded more flashy then it really was. Fugaku had built the company up from the business that old Oniri Uchiha Ojī-san (grandfather) had driven into the ground. Bankruptcy was avoided, and Fugaku Uchiha became a multi-millionaire overnight. How? Sasuke didn't know, but he was fairly sure that the current regime, which included blackmail, corruption, and overseas, black market merchandise was a hint.
He wasn't even sure Itachi knew the depths to which Fugaku had plummeted to bring the company into the light, so to speak. Not that it mattered.
Sasuke stretched, kicked out with his leg to hit the sleeping figure next to him. He wasn't normally the violent type when it came to women, just with the ones who were after him for his family inheritance. And they always seemed to be. The Uchiha name demanded authority and respect, but its underhanded dealings were what enforced it. They had their share of moles within the law enforcement of Tokyo after all. Corruption was everywhere in this city these days. But this didn't bother the raven haired man, who took the moaning from his night time "companion" as a hint to push her again.
When all she did was roll away from him, Sasuke sat up, not bothering to cover himself up, as he was still naked and gave the brunette haired girl a violent shove that not only sent her toppling over the edge to the floor below, but took the top cover bed sheet with her. He hadn't put any blankets on the bed the night before because of the damn heat of this summer wave, so there was nothing left to cover him with. Not that he cared.
"Get up and get out of my apartment," he growled at the woman as she climbed groggily to her feet.
Her name was Suki Kazuhina, the oldest daughter of the most valued client of Uchiha Industries. She was used to his rough treatment, yawned obnoxiously at him, left the bed sheet on the floor and walked, stark naked toward where she'd seen her clothes fall. Sasuke had flung them over his shoulder so precisely that they had landed in the exact same place as the last time.
Suki dressed languidly, poked tongue at him, said, "later cutie", and left his apartment before he had even had the chance to get out of bed.
Sasuke just shook his head. He was getting so bored with these women. His phone rang and he fumbled around on the floor, looking for his jeans and found the stupid thing on the sixth ring.
"What?" He snapped, knowing from the number that it was his brother on the other end of the line.
"Not nice Sasuke," Itachi's voice came through serious, but the cheek was implied. "Father wants you to meet him at the Keishichō in the next ten minutes. No complaints this time."
Keishichō was the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the main building for the headquarters in the Kasumigaseki part of central Tokyo.
"Why?" Sasuke snapped.
He hated cops. He hated everything to do with the law and those who enforced it. His father was undermining it more and more with everyday, so he didn't trust the Superintendent General any more than he trusted Fugaku.
"Because dad's on the war path; it seems Gaara Sabaku made good on his threat and is suing us. You're in deep shit. The Superintendent General is insisting you go down there and explain yourself before they string you up." Itachi chuckled. "Just do it little otouto."
He hung up and Sasuke growled. Gaara Sabaku was the youngest son of Fugaku Uchiha's business rival, Hameru Sabaku. His was the only large scale enterprise in Tokyo that had survived the Uchiha rise to power completely unscathed. But while Uchiha Industries was a fake diamond, hiding its imperfections in high society, Sabaku Incorporated was instead a gang-like business with no desire to be printed on any kind of magazine cover. They were what one might call the "mob" of the Tokyo underground.
But despite their vulgar ways, they were just as powerful, influential, and wealthy as the Uchiha family.
Sasuke hated them.
That was how he'd found himself attacking the red head a few days ago. Gaara frequented a night club where Sasuke had been kicked out of for unruly behaviour, but the raven haired man couldn't resist the temptation, once he'd drunk too much of course, to follow him in and proceed to beat the crap out of him. It didn't go down as well as it would have if he hadn't been drunk. Gaara was not a man to be taken down so easily. The only person that scared Sasuke more was his father. Not that he'd admit that out loud.
Realising he was kneeling on the floor, in front of his discarded denim jeans, Sasuke groaned and climbed to his feet. He kept thinking about all the things the red head might do to him if he got him alone. The temptation to attack him had been too strong, and he was going to pay for it. And then there was the fact that when Sasuke entered the doors to the police department, his father would be waiting for him. This was a sully on the Uchiha name after all.
.:. -/ \- .:.
Sakura was waiting on Naruto, typically, but at least the blond baka had a good excuse this time. He was in the office of the Superintendent General, but for once, wasn't the one in trouble. Apparently, one of those stupid Uchiha had done something to piss off the Sabaku and just mentally picturing the coals they would be raked over made Sakura grin wickedly.
She was no fan of the Uchiha obviously, and the last time she had run into Gaara Sabaku while out of uniform, she'd been pressed up against the wall in that night club of his, his hands all over her. She was a police officer, and his family was trouble, but all that aside, he was extremely good looking and fuck he was good in bed. That terminology wasn't entirely accurate, as she'd only banged him in an upright position, in a public place, but whatever.
She was a university graduate, so her rigorous training in the Metropolitan Police Department Academy was reduced from one year to six months, ending the same time as Naruto's. He had studied psychology so he was also qualified for the reduced training times.
This was how both training and promotion opportunities were determined in Japan.
They were partnered immediately, and managed to avoid the Koban assignment that resulted from the completion of basic training for most new police officers. The Koban system referred to substations – both Sakura and Naruto had baulked at the idea of belonging to some kind of foot patrol; their relief from this might have had something to do with their respective graduate degrees, but Sakura never asked. Or it was the fact that the Superintendent General for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was a strange old man who had become a father figure for her. Jiraiya was referred to as keishi-sokan around the prefectural police force, which was the general term for law enforcement officers.
And just like Kakashi Hatake, who treated her like she was his little sister, Jiraiya's past times were on the crude side. He loved the ladies, and for some strange reason, they loved him too. It made her shiver just thinking about it. The pinkette gazed dreamily at the door to the Superintendent General's office, sitting against her own desk and playing absentmindedly with the top button on her shirt. She wore the shirt and trousers typical of the uniform. Jiraiya had been trying to get the uniform changed again, wanting to put female officers in skirts, as it had used to be, but was failing. The people in charge knew he only wanted to perv on his better officers anyway.
Naruto exited Jiraiya's office alone a few minutes later and closed the door behind him.
"What's going on?" Sakura asked.
He strolled over to her and threw his right arm around her shoulder. "Justice, what else?"
She groaned. "You know what I mean, idiot."
Naruto chuckled, a cheesy grin spreading over his face. "Oh just another reason for the Uchiha and Sabaku to kill each other. You and I have the privilege of escorting Mr Sasuke Uchiha back home where he will remain under constant watch until his arraignment."
"This is going to trial?"
Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "You know how this works for the Uchiha and Sabaku families. He'll get a tap on the wrist, escorted back onto the streets like some V.I.P, and let loose to begin the cycle all over again."
Despite his calm demeanour, Sakura knew he was furious. Once upon a time, Sasuke had been a good friend, but they went their separate ways when the Uchiha seduced the blond's girlfriend. He wasn't the loyal type apparently. Sakura squeezed his torso affectionately.
Solving crimes through brute force was Naruto's passion, but the appeal for the pinkette lay in the forensic science. It wasn't the medicine she had been expecting, but it put her skills to use, while getting to "kick ass" as Naruto had put it. He would tease her often that her decision to become a cop was just about her love of strapping on a gun. At least for her, it wasn't compensating for anything. Naruto never took it personally when she said this, because she'd told him this so often he'd gone numb.
"What did the Uchiha do this time?" She asked inattentively.
"The usual," Naruto said. "And in a night club he'd been banned from."
Sakura scoffed. "Idiot."
The blond laughed.
"When do we leave?"
"When they do."
Sakura pulled away from him. "Do we go armed?"
Naruto nodded. "Not that it's necessary, but its protocol, you know this."
The pinkette shrugged her shoulders. "Sure."
She collected her holster and threw on the stab vest, and duty belt, leaving the waterproof jacket behind. It was extremely hot outside right now after all. Naruto, forgetting for a moment he was supposed to join her, took longer to gather his gear. Over the decades, the uniform for the Tokyo Police Department had undergone many changes, and right now, the female and male uniforms were practically identical.
It wasn't long before they had company. In the forefront of the hustle and bustle of the precinct, Jiraiya was guiding the youngest son of Fugaku Uchiha without touching him. He wasn't bound of course, and his father stood behind and away from him, a look of utter disdain on his face. Sakura kept her eyes away from his, but in her peripheral, she watched the way his dark eyes surveyed his son; all manner of disappointment and distaste frowning his face.
She had seen him look at Sasuke that way before, the last time the youngest Uchiha had been escorted away from Keishichō because of some ridiculous stunt he'd pulled. Sakura wondered briefly if that was why he did it. Perhaps it was a way of attracting his father's attention, when the man clearly didn't care to even look at him otherwise. She mentally shook herself as they drew level with Sakura and Naruto.
"I leave him in your very capable hands Officer Haruno," Jiraiya said to her, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly when Naruto pouted.
He had done that on purpose. While the old man was like a father to Sakura, he was actually Naruto's godfather. They were both orphans, and the perv had helped to raise the blond. It was no surprise then that Naruto was a bit of a perv himself, but nowhere near as bad as either Jiraiya or Kakashi. His influence had only been diluted by the presence of Tsunade Senju, a very astute doctor who Jiraiya had married years ago. She was the motherly type, to both Naruto and Sakura. It confused the pinkette constantly how she could put up with Jiraiya for so long, but she supposed, that was love.
Sakura ignored Naruto's silent whinnying, and moved to direct Sasuke without touching him, as Jiraiya had done. She refused to meet the raven haired man's intense stare as he worked her over with his eyes, but kept him in her peripheral all the same. Fugaku departed from the group as they exited the headquarters building, but left with a final demand for his son's escorts.
"Make sure he actually gets home this time."
He was gone before Sakura realised what he'd meant. Last time, he'd been dropped off but no-one saw him go inside and instead of doing what he was told, he'd headed off to some sleazy strip bar instead. Well, he was out of luck this time. There were no bars or pubs or even liquor stores open yet. It was still early in the morning.
"This way Uchiha," Naruto said gruffly, leading the way.
The Toyota Crown was the car of interest for the blond as he ran his eyes over the parking lot. Sakura rolled her eyes: men and their car obsession. She gripped Sasuke's elbow roughly, now that papa Uchiha was gone and he immediately complained.
"Shut it," Naruto said, without looking to see what the problem was.
"I suppose this is some sort of triumphant moment for you Uzumaki," Sasuke said pompously.
"Yes, it is."
Sakura chuckled softly and Sasuke glanced at her. She was surprised when he raised his eyebrows at her, losing the expression of disdain he'd given Naruto. He looked instead like he wanted to ravage her.
"You still hanging out with this loser Haruno?" He asked. "How about when he drops us off you come spend some time with me?"
Naruto froze in the middle of opening the door to the back seat of his chose sedan. He glanced at Sakura, noting the furious look on the pinkette's face. She was hiding the blush well, after all, Sasuke Uchiha was very hot and she knew it, but there was a stronger emotion running through her right now. This was not the day to be fucking with her. She had spent over an hour staring at a stone monument instead of her parents, and had had to wait for half an hour after the tears stopped before she looked presentable enough to finally go into work. This day, fourteen years ago, she'd lost everything. Sakura was as a result, feeling particularly aggravated today. Naruto knew why she was excessively angry. She slammed Sasuke into the side of the sedan and cuffed his hands behind his back.
"What the fuck are you doing?" He half screamed.
"She's getting her payback," Naruto said, and climbed into the driver's seat.
Sakura stepped away from the raven haired man, and threw him into the back seat, slamming the door shut. She strode around, climbed into the front, in the passenger, and ignored the dignified ranting of her "prisoner". He was an Uchiha, and she didn't have the right to cuff him – that kind of thing. She knew she would pay for this later, but didn't care. He was an arrogant asshole. She avoided Naruto's glances as well and the drive went smoothly.
When it came time to uncuff the Uchiha, she was worried. People would see her doing this and wonder why he was handcuffed in the first place. Her anger had dissipated, and she was left with a burning worry. During the entire car ride, he'd stared at her and she would occasionally glance back at him in the rear view mirror. His eyes were penetrating her, looking into her, and making her tremble. Why was he looking at her like that? He'd never spoken two words to her before now, even when they accidentally bumped into each other in the precinct the last time he was "escorted" out of there.
But the way he was looking at her made her feel like she was naked. He was undressing her with his eyes, that was it.
Sakura sighed, grabbing him roughly and he spun around to look at her, not giving her the opportunity to unshackle him. What was he up to? Everyone knew about Sasuke Uchiha. He was a playboy, a troublemaker, and the second son of the most powerful business man in all of Tokyo. He was also staring at her casually, a mixture of cheekiness and fascination on his face. And then quite suddenly, his expression shifted, and he looked like he wanted to ravish her again. She felt a chill of fear run up her spine when those lips twisted into the sexiest smirk she'd ever seen in her life. The pinkette swallowed heavily and Sasuke Uchiha tugged on the handcuffs expectantly.
"My offer still stands," he said smugly. "I have a pair of cuffs in my penthouse you can use to tie me to my bed."
The fear now clenching her fists turned to rage and, abandoning all self control, she smirked back at him. The smug look on his face disappeared immediately when she drew her hand back and slapped him, hard across the face.
.:. -/ \- .:.
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