In The beginning
(A/N: Alright I know I have three other projects I'm currently working on but I couldn't help but start on this. I totally blame this on the song "This Is War" by 30 Seconds To Mars. I heard the song, it made my brain start ticking and now… I'm starting on this little endeavor. For the life of me - can someone just shoot me now? Please? Anyway, on with the show.)
Summary: The Yakuza gang known as 'Sound' has overrun the city of Konoha, leaving terror and destruction in their wake. From the wreckage comes a group of vigilantes known as the Akatsuki, promising hope and peace. Can they really do it... even when the Akatsuki Leader's girlfriend in thrust into the battle?
~xxx~
"In local news, Sound strikes again. This time the criminal group robbed the Konoha Bank this afternoon. Three people were killed and two-" the television turned off at the press of a button. For the passed three years, the Yakuza gang known as Sound has been running a muck. Terrorizing the citizens of the quaint city of Konoha and scaring them to the point where people started moving out.
"Thank you!" came a sarcastic shout through the small bakery, located on the corner of Main St. and Kunai Ave. "I swear, if I hear one more report about the Sound gang, I'm going to flip my lid!" the same voice, that of a young female, growled.
"You say that every time they come up, Forehead." A blonde snapped as she leaned against the counter.
"Yeah, well, if those bastards hadn't shown up, I'd actually have business!" from the back office immerged a pink-haired girl with a heavy scowl on her lips and heated glare in her viridian eyes. "And those idiots on the news keep saying crap that scares people into staying home. It's a wonder how anyone can stay in business these days."
"Sakura-chan, calm down before your blood pressure shoots through the roof."
"Ino, I need to vent!"
"By all means, please do." A new voice said from one of the tables in the dining area. Sakura and Ino turned to their only customer with raised brows. "I wouldn't mind hearing another's opinion on the matter." Sitting alone was an orange-haired man, reading the day's paper with an air of indifference about him. Said man set the paper down, showing off his many piercing and the adorable smirk on his thin lips. Guess what the headline was?
"Are you sure you want to hear her talk, sir?' Ino asked with a smile, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked at her life-long friend. "She has quite the mouth on her."
"Ino… I'll kill you." Sakura scowled harder, clinched fists shaking at her sides in a desperate display of trying to contain her anger.
"Not at all." The man answered as he motioned to the girls to sit with him. "As a matter of fact, I would love to hear what you have to say, ma'am." Sakura gave a triumphant smirk to her friend before joining the man at the table.
"I think I'll pass. I have dishes to wash." Ino sighed with a wave of her hand, shooing her friend away… as her mind gave a catcall toward the gorgeous man at the table. Too bad she was taken or Ino would have pounced the second the man had stepped in, all of thirty minutes ago.
"Hello, sir. My name is Haruno Sakura. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." The rosette smile, holding out her hand in a friendly gesture for him to take. The man's smirk widened a little as he took her hand and shook it.
"I'm Pein and the pleasure is mine, Haruno-san." Her smile warmed for a moment before she shifted in her seat. "Please, continue." Pein prompted as he picked up his mug of chai tea and took a sip.
"Gladly." She nodded and folded her hands together on the table. "As I was saying, the media isn't helping the situation at all. They report stories that are either embellished or completely fictitious just for ratings. They've got their viewers so scared that they can't help but watch the idiot box just to see if things get better. It's like a documentary turned drama turned to complete crap in the span of an hour long broadcast." Sakura sighed as the man before her raised a brow at her words.
"And you know this for certain?" Pein asked, setting his mug aside. She interested him… and that was saying something about the man that he everything he did planned out to the t.
"Of course." She answered with a tight nod. "The news says that the people suffering the most are those living outside of town, in the richer neighborhoods. But the reality is… the hardest hit areas a right here in our own backyard." Her thumb jerked in the direction of the front door. "The orphanage across the street is a prim example. They are overcrowded and understaffed with a margin of 5 to 1. Iruka-san says they may have to close down and move the kids to other orphanages if this continues.
"Fewer and fewer people are donating every year and the kids are suffering because of it." She continued after a brief pause. "Those kids never did anything wrong and they're taking the brunt of people's fears."
"And you believe it is because of the Sound gang?"
"I know it's because of them." Sakura responded with a click of her tongue. "People around here used to be so kind, happy and carefree. But when the Sound gang showed up… all of that changed. Everyday tasks became difficult, constantly looking over your shoulder. Security beefed up yet crime boomed. The police clam to be doing everything in their power to stop the spread of the gang… but the only thing they seem to be good at is sitting on their damn hands." She gave an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes as her head shook at the stupidity of it all. "If you ask me, the Akatsuki seem to be doing a better job of keeping them out of the neighborhood than the cops."
Pein's eyebrows shot up at this as his smirk turned into a tiny grin. "So, you know of the Akatsuki? Pray tell, what is it about the Akatsuki that makes you speak so highly of them?"
"They're heroes." Her answer was plain and simple, yet honest and powerful. "They have done more to help us this year then the police since the arrival of the Sound gang. I could never be as radical as them… but they've open the door for me to do my share to help the community, especially the kids." Sakura looked Pein right in the eyes, viridian orbs shining with hope and admiration. "And if I ever meet the Akatsuki leader, I'd kiss him as a thank you for having the nerve to do the right thing." Pein chuckled at her words, watching the rosette lean back in her chair.
"Are you free next Saturday?" he asked as he picked up his chai and swirled its contents before taking another sip. Sakura blinked in surprise.
"Y-yeah." She answered with a blush creeping to her cheeks.
"I would like to continue this discussion over dinner, say… seven?"
"Of course, I'd love to." Sakura was practically giggling when she answered him with a large grin. She grabbed a napkin and wrote down her phone number before standing. Pein stood too, gathering his things as he gave her his phone number as well.
"I'll see you around, Sakura-san."
"I sure hope so, Pein-san." No sooner was he out the door before Sakura rushed to the back of the shop, happily shouting as she jogged around the counter.
"Holy crap! Ino, I have a date!"
~xxx~
The week rolled by at it's own pace, torturously slow, Sakura thought. To her delighted surprise, Pein had called her the next day about dinner arrangements and had popped into the bakery throughout the week, even bringing friends with him. Today was Saturday, date day, and Sakura couldn't wait for it to be over so she could go home and get ready. From their brief meetings and telephone conversations, Sakura concluded that they had similar interests, dislikes and hobbies, even though she wasn't as avid about guns as he was. It was a start and she found herself wishing to close the store early just so she could go home and call him.
"Kami, save me." Sakura sighed, flipping through a catalog as she sat at her desk. "Ugh… this is going to drive me nuts!"
"Can't wait to see your man?" Ino chimed as she poked her head in the door.
"Shut it, Ino." Sakura growled.
"Oh, come on. I haven't seen you this head-over-heels for a guy since… well, Sasuke." There was a wide grin on the blonde's face that expressed just how right she was. But that didn't mean that Sakura had to agree. But then Sakura felt a tug, a painful pull, in her chest as her eyes slid downward to look at the floor.
"Do you think it's too soon… to move on, I mean?" she asked in a whisper. Ino gave her a sad smile as she walked forward and hugged her friend.
"It's been three years, honey. I think Sasuke would have wanted you to move on and be happy." The blonde coaxed as she patted Sakura on the back. "Do you remember Sasuke's last words?" Ino asked, more hesitant than usual but gave a relieved sigh at Sakura's nod.
"He said… 'goodbye'." Sakura croaked, trying not to cry even as the tears slipped over her cheeks.
"Sakura, look at me." Ino whispered as she lifted Sakura's face and placed her hands on her friend's shoulders. "Sometimes… 'goodbye' is a second chance." The blonde said with a firm nod. Sakura pondered this for a moment before giving a nod of her own. "Good! Now, go out there and bag that gorgeous piece of man-meat before he gets snatched up by some harlot!" Sakura barked in laughter while wiping her cheeks on her shirt sleeves.
"Yeah, ok."
~xxx~
Pein was right on time, dressed in a nice, crisp, dark blue suit with a black tie. Sakura smiled warmly as she opened the door and let him inside. She was dressed in a plumb colored, knee length dress that sat just off the shoulders and had short sleeves of lace. While Pein's hair was in his usual style, a tamed mess, Sakura wore her hair up in a bun with jewel incrusted hair stick poking out. A far cry from her usual black t-shirt and khaki pants she wore to work.
"You look… stunning." Pein said as he gave her a once over, noting that she wore minimal makeup, highlighting her natural beauty as she blushed and shyly looked to the floor.
"Thank you." She said with a tiny smile. "You look nice, yourself." He nodded at her complement, waiting for Sakura to put on her shoes. Sakura grabbed her purse and slipped on a pair of plumb colored heels before snatching up her keys. "Ready." She chimed and walked out the door with him.
"Aw, little Sakura-chan's going on a date. I never thought I'd see the day." A voice called from the row of bushes that separated Sakura's house from her neighbor's. Sakura finished locking her door when she turned to her neighbor with a smirk.
"What of it, Hatake-san?" the silver-haired man grinned under his navy blue mask.
"Oh, nothing." Kakashi waved as he leaned against his porch rail. "Please, don't let me keep you two, go on and get out of here." Sakura laughed slightly.
"I'll talk to you later, Kakashi-san." That said, Pein escorted Sakura to his car and held the door open for her. He glanced at the man on the porch, giving a slight nod as Pein walked to the driver side and slid into his seat. With a reassuring smile, Pein pulled out of her driveway and headed downtown.
The Ballroom was a beautiful, fine-dinning restaurant with spacious seating and a polished, hardwood dance floor where many patrons were waltzing. The pair were seated near the dance floor, chatting as they ate. Sakura was smiling, despite the nagging voice in the back of her mind, telling her that it was far too soon to be moving on. But she put a lid on the annoying voice and paid close attention to her date.
"I'm curious; what was the deciding factor to make you hate the Sound gang so much?" the question was innocent enough… or so Pein thought. He watched as Sakura's shoulders stiffened and set, her body slumped slightly in her chair. Her fork came to rest nest to the plate as she stiffly set it down and straightened her back. "If it's that bad, you don't have to say a thing." Sakura just shook her head while holding up a hand.
"No, it's alright. If this relationship goes beyond this night, you'd hear about it eventually." She breathed, eyes on her half eaten food. Sakura took a gulp of her wine before looking up to meet his gaze. "Three years ago, I was engaged to be married. Sasuke and I had planned to wed in mid June, hoping that everyone in our families would be in attendance." She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "June 15," Sakura sighed, "Sasuke had gone to pick up my parents from the train station… and it was the last time I saw him. The Sound gang's first attack within the city limits took my fiancée and my parents." Pein sat back in his chair, utterly shocked.
"You aren't the only person who lost someone precious that day." He told her, his hazel eyes locked on hers. "My wife and my best friend were killed in the bombing as well." Pein reached into his inner suit pocket and pulled out his wallet. Flipping it open, he slid out a small picture. "This is Konan." Sakura hesitated, lightly grasping the picture being offered.
"Oh my god." She whispered, staring wide-eye at the blue-haired, amber-eyed woman. "I… I knew her." Sakura whispered. "Pein, I'm so sorry."
"How did you know Konan?" he asked lightly.
"She was my loan officer… when Sasuke and I decided to open the bakery." Sakura informed him with a warm smile. "Konan-san was the sweetest, kindest woman I ever met. She was my first customer when we opened… a month before-" she cut herself off, not wanting to even think about that day. So, she settled on taking out a wallet sized picture of Sasuke and offered it to Pein.
"This is Uchiha Sasuke?" he asked, one brow quirked upward in surprise.
"Hai."
"I know his older brother, Itachi-san. We are in the same department." Sakura winced at his words.
"I hope I didn't offend you with my 'police-sitting-on-their-hands' comment." Pein chuckled.
"Not at all. For the most part it's true. Unfortunately, I am not on the Sound case."
"I bet the bastards would have been caught a long time ago if you were." She deadpanned with a mock glare.
"Rest assured, Sakura, if the police on the case can't get them, the Akatsuki will." He was dead serious about his comment, something that Sakura found reassuring. His hazel eyes bored into her green apple ones with sincerity that made Sakura's heart skip a beat or two. "Would you like to dance, Sakura?"
With a brilliant smile, Sakura nodded and took his hand as they stood and moved to the dance floor.
~xxx~
"A wise man once said: 'The proof of the pudding is in the eating'. Just last week you were worried that Pein was too good to be true… and you were so wrong. He's perfect, Sakura-chan." Ino chimed as they swept the kitchen area. "I'm actually kind of jealous, really. I wish Deidara-kun was as sweet as Pein-san."
Sakura sighed heavily with a grin, stopping her work to look at her friend. "We're going out again this coming Saturday." Ino dropped her broom and rushed over to give Sakura a huge hug. They started jumping up and down, squealing like school girls as they grinned and giggled in joy.
"I swear it's fate. Someone up there likes the two of you." Ino said with a wistful sigh.
"Oh, Kami… you sound like Neji with that destiny and fate crap." Sakura scowled. "Anyways, I know it's date night for you and Dei-kun… you can go now if you want."
"You sure?" the blonde questioned as she set her boom aside.
"Yeah, it's fine. Besides, I owe you for the help with my hair and makeup."
"Alright then. I'll see you tomorrow." Ino waved as she went to grab her stuff.
"Remember Ino; details!" Sakura called as the blonde slipped out the front door. The street lights were on when Sakura clicked off the lights and locked the doors. After setting the alarm, Sakura slipped out the back and walked the fifty feet to her car. As she was setting some bags in the trunk she saw something zip passed the alleyway. It was either a person… or a really big bear. Slamming her trunk closed, Sakura rushed to the driver side and hopped into her car.
Pulling forward and down the alley, Sakura checked the deserted streets for any sign of life. Nothing. With a sigh of relief, she turned right onto Kunai Ave. and started to head home. For the life of her… the red light was long. The ten foot drive to the corner from the alley ended with a five minute wait for the light to change green.
"God damn this light." She hissed as she glared down the road, not wanting to be blinded when the light finally changed. The speed limit was fairly slow through this stretch of road, due to the preschool and the orphanage, but she was not about to chance a speeding ticket in her hurry to get home. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw another quick flash of something dark slipping between the buildings. Again, she wrote it off as her imagination and continued down the road.
Sakura pulled into the parking lot of the 24 hour grocery store and picked up a few things she needed at home before scurrying back to her car. But she never made it to her car; someone had gabbed her by the arm and jerked her roughly back. On instinct, Sakura dropped her bag and turned to face her attack with a well aimed fist to the man's face.
"Hey, Jirobo! What the hell are you doing?" someone yelled as the man that grabbed Sakura stumbled backwards, holding his nose.
"Fucking bitch hit me, dude."
"Hey, chick… what gives?" stunned, Sakura gaped at the two men. Both men were dressed in t-shirts and jeans with a kind of purple cord around their waists and a dark blue band of cloth around their foreheads. The second man stepped towards Sakura with a menacing sneer on his chapped lids. Something flashed in the streetlight, catching her attention as she gasped in recognition. Attached to the band around the man's forehead was a piece of metal… with a musical note etched into it. They were Sound members.
"I-I'm so sorry!" Sakura stammered as she slowly backed away. "He grabbed me and I just reacted. I-I didn't mean to do it on purpose." She defended as she held up her hands and continued to move away from the men. The man she had punched wiped the blood from his face as he joined his friend while he spit and leered at Sakura.
"I say we teach her a lesson." Jirobo hissed, creaking his knuckles. "What do you think, Kidomaru?" the second man, Kidomaru, gave a slight nod as he grinned. Sakura fell back into a fighting stance, suddenly very glad that Sasuke had made her take self-defense classes. Her eyes narrowed at them, car keys clinched in one fist. And she got an idea!
Kidomaru moved to grab her but Sakura ducked away from his grasping hands and gabbed her thumb into the panic button on her keychain. The blaring car horn in succession with the howl of a siren burst through the night air with ear splitting tones, alerting anyone with in a two block radius to the fact that something was not right. Unfortunately, it had the reverse effect Sakura had hoped for as three more Sound members bolted around the corner and towards the two men she was currently trying to fend off.
Along with the fat, orange-haired man and the skinny, raven-haired man, Sakura now had to contend with two more men, one with white hair and the other had silver-ish grey hair, and a woman with red hair, wearing a backward ball cap. This night just keeps getting better and better. It was then that Sakura really wished she had stayed in bed that morning.
'Alright,' she thought as she eyed the five Sound members surrounding her as her car alarm continued to blare into the night air. 'The fat one and the white-haired guy seem to be the strongest, so keep away from them. The girl may have a weapon, so take care of her first and the other two are built more like Sasuke and may be just as fast… take care of the next.' Her mind processed the information in a split second before she sent a thunderous kick at the redhead.
Tayuya fell backward with a shout, rolling on the ground as her feet flew over her head. Sakura then sent a heavy handed fist in Kidomaru's direction, making contact with his sternum before elbowing Sakon in the gut and then backhanding him, the ring on her finger biting into the skin of his cheek as it slid along his face. Suddenly, her movements ceased, the glint of a knife caught her attention as Jirobo lunged for her. Sakura was able to kick the knife out of his left hand but she could not stop the lightning quick right hook that struck her left temple, knocking her into a stupor.
Sakura fell haphazardly to the ground, watching as Kimimaro reached down to grab her hands. And in the blink of an eye, Sakura was hauled up off the ground and held protectively against someone's chest.
"Kisame, see to the trash." Came a familiar voice as the body that held her moved away from the scuffling sounds. Sakura blinked twice before looking up to her savior only to gasp as hazel eyes held her own. "Are you alright, princess?" Pein asked over the roar of the car alarm.
"I think so." She answered, not really understanding just what was going on. Belatedly, Sakura turned off her car alarm as she continued to look up at Pein… even after he set her down. The Sound five ran away, tails tucked firmly between their legs as the swore revenge on the cloaked men.
"Nice idea with the alarm, girly. We wouldn't have known you were in trouble if you hadn't set it off." A tall, blue-haired man said as he stepped under the glow of the streetlight in the empty parking lot. Sakura turned to look at her other savior and stared. Before her stood a man, seven feet tall, over 200 pounds with blue skin and hair. But what struck her the most was not his sharp, pointy teeth but the black cloak with red clouds that covered him.
"Thank you Akatsuki-san." Sakura said with a bow. Kisame shrugged and laughed it off, not used to the genuine gratitude the pink-haired female had expressed towards him.
"Kisame, head back to base and wait for the others. I will escort Sakura home and return shortly." Pein said as he easily took Sakura's keys from her shaking hands and picked up her groceries before ushering the stunned girl to her car.
"Hai, Leader-sama." And with that Kisame was gone as Pein and Sakura pulled out of the parking lot. The trip to Sakura's house was short and quiet, save the ragged breathing that Sakura tried to calm. It wasn't until the car pulled to a stop in her driveway that the situation hit Sakura full force. Dirty hands wiped the tears that spilled from her wide, emerald eyes.
"You're Akatsuki?" she asked, walking up the front steps. Pein unlocked the front door and ushered her inside.
"Is that a problem?" Pein countered, blinking as a lamp turned on.
"No, not at all. I'm just a little… surprised." Sakura answered, walking farther into her house, towards the kitchen. She opened the freezer, pulled out a bag of peas and placed it against her aching head.
"Let me have a look." He told her as he stepped forward and gently took the bag of frozen peas from her. Sakura winced slightly as Pein's fingers ghosted over her bruising temple. With a sigh, he placed the bag back on her head. "I'm not a doctor but it looks all right to me. It'll bruise but you shouldn't have much trouble with it."
"Thank you." Sakura whispered softly, looking up at him with a soft smile. "Hey… he called you 'Leader-sama.' Are you…" she trailed off, wagging a finger at him as her other hand held the bag of frozen vegetables to her head.
"Yes. I am the leader and founder to the Akatsuki." He answered with a smirk. "And I believe you owe me a kiss."
"Yes, yes I do." Pein leaned forward, eyes locked on hers as Sakura craned her neck to gently press her lips to his. Electricity shot through Sakura's system as her free hand fisted his cloak. Pein felt it too, having moved closer to her to deepen the kiss. His tongue swept across her bottom lip, asked for entrance which Sakura granted without a seconds hesitation. Tongues swept and danced in unison, igniting a fire that increased as the seconds ticked by. Sakura moaned softly into is mouth, tugging Pein as close to her as possible while he pulled her against his chest and kept her there. But then the need for oxygen beckoned for them to separate. They did so, albeit, reluctantly as heated looks were exchanged between them.
"I have to get back, Sakura." Pein sighed, resting his cheek against hers.
"I understand." She whispered, hugging him as best as she could with one hand. Pein returned the gesture before heading for the front door. Sakura saw him out and locked the door before heading off to bed.
(A/N: Ok… leave a comment and let me know what you think. I really, really want to know.)