2~ Last Name
The apartment was clean.
Completely tidy, like a "Better Homes and Gardens" magazine.
On the table was an empty wine bottle, and a glass that looked completely untouched, save the last little droplet of wine in the bottom, and a barely-there stain of lip balm on the rim. On the couch, Sakura was curled up with a blanket sleeping, her cheeks rosy and red as proof that she had been drinking.
The house was silent.
Somehow, staleness had already settled in.
"Okay, so come back in two weeks and I'll take those stitches out. Until then I want you to stay away from steam and take a break from training. I don't want you opening that up again."
She whacked the Academy student on the back of the head affectionately, and he laughed. The minute he was off the hospital bed and out the door, Sakura stuck her head out the door and asked for the next patient.
"But… Sakura-san, you've been here for four days straight…"
"And? There's work to do. Send in the next patient."
The hesitant woman could only comply. Technically, even if she was older, Sakura was her superior; there wasn't a thing she could do about it. The young man that crippled to the room was favoring his left leg to the point of practically hopping on one foot. He'd probably be out in minutes, if the way the medic was working was any indication.
Working hard, working fast. Like a machine.
The office she kept was already sparkling clean, without a hint of paperwork. The Hokage's medical office was the same way. As was Shizune's. All completed by Sakura. When she was absolutely sure that she could hear the calm, professional voice of the medic talking to her patient, the nurse snuck to the phone and hit the speed-dial.
Even if she couldn't do anything, that person could.
"… And you're here… why?"
"To invite you drinking. Everyone's busy and it's too lonely to go by myself."
Ino was standing there with a totally nonplussed look on her face, her mouth somewhere between a pout and a frown. Her body language was expressly telling her pink-haired friend that, no, she wasn't going anywhere until the medic agreed.
"Whatever. If I go home I'll end up drinking anyway."
"Now that really is lonely. Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's a social activity?" That comment was ignored. Sakura gathered up her purse and keys, paying no attention to the nurse on duty as she signed out on the hospital log, which said she'd first arrived five days ago now. That was just a little pathetic, but at the moment, she really didn't give a damn.
The streets were lit brightly, with shops that were lively and full of people, decorated in various flashy, non-intrusive ways. Street lamps were unnecessary with the normal shinobi nightlife as it was. The lights flooded the streets, and made it bright and almost festive. Down the main drag a ways, Ino cut off onto a small side street, and in minutes they were in their favorite pub. The owner greeted them kindly when they came in.
"What'll it be, ladies?"
"Just a beer, Shin. Thanks."
"The strongest thing you've got in the biggest glass you've got."
The redheaded young man looked at her in surprise, but complied without saying anything. Shinobi were accustomed to drinking, he knew… and he supposed that she deserved it with what had happened a few days ago. Everyone knew. When she started to sigh, he surprised her by popping a cherry in her mouth.
"Don't do that, it makes your happiness fly away." His taupe eyes were the only sign of pity on his face, but he knew that even that much was unwelcome. Haruno Sakura was not the type to seek pity. She seemed to roll the cherry around in her mouth for a minute, before she vulgarly spat out the pit and stem on the counter.
"Oh look. I tied the stem in a knot. Can I have that drink now?"
"We're a little short-handed, so you'll be by yourself; is that alright?"
"Iruka-sensei, I'm called 'Earthquake Haruno' for a reason, remember?" The blank, but somehow obviously unhappy, look she had plastered on her face was chillingly clear: Give me the damn mission or I'm going back to work at the hospital. Now which will it be?
"I understand, Sakura-san, I do! I was just making sure you didn't mind!"
Just a little, despite her angry aura, he wanted to pat her hair like he used to when she was an academy student. He could remember the way she'd been with Kakashi; it was still that fresh in his mind. It had been a quiet sort of romance; she relied on him completely, trusted him completely. Had long since given herself over to him. And to Kakashi, she'd been even greater than a lover, he'd sometimes thought. Like he revolved around her… like she was a goddess that had mercifully brought him to life. The fact that, even like this, he felt like he could see the older man's shadow behind her, a nervous smile crinkling his only visible eye…
If he was like this… it was certainly worse for her, right?
Iruka handed her the mission papers calmly, and she started scanning them.
"You're to meet the clients three days from now at this southern port in the Tea Country. They're travelling incognito, so you should do your best to look like a civilian. He says that he would appreciate if you would wear something to identify yourself inconspicuously, as he doesn't want to give himself away by risking his own information."
"I'll go as myself. No one can question a girl with pink hair, right?" It was a slight relief that now, at least, she was smirking. Iruka smiled in return.
"I'll be sure and send a hawk to let the client know."
Two days.
He was friggin' two days late.
At the portside pub, Sakura was the only woman to be seen. She had kicked, punched, pummeled and mauled at least a crew's worth of seamen in these last two hellish days, and for every man she damaged, she drank another drink. The alcohol had, unfortunately, yet to go to her head. Still sober enough to touch her nose and walk a straight line was not how she wanted to be at the moment. The bartender was now used to her; she'd simply borrowed one of the large corner booths in the seedy establishment and slept when and if she felt like it. He walked over to her while polishing a glass.
"Chouko-chan, if you keep drinking like that you'll get too bored, you know. Why don't you go dance for a while?" She didn't even flinch at his casual use of her alias.
"I'm not bored. I'm pissed."
"Your husband a seaman?"
Her glass shattered when she set it on the cabinet, but over the noise of the music and the raucous din of the sailors, no one even noticed. Her anger was just tangible enough to intimidate the man in front of her.
"No, Kouji-san. I'm afraid the man I love has never been much for the sea."
Slamming back the last of her foul-smelling cocktail, she slid from the barstool and ambled to the dance floor. The music was loud. Loud enough that she could feel it vibrating in her chest. A sultry, powered voice poured through the speakers. She was perfectly aware that most of the eyes were on her. She didn't care. There weren't many people dancing, other than the youngsters with a need to move. She didn't even look like one of them. More woman than girl; less gentle than strong. When a boy who was probably a little older than herself ambled over, she actually allowed him to speak before pummeling him.
"Hey, cutie. Wanna join us for some poker?" Sakura eyed him blankly. She could care less about his obvious ulterior motives, but playing a little poker would've been another change of pace to keep her distracted.
"Sounds good. What're the stakes?"
"Just a little petty cash. There's no high-rollers 'round this area." He had a friendly smile. In turn, it probably meant that he was used to this. When she followed him to the corner table, a man was just returning from the bar with a round of beer for all. The introductions went around, and when they reached her, she was already picking up her drink.
"I don't give introductions to men who lose to me. Win once and maybe I'll tell you my name."
The cards flew. After a dozen games, all of which she won, the sailors got a little frustrated. And then they just had to go and dare her.
"Fact or fiction: there are seven primary shinobi villages?" she asked, a half-full bottle of whiskey in-hand. Around the table, men with various degrees of drunkenness had similar bottles. The young one that had invited her over was long since drunk under the table. What had become of him, she had no idea.
"Fact." The others drunkenly agreed with the bearded man that had barely managed to slur out that single word. Hardly phased, Sakura knocked back the last of her whiskey in a single, long draught. Kouji was already serving her another bottle.
"Sorry. That's fiction."
They were beginning to look at their bottles like they were the devil himself. She'd probably turned them into nice, sober gentlemen after tonight. Sakura was already chugging down her new bottle. They hadn't won a thing. Kouji-san had been forbidden to mention her name (alias though it was). When she slammed another empty bottle on the table, there was a slight ringing in her ears.
So. It would take her two days of nearly constant alcohol intake to get drunk. That was nice to know.
Liking the fact that she was about to start really forgetting things, she summoned the bartender for another two bottles of whiskey. By the time she'd finished them off, her companions were already passed out on the table, and the music that had at first only resonated in her chest was now creeping like electricity over her skin. She wanted to dance. And she did.
She didn't even care that all eyes were on her. It wasn't like she looked like a ninja or anything, right? She was just wearing a pair of slacks and a tank top. Nothing extravagant, and nothing that looked ninja-ish. But the way she could feel the attention… she decided that she didn't mind it. Was a little gratifying.
She didn't understand why she didn't like the part about it being gratifying. She was a single young woman, right? Something scratching at the back of her mind said that dancing alone wasn't a good idea. Something… in a very masculine voice that seemed warm and familiar.
Kaka… shi…
The minute his name came to mind, she didn't feel like dancing anymore. It was still the middle of a song, but she simply stopped moving and went to the bar.
"Another one please, Kouji-san."
"I thought you were going to dance!"
"I did. I don't want to anymore."
Vaguely, she was aware of someone taking a seat next to her.
"If you come on to me, I swear I'll kill you." He didn't answer. Whether it was because he was pissed, shocked or ignoring her she really didn't care.
"I'll have what this pleasant young woman is drinking." In surprise, she gave a dry, barking laugh. He didn't startle then, but when a two bottles of whiskey settled on the counter side-by-side, he seemed to stiffen. She cackled.
"What, is the drink too tall for you, young man?" She didn't really bother to turn and look at him. Her cork was soon on the counter, and she was knocking back the liquor as if it were water. After a moment, he seemed to follow suit. The bartender wandered over to her, still polishing another glass.
"Chouko-chan, do you realize just how many of those you've had?"
"Nope. Don't care either. I'm sure my wallet can handle it."
"… That's really not the issue here, you know…"
"What is it, then?"
"A single young lady shouldn't be knocking back twenty bottles of pure grain alcohol a night," he deadpanned. The customer next to her made no comment on her consumption, but he did seem to think twice about the bottle of white lightning in his hand.
"I'm not drunk yet, am I?"
"You're not exactly sober, if that's what you want to know."
"We knew that when I started. What sober human would even think about drinking so much? They'd probably have alcohol poisoning before they even got halfway through all of it." She took aim, and then threw the bottle in the wastebasket. She apparently used too much power, because it shattered on the wall above before falling in its intended grave. Satisfactorily disposed of (a little too well disposed of, in Kouji's opinion), Sakura turned back to her new favorite person.
"Another."
"No."
"Can you really say no, Kouji-san? I'm a paying customer with good money, lots of it, and who causes absolutely no trouble no matter how much she drinks, right?" She smiled sweetly. In fact, if he hadn't been watching her the last three days, he would've thought she was still stone cold sober. Begrudgingly, he slid another bottle onto the cabinet.
"What number is that?" Sakura heard the stranger next to her ask, but she didn't really care to answer. She could see, though, when the young bartender sent him a withering plea for help with his eyes.
"This would be her twenty-sixth, sir." She paused mid-swig.
"I was sure it was only my twenty-second…"
"You passed up the twenty-second one when you were still playing fact or fiction with those people that've become deadweight in the corner, Chouko-chan."
Sakura shrugged, and took a few more gulps from her bottle. The smoky, smooth flavor was still burning down her throat in a way that got more delightful as time passed. In the next minute, she was dunking another bottle in the garbage can.
"Another, Kouji-san."
"Chouko-chan-!"
"I don't want to hear it!" He startled. She… hadn't raised her voice before. "Kouji-san… please. Just give me the drink. I can still remember. Just let me forget."
Remember the nights she's slept, locked in a warm embrace. The times she'd been saved. Healed. Cared for. Every time he'd touched her face, every single smile she'd ever seen on his beautiful, unmasked face. Could feel every time he'd stroked her hair, and every kiss, soft and tender or hard and heated, that he'd ever lain upon her lips.
And she wanted… just simply wanted to forget.
After that, she wasn't really sure how many of those bottles she drank. More than too many. Kouji's protests had stopped after that, and she hadn't paid any attention as she knocked back one decanter of liquor after another. She didn't know when, but at one point she started to feel… light. There was a weight that seemed to grow legs and walk off for a little while, and during that time, she remembered going to the dance floor again. The stranger that had sat beside her came up and danced with her. The blur of lights, the loud music, and the crowd of bodies that had steadily grown with time all blended together, becoming a fuzzy picture that didn't seem nearly as dependable later as it had at the time. As did that figure. That dark, tall, somehow beautiful figure of the stranger that spoke kindly but really didn't have a face.
He whispered…
"Sakura…"
And… forgetting who she was, she answered.
The sun was rising. And she could only think one thing.
Dammit, it's morning.
Sakura stared blankly at the window where sunlight was ever so cheerfully streaming in, and willed herself not to roll over and go back to sleep. There were a few reasons for that.
One, she didn't know where the hell she was.
Two, she couldn't remember a damned thing.
The clean, rather plush hotel room was decked out in red and chocolate brown. The bed she was laying on was thick and unbelievably comfortable, and the soft, down-filled suede coverlet was pleasant on her skin where the sheet had slipped away.
Her clothes were everywhere.
When she sat up, the medic noted uneasily that she was absolutely naked, and that her hips were aching uncomfortably.
Well, I've certainly done something crazy this time…
Ten minutes. Just ten minutes and she was up, washed off and dressed. On the dresser, there was a receipt that stated her tab at the bar had been paid, and for that she noted that her wallet hadn't lightened any. Whoever had managed to pick her up had been gentlemanly enough to pick up her tab, while he was at it. She was just about to leave through the door…
But he was back.
To meet him seemed… awkward, at best. Without a sound, she leapt away from the door, turned tail, and disappeared through the window.
It wasn't until later, much later, after her angry client had finally resumed his journey with her en-tow, that she realized an unexplained gold ring was hugging innocently to her finger.
AN: That was fast, wasn't it? XP Here's the second chapter of Carnival Ride, peeps! Hope you like. I finished chapter 7 a few minutes ago, so I figured I'd go ahead and post it. I'm still running the challenge; if you name the chapter order correctly I'll do a special request. XP It'll run through chapter 6, but you still better get crackin!
DON'T FORGET TO R&R!
