Title: Train (Ch.2)
Authoress: Mistress Krane
Summary: Two strangers. One comes from a rural home, the other a more urban setting. A small train, running at an unusual hour, brings them together. AU, ItaSaku
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
A/N: I really hope that this installment works out: it is my first attempt at a somewhat multi-chaptered story, and I am still unsure if I should end it after this or not. I suppose I will have to wait and see! :)
The large, comfortable hotel bed sank, without a sound, in reaction to Sakura's added weight as she sprang herself onto the mattress. Pink hair fanned around her, she wrapped her arms around a fluffy red pillow and hugged it to her chest.
"I still cannot believe that mother allowed me to stay in this luxurious hotel," Sakura murmured to herself, shifting her long, pale legs slightly. The oversized t-shirt, courtesy of her childhood friend, Naruto, was midnight blue with small, green frogs dotting the fabric. She had thought that it was adorable, and he had agreed to let her keep it.
Lifting her head, damp locks moving with the motion, she ran her eyes over the interior of her room. A large television set was placed on a wooden stand, the remote sitting neatly to the side. She suspected that there were hundreds of channels loaded into the thing.
The window side of the room was accompanied by a small stationary desk with a coffee maker, which Sakura immediately turned her nose up at; she had learned from a very young age that starting off the morning with caffeine was a horrible habit, especially for one's health.
The stand beside her bed held a simple lamp, along with the telephone that all hotels had in their rooms. Of course she had no intention of ordering any service, for it was much too expensive: going around town and searching the local cafés sounded much more appealing.
Whilst she was taking her shower, she had noticed that the bathroom was very polished and elegant, with all of the towels and such in perfect order. The small shampoo and conditioner bottles had been left untouched, as she had brought her toiletries with her just in case.
Sakura slowly brought herself upright in the bed, reaching across the covers and picking up her light blue cell phone.
Flipping through the contact listing, she smiled at the names of her various friends and family before stopping on the most recent addition to her phone's memory. Itachi, just added that morning.
Her expression became thoughtful at the name, brows furrowing.
Uchiha Itachi, from what she was able to gather in the span of the train ride, was obviously a very important, if not a very powerful, man. He had looked to be only three or four years older than herself, but because he was the son of a large business owner, he was the heir to a large company.
To be honest, this was something that Sakura had difficulty understanding fully. As she had previously stated, she was from a humble community, nestled into the deep countryside of Japan. She had no in-depth knowledge of the urban society, though she had always dreamed of majoring in the medical field, particularly by way of university degree.
She sighed, stopping that train of thought instantly. Though she had always been very intelligent, she was aware of the fact that her family could not afford for her to take college at the moment, even with a full-time scholarship. She understood, and had accepted it, for there was nothing that she could do.
Glancing at the time, she noticed that it was already late, meaning that there was no point in going out to get a bite to eat. Many of the eateries were closed by now, and even if they were not, she would not like to bother the surly employees by asking for service.
After a few moments of contemplation, Sakura decided that she would just go down into the lobby, find something to eat from a vending machine, and be back in her room to sketch in her notepad and enjoy her snack.
Sliding on a pair of dark shorts, though they were practically invisible beneath the length of her shirt, she tied her hair into a high ponytail, stepped into her brown sandals, and exited the room, bringing a small amount of money with her, along with her door card.
Treading down the silent corridors and heading toward the elevator, she pressed the dark red 'down' button and smiled at the customary ding.
The metal doors slid open smoothly, revealing, much to her surprise, two other occupants inside. A redhead and a raven-haired young man stood side by side. The latter looked unusually similar to Itachi, came a stray thought as she stepped into the elevator.
"Good evening," she greeted quietly. The redhead trained his solemn amber eyes onto her in muted curiosity, while the other man stayed impassive, not even looking in her direction.
Seeing that the lobby button was already pressed, she refrained from pushing any additional numbers.
"Good evening," he replied, his voice unusually soft. "Your attire is... unusual." He did not sound mocking, just subtly amused.
Sakura smiled, light warmth spreading across her face. "Yes, well I do not plan on leaving the hotel. I just wish to acquire a small snack and return to my room."
She looked over his appearance as well, noting that he was dressed casually in a pair of black slacks and a simple button-down white shirt. It seemed much more acceptable than her outfit.
"My name is Sasori," he said after a moment of silence, his hand moving to his chest in a gesture of emphasis. "This young man beside me is Uchiha Sasuke. Please pardon his rude behavior."
Said Uchiha's eyes narrowed in a hint of annoyance.
"Uchiha Sasuke?" asked Sakura stiffly, the smile on her face twitching smally. Of course, it was just her luck to run into Itachi's younger sibling wearing her pajamas of all things; very smooth, Sakura.
He nodded curtly, not making eye contact with her. "You are not a fan, are you?" he asked, a small amount of acid leaking into his tone.
Sakura immediately became indignant at his implication. Why would he assume right off of the bat that she would flutter and fawn over him? The nerve and arrogance of this man...
"Have any of my actions suggested such a thing, Uchiha-san?" she asked almost icily.
Both men looked at her sharply, not expecting her biting reply. Her disposition had clearly led them to believe that she was a polite, country-charmed girl, seemingly incapable of being even slightly disrespectful. Clearly they had been proven wrong.
Before they could reply, the doors slid open to reveal the hotel's grand lobby. Sakura stepped out and turned swiftly to them, pink hair moving with her. "It was very nice meeting you, gentlemen," she said with a smile, though her eyes never once strayed over to Sasuke. "I hope that we may meet again in the near future."
With a brief bow, Sakura began to move over to the small restaurant located in the corner of the lobby, intent on leaving the two in her dust.
Unfortunately for the pinkette, her least favorite of the two males decided to tag along while the other proceeded toward the revolving doors. She sniffed quietly to herself.
"Do you not understand the meaning of a goodbye, Uchiha-san?" she asked, trying to sound civil. Perhaps she was being a little childish about the situation, but she absolutely abhorred the rich, I-am-clearly-better-than-you-because-I-have-money, pretty boy type.
"I apologize if I offended you," Sasuke said, keeping pace with her brisk walk. He glanced at her pouting face and silently admitted to himself that, despite her current clothing, she was a very attractive girl.
"You are forgiven," Sakura sighed, trying to calm herself by taking deep breaths. They soon reached their destination, and she approached the closest worker, ordering a slice of their sweetest cake to satisfy her needs.
"Honestly, why are you here?" she asked after watching the employee walk away. Sasuke's eyes were calm. "There is nothing to gain by accompanying me, and I presume that you have a place to be at this hour."
Sasuke smirked the smallest bit, taking Sakura's ordered cheesecake from the returning server politely. He began to walk toward the exit of the small restaurant, pinkette in tow.
He turned to her. "Yes, in fact, I do have to be somewhere, but accompanying a lady such as yourself is more important at the moment," he said, mouth lifting slightly at the corner.
Sakura sighed quietly to herself; Itachi's younger brother sure was something, wasn't he?
"Oh please," she laughed shortly. It wasn't a bitter laugh, it was just… a laugh. "I appreciate your kindness, Uchiha-san, but please, you don't have to."
The Uchiha raised a brow faintly at her attitude toward his statement.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I really do have to be somewhere," Sakura smiled, taking the box from Sasuke's hands and waving smally. She started toward the elevator.
Walking inside and pushing the number twelve, she waited patiently for the doors to slip shut. Uchiha Sasuke was different from his brother, but at the same time, there was something similar about the two that she couldn't quite place.
She continued to contemplate the trait, but quickly shrugged it off. What was so important about Uchihas anyway, other than the fact that they owned one of the largest companies in Japan?
Just as the golden doors began to slide closed, a pale hand shot out to hold them still.
"Wait, yeah!" came a loud voice from just outside the doors. "Can you keep this damn door open, please?"
Sakura giggled lightly, recalling many situations where the same thing had happened to her in the past, and complacently pushed the correct button. The doors began to slide back open.
"Thanks, un," said the man as he stepped beside her. His long blonde hair was tied into a high ponytail, and his bangs covered his left eye. He was wearing sweatpants and a dark t-shirt.
"Not a problem," said Sakura, holding a finger to her lips to suppress her chuckles.
He looked at her and smirked, taking in her appearance. He looked to be a very sunny person, thought Sakura.
"What's a little country girl like you doing in a place like this, yeah?" he asked airily, leaning toward her with a grin. "You never know what kind of person could try to take advantage of you." There was a glint in his deep blue eyes.
Sakura smiled, a blush warming her face at the slightly-concerned-in-his-own-way statement. "I thank you for your concern on my part, sir," she said sincerely. "But who, in such a wealthy establishment such as this, would try to do something inappropriate with me? I am sure that they could easily…persuade many beautiful women to satisfy their, um, needs."
The blonde laughed easily, looking at her in amusement. "You're pretty cute, un. But I don't think you see just how naïve you are. Too many people that I know wouldn't think twice about using you for whatever reason."
She looked at him. "Well…"
"Deidara."
"…Deidara-san," Sakura laughed. "Then I am glad that I happened to meet you in the elevator instead of some other man with less than good intentions."
He chuckled sheepishly, his own face turning a light shade of pink.
The elevator continued to rise with barely a sound, and soon they had reached the twelfth floor. The bell dinged and the doors slid open.
"Well, it was very nice to meet you, Deidara-san," Sakura said warmly, stepping onto her floor. She began to walk away, but suddenly remembered something and turned around. "Oh wait, is there a nice spot around town that you know of where I can take a jog in the morning?"
Deidara smirked at her. "There's a park in town that's really cool, yeah," he tipped, waving smally. The doors began sliding shut. "Try going there."
Sakura grinned and turned around, walking back down the hallway and toward her room. Sliding the card and hearing the satisfying click, she turned the handle and entered, smiling to herself.
XXX
Deidara stood silently, listening to the hum of the elevator as he went higher. And higher. And higher still until he reached the thirtieth floor of the hotel.
He stepped into the hallway and found one door at the end of the corridor. It was tall, golden with sapphire blue lining, and very grandeur. Just like the Uchiha, he snorted silently.
"Oi! Open the door, hmm?" said Deidara nonchalantly, waving his hand around. "Come on, Sasori-dono."
The door was swung open smoothly as a handsome young redhead poked his head into the hallway. He looked over at Deidara with cool amber eyes.
"Deidara." His voice was dark, but non-threatening. "You are late."
The blonde 'tch'-ed and made his way over to him casually. "You really think that I care, un? The Uchiha doesn't give a crap anyway."
The two entered the room, glancing at the fireplace as well as the tasteful furniture briefly before seating themselves. Sasori sipped a glass of wine from the table.
They had been business partners as well as tentative friends for a few years, and had eventually gotten used to each other, though Deidara was a bit loud for Sasori's taste. Art was a hobby of both of theirs, but they always seemed to disagree about their points of view.
As they continued to wait, Deidara began to tap his foot to a silent beat, proceeding to annoy the hell out of his companion. He looked over to see the impatient crease in Sasori's brow, and called, "Hey Itachi! Hurry it up, will you? The dono hates waiting, remember?"
"Deidara," frowned Sasori, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "You know that Itachi has a small meeting to attend to. He will be out shortly." It sounded more like a threat than a reassurance.
A door to the right of the fireplace burst open with a bang, drawing sharp stares from the two.
"Calm down, kids," said a gruff voice. "You should really learn to be patient, you know that?" A shark-like grin spread across his face.
"Oh, go peddle your fins somewhere else," coughed Deidara, leaning his head on his fist.
The man merely raised a brow, his light blue skin reflecting the fire's glow. "Do you really want to go there, kid?" he asked, raising his coat sleeve.
"Please stop," interrupted Sasori quietly. He watched the wine swirl in his glass. "I apologize on Deidara's behalf, Kisame."
Deidara and Kisame just looked at each other and grinned widely, the latter plopping himself into a large single-seater. "Right. Thanks, Sasori," he chuckled.
Sasori's mouth tilted up slightly.
"Deidara, I trust that you are comfortable?" asked a new, velvety smooth voice. "I am sorry that I was unable to answer the door; I was speaking with Kisame."
The three looked up to see the raven-haired young man sipping a glass of water elegantly, obsidian eyes unreadable. His other hand was slid into the pocket of his dark slacks.
"Itachi," greeted Sasori, dipping his head slightly.
"Yo Itachi, un," grunted Deidara, raising his hand.
The Uchiha didn't join them, moving instead to the large window situated on the far wall. He looked down at the city lights. "Were there any particular topics that you wished to discuss tonight, Deidara? Sasori?" Itachi asked.
"Not really," admitted Deidara shamelessly. "I just wanted to crash here for the night, yeah. My room is too boring."
"I believe that speaking to you tomorrow would be much more favorable," said Sasori with a shrug. "Perhaps now would be a good time for my departure."
He stood, taking his cell phone from his pocket and scrolling through his various addresses. He stopped on one in particular and opened a blank message template, typing in a series of words and sliding his phone shut. "I have made an appointment for breakfast at the small sweet restaurant near the park," said Sasori. "I know that it is your favorite."
Itachi smirked, nodding to his friend in thanks. "You know that you are always welcome to stay, Sasori. It is no trouble."
Kisame added, "I'm staying too, kid. You should hang out."
Sasori shook his head once, though he did smirk at them. "I, myself, would like to retire to my room, unlike you two." He bowed his head to point to Deidara and Kisame. "But I thank you for your kindness, Itachi."
Deidara raised his hand, grinning when Sasori slapped and gripped it compliantly. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Sasori my man," he said, patting the redhead's shoulder.
"Yes, perhaps in the morning," agreed Sasori. "Have a pleasant evening, gentlemen."
He swiveled on his heel, walking out the door and shutting it soundly.
Kisame followed the exit up with a loud burp, chuckling along with Deidara as Itachi gave both of them a dry look. He took a deck of cards out of his pocket, dealing out three hands and spreading them out on the table.
"Ante up, boys," said Kisame, slapping down a fifty on the table. "Daddy needs a brand new car."
Deidara pulled a similar bill out of his pocket and flicked it into the middle as well. "You always need something new, un."
"If it's out of your pocket, I would buy all of Tokyo," replied Kisame sardonically. "Come on Itachi: place your donation: no amount is too high."
The blonde rolled his eyes. "Not that I don't enjoy seeing you lose, dude. But you know that Itachi almost never loses; his poker face kills, dammit!"
They looked at his face simultaneously, cringing at the ominous blankness of it.
"I'm willing to take the chance," declared Kisame, throwing the cards with sharp accuracy toward Itachi's face. The Uchiha caught them easily.
"Very well," Itachi deadpanned, inwardly sighing as he took his seat at the table.
XXX
A twenty was tossed into the mounting pile.
Azure eyes flickered over to meet confident little beads and cool obsidian. They flickered downwards. Who threw that down? "Shit!" He slapped his cards onto the table.
Kisame and Itachi didn't react. Of course not: that's what one of them had wanted.
"I need a soda," frowned Deidara, craving caffeine. "You bastards need anything, yeah?"
"Sake for me, pipsqueak," piped Kisame. Looking over to see Itachi's almost imperceptible eyebrow raise, he growled, grumbling, "Make that tea. Some strong crap."
"Two, please," murmured Itachi.
Deidara nodded, but stood in place when he caught sight of more money being placed on the table. Fifty by Itachi.
Eighty by Kisame.
One hundred by Itachi.
Hesitation, and then one-fifty by Kisame.
Two hundred by Itachi, not a beat missed.
"Ah fuck," Kisame ground out, slamming his hand down. He sulked, looking at the money longingly as Itachi set down his cards.
Deidara cracked up as Kisame moaned in anger and frustration. The set was okay, the blonde decided, but it definitely wouldn't have won anything under normal circumstances.
Then again, the fact that they were Itachi's made them wild cards until they were seen. "Nice bluff," complimented Deidara, whistling lowly.
"All of that money," complained Kisame as Itachi carefully placed the winnings into his wallet. He stood, stretched, and flung himself onto the largest couch in the room. "I'm going to crash in here."
"That is fine," said Itachi with a small smirk as he placed his wallet inside his pocket once again. "Deidara, you are welcome to a room if you would like, unless you prefer the main room instead."
Said person eyed Kisame dubiously, scrunching his nose. "I think I'll take a room, hmm. I can't handle the snore machine tonight," he said, pausing and grinning. "I'm going running again in the morning at the park."
Not saying anything about Deidara's odd behavior, Itachi walked over to a wooden dresser and pulled out a crimson blanket. He tossed it to him.
"Thanks, Uchiha," said Deidara, turning and walking to a door beside the kitchen. "Night, un."
"Good night, Deidara," Itachi returned, a small trace of cordiality leaking into his tone.
The door clicked shut soon, and Itachi, accompanied by Kisame's low snores, fixed a cup of tea and settled himself beside the window. He sat silently and meditated, the gravelly sounds fading away swiftly and naturally.
A/N: There really isn't any ItaSaku interaction here, and I am very sorry, but I just wanted to introduce the other Akatsuki/'business owners' into Sakura's life. I actually think that I am subconsciously including Sasori more than I should. ;)
And just a little pre-chapter warning for next time, I know that Itachi and Sakura have just met and all, and I am trying desperately to keep them in character, so heads up!
Mistress Krane