Author's note: I wanted to get the first couple of chapters up in quick succession so I could work out any plot holes that popped up as I progressed with where I wanted the story to go. Thank you for those of you that have read and reviewed, this is my first story in a long time. I deleted all of my old ones because the writing is just cringe worthy, might as well start fresh. Feel free to give me some constructive criticism, it helps me help you!
I'll probably put songs up for the chapter's in which I had a specific song in mind while writing. For this chapter, the song that I had imagined playing in the club was "The Future" by Bassnectar. It's got a deep seductive beat, I felt like it fit the scene well.
As always, I don't own Naruto nor will I ever. Thanks for reading :)
The morning of their mission, Sakura was just finishing putting the last of her supplies into her pack when she heard a knock at her door. The door opened shortly afterwards, and there were only two people who had the balls to enter her apartment without her answering the door first.. the flash of yellow prior to being engulfed in a bone crushing hug confirmed her suspicions.
"Awe Sakura-chan what am I going to do with you AND Hinata gone on this mission… that's like 100% of my friend group!" Naruto pouted.
"Nonsense," Sakura state as she pulled from his embrace and turned to face him, "You have Kakashi sensei AND Sai!"
"Which is basically the same thing as hanging out with a plank of wood and the villages number one pervert. I'm going to die," He exclaimed as he fell on to her bed.
Sakura stifled a giggle at her friend's expense. Naruto's flair for drama had not diminished much with age. "You will be fine, Naruto. We will be gone for two weeks, tops. That's not all that long. In the meantime, you can work with Tsunade-sama on your future Hokage duties and maybe work on your coping skills while you're at it," she said pointedly.
Naruto pretended not to hear her. "I guess I can use the opportunity to train more so that whenever Sasuke comes back I'm still able to kick his ass. I've been spending so much time with Hinata that I've been skimping on my training regimen."
Sakura's heart sped up at the mention of his name, much to her chagrin. She fell silent as she let herself succumb to the melancholy that consumed her whenever she thought about the boy she had spent so much time loving. Naruto picked up on his friend's shift in mood, and immediately tried to change the subject.
"So what time do you guys have to leave? I'll walk with you to the Hyuuga residence to get Hinata that way I can say a proper goodbye to my two favorite kunoichi!"
"We leave in an hour. Plenty of time to meet up with Hinata," she allowed herself to smile despite her recently soured mood.
"Great, let's get going! Last one there has to buy the other ramen when you guys get back!"
As they walked to the Hyuuga residence in a comfortable silence, Sakura had plenty of time to think about her conversation with Hinata last night. She was honestly exhausted with letting Sasuke affect her so easily when she hadn't seen him or heard from him in over a year. It was high time that she moved on.
She'd pondered the possibility of falling in love with someone else, and it was a weird feeling. Spending so long infatuated with one person brought no closure so making the decision to move on was cathartic. She was doing this for herself. She was going to go on this mission and face her fears, handle it like a professional, and return to the village a new woman.
I mean, easier said than done. But it sounded good in her head.
They arrived at Hinata's family compound to find her waiting outside for them, ready to leave for the mission. Naruto swooped her into a hug much like he had Sakura, but the gentle way in which he regarded Hinata and how his eyes lingered on her face quickly made their interaction much more intimate. Sakura felt the need to look away just to give them some privacy, and the inherently shy Hinata began to blush.
"N-naruto-kun, not in front of the compound! The elders would not approve of such public displays of affection!"
"Sorry Hinata-chan, I'm just going to miss you so much!" Naruto whined.
Sakura couldn't help but laugh at her friend's desperation. It was nice to see how they interacted together. She was so happy that Naruto finally realized his feelings for Hinata and that he finally returned the adoration she had held for him for so long. She was definitely a little envious, being that this situation is exactly how she wanted her and Sasuke to work out. She was too good of a friend to resent them for this, though. She was, at the heart of all her feelings, genuinely happy for them. They worked together very well, much like a real-life yin and yang.
The group started towards the gates, making good time. Naruto and Hinata chatted about how much fun this mission would be for her being that she was the one trusted to infiltrate the hideout and she also got to test out the henge she had spent so much time on. Apparently after she went home last night she had continued to practice until her chakra began to dip to levels that she wouldn't be able to recover with a good night's rest.
As they came upon the gates, Kiba was waiting with Tsunade and Kakashi. It had become normal practice for Kakashi to wish any of his former students farewell as they left for missions. It was nice to know that he still cared for them now as much as he did when he was their sensei.
"Alright, any last-minute questions before you depart?" Tsunade inquired.
The trio shook their heads in unison and Tsunade smiled. "Good. Now be careful and good luck, be sure to check in if this mission goes on to take more than two weeks. I don't think you'll have any issues, but it's always better to prepare for the worst."
And with that, the newly formed team walked out of the gates and towards the promise of an interesting mission and what Sakura hoped to be a cathartic experience.
The group traveled at a consistent speed and carried on pleasant conversation, Akamaru barking in agreement occasionally. Once the sun started to set, they searched for a place to set up camp. They ate a quick meal and settled into sleep with Akamaru taking his place right outside the tent.
The sun rose and they made haste to set out once again, taking advantage of the beautiful weather. They didn't run into anyone during their travels, something they were thankful for. They were all anxious to make good time on this mission considering the impending attacks were bound to happen any day now. At least the villages have the dispatched shinobi to protect them in that case.
They arrived in Tenzen shortly before the sun had set and made their way to the Inn that Tsunade had directed them to stay in. It was quaint, boasting a unique charm. It was an older building that stood out among the relatively newer architecture of the town. Sakura figured the reason this Inn was chosen was for that fact alone; they obviously had no issue housing Akamaru and she was sure some of the nicer hotels would not be so accommodating. As the group walked in, they gave their names and received their rooms. Hinata and Sakura were to share a room with two beds, while Kiba and Akamaru got their own room.
Upon entering the room, the girls were pleasantly surprised.. It was inviting, the two beds looking much more appealing than their sleep sacks that they had slept in last night. They laid their packs on the ground and wasted no time falling onto the mattresses.
"Oh man, this is a pleasant surprise. I thought for sure this was going to be some washed up Inn in a small dingy town. I didn't expect Tenzen to be such a big city," Sakura stated.
Hinata nodded in agreement. "I felt the same way. That gives us something to do tonight instead of being cooped up in here all night before we head to the hideout tomorrow!"
"Oh yeah, I could go for a delicious warm meal right about now..." Sakura trailed off, suddenly very aware of how hungry she was. The brisk pace that they traveled at had taken its toll.
"For sure! Let's let Kiba know and see if he wants to tag along," Hinata bubbled as she got up to ask her former teammate.
"Okay, I'm going to hop in the shower real quick while you're gone."
And with that Sakura was left alone in the room. She made her way over to the bathroom with fresh clothes in hand. She's glad that she grabbed some halfway decent looking street clothes, if she would have grabbed her more shoddy outfits she would have stuck out like a sore thumb in this upbeat town (not that she didn't ever stick out with pink hair, though.)
She turned the shower on to the hottest setting and set about peeling her dirty clothes from her body. She then proceeded to undo the braid she had in her hair done in. She'd continued growing it out once Sasuke left the village and it now fell midway down her back. She honestly preferred having it long so that she could better keep it out of her face while she was at work and on missions. She stepped into the shower and relished as the hot water washed all remnants of dirt and sweat away. She allowed herself to stand under the water longer than she normally would, enjoying the opportunity to relax before what would undoubtedly be a tense infiltration of Orochimaru's hideout; she could only imagine the apprehension Hinata was feeling.
After she was dressed she exited the bathroom to find that Kiba had done the same, and Hinata took her turn to follow suit. Once the trio was freshly groomed, the asked the Inn keeper where the best place to eat was and they were directed to a restaurant called Momo's where they sold the best tempura in town (Sakura could hardly contain her excitement let alone her hunger.) As they made their way through the town, Sakura eyed the array of shops, restaurants, and other businesses that this town housed. It was bustling with movement and excitement especially being that this was a Saturday.
When they arrived to the restaurant Akamaru made himself comfortable outside the building as they proceeded to go inside. The pretty hostess let them know that it would be a 20-minute wait and took Sakura's name down. They took seats in the waiting area and made small talk about the new surroundings they found themselves in. It seemed that while Sakura and Hinata had paid most attention to the shops, Kiba had wasted no time in noticing the overwhelming population of beautiful women. Once he pointed it out, however, it became glaringly obvious just how right he was.
It seemed as though every single waitress at this restaurant could work as a full time, well-paid model. Sakura immediately felt more self-conscious, once again mentally thanking herself for packing her nicer clothes.
"What the hell is this, make-Sakura-feel-bad-about-herself-ville," Sakura sulked.
"Nonsense Sakura-chan, you are every bit as beautiful as the women you're comparing yourself to. You just don't see it," Hinata smiled.
Easy for her to say. Puberty did Hinata all sorts of favors in all the right places. She had the hourglass figure that Sakura had always longed for and a classic sort of beauty that seemed to fit every man's tastes. Naruto was more lucky than he realized, and the fact that it took him so long to reciprocate her friend's feelings was pretty outlandish.
"Hinata, you're just as obnoxiously gorgeous as these women. If my hair wasn't pink, not a single man would even bother to spare me a second glance."
Kiba, who had been very quiet while listening to their back and forth, finally interjected. "No Sakura, Hinata is right. You're every bit as gorgeous as these other women. In fact, it is because of your unique features that you are honestly better looking. Not to mention you're a kick-ass kunoichi, which only takes the hotness up like twenty more notches."
The earnest manner in which he easily complimented her made her blush, "Thanks Kiba. That's sweet of you to say."
"Haruno party of 3, your table is ready!" The hostess motioned for them to follow and led them to a small booth in the corner of the large dining area. The place was packed, alluding to just how good the food must be.
"Oh man, this is what dreams are made of," Sakura sighed as she scanned the menu, finding several of her favorite dishes. "I don't even know where to begin!"
"Their menu is pretty extensive, I'm also having a hard time deciding," Hinata agreed.
They ordered a round of drinks, one of the best perks of finally being 21. Sakura's tolerance was basically nonexistent, so she was sure to pace herself (at least, she tried to pace herself). 5 drinks later and a belly full of tempura, Sakura was in a good mood to say the least. Hinata hadn't drank at all, but Kiba took part in the fun along with Sakura.
As the group got up to leave the restaurant, the full force of Sakura's lack of sobriety hit her and she wobbled on her feet a little bit. "Oh man, this should be interesting," she giggled as she tugged on Kiba's arm to balance herself.
"You've got that right," he said as a deep chuckle echoed in his chest. Sakura couldn't quite place her reaction to that, but it made her feel warm. Weird.
As they walked down the streets, Sakura continued to hold onto Kiba's arm to support herself. The boy didn't mind at all, casting sideways glances at her to make sure she was okay. Kiba was decidedly better at handling his alcohol than she was, he was also much bigger than she was so she was going to credit his stability to that. They passed a large bar that had drawn a large crowd. Loud music filtered through the air and caught Sakura's attention and in her drunken stupor she made the executive decision that she wanted to go dancing, something she had never done before.
"OOOoOOHHHH, guys, can we please go in? Even just for a little bit! I've never been to a club before," that last part came out a little whiny, and she internally cringed at herself.
"I'm going to head back to the Inn to practice my henge one last time and get some rest, so you and Kiba go on ahead! This actually works out better so I can practice in privacy. Be safe in whatever you do tonight!" Hinata smiled as she rushed off towards the Inn. Sakura couldn't help but think the girl had ulterior motives.
"Well, shall we?" Kiba grinned at her as he motioned towards the club. An overly excitable Sakura was only much too happy to oblige as he led her into the cluster of lights, music, bodies, and alcohol. Once inside the club, Sakura's senses were overwhelmed by a slow, seductive beat and dim red lighting. As they rounded the corner of the entry hallway, her senses were overwhelmed with a whole new set of visuals: they were in a strip club.
Sakura couldn't help but blush at the sight of lithe feminine forms working on each of the three poles positioned on the center stage. A large staircase led up to a second floor from the stage, presumably where the dancers entered on and off. As much as she knew this was inappropriate, she couldn't take her eyes away. If she had thought the women at the restaurant were beautiful, then these women were goddesses. Kiba, while initially taken aback, gauged Sakura's reaction in order to decide how to proceed. He was pleased to find that she was entranced by what she saw, as opposed to being repulsed as he had thought she would be.
Sakura pulled her gaze away to look at Kiba, who she had completely forgotten about.
"Do you want to leave?" Kiba asked her.
"Oh most definitely not, what I do want is another drink!" She excitedly told him as she pulled him towards the bar. This trip was about getting out of her comfort zone, and she was enjoying her time with Kiba. They had not really spent a whole lot of time together up to this point. She was just going to go with the flow.
Kiba obliged and followed the girl to the bar. "We'll take two peach sakes please." Sakura moved to grab her purse, but Kiba stopped her by placing his hand on her wrist. "My treat," he said as he offered her a warm smile. She was struck with an intrusive thought at that very moment as the warmth she felt earlier returned: he was handsome. She never noticed before, but the angles of his strong features had sharpened with age and for whatever reason, she really like the red markings on his face. Did she never notice because she was too hung up on Sasuke? Well, she decided, she was a fool. Because he was damn good looking.
Deciding to completely wipe the reason she never noticed her attraction to Kiba from her mind, she graciously accepted the drink from Kiba before pulling him to sit in one of the booths. She selected one that was close to the stage, despite a wary glance from her companion.
"You know that the closer you sit the more likely they are to interact with you, right?" Kiba warned.
"Exactly," Sakura practically purred, feeling overly confident with the help of the liquid courage she was ingesting.
Kiba just blanked. Who was this person he was with and what did they do to the Sakura he knew? Granted he had not had many conversations with the girl prior to this, as far as he knew she had never even kissed someone (at least he assumed considering she had never shown any interest in dating). Now here she was, all bright eyed and watching other women writhe on poles as though their lives depended on it. And he'd be damned if he didn't think he was the luckiest man in the world for getting to experience this.
After the current song ended, another began and the three women on stage descended into the crowd while three new ones took the stage. Sakura had picked her favorite in the middle of the last song, settling on watching the voluptuous raven haired women that had been center stage right in front of them. She wasn't much taller than Sakura, but the high heels she was in made her a good 4 inches taller. Her pale skin contrasted wonderfully with the bright red ensemble she adorned: red lace that barely covered her most intimate places. Her long dark hair fell to her waist in lush waves, bouncing and catching the reflections of the red lights that shone down. Kiba didn't waste any time getting the woman's attention as she moved towards them, quickly getting his money ready.
"What are you doing?" Sakura worriedly asked him in a hushed tone.
"Getting you a taste of what you want but are too afraid to ask for," he teased.
"How can I help you, handsome?" the dancer asked.
"Oh, not me. My friend here. She would love a dance from you," Kiba stated as a mischievous grin adorned his features.
Sakura blushed, but her newfound drunken personality welcomed the challenge from her friend. She knew that he had a hidden agenda in arranging this dance, and she was more than happy to indulge him. It brought on a strange sense of challenge to give this man exactly what he was looking for, maybe even a little bit beyond that.
"This pretty little thing? Don't mind if I do, my pleasure in fact," the woman stated as she made her way over to Sakura and used the tip of her shoe to push the rolling chair Sakura was sat in away from the table. Intrigued, she watched the dancer carefully, not really sure what to expect here but keeping up the façade she was giving Kiba.
"My name's Rose, what's your name honey?" the dancer inquired as she moved to straddle Sakura's waist.
"Uh… Sakura," she finally managed, only VERY distracted by the woman's breasts in her face and the way her body was gyrating against her own.
"How fitting, you're the very epitome of spring," she purred as she leaned into her ear, continuing her ministrations. Kiba couldn't believe how quickly this mission became the favorite that he had ever been on. The dancer was arguably one of the most attractive women he had ever seen, he could agree that Sakura had good taste. The sight of her dancing on Sakura was unbelievably erotic, and he was thankful that the lighting in the club was dim to hide the evidence of his arousal.
It appeared as though he wasn't the only one appreciating the view, as several other men in the club were as well. He couldn't blame them, but he also couldn't help the overprotective pang of jealously he felt upon the realization that he wasn't the only one who got to witness this.
Sakura handled the dance like a champ, allowing herself to admire the woman's body. It wasn't that she was attracted to the woman, but she could most definitely appreciate her beauty and skill. As the dancer finished her work on Sakura, Kiba slid the money into her garter, grinning from ear to ear.
"Thanks Rose, we appreciate it," he said kindly.
"No problem. Hope to see you here more often," she said as she winked and walked away, immediately getting swooped up by another group on men.
Sakura reached for her drink, trying her best to remain calm and collected despite of the events that had just transpired. She rolled her chair back over to their table.
"So, what did you think?" Kiba inquired.
"That was amazing," she said honestly. "She was the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and that dance was an experience I won't ever forget."
"I agree," Kiba mused, while heatedly watching her take a drink. His gaze made her blush once again, losing that façade she was trying so hard to keep up.
"So, want to go dance?" She asked, trying to change the subject. "I want to keep this path of 'firsts' going!"
Kiba obliged, happy to be along for the ride. Sakura finished her drink and grabbed his before he could stop her, downing the rest of it as well. She smiled before grabbing his hand and leading him to the other side of the club to the dancefloor.
The song was upbeat with a deep base line throughout it. She follow the example of those around her and positioned herself in front of Kiba, grinding into him in time with the beat. He didn't miss a beat, placing his hands on her hips and allowing her to set the pace. She was enjoying this, the attention he was giving her only fueled her courage, driving her to do things she wouldn't normally do. She did what came naturally, allowing her arms to come up and her hands to weave into his hair. A deep groan came from his throat, and Sakura's belly flushed with that warmth that she had become acquainted with today.
Her effect on him was apparent, evidence of that fact was poking into her back currently. Instead of being put-off as she normally would, the combination of alcohol and the determination to forget about the raven-haired boy drove her to be much more bold than usual. She moved to turn around, keeping her arms around his neck.
Kiba had a hungry look in his eyes, his gaze clouded with lust. Before she knew it, his lips crushed themselves to hers. She was surprised at first, but wasted no time returning the kiss, allowing herself to relish in the softness of his lips and the lingering taste of sake on them.
No sooner had she began to reciprocate the kiss, the fire alarm went off in the club and the sprinkler system kicked on, effectively knocking her from the wonderful cloud of sensations she was previously in.
"Please calmly evacuate the club, the sprinkler system has been triggered but no fire has been found. This appears to be a fluke, but we want to be safe. The exits are marked on the north and south ends of the building" the DJ announced.
Sakura couldn't help but giggle, this night was full of firsts alright.
"As much as I hate it, we should probably go back to the Inn. We have an early day tomorrow," Kiba stated all the while offering her that handsome smile she had grown to crave.
"Mhmm, I agree," she said as she allowed herself to be led through the crowd.
As they exited, both of them were too distracted to notice the raven-haired man who stood against the balcony on the second level, his eyes never leaving the couple and a palpable rage enveloping his aura.