ANBU

Written by pandaholic.
Chapter 2 – Question

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. Storyline loosely based on The Bund / Shanghai Bund

Sasuke slid deeper into the bath, letting the hot water wash away all the dirt and sores that he had accumulated. The steam around him was beginning to make him feel light-headed, and he was beginning to see more and more images of Ino. He sighed, desperate to get her out of his mind. He remembered that he looked at her, and she looked away. He remembered the look in her eyes. He remembered the tone she spoke with the Sai. It was...loving. He only wished he would be able to bring that tone out of her again when she spoke to him. He loved her first! He loved her first...

He was about to slam his fist onto the solid rock floor around him, before a firmer hand caught the impact.

"You'll be needing that if you're my new partner. I think you should save your anger on missions. It helps, a lot, believe me."

Sasuke, surprisingly, didn't jump at her voice, and just sunk even deeper into the bath. He felt her sit right next to him, her legs in the hot water. He did not blush, though, because he knew that she was not completely bare. She was wearing a kimono much like Ino had worn earlier that day when he had seen her.

Ino...

"I'm sorry about Sai-sama..." She whispered.

His piercing orbs looked up into her emerald ones, and they soon softened, Sasuke not knowing at all why. The only ones they had softened for were Ino. She was the only one...the only one to get his eyes to lose their menacing glare. She, in turn, pierced into his eyes, trying to pry into his mind for answers. He could feel her questioning gaze. It held so much power and persuasion; he didn't need to think that she specialized in torture.

"I loved her...first..." He whispered.

He hated himself for letting himself sound so desperate. He wondered why only a mere day with Sakura and she already had the power to make him whisper and mutter things like a sick, helpless puppy. He wondered why she already had so much power over him, when Ino was the only one who was ever able to bring him out of his tough shell.

Sakura knew that he was desperate to receive Ino's love. She knew enough that he had gone too long without hearing Ino's voice, receiving Ino's love. And she knew that Ino's love would never be the same for Sasuke. At least not with Sai around. Though, would Ino die for Sasuke? Sakura pried deeper into his orbs, and shook the question away.

Ino will die for anyone she holds dear...

"Damn that bastard, I loved her first!"

Sakura quickly caught Sasuke's hand once more, before it obliterated the rock. She could feel his struggle against her firm grip, and she looked into his eyes once more. He was panicking. He was scared. He was angry. It seemed he was already so dependent on Ino's love that he could not bear to live another second without it.

"Sakura, let go of me! Damn it, let go!"

Her grip remained firm. She decided to let him have his tantrum, and perhaps the pressure and emotional stress he had bottled up for so long would be released.

"Sakura! Damn it! Sakura, let go!"

She blot out his pleas, and just focused on his eyes. She learned that the eyes told stories the mouth hid from the world. She learned how to read faces like open books when the real person was stuck inside a shell.

He loves her. He misses her. He needs her...

His eyes told the obvious, she thought to herself. And then she felt a sharp kick to her ribs, and she coughed from impact.

"Sasuke! You're losing control over this! I told you about this earlier, you should have listened to me! Sasuke!"

The sound of her angry and worried voice did not stop her. He continued to try and make her lose grip, and continuously kicked her. Knowing there was no other way to stop him, Sakura jumped into the bath, her silk kimono floating about her. He still continued to jab at her, his eyes paying no attention to her kimono beginning to slip off around her torso and her exposed lower body.

"Sasuke! Stop it!"

She pinned him to the very edge of the bath, her arms keeping him in place. He stared at her madly, his eyes wide with panic and irritation.

"What the hell are you doing, Sakura! Let me get to Ino! Let me!"

Sakura kept her grip firm, and she moved closer to him, their bodies touching. They didn't notice at all that he was naked and her body was completely exposed to him.

"Sasuke, calm down...I'm sorry this happened, okay? But things just happen, and you just have to deal with it. I'm here for you, okay? We'll go...we'll go see Ino-sama...soon..." She whispered.

"I loved her...first..." He whispered again.

She could sense another tantrum coming, and she quickly made a plan to calm him.

"Sasuke, we'll go see Ino-sama, okay? I'm here if Sai-sama will do anything to you. I'm here," She whispered again.

He calmed down at her gentle voice, and hid his precious orbs from view. She too, did the same, and rested her head on his shoulder.

What am I doing? They both thought together.

I love Ino...

I can't love...

Sasuke unknowingly placed his arms around Sakura in an intimate hug, and Sakura unknowingly returned it.

I love Ino...

I can't love...

Their minds were in a clutter. What were they doing? They haven't even spent more than a day together, and already they were doing this? Why are they making such rash decisions?

...But it was so serene!

Everything seemed so...calm and right!

Sasuke moved Sakura's head from her shoulder, her eyes still closed, not minding at all that he had control over her. He had power over someone who seemed omnipotent...

"Sakura...?"

She opened her eyes at his voice, and he fought back to hide a blush and a gasp. She looked so goddess-like; the steam rising around her, her hair wet and untidy, her precious eyes providing light and warmth.

No...No! Ino is...my...

Without thinking, he leaned forward, and took her lips. She unconsciously returned the small kiss, and the two soon broke away, each with their mind in an even larger clutter.

Why are we doing this? Why?

Sakura get out of the bath, her kimono slightly damaged, moisture dripping from her silk sleeves and skin.

"I'm...sorry, Sasuke. Nothing happened, alright?"

When she had reached the exit, his voice stopped her.

"It's my fault, Sakura. Don't worry about it."

Sakura turned around and smiled at him, making sure her kimono was fixed and in place. She didn't want the maids to think that she did something with Sasuke.

"You'll be staying in my complex. When you get out of here, go straight until you see a hallway with a jade flower at the end. A door will be above you. When you get past that door, turn to your right, walk into a hallway lined with green doors. Your room will be on your left. My room is across if you need anything. Good night."

"Sakura...nothing happened."

Sakura smiled once more and turned around, hiding her distraught face.

"Yes. Nothing happened."

She disappeared.

Sasuke got out of the bath, his skin wrinkly and refreshed. He put his clothes on carefully, his body on auto-pilot, his mind confused and cluttered. He loved Ino. Why would he do that to Sakura?

He loved Ino.

He loved Ino!

So why did he let his emotions loose and do that to Sakura?

He moved out of the bath house, his good memory repeating Sakura's words in his mind.

Why, Sakura? Why?

A/N: A kind of short chapter, sorta filler, I suppose. Not that fluffy...or great, for that matter xD. Just Sasuke's desperation. Next chapter – Memories and Consequence!

Thank you for reading!