A/N: Hi hi everyone! I hope you're liking the story so far! Trust me, the story won't be as wrong as it seems after you've read this chapter… or the next, depending how far I get with this chapter. XD So enjoy everyone and please, PLEASE send in some reviews!!!!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its past or existing characters.
Recap:
"Hm? You two know eachother?" Tsunade questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Hai," Ino answered excitedly, "we're childhood friends!"
"Well, I guess you two have some catching up to do, so you can go. And show Sakura around, Ino," Tsunade said.
"Hai Ojou-sama!" both stated simultaneously, and with a quick bow, both left the office.
End Recap:
As they walked through the long hallway back to where everyone was, Ino exclaimed, "Oh my Kami! It's been so long Sakura-chan!"
"Hai. The last time I saw you was right before you left our village when we were 10 years old," Sakura answered with a grin.
"Mmhm," Ino replied, "it was lucky we got to meet again."
Sakura started to giggle, but it soon faded. Then she said solemly, "Demo it's pretty odd that we met here… that you were here all this time without me even knowing. So you've been here 5 years, huh?"
Sakura stated the last part with an uneasy and shaky tone.
Ino sensed this and replied, "Hai… demo strange thing is, I've never gotten a customer my whole stay here, which is pretty lucky of me, I suppose. I guess the guys that come here go for more mature women, ne?"
The joking way that Ino had said that caused Sakura's face to break out in a smile and sent her mind laughing.
"Well, ano, I guess it's enough chit-chat for now. I better show you around and tell you the rules and all that other stuff," Ino suddenly remembered.
Off they were on the tour of the building. Ino had told her the detailed structure of it all, but Sakura only decided to remember what was necessary, despite her love of memorizing information. The things she stored in her memory were the location of the bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchen, various tips to not get the older women or Tsunade angry with you, and that you had to do all your own laundry for there were no servants at all.
The last rule is what made Sakura thank her lucky stars that she had brought her worn out dress with her instead of leaving it in the changing room, as she had originally planned.
With everything finally being shown and said, Ino proclaimed, "Well, I guess we better go to the gathering room. Hinata's waiting there."
Hearing Hinata's name, Sakura froze in her tracks. "H-hinata?" she stammered, "Sh-she's been working here t-too?"
The reason for her stammering was that she had always remembered Hinata as shy and conservative. To picture her working in a place like this was simply unthinkable.
"Daijoubu, daijoubu," Ino reassured with a wink, "she's like me. We've both done our best to make sure we never got any customers."
After hearing that, Sakura let out the breath she had been holding in, relief washing over her for she had found out that her two good friends hadn't lost their innocence yet. Although, she couldn't get rid of the growing knot in her stomach, for fear of getting a customer herself.
"Ne, Sakura-chan, we better go now," Ino reminded her, sending Sakura out of her trance.
With a quick smile and nod from Sakura, the two were off.
However, unknown to them, a figure was watching them, hidden in the shadows. The figure's eyes followed their movements, but the eyes were especially focused on her. Her and her pink kimono.
"Tch," the figure sounded, and walked unnoticed to a room across the hall from where he/she was standing.
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"Hinata!" Ino called out to the lone girl sitting in the corner. Her silky black hair was down to her waist, which was as long as Ino's except Ino's hair was tied in a partial bun while the rest of her hair hung freely.
Hinata stood up to greet her friend and was shocked to see that Sakura was there as well.
"Hinata-chan! Long time no see!!" Sakura exclaimed.
"H-hai, Sakura-san. It sure has b-been a while," Hinata replied in that unchanging shy way of hers.
"Hinata-chan," Sakura laughed, "I already told you five years ago to call me Sakura-chan instead of Sakura-san."
"H-hai Sakura-chan," Hinata said with a slight smile.
The rest of the time, the three friends sat down and did a lot catching up. That was until…
"Minna! Minna! There's a customer!! Take your places!!" a girl who too worked there announced as she ran into the room.
"N-nani?!!" Sakura screamed nervously as everyone stood to line up.
Ino put a comforting hand on Sakura's arm and said, "Daijoubu, forhead-girl. Remember what I told you before. They always go for the older women."
"Hai," Hinata agreed, "B-besides, we're standing in the back, so there's a small chance they'll pick us."
Sakura smiled at their attempts to put her at ease, but she couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"I just hope you guys are right," Sakura thought, here heart pounding faster and faster.
Just then a big, burly man walked in, accompanied by Tsunade. He had an unruly black beard with a cigarette in his mouth. He took out the cigarette and smiled, which revealed that he had yellow teeth. The sight caused Sakura to fight to hold down her breakfast.
The customer decided to take a few minutes to inspect every single one of the thirty women who stood in the room, excluding Tsunade of course.
With each girl inspected, one by one, it got closer and closer to Sakura. Slowly but surely.
Sakura decided to shut her eyes and clear her mind for the moment to free herself from this torture. Although by the time she had reopened her eyes, she saw his face, inches away from hers. Smiling an evil smile.
It appeared his mind was made up and her fate was sealed. He was about to say that he had chosen, but his mouth was only halfway open when…
"No!"
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A/N: CLIFFIE!!!!! Who was the figure standing in the shadows watching Ino and Sakura? Who was the one who interfered with Sakura's unlucky fate?!!!