Chapter 3, Deep Inside
Sakura still sat on the ground, shifting uncomfortably in her tight bindings. I can't wait until I can break free from these. She surveyed the room, the two men sitting on beds opposite each other, one with violet eyes polishing a sword she faintly recognized and the other watching a small bird resting on the window sill.
That sword... that's right, I remember it now! That's Zabuza's sword...! The memory of Zabuza stung Sakura to recollect. That was the first time we had a real, S-ranked mission on our hands. Naruto and Sasuke stayed out all night trying to learn the tree-climbing exercise... If Sasuke wasn't there to motovate him, Naruto would've never learned it. Sakura kept her weary eyes on Suigetsu's blade. That whole time... Naruto... Sasuke... even Kakashi sensei came close to death yet... at the end of the mission I was the only one without a scratch on me. I was shaking and crying the whole time, and I'm surprised I didn't have a heart attack, but that was all I could do. Fear and fret and cry out the names of partners who I expected to aid me and protect me. I miss those memories of us all being together, of Naruto's dreams compiling to simple, pie-in-the-sky things. Yet I don't wish I could go back to that time. I like the person I am now, and I know I'm the kind of person-the kind of kunochi, who will be able to help my friends!
"What are you glaring at?" Suigtsu raised at eyebrow and looked at his sword, the focus of Sakura's intense look.
"Oh, sorry." Sakura apologized. She could be rude to her friends like Naruto, Sai, and Ino all she wanted, but she still employed her not so forgotten manners when dealing with strangers. "I just... that sword used to belong to a man named Zabuza Momochi, correct?"
Suigetsu blinked, "Yeah, it did." Sakura half considered if she she tell the man that Sasuke and her aided in the death of such person, but thought better of it. If he doesn't care about Zabuza, than it will make no difference to him, and if he was close with Zabuza than it would only give him reason to pick a fight with me...
Suigetsu shrugged, not looking into the matter, until an idea sparked in his head, "Do you like Sasuke?"
"He's just a friend-or was a friend, now he's someone I'd like to make my friend once more."
"He's a great guy, you know." C'mon, if you go out with him Karin will be mine!
Sakura almost grinned, misunderstanding Suigetsu's motive entirely. "So, you're his friend, huh? Trying to hung him up with me? That's sweet of you to do for Sasuke, but I'm not interested in him like that and... even if I haven't known Sasuke for the past three years, I still know him, and it seems he hasn't changed too much. Well..." Sakura blushed. "The kissing is new, but that cold and focused demeanor... it hasn't changed much."
The door to the room slammed open, Karin walking in, her head tilted downward and her face hidden.
Both Juugo and Suigetsu gulped, positive of what had happened on the walk. He finally flat out rejected her. They thought in unison.
"Juugo, Suigetsu, I want some time alone." She told them, her voice monotone, the kind of tone some take right before they're about to snap: the calm before the storm.
"A-alright." Juugo nodded, but couldn't help himself but ask, "Is Sasuke still on his walk?"
Karin was silent for a long moment, Suigetsu bracing himself to be punched. I don't think I've done anything... but chances are weather it's Juugo she's mad at for mentioning Sasuke or not she'll end up pounding me instead.
"Yeah." Karin finally answered.
"I'll go met up wit him, then."
"Wait up, Juugo, you grab the girl and take her with you." Suigetsu gestured to Sakura.
"No, leave her here." Karin insisted.
"Up, I don't think that would be the best..." Suigetsu exchanged worried looks with Juugo.
"Don't worry, I won't kill her." Karin spoke without looking up to see their cautious facing, smart enough to catch on to what they were thinking.
"OK..." Suigetsu gulped, still not believing her, but pulling a hand on Juugo's back to urge him out the door. As the two sat outside the hotel, Juugo turned to the white haired ninja, a confused look on his face.
"I don't think leaving Karin alone with Sakura is a good idea."
"Stupid, we'll watch 'em through the window in our room. She'll have no idea, and if something happens we can come running to save that girl."Suigetsu revealed his marvelous scheme.
"But Karin will sense our chakra..."
Suigetsu was silent.
"I'll just tell one of the birds to alert me if Karin starts to fight with her." Juugo offered.
"Sure..." Suigetsu began to walk off, hoping that Karin was smart enough to not fight the master of brute strength that was tied up in the room.
"Your name's Sakura, right?" Karin looked up at Sakura, her face a smirk.
I wonder how strong this girl is? I could probably take her and go find Sasuke... but if the other two when to wherever Sasuke is, it would be a losing battle... Sakura pondered her options.
"Yeah... You're... Karin, right?"
Karin sat down in front of Sakura in the classic Japanese sitting position, reaching forward and taking a lock of Sakura's hair in her hand.
"I wonder... what it is he likes about you... That was his first kiss, you know."
"No, it wasn't." Sakura corrected. "His first kiss was an accident with Naruto."
Karin looked taken a back for a moment but then chuckled. "That's so lame, I can't imagine Sasuke ever doing something like that."
"Well he did."
"I never said he didn't, I just meant it was hard to picture." Karin defended her self, releasing Sakura's hair. "I guess I realized today... I realized that Sasuke will never love me."
Sakrua didn't know why the rouge ninja was spilling her heart when the two hardly knew, but she listened with open ears. She had been there, after all, in the cold and lonely world of one-sided love. Way back when, she would have given anything to stick by Sasuke's side... she would've done anything, even become a pawn of Orochimaru and an S-ranked criminal.
"I just want to be close to him I want him so bad, Sakura." Karin placed her hands on the wall behind Sakura, standing on her knees so that she was looking down at the leaf ninja."I'd do anything to be able to have that... anything." Sakura was familiar with the words Karin spoke as if she was reading from one of her old diaries.
Karin's last word hung in the air for a moment, Sakura looking up at the girl who loomed over her with pity in her eyes.
Sakura watched as Karin's face closed to her own, but remained still, Karin's lips finally pressing against her own. Karin kissed Sakura as if her goal was to overwork both of their jaws, kissing her hungrily and biting Sakura's lip. Sakura allowed her eyelids to close, giving in the pleasure that had befallen her, her tied up situation not filling so unfortunate or uncomfortable anymore. Karin slid her tongue into the Leaf teenager's mouth, placing a hand on the back of her head to deepen the kiss, feeling Sakura kiss her back as she their tongues intertwined. This is the girl that Sasuke kissed... Karin had thought at first, believing kissing her would bring her closer to Sasuke, the closet she would ever get to kissing him. An indirect kiss. She had wanted to taste, to fell around Sakura in hopes of savoring a bit of him... and yet as her lips were pressed against her love rival's she couldn't bring herself to think of the raven haired teenager.
Karin parted from Sakura, a trail of saliva connecting their lips from the wet kiss. Karin panted, her face a shade of red that matched Sakura's.
That... felt really good. Karin's heart was racing as she excepted the one thought she couldn't deny. I'm... pretty turned on... but... from just this girl...
"You kind of remind me of the person I used to be." Sakura giggled. "Actually, you remind me a lot of the person I used to be." Karin waited for Sakura to go on.
"I never thought I liked the person I was but... it's kind of endearing coming from you."
"The others won't come back for awhile." Karin smirked. "And I don't feel satisfied yet."
"That's fine by me." Sakura returned the suggestive smile, "but you might end up kissing me in places Sasuke hasn't. If we continue, you can't use Sasuke as an excuse for what you're doing."
"Fine by me." Karin replied, pulling out a kunai and cutting the bindings Sakura couldve easily broken on her own.
