Act I:
Welcome to Leaf Arena

Chapter 3: Our History

Sakura now remembered why she didn't want to bring Naruto up here in the first place. The librarian wasn't used to human contact. He only saw what appeared on the small screen attached to his desk. That's the only way he got to see the matches. Unfortunately, Naruto wouldn't stop asking about this old record book. Sakura never would have thought Naruto would be interested in books, especially ones without large, colorful, pop-up pictures; however, she eventually broke down and agreed. Now here they were staring at what had to be the largest man in the arena, and perhaps the fattest. The large boy look positively startled. He stared over his shoulder at the duo for quite some time before setting down his potato chips and attempting to stand up. After several tries, he gave up and sank into his swivel chair. He hadn't been up and walking in months. He swiveled around and blinked."Oh, Sakura, what are you doing up here?" Choji asked, surprised.

Sakura wrapped her arm around the blonde's shoulder, "I was just showing my friend around and I thought I'd let you fill him in on the Arena."

Naruto was still in a stasis lock. He had never seen someone that, well, big. He was afraid that if he held out his hand to shake, he'd lose a hand. He just stood there shivering in fear.

Choji scratched the back of his head, "He's not very talkative is he?"

Sakura glanced over to Naruto, "That's weird. He usually can't keep his mouth shut; Naruto?"

Naruto had to choose his words carefully, or risk becoming a pancake. One word out of place and Choji would eat Naruto for breakfast, and most likely, he would. "I just would've thought that someone so..." Sakura cringed, Choji frowned.

Naruto cleared his throat, "-Strong, would be down fighting in the arena. Instead you're..."

"Sitting here, getting even fatter by the day. If that's even possible?" Choji sighed, "Let me tell you a story on how Sasuke is a total a-hole. Every so often he loses a fighter or two, whether it is from fighting, disease, or execution. Afterwards, he sends out advertisements for new recruits. Anyone who is will to risk their lives for other's personal enjoyment is welcome to take the Arena Exam. Out of the hundreds that show up, most of them are eliminated in Round 1. The first challenge is to beat one of the current Gladiators. I aced that round, when I fought Black Beatle, but the next round is where it started to go downhill. A written exam was given and I barely passed it. The final challenge is where I screwed up, big time. Of the ten left, we were split into pairs. One of us stole something and the other one was supposed to find our partner and rat them out to The Director. This was a test of loyalty; to the arena, or course, and to The Director himself. Unfortunately, I was paired with Shikimaru Nara. You may know him as The Shadow."

Sakura opened his eyes wide, "You mean The Shadow? He won the championship last year, became a top Gladiator, and then just disappeared into thin air."

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, he was so damn lazy that he refused to steal anything. He said he was in the competition, quote, 'Because I lost a bet.' How could I rat him out if he didn't bother to steal anything. So I stole Sasuke's eyeliner and said Shikimaru took it. Because the other teams failed we were the only ones left. However, Sasuke had, I mean, has a spy in the Arena and told him that I stole the eyeliner. I was going to be kicked out. Because I tried to get Shikimaru in, he vouched for me and said that he wouldn't come unless I came too. Since Sasuke went through all the trouble set up the recruitment, Shikimaru knew that he wouldn't walk away empty handed. So Shikimaru went on to be champion and, as punishment, I had to wait a year before I became an official fighter."

Naruto was over at a bookshelf, looking through some old books and trying to avoid eye contact. "So why didn't you retake the exam?"

Choji shook his head and plopped back down in his seat. "Every time Sasuke sends out a recruitment listing, he piles me up with paper work. He knows that I can't read very fast and it takes me a week just to finish a whole stack of papers. By then I missed the date line and he has two new fighters. I wasn't always this fat; it used to be all muscle. Now it's like I'm thirteen again."

He spun back around to the desk and read over some files. He noticed Naruto rummaging through random records. "If you guys are looking for all of the records, try aisle four." He sounded as if he was about to break down crying. Naruto and Sakura quickly dashed over to the books before they had to deal with that mess.

Sakura looked around then grabbed a big black book off the bottom shelf, "Here Naruto, these are the old history records. I don't know why you'd want them, but here they are." She began reading off the first page.

Back in old times, The Hidden Leaf was a simple shinobi village. They had their own leader, the powerful Hokage, but that all changed when Orochimaru's village was disbanded. All of his followers pursued their own lives of crime; this lead to a buildup in prisons. At the Kages' official meeting, held about a month after the dismemberment, someone suggested a new way to dispose of criminals. That's how Leaf Arena began, in fact, that's how all of the Arenas began. There was no physical room left in the Leaf Village, so the built up on what was once the official stadium used for the Chunin Exams. They built two extra stories to hold prisoners. That obviously didn't work because they ended up building several more. Then it all collapsed; the historic stadium was buried under a dozen tons of rubble. It took them a year to clear it, and another year to rebuild. They inevitably created the Leaf Arena of today. That still wasn't enough, for the criminals kept getting backed up. Eventually, they proposed Plan G. Some of the best shinobi were handpicked to begin killing criminals. Soon enough, this even attracted a crowd, so the villages built seats. The people of Konoha viewed it as simple entertainment, mainly because they didn't realize how many shinobi lost their lives in the arena to vicious murderers. This continued for a while until it got a little out of control. The Hokage was too busy, so they appointed the top Jonin at the time; Kakashi Hatake. He kept everything in line and in order. After a few years he passed it on to the new Fifth Hokage. Then she got too busy and gave the job back. For a while Kakashi, 'The White Fang,' ruled the Arena with a just hand. Then, in a hostile takeover, Kakashi was pulled from the throne and disappeared from existence. Since then, Director Sasuke Uchiha controlled the arena and everything in it. Within a period of two years, the noble shinobi of the Hidden Villages became ruthless bloodthirsty Gladiators. Then the rest of the Arenas shut down, leaving only the Leaf Arena. However, many of the Gladiators of the last arena began disappearing, starting with The Scar and The Shadow. It is said that the missing ninja are...

"Wait, there's a few pages missing. That's weird, huh Naruto." No response.

"Naruto?" She looked over at her friend on the opposite end of the room, looking through some rather interesting books. Her jaw-dropped, "Are you even old enough for those kinds of books?"

"Huh?" Naruto was startled and jumped up immediately. He hastily shoved the book back onto the shelf, which caused the whole row to collapse.

Choji suddenly announced, on his own personal intercom, "Clean up on aisle four."

That night, when everyone else in the Arena was asleep, Sakura snuck up to the 7th floor. Little is known about the 7th floor besides that it is the private residence of Director Sasuke, it is the second highest floor in the Arena, and no one is allowed up there. However Sasuke, often enough, invited Sakura up to visit anytime. She figured now was as a good time as any to take a look around. Sakura thought that Sasuke might have the missing part of the book. Everyone knew Sakura was paranoid, but she had good reason. There must have been something in that history book that Sasuke didn't want anyone, even Sakura, seeing.

Sakura put on her black gloves and a black sweater over her bright pink outfit. If she's learnt anything from Naruto, is that bright colors are not good for sneaking. Sakura read her map of the entire Arena.

Arena Exterior Key:

Basement - Arena entrance
1st floor – Café/ Corridors
2nd floor - Residential Suites
3rd floor - Elite Housing
4th floor - Rec Room
5th floor - Stairway to Terrace
6th floor - Library
7th floor - Director's Office
8th floor - Restricted Access

Sakura examined the map thoroughly, for she would not be able to stop once she began. She stuffed the map into her back pocket and began her ascent. The stairway was not well lit above the Elite Housing on the 3rd floor. Sakura did not dare to bring a light, lest she be caught sneaking around after hours. Sakura was never up past the Library. The Director's office was as far as even she was allowed. The 8th floor was completely restricted. There wasn't even a door there, the wall just ended. Only Sasuke knew how to get in, not that Sakura cared.

It was a long way up from the lower levels to the 7th floor, especially since the lift was still under construction. Sakura had to quick, but she also had to be quite. She didn't want Sasuke waking up until she had at least had a good search of his quarters. His large steel door was unlocked only by her and Sasuke's key. Even if he did wake up, he might know it was her right away and go back to bed; Sakura didn't count on it. She snuck in and scanned the area. It was hard to see in the dark, but Sakura had learnt a special technique during her time at the arena. By focusing her chakra to her eyes, she was able to get a rough estimate of all of the larger objects in the room; this was especially useful during nighttime fights. She noticed a heat signature coming from the upstairs room and found Sasuke sleeping in his white robe in his recliner chair, in front of a large fireplace; right between her and his desk. He was crafty, but she was better.

Kiba stood on the edge of the abyss. It was a long way down, from where he was standing. The terrace was restricted to the elite only. The entrance was on the 5th floor, but the staircase went outside and all the way up to the seventh story. It was exceptionally large terrace, perfect for the night time. Akamaru was tucked into bed, so Kiba was out alone in just his black shirt and pants. There was a full moon out that night; Kiba always felt relaxed starring into the night sky. It was so dark out, that you'd have to right next to him just to notice he was there. That's exactly where Hinata was that night. She walked up to him and leaned against the railing with him. Kiba looked over at her and smiled, "Hey, what are you doing out here?" He asked.

She looked up, "I was looking for you, all over." Hinata smiled back, "I wanted to talk."

The both of them looked up and tried counting the stars, they stopped around twenty. Underneath them was a large amount of foliage, giving the outside a sort of woodsy look. Gladiators didn't normally leave the arena because they never needed anything. Any sort of food or supplies was imported and could be bought on the 1st floor. Sometimes Kiba felt trapped within the walls. He never understood how his sister could do it all of her life. He's been here for two, three, years and he was growing tired of it. Kiba was an outdoorsy kind of guy and never liked to stay in one place for too long. One time he ran off for about a week, just to get away. Fortunately, he snuck back in just before Sasuke's guards could catch him. Kiba only stayed because of his friends, that and Hinata needed to be taken care of.

Hinata joined the arena just before her cousin, Neji, became a top fighter. Sasuke instantly accepted her only because she was related to Neji; he was unaware of her skills, or lack thereof. At first, Hinata was weaker than anyone could possibly be. Even the simplest of matches, would leave her bruised and bleeding. However, that all changed when Neji disappeared. Some gladiators had already been missing, and Neji was worried more for her safety than his own; something he didn't normally do, but this was an exception. It was a week after he warned her to be on her guard, that he vanished. Since then, Hinata had worked extra hard to become one of the top Gladiators. She was strong, vigilant, and vicious; but when Naruto came along, her impenetrable psyche just collapsed. She had seen him around the village when they were younger, then he left just before the Arena's were constructed. She had such a huge crush on him, but she never told him. Just as she had gathered up enough courage to tell him, he left through the front gates. Since then Hinata had bottled up all of her feelings and converted them into pure emotion, which she used against her opponents in the Arena.

However, Hinata had recently begun to feel the effects of her actions; especially around Kiba, whom she had grown up with and trained with under Kurenai-sensei, whom was long gone. She always felt that Shino held some contempt towards them, considering he was the only one from their old team who did not rise in rank. After all of the time the two spent together, she had begun to develop feelings for Kiba. It was like they really connected, they worked well together.

Unfortunately, Kiba was unsure Hinata like him the same way he did. He was madly in love with her, but she was far too focused on Naruto. Whenever he was near her, his heart would skip a beat. Kiba thought of her often, she even tended to distract him. These feelings were growing more intense within him every day. If only she knew how he really felt.

"Hinata?" He asked, timidly.

"Yeah?" She replied.

"…How do you feel?" He said, unable to finish his thoughts.

"Alright, I guess. The sky is so beautiful tonight. It's sort of romantic, I guess."

"Uhh… yeah. I see what you mean." His mouth felt like the Sahara. There was a short-lived silence between the two. "I meant how do you feel about… us? I mean if there is an 'us' because I…" Kiba stammered.

Hinata looked over at him and smiled, she put her hand on top of his, "Well, Kiba, how do you feel." Her hands felt clammy.

Kiba looked down, 'How am I supposed to answer this?' He could already feel his throat closing, "Oh, I… I don't…"

Suddenly Hinata leaned in and planted her lips right on top of his. The two stayed there for what seemed to be an eternity, locked in their delicate struggle. Of course they had kissed before, when they were much younger, and before this whole Gladiator thing. They expected themselves to be a bit rusty, but as soon as their lips met something just clicked. It was as if they've been kissing for years. After awhile, their lips parted and they stared back at each other; as if they were lost in each other's eyes.

They returned to their stargazing. Hinata sighed, just before departing, "I feel pretty great."

Sakura now channeled her chakra to her feet, silencing her movements. There was a large red rug in the center of the room, which also helped. The fireplace burned brightly as she passed by, lighting the room just enough that Sakura could see where she was going. There was a distance of about 14 feet between the doorway and Sasuke's desk, Sakura was nearly 6 feet away from her target. The only thing that stood in her way was Sasuke who, hopefully, was too tired to notice her coming. Sakura didn't count on it.

She crept closer and closer until she was right on top of Sasuke. She thought about killing him, but then someone would have to answer for it. Sakura wasn't in the mood to be political. She slowly made her way around his large recliner chair. It was a tight squeeze between Sasuke's chair and his desk, but Sakura fit just enough to open the doors. She quietly rummaged through the various items in his desk, including pens, paper, a couple of keys, and a pack of tissues. There were no documents lodged in the back off the desk. 'Where is he hiding this stuff?'

Sakura looked under the desk and noticed a small filing cabinent in the back corner. She knelt down and opened the top drawer which contained dossiers of many of the Gladiators. Then she opened the bottom cabinent and found only a small folder with a written message on it. The ink was still fresh, so it must have been pretty recent.

Director Uchiha,

We regret to inform you that The Board has denied your request for a formal council meeting on the issue of transferring your accounts. We did however agree to a meeting on the matter of _________________________________. In exchange _______________________________ and the money will be transferred to your account.

The Board

P.S. Don't try to go over our heads; there is no over our heads.

P.S.S. Remember, you are replaceable.

Some of the ink was smudged and illegible. Underneath was another folder marked, Hidden Documents. The folder was empty, but the binding was bent. It was as if someone had already taken the documents. Sakura placed the folders back into the cabinet, but slammed the drawer too hard. Sakura snuck out from between the chair and stood face to face with Sasuke.

"…Sakura?" Sasuke asked, yawning. "Do you realize what time it is?"

Sakura was in a bind, there was no way out. The only exit was in the back room and there's no way he'd let her out now; not unless he got what he wanted. Sakura had hoped that it would not come to this, but she was prepared. It's a good thing she no longer had morals. She was also a rather good actress.

Sakura pouted her lips, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you." She put her hands behind her back to close the drawers. "I was just so lonely." Sakura began walking past him when he grabbed her shoulder and spun her around to face him. This startled her.

Sasuke chuckled, "Well, how nice of you to come visit me." He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned in for a kiss. Sakura was growing very tired of being manhandled. She tried wriggling her way out of his arms, but he was too strong. Sakura didn't dare try to harm him, or else he might never let her back into his office. Sasuke grinned, "Oh, you're a feisty one." Sakura saw now way out of this, so she decided to take advantage of the situation. She pulled away from Sasuke and let out the shrillest giggle she could possibly muster. Sakura was the farthest thing from a shrieking, hysterical girl possible.

"Not so fast, now" Sakura whispered into his ear. Sakura had to do what she had to do; but if she had to do it, she was going to do it her way. Sakura forced a smile as she reached around and undid her bra. Her jacket was lying on the floor, along with her shirt. Sasuke undid his robe. Sakura pulled off Sasuke's shirt and the two rubbed their bodies against each other. Sasuke was about to lose it; Sakura was about to lose her dinner. If Sakura could distract him enough, she could make her escape.

Sakura placed her hand on Sasuke's chest and felt his cold, clammy skin beneath her fingertips. She slid her hand down to stomach and felt his rock hard abs; he was not one to be messed with. Even Sakura would have a hard time beating him in a fair fight, not that Sasuke would ever fight fair. Sakura's hand went lower and lower until…

"Sakura," He sighed. "Don't be such a tease!"

Sakura laid a small kiss on his cheek, "You wouldn't happen to have, say, some missing pages to some old books would you?" She asked, while caressing his tender nipples with her free hand.

Sasuke licked his lips, "As a matter of fact, I did. But they somehow got misplaced, which is strange because I never took them out of my files." Sasuke kissed Sakura's neck. "I was doing some paperwork, just before I went to bed, when I noticed they were missing." Sasuke looked at her intriguingly, "Why?"

She giggled, "Oh, no reason."

Sakura swallowed her pride, knowing that she may never live this down; Sasuke certainly wouldn't let this go. 'She snuck into the Director's room just to jerk him off,' will really sound great among her friends, especially Naruto. Sakura was just millimeters away from Sasuke's erection, separated only by a thin layer of cloth. Sasuke was tenting and Sakura finally had him distracted enough to make her escape. Sakura breathed in, "Close your eyes, I've got a surprise for you." Sasuke complied. Quickly, Sakura dropped Sasuke's pants and pushed him away, causing him to land back on his recliner, hard. "Whoa, Sakura, easy now!"

Sakura, promptly, ran towards the opposite end of the room and dived through the window. The glass shattered on impact, leaving Sakura with some minor scrapes. When Sasuke had finally opened his eyes, she was gone; leaving him with a broken window and a dwindling erection. "Hmph, talk about overreacting." He muttered.

It wasn't until she was outside that she realized she was topless. She was falling from an eight story window with nothing covering her breasts. The room must have been up higher than she thought. She stabilized herself in mid-air, using chakra to soften the landing. She landed on the terrace below; right in front of Kiba and Hinata.

"…" Kiba was at a loss of words. He also couldn't stop staring.

Hinata blinked, "Sakura, w-where are your clothes?"

Sakura quickly covered herself up, "Crap. Sorry, was I interrupting something?"

"S-Sort of," Kiba stammered.

Sakura ran back to the stairwell and down to her room on the 3rd floor. Hinata looked over at Kiba, who was still awe-struck. She looked down and suddenly smacked him upside the head. She walked off, leaving Kiba alone. "What did I do?" Kiba looked down at himself, "Oh, shit."

"I know love and lust don't always keep the same company."

-Stephenie Meyer