There was no getting rid of Ino.

Sasuke had been at The Magellan three days now and he was starting to think he would never be able to get any work done, what with the woman popping up every time he tried to conduct a staff interview. He was beginning to get tired of her. Her attempts at trying to seduce him had not gone unnoticed, and while Sasuke prided himself on always being completely professional on a job, he had to admit that she was attractive. Attractive, and exceedingly persistent. The kind of stuff that made even the most respectable of men fall apart, and Sasuke did not consider himself to be that respectable of a man.

Still, he had a job to do and a list of people to interview. His job was to make sure that the casino was operating with both hands above the table. In his experience, nervous staff were the best ones to interview in order to get the information he was after – provided they had any information at all. So far, he had been hitting dead ends, and he was getting frustrated.

Also, he hadn't seen the green eyed hostess since that first night, and he desperately wanted to find out more about her.

For the job he was doing, of course.

"Sir? Are you alright?"

Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts and saw the bartender peering at him from across the bar. It was just after eleven and the casino was quiet. He had opted for the main lounge bar instead of the rowdier casino bar to end his night.

"Can I get you another soda?" the bartender pressed.

Sasuke looked around the bar. It was dull, uninteresting, boring. "Ah, what the hell. Make it a scotch."

The bartender nodded and poured him a double. Sasuke decided he would give himself the rest of the night off. He had tried to talk to two blackjack dealers earlier in the night, but Ino had been supervising him both times. It was pointless trying to find out more tonight.

"What's your name?" he asked the bartender, downing his drink in one go.

The blonde bartender smirked, saying "I'm just the bartender, sir. Another?" Sasuke nodded, looking around the now empty bar.

"Wednesdays usually this quiet?" he asked.

"Usually a little busier," the bartender replied, clearing empty glasses from the counter. "This isn't peak tourist season, and pay day is Thursday. It'll be crazy tomorrow through to Sunday. Plenty to keep you busy, Mr. Uchiha."

Sasuke groaned. "Is there anyone in this hotel who doesn't know who I am and why I'm here?"

The bartender grinned at him. "I don't think the cafe cook knows you, but he's eighty-three and half deaf."

Sasuke chuckled. "Call me Sasuke," he said, extending his arm for a handshake.

The bartender grasped his hand. "Nice to meet you, Sasuke. The name's– "

"Naruto!"

He was cut off by a young woman who sat herself down abruptly a couple of seats from Sasuke. Sasuke recognised her instantly as the green eyed hostess, or doctor, or whatever she was supposed to be.

"I just spent three hours entertaining Inuzuka. I'm mentally exhausted. Vodka, please," she said imploringly to the bartender as she pulled off her white shirt. She was wearing a tank top underneath. Clearly, she hadn't noticed Sasuke sitting there. He quietly made a mental note of approval for her getting out of uniform – or close enough to it – before taking a drink at the bar.

Sasuke saw the bartender's eyes widen with alarm as he cleared his throat and turned back towards Sasuke. "As I was saying, I'm Naruto, and this is Sakura Haruno, one of our best dealers and hostesses at The Magellan."

Sasuke stifled a chuckle at the look on Sakura's face. "Pleased to finally meet you, Miss Haruno," he said. "I've been meaning to speak to you about what happened the other night."

Sakura sat up straight. "I apologise again for any inconvenience caused. Mr. Zabuza has given me word that you are to be allowed into any game you wish from now on."

"I wasn't talking about being refused entry. I meant the commotion that occurred afterwards," Sasuke said pointedly.

Sakura flashed a stunning smile at him, and he took another swig of his suddenly freshly topped up drink. "Come now, Mr. Uchiha, it's far too late in the evening to be talking shop," she said soothingly. "Another drink and I'll tell you everything you need to know about staying at this hotel."

She nodded at Naruto, who poured her a vodka and Sasuke another scotch. "Are you off shift yet?" she asked Naruto.

"Not until Mr. Uchiha calls it a night," Naruto replied.

"Then we better drink fast," Sakura said roguishly, flashing Sasuke another dizzying smile. "To quiet Wednesdays and drinks on the house."

"Quiet Wednesdays, drinks on the house," Sasuke echoed.

Naruto had been right. Thursday night was very busy at The Magellan. Sasuke walked into the casino to find it already bustling, and he died a little inside. The dull headache he had woken up with had not subsided. He remembered how he got the hangover; he did not remember how he got back to his room. He wondered if his two drinking companions the night before were feeling as sick as he was.

Apparently not.

He rounded a corner and saw Naruto already hard at work at the main casino bar. The blonde bartender caught his eye and winked. Sasuke couldn't help smiling at his cheek, and then Ino was by his side again.

"Mr. Uchiha, may I be of service tonight?" she purred.

"Call me Sasuke," he said politely. "And I do find that I work better alone," he added pointedly.

"Of course," Ino said, but she did not leave him. "Might I suggest you interview the blackjack dealers this evening? I'm sure I can round up a few for you to speak to while they're on their break."

Sasuke sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. "Sure, why not," he conceded.

He was speaking to one of these dealers in a quiet corner of the main bar when there was suddenly a loud cry from the direction of the blackjack tables. Sasuke stood up in time to see a fight break out between two of the players at a particular table. He quickly joined the crowd that was beginning to form around the scene.

"You're a cheat, a bloody cheat," one of the men yelled, as he pushed the other man to the ground. Security finally arrived to pull the two apart.

"I'm no cheat, you liar!" the other man screamed back, even as he was having his arms pinned behind his back by a burly member of security. "You're a liar and a sore loser and-"

"That's enough," one of the security guards said firmly. He turned towards the dealer, who scurried over and whispered something in his ear. The other security guards started clearing patrons away from the area. Sasuke stayed.

"Miss Haruno," the guard boomed, and Sasuke finally noticed her standing quietly by the table.

The man accused of cheating turned to look at her angrily. "It's all your fault," he screamed. "Telling everyone I'm cheating when you've got no proof."

"SIR!" the guard cried. "If you speak in that tone to the lady again, I will make sure you are charged with every offence in the book. Even if you are cleared, you'll spend a good few days in the country jail while your lawyers bleed you dry, and you'll meet some very interesting people in there, I assure you."

The man paled. "Go on," he said meekly. "Check my sleeves, everything. I'm not hiding any cards."

The guard looked at Sakura, who shook her head. "He's right, you won't find any cards on him," she confirmed.

"See," the man exclaimed triumphantly. "I told you! I told you-"

He stopped abruptly at something Sakura said to the guard. Sasuke didn't catch what she said, but he saw the man's expression and knew he had just been made. There was a quiet exchange between Sakura, the guard, and the man, who was suddenly a lot more cooperative. Sasuke watched as the man was unceremoniously whisked away, making a mental note to speak to Sakura about all that had just happened. When he turned back, however, she was gone.

Sasuke sighed. Catching that girl was impossible. He would have to figure out another way to get information.

"The job gets pretty hectic, huh," Sasuke was saying. "What with people cheating and fights breaking out and stuff." He was sitting in a corner of the bar, a drink in his hand.

The girl who sat across from him giggled. She was he dealer at the table where the fight had broken out. Sasuke had been quick in charming her into a drink after she packed up the table. Four drinks later and she had gone from a shy, quiet girl to giggly and chatty.

"Yes," she said earnestly. "It happens more often than people know."

"But how did you know he was cheating? The man had no hidden cards, you must be quite the amazing dealer."

The girl giggled some more. "It wasn't me that caught him, silly. Sakura's the one. She always is."

"Really?" Sasuke said, interested. "How does she do that?"

The girl turned serious and began hiccupping. "Oh, no. I couldn't say." Sasuke frowned. "I mustn't," she continued.

"I won't tell a soul what you say," Sasuke said with mock seriousness, putting a hand over his heart. "And I definitely won't tell this Sakura girl you've been talking about her behind her back," he continued with a wink.

The girl giggled and took another sip of her drink. "Well, if you promise to keep it secret."

"Everyone knows," she began, leaning in conspiratorially, "That she's a favourite with Zabuza. She was hired about a year ago as a hostess. People said she used to be a doctor, like a proper one in a hospital and everything, and that Zabuza hired her because he wanted someone on the floor who could take care of injuries, you know? Like I said, fights happen more often than you think."

She paused. Sasuke waited expectantly.

"I mean," she finally continued. "She's great at her job. The high rollers like her, all of us like her too. She keeps a lot to herself though. I can see why Zabuza won't let her go. At least that's what they say, anyway, that he won't let her leave here."

"That doesn't seem fair," Sasuke prompted.

"It's not," the girl said soberly. "But where else are you going to find a pretty girl with a medical degree who can catch the card counters for you. She left her family to come here, you know..."

The girl continued chattering about irrelevant things, but Sasuke was no longer listening. His mind was running through what he had just found out about Sakura. If what this girl said was true, Zabuza was keeping Sakura here by force, which meant he had something to threaten her with. Also, if she could catch card counters, that must mean she could count cards herself.

It also meant that the casino could be using her skills against patrons unfairly – never letting the odds get in their favour. After all, who would suspect the charming, beautiful hostess of turning the odds against them?