A/N: Again, thank you for all of your kind reviews and feedback. I would also like to thank you for subscribing me to your author's alert, story alert, and for adding this story to your favorites. It means a lot!
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own this wonderful world of Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Mistake
Chapter Three: Liquid Courage
Sakura stepped out of the shower, the heated steam following her in a dense cloud. Curling her wet hair around the tip of her index finger, she stared at her blurred reflection in the mirror. She wondered if accompanying Ino to the new bar that opened up nearby Ichiraku Ramen was a good idea. She knew the blonde would only drag her into another sexual situation, like always, but the idea of having a couple of drinks to take her mind off of work sounded good.
After patting herself dry with another spare towel, she allowed the one wrapped around her body to drop to the tiled floor with a small thud. The cold air immediately attacked her bare skin, nearly making her jump. Hurriedly, she rushed out into her bedroom and searched her dresser for the white dress that Ino wanted her to put on. When she found it, she quickly slipped into it, feeling relaxed when the warm fabric greeted her flesh.
Sighing, she seated herself on her bed, smoothing the dress out with the palms of her hands. She squeezed her thighs together, feeling slightly exposed by the clothing. It was too revealing. It was strapless, and that was one of the little details that did not matter to her, but the fact that it rode up her legs constantly bothered her completely. Also, she did not like the thought of having men drooling all over her, trying their best to get her attention. It would be like million's of Naruto's shadow clones fighting over her. Her nose scrunched up at that. One Naruto was already enough for her to handle. Any more than that and she would be throwing a terrible fit.
After thirty minutes of lying in her bed, repeatedly rolling from side to side, she finally decided to return to the bathroom to finalize the last of her appearance. She removed herself from the comfort of her bed and slowly strode back into the washroom. She applied thin layer of mascara onto her eyelashes, then a light amount of cherry-colored lipstick on her lips. She smoothed down her wavy pink locks, trying to remember when her hair had first started becoming naturally wavy and curly.
Moments later, she found herself hurrying to the living room, snatching her purse and other belongings along the way. She quickly glanced at the clock before flipping the lightswitches off, slipping into her heels, then exiting her apartment complex. She nearly stumbled in the hallway, cursing under her breath as she straightened herself. It was quarter to eight and it usually took her ten minutes to travel to Ichiraku Ramen, her and Ino's meeting point. Therefore, she decided that she would leave now. It would be better to arrive early than late.
All of a sudden, a door to the right of her swung open, catching her by surprise. She held her breath for a split second, shock overcoming her senses. It was then when a brown-headed man stepped out of the complex, shutting the door behind him. His dark eyes immediately met her emerald ones.
"S-Sakura. Uh. I didn't hit you with the door, did I?" he asked sheepishly, scratching his neck.
"You didn't, Yamato," she replied silently, fidgeting with her fingers nervously. She shifted the weight from one foot to another, growing uncomfortable as he felt his sharp stares pierce through her. To break the risen eerie silence, she murmured, "Gee, I almost forgot that you lived near me. I guess it's been awhile since we've seen each other, hm?" She smiled, redirecting her gaze to him.
"Yeah, it has," he sighed, fixing the metallic headgear strapped around his head. "Now, why are you all fancied up? I don't recall you telling me that you love wearing dresses, nor dressing up like a doll." He scratched his chin as he observed her outfit intently, oblivious to her discomfort. "What's the special occassion? Finally got a boyfriend?"
"N-No, it's not that, Yamato." She looked down, chewing on her lip. "Ino's making me go down to the new bar with her and she wanted me to wear this dress." She gestured at her clothing with a simple sway of her hand.
"I see," he said, folding his arms in front of his chest. Suddenly, a wry grin made way to his face. "So you agreed to go there so that you can hook up?"
"N-No!" she stammered, clenching her fists. "She just thought I needed a break from all the damn work Tsunade-sama gives me. It's even hard for me to believe, but I actually agreed with her for once."
"Aha, alright kiddo. No need to get all fiesty," chuckled Yamato, amused by her sudden flare of anger. "So Tsunade-sama has been dumping a whole bunch of tasks on you, hmm? Must be a pain in the ass."
"It is," she sighed, furrowing her eyebrows. "It's so frustrating!"
"I can see that," he smiled. "Anyways, I heard you finally got assigned to a mission after months of waiting for one."
"Yeah. Who told you?" she questioned curiously.
"Your mission partner, Kakashi."
She shook her head, smiling foolishly. "Of course."
"I ran into him quarter to midnight last night. He was walking from the weapon shop with a bag full of paper bombs," explained the jonin. "He told the whole situation to me."
"He actually went out to buy supplies already?" she gawked. "Huh, Kakashi must be really anxious."
Yamato nodded and leaned casually against the wall, shoving his hands into his pockets. He suddenly started staring at her chest, unaware that he was making her blush. When he took notice, he apologized quickly, "Oh, I didn't mean to discomfort you, Sakura…I just couldn't help but look at that nice necklace you have."
She flinched slightly, and laughing embarrassingly, she pointed at the jewel sitting on her collarbone. "This? Thanks, it's new and I thought I should wear it."
"I see," he replied. "It looks expensive. How much was it?"
"Er, I didn't really buy it." She rubbed her forearm, avoiding his gaze.
"Then someone gave it to you?"
"Yeah…"
"Who?"
She tucked a strand of her pink hair behind her ear. "K-Kakashi…"
"Kakashi?" he gasped, eyebrows skyrocketing. "You must be kidding."
"Actually, I'm not," she murmured silently. "He gave it to me yesterday as a belated birthday gift."
"That's odd," commented Yamato. "He's never done anything like that before…"
"I know. It surprised me too," she said quietly, smoothing down her white dress. She paused to think momentarily, and it was then when she remembered that she had to meet up with Ino. Her eyes widened in realization and she started off in the other direction. Waving behind her, she called out, "I'll see you later, Yamato! I have to hurry and meet Ino at Ichiraku Ramen!"
Not bothering to hear him respond, she hurried down the flight of stairs and practically sprinted out of the apartment building. She walked quickly along the sidewalk, ignoring the long stares she was receiving from male civilians. She cursed mentally. She was definitely going to murder Ino once this was all over. The outfit was already attracting attention, and to be honest, she found that quite irritating.
It was a few more minutes before she arrived at her destination. She spotted Ino waiting impatiently by the Ichiraku Ramen stand, tapping her feet to emphasize her impatience. Her baby blue eyes immediately locked with her emerald ones and Sakura knew that she was far beyond pissed.
She reluctantly neared the blonde, and once she reached her, she started snapping. The pink-haired girl rolled her eyes, not paying any attention to her friend. She was tired of her yapping. When it came to scolding, Ino would be a complete bitch.
"Are you even listening to me, Forehead? Jesus Christ, pay attention!" Ino folded her arms, her action slightly wrinkling the dark blue dress she was wearing. She expectantly glared at Sakura, waiting for her response.
Annoyed, Sakura muttered sarcastically, "Did you have a drink before you left home, Ino? You're already quite bitchy, and that never happens unless you've swallowed a couple of shots."
"Ugh, Forehead!" growled Ino. "Let's just go to the new bar already!"
"Fine, fine," sighed Sakura, walking alongside the blonde. "Just be glad I decided to show up."
"Damn right, I'm glad," she huffed. "I almost thought you weren't coming, Forehead. What was the hold up?"
The medic kunoichi shrugged bluntly as the two of them took a turn on the street. "Nothing big. I just ran into Yamato, my old Team Seven captain. We talked for a bit, until I remembered I was supposed to meet you."
"Yamato, hmm?" hummed Ino in a singsong tone. "You should have invited him. He would have made a great date for you, Forehead. I also heard he's quite the dog, if you know what I mean." She nudged her playfully, winking as she did so.
"Pig!" snapped Sakura, cheeks growing red. "Where on Earth did you hear that from?"
"A couple of ladies in the grocery store. They were talking about a brown-haired jonin who always wore an odd headgear, so I figured it was Yamato. They said something about him kissing so hard that he was practically swallowing—"
"Shut up, Ino-Pig!" hissed Sakura, clenching her fists. "You're talking too loud and people are staring!"
"Let them stare!" she retorted. "I'm just speaking the truth!"
For the rest of their trip to the bar, Sakura muted Ino from her thoughts. All she wanted was some peace and quite, and her loudmouth blabbering was not helping at all. To make it seem like she was actually listening, she would give a nod or shake her head every now and then. She thought the blonde would eventually figure out her little scheme, but she was never caught. She supposed it was pretty convincing after all.
A few moments later, the two young girls took their first step into the new bar. The strong scent of hard liquor immediately hit her nostrils, making her eyes water. Tsunade's alcohol-stained breath was already horrible, but this scent was far beyond disgusting. She forced herself to look pleased as if she was enjoying it, only to avoid one of Ino's long lectures about getting used to things. The thought of Ino made her eye her, and she watched as the girl flirtatiously smiled at the men seated beside the dance floor. Sakura almost frowned at the sight of couples' bodies swaying in every direction, grinding against each other and doing every single possible sexual movement. She only had one word to describe this place — terrible.
"My, my. Look at these two pretty ladies here. If you're lost, I can lead the way."
The pink-haired girl averted her gaze to the chestnut-headed man standing in front of her, a dark blue bandanna wrapped around his head. He had a sly, intimate smile spread across his face, and in between his lips he held a sharp senbon. His eyes were dark and mischievous, sending chills snaking throughout her body. He winked at her playfully and from that point she knew he was trying to hit on her, but knowing him, he was only playing a game to catch a certain person's attention.
"Genma, what a surprise," purred Ino, flickering her heavily lidded eyes at him. "I never expected to see you here."
And she caught the bait.
Sakura inwardly groaned. Ino always had a thing with Genma. In fact, it was more of a crush. She didn't mind that Ino was falling in love, but it annoyed her at some times. Whenever she would hang out with her and Genma happens to pop out of nowhere, Ino would completely focus on him and not on her. At other times, Ino would tell stories about those 'special' moments she shared with Genma, which Sakura did not find very interesting. Everything about the Yamanaka's love life bored her, even irritated her. Sometimes, she just wanted no part of that girl.
She shifted her weight from one foot to another uncomfortably, attempting to ignore the husky chuckles and seductive giggles. She sighed heavily and observed her surroundings. Suddenly, she caught a flash of silver by the bar stools. She focused her gaze at the area where she saw that familiar shade of silver, eventually catching sight of her former sensei sitting bluntly on one of the stools. She chewed on her lip, wondering if she should go to him and greet him. She took a quick glance of the two flirting people and immediately decided that they would be better off without her.
She made her way to the jonin, brushing past the heavily drunken crowd of men. Reluctantly, she claimed the empty stool behind him, her knee slightly brushing his thigh as she seated herself. She called the bartender over and ordered a small glass of sake. Sake was probably the only alcohol she would ever be comfortable drinking first. Besides, she was already used to its stench, so might as well give it a try.
When the bartender placed the glass in front of her, she took hold of it carefully and brought the rim of the cup close to her mouth. She licked her glossy lips nervously before sipping the alcohol delicately. She nearly gagged at the intense taste, but forced herself to down more to get used to it. When she finished the last of the sake, she placed the glass back on the bar counter and folded her hands on her lap, her fingers extending out to the end of her white dress.
She suddenly felt the man beside her shift. "I never thought I'd see a pure-heart girl wondering around in one of most the wildest places in Konoha."
"I never thought I'd see a lazy-ass man sulking in the corner of one of the most wildest places in Konoha," she commented softly, tracing the tip of her index finger along the rim of the glass cup.
He chuckled and turned to face her, his lone eye piercing right through her. "Well I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Genma."
"And I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Ino," she sighed, propping her chin up on her upturned palm.
"Ah, so we both have a little predicament on our hands," he smiled underneath his mask.
She returned the smile. "Indeed."
~ X x . . . x X ~
"How long do we have to keep this up? I'm tired of staring at the door. Only couples and desperate men have been walking through."
"Then just take the man's little lady. I'm sure a woman wouldn't mind cheating on her fiance with a guy like you."
"I am not crossing that boundary, Genma."
"Alright, alright. You go and sulk all you want. I'll keep an eye out on the door and see the first single, pretty lady for only you to have."
Kakashi, sighing out of relief and frustration, turned around in his seat. He folded his gloved hands on the bar counter and stared, muting the noisy sounds surrounding him. He and Genma had arrived at the bar nearly an hour ago, but there was no luck in finding a single girl for him to use to tie the end of the deal. Like he said before, there were only couples and desperate men who probably had no interesting lifestyle. Just looking at them wander around, searching for sexual enjoyment annoyed him. Their desperation was practically flaring in their aura.
He rose his hand lazily in the air and called the bartender over. Silently, he asked for a glass of sake. It was only a few moments before the drink was handed to him. He held the cup and brought it to his masked lips. He drank the alcohol, not caring if drinking through his mask was unsanitary. He decided that he would never remove his mask in public and he was not going to start now. He had built a reputation after hiding his face for so many years. He could recall the many times where people tried to pry it off of him. Even his former students had attempted such things, but goals were never accomplished.
Deciding that he would check on his accomplice, he eyed the chestnut-haired ninja. His expression illustrated shock and amusement. The corners of his eyes creased in a smirk and his lips quirked, the senbon nearly slipping out from his mouth. Raising a brow, the Copy Ninja questioned slowly, "Is something the matter, Genma?"
Genma released a breathy laugh and leaned back into the bar counter. Pointing at the entrance of the bar, he chuckled, "I think I spotted the perfect little girl."
Confused, he turned to look at the given direction. His lone eye immediately widened and his confusion was quickly replaced with fear. Clenching his fists, he croaked, "S-Sakura…"
He stared almost breathless at the sight of Sakura in a strapless dress, looking beautiful more than ever. He gulped as he felt a knot twist and tighten in the pit of his stomach. He allowed his gaze to roam her, making note of the littlest details. Her pink, curly locks fell gallantly to her shoulders. Her dress was absolutely amazing. It hung halfway down her thighs, perhaps a little less, and the clothing clearly showed her curves. He was sure her appearance would attract much attention. Hell, her beauty was even appealing to him!
He watched absentmindedly as her friend Ino stepped up from behind her, a seductive smile spreading across the blonde's face. Knowing Ino, it was probably her who dragged that poor pink-haired kunoichi to a delirious place like this. Sakura would never dump herself in a bar and indulge herself in alcohol. She was too warmhearted for any of those things.
The man beside him suddenly rose to his feet. Questioningly, he murmured, "Where are you going?"
"To fetch myself a pretty blonde," smirked Genma as he started to walk off in the other direction. Waving his hand behind him, he called out, "And don't remember to claim yours, Hatake! We made a deal."
Shit. The deal.
Groaning inwardly, he spun around on his stool and placed his face into the palm of his hands. He had forgotten about the deal once Sakura made her presence. He didn't realize that she was the one he had to have sex with until now.
He allowed his eyelid to slid closed and released a harsh breath. He couldn't just claim Sakura as his just like that. It was wrong, especially since she was his former student. She was too innocent and kind to do any kind of sexual intercourse. He knew that once he would start, he would not let it end until his heart reaches its desires. He would hurt her. He would definitely hurt her, and he most definitely did not want that.
He glanced back at the girl again and found her lone near the entrance of the bar. She was looking out toward the dance floor with wondering eyes. He followed her direction of attention and realized that she was watching Genma and Ino move wildly against each other, his hands grappling her swaying hips. Crinkling his nose, he averted his gaze back to the girl, only to find her staring right at him.
Knowing that their gazes did not lock yet, he took that chance to turn back around. He shook his head, trying to rid his head of the dirty thoughts that suddenly started to emerge. It was then when his mind started reeling with images of Sakura lying beneath him, enjoying the pleasure he was bringing her.
He grunted and clamped his hands onto his head. He cursed himself mentally for allowing himself to fantasize such explicit things. It was wrong, so terribly wrong.
He decided that he would try to ignore her presence. He would try to ignore her, forget her for the meantime, and avoid her. Screw the deal. He was not — repeat, not — going to fuck her into oblivion, no matter how big the temptation.
He removed his hands from his hair and placed them flat on the bar counter. He stared long and hard at his fingers as he fidgeted with them nervously. He needed to calm down, but in order to calm down he needed to stop thinking about Sakura.
He slouched his shoulders. First, he needed to keep his mind off of her. Then, he would avoid her for a day or two, just until he felt recollected enough to face her in person.
Suddenly, Kakashi froze. A sweet strawberry scent began to attack his nostrils, sending odd chills down his spine. That familiar scent could not be mistaken. It was her, and only her.
He stiffened when he felt her knee brush against his thigh as she claimed the empty stool beside him. He sat still, listening intently while she ordered a glass of sake. From the corner of his eye, he saw her lick her soft pink lips before sipping the sake. He swallowed hard when she folded her hands on her bare thighs, her fingers pricking at the end of her dress.
Kakashi knew she was waiting for him to speak up. He just knew. By taking a look at her nervous actions and unusual expression, she was waiting with discomfort.
He shifted in his seat, his elbow momentarily making contact with her side. He took in a deep breath before saying, "I never thought I'd see a pure-heart girl wandering around in one of the most wildest places in Konoha."
"I never thought I'd see a lazy-ass man sulking in the corner of one of the most wildest places in Konoha," she replied silently, playing with her glass cup.
Not being able to help himself, he chuckled and turned to face her. When he averted his attention to her face, he noticed her cheeks faintly reddening. He smiled underneath his mask, "Well I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Genma."
Sakura propped her chin on her upturned hand and sighed, "And I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Ino."
The corner of his eye creased into a grin. "Ah, so we both have a little predicament on our hands."
She smiled sweetly at him, murmuring, "Indeed."
Kakashi ran his fingers through his unruly wave of silver hair, sighing in the process. Afterward, he pointed at the empty glass she was holding. "I'm guessing that was your first drink of sake," he commented. "How is it?"
Sakura shrugged bluntly. "It's not that bad. The taste was strong at first, but I think I can handle it."
"Strong and willing as always," replied Kakashi, still slightly shaken from his personal conflicts. Suppressing his nervousness, he continued with a grin, "You never did change for the past two years I've been gone."
She rose a brow. "Is that bad, Kakashi?"
"No, not at all. I like the bad-tempered, strong-willed Sakura Haruno." He ruffled the top of her hair like how he did during their genin years.
She flinched at his action and softly smacked his hand away from her head. She started combing her curly locks with her fingers frantically. "It's not nice to mess up someone's hair, especially when it took them so long to look all fancied up."
He smiled softly at her reaction to his childish treatment. It was adorable to see her act like a child again, whining about the littlest thing. He whispered, "You're too cute, Sakura."
Kakashi chuckled inwardly when her face reddened into a tomato. She shifted uncomfortably on the stool, embarrassed as it seemed. She murmured, "Uh…well…"
"It's a compliment," he pointed out with a smirk, enjoying the sight of her blushing furiously.
She chewed on her lip, then snapped angrily, "W-Why do you have to be such a goof!"
He blinked confusingly. "Thank you could have made a great answer. You don't need to be shy, Sakura."
"Ugh," she breathed. "You are too complicated to figure out, Hatake."
"Why thank you. I like staying inside my shell."
"You bastard. Now you have to go and make things even more worse."
"What's so bad about it? Aren't you enjoying the fact that we are bonding?"
"No, you're annoying."
He held a hand to his heart. "Aw, I feel so hurt now."
"You deserve to be hurt."
"Hmm, you're mean to me, Sakura."
"Hmm, you're annoying me, Kakashi."
They continued to tease each other for the next ten minutes. During that time period, Kakashi forgot all about his nerves and the deal he made with Genma. He was having so much fun talking to his former student that she was all he could pay attention to.
Moments later, their teasing finally seized. Kakashi calmed himself, still feeling a bit tingly inside. Never in his life had he laughed so openly. It was odd to be talking so casually to Sakura. He could not recall doing that before. In fact, he didn't think he ever talked so casually to anyone.
Sakura suddenly lifted her hand in the air and called the bartender over. "One more sake, please."
"Give me a few seconds and I'll have it right out for ya," answered the bartender, nodding as he went to tend to the other customers' orders.
Kakashi gazed at Sakura, watching as she tapped her fingers impatiently on the bar counter. Sighing, he straightened himself and began, "Have you ever tried sex on the beach?"
The pink-haired kunoichi froze and stared at him wide-eyed, her cheeks reddening once again. "S-sex on the beach?"
He laughed, realizing what she was getting at. Shaking his head, he chuckled, "No, not actually having sex on the beach. It's a drink. Alcohol. I thought you'd know some of these kind of things by now, Sakura."
"It's my first time drinking!" she stammered embarrassingly. "Do you expect me to know everything?"
His eye cringed happily and he hummed in delight. Raising his hand, he called, "Oyaji! Cancel the order of sake. We'll have sex on the beach instead!" He winked playfully at Sakura, amused to see her blushing.
The bartender eventually handed them their orders, muttering something under his breath. Kakashi ignored that in spite of it possibly being an insult toward him.
The silver-haired jonin took hold of the glass and carefully brought it up to his masked lips. He took a small sip before averting his attention to his former student. She was glaring at him oddly.
"Try it. It's good," he said, motioning at her drink with his hands.
Sakura nodded and she did as she was told. She crinkled her nose at first, but as she drank more, it appeared that she was beginning to enjoy the strong taste. She finished within the next few seconds, practically slamming her glass back onto the bar counter.
"How was it?" he questioned, smiling beneath his mask.
She giggled, her face flushing. It seemed that the alcohol was already taking affect. "It actually wasn't that bad," she grinned, twirling a strand of her pink hair around the tip of her index finger.
He stiffened when she placed her petite hand on his shoulder. He watched intently as her tongue ran over her bottom lip. He nearly trembled when she sent him another bright smile. No doubt about it. She was drunk already.
"How about we have more?" she suggested sweetly, her eyes fluttering directly at him.
He gulped, tugging nervously at his mask. He stared long at hard at her face, wondering if he should really take on her challenge. He knew that if he did, he could possibly end up having sex with her, which could fulfill the deal he made with Genma. If he didn't, he was going to leave this place feeling empty.
He ran his fingers through his hair and answered, "Why not?"
He was definitely going to regret this.
Oh well. He was just going to have to stay sober enough to avoid further trouble.
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