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Chapter 3

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The hideout was nothing like Sasuke had expected. He thought they would be going to some dank dark cave in the outskirts of nowhere like all criminal tend to do. This was surprisingly different. It was a cozy flowering plant decorated little hut with four bedrooms, a kitchen cum dinning room, a small living room and a common toilet and bath room. No one would guess that the occupants of this charming house were against the law or in Ino's case a spy gone haywire.

The moment they arrived at the hideout, Suigetsu's predictions came true in the form of a weird hair styled crimson headed woman. She had spouted fire for them being late the moment they stepped inside the threshold. She did not even notice that there was someone tagging with the duo until their team leader, Kabuto, had slapped the woman's mouth shut. Thankfully!

"Could it be?" Kabuto's eyes widened in shock, amazement and glee the moment he recognized the newcomer. "Is it my birthday? What did you do? What did you two do?"

"Thank Gorgeous for that. She was feeling him up at the alley when I spotted them. They seem to be close," Suigetsu said as he carefully laid his sheathed sword beside him on the couch.

"Is that true, Slut?" Karin asked heatedly. She clearly was annoyed for getting all the guys' good graces and attention especially this gorgeous man-meat. She wanted him for herself.

"I'm confused. Why are you asking yourself, Karin?" Ino returned smugly as she sat on the armrest near Suigetsu.

Suigetsu howled in laughter and tapped the blond woman's thigh. "Good one, Sexy."

Sasuke was casually observing in the sidelines. He can clearly see there was bad blood between these two women. He smirked internally. Knowing Ino, it won't be a happy day if she did not rile this one up. She breathes to terrorize those who misjudge her.

"Stay away from this, Water Boy!" Karin sniped at Suigetsu.

"Make me, Bitch!"

"ENOUGH!" Kabuto shouted. "Whether or not Ino is close with him or not is not our concern. They both were from the same village clearly they have history other than being village mates. Now, I assume you want to join us, that's why you're here for, right?"

Sasuke did not like this Kabuto guy. Not one bit. He grunted his answer. He disgusts him.

"Well, this is a nice welcome and all but I'm bushed. That guy kept on pouring drinks hoping to get me drunk and get into my tight little skirt. One thing I can say about him is that he's a terrible light weight. I wasn't even in my best moment and he's already sleeping under the table," Ino said as she walked towards her room. It was a common knowledge in the village that Ino drank as much as the fifth Hokage. She was her former student therefore she had to learn her drinking ways as well. Add in her father's infamous sake cellar and she's someone not to challenge in a drinking match.

"Where will Sasuke stay?" Suigetsu asked no one. He doesn't care where he bunks as long as he's aware. He doesn't want to wake up seeing him bunked in his bed. Or beside him. Whatever.

Karin instantly perked up and declared to be the new guy's room mate but Kabuto thankfully put a stop to that before it got ugly. "Karin, I fear you'll only get yourself killed when you decide to rape him. You," he pointed at Sasuke, "sleep with Ino that way you'll have the chance of waking up to see another day."

"That is so wrong in so many different levels, Kabuto," Suigetsu said as he went to his room, his sword on his back.

"Stop raining on my parade, Sui." Ino shouted from wherever she was. "Sasuke, get your ass in here. The bed's getting cold."

"Stop putting images in my head, Flirt."

"Bite me."

"Oh, I'll do more than bite. Just point and I'm there slobbering all over it."

Ino smirked as she was getting ready for bed. She left the door ajar so that Sasuke will know which room to enter. She and Suigetsu had a pretty blasé relationship. They had a lot in common. Anyone else who read into it will only acquire a headache. They flirt heavily without following through.

"Get a room!" Karin yelled. She sounded like she was ready to pop a blood vessel.

"With you? No thanks. I'd rather do Suigetsu in your face beside I have a hot man meat with my name on it," Sasuke had entered the room just as she was saying that. She smirked at him and went to the close the door. "'Night guys. I'll be sure to let you know how great Sasuke is come morning, Karin."

Ino slammed the door shut and turned to him. All playfulness was gone and was replaced by seriousness. "What are you really doing here, Sasuke? You be truthful or you'll be kissing your baby making kit goodbye." She hissed.

He felt the sharp tip of the kunai pressed to his groin. "Kinky. We haven't done this in a long time. Aren't you supposed to wine and dine me first?" he ruffled the blond's feathers a bit and got the satisfactory annoyed look from her. She looked just this side of sinful when annoyed. "I got tired of doing things for them so I rebelled. You know what that's like, right?"

"Bullshit." The kunai was still on his groin but the pressure had eased. Good. No need to worry about his baby making equipment now. He'll be needing it after this damned fiasco was over with her tied to his bed so she won't be in some mess again.

"Think what you will, Doll. They were only using me as their lap dog. I haven't had a decent vacation since I passed the Chuunin Selection Test. I eventually got tired of following their every whim, like you," Sasuke prayed she believed his lies. She was a mind control specialist and interrogation was her specialty. She even taught the fucking course to recruits, for crying out loud! She also had the advantage of knowing him well. He had to mentally brace himself. This could be ugly any minute.

Ino released the Uchiha and headed straight for the small dresser. Her kunai was flung to wherever it landed in the room. She took a couple of painkillers and a couple of soldier pills dry. Her head was pounding just by analyzing Sasuke's answer. She was not lying to the team when she said she was bushed. She took a drink from the bottled water on her nightstand. She doesn't want to show weakness especially in front of the Uchiha but she was already pushing past her limits.

"Sleep wherever you like. We have an early day ahead of us," Ino said as she slid to the bed.

Sasuke stared at the woman the moment he stepped to her room. She really looked exhausted and out of her game. The normal Ino he knew was feisty, tenacious and a chatterbox this one however was the complete opposite. She even took pills dry which she detests so much. That gave him some clue to what she was feeling right about now.

He cannot even detect her true self. His sharingan was telling him that this was the genuine Ino. No genjustu whatsoever. His heart was telling him otherwise - that there was something seriously going on within her.

Early the next day, Ino had woken him up at the butt crack of dawn, ordered him to change and get ready for a mission. She threw him a black cloak and left the room telling him to hurry up and to not forget to wear it.

He wasn't told what to look ahead to for that day but he found himself shaking inside at the carnage he had just witnessed in the unwanted front row seat. He might have a lucky strike alerting the Daimyo of an attack from the snippets he heard before they attacked but still there were a lot of casualties.

What he can't believe the most was how the blond used to be lover of his can kill without so much as a blink of an eye and remorse. She even smiled when a spray of blood was running down her face. She was ruthless and coldhearted. He can still remember every shinobi she killed were stroked twice in the heart to really make sure they were going to die. The others were even gutted savagely.

"What's wrong?" Ino asked him sweetly blood still dripped on her person. She had changed from the cold hearted killing machine to the charming girl she once was.

He grunted. He didn't know what to say. He might be arrogant but he wasn't a hypocrite. He killed people for a living but not like this. Not without extensive surveillance and deliberation. Not without an order from the Hokage. This was a different ballgame and he wanted nothing but get her out of it – FAST.

They were sitting under the foliage sharing a meal like nothing gruesome happened earlier. Suigetsu and Karin were off to the other side bickering. Ino was subtly massaging her head beside him. He noticed that she was doing it a lot. Kabuto was talking to the newly arrived pale long-haired man and his cohorts.

"So, you're the new recruit, yes?" a cold sinister voice asked him.

"That's Sasuke Uchiha. My future husband," Karin excitedly said to the newcomer. She was brimming with joy when she announced that.

Yellow eyes gleamed and a smirk appeared on his paler than pale face. "Uchiha, eh? We'll where are my manners? My name is Orochimaru, the honorable leader of this organization."

Like he gave a flying fuck what they call themselves. He swallowed a grunt and remembered why he was here. He stayed seated and struggled to look obedient while he discussed their next move. Ino graced him a small smile and they all headed to another hide out.

They arrived at the dug out tunnel on the north east of Konoha near the Fire Country border. Great! The Hokage could send the damn cavalry to stop this man. He was getting very uncomfortable with this man's sudden appearance. He can feel dark massive chakra inhabiting in him.

They ate like kings celebrating their victory. He wanted to hurl at how foolish this was. In Konoha, every kill was treated with express grief for different reasons. They do not celebrate after killing especially those who were just innocent bystanders.

"Since we are near Konoha it will be our next target," the Oto leader announced after the meal. "Be ready in a week. Konoha is a big powerful village full of talented maggots. We have to plan our attack carefully."

This was bigger than the last hide out. They were able to have their own personal rooms. He was preparing to send his report when the door burst open to reveal a tired, pony-tail free, scantily clad Ino. He absently let go of the breath he was holding. He thought for a second that he was made.

"Can I sleep here?" The blond tentatively asked.

He raised his eyebrow and decided to swim with the current. He shrugged and told her to help herself. The bed was big enough for them anyways.