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Finders Keepers Chapter 4

Blindfolds and Perverts

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An unknown location in Grass:

"You sent for me, Uchiha-san?" Zetsu inquired from the doorway, "What the fuck do you want?"

"I did Zetsu-san. I require a sedative," Itachi told him putting his work down on the table and wiping his hands on a rag.

"Yes, Hoshigaki-san told me," Zetsu interrupted politely, "That's quite a tall order, just to get some kunochi pussy."

"I don't question my leader's orders, Zetsu-san," Itachi reminded him.

"Gomenasai, Itachi-san, I did not mean to imply a wish to disobey leader-sama," Zetsu bowed properly, "Don't try to fuck with my head Uchiha."

"Of course not, Zetsu-san. Do you think you can create what I need? The girl's DNA must not be adversely affected."

"Most certainly, Uchiha-san. I will take a little time to get the desired results without harmful side effects, but I am confident I can produce what you require," Zetsu bowed and mumbled as he turned to leave, "Just give me a few weeks, you freak-eyed asshole."

Itachi smirked and resumed sharpening his katana. He trusted the dual personality ninja to come through with his request, in a timely matter. Re-wetting the water stone, Itachi was careful not to wash off the slurry, before continuing and making sure every scratch was removed from the blade. Not needing to rush perfection, he slowly and gently ground the entire blade evenly across the stone 100 times, before carefully turning it and starting on the other side. When he was finished, he cleaned the slurry off his stone before replacing it with one of finer grit and starting again. When he finished and the blade shone like new, he replaced the habaki and the handle. Polishing it with a fine cloth, he tested the blades sharpness on his thumb, before returning it to the scabbard.

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Konoha:

"Sakura you need to work harder at anticipating my movements without looking at my face or my hands."

"You're crazy, it's impossible," It was nine o'clock in the morning, and they had already been training for two hours. The Hokage had kindly, cough, cleared Sakura's schedule, cough-suspended, so she could learn to fight against the Sharingan eye.

"Well, I have a few ideas, but you have to keep an open mind."

"I'll try anything you want, if it helps me avoid Sasuke becoming my Sensei."

"Now Sakura, Sasuke is even better versed in the arts of the Sharingan. You're lucky to have him to work with. Tsunade even lifted his punishment restrictions, just so he could help you."

She'd had enough of Sasuke, that jerk had broken into her place yesterday, leaving a note warning her that if she didn't lay better genjutsu traps against intruders in her home, she would be sorry. He was so full of himself, "Please spare me the speech sensei, can we just begin?"

"I won't go easy on you Sakura. Taijutsu only, I want you to keep working on reading my movements from my legs. Prepare yourself. I will try and catch you in a genjutsu and I want you to try and sense when it starts, open up your senses."

"I'll try Kakashi. Go ahead."

They fought fiercely for the next thirty minutes, Sakura sensed the first two genjutsu Kakashi threw at her, but the third caught her unawares and when she was tricked into attacking the tree she finally realized it.

"Kai. Damn it!" Sakura cursed in frustration, "How long was I fighting a tree?"

"Two chapters," Kakashi said from behind her where he was leaning against a log reading, "Really poor, Sakura. We need to try something else. I thought you were better at sensing genjutsu then that," He sounded rather disappointed.

"Are you going to train me, or bemoan your teaching skills all day? If I suck at it you can share in the blame."

"You've got a big mouth for such a little girl," Kakashi teased her. He pulled a long black strip of fabric from his pocket, "Come here and put this on."

"What the hell is this, some perverted technique from your books?"

"Well…"

"It is isn't it? You dirty old man. What am I supposed to do after you blindfold me, hm? Guess what's in your pocket?"

"Just try it, Sakura, if you don't improve in the next hour I will stop and try something else. You are clearly out of your league with the Sharingan. If we improve some of your other senses it can help make up for it."

"Do you promise not to tell your friends I did this?"

"Come on Sakura-chan. When have I ever touched you inappropriately?"

"The last time we went to the bar you-"

"I mean when I wasn't drinking. Now be a good girl, and let sensei put on your blindfold. I have a plan."

She couldn't see it but she knew he had that shit eating grin behind his mask.

"You better keep your hands in the appropriate places," She walked over and stood quietly for him while he tied the blindfold on, careful not to cover her ears.

"Nice and dark?" he asked and she nodded, "Good, now listen."

She heard the small ring of a bell, then another, then two more. Each one had the slightest change in tone.

"Sakura, we are going to fight using only taijutsu, once again. I will start off using most of the same moves from the last fight right up until the time I caught you in the last genjutsu. I want you to use your memory and your ears to remember, hear, and anticipate the next moves from me. I will start slowly and increase my speed as you become accustomed to the sound and feel of a blind fight. If this works we will work on fighting blind for the next few days. Tomorrow I will take off the bells, leave the blindfold on and we'll start all over again."

"Why are we doing this?" she asked.

"If you can't see Itachi's eyes, he can't throw genjutsu on you. Got it? You're going to have to think every second out. Where is he going? What will he do next? Where will he strike? Use your instinct and trust it fully. I'll know if you're not and I will be forced to punish you."

"Punish me?"

"Yeah, I figure I'll just read aloud passages from my new book that you wouldn't like."

"You…"

"Don't like it? Then win, Sakura-chan," He smiled behind his mask, making his eye squint.

"I will, you brat!" Sakura stood in readiness. Waiting for the fist she knew was coming, she moved at the last second before throwing her own, and missing. It was very disconcerting to not feel contact where she was sure there would be some. The faint tinkle was her only warning before Kakashi's kick came round behind her, hitting her back and knocking her from her feet.

"Son of a bi-"

"The fuchsia haired kunochi momentarily held her breath. She shivered as the silver haired ninja tied the blindfold around her eyes, before taking her hand and leading her to sit in a chair next to the bed," Kakashi's sultry reading shocked the hell out of her.

"You are kidding me right? Jiriaya did NOT write this about us. Right…Kakashi?"

"Get up and use your senses Sakura, you are barely trying. Stance," he ordered.

She rose and stood at the ready, trying to open her senses up for his movement. She knew damn well he could keep those bells silent, if he chose to, he had been a frickin Anbu. Of course, Itachi was Anbu too. This was like some kind of test she'd expect from them. She set her jaw; she'd just have to work harder.

The next try she made it two whole minutes before a solid hit took her by surprise. As she drove forward, Kakashi's fist connected with her nose, fracturing it, and knocking her back onto her ass. He pulled that punch back. Full strength it could have killed her, at the very least it could have broken both eye sockets. Sighing she sat healing her bloody nose while Kakashi read from his paperback.

"The silver maned ninja removed his mask and took a long feather from the table, sticking it in his sensuous mouth. His fingers gripped the zipper on the front of the cherry vixens blood red vest, pulling it down to reveal creamy white breasts with proud pink nipples already stiff in anticipation. Using only his mouth he pulled the feather between her gorgeous mounds of flesh, the soft touch sent chills through her. She moaned lustily."

"KAKASHI!" She knew her face was beet red, but she couldn't help it, "If you dare jerk off with that book, I swear, I'll kill you. Ohhh, I am gonna skin that pervy old ninja, if it's the last thing I do. Come on," she wiped the blood from her face, "I've set my nose, let's continue. Please try not to hit the same spot twice, it will take longer to heal each time," She took her ready stance.

"What's the matter Sakura-chan? Aren't you pleasantly surprised to be someone's muse?"

"How long has that book been in print?"

"This? This is an advanced copy of Jiriaya-sama's new book 'Come Cherry Paradise.' Great isn't it?"

"Have you read it all the way through?"

"Oh yeah. Twice."

"Describe the kunochi to me."

"Light reddish hair, green eyes, inhuman strength, and an insatiable need to have sex in every chapter with the silver haired-"

"Masked ninja with the scar over his eye, who could do over 1000 jutsu. Right?"

"Not only him, there is also the dark haired, dark eyed and brooding ninja that she cannot turn away from."

"And the idiot blonde side-kick?"

"Well, she's is highly desired by many in her town. She shouldn't be forced to tie herself to one man, should she? Except in chapter 19 when she ties herself to Tasuke and they-"

"Tasuke…you mean…SASUKE! Oh my GOD!" She covered her face moaning, "I'm going to be a laughing stock."

"I don't think so Sakura, the character was obviously lovingly written. You're going to have many fans, as is yours truly."

"Perverts!" she shouted, "I'm going to have perverts lining up, thinking they are going to get laid—by ME! Oh my God! And what if Sasuke reads that? He'll never let me live it down."

"Well, I thought you might think that way. Actually, that is why I've chosen this as your punishment for failure. You see, this book won't be out in print for four months. If you do your best to learn what I am teaching you, I will give you the name and address of the printer as well as the probable location of Jiriaya-sama and the other people who may have an advance copy, as a reward. Now…stance."

Giving her no time to think, Kakashi immediately attacked. Only the sound of the bell saved her this time and she let everything else go trying to do nothing but survive. She had to win, she had to stop that book from going into mass print and ruining her life.

This time she lasted more than ten minutes before Kakashi hit her with the 'killing' blow, his foot connecting with her stomach, breaking a rib. Sakura crumpled to the ground, a mass of bruised and bleeding skin, but this time she had a smile on her bloody face. She was starting to get the hang of it. Kakashi put a bottle of water in her hand and immediately took it back. "I'm putting this back where you first set it down. Heal yourself then take a water break, we commence in 10 minutes. Keep the blindfold on, you are starting to use your other senses. I'll be here if you need me," he warned settling back to read his book, "You better not need me."

Sakura lay back quietly and moved her rib into its proper place before she began healing herself. As she worked she went over the fight in her mind, recalling each sound of each bell and the different sounds they made, each distinctive in its own way now that she was no longer trying to use her eyes.

Once her rib was healed she got up and made her way over to where she had set down her pack. Even the few minutes she had lain still brought fresh pain from sore places she couldn't even feel during the fight; it was almost like her body was becoming over sensitized to the pain from blows she received. Conversely she didn't want to go back to feeling nothing, so she left the wounds alone. The water, once she found it after tripping a few times, was a delicious treat. She drank almost all of it before finding her way back and sitting quietly, meditating and trying to connect with the sounds around her.

The next time Kakashi quietly said 'Stance ready' she rose without a sound and threw the first punch herself. She was fighting blind now. Sure she was taking some big hits, but none were kill shots and she held her own against the copy-nin, who, unknown to her had removed his hitai-ate and was using his Sharingan to anticipate her actions also. He wasn't about to coddle his student because he knew the Akatsuki wouldn't, and he feared he wouldn't be able to protect her from them no matter what. She had to be able to save herself. She had to become stronger, to shed some of her innocence of evil men and the pain they could cause. It made him sad to have to embarrass her like this, but he felt he had no choice. Itachi was the youngest, most intelligent, most powerful ninja in generations, and if he wanted Sakura then the odds were already stacked against her. Who knew what they would do to her as a prisoner? They usually didn't keep prisoners, they just killed them.

Kakashi knew Itachi from years before, when they both had worked as Anbu. He wasn't sure the missing-nin really had the hots for Sakura, he believed it went deeper than that. It was either some plot to get at the Hokage, or Naruto, or it had something to do with Itachi's little brother. Maybe all three, or none. If there was something else he couldn't yet tell. Her healing abilities were outstanding with his Sharingan, but only a few people knew that. It was a mystery he would do his best to try and solve, if only to keep his favorite student from falling victim to Akatsuki plans.

They worked steadily into the afternoon. Each time she lasted a little longer, before she fell. Each time he read her more of the dirty little excerpts from what he believed was Jariya's masterpiece. He knew it would never go to print though, he wouldn't let it without some major editing of the heroine. Jiraiya had a death wish if he thought Kakashi or Tsunade would let him put Sakura in that position. It was an excellent portrayal of the bold and beautiful girl.

It had been a long, exhausting and weird day and even he was getting worn out from fighting her so hard.

"That's the last set for today. Good job. When I take off the blindfold, keep your eyes closed for a few minutes to let them adjust slowly. Tomorrow we'll start over again, next time no bells," He paused at her harsh intake of breath. He knew he was pushing her hard, "You will use your other senses to fight me. Understood?"

She opened her eyes a crack to get used to the bright light of late afternoon. "Yes sensei, and…thank you," She smiled and he smiled back, "Now lay back, let me heal you. Then you can buy us dinner, before I go home and sleep for the next 10 hours."

"Sounds like a good plan Sakura-chan," Kakashi agreed laying back against a log.

They made quite a pair as they walked through town, Sakura, dirty, bloodied, and bruised with a strip of clean white skin around her eyes walking next to her masked sensei, who jingled as he walked. They shared the boat of Takoyaki Kakashi had purchased from the street vendor, discussed advantages of blind fighting, and argued whether the Toad Sage was a genius or a perverted idiot.

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A/N Things you probably already know:

Gomenasai-Polite form of saying-I'm sorry

Boat of Takoyaki-fried octopus dumpling served in a boat-like tray.

Habaki- The part of the katana that holds it in the scabbard, comes in two parts. The habaki is very important for the sword, because it settles the blade into the scabbard. Therefore, it should be well fitting on the blade. Good shape is necessary.
The decoration on it is secondary but can be very beautifully engraved, a symbol of one's clan, or left plain.

Water stone- Stones of varying grits, especially for sharpening blades.

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