Dirty Deeds

A Naruto fanfiction, By Serenanna

Part 4 – In Confidence

Warnings and Disclaimers: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters. I'm just borrowing them to play with. I'll return them later, promise. There is adult language and content as well as sexual situations in this story. So, if you're under 18, leave now before your virgin eyes are scarred forever, if you're over 18, enjoy!

Story Notes: Betaing by cultofdecay. See Part 1.


"No," Kakashi said flatly, refusing to look anywhere but away from the pink-haired kunoichi. Standing directly behind him, Sakura tried not to seethe with anger. He had no right to be saying 'no' now. This whole idea was his fault in the first place after talking with Mrs. Minagawa. After the three days they spent preparing for this night, they were going through with the plan whether he liked it or not. Her eyebrow twitched, almost to the point of wanting to rip it off of him and throw it in the garbage. He couldn't do this to her, not now, and not this stupidly. For all his genius, you'd think he would have figured it out earlier that the plan they had decided on required the removal of certain things. Apparently, he hadn't even thought about that until the last minute. She started to argue, trying to calm down, "We have one hour to get there, and it takes forty-five minutes to drive there! You timed the car yesterday! We don't-"

"I know, but . . . no," he refused once again, and Sakura's knuckles turned bone-white from the fists she made. She exhaled, slowly, calming herself down before she resorted to bodily harm. Besides, taijutsu fights never solved any of their problems since he always won their spars. She wasn't in any condition to take him on, at least not in an evening gown. Sakura frowned, resorting to a secondary tactic: comforting, "Kakashi . . . it can't be that bad. It's just one night. You don't even have to see any of them ever again, except maybe Jun-san of course, but still, is that so bad?"

" . . . Please don't make me?" he almost whined, sounding at least twenty years younger.

It took most of her willpower to fight down the giggles. "You've taken it off before. And I've seen all there is to see, so . . . how can this time be any different?"

"Because I'll be in a room full of people I don't know!" he yelled, nearly turning towards her before quickly staring straight ahead again. "It's . . . exposing."

"Then you should have thought of that beforehand," she muttered, annoyed. The Copy nin didn't move, but from the way he hunched over, she could tell his arms were crossed and that he was scowling. Why did he have to be so stubborn over the removal of some fabric? If he was going to be like this the whole night, she didn't need him coming along. "Fine, I'll handle tonight myself then," Sakura said as she turned away from his back, her high heels sounding on the floor as she walked towards the bedroom door. "I'm sure everything will go well without you."

He flinched. She had to put it like that, didn't she?

Kakashi groaned in defeat and pulled at the cloth, her steps stopping at the sound.

A victorious smile spread across Sakura's face as she turned around in time to see him throw down the mask onto the bed. The silver-haired man faced her, a grim press of his naked lips leaving little doubt that he didn't like this situation at all. "Satisfied?"

She ignored the pissed tone to his question and his furrowed pale eyebrows for the moment to take in his appearance. He looked very handsome for being dressed up, and for being on the verge of scowling. The black tuxedo he wore looked good, and the dark red necktie and vest were a nice touch against the black shirt. Even the eye patch seemed appropriate and not out of place for once. She smiled softly despite herself. It wasn't like his appearance was a surprise or revelation to her, but the reaffirmation that her partner didn't look too shabby when he tried made her smile. The appreciation in her green eyes dimmed down as she walked towards him, gazing at his bare face with all the professional intent of performing a physical.

Her hand reached up to Kakashi's hair, rearranging his silver bangs until they fell more evenly over his head rather than looking like they got knocked over in the wind. The back of her palm then brushed down his cheek, finding his skin a little coarse yet smooth as she nodded in approval. She then placed both hands on his shoulders, brushing the black fabric of the jacket flat before moving slowly around to the back and doing the same. Sakura then gently tugged on the red tie, making the knot a little tighter and straighter. "You're ready."

When she backed away, Kakashi shifted uncomfortably on his feet, resisting the urge to shove his hands in his pockets. "That's easy for you to say . . . I'm certain no one will be looking at me while I'm standing next to you."

She smiled slightly then turned towards the door, pulling up layers of pleated black organza and nude-colored silk to avoid stepping on them. He followed, finding it hard to peel his eye away from the sight of the pink-haired kunoichi in an expensive dress.

Three days ago when Jun mentioned the formal party the company was throwing that night for the launch of a new shipbuilding project, both ninjas decided it was the chance they were looking for. All of the three players involved in the love triangle of a mission were supposed to be there that night, including Hiro and Takara. All of the board members were making appearances as well, cutting the reconnaissance Sakura had feared would take them forever down to one night's work. The night would be practically perfect if the two other wealthy businessmen of Snowfall Takara strung along had attended, but both had declined the invitation.

Somehow, they both suspected the blonde mistress had a hand in making sure no unfortunate appearances or revelations of other suitors interrupted the joyous occasion.

The preparations for the party didn't take too much effort. Their client secured their invitations, and was in on the details of their plan. Everything was bought or, in the case of Sakura's jewelry, borrowed. Their target list and objectives were carefully divided, their lines practiced and rehearsed until the social niceties rolled off their tongues with ease. Of all the tasks, the most time consuming part involved formulating their cover stories to match. He didn't think that personnel evaluators quite explained away the troubleshooter label on the company records, but Jun disagreed. Apparently Minagawa Eastern Trading hired outside help to cut employees often enough that no one would notice them.

Although, any man who did not notice Sakura would have to be blind. He hadn't meant his statement to be an offhand compliment, but as a blatant fact. Intentional or not, all attention would be on her tonight in that gown, despite how it revealed nothing.

From a distance, she appeared nearly naked from the waist up. Of course, the dress was meant to look that way, the flesh-toned silk hugging her figure in a tight, off-the-shoulder bodice. White crystal beads were sewn in a flowing design over suggestive areas while discreetly hiding seams, adding to the illusion of nudity. Wherever the zipper was, Kakashi couldn't see it, and imagined he wouldn't find it unless he actively looked for it. Sheer black fabric adorned with jet beads flowed over top of the trailing skirt, pleated and tucked to look as if it was merely wrapped and clasped to the side of her hips. Sakura's pink hair was coiled and pinned in place before spilling down her back, a twisted strand of black pearls used as decoration while matching earrings hung from her earlobes. She even did her fingernails, an overly feminine and time-consuming ritual he thought she'd given up long ago. It seemed she still remembered how, but had matured enough to let the clear polish speak for itself without added color.

Really, with hair that pink, why did she ever need to add color?

Sakura didn't notice him staring at all, which was a good thing. Over the past few days, Kakashi became of two minds while taking in the young woman's appearance. On the one hand, he was beginning to like looking at her more, perhaps too much. It had gotten to the point that he had memorized every nuance of her turned back since that was the only way he could sneak long glances. On the other hand, he felt the distinct compulsion to wring himself by the neck. What the hell was he doing appreciating the way Sakura looked? She was his friend, nothing else. All his conscious had to do was bring up that point to strike him back to reality, almost. There wasn't anything wrong in the way he looked at her, really. It was just natural appreciation, right? Women liked to be looked at. It was why they put so much effort into their looks in the first place. To not look at a beautiful woman was akin to insulting her, wasn't it?

But if that was true, then why did he feel disgusted with himself even more whenever his eyes lingered on her?

Kakashi's conscious kicked in again, reasoning that he was just making excuses for being a disgusting pervert. A filthy, horrible, no-good, wretched-

Wait, since when did he start insulting himself?

That was a good question. He didn't know, but the constant feuding in his head over the subject of Sakura was starting to worry him.

Besides, that didn't even count as an insult. Kakashi had acknowledged a long time ago that literary porn was merely a coping habit of his; a dirty habit bordering on fanatical obsession, but just a habit nonetheless. He may have been a pervert, but to his infinite relief, Icha Icha still held his interest over the real thing. His partner never approved publicly despite her tolerance and mild acceptance, but, like his stolen looks at that wonderful gown of hers, what she didn't know sometimes couldn't hurt her.

There were things about both of them that were better left unsaid, like how his dirty little book found its way to being tucked safely inside his tuxedo jacket, right next to three pairs of kunai at least. Sakura did not need to know that tonight for her peace of mind and his. She didn't need to know about the spool of wire in his back pocket either. Or that he had shoved his metal-plated gloves into the side pocket of his pants just in case. Or the other set of kunai up both of his cuffs. Or the shuriken in the other side of his jacket.

He smirked, watching yet not watching while Sakura opened her purse quickly to count the number of senbon within. For a brief moment, Kakashi had to wonder where she kept her other weapons in that gown. He couldn't see one decent, modest hiding spot from where he was looking. Luckily, his conscious kicked in again before his curiosity got the better of him.

Some things were better left unasked as well.

Never could be too careful at parties, someone could always spike the punch.


The ride in the loaned car to Minagawa Jun's family estate not far outside of the city of Snowfall took exactly forty-five minutes. And in that forty-five minutes, the night's events spun in the minds of the two shinobi before their plan had even begun. "Remember, this is only information gathering. One drink only tonight, then discard the others. Don't stay with anyone any longer than you have to. Find out what you need and move on. Don't blow your cover. Don't-" Kakashi lectured until he was interrupted, his voice low and even.

"Don't get distracted, I know," Sakura said back, her tone clipped. "This is not my first time. You gave me this same lecture that one time where-"

"Where you wore that awful purple dress and flirted shamelessly so you could loosen that stupid nobleman's son lips long enough to learn where his father kept that blasted scroll. I think you made that poor boy's birthday all the more special, 'til you knocked him out cold."

"It wasn't like I had a choice. How was I to know he had a genius level IQ and saw through the genjutsu I put on him?"

"Considering how nerdy he looked, it should have been obvious," Kakashi smirked, trying not to grin at the memories. "At least you didn't have to dance with him."

"That would have been a travesty since I don't know how to . . . uh oh," Sakura said, the color draining from her face.

He blinked. "'Uh oh', what's 'uh oh'?"

"I don't know how to dance . . ." Her voice was so small that he barely heard her over the rumble of the car. Kakashi's mouth nearly dropped open in shock, catching himself just in time before he gawked at her. She couldn't dance? They were going to a high-class, formal opening gala, and she couldn't dance? A twist of emotion shot through him, anger that she didn't mention it sooner, guilt that he hadn't thought to ask her either, panic that she was going to fall all over herself before the end of the first dance. Of course, the stoic ninja kept all of his feelings to himself, fixing her with a frank, droopy stare. "Well, this is a complication."

Sakura stared back, her peaceful temper taking a nosedive. "This isn't funny!"

Despite the idle, thoughtful look on Kakashi's face, he had to disagree. The situation was rather quite funny once the shock wore off. "I suppose it does figure that kunoichi don't receive formal dance lessons . . ."

She scowled, hissing at him, "What are we going to do?! I can't refuse to dance all night! I-!"

"Calm down."

Her mouth opened to yell at him again before snapping shut, half-turned on the bench seat. A half-second later, she huffed and slouched back, crossing her arms. Getting herself worked up wasn't going to solve the problem, damnit, and he just had to be right about it. Her heel tapped on the floor nervously instead. Kakashi didn't look at her, seemingly lost in thought as he held a hand under his chin. The car ride dragged on in infuriating silence, each passing moment increasing the worry that Sakura could barely keep down. The tempo in her nervous feet picked up steadily until he suddenly put a hand on her knee, stopping the noise. "That's enough too."

Angrily brushing the hand away, she snapped, "You do have a plan, right?"

"It's not as bad as you'd think."

"Really? Because from here it looks pretty bad."

"No one at these types of things in ever an expert dancers. Dancing is an excuse to look busy while fishing for business information, negotiating deals, and making social arrangements."

"How do you know that? The only time you're ever multi-talented is with a book in hand."

"Sakura . . ." he said threateningly.

It didn't stop the dramatic sigh from escaping the kunoichi's mouth. "I am going fall all over myself, aren't I?"

"You'll do better than most, for a complete amateur."

"How do you know?"

"You're well-coordinated, graceful, not completely without rhythm, and the quickest learner out of all my old students. I'm sure one impromptu lesson for the first dance will be all you need," Kakashi said, nodding sagely before his eye creased at her with a false grin plastered on his face. "Women have it easy when it comes to dancing anyway. All you have to do is follow my lead . . . That could be a problem since you usually don't like to follow my lead."

Her purse whacked across his stomach, knocking all of the humor out of his comment along with the air from his lungs. He flinched, rubbing the pained part of his abdomen while wheezing for breath. "Nice backhand. Do I want to know which dummy you practice that on?"

"Usually I save that move for Sai, keeps him quiet for a while," Sakura grumbled, shifting slightly away from him to look out the car window. Glancing over, he couldn't help but notice the contemplative look in her green eyes, debating his solution no doubt. He remained as impassive as ever, despite internally chuckling to himself. She frowned, focusing more on the snow-covered woods they passed along until she could think clearly. Of course she doubted him over dancing. She always had lingering uneasiness about any part of the ninja she hadn't encountered before, never quite believing him no matter what he said. Four years and he still managed to surprise her. She bit down on a sigh, knowing her trust in him was more placed in his ability to pull a victory out of thin air than in his actual skills.

But . . . her faith in that uncanny ability of his hadn't let either of them down yet.

Ever so slowly, Sakura turned her attention back to Kakashi. Her green eyes were wide in the darkness, a touch of curiosity in her questions. "Do you really think that's all there is to it? I just follow your lead? . . . You really know how to dance? Formal and everything?"

He shrugged, "Well, my tango is a little rusty if you must know."

Sakura's eyebrows shot up. "Tango? When did you ever learn that?"

"A ninja must be prepared for all occasions."

The smug tone in his voice didn't go unnoticed by the kunoichi. He'd never answer that question as long as he lived, one of many she had asked over the years that he always deflected as easily as a poorly aimed kunai. Her chin rose slightly, looking back out the window. "Keep your secrets then. It's your toes I'll be stepping on first . . . You never told me you could dance."

"You never told me you couldn't."

She huffed in indignation, "I can so dance . . . informally."

"All those drunken parties on your birthday do not count as dances," Kakashi informed her, looking out the window as well, "Like the twenty-first blowout where you were drunkenly all over Kiba for one night before dumping him the next morning."

Sakura sputtered at the memory. He just had to bring that one up, didn't he? Why couldn't he let sleeping dogs lie? It was a one night mistake, the last one she had made for almost a year now. But, he still brought it up now and then, as if to remind her how much he knew about all of her mistakes and past indiscretions. Only trouble was he knew that she knew most of his as well. It still didn't stop these arguments from cropping up at inopportune times, like before and during important missions. Kakashi always did have wonderful timing.

A nasty retort rested on the tip of Sakura's tongue, pertaining to the one time he got plastered on Sasuke's twentieth birthday then got tugged across the gardens by Anko before falling into the pond in front of the Uchiha mansion, but she held back. That particular episode would have been too cruel to mention since he didn't remember a damned thing the following morning. All of their friends never said anything about the incident either, especially when the unfortunate kunoichi who fell into the water with him forbade it.

Sakura never told him either despite taking him home that night and doctoring his monstrous hangover following morning. The only time she ever truly hated him was when he got hung over, but then again, she wasn't too pleasant to deal with when she had one too either. Telling him about that snake Anko was too great a punishment for another ribbing over Kiba. Sakura bit the inside of her lip to keep from cursing aloud to herself. Damnit, why did she have to care about Kakashi enough to not have the last word?

Before she could ponder that question, the car made a turn down a long driveway. Nervousness twisted her stomach into tight knots as she took a deep breath and held it before the air came shuddering out of her lungs. No matter what they did, she still always felt that twinge of creeping fear before the start of anything. How Kakashi could always seem so calm, she'd never know. Sakura glanced over at him, and sure enough, his face was as rigid as stone. And yet, for a brief moment, when she reached out to touch his hand, the ninja flinched. Maybe he wasn't as calm and collected no matter what as she always had assumed. Masks did hide a lot after all.

Yet, all of her previous thoughts were forgotten the moment they stepped out of the car in front of the imposing house. This was still a job after all.

Wordlessly, he took her arm just after they had entered the mansion and deposited their winter garb. For a moment, feeling Kakashi's arm looped around her stunned her into a complete standstill. It was only when he pulled her forward, forcing her to walk or trip over her own feet, that Sakura realized she had stopped at all. He glanced over at the pink-haired kunoichi, wondering what had caused her hesitation. "Are you alright?"

"Fine. Just fine," she lied, silently praying her cheeks weren't flaming. If he noticed, he chose not to say anything, walking on while holding her arm as if it were the most natural thing in the world. To Sakura, being latched onto the Copy nin was by far the most unnatural thing she had ever felt around him, but she couldn't explain why. She'd never been this nervous before, least of all at something so simple from Kakashi of all people. They were comfortable around each other, weren't they? Yet, the simple act of being on his arm made the kunoichi so self-conscious that she almost wanted to push him away before it jangled her nerves beyond repair. But, she didn't, listening to Inner Sakura instead and her reasoning that it wasn't so bad feeling the back of Kakashi's hand brush her skirt every so often.

She nearly stopped again, this time tripping over her heels. Her cheeks blazed at his low chuckle. "Maybe you should have worn something not quite so tall."

Sakura smiled viciously, hiding her quickly rising temper, except in her voice, "You're just jealous that when I wear high heels, you can't bend down anymore to patronize at me."

"I do not patronize you," Kakashi retorted, almost sounding hurt. "At least not when you act your age."

Her green eyes narrowed angrily for a moment, the fake smile staying in place. "Are you purposefully trying to pick a fight with me, or just being a bastard tonight over the lack of your stupid mask?"

"You started it."

"Childish is more like it. And you accuse me of not acting my age."

"I've never acted my age in my life, permanently stuck somewhere between being fifteen and fifty. I thought you knew that already?"

Of course, she did already know that Kakashi could be as mature or immature as he wanted to be, but that was beside the point. The point was that he was purposefully trying to make her angry. Sakura's smile faltered into almost a frown. "You are being incredibly difficult for being about twenty steps away the point of no return."

"It's thirty steps. Your sense of distance is off."

"You are a bastard. I am stepping on your toes at least once tonight," Sakura growled through her teeth, the edge taken off of her anger by his avoidance.

He had to argue with her now, just when Jun spotted them in the line of guests greeting her. If they weren't in polite, non-violent society, she just might have socked him in the shoulder, not once but twice, for what he said. No, the young woman in the evening gown with the soft pink hair was suddenly all too aware of the eyes on them. She could feel them all crawling along her skin, making her turn her away from Kakashi for a moment to look. The reception hallway was awash in a sea of men in tuxedos and women in somber black gowns in infinite variety. This world seemed as drained of color as it was of cheerfulness. No doubt that was why everyone seemed to be looking at her hair.

Suddenly she wished she had henge-ed it into another color, something suitably dull.

Unconsciously, her grip on the ninja's arm tightened. He noticed the grip and reached across to pat her fingers reassuringly. Then slowly, his hand stopped, resting atop hers. "You look beautiful tonight."

Sakura's head whipped towards her partner so fast that the tail of her long, vividly-colored hair smacked across her face and neck. The shock of the compliment was clear on her face, her mouth dropping open. Did he really mean that? She'd been called beautiful before, but never from Kakashi. The only compliment he ever gave her appearance aside from a few glances was last summer at the festival. He had called her cute before then, but there was something in his tone of voice that went beyond simply being cute, something more serious and vague. She studied his face, noting the set clench of his jaw line. If there was a smile on his lips, it was nearly non-existent to her eyes as he stared straight ahead. He meant it alright, and that knowledge made her cheeks blush again, until he added, "Except for the big forehead, of course."

Her hand gripped his arm tighter until her nails nearly dug into his skin through the jacket and shirt, whispering under her breath, "Bastard."

He chuckled again in spite of the name calling, and looked over at Sakura. It worked. The arguing had made her forget about their closeness while walking together, and the compliment had made her self-awareness of the guests' stares evaporate. It didn't matter if he meant what he said or not so long as it produced the desired results in her. She knew that as well as he did, but even then, he couldn't suppress the grains of truth in his compliment. He shouldn't have used that word, beautiful. Danger and beauty went hand in hand, wielded like any other weapon in one's arsenal. Why else were most kunoichi women of unsurpassable beauty that any man would willingly die for, or hesitate to kill if caught? Sakura was no exception to that rule. She didn't need him to tell her what she already knew. Surely she already knew she was beautiful, right?

Before Kakashi could ponder any more on the matter, he looked up to see Jun smiling at them. "Hatake-san, Haruno-san, welcome. I am glad you both could make it."

They both bowed to the older woman who nodded graciously. She was dressed in black like all the other ladies, but an added sparkle of silver thread ran through the dark silk. The gown was cut in a low V neckline before being fitted at the waist, then flowing into a full, pleated skirt. Long sleeves covered her arms, almost hiding the bracelet on one wrist. It didn't hide the plain platinum band on her left hand. A smile nearly flickered onto Kakashi's face before he squashed it completely. Sakura, though, beamed as she let go of her partner's arm to take their hostess's hand. "Thank you for having us, Jun-san, even if we are a bit new to the area. It is an honor."

"You're welcome, my dear. And I must say you look lovely this evening. I'm so glad the dressmaker I sent you to could come through on such short notice."

The kunoichi's smile turned a touch nervous even as she giggled slightly. He smirked a moment then interrupted, "Not as lovely as yourself, Minagawa-san."

Their client's eyes lit up as she turned to Kakashi, looking intently at his exposed lower face. "It is good to see you as well, Hatake-san, for once."

Sakura nearly burst out laughing at the stunned look on the Copy nin's face, managing to keep it down to a soft giggle. He unconsciously rubbed his chin, looking everywhere but at the brunette, "Well, Sakura-chan insisted I inflict my appearance on everyone. She can be quite troublesome to me when she wants to be."

The laughter in the kunoichi's green eyes stopped, glaring at him instead as he grinned wryly. Jun laughed softly, interrupting the beginnings of another argument between the pair. "Now I can see why you both came so highly recommended. You do work well together. If I didn't know how professional you both were, I'd almost think you were more than just friends."

The ninjas kept their shock off their faces except in their mutual wide-eyed stares. The same thought went through their heads at that moment. No one had ever said that to them in public before; gossiped behind their backs, whispered in private, but never to both of them at once or to their faces. They exchanged glances in the middle of the shock, trying to read what the other was thinking. Their eyes locked, but held nothing but staggered disbelief and silence. No, of course there was nothing there. They were just friends after all. Sakura looked away first, her mouth open to protest, when another couple moved past them on their left.

Whatever she was about to say died in her throat as she recognized the man and the woman on his arm. "Good evening, Jun," the dark-haired man said with a bow as the blonde beside him didn't move at all.

For a moment, her brown eyes softened in recognition until they glanced over at his companion, hardening once again as her voice caught in her throat. "Hiro," she said barely above a whisper before nodding her head while looking away from him. "So good of you to make it."

The two ninjas stood there, taking in the palpitating tension in the air while observing. Up close, Sakura could finally see what Jun had seen in the man she married. There was something about Hiro that set him apart as being uncharismatic, slightly anti-social, and, well, normal for lack of a better term, but still loveably adorable if slightly goofy in a way. He was handsome with his short, black hair, dark brown eyes, and olive complexion, but he was far from perfect. The man wore thick glasses in blackened steel frames, and looked slightly unkempt with a nearly permanent unshaven shade on his jaw. He was also at least three inches shorter than Kakashi, and stood with a noticeable slouch to his shoulder, as if he was carrying some great weight around his neck.

Her eyes shifted over to the blonde, and she idly wondered if it was guilt that had him burdened or the clinging clasp of his lover. Standing next to Takara, Hiro looked nearly insignificant, completely invisible, and even smaller than before. She had seen the woman up close before while tailing her and knew she was beautiful, but all dressed up and this close, the kunoichi once again felt like a mere speck of dust before the radiance of the sun. The blonde had flaunted the apparent rule of black or silver gowns by wearing a floor-length sheath of nude-colored silk covered in golden lace. Even while exposing less skin than Sakura with her high neckline and long sleeves, Takara still managed to look practically naked. The only part of her that didn't belay radiant beauty was her smile, too broad to veil the maliciousness. "Our hostess is impolite for not introducing us to her new friends, it seems."

As soon as the blonde's brown eyes turned towards them, Sakura stiffened, grabbing for Kakashi's arm again. Oddly enough, he didn't move at the pull of her hand, or even say anything. When she looked up at his face, the pink-haired young woman knew why he didn't react and it made her anger burn. He was staring at that tramp like that pervert Jiraiya at his absolute worst. Oh, so Takara wasn't his type, huh? Inner Sakura raged, wanting to grab him by his shoulders and shake his sense of decency back into him. For a moment, she even contemplated kicking the side of his leg when Jun interrupted. "Forgive me. This is Hatake Kakashi and Haruno Sakura, two associates I've hired temporarily to help trim down my personal staff before the next quarterly meeting. I thought it would be prudent to invite them tonight since most of the company is here."

"You never told me," Hiro said as his eyes narrow on his wife, forgetting the blonde on his arm for the moment. "This'll change the budget now. Why didn't you tell me sooner? Then again, it's not like you've ever told me much before."

"You haven't been around much for me to tell you anything," she said, a hint of bitterness in her voice as her eyes briefly looked over at the other woman before turning to the two ninjas, "but I suppose this is a fitting introduction. This is my husband, Hiro, and his . . . companion, Takara-san."

For a moment, Kakashi still stood there taking in the blonde until he felt a pinch on his arm. He looked down at Sakura's green eyes, angry fire dancing in them even as the rest of her face stayed decidedly calm. Shit, she was really pissed, more than he had intended. He nodded to the both of the other couple quickly, ignoring his partner's stare. "Pleased to meet you both. We should let you get back to your guests, Jun-san. Good evening."

Before Sakura could say anything, he was quickly pulling her away and towards the main hall, leaving her to only bob a quick bow before they were gone. As soon as they were outside of their range of hearing, she practically screeched at him under her breath. "What the hell were you thinking?! Not only were you nearly drooling over her, but you retreated rather rudely like a lecherous coward that was caught staring! You're no better than Ero-sennin! You just blew it in front of Jun too, you-!"

Her ranting stopped suddenly when she realized that he'd taken her to the middle of the dance floor. The location didn't help her anger at all, throwing him a disgusted look before turning away and nearly stomping off. Sakura didn't get any further than one step away when Kakashi tugged sharply on her wrist, spinning her not only back towards him but also close enough that she was pressed against him.

Her jade-colored eyes immediately met his, a mixture of anger, surprise, and defiance in their depths. Her look didn't faze him as he stared back with his face and eye remaining neutral even if his mind was in turmoil. For one moment, he'd let impulsiveness take over, and this was the mess it created. All he wanted was to test her jealousy after her question the other day, not throw her into a rage. Now that he stood face to face with the fuming kunoichi, all he could think about was the slight pout of her pink-painted lips.

She stepped back from Kakashi, and his better sense finally kicked in, grabbing her waist in one hand and holding her arm out with the other. "Not so fast. I'm not letting you off this floor until you can dance."

"What does it matter now? We're going to be fired because you couldn't keep your eyeball off that bimbo's boobs!" Sakura hissed at Kakashi, unconsciously taking a step back when he took one closer towards her. "And you lied to me! You said she wasn't your type! You apparently either lied or like things that aren't your type at all! I doubt you even have a type!"

Her free hand, which was on his chest, tried to push him away, but his grip stayed put. He took another step closer and the kunoichi moved in the opposite direction, determined to keep as far away from him as possible if she couldn't escape completely. She was still seething, the pulse in her veins quicker than the gentle flow of the music, but her voice dipped lower into seriousness. "Admit it, I caught you leering."

"This isn't the first time you've seen me appreciate the appearance of opposite sex. Why do you suddenly care?" he asked.

Sakura's feet nearly stopped until his hand on her waist guided her into a side step as he turned. Why did she care? If it had been any other woman he'd been looking at, she wouldn't have given a damn, but why her? "Because that woman only cares about money," she asserted, holding her chin a little higher.

"Do you know that for sure? Maybe she has a wonderful personality to go with the-"

Her foot purposefully stomped forward, trampling his shoe. Kakashi abruptly stopped and winced, biting down a groan at the pain. Ok, he deserved that one, but it told him more than her first answer. The Copy nin grinned regardless, continuing to dance as if she hadn't just stepped on his toes. "So you do care . . ."

"I do not," Sakura growled, keeping up with him well. "We both know what she's after, and yet you still ogled her like a piece of meat. Obviously, you are not immune to her charms."

"Why do you care?"

"I just said I don't. The point is you're a liar, a lecher, and an idiot who can't remember a word I say!"

"If you didn't care, why are you getting worked up over it? She's just another woman," he said off-handedly, as if his opinion didn't matter one way or another. And yet, the last sentence out of Kakashi's mouth ignited the kunoichi's jealousy like an exploding tag. She wasn't some other woman! He never looked at any other woman like that! He didn't even look at her like-!

Sakura's thoughts stopped cold along with her feet. She was jealous of Takara for gaining her partner's attention, unbelievably jealous. His hand pulled her into taking a step closer, and she squashed the thought as soon as it sprung up in her mind. It didn't matter. If she was jealous, it was beside the point. He was still an idiot. "She's just another woman who's exceedingly beautiful that you couldn't take your eyes off of until I pinched you," she said, sounding deflated. "I'm not jealous. You're just an idiot."

"I never accused you of being jealous . . ." Kakashi said lowly, and Sakura's stomach dropped. A slight, cocky grin graced the ninja's lips. Shit. He already knew she was jealous, didn't he? And she walked right into his verbal trap. Suddenly, the kunoichi's mind clicked. He purposefully wanted to make her jealous. But why? Only he knew the answer to that one, but it didn't stop her from guessing. "Bastard . . ." she muttered harshly. "You did that on purpose, just to make me angry."

"It worked, didn't it?"

"I hate you."

"And I appreciate you with the utmost esteem, Sakura-chan," Kakashi teased, his eye creasing. Of course he wasn't serious, but then again, neither was she. She never could be mad at him forever. The kunoichi huffed in indignation, "I don't think Jun-san's going to like it that you were eyeing up the mistress."

"Just checking out the competition, that's all. You're worrying too much tonight."

"Why? Honestly?" Sakura asked, staring at him again before being spun away. He didn't answer as she stood at arms length, and didn't tug her back either. After a moment in which the slow music filled her ears, the kunoichi pulled her hand from his grasp and turned to stalk off. She'd taken half a step when Kakashi grabbed her opposite hand, pulling her around until they were face to face again. "Are you asking why I was looking at her or why I tried to make you jealous?"

His hand grabbed her waist again, and she followed, keeping exactly the same distance between them as before. Sakura didn't answer his question because she didn't know what she really wanted to know. No matter what she asked, part of her knew that something would change between them once the words were past her lips. She didn't want them to change. All her years as a genin and chuunin were filled with changing relationships, so many highs and lows. Now that something stable had formed with her ex-teacher, changing that bond seem tantamount to undoing it. And so, the pink-haired young woman remained mute, following his lead.

Kakashi didn't push her for an answer, almost grateful when she didn't give one regardless. He didn't think he could answer his own question either. Yet, he never thought about what else she would ask. "Why are we just friends, Kakashi?"

He had been avoiding asking himself the same thing, only his question included the words 'more than' as well. The final notes of the slow song struck, and without thinking, the ninja moved with them. One second she was close enough that he could smell the scent of her hair, and the next she was spinning away from him, stopping as they stood across from each other. For a moment, he didn't say anything except to look at Sakura, wondering if there was something more to the glance of her green eyes or if he just imagined it. No, he had to be seeing things. Nothing had changed between them, and nothing would ever change because neither of them would allow it, right?

Suddenly, the ninja wasn't as sure in that thought as he'd been before. For now, it was the same as it always was. which only left him with one reply, "Because everything I feel for you . . ."

". . . is out of friendship," Sakura finished for him. "Thank you, that's what I needed to hear."

She graced him with one of her most endearing smiles, and for some odd reason, the Copy nin's heart thumped an extra beat at the sight. The feeling was annoying, very, very annoying, so much so that he was beginning to wonder . . . Kakashi squashed the thought before it threw him off anymore, muttering, "Congratulations, you just did the waltz without falling on your face."

Her smile slowly turning into a smirk. "Maybe you're not that bad of a teacher after all."

He grinned just as slowly, then toned it back down to a neutral expression. "High compliment from my favorite student. Time to get to work."

She nodded and turned, starting to wade through the crowd on the dance floor until he stopped her by grabbing her elbow. "Three hours remember. If there's an emergency and you need me . . ."

"Ask you for another dance, I remember. Don't you have something to do?"

Kakashi's hand sprung open, releasing her. Sakura smiled again and walked off, disappearing into the crowd. Once she was gone, the ninja let out the breath he had been holding to avoid smelling her perfume again. He didn't know what it was, but the scent lingered in his nose after she was gone. It smelled really good too as he shifted on his feet. Like he wasn't distracted enough as it was. Grumbling to himself, he stalked off the floor to look for a drink he greatly needed. "Long night, very long night."


Two and a half hours passed in a whirlwind of conversation and dancing. By the time Sakura had convinced herself that she deserved a break, her feet were killing her in the high heels. She hadn't stepped on any toes, thank goodness, and had kept it down to one drink. It was hard to avoid the alcohol when it seemed to flow so readily, especially after the presentation of the ship plans and models by Jun, but she managed no matter how many glasses were put into her hands.

Over the course of the night, she had spotted Kakashi only a few times, including dancing with Jun once. Given that the older woman was smiling by the end, it seemed that she had forgotten all about the Copy nin's indiscretions. It still marveled her that he could dance, but she supposed that came with being male and shinobi. Every single one of them excelled at being surprising, especially when you think you know them.

Kakashi wasn't the only one that had surprised her that night. Takara never seemed to leave Hiro's side all night, which made getting close to him all the more vexing. Every time she attempted to get close enough to separate the two, something came up, be it more dancing, more drinks, or more people in the way. It left the kunoichi with one of two conclusions; either the mistress was very possessive of her man, or she was smarter than they expected. Neither hypotheses were pleasant to think about, but the latter especially left a sickening feeling in her stomach that she couldn't shake.

As the night started to wind down, so did Sakura's list of people to talk to until only Jun's husband and his mistress remained. If she was going to get anywhere close to either of them, she needed a plan. But forming a plan while dodging amorous single men in tuxedos looking for a dancing partner was easier said than done. The kunoichi frowned, walking down the hallway while trying to find at least one of the many bathrooms hidden around the mansion.

It didn't take her too long, finding one room clearly marked ladies only with a few women milling around the doorway, chatting. The mansion had been designed to hold these sorts of social gatherings it seemed. And true to any party, women seemed to congregate anywhere that men were not allowed, including the lavatories. All she needed was one stall and five minutes to record her notes and come up with an idea.

She pushed her way past the other ladies and into the room, quickly finding one unoccupied toilet and locking herself in. Exhaling in relief, the pink-haired kunoichi put the seat down and pulled a small note pad and pen from her clutch before sitting down. No one seemed to notice her at all and she didn't notice them either, pieces of conversation passing by her door like background noise until something caught her attention, "I cannot believe that woman, the nerve of her to wear gold to a black and silver party. Hasn't she heard of a dress code? And to show up on Jun-sama's husband's arm too."

"Nerve indeed. She's a disgrace to this company, having an affair with a married man."

"But they are separated . . ." said a meek third voice.

"Don't defend her. You hate her too. Men are so stupid, falling for notorious women . . ."

"Can you blame him? I had to almost shake my husband to get him to stop staring."

"Do you honestly think the board will care about Hiro-san's blackened reputation of being with that woman at the next meeting?"

"I think not. All they care about is the profit margin, and ever since her father died, Jun-sama hasn't been performing as well as she did before."

"That's because she's too busy trying to deal with her philandering husband."

"Last quarter was so awful, all those cuts . . ."

"We should be wary for our own husband's jobs and not hers. I heard there were two agents here tonight that Jun-sama hired to fire people."

The silence that fell over the women made the kunoichi shrink down on the toilet seat. It was obvious whom they were about to talk about.

"Really? Who?"

"That dashing silver-haired man and the woman with the odd hair color."

"Oh! Her!?" a fourth woman asked, breaking into the conversation. "I've never seen hair that pink in my life! But really, her? She looks too . . ."

"Too pretty to be useful? That's what I thought too, especially since most of the single men tonight seem to be flocking to her or that Takara, but she doesn't seem that interested in the attention. In fact, I saw her around a few of the gentlemen of the board. Maybe she's smarter than we think, looking for a permanent job."

"Maybe Takara has met her match. She could have been lobbying for Jun-sama, or to win Hiro for herself. She seemed to want to get close to him, following him around tonight."

Sakura bit her lip to keep from swearing out loud.

"Doubt it, that blonde menace to femininity wouldn't let such a thing happen."

A fifth woman snorted in disdain. "I wouldn't put it past Takara to sleep with all of the board members to sway votes just in case."

Loud gasps were followed by tittering giggles but Sakura wasn't laughing, frowning as she sunk down until she was nearly hunched over. Her pen scratched on the paper, making notes of the gossip even if she didn't like what she was hearing. This could be bad, especially if it was uncovered that they really were trying to save Jun's job. She was nearly finished when the laughter abruptly stopped at the sound of the bathroom door opening. There was nothing but silence again, and a tension in the air that she could feel, the type of calm encountered before a fight broke out. Somehow, she didn't think this fight would be physical in nature. A new feminine voice shattered the quiet. "I suppose being stunning is a truthful compliment after all."

Sakura's voice caught in her throat as she recognized the speaker, Takara.

Not soon after the words were out of her mouth did the sound of heels on tile and the shuffle of expensive silks fill the bathroom followed by the door opening and closing one after another. Judging by the feet passing by her little stall, the blonde had managed to clear out the whole room with just a few words. She could see the trail of golden lace move across the floor along with the clinking of shoes, stopping in front of the long vanity counter. "You can come out now too, Haruno-san," she said, and Sakura flinched. "I don't bite, much."

Caught, the kunoichi slipped her things back into her purse, stood up, and flushed the toilet before opening the stall door. Takara stood across from her, looking into the mirror to see the pink-haired young woman. "You must be hearing an earful about me tonight from all those old bats, huh?"

Not saying anything, she moved up to the sink beside the other woman, and turned on the water to wash her hands. "You're not really here to cut people's jobs are you?" she asked just as Sakura held her hands under the spray. "Your dress is too expensive to afford on the salary of a mere temp hire."

Her inner self cursed, glaring daggers at the blonde witch who continued speaking in the silence. "But I could be wrong. Maybe you do other things for Jun-chan, you and that man, Hatake-san was it?"

Sakura took a bar of the nearby soap, lathering her hands with it before returning to the water. She seemed to ignore Takara entirely, not even bothering to look over as she rinsed. "I haven't the slightest idea what you're implying, but yes, I have heard quite an earful of a lot of things tonight."

A cordial smile spread over her face while looking at the woman before she reached for a towel, methodically drying her hands. Slowly, the blonde's chin rose up proudly, her arms folding over her chest while turning towards the kunoichi. "So you do know then, that I'm fucking Hiro. Why are you here in Snowfall?"

"To do my job, which is none of your concern," Sakura shot back, placing the towel down to grab her purse again. She turned towards the blonde as well, noticing with curiosity the growing smile on Takara's face. It was the same malicious smile she gave Jun earlier, like she'd already won the battle. "He's not a bad lay, you know."

"Who?" she asked dumbly, her eyebrows scrunched together.

"Hiro . . ." Takara said with dramatic pause before bursting out in laughter. "No, I lie, he's horrible, wretched. He's worst lay in my life. His only potential lies in his bank account and this shoddy company. He's going to take over it, I know he will, but the poor fool, he's so confused without me. Hell, he's even confused when he's sleeping with me. He can't get enough of me yet he keeps thinking about his dumb wife's feelings. But I'm not worried about her. He'll leave her when I want him to. Married men are so easy to entertain and married women are so . . . boring. It's no wonder she lost him. No wonder men cheat too. Really, he isn't worth your time. He's much too enthralled with me already."

Sakura's fist clenched on her purse, but her face remained neutral even as the blonde went on, "You're more of competition for me than she is. You may be shorter, lacking in figure, and have that monstrosity of a brow, but you're just as smart as I am. I can see it in your eyes . . ."

"What exactly are you implying . . .?" she asked, holding down the dangerous tone in her voice even if she felt like punching the winning grin off of Takara's face.

"I've seen you trying to get close to him, you and Hatake. You can't deny it. So I've had a little theory. Care to hear it?"

"Enlighten me," Sakura deadpanned, trying her hardest not to scowl.

"Jun-chan hired you to steal Hiro back from me, because she knows she can't do it herself. It makes perfect sense; hire a whore to eliminate a whore. She'd still control the company through you in his bed until you turn him back over to her, brilliant. That means that man with you is your lover, your pimp, or a nobody. Am I right?"

Inner Sakura screamed in fury, more than ready deck the blonde through five walls at least, and with just her pinkie. But, if she did that, everything was blown, the mission, the money, everything. If they failed this mission over her mistake, Tsunade would never let her live down how she'd cost Konoha so much over a task that was so easy. The only person who wouldn't have cared if they failed or not was Kakashi. But then again, possibly losing his respect for letting her temper get the better of her was even worse. Still, she couldn't let the insult go totally unnoticed.

An angry vein popped along her forehead whether she willed it or not. Her hands shook slightly while her voice remained coldly steady, "You are sadly mistaken. My partner and I have no interest in anything but helping Minagawa Eastern Trading and Jun-san through its recent difficulties. I don't play politics; I just bypass them to do my job."

Turning on her heel, the pink-haired woman headed for the door. "What is your job then?" Takara asked, making her stop in her tracks. "Or perhaps I will start spreading this little theory of mine. It should be interesting to see since there are questions about you both already."

"I already said that my job is none of your business," Sakura answered harshly, glaring at the blonde in gold from over her shoulder.

"And if I make it my business?"

"I am a very private woman, and this is a delicate matter I am settling for the company. If you interfere in my business, then I'll make you my job instead," she threatened back, unhitching her anger enough that it burned in her green eyes. Takara didn't seem moved at all, still smiling but with a bit more satisfaction. "Tough, I like it . . . Perhaps, I should make your Hatake my business instead?" the blonde asked.

For a brief moment, Sakura's free hand tightened into a fist, chakra flowing into her palm. She wanted so badly to obliterate the smug look on Takara's perfect face, more so than she ever wanted before. And yet, the shock of that thought, of defending Kakashi's honor for once, made her release the hold on her chakra as quickly as it built. Damnit, why did that reaction feel so natural to her? He meant nothing to her, just a friend, just a partner. Jealousy had bitten her, again, but she wasn't about to let it get the better of her. Sakura smiled, "He's not your type."

"Really? That small?"

"That poor," the kunoichi said with a grin.

The joke didn't amuse the blonde at all. "Stay away from my Hiro. He's mine. He will be the president of this company. I have waited too long for this, and not you, your man, or that simpering bitch Jun is going to stop me."

Sakura tried not to look surprise at the revelation, doing her best to imitate one of Kakashi's blank stares. "I have no intentions of pursuing anyone."

"Good, then we have nothing to worry about, do we?"

"No, we don't," she said with as much finality as she could muster, nodding her head in a shallow bow. "Goodbye, Takara-san. I hope we never meet again."

The kunoichi's green eyes hardened, promising ill intent despite the courteous smile her face held. The blonde's lips pressed into a thin line, obviously not pleased at all. "Likewise, Sakura-san."

Without returning the bow, Takara stormed past her and out the door. After the slamming, she could hear startled gasps from the hallway, probably from eavesdroppers. This wasn't good, not at all. The mistress was on to them before they had even really done anything. Sakura took a deep breath, calming her frazzled nerves as best as she could. Easy mission? Her inner self, of course, testified to not believing that claim for a minute. She should have told herself so. Groaning in misery, she held a hand to her forehead, nearly certain that she was indeed going insane. "I need to find Kakashi," she muttered to herself.

Behind her, the door opened, startling the kunoichi as she yelped in surprise. A group of women crowded in the hallway around the bathroom, staring at her in wonder. Sakura blinked. "Can I . . .?"

"You, you are our hero!" one of the women in front blurted out, awestruck.

The kunoichi blinked rapidly. "Excuse me?"

"I've never seen Takara that mad before. I can't believe you stood up to her! We never should have doubted you! You're wonderful!" shouted another lady excitedly.

A lop-sided smile twitched nervously on Sakura's face as they actually started clapping and cheering. In the face of this very unusual situation, she did the only thing she could do. She smiled and bowed slightly in appreciation all the while turning bright red. "He's going to kill me," she mumbled to herself under the applause.


The night had gone smoother than he thought, standing out on the balcony at the back of the ballroom that overlooked the gardens below. He didn't mind the chill at all. It was better than the growing heat from all the dancers taking up the floor. Snow covered everything in sight, making the moonless night look brighter than it really was. And yet, it was rapidly growing darker as well. A storm was rolling in until the clouds blanketed much of the stars. By morning, the city and country would be covered in a fresh layer of white. Kakashi leaned against one of the pillars while reading his book, grateful to be alone for once that night, but not that grateful. For some odd reason, it felt like something was missing.

He tried not to smirk at the thought as it led back to the absence of the cherry blossom by his side. No, she would have hated it out there because of the cold. Soon enough he'd have to track her down regardless. The night was winding down. Between himself and his partner, they should have enough information to start tomorrow in swaying the favor of the company's board. The only missing piece was the one person at the center of it all, Minagawa Hiro, and the blonde seemingly attached to him. He'd seen Sakura trying to get close to them all night, doggedly, but he knew it wouldn't happen as soon as he saw Takara in the flesh and not through spyglasses. They had underestimated the mistress. Kakashi frowned, turning another page. Icha Icha wasn't going to give him any answers, but it was better than beating his head against a wall in frustration.

For a moment, the ninja thought about confronting the situation head on when he heard a pair of feet shuffling behind him. Quickly, he closed the book and shoved it back inside his jacket pocket before calling out, "Sakura?"

"I don't think my hair is that pink, Hatake-san" a man said behind him.

Kakashi stood up straight and turned around, finding Hiro looking at him. "Minagawa-san . . . didn't expect to you to be out here . . ."

A lop-sided grin twitched at the corners of the ninja's mouth that he quickly suppressed. Luck, it seemed, was smiling down on him for once. The man shrugged, walking tiredly over to the railing before leaning over it. "I hate these kinds of parties. It's just like any other meeting but in fancy clothes. I'm not cut out for it. I have to drink just to keep up the courage to keep talking to people I don't know."

The sliver-haired ninja turned to watch him, leaning on the pillar again as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "It is probably meant more for the women that attend these things anyway."

Hiro chuckled, sounding somewhat bitter as he nodded. "Jun always was better at it than me anyway, the maneuvering and politics. But she's not as good as Takara. That woman has a way with words. Every time I agree with her, it always seems like it's my idea. Yet, I always seem to realize five minutes later that it was her idea all along. It's so amazing sometimes . . ."

"Why are you telling me this?" Kakashi questioned, feeling a touch suspicious of the other man's statements even if he didn't show it. Hiro chuckled, standing up again with a slight wobble. Then, he understood. The man was drunk, if only slightly. "Because I knew from the look of you that you really don't give a shit about this party, or this company, or just about anything probably."

He was also very truthful and perceptive for a drunk.

Hiro almost mirrored Kakashi's pose by shoving his hands in his trouser pockets. In the failing light, his dark eye could barely see the glint of silvery metal, but it was there on the man's finger. It was a ring, a wedding band. The Copy nin took a deep breath and held it. Hiro still wore his wedding band. Luck was smiling indeed. If he noticed Kakashi staring, he didn't say anything as he continued. "No matter what I say, I'm sure it wouldn't make a bit of difference to you whereas everyone else back there is too wrapped up in either keeping their job or their own agenda. Probably too drunk, too."

"Um, you're sounding a little too drunk too . . ." Kakashi trailed off, stopping as he noticed the man's brown eyes fixated on the stone railing. "Are you ok?"

Hiro looked up suddenly and blinked, then ever so slowly, put his head back down. "Fine, just fine."

He didn't believe him for one moment. "You drink often, don't you?"

"One night a month, maybe, and then I get pissed drunk. Takara hates it when I do it, but Jun always popped the cork of a wine bottle too and joined me. This is going to be one of those nights in a few more shots, but probably without either of them around for once, thank the gods."

The ninja's eyebrows knitted together. "You sure you're ok?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm just . . . lying. No. Really, I'm confused, really confused . . ."

That made the two of them, but the ninja kept his opinion to himself as the man went on, "It's funny. No matter how many times I sleep with her, afterwards I still feel . . . I don't know."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly, inserting words into the end of his incomplete sentence instead of 'I don't know', words like guilty, and dirty, and sorry, and bastard. Really, from everything he had heard tonight and before from Jun didn't help in swaying his opinion towards Hiro's favor. As much as he wanted to say that to his face, he couldn't. At that point, the sorry excuse of a man didn't deserve his honest opinion. "You're right," Hiro suddenly nodded up and down as if his head couldn't stay still anymore, "I really shouldn't be telling you any of this since Takara doesn't like you, or that Haruno-san with the loud hair."

He stopped rambling a moment and gave a snort, grinning broadly. "I think she's jealous of the pink myself."

Kakashi couldn't hold the smile down any more at the mention of her hair. "Sakura always did know how to make an appearance."

"She's lovely, beautiful. You must have noticed. You sound fond of her."

"I am, I guess. She's . . . special, in her own ways."

"Wife?"

"Um," Kakashi's smile faded back into neutral, "No."

"Fiancée?"

"No."

"Lover?"

"No, just my business partner."

"Shame . . ." Hiro said in profound sorrow, as if he had just said that Sakura was sick with the plague. "Some lucky guy is gonna snap her up from you one day, then you won't get to be 'business partners' with the likes of her anymore."

The neutral expression turned into a stern frown. Where did everyone keep getting that idea from anyway? "It isn't like that."

"Oh, really?"

"We're just . . . friends," that phrase sounded convincing in the ninja's head, but that conviction died as it crossed his lips. It certainly didn't convince Hiro. Whether Kakashi liked it or not, he reached up and patted the taller man on the shoulder in what was supposed to be a comforting gesture. By the annoyed twitch the ninja gave, it wasn't comforting at all, but it didn't matter to the man's drink-addled perspective of the world. "It happens every day. Lots of good women just up and quit life as soon as some foolish guy puts a ring on their finger."

There was a sound of regret in Hiro that was hard not to miss. For a moment, the ninja put aside the reference to Sakura to wonder if the remorse in his voice came from the memory of Jun or someone else. Before he could ponder too long, the dark-haired man turned to him suddenly. "Do you mind if I ask for your opinion, on something, in confidence?"

A pale eyebrow rose up. Now he wanted an honest opinion? Part of Kakashi relished the opportunity to potentially settle their entire mission right then and there . . . that was until he realized that Hiro probably wouldn't remember a thing about their conversation in the morning with his hangover. Well, maybe parts of their conversation, but probably not the parts that mattered most. Still what could it hurt? Perhaps in spite of his better judgment, he nodded. Really, how bad could one question be? Hiro grinned slightly, nodding too before stopping to look out at the snow. "Would you throw over everything for one woman? Everything you owned? Everything else you cared about? Your life as you knew it essentially? Would one woman be worth that much?"

He was wrong. One question exactly like that could be very bad.

How could he answer that? In his very, extremely, barely-worthy-of-notice experience with women and love, he was of the firm opinion that none of it was worth giving up everything for. Could he see himself doing that for a woman he loved? No way in all of hell. There wasn't a woman alive that could drive him so far. Nothing came before his duty to Konohagakure . . . except his teammate. Sakura was his teammate. By correlation, that made her more important than his duty, right? Ok, so there was one woman alive that he could potentially give up everything for, but she would have to have a very, very good reason for him to do that, and it wouldn't be out of love. No, his reasoning was only out of friendship and nothing else. Thoroughly convincing himself of that fact, it dawned on Kakashi that his logic still hadn't answered the damned question.

But then again, when did he ever really answer a question that he never wanted to answer in the first place? He smirked slightly. "That sounds more like five questions. You sure you want my opinion on each? This might be a while."

Hiro chuckled, "I suppose that's a question I should answer by myself, huh?"

Kakashi shrugged, "You should be asking yourself why you need an answer to that type of question in the first place."

The small laughter stopped cold. After a moment, the dark-haired man sniffled, rubbing a hand under his cold nose then down his rough chin. The ninja's eye darted to the band again. Nope, it was there. He had seen it the first time after all. "I never felt about Jun the way I feel about Takara . . . but I've never felt about Takara the way I feel about Jun," Hiro said, his voice barely above a whisper, "so I have to keep asking myself that question, but I thought you might have had an answer I'd like to hear."

"I'm not one to give answers."

"But you do listen to drunken bastards like me," he said with a sardonic grin. "Can't be too bad, Hatake-san."

"Kakashi. Kakashi is-," he started to say when a loud voice screeched across the balcony, "Hiro!"

They both turned to see the blonde in gold lace standing in the opened doorway. As soon as Takara's brown eyes fell on the ninja, she went from seemingly upset to irate with just one glare. His eyebrows scrunched together, curious about what he did to deserve the look. Women never looked at him like that without either a good reason or a weapon in their hands. Aside from the purse, her dress was too tight to hide anything remotely dangerous in. Why would she be fighting mad at him? In the next moment, the flash of insane anger in her eyes was gone, replaced with a disappointed pout. "It's late. I'm cold. You're sloshed. Can we go home now? It's a dull party anyway."

Hiro shifted on his feet, taking a hesitant step towards Takara. "I was just talking-"

The anger snapped in her eyes before it was veiled away behind a more insistent pout and whine. "But Hiro, you promised when I came back that we'd go. Don't you want to . . .?"

Her unfinished sentence jumpstarted Kakashi's tainted mind with too many ideas of what she implied. Hiro's feet picked up as he walked over towards her, the silly grin on his face telling it all as she snuggled up to his side with an indulgent giggle. The ninja's dark eye drooped. She was a professional mistress, alright, with the dumb blonde nymphomaniac act down to perfection. As soon as Jun's ex-husband tried to wave in his direction, Takara pulled him away, back through the door. "Uh! Nice to meet you, Hatake-san!" Hiro shouted, nearly stumbling off his feet and into someone else.

The ninja held up his hand to wave back, but they were already gone. And Sakura called him rude. At the thought of the cherry blossom, his shoulders sagged, hands shoved back into his pockets as he turned around again. "I don't like that woman . . ." Kakashi muttered to himself, picking up the sound of shoes behind him once more. "Took you long enough."

"Problems with the ladies room," Sakura said, watching his turned back from the doorway after nearly being bumped into by the quickly fleeing Takara. "We have a few complications . . ."

She opened her mouth to explain more when he cut her off. "Later."

The ninja turned around, ushering her back inside with a wave of his hand. "It's too cold out here for lovely flowers."

Sakura smiled slightly at the compliment, but took it like everything else he said to her that night, at nothing more than face value, "Flatterer."

"Fine. You'll get sick out here. Better?"

"Much improved," she joked, smiling brightly. Something in his chest tightened suddenly then slowly unclenched when Sakura's smile disappeared. Kakashi held his breath and the door until she slipped inside. He stood there, watching her walk away, and then followed as if he wasn't watching her at all.


Genma frowned, wishing he had heard that conversation instead of Ino. This was useless, pointless, just some stupid party they couldn't get into. Like one party with dancing would change anything. And freezing out there in winter whites was certainly not worth the effort. It had become so cold that he had to discard his toothpicks or else let them freeze to his lips. He bit down the inside of his mouth instead to keep from grumbling and to keep himself entertained without something to suck on. The bushes he squatted in shook slightly. He looked over his shoulder to see the blonde next to him huddled up close while rubbing the arms of her snowy white coat. "Nothing too revealing happened."

"Doesn't surprise me. Waste of our goddamned time. Nothing's going to fucking happen tonight," he said harshly while starting to crawl out towards the garden walls. "As soon as we get back, I am taking a nice long soak in the tub, then writing Tsunade a very grim report on this. Do they pay extra if we get permanent frostbite?"

"No, not when it's your own fault for not bundling up right."

"Well it's not like you would help me out there with some shared bodily warmth," Genma muttered with a smirk until she threw him a disgusted look that wiped his expression away. "Force of habit."

Ino sighed, jumping over the wall with a short burst of chakra. He followed her, taking his time as she already started through the snow-covered field. From the determined crunch of snow with each step she took, he knew she wasn't pleased, and it was probably with him. "Hey, it's not like I can help it. If I could, I wouldn't be me," he tried to argue, but the blonde didn't respond.

What had he said? What could he say to get himself out of this one?

"I'm sorry?"

She still didn't talk, and her pace picking up slightly. "Shit," Genma cursed, jogging to keep up with Ino, "What did I do now?! I haven't said one crossed thing to you all day! I even said-!"

"It's not that," she said, stopping. "I . . . I heard something back there. I've been thinking about it."

He blinked, eyebrows rising up. "Good news?"

"I don't know . . . how well do you know Kakashi's mannerisms?"

Genma tried not to frown, but couldn't help it. That kind of question didn't bode well. "I'd like to think I know him well enough . . . What did he say?"

"That guy asked him a pretty pointed question on love, if he thought one woman would be worth giving everything up for."

"And?"

"He hesitated and avoided the question."

"How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long did he wait before answering?"

Ino blinked, starting to walk again. "Um, a good fifteen seconds, why?"

A smile started to inch up Genma's face, turning into a full-on grin of epic proportions as he hopped past her towards the bare trees. "The cracks in his armor are showing."

She snorted, not believing the bold assessment for a minute. "I thought you'd given up hope?"

"What? Me?" he asked, sounding shocked before laughing heartily. "Perish the thought, sweetheart. He doesn't hesitate unless he's thinking too much. I wonder what he was thinking about when he was asked that, or whom."

"He was probably wondering when the next Icha Icha Paradise was coming out," Ino mocked with a haughty tilt to her head. "How am I supposed to know anyway? I'm not Kakashi."

The brown-haired jounin grunted a response as he trudged along and left it like that. As the walk went on before they took to the trees, the blonde's mouth slowly tugged downwards into a contemplative frown. She suddenly stopped on another limb, snow falling from the branches on the landing. "Can I ask you something?"

Genma stopped as well on the next tree over, turning towards her. "What now?"

"Um . . ." she asked while reaching up to scratch the back of her neck distractedly, "I was just curious how you would answer that question, if you thought it was possible to love someone like that."

He blinked. Well, it was one subject no woman ever dared touch with him, and with good reason, because most of them knew his thoughts on that already. Genma's face scrunched up in distaste. "I thought I told you I don't believe in that romantic crap? Any man that does is out of his damned mind to do something like that just for one woman. But that seems to be a requirement for love, huh? To be fucking insane?"

The curious look on Ino's face went away in an instant, turning to stone-cold frigidness. "You're right. I shouldn't have expected you to be able of having that much emotional capacity. I keep forgetting I'm the hopeless romantic and you're the heartless bastard in this thing together."

"Hey!" he shouted as she took off again, "I'm not that heartless! I like kittens!"

"Forget I ever asked!"

And yet, as he chased after her through the trees and then over buildings on the way back to their little hotel room, he couldn't forget completely like she hoped. It sounded so right to say at the moment, that if he didn't say it, he'd be betraying everything he stood for. But did he really believe what he sprouted off to her? A few weeks ago, hell yes, he'd never let a woman ruin his life like that. But as he watched Ino beat him to the bathroom door and soundly ram it close behind her, he was no longer so sure that was the impression he wanted to give her. Unlike him, she still had hope in love whereas his had disappeared somewhere long ago on his path to being a ninja.

Bitterness welled up in Genma as he heard the shower turn on. He wasn't one to answer such a question anyway. Really, what woman could ever ruin his life if he never really let one of them into his heart in the first place?


End Notes –

Gown Design inspired by John Galliano for Christian Dior Couture collection, Fall 2005.

Waltz inspired by Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps sung by Doris Day.

To Be Continued in Part 5 of Dirty Deeds, Blind Bets.