Disclaimer: Things haven't changed from earlier chapters. I still down own Naruto or any of its characters. I don't plan on owning them. Don't even want to own them as they do so well in their master's hands. I just want to keep playing with this idea. Thanks for continuing along.

Chapter Four: The Cleansing

If the exterior of La Maison de la Nuit resembled a European fairy tale, then the interior reminded Sakura of a Turkish harem. The walls were painted a deep, lusty red and draped in sparkling, translucent fabrics. Endless woven rugs with intricate patterns stretched down candlelit hallways. Pointed arches, scalloped mouldings, and carved wooden doors beckoned. Sweet, exotic aromas that she couldn't place filled her senses. She felt transported.

"I've never been anywhere like this..."

"No, I wouldn't have thought so," Kakashi replied. His eye creased in a smile again. This truly was a magical place, wasn't it, she thought. "I promise it's safe, so you can release my arm whenever you want." Sakura blushed, not realizing she had grabbed his sleeve the moment they entered the castle. She smiled an apology and let her hands loose.

"Where did everyone go?" she asked. Kakashi shrugged. Wasn't it just moments ago that the place was flooded with voluptuous young women? Was that just a genjutsu as well? No, because Kakashi seemed to know them. She just hoped he didn't know them. Or at least not many of them. Her nose crinkled. She really didn't want to think about this.

Suddenly, two young women in matching white dresses appeared beside them. They looked identical except one possessed long blonde tresses and the other black. The blonde carried a silver filigree tray with two cups of steaming tea. Sakura smelled something fragrant radiating from the cups but didn't recognize the scent. The dark-haired beauty carried what appeared to be fresh, white towels. No, they were robes, she realized. Were they supposed to change? Right here?

"You are both soaked," the blonde said.

"Please follow me into this room," said the brunette.

"There are changing facilities within."

"Please take some tea."

"You must be tired."

Their voices played a hypnotic rhythm in Sakura's ears. She let herself be ushered into a room and then into a smaller, changing room, covered by a large blue - green drape, speckled with round, silver sequins. Another attendant – with hair the color of fine sand – assisted her out of her drenched jounin uniform and into the waiting, warm robe.

The attendant gestured for her to sit on a plush chair, which Sakura obliged. She sipped the tea and felt it trickle down her throat. Somewhere in the background, an instrument like a harp played. A lyre, maybe? A mandolin? She couldn't be sure. The attendant opened bottles of mysterious oils, poured them onto her hands, and lathered her palms and fingers with the strange, opalescent substance which smelled faintly of the sea. Sakura didn't protest as the woman began massaging the oils into her pink hair and then deep into her scalp. Her hands played her like a piano, and for the first time during this trip, Sakura relaxed.

"You have such a unique color, Miss Haruno-san." The woman's voice was light and melodious. "I have never seen such a shade of pink before."

"Thank you." Sakura's voice drifted in and out. "Those oils... that lotion... it feels amazing."

"Thank you, Miss Haruno-san. Inoue-chan ordered only the very best of our collection for you."

"Why? Because I'm with Kakashi-kun?"

"I do not know for sure, but I suppose that must be it. He is a very special man at La Maison de la Nuit," the attendant replied. Sakura looked up at her. What did she mean by that? A now familiar tingle ran up her spine.

"What do you mean by special?" She tried to sound nonchalant.

"You will have to ask Inoue-chan personally, Miss Haruno-san. I only know him by reputation. The girls here are very fond of him," she answered. Sakura's stomach knotted. She tried to push the thought away, but it continued to burrow deeper into her being. She tried to think about and remember if she had ever felt this way before. Had she ever spent time thinking so much about his past life? On what – or who – he might have done? Sakura's brow furrowed. "What is wrong, Miss Haruno-san? Do you not like this oil or the way I am massaging your crown?"

"Oh, oh, no, it's all lovely. Beyond lovely. I just..." She stopped. She didn't need to explain her thoughts to this girl. "You are doing a wonderful job."

"Thank you, Miss Haruno-san." The attendant made a few final sweeping motions, signaling the end of the scalp massage. She rinsed her hands in a basin of rosewater and brushed Sakura's hair before opening a new series of bottles. "Please remove your robe." Sakura paused without saying anything. "I apologize if you are uncomfortable. If you would prefer, I will just apply the oils to your hands and feet, but I do recommend applying them to the entire body. I assure you that they will make you feel wonderful."

Sakura smiled and discarded the robe. The attendant continued the massage on her face and body. Soon the pink-haired fighter had again dissolved into a puddle of mush under the experienced touch of the attendant's hands. When the girl finished, she felt cleaner than after any shower or bath and more relaxed and rejuvenated.

"Thank you..." was all that she could manage to say.

"It has been my absolute pleasure," the attendant said, seeming to mean every word. She bowed to Sakura. For a fleeting moment, Sakura remembered where she was and considered just how good these ladies were at what they did. She didn't linger on the thought. The attendant cleaned up her supplies, picked up the robe, and disappeared beneath the curtain.

A few moments later, a new attendant raised the curtain. She wore a long, white dress like the others with deep red locks, which cascaded like a river of lava down her pale back. She bowed to Sakura.

"Please stand, Miss Haruno-san," the attendant asked. Sakura stood. She shivered a little, feeling somewhat exposed. The red headed girl looked her over and asked her to turn around, which she complied with. "Thank you, Miss Haruno-san. I will be back momentarily."

The attendant disappeared beneath the curtain. Sakura sat back in the chair and wondered what the new attendant would do. She felt like a pampered princess, and while she had long ago shed her immature girly-girl practices, she had always retained her feminity.

The curtain rose again, and this time... Sakura jumped.

Kakashi appeared within her room.

"Oh! I thought you had finished." He turned away from her. Sakura crouched in her seat and tried to cover herself with her knees and hands. "I... I'll just be outside when you're done." Without another word, he slid back under the curtain.

Sakura's blush spread across her body. Kakashi had seen her naked. Her former sensei had seen her naked. The man whose love life she had been obsessing over had seen her naked. Even though the dark curtain concealed her, she felt even more exposed.

Outside, Kakashi's hands trembled in his pockets, and his open eye stared at the crack where the floor met the wall. Oi, he thought, and after I had just worked back her trust! He shook his head. Then, he closed his eye, trying to forget the memory. He knew that even with all of his training, all of his ability to bury things deep within himself, that he wasn't going to be able to dislodge the image quickly. He was never again going to be able to look at Sakura and see that twelve year old, naive little girl. She had become a woman in all senses of the word. And the way she smelled... Like lilacs and honeysuckle. Even now, with the curtain between them, he could still take in her scent. He tried to walk away, but the aroma seemed to function as an adhesive, gluing him to this spot. Kakashi grumbled. This was not the way he should be thinking about his former student. Not the way he should be thinking about Sakura. With all the will power within him, he forced himself to walk away.

Inside the little room, Sakura couldn't push away the shame she felt, but even worse, she couldn't push out the question looming in her head. Only a little earlier, he had called her beautiful. Casually and not in the romantic sense, she knew, but he had still said it. She scrunched her eyes and tried not to think the question, but the more she attempted to ignore it, the louder it became. What did he think now? What did he think after he had seen all of her?

The curtain lifted again, and Sakura hugged her knees tighter. The red headed attendant eyed her curiously but asked nothing. She carried in a long, white garment bag and hung it on the wall behind Sakura.

"When you are ready, please put this on and join us outside. Inoue-chan will be waiting in the parlour." The attendant slipped out of the room without another word.

With hesitation, Sakura pulled herself back up. Why the sudden modesty on her part? If it'd been Naruto, she probably would have smacked him for his impromptu entrance, reminded him of his wife, and not given it a second thought. But he had seen her naked several times. Well, not quite several, but certainly enough. She could easily conjure... Not that she wanted to. The image came but left quickly. She just didn't care. Yes, yes, he was attractive, but it didn't affect her. Not in the visceral sense.

She twisted a lock of hair and wandered over to the garment bag. Gingerly, she unbuttoned it and stood back to admire the overwhelming beauty of the ensemble. Slowly and with delicate care, she removed the various articles of clothing within. First, there were undergarments of a pale, pink shade that perfectly matched her hair color. Thigh high stockings of translucent pink and a pair of black stilettos with pink rhinestones. She laid these on and around the chair. Then, there was the dress.

A deep, chianti red, flushed with several waves of lighter and darker reds, the silk dress seemed to undulate, like a flowing red river. Why did they want her to wear this? She had only glimpsed Kakashi for a moment before cowering in shame, but she remembered him in all black, even his mask. Was he wearing a suit? She didn't think so. Why a dress like this? Even as she questioned the motivation, she slowly put on each garment. As she added each layer, she paused to check the fitting in a freestanding mirror with a mahogany frame. Everything accentuated her lithe frame and hugged her body in a comfortable way. Had the attendant been able to guess her measurements just by that quick examination? Maybe this place was magical?

She felt unworthy of wearing the dress, but the moment it touched her skin, she wished she would never have to remove it. Sleeveless, the floor length dress encircled her with its currents of red, which only highlighted her pink halo. A small train descended behind her, and the heels lifted her high enough that she didn't worry about tripping. She felt like she could do anything while in this dress. Who ever thought that formal, evening gowns could actually be so comfortable? She wondered if she could fight in this dress, but that would be a disservice to it.

"Miss Haruno-san?" Sakura recognized the voice of the attendant who had massaged the oils into her hair and skin. "Do you require assistance?"

"No, thank you. I'm ready."

The curtain was pulled back and over the entrance. The attendant bowed low to Sakura, nearly touching the rug with the top of her head. When she lifted up, she betrayed a gasp, which made Sakura color slightly. The attendant said nothing but led her into a new hallway and down a small set of twisting stairs. Even with the train and stilettos, Sakura navigated the measure with ease. At the moment, she felt like she could do anything.

The attendant led her through a set of carved wooden doors into an intimate parlour. Inoue-chan sat to one end in a low-slung hammock, atop a small mountain of colorful pillows. Another young woman played a reed instrument – an oboe perhaps – at her feet while a third sat against two pillows reading a book.

"Sakura-chan..." His voice was barely above a whisper. Sakura twisted to see a wide-eyed Kakashi staring at her from across a tiny table, large enough only to hold two, half-filled glasses of wine. Sakura smiled and bowed her head in faux modesty.

He could barely remain in his seat. She had always been lovely, but this was something unexpected. To see all these different sides of her: the intellect, the medic, the warrior, and now the beauty. He felt humbled in her presence. He couldn't seal off the desire to carry her away to some other chamber to view her alone, just the two of them. And for once, he didn't want to stop the desire. Hidden within the castle were maybe dozens of people embracing. Maybe more. He envied how freely they entwined, how openly they unshackled their hidden thoughts and selves, and how decadent that must feel. He didn't want to think about the logistics and the irrationality. He just wanted to look at her in all of her radiance.

Inoue-chan shifted in the hammock. She snapped her fingers, and several girls – some neither Sakura nor Kakashi had seen a moment ago – appeared at the ready.

"All right, ladies, rip it off of her. Tear it all to shreds."