Sasuke shifted the unconscious Kunoichi on his back. It had been with his influence (and the fact that he was the fastest of them) to be the one to carry her in case things went awry. Sasori had done a number on her, nothing life threatening and her exhaustion was due to over use of her chakra. His Sharingon had confirmed that. Her levels were low, enough to keep her alive and as they traveled on her body was replenishing the vital chakra.
She shifted her head, nuzzling gently into his neck with her soft cheek unknowingly sending waves upon sweet blissful waves of warm heat through his body. This feeling was practically unknown to the Uchiha son whom had only known loyalty and hate. He himself would be the first to admit, though he never would, he had long forgotten the feeling of being loved and of feeling it for someone else. Sasuke knew how to care for someone; even he knew it could not be compared to love. He cared for his team back when they were together and he dare say it was the closest he had come to love since the massacre of his clan. He had shown that when he stepped in place of Naruto when Haku attacked and again when Gaara had attempted to crush Sakura to death because she challenged the sand Shinobi in an attempt to save him. Sasuke had thrown away his anger and hatred then in favor of asking Naruto to help her.
He smirked internally. Sakura was so reckless when she was fueled by passion and her emotions. She was someone not to be trifled with on a bad day and those whom underestimate her like Sasori, were truly in for a surprise. From the three days he had seen of her since his return, he could already see a dramatic change in her both internally and externally. She was stronger, faster, smarter, and by far the loveliest of flowers that roamed the village both Kunoichi and non. Let it never be known that Sasuke was still a guy.
"Uchiha-san…" the Prince called out to him from his place in the middle of the three man formation, with or without four he was still the primary mission and so was treated as such. "There is a small village ahead with a reasonable inn. It is a traveler's village really but I suppose we could stay there for the night."
Sai nodded in agreement. "I think it would be best for Sakura if we rest. It will also allow us time to think and plan our next move. It would be too obvious for us to go there and so the Akatsuki would most likely never check there. Even so, we will be able to sense the attack before it could happen." Inn's were the best place to plan and hide out. One could suppress their chakra enough to that of an average person and blend in without a single thought. Yet, the cause for this was mainly the need to find a safe place for Sakura to rest and revive before they carry on.
"Hai. We'll head there then. Hiding in plain sight will work just fine. This time of year is heavy with travelers from all over. So it will be the perfect place. Yet, is there only one inn?" he couldn't be sure if they would have room for them if the village was packed.
Uryuu smiled triumphantly. "The village is an embassy village from the Quincy. It was built as a kind of replenishing spot for Quincy forces during the second Ninja war when our alliance was formed." He readjusted his glasses on his face. "It was there that we Quincy held off the advancing Army and protected Konoha until back up arrived and together we wiped the army out and shortly after that the war was won."
"What's the point of this history lesson?" Sasuke asked annoyed at the fact the Prince was gloating. He knew the Battle for Kinjimo Village well enough because that is where his Grandfather lead the army and annihilated the troops of the advancing army. He was well honored for his excellent commanding though he heavily mourned the loss of his fellow clans men whom had fallen during the battle.
The Quincy Prince scuffed. "The point is it is owned by my people and so, there is always room left for members of the Royal Family or those with this." He held out a dark blue cross necklace bordered with silver and a small circle of silver around it. "It is the symbol of the Royal Family and harbors many meanings outside of that due to the shade of blue. This is the key to any and all rooms within the Quincy Kingdom as well as those owned by Quincy. The dark blue marks me as the Crowned Prince, thus I am granted all areas of clearance save for those meant only for the King."
"So all I get out of that is there's a room you have on reserve." The look on the Prince's face was priceless and he knew if Sakura was awake she would have scolded him for that. Sasuke could have cared less at the moment. "Come on, pick up the speed." He said kicking off the tree branch with extra force and jumping higher, farther than before. The raven haired Shinobi needed to get her to a safe place. Right now, that's all that truly mattered to him.
~/-*-\~
Jade eyes fluttered open as warm orange rays of sunlight shown through the curtains. A soft smile displayed on her features as she shifted in the bed, stretching as she did. She had a wonderful dream, one where she was playing with her father as a child. She was practicing her hiding technique and he was attempting to find her. He never did though she knew that he had always known where she was. "Otoo-san…" she whispered, smiling brighter and moving to snuggle the pillow to her left. Something told her to open her eyes again and she was met with onyx orbs.
Without thinking clearly, she slapped the opposing face and threw herself back and off the bed falling hard to the floor before standing up quickly in a defensive stance glaring at the person who dared to take advantage of her unconscious state. When she narrowed her eyes the opposing male was glaring at her while holding his cheek. She rolled her eyes and growled. "Damn it Sasuke! You scared the hell out of me!" she snapped.
"Glad to see you're okay." He snapped back standing up and rubbing his cheek. He hadn't expected the blow to hurt so damn much. "Kami-sama, you don't have to yell so much! I swear you're just as annoying as always." If there was ever a time he wished he could catch his words before they reached their destination it was then. Truth be told, those words were meant to be thought in privet and not expressed out loud. But he had made his bed it was now time to lay in it.
Her blood began to boil at this point and she shook with pure rage. "You will always be an insensitive bastard Uchiha!" she stormed past him and into the common area where Sai sat on the couch working in his book a pleasant smile on his face.
"You seem to be fine, even picking a fight with Sasuke-san after waking up." He chuckled slightly and looked up from his art book. Sai had tried to warn the Shinobi not to get to close to her when she woke up. Sakura had a tendency to get pissy after her chakra replenishes and her body had yet to process it correctly.
She shot him a glare but his smile never wavered. "I didn't start anything! Who the hell sticks their face that close to someone who's asleep?!" her jade orbs buried like a raging inferno fueled by her ever growing hatred for the man. "Then he goes and insults me, again!" she puffed out her cheeks like a child and she noticed Sai quickly turning the page of his book before drawing a new sketch. It was of her she just knew it. Her face relaxed as she rushed over to grab his book. "Don't you dare!"
When she made her way to him, he jumped from his seat doing a back flip and landing in a squatting position continuing his work. "Naruto-kun will really like this one. He always says you look so cute when you're angry at someone other than him." His teasing seemed to distract her from the off putting rage she had for the Uchiha clan member. It was a look he would never care to draw…again. He did want a picture of all her emotions, after all he was a collector of them. "I think Genma would pay quite a bit for a copy…maybe treat me to the top shelf Sake."
Her face blushed a bright red. "You better not! I swear when I'm done with you you won't be able to hold a brush!" she ran at him again but he dodged easily knowing full well she was barely trying. If she truly wanted to hurt him she could, but this game has been going on for as long as he had known her. He would tease her and she him and they would play cat and mouse roles reversing every now and again.
Sasuke was speechless. In less than a minute, that bastard was able to bring her from a raging mood to one where she was acting like a child. He never thought she could be that girl she had been before he left. She seemed so much like that carefree pinkette he had always envied about her. Sakura laughed loudly as she held the book triumphantly in her hands. The small victory over her friend was enough to spark a new light inside of her. Sasuke could see that and he knew that it was because she was away from the prying eyes of the elders. Outside of the village she could let it go and be the girl she truly was. Outside of the confines of Konoha, she was truly free.
The Kunoichi smiled softly as she sat on her friend pinning him to the ground and looking through his book. He was talented, she would not deny it. His art was always so flawless, so beautiful. "Hey, since we started our little tutoring you've gotten better." She giggled. Sakura had begun to teach Sai about feelings and emotions; most of the time he would come to her about something he had felt and describe it to her for the sole purpose of an explanation. Since these little sessions, his art was holding far more emotion. She flipped the page and stared intently down at the picture. She could tell it was her, sitting in the tree reading with the lights cascading around her. Her hand traced the sketch just as carefully as the hand that made the image. Over and over in her head she said it couldn't be her, she wasn't that beautiful. Nothing about her was, yet the image. It was so beautiful that it seemed almost as if it were straight from a fairytale.
Sai had puffed away by that point and was looking over her shoulder at his work. He could read her mind. She was awe struck at her own image as seen through his eyes. She couldn't believe it was her but it was. He had a faint 'Do I truly look like that?' from her and he smiled softly. Naruto had told him that he couldn't understand how Sakura could be little herself so much. Every time he said she was beautiful or complimented her, she would recoil and bring her faults to life. Yet, to Naruto and himself, he could see no faults in her. She was perfect, simple and lovely perfection. "Hai. It was you yesterday."
"I looked like hell yesterday…" she said handing him the book back. "I'm not that beautiful." She cracked her back and turned to Sai with a kind smile. "Can you handle first watch? I need a bath." The ex-Root member nodded and stood up. "Uchiha-san, you take second watch and I'll take third." She said softly. "Don't let the prince from your sight." With that she headed out and to the bath house.
~/-*-\~
The warm water had done well to relax her muscles and sooth her aches. The bath house was empty at that hour but she took enjoyment in the lack of company. It was a multi-sex bath house, having only one large pool of water both men and women were to share. Fortunately, she was able to avoid any awkwardness by coming at an unsightly hour.
The bastard Akatsuki had done a number on her. She sighed heavily and set to healing her injuries. She bit her bottom lip softly as she healed her cuts to no more than bruises. Once done, she leaned against to smooth rock and closed her eyes. "Otoo-san…" she whispered.
~/-*-\~
"Otoo-san! Okaa-san look!" the young girl squealed with childish amusement. "The water is so murky!" the cloudy water swayed from side to side as she looked on. There were a few others in the water already and the young girl was all but unnoticed.
Her father stepped out and looked to his lovely wife who stood with a dignified air around her. "My dear, are you sure about this?" he asked nervously looking out at the other who glared at them. His blue eyes immediately turned to his daughter who was holding onto the railing as she dipped a toe into the water experimentally. She was so innocent and so unaware of the hate filled atmosphere and the harsh whispers that his ninja hearing picked up on. He knew his wife could hear it and he also knew she was too stubborn to care.
The woman frowned at her husband and folder her arms over the towel around her body. She glared at her husband, burning him far worse than the others combined. "Hanzo, don't worry about them. You are a Konoha Shinobi now. You conformed to our ways and in doing so were able to marry me, the woman you love and who loves you." Her eyes softened and turned to her young daughter. "Look at her; she is a testament to that. Our only child…" she whispered softly and looked back to her husband. "I'm sorry I could not give you a son to carry on your name…"
Hanzo smiled kindly. "You have given me all I wanted and more. She is perfect." He said hugging his wife. "I just don't want to expose her to such hate…look what is happening to Minato's son…"he pitied the boy. He wanted to help him as the boy's father had helped him but he was forbidden to on grounds he was not a native of the village. "I don't want that life for her."
The young girl looked over to find two other children her age. Slowly swimming to them like her father had taught her, she stopped once she made it there. "Konnichiwa!" she said happily and they greeted her back. Yet, before they could even give their name's one of the mothers hiss at her child, grabbing him away from her and the other followed suit. "Shikamaru! Stay away from her! She's tainted!" the mother pulled her son close and ran as fast as she could through the water as the other followed her with the blonde haired daughter.
Suki stepped in front of them frowning disapprovingly. "Lady Nara, Lady Yamanaka what is the meaning of this? Why do you treat my daughter with ill respect when she has done no wrong?"Her hands balled into fists, they were once her dear friends and were now Ladies of prominent clans.
Lady Yamanaka spoke up, holding her daughter close. She bowed before speaking. "Suki-san," she began using her given name and not that of her married. The fact she was being so formal meant that she had already distanced herself from her old friend. "We mean truly no ill respect to you but…" she turned to Hanzo with a hate filled glare. "We cannot condone the fact that you have breed with this…beast!"
"I will not have my Shikamaru, son of Lord Nara, be near someone who will one day destroy the very village our fathers have built!"Lady Nara declared as she ran past her once friend and was followed by Lady Yamanaka.
Suki said nothing but smiled at her daughter who was ignorant to their harsh words. She entered the bath and embraced her daughter. Her sobs were noticed by said child who pulled away to look at her and her husband when he entered the bath. "Okaa-san…were they mad because I did not greet them first?" the child asked thinking she was at fault.
"Iie Sakura-chan, they were mad because…" she couldn't think of a reason they would act like that let alone explain it to her curious daughter.
Hanzo spoke up then. "They were mad because their butts were wrinkly!" Hanzo bellowed and began to laugh despite his wife's look of disapproval. Yet, she began to laugh as well and soon they all began to relax and enjoy the evening. Many people came to the entrance of the bath house and all left once they saw the Haruno family.
"SUKI!" a happy voice called out as she entered the bath, running quickly to embrace the other woman with her one free hand. The other was occupied with her child. "It is so good to see you. It's been so long, not since you moved those years ago." She turned to bow to Suki's husband. "Hanzo, so good to see you as well."
"Uchiha-sama…" she was interrupted abruptly and set to correct herself as the other had instructed. "Mikoto, it is good to see you as well." Her eyes fell to the child in her hand, the one that seemed so interest at something in the water. "My! Is that little Sasuke?! He has grown so big!"
"Hai! He is his father's son alright." She said laughing. Her eyes followed the path her son was looking to a pair of small jade orbs. "Nani?! And this must be little Sakura! My how beautiful she is! She looks just like you as a child!" she set her son down and bent over to look at the girl closer. The shy child moved away to hide behind her mother. "She has her father's shyness I see." She said teasing the male. She turned to her other son and smiled. "You remember Sakura-chan, right Itachi?" she asked him.
The elder boy nodded and gazed at the small girl who was now blushing. "She was smaller then." He said.
"Of course she was! She was only a new born then." She giggled softly. "My how the time goes by."
~/-*-\~
Sakura reached over and gripped the kunai she had hidden between two stones. She covered her breasts with one arm and held the weapon defensively with the other in a position ready to attack. Once making eyes contact with the new guest she put the kunai back and turned her back to him. "Bastard." She growled out. Once he was away from the entrance she was going to get out.
Sasuke could read her mind and so decided to sit himself right at the entrance, smirking at her. He had decided a while ago to come and only now had stopped watching her threw a hole in the wall and chose to engage her face to face. He hated that the water was murky with bath salts because he could not see her body. Yet, he had quite a view of the top of her creamy breasts as she was leaning back relaxing as she had. The fact she was there for so long in that position he wondered if she had fallen asleep. If she had, she could easily drown. That was why he emerged from his hiding place only to find she was truly awake. It didn't matter as he thanked his Uchiha blood for the quick glimpse of her full breast when she emerged from the water.
"Move!" she shouted, looking over her shoulder to see him at the entrance with no intention of leaving. His smirking only served to irritate her and his Sharingon was activated meaning he most likely caught a glimpse of something not even Naruto had seen. She was going to kill him…
The Uchiha son chuckled lightheartedly but still refused to move. "Still so shy after all these years. Remember the bath house those some years ago?" he asked wondering if she did remember. It had been one of the few times he had seen his mother act like a child to anyone. Everyone knew that Uchiha Mikoto wanted a daughter, but she would never replace her sons if given the chance. His mother was so ecstatic to see her friend and she playfully joke about how jealous she was because of it. At the time, she truly thought that she would give Fugaku another child.
Sakura smiled softly, remembering that day fondly. "It is my earliest memory of Lady Uchiha." She relaxed slightly. "She had such a kind face." Not long after her parents had left for a long mission…one where Suki had come begging Mikoto to watch over her. No one else would do so and Suki refused to allow her into the care of the Elders. Mikoto had been her last hope to protect her child.
The raven haired Shinobi used her hesitation to his advantage and moved in close to her. Before she had the chance to react he had her pinned between his arms. Truthfully, he knew it was a hell of a risk to corner a Kunoichi, who, mind you, was hiding kunai in a bath house, when he was fully exposed. It was most likely not going to end in his favor but he couldn't pass up the chance to see what he had before. Her crème colored skin only seemed to accent the shade of pink to which he had never seen before.
'Cut it off…cut it off…cut it off…' her mind raced with the single thought of cutting off the bastard's lower head. He was too close for comfort and she refused to let him know just how uncomfortable he was making her. Damn it, she and Naruto never shared a bath and she would be damned if he saw any more of her! It was hard as fuck to look intimidating when you are curled up with your knees to your chest trying to hide your most intimate areas from someone you truly hate. "Back off…" her voice was low, serious and dripping with venom. 'Cut it off…cut it off…'
Red eyes faded to onyx once more as he moved his hand to her. She flinched and he smirked. As if he would hurt her. Instead, he grabbed a strand of her hair and began to play with it. "It's longer then the last battle we had…" he commented more to himself. "I wonder are you planning to grow it out again?" he was curious to know if she was or she just never got around cutting it again.
She smacked his hand away and frowned. "Naruto wanted me to grow it out again. He said he really liked my unique hair color and wanted to see more of it." It was true. Genma and Kakashi had attested to the fact that the buffoon loved it best when her hair was long. Who was she to deny him such a simple pleasure?
He cocked his head to the side and sat up in the water a bit more. She could clearly see all the scars that littered his skin. It didn't surprise her one bit. Shinobi were always covered in scars. It came with the job. "Do you always do what Naruto tells you?"
The Haruno daughter smirked and kicked her leg only for it to be caught by the bastard. This only served to anger her more. "No, I do it because I love him." She tried to pull her leg back but it didn't work. "Now let go of my leg!"
Sasuke shook his head. With his free hand he began to run his hand up the soft crème colored leg. His blood ran through him like lava through the earth. She was virtually unscarred, as if she had seen little to no combat. If such were true it wasn't surprising. She was the Konoha Princess as well as a Medical Kunoichi. It would be expected of her not to see much combat. She shifted slightly before moving her arm around his neck. Before he could look up to see what she was up to a sharp object was pressed to his neck. Ah, the appearance of kunai number two.
" .Go." she growled out. This wasn't a game to her and the cost of losing was more then she was willing to pay. Kunoichi's were masters at their craft. While the males were off learning how to spot and resist a Kunoichi's charm, the females were learning how to seduce and charm the Shinobi. Seduction was something she had no care for but according to what she had heard; her marks were one of the highest in her year. Of course this was based on trying to seduce married civilians to a selected room just to see if they could. Sakura never took part in that practice. It wasn't in her to sleep around even for a mission.
The Uchiha smirked and pressed his neck further into the kunai, his face only centimeters away from hers. "If you're going to kill me, then do it." His warm breath wrapped around her and somehow it smelled of peppermint. "Sa-ku-ra…" his eyes closed slowly as he moved to envelope those lovely lips that beckoned so persuasively to be kissed. Ever so slightly he felt her lips graze his. Her breath was soft and warm, smelling of strawberries on a fresh spring morning. Next thing he knew, there was a harsh pain as metal hit his skull and he was thrown back into the water. Shooting back up he glared, Sharingon active to where she had last been. She was gone and he had missed his chance once again. Cursing everything that popped into his mind, Sasuke stood up and made his way to the room, it was almost his turn to babysit and he wasn't looking forward to it.
~/-*-\~
Sakura's heart raced as she threw herself against the cool wall of the bath house. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire and seemed to be glowing in the dim light. She pressed bath her hands tightly to her body hoping to silence their shaking. What was he thinking? What the hell was he fucking thinking?! She belonged to Naruto, she had made that clear enough, so why? She let out a stressful growl and turned to dress herself. He had gotten too close for her comfort, far beyond the boundaries she had set. Naruto had never dared to cross them, hell even Genma respected them to some degree but Sasuke…he barreled through them like a mad man swinging a sword.
"Naruto…" she thought a moment. Would what transpired be considered cheating? She thought a moment finding herself in no way at fault but the facts still remained that she was naked in a bath house with Sasuke, whom she was pretty sure saw her breast. That caused her face to heat up even more out of rage. How dare he lay eyes on her! He had not earned the right to see her bare form! If anyone had it was Naruto!
She hugged herself tightly, recalling her mother's words. 'Men are different from us. Women are a breed of our own; within us we carry the ability to bring about the next generation. Beware my daughter; there are indeed men out there who will seem to care for you when all they wish is your body. Men are judged by honor and loyalty but always remember this: A good man will take responsibility for what he has done, but a great man will embrace it. So if a man tries to come near you when you know he is no good, cut his dick off shove it up his ass and pull it out through his throat.' She recalled her mother's words with a nostalgic sense of fondness. Her mother's face had gone from kind loving mother to insane man hating Amazon in zero to sixty. Yet, her words were spoken truths. A good man will care for the child he creates but a great man will marry the mother of his child and embrace the family he had made. It was sad to say that now and days few men were great. That was why she was so attached to Naruto. He cared for her on a level she never thought anyone would.
Sighing, she slowly walked out of the bath house to go and look over the garden in the courtyard of the inn. Something about the whole thing seemed awkward to her. Yes Sasuke was act like all Uchiha do, as an arrogant prick, but something else lingered there. Something more…She couldn't be sure but part of her felt like she was in the wrong, that it was her fault he was acting out because it was she who resented him the most and it seemed apparent that he wanted nothing more than her approval. She stopped a moment to think of was he trying to gain her approval by causing things he thought she wanted to happen so many years ago? No. it couldn't be because that would mean he had given up on his brother and that damn well would never happen. He was lost to the Uchiha curse of hatred. "Yet…" she whispered. "There was a time when you cared about others…"
"Thinking of Sasuke again?" the ever blunt Root member asked as he strolled up behind her with a forgoing smile on his face.
Her eyes narrowed. "Tell me that you two didn't fight…" she prayed they didn't for the sake of Prince Uryuu who was to hear about it.
Thankfully he shook his head and took a seat next to her. "He fought with the Prince." She stood up quickly and turned to him. "About what?!" she threw her hands up in defeat. He was out of control.
Sai laughed light heartedly. "Because he was in the bath house with you." He took a towel from his bag and placed it on her head. "You really shouldn't wander about with wet hair, you'll catch a cold." He wrapped his arms around her and held the towel in place. "Sakura-chan…" his voice was low and frightening. "Did he in anyway defile your honor…" his eyes looked down at her, showing their sharpness and their willingness to kill on her word should she so wish it. His face was a cold unfeeling mask, pale and ghostly to the point that it frightened her. He was serious and Sakura was fearful of him when he was like this. She much preferred the cheerful look in his eyes as he awkwardly tried to make an expression work in a situation that was unknown to him. He curled his finger under her chin forcing her stray eyes to look at him. "Sakura-chan…"
She pushed away and pulled the towel over her eyes. "That look…it doesn't suit you." She whispered. She hated it. She absolutely hated the look he held. When he gave his serious face, he looked far too much like Sasuke. That was why she had agreed to teach him about feelings, to sway his serious face and destroy the fragment in the world that reminded her of the person whom hurt her so.
Dark eyes peeked up through her plush shield. His hair, slightly loner then when they had first met, was dangling off his face, his pale skin illuminating in the light. He was handsome, she would admit if ever asked about him. His naive attitude toward human interaction was kind of cute. A dark blush made its way across her cheeks. He was smiling, it was a genuine smile and he looked so cute with it.
He gave a light hearted laugh before pulling away. "I guess Naruto-kun isn't the only one to make you blush." That turned her even redder and he felt the towel hit the back of his head followed by an audible 'Damn you Sai!' Sighing, he turned around and laughed loudly. He held his side and tried to support his weight on the tree. It was forced and sounded horribly awkward. He hoped she wouldn't read that far into it, instead he hoped she would take it as it was.
The young Kunoichi could tell he was forcing it and the rest was an act but she appreciated it deeply. He didn't know how to truly handle the situation and his fail safe was always laughter. It was cunning but in some instances, as she had warned him, it would lead to a misunderstanding.
He was trying to make light of the situation, even going as far as ignoring the fact she had changed the subject. Yet, seeing as she wasn't lusting after the Uchiha's head, then nothing truly foul had taken place in the bath house. Something did happen and he was sure he would find out about it soon enough. After a while he collected himself and turned to the loud noise of cheerful cries coming from the bar room. "Shall I treat you to a drink?" he asked hoping to cheer her up.
She shook her head, shaking little droplets of water from her exotic hair. She narrowed here jade eyes and took a step toward him. "You know I don't drink." She put her hand on her hip and brushed back her growing locks so she could show him her careless grin.
"Then I shall treat you to tea. I hear the Quincy make a great pot of Chaì." He extended his hand to her knowing she couldn't refuse tea. She loved the simple pleasure and often commented on how it calmed her greatly when her nerves stood on end.
Sakura gave a small giggle, closing her eyes in the process. Her cheeks held a soft glowing red tint and her hand was close to her mouth as if she had meant to cover it. His eyes widened when he saw the image, he quickly pulled out his book and began another image, this one he took the greatest care in making. She was perfect, in every way she was perfection. "For that…" he was jerked from his work when she started to speak. "You owe me a plate or two of dangos!"
He smiled and put the book away after finishing it. "Hai, it is a cheap price for an image that will last forever." He said taking her by the hand and pulled her toward the bar. "Your image will survive throughout the generations!" he said making her blush again. She looked so cute like that.
"Don't say such things…" she whispered trying to hide her face. It was frightening to her to think that her image could be placed in some home for people to gawk at. She was a modest type of person when it came to things like that. Sakura was a Shinobi not a model even though Sai was hell bent on using her as one.
Said Shinobi just smiled at her as they entered the bar. It was filled with mostly men and the women there seemed to be mostly escorts or wives. The men were quite merry as they carried about their idle chatter. The air was heavy with the smell of smoke and there was hardly any room for them to sit. She could see Shinobi from other villages such as Suna and Kiri. It didn't take them long to notice two ninja from Konoha enter the bar, though they pretended to ignore their presence. Tensions were high and the world was close to another war, so enemy ninja (meaning those outside of your own village including Allies) were watched carefully.
"Over there." Sai said pointing to an open table near the window. It gave a great view of the moon and the garden. It was a lovely sight and she did hope that Quincy was just as she had read about, full of flowers and gardens. "Sakura-chan, is there anything else you would like beside the dangos and the tea?" he asked willing to brave the men to go and place the order.
"Hai, sticky buns would be wonderful." She smiled softly knowing that he enjoyed them as well and would take part in eating them with her. He nodded and headed off to fetch their order. Sakura looked out at the half moon. What was up with Sasuke? He never acted like that before and this brazen boldness of his was going to get his teeth knocked in. It was then the idea stuck in her head. Hormones. Sasuke was thirteen when they were last together, now he was a raging hormonal sixteen year old. It would make sense, but why was he like that when Naruto and Sai were not? She shook her head unknowing of the answer. She had said it before; men were a mystery to her.
The table shifted and she turned a pleasant smile to greet her friend. Yet she found that it wasn't Sai, but two Shinobi from Kirigakure. The one was large with several scars littering his body. His eyes were the color of a fresh squeezed avocado and his short spiked hair resembled a hedgehog's ass. His partner on the other hand was much smaller than him. The glasses on his face hide his eyes just as the mask hid his face. His hair was tied in a braid and hung carelessly off his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said as she tried to stand up. "I didn't know this table was taken."
The larger man moved to block her. "We weren't sitting here, but over there." His voice was deep like an endless pit. He pointed to two other males sitting at another table not far off watching the scene play out. "We were wondering what a Kunoichi like you was doing in a place like this all by yourself?" He asked moving forward knowing very well she would step back and fall into her chair.
She shrugged. "I was hungry." She wouldn't deny his suspicion because then Sai would hold the element of surprise over them should things escalate. Jade eyes searched the room for her comrade but could not find him. "I'm sure my food will be here in no time."
The smaller ninja moved behind her causing her to whip her head around to watch his movements. "Why not join us? Shinobi should stick together you know." He said calmly, his voice slithered much like a snake in the grass. "Times of war can be harsh on such…" his eyes roamed about her body. "Frail creatures."
Sakura stood up quickly then, her chair sliding back and tipping over. "I refuse, now if you excuse me…" she turned to leave when big boy grabbed her arm. She turned to him with fierce jade eyes. "Let go of me." She barked. He still had not done so.
He pulled her close and took her smaller hand in his own while moving his mouth to her ear. Hot wet breath burned her as he spoke. "Come on baby, don't play hard to get…" the smell of alcohol apparent on his breath as he moved her had lower and past his belt line unknown to him that she was pumping chakra into her hand. "I can make you see nirvana…" he moved his hips forward, enjoying her hand on his length.
Sakura's breath shuttered as she looked up to him shyly. "I can take you there." She said softly before squeezing the organ and causing the man unbearable pain. The force was placed with precision, deciding that it was best that he not scream. It ensured a loss of consciousness immediately as well as painful bruising for a few weeks. His large body hit the floor like a rock causing his friend to jump up in alarm. He looked to her accusingly. She shrugged and gave him a small kick. "Guess he doesn't like it rough…" she said forging innocents.
Skinny boy drew his weapon and his two other buddies puffed near her. "Fucking bitch!" he growled out and lunged toward her. No sooner had his foot was lifted from the floor her found himself there. His glasses looking up at a smiling pale boy with a head band matching the girl's.
The Kunoichi frowned having to watch the other two be taken out by two Suna ninjas. Sai had not needed to get them involved yet, before she could question him one of them stepped forward. "Lady Haruno." He said bowing slightly before raising. "Your comrade need not ask our help. We bore witness to their harassment toward you as so acted on our own accord." He nodded to the others who gathered all four men and lead them out.
Sakura shifted her weight from one leg to the other. "But why? You shouldn't of gotten involved with Kiri ninja." She was fearful of retaliation involving their villages. "I don't want a war to spark with me at its head." She narrowed her eyes at the man whose face was half covered.
He smiled softly. "No harm will come of this. They are quite drunk and I'm sure Lady Mizukage would not take kindly to hear what had transpired of their drinking." He bent over and picked up her chair. "Besides, I have a debt to you as well as all of Suna." He said with a serious face.
Now she was confused. What had she done that deserved their praise? The man shook his head and held her hand in his own showing her his great respect for her. "Not only had you saved the life of the Kazekage's brother by finding an antidote when our greatest could not do so, but you save the Kazekage's life as well. For that I am in your debt for they were my dear students but all of Suna is in your debt because you allowed our Kazekage to live as a normal Shinobi."
She shook her head and withdrew her hand. "I did nothing that no one else wouldn't have. I saved my friends, would you not have done the same if you could?" She smiled then and bowed lower to him then he had to her. "Arigatou gozaimasu Baki-san."
The elder frowned at her show of high honor toward a simple Shinobi but he did not question it. "As for us we will report this to both to Suna and Kiri, I would advise you to inform Konoha least someone get upset." He knew she understood what he was saying. Gaara had often told him how watchful the Elders of Konoha were of her. He even told him about the subtle hints the hag was dropping him. Of how whenever he came to Konoha for business she would always mention the young Kunoichi with a sickening fondness. What they were doing was wrong but no one could oppose them without a war.
She nodded her head. "I shall, arigatou." With that the Suna Shinobi took their leave and Sai took his place beside her. His eyes staring at her with an odd look on his face. "What?" she huffed knowing it had to do with what just transpired? "I'm fine okay?" she didn't want to dwell on it too much, it wouldn't change anything.
"They hurt you." He said softly before he reached out and touched the bruises on her arm where big boy had grabbed her. "They marred you perfect skin…" he whispered, disturbing her slightly as she looked into his dark eyes. She always found herself lost in them. They were always swirling with a storm of hidden emotions hidden behind the dark crystal orbs held back by the fear of the unknown. "They are lucky…" he said slowly, a sign she picked up was his way of being angry. His hand reached out and cupped her cheek. "If they would have marked your face I would have permanently marked them for life." His voice was low and held no hit of jest. He was pissed, she could tell but his features remained stoic. His dark orbs raged like an unforgiving storm upon a sea of ebony, taking no prisoners.
She didn't like this look on him. He much preferred his true smile. The smile that came only once before in a short glimmer. The day she had promised to teach him about emotions was the one time she had seen his true smile and damn if he didn't look sexy with it! So instead, she chose to smile at him. "Don't look at me like that. I can tell you're pissed so just show it. You said you wouldn't bottle it up any more." She shooed his hand from her cheek and crossed her arms. "Really, you and Naruto are one in the same."
The other forced a smile. "I believe dobe expresses his feelings more freely then most." He turned to the waitress as she brought the food, paid her, and turned back to Sakura who didn't seem at all amused by him. "Oh my, have I said something wrong?" he didn't want to piss her off, he was still sore from their last bout when he asked her why her breasts were smaller then Hinata's. It was an innocent question to him, just based on curiosity, and thus did not understand why she had been so upset. It took both Naruto and Kakashi to explain it to him. With the new knowledge that he had gained about how that could offend the female gender, he went to her house and apologized abruptly for his misdeed. He was thankful she had forgiven him.
"It's not that. It's just…never mind. So tell me, have you felt anything new or would you like to elaborate more on one of the other feelings?" she asked taking a bite out of the Dongo.
He looked down at his sticky bun and thought a moment. "Well…I have a feeling that's new to our training but seemed to be there for some time now." He searched for the right words to describe the feeling; it was confusing and sometimes physically hurt him. He had to tread cautiously as not to a rise suspicion.
Sakura nodded, telling him to go on and that she was listening.
"Well…I'm not sure how to explain it other than confusion." He paused a moment after seeing her quizzical look, he knew she understood him but she wanted him to go a bit more into detail in order to help her help him. "I sometimes feel like I a questioning if it's normal or not to confuse feelings or if it's just that way because I am a former member of Root."
She gave him a kind hearted smile. "It's normal. Sometimes people don't know how to feel about certain situations." The look on his face showed him that he didn't understand her. Taking a bite out of her sticky bun she thought a moment before coming up with a good explanation. "Okay, a young unmarried couple have a romantic night together, a few weeks later the girl goes to her lover and tells him she is pregnant. He may feel happy about the sudden news or he may feel resentful because a baby means the end of his free life. Does he take responsibility for what he had done and care for the baby or does he embrace his new position and marry the girl?" she asked him. "Think about it as if you are the man."
His dark eyes flashed brightly for a moment as if he truly liked the idea of a child. Sakura couldn't blame him. A child meant a family, one you could never be rid of even if you abandon it. She knew he wanted children; he had told her and made her swear to never tell another soul. He didn't want to seem weak. Yet, in her opinion it made him all the stronger for wanting a family. "I would…" his voice broke her from her thoughts. "I would most likely be conflicted. Yet…" his eyes looked right at her, showing how serious this was to him. "I would embrace what I had done."
She tilt her head to the side and gave him a lovely and cheerful smile, one that came from deep inside her being. He could tell she respected his answer and that alone made the birds in his stomach flap wildly. "A good man will take responsibility for what he has done, but a great man will embrace it." She said looking down in her tea as she did. Her head rose and looked at him. "Sai, you are a great man." If there was ever a time he felt that he was to cry it was then, but ever the Root member he was, he held the feeling deep within himself.
~/-*-\~
"So you're telling me you don't care about her." Prince Ishida asked as he cracked a nut on the marble table before him. He was out to gain intel on the opposing male as well as irritate him for bothering the Princess. He was in no mood to play around.
"Exactly." He said looking out the window while leaning on the frame refusing to look away from the bar area where he could barely see his target. He had only just noticed her sitting there with what's his name. The curiosity of their conversation was too much to resist and he activated his Sharingon allowing him to read their lips. He frowned at the fact the words baby and marriage appeared in the same sentence.
"Then why did you make such a big fuss over her talking to me?" the prince asked as he cracked another nut and threw the shells behind him, knowing that they would hit the Shinobi who clearly was not interested in him but whatever was outside. If the other wasn't that worried about it then he had no cause to.
When the nut shells hit him he glanced over at the other for a moment, contemplating how much trouble he would get in with Sakura if he cut off his head and deemed the risk not worth it, before turning back to what he was doing. "It seemed more like you were flirting with her to me."
Ishida rolled his eyes. Of course he was. Why else would he have traveled so far from his home and pay an extravagant fee just to have her escort him home? "What does it matter to you?" he asked throwing more nut shells at him. "I thought you didn't care about her." Honestly this guy was driving the conversation in circles.
Sasuke rolled his eyes. Using his foot, he kicked a shell to his hand and chucked it at the other, landing a direct hit to the back of his head all without looking away from Sakura and the pale guy with that face. "I didn't do it for me. I did it for Naruto."
The Quincy Prince rubbed the back of his head, not arguing that he did deserve it, and gazed over at the other. "Who the hell is that?"
"Her boyfriend."
The prince thought a moment. If she had a boyfriend then why was she being offered out as an eligible maiden? Unless, the Elders of her village were not recognize it and forcing her do act as she does. He fixed his glasses, if such was true it would make the pieces fall into place. "So?"
"She's naive, she'll believe anything a man tells her." He had no real evidence to support his claim. Hell he couldn't recall any one who fooled her other than Kabuto and he had fooled everyone. Either way he was not going to let some rich lazy prince fuck what was truly his.
Ishida stood then, eyes glaring darkly at him. "How could you say that?!" he asked him. "I would not think so little of the Konohaian Princess!" he was storming over to the other and he still paid him little to no mind.
"I know her." He turned his dark eyes to the prince, unamused at his show of superiority in the social hierarchy. "No one else could understand why I did the things I did to her." It was his truth.
"You did know her." Uryuu corrected. "If I recall you vanished from Konoha three years ago, leaving her on a bench throughout the night!" That clearly caught his attention. He didn't seem too happy about such information getting out to be public knowledge but he was three years too late. It was the gossip of Konoha. "What if something would have happened to her?! What if a man happened to of walked passed her and an idea had come into his mind?! She is very beautiful and I'm sure that many men have come to fanaticize about having such a woman in their bed!"
Sasuke gripped the prince's collar tightly and pulled him close. "Is that a confession?!" he was not playing and those words had sent what respect he had for him flying out the door. "I swear to you here and now, if I so much as find out that you laid another finger on her…I'll gut you like the pig that you are." He threw the prince on to the couch.
"A threat?!" Uryuu called back.
Sasuke turned and headed toward the door. "A promise."
"More like a confession." The slamming of the door proved to the Prince that he had struck a nerve. The Uchiha was clearly hiding his emotions. There was something more to his façade and he would find out if it killed him.
~/-*-\~
Sai nodded in understanding at Sakura. "So two feelings such as love and loathing could be confused as well. Both are strong emotions and both are filled with passion in a sense." He smiled once he saw her nod her approval. He was learning well and his emotions were showing far more than they ever had. To him, it felt go to let them out instead of bottling them up like he was taught.
"Both are strong and both are easily confused for one another." She replied to him and took a bite of her dango. He was doing well and Kakashi had complimented her on such an achievement. He had told her it was no easy task for a Root member to relearn emotions.
"So you could easily fell Love for Uchiha instead of loathing." Sai asked using those he knew around them as examples to be sure his understanding was correct. Yet, when Sakura dropped the Dango stick he knew he had been insensitive again. Naruto had warned him about such when around her, that she had a few triggers that could set her off into a raging depression or a vicious killer. "Gomen…" he said quickly.
She sat there for what seemed like an eternity before she spoke. "Yes, and no." she whispered. "Yes to the point that they can be confused but no, I know that I loathe Uchiha."
"Pity. I've grown to like you a lot."
Sakura stared up at the intruder in shock. How he always seemed to bother her at the most inconvenient of times she would never know. His little stunt in the bath house was still far too fresh in her mind. She was in no mood for him nor his self-absorbed personality. "Go away!" she growled out, wanting him to just vanish out of her life forever.
The Uchiha scuffed and took a seat next to her, once again ignoring the other male. "Come now Sakura, you're being a bit childish don't you think?" He was treading a fine line and he knew it. Sakura was just as hot blooded as her mother. He had so few recollections of Lady Haruno but he knew well enough not to ever get on her bad side. She had once been reprimanded for throwing a kunai at Lady Nara when she lashed out at Sakura for cheating off of her son. Shikamaru's mother would not believe that Sakura, a child of lower birth could get higher marks then her son. It had escalated from a simple verbal argument to a full scale Kunoichi war. Had it not been for Kakashi and the Third, many believed Lady Haruno would have killed Lady Nara.
"I'm childish?" she blinked in utter disbelief.
"What are you talking about anyway?" he asked taking her sticky bun from her plate.
It was then that Sai gave a short and awkward laugh, drawing attention to himself and hoping to defuse the situation. Sasuke turned to him while he bit the sticky bun that belonged to Sakura. "She's teaching me to understand my feelings."
Sasuke swallowed hard and gave a soft laugh. "Don't you want a teacher who understands their own emotions first?" he asked. Oh Kami-sama if only looks could kill.
She reached over and gripped his kimono collar, pulling him close to her. "How dare you!" she shouted before pushing him back and onto the floor. Before he could do anything she suddenly realized something. She looked around first, before he felt her disband some of her chakra to search. "Where is Uryuu?" she asked.
He shrugged before standing up. "Back in the room I guess."
"You left him alone?!" she shouted even louder. Throwing her arms in the air to signal the defeat of his stupidity, she turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" he called out taking a few steps toward her before stopping.
She spun around quickly, her hair floating elegantly in the breeze as she spun. "To do your job." With that she vanished from the spot.
The raven haired Shinobi sighed heavily and decided to plop down in the chair beside the other. He had fucked up again and he couldn't be sure what to do. Sakura could only take so much and Suigetsu was right, he didn't understand women at all. He was treating her much as he had in the past when they were children but here and now, they were far from it. Sakura was a young woman, one desired by many powerful Shinobi not only for her beauty but for her healing abilities and her exceptional chakra control. All of which makes her a deadly opponent but a highly desired woman for clans. Her genes and abilities were what many sought after, clan heads especially. He had, at one point in his return, over heard some of the Hyuuga clan talking about Lord Hyuuga pressuring Neji to pursue her. He then deducted that the other clan heads such as Lord Nara, Lord Akimichi, Lord Aburame, and Lady Inuzuka were also doing the same.
"I think she's mad at you." Sai said knowing he jostles the other from his thoughts. He knew he was being irritating but it served the bastard right. His dark eyes looked to those just as dark. "Can't you leave her alone? She has given you so many chances and she has held back this long…" he stood up then, downing the last of his Sake. "She's being far too kind. Leave her alone."
Sasuke stood up then, angered and outraged by this…newcomer telling him what to do. "I can't." he said honestly before leaving. He couldn't leave her alone because the more he tried to think of something else, the more he thought of her. Sakura was so much to him. In so many ways, after the death of his clan, of his mother, she made the burden lighter. She cared for him when no one else did. It was love then, even if only one sided. She never stopped; she kept going, kept showing him her love. Even going out on to the hospital roof and recklessly running out between his and Naruto's fight. She had done it out of love, just as she had when she stood so bravely before Gaara to defend him. He wouldn't, even if her could. He would never abandon her again.
