Mistress of the Leaf
Those who live by the sword, die by the sword.
In the middle of the moonless night, a terror filled scream woke him. Shooting up in his bed, it took him mere seconds to realize what had transpired while he slumbered. The iron laced smell of death filled his nostrils, dark blood spatter painted his walls, warm crimson liquid drench his cream colored sheets, his eyes searched for his pink cherry blossom among the carnage. The one body still desperately clinging to life, the one who bellowed out the frightful high pitched cry, was scooting frantically away from the woman standing in the middle of the room, her naked body so bathed in blood, he thought she was wearing a red dress. Her silver blade had the ruby fluid of their lives sliding down to the tip, dripping to the wood floor as she slowly stocked toward the lone survivor but with a few quick hand signs he escaped.
Naruto realized she let him leave with his life to spread the word to all those who dared to cross the Mistress of the Leaf. Even he had heard the whispers in the far away lands of his travels. She was the razor sharp pink petal among the steel green leaves of the Leaf. Some spoke of a poisonous flower among the branches of ninja. He thought them just rumors or exaggerations of some excellent story tellers. He'd heard several different ways of the retelling the end of the Fourth Ninja War, each one more fantastic than the other, none correct.
"Sorry about the room," she stated, wiping the warm blood off her sword before tending to anything else, sliding it with remarkable reverence back in the black sheath with silver engraved cherry blossoms.
How she had killed a room full of ninja without waking him left him dumbfounded. He was in line for Hokage, the Toad Sage, Holder of the Nine-Tails, and she was a medic with monstrous strength when he left. She was suppose to be joining the medical corps. The man was starting to see there had been a dramatic shift in her training and her complete demeanor since he had been gone.
"Let's get that blood off you," she decided, seeing he had some stray spray on his bare chest.
Shock was still slowing his higher brain function but he allowed her to drag him to the bathroom where she turned on the shower. Waiting calmly for the water to warm, it gave him more time to ponder the changes he noticed in her. She didn't seem shook up at all by the carnage in his bedroom. The calmness radiating off her was vexing to the man, like shedding so much blood was second nature to a woman who once fought tooth and nail to save lives. He watched in awe as she stepped into the flowing water, washing away the impurities leaving only her soft flesh colored skin and rose water hair. She turned around and pulled him in with her, scrubbing away what she tarnished during the silent rampage in his room.
Naruto longed to see her dull green eyes light up with life even for a moment but they clung to a murky haze despite his and Sasuke's return from their three year voyage of self discovery and intense training. Done with washing him she moved to leave but he grabbed her and embraced her tightly, locking his mouth to hers. Feminine arms wrapped around his neck and she kissed back but it was lacking any form of need or hunger, it was lifeless and dry. He couldn't be satisfied with her just going through the motions. He let her go, there was only one person who could answer his questions.
Those who live by the sword...
"Old Hag," Naruto roared as he stormed into the office of the Hokage, amusement played at his lips a moment as he saw the older woman's left brow twitch, somehow it was always the left one he got to spasm, a sure sign she was annoyed, "what's going on with your student?" he asked hands on his hips.
"So you noticed," the Hokage sighed as she leaned back in her over-sized chair, finger tips pressed together before her lips as she eyed him.
"It would be pretty impossible to miss," he retorted, his own agitation slipping into his voice.
"I've seen the impossible from you," the large busted woman mused as she tipped her head slightly, amber eyes watched him closely.
His breath taking blues sharpened, he knew it was a double edged comment.
"We were only gone three years, how could she change so much?" the blond questioned, remembering the girl he fell in love with compared to the woman he came back to.
"Time flows different for those left behind than for those who do the leaving," she lectured the young man, her own experiences drifting through her mind.
He opened his mouth to argue but her statement was impossible to refute, "it was something I had to do," defended the Toad Sage.
Her brows knitted in aggravation, "you could have at least told her good-bye," her voice deep, almost a warning to choose his next words carefully.
"No, I couldn't," he shook his head at the thought of walking away from her, "I wouldn't have been able to leave if I had seen her," he answered, lost in his memories.
"Well, its not entirely your fault, you and Sasuke weren't the only ones to leave her behind. Kakashi and Sai also went where she can't follow yet. I can't blame her for what she did, she thought she had to locked up her heart," explained the Lady Hokage, her own abandonment of the Leaf to drink and gamble away her sorrows at the forefront of her memories.
"What are you talking about?" asked the young man as he was pulled from his own dark thoughts.
"Their names have been added to the long list of heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this village," she informed the boy, her eyes filled with sadness not only for those lost but those left behind to pick up the pieces of their hearts.
"That's impossible!" the blond man yelled, hands slamming on the furniture, disbelief his teammates could fall to anyone.
The Hokage calmly pulled open a drawer in the oak desk, retrieved a scroll, letting out a sigh, she tossed him the rolled parchment, "they were taken by someone we've deemed The Collector."
"What's sealed in here," he inquired after reading the report, not wanting to unseal something he'd regret later.
"Kakashi's eye, not the Sharingan, Sai's ear, and other parts of different ninja he has plucked from the Leaf. He sends those to taunt us," Tsunade explained, her face mournful.
"You don't know they're dead then," Naruto noted, but from the pitied look she gave him told him that he shouldn't let such false hopes take root in his mind.
"He uses any means necessary, he hires rogue ninja to go after the loyal ones, and goes through villages to hunt down the rogues he desires. Anyone who will work for money he can use. Right now, he's got such a price on Sakura's head I worry whole hidden villages will come down on us," sighed the older woman, starting to feel her age.
"Does he use reanimation?" the boy questioned further.
"I've never seen a report where any of the ninja we know of him having being in any frays. I don't know what he does with them. It kills me to not know what he needs all these bodies for, he rivals Orochimaru in the volume of body snatching and he only goes after the ones he has deemed the best. I'm sure you've had numerous attacks on you and Sasuke," pointed out the Hokage.
"Yeah, we just figured it was idiots who didn't know who we were," answered the Uzumaki, rubbing the fine hairs of the back of his neck out of embarrassment for not looking underneath the underneath.
An ANBU dropped into the room and produced a scroll for the Hokage. Naruto did an impressive job of waiting for her to finish reading it before he pestered her for information.
"Seems your apartment is put back in order," noted Tsunade as she skimmed back over the words a second time.
"Yeah, Sakura and I," he started with a mad blush lighting his cheeks red.
"I already know," the woman he thought of as a mother stated.
"H-how?" he stuttered out, giving his skin whip-lash as he paled at the thought of ANBU watching them.
Slowly, she set the scroll aside for a moment to point a nail polished finger at him, "repeat this and I'll deny it, then I'll kill you, but I've been around long enough to know the look on a man's face when he's finally got something he's had his eyes on for a long time. I can also tell you're a little disappointed. Lost some of the meaning when it was only her body," Tsunade remarked, keeping her eyes locked with the boy's.
He couldn't face the intensity, he had to find comfort in looking intently at the floor in front of his feet. It had lost all meaning for him, she was a prize he had sought for more years than he'd like to admit, and now it didn't feel like he won her, it felt like he betrayed her and himself.
"Is there anything I can do to fix her?" he asked, still focused on the mute toned carpet.
"You can't fix someone who doesn't know they're broken," the older blond sighed, she had tried to help her student who only pushed harder to get away.
He nodded, "I understand."
"Maybe Team Seven can fix all of this, I'm sending you three after The Collector. Kill him and if you can, bring home our dead so we can give them a proper burial with the other heroes of the Leaf," Tsunade solemnly handed him another scroll with more information about the man stealing lives.
"How do we find this bastard?" Naruto asked, keeping his anger under control when he felt two presences that were as intimate to him as his own.
"He should come to us," Sasuke stated coming out of the shadows to stand by his teammate.
"We have three things he desperately wants," Sakura confirmed as she also took her place by the blond.
By the sword...
They made camp in the woods rumored to be one of The Collector's favorite hunting grounds. Naruto sat on a log while stealing glances at Sakura who was relaxing up against the base of a tree, her sword resting gently against her body with her arms folded over it, green eyes shut to the world. Sasuke was up in the same tree looking down on everything. Uneasiness was a feeling shared by the trio but only one displayed any sign of the emotion. He didn't want anything to happen to his friends and he didn't want to end up in some sick collection. In the wee hours of the morning Sasuke joined his blond companion by the glowing embers of the once bright fire. They shared a private conversation about the rosette, both worried for her safety, she didn't have the advantages they did, she was a healer more than a fighter when they left her to travel the world.
"I'll take you on anytime," came her words, not moving from her spot against the tall timber, she didn't even give them a glace of her eyes, just sat like a carving of beautiful stone.
Neither man knew if she was addressing him or the other. Sasuke approved of her boldness even if he thought she would not be able to defeat him. Naruto was surprised and wasn't sure if he should be impressed by her words or worry that she was overconfident in her abilities. Fighting her now was a mistake in his mind, even if he did want to get a first hand feel for her abilities, they were too deep in enemy territory. An eye peaked open to better observe her male companions. Sakura had expected them to underestimate her but she knew sages and geniuses bled the same as everyone else. It excited her thinking about earning their blood, it would be a little more work than she had become accustomed to but it would be hers if they wanted a fight.
"Sakura, you should know better than to come to my forest," a deep ruthless voice rumbled overhead.
The woman didn't show any emotion to the intrusion of their little camp. A man clad in black rested in a tree not too far from the Leaf ninja. Naruto heard her suck in a quick shallow breath. That's when things began to feel murky for the men of the Leaf. Movement felt slowed, like there was a resistance comparable to that of the consistency of trying to rush through water. Even their brains felt sluggish as they listened to the pink haired medic and the newcomer banter, digging viciously into each other with their harsh words. Sasuke's mind clicked on what was happening long before his blond companion. He, a member of a great clan known for their defense against these types of techniques, was ensnared in an illusionary trap. Breaking it as quickly as possible by activating his eyes, he noticed the rosette was gone and the blond man next to him was staring blankly at the forest.
The pinkette landed behind him, cursing coarsely under her slightly labored breath. He released the blond from the bindings of the mind trap. They both began to search for the intruder, only slightly noticing Sakura sprawl out a sealing scroll behind them.
"You really are a cold bitch," noted the man in black, dangling something from his finger tips as he perched from his favorite spot, the branch above them.
"You're one to talk," she scoffed unsealing something from the white paper decorated with black ink.
"At least I wouldn't put my own teammates under a genjutsu," he taunted, shaking the object in his hand at the group.
Both men noticed it was an arm, a small feminine hand with slender fingers flopping about, they turned to their medic, worry in their eyes. Naruto didn't know what to think as she pulled part of her arm off and tossed it away only to reattach what seemed to be a wooden arm coated in some soft material to match her skin color. She flexed the newly replaced fingers and turned the wrist, making sure to thread her chakra through it like she would her own hand of flesh and bone.
"I just wanted you to myself for a moment," she stated, watching her hand for any glitches in the movements, no passion in her voice, it was as lifeless as her dull green eyes.
"I see you've adjusted rather well to loosing that arm to me, guess your relationship with the puppet master has been beneficial to you. I'm impressed, its still warm," grinned the enemy as he squatted down, rubbing his cheek to the severed limb lovingly.
"Sakura," Naruto whisper, guilt flooding his voice, he hadn't noticed in their night together that one of her arms was a fake. He also wondered about the relationship with the eldest brother of the sand siblings. He needed to get a grip and focus on the battle at hand.
"When you've had as much practice as I've had, running chakra through it and simulating body heat in it is not an impressive feat," she remarked dully.
"Why The Collector wants you anymore is beyond me," shrugged the man, tossing the wooden arm carelessly over his broad shoulder.
"Don't start trying to lie to me now," she reprimanded him while she rolled up her scroll, tucking it safely back in her vest pocket.
Naruto was concerned by the familiarity they had with each other, indicating their encounters with each other were numerous. He was also puzzled, he had assumed this man was the infamous Collector. He gathered from their interaction that he was a hunter for the man they were after. Sasuke was bored, plain and simple, the antics of the medic annoyed him, even if she did manage to surprise him with her being able to capture his mind. Over all he was angry things were taking as long as they were. When the enemy dropped to the ground, the Uchiha flashed before him, locking onto his throat.
"You can either take me to The Collector or I can take your life," Sasuke gave the man his options.
A strangled, creepy laugh bubble out of the dark clad man, "I'd rather play with her."
He vanished from in between the tight grip of the Uchiha's firm hand, to reappear behind the female he had been toying with earlier. She expected this of him, their battles had become predictable and simple. Turning swiftly, she sent her real hand through the bone and muscle, feeling the warm liquid splatter her cheek. The opened flesh hugged around the intrusion of her arm, warmth spread around her limb with every pump of his fast beating heart. There was only one reason he lived in her mind. He was the last link she had to her former teacher and teammates. If he could not provide her with what she was desperate to find, then he served no purpose, his life was forfeit in her troubled mind.
"If you wanted him back so bad, you should have just said so," coughed out the punctured man with some blood spurting out, the dark material of her green vest soaking it in.
"Is your life worth the money you made on my friends' lives?" she tipped her head to the sky pondering her own words as he began to loose strength and sink to the ground.
She let the muscles of her arm go slack, he slid off her blood slick arm into a crumpled heap on the earth where he coughed out more of the life sustaining liquid. His brown eyes could barely focus on her green orbs, no pity, no regret, not an ounce of human emotion danced in them, not even the cold steel of hate.
Die by the sword...
The rouge had bargained with the blond, who was far more reasonable than the woman or the raven haired man, he would keep his life if he led them to the hide out of The Collector. The dark dressed man led them, escorted by the fearsome Sasuke, while the medic brought up the rear. Seeking a way to salvage the situation, a demon glint flashed in his eye.
"You know, she's worth a king's ransom," he tempted with a silk laden voice.
Sasuke had a feeling this would happen, he'd heard different amounts that her body was worth. It slightly irritated him that she was worth more than him to the ninja collector.
"I do know," he replied coolly, keeping his eyes straight ahead.
"Even if we split it, we'd still be wealthy men," bargained the enemy, thinking his clutches had sunk into the greed that slumbers in every man's heart.
A glance back to his teammates, Naruto was busy surveying the countryside, while Sakura met his eyes, she nodded to him.
"Sixty forty," answered the Leaf ninja with a troubled past.
"Like hell," hissed the prisoner knowing even that would leave him a rich man.
"I will be taking more risk, seeing as you cannot restrain her," came the clam reply of the Uchiha.
"She just got lucky," snarled the still wounded man, "fine."
With an agreed price, Sasuke released the captive and ensnared his teammate in a genjutsu, she collapsed in his arms. An evil grin spread over the enemy's face seeing her blank eyes stare at the tree filled sky as the Uchiha held her bridal style. Profanities sounded from Naruto, who was shocked by the actions of his comrade. The rouge moved fast before the traitor could change his mind. A firm hand found its place on the shoulder of his co-conspirator and they disappeared on the twist of the wind driven leaves, a stunned sage left in their wake.
They reappeared in a lavish room, bright colored draperies decorated the walls while intricately detailed rugs sprawled out over the floors. Large pillows served as seating while a large lounging couch sat on top of a platform three steps above the rest of the room. Little billows of incense smoke drifted to the ceiling, a sweet smell imbedding in his nostrils. There a beautiful woman, even by Sasuke's ridiculously high standards, lazing like a tiger sunning herself in the afternoon hours. A large gold fan stopped its slothful movements as her black eyes fell on them. Her graceful rise to her bare feet was slow and deliberate. Long midnight hair tumbled to the floor along with her scarlet flowing dress as she strode forward, stopping before the prize in his arms. She didn't even glance up at him, eyes were intent on the medic's unmoving face. A small pale hand brushed the cheek of the woman and moved up into her pink hair.
"I've been waiting for you, my Mistress of the Leaf," she purred, her voice like the sweetest song birds.
She turned and snapped her fingers, the rouge moved fast through his pain to open the door for her as she floated through the threshold, he swiftly motioned for Sasuke to follow. Down a dark hallway dimly lit by sparse candles, they emerged into a room lined with large tubes full of a watery substance and naked human bodies.
"Aren't they beautiful," she spoke to no one in particular, fingers gliding over the glass as she passed them.
Sasuke followed the behavior of the rouge and remained silent. A cushioned table lay in the center of the room. She patted the lively patterned fabric, implying that was were she wished her prize placed. He gently laid Sakura down, not moving from her lifeless body. To the other side of the room the other woman disappeared, a case few out to the rouge.
"Pleasure doing business with you," he bowed respectfully to the frail looking woman as she emerged from the dark.
"This time, the pleasure is all mine," she remarked, eyes set on the unmoving woman.
"What are you going to do with her?" questioned the Leaf ninja, in his peripheral vision he saw the rogue cringe.
A wicked grin ruined her looks, "she is going in a different collection, where I keep the best. This hall is only a lessor collection, she goes where I have a container for all of the students of the legendary ninja. Its also where I plan on putting the Kages, once I find someone strong enough to capture them. I don't suppose you want the job?"
"Going against a Kage sounds, troublesome," he borrowed a favorite word of a comrade.
"Not for you, Sasuke Uchiha, student of Orochimaru," she flattered and threatened all in one sickly sweet sentence.
"Are you going to try and collect me now?" he questioned, a brow slightly raising, not opposed to the fight.
She waltzed over to one of the tubes, "trying to collect you now would be foolish, one of my lovelies could get disturbed," she worried as she stoked the smooth glass.
"They are going to be more than disturbed in a moment, isn't that right, Sakura," a hint of pride swirled in his tone as he spoke to his friend, impressed she held together so well.
"Disturbed," she blinked as she sat up, "I think that's an accurate description," she concluded as her teeth sunk into the flesh of her thumb.
Her bloodied hand slammed into the floor as she leaped to the ground. A large slug emerging from her beckoning it to this world. Sasuke drew his sword, the metal singing as it came out of it's black sheath. The song of death dancing around the room to the delight of the pinkette.
"Pity," lamented the onyx eyed woman as the rouge ninja's head sailed across the room, red marring the floor and the crystal glass tubes.
"Lady Katsuyu, I need you to split, attach to me and Sasuke, and go find Naruto. Bring him back to me," requested the medic as her eyes remained focused on The Collector, as the slug separated part of her body into smaller slugs, spreading in all directions.
Sasuke couldn't help but notice her choice of words. Not find that idiot and bring him here or to them, but back to her. She needed the dope, even as devoid of emotion as she acted, there was still a light of hope for her.
"You could have been part of something beautiful," sang The Collector, as she shook her bloodied hand.
"Who says I'm not?" growled the cherry blossom, bringing her own sword forward, ready to dance in harmony with her teammate's blade.
The man behind her never thought he'd ever find pleasure in hearing the hostile tone of her temper drift into her voice but in that moment it had the calming effect of a babbling brook traveling undisturbed through a serene forest.
The dark woman, calculated her odds, reluctantly she concluded that they were not in her favor. Two from the legends of team seven and the third on his way. It hurt to contemplate leaving her babies, her trophies, the things she loved but she had other collections in different places and this one was by far not her favorite. They had been the beginning of her obsession, so they were not the cream of the crop, but being her firsts held a special place in her black heart.
"I shall surrender these to you, a reward for finding me," The Collector smirked as her hand raised only to rapidly send a smoke bomb to the ground at her feet.
The gray cloud billowed out and hung in the room filling it with the same incense smell as the first room but neither ninja went after her, they could tell she was long gone. It was then they began to really take in the details of the room. On each of the tubes one of the pieces of Katsuyu had climbed up on the glass. Sakura was about to speak to her companion when Naruto burst into the room, both comrades looking at him like he was late. He raced to Sasuke to smash his fits in his friend's stoic face but he hesitated when he locked eyes with Sakura. She was unharmed and looked disproving of his reaction.
"I thought your swearing was a little too genuine. You really thought I betrayed her," Sasuke accused with a only a slight edge to his voice as his dark eyes narrowed at his friend.
"He was leading us to a trap," Sakura informed the blond still holding onto his friend's collar.
"But when did you two... How did you...Was it in the?" he started and stopped his questions, too many trying to get out at the same time.
"You owe me some sake when we get home," Sasuke nodded to Sakura, as he pulled from Naruto's hold.
"Fine," she said without any thought, her eyes wondering over the cylinders holding different bodies.
"We're going to have to be careful when we release them," came the calm voice of the slug.
"I don't see any deterioration," Sakura stated as she moved toward one that seemed to be calling her attention.
"They're alive," murmured the Uchiha as he sought a control panel of some sort, he was a little familiar with them thanks to his time with the legendary ninja who taught him.
She placed her hand on the glass, her chakra probed the body, it still lived. Looking at the man's face her eyes grew wide as realization dawned oh her. The gold plate at the bottom inscribed with the title of the trophy before her read The Artist, her breath hitched as her eyes filled with a wet substance they hadn't felt in years, tears. Staring at the glass she saw her reflection, looking beyond it she noticed a part of herself laying dormant with the boy. Her body began to tremble, the legs under her refused to hold up any longer as she sunk to the hard stone floor. A humorless laugh was pushed out by her lungs, the man who told her he couldn't title his art work was put on display and labeled, poorly at that. He was so much more than a mere artist, but a person like The Collector wouldn't know his true value.
"Open zero one three," she rasped from her broken spot on the cold surface.
Naruto watched as she tried to gather the pieces of her broken heart so she could stand again. They waited as the clear fluid drained from the glass cylinder, then the glass itself began to lower. Sakura called for the main part of the slug to join her, impatient hands reached out for the naked body as soon as there was enough room. Pulling the bindings holding him vertical, she slipped on the slick surface only for Naruto to rescue her and aid her in freeing Sai of his trappings. The three ended up on the floor, the medic held onto the lost teammate as her real hand checked over every part she could reach. Naruto removed his jacket and placed it over the man's lap.
Sasuke moved to stand near the trio, the man thought dead coming back to life, the emotionless girl weeping as she held him, and Naruto, forever the one ready to support his friends no matter what it did to him. A thoughtful look spread slowly over his face as a confused Sai awoke, naked except for a jacked he recognized as Naruto's, his teammates helped him put the pieces together of what he had missed while asleep. Sakura held on to him as tight as she dared, still trembling from finding what had been taken from her, the bewildered man patted her arm comfortingly as the blond rubbed her back. Both males who came on the mission with her shared a look of relief, she was on her way back to them, their Sakura, not the shell of the Mistress they came home to.
Those who live by the sword, die by the sword...
Lady Tsunade was pleased by the report in her hands, even if they had failed to kill The Collector, they had brought home fallen soldiers. It wasn't every day names were taken off a monument of lost heroes. Of the 42 people in the collection, 16 came home to families in the Leaf. Other villages had been just as lucky to embrace loved ones they thought gone. Some rouges were also given back to the villages they originated from to be dealt with. Also, she saw a spark of life in her student's eyes that hadn't been there in a long time.
Sakura had been really busy in the hospital, even though she hadn't been a doctor there since she lost her arm, with all the ninja brought home, they needed her help. She personally saw to her teammates, Kakashi still had the Sharingan, and Sakura wanted to try and put his sealed eye back. Sai had refused to have his ear reattached, he liked how it gave him character, as he described it. Naruto hadn't seen much of the pink haired beauty unless he was visiting those in the hospital. They had been ordered to stay for a few days so the doctors could observe them, much to Kakashi's dismay but his time was brightened when his students presented him with a new book that they all took turns reading to him. The older man's favorite parts were when things got steamy in the story line and his student became uncomfortable, even Sasuke couldn't keep the uneasiness from his voice in some of the shameless sections. Of course Sai kept his composure the best but would often pause to ask questions, ruining the flow.
It was a few weeks before things had finally settled down and everyone was allowed to go home. That was when Naruto found his favorite girl knocking on his door after he had returned from a routine mission to Suna with his partner. He was fresh out of the shower, preparing to sleep the next two days, thanks to the slave driver Sasuke. Only his sleeping shorts blocked her view of his firm body. The blush that rose to her cheeks complimented her pink hair. She'd seen him naked, touched, caressed, and felt ever part of his body that one night but now, seeing it slightly damp and glittering in the sunlight had her acting like an untouched school girl as her eyes avoided him. It warmed his heart to see her flushed, letting her emotions run, they may not be rampaging like wild horses over an open field, but at least they were kicking up some dust.
"I need to speak with you," she breathed out trying to find some confidence.
"Come on in," he offered with a wide gesture of his arm.
"I think it would be best if I stayed out here," she blushed harder, turning to try and hide behind her hair.
"Alight," he decided not to push her.
"I need to apologize to you," she glanced at his eyes, a slight hurt blazed hot only to be extinguished by his ability to hide his emotions, "I'm only partially sorry for what happened the night you came home," she spoke slow, trying to find the right words to let him know how she felt.
"Partially?" he questioned with a raised brow.
She swallowed thickly, "yes, I'm sorry I used you. I shouldn't have tried to find myself in being with you, but I'm not sorry it happened," she concluded, afraid to look him right in the eyes.
It was his turn to blush, "please come in," he requested, moving to allow her passage.
"I don't think," she was cut off by his rough man handling pulling her into his apartment, "this is a good idea," she finished once the door closed off her exit.
He wasn't sure how he felt about being used by her, he didn't know if he could say he hadn't used her either that night, both had been wanting to reconnect to their past. A simpler time when they were close, and it was them against the world. It had been difficult, always overcoming obstacles, but they were together.
"So are you and Sai back together now?" he questioned, looking at anything except her.
"What? Sai and I were never together," she looked at him, waiting for him to return her gaze but he stubornly set his sight on the wall.
"Then you were with Kankurou?" he assumed from the taunting of the rouge.
"He helped me with my arm, we had a professional relationship," she answered, wondering what had got into his head, words of the dead rouge never crossing her mind.
"I'm sorry I'm not stronger," her confused driven brows broke his last ounce of restraint, "I can't hold back," he breathed as he knotted his arms around her, lifting her shorter stature to a height comfortable for holding, she was his to cherish and only his.
His embrace knocked the wind from her lungs, not by the sheer force of his semi-naked body, but by the strength of his feelings rolling off of him in waves. For someone who had banished her emotions to the deepest recesses of her mind, he was utterly overwhelming. Tears stung her eyes as pain filled her chest, it hurt more than loosing her arm, it burned hotter than any fire jutsu she'd been up against, but her hardened heart was softening again, cracking, breaking all because of him. He didn't know how he tormented her, how she envied him, how he drove her to a better ninja. It had been a long time since she cared about being a better person. An ache throbbed within her, his body, his smell, his stupid chuckle against her neck, all fanning the kindle of desire. She tried to catch her breath, to clear the fog seeping into her mind with the haze of lust in her eyes. A hushed cry of pain had him letting her go, the loss almost broke her. The tears finally found relief tumbling down her cheeks.
He smiled as he brushed the salty liquid away, "there you are," he breathed as he kissed her trembling lips.
She laughed and choked on a sob into the kiss as he wrapped her up again in his arms. He basked in the feelings of taking in her supple lips, the scent of her flower like hair, and enjoyed the quake of her body from the release of the bottled up feelings she had trapped away for far too long. It made him feel powerful, leading a little lamb to the fox's den. A tingling followed by a sharp sensation on his bottom lip reminded him his lamb wasn't the type to be cornered. At first there was a hesitation in her reactions to his coaxing mouth but once she made the decision to follow through she devoured his lip, taking the lower between her teeth, giving a slight pinch. He fought back, hands grabbing her hips less than gently to slam her against his wall, leaving them in a panting stare down. Something fell from its spot on the structure but neither cared to look for it.
Last time she had been all business about the matter, like taking on a mission, she would not back down but she didn't push forward either. Now there was a passion in her eyes that mesmerized him. The way her chest rose and fell with her heavy breathing had him hypnotized. The woman broke the spell she had on him when her mouth crashed into his. It lacked grace, it was rough, and unpracticed, it breathed new life into his primal instincts, the ones demanding he take her there in his entry way. They screamed out for more of her skin to sate the hunger in his eyes. His hands raised to do as they bid him, pulling at her clothes, trying to free her of their tight grasp.
A quick hand to the middle of his chest sent him sliding along his wood floor on his ass. Bewilderment filled his mind and face as he looked up to her blushing form, arms wrapped around herself, and hands fidgeting with her short hair, out of what he guessed was nervousness.
"I just came to apologize," she uttered sheepishly, embarrassed she overreacted so strongly.
"And I thought you were doing a beautiful job," his cocky grin goaded her.
A shocked look froze her face except for her blinking eyes that were trying to take him in, "I think I should go," she flushed looking to the door to be her saving grace.
"I think you should come down here and finish what you started," he teased light heartedly.
"What I started!" she growled, hands shooting down to her outer thighs, fingers balling into a temperamental fists.
His laugh told her she had given him the response he was striving for, to feel her temper. He was satisfied with all the small steps she had taken as far as her emotional journey. Love, anger, lust, pain, hurt, he'd seen more in this afternoon than he had all together since his return.
"I'll get dressed and we'll go get some ramen," he suggested as he got to his feet.
"Who says I want ramen," her snide remark flew out of her mouth, as she spoke he saw a flash of the Mistress in her eyes.
Danger tickled up his spine as he took her in, a warning to tread lightly that he ignored. He didn't think it through when invaded her space again, sparkling blue eyes dancing with vigor, "if I'm buying you shouldn't be complaining."
Dumbly she nodded, all the hostility vanishing, the unwavering tone of his voice and authoritative glint in his eyes didn't give her room for argument, he was daring her to bring out her worst, he'd take it head on. Watching his backside leave, she contemplated how she felt. Since the dam holding back all her pent up feelings had come crumbling spectacularly down with the discovery of her teammates still living, she was drowning every time an emotional response was needed. Annoyance flooded her veins as she thought of how he spoke to her, she hadn't spent the last few years becoming the embodiment of the perfect ninja tool for him to take her so lightly. She marched to his room and unceremoniously kicked in his door, finding him completely disrobed with his dark blue boxers in hand.
"I don't want ramen," she bit out as she marched up to him giving him a little shove.
The bed met the back of his knees, making the naked man sit down to stare wide eyed up at her serious expression, "what are you doing?" he questioned, clinging to hope that she was going to take advantage of the circumstances of his state of dress and location in his apartment.
Her annoyance dissipated as she climbed into his lap, arms greeting her along with other parts of his generous body.
"I'm going to make love to you, like I should have the first time," she confessed, tear soaked green eyes traveling up his body to land on his ocean like blues.
They didn't need any more words, they were pointless and only served to get in the way. The pink haired goddess' clothes soon found a new home on his floor. In the sun's afternoon glow, his sharp eyes found scars he hadn't noticed before, nimble finger traced along the hardened tissue. There was no urgency in their stokes against each others skin, they savored the sensations that sprung forth like a lava flow from a volcano. It was scorching, slow moving torturous bliss, burning unseen marks down the skin they traveled along. He took her fake hand in his, trying to determine where her flesh ended and the prosthetic began. He knew her chakra control was superb, it still amazed him how he could be deceived by it.
Her mouth nibbled down his neck, he smelled of soap, reminding her of the shower they shared. When the rouge ninjas attacked her in his room she hadn't woke him because she had wanted to handle it herself, she wanted to show him she didn't need him. But the way he had looked at her unnerved her to the core, made her feel like a hideous monster. It didn't matter how many chains or bars or other defenses she put up to protect herself from people, Naruto broke through them without even trying. Again, he was pushing her to the limits of her boundaries like it was nothing.
Flipping them so he was on top, he took her, gently, working his way in with the strong motions of his hips. She took him in, all of him, the sight of his taunt body, his natural scent with the lingering of pine, his driving appendage sinking deep, and his very will of fire colliding with her own. The raw emotions of her heart, the blinding pleasure he instilled in her body, everything had her shattering like a stained glass window on a hard white floor. Pieces skipped along the surface in every direction, never to be the same again. The rainbow of shards looked different in their new state but still absolutely beautiful as light danced off the vibrant colors. Because of him, she could never return to what she once was, because of him she didn't want to.
Passion was a dull word compared to look of bliss he strove to keep on her face, the sounds he pulled from her as the breath left her lungs, and the scratches he proudly earned on his back. Tears again wondered from her eyes but they didn't offend him, they were just leading the way to her soul. The path was treacherous but he knew he'd had a hand in creating some of the pit falls. The journey ended with her name on his lips, spent in a way he couldn't fathom before now. The melding two souls together took its toll on both of them, but the warm smiles they exchanged they knew it was worth it.
Under the covers, he marveled at the creature sleeping in his arms, she was his prize, his treasure, and while he'd gotten her body once, he valued her heart more. He'd exchange his own for it, protect it so it never had to be locked behind layers of protection again. If she let him, he'd be her everything, just like she was his everything.
The Mistress of the Leaf lived by the sword, but she didn't die to the sword, something much more powerful than any blade claimed her...
