Chapter 8 - Imprisonment
Sakura's head flung to the side as the sting from her father's hand hitting her cheek became hot and intensified.
"I told you to not leave this house. What part of obedience don't you understand? Where did you go?"
"I went for a walk…"
"Who did you see?"
She paused before answering, "The ANBU. I had some questions I needed answered."
Her dad's anger sizzled out slowly. And then he looked at her as an idea formed into his mind.
"You visited the traitor, didn't you?" His inquiry was almost an accusation.
She didn't answer.
"If you leave this house it is to be with either me, or your future husband, Uramai." With that statement he left the room and slammed the door behind him.
She stood for what felt like hours and when the shock wore off, Sakura crumbled to the ground in defeat.
--
It had been two weeks since his imprisonment.
Sakura had a note sent to him almost every day but he never sent anything in return and that worried her. She told him of her own 'imprisonment' and how she thought of him every moment…she hit her head in hindsight. She sounded cheesy…immature…and even cliché. Her chin rested on her hand as she watched the people pass by on the street below. Life went on like normal for everyone else except her, Sasuke, and the poor guy who got murdered.
Just as she was about to walk away from the window a hawk came and landed on the sill. She recognized it as Tsunade's and she checked it for a message.
Sakura,
Come to my office. Have Uramai bring you.
Tsunade
She had the bird fly back with a note that she was on her way and she had the neighbor get Uramai.
--
As they entered, Uramai had Sakura enter first and then closed the door behind him. They walked towards the middle of the room and then stopped at the edge of the mat.
Tsunade swiveled her chair around to make eye contact.
"Do you know why you are here?"
Sakura watched as Tsunade asked Uramai instead of her. He started to sweat under the Hokage's stare.
"No," he finally replied.
"Hmm…" she sighed with annoyance.
Sakura heard Uramai gulp and clear his throat. She was so confused that she watched him to make sure he wasn't coming down with a cold.
"What's this all about?" she finally questioned.
Tsunade arched her brow, "Would you like to do the honors, Uramai?"
He hesitantly made eye contact with Sakura before taking her hand. "Sakura, I did it to protect you. And I promise, I didn't read any of them, but I destroyed them."
She searched his face then Tsunade's. Then it dawned on her what he was talking about. "My letters." She flicked her hand out of his and he looked really sorry…even pitiful, but she wasn't going to forgive him so easily. "How could you?"
"I told you, I did it to protect you. I know he's a friend of yours but he's—
"Present," a voice from the doorway interrupted.
"Sasuke," Sakura's eyes lit up but he wasn't looking at her, he was glaring at the ninja who just admitted to destroying her notes addressed to him.
"You had no right to intercept those notes." Sasuke's voice skimmed on lethal as he glared at Uramai.
"I did, by her father's permission I watched over her. She's not to talk with you."
"He's the only one I want to talk to," she grounded out and she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Don't fool yourself, Sakura. He's not good enough for you. He may have killed a man!"
"I know he didn't do it…"
"Who is good enough for her? You?" Sasuke asked with a dare in his voice for Uramai to try and say he was.
"Ninja," Tsunade said from her desk to get their attention, "enough. Uramai, you are dismissed. I need to talk with these two."
He reluctantly left and Sakura turned to her sensei for her to continue. Sakura watched Sasuke turn toward her as well from the corner of her vision.
"Did I not tell you two how this arrangement might become ugly?"
"Hai," they replied in unison.
"Sasuke, I want you to know that I am proud to call you one of us. Your clan is valued and respected by this office and the majority of the ninjas."
"Arigatou," he stated gratefully.
"Hopefully, when this hideous mess is all over, you can start building the family you so eagerly came here to start."
Sakura looked up to see a teasing glisten in Tsunade's eyes and when she looked at her, Sakura felt her checks heat up.
"I do hope so," he said without loosing eye contact with Tsunade or changing his uniform expression.
"Sakura, there is paperwork that I wish to not deal with. Will you stay please and sign then file them so I may have a clean desk?"
"Anou…hai," she murmured from confusion. It was typically what she did around the office, but why Tsunade wanted her to do it now was a little unusual for the mood. Tsunade then stood up, stretched and said she was going for an hour lunch. She stopped at the door and turned her head to the side before opening it.
"A half hour is long enough for you two to talk, right?"
"Hai," replied Sasuke firmly.
She left and it sounded like she ordered Uramai to go with her.
Sakura walked to the messy desk and picked up a stack of signed papers. Her mouth twitched as she realized they were all done…had she made it up for an excuse? Sakura was ready to take the pile to the drawers when hands came around her waist. She felt herself melt into his torso and she dropped the stack back onto the desk.
"Tell me what the letters said."
In order, and practically word for word, Sakura quoted what she had written. When she was done, he rested his chin lightly on her head and wrapped his arms tighter around her waist and upper torso.
"So I'm going to loose you to that weakling."
"We could find a way to be together…"
"I won't have you sneaking around if you have a husband—
"No, that's not what I meant," she said with a small laugh. When he didn't answer or question it, she whispered her suggestion, "Without my father's blessing, I don't get the dowry that's been given through my families' generations, but I would give up that and a thousand yen if I could just be with you."
She felt him move the hair away from her neck and he placed a kiss on her skin. Again, she felt like putty in his hands and melted into his embrace.
He turned her around and saw the drowsy way she held her eyelids. He couldn't hold back from kissing her. As the kisses became longer and more passionate, they both started to forget that he was a prisoner and she was banded from ever seeing him. They wanted the assurance that they spent the little time they had together, wisely.
Sasuke backed her up and she felt the desk stop her from going any further. While placing his lips on hers still, he lifted her onto the desk and it made her taller so her face was closer to being equal to his. His masculine hands wrapped around her as though he was memorizing her shape and size and pulling her against him as though he couldn't get enough.
She had never felt so much longing in his hands and in his lips before this.
When he moved down her neck she closed her eyes.
"Did this much time away make you braver?" She felt her neck pulse at every endearment he placed on it.
"Sumimasen," he said slowly straightening up. She saw the playfulness in his gaze.
"No need to apologize. You just seem to be more ardent than before…"
A concerned look overtook his eyes, "I didn't hurt you?"
"Nani? Iie," she affirmed, "but it helps to know that I'm willing to marry you, doesn't it?" she asked with a smirk.
His grey eyes replied 'yes' silently.
She glanced at the wall clock and then ran her hand down his jaw, "Tsunade will want her office back soon…"
"Which means I go back to the cell," he said with annoyance lining his tone.
"And I go back to mine…" they both groaned but he didn't lower her off of the desk. "I wish I could visit you more often," she sighed and folded her arms around his neck.
"Me, too."
"Maybe my father will have a better opinion of you when the real murderer is captured."
"He hasn't called me 'murderer'; the clans are calling me the 'traitor'."
"Sou ne…if only they understood what all you've been through and all you're wanting to do."
"Tsunade's coming." He helped her down to the ground and then stopped her, "Promise me something."
"Nani?"
"Don't marry Uramai."
"I can only marry you anyways…" she said with a smile.
"Nande?" he inquired running his fingers through her messed hair.
"You have my heart, remember?" she murmured sensually before the door opened and Tsunade entered.
The blonde Hokage smiled and then told them to leave her office before she physically removed them.
The door to the office closed behind them and they laced their fingers before parting to walk the different directions of the hallway.
Sakura glanced behind to see his escorts surround him as she rounded the bend.
