Thank you so much for the great response! I'm so happy to find out that so many of you still wanted to read my story. You guys are the best!
Also, someone mentioned whether or not I'd be following the plot of the Naruto manga/anime and if I haven't mentioned before, seeing as Itachi isn't dead in this story, this is to be considered AU. I don't want to give anything else away so that's all I'm going to say (ooh a rhyme! haha)
Side Note: I wrote the third scene with a certain song on repeat. It's called The Road to Austin by the Section Quartet and I'm pretty sure I listened to it at least 100 times. It's from the soundtrack to the movie Whip It; it's only an instrumental piece, about two minutes long, but I feel it conveys the feeling I'm going for perfectly. I'd definitely recommend at least listening to the preview on iTunes or finding it on YouTube. It is truly magnificent.
EIGHT
Sasuke was in a bad mood.
That morning he'd woken up in a cold sweat—after a night full of dreams of pink hair and green eyes and smooth legs and wet lips. After sneaking away from his team and taking a few minutes to control himself (aka kicking the shit out of some trees), he'd returned to find Karin and Suigetsu bickering while Juugo sat quietly off to the side, playing with a few birds on his arm. It was a strange sight for sure, but the quiet blonde had done it so many times lately that the group had grown accustomed to seeing him with various wildlife now.
Suigetsu, sensing how tense he was, offered to train with him and he agreed, needing something to distract him, even for just an hour.
He was disappointed to find out, however, that training did nothing to distract him.
Every time he leapt at Suigetsu, a flash of green would catch his eye, drawing his attention. He jumped down from a tree and a breeze brushed past him, carrying the light scent of wildflowers, smelling exactly like the unique fragrance he'd come to know her for. Once he thought he'd heard the sound of her laughter, no it was just a bird calling out.
Damn it, he thought to himself. This is ridiculous. Why can't I get her out of my head? And why the fuck did I kiss her? That was stupid—I can't lose it like that again. The best way to handle this would be to break all contact with her.
He sent a hard kick to Suigetsu's ribs, not even flinching when the shark man's watery side rippled as it reformed after a moment. He smirked to himself, satisfied with this new plan.
But…I told her I'd help her. She didn't even ask me, I just offered. I've never offered to help someone before. It's just to take down one of Akatsuki's bases, though. Sakura being there is just coincidence. Fuck. This is—
It took him a moment to realize that Karin was screaming. He'd been zoning in and out of the fight and had come back just as Suigetsu was swinging that ridiculously large sword of his right in his direction.
With a low curse, Sasuke jumped back and managed to avoid most of the blow. The tip of the sword dug into his side, missing his ribs but definitely doing some damage. Karin raced over to them, shoving Suigetsu for being so careless.
"You idiot!" she shouted, the white haired man rolled his eyes as covered his ears. "What were you thinking?!"
"I figured he'd dodge the blow!" Suigetsu shouted back and everyone turned to the Uchiha, watching as he opened his dark haori and eyed the bleeding gash on his side. Damn. He should have been paying attention.
This was all Sakura's fault. She was so damn annoying! If she had just stayed out of his life, everything would have been a lot easier. He needed to focus on his revenge, not some silly girl from his past. And now here she was distracting him to the point of injury.
He closed his haori back around him, choosing to ignore the wound. He was going to go see her and prove that Sakura had no effect on him. He had to.
Stalking past the others, Sasuke grabbed his sword and took off for the brothel, determined to get Sakura out of his head.
The gash in his side throbbed every time he landed on a branch as he tree-hopped, but he just gritted his teeth and pushed forward. This was all Sakura's fault, after all. If she hadn't been so damn annoying he wouldn't have gotten hit in the first place!
Sasuke was in a bad mood.
Sakura was losing her mind.
That night she'd dreamt of dark hair and sexy smirks and intense eyes and strong arms—waking up to feel the place between her legs wetter than she'd ever felt before. Even thinking about her dreams now had her hastily rubbing her thighs together in hopes of easing some of the tension.
Damn it, why did that bastard have to affect her so? Why couldn't he have just remained a distant, painful memory and let her continue living her new life?
She scowled to herself as she looked down at her task at hand. She was sitting in a back room, a pile of dirty sheets beside her as she dragged a bucket full of soapy water towards her. Adjusting her position on the stool she was seated on, Sakura grabbed another white sheet and frowned at the numerous blood—and other unmentionable—stains she found.
Wiping a loose strand of hair away from her eyes with a soapy hand, Sakura let out a frustrated sigh as she scrubbed at the blanket. Staring at the wet cloth in her hands, she darkly wondered how many virginities had been taken in these blankets.
None anymore if we have anything to say about it! Inner Sakura declared, slamming her fist into her hand.
Sakura nodded to herself, Now I just need to come up with a plan. As much as I hate to agree with him, Sasuke was right, it's time to take action. But how?
Jiro and Goro's voices drifted into the room and she looked over at an air vent in the corner. Moving her supplies over there, Sakura strained to listen to the men's conversation.
"We've got to find some place to keep the money, Okaa-san doesn't want to keep it locked in the safe anymore. She said it's not secure enough," Jiro was saying.
So their money is kept in a safe, Sakura thought to herself. I wonder where that safe is…
"Well it's not like we can just go deposit it at a bank!" Goro snapped back. "I don't see why we can't just let Okaa deal with this. Isn't she supposed to be in charge of running the business?"
"She is. And right now she needs us to come up with a place to keep our funds so we don't lose the business she's so busy running!"
I bet if I got a hold of their funds, they wouldn't be able to keep the brothel up anymore! They need money to support this kind of place, right? Sakura scrubbed at the stained sheets, biting her lip in concentration as she began formulating a plan. Maybe if I could find out where they keep it, I could hide it and then they'd have to give the girls up. There's no way they could keep up a brothel with starving girls.
She smirked happily, proud of her new plan. Suddenly the condescending face of a certain missing-nin appeared in her mind.
"I could have done it when I was a genin."
Sakura gritted her teeth, angrily throwing the soaked blanket into the bucket as she groaned. "He is so arrogant! I'd like to take one of these wet blankets and just wipe that stupid smirk off of his pretty face!"
She frowned, "I mean, off his…face. It's not like he's that attractive, even though he seems to think so. He's just got that whole bad boy thing going for him—and those eyes that can see into your soul, and that smirk of his, and Kami-sama his muscles…"
Shaking her head suddenly, Sakura decided she'd been cooped up for too long and moved to open the window. She stood and as she turned, her foot got caught in a blanket and she ended up knocking the bucket over as it splashed all over her. She sat in a soapy puddle, pouting, and threw herself backwards with a groan.
"Rei-chan, are you in here? Oh…" Lifting her head up, she saw Haruka and Kumiko laughing as they peered in the doorway.
"Is someone having a rough day?" Haruka teased.
"Go ahead, laugh it up," Sakura snarled before sitting up and ringing out her hair.
"We came to tell you your…friend is here," Kumiko said quietly, holding up a hand to hide her giggles.
"Do you want us to wash your clothes for you?"
Sakura blinked, "What do you mean?"
"Well," Haruka shrugged, "I figured we could wash your clothes for you while you were with him, you know…since you won't be needing them."
Sakura's face flushed at the insinuation. Damn that Sasuke! Always making her blush. She hoisted herself up, frowning at her water-logged clothes.
"No, I'll be fine, thanks," she said quickly, moving past her friends.
"Suit yourself!" Haruka called after her. "Although, I suppose they're clean enough after your little spill!"
Sakura huffed, raising her hand and holding up her middle finger without looking back at the pair. It wasn't her fault she'd been distracted by the sexiest man alive (er…she coughed, so some believed… )! She blamed him for entering her thoughts.
Damn it, Sakura was losing her mind.
When they got to their room, Sakura removed her disguise right away. Now that she and Sasuke had come to some kind of common ground, she felt more comfortable being Sakura around him. She smiled softly at him before sitting next to him on the bed, playing with the end of her braid nervously.
"Have you found anything?" he asked, getting right to the point.
"I've come up with an idea to take down Tenshi," Sakura began, looking over at him to make sure she had his attention. His gaze was at the floor, but judging by the expression on his face, he was listening to her. "I heard them saying that they keep their money locked in a safe somewhere. I think if I can get a hold of that money their business will go under and they'll have to—"
"It won't work," Sasuke interrupted. She blinked up at him in surprise and outrage, but before she could get a word out he gave her an explanation. "As long as Akatsuki is using this place, funds aren't going to be a problem. They'll find some way to support it as long as they need it.
"You won't be able to shut this place down with Akatsuki here. They'll support it financially if they have to and I can guarantee they'll protect it, too," he continued. "The only way you'll be able to bring Tenshi down is when Akatsuki isn't here."
His final statement hung in the air, they both knew what that meant. Sakura wouldn't have a chance to bring the brothel down until Akatsuki left.
And with Akatsuki went Sasuke.
Clearing her throat nervously, Sakura decided it was time to change the subject. She asked the Uchiha about his new team and at his annoyed facial change, she could tell he was just as put off by social interaction as he used to be.
"How's that girl? Still fangirling over you?" she teased, scooting over and elbowing him in the ribs.
Sasuke tensed, sucking in a quick breath of air that Sakura wouldn't have heard had she not been a kunoichi. His face showed no sign of pain aside from the slight twitch of his mouth but Sakura knew instantly something was wrong.
"You're hurt," she said quietly, ignoring how awkward the comment sounded.
Inner Sakura wasn't as forgiving: Gee, how scientific of you, she stated dryly.
"I'm fine," he grunted, pulling away from her soft hands.
"Sasuke," she growled, pawing at his haori and searching his chest for any signs of injury. "Stop being a baby and let me look at you! I am a medic after all."
With an annoyed huff, Sasuke relented, allowing Sakura to pull off his haori. Her vibrant eyes widened at the sight of the gash on his side. It was caked with blood and it looked like infection was beginning to set in.
"Kami, Sasuke," she breathed, running tentative fingers along the edges of it. "What happened?"
"Hn."
She smirked knowingly as she got onto her knees in front of him, "Let me guess—you got careless while you were training, right?"
He scowled and looked away from her. At the feel of her hands softly pushing his knees apart, he tensed, but eventually calmed as she moved in closer and pressed them to his wound. Her healing chakra flowed through him, he'd never felt so at peace before. Back in Oto, he'd never let Kabuto heal him—the gray haired medic felt so invasive, like a parasite.
Sakura's healing touch, however, was warm and caring—it reminded him of his mother's hugs after he'd gotten hurt as a child.
After she was done, Sakura ran her fingers along the healed skin. She looked up tentatively and got caught in Sasuke's dark gaze as he looked down at her from his position on the bed. Her eyes found another nasty scar on his left pectoral, her soft fingers drifting up there and tracing the raised flesh.
"How'd you get this one?" she asked quietly.
"Poisoned blade."
"It wasn't healed correctly," she informed him, even though she was sure he'd figured that one on his own. "I can't make the scar go away but I can heal some of the damage and remove the last of the poison."
She took his silence as consent and rushed her chakra into his body once again. His body was so firm beneath her touch, she was amazed by the powerful strength she felt in his muscles.
Pulling her hand away, she frowned slightly at the slight scar that remained. Once again she traced her fingers along it. His torso was littered with scars, marring his otherwise perfect skin.
Sakura stared at the scar over his heart, feeling a strange pull to it. Her chakra might not have been able to heal his scars, but a faint voice in the back of her mind wondered if there was something else that could.
She felt rather than heard his startled gasp as she oh so gently pressed her lips to the scar, then moved to kiss every scar she could find on his body. He remained tense and his stomach muscles jumped with every touch of her lips.
He didn't tell her to stop, however, so she wasn't going to.
Sakura kissed her way down his torso, pouring everything that she was feeling into her actions. She made her way down to his navel and his breathing hitched. Eying the dark trail of hair there that drifted down into his pants, she leaned down and pressed her lips there too. Her own breath hitched at the feel of his hardness brushing against her breasts as she moved. The contact sent a heated jolt directly between her thighs.
Suddenly his hands moved to her shoulders and she looked up, gasping at the heated gaze she saw. Sasuke stared down at her in silence for a moment before hoisting her up onto his lap and drawing her mouth to his.
Sakura, stunned, sat there for a moment, allowing him to stroke her back and move his mouth over hers. Eventually she began to respond, clutching at his shoulders and sliding forward until their bodies were pressed together. She let out a breathless moan as her fingers slid into his hair, angling her head so their mouths could fit together better.
Their tongues met hotly, dancing to the beat of their throbbing pulses. Her hands gripped any part of his body they could get to, she dragged her fingernails across his shoulder blades as he held her to him.
They parted for a brief moment, panting as they stared at each other in silence. Neither one of them seemed to be able to speak, as if a hazy spell had been cast over them. Sasuke shifted, laying her down on the bed before crawling back on top of her. His knees rested at her hips as Sakura pulled his head down to meet hers. Her heart was pounding, could he hear it? Their chests pressed together, could he feel it?
And more importantly, was his pounding just as hard as well?
She slid a hand down to press against his chest, right above where the scar rested.
Yes, it turned out, it was.
He moved his lips down her throat, biting lightly once he got to her shoulder and then soothing the mark with his hot tongue. Her back arched and she whimpered. She couldn't believe the feelings this man created inside her.
Sasuke's hands moved down to her stomach, tracing over the firm muscles there and smirking into her neck at the feel of them jerking under his touch. He kissed her collar bone before pulling back and removing her tunic. Sakura's hair had come undone from its braid and it lay around her like a pink, unruly halo.
In their time apart, she had become more beautiful than he could ever imagine.
He lowered back down on top of her, their stomachs were hot against each other as they met. He couldn't believe how soft her skin felt against his.
As their lips met yet again, parting so their tongues could dance together as well, Sasuke traced his hands up to her breasts. His thumbs rubbed over her bra first, feeling the way her nipples strained against the fabric with just that small amount of attention. Sakura cried out as his hands slipped under her black bra, cupping the warm flesh there.
She moved her hands from his strong biceps to her pants, sick of their restraints. He helped her push the fabric over her slim hips and smirked down at her when she hastily kicked them away.
At the sight of his amusement, she raised her eyebrows and lifted one leg around his waist, grinding their heat together. Sasuke groaned, leaning his forehead into the mattress next to her head.
He pulled back to look at her; she was wearing a plain black bra and panty set, nothing overly sexy about them and the fabric had become rough from having been scrubbed in a sink or the shower during the duration of her mission, but Sakura had never looked more beautiful in his eyes.
He lowered his head, brushing his lips against hers once softly before pulling away to kiss down to her chest. Sasuke's hands released the clasp to her bra and together they slid it down her arms. He tossed the scrap of fabric to the side as her legs wrapped around his hips.
Her chest heaved and she let out a breathless cry as his mouth descended to one of her firm breasts. Sakura clutched at his dark hair, the strands thick and soft between her fingers. She was actually surprised by how soft Sasuke's hair was, she'd been expecting it to be coarse and rough like the rest of him. But, she decided as his lips sucked at her nipple and his tongue laved at it afterwards, maybe she didn't really mind this new softness to him.
In fact, with the way his strong hands were stroking lower and lower down her stomach, she found that she didn't really mind at all.
He cupped her heat and her hips bucked up into him. As his long fingers moved inside her, his lips continued their assault on her breasts, the double stimulation bringing her closer and closer to ecstasy. Sakura threaded one hand through Sasuke's raven hair and the other one clutched at his bicep, feeling the muscles there move as he stroked her.
It was all becoming too much for her, and not enough at the same time.
Sasuke hit a place deep inside her and Sakura let out a choked gasp. She was so close. And then suddenly he was pulling away from her, kissing her breasts one last time before rolling to the side.
She opened her mouth to protest but found no sound could come out as she watched him slide his dark pants down his legs. She didn't think it was possible but she became even wetter at the sight of his lean, naked body.
Sasuke actually gave her a boyish smirk when he noticed her eyeing him. He glanced down at her panties and she almost thought he looked a little shy as his hands slowly moved to pull them down as well.
Suddenly there was nothing separating the two.
Sasuke slid on top of her again, their heated, sweat-slicked bodies moving together effortlessly. It was amazing how well their bodies fit together—almost as if each were made to perfectly complement the other.
Her aching breasts rubbed against his firm chest and she knew she was ready for this moment to happen. Had been for a long time.
Wordlessly, Sasuke glanced down at her through his bangs. A silent question lingered between them and Sakura answered by wrapping her legs around his waist.
He leaned over her, pressing his lips ever so gently to hers as he moved past her lower lips and into her wet heat. She anticipated the pain but still didn't know what to expect at the same time.
No amount of magazines or stories from Ino could have prepared her.
It wasn't like the swift pain from a kunai, or the blunt pain from a well-aimed punch. It was more like uncomfortable stretching, and then painful stretching, and then suddenly there was a sharp pinch and all that was left was discomfort at something new stretching muscles that had never been used before.
Sasuke's stomach rested on top of hers, his hips pressing against hers. All that could be heard in the room was their heavy panting. Sakura stared up at the ceiling, gently feeling down there mentally and testing the new experience. The pain had dulled to a slight throbbing but she could deal with that.
She squeezed her legs around Sasuke's hips and slowly he began to pull away. Sakura gasped at the feel of him sliding against her innermost walls. Sasuke's hands gripped at her hips as he pushed back in just as slowly and soon they developed a steady rhythm.
His bangs brushed against her forehead and she tilted her head up to look into his eyes. They were dark, swirling like a starless night sky. Sakura slid a hand up from his shoulder blades to the back of his head, drawing it down to meet hers. Their lips came together easily, as if they were born to do this, and their tongues lazily moved together.
At a particularly angled thrust, Sakura gasped, clutching him closer to him. Sasuke began thrusting faster and suddenly she could feel the white hot bubble growing inside her stomach burst. Light flashed in her eyes as waves of ecstasy flooded through her body. A few moments later she felt him stiffen and thrust inside her one last time before tensing above her. Warmth flooded inside her and then he relaxed, lowering his head next to hers on the pillow.
Sakura didn't mind Sasuke's weight on top of her—it made her feel safe and warm, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time. She wrapped her arms around him, allowing herself to close her eyes and relish the feeling of him so close to her.
She found it interesting that her first time would be with the last person she'd ever expected.
But maybe, in a way, a part of her knew it would be him. It was always him.
Sorry for a delayed update! I didn't have a lot of free time and I also wanted to take my time to perfect this chapter. I wrote the lemon scene differently than my others so I wanted to make sure it really worked. I'm really satisfied with it and I hope you all are too!
I'd love some feedback :)
