Strange Terrain:

Chapter 9.

Author's Note:

Hey look! Another Chapter. I'm sorry for the slow burn, guys. But I promise things are going to be getting hotter and heavier from this point on. It is difficult to write a romance between two enemies ;) Thanks for the reviews, and please keep the support coming. I appreciate you all!

XXX

Here she sat again, staring into a swirling cup of tea as Kabuto poured amber liquid into her glass with the skill of a geisha. His wrists seemed delicate yet strong, his skin almost matching the color of the porcelain. Sakura stared hard at his face in the candlelight, trying to discern what thoughts brewed behind that mask of antipathy.

After their last meeting she had spent the entire day with Ibiki, sharing the information she had gleamed and giving him a play-by-play of their interaction. He drilled her on interrogation techniques, emphasizing the importance of not allowing Kabuto to direct the conversation. She was to be unrelenting in her pursuit of the knowledge this man kept, and no distraction could be allotted. Ibiki seemed to believe that Kabuto's demand for an exchange of questions was meant merely to confuse her from seeking any information of real importance, as well as an attempt to have her shed some kind of secret which might be valuable to him later on. What he could be looking for was anyone's guess at this point, but Ibiki continued to emphasize the importance of making their prisoner feel as if she were answering his questions while only providing the most limited detail.

Sakura had a list in her mind of all the talking points Ibiki demanded she cover, and she went over it as Kabuto poured his own cup.

When the teapot once again rested on its portable burner, and Kabuto had settled himself back into a regal sitting position, she spoke. "My turn. You said you believe Orochimaru may be making his way towards Suna. Why has he decided to leave the Land of Fire?"

That was the first point Ibiki demanded. He insisted she not become distracted with Sasuke, and only pursue information which might help to locate and eradicate Orochimaru.

Kabuto did not seem surprised by her question. If anything, he appeared pleased that the game had become that much more complicated. After a long sip of tea he glanced at her. "Not Suna. The Sand. Certain events have occurred which required his attention outside of the Land of Fire."

Certain events? Sakura schooled her features into a mask of impassivity. "What events?"

A click of the tongue was her only answer. "It's my turn now, Sakura." She hated the way he refused to use a formality with her name. There was nothing casual about their relationship. "How many days has it been since I was brought to the correctional facility?"

"Twelve," she answered without thinking. Better to be done with his questions as soon as possible, and get back to her own. "Now tell me, what events?"

Kabuto did not answer though. He looked thoughtfully into his tea, lips in a thin line. "What a relief," he said finally, shaking a stray strand of silver hair from his eyes. "I had worried I'd been here so much longer. That damn Ibiki and his mind games. Good."

Good? What did he mean by good? Sakura almost asked him, but stopped herself. No distractions. She repeated her question, but in the back of her mind she wondered what he could be waiting for. Rescue? It seemed unlikely that he would have a date planned for escape, considering the sudden and violent nature of his capture. But the thought made her uneasy, and she decided to pursue it at a later point in the conversation. For now she must focus on the target.

"Fine, fine." Kabuto spoke as if a chastised child, thinking she was no fun indeed. "I mentioned before that your precious Sasuke-kun moves independently form Orochimaru. It seems he has been moving a little too independently as of late."

Sasuke… Her heart ached at the thought of him. If he was being pursued by Orochimaru, if he was on the run…

That made their entire mission so much more vital. Was it possible her long-lost friend was turning his back on the monster he'd become? Sakura had to shake her head, clearing it of thoughts of her friend. Pursue the target.

She waited impatiently for Kabuto to ask his next question, but the minutes rolled on with not a word between them. Finally he spoke, "Sakura, do you remember the day you captured me?"

"Yes," again, the answer was automatic. She began to ask her next question, but was silenced by a raised hand on Kabuto's part.

"You remember everything that happened? Are you sure?"

Sakura hesitated. The memory drew to the surface of her mind – receiving the intel from ANBU black-ops as to a possible location for Orochimaru, traveling with her small scout team of five. Naruto's smiling face glancing back at her as the trees whizzed by. She remembered when they arrived and broke through the illusionary jutsu meant to hide the stronghold, only to find an empty clearing in its stead. She remembered the sound of kunai flying through the foliage as they were attacked. Naruto bombarded by at least eight Sound-nin; everyone splitting off into separate fights. The distance they'd covered. She remembered when Kabuto had stepped out of the clearing, just when she'd put down her third Sound-nin.

She remembered feeling like they were dancing for hours, brutal blows exchanged between them. She remembered his weight between her thighs – but after that, blackness. "…No," she finally answered, looking up uncomfortably. "I was unconscious for maybe, forty-five seconds." Nothing too serious in a medic's book, but why did he seem so curious?

"I remember," Kabuto mused, a slight smile on his lips. "I remember exactly what choking the life out of you felt like."

Sakura's stomach turned and she made a sound of protest, but Kabuto continued speaking. "I remember being overcome with a desire to taste your final moment. Don't you ever wonder why Naruto was so violent when he found us?"

There was no answer to that question. She had merely assumed the sight of Kabuto's assault on her person had sent the Kyuubi into an unfathomable rage. "What are you getting at?" she finally relented through gritted teeth.

Kabuto shrugged. "I'm merely suggesting that that little dream Ibiki had you cook up – the one we both enjoyed so much – might not have been the first time."

Sakura was speechless, frozen in place.

This had to be that distractionary technique Ibiki had so warned her about. Still, she could see the sincerity behind his eyes, in the way they flickered between her own gaze and down towards her mouth. She felt the untapped memory on her lips.

Persevere. She could almost hear Ibiki reminding her to keep her head above the tumult of confusion; even as the walls pressed in against her, she reached out with her mind and grasped on to the one straw of stability she could find in all of this. Sasuke – the memory which could always bring her back from the edge. Her drive to rescue him had morphed from the administrations of a concerned friend and into an obsession, a force of momentum behind her. "Is Sasuke on the run from Orochimaru?" she asked, disappointed in the hopeful lilt of her voice.

Kabuto looked displeased. He broke his gaze away from hers and made a sound of annoyance, and Sakura felt the air return to her lungs in a grateful rush. Ibiki had warned her to keep her questions away from Sasuke, but more importantly than that she needed to keep Kabuto's questions away from her. It seemed to work, and he answered curtly. "No."

"No explanation? You didn't seem to want to shut up a minute ago." Sakura kept her voice cool and detached, channeling Sai.

He didn't bite. "If you kiss me again, I might consider it."

Sakura's response was quick and vengeful, shaking hand slamming down onto the rotten wood of their make-shift table and arching to smack the small cup in front of her to the ground. "I've never kissed you," she hissed.

Porcelain shattered across the floor, a hundred tiny white shards glinting in the candlelight like spilled milk. Sakura swatted at the teapot next, fury boiling in the back of her throat. It was heavy with bubbling water, and when it crashed into the wall Kabuto raised an arm to shield his face from the splattered liquid. "I am so sick of you not answering my questions, Kabuto," her voice was low and menacing, barely above a whisper. She was sick of his constant redirection, his boorish questions, and this fucking tea. The girl made to smack his own delicate cup across the room, but Kabuto grabbed her arm roughly mid-swing and halted her. He hissed with the exertion of his broken finger, but still held on with a grip like stone. A forceful tug pulled her across the table, until their faces were mere inches apart.

"Then maybe you should try asking different questions."

Anger, thick as lightening, bolted through her chest. Sakura ripped her arm away and with a powerful glowing fist made to slap him across the face. He bolted back, the wooden table between them faltering and tipping over to the ground with a loud thunk. The door to the observation room had already swung open and her ANBU detail were swarming in, but Sakura could not stop herself. She kicked the table aside and advanced on Kabuto.

He seemed almost pleased with her outburst, with how thoroughly they had not accomplished anything. When she grabbed him by the shirt he did little to resist, like a rag-doll in her hands. "Then what am I supposed to be asking?" she questioned through gritted teeth; behind her the cell door swung open. Kabuto's calloused hands ghosted over the nape of her neck as they struggled, and the sensation brought an unwanted shudder down her spine.

"Instead of focusing on Orochimaru andSasuke, you might do well to learn more aboutme."

The ANBU were on them now. Strong hands gripped her by the shoulder and pulled back – Sakura landed with a graceful smack against the broad chest of one of her detail. She glanced up angrily, eyeing the fox-mask behind which she knew was Neji Hyuuga's face. He didn't move away, still holding her by the shoulders roughly against his body. The rest of the group had swarmed Kabuto and were attempting to restrain him, but Kabuto fought back angrily.

She watched in one swift movement as Kabuto made to gut-punch one of the ANBU – the one in the snake mask – and his hand was caught swiftly and held awkwardly in the air. Amidst the commotion Sakura was sure she was the only one who saw the snake-masked man raise his fist high in the air to strike Kabuto and then stop hesitantly. She saw Kabuto's lips move, but couldn't hear what he had said. The ANBU dropped his hand, stepping back as Kabuto was forced to his knees by the rest of the group.

Neji was ushering her out of the cell, a gloved hand guiding from the small of her back. Sakura cast a hesitant glance over her shoulder, watching Kabuto's down-cast face amid the guards. She thought she caught a twisted smile on his lips, but couldn't be sure before he disappeared from sight as she rounded the corner out of the observation room with Neji at her side.

They stopped outside the door, no longer within hearing-range. Neji slid the fox-mask from his face, revealing cool features twisted into an expression of concern. At least as much concern as his refined features would tolerate; they were standing awfully close, she could feel the warm breath coming from his lips ghosting over her cheeks. "What happened?" Sakura found herself distracted, barely hearing the words as they left his mouth. "Sakura-san," Neji called her name. She started and looked up at him.

"He just-" She didn't want to tell him. She was sick of talking to people. "He made me angry."

Neji's face relaxed. "When we heard the glass shatter, I was sure…" his shoulders dropped a few inches in what could only be described as relief, "I was sure he was making some kind of move."

Sakura did not know what to say. Her mind flashed back to Sai, and what he had said about great men finding something of value within her. "What do you mean..?" she fished, balling a fist up against her chest defensively.

He was still standing so close – so protectively. "You aren't the only one who isn't comfortable with this arrangement. Forcing us to stay out here… just waiting for something to happen." Neji finally stalked away, glancing around the door into the observation room. "I'm supposed to be protecting you, and not just you. Everyone. But here I am standing by while he gets whatever he wants and we're forced to play along."

It was nice to know she wasn't the only one experiencing these feelings of frustration. Still, it seemed odd that Neji was so upset. He wasn't the one in the room.

It dawned on Sakura that that was exactly where his ire was coming from. That he wanted to be the person in the room, and not the one in the background. Sakura sorely wished they could trade places – Kabuto would never flummox Neji the way he was trying to do with her. There would be no air of tension in his every word; he'd just break and spill his secrets, or rot in that cell forever. And of course that was why she was the one in the room. For whatever reason, she'd given him something to hold on to.

"Oh, Neji," she breathed wantonly. "Everything's so messed up now."

He returned to her side, placing an awkward yet comforting palm on her shoulder. It was warm. "You have done well, Sakura-san. I am at a loss to name another shinobi of the Leaf who could withstand such close proximity to that man and come out not only unscathed, but with valuable information."

It felt good to hear him say so, even if Sakura did not believe those words. She didn't feel unscathed. Still… he was right about the intelligence. A spark of excitement shot in her chest; "He did tell me something today," she spoke with rushed and enthusiastic words. "He believes Orochimaru's encroachment into the Sand is in pursuit of Sasuke."

"Of Sasuke?" Neji echoed her words, a tone of wonder in his voice. "Trouble in paradise?"

Sakura closed her eyes, suddenly frustrated. He'd riled her up so much that she'd been unable to pursue the topic further, and with a sound of disappointment she sighed. "I don't know. He wouldn't tell me."

Neji regarded her with bewildered eyes. "…Still, this is amazing. We have an idea of where Orochimaru is going, and we know that – at least for the moment being – Sasuke is not with him." She smiled at the thought, a feeling of satisfaction in her belly. "Sakura," Neji spoke, and he did not add an honorific to her name. She didn't mention it. "I'm amazed," and suddenly he felt closer than was appropriate, even though he had not moved an inch. "Truly, to have garnered so much in so little time. Maybe the interrogation squadron of the ANBU black-ops is in need of a new member."

Being complemented so fully by Neji Hyuuga was a foreign concept, but a welcomed one. She might have beamed, if it wasn't for the thought nagging in the back of her mind and telling her that it was not skill which had brought her this information, but Kabuto's sick fascination with her. And she had done little to deserve that.

"What is it?" Neji asked, sensing her sudden discomfort.

Sakura let her eyes fall, picking at the dead skin at the end of her fingertips. "I know I have to go back in there again, and I want to find out more. I want to do something of use – finally." She hesitated, feeling a prickle in her nose. "I just never wanted it to be like this."

And then the strangest thing happened: Neji Hyuuga leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, lean but strong. She stiffened at the contact, before relaxing into it. Her face fell into the folds of his protective vest, and the material was rough against her skin. She took a deep breath to calm herself, her lungs filling with the scent of sandalwood. It was pleasant, and yet it sparked a different kind of memory in her mind. The smell of sterility, with a hint of musk beneath. The smell of another man with whom she'd been forced into such intimate conditions.

Why would she be thinking of that now?

The two broke apart stiffly, and Sakura thanked him for his show of compassion with a small sniff. Neji was already sliding the fox-mask back into place, obscuring his expression. "Indeed," he answered stoically, gesturing to the hall behind them. "Shall we?"

They left together in stilted silence.

XXX

That night Sakura sat at the pile of notes at her coffee table, legs folded neatly beneath herself and a steaming cup of tea perched perilously atop a delicately balanced mountain of books. She reached for it distractedly, fingertips brushing the rim with just a little too much force. The cup faltered, tipped, and spilled down the stack of books. Sakura cursed loudly, scrambling to her feet and quickly scooping up the cup.

The hot water burned her fingers, and she flicked them roughly. Setting the cup aside, careful not to mar her paperwork with the soaked rim, Sakura situated herself at the edge of her reading materials. She sighed angrily as she picked up the first book and thumbed the spine. A hideous stain spread over the soft leather, the pages beneath tan from the offensive liquid.

Still, a small smile reached her lips as she flipped through the pages. This had been one of the books she'd consulted when first formulating the idea for the sealing technique she had used on Kabuto. Had she really forgotten to return it to the research library? She glanced at the complicated diagrams of the human skeletal structure inked on the pages.

She must not have returned any of them.

Sakura made to examine the rest of the books in the pile, and after a moment she paused in confusion. One of the books was missing – the extensive characterization of the predecessor justsu's required to complete the Kyuubi's chakra seal. It was an entire history of chakra seals, and their many uses and documented applications.

She didn't remember returning it.

Sakura sat back on her haunches, worrying her lip. She dismissed the notion, assuming the book must be somewhere in her room. She'd have to make a mental note to return those damn books. It'd be a blessing if she could talk her way out of any late fees. Sakura returned to her post at the coffee table, rearranging the papers before her before letting out a soft breath of air. She'd been working on her report dealing with the day's previous events – her time with Kabuto.

She had been doing her best to recall in detail the conversation they had shared. Her pin scratched the paper in uniform movements as she described the questions he'd asked, falling back on decorum when the conversation became too… personal. There was no need for her superiors to know about every little thing that transpired between the two, and instead she chose to focus on the intelligence he had offered during their short time. She added some conjecture about the meaning behind his revelation about Sasuke fleeing to the Sand. It was well-known there had been Akatsuki activity in that region, and Sakura felt sure that that had something to do with whatever her previous teammate and his unfortunate mentor were doing.

Sakura paused thoughtfully. She glanced back to the now empty cup at the edge of her paperwork – deft fingers reached out to grasp it.

Something Kabuto had asked her before sprang to mind. The first question he had asked had been in reference to her sealing technique – specifically, whether or not she had been inspired by the Fourth Hokage in her recreation. At the time she had brushed off the question as something obvious, but now it gave her pause. The very book she was missing…

The man in the snake-mask flashed before her eyes. His hesitance to strike Kabuto, his appearance around every corner. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, the realization striking her like lightening.

Of course. Had he ever even seemed surprised at her ability to render his chakra completely inaccessible? Sakura's pen dropped to the paper forgotten. She stood shakily, until the adrenalin caught up to her and she was sprinting to the door and wrenching it open. Sakura stopped with a foot out the door, the cold night air bringing prickles to her skin. Where would she go at this time? Who could she come to?

Sakura stood in the doorway for a long while, staring out into the darkness. Suddenly she felt very afraid, realizing that her home was not as safe as she had once imagined. Someone was here, walking her very streets. The man in the snake mask. The girl quickly retreated into her apartment, slamming the door shut and swiping the chain for an added ounce of security.

It did little to calm her. An unshakable chill clung to her skin, penetrating deep into her bones.

Maybe she was being hasty. A missing book, a rogue question, a diligent ANBU guard. These things did not necessarily require a double-agent. But Kabuto was notorious for his network of spies. She grit her teeth, fingernails biting into her palm. Forcing herself to calm, Sakura tread across the floor and entered her bedroom. She couldn't think about this right now – there was nothing she could do right now. In the morning she would report directly to Tsunade, and then she would meet with him. If there was any truth to this terrifying idea, she would find it and root the rat out before any more damage could be done.

The light to her room switched on beneath her fingers. She looked around with a hint of paranoia, but the air was still and her things undisturbed. Sakura forced her mind to settle, reminding herself that she had no way of knowing if someone had stolen that book. If someone had been in her apartment.

Sakura pulled her sleep shirt over her head, discarding it at the end of her bed. Her shorts followed, bunching up at her feet as she stepped out of them. The girl strode across her room to the bathroom, stepping onto the cool tile with a hiss. A blind hand fumbled in her shower and turned the knob, the sound of water rushing from the faucet filling the small room. In just a few moments her bathroom was filled with steam, and Sakura slipped out of her undergarments and tossed them into the hamper. She gingerly touched the water, hissed in pain, adjusted it just a little, and hopped inside.

The cascade of warm water ran over her naked body in rivulets, refreshing. She ducked her head back under the stream, running weary hands through her soaked hair. A bit of shampoo into her palm and she was lathering away, the scent of berries filling the little shower. Sakura ran a bar of soap over the straight lines of her hips and over the small bump of her chest. She touched her neck gingerly. The bruises from her initial encounter with Kabuto had long since healed, but she traced the place where she knew they once stood.

Sakura took a long shower – and once she was all clean she stood there for many more minutes. The hot water beating down on her back was so soothing; she could hardly bear to leave. It was fifteen minutes before she finished, and she stood in front of her fogged mirror staring at the indiscernible blob that moved as she did.

A quick hand wiped the steam away, and Sakura found herself looking into her own eyes. They were tired, but she didn't feel afraid anymore. She wet a toothbrush under the tap and stuck it into her mouth, grasping for a deep-green towel and wrapping it around herself. Sliding the door open to her room, Sakura stopped cold.

It was dark, and she had left the light on.

Cool wind ruffled her towel. The window hadn't been open. Sakura took a step back into the bathroom, gripping her towel tightly, her toothbrush forgotten at the edge of her mouth. She called out hesitantly, "Hwe'wo?" The toothbrush distorted her words almost comically.

Steeling herself, Sakura made to sprint across the room. She smacked against the window, shaking fingers gripping the sill and slamming it closed. Maybe they were gone. Maybe Naruto was here playing a joke.

Maybe it wasn't the man in the snake mask.

Just as she let the window go a pair of angry hands gripped her from behind, whirling her through the air and tossing her on to the bed. Sakura let out a shriek, but those furious hands found their way to her mouth and pressed down, hard. She screamed against the offending appendage, biting forward indignantly. The taste of blood filled her mouth, and the hand jerked away instinctively. In her rush to get away the towel unraveled, and Sakura hurled herself naked from the bed and on to the floor.

The carpet burned her knees as she slid across it. She waited for a strike to come from behind, too frightened to even feel shame, but it never came. Sakura didn't take the time to question it. She moved as quickly as she could across the floor, grasping wildly for the wall and using it to hoist herself up. She flipped around angrily, back pressed solidly against the wall, her free arm wrapped protectively across her breast.

A man stood across the room, silhouetted against the moonlight pouring in from her window. The curtains were still pushed aside. He made to advance, but she barked out desperately. "Stop!"

Her voice was small, like the sound a critter makes when it knows it's helplessly outmatched. Against all logic or reason, the man stopped. She didn't have time to wonder why, reaching out with her other hand to grope blindly across the wall in search of her dresser. A kunai waited in the top drawer.

"You're a spy for the Sound," she found herself saying. She took a small step to the left, prompting the man to continue his approach. Throwing herself towards the dresser, the girl felt her hand just brush the smooth wood as another warm body collided into her own. They both fell to the floor, struggling wildly. Sakura willed chakra into her palms, and pushed with as much might as she could muster at the man's body. He flew away from her, hurtling against the wall wildly and crumbling to the floor.

She was over him in a second, modesty abandoned as she raised a glowing fist over her head to finish it.

"Sakura- wait!"

The chakra faded from her hand immediately, along with all of the blood in her face. In the moonlight she saw the face of her would-be attacker – of the presumed spy from the Sound.

It wasn't an unfamiliar face that looked up at her. It was Kabuto.