Equinox

Winter: Chapter 4

Someone knocked on the door. Shave and a haircut.

Sakura stirred. She scrunched up her face as she tried to figure out why she wasn't sleeping in her bed. Then, she heard Kakashi's sigh in her ear. Her head was resting on his chest, his arm draped over her shoulders. His feet were up on the coffee table.

"My neck hurts," he announced, voice scratchy with sleep.

"Me too," sighed Sakura. She felt something wet touch her hand. When she looked down, Biscuit was staring up at her. His scruffy tail wagged back and forth. She bent down to kiss his muzzle but recoiled.

"Woah. Biscuit. Buddy. Your mouth smells like butts," she complained.

Kakashi snickered as Biscuit's ears drooped a little. Sakura hugged Biscuit, kissing the top of his head.

"It's okay, baby. I still love you. Stinky breath and all," Sakura cooed.

There was the knock again. She had forgotten that that was what had woken her in the first place. Pakkun trotted up the door and let out a few yaps.

"Coming!" Sakura called as she got off the sofa. Kakashi's arm slipped off her shoulder, flopping onto the sofa. Pakkun hopped onto his hind paws as she approached. She wiggled her fingers at him before she unlocked the front door. She could see him waiting on the porch. Apparently she had forgotten to lock the screen door. She knew Kakashi would scold her about that later.

"Hey Kiba," she greeted him.

"Hi. I came by to see if you needed help shoveling. But... looks like someone beat me to the punch." As Kiba spoke, his eyes wandered away from her. Upwards. She felt Kakashi leaning over her, his hands braced against the doorway. Like he was preparing to kick Kiba if he tried to come inside.

"Kakashi," Kiba grunted.

"Good morning, Kiba," replied Kakashi. He rubbed his stubble as he scanned the skies. It was still as dreary as the day before.

"It's going to snow again," Kakashi observed.

"Wonderful," grumbled Sakura. Her knees buckled when Bull knocked into her from behind.

"Hey. Manners," Kakashi scolded him. But Bull seemed unrepentant as he nudged Sakura again. Then he took a few steps inside. Looked back at her again. So Sakura followed him. It took her a few seconds to realize that her phone was vibrating upstairs. She sprinted up the loft, leaving Kakashi and Kiba staring up after her.

It was Hidan. So she answered on speakerphone. Because he had a tendency to-

"FUCKING FINALLY! WE'RE IN CRISIS MODE, BUNNY! WHY HAVEN"T YOU BEEN PICKING UP?!"

Shout.

Sticking a finger in her ear, Sakura scowled down at the phone.

"Wow. Tinnitus, much? What's your deal, sunshine?" Sakura sniped in return.

"My DEAL is that we're talking about the demo you sent over last night," Hidan snarled.

"Ohhh." Smirking, she sank into her desk chair. She could hear Kiba and Kakashi speaking in low voices downstairs. Pakkun yapped and Kakashi hushed him.

"Why? Was it so good that it blew your mind?" Sakura teased. She leaned forward, elbows on her knees.

"No! Just- I- just fucking open my email," Hidan sighed.

Sakura decided not to poke fun at him too much. He was obviously distressed. She jiggled her mouse once. The screen lit up to ask for her password. When she typed it in, it took a second for the computer to load her desktop. She opened the browser and clicked on the bookmark for her email.

To her surprise, there were several messages waiting for her. Including one from the company's CEO. She clicked on Hidan's first. The subject read: URGENT! READ NOW! There was an audio file attached. She could hear Hidan's panting in the background as she clicked on the email.

There was nothing in the body of the email. So she played the track.

It started off with a synth, which was nice. That was trendy lately. And after a few bars, she heard a signature sound that made her lip curl.

"Ugh. Killer Bee," she sighed.

"Shut up and listen," Hidan retorted.

The drums beat out a simple beat. There was a funk guitar and bass thrown in. Overall a good mix. But as the music swelled, the little seed of doubt in the pit of her stomach burst into bloom.

The hook was hers. The one she had just put into her demo. Some of the notes were tweaked here and there, but it was undoubtedly hers.

"Hidan, what the hell!" she exclaimed.

"I KNOW! THAT'S WHY I'M FREAKING, THE. FUCK. OUT! KAKUZU SENT IT TO ME!" howled Hidan. She could hear him rattling around. He was probably jumping up and down and flipping things over too.

"When did he send this?" she demanded.

"Like…. legit…. an hour after you sent yours, Bunny. It's really weird," Hidan told her. Huffing and puffing.

"So not enough time for anyone on our end to have leaked anything to him," she mused.

"No. And also they wouldn't. Everyone here is either horny for you or terrified of you," retorted Hidan.

"Gross. And unnecessary," she told him.

"Sorry."

Sakura heard footsteps creaking up behind her. She didn't turn around. She didn't have the time. Her mind was racing.

"Bunny." Kakuzu's voice startled her. She hadn't realized that he was in the room with Hidan.

"Come to the city. We gotta figure this out. The CEO's coming in too," Kakuzu told her.

"Son of A BITCH!" she snarled, rubbing her hands through her hair.

She heard a commotion behind her so she twisted around. Kiba hung onto the bannisters with one hand. He held the back of Kakashi's shirt with the other. It looked like the sheriff had lost his footing and almost slipped down the stairs. She turned her attention back to the phone.

"I'll be there," she sighed.

Kakuzu hung up. He was never one to drag out calls for longer than necessary.

Sakura grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair. She pulled it on as she stomped down the stairs. The men and dogs gathered on the steps dispersed in her wake. Biscuit was on her heels, tail wagging.

"What's going on? Where're you going?" Kiba called after her.

Sakura ran into her bedroom to shove cosmetics into her purse. She pulled a beanie on over her messy hair. And when she ran to the bathroom, Kiba had to take a couple steps back to avoid getting run over.

She brushed her teeth and washed her face at lightning speed. She grabbed her cordless hair straightener and crammed that into her purse too.

"Sakura. What's happening?" Kiba asked again.

Flipping her hair over her collar, she whirled around. He jerked to a stop to avoid colliding with her.

"To the city," Sakura told him. She slung her purse over her shoulder. She patted her pockets to search for her keys. There was a jingle. Kakashi held them up. He held Pakkun under his other arm.

"Thanks," she said. She held her hand out. But he didn't hand them over.

"Listen. I'm a cop. I can't condone road rage," Kakashi told her.

She snatched the keys from him.

"I'm sort of entitled to rage given the situation, Sheriff," she retorted. She walked out the door. Biscuit and Bull trailed out after her. Pakkun wiggled around until Kakashi let him down and he chased after Sakura too.

"I'll drive you. Your shitty little car probably won't make it in the snow," Kiba spoke up, jangling his keys. Sakura's eyes narrowed at the insult to her car. But after some thought, she nodded. Kakashi lingered on the porch, staring after them. Sakura turned when she felt Biscuit tug at her jeans. When she bent over to pet him, she glimpsed Kakashi standing at the top of the steps. She tilted her head up to look at him.

He descended the few steps, standing on the snowy walkway. "I'll stay here. It's what I'm supposed to do," he told her.

Which was pointless to say. They both knew that he couldn't leave the town. He somehow looked really small standing there.

Kiba climbed into his truck and slammed the door shut. The engine rumbled on. The radio blared from inside the cabin. And Sakura backtracked up the path.

Sakura took a deep breath. She grasped the lapels of Kakashi's jacket, like she was trying to fix it. But there was nothing to fix.

"We never finished watching the first season," she reminded Kakashi. Because they had both passed out on the sofa halfway through the fifth episode last night. Kakashi's mouth quirked up in a smile.

"When I get back," Sakura promised him. Kakashi nodded. He extended his arms, wrapping them around her in a big, warm hug. And even though he had morning breath, she didn't say so. She felt him kiss the top of her head and maybe even nuzzle it a little before he released her.

"Deal," Kakashi responded. And his eyes were crystal clear as he gazed down at her.

The dogs crowded around her for their farewell kisses before Sakura climbed into the truck. Kiba gave the air a disdainful sniff but said nothing. The heater was blasting, but it was still freezing cold. Kiba reached behind the seat to retrieve a blanket. He tossed it onto Sakura's lap.

"I know how to get to the city. You're gonna have to navigate us when we get there though," Kiba told her. He shifted the truck into reverse and backed out of the driveway. His arm rested on the back of the seat as he craned his neck.

Sakura unfolded the blanket to drape it over her lap. She pulled her purse on top of it. Fingers tapping against it as the truck rumbled along the bumpy road.

They were mostly quiet as Kiba took them through town. Sakura silently agreed that taking the truck had been a good idea. Her little sedan would've had some trouble navigating the bigger bumps of snow. After a while, Kiba lowered the volume on the radio until it was just a low drone in the background.

The highway was a different story. The roads here had been plowed and salted. Other than the walls of greying snow piled up against the barriers, it didn't even look like a blizzard had hit last night. And once the roads were smooth, Sakura began unpacking her purse. She unscrewed the top off a green bottle and began applying the liquid to her face. She patted her skin, smoothing the product over every inch of her cheeks and forehead.

At first, Kiba just sniffed. There was the light scent of roses, something a little like peppermint. But then he glanced at her a few times.

"Are you…. putting on makeup?" he asked.

"I'm going to work. I wanna look my best," Sakura sighed. She applied a layer of lotion, patting her skin a little harder to make sure it all soaked in. Pulling down the visor, she slid the mirror open.

She felt Kiba staring at her as she applied concealer and then foundation. She brushed tinted gel onto her eyebrows while the primer on her eyelids dried. Even though Kiba's driving was smooth, she drew her eyeliner in tiny strokes just in case the car jostled.

"I think you look pretty even without makeup," muttered Kiba.

"Congratulations," Sakura retorted as she finished drawing the wing. She switched to the other eye. "Because this isn't for you. This is for me."

There was a pause.

Kiba glanced at her again while she curled her eyelashes.

"Did I sound like a jackass?" he inquired

"Kind of." She curled the other side, not looking at him.

"Sorry."

"S'okay."

She applied a pink tint to her lips with her fourth finger. Mashing her lips together to spread the color all over. She tilted her head this way and that, making sure that she hadn't missed anything.

"So… should I… like…" Kiba trailed off. It was Sakura's turn to look over at him.

"Huh?" she asked.

"What can I say to a woman when I think she looks nice? Without… being an asshole?" Kiba questioned. Both his hands gripped the steering wheel.

"Um…" Sakura considered this as she spritzed setting spray over her face. She dug her portable hair straightener out and turned it on. And as she waited for it to warm, she looked at Kiba again.

"You look nice."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. A compliment isn't the same thing as uninvited criticism," Sakura explained.

"Oh."

Sakura looked into the mirror as she put on her hoop earrings. Her straightener let out a little beep to let her know that it was ready.

She straightened just the bottom half of her hair. The hat covered up the rest of her head, making her job twice as easy. She ran her fingers through her hair, fluffing it a little. And once she was satisfied, she repacked her purse and placed it on the floor. She nudged it under the seat, out of her way.

"Make a right here," she instructed as they stopped at a red light. For the rest of the way, Sakura guided him around the city. She taught him how to avoid the worst intersections and the most irritating stop signs. Soon, they arrived at a tall building. The first floor was a cafe, which had business even on a dreary day like this. In fact, people ran up and down all the streets, immersed in their busy lives despite the icy sidewalks.

Sakura directed Kiba into a private parking lot. The attendant waved them through when Sakura leaned across Kiba's lap to talk to him. They parked in a space labelled with a white bunny. The other spots were all labelled with strange-sounding names. The spot directly next to hers had a normal, human name, which made it even stranger.

Sakura scanned a keycard at the entrance. The screen flashed a few times before the words 'Welcome, Sakura' blinked across the screen. The double doors slid open.

The man standing at the reception desk nodded at her as she walked past. They strode through the enormous lobby. Their shoes echoing against the stone floors and the sounds bounced off the high ceilings. Kiba tucked in his plaid shirt. He felt a little out of place surrounded by all these shiny surfaces. Sakura swiped her keycard and the elevators doors opened. As they got inside, Sakura eyed him still trying to fix his shirt. She sighed.

"Stop that," she scolded. She yanked his shirt free and let it hang naturally. And then she poked his cheek.

"Take it easy, Slick. You look good," Sakura then assured him. Before Kiba could respond, the elevator doors opened.

"I have an idea," Hidan said as soon as she exited the elevator. He wore a ridiculous bucket hat and a red and black tracksuit. Sakura eyed his outfit and gave Kiba a pointed look. Kiba smiled, turning away.

"Is it a good idea?" Sakura asked as they fell into step together. The corridor was a little narrow. She and Hidan walked side by side while Kiba trailed after them.

"Hell yeah."

"You know murder is illegal, right?" Sakura pointed out.

Kiba stifled a snort. Hidan glanced at him over his shoulder. And then he gave Sakura a questioning look. She shoved past him to open up the door on the left. Hidan shoved her back in return as he walked into the studio first.

A man with dark, shoulder-length hair sat in one of the leather chairs. He wore a plain henley shirt over black jeans. The designer watch on his wrist glittered as he turned to look at them. He heaved out of his chair to give Sakura a one-armed hug.

Kakuzu's eyes narrowed as he spotted Kiba.

"This is Kiba. He's my friend. Don't be an asshole," Sakura then warned, pointing at Hidan in particular. Hidan raised his hands, feigning innocence. She wasn't fooled, though. She shoved him onto the sofa and then sat down next to him. She patted the empty space to her right and Kiba sat there.

It didn't take long for more footsteps to tap down the hall. The door burst open, along with the smell of sulfur. Madara stepped inside, black smoke swirling around his feet. Sakura met his eyes with an expression of utter boredom.

"Hey, Boss," she greeted him. His red eyes gleamed as he stalked toward her. Sakura started when Kiba's arm shot out in front of her. His lips pulled back as a warning growl rose up his throat. But then Madara blinked and his eyes were brown. The mist faded too. His gaze flickered over Kiba in a dismissive sort of way before he focused on Sakura again.

"Bunny. Darling. What's this mess I've been hearing about?" Madara asked, holding his hands out. He was wearing gloves. But Sakura grasped his hands without commenting. His hands were cold even through the fabric.

"I didn't start it," she pointed out. Madara's eyes glittered.

"Of course. But we do have to figure out what's going on," Madara replied. Kakuzu pushed a chair over to him. Madara nodded at him before he sank into it. He crossed one leg over the other. Leaned his elbow on the armrest. And then gestured toward Kiba.

"Did I hire you?" he asked.

"No. I'm her friend," Kiba replied, pointing at Sakura. Madara's eyebrows rose. He said nothing. But he gave Sakura a wondering look before he went on.

"So, Kakuzu's caught me up on most of the details."

Madara looked directly at Sakura. "Now, darling, you're saying that, without a doubt, Killer Bee stole your song?"

"Yep."

"And there's no way Killer Bee would've had access to any of your files?"

"Nope."

Hidan snorted. "Of course not, Boss. Bunny and Bee can't stand each other." Kakuzu nodded.

Madara simply sighed. He turned his chair once, staring up at the ceiling.

"Well… I'll have to get in touch with his boss and see what's going on. In the meantime, I'll have PR make sure this doesn't get out to the public. Do you think we'll have to push back the release date on the album?" At the end of this long string of thoughts, Madara lifted his head to look directly at Sakura. She made a face as she thought.

"Probably not," she replied.

Madara was smiling again. He clapped his hands once before rubbing them together. "Excellent."

A thought occurred to Sakura. Less of a thought. More of curiosity bubbling to the surface. She turned to Kakuzu, who was busy typing away on his phone. Probably checking his stocks or some other money-making scheme. He always had something going on on the side.

"Kakuzu, what's the song for?"

"Huh?"

"Killer Bee's song. Was it for a TV show? An album?" Sakura clarified.

"Hold on…. Let me just check…. It's, uh, some campaign for an activewear company," replied Kakuzu. He scrolled through his phone. He held it up to her to show an article. The name of the company made Sakura's right eye twitch.

"Do you believe in coincidence?" she asked.

"Fuck no," snorted Hidan, arms folded across his chest.

"Me neither," Sakura agreed. She got to her feet.

"I'm gonna go talk to Killer Bee. Don't try to stop me," she told Madara. He gave a half-hearted shrug. And then she pointed at Kiba. "Let's go."

"Okay," was all Kiba could say as he followed her out the door.

Killer Bee's studio was located several blocks away, closer to the downtown area. The building was much bigger, and the lobby was even fancier. There were multiple TV's up on the walls and posters of popular bands displayed at every turn. The receptionist jolted when Sakura demanded to be let in. And Kiba did too.

The receptionist asked them to wait as she made some calls. Sakura sat on the edge of her seat. Kiba picked up a magazine, cast Sakura a worried look, and then set the magazine back down. Instead, he slid over to put his hand on top of Sakura's.

"Assault is also, like, super-illegal, Sakura," he warned her. Sakura's face went blank for a moment. And then she gave him a weak smile.

"I'll keep that in mind," she responded.

Several minutes later, the elevator doors opened. Several people strode into the lobby. One of them wore sunglasses. Inside. On a snowy day. Sakura glared at him. She didn't bother standing up to greet him. So Kiba didn't stand either.

"Sakura. What a pleasant surprise," Killer Bee greeted her as he sat across from her. His entourage didn't sit. Just loomed menacingly around them.

"Fuck you, Killer Bee. I can't believe you stole my song," she snapped.

Killer Bee put his hand on his chest, recoiling. "Me? Steal? You're hurting my feelings." But sarcasm oozed from every syllable that fell from his lips.

"You were always an untalented hack, but at least you had the decency to release your own shitty music," sneered Sakura. But Killer Bee seemed unbothered.

"You can't just go around accusing people without proof. Where's your evidence, kiddo?" leered Killer Bee in return. He knew exactly what she was talking about. Sakura felt her ears grow hot.

The ancient pool of songs that lived inside her roiled. Shrieks rising to the surface. Songs of vengeance. Songs of misfortune and hurting threatened to bubble to the top.

Kiba grabbed her hand.

"Whoa there. You need some fresh air," he interrupted.

It pierced the bubble. The heat began to dissipate.

Kiba laced his fingers through hers, tugging her toward the exit.

"Come on. Let's take a walk," Kiba urged her. His usual smile softening his face. The one that reminded her a warm hearth and a sky with too many stars.

Sakura's eyes slid from Kiba to Killer Bee. Crossing his arms across his chest, Bee smirked. Mashing her lips together, Sakura weighed her options. Kiba squeezed her hand a little. She let out a deep breath.

"Yeah. Let's go, Kiba," she agreed. She let him help her to her feet. She didn't spare Killer Bee or his goonies another glance as they walked out of the lobby.

They stopped by a drive-thru on the way home. They ate sitting in the parking lot, warm burgers sitting in their laps. Boxes of french fries stuck in the cupholders. Sakura laughed when she dipped her fries in her vanilla ice cream. The look of utter disgust on Kiba's face was priceless. And it was even funnier when he let her feed him a bite and decided that it wasn't so repulsive after all.

"It's hard to think straight on an empty stomach. My mom always said so," Kiba told her as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the highway. Sakura rubbed her salty, greasy fingers on a paper napkin.

"Smart lady," she agreed.

She turned up the radio as Kiba pulled onto the highway again. As Kakashi had predicted, snow began to flutter down. Kiba didn't seem worried, though. He just blasted the heater a little higher as he switched lanes.

"Feeling a little better?" Kiba asked after a while.

"Yeah," Sakura grunted. And then she offered him a smile adding, "Thanks, Kiba."

"Of course."

More time passed. The highway took them further and further from the city. The snow kept falling, but the flakes were small, melting almost as soon as they hit the windshield. As they approached the exit that would lead to Old Pines, Sakura retrieved her purse that she had left on the floor. And as she dug through it, she found her little green notebook.

She stared at it.

Kiba drove past the welcome sign, onto the twisting road that curved through the forest. When they arrived in town, he rolled to a halt at the stop sign, checking both ways.

"Turn left here," Sakura told him.

"What?"

"Just… turn left… please."

Kiba looked confused, but he hit the signal and then made a left turn. The car rolled down the road, past Kakashi's house. The tires made new paths in the light layer of snow that coated the town. She pointed at one of the houses further down the road. Kiba stopped in front of it, casting worried looks at Sakura every few seconds.

"I'll be right back," she said before she hopped out of the car. She left her phone and bag, just carrying the green notebook inside her pocket.

The lights were on inside when she knocked on the door. It took Itachi a while to respond, but when he did, she didn't even give him a chance to say hello.

"You…. DILDO!" Sakura exclaimed, pointing her finger at him.

"Excuse me?"

"You showed my notebook to Killer Bee. Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about," she spat. She whipped her notebook out to flip through the pages. So that he could see the pages and pages of painstaking lyrics and melodies she had scribbled out in permanent marker.

"Killer Bee? What are you talking about?"

"You don't know him?"

"Yes, I know him. Our company is doing an ad campaign with him," Itachi replied. "But I don't understand all the other stuff."

"He's releasing a song made from my notes in the fucking notebook you so conveniently kept forgetting to return to me. So thanks for that," Sakura went on. She waved her notebook in front of his nose. Itachi went a little cross-eyed following the back and forth motion.

"I didn't show it to him, Sakura," Itachi insisted.

"Wow. Can't even take credit for your own work. That's sad," she replied. She took a step back. And then another.

"You know, just because I was a one-night stand doesn't mean you get to steal my shit. I worked really hard to write all this," Sakura added, holding up the notebook again. She stared at it for a while. And then she drew her arm back to throw it. The notebook hit Itachi in the arm, bouncing off to land in the snow.

"Whatever. Maybe you can sell the other shit in there too. I'm sure Killer Bee could use it."

Shoving her hands deep in her pockets, Sakura turned on her heel. She stormed down the path, past the front gate and its dead ivy. Kiba leaned his forearm against the steering wheel, watching her. She wondered how good his hearing was. Whether he had heard the exchange or not. But then she realized that she didn't care.

She opened up the passenger side door to climb into the warm truck. She sniffed once, rubbing her nose on her sleeve.

Kiba was quiet for a long time. He looked at her, opening his mouth a few times, only to shut it again. Eventually, he reached out with his right arm to pull her into a hug. Her arms wrapped around his middle. He smelled like french fries.

"Y'know…" he said after a while.

"What?"

"I stopped by Ino's today. She was making tiramisu. Let's go check to see if she has any left," suggested Kiba.

"I'm not hungry," she replied, voice muffled as she pressed her face against his chest. Kiba shifted the truck into gear with his free hand. He kept his other arm draped over her shoulders.

"Me neither," he told her as he switched his headlights on and pulled onto the street.