Chapter 11 – The foot of the Mountain
Warning: (just a notice, really) Just a little lime-like content.
Shin's hand grasped Sakura's delicately, like she was something he didn't want to break. Kakashi's eyes kept dropping down to where their hands touched as he walked behind them a few steps.
Due to his superior ninja ears, Kakashi could hear all the little come-ons and compliments that the Casino owner showered on his teammate. He was pouring it on thick, and Kakashi vaguely wondered if that sort of flowery bombardment of icing really worked with women of superior intelligence. Surely Sakura would get annoyed with it, just as he was - even if the guy did look like Shiranui Genma fifteen years ago.
Finally they arrived at a set of oak double doors that led onto a small banquet room of some sort. The room had sage-green walls, and a black carpet with gold swirls and leaf-like designs matching the colour of the room. Shin waved them in, but stepped in front of Kakashi to walk behind Sakura.
Absently, Kakashi rubbed the bare spot on his leg where his kunai holster normally resided.
"Do you like it?" Shin hummed to Sakura, bending down so he was close to her ear. "This room is for high stakes gambling and high rollers. I thought you'd enjoy the décor."
A genuine smile crept across Sakura's face as she stared at the far wall lined with large, painted cherry blossoms on intricately twisted branches. It was a stunning display of art and certainly something Shin was quite proud of by his flaunting (of which Kakashi suspected he did quite often).
Clinking glasses drew the Copy-nin's attention to a bar in the corner, which was presently attended by one of the bikini-clad women, and then his eye roved around the room seeing nothing but empty space and five security men – obvious by their desire to show the entire world their muscled forearms crossed tightly over their hulking chests.
Next he noticed the display cases on another wall in the room. With an easy saunter over, wishing he had some pockets to stuff his hands into, Kakashi took in all the goods, artifacts, antiques and masks in the cases. It only took four seconds to zero in on the scroll. But as much as he wanted to just take it, the security trip wires on the cases, and the heavy metal door hanging just above the collection told him that he might lose a hand in the process. He'd have to take some time to work out the obstacles.
Also, seeing the extreme value of some of the other things inside those cases, Kakashi estimated that there were probably obstacles and precautions he couldn't see.
"My assistant will be here with some drinks shortly. Would you care to sit down?" Shin pointed to a corner, which had a traditional low Japanese table with large pillows all around it making it look more like a spot to leisure and drink at than to gamble. He winked at the Sakura, and then glanced indifferently at Kakashi.
Sakura's lips drew into an exaggerated smile and she allowed their host to lead her away, leaving Kakashi to stare longingly at the black scroll. She walked to the table and then sat down as femininely as possible without actually flopping. It was like falling into a bed of feathers, so she couldn't help but stretch out a little. Shin slid right down beside her so closely, their upper thighs touched.
"I'll be honest," Shin began, "My camera security surveillance man noticed you as soon as you walked in the casino. I just happened to be in the surveillance room with him at the time. Of course, I noticed you as well."
Kakashi tensed.
"Did I do something wrong?" Sakura said innocently, predicting the Copy-nin's distress and feeling a little of her own.
"Oh, no, no," Shin laughed and leaned closer, "But your brother made an impression. My security manager had a feeling that he'd seen him somewhere before."
Kakashi clenched his jaw and placed his fingers on the glass case, calculating the cost of losing a digit or two.
"Did you hear that, Big Brother?" Sakura laughed. "Someone was worried about your ugly mug."
Kakashi glanced back behind him to show Sakura his lack of amusement with her continuity at his expense.
Shin's eyebrows creased and he looked from Sakura to Kakashi.
Ugly? Even I'm attracted to him.
"Is everything all right?" Sakura asked sweetly, worried that their host was eyeing Kakashi so strangely.
Shin waved it away. "Your brother doesn't look very happy to be here. Are you two close? I wouldn't like to get in between you tonight."
A smirk drew across Sakura's face, and she spoke without trying to be discreet. "I really don't think that will be a problem, we aren't close at all. He doesn't particularly like me. You could probably throw me on the floor and have your way with me, and he wouldn't care."
"Reaaaallllly," Shin drawled, moving very close to Sakura, feeling strongly that she just offered him an invitation to the party he was hoping for.
Almost on cue (in Kakashi's opinion- perfect timing), a door at the back of the room that blended perfectly in as part of the wall opened up and another man entered.
"Kogane-sama," a short, young, balding man with bottle-bottom glasses dressed in a blue suit squeaked as he totted into the room holding a tray with a bottle and some glasses in one hand, and an open book in the other. "My apologies for the delay. This book came in today and I haven't been able to put it down. It wasn't worthy for trade so I though I'd have a peek before it got pitched."
"What's it about, Katsu?" Shin asked, clearly not really interested as his eyes still rested on Sakura. Kakashi, on the other hand, had taken an avid interest.
"Well, it's about…Oh dear! What's that?" the assistant exclaimed as he rubbed his the back of his neck and turned to find a white-haired man leaning over him so close that he could feel chin stubble on his nape. "Do…do you mind?" he breathed out in offense.
Kakashi seemed to shake himself from the impulse to grab the blue autographed special edition Icha Icha paradise from the assistant's hand and run from the room, leaving Sakura to her own plan and he to some catch up time with his precious long lost reading material.
"It seems your brother has taken an interest in it also."
Oh God, you have no idea.
"Why don't you get yourself a drink at the bar," Shin motioned to Kakashi to go away in no uncertain terms. Kakashi scratched his head and looked mildly uninterested at the scantily clad waitress giving him eyes over a sake bottle, and then back to the blue book.
Sakura smiled widely as Shin reached for a deck of cards on the table, his other hand crawling to the small of her back as her brother finally had his attention elsewhere.
"How about a game of hanafuda? You know, its known as Sakura in Hawaii. I think it might be your lucky game."
Hanafuda…. Sakura was familiar with it and felt quite confident but didn't want to get mired down in a long card game. It seemed he was trying to stretch out the evening.
"That game takes quite a while…uh, doesn't it? We won't have time to enjoy your lovely casino. I was hoping to win a little something to buy a new kimono before we left," Sakura sweetly, putting on the big green doe-eyes for his benefit.
"Don't worry. I won't let you leave without a little something or other," Shin said softly, leaning so close she could feel his breath on her ear. But remembering himself, he turned back to look at the less than amused brother sitting at the bar on the other side of the room with his arms now crossed and his visible eye fixed in a low stare at him. "My assistant just brought in something from my special private collection." He waved the balding man over, who was still staring at the open pages in obvious delight.
"You don't have to go to that all trouble for me," Sakura nudged her companion, a convincingly alluring smile on her pink lips. In response, Shin's fingers crawled around her back and gripped her side, pulling her closer.
"Well, perhaps you can pay me back somehow," he whispered seductively as he reached for the bottle.
Sakura fought rolling her eyes. That was subtle…
Imbecile, Kakashi thought to himself.
The unusually shaped vessel that looked more like a woman's outline than a bottle was pulled closer to them, and the assistant keenly placed glasses out for three without looking away from the pages. After his quick domestic duty, Katsu slid over to a table near the bar and sat down, still reading.
Kakashi was slightly impressed, but only a little. Until Katsu killed someone while having his face glued in the book, the Copy-nin felt he still held the title.
"This, Sakura, is a special drink from Sand. It's fermented from a very special berry found in only the most remote places. The berry is black and sweet, and only grows in tiny amounts. The picking season lasts only one day a year. This is very precious and very hard to acquire. I have yet to try it, and I'd love it if you'd try it with me. I understand it makes you feel exquisite with just one glass." Shin's voice fell lower. "Would you like to feel exquisite?"
"You read my mind, Shin-kun." They both giggled warmly to each other as if they'd already been drinking.
Kakashi managed to keep his straight face in tact, desperately fighting the eye-roll. He knew Sakura was pouring it on thick for Shin, but she didn't have to enjoy it so much. Either way, he'd stand by his thought earlier today about not letting anyone touch her without death being the end result.
Absently, he tested a toothpick that he'd grabbed from a cup on the bar for strength and sharpness.
Sakura's eyes glanced to Kakashi's fingers, quite aware of what he was thinking.
"Would you like a drink? I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name," Shin snapped his fingers in Kakashi's direction.
"Oh, Iruka," Sakura spat out smartly, "I didn't mention his name. I'm so rude," she laughed a little. Mission or not, she couldn't resist pushing Kakashi's buttons as he was reacting so much better than her inner-flirt had ever hoped for.
"Rude is certainly not a word I'd use to describe you, Sakura," Shin hummed as he began pouring the drinks.
"I can think of a word," Kakashi quipped from the bar.
Slowly, Shin carefully placed a glass in front Sakura and one in front of himself. They were tiny little sherry glasses with long stems accented in gold edging, and etched flowers. Shin proceeded to fill them up with the opaque black liquid.
As Kakashi watched from his barstool, he could see the small light of Sakura's chakra climbing the stem of the glass as she playfully ran a finger around the rim, thanking Shin and smiling, easily drawing his attention to her mouth.
Oh, she's good, he thought to himself – and not for the first time on the mission.
But before she drank it, Sakura got up and excused herself pleasantly, saying something about freshening up or some such female reason. Kakashi knew she had probably taken a sample of the drink to double check. At least she was keeping her head, he thought vaguely.
But a tingle up his spine told him he wasn't the only one watching her. He turned back to see the way in which Kogane watched her walk to the washroom. It told Kakashi that he'd end up having to kill him before the night was over. It was more than a little dirty; it was down right hungry. Toothpick through the eye should do it.
With a deep sigh to try and clear some nagging in his head, Kakashi decided to placate his perturbation by staring at the woman behind the bar. Another jingling bikini covered in fake gold coins kept attracting his eye and ears anyway, so he spun on the barstool.
It was Sakura's fault and that kiss that kept him from keeping his mind on the mission and not getting caught up in how much he hated what she was doing.
Undercover missions were for trained ninja who could look away from what the other was doing and not let it affect what was happening. Kakashi just wasn't one of those ninja. Years of being in teams made him protective – maybe too protective? He just couldn't let it go on while he watched. How could she look at him after if he let her compromise herself? There were other ways to succeed.
The bartender smiled sultrily. "What can I get you, Sir?" she said as she leaned over the bar, putting her chin on her hand and giving Kakashi her full attention.
"Just ice water."
"Big spender," she laughed too happily, showing all her perfectly white straight teeth between dark red lips. "It's all complimentary, so you can have anything you want. And I do mean anything."
"I'd just like to keep my wits about me, thanks. It's no fun if you can't remember all the interesting things you did all night, don't you think?" Kakashi shrugged a little as if it should have been obvious to her.
"Well I definitely agree with that." She poured him water and dropped an ice cube in it with silver tongs.
Plotting alternate ways to achieve their objective before it was too late, Kakashi turned his dark eye back to the case containing the scroll and all their misery. He spun again on the stool and leaned back on the bar, putting an elbow up on the mahogany bar-top in a lazy posture, hiding he fact that he was still making plans.
There was just too much security to chidori the box and run. They would have to run nonstop if he grabbed it, and that's if they got out of the casino without a fight. Maybe her way would be easier, but nevertheless, it was not the way he ever wanted the mission to go.
Kakashi's eye moved back up to the washroom door, wondering what the hell Sakura was doing in there so long. When his gaze snapped back to the table, Shin was staring at him. It was only a moment before the attractive trader got up and walked over to the bar – strutting actually, in Kakashi's opinion.
The ninja scratched his leg again.
"Care for a drink, Iruka?" Shin said coolly.
"Got one, thanks," Kakashi replied, equally as cool while lifting the water in a tiny salute.
"So who is she? And who are you?" Shin said in a low voice, turning also to lean on the bar just like Kakashi but not taking a seat.
"She already told you," Kakashi answered dryly. Obviously Shin was more on the ball than they'd hoped.
"You certainly aren't her brother. I can tell by he way you stare at her. My guess is you are…a bodyguard of some sort? You look bored, but your eye follows her everywhere. That scar is probably not an accident either." Shin gestured slightly to Kakashi's drooping bangs. "The pissed look fits as well."
This is why I don't do undercover. Assassinations are so much easier. In fact…
"You're just too smart for me," Kakashi said with a hint of sarcasm. "So what now?"
"Tell me who she is. She must be someone important if she's got insurance following her around. And better still, how much is she worth?" Shin's fingers rubbed together like he was feeling greasy money notes.
Kakashi turned a little and looked him in the eye. "If you're thinking about kidnapping her, I'd advise against it."
"Not at all. I was just wondering if I could bring in some money through her. Don't worry. I won't get you in trouble with whoever the powers that be are, and she'll have the time of her life with me. So tell me, who is she?"
Kakashi watched Sakura walk out of the bathroom, running her hands through her hair before the shocked look of seeing them talk hit her like a slap.
Inner Kakashi smirked a little. Well, two can play the game of make up your own mission.
"You caught me. She's a wealthy Trader's daughter from the Fire Country – but don't tell her I told you." He shrugged and held his hands out innocently, spilling his water a little. "I'm just hired muscle. Her daddy lets her come and pretend to be grown up. He's a very powerful man there so we do whatever he asks. She's just finding herself, making mistakes. You know, getting dirty." Kakashi laughed a little.
"Oh, yeah? Excellent. You know, I had guessed this." Shin shrugged as well.
Hm, nope, dumb.
Kakashi smirked and leaned back on the bar casually. "I just do it for the money. And as I'm sure you know very well, everyone has their price."
Shin wasn't oblivious to the insinuation.
"That's what I like to hear, Iruka. How about we make a deal? I'll give you your choice from the cases, and you make yourself scarce for the night." Shin mumbled, trying to be nonchalant and covert as he looked at Sakura, who was now back at the pillow surrounded table looking akin to a deer in headlights.
"Let me think about it," Kakashi almost whispered looking at her as well.
Shin put his empty glass on the bar after downing the contents and then stood back up to go to Sakura. "Don't take too long. As I'm sure you know, every offer has an expiration."
A little lift of his chin showed Kakashi's understanding. All the cards were on the table. The winning play was on the chessboard and the next move was his…but could he sacrifice the queen for what they needed?
Taking a deep breath, he took his eyes off the happy couple, trying to work out what came next. As his gaze met the balding assistant, his plans became concrete. First, he decided, that he'd get a little something for himself for all his trouble. No one could begrudge him that, could they? "Hey there, how is that book?" he called over happily, while wandering closer to the stunned assistant.
"Oh," Katsu squeaked, pushing his glasses up his nose with the tip of his thumb. "It's very…uh…detailed. Fantastic really."
"Want to see something better?" Kakashi asked casually as he leaned on the wall near Katsu, practically shivering with anticipation from being so close to the book again.
"Better than this? Sure." Katsu's eyes widened with intrigue.
Kakashi leaned close and brushed the bangs away from his eye.
"Ah look," Shin said sweetly to Sakura, "They're making friends, your brother and my assistant."
"Yeah, looks like they are," Sakura laughed nervously, then slid her hand over Shin's and tried to keep his attention all on her – which wasn't really a problem. Of course, the hand on her thigh, under the yukata was a dead give-away of his interest.
"Why don't I take you somewhere a little more private? I have a private room just through that door in the back. I'd love to show you some more of my collection," Shin breathed against her neck, planting a few baby kisses there for effect between words.
"I…I…would…uh...like…" Sakura began, starting to doubt the oath she swore that she would do anything to get the scroll. Butterflies writhed in her stomach and it started to burn. "I would like…"
"…A drink." Kakashi finished for her as he plopped down on the other side of the table and smacked the heavy book down beside himself.
Shin looked at the red slashed circle, lovingly caressed under Kakashi's hand, and then furrowed his perfect brow.
With a smile and keen anticipation of what Shin was thinking, Kakashi answered his thoughts, "Oh, your friend was finished with it. Seemed to think I'd like it better."
Sakura's teeth began to cut through her lower lip.
"I'm sorry, Iruka. Did you want something?" Shin said with a tone of impatience as he flicked his fingers in a 'go away' motion to Kakashi.
"You offered me a drink, Kogane. I suddenly felt a little thirsty, so here I am." Kakashi leaned on the table, his chin on his hand, and smiled that crooked lopsided superhero smile that had grown on Sakura – although somewhat like a fungus at the moment.
"Certainly, I-ru-ka," Shin hissed through a tight smile over clenched teeth. He poured out a third glass of the dark drink.
"What's it called?" Kakashi asked, smelling the sweetness of it just under his nose.
Shin downed his drink. "Itadaki" he replied impatiently, staring at the copy-nin with narrowed eyes.
Sakura's own eyes suddenly went wide. "Ita…daki?" She turned her attention to Kakashi and put a finger up to stop him, but it was too late. The glass in his hand was empty.
"Ohhhnnooo," she said softly. It was a freakishly strong aphrodisiac, and the fastest acting legal intoxicant known to man. A single glass of it was like three of any other drink and practically poured straight into the blood stream. She'd tested it to see potency and toxins in case she drank it. For her, it would be no problem, but for the lightweight, grouchy pseudo-brother across from her…
"Why Itadaki?" Kakashi asked, rubbing his eye and beginning to find it a little difficult to really care. His stomach felt warm, as if someone had tossed a heater in there that was gradually making its way to his limbs, stretching and relaxing them.
"Because it is said to be like looking up from the bottom of the mountain and knowing pleasure only when you get to the peak," Shin smirked, his eyes looking rather lazy as well, but no less hateful of their intruder.
"How about another, old man," Shin hissed, refilling the empty glasses.
"Oh, ha, no…he doesn't want anymore, do you!" Sakura laughed and tried to kick Kakashi under the table.
"Only if you are, kid," Kakashi said coolly to Shin, ignoring Sakura as he picked up the glass and downed it along with his new adversary.
"Don't…!" Sakura pointed at Kakashi like a mother to a petulant child.
"Respect your elders, Sakura." By now, Kakashi's words had begun to sound lazy, relaxed…even a little slurred.
"How about another, Pops?" Shin laughed, unable to hold his anger any longer. He tried to pour out another glass, but spilled a dark puddle over the table. Even so, they both picked up their glasses, chuckling somewhat and downed the air in them. Shin practically fell over backwards tipping his head to try and get the nonexistent drops.
Sakura bit her lip, feeling that telltale vein throbbing on her forehead. At least the lecher is a lightweight too. "Great, a pissing contest. Wonder who will win?" The sarcasm dripped from her words. She stared at Kakashi, clearly angry that her plan was ruined and that they were no better off. She supposed he'd consider it a win with his precious porn in his drunken hands.
Shin leaned lazily on his elbow and smiled widely at the young girl who he just realized was still beside him. "How about you win, Sakura?" He waggled his eyebrows.
"Wha….well…I…." She looked at Kakashi.
"I don't think so," Kakashi shook his heavy head. "We'll just take the scroll in the third case from the bottom now and be on our way before I tell her father about your dirty trades. He really frowns on that. I'd hate for him to send some of his people your way. "
Sakura did a double take at Kakashi. Did he just say father?
Shin hitched with a guffaw, but Sakura could see a little calculation going on behind his eyes – as difficult as it seemed to be for him. His palm splayed out as if displaying something standing on the table as he tried to lighten the situation. "Leave her here and you can take anything you want."
Kakashi leaned forward. "That's tough to do because its her I'll be taking."
"Are you saying you want her?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
Sakura could see the escalation of male testosterone cutting through their quick intoxication.
Did he just say he wanted me?
"And what about the scroll? Wasn't that what you wanted? Wanted more, perhaps? Its very valuable." Shin grinned, looking slightly more devious than just a moment ago. "What's your price, Iruka? Everyone has one."
It was then that Katsu suddenly looked up and seemed to find himself, although still appearing a little lost from his encounter with Sharingan-Kakashi. "Uh, sir? That black scroll is spoken for. We have the…uh…inja-nay coming at idnight-may for it."
"The what at the what?" Shin mumbled, clearly confused.
"Our very special investors? They were very specific about it. They'll be here by midnight." Katsu scratched his head and ran a hand over the space on the table where the book was previously. "Their offer was too good to refuse."
"Oh…Ohhhhh!" Shin's eyes opened wide and he nodded in realization. He turned back to his companions looking sheepish and forgetting Kakashi's rejection of his earlier offer. "Sorry. No-can-do. Pick something else – anything else." His eyes traveled back to Sakura and roved her body everywhere but her face.
Clumsily, Kakashi pushed himself up to stand, sliding a little on the large pillows around their feet. He seemed a little perturbed, and much too wobbly, putting his hands up to perform some seals – the blue book tucked securely under his arm. "All right. Here's how it's going to go…"
Sakura gasped.
But the Copy-nin's grand tongue-lashing and possible impending destruction was cut short as yet another person burst into the room by the back end door. It was a larger man, also balding, with some sort of jelly stains on the front of his blue, buttoned-down shirt. He had a headset on with a curly cord hanging from it and Sakura surmised that he must be with camera security.
She smacked her forehead loudly.
"I remember where I've seen that guy before!" the Security person shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the white-haired man. All eyes turned to Kakashi. The security guards flinched and took crouched stances, shocked by the shouting. At least they seemed to be waiting for orders.
"Oops, time to go," Sakura said hurriedly as she stood up and grabbed Kakashi's wrist, tugging him to her and nearly toppling the table in her haste.
The chaos (she would say later) was unimaginable.
"Ah…oh….wai…nooooo," Shin yelled out, watching Sakura run out the door, towing her drunken partner. Furiously, he turned to the security man and turned his palms up to the ceiling. "What the hell?"
The security guard shrugged back. "It was that disgruntled clown from the newspaper. You know, the one from the Sanban Village."
Sakura pulled Kakashi hastily through the throng of gamblers and waitresses. The noise of the machines rang by them as they flew up an aisle toward the glass front doors. Coins rattled in buckets, and people squealed with excitement as they passed.
Kakashi had heard the explanation of the security as to why he recognized him, so he was feeling much better and felt all was not lost. But of course, he couldn't tell Sakura about his altercation in Sanban just for the sheer embarrassment factor.
"Slow down, I don't think they're following us," Kakashi shouted above the din. "Hey, slow down! Its nothing serious."
But Sakura didn't stop until she'd pulled him out into the night air, across the street, and into their hotel lobby. Incessantly she banged on the button for the elevator, growling and mumbling to herself about idiots and their dumb ideas.
Kakashi took a deep breath and leaned on the wall next to her, flipping open his prized book and smiling a little as he read the first colour page.
"I can't believe you are just going to stand there and read! You ass! We could have had it!"
Slowly, Kakashi turned the book around to show Sakura the open page. "Look, its your favorite part," he slurred.
Sakura's cheeks turned red to see a naked woman with a man's head between her legs looking remarkably like she was in pain - but not the bad kind. "Bastard," she mumbled, shoving it away.
The elevator opened and Sakura forced her way through the people coming out, roughly pulling Kakashi in by his yukata collar.
"Easy," he laughed. "Shit, I lost my place."
Sakura banged her forehead on the mirrored elevator wall for three floors until the doors opened. This time she bee-lined for her door, not caring if Kakashi was behind her – which slowly but surely, he was. With a swipe of the room key she had in an inside pocket, she opened the door and bolted in.
Kakashi sauntered after, dropping the book on the table beside the door. "Wow, that stuff is strong," he said while rubbing his eyes and putting a hand on the wall for balance.
"You have no idea. I can't believe you had two glasses! I didn't drink it. That should have been your first clue!" She slumped down on the bed, and put her face in her hands. "It was right there. We could have had it."
"Not that way, Sakura," Kakashi mumbled.
"What other way is there?" she blurted, hands shaking erratically.
"He's shown his interest in you. I'll just go back as a copy of you and I'll use the sharingan on him. They said idnight-may, right?" Kakashi shrugged.
"Well…yeah. It's nine-thirty now. That gives us two and a half hours, I suppose." Her voice was a little less shrill but her gut still writhed with worry. "I don't think you'll be able to sharingan him or hold a jutsu," she added, sitting up a little and shaking her head. "I don't even know if the itadaki has completely hit you yet. I can probably try and get some out of your system, but who knows how long before you are incapacitated."
"I don't think there's a need," Kakashi mumbled as he leaned back on the wall for just a second. He could smell her hair from across the room. He wasn't sure of why the sweet strawberry scent was doing things to him, but at the moment it didn't really matter.
Sakura pushed up from the bed angrily. "No need? You're bombed! You can't even stand up!" Stomping over, she pressed a hand to his chest – her chakra delving in. "The level of alcohol in your blood stream is too high. I really need to take some out."
She felt his heart pounding under her hand. A steady increase in the speed of the beats made her look up at him.
"I think you'd better not," he said quietly as he wrapped a hand around her wrist, trying with little effort to disconnect them. "Your chakra feels really…"
His face displayed what she knew was probably going to come around after two drinks of itadaki. It was an aphrodisiac – a potent one. Add their chakra connection with the tingles upon contact and something was guaranteed to be set off.
And he was looking at her so…
"We've got two hours, right?" he whispered, lifting his other hand to stroke her shoulder.
Sakura's knees felt weak suddenly.
"It's just the itadaki, Kakashi," she whispered back, too nervous to meet his eyes.
His voice continued to be low, but he didn't slur. "Do you honestly think that after the last few days?"
Finally, she raised her eyes to his, but he was watching her mouth. A small lick of his lips made her eyes drop as well. Immediately she was reminded of that toe-curling kiss. How had she put that out of her mind? No one had ever kissed her like that…
Just the thought of getting another one forced a smile onto her lips; one side of her mouth rising up as his so often did while discovering that she probably needed to get something out of her system too. She whispered out, "Two and a half hours."
And that was enough.
Before she knew it, Kakashi's hand was at her behind, a fist full of her yukata crushed up in it, pulling her tightly against him. First his mouth was on her throat, trailing wet kisses there. His other hand had slid into her hair, twining in the strands, and tipping her head for better access to all the parts of her he wanted.
"Oh God, that feels good," she breathed out, having forgotten what it was like to have a man completely absorbed in her – if one ever had been like this.
Kakashi managed to push himself up off the door to stand, still keeping her wrapped up in his arms while making his way to kissing her mouth.
It was perfect, deep, and the heat of it reached down to her toes as well as all the places in between. She groaned into his mouth as his lips found a perfect rhythm with her own. His tongue felt cool on hers, the taste of the rich itadaki still lingering there.
Their feet began to move; Sakura could feel him directing them toward the bed, but she did most of the guiding, as he still seemed wobbly. When the back of her legs hit the bed, they fell over. Sakura slid up toward the head of the bed, Kakashi crawling above her.
For a moment, she second-guessed allowing the little sexual interlude happen when she looked at his lazy, inebriated gaze, but it was too late to stop. Even if she wanted to (which she sure didn't) she was powerless to end something that was feeling so good and that she'd be needing for days.
Kakashi's fingers slid into her obi, finding the end and giving it enough of a tug to undo it. He slowly began to lift the fabric from her body, and then reaching to her other side, slid it under her until it came loose enough to tug off.
Of course, she lifted her middle to accommodate him. No sense delaying the fun, she thought vaguely.
He seemed to smile as he ran a finger back up to her yukata collar and teasingly started easing it open, revealing the perfect skin underneath – no bra. He then smiled wider.
A tremble of anticipation ran through Sakura. When his mouth found the spot between her breasts, she hissed and slid a leg over the back of his – rubbing her foot along his calf.
Certainly this did nothing for Kakashi's self-control – what little he had while intoxicated. A woman's breathy sounds could always unravel him. Painfully unable to take it slow, Kakashi sat up a little and ran both hands inside her yukata at her waist. Her skin trembled deliciously under his touch.
He slid his hands up Sakura's sides to her breasts, lightly brushing his fingers over her them, making her nipples harden under his touch. He leaned down, pulling her yukata out of his way, actually trapping her arms under the material at her sides, while his mouth slid over one tight bud.
Sakura moaned as his cool tongue drew circles and flicked her nipple. In response, her fingers slid into his soft hair, tugging lightly and running up from the nape of his neck.
But for a second, when things were getting interesting, Kakashi lost his balance and fell gingerly onto an elbow to one side.
"Whoa," he mumbled, and then righted himself, lying down on her a little more.
"You okay?" she said quietly, trying to sit up a little.
Kakashi flattened his palms onto the bed on either side of Sakura and leaned over, kissing her and making her lie back down. "More than okay," he breathed against the skin of her shoulder where the yukata had slipped off.
He continued to work his way down her body, leaving kisses, licks, sucks and gentle bites in his wake. With each contact, chakra moved between them, charging the connections and making everything that much better.
Sakura actually put her hand in her mouth to stifle the squeal of excitement she wanted to make as Kakashi worked his way down to kiss and run his tongue over the tight skin below her navel, his fingers tightening on her hips at the same time, trapping her under him.
"Remember what you asked me the other day?" Kakashi said while brushing his lips over the top edge of her panties.
"About the…b…book…part?" she responded, trying hard to keep the anticipation out of her voice. Her heart skipped a beat.
"I'll show you why women love it," he said with a hint of a slur against her thigh as his finger hooked into the side of her panties. He tugged just a little, exposing the curve of her hipbone, which he promptly ran his teeth over.
"Oh…. yes," she breathed against her hand.
She felt the heat of his breath as his tongue ran a trail along the lacy edge of her cotton panties, now pulled dangerously low. One of the fingers of his other hand had slid into her panties at the side and was running along the cotton to between her legs.
Sakura's body was responding so strongly to his chakra and his touch that she thought one brush in the right spot was going to make her orgasm. It was hard to just lie there, but hell, if he was going to do all the work, who was she to stop him?
The bed shifted heavily, but Sakura ignored it.
For a few more seconds, Kakashi's attention went back to her, a little less determined than a minute before.
But then something Sakura didn't expect happened. A heavy weight fell on her upper thigh and Kakashi had stopped moving.
That didn't feel at all like I had imagined…Pushing herself up on her elbows, she took a deep breath and sighed. His fingers were still hooked in her underwear; his body splayed out over her lower half.
Listening to the Copy-nin's heavy snores against her leg, she quietly hissed, "Son of a..."
Sorry that took 2 weeks. I ended up writing it 3 times, and am still not happy. Ah well. Remember not to take it seriously, as i find i can't either. lol. The next chapter is coming along much quicker.
Thanks for all the nice comments! It really reminded me how much I love fandom! I am thrilled to be involved again.