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Sell Out

Part I: Chapter XI

"Come on Sakura, you're killing me here. A guy who gets down on one knee deserves an answer ya' know."

...

Two years earlier

Sakura was turning heads. Apprehensively she straightened the hem of her mother's silk dress, careful not to smudge her charcoal lined eyes with a nervous hand. She had spent hours applying cracked powder and salvaging eye-shadows, relics from before the war. Everybody probably thought she looked ridiculous. That getting all dressed up to go on a date in such times was selfish. The judgement was only subconscious however as men stepped aside to let her past and a little old lady with a voice as soft as butter called her 'beautiful' to the agreement of her husband. She rushed past them, trying to dispel the jittering beat of her heart. You shouldn't be doing this it prattled. This isn't right.

Then she went past the Yamanaka's home. Ino's mother was out front. After the death of her daughter the woman would stare into space for hours, donning an expression far worse than heartbreak. There was nothing behind her eyes, voice unused for weeks. In the dark pocket of her husband's mind he knew he had lost both of his girls.

"You're first date?"

Sakura halted. That sugar-coated tone had been unmistakable. Mrs. Yamanaka was smiling. Tears rolled down the woman's face but her unmistakable smile was so brilliant all Sakura could see was Ino. Tears welled in her eyes as she thought about how excited her best-friend would have been for this day and how the broken mother before her channeled that. Ino would have done her hair, her make-up and let her borrow any pair of shoes. She would have teased mercilessly throughout but wished well. Sakura gave a shaky nod and it was like a fissure of time. It was scar tissue, never to fully heal but today, with that smile, it hurt just that little bit less.

Sakura recovered from the woman's knowing grin, the misery of her tears. "Stop making me cry!" Sakura said shrilly. "You'll ruin my make-up!"

Sakura let Mrs. Yamanaka's laugh follow her out the district.

...

She heard him before she saw him. One wolf-whistle and she was glad the carefully applied blush hid the real flush in her cheeks. He looked smart in uniform but somehow just as wild. She supposed someone who signed up for the armed forces at 15 had to be.

"You look stunning," he said with a toothy smile. Somehow she was able to play it cool, leaning down to pet Akamaru.

"You don't look half bad yourself."

...

"Of course I'll marry you Kiba."

...

Sakura's House

Engaged? Sasuke did not wear confusion well. It spelled vulnerability, equalled despicable weakness. Sakura reached out and he finally gathered up her expression with the few fragments of pride he had left. She was looking at him in pity. Defences up, like in battle, he snatched his hand away. "Well I've got a girlfriend," he snapped back. "I've had her in every position."

It was Sakura's turn to be shocked. She almost chocked, turned away from him. He didn't miss her dry and bitter, "charming."

The atmosphere had turned toxic.

...

Konoha Hospital

Sakura curled up in the break room. Her emotional suffering of guilt, hurt and regret felt as intertwined as spaghetti in a can. Sasuke had ignored her all morning. She wanted nothing more than to talk with him again but then she thought of Kiba. He was due to return in a month and what was she doing to him? He had loyally been sending letters, stayed by her side through tough times and she repaid him by healing up one of his enemies?

(She wondered when she had stopped calling Sasuke HER enemy but that just made her head spin even more.)

Then she dwelled on the most dangerous thought that had been going through her head non-stop. The one she entertained constantly by biting her bottom lip.

She had liked kissing Sasuke.

...

Sakura's house

Sasuke hissed. "What do you want?"

"Well aren't we pleasant this morning," Naruto said cheerfully. He broke off some of his roll to share with Sasuke. The boy seemed stunned for a moment before taking the bread. He pushed over his own porridge and Naruto had a spoonful out of sifted obligation. He grumbled at the Salty taste, Sakura's trademark.

"Ugh," he complained. "Hate it when Sakura puts salt on the porridge."

Sasuke's teeth grindingly bad mood returned instantly. He obviously really hated salt on his porridge. Naruto sighed. Sasuke was moodier than half the girls he knew.

"So did Sakura tell you?" Naruto questioned, reaching into his bag to change the subject to maps and escape routes.

Sasuke choose that moment to crack his fingers, "about the engagement?"

Naruto crinkled the map in his fisted hand, cursing as he tried to smooth it out again. Engagement was not a nice word. It made him worry and/always angst. He pouted irritably. "She told you about that huh?"

Naruto couldn't help but feel like he was in an interrogation again at Sasuke's emotionless expression. Obviously the answer was yes. If he didn't know any better he would say Sasuke was as unhappy with the situation as he was.

Naruto sniffed. "I don't know what she sees in him."

...

One and a half years earlier

Sakura rehearsed her break up with Kiba. She let him down gently at the empty seat of the breakfast table. She practiced diplomacy to her lone reflection and whispered apologises in the barren night. On his first day of leave she was ready with her speech. She didn't love him. It would only hurt both of them in the end.

Her speech went MIA when she knocked on his door and he dragged her inside. Instantly she was hugged by grandma, chased by family dogs, fussed over by sisters and complimented by a father who kept repeating 'she's a doctor!' to aunties and uncles who all cooed in amazement or sneered at Kiba with the undertone of she's too good for you. Kiba took the bait every single time until she was forced to pat his arm to calm him down.

"I don't care what any of you say!" he defended. "I'm crazy about her."

Crazy was the watchword as Kiba's house guaranteed noisy chaos. His mother begged her not to mind the large family when dinner was served.

"You assholes always treat this house like a hotel!" she barked. "I can't get rid of you!"

They all jeered at her, some feigning hurt and others with comedic imitation. Sakura was in a fit of giggles when Grandpa aimed a baked potato at his daughters head before whistling innocently when a glare was sent his way.

"What must you think of us?" a sister finally mused over the dishes. Sakura stopped laughing at Kiba fighting with Akamaru over the dishcloth. "We must seem like such a bunch of noisy barbarians!"

Sakura looked from the busy kitchen, back to the almost full table. The house was a din but compared to the silence of her own it was like listening to a beautiful symphony. There would be screaming, sympathy, rage, laughing, crying, consoling, arguing but there would never be isolation.

"You're all perfect," she said with a grin before helping Kiba's plight.

She was a deathly lonesome girl in the heart of a bustling home. She would learn to love him.

...

Sakura's house

Sasuke was usually right in his suspicions. He had believed Naruto was engaged to Sakura. It was the first time he was pleased to be proven wrong. "I thought you two were together."

Naruto spluttered and turned a heinous shade of red. "No, no, no, no! I mean- not 'no' like I wouldn't like to be- NO! That's not what I meant... Well- No. I, I," Naruto babbled. When Sasuke looked closely the boy was actually sweating. "Ya' know!" Naruto threw his hands up as if that statement proved finality. It didn't take long before his embarrassment shifted to anger. "She's too young to be engaged anyway! Damn Kiba why couldn't that dog just wait! She's a sister to me! Bastard."

Sasuke leaned back, the new information churning through his head. Kiba huh...

Naruto looked satisfied with his rant and interrupted Sasuke's thoughts quizzically. "Is that why you were so upset when I came in?"

Naruto was not without his accidentally uncanny nature. When Sasuke was honest, learning Sakura had a fiancée dented his pride but he was disappointed more than anything. He wasn't sure what he was feeling...

Sasuke forced a lie by sulking, "my shoulder hurts."

He flinched when Naruto punched him in the arm with a cooed "Awwwwww." Before an entirely condescending, "Toughen up princess. We have an escape to plan!"

...

Sakura asked timidly. "Does your ankle hurt?"

Sasuke was still ignoring her. She hated what it was doing to her, the shrinking posture, waning voice and pliable expressions. Why was she the one on trial? According to Sasuke, he had a girlfriend. She was on the cusp of figuring out if he was always brutally honest or just one spectacular lie.

"Question," he finally said. It wasn't something he asked, but demanded. "If you didn't have a fiancée, would you have kissed me back?"

She exhaled a shaky breath. She could recognise his attempt to salvage himself. She was removed from the equation now. It didn't make the question any less potent.

Unable to take refuge in denial she nodded slowly. She wasn't expecting him to smile. It made her feel forgiveness and had her shyly smiling back. Then he frowned and she descended into panic. She knew that look.

"Someone's coming," he said evenly and she was on edge. There had been sweeps yesterday. The only reason they would come back is if they had discovered Sasuke. They both stood, Sakura taking measured steps to the door and Sasuke reaching for his Katana. Even though she had warning the knock on the door made her jump. She was only settled when Sasuke murmured he wouldn't let anything happen to her. It gave her the strength to admit she was only worried for him. She was prepared for a dozen armed sweepers but met with something far more menacing. Two of the best noses in the village were before her, able to track Oto nin across the border. There was an onslaught of barking and a canine grin, "hello beautiful."

It barely came out in a shocked whisper, "Kiba?"

...

"No dogs in the house!"

Kiba watched his fiancée disappear behind the door and she may as well have slapped him in the face. Akamaru was so much more than just a 'dog'. They were partners and he owed his life to the four-legged soldier. He thought Sakura had understood that. He watched her wrestle with the door, Akamaru trying to push his way in, excited to see Sakura.

"Why are you back so early?!"

She hardly sounded pleased. It wasn't the reunion he had imagined when his leave was announced early. He couldn't help but think this would plague him like the silence that had followed his proposal. She said yes, he reminded himself. That's all that matters.

Akamaru finally got past the door. When Kiba followed, he wasn't hugged. In fact, his kiss was completely rejected when she ran to her parent's door. She flattened herself against it, Akamaru jumping up and scratching furiously around her.

"Kiba please," she begged. Kiba tried not to tense his jaw.

"Akamaru cut it out," he ordered but recognised the urgency in Akamaru's barks. It was the same call he used before an Oto ambush or when they were tracking enemy platoons. When Akamaru started to growl, his stomach was in knots. He could smell it too.

There was an Oto soldier in this house.

"He'll contaminate the autopsy!" Sakura wailed.

Taken aback, Kiba loudly ordered Akamaru to fall back, the dog lying on the ground instantly. That explained the smell in the house and her jittery manner. Sakura slid down the door, burying her face in her hands. "I hate... their eyes. I just..."

It was a moment of weakness. Something he was never privy to. He carefully scooped her up, leading her to the couch. Finally she hugged him. He wished she would completely let go and bury her head against his neck. He had seen her do it with Naruto in moments of pure affection and took it as a sign she felt safe. Something she should NOT feel with the vessel of the demon fox. He would be glad when Naruto was snuffed out for good. That demon fox was dangerous.

"You do autopsies now?" he asked, gently stroking her hair.

"Ever since Kabuto-Sensei left indefinitely I've had to take up his duties," she mumbled and he raised an eyebrow.

"Kabuto left?"

She seemed to stiffen. "Didn't I tell you?"

She had not. In fact she hadn't sent him a letter in months. Before he could bring up the moot point he was shouting at Akamaru. The dog had pushed his way into the bedroom. Sakura was sure to panic but he was glad when she didn't even notice, kissing him instead. Everything that had been pent up inside him for months was released and all his doubts erased. He loved Sakura. When they finally broke apart and he gazed into her eyes he was convinced she felt it too.

Akamaru wandered back, looking dreary again. It seems that sleeper dart was still taking effect. He couldn't help but smile when he curled up at their feet. "You just wanted to make sure that fucker was dead didn't you."

Sakura got down on the floor, petting Akamaru and watching him with the same concentration she reserved for patients. She was so smart...

"He got hit with a sleeper dart on the way here," he explained. She cooed, cuddling into Akamaru.

"Poor Akamaru..." she said soothingly. It warmed Kiba right to his bones and he couldn't help but kneel on the floor to cup her face.

"I've just caught you at a bad time haven't I?" he murmured, gently brushing his thumb against her cheek.

She smiled softly. "The worst."

When he leaned over to kiss her again she pulled back before taking a deep breath. "Can you leave? I need to finish the autopsy."

He tensed. "It's a dead body Sakura. You've got all the time in the world."

They hadn't seen each other in months. If she wasn't willing to make time, something was wrong.

"This is my first serious autopsy," she pushed. "So please..."

She was breaking his heart...

"Whatever," he growled. She could put off the damn autopsy if she wanted. He made for the door, Akamaru hot on his heels. Furious, he wished Sakura would chase after him. She didn't.

...

Sakura was frozen at the window until Kiba disappeared from the street. Her heart was a cataclysm, thumping incessantly against her chest. It was an outer body experience when she finally moved. She ran straight to Sasuke. In complete abandon she flung herself into his arms, burying her head against his neck. He gathered her up and held her close. In the purity of her relief she discovered it wasn't a case of never wanting to let Sasuke go. She just couldn't.

...

"Kabuto. You have returned."

"Yes my Lord I-"

"Where is Sasuke?"

"He refused escort my Lord."

"..."

"He-"

"You're lying."

"I assure you. He made the decision to stay in Konoha. He claimed he will return by his own means."

"Why did he disobey a direct order?"

"He choose to forsake everything... for a girl."