A/N: I just want to say thank you for all your reviews and support!
Sough means, AHEM: to make a rushing, rustling, or murmuring sound.
So yeah. And eyes sounds repetitive to me, so optics is another word for it. I just use it. Author's choice. But I will try to reduce the usage, if that's really a problem.
Another thing, is Sasori did not know Sakura before meeting Sasuke. He hated Sasuke just as Sasuke hated him, but when he saw Sakura the feelings of possession came over him, just like the strong attraction Sasuke and Sakura shared.
Just had to clarify those things real quick. Enjoy. :D
Rounding up to the curb, the car pulled to a sudden stop and sent Sakura jerking forward in her leather seat. She growled in the back of her throat and sat back up, flattening the stray hairs on her forehead. It was then that the rosette decided that taxi drivers in Kyoto weren't the most experienced.
Their atrocious driver turned around, flashing a greasy smile at the couple in the back. "This the place?" He glanced at the mammoth building, it's winding ivory designs carved into the polished wood. The twinkling glow of warm lights shone through the colored glass on the windows. Chairs stationed out front were full of happy parties, all sipping on a warm beverage and pushing food around on the china plates in front of them. "Snazzy."
Sasuke nodded, shoving the payment in the man's greedy hand and pushing his door open. "Thank you."
The raven haired male jogged lightly around the vehicle, his fingers reaching for her door handle before she could grasp it within her own. The pink haired girl smiled appreciatively as he threw the egress open, holding out an extended palm to her. She wrapped her petite hand around his and stepped out, one long leg at a time. A light wind billowed across the sidewalk, sending her verdant and cream sundress lapping at her knees, dancing out behind her. She shivered slightly, grasping her jacket. The weather in the groove of seasons between winter and spring brought on capricious temperatures, creating a chilly evening or a humid day.
Prying open the grand doors to the lush restaurant, the onyx eyed male held it ajar for not only his girlfriend, but four couples afterward. Sakura giggled and poked at his shoulder when he ventured back to his place by her side.
"Ever the gentleman tonight, nee, Sasuke?"
"Hn." he nodded to the hostess, murmured a few words to her before she jutted her head forward in recognition. He turned back to her. "I guess I'm just in a good mood today."
"Duh." she said, grasping the crook of his arm as the blonde lead them to a table by the hearth. "You're with me."
He smirked. "You do tend to pull people out of ruts."
"I try." she shrugged, but grinned as he pulled her chair out for her. "Wow. Somebody actually learned some proper table manners."
"I'm still putting my elbows on the table, woman."
The green eyed beauty sighed dramatically. "And here you were doing so well."
The blonde waitress cleared her throat, her blue eyes darting down as Sasuke peered at her. Sakura could make out the rose in her cheeks when his optics grazed her form. Everywhere she went with her boyfriend the female employees developed crushes, despite her sitting right there.
Great, just great.
"Uchiha-sama sends his apologies to arriving late. His last meeting has him a few minutes off. He should be present very soon." she bowed slightly, before pivoting on her high heels and clacking the other way.
Sasuke raised an inky brow, scowling. "Even if he misses appointments in Paris, he manages to make twice as many in Kyoto." he shook his spiked head. "This is why I have no interest in running the business."
"Lazy." she laughed when he glared at her. "Kidding. You just want to legally baton someone's ass."
"It's a nightstick. Not a baton."
"Looks like a baton to me." she mumbled as she picked up her menu, flipping through the pages uninterested. "You'd probably want to use your fists anyways."
"Aa." he grunted, clasping his hands in front of his face and leaning on the table. His onyx eyes watched as she wrung her hands around her napkin anxiously. "Nervous?"
"Very."
He chuckled. "Don't worry over such a weasel."
"Such a what?" a deep voice rumbled behind the rosette, causing her head to swivel back. The pink curls she applied to her hair bounced against her delicate neck with vigor. The same man she had encountered on the elevator a couple nights previous stood before the table, the fiery glow of the fireplace glinted off his cashmere suit and glossy raven hair. Itachi Uchiha pulled the remaining chair out from the table, his cobalt eyes flickering to the green eyed girl. "Nice to see you again, Sakura-san."
"No, no. Sakura, please." she greeted.
"Sakura." he pondered before facing Sasuke. "Little brother."
"Itachi."
The pink haired female darted her emerald colors from one Uchiha brother to the other, amazed at how formal they were with each other. She felt as if she were sitting at a business meeting, not a pleasant dinner. Apparently this was brotherly love in this family.
"I'm truly sorry for my tardiness. Mr. Satoshi wanted a better scope on the resort we plan on building in Hawaii." Itachi said, leaning back into his chair. "He is a bit hesitant on adding the golf course with the limited space, most construction workers always are. I don't know why though..."
"Aa. You had problems with convincing the construction team in Bangkok about the underwater restaurant too, if I recall correctly." Sasuke added.
"Hn. That was a deal breaker right there." Itachi glanced at Sakura, who's thumbs were twiddling and emeralds were wide with disbelief at the amount of luxury he controlled. She knew the Uchihas were wealthy, but she had no idea it came to this extremes. She felt—and knew—she was out of her league. He took notice with understanding, and decided to bring the conversation into more of her element.
"So how did you two meet?" Itachi asked casually, calling a waiter over. Sakura sighed in relief that it was a male server this time around. Itachi grumbled something to him lowly and the lean man strode to the back before returning with arms full. The employee sat down three crystal wine glasses, pouring a bit of the deep amethyst liquor into each goblet. The drink sloshed in the glass deliciously, invitingly. She raised a pink brow when he didn't card her for her age.
"Specialty of the house." the server bowed before wondering off to the kitchen.
The rosette gulped, watching the eldest Uchiha bring the rim of the cup to his lips, taking a sip. He breathed in approval before peering back over at her. "We...um... bumped into each other at the mall."
She decided not to freak him out with the whole visions and painting and Sasori fiasco.
"That so?"
"Yes." Sasuke interrupted, lifting his own drink. "We also attend the same school."
"Really? What do you plan on studying?"
"I want to Master in Medicine." she replied, still not touching her beverage. Itachi took notice and silently questioned the notion. "I'm not much of a...drinker." she admitted.
"It's fine. Not as strong as you think." Itachi encouraged. "And it's not a problem in this restaurant for you two to be drinking it, I assure you."
Hesitantly, the pink tipped the glass to her pout lips, tittering a small portion of the liquid down her throat. She shivered as it burned a tad sliding down, but the tang and sweet after taste had her nodding in approval.
"It's not as bad as I thought, I suppose." she smiled, picking up her menu once more.
She flipped to a page, completely futile in deciphering the complicated french words. Feigning interest, she grazed her roaming eyes over the entire piece of parchment, feeling utterly confused and trapped. Noticing her facade, Sasuke smirked and chuckled under his breath. He scooted his chair closer to her, snaking an arm around her to hold the other end of the menu. He bent down against her ear, breathing on the shell of the sensitive lobe as he spoke.
"Here," he pointed. "Is Escargot."
Her mouth set into an o. "Sounds fancy."
"It's snails." he burst into laughter at the wrinkle of her pretty features. Itachi's inky brows furrowed at the very sound of the younger Uchiha throaty rumble. "I think you may want just a salad as an appetizer. They all have mustard-based vinaigrette."
The rosette pursed her lips. "How did you become so cultural?"
The raven haired male shrugged, moving her own arms with the movement due to their close proximity. "My parents used to visit our resorts in Paris all the time when I was younger. You tend to pick up on French and french cuisine." he glanced up at his older brother, who was watching them with intent fascination. "I only know a bit, but Itachi is much more developed in the whole foreign talent though."
"It's only because I travel so often. I enjoy the cultural development, though I do miss home." Sakura just attached a -and you too, little brother at the end of the statement, because the look in his eyes implied it with vigor. The elder male turned to her, folding his hands on the oak table. "Do you have any siblings?"
"No. I'm an only child." she said. "I always wanted a brother or sister though."
"I see." he replied as the same lean waiter came over with a notepad. "It must have been lonely."
"Not really." the green eyed female shook her head lightly, the gentle curls in her hair bouncing back and forth. "My mother and father made everyday a delight, the best way they could. Besides, I have a lot of little cousins who are almost like my brothers and sisters. In general my family is rather on the larger side."
"Aa. As is ours." Itachi upturned a corner of his mouth, handing the expecting host his menu and mumbling his order.
The mousy man jutted his head forward and scribbled on the pad. The pink haired woman's orbs grew wide when she heard him speak in such a fluent accent. When the server turned to her with a skeptical brow, she blushed deeply and fumbled with the words. The onyx eyed man adjacent to her barely contained his grin as he leaned forward and addressed the awaiting male. After a string of more complicated words, he slipped both his and her menus to the snorting waiter.
"Wow. What other languages do you know?"
Itachi smirked and took a drink from his glass. "English, Italian, Chinese, and German."
"Fluently?"
"More or less."
"Is there anything you Uchiha's can't do?" she giggled jestingly.
"Hm. Well I can't sing."
"Makes sense, cause Sasuke can't dance." her boyfriend glared at the side of her head. "Oh please, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I can't skate. Or properly whistle."
The elder man waved his hand. "I think we all addressed our weak points. Now, Sakura, how do you feel about art?"
"A-Art?" she squeaked, her mind immediately drifting to her painting of Sasuke, which she felt started this whole (Horrid, beautiful, sexy, scary) situation. "I enjoy it."
"Do you draw? Sculpt? Model? Paint?"
"I enjoy painting and drawing, yes."
"A friend of mine by the name of Deidara has a gallery. I would like it if you and Sasuke accompany us sometime in the future."
She cringed at the fact it was her art teacher. "Sounds nice."
"It is. I enjoy going, though seeing the same pieces of work can get tiring." he said, then turned to his little brother. "As does other things."
The younger onyx eyed male peered at his brother accusingly as the dinner was set in front of them. Sakura ignored the tense underlying battle between the two and silently tore into her food, not caring if she looked like some ravenous hobo. The pleasant atmosphere turned sour by some force unbeknownst to her. Itachi had obviously said something Sasuke did not take too kindly to. She took deep gulps out of her goblet. The sooner she got out of there, the better.
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The trip home had been uneventful to say the least. Everybody was already exhausted by the day's excitement, or too hungover to do any plausible riot. Even Kiba and Naruto stayed seated, Naruto leaned against Hinata's shoulder and Kiba snoring obnoxiously by the back window. Sakura did not even try to question her boyfriend about the situation at dinner, for she did not want to sit by a pissed Sasuke for hours.
When they pulled to a stop in the front of the school, she was one of the first to hop and off stretch. Soon followed the rest of her friends and boyfriend. As Kakashi rounded the giant vehicle to unload cargo, the group made a giant circle in the middle of the lot.
"That was amazing!" Naruto nearly yelled, earning a slap to the stomach by a hungover Ino. He winced and rubbed his abs. "Thanks for that, teme. We really appreciated it."
"Hn."
Sakura rolled her verdant eyes. "Here we go again. One syllable responses. Ever invested in a thesaurus?"
"Don't need one." he chuckled as he came up behind her and wrapped both solid arms around her waist.
"Whatever." she mumbled, but made no effort in removing his grasp.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm going home." Neji tucked Tenten under his arm before strolling off.
"And apparently Tenten is going with him." Kiba yawned before picking up his traveling bag and saluting the crew. "See you guys in school Monday."
"Bye!" Ino tugged Shikamaru toward her house by the collar. "Call me later, Forehead. Unless you're busy, that is." she winked as the rosette blushed.
"Shut up, Pig!" she growled, lightly pushing her boyfriend off before making her way to her traveling bag.
She found her belongings with a nod to Kakashi before turning to Sasuke. He already began the trek to his apartment, before coming to a stop and pivoting back to her place in the middle of the lot. The pink haired beauty smiled softly as he briskly walked back to her standing form.
He chuckled. "I should probably walk you home, shouldn't I?"
"It would be appreciated, yes." she said, thankful that he would be here in case something happened, as did the last time she journeyed alone. She slung her bag onto her back before taking his hand. "So how are you going to get out of school while you're away for your finalizing training?"
"It's during Spring break. I'm leaving after school Friday and returning the Sunday before school starts back up."
"Oh." she murmured, looking down at the cracks in the sidewalk. That means she's not going to have two weeks of school to distract her from the ever fictional drama in her life. "Prom is a few weeks after Spring break..."
"Yes." the raven haired male smirked as he caught on to what she was implying. "Sakura?"
"Hm?"
"Want to go to Prom with me? Even though you should have known already we'd be going together."
"...that was so unorthodox. Do you have a single romantic bone in your body?" she cried.
"No."
"Geez! I ought to..." she trailed, looking off into the distance.
The rosette swallowed hard as she saw a crimson haired man sitting on a bench under the streetlight, the glow never reaching his steel gray eyes. Sasori had both arms behind him, resting on the back of the bench. Sakura gripped the onyx eyed male's hand tighter, digging her body into his side. Her face was as emotionless as she could manage, but the tiny trickle of sweat along her jawline gave away her composure to her boyfriend. Sasuke looked up from his fixed stare at her, and nearly growled upon seeing the other male.
As Sasori glanced in their direction, he grinned strangely and lifted a hand to wave at the retreating couple. The raven haired male narrowed his eyes at the other man and encircled a protective arm around his girlfriend.
"Sakura!" the dreaded man called out after her. "How was the trip? I heard Kyoto was nice this time of year."
"Sasori." She nodded, then leaned up and whispered to the boy next to her. "Don't do or say anything. We don't need the trouble."
"Ah. Sasuke." his cheery tone was replaced with distaste.
As he opened his mouth to respond, she interrupted. "What are you doing out here in the middle of the night, Sasori?" the green eyed girl tried to absorb some of the negative tension by talking.
It worked, because his gaze adverted to her, his smile returning. "I enjoy walking at night. It helps with the insomnia."
She remembered talking about insomnia with said man, so she nodded as it being plausible. "I see. Well try drinking a glass of warm milk fifteen minutes before going to bed. It helps." she instructed, tugging on her still glaring boyfriend's hand in the direction they were previously going.
"Hey, Sakura?" she nearly groaned as the man called her back.
"Yes?"
"The movie theater is kind of boring lately, wouldn't you agree?"
Confused, her pink brows furrowed together. "What?"
He swiveled his head to her, a serious look etched in his handsome features. "The movies aren't really a great place to be anymore, am I right?"
Sasuke sneered. "Come on. I'm tired of his bullshit."
The pink haired girl nodded, grasping his jacket and proceeded with their stroll. She could not help but look over her shoulder, eyes widening as the smoky eyed man continued to watch her receding form. When they exited the forest area of the park, the man at her side let loose a long hiss.
"I can't believe that ass. He knew I would be walking you home, he knew to be there." he shook his spiked head. "One day, I swear I'm just going to snap and seriously hurt the bastard."
"It's fine, nothing happened. He spoke, we responded, and then walked away. It's fine." she urged, slightly cringing at his dangerous aura.
He sighed. "We need to be careful. Itachi warned me that they're up to something stupid again. I'm just...worried."
A ghost of a smile danced across her lips and she ran a hand through his hair. "Thank you."
"For what?" he asked, slightly miffed.
"For caring so much." she shivered a bit, and leaned into his touch. "And when I'm with you, I'm not as afraid anymore."
"You should be."
She rolled her emeralds. "You're supposed to reassure me as my boyfriend, jerk. And I'm just glad that you were there. Who knows what would have happened." His jaw clenched.
"Aa."
She blushed and looked the other way. "Fine. I'm just being honest."
"I know." he walked her up her front steps. When he turned to her, she lingered a tiny peck on his cheek.
"Thank you for walking me home." she smiled, taking out her keys.
The onyx eyed male raised an inky brow. "You're awfully grateful tonight."
"Just content." he watched as she inserted her key into the lock.
His features softened a bit at the sakura tree on the keyring. He absent mindlessly fingered his own in the pocket of his jeans. She cracked the door open, hesitating in entering her home. She turned around once more and eyed him cautiously.
"What?" he asked, feigning innocence.
"Don't go back to the park and try to beat his ass. Don't do anything stupid."
He shoved both hands into his pockets, leaned back and looked the other way. She knew he only done that when he wasn't going to deny his intentions, but wasn't going to own up to them anyways. She gave him an incredulous look.
"Ok?"
"Hn."
"Good night." she giggled, giving him another kiss on the nose. "Call me tomorrow."
"Sure."
She slipped inside her cozy abode, yanking off her sneakers and sprinting up the stairs. Giddy, she dove nose first into her bed. When she heard her mother groggy protest against her nosiness, she gently called out an apology before smiling to herself in the mirror.
"I'm going to Prom with Sasuke Uchiha." she laughed, despite the earlier encounter with Sasori. Not even the stressful occurrence could hinder her mood. It was just a month or so ago that she was brooding about being the only person in her group of friends that didn't have a date. Now she had a reason to get dressed her best for the occasion. She nearly gasped as she realized she still hadn't finished shopping for shoes or other accessories. She'll go next weekend with Ino and the girls. Maybe they'll catch a movie along the way.
She then pursed her lips as she remembered what Sasori said.
What the heck was he talking about? She pondered.
The rosette decided against the movies, just in case. Paranoia can destroy you, but it could also save your life.
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Sasuke trudged down the street, making his way into the forestry of the park. Despite his girlfriend's wishes, he couldn't help the underlying fury he felt whenever he thought of the crimson haired male. He was going to make sure the damned man stayed the hell away from Sakura and himself. He needed to get his point across.
Taking a right, he strode to the bench in which Sasori occupied not even twenty minutes ago. The raven haired male scowled as he found it empty, the entire place deserted.
"Coward." he sneered as he turned to walk back to his apartment. Something inside of him halted his movements, surveying his surroundings with skill.
The bastard came back after all...
Light footsteps had him pivoting on the balls of his feet, ducking just in time as a rather wide tree branch dusted a few strands of his hair. His onyx eyes narrowed as he pushed his fist upwards, his knuckles connecting with a rugged face. The attacker stumbled back, rubbing his jaw as he charged back at the defensive male. Sasuke flipped on his hand, springing back while evading the swipes of the log. He straightened up and swiftly kicked the man in front of him, forcing all of his weight into his side. The other man fell back as he coughed and held his injured ribs. He then tossed the branch to the side, hunkering down in a clear invitation for a hand-to-hand fight.
The onyx eyed male stepped forward, lashing out multiple hits and advances, some hitting with solid accuracy, other being evaded. It was obvious that this man had some training, but Sasuke clearly had the upper advantage and was more experienced, for he had the other man curled on the ground with a cry of pain. The raven haired male crouched down, picking the other man up by the scraggly hair. In the dark he could make out murky hair, almost a black.
Not the fiery red he had desired.
He raised an inky brow when the other man groaned. "Who are you? What did you intend on accomplishing by attacking me?"
The man said nothing, but smirked at the puzzled look in the Uchiha's face. A sharp pain in the back of his neck answered his questions as he fell to the dirt. His eyes blurred as he saw white and his head rang, trying his best to glare behind him, only to find a blob of a shadow. He blinked rapidly, trying to get his vision to clear in order to identify both men. As it proved to be unrelenting, he tried to stand. A boot connected with his side, sending him rolling a few feet. He silently cursed for getting too confident, knowing he probably could have stopped the other assaulter if he had only paid attention.
"Disgusting Uchiha scum." he heard the man growl. He continued to lay there whilst slightly panting, not ignorant enough to ignore the upcoming presence of several other men. "See to it that he gets what he deserves."
That voice...I know that voice...
"Do we kill him?" the man he had currently beaten spat out, nursing his sore jaw.
"No. As much as I want to say yes, the answer is no. It's too early for that." he contemplated, watching the onyx eyed male closely.
"Fine."
He bent down, grabbing the young male by the back of the neck. "You may not remember me, but I definitely remember you."
"Go to hell." Sasuke hissed, rewarded by a kick to the stomach.
Another punch to his head and his world went black.
Reluctantly, Kanazawa Uchiha watched as the only love of his life was roughly pulled into an embrace by her damned fiancee. He scowled as everybody smiled and clapped, congratulating the 'new couple' on their engagement, all not taking noticed the flighty and terrified look in the pink haired woman's eyes. It took every cell of will power he had not to rush across the room, pry and break every finger of the other man's away from Kaori, and slit his throat in front of everybody in the party.
He took a deep swig of sake, the liquid burning as it slid down his clenching throat, but the sensation brought him down to an extent from his rage. The only one who should be able to touch her, embrace her, kiss her, make love to her, should be him. Only him. The one who truly cares for her. Not some apathetic bastard who only wants her for lustful and possessive reasons. He still finds relief in the fact that he hasn't touched her in any indecent way, for if he did, Kaori would surely tell him. He has to find a way for them to be together. He just has to.
The raven haired male straightened in his posture as his father came up to him, sitting next to his son. He patted him on the back whilst he tried to ignore the uncomfortable thumping noise it made.
"It is about time we marry you off, eh?" he chuckled, already half drunk.
"I see no reason in it, being that I may die any day now, out on the battlefield." he regarded coolly, taking another gulp of the fiery liquor.
"Nonsense! You must carry on the Uchiha legacy!"
"We have other family members for that, father."
"Don't be ridiculous! You must pass on your legacy and talents!" he babbled on, but Kanazawa did not hear a word after that.
His fist clenched as he watched the red haired male tug the green eyed female's wrist, pulling her into a crushing grip to his side. He nearly growled as he watched her lachrymose eyes darting from person to person, finally resting on him. The emerald orbs softened a bit, as if slightly relaxing at just the sight of him, before Arata snapped at her to answer some meaningless questions a noble had asked the pair. She turned hurriedly to the pudgy man, politely apologizing and answering.
What he would give to kill the horrid louse.
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Sakura thrummed her fingers on the clean counters of Yamanaka Floral, staring at her cell phone. Ino scoffed at her friend, taking the cursed device and shoving it into her apron pocket. The rosette protested, but the blonde held up a hand to silence her. She closed her mouth and slumped against the counter.
"Sakura, it's only been a few hours." she assured, nudging her best friend's side. "He could just be sleeping in. It is Sunday after all. The lazy day of the week. Don't know why were working here though..."
"I know, Ino. But I have such a bad feeling! Why would I feel like this if something wasn't up?"
"Uh, cause you're obviously a paranoid, bill-board brow nerd." she joked, poking her forehead.
She rolled her emerald eyes. "Oh please. Like you're any better you shopaholic. By the way, you still up for shopping for shoes this Saturday?"
"Sure, sure." she nodded as a young man pushed open the glass doors of the shop, sending the bell ringing on the contact. A cool gush of air followed him.
"I'd like to buy a corset." he smiled shyly, leaning against the counter. "Preferably one that matched a teal dress with white ribbon."
"Any specific flower you'd like, sir?" Sakura asked, already reaching for their own set of white ribbon.
"Could you make that a carnation? My girlfriend absolutely loves them."
Ino sighed dreamily. "They are beautiful flowers. Any other specific designs?"
The rosette trailed in her thoughts as she exited behind the counter, making her way to their selection of carnations in the pot in the front. She fingered the delicate petals, conjuring up possible scenarios as to what happened to her boyfriend. She shook her head, picking up the several colors they kept of the flower and rounding the counter once more. She shouldn't worry herself too much. She had worried like this in the hotel in Kyoto and he was fine, so it must be nothing this time.
As she hand painted the frosted color across the petals of the flower, she tapped her foot against the stool she sat on. The thought of her raven haired boyfriend still held the nagging feeling in the back of her head, and no matter how much she tried to follow her blonde friend's advice, she couldn't shake the restricting emotions. Maybe she was paranoid.
She attached a bundle of Queen Anne's Lace to the carnation and a flowing piece of white ribbon. She smiled as she added a pin to it and set it in a polished box.
"There you go." she swapped him the corset for his payment and waved. "Have a wonderful day!"
"You too." he nodded to her then Ino before walking out the door, the bell jingling after him once more. Her wave ceased and she slowly lowered her arm. Ino raised an arched brow.
"You still upset about this?" she asked.
"Yeah." she soughed, making a move to twirl her fingers in her hair anxiously. "Something isn't right. I just know it."
Ino breathed in frustration, tugging her starchy apron off and flinging it onto the counter. "Let's go."
"What?"
"You obviously can't focus well." she grabbed her car keys. "So let's go to his apartment and bug the crap out of him."
"We can't do that!" Sakura laughed, but took her apron off anyways.
"Watch me." she grinned evilly, flipping the 'Open' sign 'Closed'.
"Your mom's going to kill us." she warned, sliding into the passenger side of her blonde friend's car.
"She'll understand...somewhat."
The entire ride they blasted the radio, Sakura's mood raising a tad. Ino whistled at Naruto, who was walking down the street with his shirt off and a football in hand. The green eyed beauty laughed as the blonde boy flexed his muscles at the car, giving them one of his famous thumbs up. They eventually pulled in front of his apartment complex, and the rosette had to stop herself from sprinting out of the car and to the designated housing number. It was a pretty up kept place, definitely one of the nicer complexes in town.
She bounded to his door and rapped lightly. She heard a strangled groan from the inside, and a panicky feeling bubbled up in her chest. She pounded on the wood, calling out his name desperately, thinking the worse. She recalled what he had told her to look for if she ever needed his apartment while he was gone and flitted around the outside, feeling along the brick until she pushed on a single block that was looser than the rest. She pulled at it, satisfied when it hit the ground with a clunk. She stuck two fingers in cautiously, feeling around for the smooth texture of a key. Ino finally clacked up the stairs, staring at the sight of Sakura jamming said key into the lock and pushing the door open.
Her hand flew to her mouth as her emerald eyes widened, peering in at the sight of Sasuke sprawled across his couch. He was groaning, covered in dirt and his clothes were ripped a tad. She rushed over to him, leaving the ajar door for Ino to enter. When the rosette was at his side, she gingerly touched a bruise on his cheek. His onyx orbs flew open and grabbed her wrist, wincing at the contact.
"It's me, Sasuke." she whispered, her eyes once again roaming over his body. "What happened?"
"Thugs. While I was walking home." he ground, trying to sit up. "Nothing major."
"Thugs? Konoha doesn't have thugs!" she cried, placing a hand on his back. "Was it the same assholes that got to Kiba?"
"I don't know. They may have been related to Akatsuki, but I'm not real sure." A cold sweat broke out over her skin.
If it was the Akatsuki, this was all her fault.
"Should I call the police? What do I...?"
"No need. I'll handle them in time."
"Sasuke this is serious." she warned.
"I know. But now it's personal, so I want to deal with it on my own."
Sakura bit her lip. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"I never said it was." he cringed as he tried to stand.
She was at his side in a heart beat. "Here, at least let me help you."
Ino sat back and watched as Sakura helped him into the bathroom, assisting him in struggling off his ruined jacket and shirt, along with his tattered pants. The bruises she found on him had her looking away. What exactly was her best friend and her boyfriend talking about? Who was the Akatsuki? What does Kiba have to do with all this? She pondered as she heard the faucet in the bathroom start and Sasuke curse as Sakura lectured. She blinked.
Just what the hell was going on with her best friend's life?
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"It's done." the sly voice had Sasori swiveling in his chair, looking at the lean man slouching against his door frame.
"Thank you, Kabuto." he nodded. "Send my regards to your master."
The silver haired male's eyes narrowed at that. "I would like you to watch the way you talk to me. He is not my master."
"Yet he controls every aspect of your life." the crimson haired male crossed his hands in front of his face, masking his smirk. "Seriously Kabuto, when are you going to stand up to Orochimaru?"
"Don't talk about what you don't know." he growled, pushing off the wood work. "We have an agreement. You want the girl, we want the boy. It all works out." he sauntered up the the desk, placing both fist on it and leaning forward. "That is, unless you somehow ruin it by stabbing us in the back."
"And just how would you propose me of doing that?"
"Killing the boy for your own sick pleasure."
"Unless you kill him first." he smiled, raising a brow. "Face it. You're angry that old snake is interested in someone else, aren't you? No longer his favorite little pet?"
"Don't make me hurt you."
"I'd like to see that happen." he ground, edging up to the other man. The dark eyed man contemplated attacking Sasori, but decided against it. His goons are swarming this place.
"Well, I'm going to get going. The warning you had my team send to the Uchiha is done with. He'll be pissed and looking for you, never suspecting us. We'll then launch the second part of your plan...We'll be seeing more of one another in the near future."
"I suspect so."
As he turned to leave the room, the gray eyed male grinned to himself, proud of his work. Sasuke would never had guessed his past playing back on him. How shocked will he get when his old instructor turns up to collect what he promised in the past? He would never see this coming. What would Sakura think when she found out? She may never want to see him again!
Sasori could barely keep in his excitement.
A/N: Hello one and all! And yes, you finally got to see a vision from Sasuke's POV.
Summer is finally here! Hope you're all enjoying the freedom. Well, most of you.
Thank you for reading and reviewing, they are seriously helping! All of your opinions matter to me!
This chappie is inspired by The Hushed Sound with their song, 'Wine Red'.
Read, Review, Enjoy!
Read on,
~Dayonight7