DISCLAIMER: No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered...

Chapter Twenty-One:
Lord Kumosaki

Hold your head up high
They would kill to see you fail
Evil lurks in the shadows
Just waiting to prevail
~Blood on the Dance Floor~

Lord Kumosaki was waiting for them in his home at the edge of the village. It near the mansion they had broken into that night last week. As they walked, Naruto surreptitiously watched Sakura with a fond smile as they walked through the village, the way she filled out the dress nearly making him groan. These days, it seemed like every time he saw her, she only got more beautiful. She didn't dress for attention, but that tiny, red skirt she favored did unforgivable things to his blood pressure. She was completely engrossed with a stack of handwritten notes and mumbling to herself all kinds of medical jargon that made absolutely no sense to the blond shinobi.

If anyone else would have seen her, they would probably think that she was focused on her mission. Naruto knew better. First off, there was that cute little wrinkle between her brows and then the occasional glimpse of white as she chewed her lip. Naruto didn't dare touch her or press her in any way as he let her wrestle with herself. After a few minutes, she stopped and glanced at his face, her gaze less sharp, clouded by uncertainty.

"Stop that."

Startled, Sakura stopped walking. "Stop what?" she asked defensively.

"Stop thinking."

"Stop thinking…. Of all the ridiculous… This is a complicated case. If I screw up, it could mean Lord Kumosaki's death."

"That's not what you're thinking about."

"How do you know what I'm thinking?"

"Because I know you, Sakura Haruno. You always over-think things. You're asking yourself if you made a mistake, if you can trust me, if you will want to move to Iwagakure after I do something completely unexpected like tell you how incredible you were last night."

Sakura's face went up in flames. She clenched her fist to punch him, but her embarrassment eased when she looked at him - like he was trying to hold back a big belly laugh. "I don't… I'm not… okay, maybe I do… a little…" she admitted.

When he said it like that, it sounded really silly. Which was probably because it was foolish. Sakura couldn't leave her life behind just to avoid an awkward encounter. No matter how much she wanted to. "That might be sound plan."

"I'm sure it is." A muscle jumped in his jaw and his lips twitched. "Was the sex that bad, then?"

She bit her lip and looked at the sky. The snow had stopped falling, but the clouds still blocked out the sun, so there wasn't much to hold her attention—or her excuse to find anything to examine but him. "It was fine," she murmured.

Now he was definitely smiling. "Just fine, huh? Damning me with faint praise."

It was hard to cling to her awkwardness when his dimples were coming out to play. Sakura huffed out a breath. "It was more than fine and you know it. You were there, if I recall correctly."

Yep." He closed the distance between them with one giant step and cupped her face. She went still, half expecting him to kiss her right there in front of half the village. As it was, she had a hard time not rubbing all over him like a cat with catnip.

But Naruto pressed a kiss to her forehead and moved back. He saw the breeze catch and gently play with the loose strands of her hair. He tugged on a pink lock and commented, "You wore your hair down today."

She gave him that patented female You're treading on thin ice look and then sternly reprimanded, "Not because of you."

"Keep telling yourself that."

Sakura sighed heavily at the way her heart pounded when he got too close. She brushed his hand away and snapped, "The only reason I'm wearing my hair down is because someone went through my bag in the bathroom while I slept, like a total thief, and took my bobby pins and hair bands."

Barely resisting the urge to laugh, he widened his eyes. "Really?"

Sakura tried to maintain her serious demeanor, but after one look at Naruto's dancing eyes, she felt laughter bubbling inside her. Squashing that urge, she snorted at the look of innocence he was trying to project and quipped, "Then we must have a small critter at the inn that has an affinity for pins and rubber bands, because they were also missing from my purse."

"Huh, that is weird. I can't imagine how that happened." He was silent for a minute and then, crossing his arms at the back of his neck in a thoroughly relaxed manner, asked, "So… what color panties are you wearing?" He couldn't help it then; he laughed long and loud as she hurried towards the mansion.

Sakura turned and shot him a glare that would have most men cupping themselves, but only made him hard as steel. She stopped at the door and looked back at Naruto in exasperation. "Oh for the love of… please behave yourself now. Lord Kumosaki is very ill."

Ignoring the comment, Naruto gave her a wink and knocked on the door. It opened before she could say anything more.

~o~O~o~

Naruto whistled low under breath. Lord Kumosaki had a home to fit his name. The mansion reeked of wealth. From the lavish fountain in front of the house that had a dragon spurting water from its mouth, to the utter size of the place. The house had to have at least ten bedrooms, possible more and probably just as many bathrooms. It was set high up on a hill overlooking the village with a huge snow covered front lawn around it.

The door was opened by a bodyguard, a small mountain of a man who looked like he could snap Naruto in half with his fingers. Then his gaze went to look inside the house and his eyes widened. Rich. Lord Kumosaki had to be rich. Rich as in everything looked very expensive and thereby very breakable. From the antique side tables inside the foyer, to the rustic paintings of landscapes and people in finery on the walls.

The man looked distastefully down his nose at Naruto and said with a sniff, "Lord Kumosaki expected you a half an hour ago."

"Oh yeah, well we were…"

"This way," interrupted the man. Without another word he spun on his heel and walked away. Naruto just raised his eyebrows at Sakura and shrugged his shoulders.

He passed over a plush grey rug with dangling fringe on the ends and his feet actually sunk into its softness. They followed the guard down a long corridor complete with real old-looking floors, more art on the walls, and glass shelves with what had to be antique pieces of art. There was an old-looking kunai in a velvet-lined case, a sword with an arched blade and shiny metal handle with leather wrapped over the middle. It looked like something from the First Shinobi War. All he could think as he eyed all those things was that everything felt stifling, like walking through a museum.

They came into another room, a large sitting room or a study. The room made his own living room he had look tiny in comparison, and very, very poor. It was something that never bothered him before, but as he glanced at Sakura through the corner of his eye he wondered if she wanted something like this… something he would never be able to provide for her.

That thought lasted all of two seconds before he squashed it. Sakura wasn't like that at all. She didn't care about material things. He turned to give her a smile just in time to catch the bodyguard giving Sakura's ass an appreciative look.

Naruto gave the man a dark scowl but was unable to say anything as a massive man, heavy and tall, swung the door wide and entered followed by another guard. He took big strides instead of ordinary steps, closing the door behind him in a grand sweeping gesture. He was not at all what they were expecting. Like a force of nature he swept around the room, greeting the shinobi and then introducing his guards, Genjiro and Junki to them.

Now Naruto knew that he was a friendly type of guy, but he had nothing on Lord Kumosaki. The man engulfed him in a huge, bone-crushing hug that lasted a tad longer than necessary. He was on the verge of demanding release (by knife point if necessary) when the man finally let go and announced in a booming voice, "Naruto Uzumaki it is so good to finally meet you. Lady Tsunade told me all about you. I must say, I have been so excited to meet the savior of the world."

Naruto stammered, "Oh no, it wasn't all me… it was a combined effort of all…"

"Nonsense. Everyone knows what you've done!" He turned to Sakura, lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "She also told me of your abilities Miss Haruno, but she failed to mention your beauty. I am honored you came to treat my illness."

Naruto stared at the hale man standing before him for a moment before murmuring in a doubtful tone, "You don't look that sick."

"Naruto!" growled Sakura.

The big man chuckled good-naturedly. He waved a long-fingered hand toward the furniture. "Yes, I know. Please, take a seat." Lord Kumosaki folded his tall form into a chair and crossed his leg in a feminine way. He wore a cat's smile and rested his elbow on his bent knee, his chin on his hand. "I don't look sick because I have my own personal medic that received training in your Konoha hospital last year. She staves off most of the degenerative effects of my disease, but I still need to be seen once a year for a more intense remedy. I don't know what I would do without her. I could really use someone like you at my side though."

Naruto's eyes widened and then turned into slits. Suddenly, no longer quite so fond of the lord, he growled inside and said politely, "Sakura is a loyal kunoichi. She wouldn't ever leave Konoha."

"First off," said Sakura carefully, "Naruto, you don't answer for me." She turned to the other man and bowed her head respectfully. "Lord Kumosaki, while I appreciate your offer, I'm afraid I cannot accept. My place is in Konohagakure."

"You know," said Lord Kumosaki thoughtfully as he studied the pink haired medic, "you look like the sort of woman who would beat the hell out of a person and then roll her eyes when he or she dared to whimper."

Startled and unsure of how to reply, Sakura just mumbled, "Umm…"

"Oh don't get me wrong. I like that trait in a woman." The lord looked at the two shinobi and then, catching on to the undercurrents between them, smiled. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "But the offer still stands if you ever want something different."

"Thank you, but I am very happy with my current station." Sakura briskly opened a scroll detailing his medical history and asked him several questions. Afterwards, she reached forward and said, "Now I would like to get your pulse and temperature before we begin your treatment," before placing her fingers on his wrist.

He shook his head, pretending to be hurt. "And here I was hoping you needed an excuse to hold my hand."

Sakura laughed and began to work.

Naruto restlessly paced the room while they were busy. Bored, he tried to engage the guards in conversation, but they stubbornly remained silent. Several minutes passed before the door opened again and another guard entered the room. Naruto's eyes lit up in recognition. It was Shinya, a man he had met during his travels with Jiraya.

He couldn't believe his luck at meeting someone he had once been so fond of. Shinya was his own age and a man much like him. They laughed over the pranks they had pulled over their respective masters. Engrossed in their conversation, they didn't see the door open and the last of Lord Kumosaki's entourage enter the room.

~o~O~o~

Sakura was almost finished with the lord's treatment when the door opened. She wouldn't have paid the woman much attention except for the fact that Lord Kumosaki was eager to introduce them. It was his personal medic. It was hate at first sight.

The woman looked down at her from her insanely tall high heels. Her dress was short enough that if she were to bend over her entire ass would be in view. Sakura stifled a shudder and stared expectantly at her red, shiny lips and waited for the woman to respond to her greeting.

The woman's voice was soft and sexy as she ignored Sakura and glanced around. "I'm looking for Naruto. I heard he was coming here to meet with Lord Kumosaki. Ah! There you are." She flounced over to him, completely ignoring his look of disbelief, and then anger.

"What are you doing here, Yukiko?" He turned to look quickly at Sakura, his jaw hardening. Sakura rolled her eyes and clenched her jaw in annoyance, then turned back to the lord. She gave him a smile that didn't quite meet her eyes and then resumed her treatment.

"I came to see you, baby. It's been too long. I miss you so much. You haven't returned any of my letters." The woman trailed a long painted fingernail down his chest.

"That's because I called things off between us and you know it. Please don't act like there was anything more between us." His voice held none of its usual warmth or exuberance. He moved her finger off him gently but firmly.

The chakra treatment was completed, but she had no desire to move past the fighting couple to go put away her things and wash up. Lord Kumosaki patted the chair next to his and said in a low undertone, "Have a seat my dear. Yukiko is a great little medic, but has quite the flair for the dramatic. One never knows what she's going to do next." His eyes twinkled as he pressed his fingertip to his lip and added, "You may want to have a sedative ready."

She repressed the urge to shush the man as she settled down into a chair next to him and turned to watch the enfolding scene. She definitely won a point for being brave. Besides, she was relieved to know he really wasn't seeing a woman on the side.

"Things were hot between us, Naruto. Come on, can't we just hook up? I'll let you tie me up again." She smiled widely at him. To Sakura it looked like a predator baring its teeth before it lunged. Her teeth were shiny and impossibly white against the sharp red of her lipstick. Was anything on her not perfect?

Naruto unclenched his jaw. "I told you many times before, Yukiko, we're done, forever." He stepped away from her and crossed his arms, then nodded at the front door. "For the last time, just leave me alone."

"Kind of hard to do that when I work for Lord Kumosaki. You're stuck with me." The women's amber eyes almost glowed with an eerie light. She turned and growled at Sakura. (Yeah, actually growled.)

The woman could barely be called a shinobi, but to Sakura, the idea of a fight didn't sound too crazy at that moment. She could take her down…

There had to be a loophole in the mission rules somewhere…

Yukiko pointed at Sakura and said with a glare, "It's this little bitch, isn't it? I heard around the village that you were pity-dating some little girl. You got a thing for losers in fake hair now, Naruto?" She threw her head back and laughed huskily, then sauntered to the front door with her long-legged stride. "What kind of kunoichi has pink hair? And here I thought you liked real women." She punctuated her comment with a cock of her hip. She looked once more at Sakura and gave her a withering glare. "As for you, bitch, Naruto loves women like me not ugly, flat-chested little girls like you."

Ugly, flat-chested little girl? Oh yeah, that bitch is going down!

"Funny," replied Sakura coolly, "but Naruto's known for his loyalty and his will to never give up… so why isn't he with you?"

"Fuck you," Yukiko snarled.

"Thank you so much for that eloquent offer, but while you do have a certain masculine quality in your demeanor and the beginnings of a mustache that any man would envy, you're far too hairy for my tastes. No offense."

Everyone in the room tensed as Yukiko's face burned in embarrassment and anger. Without another word, she turned her back and slammed the door. Even the sound of breathing stopped. Trying to ease the tension, Shinya looked at Naruto and joked, "At least your taste in women has improved."

Sakura turned away from Naruto. She couldn't understand the look he was giving her. She didn't want to know what he was thinking about, or what it looked like he wanted to say. He looked like he wanted to laugh and kill something at the same time. All she knew was that she came off sounding like a jealous harpy… and she didn't like it.

"Let's just go back to the inn," Sakura said, her voice weary and tired. "Lord Kumosaki wants to begin his journey to Konoha as soon as possible."

AN:

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter! So very sorry I haven't updated in a while. I had such a bad case of writers block and I've had to work 6 days a week for the past month... I know, I know - excuses, excuses... I'll try to update sooner!

Just read one I really liked so my recommendation this week is I Tried To Forget You by PagingDoctor502: 10 years after the Fourth Shinobi War, the 6th Hokage still tries to forget their true love.

Ja Ne,

AZFAERYDUST