A/N
Hey there guys, a couple of chapters coming at you soon for both my old and some new stories.
This is gang themed – think Sons of Anarchy for maturity level and content, well maybe not quiet that bad – if it's not up your ally please just don't read it.
Something a little darker, where Sakura has a few more vices and a more complicated history.
If you get confused in the time line of the chapter, it takes place in three-ish stages over two days: The Night before, The Morning, The Night after
Chapter #1
/ The Morning
Sakura sits with her toes hooked around the legs of the bar stool, her elbows heavy on the bar top. It's early. The sun's coming up.
Or late, I guess. For me.
The early morning sun rays hit the windows and shine a bright orange halo around her slouched silhouette. She eyes the glass in front of her. She's never drinking whiskey again after tonight, she already knows this. She grips the glass firmly, then lifts it to her lips and pours it down slow. A feat that used to gross her out, back then. But now she doesn't even taste the liquor as it passes her lips. Just enjoys the burn as the liquid lights a fire down her throat, warming her core.
Ah, well.
She barely lifts her head to take her tab, just signals to Kiba behind the bar by putting her hand out above the bar top as if she might hail a cab to her barstool.
He opens here frequently and lets her in the odd time she finds herself in the neighbour this late. Plus he has a good don't ask don't tell policy that she really appreciates.
She tosses some cash on the counter, and stands with grace even her sensei wouldn't have been able to muster after the amount she's had to drink this morning.
She's sporting a wicked black eye. She pulls her hood up as she heads towards the door. To hide her eye, but mostly to hide her hair. She doesn't want Naruto to know she was here last night. He would worry, and she's got it all under control.
Just some lingering anger issues.
But she has those handled too.
Some of the pain in her head starts to fade as the liquor starts to kick in.
She pulls her phone out and calls a cab. Then she leans back on the brick wall outside the bar and closes her eyes.
It's spitting a little and the mist feels wonderfully cool on her face.
When she gets home, she drags her tired ass into the shower. She's covered in blood and sweat, and not all of it her own. Like hell is she getting into bed this filthy.
Her body is covered in bruises, but there's a sweet soreness in her muscles from the workout.
She moves gingerly as she washes the grim from her hair and under her nails.
Then she dries, and collapses into her bed. The sun has barely come up as she closes her eyes.
/ Earlier the night before
"They're shooting us down like dogs Naruto!" Neji screams.
"You think I don't know that?!" Naruto yells back.
"We need to do something." Neji cries to him. "We can't just wait around."
Naruto takes Neji by the shoulders and meets his eyes.
"We will act. But we have to be smarter than this. I won't lose another teammate." Naruto says. "What happened today was reckless. What the hell were you thinking!?" He pulls Neji in close, trying to meet his eyes.
Neji shakes his head then shrugs himself out of Naruto's hold, turning away.
Head in his hands, Neji slides down against the wall outside of the operating room.
They stay this way in silence as they wait.
Some time later the OR doors open and Sakura comes out, still in light blue operating scrubs.
Naruto leaps up, "How is she?"
"She'll live. But Tenten'll need to be on bed rest for weeks, no ops." Sakura looks at Naruto seriously.
Neji's shoulders tense slightly at the update, but he doesn't lift his head from his hands.
"She's going to be okay, Neji." She says, enunciating each word a little more as if it may reach Neji better somehow.
Then he looks up at Sakura, pinning her with his striking lavender eyes. "What are we going to do? Sak?" He looks distraught. Sakura has never seen him like this.
It almost hurts to watch someone as composed as Neji come apart at the seams.
Two days ago, Hinata was kidnapped. They hadn't even received a ransom request yet.
They knew who was behind it though; and dreaded receiving their demands because they knew it would be something they couldn't willingly give.
Neji keeps his gaze on the ground as he speaks, his hands balled up under his chin. "We'd heard a rumour, from a couple of different sources. It sounded legit!" He looked up at them in despair. "We thought that with just the two of us we could get in and out. But everything went so wrong." His voice breaks. "There were too many of them. We barely got out of their alive."
Sakura sighs, and closes her eyes for a second.
"One of the nurse's will come let you know when she is ready for visitors. Best thing you can do for now is go home and sleep. You won't do her any good like this." Sakura pats Neji on the back as she moves past him.
"Naruto… We should debrief." Sakura pauses at his side. He nods in confirmation, then follows her to her office.
She doesn't start talking until her office door is closed. They'd had this argument before. Each time a little more dire than the last.
They needed help.
They barely new what they were up against and the enemy had one of their own.
They needed to call on their Allies.
/ Later that night
A heavy screech is heard through the old warehouse as the bay door is slid open. The warehouse is just big enough that it could be converted into a garage with a couple two-post car lifts and room for a couple cars to park.
Sasuke lets the door slide the rest of the way from the momentum and he storms past the parked vehicles and into the office where Suijetsu is bent over the desk, with his shirt in pieces on the floor.
He's white as a sheet.
Bright blood pours from his shoulder where Karin fishes around with forceps that glint in the light of the bare bulb hanging from the ceiling. She holds a wad of gauze to the one side, trying to slow the blood loss as best she can while she focuses on the wound.
"Sasuke, help me." She looks up briefly from her work.
"What the fuck happened."
"They fucking shot me that's what!" Suigetsu yells into the table.
"Apply pressure there." Karin directs Sasuke through a sob.
Now that he stands closer to her he can see her face is covered in tears. There's blood spatter all over her.
"Karin." He commands her attention back as Suigetsu moans in pain.
"We were on a round. Everything was routine. They came out of NO where." She chokes another sob down as she looks back down at her forceps.
She takes another pair in her left hand and opens up the bullet wound so she can see more clearly.
"Got it." She drops the bullet onto the table with a shaky huff.
Suigetsu is unusually silent. A tribute to the pain he's in.
She picks up a bottle of vodka and pours some over his shoulder, Suigetsu comes to life hissing and curls into himself resting his forehead on the desk.
"What no warning?" He moans in complaint.
"Shut it." She says with no heart, reaching out to run her hand over his hair in a soothing gesture. Then she hands him the bottle she holds, letting him take a big swig of the stuff before passing it back.
"We were checking the warehouse on Clappison's Corner." She elaborates now that Suigetsu is stable. "They were waiting for us." She adds angrily.
The three of them look up at the sound of a bike's engine roaring up then quieting to a purr as it comes to a stop outside.
"I'll stitch 'im up." Karin says quietly.
Sasuke walks out of the office, navigating the cars absently until he walks out the bay door to the alley way.
Konoha's industrial sector.
Idling outside the bay doors is a sleek black motorbike with a slim rider dressed head to toe in tight leather.
The female kicks out the stand and kills the motor. Then she gracefully swings herself off the bike. She pulls off her helmet and runs her hand through her hair, resting the helmet under her arm.
She looks to Sasuke, with eyes that strike Sasuke's heart with ice. He's never seen her look at him this way. Like a stranger. They're dark too, but not from coal liner. Lack of sleep perhaps?
"Orochimaru is coming for us." Her voice is gravely when she speaks.
Then she pauses, waiting to see if Sasuke will say something. She waits so long it makes his skin itch, but he refrains from showing any reaction.
"You won't be far behind." She tries to hide how much his lack of reaction is pissing her off, but her eyebrow twitches. Just once.
"Jiraiya is dead. Shot down in our own streets, and they have Hinata. She's been missing for over 48 hours." She continues, this is her Hail Mary. Nobody outside the inner circle knows any of this.
Still nothing from him. Bastard.
"I don't know what dirty coward-ish deal you made with him to get yourself here, but don't fool yourself. His word doesn't mean shit." She speaks softly, but she spits the words like acid at him. "He'll come for you, same as us. And by then it'll be too late for anyone."
"We don't think he's working alone this time." She adds as an afterthought, turning from him. Showing him that he is still a lost cause to her; an after thought. Pretending that coming here had been just to warm him, a courtesy and not the desperate hope for aid that it was. Had been. Before she had looked into his empty eyes and wondered what the hell she was even doing here.
"Did anyone see you after you passed the border"" He asks her, abruptly ending the topic.
"You're routes haven't changed." She says in answer.
A cry echoes through the bay doors; Karin had started to pull the stitches through.
Sakura raises an eyebrow in the general direction of the garage then looks to Sasuke.
"Or maybe he's already here for you." She says haughtily, eyebrow arched high.
Without another word Sakura turns around and walks back to her bike. It's hard for her not to offer her help, though she knows Naruto's cousin is a perfectly capable medic herself.
She pulls her short hair into a quick braid, a redundant habit, the wind always pulls it out anyways. Then she yanks her helmet over her head and pulls on her gloves. She mounts her bike with the same strong elegant movements as she dismounted, and turns the key. She flicks the lights off as soon as the engine ignites.
That is a beautiful machine, Sasuke thinks, though he's careful to keep his face blank as he scans it over.
She had always been a natural with motors, even if she had chosen a different calling in the end.
She hits the kick stand up with her heel and cranks the wheel to turn around and get back to the road. Before she lets go of the clutch, Sasuke takes a few steps over to her. "Take Route 5 out. Avoid Clappison's Corner." He advises.
She nods.
Then she opens her fist and the bike takes off out of the alleyway.
She takes Route 5 nearly the whole way out of the District, finally entering neutral territory when she merges onto the highway; leaving the old Uchiha compound behind her.
The wind is roaring in her ears, it's late and no one else is on the road. She's a ghost on the wind tonight.
It's not long before she's exiting the highway and pulling up into the city core. Rita's isn't far now.
Another confrontation with Naruto is inevitable now, best get it over with.
Later That Night / Before The Morning
She spits a mouthful of blood on the ground.
She leans into the rock wall of the fighting pit, her hand going to her jaw. She gives it a crack to each side, holding it gingerly.
Damn it. Brute made me bite my tongue that time.
She pushes off the wall and stumbles a little to the side from the sudden head rush.
She lets her head drop low as she focuses on her opponent, bringing her fists back up.
They circle each other, neither fighting in their first round tonight.
Was this the semi-finals of the night? She didn't care enough to pay attention. She just needed to hit something. The hits she took in return just reminded her she was alive and present. Physical pain took the edge of the chaos running through her brain; no shortage of that lately.
The Baron's wasn't the kind of place she ended up at often. It was a bar that attracted the scum of the city, upstairs you could find pool tables, but below? The pit was famous in underbelly of Konoha. Big money was pulled in from the bets on these brawls. Done right it could be fast cash, but she'd stopped fighting professionally a long time ago.
Her opponent's a bigger guy, weird looking face and hulking shoulders. His lip's bloody and swollen from an early fight. And he's favouring his right foot, looks like his left twisted something nasty earlier. Her speed would be her biggest advantage here.
He tenses early, giving her lots of time to counter as he lunges forward, aiming to bash her face in with his fist. Arrogant move. Arrogant man. She was always underestimated. No matter that her hair made it hard not to recognize her, and she carried quite a rep around here.
With ease she ducks under his swinging arm and aims a harsh kick to his bad ankle. He stumbles, backing up slightly as he tries to regain his footing. He turns fast, careful not to leave his back open to her as she advances forward. Predatory. Lethal.
He brings his hands up too high to defend his face leaving his core open, she takes a fast step and swings her knee up into his ribs effectively knocking the wind out of him.
As he collapses in on himself coughing she follows up with fast shallow punches to his face. He must be seeing stars by now. She takes a step back and swings her leg around using her body weight to build momentum on the swing before making contact with his side. He falls hard, unable to catch himself.
When he doesn't get back up immediately the ref begins to count down.
The defeat is swift.
The ring master hops down into the pit with them and pulls Sakura up straighter, lifting her arm in the air.
"And your WINNER!"
The rest is white noise in her ears as they pull her up out of the pit. They wipe her down and give her drink of some nasty liquor that passes for booze here while another pair matches off below.
Then she's in another match.
She never loses, but the crowd loves her for the show she puts on. It's never a dull fight when Sakura's involved.
She leaves that night a couple hundred dollars richer, and so stiff that she knows it'll be at least a few days before she can ride again.
Kiba open's today, she thinks. Could use another drink.
His bar isn't far.
/ The Night After
Sakura rolls over in her bed to look at the time.
7:00 PM flashes in red numbers on the screen next to her.
Fuuuuck. She groans as she sits up and swings her legs over the side of the bed.
Her vision goes blurry as the blood rushes from her head, tingling in her toes.
She grabs her cell, the screen covered in texts from Naruto and Ino about a meeting tonight at the main house.
Her mouth is so dry even the glass of water she chugs from her night side table can't wash out the feeling of cotton.
She gets up slowly, walking to her bathroom to pop some Advil right away. Then she sets about pulling on clothes.
She brushes her teeth, attempts to comb her hair then gives up when it aggravates her already pounding head. Tossing the brush on the bed, she opts to run her fingers roughly through it instead.
She grabs a coffee from her keurig then slides a large pair of dark shades over her eyes before she heads out the door; coffee, bagel and bag balanced in her one hand as she locks the door behind her.
She walks to Ino's, about half way to the main house, and let's herself inside.
"Hey!" She yells in as she kicks her shoes off at the door, pushing her sunglasses up onto her head.
Ino comes out from her bedroom and comes to an abrupt halt.
"You look like shit babe."
Sakura just snorts and drops down onto the couch. "That's an understatement," she grumbles back.
"You at the Baron's again?" Ino asks as she resumes cleaning up after dinner. "Thai food?" She pauses to offer Sakura a take out container.
Sakura shakes her head in response to Ino's offer.
While Ino tidies Sakura answers her question. "Yeah. Late entry. I went to the Uchicha district last night."
"Naruto know?" She asked after a moment of deliberation.
"Saw him after."
Ino winced, "Ah. Shit. And?"
"He's worried. I mean we're all worried." Sakura replied glumly.
"And how is our ex-hubby?" Ino jokes without any real humour. Her face sour.
"Still arrogantly attractive." Sakura looks unimpressed.
"That bastard." Ino laughs wickedly.
"What did he think?" She asks. No need to voice what she's referring to.
"He had nothing to say! Just showed me the way out basically." Sakura huffed. "I did overhear something though, sounds like Suijetsu might've been injured."
"And he didn't say anything about it to you?!" Ino says heatedly.
"I didn't really ask." Sakura shrugs. "He made it clear he didn't want my help when he left." Sakura sweeps her arms out for emphasis.
"Yeah, still waiting to hear what the fuck that was about." Ino looks pointedly at Sakura.
"Not yet Ino," She sighs, then leans forward on her knees. "I don't want to talk about that yet."
"Okay okay babe, whenever you're ready you know I'll be here. But dude, it's been nearly a year. You really know how to keep a girl in suspense." Ino shakes her head at her. "Well, it's nearly time should we head out?" She asks Sakura.
"Yeah," Sakura groans as she stands up, "Let's go."
/ The Morning
3:42AM
Maybe: Naruto Uzumaki
We need to meet. You will have safe passage along Northshore Road from 2-4PM tomorrow afternoon. Come to Rita's.
First a surprise visit from Sakura, then a message from Naruto all in the same night?
This deemed some time to look into. They hit the road when the sun is high to drive to downtown Konoha. The route was familiar, he had driven it nearly every day when he had started dating Sakura in high school. He's not sure how that makes him feel, but he can't deny there is something comforting in old habits.
Suigetsu drives with him, despite Karin's protests. Her and Judo sit quietly in the back.
His shoulder is wrapped up properly now, his hand is secured to his opposite shoulder in a tight sling. He has a jacket slung over his shoulders since he can't fit the dressings through the sleeve. He puts on a show, but Sasuke can see how pale he still is from the loss of blood last night.
Staring down the barrel of the enemy in a fight you know you can't win usually leaves one pretty shaken too.
When they pull around the corner to the main base of the Hidden Leaf one of the garage doors begins to open, Sasuke pulls smoothly through into the garage it reveals.
It closes behind them.
He kills the engine, and steps out of the car. His team follows suit.
Naruto walks out from a back room to meet them in the car bay.
"Sasuke." He nods solemnly. "Hebi." He acknowledges the gang members behind him. "Thank you for coming. Let's head inside." He gestures for them to follow him up the grate stairs that lead out of the garage and into the second floor.
The move into bar area upstairs, the business front to the main house. Closed right now in the early hours of the afternoon.
Naruto passes behind the bar and pulls down a bottle of Woodford Reserve, pouring a splash into a handful of glasses and handing one to each of the Hebi members. Then he takes one himself and takes a seat at the head of a nearby table. Shikamaru and Tsunade are already waiting there.
Sasuke acknowledges both Shikmaru and Tsunade respectfully as he sits at the other side of the table.
"No Sakura?" Suigestu wonders aloud. "Curious." He pretends to be preoccupied looking at the light reflecting off the liquid in his glass as Sasuke sends him a sharp glare.
Naruto ignores him altogether and addresses Sasuke instead.
"Listen, I know Sakura warned you last night. She went against orders, we wanted more information. But the truth of the matter is that were in over our heads Sasuke." Naruto jumps right into things, "And I don't believe we're alone in feeling this way."
"Orochimaru started interrupting shipments about six months ago, we've kept a close eye on Sound since the fallout. Thought we had put him down for good back then, y'know?" He continued.
"Things went quiet again for a little while, but then they started coming after civs. Robbing businesses; people out on the streets! New drugs on the streets laced with all sorts of lethal shit." Naruto is getting more heated as he goes on.
"Then, a few nights ago they got Hinata." His voice cracks for a moment. "Took her right from our own home."
"They were making a point, Sasuke." Tsunade finally speaks up. "They've suddenly gained a whole bunch of momentum seemingly from nowhere. There's no one they can't get too."
"They've crossed a line attacking civilians. And breaching your own place…." Sasuke scoffs in disgust. "Have you heard any demands for Hinata yet?"
"Not yet." Shikamaru answers. "We're confident they will make demands though. It's only a matter of time."
"They're playing a waiting game. Trying to make you desperate." Sasuke agrees. "Someone's been selling something new in the District too, I've had a few people on it for months now with no results. No direct attacks until last night though. Interesting that whoever's backing Orochimaru is getting far more confident."
"You were attacked last night?" Tsunade confirms with Sasuke.
"Suigetsu was." Sasuke nods his head to his left. "At one of our warehouses."
"Can you tell us more?" Shikamaru prompts Suijetsu.
"Not much really." Suigetsu grimaces. "The guy came up behind me, tried to get the drop on me but I heard 'im. I turned around at the last moment. We fought for a sec, then he shot me through the shoulder and he was gone."
"Then Karin was there, half draggin my ass out to the car while they tried to shot us the hell up." He finished. "Brand was clear as day on his collar bone though... Same insignia as last time."
A serious silence overtakes the room.
"Both direct attacks all in a few days." Judo murmurs. "That's very bold."
"A direct attack requires an immediate response. They must see our strength." Karin beseeches Sasuke. "I want to put a bullet in the asshole who shot Suigetsu myself." She seethes.
"First things first, we need to know where their money's coming from. We disassembled Hidden Sound when we took down Orochimaru. He's not working this alone. Someone must be backing him financially." Shikamaru brings everyone up to speed. "I've got a few leads to follow up on for now. I'll brief you with the rest of the gang this evening."
"Can we count on you to fight this with us brother?" Naruto stands and leans into the table, eyes focused with determination. He reaches his hand out to Sasuke.
Sasuke stands. Silently he reaches his hand out to grasp Naruto's forearm, Naruto closes his hand on Sasukes arm in return. They shake. The deal is made.
"Meetings at 9 tonight. Stick around here and Rita will fix you up something for dinner." Tsunade tells Hebi.
"Who's Rita?" Sasuke looks at her curiously. He had always assumed the bar was under Tsunade's name.
"No one. Rita doesn't exist." Naruto rolls his eyes as Tsunade leaves the room cackling. She never did warm up to Sasuke. "One of the servers will take care of you, on the house." He salutes him half heartedly as he heads out himself.
"Ehh I have nothing to do in the meantime either. Pint Sasuke? For old times sake?" Shikamaru whines from the bar where he has relocated himself to a stool by the taps. He grabs a glass from the other side of the bar and pushes the draft tap from where he sits, filling his glass with something dark that Sasuke has no interest in.
He looks to his team, and gestures for them to find something for themselves to do in the mean time while they wait to attend this meeting. Then he pulls a chair out next to Shikamaru.
"If I can raid your scotch collection." Sasuke agrees.
/ Later That Night
Sasuke follows Shikamaru through the base to the group's gym. It's stocked well enough, he spent his fair share of time here when he was Hidden Leaf. He eyes some of their newer equipment with envy as he passes. Equipping the gym has been pretty far down on his roster since taking up his position in the District.
A group of people have already gathered by the windows on the far side. Immediately among them he can see her pink head. She's impossible to miss; like a fucking siren.
She stands next to Ino, somehow looking beautiful and like absolute shit at the same time. Is that a black eye? He wonders what the hell she got up to after visiting him at 2 in the bloody morning last night before showing up for this meeting less than 24 hours later.
Her short pink hair is artfully messy, like she might've just rolled out of bed. Looks like she's tried to hide it with a ball cap pulled low over her forehead. She leans back against the old-style heaters on the wall; Her legs stretch on forever, clad in tight black athletic leggings. In her typical style, she's wearing a black sports bra with an unzipped hoodie hanging off her shoulders, showing off her small waist and subtle abs peaking out from under the high waist band of her leggings.
There's a discoloration across her collar bone that looks like a smattering of nasty bruises. That and the black eye eh. His mind is already subconsciously going down the list of causes. He can't help his curiosity when it comes to her. Never could.
When he and Naruto come close enough to garner their attention the group quiets down. Tsunade and the rest file in from behind them to join, filling the rest of the semi-circle they'd formed with Hidden Leaf across the turf area of the gym.
Sasuke watches as Ino whispers something to Sakura, her head immediately whips up and her eyes search the room. Her gaze finally settles on Sasuke, though she doesn't reveal any emotion as she holds his gaze. Is she happy he's here? Pissed that he didn't come with her last night? That is one hell of a black eye she has. Damn.
"Hidden Leaf." Naruto calls everyone to attention.
"Hebi has joined our efforts to combat this new enemy on our horizon. We will be working closely with them." He says by way of introduction, not that there is a single person here who doesn't know Sasuke personally from his days here.
"We've gotta couple of matters to address tonight. Might as well start with what's on all our minds right now… Hinata was taken from our home two nights ago!" he shouts, "Finding her is our top priority. We will not rest until she is safe. Not until we put a bullet through the head of every single man and woman involved in taking her." His eyes shine with grief, but he steams ahead. Second. We need to find out who is funding this son of a bitch. There must be a money trail, and we should be able to follow that to source. Then cut it the hell off. In the meantime I will also reach out to our Allies. Hidden Sand for starters."
"Shikamaru will be leading the financial team." Naruto looks to his advisor.
"Tsnuade, Sai and I will follow the trail." Shikamaru confirms.
Naruto nods. "I'll be overseeing the rescue mission. Neji," He meets Neji's gaze from where he stands in the back. "I want to assign you point on this. I know how personally involved you are. Level with me. Are you up to it?"
Neji ducks his chin firmly, "I won't make the same mistakes again. Thank you captain."
"Good. Ino?" He turns to face her on the far side of the room next to Sakura.
"Yes Cap." She nods.
"Kakashi?"
He nods. "Sir."
"Kiba? Shino?"
"Hell yeah." Kiba growls. Shino nods.
Naruto steps aside to gesture for Sasuke to jump in the conversation.
"Judo can assist with finance. Karin and Suigetsu will help find Hinata." Sasuke assigns his team.
Naruto looks to his second, "Sakura, I need to stay in the city. As my second, will you go to Sand in my place?"
"Yeah." She nods. She's had a good relationship with Sand since saving the President's brother a few years past. Gaara and Naruto were like brothers once, but if they weren't feeling the same pressure that Leaf and Hebi were… Gaara wouldn't jump into an arms race lightly.
Naruto steels himself for what he's about to say, Sakura can see it clear on his face. She knows that face better than her own. Her mind catches up just before he begins to speak again.
"Sasuke?" He asks. She holds her breath.
"Hn." He answers. Not much, but Naruto and Sakura both know what he means.
She blows her breath out all at once. To hell with it anyways. Leaf came first, personal feelings aside. Of course Naruto knew that. She knew that. So why can she feel her eyes burning as she holds back tears? She blinks harshly. It must be this hangover, making her emotional. Lives depend on her actions day in and day out, every. day. This was no different, she can put her feelings aside.
It was going to feel a hell of a lot longer driving to Suna trapped in a vehicle with Sasuke.
She can feel Ino squeeze her arm in support.
"Good." Naruto nods to himself, looking anywhere but at Sakura. "We'll need representation from both groups."
"I'll give them a heads up to expect you." Tsunade pipes in before leaving the room to draft the necessary messages. Ever since Naruto's taken up her place as President she's hung around to help him with the politics and admin. If there was one person who was worse suited for paperwork than Tsunade had been, it was Naruto.
"Okay, meet with your Captains. Captains, keep me posted. The rest of you," Naruto looks to the full room of Hidden Leaf members, "Stick around. I'll brief you on new security protocols, we're adding new routes, reforming teams in groups of three now… there's a lot to cover. Anko, have you got my report on your new findings on this Lux drug?" He continued on as the new teams dispersed from the pack to work on their individual tasks.
Sasuke sticks around for the rest of the meeting, he keeps quiet for the most part; trying to be respectful of the fact that days ago any one of these people were under orders to shoot him on site and that this was weird for everybody. He spends a good portion of the briefing planning the changes he'll make to Hebi's routes the moment he returns to the District tonight. An increase in security was a necessity at this point… Especially to crew families in light of Hinata. He worries briefly for Sakura's safety as VP, and old habit. Her safety's not his responsibility anymore; Sakura would say it never had been. But he knows better than anyone, in any fight Sakura's far more likely to walk away. He pities the fool that comes after her.
By the time Naruto concludes the meeting the sun has long gone down. Members linger around afterwards to chat with their President and to clarify their new duties.
Sasuke takes lazy strides toward the exit, not waiting on a dismissal from his host.
He is a fucking Captain himself now, after all, and tomorrow was going to be another long day.
He clears the doorway and she falls in step with him easily. He recognizes her scent before he sees her. Hears her.
She smells like that stupid expensive Moroccan shampoo she insists on using. Never any perfume though, that's where the hospital drew the line he guessed. Something about a 'low scent policy' he remembers.
"Glad to see you here." She says, following him down the hall. Though by his account, she looks anything but happy to see him here.
"Thank you, for the warning." He tries to swallow his pride a little. It was a long drive to Suna; longer, if they had to spend it on bad terms.
"It's about four hours to Suna, without traffic." Sakura changes the subject, but he suspects a smug smirk on her face. "What time do you wanna head out?"
"10AM?" He suggests.
"Sure." She shrugs. "Meet here?"
"Hn."
Hopefully she didn't suffer any delusion that she would be driving.
He would be driving.
AN/
Let me know what you think of this! I read a few gang themed fics before I got into writing that were awesome (find em in my favourites, like seriously AWESOME), but they never seem to get finished! So that desire to hear the rest of those fics brought me here after the boyfriend and I starting to watch Sons of Anarchy the other day. This chapter nearly wrote itself. Is it something anyone would want to read more of..?
I tried to manipulate the timeline to create some intrigue in what was otherwise going to be a relatively dull chapter. Did it work or is it confusing as heck PLEASE LEMME KNOW
On COVID-19 self-isolation/social distancing for a few weeks now thanks to working in the service industry so I hope to get lots of writing done ! Prompts? Anybody? Do people still do those on here? (On day 8 of 30 here in iso folks).
Fun fact I also hate TITLING my stories. So if anyone's got a good name that they would like to share please do!
(Another chapter of A Different Take should be up in the next few days!)