Several hours later, Sakura's reservations about working with Pein had dissipated in the face of a fascinating discussion of Root mind-control and how far their reach spread outside of Konoha. Itachi had excused himself quietly about one hour in, as he had a scheduled training session to go to. Sakura had let him go with a stern medic's warning not to strain himself too hard, before switching modes once again to continue explaining the consequences and implications of the orphan recruitment law Danzo had put in place.
Once she got over her intimidation, Pein was a sharp, brilliant mind to work with, a master tactician- Shikamaru himself would have been impressed with the sheer knowledge his information network had brought him.
In the course of their discussion, Pein had cast off his high-collared akatsuki cloak, revealing a simple grey long-sleeved shirt which he had rolled up at the sleeves. Sakura's eyes had roved briefly along the strong column of his throat, his defined forearms marked by piercings at the wrist, and the messy hair lending him an air of relaxed competence, before her attention was once again fully engulfed by his acerbic dissection of the village military complex.
He was genuinely passionate about peace, too- his ideas about accountability of leaders and a checks-and-balances system of government seemed insane and unrealistic at first, but the longer they debated, the more they made sense. Strange, perhaps, for the leader of a criminal organization- but from what she had seen, it was far from the authoritarian criminal gang she had expected. It seemed everyone had a voice, had a chance to state their opinion, had the right to refuse a mission on personal grounds (after ANBU's nightmare-inducing modus operandi, this was a shock to Sakura). The organization even had some of its own rules for mission acceptance- no children could be involved, barring shinobi, though even in the case of underage nin, there was a strict no-killing policy.
It was maddening to realize that a borderline-terrorist group possessed more humane values than the so-called 'nice village'.
Sakura was listening to an impassioned speech about the need for stronger civilian representation in the government when there was a knock on the door and Pein's entire demeanor transformed. She hadn't even realized how relaxed and animated he had let himself be before he reigned it in to his usual serene mask, as he called out a measured, "enter."
The man that entered was covered head to toe with an Akatsuki cloak, the hood up, and all Sakura could see were two acid-green pinpricks of light from beneath, lending him a rather sinister image. Then he spoke- and she got goosebumps for a different reason.
"I have finished the reports for this quarter, Pein-sama. Mission completion rate was 95%, up 10% from the last, which has increased our credibility with clients. I would recommend a price raise of 3% for future missions- start with 5% and let them bargain us down."
The words were mostly meaningless to Sakura, but the voice...lightly accented, aristocratic and deep, it sounded like velvet on chocolate, if such an association could be made. It made her shiver and something deep inside stretched and purred for a different reason than political games.
Sakura frowned; she hadn't had such a visceral reaction to a mere voice before. Huh- she hadn't even seen the man and was already feeling some attraction. Inner snickered at her frustration unsympathetically for all of two seconds before Sakura shoved the feeling at her again- that strange hunger could not be more inconvenient now! Even as Inner's efforts sedated the beast temporarily, she knew she had to escape before Pein's too-perceptive eyes caught something, if they hadn't already. It was late, anyway.
She stood, and bowed to Pein. "It seems you have a new visitor- I will think on the subject some more and compile a list of those who are genuinely loyal to him. Tomorrow is Wednesday- would you like me to come by?" She could feel the unknown shinobi's gaze drilling a hole in the side of her head, no doubt curious as to who she was.
Pein inclined his head in affirmation, but as she turned to leave, he called, off-hand, "Perhaps I should also make introductions now, to avoid any more...misunderstandings." Having interacted with him for several hours, Sakura could hear the laughter in his voice and barely restrained a scowl in his direction. He shot her an amused glance that told her he was not fooled and continued, "Sakura-san, this is Kakuzu, my third in command, the man in charge of all the finances of the organization. Kakuzu, this is Haruno Sakura, our new medic and team member."
Sakura gave a bow to the shinobi, hoping this meeting would go better than the one with Sasori earlier.
When she raised her gaze back up at him, he had removed his hood, and she barely suppressed a gasp- his entire face was criss-crossed with scars, and the deep-set, hooded eyes gleamed at her with a sinister green light. Beyond that, though...he had sharp, sculpted cheekbones with a foreign slant, a curved, generous mouth, and the particular bearing of an aristocrat of old. He was not beautiful, not like Itachi or Hidan. Yet there was something oddly appealing about the curves of his face- features that might have been too deep-set and harsh individually combining in the sort of peculiar symmetry that made one want to stare in fascination.
Sakura resisted this temptation with, in her mind, great restraint. The aloofness in his bearing that seemed as much a perpetual part of him as the calculating eyes he could not hide, indicated that he would not welcome such attention from anyone, much less a stranger.
As she mused on this insight, those sharp eyes looked her over speculatively and that voice- gods, that voice - rolled over her again, deceptively casual.
"It would seem you are also a new tactician, if the conversation I overheard was any indication. I would say it is a pleasure to meet you, but that remains to be seen- avoid making this organization suffer any financial losses, and I believe we will have a...fruitful relationship." Impossible to notice was his unspoken implication that should she fail in this, he would make her stay here become far from pleasant. Still- Sakura was raised by a merchant family, and so was familiar with this financially-obsessed type.
She gave a smile in answer that was just as sharp and predatory as any loan shark, now familiar with pushing back the wave of heat he had rolled through her body- even if it was, oddly, his voice rather than touch or sight that had inspired this reaction.
"Duly noted, Kakuzu-san," she replied sweetly, and began walking out.
Just before she opened the door, she looked back and met his green gaze head-on. "If you are looking to raise mission prices, try the land of Iron first- from what I recall, they are the trend-setters currently for taking new business, and Pein-sama said you haven't dealt there much due to the distance. If you win them over, however, and show them the success rate, higher as it is than many hidden villages, the Land of Waterfall, Sound, and the Land of Hot Water will follow their lead. Their ties to Konoha are weaker than ever, and their own shinobi are poorly trained- they will be more willing to pay more for successful missions during this time of instability. Earth, meanwhile, where you have been more active, is about to experience an inflation bout from their recent failed coup, and will be unlikely to pay more."
Kakuzu had started looking over his papers and comparing numbers immediately, while Pein gave a bark of laughter behind him- a sound that cut off with the door closing as Sakura slipped out of the room before anything else could go wrong. Leaning back against the wood for a second, she breathed out a shaky sigh.
Challenging Kakuzu in his own area of expertise might have been risky- but she couldn't stand being underestimated. And it seemed to have paid off, or else she would have been scoffed right out of the room. She firmly ignored Inner's voice in her head cackling over wanting to impress the strangely attractive man.
Navigating the corridors, which were in night mode now with the lights dimmer (which she assumed helped keep their internal clocks when forced to stay inside this labyrinth for extended periods of time) without a guide was tricky but she followed the few markers she thought she recognized until she finally reached the familiar door of her room.
Sakura closed the door behind her, and rested her head against it in the dark...then thumped her forehead a few times to get those thoughts out of her head.
Today's encounter with Sasori, Pein's threads of manipulation, Kakuzu's unspoken threat- these were all testament to the fact that she couldn't relax here too soon, no matter what feelings these men inspired.
And oh what feelings they were, unprecedented and wild. (Even Sasori, with his angelic face and arrogant, off-hand appreciation of her- was that why she didn't chakra-charge her fist when she punched him? Callous as his words had been, he reminded her of Sai a bit, in his speech and manner).
But what could she do? Kisame...that man had a gift for pulling down her walls, his gentle earnestness so effective against any self-delusions she might have had about whether he, and Deidara and Hidan, were important to her. Itachi, with his reserved demeanor and surprisingly expressive eyes, and that kiss, followed by that moment in the hallway…he'd clearly wormed his way into her heart while she wasn't looking. Tobi's intense, high-handed alter-ego that had surprised her almost as much as his respect for her boundaries, and the orange-masked nin's own endearingly childish protectiveness of her made her want to curl up around him and protect him from the world. Pein with his surprising idealism and brilliant mind, Kakuzu's voice- even the thoughts of them made that inner hunger stretch its claws across her belly, a painful emptiness clenching in her core that had been only barely soothed by Kisame's mouth and fingers that morning.
Lost in thought, she made her way through the dim room to the ensuite bathroom, turned on the light there and climbed into the shower. The cool stream hardly helped her heated thoughts, and Sakura gave in with a groan.
She switched the water setting to a few degrees above her own body temperature, leaned her head back into the stream and relaxed her iron hold on the hunger.
The strength of it roaring through her entire being startled her- her nipples tightened, blood rushed south and her mind was filled with the images of the beautiful men around her. Itachi's clever, capable hands and deeply expressive eyes, Kisame's hungry smile and steadying touch, Tobi's intoxicating scent and hidden dangers, Hidan and his reckless abandon, Deidara's sensuality, Kakuzu's voice, Pein's wit...her mind couldn't pick just one thing to focus on, fusing all these impressions into one hot image that only fed her arousal.
Sakura gasped as she stroked her breast with a hand that almost moved of its own volition- as she plucked a nipple, she felt the echoing thrill shoot straight down to her center, which she now realized was throbbing, aching to be filled. There was no time for foreplay- her hand delved straight through her trimmed pink pubic hair and reached the little nub.
As soon as she touched it, she exploded into orgasm, a shocked little gasp escaping her lips and echoing through the steamy room. She rode out the first wave, which did nothing but fan the flames of her arousal. Rubbing steadily now, she teased out a second quick orgasm right after the first, picturing, guiltily, Tobi's full lips closing around her finger the previous day. The relief was fleeting- a new wave of hunger tore through her, her soaked entrance clenching futilely and feeling emptier than ever.
Desperately, Sakura shoved three fingers at once into her core, her own slick lubrication making her way inside obscenely easy. Pressing hard and rhythmically against her g-spot, she ground the heel of her hand into her own clit, and choked her moan by biting down on her fist as the next orgasm rolled through her. This one provided more relief than the previous one, but that, too, lasted for all of ten seconds before a new wave or arousal threatened to make her mindless with need.
Inner! She called desperately, curling a fourth finger into herself and relishing the sensation of fullness even as she could tell it wasn't enough.
Sakura had never been much prone to masturbating- mostly as stress relief, bringing herself off quickly within a few minutes to sleep easier, doing it even less after those failed sexual experiences in Konoha. Then, on the run, there hadn't been much chance, and last night she'd been exhausted after the near-death experience. This was her first time indulging herself since her 'beast', as she called it, had awoken following that fateful night with Deidara, Hidan and Kisame.
Inner didn't respond, and Sakura felt a flash of worry that was eclipsed by yet another orgasm ripping a moan from her throat- and suddenly the bathroom door was flung open, and killing intent filled the room.
This, combined with the temporary relief from the orgasm, allowed Sakura a break from her needy haze long enough to recognize Kakuzu from earlier, who was gaping at her face from above the low-hanging shower curtain in what was likely an uncharacteristic shock from the doorway of the bathroom. He dropped his killing intent from what she distantly registered must be more from confusion than a genuine feeling that she was not a threat.
"What are you doing in my bathroom?" Sakura could only ask dumbly.
Kakuzu's confusion seemed to only deepen. "I believe I should be asking you that question, Sakura-san," he replied slowly, as if speaking to an imbecile.
Sakura furrowed her brow, then took a look around the room and paled in dread. Her own bathroom held just her toothbrush and toothpaste from her travel pack, bare as the room of someone who had only just moved in. This one was structured identically to her own, but now that she was in a clearer state of mind, she saw shaving utensils and unfamiliar toiletries lined up on the bathroom sink.
She closed her eyes in mortification; she'd come to the wrong room.
Kakuzu must have come to the same conclusion, for his stance relaxed, and his voice took on a drawling, mocking quality. "I suppose I am flattered by the attention, Sakura-san. I hadn't realized I had made such a distinct impression as to warrant this sort of...visit." His tone was ironic, possessing the distinct quality of one made for inducing embarrassment in schoolchildren.
The effect it had on Sakura was strikingly opposite: the clench around her fingers made her realize that she had never removed them from her pussy during this whole interaction. And this realization in turn made the desire, which had been lingering in the periphery of her attention, flare to life stronger than ever, making her stifle a gasp as her fingers curled involuntarily within her. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to will the sensation away, aware of a red-hot blush stealing up her cheeks and Kakuzu standing a mere few feet away.
When she opened them again, having willed herself into, at the very least, not moving, he was looking at her with consternation.
"No reply? Normally this is the part where you run screaming from the scarred monster," he murmured. His matter-of-fact tone as he called himself that succeeded in pulling more of Sakura's attention towards the situation at hand.
"...monster?" she got out, confused- as far as she could tell, the only monster here was her, having broken in, invaded his privacy and even- her cheeks burned with shame- unable to stop touching herself and leave like a normal person should when caught in such a mistake.
Kakuzu was looking at her now with some suspicion- "You disagree, Sakura-sensei? Tell me," and here he moved closer, a defiant provocation for her to scream and run from his proximity- perhaps he was baffled that she hadn't done so already. Instead, she tried not to blush or move towards him as he approached her naked, vulnerable form barely hidden by the flimsy shower curtain, snarling, "look me in the eye, and tell me you're not repulsed by this face."
This close, Sakura could trace the lines of his scars, criss-crossing his face and all the visible olive skin on display in a strangely mesmerizing pattern. His poisonous green eyes were deep-set and hooded, his cheekbones a sharp slash that worked as a contrast to his unexpectedly generous, sensual mouth, currently twisted in a defiant grimace.
"Now would be the time to run, little kunoichi," he murmured softly, viciously.
"Stop. Talking," Sakura gritted out, trying not to give her arousal away, for him to just leave , or better yet, put that acidic, gorgeous mouth to better use. The thought sent another bolt of heat through her body, and she clamped down on a gasp.
Kakuzu's eyes burned with furious offense at her words. He took a step back, face turning cold. "Telling me to be quiet, in my own quarters. Tell me, Sakura-sensei, is this your idea of endearing yourself to a new colleague? I can't say it will bring me much sadness to inform Pein-sama that his new tactician is woefully lacking in basic manners."
Every word coming out of that cruel mouth became softer and more precise in his anger, to the point that by the end he was nearly purring.
With a final burst of desperation, Sakura gritted her eyes tightly and ground out, "Please. Just-leave."
She opened them again, to see him closer than ever before, a furrow of confusion in his forehead. His sharp eyes, no longer quite so furious, roved over her face.
Sakura's mouth parted at his proximity, her pupils overblown from arousal, and it took everything she had not to move her fingers even as her channel flexed against them.
As he catalogued the unmistakable signs of arousal, the defensiveness turned into genuine surprise.
His mouth opened, shut, then opened again- he licked his lips in an uncharacteristic display of uncertainty, and said in an entirely different voice, "Sakura-sensei, are you quite alright?"
The words tipped the scale in the war raging through Sakura between her body and mind.
Her fingers twitched inside her channel, and that was enough to send a new tidal wave of orgasm through her.
Sakura gave a hoarse cry, shuddering, and her knees finally gave out. There was a clatter of the shower rod, and before she could hit the floor, Sakura found herself supported in the arms of Kakuzu.
His face was frozen, glancing down at where her fingers were still invading her own body, then up at her flushed face and blown pupils. He paid no mind to his cloak getting wet from the shower spray, the shower curtain laying torn and tangled by their side.
A small part of Sakura that was still lucid burned from the flames of embarrassment, but a much larger part was relieved that someone had finally come who could take care of this burning hunger. Her compromise between the two was staying unmoving in his arms- not retreating, but not pressing in, either.
Rising quickly, Sakura held bridal-style in his arms, Kakuzu walked briskly through the door to his bedroom, turning on the light with his elbow. Sakura dimly registered that it clearly wasn't her room, after all- the bedspread was a utilitarian blue, a large desk with file folders and a myriad writing supplies stood in a different corner than her own room, and the wall color was different, with the light on. How had she not noticed...?
A much more prevalent part of her was purring in anticipation and pleasure- how strong his arms were, to hold her without any visible effort, how bold and direct his strategy- straight to the bedroom.
Would he use his wonderful voice again, Sakura wondered hazily, tugging lightly at his collar with her free hand. Then, registering this as an action she vaguely remembered as bad, she withdrew her hand penitently, only to place it on his chest instead, sidetracked only slightly by the furious, rapid pounding of what felt like several hearts. Her academic interest was eclipsed by the hedonist that had taken over- she felt mesmerized by the syncopated beats.
Upon reaching the bed, however, rather than set her down gently, Kakuzu tossed her down on top of the covers.
She was forced to withdraw her fingers to land, an immediate aching emptiness throbbing up within. Sakura pouted at the rough handling briefly, before turning towards him again. It was ok, she could like it rough sometimes, she reasoned, sitting up, spreading her legs ever so slightly, arching her back and looking up at him expectantly.
What she got was a towel in the face, large enough to cover her up completely. She peeked up from over it, confused- Kakuzu was sprawled on a chair across from the bed, hands on his knees and looking at her with a sharp, dissecting gaze.
"So. Never expected a Hamanashi around these parts, and especially not one who'd let herself get this far out of control! Have you not been feeding? Setting aside the improbability of your existence after the clan massacre, naturally."
The words were shocking, unexpected enough that Sakura came to her senses just a little bit more. "How do you...a what?"
Kakuzu scoffed, "don't think you can play dumb, little kunoichi. I have walked this earth longer than you might think. It might have been a while, but I know a Hamanashi when I see one- that hair should have been my first clue. Now, who sent you?"
Sakura tried to force her hazy mind to keep up with the conversation, but could only let out, "I don't...I wasn't sent by anyone?" her confusion turned the statement into a question.
Kakuzu's eyes rolled heavenward as if asking the gods for patience, and then he stilled as if struck by a thought, and looked back at her. "Sent or not, I cannot talk to a woman incapacitated by the hunger- what have you been doing, to let it go so long? Please tell me you at least have the tea."
Tea, tea...Sakura's hazy mind brought up the faint recollection of the worn silk package her grandmother had given her. In the madness since her arrival here, she had neglected to take it...no wonder her hunger had come back with a vengeance. Thoughts of the burning need made her body clench once more, a wave of heat overtaking her that she had to clench her eyes and push down through sheer force of will.
When she opened them again, Kakuzu was staring at her, his earlier impatience gone and something...indefinable in his eyes now. Sakura gritted out, "tea pack..in my room. Dark silk. Hurry."
Without a word, Kakuzu stood, cloak billowing around him and bringing a fresh wave of his crisp masculine scent in Sakura's direction. She whimpered, but he was gone by the time the sound left her lips.
With him gone and the scent fresh in her mind, the hunger overtook her again- her fingers were back inside herself before she could register the action, and at a single touch to her clit she exploded. And again. And again. Yet every every orgasm had her feeling emptier and hungrier, more desperate for a real human being to fill her.
She cried out with frustration even as she fell over the brink for the fifth time, tears rolling down her cheeks and the towel, faint with Kakuzu's scent, driving her out of her mind as she pressed her face against it and inhaled deeply. She could almost imagine that the combination of smells- her own musky smell and his crisply masculine one- had mingled due to coupling. The hunger purred at the thought, and Sakura fell apart around her fingers once more with a cry.
The door opened- she could not tell if five minutes had passed or five hours, but the scent that filled the room was at once appealing and nauseating. Opening her eyes, she saw that Kakuzu was back, holding a steaming cup in his hands and a wary look in his eyes.
Upon seeing her still naked on his bed, towel pressed to her face and just barely covering her pubic area where she was furiously working her hand- unable to stop even as she saw him- he cursed and set the tea aside on the bedside table before reaching over and grabbing her wrist, pulling it away from her body.
Her fingers left her core with a wet sound, and she cried out at the emptiness, turning wild eyes upon his face.
"Stupid girl, don't you know that this will only make it worse! Do you want to be entirely senseless in a den of missing nin, or is this just your particular brand of suicide mission?" He shook her slightly, seemingly unperturbed by her nakedness or what she had been doing.
Grabbing her shoulder, he made her sit up, and slipped behind her, molding his long, muscular torso to her back, legs bracketing either side so she could not escape. With his free hand, he reached over and took the cup, the scent from it familiar and repulsive- the tea she had been taking every day until coming to this place had never smelled so unappealing. Deeply revolting, it threatened to turn her stomach.
Sakura tried to tear away from Kakuzu in a violent motion, an attempt to get away from the awful odor. He held her closer, his own masculine scent calming her- the warring desires to press as close to him as possible and the strong urge to get away from the nauseating scent of the tea kept Sakura still as Kakuzu grabbed her chin with one callused hand and pressed the cup of liquid to her lips with the other.
"Drink," he commanded, deep voice implacable. Sakura drank, even as the scent seemed to singe her nostrils, even as the bitter liquid slunk down her throat and threatened to turn her stomach. "Drink," he repeated, and even as a whimper of protest left her lips, Sakura obligingly opened her mouth again and gulped down another mouthful of the awful potion, clutching at his wrists with her hands as if that would deter him from feeding her the vile drink.
But her head was clearing, somewhat, even if she felt like she'd been hit with Kakashi's water dragon jutsu head-on. The trade-off was looking increasingly worth it, as her mind returned to her.
"That's right, little kunoichi. Finish it." Kakuzu's voice had softened, gained a silky, coaxing quality now that she seemed to stop struggling so much. The simple command gave her the strength to open her lips a third time, drain that cup down to the bottom. He threw the cup aside carelessly as she finally sagged against him, all strength in her body gone- the flames of the hunger dying down to nothing more than a tickle in her mind. She felt Inner quietly, sheepishly step forward and sweep the rest of it away from her consciousness.
The embarrassment returned tenfold, and Sakura made an abrupt, if weak, motion to cover herself more with the towel. The arms around her constricted, warning her against moving. She stilled- wariness replaced embarrassment at the forefront of her mind.
"Now," Kakuzu's voice had gained a soft, steely edge, "tell me. Who are you, exactly. And give me one reason why I should not just take you to Pein right away with news of an infiltrating bloodline thief in our organization."
Sakura gulped, as his arms tightened against her.
A/N:
AAND another chapter is up! This one was in the works for a little while as I tried to decide what direction this story would take- more towards mindless smut and wish fulfillment, or more plot-driven. As you can probably see...it's both? I'm all the more excited for this now, though, with an actual storyline emerging! Hoping to update within the next couple weeks, stay tuned. And thank you to everyone who reviewed and left kudos! I've been blown away with your guys' thoughtful, insightful reviews, in particular- thank you so much for taking the time! Honestly it does keep me going back to this fic more than anything 3
And finally- some have mentioned that Itachi in the last chapter was out of character. Well- first off, my characterizations will of course alter from canon somewhat. Secondly- in my mind, he's been hearing about Sakura from his partner for weeks now, and there is an undeniable attraction there. Teasing her a little while still remaining outwardly proper is very much in character, I think- he really is a little shit, deep down. But expect that relationship to be much more slow burn than the others! Again, thanks to those reviewers who commented on this, it made me think about their interactions a bit more!