Chapter II: The Watering Hole

"The dogs of war don't negotiate

The dogs of war won't capitulate,

They will take and you will give,

And you must die so that they may live

You can knock at any door,

But wherever you go, you know they've been there before

Well winners can lose and things can get strained

But whatever you change, you know the dogs remain."

-Pink Floyd: Dogs of War

Even your own brother?

The heavy silence rang out loudly as Sasuke stared at Tsunade with shock. Then as his mind slowly began to process what exactly she said and what it meant. Shock turned to skepticism and distrust. He had known Tsunade had always resented him, but she had never been cruel.

Itachi couldn't be part of the Akatsuki. He couldn't because Itachi was dead. He had been for over a decade. Yet, Tsunade and Kakashi were telling him his brother was alive. Sasuke could not believe it. He didn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it. Because that meant Itachi had abandoned Sasuke. Left him to deal with the grief and darkness that came with the demise of not just his family's legacy, but his family as well.

Sasuke abruptly stood to his feet. His chair made an awful screeching sound as the legs slid against the floor but he hardly registered the ear cringing noise. He was too busy turning around and marching out the door without a word. The moment he was on the porch he didn't even bother with the stairs, instead he leapt over the railing at the side of the house and made a direct line for the barn.

The hay strewn across the floor muffled his steps as he quickly moved around the barn. Making his way to the horse stalls, he grabbed his saddle as he passed by the racks without coming to a stop and continuing on. He pulled back his lips and clicked his tongue against his teeth which received a nickering response from the stall he approached. The result of hay shifting and a heavy body thudding of hooves against the wooden floor sounded just before his horse popped his head out of the open half of the stall. Garuda's head bobbed up and down as he whinnied at his approach, the horse detecting the turmoil and unrest within its master.

With on hand he opened the gate and stepped into the stall. Garuda nuzzled at his arm as he walked by as if to inquire what was wrong but Sasuke hardly noticed the nudge. Instead he spread out a blanket on the dark bay horse's back before loading the saddle and began to straighten it. He had just begun to tighten the back cinch when he paused at the sudden voice of Kakashi whom he had failed to even register had followed him.

"Where are you going, Sasuke?"

Sasuke gave no answer. He only continued to work on adjusting and tightening the saddle.

"Why did you come back, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked. "Did you really come back for her like you promised?"

Sasuke's hands slowed. "Hn."

"I need something better than that."

Sasuke looked up at him then he went back to work. Turning around to grab the bridle hanging on the wall, he began to fit it to Garuda whose ears were still perked up in alarm. When Sasuke tried to fit the bit into his mouth, the stallion began bobbing its head again to mirror his master's agitation. Sasuke stroked the bridge of his nose, calming the horse down so he could slip the leather straps over and around its head.

"What are you doing?" Kakashi demanded. "Are you leaving?"

Sasuke stopped at that and glared back to Kakashi. "Of course not!" he spat. "I am going to do what you failed to do. I am going to bring Sakura home."

"How? And where are you going to take her?" Kakashi demanded. "Because I hope you have some homestead in some other country. I promise, if you bring her here, or take her anywhere else near here, she won't be safe. He will find her. So where is it going to be? Across the ocean? The far east? The edge of the world?"

When Sasuke failed to provide a verbal answer he turned back to his horse but his hands failed to continue their work. After a moment of silence, Kakashi spoke up again.

"Sasuke, if you are serious about rescuing her, I will help you," Kakashi started. "But we can't just go in running in guns a-blazing. You would be shot down in the street. This has to be done smartly. This is not a matter of taking Sakura and running away. If you want her to be safe, truly safe, we have to take the Akatsuki down all the way."

Sasuke turned to Kakashi. "Then let's take them down! Did I not already say that I would? I will do whatever it takes."

Kakashi raised a brow. "That includes Itachi...are you really prepared to go against him? And if it comes down to it, can you kill him?"

Sasuke's face hardened. "I said I would do whatever," he said in a dark tone that set Kakashi at unease. There had been rumors of what Sasuke had been up to over the years, wanted posters and clippings in the newspapers from other parts. Kakashi had never wanted to believe them, but that tone told him everything.

Kakashi seemed to study him for a while, a wary unnerve coming to his face as he examined him. After a prolonged study, Kakashi seemed to come to a conclusion. "Very well." He walked over to the saddle rack and grabbed his saddle. "Let's head into town."

"I thought you said we needed a plan?" Sasuke scoffed.

"We do," Kakashi said lightly.

"Then why are we going into town now?"

"To get a drink," Kakashi remarked over his shoulder as carried his saddle over to the dappled grey horse that stood in one of the stalls. "And to give you a chance to see exactly who we will be up against."

Despite the lateness of the night, there was a part of town that was full of life and unruly energy. Sasuke and Kakashi tied their horses off at the hitching rail outside the main source of the noise; the saloon. The lively musical notes of a piano mixed with the rambunctious cheers of the gambling and drinking patrons echoed out from beyond the wooden swinging doors. This section of the town's street was illuminated brightly from the light escaping the window panes of the saloon and the brothel located on the other side of the street. Outside the second building, women dressed and painted for the night, lured men in as they laughed and fluttered their eyes teasingly at any passersby.

A woman dressed in a long, high collared dress with red clouds delicately embroidered along the hems of her skirts stood outside monitoring the coming and goings. Her hair had been dyed an indigo color and pulled up into a high bun as a decorative paper flower was secured to the side of it. She collected money from men as they entered and occasionally gave out instructions to the other woman. As the operations ran smoothly under her watchful management, she folded paper bills into various shapes as she gave each girl her earnings for each patron they hosted.

"That's madam Konan," Kakashi said, coming around his horse to where Sasuke had finished securing the reins of his steed. "She is the only woman of the gang and manages the brothel. Most of the girls they find are from families indebted to them from here in the valley and other settlements in other areas they have laid claim. And while she may seem delicate and poised, she is just as much of a threat as any of the other male members of the Akatsuki."

Sasuke looked at the building with even more disgust, this time a visible ire burning in his eyes. "You said families that are indebted to them-" he pulled his dark gaze from the building and looked to Kakashi- "Sakura..."

Kakashi shook his head vigorously. "No," he quickly interjected, seeing the abominable revulsion in Sasuke's eyes. "Sakura does not work there. She only works in the saloon dancing and entertaining in social matters. It is the one and only good thing about her being the target of Sasori's obsession."

His words seemed to do little to comfort Sasuke but there was a slight ease in his dark eyes as some of the heated animosity seemed to cool down. Kakashi nodded his head towards the building they stood nearest. "She stays and works in here," he said, moving towards the steps of the porch. "Keep your head low when we are inside, Itachi is usually gone but he is due back soon. If anyone asks, you're just a seasonal hand looking for a few quick earnings as you pass through."

Sasuke nodded as he followed Kakashi up the stairs, his boots making a hollow thud against the wooden planks as they creaked beneath his feet. With each step they took, the tinkling of their spurs sounded quietly until Kakashi pushed open the door of the saloon and stepped in. The earlier muted sounds from within erupted loudly as they entered the establishment as the source of chaotic hustle and bustle came into view. Women clad in fishnets and feathered boas sidled up to gamblers and served out drinks. A dapper looking man wearing a bowler hat with his sleeves rolled up on his neatly pressed shirt, tickled the ivory keys of a piano centered near a stage. Lined up on said stage several women kicked their legs high and whirled their silk dresses in a flashy performance of music and dance. To the left of the stage, the bartender called out from behind his counter at a table that was growing far too rambunctious in their argument.

Sasuke followed Kakashi around the edge of the parlor where they settled into wooden chairs away from the rowdy and populated tables. As they settled down, Kakashi removed his brown leather hat and set it down at the table. Sasuke settled into his own seat but kept the black hat covering his unruly hair tipped low, heeding Kakashi's warning of staying low. As Kakashi adjusted in his seat and signaled the bartender, Sasuke took in the establishment, his dark eyes peeking out from beneath the brim of his hat.

From an outsiders standpoint, it did not look any different than any other back watered saloon found in the wild west. A permanent layer of dry dust covered the floor that no amount of frequent sweeping could ever keep up with. The wall of liquor that could outlast a drought, with the slightly out of tune piano, and a large oil lantern chandelier, the ambiance of the establishment was generically set. Even the patrons seemed cliché, all of them with at least a little dirt behind their ears, tan lines from the brims of their hats, and a hardened look in their eye that was required from anyone hoping to chance it in this frontier.

The bartender came over and placed two drinks in front of them. He gave a familiar nod to Kakashi before his eyes moved curiously to Sasuke.

"You look familiar, you from around here?" the barkeep asked, tilting his head to try and catch a better glimpse at Sasuke's face.

"New hand up at the farm," Kakashi answered when Sasuke made no acknowledgement to the man and instead continued his perusal of the rest of the saloon. "Just another wanderer looking for some extra cash before heading father west to the gold."

The barkeep shook his head. "Foolish lot of them. One lucky bastard finds a fortune and they all come rushing, bringing in their nonsense and shady riff raff." He looked down at Sasuke again. "You sure you haven't been through these parts? You look really familiar. I just can'tー" His eyes suddenly went wide as recognition dawned on him and he pointed at Sasuke.

"Seems you picked the wrong profession if riff raff was what you want to avoid, Teuchi," Kakashi quickly interrupted, gesturing to a table where a man threw down his cards and hurled himself at the man sitting across from him."

Any curiosity about Sasuke was completely forgotten as Teuchi let out a mournful sigh and hurried over to break up the fight. Once he was gone, Kakashi leaned forward. "Up there is Pain," he pointed with a nod of his head to the second floor.

Sasuke's attention focused as he tilted his head up to look at the second floor landing that overlooked the main floor. A ginger haired man stood in a well tailored suit as he stood above. At his coat lapel there was a jeweled pin in the shape of a red colored cloud. His observing eyes looked down at the chaos with a nearly bored expression. He was not particularly tall, but he held himself in a way that gave the impression he was much higher than he was.

"He is the leader of the group and self proclaimed Mayor of Konoha now. Next to him is Tobi, he is the errand boy of the Akatsuki."

Sasuke's eyes flickered to look at a fidgety man who was pointing down at individuals as if he was a child. He had an orange kerchief covering his face and his white hat tipped sideways to mask the majority of his features. Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he concentrated on the small portion that was visible of his eyes, a familiarity of his features making him pause.

"I have absolutely no idea where he originated from. But wherever it is, that settlement is missing an idiot," Kakashi commented. "However, where he lacks common sense, he makes up for it with his knife skills."

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed. "So you're telling me he brings a knife to a gunfight? I thought you said these people were a force to reckon with? Not the town fools who shoot themselves in the foot."

"Don't underestimate him. Any of them," he added. "We get a lot of wanderers that come in through town that only leave in a box because they thought themselves having an automatic win in a quick draw with him. I have never seen someone with such quick reflexes. To be honest I think it is all an act. His stupidity is dangerous so be cautious when around him. I know there is a reason why Pain keeps him around."

Sasuke looked back up at the man, taking in the way he bounced on his toes but then he watched the way his head tilted and angled each time someone walked by with a conversation or someone leaned in to whisper to someone. Tobi was watching and noting a bit too closely.

As Sasuke watched Tobi, a tall man came from down a hall that was connected to the landing and stood next to Pain. While his body was massive in both width and height, his cheeks were sunken in, making the bones in his face protrude out in odd angles. A bandolier and a shotgun holster crossed his large chest as several other weapons could be found secured to him. A pair of revolvers hanging at his waist and a large knife secured to his thigh while the handle of another knife protruded from his boots. As he came to a stop at the railing, his dark beady eyes looked down at the crowd below before he bent down and whispered into Pain's ear, who nodded in response.

"Who is that?" Sasuke asked, nodding his head to the new arrival to the balcony and noticing the trending red cloud beaded onto the holster at his chest.

"Kisame," Kakashi supplied. "He wears the deputy's badge around town, but really he is the brawn of the group, the muscled thug. When someone needs a reminder that a payment is due or they are hesitant to sign a contract, they send him in to 'convince' them," Kakashi expanded with dry bitterness. "When he is not roughing up some poor farmer under the guise that he is just holding up the law, he acts as Pain's body guard."

Sasuke raised his brow. "Do they have a lot of threats?"

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders. "Depends on what you mean by that. If you mean people who dislike them and would like to see them gone, of course. But anyone who could actually do anything to stop them? No, not too many."

"Why has the government not gotten involved?"

Kakashi let out a bark of laughter. "Like they care about what goes on in these parts? You of all people should know that." He gave him a pointed look before continuing. "But despite that, we have worked with several settlements to reach out to Governor Danzo but he assures us the Akatsuki are all well to do and legitimate in their business." Kakashi shook his head in dissatisfaction. "If I didn't know any better I would think he was working with them. Nobody can turn a blind eye that much without benefiting from it."

Sasuke made no remark. He didn't know much about Danzo, only that he had been governor for a suspiciously long time for someone who never seemed to be popular among voters. Then again, it helped when there was not an opposing runner come election time. Anyone who did decide to campaign usually dropped out early or just disappeared.

Kakashi flicked his head over to the bar where two men were standing at the end of the bar. "Over there you have Hidan and Kakazu. I think we mentioned them earlier. Hidan is the priest who took over the church when they ran off Father Iruka and the man next to him is Kakazu. He is the one who runs the bank now."

The first Kakashi referred to, Hidan, was a man dressed in a long black cassock that was unbuttoned to expose a portion of his bare chest that was far too much for even a man not part of a clergy. Around his neck was a silver necklace with a large pendant that again, was not of the traditional symbols worn by any preacher serving the good Lord. Like Kakashi, he already had a full head of silver hair, despite his younger age. However where Kakashi's was unkempt and gravity defying, this man's hair was slicked back to the nape of his neck. He gazed around the room with a smug look that was far from a man looking over his flock and more like a wolf looking for his next prey.

The other man, Kakazu, was hunched over the bar table as he sat on a stool at the counter. In front of him his beady dark eyes gazed hungrily down at the large wad of cash he was counting in his hands. Hidan turned to him and said something which seemed to not set well with him and immediately the pair of them were bickering loudly as their voices rose high and higher. Sasuke couldn't make out exactly what was being said but he heard them shouting each other's names back and forth, each of them reciting the others name with bitter tones of annoyance.

"What are their dangers?"

"Well Hidan is just insane who sold his soul to the devil. And Kakazu is just a heartless bastard who is motivated by greed and hate," Kakashi answered. "And while their professions of choice, especially Hidan, would make you think they valued a life, think again. They can only be swayed by what matters to them, money for Kakazu and the Will of whatever devil Hidan sold his soul to."

Sasuke took them both in again, surveying them closely as he watched them argue together, both of them pulling out their guns and pointing at them as they continued to shout. "Not exactly what I would consider a functional group."

Kakashi shook his head. "They are all always at each other's throats. But they are all so obsessed with gaining more of what feeds their greed, that they are willing to work together."

Sasuke opened his mouth to respond when he was interrupted by a shout from above.

"Deidara! I thought I told you not to bring that stuff into town! You're going to blow us all up!"

Sasuke looked up to see Pain glaring down at a table and followed Pain's line of sight until his eyes fell on a younger looking blonde man with a cocky expression. He was sitting at a table with a box labeled with several warnings of the highly explosive contents inside. The box was dangerously close to a lit candle as the blonde held a bottle of clear liquid that Sasuke was positive was not liquor but instead nitroglycerin.

"It's perfectly stable, yeah," the blonde responded as he waved Pain off.

"I don't care, get it out of here!"

Deidara begrudgingly stood from his chair, jostling the highly explosive chemicals in his hand as he grabbed up his box of dynamite. He stormed out of the saloon, muttering about no one appreciating his art.

The saloon, which had grown quiet during Pain's outburst and Deidara's fit of departure, slowly picked back up when Pain gave a wave to the pianist who immediately started up a lively tune. Once the ambiance had been reset, the patrons went back to their ruckus and drinks.

"Ah, and there you have Deidara. Thinks he is god's gift to the world and has a deep passion for chaotic destruction."

"And what is his role in the operation?"

"Deidara owns the mine. He is an airheaded pretty boy but the man has a knack for making explosives that pack a punch." He pointed to the corner of the room and Sasuke moved his attention to where a man was sitting, his body obscured by a leafy potted plant that was set up next to his seat. "There is another one of them. His name is Zetsu and is the acting judge."

"My guess is he rules in favor of whomever had a deeper pocket?" Sasuke surmised.

"Actually he sees things in only black and white and judges as so. But of course his morals are off balance so good is bad and bad is good," Kakashi explained. He shook his head. "Too many people have been found swinging from the hangman's noose because they did something that would be essentially morally correct."

"And what aboutー"

"Kakashi what are you doing here?" Sasuke stiffened at the sound of the feminine voice. From the corner of his eye he watched a woman lean forward and set two new glasses of whiskey down in front of them as she stood between them. "And who is your-"

The moment Sasuke tilted his head up to look at her, she cut herself off and stared wide eyed at him. And all he could do was stare in nearly the same shock as her as he stared up at the woman.

Sakura was standing in the space between him and Kakashi, her arms stretched out to casually rest her hands on the backs of their chairs in a habitual ease. But everything about her posture was beyond casual. She was frozen stiffly, her wide green eyes looking at him with shock and disbelief as her face seemed to pale.

She was wearing a satin scarlet dress that was low cut with only a trimming of lace covering her otherwise bare shoulders. A tight black corset was fastened around her waist that pushed up her chest to allow a forced amount of cleavage to be displayed. It hugged her already slim frame and exaggerated her small waist to contrast with the wideness of her hips as the skirt of her dress flowed out over the form her legs. The hem of the heavy skirt only fell down to her calves and one section was hitched up to show off a generous amount of leg. The milky skin of her thigh only covered by a fishnet stocking. His dark eyes drank in the sight with a mixture of attraction and detest as his stomach churned. Quickly but with far more effort than respectful of her, Sasuke wrenched his eyes back up to her face as he took her in.

The paled shock was gone and was now replaced with a warm blush from being under his survey. Her face itself had changed immensely, her cheeks had lost their roundness and had become slimmer, showing off the heart shaped face and high cheek bones of a proper woman. Her lips, which were painted a deep red to match her dress, where parted in shock as she looked at him. Her wide eyes lined with kohl and shadowed for a smokey effect drew him into her emerald gaze. He had always loved looking into her eyes, always felt a warmth when those green irises fell upon him. But now, they drew him in with an allure he had never felt in his life. It was darker and lustful, the idea of it all both unsettling and enticing.

Sasuke had imagined their reunion many times over the duration of his long road home. Mostly he had imagined riding his horse through the property gates of her family's land while she burst from the homestead and ran up to greet him, long pink hair loose in the wind and her green eyes bright and warm with welcome. Occasionally he imagined himself walking into the homestead itself or into the barn where he would find her, she would turn around, perhaps take a moment to register him, then run up to him and wrap him in the embrace that he craved far too much over the years than he cared to admit. He had even imagined less welcomed approaches. Imaginings of her where she would adopt her aunt's temper and yell at him. She'd scream and yell, tell him how much she hated him. She would proclaim him as a liar and that she never wanted to see him again. It was a welcoming he would have gladly traded in exchange for this.

She was no longer that schoolgirl who ran around on the school yard with him and Naruto before he was even taken in by her parents. She was no longer that free spirited young girl that ran around the farm with him and Naruto with her long hair in braids tied off with pretty red ribbons. Gone were the prairie dresses and aprons that she always struggled to keep clean. Now she was a painted woman whose eyes still shined with a richness of the very gemstones they mimicked but held a darkness that seemed to taint their purity.

"Sas-"

"Sakura!"

Sakura's head quickly whipped around as her body took on an all new definition of stiff. Sasuke's eyes moved from her turned head to look past her body to where her attention had been drawn to until he found himself looking at a red haired man seated at a poker table.

He wore an expensive looking green waistcoat over a neatly pressed white shit. Cinched at his neck and tucked beneath his collar was a bolo tie in the shape of a scorpion. As he looked in their direction, Sasuke could see the man's entire focus was solely for Sakura, his amber eyes holding an unnatural darkness to them despite the warm coloring.

Slowly his hand lifted and he beckoned. Immediately Sakura turned back to them, "I have to go," she barely whispered, avoiding Sasuke's eyes as she more addressed Kakashi than him.

Kakashi gave her an understanding nod then Sakura, giving Sasuke a flash of her attention, turned around and quickly made her way towards the man. Sasuke watched as Sakura stiffly sank into the empty chair the man pulled out for her. As soon as she was seated, she was being pulled in closer to him as he wound his arms around her waist and pulled her in possessively. He spared a glance back at them, his eyes going to Kakashi first as he nodded tauntingly before moving to Sasuke, whom his eyes slitted for a moment before he drew his attention away to whisper into Sakura's ear. Sasuke watched as Sakura's green gaze flickered to him then she shook her head and shrugged. Whatever the question, this seemed to satisfy Sasori as his attention went back to the cards at the table of gamblers.

"And that is Sasori," Kakashi proclaimed. "Owner of this fine establishment and puppet master of Sakura."

When there was no reply, Kakashi looked over at Sasuke. The young man was sitting with his hat tipped so low his face was cast in shadow and unreadable. But the tight grip Sasuke had on the glass of whisky in front of him revealed what was going through Sasuke's mind, which prepared him for the moment when Sasuke's body twitched. His hand went down to the revolver at his hip as his body began to rise.

With quick reflex, Kakashi was shoving Sasuke back down into his seat as he shifted to block the dark haired man's view of Sakura and Sasori. "Not here, not now," he warned, giving Sasuke a hard stern look as the heat of Sasuke's glare targeted him instead. "I told you, we are going to have to plan this carefully. No, guns a-blazing and getting yourself killed. That won't help free her," Kakashi emphasized. "If you kill him the rest of the gang will not hesitate."

Sasuke's upper lip twitched in a snarled reaction but he forced himself to listen to Kakashi and slowly his hand moved away from the holster at his hip. When he seemed to gain control of himself, Kakashi leaned back and Sasuke was again able to look out to where Sakura was.

"And what role does my brother have in all this?" Sasuke said darkly.

"I am not fully sure," Kakashi admitted. "When he is here, he is usually working with Kisame, working the jailhouse. But he is hardly around. Disappears for weeks, sometimes months then just randomly returns for a short while before disappearing."

Sasuke's face crumpled into thought. That sounded like his brother. He had always been a mystery and constantly kept busy, never leaving time for things at home. It was just hard to imagine that it really could be him, that his brother, whom Sasuke thought dead for years was really alive.

"And you are sure it is him?"

Kakashi nodded. "It's been some years but yes, I am sure."

Sasuke went quiet as his mind wandered in thought. His brother was alive. Sakura was a prisoner to a scorpion of a man. Konoha was nothing but a watering hole for the damned...Nothing was right and yet, everything seemed appropriate.

In the past years he had done many things, many dark things that in short, were no different than what the Akatsuki were doing. Though his sins may be different, the punishment was just as deserved. He had not come back home, he had entered hell.

"Come on," Kakashi said, standing and breaking Sasuke from his inner monologues. "We need to head back. Now that you have seen them, we need to plan."

Sasuke hesitated, then finally rose. Grabbing the glass on the table, he tipped his head back and drained the last of the bitter liquid. As he set the glass cup upside down on the table, he paused a moment to look out across the room to Sakura. She was looking their way, her green eyes set on him but as soon as he locked eyes with her, she was turning away. He waited for her to look his way again but seemed dedicated to focusing on the card game being played.

Sasuke ran a hand across the brim of his hat then turned away. With all the effort in the world, he began to walk away, doing his best to assure himself that he was not abandoning her, at least not this time.

He would come back and this time, he would not make the mistake of returning too late.

After what felt like hours, Sakura rose from her seat at the table as Sasori threw down his cards in triumph and leaned over the table to collect his winnings. She had just turned to step away when a hand wrapped around her wrist. Despite the warmth of the fingers, a cold chill ran up her arm and left the rest of her body shivering. Doing her best to resist wrenching her hand from the vice like grip, she slowly turned her head to see Sasori looking up at her.

"Where are you going?" he made it sound like a concerning inquiry but Sakura had learned long ago that Sasori was not concerned about her well being. He was worried about his property.

"I was just going to step out outside, for some fresh air. I am afraid the cigar smoke is getting to me tonight," she said, giving out a small cough in hopes to sell her story better.

"But what shall I do without my lucky charm at my side," he said, feigning disappointment. He picked up a silver dollar from his winnings. "Just think of all the pretty dresses that I can buy for you after tonight."

Sasori was a master manipulator. He used charm, violence, diplomacy, intimidation, guilt, anything to get what he wanted. Most people blindly fell for it. For a time Sakura herself had not realized just how dangerous he was until it was too late. She had just thought him an overly confident and arrogant yankee from the big city who was persistent but ultimately harmless. She had figured when had grown bored of persuing a courtship he would eventually pack up and blow out of town like every other tumbleweed that came into town. Unfortunately he became far more firmly rooted into Konoha than a flimsy tumbleweed.

While she underestimated him at first, after being in his near constant presence over the months, she had learned a lot. Both about Sasori and his habits as well as the art of his manipulative skills. She now was fully aware of when she was being manipulated but also of how to be the manipulator. By no means was she like the puppeteer master, but she had learned enough to occasionally get a breath of freedom here and there. She had learned of his weakness, shortcomings, preferences, desires, all of them weapons she could use against him.

Turning towards him all the way, she rested a hand on the back of his chair while lifting her other, which was still shackled to him by his own hand. With delicate movement, Sakura gently played with the collar of his waist coat as she leaned down.

She moved her painted red lips into a seductive smile as she looked into his eyes. "Sasori," she began playfully. "You and I both know you do not need luck, you always get what you want, don't you?"

Sasori shifted in his chair, his face taking on an interest while his eyes glazed over with lust. He gave her an arrogant look. The man loved to have his ego stroked.

"Yes, I suppose you are correct, my dear." His grip on her wrist loosed as he grabbed her hand instead and brought it to his lips. Not taking his eyes from her, he gave her knuckles a lingering kiss before slowly lowering it. "You may go," he granted, before adding, "but be a doll and do not take too long. Be back in ten minutes before the final dance," he said, digging into his waistcoat pocket and pulling out his pocket watch.

Sakura watched as he set it down on the table in front of him, the second hand ticking away mockingly as she stared at the clock face. It was a beautiful piece. A pure gold case with a filigree etching all around the edge. On the front, a blood red ruby was inlaid into the gold, its shape that of a cloud. Then the clock face itself was made up of rotating gears that were given a grainy texture that reminded Sakura of sand. As the gears rotated and swirled it mimicked the shifting sand of the desert. It truly was the most exquisite pocket watch she had ever seen.

And Sakura hated that watch.

However, her attention was drawn away from it when she caught Sasori give her a dismissive wave. The permissive gesture had her turning quickly to walk across the room and out the swinging saloon doors.

Stepping out into the cool night air, Sakura stood and took in a deep breath. She let it out with a long exhale before venturing farther down the boarded platform in front of the saloon. Putting some distance between herself and the noisey piano music and loud conversations that came with drinking. When she reached the edge, Sakura stepped down from the platform and came to a stop at the edge of the building.

A rain barrel was sitting at the edge of the dark alleyway between the saloon and barber shop and she slowly walked over to it. Leaning against the side of it she looked down at the collected waters surface. From the faint light of the moon and the flickering flames of the lanterns outside the saloon, Sakura could make out her reflection. A fishnet gloved hand came up to her face as she gently touched her cheek, as if to make sure what she was seeing was really her. To her disappointment, her reflection perfectly mirrored the action and she let her hand drop to the edge of the barrel as she let out a sigh.

Her finger tips grazed the water, causing a ripple to disrupt the mirrored surface of the water. She watched as her reflection morphed then slowly came back as the water settled back down. As it did, her mouth opened to let out a startled yelp as her reflection was not the only one looking back at her. A tall silhouette with wild hair was there as well, just behind her left shoulder.

As quickly as her mouth had opened, a hand clamped down around her mouth, muffling her startled cry as an arm wrapped around her waist as she was dragged into the darkness of the alleyway. As any person would do in such a situation, Sakura began to thrash about as her feet kicked out at her captur, causing her skirts to wildly rustle just as dramatically as when she was on the stage dancing the can-can. But then a voice spoke her name, deep and rich, and she froze.

"Sakura," he breathed, causing her heart to skip a beat.

She knew that voice. It had changed some, became deeper and had a darker tone to it, but the way her name rolled off his tongue in the same way was so familiar. But it had been so long she could hardly believe it possible, that is until she found herself being turned around to face him and she took in his face with wide eyes.

Just earlier that night she had thought herself going mad when she had seen him sitting there with Kakashi. While he was certainly recognizable as the once boy who had left her in the night five years ago, it was still difficult to believe that this was truly him. While her heart had always loyally awaited his return, her mind had long since given up hope that he would actually come.

"Sasuke?" she breathed out.

"Hn," he hummed.

Her stomach churned and her heart fluttered at the monosyllable sound. After five years, that sound was like music to her ears. Once it used to exasperate her but now, it made her eyes burn with tears at the fondness of such a sound. She had not realized just how much she would have traded to hear that sound after so many years.

And then it hit her just how much time had passed by, how many years overdue that sound was. Soon her tears heated into angry overwhelm and she glared up at him. Her hand struck out, smacking him in the chest and she watched as his eyes opened wide in surprise at her reaction. The action made her more angry and she hit him again.

"Where the hell have you been?" she demanded angrily. "Do you have any idea how many yearsーyou said you would come back!" she hissed. "I can only recognize you because of the wanted posters that showed up in the post office and outside the sheriff's house."

It was a lie. She would have recognized those dark eyes, unruly hair, and handsome face that was too elegant for such a harsh world any day. She had always thought he had a face more fit for nobility, like an emperors in the far east that she read about in books.

She moved to hit him again with her fist but he caught her wrist before she could strike him again. She tried to pull herself free but his hold remind firm and before she knew it, he was pulling her into him. And she let herself be drawn in as she buried her face into his chest and let his arms envelope her. Her body molded to his as she felt his hand come up and weave itself into her curled hair and she felt his chin come to rest on the top of her head.

"I know, I know," he said, rubbing soothing circles across her back. "You can hit me and hate me all you want later, but please just listen to me for now." He loosened his grip on her and gently pulled her back from him so that he could look down at her. "I am sorry I did not come back when I should have. But I am going to get you out of this," he said, raising his hands to come up to her face and wipe away the tears that stained her rouge cheeks. "I know I do not deserve it, but just trust me...at least one last time. Can you do that?"

Slowly she nodded her head. "Of course I trust you," she said, raising a hand to one of his resting on her cheek.

He gave out a satisfied 'hn' before a heavy silence fell over them.

"You have grown strong," he said strongly, looking at her with a proud expression. "And you look beautiful," he added, mumbling as he looked down with a tinge of embarrassment.

Sakura gave him a wane smile and brushed at the heavy curtain of fringe that hung over his face. "And you need a haircut," she said, doing her best to not blush profoundly and thankful for the darkness of the alley that hid most of the burning she felt in her cheeks.

Sasuke looked back up at her as her fingers tugged playfully as his hair before she lowered her hand. She opened her mouth to speak again but was cut off by the sharp sound of someone from around the corner.

"Sakura!"

Her eyes went wide and she looked up at Sasuke whose face had become shadowed with an expression she did not recognize from the boy she knew. Sasuke had always been surly but this was something beyond that, something dark and sinister.

She gave his hand a squeeze, causing him to look back down at her. "I have to go," she quickly whispered before moving to step away from him.

His hand shot out and stopped her. "Wait," he quickly whispered.

"Sakura!" Sasori's voice was harsher, an underline of darkness ringing out with the syllables of her name.

Again Sakura moved to obey her master's call but Sasuke held her back. She looked up at him, an urgency now in her face. "Meet me tomorrow night. At our spot."

"I can'tー," she began but then she saw the desperate plea in his face and she chewed at her lip. "I will try," she whispered in promise. "After midnight, after everyone has gone to sleep."

It was all she could offer and he seemed to understand that as he nodded and let her go.

"Sakura!"

Heavy footsteps were now coming their way and Sakura immediately broke free and scrambled out from the darkness of the alley and towards the light of the main street. She entered it just as Sasori came into view. Sakura glanced back to see Sasuke duck down into the darkness before looking at Sasori's back as his eyes scanned up and down the street for her.

"Sakー"

"I am here," Sakura quickly called, taking a step into the light and causing Sasori to whirl around.

His eyes took her in and he slowly approached her, then his eyes looked past her. "It has been past ten minutes you missed your dance," he said, his eyes scanning the dark alley behind her.

"I am sorry, I lost track of time."

His attention snapped back to her. "What were you doing there in the dark?" he said, his tone dangerous as he looked behind her again into the darkness of the alley way.

Sakura shifted slightly, positioning herself into the center of his attention, a place she usually tried to avoid. "There was a stray cat in the alley and I was trying to coax it out."

His attention moved to her and he gave her a smile that some would call adoring but there was something missing in his eyes. "Of course you were," he said, raising a hand and stroking her head as if she were an animal in need of coaxing. "My dear gentle doll, always has such a heart for some many others…" he drifted off, his hand coming to her cheek as he stepped even closer and slowly leaning in towards her ear. "It makes me wonder if you will ever allow me toー"

He cut himself off when there was a shuffled noise that echoed out from the dark alley. Instantly, Sasori's attention flicked up as he glared into the darkness. His eyes narrowed and he strained to see in, his hand still grazing Sakura's jaw as she stood motionless, her eyes widening as she watched Sasori peering into the dark.

She felt him shift, as if he was about to approach into the darkness. "It must have been the cat," she quickly tried.

Sasori spared her a glance. "Must have been an awfully big cat," he remarked before taking a step towards the alley.

Sakura peeked in to where exactly she knew Sasuke was and saw the faintest outline of his crouched body. While Sasori's eyes were focused above, she knew it would only be a matter of time before he spotted him. And she feared what might happen should he see him, what he would do. There was a reason why she feared Sasori and it was because he was unpredictable. Unstable was a more accurate term but one thing Sakura knew was that she needed to do something.

Her mind growing frantic, she reached out to the side of his face and turned his head to her. With her hands on either side of his face, Sakura did the only thing she could think of to distract the red haired man. He was not much taller than her, all she had to do was tilt her head and place her lips against his.

Her objective to distract him from Sasuke's hidden form worked. Only her solution came with another problem. It worked too well.

Her simple brush of the lips against the corner of his mouth was quickly overtaken when grabbed a hold of her and pulled her closer, his head tilting to angle over her lips as he took over and hungrily began to devour her. From the corner of her eye she saw Sasuke's form move but not to leave as she hoped but forward. He stepped into a beam of moonlight and his face was pulled back in a snarl as he raised his hand and something metallic glinted.

Sakura gasped, breaking the seal of Sasori's lips on hers and she took a step back. "Wait!" There was a pause as Sakura's eyes flickered back and forth between Sasori and glancing right past his head to Sasuke. She focused on Sasori. "S-sorry," she quickly fumbled. "I should go," she emphasized the word, hoping that Sasuke would understand that she was telling him to go.

She caught Sasuke giving her a look from the corner of her eye but she did not falter. Instead she straightened herself up, doing her best to restore her lost dignity of her actions and strength. She had handled Sasori for long enough and had taken care of herself long enough. She did not need Sasuke to come save her like some damsel in distress, she could handle Sasori. What she could not handle was the consequences of them getting in a shootout, regardless of who came out on top.

"It is late, I should return and retire for the night," she gave a flickering and warning look to Sasuke before focusing on Sasori who was too drunk on lust to notice the slight signal. "Walk me back inside?" she asked, raising her arm for Sasori to loop through hers in what would be seen as a gentlemanly gesture in any other situation. But in this case, it was not an escort, it was a possession.

"Of course, anything for my doll face," he said as he began to walk them back.

Sakura spared one last glance into the alley way, her green eyes locking with Sasuke's shadowed face as she mouthed a single word of promise.

Tomorrow.

She hardly registered the main lounge commotion as she wove her way through the chairs and bodies that had hardly started to dwindle as the night went on. Climbing the stairs quickly, she moved up to the second level and made her way down a narrow hall as she dragged the back of her hand across her mouth. She rubbed vigorously, trying to erase the feeling of Sasori's mouth pressing against hers and doing her best to forget the feeling and taste of his tongue entering her mouth just before she broke away from him.

When she reached the end of the hall, she stopped outside of a door and took in several deep breaths, doing her best to calm herself as she pushed everything away. She took in several ragged breaths that sounded more like choked sobs than breathing but she refused to let herself crumble apart in the musty hallway of a saloon. Regaining some composure, she steadied herself as her hand came to the handle of the door and she slowly twisted it. Cracking it open, she slipped into the dark room.

For the briefest of moments a line of light seeped from the hallway, casting a glow over the bed and a slumbering form curled up on one side. Quickly Sakura shut the door as lightly as she could, muting the ruckus traveling down from the main lounge of the saloon as it clicked shut. Sakura tiptoed across the room, doing her best to not disturb the slumbering figure in the bed. As she stealthy crossed the carpet she began to pull off the lacey gloves and frilly accessories that she wore for the stage. She laid them down on the small table with a cracked mirror above it before stepping behind the dressing screen in the corner of the small room.

Her fingers worked on untying and loosening the tight strings of her corset which she tossed over the screen before she proceeded to slip out of the heavy satin gown. Once relieved of the restrictive clothing, she pulled on a plain cotton nightgown that had been hanging over the screen and walked over to the empty side of the bed. Lifting the corner of the covers she gently lowered herself and she slipped beneath the heavy quilt, doing her best to settle down gently so as not to disturb the woman sleeping on the other side of the bed. Once settled, Sakura glanced over to her bedmate, taking in the black hair that took on a bluish tone in the silver moonlight that was drifting in through the small windowpanes that their bed sat under.

Hinata Hyuga, she too was under the ownership of Sasori, though her story was a little different. But unlike Sakura who came to Sasori on her own free will and against her unconventional family's wishes, Hinata was in no shorter terms, sold to Sasori by her father.

Hinata came from a wealthy family that was from the big cities in the east. She had been raised as what many would call a proper lady, attending boarding schools, and preparing to be a debutant in the upcoming season. Her destiny and duty had always been to be presented into society when she became of age and would be married off to the most wealthy of the many suitors she was expected to pick up. However, Hinata was not exactly what some would call a social butterfly. She was a wallflower. Granted she was a rose among daisies when compared to other wallflowers, but she was shy and anxious.

Hinata did not talk of her direct family. But from what little Sakura had gathered from the tender woman, she and her younger sister were raised by her widower father. Who was a strict, misogynistic man with high expectations. And from what Sakura gathered, Hinata had always struggled to meet those expectations since the day she was born.

Her first short coming, being a girl. Then as she grew older, the list of shortcomings only grew more and more. Developing a stutter, being shy, not getting engaged within her first year of being out in society. It all added up until the final straw. Hinata had an accident that had left her blind.

After that, Hinata's father sent her away to live with family in the country, having been ashamed of her 'weakness'. From what Sakura gathered, life was good with her aunt and cousin. Her cousin was a few years older than her, but by the way Hinata spoke of him, he was good to her and became like an older brother.

Unfortunately, Hinata's father ran into some trouble with the Akatsuki when he began building a railroad through the valley. They wanted a price, so Hinata's father offered her as part of the bargain. A contract was signed and Hinata was shipped out to the valley in the west like the livestock the cowboys herded every year for selling.

Thankfully she too, like Sakura, was not forced to work and live in the brothel. Sasori had no personal interest in the raven haired girl but Hinata had a voice like that of a song bird which earned her a safe place working on the stage in the saloon instead of the brothel. And thus was Hinata's fate now, to sing and dance for the cheap entertainment of drunkards and lowlife. Which the gentle woman accepted and lived without complaint or evil thought of her father, though Sakura often felt a quiet sadness about the other girl. It was something Sakura struggled to understand about the woman. Her loyalty.

While dancing on a stage with a painted face, no petticoat, and skirt above the ankle were in no form or fashion the way she wanted to live, Sakura would choose this everyday so long as what was left of her parents' memory could remain as they left it. But what reasoning did Hinata have to not be so angry? To not give up and crumble? It was a different kind of strength that Sakura did not understand.

Letting out a contemplative sigh, Sakura turned her head on her pillow and looked up at the ceiling. She dared to let her thoughts turn earlier, as the image of Sasuke's face when they first saw each other downstairs floated up in her mind.

She could hardly remember a time in her entire memory when she had actually seen that much emotion written across his face. It was obvious that he was just as taken aback seeing her as she was seeing him. Then the memory of his eyes moving down her body, taking in every inch of her had her blushing all over again. And she remembered the shining heat in his eyes when he had looked back up at her.

It was not anything she had ever witnessed nor could ever imagine on his face, but there had been something alluring about that look he had for a moment before she was distracted by Sasori calling out for her. When she had turned back around to say goodbye, she had found herself unable to look at him fully so she had bidden farewell to Kakashi before sparing him a side glance and found that look was gone. Instead it had transformed into something else. Something dangerous and dark.

And then her mind wandered to the exchange in the alley way. The feel of his hand, the deep richness of his whispered praise of her strength and beauty. Sakura found herself blushing and suddenly felt far warmer than the quilt she was nestled under should have made her. She had always found him handsome as they grew up. And she had known he would always be that way when he became a man. However her imaginations over the years seemed to not give him justice to what he had grown into.

...then again, she had not exactly expected to find out what he would come to look like as a man.

At that thought Sakura felt a wave of shame come over her. She had lost faith in him. For the first couple of years she never let that waver, but then her parents died and the marker for his return came and went. Like the reservoir during the drought, her hope dried up as well. Soon it was no longer Tsunade telling her he was not coming back, but Sakura herself was telling others, telling Naruto.

It was when that realization hit her that she made the decision to come here. She could no longer wait for her handsome ranger to come riding back to sweep her away. She had to save herself, she had to take care of her family. So she had gone to Sasori and turned into someoneーsomething she had never imagined for herself. A doll. A plaything for someone else.

And now Sasuke was back, telling her that he was going to free her.

She had oftentimes imagined what she would do if he came back. It fluctuated depending on her emotions. At times she found herself dedicated to knowing he would keep his promise, that he had his reasons for a delayed return. Those days she found herself imagining him riding up with the sun behind him. She always imagined him taking her up in his arms and swinging her around as he proclaimed that he was home. Those were the sweet daydreams that had kept her heart so committed to him for so many years.

But as it is widely known, day always turns to night. And Sakura's daydreams became dim as she realized that it was a young boy who had made such promises to a young and naïve version of herself.

On those days, she found herself angry, lonely, and lost. On those days she cursed his name and hoped he would never return. Because she never wanted him to see her like this, seeing how low she had sunk and realizing he did not want her like this.

Tears had begun to run down her face at some point as she got lost in her thoughts. Warm salty drops escaped from the outer corners of her eyes and ran down her temples into her hair. A few even managed to trickle down her neck. She wiped them away as quickly as they came, trying to regain herself but then the feeling of Sasori's hands clutching her and his lips attacking her overwhelmed her. Sakura sniffed, breaking her silent crying as a sob escaped her. And once one escaped, she could not fight off the others.

There was a rustling of covers. "S-sakura?" came Hinata's concerned voice. "What is the matter?"

Sakura cleared her throat in an attempt to recover. "Hinata s-sorry I didn't mean to wake you," Sakura sniffed.

Hinata shifted again. Sakura watched in the moonlight as Hinata sat up and turned towards her. Her eyes stared forward blindly as her hands patted towards her until they found purchase of Sakura's shaking body. Soon Sakura found herself enveloped in Hinata's comforting arms as she moved closer to the pinkette, the warmth of her body inviting Sakura to curl into Hinata's arms as the other woman caressed her hair and made soothing noises.

For a woman who had such a harder life, she was far too sympathetic and kind to those who did not have it even as nearly as hard as her. While she would not wish a person this life, Sakura was grateful that Hinata had come into hers. As selfish as that was.

After a short while when Sakura's tears dried up and her sobs died down, she pulled away slightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

In the moonlight Sakura watched as Hinata smiled, her eyes staring blankly forward, focused just slightly off. "I-its okay," she whispered back.

In the dark the two girls silently sat facing each other, silently taking in some comfort from each other.

"W-was it S-sasori?" Hinata questioned quietly.

Sakura was not sure exactly how to answer that. Yes, Sasori's unwanted kiss had her upset, but when she truly thought about it, that was not what had her so upset tonight. She was used to Sasori's unwanted touches and caresses.

"No," she answered. "It's Sasuke...he's back."

Hinata's vacant eyes widened as her cloudy gaze seemed to search around, as if looking to pinpoint exactly where Sakura was sitting up. "He is b-back?" she said in shock.

Sakura hummed a confirming sound. While Hinata was not from this area, Sakura had told her of all the wonderful and loving people she had in her life, just as Hinata had shared hers. Sakura had recalled them so often and so vividly to the other young woman, that it was as if Hinata herself knew them personally.

Hinata's hand reached and for a moment, her fingers fumbled around until they found Sakura's arm. She trailed her fingers down past her wrist and gave Sakura's hand a squeeze, her lips moving upward with warmth as she stared forward.

"Then why are you crying, is this not what you always talked about? Him returning and coming back for you?"

Sakura shifted on the bed to lean against the metal frame. With her hand still holding onto Hinata's comforting one, she brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them with her other hand.

She let out a sigh. "Because I am afraid of what he thinks of what I have become," she said, thinking again of the shame she had felt earlier. "What if he decides he does not like what has happened and just leaves again?"

Hinata's lips turned down into a frown. "W-what did he say when he saw y-you?"

You look beautiful...and strong.

Sasuke's words sounding in her mind had her stomach fluttering. Despite the fact that Hinata would not have been able to see it, she found herself tucking her head to hide the blush on her face. It was oftentimes easy to forget her dear friend even had the disability with how well she got around and functioned. How her father thought her incapable was baffling considering how well she managed without her sight.

"He said that he was going to get me out...and he wants to meet me tomorrow night."

Hinata's head tilted to the side before shaking it side to side. "That does not s-sound like the words that would give you reason to think h-he will leave."

"But what ifー"

"He won't," Hinata said, so strongly and without any stutter that Sakura could not do anything but believe such conviction. "He will come back, he will help you get out of here."

Sakura nodded, her chest warming and her heart beating strongly in agreeance to Hinata's rallying words. "Yes," she agreed, giving Hinata's small hand a tight squeeze. "And you shall come with me. You will live on the farm or ranch or wherever we go."

Hinata smiled, then she began to shift around, laying down on the mattress as her eyes stared up at the ceiling. "Tell me about them again," she requested.

And Sakura did.

After settling into the bed herself, side by side with Hinata, she spoke up to the ceiling, telling her the stories that by now, Hinata could possibly tell better than herself. She had just finished telling a comedic story of when Naruto, Sasuke, and herself had chased down a runaway ostrich during a county fair after they had accidentally set it free in the first place, which had Hinata laughing and smiling as Sakura described Naruto's suspicion that the giant bird could understand everything they had said. As their laughter died down, Hinata shifted to her side and tucked her hand beneath her head as she looked in Sakura's direction.

"I s-should very much like to meet your friend N-naruto one day," Hinata said with a faraway look on her face.

Sakura caught the faint blush that could not be hidden by even the darkest of nights. She smiled, liking the thoughts of the two of them meeting.

"I think he would very much like to meet you too," she said softly, causing Hinata's mouth to split into a gitty grin as she bit down on her lip.

Sakura could not help but smile as she looked back up at the ceiling, her own thoughts drifting off to a dark haired man who had called her beautiful and strong. Who had also come back for her after all these years. And for the first time in many years, Sakura's heart beat with a conviction that she had not felt for a very long time. She had hope once again.

Excuse any errors it an ungodly hour for me to me writing and editing but...hope you still enjoyed it and it made sense. We got some introductions or more characters. I am not planning for this to be a super long story and already I am finding myself planning far more elaborately than originally so I am going to do my best to get as much of those elements and backgrounds and tying them in with the story. Not sure when the next chapter will be up. I am writing in rotation with all my current published WIP's trying to finish at least one of them before I start posting other stories.

So until then! Take care of yourselves!

Oh and I made a short playlist for this story and posted it to my tumblr if that is of anyone's interest. It includes the dark country version of the lyrics at the start of this chapter.