The next couple of days at the clinic proved completely uneventful; minor colds, sniffles, the occasional home injury or farming injury, but nothing required extensive looking after. The man from the animal attack the other day stopped in for a brief check-up, and Sakura spent a reasonable amount of time carefully cleaning his wounds and changing his dressings to prevent infection. He was sent home with his wife, and the clinic was closed for the day, leaving Sakura and Sasuke time to prepare for the evening.
She had managed to get a kimono quickly sewn together by one of the villagers, using some of their best quality materials; hearing that she'd been invited to the lord's estate for a party, they were quick to put something together that would be fitting. The kimono was a beautiful dark pink colour with a cherry blossom pattern in a much lighter pink, just a few shades lighter than her hair; she paired it with a red haori over her shoulders and a pair of plain white sandals. She'd managed to get one made for Sasuke, too; his was a light blue colour with a slate-blue dragon pattern on it and was paired with a blue haori. Her hair was the most intricate part; she braided a strand on either side connected at the back of her head and was adorned with a beautiful clip. The braids were woven with flowers, giving her a very feminine appearance. The rest of her hair was left loose until about the middle of her back, where it gathered into a short braid and was tied at the end with a black string. A touch of makeup on her face—including some to cover the seal on her forehead and conceal it completely—and she was ready to go, stepping out of the bedroom to meet the waiting Uchiha.
The moment Sasuke heard her footsteps, he stood from where he'd been seated, waiting for her. Sakura's outfit was breathtaking; the kimono colours fit her perfectly, accenting every little bit of her appearance. He couldn't help staring at her dressed up like this. He'd thought Sakura was beautiful before, but like this, she was breathtaking.
"You look... good," he said stiffly, not sure if he could find the right words to describe her. He wanted to say she was beautiful, to tell her that she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, but he couldn't; he didn't want to give her the wrong impression. Nevertheless, his compliment made her cheeks flush the faintest shade of pink, a reaction that somehow made her look more adorable than she already was.
Sakura hadn't missed just how much he stared. He'd taken in her whole appearance standing there, and she could feel the way his eyes never left her. She stepped a bit closer to him, turning her gaze away as one of the flowers fell out of her hair that had been holding her bangs behind her ear. "Oh!" She went to bend down to pick it up, but Sasuke beat her to it, gently lifting the flower in one hand before he reached forward. His fingers gently caught in her hair, tucking the flower back into place.
"Thanks," Sakura said softly, feeling the warmth of his hand near her face, the sensation of his fingers gently catching a few strands of her hair.
"Your hair's long," he commented.
"Oh, um, yeah, I... kept growing it out after you left." Her blush darkened. "I would normally have cut it before taking on any long missions, but it was... better for this mission if I kept it long." A thought crossed her mind briefly. She could remember as kids that all the girls were convinced Sasuke liked girls with long hair, but now she wondered if that was true or if he preferred it short. Or perhaps he had no preference at all. Any of those options were possible. As Sakura was mulling over those thoughts, she realized that his fingers were still very lightly touching her cheek, making her blush more than she already was.
"Let's go," Sasuke said as he lowered his hand, reaching to grab his sword and slide it into the belt of his outfit. He affixed the eyepatch over his left eye to obscure his Rinnegan and nodded at Sakura, waiting for her to lead the way.
Their trek to the estate wasn't far; at the main gate, they were met by several guards who led them up to the main doors. Sakura was mentally preparing herself, ensuring every aspect of her backstory was straightened out ad known; at least she could be sure Sasuke would follow her lead on that. Upon entering, Sakura could see the lord surrounded by many people; the moment they walked through the doors, his gaze turned on her with an award-winning smile as he swept across the floor to greet her.
"Miss Kobayashi," he said in greeting, raising a hand to kiss the back of her knuckles gently.
"Ah, it's Ms. Kobayashi, actually." She gave him a soft smile in response. "Widowed, unfortunately, but that's perhaps a story for another day." She gave him an apologetic look like she was apologizing for correcting him; in reality, Sakura couldn't care less, but she had to ensure her cover was set perfectly and correctly. "You can call me Ume, though."
"My apologies, Ume. I did not mean to offend if I did." His gaze rose up to the taller, dark-haired male standing behind her. "Forgive my asking, but who is the gentleman accompanying you?"
"He is a guard that was sworn to protect my husband; upon his passing, his loyalty transferred to me. You needn't worry. He serves only to ensure my safety and protection. My husband was a minor lord, but alas, his ailing health got the better of him. He died far too young." Her expression turned sombre, and she looked sad; convincingly so. Sasuke saw the change in her demeanour, and he almost believed she was telling the truth; the only reason he didn't was that he knew the truth. He was awed and intrigued by her capability to maintain cover.
"I see. Well, he is welcome to stay, then, if only to assure your safety. He may stay with the rest of the guards around the room, but he is only to leave the main room if he is accompanying you if that is all right." Sakura had a feeling that the lord had no intention of letting her leave the room without any accompaniment, so that would have to do. If it meant Sasuke was allowed to follow her, then that was good enough.
"I understand, Lord Arakawa," she replied politely. "His primary concern is my safety; you needn't worry unless he finds my safety in jeopardy." Now she just had to be sure Sasuke could keep his cool. Though he was a changed man, Sakura wasn't entirely sure how changed he was. Turning back to Sasuke, she gave him a nod, bidding him briefly farewell to stand along the side of the room while she followed the lord to a small secluded table. Sakura could feel many eyes in the room on her: other lords who admired her beauty and the occasional woman giving her a jealous glare. Arakawa seemed to have taken to her nicely; that was going to make things much easier for her when it came to searching his quarters for information. All she had to do was work on getting him alone.
"So, Ume, if you don't mind my asking... you said that you were widowed. Is that a factor in why you've moved to such a small town?" Arakawa asked curiously.
Sakura's expression feigned sadness. "Yes, indeed it is, Lord. After my husband's death, I found that I could not stay in the estate we had built together. After some renovations with most of our savings, we turned the estate into a school for children in the local area, hired some teachers, and left them a portion of the money to keep the school going for a few years until they could find enough funding to sustain themselves. With what I had left, I travelled for a while until word came of a small town in need of a doctor. I had been trained as such for most of my life; thus, I thought it prudent to give back to a small community using my talents. They required a doctor, and I required a calling, so I utilized the last of my savings to purchase the old clinic and have only just begun my practice there. I do hope it will grow from that, but it will take some time." Though she appeared every part of the timid woman, Sakura watched Arakawa's reactions intently; he seemed to be listening, and while his expression showed sympathy and kindness, she could see the coldness in his eyes. He did not care. He did not see a heartbroken, widowed woman searching for a purpose; he saw something very different in her, something that made her skin crawl.
"A sobering story if I've ever heard one," he remarked, reaching forward to rest a hand upon hers, which were folded on the table. "I am truly sorry for your loss, Ume. I hope that you can find something in life that keeps you going." His smile quickly returned. "Would you like a drink, or perhaps something to eat? There are drinks and small snacks for all of the guests invited to the party." He was waving down a waitress as he asked.
"I've already eaten, and I tend to... avoid drinking in crowds if that's all right." Sakura wanted to be sharp for the rest of this mission. Drinking wouldn't allow her to accomplish that. She would wait until they were in private with the lord before she deigned to touch any alcohol. She was sure there was nothing wrong with the food, but one couldn't be too careful. After what they'd seen in the basement, there was now the possibility that the food could be used to infect others. Sakura had yet to determine the medium by which the illness was passed; they couldn't be too careful.
"A shame," Arakawa said as he bowed his head. "So this clinic has been going well for you, I assume?"
"Quite well, yes," Sakura responded. "I enjoy it. Helping others is something I've always been drawn to, and my husband was gracious enough to be able to allow me to do such in our old town." Sakura's mind wandered back to the conversation they'd overheard yesterday; Arakawa had mentioned convincing her to help out within the castle. She still wasn't entirely sure how she might handle that situation, but she was confident that she wouldn't come work in the court. That would be too risky. But allowing him to send the ill ones to her clinic... now that was a possibility.
Of course, that was dependent on whether he even remembered most of the night. Sakura wasn't entirely sure what Sasuke was going to have to erase from his memory with the Sharingan; she'd figure out that part when she had a chance to meet up with him again.
"If you wouldn't mind, Ume, I have a proposal for you," Arakawa said, giving her his best smoulder. Sakura could see how any girl would fall for that; hell, were that smoulder on a certain Uchiha's face, she might have fallen for it herself. "I think it would be best discussed privately if you'd be inclined. I'm becoming tired of this little party." He waved his hand at the crowd around them, including the gaggle of girls that had spent the last little while giving Sakura the stink-eye for talking with Arakawa.
Oh, that was a stare she was familiar with; she'd felt it many times when she was a Genin, spending time with Sasuke (often with Naruto in tow) and chatting animatedly with them, much to the chagrin of other girls in their class.
"Of course. I do hope you don't mind if my guard comes with me? He will insist if he is not allowed to. You needn't worry. Whatever proposal you have for me, he will be privy to regardless. He is sworn to protect me with his life." Sakura was mentally crossing her fingers, hoping Arakawa wouldn't be bothered by that.
"I would prefer if he remained outside the door during our business dealings, but I do not mind if he waits outside if that will be enough for you." His finger reached for Sakura's chin, gently tipping it up toward him. "After all, my business dealings tend to come with... other additions to them at times." The way he said that Sakura could tell it was something sexual in nature. Internally, she shuddered; this man was not her type in the slightest. But she needed to keep her reactions as natural as possible; thus, considering the possibility that it was Sasuke offering her such a thing...
And, as always, when it came to the Uchiha boy, Sakura's cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink; she reached for her folding fan, attempting to hide her flushed face behind it. "You flatter me, Lord Arakawa. I am not used to a man being so... forward." Now wasn't that the truth? She even found it difficult to imagine a man being forward like that. Most if not all of the men who'd admitted any feelings for her had been respectful about it; even Naruto, who was a top-tier pervert in her perspective, had been far more respectful than Arakawa was.
"I am a lord, of course. When I want something, I do not fear repercussions for expressing such." He smirked at her, standing and offering her a hand. She took it, allowing him to assist her in rising to her feet. Her gaze met Sasuke's across the room, and he turned to follow them.