Chapter 26 - Call your name
Sakura's eyes fluttered open as she let out a small groan, feeling soreness all over her body. Something warm was draped over her, but she couldn't quite understand what it was. Well, that was until the thick fog in her mind finally cleared up, and her fingertips traced the hot to the touch skin by pure accident.
She nearly squeaked, blushing from head to toe as she felt Shisui's arms wrapping around her waist protectively, black messy curls tickling the side of her neck as he nuzzled in unconsciously, lips mere inches away from her throat.
She stroked his now-dry hair instinctively, head against the pillow like a deadweight as she counted her blessings, relieved the older Uchiha didn't wake up despite her moving around in bed, even if just a little bit.
Her heart was beating like crazy as she stayed still under his heavy touch, afraid to break the moment by accidentally waking him up. After all, she didn't know whether she would get the chance to enjoy something like this ever again. Fingertips traced the back of his broad spine lightly, butterfly touches as she tried making sense of her scrambled thoughts once and for all.
She was quite lost about her next set of steps. She didn't even know whether she would come back to this room tonight. She couldn't ask for anything more than what she'd gotten so far. Her other hand moved to her hair, stroking away the stray pieces behind her ear before she traced the fully solidified diamond-shaped seal on her forehead.
She sighed softly, her thoughts conflicting with one another. She wanted to stay, but she couldn't. She decided to cherish this moment, it may be her last, given her odds. Her fingers trembled slightly as she continued stroking his hair; his hot breath against her neck was real, and it burned her with a feeling she couldn't have, with a feeling she couldn't fathom.
Her jade eyes were full of that fond feeling one would call love, as they crinkled slightly when she looked at him. A small smile graced her lips, and the sound of chilly rain against the glass of her window calmed her soul to the point of serenity. It was like time stood still just for the both of them.
She felt warm and cherished, as if she finally found a place where she belonged-in Shisui's arms, tucked away in the sheets on a rainy Sunday morning, even if it was a Thursday evening. She had important places to be, life-threatening things to do.
She knew Shisui wanted to tell her something, but she was afraid, terrified he would change his mind. She wanted to keep these moments all to herself as if it was her last day on earth.
Being a shinobi left one with an uncertain amount of time, but it wasn't just about being a devoted and dutiful shinobi to the point of giving your life away on a mission, no, it was also about simply being just her.
"Slept well?" asked Shisui.
Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by an incredibly raspy voice that reverberated through her overly sensitive skin, making her gasp as his hot breath ghosted over her neck, prickling at her flesh, lips nearly touching the junction between her neck and shoulder in what seemed like an accident if she didn't know any better.
"Mm." She hummed, content by just being in the moment. "You?" she asked, her voice lower than usual, sore almost, and she felt his hand on her waist, fingertips slowly tracing various patterns on her already bruised skin, skimming over her toned stomach.
"Couldn't be better." There was a smile on his face, a genuine one, she couldn't see it, but she just knew it was there.
She looked at the messy curls in between her fingers, noticing they were even curlier than before, black as night, unruly, scrunched into an unpredictable pattern, just like the man himself.
"I could do this every day, you know." He chuckled in a carefree manner, admitting his thoughts out loud, making her shiver as she found her heart speeding up in a familiar rhythm that only occurred when she was around him.
"I don't think I'd be able to feel my legs if we would go at it every day." She chuckled too, a humorous smile plastered across her face as she sunk deeper into the sheets, fully content in his embrace, even if it was all but a fabrication of temporary happiness. It was a genuine moment nonetheless.
This was the most real she felt in months, years even.
"No, not just that," he shook his head against her skin as he licked his dry lips, wetting them as he let out yet another uneven breath. His grip on her tightened as he rubbed his head against her, burying himself deeper, his lips now touching her neck as she could feel each syllable spoken out directly onto her body, as he inhaled her scent into his memory.
She stilled, the hand in his hair shaking with a slight uneasiness, as her breath got caught in her throat which was sore and dry.
No, not now, not in this way.
"I want this to be more than just that," his nervous voice echoed in the room against the sound of the heavy rain slamming against the crystal glass.
She couldn't, not like this, not when she could leave him at any moment. Not when she was putting everyone's life in danger.
"I want you to be-"
"Let's talk about this later," she hastily told him, pulling his face away from her neck as she looked into his confused black eyes. The sight alone had her almost choking with overflowing emotion.
The warmth she saw in those eyes, pure, unfiltered warmth that was only meant for her-she couldn't take it.
The moment she knew she might've had it all, she found herself being scared of the idea even if it was all she ever wanted, even if it was all but a fingertip's touch away. But didn't she promise herself to enjoy these moments? What else was there left for her to experience?
So she kissed him, shutting off his incomplete words to avoid hearing them, to avoid finding out more than she could've handled at that moment.
I love you.
She found herself repeating those words in her heart over and over again as her lips slid over his, as his fingers caressed her face with warmth she craved for, as she struggled to avoid crying yet again.
He had let her get away from the confrontation; her touch was intoxicating, too distracting to think about anything clearly, as she consumed him fully.
His tender touches, his words that he was not able to convey properly, it was all enough to let her know he felt the same, and she was happy just by knowing that, even if not voiced out loud properly.
She savored the bittersweet moment.
"I have to get ready, we will talk later, I promise," she told him before she shut the door off and stepped into the bathroom. The sad smile on her face was the last thing he witnessed before she disappeared.
When she came out a while later, her body was pristine again, not a single mark that could remind him of his claim was left. It was like staring at a blank canvas, ready to be painted again, ready to tell yet another story, to carry on with whatever her life might throw at her.
"You should shower too." He heard the tone of her voice distinctly, barely paying any attention as he looked through the window, dark eyes observing the crystal clear, stray raindrops on the window as they slid down the smooth glass one after another, as if racing each other.
"I know," he hummed, barely registering his own words as he finally lifted his body away from the bed, the sheets sliding away from his skin as he walked near her, completely naked both in soul and body.
His arms embraced her just when he was about to pass her, wrapping around her waist with a force that had her melting, He put his head on her shoulder, giving a quick peck on her neck.
"Promise me we will talk about it later," he whispered, and he felt her shiver under his touch, her own arms wrapped around him, as she dug her own face in his neck, sinking into his warmth, savoring his touch.
"I will." He felt her lashes tickling against his salty, damp skin as she blinked a couple of times, her blank eyes staring into nothingness, lost in thought.
Somehow they both knew she lied, but he still chose to believe the lie anyways, because he wasn't any better than that, he didn't deserve more than that.
He nodded, letting go of her before the door behind him closed, and when he came out minutes later, she was already gone as if she was never there to begin with.
The only thing that remained was a fresh scent of peaches that he already grew fond of. It lingered in his system like a drug, reminding him of the woman that was once there.
Sakura's mouth felt extra dry as she swallowed, the taste of fresh mint cascading down her throat as she stepped onto the stage slowly. The red-purplish lights fogged her vision black, making her usually bright eyes dim by adding a few darker shades of green.
The heavy gaze she held was in search of something as she scanned the bottom area of her stage. In return, all she found were the predatory eyes watching her from below, though they were mostly just faceless shadows anyway.
Her long fingers wrapped around the cool silver metal for the first time that night. Sakura's body slowly started swaying with the overly loud music under the dim lights of the club, and she circled the metal pole almost effortlessly this time around.
There was money being thrown beneath her feet already, but she didn't come close enough to get it, nor did she let any of the disgusting men near the stage touch even an inch of her skin. She tried keeping her distance for as long as she could.
The stage lights bounced off of the white sequins of her bra and thong, reflecting all sorts of bright colors across her black-mesh bodysuit she wore underneath. Her legs were elongated by the black platform heels that melted right into the outfit as she continued her sensual dance.
She didn't just spin around the pole as most new starters did, she was climbing up it, flipping herself upside down, and holding onto it with just her legs alone. Of course, given her practice, she wasn't a just starter, she knew exactly what she was doing, even if she learned most of the techniques just through a hobby.
She allowed her body to swing around the pole in its normal sway, body grinding upon the unforgiving metal surface. She wanted it to end, but it was only the start of the night, and the events unfolding weren't even close to the real "climax" she was about to experience later.
Her breath hitched in her throat at the thought, but she continued her effortless dance even though her body was still sore from earlier.
She lifted her long, shapely legs, stretching them upward and bending them to show more of her shaped ass, before resuming her attention onto the valley of her own breasts, hips still in motion. She ran her fingers through her hair, smoothing the dragon-fruit locks over the front of her body.
The strobing lights above bounced off of her cleavage, pulling the crowd's focus there until Sakura's hips started moving like a wave against the cold metal again. Her hands traveled along the inside of her thighs, flickering over her waist, and then stopping only for a moment to cup her covered breast, before coming back over her long neck and threading through her hair again, careful so as not to remove the mask that held her mysterious persona together.
The black polka-dot mesh over her face hid her scrutinizing gaze and made it seem like her half-lidded eyes were filled with lust instead.
Sakura climbed up the pole again, more slowly this time, allowing the predatory eyes to graze her figure. Her eyes moved to the pile of green paper bills on the ground as she briefly thought about the best way to collect them; after all, she was "working" for someone, so money had to be taken into consideration regardless.
When her tired eyes raised from the paper-littered floor, she was met by the piercing gaze of a hooded figure. He was leaning back against the wall with his hands shoved hidden into the long sleeves of his robe. The moving lights sometimes caught his molten amber gaze and a glimpse of hair that peeked through the hood, making a few of the stray pieces look almost scarlet under the fluorescent lights.
But when his figure slowly disappeared into the darkness, away from the prying lights, she only had one thought swirling in her head.
She realized it was time for the grand performance. They were finally here. Her hands gripped the metal harder as she closed her eyes for a moment.
This time it was either all or nothing.
Who's going to be in control?
Tonight she would be facing way more than just rogue ninjas; she knew that much without a single shred of doubt.
A half black and half white figure lurked in the corner amongst the dark shadows, eyes intently following the pink-haired woman's movements as her body swayed in precise motions, captivating the crowd of hungry animals.
His gaze narrowed, the yellow in the slits of his eyes glowing in the dark. Even from afar, Zetsu could tell it was the same forsaken woman reincarnated. There was no doubt this time; it was the same vessel, finally brought to life, waiting to be used the way she was intended.
Tonight seemed like the perfect chance to finally end this, his plan all but a fingertip's touch away from finally being completed. He just needed to rely on the thug idiots to capture the woman so he could finally get her reunited with the Lord. He was sure that this time his calculations were near perfect.
Even if her power was awakened, there was absolutely nothing she could possibly do. She wouldn't escape this time. Just like all the other times, she would be caught time and time again, trapped like a mouse inside a box until all but the last one of her descendants were left.
Judging by the looks of it, Zetsu was pretty sure she was the last piece to the broken vessel; she was about to become a host, and she will serve her purpose just like she was supposed to all those years ago.
"Shachi, I shouldn't have helped you all those years ago. Granting you the karma of the Goddess was a mistake I'll regret for the rest of my life." He shook his head as he murmured to himself maliciously, his figure dissipating into the darkness.
"But you have a price to pay for what you've done. Your cruel fate has finally caught up with you. The stains on your name shall be brought to light, once and for all, priestess."
It was about an hour later when Sakura was finally heading up upstairs of the club, nibbling her bottom lip as she was about to meet the unknown and potentially very dangerous men. She was quite thankful for the fact that some of the girls were with her, but at the same time she felt awful for putting them in danger if anything unpredictable happened.
Her sole intention was finding out as much as she could, and getting out before they'd catch on, as Uchiha Izumi had to be retrieved at any cost. Dead or alive, the future Uchiha matriarch had to be brought back to her homeland, back to them.
She knew she most likely won't be able to use the jutsu Itachi taught her, her body still sore from being with Shisui, and she really didn't want another round, especially with a man she knew nothing about. The thought alone was disgusting.
She thanked Kami for the polka-dot veil covering most of her face, which hid her scrutinizing and uncertain gaze from the prying eyes of complete strangers.
Men in black and red cloud adorned cloaks filled her vision as she entered the private room, the music here eerily quiet compared to the rest of the club, as she could still hear the distinct bass from downstairs.
Upon her entrance she spotted a group of men scattered around the room, taking notice that some of them were already enjoying a drink in their hands, while others were already eyeing the prey that just entered the tension-lit space.
Sakura felt Touka's arm ghosting over shoulder, as if in warning, letting her know the encounters here were to be anticipated as per the club's protocol. She looked over to the side, seeing Mei walk up to the small stage in the middle of the room, her look hard and practiced as Sakura gave her a concerned look, even as the spiky-haired brunette was already bouncing along with the music, without a care in the world.
"Be careful," she heard Yuna's voice near her ear, and she nodded slightly, closing her eyes for a moment before focusing on the other girl that was giving out a private performance for what one could be described as S-rank class criminals.
Their safety was above everything else. They had no way of knowing who she was, but if anything happened, Sakura knew she had to protect them. She was thankful for the girls' support, despite the kind of job they did; they were like a big family, and they took Sakura right in without giving it a second thought. She felt bad for deceiving them, awful actually.
She was about to step aside until she felt a firm grip on her forearm, making her flinch in surprise as she turned around, eyes set on the man she saw earlier, scarlet locks peeking through the hood of his cloak as his piercing amber gaze caught her off guard.
She saw him earlier that night, she was sure of it.
"I don't care for your little performance, I saw enough already as it is, entertain me in different ways." His voice had an edge to it, it sounded dangerous, dominant, letting her know who was in charge directly without leading her on with any false pretenses.
Jade eyes met his honey colored ones, it was strange how a man with such warm eyes could give off such a cold, dangerous vibe. He suddenly looked to the side, red brows furrowing in annoyance.
She didn't have a chance to speak out a word before his grip on her arm became even stronger, and she gave him a questioning look, despite him not being able to see her face clearly thanks to the lace veil she wore.
"Tsk, let's go if you don't want that shark-faced freak over there to swallow you." His tone was quite rational, but it carried an underlying tone of finality to it even as he clicked his tongue. She tossed a glance over her shoulder, and the unknown man voiced her thoughts for her. "Indeed, what a disgusting sight." He murmured while sighing, but she still caught on.
"Of course, as you wish, sir." She nodded hesitantly, words leaving her lips through gritted teeth as she saw the look on the shark-looking man's face. In fact, it seemed even more manic than the one the red-haired man wore, almost bloodthirsty.
She concluded that more than likely, they were all batshit crazy, and she had to get away as fast as she could, preferably without any interactions with the blue-skinned man.
"Follow me." She heard his smooth, calm timbre, and it wasn't a demand, no, he straight up commanded her, and she did as she was told without any further questions.
She could feel the eyes on her body as she was tucked away in the corner by the scarlet-haired man before he finally sat down.
Hot, neon pink lights flipped on and flickered across the room just enough to give the space a sensual, more personal vibe. She squinted her eyes, looking at the cloaked man who was watching her intently like a hawk, ready to strike at any point if triggered, even if he wore an almost bored expression, as if just waiting for her to do something even remotely interesting.
She was playing a dangerous game, one that could cost more than just her own life. It was clear as day the man was intending to make her snap because he knew more than he let on, but her facade had to prevail at all costs.
The private room was a luxury affair, dark burgundy and plum giving it a sophisticated feel. The space itself looked like some kind of booth, as she let herself be tucked away, a bit more privacy despite the prying eyes never even once leaving her body.
"Amuse me," he flat out said, his voice deep and low despite it lacking any further interest. It was as if he was testing her, as if she was just another subject on his list of endless experiments.
Her body tensed just for a second, the dark aura surrounding the man sinking into her skin as she felt it prickling against her flesh, nibbling, testing the waters even further than his own words did. It didn't look like it would be an easy feat to extract any kind of information from him.
To say Sakura felt intimidated was an understatement, the man knew what he was doing, and he was doing it on purpose.
However, she didn't have any other choice but to try, to try and outsmart a man that had more than just wicked thoughts swirling in his head.
She looked at the man, silky hair smoothing over her shoulders as she used her hand to flick the locks up in the air, sparing him a half-lidded, disinterested look that promised much more to come if he was up for the challenge. Voluminous hair fell back around her in a dramatic matter, strands of pink glinting in the obscure lights.
"Then make me." She stood before him, not moving an inch as she eyed him from above, forest-green eyes full of challenge and mirth, even if her confidence was all but fabricated in the eyes of the deadly predator.
Sakura could feel her pulse immediately quicken as she stared down at those translucent amber eyes. He was here, right in front of her, and judging by the smirk on his lips and the way he watched her every movement, he was very interested.
"Brave. Very brave indeed," he simply stated, not even phased by her words as she flat out refused to accommodate him. "Almost too brave for someone in your position." He tilted his head to the side, palming it with a gloved hand that was almost the size of his head, long fingers curling into the mane of pure scarlet, leather fingertips disappearing into the sea of red.
"I'd say surrender would be a valid option, but will you though?" His eyes crinkled, and she swore she saw something sadistic swirling within those golden, mysterious earthy eyes.
She placed a manicured hand on her hip, green eyes almost glowing in the dark as she leaned over to him, her hot breath ghosting over his pristine skin, scorching him even if he barely felt anything. It was all about the mind games, after all.
That's what turned him on.
"It's not what you want, though, is it?" She gave him a shit-eating grin as she stepped between his legs, daring him to do something, challenging him wordlessly, but his legs only spread enough to let her slide in between, accommodating her silent intrusion.
One of his gloved hands grabbed her hip, tugging her closer as his amber eyes ghosted over her exposed skin, his voice even more daring and smooth than before, pure silk for one's ears.
She felt the temperature around her spiking up, that aura of his still nibbling on her exposed skin, waiting patiently for her to give in, to break.
"Indeed. Seems like you're smart. You can figure it out. You'll either play along, or you won't," he said, rich timbre soaking through his low voice almost sickeningly, making Sakura narrow her eyes ever so slightly in the face of unknown danger.
"Isn't that what gets you off?" she boldly stated as she crawled onto his lap effortlessly, both hands coming to rest on his shoulders as she expectantly looked at him, lips half-open, inviting with a slight curl to it.
She felt his muscles tense the tiniest bit before he relaxed under her touch as she decided that moving further, for now, might not exactly please him. Strands of pink acted like a veil, shrouding them away from the curious eyes, as her locks dangled between their bodies, giving them more privacy if anything.
"An interesting assumption indeed." He chuckled darkly. "The question is, are you able to perform to my standards?" She saw the flick of amusement in his eyes, telling her she was on the right path, encouraging her to show him more.
One of her hands snaked down his chest, brushing overexposed abdominals to rest in his lap. "Mhm….Who knows?" Sakura looked at him, as if wondering about it herself, her head falling to the side gracefully, the soft rustling of fabric following her movement.
"Perhaps I could help you with something like...this?" she whispered, giving the area between his legs a light squeeze with her thighs, as a coy smile spread past her lips in another challenge, she felt a pulse beneath her legs, something straining against her clothed core.
A bait if one might call it that.
"Tsk, acting so diplomatic will get you nowhere, unless you are trying to become my doll?" he whispered directly into her ear. The scarlet-haired man was so close that she could feel his warm breath resting against her cheek, but he still made no effort to touch her anywhere.
However, what she caught was a piece of information, and she decided to probe further.
"Doubtful, but I'm pretty sure you'd like that though." She clicked her tongue as if she was annoyed, pressing her ass into his crotch harder, making a slow, sensual dance against his groin with the tiniest of movements, perfected and practiced.
The moment ticked by. Between them, only the staticky warbling from the half-forgotten record player marked the passage of time as well as the distant, muffled voices in the background.
"Are you the type that goes looking for trouble? You know the time for discussion and diplomacy has already passed." Amusement she previously only witnessed in the depth of his eyes moved over to his low voice that came out with a deep hum. A gloved hand slid up down the curve of her waist before it reached the expanse of her ass, leather fingers brushing up and down teasingly.
"Either way - now we come to my favorite part. A simple pleasure. To my surprise, it's been ages since I've found a woman good enough to fuck with both my head and body." When the deepness of his words reached her ears she found him gripping her ass, hard. And Sakura moaned just for the sake of it, even if the action itself was not something she welcomed. She could admit, the man itself looked dark and alluring, but she was more than smart enough to know there was something off.
The charm was not enough to throw her off. She clearly knew this bastard was up to no good, and from what she concluded he seemed to be a sadistic bastard as well.
"Who makes you think I'll give you both?" Plump, creamy thighs were still bracketing his as she stilled for a moment. However, soon again she picked back up on that graceful viciously smooth sway of her hips, giving him altogether too much to focus on. He finally grabbed her by her buttocks, both gloved hands this time, long fingers digging into her fair skin.
"Tsk, fighting talk, I love it! Now let's see you live up to it, my precious doll," he chuckled darkly, his aura prickling at her skin even more, trying to enter her system no matter how much she resisted. Truly a bloodthirsty individual with no remorse.
"If you do well, I might consider adding you to my collection. So come now, amuse me...and don't you dare to disappoint." There was an aftertaste to his words, something dark, vicious, and threatening layered with the huskiness of his voice, as his tongue slid down her collarbone before he bit in as if she was a meal he was craving.
Rage boiled inside of the kunoichi. She was almost but not quite grinding on him with the way her hips moved by now, aggressively as if agitating him. Harsh and unsatisfying friction against the swell in his pants that had first stirred at her bratty remarks and now ached. Her chest dragged along his, and she imagined that if he would've shed his cloak off completely he could've felt the brush of her nipples. She rocked down on him in a cruel move with a sweet little sigh to his lips. It felt delicious; it almost felt like it wasn't enough.
"So be it then." She licked her lips and cupped her breasts, giving him the most sultry look that she could muster, but inside she was practically quaking as nervous energy and adrenaline mounted.
Sakura wondered, not for the first time, if she was severely in over her head in trying to seduce this man.
She decided now would be the best time to start extracting the information, and as his hands slid down the valley of her breasts, she moaned out the first question.
"So what brought you all the way back here?" she asked almost innocently, eyes dropping to level his, as one of his fingers ghosted over her clothed core. "Y-you don't seem like a man that would frequent these types of places."
Before the red-haired man could answer her, she felt another presence behind her back, a muscled body almost forcing himself onto her as she tossed a look over her shoulder, not surprised by the slightest to see the shark man's patience run out as she felt his member pressing against her ass, impatient.
"Ne, Sasori, don't you think it's time to share? I've been waiting for too long, you know." The blue-skinned man grinned, but there was a silent threat to his voice as a pair of strong arms snaked around her waist possessively.
"What makes you think I'd share a woman with you, Shark-face?" Sasori said, his eyebrow lifting up just the tiniest bit, betraying his annoyance.
"It's not a question and you know it." Another dark aura prickled against her skin, almost making her shiver in disgust, as she felt the bulk man press against her even harder.
"Tsk, to think I'd-" Sasori was stopped mid-sentence by Sakura who seemed lost in thought before that.
"You certainly must be willing to pay a pretty penny for me then." Sakura turned around, a coy look on her face as she looked at the unusual man, his beady eyes meeting hers for the first time up close. She resisted the urge to flinch away.
"But I'm not taking two at once. You will have to wait then." She smirked dangerously, winking at him as she laid out her statement flat out.
She would definitely not be fucking two S-rank criminals at once.
The man shrugged before he pulled out his wallet from his back pocket.
"What's your price, pinkie?" Sakura continued to face him, not once stopping her sensual dance as she tried her best to please the man beneath her.
"Hmm? Taking up on my offer? What do you do for a living that allows you to spend so recklessly?" she probed, hoping to get some clues about his association with the Akatsuki and the disappearance of Uchiha Izumi.
She felt another figure slowly appearing before her as she heard the shark-man mumbling something in the background.
"Oh, seems like I'm just in time, priestess." She heard a dark chuckle, and her head snapped to the side immediately.
"To think you'd be doing such odd jobs, I'm not sure if the master will be happy hearing about this." Sakura pulled back slightly, a little confused by the statement that came from a man that had his face split in two, both black and white.
"Oh, Shachi, don't you tell me you've already forgotten about me?" Another dark chuckle made it past her ears and her confusement only grew further. Did she know him? Did she have any business with this man before? Sakura was pretty sure it was her first time seeing the man.
"I've had customers with a taste for a variety of kinks and requests, but I'm not sure if I follow you or the flow of this conversation in particular," she said, completely puzzled.
"Is that so?" he asked, a dark note creeping into his voice that the woman before him didn't like at all. "Well then, my dear kunoichi, allow me to show you what I mean."
Before she could even register that he indeed knew who she was, she felt a prick at the back of her neck. She tried to push the cloaked figure away but another pair of arms snaked around her waist and held her down to Sasori as the unknown man pushed the plunger on the syringe down until the whole of its contents emptied into Sakura's blood stream.
"Shit, she's the one we are searching for?" She heard one of two men closest to her say hastily.
Realizing her predicament, she summoned chakra to her hands and shoved the three men away with superhuman strength, sending them sprawling across the room, leaving a crack on the pristine wall as she stumbled backward, her back edging close to the door as her panicked eyes darted to the girls at the opposite side of the room.
Shit, they were still there.
Already she could feel something cold flowing through her system, making her limbs feel heavy and numb.
"What the fuck did you just inject me with?" she hissed, trying to focus more chakra into her fists, but it seemed whatever substance was now inside of her had tampered with her ability to control her own energy.
"Something to keep you calm while I deliver you to your final destination, Haruno Sakura." Sakura held her stance, ignoring the way the Akatsuki criminal addressed her. She looked down at the man who injected her with some unknown substance as he was slowly getting up from the floor.
The other members of Akatsuki were already on their feet, ready to attack at any second given if the opportunity presented itself.
"What are your orders, Zetsu?" She heard one of them ask the man, the one who injected her with a syringe.
Shit, she thought as she looked at the frightened girls at the back of the room. Before she could even as much as fight she had to make sure they got away safely.
Already, she was putting her medic skills to use as she tried to metabolize the alien substance in her veins, hoping to break it down and purge it before it could do any real damage, but it seemed the drug was working faster than her body could expel it.
"Run, I'll hold them off!" She screamed at the half-naked women who were already making their way towards the exit. Surprisingly enough it seemed that the criminals had no interest in them, letting the women get away without sparing a single look in their direction.
However, that was probably due to the fact that Sakura was approaching them already.
"If you want me to come with you, then you will have to make me, Shannaro!" she spat angrily, her voice as fiery as ever even as her body began to weaken.
She only had one chance, and she had to use it. She hasn't even been given more than a few hours to deal with the new flow of energy that swirled within her sore body, but she was pretty sure she had little to no chances of surviving this encounter otherwise.
She had to use it.
The seal on her forehead immediately came to life, glowing deep purple as stripes of black ran down her face and body, wrapping itself around her limbs like poisonous vines.
She knew she couldn't risk blowing up the place with her infused chakra punches. As much as she'd hate to admit it, people were still in the building, and most of them were probably too drunk or unaware of what was happening upstairs.
"Never going down without a fight, I see you haven't changed much priestess," the man who she now assumed to be Zetsu told her. "However, your days are over kunoichi, I know your weakness." A dark laugh filled the room, as he fully stood from the floor and bowed gracefully, like a cordial gentleman rather than an enemy shinobi.
Sakura tried to sink back into a fighting stance, retreating back a little upon seeing the Akatsuki member acting suspiciously, but it was incredibly difficult when the world seemed to be spinning, not to mention she was in high heels and pretty much nude from the thighs up. She didn't even have any kunai with her to help compensate for her rapid loss of chakra control. Even if her newly acquired seal was active, it also ate away at her chakra resources.
"Tsk, try me then," she threatened, even as she wobbled on jelly-like legs, finally fully charging into the rogue ninjas, knowing she was at a disadvantage, but maybe she could buy some more time for Shisui and Itachi. She hoped they'd retreat, there was no way even the three of them could go against the whole of the Akatsuki in one room.
She either had to get them outside or make sure Itachi and Shisui had enough time to retreat back to Konoha.
"You know it's just a matter of time before you go down, kunoichi. Your little friends downstairs won't help you, they might be preoccupied with something else on hand." Zetsu shrugged as he raised his hands.
"What did you say, bastard?" she questioned him, the tinge of threat in her voice never leaving.
"Don't hurt her in any way, she will pass out in due time, I've made sure of that." He clicked his tongue, his voice ringing in the spacious room. "Also, make sure the building is not damaged by the time she is unconscious. We can't run around losing clients right and left, or else there won't be anyone to sponsor your whore trips next time."
"Fuck you bastard, to think I'd even give you an opportunity to take me down!" she screamed as she jumped into the air, careful not to lose her balance.
"See you later, Shachi." A vicious grin met her, and the figure she was about to strike disappeared into the darkness, sinking into the wall she just smashed, and Sakura cursed inwardly.
She didn't mean to do that.
She could feel a few figures approaching and she quickly retreated, jumping away from the now broken wall before she could get cornered any further.
She felt like she couldn't test her power to the fullest potential, the drug in her system too far deep in. The best she could do now was act on pure instinct, as she dodged the incoming attacks that were aimed at her.
However, she soon noticed her movements were getting even slower, sloppier, not as precise, and not to mention the fact that her seal was eating away at her resources, which made keeping it active really difficult, even if Sakura barely made any use of it thus far. So far, she noticed the seal seemed to enhance her current capabilities, but she wasn't sure what else she could do.
She didn't have time to figure that out as another charged attack came from behind, and she punched the cloaked figure that approached her, barely missing the target, her punch swallowed by a chakra-infused sword.
"Is that all you got?" she mocked, even as she felt like she couldn't hold her seal nor herself any longer.
She found herself being brought into a stone room, the temperature there dropping a few degrees, and she felt her eyes barely open after feeling the drug finally wear off her body. If it wasn't for all of that and her current exhaustion, she was pretty sure she'd be trying to cause havoc in here as well.
She was placed on the floor, and as she tried to stand up, she found her legs almost unable to move. The figure behind her dissipated into the darkness, and she didn't need to see him to know who it was.
Zetsu.
Her attention soon fully shifted as she noticed a tall figure at the back of the room, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Who was he?
The tall man kneeled before her, and the white of his robe rustled against the soft breeze. Crimson red eyes stared at her intently, letting her know he wouldn't hesitate to hurt her if she moved even an inch. Not like she could anyways, she was beyond exhausted, in fact, she was barely conscious.
The long, brown-haired man slowly removed the veil away from her face, dropping the lace adorned cat ears that held it together away as it fell on the stone floor with a soft click, echoing in the empty concrete room.
His scrutinizing gaze followed every twitch on her face, and the light flowing through the uneven cracks in the abandoned building told her it was morning already as it fell over her face in lines. She was sure it had been quite a few hours after her battle.
His fingertips skimmed over her face slowly, catching Sakura by surprise as her tired jade eyes widened. She gave him a puzzled look, unavoidably staring at the star pattern of his bottomless eyes.
She felt like she'd seen those eyes before, but she couldn't tell when or where, she just knew it was a long time ago.
"Have I met you before?" she hoarsely whispered into the wind, voice echoing through space. Her eyes were intent on his as she was overtaken by some strange feeling that left her feeling uneasy.
All she felt was a sudden feeling of sorrow.
Something flickered within the depths of his eyes at the question, but she couldn't tell what it was; she couldn't read him at all, and he showed no single emotion on his face.
At this point, Sakura was tired of analyzing; this was her end anyways.
Why did it matter anyway? It was all for nothing. She was going to die soon, and she only hoped she could live long enough to have a moment to remember her family and a certain someone she had to leave without saying a proper goodbye. She should've known better than that; she should've known better than leaving her loved ones with false promises.
He looked into her eyes for a long moment, the only sound around them the lonely breeze that rustled their hair up into the wind, strands of sky pink and earth brown mixing together like they were meant to be.
She was completely still, stuck in a moment with a man she didn't know anything about.
She noticed that at the very least, for once it wasn't raining, because she couldn't hear the distinct sound of raindrops she'd grown quite accustomed to.
A small, tired smile graced the corners of her lips.
She was okay with this, whatever it was, she was okay with this as long as he wouldn't hurt anyone else.
"Perhaps," he finally answered, his voice deep, rich, and omnipresent as it rang in her ears.
"Who are you?" she asked him, as if she was completely oblivious to the whole situation and atmosphere between them.
His fingers still traced the contours of her face, slowly, gently, as if she was made from porcelain, as if she could disappear at any second given.
His thumb graced the corner of her dimmed, jade eyes, and moved up to her brow, his face suddenly closer to hers, but she was still mesmerized by his gaze, the subtle black and red palette mixing into one divine pattern.
His short brows drew together in concentration as if he was thinking about something intently.
"Even after a millennium, you are still the same," he said instead, ignoring her question. His voice sounded tired, strained almost, but there was also a tinge of something else, something that felt almost overly nostalgic.
"You really did come back, and that's enough. I'm happy," he said, his breath ghosting over her lips, making her gulp, and her mind came up with millions of questions with none of the answers.
What kind of riddle was that?
His fingers slid away from her face, directly into the stray piece of hair on her face as he held it in between his fingers, the vibrant pink still shining through despite it being all muddy and covered in blood and sweat.
"Therefore, I'll let your current self in on a little secret." His expressionless eyes took in her image, still not quite believing, despite his unmoving face, his dark eyes were brimming with feelings she couldn't comprehend, especially not right now, not in the situation she found herself in.
"My name is Indra."
Something struck her like lightning as her lips formed a soft 'o', shades of various emotions flickering through her eyes, but she couldn't understand where it all came from, crashing down on her like a wild seastorm that swallowed a lonely ship out in the vast waters.
"Indra?" He shivered, hearing her speak out his name for the first time in a thousand years, he couldn't have expected it to be like this.
He noticed it, the slight panic in her eyes, the unconveyed feelings that spoke more than he needed to know. She was still there, deep inside, locked away, but still flickering like a faint flame, reminding him of who she was once upon a time.
A goddess for people.
"Is that a name you recognize?" He took a deep breath, eyes not leaving hers, the black inked stars of his eyes looking down at her with various constellations.
"I feel like I've heard it before," she confessed honestly, without thinking twice of her statement, voice almost breaking down as she found her words to be unclear, lacking even the simplest of clarity to her.
Suddenly, he was taking off his robe, effortlessly sliding it down his body until it was enveloping her petite form like a large blanket, his big hands heavy on her shoulders as he smoothed it down her arms and back. Pieces of her torn clothing, whatever was left of it, were now hidden underneath the layer of pure-white cotton.
"Then that's enough for now." His words felt somewhat reassuring, even as he whispered them only for her to hear, even as his arms enveloped her tiny form, bringing her close to his now exposed chest.
She felt struck by this unexpected gesture, too exhausted to move, too surprised to react in any other way than letting him handle her stiff and numb body completely. Even if all of her movement was constricted by the heavy arms around her form, she felt like his embrace held a different meaning.
Sakura couldn't recall what happened vividly, but all she knew was that she remembered this exact feeling of close proximity, it was like she had a sudden flash in her mind.
She felt his hold tighten, her mind blocked from every thought when she felt him bury his face in the space between her neck and shoulder, underneath a veil of muddy hair.
She couldn't move for what felt like an eternity; in fact, he held her even tighter, but this time with no intention of capturing her again. No, it almost felt like he was protecting her, shrouding her away like some rare gem that could get stolen away at any moment if exposed to direct sunlight.
All she could do was embrace the things as they were, even if she had a hard time understanding what was happening, even if the clarity of her own mind was shrouded in doubt and confusion.
The only thing she knew was that something inside of her told her it was right, that these arms were a place to which she belonged to.
"Shachi, please don't go away, don't make me go through this again. I've been waiting for too long." The deepness of his voice resonated within her body, within her bones, lulling her mind with thoughts and feelings that had her disoriented.
Who is Shachi? The question rang in her head, but went unanswered just as quickly.
It's not like Sakura could run away even if she wanted to, she wasn't quite sure for what reason she was still alive, but she intended to keep the opportunity given to her.
She was someone he searched for a long time, all she needed to do was ensure he wouldn't hurt anyone else that was involved with her. In fact, she needed to make sure that no one got hurt, one life was nothing compared to hundreds or even thousands, if she could prevent it, she'd take the opportunity to do so now.
Who in their right mind would battle a god-like being anyway? Even if she tried, with her current strength it would be futile; using her seal ate through all of her chakra resources, which would take at least a few days to regenerate.
She felt something moist on her shoulder, something that wasn't her sweat or desperation.
"I won't." Her head fell over his with a tender touch, whether the action was from exhaustion or just because she was seeking more of that familiar feeling. Her gentle voice reached the side of his ear like a light breeze in the spring, carrying a meaning deeper than she could've given it credit for.
"If I'm someone who's important to you, then I'll go with you, but please don't hurt anyone else. My life is nothing compared to countless others," she said carefully after a while, voice hoarse.
"You haven't changed at all," he sighed into her shoulder, but his voice felt lighter, not as tired, not as strained. "I have no interest in mortals, my goal has always been tied to you. I don't see a reason to pursue their lives unless they threaten yours."
"Is that a promise then?" she asked gently, uncertainly, with a slight shake in her voice. Who was she to make demands with a man that resembled a god?
"There is a price to pay," he told her directly. "Your current self will cease to coexist." His voice echoed through the cold stone room, making her flinch.
"If that means having the people I care about live the last of their days freely and unscathed, then it's worth the price," she said without even thinking twice about it.
"Selfless as always, Shachi," he sighed, running a hand through her hair, as if making sure she was still there, his touch gentle, almost feathery against her locks.
"It's one thing I never truly understood about you," he added with a stony edge to his voice. "No matter how many times I've captured you, you'd always choose the same route. Why die for others?"
"I told you already, what's one life in exchange for countless others? It's worth the trade."
Suddenly, he grabbed her by her shoulders, making her flinch as she looked at him doe-eyed, the red in his eyes intensifying. As his fingers dug into her bruised skin, the wind suddenly picked up, throwing their hair up in the air as their eyes met fiercely.
"They all forgot about you! Time and time again while you sacrificed yourself, no one cared to remember what you've done for them!" he growled, losing his composure bit by bit.
"The only person who remembered this whole time was me. Watching you die time and time again, by my own hands, do you know what it's like, Shachi? Always seeing the same realization in your lifeless eyes as I extracted the last of your life from you, doing all of this just to get you back."
"This world is crammed with cruelty, there's nothing in it that's deserving of you!" His voice echoed through the dimly lit space as he poured facts on her mercilessly, even if she couldn't understand half of it, she couldn't just let this go.
She didn't know what came over her, and as she felt something salty running down the sides of her face, her jade eyes full of unfiltered anger, the seal on her forehead dimmed lightly as if trying to spring back to life, albeit to no avail.
"A person who cannot give up anything, can change nothing! Even if I die ten more times I'd do it all over again!" Her chest was heavy with deep breaths as she screamed out into the void, her eyes fierce as she grit her teeth. She was not having any of this. Her battle-stained hair stuck to her face as pieces of small debris were scattered around them by the wind.
"Release the Uchiha woman you've captured, she has nothing to do with all of this! I don't know what I've done to you in the past, but all my life, all I've known myself as is Sakura. I don't know who Shachi is, but if she is part of me, then so be it, I'll accept it as my karma," she exclaimed with a voice so hoarse and so loud her throat hurt after.
"I have no interest in hurting my own descendants, I already let her go. As long as your companions won't interrupt, I have no interest in them as well," he told her discreetly, the hold on her shoulders loosening just enough to avoid hurting her even more. The look on her sweat and tear-stained face was not something he sought for, not after all of those long and lonely years.
"You carried a lot of names, but you always stayed the same person. You'd rather die than become a burden, but what I'm supposed to do when this time you came back as your original self? What if all I've done up until now was all for nothing?"
"Once I'm dead I won't be able to remember you. So I'll win no matter what. I'll live no matter what. The choice is yours, just like it always was, at least from what I could gather..." She trailed off, and she looked at her clenched hands resting on her lap.
"Then that means that you'll lose if you do remember this time, Shachi."
"That's right…This world, it is cruel. It hit me that living was like a miracle, so I'll accept any form of the contract if it means I'm the only one carrying the consequences. There are only so many lives I can value. And I already decided who those people were."
A few familiar faces flashed through her mind as her look deepened, face full of that melancholic expression she seemed to be wearing a lot as of lately.
I'm sorry that I'll leave you like all the others did, Shisui, you deserved better than that. Forget about me, both you and Itachi.
Indra too seemed to be lost in his thoughts, his arms never left her shoulders as his lips pulled into a thin line.
"Then come back to me," Indra said, his lips so close to hers that she could feel his breath on hers. She felt small under him, his godlike presence was all the more noticeable.
"Forget your current self, forget Sakura, come back to me as Shachi." He tilted his head to the side slowly, observing her with an unwavering gaze that held more knowledge and secrets than she could've ever imagined.
"Come back where you belong, then this cycle will come to an end, you won't have to sacrifice yourself again, it's the last time, I promise."
These words only added to Sakura's confusion, and the thought alone terrified her. Forgetting her own self? Wasn't it the same thing as dying?
She looked at the unfamiliar man who claimed to have met her a thousand years ago, knowing full well the cycle would just keep repeating itself over and over again, somehow she just knew.
When she thought about it, maybe it wasn't that bad of a deal, it would help her cope with things she'd rather forget herself, with feelings she'd rather not remember at all.
Before she could even stop herself, she found her knees giving away under the cold stone floor as she buried her face in her hands, trying to calm her sobs.
"Then make me forget," she cried out quietly.
Help me remember.
Help me forget.
All of it.
She heard faint footsteps approaching from somewhere far away as she found gentle fingers wrapping around the frame of her face, pulling it up with utmost care and precision.
"Then look at me, Sakura." She saw endless constellations scattered around his crimson eyes when she looked at him, stone-jade clashing with blood-red under the black stars. It was like she was looking into a wine-red sky, but the feeling itself was warm, comforting, familiar.
He was the only star she saw in her eyes.
Sakura felt her heart falling, fading into the darkness that would soon overcome her current self, suffocating her under the layers of dark waters with no light in sight.
Then she felt a strange pull on her forehead, and when he finally lifted her up from the floor, her body was like a feather, weighing barely anything in his exposed arms.
Her eyelids fluttered a few times before they suddenly felt too heavy to be kept open any longer, falling over her eyes, blurring her vision as she distinctly heard a familiar voice calling a name that might've been hers once.
"Sakura!" Shisui's voice echoed through the chilly stone walls, hard and strong, but to no avail.
She smelt fire and blood. Something important slipped past her mind, but she wasn't sure what it was.
With the last bit of strength she could muster, she kept her eyes open just long enough to see two blurry figures standing somewhere in the distance.
She didn't know why, but they felt familiar, however, the voices echoing in her head all but faded away completely.
"Don't hurt them..." she whispered, for some reason, as her eyes closed completely.
"I won't go against my word for you, Shachi." he said, leagues calmer than one might've expected after the exchange that went down between the two of them.
The only other word that echoed in her empty mind was all but a simple goodbye as she found herself transcending time and space, with a man that was stuck in this cruel world for over a thousand years, waiting for one single soul to return.
After a millennium he finally found the light to his shadow.
Author's note
Hi everyone! Uhh, I know it's been a while since I last updated, but life got in a way. This is kind of a plot-heavy chapter? More answers next chapter, and...the fight will have a continuation with some of the main characters having their POV's as well, so don't worry!
This time the story was proof-read by my lovely friend from the discord Binkerbell! Please pay her page on ao3 a visit she has some amazing ShiSaku fics and has me flailing over her work every time! Honestly, it's truly amazing that I got her to proofread SOAN this chapter haha, poor Brittney had to read over 10k words in one sitting.
Given that please join my and Amaya's (Author of Kamen) ShiSaku discord server! We are waiting for everyone hehe～!
/8hgah4g