Writer's note: I forgot to add on the first chapter, I 100% do NOT own Naruto or it's characters. I'd also like to add, while this isn't my first time writing, this is my first time sharing my writing with others! So feel free to please leave a review to let me know what you think. I've got big ideas for this particular story, and I would love for all of you to join me for the ride. (: And while there is no smut in this chapter (Ah, fret not. There will be smut. The smuttiest smut that's ever been...smutted...*eye twitch*...okay, maybe not THE smuttiest smut, cause some of y'all are kkkiinnnkkkaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy, not that I'm complaining, heeeeyyyoooo...anyways, there will be lemons and the like) this story is rated M because it does have mature content AND language. If you're not 18+ I recommend you turn back, age up, and then come back for a good read. Alrighty kitties, here's the next chapter. Again, please leave a review, they serve as offerings to feed my withered soul.
Sakura almost couldn't handle the weepy goodbye her mother gave her at the airport. Even her father, who was a rough and gruff, punch 'em and leave 'em type of man, had a few solitary tears manage to slip their way out of his eyes.
After what felt like a lifetime of hugging, kissing, saying goodbye...just to be hugged even tighter by her mother as if to act like an anchor to keep her there; Sakura made her way onto the plane and into the air. She got lucky and managed to find a flight that was one straight shot, seventeen hours in total. Long hours never bothered Sakura, she was used to them working at the hospital, but she was also typically busy working on someone or something. Seventeen hours of sitting to herself, peering outside the window into the pitch black, left her to her own thoughts. First and foremost, she felt a pang of guilt for her pets, a cock-eye'd pug named Rocky Balboa and a very hefty cat named Chonk, who were sat in kennels in hold five. She knew they must be confused and scared, this was their first time travelling anywhere. She was thankful that they were taking just one flight and not having to stop to take multiples as that would of definitely stressed them out more. Moreso, she was thankful for how all the arrangements for this move fell into place perfectly.
One of the first things she did to prepare for the move was ensure that she was going to have a job when she got there. It took about of month of applying, calls, rejection, missed calls, more applying, over the phone interviews; she was starting to feel a little hopeless until she came across an application that seemed too good to be true. The job was for a hospital right smack dab in the middle of Tokyo, Eiju General Hospital that was, from her research, a flagship hospital in Tokyo that offered advanced medical care, which is what she was looking for to begin with. Along with the regular duties that came from being a surgeon's nurse (which varied from typical nursing duties, to assisting in a surgery, to sometimes performing small operations herself, handling high risk situations), she would also be tasked with the title of "Travelling Nurse." The details in the application stated that some clients will pay the fee for in house care, so she would be the one to go there and assist the patient. The offering pay was enough to take her breath away, even more to her surprise that not even a week after applying, she received a call to do an interview with one of the surgical doctors, Dr. Hanzo Tanaka. As nervous as she had been, the interview went shockingly smooth, the two even sharing in some laughter as they seemed to get along really well. Several days later, Tanaka reached out to Sakura again offering her the job, stating that she would be perfect for the position, and jokingly adding that having a cute American girl around (even though her parents were Japanese, their family had moved to America generations ago) would be perfect. Tanaka then followed up with an offer to help not only pay for her flight to Tokyo, but email her a list of apartments in the city for her to look at. "When you find the one you like," he stated. "Just send me an email of that specific flat and we will take care of the first three months rent, just so you can get on your feet. We will allot you moving costs, too, in case you need food or anything."
Sakura was dumbstruck. What Tanaka was offering just seemed too good to be true. Even if this was an elite hospital she was going to be working for, most businesses offered deals like this for someone already working for the company to have them relocate.
When she asked him why they were being so hospitable, Tanaka actually laughed at her and replied, "It's not often that we get an American with your qualifications to apply at our Hospital. We pride ourselves on advanced medical care, so we only have the best of the best working for us. You have the schooling, you have the hours of interning under your belt, as well as a couple surgeries from what I've seen on your file we managed to get the hospital you interned fax it to us. I also went ahead and called that hospital's lead surgeon, and Mrs. Jones had nothing but good things to say about you. You seem very likable and driven, and to be honest that's been lacking here lately. I think if they others see someone like you at work, they'll catch wind and change their attitudes, too. It will be a pleasure to have you on our team and apart of our hospital, Sakura." Though his words overwhelmed her to the point that she wanted to cry happy tears, she remained sweet and professional over the phone with him, relaying just how grateful she was for the opportunity. Once she found the apartment she wanted and called the complex to set everything up, the bill was emailed to Tanaka who happily took care of it; all she had to do was show up and move in.
She just couldn't imagine everything working out the way it did for her. If she was being honest, it felt like a dream. Sakura worried that she would snap awake, laying in bed at her old apartment next to a careless Sasuke. She hoped that she would get along with her coworkers there, that the patients would take to her, and that travelling wasn't going to be an issue. The only snag that she came across was the fact that she wasn't going to have a car in Tokyo, but Tanaka had said that there are subways and taxis and for the most part everything was within walking distance. Which Sakura didn't mind, she loved walking and felt that walking to and from work every day would really help to get her head in the game, clearing all anxieties she might have.
Staring into the darkness, Sakura saw her reflection worrying her lip. She wanted to say that she felt confident doing this, to a degree. She also felt incredibly nervous, but who wouldn't in her position? She was quite literally starting a whole new life in a whole new world. It's what she wanted, obviously, but she wondered if she would make friends. Back in Long Island, Sakura honestly didn't have many friends. Between school, interning, working, her family, and Sasuke; she never had time. There were acquaintances and colleagues, but that was the extent of it. They were all simple, polite relationships. She never had a best friend that she could divulge information about the goings on of her life to. She wasn't awkward when it came to social interaction, if anything she found herself to be quite forth going and charismatic. However, at the time, she had so much going on that a friend really wasn't her focus. She wondered, though, if she had a best friend, maybe the length of her relationship with Sasuke could of been cut short. Any person with a brain stem would of talked her out of him, told her to move on, that she deserves better. Sakura decided that she was going to try her hardest to really make friends in Tokyo. Tanaka had already emailed her her schedule, saying that it was going to be pretty set except for the random house call here and there; which meant she'd have time to socialize. She'd have time to really explore Tokyo, every alley, shop, and street.
Her reflection smiled at her.
This was really happening.
Holy-fucking-shit, this is happening.
Despite the excitement that coursed through her veins, Sakura did her best to close her eyes and focus on her breathing. Counting each breath, falling asleep slowly, waiting for the moment when she can wake up in Tokyo.
It's been four days since Sakura moved into her apartment in Tokyo.
The taxi ride to her apartment was nothing short of magical for her.
It was closer to nighttime when they arrived, meaning that the city of Tokyo was alit with neon lights and signs. The brilliance of the effervescent lights reflecting off of the black wet streets dazzled her. Even at night, people were walking about the streets; hoisting umbrellas, stopped at food stands, going into pubs, bars, and buildings. Trees were planted here and there along the concrete, bus stops crowded with all types of people. Young, old, businessmen, drunks, musicians- you name it. She wiggled in her seat impatiently, wanting nothing more than to dive out of the moving car and explore the vast city for herself. Alas, she knew that she would probably break her neck and though she loved Tokyo, dying her first day there wasn't ideal.
Sakura was lucky that the apartment complex she was staying at had two-day shipped her key to her, so that she had it when she arrived. Even luckier, that she didn't have to worry about furniture because the apartment came furnished; nothing dramatic, just your basic furniture and appliances. Regardless, she counted her lucky stars. She had dread having to stay in an apartment with no furniture and having to spend all her saved money on new furniture. It was almost eerie to her how good things seemed to be going, how everything just fell into place at the right time. Thinking on it, Sakura felt like she should know better. Things never went according to plan for her, the one consistent thing she could count on was something going wrong. Maybe it had more to do with constant anxiety Sasuke had put her under, but it was a feeling that she had gotten used to and nearly relied on.
When she showed up at the apartment, it took her sometime to find the room, as the layout of the complex was a bit confusing. A big office with what seemed to be a mini apartment as a lobby- with a kitchen and all- came around in a circle that narrowed down a hallway that then split three ways: left, straight ahead, and right. Each direction had the first floor level, as well as a set of stairs. The taxi driver, whose name was Akira, was more than happy to help her figure out where her room was. After they found it, he went a step further to help her bring all her bags inside, as well as the kennels for her pets. Sakura's apartment was on the eighth floor, last door down the left side of the building, number 888. When they had finished bringing all of Sakura's things up, she made a point to tip Akira nicely, and thanked him for his incredible kindness. With a toothy grin, he took the tip and waived to leave, but not before he stopped and mentioned, "There are a lot of restaurants still open at this time of night, Tokyo never sleeps, really. I placed on top of your dresser some menus that I got from some other food places, they deliver. I hope you enjoy your stay in Tokyo."
"Aw, Akira. Thank you, I really appreciate that!" Sakrua chirped sweetly, placing her hand on her chest. Akira gave a slight bow and a head nod, turning away and leaving.
"Why is everyone being so nice to me?" Sakura mused aloud, opening her apartment door and pushing past her bags that had been set close to the door way.
The apartment was nothing short of breathtaking.
Sakura knew she was going to make good money at her new job, she new how much her bills were going to be, but she didn't anticipate that her new home was going to be so...modern. There was a deep navy blue couch that had a texture similar to velvet. In front of it sat a small circular coffee table with some magazines sprawled across it. There was a tv on the wall, it looked to be thirty two inches and very nice, even if it was an older model, she didn't care. The kitchen was clean, white granite counter tops met matte stainless steel appliances. The cabinets were the same ivory white that the granite counter tops were. Upon opening them, she noticed that were was just a couple of plates, bowls, and cups. The living room opened up to a small dining room, with the kitchen spreading out behind both of them. A small hallway lead down to a bathroom on the right, with the master bedroom at the very end of the hall. Peaking in the bathroom, she was greeted with a theme of black and white. Black bathroom sink, down to even the faucet itself being a matte black metal. The tiles on the wall were ivory like the kitchen, the tiles on the floor black and white opposing each other. The shower curtain was heavy and pitch black with a clear liner behind it. The tub looked relatively deep, Sakura delighting in the fact that she could now take bubble baths and drink wine. Her small apartment back in Long Island only had a very cramped shower, so cramped that she could barely lift her leg to shave without knocking everything over. Rising above the tub looked to be one of those fancy shower heads that you could take off the wall and use. Examining closer, she noted that the rings around the shower head indicated different settings. She felt a very naughty tingle at the thought of just what she could do with all those options...
Finally, she reached the master bedroom at the end of the hall. Opening the door, she was surprised to see a rather large bed right in the middle of the room, headboard pressed back against the wall. The bed had to be queen sized, she guessed. She wasn't a fucking bed size expert, to her it was just "big" and she was happy with that as she liked to sprawl out. The blanket, sheets, and pillows on the bed were the same deep navy blue of the couch. Running her hand along the pillow and sheet, they felt silky like satin. The comforter was silky on top, whereas underneath it was heavy and felt like cotton. If that wasn't enough, the view she was allotted did it in for her. Her room was surrounded by large windows, the curtains all pushed back to reveal the glow of the city before her. To her left was glass sliding doors that lead to a balcony. Dumbstruck, she slid open the door and walked out, a chilly breeze grazing up her arms, leaving goosebumps in its' wake.
Sakura just couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Before her, high up in her apartment, she could see a lot of Tokyo laid out. Bright lights, tall buildings, busy bodies, buses, and cars. She could see steam rolling out of chimneys of food shacks, the slight drizzle in the air adding a dreamy, dewy effect to everything she was witnessing. Even in the city, the air smelled like rain. Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, humming to herself when the wind tickled the hairs on the back of her neck. Under where her balcony hung, the apartment complex had a small tea garden. She could see the stone path trailing around the garden, with small garden lights on either side every two feet or so. There was a small pond that she was sure had live fish in it, with lily pads and flowers. At the end of the garden, there was even a small Buddhist Butsudan that she assumed anyone was welcome to walk up to and use.
Sakura just couldn't believe that she was here, in Tokyo.
The city of her dreams.
The place of her dreams.
Sakura was in the city of her dreams, chasing her dreams.
As much as she didn't want to acknowledge it, hope bloomed bright and big in her chest. She was so used to being let down, but standing there as she took everything in, Sakura came to this sole conclusion: she is the master of her fate, and it is all in her hands.
She was going to make the best of every moment.
No more sulking Sakura. No more cursing the day Sakura. In that simple moment, Sakura killed her old sense of self and buried her deep, deep into the earth as an offering for the birth of her new life ahead.
Nothing was ever going to be the same after this.
The next three days following had consisted of Sakura unpacking the things she did bring, and waiting for her parents to ship everything else that she couldn't take. Rocky Balboa and Chonk adjusted easily to their new environment; Chonk just sort of plopping wherever she liked and sleeping the day away. Rocky, on the other hand, did what he always did: stayed by Sakura's side through whatever she was doing. Having trained him well, she had no problem with him walking beside her where ever she went because she knew he wouldn't take off. Knowing that she had only brought enough food for the two for a couple of days, Sakura swallowed her nervousness and made the break to step out of her apartment to a local shop to grab them some food. "Come on, Rocky," She sang song by the door. With a wheezy snort, Balboa made his way to Sakura, waddling along as they went down the elevator, out of the complex, and down the street.
Though she wanted to really navigate the city on her own, Sakura knew jack shit on where she was going and was thankful for her phone. She looked up the nearest market, which wasn't but four blocks away. Balboa trotted happily by her side, pausing every now and then to sniff something or pee on it. Sakura made sure to take in her surroundings, memorizing noticeable buildings, street signs, and anything else that would make it easier for her to make her way through the city without getting lost. The city was bustling with bodies, and even though it was busy, no one seemed to mind Rocky. They'd simply give a polite smile and walk around him. Making their way down the first two blocks, Sakura noticed that the market they were going to must be just a couple other blocks away from the major food market. As bad as she wanted to meander that way and sight see, she was anticipating all of her other stuff to be delivered today and wanted to be there when it arrived.
By the time they reached the grocery store, Sakura's nose was red from the chill in the air and her breath came out in the smallest of frosty puffs. Walking into the store, she could hear a woman's voice exclaiming, "Kon'nichiwa! Welcome to Chofu!" Sakura glanced over to the sound of the voice to see a petite woman, maybe in her fifties, waving excitedly. She had short black hair and bangs that bobbed with each wave. "Hello," Sakura smiled back, mimicking the woman's gesture. When the woman noticed Rocky at Sakura's side, she quite literally squealed at the top of her lungs, arms up in front of her and fists balled. "It's a little dooooooooooog!" She squeaked. "How cccuuuuuuuuuuuute! Can-can I pet it?" She leaned forward expectantly, eyes wide with excitation.
"Sure," Sakura giggled.
The woman gave another small peep, almost leaping over to Balboa. She squat down, letting him sniff her hand for a brief second. Balboa wagged his nub, licking her hand. A wide smile spread across her angular face while she cooed at Rocky how cute she was. After a minute or so, she stood back up, directing her smile at Sakura this time. "Hello," she began. "My name is Usagi Omori!"
"Haruno Sakura," Sakura replied. She stretched a hand to her dog, "This is Rocky Balboa."
Omori laughed, "How cute!"
"Thank you," Sakura smiled.
"Do you need help with anything?" Omori inquired, glancing back down at Rocky for a second.
"Actually, I do. I'm new here, and I am looking for the dog and cat food?"
"Oh, you're not from here? I thought so," Omori placed a hand on her hip. "You're an American!"
"Well my family is Japanese but we've lived in America for generations now," Sakura explained.
Omori nodded knowingly, "Yes, yes. More and more people of Japanese decent are moving back to their motherland, did you know that? It's like their heart knows where their real home is."
"It feels that way," Sakura agreed.
"Are you just visiting? Oh, the pet food is right down here, follow me-" Omori whipped around and lead the way, expertly weaving around displays that stood in the middle of the walkway.
Sakura followed, "Uh, no. I moved here for good!"
"Really?" Omori piqued. "So, do you have family here?"
They were stopped now, standing in front of the pet aisle. Omori had her body turned towards Sakura now, waiting expectantly for an answer. Sakura didn't know why, but there was something about this woman that made her want to explain herself? She hadn't even done anything wrong, but Omori radiated a nurturing vibe, that of a mother, and it effected Sakura. If anyone else she didn't know had been butting their nose into her business without actually knowing her for bit, she'd tell them to fuck off. With Omori, Sakura definitely sensed she was nosy, it was all in good heart. Or so she hoped so. She'd feel like a fucking idiot if she just told some random woman all of this information and leave a bad impression her fourth day in Tokyo. "No," Sakura answered matter-of-factly, "I don't have any family here. It's just me."
At this, Omori frowned deeply, her thin eyebrows knitting together, "You're by yourself? Oh honey, no! Do you have boyfriend here with you?"
Sakura could feel her cheeks going a little red, "No."
Omori gasped, dramatically, too. "No family?! No boyfriend?! Oh honey, no! That is so sad, baby. Well, how about this," Omori placed a dainty hand on her own collarbone. "I'll be your first friend!"
"I'm sorry?" Sakura sought, a little incredulous.
"I sssaaaiiiddd, I'll be your first friend in Tokyo!" Omori repeated, a happy smile across her face.
"Oh, you don't have to do that," Sakura began. "You don't even know me, I don't want to bother you. I just moved here and I know that-"
"Bah!" Omori cut Sakura off with a wave. "Don't be stupid. Tokyo is a big city to be alone in. I would be happy to be your friend! When you get more settled in, feel free to come by and we can set up a time that we can walk our dogs together or go get tea!"
"Uh...well...thank you?" Sakura stated slowly.
"Yup!" Omori nearly shouted. "Anytime, Sakura! I've got to get back to work, but I mean it! Come by so we can set something up!"
Omori skipped away with another wave, down to the opposite end of the big grocery store. Sakura stood where she was for a moment, only slightly baffled at their interaction. She had met some outgoing people in her life, but she was positive Omori topped them all now. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, Sakura looked at the time. "Shit," she hissed. It was thirty minutes pass the time the packages were supposed to arrive. "Come on, Rock'n'roll. We've got to hurry back home." As quick as she could manage without looking like she was flat out running, Sakura grabbed food for the pets, checked out, and began to speed-walk back to the apartment complex.
Using the GPS again, they were able to make it back in twenty minutes. When they reached the entrance to the complex, Sakura glanced down to notice that Rocky was a panting harder than usual, because her speed walking equaled a full out run for him. With a sweet sorry, she scooped him up in her arms and headed in. There was a man sitting at the desk just in front of the doors, scribbling something down on the papers in front of him. His head shot up when Sakura walked in, "Hello, are you room 888? The new tenant?" His voice was more lilted, a couple octaves higher than most men would prefer.
"I am," Sakura answered.
"Oh, good. Some packages arrived for you. A lot, actually. You weren't home, and we didn't have room up here to put them. So they're sitting at your doorstep, taking up the hallway I might add." He paused to look up from writing, casting an annoyed mien.
Sakura scowled, but she worked hard on trying to mask the irritation in her tone, "I'm sorry. I'm on my way there right now, I'll get them out of the way."
"Mmmh, good." He replied, still not looking up from his writing.
What the fuck is his deal? Sakura thought, crossed.
Well, maybe not everyone was being nice to her.
She sort of felt relieved.
The moment Sakura stepped out of the elevator and down the hall, the sight of it causing her to cringe with embarrassment. Sure as shit, there were at least fifteen boxes at her doorstep, none of which were small. They were all medium to large, taking up the width of the hall. The more she neared, the more she saw writing all over them, of which she recognized immediately as her mother's handwriting. Setting Balboa down, Sakura leaned over the boxes to read what was written on them. Obviously, they were labeled. 'Sheets,' 'Toiletries,' 'Books,' 'Kitchenware,' and, even one whole box labeled 'Panties,' with a little heart dotting the 'i.' Everything else that was written on the boxes were small confessions of love from her mom. Things like, "You're my precious baby" and "Don't forget to call us every day." The panties box had, "You're my sweet cherry blossom," written across the top big and wide. Sakura didn't know if her mom was purposely trying to fuck with her or not. Either way, she needed to get these out of the hall ASAP. Just thinking about who could of seen these sent blood rushing to her face.
With a deep suspire, Sakura unlocked her apartment door and began to nudge boxes in with her foot. Her door only opened partially, mainly because there was a stack of empty boxes beside the front door that she still needed to take out. The box she was nudging became lodged between the door and the door frame, the door giving her resistance when she tried to push it open all the way. She was trying to do this quietly, she didn't want to draw attention to herself and have some neighbor pop out to see her struggling like some idiot. "One...two...three..." On three, Sakura used her shoulder and put force against the door, causing the boxes behind it to crush and the door to open wider; but not without the sound of the doorknob slamming into the wall. The sound echoed down the otherwise quiet hall. Sakura froze, eyes squeezed shut and cursing internally. Three beats passed before she let out the breath she was holding in, as if that was going to stop anyone from investigating. First, all the boxes blocking the hallway. Second, the loud bang like she had a temper tantrum. She didn't want to be seen as that neighbor.
With more room to fit the boxes, she started to pick them up one by one and take them inside; Rocky following her back and forth each time she did. While most boxes were easy to carry, she decided to leave the heaviest for last so she could get the lighter ones out of the way quicker. Sakura picked up the panties box (which, why in the world did her mom dedicate an entire box to just her underwear? Yeah, she was somewhat a collector of pretty panties, but a whole ass box?), and turned to take it inside. She lifted her foot to step, just as Rocky moved to follow her, only for some reason he lept in her way. Seeing this, Sakura moved to side step him at the same time he darted over to the side trying to get out of her way. Sakura moved over again, and again he darted in the same direction, seeming confused on what was happening. "Roc-ky!" Sakura hissed through her teeth, shifting backwards sharply to get out of the situation all together. In doing this, her Achilles heel hit the heavy box hard, causing her to teeter backwards until she fell flat on her back, box shooting out of her hands and against the wall behind her. Sakura's head throbbed at the immediate contact of the concrete floor beneath her. Her feet were up on top of the heavy box, the rest of her body slinked against the floor. Rocky came up to her face, wet nose sniffing her eyeball. "Rock," She growled, waving him away.
As Sakura sat up, she rubbed the back of her head. She knew that was going to turn into a migraine. Once she gathered her bearings, she observed her surroundings. Shrewn all around her, was a multi-colored fiasco of panties. Cute ones, lacy ones, thongs, boy shorts, and even ones with garters attached. Sakrua closed her eyes, tossing her head back, and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ffffuuuucccckkkk mmmmmeeeee," she groaned outloud.
To her right, she heard what was a man clearing his throat.
"Do you need some help?"
Sakura caught her breath and stiffened. Manners say that she should look at who was offering her a helping hand, but her pride said otherwise. There was no way she was getting caught in this situation right now. She was for sure going to be that neighbor. Without opening her eyes, Sakura straightened more, shifting her weight to where she was on her knees. She rubbed the back of her neck to help offset the rising heat there. "Oh," she feigned a laugh. "no thank you, I'm fine."
"You sure? It's honestly no big deal, I can-"
Sakura opened her eyes briefly to see a hand reaching out towards a pair at the same time the man was talking. Without thinking, Sakura shot out and slapped the hand, "No!" She barked harshly. Catching what she just did and her tone, she rubbed her face with her hands, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. This is all so embarrassing. Not to offend you, but I'll take care of this by myself. Thanks, though."
"Suit yourself," the man replied nonchalantly. She couldn't see him, but she could hear the smile in his voice.
Sakura waited until the man's footsteps faded away. When she knew she was alone, she let out another very loud groan, "UUUUUGGGGHHHH, FFFFUUUCCCKKK MMMEEE DDDUUUDDDEEE."
Yep.
She was settling in nicely.