The long awaited dance scene is here. Please visit the linked track on my profile and start listening once Sakura drifts into the ballroom. Sasuke enters at one minute forty seconds, so pace yourselves to read the point of his arrival when that particular part of the music starts to play to get the right mood I was aiming for. I hope you enjoy it; I tried to make this as electrifying as I could.
A special thanks goes to the reader Sasukeluva 4eva who recommended this tune for a dance-scene between Sasuke and Sakura many months ago. I considered several options, but this one won out in the end.
Please make sure you visit and join the SasuSaku Quietus group on DA (linked on my profile), where you'll find upcoming chapter previews and lovely new artwork from our lovely contributors, including, for this update, an accompanying piece for the dance scene, created by the outrageously talented ariadnia. It's absolutely stunning, and I actually modified Sakura's original dress description a little in this chapter to match the picture, so please make sure you leave ariadnia a comment if you favourite it.
Chapter XXIX
Under soft glow of candlelight,
Death seeks to steal Spring's heart tonight,
The enchanted melody floods her veins,
Spurning restraint to flee its reins,
Inhibitions consumed by sinful heat,
In frenzied madness, will abandon, fleet,
Her ears, filled with Death's rendition,
Thus begins her fall, into sweet seduction.
Succumbing to a waltz of senses,
With his touch crumble her defences.
Sakura.
Odd, thought Sakura fuzzily, that her brain was echoing her own name to her. She felt warm and pleasantly secure, as if enveloped in a protective cocoon. Hmm, she hummed lethargically to herself. It was nice to be able to sleep for a change, and not have to worry about dragging herself out of bed for a morning lecture-
Wait a minute. That isn't right. Confusion began to trickle through the blanket of bliss surrounding her as Sakura fought to recall something through the thick haze, something that felt urgently important, but she couldn't, for the life of her, recall what it was at that very second.
'Sakura.'
The voice didn't sound like it was coming from inside her head anymore, and seemed considerably closer. She felt the probing fingers of consciousness brush against the outer fringes of her mind, enticing her out of heavy slumber.
Just a little longer, she told herself. But the voice calling her name was persistent, and when she felt herself being gently shaken, and when the mist around her rapidly began to dissipate, Sakura reluctantly acknowledged that it was time to wake up.
"Sakura."
Her bleary eyes opened to the soft glow of firelight, and suddenly she understood why she had been feeling so warm. She was half sitting, half lying on a rich, deep crimson rug in front of a black marble fireplace. It took her a few seconds to remember where she was – in one of the grand lounge rooms in Sasuke's palace - and for her displaced senses to register that she wasn't alone. With a start, she realised that the fire wasn't the only thing responsible for the sense of cosiness that lingered over her. Her body was resting in the cradle of Sasuke's arms, her head tucked snugly against the solid wall of his chest. Sakura's pulse began to quicken as she became mindful of his hands, joined together at her waist.
Then, with awful swiftness, everything came crashing down on her as she recalled getting foolishly drunk on ambrosia, making a complete and utter fool of herself before the god who was now holding her, knocking herself out and waking up again briefly, only to lose consciousness – again - and awaken in a strange old goddess's den; a goddess who had given her some unexpected and thoroughly surprising information pertaining Sasuke – before whisking her back to the death deity's palace.
Sasuke felt the tell-tale tension return to Sakura's body as she finally became fully aware of her surroundings – and of his presence. He had listened to the petitions of a number of souls in the throne room in a bid to detract his thoughts from Chiyo and what she was possibly talking to Sakura about, when he had suddenly sensed the girl's return. After sending the last soul on its way, Sasuke had swept out of the throne room and entered the first of the two western drawing rooms to find Sakura curled on the rug, fast asleep.
Somewhat unsettled by the sight of her looking so vulnerable and so completely out of it, and - though he would never openly admit to it - concerned despite the fact that she seemed to be physically fine, Sasuke had gathered her into his arms and tried, for five minutes with no success, to rouse her. Then, realising with vexation that Chiyo's magic would wear off on its own, he had waited in agitation for her to regain consciousness, calling to her every so often whilst gazing intently down at Sakura's face for the first signs of slumber relinquishing its hold on her. Her body now no longer burned, indicating that she had been cured as Chiyo had promised. He found himself releasing the breath he'd not even been aware he had withheld, when she finally squirmed in the enclosure of his arms.
She was back to her normal self. Good.
"Sasuke," she began, flustered. "I'm fine now. Really."
In reality, Sakura was anything but fine. She was disturbed by how inexplicably safe her body had felt in his sure hold, prior to her full return to wakefulness. And by the realisation that he couldn't be as much of a monster as she had initially believed, given that she had been out cold on several occasions following her getting absolutely wasted on ambrosia – yet Sasuke had not taken advantage of her compromised state even once. Instead, he was holding her chastely, as he had held her when she had been babbling incoherently in his lap in the training dome – with incredible care and surprising gentleness.
After a moment of reluctance, Sasuke's hands separated, allowing Sakura to scoot away from him. But she didn't move as far as he had anticipated she would, and chose, instead, to sit beside him in front of the fireplace. He watched her attentively as she stared into the hearth for a lengthy minute, as if she sought to avoid direct eye contact with him. Or as if she carried a burden that she was too guilty to share. Immediately the death deity was on high alert, his mind racing suspiciously as he wondered just what the damned old crone had disclosed to the girl sitting next to him.
"I'm sorry," Sakura exclaimed at last. "I drank too much, and I must have acted so stupidly-"
A pause. Then Sasuke snorted. "You did," he affirmed nonchalantly, to Sakura's utter mortification. He inclined a dark brow as she pressed her palms against rose-dusted cheeks. What exactly had she said or done? She couldn't remember the finer details, and told herself it was probably for the better that she didn't.
"I don't-" she fumbled embarrassedly. Whatever had come over her, for her to overindulge on alcohol? She had never gotten drunk in her life. "I'm so sorry-"
"Forget it," Sasuke dismissed. Now that he was satisfied Sakura was fit and well once again, this was no longer the subject he wanted to focus on, and the words had fallen from his lips without thought. They seemed to calm her anxiety, however, for her hands slowly lowered and her shoulders relaxed a little. She exhaled, seemed to consider for another long moment, before speaking again, very softly.
"Thank you."
She could see, from the corner of her peripheral vision, that she had caught him somewhat off-guard. Sasuke's eyes widened marginally – before the split-second look of incredulity was promptly replaced with a displeased scowl. He didn't understand her. Why was she expressing gratitude? He had not been the one to heal her.
"Sakura," he began shortly, "I did not-"
"You took me to the goddess Chiyo when I was sick," Sakura cut in. Then she turned her head to meet his gaze at last, and repeated earnestly, "Thank you, Sasuke."
Something flickered across Sasuke's eyes, a cryptic, veiled look that Sakura could not decipher. For a brief moment his eyelids drooped, sooty lashes shielding his gaze from her. Then he looked up again, and a hushed silence fell between them, in which they both found themselves unable to look away from each other.
It's the fire, Sakura told herself distractedly, even as she felt her heart pounding forcefully in her chest, as if it wanted to break out from inside her. The way the flickering flames threw warm light and dancing shadows across the angled planes of Sasuke's face, and formed tiny pinpoints of golden light in his pupils, was nothing short of hypnotic. It made it near impossible for her to direct her attention anywhere else. She had no idea of knowing that Sasuke was, at that very instant, equally mesmerised by the way the light was rendering her green eyes almost luminescent in their clarity.
A touch, as transient and tenacious as gauze, snapped her abruptly out of her reverie. Sasuke's fingertips were grazing lightly along her jawline, lingering by the soft curve of her chin. Had he moved closer? Or merely leaned toward her? Unnerved, Sakura was just about ready to draw away, to place some much needed breathing space between them, but what he murmured next caused her to freeze in place.
"What has she told you?"
Sakura's stomach twisted violently, and, the spell broken, she jerked her head back, eyes wide as a multitude of thoughts ricocheted about inside her skull. Would he be angry? Would he confront Chiyo? Would they have a brutal showdown of sorts? What choice did she have but to tell him the truth? He certainly seemed to be expecting it, and her sense of apprehension only heightened, when, at her continued silence, Sasuke's irises swirled to vivid crimson. Sakura felt the air flee her lungs as she witnessed three black tomoes spin lazily into existence in those endless bloody depths.
Transfixed by their awful beauty, she whispered, "What is that…?"
She didn't expect an answer, so when she received one, Sakura found herself quite unready.
"Sharingan," Sasuke uttered forebodingly. Leaning even closer toward her, he added emphatically, "There is nothing these eyes cannot see."
Sharingan. The word echoed over and over in her head, like an ominous mantra, and Sakura was overcome with an instinctive fear, born of the memory of those very same eyes hypnotising her once before. A deep-rooted fear that compelled her to open her mouth and answer willingly. She didn't want to find out what else those unnatural eyes were capable of, and was scared stiff of what the Death God would discover - if he chose to probe her mind comprehensively enough. Sakura reasoned that her best form of defence was to stop him before he started.
"You don't have to do that," she said. "I'll tell you." Lowering her own gaze to the rug they were still sitting on, she continued honestly, "The goddess told me about a war that happened long ago. She said something about a battle between gods on the surface and underground." Out of the corner of her vision, she saw Sasuke tense, heard his sharp intake of breath.
"I didn't ask her," Sakura rushed on, glancing anxiously back to find that his expression had become utterly stony. Unable to stop, she waffled nervously, "She just told me. I don't even understand how or why deities would even feel the need to fight each other-"
She waited with baited breath for the Death God's reaction. For a long time he said absolutely nothing, the smothering silence between them punctuated only by the crackling of fire burning heartily in the hearth.
Then, at last, Sasuke responded. "There is much," he clipped stiffly, guardedly, "you do not understand."
Sakura felt her heart physically skip a beat and she had to compose herself to keep her jaw from sagging ungraciously. Sasuke had actually answered her. He hadn't snarled at her to mind her own business or forget about what she had been told. He was listening – and talking back. She was stunned. Was this the moment she had been waiting for? Sakura was not sure why it felt so significant – only that she had to seize it, to make use of it – before it slipped from her grasp.
"I'd like to," she whispered, her fingers intertwined tightly in her lap.
His jaw clenched, and he looked like he was about to say something else. Then he seemed to think better of it. Keeping his eyes fixed stubbornly on the fireplace, he shook his head once.
Sakura hesitated, thrown off course. What did that gesture mean? He didn't want her to understand? He thought her foolish for expressing a wish to be enlightened? It was funny, how easily he succeeded in derailing her. But that was hardly surprising, given that he was an almighty deity – and she was just an ordinary college girl.
"It is dangerous," Sasuke uttered at length, "to know too much."
Sakura swallowed, beleaguered by indecisiveness. But a little voice in her mind pleaded for her to continue. To be undeterred by Sasuke's words and persevere in her efforts to draw more information out of him. After all, though her recollections of earlier were somewhat hazy in places, she knew she had definitely acted bolder than she normally did in his presence - and had made it through unscathed. However, Sakura also knew that she had to proceed with extreme caution. Because Sasuke's temperament, she had learnt, was much like a volatile brew – there was no telling at which point he would combust.
When another hush began to encroach upon them, Sakura began carefully, "Isn't ignorance dangerous too, Sasuke?"
Regarding her askance, he narrowed his eyes, and stated warningly, "Sakura."
The unspoken message behind her name was explicit in its meaning. He wanted her to drop the subject altogether. But Sakura couldn't stop herself from adding, "Chiyo told me that all the underground gods died in this war."
Sasuke looked away again, his hands slowly curling to form fists. When he said nothing, Sakura finished, "Only the youngest of them was spared-"
The death deity's eyes lowered briefly, and he seemed to be wrestling to maintain his patience.
"Sakura," he ground out through his teeth. "Enough-"
"I already knowit's you, Sasuke. I saw the portrait in the shrine room. I know that was your family."
Sakura was asking for trouble by prying. After all, hadn't she already promised Sasuke before that she would not snoop again? Sasuke had made it clear very early on that he did not take kindly to having his affairs interfered with. As soon as the words had escaped her lips she flinched, anticipating that Sasuke was finally on the verge of erupting.
But, to her great surprise, Sasuke did not erupt. And Sakura was not struck dead for meddling. Instead, the God of Death glowered sullenly at the floor. The slight shift in his demeanour was enough to answer her question. She exhaled, shaking her head in astonishment.
He really was the only deity who had been spared, the prince who had been forced to become a king. The question was, why only Sasuke? And at what cost? What had happened back then? Sakura was overwhelmed by a near-voracious curiosity. Had all the history lessons she had been taught in school been a lie? How could such a major occurrence as a war between mighty immortals have been omitted from the pages of textbooks? It made no sense – and her brain yearned to understand.
She was not granted a chance to ask anything else, however. In the blink of an eye, Sasuke was on his feet, glaring at the hearth with enough intensity to almost cause the flames to shrivel into nothingness. His silence was even more disconcerting than the fury Sakura had braced herself to receive. But if she had retained any doubts about whether or not Chiyo's words held merit before, there was no mistaking them now that she had witnessed Sasuke's reaction.
She found herself fleetingly contemplating how terrible his family's passing must have been, that he could not even stand to hear about it. Was this his way of shutting it out? Of rejecting it?
Fearful that he would confront Chiyo, and that she had inadvertently caused more trouble, Sakura opened her mouth to inform him that the goddess had disclosed nothing else to her – but Sasuke got there first. And his tone was so cold, so abrupt, that Sakura could not suppress the shiver that rattled down her spine.
"It is not," he said cuttingly, "your place."
Of course, she had not expected him to want to talk about it. Sasuke liked to keep her in the dark, after all – quite literally. But she was tired of having the wool pulled over her vision. Tired of being suppressed and forced to accept his wishes out of fear of wrecking the progress she was trying to make with him. At that precise second, Sakura starkly realised that she hadn't been making much progress at all. Her strategy to gain his trust was a flawed one, as long as he kept anticipating that she was waiting to spring an escape attempt on him at any moment. For every miniscule step of progress she felt she made – like witnessing Sasuke's reaction to her smile, and genuine gratitude, for example – she was then forced a hundred steps back, to start at square one all over again.
Sakura couldn't stand it anymore. Not when there were now things she felt like she absolutely needed to know, past events which affected the reality she had lived on the surface of the earth. And unless something else gave way, nothing would change. Their patterns of interaction would remain the same – unless she was courageous enough to speak what was really on her mind.
Being docile would spare her his anger – and secure her nothing else. But if she let Sasuke see who she really was – what she really felt and thought about all of this – instead of only showing him the side to her that had always strived to avoid conflict and please others - would he begin to lower his guard around her then?
Maybe she was only deluding herself. Maybe there really was no way of winning in her situation – regardless of whatever she tried to do.
The very real possibility that she was throwing away her time and effort for nothing caused frustration to crest within her, sent it overflowing in her chest and rising into her throat, bubbling to her mouth before finally reaching its peak at the tip of her tongue, where it verbalised into an accusatory response as she rose in turn.
"You brought me here."
Crimson eyes formed irked slits, and Sakura discerned the palpable tension in his clenched jaw and the proud lines of his shoulders. For an instant, it seemed that Sasuke was about to reply, but he seemed to reconsider. Leaving no room for reservations, Sakura went on, "You brought me into your world. I know things now that I never knew even existed before; things that are probably way above me, things that I maybe shouldn't know, but if you really didn't want me to know anything, you wouldn't have shown me parts of your realm. You wouldn't have let me watch you judging those souls."
He was positively glowering at her now. Sakura had to take a deep breath, to steel her nerves all over again, before concluding, "You show me some things but keep me in the dark about others. I'm confused. I don't know what I'm meant to be seeing. And I don't know who you think I am, if you expect me to just sit around and wait-"
He pounced. With such immediacy and intensity that Sakura had to physically restrain herself from stepping away from him when he suddenly closed the distance between them in once swift, fluid stride.
"Then tell me, Sakura," he interjected fiercely. "Tell me who you are."
Sakura was horrified to find herself rendered speechless. Her lips floundered uselessly, and for a second all she could think about was the spell-binding way the firelight reflected in those impaling, garnet eyes.
Then, snapping herself back to attention, she lifted her chin up, and announced, "I'm Sakura Haruno. And I have feelings." Her voice quivering with emotion, she went on with steadily building vehemence, "But you don't even stop to consider that, do you? You don't even think about what it feels like, for your world to be turned upside down, to be taken away from everything you've ever loved and cared about, and to be expected to just deal and accept everything that's-!"
Something wavered transiently across his eyes – a look that lasted for only half a second - and Sakura broke off as sudden realisation struck her like a physical blow.
Sasuke did know what it was like to have everything taken away, to be forced to adjust – because he had lost his family too.
They stared at each other – a fuming Sasuke silently daring her to continue, and a shocked Sakura too distraught to think rationally. Then she shook her head, feeling strangely disconnected. She needed space, to get away from him. She needed to speak to Suigetsu – to put everything into perspective again.
"I've tried," she said resignedly, averting her gaze. "But I can't pretend everything is normal. This isn't normal for me. You're a god. You know that I can't ignore everything I've heard and seen. This – all of this –" she gestured vaguely, "wasn't what I was raised to believe on the surface." Sakura closed her eyes briefly, and ended in a thick whisper, "Everything is so different. I just want to understand."
With that, she turned away from him and walked to the door, her heart pounding in fear that the death deity would stop her at any second. But he did not move, and remained in place for a long time after she had departed the room, staring unseeingly into the blazing hearth.
Shikamaru lifted his eyes to the early evening sky. The sun had already set, and the night looked like it was going to be a clear one. Which doubtlessly meant chilly and frosty conditions again. He sighed, watching in displeasure as his breath vaporised before him.
Sakura had been gone for over a month. And the longer her disappearance dragged on for, the bleaker the outlook for the surface became. Frowning lightly, Shikamaru scoured his mind for the hundredth time in a bid to rationalise the enemy's intentions. Why was Sakura being kept hidden? Why had no demands been made of them in exchange for her safe return? It made no sense. If Sakura was being used as bait, then why the long silence? Just what were Suigetsu and his accomplice - for he surely had to be working in league with someone else – really after?
Sakura was useless in her current state. They would find no extraordinary value and worth in a girl who was essentially human. Not unless they knew her secret. That which had to be concealed from watching eyes in the sky.
He plastered a neutral expression onto his face as he heard the front door behind him open. Ino slipped out, wrapped in a thick, grey blanket. She wore no make-up, which made her appear a lot younger than she really was.
"Shikamaru," she said softly. "Won't you come inside?"
Shikamaru shook his head. "How is your..." he nodded with his head toward the inside of the Yamanaka residence, "…mother?"
Ino glanced behind her, and shrugged. "She never leaves the house. Can you blame her?"
Shikamaru was silent. Ino regarded him a moment, before questioning, "No word?"
He shook his head again, prompting the blonde's shoulders to slump. It was strange, Shikamaru told himself, how different Ino now seemed to the person she had been prior to Sakura's abduction. It was as though her confidence – her life – had evaporated and left nothing but a hollow shell behind.
It was unsettling. He didn't like it. Because it made him realise how vulnerable Ino really was, underneath the siren façade she liked to portray to the world.
"I can't stand it," she whispered. "I can't stand this not knowing. Shikamaru, how can you be so calm all the time? I'm going out of my mind with worry."
Knowing they had to be careful with what they said outdoors, Shikamaru answered coolly, "What use would it be if both of us lost it?"
He rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably when Ino seemed like she was suddenly on the verge of tears.
"I'm useless," she said, her voice wobbling uncharacteristically. "I've always been so useless, when it matters the most-" throat clogging up with emotion, she abruptly broke off.
Shikamaru sighed again. Women. They really were troublesome, and vain, spoilt Ino was the most difficult of all.
"I guess I feel a little misled," he stated casually, causing her to glance up at him in confusion, her eyes watering dangerously. Shrugging nonchalantly, he continued, "Someone told me long ago that giving up was for losers. What would all your admirers think if they saw you giving up now?"
She bit down on her lower lip, half-caught between laughing and crying. "Shikamaru," she choked. "You remember that…?"
"Must have heard it somewhere," he made a dismissive gesture, but Ino unexpectedly moved, reaching out from beneath her blanket to grasp his left hand.
Her hands were cold, Shikamaru noted to himself, surprised by how much that fact bothered him. They had always been warm in the past – hadn't they? But he wasn't given much time to dwell on the fact, for Ino had closed the distance between them. Warmth brushed over his right cheek as soft lips pressed lightly against his skin and for a minute all he could smell was the heady, feminine fragrance of her signature perfume.
Then the world seemed to shift a little on its axis when Ino pulled back slightly and, lingering close, whispered sincerely into his ear, "Thank you."
Sai stared distractedly out of the misty little kitchen window as his hands automatically worked to scrub the dishes in the sink. He found that as long as he kept himself occupied, he could avoid thinking about her too much. Because thinking about her too much only made the guilt inside him worsen, until it was near unbearable.
But sometimes, he could not help himself. Sometimes, against his wishes, the image of Sakura's expressive face would float in his mind's eye, and he would feel sick to his stomach with what he had assisted in doing to her. Because there was no question that Sai was accountable for much of what had happened to Sakura. If he had done the right thing – the brave and loyal thing – and gone straight to Kakashi after encountering Sasuke by the carousel ride, all of the suffering that had followed would not have transpired.
His burdened thoughts scattered when the sound of someone pounding on his front door caused his grip on the bowl in his hands to accidentally slip. The glass cracked and shattered in the sink, and Sai gazed blankly down at it – before turning the hot water tap off. Even with the scalding temperature hitting his skin, he still couldn't feel anything. Because the truth was, he ought to have died a long time ago.
Slowly, he made his way to the front door, peered through the peep-hole – only for his stomach to lurch violently. Naruto was standing on the other side, dressed in a white hoodie with an orange T-shirt underneath, teamed with baggy, khaki-green cargo trousers – and he seemed angry. Behind him with his hands stuffed in his pockets was Kakashi – dressed in more muted grey tones.
Another round of thumping rattled the door, hard enough to cause the sturdy structure to shake in its frame.
"Open up, Sai! We know you're in there!"
Sai hesitated. What possible reasons were there to account for Naruto's bad mood – and for Kakashi to accompany him in tow? Did they know? Telling himself that he was being ridiculously paranoid, Sai forced a passive slate to slip over his face as he unbolted the locks and opened the door to discover that Naruto was in fact even angrier than he had seemed a moment ago.
"Naruto," Sai greeted neutrally. "Kakashi. What brings you both here this even-?"
He choked, not given an opportunity to complete his sentence. Quick as a flash, Naruto lunged through the door, grabbing Sai by the collar of his black turtle-neck jumper whilst Kakashi quickly entered after him, calmly shut the door behind them. A bewildered Sai found himself being hauled into his living room with considerable force and thrown down mercilessly on the floor. Looking up, he met Naruto's furious blue gaze, and turned considerable paler when the blond snarled, "Give me one reason why I shouldn't tear you apart right now!"
"Naruto," Kakashi warned quietly, moving to peer outside the windows, before securing all the blinds shut.
His heart began to pound nauseatingly, but still Sai fought valiantly to retain his cover. "Pardon me," he began politely, "I am not sure I know what this is abou-"
"Like HELL you don't!" Naruto roared, pointing accusingly at him. "Don't play dumbass with me, you bastard! Sakura-chan isn't with Suigetsu, is she? She never has been! You've known that all along, haven't you? HAVEN'T YOU?!"
"Naruto!" Kakashi censured more firmly. "Calm down. Remember what we discussed."
But Naruto showed no signs of calming down. His chest was heaving, his hands repeatedly opening and closing to form tight fists, like he was ready to clobber Sai senseless. Kakashi had to physically pull him back and step in front of him to make sure he didn't do anything reckless.
"Sai," the masked older man began steadily. "It would be in your best interests to cooperate with us. There must be a reason why you chose to act as you did. You've only ever been loyal to us in the past. Now is your chance to explain yourself."
"The truth," Naruto's voice shook with rage. "I want all of it!"
Sai's inky gaze moved from one to the other – before he swallowed, and lowered it ashamedly to the ground. How had they found out? A part of him was utterly horrified, urged him to deny it – but the other, more significant part, massively relieved. It meant that he no longer had to continue maintaining his farce of a story. And yet, his entire body was shaking. If Sasuke found out – if Sasuke realised – it was all over. He would not only lose his life – but his beloved brother's afterlife, too.
What were his options? Suddenly, he had no idea what to do. He hadn't prepared himself for such a sudden encounter. He had somehow, misguidedly, believed that he could avoid this much dreaded confrontation.
"I am sorry."
When they simply stared incredulously at him in response, and he offered no more, Naruto echoed, "That's it? You're sorry? You're sorry?!"
Kakashi abruptly held out an arm, halting Naruto from advancing too close again.
Sai shook his head. What else could he say? Mentioning Sasuke's name would result in death. "I had to," he began carefully. "I am sorry."
His words were the final detonation that caused Naruto to explode.
"BULLSHIT! You traitor! You've known all along where Sakura-chan really is, and for a whole month you've had us chasing after a bunch of lies-!"
"Sai," Kakashi kneeled down in front of the floored young man. "It isn't like you to do this. We can help you. Just tell us the truth. What Naruto has told me… is it correct?" A flash of pain crossed his visible eye, as he added in a hushed voice, "Is Sakura really in the Underworld?"
Sai's heart was racing so hard and fast, he half wished he would fall into cardiac arrest. There was no way out. Whatever option he chose to take would result in death. He was powerless to help them – and they were powerless to aid him.
Miserably, he did the only thing he could, to preserve his pitiful existence for even a few hours longer. He opened his mouth and extended his tongue as far as he could manage.
Naruto, who had been midway through uttering a fresh stream of insults, caught his breath, his eyes nearly bulging out of his sockets as he came to terms with what he was gaping at. And Kakashi – who had wanted, so very desperately, to believe with every fibre of his being that Naruto's shocking hunch was a ludicrous, misguided one - even when everything the blond had described to him two hours earlier suggested otherwise – felt his heart plummet straight to his feet.
The small seal at the back of Sai's tongue throbbed with potent, malicious magic, the nature of which – and whom it belonged to – utterly unmistakeable.
Tsunade watched with narrowed eyes as the junior doctor stored his belongings away in one of Konoha Central Hospital's many locker rooms. She had returned to work for a couple of hours since the start of the week, and, in her distracted state, had barely paid attention to the flood of patient updates and new emergency cases nurses and fellow medical staff had swamped onto her. Her mind had been engaged elsewhere entirely. More specifically, on a certain Dr. Kabuto Yakushi, who always began late night shifts on Wednesdays.
As he exited the room in Blue Wing, Tsunade counted two minutes in her head, before shoving the cold coffee in her grasp into a passing young nurse's hands.
"O-oh?" the pretty redhead stuttered in surprise. "Dr. Haruno?"
"Hold that." Tsunade instructed. "And anybody who wants me, I'm busy. Understood?"
"Y-yes, Dr. Haruno. Of course!"
Tsunade stormed straight toward the locker room, and closed the door behind her, swiping it with the master key card which forced it to lock from the inside. Then she walked straight up to Kabuto's locker, her honey eyes narrowing as she regarded the pin-lock that he had attached to it. She did not know the code. But then, she didn't need to know it.
Tapping carefully into the seal placed upon her, Tsunade drew a tiny stream of chakra and channelled it down her right arm. It was more than enough. She yanked the lock and it snapped open, the force she had applied overriding the security of the pin-code. Smirking, she opened the locker door and pulled out Kabuto's navy blue jacket. A quick search through his pockets revealed nothing extraordinary. Clearly he was smart enough to keep his keys and cell phone on him.
Discarding the jacket onto the bench behind her, Tsunade grabbed hold of the navy duffel bag and tipped out its contents – Kabuto's shirt, trousers and belt. His shoes were stored in a separate plastic bag.
How very organised, Tsunade sneered in disgust. She had never liked the young medic. He had always made her skin crawl, and she knew Sakura had considered him odd, too. She found that his trouser and shirt pockets were also empty, and fumed to herself, believing her search to be a futile one.
That was when her squeezing, angry fingers suddenly felt something. She looked down at the trousers in her hands, and turned them inside out, feeling for what she had been sure her hand had touched just seconds earlier. Nothing. She was just about ready to tear the material to pieces, when she felt it again.
Sucking in a deep breath, she followed a seam in the material and her eyes widened as they made out the shape of something small, hidden secretly in a pocket sewn into the inside of the left trouser leg. It was almost invisible to the naked eye, and she would have overlooked it entirely – had she not, by sheer luck, felt the object contained within.
Something hard and cold. Jagged at one end, square at the other… Her heart leapt, her eyes widening in recognition. A key, her prodding fingers informed her brain with certainty. There was a small key inside.
Without thinking twice, she channelled another miniscule flow of chakra and made a tiny incision in the seam.
After returning to her room, Sakura had taken a soak in the shell bathtub, in an attempt to replace some much needed order to her thoughts. The steaming, perfumed waters had helped to soothe the lingering agitation in her body. But her mind was still preoccupied when she stepped out and changed into fresh, pink and white lace undergarments. Ume was waiting for her on the other side of the bathroom door, looking excited after having picked out the most striking gown Sakura had ever seen.
"You must wear this dress, Mistress," the little maid chirped. "It will complement your pretty hair ever so well."
Sakura was too busy gawking at the handmade masterpiece to pay much attention to what her attendant was saying. As Ume assisted her into it, and turned her to face the full-length mirror, Sakura exhaled in awe. The silk-chiffon dress was pale pink, embroidered with hundreds of tiny, glittering gold sequins along the gold-trimmed sweetheart neckline. Thousands more sequins adorned the stunning, feminine corset. The dress's short, off the shoulder butterfly sleeves were floaty and semi-transparent, and its softly flowing skirt was full and trailing, consisting of a rippling, glimmering, sequin-dotted outer layer, which parted down the middle to reveal a dusky, slightly darker hued pink skirt underneath. An exquisite, slender chain of gold rested around the flattering waistline, wound three times to accentuate her natural curves.
"This is so beautiful," Sakura said, shaking her head in wonder at her reflection. The gown was fit for a princess, and she felt strangely unworthy of wearing it.
Ume, however, was beaming at the sight of her, tinkering away at one of the jewellery box compartments for matching golden accessories.
"Oh, yes, Mistress! These gowns were spun especially for you by wood nymphs, you know. They are made from the finest of silks."
"I'm still not used to dressing up like this," Sakura stated uneasily, as she lowered herself into the vanity table's seat. She watched in the mirror as Ume smoothed back her freshly dried hair with a jewel-encrusted paddle brush, and drew two strands from the side of her head, expertly securing them in place with a golden flower pin at the back, before attaching delicate pearl strings to the clasp.
"Oh, it is such fun to do so! And even more pleasing to assist you, Mistress," Ume smiled, offering Sakura matching gold and pearl earrings. Not wanting to ruin the maid's enjoyment, Sakura obligingly put them on and sneezed when Ume sprayed perfume onto her neck and dusted a light layer of sweet-smelling powder over her face.
"Forgive me, Mistress," Ume giggled.
"What is that stuff?" Sakura questioned, wrinkling her nose as she stood up again.
"Crushed flower powder, Mistress. It makes your complexion glow."
Sure enough, Sakura's skin was left looking flawlessly radiant. After fastening golden sandals at her feet, Ume stepped back to inspect her work.
"Oh," she clasped her hands together, her eyes shining with delight. "If I may be so bold as to say, you paint a picture of loveliness, Mistress!"
Sakura could not remember ever feeling so feminine and pretty. Ume – just like Chizu - truly was an artist.
"Thanks to you," she reached out, and squeezed the maid's hands affectionately.
Ume's cheeks turned pink with pride. "You are too kind, Mistress," she said shyly.
"No," Sakura answered softly. "It's you who has been kind to me. Thank you."
Ume's shoulders hunched and she smiled again bashfully, before venturing, "Will there be anything else, Mistress?"
Sakura shook her head. "I might take a walk in the gardens a little later on. I'll be sure to call you."
Ume nodded, picked up the straw laundry basket containing the clothes Sakura had changed out of, and with a little curtsy, took her leave. The instant the doors closed behind her, Sakura rushed back to the bathroom and locked herself in the toilet. Hastily filling the sink with water, she called out telepathically, 'Suigetsu!'
As if he had been anticipating her call, the ocean deity's face immediately materialised on the water's surface. 'Pinky! Finally. I was starting to worry. Well, almost.'
'Suigetsu, a lot has happened. I drank too much ambrosia, and-'
'Whoa. I have to say it. You're looking smoking hot, Sakura.'
'-what?' Sakura paused, scowling down at him.
'Heh. You're even cuter when you frown. You know, sometimes I don't half blame Sasuke for kidnapping you.'
'Suigetsu!' she glared, appalled, not appreciating the joke the slightest bit. 'Will you listen to me?'
He held up his hands, his lavender eyes twinkling with mirth. 'I'm listening, I'm listening! Can't a god innocently admire a girl these days, or did Sasuke relegate us all into the league of heartless abductors by default?'
Ignoring his attempts at flirting, Sakura pressed on, 'I met a goddess called Chiyo, and she said-'
Suigetsu's expression completely changed to reflect one of alarm. 'Wait - what? Sasuke actually let you meet with her?'
'No,' Sakura shook her head. 'I was intoxicated, so he took me to her to get the ambrosia out of me.'
'And stayed with you – right?'
'No,' Sakura communicated again. 'She sent him away so she could talk to me.'
Suigetsu blinked incredulously up at her. 'You're kidding me. That bastard would never stand down. It's not in his best interests to leave you alone with a goddess like Chiyo, either. She sees everything – past, present and future.' Shaking his head, he added, 'You must have been really sick.'
Sakura's eyes widened. 'She really sees everybody's futures?'
'Sure she does.' Then, looking uncomfortable, the deity questioned, 'So… ah… what exactly did the old crone talk to you about?'
'She told me about a war that happened in the past, between sky gods and gods who lived underground.'
Suigetsu's jaw dropped. 'Huh? She actually told you that?'
Sakura nodded, leaning forward as she went on, 'She said the underground gods were killed, and only one of them was spared. I figured out it was Sasuke.'
The ocean deity looked oddly nervous. 'What else did she say?'
'That was it.' Shaking her head, Sakura exclaimed mentally, 'Suigetsu, what's going on? I don't understand how something as big as that could have really happened and that nobody on the surface seems to know anything about it. Why wasn't I taught this at school?'
Suigetsu's eyes shifted. 'Have you asked Prince Charming about it?'
'When I brought it up, he told me it wasn't my place to know.'
'Typical,' Suigetsu snorted. 'What a bastard.'
'So will you tell me?' Sakura conveyed hopefully. 'I need to make sense of this. I'm so confused.'
'So am I,' Suigetsu rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 'It's not like that old bag to give information so freely. Hmm. Wonder what she's up to?'
'Why was there a war? What was it about?'
Suigetsu was reluctant to indulge her. 'Listen - Sakura. I get that you're curious. And I'd love to give you a little history lesson right now, really I would, but it's dangerous for you to hear it from me. If that bastard catches on that you know more than what Chiyo's already told you, you think he isn't going to wonder how? It won't take him long to add two and two together. He's probably pissed off enough as it is that she's said this much. You've got to be careful here.'
Sakura drew back, pursing her lips in disappointment. 'So you're not going to tell me either?'
He held up his hands in a pacifying gesture. 'Hey. It's not that I don't want to, believe me. It's for your own good – and for the good of our plan. Actually, this works out pretty well. It gives you another opening with Sasuke.'
Sakura turned exasperated eyes up to the gold embellished ceiling. 'Why won't anybody answer me?' she internally fumed.
'Sasuke will – if you play your cards right.'
She released a breath, and glanced back down at the Sea God. 'How do you know that? He isn't just going to just suddenly open up to me, Suigetsu. It doesn't matter what I do-'
'Sure he will. And you know why, Pinky?' Here Suigetsu pointed up at her. 'You wouldn't still be here if he didn't want you knowing things. I've been mulling this over, and at first, I really thought he was only after you for your looks.'
Sakura's cheeks burned at his unashamed bluntness, but Suigetsu was carrying on before she could formulate a response.
'But you say he hasn't even kissed you yet, which means it can't just be a physical thing. Think about it, Pinky. This isn't just a passing fling. He wants you around – which means - unfortunately for you - you'll be seeing more and learning more about this depressing place.'
Sakura had thought the exact same thing earlier. She now knew for certain that Sasuke was more than just detachedly interested – after all, he had come close to kissing her after gifting to her the beautiful bracelet she still wore on her wrist – not that Suigetsu needed to know about that. And the longer she stayed, the more precarious her situation became – especially now that an even greater curiosity had been roused within her by Chiyo's apparently uncharacteristic disclosure.
'Has Karin got the potion yet?' she asked anxiously.
'Karin can't just make a casual social call. She has to choose her moment carefully – without Sasuke noticing. You think it hasn't been hard for me to sit here uselessly in this cell, too? But we've got to time this perfectly.'
Sakura nodded in understanding. She needed to keep faith in Suigetsu - and that he would return her home, unharmed.
'Just keep trying with Sasuke. Remember: patience and cunning. The sooner you get him to lower his guard, the sooner we can set things in motion. Stay sharp, Pinky.'
With those words and a playful wink, his face rippled out of sight.
As Sakura exited the bathroom and her bedchamber, and began to wander through the grand hallways, she found her thoughts turning to her mother. Was she alright? Was she still helping to save lives in the hospital, like Sakura would have wanted her to continue doing, or had she taken time off work? Sakura longed to know how much time had passed since she had gone missing. But more than anything, she longed to be held by her mother again, to be told that everything was going to be alright. Surely her mother would help her make sense of everything that had happened to her. After all, her mother had always been the best person at making her feel better-
A sudden thought relating to her general wellbeing struck her, causing Sakura to come to a stop just before the royal staircase leading to the ground floor of the palace.
The medicine her mother had always given to her when she'd had 'attacks' in the past tasted just like ambrosia – albeit a significantly less potent version. She had thought about that before, but, with everything that had happened, had never really stopped to consider what it might actually mean.
Now she found her mind buzzing with fresh perplexity. Why would the medicine taste and act similar to ambrosia? Was it just some crazy coincidence? Was ambrosia a kind of readily available natural extract on the surface that was commonly used in herbal medicine? Sakura had never heard of it before – but then, she was starting to realise that she hadn't heard of quite a lot of things. And if it really was, by some impossible chance, a weird variant of the wine of the gods, then how in the world had it ever ended up in her mother's possession? And why, oh why, had she never even thought to ask her mother about how it worked?
Sakura's heart had started to pound, and her head hurt from thinking too much. The bare skin on her arms felt prickly – as if someone was sticking tiny pins into her. She suppressed a shudder, and shook her head, willing the unpleasant sensation to pass. That was just another baffling question on her never-ending list that she would have to try posing to Sasuke the next time she saw him – if he wasn't too grumpy to hear her out.
Her feet carried her down the stairs, but instead of heading to the gardens as she had originally intended, she found herself gravitating toward the north-eastern wings of the palace. Distracted by the mountain of musings that were ever increasing in her head, Sakura only became aware that she had reached the ballroom when she found herself staring at a double set of resplendent, sapphire encrusted gold doors, which parted invitingly of their own accord for her.
She was immediately drawn from the turmoil of her troubled thoughts as her eyes feasted on the shimmering, golden, otherworldly sight before her. She stepped inside, gazing out at the sprawling, glimmering area from her position behind the central, enclosed balcony-landing of the porcelain staircase. It truly was the most majestic and spectacular of rooms in terms of architectural excellence – second only to the imposing splendour of Sasuke's throne room. As she took the wide, left side of the staircase and descended onto the ballroom's floor, Sakura found herself dazzled all over again by the Palladian, stained glass balcony windows and doors, and the mesmerising reflections of light captured on the floor's perfectly polished surface. Her ears picked up on the faint, barely-there sound of flutes and exotic chanting, and she wondered where it was coming from. Her head turned as she strained to listen closely – but she couldn't quite locate its origin.
Thinking to herself that it was probably nymphs, singing beyond the balcony doors, who were likely responsible for the slow-paced music, Sakura continued to walk forward until she reached the middle of the enormous room, where she proceeded to spin in a circle, the over-skirt of her gown swishing prettily outwards with her movements, as she turned her face up to admire the beautifully painted ceiling, with its angels and gods and goddesses, behind whom glinted a humongous, gloriously radiant sun.
How many years must it have taken to create such a magnificent piece of art? Who was the original artist? Sakura wished that she knew. But, having no answers, she had to make do with simply admiring the work from a great distance, while desperately rueing the fact that she could not get closer to examine the rich, vibrant panels in more detail.
She remained there, staring up at the idyllic scene for a long time, until the sudden, prickling sensation of being watched caused her head to lower as she cast a spontaneous glance back over her left shoulder.
Sasuke was standing at the enclosed central landing on top of the resplendent staircase, staring directly at her.
Sakura's heart quivered unexpectedly. How long had he been there, watching her? Time seemed to suspend entirely at that moment as they gazed at each other. He had changed his outfit too, was now dressed in gold-stitched black, with a long, gold-satin sash wound elegantly around his neck, its trailing ends falling loosely behind his back. He looked every inch the proud and magnificent king, painted the very picture of sinful, sultry seduction. Then time resumed, and he was all at once moving toward her with dangerous, predator-like grace, his gait unhurried and graceful.
The mysterious music that seemed to be playing out of thin air suddenly altered in its tone and mood, and with the shift, her heart began to pound harder, faster. Sasuke had reached the bottom of the stairs and was advancing with intent, his smoky, heavy-lashed dark eyes fixed purposefully onto her. Like black holes, sucking out all light and drawing her in. That smouldering, obsidian stare, coupled with the now sensual and exotic tune that was lilting in the air around them, was enough to cause alarm sirens to blare deafeningly in Sakura's head, and her feet carried her instinctively back with every step he took closer.
She didn't know what exactly it was about the way he was looking at her that made her feel the urgent need to retain distance between them. Perhaps it was the disconcerting aura of resolve that was radiating from his tall, arresting form, so different to the anger that had been there when she had left him earlier. The static silence hanging heavily between them was smothering, electrifying - and so was the near unbearable tension plaguing every nerve ending in Sakura's body.
But Sasuke had evidently arrived with very specific actions in mind. The heels of his sandals struck strongly upon the polished surface of the ballroom floor as he increased his pace, the resolute, no-nonsense expression on his face making it clear that he had absolutely no intention of allowing her to elude him this time. She clutched tightly, nervously onto the flowing skirt of her gown, and tensed when, in three swift, fluid strides, Sasuke narrowed the gap between them. And Sakura felt that her heart was ready to leap straight out of her mouth when, abruptly, and with merciless force, the death deity's left arm snaked around her waist, and he jerked her forward against him.
She gulped back a startled gasp as the front of her body collided into his, when the arm around her waist held her closely in position.
"Sasuke," she began bewilderedly, finding herself unable to keep up with his mercurial shifts in mood as his right hand grasped and lifted her left one, cool fingers intertwining firmly between hers. "What are you-?"
But the phantom, violin-driven melody was playing more strongly now, becoming even more entrancing and compelling when a distant and sweet, breathy female voice began singing, her foreign words accompanied by sensuous string instruments. As if on cue, Sasuke began moving slowly forward in time to the music and, as Sakura's right hand gripped reflexively onto his left shoulder to steady herself, her stumped brain finally registered what he was doing.
Dancing. She was dancing – in Death's arms. Sakura did not have the opportunity to consider just how her feet seemed to intuitively know the steps to his waltz. The bangles around her ankles, maybe – or perhaps it was the mysterious music, which seemed to be seeping directly into her bloodstream, taking control of her senses and withering away any resistance, until all she could concentrate on was Sasuke and the irresistible allure of the seductive melody around them.
He held her close - much closer than what was socially acceptable – and yet Sakura was powerless to pull away. For his eyes had ensnared her once again, eyes that were as beautiful and brilliant as black diamonds. And in many ways, she realised, that was precisely what Sasuke was – a proud, regal black diamond, impervious to time and wear and everything else on the surface. But what about underneath it? Sakura could feel her thoughts coming undone. She had never held anybody's eyes for so long - and his gaze was so swelteringly intense. It was difficult to remember being frustrated with him before, when he was looking at her like that now.
They continued to waltz in perfect synchronisation, and Sakura was certain that he could feel her treacherous heart pounding against him. The organ had no reason to race so agitatedly – and yet, despite her mind's desperate attempts to regulate its frantic rhythm, it continued to thunder stubbornly within her. Her cheeks felt warm, her whole body strangely on edge as they twirled together in the centre of the ballroom floor.
Overcome by the urgent need to say something – because if she didn't, those sinful eyes would surely succeed in stealing away the very strength from her bones – Sakura blurted, "I didn't think you could dance."
A blink – and then one corner of Sasuke's sensuous lips curved back at that, and Sakura could feel her eyes widening. God. When he smirked wickedly like that, sexy wasn't even an adequate enough word to describe its tantalising effect.
"I am a god," he replied matter-of-factly – and that was enough to explain everything. Before Sakura could say anything else, the arm around her waist loosened, and she found herself being rolled out for a gently whirling spin. Keeping his hold on her left hand, Sasuke drew her back against him, and wound his other arm around her stomach. Sakura released a shaky breath as she was overwhelmed by the heat of his body as he swayed with her from side to side. When she felt a puff of warm air against her left ear, Sakura couldn't stop the irrepressible shudder from shooting down through her body.
"Cold, Sakura…?" his lips intoned silkily, a hint of knowing smugness in his voice. They both knew very well that the air temperature around them had absolutely nothing to do with the way she had involuntarily trembled in his hold.
Sakura's tongue had joined her heart on the traitor bandwagon, and her brain seemed worryingly eager to follow suite. Suddenly she couldn't think straight. She forgot how to speak when she felt the tip of his aristocratic nose nuzzle into her hair and heard him inhale deeply. When his right hand released hers and trailed with near agonising unhurriedness down the slender curve of her waist, Sakura felt like every part of her was caught between devastating electricity and intolerable fire. She didn't know what to do to get away from the head spinning sensations his touches were eliciting. And what terrified her most of all was that a part of her, at that very moment, wasn't even fully certain that it wanted to get away.
The enthralling female voice was singing on, and with every passing second, Sakura's confusion grew and grew. The floor before her was glimmering, the lights glittering in her eyes, enchanting her vision. She only distantly realised that Sasuke had pushed her hair to one side when she felt the tip of his nose tracing lightly over the left column of her neck. Her body was no longer just quivering on the outside. Inside her, an earthquake was shifting plates, giving way to devastating ruin.
What were these alien feelings? She had felt similar things before in isolation, whenever he had come too close and touched her – but never so profoundly. And she had always succeeded in shoving them away. Now she couldn't even grasp them.
"What…" she whispered thickly, unthinkingly. "What are you doing…?"
'You fear this,' came the answer in her mind, and for an awful instant, Sakura could not distinguish whether the voice belonged to her, or to the death deity, '…because it is unfamiliar to you.'
Before she could attempt to comprehensively process the meaning behind the words, Sasuke had tugged her back around to face him, and crushed her possessively close again. But instead of tensing, her body seemed to melt against his. The return of eye-contact hit Sakura like a sizzling lightning bolt and once more she was unable to look elsewhere. Sasuke's feet slid forward as he continued to dictate the pace of the waltz. He led on and she followed, finding the precision, the authority and the dominance of his actions almost too much to keep up with. Her pulse hurtled even faster when, without warning, he shifted direction, causing them both to pirouette quickly in position, before reverting back to an alluringly slow rhythm of movement.
Sakura's left hand – a deserter like almost every other part of her at this point – slipped further up his shoulder as he tilted her backwards and to the side, supporting her in place for several heartbeats before abruptly jerking her up against him again. Her left arm had hooked around his neck when he had raised her, and remained in place, bringing them even more intimately together.
The Death God's eyes travelled over her captivated features. She was a vision of loveliness, the gold and pink hues of her figure-flattering gown accentuating her natural colourings. Something ached deep inside him at the sight of her rose-flushed cheeks. She didn't even know how desirable, how very beautiful she was. Because nobody had ever made her feel that way – like the young woman he had watched her bloom into. Instead she was untouched, innocent – and he could see how visibly bewildered and thrown she was by the feelings that were blossoming within her - like a tentatively budding flower after a lengthy, harsh winter - in response to his proximity.
Sasuke's heart thudded. Sakura was leaning against him, her soft, slight body pressing into him, allowing him to guide her. At last, she was permitting his touch. She had made no move to push him away, not even once. Her irises, rendered darker by the inexplicable fire she could feel burning the blood in her veins, were fixed on his face, bright and glazed, as if she were caught up in a spell. But he had woven no enchantment upon her. He had not needed to.
Sensing a window of opportunity for which he had been waiting far too long to come around, the death deity brought the dance to a graceful end, winding Sakura out for one final, slow twirl, before reeling her smoothly back into him. Keeping one arm laced around her waist, Sasuke lifted his right hand, his fingers caressing the silken skin of her softly curving jawline, his gaze flickering to her moist, pink lips. So plump. So inviting. And he was positively ravenous to taste her.
"Sakura…" he murmured, keeping his eyes locked intently onto her, ready to detect the first signs of fear or rejection – and to alter his intentions accordingly. Her hands were closed into loose fists at his chest, and she looked uncertain, dazed – as if she were rapidly trying to come to terms with just what it was that had passed between them. Her eyes fluttered shut as her lungs heaved in an attempt to gulp down oxygen. Because it suddenly felt like there wasn't enough of a supply to her brain, and it was taking every fibre of willpower just to remain upright.
The feel of soft, warm lips brushing against her jawline caused an explosion of light - which Sakura could only recognise at that second as pure panic - to flash behind her eyes. Her eyelids flew open, her heart galloping at life-threatening speed as Sasuke's lips continued to trace a light, fiery trail along her skin, leaving it scorched, blistering. She inhaled sharply, and he felt the tension return to her body as she suddenly stiffened against him.
Gritting his teeth as he was forced, once again, to withdraw at the final moment, Sasuke instead brought his lips to her right ear, and, after taking a few seconds to crush down the overwhelming urge to kiss her senseless against her wishes - whispered, "Close your eyes."
Sakura exhaled in alarm, her spine tingling as the fingers of his right hand caressed a path down her back, before coming to a snug rest at its base.
"What? Why?"
"We're leaving," Sasuke finished cryptically, and Sakura's shock was swallowed up as a whistling, blinding funnel of blue-white light abruptly surrounded them at the death deity's will, whisking the world around her rapidly out of existence.
Author's note
Cough. Did we enjoy that? Lots going on with Naruto, Sai and Kakashi, then Tsunade, and the final dance scene. Yes, Sakura is meant to be all hopelessly captivated – I mean, who wouldn't be drooling with Sasuke looking like he does, whilst holding a girl passionately in a smoulderingly sexy dance?
But she's not so lost as to give up that first kiss – yet. Poor Sasuke's still chasing it – but my, oh my, is he getting ever closer!
More insight into Sasuke's thoughts next chapter. Wonder where he's taking her? Any ideas?
Please for the love of a waltzing Sasuke, kindly consider leaving a review. This chapter is over ten thousand words long. I could have broken it up but I like to keep things in flow for readers. Leaving lovely reviews will make me feel appreciated and put a big fat smile on my face – which I hope this update did for you readers.
A general note on reviews… the sheer mass of silent readers for this story is disheartening, bearing in mind that this story is on the alert and favourite list of over one thousand members here. I'm humbled and grateful for each and every favourite – but it's a little sad that I don't know about so many people's opinions. I'm not expecting reviews from everybody for every single chapter, but typing a sentence every once in a while to let me know your thoughts and that you're still on board would be really nice.
To those of you who consistently leave feedback, words can't express my appreciation. Thank you.
Anyway, see you next chapter… I might take a little longer with it, but I promise it will be worth your while to wait.
; )