A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Here's chapter three!

Cold

It was too warm, and for once in his life, he didn't want to get out of bed, it somehow felt like home, for real, as if he wasn't alone anymore. He hugged the pillow closer to him and took a whiff of its strawberry scent. "Wait! Strawberry..?" and if that wasn't enough, his pillow moved. Quickly opening his eyes, it widened when he saw a pink-haired girl beside him and her head was resting on the crook of his neck. He felt heat rise to his cheeks and froze when she cuddled closer, a smile on her face. "Oh, shit!" he slowly removed his arm from her waist and expertly got up from bed without her knowing. Sitting up, Sasuke gave a sigh of relief and wondered why he couldn't remember lying down beside the girl last night. "Don't tell me I'm losing the bet we made!"

She stirred and it alerted him that he immediately got out of bed and watched as she turned her back on him, still asleep. "Damn, she's a heavy sleeper…" Sasuke shook his head and went to his closet to get a set of clothes which consisted mostly of black or blue shirts and a few white ones. His pants had the colors of black, dark blue and beige and only a few polo shirts were hung in his cabinet. He got out a navy blue button-up shirt and black pants then his underwear and grabbed his towel, heading for the bathroom, thinking of waking the girl up later, knowing that she'll most likely fall asleep again.

Chapter 3: Reasons

Her green eyes were wide with shock and fear as she continued to watch the men beat up her dad. She was inside her room earlier and heard some yelling and beating that she quietly rushed downstairs to take a peek at what's happening. Her father was covered in a lot of blood and was still being tortured, her mother was screaming as the ripping and tearing of clothes rang in her ears. 'What's going on?' she thought, clearly not understanding why these men were doing this to her parents.

"Dad… mom…" she squeaked and caught the attention of the three strangers who turned to her and snickered evilly. She clutched onto the stair's railing and shook with fear, her mother continued to yell at her to escape and her father was mouthing her name and telling her to leave. "Sa…ku…ra… r-run away…" her father coughed out and more blood spilled.

"So, this is your little nine-year old Sakura, she's cute." One man slurred, holding a bottle of half-drunk beer. He raised his free hand and motioned the girl to come over but Sakura remained frozen in her spot. "I said come here!" he repeated but she made no motion to move. "Why you little brat!" and the man stomped over but Sakura's dad grabbed onto the man's foot and yelled at Sakura, telling her to run.

Scared by the tone of use her father shouted, she ran away in her pajamas and bear feet, out in the cold streets. What made it colder was that it was snowing. Even if it was a light fall, she still felt cold and no longer enjoyed this weather, she cried and cried, ran and ran until tripping on a bank of snow, not bothering to stand up as she hugged her knees and cried some more.

"Mom… dad…"

"Sakura,"

"No, stop it…"

"Sakura," he shook her but she just kept muttering words that he couldn't quite tell what she meant. "Sakura, wake up." He whispered but she just immediately sat up and grabbed onto his shirt, pulling him and crying on him as she yelled. He was startled and didn't move for a few seconds before her crying snapped him back to reality. Shakily circling his arms around her waist, he steadied and pulled her closer, running his hand up and down her back in a comforting gesture and telling her repeatedly that it's alright and that she was only having a bad dream. "They… killed them… they… raped my mom… they're… after me…"

"Who?" he asked, grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her away slightly to get a good look at her tear-stained eyes; Sakura only hung her head low as tears continued to flow. "I didn't want you to see me like this… I… look pathetic…" she muttered and wiped away her tears furiously, only to be replaced by fresh ones. "I hate myself! I hate how I easily cry!" He only stared at her with half-closed eyes as she continued to talk about things he didn't clearly understand, not minding how his polo was wrinkled and slightly wet with her tears.

"I'm sorry for suddenly crying a while ago…" she whispered as he arrived with a tray of their food. They were currently in a fast food joint inside a mall and were eating lunch. He sat down and handed her, her food as she mumbled a soft thank you and began eating. Sasuke stared at his food for a while before looking at her and opening his mouth to say something. "Sakura," she looked up at him. "Um… well…" he bit his tongue and sighed, shaking his head. "Never mind…"

"You want to know about my past?"

"…if it's okay with you."

Sakura smiled and then laughed as the boy in front of her looked at her as if she grew another head. "What makes you think I'll tell mine when you won't tell yours?" she grinned and Sasuke blushed slightly in embarrassment and muttered a few cursed words before looking at her. "Well?" she asked.

"Why I became an assassin is none of your business, unless you tell me your reason, I won't share mine." He said, smirking. Sakura was pissed, really pissed, there was something about that smirk of his that annoyed her to no end and she, basically, was always getting lost in thought, or simply losing whenever he smirked. "Alright Uchiha, I'll tell you my reasons…"

"And what did I say about names?"

"Fine, Sasuke." She rolled her eyes and sighed, starting her story. "You see… I was a really high-spirited girl back then; I had great friends and a good life with my parents. Until one night, three men came, they were, I think, my parents' business rivals and they were drunk. As far as I can remember, two raped my mom and one tortured my dad. They saw me and planned on doing the same so I ran away… my dad kept yelling at me to never come back or even look back."

"And have you avenged them yet?"

"Huh?"

"Basically, what every assassins want is revenge, they become killers because of what happened in their past, or just simply for revenge." He took a sip on his cola and continued. "As for Naruto, he wanted to become an assassin to rid the world of unjust and corrupt people, and also because his parents were accused of a crime they didn't commit when he was barely two years old. How he grew up, a close friend of Kakashi took him in, raising him as if he owned Naruto. As much as he wanted to have Naruto to live a normal life, the dead-last found out about his past and didn't want revenge but justice to the world."

"I see…" she whispered. "Well, no, I don't know who those guys were… I don't think I'll ever be able to avenge them, what made me become an assassin was because of the fact that those guys almost got me, if it wasn't for Kurenai-san, I would've ended up like my mom."

"You were… almost…" he hesitated to continue and just remained silent, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "Sorry, I never should have asked you to tell me and relieve your memories." She shook her head and gave a bright smile. "Forget it, I mean, like what I said last night, we can't keep on dwelling in the past."

"Yeah, about last night…" he blushed a bit and looked down to avoid her gaze. "I thought about what you said and… maybe… I could open up a bit and…"

"You can start by telling me your past."

"I… I'm not sure if I'm ready for it… to be revealed…"

Sakura smiled and took his hands that were resting on the table they were eating at and clasped them together with hers. "Just take a deep breath and tell me everything one by one." He looked up at her with a small smile and gave a nod before starting to recall his past and telling it to her. "Just like you, I thought that my life was great, that it wouldn't turn upside down, not knowing that it was all a dream shattered to pieces like a broken mirror." He glanced down at his empty plate and thought about his younger years. "I don't exactly know what made me decide to choose this life as an assassin… all I know is… I still don't know if my parents really do love me or not…"

"What makes you say that?"

"They tried to kill me."

Kakashi placed down his cup of coffee as he waited for Kurenai's reaction. She was shaking and had her crimson red eyes widened. "I didn't believe it at first either." He sighed and leaned back on the chair, eyes not leaving his ex-partner. "So, do you want to back out from our bet or still carry on?" he asked as Kurenai placed down the folder with shaking hands. She continued to eye the photo attached to the front paper as three more are underneath it. "I can't believe it…" she said, reading the whole information over and over again.

"Uchiha Sasuke… current age is twenty-three, at the very young age of nine; he started to become an assassin." She read. "Family status: killed his parents and he has a missing brother that was said to be dead." She took a deep breathe in. "Is this really what your assassins are capable of Kakashi?"

"Not all of them; Naruto is kind-hearted, Shikamaru hesitates at times and Neji often backs out." he said and eyed the papers inside the folder. "Sasuke, on the other hand, I raised him until he was eighteen, when he can live on his own." He took anther sip from his cup and eyed Kurenai. "He is capable of killing, even me, when his mission tells him to."

"But… why?"

"Rough past, I think I'd feel the same if I went through what he's been through." Kakashi shook his head in pity. "His parents were close friends of mine, and when I visited them one night, I saw him on the ground, on his hands and knees, crying silently and before him were his parents' dead bodies. His mom was stabbed right through the stomach, and his father on the heart. What surprised me was that the weapons that killed them were their own katana, the pair that Sasuke uses right now."

"You mean the two with the Uchiha fans attached at the end of the handle?"

"Yes," he sighed. "How he did it was unbelievable, as if he was really destined to be a killer. As you know, the Uchiha mansion has a few hidden cameras and one caught how Sasuke killed them. It was…"

"Brutal..?"

"No," he shook his head. "His parents charged at him with a kunai on each hand, and Sasuke just grabbed the two katana that were sheathed on their waists, he managed to get them and stab his parents before they could even scratch him."

"Are you serious?"

"I know it's impossible, especially since Sasuke was against violence when still a child, his first kill was when he was only eight years old, I trained him when he was nine. The rest of the Shadow Serpents, including me, had our first kill when we were thirteen and above. It's really unbelievable… if I hadn't watched the video; I would never have believed that Sasuke killed them."

"But why would his parents charge at him?"

Kakashi shrugged. "That's the whole mystery, on top of that, Sasuke's brother didn't return that night, after weeks of searching, cops finally declared Itachi dead, so Sasuke inherited all of the Uchiha riches, fortunately, despite the problems and encounters, Wei remained by Sasuke's side, acting as either a father or grandfather to him."

Kurenai nodded and looked outside the window of the café. "I can't tell if Sasuke has had it harder than Sakura or the other way around." Kakashi gave a nod at this. "To me, both of them had a rough past. Sakura was only nine years old and has already witnessed a torture and rape case, plus the fact that she too, was almost raped." He turned back to Kurenai who nodded. "And Sasuke," she spoke. "Only an eight year old and he did not only witness a murder but did so himself, also the whole parent-attacking-their-child case, on top of that, his parents attacked him with murderous intents. It's too much even for a kid."

"Right now, Wei is trying to discover what the cause of his parents' behavior was, Naruto is not only practicing his spying skills but also information gathering regarding Sasuke's past. So far, we still have no results."

"Then, what about the news of the whole Uchiha massacre? I heard that some accused Sasuke of committing the crime." Kurenai bit her bottom lip at this. "You don't think that this was all a fraud or plot to destroy his whole family?"

"Maybe," Kakashi answered. "Although, I have this nagging feeling that Itachi's disappearance had something to do with it."

"How so?"

"Either Itachi killed them on his own, or he was taken away by the real killer."

"All in all, Sasuke killing his parents is only accidental then?"

"Yes," he said, glancing at the busy streets. "It was an accident kill that he didn't know would happen…" Kurenai followed his gaze. "Shadow Serpent's motto…" she spoke and he turned to her as she mentioned it. "Kill or be killed, don't you think it's funny how it is related to the boy?" he nodded in agreement. "Could the motto be a clue?"

"Sasuke, you're…" she felt his hands tighten their grip on hers. She looked at him with wide eyes and sympathy. Having your own parents try to kill you, and then later on, drawing their swords and you kill them.

"I don't understand why they tried to end my life, I don't get why I didn't let them, why I had to defend myself and end up killing them. It haunts me every night…" he confessed, his head hung low and his voice slightly shaky. His bangs were shadowing his eyes that were slightly watery as he refused to cry and let his tears fall. "I became an assassin because I wanted to be heartless, to no longer feel any emotion so that if I grow close to someone, and they suddenly start to kill me, I won't regret it, I won't feel what I'm still feeling."

Sakura pondered over a few things before she gave a small smile and reached out to him, lifting up his head so that his eyes could meet hers. She was a bit startled to see him crying silent tears but didn't remove the smile on her face. "Hey, don't worry, I'll help you find out why they attacked you, everything's going to be okay."

He averted his gaze elsewhere as her hand wiped away his tears. Bet or no bet, he wasn't falling for her, an assassin mustn't love anyone. "Aa." He answered and looked at his wrist watch. "Come on, we still have to get ready for Izegawa's business dinner and you still don't have a dress."

The two of them walked around the whole shopping mall and went inside a store full of formal clothes. Sakura checked some gowns and settled for a red off-shoulder one. It was fit on the upper part up until the hips and then it's loose from there. No slits or anything else that can reveal more besides the shoulder and arms. "Hmm… this one looks good!" and she took it inside the dressing room, fitting the gown. It was her right size so she decided to take it.

"You guys are lucky," she said as they stepped out of the mall and went to Sasuke's car. He looked at her with a questioning look as they got inside the blue convertible. "Boys wouldn't have to worry what to wear for formal parties, they just get a tux and pick a color of it while we have to find the right dress and color." She sighed and got out a hair tie, tying her long hair up in a ponytail to prevent it from getting disheveled since the car's speed was making her hair a mess. "Well, suits are also steamy when you wear them." He countered and waited for the gates of the estate to open.

He drove in when it was fully opened and parked it inside the garage. They went inside the estate to get ready and Sasuke called for one of Kakashi's friends to help Sakura be presentable, even if she was against the idea.

"Look, you have to, remember, you caught Izegawa's interest in the club, yes, you have to catch his eye again." He said and left the guest room where Sakura will be staying. She wondered why he let her stay inside his room the other night and now, she has her own room. Looking around, she noticed a few bags there and she opened them to check it out, seeing some of her clothes, along her assassin outfit, and her weapons inside it. A note was on the dresser and she read it.

Sakura,

Kurenai-san and Kakashi-san said that you ought to stay in Uchiha-san's place and he agreed. It will be a lot easier for the two of you to carry on with the mission being under one roof, also, it's in case Izegawa drops by for a visit. I've packed half of your clothes here, most of which are for clubs and casual wears. I also added a few more weapons in case you need them. Call me if you need some more, don't worry about our apartment, I'll take care of it.

-Hinata

She smiled at the note and kept it in one of her bags, and began taking out a few of her clothes. She folded some and placed it inside the closets and drawers while the rest were hung. As for the weapons, she decided to keep it under the bed and ask Sasuke where he hides his later. Glancing at the paper bag where her dress was, she took it out and decided to try on her dress and think up of a hairstyle for it.

"Hey, Sakura,"

Startled, she turned her head to the intruder of the room and blushed when she saw Sasuke standing there with wide-eyes and looking at her. Seconds passed and none of them made a move or uttered a word until she gripped onto her red dress tightly and yelled at him. "Pervert!" and she threw the nearest thing she could grab which was, unfortunately, a hair dryer and thanks to his reflexes, he caught it and closed the door after yelling a quick apology. She breathed in and out repeatedly before setting aside the dress and putting back on her casual clothes. Sakura wondered why she can actually seduce men and managed to even be half-naked in front of them and still have a smirk on her face when she can't do so if it was Sasuke? "What does he have that my victims don't?" she thought and recalled how he was staring at her. "Hmm maybe I'm winning the bet…"

A knock on the door was heard and she told the visitor to come in. A woman appeared who had her hair tied up, making the end spiky. A grin was on her face as she entered the room with a few accessories. Sakura eyed the things this woman had, most of which were hair pins, sprays, make-up and etc. "Hello Haruno Sakura, I will be your personal-"

"Ah, can we just skip to your name, I think I already know why you're here." She said, laughing nervously. "Okay then Haruno, I am Mitarashi Anko." She made a peace sign. "Now let's see you in the gown alright?" Sakura nodded and changed into her red dress as Anko looked at her from head to toe then glanced at the clock inside the room. "Hmm I have an hour and a half to make you look presentable since the rest of the thirty minutes will be used t get to Izegawa's, it's a bit far and you'll never know when there might be traffic." She grinned and made Sakura sit down and face the mirror. "Okay, let's get started shall we?" and Anko took a brush and some hair pins and started to think up of a hairstyle.

Pacing around the living room, he gave a sigh and stopped in front of a large family photo displayed in the room he was currently in. His eyes stared at his father's stern but gentle look, to his mother's loving and caring eyes and happy smile. A sad look cast his eyes as he remembered the night he had killed them. Next, his onyx orbs turned to his almost-look-alike brother who had a smirk on his face and lastly, to his seven-year old self, a real smile on his face and the look of a happy kid. "Now, I don't even remember being that happy…" he thought, averting his gaze to the incoming footsteps of Wei who carried a tray of tea cups and a tea pot, steam coming out from its spout.

"Young master, why the long face?"

"…nothing." He said, taking his hands out of his pocket and accepting the tea cup from Wei. He turned back to the picture and continued to reminisce his past. "Careful not to spill tea on your suit Sasuke." Blinking, the said boy turned to Wei who smiled at him. "I've known you since you were a child Sasuke, and I know what you're thinking."

The 23-year old Uchiha smirked and turned back to the portrait. "If so, why did you ask me?"

"Just making sure, you never know how much one can change over the years."

"Yeah," he agreed and turned to the sofa and sat down. "Just like how mom and dad suddenly changed…" a cough interrupted his thoughts as both men looked to where it emitted from. There, Anko stood with a big grin and turned her head to the top of the staircase as the two followed her gaze. Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw Sakura standing there with a light blush on her face all dressed up in her red dress. It looked elegant on her especially since she had her hair in a bun like a Japanese princess had. Holding it in place was a slightly long silver pin, at the end of it were three strings which had metal-like cherry blossoms. Anko thought that it would suit her because of her namesake. Sasuke gazed at her face as she descended down the stairs in a lady-like manner. She wasn't wearing heavy make-up, just a red lipstick that was put on her lips very lightly and a lip gloss to make it look shiny and…dare he say, kissable? Light eye shadow and powder was applied and that was about it. Slowly, he got up, his body moving automatically towards her when she reached the end of the stairs.

Their eyes met and gazed at each other. "Oh no, don't tell me I'm already falling for his looks…" she thought and blinked, looking away from his onyx eyes that continued to stare at her. She admits that seeing him in a black suit, looking so formal, made his looks more irresistible; as she did so, Sasuke noted the gold earrings that were dangling, they were perfect for her, it was simple and it suited her, the color of gold. He smirked, seeing the blush on her face. He offered his arm to her as she looked and accepted it, the blush not leaving her face. "Hey, you look great." He whispered in her ear and lead her towards the sofa where Anko, miraculously, took a camera from nowhere and took a picture of them. "Ah, young love, sweet love!" she grinned. Wei smiled at the couple and offered tea to Sakura as she took it and smiled her thanks. Both took a seat as the other two adults left them.

"Okay, since this is a formal party, you don't have to seduce or anything, act like the exact opposite of your assassin self, you know, the helpless-girl type."

"Geez… that's even harder." she muttered and he only smirked at her. "Actually, I thought you weren't the Sakura I know after coming down from the stairs, that's a good enough act." She slightly blushed and looked down to avoid his eyes. "In fact, you're already doing a pretty good job."

"What, you mean being this shy and quiet and-"

"Lady-like," he finished for her and took a sip from his tea. "And before I forget," he took out something from his black pants' pocket and eyed it for a moment. Sakura's eyes observed the navy blue rectangular box coated in velvet, thinking that perhaps what was inside was something really expensive. "This belonged to my mom when she was still alive, according to her will, she wanted me to have this and do whatever I want with it." He positioned himself to face her and opened the box for her to see the content. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened a bit in gasp and shock; inside the box was a silver necklace and attached to it was a tear-drop shape with silver outlining and the inside was made of a sapphire gem. "Like it?" he asked, seeing her reaction. She gave a nod and he smiled slightly and got up, walking closer to her. "I want you to have it."

"Wh-why me?"

He shrugged. "You're the first girl I ever became friends with, maybe even the last, so you might as well have it." She got up and he put it around her neck, taking a step back to see how it looks on her. "Suits you." Sakura didn't know what to say or do so she just looked down and whispered a thank you to him, cheeks slightly red, matching the color of her lips, which his eyes found attracting. Sasuke raised his right hand and had his fingers touch her warm cheeks, pushing away some of her pink bangs to get a better look of her face. He leaned closer to her and lowered his head a bit, his mind seemed to be blank and his eyelids slowly becoming heavier as each second passed. Sakura felt his hot breath on her face before she realized what he was going to do. Automatically, she reacted by closing her eyes and staying still, leaning onto the palm of his hand that rested on her cheek. Only a few more millimeters before their lips could lock when Wei came waltzing in nonchalantly, awakening them from their bliss.

"Before you forget Young Master, the ring that is to play as Ms. Haruno's engagement ring, is on the table." Anko followed suit with a stick of dango in her hand as she took a piece from it, chewing and savoring its sweetness. She noticed how the two young adults were blushing and how close they were that she nudged Wei and muttered and "wrong timing old man" to him. He raised a brow, wondering what she meant but she just waved it off. "Anyway, I'll be going now, please enjoy the rest of the night."

Once the two were left alone again, Sasuke retrieved his hand from her face, feeling the warmth fade and he turned a bit, glancing at the casing of a ring. "Right, you also need to wear a ring in case Izegawa questions our relationship." He took the box and opened it, revealing a gold ring with a sparkling ruby-red diamond displayed on it. Taking her left hand, he placed the ring on her ring finger as her face continued to heat up. When he was done, she admired the ring and how it shone under the chandelier's light in the living room. "It even matches with my dress." She giggled inwardly and accepted Sasuke's outstretched hand. "And he's even playing as a gentleman, how nice." She smiled brightly when they stepped out and a limousine was waiting outside. He opened the door for her, beating the chauffeur to it. The driver only gave a smile and proceeded to the driver's seat to start the car as soon as the two went inside.

"So, I have to act as the opposite of who I truly am?" she asked, not sure if she got what his idea was about. "Yeah, if Izegawa liked you as Haruno Sakura, let's see if he'll like you more as another." He said and rummaged through a bag, finding what he was looking for and handed one of the two things to Sakura. "It's a communicator; at least if we ever get separated I can still contact you and make sure he isn't touching you yet." As he said that, s slight blush crept across his face and he averted his gaze elsewhere, putting on the small microphone inside his collar. "Um… where am I going to attach this..?"

Sasuke turned to her and remembered that she was wearing an off-shoulder dress which means her neck till shoulder is exposed. "Oh crap!" he thought and sighed, thinking on where she could put it. "Your bangs hides your ear, maybe you can put it there."

"And how can I talk to you?"

"It's a different kind of communicator, even if you do dance with Izegawa, his voice can also be heard through it, that thing can cover a sound made in a distance of five-seven feet. If ever someone shouts ten feet away from you, it would be like that person shouting directly in my ear."

"I should have Kurenai-san order these things from Kakashi-san."

"You can't, it's only designed for SS members, but in your case as being my partner, you're an exception." She rolled her eyes. "Lucky me…" and turned to the window to look at the scenery. "How long before we get there?"

"We're here."

The car had stopped in front of a large gate and behind the bars was a mansion about 20-feet high but it could be bigger. Stepping outside, the two looked at the many rich guests entering the doorway and the number of security guards and dogs walking about. "Looks like guns aren't allowed inside." Sasuke took a step back as the driver came behind him, taking the gun away from his hands. "Go home and tell Wei to have Anko drive my car once I make a call, and make sure it has other weapons." He whispered.

"Uh… which car sir?"

"…the blue one."

And the driver nodded and got inside the driver's seat to do what he was instructed to do. Sakura waited for him to reach her side and linked his arm with hers while he had both his hands inside his pockets. "You do have a combat knife with you right?" he asked and she nodded, running a hand over her right thigh. "Good, because right now, I only have my hands."

"Okay… so maybe we need a plan first?"

"No," he said as they stepped up the door and he showed the guards their invitations before proceeding to enter the big mansion. "Just go with the flow."

"Uchiha-san and Haruno-san," their target said, walking towards them followed by a few other civilized people. "Welcome, how do you like the snazzy place?" he asked in a hint of boasting. Sasuke pretended to look around and gave a small smile. "Hmm not bad, it's really a big one Izegawa-san." He said as politely as he could and turned to Sakura who still had her arm linked with his. "What do you think Sakura?"

"It almost feels like home as well," she smiled. "But of course, I feel more at home when we get back to your house." She grinned and Izegawa laughed. "Of course, you two are after all, engaged." He turned to his friends. "By the way, this is Uchiha Sasuke, and his soon-to-be wife, Haruno Sakura." The two men and one woman looked at them and nodded their heads as the two undercover assassins returned the gesture of acknowledgement. "Uchiha-san, you are still very young yet you are left with such a big fortune and company to handle, how do you cope with it?" the man, who was in his early forties asked with his wife clinging to his arm. "I'm not exactly sure, but I guess it runs in the family." He said and they just chuckled. Sasuke sighed inwardly "Okay… I didn't think it would be funny…"

"Oh, I forgot, this is Ryuen Tsukishi and his wife, Ichiyo," Izegawa introduced. "And this is their son, Kenzo." The two one again nodded their heads as the three gave a smile. "Well then, if you two are hungry, there's a table full of gourmet meals set up and there's music playing if you want to dance, feel free to do whatever you want." Izegawa said and turned around as the three people went away as well.

"Do whatever we want huh?" Sakura asked slyly. "How's about we take a tour by ourselves?"

Sasuke smirked and shook his head. "Maybe a little later, once I get Izegawa to talk to me about the drugs." He said and pulled the girl. "In the meantime, let's steal the spotlight." And he wrapped an arm around her waist and clasped the other with her free hand. She looked at him with a surprised look, thinking that he wouldn't dare dance right now. A smirk answered her. "If you're asking, yes, I am going to make you dance with me whether you like it or not."

"B-but I'm only good at dancing in the club and-"

"Sakura, Sakura," he shook his head and leaned in closer to whisper in her ear. "Are you forgetting that you're with an Uchiha?" and as he said it, he began to move with the music, taking her along, making it look like they were both expert dancers. "Just sway with me and I'll make you dance."

True to his words, people did stop their conversation and started to watch the young couple. Izegawa eyed the two with interest and noticed that some of the couples inside began to follow their lead. "These two have potential…" he turned to face the Tsukishi family. "Why don't you two dance and I'll keep Kenzo company?" the two thought for a while before nodding and stepping onto the dance floor, not wanting to be outshined by the rest. "So Kenzo, what do you think of Uchiha and the soon-to-be one?"

"Hmmm I must say, Uchiha-san is lucky to get Haruno-san as his fiancée."

"I'd say they're both lucky." He smirked. "Too lucky for me to accept."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I invited Uchiha over to talk about some business, I think it's time I start now, why don't you get better acquainted with his blossom?" Izegawa suggested, taking a sip from his martini glass. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind, business is business after all."

"I guess." And he and Kenzo walked over to the couple.

"Hey, eyes lock onto me." His voice called out to her and she brought her head up so that their eyes can once again meet. "That's better, when you dance, you have to keep your eyes locked onto your partner and avoid looking down." She gave a nod. "Unfortunately, it's hard to not look down because aside from stepping on your feet, your gaze on me makes me blush and I will all the more lose our bet!"

"Sasuke," he raised a brow. "Izegawa is coming over."

And a hand was placed on the Uchiha's shoulder as both stopped and turned to Izegawa who was with Kenzo. "I'm sorry to interrupt the two of you but I would just like to discuss some business matters with your fiancé Haruno-san, is that okay?"

"Oh, sure, don't mind me." She smiled. Izegawa returned the smile and led Sasuke elsewhere but before he left, he turned back to Sakura and gave a knowing look which she nodded to in understanding. "I'll be back, okay?" he asked and gave a light kiss on her forehead as she nodded, watching the two walk off elsewhere.

Kenzo offered a hand to her. "May I?"

"Oh, maybe later, I'm sort of tired right now." Sakura gave an apologetic smile and Kenzo nodded in understanding. "Then perhaps a little walk around Izegawa-san's garden?"

"I guess…" she said uncertainly. "Is this guy hitting on me?"

"Or would you prefer me to tour you around the house? I know it by heart since I've been here for more than a dozen times."

"Oh sure, I'd love to." And inwardly, she smirked. Things seem to be going pretty well.

They both walked up the marble staircase and turned to various corners with Kenzo telling her which room is used for meetings, work, free time, etc. Sakura only half-listened as she began to look around, trying to find something they'll need for a mission. "And also, one of Izegawa's favorite rooms," Kenzo said, stopping as she did so as well. He had a glint in his eyes that told her that something was wrong. He opened the door and revealed to her a room with a lot of fog and ice. The cool air came blowing against her and she shivered slightly.

"This room, is where his dead clients are," and Kenzo smirked, snapping his fingers as two men appeared all of a sudden and held onto Sakura. She squirmed and stepped on one of the men's toe and elbowed the other, then tried to make a run for it but Kemzo acted quickly and grabbed her around her waist, pulling her back and pinning her on the wall. Sakura gasped a bit loudly and watched as Kenzo neared her snickering, the two men holding onto her legs and feet to keep her from escaping.

"Tsukishi-san, what're you doing?"

"I'm doing you, as well as Izegawa-san a favor," she looked at him questioningly as he smirked and leaned closer to her neck and ear, breathing on it. "Izegawa-san never got to finish what he was supposed to do when you were still young, he let you go untouched, it's a waste to let someone like you go to a killer like Uchiha, who killed his own family." Sakura shook her head, not liking where this was getting at. "No, Sasuke-kun didn't kill them!" she was son absorbed by the things happening that she didn't realize that she had just attached the word "-kun" to her partner's name. "I see, so you two do have a relationship, all the more I'll enjoy fulfilling what Izegawa failed to do, besides, don't you miss your parents? After I'm done with you, you can join them in the other world, and your body can also join theirs in the freeze room right behind me."

"N-no… let go of me!" she yelled.

"Sakura!" Sasuke said all of a sudden which caused Izegawa to stop talking. He turned to the older man and glared at him, his infamous Uchiha glare. "What are you doing to her?" he can still hear her voice of not agreeing to what Kenzo had said and he could still hear the said boy snickering evilly. Izegawa smirked at him. "Uchiha Sasuke, your brother is a famous killer, there's no doubt that you are one as well, since after all, you killed your own parents in your own house."

"I told you, they died in an accident."

"Nice try, Shadow Assassin," he said and Sasuke's eyes slightly widened but turned back to a glare. "I have my sources, now, if you do as I say, I'll lead you to where your fiancée is."

"Damn you…" he muttered. "Shit, Sakura… please be okay…"

Izegawa lead him to the staircase followed by three bodyguards tailing them. Sasuke pocketed his hands and fingered his cell phone, sending a message to Kakashi for back-up. Maybe memorizing the letters of each keypad proved to be useful since now, no one noticed that he had just asked for help and it was also a good thing that he had memorized either Kakashi or Naruto's phone number.

When they reached where Kenzo was, Sasuke immediately rushed to him and pushed him off of Sakura. "You fucking bastard!" he yelled and knelt down beside Sakura on one knee, helping her sit up yet still glaring at Kenzo. Sakura shook and hugged herself, near to crying. Her hair was a mess and so was her dress. She flinched slightly when Sasuke grabbed her shoulders to make her look at him. "Sakura, hey, snap out of it."

She still continued trembling and it only made him mad. Taking off his black overcoat, he wrapped it around the girl and placed his left hand on her left thigh where her blade was. She looked up at him and he gave a slight nod and stood up, facing the men with them. "What is it that you guys want?"

Izegawa chuckled and walked closer to them. "To finish my unfinished mission, and that is to break Sakura the way I did to her mother, another is for me, Takehiko Izegawa, to finally eliminate the remaining Uchiha and take over your company."

And he took out a gun, aiming it at the Uchiha's head. "Say goodbye, Uchiha Sasuke."

And a loud bang echoed in the hollow walks of the hallway.

To be continued…

Next on Cold: Chapter 4: Seriously

"What're you talking about?" she asked above a whisper when he went on top of her and had her back lying on his bed. "You can't be serious." But he only looked at her with longing and love. "I'm serious, you win." And he captured her lips in his.

A/N: I won't be updating for more than two weeks, I've got exams… thanks for reviewing!