AN : Hello lovelies! Cinnabunnbunn here! Just wanted to tell you enjoy your reading and leave reviews on this chap. It makes me happy!
I got the idea for writing this story after I read another Naruto fanfiction named 'Vogue' by the author Lexi201 and got some inspiration on how to start this story.
So, I just hope you enjoy because I really had fun writing this piece.
Have fun!
Disclaimer : Standard disclaimer applied to all the chapters.
Blood, ash, gunpowder.
These were the smells that she was the most familiar with. She was also very familiar with the scene that was spread in front of her. But no matter many times she saw this kind of view, it never got any easier to digest.
Familiar, but not a welcomed.
She looked down at her boots, caked with blood from the bodies that laid around her standing form. She looked at her hands, in a condition even worse than that of her shoes. She didn't even dare look past her forearms, afraid she'll have to see her biggest regret.
She stared again at her hands, dyed red, as if seeing them for the first time.
Turning her head around, she again tried to process the scene before her. Floors soaked red, bodies laying motionless, around 25 maybe, guns and swords loosely dangling from some of their hands.
This was her. This was all her. This was everything she has been taught since she had learned to speak. This was everything that has been engraved into her very bones, her nerves, her soul.
As if gotten doused with ice, her consciousness snapped.
This was all her.
That was when she finally broke. Falling down heavily on her knees, she let out a heart-wrenching scream. Sobbing uncontrollably, face to the heavens, it all came back to her.
The terrified screams, the cries for mercy, the desperation in the voices of the mothers when they pointed guns at her to protect their children, the hurt in the screams of the husbands when they came at her to protect their family.
The pain in the shrieks of the children when their parents would not open their eyes.
It was all her.
They were innocent. They did not deserve all this.
It was all because of her.
'But not anymore.' She promised herself in the midst of all her tears and pain in her heart. 'I will not do this anymore. I'm done. I will NOT do this anymore.'
'I will be better. I will make it all better.' She slowly got up to her feet and turned away from the scene.
'I will make it all right.'
But in heart, in a small corner of it, she knew, that no matter how hard she tried, she will never be able to wash off this much red from her hands.
"sigh… and here is another exam…"
A tired voice lamented from over the staff table in an empty café. A mess of rosy hair sprawled across the table as tired, green eyes stared at the screen of her laptop in exhaustion.
'This is what, like the 4th test this week. What do they think we are, machines?'
The eyes skimmed over the schedule of the week in frustration again to make sure that yes, the teachers of the university actually added another test in this week's schedule and no, she was not just high on caffein.
This girl right here is Sakura Haruno, a 19 years old, 2nd year student at the Konoha Central University, currently mastering in poisons and toxins.
And she just witnessed the murder of another opportunity for getting a good night of sleep.
'Am I gonna be running on caffeine for another week', she thought with grief. No way was she getting any good night of sleep with all the tests in her classes and also her shift at the café she's working part time at. Paying bills as a college student was hard, especially without a family's safety net behind you.
"Sakura! Counter's on you!" a voice shouted from the front of the café, reminding that the sweet time of the well – deserved break was over.
Sighing, she closed the laptop and picked up her apron to get back to work. Getting behind the counter, she opened up the register to take the orders and started the coffee machine.
With the buzzing of the coffee machine and the flow of the orders coming in, continued a pretty regular day in her ever interesting life.
"Lights, ready! 1, 2-"
-Flash
A bright flash from the camera washed over the couple posing on the set for a royal court. Large hands gripped the soft rump of the feminine hips, draped in red silk, perched on his lap. Soft hands ,fisted around the loosened tie around the man's neck, tightened while the other hand fisted in his raven hair. Heated eyes meeting halfway and equal smirks gracing their lips.
" Alright then, change the position a bit. Miss Mayoko, put on left hand on Sasuke's shoulder , and Mr. Sasuke , just shift your position a bit to your right." The voice of the photographer instructed the pair into another position, just as sensual and tantalizing.
A few more clicks and flashes and a few more alterations, the pair was done for the day.
" Well, we are done for today. Good job everyone!" a few cheers were heard around the room. "I will edit these pictures and have them developed in a couple of days", the photographer informed the lady standing behind him, overlooking the shoot.
"Ah, thank you Mr. Akasuna. I can always trust in your abilities." Mikoto Uchiha sent an eye-crinkling smile his way, as she turned to her assistant to give her orders. "Escort the crew to the lounge area and order some snacks for them."
Meanwhile, smoldering onyx eyes were stealing secretive glances with the woman across the room while makeup artists and stylists fluttered around them like butterflies.
'Meet me after work' they seemed whisper to the woman smiling coyly at him from across the room.
His mind flashed back to all the other times he went to his private lounge with the models to do some… "activities". He remembered the pleasurable tingles that wracked up his spine, the moans and groans reverberating off the walls, the feel of the soft mattress after he has spent himself.
Names and faces blurred in his mind, but the feeling of ecstasy was always present in his memories.
"Miss Mayoko, your manager just called and called for you to meet her for scheduling another shoot"
'Aaand there goes the plans' Sasuke scoffed in his head at the loss of the pleasure he had been thinking about.
This here, is Sasuke Uchiha, 19 year old , son of the Fourth World Security Leader , Fugaku Uchiha and the CEO of 'Obsidian' fashion house , Mikoto Uchiha. Currently a 2nd year student at Konoha Central University , mastering in Business and security.
" Sasuke dear, you have a call from Naruto" His mother informed him while handing him the still ringing device. Sigh 'Why is he my friend again' he ground out in his head before reluctantly accepting the call and putting the sleek device to his ear.
"Hey teme!" a loud voice exclaimed from the other side of the call. "What do you want dumbass" Sasuke murmured while walking towards his dressing room all the while fumbling with the buttons of his ivory white shirt. He was very tempted to just hang up oh his annoying voice.
"Just here to remind you that me and the boys will be over in half and hour to pick you up, since you just cannot bother with your own damn car."
'Fuck I forgot about that' Sasuke lamented to the heavens about his misfortune. He seriously forgot about the hangout his dumbass of a best friend planned 2 days ago. And here he was making plans with someone else.
" Yeah, okay, whatever…" Sasuke grumbled before hanging up before the other speaker even had a chance to respond.
Pulling a t-shirt and jeans on his body, he sat down on his computer and opened his emails. He looked for the assistant applicants among the new 25 emails he got. He found 8. "Hmmm… Who's this one, Maria Honoka, 3rd year… isn't she the one who got caught rigging the school bell."
If he remembered correctly, she was the one.
Letting out a heavy sigh, he closed his computer when he found none applications worthy of consideration. Walking over to the couch, he resigned himself to just lasing off there until Naruto came to pick him up.
Honk honk
He heard the honk of Naruto's car from outside. Picking up his backpack and phone, he made his way outside the building, over to the car.
"Hey bastard!" yelled Naruto as his mop of blond hair stuck out of the rolled down car window. A big grin that seemed to be permanently stuck to his face as he waved him over half hanging out of his car's window and blue eyes wide and excited, as always. He can see the top of Shikamaru's pineapple like ponytail dozing in the back of the car. "Hey Dobe" Sasuke drawled while opening the door to the front passenger seat. Turning around his head to the back seat, he also noticed Neji Hyuuga staring out the car window beside Shikamaru, chestnut hair as flawless and pearl eyes as still as ever.
'I wonder what shampoo he must use',Sasuke mused while buckling his seatbelt. " So where're we going?" he asked the blond revving up the engine.
" Oh just this café I saw the other day. I thought it was a pretty cool place actually." If it was possible, the grin on the blonde's face widened even more. "And I wanna eat their ramen. I tried it once and seriously dude, it was like the best shit ever!"
"Yeah whatever"
After driving around for 15 minutes, they rounded a corner of the main street and slowed down the pace before coming to a stop completely in front of a cozy little café. ' Honeycomb' Sasuke read the sign as he took in the pale sage green building and the red wood doors and windows.
The bell above the door ringed as the group of four opened the door to enter the café. Pale sage green colored walls, chocolate brown tables and chairs, an assortment of fresh and lush plants and warm fairy lights hanging overhead. This place looked cozy enough to curl up during a cold evening or a warm afternoon.
Taking a seat middle of the room , they started looking at the menu and collectively decided to order ramen for Naruto and pasta and coke for the rest and flagged down a waitress to take their orders.
"So teme, got an assistant yet." Naruto chirped from beside Sasuke.
Sigh " No, the applicants were fine. But still not good enough." And that was a problem. He needed an assistant soon or he would have to take the one his mother provided. And those ones always turn out to be a bitch.
"Maybe you should just pick someone already. I mean they should be fine enough" a sleepy voice drawled from the head of spiky hair sprawled on the table. Shikamaru picked his head up and opened his eyes through the haze of sleepiness that always seemed to cloud his brain.
Before he could reply though, a vaguely familiar face came over to their table to take up their orders.
"Hello people, welcome to Honeycomb. What can I get for you?" The waitress said almost robotically, sounding way tired and unenthusiastic despite the cheerful words.
Pink hair held back in a ponytail and dressed in a black tee and black jeans with an olive green apron over it, something about her seemed familiar. Had he seen her somewhere before? 'Oh well, maybe I've seen her in passing'
" Oh hey pretty lady! One ramen, two white sauce penne pasta, one red sauce with extra tomatoes and four coke please!" Naruto placed their orders as loud and hyper as ever.
"Okay… three pasta and one ramen coming right up". The waitress took their order and went around behind the counter.
" So Neji, any news on your uncle's retirement?"
Neji sighed and looked up from his phone that he had been scrolling through "No, he's still unsure about who to pass the mantle to. Not like he has anything to worry about, he has two daughters, why would he even need to consider anyone else." A little resentment seeped into his voice at the mention of his cousins.
Wanting to lighten the mood of the conversation, Naruto began rambling about anything and nothing and they just sat there chatting up, mostly filled in by Naruto's rambling and Sasuke's occasional insults to the blond.
That was how they sat around before everything went downhill.
'I need some ice…'
Sakura thought to herself in half a mind. Lifting a palm to her forehead, she felt her temperature. It kind of felt a wee bit higher, and she was feeling really queasy, throat like cotton and legs just as clammy.
" Sakura! Pie and smoothie for table 7 is up!"
Sakura hurried around behind the counter with shaking legs to get to the order for another table. Heaving the hefty tray of pastries and smoothies on her arms, she pasted on an uncomfortable smile on her face and went up to the table.
Ding
'ANOTHER customer?' Sakura whined to herself as she set down the orders and turned back to go back to the kitchen. Taking a curious glance back at the new arrival, she got behind the counter, only to do a double take. 'Is that Uchiha and his gang?'
Yes, it was. Those spiked raven hair were unmistakable. It was definitely Sasuke Uchiha.
"Well would you look at that. Seems like our future knight in shining armor finally got some time to get out." She mumbled sarcastically to herself. It wasn't like she hated that guy or couldn't stand him. However, she did find him a bit too careless and irresponsible for someone who is supposed to be the heir to a WSL.
"Sakura, go and take the order from the new table." The order came from her manager, Mitarashi Anko. Sighing in submission, she took out a notepad and pen, braced herself and went over to their table, her palms and neck feeling even more sweaty as her head felt hotter.
While walking there, she noticed that the whole royalty seemed to be present at the table.
The mayor's son, Naruto Uzumaki. The nephew of another WSL , Neji Hyuuga, as well as the son of the head of intelligence and tactical department at AROWS, Shikamaru Nara.
'Well would you look at that. The whole royalty is out to mingle amongst the mere commoners…'
Upon reaching the table, she tried to speak in a cheerful tone , even though it only came out sounding exhausted. 'Well, it's not far from truth' "Hello people, Welcome to Honeycomb. What can I get for you today." It was the blond that spoke up and placed their orders.
'My God, how is that guy always so energetic…'
She went to the kitchen and slapped down the page with their order.
10 minutes later, she piled up their orders of ramen and pasta onto her tray.
'Oof, since when did the orders get so heavy. I never found this kind of weight as heavy.'
Mentally counting to ten to stabilize herself, she took a shaky step ahead. Sakura exhaled a long, steady breath and started walking over. 'It's okay Sakura, just give them their orders and then you can take a break and rest.'
It must've been some curse someone from her past placed on her that caused the next disaster. Because there is no other way it could have gone.
One second, she was walking towards the table, and the next second, she blacked out for a moment, reasons still unknown, she felt her leg giving out, her ankle twisting, knees hitting the ground.
And the tray of food flying straight towards the Uchiha's table.
SPLASH
'I'm so screwed…
