Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Chapter 10: Snake and Doll
Excerpt from A Review of Konoha's Juvenile Criminal Laws
Minors are exempted from the death penalty and life sentence regardless of how heinous their crimes are. The heaviest penalty is ten-year imprisonment for homicide during which they are subjected to civil services and psychological evaluation. Their living conditions are ten times better than the adult counterpart. Even in prison, child protection laws are still in effect.
The parents of the minors who committed the crime are held accountable for the children's crimes to some extent. It wasn't until Namikaze Minato took over the office that this clause was repealed.
Due to the lean toward children's rights by the Third Head of Konoha, there was a surge of crimes committed by minors during his time. Parents were unwilling or hesitant to report their children's wrongdoings for fear of sharing the responsibilities.
Though the Third had the right intention when he tried to nurture the future of the country, his actions had dreadful consequences and opened many opportunities for corruption.
(Location Unknown)
"This is the fifth time this month. You need to keep it down. This is an order." A pale man hisses at his companion, a woman, letting out his killing intent.
His companion doesn't react to his threat and carries on with the operation. Surrounding the operation table are buckets of cold water that are tainted red by blood from the removed organs.
The room they are in smells of disinfection and copper. The floor would have been pristine white has it not been to the occasional splash of blood from the eviscerated body.
A rod was inserted through the nostril of the body before she turns to address the man. "I wouldn't have resorted to this to blow up the steam if I was given a mission."
"We are being watched, so we have to lay low for the time being. Your playing is not helping the cause."
"I have always been careful, haven't I?"
The man is reaching his patience with the woman. He hates dealing with this type of crop. They are more efficient compared to the trained killers, but it's a pain to keep their hobbies in check. If it was up to him, he would have put a bullet in her head for her insolence longs ago.
However, even he would be in trouble for killing one of Danson's favorite crops.
Well, if she screws up and gets caught, it's on her.
(At the Akatsuki's Headquarter)
"Sai. Occupation: Contract Killer. No record of parents and spouse. He is notorious in the underground for assassinating other killers and mob bosses. Due to his preferred victims and success rate, he is one of the highest-paid contract killers."
"… If you are going to recite a criminal file, can't you do it in your office? I'm trying to put together the financial report." Kakuzu grunts at Konan. Her voice almost makes him add a zero to someone's paycheck.
"I'm writing this month's report, so I would prefer that you comply with Kakuzu." Pain tells Konan in his indifferent voice, but anyone can see how much his fingers are twitching on the keyboard.
The three of them are in one big office where members usually get together for discussion. The men were working on monthly reports when Konan just barged into the room, dumped her laptop and a box of files on the table, then started reading them out loud.
They are hoping that she is going to take the hint from their glares, displeased grunts, and polite coughs, yet after two hours, she continues to fill the previously quiet room with her recitation.
Did some morons piss her off? Is that why she is taking it out on them?
"I need your input on this person." Konan looks at the men, her hands folding on top of the paper.
"… What?" Kakuzu stupidly mutters under his breath.
All members of the Akatsuki know that Konan doesn't think very highly of them. Though some friendly ones, like Deidra and Kisame, tried to get her out drinking, they were immediately shot down.
She is hardworking, a trait that they respect, and proficient on her own, thus, she has no problem with solo missions or paperwork. The woman doesn't need any outside help.
Consequently, there is an unspeakable rule between Konan and the rest of the Akatsuki: keep it business and stay out of her way.
They thought that the day when she asks for help would never come, … until today.
"Why would a person choose this line of work?"
"There is a lot of factors: events in childhood or adulthood, characteristics, money, etc. Though I would say personal value is the deciding factor." Pain puts away his laptop and faces Konan. He doesn't know what gives her a change of heart, but he respects her professionalism.
"Meaning?"
"Life is how you react to it," Kakuzu opens his bag to take out a wrapped sandwich. "Environment might have a contribution, but characters drive the action."
When Hidan told her to get to know Sai, she was at loss about what to do. This isn't some convention or party when people just casually come up to each other and talk. He is in jail and she is tasked with getting information out of him. So far, he hasn't been very cooperative.
She thought that his records should be a good start, but as Hidan said, she doesn't get killers. She doesn't know what to look for, so she decides to ask around.
"Is Sai giving you trouble?" Pain politely inquires.
Konan breaks out of her thought and shakes her head, "He hasn't given me any information and told me to look into the records of all hospice care in Fire Nation. It's nothing I can't handle."
"If he goes back on our deal, you can resort to interrogation." Kakuzu reminds her.
"No, he implied that he is complying with the deal. I don't think he is lying, but I don't see how would a bunch of close-to-death people be of interest to Sai?"
"Their vulnerability?" Pain remarks off-handed.
Konan's head snaps to Pein after his remark. "What do you mean?"
"The people in the hospice are just waiting for their last breath. They are depended on someone else to take care of their functional needs. Even if they suddenly die, no one will be surprised."
"A perfect ground for a twisted mind to take advantage of." Kakuzu adds on.
Suddenly pieces of information flash through her mind: all the random rotations, the death certificates, the causes of death, the funerals or lack-there-of, etc.
"You think too small, Detective."
She has an ominous feeling about this case.
(At the university's rooftop)
Sasuke has his hand around Sakura's throat, threatening to cut off her airway. His face is twisted due to his anger.
"What did you say?"
Though she has trouble breathing thanks to his hand, Sakura remains indifferent to his temper. "I said I want you to be my spy in the Police Force."
"And you think I would betray my family?"
"You are Snake."
He jerks back from her like he is electrocuted. Taking advantage of his shock, she kicks his ankle, making him lose his balance and fall to the ground. Before he can catch his breath, she jumps on him, throwing her entire weight on his body.
Sasuke groans, feeling the air is knocked out of his lungs. He notices her moving around and opens his eyes to see that she has arranged herself to perch comfortably on top of him, her head resting on his chest, looking up at him, smiling seductively.
"As the second son of the family and younger brother of the prodigy Uchiha Itachi, you grew up being constantly compared to him. Nothing you did could ever outshine him in your father's eyes. Your relatives refer to you as Itachi's brother instead of your name."
"Your friends through your entire life only approach you because of your family name and you being an easier target than the aloof Itachi."
"Your love for your parents and brother turns into bitterness and jealousy, so you decide to partake in illegal activities which is against every value the name Uchiha stands for."
"Fighting, smoking, drugs, etc. You try everything yet they still won't look at you. In their eyes, you become more of the lesser child."
"Then one day Naruto saves you from your self-hate and inferior complex. You two became best friends, and finally, you find it in your heart to love them again."
"However, occasionally, that anger would return, and you can't look at your family without feeling lesser. To cope with the anger, you return to the underground world where you use the only skill that you outperform any members in the family to do illegal commissions."
"You have managed to stay under the radar so well, Sasuke. Or should I say Snake, the seventh-best underground hacker?"
As she is going through her speech, Sakura draws little circles on his collarbone. Her breasts are pressed between their bodies. One of her hand slips under his shirt to rest on his abdomen, enticing him with the possibility.
Sasuke gulps. Even though he should be furious about how casually she recites his life, he can feel the heat from her hands, the softness of her chest, and notices how her pelvic is right on top of his. He wills his body not to react, yet he wraps his arms around her waist to press her firmly against him.
Despite his wariness for her, he admits that she a beautiful woman, and his male body can't help but react to their compromising position.
Sakura smiles at his internal struggle like a mischievous cat who has the mouse exactly where she wants him. "Aren't you curious?"
Somehow, Sasuke finds his voice to answer her question, "About what?"
"About what's going on behind the scene? Don't you want to know what's the Uchiha is like behind its glorious façade?"
"Why would I be interested in that? I'm not naïve. I know about the Uchiha's darkness."
His hands sneak under her blouse to caress her skin, but the glint in her eyes tells him that she is aware of his action.
"I can get you the front seat on the action, something you don't have to prove yourself to receive," the hand that is on his abdomen slips under his waistband, making Sasuke inhales sharply, "and since you were so nice to try and warn me of the danger of your family, I can add in a little benefit should you agree."
She rolls her hips sensually, the action making Sasuke hisses and throws his head back in pleasure. His pelvic unconsciously thrust upward to her clothed core while his hands leave her waist to hold her hips in a vice grip.
"I can take you as my apprentice."
Sasuke snaps open his eyes only to see her getting up and casually fixing her pleated mini skirt. She opens her bags and takes out her laptop, connecting a USB to the device.
"Let's make a deal." She says without turning back to him. "You will help me with the Police Force, and in return, I will let you in on their secrets and train you in hacking."
"Who are you?" At this point, Sasuke believes that Sakura is not just another sugar baby who lives off men's money.
At first, he was disgusted with her thinking that she's just using his relatives. However, a part of him was concern about her involvement with the Uchiha. For an old and secretive linage, there are many skeletons in the closet, and none of them are safe for a civilian.
He has witnessed the death of innocent people due to revenge on the Uchiha. Although he didn't think highly of Sakura, he didn't want her to turn out like them.
Loner, smart, beautiful, exotic, and soft Sakura. Who would have thought that she is a wolf?
"I am Doll."
Time: 7 PM to 10 AM
Location: 30 Rose Street, District 1, Apt 4, Konoha city.
Request: Bring a set of lingerie
The door is opened when she gets to the apartment, so Sakura lets herself in. He only leaves the door unlocked for her when he is too exhausted to stay up after work, and immediately heads to bed once he is home.
Sakura checks the bedroom and finds him in deep sleep, looking disturbed and tired even while resting. Judging by the bags under his eyes and how early he falls asleep, he would be hungry when he gets up. After putting her stuff in the closet, she grabs her purse and heads back outside.
The supermarket is only five minutes away. Thankfully, the lines for the register are not long. Sakura buys the ingredients for dinner and goes back to his apartment.
She places the groceries on the table and puts on the apron. After unpacking the bags, she cooks two cups of rice. While waiting for the rice, Sakura starts with the pork cutlets.
The meat is firmly pounded and seasoned with salt and pepper. She pours the flour, eggs, and panko crumbs in separate bowls, then coats the meat first in flour, followed by the egg, and finally panko crumbs. She heats the oil in a skillet and fries the cutlets until they are golden brown and cooked.
The bedroom door suddenly opens, and he walks out. The smell of food probably wakes him up.
He steps behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her into a hug. He buries his head in her neck to inhale her natural sweet scent.
"Let me go, Obito. The oil is hot." Sakura giggles as his hairs tickle her.
"Anything I can do to help?" He doesn't let go of her, but he pulls his head away to rest it on top of her head.
"You can set the table. I'm almost done."
He kisses her cheek before letting her go to do her bidding. As she is placing the fried cutlets on paper towels to drain the oil, Sakura calls out to Obito.
"Will Kakashi be joining us later?"
(Flashback)
"Can you help him?" The man asked the doctor in a desperate tone.
She carefully inspected the boy's injuries: second-degree burn over the face and chest area, multiple lacerations all over his body, broken arms and legs, signs of poisoning, etc. The list went on. All signs showed that the boy had been abused for a long time and tortured to near death before being brought to her clinic.
The doctor growled and cursed the culprit under her breath. Being an underground doctor had shown her the dark side of human beings, yet the sight of the boy made her want to vomit.
Whoever did this was not a human.
"I can save him, but it won't be cheap." Morality aside, she can't afford to be careless with an assassin. Money and blood were the only currencies they knew.
"Money is not an issue."
She nodded, then turned back to the boy to begin her work. His voice interrupted her when she was putting on her gloves.
"There is a chip on his head. Can you remove it?"
Knowing better than to ask how the chip got in there or who the boy was. She resumed her work without casting him a glance.
"Depend on the location. I will bill the extra fee if I get it out."
There were hope and a small glint of happiness in his eyes. She didn't point out that ever since he stepped into her clinic, not once did he mention his injuries.
What a pity. She can already see his demise. Assassins like him never lived long enough to see the light. Eventually, they were buried and faded into nothingness.
Like they had never existed.
"Thank you."
Notes: anyone wants a threesome?
Reviews are much appreciated.