Chapter Ten
All the right moves

Sweat dripped down the back of Sakura's neck. It clung to her skin and made her shirt stick to her body. She breathed hard, trying to catch her breath.

Kakashi didn't give her that opportunity. He came at her, fists swinging and adrenaline pumping. Sakura threw her hands up in front of her face. Just in time to block his swing. Her wrist stung at the contact, but she ignored it, throwing her own blow.

He had always been faster. His military training giving him an edge she didn't have. He grabbed her wrist, twisting her arm painfully before he swept her legs out from under her. Her back hit the mat hard, knocking the breath from her lungs.

Kakashi glared down at her. "What did I tell you?"

His irritation stirred her own. Pushing herself back up onto her feet, she inhaled a shaky breath, "I'm trying."

"Not hard enough," he returned. "Get your hands up and pay attention, or I'll do it again."

A glare settled over her features as she fell back into her defensive stance. They traded swings. He cuffed her across the cheek but she knocked him on the chin. Back and forth, they danced across the matted floor, alternating between throwing punches and wrestling on the ground.

Kakashi did everything he could to pin her, wrenching her arms behind her back, using his body weight to trap her against the floor. Sakura in turn used all the training he had every taught her to free herself. Pressure points, supported elbows against sensitive muscles, using her slight frame to twist under his guard. They trained until Sakura's arms were stiff and her shoulders ached.

Kakashi was first to relax, after he had failed to pin her for the third time. "Much better. You're getting faster," he told her.

A faint smile passed her lips, even as she felt bruises already forming under her skin. She followed Kakashi towards the wall where they left their belongings. She reached for her water bottle first, chugging a quarter of it before she patted her skin dry with a towel. Beside her, Kakashi rummaged through his duffel bag.

Sakura took another drink as she eyed the other gym members. Most were working out in pairs. On the far side, there was a row of punching bags. Only one was in use now. This early in the morning, the gym was still mostly empty, the more aggressive boys still sleeping. By noon, Sakura was sure it would be full.

Two men had stepped onto the floor mat behind Sakura and Kakashi. She observed them as she waited for her heart to slow back to normal.

"What're you working on now?" Kakashi asked after he had finished putting his things away.

Sakura glanced down at him before she dropped herself onto the bench so their conversation wouldn't carry. "I'm collecting more arms. Hashirama and Tobirama need to regroup after their confrontation with Akatsuki."

"Do you know what Hashirama is planning next?"

"No, but that's not my primary concern right now," Sakura said. When Kakashi arched his brow, she elaborated, "I'm more interested in Hashirama's relationship with Madara."

"Because of the CIA."

"That and because I still don't know the agreement between them," she told him. "Hashirama has a deal with Madara. One that does not include sharing territories."

"You think Hashirama is providing Madara protection?" Kakashi asked.

"I don't know," she frowned. "It's been four years since Madara turned traitor. The CIA isn't exactly known for their forgiveness. Especially since he sold information to the Chinese and Russians."

Kakashi arched his brow, mildly amazed. "Where did you learn that?"

"Shikamaru," Sakura said, smiling faintly. The more she worked with the ex-CIA operative, the more useful she was finding him. He was just as brilliant as he was lazy.

"So if Hashirama is providing Madara protection from the government, what does he get in return?" Kakashi asked.

"I don't know. That's what I want answered."

They both looked up when a particularly hard hit echoed through the room. One of the men on the mat took a hard fall. His wheezing breaths reached her ears. He recovered surprisingly quickly to twist out from under his partner's hold, their positions suddenly flipping.

She and Kakashi spectated the sparring match a little longer before they collected their things and left. Outside, she handed her water bottle to Kakashi. He accepted it wordlessly, his eyes lingering on the passersby. A habit he had picked up in the military.

"Are you still being tailed?" Kakashi asked at last.

Sakura smiled. "Of course."

"Do you want me to get rid of them?"

"No," she said, pulling on her sweatshirt. She zipped it up only halfway, low enough to let the air cool her still-heated skin. "Not yet anyway. They're harmless for now."

Kakashi didn't look so convinced but he didn't argue. Instead, he jerked his head towards the corner. "That car has been sitting there since we got here."

"I know," she told him, her smile still in place. "Don't worry. I'll handle it."

That expression of his didn't fade but again he didn't say anything. Simply shouldered his bag and shot her a look that was clearly a warning not to press her luck before he wandered down the sidewalk.

Sakura waited until he was out of sight before she too left. She went the opposite direction the car was facing, pretending to occupy herself on her phone. She was hardly surprised when it pulled away from the curb and did a u-turn.

The black vehicle merged in with the other slow-moving traffic seamlessly. Sakura wouldn't have even noticed it if not for the fact it was a shiny new Lexus. The same one that had been keeping her company all week.

Without looking back, Sakura entered a nearby convenience store. She wandered into the back towards the case with refrigerated water. Only to slip out the back door. It opened into a parking lot with a half dozen stalls. Only two were occupied. Sakura waited in the shadows out of sight until she heard that familiar V8 engine.

The instant the car came around the corner, she went for it. Ripping open the door, Sakura slipped into the driver's lap, releasing the chair adjustment under the seat so she could fit. In one, smooth motion, she shifted the car into park and slammed the door closed behind her, leaving the pair tightly wedged in the seat made for one.

Itachi stared at her. A long moment of silence passed before he sighed. "Was this really necessary?"

Smiling, Sakura leaned forward, her knees pressed tightly against his lean hips in the confined space. Her hands skimmed the front of his dark jacket, her fingers playing with the zipper of his breast pocket. This close, she could smell the spicy scent of his cologne. "You obviously wanted my attention. Now, you have it."

A frown tightened his expression before it relaxed. His face turning carefully blank as he settled his hands on either side of her, careful not to touch her more than necessary. "You need to accept my offer," he told her.

A laugh bubbled out of her mouth. "You're rather persistent, aren't you? Tell me, what is it about Madara that makes you so desperate?" she asked, leaning closer. If only to see if she could draw a reaction out of him.

Itachi didn't answer. But there was something behind his eyes that made her smile fade. Her fingers stilled against his zipper.

"It's more than just his capture your company is worried about," she guessed.

His lack of answer was answer enough.

"What do you know?" she asked.

"Only that Madara is planning something," Itachi told her, his voice low and troubled. "Which is why we need your help."

Her eyes narrowed. "Madara and I aren't exactly friendly."

"We don't need you to be friendly. Just close enough to know what his next moves are."

"The last time I got that close, Izuna tried to strangle me," Sakura countered darkly. "So your plan is going to have to be a little more specific than that."

Itachi's gaze drifted down to the column of her throat, as if searching for the bruises that had faded months ago. When he raised his eyes back to hers, his face was surprisingly open. Something she couldn't quite name reflected back at her. Something a little desperate, a little impatient.

When he blinked, that look was gone. Itachi reached into his jacket.

Out of habit, Sakura grabbed his forearm, using their close proximity to pin his arm to his chest with her body weight. Her instincts screaming it was a gun. To her surprise, Itachi just looked at her, waiting for her grasp to loosen minutely before he withdrew a business card. It was white and utterly blank. Except for a single phone number etched in black ink.

When she made no move to accept it, he slipped the paper into the pocket of her hoodie.

"Help us and we will return the favor. Guns, protection...Akatsuki," he said knowingly. Then he quickly added, like he knew she was going to feign ignorance, "You burnt down one of their supplier's ports a few months ago."

Sakura couldn't help the small lift in the corner of her mouth. It seemed Agent Uchiha was more than just his handsome face.

Shifting in his lap, she settled more comfortably against him, her hands still resting on his chest. Feeling the solid muscle beneath her palms. The soft, easy inhale and exhale of his breath. "And what could you possibly know about Akatsuki?" she whispered, as if they were a couple sharing an intimate moment.

His hands shifted to her hips, less as a means of dominance and more of somewhere to put them in the tight space. "Agree and I'll give you everything," he murmured in reply.

Sakura held his gaze. The moment stretching on for one too many seconds for it to be teasing. Only the soft rumble of the engine filling the space between them. Then she leaned away with a shrug. "If only I actually cared about them."

Itachi's eyes searched her face, as if trying to determine if she was just toying with him again or not. When he found only real honesty, he stared at her with genuine curiosity. "Then what do you care about?"

She pretended to think a moment. "Tequila."

Impatience flickered behind Itachi's eyes so quick she would have missed it had she blinked. It seemed her games were finally beginning to get under his skin. Good. Sakura didn't bother to hide her smirk. Hopefully this time, Itachi would get the hint and leave her alone.

"Really, Itachi, we should stop meeting like this," she said. Humor colored her tone but there was an underlying seriousness. Because in all honesty, the whole watching her back everywhere she went thing was getting a little old.

Sakura reached for the door handle then, but Itachi's hands tightened on her waist before she could exit the car.

"I know you do not trust me," Itachi murmured, leaning forward as if they were somewhere they could be overheard. "And if I had it my way, I would not choose you for this operation. But Madara is dangerous. Not only to me but to you and everyone else as well. He holds loyalty to no one. Not even his own family. Just consider that while you're out there running your guns, Sakura. Because if there is one thing I know you care about, it is your business."

She met his unwavering gaze but didn't offer him a response. Simply waited for him to release her before she slipped out of the car. With no reason left to linger, Itachi drove off, disappearing back around the corner and into the city in his smooth, smooth car.

Sakura didn't think she was still being followed but she took the back streets and winding park paths back to her studio apartment. There, she showered and grabbed a quick bite to eat while her hair dried. She checked her phone messages over her bowl of cereal, trying to think of anything but her conversation with Itachi.

For a little while, her texts kept her busy. But as she munched on her second bowl, her mind couldn't help but wander a little. Even with her position, Itachi had admitted he didn't wanted her help. The CIA must really be desperate to send him to her not once but twice. Her arrest in Tel Aviv must have been a test of her abilities. Or to gauge how easily they could turn her.

Chewing slowly, Sakura glanced towards the corner of her room where she had tossed her hoodie, Itachi's card still in the pocket. She considered reading the number. Considered ripping it up and throwing it out.

In the end, Sakura did neither. She left it untouched as she dried her hair and swiped on mascara. In her closet, she grabbed a business suit, sharp and professional, and completed the outfit with a pair of heels. The kind that drew attention with every step.

With Hashirama's car sitting at the bottom of the river, Sakura called for a ride. An expensive car service drove her across town. The well-dressed driver dropped her just outside the bamboo gates of what Sakura could only call a mansion, judging by the multiple peaks she could see above the fence line. The guards at the gate let Sakura in at her name. They patted her down and searched her clutch before they radioed for the owner.

As she waited, Sakura studied the way the water sparkled off the fountain. She wasn't left alone long.

"Tsunade."

Sakura turned towards the speaker, a wide smile on her face. "Neji, it's been too long."

He wasn't a very tall man but he was certainly handsome. Especially dressed in a suit. His features were distinctly Japanese but his accent had faded long ago to be replaced with smooth, clean English.

With a friendly smile, Neji gestured for her to follow him inside. "I hope New York is treating you well."

"My cities always treat me well," she told him good-naturedly.

A secret smile passed his lips. She wondered if he was remembering the time she had helped him in Kobe with a small yakuza war. Back before either of them were of the legal drinking age in Japan. Not that anyone ever carded them in the bars they hung out in.

Neji led her further into the large house. Staff stood on every corner, silent statues until they were summoned. The house itself was heavily influenced in traditional Asian culture. Every room they passed had Japanese furnishings and artwork. Even the shoji doors were decorated with fierce tigers and peaceful koi fish.

Sakura eyed them appreciatively until they finally reached the end of the hall and their destination. Neji paused before the only solid wood door. He turned the knob and pushed the door open. Inside was a large office. There were multiple computers and monitors. Some were for security purposes. Others for business.

A young woman looked up upon their entrance. She eyed Sakura, silently sizing her up just as Sakura did to her. Only more discreetly.

"Meet my cousin, Hinata," Neji introduced. "Hinata, this is is my contact, Tsunade."

Sakura inclined her head in greeting while Hinata smiled politely.

"Hinata has been helping me cover my connections in Japan while I've been here," Neji explained. "She can help you get whatever you need."

This time Sakura's smile was warmer. "I have guns overseas, but I need help transporting them," she told Hinata. "And I have enough money to make the effort well worth your interest."

xx

Two hours later, Sakura left the Hyuuga compound. It would take a couple of weeks but Hinata would be able to help her transport the weapons Sakura needed. It was something Sakura could pay some low nobodies to do, but with the threat of Akatsuki still in Egypt, working through Neji gave her some security. Which meant Sakura had time to focus on other things.

Like checking in on Naruto to see how her current shipments were doing. He had been texting her updates periodically and so far everything had been running smoothly. But she never liked to leave her clients unchecked for too long.

Pausing on the sidewalk just outside the bamboo gates surrounding the property, Sakura pulled out her phone. She was just about to search for her last conversation with Naruto when he phone suddenly rang.

The number was unsaved but she recognized it as Kakashi's. "Hey, what's up?" she answered.

"I thought you said you were handling your tail," Kakashi told her sternly.

Frowning, Sakura glanced around the high-end neighborhood. There were half a dozen cars parked on the street but none appeared to be occupied, except for one. She recognized the nondescript, grey Honda Kakashi liked to cruise around in.

"Ten o'clock," he said. "Dark blue Mazda."

Following his directions, Sakura peeked at the car out of the corner of her eyes. Sure enough, there was a vehicle exactly as he had described. At first, she saw no movement inside the car. But then a shadow caught her notice. She was being watched.

"Is that one of your CIA buddies?" Kakashi asked.

Keeping her expression in check, Sakura turned and began walking down the street towards where Kakashi was waiting. Halfway down the block, the Mazda began to follow. "No, it's not."

For the last few weeks, she had become familiar with Shisui and Itachi's cars - hell, a few hours ago she had been inside one. Neither of them looked like that. Which meant only one thing.

She had another tail.

to be continued...

Whoo, sorry for the delay. Busy week! Thank you, Moor, for your brief edits. And thank you everyone who reviewed last chapter! I really appreciate you taking the time to write me comments!