Chapter Twenty-Nine
Check or Checkmate?
The sun wasn't quiet up yet when Sakura got a text. It was only because she was wide awake, laying on her back and staring at the ceiling that she even heard the soft chime of the notification.
Rolling over, she did her best not to wake the figure beside her as she reached for her phone. Itachi barely stirred, just readjusted his grip around her waist before he settled again.
To her surprise, Sakura found the message was from Tobirama. She wondered if he was up early or just hadn't gone to bed yet. Likely the latter, but her mind didn't linger on it as she read his message. All it contained was a time and location. A habit she suspected he had picked up from her.
Pulling up Google maps, Sakura punched in the address only to frown when it came back to a nice restaurant. A five-star bar and grill on the water. She didn't know what would make him want to meet there, but she found her gaze automatically falling to Itachi.
His hair was splayed over the pillow beside her, a stray strand resting against his cheekbone. His breath came out in deep, even exhales as he slept, his gentle warmth tempting her to curl into him and try to catch a few more minutes of rest herself.
Sakura tried to remember how many nights he had been there now. Three, four, five? She couldn't recall. And it wasn't that fact that bothered her. But rather the part that she didn't mind he kept showing up. He made her happy. Truly, honestly happy.
So why couldn't she just let herself enjoy it?
She knew the answer before she had even fully asked the question. Because people like her couldn't afford to be. That's when mistakes were made, irrational thoughts were given and decisions that could cost her her life were chosen.
Turning back to her phone, Sakura told Tobirama she would be there. She set the device back down on the nightstand after that and moved to slip out of bed when Itachi stirred. His arm tightened around her middle before he dragged her back.
"Don't go," he murmured, his voice rough with sleep.
Sakura felt her worries wash away in an instant. "I was just going to get some water."
He replied by pulling her closer.
Laughing softly, she turned in his grasp until she could look up at him. His hair was mussed from sleep and falling in his eyes but there was a lazy smile on his face as he gazed down at her. Reaching up, she brushed his hair back before her fingertips traced his jawline. His day-old stubble scraped against her palm.
"I'm not leaving yet," she told him.
Itachi's smile widened at that before he bent his head to kiss her. Sakura relaxed into it immediately. Her arms slipped around his shoulders and her legs tangled with his as he rolled her onto her back, his weight pressing her into the mattress.
She welcomed him between her legs, already feeling his hardening length against the inside of her thigh, but Itachi made no move to slip inside her. Instead, he kept kissing her, his mouth peppering light touches to her face and neck and shoulders. He pulled back once he reached her collarbone but said nothing. Simply gazed down at her, his fingers sweeping a stray hair from her brow.
There was so much emotion behind the action and in his dark eyes. Like he wasn't looking at her but rather within her. It made her mouth go dry and her heart pound a little harder behind her ribs. Something swelled in her chest. She knew its name but she didn't say it.
"You shouldn't look at me like that," she whispered.
Itachi's gaze didn't waver. "Why not?"
Sakura opened her mouth but nothing came out. She suddenly felt weighed down. Like his affections and attentions were more of a burden than a gift. A choice between feeling alive and remaining alive. She couldn't ever remember a time she had felt more conflicted in her life.
"Because you can't love me," she finally murmured.
"Can't or shouldn't?"
"Does it matter?"
The warmth in Itachi's gaze faded then. As if her concerns had suddenly fallen upon him as well. His expression became so melancholy, so dejected that Sakura nearly took the words back. Nearly said all that she had been trying to bury for who knew how long now.
"Fine," Itachi murmured before she could speak. The sad look left his face as he met her gaze again. "I won't tell you then. I will just show you."
And he did. He kissed her thoroughly, leaving no question between them of his affections. Tears nearly sprang to her eyes, but she blinked them back fiercely, giving into the pleasure instead when Itachi reached between her legs. A low moan passed her lips as he spread her wetness before he pushed his fingers inside.
Sakura rolled her hips up against his palm, only to make a noise of complaint when he pulled away much too soon. But that protest quickly faded when he replaced his hand with something bigger and harder.
This time, when Itachi moved it was unhurriedly. His mouth lingered an inch above her own, watching every expression pass over her face as he hilted himself inside her with slow, deep thrusts. No matter how much she tried to coax him into speeding up, he kept his pace, pressing lingering kisses to her jaw and lips while his hands traced every inch of skin.
Sakura arched under him. She felt whole and yet needing something more at the same time. Balanced on the edge, so close to tumbling over but not quite able to make it. She clawed at his shoulders and had the thought of just rolling them over and riding herself to climax when Itachi pinned her hands beside her head.
"Don't even think about it," he murmured, his voice soft. A complete juxtaposition to the firm grip he had on her wrists.
A noise sounded in Sakura's throat. Something between a whine and a growl. "I'm so close. I can't…"
"All you have to do is ask."
She raised her eyes to his. She had half-expected his expression to be arrogant and dominating. Instead, all she saw was tenderness and adoration softening his dark, obsidian gaze. The word tumbled from her lips.
"Please…"
Releasing his grip on her wrist, Itachi bent down to seal his mouth with hers. At the same time, he reached between them, his thumb pressing against the small bundle of nerves above her entrance. She ripped her lips away to cry out, her hips rising to meet his as her entire world exploded.
When Sakura finally came back down, Itachi was just finishing. He still above her, his forehead pressed into her shoulder as he fought for breath. She raised her hands to his back, his skin wet and sticky with sweat, but she didn't mind as she held him against her.
"Don't go," Itachi murmured into her skin.
It was the same words he had whispered this morning. Only now they felt different. Opening her eyes, Sakura turned her head until she could look at him. He stared back almost shyly. Like a young boy asking his mother for permission.
Against her better judgement, she gave in. "I'm not going anywhere."
They stayed in bed into the afternoon and beyond, only getting up to get the pizza they'd had delivered to the door. It was well into the evening before Sakura finally kicked the sheets back and got into the shower. She was utterly unsurprised when Itachi joined her.
After countless rounds, neither of them had the energy for another. They simply washed and stood under the spray as they enjoyed the other's company. But Sakura had something to do. And she suspected Tobirama would be pissed if she didn't show up.
As if sensing this, Itachi left fairly quickly after drying off. He didn't say a word as he dressed himself. Only pausing in the bathroom doorway to watch her as she applied her makeup. She paused when she caught him staring, but he only entered the room to kiss her bare shoulder beside her bra strap. No words were exchanged between them. Only a gentle caress along her lower back before he left.
It wasn't until the door had long closed behind him that his words echoed again in her head: "I won't tell you then. I will just show you."
That memory lingered in her head until she left her condo. Dressed in black, lacy dress and a pair of strappy heels, Sakura headed downtown to the address Tobirama had texted her.
He was already there when she arrived, seated at the bar and looking utterly stunning in a tailored black suit. He glanced over at her when she slipped into the tall barstool beside him. He looked like he had something to say, but decided against it before he grabbed the lemon drop beside his whiskey and pushed it across the counter towards her.
"Thanks," she said before she took a long sip.
If he noticed, he said nothing. Merely drank from his own glass.
It wasn't until they had both finished their first drinks and were waiting on their second round that Sakura finally turned in her chair. "So, you going to tell me what you want? Or did you drag me across the city just to see me in my finest dress?"
Tobirama eyed her for a long moment, his gaze raking up her form once and his expression flat. Say for the small tug in the corner of his mouth. "That's not your finest dress. And no, that's not why I asked you here."
When Sakura simply stared patiently at him, he explained, "You have the most guns in the city and I have the most men. Currently, we are Madara's biggest threat. I chose an upscale restaurant because it would be busy and full of rich nobodies with bodyguards. It would not only be difficult for Madara to kill us but detrimental. The last thing he needs is the entire New York City police force, the FBI and possibly the CIA on his ass."
Upon the word 'CIA' Sakura felt herself still but she forced herself to relax. She had to hand it to Tobirama: it was smart of him to choose such a public place for them to meet. But she didn't speak until the bartender dropped off their drinks and made himself busy once more before speaking, "You've obviously put a lot of thought into this meeting, so tell me what you wanted to discuss."
"I want to discuss you," he told her, his tone casual but firm and full of no-nonsense. This was a strictly business meeting. "You hit Akatsuki last week. Hard. My brother tells me he's been supplying you with more money and more contacts, but you're also going to need more men. I'm offering you, officially, my help."
"And why would you do that?" she asked over the rim of her sugared martini glass. Disbelief and skepticism colored her tone.
Tobirama looked at her then. He seemed to actually look at her as a small frown settled in the corners of his mouth. "I think you're under the pretense that I hate you, Sakura. I don't. Frustrated, maybe. Annoyed, yes. But I'm not so insecure as to resent you for walking away."
For some reason that struck something with her. A faint smile crossed her lips but she hid it behind her drink. When she lowered her glass back down, it was gone, and she turned in her chair to face Tobirama, one leg crossed over the other. "Tell me what you're willing to give. And tell me what you want in return."
"Three dozen men. And the promise that when all of this is over, Izuna will be one of the dead," he said without pause.
This time Sakura let him see her smile. "I don't need three dozen men to promise you that."
"Then take them anyway."
She cocked her brow in surprise but decided against questioning Tobirama further. He was being uncharacteristically generous and she didn't want him to feel offended if she pressed any more. Instead, she nodded her appreciation and turned the conversation to lighter things before a waiter came by and asked if they would like to order dinner.
To Sakura's surprise, she found that she actually enjoyed talking to Tobirama. He was a good storyteller and his voice had a faint, gravelly tone to it that was nice to listen to. Their conversation remained light until he finished his steak and sank back against the high-backed stools with a soft sigh.
"Do you really think you can beat Madara?" he asked.
Sakura stabbed another piece of lettuce out of her spring salad as she gave a soft of quiet humor. "Why do people keep asking me that?"
"Because Madara is crazy."
"And you don't think I am?" she returned.
Tobirama shot her a brief flash of amusement. "You are. But he is on his own level."
The corner of Sakura's mouth turned up but it quickly waned as she spun her fork slowly between her fingers.
A dark road, splattered with blood and lined with bullet casings, lay ahead for her. She wasn't quite sure what would become of her when all of this was over but she knew she needed to take Madara down. Even if it was with her.
"I won't lie: it'll probably be the hardest thing I've done," she eventually murmured.
"It'll be the hardest thing most of us have done," Tobirama said. Then his eyes flickered towards her. "What will you do afterwards?"
"Assuming I make it out alive? I'm not sure," she replied.
But even as the words came out of her mouth, the image of Itachi from this morning came to mind. Asleep on her pillow, under her sheets, in her bed. How he seemed to just belong there. How even as he asked her to stay, she knew she would. If only it meant being with him for another few minutes.
Then Sakura blinked, chasing those thoughts from her mind. "What about you?" she asked.
Tobirama shrugged as he sipped his whiskey. "I'll probably stay here with my brother. There will always be another Madara. Someone will always be challenging our territory. And it's not as if I have anyone else."
That made her frown. She stared at him as he drained the rest of his drink, barely blinking as the waiter returned to clear their dishes. "It never would have worked out between us, Tobirama."
He turned his head to return her frown with one of his own. "That wasn't what I was implying. But you're right, it wouldn't have. We're not good for each other."
He stood before Sakura could reply. She simply watched as he straightened the cuffs of his tailored suit before he turned to leave, only casting back over his shoulder, "I'll make sure my men are ready to go by tomorrow."
Then he was gone.
It was only after he had left that Sakura realized he had stuck her with the bill. But rather than become annoyed, she couldn't help but laugh softly. He was exactly the same as when they had first met. And for some reason that relieved her.
That smile lingered on Sakura's lips as she finished her martini. She ordered another and sipped it unhurriedly as her thoughts wandered. A nice moment alone.
But those never lasted long.
Sakura blinked herself out of her thoughts as someone slipped into the seat beside her where Tobirama had been some minutes ago. Her gaze unconsciously flickered to them – just a cursory glance – only to still when she recognized the man beside her.
Automatically her entire body went ridged. Her breath caught in her throat and the fingers grasping the stem of her martini tensed until she thought she might break the delicate glass.
"Madara." She forced his name out as calmly as she could muster. Her tone a pretty flower encased in ice.
"Sakura," he returned. Unlike her, he gave off no hostility. As if they were old friends having a drink together. "Such an elegant restaurant to be dining alone. Mind if I join you."
It wasn't a question or even a demand. It was more like a statement. That he was telling her he wanted to speak with her. And he would make her listen whether she wanted to or not.
The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and it took all of her self-control not to reach for the weapon stored in her clutch. Instead, she raked her eyes down his form, noting that he looked like he always did: calm and unperturbed. But Sakura knew that underneath all of that, he was just biding his time until he could get away with killing her.
Still, she couldn't resist pressing him. She blamed it on her unhealthy addiction to adrenaline. "Nice suit. Your best ones at the dry cleaners?"
Madara look at her then. His face utterly blank before the corner of his mouth curled in humorless amusement. "I see your attitude has not improved much."
Her eyes narrowed in response. "What do you want?"
"Nothing. Rather I have something for you that I believe you will find of interest."
Sakura sincerely doubted that.
When she didn't give any reaction, Madara took that as his cue to continue. He pulled an envelope out from the inside of his suit jacket and passed it across the counter towards her.
Distrustful, Sakura didn't reach for it. She didn't put it past the man to have some type of poison awaiting her inside. But Madara's expression was a perfect mask. Cool indifference while he waited for her patiently. Biting back her sigh, she grabbed her napkin and carefully slid the contents out onto the counter.
Inside, there were half a dozen photos. They were of her and Itachi. That night they had eaten at that little diner together in Egypt after meeting with Temari. She flipped through them slowly, each one making her heart beat in her chest just a little harder. The photos themselves were in black and white but clear enough to see they were sharing a plate of nachos. Too intimate to feign simple or new acquaintances.
"I see there is more than one team you play for here. I wonder what Hashirama might think when he learns that you are associating with a CIA Agent," Madara said. For once something colored his tone. Haughtiness, perhaps. When Sakura just stared back blankly, he added, "You appear rather close, do you not?"
Sakura didn't immediately reply as she shuffled through the photos again, needing another moment to think. Another moment to decide her next move. They both knew she was caught. The question was would she admit it? Or would she not?
Obviously not.
"CIA?" Sakura repeated slowly. "Surely, you must be confused. Because that looks like the dinner I shared with Izuna."
It was fortunate these photos were taken of Itachi from the back. And that the Uchiha genes were so strong. From behind, the distant cousins looked like twins. She just might be able to get away with this one.
Madara was already watching her when Sakura looked up. They both knew that unicorns were more likely to exist than there ever being a day that she and Izuna would share an intimate meal together, but that didn't mean she couldn't make Hashirama believe that.
She didn't have to look into it to know that Izuna had been in Egypt the same time as her too. Hell, he had probably been the one to take the photos. Because as powerful and dangerous as these men were, they were also something else: predictable.
"Izuna can be such a sweetheart when he wants to be," Sakura continued with a fake, sweet smile.
Madara's expression remained carefully composed, even as she pushed his photos back towards him. "You cannot expect me to believe such a blatant lie."
"You? No. Hashirama, yes," she said. "Because even you know that he is further outside the loop than he should be given current circumstances."
There was a small pinch to Madara's expression that Sakura would have missed had she blinked. Then he repocketed the photos and it was gone.
"The CIA is not someone you can befriend," he told her. A warning? Or perhaps a threat?
Sakura shrugged as she took another small sip from her drink. "Perhaps not. But then again, I haven't sold their information to the Chinese."
"But you do trade."
"Only small time. And next to you, I'm not even a blip on their radar."
"For now," he agreed. "But I am not Hashirama. I am not so blind as to not see the shifts happening in the Underground."
She couldn't resist her smile. "And here I thought you were just another handsome face."
Madara's eyes tracked her as she grabbed her clutch and pulled a handful of bills from inside. Enough to cover her and Tobirama's tab plus a generous tip. Then she stood with a parting smile. "Give Izuna my regards."
She could feel Madara's gaze burning a hole into her back as she walked away. She made her way towards the kitchen, pretending to go out the back. Only to slip into the bathroom the instant she rounded the corner.
Inside, she called Kakashi. She had him pick her up at the side door, half-suspicious, half-expecting Madara to have eyes on the front and back doors. Laying in wait for her.
Fifteen minutes later, Sakura was safely in the passenger seat of Kakashi's car. Her own still lingering in the lot. She'd send Ino or someone later to collect it. When she was sure Madara was no longer interested in watching it.
"So, Madara knows that you're working with the CIA," Kakashi said when she filled him in on what had happened. "That isn't good information for him to have."
"No," she agreed. "But I was able to cover for myself this time."
"And what about the next?"
"We'll just have to be more careful in the future," she eventually said.
He didn't say anything but the long sigh out his nose was enough to tell her that he wanted her to end her relationship with Itachi and the CIA. She knew Kakashi didn't agree with her working with them. It was dangerous. Especially now that Madara knew. This was just another tally in Kakashi's long list of reasons why she shouldn't be operating with the agency. It could make everything she was working towards blow up in her face.
At the next intersection, Kakashi rolled to a stop as he waited for a red light. "Sakura, I don't want to tell you what to do. You've proved time and time again that you're smart and capable of handling your own, but what you have going with the CIA is risky. Way riskier than you should be taking with everything going on with Hashirama and Akatsuki and the Underground."
"I know," Sakura murmured. Because she knew he was right.
"Then break it off."
"It's not that simple."
"Why not?" he asked.
Sakura's inability to look him in the eye seemed to make the answer dawn on him. His eyes widened.
"Oh, my god. You're sleeping with him."
The light turned green then but Kakashi didn't seem to notice as he shifted in his seat to look at her. Even without looking, she could feel his gaze burning a hole into the side of her head.
"Sakura, what the hell are you thinking? Tobirama was one thing, but a CIA agent? Are you out of your mind?"
"Don't patronize me," she snapped, finally drawing her gaze from out the window to glare back at him. "You gave up your military, your country, everything to stay with me. How am what I'm doing any different than what you did?"
"Because I didn't have sex with you!"
His retort echoed inside the interior of the car before giving way to silence. She looked away again, suddenly feeling small beside him. Something cold and lonely settled deep within her chest and she wrapped her arms around herself. As if that could protect herself from his stare.
But as quickly as Kakashi's anger came, it went. "Don't tell me…" he said quietly, his voice so soft compared to only a minute ago. "You actually have feelings for him."
She let out a small, exasperated sigh. "I'm not in love with him."
"I think you are."
This time when she met Kakashi's gaze, there was only gentle sympathy reflecting in his mismatched eyes. He looked as hopeless as she felt.
Neither of them spoke again as a car horn sounded behind them. Kakashi returned his attention to the road and drove the rest of the way to her closest apartment. It was nothing special. Just a little place in the middle of town that was convenient.
It wasn't until he pulled into the underground garage and she had unbuckled her seatbelt that he spoke again. "Listen, I'm not going to tell you what to do here," he told her gently. "I've given you my opinion, but it's up to you to decide if the risk is worth the cost. Just whatever you do, be careful. And call me if you need me. The CIA isn't someone you can take advantage of. Believe me when I tell you that."
Gratitude filled her, but she still couldn't quite meet his gaze. She simply nodded before she slipped out of the car and made her way upstairs. It was only much later, after she had showered and was laying under the sheets, that she realized her bed had never felt so big before.
to be continued…
To those of you who continue to review, thank you so much. I know who you are and I thank you sincerely.
To the rest, I am beginning to lose motivation. I understand it is Spring Break and finals, etc etc, but if you have time to read, you have time to review. It is common curtesy to review. I should not have to beg and remind you every chapter.
Edit: Thank you to everyone who reached out. This is how you make me feel appreciated in return! IMPORTANT: I forgot to mention that I might be heading out of phone service for the next month or so. If that happens, I obviously won't be able to update, but I will make it up to you once I return. So if you don't hear from me, I'm just in the middle of nowhere. I will be back by at least the first week of June!