So the more I thought about this chapter, the more I hated it. It was just too repetitive, and nothing good happened until the next chapter, so I decided to combine this with about half of chapter seven, so then it was too long, so I cut a bunch of stuff out, and I think I can fit this thing into seven chapters, so next chapter is the last, because I think this fic has gone on long enough. Except I have a short epilogue, and I don't know if I want to give that an extra chapter. I think I like seven chapters. :(

Also, if the ending seems a bit abrupt, well, it's supposed to: I didn't want to give away the next chapter, you know. :D

Serendipity
Chapter Six

Namikaze Minato was good-looking enough for Sakura to breathe a little easier when she walked into his office. It took her about two seconds to be disgusted with herself for her thoughts.

He was much older than her, though younger than her father, and she supposed he was in his early 40's, maybe even younger. He had messy blond hair, bright blue eyes, a friendly smile, and looked like he belonged on a billboard – but advertising jeans, not promoting himself – and he stood up when she entered, extending a hand to her.

"Sakura, I presume?" he asked, shaking her hand firmly.

Sakura smiled and sat down, crossing her legs at the knees. "That would be me." She was learning the tricks now, flipping her hair back over her shoulder, dangling her strappy white sandal off one foot. "Thank you so much for meeting me. I know you're busy."

"Never too busy for Konoha U," Minato said.

"Your alma mater, right?" Sakura asked. When he nodded, she smiled. "Lucky for me, then." She ducked her head over her purse then, bangs falling to shade her eyes.

Shortly after the disaster with Shimon, Sakura had celebrated her birthday, thankfully with Kiba's constant harassing. She wondered if Sasuke had told him to back off. Either way, she was grateful for the reprieve to relax and enjoy an evening of partying with her friends, especially when she discovered that Lee was attending.

Lee had been one of Sakura's very best friends since she first arrived at Konoha U, where rating was the official sport, and where Lee introduced himself by telling her that he thought she was beautiful – a real ten – but he had adamantly refused to rate her. Sakura had stuck to him like glue since then, but he had transferred to a university across town in September, which was a pity, since she could have used his support in the last few weeks.

But when they had gotten the chance to speak alone, Lee had wasted no time in telling her how different she looked.

"I always think you look good, Sakura," he added hastily. "But it is true, you're very pretty from an objective point of view now."

"…What?" she had asked, bewildered.

"Well," Lee said, shrugging. "I'm not the only one who thinks you're beautiful now. It's just… common fact, now," he finished with a smile.

She had laughed awkwardly at that, knowing what Lee never could. "Well, beauty's only skin deep," she said, trying to end the conversation.

Lee, however, had only looked thoughtful. "Anyone who truly believes that is wrong, I think. Beauty is not as superficial as the world would like to believe. The allure, I believe, is not in the perfect face, but finding one only you can call perfect." Then he blushed, obviously feeling as if he had gone too far, and Sakura laughingly waved him off.

But those words haunted Sakura now, even though she knew they weren't meant to, and her fingers shook as she pulled a pen from her purse, and she swallowed hard before snapping her gaze back up to the blond in front of her, bright smile plastered on her face.

"I just wanted to ask you a few things about your plans for Konoha's future," Sakura explained. "A lot of politicians make promises, but few actually keep them. Can we trust you?"

"I should hope so," Minato said. "I think my record speaks for itself: I have big plans to improve Konoha, and I'm determined to see those plans come to fruition."

He looked honest enough. But Sakura would be the one to determine if he really meant his words.

Sakura pursed her lips in thought as she watched him, and really hoped that Namikaze Minato was the good guy he said he was.

-x-

Sakura closed the office door quietly behind her, sinking into a sigh of self-loathing. She was disgusted and embarrassed.

Her subtle flirtations hadn't gone unnoticed by Minato, but at the same time, he hadn't acted on his feelings. It wasn't like it had been with Lee. The desire was there – he just ignored it and, soon enough, Sakura had pulled back, resumed her professional air, and ended the interview.

Minato was a good person. Kiba could trust him, she thought, making her way down the hall slowly, heels clicking on the hardwood.

A week into April, Kiba had texted her to meet him and Sasuke for coffee. She complied, but she was a little unsure when she stepped up to the table. Her coffee was already waiting for her, and Sakura sat down beside Sasuke, pulling it to her.

Kiba hadn't said anything about Shimon, or the week that had elapsed since Sakura's "seduction", and Sakura was grateful. Instead, he launched right into the details of the next few people Sakura was to meet. There were three: Danzo's financial supporter, Danzo's opponent, and the editor of the paper supporting Danzo.

"And then what?" Sakura asked, holding her half-empty cup close for warmth.

"Then comes Danzo," Kiba said, leaning back in his chair and contemplating the fluorescent lighting above.

Sakura considered this, sipping at her coffee. "What are you going to do to him?" she asked, though she wasn't sure she really wanted to know. "You're not going to…"

"Kill him?" Kiba snorted. "I considered that."

Sakura felt herself go cold.

Kiba continued: "But that'll come later. Right now, I'm going to strip away everything he cares about. I want him to go down in history as the scumbag he is." He dropped his gaze to hers. "That's where you come in."

Sakura had remained silent after that, not pressing further, but now, she couldn't help but wonder what she was going to have to do next.

"Sakura!"

Sakura turned at the sound of her name, and was surprised to see Naruto staring at her curiously, a little smile on his face as he approached her.

"Hi," she greeted, staying still as he neared.

"Hi!" he returned, coming to a stop a foot away, hands in his pockets. "What are you doing here?"

It wasn't like Sakura could possibly tell him the truth, but she didn't really have a lie prepared, so instead she said, "Why are you here?" After all, it wasn't really common for university students to be in government buildings.

Naruto shrugged. "I'm meeting my dad for lunch."

Sakura felt her smile falter. "Your dad…?" she asked, blood running cold.

Naruto didn't seem to notice. He nodded, and gesturing to a door behind him, and Sakura's gut churned. That was the door she had just come out of. Namikaze Minato's office.

"But… your last name," she blurted, trying to make some sense of what she was learning. She fisted her hands, nails digging into her palms.

"I'm his illegitimate child," Naruto explained cheerfully. "I took my mother's name, and they never married." Naruto paused, suddenly seeming to notice her rising panic, and concern flickered in his expressive blue eyes – eyes just like Minato's.

"Sakura?" he asked worriedly, stepping closer and reaching out a hand. "Are you ok—"

"I have to go," she said abruptly, spinning on her heel. Naruto called out after her, clearly confused, but she didn't pause for a second in her race down the hall, away from him, and to the elevator.

What was wrong with her, Sakura wondered furiously, smacking the down button. How could she have done that? Seduced a man old enough to be her father – the father of someone she knew? Minato had a family. Maybe every man did. And she was hurting them all by going along with Kiba's insane plan.

Her legs were shaking. She kept imagining Minato's face, before her, looking confused and pained as she flaunted her false skin. Disgusting.

There was a ding! as the elevator arrived and the doors slid open. It was nearly empty, but for a young man with spiky dark brown hair, and Sakura stepped in with barely a glance at him. The button for the ground floor was already lit, so she settled back against the wall opposite to the man to wait.

They were on the eighteenth floor when they started, and it took Sakura until floor fourteen to notice that the man was staring at her quite intently.

She tossed him an odd look, but he didn't look away. Slightly disturbed, she looked back up at the numbers ticking by, counting floors, and tightened her hold on her purse.

There was a rustle as the man moved. Sakura shifted her weight.

"Aren't you a little young to be here?" he asked.

Sakura didn't reply. Only a month ago, she had been able – and willing – to strike up conversation with anyone who approached her, be it male or female. As long as they didn't rate her, Sakura had no problem.

But now everyone was rating her. She was getting better scores, it was true, but everyone that saw her looked at her as the ten Kiba had made her. Sakura hated herself for ever wishing she was better looking, because now she couldn't get away from her appearance.

Sakura knew she was beautiful now, beautiful beyond imagination. But it had gotten to the point where her most innocent gestures attracted all the wrong attention. She didn't know how to deal with all the pressure of being beautiful. Whoever had said beauty was a curse had it absolutely right: Sakura was tearing apart families, was becoming the lowest form of scum, was becoming nothing more than a pretty face.

She caught a blur of movement out of the corner of her eye, and before she could react, the man's hand was on her shoulder and he was spinning her around to face him.

"Hey," he said, smiling. This nameless stranger was touching her, standing much too close for comfort. "What's your name?"

As if he cared. Sakura licked her lips, caught his eye, and her stomach turned. She reached up slowly—

—and slammed the heel of her palm into the guy's nose with as much force as she could muster.

There was a satisfying crunch, and the man fell back, his nose gushing blood.

"Dammit, you bitch!" he shouted, sprawled on the floor. He struggled to get up, but Sakura, heart pounding, hit the button for floor six, where they were now. The doors slid open, and she ran out, furious tears already streaming.

She hated this. She hated Kiba for doing this to her. She hated Sasuke for letting him. But most of all, she hated herself for not doing anything about it.

Well, no longer.

-x-

Sakura knew she didn't have a lot of time before Kiba and Sasuke found her. They could trace her through her chakra, whatever that was; she had no way to hide.

Still, if she moved quickly, she could get away from them for a few minutes, and at least do what she wanted.

The smooth steel of the scissors was cool in her grip. She had hurled herself into the first empty office she found and rummaged through the doors with frantic, hurried motions, until she felt the curved handle of the scissors. Perfect.

Without a moment's hesitation, Sakura lifted the scissors to the light, took a breath, and brought the sharp tips to her face.

She barely broke skin when the door – she was sure she had locked it – burst open, and a warm body hurled itself at her.

"What are you doing?" Kiba demanded. His breath was warm on the side of her neck. "What the hell are you doing?"

Sakura blinked up at the ceiling as the pressure of Kiba's body slowly lifted off her. He was breathing hard – and so was she, she realized.

Her face hurt, and Sakura reached up a hand to it. Her face was wet with tears – and blood.

Sakura sat up. Sasuke was holding the scissors, the tips stained with blood, and she blinked again, suddenly horrified by what she had tried to do.

Her head spun, and Sakura took in a shaky breath, curling her legs underneath her. Kiba was on the floor in front of her, watching as she pulled a hand through her hair. He looked absolutely furious.

"What was that?" he snarled.

Sasuke had yet to speak, and Sakura looked to him for help. He didn't seem to notice; his eyes were on the scissors in his grip.

Sakura swallowed. She had lost her mind. What had she been trying to do? Mutilate herself? Scar and bloody her face until there was nothing to admire any more? What was wrong with her?

Sakura shook her head to clear her thoughts. No. Nothing was wrong with her. She had done something right, finally. Or tried to. She had just wanted to rip away her false beauty and return to who she really was. If she became a little disfigured along the way, well, so be it.

Remembering Naruto, her anger flared up again, and Sakura turned to Kiba, eyes sparking.

"That was me quitting. You're making me do these things, and I'm hurting people and—Naruto!" she realized, paling, as she turned to Sasuke. He was Naruto's best friend, after all. "You knew that was his dad?"

Sasuke finally looked at her, and Sakura's breath caught. Please say no, she prayed. Please don't have done this to me knowingly…

Sasuke nodded.

Sakura felt cold. "And you still made me do it? You're sick." Slowly, she got to her feet, leaning against the desk for balance. Her legs were shaky.

"This is what you have to do," Kiba said. "This is the only way to get things done."

"And if you really think that, you're no better than any of the people you're out to destroy," Sakura snapped. "Since when is beauty supposed to be a weapon?" Thinking back to Lee, she added, "Since when is beauty supposed to be so objective? What happened to beauty being in the eye of the beholder?" Now that she had started, she couldn't seem to stop. Kiba was staring at her, open-mouthed, eyes narrowed. She couldn't look at Sasuke. "Why is it that I'm stuck whoring myself for you just because I wanted to be pretty? Why don't I have a choice?"

Sakura fell silent, breathing hard. Her words rang in the still silence. Kiba didn't seem to know what to say, and when Sakura snuck a glance at Sasuke

"That wouldn't do anything, anyway." Kiba sneered. "Your face would scar under the genjutsu, but no one would see it aside from us."

Fantastic, Sakura thought acidly. She had tried to hurt herself for no reason. She glared at Kiba. "You're disgusting. What is wrong with you? Why are you doing this to me?"

"Do you know what Danzo did to us?" Kiba exploded.

"Nothing worse than what you're doing to all these families," Sakura said. And to me, she added silently.

Kiba's face was hard. "That's easy for you to say, you—"

"She's right."

Sakura and Kiba turned, surprised, to look at Sasuke. He was staring down at the scissors again, expression blank.

"What are you talking about?" Kiba barked. "Don't you want revenge?"

"I do," Sasuke said. "But we're doing it wrong. We have a problem with Danzo. No one else." He looked straight at Sakura then, and she was taken aback by the empty blackness of his gaze. "We've hurt her enough, especially," he added to Kiba.

For a long time, no one spoke. Sasuke carefully wiped the blood from the scissors and put them back in the desk. Sakura watched him, stunned by the turn of events. Kiba was silent. He wouldn't look at either of them.

"Sakura, I'll take the genjutsu off—" Sasuke began, but Kiba cut him off.

"No." He looked at Sakura, and there was no anger in his eyes, but something about his expression made her gut churn. "I'll do it."

Sasuke nodded, and Sakura pushed away from the desk to follow him out the door.

Kiba probably hated her right now. She didn't think she should be left alone with him, and she told Sasuke just that.

He glanced back at Kiba, who was pulling the office door closed behind him silently. His expression was drawn and serious, and he didn't seem to notice the two of them watching him.

"He won't do anything to you," Sasuke said.

Somehow, Sakura wasn't so sure, and when Sasuke parted ways with them, she stood still on the sidewalk to watch him go, wanting nothing more than to chase after him.

But then Kiba took her by the elbow, and she jumped.

"I'll take the genjutsu off," Kiba said, looking tired. "Just—just do one thing for me. Please."

The look in his eyes was so sincere that Sakura had to agree.

She just hoped she wasn't making a huge mistake.

-x-

Kiba took her to the outskirts of town, to a small, suburban neighbourhood with modest two-story houses and well-kept lawns. They took a cab from the bus stop, and as they turned onto the road, kids scattered from where they had been playing foot hockey to let them pass.

"Where are we?" Sakura asked as Kiba unlocked the door and got out to pay.

"This is my house," he said, gesturing to the house in front of them.

Surprised, Sakura slid out of the car and stared over the hood to the warm, red-bricked house looming ahead. The garage and front doors were painted a deep, forest green, and there was a silver Toyota sitting in the driveway.

This was where Kiba came from? Kiba, who had no ounce of sympathy within him, had grown up around tidy lawns and kids playing on the road?

The cab drove away, and Kiba started to make his way up the drive. Sakura followed, still staring around her.

Instead of unlocking the door himself, Kiba rang the doorbell, rocking back on his heels as footsteps came from inside the house and the door swung open.

The woman who opened the door was tall, dark-haired, and pregnant. There was a certain elegant air around her, obvious in her dark lashes and high cheekbones, but what caught Sakura's attention was the way Kiba smiled at her.

"Hi, Kurenai. Can we come in?"

"Kiba!" the woman – Kurenai, Sakura presumed – exclaimed. "What are you doing here? And—" Kurenai's gaze slid towards Sakura, and she blinked, then frowned. "Who's this?"

Her tone was flat: not hostile, but not friendly, and Sakura felt her smile falter. Kurenai's gaze – a deep, shocking red – was accusing as Kiba pulled a hand through his hair and sighed.

"All will be explained in due time. Let us in, please."

With another cutting glance between the two of them, Kurenai stepped back to allow them in. "You better start talking, Kiba," she said. "I don't like what I'm seeing here."

"She's not that bad to look at," Kiba said lightly, but Kurenai continued to frown, even as Kiba led Sakura past her and into the living room just off the hall…

Where they were promptly attacked by a small white fuzzball.

Sakura yelped from surprise when she felt a small, cold something flutter around her shins, and Kiba laughed, crouching down to grab the fuzzball around the middle.

"Meet Akamaru," Kiba said, looking up at Sakura. "My best friend."

"He's adorable," Sakura said, leaning down to stare the little white dog in the eyes. He yipped once at her, tail wagging, then turned his attention back to his owner, panting hard and looking happier than any dog Sakura had ever seen. She couldn't help but think that Kiba, when she snuck a glance at him, looked just as happy.

She kneeled beside Kiba, who let go of Akamaru so he could run in delighted circles around the two of them, and Sakura laughed.

"I always wanted a dog," she said. "But my mom's allergic."

"Yeah," Kiba said absently. "I've had Akamaru since I was four."

Four…? Sakura stared at Kiba. "Seventeen years?" Akamaru looked like a puppy. Did dogs usually live so long?

"He's, in essence, a ninja dog. He's… different from other dogs." Kiba sighed, turning to face her. "Akamaru was the one to save my life when Danzo attacked us."

Sakura stared down at Akamaru, who had settled down beside Kiba, waves of content rolling off him.

"He's all I have," Kiba said.

"Danzo took my brother. He's all I have left." Sasuke's voice echoed in Sakura's mind, and she turned wary. She didn't want to hear this again.

Kiba seemed to read her tension clearly. "I'm not guilt-tripping you," he said. "I just want you to see why I put you through this." The smile seeing Akamaru had put on his face was gone, replaced by that same emptiness. "I didn't realize how much it was affecting you. Sorry. I'll take the genjutsu off now—"

Sakura took a breath, squeezed her eyes shut, and shook her head. How many times was she going to fall for this? How much longer could she go through this recurring cycle?

"No," she said, opening her eyes. "Not yet."

Kiba looked shocked. Then his eyes narrowed. "No, I mean it. There are other ways—" He looked down at his dog, who perked his ears and lifted his head. "We aren't going to go through this again. No offense, but it's never going to work."

"Yes, it is," Sakura said firmly, getting to her feet.

"This isn't why I brought you here," Kiba protested, also rising.

"I know," she said. "But you've reminded me why I hated being rated a five. Because I hate when people judge by appearance." Sakura stared at him, unwavering. "But you were right from the beginning, Kiba – people will do anything for a pretty face. It's sad, but true." Sakura's face turned hard. "And I'm going to make sure they regret doing it."

Kiba was still staring at her, open-mouthed, and Sakura turned away from him.

It was time she took charge.

-x-

"Put this on," Sasuke said, handing Sakura a simple silver bracelet. It was slim, and though it had a clasp, it was big enough for her to slide over her hand onto her wrist.

"What's it for?" she asked, running her fingers over it. It was smooth, but for an engraved image Sakura couldn't make out.

"A tracking device," Sasuke said. "We have to be out of range of Danzo's system – he has some way to track chakra – so we won't be able to sense your chakra. This will help us."

Sakura swallowed. She was going to be alone with Danzo? This just kept getting better and better. Then again, she had pushed for it.

After she had agreed – once again – to work with Kiba and Sasuke, Kurenai had walked in, looking furious. It turned out she had been listening to their conversation. Well, it was her house.

"What is she talking about, Kiba?" she had demanded. "What did you do to her?"

Sakura had looked at Kiba, then. He looked guilty, which she had never seen before, and he dropped to the floor beside Akamaru once again, sitting cross-legged, before sighing. "It's kind of a long story," he said, then launched into it. Leaving out the threats, the arguments, the verbal abuse. Even so, it sounded horrible, even to Sakura's ears.

Kurenai's expression was dark when Kiba finished, and Sakura wasn't surprised to note that Kurenai hadn't looked at all confused by the genjutsu although, Kiba explained when they left, Kurenai had been the one to teach him about genjutsu, having taken Kiba in after Danzo had attacked his family.

But even if Kurenai had selflessly looked after Kiba for years, didn't mean she couldn't berate him mercilessly for what he had done.

"You're being an idiot," she had hissed. "What are you going to do to him, huh? What can you do? Nothing! Instead, you get this poor girl to do your dirty work for you! You're putting her in danger!"

Sakura had stayed silent until Kurenai was out of breath and out of steam. Then she said:

"I won't be in danger for long."

Because it was clear that the longer they waited, the more danger she was in, and the more likely she wouldn't be able to continue. It was time to put an end to this vendetta, and Sakura didn't really want to drag anyone else into it. Danzo was the problem here. No one else.

"When you snap that clasp," Sasuke said now, nodding at the bracelet, "I'll know. It's infused with my chakra, and it'll react when it snaps. Then we'll come for you."

Sakura nodded and dropped her arm to her side, the bracelet sliding down her wrist. "Thanks," she said.

"We're staying here," Kiba said. "You'll take a cab to Danzo's office. It'll be waiting for you when you come out."

"Alright," she said, bending for her purse, hair swinging over one shoulder. "Should I take some pepper spray?" she asked lightly, glancing up. Neither boy answered, too busy staring at her intently.

No one could take a joke, she supposed. Ignoring the way her stomach was tying itself into knots, Sakura swung her purse over her shoulder, shaking back her hair.

Kiba and Sasuke continued to watch her.

"So," Sakura said awkwardly, breaking the silence. "I… guess I'll be going now."

Sasuke nodded, disappearing through the door – to speak to the cab driver, Sakura guessed. He was probably paying for the extra service.

Kiba was still silent, and Sakura eyed him for a moment, concerned, before turning away to follow Sasuke.

"Sakura."

Sakura turned expectantly. Kiba hesitated for a moment, fidgeting and flicking his gaze all across the room in clear agitation. Then:

"Don't let Danzo touch you."

Sakura stared for a moment, then nodded. She felt as if she should say something meaningful and important, considering what she was about to do, but she had nothing.

"Do I look okay?" she asked, mouth curving in an ironic smile Kiba returned.

"I don't mess around," he reminded her. "Now go."

So Sakura went.