Chapter 4: Control
-Where should I start, disjointed heart; I've got no commitment to my own flesh and blood; left all alone, far from my home, no one to hear me to heal my ill heart.-
-And One, Linkin Park-
Sasuke sat in a high backed chair at the head of the table in the council chamber. Around him, all nine of his advisors stared at the pinkette who stood directly to his right. She had pushed her ANBU mask away from her face, allowing it to rest against the side of her head. Her mouth was set in a hard line, and her posture was straight-backed and rigid, as if standing at attention.
"So...She's your choice?" A council member closest to them appraised Sakura, seeming perhaps a bit unsure.
"Aa." Sasuke mumbled, feeling a bit uneasy. They needed to truly convince his advisors here and now if they were ever going to pull off their little charade-and Sakura was being frustratingly unhelpful-playing more the picture of the hardened killer she had become than the sweet, caring matriarch his advisors desired.
Another council member down the table cleared his throat. "Well, I suppose our ANBU division has been a bit lacking...We could put your fiancé to good use." He tried his best to make the most of his leader's decision in order to demonstrate his continual support, though he had to admit she would be better suited to perform the duty of bodyguard.
Sakura visibly stiffened and bit down on her tongue. She hadn't signed up to further the village's expansion, and she definitely couldn't stomach the title they'd appropriated for her.
Sasuke nudged her discreetly, reminding her of her role. She forced herself to smile, though it certainly looked strained and void of feeling. The council members almost visibly sweat dropped. There wasn't a doubt in their minds that something was amiss.
Sakura struggled inwardly, wondering if any of this was truly worth her time, before an image of the Hokage appeared in her mind and she knew she had to do this for Naruto, even if she was annoyed that he'd lied to her. He'd worked so hard to redeem the man by her side, and she would make sure he came back; if only just the once, and if only for a brief while.
Suddenly, she laughed. It was a strange sound to Sasuke, but he knew it would be convincing enough.
"I'm sorry. This whole thing is just so weird." She smiled sweetly, "It's nice to meet you all." She made to greet each council member individually.
The atmosphere became lighter almost immediately, as Sakura worked her long out-of-use charm. The members warmed to her instantly as she answered their questions.
Sasuke noted how her smile never reached her eyes, and how her motions were deliberate- betraying her sincerity to those who bothered to observe them.
"How long have you known Otokage-sama?" One of his advisors questioned.
"Oh, we were close childhood friends." She replied without hesitation. The lie had the same effect as the sound of nails on a chalkboard to her mind, and it took the years of hard training she had undergone to be able to fight back a cringe.
"Really now," The advisor seemed awed at this fact, "Is your clan just as unique?" He looked hopeful.
Sakura gave a forced laugh. "Oh no, not at all. I was actually born to a civilian family." She faked modesty.
"How humble of you." Another advisor chuckled. Sakura grinned at him, realizing she'd learned a lot from her Root companion. Sai was the best example she could think of when it came to expressing emotions one truly could not feel.
"Your family must be quite pleased with your decision." The first noted.
Sakura's shoulders tensed as she recalled the message she'd left for her aging parents, explaining nothing more than she was on yet another mission and did not know when she'd return. Although she no longer lived with them, her mother often came by to ensure she'd been eating properly and had been taking care of herself, and knew both her parents would worry if anything was out of the ordinary. They had lost their daughter once before to her complicated kunoichi lifestyle as she had fallen into a severe depression soon after Team Seven had crumbled, with her only reprieve being exhausting and time-consuming hours of Tsunade's training. They were not fond of the idea that they could, at any moment, quite possibly lose her again.
Sasuke shifted and she snapped back to reality.
"They're thrilled." She nodded as if the action would make the statement seem more believable.
"What is most appealing to you about Otokage-sama?" The oldest advisor seemed to be unconvinced with Sakura's facade and had felt the need to test her.
Sakura froze, her smile vanishing.
Sasuke stood immediately. "That's enough." His voice was cold and stern, "She needs to rest." He commanded in one of his most intimidating tones that left no room for argument.
He pushed Sakura out of the room, rather harshly, as his advisors stood and gave hurried good-byes, looking as though some of their earlier doubt was beginning to return.
Sakura slipped a few senbon from her armguard, arming herself out of habit in case Sasuke had changed his mind about her usefulness.
He commanded her to follow him up a huge flight of stairs to the upper level of his abode. He was careful to look around for signs of any followers before shoving her into a well-lit room.
He closed the door behind them, placing a sound-proofing seal on the grain of the wood to ward off any eaves-droppers.
Sakura noticed immediately that Sasuke's new team sat around the room. She clenched the senbon tighter in her hand, feeling as though trapped in a lion's den.
"Yo, Sasuke!" The silver-haired shark-like man saluted. The orange haired stern looking man nodded in their direction, while the red headed woman who she believed she had heard Sasuke call 'Karin', jumped out of her chair with a wide-eyed expression.
"Y-you're keeping her?" She shrieked. Her voice became instantly annoying to Sakura's ears.
"Of course he is, isn't it obvious." The silver haired man laughed mockingly at Karin, who in turn, punched him rather fiercely in the stomach.
"There's no way!" She yelled, turning to latch onto Sasuke's arm and attempting to seductively press against him, "Ne, Sasuke-kun?" She had a glint in her eyes that reminded Sakura of when cartoon characters' eyes became hearts. She fought the urge to laugh.
Sasuke pulled away from the bespectacled woman, seemingly not listening to a word his team was saying.
"You're going to have to try harder than that." He warned, as he directed his attention towards Sakura.
Sakura shrugged indifferently. He glared at her.
"What's going on?" The orange haired man questioned. Sasuke gave an exasperated sigh before explaining the deal he had struck with the pinkette.
"I knew it!" Karin slammed a fist into her palm as she glared at Sakura, "Sasuke-kun would never really choose someone like her-I mean look at her, all beat up and with that hideous hair colour..." She sniffed as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
"Shut it Karin, you're really not one to talk about appearances, you ugly cow!" The shark-like man berated her, clutching his bruising stomach, while he winked at Sakura.
Sakura almost shuddered.
Karin put the man into a headlock, "What did you say!" She seethed, looking about ready to quite literally rip his head off.
The solid form of the man began to ripple, as Sakura realized he was beginning to melt. She was shocked that the red-head had such an impressive ability, before she realized Karin wasn't the one doing it. The shark man was turning himself into a liquid, water-like state to escape Karin's grasp. The red head shrieked in disgust and immediately let go of him, flicking water droplets off of her hands.
"Suigetsu, Karin. That's enough." Sasuke ordered, "You're damaging the room." He admonished, as the shark-man named Suigetsu began to take his normal form, revealing the water damage on the hardwood floor beneath him.
Karin still looked livid as she turned her attention away from Suigetsu as commanded and returned to setting a death glare on Sakura.
Suigetsu, however, turned his toothy grin to Sakura, "Glad you decided to stay a while." Sakura couldn't be sure, but she had the sneaking suspicion that he was attempting to flirt with her. She decided to ignore him completely.
He gave an annoying whistle, "Doesn't say much, does she?"
"Jugo, go find Hachirou-san." Sasuke ordered the orange haired man, interrupting Suigetsu's attempts at conversation. Jugo nodded and left quietly.
In the moments of Jugo's absence, the atmosphere of the room became increasingly tense. Karin's glare was nearly boring holes into Sakura, who mentally pictured herself incapacitating the red-head with a flick of her senbon. Her grip tightened around them at the thought. Sasuke leant against the wall nearest the door, stuffing his hands into his pockets and closing his eyes in exhaustion. Suigetsu noticed how uncomfortable it had become.
"So, uh, I think some of the council members were hitting on those women from earlier." He tried to break the silence.
No one bothered to appear as if they'd heard him speak. He crossed his arms, frustrated that he'd been ignored yet again.
Minutes passed in strained silence.
Suigetsu was about to break something in frustration or skip town entirely to avoid the awkwardness that seemed to permeate the air, as Jugo returned, followed by a rather meek looking old man.
The man had short black hair and dull grey eyes, and appeared a bit too thin, almost malnourished. Lines of age creased his forehead and the areas around his eyes.
"Otokage-sama." The man bowed in respect of Sasuke. Sasuke gave a small nod in return.
"I need you to take her measurements and fashion her some more respectable clothing." Sasuke said to the man as he motioned towards Sakura. She forced herself not to look like a deer caught in the headlights as she realized the old man, Hachirou, must have been the village's tailor. He wore fine clothing, and had several measuring tapes hanging around his neck and held a pin-cushion in his left hand.
Hachirou's eyes seemed to sparkle.
"Wonderful!" He clapped his hands together, "We just received a new shipment of silk from Kumogakure." He moved quickly toward Sakura, who backed up against the wall defensively.
"Oh come now dear, this won't hurt a bit." The old man smiled reassuringly up at her, the creasing lines around his mouth gave him very much the feel of an old, wise, grandfather.
He motioned for her to step forward, and she found herself slipping her senbon back into her armguard before stepping back towards him, feeling more trusting of the old man than anyone else in the room at that moment.
"I'm going to need you to remove the holster, the pack, the sword, and the armguards." He told her, as he took a measuring tape from around his neck. Sakura didn't move. Grandfatherly or not, Sakura wasn't about to toss aside her only protection from the company she now kept.
The tailor frowned and looked back to Sasuke, as if asking why his newest model wasn't being more cooperative.
"You'll need more than your uniform if you're going to stay here." Sasuke stated, matter-of-factly, careful to keep any irritation from his voice in front of Hachirou.
She caught that he hadn't specified her stay would only be two weeks, and that he was probably about to commission an entire wardrobe for the sake of keeping up appearances.
She scowled at the raven-haired man, hoping to convey that she deserved some privacy.
He sighed once more (it was becoming quite the habit), seemingly understanding.
He turned to Jugo, "I can handle this from here." Jugo nodded.
"Suigetsu, Karin, let's go." Jugo told his team mates as he made his way towards the door. Suigetsu made to follow him, but Karin did not, as she continued to glare at Sakura.
"You can't possibly think I'd leave her here alone with you!" She almost hissed at Sasuke. A flash of red appeared in his new eyes in warning. Sakura tensed visibly.
The tailor raised an eyebrow as he looked confusedly at the red-head, not understanding why the Kage's team mate would be so overprotective-especially seeing as she seemed so hateful of the Kage's future bride.
"You will show some respect." Sasuke growled at her. His threatening appearance seemed to deter her enough that she left-although rather grudgingly, and not before narrowing her eyes in jealousy and suspicion at Sakura one final time.
Sasuke closed the door behind his team and made to stand by the window at the far end of the room, attempting to appear interested in something in the distance.
The tailor turned back to Sakura, shrugging off the awkward scene, and held his hand out expectantly.
She slowly handed over her katana, still impossibly denying a very primal urge to keep herself armed.
The tailor took it and gently placed it on a nearby table. He proceeded to take the rest of her equipment in the same manner, Sakura feeling only a slight bit more reassured that he had put all of it within arms reach.
As he made to take her measurements, starting with her full height, the length and width of her arms, and the length and circumference of her legs, he paused as he attempted to take her waist and chest size. He clucked his tongue.
"I'm sorry dear, but you have to remove the vest too. The thickness of the armour won't allow me to get a proper measurement." He said, as he pulled out a scroll and etched the numbers he had already acquired upon it.
Sasuke diverted his attention back to her, watching her reaction from the corner of his eye-ready to intervene should she compromise their situation.
She seemed about ready to grab her things and leave the village at the tailor's honest request, but in the next moment, her eyes had flickered in his direction and she saw him observing her. Her look grew determined, as she straightened her uneasy stance.
She began to unzip the back of the vest, and he redirected his gaze back to the view of the courtyard outside.
Sakura shivered as soon as she had the heavy material off of her body. She felt so exposed, though she still sported her black pants and tank top, and desperately fought the urge to reach out and grab any weapon she could get her hands on. Though more than capable of immense damage with her fists and chakra, years of combat and training with weapons had left her both craving and needing the familiarity of cold metal to assuage her growing paranoia.
The tailor returned to taking the rest of the measurements.
"Arms out please." He asked her in a kind, respectful tone, as he slipped a pair of glasses onto his nose to read the tape better. The tailor frowned as he noticed the scars littering her pale skin. "The medics here can help you take care of those." He said, with more concern in his voice than Sakura had been expecting. He took the tape back as he went to add the rest of the numbers to the parchment.
"Thank you, but I'd rather keep them." She mumbled, feeling compelled to treat the old man kindly in return.
"Suit yourself dear." He shrugged, "I really don't know what to do about the colour of your hair, though." He muttered as he took down notes of her attributes. Before Sakura could ask what he meant, he continued, "The fabrics I have to work with come in many colours, but quite a few of them will contrast negatively with that bright pink." He explained, mentally calculating his inventory, and noting that perhaps only a third of his materials would go well with the young kunoichi. "But I'm sure I can make it work." He finished, assuring both Sakura and the Otokage. Sasuke nodded to him as the tailor bowed and took his leave.
As soon as the door had closed, Sakura made to grab her sword and weapons holster. Sasuke took a few steps towards her before she could finish collecting all of her things.
He grabbed the vest and the armguards as she made to pick up her medical pack.
"I'll have these cleaned. You can change into whatever's in that closet until Hachirou-san has finished with his work." He explained before she could protest.
"Leave your clothes on the table when you're done. I'll have someone come for them." He muttered, before slipping out of the room.
Sakura waited a few minutes before she dared to move. She set down her weapons and her pack when she felt sure no one would be returning to the room.
She turned towards the closet Sasuke had indicated and opened the heavy doors. She rummaged through the piles of linens until she pulled out a while shirt and traditional black pants. They were meant to be worn by someone twice her size, but she was able to pull the drawstring tightly on the pants and had rolled up the sleeves of the shirt. She left her old outfit on the table as Sasuke had instructed, not particularly worried about whether she would have the clothes returned to her as she had multiples back home. She took off her mask and tucked it back into her medical pack before pulling a hair tie from one of its pockets. She secured the pack around her waist once more, before using the tie to fasten her long hair into a high pony tail. She then picked up her katana, and strapped it onto her back, before attempting to buckle her holster back onto her thigh. The strap of the holster would not clasp around the extra fabric of the baggy pants however, and she sighed in frustration as she resigned to simply holding it.
She turned to look around the room, searching for any approaching chakra signatures in the back of her mind, before approaching a desk that had been tucked away in a corner by the window.
She opened several of its drawers, rummaging through the contents of each one in search of a scroll, a vial of ink, and a calligraphy brush.
Sai had been most helpful over the years, aiding her in developing her skills nearly as much as Tsunade had. He had played an important part in her becoming an ANBU and had imparted her with a few helpful skills. As she found what she was looking for, she checked once more for anyone's approach.
The coast was clear.
She set to work, painting out a black crow on the rough surface of the parchment while infusing it with her chakra, completing the technique the way Sai had instructed her, and summoning the black ink messenger bird. She gave it a quick message that would be delivered to Naruto, explaining to the Kage (rather ambiguously) that he wouldn't be able to reach her for any mission assignments as she had important business to attend to for the next little while. As he was the one who assigned the missions, she would not be able to give him the same excuse for her absence as she had given her parents, and she mentally prayed, however great the unlikelihood, that they would not cross each other's paths in the next two weeks. She felt reassured, though, knowing that she had often conveyed messages to him using the same ink bird during the past few years as he had become swamped with Hokage duties and she had avoided any face-to-face interaction with him as much as possible. She knew he would not sense that anything was out of place.
Sakura felt Sasuke's chakra signature returning, and quickly sent the ink creature away, shoving the remaining scroll and ink back into the drawer they had come from.
A second later, Sasuke re-entered the room. What seemed to be an assistant of sorts scurried along behind him, quickly turned towards the table, picked up her old clothes, and proceeded to bow to the Otokage before darting back out as swiftly as he had come.
"You'll have everything returned soon enough. You just won't be able to wear your uniform while you're here." Sasuke spoke as though he expected her to already have drawn that conclusion.
She had.
"Just know I have no intentions of becoming your village's ANBU instructor." She said, requiring some sort of trade-off for being forced to wear strange clothing.
"My advisors were getting ahead of themselves. I've no desire for you to work here." He brushed the idea aside.
"I wouldn't anyways-even if it might compromise our deal." She huffed defiantly. He smirked as he noted how peculiar it was for her to show pride in her rank. The young Sakura he had known all those years ago had never had any pride in her kunoichi status, let alone any ambition. She'd looked so awkward even holding a kunai, and yet here she stood, comfortable with the weight of her weapons, and ever eager for a fight.
Sakura's jaw clenched as she realized his musing smirk was something akin to laughter for most people.
"What?" She bit out, suddenly self-conscious as she realized he was 'laughing' at her.
"Come." He said, ignoring her and motioning for her to follow. She was hesitant, out of frustration at his behaviour, but resigned to follow him nonetheless. She hadn't yet learned her way about the Kage's complex, and was not keen on the idea that she could lose her way, or run into any one of the advisors, unless she trailed after the Uchiha.
"Where are we headed?" She mumbled after him, as they left the room and turned right down the hall.
"My room." He answered.
She stopped in her tracks.
"What?" She repeated, this time seeming both disbelieving and disturbed by his answer. She fingered the holster she held in her left hand; right hand twitching slightly as if itching to grab a few shuriken in case he pulled anything.
Sasuke turned around to face her.
"It's where you're staying." He said his face expressionless.
"Where will you be staying then?" She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him, almost certain of what he would say next.
"My room." He replied, irritation surfacing in his voice despite his flat gaze.
"You can't be serious." She scanned his features as if trying to descry anything that may hint that he was joking. It seemed however, that Sasuke hadn't changed very much. The Uchiha never joked.
He cocked an eyebrow.
"I'm not staying in your room." She protested, rather loudly. It had been a while since anyone had the gall to defy him.
"Yes, you are." He scowled, "We're going to make this believable, or the deals off." He had closed the small distance between them in order for her to be able to hear him as he lowered his voice. Although the hall was void of anyone besides themselves, he could not risk being overheard.
"In case you've forgotten, I'm the one doing you the favour here." She scowled right back.
"Actually, you're mostly just a matter of convenience." He retorted, "I can always find someone less annoying, but then you'd never get the chance for your long-awaited Leaf reunion."
"Or the chance to wipe that smirk off your face once and for all..." She countered dangerously, aggravated by the realisation that their agreement really had been simply out of convenience for the both of them. Neither could truly use their deal as a bargaining chip, though Sasuke was somehow managing to gain the upper hand.
"Hn." He uttered his usual non-committal, dismissing their argument altogether, and seeming to contemplate her statement for only a mere half-second. He turned back to continue down the hall, stopping at the last room on the right.
Sakura followed slowly, dragging her feet. He could feel her glare boring into the back of his skull as he pushed open the double doors to his chambers.
Sakura had been so focussed upon her own predicament that she hadn't noticed the chakra signatures that emanated from his room until she stood in the doorway.
Team Hawk was sitting about the suite, all eyes directed towards her.
She rolled her own and placed her free hand on her hip muttering, "Great."
Sasuke closed the doors behind them as Sakura surveyed the room, doing her best to ignore Karin's icy stare.
The entire left wall was comprised of windows that stretched from the ceiling to the floor. One of these, she noted, was a patio door, that led out to a simple balcony, overhanging the garden she'd been in earlier that evening. A very light shear-type fabric draped across the windows for some semblance of privacy, though she noted darker drapes could also be pulled across to further obscure the sun's rays.
Directly in front of her was a king size rod-iron canopy bed that had been decorated with dark fabrics, along with black drapes that had been tied back with red and white rope. There was a walk-in closet on the far end of the right wall, and another door closer to her that she assumed led to a bathroom. There were two nightstands, a dresser, two armchairs, a couch, and a desk, and yet there was still an incredible amount of floor space. She realized his room represented the same space as the entire floor plan of her small home back in Konoha.
What caught her eye after a quick once-over however was not the size of the room, but the elaborate painting that hung directly above the headboard of the massive bed.
It was a representation of the Uchiha district that no longer existed since Pein's attack on Konoha. The focal point of the painting was a wall with an Uchiha crest upon it that had been split directly down its centre.
"He painted that himself." Jugo offered, breaking the silence as he answered Sakura's visible curiosity. He sat on one of the armchairs near the windows, as Sasuke, frowning suddenly, took the other.
Sakura feigned indifference. Truly she was impressed at its likeness and the fact that Sasuke could create a piece of art, but what should she care? Though tragically beautiful, the scene of the no-longer-existent clan served only to rouse reminders of how all of it had started...Of how the massacre that had occurred there had an impact greater than anyone could have guessed.
"Tch. She doesn't even have manners..." She heard Karin mutter from where the red-head had perched herself on a bench at the foot of the bed.
"Like you know anything about manners..." Suigetsu quipped, before earning a punch on the arm. He sat on the edge of the bed, facing the windows, and with his attention shifting between Sasuke and Sakura.
Sakura tore her gaze from the painting's haunting allure, before turning to sit on the couch to her left that had been propped up against the same wall as the door. As she sat down, she wondered vaguely why the sharp-toothed shinobi chose to sit so close to the red-head when he knew she would lash out violently at any mocking remark he made.
She removed her medical pack and placed it, alongside her holster, upon the coffee table before the couch. Although she removed the katana from her back, she made sure to place it on the cushion beside her.
Crossing her arms and legs, she leaned back into the couch, watching the team.
Karin's attention was focussed on Suigetsu as they squabbled, while Jugo seemed to be checking if there were any outstanding duties the Otokage had required they take care of. Sasuke simply shook his head, and relaxed back into the armchair, as if sighing from exhaustion, and letting his frown recede.
Sakura felt detached from the sight, as though she were nothing but an invisible observer, intruding upon some sort of dysfunctional familial gathering. Her fingernails bit into the skin on her arms as she realized this was something she hadn't been able to truly experience for herself for more than a decade.
It seemed unusually unfair that Sasuke's replacement team had become far more important to him than Team Seven probably ever had.
Sakura forced her thoughts away as the four before her began conversing openly with one another, before she was forced to do something she might regret.
"Man, I can't believe how many women flocked here for you!" Suigetsu was saying, his tone incredulous, to Sasuke. He took a swig of water from a bottle he had kept secured to his waist.
"It was pretty impressive." Jugo agreed.
"Can't believe I wasted my time looking when they were coming here..." Karin was muttering to herself.
Sasuke made no effort to take part in the conversation and looked rather irritated, though he gave them his attention by appearing to be listening while leaning his head back against the chair.
"It worked out though." Suigetsu looked in Sakura's direction momentarily before returning his gaze to his team mates.
Sakura realized just how true Sasuke's words had been when he had said he could find someone else just as easily. It hadn't quite dawned on her why all those women had been in Otogakure earlier that day, her mind having been quite preoccupied over the last few hours.
"You actually sent word out that you needed a matriarch?" Sakura asked suddenly, obviously finding the idea amusing and repulsive at the same time by the expression on her face.
Sasuke's head snapped up as he turned to face the pinkette as though he had forgotten she was there for a moment.
"It was my advisors." He answered curtly, before returning to his previous position.
"But that means you sent your team out for the same reason then?"
"Aa." He muttered without looking at her.
"Wow. That's pretty sad." She laughed sardonically, "Slim pickings here or something?" She stared pointedly at Karin.
"You bitch!" The red-head jumped up, and looked as though she was ready for an attack.
Sakura didn't stand, but grasped the hilt of her katana in warning.
"Knock it off, Karin!" Suigetsu grabbed onto Karin's shoulder.
"We should go." Jugo said as he flash-stepped to Karin's other side. He and Suigetsu managed to drag her from the room as she continued uttering strings of curses.
As the doors clicked shut behind them, Sakura diverted her attention back to Sasuke.
He hadn't so much as flinched during the altercation as he rested against the back of the chair, eyes closed. She wondered momentarily if he'd fallen asleep.
"You're really not one to comment on what's sad, Sakura." He said after a moment, proving that he was still alert.
Sakura clenched her fists, the knuckles of her right hand turning white as it gripped the hilt of the katana.
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" She grit out.
He opened his eyes and looked over to her.
"Look at how you're gripping that thing..." He muttered, "And the way you concealed those senbon earlier..."
"That makes me cautious, not sad." She retorted, a little unnerved that he hadn't missed a thing.
"What's sad is how you cling to those objects as though they'd save your life of their own accord." He said, and in the next moment, he was in front of her, her own katana in his hand.
Sakura flew into action at his sudden movements, grabbing the sheath of her sword to knock the blade from his possession. It flew into the air before she caught it skilfully, and pointed it at his neck.
His form dissolved into a cloud of smoke, and he reappeared directly behind her. She made to spin around and face him, but his speed slightly outmatched her own and he managed to forcefully fasten her arms to her sides.
"The only thing that can save you, is you." He spoke, his deadpan voice making her skin crawl. "If I'd wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have bothered with our deal."
Sakura forced chakra to where he held onto her, pulsing it outwards in order to force him to release her. The bastard was toying with her.
She swallowed hard as she tried to repress the ghost of a feeling of his hands around her throat, crushing the air from her lungs...
He'd been the only one to have ever come that close since.
"But you have wanted to kill me." She retorted, glaring furiously at him. The emotions she'd learned were nothing but hindrances during the time she'd become an ANBU were continuously getting the best of her every moment she was in his presence. It caused her to be reckless as her reactions became slower, her mind became chaotic, and her anger got the best of her. She had eliminated countless worthless criminal after worthless criminal, and yet this man before her could still unnerve her to her very core.
"That was a long time ago." He countered, the abysmal emptiness behind his onyx orbs demonstrated how unperturbed he was.
She contemplated taking him out right then and there.
"Not for me." She retorted scathingly. She was subconsciously running chakra towards her hands.
"I can't harm you now, because of Naruto." He stated bluntly, "I owe him." It had taken him years to acknowledge this fact.
She realized the truth in his words.
After a moment, her chakra returned to its normal state within her network. Her mind cooled at the mention of Naruto's name and her shoulders relaxed as she lowered her blade. She was still angry that he could even get so close to her and affect her so, of course, but her ANBU demeanour soon washed back over her.
"I don't expect you to walk around here without any weapons at all," He began, "But you can't carry around your katana and the rest of your equipment. It will send the advisors the wrong message. They'll think you feel threatened here, when you should be feeling welcome."
"Then they'd think right." She said her voice even.
"Tch." He scoffed, "Still not getting it, huh?"
"I'm not a moron, of course I get it." She snapped impatiently, before deciding to sheath her sword and laying it down on the table, "I'll keep the weapons out of plain sight, but I'm not going to sleep in that bed with you."
"I wasn't going to tell you to." He pointed towards a pile of pillows and blankets that had been placed on the other end of the couch.
"You're taking the couch?" She asked, mildly surprised.
"No, you are." He smirked.
"Of course." She bit out, as he moved away from her and towards his bed.
She split her attention between setting up her sleeping arrangement, and watching Sasuke climb into his bed. Once the blankets and pillows had been spread out on the couch, Sakura sat down, trying her best to relax her muscles. Sasuke made to extinguish the light coming from his bedside table, signalling it was time to sleep.
Sakura was positive that would be impossible for her.
Xx
Hours later, the pinkette had finally fallen into a light, fitful sleep, having decided to keep her katana beside her for easy access. It had been a fast paced journey from Konoha to Otogakure, and she was not surprised that her body had finally won over her anxious mind.
It seemed all too soon when light began to stream through the windows.
Sakura would have slept in, had it not been for Sasuke calling her name.
She sat up slowly, wondering if the sound had merely been a figment of that moment of in between sleep and wakefulness.
"Sakura." Sasuke called more firmly, and with something that resembled urgency.
She jumped up at this, sword in her hand, struggling to focus on his figure that still remained on his bed.
"What..." She grumbled, rubbing her eyes before placing her sword back onto the coffee table as she noticed no immediate threat.
"Council members are approaching." He answered hurriedly, and she took a moment to locate their faint chakra signatures. It was true; two of them were already at the top of the staircase.
Through her grogginess, it dawned on her why there was such urgency in Sasuke's voice. His 'fiancé' would not be sleeping on the couch under normal circumstances. She was supposed to be providing him with an heir, and that could not be done efficiently if she was not in bed with him. If they discovered she'd been camping out on the couch, they'd be reassured of their false intentions, and she would lose at the game she had decided to play.
"Get over here." He commanded, motioning the space beside him on his bed.
"No way in hell." She refused, sensing the advisors were half-way down the hall. She would rather lose than suffer his proximity.
"Now." He ordered her, in that leader-like tone of voice she was beginning to despise.
It took seeing the handle on one of the doors to Sasuke's room being turned before Sakura made a split-second decision, grabbed her pillow and blankets, and flash stepped to Sasuke's bed.
She jumped in, agilely throwing the covers over herself, just as the door swung open.
"Ah, good morning!" One of the advisors proclaimed.
"I didn't hear you knock." Sasuke scowled. Sakura tensed as she realized Sasuke had thrown his arm around her shoulders, and had pulled her towards him rather possessively.
She noted in that moment how much it would have pleased her to break every bone in his hand as it gripped her right shoulder. It took a deliberate effort for her to suppress the chakra that threatened to once again fill her hands.
She forced a yawn, and a satisfied smile, as she leaned into him, drowning herself in the part, while mentally envisioning crippling the council members at the door. She'd already begun their little ruse, and would be damned if something as pathetic as refusing to be physically close to the man she couldn't stand would get in her way. It was just like another mission, after all, and she would treat it as such-unacceptable to fail.
"Sorry Otokage-sama, we were in a hurry to let you know Sakura-san's first shipment of new clothes have arrived. Hachirou-san and his associates worked diligently throughout the night." The second advisor apologized, though Sakura knew full well that they had only the intention of checking up on them.
"That could have waited." Sasuke continued berating his advisors, a look of complete aggravation at having been disturbed upon his features. His expression, however, was the only thing that betrayed his annoyance. Sakura noted how comfortable and relaxed his gestures appeared as he leaned back against his pillows while holding onto her as if she had been his lover. It dawned on her that she had only assumed he had never known what forming a relationship was like; having been so hell-bent on breaking any and all types that he had formed previously. Perhaps, she considered, he'd had several female companions in the time she hadn't known him. Perhaps that was why this seemed so habitual to him.
She couldn't explain why this possibility seemed to fill her stomach with twisting, stabbing, knots. She panicked a moment before she reasoned it was simply the scenario she had found herself in that was causing her stomach to behave in such a way. The closeness was just making her feel violently ill.
That was all.
"Of course; we'll leave you two alone." The first council member seemed to misconstrue Sasuke's meaning as he winked knowingly before both advisors bowed, turned and left.
Sasuke scowled as the door swung shut behind them, pulling instantly away from Sakura.
He got out of bed and headed directly towards the washroom.
Sakura crawled out of his bed as quickly as she had jumped into it, shuddering at the contact they'd just shared, and the understanding of what the council members had insinuated.
She grabbed the pillow and blankets that she had used during the night, and put them back neatly on the end of the couch.
She waited for Sasuke to reappear, crossing her arms out of impatience.
She was going to have a word with the Otokage about the abhorrent behaviour of his subordinates.
She glared at the door to the bathroom as though she could simply will the man behind it to spontaneously combust. She clucked her tongue as she heard the shower running, acknowledging there would be no such luck.
She pushed the last few moments to the back of her mind, forcing herself to pretend as though they had never occurred.
The Uchiha had effectively been able to manipulate her-no easy feat by any means.
She realized then that she could use the play they were performing to her advantage; perhaps eventually being able to effectively manipulate him in return.
A smug smirk appeared on her lips.
XxTBCxX
Author's Note: Thanks for the positive feedback on that last stressful chappie! I'm glad you all (mostly) enjoyed! This chapter was far more fun to write! I hope reading it was just as fun :P The next chappie will be more eventful now that she's settled in. More of Sasuke's perspective will be incorporated...It'll be more entertaining to get an idea of what's going through that mind of his. It seems I've got quite a few reviews to answer to! Haha, I would have just pm'd all this, but it's valuable for all of my readers to see too P: So here are the answers to those who asked questions:
illicitazure: Thanks! I'm going to have to come up with excuses; primarily because it was a last minute decision to make Sakura an ANBU (she was normally just an average jounin in previous drafts but I wanted her to kick more butt than usual...and take out her anger on something 'constructive') and mostly because I'm a lazy writer lol I tend to have bad plot holes... Excuse #1: They were suppressing their chakra signatures...or something lol. And she was too preoccupied at the time...and let's just say I don't want her to be flawless just because she's ANBU now...She's still Sakura at the core, and still makes mistakes/overlooks things. Excuse #2: The village of Otogakure hasn't been widely accepted across the nations as being a credible village; Sasuke's been working to improve relations to try and give his village some credit; he was largely just known as the self-proclaimed 'Otokage', and very few outside of his village knew his name was Uchiha (being, Gaara, Naruto, and certain other Kages). Naruto told Sakura that Sasuke had died-implying the truth had been hidden from her and the village (maybe I should make that more clear at some point); 'Uchiha' is basically a taboo word in Konoha, even with Naruto's efforts. However, Sasuke's name is now known most of everywhere, thanks to the advisors advertising he was looking for a woman. This is something that will be important in later chapters, so keep reading! :P
lovedreamergrl: Haha, yes I finally did! And updating will be maybe twice a month now, if I can swing it with my school work! I hope you liked this chapter! Their relationship is going to be hell to try and formulate, but I'll try my best!
Aya akkaime: Thank you! That's what I was trying for haha; I was going to try and fit in a bit of Karin's POV to sort of explain how she ended up back with Team Hawk. It's difficult because when I started the story, Sasuke hadn't stabbed her yet in the manga; and it sort of slipped my mind when I wrote chapter 3, until after I had posted it. I was like, oh, right, she should hate him too by all rights lol. She should also be in Konoha...because that's where Kakashi had taken her. Suigetsu and Jugo were also left behind if I'm not mistaken...But, I will probably end up explaining how things came to be next chapter! So look out for that xD
colorfullotus5: I would love to tell you if she gives him an heir, but that would spoil it haha, so keep reading! I'll try to update at least twice a month! Gaara will arrive at Otogakure within four weeks (a month). Can't say if Sakura's going to be there! Haha.
Samanthastar47: That idea sounds awesome! Hopefully you post that so I can give it a read! I'd love to collaborate ideas! And yeah! They totally are; most difficult characters I've ever had to try and express lol (in non-AU fics anyways!) Sticking to the real deal is much harder than I thought xD
And, I would just like to sincerely thank the rest of my reviews (who didn't have any specific questions) but gave reassuring words of encouragement that continue to keep me motivated!
Mizuki-chan Uchiha
mUmaRhz
Thegirlwhowatchstars
Izumii842 : Phew! That's great news; thank you!
Otakugal
Anundecidedteen
Macey Hart
izzybell117
thinkthoughts
MyUsedRomance
rainbow spell : Greatest review ever! lol
sasusaku-EienAi : I love having hate-love relationships haha-Karin reacted; did you like :P
one-Kai : I'm so happy!
jonayells : That makes me ecstatic :P
Emumoon
Thank you all!
xo
AdventRain
P.S. I've already got 10 pages of Chapter 5 done! Should be posted soon xD